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WAXAHACHIETX.COM/OPINION
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COMIC’S VIEW
Neal White
Editor/
General Manager
Aaron Schwaderer
Managing Editor
Joe A. Constancio
Production Manager
Scott Brooks
Publisher
Marvin Clark
Circulation Manager
Established 1867
OUR VIEW
TRA decision step
in right direction
The Trinity River Authority recently sent the below memo to Ellis
County Commissioner Paul Perry announcing it would no longer be
placing its sewage sludge on Ellis County farmland. Instead, sewage
sludge from its wastewater treatment facilities will be trucked to landThe announcement comes as welcome relief to Ellis County residents
who have been leading the charge to stop the practice in the county —
especially near residential areas. Without question, Commissioner Perry
has taken the lead role in addressing those concerns at both the regional
and state level. Under current Texas law, the practice of dumping sewage sludge is permitted by any company with a Texas Commission of
Environmental Quality (TCEQ) permit. For at least the past two years,
the TRA has contracted with Renda Environmental, which has subcontracted with Ellis County farmers to deposit the sewage sludge on their
hoods. Below is the TRA statement from General Manager J. Kevin
Ward sent to Commissioner Perry:
“The Executive Committee of the Trinity River Authority met in
Arlington (Nov. 6) at a posted open meeting of the Committee and approved a two year contract for hauling all of the sludge produced at our
I have no authority to make any representations of what TRA will or
won’t do in the future, as we will continue to look for ways for reclamathe processing and recycling of waste streams we treat. You and I have
discussed the prospect of advance sludge treatment that would produce
sterile biosolids suitable for fertilizer production and other uses. Since
protecting the environment and maintaining compliance with all laws
and regulations related to our permitted activities with the treatment
processes currently in place. For the next two years, we are contracted
“Thank you for your patience in the past months as TRA attempted to
respond to your concerns expressed on behalf of your constituents.”
The TRA’s decision is certainly a step in the right direction, but it
provides no guarantee the practice will not resume in the future. We
applaud and sincerely appreciate Commissioner Perry’s work on this
matter, as well as the efforts that have been made by State Representative-elect John Wray, who has been working with Commissioner Perry
be viewed as a victory, the problems associated with sewage sludge
dumping are far from over. This is an issue we sincerely hope the State
Legislature will address in next year’s session.
Letters and Guest Columns
Comments from our readers in the form of letters to the editor or
guest columns are encouraged. The opinions of columnists may not
ted must be signed and should include the address and
exceed 300 words. Letters must be in good taste. No libelous or
offensive letters will be published. The Daily Light reserves the right
to edit letters for correctness, style and grammar. Letters should be
addressed to: Neal White, Editor, The Waxahachie Daily Light,
P.O. Box 877, Waxahachie, TX 75168.
COMMENTARY
My mom’s success
I
set out to write an obituary about my
mother, who died Nov. 15, and was taken
aback by how much she never accomplished in her 94 years.
At least that’s how it seemed when her life
was viewed in contrast with that of my betterknown dad, Allen Funt, who invented “Candid
Camera” and whose numerous accomplishments have been well documented.
Evelyn Funt never graduated from college, because she couldn’t afford the tuition at
Northwestern University and too often found
herself falling asleep on
the bus heading to and
from evening classes
after working all day to
support her family in
Chicago. Yet, her quest
for knowledge was remarkable. At age six she
showed up in an elementary school classroom
despite having been told SYNDICATED COLUMNIST
she was too young to
attend - and somehow persuaded the teacher to
let her stay.
Learning became a passion. She read more
books and newspapers, completed more crossword puzzles, visited more museums and
attended more scholarly lectures than anyone I
know.
ican newspaper, was doomed from the start.
