August 31, 2007
It looks as if another politician has been caught in a compromising position. Republican
Senator Larry Craig of Idaho pled guilty to disorderly conduct after apparently giving
homosexual contact signals to an undercover cop in the men's room at the Minneapolis
airport. Click for article and audio tape of interrogation after arrest. Despite the fact he
already pleaded guilty and paid a fine, he is now saying he did nothing wrong and is not a
homosexual. Pretty strange.
The WWE has suspended ten of its wrestlers for illegal steroid use. Click for article. I guess
Vince McMahon is feeling the heat over the upcoming congressional hearings on the subject.
The Eutaw Cemetery Association is seeking donations for the upkeep of the grounds. Send
your donations to Robert O'Neal or the Kosse Farmers State Bank.
August 29, 2007
Our progressive city government continues preparing for the future. The citizens of Kosse
were given documents involving our municipal water system and the proposed Junk Vehicle
Ordinance. One of the documents required a signed agreement in order to receive city water
service. Hopefully some did not dispose of the papers before learning of its need for return to
the city office.
The amount of traffic coming through Kosse these days is heavier than I've ever seen. I was
trying to walk across Highway 7 from my office to the bank, and it literally took me three or four
minutes before an opening in traffic allowed my crossing. Most of the increased traffic
involves 18-wheelers, and there is a constant flow of trucks from Bremond to Kosse. The area
growth was predicted, but it is kind of strange seeing so much activity in our community.
Today saw the erection of signs announcing road work on Highway 14 from Bremond to the
Limestone County line near the Lindseys. I'm not sure what the project will entail, but it looks
like one that could take a long time to complete.
August 26, 2007
I had a short visit this morning with John Myers. He had arrived at the cafe driving a 1930
Ford Model A. It has been restored to pristine condition, with Mr. Myers doing a significant
portion of the restoration himself. There's something about true classic cars such as the
Model A that I find intriguing, and this one definitely fit the bill. I asked him if I could post some
photos of it on this website, and hope to have them on here soon.
Benjamin Franklin's famous quote from Poor Richard's Almanac of 1757 states "God helps
those who help themselves". The current Iraqi government needs to heed this sage advice,
and even the Republican leaders in Congress are beginning to see this. Click for article.
Anyone who regularly reads this blog knows my long-held opinion that this Bush-Cheney
fiasco is a deadly and costly mistake. While true that we cannot change history and must deal
with circumstances as they now stand, the actions and statements of the Iraqi government our
soldiers are dying to protect are downright disturbing. Not only are U.S. soldiers dying while
the Iraqi government enjoys a month-long vacation, but the Iraqi Prime Minister is now lashing
out against American politicians who are criticizing his actions (or more correctly, inactions).
While I understand the need for an American presence in the Middle East to maintain some
semblance of stability, why does it have to be in an ungrateful Iraq? Directly south is Kuwait, a
nation that holds undying gratitude for our liberating it in 1991 from the invading Saddam
Hussein. Why could we not move our troops out of the battle zone into the friendlier environs,
still chase the terrorists, and not have our soldiers facing daily attacks? Don Imus used to
joke on his radio show about returning Saddam Hussein to power because it took a tyrannical
madman to keep control of the Iraqis. While obviously the late Saddam will not be returning
anywhere, maybe it is time to realize there may never be an amicable peace among the
various sects, and let Bush's goal of Iraqi democracy subside. The indisputable historical fact
is the Sunnis, Shia, and Kurds of Iraq have never gotten along, and no amount of American
troops or deaths is going to change this.
August 25, 2007
Four months until Christmas and Kosse is sizzling. School starts Monday, and autumn is less
than four weeks away. Meadowcreek Park is hosting an equestrian event this weekend, and
as always Kosse is seeing an influx of people. It appears as if the Highway 7 West
construction project's end is finally in sight. The retirement party for Kosse First Baptist
Church pastor Tom Vance and wife Brenda is slated for tomorrow afternoon at the Kosse
Community Center. George W. Bush is now comparing the Iraq War to the Vietnam conflict,
after saying for years Iraq would not become another Vietnam. Click for article. A 93-year-old
man was charged with cocaine-trafficking in North Carolina. Click for article. The cycle of life
continues and the hands of time inexorably progress.
