Marble Falls Texas news

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

A set of new renderings of the proposed hotel/conference center in Marble Falls reveal a concept compatible with newest additions to the city landscape.

The new renderings come from Seaux Pierce Architecture of Austin, the same firm that designed Market on H, Smartie Pantz at 204 South Main Street and the new Homestead at Mormon Mill apartment complex on Max Copeland Drive.

“They had been asked to look at exterior features on the hotel/conference complex to make sure it was compatible, that it looked historic,” said Christian Fletcher, executive director of the Marble Falls Economic Development Corporation.

Fletcher said the project's private partner, Novak Cobalt Partners, LLC, was so pleased with the work done and its timeliness that Seaux Pierce was brought on board as architect for the entire project.

Artists are all around Marble Falls, competing in Paint the Town, the annual plein air art event of Highland Lakes Creative Arts (HLCA).

Fans and visitors can soak up their techniques and artistic vision in three days of fun events.

“We are billed as one of the top 5 plein air events in Texas,” said Carolyn Bates of the HLCA board. “And, we're asking the community to 'Fire Up for Paint the Town.'

“Through Saturday, plein air artists will be painting in Marble Falls and the surrounding bluebonnet-filled countryside. Visitors will be able to watch them at work and view the finished art.”

Paint the Town, the annual plein air art event of Highland Lakes Creative Arts (HLCA), will bring 40 open-air artists to Marble Falls, along with three days of fun events for fans and visitors.

“We are billed as one of the top 5 plein air events in Texas,” said Carolyn Bates of the HLCA board. “And, we're asking the community to 'Fire Up for Paint the Town.'

“Thursday through Saturday, plein air artists will be painting in Marble Falls and the surrounding bluebonnet-filled countryside. Visitors will be able to watch them at work and view the finished art.”

From 10 a.m.-6 p.m. each day Paint the Town Galleries will be open and exhibiting/sales space is doubled.
Now is the time, Bates said to purchase the $50 tickets for the Friday night reception, Introducing 2017 Paint the Town, that will include the results of the Nocturnal Paint Out, with local craft foods, wine, beers and live music.

By Jane Knapik

Special to the Highlander

One hundred years ago, on April 2, 1917, Ophelia “Birdie” Crosby Harwood of Marble Falls became the first woman ever to be elected mayor in Texas, at a time before women had the right to vote.

At the April 4 Marble Falls City Council meeting, Mayor John Packer will read a proclamation detailing her lifetime achievements. The council meeting begins at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 800 Third Street, Marble Falls.

A one-day plant sale at Marble Falls High School (MFHS) is offering almost everything needed for spring planting.

Today, Friday, March 24, from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. shoppers can pick up flower, pepper, tomato and other vegetable plants for a cost of from $1 to $3.

Proceeds from the event, sponsored by the MFHS Horticulture Program, will benefit all the schools Career and Technology Education Workforce Ready programs.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

A Marble Falls bar's alcohol license will be suspended next month for selling alcoholic beverages to intoxicated persons, including an incident which resulted in a 2014 traffic accident which killed a Granite Shoals woman.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) levied the suspension against Mr. B's Sports Bar, 207 Main Street, which will take place from April 4 through April 24, a period of 20 days, during which the bar will not be allowed to sell any alcohol.

TABC investigators determined the establishment was at fault for selling alcohol to an intoxicated individual, Matthew Lewallen of Burnet, on Sept. 21, 2014.

Two Marble Falls massage parlor workers were arrested on prostitution charges Wednesday afternoon, March 14, after underage clients reported being touched in a sexual manner while receiving a massage.

LiLi Chen, 38, and Huafen Fu, 49, both of Marble Falls, remain in the Burnet County Jail on charges of promotion of prostitution to an individual under the age of 18, a second-degree felony punishable by a sentence of two to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

A Grand Opening Celebration and Ribbon Cutting for the Marble Falls Bealls store has been announced for 9 a.m. Thursday, April 6.

Everyone is invited to come out and see the new store featuring additional merchandise brands, an updated store design with wider aisles, brighter lighting, restyled fitting rooms, and comfortable seating areas. During the celebration weekend, April 6-8, Bealls will offer customers exciting deals, giveaways and other fun surprises. The first one hundred customers in line on Thursday, April 6, will receive a free gift and a chance to win a $100 Bealls gift card, while supplies last.

The new store is hard to miss at 1400 Ranch to Market Road 1431, just across the street from its current location and H-E-B. It offers twice the shopping space in a 30,000-square-foot store.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Marble Falls City Council Members had a glimpse of "parks future" before giving the final nod to the revised Park, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan on Tuesday, March 7.

That included one massive downtown park: Johnson Park.

Director of Parks & Recreation Robert Moss conveyed the endorsement of the Marble Falls Parks & Recreation Commission for the result of the year-long process to update the master plan and introduced Gail Ferry and Matt Bucchin of Halff Associates, contractor for the revision.

Bucchin said three top priorities identified in all the survey responses and public meetings on the revision were to work in concert with the hotel/conference center project, the re-development of Lakeside Park and the consolidation of four downtown parks under one Johnson Park umbrella.

Faith Academy sophomore Natalie Roach received multiple individual awards and was crowned 2017 International Junior Miss Texas Teen at the Texas State Pageant, held Feb. 24-26 in Richardson.

Though her accomplishment of winning one of the top five pageants in the nation is impressive, it is rivaled by the odds she had to overcome to get there.

Natalie suffered a stroke in utero and was born blind and paralyzed on her left side. As a result, she spent many years in a variety of therapies and even underwent a complicated surgery that was able to restore her eyesight.