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Bandera County Courier is published weekly by Gail S. Joiner, 1210 Hackberry St., Bandera, TX 78003. Subscription price $26 per year in Bandera County, TX; $36 per year for other Texas counties; $40 per year out of Texas. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Bandera County Courier, P.O. Box 1704, Bandera, TX 78003. Periodicals Postage pending in Bandera, Texas.

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Articles in the holiday section of the on-line Courier:

Easter Egg hunts	Published March 17, 2008
Preps on tap for ‘Baskets & Bunnies’	Published March 6, 2008
Lighting contest winners shine	Published Jan. 3, 2008
Chess Kids visit Cedar Creek	Published Dec. 27, 2007
Sharing the Christmas spirit	Published Dec. 27, 2007
Old-fashioned Veterans Day honors Bandera's best	Published Nov. 8, 2007
Bandera Honors Veterans finalizes plans for Veterans Day observance	Published Nov. 1, 2007
Start Christmas plans now	Published Nov. 1, 2007
Harvest Festivals set Wednesday, Oct. 31	Published Oct. 25, 2007
Spooky Happenings in Medina	Published Oct. 25, 2007
Pickin' your best punkin & area Halloween parties	Published Oct. 25, 2007
It's Flag Day	Published June 14, 2007
Honor your mother with a donation to Baskets and Bunnies	Published March 8, 2007
Would the Presidents recognize Presidents' Day?	Published Feb. 15, 2007
Landmark Inn Gears Up For Valentine's	Published Jan. 25, 2007
Go to the 2006 holiday Web page	Go to the 2005 holiday Web page

Preps on tap for ‘Baskets & Bunnies’ Published March 6, 2008    Since Easter comes early this year – Sunday, March 23 – final plans are being made for Bandera's 18th annual “Baskets and Bunnies,” the area’s traditional Easter basket distribution.     Volunteers have been busy collecting items for baskets and taking requests for basket distribution from local agencies that provide services for the less fortunate children in Bandera County. Item collection and basket assembly will take place Wednesday, March 12, and Thursday, March 13, at the Silver Sage Corral Senior Activity Center, 803 Buck Creek Boulevard.     Volunteers will meet at approximately 5 pm on March 12 at the Silver Sage Corral to sort and organize collected items. At 9:30 am the following morning, Thursday, March 13, volunteers will assemble traditional Easter baskets for the children. Each basket will contain a book, toys and, of course, candy.     To help with this project, call Kay Welch at 830-796-8858. Welch is also collecting names of children who may need an Easter basket.     In addition, monetary donations can be sent to Bandera's Baskets and Bunnies, PO Box 1436, Bandera 78003.

Lighting contest winners shine Published Jan. 3, 2008 Tadpole’s, 11409 PR 37 in Lakehills, won first place in the commercial category in the annual Christmas Lighting Contest, sponsored by the Bandera Business Association.    The holidays are over, but, if you’re quick, you might be able to catch a glimpse of the winners of the annual Christmas Lighting Contest, sponsored by the Bandera Business Association.     First place winner in the commercial category was Tadpole’s, 11409 PR 37 in Lakehills. Second place went to the Silver Spur Guest Ranch, 9266 Bandera Creek Road and FM 1077.     In the residential category, Phil and Linda Kindla, 955 FM 470, came out on top with Sandra Alexander, 1211 Elmhurst Drive in Lakehill, a close second.     Jeanne Montgomery, 627 Robindale West, was voted “Most Professional Overall.”

Chess Kids visit Cedar Creek Published Dec. 27, 2007 Staff Photo by David Arny    The Bandera County Chess Club Knights visited with residents of the Cedar Creek Nursing Center, 3641 Highway 16 North, Monday, Dec. 17, to spread some pre-Christmas holiday cheer. Group members arrived bearing Christmas cards complete with candy canes for Cedar Creek staffers, in addition to providing refreshments for residents who attended the event.     Led by Bandera Middle Schooler student, Richard Espinosa Jr., — and a few of his pals who shared his zeal for the game of chess — the Knights began meeting last fall. Since then, membership has grown to more than 20, requiring them to move to roomier digs for their three-times-a-week practice sessions, according to supporter DC Brown.