August 21, 2007
Hurricane Dean has hit the Yucatan Peninsula area of Mexico. Click for article. It appears as
if we will see little or no rainfall from this Category 5 storm.
Evidently the news media is finally realizing the amount of crime occurring in Calvert. Click for
article and video. A few years ago we decided to put a Pizza Pro in Calvert. It turned out to
be the worst business decision I ever made, and it wasn't due to lack of business. It was due
to the crime and political turmoil within the community. In the course of two months, we were
burglarized four times (no arrests were ever made) and I was bald-faced lied to by one of two
mayors who served during the months we were there. How can I so boldly state the mayor
was a liar? Because the office of mayor changed hands, and one mayor told me one thing
while the other said the complete opposite, and they both said the other was lying. (It was a
situation where the answer was either yes or no -- there was no gray area.) While I will never
be able to positively state which one was the liar, the whole situation was quite disgusting, and
I would advise anyone to never go into business in Calvert.
August 19, 2007
Lifelong Kosse resident and former Kosse Water Superintendent Carl Harper has passed
away as a result of cancer. Carl was a very nice man who will be sadly missed. He and his
late wife Martha were positive components of Kosse for decades. Carl was the son-in-law of
longtime Kosse grocer Clark Springfield and regaled me with many stories of when he worked
in what eventually became our grocery store. He was especially interested in the wooden
butcher block which was used in the meat market area. It was the same butcher block Carl
had used during his butchering days in the 1950's, although he told me it was twice as thick in
those days. The block would be scraped with a steel brush each day during cleaning, and
over the course of forty years slowly lost its massive thickness. Carl was a daily diner at the
Kosse Cafe, and always friendly and accessible. The sadness over the loss of his beloved
Martha was never overcome. They are now reunited.
August 15, 2007
The unpredictability of Mother Nature has arrived again. Tropical Storm Erin is predicted to
bring cooling rain to us tomorrow. Click for article.
The Kosse City Council met again last night to further advance the updating of city
ordinances. Mayor Daniell told me he would keep me informed on city activities, so I'm hoping
to have this information on the blog in a day or two.
Don Imus has received a reported $20 million buyout of his contract by CBS Radio. Click for
article. According to knowledgeable sources, Imus will be back on the air by the fall. It will be
nice to hear his political interviews and irreverence once again.
August 14, 2007
The dogs days of summer continue in Kosse, Texas. Thirty-one people were arrested near
Waco for illegal gambling. Click for article. Evidently the state does not consider this a
serious offense, as it carries a $99.00 fine and is in the same criminal category as a traffic
ticket. While I feel as if Texas would be wise to allow casino gambling, I have never been
much of a gambler (except in business). Over the years I have had a number of employees
who were Texas Lottery addicts, and would spend a significant amount of their weekly
paychecks on lottery tickets. They all had stories of their big payoff, overlooking the reality of
their cumulative loss. I never saw much wisdom in the situation.
August 11, 2007
The Kosse Heritage House and 4-H Club need your assistance for a most worthy cause, and it
won't cost a thing. I received the following e-mail from Karen Partin. Let's get behind this and
bring about further improvement to a Kosse institution.
On behalf the Kosse 4-H I have applied for a monetary grant for a new roof at the Heritage
House. Grant approval is based on communtiy support. What we need is for people to log on
to www.myhometownhelper.com click "find your Project" (you just type in Kosse Texas) and it
will take you to our project. We need people to fill in positive comments. This particular grant
is judged on how many public comments are sent in. Thanks Karen Partin
That Karen is a go-getter. I looked up the website to add my comments about Kosse. This
description of the Kosse project is great:
We are located in the heart of central texas.A small town of 500 with plenty of history. This
Heritage House in home to much Kosse History. There is a Kosse Heritage Society and they
have raised $2000.00 they need $10,000 more. This home is reaching 100 years old and was
donated back around 1985. Over the years the "Heritage Members" have passed away. Just
recently we have re-vamped the society with new ideas and new hope this would help motivate
the whole community. We must preserve our towns history and pass it on to our children. This
house will be here for a long time,especially if it receives a new roof.
