Commentary

Part of my history of which I am most proud is the fact that I come from a long line of writers. I have always had a passion for putting my thoughts into words and creating stories for public knowledge or entertainment, and almost every time I have a conversation with my Papa, I discover a new story about the storytellers and wordsmiths that came before me.

The long-awaited Badger Building renovation is finally coming to its conclusion. Wedding Oak Winery is slated to occupy the space in early fall. If you have had a chance to drive by, you will see that the windows are all in and the masonry work is almost complete. Inside, most of the walls are painted, light fixtures are installed and many of the decorative features are either installed or onsite. It will be a wonderful attraction for the square and for Burnet in general. The Burnet Economic Development Corporation (BEDC), and the City of Burnet who assisted with the project, should be proud of this endeavor. Also, many thanks to the Robertson family who donated the building to the BEDC. Once the project is completed, the Jackson Street parking lot will once again be open to the public and will have a connecting pathway to the Vandeveer Street Parking Lot to facilitate ease of access.

By Savanna Gregg

Staff Writer

Highland Lakes Newspapers

The days of a pet owner consist of many “aww” and “you are so cute!” and “stop that right now!” moments, and we have had plenty of them in our household since welcoming our two fur babies.

A few months back, I introduced my puppy, Maverick, and my cat, Gus, and raved about their hobbies and precious quirks with the incredible, shameless bias of a fur mom.

At that time they were both babies, but Gus turned a year old on Sunday, and Maverick will be a year old on Veteran’s Day, so I figured it was time for an update on the furry rollercoaster that is our life.

Maverick has grown by about 40 pounds since last I spoke of him, but he still loves to snuggle up to us at the end of the day, which is something I look forward to the moment I leave my house for work.

The theme for this school year is Climbing to New Heights: Adventure Awaits, and it is hard to believe that Monday, August 19 the 2019-2020 School Year begins. I have a senior who will be graduating in May 2020, and kindergarten students that begin school this year will graduate in May 2032. Try to wrap your mind around that! 

We have been busy planning for the new school year which includes hiring new teachers, wrapping up the budget, and getting the campuses cleaned and ready for students and teachers. In addition, we have tackled some significant projects this summer including painting all of the classrooms at Burnet Middle School, renovating selected campus restrooms, and replacing the cracking and failing asphalt at the walkways at Bulldog Stadium. The Board of Trustees has approved the expansion of the Shady Grove Elementary drive.

In school, my teachers had mercy on me because they allowed me to steer clear of geometry, sidestep trigonometry and cruise past calculus coursework. Instead, my senior year in high school, I proudly joined the vocational trades track.

The program set me on what I believe is my life's proper path. The program afforded me the opportunity to go to school part of the day and work the other half at a local radio station.

Otherwise, I would have been on track to destroy my grade point average. Honestly, I've always been a wordsmith of sorts but never been any good at higher math.

My math-and-measure minded roofer hubby will sometimes scowl at me after he tries to test my knowledge with statements about measurements for eaves, underlayment, fascia and flashing or even inquiries about doubling ingredient portions for the cornbread mix.

When it comes to school colors, close enough is not good enough.

Marble Falls ISD has run into a conundrum with the new turf on the field at Mustang Stadium. The color of the outline on the logo at midfield and the words in the end zone is not gold. That's a problem.

The actual color that can be viewed as of today does not match the swatch that district officials picked out, and many of them were left in disbelief over the fact that it will cost them to change it.

But, as Superintendent Chris Allen pointed out to the board at the previous meeting, gold means different things to different people – or in this case different things to different schools/sports teams.

I graduated from the University of Central Florida, so this issue hits close to my heart. Our school colors are black and gold. I mean real gold: a nearly exact color to the gold on the Mustangs' football helmets.

Press Play

By Connie Swinney

Everyone agrees that “everything is bigger in Texas.”

But somehow when we planned our excursion to Colorado, I did not anticipate how much the features of that state could overwhelm a lifelong Texan such as myself.

The first time I ever saw Colorado, it was during a drive-by. I was 22 years old, when I took a bus to Ogden, Utah (curiously, my first time ever to visit a place outside of Texas) to retrieve a 1985 Jeep Wrangler from an old college friend and drive the vehicle back to my hometown of Big Spring.

The bus rode the interstate for much of the trip, so I must have slept through the parts of the trip where I might have viewed mountain ranges. It was the trip back in the jeep through Utah, over to Wyoming and into Colorado that I experienced a sight that left me awestruck.

At one point, after several hours of driving, I looked over and noticed a snow-capped mountain range.

We all need a getaway every once in a while, a chance to leave our daily work behind, sit back, and enjoy the simpler things in life.

Our escape, when we aren’t traveling to the beach, watching a NASCAR race, or going on a cruise, is a nice, relaxing camping trip. I adore waking up with the sun and birds and enjoying the sounds of nature around me as we slowly start our day, and falling asleep to the sound of crickets chirping among the rushing of a river.

There are many aspects of camping that I truly enjoy, and each trip always leaves me with a sense of peace - and anticipation for our next trip.

If you haven’t perused the City of Burnet website (cityofburnet.com) lately, you may be missing some valuable information.  Whether you are looking for upcoming events, pending ordinances, or just general information about the city, the City’s website is a good place to start.  

The most frequently requested information is conveniently listed on the “Top Topics” tab of the Home Page.  That’s where you will find access to a myriad of topics from meeting agendas, garage sale permits, forms permits and applications, GIS mapping of the city, job opportunities and the staff directory just to name a few.  A quick survey of the other tabs at the top of the Home Page will link you to a volume of information. The tabs on the bottom of the Home Page are quick links to other frequently requested topics including online payments (utility and court), My Permit Now (the permitting module), forms, and the City’s Code of Ordinances.  

I grew up on the good kind of country music. The timeless music and lyrics that are still making an impact on the world after generations. Country is the only genre my parents listened to (and remains so), and it is a wonder that I knew who Britney Spears was, but I still shook it up a little with her music every once in a while. 

But the one genre I always went back to was country, and it still reigns supreme in my heart. Something about country music soothes the soul, makes my feet tap along to the beat, and occasionally makes me sing at the top of my longs – normally in the car when no one is around to hear me.