Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
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A time and place where movers and shakers congregated and 'Spice Girls' waited on them... I came in on the tail end of the heydays of the famous Holland Hotel, where a person could get a bath and a shave for $1. Rooms had no phones, no television, no radio. It was a historic hotel in a small town, featuring a barber shop with eight chairs and two shoeshine stands. The chandeliered dining room had white linen tablecloths. The hotel was located on the exact spot that Orange's...
PHELAN RESPONSES TO CALL FOR REGISTRATION In a nearly unanimous vote, the leaders of the Republican Party of Texas (RPT) approved a resolution Saturday calling on the speaker of the Texas House, Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, to resign. Phelan has no plans to resign. He remains resolute in his support for impeaching Paxton, whom he continues to argue is corrupt. He issued a statement after the Senate voted to acquit Paxton, saying the Senate didn’t do its job and the process of Repu...
One thing that sets the U.S. apart from most other nations of the world is the quality of our colleges and universities. There is a vast number of citizens of other countries trying to avail themselves of an American college degree. UT and A&M enjoy worldwide recognition, but Texas politics could change the academic reputation of all higher education in our state. One thing that enhances the standing of a college or university is the quality of its faculty. A major benefit of...
FOR NOW PAXTON BEATS RAP—RIDE AIN’T OVER The attorney general’s long-simmering securities fraud case appears closer to resolution, while the FBI has probed the same allegations that played a major role in his impeachment. After a 10-day trial, Texas senators on Saturday voted to acquit Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on allegations of bribery and corruption, clearing him to return to his duties as the state’s top lawyer. But Paxton’s legal troubles are not over. He still...
We truly live in a Golden Triangle. If you don’t think so, count the blessings of this corner of Texas. First, look at the culture available: The Stark Art Museum Collection is on par with the best of its kind. Fine history museums are plentiful in Beaumont and Port Arthur. The history of the world’s first gusher’s birth of the refinery industry alone is worth seeing. Jobs and higher education opportunities are easily available. Nature offers almost unlimited outdoor activ...
THE DAY IKE CAME CALLING This week on Sept. 13, we mark the 15th anniversary since Ike, the hurricane, blew into Orange County and left the worse devastation on our community, since the storm of 1865, the year the Civil War ended, wiped out the city of Orange. The storm left only four homes standing. Today’s recovery, especially to the community of Bridge City, seemed a far away dream of 15 years ago. Much has changed in Bridge City since that horrible storm. In so many c...
If you didn't watch the recent debate of candidates seeking the Republican nomination for president, you should have. It is important to know their beliefs and some idea about how they might lead. An essential way to find the truth about those seeking office is to check what they promise and what they have done. We heard the debaters' views on education, foreign policy, tax and spending, immigration and more. Some have a record while others only talk. The quality of the...
SENATORS OVERWHELMINGLY REFUSE TO DISMISS ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT In a 24-6 vote, Texas senators refused to dismiss all 16 articles of impeachment against suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton. That vote clears the way for a public trial in the Senate. Twelve Republicans joined all Senate Democrats in the vote to essentially move forward with a trial. A simple majority is required to approve any pretrial motions, and Paxton’s team challenged all articles of impeachment both i...
Have we as Americans grown so accustomed to bad things that we are not shocked or offended by them? It seems that we are no longer excited about the news of a mass shooting. We obviously have grown callus about conduct of some officeholders. Our former president said he would still get elected even if he were to shoot someone on Fifth Avenue. If true, this is a sad commentary on the judgement of voters. There was a time when admission of sexual unwanted touching would have mea...
This month we remember President Lyndon B. Johnson on what would have been his 115th birthday. President Johnson was born in Stonewall, Texas in 1908 and was elected as a Congressman, Senator, and later President of the United States. His birthday is an official state holiday in Texas. Here are five things happening around your state: 1. TxDOT urges drivers to be mindful in school zones School is back in session for most Texas students and the Texas Department of...
A RUDE AWAKING Before turning in Saturday night I checked the weather forecast for Sunday. I learned the extreme heat and drought would continue with a high of 109 expected. A few weeks ago I wrote about the weather this summer being like Mexico’s weather 70 years ago. I thought if we continue to have this kind of summer for the next 70 years, the Gulf Coast area will be like Mexico, with no large trees, only shrubs. Anyway, I turned in for the night and set the temperature a...
I have often compared serving in an elective position to skiing. The reason being that both look so easy to do until you try. Being somewhat athletic, after seeing people flow down the slope with ease, I was certain I could do the same. Boy! Was I wrong! After being fitted out with ski boots, skis and warm clothes, I felt like someone attached 2x4’s onto my feet. I tell folks that if they have question about the Texas Legislature, they should have asked me about it just b...
