The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

THE END OF ANOTHER YEAR Happy New Year This morning, a big, full moon hung low in the sky, bright as I’ve ever seen, setting in the west.

It went to bed after daylight.

Here’s hoping you had a very nice Christmas.

We come to you this week the day after Christmas.

Next week, we will be on the same deadline.

All copy and ads must be in by Friday, 5 p.m.

and the paper will be delivered early Wednesday, Jan. 2.

*****There are a lot of people responsible for bringing you this publication every week throughout the year.

We want to thank you for your loyalty and kindness and extend a very Happy New Year.

Thanks first from Creaux and I and our cast of characters, Neighbor Cox, Couzin Sostan, Sugar Bee, Kee-Kee, LuLu, and the gang at Tee-Boy’s Bar and Grill.

Thanks from the staff here at the Creaux’s Nest, Roy, Mark, Debbie, Penny, Amanda and Charlotte, the staff at The Penny and The County Record office, Bill, Al, Tammy, Elizabeth, Edith and Crystal and our great staff of writers and columnists, and our carriers.

Missing this year, after 13 years, is Vicki Parfait, suffered a stroke several weeks ago and has moved to Houston to be near her daughter.

Vicki, over the years wrote many great stories and a weekly column.

We hope that at some time in the near future she may be able to resume her very popular column.

She kept us informed of Josh and his neighbor’s exploits since he was four-years-old.

We wish her the best and thank her for the great years.

Also a big loss to us this year was the death of account executive A.J. Broussard who died on July 17.

We also want to thank Doug and the press and pre-press folks who do a good job printing us every week.

Last but not least, to Keith, our dependable truck driver.

As you can see it takes a lot of talented people to bring you this popular newspaper free each week.*****I’d best get started on the last issue of 2007.

We will visit again in the New Year, so hop on board and come along; it won’t do you no harm.

TURNING BACK THE HANDS OF TIME 30 Years Ago-1977 Among the honor grads at Lamar were two Bridge City citizens, Thomas Hardin Moyers, who received a degree in Biology and Shelia Kaye Goodwin, Mathematics.

***** Doug Harrington celebrated on Dec. 15 and Flo Edgerly celebrated her birthday on Christmas Day.

*****Over at Jim Austin Old-Cadillac is a bunch of great guys.

John Smith and Benis Lee, owners, sales crew are Houston Baker, Wayne Baker, Jim Werner, Terry Burliea, Phillip Caillavet, Glenn Earl, Bob Garrestson, Steve Gilbert, Joe Hargrave, Joe Kazmar, L.J. Schrieber, John Stephenson, Ronnie Theriot and Scott Wooley.

Service manager is Jack White and Jerry Wilson runs the body shop.

Sixty-four employees in all wish everyone a Happy New Year.

*****Judge Claude E. Wimberley, Pct.

1 JP, seeks a second term.  Wimberly stated that one of the reasons he is seeking re-election is that he truly and sincerely likes to work with and help people.

(Editor’s note: Was it really that much fun Judge?)*****Happy birthday to a couple of lovely, sexy ladies.

Karen Jo Vance will celebrate her day on Dec. 28.

She is an employee of Sallie Frazier in the County Clerk’s office.

Long legged Norma fusilier celebrates on Dec. 31.

*****Not too sexy Jim Sharon Bearden is a year older on Tuesday, Dec. 27.

*****J.B. Bearden is a Notre Dame football fan and is betting that they will beat Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

Big brother Sharon took him up on that bet.

***** Roy and Phyllis Dunn celebrate 23 years on Dec. 31.

***** Happy anniversary also to ‘Speck’ and Rachael Faries, who celebrate 39 years on Jan. 1.

*****Dolores Cantu, former counter girl at the Strand Theater, will be in the movie, ‘Saturday Night Fever’ with John Travolta.

She will also appear on the television show ‘What Happened to the Class of 67?’ A West Orange grad, Dolores works as an airline stewardess when not modeling or acting.

*****Earline Hilliard announces for third term as County Treasurer.

A brand new, just arrived, 1978 Chevy pickup SWB Fleetside sells for $3,895 or $77 a month for 60 months at Harmon Chevrolet.

*****Gov. Dolph Briscoe finally made his pick for the 260th.

Dist.

Court judgeship.

He appointed Don Burgess on Saturday.

Burgess was sworn in Sunday, Dec. 30 and went to work on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 1978.

A FEW HAPPENINGS H.D. Pate bought himself a new car from Messer’s Chrysler store.

A Christmas present to himself.

He kept his pickup and his Mustang.

He called to let me know how behind the times I am with my 1991 model.

His car has a cell phone that works through the radio, a speakerphone, no need to hold a cell phone and cause a wreck.

Al Judice, Harry Stephens, Ron Moreau and Pate all like toys.

*****Back in 1982, Corky Harmon and Con.

Charlie Wilson posed for a picture at an Orange Chamber banquet.

The picture was taken by a photographer traveling with Charlie and sent to Corky by the Congressman’s office.

