family fun

A pirate ship will drop anchor in Granite Shoals on Wednesday, April 18, and the entire Highland Lakes community is invited aboard.

Captain Rex, his crew and a full-mast pirate ship will make land at Abundant Heart Church, 7222 Ranch to Market Road 1431 at 7 p.m. Wednesday, for an outdoor family event. He will not be demanding the family gold. Admission is free and so are the prizes.

Captain Rex, a world wide ministry to fight child slavery through economic development, “denounced his ways of piracy to give and not take as a Christian Sailor.”

Brandon Sanders of Copperas Cove and his wife Ladonna brought the characters Captain Rex and Captain Parrot to life in “Captain Rex's Treasure Adventure.” It started out as a live action Saturday morning TV show for kids and currently is being developed into an animated show. They invite children to “keep he wind in their sails and Jesus in their hearts.”

At the Granite Shoals 50th Year Bash, runners began signing in at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 23, and took to the Leo Manazano Hike Bike and Run Trail with its Olympic silver medalist namesake at 9 a.m. By mid-day an estimated 2,000 visitors were coming and going among exhibits, games and musical performances.

The Highland Lakes Elementary School (HLES) Choir performed at opening ceremonies that ended with a 10 a.m. release of hundreds of ballons in the city's signature green and blue colors. Art of HLES student art created the appearance of stained glass in city hall windows.