Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 47, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 11, 2009 Page: 4 of 18
eighteen pages : ill. 24 x 12 in. Digitized from 35 mm microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
'*» *»
Viewpoints
Page A4 ■ Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sweetwater Reporter
DEDICATED TO PROUDLY DEUVERING LOCAL NEWS SINCE 1881
Sweetwater
■ ^ OWCC L VVctLCl 1
Kcportcr
P.O.Box 750/112 W. Third
Sweetwater. Texas 79556
325/236-6677
Fax: 325/2354967
Website:
www.sweetwaterreporter.com
E-mail addresses:
publlsher@sweetwaterreporter.com
business@sweetwaterreporter.com
advertising@sweetwaterreporter.com
circulation@sweetwaterreporter.com
editor@sweetwaterreporter.com
composing@sweetwaterreporter.com
EDITORIAL POLICY
The editorial section of the newspaper is a forum for expres-
sion of a variety of viewpoints. All articles except those labeled
Editorials” reflect the opinions of the writers and not those of
the Sweetwater Reporter.
Lener to the Editor
To the residents of Nolan County,
1 hope you left the tax office with a problem solved, a
question answered, a smile or perhaps we tickled your
funny bone and made you laugh and let you know we
were glad we got to see you. Thank you for giving me the
opportunity of working at a job that I have so enjoyed for
37 years. May God’s richest blessings be given to each of
you and yours.
My heartfelt thanks and appreciation,
Fonda Holman
Tax Assessor/Collector
Nolan County
GUEST COLUMN
Global warming alarmism now cooky religion
Just as many of us thought, global
warming is now a non-issue as far as
real science goes.
1 recently read an
article that said global
warming has stopped
and carbon dioxide
emissions have not
decreased. This is
based on a 231-page
report from the 2007
U.S. Senate Minority
that cited the views of
over 650 prominent
international scien-
Gray Some of the dis-
senters are even peo-
ple who are former
the International Panel
Change (IPCC), a UN
group that has warned of tragic ends
to our way of life if greenhouse-gas
emissions are not reduced a lot.
What does that mean?
To me, that means global warming
alarmism and environmental extrem-
ism is simply a fanatical religion.
This is ironic to me. Many of these
same folks would call me a whacky
fundamentalist because I’m a conser-
vative, evangelical Christian that
believes in the literal interpretation of
the Bible, and they would accuse me
of preaching crazy gloom and doom
ena-of-world prophecy if 1 talked
about my beliefs about the last days.
These same people have been preach-
ing end-of-world, gloom and doom,
fiery-end prophecy for some time now
without a lot of facts to back it up.
Kimberly
members of
on Climate
Now it’s coming out that what they
have been preaching at us is in fact a
myth, or at the most, a stretch of a
theory.
What puzzles me the most is why
they would want to do it. Whv would
anyone want to pass off such
alarmism as fact when there is no way
to be sure that it is fact? Maybe they
believe it gives them power. The cause
did, in fact, win one of their top
preachers, Al Gore, a Nobel Prize.
It seems that this type of alarmism
without real facts to back it up has
hurt the cause for true environmental-
ism as a whole. 1 agree that this won-
derful earth of ours is being abused
with pollution and waste. 1 agree that
we as human beings could do a lot
more to take care of our world, but
supporters of such alarmism wanted
to put restrictions on businesses and
human beings that would have been
very harmful to our economy, which is
something we definitely don’t need
now.
1 think people and businesses would
be willing to make sacrifices if they
had real proof, but they never did.
Now that it’s coming out that much
of what has been said about global
warming was simply a lot of people
jumping on an alarmism band wagon,
it’s going to be difficult to convince
the real cynics of the entire environ-
mentalist movement to do anything
different to make their world a better
place for their children and for all
other creatures they share it with.
I believe global warming alarmism
was popular among so many, which is
why so many others began latching
onto the ideas without knowing if they
were really facts. It’s trendy to care
about the earth and talk about how
global warming is going to kill us all.
Of course, not many of these people
really did anything personally about it
except talk. I guess that’s why so many
others weren't buying it.
Now, people are calling global
warming alarmism a "scientific scan-
dal.” Those were the words of
Japanese scientist, Kiminori Itoh,
another former IPPC member.
“People will feel deceived by science
and scientists,” he says in World
Magazine.
World also reported that National
Oceanic Atmospheric Association
(NOAA) scientist, Stanley B.
Goldenberg said, “It is a blatant lie
put forth in the media that makes it
seem there is only a fringe of scien-
tists who don't buy into anthro-
pogenic global warming.”
