From The Creaux’s Nest

WILL THE GLASS CEILING EVER BE BROKEN

Hillary, on the campaign trail, often said, “It had a million cracks in it.” Well, now it really does.

The voters gave the first woman to run for U.S. president a million more votes than her male opponent, denying Donald Trump a mandate from the people.

He will become president through the Electoral College which meets on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December.

Hillary’s problem goes back to before she announced when Karl Rove branded her untrustworthy and dishonest.

The brand struck.

Hillary was leading by 11 points when nine days before the election FBI Director Comey dropped the bombshell that I believe was put together by Rudy Giuliani, when his New York FBI connections threatened to go public with the Weiner email findings if the Director didn’t disclose the investigation.

He did and five days later Hillary’s poll numbers had dropped to the margin of error.

It killed her momentum.

She had aimed to peak on Election Day.

Voters who say they made up their minds in the last 12 days voted 10 to 1 for Trump.

She had led New Hampshire by 13 points and won by less then one point.

No doubt the FBI flap cost her the Election.

When it’s all said and done she lost Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania by a combined vote of only 107 thousand.

It’s easy to see how the FBI, tying her to the pervert Anthony Weiner, killed her chances to get elected.

Trump didn’t win the Election, it was actually stolen when all polls showed her leading by a bunch nine days before.

The question is will a woman ever be elected president? Not in my lifetime.

No person has ever run for the office with the knowledge, experience and smarts Hillary had.

She’s the only one who might come back and win in four years when the voters see that they didn’t get what they bought.

We are one of the few industrialized countries who have not elected a woman.

My guess is, long after I’m gone, if the glass ceiling is broken it will be by a two or three generation Latino woman.

She may even be a Republican.

It’s a long time off.

Fifty years down the road Latino’s will make up 40 percent of the population.*****I’ve got to move on.

Come along, I promise it won’t do you no harm.

IT’S PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FOR BETTER OR WORSE

Donald Trump, the candidate, won the Republican nomination by making many promises.

He captured the spotlight away from his sixteen opponents by dominating on the television networks.

He phoned in to all of them on morning and evening shows.

Television networks fell over themselves to give complete coverage of a political rally to the dismay of his opponents, who got far less coverage.

Trump garnered $2 billion in free television coverage, not having to spend his own money.

Among his many promises was that he would release his tax returns as soon as an IRS audit was complete.

We wrote that he would never release them.

Financial experts say he’s worth only a third of what he claims.

He claimed he would finance his own campaign and wouldn’t take money from anyone, including his friends.

The fact is very little of his own money went into the campaign.

The election is over but Trump will never release his returns, not now, not next year, never.

It’s all about the ‘Trump Brand.

That’s what it’s been from the beginning.

In his wildest dreams and even with his ultra ego he never thought about winning the presidency.

It was all about expanding ‘The Brand.’ That’s why he was careful not to offend Russia’s Vladimir Putin, so he could do business there when the election was over.

We now know he owes China over $650 million, $100 million to a German bank and no telling where else.

That’s why the American people must insist he releases his tax returns now that he’s elected.

There are no checks and balances.

The real danger is that his holdings, some he is personally indebted for, will be put in a blind trust controlled by his children.

A sure bet his net worth will be many times what it is today, but we will never know for sure unless he releases his tax returns.

Dick Cheney was worth $16 million when he became Vice-president.

His Halliburton stock was in a blind trust.

He left office a billionaire.

As far as the 2000 mile wall, eight foot wide, 20 feet high, forget it, it ain’t happening.

Maybe a three mile wall for a photo-op.

The rest will be fence.

Fact check said Trump lied 73 percent of the time and about 27 percent of his promises are all that will get done.

He said he’s dredge the swamp.

Now we hear leadership names like Rudy, Newt, Palin, Perry and Breitbarts radical executive Stephen Bannon.

Trump will never deport the millions he promised.

That is impossible and not practical.

President Obama deported more than the last three presidents, just didn’t make an issue out of it.

President-elect Trump doesn’t have the temperament or knowledge so it will depend on who he listens to as to how successful his administration is.

Besides his tax returns, Americans should give him the chance to govern.

I’m betting he won’t be that radical.

There’s still the ‘Brand’ for him to think about.

CONDOLENCES

We were saddened to learn of the death of Curney Lormand, Sr., 89, who died Sunday, Nov. 13.

Funeral service will be held Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m., at First Baptist Church in Bridge City.

We were fortunate to have known this good man many years.

He was from a family with deep roots in the early Bridge City area.

