Thank you for prayers, cards, and condolences. You cannot imagine how much it meant to see my dad’s obituary printed above “Montage”.
Hugs and kisses to Suzanne Hallam who kept you updated on what’s happening with ground water issues at hand, encouraging attendance at the many meetings and reminding readers to contact Representative Jason Isaac and Senator Donna Campbell.
My dad, 94, hit his head in a fall just at the time the water issues related to the proposed Anthem MUD went much deeper, with word that Electro Purification’s plans to pump a minimum of 1.9 billion gallons of water per year, with up to 1.3 million gallons of water PER DAY for Anthem.
With Suzanne stepping up to the plate, the concern of keeping you informed was taken off my plate. Suzanne substituted long enough for us to make a trip back to deep East Texas to be with my mom on her 87th birthday.
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If you’ve been out of town during recent months and do not know, Anthem is a proposed Municipal Utility District (MUD) with 2,200 homes just outside Mountain City’s westernmost back fences. Here on the eastern side of the fence lines, Mountain Cityians have conserved water in recent years to the point that many hold off on flushing toilets, capture water when rinsing fruit and veggies and bodies, and take other heroic measures in the water conservation battle.
Our city council recently entered into a development agreement with Clark Wilson Homes and other involved parties. This does not mean our city council approves the formation of the Anthem MUD. The city of Mountain City took no formal stance for or against Anthem.
A development agreement is not a document in “support” of a MUD at all. It is an agreement for development standards IF it passes, “a seat at the table”, if you will.
If you are not on the official Mountain City email distribution list, sign up at www.mountaincitytx.com. Mayor Tiffany Curnutt sends periodic emails. Recent emails included details of the locations of meetings with the commercial pumping of groundwater on the agenda.
Now it will be easier to keep up with Mountain City’s calendared events. The city has a Facebook page.
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While I was in deep East Texas, Laura Craig saw six eastern bluebirds flying around her front yard nestboxes. Laura plans to purchase a Texas Bluebird Society nestbox ($17, including sales tax) through me for her backyard.
An eastern screech owl began making appearances on the ledge of the Owl Shack above our driveway in January. The Burich’s report that the Owl Shack transported from our backyard to their front yard a few years back (when they inadvertently took down a dead tree with an owl nest) has produced several batches of screech owls.
A few American goldfinch and lesser goldfinch (stark black and gold) showed up at our place during the Great Backyard Bird Count over the weekend. I remember when goldfinch appeared by the dozens and hundreds about a dozen years ago, so many I needed help in counting them.
I need help in filling this weekly column. Please send tidbits to [email protected] (subject: TIDBITS) or 512.268.5678.