Sharing the Christmas spirit Published Dec. 27, 2007    Members of the 4-H Bandera County Council recently spread Christmas cheer at the Cedar Hills Nursing Home by decorating residents' doors for the holidays.     The 4-H members who created and distributed the brightly decorated wreaths included, left to right, front row, Krystian Osbourn, Cedar Hills resident, Cade Osbourn and Scott Mangold; middle, Nicole Collins, Ashley Frerich, Gina Zavorka and Katie Mangold; and back, Seth Saathoff, Ben Halloran and Joseph Burke.

Old-fashioned Veterans Day honors Bandera's best by Judith Pannebaker BCC Staff Writer Published Nov. 8, 2007    At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, an armistice treaty signed in a drizzling rain in signaled the end of "the war to end all wars."     Almost immediately, President Woodrow Wilson announced Nov. 11 as Armistice Day, a day set aside to commemorate the end of World War I.     After the Korean War, President Dwight Eisenhower expanded the scope of the now-designated Veterans Day to honor all men and women who had served in the armed forces. However, to add yet another three-day weekend to the calendar, Congress passed a law in 1968 that changed the date to the fourth Monday in October. Fueled by the displeasure of both veterans and citizens, the American people summarily rejected the date change.     Ten years later Congress returned Veterans Day to its traditional Nov. 11 observance.     On Sept. 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed a law that returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date, to begin in 1978. His action underscored the wishes of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, major veterans service organizations and the American people.     The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but focuses attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day ­ to celebrate and honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.     Bandera's old-fashioned small town observation of Veterans Day, sponsored by Bandera Honors Veterans, will take place Saturday, Nov. 10. Many activities center around the courthouse complex, but a special homegrown patriotic parade down Main Street also marks the commemoration. All events will recognize and honor members of the United States Armed Forces ­ both former and present.     The entire Bandera community participates in the day-long event with Fidel Ramirez of Bandera Honors Veterans acting as master of ceremonies. At 9:30 am, Jay Sanders begins the flag raising ceremony on the courthouse lawn. County Judge Richard Evans and Bandera City Councilman Horst Pallaske will offer welcomes, followed by patriotic musical selections by the Bandera Middle School Choir and Irma Gomez.     Texas State District 173 Representative Nathan Macias is the 2007 keynote speaker.     The native Texan is a decorated veteran who served for 20 years in the US Air Force before retiring as a lieutenant colonel.     In the War on Terror, he commanded an Expeditionary Mission Support Group in the Middle East in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Macias also served as commander of the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron at Dover Air Force Base. He was responsible for the initial screening for explosive ordinance and chemical-biological detection of the victims of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon, and the subsequent casualties of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Prior to his assignment at Dover, Macias commanded Silver Flag, the prestigious USAF Civil Engineer Contingency Training Center. At that time, he trained Air Force Civil Engineer troops to perform worldwide contingency bare base operations.     Macias' military decorations include Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster and Air Force Achievement Medal.     Lanette Pennell will perform during the closing ceremony, and Bandera County Chaplain Rev. Joel S. Garcia will offer the Benediction.     Exhibits on the courthouse lawn will be open until 4 pm and include recruiting services, local organizations and personal displays from families of veterans and current members of the Armed Forces.     At 11 am, a patriotic parade, made up of scout troops, church organizations, seasoned citizens' groups, business and individuals, kicks off. In the past, entries have ran the gamut from appropriately red, white and blued wagons and horses to tractors and classic cars.     Since that first "war to end all wars," members of the US military have fought in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. Lesser ­ but no less painful ­ incursions have included those in Bosnia, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama and Somalia.     However, as Plato, characterized as the wisest of all philosophers, remarked, "Only the dead have seen the end of war."

