The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 138, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 19, 2013 Page: 4 of 14
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PINION PAGE
Page
The Albany News
www.thealbanynews.net Thursday, September 19, 201 3
The Albany News
Since 1875
Oldest journalistic venture west of the Brazos
Publisher
Donnie A. Lucas
Editor
Melinda L. Lucas
Office Manager
Jody Patterson
Staff Writer
Kathryn Stapp
Typesetter
Betty Viertel
Advertising Sales
Tony Kitchens
Office Asst. / Photographer
Rob Montgomery
Moran Correspondent
Duston Brooks
EDITORIAL
Scholarship Drive
Mid-September is noted for many
things, but in Albany it is the traditional
start of a locally important drive.
The annual “Dollars for Bob’s Scholar-
ships” fundraising campaign sponsored
by the Albany Ex-Students Association
began last week on the anniversary of
Robert Nail’s birthday - Sept. 13.
Albany has a wonderful scholarship
program and the grandfather of them all
is the Robert Nail Ex-Students Associa-
tion Scholarship Fund.
While largely known as a playwright
and creator of the Fort Griffin Fandan-
gle and The Albany Nativity, Robert Nail
also helped a number of local students
further their education during his life.
Although the official start to the an-
nual campaign is on Nail’s birthdate, it
is given a major emphasis during the
homecoming season.
To date the Nail scholarship fund has
given out $185,975 to Albany’s gradu-
ating seniors at a typical rate of about
$6,000 per year, although recent low in-
terest rates have lowered that amount
drastically. The first award was made in
1968 in the amount of $100, so it’s fairly
easy to calculate how much the fund has
grown in the past four decades.
However, as impressive as the fund
totals are, the cost of a college education
is accelerating even more. It’s quite pos-
sible that $100 in 1968 went as far as a
$2,000 scholarship would go today.
That’s where local residents and Al-
bany exes come in.
The response to the scholarship cam-
paign in the early years was tremen-
dous. Even as recently as 10 years ago,
it wasn’t unusual to collect $5,000 to
$6,000 each year. However, the number
of people who knew Bob Nail is growing
smaller, and that seems to be affecting
collections. Annual receipts are declin-
ing at an alarming rate, and some years,
only a few hundred dollars is given.
That’s a real concern.
When the overall effect of the Nail
Scholarship is examined, it shouldn’t re-
ally matter if the giver ever actually knew
Robert Nail. Looking simply at the schol-
arship itself and what it means to current
graduates should be incentive enough.
And sadly, the original supporters,
graduates from the 1940s, 50s and 60s,
are still the ones who give the most to the
fund, even though later graduates are the
ones who have actually benefitted from it.
Consider contributing this year, es-
pecially if you were a recipient of a Nail
Scholarship. It’s our turn.
POLICY
THE ALBANY NEWS
(USPS 012-400) is published weekly, with the possible
exception of one week in July 2013 and one week in
December 2013, for $40 per year for subscriptions
within Shackelford County, $45 per year for subscrip-
tions within Texas, and $50 per year for out-of-state
subscriptions by Lucas Publications Inc., 49 S. Main,
Albany, Texas 76430. Periodicals postage paid at Albany,
Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The
Albany News, PO Box 2139, Albany, Texas 76430-8006
or to circulation@thealbanynews.net.
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reserves the right to edit or to refuse any
letters. Send letters to The Albany News,
PO Box 2139, Albany TX 76430-8006 or to
news@thealbanynews.net.
CORRECTIONS
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reputation or standing of any individual, firm
or corporation will be corrected when noti-
fication in writing is given to the publisher
within 10 days after publication.
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CONTACT INFORMATION
MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 2139, Albany TX 76430
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 325/762-2201
FAX NUMBER: 325/762-3201
EMAIL ADDRESS: news@thealbanynews.net
WEBSITE: www.thealbanynews.net
AFFILIATIONS
2013 MEMBER: Texas Press Association,
West Texas Press Association.
Visiting friends just a few miles down the road
When I read in last week’s paper
that Villa Haven Nursing Center in
Breckenridge was in need of some
“stuff’ for their new library......I knew
immediately that I had “stuff.” Quite
a bit of “stuff.” The article mentioned
needing books, videos
-both VCR and DVD.
It also mentioned
audio books.