She was hired during World War II with the
understanding that whenever the man she had
replaced returned from military service, she
would step aside - no matter how accomplished
Peter Funt
She was a skilled painter, who never took an
art lesson. She was a talented writer, who was
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The Daily Light online
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WA XA H AC H I E T X .CO M
DAILY LIGHT
Vol. 123, No 232
News: Andrew Branca, Sam Chance,
Shelly Conlon, Geoff Gorman, Bethany
Peterson, Aaron Schwaderer
Display Advertising: Jennifer Henderson,
Carrenza Thurmond, Barbara Spiers, Beth
Kerr
Digital Advertising: David Miller, Tobi
Merritt
Sharon Rexrode
Coulter
Beverly Harris, Carol
Yolanda
Aguayo, Johnny Sosa, Robin Fox, David
Hernandez, Latricia (DeeDee) Jackson,
Nicholas Sanchez, John Bulinda, Paul Alva Jr.
The Daily Light is glad
to correct any error that
appears in the
newspaper
or clarify any statements
that are unclear.
To request a correction or
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday,
and ask for the editor.
The Waxahachie Daily Light is published mornings Tuesday through Friday and Sunday by
Waxahachie Newspapers, Inc. First Class postage is paid at Waxahachie, Texas 75165.
Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Waxahachie Daily Light,
P.O. Box 877, 200 W. Marvin, Waxahachie, TX 75168 (USPS 670-140).
Telephone: (972) 937-3310 FAX: (972) 937-1139
never published. She was a spiritual person
with little interest in organized religion. She
was a volunteer for numerous worthy causes,
yet her name never appeared on lists of philanthropists.
Mom was a progressive thinker and gave
her time to campaign for local politicians, but
she was willing to lick envelopes and knock on
doors. She didn’t give speeches.
During 18 years of marriage she lived in the
shadow of my famous father. She put personal
aspirations aside to raise three kids and support whatever dad was doing.
ful women by relatively new standards involving achievements in business, politics, sports
and things often lumped together as feminism.
My mother was measured by the metrics of a
different era.
Mom wasn’t a lot of things, but she was this:
the nicest person I’ve ever met. I don’t recall
her doing a single mean-spirited thing in her
life. Ever.
She was fond of a passage attributed to
Ralph Waldo Emerson (although the credit is
not entirely clear) called “Success.” It says, in
part: “To laugh often and love much; to win the
respect of intelligent persons...to appreciate
all: “...to leave the world a bit better, whether
by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition.”
Perhaps in those words you see some of your
mother. And, like me as I consider the life of
Evelyn Funt, you conclude:
Oh, my. My mom accomplished so much!
Peter Funt is a writer and speaker. His book, “Cautiously Optimistic,” is available at Amazon.com and CandidCamera.com.
COMMENTARY
Internet gambling ban a losing bet
M
ost Americans, regardless of ideology,
oppose “crony capitalism” or “cronyism.” Cronyism is where politicians
write laws aimed at helping their favored
tion to cronyism, politicians still seek to use the
legislative process to help special interests.
For example, Congress may soon vote on
legislation outlawing Internet gambling. It is
an open secret, at least inside the Beltway, that
this legislation is being considered as a favor to
billionaire casino owner,
Sheldon Adelson. Mr.
Adelson, who is perhaps
best known for using his
enormous wealth to advance a pro-war foreign
policy, is now using his
his online competitors
into criminals.
Supporters of an
Internet gambling ban
SYNDICATED COLUMNIST
publicly deny they are
motivated by a desire
to curry favor with a wealthy donor. Instead,
they give a number of high-minded reasons for
wanting to ban this activity. Some claim that
legalizing online gambling will enrich criminals
and even terrorists! But criminalizing online
casinos will not eliminate the demand for online casinos. Instead, passage of this legislation
will likely guarantee that the online gambling
market is controlled by criminals. Thus, it is
those who support outlawing online gambling
who may be aiding criminals and terrorists.
A federal online gambling ban would overturn
laws in three states that allow online gambling.
It would also end the ongoing debate over legal-
Ron
Paul
izing online gambling in many other states. Yet
some have claimed that Congress must pass
this law in order to protect states rights! Their
argument is that citizens of states that ban
Internet gambling may easily get around those
laws by accessing online casinos operating in
states where online gambling is legalized.
Even if the argument had merit that allowing
states to legalize online gambling undermines
legislation on the issue. Nowhere in the Constitution is the federal government given any
authority to regulate activities such as online
creating new federal crimes turns the Tenth
Amendment, which was intended to limit federal power, on its head.
