The County Line - July 2010, v3i38

Business & Community Journal --- Independence Day, 2010

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

Volume 3 Issue 38

Speak up, join the discussion, take part!

Starts Today! On Page 14...

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

Independence Day Edition

July 4th,

2010

August Issue Deadline -- 07/30/10

vol.3 Issue 38

www.MyCounty-Line.com

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE In Congress Assembled, July 4, 1776 The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America

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HEN in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. e hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states.

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In July of 1776, representatives from the thirteen North American British Colonies, including five men from Massachusetts, three from New Hampshire, two from Rhode Island, four from Connecticut, four from New York, five from New Jersey, nine from Pennsylvania, three from Deleware, four from Maryland, seven from Virginia, three from North Carolina, four from South Carolina, and three men from Georgia -- a total of fifty-six men -- declared independence from the British Empire...and changed the course of human history.

Not all of those men were able to sign the document on July 4th, some signed the document later on August 2nd. But all those who committed their signatures to the document shared the risk knowing full well that the ink embedded in the fibers of that document represented their willingness to give their lives for a greater purpose. With their signatures, they had committed high treason against the King of Britain and had set the course for their fellow colonists, friends and families to unavoidable war.

They might as well have signed the Declaration in their own blood.

Those fifty-six men were willing to sacrifice everything for their convictions, for their ideals of selfgovernment and self-reliance. Their fates were given to their faith in God and their willingness to sacrifice their own interests for the betterment of their countrymen. The last line of the Declaration speaks to these facts. Their final words should burn in the heart of every American --

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

The County Line Published by Mike Norris Wolverine Design

P.O. Box 1156 Eastland, Tx 76448 Phone: (254)631-8407 mike@mycounty-line.com

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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

3Growing Up Small Town

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ Independence Day Edition, 2010 v3.38

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, Mike Norris

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Send comments to: smalltown@mycounty-line.com

Celebrating the Fourth of July with more than just fireworks...

The copper engraving is considered to be the fifth “official” copy of In preparation for this year’s Fourth of July festivities, I find myself enjoying aspects of the holiday that I haven’t the Declaration.

The original engrossed version being the first copy, the hand-written spent much time on recently -- Our History!

I know that many of us are prepping the grill and version delivered to John Dunlap being the second, the Dunlap Broadside washing out the cooler getting ready for the coming being the third, and the Goddard Broadside being the fourth.

Almost all modern copies and duplications today are based on Stone’s weekend. The kiddos are getting jittery thinking about fireworks and are anxiously looking forward to swimming at the lake or in the nearest copper engraving, not the original document.

The original Declaration of Independence, the original United States backyard pool. Oh yea, it’s summer time, it’s the 4th of July! Pop goes Constitution and the original Bill of Rights, along with a copy of the 1297 the Fourth!

I’m usually right there in the middle of it -- stopping by the local Magna Carta are now on permanent display at the National Archives in firework stand to oogle the rockets and mortor shells...seeing all the the “Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom” in Washington D.C. ~mwnorris sales going on at Walmart and Brookshire’s for hotdogs, charcoal, and red, white and blue plastic Dixie cups!

Yessir! It’s the 4th of July -- gotta get the boat ready for the lake. I need to renew the trailer tag and probably the boat registration, too.

There’s so much to do and I haven’t even gotten started yet. But since I have committed myself to putting out a Fourth of July Issue of The County Line, I had to get some other things lined up first.

So the first thing I did in putting this issue together was I sat down and read the Declaration of Independence.

That’s right...I started off my Fourth of July Celebration by actually reading the Declaration of Independence. And while I was doing that, I spent a little time researching as I went.

I bet you didn’t know that on the night the Declaration was signed, a hand-written copy of the Declaration was delivered to a local printer, named John Dunlap, so that copies could be printed immediately and those first published copies didn’t list the signers of the Declaration?

I wonder how many colonists were asking themselves “Who’s idea was this?”

The “Dunlap Broadsides” refers to the original 200 copies that were printed that night. 26 of them are known to still be in existence.

It was a “Dunlap Broadside” that was read for General George Washington’s troops who were assembled in New York City on July 9th, 1776.

6900 I-20 (West-Bound Side Access Rd) Exit 349 In fact, it was January 18th, 1777 before Congress had Ranger, TX an authenticated copy of the Declaration, complete with signatures, delivered to each of the thirteen states. Those (254)647-3800 were the first copies published with the signatures and Closed Tuesday’s are known as the “Goddard Broadsides”.

The original parchment or “engrossed” copy of the Open 10am till 9pm Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat Declaration was transferred to a copper plate engraving Open 10am till 3pm Sun in 1820 by printer William J. Stone under commission

by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams.

Brisket * Sausage * Chicken * Ribs * Daily Desert The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

4The Law of the Land

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, by Doug Jordan

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Home Sweet Texas Homestead Law - Part 1 Types of Homesteads – The Property This article is the first in a four-part series reviewing the basics of the homestead protection laws provided under the Texas Constitution, Texas Property Code, and through Texas court decisions – even one by the Eastland Court of Civil Appeals fifty years ago. The information presented is essentially a summary of the combined work of Professor Gerry W. Beyer (Texas Tech University School of Law, Lubbock, Texas), and Katharine L. Smith & Jennifer A. Owens (J.D.s, St. Mary’s University School of Law, San Antonio, Texas) used with their permission and to whom I am most grateful.

Section 50 of the Texas Constitution protects the homestead from forced sale for the payment of all debts, with limited exceptions (to be discussed in a future article). The accepted legal definition of a homestead includes a house, outbuildings, and adjoining land owned and occupied by a person or family as a residence. A “house” can be a traditional brick and mortar structure, a mobile home, or even a tent which would, of course, create the need for an “outbuilding.”

Homesteads are classified by property location as either an urban homestead or a rural homestead, and the size (in acres) of the exemption varies depending on this classification. Whether a homestead is urban or rural is a question of fact for a judge or jury to decide, but Section 41.002 of the Texas Property Code provides a definition of an urban homestead to assist in the classification.

An urban homestead is defined as property which, at the time of its designation, is located within a municipality and is served by police and fire protection as well as three of the following municipality services: electric, gas, sewer, storm sewer, and water. The urban homestead is also defined to include lots used for both an urban home and a place to exercise a calling or business. Before a constitutional amendment in 1983, urban homestead exemptions were limited by the value of the property, rather than the size.

For example, in 1860, the urban homestead could not exceed a whopping $2,000 in value at the time of its designation. From 1983 through 1999, the urban homestead was limited to only one acre. During that time a business homestead could be designated in addition to the urban residential homestead as long as it was located within the same “built-up” community. However, the total size of the business, residential or combined use homestead property could not exceed the one acre limit. With the passage of a constitutional amendment in 1999, the urban homestead (including any business use acreage) is now limited to ten acres and may be located on multiple lots as long as they are contiguous.

is limited to 100 acres. In addition, the current version of the Property Code does not define “rural” homestead for us, but has been interpreted by the courts to mean homesteads that are not urban homesteads. Who says the law is complicated?

NEXT: Homesteads as determined by the type of person(s) claiming the homestead exemption.

Doug Jordan is a local Title Examiner and Attorney, Board Certified in Farm and Ranch Real Estate Law for Security Title Company. Question or comments regarding this article may be emailed to the author at: doug@ securitytitleco.com

Rural homesteads are limited to 200 acres under the Constitution and may be located on one or more parcels, but must include the residence of the owner. It is interesting to note that the Property Code provides that, although a family may have a rural homestead of up to 200 acres, a single adult The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

5Out of the Past ■

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ Independence Day Edition, 2010 v3.38 , Luther & Pat Gohlke

Bad Influence

He was a loner for sure and if you had ever seen him and pegged him an eccentric old man, you would have been right. Late sixties, retired from the Santa Fe railroad, bachelor who owned no car, no horse, no cow, nothing, but a ranshackled old house about two miles in a heavily wooded area from downtown Gay Hill, Texas. He wore an old curled up stripped railroad engineer’s cap and matching overalls.

