The Clifton Record (Clifton, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 28, Ed. 1 Friday, July 14, 2006 Page: 4 of 26
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Clifton Record and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Nellie Pederson Civic Library.
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The Clifton Record
Friday, July 14, 2006
By Marc Johnson
Well, we finally got a little rain
through this neck of the woods.
Sorta amazing how the Gulf
Coast and upj
there in the
North East
they git way,
way, more
than they
want, or need.
Flooding the
heck outta
them places. Watchin’ on the
T&V other day and that double
dippler Doppler radar; what-
ever; showed us rat in the
middle of a heck of a good rain.
Went out on the patio and the
sun shinin’; not a drop of rain.
Either their map is crooked, or
that double dippler Doppler ra-
dar is messed up. Ain’t all this
fabulous technology great? Aw
well, we bound to be one day
closer to a good ‘un.
Septemberfest planning still
in the works and the committee
meets on the fust Thursday of
every month. Volunteers still
needed; as always. If 'n ya want
to help out with this annual deal;
give Kathie Witte a call at 597-
2215, or 597-2740. Gonna have
another “wild game cookoff”
and it’s time to sign up; either
as a contestant; or a sponsor. If
ya want to be part of the enter-
tainment, give me a call at 597-
2588, or e-mail me at
marcatthegap@peoplepc.com.
We ll workya in somewhere and
you’ll be mighty welcome.
Hey, let’s talk about one of my
favorite subjects; eatin’. Next
Cranfills Gap Community
Chamber of Commerce meetin’
gonna be down to the commu-
nity center at 6 p.m. on Thurs-
day, the 13th of July. It’s always
on the second Thursday of the
month and the Methodist La-
dies gonna put on the feed; so,
ya know it’ll be a good ‘un.
Gather up and come on down.
It’ll be a good evening’ of food,
fun, and fellowship with folks
what simply give a hoot about
the Gap. Ya don’t got to own no
bidness to be a member.
Well, Gap ISD on the hunt fer
a new superintendent. Dr. Kevin
Dyes headed to Bandera; a 3A
school. We gonna miss this fam-
ily here in the Gap but we all join
in by wishing them the very best
in this move to a much bigger
school.
Bet sorta disappointed in
them Mavs; but they did have a
great season. After all, they did
put it on Phoenix, and then,
them Spurs. Had a lead against
the Miami Heat in the finals but
let 'em git away. Seems Dirk
couldn’t have hit the ocean if’n
he’d a been out in a boat during
the last couple of games. But,
they lookin’ forward to the next
season and Bet will be lookin’
forward to this.
Needless to say, Bet is anx-
ious to see what them Cowboys
gonna do this season. Folks re-
ally gonna be watchin’ T. 0.
“Eldorado” Owens. He’s cool so
far but he do have a history of
blowin’ up some at times. I’m
waitin’ fer him and the “Big Tuna”
to have a run-in. This oughtta be
a show. Course, it may not hap-
pen. He may be a changed man.
Hope so; cause he can be, if he’ll
behave, a valuable asset.
Did y’all hear about New Jer-
sey bein’ shut plumb down?
Governor done this cause the
lege couldn’t come up with a
budget. They even shut all the
casinos down in Atlantic City
and some of them folks is
hotter’n a road lizard. Seems
gaming commission employees
be state employees and they
ain’t workin’. Paper said that
Connecticutt casinos much en-
joying the added bidness from
them folks what cain’t gamble in
Atlantic City. Too bad Texas
don’t got casino gambling so
some of them folks could come
to our great state; or simply stay
here in Texas.
Surely, one of these days Tex-
ans will wake up and realize all
the millions of bucks we
exportin’ out to our neighboring
states. The need is now, and
there ain’t no reason to give spe-
cial consideration to any of them
Indian tribes, or to existing hoss
and dog racin’ tracks. Heck with
that. Open it up fer any place in
this great state what wants it &
let ’er rip. Dallas Mayor Miller
done said she would welcome
casinos rat up there in in the
metro-mess. She got enough
sense to see the mucho millions
of bucks it could bring to her ter-
ritory, and the rest of the state.
