The County Line - April 2010, v3i34

HP L L a u ib i p r ef p s re i u t n i y e t s of s !

Business & Community Journal --- April Mid-Month Edition, 2010

w w w. M y C o u n t y - L i n e . c o m

Volume 3 Issue 34

Speak up, join the discussion, take part!

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

Business & Community 2 •County Line Mid-Month Edition

APRIL, 2010

vol.3 Issue 34

On The Cover:

We all love our pets. Even our peskiest, most stubborn, spoiled rotten pets! They’re like kids, only they don’t argue with you over staying up too late on a school night!

Photos by mwnorris

In This Issue: The Critter Issue

Growing Up Small Town Daily Devotional Carbon - Then & Now Fish Aquariums Ranger Library Tumbleweed Smith C.A.R.E. Animal Features List of Veterinary Clinics Out of the Past Life Planning Issues Rising Star Library Notes Out of the Box Eastland Animal Shelter From the Backside School News

More on the Web...

The

Contents

Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34

Critter Issue T

May First Edition Deadline -- 04/30/2010 Mid-May Edition Deadline -- 05/14/2010

his issue has been in the works practically since I took over The County Line newspaper last fall. One of the first people I contacted about writing articles for me was my cousin, “Doctor” Larry K. Bryant...*ahem*... emphasis on the “doctor”. I told him that I would love for him to write an article for me once a month dealing with pet care. I mean, we all have pets running around - from dogs and cats, to fish and guinnea pigs...there’s something with more than two legs running around pretty much everywhere you go these days. But he told me that he probably wouldn’t have the time since most of his days are spent fighting Houston traffic, dealing with snippety lap dogs and impatient pet owners (or maybe it was the other way around...I can’t recall) Anyways, I have been wanting to put together a pet issue from the start, but since my veterinarian cousin hasn’t had the time to work with me on making sure I know what I’m talking about, I’ve been a little hesitant. But it’s not his fault... not really...he’s been really busy lately. In fact, he’s going to be really busy pretty much from now on. He and his wife, Amanda, along with big sisters Jessica and Katie, just added a new addition to their hectic, big-city schedule... her name is Alexis Reagan!

Everybody say, “Awwwww!”

Photo stollen from daddy’s Facebook!

O

k, so my resident expert is too busy to help me out with a pet issue.

Instead, I was able to get volunteers to help out with all the details. In fact, almost all of the content of this issue was submitted by you guys -- The County Line Readers!

S

o I hope this issue is well received and that you find it fun & informative.

I would really like to make the pet issue an annual spring-time issue and this is just the first one of many such themes that I intend to bring to my readers. Enjoy!

The County Line Published by Mike Norris Wolverine Design

P.O. Box 1156 Eastland, Tx 76448 Phone: (254)631-8407 Fax: (866)633-8715 (toll free)

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The County Line is published monthly and distributed in the following cities: Abilene Albany Baird Breckenridge Brownwood Carbon Cisco Cross Plains DeLeon Desdemona Eastland Gordon Gorman Olden Ranger Rising Star Stephenville Strawn Thurber Weatherford Thank you for reading The County Line!

Mike &rris Ruth No

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34• ■ Growing

Up Small Town, Mike Norris Hog Snipers My uncle tells this story...

“I was out behind the house working the pigs one day by myself, putting out the feed.

“All of a sudden, one of the sows a few yards away lets out a squeal like she’d been hit with a cattle prod.

I look over at her as she scrambles a few steps and then returns to her rooting. I didn’t think much of it so I returned to my work. A few seconds later, a second hog squeals and runs around in circles a couple of times over near the first hog.

“I thought maybe there was a snake over in the pen, so I finished up my feeding and headed over there to have a closer look. When I got over there, I couldn’t see anything amiss. No snake, nothing out of the ordinary. About that time, another hog over nearby the feeder did about the same thing. Squealed loudly, jumped away from the trough and then went back to eating like nothing happened.

“Something wasn’t right...it was the way the animals were acting that made it odd. They acted like there was nothing wrong except every now and then, one animal would squeal and run away as if startled, but then go right back to what they were doing.

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Clifford, the Fashion-Conscious Guard Dog

exciting either way. The only thing you could do is never turn your back to him and maintain your calm.

I don’t have a clue what kind of breed Clifford was, but he was well-known around Carbon and Kokomo as a leader in fashionable pantswear.

I went for over a year without meeting Cliff on bad terms and I thought he was a good dog. Maybe a little bit too energetic, but a good dog none the less.

Then I made the mistake one day of walking up the steps to my cousin’s house while Cliff laid right in front of the door, tail a waggin’. He seemed to be in a good mood of sorts, so I just gave him a smile and offered him a suitable greeting of “Hey there, Cliff, boy!” as my cousin opened up the door behind him.

Most of the guys that I went to school with all heard about Cliff and most of them had a story or two that they could tell first-hand about meeting him.

Cliff was a medium-to-large sized dog, mostly a mottled black color with short hair and he might have been part Lab, I’m not sure...I’m not very educated in such things. But one thing I do know, is that Cliff was insane about fashion.

On most days, Cliff was glad to see everybody...it didn’t matter who you were or where you had been, or how long it had been since Cliff had seen you...he didn’t care, he was glad to see you over at his house and he wasn’t bashful about it either!

The bad thing was that you didn’t know if his enthusiasm was of the friendly sort or if he was running at you full speed, slobbering out both sides of his mouth, with the intent of removing your pants from your legs!

With Cliff, it was always hard to tell and always

Since Cliff refused to move, and he was large enough to block the doorway, I casually stepped over him. At that moment, I realized that Cliff wasn’t as glad to see me as he was to sample the stitching of my brand new pair of faded, stone-washed Levi blue jeans.

In about 30 seconds, those jeans became a comfortable pair of cutoffs. That was Clifford’s claim to fame. No matter what brand of jeans you thought were in-style, Clifford’s lot in life was to covince you that cutoff shorts were the thing!

How many of you have an animal story? Email them to me and I’ll put them on The County Line website. Send them to: SMALLTOWN@MYCOUNTY-LINE.COM

“After watching this go on for quite some time and still not being able to figure out what was spooking the animals, I noticed hearing something like giggling or laughing after each incident. I starting looking around the pens for the source of the noise and I soon found the culprits.

“Over behind a few bails of hay, I noticed some suspicious movements. Then I spotted these two faces peeking over the hay bails and the distinctive shape of the barrel of a gun angled out across the pen. Then I heard the distinctive Pffft of the air rifle followed immediately by the squeals of one of my pigs. And then the muffled giggling and laughing.

“It didn’t take long for me to turn the tables on those boys. The giggling and laughing came to a stop and the only squeals were coming from those two boys as they ran back to the house after I confiscated their b-b guns. That was the last time those two would ever harrass the livestock around my place.”

Editor’s Note: It was also the last time I ever saw my b-b gun!

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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•County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34

■ Daily

Devotional, Wanda Lee Beck Skinner

Ever Day Life and Unexpected Dangers Spring is just around the corner and I have heard that those terrible rattlesnakes are beginning to crawl.

They can be found in unexpected places and I would like to share one of my experiences with a baby one. (Believe me when I tell you, a baby rattler is a dangerous thing.)

One afternoon my family was visiting me and one of my young grandchildren wanted to feed the cat who was at the back door. She took the bowl of cat food, went to the back door sat the bowl down, and let out a scream. She had sat the bowl on a baby rattler.

The cat stood staring at the snake and the snake was hypnotized. It never moved. The closest instrument to kill it with was a hammer. I took the hammer and the snake remained in the same position until I had hit it in the head.

Please be aware of the unexpected dangers this season as you work in your yard and garden. Just a reminder.

Normally the Rattler would have made a noise to warn a person of its presence but the beautiful, stinky Copperhead is different. He is a silent danger. I know this from personal experience. Have a safe spring and enjoy all the beauty of our area without having the unexpected danger reach out and change your life.

Old Rip, Eastland’s Famed Horned Toad Its Old Rip time again and I just pulled my notebook form my shelf and began to look over the articles I have received over the years from those connected with the story of Old Rip. I have an article from the Associated Press of New York with Dr. William T. Hornaday former director of New York Zoological Gardens who said it was possible for this to have happened.

I also have articles for San Angelo Standard Times from 2003 which one of the Wood family members

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brought me when he returned for the 2003 celebration in the Courthouse: a funny quote from Volstead, a former congressman who said “Thirty-one years without a drink! I think that toad should be heartily commended. Provided he isn’t an impostor.

As I looked at the articles I was reminded of the times we had the OLD Rip Races and the time children would be paid five dollars to bring in a horned toad for the event. Over these years many things have been named for Old Rip, newspapers all over the county have written about the event. The story has been told and retold probably with each telling changing the story just a little bit.

How Do You Say Thanks?

Life is filled with unexpected circumstances. Often in the midst of those difficult times, we get bogged down with me and mine.

I remember clearly the day the local doctors decided that it was time to have a specialist attempt to find answers for a serious medical problem.

An appointment was made at M. D. Anderson Hospital in Houston Texas. My husband and I had great weather and safety for the long trip. We were nervous about what the results of this trip would bring.

No one had GPS at that time and we did not even have a map of the area. We got to Houston and had no idea where to find the hospital. We stopped at a service station and he went inside to get directions.

like an eternity, my husband returned and got in the car. The man walked up to his window and asked him to roll the window down. He said he had heard the station attendant give the directions but they were wrong. He told us he was a fireman and had worked all night. He was headed home to go to church but he would be glad to guide us to the hospital in his car.