He wore no shirt and was brown as a berry. He had leathery skin and an unshaven face. Seldom seen in town, he walked wherever he went which was usually once a day to the local depot.

You see, this was rural USA, Gay Hill, Texas, ten miles north of Brenham, Texas about 1943, and believe it or not it was on the main north/south line of the Santa Fe Railroad. Even more unbelievable was the fact that the passenger train stopped there twice daily to load and unload mail and take on and let off passengers. Gene, my younger brother and I along with a local lad met that passenger train regularly. His name was Jackie Hoffer and he had a job with the local feed store in which the local post office was located. Of course, he needed our help to carry that fifteen-pound locked canvas bag of mail from the depot past the gin to the post office, a distance of about two city blocks.

Blum Wallace, the loner, eccentric was there, at least, once a day. It seemed to be his hang out. His name was actually Blum and he was a bad influence for us young bucks. Dirty jokes and a long string of cuss words that we picked up on rapidly. The depot must have been his hang out for years. Otherwise he seemed to bother no one. Just a bad influence. By age 7 and 8, my brother and I could cuss a blue streak, language that would

make even a seasoned sailor blush.

Now Gay Hill was an important place and an important part of our childhood and upbringing. My mother and aunt were born there. My brother and I were both born there.

We were delivered by none other than Dr. Stork himself. I think he was from the neighboring town of Caldwell, Texas. My grandparents lived there.

My granddad, Papa Kusch was the local doctor and his real name was Gustave Adolph Luther Kusch, MD. He was a graduate of University of Texas Medical School at Galveston, class of 1898. He still went to his little office daily and saw a few people, but was mostly retired.

Now, my Papa Kusch was a man to know. He was about six foot two, big boned, gray hair and a potbelly.

Kind, soft spoken, compassionate not a prejudice bone in his body. A servant of mankind, if ever there was one. No alcohol, no off color jokes, no foul language. Well respected in the area by blacks and whites alike.

He wore a suit daily, hand pressed, starched white shirt and bow tie. At one time a horse and buggy doctor, but now a dodge sedan with a rumble seat was his transportation. During his life here and practice at the Gay

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Send comments to: thepast@mycounty-line.com

Hill Drug Store, he made a lot of house calls, home deliveries and even appendectomies by candle light or kerosene lantern. Never turned anyone down whatever their need. Poor pay, no pay, high respect, being paid often with watermelons, chickens, or even a pig or hog. He helped shape Texas medicine in those early days. Often visited by Jr. Texas Senator Lyndon B. Johnson and others politicians.

The Doctor or Dr. Kusch as he was generally known by the locals, was known as Luther Kusch by his colleagues. He was a man of principle, a religious man, certainly a Christian. Read the Bible and prayed often. He attended the local Lutheran church on a regular basis where both English and German sermons were given each Lord’s day. Each Sunday evening, he would read various scriptures from the Bible, to all of us in my grandparent’s living room for what seemed like several hours to us boys.

Was Blum Wallace a Christian? I don’t know. I can’t recall ever seeing him in church. His example was not representative of one. I’m sure he frequented the local beer joint called “Zeitz’s Place.” Temperamental? could be. Model citizen, no. Well

thought of in the little community, I don’t think so.

On the other hand, Papa Kusch never touched alcohol to his lips.

Never went to Zeitz’s place. No curse words came out of his mouth.

Judgmental? No. Temperamental?

No. Family oriented? Yes. Patient?

Yes. Kind, loving, generous, good, gentle? Yes to all.

The picture I have tried to present is a contrast of two men, two life styles, two professions, two personalities.

One a bad example and one a good example. Both created in God’s image. The differences are obvious.

No put down for railroad people, no build up for medical people.

The scenario could have well been reversed to contrast the two life styles of these men.

Understand that my brother and I with our mom, Carrie Mae, spent about 6 or 7 summers in Gay Hill in the early to mid 40s. Why? To rest? To allow our dad to catch up on expenses and bills? To expose us boys to the rural life of well water, cows, chickens, pigs, geese, all of which were present at the Kusch place? As I look back and think, I believe it was all of the above. My parents were exposing us to a stable, solid Christian family with good family values. We learned many lessons there to fortify my own parents Christian, family values, simple things that we can all relate to - love, church, God, prayer, respect of others, honesty, proper language, no alcohol, no dirty jokes, dignity. Aren’t these values we all need and desire?

Gene and I had no problem even at our young ages to see the obvious differences presented to us by two different men. You know the example we followed even to this very day.

The dirty jokes, foul language became a passing stage as we realized and lived the true values taught to us by our grandparents and parents.

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

6Clint Coffee ■

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ Independence Day Edition, 2010 v3.38

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CLU ChFC, State Farm Insurance® Agent Is A Rollover In Your Future?

Have you recently left one employer to begin working for another? Were you covered by an employer sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k)? If so, you may be wondering about the future of your account.

In the event of a job change, there are many options available to you regarding your employer sponsored retirement account assets. The options you have will depend on the provisions of your former employer’s plan. Sometimes your money can stay in the plan with your previous employer until you reach a specific age and you then can begin taking withdrawals without a tax penalty.

Remaining with your old plan may have drawbacks. Sometimes fees are charged to former employees to offset managing the account. A minimum asset balance may also be required. Other times you must take your money out when you terminate employment. You should contact the Human Resources department or benefits counselor of your former employer to determine your options. If you withdraw plan assets, you may need to find another funding vehicle.

Transferring the balance of the assets in your previous employer’s taxqualified account to a plan sponsored by your new employer may be an option.

This can be done without paying taxes if the money goes directly to the new account (known as a “direct rollover”). However, your new employer may not allow a rollover, thus you will need to look at further options.

One choice to consider is rolling the balance of your account to a Traditional Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA). With this choice, you are able to control the investment options within the IRA. You can also avoid the need to make a further rollover if you change jobs again.

Rolling your 401(k) assets into a Traditional IRA can be costly if not done correctly. If you take a withdrawal, the trustee of your old plan must withhold 20 percent of the money for federal income tax purposes. You have 60 days to roll the distribution to a new qualified retirement vehicle if you do take a withdrawal. The 20 percent withholding will count as a distribution if you do not roll over that amount to an IRA or other qualified plan. A 10 percent tax penalty will usually apply if you are under age 59½ and you don’t roll the entire amount into an IRA or other qualified plan.

In order to avoid the 20 percent federal income tax withholding, a direct rollover should be considered. The assets of your employer sponsored plan are transferred directly from your former employer’s plan to a Traditional IRA or other qualified plan. You don’t touch the money, and neither does the government. Your assets can grow tax-deferred until you begin withdrawals.

To complete a direct rollover, contact a State Farm agent to discuss your options. Once you determine where you want the money to go, the IRA custodian can request the money from your employer-sponsored plan in the form of a check or wire transfer.

Your current IRA contributions are not affected by a rollover. You may contribute the allowable limit to an IRA even after rolling a substantial amount from your previous plan.

With so many choices available, it may be in your best interests to discuss a Traditional IRA rollover with a financial professional. You have some options.

Take advantage of one with which you are comfortable.

You know you need life insurance.

In fact, you probably already know your agent.

Call me and I’ll help you get the right life insurance for you and your family.

Clint Coffee, Agent 959 E Main St Eastland, TX 76448 Bus: 254-629-1222 clint@clintcoffee.com

statefarm.com® State Farm Life Insurance Company (Not licensed in MA, NY and WI), State Farm Life and Accident Assurance Company P062048 2/07 (Licensed in NY or WI) - Bloomington, IL

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

7Eastland County 9-12 Project

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ Independence Day Edition, 2010 v3.38

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, Gloria Christian

The Eastland County 9-12 Project believes education about our country’s founding and what the Founder’s thought processes were and their influences may have been is important for the preservation of our republic.

cases, the states, should provide for those citizens who needed help. And the help provided should always be to provide for the poor or needy citizen to get back to a position of taking care of themselves.

