Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 153, No. 40, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 27, 2002 Page: 2 of 18
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Page 2 - CHEROKEEAN/HERALD of Rusk, Texas - Wednesday, November 27, 2002
Emmett H. Whitehead
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publisher
Loerokeean/Merala
Marie Whitehead
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editor
Texas' oldest continuously
November 27, 2002
published weekly newspaper.
Established as the Cherokee
Sentinel Feb. 27, 1850
Jim Hogg
Historical Park,
Rusk
Caddoan Mounds
State Historical Site,
Alto
Texas State Railroad
State Historical Park,
Rusk
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Scene in Passing
High Points from El Camino Real
Marie Whitehead
editor@mediactr.com
Happy Thanksgiving
to you and yours. You
know that this issue
is arriving one clay early
because of...yep. Thanks-
giving. This is an assured
holiday each year, without
change. And if we don't put a
little hustle in our bustles to
do this, you will have to wait
until after Thanksgiving.
Well, the Good Lord willing
and the creeks don't rise, we'll
make it to you, with the help
of our friendly postal service.
It is truly a gorgeous fall. Mom Nature has
blessed us with a colorful display to carry us
through the weeks of winter wearies to come.
Everything in its own season. At this time
of the year, I always remember the fun and
excitement of a visit to the Hulen Wilcox
family's syrup mill in November. Not many
such operations still exist. Nov. 171 attended
a cousin's reunion and saw a photo of my late
maternal grandfather's syrup mill. This was
an essential in our pioneer relatives' diet.
Making it through the year without biscuits
and gravy, or biscuits and syrup, would have
been nearly impossibly Mr. Wilcox and his
family gave us the opportunity to witness
first hand the extraction of juice from sugar
cane, its boiling to a tasty syrup and the
canning. Families in the olden days came
together within the community for this event.
Work, yes. But fellowship and fun, too.
We cousins had a grand time remembering
when. Our grandparents hved to welcome
19 grands. Of this number only 12 survived.
Of this number, seven of us joined for howdy
hugs and food. Add to it the number of great-
grands, great-great grands and all the in-laws
and we surprised ourselves with the turn out.
It was such an inspiration, we voted to repeat
the gathering May 31.
This current week features a date many
families convene to renew the ties that bind.
One of these is Sharon Fisher's family Her
recently retired rancher brother has reached
a point in time that he is no longer "hobbled
by his cows.'' She looks forward to showing
him East Texas again.
However you spend this special turkey-
family-football day, you will do so, touching
yesterdays memories while making new
memories. It is our wish that you "celebrate
the lives of all those you love, who are now
gone, and enjoy hfe with those you love who
are facing serious health problems. For some
of us, this won't be easy.
Special thanks to friend Jimmy Persons
for his memories about past elections in our
town. He writes, "Election night had many
families moving to the square to check the
returns. Large blackboards had been put in
place in front of the doors and the candidates
and precincts all lined and blocked. Flood
lights lit the steps and boards and we all
waited for the counts to come in. Posting was
by hand with chalk and erasers. Totals were
added up and as the count was changed there
was the obhgatory murmer of approval, or
oh's, of surprise. Didn't take long for the kids
to grow tired of this and there was a migra-
tion to the southeast side where we could roll
down the hill and play various other games.
Most went home when the races were decided
with a few of the hard core staying to the end.
Seemed so simple. Ballots were counted and
the results were announced. Of course, it had
to be somewhat simple. As I remember there
was only one person in Rusk who openly
admitted to being a (lower your voice here)
Republican."
My goodness, what a great recall he has. I
even know the Republican's name. And Jim is
right, he was the lone voice in the wilderness
saying another party really did exist. Remem-
ber J.E.A. Ross and spouse Margaret? Such
good people. I don't believe anybody held his
party affiliation against him, though. And
those returns back then were conducted with-
out a single interference from a "chad.'' Some
things do change?
Another heard from, good citizen, in fact a
recent Citizen of the Year, is Charles Bur-
foot. He brought in some info
which reminds us that there
are more than 80,000 people
who are waiting for a hfe
saving transplant. It urges
folks to consider these patient
patients and choose to
become an organ donor. "Dis-
cuss your wishes to become
one and encourage others in
your family to do likewise,'
he says. This is the kind
of thing you would expect
Mr. Burfoot and his equally
service-minded wife. Boots, to support. There
is a Living Bank in Houston. If you would like
to know more about this, call 1-800-528-2971.
You may think that all of your parts have
been "used up." Not true. Many folks are well
and healthy today because somebody wanted
to continue in service to others, even after
death. Think about it?
On the agenda for coming weeks is the tra-
ditional hghting ceremony slated for twihght
on the square Tuesday, Dec. 3, Skip a day and
come back to the Square for Santa's official
visit Thursday, Dec. 5. Let Christmas begin.
