Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 164, No. 16, Ed. 1 Wednesday, June 12, 2013 Page: 3 of 18
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Cljerokeeaij Herald ■ thecherokeean.com
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
viewpoints
3A
EDITORIAL BOARD MARIE WHITEHEAD TERRIE GONZALEZ
publisher editor
T
HARK! I
he tornadoes that have
been so much in the
news these last few
weeks brought to mind
a question. When did we
stop calling them cyclones
and start calling them
tornadoes? That is just the
kind of question that can be
answered by a search of our
online Alto Heralds.
The most serious storm
to hit Alto, referred to as a
cyclone, took place in 1893,
before the Alto Herald was in existence, but
in 1933, a “40 Years Ago” column recalled
the catastrophe. Many of the downtown
businesses and the Presbyterian church
were damaged, while the high school build-
ing, the train depot, the Baptist church and
several homes were completely demolished.
In April 1929, a sizeable cyclone hit just
north of Alto tearing up trees and damag-
ing homes and outbuildings. A chinaberry
tree in the yard of Jess Page was uprooted
and turned upside down, burying the crown
of the tree in the hole where the roots had
been. Surprisingly, no injuries were report-
ed, although the same storm caused several
deaths and many injuries in Slocum.
Several smaller storms caused “cyclone
type winds” during the twenties. The last
report found of a cyclone was in May 1935,
not in Alto but in Weches, where it com-
pletely destroyed several homes and killed
at least one person. Incidentally, searching
for “cyclone” was complicated by the fact
that there was a very popular Texas politi-
cian who went by the name of “Cyclone”
Davis, and a regular Lufkin liquor store ad
for a whiskey named “Kentucky Cyclone.”
By 1936, we see the first use of the word
“tornado.” It is in a local ad for tornado
VIRGINIA SINGLETARY
insurance.
During the 50s and 60s,
several tornadoes were re-
ported with the worst occur-
ring in May 1953. Chicken
houses seemed to take the
brunt of the storm with hun-
dreds of baby chicks being
drowned by the accompany-
ing rainfall. All creeks and
rivers were out of banks.
This same issue reported
Alto citizens were raising
funds to send to Waco which
had been devastated by a tornado just ten
days before.
There were a couple of interesting side-
lines revealed by the“tornado” search. In
May 1957, Charles Lewis Thomas was
named chief observer of the Alto Ground Ob-
servance Post. This organization was set up
in World War II to watch for enemy aircraft,
but was later changed to watch for violent
weather. And in 1966, the Alto Volunteer
Fire Department conducted an elaborate
tornado drill.
Many other kinds of violent weather are
reported as hitting Alto, chiefly high winds,
hail and heavy rains. The last week of
April 1957, over 20 inches of rain fell. The
Neches river covered Highway 294 and the
Bowles Creek bridge at Weeping Mary was
washed out. In May 1955, the community of
Redlawn reported hail the size of “fists, eggs
and saucers.” It is likely that at least some
of those torrential rains were offshoots of
Gulf hurricanes, but the word “hurricane” is
never used in describing them.
In fact, the only front-page mention of
“hurricane” comes in the 1960s when the
members of the Thursday Study Club began
to decorate their homes with “hurricane
lamps.”
American
^^Hhere are far more
I “causes” than there are
I calendars to accom-
I modate, with local,
regional and national lists
numbering into tens of thou-
sands. Try to tally ‘em and
risk serious eye-rolling.
As surely as yeast rises,
such lists grow with exceed-
ing rapidity. Some of ‘em, of
course, seem more for grins.
Take Jeff and Anne Horch,
young marrieds with a quar-
tet of toddlers — three ages
two and under. They’re in
the midst of potty training,
calling it “pottypalooza.”
If Will Rogers were still
alive, he might not credit
newspapers for supplying all
he knows, but I have a no-
tion the printed page would
still provide most of his
material. Writers help us to
feel better about ourselves.
Their accounts of generosity
extended by so many in so
many ways give us light in a
world too often dark. Cases
in point: heroism following
the fire/explosion tragedy in
West as well as tornadoes
in Granbury, Cleburne and
Ennis and Moore, OK.
How about OKC Thun-
der basketball star Kevin
Durant signing a $1 million
DR. DON NEWBURY
newbury@speakerdoc.com
check for tornado victims?
Successes marked by
school and college gradua-
tion provide encouragement.