Many supporters of an Internet gambling
ban sincerely believe that gambling is an immoral and destructive activity that should be
outlawed. However, the proposed legislation
is not at all about the morality of gambling.
It is about whether Americans who do gamble
should have the choice to do so online, or be
forced to visit brick-and-mortar casinos.
Even if there was some moral distinction between gambling online or in a physical casino,
prohibiting behavior that does not involve force
or fraud has no place in a free society. It is no
more appropriate for gambling opponents to use
force to stop people from playing poker online
than it would be for me to use force to stop
people from reading pro-war, neocon writers.
Giving government new powers over the
Internet to prevent online gambling will inevitably threaten all of our liberties. Government
bureaucrats will use this new authority to
SEE PAUL, PAGE 12
WAXAHACHIETX.COM/OPINION
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COMIC’S VIEW
Neal White
Editor/
General Manager
Aaron Schwaderer
Managing Editor
Joe A. Constancio
Production Manager
Scott Brooks
Publisher
Established 1867
OUR VIEW
Could this really
happen?
-
VOICE OF THE READER
‘Dallas Ebola victim raises more
concerns with sewer sludge
dumping in Ellis County’
To the Editor,
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Letters and Guest Columns
-
Comments from our readers in the form of letters to the editor or
guest columns are encouraged. The opinions of columnists may not
ted must be signed and should include the address and
exceed 300 words. Letters must be in good taste. No libelous or
offensive letters will be published. The Daily Light reserves the right
to edit letters for correctness, style and grammar. Letters should be
addressed to: Neal White, Editor, The Waxahachie Daily Light,
P.O. Box 877, Waxahachie, TX 75168.
Notice to advertisers
Advertiser agrees that publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond amount paid for space
actually occupied by that portion of advertisement in which the error
occurred, whether such errors are due to negligence of publisher’s
employees or otherwise, and there shall be no liability for non-insertion of any ad beyond amount paid for such ad.
-
Craig Monk,
Midlothian
COMMENTARY
Men don’t remember ANYTHING!
O
The Daily Light online
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WA XA H AC H I E T X .CO M
DAILY LIGHT
-
Vol. 123, No 197
-
News: Andrew Branca, Sam Chance,
Shelly Conlon, Geoff Gorman, Bethany Peterson, Aaron Schwaderer
Display Advertising: Jennifer Henderson,
Beth Kerr, David Miller, Carrenza Thurmond
Sharon Rexrode
Beverly Harris, Carol
Coulter
Yolanda
Aguayo, Johnny Sosa, Robin Fox, David Hernandez, Latricia (DeeDee) Jackson, Nicholas
Sanchez, John Bulinda, Paul Alva Jr.
-
The Daily Light is glad
to correct any error that
appears in the
newspaper
or clarify any statements
that are unclear.
To request a correction or
-
Alexandra
Allred
GUEST COLUMNIST
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday,
and ask for the editor.
The Waxahachie Daily Light is published mornings Tuesday through Friday and Sunday by
Waxahachie Newspapers, Inc. First Class postage is paid at Waxahachie, Texas 75165.
Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Waxahachie Daily Light,
P.O. Box 877, 200 W. Marvin, Waxahachie, TX 75168 (USPS 670-140).
Telephone: (972) 937-3310 FAX: (972) 937-1139
-
-
SEE ALLRED, PAGE 5
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COMIC’S VIEW
WA XA H AC H I E T X .CO M
DAILY LIGHT
Aaron Schwaderer
Managing Editor
Joe A. Constancio
Production Manager
Neal White,
Publisher/Editor
Established 1867
OUR VIEW
Moratorium
needed on sludge
of sewage sludge on agricultural farmland in the county. We
are strongly urging the Ellis County Commissioners Court
to pass a resolution asking the Legislature to enact a moraronmental Quality (TCEQ) completes its review process to
establish new regulations for agriculture sludge use.
The practice is currently permitted, although TCEQ is currently reviewing the regulatory process for future use. Only
the Legislature has the legal authority to enact a moratorium.
