I uploaded a YouTube video — Whales by kasperay wmp http://youtu.be/RTHvwO9MsN4?a

Why are you crying? #4wordsaftersex

Most tweeted links for kasperay http://topsy.com/s?q=kasperay

Bastrop, Tx–Jury selection began today in the August 2008 beating death of a Cedar Creek man. The accused, homeless 39-year-old Bryan Teague, faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of murder.

State District Judge Chris Duggan is presiding over the trial in 423rd District Court. Larry Jones died from injuries sustained following a drug-related confrontation, including wounds inflicted by a pick ax, according to sheriff’s department investigators. The dispute began in a rural wooded area west of Bastrop frequented by transients and other homeless persons, officials believe.

Among the panel of potential jurors was Pct. 4 County Commissioner Lee Dildy, who did not attend a meeting of county commissioners Monday as a result of his jury service.

@Machocamacho16 sorry that was @Tanner_Johnson lol.

Bastrop, Tx–Bastrop County commissioners today encouraged Sheriff Terry Pickering to negotiate a deal worth almost $600,000 to put more advanced Panasonic video and wireless equipment into 45 patrol cars this year.

The sheriff said his current budget can absorb the first year’s lease or lease/purchase payment of some $170,000, but he told commissioners he needs their agreement to fund the final three years of a payment plan contract. Pct. 2 Commissioner Clara Beckett urged Pickering to work with County Auditor Lisa Smith on current year budget revisions to allow the initial year’s payment.

The sheriff said the new in-car video equipment linked to laptop computers will make patrol operations more efficient and effective. The scanty video equipment now in use is outdated, he said.

Pct. 1 Commissioner Willie Pina and Pct. 4 Commissioner Lee Dildy did not attend Monday’s meeting.

Bastrop, Tx–City council member Joe Beal became the first to put his name on the ballot today for a second two-year term in the office.

The present terms of Mayor Terry Orr and Council Member Julie Hart also end this year unless they win new terms in the May city elections. So far Beal is the only announced candidate.

I have been sneezing all night. I hope I am not getting sick.

Bodywork Eases Migraines and Tension Headaches http://bit.ly/N3LRz

Exercise Myths http://bit.ly/WSX2t

Moore and Sarah Johnson said they get anxious when thinking about state. Moore said she gets goose bumps. Johnson gets short of breath.

Students Mack McCalley, left, and Taylor Gardner will be part of the local Lost Pines Community Choir that accompanies jazz master Hannibal Lokumbe and his quintet on Feb. 13 in Austin

Bastrop’s resident jazz phenom Hannibal Lokumbe expects things to be jumping when he and fellow musicians play next Saturday, Feb. 13, at Austin’s Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.
Lokumbe has re-arranged a sweeping orchestral piece titled, “Dear Mrs. Parks,” for a jazz-style quintet he will lead, accompanied by the Bastrop-area Lost Pines Community Choir and two Austin church choirs.
“It will be a very intimate setting, but with room to move and express yourself,” Lokumbe said of playing in a 250-seat performance theater within the museum.
Translation: If people get out of their seats and start shaking to the music, Lokumbe will be more than fine with that scenario. The performance begins at 8 p.m. The museum is at the intersection of north Congress Avenue and Martin Luther King Blvd., just across the street from the University of Texas campus.
The original recording of “Dear Mrs. Parks” with the Detroit Symphony was recorded live at Orchestra Hall in Detroit in Spring 2009 and released last December.
Lokumbe’s composition, which was influenced by blues, jazz, African and Gospel music, pays homage to Civil Rights heroine Rosa Parks.
Lokumbe said attendees for the Austin performance should particularly appreciate the solo singing of Taylor Gardner, a fourth-grade student at Bastrop’s Mina Elementary School, who sings on the Detroit recording.
Two Austin choirs, the Ebenezer Baptist Choir and the Greater Calvary Bible Church Choir, will team with the Lost Pines Community Choir. There will be a total about 55 performers, he added.
“I consider this performance in Austin to be a culmination of my musical career,” Lokumbe said. “I learned just as much re-arranging ‘Mrs. Parks’ as composing the original. To me, it was actually more challenging to re-arrange this musical piece than to write the original.”
The re-arrangement for “Mrs. Parks” for a quintet was finished about three weeks ago. Lokumbe will lead the quintet with his signature B-flat trumpet.
He said is particularly looking forward to the attendance by former members of The Soulmates, a group he formed when he attended Booker T. Washington High School in Texas City.
The group, with Lokumbe in the lead backed up such musical greats as Otis Redding, Etta James, T-Bone Walker and Lightnin’ Hopkins, Lokumbe said.
“I am also exceedingly proud of the work and dedication of the Lost Pines Community Choir,” Lokumbe said. “That choir can sing with anybody, anywhere.”

Enjoying this year’s Sportsmans’ Banquet were, L-R: BISD Superintendent Steve Murray, Board Trustee James Allen, Sportsmen's Chairmen Ashley Mutschink and Sportsmen's Member Tommy Frizell.

Local philanthropists use annual event to raise funds for school district

By Allison Murray
Special to the Advertiser

A non-profit group consisting of local philanthropists who enjoy hunting, fishing and outdoor sports has raised more than $250,000 in four years for the Bastrop Education Foundation and at its last annual fundraiser on Saturday, Jan. 30, the group took in more than $72,000. With these funds, the BEF provides grant money for educators’ implementation of innovative teaching ideas in the classroom.
“The Bastrop Sportsmen’s Group set a goal in 2007 to raise a quarter of a million dollars in five years for the Foundation’s teaching grants,” said James Allen, BISD School Board trustee. “This year the group exceeded this goal, raising over $250,000 in four years. We are blessed to have a group of committed volunteers like the Bastrop Sportsmen’s Group raising funds for our students.”
The Sportsmen’s Group created an event that drew over 400 community supporters and featured a silent auction, live auction and variety of drawings and games.
“We would like to thank our sponsors and volunteers for helping to create an electric atmosphere that was both successful and enjoyable,” said Ashley Mutschink, chairman of the BSG. “Financial support and volunteer hours are critical factors in the success of this banquet and everyone’s efforts paid off.”
BEF President Jolene Wells says the group cannot wait to see what ideas and projects will be proposed for funding.
“The Bastrop Education Foundation has been excited with the success of the innovative projects that have been awarded over the past few years and we are looking forward to this year’s proposals,” Wells said. “Funding these projects would not be possible without the support of the Sportsmen’s Group. Their continued commitment encourages and supports excellence in teaching in Bastrop ISD.”
The Bastrop Education Foundation is a not-for-profit philanthropic organization committed to enhancing local educational opportunities. It works closely with the school district, governed by 27-member board, made up of business, educational and civic leaders. The Foundation is supported entirely from donations made by individuals, businesses and groups.

David Ellefson is back

@tigergaiason I use Mobipocket on my crackberry, and FBReader under Linux and Windows.

I am off to Elgin to do my first of many softball interviews this season. It's always fun to cover Elgin softball.

@simnala Praise the Lord!! LOL I'm sorry but I don't wanna sit at soccer tonight!

Why won't @blakeshleton look at my boobies????? LOL

Children and Massage http://bit.ly/M4hC

so my brain is running at 100mph and it's hard to sort my thoughts on what thing on my to do list i should do next

Monday lunch special at Maxine's is Pot Roast and don't forget a piece of Pettie's pie.

Well, colts lost. Now back to wedding planning.

@dally826 I'll be in B/CS this weekend… Mac has a soccer tournament.

Posted by Ron in Animals , Attractions , History , Movies , People , Restaurants , Towns , Web sites , bicycling .

Acabando d ver a @coscuelprincipe dicen q corri dl hospedaje d hacer el lab por lo menos ver 2 canciones

is at a friend house and getting ready to get drunk again

huge dicks in and around my mouth. please?

Nick took a Midol. i told him that he's going to have a period out of his peepee hole. so for 12 hours, i'm a lesbian. hahahha.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=marissa LOLOL

some bitch- "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!?!" @tanner_johnson "NICK HAS ONE TOO!"

You had me at Marino and Kelly, but lost me at Kosar. RT @jeff_howe …Chase Daniel now has a ring but Marino, Kelly and Kosar don't?

told ya so!! WHOOO DATT:).xoxo

@dally826 Only when I'm at work or before 12 pm!

My mom and @Tanner_Johnson's mom are bffs. Hahahah. So funny.

@dally826 LOL… we'll see…

RT @RevRunWisdom: When the world gives you lemons make orange juice and leave em wondering how the hell you did it! – (A.C)

Headin' to the soccer fields to practice with MacKenzie…

I will be in college basketball heaven tomorrow. WVU-Nova at 6 p.m. and Texas-Kansas at 8 p.m. Time to put a menu together for BIG MONDAY!

I think I might root for the Colts tonight. But honestly, I don't particularly favor either team. We'll see what happens.

White’s daughters, from left, Gloria Budd, Carolyn Moore and Fannie Kyles join granddaughter Catina Higgins at his Cedar Creek home.

As several of Shirley “Dutch” White’s great-grandchildren gathered around him last weekend in his Cedar Creek home, making preparations to celebrate his 104th birthday on Feb. 8, you could feel the respect and love.
But there was a bit of humor, too, thrown in by the youngsters.
“He taught me to trust in God,” said Tykeija Moore, White’s great granddaughter.
White was a longtime deacon with Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church, so he regularly inspired his relatives with spiritual messages.
“When I was little he taught me how to pray,” said Chris Higgins, a great grandson.
When Chris added, “But he always told me don’t roll my eyes because they will pop out of my head,” everybody in the room laughed.
And while White has a little difficulty speaking, the sparkle of amusement that showed in his eyes seemed clear evidence that he heard and appreciated the comments of his great-grandchildren.
Three of White’s daughters – Gloria Budd, Carolyn Moore and Fannie Kyles – were also present.

Saturday celebration
All of the family members were pretty excited as they prepared for a barbecue celebration this Saturday, Feb. 6, two days before Shirley White’s birthday. Relatives from across the state, and Oklahoma, too, are coming to the celebration.
It will be at Mr. Brown’s Family Barbecue at 386 Old McDonald Lane, off of Texas 21.
“The celebration starts at 3 p.m. and local friends are encouraged to come,” Kyles said.
Kyles said this birthday celebration will be especially heartfelt for relatives because White’s wife, Sue Willie White, who was 95, passed away two days after last Christmas. They were married 74 years.
“God brought them together, they married and raised 11 children,” Kyles said. For many years, Shirley White was a carpenter in the Cedar Creek area and he also helped build the original Camp Swift.
“My father’s faith and passion for God inspired me to write a song for him,” Kyles said.
The first verse goes: “You were born a hundred years ago; You are really special you know; We learned about the Lord from you; You taught us the right things to do; That’s why I sang this song to you; Its cause I love you, you know I do.”