They are countless. So are
remarkable feats accom-
plished despite overwhelm-
ing odds. How about that
Plano West High School
athlete who helped his
team advance to the recent
baseball playoffs? His name
is Blake Bruce, and he was
born with two club feet. He
brought a 3-1 pitching record
into the playoffs. He’s also an
effective outfielder, thanks to
a quick first step.
His early years were
marked by surgeries, pins
and casts, and he was finally
able to walk at age two. His
mother joins the rest of us
in amazement: “All I ever
wanted for him was to be
able to walk.”
Who among us are not im-
pressed by folks who excel in
two or more professions with
night and day differences?
Particularly intriguing to
me are people handy in car
repair. I find a deep sense of
accomplishment in adding
water to the radiator without
anyone being scalded and re-
placing caps on valve stems
without cross-threading.
Then there are “Click and
Clack,” a pair of mechanical
geniuses who also happen
to be great communicators.
Only in recent years have
I read their weekly column
that runs in hundreds of
newspapers. The brothers’
real names are Tom and Ray
Magliozzi, ages 75 and 64,
respectively.
When they announced
“retirement” last year,
their blog indicated they
“plan to get even lazier.” I’ll
take their columns, even if
re-prints, and I’ll love their
radio shows, even if re-
broadcasts. I don’t expect to
make it as a mechanic, but
vow exhaustive efforts to
“appropriate” some of their
humor.
TAXING I thoushts
Starting a business? Avoid 3 common mistakes
flB ccording to the
■M Small Business
Administration,
a third of small
businesses fail within the
first two years. Over half
fail in the first five years.
So if you’re thinking about
starting a small business,
it pays to take an honest
look at yourself, your busi-
ness idea and the market-
place. You can increase the
odds that your business
will survive by avoiding
three very common mistakes.
Mistake # 1: Not enough cash. If you’re
starting out, it’s a good idea to accumu-
late — before you enter the marketplace — a
cash reserve that’s about three times your
estimated need. Small businesses often
face down times, when sales aren’t exactly
stellar and revenues slow to a trickle. Also,
unforeseen expenses for insurance, staff,
buildings, advertising, taxes (the list goes
on and on) can cripple your business and
shut it down before it’s out of the starting
block. Extra cash can make the difference
between a survivor and a statistic. A re-
serve fund provides an extra bit of cushion
to keep the business operating as you work
toward the next sales goal.
Mistake # 2: Inadequate planning. Build-
ing a business is like building a house.
You need a foundation, clear goals and an
implementation strategy. Where do you
want to be a year from now and beyond?
If people built houses with
as much foresight as many
start-up businesses put
into planning, you’d see a
lot more folks camping in
their basements. Develop-
ing a sound business plan
means doing solid research.
It means understanding the
marketplace, knowing what
sets your product apart and
getting a grip on the costs
to implement your plan. An
idea is not a business plan.
You need to flesh out the
idea and get down to specifics.
Mistake # 3: Inflexibility. Once you’ve
developed your business plan, be willing to
adapt it to changing conditions. More than
a few businesses have started with a great
business model, but failed to modify that
model when market conditions evolved.
If your customers or competitors change
(and they will over time), don’t be afraid to
change with them.
If you’re considering starting a small
business and would like assistance, give us
a call.
pd. advertising
ANITA L. WOODLEE,
CPA, PC
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT
111 Henderson • Rusk • 75785
Phone: 903-683-1002
www. anitawoodleecpa. com
Visit our web site for new tax tips and
financial calculators
ANITA L. WOODLEE
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT
fitsi SPRitld TO £>\6tW SurnLK
SVJAUfVJS RETOWi Tvt B0VSE.WS PRE. SvJfVOPVlED
To CAPiSRRmO. IN W UEiGUBORHOOtX
Cbsjchkeean
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Published weekly each
Wednesday by
E.H. WHITEHEAD
ENTERPRISES, INC.
Texas’ oldest continuously published
weekly newspaper, established as the Chero-
kee Sentinel, Feb. 27,1850, and consolidated
with The Cherokeean, The Alto Herald and
the Wells News & Views.
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editor
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general news
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U|QU POINTS | fromReal
^Holks along El Camino
Real are trying to
figure out how to
entertain kids and
grandkids as the schools
have opened their doors
and unleashed all the little
darlings back into the
community. “I’m bored”
will be the battle cry
coming from the mouths
of most of the kids until
school starts back.
