Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 125, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 25, 2007 Page: 4 of 20
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jPAGE 4A - POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE, THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2007
EDITORIAL
! ' THE POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE
Letters to the editor
Get involved in community Gone on long enough
To the editor:
ll constantly amazes me that the
people of our community do not
have more interest in this city and
county!
I have attended every city coun-
cil meeting for almost seven years
when I have been in town, and
county commissioner meetings
when I could, and the only people 1
ever see there (except for the coun-
cil members and commissioners)
are the people who have some
"special interest” and as soon as
they testify or hear the testimony
(re: the subject that they came to
champion or disagree with), are
usually the Enterprise reporter writ-
ing about the meeting, legal coun-
sel and myself.
Granted, hearing about sewers
and which streets or roads have
been the "chosen” ones to discuss
or repair is not the most interesting
of topics: nevertheless, everyone's
taxes are involved and input would
be welcome (at least at the county
meetings on an extemporaneous
basis) and should be. and by ad-
vance arrangement at the city meet-
ings.
Of course the excuse is that one
can read about it in the next issue
of the Enterprise, but why aren't
people in this general area MORE
concerned and interested in their
local government's discussions and
actions which affect all of us?
The newspaper reported last
week that all were invited to meet
with those professionals who were
selected and being compensated for
assisting us in locating and hiring a
new Livingston superintendent of
ichools, as they met with the ad-
ministrators, staff, students, support
personnel, etc., in the various meet-
ings to ascertain what qualities
were most desirable, jfllije selection
of that new leadership position
which directly affects the children
of this area.
i was concerned and interested to
attend ALL those meetings to see
what each group thought important
in this leadership role, but when I
arrived at the first meeting, I was
told that this openness-invitation
had been a mistake and I'd only be
allowed to attend the community
meeting held in the evening at the
junior high school.
1 was there — along with all of
SIX other (concerned) taxpayers,
meeting in that gigfntic cafetorium!
I had expected a FULL HOUSE
to discuss such an important topic
for our children, but instead we had
one interested mother of four who
moved to Livingston to get away
from big city schools and raise her
children in a more country-friendly
environment... three fellas who
kept referring to the upcoming su-
perintendent as “he" instead of
“he" or "she” (and as yet we don't
know what the superintendent
search will present to us as the
BEST candidate who is willing to
take a less-than-attractive salary to
move here)... and a retired minister
and his wife who have just moved
here from Wyoming for family
reasons. That was it!
Is this completely representative
of our entire community?
1 was grateful for some “com-
pany" at that all-important meeting,
but am still shocked and appalled at
the lack of interest and participa-
tion!
The next day as I was re-
counting this experience to my
peers in a classroom where we are
all volunteers teaching an after-
school class for small children (in-
cluding one who moved to
Livingston because her husband is
a teacher here in our high school.
The response was the same: “No
interest,” even from the parents
who seldom attend ANY school-
oriented meeting!
So sad!
I don't have any children and
never have had, however I pay my
school taxes anyway for everyone
else's children, but my Polk County
forebears go back for generations
on both sides of my family, and
whether it is here or anywhere else
1 have ever lived, I am ALWAYS
interested and concerned and get
involved in my community with the
hope that 1 can contribute and help
to make it better!
This is America and we are
blessed with the privilege and op-
portunity to attend and agree or
disagree and try to make things
better for ourselves AND future
generations.
Where is YOUR contribution?
Barbara WagstafT
Livingston
The hammer of God's word
To the editor:
John 3:19: And this is the con-
demnation that light (Jesus) has
come into the world and men loved
darkness rather than light, because
their deeds were evil (of the devil).
John 3:20: For every one that
docth evil hateth the light (Jesus),
neither cometh to the light (Jesus)
lest their deeds should be reproved
(or condemned or known).
This world is geared up to fight
sin with sin, and two wrongs do not
make a right, and you do not fight
fire with fire, and it’s better to gain
and inch rightly than to gain a foot
wrongly because God says whatso-
ever we sow we will reap, and
God’s word is truth. And what have
we gained if we gained the whole
world and lose our soul? And there
is nothing hidden from God. We
may deceive and outdo or outrun
the law, but God is the law and He
knows.
We are not merely to be
"enlightened" ourselves, but to be
as lights enlightening others.
Live and speak so that no man
can despise either you or your
"master.”
Some years ago an infidel who
scoffed at the Bible lay dying. To
his friends to renounce his atheism
he replied. 'This is the end of me.
