October 29, 2009

106 San Saba citizens took a stand last Monday evening. Literally. The standing room only crowd assembled at 7:00 pm on October 19th to learn more about the proposed high-voltage transmission line proposed for San Saba County. The proposed line (known as the Brown-Newton Line) would bring energy from West Texas wind farms through Central Texas to population centers like Austin, San Antonio and Houston.

Sunday, October 25, 2009, a ground breaking ceremony was held to mark the beginning of construction for a new facility to house The Rock and J.C’s House, the children and youth ministries of The Father’s House. The building will be located at 704 E. Commerce. Pictured are pastors, elders, deacons, and wives who participated in the ceremony: Diana Flores, Terry Smith, Joe and Naomi Ragsdale, Ramiro and Maria Cisneroz, Tom and Cynthia Brand, Carl and Jane Carter, Marsha Childress, Deryl and T ...

The San Saba City Council held a called meeting on Tuesday, October 20th at noon in the City Hall Council Chambers. Mayor Ken Jordan called the meeting to order and announced a quorum present. The first order of business was to present the Joe Ragsdale Employee of the Month award to John Whitney, who has worked for the City for three years and works in the Street Department.

The Board of Trustees of San Saba ISD held a special meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday, October 22nd. President Darrin Barker gave the invocation followed by everyone joining for the pledges to the American and Texas flags. The Board Goals were reviewed to see what could be cut to adjust the budget.

The deputies with the San Saba Sheriff's office underwent their first round of medical training this week. All of the deputies became certified in CPR and also learned some basic trauma skills. The Sheriff's office, working with San Saba EMS, now have three AED's assigned to their patrol units. Sheriff Brown stated, "We are already on patrol and we usually arrive on the scene first so we need to be able to react to each emergency as it arises with not only the proper training, but with the prop ...

A wonderful gift, so precious and sweet; our hearts and lives are finally complete. Timothy and Tara Ketchum are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Timothy "Stone" Ketchum. Stone was born July 26, 2009 at 1:57 p.m. at Llano Memorial Hospital. He weighed 6 lbs. 6 oz. and was 18 1/2 in.

On display at the San Saba County Museum is a party-line telephone. Ralph Owen purchased this telephone and hooked on the Shaw Bend exchange in 1910. A line was run to San Saba in 1913 and within a few years became a party line of 8 to 10 homes. This is the last party line to change to present dial system in 1960.

In a Special Election November 3, 2009, Texas voters will determine the passage of eleven proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. Early voting began October 19th, 2009 and will run through October 30, 2009. November 3rd polling locations in San Saba County are: Precinct 1, 2B, 3B, 4A - Arrowhead Bank, 301 E.

The above is a picture of the Favor house. The original was a beautiful painting by Jane Felts Mauldin that sold at the Rockefeller’s Gallery in NYC a few years ago. It is cropped to show only the house, whereas the house was in a country setting with lots of Texas wildflowers.

Ground Breaking for The Father’s House Youth Center – Sunday, October 25, 2009, a ground breaking ceremony was held to mark the beginning of construction for a new facility to house The Rock and J.C’s House, the children and youth ministries of The Father’s House. The building will be located at 704 E.

The children of James Castleberry of San Saba have prepared to invite the public to celebrate with them for their father's 80th birthday. Cake and ice cream will be served from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the Senior Center, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009. Mr. Castleberry works at Pecan Valley Hardware and pastors the United Pentecostal Church of San Saba.

Navy Seaman Lara E. Thomas, daughter of Melinda J. and Todd K. Thomas of San Saba, Texas, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. During the eight-week program, Thomas completed a variety of training which included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety.

The San Saba City Council held a called meeting on Tuesday, October 20th at noon in the City Hall Council Chambers. Mayor Ken Jordan called the meeting to order and announced a quorum present. The first order of business was to present the Joe Ragsdale Employee of the Month award to John Whitney, who has worked for the City for three years and works in the Street Department.

Sculpture on Main – Sculpture on Main is a Juried International Outdoor Art Exhibit and Sale Changing Every October. Uptown Marble Arts Alliance and Historic Main Street Association have teamed up again to produce the 3rd annual Sculpture on Main event. Thirty-One life-size and larger sculptures from local and international sculptors will make their home in the downtown Marble Falls area for the next year, for locals and visitors to enjoy! Sculptures range from western to figurative, realis ...

As the weather cleared Saturday it was a beautiful day to be out and about. Many people decided Cherokee was the place to be since there was much activity going on that day. It all started in the early morning hours with vendors coming in from every direction to set up their canopies and unpacking to get ready for business.

HEBREWS 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please God." This is a very small verse with few words; but it has a large, and vitally needed message, that can never be exhausted when correctly researched and used. No topic in your Bible is mentioned more often than faith; and God cannot be pleased when it is not seen.

