What a wonderful weekend at The Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve! We had a volunteer work day and though there were only six of us, we kicked it into gear and got it done. Selene Mitlyng, Dakota Kolton-Mitlyng, Ofer Kolton, Adam Kolton-Mitlyng Dalton Ritter and I headed out at a little after seven in the morning and got busy moving big rocks from the parking area, clearing the trails, lining rocks on the trails, trimming brush, clearing the cave area and weedeating the seating area.

The Mason Lions Club met Tuesday, May 4th, for its monthly business meeting. There were 36 members and no visitors in attendance. "Boss Lion" Chris Dyer was responsible for the program and Sec./Tres. Gene Gammill read the minutes and gave the financial report. Gene reported that the Hamburger Lunch made $ 1,000.00, which was just enough to fund the 2-$500.00 scholarships the club gives to two graduating Seniors.

The weather cooperated and we completed a successful Clean-up and Free Dump this past weekend. There were many loads of debris brought into the landfill, and we appreciate everyone’s patience and help in getting the job completed and the town cleaner and neater for all our benefit. The Recycle yard was also busy, but we still have some room in the tire trailer to accept used car and truck tires to be shipped off and recycled, so if you have some tires around your place bring th ...

Bong…bong…bong…bong…bong…bong. Six in the morning. So says the Courthouse clock. Never shy about telling the time. The town ruffles its feathers. A far-off rooster crows. Every bird in town starts to sing. Next thing you know, it’s almost 8. 7:50 to be exact. The roar of traffic up El Paso (aka FM 1871) tells us so. Those final 10 minutes to get to school intensifies. ...

Most people associate osteoporosis with calcium deficiency that can be remedied by taking calcium supplements. However, it is not that simple. People in the United States consume more dairy products and other foods high in calcium per capita than the citizens of any other 2 nations on earth. We even have orange juice and antacids that are fortified with calcium.

Mother’s Day was really special in Art. We had three vases with flowers and there were red and white carnations for everyone in honor and memory of their mother. Mark Mutschink will celebrate his birthday and his graduation from Law School on May 14th. Happy birthday wishes go to Steve Toone on May 16th, to Dick Pierson on May 17th.

Better than Fast Food Do you or a member of your family LOVE chicken nuggets? Try these for a better tasting, cheaper, and better for you version! This recipes comes from a great website and blog I just found from Iowa Extension: the name of it is Eat Better. Spend Better.

Proms Now and Then… Week-ends in America are electric with excitement this time of year, and one city where razzle is exceeded only by dazzle is Houston, Texas. It is the "prom time" of year. Each crop of high school seniors, it seems, tries to outdo last year’s grads, who, in turn, were determined to "out prom"

One can learn a lot of information, if they have e-mail, Google and a preacher! Everyday, you can learn something new. However, some of it isn’t really true. A bunch of fiction is out there on the interstate web. But, if you doubt it, go to snoops and they’ll tell you if it’s FACT or FICTION! Most mornings I spend my time reading my e-mails and listening to Glen Beck or Rush.

Having a book published, it turns out, takes longer than creating a brand new person. Once I looked back and figured up how long it had been since I first sent my publisher the columns I wanted in my book, I was kind of surprised. I can’t imagine what they were doing with that stuff all that time.

Story Time is taking a summer vacation but will start again in the Fall. Information will be available soon about Summer Reading programs beginning in June at the Mason County M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library. NEW ARRIVALS – Quotes are from the publishers summary. Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller (F MIL).

I'm not a television watcher. I can't tell you who the contestants are on American Idol, or what night any particular show is televised. I do watch House MD, Heroes and Lost; but, not when they air. For House and Heroes, I watch them on DVD long after they have aired.

Editor: Where were You last Saturday evening? If you were not at the Odeon theatre listening to Albert and Gage you missed one of those rare occasions you should never miss. Their performance was a rare musical treat. They entertained those who where there with their talent and enthusiasm for 2 1/2 hours and the audience wanted more. The Odeon Preservation Association is to be commended for their efforts to bring entertainment of this quality to Mason again and again. ...

