Granite Shoals Texas news

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

When the Granite Shoals City Council last Tuesday night, July 10, it was with options on the table for work, scheduled to begin July 21, on the road bond project.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Early voting in the Saturday, May 5, local elections has begun in Burnet and Llano counties and eligible voters will have extended hours to cast their early ballot both this week and next.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Granite Shoals will have the opportunity to meet their candidates at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 21, in a forum sponsored by The Highlander at the fire hall, 8410 West Ranch to Market Road 1431.

Two races are up for grabs whether voters attend early voting, April 23-May 1, or return to the fire hall as their one central polling place for the May 5 General Election.

This story has been updated For the Tuesday, April 17, edition of The Highlander.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

A newly remodeled lakefront home in Granite Shoals went up in flames fed by high winds that had Lake LBJ covered in whitecaps on Saturday, April 14.

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.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Anyone interested in joining the Granite Shoals Senior Citizens Program is invited to a meet-and-greet event from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20.

It will take place at the Granite Shoals Community Center, 1208 North Phillips Ranch Road.

Seniors age 55 and older are invited to share morning coffee and pastries and bring a brown bag lunch to stay for four hours or drop in any time.

There will be games of your own choosing, door prizes and a chance to weigh in on future weekly events or add to a fledgling lending library.

Although the program is not officially operated by the city, the moving forces behind its organization have been Fran Rubin of the Parks Committee and her husband Richard of the Street and Water Advisory Group.

Granite Shoals hires Townsend as interim CM

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Clearly feeling the pressure of impending projects and reassured by previous service, the Granite Shoals City Council on Tuesday, March 13, unanimously voted to hire Marvin Townsend to serve as interim city manager.

The city is about to embark on its $3 million road project and funds should be available next week to begin the three-phase restoration of Phillips Ranch Road, Prairie Creek Road and Valley View Lane. Council approval was given also on Tuesday night to a three-phase approach to converting granite mining buildings into an outdoor sports complex under its $500,000 Texas Parks & Recreation Department (TPWD) grant.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Residents of Granite Shoals will have the opportunity to stop in for Coffee with the Council, an event going on from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3.

Mayor Pro Tem Jim Davant and city council members Todd Holland and Shirley King will be on hand to answer questions and get to know people at Crazy Gal Restaurant, 8037 Ranch to Market Road 1431.

A lot has been going on people may want to ask about.

A $264,000 contract, finalized at a meeting Monday night, Jan. 29, engages KC Engineering, Inc. to perform engineering services and project management for the $3 million road infrastructure project.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Granite Shoals City Council on Tuesday night (Jan. 9) gave city staff the nod to negotiate a contract with K.C. Engineering, Inc. for development of the specifications for the city's road bond project.

“Three companies responded to the city's request for qualifications,” said Assistant City Manager Peggy Allen Smith. “The staff recommended K.C. Engineering in Marble Falls.

“After we negotiate a contract that is approved by the council, we expect it to take a couple of months to draw up specification of contractor bids. That keeps us on the schedule we have been estimating, with paving work going on between August and October.”

Water notices

Smith, who serves also as utility director, said residents could expect another notice with their water bills for a fourth quarter sample of trihalomethanes (TTHM) that exceeded the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) limit.

By Savanna Gregg

The Highlander

A warm winter day turned into a nightmare for a 5-year-old Granite Shoals girl and her family this past Saturday, Jan. 20.

Emily Rose Oehler and her family were enjoying their day outdoors at Longhorn Caverns State Park in Burnet when Emily was struck by a western diamondback rattlesnake.

“(Oehler) was playing off the trail in an un-manicured section of high grass when she received the bite,” said Cory Evans of Inks Lake State Park.