The man drove slowly and made certain he did not lose us. Before we knew it we were driving into the hospital parking area. He got out of his car, came to the window again and asked if we had rooms nearby.

We did and he told us to follow him, he drove to the awning that led to the office of the motel where we had reservation.

That man did not make it to his church that morning but he did a deed that was never forgotten. I hope we did say thank you but I do remember he would not take a red cent for the time he had spent helping some country folk find their way in the big town.

How often do we forget to see the needs of those around us? That man had never seen us before and probably will never see us again but he saw us as God’s children who were in need of a helping hand.

How do you say thanks? Could it be that by helping another on life’s highway you are saying thanks to all those who at some point in your life reached out to help you?

Shortly after he entered the station, a large man came and stood behind our car. It made me very anxious as I had heard about the city being filled with crime even in bright daylight.

After what seemed

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34•

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ISHINE LIVE CONCERT COMING TO EASTLAND ABOUT ISHINE! Have you ever seen kids ministering to kids? Its unique, its powerful, its iShine. iShine LIVE! is a high-energy, Biblically-based event geared for tweens and teens! From the “red carpet” experience for every kid who comes to the show, to the amazing lights, video, and powerful pop and rock music and exciting game show, iShine will have tweens and teens leaving completely confident that they are a unique creation of God, designed to glorify Him and shine His light through their lives.

The tour has featured performances from groups like The Rubyz and Mission Six - as heard on Radio Disney, Disney’s “Next Big Thing” featured artist, Jasmine, and star of “How to Eat Fried Worms” and Disney’s “Minute Men”, Luke Benward. Also a young teen cancer survivor and nationally known speaker, Paige Armstrong, with an encouraging message about finding what matters most to Christ amidst the questionable values that the world promotes.

ISHINE is sponsored by River of Life LIVE at 103 Pogue Avenue in Eastland, Texas.

PARENTS: Visit www.iShineministries.com to learn more of the story behind this exciting ministry.

April 15th- ABILENE TEA PARTY RALLY 6-7pm - 341 Pine (downtown Post Office)

Staging area at Windsor Hotel (across the street from Post Office) **please bring canned goods and non-perishable items to donate** ***bring your signs and flags*** *Please continue to spread the word!!!*

De Leon will be having their annual Wildflower “42” Tournament 4/24. We will be drawing for a very nice Touch IPod and tickets for that can be purchased for $5.00 at the Chamber of Commerce office. Things will get underway at 8:30 a.m. with cash prizes for the winners and lunch is included in the team entry fee of $35.00 De Leon Chamber of Commerce The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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•County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34

■ Carbon

- Then and Now, Linda Neeley

Send comments to: chs@mycounty-line.com

The 1937 Sandstorm

Several months ago I received an email from Nell (Been) Davis, Class of 1937, stating she had a copy of the 1937 Carbon High School Sandstorm and would be happy to share it with me.

I was elated. Now, Nell sends me an email every day, the subject of which is “Something to Think About.” It contains either a story of her memories about growing up in Carbon or experiences in the Eastland Courthouse where her father was a judge or words of encouragement and inspiration. It is a great way to start the day. Thank you, Nell.

In keeping with the theme of this series of articles, Carbon – Then and Now – I thought I would share some of Carbon – Then. I hope you will enjoy taking a trip back to 1937 and seeing the names and faces of former Carbon students. The senior photo was published earlier so I won’t reprint it but will recount the story of Senior Day and the final farewell from the seniors as they graduated. This article will focus on the personalities and athletes of the day.

SENIOR DAY On May 7, 1937, the Seniors of Carbon High School spent their Senior Day at Lake Cisco. They left Carbon at eight-thirty, and arrived at Lake Cisco at nine o’clock. Most of them went to the skating rink and the rest hiked. Lunch was started at eleven o’clock.

Sandwiches, cookies, potato chips, olives, pickles, apples, bananas, and lemonade were served. That afternoon some went swimming and others skated again while the rest roamed the park. At five-thirty supper was prepared.

Afterwards some went home, some went to the show, and others skated – all of them seemed to have a good time.

IT IS DONE The last examination has been taken, the last bit of studying has been done, the last swearing has been done by the annual staff; in short, we are finishing Carbon High School.

Finishing school the size of Carbon High School is no small task. There have been many hours of drudgery and many sleepless nights for all, yet we have enjoyed our best, and have enjoyed our work and have done our best to be

a class that you will remember in the future.

If however, we have not made grades as high as we had intended or studied as hard as we should, we hope you will overlook them or blame Chance or Fate or something.

Remember that we too are students and fully capable of making errors, none of which we assure you is intentional.

Now that all we seniors can do is to wait and hope for the best, perhaps we can find time to consider an occupation and surely we can enjoy a show or dance without any pricks of conscience about school work that should be done. The idle time however, may not be so good for our blood pressure and nerves. The sudden change may be detrimental to our health.

But back to our original purpose—we have put our best into this school, over laboring under rules and regulations and all sorts of other griefs outside of our control to give you something that you will like.

Some people go crazy, others temporarily insane, still others finish high school.

SENIOR CLASS Ruby Nell Been, Nell Collins, Frank Clement, Thomas Grisham, Willmath Vaughn, Luna Lee Everton, Johnnie Foster, Maxine Maxwell, William Jackson, Wynogene Medford, Guy Hall, Vesta Lee McMillan, R. L. Williams, Elzo Harbin, Phyllis Vaughn, Eldono Mathiews, Evelyn Whitehorn, J. M. Maxwell, Ulala Wood, Bewel McGaha, Arlene Hines, Rex Carnes, Hugh McCall, Wesley Norris, Glynn Wilson, J. L. McDaniel SENIOR CLASS OFFICERS President, Ruby Nell Been; Vice President, Hugh McCall; Secretary, Arlene Hines; Treasurer, Phyllis Vaughn; Reporter, Rex Carnes; Sponsor, Lofton Brag ADMINISTRATON H. D. Thomason, Superintendent; E. W. Thurman, Elementary Principal; F. M. Wood, High School Principal; Mrs. E. W. Thurman, Third and Fourth Grades; Sarah L. Cook, Home Economics; Pauline Braddock, Fifth Grade; Mrs. Mamie Townsend, Second and Third Grades; Bess Thurman, Sixth Grade, Reba Ransone, Primary; Cora Mae Thornton,

1937 Carbon High School Senior Class Officers

1937 Carbon High School Administration

1937 Carbon High School Coaching Staff

English; Lofton Bragg, Athletics and History; Virginia Champion, Spanish.

COACHES Miss Cora Mae Thornton, B. A. , Austin College, Coach of Volley Ball and Girl’s Soft Ball; Mr. Loften Bragg, B. A., Howard Payne College, Coach of Boys Basket Ball, Tennis, and Soft Ball; Miss Sarah Louise Cook, B. S.,

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34• ■ Carbon

- Then and Now, continued

Send comments to: chs@mycounty-line.com

Texas Tech., Coach of Girls’ Basketball.

BOY’S BASKET BALL Greer, Harbin, Campbell, Gilbert, McCall, Hall, Jackson, Norris, McGaha, Brazzill, Williams, and Bragg, Coach.

1937 Carbon High School Boy’s Basketball Team

1937 Carbon High School Girl’s Basketball Team

1937 SANDSTORM Staff

1937 SANDSTORM Photo Staff

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The boys upheld the record which now stands for four consecutive years—that of never suffering a defeat in Eastland county.

The record of the year includes entries into four major basket ball tournaments: Buffalo, Cross Plains, Carbon, and Eastland County.

At Buffalo, the boys placed second but came out of the others without a single defeat to place first in all of them. Probably the two most exciting tournaments were Cross Plains and Ranger. The finals at Cross Plains with our boys playing the host team the game was constantly in doubt and Carbon won by a single point margin for the first place trophy. R. LO. Williams and Wesley Norris were selected for all tournament players.

In the Carbon tournament, which was postponed twice because of bad weather, our boys went through with little opposition.

Williams, Hall, Norris, Greer, McGaha all placed on the all tournament team.

In the county tournament at Ranger, which was a double elimination affair, our first game was with Eastland and Carbon won 27-10 with Greer setting the pace in goal shooting with 15 points. Gorman and Cisco were the next victims with the latter causing plenty of thrills.

Carbon won it after three over-time periods.

In the final game with Eastland, Norris hit the bucket for 15 points and gain Eastland went down by the score of 27-19.

GIRLS BASKET BALL Left to right: Johnnie Foster, Forward; Lila Pearl Hollis, guard; Eunico Harris, guard; Juanita Wood, forward; Sarah Louise Cook, coach; Opal Greet, forward; Gertrude Hollis, guard; Bernice Tucker, guard; Luna Lee Everton, forward.

The girls had a fairly successful year. They entered two tournaments, Carbon’s invitation tournament and the county tournament at Eastland. They entered the semi-finals, won third place on both occasions. Most of the players will be back next year with the exception of Johnnie Foster and Luna Leo Everton, whom we are losing through graduation. With most

of the girls coming back next year, we expect a winning team.

Eunice Harris, guard, placed on the AllTournament team at the county meet.