Under the current process being used in Ellis County,
a third party vendor is allowed to take the sludge from
wastewater treatment facilities, in essence, the solid waste
from our sewage systems, dewater the solids, then sell that
ing is required to determine if the sludge contains medical
metabolites that are or could be harmful to humans or livestock (primarily the material is tested for e-coli before being
trucked to farms).
Since the practice has been allowed in Ellis County, scores
of rural homeowners have been seeking relief, primarily due
to quality of life issues regarding smell and potential biotheir homes.
The advantages of the process are purely economical. It
provides a cheap, convenient solid waste disposal system
for municipal wastewater treatment facilities, while also
ranchers.
In outlining the disadvantages, opponents to the process
are quick to point out that the cost savings are not worth
the immediate and long-term damage sludge use is causing
our county. While quality of life is at the forefront of the opposition, it is by no means the sole basis of ongoing
COMMENTARY
Working together to serve you
I
t is well known that we have lots of good
youths in Ellis County. We have young
people receiving individual and team
awards in areas of academics, sports, agriculture, music and many others. Last Sunday
some Ellis County youths provided us with one
more reason to be proud of all our kids.
For four days last week, July 10-13, during the summer heat, 12 members of our Ellis
participated in the statewide competition on the
This annual event tests
agency against agency
and team against team.
It is quite a production.
events at the competition. The events
challenge the teams in
various areas to include
Robbery, Burglary,
Snodgress, they each received a $500 scholarship award.
When all the individual and team awards
were given, there was still the granddaddy
are selected.
For the past two years the Ellis County
their hard work would pay off and they could
Johnny
Brown
Letters and Guest Columns
Comments from our readers in the form of letters to the editor or
guest columns are encouraged. The opinions of columnists may not
ted must be signed and should include the address and
assist in the judging this year.
It was reported to me that this year there
were 93 teams from over 50 agencies that came
to compete. There were teams from federal
exceed 300 words. Letters must be in good taste. No libelous or
offensive letters will be published. The Daily Light reserves the right
to edit letters for correctness, style and grammar. Letters should be
addressed to: Neal White, Editor, The Waxahachie Daily Light,
P.O. Box 877, Waxahachie, TX 75168.
second place awards and one third place award.
trophies. The overall average score for each
Stops (misdemeanor
and felony), Family
Disturbances and 10
other types of calls for service that law enforcement faces on a regular basis. Each scenario is
cer who could come from anywhere in the state.
SEE EDITORIAL, PAGE 8A
results were announced. Ellis County Sheriff ’s
police, school police and even teams from Tulsa,
Oklahoma and Topeka, Kansas police departments. They were all in their individual uniforms and looking plenty sharp.
completed and the scores were all tallied, a
the auditorium became totally silent. The following is how they fared. Fifth place - Harris
- another Harris County team; Second place -
age ever in our state competition; 99.75 percent.
I am so proud of these teenagers. They are all
part of a fantastic group of young people we see
all through Ellis County. We older adults can be
proud of all the great youths in our county that
will one day take of the reigns of leadership.
Y’all have a Blest Week.
Johnny Brown has served as Sheriff of Ellis County since Jan. 1,
2009, and is a graduate of the National Sheriff’s Institute. He has
been in law enforcement for 20 years and holds a Master’s Peace
-
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Advertiser agrees that publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond amount paid for space
actually occupied by that portion of advertisement in which the error
occurred, whether such errors are due to negligence of publisher’s
employees or otherwise, and there shall be no liability for non-insertion of any ad beyond amount paid for such ad.
The Daily Light online
COMMENTARY
Wonderful festival, parade
T
merce, Crape Myrtle Council and city
Readers can access The Daily Light’s worldwide web site at
Readers can e-mail guest columns and letters to the editor at
-
Festival held July 3-4. The festival celebrates
our country’s Independence Day and the city
WA XA H AC H I E T X .CO M
DAILY LIGHT
Vol. 123, No 144
News: Andrew Branca, Sam Chance,
Shelly Conlon, Geoff Gorman, Bethany Peterson, Aaron Schwaderer, Tiffany Sweet
Display Advertising: Jennifer Henderson,
Beth Kerr, David Miller, Carrenza Thurmond
Sharon Rexrode
Beverly Harris, Carol
Coulter
Yolanda
Aguayo, Johnny Sosa, Trevor Cannon, Robin
Fox, David Hernandez, Latricia (DeeDee)
Jackson, Nicholas Sanchez, John Bulinda,
Paul Alva Jr., Nicholas Winningham.