A graduate of Lutcher Stark High School, he was a United States Navy veteran.

He had retired from Dupont and served many years on the BCISD School Board.

For 57 years he was married to Bettye Lou Blanchard.

Together they were pillars of the community.

In 2007, after the death of his wife, he married Betty Jo “BJ’ Powell.

He is survived by Curney W. “Bubba” Lormand, Jr.

and wife Kathy, daughter, Denise (Lormand) Hagee and husband Jack; sister, Maureen “Sis” Keogh; daughter-in-law, Cecilia “Susie” Miley; To BJ and their large family, we send our sincere condolences.

A good man has left us.

Please see obituary.***** We were also saddened to learn of the death of Ronald J. Primeaux Sr., 77, a former Bridge City resident, who resided in Erath, LA. Services were held Nov. 11.

Ronald was employed as a Foreman for DuPont Energy in Orange.

He is survived by his son, Ronald James Primeaux Jr., daughters, Sharon Primeaux, Cindy Primeaux, Jennifer Primeaux Schneider, and Rachel Primeaux, 11 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

May he rest in peace.

TURNING BACK THE HANDS OF TIME

10 Years Ago-2006

Well known Major League baseball pitcher John H. Patterson, 28, returns to Orange next week to serve as grand marshal for the annual Christmas parade.

A graduate of West Orange-Stark High School, he was well known as a senior by being named to ‘USA Today’s’ Prep All American Squad.

He caught the eye of many college recruiters and signed a letter of intent with LSU. After being selected in the first round of the draft Patterson signed his first professional baseball contract straight out of high school and went into a major league pitching career.

His father Doug had been drafted right out of Stark High as an 18-year-old, in 1971.

He was chosen in the second round.

He was on the mound for the Baltimore Orioles from 1971 to 1978.

John H. was signed in Nov. 1996 with Arizona.

He was the opening day pitcher for the very first Washington Nationals team.

(Editor’s note: Roy is the proud owner of a cap from that very first game in Washington, a gift from John.

He was called the “Ace of the Staff” after the 2006 season.

John, in his #22 jersey, is expected to be a “Shining Star” in 2007.)*****Former West Orange-Stark’s Deon Beasley, now with Texas, and Kerry Franks, with A&M, were on the Mustang sideline Friday.

They will play against each other in the rival game next week.*****Our buddy, “Buckshot” Winfree, has sold his business, Lester Winfree Rice and Cattle Transportation.

The business will be moved to Pasadena.*****Mary Stanton’s nephew, Gerald Hamilton, 36, was killed in an industrial accident Nov. 16.

He was her sister Betty’s son.*****Dow Gene Anderson is down with a bad case of shingles around his belly.*****Bo Derek turned 50 on Nov. 20.

Allen Dunn turns 49.*****Troy Aikman reaches 40 on Nov. 21.*****The Bush twins, Barbara and Jenna, will be 25 on Nov. 25.*****Kelly and Monte Morphew host annual Toy Coffee at their home at 611 10th Street.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: Doris M. Benson, 72, of Orange, passed away Nov. 14.

Funeral services will be held Nov. 17.

A lifelong resident of Orange, she is survived by her son Buddy Benson, daughters Tammy Ambrose, Charlotte McShan, brother, Tom Perry and sisters, Kate Young, Opal Bartley and Shirley Brister.

She is also survived by four grandchildren.*****Hazel Ruth Guillory, 79, of Deweyville, died Nov. 16.

Services will be held Nov. 19.

She is survived by her husband, Leroy Guillory, sons Roy Lee, Jay Thomas, Dennis Leon and Guy, daughters Linda Sue Holt, Brenda Waller, ten grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren.*****Gilbert Ray Morgan, 69, of Orange passed away Friday, Oct. 17.

He was a fitter for American Bridge and was a pilot who loved to fly.

He is survived by daughter Lesa Hamerly, son Doug Morgan, grandchildren Amy Thibodeaux, Ryan Thibodeaux, Conner and Cole Morgan and brother Aaron Lonnie Morgan.*****Gerald Duwane Hamilton, 36, of Orangefield, passed away Nov. 16.

Services were held Nov. 19.

A lifelong Orange area resident he was a process operator for Dow Chemical.

He is survived by his father and step-mother Kenneth and Sharon Hamilton, mother and step-father Betty and Russell Theis, grandmother Jewell Hamilton and daughters Macy and Madelyn Hamilton.

