February 8, 2008
The Kosse economic growth continues at a rapid pace. The January, 2008 sales tax rebates
(which are indicative of business activity within the city limits) was $4,232.57, compared to last
January's $2,750.86. A couple of weeks ago I wrote of a conversation I had with a man from
Thornton who said the town had virtually died in regards to business activity. Evidently his
analysis was accurate, as our northern neighbor of similar size saw a decrease over the past
year from $1,002.63 to $808.46. Coolidge, the perennial laggard of Limestone County tax
rebates, has now handed the dubious crown to Thornton. Click for article.
February 3, 2008
The Bremond sports fans have been involved in yet another brawl. At the basketball game in
Chilton on Friday things got so bad that Falls County Sheriff's Department deputies, on hand
to maintain order, had to call for backup forces (you may recall a similar situation involving the
Bremond-Chilton fans last year). Numerous arrests were made and one person got to enjoy
being pepper sprayed. The Fightin' Tigers have struck again.
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday. Six more weeks of winter, although you would
not have known it in Kosse today. We had a very pleasant spring-like day, with temperatures
in the mid-70's.
A few weeks ago the folks near Jewett were very disappointed when the FutureGen coal plant
project was awarded to the small town of Mattoon, Illinois. Now the Department of Energy has
cancelled their involvement in the project. Click for article. Needless to say, the people of
Illinois are not happy. It reminds me of the Superconducting Super Collider project of the early
1990's near Waxahachie. Click for article. I suppose the lesson to be learned is don't count
on the federal government to keep their word.
Karen Partin sent me an e-mail which is self explanatory:
I received a letter in the mail, passing it on to you for info. On Feb. 21 at 7pm there will be a
meeting at the KCC. Its a brainstorming meeting for ideas for the Festival in April. Every
non-profit organization is asked to send one represetative to this meeting. We need some
ideas to help "JUMP START" the festival. Thank you.
January 31, 2008
It's 6:00 a.m. in Kosse and the rain has been non-stop for two hours. I just heard a bunch of
sirens passing by my office. Don't know what's going on.
There is a gratifying video on the Channel 25 website today. Evidently some thief attempted
to hold up a store near Lake Whitney. The clerk, who had been severely beaten by another
robber a couple of years ago, grabbed his gun from under the counter and shot the criminal in
each thigh. To enjoy the sights of immediate justice, click here.
Like Rudy Guiliani, John Edwards has pulled out of the presidential race. Click for article.
According to the article, he will most likely endorse Barack Obama.
January 30, 2008
Mother Nature sent the winds to Kosse yesterday. As usual, the outdoor sign at the cafe was
blown over. That sign has had a rougher two years than George Bush.
Looks as if John McCain is the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination after
winning yesterday's Florida primary. Click for article. Rudy Guiliani is pulling out of the race
today and endorsing McCain. Click for article.
January 25, 2008
Eleven months until Christmas. It looks as if our County Attorney's race is going to be a hot
one. In this week's Groesbeck Journal the ad wars have begun in earnest. Incumbent Roy
DeFriend has a testimonial from Kosseite Flora Flippen in regards to the murder of her
husband and satisfaction with Roy's performance in the case. Challenger David Moore has
ads attempting to show Roy is soft on violent drug offenders and sexual predators. As a
resident of Robertson County I do not vote in the Limestone County races, but this is proving
to be an interesting one to follow.
January 24, 2008
It was 37-degrees last night and felt almost balmy after our days of freezing weather with wind
chills in the low 20's.
