The County Line - May 2010, v3i35

Business & Community Journal --- May First Edition, 2010

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

Volume 3 Issue 35

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

2 •County First EditionLine Business & Community

MAY, 2010

vol.3 Issue 35

On The Cover:

This bluebonnet scene is located in Eastland County. Thank you so much to the land owner for allowing me on the property and being such a pleasure to speak with. And for being a reader!

Photo by mwnorris

In This Issue: What’s Your Hobby?

Growing Up Small Town Carbon - Then & Now Daily Devotional Ranger Library Clint Coffee Tumbleweed Smith Big Country Air Fest Hand Painted Arts Out of the Past Life Planning Issues Rising Star Library Notes Out of the Box Eastland Chamber News Treasure Hunters From the Backside

More on the Web...

Contents

Journal ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35

What’s Your

HOBBY? T

Mid-May Edition Deadline -- 05/14/2010 June First Edition Deadline -- 05/28/2010

his issue is all about how we like to spend our time when we are not working! You do have spare time don’t you? Yes? No? Not so much?

Well, if you’re like most folks, myself included, you feel like there is never enough time in the day. You run from one task to the next with hardly time to take a breath in between. At work, you have a constant flow of phone calls that have to be answered, a stack of invoices that have to be paid, a pile of notes and an inbox full of eMail messages -- all waiting for you to stop whatever it is you are doing right this second and give them your undivided attention. At home, you have to take the kids to school, clean up after breakfast, get ready to go to work (can you believe it?) and the moment you walk in the door in the evening, there’s a dozen things waiting for you to do before you can even sit down!

W

e literally spend every waking moment of our week just hoping and praying to get through and make it to the weekend! And when the weekend finally comes, if we’re not exhausted from working all week long, we have a week’s worth of housework sitting around waiting to eat up our Saturdays! Well I’m here to tell you something right now...most financial advisors will tell you straight up -- pay yourself first! Their advice is always to put a little something aside as payment for yourself for your hard work.

Well that’s fine and dandy...but if you never take the time to actually INVEST that little amount of money into something that satisfies your needs for recreation and relaxation, then what are you actually spending it on? Does it go into gas for the car? What about eating out for lunch? Does Ronald McDonald collect that money from you each week? Is that what you call “paying yourself first?”

I

say “to heck with that!” I used to have a real hobby...and in just a few minuntes I’m going to tell you all about it! But before I do I want to ask you something...what’s your hobby? What do you enjoy doing when you don’t have to be doing anything? (And taking a nap doesn’t count!)

T

his issue of The County Line is going to be about lots of things that you can do to truly invest your hard earned time and money in yourself, and maybe find out that there’s lots of other people out there who are just like you. So sit back, relax, stop answering the phone for a few minutes, tell the kids to go outside, and I invite you to enjoy reading The County Line...(hurry up, the boss will be back from lunch soon!!!)

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)

Visit Our Website:

www.mycounty-line.com Advertising inquiries, article submissions, news releases, comments, please email: info@mycounty-line.com

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 ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35• ■ Growing

Up Small Town, Mike Norris

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Send comments to: smalltown@mycounty-line.com

Small Scale Aviation Equals Big Scale Fun!

When I was going to college in Houston, I happened to come into a little spending money from working at the mall as a “demonstration pilot” for a sales booth that sold styrofoam gliders. I worked there all through the Christmas Holiday season and saved up my money to spend it at the hobby shop inside the mall. I bought my first radiocontrolled model airplane for just about $200. It was also made out of styrofoam, but actually resembled a real aircraft much better than the gliders we sold at the glider booth. The model was of a Cessna 150 and it had a Cox “049” gas powered engine. The radio-control (R/C) unit had two channels, left-andright rudder, and up-and-down elevator. This little bird would survive about a month, but that was more than enough time for me to have been bitten by the R/C model airplane bug!

After my first taste of R/C flying with the

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little styrofoam Cessna, I began experimenting with scratch-built aircraft of my own designs. These were mostly built from balsa wood and covered with an iron-on plastic film called “Monokote”. My experiments proved ill-fated and eventually resulted in the demise of the little Cox “049” engine which had become the mainstay of my hobby.

Georgia Veteran’s Memorial State Park - note the full-size aircraft display in the upperAgain, I saved up my money until right - including a B-29 bomber! Lake Blackshear, Ga, 1995. Photo by mwnorris I could afford another commercial kit.

This time, the plane of choice was marketed by the Cox Company itself and featured another tried and true little Cox “049” engine. The model was of a European motorglider called a “Sportavia” but was still made of styrofoam and plastic.

I had much better success with the little “Sportavia” flying in the pasture behind my parents’ home in Carbon. We learned how to use the noisy little buzz of the “049” to herd cattle -- not so much with actual intent as DuraPlane “Aerobat” as advertised.

Mine was red on top with a red/white checker board on bottom. it was by accident. Either way, it was allot of fun but (main body) and dense foam wings covered with a also short lived as the little thick polyurethane coating. The tail feathers (vertical “Sportavia” met an untimely and horizontal stabilizers) were solid wood and the demise due to pilot error. aircraft had full flying controls - throttle, ailerons It would be many months on the wings, rudder and elevator. The gas powered before I could afford to get engine was many times more powerful as the little back into R/C. By then, we Cox “049” that I had been used to and when this thing were living in Georgia and took off down the runway you better be ready to go much to my surprise there was for a ride! At straight and level, we estimated she a huge R/C flying crowd in the would give a fly-by speed in the upper 60’s and to area. By “huge” I meant that say that the plane was acrobatic was just a nice way there were actually a group of of saying that it scared everybody when it was in the about a dozen pilots that flew air. every weekend at the local My “Durabat”, was so much fun to fly and to state park. At the state park, watch fly, that my buddy wanted to give it a try a section of field had been himself. Actually, he showed just enough interest set aside strictly for model that I insisted that he give it a try - against his better airplane flying, complete judgment. I made a few high circles around the field with a concrete runway and and demonstrated how gentle on the controls you had parking area. I invested in a to be to get lots of roll or pitch on the little plane. more robust aircraft kit which Then with full confidence in my buddy’s ability I thought would serve me to handle my little pride and joy, I handed him the well. I called it a “Durabat” controls. What followed was the most intense 15 and it was essentially made seconds of pure adrenaline rush that you can imagine out of square PVC tubing (short of jumping out of an airplane!) The little and aluminum for a fuselage “Durabat” screamed to full throttle and as it began to

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 ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35

■ Growing

Up Small Town, Mike Norris

roll to the left, my buddy moved the control stick to the right...but too much. The little plane did exactly as it was told and rolled completely upside-down to the right almost as fast as you could blink. Unable to tell if the plane was right-side up of up-side down, my buddy hesitated to do anything for a second or two. The little plane was crossing in front of us on the far side of the field from right to left, up-side down, and slowly rolling to the left -- you could tell the plane was up-side down because the wheels were on top and the checker board design on the bottom of the wing was flying by us at about 60mph! Realizing that the plane was up-side down, my buddy gave it a hard roll to the left and before you could formulate an appropriate explicative, the little plane was right-side up and banking hard in a left-turn coming toward us from across the field. My buddy had not corrected the path yet and the airplane was making its turn in a spiraling dive with the nose down. There was no time to yell or even think “pull up!” The airplane struck the concrete runway nose-first with the sound of a bowling ball being thrown into a china cabinet! If it had been a scene out of a Hollywood movie it would have exploded and we would have been thrown to the ground! But as it was, the most memorable thing I cam remember is my buddy shaking from head to toe!

He hadn’t taken a breath from the moment I handed him the controls and the sweat was beaded up on his forehead like he had run a marathon! At that point I started laughing so hard that I doubled over and couldn’t hardly contain myself! He started swearing up and down, left and right, and was apologizing to me with every fabric of his soul!

All I could mutter was “That was AWESOME!” “Dude! That was the most spectacular crash I have ever seen!”

