Opinion

I was packing for our recent trip to Mexico when I found the old tube of V05. “Do I still have this?” Apparently, I did.

Remember going to the library in the summer? After days of ripping and running with the neighbor kids, sweaty and grimy from playing outside from sun up to sun down and screaming at the top of our lungs as we rode our bikes down the “big hill” or at the baseball field, walking into the orderly, quiet, cool library almost felt wrong. With our skinned knees and sunburnt noses, wearing cut off jean shorts made from last year’s school pants, we looked as if we didn’t belong among such peacefulness.

Last month I wrote about a rumor that the Brandt building was changing hands. The stand-alone building on the corner of first street with the Coca-Cola sign painted on the side.

Father’s Day is a difficult holiday for me. My Dad passed away almost three years ago on July 7 (two days before his birthday) and he was my Hero, not just figuratively but literally.

I’ve been looking forward to June for a quite a while now. I mean, there are no spelling lists or themed clothing days in June, so what isn’t to love about it?! But that is not the reason I have been counting down the days to June. I have been like a kid waiting on Santa as I waited for June to arrive because my mom and my only grandchild are staying with me for the month of June. My oldest daughter will fly down and join them the last week of June. I knew June would be full of family for us and I couldn’t wait!

Thirty-plus years ago, right after high school, I worked at a small, family-owned convenience store which was tucked away on a street corner in an old, Polish ethic neighborhood that had a rich history and proud working-class residents. The pay was good, and the hours were fairly flexible, making it ideal for a student. The drawback was working holidays, evenings, and weekends, but that is true for many entry-level, customer-oriented businesses and I knew that it was a temporary situation in my life until I could finish school and move on to a nine to five job.

The subject of feral hogs continues to be a hot topic for me when interacting with the citizens of Austin County. The Austin County Biologist and I have been recently requested to speak at two different events specifically addressing feral hogs. The reason they are such a hot topic is they are very destructive to crops and land (by rooting), as well as being fierce competition for forage with native wildlife. If one good thing about hogs can be said, it is that they are considered by many to be very good table fare.

Your City Staff and Council have been working diligently the past month on several items. Among them is the “TRAIN HORN QUIET ZONE.” Those of us living near the railroad tracks know it is no longer quiet! A recent safety inspection from the Federal Railroad Administration has resulted in a report that our zone is no longer in compliance with current regulations regarding the distance between the crossing arm and the street. As a safety measure, Burlington Northern has issued a temporary order requiring the sounding of the train horns. City Staff is working to make corrections, which will require temporary closures at NW Front Street at Maler Road, and E. Front Street between San Felipe Road and 2 Street. The work should be done on or before August 10.