Festival Hill is more than a performance venue, it is a carefully created “musical landscape,” where music, architecture, and history unfold across a unique campus in Round Top. Founded in 1971 by James Dick, the Institute has grown into a place filled with stories waiting to be told, and you can be part of bringing them to life.

Last week I wrote about summer gardening depression and how a few hardy shrubs are helping to keep the blues away. That got me thinking about some other heat-loving plants growing around my place. Now, I’m not necessarily suggesting that anyone grow this plant I’m about to write about. It’s quite invasive. If you plant it, give it a space and just know that it’ll probably spread and you’ll never get rid of it. But it is quite beautiful this time of year.

DOPTABLE Please consider stopping by the shelter to meet a couple of senior ds looking for a forever family to spend their senior years with. These sweet souls are often overlooked but really need comfort and companionship.

Second Chance Emporium (SCE) recently donated $20,000 to Navidad Valley Community Connections (NVCC), DBA Senior Connections. Monies granted will fund the purchase of necessary equipment and supplies needed to expand its meal and activity based programming in La Grange at the Randolph Recreation Center. Equipment items to be purchased include an upright freezer, an upright refrigerator, pots and pans, coffee and tea makers, countertop dishwasher and various other supplies. The mission of NVCC is to serve and support high-quality programming for the senior populations of Fayette, Colorado and Lavaca counties. Pictured from left to right: Gayle Schielack, SCE Store Director; Marlene Schnell, SCE Assistant Store Director; Darlene Strahan, SCE Assistant Store Director and Amanda Kridel, NVCC Executive Director.

The AMEN Food Pantry appreciates all in the community who provided food assistance for the month of July. This would include all who provided monetary donations, food drives and the AMEN Gardens. The gardeners have been providing beets, kale, carrots and many other leafy vegetables. As noted with the numbers served have increased for the summer months with school no longer in session.

Through generous contributions and the support of the community helping with fundraisers, including the annual Shrimp boil held on the 4th Saturday in January and the Steak Dinner on the 4th Saturday in September, The Fayette County Area Go Texan committee was fortunate to award scholarships to 26 seniors in Fayette County.

Fayette County Community Theatre (FCCT) has been awarded a $10,000 grant through Fayette Electric Cooperative’s Community Reinvestment Grant Program to support renovation of the historic Von Rosenberg Building in downtown La Grange, helping transform the structure into a permanent home for community theater, arts education, entertainment and cultural programming.

It takes a village of volunteers to put on one of Senior Connections big event at the KC Hall in Schulenburg. Pictured is just part of the volunteers who joined on Wednesday, July 29 for the annual Ice Cream Social. Pictured above from left are Cindy Ferguson, Sharon Rodriguez, Maria Bohac, Logan Wilbanks, Judy Janik, Brenda Ray, Sheryl Tumis, Pam Janda, Kitty Wilbanks, Executive Director Amanda Kridel (head chef), Denise Roberts, Megan Horton, and Cynthia Trojacek. Not pictured, but also helped out at the event were: Jaime Janda, Clarence Ahlschlager, Martha Beckmann, Bryan Roberts, and Thomas Janda, Linda Koberski, Kathy Kleiber, Irma Ashenbeck, Greg Trojacek, Lisa King, Eric Buffamante, Susan Segura, Owen Chavez, and Johnny Osborne. Dottie Thompson (right picture) was the lucky winner of on of Martha Beckmann delightful creations she donated for door prizes for our Ice Cream Social. There were many prizes and many lucky winners. Thank you to all who contributed to the wonderful event.

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Nora Butler and Ted Clee take turns consulting the Record with a background of icebergs, on the porch of their hotel room in Ilulissat, Greenland, north of the Arctic Circle. .