Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
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6 HEISMAN WINNER In case you lost track of a major happening in the sports world, the Heisman Trophy was handed out on Saturday night and we’re here to report to you that Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud came short to Caleb Williams of USC in winning the bronze statue for 2022. The voting wasn’t even all that close with Williams running away with it all, ahead of a distant Max Duggan of TCU in second place. Stroud, the frontrunner most of the season, finished a dis...
As we look ahead toward the 88th Legislative Session, I believe that one thing we as Legislators should be focused on is supporting children and families. As a parent and grandparent myself, I know the importance of the first days and weeks of a new child's life, and the physical impact that childbirth has on a mother. Research indicates that the postpartum period is critical for allowing bonding between parents and children, reducing maternal and infant mortality and...
Our weather has been great the past couple of weeks! That is if you like balmy, spring-like days with temperatures in the mid-80's. It's a bit unusual and somewhat disappointing if you're a gardener who enjoys colder weather for the holiday season, though for me exceptionally enjoyable, even though the mosquito population is growing exponentially! Amazingly, I found myself mowing the yard Friday evening. Turfgrass has begun growing thanks to warmer weather but it's also a...
I think the Texas State Board of Regents is making a poor trade. They seem ready to change the name of the Montagne Center to that of a credit union in exchange for a one-time gift of 3.6 million dollars. The reason the Center exists is because Bob Montagne of Orange, Texas clearly saw the value of a higher education degree, even though he didn’t own one. Also, a first-class center added value to a university. Bob Montagne was a member of the Lamar Board of Regents and a...
NAME CHANGE COMING TO MONTAGNE CENTER The late Bob Montagne Remembered The Montagne Center, Lamar’s basketball arena, has been named for the late A.H. “Bob” Montagne since it opened in 1984. He was a 22-year member and president of the Lamar Board of Regents. Montagne, along with Senator Carl Parker was the key figure in getting the $12 million basketball complex built. It seats over 10,000 and is often used for functions other than basketball. “Bob” did a lot of backgroun...
Several years ago, an old pal of mine, a great golfer, entered a big golf tournament in one of our smaller East Texas towns. He figured he would be a contender to win the tournament; he had won several other tournaments and held the course record at the municipal course in Port Arthur. He entered the tournament and when I called to ask him how things were going, he informed me that he figured that he had very little, if any, chance of winning this tournament. When I asked why...
It's come on the 81st anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Prior to the attack, life in the little Cajun community of Abbeville was slower and more country than any Norman Rockwell painting. Our home was a one-room grain storage shed that wasn't wired for anything. Our light came from a coal oil lamp and our heat from a small coal oil stove. Mom had paid $70 for the little shack that was delivered on a mule drawn sled. After the war she sold it for $90. The old hand pump I used as a...
The needled branches of Norfolk Island Pine trees (Araucaria heterophylla), look right at home during the holidays! They can be decorated as Christmas trees and once the holidays become pleasant memories, remove the decorations, and enjoy their classic look anywhere you have bright light in your home. Norfolk Island Pine trees are not deciduous, maintaining needles year-round, unless the trees become stressed. They are evergreen conifers and despite their resemblance, not...
ORANGE COUNTY ADVANCED POWER STATION STATE OF THE ART The new power station in Orange County, near Bridge City, at the present Entergy location, will be in the city of Port Arthur. However, the advanced power station will continue to be in the Bridge City school district. The power station will provide critical power to Southeast Texas with a significantly lower emissions rate than the legacy generation it replaces. An outside analysis conducted by TXP, Inc. determined that co...
I am absolutely convinced that some of us were born with an extra gene that commits us to following politics in great detail. As a victim of such plague, you may be assured that I always look forward to enjoying the privilege of casting my vote. I always do so as early as possible because I would be greatly disappointed to pass on to the next world without having expressed my wise view of who should be running the country in my absence. Recent elections have involved various...
Gardeners, many of you hosted neighbors, friends, and family (as did we) during the Thanksgiving holiday. Some family members drove considerable distances and others traveled greater distances, traveling from Europe to be with us. Thanksgiving 2022 is now a pleasant memory but one of pure enjoyment, as meaningful time spent with people in our lives who matter most! It's truly amazing how quickly this year is coming to an end, with the joy of Christmas a few short weeks away an...
THANKS IS A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD We folks here in Southeast Texas have much to be thankful for. All around us, in many ways, from crime to weather and more, this is one of the luckiest areas. Anyone who wants a job can get one and the economy is now on the verge of booming. I probably won’t be here to see it but you can’t even envision the drastic change that will occur. It won’t be without affecting our infrastructure. Traffic will be a solid bottleneck. Six-thousand new const...
Athens, Greece is the birthplace of self-government known as democracy. Even though we call our system of government a democracy, it is, in fact, a republic. The difference being that the people do not make government decisions directly, but through elected representatives who speak for them in an authorized body. Unlike Athens which allowed citizens to gather in the public square and select their leaders on the spot as well as make decisions about what laws or rules they...