On the back of the picture, written on Congressional stationary, Charlie wrote and signed; “Hold on to this, it will be worth a lot of money some day.” That was 26 years ago come Jan. 15.

I hope we get to run the picture somewhere in this week’s issue.

The movie ‘Charlie Wilson’s War’ opened around the country last weekend and is drawing great reviews.

Back then Charlie was like one of the homeboys that any day you might run into.

That was when Orange County had stroke, before Tom DeLay and Rick Perry gave the voting power to the Houston area and made Orange County a hostage to the Woodlands.

We no longer have a voice in who will represent us as we did with John Dowdy, Wilson and Jim Turner.

It’s not Con.

Kevin Brady’s fault, he’ll vote with his strength, which is Montgomery County.

He votes with George Bush 98 percent of the time but that’s what the Woodlands expects him to do.

Those were the good old days when Charlie and Jim took care of the home folks, before we were taken hostage.

*****Don Breaux came by the Creaux’s Nest with a handful of ice last Thursday.

He couldn’t get over how much hail fell in west Bridge City, around Rose Street.

*****Happy anniversary to Kathy and Dan Barclay on Jan. 1.

***** Robert Hoke celebrates his birthday the first day of the New Year.

*****Beware.

Someone in Dugas Addition, in Bridge City, is poisoning animals.

Several cats and a couple of dogs have been killed in the last few months.

Whoever is doing it needs to be caught.

*****On March 13, the $5 bill won’t just be a greenback, it will feature purple and gray colors surrounding Abraham Lincoln on one side and the Lincoln Memorial on the other.

*****Roger Clements is probably the greatest pitcher ever.

If he were on enhancing drugs chances are he was throwing against hitters on performance drugs also.

Most importantly, I have always believed that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

Remember the Duke Lacrosse boys.

Just because someone is accused doesn’t make it so.

Jason Giambi did not implicate Roger with all the others and maybe it was just a disgruntled former trainer who burnt Clemens.

Possibly, he is guilty but there is no pill or injection that can contribute to the amount of talent he’s had since high school and through most of his career.

He knows the baseball game and is a good spokesman for technique.

I can’t imagine why the Texas high school coaches wouldn’t find value in his speaking at their convention.

I don’t believe it says they support drugs.

He’s a seven time Cy Young award winner.

No drug teaches you how to pitch.

Did it extend is playing days? Maybe so, but he’s not convicted and is still the greatest ever, even if he had never taken as much as an aspirin.*****Oscar Wyatt, age 83, Houston oilman and Beaumont native, pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to make illegal payments for the Iraqi ‘Oil-for-Food’ program.

He is to report to a Beaumont prison by Jan. 2.

The WWII Air Force pilot served with our late friend ‘Short’ Taylor.

Wyatt did a lot of good over the years that led to a short sentence.

Wyatt, former Senator Carl Parker’s cousin, has another connection to Orange County.

He, Parker and Al McKay brought cablevision to Bridge City and Vidor when none of the major companies would touch the area.

Now Time Warner owns it.

McKay, who put the original package together died as a millionare several years ago at age 42.*****The Wednesday Lunch Bunch will not get together this week.

However, a big outing is planned for Wednesday, Jan. 2, at Van Choate’s Tuffy’s, starting the New Year with good fellowship.*****Judge Derry Dunn is walking with a stick since knee surgery.

Judge Joe Parkhurst looks and feels better now since a short stay in the hospital.

Both judges made last week’s outing at Robert’s.

*****Kevin Duplechin, Millard and Ms.

Virginia’s grandson, was raised here in Mr. Cox’s Neighborhood.

The son of Karen and Keith and brother of Kody and Kegan, Kevin, was the flag bearer for the Bridge City Cardinals.

On Dec. 29, he will marry pretty Erin Peters of South Lake.

Kevin is now a teacher in the Keller School District.

We wish these young folks a long, happy and healthy life together.

*****Happy 57th anniversary to Larry and Betty Duhon, who celebrated on Dec. 21.

Pretty Betty was a school sweetheart at Stark High.

We wish you many more.

*****Ms.

Phyl and Roy will be completing their 53rd year together on New Year’s Eve.

They just keep rolling along.

May they continue to have good health through the New Year.

*****Also celebrating on Dec. 31 are Barbie and Jerry Childress.

***** Honored with a surprise 40th Anniversary party on the 22nd were Mark and Becky Messer.

Marcy Messer said it was the first time she was ever able to pull something off without anybody getting wise.

*****J udge Buddie Hahn, who just the other day was a young lawyer, turned 64 last Friday.

Happy birthday Judge.

*****Happy birthday to Jim Sharon Bearden on Dec. 27, one of the greatest guys we know.

*****Jessie Domingue, a very talented guy, celebrates his day on Dec. 31.

*****Our buddy Ms.

Ann Segura marks another year Dec. 26.

*****Jimmy Buffet celebrates 61 years on Christmas day.

Your young idol is just like you, getting older.

*****Did you catch the Charlie Wilson documentary on the History Channel Saturday night? If they show it again and you get a chance to see it, you’ll enjoy it.

