The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 131, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 10, 2007 Page: 4 of 14
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IMIOM PACE
4A Pace
The Albany News
, Thursday, May 10, 2007
The Albany News
Since 1875
Oldest journalistic venture west of the Brazos
Publisher Donnie A. Lucas
Editor
Melinda L. Lucas
Advertising Manager
Donna Hargrave
Moran Correspondent
Audrey Brooks
Office Manager
Sheryl Spore
Typesetter
Betty Viertel
Office Assistant
<r
Jordan Lucas
editorial
Tax Freeze Is Risky
Local voters ha ve the opportunity to go to the polls on
Saturday to elect members to several local boards and
decide an important issue dealing with freezing taxes
for residents over 65 years old and the disabled.
Residents are urged to go to the polls to have a say
in these important elections, especially the proposition
to freeze taxes, which is a risky and potentially costly
issue, and if passed, would be irreversible.
Agroup of residents representing homeowners over
65 and the disabled petitioned last fall that the proposi-
tion be placed on the ballot to allow their city property
taxes to be frozen at the current level. The freeze, if
passed, would cap taxes on all qualifying property
at the current tax level unless the owner decides to
make improvements or the property is transferred to
another owner.
On the surface this seems like a reasonable sug-
gestion. Those over 65 are often on a fixed income and
unable to absorb increases in their tax bills due either
to increases in property values or the tax rate.
However, there are other considerations.
First, in the case of Albany taxpayers, the bulk of
the tax savings will go to taxpayers living in moderate
to expensive homes. Albany has a substantial segment
of homes owned by persons over 65 who are nowhere
close to the poverty line. This wouldn't be much of an
issue if the proposal were based just on the actual tax
rate and not property values. The city tax rate has been
stable for several years, but property values have been
on the rise, lb freeze a sizeable portion of the tax levy
would then shift all the burden of any future increases
to the segment of the population under 65.
Also, if the city were to raise rates - say to fix
streets - then there would be no way to have anyone
age 65 or older share in that expense. And in the city
meetings where the need for street repair has been an
issue, those attending have been primarily from the
over 65 age group.
Ironically, it is due in part to per capita wealth of the
city that Albany does not qualify for federal grants like
neighboring towns to pay for improvements.
Albany is unique. Much of our wealth now resides
with the over 65 age group, unlike many smaller towns
where wealth is concentrated in the income generating
age bracket. 7b eliminate a segment of the population
that can best afford future advances within the city such
as street repairs would be unwise, and would almost
assuredly defeat any local improvement effort before
it could even begin. Incidentally, this same group has
always put the city's best interest ahead of their own
pocketbook, and hopefully, they will continue to do so.
Municipal improvements and services benefit all seg-
ments of society and should be paid for fairly by all.
Saturday is an important election for Albany and
one in which everyone in all age categories should
participate.
policy
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AFFILIATIONS
2007 MEMBER: Texas Press Association,
West Texas Press Association.
ponderings by pat
By Pat Lidia Jones
The other day in the mail, I got a
note and a tiny picture from Mona
Salters Hart. In going through old
keepsakes, she found the picture
and thought I might like an old
memory.
It was a picture of me in my
freshman year at Albany High
School. I have my megaphone and
am dressed in our cheerleader's
uniform for that year, which I be-
lieve was 1946-7. I had designed
our uniforms which were home-
made. The blouse and underpants
were red and one-piece, so the top
didn't pull out for high jumps and
raised arms. It was red. A white
circular skirt was added, plus red
sox and white moccasins.
And we were ready to lead yells
for the Albany Lions. What fun!
So, Mona, I love it and I thank
you for taking the trouble to send
a great memory.
Everywhere I have lived, I've
loved being there, cried when I left
and dreaded the next place - only
to fall in love with it and repeat
my pattern.
I was to be in the seventh grade
in the new town. When my mother
and I showed up for me to register,
she was surprised to learn that
there was not going to be a seventh
grade. Albany was in the process of
adding a grade to make a 12 year
system. My mother was asked by
the principal to choose whether
he should place me in the sixth
or eighth grade. She immediately
said the eighth grade because she
was certain I could do the work.
On the first day of school that
year, I was not the only new girl.
There was Peggy Bramblett, Mar-
gie Rogers, Ann Hemphill and me.
And we remained close friends
up to and beyond graduation day,
years later.
The first day of school in a new
town and all new friends-to-be is
an awe-inspiring hurdle. At some
point, the new is gone and you feel
a kinship with the new friends.
And years from that long ago day,
I call them "old friends", the best
term of all.
Now, many of that fondly-re-
membered old eighth grade class
have moved on and I have stayed.
Ron Macon and his wife, Mary,
are among my "regained" friend-
ships. He has held high and re-
sponsible positions in his business
and has lived all over the world.
