Opinion

Watch out for scammers

I had a friend tell me a little while ago that he got snookered by a scammer. I made a note of it because another newspaper customer a while back had mentioned he got a similar phone call. 

Here’s the set up — they both got a phone call saying it was from their grandson in jail in another town. I think one said he was in Abilene. For both gentlemen, the caller used the grandson’s name and sounded very upset.

A lesson remembered

Sobering lessons sometimes occur when we are caught between the unforgiving jaws of reality. The “clamped down and locked position” is preferable, though, to jaws grinding away for the next bite of life.

In such situations, our prayers may hit the ceiling with a thud.  At the thought of the next step--big time chewing--we are apt to seize the moment, ready to make a deposit into our memory bank of bitter experiences.

EPA continues rigorous regulations of the oil industry

The Environmental Protection Agency’s new methane emissions regulations have drawn criticism from the oil and gas industry and a growing number of members of Congress.

EPA finalized the regulations on May 12, and industry quickly responded that the massive regulations will be burdensome financially and that it will take many man-hours to come into compliance with the information demanded.

'The California of Texas'

Clyde is not the most evocative of Texas town names, and residents might even have found it somewhat embarrassing during the reign of Depression-era outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The Callahan County community got its name from one Robert Clyde, a railroad construction crew foreman who operated a commissary in the vicinity when the Texas and Pacific laid tracks through that part of West Texas in December 1880. A year later, enough folks had settled in the area to support a post office that Washington approved designating as Clyde.

Card of Thanks

The family of Bradley Horton wishes to thank all of the ones that brought food and attended the memorial luncheon.

Thanks to Live Oak Baptist Church for furnishing us a place to have it. Also to Bro. Gayle Baucum for his kind words and prayers. 

We shall forever be grateful.

 

Horton Family

Scientists debate cause of earthquakes in Texas

Earthquakes are scary. 

Thoughts of the earth moving and shaking hard enough to knock pictures off the wall or even so violently as to bring down tall office buildings frighten everyone.  Unlike hurricanes or tornadoes, earthquakes are virtually impossible to accurately predict, and happen without warning.

Some people believe there is a correlation between earthquakes and the oil and gas industry in Texas.  Others, however, point out that correlation does not equal causation, and there has been no scientific evidence linking the two. 

First city of 'firsts'

Logically, the first person to realize that Galveston could claim a long list of Texas, national and even international “firsts” was someone who would now be called a chamber of commerce marketing person. It could have been an enterprising newspaper reporter on a slow news day, but even if that were the case, the Galveston Chamber of Commerce was the first to tout the city’s many firsts. 

Refiners try to cope with rising oil price and increased competition

Even though the upstream (exploration and production) oil business is in a state of crisis, the downstream sector (refining) has enjoyed a period of healthy profits.

However, since crude oil prices have rebounded from its low of $26 per barrel in January to roughly $45 on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) for 30-day delivery, the profit margin for refineries has been cut in half, according to a report in the May 4 issue of The Wall Street Journal.

Walking door to door

The old man walked from house to house in the middle class North Dallas neighborhood. 

When he knocked on the door of printer Bryan Snyder Jr.’s home at 4409 Irving Ave. that summer day in the early 1930s, Mrs. Margarite Snyder graciously let him in. Doffing his sweat-stained hat, the visitor looked around the family’s living room. His still-clear eyes stopped at the oil painting hanging over the mantle above the Snyder family’s gas-log fireplace. The artwork, done from life, depicted Maj. Gen. Sterling Price in his Confederate uniform.

Hometown boy made good

O’Donnell, TX, where the late Dan Blocker spent most of his “growing up years,” proudly claims him as the “crown jewel” in the local museum.

Folks who want to see memorabilia of the television immortal--“Hoss” Cartwright on the long-running American TV show, Bonanza--can pretty well visit on their terms. Manned (and “womaned”) by gritty volunteers, the museum’s regular hours now are limited to Saturdays and Sundays. However, names and phone numbers of folks with access to the museum are listed on the front door. Chances are, visitors can be accommodated most any time.

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