If students thought the TAKS test was rough, just wait until the new STAAR tests, which are reportedly much more stringent, are rolled out next year.
As announced late last month from Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott, the new state assessment test has been chosen to replace the currently used Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills or TAKS.
The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests will be implemented in schools beginning in the 2011-2012 school year in hopes of raising the bar on assessment standards, according to the Texas Education Agency.
“The new tests will be significantly more rigorous than previous tests and will measure a child’s performance as well as academic growth,” the TEA said recently in a press release on the change.
At Bastrop ISD, as is the case with school districts around Texas, the change is not exactly a shock, according to administrators.
“This is the fourth time the state has made a change, so this isn’t our first rodeo,” said Betty Richardson, Bastrop ISD assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. “As the state is changing what students are required to learn and as standards are changing over time, we are getting new assessments. It’s not a surprise to anyone that they are coming.”
TAKS, which has been in place since 2003, was the fourth Texas testing program to be implemented since the legislature established state-mandated testing beginning in 1980, according to the TEA.
Under STAAR, 12 end-of-course examinations in the four core subject areas of high school will be administered in addition to the grades 3-8 assessments mandated since the 2009 legislative session and House Bill 3.
Scott has said in recent times that the last TAKS-based school accountability ratings will be issued in 2011 and ratings will be suspended in 2012 as a new accountability system is developed. In 2013 the new state rating system is expected to debut.

@maximus_pug *paw bump* back atcha! Pugs rule!

@maximus_pug *paw bump* back atcha! Pugs rule!

Goin to bed. I have work to do tomorrow……or shall I say today. G'night all

@garretjiroux omg someone sang that song last night at the talent show I went to and the guy even played it on the piano! It was awesome!

okay, so i have three primary contenders for DMF houston. We'll see who wins after playtesting on monday!

Tonight I gave myself a facial and a manicure. I have to say that I feel pretty good. http://myloc.me/3zLuO

Cody <3

Tonight I gave myself a facial and a manicure. I have to say that I feel pretty good. http://myloc.me/3zHtY

attempting to train my hair to do what it does w/o using product. mostly because i'm getting to lazy to use any…

Where is everyone????

@GHIPaul Wow, that IS awesome!! Congrats!!

@simnala Mine should be here the 19th! WOOHOO!!

@dally826 BOO!!

Proponents of improving river access in downtown Bastrop got some good news this week with the announcement that an almost $400,000 grant for a new boat ramp at Fisherman’s Park is on the way.
The $397,600 grant for Bastrop is part of approximately $2.5 million the Texas Department of Wildlife and Parks is handing out to pay for 10 boat ramp construction or repair projects across the state.
Bastrop City Manager Mike Talbot said on Monday that work has been underway for a long time to ensure Bastrop makes its way onto the project list – especially considering the current shape of the boat ramp at Fisherman’s Park.
“The ramp is in horrible condition and getting the grant is wonderful news,” Talbot said. “It is the result of a year of a lot of hard work. It will be a great benefit to the users of the Colorado River and the users of the park.”
In addition to replacing the old boat ramp, the funds are expected to cover numerous other related projects including dredging and the placement of bulkheads needed to prevent erosion. A parking area and a sidewalk will reportedly be added to make the area more hospitable for people with disabilities and additional trails will be built.
“I am extremely pleased that Bastrop has been selected for this grant,” said Bastrop Mayor Terry Orr. “It will bring a great addition to the city’s Fisherman’s Park and will be a great asset not only to the city, but to the surrounding area. It is really exciting news.”
Approval for the funding under the State Boating Access Program was made official at the Jan. 28 TPWD meeting. The program’s funds come from the federal recreational boating gasoline tax and an excise tax on fishing tackle collected under the Federal Aid to Sport Fish Recreation Act, according to the TPWD.

@dally826 Idk, I was sleepy.

Just got done doing 4 hours of chores. Hopefully the rest of the day will be easier. KISSFM is playing "Too Little Too Late" by JoJo..weird.

welcome back welcome back wellllcome baaaackkk

BOYS BASKETBALL
STANDINGS
DISTRICT 25-5A
District        Overall
W    L    W    L
y-Westlake    10    0    25    4
Bowie    8    2    24    5
Pflugerville    7    3    24    6
Akins    6    4    22    6
Bastrop    4    6    17    12
Austin    4    6    19    10
Anderson    1    9    6    21
Connally    0    10    10    13
DISTRICT 17-4A
District        Overall
W    L    W    L
Del Valle    8    0    21    5
Manor    8    1    17    9
San Marcos    6    3    16    12
Elgin    3    5    10    13
Lehman    3    5    7    18
Hays    2    6    4    15
Lockhart    0    9    2    24
DISTRICT 25-3A
District        Overall
W    L    W    L
Sealy    6    0    13    6
La Grange    5    1    8    9
Bellville    3    3    12    15
Columbus    2    4    9    15
Giddings    2    4    9    11
Smithville    0    6    6    14

x-clinched district title
y-clinched playoff berth

Statistical leaders
Scoring
Player, Team    Total    PPG
Josiah Monroe, Bastrop    574    23.0
Jordan Roach, Bastrop    464    19.3
Ethan Lynch, Elgin    378    14.0
Wade Childress, Smithville    160    12.3
Petey Thompson, Bastrop    305    11.7
Coltyn Brown, Smithville    142    10.9
Oscar Kenebrew, Smithville    119    9.2
Tyler Benson, Elgin    225    8.3
Cro Faulks, Elgin    155    7.8
Marquis Campbell, Elgin    209    7.7
Adam Hahn, Smithville    83    6.9
Sterling Lott, Elgin    182    6.7
Sam Roundtree, Elgin    46    6.6
Dominique Green, Smithville    48    5.8
Bradley McDonald, Elgin    116    5.5
Joe Crank, Smithville    44    5.5
John Thorne, Bastrop    140    5.4
Jacob Hannusch, Smithville    69    5.3
Nick Fisher, Bastrop    93    4.2
Reece Fierro, Smithville    38    3.2
Domique Ward, Smithville    36    3.0
T.J. Franks, Elgin    41    2.6
Cody Havaty, Smithville    25    2.3
Jacorie Higgins, Bastrop    47    2.0
Abie Zapata, Elgin    42    1.8
Chris Harrell, Bastrop    43    1.7
Ty Jones, Elgin    31    1.7
Dareas Scott, Elgin    29    1.5
Herman Bryant, Elgin    18    1.5
Jay Yell, Elgin    37    1.4
Andrew Lowery, Smithville    11    1.4
Aaron Clemons, Bastrop    9    1.3
Darrell McCloud, Bastrop    31    1.3
Stetson Lott, Elgin    14    1.2

Rebounds
Player, Team    Total    RPG
Ethan Lynch, Elgin    214    7.9
John Thorne, Bastrop    156    6.0
Jordan Roach, Bastrop    142    5.9
Petey Thompson, Bastrop    145    5.6
Sterling Lott, Elgin    145    5.4
Bradley McDonald, Elgin    100    4.8
Jacob Hannusch, Smithville    58    4.5
Cro Faulks, Elgin    77    3.9
Joe Crank, Smithville    31    3.9
Marquis Campbell, Elgin    96    3.6
Ty Jones, Elgin    63    3.5
Reece Fierro, Smithville    42    3.5
Josiah Monroe, Bastrop    80    3.2
Coltyn Brown, Smithville    42    3.2
Dominique Green, Smithville    24    3.0
Wade Childress, Smithville    34    2.6
Oscar Kenebrew, Smithville    34    2.6
Tyler Benson, Elgin    66    2.4
T.J. Franks, Elgin    38    2.4
Domique Ward, Smithville    26    2.2
Stetson Lott, Elgin    23    1.9
Jay Yell, Elgin    47    1.8
Aaron Clemons, Bastrop    12    1.7
Nick Fisher, Bastrop    35    1.6
Sam Roundtree, Elgin    11    1.6
Herman Bryant, Elgin    17    1.4
Vincent Maldonado, Smithville    4    1.3
Darrell McCloud, Bastrop    27    1.2
Demetreck Cumberlander, Elgin    17    1.2
Adam Hahn, Smithville    14    1.2
Cody Havaty, Smithville    12    1.1
Jacorie Higgins, Bastrop    23    1.0
Andrew Lowery, Smithville    8    1.0

AssistS
Player, Team    Total
Jordan Roach, Bastrop    89
Cro Faulks, Elgin    77
Josiah Monroe, Bastrop    73
Marquis Campbell, Elgin    48
Ethan Lynch, Elgin    42
Oscar Kenebrew, Smithville    39
Petey Thompson, Bastrop    37
Wade Childress, Smithville    25
Dareas Scott, Elgin    24
Tyler Benson, Elgin    24
Sam Roundtree, Elgin    23
Ty Jones, Elgin    22
Damien Sibley, Elgin    21
Coltyn Brown, Smithville    16
Abie Zapata, Elgin    15
Chris Harrell, Bastrop    14
Nick Fisher, Bastrop    13
Jacob Hannusch, Smithville    13
Bradley McDonald, Elgin    11
Adam Hahn, Smithville    11
T.J. Franks, Elgin    10
Dominique Green, Smithville    9
John Thorne, Bastrop    8
Jay Yell, Elgin    7
Sterling Lott, Elgin    7
Reece Fierro, Smithville    7
Domique Ward, Smithville    6
Darrell McCloud, Bastrop    5
Cody Havaty, Smithville    3
Joe Crank, Smithville    3
Aaron Clemons, Bastrop    2
Jacorie Higgins, Bastrop    2
Vincent Maldonado, Smithville    2

Steals
Player, Team    Total
Jordan Roach, Bastrop    80
Josiah Monroe, Bastrop    78
Marquis Campbell, Elgin    46
Petey Thompson, Bastrop    40
Ethan Lynch, Elgin    40
Cro Faulks, Elgin    38
Oscar Kenebrew, Smithville    36
Wade Childress, Smithville    30
Tyler Benson, Elgin    29
Sterling Lott, Elgin    25
Coltyn Brown, Smithville    22
John Thorne, Bastrop    21
Ty Jones, Elgin    18
Nick Fisher, Bastrop    16
Jacob Hannusch, Smithville    15
Bradley McDonald, Elgin    14
Damien Sibley, Elgin    13
Dominique Green, Smithville    13
Reece Fierro, Smithville    13
Dareas Scott, Elgin    12
T.J. Franks, Elgin    12
Chris Harrell, Bastrop    10
Jay Yell, Elgin    10
Darrell McCloud, Bastrop    9
Cody Havaty, Smithville    9
Sam Roundtree, Elgin    8
Adam Hahn, Smithville    8
Aaron Clemons, Bastrop    6
Jacorie Higgins, Bastrop    6
Joe Crank, Smithville    5
Abie Zapata, Elgin    4
Demetreck Cumberlander, Elgin    4

