Those who didn't come out to the Anderson County Courthouse this morning missed a good time and a reminder of from where we as a state and a nation have come. The Negro Historical Preservation Society in Palestine began its 16th annual Juneteenth Celebration on the courthouse steps with a brief opening program with thoughts from local organizers and a re-enactment of soldiers escorting the first black voters to the polls, followed by a parade from the courthouse square to Calhoun Park. It was a really nice program and a timely reminder of our history as a nation, since we recently elected our first black President.
Events continue throughout the day at Calhoun Park with food, games, activities and speakers. At 3 p.m., the Ayubu Kamau Kings and Queens will perform an exhibition of African dance and drums. Those who plan to attend are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. From the Anderson County Courthouse, drive north on Perry Street, turn right on E. Murchison Street, then left on E. Calhoun Street at The Antioch Church and follow it until it ends at the park's parking lot.
Check the Herald-Press Photo Gallery later for photos from the courthouse and parade.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
What part of 'NO' doesn't Dallas understand?
Just checking the most recent Google alerts in my email and I found a link to a story online in the Dallas Morning News regarding the City of Dallas' latest attempt to lay claim to someone else's water.
Seems that the City of Dallas and the Texas Water Development Board have now filed suit with the U.S. Supreme Court in an attempt to overturn the ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that gave the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service the green light to move forward with a national wildlife refuge on the Neches River along Anderson and Cherokee counties. The appeals court ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed jointly by Dallas and the TWDB in an effort to use the same area of the Neches to build Lake Fastrill to supply Dallas' projected future water needs.
I guess I would feel a little differently if Dallas had a history of water conservation. It doesn't. Why is watering a lawn and washing an SUV more important than preserving hardwood bottomland? Wasn't the State of Oklahoma recently sued by Tarrant County and Dallas for water from north of the Red River? That's apparently supposed to go to trial in December. So when they might not be able to get what they want from Oklahoma they come back - again - to East Texas? If I paid city taxes to Dallas, I'd be getting pretty upset at the legal fees accumulating over these lawsuits. They need to use what resources are already available and learn better habits, like the rest of us.
No means no, whether it comes from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals or the State of Oklahoma. Move on.
Seems that the City of Dallas and the Texas Water Development Board have now filed suit with the U.S. Supreme Court in an attempt to overturn the ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that gave the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service the green light to move forward with a national wildlife refuge on the Neches River along Anderson and Cherokee counties. The appeals court ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed jointly by Dallas and the TWDB in an effort to use the same area of the Neches to build Lake Fastrill to supply Dallas' projected future water needs.
I guess I would feel a little differently if Dallas had a history of water conservation. It doesn't. Why is watering a lawn and washing an SUV more important than preserving hardwood bottomland? Wasn't the State of Oklahoma recently sued by Tarrant County and Dallas for water from north of the Red River? That's apparently supposed to go to trial in December. So when they might not be able to get what they want from Oklahoma they come back - again - to East Texas? If I paid city taxes to Dallas, I'd be getting pretty upset at the legal fees accumulating over these lawsuits. They need to use what resources are already available and learn better habits, like the rest of us.
No means no, whether it comes from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals or the State of Oklahoma. Move on.
Really nice tribute to former Frankston coach
My Google alerts picked up on this letter written by Jeff Austin Jr. about former Frankston coach Vernon Harton. Austin is part of the Austin banking family from Frankston. He grew up in Frankston, graduated from the school there and remains active in the community.
The letter was posted Mon., June 8 on the sports blog on Smoaky.com. It's a wonderful tribute to a man who shaped many young lives while at the school. Kudos to David Smoak for posting it! Check it out by clicking on the word "letter" above. It's well worth your time.
The letter was posted Mon., June 8 on the sports blog on Smoaky.com. It's a wonderful tribute to a man who shaped many young lives while at the school. Kudos to David Smoak for posting it! Check it out by clicking on the word "letter" above. It's well worth your time.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Reminiscing over Saturdays and Mondays past
We've now seen the last of the Monday and Saturday Palestine Herald-Press editions. Seems strange that we won't print a paper tonight, or Friday night. I hate to see it, but at least we're still printing a paper. They won't be doing that at some locations, such as the Denver Post. On the bright side, I guess I should be able to spend Friday nights at home with my family now, or at least most weeks. It may sound strange but I felt honored to be entrusted with laying out the last Saturday front page. The Herald-Press took a chance on hiring me 19 years ago as a young sports reporter, with no daily newspaper experience and a girl in what was almost exclusively a guy's job. It meant a lot then, and I'll always have a special place in my heart for the H-P and for Palestine. I've come and gone a couple times over the years since, gotten married to a Leon County boy and started a family. The H-P has been a thread running through that fabric in one way or another since 1990, whether as an employee or a reader. So being the person "on desk," as we call doing the page layout and editing, meant a great deal. I hope our work on Mondays and Saturdays has in some way been meaningful to you, too. Thanks for being there with us, and keep coming back the remaining five days!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Top 10 percent rule
I just read the Associated Press story about the House vote to amend the "Top 10 Percent" admission rule to Texas' public colleges and universities. I have one response - hogwash! The part that really sticks in my craw is this passage:
To me, this is a blatant attempt to limit the number of vals and sals from the Class A and 2A schools, and from the troubled schools around the state, who want to attend UT Austin. Seems to me an attempt to cut out the small country schools to bring in more of the kids fortunate enough to live in a large "name" school district. The kids have little control over where their parents choose to work and live. If a child worked hard enough to be named valedictorian or salutatorian, no matter where the school or how big, then why are we going to tell that student "I'm sorry, you don't look to cut it here as well as somebody from one of the large, prosperous districts."