You may bury me. for I shall never
rise.” Then he gave orders that his
grave should be covered by a huge
granite slab, cemented securely in
place with the following inscription
cut in the granite: ‘This burial
place is my house for eternity. It
shall never be opened." The man
died and his wishes were carried
out. Years passed and wind. sun.
rain and erosion did their work, and
then one day a living little seed was
41 garried by the wind and fell into a
tiny crevice in the joint between
cement and granite. As the tiny
rootlet pushed downward, it grew
larger and stronger, lifting the slab
and pushing ii completely aside,
opened the grave. A large tree now
stands over the place, proclaiming
the message of the power of the
word. The hammer of God’s word
will crush all the rocks of infidelity
and silence every skeptic’s sneer. -
Marie Lewis
Livingston
How to contact
Polk County’s
representatives
U.S. Sen. John Comvn:
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510-4305
202/224-2934 FAX: 202-228-2856
U.S. Sen. Kav Bailev Hutchison:
Room 284
Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202/224-5922 FAX: 202/224-0776
senator@hutchison.senate.gov
U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady
428 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515
202/225-4901 FAX: 202/225-5524
State Sen. Robert Nichols:
P.O. Box 12068
Capitol Station
Austin, TX 78711
512/463-0103
or
4100 S. Medford Dr.
Lufkin. TX 936/699-4988
State Rep. John Otto:
P.O. Box 2910 r'
Austin, TX 78768
512/463-0570
or
P.O. Box 965
Dayton, TX 77535
936/258-8135 FAX:936/258-7190
To the editor:
On the night of Jan. 13, 2007
heavy rain lay on the grounds of
Onalaska, Texas. I was staying
with my grandparents, whom are
both handicapped. Their commode
would not flush, so I called my aunt
to tell her (being as I do not live
here) so maybe she would know
who to call. My aunt called Ona-
laska sewer service to tell them
about the stoppage. They came to
the public pump house, did what-
ever they did, but did not do
enough. It was about 15 minutes
after they said they fixed the prob-
lem that raw sewage came through
my grandparents’ kitchen sink and
shower. So much sewage that it
went over the shower lip onto the
bathroom floor then flowed to my
grandmother’s room into the duct
work. It took three hours to clean
up. Then it did not feel as though
the house was clean enough (This
also happened to the elderly lady
next door.)
While this was going on inside,
the outside pop-up valve was
shooting eight to 10 feet into the
air. Which means the sewage ran
into Lake Livingston, being the
pop-up valve is only 30 to 50 yards
from Lake Livingston.
The next morning a man working
as a subcontractor for Onalaska
sewer service was outside looking
at the pop-up valve, so my aunt and
I went outside to talk to him. We
told him what happened during our
night. He did not really know what
to say to us, but within 20 minutes
of our complaint a board member
was at my grandparents' home. He
told us that they needed to look into
the problem a little more and get
these sewer lines fixed. He did say
they would have what needed to be
cleaned up, cleaned up. Only prob-
lem about him saying this is the
answering service told my aunt the
night before, "All I can say is call
your insurance tomorrow. See
what they can do". We would not
have to call anybody if they laid the
sewage lines down correctly the
first time.
1 think that since 1980, when
these lines were said to be laid,
they should have been fixed cor-
rectly before this happened. Just
imagine how much sewage has
actually run into Lake Livingston
in the past 26 years....
Tonya Whatley
Kountze
Do you have an opinion?
The Polk County Enterprise encourages readers to submit letters
expressing their views and opinions. The letters will be published in
the Enterprise’s "Letters to the editor" column on Thursday or
Sunday.
The letters may be written on any subject or issue of general
interest. Letters must be accompanied by a name and mailing
address and will be subject to editing for grammar, punctuation,
spelling and length. Letters must include a telephone number tor
verification. We will not publish the telephone number.
Readers should keep their letters brief and to the point. Each letter
should contain no more than 650 words. Letters exceeding that
f length will be subject to editing or withheld from publication.
Letters will also be subject to editing for libelous statements and
commercialism.
This column is not meant as a forum for political candidates,
although we welcome comments from the public concerning
campaign issues. During election campaigns, we will not allow
reference to specific local candidates.
Letters may be submitted in person; mailed to “Letters to the
editor,” Polk County Enterprise, P.O. Box 1276, Livingston, TX
77351; sent to the Enterprise by fax to (936) 327-7156 or sent via e-
mail to polknews@livingston.net.
Deadline for letters is 5 p.m. Tuesday for Thursday's newspaper
and noon Friday for Sunday’s newspaper.
