Columns/Opinions

Mon
25
Jan

Nothing like good ol’ hometown care

Submitted by jcht2010 on
Jessica Coleman, Staff Writer - Jackson County Herald-Tribune
   My daughter Georgia (age 7), bless her little heart, has her mother's grace, and the scars to prove it. 
   Last week, we spent two days in a row in separate emergency rooms for separate incidents. Tuesday night in another county, she played a little too rough with a friend's dog and caught a tooth in the lip, requiring three stitches. Wednesday, her school called me and said I needed to take her to the hospital because she closed a door on her fingers and smashed them pretty badly. It's been exhausting and terrifying for us both.
   Now, please don't misunderstand, the staff at the other hospital was wonderful. The experience wasn't bad (relatively speaking, of course. I suppose the circumstances that land us in emergency rooms are  usually negative in nature).  They were nice people, and kind to Georgia, and their bedside manner was good. They did nothing wrong at all.
Thu
24
Dec

Christmas firsts, lasts and all the in-between

Submitted by jcht2010 on
By Kate McCarrell
Guest Columnist
Some wise words from Charlie Brown – “It is not what is under the Christmas tree… It is who is around it that counts.”  
 
I had a “what its like to live in a house with five boys during the holidays” column all thought out and ready to write. But I couldn't get something else off my mind. Last week we lost a special member of our community. It got me thinking about how this Christmas we all will be experiencing some sort of first, last or continued emotions of somewhere in the middle.  
 
Wed
23
Dec

A sad situation handled well

Submitted by jcht2010 on
I would like to say thank you so much to Edna ISD, especially the Elementary. Wednesday there was a tragic accident and my daughter lost her 3rd grade home room teacher.  
 
I received a phone call from a school counselor telling me the news. She explained to me they were going to tell the students around 11 am and if I wanted to get my daughter and let her know before they did that would be fine. I made the decision to let them tell her and go up there if I needed to.  
 
Shortly after 11 I got a phone call saying my daughter needed me. I rushed up there and hurried into the library where all the kids were. There were so many sad faces and tears.  
 
Fri
11
Dec

Parenting is the most challenging job of all

Submitted by jcht2010 on
By Kate McCarrell
Guest Columnist
I’ve had a handful of jobs in my life so far. During college, I worked as a secretary, a reservation clerk and later an office manager and a petroleum landman. I’m currently taking courses to begin another endeavor and I also have another goal up my sleeve. (Yes, I tend to overwhelm myself sometimes.) With all this being said though, my most important job is that of being a parent.
 
Fri
04
Dec

Black Friday wasn't as black as it could have been

Submitted by jcht2010 on
Jessica Coleman, Staff Writer, Jackson County Herald-Tribune
By Jessica Coleman
Staff Writer
   Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, I worked until noon, and then thought I’d head to The Parlour really quickly because they had a sale and I have a hopeless addiction to the Lenny and Eva Jewelry they sell. 
   Otherwise, my goal was go straight home in order avoid the giant, roaring crowds of people just dying to rip my head off for a television or a stuffed animal that talks.
   That’s what Black Friday is, right? A free-for-all, like The Purge, but with merchandise. All bets are off, and people’s humanity goes out the window. Everyone becomes some sort of primitive savage, beating one another with clubs for 50 percent off electronics.
   That’s what I’d always heard. That’s what had always been presented to me in the media (I know, I know. I am the media, so this sounds weird coming from me). 
Tue
20
Oct

It’s not always picture perfect

Submitted by jcht2010 on
By Kate McCarrell
Guest Columnist
 
I’m the typical Mom – you know, the one who has her phone in hand, ready to snap a picture of her kids at any given moment. I’m starting to question if the smart phone is the downfall of society and all things good (and that’s a column for another day) but I do like the convenience and quality of the memories that can be captured with them. 
 
When my oldest son Peyton was born, I had professional pictures taken for every holiday until the triplets were born.  
 
Actually, I was in the hospital, trying to hold off from going into early labor with the boys, dictating by phone the  outfit and location details for his Easter photo shoot with my friend (and local photographer) Kassie Hicks. Yes, I was that mom!  
 
Mon
05
Oct

Quality of groundwater threatened

Submitted by jcht2010 on
   My name is Michael Skalicky, and I am president of Texana Groundwater Conservation District in Edna.  
   A few months ago we protested the application of 12 injection wells associated with the Hilcorp West Ranch project.  
   The Hilcorp West Ranch project is a huge project that is supposed to inject carbon dioxide into the oil bearing formation to recover every last drop of oil while sequestering carbon from coal fired power plants. This sounds great! Awesome idea – until we as a district, charged with protecting the groundwater for our county, protested the injection wells because of the lack of a groundwater monitoring network in their project.  
   This area of our county, because of the previous oil and gas activity, has a very limited supply of drinkable quality ground water. In fact, the Industrial School District and the town of Lolita, share the only well that has good water. 
Fri
11
Sep

Fosters love ‘em and let ‘em go

Submitted by jcht2010 on
By Jessica Coleman
Staff Writer
   In animal rescue, we often drag home strays. That’s what rescue is.
   My poor husband never knows what he is coming home to, or what I’m coming home with. Nine puppies at one time? That’s happened. Seventeen dogs in the back of an Equinox, rescued from a hoarder? Check. An injured duck in the middle of the living room rug? Yep. A kitten that, while friendly, always looks like she hates everything? Her name is Sarah Beth and she is actually very sweet  – she just has one of those faces that looks mad all the time. She’s curled up on my sofa right now. 
    In fact, I found another kitten on Friday, after the first responders gathered to honor Deputy Goforth, who was murdered in Harris County. I named the kitten Deputy.
   Because we post photos of these animals on social media, we often hear, “Oh, just keep him! He’s so cute!” 
Sun
06
Sep

Pollyanna had the right idea

Submitted by jcht2010 on
By Chris Lundstrom
Publisher/Editor
   “No one can own a church.”
   That’s a quote from one of my favorite movies, Pollyanna. Yes, I know, it’s a Disney movie, but they are my favorite. At least the old ones where the good guy wins, nothing is bleeped out, and some sort of lesson is learned. 
   The movie, Pollyanna, was based on a novel from 1913 and hit the theaters in 1960. It starred Haley Mills, one of my favorite child actresses, Jane Wyman and Agnes Moorehead (I always think of her as Endora in Bewitched.) 
   Pollyanna was a cute little girl that always seemed to find the good in everything. She played the “Glad Game” which helped her get through the tough times. (I do that). 
   She brightened grouchy people by showing them how to hang glass prisms in their windows so they could have rainbows when the sun shines. (yes, I do that, too.) 
Tue
25
Aug

Departing city pound volunteer leaves behind fond memories

Submitted by jcht2010 on
   The purpose of this letter is to extend a special thank-you to Sandy Rodriguez.  
   This will sound self-serving, but we think she will approve if we say it this way. Years ago Edna Animal Control Officer Susan Strickland began a dog walking program at the city pound.  At 9 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays volunteers meet Susan at the pound and take the dogs out for some much needed exercise.  
   The average daily pound population is around 15 so there is never a shortage of dogs to be walked. Susan says the time out of their kennel, and the interaction with people, makes the dogs happy and helps them to become much more adoptable when the time comes.  

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