I won't name names but I call to mind two students - one from a Class A school 13 miles from here and the other from a 2A school 23 miles from here - who either took advantage of the Top 10 rule or could have. I was blessed to have both young women in class when I taught. The Class A student should be graduating from USC with a political science type degree in an international relations field, if I remember correctly. The Class 2A student just graduated from UT-Austin in December with a Radio-Television-Film degree, and could have done computer science, as well. She's working for a PBS station now. These two were exceptional, but they were not the exception. They were the best of some very good, and highly motivated, students at both schools.
Life has plenty of tough lessons to learn. Let the kids prove in the college classroom whether they can make the grade.
Supporters of changing the law say it has caused a “brain drain” at UT-Austin, prompting exceptional students who fall just outside its top 10 percent parameters to go elsewhere, including out-of-state schools.
To me, this is a blatant attempt to limit the number of vals and sals from the Class A and 2A schools, and from the troubled schools around the state, who want to attend UT Austin. Seems to me an attempt to cut out the small country schools to bring in more of the kids fortunate enough to live in a large "name" school district. The kids have little control over where their parents choose to work and live. If a child worked hard enough to be named valedictorian or salutatorian, no matter where the school or how big, then why are we going to tell that student "I'm sorry, you don't look to cut it here as well as somebody from one of the large, prosperous districts."
I won't name names but I call to mind two students - one from a Class A school 13 miles from here and the other from a 2A school 23 miles from here - who either took advantage of the Top 10 rule or could have. I was blessed to have both young women in class when I taught. The Class A student should be graduating from USC with a political science type degree in an international relations field, if I remember correctly. The Class 2A student just graduated from UT-Austin in December with a Radio-Television-Film degree, and could have done computer science, as well. She's working for a PBS station now. These two were exceptional, but they were not the exception. They were the best of some very good, and highly motivated, students at both schools.
Life has plenty of tough lessons to learn. Let the kids prove in the college classroom whether they can make the grade.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Warning: Medicine cabinets may cause drowsiness
This is why you should always close the cabinet doors. Katie the Wonder Cat decided Tuesday that the bottom shelf of the medicine cabinet would be better suited for napping than anything else. Good thing the shelf was empty. Guess I'll be wiping that down today since I'm off work. Maybe she should have some coffee, since the coffee maker is right below her on the countertop. And no, the best part of waking up is NOT cat hair in your cup. Yuck.Note: The cat did not come in contact with any open medication. She wasn't even annoyed enough by the flash photography to want to move.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
UFO or science balloon??
Apparently the good folks at the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility got the attention of people in New Mexico and Arizona yesterday.
News stories are floating around cyberspace about reports of an unidentified object drifting in the skies over those two states Monday.
One person in Sedona even went so far as to compare the translucent object to the "gigantic bubble from the Wizard of Oz."
Turns out it wasn't Glenda the Good Witch of the North.
The mysterious object was a 4,000-pound scientific balloon launched from a location in New Mexico on Sunday to measure gamma ray emissions.
Probably the best story appeared in the Arizona Republic, which is where the Wizard of Oz quote originated. Click here to link to that story.
News stories are floating around cyberspace about reports of an unidentified object drifting in the skies over those two states Monday.
One person in Sedona even went so far as to compare the translucent object to the "gigantic bubble from the Wizard of Oz."
Turns out it wasn't Glenda the Good Witch of the North.
The mysterious object was a 4,000-pound scientific balloon launched from a location in New Mexico on Sunday to measure gamma ray emissions.
Probably the best story appeared in the Arizona Republic, which is where the Wizard of Oz quote originated. Click here to link to that story.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Post election
Palestine Mayor Dr. Carolyn Salter called it last night during her goodbye speech at the Palestine City Council - voters wanted change. In case you missed it, Salter became the odd man out of the three-person mayoral race. Dan Bochsler and Bob Herrington remain in the running. The council will officially canvass the vote next week at its 5:30 p.m. Monday meeting. After the vote is canvassed and made official, the date for the runoff election between Bochsler and Herrington will be set. According to state law, that has to be no less than 20 days and no more than 45 days from the canvassing date, so sometime around mid-June we'll vote again for mayor.
