The Front Page
The Risk is Real - Serving our Country
Remembering those that have served and those that are serving our country.
You know sometimes it doesn't hit you until it is personal.
Tonight while looking around the Net for something to write about I could not help but think how hot it has been. I thought about how it must feel to be in the Iraqi desert right now. One soldier on KOXE's Calls to Home last week told of how it felt like a blow dryer on hot blowing right in your face all the time. The last few days when I get in my car after work I remind myself that I have air conditioning to cool it down but the last time I heard, a military Hummer has no air conditioning. I guess sometimes it depends on your point of view and sometimes it doesn't hit you till it is personal.
I did find one interesting site that you might find the same.. take a look at Defend America's website, particularly the "Why I serve" section.
I ran across this Texas Department of Public Safety Employees Called to Duty webpage over the weekend while looking up some traffic laws. It sure looks like a lot of men and women from the DPS are doing double duty in uniform.
Please remember these Santa Anna folks that are serving our country in military combat, training, or support: Maricela (Marty) Siller, Clay Stewardson, Eddie Dawson, Ike Garza, James Watson, Austin Voss, Randy Casey, Mike Montgomery II, Mark Rutherford, Allen Tucker, James Culpepper, Shane Watson, Brandon Beloat, Glen Donham, and Jeffrey Watson.
1758 American soldiers or sailors have died in Operation Enduring Freedom as reported by the
Department of Defense and the
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count. Pray for our country, its' leaders, and our soldiers and sailors.
Please remember the many serving as volunteers for various groups and those that may be working for the media or one of the many Department of Defense contractors that have employees in support roles in Iraq including Santa Anna's Jason Dane. These folks are serving an important part in the rebuilding of Iraq and the danger is just as great if not more for them as it is for soldiers.
The
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count has also tracked the deaths of 90 American contractors working in Iraq so the risk is real.
Many service men and women return home safely. Operation Tribute to Freedom Homecoming Photographs.
We must never forget the sacrifices of men and women serving our country from all generations. Tex Wright recently sent me this information:
The Coleman County Historical Commission has started work on a new project.
Since this year is the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII, we (Texas Historical Commission statewide) have started a project to honor the ones who served.
We (I) have set up a Web Page to keep people posted on what is being done and to ask for their help in remembering those Men and Women.
The Web Page is:Coleman County Historical Comm.
WW2 Commemorative Activities
Old Friend Laid to Rest
One of the disadvantages of not working in Santa Anna anymore is not being able to go to as many funerals as I probably should. Although I have told you before that I don't much like them anyhow. I usually notice if the lights are on or there are cars at Henderson's Funeral Home and Cindy usually tells me who is there. Thursday one of my old service station customers, Graham Fitzpatrick, was laid to rest. Cindy had told me of his passing while I was at work but I had forgot to go by on Wednesday.
Mr. Fitzpatrick was one of those hard working men that I call John Deere men, as you have heard me say before. He drove an old tractor so long that his body had begun to wear out. He was one of those men that started working before the sun came up and often was still working after it went down. He lived in Whon and often joked that he was the mayor. He was pretty old when I first started fixing flats for him and he always called me "Young'un". He always wore a smile and had a laugh that was contagious.
His wife, Imogene, also traded with me. She would come in for gasoline from time to time. She passed away a couple of years after I went out of business. The last few years I saw him mostly at the Shoppin' Baskit when he would come to town with Bruce Estes for some groceries. Bruce and Graham made quite a pair of characters. I had the privilege of working with three of his Granddaughters at the Shoppin' Baskit when I worked there. Josilyn, Ashley, and Whitney Fitzpatrick were hard workers just like their Granddad was.
Gone but not forgotten - Graham Fitzpatrick.
I wonder whatever happened to..?
I had wondered a couple of weeks ago whatever happened to one of my old classmates, Brent Hamlin. I had heard he was in Santa Anna for the Taylor Family Reunion. Another of my classmates, and Brent's cousin, Beth Rhoades Foster who was also in town for the reunion gave me an update on him and added some more info about herself.
My Mom and Step-Dad, Pat and Tex Wright, also my family's genealogical experts, added some information and "clarified".. that Brent and Beth were cousins:
Tex: By the way- Brent and frank's granddaughter would be full second cousins. Frank and Oscar were brothers, that would make their children (your friends parents) cousins, then next in line would be the kids. 2nd cousins. their children would be 3rd cousins.
