The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 100, No. 54, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 7, 2009 Page: 2 of 14
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Page 2 -- Mercedes Enterprise
mercedesenterprise@sbcglobal.net
Mercedes, Texas 78570 Wednesday, January 7,2009
The Merce
Enterprise
The Second Front Page
Columns, FEATURES, LETTERS
FROM My Perspective...
BY Duke Martell
MOVIMIENTO MADI
1010
Ride My Train
we’ll just have to see. I won’t think will be of vital interest to
promise you anything right every citizen of this town, es-
The friendly neighborhood now, until after we have had pecially the tax payer.
bar was almost full and it our discussion.” “Start the movement, get
wasn’t even the weekend, just Caressing his mustache, Mr. all the signatures of the con-
another weekday, in August of Smith eyed me from his glass cerned citizens, and let’s make
2008.and replied, “Your presence
The lights were glowing, here, Duke, indicates to us,
the old juke box was playing that you care about this town,
and the crowd was loud. The and what is happening; and
spirit of enjoyment was in the that is a start."
air. Although I was now back Without hesitation, Mr.
Much ado, later...
By Lee Ross Puckett Jr.
Happy New Year and thanks or office, both which faced was working at the city library,
for reading me again. Lots has that bedroom. A friend was killing time at the
been going on these past few Miraculously, when I lake waiting for me to get off
weeks, moved, my memories of all work and started a conversa-
After a year and one month my deceased family members, tion with Mike. Somehow the
on the market, my house fi- the residence which was home name Puckett got mentioned
nally sold thanks to “bailout” of my parents and Dona and and Mike said he knew a Ross
money. Yes, “they” put me in me became merry memorable Puckett. Well...duh?...even a
that category with big busi- moments. Strange how the dullard! •
ness. But you, dear reader, mind works: So Mike and I met. He told T
think of me more kindly I have digressed ... on the me an incredible story of the ,
please. day before the date the po- last days of Erva’s life. She
I sold to someone who had tential buyer had said over a had given him a painting of
seen the house in the very be- year ago that problems would her and Dad made in Las Ve-
ginning of the availability but decease and the bank would gas where my sister and I had •
could not $$close$$ the deal approve the loan, the Real- taken them for their 50th wed-
until a certain date. I hoped tor called and said the money ding anniversary. (Could dear
that individual could have the was secured. It was, but the Step-mom have been down-
house as it had been the fam- bureaucracy concerning that sizing when she gave him this
ily home for almost 30 years townhouse sale was even a painting? It is not a work of
making for lots of adult mem- stretch of the two words: red art and perhaps she was go-
ories. I knew this person liked tape. ing to spare Sister Sandra and
the house and wanted it for a First closing date was the me from having to make the
home, not a house. 21st of the month. I took leave choice of storing it in a clos-
I needed to move! As one of absence from my job at et for the next generation or
ages, one finds all memories the library to start sorting for trashing it.)
are not pleasant ones. My de- keepers, culling for garage
ceased wife and I only lived in sale items and lots of trashing
the place for three months be- of papers and greeting cards,
fore she died. We refurbished, The words “down sizing”
furnished and made the house sprang up in my mind as cri-
a home in that time. Most of teria for what stays and goes.
the furniture she never sat on My wife had spent months
or used as she was so ill by the going through every scrape
He returned it to me. My
Dad looks exactly like me...or
is it I that looks like him or is
it me that looks like him. (I am 0
including both phrases which \
should satisfy both the gram-
time we finished a home, that
she was confined to her hospi-
tal bed.
But she ruled from the bed
and her personal touch was
felt throughout our home.
When she died, the fun
times we had shared in that
house with my parents and
of paper her mother had kept
matically correct and those of
us who speak from the hip.)
Mike knew junk from sen-
since she had started keeping timentality and proved excel-
scrapes of paper, which must lent at packing the keep able,
have started when she discov- He organized everything and
ered crawling 86 years before me. I thought with clarity for
her death. the first time in years. He put
It was not a fun legacy for together a successful garage
her daughter or son-in-law.
I don’t want to do that to
sure they’re all registered to some great moments that she Daughter Megan, especially
vote. and I shared furnishing the since Dear Dona inherited that
V
sale in four days. (Have you
ever noticed that all garage
sales make money...as long as
we don’t consider the original
“I’ll be glad to help in any house turned into haunting compulsion to save all scrapes prices!)
way I can. The voice of the specters. of paper from her maw! And I In the meantime, I quit my
people should always be Depression set in. Though! have to admit: I too am a col- job at the library and the fun
heard; freedom of speech, and was able to cope with some of lector of valuable items - spell I derive from writing this
in Texas, some of my thoughts Jones jumps in with a har- freedom of the press are at that with group therapy, noth- that treasurers - respell that column as the 21st deadline
still lingered up north.
I had just returned from
Michigan when . I ran into
a good friend, who wanted
me to talk to some friends of
his. This particular establish-
pooning question. “How true our disposal, let’s put them to
is it that the Kennedy School good use. Take time to write
is going to be destroyed? And down the complaints in an or-
why in the H-— are they go-
ing to do it, sir?”