Editor: Over the last week or so, I have been watching and listening to the coverage of the Arizona Illegal Immigration Bill. I must admit I an confused. President Obama, liberal members of congress and the Liberal news media say it is a bad bill and will lead to racial profiling and may even be unconstitutional. Then I watched a non-liberal news outlet and found the bill mirrors the federal law and specifically prohibits racial profiling.

THURS., MAY 13TH On Thursday, May 13th, The American Legion Fort Mason Post 285 will have its regular meeting at 7:00pm, The American Legion Post Hall, 237 Post Hill [behind the Jail]. All members plus friends, family, and other interested parties are encouraged to attend. Officers will be elected and plans for the Memorial Day Ceremony, scheduled for Monday, May 31th, will be discussed.

For children under 6 years old: Wednesday May 12, 2010 from 8:30 to 11:30 AM and 1:00 to 3:30 PM. For ages 6 to 18 years old: Wednesday May 19, 2010 from 1:00 to 3:30 PM DSHS Clinic, 1004 S. Bridge St., Brady, Texas (325)597-0550.

The Mason Puncher Club will hold its eighth annual Puncher Club Fund Raiser Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 15th. This is an 18-hole, 4-person, A,B,C,D Scramble. Play begins at 1:30 p.m., and the entry fee is $50. Go Punchers!!!!!

Mason’s Summer Tennis Camp has been scheduled for June 7th through 18th. The two week camp will be offered to beginners from 8:00 to 9:30, to intermediates from 9:30 to 11:00 and to advanced players (better jr high and high school players) from 11:00 to 12:30. The cost of the camp for the 15 hours of instruction will be $75.

The Llano Country Opry will stage two shows on Saturday, May 15, at the Lantex Theater in downtown Llano. The matinee show begins at 2:30 p.m. and the evening performance will start at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $15.00 each and tickets are on sale at the Llano Chamber of Commerce, Llano National Bank, Livley Computers in Kingsland and KNEL Radio in Brady.

Up the creek without a paddle! The Great Castell Kayak Race, affectionately known as "GiCKeR," is preparing to launch its next fundraiser. The kayaks will put in from the Llano River RV park the morning of June 5 at the Hwy 87 bridge in Mason county. Registration is from 6:30 - 8:15 a.m., the fee is $45.

The Sixth Annual Lamplight Designs Art Competition exhibition opens Friday, May 14, 2010 at the Northside Café. All Mason High School art students will be exhibiting works reflecting a range of medium including painting, drawing, ceramic and collage. The exhibition will close with a reception and awards presentation open to the public on Wednesday, May 19 from 5:30 – 6:30.

Attention Employers! Looking for good workers but aren't sure you can afford to hire right now? Workforce Solutions of the Concho Valley may have just the program you need. Texas Back to Work offers cash incentives for hiring out-of-work Texans. Texas Back to Work is a new wage-subsidy program from the Texas Workforce Commission administered through Workforce Solutions of the Concho Valley. When you hire from a qualified pool of unemployed Texas workers, your ...

New Zealand-trained therapist joins Hill Country Memorial Physical Therapist Curt Rickert, a diplomat of the McKenzie method of mechanical diagnosis and therapy has joined Hill Country Memorial at Our Rehab. Rickert graduated from Michigan State University in East Lansing in 1980 with a bachelor of science. He earned a master of physical therapy in 1991 from Des Moines University.

Big brother Boone and parents Kaycee and Jeff Ingelby of Forentain, Colorado welcomed Mikaela Rylin into their family February 21 @ 1:29 am. Mikaela weighed 7 lbs. 4 ozs. and was 21 in. long. Happy grandparents are Bobby and Linda Tatsch of Mason, Marti Melville of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Brandon and Heather Lock of San Angelo were blessed with the arrival of their daughter, Addison Faith Lock on April 12, 2010. Addison weighed six pounds and 10 ounces and was eighteen and a half inches long. Proud grandparents are Ted Smith and Trish Smith. Also welcoming Addison are her great-grandparents, C.H.