Bandera Honors Veterans finalizes plans for Veterans Day observance Published Nov. 1, 2007 Rev. Joel Garcia (ret.) of the Templo Camino Nuevo Baptist Church in Bandera gave the benediction at the Veterans Day observances in 2006. Members of the Sea Scouts group, an Explorer scout troop affiliated with the US Navy, stand at attention on the Bandera County Courthouse lawn at the Veterans Day observances in 2006.    The Bandera Honors Veterans steering committee has finalized plans for honoring Bandera County's military veterans and active service members.     The annual observance takes place Saturday, Nov. 10, beginning at 9:30 am with the flag-raising ceremony.     All activities will center around the Bandera County Courthouse. State and local officials will participate, together with local schools, scouts and veterans organizations, as well as local active-duty members of the US Armed Forces.     Exhibits will be displayed on the courthouse lawn until 4 pm.     Additionally, local nonprofit organizations will sell food and beverages. Parade line-up begins at 9 am at the City River Park. on a first-come basis. The parade down Main Street kicks off at 11 am.     Scout troops, church groups, senior organizations, businesses and individuals are urged to participate with decorated tractors, classic cars, little red wagons, horses and mules and golf carts.     "Let's show our patriotism and let our veterans and active military know how much we appreciate their sacrifice for our freedom," said Fidel Ramirez.     For more information, contact Horst Pallaske at 830-796-4821 or Ramirez at 830-796-4376.

Start Christmas plans now Published Nov. 1, 2007    Lutheran Bazaar     It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ­ at the least it will on Saturday, Nov. 10, at Bandera's Grace Lutheran Church, On that date, Grace Hall, 451 Highway 173 North, will be decked with holiday goodies from 9 am to 3 pm during the church's 24th annual Christmas Bazaar.     The event will include an arts and crafts sale, bake sale and bistro. Arts and crafts vendors are welcome.     For more information, call Dorothy Taylor, 830-796-7893, or the church office, 830-796-3091.     LH Christmas Bazaar     Lakehills is also hopping on the "get ready for Christmas now" bandwagon. Members of the Lakehills American Legion will hold their annual Christmas Bazaar from 9 am to 3 pm, Saturday, Nov. 10, at their post on 26th Street.     The event is open to the public, and features some good homecookin', including breakfast tacos, homemade soups and cornbread, chili burgers chicken and dumplings and more. There will also be a bake sale offering great goodies and dessert items.     For more information, call 830-751-3122.     Remember, only 53 more shopping days until Christmas.

Spooky Happenings in Medina Published Oct. 25, 2007    Join the EMS Volunteer Support Team as they celebrate Halloween. This year's annual event plans to be even more fun with the addition of a scary haunted house and Count Defibrillator Dracula.     After you get scared out of your wits, stop and visit with all the other spooky trick-or-treaters.     All the fun begins at the witching hour, 6 pm.     As in years past, the support team will be serving up hot dogs, homemade cookies, and witch's brew plus passing out Halloween candy for all. The whole event is free and just EMS's way of thanking the community for their support. So come join in the spooky fun at the EMS barn Wednesday, Oct. 31.