GIRLS BASKETBALL
STANDINGS
DISTRICT 25-5A
District        Overall
W    L    W    L
y-Pflugerville    11    1    24    5
y-Westlake    10    2    24    6
y-Connally    10    2    24    8
Akins    6    6    15    14
Anderson    5    7    11    16
Austin    4    8    14    15
Bastrop    1    11    8    23
Bowie    1    11    5    21
DISTRICT 17-4A
District        Overall
W    L    W    L
y-Hays    10    1    24    4
y-Del Valle    9    1    29    2
Elgin    5    5    14    16
Manor    5    5    8    19
San Marcos    5    5    13    16
Lehman    3    7    14    17
Lockhart    0    10    4    16
DISTRICT 25-3A
District        Overall
W    L    W    L
x-Giddings    8    0    23    7
y-La Grange    6    2    19    4
y-Smithville    5    3    19    9
Sealy    2    8    na    na
Columbus    1    9    na    na
Bellville    0    10    na    na

x-clinched district title
y-clinched playoff berth

Statistical leaders
Scoring
Player, Team    Total    PPG
Jaimie Kadlecek, Smithville    306    10.9
Jasmine Simmons, Elgin    302    10.1
Hillari Raemsch, Bastrop    272    8.8
Desarae Couthren, Elgin    243    8.1
Blakelee Saunders, Smithville    223    8.0
Wilnesha Roberson, Bastrop    208    6.9
Colline Morrell, Smithville    166    6.1
Chelsea Moore, Bastrop    185    6.0
Sydney Snell, Elgin    171    5.7
Tiffany Wong, Elgin    147    4.9
Amber Jackson, Bastrop    150    4.8
Magen Weinheimer, Smithville    134    4.8
Ariel Vinklarek, Smithville    111    4.0
Shelby McWhorter, Bastrop    111    3.6
Trina Deyo, Smithville    92    3.4
Maygen Washington, Smithville    23    3.3
Celes Inostroza, Elgin    84    2.8
Taylor Weldon, Smithville    74    2.6
Tiffanie Hart, Elgin    77    2.6
Cynthia Cowan, Elgin    76    2.5
Emma Hancock, Smithville    37    1.8
Tayor Hammouth, Smithville    47    1.7
Samantha Marquez, Bastrop    37    1.2
Ashley Walker, Elgin    30    1.0
Faith Ralph, Smithville    11    1.0
Megan Cavasos, Bastrop    24    0.8
Madison Hannusch, Smithville    15    0.5
Alexis Arevalo, Bastrop    9    0.4
Kanisha Ross, Elgin    7    0.2
Brittney Falcon, Elgin    7    0.2
Jasmime Cornelius, Elgin    6    0.2

Rebounds
Player, Team    Total    RPG
Shelby McWhorter, Bastrop    229    7.4
Sydney Snell, Elgin    213    7.1
Wilnesha Roberson, Bastrop    182    6.1
Amber Jackson, Bastrop    173    5.6
Jasmine Simmons, Elgin    159    5.3
Blakelee Saunders, Smithville    122    4.4
Ariel Vinklarek, Smithville    120    4.3
Magen Weinheimer, Smithville    112    4.0
Jaimie Kadlecek, Smithville    96    3.4
Cynthia Cowan, Elgin    99    3.3
Desarae Couthren, Elgin    99    3.3
Hillari Raemsch, Bastrop    87    2.8
Maygen Washington, Smithville    19    2.7
Trina Deyo, Smithville    68    2.5
Chelsea Moore, Bastrop    74    2.4
Tiffanie Hart, Elgin    70    2.3
Colline Morrell, Smithville    62    2.3
Emma Hancock, Smithville    40    1.9
Samantha Marquez, Bastrop    52    1.7
Tiffany Wong, Elgin    48    1.6
Taylor Weldon, Smithville    42    1.5
Faith Ralph, Smithville    17    1.5
Celes Inostroza, Elgin    40    1.3
Madison Hannusch, Smithville    36    1.3
Tayor Hammouth, Smithville    32    1.2
Ashley Walker, Elgin    33    1.1
Megan Cavasos, Bastrop    26    0.8
Jasmime Cornelius, Elgin    23    0.7
Alexis Arevalo, Bastrop    11    0.5
Kanisha Ross, Elgin    11    0.4
Brittney Falcon, Elgin    8    0.3

AssistS
Player, Team    Total
Tiffany Wong, Elgin    93
Chelsea Moore, Bastrop    89
Jaimie Kadlecek, Smithville    89
Jasmine Simmons, Elgin    54
Hillari Raemsch, Bastrop    41
Shelby McWhorter, Bastrop    38
Celes Inostroza, Elgin    30
Desarae Couthren, Elgin    26
Blakelee Saunders, Smithville    26
Ariel Vinklarek, Smithville    25
Megan Cavasos, Bastrop    19
Sydney Snell, Elgin    19
Colline Morrell, Smithville    18
Wilnesha Roberson, Bastrop    15
Tayor Hammouth, Smithville    15
Brittney Falcon, Elgin    10
Trina Deyo, Smithville    10
Ashley Walker, Elgin    9
Cynthia Cowan, Elgin    9
Tiffanie Hart, Elgin    7
Amber Jackson, Bastrop    6
Taylor Weldon, Smithville    6
Alexis Arevalo, Bastrop    4
Jasmime Cornelius, Elgin    4
Emma Hancock, Smithville    4
Samantha Marquez, Bastrop    3
Magen Weinheimer, Smithville    2
Maygen Washington, Smithville    2
Madison Hannusch, Smithville    1
Faith Ralph, Smithville    1
Kanisha Ross, Elgin    0

Steals
Player, Team    Total
Jaimie Kadlecek, Smithville    90
Chelsea Moore, Bastrop    68
Blakelee Saunders, Smithville    60
Colline Morrell, Smithville    59
Shelby McWhorter, Bastrop    55
Desarae Couthren, Elgin    55
Hillari Raemsch, Bastrop    54
Jasmine Simmons, Elgin    45
Sydney Snell, Elgin    44
Celes Inostroza, Elgin    42
Tiffany Wong, Elgin    37
Ariel Vinklarek, Smithville    31
Trina Deyo, Smithville    31
Wilnesha Roberson, Bastrop    29
Tayor Hammouth, Smithville    26
Amber Jackson, Bastrop    24
Taylor Weldon, Smithville    19
Magen Weinheimer, Smithville    17
Megan Cavasos, Bastrop    16
Cynthia Cowan, Elgin    15
Brittney Falcon, Elgin    12
Tiffanie Hart, Elgin    11
Jasmime Cornelius, Elgin    10
Ashley Walker, Elgin    10
Samantha Marquez, Bastrop    7
Alexis Arevalo, Bastrop    7
Emma Hancock, Smithville    7
Maygen Washington, Smithville    7
Faith Ralph, Smithville    4
Kanisha Ross, Elgin    3
Madison Hannusch, Smithville    1

Soccer statistics as of Feb. 4.

BOYS SOCCER
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Player, Team    Goals
Matt Swartz, Smithville    7
Danny Davis, Smithville    6
Lee McMillan, Bastrop    5
Hart McMillan, Bastrop    3
Jose Jaimes, Smithville    3
Zach Pierce, Bastrop    2
Charly Salinas, Bastrop    1
Hector Lopez, Bastrop    1
Clay Raemsch, Bastrop    1
Xavier Velasquez, Bastrop    1
Joe Reyna, Smithville    1

Player, Team    Assists
Lee McMillan, Bastrop    3
A.J. Yates, Bastrop    3
Kris Desauhier, Bastrop    2
Zach Pierce, Bastrop    1
Juan Jaimes, Bastrop    1
Clay Raemsch, Bastrop    1
Dalton Kelly, Bastrop    1

GIRLS SOCCER
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Player, Team    Goals
Ashley Frederick, Elgin    10
Kattie Patterson, Bastrop    9
Heather Greene, Bastrop    5
Kaylyn Butler, Bastrop    4
Haley Mendel, Bastrop    2
Meghan Morris, Bastrop    2
Rebekah Spalding, Bastrop    2
Kendal Ayers, Bastrop    1
Alyssa Stover, Bastrop    1
Amanda Banta, Bastrop    1

Player, Team    Assists
Kattie Patterson, Bastrop    2
Kaylyn Butler, Bastrop    1
Kerri Kelley, Bastrop    1
Kara Edwards, Bastrop     1

Player, Team    Shutouts
Jackie Naverette, Bastrop    7

Lady Bears pour it on Anderson, 6-2
The Bastrop Lady Bears got back to their winning ways Friday night and defeated Anderson 6-2 at BISD Memorial Stadium. Bastrop (10-3, 3-1 District 25-5A) got a hat-trick from Kattie Patterson, who now has 12 goals on the season. Haley Mendel also got into the scoring action with two goals and Stacy Smith added one of her own. Bastrop plays Austin HIgh Tuesday at House Park Stadium and hosts Akins on Friday.

Anderson puts Bastrop boys  into 0-4 hole
AUSTIN — The Bastrop Bears dropped their fourth straight District 25-5A game Friday night with a 3-1 loss to Anderson at Nelson Stadium in Austin. Bastrop’s lone goal came from Charly Salanis. The Bears are now 3-5-1, 0-4.

With their playoff hopes on the line, the Bastrop Bears watched them fade off in another close call.
The fourth-place Akins Eagles defeated Bastrop 54-51 Friday night to increase their lead on the fifth-place Bears to three games with three remain.
For Bastrop to sneak into that fourth playoff spot from District 25-5A, the Bears must defeat second place Pflugerville, third place Bowie and Connally and hope Akins loses all three of its remaining games.
Bastrop (17-13, 4-7 District 25-5A) didn’t go down without a fight.
The bears quickly erased an eight-point halftime deficit with a 6-0 run to open the second half, which included four points from John Thorne.
Josiah Monroe scored 10 of his team-high 22 points in the third quarter as the Bears and Eagles exchanged the lead 10 times.
Every time Bastrop would get a lead, however, Akins would answer with a three-point field goal.
Monroe hit a three-pointer with 18 seconds left in the third quarter to give Bastrop a one-point lead, but Anthony Rivera answered at the buzzer to return the Eagles to a two-point advantage going into the fourth quarter.
Akins opened the final period and extended its lead to six points in the early minutes, but Monroe quickly answered with a three of his own. Bastrop was never able to get over the hill, but Chris Harrell tied the game with a three-pointer, his only points of the game, with 1:53 left to play.
Akins scored three quick points and the Bears missed three three-points in the final eight seconds, including a half court prayer at the buzzer that ricocheted off the rim.
Jordan Roach played most of the final three minutes in the fourh quarter with four fouls, but scored 11 points as did Petey Thompson.
Thompson also added four rebounds, but John Thorne pulled down a team-high six for the bears.
Akins was led by Kevin McFarlane, who soceed a game-high 25 points to go with five rebounds.

Contributed photo by Larry Overall/ Petey Thompson (10) drives in for a lay up Friday night in Bastrop’s basketball game against Akins at Bear Gym.

Decked out in his forest green and gold T-shirt that read, “RAMU,” Bernard Blake signed on the dotted line to make it official.
Blake signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at Colorado State University Wednesday during National Signing Day ceremonies at Bastrop High School.
By signing his Letter of Intent, the senior defensive back became the first Bastrop football player in eight years to sign with a DI university. .
“This is a heck of a blessing,” a humble Blake said. “I have dreamed about this day since I was a kid. Go Rams.”
Blake was Bastrop’s defensive leader this past season.
He had 25 solo tackles and three interceptions.
His most memorable interception came in Bastrop’s upset win over Westlake, which sealed a 24-21 win over the Division I state finalists.
He was the 2010 All-Bastrop County Defensive Player of the Year, an Associated Press Class 5A All-State and All-Central Texas selection.
“Bernard is such a great young man and excels in the classroom and on the football field,” said head coach Gerald Perry. “His potential is unlimited.”
Blake said Colorado State won him over after visiting the campus.
“I felt like I fit in there and I really liked the campus,” Blake said. “It’s a chance to continue my football career and I am looking forward to the challenge.”
He chose Colorado State over Texas Christian, North Texas and UT-San Antonio.
Blake was just one of four athletes that signed to play college sports Wednesday.
Girls soccer player Kara Edwards also signed a letter of intent to play soccer at Division II Angelo State University in San Angelo.
Edwards said she chose Angelo State over the University of Michigan, Sam Houston State and Florida State.
“It was closer to home, but far enough to where I can be me,” she said. “I really liked the campus.”
Edwards is a senior captain on the Lady Bears soccer team and a four-year starter.
Edwards said Angelo State has assured her a starting spot on the team in the fall.
Also signing was baseball player Cade Staton, who will play next year at Alvin Junior College.
Wide receiver Auston Shipley also signed to play football at Blinn Junior College in Brenham.
Blinn is the reigning NJCAA National Champions.
Perry also said that defensive lineman Darrell McCloud will be a preferred walk-on at Navarro Junior College in Corsicana in the fall.