On Saturday March 8, 2010, at 8 a.m., some of Mason’s very own joined in the March of Dimes Walking for Babies that was hosted by San Antonio’s Sea World. The walk lasted about two hours and there were over a thousand people walking.Pictured here are Mason people doing their part to help the world.

Star Longoria, sophomore at Mason High School, competed at the UIL State Prose Interpretation contest in Austin, Saturday, May 7-8, 2010, placing second. In order to reach the final six round on Saturday, Star had to qualify before a panel of three judges and place in the top three in a preliminary round on Friday.

State 4-H Roundup Bound: Gabe Jennings and Austin Priess each won first place at the District 7 4-H Roundup Contest on May 1st in San Angelo. Gabe presented an educational presentation in the Farm and Ranch Economics Category and also won the top prize overall for the presentations made in his contest room, which included several other categories.

On March 10, 2010, the U.S. Congress awarded Congressional Gold Medals to more than 200 women who served during World War II; but, who never got the recognition they so richly deserved. Until now. The women are the surviving members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). They left their homes to serve their country, paying their own way to travel to training facilities, and ended up in all manner of roles.

Aaron Jennings, a senior animal science major at Texas A & M University, received the Senior Merit Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences on April 17 at the College’s Spring Awards Convocation. Based on leadership, scholarship and service at the department, college and university level, the Senior Merit Award is the highest award given to undergraduates by the College. Aaron has served as the vice president of finance for the COALS Student Council, was sele ...

On May 7, Lois Durst celebrated her 97th birthday with the help of Mason Bluebonnet Study Club friends. With birds singing in the background, the party was held in the lush green patio area of Brady West Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. A pastel polka dotted table cloth topped with noise makers and baloons and a huge cake baked by Edna Earle Benton greeted Lois when she came through the door to the patio.

May 6, 2010--Jeanne L. Hahn of Mason, TX., recently earned an award for logging 2,000.0 hours in the American Quarter Horse Association Horseback Riding Program. The program recognizes and rewards AQHA Members for time spent with their American Quarter Horses in activities such as trail rides, working cattle, pleasure driving and simply riding. A unique aspect of the program is its simplicity.

The winner of the "People’s Choice Award" at the 2010 Fine Arts Association of the Hill Country Gala was Debbie Geistweidt's, "Spring Fed Creek."

Lela Rosa Polk, of Mason, passed away on Monday, May 3, at the age of 93. Lela was born on October 15, 1916, in Mason County to Alfred Kuhlmann and Rosa Jacoby Kuhlmann. On August 31, 1935, she married Walker Polk. They made their home in the Streeter-Long Mountain area of Mason County.

After a resounding win against Eldorado, the Punchers participated in 2 practice games last week. The first game was against the Blanco Panthers on Monday. The Punchers came out without the intensity they showed the previous week. The Panthers were able to come away with a win in that game.

On May 3 and 4, two members of the Puncher track team competed at the Region IV track meet on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. Tomas Callejas and Zen Steward qualified in the 800M, 1600M, and 3200M events respectively. Each ran impressive races, and Tomas was able to punch a ticket to the State Track Meet in Austin on May 13 and 14.

7th grade girls High Jump- Jayde Witt 1st place, Katie Smith 2nd place Triple Jump- Brooke Falgout 3rd place Discus- Jordan Donop 1st place, Hailey Bedea 4th place Shot Put- Jordan Donop 1st place 400 M Relay- Smith, Donop, Falgout, Witt 3rd place 100 M Hurdles- Callie Jordan 2nd place, Sheyanne Brandenberger 3rd, Avery Gibbs 5th place 100 M Dash- Jayde Witt 3rd place 800 M Relay- Donop, Jordan, Glentz, Smith 3rd place 4 ...