I highly recommend the book, “The 5000 Year Leap” by W. Cleon Skousen. The author discusses the 28 Principles of Liberty the Founders drew from in framing our Constitution.

The Founders knew the Constitution, as written, provides for the federal government to stay out of the way of citizens as they pursue their livelihood. They knew some would become wealthier than others.

Their goal was, as much as possible, to provide equal opportunity, not equal results.

With our current national situation, I found the 7th Principle to be particularly profound. The 7th Principle states, “The proper role of government is to protect equal rights, not provide equal things.”

It would probably come as a surprise to most Americans today that the Founders purposely left the federal government out of the business of providing compassion and welfare. They felt strongly that neighbors, communities, churches, and in extreme

The book, “The 5000 Year Leap”, highlighted the Founder’s writings on the subject as follows: 1. Do not help the needy completely. Merely help them to help themselves.

2. Give the poor the satisfaction of “earned achievement” instead of rewarding them without achievement.

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3. Allow the poor to climb the “appreciation ladder” - from tents to cabins, cabins to cottages, cottages to comfortable houses.

4. Where emergency help is provided, do not prolong it to the point where it becomes habitual.

5. Strictly enforce the scale of “fixed responsibility.”

The first and foremost level of responsibility is with the individual himself; the second level is the family, then the church, next the community; finally the county, and, in a disaster or emergency, the state.

Under no circumstances is the federal government to become involved in public welfare. The Founders felt it would corrupt the government and also the poor.

No Constitutional authority exists for the federal government to participate in charity or welfare.”

What a refreshing concept!!

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

8Daily Devotional ■

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ Independence Day Edition, 2010 v3.38

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, Wanda Lee Beck Skinner

Harmony Baptist Church, Morton Valley June 12, 2010

Every Wednesday at 6 p.m. the members and guests meet at Harmony for a time of Bible Study, except on the second Wednesday night which is set aside for business meetings.

At the present time our study is on the beatitudes in Matthew’s Gospel.

This Wednesday night we will be study Matthew 5: 7 “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.”

Psalm 18: 25 confirm this statement with “With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful.”

Jesus is our supreme example of mercy as He paid the ultimate for those who rejected, hated and scorned Him. We owe others the same gift of mercy that Jesus showed us. It does not matter if you give small or large measures of mercy.

We stand in the very center, on the right great mercy was showered on us, in the middle we have a choice and on the left are those who are in need of our mercy.

Luke 6:37 teaches us that we need to forgive others in order to receive God’s forgiveness. This is definitely not a one way street.

1954 Class Reunion June 20, 2010

Eastland was a busy place this past weekend with the all school reunion being held with lots of activities all over the area. Food seemed to be a focus and was very plentiful. The class of 1954 had a good crowd for the Friday night meal in the home of Sammy and Joella Jones. It was a good happy time of fellowship.

Saturday morning the class gathered in the Woman’s Club building downtown for a day of visiting, sharing memories and enjoying another delicious meal with lots of great desserts.

The cookbook “Eastland High School Recipes From the class of 1954 and friends “ was available for a price. If anyone is interested in purchasing one of these cookbooks contact Sue Gourley Travis at 5507 Cedar Creek Drive Snyder Texas 79549 or call 325-573-8969.

There were almost fifty people present at these events. Twenty eight of those had attended the class of 1954 at some point in time. Others were family members and friends. Our current address list includes

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fifty four persons. Over fifty percent of those attended.

Attending were: Harold Armstrong, Shirley Freeman Bassett, Gene Bowles, Bob Cooper, June Davis, Mary Jo Jessie Fox, Joy Lynn Robinson Green, Pearson Grimes, George Harris, Marie Tucker Harvey, George and Margie Walton Hogan, Jim Huckabay, Joann Jackson Johnson, Robert Johnson, Sammy Jones, Don Jordan, Landon Jordan, Pat Linkenhoger, Sammy Miller, Wanda Harp Moore, Doris Bownds Pylant, Wanda Beck Skinner, Joyce Williams Thompson, Sue Gourley Travis, Esma Noble Tucker, Neil Van Green, Alan Vermillion, and Donald Webb. I am not listing all the others in attendance for fear of leaving off some of their names.

I hope your class meeting was as enjoyable as ours and that you have many precious memories and pictures to share for the days to come.

Prayer Can Bring Peace June 22, 2010

“Philippians 4:6 King James Version “Be anxious for nothing but let your request be made know to God.” Have you spent sleepless nights worrying about your child, your health or your finances? Most of us have to answer that question with a definite yes.

Did things get better just because you tossed and turned all night?

The answer is No. In fact, it made you less ready and able to face the tasks of the dawning day. We should let our concerns be known to our Creator and we should never forget that He really cares for us. With that thought: go to bed and get a restful sleep. You will be able to face a new day with excitement, courage and resolve. The results of the prayer will be evident to others in your calm and peaceful attitude. Plant this type of seeds even before you climb into bed tonight and the first thing when you awake in the morning.

LONE CEDAR GOLF COURSE 2010 SCHEDULE July 5 Fire Cracker 5th Draw Scramble July 29, 30 WTJCT championship tourney August 7

Ministerial Alliance 4- Person Scramble

Sept 11, 12 2-Person Shamble Sept 25, 26 Summer League Finals Oct 16, 17 Club Championship

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

9@The Ranger Library

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ Independence Day Edition, 2010 v3.38

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, Diana McCullough

Texas Library Conference

Our postman was nice this week, delivering Broken by Karin Slaughter, Private by James Patterson (releases on Monday), and The Search by Nora Roberts (which will be released on July 6). The Fed Ex man was even nicer! He delivered a new Dell computer. Mack Skinner, our technician with the Big Country Library System, called this afternoon and set up a time to “network” it in. All of these 12 computers here are networked together, so the library is a little more complicated than you might think. We have SO MANY WIRES! And lest I forget, “Thank you, Texas taxpayers!” This new computer is funded with YOUR tax dollars as appropriated by the Texas legislature through our Loan Star Grant from the Texas State Library. As are our new books. The electricity that is keeping us cool and lighting up the room and powering all of this technology—that’s thanks to RANGERITES and our governing City Council.

Speaking of generous citizens...we now have $1,730 in our Street Sign fund! 28 new maroon street signs with white, reflective lettering have been ordered, and as soon as I receive the invoice for the ordered hardware, we’ll transfer funds OUT of this account and pay our bills, which should still leave us with over $1,000 in this account and ready to make our third street sign order. It’s getting exciting! Who would have guessed it? Do you want or need a street sign near your address? They cost about $25 per sign and installation is provided by the Ranger Citizens Task Force. Call me at the library for more details or leave your donation and street name at City Hall. Please remember that an intersection generally has TWO signs—get a neighbor to share the expense!

If you are interested in joining our Task Force, meetings are here in our

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Send comments to: ranger@mycounty-line.com

Community Room, adjoining our library, at 6:00 on Thursday evenings. You are needed.

A big Ranger “Welcome!” to our new doctor, Dr. John Glenn, who practices advanced chiropractic acupuncture. Have you noticed the work on his new office? It’s east of our traffic light on Loop 254, next to Wes-T-Go. Do you have a pain in the neck? Or back? Make an appointment! I met Dr. Glenn this morning, was favorably‑ impressed, and noticed “tummy tightening, carpal tunnel, headaches, anxiety/depression, and breathing problems” in the list for acupuncture cures.

“Man plans, and God laughs,” my daughter reminded me tonight at church.