While the mayor's race certainly has resulted in change, the more far-reaching changes occurred in the school bond elections. Three times prior, Elkhart ISD had unsuccessfully attempted to convince voters in the district to pass a bond that will allow the school to build new facilities to house the ever-growing number of students educated there. Palestine ISD also had tried unsuccessfully in the past to pass a bond to improve its facilities. This time, both passed easily. That's very good for the children in those schools. I think Anderson County Prec. 2 Commissioner Rashad Q. Mims said it best last week when he commented that voters in Anderson County had seen fit to build a new jail to house criminals, but were hesitating to do something for their children:
While the mayor's race certainly has resulted in change, the more far-reaching changes occurred in the school bond elections. Three times prior, Elkhart ISD had unsuccessfully attempted to convince voters in the district to pass a bond that will allow the school to build new facilities to house the ever-growing number of students educated there. Palestine ISD also had tried unsuccessfully in the past to pass a bond to improve its facilities. This time, both passed easily. That's very good for the children in those schools. I think Anderson County Prec. 2 Commissioner Rashad Q. Mims said it best last week when he commented that voters in Anderson County had seen fit to build a new jail to house criminals, but were hesitating to do something for their children:
“You invested in a new jail facility, almost 300 beds,” Mims said. “As a taxpayer, you’re paying for those inmates” to eat, sleep and have access to medical care.Seems that the voters listened.
“Why not invest in a child’s future that we can turn them (today’s students) into a productive taxpayer?” Mims asked.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
School traffic rant
It's 2:20 p.m., which means it's almost time for the second of my twice-daily blood pressure spikes, both induced by transporting kids to and from school. There's nothing like feet-dragging, complaining kids and traffic congestion to start the day off right (ahem). Likewise, there's nothing like more traffic congestion and word that the youngest foot-dragger has acted up again in class to make your afternoon. I think for Mother's Day my family can just get me a framed "Terrorist Negotiator" certificate to hang on the wall for having to deal with these unhappy little (or not so little) Foleys.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to suggest a rider to the $64 million bond issue that voters in Palestine ISD will decide upon this Saturday. Carve out a few dollars to paint a line down Wanda Drive as it runs beside Story School to create a "5th Grade Only" pickup lane and clearly mark it with a big "5" painted at the beginning by Moody Street and a road sign or two. Paint a second line parallel to the first and mark that newly created middle lane as "3rd and 4th Grade Only" so that the parents arriving for kids in those two grades can pull up without worrying if they're cutting line in front of other 3rd and 4th grade parents stuck in the middle of the 5th grade traffic. Ban 5th grade parents from parking along the curb on the opposite side of Wanda by the playground so that two-way traffic can flow. (if the bond passes and Story's grades change, you can re-label the lanes with the appropriate grades when that time comes.)
As it is now, if you get there too early, there'll be a line of cars parked along Wanda waiting to turn into the school's drive to pick up kids at the three wings. There'll also be half a dozen vehicles parked on the opposite side by the playground with parents sitting at the pavillion and waiting for their 5th graders to come out, with room in between for one lane of traffic to pass. I really don't see why anybody gets there at 3 p.m. or earlier to wait on the 5th grade when they're the last to be released, sometime after 3:15. It creates congestion and confusion because there's no way for a driver approaching from Moody to tell what grade the cars already there are waiting for until the assigned teacher is able to come outside and direct traffic. (Mr. Lamb, you deserve hazardous duty pay and a medal!) I've been early and sitting waiting to turn when other drivers have cruised right on up and cut in, which can be infuriating. I've also driven up later and mistakenly thought that only 5th grade parents were waiting, and so pulled on up only to find out otherwise. That's embarrassing and ought to be avoidable.
While I'm on my soapbox, I'd also like to suggest that a note be sent home at the beginning of the school year addressing drop-off/pickup driver etiquette. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems like for the sake of keeping the lines at each wing from backing up, the driver at the front of the line whose child just got in the car should be allowed the courtesy of pulling away from the curb by the drivers approaching from more than one car length back. Again, maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me if you're driving past, say, the third grade wing and you're more than one car length behind the car picking up a child, you ought to be going slow enough to be able to stop to allow that 3rd grade parent to merge and the ones behind them to pull up. Wouldn't you want that parent to do so for you?
I'd also like to take this opportunity to suggest a rider to the $64 million bond issue that voters in Palestine ISD will decide upon this Saturday. Carve out a few dollars to paint a line down Wanda Drive as it runs beside Story School to create a "5th Grade Only" pickup lane and clearly mark it with a big "5" painted at the beginning by Moody Street and a road sign or two. Paint a second line parallel to the first and mark that newly created middle lane as "3rd and 4th Grade Only" so that the parents arriving for kids in those two grades can pull up without worrying if they're cutting line in front of other 3rd and 4th grade parents stuck in the middle of the 5th grade traffic. Ban 5th grade parents from parking along the curb on the opposite side of Wanda by the playground so that two-way traffic can flow. (if the bond passes and Story's grades change, you can re-label the lanes with the appropriate grades when that time comes.)