The Daily Light is glad
to correct any error that
appears in the
newspaper
or clarify any statements
that are unclear.
To request a correction or
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday,
and ask for the editor.
The Waxahachie Daily Light is published mornings Tuesday through Friday and Sunday by
Waxahachie Newspapers, Inc. First Class postage is paid at Waxahachie, Texas 75165.
Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Waxahachie Daily Light,
P.O. Box 877, 200 W. Marvin, Waxahachie, TX 75168 (USPS 670-140).
Telephone: (972) 937-3310 FAX: (972) 937-1139
for all of his help in securing the legislation
that led to this designaEach year a theme for
the festival is chosen
by the Crape Myrtle
Festival Committee.
The theme this year was
triotism.” The festival’s
tailgate party activities
were held on Thursday,
-
band “Escape,” a Dallas Journey tribute band
we had many vendors providing food, as well as
activities for children.
The festival continued on Friday, July 4,
including children and adults, lining the entire
parade route. The parade was led by members
County Sheriff ’s Department, followed by a Boy
89 veterans from Ellis County whose service
ranged from World War II to present day — all
who served as our grand marshals. The veter-
Bonney
Ramsey
It is the perfect location for the festival boasting
grassy areas, wide-open spaces, lots of parking
opened at 5 p.m. to an estimated 2,000-4,000
up their tents, tables, campers and grills for
Vintage Bank sponsored the tailgate party, as
Chevrolet-Buick-GMC-Cadillac, sponsored the
along with spouses and guests and requested
applauded and said “Thank you” to these won-
Coast Guard and the Marines. We proudly
hachie’s Mayor, Kevin Strength; Susie Braden,
2014 Crape Myrtle King and Queen, the former
entries.
SEE RAMSEY, PAGE 8A
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WAXAHACHIETX.COM/NEWS
BATTLE
FROM PAGE 7A
training materials for use by the army to help them
identify soldiers at risk — primarily for suicide, but also
for domestic violence issues and sexual assault.
In 2011, Operation 3-Minute began operating a pilot
program at Fort Hood in Kileen, Texas.
Working with the base chaplains, who were certisurveys and identify key patterns for behavioral issues.
received coaching with the base chaplains and/or army
psychologists.
In the four years since the pilot project began, those
chaplains have continued to use the program, subsidized by Real Life Management, at their duty assignments around the world. They have currently surveyed
approximately 20,000 soldiers worldwide. In several
cases, Operation 3-Minute was able to identify soldiers
at risk for suicide, sexual assault and domestic violence.
Opening up his briefcase and pulling out a two-inch
dreds of emails from the chaplains reporting on the sucimpact on saving lives and helping troubled soldiers.
Excerpts from a few of the correspondences:
“I strongly recommend this program … It has had a
very positive impact everywhere it has been presented,”
Chaplain Col. Chester C. Egert, Garrison Senior Chaplain, Fort Lee, Virginia.
“… I am an occupational therapist at the Warrior
Transition Battalion at Ford Gordon in Augusta, Georgia. … I have been using the Real Life Management
survey and program since I became a Real Life Coach in
2012. … When service members come in to the Warrior
Transition Battalion they are stressed. Their life as they
currently know it has been turned upside down. They
have no idea if they are going to be returning to duty
or going to be med boarded out. Many soldiers here are
Army Reservists and National Guard soldiers that do
not have a local support system, or a job to return to
once they leave here. The senior soldiers that have been
in the military for 26 years, hoping to make 30, know
only the army and they have six kids at home and don’t
know what they will do next if they have to retire early.