6 YEARS AGO ORANGE TRIO ATTENDED MLK MARCH Sixty years ago prior to Aug. 28, 1963, a bus load of Golden Triangle citizens loaded up and headed to Washington for Dr. Martin Luther King’s “March on Washington.” Busloads and trainloads of pilgrims spilled into Washington from throughout the states. On that bus from Orange, Texas were three citizens, civil leader Velma Jeter, James Zay Roberts, who had marched with King, and Essie Bellfield, a young lady and mother of two young d...
Any student of American history understands the importance of inform4ed citizens. Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison and others of our founding fathers were great purveyors of information. Not only did they use newspapers, but on occasion resorted to publishing their own using assumed names. Jefferson in particular believed the free exchange of ideas was essential to a free democratic government. When I was a child, our family would gather by the radio to hear the six o’clock ...
THE LISTA’S GREAT FIRE LOSS We were sad to learn that fire had destroyed Pete and Lori Lista’s home last Wednesday. The house was located on Ollie Road in Orangefield. The call came to the fire department about 3:00 a.m. We understand Lori was at the beach in their R.V. Pete was home alone. Thank God he was awakened by a smoke alarm and was able to get out. Makes me wonder why unlucky or bad things happen to good people. Pete and Lori are the salt-of-the-earth folks who are...
After you pass your 80th year, things that were routine become an adventure. My most recent mental exercise and physical adventure was renewing my driver’s license. Thanks to our legislature this process has been made into somewhat of a challenge. You need to take your old license, insurance card, a valid passport or birth certificate. You can get an appointment, but you can’t rely on being processed at that time. The ladies processing the paperwork were nice, but only hal...
DROUGHT AFFECTING EVEN LARGE TREES Temperatures continue to hold around 100 degrees. It has been over 30 days since any measurable rain has fallen and the outlook is not good, maybe 10 percent next week. My guess is that the water table has really dropped and that is affecting larger trees that require lots of water. I’ve seen limbs starting to die. We have lost several limbs in our camphor trees and the oak trees are showing stress. There has been no time in my life that w...
“You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32 Our nation is divided more today than any time since the Civil War. A major cause of the division is because big lies are being sold to many Americans! The existence of global warming, that our election system is not to be trusted, more guns bring more safety and money spent on political campaigns to make us doubt the truth that makes us free. A classic example of denying the truth for profit is tob...
EXTREME HEAT AND DROUGHT CONTINUES Never in my lifetime would I have believed we would see so many consecutive days at 99 degrees and above. We have had more 100 degree days in the last couple of weeks than we have had in the last few years. Today, Tuesday, at 3:15 p.m., our backyard temperature is 102 degrees. With no rain in sight everything is burning up. It’s hard to keep enough water on the plants. Our garden is gone but we still have a little hope for okra. This r...
A LIFETIME OF WEATHER CHANGE Back in the early and mid-1950s, several of us went down into Mexico with Mr. Stewart, who owned Lou Ann’s club, in Louisiana, to buy horses (Indian ponies), to be transported to Texas. That is quite an interesting story but for some other time. Today’s subject is the weather in Mexico then. Around Monterrey to Mexico City, the weather was just like it has been here at home the last 30 days. The average daily heat in June and July was 98 to 101 deg...
Summer is in full swing, but back to school is right around the corner. Be sure to stay cool during these hot Texas days! Here are five things happening around your state: 1. Property tax relief measures passed, signed by Governor Abbott This month, the Texas Senate and House of Representatives came together and made a deal to deliver property tax relief to homeowners across the state. The $18 billion package is the largest tax cut in Texas history. Senate Bill 2, by Senator P...
July 20th ANNIVERSARY OF APOLLO II When, running for president in 1960, John F. Kennedy chose as his campaign slogan “it’s time to get this country moving again,” Just three months into his presidency, Kennedy pledged, prophetically, in his address to Congress on May 25th, 1961, “that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” To which he added, “No single space proje...
Early in our marriage Beverly and I were looking for a house to be our home in Port Arthur. Our problem, like many young couples, was lack of enough money to even produce a required downpayment. We located a home that was ideal, which later turned out to be where we raised our children. Even though the price was reasonable it was more than we could afford for a downpayment to finance. I approached our local banker who came up with a great solution. He asked if the house...
TEXAS HOUSE AND SENATE REACH A DEAL TO CUT PROPERTY TAXES Texas' top Republicans, state GOP lawmakers finally struck a deal on how to cut Texans' property taxes. The $18 billion compromise, which includes more than $5 billion approved for relief in 2021, between the Texas House and Senate would give increased tax relief for the state's 5.7 million homeowners and create a tax-credit pilot program for non-homesteaded properties. It would also cut taxes to small businesses and...
Our Supreme Court has recently issued some very controversial rulings. All the rulings create dissatisfaction among political blogs but there is one ruling I truly believe threatens democracy as our form of government. The name of that case is “Citizens United.” Even though there have been reasonable limits on amounts of money spent on elections the past few years, this case seems to have hung a “For Sale” sign on the election process as we know it. The court ruled in Citizen...