As it is now, if you get there too early, there'll be a line of cars parked along Wanda waiting to turn into the school's drive to pick up kids at the three wings. There'll also be half a dozen vehicles parked on the opposite side by the playground with parents sitting at the pavillion and waiting for their 5th graders to come out, with room in between for one lane of traffic to pass. I really don't see why anybody gets there at 3 p.m. or earlier to wait on the 5th grade when they're the last to be released, sometime after 3:15. It creates congestion and confusion because there's no way for a driver approaching from Moody to tell what grade the cars already there are waiting for until the assigned teacher is able to come outside and direct traffic. (Mr. Lamb, you deserve hazardous duty pay and a medal!) I've been early and sitting waiting to turn when other drivers have cruised right on up and cut in, which can be infuriating. I've also driven up later and mistakenly thought that only 5th grade parents were waiting, and so pulled on up only to find out otherwise. That's embarrassing and ought to be avoidable.
While I'm on my soapbox, I'd also like to suggest that a note be sent home at the beginning of the school year addressing drop-off/pickup driver etiquette. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems like for the sake of keeping the lines at each wing from backing up, the driver at the front of the line whose child just got in the car should be allowed the courtesy of pulling away from the curb by the drivers approaching from more than one car length back. Again, maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me if you're driving past, say, the third grade wing and you're more than one car length behind the car picking up a child, you ought to be going slow enough to be able to stop to allow that 3rd grade parent to merge and the ones behind them to pull up. Wouldn't you want that parent to do so for you?
Monday, May 4, 2009
Random thoughts over my 2nd cup of coffee...
Monday morning status report: Kids at school on time (that's always worth noting with our feet-draggers), husband's crutches delivered, work e-mail checked, two chocolate doughnuts devoured and one cup of coffee drank, with one more begun on my day off....
Saturday's Cinco de Mayo Celebration in Reagan Park
I don't know about you but I thought it was great to see the park filled with people enjoying themselves at a family-oriented festival Saturday. What a terrific idea, and implementation! I didn't bring my kids to it - I usually don't to events like this because it's much harder to do my job while worrying about who's wandered off where - but if I'm not covering next year's event, I'd love to bring them. The food looked and smelled great, the music was good and the elementary kids dancing were fun to watch. It made me wonder - why have we waited till 2009 to do this?
Saturday's scary roof collapse at the Cowboys' indoor practice facility
With the violent wind and hail storms they get in the Metroplex, you would think that something like this would have happened before now, not six years after this facility opened. I read the accounts on the Associated Press Saturday night while putting together the Sunday paper, and I just finished reading the Dallas Morning News' stories and blogs, particularly those by Todd Archer. Archer was the DMN staff reporter who was on the field when the structure collapsed, and was pinned to the ground under some of the door frame. It was interesting to read his first-hand account of what happened. It's amazing more people were not injured, or killed. Whatever your opinion may be of Jerry Jones' management style or draft day involvement, he stepped up to the plate Saturday, leaving the Kentucky Derby early to fly back and spend time with those hospitalized. From one report I read, he's expecting Rick Behm to continue on with the team once his recovery allows. Behm is the 33-year-old employee with the scouting and video end of the organization who was paralyzed from the waist down. Good for you, Jerry. That's putting the special in special teams.
From the "They don't make 'em like they used to" department:
Something our youngest daughter said this morning while getting ready for school reminded my husband and me of those old Joe Isuzu commercials from the late '80s. Remember him, the sleazy car salesman who'd tell lies about the products while the car company would put up "He's lying" across the screen? When we tried to explain to the child why we were laughing, she didn't get it, so I pulled up You Tube and found some of the commercials posted there. She watched while putting on her shoes and laughed as hard as we did, then asked why we bought an Isuzu pickup with that lying salesman on TV. Click the link above to watch some funny clips.
Saturday's Cinco de Mayo Celebration in Reagan Park
I don't know about you but I thought it was great to see the park filled with people enjoying themselves at a family-oriented festival Saturday. What a terrific idea, and implementation! I didn't bring my kids to it - I usually don't to events like this because it's much harder to do my job while worrying about who's wandered off where - but if I'm not covering next year's event, I'd love to bring them. The food looked and smelled great, the music was good and the elementary kids dancing were fun to watch. It made me wonder - why have we waited till 2009 to do this?