He always said, at AHS reunions,
that the day he retired, he planned
to come back to Albany - for good.
And he has. Everyone who knows
and loves Ron stands by, to help
him in his ongoing battle against
cancer and treatments for it.
I still stay in touch with my dear
friend Janey Spencer Gunlock,
who now lives in Round Rock,
Texas, with her husband, Jack
Gunlock, a Breckenridge hand. I
named my precious Yorkie dog for
her, Emily Janellen, Janey.
I stay in touch with Bill Herod,
a friend from my days in AHS. He
lives in Ranger with wife Sandi.
They have a big family.
Most of our class has moved
on from Albany, but we are still
friends and always will be. They
come back for the BIG class re-
unions. You can find an enormous
amount of information, about
locating class members, on the
Internet, or by contacting the AHS
Ex-Students Association. Go to
the meetings at the high school
auditorium the Saturday morning
of Homecoming. Check the Albany
News. They have a fun meeting
and always have Roll Call. We'll be
glad to see you - and you'll be glad
you made the effort. Try going on
you..*me...and everyday life
the ON years, which is bigger.
You will see people looking
around as each year is called and
those class members rise and tell
their names. Someone will see an
old friend, loved but unseen since
graduation and renew that friend-
ship, even if only for a few hours.
And the classes' attendance falls
as the class rolls go farther back.
It's sad when you see one another
and start remembering the ones
who aren't there anymore.
But oh, how good to see those
beloved faces of old friends.
So I remember that old picture
of that young Pat Jones in 1946-47.
Little did I know as I stood smiling
for the camera —
I didn't know that I would even-
tually actually marry #18 that I
walked off the field each Friday
night -that we would have three
children. We never dreamed one of
them would die and that farther
ahead we would be grandparents
of four. We couldn't imagine that
we would be old and look back on
those early days with such fond-
ness and longing.
Thank you, Mona for promot-
ing the great trip down memory
lane.
By Bobbie Cauble
A friend sent this to me some
time ago and I kept it. It reminded
me of my mother and a little of
myself.
"Someday when my children
are old enough to understand the
logic that motivates a parent, I
will tell them, as my MEAN MOM
told me:
...I loved you enough to ask
where you were going, with
whom, and what time you would
be home.
... I loved you enough to be silent
and let you discover that your new
best friend was a creep.
...I loved you enough to stand
over you for two hours while you
cleaned your room, a job that
should have taken 15 minutes.
...I loved you enough to let you
see anger, disappointment, and
tears in my eyes.
...I loved you enough to let you
assume the responsibility for your
actions even when the penalties
were so harsh they almost broke
my heart.
...But most of all, I loved you
enough....to say NO when I knew
you would hate me, temporarily,
for it.
Those were the most difficult
battles of all. I'm glad I won them,
because in the end you won too.
And someday when your children
are old enough to understand the
logic that motivates parents, you
will tell them."
Yes, my mom was MEAN. We
had the meanest mom in the world!
While other kids ate candy for
breakfast, we had to have cereal,
eggs and toast.
...When others had a Coke and
Twinkies for lunch, we had to eat
sandwiches. And our mother fixed
dinner every night.
...There was no television until
all our homework was finished.
Homework was a priority.
...My mother insisted on know-
ing where we were at all times.
You'd think we were convicts in a
prison. She had to know who our
friends were and what we were
doing with them. She insisted
that if we said we would be gone
an hour, we would be gone for an
hour or less.
...We were ashamed to admit
it, but she had the nerve to break
the Child Labor Laws by making
us work. We had to cook, vacuum
the floor, do laundry, empty the
trash and all sorts of cruel jobs.
I think she would lie awake at
night thinking of more things for
us to do.
...She always insisted on us
telling the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth. By the
time we were teenagers, she could
read our minds and really did have
eyes in the back of her head.
amblin' through albany
...Mother wouldn't let our
friends just honk the horn when
they drove up. They had to come
up to the door so she could meet
them. While everyone else could
date at 14 or 15, we had to wait
until we were 16.
Because of our mother, we
missed out on lots of things other
kids experienced. None of us have
ever been caught shoplifting, van-
dalizing other's property, never
got expelled from school, or ever
arrested for any crime. It was all
her fault.
Now that we have left home,
we are all educated, honest
adults. We are doing our best to
be MEAN PARENTS, just like
our mom was.
I think that is what's wrong
with the world today.
It just doesn't have enough
MEAN MOMS!
By Larry Bell
Today I again want to update
some recent columns due to fur-
ther developments. It's mostly
good news.
The beautiful quilt featuring
African animals painted by the
sixth grade science students of
Mrs. Myra Hise was recently sold
by silent auction.
The bidding ended, as had
been announced, at 1:00 p.m. on
Saturday, April 21 during the
Arts Roundup. The winning bid
was for $475 by Sheryl Scott and
the quilt is now part of the Scott
household here in Albany. Their
daughter, Sierra, was one of the
sixth grade painters.
