News

Arts Fest

Wimberley Independent School District Board of Trustee and former Hays County Commissioner Will Conley was arrested for driving while intoxicated on April 23. In addition to the DWI charge, he was also charged with unlawfully carry-ing a weapon, which stemmed from him having a gun in the vehicle while allegedly driving while intoxicated.

Woodcreek held its third annual Arbor Day celebration last Saturday. Karl Flocke with the Texas A&M Forest Service gave a presentation on oak wilt and visitors enjoyed demonstrations from Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists, the Native Plant Society and Tree Folks.

U.S. NAVY AVIATION STRUCTURAL MECHANIC

There are four words that cause me to sweat and have heart palpitations. “Bring a covered dish.” Now, I am far, far from a good cook, far from an average cook, and close to a bad cook. I have learned that bringing a couple of jars of olives in a covered dish doesn’t seem to be acceptable. I am assuming that since I have never been invited back.

The Starlight Symphony Orchestra will present its annual Pops Concert on May 4 and May 5. Director David Oertel has chosen popular music from the world of films for the final concert of the season. The concert playlist includes music from Dances with Wolves, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Stranger Things, Aladdin, Pirates of the Caribbean, Game of Thrones, The Barbie Movie and Avengers: End Game. Listeners are encouraged to dress up as their favorite characters.

Returning to its traditional date of Mother’s Day weekend, the fourteenth annual Rolling Oaks MusicFest Fundraiser will be held Saturday and Sunday, May 11 and 12. The family- friendly event will offer free music and sell tickets for barbecue on Saturday and a pancake brunch on Sunday.

The Hill Country Unit of the Herb Society of America hosted an educational seminar in Wimberley in April that featured speaker John Thomas, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg.

The City of Wimberley Parks and Recreation Department will host a community- wide garage sale this Saturday in the Community Center from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Shoppers are advised to bring cash or checks for purchases. Children must accompany their parents.

Most lawns are covered with weeds that survived and thrived the long, hot, dry summer of 2023. If you are dreading the thought of fighting weeds and spending time and labor to maintain your turf grass or pay someone to do it, then think of the alternative. While your yard dimensions remain the same, you can reduce the size of what is covered in turf grass. Nationwide, 50 million acres are covered by turf grasses that annually consume three trillion gallons of water and require 70 million pounds of pesticides. Lawn fertilizer runoff ends up in storm drains or natural bodies of water. The result is algae blooms that deplete oxygen in the water and kill aquatic plants and animals. Lawn chemicals also have direct risks to wildlife and humans. Lawns are a sterile environment devoid of healthy ecosystems. The thought of replacing your lawn with alternatives is daunting. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. The key is longterm planning that attacks small areas at a time. Homeowners may have spaces that they already wish were devoid of grass like shady spots, hard-to-mow places, slopes or sections of water runoff.

Live Music Calendar

Riffs, Roams and Raves uncovers the creative, noteworthy and accomplished in the Wimberley Valley and beyond with tips on who to hear, where to go and what to see from managing editor Teresa Kendrick.

Butterflies were everywhere during the release at the Butterfly Festival at EmilyAnn Garden last weekend. Record crowds alighted on the grounds to experience the release of hand raised butterflies, make crafts and visit with critters in the Burdine Johnson indoor studio theatre, try their luck with hula hoops, sample yummy concessions, ride the butterfly train and meet princesses and other actors in the expansive garden.