Harvest Festivals set Wednesday, Oct. 31 Published Oct. 25, 2007    The following area churches are hosting Harvest Festivals Wednesday, Oct. 31:     The Bandera United Methodist Church will hold their annual Fall Carnival from 6 pm to 8 pm at their covered pavilion.     Activities include costume judging, cup cake walk, face painting and games.     Pumpkins and food will be for sale. Call 830-796-3849 for more information.     The Pipe Creek Community Church will host their second annual Harvest Fest event from 6 to 8 pm.     Organizers invite children accompanied by parents to dress up in costumes. Activities include hot dogs and chips, a cake walk, bobbing for apples, fishing pond, face painting, football and basketball throwing and a full-size moon bounce castle.     Also on tap is the church's famous "Trunk or Treat." Decorated cars will be parked in the lot with trunks open for children to visit and receive candy and sweets, according to spokesperson Susan Lewis.     From Bandera, the church is located just off State Highway 16 South. Turn left in front of the new Cielo Rio Ranch subdivision onto Bear Creek Road, then take one more left at Racket Club Drive. The Pipe Creek Community Church grounds are straight ahead.     The Shepherd's Gate Community Church will host its Fall Fun Festival from 6 to 8 pm. Children and families are invited to participate in games, cake walk and an animal petting zoo. Snacks and drinks will be available, as well as other treats.     The activities are sponsored by Shepherd's Gate Community Church Youth Group. The church is located at 615 Polly Peak Drive south of Bandera, a half mile off Highway 16. A church service will be held from 5:30 to 6 pm that evening.     The First Baptist Church of Pipe Creek will host a fun alternative to Halloween with their Family Festival from 6 to 8 pm. The event offers games, prizes, moon bounce, skits, food, crafts, candy, live Bible characters and a cake walk.     The church is located on Highway 16 in downtown Pipe Creek.     The Western Heritage Cowboy Church will hold a Fall Cowboy Celebration from 6:30 to 8 pm at their church at 7146 FM 1283 in Pipe Creek, located next to the Lakehills Community Library.     Offerings include a mechanical bull ride, hay ride, games, concessions and lots of candy and prizes. Children must be accompanied by an adult     Call 830-535-6575 for more information.

Pickin' your best punkin & area Halloween parties By JD Ragland Special to the Courier by Judith Pannebaker BCC Staff Writer Published Oct. 25, 2007 JD Ragland, Texas Cooperative Extension agent in Floyd County, displayed a perfect carving pumpkin ­ uniform in shape with bright orange coloring and a sturdy stem. Texas Cooperative Extension photos by Tim W McAlavy Hand-painted pumpkins shared a shelf with pie pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, miniatures and large Big Mac pumpkins. Hand painting is a fun and easy alternative to carving a decorative fall pumpkin.    Celebrations currently in a witch's caldron in Bandera and surrounding counties offer both kids and adults a "frightfully good time" during this Halloween holiday. Everyone's invited to participate in one or more of the following "bewitching" festivities.    º The 10th annual Pipe Creek Community Center Carnival takes place from 6:30 pm to 9 pm Saturday, Oct. 27, at the community center, 10162 Highway 16 South in Pipe Creek. Highlights of the carnival include free games and a costume contest open to all ages.     Participants in the costume contest are advised to arrive early. There will also be a Cake Walk and prizes at the Country Store. A trip through the Haunted House costs $2 per person. Food concessions, operated by the Hermann Sons Dance class, will be available.     To volunteer or donate a cake, candy or items for the country store, call Eva Evans at 830-535-4153.    º Area children are invited to trick or treat from 6 pm until 9 pm Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Lakehills Civic Center on Park Road 37.     The Medina Lake Betterment Association's annual Halloween Party for children will include a costume contest by age groups, haunted house, games, cookies and refreshments and, of course, lots of treats for the trick-or-treat bags of all the little ghosts, goblins, pirates, transformers, princesses and whatever's.     For more information, call the civic center at 830-751-9904.    º Grace Lutheran Church, 451 Highway 173 North, and St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, 403 Highway 173 North, will join forces for the second consecutive year and celebrate a Halloween party from 5:30 pm until 8:30 pm, Sunday, Oct. 28.     Both churches are located on Highway 173, just north of Bandera.     Activities include lots of booths, a haunted house and even "bogeymen," who promise to scare everyone silly. All activities are free of charge, except for food. Hot dogs will cost a reasonable 25 cents each. Grace Lutheran Pastor Karl Biermann said that although the Halloween festival is sponsored by two churches, all Bandera children should plant to attend ­ regardless of religious affiliation.    º Schreiner University's Phi Delta Theta fraternity will sponsor a "Haunted House" from 8 pm until midnight the nights of Friday, Oct. 26, through Wednesday, Oct. 31, at the Rex Kelly Pavilion on the university campus in Kerrville.     Admissions are children, $3; students with IDs, $4; and adults $5. Be there to be scared!     There be Pumpkins!     No All Hallow's Eve celebration or October windowsill would be complete without scores of pumpkins ­ carved and otherwise. And, according to JD Ragland, Texas Cooperative Extension agent in Floyd County, this autumn has shaped up to be one of the best years ever for pickin' pumpkins in the Lone Star State.     Growers in Texas' largest pumpkin patch haven't yet sighted the Great Pumpkin, but they haven't had much time to look for him. They've been busy harvesting, processing and shipping a bountiful crop of decorative squash to wholesale and retail outlets.     "The 2007 crop is ample ­ yields are up and quality is good," Ragland said. He should know, he's a cooperative extension agriculture agent in Floyd County, the state's premier pumpkin-producing county. "We're harvesting from about 900 acres this year.     Timely rains and a cooler-than-normal growing season have pushed yields to 25,000 to 27,000 pounds per acre, up a bit from the 20,000-pound average we normally see," he said.     Ragland indicated the quality of this year's crop is good across the board, from pie and baking pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns to miniature ornamentals and the huge Big Mac varieties.     "We'll be harvesting and shipping pumpkins into October, to wholesale and retail outlets across the country and statewide. Most of our crop goes east to the larger metropolitan areas in Texas, but we have one grower whose sales have reached as far as Japan."     Ragland reminded consumers to remember these qualities when selecting their 2007 harvest season pumpkins ­ uniform shape, bright orange color and a long, fat stem.