HIGH SCHOOL FAVORITE GIRL AND BOY Dude Medford, Hayden Greer AL H. HARRISON, D.A.S. (Doctor of Applied Sanitation) The Rough House Riley of the Carbon School Campus who specializes in Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Sandwiches, Lunches, Cold Drinks, and many other lines of foolishness to lure our nickels away from us under the pretense of value received. Al is a specialist in school cleaning jobs, which knowledge makes him a specialist in cleaning our pockets. His place is attended about as regularly as any other building on the campus.

Seriously, Al is a regular fellow and always very loyal to the school and all its interests.

We like him.

THE SANDSTORM STAFF Front: Frank Clement, Sports; R. L. Williams, Editor-in-Chief; Rex Carnes, Publication; H. D. Thomason, Sponsor. Back: Hugh McCall, Bus. Mgr.; Evelyn Whitehorn, Senior Editor; Arlene Hines, Ass’t Editor; William Jackson, Production Editor.

We’ve done our best. If you like it, we are happy; if not sorry. At any rate, it has been a pleasure to serve. Thanks. THE STAFF PHOTO STAFF Front Row: Jack Jordan, John Edward Trimble, Rex Carnes, William Jackson Back Row: H. D. Thomason, Sponsor; Phyllis Vaughn, Johnnie Foster, Nell Collins, Luna Lee Everton Besides the study of photography, developing and printing their own pictures, the main Project of the club has been this annual. All pictures in this book have been taken, developed and finished by this club.

GIRL’S VOLLEY BALL TEAM Coached by Miss Thornton. The Players are: Bernice Tucker, Dude Medford, Ernestine Reese, Raynell Tucker, Dorothy Jackson, Opal Greer, Eunice Harris, Billie Eldridge, and Annie Fay Snodgrass.

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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•County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34

■ Carbon

- Then and Now, continued

■ The

Joy of Fishes, Macon B. Norris

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I’ve always been interested in fish, especially saltwater types, but in the last few years I’ve become increasingly intrigued by the aquarium hobby, and I’ve set up and lived with several different types of aquarium since then. From Goldfish to Cichlids (aggressive and very colorful fish native to South America and Africa) I’ve cared for and observed all sorts of aquarium fish in my home. In this article, I hope to give you a basic idea of what it takes to set up and properly maintain a freshwater aquarium in your home, so you too can experience the joy and relaxation that fish bring to any living space.

1937 Carbon High School Girl’s Volleyball Team

1937 Carbon High School Tennis Team

TENNIS TEAM Hugh McCall, Joyedene Greer, Arlene Hines, Hayden Greer, George Gilbert, Harry C. Hall, Rufus Jordan.

I hope you enjoyed this quick trip through the 1937 Sandstorm. I am still looking for copies of the 1938, 1940 and 1941 Sandstorm. Let me know if you have one or know someone who might have a copy of any of these.

Contact Information: Linda Neeley, P. O. Box 8992, Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657; phone 830-598-5613 email: lneeley47@yahoo.com.

The first step to take is to either decide how large or small of an aquarium you want, as this affects what sort of fish you can keep, or, you can find a type of fish you especially like and then pick an aquarium that is ideally suited for that type. Most serious aquarists follow the latter route, as they know what they want to put in the aquarium long before ever picking one out. As to the size of an aquarium, there are two things you should remember: 1.

Water weighs a LOT, 8lbs per gallon, so as aquarium sizes increase, the weight of the water held inside increases exponentially, so you need to make sure that the place you’ve decided to put your aquarium inside the house is capable of taking the weight of the tank + water + decorations + fish. 2.

Fish have a trait known as indeterminate growth.

What this means, is that contrary to popular belief, fish never stop growing. They do not “grow to the size of the tank” and then stop. They may slow down, but until the day it dies a fish will continue to get larger and larger. You need to keep this in mind when deciding on whatever combination of fish and tank suits you. With those two things in mind, let me make a recommendation for folks just starting the aquarium hobby. The 10 gallon fish tank is very small, by aquarium standards, but it is an ideal starter aquarium, mainly because it’s easy to maintain, easy to set up, and still big enough to house several fish in good company. Now, before you EVER get fish for the tank, you need to get it set up, get the filter in place (a note here, using a

bigger filter than the standard 10 gallon filter, or using a pair of 10 gallon filters, works VERY well in keeping the tank clean and circulating). You also need to wait, as hard as it is, for a minimum of 2 days, for the tank to cycle and balance itself, during this time you should have all the decorations and gravel inside the tank. If you have a well, then the water should be absolutely fine and safe already, BUT if you are hooked up to city water, or any water source that you suspect has chlorine in it, you need to use a dechlorinator, which is commonly available at any pet supply store, otherwise any fish you put into the tank will die very quickly.

Now you’re ready for fish! There’s several things you need to think about before you rush off to wherever you plan to get your fish and start buying. First off, you need to be sure the number and type of fish you put in your tank is acceptable and comfortable to the fish. Just like a dog or a cat, fish are animals, not furniture, even though they’re in a tank and can’t move around, and they should be cared for too. So, using the 10 gallon tank as an example, if you take the generally accepted rule of thumb that for every gallon of water you can have one inch of fish, then you can have one ten-inch fish, two five-inch fish, and so on. This rule doesn’t always apply, for example, with small schooling fish (such as Neon Tetras) more is better, up to a point, as the fish feel safer in a larger school. One fish you ALWAYS need to have is some sort of algae-

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The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

Continued on page 14

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34• ■ @The

Ranger Library, Diana McCullough

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Get Er Done Day!

By the time you read this, Ranger’s FOURTH Get ‘Er Done Day will be history. I attended a Texas Midwest Community Network (TMCN) meeting yesterday in Gorman and sat across the table from Eastland’s Debbie Wharton—she and I laughed so hard I nearly cried. I asked her, “Can you tell I’m feeling a little stressed?” EVERY Get ‘Er Done Day has stressed me and every time I have felt exhilerated with success—no reason to think tomorrow will be anything but victorious! Even the weather is predicted to be glorious.

Our list of people who are requesting help keeps growing, and people have called our library all week with questions—ALL of these people warm my heart with their genuine interest in improving our town and improving their own lots in life. Now...just to be honest...my husband hasn’t called. He just THREATENS! With things he tells me he’s getting rid of...there needs to be some compromise in MY household. I’m sure it will work out—if he will just listen to me!

Reuben Zarate and John Casey have offered the services of a WHOLE baseball league in this community-wide clean-up effort—how cool is that? Can’t have too many helpers, and age is just one factor.

It might be hard to laugh AT me if I’m laughing louder than you. My co-workers at City Hall DID laugh at my Victory Dance when I noticed my nice box from BookDepository. com on Wednesday. Here’s the sad part: I danced too soon! I had ordered SIX of the new Mark Gimenez books, at such a bargain--$7.49 each, hardback editions—but my box contained only THREE editions of ACCUSED, the other three are The Shadows in the Street by Susan Hill, which I did NOT order. BookDepository. com will probably respond to my email before long, we’ll see what happens. I have faith it will all work out—one way or another!

Because of my fondness for Mark Gimenez, who just lives east down Interstate 20 and whose last three books are STILL not available for purchase in the good old USA, I ordered and I’m reading “The Law of

Second Chances” by James Sheehan, cited in a website that “if you like Mark Gimenez, you’ll like James Sheehan”—and so far, so good! A little hard not to put it down for “Accused”, though!

is scheduled for Memorial Day in May. I don’t use the word “Awesome” excessively, but I BELIEVE I used that word when describing LAST year’s Airshow that Jared planned. (Do yourself a favor and don’t miss it!)

I am sometimes privileged, here at our little local library, to welcome outsiders into our midst. Newcomers to our town, often don’t have Internet immediately, and they set up utilities—especially service with electricity providers—right here in this room.

Sometimes, I just field common questions, as I did today, when Mr. Clark, from Texas City, came in requesting a map of our town. I’d met Mr. and Mrs. Clark before, about a year ago.

Mr. Clark asked me today, “Are you the one who writes weekly for the newspaper?” I was slow to respond, “Am I in trouble, AGAIN?” “No,” he answered, “I think you deserve a big pat on the back!” And as this near-stranger reached around behind me for a friendly pat, I reached up and gave him a quick hug—no strangers in Ranger, not for long! He and his wife are interested in moving here. I showed him my new maroon street signs (which would greatly help that map I gave him) and carried two street signs outside to his sweet wife, who was babysitting their pets, and visited with her a few minutes, too. My “fringe benefits” are kind of hard to explain sometimes...

Ranger City Library hours are scheduled to change in this coming week. I know...”Man plans, God laughs,” BUT if it’s God’s will, here’s the plan: I plan to leave for the Texas Library Association Conference on Wednesday, April 14th and Bob Davis plans to substitute for me. He’ll keep our library open from 1:00 to 5:00 on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

A big “Thank you” in advance to Bob. On Thursday, soon after the first General Opening session in San Antonio, I am scheduled to “work with the authors” in the Main Exhibit Hall. I am plotted to be with the author in the 3rd booth, who is still a Mystery to me as of yet, but probably a friend by the time we say our “Goodbyes” at 1:00. I think this will be my fifth year to “work with authors”. The Tocker family started my tradition of volunteering at TLA because it was part of their requirement for receiving their grant which paid for my attendance in my first two conferences. It’s a worthy effort, I think, to volunteer and help make a system, even a great big conference, WORK.

Okay, back full circle! Volunteering.

