Columns/Opinions

A retired school superintendent--weary of the sameness of approaching his job in the traditional manner--dreamed of serving in an unlikely place.

The school was in a swamp long since drained, and locals said alligators hadn’t been seen there in years.

During his professional years, the dreamer said he took on challenges daily, hoping to prevail most of the time. He claimed never worrying about being swallowed by a whale. It crossed his mind, however, that odds were 50-50 that he might be nibbled to death by a thousand minnows…

Then there’s Dr. Susan K. Bohn, an energetic leader with training and experience to give both tradition and innovation their due. She recently completed her first year as Aledo, TX ISD Superintendent. Dr. Bohn seems fearless, and upon “signing on” last year, she recognized the dynamism and potential of a community. She believed her mantra of “getting better” would be embraced in Aledo.

I have written before about the more common Hill Country trees and shrubs. Here are some that are not rare, but certainly not very common either.

• Carolina Basswoood, or Linden tree (Tilia caroliniana) can be a rather large tree of rich, deep moist soils. It is fairly common throughout the whole eastern half of the U.S., into east Texas. Surprisingly, it also occurs as an uncommon tree in the Hill Country. It has large round to heart-shaped leaves with an asymmetrical base, a pointed tip and toothed margins, and is sometimes confused with mulberries. Its blooms, however, are quite unique clusters hanging down from leaf-like bracts underneath small branches and maturing into 1/4 inch fruits in the fall.

It seems we are going straight into summer fairly quickly with some reports of the high 80’s and into the 90’s. Still have some chances of rain around the middle of this week. The wind has just about dried up all the standing water, so another rain will be welcome.

Speaking of rain, the rodeo ground was one of the muddiest places around last Friday night. Lot of the people that had signed up for some of the events were a no show, but the clown did put on a good show and the kids riding the sheep was a fun event. The only thing that was not very nice was the women’s bathroom---no light bulb and no toilet tissue. You would think the people who were responsible for the event would have checked on that little detail! There is always next year.

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It’s summer time! The days are long and there is plenty of sunshine. It’s a great time of year to get outside and get moving with activities you enjoy, especially with your family!

“For youth and adults participating in physical activity like hiking, swimming, or various sports, healthy eating is essential for optimizing performance. Combining good nutrition and physical activity can lead to a healthier lifestyle,” says Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agent Kailey Miller. Use these tips from the United States Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate website (www.choosemyplyate.gov) to combine good nutrition and physical activity to make the most of your summer!

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I get anxious, as I might have mentioned.

While I don’t think it’s anything requiring medication, fortunately, I became aware at middle-age that I have always had a sort of “hum” of anxiety going on in the background. I usually only notice it when it stops—like when the refrigerator has been running nonstop and you only notice when it falls silent.

Anxiety has not always been my enemy. I am almost never late. I never miss a deadline. I lie in bed and obsess about everything I’ve written to everyone so I don’t make a lot of careless mistakes. None of this is especially bad.

I suspect my anxiety was pretty darned useful when my ancestors were living on the savanna, watching out for saber-toothed tigers. My ancestor would have been that hyper-vigilant one, sitting on the edge of the campfire, thinking to herself, “Is that a tiger or just a shadow?”

Dear Editor and fellow Texans:

As we enjoy the blessings of family and friends this Memorial Day, let us all take a moment to recollect the reason for this day. Today, we honor the men and women who sacrificed their lives, so that we may enjoy the freedoms we hold so dear.

I ask you to unite with family and friends in a national moment of remembrance at 3:00 p.m. to reflect on the sacrifices made in defense of our values and to remember our servicemembers lost in service to our nation.

For over 150 years, Memorial Day has been a national holiday honoring those who died in service to our nation. Let us remember our history and see our present, so that the thousands of Americans who have served and lost their lives to war, from days past to present, will not be forgotten.

It was the evening of February 2, 1943, and the U.S.A.T. Dorchester was crowded to capacity, carrying 902 service men, merchant seamen and civilian workers. Once a luxury coastal liner, the 5,649-ton vessel had been converted into an Army transport ship. The Dorchester, one of three ships in the SG-19 convoy, was moving steadily across the icy waters from Newfoundland toward an American base in Greenland. SG-19 was escorted by Coast Guard Cutters Tampa, Escanaba and Comanche.

Hans J. Danielsen, the ship's captain, was concerned and cautious. Earlier the Tampa had detected a submarine with its sonar. Danielsen knew he was in dangerous waters even before he got the alarming information. German U-boats were constantly prowling these vital sea lanes, and several ships had already been blasted and sunk.

It’s STAAR week for all students in Texas, and for all teachers. Teachers will be tied to the scores of their students. I believe that teachers should teach to the best of their abilities and push their students to do the best they possibly can, but when you have a multitude of children who panic for the tests or don’t have the ability to make abstract answers; you have handicapped the child and the teacher.

I was hoping the old nursery rhyme, “leave them alone and they will come home, dragging their tails behind them,” would come true about my chickens. Not so, Fuzzy pretended to get along with my chickens, but the sneaky little brat was just waiting for his moment. On this rainy wet weekend, he brought one back to me, but it was in pieces. I am hoping he will choke on a chicken bone.

I realize it was my fault thinking because he was doing so well with those chickens that he would be safe if I was gone. I was wrong, and now I have no chickens.

By Cathy Ledbetter

I grew up as an “Air Force Brat.” I was born in an Air Force hospital and lived on or near Air Force bases my entire childhood. My dad retired from theAir Force within a day of me graduating from high school. Like most military families, we moved around a bit, although not as frequently and as far-flung as some. Even though we were mostly stationed in the Southeast, we never lived near either side of my extended family.

Last week I went on a road trip with my parents—just like way back in the old days, except my little brother was not along for this trip. My dad drove, just like he almost always did, but this time I sat in the front seat as the navigator—a job my mother always had. We drove to Tennessee to visit my dad’s side of the family and to visit his old stomping grounds.

It All Started at the Rodeo…

We’ve heard about the chances of being hit by lightning, winning the lottery or scoring a hole-in-one on the golf course, but nothing about the probability of two distinguished educators meeting up at a rodeo.

Dr. Ronny Collins, former school superintendent at Wellington, Jacksboro, Snyder and Mineral Wells, was a rodeo clown to help finance his college education, and his wife, Terri, a career fifth grade teacher, rode bulls.

Their first “hello” was in a dusty rodeo arena….

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