They are taken out of their normal roles. … They have
to reintegrate into their family, and community with
PTSD, anxiety and anger issues. And for some, their
pride is going to stand in their way of asking for help. …
This is just a glimpse of what they look like when they
RAMSEY
FROM PAGE 3A
Parade by category are: Auto/Motorcycles/Tractors: 1st — Cabana Boys,
2nd — Frank and Robin Guy’s classic automobile, and 3rd — Chevy
automobile of Mike Bastamante;
Corporate: 1st — H-E-B, 2nd —
Town Square Title; and 3rd — Kip
Fedora State Farm;
2nd — Christ the King Lutheran
church, and 3rd — Master Gardeners;
and Youth: 1st — Fuerte Foundation, 2nd — Super Sox, and 3rd —
Pettigrew Academy.
Obviously, it takes a lot of people
to pull off an extraordinary event
like the Crape Myrtle Festival. One
work of the Waxahachie Chamber
of Commerce, the www.waxahachiechamber.com Website; the Crape
Myrtle Council, the city of Waxahachie; the Waxahachie Convention
& Visitors Bureau Director Laurie
Mosley, for all pre- and post publicity; weekly KBEC 1390 AM radio
spots and its simulcast during the
H-E-B Fireworks Show; and area
billboards ... on hand at every
Crape Myrtle event ...j ob well done!
We also want to thank all of the
committee members who worked
tirelessly on the event.
Other important contributors to
who are due many thanks are:
Dr. Robert P. and Pam Roye of the
Regional Orthopedic and Sports
Medicine Center; the Waxahachie
Police Department, the Waxahachie
Fire Department; John Smith,
James Villarreal, and the great
staff of the Waxahachie Sports
Complex and Parks Department
for preparing the grounds for the
event; Waxahachie Fire Chief Ricky
Boyd and Assistant Chief Randall
Potter and their team for handling
and Jose from the Waxahachie
Street Department who assisted in
the decoration of the stage; and the
Crape Myrtle Festival committee
members.
The Fourth of July parade was
outstanding due to the special
parade committee consisting of
hit the ground here.
“… I would like to state that I know and have used
other surveys and programs out there that tell of high
risk, personality traits, etc., but I have found no other
tool that I can give to the soldier, staff and family
minutes that helps me to best reach the needs of the
and relationships. I strongly feel that all health care
providers, staff and leaders should be trained in this
program to help identify the high risk soldiers and their
needs to keep them and others safe,” Judie Thompson,
OTRL, WTB OT/PT Reconditioning Team Supervisor,
Warrior Transition Battalion, Fort Gordon, Georgia.
“I was in the initial pilot group trained at Fort Hood
in 2012. I was able to use this program down range
with my soldiers. I had companies spread throughout
the country in 23 different locations. … I taught Real
Life Management to each of these soldiers and used the
tion as well. As a result we were able to save marriages
despite being geographically separated because we were
able to address the core attitude and issues that the
one soldier who became suicidal down range to choose
life and work towards resolution with RLM. The soldier
in question was able to return to duty,” Chaplain Capt.
Timothy L. Brooks, Battalion Chaplain, 5th MISB.
The folder included hundreds of others correspondences, each praising the program, many giving Real
Life Management credit for saving the life of a soldier
and several more crediting the program for helping
soldiers save their marriage because the program was
able to identify behavioral issues and help address
“We have proven that it works,” Nance said.
Now with Operation 3-Minute is currently being
reviewed by the MEDCOM division at the Pentagon,
Nance is cautiously optimistic.
“It’s still a long way from being a done deal,” he said,
again expressing his impatience with the speed of
government bureaucracy.
Following the latest shooting incident at Fort Hood
earlier this year, Nance said it was all he could do to
keep his blood pressure calm as he watch Pentagon
the need to come up with a solution for helping identify soldiers at risk and preventing these tragedies from
happening. That’s when he made the offer to provide
additional screenings at no cost, but that request was
denied due to army regulations regarding government
Ricky Boyd, Melissa Ballard, John
Smith and Ferne Lyle who organized and managed the line-up of
all of the parade participants. his
is a huge undertaking every year
and this committee does an incredible job! Also, on hand to help with
the parade were Laurie Mosley,
Debra Wakeland, President and
CEO of the Waxahachie Chamber of
Commerce; Jeanie Blake; Claudia
James; Chamber staff Karen Maxwell, Lajuanda Holder and Randall
Chase; and Katherine Sirchia and
Janet Magee of Vintage Bank.