We, the folks working for Ranger, really WORK. Saturday. Get ‘Er Done Day! #1 could and should work on our website potentials. Concern: SAFETY! Please take a moment to This library owns RangerCityLibrary.com but ask our good Lord for his blessings on our it’s never been united with the website that town AND for the safety of our citizens and was started with TexasLawHelp, and now workers. Every hour should count for good. that information is fairly outdated—to say the We need to...get ‘er done...best we can! least. Need to do something about that, along From a t-shirt that I saw once, and a with about 25 other items stacked within my sight. Leslie Newcomb has done a GREAT sticky note reminder from John Ward: “Wag job with Startboom.com and it’s been brought more. Bark less.” Take care everyone, and as to my attention that City Commissioner Jared always...ENJOY READING! Calvert has a quite impressive Advertise Online and In Print With website for the Ranger Airport, as well. You can find Jared’s website at RangerAirfield. org. Check it out!

Yay, Jared! The Contact Us: (254)631-8407 advertising@mycounty-line.com Ranger Airshow

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34• ■ Tumbleweed

Smith, Big Spring

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Send comments to: tumbleweed@mycounty-line.com

The Chicken Lady of Carterville “I’m the chicken lady. My son in law calls my house the chicken coop.”

Helen Wilkerson lives at Carterville, just north of Garden City. She collects porcelain chicken figurines.

“The very first chickens I got were from a friend of mine when I got married.

I really like chickens so I’d keep bringing a chicken or two in and finally my husband said ‘if you bring another chicken in this house I’m leaving.’ So I quit for a few years and decided he wasn’t going to leave so I started again. I have around four thousand now.”

I told her she can never move.

“I know that. And I’m getting older. I’ve wondered what in the world I’m going to do with all these chickens. It would take a moving van just to move the chickens.”

Each of her chickens is numbered and referenced in a book to tell where it came from. Her collecting is on hold now.

“I ran out of space. I had to quit. There’s no place to put another chicken.

I look at them longingly when I see one I don’t have, but so far this year I’ve been able to pass them up.”

Helen has bought a lot of the chickens, but her friends and family give them to her because they know how much she likes chickens. One wall of her house has been converted into a display area for her collection.

“These are shadow boxes that I have put together and painted. I really enjoy looking at them. A woman saw my collection and told me there was medication for people like me.”

The wall full of chickens is eight feet by twelve feet. It takes a while to dust her chickens.

“Well over two days. That’s the only thing about my chickens I don’t like.

I have to take a cloth and take each one out of its little compartment and dust it, dust the compartment and put it back. It takes a long time. I have to stand on a ladder to reach the top ones.”

Helen’s house has pictures, doilies, place mats, cups, aprons, shirts and robes all in a chicken motif. Chickens make her happy. During our visit, she laughed every time she said something.

“Everything in my house has to do with chickens. My sister and I travel a lot together and everywhere we go we try to get a chicken. That’s fun to look at them and remember when we were on the trip and where we got them.”

Her favorites are some salt and peppershakers called nodders. They’re like bubble heads that nod up and down.

THE TEXAS NAVY -- N E W S R E L E A S E In a ceremony in Houston, Tumbleweed Smith was commissioned an Admiral in the Texas Navy. The distinction, directly from the Governor’s office, is a means of honoring people for their service to Texas. The proclamation, signed by Governor Rick Perry, states that Tumbleweed has been diligent in preserving the rich oral history of the state. Governor Perry goes on to say, “Tumbleweed Smith is a real Texas treasure, whose body of work is like a time capsule of the story of Texas over the past forty years.”

Many Texas governors in the past have given the commission. Governor James Allred in 1936 may have been the first one to do so when he gave one to dancer Ginger Rogers when she appeared at the Texas Centennial celebration in Dallas.

The Texas Navy, Inc., now the Texas Navy Association, is a non-profit organization devoted to preserving the history of the Texas Navy. The Organization promotes awareness of Texas history with educational outreach to Texas public schools and maritime museums, and conducts historical events such as the on-going search for the lost Texas Navy Ship “Invincible”.

When he was presented the proclamation, Tumbleweed said he has now achieved two of his goals: (1) to judge the finals in the chili cookoff at Terlingua and (2) to become an Admiral in the Texas Navy. “A few years ago I got to be a finals judge at Terlingua and today I became an Admiral in the Texas Navy, The rank of Admiral is quite a few promotions above the rank I held as a soldier in the US Army.”

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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■ Letter of Appreciation, C.A.R.E. Co-Founder & President, Peggy McQueary Dear C.A.R.E. members,

Send comments to: features@mycounty-line.com

I would like to express my appreciation to all the hard work you have given to C.A.R.E. over the past few months. We have evolved into an organization that continues to keep moving forward in our mission.

The countless stray, abandoned and homeless animals that we have assisted (as well as other assists within the surrounding communities) has proven to be an appreciated success to our community.

I am very proud of all of you. All the teamwork displayed, communication, devotion, passion, ideas, donations and everything else involved in your individual daily operation of volunteering-is what makes C.A.R.E. successful and inches us closer to our goals.

Without this continued dedication, and reliance on each other to continue our mission-our focus would be lost. Each member in this organization and the skills or talents that is brought to C.A.R.E. is equally important.

As we approach our 3 year anniversary July 2, 2010 -- I am happy and encouraged to see our membership grow. We began with only 10 members. And now we have over 80 that participate and help.

Many within our surrounding communities want to volunteer with C.A.R.E during specific projects. We have carefully sustained, and picked our fights wisely, as we have been accepted graciously into our communities as a reckoning force. This acceptance has not come to us without a few set backs, tears, and mistakes along the way. It is the diligence, passion and spirit in all of us that I see-as those stumbling blocks try to get in our way. I believe it is the eyes, face, broken spirit and hope that you see in the stray, abandoned and homeless animals that come into our lives...that keeps your passion alive and the thought of what would happen if we were not here.

Whatever individual cause that drives each one of us to continue to move forward in the C.A.R.E. mission-it is working. The structure that is developing, is becoming deep-rooted into our own traditions, values to share, and an example for others to emulate. It is all of us-working as a team of caring, compassionate volunteers that makes this organization one to be proud of.... and others to appreciate a job well done.

I thank all of you for giving what others cannot. Not everyone can do this type of volunteer work. And maintain. You are the hope where there is no hope. Tails can wag and dogs can learn to be dogs again-because of you. We have seen it. We rescue many broken hearts.

I wonder how many of our hearts have been rescued by what we do.

Lets keep God first and continue our work. And do His will -- in the area of life He gave us passion.

Peggy Mc Queary President Community Animal Rescue Effort

The Current Foster List...

Sandy (F), Maggie (F), Sadie (F), Scout (M-Horse), Scratch (M), Poppy (F), Missy (F), Matisha (F), Charlie (M), Sam (M), Finger Biter (M), Brick (M), Schoontz (Mallory Pup), Bob (M), Buckskin (F), Jumper (M), Lil’ Bob (M), Cherry (F), Gabby (F), Saddle 32 (F), Reddy (F), Khaki (F), Little May (F), Rebel (F), Rosie (F), Frankie (M), Izzy (F), Snickers (F), Red Dog (F), Pepper (M), Elusive Dog (F), Spiz (F), Sweets (F), Al Pacino (M), Marylin (F), Roni (F), Smiddy (F), Briley (F), Goliath (M), Painted Dog (F), Daisy (F), Black Mouth Cur (F), Bloodhound (F), Bloodhound (F) These animals are looking for their “Forever Homes”. Please contact C.A.R.E. Animal rescue 254-631-6937 if you can provide a loving family for one of these animals.

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34• ■ Working In Silence, C.A.R.E. Co-Founder & President, Peggy McQueary Every day thousands of unknown hero’s appreciation to ALL the different kinds of quietly and diligently do an unspoken and volunteering and acts of kindness in our area. loving service to their communities without You are noticed, appreciated and needed fail. No awards are nominated, acculades everyday ! We thank you ! received, thank you’s are not sought and If you are interested in joining an organization seldom given. But if you watch closely….. to express your interest…please look up the you will see multitudes of others stepping different opportunities in your community ! out of their homes, yards and business’s All organizations could use a helping hand. and silently giving of themselves. They are If you prefer to work on your own and help volunteering. in all the ways you help your community Volunteering is a time honored tradition in everyday…..I know you are appreciated America. and please continue your wonderful, selfless Many types of volunteers are in your service ! community. Health care, education, law I love these surrounding areas I grew up enforcement, students, and just concerned in. Fond memories evolve from each town, citizens like you and me. road, and faces that I know and the many that Everyday thousands of animals are in need of care. Basic needs such as food, water, and shelter are sought by animals all over your community. They may be abandoned, homeless, hurt, lost, or just uncared for by their owners.

Countless caring folks notice this problem.

And countless caring folks do something about it.

I never met but have seen year after year.

May God continue to bless us as we live, grow old and continue to breathe in our part of our world.

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Send comments to: features@mycounty-line.com

Kim’s Dog Grooming by Kim Wright When I was 10 years old my mother had a poodle named Snowflake. She was allergic to dogs and her poodle was the only dog she was not allergic to. I became fascinated with the poodles hair. So I decided she needed a hair cut and I attempted to clip it ! I did not have clippers. I was only 10 yrs old and never had any....so I decided to cut her hair with scissors.....you can only imagine how that all turned out !