Saturday's scary roof collapse at the Cowboys' indoor practice facility
With the violent wind and hail storms they get in the Metroplex, you would think that something like this would have happened before now, not six years after this facility opened. I read the accounts on the Associated Press Saturday night while putting together the Sunday paper, and I just finished reading the Dallas Morning News' stories and blogs, particularly those by Todd Archer. Archer was the DMN staff reporter who was on the field when the structure collapsed, and was pinned to the ground under some of the door frame. It was interesting to read his first-hand account of what happened. It's amazing more people were not injured, or killed. Whatever your opinion may be of Jerry Jones' management style or draft day involvement, he stepped up to the plate Saturday, leaving the Kentucky Derby early to fly back and spend time with those hospitalized. From one report I read, he's expecting Rick Behm to continue on with the team once his recovery allows. Behm is the 33-year-old employee with the scouting and video end of the organization who was paralyzed from the waist down. Good for you, Jerry. That's putting the special in special teams.
From the "They don't make 'em like they used to" department:
Something our youngest daughter said this morning while getting ready for school reminded my husband and me of those old Joe Isuzu commercials from the late '80s. Remember him, the sleazy car salesman who'd tell lies about the products while the car company would put up "He's lying" across the screen? When we tried to explain to the child why we were laughing, she didn't get it, so I pulled up You Tube and found some of the commercials posted there. She watched while putting on her shoes and laughed as hard as we did, then asked why we bought an Isuzu pickup with that lying salesman on TV. Click the link above to watch some funny clips.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Flu and you: Don't panic - use common sense
Flu or allergies? Allergies or flu?
Seems to me both share some - not all - symptoms.
Is your head all stopped up? Sore throat? Headache? Kind of a yucky, "blehck" feeling? (yeah, I made that spelling up - we've all said it or something like to describe feeling bad but how do you spell that???)
I feel that way all the time.
When I first read the swine flu symptoms, I thought, "Dang, I'm really sick." Then I thought about it some more. I don't have fever. I'm not throwing up. I don't feel run over. I'm tired because I'm a mom and I work weird hours. I feel like this because I live with a cat, kids who don't pick up after themselves and create science experiments with half-eaten bowls of cereal hidden under the couch (Fruit Loops create blue milk....ewwwwwww......) and it's spring in East Texas.
We have yet to have any cases - confirmed or otherwise - of swine flu in this region. Before we panic and assume we've got the flu, let's take a deep, wheezy breath and double-check the list of symptoms.
2-1-1 is a toll-free information line that can provide more info on the swine flu.
In the meantime, if you want to play it safe, do what you normally would in a flu outbreak.
Seems to me both share some - not all - symptoms.
Is your head all stopped up? Sore throat? Headache? Kind of a yucky, "blehck" feeling? (yeah, I made that spelling up - we've all said it or something like to describe feeling bad but how do you spell that???)
I feel that way all the time.
When I first read the swine flu symptoms, I thought, "Dang, I'm really sick." Then I thought about it some more. I don't have fever. I'm not throwing up. I don't feel run over. I'm tired because I'm a mom and I work weird hours. I feel like this because I live with a cat, kids who don't pick up after themselves and create science experiments with half-eaten bowls of cereal hidden under the couch (Fruit Loops create blue milk....ewwwwwww......) and it's spring in East Texas.
We have yet to have any cases - confirmed or otherwise - of swine flu in this region. Before we panic and assume we've got the flu, let's take a deep, wheezy breath and double-check the list of symptoms.
- Nasal congestion
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Dry cough
- Tiredness
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Fever over 100.5
- Achiness
2-1-1 is a toll-free information line that can provide more info on the swine flu.
In the meantime, if you want to play it safe, do what you normally would in a flu outbreak.
- Wash your hands with warm water and soap. Like we learned in Girl Scouts, warm water kills germs better than cold. Carry a travel-size bottle of hand sanitizer in your pocket and rub it on your hands occasionally.
- Clean your work area or home with a good disinfectant. Wipe off door handles, faucets, refrigerator doors, TV remote controls, telephones, steering wheels - whatever your hands and mouth might come in contact with on a very regular basis that we normally don't think about. It wouldn't hurt to clean them once in awhile anyway.
- Sneeze or cough into a tissue if possible, then throw it in the trash. If you can't grab one in time, try the crook of your elbow. Most people don't shake hands there.
- Wear a mask if you're feeling sick and you're going to the doctor's office or the hospital. That way you don't pass along germs to other people, and you don't get theirs.
- If you are sick, stay home. Don't put yourself around a lot of other people unless it's to seek medical attention. Think of it this way - do you want to get what somebody else has?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
And another thing: Texas State Railroad in Texas Highways
While I was at Kroger's this morning buying milk, I picked up a copy of the current Texas Highways magazine. It's easy to spot - Engine 201 of the Texas State Railroad is steaming toward you on the cover. The railroad is the cover story of the May 2009 issue, with the story and beautiful photos beginning on 24 with a cool double-page photo similar to the cover shot. The story details the railroad's passage from state park to American Heritage Railways and mentions some of the unique events that AHR owner Al Harper has brought in to boost ridership. Written by Randy Mallory, a talented freelance writer/photographer in Tyler and photographed by Erich Schlegel, an award-winning Dallas Morning News photographer, it's a nice read and wonderful publicity statewide for the railroad.
