The Mason Lions Club met Tuesday, Dec.1st, for its regular monthly business meeting. There were 31 members and 15 visitors in attendance. "Boss Lion" Chris Dyer was responsible for the program and Secretary/Treasurer Gene Gammill read the minutes and gave the financial report. The Hamburger Lunch set for Dec. 11th was postponed until spring in hopes of a time of good weather.

My fellow Americans. We are falling apart. Literally. Don’t take my word for it. Just look at all the glue for sale. From Hinckleys to Dollar General to Super S to Donop’s. It’s all about glue. Some stores carry 50 different kinds. Talk about an epidemic. It’s enough to make a person come unglued. Apparently we’re al ...

10 Tips for Holiday Eating Without Weight Gain Do you anticipate the holidays but dread the "inevitable" holiday weight gain? Do your holiday events revolve around food more than the meaning, people, presents, decorations, or travel? Eating mindfully and preventing holiday weight gain during the holidays can be a real challenge unless you have a strategy. These 10 holiday eating tips will help you enjoy the season more while eating less. 1.

Okay, four weeks down and two to go. This past four weeks I’ve really learned a whole lot about importance. And what I thought was important has been pointed out to me that, "it’s not important!" This isn’t all to my liking, but I’ll tend to these statements when I can "HIT AND RUN!"

A Story of Steaks… Had it Instead, I jumped right into the mix in the same light-headed manner Maude did upon hearing the hullabaloo about Tiger Woods. She said she knows so little about golf, she’s "not sure which end of the caddie to hold." Enough about Tiger’s "rough" experience. This commentary concerns "steak night"

Longtime readers of this column sometimes ask me, when their parents let them come over or use the phone, whatever happened to my friend, Gordo, who I used to write about pretty often. Some readers have told me they didn’t believe Gordo really existed, like my invisible camel. I guess they found it hard to believe I actually had a friend. But Gordo Gipson is real, he just doesn’t live in Mason anymore.

Since the library will be closed during the month of January the check out limit will be increased for books checked out on these days: Thursday and Friday – December 17 and 18, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday – December 21, 22, and 23 and Tuesday and Wednesday – December 29 and 30.

Going West - Part 3 HITCH HIKING TO DENVER At the end of part two I had talked Shorty into hitchhiking to Denver instead of riding the freight train......................... Being an experienced hitch-hiker I coached Shorty on what to do. I told him to go down the road about 200 yards ahead of me and when I caught a ride I would ask the driver if he would pick up my brother.

Kidneys are the organs that maintain our water balance and help manage the pH of our bodies. While we generally think of kidneys as organs that get rid of water, they actually conserve water by filtering waste products into urine while returning the rest to the blood stream. Approximately 100 quarts of liquid are filtered through the kidneys daily with only 1½ quarts passing out of the body as urine. High protein diets are hard on the kidneys.

5 Ingredient French Bread This is a recipe that I gathered from the internet while looking for an entirely different recipe. It was one of those that caught my eye because it had only 5 ingredients and could be worked on in "time slices." Also, with 6 cups of flour, I figured it would make a lot of bread; and it does: 2 excellent loaves! 5 Ingredient French Bread Linda Larsen; April, 2006 2 Packages dry yeast 2 ½ Cups warm water (90-110 ...

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Hey, I'm back. I spent Thanksgiving in Baltimore with my daughter and her husband, and had a good time celebrating with family and friends. My grandson, Kyle Pierce, who is in the Navy at Norfolk, came up for a few days and it was great to see him. Hope you all had a very happy week and are well and looking forward to the joys of Christmas. I came back to cold weather and snow but did get to town on Saturday to help unload the Food Bank Truck and I am looking forward to helping distr ...

When I was young, cameras would appear at family events and special occasions. There would be posed pictures (usually with Steve making a face), and a few candid shots would be taken. Then, the film had to be developed, the pictures picked up from the store, and we would go through them, deciding which were keepers and which had not turned out as well as we had hoped. When Polaroid developed inexpensive instant cameras, we became more inclined to take more pictures.

Dear Gerry: Your excellent explanation of why you live in Mason reminds me of a recent telephone conversation with my son, who lives in San Diego. I was going to Eastland to visit some school friends and he was surprised that I still have friends there, fifty years later. He asked, "Why do people stay in small towns, are they too scared to leave or don’t know any better?" I answered, "Maybe some of both, but a great number of them do leave - they go away to coll ...

The Christmas season is upon us again. A time of family traditions, sharing, and most importantly the celebration of the birth of our Savior. Our family at River of Life Church invites your family to share Christmas lunch with us. What a blessing to live in Mason and what a wonderful opportunity to fellowship with our friends and neighbors and let someone else do the cooking.

The holiday season is one of the hardest and often loneliest times for those who have experienced the recent death of a loved one. Sometimes it doesn’t even have to be that recent. It is also a time when both friends and family are often confused about how to help their grieving loved ones get through the holidays.