Since then and years of experience later.....I groom dogs with my personalized equipment and an assortment of products for bathing. Including many types of shampoos for the right treatment of hair. And offer different types of colognes for the owner to choose if desired.

I also offer: Toe nail clipping/painting and anal gland expressions.

I do not sedate dogs. I will groom cooperative dogs and work diligently with the ones that prefer to make me work for my money ! I love all dogs and I give each one the special attention they deserve !

Scheduling is easy .....I do not require or prefer to keep the client for a long period of time. If all goes well...I will have your pooch ready in about an hour or so.

My prices are extremely reasonable and affordable.

When you call for an appointment for your best friendask about my current promotional offers.

I am located in the historic Thurber, Tx. !

Take I-20 about 1 mile west of the Exxon station (take the access road) Kim’s Dog Grooming is located at the Thurber Lake Resort. You can call for more information 918-617-2361.

The next time you are driving around, or noticing what’s going on in your neighborhood or town….take notice of the selfless loving service of others…..you will probably notice the silent volunteers out feeding, rescuing, helping or showing a kind hand of encouragement to the animals that are without the families they so desperately need.

I could name hundreds of people like I have just described that I know or have seen do these acts of kindness. And I thank you all ! And I thank all of you that I have not had the pleasure of meeting…or just being able to notice the beautiful acts of love that you do everyday.

You are wonderful citizens and make great contributions to your communities!

Even though this article is mainly about animals….I wish to express my sincere The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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■ The

Joy of Fishes, continued

eating fish, like the very common Plecostomus, or Pleco, which is a type of armored catfish.

Keep in mind that Plecos grow fast and get very large in their lifetimes, up to three feet long, so you may want to find a smaller variety of fish to take care of your algae problems, and you will have algae problems. Anyway, most folks tend to gravitate towards Goldfish. To be honest, I’m not a fan of them. They’re large, messy, and I’ve always found them ugly. But, they’re extremely easy to care for, provided you clean up all the waste they generate. They’re hardy and can live for quite a long time as well, so they make a very good beginner fish. An alternative to Goldfish are Danios, which are a type of tropical schooling fish that are very popular, and quite pretty. They encompass the Standard Danio, Giant Danio, Longfin Danio, and the very popular genetically engineered Glofish, which are Standard Danios with various types of DNA added from other creatures to make them neon-bright, although they do not truly glow. What type of fish you get depends largely on your personal preference, and since you’ll likely be spending a lot of time looking at them, do your research! Go online and look up pictures of different types of fish!

Now that you have your fish, and they’re in the tank and swimming, you need to keep an eye on them for a few days to make sure they’re not too stressed. During this time, feed them ONCE a day, a good tropical fish flake food is a must, remember to only feed them as much as they can eat within 2 minutes or so, and if there’s any left, get it out of the tank, as it can cause issues later on if it accumulates.

After a few days, if they’re all doing well, you can progress to feeding twice a day, in the morning and evening. Every two weeks to a month, you should drain 1/3 of the water out of the tank and replace it with new water, this keeps the tank clean and the water from accumulating high levels of dangerous ammonia and bacteria. Also when you drain and clean the tank, change the filters, many folks forget this step!

Now you have an aquarium, filled with beautiful fish, gracing your home, and the more time you spend watching it, the better off you are. Studies have shown that having and observing fish, just like having cats and dogs, will lower your blood pressure and stress levels, so they’re keeping you healthy as well as entertaining you!

If you have any questions related to fishes, or fish tanks, feel free to contact me at 254-488-1536, I’m glad to help any way I can.

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34•

ARNOLD LOCKSMITH SERVICE 24 Hour Emergency Service

254-442-1878 • 254-488-1935 1308 W. 14th St. • Cisco, Tx 76437 Certified/Insured

TX Lic B15738

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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■ Summer Safety Tips, Provided by C.A.R.E. With summer fast approaching, be sure not to forget the needs of your pooch ! All animals need special attention during extreme weather.

Hot weather can make us all uncomfortable, and it poses special risks for your dog. Keep the following safety concerns in mind as the temperature rises, and follow these tips to keep your dog cool !

Heat Hazards

If your dog is outside on a hot day, make sure he has a shady spot to rest in. Doghouses are not good shelter during the summer as they can trap heat. You may want to fill a child’s wading pool with fresh water for your dog to cool off in. Also fresh water for your pet to drink is extremely important ! Be sure to watch your pets food for those pesky ants !

You will notice that pets don’t eat food that is full of ants. Some folks don’t stop and notice their pets food...at first glance you may not notice ants are all over the food. Your pet is special and deserves fresh food and waterdaily !

Never leave your pet in a closed vehicle on a hot day. The temperature inside a car can rise ro over 100 degrees in a matter of minutes. (The same with a child-please don’t leave your child in a hot vehicle !)

Dogs that are brachycephalic(short-face), such as bull dogs, boxers, Japanese Chins and Pekingese, have an especially hard time in the heat because they do not pant as sufficiently as longer-faced dogs. Keep these type dogs inside with air-conditioning.

General Health

Since pets tend to stay outdoors longer in the summer-make sure his vaccinations are up to date. They will come into contact with other animals more during this time.

Send comments to: features@mycounty-line.com

or fertilized lawn for 24hrs (or packaged instructions), and away from toxic plants and flowers.

Keep your pet well brushed and cleaned.

Fleas, ticks and mosquitos which carry heartworm disease are worse this time of year.

Ask your vet about options on prevention for the quality of life of your pet. Some over the counter options work very well.

Water Safety

Most dogs enjoy swimming, but some cannot swim, and others may hate the water.

Be conscious of your dogs preferences and skills before trying to make him swim.

Never throw your dog in the water. If your dog begins to paddle with his front legs, lift his hind legs and help him float. He should quickly catch on and keep his back end up.

Don’t let your dog over do it; swimming is very hard work and he may tire quickly.

If you have your own pool, make sure your dog knows where the stairs or ladder are located. Be sure pool covers are firmly in place; dogs have been known to slip in under openings in the covers and drown.

Never leave your dog unattended in water.

Its summer ! Enjoy your pet !

Pets enjoy family outings and time spent with his family. Include your pet when possible. It will encourage your children with responsible pet ownership as they watch you interact with the family pet.

Ensure your pet has a collar with a dog tag attached to it with his name and your current telephone number engraved on it. In case you are separated from Fido-whoever finds him will call you to pick him up !! (be sure to include a leash on your family outings) Also take along fresh water for your pet.

He will depend on you for all his needs !

An Ancient Art Handcrafted Soap Company Celebrating Our 10 year Anniversary !

by Shanah Coe

The Lady’s at An Ancient Art Soap Company have handcrafted soap for you and your best friend. The vegetable oils these products are made with are gentle and great for those inside dogs with dander problems. You can also get neem oil and Tea Tree Oil for treating all kinds of itching skin irritations caused by biting bugs and nagging flies !

Make a trip to Strawn, Tx and meet owners Shanah Coe and Becky Lenoir. Ask about our Shoo Fly Shoo for Pets made with olive oil and other olive oil based herbal and aroma therapy hand crafted soaps.

We are located in down town Strawn at 108 Central.

You can call us at 254-672-5421 or E-mail us at www. soapart@att.net You can also check us out at our web sites www.anancientartsoap.com Or www.strawnsoap. com Our store hours are Mon-Sat 10:00am-5:00pm Sun 1:00-3:00pm Come out our way and shop for those special loved ones!

We bet we can make you smile and you’ll leave our shop with wonderful handcrafted items you will love !

City Stuff

Please be sure to secure your pet in your yard. Many dogs roam, pick up and spread diseases. Chasing cars is a big danger-to the dog and driver. Sometimes a wreck occurs as the driver swerves to miss a dog-losing control of the vehicle.

It is a responsible pet owner that will ensure his pet is properly secure in his yard. And a good neighbor that will assist putting the pet back in the yard.

Local veterinarians are following diseases are this year than before LEUKEMIA, and oddly COUGH !!!

reporting that the extremely worse PARVO, FELINE enough-KENNEL

Please be sure to vaccinate your pet !!!!

Keep your pet off a chemically treated lawn The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34• ■ Pilots

& Paws, C.A.R.E. Terry Lee

Send comments to: features@mycounty-line.com

TAMPA, Fla. – Lady Di is a lovely purebred collie with a pleasant disposition, just like lots of other dogs dumped at shelters in areas that lack anywhere near enough would-be owners. Unlike all but a lucky few of those animals, she got a plane ride away from death row.

group. Wehrenberg asked Boies if there would be a regular need for such a thing.

Along with one of her sick, emaciated pups, Lady Di recently was brought to a shelter in the central Alabama interstate town of Clanton by a man who first tried to give her away in a Walmart parking lot.

The Web site for Pilots N Paws now serves as a forum where shelters and rescue groups can hook up with pilots. Boies says more than 680 pilots have already transported thousands of animals all over the country.

Many were plucked from death row at overpopulated, high-kill shelters in Southern states, where people are less likely to sterilize their animals.

The small shelter north of Montgomery was already heaving; healthy dogs and cats are euthanized by the hundreds every week because there’s just no more room.

Shelter workers knew the collies stood a better chance somewhere else.

That’s when Lady Di met private pilot Jeff Bennett, a volunteer with Pilots N Paws, a group that moves pets from overwhelmed shelters to communities, often ones with higher median income, where they’ll stand a better chance of adoption. The pilots donate their time, planes and fuel.

