The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 100, No. 158, Ed. 1 Tuesday, October 27, 2020 Page: 4 of 10
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Viewpoints
Hegar a stiffer challenge than Cornyn expected
by itself, but his record
In 2018, Hegar lost a Central Texas con- coverage for illnesses due to pre-existing sliding scale of subsidies up to 400% of
health conditions.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
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Needle Point and Tory Island on a 1920 map superimposed onto
a modern map.
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Just south of Interstate 10 there
used to be a sharp bend in Cedar
Bayou which in the 19th century
was called the Needle Point. Over
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Neely at davemcneelylll@gmail.com.
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WHAT STATE
IS ME IN
TODAY ?
gressional race to entrenched Republican
Congressman John Carter by just three
points. But in the course of it, she demon-
strated a hefty ability to raise money.
Then, she turned around in 2020 and
beat 10 other candidates in the Democrat-
ic primary to earn the right of challenging
Cornyn.
During the primary election, she was
fortunate enough to be selected by the
in the time of GOP President Donald
Trump.
Cornyn was a principal opponent of
fonner Democratic President Barack
Obama’s ambitious Affordable Care Act,
known as ObamaCare, signed into law in
March of 2010.
One of its central features is its prohi-
bition against denying patients insurance
1
On this date:
In 1787, the first of the Federalist Papers, a series of
essays calling for ratification of the United States Consti-
tution, was published.
In 1858, the 26th president of the United States, Theo-
dore Roosevelt, was born in New York City.
In 1954, U.S. Air Force Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was
promoted to brigadier general, the first Black officer to
achieve that rank in the USAF.
In 2001, in Washington, the search for deadly anthrax
widened to thousands of businesses and 30 mail distribu-
tion centers.
In 2004, the Boston Red Sox won their first World
Series since 1918, sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in
Game 4, 3-0.
In 2018, a gunman shot and killed 11 congregants and
wounded six others at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue
in the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history; authori-
ties said the suspect, Robert Bowers, raged against Jews
during and after the rampage. (Bowers, who is awaiting
trial, has pleaded not guilty; prosecutors are seeking a
death sentence.)
One year ago: In an address from the White House,
President Donald Trump announced that Islamic State
leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had died after U.S. special
operations forces cornered him during a raid in Syria.
(Al-Baghdadi blew himself up as U.S. forces approached.)
What’s trending
@baytownsun.com
These were the top-10 most-read articles on www.
baytownsun.com for the week of Oct. 19-25, based on
the number of page views:
1. Information sought on dead man found in lake
(Tuesday)
2. Police beat (Thursday)
3. Police beat (Oct. 17)
4. Board member resigns in testy MUD meeting (Sat-
urday)
5. Robert E. Lee Royalty (Tuesday)
6. CCSO sheriff: New charges filed on former BH
student (Oct. 17)
7. Goose Creek breaks down CO VID letters (Oct. 17)
8. State of the City to focus on bright future (Tuesday)
9. After delays, Spring Nationals return to boost econ-
omy (Thursday)
10. City Council candidates, issues (Thursday).
The three most-viewed articles so far this year are
Harris County Public Health: 23 COVID-19 cases in
Baytown (April 11); Authorities probe alleged assaults
by ex-BH student (Oct. 10); and BPD chief terminates
embattled policeman (July 23).
f
1
1
I
CORNER... IT'S FADING AWAY...
IT'LL JUST DISAPPEAR ...
4 Uhe Waptown Sun
For Texas Republican U.S. Sen. John
Cornyn, 2020 hasn’t turned out to be quite
the re-election race that he had anticipat-
ed.
For Cornyn, 68, a fonner Texas Su-
preme Court justice-turned-Texas Attor-
ney General-turned U.S. senator in 2002,
his election this year for a fourth six-year
term is no longer the ho-hum operation of
his first three.
His unlikely Democratic challenger is
MJ Hegar, 44, a decorated combat heli-
copter pilot and veteran of three tours in
Afghanistan.
Her activities since leaving military
service have also included getting mar-
ried to old high school chum Brandon
Hegar, having two kids and becoming a
step-mom to three others, and becoming
a politician.
r
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Tuesday
October 20, 2020
6
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4^- i
DAVE
MCNEELY
Ae,a,
rand. When the road from Houston
to Wallisville was laid out in 1878
the ferry linked the road across the
bayou and on the east side followed
the older road to the Lower Trini-
ty. The ferry lost some significance
when Wallisville Road was rerouted
in 1881 to cross Cedar Bayou on
Milam’s ferry at today’s Hwy 146
bridge but it continued in operation
for local traffic.
By the turn of the century Needle
Point had become a shipping center
for farmers in west Chambers Coun-
ty and when the Old River Rice &
Irrigation Company was established
in 1903 became vital for the opera-
tion. Thousands of acres of rice had
SEE CHANDLER • PAGE 9
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and no longer exists. The island has
since been bulldozed and is now ex-
ists only as a pit on property owned
by a chemical company.
In the 1830s the area around the
Needle Point was populated by a
number of Tories, people who re-
mained loyal to the Mexican gov-
ernment. David Kokernot, who
owned the ferry across Cedar Bayou
at the point may have been ordered
by Sam Houston to round up cattle
and horses in the neighborhood. In
carrying out the order Kokernot ha-
rassed a group of Anglos who were
reportedly opposed to the revolution
and was reprimanded and ordered to
return the livestock. After the fall of
4
Back in May, Cornyn was asked, in an
interview with Austin PBS anchor Judy
Maggio, what people losing insurance can
do about it.
