Chel Terrell, St. Paul Lutheran Church president, presents a check for $2,000 to Mason County Child Welfare Board members Laura Keith, Ann Mahnken and Amanda McMillan. The funds were raised through the Lenten season offerings at St. Paul Lutheran to support the Tuition Assistance offering for the Child Welfare Board Dual Credit Scholarship Program.

SAMe is a biological compound that is found in every cell in the human body. It is important because it plays a key role in methylation which is a process that activates more than a hundred different processes in the body – from preserving joint health, protecting against heart disease, and producing neurotransmitters such as serotonin.

Virginia Lemke, a 2010 graduate of Mason High School, graduated from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, on Saturday, May 12, earning her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in three years. She has enrolled in the Master’s Program at HPU, where she will earn her Master’s in Business Administration.

Please note that I made a mistake on the summer reading times for Read with a Dog. It will be only on Mondays from 1:00-2:00 P.M. Read-to-Swim is on Mondays through Thursdays from 1:00-2:00 P.M. Summer reading programs start on Monday, June 3. NEW ARRIVALS: (All quotes are from publishers’ summaries) DVDs: The Guilt Trip Abel’s Field Women in Love Broken City As I Stand Unconditional Ring the Bell X-Men Origins Wolverine X-Men the Last Stand Lukewarm Silver Linings October Sky ...

USDA’S MyPlate symbolizes a simple, personalized approach to remind consumers to make healthy food choices and be active every day. Think of MyPlate as a “calorie salary” guide that helps you get the most health and enjoyment from what you eat. Plan calories the same as major expenses — such as a car, house, or vacation. This is a good visual for me- when I’m doing diabetes education, the easiest way for me to teach people is to think of it like a small carb “allowance” that you ...

On opening day of the season, Thursday, May 16th, I got to the cave a little early to do some last minute touch ups. I was moving a few rocks out of the parking area when a van drove up. I walked over to greet the visitors and watched as little person after little person emerged from the vehicle, each with a smile as wide as Texas and a sweet hello to me.

Shallowest minds are quickest to tackle deepest subjects, including one comment heard numerous times in many communities: “What this town needs is a few good funerals.” A stronger cry should be for more “good births” of folks disposed to spend their lives serving others. Classic examples are the late Emmett Whitehead and his widow, Marie.

The veterans will hold a Memorial Day ceremony on the courthouse square at the veterans memorial. This will take place on Memorial Day, May the 27th at 11:00 am. The public is invited to come and view the ceremony. The local Boy Scout troop will have a flag decommissioning ceremony following the veterans ceremony.

Esmeralda who? Obviously Spanish is my second language. Esmeralda is Spanish for emerald. Got that right. But it’s not the right name for the plant with yellow flowers. That would be Esperanza. Well, they both start with an E. And then an s. Esmeralda Esperanza. What a pretty name. Muy bonita. Except the similarities stop there. Esmeralda is emerald. Esperanza means “hope” or “expectation.” So maybe there’s hope for my Spanish. Best not have any expectation. The plan ...

On Friday, May 10th the Lamplight Designs sponsored student art show culminated with a closing reception at the Topaz Confections bakery. The show consisted of 49 students exhibiting 52 works of art. Present at the reception were a handful of students, friends, and family. I would like to acknowledge one particular person in attendance: Linnda Graham.

Bill Hight, with the assistance of his grandson, Aiden Sharabba of Houston, will conduct Memorial Day Services at the Long Mountain Cemetery, Monday morning at 9 AM, May 27, 2013. The subject will be comparisons of the two Armies in accordance to numbers in service and losses in the Civil War.

It's been an interesting time of manufactured scandals. The GOP and the press have been hammering the administration about the investigation of journalists by the Justice Department. According to Rep Trey Gowdy (R-SC) in an interview on Fox News, the attorney general, among others, was grilled by his committee over national security leaks about a year ago.

Every year, I like to take a look at the ideas that been rattling around in my head all year. None of them ever quite prompted me to do a full column on them; but, they are things that stay on my mind a good deal of the time. And it begins..... Parking Lots Parking lots have clearly defined parking spaces.

May 8th was an exciting day at Mason Elementary. We had our 1st Annual Leadership Luau. The Leadership Luau was an opportunity for the students at Mason Elementary to show how The Leader in Me program has been put into action throughout our school. As most of the community knows, Mason Elementary received a grant to implement The Leader in Me program, which teaches leadership skills to our students by learning and practicing the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

On Monday, May 13th and Tuesday, May 14th, Mason High School, along with many community volunteers and the Student Health Advisory Committee of Mason ISD, presented the Shattered Dreams program. Around 35 student participants attended a retreat on Monday night at the Eckert Civic Center where they listened to TABC Officer Michael Deans and Deputy Sherriff Lewis Herrington as they discussed legal issues involved in alcohol use among teens, true stories of shattered dreams and the importance of ...