Polk County
ENTERPRISE
rTEXAS PRESS "
I ASSOCIATION
AWaHO WlNNfR
ALVIN HOLLEY, PUBLISHER
Telephone Number 936-327-4357
Fax: 936-327-7156
(USPS 437-340)
WEBSITE: www.EastTexasNews.Corn
TEXAS miss )
ASSOCIATION I
AWARD WlNWJt ■
E-MAIL: polknews@livingston.net
Texas 77351 under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1987. Entered as
Periodical Matter at the Post Office at Livingston, TX.
editorial department
Barbara White
Ldilor
................ Kxl 102
Emily B Woolen
News Ldilor
.........1 xl 103
Van Thomas
Sports Ldilor
Ixt 107
(ireg Peak
Area News Ldiloi
Kxl. 106
Vicki C oker
Living Section Ldilor
1 \t 104
Gordon LcHarron
Photographer
I'UdltlTTION DEPARTMENT
Paul Holley
Cameras/Plateniak mg
1 \l IIP
Don Holeman
Cameras/Plalcntaking
Ixt IIP
Adrian Dunn
Pressman
Ixt 120
t ce T orres
Mailroom/Cireulation
1 xl 120
COMPOSITION DEPARTMENT
Jennifer kingshury
Supervisor
1 \l Hit
Nancy llatchcll
Graphic/Typeset
1 xl 11X
kaccy Hendrix
Graphic Designer
Ixt MX
ADVEKTISINC DEPARTMENT
Linda Hollc>
Ad Manager
1 xl 117
kay Loy Sehnnisher
Ad Rep
Ixt 112
keitha Swann
Ad Kep
I xt no
Milton Pra/ak
Ad Kep
Ixt 113
C l ASSIEIED DEPARTMENT
Linda Jacobs ^
Manager.......................................
...................1 At I0P
Pallv llankerd
Ad Rep
1 XI I0X
PRINTING DEPARTMENT
Willis Woods
Pressman
Jennifer Birdwell
Supervisor. ..........
Ixt 114
Jessica Martin
1 xl 121
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Georgia Baile\ ..........................
Manager
1 XI 115
Barbara Wilson
Accounts Receivable
1 xl 116
Jennifer Tomlinson.......................
Reception
Kxl loo
In R. |M»rt ,i damag'd missing pa pur • *r !«• rvpnrt a hn»k» n Tiding nuu him i all... r\t. I Ilf
SUBSCRIPTION RATKS - S2U.00 per year lax included in county: $22 00 per year out
of county: $24 00 per year out of stale Published semi-weekly. Sunday and Thursday al 100
Calhoun in Livingston. Texas hy the Polk County Publishing Co.
Any erroneous reflection upon the character, standing or reputation of any person, linn or
corporation « hieh may appear in this new spaper w ill be gladly corrected upon being brought
to the attention of the publisher
Opinions expressed in columns are those of the writer and not neeeessarily those of this
newspaper
Opinions expressed in editorial are those of the enterprise
IDS I MAS IKR: Periodical postage paid At I is ingslon. TX Please Send Address C lunges
To ID Box 1276. Livingston. Texas 77.151
GISD honors listed
GOODRICH - Goodrich Secon-
dary School students named to
honor rolls tor the third six weeks
grading period include:
A HONOR ROI L
Sixth grade
Rubina Pina. Rheanna Sebree.
Jesica Thacker and Jessica Torres.
Seventh grade
Lavonte Brown, Magan Dewalt.
Allyson Duke. Shelby Gibson, Dai-
sha Haynes, Sherilu Rains, Austin
Stell and Yoanny Yanez.
Eighth grade
Chelsea Croff, Mixzael Cuervo,
Luis Gar/.on. Josue Machuea and
Norberto Orope/a.
10th grade
lsaias Machuca.
12th grade
Courtney Jones, John Lynch,
Angel Machuca and Christopher
McAllister.
A-B HONOR ROLL
Sixth grade
John Collins. Jeffery Collins,
Martin Yane/. James Slay, Ashley
Bryant. Pauline Koska, Daniel
Richardson, Devonte Brown, Zuri-
saday Machuca. Samantha Smith
and Elizabeth Gar/on.
Seventh grade
Gary Randolph, Dakerrian
Wyatt, Terry Smith, Caleb
Hendricks. Kynara Carter. Lacey
Tarver, Shanice Wyatt. Danni Dor-
sett. Randy Newman. Khadijah
Carter and Darrell Leggett.
Eighth grade
Chad Dorsett, Amanda Galvez,
Jodie Smith. Travion Henderson,
Elizabeth Bookman, Dorothy
Koska, Anthony Guerrero.
Shaquille Rains, Lillia Kini and
Guillermo Torres.
Ninth grade
Jessy Alviter, Daisy Machuca,
Bernarda Reyes and Samuel Reyes.
<2> 10th grade
Nathan Duke. Paigen Gilford.