To facilitate the ease of adding your own comments in support of the project, I am providing a
direct link to the actual Kosse page. Click here for the Kosse Heritage House Roof Project
Page.
August 10, 2007
I received an e-mail from Karen Partin regarding the Kosse City Park. It is self-explanatory.
Please contact her with any information.
We are looking for a experienced brick layer with references preferred. We need the
sculpture at the park to be erected upon some memorial bricks and need someone to do that.
Do you know of a good reputable one?
Thanks,
Karen
The Kosse city ordinance updates are continuing with a flurry. Mayor Daniell told me the loud
noises made by braking trucks known as "Jake Braking" will no longer be allowed. The city's
noise ordinance has been amended to deal with this situation. I noticed a handout beside the
cash register at the cafe which described a proposed Junk Vehicle Ordinance. It is a good
idea. During my short stint in politics as mayor of one of our neighboring communities, I tried
very hard to get a similar ordinance passed. The City Council refused to go along, and to this
day that town needs a good clean up. Fortunately, Kosse has a progressive and
forward-looking city government, and a number of needs are being addressed prior to our
future growth period.
The Texas Education Agency's rating of the Groesbeck Independent School District as
Academically Unacceptable was given extensive coverage in this week's Groesbeck Journal.
Click for articles. After reading the article entitled "GISD Reports TAKS and SDAA scores to
the Board of Trustees", all I can say is Stop the Spin!
It looks as if another politician has been caught in a compromising position. Republican
Senator Larry Craig of Idaho pled guilty to disorderly conduct after apparently giving
homosexual contact signals to an undercover cop in the men's room at the Minneapolis
airport. Click for article and audio tape of interrogation after arrest. Despite the fact he
already pleaded guilty and paid a fine, he is now saying he did nothing wrong and is not a
homosexual. Pretty strange.
The WWE has suspended ten of its wrestlers for illegal steroid use. Click for article. I guess
Vince McMahon is feeling the heat over the upcoming congressional hearings on the subject.
The Eutaw Cemetery Association is seeking donations for the upkeep of the grounds. Send
your donations to Robert O'Neal or the Kosse Farmers State Bank.
August 29, 2007
Our progressive city government continues preparing for the future. The citizens of Kosse
were given documents involving our municipal water system and the proposed Junk Vehicle
Ordinance. One of the documents required a signed agreement in order to receive city water
service. Hopefully some did not dispose of the papers before learning of its need for return to
the city office.
The amount of traffic coming through Kosse these days is heavier than I've ever seen. I was
trying to walk across Highway 7 from my office to the bank, and it literally took me three or four
minutes before an opening in traffic allowed my crossing. Most of the increased traffic
involves 18-wheelers, and there is a constant flow of trucks from Bremond to Kosse. The area
growth was predicted, but it is kind of strange seeing so much activity in our community.
Today saw the erection of signs announcing road work on Highway 14 from Bremond to the
Limestone County line near the Lindseys. I'm not sure what the project will entail, but it looks
like one that could take a long time to complete.
August 26, 2007
I had a short visit this morning with John Myers. He had arrived at the cafe driving a 1930
Ford Model A. It has been restored to pristine condition, with Mr. Myers doing a significant
portion of the restoration himself. There's something about true classic cars such as the
Model A that I find intriguing, and this one definitely fit the bill. I asked him if I could post some
photos of it on this website, and hope to have them on here soon.
Benjamin Franklin's famous quote from Poor Richard's Almanac of 1757 states "God helps
those who help themselves". The current Iraqi government needs to heed this sage advice,
and even the Republican leaders in Congress are beginning to see this. Click for article.