Videos, more photos from FSB's 100th anniversary
Seems like troubled, faltering banks have been in the news a lot over the past few months. They could take a lesson from one based here in Anderson County. First State Bank of Frankston celebrated 100 years in the banking business yesterday at its Frankston home. Several representatives from banking organizations and the state spoke and presented framed certificates, and bank president Russ Gideon presented each member of the bank's founding family, the Austins, with a commorative clock. The Austins are still very much an intregral part of the bank and the Frankston community. The bank must be doing something right by its customers and employees. Jim and Mary Johnson have kept their money there for over 50 years, and Lella Tipton worked for the bank for 48 years before retiring. Today, the bank is holding a reception at its Noonday branch, with another reception scheduled for the Palestine branch on S. Loop 256 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday).
Check out our story in today's paper, "Centennial Celebration: First State Bank of Frankston marks 100 years," and check our web site later today or tomorrow for video clips and photos in the H-P photo gallery. (They're coming. I haven't had a chance to edit and upload them yet, though.)
Check out our story in today's paper, "Centennial Celebration: First State Bank of Frankston marks 100 years," and check our web site later today or tomorrow for video clips and photos in the H-P photo gallery. (They're coming. I haven't had a chance to edit and upload them yet, though.)
The mayoral forum and newspaper deadlines
I attended the first half or so of last night's mayoral forum, held at Old Magnolia Sandwich Shop and sponsored by the Palestine Young Professionals Network. All three candidates - incumbent Mayor Carolyn Salter and challengers Dan Bochsler and Bob Herrington - participated in the event, which was attended by approximately two dozen people. The way it worked was like this: Candidates were asked 12 questions, which were written by the PYPN, with order of answer rotated for fairness. Each person was given plenty of time to respond. Also, before the forum began, Palestine High School principal Shon Joseph spoke for several minutes to urge those present to vote for the PISD school bond in the upcoming election on May 9.
It was interesting to listen to what the three candidates had to say, and to observe reactions to each others' responses. You can learn a lot through body language and tone of voice. I won't tout one over another - it's not my job to do so - but I will say that each comes across as smart, successful and well qualified, with different personalities. They obviously care enough about the town in which they live to give up their personal time and money to serve. Regardless of who wins, they're all to be applauded for that.
But I'm chasing rabbits now and need to get back to the point, which is this: I had to leave well before the forum ended, due to our change in deadlines and print times. Just a few weeks ago, I could have stayed for the entire thing, written my story at 1 a.m. if I wanted to, and still made deadline. Our last pages were due to the production people by 8 a.m., with printing mid-morning. Now, our last pages are due by 11:30 p.m. with some built-in "wiggle room" and they're printed a little after midnight. That's why some of you are getting your paper at 6 a.m. now. That's great for getting fresh news on the street when people get up in the morning. However, it means we've got to have a cutoff point in the evening to have time to get stories written and edited and the pages built and checked. It also means, instead of writing an overview of the entire forum, I had to choose something out of what I heard and go with that. Because of the economy and job concerns, I chose to focus on the candidates' responses to the question about the Palestine Economic Development Corporation and its future. Some people like the PEDC, some people don't, but with director Brian Malone officially resigned to take a similar job in Athens, the corporation's future is very much a timely topic and something to continue to watch.
One more note on our candidate coverage: We try not to appear to favor one person over another. That's why the photo from the forum shows all three people, although only one is answering a question. As much as reasonably possible, we try to keep the number and length of quotes about the same, for the same reason. Obviously, incumbents have an advantage in, say, a meeting story because they're already on the council or commissioners court or school board. We also try to run candidate announcement stories and Q&A's at the same place on the front page, with as close to the same size headline as possible. With early voting beginning April 27, we'll begin the Q&A's soon. Keep watching.
It was interesting to listen to what the three candidates had to say, and to observe reactions to each others' responses. You can learn a lot through body language and tone of voice. I won't tout one over another - it's not my job to do so - but I will say that each comes across as smart, successful and well qualified, with different personalities. They obviously care enough about the town in which they live to give up their personal time and money to serve. Regardless of who wins, they're all to be applauded for that.
But I'm chasing rabbits now and need to get back to the point, which is this: I had to leave well before the forum ended, due to our change in deadlines and print times. Just a few weeks ago, I could have stayed for the entire thing, written my story at 1 a.m. if I wanted to, and still made deadline. Our last pages were due to the production people by 8 a.m., with printing mid-morning. Now, our last pages are due by 11:30 p.m. with some built-in "wiggle room" and they're printed a little after midnight. That's why some of you are getting your paper at 6 a.m. now. That's great for getting fresh news on the street when people get up in the morning. However, it means we've got to have a cutoff point in the evening to have time to get stories written and edited and the pages built and checked. It also means, instead of writing an overview of the entire forum, I had to choose something out of what I heard and go with that. Because of the economy and job concerns, I chose to focus on the candidates' responses to the question about the Palestine Economic Development Corporation and its future. Some people like the PEDC, some people don't, but with director Brian Malone officially resigned to take a similar job in Athens, the corporation's future is very much a timely topic and something to continue to watch.