Some of it might even filter
down to our schools. Wouldn’t
that be a neat deal? We all know
Texas needs more money from
somewhere. Them experts say
casinos is the answer.
Loose town dogs stiUrunniri ev-
erywhere. Owners don’t seem to
give a rip about keeping their dogs
in their pen, or on a leash. Gap got
an animal control ordinance; but
don’t got nobody to enforce it
I think some of them dogs
reading’ my articles, cause they
The Clifton Record
Bosque County's Leading Newspaper
The Clifton Record (USPS-11S-1M • ISSN-1086-I352) it published weekly, on Fridays, by
Progressive Media Communications, Inc., 310 West Fifth Street, Clifton, Tests 76634-1611.
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SUBSCRIPTION PRICE Bosque County, one year $38; Elsewhere, one year $45. Give old address
when requesting change of address Per copy price: 50 cents
POSTMASTER: Piease send address change lo The Clifton Recoil. PO Bo* 353, Clifton. TX 76634
PUBLISHERS
James W Smith, Publisher Emeritus • W. Leon Smith. President
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday-Friday, 9-5. Closed Weekends
EDITORIAL
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BUSINESS
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CIRCULATION
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>35 Editorial / Opinions]
The Clifton Record
By Our Staff And Our Readers
— Editorial —
Contact Your Elected Officials To
Voice Your Concerns About TTC-35:
• U.S. Representative Chet Edwards — Phone: (202) 225-6105. Fax:
(202) 225-0350. — Waco Phone: (254) 752-9600. E-Mail through website:
edwards.house.gov.
• U.S. Senator John Cornyn — Phone: (202) 224-2934. Fax. (202) 228-
2856. — Texas Phone: (972) 239-1310. E-Mail through website:
cornyn.senate.gov.
• U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison — Phone: (202) 224-5922. Fax:
(202) 224-0776 — Texas Phone: (713) 653-3456. E-Mail through website::
hutchison.senate.gov.
• Governor Rick Perry — Phone: (512) 463-2000. Fax: (512) 463-1849
E-Mail through website: www.governorstate.tx.us,
• State Rep. Rob Orr — Austin Phone: (512) 463-0538 Fax: (512) 463-
0897 —Burleson Phone: (817) 295-5158. Fax: (817) 295-5319. E-Mail through
website: www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist58/orr.htm.
• State Senator Kip Averltt — Austin Phone: (512) 463-0122, Fax: (512)
475-3729 — Waco Phone: (254) 772-6225. Fax: (254) 776-2843. E-Mail through
website: www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/mehnbers/dist22/dist22.htm.
The Bosque Corridor Solution
You knew it was inevitable...
with all the controversies swirl-
ing about the possibility of Trans
Texas Corridor 35 slicing
Bosque County in half, Jim Bob
Doodle just had to get into the
fray. And, you had to know that
when he assembled the minds at
the Bosque County Institute and
Outreach Ministry of Deeply In-
tense Thought and Semi-Fac-
tual Information, the Institute
would come up with a definitive
answer to the problem.
As it stands, there are two
possible routes for the corridor
to follow in Central and North
Texas. What TxDOT considers
the preferred route runs basi-
cally along and east of I-35E to
the east of the DFW Metromess,
then makes a huge arch north-
westward to rejoin 1-35 some-
where south of the Oklahoma
border.
An alternate route being pro-
posed would branch away from
1-35 somewhere around bell
County, and work its way
through Bosque County, head-
ing west of DFW, and again re-
joining 1-35 in time to head into
Okie Territory.
And while public hearings are
slated across the region for
people to express their opinions,
the Institute takes a much more
narrow view. To heck with ev-
eryone else, let’s address the
problem here.
As the Institute understands
it, the corridor will include a 10-
lane highway (six lanes for cars,
four for trucks), several railway
lines, and utility infrastructure.
“We don’t really care where it
enters Bosque County, or where
it exits. We’re just concerned
with Bosque County proper,”
Doodle said after a series of
come up on a purty much regular
basis to poop in my yard. I don’t
know the answer. Just wish own-
ers would take care of their own.