My kids used to
call me their own
personal video store.
I love movies, mostly
romance and com-
Bobbie Cauble edies and a little es-
pionage on the side. I have to say that
over the years I have collected a great
assortment. I only buy movies that I
know I could watch several times over.
And guys....don’t start....I know that
a lot of you watch the old westerns
from the 60’s reruns....over and over
again....yes, you do.
I also have a good assortment of
audio books that I purchased over the
years. There is nothing like someone
reading a good story to you while you
You, me & everyday life
are driving down the road. (Except
while driving in highly populated areas
with heavy traffic - I say this because I
have missed a few exits here and there
because I was so involved with a story).
Here’s a tip for
you. I finally
learned I could
rent the audio
books at Cracker Barrel, listen to them
on my trip and turn them in at another
location. How great is that? This is one
time it is better to rent instead of own.
The young lady at Villa Haven
mentioned that audio books were great
because there were a couple of the
ladies who were blind and some others
who had trouble reading.
Well, on Saturday afternoon I
packed up all my “stuff’ (several bags)
and headed east. I was met by a very
nice young lady at the desk and she
gladly helped me with my bags of
“stuff.” She told me she knew they
would enjoy the movies. I told her that
I had also included several musical
CD’s from our past church choir musi-
cals. I also had a couple of CD’s of older
music....The Rat Pack....Dean Martin...
Frank Sinatra and even Perry Como.
Looking around in the dining hall,
I saw several ladies playing Bingo. I
spotted Mildred Woodward and Alma
Godfrey who
were really
into the game.
I walked over
and spoke to them, trying not to inter-
rupt their heated game of Bingo. Each
of them were playing two cards. I
myself have trouble playing two cards
at once at the Fall Fest. They were on
the ball and didn’t miss a beat. They
introduced me to another nice lady at
their table, Ms. Short, who has Albany
connections. After the game finished,
we had a little conversation. They were
excited to hear that another Albany
lady would be joining them soon, Mrs.
Grace Leech. They told me she defi-
nitely would be joining “The Albany
Table.”
I only hope when I reach that age
there is a group out there somewhere
like these ladies. And I hope they will
save me a place at “The Albany Table.”
Pope France Forgoes Rdpemoble to drive Renault
WHO DO
YOU CALL?
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz
455 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-5922
Website: cruz.senate.gov
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn
51 7 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-2934
Website: cornyn.senate.gov
U.S. Rep Randy Neugebauer
1424 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 888-763-1611
Website: randy.house.gov
State Sen. Robert L. Duncan
P.O. Box 1 2068
Austin, Texas 78711
Phone: 512-463-0128
senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members.htm
State Rep. Jim Keffer
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
Phone: 800-586-4515
house.state.tx.us/members
That's NOT in the constitution!
Larry Bell
This past Tuesday was Constitu-
tion Day. Sept. 17 is the annual date
designated by Congress to celebrate
our great national charter which was
written in 1787 and went into effect in
1789.
«l We Americans
1 greatly revere our Con-
stitution and refer to it
often. One big problem,
however, is that many
4_yJL believe - and some are
actually taught this
in school - that all the
basic principles and
institutions in our governmental and
political systems are provided for in
that document. That is not so.
Not even all of the most hallowed
words and phrases in our constitu-
tional history are actually found in
the Constitution itself. The concepts
to which they refer are indeed there
but not the familiar words and phrases
that we use to describe them.
Among those missing words are : de-
mocracy, separation of powers, checks
and balances, judicial independence,
and federalism. Likewise not used in
the document itself are: cabinet, judi-
cial review, minority rights, personal
Amblin' through Albany
privacy, civilian supremacy (over the
military) and separation of church and
state (i.e. of religion and government
officially).
There is no use of the words elector-
al college, presidential inauguration,
or states’ rights. And the word budget
does not appear in the entire docu-
ment.
To be sure, all
those concepts
are thoroughly
en-grafted into the Constitution, just
not the words we have traditionally
used to describe them.
Even more remarkable, however, is
the fact that certain other basic insti-
tutions and processes have developed
which are in no way provided for nor
even mentioned in our Constitution.
This does not make them unconstitu-
tional, merely non-constitutional, or
what scholars and lawyers call extra-
constitutional (“extra” being a Latin
prefix meaning outside of or separate
from).