Gardeners, we are once again experiencing brisk weather, though it’s cold to me and looks as though it’ll be “hanging around” for more than a week. In preparation of rainy, colder temperatures, my first step sent me scrambling into the vegetable garden, harvesting vegetables and herbs, a few which don’t enjoy cold weather, such as English cucumbers and basil. After harvesting more than a bushel of cucumbers, I phoned friends and neighbors who would be interested in a share o...
DEMOCRACY WINS OVER VOTERS Last week, in predicting the outcome of the national elections, I came as close as anyone in making the right call. After months of the Republican party saying there was going to be a big “Red Wave” and a “Blood Bath,” I predicted otherwise. I feared the only loss might be in Congress by a few votes. All the polls and pundits predicted a Republican “Title Wave.” Here’s what they missed. They polled many subjects; inflation, gas prices, abortion, etc....
Crime is always high on the list of concerns of voting citizens. A long list of promises made by would-be officeholders almost always contains at least one promise concerning reducing the rate of crime in whatever area that person is seeking office. The most usual method offered by those seeking election would be the promise to increase penalties for the commission of crimes. A good example is our current lieutenant governor whose solution to mass shootings is simply to raise...
MID-TERM ELECTIONS WILL DETERMINE UNITED STATES FUTURE Tuesday Nov. 8, was Election Day around the nation. Mid-term elections usually favor the party that is not in power. For the last few months the GOP has been predicting a Big Red Wave. Former President Donald Trump has personally endorsed and financially supported 286 Republican candidates. The outcome will probably decide if and how quickly Trump jumps into the 2024 presidential race. A bad showing of Trump candidates...
When John McCain was seeking the presidency, a woman supporter opined that his opponent was a Muslim not a loyal American and was born in Africa. Senator McCain quickly stopped her short and proceeded to explain to her how outlandish the rumors were. Not only were they not true, but they were unworthy of being brought up in a presidential debate. That was then. Now do we really believe that Democrats drink the blood of children in satanic rituals conducted in a New York pizza...
Last week, I wrote about transitioning houseplants back indoors or other areas, such as a porch, greenhouse, or garage, allowing plants to be protected from cooler nighttime temperatures. Our first “real” cold snap arrived this past week with day temperatures in the lower 60’s, and some areas experienced night temperatures below freezing, even dropping down into the low 30’s F. Uhm, I’m not sure how some of you feel about cooler weather, but to me that’s cold! Of course, liv...
WORLD SERIES-PHILLIES HOST ASTROS Rain forced World Series game 3 to be moved from Monday to Tuesday. Two games will follow on Wednesday and Thursday in Philadelphia. If the series doesn’t end there, game 6 and 7 will be played in Houston Saturday and Sunday. All games between the Astros and Phillies start at 7:03 p.m. and are televised on FOX. The Astros blew a five run lead in game one in a 6-5 loss but came back to win the second game 5-2. The teams were tied going into g...
It’s almost time! Time to start working on your entry into the Christmas parade, that is. The date is quickly approaching to break out those Christmas lights, fire up the old generator, put air in the trailer tires, and start working on your float. Saturday, December 3rd will be here before you know. It’s time to get busy. This year’s theme ought to be a really fun one. The Chamber of Commerce has selected “Superheroes” for this year. That broad of a subject should get your...
While driving around different communities in SETX, you've probably noticed (I certainly have) Satsuma trees are displaying bright orange-yellow fruits which are ripening. Did you know after cycling through numerous names since its inception, the name of Orange was finally chosen due to the native orange groves which attracted the attention of boatmen navigating the Sabine River. Of course, the original orange groves are long gone, lost to history due to our ever-changing...
Having been born in 1934 I have witnessed much change in the world. Most of the changes have made life better, but some I feel like I could do without. Some things I didn’t have growing up, including indoor plumbing, air conditioning, television, self-propelled lawnmowers, cell phones and a host of modern medicines that thankfully have extended the life cycle. While you often hear of people longing for the “good ole days,” the good new days with all the new comfo...
Most of my friends, particularly the ones with a conservative bent, often like to quote the old saying, “least government governs best.” What makes me wonder why is it that all these folks seem to want their own school district, community, drainage district and who knows what other governmental entity to provide essential services. One area though that really makes me wonder why is in the area of law enforcement. I have never understood why it is that every form of edu...
It's been another fantastic week of cooler temperatures with perfect weather! We've experienced a few chilly mornings, but temperatures have warmed nicely by midday, making garden work outside extremely gratifying. Now, if we could get some much-needed rainfall! While there are numerous plants which gardeners associate with Halloween and various sorts of pumpkins and gourds have been staples for Halloween decorations for years. The orange pumpkin is hands down, the symbol...
