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Lately, I feel for the people who have flagpole duty. What a workout they are getting. The flags are going to half-staff so often that one may wish to invest in a halfsize flagpole just to save all the effort.
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All this talk about our public schools and vouchers has made me think about my days at Helms Elementary School in the 1950s. To get a glimpse of life at Helms, look no further than a DVD of “The Christmas Story,” without the snow, of course!
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It’s been a little over six years now since my friend Louise Morgan died. When we met 22 years ago, she was the age I will turn next month. Just a couple of adjectives which accurately describe Louise back then were “abrupt” and “cranky.” She had strong opinions which she offered unsolicited at times, however, on the occasion you dared asked for hers, you best be prepared to take what she dished out. Louise was brutally honest but encountering her during the middle age of my life, I thought she was brutally rude!
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James Ray Evans, 85, of Navasota, Texas, passed away on June 13, 2022, with his family by his side at CHI College Station Hospital. Visitation was held at Nobles Funeral Chapel on Friday, June 17, 2022, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. A memorial celebration followed 11:00 a.m. Saturday, June 18, at the First Presbyterian Church of Navasota, with Matt Morse of the First Presbyterian Church officiating. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Nobles Funeral Chapel.
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People are born, they grow up, get older, and pass away all the time. It’s the human condition. But every now and then someone comes along who does more and gives more than the average person. Maybe one person in a thousand has the ability to inspire, to lead, and to challenge others on such a grand scale. James Evans was one of those precious few. We only get a small handful of souls in our lives who can lead by example like this and make such an everlasting impact on everyone around them, but he did it – and he did it so remarkably well.
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This is part two of my ridealong series with the Grimes County Sheriff’s Department. To their credit, none of the Sheriff’s Deputies with whom I rode kicked me out of the car during their stint and I appreciate their willingness to share their time with me.
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I have one of those “significant” birthdays coming up next month so I decided that as I move closer to my -30 -, the journalist’s way of saying “the end,” I should be preparing for the ultimate interview of my writing career – questions I want to ask God. You know - who, what, when, where, how and why? While I’m keeping my most personal questions to myself, I thought I’d share a few which have puzzled me or have been a topic of conversation sometime during my lifetime.
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One of the reasons cited by Texas colonists in their revolt against the Mexican government was that there was no provision for public education of the youth of Texas. Once Texas achieved its independence, the newly formed republic found that funding such education was a daunting task. The ensuing years saw various attempts to establish a structure by which public school funding could be both sustainable and sufficient without overburdening taxpayers. When Texas became a state in 1845, the effort to establish a well-funded public education system continued. And still today, finding that balance between funding public education and equitable taxation is a challenge. Through the years, the tax code and laws governing it have been an ever-evolving process. In this evolution, taxing entities like independent school districts have had to adapt and alter their budgets due to the consequences of new laws as they are passed. Every year, every taxing entity has had to review and consider the options available on how taxes are collected.
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