And my mom added, “And 95% of the things you worry about are needless,” so I responded with, “It pays to worry then, right?” Just teasing, there’s no point to worrying, but we have to PLAN. And stay flexible. So...here’s my plan: My newest baby granddaughter just might be born on Tuesday, June 29th—it’s looking possible! In that case, Bob Davis will (most likely!) keep the library open from 1:00 – 5:00 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Then, we’ll probably repeat this scenario in a week or so. THAT is the plan.

Just so you know.

We have not planned our Summer Reading program, but our library kids are doing their daily ten minute Math Exercises! (I know that sounds funny— math in the library.) And lots of children’s books are being checked out, so I figure we’re doing about the best we can right now. It’s a good summer.

Plans continue for our Roaring Ranger Day, our community festival, scheduled for September 18th. I’ve received two booth forms back, the first one from the Lions’ Club—they are going to sell drinks; and the second one is from the Kiwanis—they are going to sell hot dogs and popcorn. Ranger vendors ONLY for the food and drinks, and your group/class/club/church is encouraged to join in. Do you remember the Cake Walks in the past? Maybe the Band (or the Student Council) can sponsor that, I’d enjoy seeing those concentric circles painted on our old brick street again. And maybe you should start practicing your horseshoe and washer throwing! And I always imagine the Live Music, bringing downtown Ranger back to life. Roaring Ranger Day is another event sponsored by the Ranger Citizens Task Force, but EVERYONE’S help is needed for the best possible day.

Speaking of HELP, Rick Hughes was our hero last weekend. He came through in a pinch. Lots of blessings to living in a small town, my friends.

Please take care, call the library if you need to (647-1880), and as always...

ENJOY READING!

YOU Missed a Spot!!!

Advertise with The County Line!

Call (254)631-8407 The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

10Tumbleweed Smith

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, Big Spring

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Send comments to: tumbleweed@mycounty-line.com

Aermotor Windmills Are Made In Texas

San Angelo is home to the Aermotor Windmill Company.

“They’re built right here and we ship them all over the world,” says Bob Bracher, president and part owner of Aermotor. “We ship to about 25 different countries and every state in the union.”

When I toured the factory, shipments were getting ready to ship to Russia and Africa.

He says Russia has ordered a bunch of them because they’re building up their cattle over there. Several of them are going to Nigeria, where clean water is in short supply.

The company has 30 employees who turn out thousands of windmills a year.

“We build six different sizes of windmills,” says Bob. “The diameter of the wheel is the way we classify them. They’re 6 feet, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16. The 16’s will pump to a thousand feet.

The most popular is the 8 feet windmill, which fully installed sells for $7,500. It’ll go down 175 feet.”

Bob says Aermotor is the only windmill company in Texas and one of only two such enterprises in the United States. “We’re the last one that is a full service line, but there is one in Nebraska named Dempster and we compete against some knock-off windmills made in Mexico, Argentina and China. Our company

was started in 1888 in Chicago and operated there for years, and then somebody decided to move it to Argentina. They got kicked out of the country and the Argentineans took their patents and products and started making windmills. They moved back to the United States and in 1983 made some changes to make the units more efficient.

They were in a few states before coming to San Angelo in 1986.

We’ve been here ever since.”

Bob knows windmills. He grew up on a ranch and still ranches near Fort McKavett. He has five windmills on his property. Many parts for the windmills are made at the factory in San Angelo.

“They’re made right here. Everything we use is made in the USA by American workers.

We don’t use anything foreign. We don’t even use foreign bolts. We’re a true American company.”

Windmills are strong symbols of independence.

Bob says some people think the railroads settled the west, but actually it was the windmills because the railroads had to have windmills to run the trains. The windmills also gave ranchers and farmers the ability to establish agricultural pursuits.

Once a windmill is installed, it stays there for a long time. Some of Bob’s customers in the panhandle use Aermotor windmills that are a hundred years old. For some, the windmill is nostalgic.

“A lot of people grew up on a farm or remember seeing a windmill on their grandfather’s farm.

They’ll come in and buy a windmill and put it up, sometimes to pump water, sometimes just to see it and listen to it creak.”

DAYTON’S UFO SAGA

When Ken DeFoor was with the helicopter division of the Houston Police Department in late December of 1980, there was a report of a UFO near the city of Dayton.

“This was a widely publicized UFO sighting,” says Ken, who now lives near Dayton in the community of Kenefick. “We received several calls in Houston as to whether or not we had helicopters up that night because twenty-three helicopters were seen escorting a UFO over Dayton. We did not have any helicopters in the air that night. It was December 29, 1980.

They’ve never been able to identify the UFO that was there. When I retired from the Houston Police Department I became chief of the Dayton Police Department. One of the officers who spotted this UFO was still on the force, so we talked extensively about the sighting. The History Channel was here recently and did a report on our UFO.” Numerous accounts of the Dayton UFO sighting are on the internet and television. It has been mentioned in books and magazines.

They indicate that the witnesses were on a twolane road at about nine at night when they saw some light above the trees. They at first thought it was an airplane, and then the light became brighter as it got closer. They said the light came from a huge object shaped like a diamond and hovered at treetop level. It was silver and emitted a constant beeping sound. Blue lights ringed the center and red and orange flames shot

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

11Tumbleweed Smith

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out of the bottom, flaring outward, creating the effect of a large cone. The resulting heat was strong enough to make the car’s body painful to touch. The object seemed to bounce up and down a few times, then ascended over the treetops. That’s where the witnesses say military helicopters surrounded the UFO and flew away with it. The incident reportedly lasted about 20 minutes.

Later, military authorities returned to the scene, but refused to talk to anyone who had seen the strange craft. The military denied having any helicopters chasing a UFO. “The people who were closest to the UFO received radiation burns,” says Ken. “The night they saw the UFO they became ill with blisters, their faces swelled and their hair fell out. When they went to the doctor the next day, the doctor said they had radiation burns.”

The witnesses filed a lawsuit against the government, asking for 20 million dollars in damages. After years in courts a US District Judge dismissed the case in 1986. It is one of very few UFO cases to result in criminal court proceedings.

The sighting is known as the Cash-Landrum or Piney Woods incident. The people involved were Betty Cash, 51 years old at the time and her friend, Vickie Landrum, age 57. Vickie’s seven-year-old grandson Colby was with them. Betty was hospitalized for fifteen days as a burn victim. She died on December 29, 1998, exactly eighteen years after her claimed close encounter.

“It never happened, as far as the government is concerned,” says Ken. AUNT LIZZIE’S QUILT SHOW

Deborah Burkett lives in a log house in the woods north of Jacksonville. She owns Aunt Lillie’s Antiques and Gifts, a combination tearoom and antique store located in an old family home in Troup, Texas. Her store is open only on weekends and serves tea and scones, cappuccino and homemade desserts.

For eleven years she has had a quilt show on July 4th and 5th.

“I show old quilts, some of which are nearly 200 years old,” says Deborah. “They are all on loan, of course. I also show new quilts and baby quilts and I’m one of the few places I’ve

heard of that shows quilt tops. There are many beautiful tops that have never been quilted.”

Deborah is an accomplished photographer and does a booklet for each show. These are works of art in themselves. They document stories and pictures of each of the 50 or so quilts in the show. She gives these away at no charge. A book of all her quilt shows is due out this November.

“It’ll be eight by ten, an inch thick and will have pictures and stories of about 500 quilts. We’re expecting to have fairly wide distribution of the book because it’ll have a lot of historical information about quilting, like how the wedding ring pattern got to be so popular.”

Each show will have its own chapter and will have details about each one. Deborah says there will be a lot of human interest pictures in the book.

Over the years she has had different types of entertainment at her shows, which have grown in number and significance each year. Family members of elderly ladies who have quilts in the show tell Deborah how much it has meant to their mother, grandmother or aunt to be included in the display.

At each show, a theme emerges. Last year it was all about graduation. The First Baptist Church in Arp, Texas displayed a dozen quilts from the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s.