If you have a teenager
at home, get ready for a
higher grocery bill as they spend their
summer grazing in the kitchen. I better
type out your six bits worth very quietly,
so I won’t accidentally wake my little
darling before noon.
The Alto Class of 1978 lost a friend
and classmate this past week with
the passing of Pearl Brown Williams.
Pearl had a wonderful smile that would
travel from ear to ear when I would see
her. Losing old friends and classmates
is hard, so I can only imagine what
her family is going through. Please
keep them in your prayers during this
difficult time.
Andrew Richardson was laid to rest
on Saturday in the Thomas Chapel
Cemetery. Andrew was 31 years old.
He was the son of Annie Richardson and
Calvin Brown. He was the nephew of
Pearl Brown. He leaves behind a wife
and three sons that are going to be much
in need of our prayers.
Timmy, Trisha and Baylee wish to
announce the arrival of Raylon Gerald
Germany. The baby boy was born on
May 22. He was a good sized baby,
weighing in at seven pounds five and
a half ounces. The grandparents are
Tim and Sherry Germany and Ray and
Bobbie Orsack. Great-grandparents are
Howard and Shirley Tyer and Shirley
Germany, all of Alto.
Congratulations to Timmy and Trisha
on their new bundle of joy.
The Alto High School graduation
ceremonies were held on Saturday
night at Jacket Stadium. The stands
were filled with proud parents, family
members and friends.
It’s funny how quick those big smiles
of pride disappear after those first bills
from college arrive in the fall.
A special congratulations goes out to
Bryce Henley, our valedictorian, and
Kristi Hallmark, our salutatorian, for
the Class of 2013.
I want to wish all of our graduates the
best of luck as they embark on this next
step in their lives.
A big crowd of folks from Alto and
Rusk were gathered in Jacksonville on
Friday night for the wedding of Joshua
Moore and Kala Finley. Josh is the son
of Ted and Betty Moore of Alto and Kala
is the daughter of Ken and Lindy Finley
of Rusk.
It was nice to see a wedding from the
other side for a change and
Brother Donnie Barron of
First Baptist in Rusk did a
good job on the ceremony
at the First Methodist
Church in Jacksonville.
It’s always great to
gather with so many good
friends on such a special
occasion Ted and Betty
have one of their sons
married off now, so they
only have three more to go.
Congratulations go out to
Joshua and Kala as they
start their new life as man and wife.
I got a chance to visit with J.L. Pyle
and his wife Ouida at the wedding, and
their daughter Jalea was with them. I
haven’t seen her in years. J.L. is the
nephew of my Uncle Thomas Kellum
and he was always up during hunting
season, so we kind of grew up around
him.
It’s funny how many Alto folks move
off to Houston and then all they want
to do is come back up here every chance
they get. It’s always good to run into
folks you haven’t seen in a while.
We got a good rain in town on Sunday
afternoon, so I got real excited, jumped
in the truck and headed out to check the
watermelon patch.
It stopped raining as soon as I passed
the city limit sign. We probably got
close to an inch in town and not enough
to settle the dust west of town. We
are thankful for every drop we get and
hopefully we keep getting a few more
showers to keep the hay and other crops
growing.
A few of my tomatoes are starting to
get ripe, but it’s mainly just the ones
with a bad spot or a worm. I just cut the
worm out and feed it to the chickens and
I eat the rest of it.
Everybody is happy but the worm, but
I’m not raising worms, so I don’t care.
The effects of the great drought of
2011 are still causing damage to our
big oak trees. I was sitting in my den
on Sunday afternoon and a great big
oak limb came crashing down in my
driveway.
It seems like most of us do in our spare
time is saw up and haul off limbs and
dead trees. I’ve run my chainsaw more
in the last two years than in the past 20.
At the rate we ought to have the trees
and limbs picked up just in time for the
next drought.
I think I’m going to cut this a little
short this week and give you folks a
little more time to cut down Bahia grass
or do whatever else it is that needs to be
done.
The summer can be a real slow time
for news, so if you have a tale that needs
telling, now is the time to let me know
about it.
I’ll see ya next week! And remember,
There is not a right way to do a
wrong thing.
CHRIS DAVIS
elcaminoreal@consolidated.net
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Gonzalez, Terrie. Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 164, No. 16, Ed. 1 Wednesday, June 12, 2013, newspaper, June 12, 2013; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth614644/m1/3/: accessed May 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.