Community

Bestselling author Alex Kershaw’s most recent title is “Against All Odds: A True Story of Ultimate Courage and Survival in World War II.”

During its Saturday, March 19, meeting, the Boerne chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution honored Champion High School senior Emma Willshire,igh School seniorHi who won the organization’s statewide essay contest. Her winning essay was entitled “How the American Revolution Began in Europe.” Sponsored by the Boerne chapter, Willshire was awarded a combined total of $3,000 in scholarship funds from both the state and the local chapter. Pictured above is Willshire, second from right, as well as her parents, Kent and Brandy Willshire, and Pat Blackman, president of the Boerne chapter, right.

Much of the state remains at considerable risk for wildfires through this week, largely because of higher-than-usual temperatures and drought conditions.

Editorial cartoonist Ben Sargent once penned a masterful sketch of a newspaperman – a skinny, bug-eyed fellow in a baggy suit with a press card in the band of his porkpie hat.

Champion High School Seniors Ethan Thornton and Halle Vandersloot have been named 2022 National Merit Scholarship finalists by the College Board. The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition that recognizes students for their outstanding performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Thornton and Vandersloot are among 15,000 students in the United States who qualified as finalists, which places them in the top 1 percent of all students nationwide who completed the PSAT. Typically, more than 1.5 million students in about 21,000 high schools enter the National Merit Scholarship Program each year. Thornton will attend MIT after graduation and Vandersloot will head to Texas A&M.

Fair Oaks Ranch Rotarians and guests gathered earlier this month at the Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club for a meeting and luncheon to recognize the 10th anniversary of the club’s founding. It was 2012 when 39 service-minded community leaders came together to form an organization committed to the international humanitarian service group’s motto, Service Above Self. Several charter members were in attendance, many of whom are still active, and they were honored for their years of contributions. The club’s first president, Kathy Hubbard, and current President Greg Maxton welcomed guest speaker Rotary Past District Governor Lisa Herring. Herring had presided over the 2012 formal installation ceremony. Pictured are, from left, club charter members Fran Driskell, Will Winslett, Kathy Hubbard, Cheryl Landman, Bill Fusco, Debbie Williams Martin, Tom McKeown, Jackson Moss, Jim Wade, Darrell Sawyer (wife Penny), Linda Tom (husband Jim), John Wall, Charles Pearson and John Rogers. Submitted photo

Sponsored by the Kendall County Historical Commission, on March 30, Frank Graves, an early American percussion firearms expert, will present “Rifles and pistols used in early Boerne history including the rifle patent of Boerne gunsmith E.A.F. Toepperwein.”

A new children’s choir has started in Boerne – the Omnia Youth Chorale. Singers are between 9-18 years old and come from throughout the Boerne and San Antonio area.

Editor’s note: This is a reprinted column from Jack Purcell’s “On the Journey” archives. It originally appeared in The Star in 2013.

Ah, yes – another edition of editor wanderings…

Democrats nationally have made great progress in President Biden’s first year in office.

It’s unfortunate but true: If you’re a woman, you face more obstacles than men in achieving financial security. And that means you may well need to put in some extra effort.