Features

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Granite Shoals resident Evelyn Lee Turner, 101 years young, took her first ride on the waters of Lake LBJ on a jet ski Saturday, May 15.

She'd been out there many times before since her family of avid fishermen and women first purshased property in Granite Shoals in 1963, but this was the first time she had climbed aboard behind her son,  James L. “Lynn” Turner, on a jet ski. It was a fitting adventure for the woman generally recognized as the town's eldest citizen.

At 99 in 2016, Evelyn blew out the candles on the 50th Year Celebration cake for the City of Granite Shoals and, last year on March 7, many residents assembled to see her blow out another candle, this one for her 100th birthday party thrown by Anne Williams at Anne's Hair Country.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Habitat for Humanity celebrated a ribbon cutting Feb. 18 for the new home of Shana Hyslop and her 12-year-old son, Xander.

“This is our 23rd home,” said Willie Reinders of Habitat for Humanity Highland Lakes. “We have done a home a year for 23 years. We are very proud of that.”

Every homeowner in the program donates at least 150 hours of volunteer time, but Hyslop has gone above and beyond, working on at least three homes, already.

“It is exciting,” said Hyslop. “And, not just for our home. I put in my time long ago, but I expect to keep working in the program.”

“Shanna waited three years to get this house,” said Reinders. “If anybody think it just happens, they're wrong. It takes a lot of patience and sweat equity on someone else's home.”

By Savanna Gregg

The Highlander

Texas Country Music can be found found right here in our small town, if you look close enough. Texas Crossing, a husband and wife duo with Central Texas roots, has been gracing the stages of various venues throughout the Hill Country and beyond.

1993 Burnet graduate Colt Buckelew and his wife, Tiffany Valentine, put their hearts and souls into their music and look forward to sharing it with their fans many nights out of the week.

Buckelew began singing 37 years ago, sang in the Burnet High School choir, and even performed at the very first Bluebonnet Festival in 1983. Buckelew expanded his horizons as time went on, enjoying the opportunity to sing with talents such as Pat Green and Cory Morrow.

“Rusty Weirr, a great songwriter, was a big mentor of mine that opened up this music world for me,” Buckelew said.

By Richard Zowie

Highlander Sports Editor

Normally, the weekends at Johnson Park bring the sounds of people enjoying Lake Marble Falls, whether it's fishing, boating or swimming.

Things will be different Saturday, March 3 as a “buzz” will be heard as people will get their heads shaved. From noon to 3 p.m. at Johnson Park at 230 South Avenue J, the park will host a St. Baldrick's Event.

Those participating in this event will be making donations and getting their heads shaved to join the fight against childhood cancers and promote funding for childhood cancer research. Since children often lose their hair when getting cancer treatment such as chemotherapy, this head shaving fundraiser is a way fo showing support.

The event's goal is to raise $20,000, and so far, $5,460 has been raised.

Both men and women are expected to participate in this event, along with a certain member of the Highlander news staff.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Angie Wooten, a popular audiologist for two decades in the Highland Lakes, retired to an overture of her own making Thursday, Feb. 22.

She invited many of those she had served at Lakeview Hearing Center, now Estes Audiology, at 304-B Highlander Circle and they came to Lakeside Pavilion for food and the music of Double Eagle String Band.

She and her husband, Tim, are part of the six-member ensemble that just finished their second CD, “Monkey on a String.” It will be introduced at release party at Above Mosaic House Concerts on March 10, so guests at the party got a preview of the music that has been a lifetime avocation for Wooten.

“I started practicing audiology in Marble Falls in 1995,” Wooten said. “I cannot leave without saying goodbye and thank you to some very exceptional people, my clients over the years.”

By Jane Knapik

Special to the Highlander

Marble Falls writer Caryl Calsyn recently was honored as the “Featured Writer” in WestWard Quarterly, the Magazine of Family Reading.The magazine is published in Hamilton, Illinois. The magazine included a biographical sketch and photograph of Calsyn, as well as six of her poems.

By Glynis Crawford Smith and Richard Zowie

The Highlander

If you think it will be only fellas showing poultry, rabbits, cattle, sheep, goats and swine at the 2018 Burnet County Livestock Show this weekend, think again.

On a chilly December morning last week, it was four gals feeding stock out at the Marble Falls High School agriculture education barns and they are ready for the show.

The event will take place Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 4-6, at the Burnet County Fairgrounds, 1208 Houston Clinton Drive in Burnet. And, you may see about as many females as males representing the FFA and 4-H chapters in the county.

By Richard Zowie

The Highlander

Two brothers who have caught hundreds of types of fish in various locations in the United States and Central America will bring their experiences to television.

Sundays at 2:30 p.m., starting on Jan. 7, 2018 on the Pursuit Channel, 13-year-old Hudson and his 11-year-old brother, Cullen, will star in 13 episodes of “Reel Brothers.” The episodes will run for 26 weeks.

The show will follow the boys in their various fishing adventures.

The Gardner brothers are the sons of Michael Gardner, a lifelong, full-time professional hunting and fishing outfitter, and Holly Mills-Gardner, a former Miss Texas and sports TV personality. They live in Lake Travis.

“We just saw the previews recently,” said Michael, who founded the show with Holly. “It is like a reality show, actually, with hardcore saltwater fishing.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Bock, the loyal K-9 of the Bertram Police Department (BPD) was laid to rest in November and the department is falling into step with his successor, Max.

“Bock had cancer,” said BPD Chief James “JJ” Wilson. “He was losing weight. We had been to the vet and dried different diets but he wasn't getting better.”

It was veterinarian Dan McBride in Burnet who made the final diagnosis.