This week, Pilots N Paws is seeking to transport 5,000 animals to safety in a flurry of flights designed to raise awareness of the charity and draw attention to the importance of spaying and neutering.

Bennett, 50, is a retired Florida Keys businessman with a soft spot for homeless dogs. He’s got a Cirrus SR22, a zippy little four-seat plane, and is always looking for an excuse to get above the clouds.

So he flew to Montgomery recently to bring the collies and a dozen other dogs and puppies back to Florida, where rescue groups stood ready to take them in until homes could be found.

The “mission,” as Bennett calls his rescue flights, brought the number of animals he’s transported for Pilots N Paws to 124 — including snakes, lizards, a chicken and a potbellied pig — since signing on with the charity about a year ago.

“It’s a great feeling to know that you’re saving some animals and hopefully finding some good homes for them,” says Bennett, noting the millions of dogs and cats euthanized in U.S. shelters each year. “What I’m doing is pretty small, but you can only do what you can.”

Pilots N Paws got its start in February 2008. A Knoxville, Tenn., pilot named Jon Wehrenberg had offered to fly his friend, Debi Boies, from her home near Greenville, S.C., down to Florida to pick up a Doberman pinscher she wanted to adopt from a rescue

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“I said, ‘Oh Jon, you have no idea,’” Boies recalls.

Rescue groups have long moved animals from highkill shelters around the country, she told him, but it usually involves long, exhausting car trips.

“A rescue animal that’s had a living hell for a life and now has a warm and loving home, they look at you differently,” Boies says. “It’s just hard to explain.”

On Bennett’s recent two-hour flight from Montgomery to Tampa, he carried Lady Di and her pup, plus nine squirmy Lab-mix puppies, a red mix-breed called BBQ, a terrier-mix named Roscoe and a female mutt so pregnant she looked as if she might explode any minute. Fourteen dogs in six crates stacked into a cargo area no bigger than the back of a Honda Civic.

The droning of the plane’s engine seemed to subdue the dogs, but the puppies made sure the air in the cockpit was pungent. Blasts from a can of air freshener provided temporary relief.

“They’re a little anxious to start, but once you fire up the engine and start taxiing, a lot of times they settle down,” he says. “Most of them go to sleep during the flight, and when you start descending it’s almost like they know what’s going on and they start waking up and making a little bit of noise.”

In Tampa, volunteers with four different rescue groups were waiting.

“She was sweet but didn’t have much personality,” Veilleux says of the dog, which she guesses is about a year old and was bred for profit in her first heat. “I don’t think she’s had that much human contact. She had no joy in her eyes. She’s getting that joy now.” ___ On the Net: Pilots N Paws: http://www.pilotsnpaws.org/

The County Line serves dozens of communities in Central Texas. The following is a short list of veterinary clinics in our area.

Please tell them that you saw them listed in The County Line the next time your critter needs care!

Fambro Veterinary Clinic Albany / Breckenridge (254)559-9639 Animal Medical Clinic Breckenridge (254)559-9739 Lake Country Animal Clinic Breckenridge (254)559-3443 Lazy 3 Animal Care Cisco (254)631-0816 Comanche County Veterinary Clinic Comanche (325)356-2711 DeLeon Veterinary Clinic DeLeon (254)893-2225 Cannon Mobile Veterinary Services Desdemona (817)371-2605 Dublin Veterinary Clinic Dublin (254)445-3325

The nine pups went to Mid-Florida Retriever Rescue. Last weekend, they met potential new owners at an adoption event at an Orlando pet store. BBQ and Roscoe went to The Humane Society of Sarasota County, where BBQ was adopted Thursday by a family whose dog had died recently.

Eastland County Veterinary Clinic Eastland (254)629-8766

The pregnant female, who was named Summer, was taken by a Saving Animals From Euthanasia chapter north of Tampa.

Dry Creek Veterinary Clinic Graham (940)549-2346

Lady Di and her pup got a ride to a foster home north of Orlando, where the younger dog is being treated for malnutrition and kennel cough. Lady Di, though, is energetic, housebroken and is being taught some basic commands. Gisele Veilleux, who is caring for the collies, says people have already applied to adopt her.

Brazos Animal Hospital Graham (940)549-6313

Mineral Wells Veterinary Clinic Mineral Wells (940) 325-3411 Throckmorton Veterinary Clinic Throckmorton (940)849-3931

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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■ Out

of the Past, Luther Gohlke

Send comments to: thepast@mycounty-line.com

The Shooting Match

Living in Louisiana in 1961 really turned out to be a good experience. The 49th Armored Division had been called to active duty during the Cuban and Berlin crisis.

The 49th reopened Ft. Polk, Louisiana which had been closed since the end of World War II. To say the least, the base was in a shambles.

With hard work and good leadership the old base was soon restored to its former glory. But an armored unit training in a swampy, mud hole environment was unbelievable. It rained every day. A few days remained sunny, but the ground was always muddy and boggy.

After a few months, the Cuban and Berlin crisis began to stabilize; my family was there with me, which made life and the whole ordeal tolerable. We lived in DeRidder a small community 8 miles south of Fort Polk.

However, it became a large community one night when about 15,000 military personnel and their families moved in.

I drove from DeRidder every day to Ft. Polk. Our unit commander demanded that all personnel be present and accounted for revilie that was done daily at 6 a.m. rain, shine, snow or sleet. By the way, while we were in Louisiana the state witnessed the coldest weather that it had in over 50 years. It even snowed! Ice and snow was evident for about 2 weeks. Really a miserable situation.

Pat, my wife, was so patient during the whole experience. But patience seemed to be one of her strong suits. While I was away for two weeks on field maneuvers, all 3 of our kids had the measles. There was havoc at our place! The bad thing about all this, we could not communicate when I was gone.

Cell phones? What’s that? None at that time.

Getting back to the point of this story, one day I was approached by one of our unit 2nd Lieutenants.

“Doc, can you shoot a rifle?” he asked me jokingly.

“Yes, I can”, I replied.

“Ever shot a M1 rifle” he asked.

“Nope, but I have shot many rounds with a 308 Winchester rifle and 30-30 rifles.”

“Well, we are to have a shoot out on the firing range in about 10 days,” he answered, “and I need a team of experienced M1 and/or high powered rifle shooters. Each unit has to have 2 experts to shoot. I’ll put your name at the bottom of the alternate list.”

“Okay,” I said and forgot the whole thing.

Two days before the big event, the lieutenant informed me that in spite of his best efforts, his list had dwindled to me and a 1st sergeant.

“Sorry Doc,” he said and walked away.

On the firing range two days later, nearly everyone and his dog were there! Actually no dogs were allowed.

First time I had really noticed that firing range. It was huge. There were probably 80 to 100 teams there. I can’t remember for sure, but a bunch.

The sergeant and I knew each other being in the same unit. I took a hard ribbing from nearly all in our unit. “A doctor firing an M1 rifle? You got to be kidding! He could hit a muscle with a needle, do intricate procedures and needle work, but fire a rifle at a pin head target. Hello last place!”

The two of us took our place and position with a number of personnel behind us. Probably 8000-9000 participants and onlookers. The heat was on. Especially on me! Ole sarge knew all about an M1, in fact we would be firing a new updated version of the M1. M2 I think.

Zeroing the rifle in was the first key. One had

to account for windage, distance and of course, human error. We would be firing at a target 250, 500 and 1000 yards. The rifle zeroed in, I was allowed to fire a couple rounds. The sarge asked, “Doc how does it feel?’

“Great,” I said, “very little kick and good recoil. Not like that old single shot 12 gauge I have.”

We commenced to fire. Personnel were in deep pits behind the targets. Every safety precaution was in effect and enforced. After each shot a long pole with a large black circle was help up if you hit the bull’s-eye. Same pole with a large white circle if you missed the whole target. This was jokingly referred to as “Maggie’s Drawers.” We shot 50 rounds each, turn about, from standing to kneeling to prone to squatting on one knee. You had to load 3 to 5 rounds and fire when given the go ahead by the instructor and safety officer at each firing position.

After the dust settled and the shooting was over, the sergeant had hit 48 bull’s-eyes and I had hit 47 each having fired 50 rounds. We won the shooting match. There was elation and rejoicing in our unit to say the least. “Ole Doc came through; I can’t believe a doctor could shoot that good!” The whole unit was amazed. I was too! A God thing? I think so!

I had prayed for help many times over.

That night on an elevated platform, sarge and I were the center of attention with cheers, pomp and glory. We were the 2 heroes of the moment.

Our 15 minutes of glory. We represented our unit, 131st Division Artillery Headquarter Battery 49th Armored Division.

Harley B. West Commanding General of the 49th presented our commanding officer a huge team trophy and sarge and I each an individual trophy. He had a lot of kind words to say about our unit and the 2 sharp shooters of the day.

From that day on, my comrades referred to me as “Dead Eye Doc”.

I still have that trophy to prove it.

By Dead Eye Doc

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34• ■ Life

Planning Issues, Jim Kennedy

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Send comments to: lifeplanning@mycounty-line.com

Is All Term Life Insurance Equal?

John: a proud father of one college graduate who recently blessed him with his first grandson, two children still in college, a loving husband to a wife of 32 years, and a recent diagnosis of terminal cancer at the age of 63. John’s retirement plans for his wife and himself was solely dependent on the sale of his business. The only problem was they had been marketing the sale of the business for almost a year and the probability of a sale taking place in the near future was becoming increasingly slim due to the difficult economic environment.