40 Years Ago-1976

Jean and Martha at Town and Country, on 16th St. have put staples in their ears for weight loss.*****Betty and Corky Harmon played hosts to the ‘Dinner Club’ at their home.

Betty then loaded them in her travel home and took them to Beaumont for dinner.*****Charissa Kae Hardy was born Nov. 5 and weighted in at 7 pounds and was 19 inches long.

Parents are Mr. and Mrs. James Hardy.*****Dist.

Judge Fred Trimble is recuperating in a Houston hospital after having his right leg amputated.*****Dot Eshbach, owner of the Kottage, has announced the addition of two new stores in her center.

One will be the Shoe Tree.*****Donald Cole has announced that Cole Plumbing will build a new facility that will include a showroom.

The site chosen is at the intersection of LaPointe and Roundbunch.*****Janet Brunell turned 15-years-old last week.*****The Orangefield Bobcats defeated Lumberton 22-0.

Stars included Jeff Peveto, Randy Schirch, Brian Day and Todd Goss.

Ed Peveto is the coach.*****Leads for ‘Annie Get Your Gun,’ have been double cast.

Main characters cast for Annie Oakley are Beth Marinez and Connie Gunn.

Frank Butler will be played by Randy Jones and Rick Powell.

Charlie, by Bobby Helter, Dolly Tate, by Rachel Rector, Sitting Bull, by Robert Hughes, Indian squaws, by Laurie Trotter and Kim Tiger, Buffalo Bill by Richard Rathburn.*****County Judge Grover Halliburton resigns to become county-court-at-law judge.*****Pete Runnels was unanimously selected by commissioners to fill the county judge post.

It all began with the resignation of 163rd Dist judge Fred Trimble and the appointment of Court-at-Large-Judge David Dunn by Gov. Dolph Briscoe.

Raymond Gould made the motion to appoint Runnels, who is 33-years-old and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Sam Houston.

He has been an assistant to Halliburton for over three years.

He will be sworn in Nov. 22 by County Clerk Sallie Frazier.

Judge Runnels is the third generation of the Runnels family who aspired to become county judge.

Pete’s grandfather, Joseph M. Runnels sought the position in the 1940s.

Pete’s dad, ;Joe Runnels, Jr., twice unsuccessfully bid in the 1960s.

He had served as county clerk and mayor of Orange.

Pete served as Democratic chairman.

A FEW HAPPENINGS

Congratulations to Lou Garriga, of Bridge City, winner of the Dallas Cowboy raffle sponsored by St. Mary Catholic School.

He received a $300 visa card, a night stay in Dallas, two tickets to the Dallas Football game this Sunday and two $25 gift certificates for purchases at the stadium.

Garriga’s winning ticket was drawn by Father Daleo last week.

What you might not know is that Lou is Brett Favre’s cousin and a great guy.*****I was up by 3:30 a.m.

both Monday and Tuesday.

With cool, clear mornings both days, the most beautiful sight was the Super Moon that lit up the landscape and threw long shadows.

The Lunar phenomenon brings the full moon closer than it has been to earth since 1948, 68 years ago.*****The Wednesday Lunch Bunch dines at PK’s Grill this week and will be off the following week.

In two weeks The Bunch will be back at JB’s Barbeque.

Last week at Robert’s Diana and Brooks Hill, along with Rose and Bill Simar visited with The Bunch.

They are really involved in the restoration of the Old Orange Depot.*****I haven’t heard from our friends John and Linda Heard in a long time.

I wonder how their citrus crop is doing.

It seems like years since I’ve had good Orange County oranges and grapefruit.***** Congrats to Little Cypress-Mauriceville’s Trey Guillory who signed with the Air Force Academy for track and field.*****A great couple John W. and Sharon Rodgers will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Nov. 18.

John is a retired sheet metal worker, Sharon is employed at Sabine Title.

Best wishes for many more healthy years.*****After many years at The Penny Record, in the Bridge City Roundbunch office, Bill Pope has retired.

His recovery has been slow after a five bypass heart surgery, plus his failing eyesight would prevent him from working.

We wish him the best and a full recovery.

We invite you to visit Brenda, new office manager, who can help you with all your advertising needs, garage sales, classified ads, etc.

Stop by, you’ll find her very cordial.*****A few folks we know celebrating their special day in the next fed days.