Halloween is lots of fun for children. They start planning their costume weeks before October 31st. To make sure your children have a safe Halloween make sure the costume fits. A costume that is too long can cause a child to trip and fall. Also, consider using make-up instead of a mask to keep vision better.

Monica Suggs Baisden was in Cherokee Saturday for Super Saturday. She brought some luminaries her husband Sam made to sell. She also helped her mother Cyndi Suggs sell Hand Carved Candles from Fredericksburg. Stacy Light was in town visiting her mom and dad, Nancy and Jerry Light. Nancy was in from Ozona where she teaches school.

25 Years Ago October 25, 1984 A record number of Absentee voters in the county clerk's office as of Friday, Oct. 19 is 190 persons. Voters will choose local, state and Presidential candidates. In the Presidential contest, Republican incumbent President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George Bush are challenged by Democratic candidates Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro and Independents Lyndon La Rouche and Billy Davis. Dr.

Reading Recommendations: What Made Jack Welch Jack Welch - How Ordinary People Become Extraordinary Leaders, Stephen H. Baum with Dave Conti If you've ever wondered how people break out of the pack and make it big, What Made Jack Welch Jack Welch will be a revelation. Surprisingly, its not about education or pedigree or even native smarts.

Dear Editor, On occasion, I have been on high ground in San Saba County and looked out over the horizon and saw smoke rising. Recent events have caused this to take on a new symbolism in my mind, and I want to share that with landowners and residents of the county. Back in the day, to see that smoke rising usually meant that Comanche Indians had raided your neighbor; the cabin was burning to the ground, he was already dead, and his wife and children were either dead or captive.

Martin Luther (1483-1546), not Martin Luther King, Jr., was born over five hundred years ago. He became a monk in a religious order. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted ninety-five statements on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. The church door was like a bulletin board. Martin Luther wanted to debate his ninety-five statements.

For once the weather man was right on target about the rain that fell last week and again on Monday morning. The thunder and lightening that came along early Monday was really something else too. A tree fell sometime early Monday on 580 just past county road 426 blocking half of the south bound side.

I bundled up Friday night, but I still felt the chill of the winter wind! There were some silly young things dressed in shorts and little shirts , but most of us huddled up into our warm gear! One dad looked up to see his young son dressed in just his shorts.

We made our children say it when they were little. Either,” I’m sorry” or “forgive me” depending on what was done. They said it because they were made to even though they did not really feel that way. In thinking about human relationships many times we do or say hurtful things to others.

It appears that any time we think we might need a rain, we get it. We’ve had a few reports of varying amounts from some sectors of the County, but alot of folks have sort of given up trying to keep a total tally as we’ve pretty well become spoiled to getting good rainfall.

Receipts totaled 1589 head for the week and were limited due to the good rains that fell across the area. With a lot of wheat fields coming available for grazing the stocker steers all sold $2 to $5 higher and stocker heifers brought $3 to $6 more with some of the choice light weight calves weighing 300-425 pounds advancing $7 to $10 higher.

The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) received a $15 million appropriation for the 2010-2011 biennium from the Texas Legislature to administer a state funded grant program to assist soil and water conservation districts (SWCDS) in performing operation, maintenance, and structural repair of flood control dams throughout the state. “Every SWCD that reported an operation and maintenance (O&M) need in the last year of the previous funding cycle has been allocated a percentag ...

“Trick or Treat” won’t be the only activity on the minds of Texas youth on Oct. 31th. While some will dress up as fairy princesses and ghosts for Halloween, many will be wearing bright orange and camouflage for the special youth-only hunting weekends. Passing the hunting heritage on to the next generation of hunters is what the special youth-only seasons are all about, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. TPWD has set aside Oct.

L. R. Taylor, Jr., age 87 of Buchanan Dam, passed away on Thursday, October 22, 2009 in Llano. He was born on July 15, 1922 to Lonnie Roy Taylor and Gertrude (Brown) Taylor in San Saba County. L.R. proudly served his country in the U.S. Army Air Corp during World War II, and retired as a Systems Analyst with Civil Service at Ft.

Matthew Kuykendall, 80, of Hixson, passed away on Friday, October 16, 2009 his residence. He was born September 7, 1950 in Brownwood TX, the son of Johnson Kuykendall and Cloma Walker Kuykendall. Matthew Kuykendall and Anna Jeannette Tittle were married on April 2, 1953 in North Carolina. He was a native of Texas and served in the U.S.

Naoma Smithhart, 89, of San Saba, passed away on Monday, October 19, 2009 at a local care facility. She was born October 31, 1919 in San Saba, Texas, the daughter of Earl McCarley and Euphie Feazel McCarley. Naoma McCarley and George Smithhart were married in San Saba on December 24, 1935.

The Dillos lost to Mason Last Thursday in a hard fought battle 28-6. The Dillos played a tough game against a talented Mason Squad. The lone score of the night was Gabriel Zimmer on a 47 yd. scamper to the endzone. Offensively the Dillos did pretty good. Having a 72 yd.