One more note on our candidate coverage: We try not to appear to favor one person over another. That's why the photo from the forum shows all three people, although only one is answering a question. As much as reasonably possible, we try to keep the number and length of quotes about the same, for the same reason. Obviously, incumbents have an advantage in, say, a meeting story because they're already on the council or commissioners court or school board. We also try to run candidate announcement stories and Q&A's at the same place on the front page, with as close to the same size headline as possible. With early voting beginning April 27, we'll begin the Q&A's soon. Keep watching.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Mayoral candidate forum set for Tuesday
If you're interested in what the three candidates for Mayor of Palestine have to say about their candidacies and their ideas for the city, head over to Old Magnolia Sandwich Shop in downtown Palestine at 120 W. Oak St. The event starts at 7 p.m. Those running for mayor include incumbent Dr. Carolyn Salter, who is seeking a third consecutive two-year term, and challengers Dan Bochsler, who is president of the Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce, and Bob Herrington, who heads the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Preserving your past
Cheril's devastating house fire and Scott's near-miss house fire have me convinced that I need to get busy digitizing our Foley family photos. Cheril lost nearly everything when her mobile home burned a couple of months ago, while Scott was far more fortunate - he and his wife Lauren were in the middle of moving, with everything packed already, when a fire started in the kitchen ceiling. They didn't lose anything but got a hefty scare.
So I've begun scanning family photos, creating labeled folders in My Pictures on the computer and naming each photo with pertinent info, such as who's in it and when it was taken. I intend to burn CDs and lock them in a safe deposit box. In the meantime, though, I've created an account with a free online photo service, Flickr.com, and I've begun uploading to it. My goal with that is to link my Flickr account to our family blog. That way, not only can the extended family post info about what we're doing, we can also swap family photos and information about who's in the ones already posted. Seems like it take a funeral to pull us all together, so I'm hoping this blog and photo account will help improve that.
To anyone who's been thinking about doing something like this with their own photos but hasn't yet, it was pretty easy to set up the Flickr account and to upload photos from our computer to the website. You have options about who can view your photos - everyone or only those who you invite. I like that. Same thing with our family blog, which is also hosted on Blogger.com (also called blogspot). If you already have an email account with Yahoo.com, you can use your Yahoo user name and password for Flickr, since Flickr is affiliated with Yahoo. Likewise, Blogger.com is affiliated with Google.com.
One thing to note: If you create a blog or photo account and want to keep it private for only those whom you invite and not the rest of the world, the people whom you invite will have to have an account (ex., Google mail for Blogger.com, Yahoo for Flickr) to open your blog and to post to it. This doesn't seem to be a big deal to people who are online a lot, but for people who do very little on the Internet, it could take some hand-holding to walk them through the initial set-up process.
So I've begun scanning family photos, creating labeled folders in My Pictures on the computer and naming each photo with pertinent info, such as who's in it and when it was taken. I intend to burn CDs and lock them in a safe deposit box. In the meantime, though, I've created an account with a free online photo service, Flickr.com, and I've begun uploading to it. My goal with that is to link my Flickr account to our family blog. That way, not only can the extended family post info about what we're doing, we can also swap family photos and information about who's in the ones already posted. Seems like it take a funeral to pull us all together, so I'm hoping this blog and photo account will help improve that.
To anyone who's been thinking about doing something like this with their own photos but hasn't yet, it was pretty easy to set up the Flickr account and to upload photos from our computer to the website. You have options about who can view your photos - everyone or only those who you invite. I like that. Same thing with our family blog, which is also hosted on Blogger.com (also called blogspot). If you already have an email account with Yahoo.com, you can use your Yahoo user name and password for Flickr, since Flickr is affiliated with Yahoo. Likewise, Blogger.com is affiliated with Google.com.
One thing to note: If you create a blog or photo account and want to keep it private for only those whom you invite and not the rest of the world, the people whom you invite will have to have an account (ex., Google mail for Blogger.com, Yahoo for Flickr) to open your blog and to post to it. This doesn't seem to be a big deal to people who are online a lot, but for people who do very little on the Internet, it could take some hand-holding to walk them through the initial set-up process.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Heartbreaking loss for Elkhart
My condolences and my heart go out to the family and friends of Leonard Grabs. Losing anyone is difficult and painful, but when it's a young person, the pain and the hole carved out in your heart are that much worse. I didn't know Leonard but from covering several Elkhart football games over the past three seasons I certainly remember him. He may not have been the biggest or the fastest player, but he always hustled and gave 110 percent for his Elks, no matter the score. He was a leader with the way he played. To Leonard's family and to Elkhart High School, you are in my prayers and thoughts. God be with you.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Little Mexico fire blog now up and running
Richard Keller, longtime host at Little Mexico, has started a blog to keep customers and friends updated on the progress of the popular eatery. The restaurant on W. Oak Street was damaged by fire on March 25, most heavily in the kitchen area. Richard's blog includes photos from fire, as well as photos taken since of the work being done to stabilize the ceiling/roof and remove equipment from the roof. Check it out at www.littlemexico.wordpress.com.