Surrounded by his family, Bernard Blake, front center, signs his National Letter of Intent to play football at Colorado State University Wednesday during National Signing Day ceremonies at Bastrop High School. Also pictured, back row from left, are Charlottte Garrett, head coach Gerald Perry and Bernard Blake Sr.

Auston Shipley signs his letter of intent to play football next season at Blinn Junior College. Also pictured is his mother, Katie Massingill, left, and head coach Gerald Perry.

Cade Staton, front center, signed his letter of intent to play baseball at Alvin Junior College. Also pictured are, back row, from left, Bastrop baseball coach Mark Williams, Doug Staton and Janet Staton, his parents,

Girls soccer player Kara Edwards, center, signs her letter of intent to play soccer at Angelo State University Wednesday at Bastrop High School. Pictured in back, from letf, are head coach Angelia Watson, Jason Edwards and Denise Edwards.

#shoutout the ppl who will have 2nd thoughts after burning loot they really don't have trying 2 impress. #sitcho$5assdownb4imakechange #Evl

ELGIN — The Elgin Lady Wildcats will have to defeat Lockhart on the the road next week in order to make the playoffs for the first time in 18 years.
Elgin was defeated by the No. 13 Hays Lady Rebels 69-50 Friday night in Wildcat Gym.
The Rebel defense completely dominated the game, as a subdued Elgin team scored only three points in the second quarter and trailed 30-15 at the half. Among their numerous steals, the Lady Rebels also produced seven blocks, and out-rebounded the Lady cats 26-15.
Desarae Couthren lead the team with eight points and two rebounds in the second half, but her efforts were not enough to propel Elgin to a comeback. Elgin’s Tiffany Wong was completely smothered by the Rebel defense, her only offensive stat in the second half being a rebound after scoring six points in the first quarter.
Friday’s loss will not end Elgin’s quest to end its  playoff drought, so long as they can produce a win tuesday night against a Lockhart team that is 0-10 in district this season.
The Hays defense put the clamps on team-leading scorer Jasmine Simmons (10.1 points per game) to just four points, with all coming from the free-throw line.

Contributed photo by Mike Andrick/ Jasmine Simmons (24) drives to the basket Friday night in a basketball game at Wildcat Gym.

Boys Basketball
Akins 54, Bastrop 51
Hays 60, Elgin 53
Smithville 75, Giddings 65

Girls Basketball
Akins 90, Bastrop 51
Hays 69, Elgin 50
Giddings 62, Smithville 51

Boys soccer
Anderson 3, Basrop 1

Girls soccer
Bastrop 6, Anderson 2
Elgin 3, Lockhart 2

Wants to announce that my 2-year-old son has just given his verbal commitment to Texas! Class of 2026 baby.

Gathered at the Bastrop Opera House are, from left: Nancy Wood, manager of Bastrop’s Main Street Project, Mayor Terry Orr, First Lady Anita Perry and Mark Wolf, executive director of the Texas Historical Commission.

“There are 130 homes on the National Register of Historic Homes here and it all goes back to you, the people,” Perry told a packed audience at the Bastrop Opera House.
Perry and other state officials had gathered in Bastrop to congratulate the city on being selected as one of America’s “Dozen Distinctive Destinations” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
As Nancy Wood, manager of Bastrop’s Main Street Project sat onstage, Perry turned toward her and then the audience and said, “Your ability to work as a team serves as an example to Texas as a whole.”
She added it was “Sam Houston who made Bastrop a distinctive destination with stage stops on the Old San Antonio Road.”
Perry added that Bastropians “recognized many years ago what a gem of historical significance you have here.”
She said it seem “like déjà vu” while she spoke onstage at the historic Opera House, because she was here in 2007 for the dedication of Bastrop as a Main Street City and that seemed only a short time ago.
Perry was joined by Mark Wolf, executive director of the Texas Historic Commission and Jonathon Poston, director of the southwest district for NTHP, who also praised Bastrop’s preservation efforts.

Good morning my people a great day in the Army

What a bunch of losers!!!!

is at home and had a good time tonight

grrrr, why am i only getting 2 mbps down when i should be getting close to 20? wtc time warner?

The Bastrop County sheriff’s office is searching for the body of a man who officials think was slain at his Paige home Dec.

planning a deck to play for the next two weeks (BGs, RQ & DMF). I have it down to a few contenders, but i'm still not 100% sure yet…

according to bit.ly, my Gracy Mansfield story has been clicked through 126 times. Holy Crap!!!!! That's the most ever by at least 100.

OMG!WTF!AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (YouTube http://youtu.be/_2Jf688GHUU?a)

@dally826 Nighty night!! Sleep tight!!

RT @basports: End of 3rd: akins 43, Bastrop 41 boys basketball. There were10 lead changes in that quarter.

Feb. is Black History Month. Check out Sylvan's National Black History Month reading recommendations: http://bit.ly/4uHpYL

@tony_morton2001 hahaha. Oh yeah. I remember. Haha. (.

Bastrop soccer star Gracy Mansfield was suspended indefinitely from the girls soccer team following Tuesday’s 4-1 loss at Westlake.
Junior Heather Greene was also suspended indefinitely.
No details about why Mansfield and Greene were suspended were available and head coach Angelia Watson and athletic director Gerald Perry declined comment on the situation.
Jeanie Mansfield, Gracy Mansfield’s mother, was in attendance Tuesday in Westlake and said she didn’t feel her daughter did anything wrong.
She said, her daughter simply walked off the field after the game was over and sat on the bench. She said she didn’t see or hear her daughter say anything.
“Gracy was doing everything a varsity player, I felt, should do for her team,” she said. “She’s been there for four years and has made a lot of changes in her attitude this season. She has been a team player.”
Gracy Mansfield was the Central Texas scoring champion in 2009 with 38 goals and was an All-Central Texas, All-Region IV and the All-Bastrop County Player of the Year.
She was also the reigning District 25-5A Offensive MVP and a 2010 Central Texas Player of the Year Candidate.
Mansfield is regarded by some Austin soccer pundits as one of the Top 10 girls soccer players in Central Texas.
After Tuesday’s game with Westlake, Mansfield was the third leading scorer in Central Texas and led the Lady Bears with 11 goals.

The Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office will once again be offering the Citizen Sheriff’s Academy training, from March 4 through May 27.
The classes offer information on all aspects of law enforcement in Bastrop County. Class participants will hear from deputies who patrol, who serve civil process and who staff the jail. Other interesting presenters will talk about department structure, criminal investigation, child abuse, victim services, crime prevention and working with identification and evidence at a crime scene.
Graduates of Citizens on Patrol become the extra eyes and ears of the county to aid deputies in their efforts to help keep the community safe.
The classes are informative and a great learning tool about how law enforcement officials work to make this a better county on a daily basis.
The class is free and runs each Thursday night from 7 – 10 p.m. These classes tend to fill up fast, so call Deputy Wayne Wood at 549-5069 for more information or to sign up.

Gardens and grackles: Hot topics in cold months

It seems as though every year the January thaw, that warm 10 days or two weeks we get at sometime during the month, tricks people who are either wishfully dreaming about spring or have short memories, into thinking that winter is over. It isn’t over friends. We have a ways to go before the real spring gets here. I kind of like it and have been enjoying the cold from safely inside the house.
The cold weather, upper teens and 20’s, did damage to tender plants. Some of the more tropical plants have been severely hammered. We had some nice big gingers in pots that may have bought it even though we covered them and put a light bulb under the cover. Too little, too late. I will cut them back and see what happens.
Usually, anytime between now and the end of February is a good time to trim back woody perennials such as plumbago and lantana that have died back due to freezes.
I trim the perennial garden plants all the way to the ground and they come back better than ever. After trimming is a good time to add fertilizer for blooms on Texas natives because it’s so much easier to walk around and get to the roots without all those canes sticking up.
Add mulch, four to six inches deep, over all the plants for extra protection now and weed control in summer. Pine needles are one of the best types of mulch. They are easy to handle, long-lasting, clean and smell good. Now is a good time to collect pine needles for mulch. In Houston pine needles sell for $10 a bail and we get them for free.

Friends of the shelter fundraiser
Plan to take your honey to the Hearts for Paws fundraiser on Valentine’s Day at Maxine’s on Main. Admission is a bag of dog or cat food, a dog or cat toy or a donation. Meet and greet, see and be seen at Maxine’s and benefit the wonderful work the Friends do for the most vulnerable of our “best friends.” Complimentary appetizers, silent auction, cash bar and live music by the Peterson Brothers Band. This sounds like fun.

Grackles
Some birds are less desirable than others, especially those that congregate in large, messy, noisy flocks. Several species of annoying birds are members of the subfamily Icterinae. Icterids are “medium to large-sized birds with conical, sharply pointed bills and large, strong feet,” (“The Birds of Texas,” John and Gloria Tveten).
Common grackles (Quiscalus quiscula), and great-tailed grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus) are becoming a terrible nuisance around the city of Bastrop. They are especially noticeable in the trees at the HEB parking lot where they roost at night, noisily choosing their spots and irritatingly pooping on cars and the parking lot.
Even more irritating than their presence in parking lots is their penchant for outdoor food courts. It is disgusting to have several grackles cleaning up uneaten sandwiches at the next table. Yuck!
The common grackle is about a foot long with a 17-inch wing span. It has pale yellow eyes with dark pupils. Both male and female appear black but have iridescent feathers in sunshine.
These birds winter in the southern parts of Central Texas and we get to have them for most of the year. In winter they are gregarious and form huge flocks. They seem to prefer cities, maybe because of the concrete heat sinks of large buildings and paved streets and parking lots.
The great-tailed grackle male is iridescent black and is especially showy during the breeding season. His tail is very long and keel-shaped. The female of this species is two or three inches shorter than the male, slender and a dull, muddy brown.
The spring breeding show the males put on is pretty funny sometimes. This consists of courtship displays on grassy area. They strut around with their tails spread and wings drooping to the ground. They point their bills to the sky in a “stargazing” pose. They even vibrate their wings and rattle their feathers while making piercing shrieks and calls. I used to call them “party whistle” birds because I thought they sounded like those whistles that unwind when you blow on the end.
The funny part comes in when the wind is blowing and they can’t keep up the dance because their tails are so long they act as kites and blow them around. Also, the females never seem to pay any attention to this enormous effort on the part of the male but continue scratching around and feeding, totally oblivious. Obviously the males do make an impression and the females respond eventually because there is a huge population of great-tailed grackles.
This huge population of large birds roosting on anything that stands still long enough including power lines, street signs, buildings, trees, sign boards etc. is an aesthetic, a maintenance and a health problem. Many types of deterrents are available such as plastic or metal spikes, nets, recordings of distress calls, bird tazers and other devices I found on a site claiming “Humane Bird Control.”