“The ladies of the church used to quilt all the time,” says Deborah. “If you graduated from Arp High School and attended that Baptist Church back then, you received a quilt. For the program last year I was able to retrieve a photograph of some graduates in the church receiving their quilts. I also had pictures of the ladies of the church making the quilts.”

Deborah has a background in the medical field and has a doctorate in medical education.

Her career took her all over the country working with doctors in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

She spent a few years in Alaska and has a totem pole, moose head and other Alaskan items in her home. Deborah does not quilt.

“My grandmother and great grandmother were quilters, but I certainly recognize the skills, the creativity and the art of quilting.”

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Leeann Barron Financial Advisor Cisco, TX 76437 254-442-1564

EASTLAND COUNTY 9-12 PROJECT MEETING

Date and Time: Thursday, July 8th at 6:30 PM Location: Myrtle Wilks Community Center

Mountain Top Church in Cisco, TX Guest Speaker: Gay Hart

Longtime school teacher, she is also

an expert on the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.

Presentation:

History of the Jewish people and the current nation of Israel History of the relationship between Israel and the United States The importance of maintaining that relationship

Please join us. The meeting begins at 6:30.

Gay’s presentation begins at 7:00.

We hope to see you there!!

254-334-9537 for more information.

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

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

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14America’s History

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, Mike Norris

Restoring America’s History Starts Today...

Part 1: Prelude to Independence

When I was going to college, my history class was the largest class that I attended. It was held in an auditorium and I was only one of about six hundred students who rushed in and scrambled for a seat just like we were trying to catch a popular movie on opening night. It was mostly a mad house. And to make matters worse, the format was so predictable that it was practically a waste of time and a waste of effort.

It took myself and the small group of my friends about two weeks to realize that all we had to do was arrive a few minutes early, copy down the list of bullet points from the chalk board, and then while the rest of the crowd was still trying to find a seat, we would stand up and quietly make our way out the door. We were done.

What made it possible was that the instructor conducted his class the exact same way every day. After waiting 10 to 15 minutes for people to settle down, he would read a paragraph or two about each bullet point (all of which was verbatim from our text books) and then he would dismiss the class 5 or 10 minutes early.

Our first exam was essentially the list of bullet points from his daily chalk board presentation, each followed by a blank space for us to write down our summary interpretation of the paragraph(s) pertaining to each point.

If you had the list of bullet points, and took a few minutes to read the text book, that was all you needed. He could have

just given us the list of bullet points for the entire year and turned us loose on the first day.

If you think that studying history equates to memorizing dates and bullet points then you are woefully, and probably intentionally, misinformed!

In my opinion, the two best tools to aid in the study of history are: 1) The Internet, and 2) The “tabbed” Internet browser.

Here’s why I say that -- in this day and age, to look up something interesting in history, wether it be Texas history, American history, world history or any combination thereof, all you have to do is open an Internet browser, type in the search term for the topic, and click a button. Within a couple clicks, you can be hot on the trail of the topic...and every time you come across something interesting that is an offshoot of the original topic, all you have to do is open up a new tab and conduct a search in that tab on the new topic. In a matter of minutes, you can have a multitude of tabs open, each offering a unique perspective on the original topic of discussion. This puts the power of understanding at your fingertips and allows you to explore as many aspects of an issue as you want, without ever loosing track on the original topic.

My point is, you can’t get that type of exposure to anything in a classroom setting. (Continued on page 19)

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

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15Life Planning Issues

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, Jim Kennedy

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Send comments to: lifeplanning@mycounty-line.com

Who is the Right Advisor for You?

Some folks think that “what you don’t know can’t hurt you” ….but in all honesty, it is what you don’t know you don’t know that will.

And events of the last two years or so have, if nothing else, taught us that there is a lot we don’t know: and not just about the Market, but about ourselves and how we react to unexpected and unforeseen events.

With the relentless coverage of the economy and stock market, you are surely frustrated and emotional about your investments. You want answers and you want to know what to do with your money. I don’t blame you. But be careful.

Contradictable to what the latest salesman told you, your situation is unique and the answers for you may not be the same for your neighbor. Hot opportunities, in fact, may be the last thing you need to pursue.

So how do find someone to help you discover the answers best for your unique situation and not best for their own paycheck? Here are some tidbits to look for, questions to ask and requests to make when you are visiting the idea of making a change.

1.Is the advisor interested in you? Are they asking questions about your present situation, future and goals, family, and feelings about the current economic conditions and investing? Are the ideas he/she is providing relative to your life story?

2.How does the advisor make money? Taking an advisor’s source of income under consideration may help you decide whether or not to follow their recommendations without acquiring a second opinion. There are essentially 3 types of income for an advisor:

a.The first is a planning fee. This can either be based on an hourly rate, flat rate, or a percentage of your assets and/or income.

This fee is charged for the amount of work done to develop financial planning recommendations. b.The second is a commission. Commissions are usually paid by a third party from products sold to you. This is usually an upfront percentage of the amount you invest in a product on their recommendation. c.The last is a management fee. This type of fee is usually a fixed percentage of assets you have under management with the advisor charged on a quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. This type of fee puts the advisor on your team. If you make money, your assets under management will increase and the advisor’s fee will increase accordingly.

For example an advisor charges you 1% annually to manage your money. If your original investment is $100,000, the advisor will make $1,000. If your investment grows to $150,000, the advisor will make $1,500.

On the other hand, if your investment incurs a loss of $50,000, the advisor will only make $500.

3.Protect yourself from the Madoffs of the world. Find out whether or not the advisor works with other professionals or under a broker/dealer and/or advisory firm. You may want to meet everyone you will be working with. Acquire a list of names and check on their backgrounds. If the advisor is not working with anyone, question their own background and nature of the underlying businesses.

4.Are the services and products the advisor offers well diversified? In other words, it is important to work with someone who thinks

outside the box and is not focused in only one area, such as annuities or commodities.

Can the advisor offer alternative investments that are not correlated with the market? What about mutual funds, annuities, structured notes, bonds, stocks, non-traded real estate investment trusts, commodities, etc?

5.What is the advisors approach to financial planning? Does the firm have an investment process in place to buy low and sell high? Is there a 3 to 5 year plan in place to protect your need for income and not take money out of a down market? What are his/her disciplines?

How often can you expect to meet with him/ her or hear from him/her?

6.Other considerations: a.What experience does the advisor have? b.What qualifications does the advisor have? c.How much does the advisor charge? d.Could anyone else besides you benefit from the advisors recommendations (conflicts of interest)? e.Has the advisor ever been publicly disciplined for any unlawful or unethical actions in his/ her professional career? Confirm the answer your get at: http://www.finra.org/Investors/ ToolsCalculators/BrokerCheck/index.htm f.Get everything in writing.

If you are getting antsy and feel you need to make a change, it is okay. I just encourage you to talk with the right someone who can help you figure out what is best for you. Please do not jump on the first bandwagon you hear about from the same someone who sells it, especially now when making the wrong change could cost you your financial future.

You cannot buy the S&P 500 index. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Jim Kennedy is a Registered Representative with VSR Financial Services, Inc. Kennedy Financial is independent of VSR Financial Services, Inc. Securities & Advisory Services offered through VSR Financial Services, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser & Member FINRA/SIPC.

YOU Missed a Spot!!!

Advertise with The County Line!

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16Rising Star Library Notes

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, Ginger Johnson Tobin

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Hello Rising Star Library Patrons...

BUSY VOLUNTEER DAY

Monday (my volunteer day) was so busy at Rising Star Library; we had several volunteers waiting to do whatever was needed that day: Gwen Eberhart, Norene Pittman, Maria Jones and me. It was like a bee hive, we were all busy on different tasks, but all centered around some straightening and reorganization in the “back room.” This room is mainly for meetings, but as of late has been stuffed with donated books, cookbooks for sale, historical records, etc.

