Features

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Marble Falls Library at 101 Main Street, organizers will be looking even farther back in history almost 70 years.

During a whole week of events, Oct. 1-7, visitors will pass a picture of Mrs. H.R. (Lois) Anderson (June 14, 1884-April, 29,1956).

The year 1948 was is the date historical accounts credit as the beginning of one woman with pushing forward a dream of a library in Marble Falls.

Anderson had already been rallying support with the local Parent Teacher Association when plans were announced that year by the Burnet County Library Board of Directors to incorporate branches in Marble Falls, Bertram and Briggs. The news that PTA, Federated Clubs and Home Demonstration Clubs would get behind the idea of donating books, set Anderson on a search for a location.

The Burnet County Commissioners Court, joined by the Burnet County Hunger Alliance (BCHA), proclaimed September as Hunger Awareness Month during the Tuesday, Sept. 12 court meeting.

The BCHA is a volunteer group of food pantries, churches, school administrators, elected officials, area leaders and active citizens committed to ending hunger in Burnet County. The Alliance provides a forum to build relationships and communication for working together to comprehensively feed the hungry in Burnet County.

World War II naval aviator and retired Presbyterian minister J. Arthur (Art) Strickland was honored with his likeness on the official poster for the 26th anniversary Confederate Air Force Highland Lakes Airsho, held Saturday, Sept. 9, at Burnet Municipal Airport's Kate Craddock Field.

Strickland obtained his private pilot's license while at Schreiner Institute in Kerville and enrolled in the U.S. Navy V-5 program as a naval aviation cadet in November 1942. He attended pre-flight school at the University of Georgia and primary flight training in Millington, Tennessee, prior to being assigned to the Naval Air Station at Pensacola, Florida. On Nov. 30, 1943, he received his wings as a naval aviator and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps Reserves.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Estimates have more than 30,000 Texans seeking emergency shelter as the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey continues, but many are safe and dry in the Texas Hill Country.

Mission Marble Falls at St. Frederick Church geared up for a lunch Tuesday, Aug. 29, to welcome people fleeing the storm.

Ann Sherman and Ron Farmer had traveled from Port Aransas.

“When they said Harvey would come as a Category 1, we were going to stay,” said Sherman. “Then they said Category 3 or maybe 4.

“Ron said we are going. We grabbed our cat, our records, our pictures and we got out in 45 minutes.”

A few people stayed behind and the couple said the news was disheartening.

“The roof is gone and the ceiling is on the floor,” he said.

Two groups of people from Sweeney who had never met were lunching in the St. Frederick dining room.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The volunteers of Living Love Animal Rescue in south Burnet County went above and beyond their previous commitments this month when they made room for more than 10 animals at once.

The shelter already was full to bursting with 20 dogs and close to 100 cats. A recording at the shelter already announced that the shelter was full when a call came in that set a new challenge.

A woman in tears said her dog had delivered 14 pups and she had no resources to care for them.

Shelter manager Rosalie Brosh and volunteer Kelley Whited traveled to the woman's home thinking they might come away with two puppies and an agreement to have the mother dog spayed.

"We asked to see the pups and the lady brought out a pan of food to draw them out and out they came, covered in fleas and sores,” said Brosh. “There were 10, and it was clear that there was no hope

whatsoever for these poor babies.

Richard Zowie

The Highlander

Bryan Sanders of Houston calls it as “quite a rush” and “hard to describe,” while Daryl Ehrlick of Round Rock says it is “terror and pleasure at the same time.”

Sanders and Ehrlick are drivers in the 2017 LakeFest Drag Boat Races, today through Sunday, Aug. 11-13,

the 26th year of the races. Both will be driving Top Fuel Hydroplane boats. Ehrlick’s is called “Problem Child.”

By Frank Shubert

Publisher

The Highlander

One of the highlights of every Comic-Con International: San Diego, which wrapped another successful four days of fun and games in July, is the amazing cosplay by those in attendance.

For those who are uninitated in the ways of geekdom, cosplay — a blending of the words costume and play — is the art of dressing up as and imitating a character from a fan's favorite movie, book, comic, graphic novel or video game and the San Diego Comic-Con can be likened to the Super Bowl for cosplay enthusiasts.

A similar scene was played out not long ago in San Antonio as thousands of comic book fans, gamers and self-identified "geeks" descended upon the Mission City to show their enthusiasm for the latest fantasy heroes, heroines, villains and the artists who created them.

By Richard Zowie

The Highlander

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

Llano County Precinct 2 Constable Richard Harris just got a new deputy. Only this one has four legs instead of two, and gets his kicks from a tennis ball.

Special to the Highlander

Though Richard and Bridget Slyker — along with their children Carter, Susannah, and Will — are less than six weeks away from beginning a two-year minimum commitment to live as missionaries in Honduras, their journey actually began more than 15 years ago.