Nov. 16: Banker Thad Angelle celebrates a birthday as does Rae Anna Todora, Chris Byers, Pete Gresham and Marie Richard.*****Nov. 17: Reba Eddins, Brabara Briggs, Martha Foley, Chuck Kirby, Patsy Brister and Phyllis’ other half Kenneth Hass all celedbrate birthdays today.*****Nov. 18: Celebrating today are Aimee Huckabay, Melanie Claybar, Stephanie Williams, Theresa Evans, Lyndsie Neie, James Cornell and Sam Thomas.*****Nov. 19: Charles Cagle, Linda Klein, Liz Harris, Ben Carpenter, Cecil Allen, Trina Stringer and Kristina Denman all celebrate today.*****Nov. 20: Dot’s boy Edgar Eschbach marks another year.

Bubba’s boy Lon Hubbard is a year older, pretty Sunni Oceguera celebrates today as does Jan Briggs, Jesse Evans and Rose Powell.

Special birthday wishes go out to a great guy, Allen Dunn, who chalks up another year.*****Nov. 21: CPA Joel Steirman celebrates on this day.

In days past he had big parties but he’s gotten tighter with age.

Also celebrating are Jason LeLeux, Mary Tate and Bart Williams.*****Nov. 22: On this day in 1963, 53 years ago, JFK was killed in Dallas.

Celebrating birthdays are our longtime friend attorney H.D. Pate, Lamar Orange’s Jack-of-All-Trades Butch Campbell, who we’ve known since he was a pup gets older.

The late judge Grover Halliburton’s Girl Friday, legal secretary Jackie Roberts celebrates today as does Belinda Thibodeaux and Larry Bridges.

Happy birthday to all.*****I apologize for the way my column was printed last week.

It was printed in a hard to read script.

No one seems to know how that happened but I hope they figure it out.

I got several emails about the election; One was from Robert, who wrote, “Bannon, Bolton, Sessions and Rudy in Trump’s cabinet looks like the inmates will be running the asylum.

2016 is the hottest year on record, beating the record of 2015.

Another hot summer predicted for 2017 is expected again to break all records.*****Los Angeles fears Donald Trumps election as U.S. president may cost the city the 2024 summer games.

Three cities are bidding for the summer Olympic games.

The Los Angeles bid team feels like they have more to lose with Trumps election because of his campaign against Muslims, Mexicans and his foreign policy plan could hurt U.S. bidding against Paris and Budapest.

The final vote will be in 10 months.

CAJUN STORY OF THE WEEK

Oris Boudreaux, from Abbeville, is quite a party guy him. Da utta day he call his lawyer Linnis Premeaux and axe him, “Look here, lawyer Premeaux, is it true dat dey suin’ dem cigarette companies for causin’ peoples to get cancer?”

“Dey sire is.” Reported lawyer Premeaux.

Now I hear me, dat someone is suin’ dem fast food places for making dem fat and cloggin’ dere artieries, is dat true hanh?” Boudreaux axe.

Da lawyer answer, “sure is Mr. Boudreaux.”

Boudreaux axe, “Wat bout that lady wat sued MacDonald’s for millions because dey gave her dat hot coffee dat she ordered.”

“Yep, dats right,” lawyer Premeaux said.

“Wat bout dat football player wat sued dat university when he graduated and still can’t read him?”

“Dats right,” said da lawyer, “But tell me Mr. Boudreaux, why you axe hanh?”

“Well, because I was tinking me, wat I want to know is, can I sue Budweiser for all dem ugly womens I slept wit?”

C’EST TOUT

Thanks to economic and energy policy one million more Americans are expected to travel this Thanksgiving then last year because of a boast in consumer confidence.

According to the AAA auto club’s travel forecasts, increase in travelers mark eight consecutive years of growth.

The income in travel is spurred by improvements in the economy, including rising wages.

The projection is for 48.7 million travelers from Nov. 23 to Nov. 27.

The expected 43.5 million travelers on the road would be the most since 2005.

The energy policy, under the Obama Administration, has dropped our dependency on foreign governments holding us up in escalating oil prices.

Our gas prices at the pump have fallen from nearly $4 a gallon, seven years ago, to below $2 a gallon today.

The drop in gas prices alone gives families spending money on their trips.

According to HIS Global Insight, airplanes will carry the most passengers since 2007.

We have much to be thankful for, a healthy economy with the lowest unemployment in 20 years at only 4.9 percent.

I don’t know how you make the country much greater except to get congress to pass Obama’s bill on infrastructure that passed the senate four years ago.

The congress has sat on it.

Paul Ryan will probably pass it now and call it the Trump bill.*****I’ve got to get out of here.

Thanks for your time and loyal readership.

Please shop our family of advertisers.

Take care and God bless.