 HLDW’s webmaster, frequent guest and great friend of HLDW, Charles Watkins, will be at our meeting to speak about Ophelia ‘Birdie’ Harwood – who he claims is the most notable person in the history of Marble Falls. She’s known as the nation’s first woman Mayor and a reformer who put the City on the track for success. Charles has been researching Birdie since he moved to Marble Falls some 12 years ago and loves to tell her story. One point of particular interest is whether she was indeed the first woman Mayor in the US. The material being presented was developed for an exhibit at the Falls on the Colorado Museum, where you can learn more about Birdie and her times. Graduating from the University of Texas with a doctorate in Speech-Communication, Charles dove into the computer business and ended up Director of Product Planning for Texas Instrument’s Computer Systems Division. Charles moved to the West Coast to be the UNIX Product Manager at the Santa Cruz Operation, then returned to the Austin area to work at Dell Technologies before partnering in a consulting firm, Open Technology Services. After 9/11, he sold OTS, retired from his career in technology marketing, and took up writing park grants with Austin-based Grant Development Services. Locally, he got funding for park projects in Granite Shoals, Cottonwood Shores, and Johnson City. Moving to Marble Falls, he joined the Parks and Recreation Commission and served 5 years as its Chair. He’s a long time volunteer at the Marble Falls Visitor Center and occasionally plays Santa at the Walkway of Lights. You might have seen him as Hermann Fuchs in the Legends of the Falls. In addition to taking care of HLDW’s website, he’s also the webmaster for the Burnet County Democrats and works with the county’s VAN voter database. We invite you to attend the HLDW meeting Thursday May 25, 2023 at 11:30 am, check in at 11:15 am We are meeting at Hidden Falls Bistro and Bar, 220 Meadowlakes Drive, Meadowlakes 78654. Cost is $20 per person REMEMBER, WE WILL HAVE A SOCIAL GATHERING AFTER THE MEETING IN THE BAR AT HIDDEN FALLS GRILL FOR COOKIES, BEVERAGES AND FELLOWSHIP- HOPE YOU CAN JOIN IN!
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Highland Lakes Democratic Women were entertained and educated by NASA Engineer Marybeth Edeen at the April meeting. Ms. Edeen spent 35 years as a civil servant at NASA's Johnson Space Center. She started out in the Engineering Directorate working on Advanced Life Support System development and testing. Next, was a move to working on International Space Station Environmental Control and Life Support Systems before her last move to leading the Space Station Research Office. Ms. Edeen holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas and a Masters in Chemical Engineering from Rice University. Ms. Edeen shared amazing stories about the history and advancement of the Space Station during her tenure. HLDW was honored to welcome her to the meeting. HLDW meets the 4th Thursday of the month at Hidden Falls Bistro and Bar, 220 Meadowlakes Drive, Meadowlakes TX 78654. Cost for meeting and lunch is $20 per person.  Highland Lake Democratic Women Vice President Ann Stevenson, on right, welcomes speaker Marybeth Edeen
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