When I was in first grade our teacher would orally read books to us. As my fellow six year olds
and I sat cross-legged in front of her, Mrs. Eppes would read each page and then show us the
pictures on the page. Her variety of book titles was quite limited, so she read the same books
numerous times over the course of the year. One book she occasionally read to us illustrated
the point of how outlooks are relative to circumstances and can be modified to bring about a
different viewpoint. It involved a farmer who was constantly complaining about his house
being too small. His friend told him he could solve the problem in one week at no cost to the
farmer, but the farmer would have to strictly follow the advice of the friend. The farmer
promised he would. That night the friend told the farmer to bring six chickens into his living
room for the night. The farmer didn't like having chickens in the living room but followed his
promise. The next night he was told to bring six pigs into his kitchen. The next night he was
told to bring six goats into his bathroom, and the next he was to bring six cows into his
bedroom. By now the farmer is going crazy as his friend tells him he must live with his indoor
menagerie for the next three days. The week finally passes and the farmer is instructed to
take all the animals out of the house. The farmer couldn't believe it but suddenly his house
was no longer too small and it hadn't cost him anything.
January 23, 2008
The fear of recession continues to dominate recent government policy. Click for article. While
there are certainly hardships suffered by some in a recessionary economy, there will also be
advantages brought about for many people. The price of oil is finally dropping (down over
$10.00 per barrel from its December high) which will bring down transportation costs. For
homebuyers, the bust in the real estate market offers housing bargains. Inflationary
pressures lessen during a recession, helping the overwrought consumer pocketbooks.
Interest rates fall, making loan payments less burdensome. People tend to save more during
a recession, and the trade deficit lessens. According to today's Wall Street Journal, recession
fears have caused stocks to be as cheap as they've been since the late 1970s, offering
amazing investment opportunities. Click for article. The ones who lose in a recession are
generally laid-off workers, but even in a worst case scenario this will only add 3-4% of current
workers to the unemployment rolls. The overwhelming majority will remain employed while
benefiting from the aforementioned positives. As with many things in life, the outlook on a
recession is dependent on whose ox is being gored.
Parenting expert Paris Hilton has proclaimed that Britney Spears is a great mother. Click for
article.
January 20, 2008
It's a little after 2:00 a.m. as I write this and the Channel 25 website says the temperature is
20-degrees with a wind chill factor of 15-degrees. My feet are feeling it as I huddle near the
Wal Mart heater. Until a couple of years ago this was one of my favorite types of weather, but
now I simply feel uncomfortably frozen. Another side effect of advancing age.
January 19, 2008
The Kosse Community Center will be meeting on Thursday, January 24 to elect new officers.
The Kosse Chamber of Commerce will be meeting this coming Monday at the Kosse Heritage
House at 6:30 p.m. for their monthly meeting. The Heritage House Society will hold their
meeting immediately preceding the Chamber meeting at 6:00 p.m. All are invited to all of
these meetings.
The U.S. economy is not in good shape at the moment, and many are saying we are already
in a recession. For once, both parties are in agreement that our economy needs stimulating.
President Bush is considering sending each taxpayer a check for $800.00, which for married
couples would mean $1600.00. Click for article. The cost of doing this will be approximately
$150 billion. The cost of the Iraq War has reached $487 billion, or 3.4 times the amount of
the proposed rebate. Click to see cost of war. I imagine most Americans would have
preferred receiving $5000.00 per couple versus having spent it on the war. If only Colin
Powell's advice had been heeded.
January 15, 2007
True winter weather is on the horizon. Thursday night is predicted to reach 25-degrees with a
30% chance of rain. So far we have been able to escape icy conditions this winter and
hopefully this will continue. Guess we'll know Thursday night.
I had a nice visit with Jack Barnett the other evening at the cafe. He said that Thornton is
almost dead as far as business activity goes. I will have to take his word on it, as I have very
little contact with our neighbor to the north. While taking no pleasure in his assessment, I tried
as Thornton mayor in the early 80's to warn the recalcitrant city council of my administration
that this would happen if all attempts to stifle city improvements were defeated. I was fought
tooth and nail on every attempt I made at progress, and now they are evidently reaping that
which has been sown. That is one reason I am so pleased to see Kosse Mayor Daniell and
our progressive city council taking preemptive action to avert such a scenario for the
Wonderland of Texas.