We all worked hard to do the reorganization; and now things look much better. It is rumored that on Wednesday of this week we will be receiving 16 boxes of books…yes, I did say 16! So, you can see we needed to make room for the new arrivals.

IN MEMORY LIBRARY

OF…GIFTS

TO

THE

Many, many thanks go out to several sources of library donations in honor of a local resident, Alvie C. Milam, who passed on May 19, 2010.

My brother, Alvie, lived in the city for only 2-1/2 years; but he thought it was grand and especially enjoyed the local holiday parades that always came by the nursing home where he lived.

Gift donors include Carol & Jesse Jones of Las Cruces, NM; Burton Hill Baptist Church of Fort Worth, TX; Laura & Butch Garrett of Rising Star; Rising Star Nursing Center; and Gwen Eberhart and Maria Jones of Rising Star.

The residents of Rising Star will benefit from the books purchased by these memorial gifts; and we are so grateful to the above generous folks.

ANOTHER WONDERFUL BIRDHOUSE

I noticed on Monday that there has been an addition to our ever-growing “birdhouse city” at the library. Our new Friday volunteer, Ethel Ames, makes these habitats for our feathered friends and sells them to benefit the library.

The latest is a “church” and is really quite striking! Come by to see these; you might find one you like. They are priced at $10.00 each. One volunteer has already purchased one for her family reunion’s auction; it will be a big hit, I’m sure!

COMPUTER USE

Our Internet computer has been staying busy lately; we’re so glad that it’s useful to the community; we are hoping to somehow obtain another one so that we (the library staff) will have

one to use too…we’ll see what happens on that subject.

MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY

Hope all of you enjoyed the wonderful Memorial Day holiday; the library was open a short time but closed early because of the holiday. A couple of library volunteers stopped by and the discussion turned to the PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT FUNDRAISER which will be Saturday, June 12 at the City Park pavilion. This sounds like a FUN DAY to me; there will be lots of games and “fun” things to do for both adults and children. Star Pride will run a CAKE WALK with those delicious cakes that Star Pride members are famous for; and all proceeds will benefit the playground equipment fund for Rising Star’s children. More on this later….

ALL THAT GLITTERS….

While pulling weeds and grass out of my front flowerbeds this morning, I was (of course) thinking about this column and the book I will review. (It’s a real challenge for me to think about MORE THAN ONE THING, but I tried!) Suddenly, I realized that the FLOWERS that I thought were coming up in the flowerbed (VINCA OR PERIWINKLE) were actually NOT flowers, but WEEDS! What a huge disappointment…for the past three weeks, while I was busy elsewhere, I just watered the flowers and was very pleased that NEW VINCA were sprouting up! Great, I thought. But on CLOSER examination, I realized that THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS AS THEY APPEAR. (No, this is NOT an original thought, I actually heard it last Sunday.)

What I had casually glanced at and what I wanted them to be were NOT what those little buds of green leaves are! So, after contemplating on this a few minutes, I pulled all those weeds that were masquerading as flowers and learned firsthand that “all that glitters is not gold.”

BOOK REVIEW

The book I selected this week for review is titled “Angela’s Ashes” by Irish author, Frank McCourt.

He wrote this book in 1996; after some research I found that Mr. McCourt passed away July 19, 2009. The first time I read this book, I was hooked when I discovered it was about Limerick, Ireland.

This is the city where I first “discovered” Ireland a number of years ago when I visited there with my husband.

Of course, Limerick is NOT the same now as it is described by Mr. McCourt in past decades.

Limerick, like the rest of Ireland, is now very modern and up-to-date, but it’s interesting to read what it was like in Mr. McCourt’s young years when he was growing up extremely poor.

Samuel Freeman writes the following on the jacket of “Angela’s Ashes.”

“Frank McCourt is a writer whose unflinching eye for family tragedy is matched only by his capacious heart in forgiving it. Having waited a half century to tell his take, McCourt uses his ripened talent to reincarnate the desperate Ireland of his boyhood, a boyhood shaped by the funger for both material and intellectual sustenance. Any reader with an immigrant in his past cannot help but find his own forbears in Angela’s Ashes.”

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

17Treasure Hunters

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, Jerry Eckhart

06/07/10

Gray Ghost Nite Hunt Updates

Attention all Southwestern Searchers Club members, either current or potential. The Gray Ghost Nite Hunt is a reality.

I now have 200 excellent coins in hand and a potential for 400 more to come in the next few days. This will be a hunt to remember.

Here is a rundown on what is already in the hunt. One cache of 35 wheat pennies with a few surprises mixed in, 100 silver dimes, 4 silver rounds, 2 silver rounds, about 30 large Victoria cents, all dated prior to 1900, 6 Roman coins all dating to about 400 AD (values range from 3.00 to 30.00), 6 BU coins, I have forgotten what the other 25 are, but they are there.

I am meeting with my coin wholesaler this coming week to see what he has rounded up. He has I know 100 buffalo nickels and 100 Indian Heads but I have not taken delivery yet. That leaves 200 more.

I plan to put about 40 gold dollars (maybe more) and about 150 additional rarities such as seated dimes, flying eagle cents and shielded nickels. That

The Ranger Tablesports Association proudly presents the Central Texas 42 Domino Championship.

July 2nd and 3rd, hosted

by Fox’s Mercantile. 200 W. Main St. Ranger, TX 76470.

(254) 647-3334. $5 entry fee Sign up now and let’s bring those bones to life.

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Editor’s note: To see more of Jerry’s treasure finds, visit his Facebook profile.

Just search Facebook for “Jerry Eckhart”

will make this the most unusual and richest night hunt ever.

Rules are simple. No lights of any kind for the first 30 minutes, not even detector backlights. Anyone caught using a light will be asked to leave the field immediately. After the first 30 minutes, a signal will be given and you may use headlamps, penlights and anything else except large flashlights.

All targets will be encased in coin folders, small glass jars, or envelopes (can’t find enough folders) and will be sprayed gray so you cannot spot them in the dark. All targets will be on top of the ground. No digging tools will be allowed so leave them in your car.

The hunt field is dark, but street lights across the street will give enough residual lighting so that you won’t bump into each other. No targets will be placed near bushes, trees or other obstructions. They will all be in the open. The hunt field which is about a block and a half long by a half block wide will be outlined with glow lights so you can easily spot the perimeter.

There is ample parking. Contestants will assemble at the museum (116 W. 7th, Cisco, TX) at 7:00 PM and be escorted to the hunt field which is about 8 blocks away.

06/16/10 I am opening the hunt to all comers now. That does not mean you who have not, will have to compete with everyone else for a slot in the hunt. Many of you have already entered so I thank you very much.

To everyone, don’t put this off until the deadline which is July 21.

Everything received after that date will be returned.

I do expect this to be filled by then. Make your plans now.

To date, I have 450 coins in hand, with more ordered.

Keith Wills is donating some coins to the hunt. To help repay him for his kindness, I encourage all in his area to patronize his business.

I expect to top 600 coins by the cutoff date, but no solid promises. I am also putting a number of prizes into the hunt, but have not decided just what yet. I know of several things, but still don’t have a full listing. Remember, there will be a prize target for a nice gold nugget.

That should be incentive enough to get your entries in.

Guess that will do it for now. ~Jerry Eckhart

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

18Eastland Memorial Hospital Volunteers

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, Kelly Davidson

The E.M.H. Volunteers participated in the Hospital Appreciation Week that was from May 9 to May 15.

The volunteers helped in several ways, first by donating and handing out five $20.00 gift certificates to use in the SunShine Gift Shoppe.

Various hospital employees received these gift certificates. Volunteers also sponsored food and activities for all employees during the week. This included nachos, ice-cream sundaes, popcorn, hamburgers. The volunteers respect and admire the work done by everyone at the hospital.