Editor:

I am a senior at Bastrop High School and I am hoping to change something I have very strong feelings toward. This year has been one of my greatest school years ever. I came in this year as a senior thinking that it was just going to be like my junior year. I was so wrong. This year we got a new stadium where we played football, and were thought to be the underdogs. We were district champs!
We had great times on that field which brings me to the reason I’m writing this. This year we were asked to vote on where we would like our 2010 graduation ceremony to be held. The majority vote from the students was for it to be held at the new Memorial Stadium. Later we found out the principal had overruled our vote for various reasons.
I have questions about these reasons. One questions is why were we asked for our vote if our vote wasn’t going to be taken into consideration and was going to be overruled? Secondly, traffic. Yes, I do understand that there are traffic problems but how did we manage to have football games there this year? Yes, that is a hazard with all that traffic, so why did they decide to put the stadium there? Another issue is there isn’t enough parking at the new stadium. Well, I ask where is there enough parking at the old stadium? Last year there was a fire during graduation and that was a problem for the firefighters to get through to the scene because so many cars lined the streets. That’s a hazard if you ask me! My last point is, we are paying all these taxes for something that’s not even going to be used.
I’ve talked to many students and people from the community who are in support of my petition for the 2010 graduating class to be able to graduate on the Memorial Stadium field where we’ve looked forward to graduating on all year. I have started a petition and hope to make a change with everyone’s support. If you would like to sign the petition please e-mail me at graduatingclass2O1Oyahoo.com

Thank you
Maridel Lopez

Editor:

Have you seen the petition being circulated to annex Bastrop ISD taxing district into ACC’s taxing district? Nowhere does it mention any form of the word “tax.” Now that just seems wrong to me.
Also, the petition to permanently raise Bastrop property taxes for the benefit of ACC says: “Respectfully submitted, Bastrop County Friends of Higher Education–Bastrop ISD Area Steering Committee Initiative”.
What is the “Bastrop ISD Area Steering Committee Initiative?” It looks like a function of Bastrop ISD to me, and to others with whom I have spoken. Apparently John Eaton and the rest of the BISD Board agrees, because they were quoted in the Advertiser a few weeks ago asking that the petition wording be revised.
Is the BCFHE planning to honor that request by the BISD?
I think they should. I don’t care what BCFHE and ACC executives say, the phrase is not an accurate description of the territory proposed for annexation. It closely resembles BISD committee naming conventions. It is positioned as a signature, not as descriptive text. It appears capitalized like the proper name for an organization. It is appears adjacent to, but separated from BCFHE’s name, like a co-submitter. And it makes it look like there is an organizational or strategic relationship between BCFHE and BISD, which, if true, would blatantly violate the Texas Election Code.
BCFHE needs to play straight with Bastrop voters, either by choice or by force.
If we do it, let’s do it right and be straight with voters. After all, this is an educational system issue so lets properly inform our voters, regardless if you are for or against the issue.

Richard Kindred
Bastrop

Sophia Williams

Editor:

I am writing this letter to thank the citizens of Bastrop for their support in me as a representative on the Bastrop ISD school board for the past nine years. As you may or may not be aware, I have decided for personal reasons not to run for re-election this May.
I spent 39 years teaching, most of which was spent teaching at Bastrop ISD. When I retired in May 2000, I decided to run for a place on the school board the following year and succeeded.
My husband, Elroy, is also a retired teacher, so the passion for education runs deep in our household.
Over the past nine years, I can look back and see how much some things have changed, and how much hasn’t. The district has defiantly grown and I anticipate with a happy heart the opening of our second high school this August.
My prayer is that the citizens of Bastrop will continue to be a part of school district. The education of our children is everybody’s business. I will continue to offer my support to the district in a different capacity.

Sincerely,
Sophia Williams
Bastrop

Editor:

The recent drought has caused the death of a large number of pines on my property, as well as in our area. I am sure that many of you have noticed the numerous dead trees along roads and on your land as well.
If this drought can destroy as many of our pines and other trees as has just occurred, think what the proposed sale of 50 million gallons of groundwater per day for 80 years from Bastrop and Lee counties will do to the area. According to recent newspaper articles, the Limmer Group, dba End-Op, has signed a letter of intent with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority for the large scale transfer of this enormous amount of water from our two counties to the authority.
The Limmer Group includes former Williamson County Commissioner Frankie Limmer, John Doerfler, a former Williamson county judge and Joel Katz, a former chief financial officer for the software company Vignette and now an investor in several golf courses in Central Texas.
We, as voters and taxpayers in Bastrop and Lee counties, cannot allow the exploitation of our water resources for profit and gain. According to Joe Cooper, general manager of the Lost Pines Water Conservation Board, “We have a fight on our hands.” The board controls the issuance of water well permits for our counties. He stated that two production well permits have been issued to the Limmer Group, but currently there is a moratorium on the issuance of further well permits to anyone for production wells. This moratorium does not extend to the average residential permit.
He stated that we must contact our District 17 State Representative, Tim Kleinschmidt, to protest our opposition to the large scale sale of our water. Kleinschmidt’s address is P.O. Box 2190, Austin 78768, or you can find an email site for him on the Internet under Texas State Representative Tim Kleinschmidt.
We also need to support our Lost Pines Water Conservation Board by attending their monthly meetings which alternate between Bastrop and Lee counties and learning more about conservation of our water resources, types of permits and amounts of water that can be pumped from specific wells.
The next meetings are Feb. 17 in Giddings at city hall and March 17 in Bastrop at the city council chambers, starting at 7 pm. The Water Board is located at 908 Loop 230, Smithville, 78957, 512-360-5088, and the names of its 10 members and other information are posted on its Internet site.
Who can say how many more prolonged droughts we may experience in the future? More importantly, what of the increasing need of water due to the rapid population growth in our area?
No one, especially persons from other areas out to make huge profits and control enormous amounts of our water, has the right to sell a resource which belongs to each and every citizen and taxpayer. The water which flows beneath our properties belongs to each of us. I, for one, do not give any person or business permission to sell my share of this precious resource. Do you?
Endangered species in our area as well as our beautiful pine trees and other foliage may be gone forever if we allow the large scale removal of our groundwater to occur. Many visitors come to our area specifically to enjoy the beauty of the magnificent pines and our peaceful lovely parks and recreational areas. All of us must work together to fight this exploitation of our natural resources. If we do not, this area indeed may become that of the lost pines.

Kay Weiss,
Bastrop
kkweiss @aol.com

Editor:

I have read with great interest the letters to the editor with many views of Bastrop residents concerning a college in Bastrop but I do not think citizens should make decisions concerning a community college from letters to the editor. We need to hear from Austin Community College District.
The information in the newspaper is often written by folks who have agendas for or against and frankly I would like to hear from the taxing district the facts that we will need so that we can make informed decisions before voting on a community college.
I have five grandchildren that will be going to college and live in Bastrop and I do want them to have the availability of a college near our community but I do not believe the decisions made by Tom Scott have been disclosed properly so that we can be sure that the Austin Community Tax district is in the best interest of the residents of Bastrop. Mr. Scott’s ethics seem questionable to me and should gives me pause before I will decide either way on this issue.
In my opinion, after the local school board gets control of the quality of our education in Bastrop and prepares our students so that they can succeed in a college setting, then I believe the citizens of Bastrop should investigate all the options that are available to our community in forming a community college. A forum with all the citizens in our community should be held to investigate all of the options.
Judge Ronnie McDonald and the county court should appoint a committee to organize a vetting of all the issues. I wonder why this expensive decision is being brought to a vote without any input or investigation into all of our options available to the community. Who decided Austin Community College is the most cost effective option? Has anyone investigated having our own taxing district for a Bastrop Community College? Has anyone made an honest evaluation of the costs and all the ramifications to our community forming our own Bastrop tax district for a college? Can someone explain why we need to join Austin Community College? It seems to me that Bastrop and surrounding communities should have their own college system where the folks that are paying for the college can have some control on how our tax money would be spent. We will be the stepchild of Austin Community College because of our location and we will have no control over the tax money they will take out of our community. Is there another college district we could join?
I would like to know who is representing our community in negotiating with ACC? Who appointed Mr. Scott our representative? If the voters approve the Austin Taxing District will we be able to sever that connection in the future and take control of the college? Who is protecting our community? Is a former lobbyist driving this decision with a personal agenda?
Is the campus designed for expansion with adequate land to serve the campus for decades? Land should have been purchased years ago. Has this happened? If so where is the campus going to be located? Will the Austin district purchase a large parcel of land so that the college can be expanded? Are there detailed plans for future growth and costs?
Will there be enough students to pay for this college? Bastrop County will be able to support a community college in the future if the growth continues. Has anyone had any accountants project future costs for this campus? How much can the district raise the tax rate per year? Are tax increases regulated? Has Mr. Scott protected us from unfair tax increases from Austin?
Why has Austin Community College been silent? I have received no information from them. Has the ACC board agreed to build a campus or is Mr. Scott just hoping to get them to do it? You would think ACC would be sending information to all the voters in our community explaining their position on this tax district if they want to build a campus. We need information from the college district rather than from letters to the editor.
Exactly who is in the college taxing district? I have not received a map detailing any of the college boundaries. Is Elgin and Smithville participating? If not, why not? Is all of Bastrop County included? Will all of the county vote on the district or does the total bill fall on the residents of the city of Bastrop? I have not received any official information concerning this district. I understand some folks received petition information. Why didn’t the whole community receive any information?
It seems to me a small group of folks decided we need a college and then decided to bulldoze their wishes on a community. We need more information from Austin Community College before we should ever enter a voting booth to vote either way for this project. If Austin Community College wants this campus then we need to hear from Austin Community College Board. They need to explain their plan.

Carolyn Smith
Bastrop

@blakeshelton OH MY!!!! That's BIG!

Judge puts an end to lawsuit between industry giants

A decision by a state district judge in Travis County on Monday put an end, at least for now, to the bitter dispute between former partners the Lower Colorado River Authority and the San Antonio Water System, who joined forces after the 2002 Legislature agreed they should explore together if enough water existed in the Colorado River basin to share with the thirsty city to the southwest.
It appears SAWS may not have understood they were entering into a contract with an entity that could always play the governmental agency card in the case of a lawsuit. LCRA now seems to sit in the catbird seat, untouchable due to its quasi-state agency status after Judge Stephen Yelonosky ruled that LCRA was protected by sovereign immunity rules, which limit lawsuits against governmental agencies.
“Contracts and agreements between local governments throughout the state have been called into question by LCRA’s claim that they can’t be sued,” a press release issued by SAWS stated. “Any governmental agency that currently has an agreement with LCRA should be highly concerned that it could fall victim to LCRA backing out of the agreement without any recourse.”
In the lawsuit, SAWS asked LCRA to pay $1.23 billion, the amount SAWS claims it needs to desalinate enough seawater to make up for the water it would have received if LCRA had stuck to the bargain. But LCRA has repeatedly said it never promised to provide any water – only to study the issue to see if it was feasible. The studies, which cost nearly $38 million, showed last year that no water was available from the Colorado River basin for San Antonio.
“Our job is to protect the Colorado River basin,” said LCRA spokesperson Robert Cullick in an August interview. “Our job is not to make the project work. It is to do the science.”
According to the terms of the agreement between the two, if SAWS cancels the contract, LCRA will be responsible for half the costs of the study, or $18 million.
A spokesperson for LCRA said the entity feels the $18 million was well spent.
“We have learned a lot about our environment and the needs in the basin,” said Emlea Chanslor. “That is beneficial to LCRA and its customers.”
Chanslor said LCRA feels confident it has complied with the terms of the contract and she agreed that the ball is now in SAWS’ court.
To this point, LCRA has spent more than $800,000 in costs related to the lawsuit.
“LCRA is pleased that it no longer has to spend public ratepayer dollars defending itself in such a wasteful lawsuit,” said General Manager Tom Mason. “We all would be much better off spending our time and money planning for future water needs.”
SAWS board of directors were still in talks about what their next step will be, according to spokesperson Sara Gatewood.