When we regained our composure and could see through the watery eyes of our laughter, we went to investigate the wreckage. The engine had been knocked off the airplane and it had flown the farthest from the point of impact. When we picked it up, the crankcase was busted and the crankshaft was jutting out the rear of the motor. The throttle and carburetor assembly were missing and we found it still hooked to the throttle push rod that passed along the side of the fuel tank through a hollow tube. The fuel tank and throttle push rod and carb assembly were the next thing we picked up...followed by a wheel...and then part of the servo tray which held all the control servos, which was broken in two pieces. The wing

Send comments to: smalltown@mycounty-line.com

was in pretty good shape until we picked it up. That’s once again! Maybe this time, I can get back in the air when we realized the left half of the wing had turned without all the crash testing and experimenting...and to jello when it impacted the ground - it was still all in just get straight to the fun of flying!

If you know of a club in our area, please send me one piece, but the internal spar was shattered. Half of the PVC pipe fuselage was destroyed and was laying an eMail so I can get in touch with them and maybe at the point of impact...the aluminum tail was warped get back into this great hobby sometime in the near into some oddly “S” shaped configuration when the future. Send it to: smalltown@mycounty-line.com front half of the plane stopped and the tail was still traveling at high speed!

At the point of impact, there was a gash approximately 1/2” deep and at least 3” long in the concrete where the propeller shaft first impacted with tera firma.

That was my buddy’s introduction to R/C model airplanes -- and you could say that the experience made quite an impression! In the 20yrs since that summer, the two of us flew or attempted to fly practically anything we could get our hands on. We built model airplanes out of cardboard, foam insulation, plastic, wood, rubber, metal -anything. We strapped on gas motors, electric motors, multiple motors...even built a few gliders without motors! We would crash today, rebuild tonight, and fly again tomorrow! We called ourselves by names such as “Skunk Works” and “Holy Smoke!” was an all-balsa plane built for pylon racing and streamer “Crashtastics” and flew planes with names like dogfighting. Cheap fun! Lots of debris if flight ends badly!

“Wild Thang” and “Holy Smoke!”

We weren’t the only ones either. If you have ever heard of or seen the YouTube videos of the giant scale R/C B-29 Bomber, that’s the guys we were flying with. In fact, my buddy still flies with them out in Georgia and now he flies R/C helicopters. As for me, because of my love for airplanes and the thrill of flight, I went on in 1995 to get my Private Pilot’s Certificate so I could fly the real deal! But I’m to the point now where I miss the thrill and fun of the hobby...and my fingers are getting the itch to feel the sticks

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

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35•

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 ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35

■ Carbon

- Then and Now, Linda Neeley

Send comments to: chs@mycounty-line.com

The Year 1939, Part 1

In 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union attacked Poland and Britain, France, India, Australia and New Zealand declared war on Germany. The United States decided to remain neutral but did begin rearming for war, which helped end the great depression.

The United States hosted the World’s Fair in New York. After speaking to the physicist, Albert Einstein, President Roosevelt initiated American’s A-Bomb program.

How much did things cost in 1939?

• • • • • • •

Average cost of a new house -- $3,800 Average wages per year-- $1,730 Cost of a gallon of Gas--10 cents Average cost for house rent -- $28 per month A loaf of Bread – 8 cents A pound of hamburger meat – 14 cents Average price for a new car -- $700

Popular films were Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Stagecoach, Of Mice and Men, Wuthering Heights and Hunchback of Notre Dame. Popular musicians included Glen Miller who had a series of hits including “Moonlight Serenade”; Moon Love, Over the Rainbow with Judy Garland and Stairway to the Stars. The Inkspots recorded “Address Unknown.”

In the area of technology the first air conditioned car, the Packhard, went on sell and the company, Hewlett Packard, was formed.

Frequency Modulation (sound by radio waves) was invented in the United States by Edwin H. Armstrong.

What was happening at Carbon High School?

Let’s take a look.

(Editor’s Note: the pictures that Linda provided were significantly degraded and I elected not to reprint them due to the time required to edit each photo. Sorry, Linda. I’ll have to make good on it next time. ~mwn)

THE 1939 SANDSTORM To bring back memories of a most happy and eventful year spent in Carbon High School, we, the seniors of 1938-1939, leave to you this volume of the Sandstorm. We hope it will give to you, in a reminiscent way, a few happy moments as you turn its pages. If so,

our purpose is accomplished DEDICATION ~ Allen H. Harrison In recognition of a man of sterling character and noble Christian influence, a man who was loved by both children and teachers, a man who loved life, school, family, community, and church this volume of the 1939 Sandstorm is reverently dedicated to the memory of Allen H. Harrison, who as a school employee and supply store owner endeared himself to the hearts of all who knew him.

SENIOR TRIP The junior class of Carbon High School, with great effort and work, made a precedentbreaking affair for the entertainment of the seniors of 1939. Heretofore, a banquet has been the tradition; however, the idea of a trip to Carlsbad was conceived and soon it blossomed into realization, despite many rumors that were made to the contrary.

On the morning of May 5, a wide-awake group of youngsters and their sponsors left Carbon at 6:00 a.m. for a three-day trip to the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Once started, the joyous juniors and seniors began a wild conversation concerning the lengthy trip that lay ahead of them. After a few hours’ ride, the members of the party began to show signs of fatigue; then a rest stop with refreshing drinks and the trip was continued. Placing dinner on the grounds at Pecos, a meal consisting of the best chicken and dressing that ever was eaten, the Carbonites partook of it and again took to the road. At about ten p.m. Texas time, and nine p.m. New Mexico time, the destination was in sight and a deafening shout came forth from the road-weary travelers. That night sleep was a scarcity, and the first beam of dawn found life and activity in the Carbon camp. Breakfast in the open spaces, spiced by the delicious aroma of coffee, made in a can, made everyone feel ready for the day.

The meal over, the party made their way through the beautiful scenes of New Mexico’s Guadalupe Mountains, and ere long all eyes beheld the spectacle that was to be the climax of the journey. Voices, running feet, and screams of delight arose from the large throng as the

whistle sounded the signal to begin the trip into the bowels of the earth. Only those who have seen the wonders of this natural phenomena can truly appreciate its grandeur, and space will not permit a description of this wonderful sight. It is beyond human conception to realize the wonders and beauties of the largest cavern in the world.

After the seven-mile journey almost half a mile below the earth’s surface the mouth of the cave was reached. Tired and exhausted, but utterly thrilled by the sights they had just witnessed, the weary party began the homeward trek. Arriving in Pecos that night, beds were made and rest came over the weary band. No sooner than the cock “crew”, the students were homeward bound.

The trip home was filled with excitement.

Witnessing another of nature’s products in the form of a funnel-shaped cloud, the members of the trip lived through an experience that almost touched on the brink of death, but no worse for the fright, the bus arrived safely at home thankful that home was at hand, and rest and sleep coming.

All those who made the trip were exuberant in their expressions of thankfulness for this wonderful trip made possible by cooperation and labor by boys and girls who were willing to work and sacrifice so others might enjoy.

We salute the juniors of 1939. ….To be continued. Next issue will cover clubs, activities and sports at Carbon High School in 1939.

Contact information: Linda Neeley P. O. Box 8992 Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657 Phone: 830-598-5613 Email: lneeley47@yahoo.com

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

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35• ■ Daily

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Devotional, Wanda Lee Beck Skinner

Genealogy

When I was a senior in High school I had Miss Verna Johnson as an English teacher. She gave us an assignement of writing an autobiographe with one of the chapters being on our family. I guess I had never looked beyond the people in my home as family. I began trying to find information on the older generations. Both of my grandmother’s had been dead for many years so I never knew them. My grandfathers never seemed to want to talk about their younger life or their ancestors. Maybe they thought there was nothing to tell.

Years later as my son became a junior in High school, he was required to write about his ancestors. I began to help him by going back to my chapter. It was filled with errors, even many of the names were wrong, dates and places were almost non-existant. Then I began to learn how to research. He got an a+ on his papers but on the back Jeanne Griffin wrote, “Wanda, I know you did this for him.” I was hooked. This has taken me down a very interesting road. I even got brave enough to put my name on web sites that I would do one free look-up in Eastland County.

The people I have met in this way each have a story to tell and they need help in finding the real proof of the data they have. Oh how thankful I am for those who encouraged me to begin this part of my trip through life.

Civil War Query I received this query in my e-mail today and want to share it with Eastland County people.

