Columns & Opinions

Walking billboards promote pedestrian safety

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If you happen to visit a high-traffic area in one of the state’s larger cities, you might come across some folks wearing sandwich boards, such as one sees during tax season or mattress sales. The Texas Department of Transportation has adopted this marketing device to promote its “Be Safe. Drive Smart” pedestrian safety campaign this month.

My shrinking world

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My world’s closing in on me, but not always in a bad way. It began with “retirement” from the work world. I shouldn’t say I retired, because this ranch is a work camp. And many of my more personal activities are rather solitary pursuits like drawing, painting, sculpting, writing, just repairing things, or helping Zack. You can’t be retired when you work all day, every day. Like many in the “retired” ranks, I wonder how I ever found time for my “real jobs.” I’m always doing things that need doing--- and trying to squeeze in things I actually want to do. I’m more tired than retired--- but never bored.

A City Boy Goes to the Country as a Methodist Minister

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One Friday afternoon late in November of 1954 as I was leaving Dallas on Hwy 75 to go to my charge at Chatfield and Tupelo, I got behind a long, long line of cars. It was terrible. I finally discovered that we were stacked up behind a vehicle that was going very slow. Little by little the cars were getting around him. When it was my time to go around, I realized it was Leo Sands who was one of my church members.

Wildfire danger continues to rise

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As we cross the halfway point of July, wildfire danger continues to increase across the state. On Friday, Texas A&M Forest Service firefighters responded to 15 new wildfires that burned 651 acres. As of Sunday, there were eight active wildfires; the largest was the Nethery Road Fire in Kimble County, involving an estimated 3,500 acres. It has been 70% contained.

Rustic Ramblings

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We do a lot of comic strips and drawings that never make it into newspapers. Some are gifts for anniversaries, confirmations, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, weddings, and loads of other occasions. One was drawn to acknowledge the efforts of a cousin who raised a boatload of money dancing in a big Dallas charity event. He was a very good sport about it, considering that he shares with me the defective family dancing gene. We’ve done cartoons for a few chefs and others we do business with. And we’ve produced lots of them for our physicians. They seem to enjoy these, and in turn rarely rush us out of their offices and pay close attention to what we ask or tell them. So, win-win. But our physicians would likely do those things anyway, because they’re all very good.

TEA releases STAAR results for grades 3-8

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The Texas Education Agency has released the 2022 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness Results for grades 3-8, which showed across-the-board improvements in all grades and subjects, with especially significant gains in reading. “The investments that the state is making in reading academies and accelerated instruction are clearly paying dividends for our students, and the results are a testament to the hard work of teachers across our state,” Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said.

Rustic Ramblings

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Many thanks to everyone involved in the Fourth of July fireworks display in Clifton Park. It was a safe, well-planned, thoughtfully organized, family-friendly event close to home. Many of us remember other July fireworks of past years, and I for one have missed them. Between drought/burn bans, COVID and other complications, it seems that the annual schedule was interrupted. This was disturbing and disconcerting.

Capital Highlights

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Three people were arrested last week by federal authorities in connection with a human smuggling incident that left 53 migrants dead. The migrants were discovered inside a tractor-trailer on San Antonio’s Southwest Side, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

Hot times in June

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I’m grateful for so many things, fortunate in so many ways. I may complain later about all the things I’m not particularly happy about or grateful for, like high fuel/foodprices and curious shortages. But right now I’m pretty happy about air conditioning. Since there’s no central air or heat in the old farmhouses, I’m specifically thankful for window units, despite the fact that three or four of our most recent and quite pricey acquisitions in that department have failed short months past warranty. I don’t believe in coincidences. I’m considering a split system, assured by “experts” that it would be a good option, considering our horrible track record with window units. But it would also be expensive, and installation would be needed far ahead of the summer months. It’s not something you can just slap into a window when a unit fails — which always takes me completely by surprise. Who expects total mechanical failure that soon? Switching to a split system would take planning. So it hasn’t happened yet. If we didn’t have window units, I’d be grateful for fans — ceiling and otherwise. I remember a time when those kept us cool in the summer — cool being a relative term.

A City Boy Goes to the Country as a Methodist Minister

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The second funeral I had at the Chatfield church was for a stillborn baby. The couple had been raised in the community but had moved away for work. Everyone was excited and followed their pregnancy with great glee. Along with the couple, and their families the church members were devastated with the outcome. What do you say, preacher? What do you do? I returned from the cemetery, fell across the bed and cried. Had I said anything that provided any kind of comfort? Maybe there are no words sufficient to bring peace to the soul. Maybe all you can do is to embrace each other and cry together.