Features

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

A shoe drive at the Marble Falls Church of Christ Saturday, July 23, will be the first step in getting children in need ready for the new school year.

The drive, sponsored by the Highland Lakes Health Partnership Children's Coalition, will be held 9 a.m.-3 p.m.at the church at 711 Broadway Street. The shoes will be available, first-come-first-served, at the big Back to School Blast at Marble Falls Middle School at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

No one had to order out for lunch at Marble Falls Police Department (MFPD) Headquarters Monday, July 18, thanks to a Fearless Blue recognition cooked up by members of Hillside Bible Study at Marble Falls First United Methodist Church and the Ridge Readers reading circle.

“We were driving home from Sunday school and we passed the police station and one of us said, 'We ought to do something for them,” said Yvonne Kyler in a small presentation ceremony. “Everyone wanted to be part of it.”

By noon Monday, a gift basket, bouquet of roses and a table loaded with sandwiches and goodies for lunch had been assembled for delivery to MFPD.

The group was headed back to the church for a prayer service for all the victims of violence against law enforcement and for the safety of all who serve.

By Addie Zinsen

Special to The Highlander

At the meeting of the Marble Falls City Council on Tuesday night, July 5, Mayor John Packer proclaimed July Parks and Recreation Month in Marble Falls.

From the city's Parks and Recreation Department, Packer introduced Director Robert W. Moss, Parks Superintendent Lewis Fincher and Administrative Assistant Monique Breaux. The trio with a staff of maintenance personnel and city pool lifeguards and operators manage about 130 acres of park land, trails, green belt and facilities.

“Our parks and recreation are vitally important to establishing and maintaining the quality of life in our communities,” proclaimed Packer, praising them for maintaining physical and mental health and boosting the economy.

Glynis Crawford Smith

THE HIGHLANDER

A Minnesota graphic artist has claimed the prize for creating a 25th Anniversary of LakeFest logo.

Stephen Dorsey, who produces freelance artistic creations under the name Dorsey Design, submitted the winning entry for promotion of the Lake Marble Falls event that takes place Aug. 12 – 14 this summer.

The Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce sponsored the logo contest, awarding Dorsey a $200 cash prize and two Top Eliminator Club tickets worth $350.

By Lew K. Cohn, Managing Editor

The Highlander

Four Phoenix Center staffers recently returned from Banff, Alberta, Canada, where they presented information about the center's model for assisting children with trauma at an international symposium.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

No one seemed to notice a lone 73-year-old lady who waited quietly in the room full of men signing up for races in the 2016 Marble Falls Adult Soap Box Derby.

“Hello, I'm Alice Gardiner and I'll be racing against you in the derby,” she said, finally.

The others seemed unimpressed and, after a few courteous greetings, returned to conversations. That is, until her next words: “Hey guys, the builder of my soap box is sitting over there and he was the original engineer who developed the Corvette.”

By Alexandria Randolph

Highland Lakes Newspapers

Local officials have confirmed: our lakes and aquifers are full.

As meteorologists predicted, the spring of 2016 has been a wet one, and rainfalls in the past few months, including flooding across central Texas in April, May and early June have led to higher lake levels than have been experienced in years, and the replenishing of Burnet County aquifers, water officials said this week.

Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District Manager Charles Shell said Wednesday that all the aquifers under Burnet County are full.