Columns

When I was in elementary school, someone from the principal’s office would knock on the schoolroom door and hand a note to my teacher. She’d read it and say, “We’re having a drill as if there were an atomic attack. Everyone get under your desks, please.”

So, being obedient little boys and girls, we’d sit under our desks while imaginary Russian atomic bombs exploded. In Russia, kids were doing the same thing as imaginary American atomic bombs exploded. I guess we all wondered if we’d live to grow up.

If you know anything about atomic bombs, you know that sitting under your desk just isn’t adequate protection. It was just a drill. As a drill, it drilled into us kids that such a thing as a nuclear war was possible, maybe even probable, and we could do something to survive it.

CANTON HERALD, Jan. 26, 1950

Quarterback Club to sponsor a colored ball game; Thursday night: Jan. 24 a negro ball game will be staged in the Canton gymnasium at 7:30 o’clock.  Teams from Prairie Creek, Ben Wheeler and Cartwright School in Wills Point will meet.  Sam Sparks, principal of Cartwright School, is to bring four members of his choral club who will sing.  Pre game tickets are on sale at Eagle Drug, Reynolds Barber Ship and White Auto Store.  Admission will be 60 cents for adults and 30 cents for children.

If I had my way, I wonder what in the world would show?

Would there be love to every soul,

Would I let sinners go?

Would I stop wars, feed hungry men,

Or simply let them be.

I wonder what I’d really do,

If God gave power to me?

I hope I’d always merely show,

Regardless of the one

Remembering what was done for me,

When God gave us His son

I hope I’d keep the Son with me,

Let Him show me the way

I wonder what the world would be,

If I had my way.

Oh Lord I will not seek my way,

Yours is best for me.

In wisdom let me walk with you,

For I can surely see.

Selfishness might rule my heart,

Taking I’d never give.

Just give me what you want to,

For love’s sake let me live.

LB 2016

Governor meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu

Gov. Greg Abbott on Jan. 18 met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a business development tour in Israel.

Abbott said in a news release that the meeting was “to discuss Texas and Israel’s historic bond” and how he can further solidify their relationship. 

Abbott informed Netanyahu that Texas would “maintain its Iran divestiture policy” and that he would “seek new laws to strengthen Texas' prohibitions on the investment of public funds in Iran.”

Abbott said the legislation he plans to promote would:

- Require local governmental entities to divest investments in Iran;

- Require all Texas state entities that invest money to divest Iran investments, not just Texas' various retirement funds; and

According to a noted authority, "Common Core is the latest effort by the progressive, autocratic elite bureaucrats to completely transfer all decisions concerning children from parents, teachers, and school boards to the Federal Government."  Donna Hearne, author of The Long War and Common Core, points out that the implementation of Common Core will completely transform America from a nation of responsible, moral, and independent human beings endowed by their Creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to robots and servants of the state.  In fact, under the direction of the chief players who wrote, promoted and schemed to sell Common Core Standards to the government, millions of our children will be subject to mandatory testing and invasive data collection at a level that is far more problematic and overreaching than is currently in place.

It is that time of year again to take a look at things you can do differently and create goals that serve as your own personal roadmap for the next 12 months.

As you get older, your goals may, and should, shift to more practical lifestyle choices rather than the grandiose resolutions of years past (i.e. travel around the world or sky-diving). Eating better, watching your weight, seeing your doctor more regularly, are even more important in later years and should not be overlooked.

So, all that being said, I found these top 10 healthy New Year’s resolutions for older adults, recommended by The American Geriatrics Society’s Health in Aging Foundation. They are geared to help achieve the goal of becoming and staying healthy.

1.       Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, low-fat dairy and healthy fat – In later life, you still need healthy foods, but fewer calories.

It’s that time of year again: time to start preparing to file your taxes. If you receive Social Security benefits, one of the documents you will need when filing your federal income tax return is your Social Security Benefit Statement (Form SSA-1099).

Your Social Security benefits may be taxable. This includes monthly retirement, survivor, and disability benefits. About one-third of people receiving Social Security benefits must pay taxes on some of these benefits, depending on the amount of their taxable income. This usually happens only if you have other substantial income — such as wages, self-employment, interest, dividends, and other taxable income that must be reported on your tax return — in addition to your Social Security benefits. You will never have to pay taxes on more than 85 percent of your Social Security benefits, based on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules.

God said, let there be light

In the darkness there was none

Light came forth a great blessing

Known to us as the sun.

The sun a great blessing

So precious of God to give

Without sun rising in the morning

Nothing on the earth would live.

Cloud can hide it for a moment

There’s also the darkness of night

But at the hour God has appointed

It arises with fullness of light.

If man was faithful as the sun

To God the creator of all

Heaven on earth would be likely

Without fear no worry concerning a fall.

LB 2016

CANTON HERALD, Jan. 19, 1950:

Van Zandt County Pioneer, Historian, EX-Official Dies:  Funeral services were held Wednesday Jan. 18, for W. S. Mills, Van Zandt County pioneer, in the Canton Baptist Church.  Mr. Mills passed away in a Dallas hospital Monday Jan. 10, at 3:55 a.m. at the age of 81 years and 14 days. Rev. James V. Gray, pastor, conducted the service.

Mr. Mills retired from public life to write a history of Van Zandt County, which is now in the hands of the publisher.  He acquired many of the fact during his 41 years as a teacher and 16 years as a public official in Van Zandt County.  He taught two years before coming to Van Zandt County.  He left the teaching profession in 1931 and served four years as district clerk and twelve years as county surveyor.  Since retiring from the last office and he has devoted full time to writing the history.

Tis the season for instant gratification

It is 4:30 in the morning and I am cruising all the cable TV channels. Holy Cow! I counted the airwaves filled with no less than 13 FAT REMOVING INSTANT MIRICLE SCANTILY DRESSED SMOOTH TALKING SKINNY EXPERTS. There were Tummy Tuckers with pictures of folks who had lost tons of pounds. There were blenders that walked, talked, and crawled on their bellies like reptiles. The stuff they put in those receptacles would make you healthy, wealthy and wise. A TV star older than Methuselah was pulling ropes on some contraption from Mars. The exercise machine can be stored under your bed as soon as you figured how fold it up.

My favorites were the folks who will cook you five meals a day, plus add a free supply of their miracle power shake and send the stuff to you in the US Mail.