“I am searching information about the following Civil War Soldier: ARTHUR, William H. Cpt. Co H: 11-5-1844 to 12-14-1930. He is buried in the Eastland City Cemetery in Eastland, Eastland County Texas. “ The person who sent this query is in the assembly stage of a book about the 48th Alabama Infantry. He would love letters and pictures of as many soldiers as possible before sending it to the publisher. If you knew of or were related to this man, your help would really be a great addition to the book. I did notice that in the cemetery tombstones his last name is ARTHER, William Houston born November 5, 1844 and died in 1930.

It is possible his wife was Harriett A. Arther born April 7, 1847 and died September 12, 1928.

If you have any information on this man or his descendants, please contact wanda.skinner@ sbcglobal.net

Kathy Swift Memorial Golf Tournament Contact Lone Cedar for more details.

Sponsored by the following: Certified Auto Glass Linda Martin-United Country/ Smart Real Estate Buck Wheat Resources Town and Country Realty The County Line Jay Way Supply Maverick Barbershop Kennedy Financial Services J & J Air Conditioning Eastland Drug/The Gold First Baptist Church Eastland Lantern Concepts in Stone Kinnard, Rossander and Perry Insurance Joels Body Shop Jim Farrar Sterling Monument Eastland Heaven Sent Floral First Financial Bank Allegro Mobility Security Title Co. ABC Printing and Office Basic Energy Services Supply C & H Monograms/Polkdot Francie’s Fountain and Deli Patch

Clint Coffee State Farm Edwards Funeral Home Big “S” Construction Elite Plumbing Bird Electric Eastland Community Health Center First Financial Bank Beaty Travel Agency Big Country Real Estate Maverick Car Wash Kokomo Construction

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 ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35

■ @The

Ranger Library, Diana McCullough

Send comments to: ranger@mycounty-line.com

Texas Library Conference I want to tell you about the Texas Library Conference that I attended in San Antonio two weeks ago, after all, you are probably a Texas taxpayer and helped pay for my trip. But first...

One of my most dear patrons and a member of our Ranger Citizens Task Force informed me that I PREDICTED that I’d omit a valuable contributor to our Get ‘Er Done Day AND that I was right.

(Oh bummer, it’s not always good to be RIGHT.) Martha Anderson and The Barn donated two cases of Ginger Ale to our Get ‘Er Done Day Hot Dog Fundraiser, and we appreciate that! Betty Siver wrote that thank you note, and I appreciate Betty, too! Also, Chuck Lemaster drove the Charman dump truck AND helped my husband with the heavy loads that WE needed hauled off—from the bottom of my heart, thank you Chuck for helping not only US, but a number of our citizens that Get ‘Er Done Day. Our participation was GREAT! Thank you to all who helped in any way.

Tonight is Wednesday night and I had the pleasure of holding my three young grandchildren in church tonight—I am in a very lucky stage of life, and I do know to appreciate it. LAST Wednesday, I didn’t attend church for I was in San Antonio, Texas for the Texas Library Association Conference. When I finally arrived in my hotel room at the downtown Sheraton Gunter at about 6 PM, I couldn’t help but ask myself, “What in the world are you doing HERE?!”

Then I attended the Welcome Party at the Institute of Texas Cultures by way of the hotel shuttle bus, and REMEMBERED what was so great about these TLA Conferences! I think it could be summed up in one word, and that one word would be: People.

I could write a whole article about the people that I met and associated with, but that is NOT my plan.

Plans change. I had registered to participate in the FREE Lynda Becker Downtown Historic Walking Tour at 7:15 AM, Thursday morning, but the weather last week was RAINY in Ranger

AND in San Antonio, so I changed my mind on that event. I did arrive early to the enormous Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center to sign in and attend the first General Session. San Antonio’s young mayor, Julian Castro, told us that “Brainpower is the currency of success,” and he quoted Helen Keller: “Alone I can do so little. Together we can do so much.” National Public Radio Broadcaster Scott Simon was the keynote speaker, and I’d never heard of him, but he was a GREAT speaker—of course! He told us about the power of STORIES and WORDS. He wouldn’t trade 1,000 words for any picture.

Stories assure us that life has meaning.

Stories make us want to turn the page.

Stories are real even when they aren’t real. Stories are wild animals—they don’t stick with the script.

Stories are art—not instruction. Words and stories take wing. POEMS can speak for you when you are dead.

I have to admit that when the first General Session closed at 10 AM, I was among the crowd that entered the Exhibit Hall, for good reason: my volunteer work with the authors was from 11:00 to 1:00. I did an overview (kind of) of the Exhibit Hall, and showed up early for my assignments.

Because I was early, I ended up working with three authors--an adventure unto itself!

Photo courtesy Diana McCullough

At 1:00 I attended the session, “Go Wild with Reading Incentives”. The facilitators were extremely enthused, energetic and motivating—but I have no immediate plans to don some far-fetched costume to read a book to children—but if YOU want to—it’s okay with me! The speakers had great ideas and what really sticks with me is how they included EVERYONE, lots of INVOLVEMENT. Their success is no surprise.

At 2:00 I attended a two hour session titled “Building Community Partnerships: 25 Profitable Ideas”. Kathy Dempsey led this session and she was very informative AND witty. The 25 ideas are here in my notes, but PARTNERSHIPS seem like a good way to sum up. Kathy also talked about all of the GOOD that our libraries do! These days, our libraries are MORE than books.

We have How-to Information, free Internet access, we help with homework, people learn how to use computers; and libraries level the playing field when it comes to access to information, librarians defend academic freedom, help with democracy, provide a downtown anchor, promote lifelong learning, we have more magical stuff than just Google—remember that TexShare database of ours? And that’s not all!

At 4:00, I chose the session “Thinking Outside the Building” that was presented by three

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

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35• ■ @The

Ranger Library, continued...

architects. You know, I’ll be the first to admit that we have a quaint little, humble little library—BUT we have a GREAT block! Look at our potential...our library is situated on the same block as our Olympic size City Pool, City Park, tennis courts, Scout Hut AND our Quarter Store. This was a good session, and it reminded me of some “thoughts” I’ve had before! Folks, we CAN DO BETTER. At 5:00 I attended our District 1 meeting with the librarians from our area.

The only thing constant is change, and change is on the horizon.

This is the first conference that I’ve missed the Small Libraries Dessert Social (from 7 – 9 pm) that is sponsored by the Tocker Foundation, but I didn’t venture back out on that rainy night.

At 8 AM the following morning, I attended “Mixed Messages: What Are We Really Telling Our Users”. We were assured that “one right way does not exist!” The speaker tried to make a point by asking how many of us still owned a sewing machine, and was genuinely astonished when 2/3s of our hands shot up. It was pretty funny. We were reminded that our patrons want QUICK, time matters.

We were encouraged to be more flexible, to buy more copies of the bestsellers, to “set up a candy store and let ‘em be—they’ll come to you when they need you!” And

value is a “moving target”-we have to change with the times.

At 10:00 I attended “We Ain’t Lion! We Want Customers Chaos Free and Happy,” which was good and was followed by the Texas Bluebonnet Luncheon which was GREAT! Our library has purchased the entire collection of the 20102011 Bluebonnet books and this year’s overall winner was “Help Me, Mr. Mutt!” by sisters Janet Stephens and Susan Stevens Crommel— they were HILARIOUS! Lyndsey Peace, a fifth grade student from Cisco represented our District 1 at this luncheon, just so you know.

Because Kathy Dempsey had so impressed me the day before, I opted to attend another of her sessions at 2:00, one titled “The Accidental Marketer: Selling Your Library”. The second General Session was at 4:00 and the keynote speaker was Julie Powell of “Julie and Julia” fame. Originally from Austin, Julie was severely depressed in 2002, working as a terrible secretary in New York City and dealing with crazy people—which she admitted that half of her crazy people were crazy because they’d been devastated by losses in 9/11.

For self-therapy, she started cooking her way through the recipes in Julia Child’s 1961 French cookbook and her husband suggested that she start a blog. Julie didn’t know what a blog was, but she felt like she was only

■ Clint

writing three people, and it was a way to keep her mom apprised of what she was doing. “Going viral” wasn’t a term in 2002 when she started out, but that’s what happened. By the time she realized that MASSES were reading her blog—it was too late, the pressure was on.

Now there’s a book AND a movie. Julie was pretty funny, in a naïve, innocent, but not TOO innocent of a way.

San Antonio’s “410s” provided the musical entertainment for the President’s Party at Sunset Station that evening.

Checked my luggage the next morning with the hotel’s concierge and attended an 8 AM session called Dangerous Ideas with Ginnie Cooper. Have you heard of the books and movies titled, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”?

This author, Jeff Kinney, was the last presenter that I listened to, and he was truly inspiring. I was home, back in Ranger, safe and sound, by 8 PM Saturday night. It was a GREAT trip! I was very fortunate to be able to attend—thank you, Texas taxpayers.

Our hearts hurt with the family of Adam Lopez. I didn’t know Adam well, but I know we shared something in common: CARING about Ranger.

As heard on the news in that San Antonio hotel, and worth noting, “It’s the fire WITHIN that must be lit.” Please take care, and as always...ENJOY READING!

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Coffee CLU ChFC, State Farm Insurance® Agent Objections to Term Life Insurance?

One objection to purchasing term life insurance is just that: when the term is over, the policy is finished. That’s it. No more coverage.

Many people I’ve talked with about term insurance worry they will outlive the policy period and ‘waste their money’ on something they didn’t need. It can be difficult to counter these arguments except by explaining how term insurance can be an affordable way to provide life insurance coverage for a specific time period.

Until now. Insurance companies are offering term policies that actually return the premiums you’ve paid after the level premium period ends. In other words, if you purchase a 20-year term policy and are still living when the 20 year level premium period ends, the premiums you paid will be returned to you, in

many cases free of federal income tax.

Those returned premiums can have a number of uses. If you still need life insurance you could purchase another policy. You could also use the premiums that are returned to pay down your mortgage or even add to your retirement savings.

Life insurance can provide peace of mind that your loved ones’ financial burdens may be eased if you are no longer there. The benefit provided by life insurance can help keep dreams alive.

One objection to buying term life insurance has been addressed by a policy that may return the premiums you paid.

Ask an insurance professional about a product that provides needed life insurance coverage but has the potential to return your premiums at the end of the term.

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

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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 ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35• ■ Tumbleweed

Smith, Big Spring

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Send comments to: tumbleweed@mycounty-line.com

The Lego Star Wars Death Star My seven-year-old grandson Max is a first grader in Oakland, California. He is reading on a third grade level and is now plowing through the Harry Potter series. His parents read to him in his formative years and that practice is paying off in so many ways. Max has a curiosity about the world. When we took him to Hawaii a couple of years ago his favorite activity was exploring some ancient pictographs. On a recent trip, we all went to Monterrey, California and visited the world-class aquarium there.

Max paused before every exhibit, especially the ones featuring seahorses and seadragons. He watched as the fascinating creatures did their graceful dances and prances in the water.

Max knows about the value of exercise and takes classes in Poekoelan, a Filipino form of selfdefense. It’s something he has done for years and is advancing through the ranks. He is an intrepid Frisbee player.

Max is a genuine Lego maniac. He builds things from the tiny plastic blocks. Sometimes he follows directions; sometimes he just starts creating something from scratch.

He says he likes to play with the Legos, but prefers the building.

He’ll spend hours putting a project together, then take it all apart and start making innovations to it.

We took Max to Legoland in Carlsbad, California last year and it was almost too much for him to absorb. He wanted to live there. He couldn’t believe all

the cityscapes and giant figures made from Legos. His parents are planning a return trip. “It’s the best place I’ve ever been,” says Max. Max subscribes to the Lego magazine and spends hours with it. He started playing with Legos when he was three. Now he’s into the Star Wars series of Legos.

On our way back to his home after visiting the aquarium, we stopped at a mall and visited the Lego store. Max bought a Lego Star Wars Death Star. The price: a hefty $400.00. Max saved the money over a six-month period.

“I did chores like setting the table, clearing the dishes after a meal and unloading the dishwasher,” says Max. “But a lot of the money came from not watching TV. Every week, my parents put ten one dollar bills on top of the TV. For every hour I spent watching TV, a dollar was taken away. It took me about two weeks to realize that if I didn’t watch TV I could make more money. It was hard, but after two weeks I didn’t miss it much, especially since I knew the money I put in savings was adding up. I just stopped watching TV and started making more money.”

Max said he did miss his favorite two shows, Scooby-Doo and Star Wars. “My parents thought I would continue to watch, but they were wrong. When I reached my first hundred dollars, I felt like I could make it, even though I had three hundred more dollars to go.” Now Max has started saving for a Millennium Falcon, which costs $500.

“That’s just another hundred,” says Max.

LEGO and LEGOLAND logos are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©The LEGO Group. Star Wars ©Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM

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 ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35

■ Dyess

Big Country Air Fest, by Mike Norris

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her, wspaper publis Your humble ne d pilot! se en lic iast, and aviation enthus t I look the biplane, bu No, I can’t fly ding next to it! dang good stan

OW

! say can you see by the dawn’s early light, hat so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming, hose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, ’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? nd the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, ave proof through the night that our flag was still there; ! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave ’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

OA

W

G OO

Above: Thunderbirds 1,2,3 & 4 Diamond Formation , Thunderbirds Solos 5 & 6 Calypso Pass Right: Stearman Wing Walker Photos by mwnorris

We arrived at Dyess about 9:30am on Saturday morning and proceeded through the lines entering the gate to the base. We were among the few vehicles being guided into the inspection area where we were asked to open the hood and tailgate and all the doors; and exit the vehicle.

We laughed to ourselves as the guards inspected our Jeep and allowed their trusty canine companion to give his approval before sending us on our way.

Once we were parked, we followed our fellow thrill seekers toward the guarded entry gates where metal detectors were providing the last stand against those who might be planning

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

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35• ■ Dyess

Big Country Air Fest, continued...

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ill intent. Within minutes, we were walking up to the A-10 Warthog/Thunderbolt static display and the smiles were getting firmly entrenched upon our faces!

This was the first airshow we have been to in over 12 years. The last was near Macon, Georgia at the Warner Robbins Air Force Base. Our daughter was still in a stroller and my little brother, Macon, was just a little kid. Neither one of them remember the event.

So this was their “first” air show! And I was hopeful that they would enjoy the day as much as I would. I wasn’t worried too much about Ruthie because she was going to volunteer her time at the Goodwill Industries booth that was setup inside one of the vendor hangers.

So I knew she would come and go as she pleased and get to visit with her Abilene co-workers and I could just find a nice place near the flight line to sit and relax... and watch the planes go by!

Above: A-10 Thunderbolt II with rotary cannon inset; Below: Predator Unmanned Airborne Vehicle Photos by Sherrie Norris.

Macon and Sherrie started out walking the static aircraft displays. My brother is more of a plane nut than I am -he just picked up a copy of “Jane’s Aircraft Recognition Guide” a couple months ago as a companion to his “Jane’s Historic Military Aircraft Recognition Guide”.

In short order, the public address system came to life and the announcer asked everyone to stand for the national anthem.

What followed was a beautiful day filled with the thundering sounds of jet engines, the unmistakable singing of pistondriven propellors, the smells of grilled burgers mixed with jet fuel, and enthusiastic cheers from the crowd -- all coming together within a carnival-like atmosphere. Man, I forgot how much I love flying!

I hope you enjoy our photos, I’ll try not to talk too much...so maybe in your imagination you can enjoy those sights and sounds as if you were there.

If you go to our webpage, we’ll have some video of the Tora! Tora! Tora! reenactment and a bunch more photos! ~mwnorris B-1B Lancer on take-off during “time-to-climb” record attempt. Photo by mwnorris.

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

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■ Dyess

Big Country Air Fest, continued...

Douglas C-47 Skytrain after formation flight with C-130J Super Hercules & C-17 Globemaster III by mwnorris

Maj John Baum, Thunderbird #2, signs his autograph for Sherrie after the Thunderbirds Demonstration Flight. She got 5 out of 6 signatures!

Photo by Sherrie Norris.

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

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35• ■ Dyess

Big Country Air Fest, continued...

Send comments to: features@mycounty-line.com

Above: B-25 Mitchell “Yellow Rose”; Below: Macon with SU-29 Sukoi, Sherrie with Predator UAV; Right: Thunderbirds after a show well done!

ARNOLD LOCKSMITH SERVICE 24 Hour Emergency Service

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

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TX Lic B15738

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•County Line Business & Community Journal ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35

■ Hand

Painted Arts, Ruby & Linda Norris

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Painting On Clay Pots

I love utilizing clay pots! I’m always seeing neat ideas for them.

You can paint them, make them into party servers, fountains, bird houses, wind chimes, bird baths, anything your mind can come up with.

I’ve made christman ornaments out of them, even a light house that has a place of honor on my deck.

My mother-in-law, Ruby, and I painted many bird baths for gifts made from these gems. These are my favorite.

To begin with you need two 16” pots and one large saucer.

Sand them lightly and wipe them down with a clean cloth.

Base coat each piece and let dry compltetly. We use acrylic paints and mostly base with a light neutral color.

Now choose your design. It can be a bought pattern, a picture from any source, or your own design.

Never Too Old To Paint

We draw it off on tracing paper and then place carbon paper on the pots with small peices of tape.

With more tape, place your tracing paper design over the carbon paper. You can transfer the design to the pots by going back over the tracing paper.

Choose your needed colors and proper brushes and then just paint away.

After you’ve done this, be sure to shade and highlight where it is needed to add depth to the design and any final details you like.

Let it dry between each step or coat. And once you’re satisfied with it be sure to seal the entire painted surface with a sealer coat to finish. Apply at least two coats.

Place the finished pieces together and enjoy.

Take your time and don’t rush any step. the enjoyment is as much in the process as it is in the finished product and with practice, the results just get better and better! ~By NanaLin

This birdbath depicts green leaves along the bottom with white blooms.

The overall color is white and contrasts against the purple grapes which hang from the twisting grape vines. ~Editor

When I was eight years old my grandmother taught me how to embroider and do needlework.

After I married cme sewing for my family and crocheting.

Over the years, I have made each of my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren a hand-knit afgan. They got to choose the colors of the yarn and I did the rest.

The family is still growing and I still have at least one more to go.

For now!

I always wanted to paint, but I just never seemed to have had the time or money for lessons.

The three children that I had finally grew up and married to go their own ways, so that was my chance!

It wasn’t long before the grandkids began coming so my painting was delayed over the

years. But when my 60th birthday arrived I was finaly going to devote my time to painting. That was in the 1980’s.

I began to paint on T-shirts, then on wood, glass, rocks, tin, canvas and just about anything.

My T-shirts and sweaters became gifts for the family and I let the kids give me ideas for what they wanted on their shirts and sweaters. I painted snowmen, horses, wolves, and lots of different themed designs.

Over the years, I have even taught some others to share in the hobby by giving painting lessons in Strawn and Carbon.

Just recently, one of my grandsons, Brian, and his wife, Amy, asked me to paint a scene on their soon to be baby son’s nursery wall. What a honor this was!

I completed the wall in less than two days working fast and furious on the western theme.

There were a lot of suggestions and help and we got it done!

My project was finished at the ripe old age of 80.

So you are never too old to paint.

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

~By Ruby Norris The horseshoes are red and blue while the multiple tan and brown tones of the sadle and fence match the colors in the room. The green tufts of grass and catus provide a little splash of color. ~Editor

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35• ■ Life

Stories - Kay Clampit, By Ruth Norris

On April 25th, The County Line was invited to Kay Clampit’s 96th birthday party at The Woodlands.

I got to interveiw her before her party started and we talked as guests were arriving.

“I have always enjoyed reading and embroidering when I’m able,” Kay says.

We also talked about her favorite food which is lemon pie. She says her least favorite food is brocoli, which is something she probably had in common with most of her students.

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She was a pre-school and kindergarten teacher for many, many years and we shared a few stories of some of the kids she remembers most. Miss Kay had several friends and former students at the party. I got the chance to talk with most of them and when I asked how long they’ve known Kay, they all replied, “Forever!”

It was a pleasure talking to Miss Kay and listening to her speak of how the world has changed since she was a little girl.

Happy 96th bithday, Miss Kay!

Miss Kay felt back in the classroom, keeping all the youngsters in line!

Photos by Ruth Norris.

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■ Out

of the Past, This time by Pat Gohlke

Send comments to: thepast@mycounty-line.com

Beware of Tar Pits by Pat Gohlke “Come on, I’ll race you up the hill,” Emma yelled as she ran ahead of Patsy.

Her slender, wiry legs carried her like the wind. She could always out run Patsy.

They were best friends, but they competed in everything, except running.

Patsy knew she couldn’t beat Emma at this, so she didn’t try. Besides this was Emma’s terrain.

Her house was the last house on the road, then open fields and the railroad yards were beyond.

The girls loved to roam these fields.

There was so much to do and see for two eight year olds on a warm spring afternoon in beautiful southern California in 1943. They didn’t have a care in the world.

But beyond this hill was an adventure they would not soon forget.

“Emma, wait up,” Patsy called breathlessly. “Maybe we had better go back. It’s gettin’ late.”

Emma was almost to the top of the hill by now. She motioned for Patsy to be quiet. When Patsy caught up, Emma whispered. “Listen, do you hear voices?”

Patsy stopped and listened. Masculine voices and laughter were coming from a clump of trees across a dry creek bed at the foot of the hill. The girls lay down on their stomachs on the crest of the hill and listened and watched. They could not make out everything, but they heard one man with a deep voice say, “If we’re gonna catch the 4:05 freight for Barstow, we better head over there now.”

“What do you think they’re doin’ over there?” Patsy whispered.

“It’s called a hobo jungle. I’ve heard my parents talk about it. They told me it’s a bad place and not to ever go near there.” Emma’s voice was full of awe as she spoke.

“Maybe we better go back to your house,” Patsy said as she started to get up.

“Look, they’re leavin’. Get down!

They’ll see you.” Emma said in a loud whisper.

Patsy laid back down. They watched as three men with packs on their backs walked away.

Emma said, “Let’s wait till they’re gone and go look around.”

“No, Emma. ‘member what your

parents said,” Patsy argued.

“Scaredy cat!” Emma taunted.

“I’m not scared. It’s just gettin’ late.

We can come back some other time.”

Patsy got up again and started back down the hill.

Emma called, “I’m goin’ over there.”

Then she was up and heading down the other side.

Patsy turned and reluctantly followed.

“I don’t feel right about this,” she said, shaking her head.

But Emma was already under the fence and half way across the dry creek.

When they got to the trees they found a regular play house. They pretended to be hobos, soon forgetting the danger of the place or how late it was. Suddenly, Patsy, realizing that it was becoming dusk, decided that they could get back to the house quicker by going toward the road. She could see cars with their lights already on and she started running in that direction.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m goin’ home,” she yelled back to Emma. “It’ll be completely dark before I get there and I’m gonna be in trouble.”

Before she got these words out she felt the ground under her feet giving way and she realized she was sinking. She couldn’t pull her feet out.

“Emma, help!” she yelled, “I’m sinking!” By this time she was up to her ankles in sticky stuff.

“I’ll find somethin’ to pull you out

Patsy. Hang on!” Emma remembered a long plank she had seen near by. Putting it down as close as she could to Patsy she crawled out to her.

“Hurry, Emma!” Patsy pleaded.

“Here, Patsy, take my hands,” she said as she reached out to her friend. With Emma’s help Patsy lifted herself up on the board, but when she pulled her feet out her shoes were not on them. Using a stick, she searched frantically in the thick, black goo to retrieve them, but to no avail.

Patsy sat down on a log and began to cry. “What am I gonna do, Emma? It’s getting’ dark and cold and I wanna go home.”

Emma tried to clean the stuff off with a rag she found, but nothing worked. It was there to stay and both girls were pretty well covered with it.

“This is another thing my parents warned me about.” Emma said softly, as the girls started carefully winding their way toward the road.

“What’s that?” Patsy asked through her tears.

“They always told me to beware of tar pits. They said that the crust on top looks like ground, but it’s not,” Emma explained knowingly.

“Now you tell me.” Patsy wailed. Her feet hurt from rocks and stickers and when she thought about all the trouble she was going to be in, she wailed all the more, “My parents are really gonna punish me.”

“I’m sorry, Patsy,” Emma apologized.

She put her arm around her sticky friend.

Finally they reached the paved road that ran in front of Emma’s house. As they got closer they could see car lights and flash lights and hear people talking.

They sensed the fear and anxiety in their distant voices and knew it was their parents and neighbors looking for them.

“I wish I could just disappear.” Patsy whined. “They’re gonna be so mad.”

The lights, cars and voices were moving away from the back of the house as the girls approached from the front.

“Patsy, our folks are gonna be so glad to see us. They won’t even be mad.”

Emma hesitated, “Well, maybe just a little.” Emma comforted her friend. “I shouldn’t have talked you into going over there. It was all my fault.” Patsy didn’t disagree.

When the girls finally reached the back door of the house, Emma’s older sister Beverly, who was standing just inside the screen door, looked at them and screamed, “Emma, mama is gonna skin you alive.” she exagerated as she opened the screen slightly still screeching.

“Patsy, your folks are out there looking for you. Where have you been?” Then getting a good look at the girls in the porch light, she closed the screen quickly and said, “Don’t you come in here with that stuff on you.”

When Patsy looked down at herself, she said, “Oh, no, yuk!” She was covered in tar, dirt, pebbles and dried grass from her head to her toes.

Beverly finally regained her senses and gave the prearranged signal by blinking the porch light three times. Soon their parents and the rest of the search party returned.

Emma was right, their parents weren’t very mad, just relieved the girls were okay. They cleaned the girls up as well as they could without taking their skin off.

The girls punishment - separation for a whole week. A fate they considered worse then death, but their parents figured they had been punished enough and that they would never venture over there again, which they didn’t, but they will never forget this adventure and to always beware of tar pits.

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

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35• ■ Life

Planning Issues, Jim Kennedy

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Have the Urge to Own Your Home Free and Clear?

Yes. There is something psychologically satisfying about this, but that is one of the only few advantages. Don’t get me wrong. There are situations where paying down a mortgage makes perfect money sense. However, there is a good chance your situation is not one of these. A recent Fed study found that at least 38% of those who were making extra payments on their mortgage were “making the wrong choice.” These households would get back 11 to 17 cents more on the dollar by placing these extra dollars into a pre-tax employee sponsored retirement plan (e.g.)

401(k). This may not sound like a lot, but on the low end if you are applying an extra $100 a month to your home loan; this could mean you missed out on $132. So, why, exactly, is this?

1.Borrowing money for your primary residence over the long-term is about the cheapest money you can borrow. Think about it. If you have a mortgage with a 5% annual interest rate and your retirement plan averages 8% over the long-haul, there this a 3% spread on your money.

2.The interest on your home loan is tax-deductible if you itemize your deductions. If you are in the 25% tax bracket a 5% annual interest rate loan

could really be only costing you 3.75%. In this case, the prior reason we explained just got bigger.

You now have a 4.25% spread on your money.

3.The dollars you place in a pre-tax employee sponsored retirement plan, like a 401(k), are not included in your taxable income. So let’s say you take that extra $100 a month and place this in your 401(k) instead of applying it to your home loan.

If you are in the 25% tax bracket, you just saved yourself another $300 per year that would have been sent to Uncle Sam. 4.Many pre-tax employee sponsored retirement plans have matching incentives. This means free money. For instance, one employer might match 50% of your contribution up to 6% of your income.

So, if you make $100K a year this could mean a free $3,000 a year.

in place. It would be absolutely ridiculous if you paid extra on your mortgage, but lost your home because you became disabled and did not have the proper insurance in place to provide you income.

Last, I have always said you don’t know what you don’t know. Be aware that there are mortgageaccelerator programs that have proved to be extremely successful that do not take away from your extra dollars, and I am not speaking of biweekly payment programs offered through your bank. We have worked with several business owners and home owners to shorten the time of their notes significantly. The key is these programs don’t knock on your front door. You have to ask, What do I not know?

I also have some words of wisdom for those of you who are already maxing out your retirement plans. Don’t get the urge just yet. Make sure you have efficient emergency savings. This should be 3 to 6 months of income on hand. And don’t forget to protect everything else you are building. Make sure you have an efficient risk management plan

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.

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

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■ Rising

Star Library Notes, Ginger Johnson Tobin Busy Place On Monday

Hello Rising Star Library Patrons: As usual, the Rising Star Library was busy on Monday; people returning books and people checking books out, some using the Internet computer, and the volunteers busily processing donated books.

Most of the books this week were NON-FICTION, which is a departure from our usual array of fiction books.

It’s amazing that I always find at least one book that appears fascinating; and I want to read it right away.

The problem is that I already have 3-4 books awaiting my perusal; and it seems time for reading, for me, is at a premium. Oh, well, I’ll get to those great books someday soon.

The volunteers have issued several new library cards recently; and we welcome these new patrons to the library and hope they find lots of adventures to enjoy in the world of reading.

DONATIONS Have I mentioned recently that we ARE accepting donations now. Please bring the books inside the library; don’t leave any outside. A very unfortunate situation transpires when books are left on the porch, it rains, and the books are completely ruined and have to be hauled to a dumpster. PLEASE BRING THEM INSIDE during posted library hours. Your donations are appreciated; and we want each and every one of them to be considered

for shelf space.

GARDENING If you really want a physical workout, just go outside and tackle the springtime weeds!

That’s exactly what I did Monday morning, before reporting for Library duty at 1:00 PM. You may be extremely lucky and not have weeds; but I’m not that lucky and they are trying to take over my front property. Last week I worked hard and finally finished my flower beds in front of the fence; but this week I had to tackle the area out front that was previously a cellar and has now been filled in and converted into a flower area.

The problem area was totally visible from my upstairs window and had been taunting me for weeks: “Here we are…look how high we’re growing.” (That was the weeds talking to me!)

So, I took a deep breath, got the trash container in tow, and began pulling weeds. It was a fantastic day for that because of the rain. The weeds, for the most part, came up easily, roots and all. I did have several really TALL weeds, about 3 feet tall, that were more stubborn and refused to give up their roots. I’ll tackle that today.

So, after a couple of hours and a full trash container, the area is 99% weed free. Guess what I found underneath? It is the ‘DUCKFOOT’ ivy that I planted last year, still alive and doing well underneath all those weeds. It has spread rather nicely and when the

sun comes out, it will be very happy! (Did I say that I barely made it inside as I was very sore after all that weed pulling? It really stretches your muscles.)

Where is this leading you ask? Well, we have a book in the library called “Successful Gardening-Step by Step” and it’s published by Better Homes and Gardens. Let me tell you all about it.

The first thing I looked at was the WEED section.

They list “lawn weeds” and only ten of them, at that. (I think we have more than TEN varieties of weeds here in Rising Star.) They tell about Chickweed, Crabgrass (I know we have that one), Dandelion (yes, that one too), Curly Dock, Lamb’s Quarters, Broad-Leaved Plantain, Quack Grass, Shepherd’s Purse, Canada Thistle and Common Yarrow.

I think the only one we could NOT have is Canada Thistle as it thrives in clay soils in the North. Thank God we don’t have that one!

This book covers gardening fundamentals such as soil, water, fertilizer and tools and goes on to talk about lawns, ground covers (like my Duckfoot), then on to annual and perennial flowers, bulbs, vegetables and herbs, vines, shrubs, trees, roses,

fruits and berries and even indoor gardening.

The section entitled “Roses in the Landscape” intrigues me, but then, I am a rose lover, especially the yellow variety. I’ve always told my family and friends that I want my casket covered with yellow roses; sorry if that seems a bit morbid for this column but it is true! Sounds like a GREAT send-off to me!

The photos in this section will get your heart pounding, I can assure you. So pretty!

Roses are classified as grandiflora (a hybrid), old garden roses (existing before 1867), hybrid tea (very fragrant), floribunda (hardier than hybrid tea roses), and shrub roses.

I’m not sure where my own roses fit in as I started

out with antique roses from Antique Rose Emporium near Brenham and have also purchased several of the new “Earth Kind” classification of roses. Earth-Kind is a special designation given to select rose cultivars by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service through the EarthKind landscaping program.

It is based on the results of extensive research and field trials and is awarded only to those roses demonstrating superior pest tolerance, combined with outstanding landscape performance.

The Peggy Martin rose is also growing along my fence line; and is described below and is available from Chamblee’s in Tyler, Texas.

This rose survived Hurricane Katrina, continuing to live in

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

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35• ■ Rising

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Star Library Notes, Ginger Johnson Tobin

the salt water flooded yard of Peggy Martin in Plaquemines Parish, New Orleans.

