June 24, 2009

The City of Horseshoe Bay continues to be in good financial condition despite decreases in interest income and tax collection rates. The city’s 2008 taxes collected as of May 31, 2009 total $4,728,763 representing a collection rate of 94% as compared to 97% at the same time last year. The city’s budget is based on revenues of $4,900,000 from property taxes, which equates to a 97% collection rate of the $5,044,091 total tax levy for the city. Toni Vanderburg, Administration Department Mana ...

The 2009 Horseshoe Bay Women’s Golf Association Championship was a three day stroke play competition held on all three HSB Resort golf courses over June 15, 16 and 17. Tournament Chairs Melissa Gonzales and Jo Dalland organized a challenging but fun event. After three days of competition, Althea Rowan prevailed as the 2009 WGA Stroke Play Champion with rounds of 88 on Ram Rock, 79 on Applerock, and 82 on Slick Rock.

The International Club meets at 12:30 p.m. the second Sunday of the month at the Horseshoe Bay POA’s Quail Point Lodge, but will not meet during July. In August the guest speaker will be archaeologist Chuck Hixon from the Llano Uplift Archaeological Society. The Society meets monthly at the Nightengale Archaeological Center in Kingsland.

With the announcement of felony indictments of its former general manager and millions received in settlement of claims of attorney malfeasance, the Pedernales Electric Cooperative membership elected new members to serve on its board of directors and chart its path into the future. Director Patrick Cox of Wimberley ran unopposed for the District 7 position and was re-elected to the board.

The Horseshoe Bay City Council will vary its normal “third Tuesday of the month” meeting schedule for the next two months. The regular monthly council meetings will be held July 7 and August 25 at 3 p.m. The council begins its budget process with a workshop on Monday, July 6 at 9 a.m.

The Legacy Community Fund announces its fourth round of grant making to area non-profit organizations with awards to be made in the fall of this year. The Legacy Community Fund has granted over $86,000 through its first three grant cycles with grant awards being given to 18 area nonprofit organizations. Any 501(c)(3) organization providing services in the Highland Lakes area may apply although grants will not be awarded to religious organizations for religious purposes, political organizations ...

The Hill Country Community Theatre held its annual meeting in June to announce its productions for the following year and elect new officers and members of the Board of Governors.  Sallye Johnson, outgoing President, reported highlights of the past season’s productions and the accomplishments of the newly created Theatre Guild, sponsors of the very successful 2009 Cinco de Mayo fund raiser for the theatre.  Bill Goforth, a member of the Board of Governors, was elected President for the co ...

If anyone doubts the seriousness of the on-going central Texas drought, take them for a drive through our once dense groves of Oak trees. Tom Engler, the HSB POA’s General Manager, says hundreds of century-old Post Oaks rolled over and died as the final weeks of the spring season came to a close.

In the first of several annual celebrations, CastleRock Development in Cottonwood Shores, invites organic farmers and local artists to put up booths and sell their wares on the newly paved Cottonwood Drive. Events will include the “Anything that Rolls, Goes” contest as well as the “Cowboy Sawhorse Races.” “The new Cottonwood Drive pavement is placed on the perfect slope for gravity powered fun,” says Architect Marley Porter, partner in the CastleRock development.

Shhhh!! All this week until Saturday, June 27, the Marble Falls Library Thrift Store is conducting a Silent Auction featuring 14 great items. Included are six sets of dinnerware, everything from colonial to black octagonal dishes from France to blue and white Churchill from England. Word is that the most sought after item in the auction is an antique library ladder/chair.

“I may not be the only one who’s done it,” admits Dr. David Hoerster, “but I can almost guarantee that I’m the oldest.” “It” is a 125-mile kayak trip from Telegraph to Kingsland – almost the entire navigable length of the Llano River. “And it’s longer than that by canoe or kayak,” Dr.

As a nation, we celebrate Independence Day this week with fireworks, picnics and parades. And as citizens, it’s good to reflect on the many freedoms we enjoy in this country. But as individuals, we define freedom in many different ways — and one of the most important of these could be financial freedom.

Secure Retirement Solutions, an independent retirement planning firm located in Burnet County, announced that Bill Lewis, president of the company, has been accepted into the nation’s most exclusive group of financial advisors, Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group, an organization dedicated to solving one of the country’s biggest and most complex financial problems, effectively managing the distribution of assets from Individual Retirement Accounts. Lewis, a lifetime resident of Marble Fal ...

City (Tax Rate) April 2009 April 2008 % Change YTD% Change Bee Cave (2%) 423,601 418,461 + 1.22 - 3.37 Blanco (1.5%) 24,779 24,758 + 0.08 - 1.08 Burnet (2%) 119,858 126,130 - 4.97 - 6.57 Fredericksburg (1.5%) 295,136 297,651 - 0.84 - 1.23 Horseshoe Bay (1.5%) 42,370 53,738 - 21.15 - 1.68 Johnson City (1.5%) 17,341 21,021 - 17.50 - 2.57 Llano (2%) 57,927 62,463 - 7.26 - 3.99 Marble Falls (2%) 495,275 498,104 - 0.56 - 2.46 Mason (1%) 14,856 14,791 + 0.43 - 1.85

PUBLIC NOTICE There will be a public hearing concerning a 4.22 acre tract of land out of the E.G. Mercer Survey No. 3, Abstract No. 562 and the J. Jones Survey No. 86, Abstract No. 1473, to be known as Craig Subdivision, at the regularly scheduled City of Horseshoe Bay City Council meeting on July 7, 2009, followed by discussion and action on the same.

First, a few remarks about the upcoming Apple Pie Bake-Off for the 4th of July festivities in Horseshoe Bay. The judging team consists of Jim McDermott, the executive director of the Hill Country Community Theatre, Debby Columbus, the owner of Zoo La La in Marble Falls, and myself, occasional food column writer.

Nan M. Martin, 89, of Horseshoe Bay, died June, 20 2009. Born March 13, 1920 in Bochito, Ok., Nan was the daughter of Lawrence & Nannie ( Lutes ) Hughes. Nan was a avid Bridge player and a member of the PEO. Survivors include her daughters, Sylvia N. Ziegaus and husband Carl of Cincinnati, Ohio; Suzanne Toler and husband Mark of Horseshoe Bay, Texas. She was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, Roger S.