North of the Creaux's Nest

A WRAP UP

Well, the elections are over with until the big general election in November.

In the cities, school boards and port elections last weekend there were no surprises.

Even the defeat of the incumbents in Vidor was expected.

In Orange, Mayor Brown Claybar was sworn in for his fifth term.

Brown has been an effective and unselfish leader, often at the expense of his business and health.

This will be his final two years.

The revamping of downtown should well be on the way when he leaves office.

***Theresa Beauchamp, married to local boy Frank and the daughter of Marcel Adams, was re-elected to the city council for a fourth term.

***In Bridge City opponents didn’t mount much of a campaign against incumbents.

I don’t understand how candidates believe they can win elections without issues or a platform.

Just putting one’s name on the ballot won’t get anyone very far.

Congrats to Mayor Kirk Roccaforte and Councilman Mike Reed, incumbents.

The looks on the council have improved with the election of Lucy Fields.

She’s bright and pretty too.

There are no Clark Gables or Paul Newmans on that council.***** There wasn’t any opposition to the amendments in Orange or Bridge City.

They passed with flying colors.

Disappointing was the low turnout and how few people just aren’t interested.*****Congrats to Keith Wallace, re-elected to the Port Board.

Keith has a keen interest in serving and he’s dedicated to seeing the Port continue to move forward.

There’s a good bunch of folks on that board.*****Bridge City and West Orange-Stark high schools held their sports banquets Monday night.

Congratulations to all those honored.

We did not receive any sport’s information before deadline.*****I’ve got to move on.

Come along, it won’t do you no harm.

A HERO REMEMBERED

Going unnoticed last week was the death of Hall of Famer Robin Roberts, 83.

In the first half of the 1950s he was the most productive right-handed pitcher in the National League.

That was a time when baseball was constantly on my mind and Robin was a hero of mine.

He won 286 games and had six consecutive 20-win seasons.

He had 45 career shutouts, 2,357 strikeouts and a lifetime ERA of 3.41.

He pitched 305 complete games.

Back then pitchers were expected to go the distance.

He led the Phillies to the N.L pennant as part of the favored “Whiz Kids.” He pitched for Philadelphia 19 seasons, from 1948-61, for Baltimore from 1962 to 1965, Astros, 1965 to 1966, Cubs 1966-67.

He won 28 games with a 2.59 ERA. He was chosen All Star seven times, “Pitcher of the Year,” 1952-55 and “Major League Pitcher of the Year” in 1952.

I will always remember number 36 as one of the greatest pitchers of my time.

CHICKS NOW COURT YARD HOUNDS

Sisters Emily Robison and Martie Maguire who founded the Dixie Chicks, are now also the Court Yard Hounds.

The Hounds are essentially the product of the other Chick, Natalie Maines, whose decision to take more time off was more than Emily and Martie felt comfortable with.

“Every time we’d call her, it was ‘Well, I’m planting my garden this week.’ ‘I’m learning how to do hooked rugs,’” Maguire said.

“After about a year, we were twiddling our thumbs.” However, we understand the Chicks will reunite in June for a stadium concert with the Eagles, juggling dates with the Hounds.

Maguire and Robison insist the Chicks will re-enter the studio eventually.

Meanwhile the sisters move on with or without Maines.

They say getting another singer is not an option.

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PILL

In the first year of the swinging ‘60s, on May 9, the Food and Drug Administration approved the pill.

The political do-righters screamed that the country would go down the drain.

However, the pill did not spark the sexual revolution, nor did it cause a sudden drop in the U.S. fertility rate that the far right had predicted.

In fact, the birth rate didn’t bottom out until the early 1970s.

The pill was ground breaking in many ways.

Women today have a wide range of effective contraceptive choices.

States prohibited giving the pill to unwed women.

In 1972, the law was overturned.

It was a double standard.

Society viewed unmarried women, but not unmarried men, as promiscuous if they had sex.

There is still a gender bias today.

Right now much of the focus is on the yet-to-be released “male pill” and its effect on mens’ libido.

I find it just as ironic that the 50th anniversary of the pill fell on Mother’s Day.

Belated Happy Anniversary to all you gals on contraceptives.

Before that women had to rely on a guy not lying or on the Rhythm System.

TURNING BACK THE HANDS OF TIME

35 Years Ago-1975

Last Friday Kirby Reed and Kathy Dunn were married.

As they were leaving town on their honeymoon they were involved in an auto accident.

Thankfully they were only slightly injured and Good Samaritan Charlie Wickersham picked them up, brought them to the dealership and let them pick out any car they wanted to continue on their honeymoon.

(Editor’s note: I read about people married 35 years ago and wonder if they still are.)*****Old Uncle Gordon is 52 years old on Dec. 25.

Bax has announced that his young bride Diane is pregnant.

He said he did it all himself.*****Bubba Hubbard, Shirley Marks and Gordon Harvey were all elected to Bridge City City Council.*****Jack White celebrated a birthday.*****Ralph Ramos died last week.