The Kosse economic growth continues at a rapid pace. The January, 2008 sales tax rebates
(which are indicative of business activity within the city limits) was $4,232.57, compared to last
January's $2,750.86. A couple of weeks ago I wrote of a conversation I had with a man from
Thornton who said the town had virtually died in regards to business activity. Evidently his
analysis was accurate, as our northern neighbor of similar size saw a decrease over the past
year from $1,002.63 to $808.46. Coolidge, the perennial laggard of Limestone County tax
rebates, has now handed the dubious crown to Thornton. Click for article.
February 3, 2008
The Bremond sports fans have been involved in yet another brawl. At the basketball game in
Chilton on Friday things got so bad that Falls County Sheriff's Department deputies, on hand
to maintain order, had to call for backup forces (you may recall a similar situation involving the
Bremond-Chilton fans last year). Numerous arrests were made and one person got to enjoy
being pepper sprayed. The Fightin' Tigers have struck again.
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday. Six more weeks of winter, although you would
not have known it in Kosse today. We had a very pleasant spring-like day, with temperatures
in the mid-70's.
A few weeks ago the folks near Jewett were very disappointed when the FutureGen coal plant
project was awarded to the small town of Mattoon, Illinois. Now the Department of Energy has
cancelled their involvement in the project. Click for article. Needless to say, the people of
Illinois are not happy. It reminds me of the Superconducting Super Collider project of the early
1990's near Waxahachie. Click for article. I suppose the lesson to be learned is don't count
on the federal government to keep their word.
Karen Partin sent me an e-mail which is self explanatory:
I received a letter in the mail, passing it on to you for info. On Feb. 21 at 7pm there will be a
meeting at the KCC. Its a brainstorming meeting for ideas for the Festival in April. Every
non-profit organization is asked to send one represetative to this meeting. We need some
ideas to help "JUMP START" the festival. Thank you.
January 31, 2008
It's 6:00 a.m. in Kosse and the rain has been non-stop for two hours. I just heard a bunch of
sirens passing by my office. Don't know what's going on.
There is a gratifying video on the Channel 25 website today. Evidently some thief attempted
to hold up a store near Lake Whitney. The clerk, who had been severely beaten by another
robber a couple of years ago, grabbed his gun from under the counter and shot the criminal in
each thigh. To enjoy the sights of immediate justice, click here.
Like Rudy Guiliani, John Edwards has pulled out of the presidential race. Click for article.
According to the article, he will most likely endorse Barack Obama.
January 30, 2008
Mother Nature sent the winds to Kosse yesterday. As usual, the outdoor sign at the cafe was
blown over. That sign has had a rougher two years than George Bush.
Looks as if John McCain is the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination after
winning yesterday's Florida primary. Click for article. Rudy Guiliani is pulling out of the race
today and endorsing McCain. Click for article.
January 25, 2008
Eleven months until Christmas. It looks as if our County Attorney's race is going to be a hot
one. In this week's Groesbeck Journal the ad wars have begun in earnest. Incumbent Roy
DeFriend has a testimonial from Kosseite Flora Flippen in regards to the murder of her
husband and satisfaction with Roy's performance in the case. Challenger David Moore has
ads attempting to show Roy is soft on violent drug offenders and sexual predators. As a
resident of Robertson County I do not vote in the Limestone County races, but this is proving
to be an interesting one to follow.
January 24, 2008
It was 37-degrees last night and felt almost balmy after our days of freezing weather with wind
chills in the low 20's.