Most notable among these is our
political party system. The Constitu-
tion is totally silent about them. It
does not specify two parties; we could
have three or one or 12. Everything to
do with our parties has developed by
custom, tradition, and laws both state
and federal.
There is nothing in the document re-
garding party conventions, primaries,
caucuses or debates. There is no refer-
ence to majority and minority leaders
or other party officials or structures.
Likewise,
there is no refer-
ence to the First
Lady or her role,
to the congressional committee system
or the seniority rule, to earmarks or to
filibusters.
What adds still further confusion
about our Constitution is that many
folks (including preachers, teachers
and politicians) often attribute to it
famous words and phrases from other
sources. Primary among these are the
Declaration of Independence, the Get-
tysburg Address, the Bible and Shake-
speare.
The U.S. Constitution is our basic
law, the great charter of our demo-
cratic republic. What a pity that more
of our citizens are not really familiar
with it. How will they know if someone
is ignoring or abusing it?
Rack of lamb right up there with Ali's shrimp
Everyone within 50 or 60 miles of
Albany knows that Thursday’s Shrimp
Night at Ali’s Fort Griffin Beehive Sa-
loon Restaurant is the best deal and the
best shrimp in West Texas! But, what
you may not know is that in addition to
shrimp, Ali cooks the best rack of lamb,
too, and connoisseurs
I of lamb will tell you
that it is the best.
That doesn’t mean
, ’\J| that Ali’s prime rib
. fl and rib eye steaks
I aren’t right up there,
; . ‘ ~ -1 too, it just means that
. , _ ,, „ Ah knows how to cook
Shirley Caldwell nleat of many killds.
That is why he is the senior restaura-
teur in our area and the best.
And, yep! It’s that time again to
clean up the ‘ole shot guns and take aim
at some dove. Despite the heat, there
were lots of hunters getting their limit
in birds. It is time to get rid of some of
those noisy birds of a feather that wake
you up in the morning - the elegante
roosters of the plains - the white wing
dove. They are LOUD in my neighbor-
hood, but don’t come shootin’ around
here!
Some time ago and maybe recently,
Stoppin' by
the dove man as in Lonesome, came to
town to seek out Ali’s lamb. Word got
out that Robert as in Duvall was com-
ing to the Beehive and everyone flocked
down there. Sure enough, there he was
in ‘his’ room,
the middle
one, trying
to eat a quiet
meal with friends while all of us were
trying to get a peek at him. It was so
much fun for US!
I’m just trying to say you never
know who might drop by Ali’s. Maybe
you will get lucky and see a famous
face not to mention have a great meal,
because Robert calls Ah every New
Year’s and recently he called to give him
an invitation to come for his beautiful
new Argentinean wife’s birthday, but Ali
says he can’t go because he is too busy
cooking shrimp, lamb, and beef.
Speaking of dove and Robert Duvall,
if you Google him you can hear him sing
a gorgeous gospel song favorite of mine
“Wings of a Dove” with Gail Youngs
from Tender Mercies.
Because, Kristi, at Blanton-Caldwell
says (just like Pat Boone singing “When
the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano”
also on Google) ‘a ton of hunters’ are
back in Shackelford for a booming dove
season. They also report seeing the old
Bob Whites again which will make A.V.
and the rest of us very happy, because
who doesn’t prefer quail over dove?
My mother, who
would have been
104 today, used
to have Daddy
pick the feathers off of quail leaving the
delicate skin, stuff them with a bread
stuffing, and bake them until the meat
was lusciously tender. After basting the
birds with a combination of real home-
made butter, sage, and broth, they were
really something to remember.
Then, the nicest lady in town, Lynda
Heatly, will sell you something to put
them in at the Kitchen Shop or our
“everything always there True Value
Cleveland Hardware Store” and you’ll
be set. But, if you don’t want to cook, go
to Blanton-Caldwell (no relation) and
buy a wedding gift and go to Ali’s for a
great meal of your choosing. Who knows
just WHO you might see?
(The hottest sellers in Albany last
month have been milk shakes, hunting
licenses, shrimp, Pioneer Woman Cook-
books, and rib eyes, hands down.)
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Lucas, Melinda L. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 138, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 19, 2013, newspaper, September 19, 2013; Albany, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth703669/m1/4/: accessed July 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.