Columns & Opinions

Thank you to law enforcement

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I want the citizens to know how great their local law enforcement, 911 and county police are. I live in Whitney and sometimes we go to church in Clifton, which was the case March 2.

Zack’s fairytale knee surgery

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I’m writing this column way ahead of time. There are several columns in line ahead of it “in the can” --- as my previous editor Brett Voss would say. Old newspaper terminology. Ashley Barner calls the can “the file.” I try to fill up “the can” a bit with extra columns and comic strips before I travel --- a sadly fond/dim memory these days --- or before I freefall into Caregiver Mode, which is about to happen to me now. By the time you read this, it will all, please God, be old and good news, more palatable in hindsight. Hopefully by then my life will have calmed down a little from what will surely be another very stressful and high-pressure time. Life seems to be full of these, especially of late. Anticipation’s often worse than reality, but if this goround’s anything like the last one, anticipation won’t even begin to touch the facts. Reality will be worse. Trust me. When I complete this column in a couple of weeks, I’ll be looking back and reporting the past. Let’s see if I’m happily relieved and surprised or if I unfortunately know exactly what I’m in for. Again.

Several races headed to runoffs

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A number of statewide races are headed for a May 24 runoff after the votes were tallied in the March 1 primary. Topping the ballot in the Republican races is the contest for attorney general, where incumbent Ken Paxton led the field with 42.7% of votes cast, followed by George P.

Cliftonopoly

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A ranch or farm owner sometimes needs a day job in town. My uncle lived and worked miles away to afford to maintain this ranch. City careers, paychecks or business profits often help fund rural properties. There’s an old joke that every rancher has a wife with a good job in town. So someone’s working hard for a salary that helps pay the bills in many instances. The job that never ends is upkeep on the place itself--- the land, animals, water, fences, feed, repairs, utilities. You get the idea. It usually means being on call 24/7, at the very least. So when we “retired” to the ranch, we never stopped working. We often didn’t know for sure what day it was without some serious thought--- because ranch work was/is an everyday thing.

Gifts from my grandparents

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The grandparents I never knew all immigrated to the U.S. in the 1800s -early 1900s and ended up in Central Texas. Sadly, they were all gone before my surprisingly late arrival. Their pictures on the wall beside my desk show physical traits passed along to my parents, aunts, uncles and me. I’ve preserved some of these in my children---who in turn have passed them on to theirs. Anyone lucky enough to have known even one grandparent is blessed, and I always felt quite cheated by that monumental lack. Luckily for me, Mom’s older brother and sister stepped in to fill that void quite admirably.

Rise up singing

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I don’t know why I chose one of the coldest mornings this winter to do drop-ins, the regular but unannounced visits that we make to clients when our caregivers are on shift to check that all is well. Half of our clients live on county roads and while our caregivers are familiar with them and sort them without difficulty, I can’t say the same for my foreigner self. So, once again, I got lost this time somewhere around where Bosque, Coryell, and Hamilton counties intersect.

Early voting ends Friday

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Early voting for the March 1 primary ends Friday. Initial reports indicate turnout has been low, as is traditional in midterm primary elections, with less than a fourth of registered voters going to the polls most years.

Printer hell

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I hate when things break and require replacing. It’s inconvenient, time-consuming, and researching options makes me crazy. There are so many variables and choices, although not as many now, because the supply chain seems irreparably broken, thanks to circumstances I’m not sure I understand or explanations I trust. I feel the same way about making airline reservations Things seem to be far too complicated now.

Voting for Best of 2021 continues

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Voting for the Best of Bosque County 2021 has begun and will run through Friday, February 25, 2022. I am amazed at the growth in interest in this year’s contest. Last year we had a total of 575 nominations. This year’s nominations totaled 2,157, which is almost four times as many as last year. Total votes last year numbered 18,526 and four days into the voting period we have already exceeded 15,000 votes with a week and a half left to go before voting closes. Who thinks there is not any interest in our Best of Contest? Competition has always been good for our economy and having a Best of contest is also simply fun. So, in the spirit of good-natured competition, go to www.BosqueCountyToday.com and vote for your favorite Bosque County business. Our special section, announcing the winners, will publish on Wednesday, March 30, 2022.