Unfortunately, John’s wife could not run the business he built and it slowly began to deteriorate over the next year as John was in and out of chemotherapy and radiology treatments. Along with this, John’s wife was faced with the knowledge that if John died before age 65, she would be taken care of by the $2 million term life insurance policy they put in place almost 20 years previously. Yet, if he lived one day beyond his 65th birthday, she would not have this security.

Why do I bring this story to you? Simply because not all term life insurance is equal and the cheapest is not necessarily the best. Had John purchased a term life insurance policy with a convertible rider,

they would not have this grief at hand. Policies that are convertible allows the owner the right to change the policy into a permanent type of insurance - even if the health of the insured would cause him to be rejected if he were to apply for a new policy. The age of the insured at the time of the conversion is the only factor that determines a change of the cost or premiums. Costly to convert? Possibly. Would it have been worth it to ensure the financial security of John’s wife? Absolutely!

assets and your future. Without the proper coverage, the risks you are taking could be tremendous.

I have worked with married couples for years, many just like John and his wife. The one thing that I have found is that twenty years later, when faced with John’s or similar circumstances, your wishes for your family’s security is still the same, if not stronger.

In past articles, you have heard me compare insurance to a piece of Swiss cheese. It is not a matter of whether or not the policy has holes. It is a matter of how many holes it has and how big the holes are. The lack of a convertible feature is just one of them. Does your policy have a level premium or an increasing premium? Does it have a level death benefit… or a decreasing death benefit?

No matter what stage you and your family are in life it is important to have a firm grasp on all the holes that could be associated with your policy.

No one likes paying for any type of insurance – until they need it - and often times, this is an area where people feel budget cuts can be made. But the truth for most situations is that insurance is the foundation you need to protect your family, your

Securities & Advisory Services offered through VSR Financial Services, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser and Member FINRA/SIPC. Kennedy Financial Services is independent of VSR Financial Services, Inc.

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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•County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34

■ Rising

Star Library Notes, Ginger Johnson Tobin

What a lovely Spring afternoon it is on this Monday afternoon as I volunteer at the local Rising Star Library. It’s so perfect-temperature wise-even though it is a bit windy, but that’s expected in this part of the country in March and April, right? I actually thought there couldn’t be a windier place than my previous hometown, Clovis, New Mexico; however, I was wrong.

My new hometown of Rising Star has it beatwind wise!

While contemplating the subject matter for this week’s column, I decided to review some of the items that we’ve discussed in the past, just in case they’ve slipped your mind and also to inform new residents all about our local Library.

LIBRARY HOURS: According to the window sign, the Library hours are as follows: MONDAY 1:00 PM TUESDAY 1:30 PM WEDNESDAY 10:00 AM THURSDAY 1:00 PM FRIDAY 1:30 PM

– 5:30 PM – 5:00 PM – 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Please understand that the Library is run by volunteers, so once in a while, the Library schedule could vary, if an emergency came up and the volunteer could not be on duty.

BY THE WAY, we are always looking for Library Volunteers, so if you’ve ever thought of volunteering at the Library, please do come by and leave your name and phone number. You do NOT need to be a Saturday Club member to volunteer at the Library!

April 23rd & 24th Big Sidewalk Sale

LARGE PRINT BOOKS: In addition to a large FICTION section, the Library also has NONFICTION books, CHILDREN AND JUVENILE books, WESTERNS and a large selection of LARGE PRINT books on many subjects.

INTERNET COMPUTER An Internet computer is available for patron’s use. Come in, sign the user agreement and you can use the Internet for up to two hours if someone else is waiting to use it. Otherwise, you do not have a limit on time, unless someone is waiting. A black/white printer is available with copies costing only 15 cents each.

It’s very handy to have this computer to fall back on even if you have one at home. As you know, THINGS CAN HAPPEN to a computer and until it’s repaired, at least you can check your e-mail at the Library.

GENEALOGY DEPT. We have a small genealogy department with local family histories and just lately, a collection of local obituaries available to the public for genealogy research usage. Many families have contributed a copy of their genealogy records to the Rising Star Library so that they may be saved for future generations. We are grateful to these families who have shared and are looking forward to more genealogical contributions in the future.

The Library is an interesting and fun place to be; and it’s improving and expanding constantly. Don’t forget about our new TEXAS TALKING BOOK PROGRAM that was featured in last week’s column. Spread the word so that your family members, friends and neighbors can enjoy this program, if needed.

Until next time, be safe and enjoy the Spring!

Stone’s Antique Mall Rising Star, Texas

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34•

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Stephens County Frontier Days &

Bob Drake Memorial Chuckwagon Cook-Off Sponsored by the Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce

Friday, April 30th & Saturday, May 1st Breckenridge City Park Don’t forget to enter the Stick Horse Races, 42 Tournament, Horseshoe Pitching Tournament, Bake-off Contest, Tug of War, Pet Parade, & Cow Patty Bingo!

We’ll also have carnival rides, the 4th Annual Breckenridge Idol Talent Search, carnival rides, pony rides, tons of vendors, loads of entertainment, the Friday night “Concert in the Park”, and much more!

Concert in the Park!

Friday Night – 7:00 pm Featuring the Matt Stapp Band!

Chuckwagon Cook-off – Saturday at noon!

Tickets on sale APRIL 19th $8.00 (Ticket includes: chicken fried steak, potatoes, beans, bread, dessert & drink)

To reserve a booth space, purchase tickets for an event, enter an event, or for a schedule of events, please contact the Chamber of Commerce at 254-559-2301.

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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•County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34

■ Out

of the Box, Joellen Hodge

Send comments to: thebox@mycounty-line.com

Stuff I Learned From Dogs

I am a big believer in education.

Just about anything you learn can be of good use in your life.

Big college degrees can earn you more money. Understanding how to change your own oil can save your engine and your money.

In light of this attitude, I must admit my dogs have not been given the credit they are due for educating me in the basics of family and home life. So, in the spirit of this edition’s dedication to animals and pets, I give you my...

Top Dozen of Doggie Do’s and Don’ts 1.Always sit in the most comfortable spot in the room…just be willing and even happy to share with friends and family.

2.Put just enough on the plate for one serving…if you put more than you need on the plate, chances are you will eat it anyway and that’s not very healthy.

3.A regular routine of diet, rest, exercise and going to the bathroom will make you look and feel better 4.The same goes for regular medical check ups and having your teeth cleaned to stay healthy.

Miss Molly by Joellen Hodge

Y’all go be nice to each other!

Check out the website: www.bboxlady.com Write me a note: johodge@bboxlady.com

5.If you want to lead, set a good example for the followers.

6.If you prefer to follow, listen to the leader.

7.Smell something new before you eat it…better to be safe than sorry.

8.You are never too old to get outside and enjoy time with your buddies.

9.Stretching is a great way to start anything that may turn physical.

10.Snuggling is highly under rated.

Advertise Online and In Print With

11.Dancing around like crazy and making happy noise when you see someone you love is the best greetings in the world.

12.Watch where you are walking because not everyone can or will clean up after themselves

Contact Us: (254)631-8407

advertising@mycounty-line.com

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34• ■ City

of Eastland Animal Shelter, Ken Knowles, Animal Control Officer

Animal Control, Behind the Scenes

My name is Ken Knowles and I am the Animal Control Officer for the City of Eastland. I applied for and was lucky enough to be hired into this position in July 2007. Since that time I have attended many classes and obtained certifications as a State Certified Animal Control Officer and State Certified Euthanasia Tech. I am also a G.A.P Certified Diagnostician Level 1. I have completed courses in compliance with state regulations in keeping 30 CEU’s every 3 years including Officer Survival of Aggressive and Dangerous Dogs.

The City of Eastland Animal Shelter is located at the 400 block of S. Marsh and is maintained by The City of Eastland . The Staff at the shelter includes myself and Shelley Wilkerson who is our Shelter Attendant and Adoption/Foster coordinator on a part time basis. The Shelter is open from 8:00 am till 5:00 pm Monday thru Thursday. And 8:00am till 3:00 (typically) on Fridays.

We will make appointments to view and or to pick up lost animals. Our Office is Located in the Eastland Police Dept located at 416 S. Seaman and we can be reached at 629-1700 or by email aco@txbusiness.com .

The shelter at present is at capacity almost every single day with only 5 dog kennels and one of them being our quarantine kennel. We also have a 9 rack cattery. Our facility is way too small for a city of this size and we are working to use an old building to renovate north of the City to make a larger facility which will house up to 20 dogs at one time including 2 quarantine kennels.

Budget setbacks are what is holding us back at this time.

Recently we were able to put a new roof and a new septic system in at the location.