Yes, it's sad for me to see that the
media has perpetuated this whole
thing by also jumping on the band-
wagon. But 1 suppose that's the norm
now for the large media outlets. We
rarely hear both sides of an issue any-
more - just a bunch of talking heads
preaching at us from one side and
doing what they can to make dis-
senters look like cooks.
Who looks like a cook now?
Kimberly Gray is a speeial eorrespnndent
for the Sweetwater Reporter. Comments
about her column may be e-mailed to edi-
tor (fswee twateireporter.com.
lisa
Peterson
POTPOURRI
New Year’s resolutions
As people sit about reading their newspapers today, they are
either feeling relieved that the holidays are past, decorations safe
ly stored for another several months, and life returning to normal, I
or they feel horridly let down. The excitement of |
the last months is over, and about the only thing
left to eagerly anticipate are the Super Bowl
commercials!
Vital statistics statisticians claim that the next
ninety days are the most deadly of the year.
Persons try so hard during the holiday season,
and are so up beat, that many literally will them-
selves to stay alive. The influx of friends and
family, tire communication and activities keep j
interest and excitement high. When these are
taken away, the interest in life wanes, and, in
some cases, weakens the system enough that the
person drifts away. Medical professionals have
known for centuries that persons who have
something to live for are more likely to survive
life threatening illnesses and situations that
those who are simply “marking time”.
Persons who are regular readers of the column over the last
years know that 1 am not a major fan of New Year's resolutions.
They tend to be over reaching, impossible to keep because they
reflect an attempt to change a lifestyle in one far reaching state-
ment, and are totally forgotten in sixty days, making it simple to
resolve the same thing on the next New Year. Lasting change
tends to come in small segments, such as controlling calorie
intake for the next thirty minutes...and the next,,,and the next. A
resolution to work out over the next year works best when it is
taken on a day by day basis. There is something that can help with
both of those resolutions, help alleviate the winter doldrums, and
bring an encouragement to live to those who need it!
Not many years ago, a local group complained that they were
not able to visit a nursing home because all the nights that they
wanted to go during the holiday season were already taken.
When the suggestion was made that they consider going on an
evening not associated with a holiday, the adults were horrified;
that made no sense to them. 'Inere are a few groups in
Sweetwater that take the time to interact with those who are in
nursing facilities, in the hospital, or in mental health homes. The
people who do this on a regular basis are generally anonymous;
most don’t feel that they are doing anything special, just doing
"what’s right". In actuality, they are very special, certainly to those
who anticipate their coming and feel a “lift” as a result of the visit.
Many of those who are clients of services such as Meals on Wheels
are quick to point out that, while they appreciate the meal, the
opportunity to interact face to face with another person means
even more.
Human beings are social creatures; we need the physical
awareness of each other. A study came out last year which indi-
cated that, for good mental health, people need to receive a posi-
tive “touch” at least eight times each day. It dries not have to be
an embrace; a hand on a shoulder or other caress ran do as much.
Without that, people start pulling into themselves, feeling isolat-
ed. and that quiet question of “what am I living for” starts to creep
in. The touch does not have to come from family, but it needs to
be the gratuitous outreach of someone who cares - whether for
that person in particular or humanity in general.
We are rapidly becoming a society of isolationists. Even in our
small community, neighlxirhoods are disappearing, as is the idea
of “community" in the workplace. Whether as the result of too
many distractions, too much to accomplish, or entertainment
within the four walls of our homes, we are cutting ourselves off
from each other. In the long run, this is neither wise nor healthy.
As you start feeling the “winter depression” or the pull to go
home and hibernate, think about some of the others in our com-
munity - those who can't get out, have no one with whom to inter-
act. You don’t have to know them before you go; ii you are uncer-
tain about visiting, talk to the activities director, or check with vol-
unteer groups. Pull the coat back on and go out; take the time to
be human, to be a person. It doesn't cost money, all it requires is
a little time taken from television, video games, chatting on the
cell phone. The mental and physical benefits are long term and
priceless, for both you and those you visit.
Lisa Peterson is the County Attorney for Nolan County.
('onnnents about this column may In■ e-mailed to editor(n sweet-
waterreixn1er.com
mV\ ■
7J
f...
m
/>
,t^r
m Gfmfc 7
fr/Wgjt&L
M GMi " (! icon e.’tS: a u w <
ROUND OUR PLACE
57 years ago
Normally, people make “snug”, just conservative,
resolutions on New Year's I'm a child of Depression-
morning and probably wait Era parents and grandpar-
nntil tlie next day to start on ents who were so tight
they'd get out of
bed to turn over.