I looked at both of them and
ment was where they wanted replied, “I just got back about
derly manner and attach the
signatures of the citizens of
this town to those complaints.
“I don’t know just how much
ing could change the mental
pictures of my parents sitting
crap.
neared. In the middle of all
Working with me in all of this, my 50th class reunion
in what we called the family this move was my “trusty” with its responsibilities as a
room or my wife ensconced Mike. Mike moonlighted with
to meet and I was interested
in what they had to say, so I
agreed. The good Lord knows
I ain’t no stranger to this type
of atmosphere.
When I had arrived at the
meeting place, my friend was
already waiting for me and
soon briefed me on what to
expect.
With all due respect to their
privacy, and at their request,
their names will remain anon-
ymous, but for the sake of the
discussion, I will refer to them
as Smith and Jones.
When Smith and Jones ar-
rived, they joined us at our
table and my friend did the
a week ago and am barely will be accomplished, but at
scratching the surface on what least the voices of the con-
has happened since I left.” cerned citizens will be heard.
As I listened to their com- As I said before, I will be more
plaints regarding decisions than glad to help. Organize the
in the master bedroom. And
then there were the great fes-
tive gatherings around the din-
ing room table where so many
dead people seemed to still
gather.
Dona, RIP wife, and Erva,
RIP step-mom, both as they
got closer to death, had a habit
the family for years in what-
ever capacity was needed.
His real job was in the dining
room of the Harlingen Coun-
try Club. For us he was care-
member of the organizational
committee happened.
Day 21 came, and the bu-
reaucrats wanted more paper-
work. Day date 26 came and
the bureaucrats wanted more
that have crucially affected this people, inform them and keep of looking out of the two win-
town and this county, I thought me informed. I look forward dows of the master bedroom
to myself, why hasn’t anyone
spoken up about this. If what
they were saying is correct
than I think we’re heading for
troublesome waters.
One of the complaints was
that certain elected officials
had given themselves lucra-
tive raises, when their employ-
ees didn’t receive the same in-
creases in salary.
There were too many com-
to meeting with you again so which was upstairs in the
we can make plans to ride The townhouse. When it was the
Freedom Train.” two boys (cats) and I left in the
After a very lengthy conver- house,1 saw my wife and step-
sation we finally left the estab- mom at the windows every
lishment time I came from my bedroom
taker extraordinaire...literally paperwork. Repeat that five
for my parents as they aged times. Finally 21 days after
into death. But earlier in their Day 21,1 got my $ and ran. To
lives, he was handyman, bar- South Padre Island - and that
tender/waiter at dinner parties, is where I begin the New Year,
Oddly enough only weeks which I have termed “every-
before I needed him, he came thing will be fine in Oh Nine”.
back into my life in a chance
meeting. God works in myste-
rious ways. He was fishing in
Harlingen’s Town Lake, which
is across the street from where I
Let it be!
Much ado ... 50 years later.
Lee Ross Puckett Jr.
introductions, so we could get plaints, which were mentioned
down to the business at hand. at that meeting and I won’t go
The man whom we will call into them all. What I will tell
Smith didn’t waste much time you my good friends, is what
in getting down to the point, my reply was.
he was ready for bear--he had After having listened to
plenty of steam that had to be them express their opinions
released. and concerns, it was my turn
“We wanted to speak to to speak.
you about several things that “I wish I could tell you that
we have heard,” he said. “My I’ve already heard about all of
friend and I are here in hopes these complaints but I can’t,
that you will mention this in nonetheless, I have heard about
the paper. A lot of people in some of the things which you
this town share the same views have mentioned, and I know
as ours and they are now at the where you folks are coming
melting point.” from; it’s your tax dollar being
I looked at both of them, abused. Your complaints are
then I glanced at my friend well taken and as taxpayers
and I replied, “I hope I can be of this community, you have
of some help...but as far as every right to speak up. I like
writing about it in my column, to suggest something which I
There was a lot of discus- r
sion, which at this point in I
time will not be disclosed till 1
a later date. That day I gave ,
those men an assignment and I
the torch has now been passed. ]
My good friends and loyal |
readers let me just conclude by 1
saying, “Anytime that a town ,
Want to
subscribe?
MERCEDES ENTERPRISE I
P.O. BOX 657
MERCEDES, TX 78570
is held hostage by the abuse of I
authority, by elected officials, ! Just send us your name and address
then it is up to those people
who are victims to take action
and a check for the term you’d like
to regain the reins of power I -
which ensure the well-being 1
of the community.”
My closest friend Del Rio I
once wrote —“Good lead- .
ers are not hard to find, its’ |
dedicated followers that are
scarce.”
Praise The Lord
Un Servidor del Senor
DUKE MARTELL
RENE WAL
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The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 100, No. 54, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 7, 2009, newspaper, January 7, 2009; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1655748/m1/2/: accessed June 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.