It's Flag Day Published June 14, 2007 Plenty of flags fly in Bandera County and today, June 14, is National Flag Day. National Flag Day was designated by Congress in 1949. Staff Photo by David Arny    National Flag Day falls between two major patriotic holidays, Memorial Day and Independence Day. It is also just a little over a week after the anniversary of D-Day.     The holiday first originated in 1885 when BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for pupils in Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, to observe June 14, 1885, as “Flag Birthday.” That day was the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of the Stars and Stripes.     After three decades of expanding state and local celebrations, President Woodrow Wilson established Flag Day by proclamation in 1916.     In 1949, President Harry Truman signed the Congressional bill establishing June 14 as National Flag Day.     The current US flag is the 27th flag of the United States. Hawaii was admitted as the 50th state Aug. 21, 1959, and the current 50-star flag became the official flag July 4, 1960. The current flag has five rows of six stars alternating with four rows of five stars.     Fly your flag today.

Honor YOUR mother with a donation to Baskets and Bunnies By Kay Welch Published March 8, 2007 Kay and her mom    Every mother is special. If you would like to contribute to Baskets and Bunnies in honor of your mother, she will receive a special Mother's Day card thanking her for the donation and a needy child in Bandera County will receive an Easter basket.     Donations may be sent to Bandera's Baskets and Bunnies, P.O. Box 1436, Bandera, 78003. If the donation is in honor of your mother, please include her name. If you are interested in helping get Easter baskets to children who otherwise would not have them or if you know of a child who needs an Easter basket, please call Kay Welch at 830-796-8858.     As they have for the past 17 years, Bandera's Baskets and Bunnies' volunteers are busy preparing to make traditional Easter baskets for children in the county who would otherwise go without. Over the past 17 years, the project has grown from a few baskets a year to more than 200 each year.     Volunteers will gather at the Silver Sage Corral Senior Activities Center Wednesday, March 21, at 5 p.m. to set up for the assembly of the baskets, then gather again Thursday, March 22, at 9:30 a.m. to begin assembling baskets.     This started out as a personal project for Kay Welch as a way to honor her mother who died in 1979. This year she decided to share details about her remarkable mother, who along with many of her other talents was a fashion designer who made everything from wedding gowns and debutante gowns to regal costumes for parade queens.     "She wasn't afraid of anyone," Welch remembers. "If one of her children had a problem at school, she didn't go to the principal­she went straight to the superintendent! She used to go down to the docks and invite ship captains and their wives to come home with her for dinner. We weren't rich, but she invited them anyway.     "She accomplished so much good during her lifetime. She was always involved in life. She was the queen of volunteering. She served as den mother for my brothers' Boy Scout troops, the Girl Scout troop leader for my sister and I, president of the ladies auxiliary at the hospital, room mother and camp director at the Girl Scouts' day camp for two years. My mother also served as chairman of the Mothers' March of Dimes in Corpus Christi. She was the cookie chairman for the entire Paisano Girl Scout council. She accomplished all this before I was in high school.     "My mother displayed compassion, bravery and passion daily. I remember clearly while working to prepare the ranchers' property for day camp, we came across a rattlesnake. She killed it with a rake and a hoe.     "My mother never met a stranger. She always reached out a helping hand to others. She had an infectious smile and such a warm way about her that people were naturally drawn to her and her projects. And she accomplished all this without driving, only one phone line and while she still took care of our family.     "She was an accomplished award-winning artist. I'm blessed to have some of her artwork. During her struggle with cancer, she never lost her faith and optimistic attitude and she never lost her warm smile.     "So, knowing your mother is as special as mine was, this is an opportunity to honor your mother through a donation to Baskets and Bunnies."