Long Mountain Community Club will meet at the school building this Friday night, December 11. We share our meal at 6:30 p.m. Come bring two cans of food to donate to the Food Bank, a dish of your favorite food to share in our Christmas feast, and a desire to mix and mingle, and have some fun with other good folks. There will be an elimination domino tournament for those who wish to demonstrate their expertise in this field, puzzles, or other domino or card games or just plain convers ...

MERRY CHRISTMAS: Saturday December 12th ladies of the Llano Cowboy Church will have their annual Christmas Bazaar from 9AM to 3PM at the American Legion Hall in Llano. Many outstanding items have been donated for the silent auction. A unique one of a kind Llanite Granite Clock, and Doc Sutton’s retired Roping Spurs are just a sample of what is waiting.

Everyone is delighted when alumni of the old school join the merriment, and from comments and smiles on their faces, it is obvious that they enjoy coming back to their old school to visit with fellow classmates, friends and neighbors. Hope everyone can make it again this year. So lets meet at the old schoolhouse to visit, enjoy some good food and have a few laughs.

Tickets still available for tour of nine exclusive homes, Candlelight Tour The moment has finally arrived when nine local homeowners open their doors to their exclusive homes for public viewing during the Fredericksburg Holiday Home Tour, this Saturday, Dec 12, from noon until 6 p.m. Sponsored by the Gillespie County Historical Society, this year’s tour offers nine never-before-viewed properties decorated for the season. Tickets for the tours are available righ ...

The Llano Opry will be held on Saturday, December 12, at the Lantex Theater in downtown Llano. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $10.00 per person and tickets are on sale at the Llano Chamber of Commerce, Llano National Bank, Lively Computers in Marble Falls. Tickets can also be bought at the door the night of the performance.

Joel and Pattie Allen supplied a bountiful spread during last Thursday's Chamber of Commerce Christmas Mixer, with lots of entree iteams and this layout of scrumptious desserts. Jon Peavy got caught on camera enjoying the food; but, everyone else enjoyed it as well!

The Cub Scouts made cards for the Holiday Mail4Heroes program sponsored by the Red Cross at their Pack Meeting Monday night. The cards will be sent to the Red Cross and distributed to soldiers, veterans and their families. In the photo from left to right are Colten Brandenberger, Xzavier Muniz, Austin Trimble, Sebastian Burke, and Carlos Watson.

I had gone to our San Saba office on Thursday to work on their computers. While there, I heard them interviewing a fellow who was bicycling through promoting Suicide Prevention and Basset Hound Rescue. I was intrigued by the dual causes, and by the nature of his journey. Marshall Wayne Lee is 41 years old.

His question was short and simple: Would I consider hosting a deer hunt for a few Fort Hood soldiers who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan? A few months ago, when I received a call from Bob Stratmann, the answer to his question was easy. He is affiliated with Legacy Outfitters, a faith-based organization headquartered in Waco with chapters in 13 other Texas cities.

Beth Williams’ Acoustic Christmas CD is now available at various Mason shops including Benjie’s, Market Square and the Cotton Patch. This simple offering of traditional Christmas Carols done in a down home Texas style with Beth playing guitar, singing and adding a few sparse harmonies will make a wonderful early Christmas gift for family and friends. Beth has written a Yodel Lullaby that she includes in Silent night, sings some of the Hebrew names of Jesus in "God ...

The holidays can be a tough time for family and friends of alcoholics. For many, just knowing their loved one will be intoxicated through the holidays is painful enough, but alcoholism can create a wide range of other issues from financial hardships to bitter arguing. "For families where there is active alcoholism, the holiday season can be an extremely stressful time,"

"Children are a gift from God" Psalm 127:3 Lauren and Kevin Westbrook along with big brother, Wyatt, of Mason, welcomed Wesley Lane Westbrook into their family on November 11, 2009. Wesley was born at Hill Country Memorial Hospital in Fredericksburg, Texas. He weighed eight pounds, 10 ounces and was 21 inches long.

8-year-old Colten Brandenberger shot his first buck, an eight-point white tail, near his home on the Brandenberger Ranch in Mason County during an evening hunt with his Dad on December 3rd. Colten is the son of John & D’Lynn Brandenberger of Mason, and grandson of Roseline Brandenberger and Larry and Martha Ahrens of Fredericksburg.

Two proud grandpas holding their namesakes at the Christening of triplets at the First United Methodist Church. Dale Messerle is holding Andrew Dale & Paul Branch is holding Matthew Paul. Katie Messerle is holding Louise Messerle, daughter.

Willie Kemp, 11 year old great grandson of Boone Kemp of Mason, killed this great looking 10-point buck last Saturday. He brought down the monster with a Winchester Model 70 .270 while hunting on the Kemp Ranch in Mason County.

Judge Rex Emerson has announced that on December 3rd, the opening day to file for a place on the Primary ballot, he filed as a Republican candidate for District Judge of the 198th Judicial District. Emerson is a proven steward of the citizen’s resources who will continue his integrated teamwork approach to efficiently manage the Court’s docket.

