Over 100 volunteers helped make and Keep the City of Blanco and the Blanco River Beautiful and Clean on April 10, at the “Don’t Mess With Texas and the Blanco River Cleanup”. Dr. Weaver’s Boy Scouts and the BISD Ag students along with several citizens took to the river in kyaks or walked along the banks to pick up trash.

Four or five volunteers with trucks and trailers went up one street and down another to pick up throw aways from people’s curbsides and delivered them to the Blanco City yard on Jones Road. They met up with other pickups, trucks and trailers with citizens of Blanco taking their own discarded items. The total count of vehicles entering the yard was 226. The city employees and some city council manned this effort. Seven 30 yard roll off dumpsters were filled to the brim and a pile about the height of two stories was full of wood and burnable items. We will have the total weight of the metal collected at a later date.

Going up and down the streets of Blanco were approximately 70 adults and youth cleaning up the easements, the schools and the city parks. The crowd was really enthusiastic this year. They all wore chocolate brown shirts with 11th annual Keep
Blanco Beautiful and River Cleanup and names of all the sponsors, patrons and business members on the back in lime green. Blanco is so lucky to have these citizens and businesses join us with their memberships. This shows how much they love their town and desire to have it clean and healthy.

The “Food Crew” led by Pat Vallone did a great job of preparing the hotdogs and we appreciate the donations by Super S of water, buns and discounts on other food items. The courthouse crew, who were working to Beautify Blanco by installing the Master
Landscape Plan were invited to join us. Rebecca Howerton held drawing for the volunteer groups with students and young Blanco citizens. They all received a book about Texas. We want to start young people realizing to love our state and to take care of it.

Judy Dorsett always gets to head up the clean up crew and all pitched in to help.

Remember on April 24th from 8 a. m. to 12 p. m. that KBB has joined the Blanco County Hazardous Waste Group to collect lead-acid batteries, tires, acrylic paint, oil and electronics. This will be held at the Blanco County Yard on Jones Road. Please read the article in this weeks paper about this effort.

Blanco is in the middle of winter wonderland for Texas. How many years has it been since we have seen weather like this?

After going off of the highway two times in ice storms I decided that even though I know the rules on how to drive on ice that my reflexes to brake and turn out of the spin will take over. This few days of being closed in is helping Judy Dorsett to recover from her knee surgery and helping me to go through mounds of papers and try to get organized for all of our upcoming events.

It didn’t stop our president, Charles Willgren, from trying to walk to work only to find out he couldn’t get out of the yard.

Glenn Johnson can’t get down his hill and Glenn Page is out on the ranch trying to keep his beautiful historic home warm.

Tom Philips is busy making plans for his future greenhouse and home out on his 5 acres. Rebecca Howerton would have to put on skates to get out of her driveway but has decided to just stay in.

The rest of our directors, officers and volunteers are safe at home enjoying the snow that is now falling.

Keep Blanco Beautiful has a very busy year scheduled.

We would like to invite volunteers to come and join us for the Great American Cleanup early so that we can have your t-shirts ready. Watch for our article to let you know where to sign up for the River Clean-Up and the Keep Blanco Beautiful city wide trash off.

And don’t forget to recycle everyday at the Recycle Center on Jones Rd., behind the Blanco Cemetery, and behind the Blanco Middle School.

Good news!

Plans are underway to have a Hazardous Household Waste Day in Johnson City in March. I have paint, batteries, electronics, and much more stacked up waiting for this day. We will have more information on the date later.

The KBB volunteers who worked on the Treetops Ranch fund raiser are ready to return to our efforts to “Make Blanco Beautiful and Keep Blanco Beautiful”. It has taken a few days to wrap up and rest and now we are ready to role up our sleeves and go back to work.

Let’s get back to the Blanco City Ordinance #231, (Junk Motor Vehicle) . There are penalties and fines in this ordinance.

In our articles we explained what the violations are with the hope that the illegal vehicles around town would be moved voluntarily. In driving around, it does not appear that one illegal vehicle has been moved.

The ordinance provides for enforcement by the Blanco City Police with notices, citations, abatement and fines. After going through the enforcement process with the City, the offender can be fined up to $200.00 if the vehicle is not removed.

It is the responsibility of our city government to enforce this ordinance. As citizens, it is our responsibility to elect mayors and council members who are willing to govern with the existing laws, ordinances and codes.

Texas Recycle Day – November 15, 2006.

Our KBB volunteers and the Blanco County Recycle group will meet at the schools for our 7th annual event to weigh the bags of aluminum cans.