Also, a big thank you to the
First Baptist Church, under the
direction of Dan McClinton, Carol
Calvert, and members of the Military Ministry Team who provided
breakfast for all of the Veterans
before the parade began, as well as
Perry Giles and David Hudgins for
providing and coordinating all of
the transportation for the veterans.
There were 89 Veterans and others
totaling 106 people who attended
the breakfast. Many of these people
assisted in loading the veterans
onto eight trailers, along with their
drivers, along with the extra guardian volunteers, the Young Marines,
the Patriot Guard Riders and the
Boy Scouts of America.
Following the veterans were
two buses from the Brown Street
Church of Christ and two people
movers from the First Baptist
Church. Several dozen veterans
and other bikers from The Shop
Waxahachie, TX rode their bikes
behind the buses. Also, the Brown
Street Church of Christ delivered
100 folding chairs to the staging
area for the veterans. WOW! Words
cannot express how wonderful it is
to see people so kind-hearted in our
historic city who volunteer their
time and talents to help those who
helped all of us be assured of freedom in our city, state and country.
Veterans, we love you and your
families and we are blessed by your
service!
And, special thanks to Kathy
Smith of Vintage Bank for providing the automobile for the Mayor
of Waxahachie; Steve Chapman
and Kaki Jenkins for providing the
automobiles for the Crape Myrtle
Council: Nancy Hightower, Jane
Hamilton, Laura Sanders and
Patsy Major; Denise Kopp for providing the automobile for the 2014
Crape Myrtle King and Queen:
Brett and Cindy Hess; Rick Davis
for providing the transportation for
the former Crape Myrtle Queens:
Dinah Weable, Teresa McNiel, Shirley Williams (Crape Myrtle Council), Carol Farrar, Melissa Ballard,
and Bonney Ramsey (Crape Myrtle
Council). A special thank you to
Katherine Sirchia and Janet Magee
of Vintage Bank who decorated
the former Queens’ transportation,
as well as the 2014 Crape Myrtle
King and Queen’s automobile with
such elegance and beauty! A parade
would be nothing without a band …
thank you, Rich Armstrong and the
fantastic Spirit of Waxahachie Indian Band, and all of the participants
in the parade. And, many thanks to
Citizens National Bank of Texas for
sponsoring the ribbons for winners
of the Fourth of July Parade.
Again, this year, a big thank
you to Bryan Wooten and Remedy
Church for providing free hot dogs,
bottled water, and snow cones for
all parade participants as it ended
at Getzendaner Park. There were
also many activities for children
and adults.
We also want to thank Neal
White, Editor of the Waxahachie
Daily Light, and staff, in particular,
Shelly Conlon, Andrew Branca,
Scott Dorsett, and Mike Sackett
for providing outstanding and
exceptional newspaper coverage of
the Crape Myrtle Festival and its
events. And, thank you, Neal, for
publishing the parade and veteran
entry forms so many times in the
paper. This helped get the word out,
especially to veterans about signing
up to ride in the parade! The many
articles and photographs published
painted a “picture perfect” image of
the entire festival.
The 2014 Crape Myrtle Festival
was, once again, a huge success
of so many people, as well as the
participation of all individuals and/
or families who supported and
attended this event. Please make
plans for next year’s Crape Myrtle
Festival!
Bonney Ramsey serves as the Chair for the 2014
Crape Myrtle Festival.
contracts.
“I just want to save lives. I know we have a program
that works and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt
that it has saved lives,” he said, picking up his folder
and holding it in the air. “These men and women do so
much for us. I just can’t stand the thought of knowing
that we can help them. We can save lives. We can save
their marriages. We can identify the ones at risk for
self-destructive behaviors. I know this is a process and I
know that the government doesn’t move at the speed of
light. But for the past four years I feel like I’ve been in a
battle to save lives and one more day is just too long to
wait when a life is on the line.”
Nance is the author of “The 3-Minute Difference,”
“Mind Over Money” and “Thin, Rich and Happy,” printed in multiple languages and sold throughout the world.
He previously hosted “The Real Life Attitude Guy”
simulcast nationally on the Fox Network. As president
and CEO of Real Life Management, Inc., his focus is to
building and how they are related.