The $475 received for this year's
quilt is the highest amount ever
received for any of the quilts so far.
Last year's quilt of sea creatures
went for $350. Mrs. Hise's classes
have been doing these for 11 years
and will continue next year.
Someone has asked and others
may have wondered if my wife and
I as sponsors/underwriters of this
project reimburse ourselves for the
production expenses from the auc-
tion proceeds. The answer is no; all
proceeds without deduction go to
our Resource Center. We are happy
and proud to be part of this fine
tradition and greatly enjoy work-
ing with the kids. They continue
to amaze us, as does Myra Hise
and all the staff at Nancy Smith
Elementary.
Very early this year I suggested
that Albany should a^ek to develop
further as a center ibr the arts
of all kinds and as a retirement
community. This would help as-
sure modest continued growth
without putting stress on our
infrastructure or on the school
system. I submit that it's an idea
whose time has come.
We already have a head start
in both areas and several recent
developments are quite encour-
aging. Cheryl Smith's success at
Heritage Gallery is attracting
students, both young and old, as
well as adult exhibitors and is a
promising sign.
A second positive development
was the opening of the Barrington
Gallery. Joe and JJ's sculptures
and photographs have attracted a
lot of attention and discussion.
A third major plus was the
recent great success of the Albany
Arts Roundup. The exhibits at
the Whitney of the works of local
artists drew many visitors and re-
sulted in quite a few sales. Albany
already has a surprising number
of artists living here.
Finally, you can't speak of the
arts in Albany without reference to
the Old Jail Art Center. It contin-
ues to attract favorable attention
to itself and to Albany for its collec-
tion, its exhibits and its outstand-
ing education programs.
All of that together constitutes a
really good start. Now if we can at-
tract more painters and sculptors
and perhaps some writers, we will
be on the road to becoming a rec-
ognized creative arts community.
We do need also to work on at-
tracting more retirees. Remember,
more than 2.7 million Texans
are already over 60, a number
projected to triple within 25
years. Each retiree couple has a
favorable economic impact upon
a community equal to 3.7 manu-
facturing jobs. They spend money,
pay property taxes, volunteer and
support the arts. A great many of
retirees will resettle somewhere.
Why not Albany?
In early February I wrote about
global warming. The main points
of the piece were that (A) global
warming is definitely happen-
ing, according to overwhelming
evidence and the consensus of
the vast majority of the scientific
community; and (B) mankind is
very significantly contributing to
it although it is still unknown by
exactly how much. I likened those
who persist in denying these two
theses to members of the Flat
Earth Society or those who still
deny the Holocaust.
Since I wrote that, there has
come forth yet more evidence
in support of both propositions.
There has been another report
by the special U.N. panel, major
articles in scientific journals and in
magazine and newspapers as well
as television specials. Particularly
noteworthy was an excellent docu-
mentary on April 24 on "Frontline"
on the PBS network. You can eas-
ily find many references on the
internet.
In February, several American
corporation executives joined
representatives of environmental
groups in testimony before Con-
gress pleading for vigorous federal
action. Several states are already
taking such action. Even the Bush
administration has recently aban-
doned its head-in-the-sand "It's not
happening" stance and admitted
that global warming is occurring
and perhaps we should care.
MAY 10 Community Action Program - Resource Center,
9 am-4 pm
Blood drive - First Baptist parking lot, 12-6 pm
Lions Club - Icehouse, 12 noon
Fandangle practice - Prairie Theater, 8 pm
Chamber luncheon - Ft Griffin Gen Mdse, 12 noon
County & local elections - Courthouse, 7 am-7 pm
Commissioners court - Courthouse, 9 am
Academic banquet - Whitney Theater, 7 pm
ESL classes - Resource Center, 6-8 pm
Sports banquet - AHS gym, 6:30 pm
AA & Al-Anon - Methodist Church, 7:30 pm
Kindergarten Roundup - NSES cafeteria, 12 noon
Kiwanis Club - Ft Griffin Gen. Mdse., 12 noon
City council • City Hall, S pm
Golf scramble - Albany Golf Course, 5:30 pm
Square dancing at 8 pm, Huppi Hi at 9 am -
Prairie Theater
Masons - Masonic Lodge, 7:30 pm
Elementary field day for P-K-2nd grade - NSES
campus, 8:45 am
Art Carnival - Old Jail Art Center, 10 am-12 noon
Hospital board - EMS Station, 6 pm
School board - Supt.'s office, 7 pm
MAY 11
MAY 12
MAY 14
MAY 15
MAY 16
MAY 17
MAY 18
MAY 19
MAY 21
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Lucas, Melinda L. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 131, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 10, 2007, newspaper, May 10, 2007; Albany, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth414472/m1/4/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.