The Highlander

Special to The Highlander
H-E-B, Texas' finest grocery store and the first company inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame, is teaming up with The Highlander, your hometown newspaper since 1959, to run the retailer's weekly shopping inserts.

Every Tuesday, H-E-B inserts will be found in The Highlander on newsstands and in subscribers' mailboxes, chock full of weekly specials for Market, Seafood, Produce, Household Essentials, Bakery, Deli, Floral, Health and Beauty and more! Look for great H-E-B Meal Deals which will save you time — and money!

As growth and a volatile news cycle shaped The Highlander in the 1970s and 80s, one newspaper man stood out in his work with the Burnet Bulletin’s sister publication.

The late John Daniel (Dan) Alvey worked for The Highlander from 1972 to 1985; first in the advertising department as a salesman and ad director and eventually as publisher. He died Dec. 17, several weeks after a recreational accident in the Seattle, Washington area. He was 67.

During Alvey’s tenure at The Highlander, the local newspaper witnessed and reported locally on much of the same political and governmental strife the rest of the nation experienced during a time of great change.

Eleven years ago, I decided to leave the comfy confines of community journalism for corporate America, taking a job with healthcare insurer Cigna in Denison, Texas, as a customer service representative.

Connie Swinney
Staff Writer •

Did you hear “the newslady” works for The Highlander again? How cliché!

It's such a cliché but there's no other way to describe it. I've come full circle. Twenty years ago, I wrote for the paper-of-record overlooking a lake in a charming little town nestled in the hills.

Now in 2018, I again work for the paper-of-record in a charming “little” town . . . er . . . but not so little anymore.

Because several thousand more people.

Because a hotel now blocks much of the lake view.

Because one big bridge over Lake Marble Falls has turned into two.

Not-to-mention more stop lights than you can shake a stick at.

I digress.

For those who have lived here all their lives or at least for the last couple of decades, you may recall my tour of duty as a staff writer with The Highlander in 1998 and 1999.

The Highlander notes publishing deadlines and office closures for the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays.

Deadlines are as follows for the Highlander:

* Tuesday, Dec. 19, at noon — Classifieds and News deadline for Dec. 22 edition

* Tuesday, Dec. 19, at noon – Classifieds and News deadline for Dec. 26 edition

* Tuesday, Dec. 26, at noon — Classifieds and News deadline for Dec. 29 edition

* Tuesday, Dec. 26, at noon — Classifieds and News deadline for Jan. 2 edition.

* Tuesday, Jan. 2, at noon — Classifieds and News deadline for Jan. 5 edition.

The Highlander office will be closed Monday, Dec. 25, for Christmas. The office will reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 26. The office will again be closed Monday, Jan. 1, 2018, for New Year's Day and the office will reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2.

By Frank Shubert

Publisher

The Highlander

One of the highlights of every Comic-Con International: San Diego, which wrapped another successful four days of fun and games in July, is the amazing cosplay by those in attendance.

For those who are uninitated in the ways of geekdom, cosplay — a blending of the words costume and play — is the art of dressing up as and imitating a character from a fan's favorite movie, book, comic, graphic novel or video game and the San Diego Comic-Con can be likened to the Super Bowl for cosplay enthusiasts.

A similar scene was played out not long ago in San Antonio as thousands of comic book fans, gamers and self-identified "geeks" descended upon the Mission City to show their enthusiasm for the latest fantasy heroes, heroines, villains and the artists who created them.

Highland Lakes Newspapers Publisher Frank Shubert announced this week the addition of Richard Zowie as a staff writer.

Zowie will be the sports editor for The Highlander, covering Marble Falls and Faith Academy sports, but will also take an active role in on the news side, covering Marble Falls ISD for The Highlander as well as general assignments. He also will utilize his layout and design talents to the production side of the newspaper.

"Richard has hit the ground running and has already made significant contributions to The Highlander,” Shubert said. “We are excited to have his talents and energy working for the communities we serve and look forward what's coming next!"

A ceramic bird feeder takes on a double meaning after a pair of Horseshoe Bay wrens claim it as the perfect nook for their clutch of eggs.

Texas is a nesting host to more wren species than any other state, nine of the 10 in North American. Once a nest is complete and accepted as home sweet home, incubation of eggs takes around two weeks before hungry mouths demand bugs and spiders for another fortnight before fledglings fly away.

Highlander Sports Editor Mark Goodson captured this scene. Can you match his shot? Have a great photo from your summer in the Highland Lakes? Share it with Managing Editor Lew Cohn, lew@highlandernews.com. Don't forget to include your name and a little bit about the photo.

Highland Lakes Publishing, LP publisher, Frank Shubert, announced this week that Lew K. Cohn would take the reigns as managing editor of the Marble Falls Highlander and the Burnet Bulletin.

Cohn, 45, is an award-winning former editor and publisher of several newspapers in Texas with more than 23 years experience in community journalism.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have Lew as the managing editor of our publications in the Highland Lakes,” said Shubert. “These communities, which we are privileged to serve, will benefit greatly from Lew’s comprehensive experience as a journalist and director of our editorial and digital products.”