The cans will be given to the Blanco Lions Club to sell. The Lions Club uses this money to assist people who are in need of eye glasses.

The winning class will receive special recognition in both schools.

We have always had a lot of fun with the elementary kids at lunch when the “Can Lady”, Rebecca Howerton, dons her apparel, decorated with aluminum cans, and gives a few cheers. She helps the school with education about recycling in a way that the kids understand.

Remember, parents, grandparents and neighbors to save your aluminum cans for the kids to bring to school on November 15.

The Treetops Ranch Fundraiser for Keep Blanco Beautiful plans are moving right along and keeping all of us very busy.

You may have seen the beautiful posters about the event posted at businesses around Blanco.
The level of interest from the citizens of the Blanco area is growing and we look forward to a large attendance.

Our planning committee has grown and now has six members, David Key – President, Lorraine Tingler – Secretary, Brenda Leick – co-secretary, Judy Dorsett – treasurer, Rebecca Howerton – President of KBB, Lorie Stetler – KBB director. and Retta Martin – Board and Committee coordinator.

The Treetops Fundraiser committee would like to thank the Real Estate Industry for joining together to support and underwrite the Keep Blanco Beautiful efforts in the revitalization and beautification of Historic Downtown Blanco.

The supporters are:

Additional underwriters are:

The Keep Blanco Beautification committee, chaired by Judy Dorsett, has worked for seven years on the city and private properties in the Historic Downtown area, The Bindseil Park and the Pecan Bottom.

Not only do we do the planting and maintaining of the beautiful flowers weekly, we also do the Christmas Lighting of the City Property and The Yard of the Month and Business of the Month awards recognitions.

We are working on the initiative of a Trail of Lights in the city park areas. There will be pictures at the Fundraiser for everyone to see how it looked in 2000 compared to the way it looks today because of the hard work that this committee does weekly.

We have come a long way but still have a long way to go.

The Downtown Revitalization/Historic Preservation Focus Group for Comprehensive Master Plan for the City of Blanco was adopted on February 8, 2005 with an unanimous vote by the city council. Many hours have gone into the implementation of Historic Preservation by 26 + volunteers.

We have completed the tasks of rewriting and strengthening our Historic Preservation Ordinance, becoming a Certified Local Government, being selected for the Visionaries In Preservation Program by the Texas Historic Commission, and receiving the Historic Designation for the Blanco Cemetery.

The Focus Group is working on the Design Guidelines, Preservation Incentives and the Survey and Inventory of historic structures and sites.

With the Visionaries in Preservation Program and the Downtown Revitalization tasks, the KBB plans will be expanded.

The Treetops Ranch Fundraiser will enable Keep Blanco Beautification volunteers to help complete the revitalization plans for Historic Downtown Blanco.

“Thank You” David Key and Armando Pena for hosting the Fundraiser and supporting our projects.

“SEE YOU AT THE FUNDRAISER!”
For ticket information call Retta Martin 830-833-4720, Rebecca Howerton 830-833-4950, or Judy Dorsett 830-833-5663

Have you had a chance to go by Evelyn Heckel’s on 1001 13th Street to view the century plant? (Agave Species).

She plans to use it for a bird feeder when the bottom plant dies.

She’s had many visitors to view the plant.

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Keep Texas Beautiful believes in forward-thinking and having a strong plan.

The new strategic plan “Vision 2010″ was unveiled during the 39th Annual Keep Texas Beautiful Conference in June, 2006.

Keep Blanco Beautiful will implement this plan. You will receive more information in future articles.

Stay tuned.

On Wednesday, July 5, the KBB Beautification volunteers were guests of David Key and Armando Pena at Treetops Ranch in Stallion Estates.

We toured their beautiful home and gardens and had such a nice visit with them.

David and Armando are now honorary members of Keep Blanco Beautiful and are making plans to host a fundraiser for KBB at their home.

Check back here for a date and time.

It is a real treat to see their gardens and to visit with them. We want to thank David and Armando for expressing their appreciation for the work we do around the square and we welcome them to our group.

Texas Recycle Day is not until November 15, but we want to encourage everyone to use the county recycle center on Jones Avenue everyday.

Plastic that is put into the landfills does not deteriorate, so please recycle your bottles.

There is also a recycle center behind the Middle School. Proceeds go to the Middle School and the county.

Tomorrow morning (county commissioner) Paul Granburg and his dad, David, will leave for Minnesota to pick up the glass processor for the county.

Thanks again Paul for all that you do for the county.

Help Keep Blanco Beautiful

Throw away your trash in trashcans and recycle your plastics and glass.