Would the Presidents recognize Presidents' Day? by Stephanie Day BCC Staff Published Feb. 15, 2007 George Washington Abraham Lincoln    Legislation was enacted in 1968 to observe Presidents' Day, and make it a federal holiday, on the third Monday in February. Presidents' Day honors the February birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and also raises an interesting question: would Washington and Lincoln recognize the holiday honoring them if they returned to visit Presidents' Day 2007?     Originally, the attempt to honor Washington on his birthday presented confusion with some celebrating it Feb. 11 and some celebrating it Feb. 22. The holiday started to commemorate Washington's birthday in 1796, the last full year of his presidency. The calendar that had been in use since the mid-18th century noted Washington's birthday as Feb. 22. He was actually born Feb. 11.     By the time Abe Lincoln cropped up in U.S. History, Washington's February birthday had already become a national holiday with speeches, receptions and galas. Lincoln was born Feb. 12. The first formal observance of his birthday occurred in 1865, the year after his assassination. It never ranked as a national holiday, but it was an official state holiday in several states. Lumping Lincoln and Washington together for Presidents' Day gave federal workers a three-day weekend. It gave the American public a good day to reflect upon all U.S. Presidents and remember the history they wrote during their terms in the White House.     The question remains: would Washington and Lincoln recognize Presidents' Day today?     Who were these men whose birthdays we commemorate in February and what did they believe?     U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Secretary of State and Revolutionary War General John Marshall described the "Father of our country" as "a sincere believer in the Christian faith and a truly devout man."     Washington himself said, "What students should learn in American schools above all else is the religion of Jesus Christ…It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." Washington's mottoes were, "Deeds, not words." "For God and my country."     Washington believed that it "is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits and to humbly implore his protection and favors."     Today, Bibles and the Ten Commandments have been boldly thrust out of public schools and public buildings including courthouses. Anti-God groups and Satan worshipers have demanded­and received­tax and other benefits previously reserved for Christian churches. A move is underway to remove "in God we trust" from coins and "one nation under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance.     Lincoln said he would not vote for, nor would he support for office, a person who was an enemy of God or a scoffer of Christianity. His quotes include the following:     "I must say that if all that has been said by orators and poets since the creation of the world in praise of women were applied to the women of America, it would not be enough to do them justice for their conduct during the war. I will close by saying, God bless the women of America."     Lincoln believed that the Bible was "the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book."     "The will of God prevails," Lincoln said. "Let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith, let us, to the end dare to do our duty as we understand it."     The country's first Republican, Lincoln, who was victorious over the South and who enacted the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 to free slaves and then the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery, had compassion for people on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line. Speaking about the South's defeat in his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865, Lincoln said that both the Confederates and the Union had the same Bible and prayed to the same God. "The prayers of both could not be answered; neither has been answered fully."     Within two weeks of this year's Presidents' Day national holiday, a 27-year-old mother was arrested after she left two children in a freezing car while she was getting tanned in a tanning salon. It was 12 degrees outside. When questioned by police, this American woman said that she was embarking on a vacation and tanning prior to her departure was "a priority."     Say what, Mr. Lincoln?     Within two weeks of this year's Presidents' Day, two members of Gideons International, a Christian organization that was founded in 1899 and has distributed free Bibles in 181 nations and translated into 82 languages, were arrested in Key Largo, Fla. for handing out Bibles on a public sidewalk outside Key Largo School. They were booked into jail and charged with "trespassing." The school principal made the complaint to the sheriff's department.     Say what, Mr. Washington?     And in Alabama, Chief Justice Roy Moore was removed from office in 2003 for defying a federal judge's order to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the rotunda of the Alabama State Judicial Building. Moore responded, "it's a sad day for our country when the moral foundation of our law and the acknowledgement of God has to be hidden from public view."     And in Alabama, two weeks before Presidents' Day 2007, a nurse was arrested for giving a woman an abortion drug just weeks before that woman delivered a six-pound, four-ounce baby. The baby, an otherwise healthy, mature child, was born dead.     Say what, Mr. Presidents?

