July 22, 2010

A hot and humid summer brings thoughts of vacations in the mountains, a trip to the beach, and, at least in Horseshoe Bay, the beginning of the municipal election cycle. During even numbered years, three Horseshoe Bay City Council terms expire and the filing period begins for candidates seeking a seat on the council.

What some church members feared would be a long, disrupting construction project turned out to be a fairly calm experience. Originally schedule for 16 months, the project was completed in 13 months. A groundbreaking ceremony took place June 15, 2009 and at a meeting July 20, 2010, the Board of Trustees of The Church at Horseshoe Bay congratulated Terry Dauphine with a letter of thanks and commendation of the completion of the project.

At their regular monthly meeting Wednesday morning, the Horseshoe Bay Property Owners’ Association Board of Directors unanimously approved an amendment to their agreement with the City of Horseshoe Bay that will facilitate the POA’s ability to pay for the planned expansion of Quail Point Lodge. The proposed amendment will be on the agenda for action by the HSB City Council at their next meeting on August 24. Because the POA is not authorized to mortgage any of its assets o ...

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs sent of $297.2 million in sales tax allocations to Texas cities on July 8, up 4.5 percent compared to the allocations in July 2009. Calendar year-to-date, city sales tax allocations were down 2.9 percent compared to the same period last year. July’s sales tax allocations represent sales that occurred in May. The July allocation is the second payment that includes the new tax rate of 1.75 percent for Horseshoe Bay, which went into effect on April 1, ...

Buy a little immortality and help fund an improvement to a community treasure. The HSB POA plans to “sell” stones or bricks engraved with donors’ names or memorials for use in a courtyard and on pathways at Quail Point to offset some construction costs. What to name the project? Suggestions include Paths of Horseshoe Bay, Champions’ Lane, Walk of Honor, Honor Court, Quail Point Pathways, or simply the Courtyard and Trails.

A person should never be judged by their relatives. We’ve all got them; those people who somehow jumped out of the genetic bus and took a different turn. Occasionally, they are also the reason family reunions or even funerals can be so insanely funny. One funeral in particular makes me smile in the dark.

Nine pudgy, multi-colored Shepherd/Husky-mix puppies stare out from behind chain-link, fluffy and precious and just about the best poster-children imaginable for the Highland Lakes SPCA and its no-kill shelter. Selected to grace the cover of Sheltered, a newly released book by Greg Wilson, the photo depicts the rescue center’s central theme: dogs in transition. Wilson is a writer who lives and works at the shelter with his wife, Lea, the on-site caretaker.

The ideal summer dessert, to my mind, is light and cool—no heavy cakes or steaming hot cobblers when the temperatures hover in the upper reaches. The recipe should be simple and not require a lot of ingredients and, if at all possible, it should require minimal, if any, cooking or baking.

Friday, July 23 Llano Uplift Chapter of DAR-River City Grill, Marble Falls. Bob Goldsborough, Certified Geneologist, will present “The Battle of the the Cow Pasture Pens,” the tale of a decisive victory by American Revolutionary forces in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War. For reservations call Peggy Munson at 992-2065. July 15 - August 1 Hill Country Community Theater-See the popular musical “Bri ...