As law enforcement continues searching for the remains of a man believed to have been murdered this past December in Paige, investigators are now indicating the body of 23-year-old Michael Van Dyke was likely burned and will not be recovered intact.
The search – begun almost two weeks ago after Van Dyke’s 24-year-old roommate Dustin Dickman was arrested and confessed to the killing – initially focused on a number of stock ponds in Bastrop County.
By this Wednesday, however, the focus had shifted to a piece of property in Hays County just outside San Marcos. Sgt. Rick Cole with the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office said a red Suburban was recovered there “that appeared to have evidence related to crime” and pointed towards the body being burned.
Additionally, Cole said investigators are now looking into a third suspect being involved in the murder besides Dickman and Dennis Leetch, a 25-year-old San Marcos man and high school friend of Van Dyke, who was arrested soon after Dickman.
“We received information that the body had been burned and that another person was possibly linked to the case,” Cole said on Wednesday. “We are interviewing people out there and still looking hard at different things but we are close to satisfied that a body as a whole will not be recovered.”
A 2004 graduate of San Marcos High School, Van Dyke enlisted in the U.S. Army immediately out of high school and served with the 181st Transportation Battalion in Iraq between 2005 and 2006, according to his mother, Belinda Van Dyke. He had lived in several locations in the San Marcos area since his military service ended in 2007 but was living at 325 County Line Road in Paige with Dickman and working as a cook at a The Old Frontier restaurant at the time of his disappearance in mid-December. After not seeing or hearing from their son over the Christmas holidays, Belinda Van Dyke and her husband reported Michael missing to the BCSH on Dec. 27. The case was initially handled as a missing person’s investigation until evidence began to emerge that pointed towards possible murder and Van Dyke’s roommate as a suspect.
Dickman was arrested in late January and subsequently offered a confession to the murder, according to an arrest affidavit. Leetch was arrested soon after.
Cole said investigators believe Van Dyke was killed on Dec. 15, 2009 as a result of blunt force trauma to the head using a piece of wood from a construction site that has since been recovered as evidence. Cole said an argument over missing property instigated an argument between Van Dyke and his roommate. Van Dyke’s body is thought to have initially been buried at the County Line Road address in Paige and then transported elsewhere where it was likely burned, according to Cole.
Both Dickman and Leetch are currently being held in the Bastrop County Jail on $500,000 bonds.
Belinda Van Dyke said on Friday that the arrests and developments in the investigation have only been possible through the dedication of the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office.
“Their guys have not stopped looking for Michael and we are forever grateful,” Van Dyke said. “They totally believed what we told them when we reported him (Michael) missing and got the ball rolling.”
Van Dyke says she is still in a state of shock over why her son was killed.
“He was a good kid,” Van Dyke said. “He had his issues and his struggles as we all do when we’re young and figuring out what to do with our lives, but he had such a good heart.”

Texas Parks and Wildlife posted a photo:

Commercial use prohibited. Intended for personal desktop use only.

@blakeshelton Beer sounds so good right now!

By Christopher Waghorn Gwin

Ever heard of the rule of capture?
Unkindly, but accurately, referred to as the “law of the biggest pump,” this decision handed down by the Texas Supreme Court in 1904 allows landowners to pump as much water as they are able to – even if that means the neighbor next door with the smaller pump and the shallower well never gets another drop.
But that was a ruling in 1904, and times have changed, right?
Nope. In 1999 the Texas Supreme Court unanimously upheld the rule of capture, finding for the defendant – Ozarka water – and saying that they were not liable for the neighboring well going dry, despite the fact that all the science available indicated that Ozarka’s pumping was responsible.
So with ever-bigger pumps and ever-thirstier neighbors (and, more particularly, thirsty neighboring communities), the rule of capture has taken on a somewhat more ominous tone.
As cities and growth corridors (such as I-35) grow larger than the natural resources locally available to support them, planners are looking to import water.
Enter the water marketer. These are the wildcatters of today – they are risky, clever and adventurous businessmen, with huge investments and huge profits possible.
While it remains to be seen if it’s a good time to be a water wildcatter, if you have the financial backing it is certainly an easy time to be one.
People are so scared of having their water sold out from under them that they’ll sign away their water rights. Not because they want to, necessarily, but out of fear that their neighbor will beat them to the punch and they’ll be left with nothing to sell and nothing to drink.
And because buying, selling and moving water is a new business, it’s not as scrutinized as say, the oil industry, where contracts, royalty payments and other rights have been vetted over time and are well-documented in the public record.
Right now this water speculation seems over-much like a shell game. The contracts presented by the variety of water marketers run the gamut from the earnest and fair to pure swindles.
Don’t get me wrong – we have to be prepared to funnel our resources to where they are needed and to make sure they are well-used. We do that with food – that’s how cities came into being. As cities grow, someone will have to step in and provide water and business has always done a good job of allocating resources efficiently.
But to use the rule of capture as the main instrument of planning is simply not enough.
Enter the Texas Legislature. In response to the Supreme Court’s 1999 ruling upholding the law of capture, the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District and others were formed by legislative action, to join the districts already in existence.
Thus local control for local resources. It makes perfect common sense and that was probably a driving force behind the Texas Legislature’s decision to create small groundwater control districts.
Small districts, with locally appointed boards, now watch over much of the state’s groundwater, coordinating their efforts under the oversight of the Texas Water Development Board.
Multiple districts may be “managing” the same aquifer and each of those may have different regulations and stipulations for that same aquifer.
This hodgepodge of regulations and policies across the state makes it awfully easy to create a court case against any given water district.
And just who would want to threaten a lawsuit against a groundwater conservation district?
Why, anyone who has their pumping permit denied.
The questions, the players and the stakes in these aptly dubbed water wars are too large for the state legislature to foist it all upon these local districts without giving them the tools – and the power – to deny permits.
Without those tools, these conservation districts are more like monitoring districts – recording who is pumping how much and providing good science on what is happening to the aquifer, but without the power to conserve a single drop.
If the biggest pump wins, rural areas are sure to lose. We can and should share our water with those areas of the state that are in need. But having a free-for-all of this magnitude will leave a few very big winners and a whole lot of losers.
The groundwater conservation districts have done what they can and are continuing to fight the good fight. It’s time that the state legislature that created them to take responsibility and create the laws these districts need to conserve our resources.

Wright Here
By Cyndi Wright

A sad chapter in the lives of four people ended late Friday evening when a local jury found Cedar Creek resident Susan Moore guilty of intoxication manslaughter and sentenced her to nine years in prison.
Susan Moore and the other three people in the story should never have met in the first place. If that meeting had not occurred on Texas 71 in Bastrop County more than two years ago, there would have been a fifth person with a life’s story left to tell. But the accident caused by Moore killed Eileen McGurk, ending her story on this earth.
Left behind to mourn were Eileen’s husband, Paul, and countless family and friends back in Ireland, where the McGurks and the driver of the vehicle, Patrick McAteer, were from. What started out as a trip of a lifetime, coming to the United States, ended not with Paul and Eileen flying back to Ireland sitting next to each other in the plane with new memories of their trip to share, but with Paul sitting alone in the plane and Eileen’s body in the cargo compartment below.
It’s not hard to imagine the torment and grief felt by Paul McGurk, as he flew back to Ireland alone. It’s not hard to imagine that he maybe wishes he was also taken in the crash. By all accounts, he has yet to recover and move on with his life. I’m sure that many of us can certainly understand that when we look at our own life partners and try to imagine going on alone.
Also in the crash was Patrick McAteer, known by his friends as “Paddy.” There is a picture of Paddy, sitting with his Texas friend, who was also in the car, at some function just prior to the accident. He is a handsome man who obviously enjoys life and all it has to offer. A picture taken a year later tells of the struggles Paddy has endured, not only because his best friend lost his wife, but also because Paddy lost an arm and a spleen in the accident, and the host of medical problems that accompany those injuries has taken a severe toll.
So on that day in September 2007, Paul and Eileen, and Paddy and his friend, loaded up to take a trip to see one of Texas’ iconic sites – the Alamo. But they did not get to see the Alamo. Instead, they met Moore, who was on her way home from working at a café in Austin. Moore admitted that she drank a vodka and soda drink after work, before leaving to drive home in the late afternoon.
What’s especially scary to me about this wreck, and others like it, is that you just don’t expect to have to worry about drunk drivers during daylight hours. Many of us prefer not to drive after a certain time, because we know the odds are higher at say, 10 p.m. or midnight, to have someone careening along the road who has had too much to drink and then gotten behind the wheel. You just aren’t looking for it during broad daylight.
And then there’s Susan Moore, the other person in the accident, whose life story has certainly opened a new chapter, one in which the 60 year old will spend at least the next few years of her life in the Texas Department of Corrections, wearing prison clothing and being known as a number. Moore is an ordinary person. She has worked during the last few years as a waitress and a grocery clerk. She is just one of many human beings on the planet, trying to get by and live her life. She did not want to kill Eileen McGurk. She has admitted that she is sorry for what happened.
There’s probably not many of us out here who could claim that during our entire lives we have never drunk enough alcohol to be beyond the legal limit and still gotten in a car and driven home. The legal limit is not that high. Many can still function at that level. The only difference is that Moore got caught – and someone died.
Moore has said that she was driving along Texas 71 when suddenly a truck hauling a trailer in the next lane started moving into her lane. That’s entirely believable if you have ever driven on almost any Texas highway. Moore swerved to avoid the truck and lost control, crossing the median and smashing into the vehicle driven by Paddy McAteer. If you’ve ever been in an accident or witnessed one, you know how fast things happen. In many cases there is not time to think, you just react.
Maybe if Moore had not imbibed enough alcohol to actually put her at almost twice the legal limit, she might have handled things better. There’s no way to know. The fact remains that she did drink enough alcohol to put her above the limit and she had an accident where someone died and someone else was seriously maimed. In those circumstances, it does not really matter if Moore was too drunk to drive or not. She immediately became culpable for the accident as soon as she made the decision to get behind the wheel with too much alcohol in her bloodstream.
This sad end to this chapter in the lives of Susan Moore, Paul McGurk, Paddy McAteer and his friend, is over, thanks to a jury of ordinary, everyday folks, who gave a week of their lives, to help end it. Susan Moore going to prison is never going to bring Eileen McGurk back to life, or even ease the pain that Paul McGurk and Paddy McAteer live with every day.
There is a lesson here – as there always is in every story. Don’t start a tragic chapter in your own life by making a decision that could cost you or someone else a precious life or your own precious freedom.

Take me, take me somewhere trouble don't go… Make me, make me someone trouble don't know!! ~@Miranda_Lambert

LOL! "Owl City should really consider buying Ben [Gibbard] a pony." – Chris Walla

Don't forget to place your order this valentine's day! http://tinyurl.com/yjbf8pq

Dear Sunshine…so good to see you! Please don't go away before I get off work today!

good morning everyone

Thinking about a step-parent adoption? http://fb.me/5aksDOc

@lj8919 I would love to get both sides of the story, but unfortunately, I don't even have one side. Only thing I know is what I tweeted.