For more information on Real Life Management, visit
www.RealLifeAttitude.com. Or contact Nance directly at
[email protected] for questions or comments.
Contact Neal at [email protected] or 469-517-1457. Follow Neal
on Facebook at Neal White – Waxahachie Newspapers Inc., or on Twitter at
wni_nwhite.
EDITORIAL
FROM PAGE 3A
complaints. According to TCEQ regulations,
the sludge is supposed to be dewatered and
less. That has seldom been the case in Ellis
-
in commissioners court meetings that they
been driven out of their homes from the odor.
In addition to the application of “wet” sludge
being used, medical bandages and medical
sewer systems have also been discovered on
questions about the long-term health and
potential bio-hazards the materials may have
on the food supply system, as well as potential
damage to water sources from the run-off.
Ellis County Commissioner Paul Perry, Precinct 3, has been leading the charge to investigate the issue and has been working with state
gation, Perry said while he supports cheaper
fertilizer options for farmers and ranchers,
he doesn’t want to see Ellis County become a
toilet, either.
Perry said he hasn’t ruled out the possibility that there may be an effective, safe use of
biosolid use for fertilizer, “but this ain’t it,” he
said.
Perry said he is looking into the sludge processing method of Dillo Dirt being used in the
city of Austin, which is a more thorough and
expensive method that combines sludge with
compost. He said from his research, the Dillo
Dirt process heats the materials and compresses it into dry, nearly odorless pellets, which are
then used as fertilizer. Perry said it appears
that process is safer and could be an acceptable
solution for Ellis County.
A staunch advocate of agriculture, Perry said
he understands the need for affordable fertilizer, but he opposes the process that is being
used now in Ellis County, pointing out that
contractors in Ellis County are spreading “wet”
sludge on agriculture land. He added permission has also been sought to warehouse piles
of sludge on Ellis County properties prior to
application, noting he has major concerns —
not only for quality of life and public safety
issues, but also the impact it already having on
real estate values due to obnoxious odors that
linger for days, sometimes weeks following an
application.
With the TCEQ review process on sludge
regulations is ongoing, we strongly urge the
Ellis County Commissioners Court to seek a
Legislative moratorium on the use of sludge
until the state can determine rules and enforcement for safe use of sludge on agriculture
land — if any exist. We also applaud the efforts
of Commissioner Perry for his continued work
on investigating this issue and his attempts to
seek viable solutions for the greater good of the
county.
With another round of sludge applications
approaching, rural county residents have also
started a petition drive opposing the use of
sewer sludge. The petition may be viewed online at www.stopsewagedumpsellis.com.
COMMUNITY NEWS NOTES
Crocheting in the Lair
Join Sims Library Teens as they crochet from 5:30–6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July
22 in the Teen Lair. The project will be to
H hook and yarn of your choice. If you
don't know how to crochet, come learn.
Write On at Sims
Nicholas P. Sims Library will host
the writing group, Write On, at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, July 23 as they work on
their writing technique, give and receive
advice on writing. Everyone is welcome
to attend.
Teen Book Club
Nicholas P. Sims Library will host the
Teen Book Club's meeting from 4-5 p.m.
Wednesday, July 23 at 515 W. Main St. in
the new teen space. This month, the club
is discussing “Bruiser” by Neal Shusterman. Teen Book Club is sponsored by the
Friends of Sims Library and designed for
teens ages 11-18.
Yoga on the Lawn
available at Walmart.
Nicholas P. Sims Library will host a
free yoga class at 9 a.m. Saturday, July
26 taught by instructor Julie Watkins.
Bring a towel or yoga mat with you.
Home Depot clinic at Sims
Beginner's Crochet at Sims
Nicholas P. Sims Library will host a
beginner's crochet class at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 29 for all skills levels. Come
learn the basics of crochet or join others
Nicholas P. Sims Library will host a
clinic with Home Depot at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2 on how to create your own
coffee table with storage. Learn how to
make a great looking table you can make
at home. A specialist from Home Depot
will be on hand to give instruction and
demonstrate how to build this table.
a size H hook and Worsted #4 yarn, both
CMYK