(You know—so
they wouldn't
wear the sheets
out turning over
on them!) I
remember a movie
where John
Wayne said, “The
kid is wounded—
tear up a sheet so
we can bandage
them. Round our place
we didn't do the normal
thing (we seldom do),
but started on our pro-
jects before New Year's
Day. In fact, we started
the day after Christmas.
We moved into our
house on March 1, 1980.
It wasn’t really what we
wanted, but with a new
baby coming we needed Quail
more room, and thought _____w
it would be fine until we JOlinSOII him.” Talk about
could do something dif- Hollywood! I
ferent. That was twenty- always thought it would be
eight years and ten months more like, “Let's see if he's
ago, and, no, we haven't really liable to bleed to
done anything different, death before we go tearing
Sometimes I just don't get up any sheets!"
around to things right awav. You know how cleaning up
Yeah, I know-that reminds is. It goes like this: “What a
you of someone. I may not mess! Why did I keep this?
even know who, but I'm sure What is it anyway?” And the
you do. Anyway, since 1980 best one: “Look, I can use
we've acquired excessive this!" It was one of these "1
inventory in and around our can use this!” things that
house. (Some people have sent me back fifty-seven
junk; I have inventory.) I years and reminded me of
started an inventory-reduc- now things were then. It was
tion program. 'I bis runs the a page out of a ledger dated
scale from garage sales to January 9, 1952. Under a
giveaways. In between, it column headed “Stan" is a
involves keeping boxes, listing for a 455-lb white-
throw-away boxes, garbage faced bull that brought
bags to keep things in, $24.75 per hundred weight
garbage bags to fill up and for a total of $112.61, and
throw away, garbage bags to one 445-lb white-faced steer
be emptied into the dump- that broug
ster, then filled up and hundred weq
dumped again. These bags $122.38. The total of these
have a drawstring and are minus a commission of
on the low end of refillable $3.66 left me with $231.33.
containers. I’m not tight or I was rich! At that time, land
was around thirty dollars an
acre, which means I could
have bought and paid for
eight acres of land with my
cattle profits. Sell two steers
like that today and see how
much land you can pay for!
Or, for another example, ten
of those steers I sold would
have paid for a new pickup.
A similar pickup today
would cost $20,000 and
you'd have to sell forty-five
similar steers. I know, I
know, we have some
$48,000 pickups around
now, but a real plain pickup
like I'm talking about is
$18,900.00, plus, plus, plus.
The ledger also shows that
Daddy sold five head of cat-
tle for a total of $505.46 less
$8.07 commission and
bought one young white-
faced cow that weighed a
thousand pounds for
$234.00. Another sheet
showed ninety-nine Bundles
of hegari on a trailer and
twenty-one shocks in the
east field.
The livestock inventory
ends with:
5-year-old bay mare
branded as A 5.
P. S. For the last few
weeks I've been driving mv
old pickup. When people ask
me why, 1 tell them, “1 filled
up my new pickup with that
higher-priced gas and now 1
can't afford to drive it.”
© Stan Johnson 2009
Stun Johnson lives and works
in Nolan County. Comments
about this column can be
emailed to editor@sweetwater-
reporter.com.
ight $27.50 per
/eight for a total of
The SWEETWATER REPORTER
(USPS 5300 860) is published daily
except Saturdays and holidays by
HPC ot Texas. Inc (Periodical
Postage Paid) 11Z W 3rd,
Sweetwater, Texas 79556
Postmaster Send address changes
to: SWEETWATER REPORTER
PO BOX 750.
SWEETWATER, TEXAS 79556
City Delivery $8 50 per month, $85 00
per year. 6-months $45.50.
( months $t'4./5 By mail $/5 pei
year in our letail trading zone Other
rates available on request
Correction Policy
Editorial:
As a matter of policy, the
Sweetwater Reporter will
publish corrections of errors
in fact that have been print-
ed in the newspaper.
The cortections will be
made as soon as possible
after the error has been
brought to the attention of
the newspaper's editor at
236-6677
Advertising;
Publisher reserves the right
to reject, edit or cancel any
advertising at any time with-
out liability. Publisher's liabil-
ity for error is limited to the
amount paid for advertising.
Reporter
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Rodriguez, Tatiana. Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 47, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 11, 2009, newspaper, January 11, 2009; Sweetwater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth577858/m1/4/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sweetwater/Nolan County City-County Library.