Some of the downtown businesses plan open
house after the lights come on, while others
are hosting refreshments at other times and
days. We hope to get a schedule on this for
you. One firm. Rusk Florist, has already
spread hohday cheer with open house Nov,
15-16. Many churches are planning special
Christmas music, also musical units of the
schools. Others are working on projects to
benefit the less fortunate: The Dream Tree
sponsored by the Rusk Chamber, food and
clothing. If you wish to help , your help is
welcome. And for pure fun, check out the
Cherokee Civic Theatre's hohday production
in December. Well worth your time.
As you visit downtown Rusk, note the busi-
ness growth of recent weeks. Anita's Apparel
and Accessories is moving back to the square
from her location next to city hall. Chap mans
Pharmacy will expnnd by the side of her chess
shop, aclchng about 50 percent more space.
Former occupants of the builchng, Ts Tum-
bling, Cheer & Dance, has moved to a new
structure on Highway 84.
A new furniture store is coming together
across from the post office. Stephanie
Caveness has opened an antique shop. The
Aerie, on the north side of the Square. And
these are just some of the most recent notes
of progress. Our year in review will focus on
all business expansion, which has been quite
significant, considering the expansion of staff
by TDCJ. Yep, all in all. Rusk has survived
nicely in 2002.
By your reachng this, you will have heard
that the City of Rusk has a new city manager.
He is Kevin Bowden, well known around
these parts, and the owner of Main Street
Cleaners. He is the successor to our late, good
friend Bill Turney.
Our best in good wishes to you and yours
is noted aboye. But we must keep in mincl
special folks who need our prayers: Park
Watson, June Cervenka, Loretta Rix,
Frank Madden, Patricia Persons Mont-
gomery, Louis Caveness, Nell McNatt,
Dorothy McClure, Mildred and Stan
Chapman, Virginia Tice, B. J. Nich-
olson, Leahmon and Mary B. Hassell,
Libby Freeman and son Mack and claugh-
ter-in-law Ann, Opal Fitts, Wiley Shat-
tuck, Chloe Waddell, Eva Cummins and
Bunella White. Feel free to share others'
names with us.
Cindy and Steve Sloterdijk's little
grandson, Johnathan Bachmeyer, had
been reported earlier as a successful surgery
patient with cancer. Late news from the
doctors inchoates not all is well. They have
more test results in and recommend rachation
treatments for the brain tumor. He is in Texas
Children's Hospital at Houston.
In closing, here's a thought I hacl. "The
things I don't know out distance what I clo
know." Does that mean that the more we
know, the less we know? I wonder. Keep
smiling. It won't fix a problem but it makes it
easier to cope. Happy holidays.
News Briefs
9 Toy drive golf tourney is Dec. 7
The annual Mulligan Open will be held Saturday, Dec. 7 at
Birmingham Forest Golf Club, and is sponsored by the Rusk
Rotary Club and Birmingham Forest Golf Club. Entry fee $15
and a $10 toy. All toys collected will be donated the Rusk
Chamber of Commerce DreamTree. Cash prizes will be paid
out to the winners in each flight. Call the pro shop to sign up
at 903/683-9518
Chris Davis
elcaminoreal@inu.net
Lee Harrison(far left) and Marion Kuykendall (far right)
and other members of the National Weather Service
join in presenting Thomas and Maybelle Kellum with
the John Campanius Holm Award for their 33 years of
dedicated service as weather data collectors.
Thanksgiving has arrived
again here on El
Camino Real and stoves
around the area are fired up
and preparing the hohday
meals. Folks from the big
cities are looking forward to a
nice long weekend with their
lovecl ones. Hohday time usu-
ally means I have to get your
quarter's worth of news to the
presses before any of it takes
place, which leaves me feehng
more like a fortune teller than
a columnist. I guess if we coulcl get folks to
pay their quarters in advance this coulcl be a
really nice set up.
On Wednesday Maybelle and Thomas
Kellum received the John Campanius Holm
award from the National Weather Service for
their 33 years
of service as
weather observ-
ers and data
collectors. Only
25 of the awards
are given
throughout the
entire United
States each
year and these
are reserved
for the most
clechcatecl of
weather observ-
ers. A crowd of
about 35 people
showed up at
the A. Frank
Smith United
Methodist
Church to see
the Kellums
receive their
award. The
award was presented by Lee Harrison, the
meteorologist in charge, and Marion Kuyken-
dall, the data acquisition program manager, of
the Shreveport forecast office. The pair were
given matching jackets with their names and
the emblem of the National Weather Service
embroidered on the front. The couple also
received a state flag that hacl been flown over
the capital, from the office of State Senator
Toclcl Sbiplcs, a certificate of appreciation
from State Representative Chuck Hop son, a
certificate from Lt. Governor Bill Ratliff, and a
certificate from Governor Rick Perry praising
their volunteer service. Thomas is a retired
carpenter and Maybelle worked in Boyd's
Pharmacy for many years until she retired.