Naomi Howard and Anjeliea
Wright.
11th grade
Rosa Cuervo, Berenice Merino.
Brittany Plank, Jeesiba Reyes, Jes-
sica Scopa, Marisol Valerio and
Akento Wright.
12th grade
Jazz Greene, Artis Harrell,
Shareka Phillips. Christin Wright
and Jaleesha Wyatt.
Single sibling shunned
Dear Annie: I'm in my early
50s, having emigrated from
London almost 11 years ago. I have
six siblings, all of whom have
settled down and remain
comfortably married for over three
decades.
Since arriving here, I have yet
to receive a telephone call front my
siblings, even though I have called
them several times. They send
birthday and Christmas cards, but
that's it. Of course. I've always
been very independent and have
learned to stand on nty own two
feet, but they are the opposite. They
are so co-dependent on their
partners that divorce w^dd never
he an option. They wquu sooner
die first. - -’'-’nivJB
I have been very .gRW to my
nieces and nephews over the years.
Should I put a stop to the calls? I
tried it for almost a year, and they
still did not bother to contact me.
I'm the youngest -- single and
extremely happy that way. -- F.M,
Dear F.M.: It isn’t unusual for
much older siblings to feel remote,
especially if they are married with
children and you are not. It isn't
rejection. It's a matter of shared
experiences growing up and having
things in common It sounds as if
you've been trying to prove
yourself to your siblings, and since
you can't seem to get a rise out of
them, you cast aspersions on their
character. (Being comfortably
married for three decades is not an
indication of co-dependency
problems.)
After all these years, it is
unlikely that you will change the
way your siblings relate to you, but
it won't hurl to inform them
(nicely) that you wish there were
more contact from their end. They
won't know if you don't tell them.
Dear Annie: I read your
column every day to learn
American customs. I would like to
know the proper way of addressing
an envelope.
Is it OK to write just the last
name, like "Mr. Smith"? What if
their last name is very unusual?
How about addressing a family?
Can I address it to "The Smith
Family," or do I need to say "Mr.
and Mrs. Smith and Family"? What
if they have no children?
And last, when is the proper
period to send Christmas cards? —
Want to Know
Dear Want to Know: Address
envelopes w ith "Mr. and Mrs. John
Smith," using the first name as well
as the last. Some women object to
being addressed by their husband's
first name, and prefer "Ms. Jane
Smith and Mr. John Smith" on the
envelope, each with its own line.
This is OK. too. For the entire
family, formal address (i.e.,
wedding invitations) requires that
you use the full name of the
parents, followed by the full name
of each child living in the house
(adult children get separate
invitations), but informal address
(i.e., Christmas cards) allows for
"The Smith Family" or any
variation of that. If a couple has no
children, it would be inappropriate
to use "family" unless they live
with other relatives. You can send
Christmas cards Iwi^Ahtjuj-suivinu
Annie’s
Mailbox
By KATHY MITCHELL
and
MARCY SUGAR
to New Year's. Hope that covers
everything.
Dear Annie: This is for "Still
Young." whose 71-year-old mother
took on a part-time job. Some of
Mom's children object. Young
people worry about us "doing too
much." but the real problem is, we
don't have enough to do.
If a job is too difficult, our
bodies will make us quit, not our
kids. I am 72 and drove my pick-up
from Austin, Texas, to Rapid City,
Iowa, last April. I went to work in a
local truck stop, was a waitress for
five months, and when it started to
kill my feet, I quit. But the exercise
was great, and I have met women
here in their 90s who can work
circles around me. When it comes
to work, people should set their
own limits, regardless of age. —
F.W.
Dear F.W.: People half that age
can have a tough time being on
their feet for that length of time.
We are impressed.
Annie's Mailbox is written by
Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar,
longtime editors of the Ann
Landers column. Please e-mail
your questions to
anniesmailbox@comcast.net, or
write to: Annie's Mailbox, P.O.
Box 118190. Chicago, IL 60611.
To find out more about Annie's
Mailbox, and read features by other
Creators Syndicate writers and
cartoonists, visit the Creators
Syndicate Web page at
www.creators.com.
( Ol'l KICIII 2007 < RKATOKS syndicate. ISC.
"The family suggests
that memorial
contributions be made
to the American
Heart Association."
When people want to
honor a loved one
and fight heart disease.
American Heart frA
Association*^^
Fighting Heart Disease
and Stroke
AMERICAN HEART
ASSOCIATION
MEMORIALS &T! UTES
1 -800-AH A-USA1
This space prodded as a public service
<t” . American Heart Association
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 125, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 25, 2007, newspaper, January 25, 2007; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth788800/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.