The San Saba 8th Grade Dillos escaped with an exciting 36-32 victory over the 8th Grade Junction Eagles at Rogan Field last Thursday night. It was a tale of two halves as San Saba dominated the first half and Junction dominated the second half. The Dillos had to come from behind with 59 seconds left to win. Junction kicked to San Saba to start the game.

Megan Cisneroz, in her second year at Angelo State, tied for second place at The Territory Golf and Country Club in Duncan, OK, (75-76). The Angelo State Women's Golf Team also placed second. Also in the last fall tournament held at San Angelo Country Club, Megan placed third (72-79). The Angelo State University Rambelle's golf team won first place.

Cherokee High School's Jesse Perez on his 5 yard touchdown run, his 4th touchdown of the game.

The Cherokee Jr. High Indians played a valiant game against a good Zephyr squad, but ending up losing by 2 points, 24-26. Corbin Davis scored touchdowns on runs of 37, 3, 35, and 36 yards. Corbin caused a KOR fumble which was recovered by Andy Dozier. Andy also recovered a fumbled punt return by the Bulldogs.

The Booster Club hosted their famous Chili Supper and Bingo at the school cafetorium last Saturday night. I heard comments that the chili was exceptional this year. A good time was had by all. Thanks to all the volunteers who made this event a success. This event is a major fundraiser for the Booster Club.

The phrase “let sleeping dogs lie” held true for the Cherokee Indians last Friday night at Zephyr. The Indians had their way with the Bulldogs the first half of the game, leading by 24 points five different times. The Bulldogs woke up in the 2nd half and chipped away at the Indian lead until they made it a game.

Well, it’s hard to believe but it’s almost that time of year again. The Lady Dillo JV and Varsity teams will kickoff (still in the football mode) their seasons this Saturday, October 31st in Lampasas, America. The girls have been working extremely hard and we’re looking to build on the momentum we created last year.

The 5th and 6th grade football team played with the Lampasas league and finished their season with 5 wins and 1 loss. All the boys played a great game. Exceptional players were John Faught, Holt Oliver, and Kadyn Saiz. The team would like to thank their sponsors, State Farm and Heaven Sent, who helped make their season possible.

Karl Haverland and Stuart Isham both killed an elk on a hunt in the Rio Grande National Forrest in Southern Colorado. Stuart shot a nice 6X6 while Karl killed a 4X3. Their outfitter was Worth Isham and the photo was taken by Kolton Haverland.

As San Saba hits the open date on their schedule, let us take time to look back on the season. It has been the most successful season in 9 years. In 2000, the Armadillos finished that season with a 6-4 record. The team is 6-2 with two games left. One must go back to 1994 to find a season with 7 or more wins.

Richland Springs' #2 Haustin Burkhart eyes the field ahead as #3 Stephen Fowler goes low for a cut-block and #10 Bryan Torres seal blocks the back-side. The 74-6 win over the Rochelle Hornets puts the Coyotes in the driver’s seat in the District 9 race.

If I had to choose one event out of the 4-H year that I like to report about most, it would easily be the San Saba County 4-H Food Show. For the past three years as reporter I have never experienced a “normal” morning the day of the food show.

On Thursday, October 22, 2009 the Ruth Harbuck/San Saba Chapter of the National Honor Society held its induction ceremony. In an impressive afternoon ceremony at Armadillo Arena, seven new students were inducted into the National Honor Society before their high school peers, faculty and invited family members. The ceremony began with Tyler Lackey, a SSHS senior, who sang “The Time of My Life”.

The Board of Trustees of San Saba ISD held a special meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday, October 22nd. President Darrin Barker gave the invocation followed by everyone joining for the pledges to the American and Texas flags. The Board Goals were reviewed to see what could be cut to adjust the budget.

The Jr. High lost a squeaker to the Zephyr Bulldogs, 24-26, last Thursday night. The Indians lost a heartbreaker to Zephyr Friday night, 68-72. Oct. 29th, the Jr. High hosts the Lohn Eagles at 6:00 p.m. Oct. 30th, the Indians travel to Lohn for a 7:30 contest. Oct. 31st, the PTC Fall Festival and Halloween Carnival will be on the football field.

San Saba ISD is the fortunate recipient of a grant from the Texas History Foundation. What did the ISD receive as a recipient of this grant? San Saba Elementary School and Saba Middle School were able to take a field trip to the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum in Austin.

Tarleton State University’s spring commencement was held Aug. 15th. The following candidates have satisfactorily met the university’s requirements for their individual degree programs and have been awarded their diplomas. Honor designations for undergraduate degrees are: Summa Cum Laude (Highest Honors), Magna Cum Laude (High Honors) and Cum Laude (Honors). Mistie Goains of San Saba, graduated from Tarleton State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Science from the university