The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 154, No. 60, Ed. 1 Saturday, September 22, 2007 Page: 4 of 15
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Page 4A ★ IQc Bastrop Hdocrtiscr
Saturday, September 22, 2007 w
Issues & 0 pinions
Letters To
The Editor
Effective
debate needs
proposed
alternatives
Dear Editor:
It saddened me to read the
letter by Vic Vreeland, "Loan
pool a way to swallow up
downtown," on Sept. 15. Mr.
Vreeland, over the years, has
submitted many letters to the
editor on various issues and
all with a sweeping condem-
nation of all elected officials.
It does not appear that Mr.
Vreeland has approved of any
actions taken by any govern-
mental agency at any level.
It is good that he is a
concerned citizen who is con-
stantly on the watch; this is a
proper activity of all citizens
in a democracy. But in order
to have an effective debate it
is necessary to propose alter-
natives to the actions taken
by governmental bodies.
Never have I read an alter-
native proposal from Mr.
Vreeland that I could consider
as constructive in nature. It is
one thing to debate and it is
quite another to simply shout
over the other party. We
certainly get enough of this
on cable news shows where
there is shouting but little
quiet discussion of opposing
points of view that would be
helpful to the people.
I particularly object to Mr.
Vrccland's use of personal
name calling. In the Sept. 15
letter he uses the terms, "wiz-
ards of usury," "Elgin elected
nut jobs," and "unconscious
elected officials." In doing
so, he insults the voters of
this county who put these
officials in office.
It appears that Mr.
Vreeland believes that only
his judgments and opinions
matter. It is sad to read such
cynical and angry remarks
without the proposal of any
constructive alternatives.
Chet Dombrowski
Bastrop
Are roads
part of the
budget?
Dear Editor:
I am concerned about
the proposed 5.32 percent
increase, $1,737,622, in the
Bastrop County 2007-08
budget.
The roads are deteriorating
at an alarming rate in the area
where I live and I believe
that is the highest concern of
the majority of us in the rural
parts of the county. Since
roads are the most impor-
tant issue, along with safety
and law enforcement, what is
being done for us?
These roads are way
beyond the point where patch-
ing does any good. Is there
any money in the upcoming
budget to get our roads in
pleasant drivable conditions?
I sure hope so.
I do encourage everyone to
voice their concerns to their
county officials concerning
the upcoming budget.
Public budget meeting is
set for Sept. 24 at 10 a.m.
in Commissioners Court, 804
Pecan Street, Bastrop.
Shirley Adams
Cedar Creek
THE IDEAL MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE
AS SEEN BY
SOME ELECTED
OFFICIALS...
&Q7 f
The mighty B - : Part 1
Only a rank degenerate would fail to mark
the anniversary of an important event in the
social life of old Bastrop. Naturally not wanting
to be considered such a reprehensible character,
I set out this summer to oiganize a significant
reunion.
For me, it all began with my dad describ-
ing his days as a Bastrop teenager floating on
logs from upriver fishing camps into town, hi
the early "60s. my Uncle Tracy and Maigaret
Pfeiffer taught a group of us the joy of floating
in inner tubes 011 the Colorado.
So, during my first June back in Bastrop,
in 1982, I was pleasantly surprised at being
invited to float the river with a lively, fun-loving
group that included Pinky Smith, Minifred Trigg,
Dusty and Sonya Rhodes, Nan Olson, June Pape,
Becky and Steve Rivers and dozens of others.
It was a great summer. On most Sunday after-
noons we put in at various places 011 the river
and relaxed as we drifted downstream, partially
submeiged in cooling water. By late August,
however, anxiety began to set in as we consid-
ered the end of floating season.
We spent our last few days on the water
problem solving. One suggestion was to go out
on the football field and sit in our inner tubes,
talking and drinking as usual. We nixed this idea
because it would have seemed stupid to "float"
covered up in blankets during cold weather.
The next proposal was to shoot eight-milli-
meter movies of the bank during the last outing,
rent out the theater, project the images on the
screen, sit on our tubes with the shoreline going
by on our right, and enjoy an indoor simulated
float. This proved too costly, and besides, the
Tower's owner wasn't inclined to shut down on
a movie night. Finally, I hit on a solution that
allowed me to feed one of my compulsions -
forming oiganizations.
On a pleasant Sunday afternoon, Sept. 19,
1982, we met at Dusty and Sonya's for the
organizational meeting. We agreed on the per-
fect name for our group- The Bastrop Yacht
Club. Naturally, I was proclaimed Commodore
I, and the other 48 charter members were com-
missioned as admirals. We decided to meet one
Sunday a month at an admiral's home with
only a few rules~the "business" portion of the
meeting could last no more than 15 minutes, we
would focus on the river and "yachting," sharing
food and drink was essential, and everyone had
to have a good time.
We adopted a "Chart of Nautical Directions"
stating meager guidelines and our purpose~"to
foster Communication and Fellowship among
Bastropians and friends of Bastrop who love the
Colorado." Alan Pape printed some classy-look-
ing membership certificates.
