Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
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If you look up “politician,” the number one definition is “one who is involved in politics;” number two is “officeholder;” and three is “one who manipulates politics for personal benefit.” In a democratic free society where we claim the right of self-government, we should all declare ourselves to be politicians. In other words, be involved in politics. If we leave the business of political action to others, how can we call ourselves a free democratic self-governing...
Fallen leaves provide needed landscape nutrients and habitat for over-wintering pollinators (image courtesy TAMU AgriLife). As most gardeners know, many trees lose their leaves during the fall and winter months. This is a survival mechanism for the tree, in which going dormant allows the tree to conserve energy and water. Can we all agree that raking leaves is a chore? Using a lawn mower to corral leaves, or to shred them into pieces like mulch, does not provide this gardener...
BUFFALO SAFETY HAMLIN IN CRITICAL CONDITION The N.F.L. was facing one of its worst crises in decades as Buffalo Bills defender Damar Hamlin remained in critical condition on Tuesday after collapsing during a prime-time game in Cincinnati. Hamlin, 24, collapsed in the first quarter of a highly anticipated matchup with the Bengals on Monday night, forcing the league to suspend the game. As Hamlin lay on the field motionless, many of his teammates in tears nearby, doctors pumped...
Come January the Big Show will return to Austin. Some call it The Texas Legislature. My observation over the years has allowed me to make comparisons of our Texas Legislature and the big circus that used to come to town on an annual basis. First of all, if you watch carefully, you can pick out the lions, the gorillas, monkeys, clowns, acrobats, trapeze artists and various other regulars of the Big Show. The lion is regal, the gorillas are powerful and the monkeys are usually e...
We have all now experienced an extended hard freeze which radiated throughout the entire country. For us the extremely cold temperatures left our landscapes looking grotesque, tattered and predominantly brow! Gardeners, if your lawn and landscape looks even remotely like mine, let’s just say I’ve been a little mopey, because everything in my landscape was affected to some degree, though the most sensitive plants were thoroughly protected! Forcing myself (patience), I’ve chose...
Can you believe it’s already 2023!? It seems like we just got started with 2022, and now it’s gone in the blink of an eye. Before we write it off altogether, maybe we ought to look back on it one last time and see what has transpired in the previous twelve months. There is not enough room to tell about everything that went on, but here are some of what I consider highlights for the City. This past year began with the retirement of two long-time employees. Jerry Jones, our Cit...
7--ANOTHER YEAR ROLLS AROUND Here’s hoping you had a nice Christmas. I’ve been writing for many years and as the new year brings us to 2023, I’m just thankful that I had the opportunity. I’m very grateful to have enjoyed some success with a loyal base of readers. Over the years, we have recorded Orange County history that will live through the ages. That would not be possible without the advertisers who make it possible for us to have such a wide circulation. My hope is...
How quickly the years have flown by. Come December 31, Phyl and I will mark our 68th wedding anniversary. I knew, my heart knew, and my soul knew, the second I met her that she was the one I wanted to spend my life with. I went home and told my mom that I had met the girl I wanted to be my wife. Phyl never suspected. She was blinded by a smooth talking half-breed Cajun and Irish. I'd been around a lot and mostly on my own since the age of 14. She was a beautiful, olive...
Okay, winters here, and what a dramatic arrival! Gardeners let’s make good use of these bitterly cold weather days reviewing the litany of seed and gardening catalogues which have been piling up over the past few months. Seed catalogues are filled with detailed, useful information and reading them provides an opportunity to learn about new plant (seed) varieties available and will help you to determine if they are a good match for your gardens. Each Spring, I prefer to s...
During my tenure in the Legislature I had the rule that I would do what was possible. There are many things possible to deal with environment and the continued use of fossil fuels. For the life of me, I cannot understand why no one is not sitting down at the table and recognizing this fact. The stores of oil and gas and other resources in the ground will eventually run out whether it is 100 years or 200 years. Likewise, the place to stash our garbage and trash is getting in sh...
RECORD COLD DAYS AHEAD Low to dip to 18 degrees: wind chill to drop single digits According to the National Weather Service, temperatures will drop below freezing later in the week as an arctic air mass makes its way over the region. “Big weather changes are in store for Thursday according to meteorologist Donald Jones. A very strong cold front will move through the area Thursday evening into Thursday night. Temperatures will be very low Thursday night dropping to 18 d...
Christmas is near at hand, and in case you haven't noticed this week, winter is no longer "tippy toeing" into Southeast TX, she's showering us with her frigid, icy kisses and just in time for many of you (fellow gardeners) have been hoping for more winter-like temperatures. I hope you're all happy, your wishes are coming true (I'm muttering derogatory yet inaudible comments about cold weather under my breath)! If you haven't already done so, prepare for the colder weather by...
When you're poor, really poor, Christmas can be a very sad time, especially for a youngster. Sometimes the scar is so deep that even a lifetime won't remove it. My childhood Christmas' were spent in extreme poverty. If you ask me about my fondest memories of Christmas, without hesitation I will say it was midnight mass at beautiful old St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church. The church sits up on a knoll near the bank of the Vermilion River in the Acadian town of Abbeville. With i...
Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of our past president, Donald Trump. He does, however, have some strong points which we must all recognize or someone just like him will be selected to be president in the not-too-distant future. First of all, Donald Trump is a showman. He puts on a good show and attracts people to come and figure out what he is going to say next. But his most important talent in my opinion is that he can very accurately determine things that...
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...