Local NASA mission making big splash
The NCAA March Madness has evolved into a cultural event around the country, drawing millions of viewers to watch 65 college basketball teams battle to see who's the best.
Taking a page out of the NCAA's playbook, NASA this year posted its own version of March Madness. Dubbed Mission Madness, the online game pits 64 NASA missions against each other to see which will come out on top as being the favorite of space program followers.
Mission Madness began on March 19 and has whittled its way down to the final two missions, one of which originated right here in Palestine at the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility.
The Superpressure Balloon, or SPB, is a pumpkin-shaped balloon designed to carry 1,000 pounds of scientific payload into orbit above the Earth for up to 100 days at a time.
Its challenger is SOHO, or Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, a spacecraft created to investigate the outer layer of the sun, make observations of solar wind and probe the interior of the sun.
Voting is online and open today and tomorrow, until midnight Tuesday. According to Danny Ball of the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, anyone with an Internet connection can go to www.nasa.gov, scroll down the page and click the link for Mission Madness. A "tournament" bracket will appear and you can cast your vote by clicking on either SPB or SOHO, then clicking "Submit Vote" and re-typing the code that appears (it keeps spammers from getting involved).
I just did. As of 1:20 p.m., SOHO holds a slim lead, 7,819 votes to 7,431 for SPB.
According to the website, you can vote as often as you'd like, kind of like the old adage, "Vote early, vote often," except that it's legal here.
Taking a page out of the NCAA's playbook, NASA this year posted its own version of March Madness. Dubbed Mission Madness, the online game pits 64 NASA missions against each other to see which will come out on top as being the favorite of space program followers.
Mission Madness began on March 19 and has whittled its way down to the final two missions, one of which originated right here in Palestine at the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility.
The Superpressure Balloon, or SPB, is a pumpkin-shaped balloon designed to carry 1,000 pounds of scientific payload into orbit above the Earth for up to 100 days at a time.
Its challenger is SOHO, or Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, a spacecraft created to investigate the outer layer of the sun, make observations of solar wind and probe the interior of the sun.
Voting is online and open today and tomorrow, until midnight Tuesday. According to Danny Ball of the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, anyone with an Internet connection can go to www.nasa.gov, scroll down the page and click the link for Mission Madness. A "tournament" bracket will appear and you can cast your vote by clicking on either SPB or SOHO, then clicking "Submit Vote" and re-typing the code that appears (it keeps spammers from getting involved).
I just did. As of 1:20 p.m., SOHO holds a slim lead, 7,819 votes to 7,431 for SPB.
According to the website, you can vote as often as you'd like, kind of like the old adage, "Vote early, vote often," except that it's legal here.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Proud Louisville alum tonight
Not news-related but....
I'm wearing my somewhat faded red University of Louisville sweatshirt with pride tonight in support of the UofL women's basketball team. The Lady Cards are playing in their first-ever NCAA championship game Tuesday night against unbeaten Connecticut, making it an all-Big East Conference final. They beat Oklahoma and Courtney Paris in the semifinals earlier tonight, as well as Baylor in the Sweet 16. I'm thrilled to see the program reach this point. When I was in middle and high school and going to basketball camp at UofL, the program drew fans by the hands full, not the thousands. I can remember going to a few games at Freedom Hall, buying tickets and being able to sit a few rows back from the court. If you shouted, you'd be heard clearly. Now they're playing for a national title. Wow. Even if it is against unbeaten UConn, which handed UofL two of its four losses. Wow. You go, ladies! Give 'em L!
I'm wearing my somewhat faded red University of Louisville sweatshirt with pride tonight in support of the UofL women's basketball team. The Lady Cards are playing in their first-ever NCAA championship game Tuesday night against unbeaten Connecticut, making it an all-Big East Conference final. They beat Oklahoma and Courtney Paris in the semifinals earlier tonight, as well as Baylor in the Sweet 16. I'm thrilled to see the program reach this point. When I was in middle and high school and going to basketball camp at UofL, the program drew fans by the hands full, not the thousands. I can remember going to a few games at Freedom Hall, buying tickets and being able to sit a few rows back from the court. If you shouted, you'd be heard clearly. Now they're playing for a national title. Wow. Even if it is against unbeaten UConn, which handed UofL two of its four losses. Wow. You go, ladies! Give 'em L!
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