Eastland Animal Control deals with a multitude of complaints, ordinance violations and problems arising from animals in our community. Along with lost domestic animals, animals unlawfully turned loose to roam at large. We also have dealt with poisonous and non-poisonous snakes, skunks in yards and recently one in a house…that was a new one on me and a whole other story…we have horses who get out, chickens roosting where they shouldn’t, cows just running the street, Owls injured in a field, Porcupine blocking the entrance to a business, Raccoons stealing food, opossums tearing up yards, bobcats wandering the not so wilderness, coyotes in town at the local grocery store, goats eating more than their fair share of grass, wild hogs near the football stadium, deer in residential areas, Bats looking for a belfry….and once an Emu. So far just when I think I have dealt or seen it all…something comes up NEW. Eastland City ordinances are pretty cut and dry and almost mirror what State law requires of pet owners. All Pets must be vaccinated and have proof of vaccination at the age of 4 months, you cannot have more than 4

dogs or cats in any one household…any combination will work as long as the total number does not exceed 4 with the exception of a litter of pups in which you can have them until they are 10 weeks old. You cannot have any livestock in the city unless it is in an approved ag open zone. To find out if you are in the zones you must call city hall and talk to the zoning commissioner. There is absolutely no swine (pigs/hogs) allowed into the city. Any offenses of city ordinances could be subject to citation by law enforcement officials and animal control officer. Trust me when I say, it is cheaper to get that animal a rabies vaccination (12-15 dollars) than to receive a citation for not having it done. A whole lot cheaper to keep Spot in his/her yard than to receive a citation for animal at large.

The Eastland Animal Shelter along with Shelley Wilkerson uses a network of rescue groups and individual fosters who are the backbone to our society when it comes to abandoned or lost animals in finding them good homes to be placed forever. Unfortunately the cost associated with this is off the charts, most individuals who do this rely on their own income to provide medical treatment, provide shelter and food.

Groups are a little more fortunate but not much as they rely heavily on donated funds to support their efforts and with the economy the way it is these donations are few and far between and that is sad because they work so hard to take care of our communities and very rarely get anything back from them. This past October (2009) The Eastland Animal Control became aware of a situation in town of a family who had too many dogs and no means to support them.

After we talked to the owners they agreed to release all the animals to the Eastland Shelter. There were 10 dogs and a duck.

We contacted a rescue group out of Strawn, Texas (C.A.R.E. Community Animal Rescue Effort) and informed them of our situation, without hesitation this wonderful group stepped up to the plate and within 24 hours they were ready

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Send comments to: features@mycounty-line.com

to help, they arrived in vehicles and numbered about 8 and had pet carriers in hand. They along with Cisco Animal Control, Shelley Wilkerson and myself were able to round up all of the animals and send them off to the loving care of C.A.R.E. Since that time I believe one or two have been adopted out and all but the males have been spayed, shots and medical treatment provided at NO cost to the City of Eastland. The work they all put in was remarkable, they worked tirelessly documenting the rescue and securing the animals for transport. In my opinion I made the right choice by calling them, our relationship has grown since and I am proud to say that I personally support and work with C.A.R.E. About a month ago I started a fundraising drive to help C.A.R.E and we have raised a little over 400 dollars to give back to such a wonderful and helpful organization.

They saved many lives that day and I am thankful… with the hundreds of Euthanasia’s I do every year this was a blessing. Euthanasia is the hardest part of being an Animal Control Officer…to look in their sad eyes just knowing someone did not care about them…it just breaks my heart.

If anything I hope that people learn is to please keep your pets locked up…having a dog bite is serious business and could cost you a lot of money. Have them spayed and neutered and for goodness sakes get them rabies vaccinated. Rabies this year in Eastland County is higher than normal, why take a chance?

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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•County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34 Send comments to: footnotes@mycounty-line.com

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34• ■ From

The Backside, Henry J. Clevicepin

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Send comments to: backside@mycounty-line.com

Housecalls and Cattle Guards

By Henry J. Clevicepin Collaborated by Nellie Frecklebelly and Agnes & Ophilia Fudpucker

Well, other than a little cool snap the other morning and some wind, the weather has shore been purty here in Buzzard’s Roost. Course, with everything blooming and the wind blowing, it is causing all the Buzzard Roost people to have allergies.

But we got us a new young doctor here in town and he is gonna be a good one. Our old doctor took the young one out on a round of house calls last week to get him introduced to the community. The first call they made the woman complained that she had been a little sick to her stomach. The old doctor says,”Well you probably been eating a little too much fresh fruit. Just cut back and see if that don’t do the trick.” As they left our young new doctor said, “you didn’t even examine her….how did you come with that diagnosis”? Well, the old Doc said, you noticed I dropped my stethoscope and when I bent over to pick it up I noticed about half dozen banana peels in the trash and figured that was making her sick.

At the next house they spent several minutes talking to this beautiful young lady and she told them she just hadn’t had much energy and was feeling run down lately. The new young doctor told her she had probably been doing a little bit too much church work lately and try cutting back on that and see if that helps. As they left her house the old doctor said, “ I know that young lady and your diagnosis was certainly correct, but how in the world did you arrive at it?” The young doc said, well, I did as you said….I dropped my stethoscope on the floor and when I bent over to pick it up I noticed the preacher under the bed.

Talk about sneaking around. As you’ll know me and ol Estee K. Bibbles, my mule barn partner & beer drinking buddy, do a lot of reading on world affairs. Well, we read the other day where Obama is trying to do

a little treaty deal with foreign countries on gun control. It seems this way he can get the State Dept. to ban guns and it don’t have to go thru legislation and in the mean time that lying sapsucker can tell the American people he has no intention of trying to pass control here in America. Our 2nd amendment can kiss it’s butt goodbye!!!! He is looking more like a snake in the grass every day he is in there.

He has already made a deal with Russia to cut back on our nuclear weapons. That’s kinda like thinking if the cops cut back on their guns, the crooks will too….well, it ain’t gonna happen.

I’m sure ol Aba Daba Du or whatever his name is, over in Iran will cut back on his. You know, it is bad enough to have an idiot in the Whitehouse that don’t know what he is doing , but to have a sneaky idiot is just unreal.

Now you know us folks around Buzzard’s Roost have been driving over cattle guards, that help keep cattle in, all of our life. Well, it seems Obama and V.P. Biden were going over a report about ranchers in Colorado raising cain about cattle grazing policies. Obama noticed in the report that there were over 100,000 cattle guards in Colorado. He immediately ordered his Secretary of the Interior to fire half of the cattle guards. And before the Secretary could straighten him out, Biden broke in and requested that they give the fired cattle guards six months of retraining so they could find another job. And we PAY these people to run this country. Like ol Larry the Cable Guy says. Whether it is true or not: “that there is funny!!!!!”

From the Backside Sponsor

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Call: 254-631-2658

A LITTLE HENRY J. CLEVICEPIN TRIVIA: April 15 is that dreaded tax day.

Did you know that it has taken everything you made thru April 9th just to pay all of your taxes and if Americans were required to pay for all of the government spending, just for this year, including 1.3 TRILLION the government is spending beyond their income for this year we would have to give the government all of our income thru May 17th. That’s almost ½ of our income. Now folks let me remind you the American Revolution started because they had to work 30 days for the King…..now we have to work over 4 months…….we got to figure out a way to stop this BS. Well, me and ol Estee K. are going down to the Buzzard’s Roost Bar & Grill and get us a six pack of allergy medicine !!!!!

Words of wisdom from Henry J : Why does a slight tax increase cost you $500 and a sizable tax cut only saves you $30 ???

Email Henry J at : henryjclevicepin@aol.com

From the Backside Sponsor

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•County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ APRIL Mid-Month, 2010 v3.34• ■ Gorman

I.S.D., Latricia Hampton

Peer Assistant Leadership (P.A.L.s) Cook Children’s Hospital Trip The Gorman High School P.A.L. group traveled to Fort Worth Friday, April 2nd to help with the Easter program for the patients in the hospital. We helped fill baskets, exchange eggs, pass out stuffed animals and serve refreshments. It was a very rewarding experience to be able to help in some way.

Due to weather, the patients hunted eggs on their floor and brought them to the foyer. There were games and face painting and clowns to entertain the patients. The eggs were exchanged for stuffed animals.

Many patients were unable to participate so the P.A.L. students packaged up baskets and bunnies to be taken to their rooms.

Perla Maldanado, Adriana Madera, Brittany Henderson, Erica Limon and Kimi Seaton were able to participate in the program. They did a wonderful job helping the patients and interacting with parents and care givers.

I am always so impressed at the respect and maturity shown by our students when we travel as a school group. This is a service that touches our hearts and it means a lot to try to make occasions special for those who are unable to be at home for the holidays.

■ Supporting

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Send comments to: schools@mycounty-line.com

Angel Food Ministries

Cut-Off Date Wednesday April 14th Distribution Saturday April 24th Call Ilene (254)442-1969 You can now order online from our website:

www.angelfoodministries.com

Ambers & Just Silver Bullet Guns

RETIREMENT SALE

All items at Ambers Excluding Tyler Candles & Sterling Silver

30% Off

Starting the first week of sale, April 5th!

Prices being lowered each week until all items are sold!

Sale includes Displays, Cases & Registers!

Just Silver Bullet Guns

RISING STAR

All Items Excluding Consignment Guns & Personal Collection

Saturday Night BINGO Every Saturday Night

Marked Down 15%

Doors Open 5:30pm Play Starts 7:00pm Concessions Available American Legion 205 S Main

Open Mon-Fri 10a ~ 5:20p Open Saturday 10a ~ 1p

Kenny Rutledge

(325)642-2983

No Trades. Cash or Check Credit/Debit Cards plus 3%

113 West Main St - Eastland, Texas North Side of the Square

Our Local Schools, by Mike Norris

Subscribe to The County Line and have your copy mailed directly to your home!

A portion of every subscription fee goes to help our local schools!

Please visit TEAM-WOLVERINE.COM to learn more. Thank you!

The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com