Dear EarthTalk: What are the environmental implications of all the food we throw away here in the United States?  – M.S.Food waste is a…

mkay, my lazy peon deck woes are sorted out!

http://twitpic.com/11g3lz – This week's refreshments brought to you by pure sugar. *vibrates*

@Tanner_Johnson YOUVE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!

@blakeshelton Whiskey makes me a little frisky!

@blakeshelkton Please excuse me for anything I may tweet to you after 10:00 PM… I get a little drunk!

Twitter is boring tonight… no one is tweeting!!

@doylerd Until Geno and Pat Summit retire, women's basketball will be ruled by the Huskies and Lady Vols.

You have to respect a coach that has the guts to suspend their top player, especially one of Mansfield's talent level for the year.

My car provides too much info….32 minutes on the road for 8 miles at an average of 16 mph…sweet…

Bastrop has a historic downtown, recreation along the Colorado River and neighborhoods filled with distinguished architecture.

@eastoncorbin Can't wait!!! They've been rocking you on the radio here in Austin for a while!!

The Face of Winter http://bit.ly/5ru0O0

@choosingraw having sexy and fit body. http://tinyurl.com/kntttp

I wonder if the assigned Texas Ranger referred to is the some one who has been assigned to “investigate” the hoax call which set off the massive raid on the YFZ Ranch at Eldorado. That “investigation” is also languishing, even though the Rangers have identified the person who made the call.

Are the Texas Rangers overrated or what?

@dally826 Yea, yea, yea!! I'm HAVING to get some work done these days… soooo much going on!

Spaghetti and meat sauce today!! Italian cream cake too! Now open on Saturday!! 8-1:30

Last day if work. Happy. Sad. Tired. Blah, too many emotions.

Bastrop killer may be in Houston area – http://bit.ly/czVck3 #Bastrop #Texas

goodnight everyone

Hmm. I feel bad, but not bad enough to apologize.

During the early morning hours of December 4, 2007 officers were dispatched to the Arbors Apartments at 202 Childers Dr.

wow it's amazing how well one's computer can run after a clean format!

…or something. Lol. So I'll take what I can get. @Machocamacho16

@Machocamacho16 hahaha. Tongue piercings are grooooss. D: and i only want my nose pierced cause my mom said it's the least offensive or….

Bastrop, Tx–This week marks the 26th anniversary of the unsolved murder of Bastrop County environmental activist Vicky Wharton, 31. Her body, with two dozen or so stab wounds, was found beside a rural road off FM 1704 south of Elgin on Feb. 6, 1984. Investigators at the time believed she died sometime the previous night.

Despite a flurry of publicity and investigation over the following weeks, no one has ever been charged, arrested or tried for the crime. Wharton was a leading organizer in efforts to stymie lignite strip mining plans first at Camp Swift, in Fayette County and later at the Steiner Ranch north of Bastrop. She was a founding member of the Central Texas Lignite Watch, the mother or grandmother of subsequent environmental organizations in Bastrop and neighboring counties. She was also a founding member of the Sayersville Historical Association focused on the rural community where she lived between Bastrop and Elgin on the banks of Big Sandy Creek.

The initial investigation into the murder was hampered by inter-agency rivalries during the 1984 primary election race for Bastrop County sheriff. In the late 1980s former sheriff Con Kiersey occasionally talked about reviving the investigation, but nothing occurred as a result. Still later Chief Deputy Sheriff Ronnie Duncan did reopen the case, but the only result was to clear a few possible suspects who had been the subject of early interest.

When Chief Deputy Charlie Littleton replaced Duncan in the sheriff’s department last year, he promised to look into the Wharton murder again. Littleton said recently that the only ongoing effort to solve the case is a regular check of DNA evidence preserved at the time against a growing data base of similar evidence gathered by law enforcement agencies in the years since. A Texas Ranger remains assigned to follow any new information, said Littleton.

Safe Fun in the Sun http://bit.ly/6WJVfo

@dally826 I found a youtube version from a concert… wasn't too bad but he rocked that song!!

@dally826 You ROCK DALLY!!

Texas Parks and Wildlife posted a photo:

Bastrop State Park

@blakeshelton Hey Blake, brown chicken brown cow!! Sorry, idk what's wrong with me…must be all the whiskey making me frisky!!

Nature’s Nutritional Wonder http://bit.ly/2aOzgp

The Implications of Bodywork http://bit.ly/5xE2cY

The Implications of Bodywork http://bit.ly/5xE2cY

Lock Drugs, with its soda fountain and a molded tin ceiling, was one of only a few businesses operating in downtown Bastrop seven years ago.

Smithville guard Blakelee Saunders (8 PPG, 4.4 RPG) sprained her toe "pretty badley" last night against Sealy. She will be day-to-day.

is at home and wish friday was here

@TyWilliamsMusic WOOHOO!!! Here we go!!

Hey friends… check this guy out… loving his music: @TyWilliamsMusic!!

<3 gaga

Wait… Maybe that's not the name RT @mrrichierich: @mrbobbybones it was "winksta"

@mrbobbybones it was "winksta"

"that was so romantic I almost peed my pants!" She yelled. Hahah. Good book. (:

@JTizzle4Shizzle hahahaha I jus saw ur 1st tweet b4 da sorabol one… Funny… But I'm sure erica has a website bout how great u r… LOL!

@JTizzle4Shizzle hahahahaha watever…

@JTizzle4Shizzle ur not awesome… Hahahahahaha jus joke

Bastrop’s status as a vacation destination took another leap forward this week as it was selected as one of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Nominated by Nancy Wood of Main Street Bastrop, the city was chosen for its unique place in Texas history, its well-preserved and vibrant downtown, its rich and varied calendar of annual events and its proximity to the Lost Pines natural region, according to a press release from the NTHP.
“For us, this is an opportunity to have the traveling public view Bastrop as a destination and a reason to come into Texas,” Wood said. “It’s the national exposure that for us is going to be a boon and for heritage tourism. We have everything and this is a chance on a national level to have people know that.”
According to Richard Moe, president of NTHP, Bastrop has many reasons to have been named to the list.
“The city of Bastrop is remarkable for its vibrant, walkable downtown, distinguished architecture, celebrated cultural diversity and a population devoted to protecting its character,” Moe said. “Bastrop embodies everything that a distinctive destination should be and I hope many will take the opportunity to visit when our annual National Preservation Conference takes place in Austin in October 2010.”
Bastrop joins other Texas cities such as Galveston, Ft. Worth, New Braunfels, Fredericksburg and Fort Davis that made the list in previous years. This year’s list includes Fort Collins, Colo., St. Louis, Mo. and Huntsville, Ala.
Feedback gathered in an informal survey from other Texas cities on the list show that most feel the exposure generated from being on the list has been a positive factor in increasing tourism.
“It was a big deal for us,” said Lisa Nugent, director of the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce. “If it’s used and promoted properly it will help. It’s all in what the community does to follow through.”
Started in 2000, the NTHP selects communities across America that offer a different tourist experience than those found in typical vacation destinations, according to their press release.
“It really is that we do have it all,” Wood said. “We do have history that’s accessible. We have outdoor venues. We have a culture of including visitors. People are very friendly. That seems to be the major remark that we get is that the people are so welcoming and friendly to visitors and newcomers.”
Bastrop Mayor Terry Orr said this latest honor will add to Bastrop’s appeal to tourists and businesses alike.
“I am very proud of the leadership and the unstinting work our Main Street Program director and board, along with the tremendous cooperation and initiatives our Historic Landmark Commission, chamber of commerce and Downtown Business Alliance, have lent to achieve this recognition,” Orr said. “The ongoing incentives our Bastrop Economic Development Corporation board has provided have attracted considerable private investment in our city.  The completion of our Chestnut Street beautification and pedestrian-friendly walking ways, the parks board’s splash pad park improvements and recently completed Bark Park, the future Bastrop Historical Society Museum, city hall and convention center will continue making Bastrop an attractive destination for years to come.”

Public can vote
New this year, the public will determine which of the 12 destinations will be the 2010 Fan Favorite. From Feb. 3 – 28, any legal resident of the U.S., 18 years of age or older, can vote as often as they like for their favorite city or town on this year’s list. The winner of the popular vote will be announced on March 1.  Voters are automatically entered to win a complimentary two-night stay at any Historic Hotel of America. Visit www.PreservationNation.org/ddd for official rules, information about Historic Hotels of America, to learn more about this year’s destinations and to begin voting.

Mayor Terry and Nancy Wood, manager of the Main Street Program, stand in front of the Bastrop Opera House, an example of historic preservation efforts around downtown that earned the city national recognition.

The Bastrop Lady Bears girls basketball team welcomed back head coach Kevin Bussinger Tuesday, after he spent the week in Nebraska with the passing of his mother.
The Lady Bears, however, struggled with their shot, shooting 20 percent from field goal range, and lost 47-38 to Austin High at Bear Gym.
Bastrop (8-22, 1-10 District 25-5A) also saw the end of Hillari Raemsch’s three-point streak, as the Lady Maroons played tough perimeter defense on the Lady Bears’ star shooter.
Raemsch, who made a three-point field goal in 13 straight games before Tuesday, was held eight points.
Chelsea Moore led Bastrop with 14 points, making 10-of-13 free throw attempts.
Bastrop and Austin combined for 57 total free-throw attempts, with both teams combining for 28 in the fourth quarter.
There was only one field goal scored in the fourth quarter coming from Austin High.
“It was a different type of ball game,” Bussinger said. “It was touch and played at a much different pace. We had to make a lot of adjustments and I think we did a good job against those adjustments.”
Bastrop made just eight total field goals, but made 22-of-32 free throws.
The Lady Bears got their first field goal of the game five minutes into the first quarter when Samantha Marquez made an inside jumper.
Raemsch scored the only other field goal in the quarter and then scored Bastrop’s final field goal with 1:43 left in the first half.
Despite the Lady Bears’ struggles from the floor, Austin High only led by four at halftime.
Shelby McWhorter, who is averaging 7.2 rebounds per game, led the charge once again on the boards with 11 rebounds.
Bastrop came out firing in the second half and equaled their first half field goal total within three minutes of the quarter.
Austin High held onto its lead going into the fourth quarter.
Both teams shot 20 free throws before Austin High made the quarters’ only feild goal with 2:46 left in the game.

Box score
Austin High 47, Bastrop 38
Austin High    14    12    9    12    -    47
Bastrop    12    10    10    6    -    38′

Bastrop: Chelsea Moore 14, Hillari Raemsch 8, Amber Jackson 6, Shelby McWhorter 2, Megan Cavasos 1.

Contributed photo by Larry Overall / Bastrop head coach Kevin Bussinger, left, discusses a call with an official Tuesday night at Bear Gym in a basketball game with Austin High.

SMITHVILLE — The Smithville Tigers didn’t catch much of a break Monday at the University Interscholastic League’s biennial redistricting.
Gone, much to the delight of Tiger fans, are Class 3A powerhouses Sealy and Bellville.
But it didn’t get any easier.
Smithville joins familiar district rivals La Grange and Giddings in the new District 23-3A, along with Rockdale, Caldwell and Navasota.
“I think it’s a good draw for us,” said athletic director Justin Wiley. “We lose Bellville, Sealy and Columbus, but pick up Caldwell, Navasota and Rockdale.”
Of the six teams in the new District 23-3A, five were playoff teams.
The only one that wasn’t – Smithville.
Navasota was a Class 3A, Division I quarterfinalist, losing to the eventual state champion Gilmer by seven points.
It was Gilmer’s closest margin of victory in the playoffs.
Caldwell went three rounds deep in the Class 3A, Division II playoffs and also lost to the eventual state champion, Carthage.
Rockdale was an area finalist and La Grange was a Class 3A, Division II semifinalist, also losing to Carthage.
While the new district wasn’t as much of a surprise to Wiley, moving to Region III was.
“I was kind of hoping we would have stayed in Region IV, but we didn’t,” he said. “That seemed to be the trend for a lot of Austin schools.”
Wiley was referring to the UIL’s movement of the Austin area schools in Class 5A and 4A north to Region II, instead of the traditional Region IV.