He was a television reporter and also worked for the Beaumont Enterprise.*****Pete Runnels, Democratic chairman, has announced that Grand Ole Opry stars Jack Green and Jeannie Seely will perform at Carl Godwin Auditorium on May 20.

The show will benefit the Democratic Party.*****Dwight and Linda Barrow celebrate 12 years of marriage.*****CBs are everywhere.

It’s the “in” thing.

A few handles making the rounds are Foxy Lady, Diamond Jim, Lame Duck, Honey Bee, White Sticks, Little Gun, Dagwood, Blondie, Coastal Runner, Gypsy Witch, Red Rover, Grasshopper, Two Ball and Shot Gun.

*****”Vic” Junior Vickery, a casino official with the Riviera in Las Vegas, was in Orange visiting friends and the old hometown.

(Editor’s note: I remember before the Riviera when he was a pit boss at the Stardust.)

A FEW HAPPENINGS

We visited by phone Friday with our friend Glenda Dyer from her and Paul’s pre-Civil War home near Nashville.

Luckily, even though their large 350-plus acre farm is in an upper valley with water running down from the hills and 13 inches of rain in less than 40 hours, they did not sustain any damage.

The Cumberland River breached its banks and flooded a lot of acreage in the city of Nashville, including the Grand Ole Opry House.

A lot of the paraphernalia was lost but not the 20-foot oak circle on the stage that came from the famous Ryman Auditorium, where many stars from Hank Williams to Minnie Pearl stood to perform.

Glenda and Paul are due in Orange later this month to attend the graduation of their granddaughter at Orangefield.*****Three Orange County baseball teams are still in the playoffs.

Good luck to all.

LC-M vs. Magnolia, WO-S has drawn a bye and Bridge City vs. Taylor in a best two out of three series starting Friday, 7 p.m., game two, Sat.

and game three if necessary.*****Ann Bryant’s 56th year teaching profession is coming to an end.

A retirement party is set for Monday, May 18.

Some of her former students are great-grandparents today.

We wish this lovely lady many great years and good health in retirement.*****I’m sure at sometime you have seen “Hell’s Kitchen” on television.

Well, Sunday, Mother’s Day, that’s what the kitchen at Van Choate’s Tuffy’s looked like.

People were lined up to eat three deep by 11:30 a.m.

Food was coming out of the kitchen like a well-oiled machine.

Cathy Clark wasn’t supervising; she was on the firing line cooking.

If you haven’t visited Tuffy’s lately, you should.

Ms.

Clark has made many great improvements.

The food is as good as you will find in the area.*****I understand Judge Pat broke down and took Rosalie on a trip.

She probably financed it.

They went to Florida to visit daughter Mary Ann, Bruce Aven and the grandkids.

Judge Clark seldom takes a day off.

By the way, happy birthday judge.*****The Farmer’s Market, held every Saturday in front of Big Lots, is always a great place to visit, find fresh vegetables and other good stuff below supermarket prices.

Farmers tell us that tomatoes should be available in a couple of weeks.*****Special folks celebrating birthdays this week.

On May 12, Barbara Taylor, Bobby’s better half.

Best wishes to that lovely lady.***Longtime friends Imogene McKinney and L.K. Jarell celebrated another one.***Longtime educators Nancy Chenella and Ann Bryant, along with Frank Finchum and Ron Hutchison celebrate this week.

*****Also the best thing to ever happen to Don Breaux, his bride of 30 years Angela, who is bound for heaven, celebrates this week.

Best wishes to all.*****Charles Webb will have a birthday party at Danny’s Saturday morning, May 15.

He turned 80 on May 12.

Charles was one of the famous “Aqua Demons and Debs” who back in 1956, water-skied from Orange to Galveston.

*****Speaking about that skiing bunch, we understand that the barefoot skier “Sprad” Spradling is coming along fine after hip surgery and will tackle the cancer problem when he gets stronger.

*****Speaking of sickness, our friend Judy Hidalgo started radiation and chemo treatments Monday at M.D. Anderson.

Her prognosis looks good and the cancer is isolated.

We wish her a complete recovery before too long.*****Congrats to Jane Dunn and Pattie Steele, named “Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year” at Little Cypress-Mauriceville.

The awards were presented by Pauline Hargrave, superintendent.

She’s Capt.

Dickie Colburn’s pretty little sister.*****For the first time in United States history, the Supreme Court will have three women serving on it when President Obama’s appointee Elena Kagan is confirmed.*****Lena Horne, age 92, a beautiful lady with a beautiful voice died Sunday.*****Barbara Walters, 80, this week has surgery to replace a faulty valve.

She will be off of “The View” this summer.*****Bill Clark of radio fame had a toe removed.

We don’t know which one but the surgery was due to diabetes.

We like Bill – he’s one of the interesting characters that we’ve known for many years.*****Since the first “Idol” show of the season I picked Crystal Bowersox, a bluesy folk-rock singer to win it all.