By a unanimous decision, the volunteers voted to purchase two new necessary pieces of equipment for the hospital. The first is a “Stair Chair” to be used by the EMS department.

This chair moves patients out of areas that are difficult to get to with a gurney. Our EMS department in turn has decided to donate their old chair to the Ranger EMS. The second piece of equipment is a portable x-ray machine for the Radiology Department.

Once brought to the volunteers’ attention that these items were badly needed we were very excited to be able to help.

Please come by and visit the volunteers at the SunShine Gift Shoppe located downstairs by the Earl & Billye Bradley

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Rehab and Wellness Center and the Bill Oswalt Aquatic Therapy Center. We have beautiful items at very reasonable prices. Items such as wall crosses, mirrors, candles, wind chimes, angels, night-lights, jewelry, scarves, mugs, caps, tasty treats, sodas and our famous freshly popped popcorn. The SunShine Gift Shoppe hours are from 9:30 to 5:30, Monday thru Friday.

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

19America’s History

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It’s impossible unless you have more teachers and instructors than you do students...ain’t gonna happen!

So now that you know my research process, you can follow along with me as I share my study of history with you. Let’s start with the events which eventually led fifty-six men to put their lives on the line by signing a document calling for American Independence from the British Empire...

The Seven Years War (a.k.a. The French and Indian War)

1754~1763

At the conclusion of Great Britain’s Seven Years War, France ceded it’s colonial holdings of Canada to the British. France’s ally durign the conflict, Spain, ceded control of colonial Florida to the British as well.

France compensated Spain for the loss of Florida by ceding control of colonial Louisiana to Spain. Almost overnight, the major powers holding claims to North American colonies shifted and Britian became the dominate force on the continent with Spain holding the Louisiana lands west of the Mississippi River.

But the British were mostly concerned over the alliances held between the native American Indians and the French. The Natives had fought alongside their French-European allies and Britain could ill afford further conflicts between the Native Americans and the British colonies.

As a result, Britain acknowledged the Native American land holdings between the Mississippi River and the Appalachian Mountains.

With the Proclamation of 1763, Great Britain’s King George III agreed to temporarily suspend the western expansion of the British territories.

Under the Proclamation, colonial land speculators were forbidden to purchase land from the Native Americans. The once lucrative land speculation business suddenly became illegal under British law and colonial expansion seemed to be haulted.

But the British efforts had little effect on the peace when Native Americans rebelled against British occupation of the northern French territories of Canada. “Pontiac’s Rebellion” broke out in 1763 in the area around the Great Lakes and it continued into 1766.

Due to the displeasure of the colonists with the Proclamation of 1763, the Proclamation Line which formed the border between British territory and Native American lands, was moved westward through several additional treaties with the Native Indians.

The Stamp Act and The Townshend Act

1765 & 1767

With the debts incurred by Great Britain over the conflicts with the French and the Native American Indians, British Parliament enacted a series of tax laws to increase the revenues generated by the American colonies. The most well known of these was the Stamp Act of 1765.

(Continued on page 23)

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

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20Out of the Box ■

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ Independence Day Edition, 2010 v3.38 , Joellen Hodge

Land of the Free

Independence Day is the nation’s moment to reflect on what we have. This year, some folks may find that a little difficult. Jobs have been lost and homes locked down.

Other find themselves so budgeted it hurts to spend time. Still…I have a list of very free things we can all enjoy. It is my favorite top three free things…

Freedom of SpeechCitizens of the U.S.A. have freedom of speech. You can say what you want, when you want, if you want. Some people may not like what you have to say, but you can say it, anyway. You, on the other hand, may be shocked, dismayed or angered by the words coming from some one else. They enjoy the same rights as you. If it is not to your pleasure: walk away, turn it off, or throw the paper in the trash.

Freedom of ReligionYou have the right to worship God, love Jesus, meditate on the works of Buddha, or dance around trees. You can be a Muslim, a Christian, a Gnostic Christian, Hindu, or Pagan. We have the right in this country to worship. You may be surprised to find out you cannot be treated badly for your religious beliefs. That goes for all religions.

Including those you do not understand, do not sanction and think are stupid. If

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Send comments to: thebox@mycounty-line.com

another’s religion is not to your pleasure: walk away, turn it off, or throw the paper in the trash.

Freedom of the PressThe press has the right to report, investigate, and inform the people.

The press has the responsibility to investigate and confirm its reports. The press must protect the reader/viewer/ listener by only reporting the truth in an unbiased fashion. Now that you know the difference, you will be able to tell the real thing when you experience it. If you do not like what you hear/see/read: walk away, turn it off, or throw the paper in the trash.

Yes, times are hard and everything is more expensive. Yet we still have more than any nation in the world per person.

We still have rights, voices, faith, and information. That may not be enough to finance a boat at the bank…but it is enough to build a country.

This 4th of July, eat a hot dog, take the kids to see fireworks. Drive your old car and don’t worry about what the rest of the world thinks about you. You are a citizen of the United States of America.

If it is wrong, you will change it…we have done so over and over again. We are the greatest nation in the world, and we will be greater.

If you have an idea about an article, e-mail me: johodge@bboxlady.com

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Ambers & Just Silver Bullet Guns

RETIREMENT SALE All items at Ambers Excluding Tyler Candles & Sterling Silver Prices being lowered each week Until all items are sold!

Just Silver Bullet Guns All Items Excluding Consignment Guns & Personal Collection

Marked Down!!!

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

Open Mon-Fri 10a ~ 5:20p Open Saturday 10a ~ 1p 113 West Main St - Eastland, Texas North Side of the Square

The Gorman Peanut Festival & 7th Annual Shin Oak Springs BBQ Cook-Off

Saturday, September 11th downtown Gorman “THEN. NOW. FOREVER.” BBQ contest will begin at 5:00 Friday evening before.

A parade will kick off the festivities at 10:00 a.m. followed by a Tug-of-War Tournament between the local Fire Departments, car show, bake-off, 42-tournament, food and craft booths and entertainment all day long.

Plans are pending for a Ranch Rodeo that will begin at 5:00 Saturday evening.

Free street dance from about dark til’ it’s over.

Anyone and everyone is welcome to attend.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Gorman City Office at (254)734-2317 We hope to see ya’ there for a good time with good food and great company!!!!!

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

21From The Backside

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ Independence Day Edition, 2010 v3.38

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, Henry J. Clevicepin

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Send comments to: backside@mycounty-line.com

Heat Wave Hits Buzzard’s Roost

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

Whew, it is hot here in Buzzard’s Roost. I saw my mulebarn partner & beer drinking buddy Estee K. Bibbles out feeding the chickens ice so they wouldn’t lay hard boiled eggs. The worse thing I’ve seen is ol Nellie Frecklebelly & Agnes & Ophilia Fudpucker laying out in the their little thongs sunbathing. Now, mind you, these are big ol gals. It looked kinda like three 100 Lb sacks of wheat with the string busted…. there was fat hanging everywhere. Now I don’t know if the heat had anything to do with it, but our ol buddy Bob Hammontree that owns the grocery store over at Gorman (don’t ask which one….there is only one in Gorman) kinda had a little stroke the other day and they had to haul him down to Ft Worth to the hospital for a little extended stay. I called ol Bob to check on him and ask him what the doctors had said and ol Bob said the doc’s weren’t sure but they thought he had tried to vapor-lock.

We sent our local Buzzard’s Roost vet down there and he gave Bob a good cold ice water enema and that seemed to straighten him right out. So go by and check on ol Bob and while you’re there try on them fine steaks he cuts up in the back….they’re so good they’ll make your tongue jump out and slap your forehead !!!!!

