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 ...

The Mason Community Thrift Store is moving to the Old Post Office building on the southwest corner of the Square. Our current leased site at 330 Ft. McKavitt is no longer available. That building has been sold. We are planning to move before Round-Up weekend in mid-July. Until the move is completed we will continue to operate at our current site. The Mason Community Foundation, which operates the Community Thrift Store, is purchasing the Old Post Office.

Last week, the Wibby Shearer Archives Room was dedicated at Fort Mason. A large crowd of friends and family members were on hand to celebrate the opening of this wonderful addition to the Fort. The family of Wibby Shearer assembled in the new archive room for this photo. Back row, left to right: Kris Lloyd, Billy Bob Lloyd and Bill Sheppard.

Everyone’s invited to attend the Memorial Day Salute at the Veterans Memorial on Monday, May 27th at 11:00 am. Memorial Day has its roots in the Southern tradition of decorating veterans’ graves that began after the Civil War and eventually became a national holiday. Each year, the members of The American Legion, the VFW, and numerous volunteers place more than 750 American flags on the graves of local veterans throughout Mason County to honor their memory and their service to our beloved c ...

May 23, 2013 6:30 p.m. Mason Cafeteria

C.H.O.I.C.E camp is having its last session of a four part series this Saturday, May 18 at Richards Park in Brady. Our last session will wrap up with the day campers identifying who they are today and what their goals for their future are. Plans will be made as to how they can achieve their goals, both short term and long term in life no matter what their age.

Most pet owners spend time and money to make sure their pet is protected. They put up fences, provide vaccinations, provide a good diet and plenty of exercise, and keep pets away from harmful substances. But one area that is sometimes overlooked is pet interactions with wildlife. The results of some interactions with wildlife may only be annoying, such as when an overly curious dog gets sprayed by a skunk.