Commentary

Roses

Roses like high levels of fertility, especially nitrogen. Thus, they need to be fertilized in March, June, and lightly in late August. Base your selection of fertilizer analysis on the results of a soil test. For June feeding, utilize fertilizers in which at least half of the nitrogen is in the slow release or slowly available form. In late August, apply fertilizer in which the nitrogen is readily available.

Throughout Burnet County lies a history so rich and always worthy of preserving. One piece of history at risk of being lost in time is the Fuchs' House, located in Horseshoe Bay. Nestled among the trees off of Stagecoach lies a house that has withstood the tests of time for approximately 140 years, and with the efforts of a strong community, I hope to see it thrive for 140 more.

The Fuchs' House was built in the late 1870's for Conrad Fuchs and his wife, Anna, and their family. The patriarch of the Fuchs family, Pastor Adolf, his wife Luise, and their children came from Germany in 1846 and made a home for themselves in Texas, building and continuing homes and relationships over the years.

Many family members passed through the area over time, contributing to the ever interesting history of the area. The house served not only as a home, but a stagecoach stop (the stables are located under the house and it is a sight to see!), a community school, and a post office.

One of my proudest moments involved watching my daughter go into a voting booth for the very first time at age 18.

She walked up to the electronic machine appearing nervous at first then determined. All she needed to do was recall the video she watched as a guide to using the device to offer herself a little comfort.

After she voted, she left the booth wearing a smile. We voted early and other than she and I, the election judges were the only people in the room.

They began clapping for her as she walked up to me. My daughter's smile got even bigger.

It was not only a proud moment for her but everyone else in the room.

Both my children also voted in their first-ever presidential election in 2016, which became one of the most historic events in our lifetime.

Something as simple as taking a moment for a conversation with a child can make a world of difference in that child’s life. Children are special little people and need to be treated as such; they need to know they are important and we as a society need to help them realize this by taking the time to show them how much they mean to us.

I built strong bonds with many children throughout seven years working in the childcare field and learned so much about their little minds in that time.

By Caryl Calsyn

Special to the Bulletin

Too many homes of historical value have been torn down or left to rot. Horseshoe Bay has only one still standing and that is the Fuchs (Fox) House and is one of only a few in Burnet County. The house was an important part of our past and can once again be an asset to the community.

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen on April 10 released a joint statement promoting a twofold method for the 86th Texas Legislature to curb property tax increases across the state.

“Texans are fed up with skyrocketing property taxes. At the beginning of the legislative session, the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker laid out an agenda for property tax relief through the passage of Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 2 to limit property tax growth,” the state's top officeholders said.

SB 2 and HB 2, the not-yet-approved property tax reform bills, would reduce the revenue growth increment used for determination of the rollback tax rate from 8.0 percent to 2.5 percent for taxing units other than small taxing units unless the voters in a small taxing unit election decide to opt-in to the proposed new voter-approved tax rate procedure.

Burnet is booming in a lot of ways but especially economically.   The Burnet Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) along with the City of Burnet and sometimes other partners can be very proud of their accomplishments as well as their plans for additional development.   

Oftentimes citizens see the results of this type of work but may not be aware of the many months, even years, that are invested in making these things happen, not to mention the dollars that it takes to do so.  

An example is the ribbon cutting ceremony that was just held for the improvements to John W. Hoover Parkway which was a partnership between the BEDC, the City of Burnet, the Burnet Industrial Foundation and Burnet County.  

Two weeks ago the Rotary Club of Burnet gave away $21,000 in community grants to local non-profit organizations and service organizations. As a member of Rotary, I am very proud of its community grants, and it is another reason that you can add to my list of why I love living and working in Burnet.  

This community gives back to its citizens and there are hundreds of volunteers across the community working to serve people in need. I see examples every day in which these nonprofits are supporting the students and families of Burnet CISD. Kudos to Rotary for helping out these organizations and a big thank you to the local non-profits and service organizations that exemplify the Rotary motto of, “Service Above Self.”

For red spider mites and white-flies use 1-2 ounces of liquid seaweed per gallon of water. Apply around dusk and saturate the foliage thoroughly.

Four (4) ounces of Potassium Bicarbonate plus 1 teaspoon of liquid soap to a gallon of water is excellent fungicide for black spot, powdery mildew, brown patch, and other fungal problems.

For killing those weeds in the driveways and sidewalks, etc. use full strength white vinegar (20% food grade concentration). For additional strength, add 1-2 cups of citrus oil and 1-2 cups of molasses per gallon of vinegar. Hope this helps you keep the harmful chemicals out of your gardens.

By Savanna Gregg

Staff Writer

Burnet Bulletin

There is no denying the sense of community one feels when part of a group that shares the same interests. Each year I have the opportunity to gather with fellow NASCAR fans and take part in an entire weekend of camp food, racing, and sunburns at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, and each year I am reminded of the affect the race weekend has on me and everyone else present.

My husband, Adam, has been going to the NASCAR races since he was a young boy, but I just started going about four years ago, but I grew up as the daughter of a NASCAR fan, and remember watching the drivers fly around various tracks on TV, back in the days of Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr.