Business & Community Journal --- September, 2010
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Volume 3 Issue 40
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The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
Monthly Edition
September , In This Issue:
NEW FEATURE! Texas Conservative by Chuck Norris
Law of the Land by Doug Jordan
Good Neighbors by Clint Coffee
Daily Devotional
by Wanda Lee Beck Skinner
@Ranger Library
by Diana McCullough
Tumbleweed Smith by Bob Lewis
Eastland Co. Crisis Cntr by Glenn D. Stockard
Life Planning Issues by Jim Kennedy
Star Pride
by Ginger Tobin
Treasure Hunters by Jerry Eckhart
EMH Volunteers
by Kelly Davidson
Out of the Past
by Luther Gohlke
Out of the Box
by Joellen Hodge
From the Backside
by Henry J. Clevicepin
www.MyCounty-Line.com
THE FEDERALIST PAPERS
by Alexander Hamilton, #69
by Mike W. Norris
vol.3 Issue 40
By Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay For the People of New York, 1787
The Federalist Papers:
Growing Up Small Town:
2010
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“The Character of the Executive Office”
PROCEED now to trace the real characters of the proposed Executive, as they are marked out in the plan of the convention. This will serve to place in a strong light the unfairness of the representations which have been made in regard to it. he first thing which strikes our attention is, that the executive authority, with few exceptions, is to be vested in a single magistrate. This will scarcely, however, be considered as a point upon which any comparison can be grounded; for if, in this particular, there be a resemblance to the king of Great Britain, there is not less a resemblance to the Grand Seignior, to the khan of Tartary, to the Man of the Seven Mountains, or to the governor of New York. he President of the United States is to have power to return a bill, which shall have passed the two branches of the legislature, for reconsideration; and the bill so returned is to become a law, if, upon that reconsideration, it be approved by two thirds of both houses. The king of Great Britain, on his part, has an absolute negative upon the acts of the two houses of Parliament. he President of the United States would be liable to be impeached, tried, and, upon conviction of treason, bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanors, removed from office; and would afterwards be liable to prosecution and punishment in the ordinary course of law. The person of the king of Great Britain is sacred and inviolable; there is no constitutional tribunal to which he is amenable; no punishment to which he can be subjected without involving the crisis of a national revolution. In this delicate and important circumstance of personal responsibility, the President of Confederated America would stand upon no better ground than a governor of New York, and upon worse ground than the governors of Maryland and Delaware. he President of the United States would be an officer elected by the people for FOUR years; the king of Great Britain is a perpetual and HEREDITARY prince. he one would be amenable to personal punishment and disgrace; the person of the other is sacred and inviolable. The one would have a QUALIFIED negative upon the acts of the legislative body; the other has an ABSOLUTE negative. The one would have a right to command the military and naval forces of the nation; the other, in addition to this right, possesses that of DECLARING war, and of RAISING and REGULATING fleets and armies by his own authority. The one would have a concurrent power with a branch of the legislature in the formation of treaties; the other is the SOLE POSSESSOR of the power of making treaties. The one would have a like concurrent authority in appointing to offices; the other is the sole author of all appointments. The one can confer no privileges whatever; the other can make denizens of aliens, noblemen of commoners; can erect corporations with all the rights incident to corporate bodies. The one can prescribe no rules concerning the commerce or currency of the nation; the other is in several respects the arbiter of commerce, and in this capacity can establish markets and fairs, can regulate weights and measures, can lay embargoes for a limited time, can coin money, can authorize or prohibit the circulation of foreign coin. The one has no particle of spiritual jurisdiction; the other is the supreme head and governor of the national church! What answer shall we give to those who would persuade us that things so unlike resemble each other? The same that ought to be given to those who tell us that a government, the whole power of which would be in the hands of the elective and periodical servants of the people, is an aristocracy, a monarchy, and a despotism. ~ excerpts from Federalist #69, by Alexander Hamilton
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The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
3Growing Up Small Town ■
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, Mike W. Norris Restoring Honor: Americans filled the National Mall from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument to take part in a modern-day revival of the American Spirit! Where were you on Saturday, August 28, 2010?
Were you one of the hundreds of thousands of American Citizens who filled every space imaginable between the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, all the way up to the feet of the grand Washington Monument in Washington D.C.? Or were you one of the millions who sat teary-eyed, with lumps in your throats, cheering at your television while watching the event broadcast live on CSPAN? Or were you one of the millions who followed the rally via the Internet; on CSPAN’s website? On Facebook? Or elsewhere? On this day in history, another such grand march took place; a march for Freedom and for Equality; a march for Justice; on this day in history, African-Americans from all over the country joined with Martin Luther King, Jr to call out for all of these things...and one man spoke with an everlasting voice, “I have a dream!” I contend that Americans, all Americans, have a dream. In truth, all down through history, before there were those who called themselves “Americans”, in fact all of humanity, we each have had a dream. And I contend that our collective dreams of Freedom, of Life, of Liberty, and ultimately the pursuit of Happiness itself, in one form another has been the dream of mankind since God graced us with the means to walk upon this earth and graced us with the ability to dream. We each desire to better ourselves. We each desire to step forward, to seek truth, and witness His grace either in this life or everafter. This has been the goal of man from the beginning.
Send comments to: smalltown@mycounty-line.com
I was one of the many people who watched the rally on television. If I had a nickel or dime to spare I would have jumped in the truck or the nearest plane and I would have joined them. But I watched and I listened. I laughed and I cried. I could only imagine what it was like for the men and women who stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial at the head of that enormous crowd...and I can only imagine the uplifting feeling that was present in the crowd itself...knowing that they were celebrating Image frem glennbeck.com history, celebrating Freedom, and celebrating I ask you. Who can dream of grander schemes? the dreams of all Americans. Emporers, monarchs, popes, or queens? Explorers, adventurers, or the common man? Who can dream bigger than you or I can? Columbus, the Pilgrims, our Founding Fathers? Those who came before us? Or perhaps our sons and daughters? This land, America, is yours and she is also mine, But we walk this earth for such a short time. I contend, the Dream once was, will be, and is. And the American Dream is not only ours, it is also His. ~mwnorris
It goes without saying that every generation wants the best for their children and grandchildren. And it goes without saying that generations of families have strived to come to America so that their families can have a better life than they had before they arrived here. And it goes without saying that many of us who have enjoyed these Freedoms to their fullest, have inhereted them without
But for the last 234 years, the goals of man have fallen under a new name -- “The American Dream.” That is because over 500 years ago, mankind found a truly blessed land. And for over 500 years, people from all over this world have strived for the chance, the opportunity, even the dream, of once setting foot on this Land of Dreams we call America. It was not the people who came here who blessed this land with the ideals and hopes of humanity; it was God who graced the hearts and minds of men with the dreams and hopes that caused them to set upon a path and course which brought them to these shores. It was God’s inspirational Glory, which caused man to dream of a better life. when this New World was discovered, the dreams of discovery meant the same thing in the hearts and minds of kings as it did to the hearts and minds of the common people. The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
Continued on page 11
4Texas Conservative ■
County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40
, Chuck Norris - The Man
President Obama: Muslim Missionary? Part 1 - Aug. 17, 2010
More than they have been at any other time in U.S. history, our First Amendment freedoms of speech and religion are in jeopardy. As if recently passed “hate crime” laws and a politically correct culture weren’t bad enough. Now our president is using international pressure and possibly law to establish a prohibition against insulting Islam or Muslims. Let me remind us how we got here. Speaking for most Founding Fathers in his day, John Jay, the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, appointed by George Washington himself, said, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest, of a Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” Two hundred years later, President Barack Obama has denied America’s rich Judeo-Christian heritage before the eyes and ears of other countries, as he publicly declared in Turkey on April 6, 2009, “We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation.” Then there was Cairo in June 2009, when President Obama vowed to establish “a new beginning between the United States and Muslims.” He continued: “I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn’t. And I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.” Therein lie two of the most unique U.S. presidential religious passions and missions in the history of the U.S. First, “I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.” Second, to create a “partnership between America and Islam.” (Notice the partnership is between our country and a religion, not other countries or Arab states. That’s key!) Roughly six months later, in February, President Obama appointed Rashad Hussain to serve as his special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference, an intergovernmental body of 56 Muslim countries, which also forms an official body represented in the United Nations. (Where is the same treatment from this White House for countries that uphold Judeo-Christian religions and values? Or any other religion?) President Obama rejoiced, “I’m proud to announce today that I am appointing my special envoy to the OIC, Rashad Hussain. ... A close and trusted member of my White House staff, Rashad has played a key role in developing the partnerships I called for in Cairo.” In 2007, then-President George W. Bush explained the initial purpose for an OIC representative: “Our special envoy will listen to and learn from representatives from Muslim states and will share with them America’s views and values.” But President Obama has upped the OIC ante considerably. The White House purports from its website that special envoy and hafiz Rashad Hussain “will deepen and expand the partnerships that the United States
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has pursued with Muslims around the world since President Obama’s speech in Cairo.” Again, notice the differences between the Bush and Obama plans with the special OIC envoy, from Bush’s mission to “listen to and learn from representatives” to Obama’s mission to “deepen and expand the partnerships.” The world also just learned recently from the assistant secretary for public affairs in the State Department, P.J. Crowley, that the White House repeatedly has sent to the Middle East as an American ambassador of peace the Islamic fundamentalist and executive director of the ground zero mosque, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who is teaching on Muslim life in America and promoting religious tolerance. But doesn’t one who called the U.S. an “accessory” to 9/11 just a few weeks after the tragic event and one who still refuses to call Hamas a foreign terrorist organization seem a strange choice for a U.S. ambassador of peace who promotes religious tolerance? It is absolutely no surprise, therefore, though gravely unfortunate and disappointing for our commander in chief, that last Friday night, while celebrating Ramadan at a White House dinner, he shared with a gathering of Muslims that he is in favor of building the mosque near ground zero! And he repeated his strong advocacy the next day, too. White House spokesman Bill Burton reiterated last Saturday, “What he said last night and reaffirmed today is that if a church, a synagogue or a Hindu temple can be built on a site, you simply cannot deny that right to those who want to build a mosque.” But I could not agree more with Sally Regenhard, whose firefighter son was killed at the World Trade Center on 9/11: “As an Obama supporter, I really feel that he’s lost sight of the germane issue, which is not about freedom of religion. It’s about a gross lack of sensitivity to the 9/11 families and to the people who were lost.” And Debra Burlingame, a spokeswoman for some 9/11 families and the sister of one of the pilots killed in the attacks, summed it up perfectly: “Barack Obama has abandoned America at the place where America’s heart was broken nine years ago and where her true values were on display for all to see.” President Obama is not just rebooting America’s image in the Muslim world. He’s deepening and expanding Islamic belief, practice and culture around the world, like a Muslim missionary. Part 2 - Aug. 24, 2010
Last week, the media, White House and nation were in a hullabaloo over a Pew Research Center poll that revealed that 1 in 5 Americans believes President Barack Obama is a Muslim. The poll received so much attention and response that the White House released a rebuttal reiterating that President Obama is “a committed Christian.” The fact is Americans are more baffled now by Obama’s personal religion than they were when he first came into office. John Green, University of Akron politics professor and senior fellow Continued on page 7
To find out more about Chuck Norris and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2010 CHUCK NORRIS - DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM - Reprinted under license by Mike Norris for The County Line. The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
5The Law of the Land ■
County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40
, by Doug Jordan
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Home Sweet Texas Homestead Law - Part 3 Benefits of the Homestead Exemption Note - This article is the third in a four-part series reviewing the basics of the homestead protection laws. 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.
As mentioned in Part One of this series, Section 50 of the Texas Constitution protects the homestead from forced sale for the payment of most debts. This protection is available to eligible claimants while they are alive, and to their qualifying survivors (as discussed in Part Two). The protection continues even if the homestead is sold, as long as the proceeds are reinvested into another homestead within six months of the sale. Thus, Texas residents are entitled to the security of their home not being taken by creditors unless the debt falls within one of the nine exceptions to the homestead exemption listed below. 1. Purchase Money Liens – This type of lien is created when a homestead is purchased. It is normally held by the seller or a financial institution that lends money to a buyer to purchase the homestead property. If a buyer defaults on a purchase money loan, the creditor has the right to foreclose on the homestead. 2. Ad Valorem Taxes – A tax lien attaches automatically on the first of every year to all property on which property taxes are owed. The homestead is not exempt from forced sale to pay delinquent property taxes. 3. Mechanic’s and Materialman’s Liens - These liens may be created in connection with improvements made to the homestead, such as room additions, remodeling projects, or landscaping. A mechanic’s and materialman’s lien is valid if (a) a written contract was executed prior to the commencement of improvements or delivery of supplies, (b) the contract is signed by both spouses (if applicable), and (c) the contract is properly recorded. 4. Owelty of Partition Lien – This type of lien is normally created when a divorcing couple is faced with an unequal division of the homestead property. Imagine this scenario: Tiger and Elin own a home located on a 200-acre tract of land in rural Eastland County. The home, located on 2 acres (including the putting green) is valued at $100,000, and the remaining 98 acres is valued at $2,000 per acre. Upon their divorce, an equal division of the property would result in one spouse receiving the home and an additional 98 acres worth $196,000 (the $100,000 home and 98 acres valued at $196,000 for a total value of $296,000), and the other spouse being awarded the remaining 100 acres worth $200,000. Naturally the house cannot be cut in half, so to avoid having to sell the property or partition the property unequally (one spouse being awarded more land than the one awarded the house), the parties can agree that the spouse awarded the lesservalued portion of property is entitled to an owelty of partition lien against the other spouse’s portion of the property for the difference in value received. In the example above, the spouse receiving the unimproved 100 acres valued at $200,000 would have a $48,000 owelty of partition lien on the other spouse’s house and 98 acres valued at $296,000. The homestead is not exempt from an owelty of partition lien. 5. Refinancing – The homestead may be pledged as collateral for the refinancing of a valid lien, including a federal tax lien related to tax liability of either spouse. Renewing and
extending the maturity date of the original loan does not invalidate the lien on the homestead. 6. Home Equity Loan – A home equity loan creates a lien on an existing homestead to secure a loan based on the value of the property. There is no restriction on the use of the home equity loan proceeds, but the Texas Constitution sets forth an extensive list of requirements which a home equity lender must satisfy before obtaining a valid lien against the homestead. 7. Reverse Mortgage – A reverse mortgage is a home equity conversion strategy which uses the homestead as collateral for a loan in which the property owner receives a lump sum payment or regular periodic payments and in exchange, the property owner gives up all or some of the home’s equity. The mortgage is payable upon the death of the borrower or upon the abandonment of the homestead. 8. Manufactured Home Refinancing – The homestead is subject to the conversion and refinancing of a lien secured only by a manufactured home to a lien on the real property on which it is located. The refinancing may include (a) the purchase price of the manufactured home, (b) the cost of installing the manufactured home on the real property, and (c) the purchase price of the real property itself. 9. Preexisting Lien – A lien which existed against the property prior to it becoming a homestead that does not fit any of the exceptions listed above may have priority over the homestead exemption against forced sale. Beyond the homestead exemption that protects homesteads from creditors, there are also beneficial tax exemptions for homestead owners. When determining property taxes, single adults and families are allowed a $3,000 exemption of the assessed value of the residence homestead. Additionally, an adult is entitled to a $15,000 exemption of the assessed value of the residence homestead when assessing school taxes. This exemption is raised to $25,000 for disabled adults or individuals over age 65. These tax exemptions were extended to surviving spouses who have the absolute right to occupy and responsibility to pay taxes for the homestead property. NEXT: Homestead Designation, Abandonment, Transfer and Conveyance 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
The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
6Good Neighbors ■
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County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40
, Clint Coffee CLU ChFC State Farm Insurance® Agent
Do you have a road map for your financial future?
Many of our dreams are dependent upon the choices we make throughout our lives. That’s why planning carefully and making smart choices will help ensure you realize your financial dreams and goals.
you have in place may need to be adjusted to make sure you’re still headed in the right direction.
Are you saving for a child’s college education or a new house? Dreaming about starting a new business or hoping to retire by age 55?
Consider enlisting the help of your insurance agent or a qualified financial services specialist. Today, several companies offer personalized services designed to help you come up with practical solutions for achieving your financial goals.
Whatever your financial goals and dreams may be, you need a road map - an action plan - to help reach your destination. If you have a road map outlining how you’ll achieve your financial goals, how long has it been since you reviewed it? As your family circumstances and finances change, the plans
■ Gorman
If you don’t have an action plan in place, you may be asking yourself, “Where do I start?”
The important thing is to get started today. The sooner you clarify and prioritize your goals and create a road map for how you’ll get there, the greater success you’ll have at achieving what’s most important to you.
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
Peanut Festival
We would like to take this opportunity to inform you that we will be conducting a child passenger safety/car seat check up event this year during the Gorman Peanut Festival. We will be conducting this check from 9am to 1pm. We are hoping to have a place on Hwy 6 & Hwy 8 to do this event. We do ask that anyone wanting to attend the event to call and make an appointment, as each check will take about 30 minutes per child/seat. They may call 254-734-5989 to set up an appointment. We will have some seats on hand for those that may need a car seat or a booster seat. There is no cost for the seat check, nor for the car seat or booster seat. Currently under the new Texas CPS laws, a child under the age of 8 yrs and 4’9” must ride in either a car seat or booster seat. If you know of anyone that is in need of a seat or would like to have their seat checked for any misuse or recalls, have them call and make an appointment. If they are not able to attend this event, during the Week of September 19th to 25th is Child Passenger Safety Week and we will be setting up some appointments during this week on a one on one bases, and will have information on these checks in all of the local papers. If you have any questions, please let us know. Thank you for your support. Wayne Dennis, EMTP Child Passenger Safety Technician Program Director
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
Texas State Championship Bocci Ball Tournament September 11th, 2010 Thurber, Texas Open to all, the event is held at the Thurber Historical Association’s historic park on I-20 (exit 367) Contact Janis Mills New York Hill Restaurant for further information. 940-769-3564
The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
7Texas Conservative
County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40
■ , Continued... with the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, concluded, “I haven’t seen any example -- and I’ve been following polling of presidents for a long time now -- of where we’ve seen increased confusion about religiosity the longer they’re in office.” With all the confusion and quandaries about Obama’s religion lately, I rearranged the order of this four-part series to detail today exactly what President Obama believes, including his beliefs about prayer, heaven, the Bible and the person of Jesus, based upon a rare in-depth interview by a religious reporter for a major newspaper publication. To me, this interview -- which took place March 27, 2004, when Obama was a candidate for the U.S. Senate -- is by far the best
documentation of Obama’s faith. In it, Obama gave often lengthy responses about his faith and practice to a series of questions from thenChicago Sun-Times religion reporter Cathleen Falsani, though he often seemed confused and even obtuse in his replies. To the question “do you pray often?” Obama replied, “Uh, yeah, I guess I do.” “Guess”? When asked whether he had read the Bible, Obama responded: “Absolutely. (But) these days I don’t have much time for reading or reflection, period. ... I’ll be honest with you; I used to all the time, in a fairly disciplined way. But during the course of this campaign, I don’t.” In answering reporter Falsani’s question
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about whether there was a role model who combined everything Obama said he wanted to do in his life and faith, Obama’s first response was, “I think Gandhi is a great example of a profoundly spiritual man.” Gandhi? A Hindu? How about Jesus, seeing as Obama claims to be a “committed Christian”? When Obama was asked pointedly, “Who’s Jesus to you?” he immediately responded with a nervous laugh, followed by a rather sarcastic “Right.” He proceeded, “Jesus is an historical figure for me, and he’s also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher. And he’s also a wonderful teacher.”
The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
Continued on page 8
8Texas Conservative ■
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, Continued...
Could that “reaching something higher” possibly be heaven? In answering the question on whether he believed in a literal heaven, Obama retorted back: “Do I believe in the harps and clouds and wings? ... What I believe in is that if I live my life as well as I can, that I will be rewarded. I don’t presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die.” Obama went on to explain his faith in these all-encompassing ways: “I am a Christian. ... On the other hand, I was born in Hawaii, where obviously there are a lot of Eastern influences. I lived in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world. ... I believe that there are many paths to the same place. ... I retain from my childhood and my experiences growing up a suspicion of dogma. ... I’m a big believer in tolerance. ... I’m suspicious of too much certainty. ... There’s an enormous amount of damage done around the world in the name of religion and certainty. ... I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell. ... That’s just not part of my religious makeup.” So it’s no wonder that when asked to describe the moment at which he went forward in response to an altar call in his and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s church in 1987 or 1988, Obama said, “I think it was just a moment to certify or publicly affirm a growing faith in me.” It is also no wonder that Americans are confused about Obama’s religion, because he himself sounds confused about it. Remember, this is the president who emphatically stated to the Middle Eastern world that it is part of his “responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.”
Yet on June 28, 2006, two years after his interview with Falsani, then-Sen. Obama publicly perpetuated negative stereotypes of Christianity. From the pulpit of a church, speaking to a live audience about religious diversity, Obama sarcastically belittled America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and degraded its adherents with trite remarks typical of any atheistic antagonist: “Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation”; “the dangers of sectarianism are greater than ever”; “religion doesn’t allow for compromise”; “the Sermon on the Mount (is) a passage that is so radical that it’s doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application”; and “to base our policymaking on such commitments (as moral absolutes) would be a dangerous thing.” And the whole time I consider Obama’s anti-Christian diatribes and religious rubbish, I keep coming back to the words of President George Washington in his presidential Farewell Address, advice our current president would be wise, especially now, to heed: “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them.” “A committed Christian”? I guess I completely don’t understand what the word “committed” means.
■ Daily
Devotional, Wanda Lee Beck Skinner
Seek My Face and Pray Aug 29, 2010 11 Chronicles 7:14 King James Version “If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land.” Monday the temperature reached 104 degrees in our county but hope grew as the forecast was for 20 degrees cooler plus a chance for rain on Tuesday. At Harmony we have had Pray for Rain on our bulletin prayer list for a while. I recall the day that we had a great need for rain and began having a “Pray for Rain” at the Y for all who would come to pray. Sometimes as many as 70 people showed up to be seen by all those traveling highway 101-112. The sessions ended with an ice cream supper that had to be moved indoors because of the heavy rains. Would you like to see that event again? I cannot remember a time the need was greater than it is today. We might consider having a “Pray for Rain and Pray for America” once again. Geneology Aug 29, 2010 I have a challenge for you today. Genealogists from far and wide are searching for records from Eastland County. If you have some old stories handed down from your parents or grandparents, take pen in hand and write. I would love to see a book entitled “Stories I Heard as a Child” be published in our county. I love the Eastland County history Books available at the Library but this would be different. This is a selfish request. I have several stories that have turned into queries for proof of those stories. Have you heard the one about the mother and baby dying on a wagon train and being buried
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near a cemetery but outside the fence, the date was before 1900. Have you heard the one about where ‘The Hanging Tree” on Highway 3101 is located? Once there was a tree in the middle of that crossroad but it is now gone. Have you heard about the fights young boys had as they walked the two miles home from school? Have you heard about the babies dying on wagon trains and being buried beside the road (there were no highways back then)? What stories have you heard? For this there would need to be no names if you prefer, just the authors name and permission to use for public use. It would also be nice to hear from every library in our county about their resources for the genealogist. Will you step up to bat on this one?
Discipline Has A Purpose Aug 29, 2010 Hebrews 12:9-11 King James Version “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence; shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His Holiness. No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto those which are exercised thereby.” Do you remember the days of your childhood when a parent would call you aside, the look on their face was disappointment, the talk and the punishment would follow? That did not leave a good feeling inside, did it? Just as the loving parent has to impose discipline, the Heavenly Father must discipline His children. His discipline comes to make our relationship with Him more real and precious. Look for the purpose the next time you feel God applying discipline to your life.
The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
9@The Ranger Library ■
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County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40
, Diana McCullough
Getting Caught Up...
I am behind in several facets of my life, please do not look at my wild flower beds--at the library or at my house! Waiting on my desk is a Memorial Gift in memory of Billie Dean Beck generously donated by T.R. and Maria Beck of Eastland. This is not the only “Thank You” note and acknowledgement that I owe. And remember that big Libri Foundation grant for children’s books that our library has again applied for? If we receive this grant, this Beck donation is “earmarked” and the first to be applied to this sweet cause, and I’ll be typing Billie Dean Beck’s name onto a good number of book labels. Encouraging children to read is one of the best works of our library. Speaking of children, students returned to school in Ranger on Tuesday— their enthusiastic company is missed--until about 3:45 each day! Can you believe that we’ve already ordered next summer’s Texas Reading Club supplies? Posters, bookmarks, and certificates are all provided complimentarily (thank you, taxpayers) from the Texas State Library. Next year’s theme is “Dig Up a Good Book”. If we receive the Libri Foundation award and receive an additional $350 worth of Math and Science books for children—I’m serious—I think we could manage a science experiment every day. It’d be fun to have a focus on science in 2011! We’ll see… Third-grader, Chaylyn Goodman turned in two Title Logs today! She’s read FORTY books since our Texas Summer Reading Club and received $10 in a cash prize.
Send comments to: ranger@mycounty-line.com
Sixth-grader, Wayne Sisson, gifted our library with his gently used, once-read, copy of Wait Till Helen Comes (a ghost story) by Mary Downing Hahn that he bought last school year during the Book Fair. I questioned his contribution and his mom assured me that he had been SAVING this book as a gift to our library—how SWEET is that? Other friends of our library include Joy Felan who donated three new audio books--Family Ties by Danielle Steel, No Place Like Home by Mary Higgins Clark, and John’s Story by the Left Behind authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Joy ALSO gifted us with the brand-new, just released Ranger Bulldog Annual! Oh Joy! Coach Jackie Stephens brought us a BUNCH of magazines for our free magazine exchange out in the foyer—if you have a hankering for a magazine—hanker no longer! My friend Tricia Emery contacted author Pat Sloan from Virginia who gifted us with six new craft books including: I Can’t Believe I’m Quilting: Beginner’s Complete Guide, I Can’t Believe I’m Quilting: Beyond the Basics, I Can’t Believe I’m Sewing, Quilt the Seasons: Book Two, Crooked Cabin Quilts, and Friend-to-Friend Quilts. More Thank You notes to write! At least to the author in Virginia—everyone else I can thank personally! Tricia Emery has also mentioned the possibility of starting a “Sit and Stitch” Club. Anyone interested? Today, John Graham brought in a big bag of books from his wife, Dianna. Here are my favorites: Gold Coast by Nelson DeMille, Ghost Shadow by Heather Graham, In the Name of Honor by Richard North Patterson, and best of all, 24 Hours by Greg Isles. I’ve read several good books lately. I enjoyed The Search by Nora Roberts (my mom did too even if she did comment that it was a little heavy on the dog training); Tough Customer by Sandra Brown (we even purchased the audio edition!); and now I’m about a quarter inch away from the conclusion of Veil of Night by Linda Howard—and I’d call this one a Romantic Comedy (kinda!) and I’ve enjoyed it! We already own The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks, and now we own the VIDEO, too. Last Friday afternoon, several of us met with Amy Lorance from the Department of Agriculture here in our Community Room—I thought it was a beneficial and worthwhile meeting—on several different fronts. Amy asked that I fill out and submit the Go Texan Rural Community Program application—so I had homework last weekend and it’s NEARLY complete. If you are interested in purchasing a house, or know someone that is, you may be interested in attending a future Continued on page 12
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The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
10Tumbleweed Smith ■
County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40
, Big Spring
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Send comments to: tumbleweed@mycounty-line.com
The Love of Boiled Peanuts While in North Carolina a few years back I kept seeing crude signs advertising boiled peanuts. Curiosity got the best of me and I pulled into one of the stands selling the things. “I’d like some boiled peanuts,” I told the man behind the big pot. He told me I better try some first. He handed me a hot, wet peanut. I opened it and saw some of the biggest peanuts I’ve ever seen. I popped them in my mouth and instantly wished I had just kept on driving past that stand. They were mushy and had no taste. He apparently knew he had lost a sale and said, “Not everybody likes ‘em.” I was glad he made me sample them. I bought some regular dry, unboiled peanuts and they were delicious. I hadn’t given boiled peanuts another thought until I met Warren Garrett in Crockett. He grew up in Crystal Springs, Mississippi and loves boiled peanuts. He is a boiled peanut fiend. “In my youth, on Sunday afternoons in the fall of the year during the peanut harvest while they were still green, peanut boilings were social events,” he says. “People in the neighborhoods would gather around a big washpot and boil peanuts. You have to cultivate a taste for them. In Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas and in some parts of Louisiana you’ll find a lot of people who grew up eating boiled peanuts.” You boil peanuts in the shell and it’s preferable to eat them while they are warm, just out of the pot. “You boil them in a salt brine,” says Warren, “and they are salty. It depends on your taste as to how much salt you want on them. You can eat them cold, but they’re better right after they’ve cooled down after dipping
them out of the pot.” After Warren left Mississippi and started working in Houston, he occasionally would return to Crystal Springs to visit family members. He has four children and they would be with Warren as he traveled to his boyhood home. On the way back to Houston on one of his trips he spied a man in a pickup near Hammond, Louisiana. “It was an old farmer going along and I could see in the back of his pickup that he was hauling a bagful of peanuts. I just pulled up beside him and waved him over. I paid him fifteen dollars for twenty-five pounds of green peanuts ready for boiling.” He admits that most people who didn’t grow up eating peanuts boiled in salt brine don’t have a craving for them. The fact that they’re green may have something to do with that. “This is before they are dried. You can boil the dry peanuts, but you need to soak them for quite a while. The best way to boil them is to put them in a pressure cooker. But they’re not as good as the green ones when they‘re fresh from the field. The best ones are picked slightly before they mature. Some farmers in Mississippi make their living growing green peanuts for boiling.” Warren has tried to boil Texas peanuts, but they don’t work too well. He says it’s the soil. “I’ve given some of my Texas friends boiled peanuts and they all say they don’t know how I can eat them.”
The Valley Beekeeper “All beekeepers get stung, but I don’t know a single beekeeper that likes getting stung.” It was morning when I visited with Stan Crockett on his citrus tree farm at Bayview, a little place just outside Harlingen. The roosters on the place were crowing. In addition to maintaining his citrus business, he keeps bees. “You should never swat at bees,” he says. “You need to be real gentle around them all the time. When you swat a bee or kill one, it lets off a special alarm pheromone that attracts other bees. When you’re near a hive it can become a situation of aggression from the bees and it can be dangerous.” When someone in the valley has a swarm of bees they want removed, the call goes to Stan. He
usually makes fifteen bee rescues a year. “Sometimes we use a bee vacuum when we encounter aggressive bees. A bee vacuum is real simple because a lot of the bees we remove are between walls, they’re under pier and beam homes, and are just in real difficult to get to places. We made the bee vacuum and it very gently vacuums all the bees into a box. We put a lid on that box and transport the bees back here.” Onetime Stan had an unusual call from the fire department at Los Fresnos to go get bees out of an old farmhouse. “My wife and I went out on that job. We both had on bee suits. They were the most aggressive bees we’ve ever seen in our lives. They stung us through the bee suits. They stung me so much my arm swelled up. But it went away in a couple of days. You have to make a determination when you‘re out on site. Are they too aggressive? Are they worth saving? There have been colonies of bees that we’ve destroyed because they’re way too aggressive. We ended up destroying this bunch of bees.” When he and his wife go out on swarm patrol, they usually get stung forty or fifty times. Some bees in the valley have some Africanization in them. “They say a thousand bee stings are similar to a rattlesnake bite. They also say a bee sting is good for arthritis. I don’t have arthritis.” I asked him how to treat a bee sting. He said here’s really not much you can do. Just wait it out. Stan doesn’t make honey on a commercial basis. He puts it in Mason jars and gives it away to friends. He does love honey. When he was growing up he used to ride his motorcycle to beehives out through the orchards. He recalls once he wanted some honey so he went to his grandmother’s house, got her big pink scarf, put on a hat and coat, went to a hive and started a fire from the dead leaves around the hive. Through the smoke he took the lid off the hive, took out some of the frames and brought them back to the farm.
The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
11Growing Up Small Town ■
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County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40
, Continued
struggle or without sacrifice. But the cost of Freedom and Liberty is not one that can be paid for on credit. We cannot borrow against the Freedoms and Liberties of our children and grandchildren so that we may enjoy them today. Such an act would be a transgression against our posterity that would condemn us all. Our children and grandchildren would ask us, “Why?” And our only answer could be “because it was meant for me, not you?” Are we the generation that will let Freedom and Liberty die or even be diminished? Are we the last generation of Americans who will experience the Dream to the fullest? Is the American Dream truly ours to enjoy and expend until nothing is left? Or is the American Dream also God’s wish for all of us...our forefathers, ourselves, and our children and grandchildren? I contend that the Dream is His, not only ours. And we must cherish it. Protect it. And ultimately pass it on to the next generation just as it was handed down to us. As parents, our greatest wish must still be to hand down that Dream, with even greater possibilities, to our children. We cannot expend it now...and we cannot allow it to be spent on our behalf. We must, with all imperative, maintain the torch of Liberty and pass it on to our posterity, undiminished and unspent. To that end, we must pledge our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor.
Image frem glennbeck.com
Our forefathers did it. Our grandparents and parents did it. Are we not up to the challenge?
■ Eastland
Chamber Events
■ Cisco
Chamber Events Upcoming Events:
August 2010 Business of the Month:
United Country Smart Real Estate Upcoming Events:
Sept. 21st, 2010
After Hours Mixer Fullen Motors
Sept. 25th, 2010
Lil Miss Rip Pageant
Oct. 2nd, 2010 Ripfest
November 6th 8th Annual Hunters Appreciation Luncheon 11 am to 1 pm Cisco Pavillion – 401 Conrad Hilton Food & Door Prizes Your Valid Texas Hunting License is your admission November 6th & 7th 2nd Annual Leon Boles Memorial Gun, Knife, and Coin Show 9 am to 5 pm $3.00 Admission Myrtle Wilks Community Center 1498 IH 20 West, Cisco Vendors: Call the Chamber – 254.442.2537 November 20th & 21st Cisco Holiday Market Myrtle Wilks Community Center 1498 IH 20 West, Cisco Vendors: Call the Chamber – 254.442.2537
■ Breckenridge
Chamber Events
Upcoming Events: Fall Festival & Car Show Thursday, October 7th Join us downtown for the Homecoming Parade & Pep-rally! Friday, October 8th - 7:30 pm Join us at the BISD Homecoming Game against Clifton! Feel free to come early at 6:30 pm for the pre-game festivities! Saturday, October 9th - 8am to 1pm Join us downtown at the courthouse for a car show packed with vintage models, trucks, and more! We will also have a bounce house and vendor/food booths! Also, make sure you pick up a map (at the Chamber office that week or on the courthouse lawn that morning) for our Community-wide Garage & Sidewalk Sale! Last year, we had over 40 garage sales around town!
The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
12@The Ranger Library ■
County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40
, Diana McCullough
meeting with Amy Lorance here in our library building. And if you are REAL interested, a meeting on this subject is planned in Cisco in the week preceding our Roaring Ranger Day— Amy wasn’t sure on the date, either Sept. 16 or 17—but finding out would be easy, I bet. Did you know that Roaring Ranger Day
will be here SOON?! A FEW vendor spaces MAY still be available. The cost is $25 for a booth that needs electricity, or $20 for a booth that doesn’t. Call this library (647-1880) for additional information. Tony Sanchez and Exit 343 will be our featured band. Live music is scheduled throughout the day. Other
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planned activities include: Horseshoes and washers, Bocce Ball, Cake Walk (Church of God), Air Castle (Greer’s Western Store), Face Painting and Bounce House (Senior Class/Project Graduation), Jewelry by Wendy Rodgers, Jewelry by Rustic Cactus, Crafts by Mike Hennech, Popcorn and hotdogs
The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
13@The Ranger Library ■
County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40
, Diana McCullough
(Kiwanis), Snow cones and beef jerky (Eastside Baptist Food Pantry), Sausage on a stick (St. Rita’s Catholic Church), Barbeque (Polky’s), Hamburgers (Church of God of Prophesy), Funnel cakes (Mary Crenshaw), Sodas and bottled water (Lions Club), and Tea and lemonade (City Pool). There’s MORE in the works! Like antique cars, Sons of the Confederacy demonstrations, CASA education, American Legion. It’s exciting! Our sponsors, thus far, are: Herod Oil and Gas, EBAA Iron, First Financial Bank, and
Bryan’s Signs. Charlie Mack Richardson is providing our stage, Byrd Electric is helping us with electrical power. LOTS of people helping in LOTS of ways, and a big THANKS to everyone who does anything to make our town a nicer place to live. A beautiful day would be a nice prayer—September 18th— coming SOON.
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you have to be strong.” Here’s another, from a little closer to home, “Wishes are catalysts for actions.” Our lives are affected by our choices, and other lives are affected as well. May the Lord bless us all, take care, and as always… ENJOY READING!
Our guest preacher spoke tonight about CHOICES—our deliberate choices. It was a GREAT lesson. I’ll leave you with his John Wayne quote: “If you’re going to be stupid,
The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
14Eastland County Crisis Center
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County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40
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Local Agencies Attend 22nd Annual Crimes Against Children Conference Dallas, Texas (August 9, 2010) – The Eastland County Children’s Advocacy Center attended the 22nd Annual Crimes Against Children Conference in Dallas from August 9 through August 12. CAC Staff attending include Robbin Seabourn, Assistant Director, Doug Smith, Counselor, Karen McAfee, Client Services Coordinator, and Glenn D. Stockard, Executive Director. Also attending with the CAC were Russ Thomason, District Attorney, James Bonds, Michelle Sheedy, and Karen Glenn with CPS, Ray Darden and Ray Russell from Eastland Police Department, and Neal Crisp with the Eastland County Sheriff’s Office. The Crimes Against Children Conference was first held in 1989 with 50 participants. This year there were over 3400 participants registered. Glenn D. Stockard, Executive Director of the Eastland County Crisis Center, Inc, which operates the Eastland County Children’s Advocacy Center believes this is the premier conference held each year to provide training and resources to agencies that work in the field of child abuse. “The Children’s Advocacy Center was excited that the other agencies were able to send some of their staff to this event, as training is critical to assure justice, safety, and healing to children that have been abused,” said Stockard. The conference was hosted by the
Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center and the Dallas Police Department. Other major partners include the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, National District Attorneys Association, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the National Child Protection Training Center. The CAC model is based on the collaborative efforts of a Multi Disciplinary Team approach. Providing training to the team is essential in preserving the flow of communication and collaborative efforts between members. Members of the Multi Disciplinary Team and attendees of this year’s conference, state: “In my 18 ½ years with CPS, the training I received at Crimes Against Children was the most interesting, information, and helpful for my position as CPS Investigation Supervisor.” Jim Bonds. “This conference provided very practical information not only for the successful prosecution of those who would commit crimes against children but also provided various strategies to intervene and prevent the children of our community from continuing to deal with senseless abuse.” Russ Thomason, Eastland County District Attorney As an agency, the Eastland County Children’s Advocacy center is grateful for access to this essential training and experience. Participants are anxious to use newly acquired knowledge in the most effective manner possible, to provide justice, hope, and healing to children caught in this growing epidemic.
YOU Missed a Spot!!!
Advertise with The County Line! eMail: tellmemore@mycounty-line.com
Back to School Days! Gift Certificates Available! Angelia Honea
SerenaAd Batteas 4-Block Window Owner, Stylist Stylist
Rebecca Irby Maximum Dimensions Stylist Burns 5.0in x 3.875inKrystal Stylist Toni Kerr
Facials, Microdermabrasion
Vanessa Wilson Massage Therapy
Mane Street Salon 1401 W Main St Eastland, Tx
(254)629-2220
The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
15Life Planning Issues ■
County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40 ■ Eastland
, Jim Kennedy
Are Your Investment Decisions Destructive?
The recent financial crisis has undoubtedly changed the landscape for investing. We only thought making decisions about our investments was tedious and complex before the Great Recession. Many theories have been challenged and proven to be flawed. Many conventional retirement planning strategies were broken and unable to mend. Consequently, the big question is: “Where do we go from here?” Some say “put it in gold”, some say guarantees… CD’s, bonds, and there is even the suggestion of a simple savings account at your local bank. Notice that there is one general problem with all of these solutions—they are canned. As we just mentioned, we are in the midst of an overwhelmingly complex investment environment. Do any of these ideas seem as if they are a result of complex research for your unique situation? “Behavioral Finance” is a field of psychology under study since the late 1970’s which addresses why we make the decisions we make when it comes to our money. And since we are using the word psychology, I bet you can guess that most investment decisions run the risk of emotions or cognitive error. Do any of these sound like something that has crossed your mind? It could never happen to me… If everyone is doing it, it must be right… I will deal with it later… I don’t have time now… I hate losing… It is too good to miss out… I never made any money there and never want to invest in that… I lost money with that company and never want to own that again… I have always had it… I worked there… That was my Dad’s. William Gross, co-founder of PIMCO, stated “Markets invariably move to undervalued and overvalued extremes because human nature falls victim to greed and/or fear.” (The word “markets”, by the way, refers to anything from stocks to bonds, to real estate, energy, gold, fixed accounts, etc.) Put in a nutshell, this is the downfall of many investors. Take, for instance, tech stocks in the late
90’s: Everyone was doing it, so it must be a great investment, right? Too bad the idea caught on when prices were peaking, because we all know the rest of the story. Will this be the same story for bonds or gold? Maybe. Maybe not. But it is a great argument for not putting all your eggs in one basket. What about General Motors? What if this was the one stock that belonged to Dad? Or what if you had actually worked for GM? That’s emotion speaking and I’m thinking you would not be a happy camper today if this was the one and only stock you owned. I like to use the analogy of an elevator. Imagine you are on the 18th floor in an elevator and it stops. You open the top of the elevator to find one cable holding you up and it starts to unwind. How do you feel? Would you feel better if you looked back up to find 30 or 40 other cables holding you up? Why then, would you ever rely on only one investment no matter what it is? Or even placing the vast majority of your money in one investment? On the flip side of the coin, no one likes losing and this thought often causes us to be overly conservative and run the risk of losing purchasing power. Let me ask you, do you think we are headed for higher inflation? If so, keep in mind that the average inflation rate over the past 20 years has been around 3 percent. Let’s say you live off $50,000 a year. If inflation stays the same, this will equate to over $90,000 in 20 years. And if the inflation rate rises…? So even if a 3% fixed account looks good for today’s rates, there’s no room for you to take income from this if you plan for the account to keep up with inflation. The bottom line is that we are in an extremely perplexing investment environment, but you can’t not do anything. It is more critical than ever before to find a Life Planner who can help you parallel your unique situation, future and goals, family dynamics and risk tolerance to a customized investment plan. Many investors make decisions because they think they have enough information when all they really have is nothing but cognitive noise. Don’t let that be you.
Co. 9-12 Project
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EASTLAND COUNTY 9-12 PROJECT MEETINGS Date and Time: 2nd & 4th Thursdays 7:00pm Location:
Myrtle Wilks Community Center Mountain Top Church Cisco, TX
Please join us. We hope to see you there!! (254) 334-9537 for more information.
■ Area
Golf Courses
LONE CEDAR GOLF COURSE Sept 11, 12
2-Person Scramble
Sept 25, 26
Summer League Finals
Oct 16, 17
Club Championship
Breckenridge Country Club Aug 28
Johnny Bates Memorial Golf Tournament
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.
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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
16Star Pride ■
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County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40
, Ginger Tobin Star Pride Meeting Held August 10
Star Pride’s regularly scheduled meeting on the second Tuesday of each month was held at the Rising Star Library at 4:00 PM with twelve members attending. Many exciting topics were discussed for the coming months, including one which was almost overlooked in the excitement of the other subjects. However, at the last moment, several members set a date for our STREET CLEANUP DOWNTOWN; it is scheduled for NEXT MONDAY MORNING AT 7 AM, AUGUST 16; MEET IN FRONT OF THE ANTIQUE STORE with trash bags in tow. Members will probably work for 1 to 1-1/2 hours on this project. This idea came from the recent TOWN HALL MEETING in which citizens were told that there seemed to be three consistent comments from people checking out Rising Star for a possible business location. There were three reasons listed: (1) unfriendly people (2) dirty town (3) no housing available for workers. Star Pride discussed the “unfriendly” comment and could not come to a conclusion as to how strangers would get that opinion. They discussed that Star Pride can’t build houses; but that we CAN do something about the fact that trash does accumulate around town and especially on the main highways where travelers pass through; thus, the first cleanup is scheduled. BE THERE! OCTOBERFEST PLANNING Octoberfest is one of Star Pride’s main fund raisers; and members excitedly discussed plans for the October 9 BREAKFAST UNDER THE PAVILION at City Park on Hwy. 36. Members will begin breakfast
preparations at 5 AM and will open the BREAKFAST BAR at 7 AM, serving biscuits & sausage; breakfast burritos with salsa; and gravy & biscuits, as well as coffee, orange juice, water and soft drinks. Most of the ingredients will be donated by Star Pride members as well as other local residents. More details will be discussed at Star Pride’s next meeting on Tuesday, September 14, 4:00 PM at the library. All Star Pride members and other interested local citizens are urged to attend. CHRISTMAS DECORATING PLANS Yes, we REALLY DID discuss Christmas during this August 100 degree weather when grass is turning yellow from the heat and being outside is reserved for early morning or late evening! Star Pride has plans once again to see to it that Rising Star is “dressed up” for Christmas, much as it was for the holidays of 2009. At this point, the only item discussed was putting up additional poles on which to hang our collection of “Rising Stars”, snowflakes and other large Christmas ornaments around the City. Star Pride member, Sleepy Gomez had several ideas about how to erect poles; this discussion will be followed up at the next meeting. Star Pride wants to have the poles placed far in advance of the holidays so that decorating will be easier and go forward quicker than last year.
in improving Rising Star. Several scenarios were discussed; this item will be tabled until after the next Chamber of Commerce meeting since several questions need answers from the Chamber. EDC/STAR PRIDE TO PAINT THE DOWNTOWN Nancy Bostick, Star Pride member (and President of EDC) gave a few more details about the project of painting the exteriors of downtown buildings in order to improve the looks of Rising Star which can improve the City’s chances of attracting new businesses. Both Star Pride members and the EDC members have voted previously to participate in this project, which is scheduled to begin when the weather cools down, possibly the end of September or first part of October. Nancy explained that the buildings will need to be scraped or sandblasted
before painting can begin. A Star Pride member volunteered to check into the rental cost of a sandblasting machine. One Star Pride member is planning to attend an August 19 meeting in New Braunfels sponsored by the Texas Historic Commission in regard to preservation issues in historic downtowns. Results and ideas will be shared with the group at the next meeting. Nancy also asked Star Pride members who are not able to paint to volunteer to bring iced tea, coffee and sandwiches to workers on this project. More details will be discussed at subsequent meetings. NEXT MEETING: SEPT. 14 4:00 pm LIBRARY TRASH PICK-UP: MONDAY, AUGUST 16 7am DOWNTOWN
EDC/STAR PRIDE JOINT VENTURE TO ATTRACT VISITORS TO TOWN A joint effort between the Rising Star Economic Development Corporation and Star Pride was discussed regarding holding a model airplane contest in Rising Star; this would attract visitors to town and would also be a way for Star Pride to raise funds to be used for local use
The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
17Treasure Hunters ■
County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40
, Jerry Eckhart
The Ghost Light of the Gray Ghost Night Hunt
Back in the spring when I first began thinking about hosting a night time metal detector hunt, I was sitting at my computer, staring blankly at the screen when I caught a glimpse of something gray silently gliding into the room. It turned out to be my son’s cat, Spanky. We often called him The Gray Ghost because of his gray color and the way he could move like a ghost through the house. Thus came the title for the Gray Ghost night hunt. This hunt was designed to be unusual in many aspects, although I didn’t fully realize how unusual until the hunt began. I invited hobbyists from throughout the state to participate, each paying a small entry fee. The entry fee went to buy the old and different coins needed to produce a hunt of epic proportions. On Saturday, August 21, contestants gathered at the Lela Lloyd Museum in Cisco to see all the old exhibits while they waited for full dark. In the meantime, I was breaking my back putting out all the targets, with the assistance of John Williamson and Robert Eckhart. Chuck Mace, Herschel Jones and Shawn Williamson were busy attaching glow lights to the outside perimeter of the hunt field so that the contestants would not wander off the hunt area. When the starting whistle blew at full dark, it was a mad rush of swinging metal detectors and folks trying to get on to the field. Because of the darkness, the eager detectorists slowed to a sensible pace within two minutes and began to find the coins. Each time their metal detector sounded off, the user had to stop and feel on top of the ground. Darkness tends to confuse the location of the target and it is often a problem just to locate them. That meant the searchers had to be careful with their location
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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”
of targets and feel around carefully. About fifteen minutes into the hunt, one of the glow lamps we had outlined the field with began to mysteriously float about six inches above the ground and bob across the field. Occasionally, it would drop to the ground, then rise again and float in another direction. Everyone stopped and watched the ghostly event. Danny Norris holds up a gold nugget which he won during the night hunt. Contestants used their detectors to locate numbered tokens in a darkened field at night, then turned in the tokens for OOHS and AAHS metal prizes. Image courtesy Jerry Eckhart circulated around was Danny Norris who found the gold nugget the hunt field. It was an eerie sight and fit right valued at $65.00. Herschel Jones won a hand in with the event’s title. It seemed as if we held pinpointing metal detector. These are actually had a ghost in our ghost hunt. extremely popular accessories to the regular I watched, puzzled, as the light floated metal detectors as they can locate a target in toward me. I certainly didn’t plan anything the middle of a hand full of dirt. Other prizes like this. Then the light floated right up to my included treasure hunting books, headphones, feet and I saw a small, black, stray dog holding digging tools, Roman coins and a variety of the stick in his mouth. The second he ran off, lesser prizes. still holding the glow stick, you could not see As the treasure hunters visited after the hunt, the dog, only the glowing of the stick floating treasure stories, true and tall floated through above the ground. the museum. There were tales of past contests, At the end of 30 minutes, contestants were treasures lost and spots some wanted to check allowed to use flashlights but the majority of out. Each left clutching their prizes and coins the coins had been found and the ghost dog had to return to their respective homes. At least disappeared. Contestants left the hunt field, 10 folks were from out of town, and spent the hot but happy. We returned to the museum night at one of our motels, which contributed where the numbered to money coming into Cisco from those out of tokens they found town sources. were turned in for How do we top this? We will hold a similar prizes. It seems event this coming spring, perhaps putting on almost everyone a couple of hunts, one in the day and another had one at least one at night. Will we name it Gray Ghost Two, prize token, and or maybe something else will happen to several found more mysteriously change the name. One thing is than one. The big for sure. No one who attended will ever forget winner of the night the floating ghost light.
The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
18Eastland Memorial Hospital Volunteers
County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40
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The EMH Volunteers are hosting a two day fundraiser by ‘Fashionista’s Jewelry & Accessories’. We invite you to come by and see the many new items and apparel including plus sizes. We are also offering a new line of purses and sandals. The dates and times are as follows: Wednesday, September 15 from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm and Thursday, September 16 from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. The extravaganza will be held downstairs in the Boardroom beside the SunShine Gift Shoppe and the Wellness and Rehab Centers.
Lack of Rain Keeps Kong On Schedule; Parches All Others Businesses and residents in the King Kong Project areas are reminded to keep a good supply of fresh drinking water as well as a supply of flushing water on hand in the event of a service interruption. Crews attempt to keep the interruptions as minimal as possible, but unexpected issues could result in longer water outages. The Week of August 30, 2010: Crews will be tying over existing main water lines to the new 6 inch main on West Valley from South Daugherty to South Dixie. EXPECT UP TO 5 HOUR SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS. Crews will continue with the installation of a new 8 inch water main along an alley way from South Mulberry to South Green St. north of the First United Methodist Church. Tie overs of new services will continue along South Marsh and South Halbryan with service interruptions of up to ONE HOUR. Tie overs of existing mains to the new 6 inch main will follow. Curb and asphalt crews will be working on College from West Commerce to Railroad Avenue; along East Plummer from South Bassett to South Seaman; South Seaman from East Valley to East Garvin; and North Lamar from Moss to Railroad Avenue. With the construction of the new water tower underway, the normal traffic route around the City Park will be interrupted throughout the summer. Citizens and visitors need to be observant of all traffic signs and personnel as well as the movement of heavy equipment and vehicles in the area. Watch for signs! For questions or comments please contact Eastland City Hall at 629-3349 The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
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19Out of the Past ■
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County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40 , Luther & Pat Gohlke
Send comments to: thepast@mycounty-line.com
The Ration Stamp Books
The 1940s and World War II was a bad chapter in this nation’s history. Things were tough, life was tough and uncertain, freedom uncertain, scary times for a small boy of 7 or 8 years old.
The neighborhood we lived in was from low middle class to just plain poor, but we were all in the same boat. A loaf of bread was 12 cents; a gallon of gasoline 13 cents; a hamburger with all the trimmings 15 cents; a Saturday afternoon at the movies, double feature serial, pepsi or big orange, a sack of popcorn all for 25 cents. Gene Autry and Roy Rogers were our super heroes. Sacrifices and prayers were common practices. Our nation could truthfully be called one of patriotism and of religious unity, because in God we truly trusted. Government was of the people, by the people and for the people. After all, we as a nation were fighting for these very things - freedom to worship the one, true and living God and live under the earthly rules of a government we trusted. The President was not ridiculed, but respected. Back to the main part of this story. One day my brother Gene and I who were inseparable were walking home from school. The school was a few blocks from our house, not the traditional four or five mile trek barefoot in the snow. As we walked along, we found two ration stamp books neatly bound together in an envelope lying on the ground. We knew immediately what they were. Now for you younger folks, this was not simply stamp collecting, such as a postage stamp collector would do. These were genuine, priceless ration stamp books. Each family and family member had one. You see the stamps were a must to buy sugar, lard, and a number of other essential items that were rationed and in short supply, because of the war. Most of these items were sent to the military
effort. If you had no ration book you were in deep trouble. Our family had ration books. What a prize to find two more. Even though our family supplemented our food needs with chickens and fresh eggs and a garden, we still needed staples, such as, sugar and flour. Our mom and dad both had come from a farming heritage and knew about producing their own food and how to make do with what they had. Back to the story, my brother and I couldn’t wait to get home with our priceless find. We ran! Mother was there as she always was. When we revealed our great discovery, she opened the envelope and read the names of the owners and their address on the two books. Her comment and reaction was not one of elation as ours had been, but concern. “Those people are our neighbors. They live on Hull Street across the alley, and they are elderly, they need these books.” Her instructions were those similar to lessons I had heard before, such as, the good Samaritan, love thy neighbor as thyself, honesty and integrity, do unto others as you would have them do unto you and always put love for God first and foremost. She was truly an example of these lessons throughout her life. Her instructions, “You boys take those books to those people now.” Did she take out a single stamp, was
she tempted to do so? The answer you already know - NO! We could have used those books of stamps, life would have been easier, no one would ever know. No one? Yes someone would and did know. There are no secrets from Him. We speedily delivered the ration books to the elderly couple. We went up the steps to the front door and knocked ration books in hand. Slowly the door opened and there appeared an elderly man. Behind him was an elderly woman. “Sir,” I said, “here are your ration books.” He opened the screen door, speechless, choking up, tears coming from his eyes. “Where did you boys find those?” he asked. “Near Acie’s grocery store.” we replied. “Mother, our ration books,” he shouted, “these boys found them and have returned them.” Tears fell from her eyes too. “Who are you boys?” he asked. “We are the Gohlke boys from across the alley,” we answered. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she cried. “Mother, go get each of those boys a dime. Thank you, thank you,” he repeated. The tears in those old folks eyes, their elation, their appreciation, their simplicity and their humble and thankful attitude made our day and a good feeling inside for my brother and me. Another valuable lesson we learned that day from our Christian Mother.
Our family attended church and bible school regularly and also never missed Sunday evening and Wednesday evening services. Hull Street Christian Church, where we worshiped, was one block from our house. Mrs. E. T. Lewis was in charge of each opening Sunday School service. As we were dismissed to classes, the piano played “Onward Christian Soldiers” or “Bringing in the Sheaves”. These were our fight songs and our marching songs. Mr. G. C. Minor was our preacher. He was a conservative man with straight forward sermons. Not a man with fancy, soft-soaping words, but a practical man with sermons about David, the Good Samaritan, Jesus, moral living. Not a hell-fire and damnation type preacher either. My dad on the other hand was bound to his family religious tradition. The German people were automatically of Lutheran belief. My grandmother Gohlke was indeed not inclined towards the belief of the conservative Christian Church. Issues of baptism, godfathers, infant dedication, catachism, confirmation were on her list of acceptable church policy. In fact, my brother and I were sprinkled as infants and dedicated. My godfather was my grandfather Gohlke. We went through the catachism and were both confirmed in the Lutheran church. This was not an easy ordeal and required hours of study, learning and preparation to pass the confirmation process. Later, my brother and I, at ages of 10 and 11, were bapized by immersion at the Hull Street Christian Church by Mr. Minor. It was on a cold winters day in an unheated baptistry. I will never forget it. As time went on, our preacher retired and a younger aggressive preacher assumed the pulpit. His name was Charles Davis and he had a tremendous influence on my dad whom he ultimately baptized. After this my dad, who was already a regular Bible reader with a 5 A.M. prayer life, became a deacon and a faithful worker for the Lord.
The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
20Out of the Box ■
County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40 , Joellen Hodge
Send comments to: thebox@mycounty-line.com
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Bowl of Southern Soul Soup
There was a time when soul food chefs stayed in the kitchen all day. They would work their magic on three or more meals. They were standing over the stove before the sun rose and only sat down once the sky was darker than the bottom of a Mississippi swamp. Today, the soul food lover is on the go. Careers, parenthood, charity work and personal agendas have moved to the forefront of modern lives. The kitchen is just as likely to have a computer on the counter and a television in the fridge as a sink and stove. The lack of cooking time does not mean you have to give up your favorite comfort dishes. You need to adjust a little to get the same results with a lot less work. This soup recipe is developed for those who love the traditional flavors of okra and hominy slowly cooked and poured over a bowl of steamed rice. You can throw the ingredients into your slow cooker in the morning and come back to an excellent meal in the afternoon. It cooks up like you spent all day stirring the pot, without even breaking a sweat. You can change the meat to lean pork or if you like fish, throw in some clean shrimp the last 10 minutes of cooking. Don’t let the method fool you. One bite and you will taste your Grandmother in that bowl. Better yet, call her up and see if she wants to join you. Maybe she can fit you in between Pilate classes and her next board meeting…
BOWL OF SOUL SOUP
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 5 hours
3 LBS. stew meat 16 oz. okra, fresh or frozen, cut into bite size pieces 28oz can of yellow hominy, drained 28oz can whole tomatoes, drained 1 medium onion chopped ½ pound baby carrots 1 bell pepper chopped ½ head med. cabbage chopped 1 tbl Sea Salt 1 TBL. Gumbo Filet 1 tsp. crushed bay leaf 1 tsp thyme 3 tomato bullion cubes 1 ground red chili pepper (optional) Prepared rice
1. In a large crockpot, put all ingredients, except cabbage. 2. Cover with water, cook on low setting for 4 hours. 3. Put cabbage into crockpot. 4. Turn heat up to high and cook for one more hour, or until cabbage is tender. 5. To serve, put rice on the bottom of the bowl, and spoon soup over the rice.
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
ALTERNATE COOKING METHOD:
1. In a large cook pot, put in all ingredients except cabbage. 2. Cover with water, cook on medium heat with lid on for three hours. 3. This should just simmer, and you may need to add a bit of water every once in awhile. 4. 30 minutes before you plan to serve, throw in your cabbage. 5. Cover again. Cook 30 minutes, or if you like your cabbage a little softer, cook a little longer! If you have an idea about an article, e-mail me: johodge@bboxlady.com
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 ~ September, 2010 v3.40 , Henry J. Clevicepin
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Boiled Owls & Radical Muslims By Henry J. Clevicepin Collaborated by Nellie Frecklebelly and Agnes & Ophilia Fudpucker
Wow, it has been hotter than a little boiled owl here in Buzzard’s Roost. This, several days of hundred degree weather has everything pretty well baked. Even ol Nellie Frecklebelly and Agnes & Ophilia Fudpucker, laying up on the sun roof of the Buzzard’s Roost Bar & Grill in little bikinis, got baked til they was beet red. When you get three ol big gals like that blistered up, it is a sight for sore eyes. One pilot flying over and reported to the tower at Buzzard’s Roost International he thought the earth was giving off sun flares but it was just the radiant heat coming off them ol fat gals. Now, talk about heatin up. Things are shore getting hot up there in New York City over them Muslims wanting to build that 100 million dollar mosque right there where some of their Muslim buddies flew them planes into the twin towers on 9/11. That Imam Muslim cleric that kinda is in charge of building that mosque don’t want to tell anybody where the money is coming from…… hummm, something smells a little fishy !!!!! It’s kinda strange they can build mosque everywhere in the USA but do you think they would let us build a church in Saudi Arabia…..don’t think so. And what in the cornbread world is our government sending this same Muslim over to the Middle East at our expense promoting religion. What happen to separation of Church & State???? Or does that only apply to Christians??? It’s shore lookin like Obama just might be a little bit more of a Muslim than he is letting on…..he cancels the National Day of Prayer , but then has a big celebration for the Muslims at the White House for the start of Ramadan …… looks like we may have us a fox in the hen house here !!!! Ol Estee K. Bibbles, my mule barn partner and beer drinking buddy, ask me what the heck is a E-Mom. He said he had heard of a soccer mom but never heard of an e-mom. I had to tell him , it’s not e-mom….it’s Imam and they are some kind of high up big wheel in the Muslim religion. Well, ol Estee K. just kinda looked at me like a hog looking at a new gate and then he ask what was the deal about this sherry lee law they was talking about. I had to tell him again From the Backside Sponsor
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it ain’t sherry lee law….it is Sharia law. I went on to tell him that Sharia Law was what this big Muslim in New York thinks American should take on. It’s where the women don’t get no say so, they have to wear a mask and have to walk behind their husband when out in public and basically keep their mouth shut. Well, Ol Estee K. said he thought he would go home and start that Sharia Law on his wife right now if that’s the way it works. Well, now ol Estee K. is married to Nellie Frecklebelly’s sister and she’s a big ol gal too. The next morning ol Estee K. come limping into the mulebarn, scatched up, a black eye, two teeth missing and he turned around and ask me if I could pull his wife’s boot out of his butt. While I trying to dislodge the boot he proceeded to tell me that he thought he was gonna have a little more trouble installing that Sharia Law at his house than he first thought. Them Muslims may have a little more trouble pushing their deal on us than they think. It might be like that story about the three ol boys settin in the airport waitin for a plane. One was an ol cowboy, one was an American Indian and one was a radical Muslim. The Indian said sadly once my people were many but now we are few. That radical Muslim leaned over with a sneer and said once we were few but now we are many….why do you suppose that is ? The old cowboy pulled his Stetson down a little tighter and pulled the toothpick out of his mouth and said to the radical muslim “that’s cause we ain’t played cowboys and radical Muslims yet, but I think it’s a comin !!!! From the Backside Sponsor
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Well, me and ol Estee K. got to go pour this 5 gallons of aloe vera on them ol fat gals that got blistered. Words of Wisdom from Henry J : Americans got so tired of being thought of as a bunch of dumb butts that they went to the polls in 2008 and removed all doubt !!! You can email ol Henry J at : henryjclevicepin@aol.com
Call: 817-228-7745
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 ~ September, 2010 v3.40
ARNOLD LOCKSMITH SERVICE 24 Hour Emergency Service Exit 349 Ranger, TX (254)647-3800 Closed Tuesday’s Open 10am till 9pm Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat Open 10am till 3pm Sun Brisket * Sausage * Chicken * Ribs * Daily Desert 6900 I-20 (West-Bound Side Access Rd)
254-442-1878 • 254-488-1935 1308 W. 14th St. • Cisco, Tx 76437 Certified/Insured
TX Lic B15738
The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
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County Line Business & Community Journal ~ September, 2010 v3.40 ■ Footnotes, Mike Norris
Cisco AARP Chapter 2447
Gorman Peanut Festival The Gorman Peanut Festival is selling chances for you to win this beautiful quilt that was donated by The TWINKLE CITY QUILTERS if you are interested in purchasing a chance to win it please contact Gorman City Hall at (254)734-2317. Drawing will be held the evening of September 11, 2010 You do not have to be present to win and tickets $5 for one or $20 for five Will be sold until that time. Thanks, The Gorman Peanut Festival Board
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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.
FOR SALE North Star Industrial Power Pressure Washer 110/220v, Diesel Burner $1,500 1993 Oldsmobile V6 Auto with 180k miles $1,000 See Larry Hollis Rising Star Service Station 109 E. College 254-643-0078
Angel Food Ministries Ordering Cut-Off Date Saturday September 18th You can now order online from our website: www.
angelfoodministries. com
Distribution Saturday September 25th
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.
www.MyCounty-Line.com
The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
I would like to introduce you to my wife, Ruth.
Ruthie will hold fundraisers at the following: ---
You may already know her as “Ruthie” if you have seen her around town or bumped into her happily greeting people coming into the Eastland Goodwill Store...she’s worked there ever since we moved from Georgia back here to my home town of Eastland.
Gorman Peanut Festival September 11th - Gorman, Tx
Old Ripfest
October 2nd - Eastland, Tx
If you’ve met her, then you already know she is a true “Georgia Peach.” And that’s the quickest way to say that I am the luckiest guy I know.
Donations may be made anytime in Ruthie’s Honor at: ---
But what you probably don’t know, is that last October, just a month after we took over The County Line newspaper, Ruthie was diagnosed with kidney failure. They say this is most likely due to her life-long struggle with diabetes; a struggle which was shared by her sister, Marie.
F&M Bank Eastland, Tx
In the face of this challenge, we believe God has given us the tools to conquer it -- namely, a loving family, supportive friends, and through this newspaper a way to reach out to our neighbors and the broader community. We know that we have been blessed and we are confronting the challenge head-on. Ruthie is working with her doctors to be placed on the waiting lists for both a kidney and a pancreatic transplant -- which can give her something that you and I take for granted...a life without dialysis, a life without needles, and a life without insulin dependence. We ask that you think about the gifts of your family first, your friends and neighbors next, and if there is room left in your hearts, please help us if you can. Thank you, s Mike & Ruth Norri
Follow Ruthie’s Progress online:
www.facebook.com/sherriesmom To learn more about organ transplants and donors please visit:
www.donatelifetexas.org
-or-
www.dneph.com