I would like to take a moment to inform the voters of Mason County that I will be filing for re-election for the office of Mason County Judge. It has been my privilege to serve as your County Judge for the past 7 years. During my time in office, the County has been and is as strong or stronger financially as it has ever been.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of Mason County for supporting me for the first three years I have been in office as Mason County and District Clerk. It has been an honor to serve you in this position. It is amazing how fast time flies when you enjoy serving your community and it is time to formally announce that I will be running for re-election in the Republican Primaries March 2, 2010. I would like to thank my staff, members of the courthouse staff and elected of ...

A.J. and Lillie Baker swept the Llano/Burnet Pecan Show held in Burnet Tuesday, December 3. They placed first in all three categories they entered: Wichita, Cheyenne and Choctaw. They also received "Best of Show" on their Wichita variety of pecans. This is their second year to enter the pecan show. All the first place pecans will move to the second level, the district level.

First Grade A Honor Roll Askins, Austin Bunker, Kolby Dayton, Aeron Elliott, Aunnecy George, Billy George, Preston Guice, Allie Hooten, Kaeli Joy, Avery Keller, Tristin Lemke, Caroline Lemke, Catherine Longoria, Michael Marquart, Marshall Martinez, Joseph Munsell, Kendra Ragsdale, Walker Rodriguez, Nicolas < ...

Head Start Hernandez, Miranda Martinez, Anastasia Martinez, Madison Wehner, Natalie Pre-Kindergarten Brooks, Avery Comey, Brody Del Toro, Madalynn Martinez, Sada Munsell, Laina Soltis-Copeland, Montana Stewart, Emily Kindergarten Ake, Kyleigh Callejas, Fernando Gala ...

At the recently held National Intercollegiate Livestock Judging Contest in Louisville, Kentucky, Aaron Jennings of Fredonia was selected as a member of the 2009 All-American Livestock Judging Team. Aaron, who began his judging career in Mason County, was selected for the team based on his grade point and academic achievements, extra curricular activities at Texas A&M, and judging accomplishments.

Mason High School has received the "2009 College Readiness Award" from the Texas ACT Council for maintaining or increasing the number of students taking the ACT Assessment over the past five years and significantly increasing their level of achievement and college readiness. The Texas ACT Council is comprised of secondary and postsecondary educators who advise ACT, Inc.

LIBRARY WILL BE CLOSED DURING JANUARY, 2010 FOR RENOVATIONS 　 · LIBRARY STAFF WILL BE AVAILABLE o At Library kitchen back door and o At 325-347-5446 · COMPUTERS INSIDE LIBRARY WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE · COMPUTERS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT MASON HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY o Monday – Friday 4:00 – 5:30 PM o Mason County M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library card required ...

Pledges to Continue the Fight Against Wasteful Spending Midland, TX- Today, Congressman Mike Conaway filed to run for his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Conaway currently represents the 11th Congressional District, encompassing 36 counties in West and Central Texas, including Midland, Odessa and San Angelo. During his time in Congress, Mike has become known as a conservative "voice of reason"

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS: Thursday, December 24, 2009-Trash collection will be Tuesday, December 22, 2009 Friday, December 25, 2009-Trash collection will be Wednesday, December 23, 2009 NEW YEARS HOLIDAY: Friday, January 1, 2010-Trash collection will be Thursday, December 31, 2009 **If your trash day is on the day that is not a holiday then your trash collection will be as usual.

Bluebonnet CASA needs your help! Over the last two months over 10 additional children have been removed and placed into state care. We had our annual Pumpkin Sale in October to raise funds to buy Christmas presents for our children. Although it was a huge success, we are in need of funds or items to be donated to give every child we serve a Christmas!

AUSTIN – The LCRA Board of Directors appointed 17 people to fill vacancies on or expand six LCRA regional councils that provide a communication link between LCRA and the communities it serves. The new council members – approved by the LCRA Board at its Nov. 18 meeting – will contribute input and discuss regional issues related to LCRA’s mission, which is to provide energy, water and community services and to help ensure the protection and constructive use of n ...

Annie Beatrice (Tartt) Martin passed quietly from this life December 8, 2009, at the Llano Memorial Hospital in Llano, Texas. ‘Nonnie’ (as she was known to her grandchildren and great grandchildren) led a life of loving service to her Lord, Jesus Christ through her family and friends. Although she will be sorely missed by all who knew her, we are also comforted knowing that she is now with her Savior. Annie Beatrice (Tartt) ‘Bea’ Martin was born Novemb ...

The 8th grade boys took on the visiting Hornets from Irion County this past Monday evening. The Hornets jumped to a quick lead outscoring the home boys 6-12 in the first quarter. However, after a little regrouping, the Punchers went ahead by half-time by the score of of 22-16, outscoring their opponent 16-4 in the 2nd quarter.

The JV Punchers traveled to the Eldorado last weekend to compete in a tournament consisting of local JV squads. The Punchers were able to put together an impressive string of 3 victories to bring home the championship trophy for the second year in a row. In the first contest, the Punchers matched up with the Sonora Broncos.