Been havin’ a regular visitor
here in my yard lately. Purtiest
little grey fox ya ever seen come
strollin’ cross the yard other
night; didn’t seem to pay me or
Bet any attention at all. I put out
some water, and a slice or two
of bread fer it; but I think one of
the cats done beat him to it. It
comes up might nigh every
night and is really neat to
watch. Really beautiful animal.
Ain’t found where its pooped in
my yard yet. Guess its got bet-
ter manners than them dad-
burn town dogs.
The enemy probably knows
all about our counter-terrorism
activities; but, why ya reckon
the media thinks they got to
make it known to the whole
world? Do they want to just
make sure the enemy knows? I
cain’t help but believe that our
guvimint got to do some things
in secret to protect us.
Why cain’t NASA develop
some foam what won’t fall off
that big tank? Don’t they got
none of that super glue? Shore
hope them folks git back to
earth safe and sound. They
need our prayers.
See ya next week,
Marc,
Marc at the Gap
Speak Out Against
Trans-Texas Corridor
Too many people in Texas don’t know what it
is.
If they did, they would not only kick its sup-
porters out of office, but to kingdom-come.
First and foremost, the Trans-Texas Corridor
is bad for Texas.
It is even worse for those residing alongside
the proposed superhighway system, for it could
easily disrupt the heritage, hopes, and dreams
of the inhabitants of the area it would traverse.
On July 19, a public hearing will be held in the
Clifton High School cafetorium regarding the
TTC-35, which is the branch of the corridor that
could come through the middle of Bosque
County, forever wreaking havoc on the lives of
our citizens and on the fortitude of our county.
Bosque Countians who care about their direct
homeland should attend this hearing in droves
and let their outrage be known.
Bosque County residents are not unlike
people elsewhere in the state who mighrnot be
up to speed on the detrimental aspects of the
corridor. For most, it will not affect them directly.
It won’t go through their county. So, if it is hap-
pening to someone else, their emotional re-
sponses to the spectre of the corridor might be
light or none-existent. This underscores the
necessity that every faithful Bosque County citi-
zen take a stand now. After July 19, it might be
too late.
But beyond the local impact, as a statewide
initiative the corridor idea is flawed. It would
become an expensive boondoggle — a constant
thorn in the hearts of taxpayers deep into Texas’
future. The system replaces the “public trust”
approach to service with privatization, forcing
Texas citizens to not only pay for a service of
which their oversight and control will be vastly
limited by handing it over to corporate interests
in a foreign country, but also to pay for corpo-
rate profits.
For example, you wouldn’t want The Clifton
Record company to own all the streets in Clif-
ton and then charge you a fee everytime you
return home from work or take your kids to
school. The corridor plan is that ridiculous.
People here take pride in Bosque County. It is
unique in its historical heritage, in its beauty, and
in its growing reputation as an oasis, away from
congestion centers like the Metroplex.
With the corridor, this would be ruined.
Too, there is the question of mitigation.
You can’t mitigate heritage if it is tied to the
land.
You can’t mitigate the pollution, in terms of
soiled air, noise, and disruption, that the corri-
dor would bring.
You can’t mitigate the farmland and wildlife
areas that have been the livelihood of local fami-
lies for generations.
The environmental impact to Bosque County
on these fronts would be devastating.
You can’t mitigate lost revenues to our com-
munities and rural areas.
You can’t mitigate our way of life.
We urge Bosque Countians to not only voice
their outrage at the state’s targeting our homes
for this nightmare, but to loudly criticize the
project as a whole, for if it continues to be de-
veloped, no Texan is safe — anywhere — no
matter the empty promises that might be lev-
ied.
Loudly register your comments with TxDOT
and take a stand for Bosque County and the State
of Texas on July 19.
But go beyond that.
Contact your elected state and federal officials
(since the corridor is part of a bigger picture).
Let them know, in no uncertain terms, that you
consider the corridor an asinine project and a
personal afront upon the dignity of your state.
These are people who can make a difference, if
they will: State Rep. Rob Orr, State Sen. Kip
Averitt, U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey
Hutchison, Gov. Rick Perry, and U.S. Rep. Chet
Edwards.
Let’s stop the Trans-Texas Corridor now, be-
fore so much time, energy, and money is invested
that we reach the point of no return.
W Leon Smith
Onward...
Thru The
Fog
By David Anderson
meetings brought forth a pro-
posal from the Institute.