Anyone who regularly reads this blog knows my long-held opinion that this Bush-Cheney
fiasco is a deadly and costly mistake. While true that we cannot change history and must deal
with circumstances as they now stand, the actions and statements of the Iraqi government our
soldiers are dying to protect are downright disturbing. Not only are U.S. soldiers dying while
the Iraqi government enjoys a month-long vacation, but the Iraqi Prime Minister is now lashing
out against American politicians who are criticizing his actions (or more correctly, inactions).
While I understand the need for an American presence in the Middle East to maintain some
semblance of stability, why does it have to be in an ungrateful Iraq? Directly south is Kuwait, a
nation that holds undying gratitude for our liberating it in 1991 from the invading Saddam
Hussein. Why could we not move our troops out of the battle zone into the friendlier environs,
still chase the terrorists, and not have our soldiers facing daily attacks? Don Imus used to
joke on his radio show about returning Saddam Hussein to power because it took a tyrannical
madman to keep control of the Iraqis. While obviously the late Saddam will not be returning
anywhere, maybe it is time to realize there may never be an amicable peace among the
various sects, and let Bush's goal of Iraqi democracy subside. The indisputable historical fact
is the Sunnis, Shia, and Kurds of Iraq have never gotten along, and no amount of American
troops or deaths is going to change this.
August 25, 2007
Four months until Christmas and Kosse is sizzling. School starts Monday, and autumn is less
than four weeks away. Meadowcreek Park is hosting an equestrian event this weekend, and
as always Kosse is seeing an influx of people. It appears as if the Highway 7 West
construction project's end is finally in sight. The retirement party for Kosse First Baptist
Church pastor Tom Vance and wife Brenda is slated for tomorrow afternoon at the Kosse
Community Center. George W. Bush is now comparing the Iraq War to the Vietnam conflict,
after saying for years Iraq would not become another Vietnam. Click for article. A 93-year-old
man was charged with cocaine-trafficking in North Carolina. Click for article. The cycle of life
continues and the hands of time inexorably progress.
August 21, 2007
Hurricane Dean has hit the Yucatan Peninsula area of Mexico. Click for article. It appears as
if we will see little or no rainfall from this Category 5 storm.
Evidently the news media is finally realizing the amount of crime occurring in Calvert. Click for
article and video. A few years ago we decided to put a Pizza Pro in Calvert. It turned out to
be the worst business decision I ever made, and it wasn't due to lack of business. It was due
to the crime and political turmoil within the community. In the course of two months, we were
burglarized four times (no arrests were ever made) and I was bald-faced lied to by one of two
mayors who served during the months we were there. How can I so boldly state the mayor
was a liar? Because the office of mayor changed hands, and one mayor told me one thing
while the other said the complete opposite, and they both said the other was lying. (It was a
situation where the answer was either yes or no -- there was no gray area.) While I will never
be able to positively state which one was the liar, the whole situation was quite disgusting, and
I would advise anyone to never go into business in Calvert.
August 19, 2007
Lifelong Kosse resident and former Kosse Water Superintendent Carl Harper has passed
away as a result of cancer. Carl was a very nice man who will be sadly missed. He and his
late wife Martha were positive components of Kosse for decades. Carl was the son-in-law of
longtime Kosse grocer Clark Springfield and regaled me with many stories of when he worked
in what eventually became our grocery store. He was especially interested in the wooden
butcher block which was used in the meat market area. It was the same butcher block Carl
had used during his butchering days in the 1950's, although he told me it was twice as thick in
those days. The block would be scraped with a steel brush each day during cleaning, and
over the course of forty years slowly lost its massive thickness. Carl was a daily diner at the
Kosse Cafe, and always friendly and accessible. The sadness over the loss of his beloved
Martha was never overcome. They are now reunited.