Talk about things heatin up. Our Buzzard’s Roost preacher was talking to his wife last week and told her he had preached on about everything he could think of, so he was going to do a sermon on horseback riding. His little wife said that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of, but the preacher insisted that was what he was going to preach about on Sunday. As they headed to church on Sunday his wife told him if you are still going to preach on horseback riding, then I am going to just sit in the car so I don’t have to watch you make a fool of yourself. Well, when church started, the preacher got to thinking and changed his mind and decided to do a hellfire & brimstone sermon on SEX. After church two of the old ladies of the church walked out to the car where the preacher’s wife was setting and told her that she had just missed one of the best sermons her husband had ever done. Not knowing the preacher had changed his sermon, the preacher’s wife exclaimed ” I doubt that seriously..…he doesn’t know anything about it. He has only tried it twice, once before we got married and once after we got married and he fell off both times”. Both old ladies fainted…..just

too much information !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ol Estee K was telling me the other day about his little grandson that he so proud of. His name is little Johnny K. Bibbles. It seems that his teacher at school had given his class a weekend assignment to sell something, then give a talk to the class on Monday on productive salesmanship.

Well, Monday morning they all filed into class and started giving their little speeches. … little Sally led off. I sold girl scout cookies and made $30. My sales approach was to appeal to the customer’s civil spirits. Very good said the teacher. …little Jennifer was next. I sold magazines and made $45. I explained to everyone that the magazines would keep them up to date on current events. Again the teacher said very good. …eventually it became little Jonny K.’s turn.

As the teacher held her breathe little Johnny K. walked up to the teacher’s desk and dumped a box full of cash and said here’s $2467. The teacher cried out “what in the world were you selling”?

Toothbrushes said little Johnny K.. I found the busiest corner in town and I set up a free chip & dip stand and gave everybody a free sample. They all said the same thing….”Hey, this taste like dog crap” !!!! And I would say….”It is dog crap… wanna buy a toothbrush????” Then little Johnny K. explained that he had used the Obama Big Government approach of giving you something crappy for FREE and then making you pay to get the crappy taste out of your mouth. No wonder Estee K. is proud of that boy…he’s a chip off the old block !!!!!

I think little Johnny K. had a better understanding of how the government works that Obama and our congressmen have. Look at the Obama gang going to sue Arizona over their new immigration law. All they are doing is trying to enforce laws already on the books. What ever happen to state’s rights as provided in the Constitution????? And did you hear where our illustrious Federal Government shut down From the Backside Sponsor

Joe Bond Construction Fencing, Metal Buildings, Dirt Hauling Motorgrading Roads

Call: 254-631-2658

one of our National Parks on the Arizona/ Mexico border because the Mexican war lords had taken it over. Rather than sending the Army or National guard to run them out they had rather sue Arizona for trying to keep them out……this is a bunch of brilliant sapsuckers we got up there now ain’t it???? And what about ol Joe Barton apologizing to BP oil company for the Obama doing a little shake down on them to the tune of $20 billion. Not only Obama but some of the Republican hierarchy jumped on him and made him apologize for saying what he said. They even threaten to take his chairmanship of some committee away from him if he didn’t. Now whether you agree with Senator Barton or not, why in the cornbread world doesn’t he have the right to speak his mind. That is the big problem. We can’t send anyone to Washington to tell them what we want. The big wheels in each party are going to tell them what to say and how to vote. Just once I wish one of them congressmen would tell the party big shots to stick their little committee chairmanship where the sun don’t shine.

We don’t have a representative type government anymore…..we got a few big shots in each party, with lots of power, running the whole show. I just hope in November the voters send a bunch of them power hungry sapsuckers back home and clean out that rat’s nest up there.!!!

Well me & ol Estee K. gonna go put on our little thong bathing suits and go sunbathe with the fat ladies. I hope some environmentalist group don’t call the authorities about some beached whales out behind the Buzzard’s Roost Bar & Grill.

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM HENRY J. : Diapers and politicians both need to be changed often…….and for the same reason !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can email ol Henry J at : henryjclevicepin@aol.com

From the Backside Sponsor

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

22

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ Independence Day Edition, 2010 v3.38

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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

23America’s History

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ Independence Day Edition, 2010 v3.38

■

■ Footnotes, Mike Norris

, Continued

The Stamp Act and the series of laws collectively known as The Townshend Act, greatly angered the American colonies. In part due to the underlying purposes of the individual laws which included punishing the province of New York for failure to comply with the Quartering Act of 1765 which forced the colonists to allow British soldiers to house within private homes.

The Townshend Act also sought to increase colonial officials’ comphensation in order to isolate them from colonial influence and Parliament wished to demonstrate at the basic level that it had the power to levy taxes on the British colonies.

When the Provincial New York Assembly refused to submit its colonists to the Quartering Act provisions, Parliament suspended the governorship and the elected Assembly.

This dispute spurred the argument that Parliament did not have the authority to suspend an elected body in its colonies, nor did Parliament have the authority to levy taxes without the colonists’ consent under the British Constitution.

The Stamp Act Congress

October, 1765

Representatives from nine of the thirteen colonies assembled in New York City on October 19th, 1765. It was the first time that representatives from a majority of the British colonies assembled specifically to discuss the actions of British Parliament.

The representatives maintained that while Parliament could make laws and taxes for Great Britain, only colonial assemblies could make laws for the colonies, since the colonies had no representation in Parliament. According to the British Constitution, British subjects could not be taxed without the consent of their representatives in Parliament.

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The Declaratory Act

March, 1766

Parliament repealed the Stamp Act on March 18th, 1766 with the passage of the Declaratory Act as follows: “AN ACT FOR THE BETTER SECURING THE DEPENDENCY OF HIS MAJESTY’S DOMINIONS IN AMERICA UPON THE CROWN AND PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN Whereas several of the houses of representatives in His Majesty’s colonies and plantations in America have of late, against law, claimed to themselves, or to the general assemblies of the same, the sole and exclusive right of imposing duties and taxes upon His Majesty’s subjects in the said colonies and plantations; and have, in pursuance of such claim, passed certain votes, resolutions, and orders derogatory to the legislative authority of Parliament, and inconsistent with the dependency of the said colonies and plantations upon the crown of Great Britain: may it therefore please Your Most Excellent Majesty that it may be declared, and be it declared by the king’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That the said colonies and plantations in America have been, are, and of right ought to be, subordinate unto, and dependent upon the imperial crown and Parliament of Great Britain; and that the king’s Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, of Great Britain, in Parliament assembled, had, hath, and of right ought to have, full power and authority to make laws and statutes of sufficient force and validity to bind the colonies and people of America, subjects of the crown of Great Britain, in all cases whatsoever.”

Cisco AARP Chapter 2447

4th Friday Night Musical 1007 Humble Ave Hillside Village Come join us for a night of fun & fellowship Greet old friends, meet some new friends, and listen to some Good Country & Gospel music.

The doors open at 4:30 PM. We start serving at 5:00 PM. Music starts at 6:00 PM. Admission is free.

The only cost is food & drinks.

Our menu is Red Beans & Cornbread, or Sandwiches and assorted Deserts.

The drinks are Coffee, Tea, Cokes, Dr Pepper, & Bottled Water.

We hope to see you there!

We are a Smoke free, Alcohol free, and Drug free establishment.

RISING STAR Saturday Night BINGO Every Saturday Night

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

(325)642-2983

Angel Food Ministries

Ordering Cut-Off Date Thursday July 22nd You can now order online from our website: www.

angelfoodministries. com

Online Ordering Cut-Off Date Friday July 23rd Distribution Saturday July 31st

Call Ilene for more information (254)442-1969

Cisco AARP Chapter 2447

Regular Monthly Meeting Hillside Village Wheatley Community Center 1006 Humble Ave Come join us for a potluck supper.

Drinks, paper plates, & cutlery are furnished by the Chapter.

We eat at 6:00 PM. Come join us for Fun, Food & Fellowship.

Followed by a brief business meeting We hope to see you there.

America’s History continues in the next issue...and all around us!

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