If you’ve ever been through
Austin, you’re probably familiar
with the upper and lower decks
of 1-35. That seems to work
pretty well. So, instead Of a
1,200-foot-wide highway in
Bosque County, the Institute
proposed the following:
Continue to widen Highway 6
to four lanes, two each direction.
Then, build three decks on top
— three lanes headed south for
vehicles, with three lanes above
that headed north, and on top,
four more lanes, two each direc-
tion, for trucks. The only land the
state needs go grab is enough to
widen Highway 6, which it sup-
posedly plans to do anyway.
Ah, but what about the new
rail lines, you might ask. Go
ahead.... ask.
, Everyone knows the aquifers
in Texas are drying up, and wa-
ter tables are dropping deeper and
deeper. That leaves a massive sys-
tem of underground canals that
could be excavated, shored up, and
turned into railway tunnels.
Not only would that keep the
state from taking any land to put
up a series of unattractive rail
lines through our county, it also
would help to shore up those
cavern§„ which could lead to a
massive sinkhole epidemic as the
water table continues to drop.
Not only that, but the tunnels
could be dressed up similar to
the old Runaway Mine Train at
Six Flags, complete with spe-
1 unkers and trolls and lions and ti-
gers and bears, oh, my. You could
even charge a premium for the
privilege to ride the rails through
the underground theme park.
That solves everything but
the utility infrastructure, right?
Wrong! Back to the quadruple-
deck highway... The three upper
decks, by necessity, would need
easily solved, as those guard
rails could also be a series of
pipelines hauling natural gas,
oil, water, and whatever else.
Lower levels could be used for
less-dangerous materials, in-
cluding fiber optic cables and
the like, and more flammable
stuff could be put on top.
Of course, you’re likely to re-
tort that such a plan would cost
billions and billions of dollars to
implement all along the corri-
dor. You’re right, but you also
may have forgotten what the
Institute said early on: “To heck
with everyone else. Let’s ad-
dress the problem here!”
So, with the TxDOT hearings
coming to Clifton next Wednes-
day, expect Jim Bob and his
reams of engineering drawings
to bring the proposal to the
state’s transportation officials.
If they let nim in the door.
Osmosis, amoebas, and On-
ward... thru the Corridor.
Houston ys Third Choice Fills Washington Vacancy
Anson Jones boarded a ship
at Galveston on July 11, 1838,
for the long, roundabout trip to
Washington, D.C.
As much as the Massachu-
setts native dreaded the diffi-
cult journey, he disliked the
destination even more. But Dr.
Jones always found it hard to
say no to Sam Houston.
With therend of his term in
sight, the president of Texas
wanted to pick the next minis-
ter to the United States rather
than leave such an important
decision to his successor. The
time had come for the Lone
Star Republic to withdraw its
request for annexation, but the
task demanded the delicate
touch if statehood were to re-
main a possibility.
When his first and second
choices turned down the ap-
pointment, Houston offered the
Potomac post to Anson Jones.
Although the taciturn physician
was no world-class diplomat,
The General took comfort in
the fact that he would follow his
instructions to the letter.
Shuddering at the prospect of
an extended stay in the national
capital, Jones tried in vain to
decline the honor. In the final
analysis, he realized it was
easier to accept the distasteful
assignment than to change
Houston’s steel-trap mind.
Since the very thought of
ocean travel made Jones
queasy, he suffered from sea-
sickness throughout the entire
three-day crossing of the Gulf
of Mexico. No sooner was he
reunited with his stomach than
the two again parted company
on the agonizingly slow cruise
up the Mississippi.
Veering east onto the Ohio
River, Jones’ misery was com-
pounded by boorish traveling
companions. “A Hoozier under-
took to root me out of my bed
last night,” he recorded in his
diary, “but I succeeded in driv-
ing him off by speaking some
English, a language he did not
understand.”
Another fellow traveler got
under his skin by claiming Iowa
and Texas had much in com-
mon. “The man is a fool,” Jones
scribbled furiously. “There is no
comparison between them.”
Twenty-four days out of New
Orleans, the ailing doctor
reached the District of Colum-
bia only to discover that no one
was home. To escape the un-
bearable heat and humidity,
politicians and bureaucrats
evacuated Washington every
summer.