I still believe she’s a notch better than the rest.*****British Prime Minister Gordon Brown resigned effective in September in an effort to aid the Labor Party that has been taking a beating.*****The big spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues.

A blown oil well seems to have been the result of a cascading series of failures and too little oversight.

So far all robotic efforts to shut down the well have failed.

BP will now try to place 70-ton domes, shed-like structures, over each of the leaks to catch the gushing oil.

If the strategy works, the spill could be stopped in a week or so.

Problem is this technique has never been tried before.

Next is to drill a relief well that will take at least three months.

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK

Sherry Walles, Inez Turner, Jerry Hardee, Bridgett Bonneaux, Hazel Heckendorf, Imogene McKinney, Jamie Garcia, Kate Jackson, Kristie Hughes, Melanie Wilderson, Renee Price, Ann Bryant, Bob Wood, James Birdwell, L.K. Jarrell, Brad Johansson, Cortney Spring, Daniel Broussard, Deborah Ellender, Emily Domas, Hailey McCoun, Heather Brinson, Jaime Broussard, Kenneth Prosperie, Nancy Chenella, Ronda Savoy, Jimmy Sibert, Norman Gaspard, Pat Clark, Samuel Lucia, Sondra Taliaferro, Clay Sims, Ed Berry, Greg Defrates, Jennifer Williams, Angelea Breaux, Barry Hunt, Denise Kincade, Frank Finchum, Jimmy Tupiln, Kim Hanks, Richard Allensworth, Shelley Dugan, Sydney Taylor, Cheryl Stone and Chris Day; Calvin Granger, Douglas Wilson, Janis Goss, Nikki Smith, Mark Simmons, Donna McClanahan and Ron Hutchison.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

On May 13, Robert Pattinson will be 24; Darius Rucker, 44; Stephen Colbert, 46 and Stevie Wonder, 60.***May 14, Tim Roth, 49; George Lucas, 66 and Cate Blanchett, 41.***May 15, Emmitt Smith, 41; George Brett, 57; Madeline Albright, 73 and Jasper Johns, 80.***Megan Fox, 24; Tori Spelling, 37; Janet Jackson, 44; Debra Winger, 55 and Pierce Brosnan, 57.***May 17, Jodren Knight, 40; Sugar Ray Leonard, 54; Bob Saget, 54; Dennis Hopper, 74 and Bill Paxton, 55.***May 18, Tina Fey, 40; George Strait, 58; Reggie Jackson, 64 and Robert Morse, 79.***May 19, Kevin Garnett, 34; Grace Jones, 58; Pete Townshend, 65 and Nora Ephron, 69.

CAJUN STORY OF THE WEEK

“Yo Yo” Comeaux went to a ladies store to buy his wife Edna Mae a birthday present. Da lady at da Abadala’s store say he should get her a nice nighty. Da sales lady tole him dey got dem in several fashions and colors and da young girl right dere can try dem on for him to choose. She try a pretty red one, den a half dozen more and finally a pretty, pure white one full of lace.

“Mais, she look like a young virgin,” Yo-Yo say, dats it, dats da one I want me.”

Da sales lady say, “Mr. Comeaux, she’s got one more to try on, den you can make up you mind.”

Da young girl come back wearing one dat is peach colored, same color as her skin, a see through dat look like she got nuttin on.

“My minds made up, Yo-Yo say, I want dat one.” Den he head straight home.

Dat night, he announced “Edna Mae, I got you a present for you sixty-turd birthday.”

She head straight to dat bashroom, she look in da mirror and say, “It looks like I’m wearing nuttin me. I’m going to fool dat Yo-Yo, and go back to dat bedroom plum naked. He won’t know da difference him.”

Wen she axe, “How you like it honey?”

Yo-Yo him, look real good and he say, “Babe, you should have pressed it first before you put it on.”

C’EST TOUT

It’s a big weekend in Orange and fun for the entire family.

It’s the Texas Cajun Heritage Festival.

Lots of great music, plenty to eat and good fellowship – plus a trout tournament.

This event could grow into one of the largest annual gatherings of the year because anything Cajun is fun.*****The Wednesday Lunch Bunch will gather at Robert’s Restaurant this week and at Novrozsky’s next week.

Everyone is always welcome to break bread with some of the county’s finest folks.

Ya’ll come.*****The Cardinal Fun Zone in Bridge City is having a grand opening.

A Bridge City Chamber ribbon-cutting is set for Saturday with a chamber link sale at 11:30 a.m.

A link/drink combo is $2.50.

Talk about a fun place for the youngsters and older folks too.

Really, it’s a great place right here at home.

The kids can also brush up on their hitting at the batting cage.*****I understand Cecil’s is moving cars and making great deals on cars and trucks.

They are also right here at home.*****Look us over for plenty of good deals.

We’re headed to eight weeks without measurable rain.

Constant wind is drying gardens and yards and affecting fruit trees but it beats the tornados in Oklahoma and the floods in Tennessee.*****Gotta get out of here.

Read us cover to cover.

Take care and God bless.