Landmark Inn Gears Up For Valentine's Published Jan. 25, 2007    CASTROVILLE -- Now that Christmas and New Year's have come and gone and Valentine's Day is right around the corner, it's time to look forward to spending some quality time with that special someone in a special place.     Sweethearts and other romantics swear by Landmark Inn in Castroville, a quaint burg with an Alsatian flair just west of San Antonio. The historic site, which boasts a charming bed and breakfast inn more than 150 years old, is featuring a "deluxe romantic package" throughout the month of February.     Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, falls on a Wednesday this year, so the state-owned inn that dates from 1849, is offering the special package on any weekend of February. You'll be pampered with breakfast in bed one morning and enjoy the serenity of antique-furnished rooms with no telephones, television sets or other distractions.     Guests booking the special package for the weekends of Feb. 10 and 17 also will receive free entry to an exhibit featuring handmade quilts from a handful of Castroville collections, according to Ken Conway, the inn's superintendent. The quilts will be on display in the Landmark Inn's new 800-square-foot reception/banquet hall that occupies the former location of the inn's museum.     The package price ranges from $330 plus tax to $404 plus tax per couple. The package includes a two-night stay at the inn on the banks of the Medina River, one evening of fine French dining at La Normandie Restaurant and lunch at the Castroville Café. Guests will arrive to find in their room a fresh flower arrangement and gift basket.     Breakfast in bed will be served one morning, with the other breakfast being offered in the parlor of the riverside Vance House, one of several historic structures on the five-acre site operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.     Former inn owner Ruth Lawler, who once lived in the Vance House, donated the historic site to the State of Texas in 1974. Landmark Inn is only one of two TPWD properties operated as a bed and breakfast establishment. The other is located in Marshall at the Starr Mansion State Historic Site.     The Landmark Inn offers 10 heated and air-conditioned rooms, four with private baths. Six of the rooms are in the main, two-story inn, while two are in the old rock bathhouse and two others are located in the Vance House.     Ranked among the state's Top 10 B&Bs by Texas Highways magazine readers, the Landmark Inn has been carefully restored and maintained to provide guests with an opportunity to touch Texas' frontier past while enjoying all the modern comforts of home. The inn dates to 1849 when Swiss merchant Cesar Monod built a store on El Camino Real at the nearby Medina River crossing.     To reserve your special Valentine's package, call the inn at (830)931-2133 and "sleep where history was made."     On the Net: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landmarkinn