When I was in first grade our teacher would orally read books to us. As my fellow six year olds
and I sat cross-legged in front of her, Mrs. Eppes would read each page and then show us the
pictures on the page. Her variety of book titles was quite limited, so she read the same books
numerous times over the course of the year. One book she occasionally read to us illustrated
the point of how outlooks are relative to circumstances and can be modified to bring about a
different viewpoint. It involved a farmer who was constantly complaining about his house
being too small. His friend told him he could solve the problem in one week at no cost to the
farmer, but the farmer would have to strictly follow the advice of the friend. The farmer
promised he would. That night the friend told the farmer to bring six chickens into his living
room for the night. The farmer didn't like having chickens in the living room but followed his
promise. The next night he was told to bring six pigs into his kitchen. The next night he was
told to bring six goats into his bathroom, and the next he was to bring six cows into his
bedroom. By now the farmer is going crazy as his friend tells him he must live with his indoor
menagerie for the next three days. The week finally passes and the farmer is instructed to
take all the animals out of the house. The farmer couldn't believe it but suddenly his house
was no longer too small and it hadn't cost him anything.
January 23, 2008
The fear of recession continues to dominate recent government policy. Click for article. While
there are certainly hardships suffered by some in a recessionary economy, there will also be
advantages brought about for many people. The price of oil is finally dropping (down over
$10.00 per barrel from its December high) which will bring down transportation costs. For
homebuyers, the bust in the real estate market offers housing bargains. Inflationary
pressures lessen during a recession, helping the overwrought consumer pocketbooks.
Interest rates fall, making loan payments less burdensome. People tend to save more during
a recession, and the trade deficit lessens. According to today's Wall Street Journal, recession
fears have caused stocks to be as cheap as they've been since the late 1970s, offering
amazing investment opportunities. Click for article. The ones who lose in a recession are
generally laid-off workers, but even in a worst case scenario this will only add 3-4% of current
workers to the unemployment rolls. The overwhelming majority will remain employed while
benefiting from the aforementioned positives. As with many things in life, the outlook on a
recession is dependent on whose ox is being gored.
Parenting expert Paris Hilton has proclaimed that Britney Spears is a great mother. Click for
article.
January 20, 2008
It's a little after 2:00 a.m. as I write this and the Channel 25 website says the temperature is
20-degrees with a wind chill factor of 15-degrees. My feet are feeling it as I huddle near the
Wal Mart heater. Until a couple of years ago this was one of my favorite types of weather, but
now I simply feel uncomfortably frozen. Another side effect of advancing age.
January 19, 2008
The Kosse Community Center will be meeting on Thursday, January 24 to elect new officers.
The Kosse Chamber of Commerce will be meeting this coming Monday at the Kosse Heritage
House at 6:30 p.m. for their monthly meeting. The Heritage House Society will hold their
meeting immediately preceding the Chamber meeting at 6:00 p.m. All are invited to all of
these meetings.
The U.S. economy is not in good shape at the moment, and many are saying we are already
in a recession. For once, both parties are in agreement that our economy needs stimulating.
President Bush is considering sending each taxpayer a check for $800.00, which for married
couples would mean $1600.00. Click for article. The cost of doing this will be approximately
$150 billion. The cost of the Iraq War has reached $487 billion, or 3.4 times the amount of
the proposed rebate. Click to see cost of war. I imagine most Americans would have
preferred receiving $5000.00 per couple versus having spent it on the war. If only Colin
Powell's advice had been heeded.
January 15, 2007
True winter weather is on the horizon. Thursday night is predicted to reach 25-degrees with a
30% chance of rain. So far we have been able to escape icy conditions this winter and
hopefully this will continue. Guess we'll know Thursday night.
I had a nice visit with Jack Barnett the other evening at the cafe. He said that Thornton is
almost dead as far as business activity goes. I will have to take his word on it, as I have very
little contact with our neighbor to the north. While taking no pleasure in his assessment, I tried
as Thornton mayor in the early 80's to warn the recalcitrant city council of my administration
that this would happen if all attempts to stifle city improvements were defeated. I was fought
tooth and nail on every attempt I made at progress, and now they are evidently reaping that
which has been sown. That is one reason I am so pleased to see Kosse Mayor Daniell and
our progressive city council taking preemptive action to avert such a scenario for the
Wonderland of Texas.
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