Highland Haven Texas news

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Travelers of Ranch to Market Road (RM) 1431 west from Marble Falls can expect two new traffic signals.

One of them, a new caution light at the intersection of Burnet County Road 120 and Burnet County Road 125/Highland Drive, the entrance to the City of Highland Haven, is under construction.

“This is a safety issue that Highland Haven has been requesting from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for several years,” said Olan Kelley, mayor of city.

“Be sure to pass along your thanks to Burnet County Judge James Oakley, and Cathy Kratz, the Burnet Area engineer for TxDOT and Burnet County Precinct 1 Commissioner Jim Luther Jr., who have been working to improve the safety at this intersection as well as others in Burnet County,” Kelley added in a message to Highland Haven citizens.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The rest of the world seems to be catching on to what local summer camp enthusiasts have know for some time about Camp Champions near Highland Haven.

When it was founded in 1967, Camp Champions drew headlines over sports greats founders Hondo Crouch, Darrell K. Royal, Horton Nesrsta, and Pete Runnels. The focus of what was conceived as an all-boys camp widened when girls invaded in 1970. Now, you could say it offers a wide-angle view.

Steve (Camp Geek) and Susie Baskin (Camp Mom) bought the camp in 1995, leaving behind his career as an investment banker and investing, instead, in the lives of young people and rearing four children of their own.

All is well at Camp Champions in Highland Haven, following a fire in counselor housing on the campus.

About 3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11, staff housed in an area apart from campers put in a call to Granite Shoals Fire Rescue, housed in a station just two miles from the camp. Within a half hour the fire was contained by units from Granite Shoals, Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) and Hoover Valley VFD.

One staff member required two stitches for a cut finger but, otherwise, there were no injuries, according to Susie Baskin, camp co-owner.

"Personal items were lost, but things can be replaced," said Baskin. "We were extremely blessed."

"The fire was apart from campers," said Baskin. "We notified parents immediately, but the campers heading home from this session still don't know it happened," said Baskin. "Later in the day Tuesday, everyone was back and work."