The hot-weather hiatus left
Jones in limbo. Until formally
received by President Martin
Van Buren, he could not begin
to function in an official capac-
ity. To keep busy, he spent days
studying the files of the Texas
legation.
During this cram course,
Jones came across a commu-
nication from Houston to his
predecessor advising the envoy
This Week g
In Texas ^
History
By Bailee Haile
to drop the matter of annex-
ation if congress adjourned
without taking favorable action.
That sly old dog! He had writ-
ten those words only days after
criticizing Jones for publicly
advocating the same policy!
Van Buren finally returned to
Washington in October and
granted the new minister the
obligatory audience. The meet-
ing met the guest’s low expec-
tations. Barely able to conceal
his hostility toward Texas, the
president stiffly accepted
Jones’ credentials and sent him
on his way.
Nine days later, Jones hand-
delivered the historic note to
the state department which an-
nounced “the formal and abso-
lute withdrawal of the
proposition for annexation of
Texas to the United States.” In
view of the shabby treatment of
his countrymen since the
Battle of San Jacinto, he took
grim satisfaction in being the
bearer of such richly deserved
tidings.
Depending upon the Wash-
ington press for the latest news
back home, Jones read about
the presidential election of
Mirabeau Lamar. Following
the suicides of his two chief
competitors, the outcome had
been a foregone conclusion.
The only good that would come
out of a Lamar administration,
believed Jones, would be his
own prompt replacement.
But the inauguration was two
months away, and the lame-
duck minister felt duty bound to
labor on behalf of what he affec-
tionately referred to as his
“spunky little independent Re-
public.” He courted the resi-
dent representatives of the
European powers and suc-
ceeded in scoring points with
most.
Through no fault of his own,
Jones failed to break the ice
with the British ambassador.
Few ever saw the eccentric En-
glishman, an inaccessible re-
cluse who led a vampire
existence sleeping in the day-
time and working all night.
By the spring of 1839, Jones
believed Lamar must have for-
gotten that a Houston appoin-
tee was still holding down the
diplomatic fort in faraway
Washington. The delay, in fact,
reflected the commitment of
the second president of Texas
to a permanently independent
nation that depended upon the
U.S. for nothing more than a
steady stream of immigrants.
Not until five months after
Mirabeau Lamar took office
was Anson Jones relieved of his
unwanted post. He knew better
than to expect a pat on the back
for a job well done, but the blunt
wording of the recall notice cut
him to the quick. The future
president never forgave nor for-
got the insult.
Bartee Haile welcomes your
comments, questions, and sug-
gestions at haile@pdq.net or
PO. Box 152, Friendswood, TX
77549. And don’t forget to visit
www.twith.com.
**■
A Little Bit
of Nothin’
fromOTNorm
As
kJ
Too Good To
Be True
Thinking back over the re-
cent visit of our sons and their
families in retrospect it was al-
most “too good to be true.” It
certainly did not last long.
They said, “The River’s
Bend” and Helen Hubler’s hos-
pitality were outstanding. We
understand that when our two-
year-old Gracie arrived home
in Seattle she went to their slid-
ing glass door and said, “Rac-
coon?” We counted as many as
thirteen one time at the door at
“The River’s Bend.”
Just as popular were the buf-
falo, longhorns, and ponies.
Nine-year-old Morgan espe-
cially enjoyed driving the Po-
laris to the river and around the
property — accompanied of
course by her dad, her grand-
mother, or an uncle and cous-
ins!
The low level of the Bosque
River made rock hunting on its
banks fascinating! Our son Jon
left one of his “holy-rock”
mobils hanging on “The River
Bend’s” porch — with Helen’s
permission.
I have a feeling we’d all like
to go back for an extended pe-
riod of time one day.
Before departing our family
enjoyed exploring in downtown
Clifton, and swimming in the
city pool. Cheers,
ol’ Norm
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Smith, W. Leon. The Clifton Record (Clifton, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 28, Ed. 1 Friday, July 14, 2006, newspaper, July 14, 2006; Clifton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth789164/m1/4/?q=%22~1~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Nellie Pederson Civic Library.