Granite Shoals Texas news

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Roger Scarborough, long-time Granite Shoals resident, was honored with the Granite Shoals Mayor's Award at the city council meeting held Thursday, Dec. 1.

Mayor Carl Brugger called his work on the Planning and Zoning Commission, Board of Adjustments, the Comprehensive Plan Committee and the Airport Advisory Committee significant.

“The Charter Committee that drafted the city's charter is foundational to the city laws and ordinances we have today,” said Brugger. “His work with these groups and the expertise he provided (and still provides) cannot be overstated.

Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Work to set up the displays of Christmas by the Highway in Granite Shoals began Monday morning, Nov. 27, with a Dec. 1 lighting goal.

“Volunteers are needed for the work again from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday,” said Donna Maier, chairwoman of the Beautification Advisory Group (BAG) that sponsors the annual event. “We can use any and all volunteers to help.”

Light trees were installed Nov. 20 with the help of Pedernales Electric Cooperative and BAG volunteers have been busy checking all lights for other installations this week.

“Our light-up ceremony will be at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1,” Maier added. The Highland Lakes Elementary School choir will sing for us and refreshments, usually cookies, hot chocolate and coffee, will be served.”

With the Burnet County Elections Office, final unofficial election results in, Nov. 7 Election Day voters lifted the totals in support of the $3 million for road improvements in Granite Shoals.
A scant 354 voters cast ballots in the election, but 194 of them, or 54.8 percent, voted for the proposition and 160, or 45.2 percent, against. A no vote would have killed the proposed road rehabilitation project for the three primary, north-south city streets. Approval means that bonds authorized last year can be sold and the project can move forward.
It is believed it is the first time in Texas that a city council asked voters if they were sure of a previous vote.
Of 152 early voters, 53.29 percent had voted against the proposition.

The early voting report from the Burnet County Elections Office, just in did not look promising for supporters of the $3 million for road improvements in Granite Shoals.

Of 152 early voters, it was 47.71 percent to reaffirm the bonds and 53.29 percent against.

In Horseshoe Bay, all 12 who voted for Proposition 1(reauthorization of a local sales and use tax at the rate of one-fourthof one percent to provide revenue for maintenance and repair of municipal streets) supported it. The candidate count was Reagan Lambert, 11 votes;  Cynthia Clinesmith, 8 votes and Dennis R. Hoover, one vote. When all Burnet and Llano county votes are in, the top two vote getters will take council seats.

Mayor Steve Jordan, unopposed, logged 10 votes.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The annual Granite Shoals Veterans Celebration will be held this Saturday, Nov. 4, a week in advance of Veterans Day and just in time for a sunny and cool fall venue.

The 2017 event will be held again at Veterans Park, 1208 South Phillips Ranch Road, with a complimentary lunch veteran military service men and women and their families at the park pavilion.

A shred service for personal records will be a feature of the Granite Shoals Fall Clean Up Day again this Saturday, Oct. 21, on the municipal complex, 2221 North Phillips Ranch Road.

Citizens will find rows of roll-off dumpsters for almost any kind of refuse, except construction materials, rocks and masonry materials, liquids, batteries, and dead animals.

Among items accepted are appliances without Freon, furniture, porcelain fixtures, scrap metal and tires without rims. A small fee is charged for tires.

Branches should be bundled and leaves and trash should be bagged.

Condor Services will be there from 8 a.m.-11 a.m. with the ShredMobile for secure shredding of documents with sensitive personal information including information recorded on CDs, DVDs or cassette tapes. The material should be delivered in boxes with notebooks, binders and metal fasteners removed.

Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

A driver reportedly evading police in the pre-dawn hours Thursday, Oct. 19, was killed in a crash in the 1300 Block of Prairie Creek Road in Granite Shoals.

He was identified as Cruz Grimaldo Suarez, 18, of Granite Shoals, in a preliminary crash investigation report from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The DPS said Suarez was not wearing a seat belt. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Judge Roxanne Nelson.

The accident occurred at 3:33 a.m. The Granite Shoals Police Department closed all traffic on the road from Crockett Park to Forest Hills Drive and re-routed school busses.

GSPD Sgt. Chris Decker, department public information officer, said details will not be available until sometime Friday, Oct. 20.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The final Town Hall Meeting for Road Bond Confirmation Education will be held in Granite Shoals from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 at the fire hall on Ranch to Market Road 1431.

At the Granite Shoals City Council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 10, one citizen, Arturo Rubio, made it clear he still wants to know about studies and plans pertaining to the use of the money proposed for the project. That is the purpose of the Saturday meeting being conducted by Granite Shoals Road Bond Education Committee.

In the November General Election, citizens will be asked to reaffirm money already voted for the work.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

This has been Fire Prevention Week in the Highland Lakes and events of the observance will continue into coming days at Marble Falls and Granite Shoals elementary schools.

A proclamation by mayor John Packer at the Tuesday, Oct. 3,  meeting of the Marble Falls City council  drove home the theme: “Every Second Counts, Plan Two Ways Out!”

Fire Chief Russell Sander and Fire Marshal Tommy Crane were on hand for the proclamation.

“We will be in the schools with a Fire Safety House during the week,” said Crane. “Children can practice exiting drills in simulation.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Expressing confidence in the ability of Baylor Scott & White Hospital to assess its environmental needs, the Granite Shoals City Council added its own resolution on opposition to a new rock crushing plant in the south county.

It directs city staff to to notify the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) of the city's opposition and to add the council's voice to requests for a case hearing on the plant proposed near the intersection of Texas 71 and US 281.

A unanimous vote on two annexation ordinances added the subdivisions of Beaver Island (16.27 acres) and Web Isle (6.5 acres) to the city.

A vote on annexation of agricultural property owned by members of the Mezger family, with whom the city hopes to establish development agreements, has been continued to the Oct. 24 council meeting.

City Secretary Elaine Simpson had two important deadlines to share with the council and citizens.