“Well, the good news is that if you lose
your employer-provided coverage, which
covers about 180 million Americans, that
is a significant life event, which makes
you then eligible to sign up for the Afford-
able Care Act — and as you know, it has a
poverty. So that’s an option for people,”
EDITORIAL POLICY
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and fair. Editorial expressions
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•m_ MEMBER
■ » 2020
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
cefa
4, 2
And in general elections, he has also
breezed through beating former Dallas
Mayor and Texas Secretary of State Ron
Kirk in 2002, by 12 points; fonner Hous-
ton State Rep. Rick Noriega in 2008, also
by 12 points; and in 2014, David Alameel,
owner of a Dallas dental company, by 27
points.
Hegar in recent weeks has drawn sever-
al million dollars from a variety of sourc-
es, allowing her to be a pretty constant
presence on TV ads.
Cornyn’s situation has also been com-
plicated by the fact that the president to
whom he has been cozying up, or at least
not getting into open fights, has also
reached the point in polls in normally Red
Texas that he is running neck and neck
with Democrat Joe Biden, rather than
leading by several points, which would
normally be the case.
Cornyn himself is now leading Hegar
in recent polls by single digits - 5 or 6
points. But as Trump’s readings continue
to decline, Cornyn seems to be suffering
from Trump weighing him down.
Only days now.
/
i
A
All
t 2
3
coun ■
the years floods
on the bayou over-
flowed the land
creating an island
on the inside of the
bend. Eventually
eddies from the wa-
ter flow filled in the
approaches to Nee-
dle Point and cre-
ated an oxbow lake
which later silted in
the Alamo, when the Mexican Anny the people were that found those
was advancing east leading up to the treasures, where they had come
decisive battle at San Jacinto, set- from, or where they had gone to, no
tiers were making a desperate rush one seemed to know.
towards the Sabine River ahead of The Needle Point soon became
the army which became known as important for a number of reasons,
the Runaway Scrape. The Tories In 1841 Texas Mail Route 11 from
were as much alanned as any of Houston through Liberty was estab-
their neighbors but were afraid to fished and crossed Cedar Bayou on
join them in the exodus. In this pre- Kokemot’s ferry. The road roughly
dicam ent they were forced to seek followed Hwy 146 through West
places of safety as best they could Liberty (today’s Dayton) to Liberty
and, taking their families and valu- and continued north to Swartwout
ables, some of the wealthiest among on the Trinity River. That same year
them looked at the island on Cedar a road from Houston to the Lower
Bayou as a safe refuge. As the years Trinity was laid out. This road split
passed, stories grew about bur- off from the mail route on the east
ied treasure left by these Tories. In side of Cedar Bayou and today is
— Mark Fleming
TODAY IN HISTORY
particular one old refugee who was known as Old Needlepoint Road. It
thought to have served with Jean still exists here and there and fol-
LaFitte and had buried his gold and lowed the general route of Interstate
precious stones on the island. When 10. In 1847 William J. Mills was
he died shortly afterwards no one named the postmaster for the Cedar
was able to find the hiding place. Bayou Post Office which was estab-
When John Peter Sjolander visit- fished at his store on the Chambers
ed the area on a fishing trip in 1871, County side which was part of Lib-
remains from these camps could erty County until 1858. Mills also
still be found on what had become owned the ferry at Needle Point
known as Tory Island. He also found which connected the road across
many deep holes dug by treasure the bayou. In 1857, the license for
hunters. Stories abounded about the ferry was issued to G. W. Fer-
Democratic Senatorial whom he has voted almost in lockstep
Campaign Committee while avoiding criticizing the controver-
(DSCC) as their pick for sial president, is now catching heat from
a candidate to receive Hegar and others.
some campaign money. And, during the time of the CO VID-19
What makes the Tex- pandemic, Cornyn has gone so far in re-
as senior senator a tar- cent weeks in his campaign ads and oth-
get for the tart-talking erwise to tell people who are losing their
Hegar is not so much private insurance health care that they
Cornyn’s senate record have a refuge.
,o°
8
Cornyn had been one of the principal Cornyn said.
opponents to the Affordable Care Act, in- “ [T]he good news is people can find,
eluding the part about guaranteeing insur- get coverage under the Affordable Care
ance coverage for pre-existing conditions. Act or via Medicaid based on their in-
Cornyn might have been able to dodge come,” he said.
some of the criticism for that had he not In his previous three senate races,
appeared to be a wimp when it came to Cornyn has easily prevailed in GOP pri-
differing with Trump. maries over multiple contenders, never
Cornyn’s relationship with Trump, with close to being pushed into a runoff.
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XANV201-*-#87
eod
.o . 22
y'i
Trump trashes the military
Recently on Twitter Trump attempted to cast doubt on
the SEAL raid that killed Bin Laden during the Obama
administration. That immediately drew ridicule from one
of the SEALS actually involved. This was too obviously
a contemptuous attempt to recast history and diminish his
predecessor.
Additionally and not coincidentally, retired Admiral
McRaven who headed up and oversaw that raid turns out
to be one of Trump’s most vocal critics, having slammed
him over and over publicly from the very beginning. Ad-
miral McRaven most recently spoke out against Trump in
a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece.
Does anybody besides me sense another Trump attempt
to silence dissent by spreading lies - brazenly, indecently,
and acceptably in the minds of too many.
Rick Crotts
Baytown
7W
, - jar 10
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Bloom, David. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 100, No. 158, Ed. 1 Tuesday, October 27, 2020, newspaper, October 27, 2020; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1468262/m1/4/: accessed July 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.