Now Brent would be 1st cousin once removed to Frank's daughter.
Enough lessons in genealogy.
Tex
I thought that was enough lessons too, now that I was thoroughly confused!
And sure enough he sent me this a little later..
I was wrong in my last statement.
Brent and Beth are 1st cousins. I was thinking Etta was descended from Oscar. Your mother corrected me. Beth and Brent are both grandchildren of Frank and Mamie Taylor. So even when I'm Wright I'm wrong sometimes.
Tex
Seems I wasn't the only one confused!
Beth had this to add:
Yes, Brent and I are first cousins. He is living up in Cross Plains - he and Sheila remarried other people and now they've remarried each other. Both of their boys are grown. Steven is in the service already and Derick was reporting to one of the branches on Monday the 27th of June. I think he told me that Steven was in Iraq. Brent also has a first grader. Other than that, I can't shed alot of light.
My kids are now a Freshman (Anna) and an eighth-grader (Adam). I've remarried to an older gentleman (best man I know) who has two adult children of his own, and two adult step-daughters. So my kids are his third set. Now he's really CRAZY!.
We live in a very small town north of Dayton, Ohio called Bradford. The town reminds me very much of Santa Anna - it's about the same size as Santa Anna was in the late 70's or early 80's. I drive 25 miles to work and I'm the HR manager of an automotive supplier in Sidney, Ohio. We build hood liners for GM and some Toyota cars. And, I'm sorry to say, I'm still chasing that college education - I only have 8 more classes to get through. I'll be done about the time I retire I guess.
I hadn't been back home since our 15th year high school reunion. Needless to say, I was soaking up the scenery. I was so shocked to see how many of the homes were now gone and how many lots were grown over. It's funny for those of us that leave Santa Anna, we leave with a snapshot picture of the place we lived. It's always a shock to see that picture disturbed when you go back. There are 2 red lights now and the laundry is now a storage.
I miss it there though. Except for the occasionally train, it's so quite and peaceful. Even though I'm 1400 miles away from there, I think of Santa Anna often - fondly.
Take care.
Beth
Cindy and I thought that we had seen Brent's wife Sheila working at the Food Plaza convenience store in Cross Plains a while back. It is nice to know how your old friends are doing and it sounds like these old friends of mine are doing pretty good.
Thanks to Mom and Tex for keeping me straight and to Beth for the information.
A little more catching up..
I had several unidentified Scouts in one of my Camp Tonkawa photos the other day and Frank Williams e-mailed me that he thought the first one is David Boivin and Travis Calhoun is between him and Joe Diaz.
Santa Anna Troop 230 BSA - Camp Tonkawa 1981
Front L-R: David Boivin, Joe Diaz, Travis Calhoun, Frank Williams
Middle L-R: unidentified, unidentified, unidentifiable!, James Culpepper, Shawn Harper, Rex Harper
Back L-R: Steve Hughes, Albert Collins, Damon finally-made-it-to-the-back-row Harper, Scoutmaster-Tex Wright
City Park Vandalized
On Monday evening or sometime Tuesday the Santa Anna City Park was vandalized. The wooden playground equipment was damaged. The park has also become trashed by recent visitor's which may also be responsible for this damage.
The Park is maintained by the City and most of the work is done by volunteers. John Hensley has been a key figure in the armory and park renovations while working with the Chamber of Commerce.
The facilities have been enjoyed by many as it has been the site of the Chamber's Funtier Day and many other community and family events.
Please contact the City of Santa Anna or the Santa Anna Police Department if you have information about the recent vandalism.
Weather
We had a little chance for rain Tuesday.. As I came through Brownwood on the way home from work I got about 5 drops of rain on my windshield. The road was wet between Brownwood and Bangs and it looked like it had moved towards Lake Brownwood. It was dry as a bone in Santa Anna but I enjoyed the cooler temperatures when I got home.
This July 5, 2005 report from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has some interesting tornado statistics:
No one has died from a tornado since March in the United States a first since official records began in 1950, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla. Normally, during the most active tornado months of April, May and June, 61 percent of all tornado fatalities or an average of 52 deaths occur.
NOAA image of the Dimmitt, Texas, tornado of June 2, 1995.