Chamblee’s Rose Nursery acquired cuttings from the original rose in New Orleans in January, 2007. Proceeds from the sale of this rose will go to Zone IX Horticulture Restoration Fund to restore parks, gardens, and green space in New Orleans Read more about this rose: http://aggie-horticulture. tamu.edu/southerngarden/ PeggyMartinrose.html However, recently I caved in and bought some hybrid tea roses just because of their gorgeous flowers. One, which is not even planted yet, is a Tyler rose and it has the most beautiful flower on it already. It waited out

in the flower garden for me all during the rains of the past few days; the rain did not seem to hurt its fantastic flower.

This books starts with “Gardening, some say, is a declaration of hope in tomorrow.

It’s true that without hope, no one would work the soil, or plant the seeds, or wait for seeds and plants to burst into flower or fruit. Yet hope alone won’t guarantee success in the garden. A gardener’s success requires a sound knowledge of the basics of plant life— how plants grow, and what light, water, food, and soil they need. When you nurture plants, with loving hands guided by your knowledge of gardening fundamentals, you

can turn today’s hope into tomorrow’s beauty.”

I just realized that the above paragraph about “hope” would apply equally as well to other facets of life…but that is another story.

So, now YOU are inspired, right? You can’t wait to check out this book, study up on gardening and get with it!

I hope I have infected each of you with Spring hope and that you will all plant your flowers and our city will be beautiful beyond belief!

So, let this be your motto: “Have flowers, will garden!”

Till next week, enjoy the wonderful cool weather.

Photo courtesy Ginger Tobin

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 ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35

■ Out

of the Box, Joellen Hodge

Send comments to: thebox@mycounty-line.com

Growing A Lifetime I have so many hobbies, but my all time favorite is growing something to eat. I am rather fond of tomatoes. The flavors are nice, but it is the smell of the tomato plants that get to me.

Granddad always put in three or four varieties of tomato. My favorites were the little bell shaped tomatoes. Bright yellow in color and sharply tart on your tongue, they are not so well known, but well worth a few rows.

You have to baby tomatoes. It’s your job to make sure they are watered properly, shielded from the wind and hail. They should be staked with little metal cages. Old pantyhose work best to tie them to stakes because string can cut into the vines. You need to look at them everyday because just one heavy fruit can pull your plant to the ground. Culling is important, as is fertilizing, weeding and checking for bugs.

All this seems like so much work when you write it down. I don’t remember it that way, though. What I remember is Granddad talking to me about botany and cross pollination. There were discussions about boys at school intertwined

■ Eastland

Chamber Spotlight Business of the Month Victor Cornelius, Inc./AlphaGraphics Re-Inventing Itself . . . Again.

At Victor Cornelius, Inc. and Alphagraphics we are honored to be named the Eastland Chamber’s Business

with world history and the differences in onions and garlic. There was afternoons of making sure each potato eye looked at the sky while he told stories about St. George and the Dragon.

If I close my eyes tonight, I can see him in that garden. His hair almost gone and those thick glasses sparkling in the sun as we worked together. These pictures smell like tomato plants.

This year, the tomatoes are growing on my porch. Along with okra, cukes, onions, peppers and even egg plant, the yellow bells are firmly rooted in their beds. Granddad’s garden is still growing…

Check out my latest examiner.com article about rural life and sustainable living...If you have an idea about an article, e-mail me: johodge@bboxlady.com http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x35302-Rural-Family-Examiner~y2010m4d14Sustainable-Living Above: My front porch garden Left: Lt. Col. Roy R. Plumley Photos courtesy Joellen Hodge

of the Month.

We’ve been around Eastland since the 1930’s when Victor first started his Theatrical Advertising business in his garage at 308 East Main. Victor recognized a need for movie theaters of the day to advertise their features and came up with the “Nap-Ad”, a metal frame that attached to the side of a café napkin holder and held the local movie features for diners to consider while they waited for their meals. He created a nationwide “subscription” advertising business headquartered out of Eastland that at its height employed 66 people, bringing in rail cars of paper at the Eastland Depot and shipping Nap-Ad’s all over the country and world – each with “Victor Cornelius, Inc., Eastland, Texas” printed at the bottom.

Not content to rest on his laurels, Victor reinvented himself and his company again and again over his long career.

Single-handedly he redefined the restaurant menu industry in the 1950’s, becoming the nation’s largest provider of printed, laminated menus. In the 1960’s he invented the “RediClip” menu clip – tens of millions of which were produced in Eastland carrying the logo of virtually every brand of beverage sold in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. In the 1970’s Victor built on an employee’s idea and created a nursing home specialty product company that still serves over 8,000 nursing homes nationwide.

We’re still in those businesses.

In 2007 we segmented off our quick printing company to create AlphaGraphics. Part of a franchise network of 260 other AlphaGraphics Centers, our goal with AlphaGraphics has been to continue to evolve our company by tying ourselves to a very strong partner – both technologically and from a marketing focus. We have the largest geographical territory of any AlphaGraphics in the network, and we’re located in – by far – the smallest community of any AlphaGraphics. Our long term strategy is to expand the reach of our AlphaGraphics – Eastland hub by adding Sales and Design Centers and Digital Centers into the other key communities within our territory.

In March we opened our first Sales and Design Center in Stephenville. We’re no longer just AlphaGraphics – Eastland, we’re now “AlphaGraphics – North Central Texas”.

For AlphaGraphics, we’re on the cutting edge of what’s never been done before. We continue to re-invent Victor Cornelius, Inc. Thank you Chamber!

NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS River of Life Church Kokomo Construction LLC Hardwick’s Nursery Hanlon Gas Processing Dental Excellence of Eastland

Cristal Rose Membership & Information Coordinator 254.629.2332 Office 484.213.6462 Cell

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

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35• ■ Treasure

Hunters, Jerry Eckhart

Metal Detecting, It’s a Crazy Hobby

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

Just search Facebook for “Jerry Eckhart”

You may have seen them, walking around a park, haven’t found another ring of that quality.

Some metal detector users like to get together in clubs. school ground or some old vacant lot. They are hard to miss because they usually have on a set of headphones, Here in Eastland County, we have such a club. It’s their eyes are on the ground and they are swinging a called the Southwestern Searchers and meets the second device that looks something like a weed eater out of Monday of each month. They meet at 7:00 pm at the the future. That machine is characterized by a boxlike Lela Latch Lloyd Museum at 116 W. 7th in Cisco. We attachment on the end the searcher is holding and a usually have a program about history or metal detecting, round or oval plate on the ground end. It is called a then swap stories about where we have hunted and what metal detector and the searcher is seeking lost coins, we have found. The museum has devoted one room to items found by metal detectorists throughout the state. relics of anything else that might have been lost.

Those who follow this hobby are often called metal There are some truly interesting items, ranging from detectorists, treasure hunters, coin hunters or relic cannonballs to old pistols to Spanish artifacts. Anyone hunters. Their specific name often reflects whichever interested in the history of Eastland and surrounding particular aspect of the hobby they pursue. Perhaps counties are invited to visit.

Metal detecting is not a new hobby. People have the most common name for them is either “treasure hunter or metal detectorist.” Some are so avid about been searching for lost items since time began. First, their hobby that they will search during the rainiest or they used witching wands, doodle bugs and all kinds snowiest of times and many have been known to even of crazy items they believed would work to lead them to treasure.

Alexander dig through frozen ground for an elusive target.

Another segment of this hobby are those who thrill to Graham Bell had developed the underwater search. This includes those who wade a type of metal detecting the surf or fresh water beaches and those who scuba instrument before Abraham dive for lost items. They use special waterproofed metal Lincoln was assassinated.

It was used in an attempt detectors that sometimes will work to depths of 200’.

Metal detecting is a growing hobby throughout the to locate the bullet after nation because it fulfills many dreams of many people. he was shot. When World There are those who dream of a connection with the War II came around, the past. Each artifact or old coin awakens the thoughts military developed a metal of those dreamers. Who lost this coin? Who fired detecting instrument called that bullet? What happened in this place? Many are a mine detector. After the the questions that arise with the surfacing of an old war, many of those mine item. When enough things are found, occasionally the detectors found their way into war surplus answers will come. and were Others like to find new modern coins in plenty. Their stores new coin finds finance their hobby. Some will find snapped up by eager enough to actually pay for the $200 to $800 that the treasure hunters. They average metal detector costs. One gold ring can actually weren’t too sensitive, pay for a metal detector by itself. The value increases if but did find metal.