DISTRICT 23-3A
The Smithville Tigers moved from Region IV to Region III when placed in District 23-3A. Here is a look at the Tigers new district: :

Giddings
La Grange
Navasota
Caldwell
Rockdale
Smithville
2009 playoff teams in bold

ROUND ROCK — The district result for Elgin and Bastrop was not much of a surprise.
Bastrop dropped to Class 4A as expected Monday when the University Interscholastic League announced its biennial redistricting.
The Bears were put into a district with county rival Elgin, Hutto, Manor, Pflugerville Hendrickson, Bryan Rudder and current district opponent Pflugerville Connally, who also is dropping to Class 4A from Class 5A, in the new District 16-4A.
While the district make up was somewhat expected, the surprise came when athletic directors Gerald Perry (Bastrop) and Danny Lauve (Elgin) opened their packets Monday at The Palace in Round Rock to find that they were stuck in Region II.
“That’s a tough region,” Perry said. “You look at track and field and there’s a lot of speed in that area.”
The UIL sent most Austin area schools north to the Dallas region from the San Antonio Region IV.
Perry said he expected to stay with Hays and Lehman, but feels the new District 16-4A will be a competitive one.
“It’s a relatively close district for us,” Perry said. “We have played Connally for the last two years and Elgin and Manor are close by.”
Elgin, which is the smallest school in the district with an enrollment of 1,107 students, had a couple of possibilities heading into redistricting.
Athletic director Danny Lauve said he was a little shocked, but felt the new district works out well for them.
He even joked with Perry and said he thought he heard some cheering coming from Bastrop’s table.
“The UIL is pretty good about mixing things up and they certainly did that,” he said. “I was a little shocked, but that’s the fun part of it.”
The UIL moved much of Central Texas, including Bastrop and Elgin, into Region II, which also includes schools from the Dallas Metroplex area.
Should Elgin and Bastrop make the playoffs, their bi-district opponent in the first round could potentially be Corsicana, Ennis, Red Oak, Waxahachie, West Mesquite or Lancaster.
Lancaster is a state powerhouse in track and field, winning three straight team state championships.
Perry is no stranger to the Dallas area either.
Before coming to Bastrop, Perry was the offensive coordinator at Plano East High School.
“We will be playing a lot of 4A powers once we get into the playoffs, but Bastrop used to be a 4A power and that’s what we expect,” Perry said. “We are coming down from 5A with a lot of confidence after winning a district championship.”
The UIL sparked an old rivalry between Bastrop and Elgin that has been on the shelf for the last 20 years.
The Bears and the Wildcats haven’t met on the football field since 1989.
The last time the two team’s played, Bastrop defeated Elgin 27-0.
Elgin and Bastrop traditionally play each other in girls basketball and other sports.
This past fall, volleyball coaches Hollie Smith (Elgin) and Christy Donaldson (Bastrop) reignited the rivalry on the volleyball court.
Smith, who’s team won an outright district championship for the first time in 18 years this fall, said she feels the new district will be very competitive.
“It keeps us in a position to move forward,” Smith said. “This is far from a breeze. Connally and Bastrop are coming down from 5A and Hutto and Hendrickson come from a touch 4A district… There are no ‘give me’ games.”

A look at District 16-4A
BASTROP BEARS
Previous affiliation: District 25-5A
Enrollment: 1,845
Notable: Bears move down from 5A after winning a district championship in football.

Analysis: Bastrop should be a powerhouse in most sports. Look for football and boys basketball to be championship contenders.

BRYAN RUDDER RANGERS
Previous affiliation: District 24-3A
Enrollment: n/a
Notable: Rudder will be competitng in varsity sports for the first year in 2010.

Analysis: The Bryan/College Station area usually produces good soccer teams. Being an unkown mght be an advantage.

ELGIN WILDCATS
Previous affiliation: District 17-4A
Enrollment: 1,107
Notable: Elgin, along with Manor, is the smallest school in the district.

Analysis: Elgin won a district title in volleyball and is a softball powerhouse. That trend should continue.

HENDRICKSON HAWKS
Previous affiliation: District 25-4A
Enrollment: 1,952
Notable: Hendrickson is a successful 4A football and girls basketball school.

Analysis: Hendrickson has spent the last two years playing Lake Travis, so the Hawks are no stranger to tough competition.

HUTTO HIPPOS
Previous affiliation: District 25-4A
Enrollment: 1,212
Notable: Hutto is a volleyball and girls
basketball power. Football is pretty good too.

Analysis: Hutto’s athletic teams are
traditionally competitive accros the board.

MANOR MUSTANGS
Previous affiliation: District 17-4A
Enrollment: 1,107
Notable: Manor is one of the smallest schools in the district.

Analysis: Small roster sizes might play a
factor in depth against teams like Connally and Hendrickson.

CONNALLY COUGARS
Previous affiliation: District 25-5A
Enrollment: 2,028
Notable: Connally was a 4A powerhouse before moving up to 5A in 2008.

Analysis: The Cougars, much like Bastrop, will benefit from the move to 4A.

AUSTIN — Josiah Monroe scored 32 points and Jordan Roach added 22 as Bastrop defeated Austin High 74-58 Tuesday night in Austin.
The win keeps Bastrop in the District 25-5A playoff picture and sets up a huge game Friday at home against Akins.
In the first round of district play, Bastrop lost to Austin High in overtime on a last second shot form the Maroons.
Bastrop also lost to Akins in overtime during the first round of district play despite 43 points from Josiah Monroe.

Bastrop boys falls into an 0-3 hole in district
The Bastrop Bears dropped their third straight District 25-5A game Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss to Westlake at BISD Memorial Stadium. Bastrop’s lone goal came from Charly Salanis with the assist credited to Lee McMillan. Bastrop is 4-5-1 overall and 0-3 in District 25-5A.

Lady Chaps take Round 1 over Bastrop
AUSTIN — The Westlake Lady Chaparrals defeated Bastrop 2-0 Tuesday night at Chaparral Stadium. The Lady Chaps were just the second team to hold the high-powered Bastrop offense without a goal. Bastrop is outscoring its opponents 38-8. The Lady Bears are 9-3 overall and 2-1 in District 25-5A

SMITHVILLE — The Smithville Lady Tigers defeated Sealy 56-41 Tuesday night to clinch the school’s 17th consecutive trip to the state girls basketball playoffs.
Jaimie Kadlecek scored a team-high 12 points and Colline Morrell added nine.
Smithville held a 19-11 lead after the first quarter.
The Lady Tigers lost Blakelee Saunders in the first half to a foot injury. The junior guard only had three points and didn’t return to the game.

Box Score
Smithville 56, Sealy 41
Smithville    19    13    13    11    -    56
Sealy        11    11    5    14    -    41

Smithville:  Jaimie Kadlecek 12, Colline Morrell 9, Maygan Washington 8, Trina Deyo 7, Megan Weiheimer 4, Taylor Weldon 4, Blakelee Saunders 3, Faith Ralph 3, Taylor Homuth 3, Ariel Vinklarek 2, Madison Hannusch 1.
Sealy:  Krchnak 15, Owen 6, Oliver 4, Ehrman 4, Jacobson 4, Josey 3, Maxwell 3, Harris 2.
3-pointers:  Se: Krchnak (3), Josey, Owen, Maxwell. Sm: Saunders

BOYS BASKETBALL
Bastrop 74, Austin High 58
Sealy 73, Smithville 54

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Austin High 47, Bastrop 38
Smithville 56, Sealy 41

BOYS SOCCER
Westlake 2, Bastrop 1

GIRLS SOCCER
Westlake 2, Bastrop 0
Elgin 2, Del Valle 1

Bastrop, Tx–Bastrop County Sheriff’s Department criminal investigators spent part of today seeking a search warrant for a site in Hays County which they believe may reveal the remains of a Paige cook who has not been seen since mid December last year and who may be a murder victim.

However two other men are already in jail for the death of 23-year-old Michael Van Dyke. Investigators believe Van Dyke was beaten to death at his Paige home late last year. Charged in the case are Dustin Dickman, 24, and Dennis Leetch, 25. Apparently Van Dyke has not been seen since about Dec. 15. On Dec. 27 relatives alerted authorities that he was missing.

At first investigators suspected that the victim’s body had been dumped in a stock pond or some similar body of water. However they now believe his body may have been burned at a site in Hays County, according to sources who asked not to be identified. Investigators spent Tuesday morning drafting an application for a warrant to search the suspected site for evidence.
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Bastrop's Bernard Blake will sign with Colorado State tomorrow. He chose the Rams over North Texas and Colorado.

Bastrop boys cagers avenge loss to Austin High, 74-58. The win sets up a HUGE game Friday in Bastrop with Akins with playoffs on the line.

Bastrop, Tx–A Cedar Creek woman was sentenced to nine years in prison and another 10 years on probation for driving drunk and causing the death of one Irish tourist and severe injuries to another in a traffic accident on Texas 71 just west of Bastrop in September 2007.

Susan Moore, convicted of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault last week by a jury in Bastrop, will serve up to nine years in prison and then begin a 10-year term on probation, ruled 423rd District Judge Chris Duggan.

Prosecutors said Moore had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit for drivers following the accident.

There were 28 free throws shot in the fourth quarter alone. And 34 in the second half.

How long into tonights game will it take for Hillari Raemsch to extend her 3-pointer streak to 14 games? Answer to quickly follow!

@LukeBryanOnline I slipped today in the front yard and messed up my leg… at least ur not the only clumsy one!!

I think I'm getting bronchitis again. Like I keep coughing really bad and I can't breath.

Explosions, daring rescues, evil arch-enemies, dashing heroes–oh wait, that's just my imagination. We're actually at Walgreens now. :B

When you think of San Marcos, what comes to mind?

The city is looking for the public’s help in developing a new “brand,” as part of an initiative that began last year. Just like Austin is the “Live Music Capitol of the World,” San Marcos is looking for a slogan that suits its character and people. The city often goes by “A Texas Natural” at the moment.

The city has launched an online survey to “help identify San Marcos’ unique assets,” officials said.

“Developing a solid brand for San Marcos is vitally important in attracting new businesses and visitors to our community,” said Branding Task Force Chair Pam Couch. “The brand we develop through this process needs to be authentic and true to who we are as a community, so public input is critical to our success. We strongly encourage citizens to log on and participate in the survey.”

The three-page survey includes questions on whether or not the city has kept its small-town feel and historic character, natural beauty, and has good jobs. It lets you choose words that you think best describe the city.

The survey is open to all San Marcos citizens and can be accessed by visiting: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/233935/city-of-san-marcos-public-branding-survey

It will be online until the end of the month.

Does anyone besides me find the "Daddy tried to make go to rehab and I said no, no, no" song oddly disconcerting?

The village of Bee Cave is having Bee Cave Bob the armadillo look for his shadow instead of relying on Punxsutawney Phil.

omw to Austin