We agreed on a logo~a black inner tube with
"Bastrop Yacht Club" in Old English Script
inscribed in a semi-circle across the top. Our offi-
cial uniform was a tee shirt with collar, Columbia
blue with the club logo, discretely small (Izod-
Bastrop
According
To Ken
Ken Kesselus
Applause for produce donators
Dear Editor:
A few months ago the
Bastrop Food Pantry received
a call from the Walnut Creek
Organic Farm at 126 Walnut
Creek Cove. They were inter-
ested in donating some of their
organic produce. At the Food
Pantry we love it when our
families can get fresh produce
of any kind.
We know all to well that
when a family is in a food crisis
situation, their finances do not
allow a lot of consideration for
good nutrition. Their main focus
is putting food on the table.
We applaud all growers and
givers for sharing their bounty
with the Food Pantry and the
people of this county. To date,
the Walnut Creek Oigamc Farm
has donated over 2700 pounds
of tomatoes, cucumbers and bell
peppers to the Food Pantry.
The summer months are
always the hardest hit months
for the Pantry. School's out,
parents are having to supply
three meals per day instead of
the usual one meal. And now
with school back in full swing,
parents are recuperating from
the expenses of food, clothing
and the increase in utilities.
This abundance of fresh pro-
duce will help in stretching the
Skate park not
city's responsibility
Dear Editor:
The Sept. 15 Bastrop
Advertiser headline
read "Skate Park Debate
Continues." In my opinion,
the debate is ridiculous.
Question #1, can the city
afford it? No. Question #2,
where is the money going to
come from? The city's debt
obligation is already high.
Question #3, is this a prior-
ity need that will benefit all
the city's citizens? I don't
think so.
I believe this problem start-
ed when a few parents, cater-
ing to their children's wants,
purchased skate boards and
the children did not have a
place to use them. Should the
taxpayers be responsible to
provide this place? No, not
now when the city doesn't
have enough resources to fix
the streets or build a new city
hall that has been needed for
20 years.
The city council must be
totally aware of the city's
needs for all its citizens and
not spend the taxpayers"
money for a few. There are
many social services agen-
cies that are providing basic
need sendees to our citizens.
These non-profit organiza-
tions were organized and
stared by caring citizens to
help support the city in pro-
viding a quality of life.
Let the skate board sup-
porters do likewise. Buy the
land, manage the facility, pay
the insurance and pay the
staff. In order words, do it
yourself if you believe it is
needed.
Jewell Hodges
Bastrop
like), emblazoned on the left breast.
Tales of our activities are legion, and you
will want to read more about them. I promise to
regale you with additional stories in my next col-
umn. But for now, to prove I am definitely not a
rank degenerate, let me tell you a little about the
25th anniversary reunion float and Bastrop Yacht
Club meeting held on September 16 last.
hi various communications I placed great
emphasis on the importance of the 25th reunion,
but as the day approached, I began to worry
that only the ever-stalwart and dependable
Commodore V, my brother Richard, would join
me in the river. As it turned out, however, two
neighbors who were not even original admirals
stepped up to the bank and took the plunge:
local innkeeper Shawn Pletsch and former Chief
Justice of the Texas Supreme Court Tom Phillips.
Under the glorious summer sun, the four of us
floated with the currents of the Colorado across
the length of old Bastrop, upholding the honor of
the mighty Bastrop Yacht Club.
That evening, at the historic Rivers log cabin
on the banks of the river, we floaters joined in
celebrating the occasion with others, including
a few who had gone down river sitting high and
dry in something called a "kayak." Thirty-five
revelers, mcluding 13 original admirals, enjoyed
drinks, tasty food and engaging conversation.
Minifred showed off her award-winning,
two-volume scrapbook, the "Ship's Log," a
fabulously chronicled histoiy of the early years
of the BYC, containing the record of our many
exploits and filled with photographs of awfully
young looking floaters of the past.
At the business portion of the meeting, we
acknowledged the BYC flag, sang the Yacht
Club Anthem, and remembered nine admirals
who are deceased. The highlight came when,
in an action unprecedented in BYC annals,
I commissioned Shawn and Tom each as an
"Honorary Commodore" and presented them
with appropriately distinctive certificates. It was
truly a historic moment and a well-deserved
acknowledgement of two intrepid floaters who
that day stood magnificently in the line of the
greatest BYCers of all time.
family's food budget, while sup-
plying some vital nutrients the
body needs to promote healthy
minds as well as healthy eating
habits.
Thank you to all who contin-
ue to help the Bastrop County
Emeigency Food Pantry in their
efforts to ending hunger.
Anyone wishing to donate
items can come by 1201 Pine
St., Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.
- 3 p.m. or call 303-0033.
Tresha Sanders- Silva
Executive Director
Cathey Jackson Food &
Nutrition Clerk.
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
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Publisher: Stan Woody
Advertising: Debbie Denny, Jennifer Bristol
Editor: Davis McAuley
Sports editor: Mark Goodson
Staff writers: Terry Hagerty
Contributing writers: Ellen Moore, Ernest Simmons,
Donald Williams, Joan Russell, Donna Davis, Michal Hubbard
Contributing photographers: Charles Bell, Michael Amador,
Karol Rice, M.D. DeHart
Office manager. Shirley Gibbons
Classifieds, subscriptions: Ginny Pickering
Production: Alicia Svetlik, Daniel Thornton
MEMBER
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MEMBER
2007
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McAuley, Davis. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 154, No. 60, Ed. 1 Saturday, September 22, 2007, newspaper, September 22, 2007; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth252410/m1/4/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bastrop Public Library.