It wasn’t too long that ring happens to be set with diamonds. That is not as that when outrageous as it sounds, because treasure hunters often after enterprising find those rings. On occasion, a rare coin such as a five three all or ten dollar gold coin is found. At today’s prices those businessmen are a real treasure. Many sell their finds right away or decided to develop a metal detector that cash in their newer coins at the bank.

I have been metal detecting for almost 50 years, and really worked. They over the years have found a number of nice items. I were Charles Garrett, have hunted for garnets in Greenland, gold in Arizona Carl Fisher, and and New Mexico as well as Civil War artifacts all over Kenneth White. They the nation. Once I found an 18 kt gold ring set with all formed their own a star sapphire. That was at a time when money was separate companies tight and gold was high. I removed the stone and sold and began to work on the ring for its gold content. I then promptly lost the the problem. Several sapphire. Had I known then what I know now, I would years passed until have sold the ring to a jeweler and gotten a much higher each developed a price. But, that’s in the past. I know better now, only I machine and received The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448

a patent for each of their separate designs. I think that Mr. Fisher had already begun work on a large one back in the 1930’s, but it would only find large objects.

Metal detecting remained in its infancy for the next 15 years or so until electronic components developed to the point where they could be compacted enough to make it feasible to install into a package that could be hand carried. When that happened, the sport of metal detecting really took off. The smaller and more sophisticated the electronics became, the better were the metal detectors. Now, they have been developed to the point where the detector will tell you with a reasonable degree of accuracy what is beneath the earth before you dig it.

When you see one of these fellows swinging their magic machine, stop and visit with them. Get them to show you how their metal detector works. Who knows, you might just want one for yourself. ~Jerry Eckhart

● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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•County Line Business & Community Journal ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35 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 ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35• ■ From

The Backside, Henry J. Clevicepin

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Send comments to: backside@mycounty-line.com

Consumer Reports & Newspaper Headlines

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

Well, it’s been a little cool the last day or two here in Buzzard’s Roost. Even our ol mules been shivering a little every morning. Like I told my buddy, Joe Bond, one of our Backside sponsors from over at Ranger, who does rock hauling, road grading, welding, fencing and pretty well everything from the womb to the tomb, so if you need any work done give ol Joe a call and tell him Henry J. sent you. Anyway, he was having trouble getting one of his rigs going the other day and I asked him if he ever thought about using mules. I told him, them ol mules start every time and go from sun up to sun down without even backfiring unless you get some pinto beans mixed up in their oats. That seems to give them a little more power, but you have to wear a gas mask to work behind them. Joe just looked at me like a hog looking at a new gate and went back to working on his rig.

Now speaking of mules, we have an ol Dutchman named Ole that lives here in Buzzard’s Roost. Ole was in a big accident with a truck awhile back and was in court last week and the trucking company’s lawyer was questioning Ole. The lawyer ask “didn’t you say at the scene …I’m fine”. Ole responded , well I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie. The lawyer interrupted…” I didn’t ask for any details…did you say at the scene of the accident “I’m fine”? Ole started to tell him again he had just loaded ol Bessie in the trailer and was headed down the road, when the arrogant lawyer interrupted again and told the Judge he was trying to establish the fact that at the scene he told the Highway Patrolman he was fine, now he is suing my client. By this time the ol Judge was interested in what Ole had to say and told the lawyer he wanted to hear Ole’s story about Bessie, his favorite mule. Ole thanked the Judge and proceeded. Well, as I said I was headed down the road with Bessie in the trailer when a big semi ran a stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and ol Bessie was thrown into the other one. I was hurting real bad and could barely move and I could hear Bessie moaning and groaning and knew she was in bad shape.

Then the Highway Patrolman walked up and went over to check on Bessie. After he looked at her and saw her condition he pulled out his gun and shot ol Bessie right between the eyes. Then the Patrolman walked across

the road, with his gun still smoking and looked at me and said how are you feeling. “Now what in the hell would you have said”?????

Now my buddy Jerry Reynolds that does the Carguy Show on WBAP Radio every Sat. morning at 9:00 A.M, don’t know anything about mules but he knows about cars. His rusty sidekick Kevin McCarthy emailed me on the geek wire (computers to you city folks) the other day and said ol Jerry was so mad he was having to tie one leg up just to blow his nose. Seems what he had his panties in a wad about was Consumer Report Magazine jumping on Toyota about one of their new SUV’s they had just started selling and even put a Don’t Buy recommendation out on it. It seems they said IF you were going too fast, try to turn a sharp corner and hit the brakes, the rear end would come around and IF it hit a curb it might turn over. Well, when a sentence starts with IF, you might as well disregard the rest of it.

Now ol Jerry had just tested one of these Toyoto SUV and loved it. He even said they must not have driven the same rig as he did. Now I’m tellin you if ol Jerry says it is an ok car you can take that to the bank. In fact if Jerry tells you a jackrabbit can pull a freight train, you just go to huntin the harness to hook him up with. Now the other night ol Estee K. had ol Nellie Frecklebelly out on the dance floor, down at the Buzzard’s Roost Bar & Grill, and he got Nellie going a little too fast and when they turned the corner her big ol butt swung around and IF there had been a curb there , she would have turned over. Big as ol Nellie is, we would have had to get a winch truck to get her back up. Even our high priced Red Mouth mules, if they got to going too fast and turned a corner and hit a curb might turn over. I hope Consumer Report Magazine don’t put out a Don’t Buy on our Red Mouthed mules and kill that market.

Speaking of how some those big papers and magazines can get things completely turned around. Me From the Backside Sponsor

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Call: 254-631-2658

and ol Estee K. Bibbles, my mulebarn partner & beer drinking buddy, went down to the big city to the Zoo the other day. We were walking around and came up to the lion’s cage. Now ol Estee K., being the humorous kind sometimes said “ look here Henry J , the Zoo has an African Lion and in Washington they have a Lyin African”. But while we were standing there a little girl got too close to the cage and a big male lion reached out and grabbed her and was trying to pull her through the bars and eat her for lunch. All of sudden this big ol boy ran up and punched the lion right between the eyes and took the little girl away and gave her back to her parents. An ol boy standing there watching walked up and said that is the bravest thing I have ever seen. I am a reporter for the biggest newspaper in town and I can assure you this will be on the front page tomorrow. Then the reporter said, “can I ask what you do for a living and what political affiliation are you? “ The ol boy proudly said “ I am a United States Marine and I am a Republican”. Well, the next morning me & ol Estee K. hurried down to get the paper and sure enough in great big letters on the front page it read: A UNITED STATES MARINE WHO IS A REPUBLICAN ASSAULTS AN AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND TAKES HIS LUNCH AWAY FROM HIM !!!!! And that my friends is the liberal news media of today.

Well, me and ol Estee K. got to go see how Ole’s trial came out.

Words of Wisdom From Henry J : Why do we only pick from 2 people for President and 50 for Miss America.

You can email ol Henry J at : henryjclevicepin@aol.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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•County Line Business & Community Journal ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35

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

County Line Business & Community Journal ~ MAY FIRST EDITION, 2010 v3.35• ■ Thank

You!

I want to first of all thank my God for his grace during my re-election campaign as Eastland County Clerk. I want to thank my family for the love and support they gave to me as home life became tossed around.

I want to send an overflowing thank you to each of those that voted for me, contributed to my campaign, or allowed me to place a sign in your yard or businesses. I want to thank you for your prayers, visits to my office and words of encouragement through the election and recount. I am again honored to serve in the capacity of County Clerk for another term.

I also want to thank all of the election workers for their hard work during early voting and

Election Day. Those are long stressful hours and the process could not have happened with out all of you. I wish to thank Sean Schaefer and June Hicks; their professionalism as party chairs made it an extreme pleasure to work with. As well, I would like to thank the recount teams for their service during the recount.

And last but for sure not least, I owe a huge thank you to my staff, Sonja, Donna, Maria, Donna Nisbett and Phillip. I thank you for your smiling faces, honesty, integrity and going above and beyond what is asked of you.

God bless, Cathy Jentho

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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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