Killer tornadoes, however, are possible given the right atmospheric conditions. One such scenario is during a land-falling tropical system. Parts of the Gulf Coast, for instance, will have an increased tornado threat as Tropical Storm Cindy moves ashore.
The previous low mark was one tornado-related fatality during the same period in 1992.
Despite this record, the U. S. has experienced a normal number of tornadoes with 665 reports in the first six months of the year. However, 2005 is well below last year's record-breaking total of 964 tornadoes from January through June. Tornadoes have caused a total of five fatalities this year so far four in January and one in March.
The busiest time of year so far in 2005 was the first 10 days of June with 177 tornado reports, surpassing the total for the entire month of May nationwide.
"This is truly a unique situation and one that we are very happy to report," said Dan McCarthy, NOAA Storm Prediction Center warning coordination meteorologist. "The ingredients needed in the atmosphere never really came together, preventing development of our normal springtime pattern that makes long-track tornadoes and tornado outbreaks possible during these prime months for severe weather."
However, McCarthy cautions that tornadoes can occur anywhere any time of year with the right atmospheric conditions. "We are entering the prime time of year for tropical storms. We had 300 tornadoes last year during the tropical season, so be prepared, pay attention to weather forecasts and be safe," he advised.
One way to stay safe is to monitor NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards, which provides immediate broadcasts of warnings and information pertaining to severe weather and civil emergencies. Receivers can be purchased online and at most electronic retailers.
NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation's coastal and marine resources.
Rambling
I stopped by Walmart on the way home from work.. not exactly my favorite thing to do but sometimes necessary and sometimes optional. They have a great fresh fish market and Cindy and I really like one of the ladies that works there. I saw one of my old service station and Shoppin' Baskit buddies, Rex Rider, who works in the Produce Department. Old Rex used to bring my gasoline when I ran the old Mobil Station and he worked for the Bakers and then we worked together at the Shoppin Baskit for a while.
We had been wanting some fresh fish for a while and with a house full of kids we have to watch what we get sometimes. I bought about 4 pounds of catfish filet for about $4 per pound. Cindy and I have been eating more fish and I have never really eaten any blackened except for a bite of Cindy's a time or two at a restaurant and I was really wanting to give it a try. I got my King Kooker Tailgator out over the weekend to deep fry some whole chickens. It was my second time to give them a try and they were much better this time than the last. Anyhow we blackened some catfish and let me tell you it was some kind of good.
Ok, here is the secret to it.. rub the 1/2 to 1 inch filets, red snapper and catfish are the best but can be most any fish filet, with butter and then apply your favorite blackening season, we used Zatarain's Blackening Season, and let them sit while you get a cast iron skillet white hot.. about ten minutes of high heat... should see a flame circle in the pan. This method produces a lot of smoke and should not be done indoors. Then place the filets in the skillet for about one and one-half to two minutes per side and serve hot... I did six filets and kept them warm in my Bar BQ grill while cooking the rest.
I wish that I had taken some pictures for you but I was pretty busy!
We added some Zatarain's Dirty Rice and some Jalapeno Pinto Beans and man-o-man you "shoulda' ben der fer dat"... there wasn't too much talkin' at the table!
There are lots of recipes out there and this Texas Gulf Coast Fishing site has some simple recipes and Zatarains' website has a lot of recipes.
Weekend and you might be from Santa Anna if..
I am afraid I don't have much news but I will see what I can make up for the rest of the week.
Cindy and I are still painting the house and it sure has been hot. Pretty dry too.. but hopefully Hurricane Dennis will dump some water our way and not hurt anyone else.
We have finished the North and West sides of the house which are probably the hardest. But we still have the South and East sides, the storage building, garage, dog house, and tree house!
The girls, Jessica and Crystal, went with my Son-in-Law Jason and some of their friends to the river near New Braunfels this weekend. They had a some fun and even saw some other Santa Anna Folks floating down the river.. Chris Cheaney and Aaron Guthrie happened to be floating the same way this weekend or maybe they were going the other way! You never can tell about those two guys...
Aaron had some cool sandals on the other day when I saw him at his sister Shala's wedding rehearsal dinner. They actually had a bottle cap opener in the bottom of the sole. They are called Reefs and here is Gizmodo's review of them.
This earns Aaron this week's "You might be from Santa Anna if" .. you have a built in bottle opener in your sandals!
Aaron sent me this photo of his reefs..
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