They hve on El Camino Real just a httle ways
East of the Neches River. I was especially
happy to see them receive the award because
they are my aunt and uncle and I know how
clechcatecl the two of them have always been to
their work for the National Weather Service.
They measure the rainfall in their yard and
Thomas travels clown to the river once a week
and measures its depth. During flooding he
measures the river every clay. I just wonder
how many people have chiven by and won-
dered what that old guy was throwing off the
bridge while he was taking his measurements.
I'm thankful that Uncle Thomas is more
truthful with his weather readings than he
is about his hunting stories. Governor Perry
stated in the certificate from his office that "
their remarkable volunteer service, highlights
what is best about this state." I must agree
100 percent with his observation and aclcl that
I am extremely proucl of both of them. A great
big congratulations goes out to Aunt Maybelle
and Uncle Thomas Kellum.
The other big news for the week was the
meteorite shower that passed over Alto on
Tuesday morning between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m.
I set my alarm so I wouldn't miss a thing and
after filling; a thermos with coffee, quickly
headed west to a big hill in the Coon Poncl
Hunting Club so I would have a great view of
the meteorites as they ht up the sky coming
through Alto with no interference from the
hghts in town. From my vantage point on top
of the hill it looked like most
of the meteorites were streak-
ing across the sky just over
the red-light where El Camino
Real and Highway 69 meet.
This only added to my previ-
ous observations that Alto is
Very likely to be the center of
the universe and I felt very
fortunate to be able to call this
special place home.
When I sat clown to begin
writing this evening, I real-
ized that I was writing my
300th column. Time just flies when you are
having fun. During my political campaign
the question I was askecl more often than any
other was whether I would continue to write
my article each week. My answer to everyone
was that as long as I kept having fun writing
it, that I would
continue. I'm
having just as
much fun now as
when I started
it nearly six
years ago. I
must admit that,
some weeks it
is a httle dif-
ficult coming up
with an entire
quarter "s worth
of news from
such a small
place, but some-
how it all comes
together in the
encl. I look
forward to writ-
ing many more
articles until I
run out of steam
or I'm shot by
some disgrun-
tled character from one of my stories. During
this special time of Thanksgiving I want to
say, thank you to all the people who have faced
the brunt of some of my stories and been such
good sports. This in no way implies that I will
be any more merciful in future or hold back
the truth to prevent whining. A big thanks to
all my loyal readers who keep encouraging me
to carry on.
I gripe and complain about my next door
neighbor Virgil and all the goings on over
at his place, but I guess if I looked at it in a
different perspective I might be happier. I'm
going to start trying to convince myself that
I hve next door to a carnival and Virgil is the
ringmaster. While visiting with Virgil the
other weekend his sister Inez was trying to sell
me pie crusts she and a group of other laches
from Nacogdoches peddle out of the Perritte
Memorial Methodist Church. She tolcl me that
she and these other laches have been selling
pie crusts faster than they can make them for
a good while. And I thought pie crusts just
came out of a reel box clown at the grocery
store. Who'cl have ever thought of homemade
pie crusts? While I was at Virgil's I noticed
that he hacl new hving room furniture and he
saicl that he hacl traded his patio furniture for
it. I never really understood what Virgil was
doing with patio furniture, because he doesn't
have a patio. Of course it looks like Virgil got
the best encl of the deal, unless of course some-
one has traded him furniture, with the "clo not
remove under penalty of law" tags removed.
If I knew what law enforcement agency was
in charge of checking those tags, I bet I coulcl
have the whole bunch spending Thanksgiving
with Sheriff James Campbell.
Well I figure you have hacl about enough of
my mindless wanderings for this issue. The
turkey needs shcing and the marshmal-
lows have to be placed on the sweet potato
casserole. I personally think that the httle
marshtnallow s taste and look better than the
big ones. I hope everyone has a wonderful
Thanksgiving.
I'll see ya next week! And remember: Count
your many blessings and thank the one
who sent them.
m TDCJ hosts canned food drive at
Brookshire Bros.
TDCJ is having its annual canned food drive to benefit the
Rusk Good Samaritan. Donation bins have been set up at
Brookshire Bros, in Rusk. Persons who donate five cans will
receive a coupon good for one free hamburger at Whataburger.
The food drive will continue through Dec. 13.
CMYK
CI?crokecai?/HcraId
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Texas' Oldest Continuously
Published Weekly Newspaper
Established as the Cherokee
Sentinel, Feb. 27,1850
Consolidation of The Cherokeean,
The Alto Herald and
the Wells News & Views
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 153, No. 40, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 27, 2002, newspaper, November 27, 2002; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152545/m1/2/: accessed June 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.