August 15, 2007
The unpredictability of Mother Nature has arrived again. Tropical Storm Erin is predicted to
bring cooling rain to us tomorrow. Click for article.
The Kosse City Council met again last night to further advance the updating of city
ordinances. Mayor Daniell told me he would keep me informed on city activities, so I'm hoping
to have this information on the blog in a day or two.
Don Imus has received a reported $20 million buyout of his contract by CBS Radio. Click for
article. According to knowledgeable sources, Imus will be back on the air by the fall. It will be
nice to hear his political interviews and irreverence once again.
August 14, 2007
The dogs days of summer continue in Kosse, Texas. Thirty-one people were arrested near
Waco for illegal gambling. Click for article. Evidently the state does not consider this a
serious offense, as it carries a $99.00 fine and is in the same criminal category as a traffic
ticket. While I feel as if Texas would be wise to allow casino gambling, I have never been
much of a gambler (except in business). Over the years I have had a number of employees
who were Texas Lottery addicts, and would spend a significant amount of their weekly
paychecks on lottery tickets. They all had stories of their big payoff, overlooking the reality of
their cumulative loss. I never saw much wisdom in the situation.
August 11, 2007
The Kosse Heritage House and 4-H Club need your assistance for a most worthy cause, and it
won't cost a thing. I received the following e-mail from Karen Partin. Let's get behind this and
bring about further improvement to a Kosse institution.
On behalf the Kosse 4-H I have applied for a monetary grant for a new roof at the Heritage
House. Grant approval is based on communtiy support. What we need is for people to log on
to www.myhometownhelper.com click "find your Project" (you just type in Kosse Texas) and it
will take you to our project. We need people to fill in positive comments. This particular grant
is judged on how many public comments are sent in. Thanks Karen Partin
That Karen is a go-getter. I looked up the website to add my comments about Kosse. This
description of the Kosse project is great:
We are located in the heart of central texas.A small town of 500 with plenty of history. This
Heritage House in home to much Kosse History. There is a Kosse Heritage Society and they
have raised $2000.00 they need $10,000 more. This home is reaching 100 years old and was
donated back around 1985. Over the years the "Heritage Members" have passed away. Just
recently we have re-vamped the society with new ideas and new hope this would help motivate
the whole community. We must preserve our towns history and pass it on to our children. This
house will be here for a long time,especially if it receives a new roof.
To facilitate the ease of adding your own comments in support of the project, I am providing a
direct link to the actual Kosse page. Click here for the Kosse Heritage House Roof Project
Page.
August 10, 2007
I received an e-mail from Karen Partin regarding the Kosse City Park. It is self-explanatory.
Please contact her with any information.
We are looking for a experienced brick layer with references preferred. We need the
sculpture at the park to be erected upon some memorial bricks and need someone to do that.
Do you know of a good reputable one?
Thanks,
Karen
The Kosse city ordinance updates are continuing with a flurry. Mayor Daniell told me the loud
noises made by braking trucks known as "Jake Braking" will no longer be allowed. The city's
noise ordinance has been amended to deal with this situation. I noticed a handout beside the
cash register at the cafe which described a proposed Junk Vehicle Ordinance. It is a good
idea. During my short stint in politics as mayor of one of our neighboring communities, I tried
very hard to get a similar ordinance passed. The City Council refused to go along, and to this
day that town needs a good clean up. Fortunately, Kosse has a progressive and
forward-looking city government, and a number of needs are being addressed prior to our
future growth period.
The Texas Education Agency's rating of the Groesbeck Independent School District as
Academically Unacceptable was given extensive coverage in this week's Groesbeck Journal.
Click for articles. After reading the article entitled "GISD Reports TAKS and SDAA scores to
the Board of Trustees", all I can say is Stop the Spin!
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| The Kosse Blog Page 33 |
| Local News Kosse Courier Groesbeck Journal Mexia Daily News Marlin Democrat Waco Tribune-Herald KWTX Channel 10 National News Fox News Google News Drudge Report Yahoo News New York Times CNN MSNBC |