I haven’t heard from Donna Peterson, who gave Charlie a real scare in her race for congress against him.

*****The Dallas Cowboys match their 1992 season with 13 wins, a step closer to being the home team throughout the playoffs.

They beat the Panthers 20 to 13.

*****Some of the people on the national scene who died this year are Coach Bill Walsh, Robert Goulet, Rev. Jerry Falwell, Phil Rizzuto, Merve Griffin, Boris Yeltsin, Luciano Pavarotti, Lady Bird Johnson, Anna Nicole Smith, Arthur Schlesinger and Tammy Faye Baker Messner.

*****Several more possible local candidates will be filing for office in the upcoming races.

Three people are weighing their chances for constable of Pct.

1.

Two men and a woman.

The seat will be open when constable Keith Merritt vacates to run for sheriff.

He will announce and file for county sheriff on Jan. 2.

Former Sheriff Huel Fontenot is also a candidate, as well as incumbent Mike White.

Some waves are being made by one potential challenger against Constable Weldon Peveto Pct.

4.

It should be a lively political season lasting until the final runoff in April.

*****On the national level, we probably won’t have any say so because by March the primary winners should be decided.

I’ll be glad when that silly Iowa caucus is over.

The pundants love it; otherwise, they would have nothing to talk about, that’s the reason Romney and Hillary are getting bashed by the TV ‘Talking Heads.’ They want a race, not clear-cut winners, if that happened, they would have nothing to talk about.

Obama is getting a free ride while Morning Joe, Chris Matthews, who is a true chauvinist, and others, have done everything to knock Hillary down.

Of course, the guys over at FOX News don’t let up on her because they still believe she is the one they will have to beat in the general election.

I can’t possibly see how a Repub can win because of the three ‘C’s’ in the Bush Administration, corruption, credibility and lack of competence.

I still believe at some point Obama will fade, he’s just not ready.

I warned against electing George W. also, and I was right about his governing, but not how they fooled the American people into electing him.

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK Evelyn Foster, Janelle Deutsch, Louise Buker, Mary Frances Hartley, Randy Wuske, Ashley Burris, Emily Glover, Jennifer Ferguson, Kent Broussard, Laura Floyd, Rebecca Johns, Rob Turner, Bobby Sibert, Judy Taylor, Kirk Roccaforte, Lorraine Bonin, Max Pelham, Stacy Roberts, Debbie Taylor, Harriet Dubose, Kenneth Wiemers, Linn Cardner, Raymond Costilla, Sam McLellan, Jacklyn Bradberry, Larry Padget, Sherrie Reid, Kenny Dupuis, Lauren Leger, Madison Ranee Hanusch, Marie Perkins, Rebecca Hannegan, Richard Hunter, Joanne Hill, Robert Hoke, Ronnie Hearn CAJUN STORY OF THE WEEK When Kee Kee Dupuis got to feeling better after his surgery, his friend Ray LuLu, to be nice and to get his friend out of the house, took him fishing.

Somewhere around da mouth of da Neches, dey hit someting and da motor it fell off in about 10-foot of water.

Dat was a new boat and motor, da first boat LuLu ever own him.

“Wat we gonna do?” Kee Kee axe.

“I don’t know me, but we got to get dat new motor.” LuLu said.

“LuLu, you go down dere and get da motor and I’ll trow this rope over da side so you can pull it up if you have trouble, KeeKee say.

“Okay, me I’ll do dat,” say LuLu.

And he dive in and go straight to da bottom.

Da water was clear and Kee-Kee watch LuLu from da boat.

He saw LuLu on da bottom, pulling da starter rope on da motor, trying to start it.

Kee-Kee say to his self, “Look at dat stupid LuLu, he oughta know he can’t start da motor dat way.” So Kee-Kee him lean over da side and he hollow loud, loud, into da water, “LuLu, you gotta choke it!” “Choke it!” I said, “Choke it!” C’EST TOUT One of the biggest drags on the U.S. is the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

We’re still getting youngsters killed and maimed and the war is costing a billion dollars a day, money we’re borrowing.

Exactly a billion dollars a day.

Yet, recent polls show that the war has faded on the list of top voter concerns.

How easy the American people forget.

I bet the families who have lost loved ones in that hell hole, that we should never have entered, haven’t forgotten.

That war will eventually cost a trillion dollars.

Money we need so badly at home.

The Pentagon says we have 592,000 troops around the globe, Korea, Vietnam, etc.

Why? Well, let’s hope that the new year, in some way, will lead to peace making instead of war making.

Iraq is the longest war in our history.

A complete disaster.

I don’t know how they can spin how well things are going.

I’m not cutting them any slack.

We should never have gone there in the first place.

The Bush, Cheney Administration believes it is so smart it doesn't need intelligence.

The latest revelation over Iran’s lack of nuclear bomb development proves how smart they are.*****I can’t wait for Jan. 21,2009, but first we have to get through 2008.

Here’s hoping it’s a good one for all of us.

Happy New Year.

Be safe, take care and God bless.