Friday's Internet Edition, July 04, 2008.
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- One of Van Horn’s biggest and best annual events is this Saturday night. In fact, the event is one of West Texas’ premier events. It’s our very own Annual Lighted Christmas Parade and it heralds in the holiday season in our town.
According to Brenda Hinojos and Andrea Ramirez, of the Van Horn Convention Center and Visitors Bureau, this year’s parade holds forth the promise of being one of the best yet.
The Van Horn Chamber of Commerce has, once again, put up the prize money for the top three floats entries in the parade. So folks get your parade entries in to the girls at the Convention Center.
Along with the parade, Main Street Van Horn will be holding a Show and Sell event in the old United Building. This event will feature local vendors offering up their holiday items to the public as well as food vendors offering all types of food items for the occasion.
And, the Clark Hotel Historical Museum will be serving up hot chocolate and cookies to every one that drops by to visit.
As always, Main Street and the Convention Center will announce the float winners, as well as the winners of the residential decorating contest following the parade in front of the Clark Hotel Historical Museum.
So make your plans right now to be down on main street Saturday evening for all the festivities. Oh, you’ll want to be there by 6:30 p.m. because that’s when the parade starts. It will run from the Convention Center east down Broadway to G & M Video.
See you Saturday evening!
Column One
y Dawn Simpson
I have several things to remind you about......but first let me remind you what today is, in case you haven’t thought about the significance of Dec. 7th. It’s the 65th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day. The attack occurred on Dec. 7, 1941, and President Roosevelt delivered his “Day of Infamy” speech to a joint session of Congress on Dec. 8th ....... And we were plunged into World War II.
A few of you may actually remember hearing the news (on the radio, of course) of that fateful morning - and having the same horrible thoughts as we all did on 9-11-01. Larry and I went on-line this morning to refresh our memories about Pearl Harbor and read the speech which FDR made. It’s good historical reading for anyone who might want to go there and read it. A couple of sentences especially stood out to me and I couldn’t help but make the comparison between our nation then - and now. It didn’t give me a very good feeling. Here are a couple of those statements:
“No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory”...... “I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.”......”With confidence in our armed forces-with the unbounding determination of our people-we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.”
Please read the Letter to the Editor in this issue. Thanks, Mr. Casey for sending it and making us contemplate our past - and our future - as a country, and reminding us of the sacrifices paid down through the years and being paid now for our freedoms.
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Some other things to remember......
If you just can’t get enough of the game of basketball, this is your weekend. The high school basketball’s annual tournament is Friday and Saturday. Check out the bracket in this issue. This tournament has been an annual December event since my high school days in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and probably before that. I hate to admit this, but the thing I enjoyed most about those 2 or 3 days in December was the great looking guys from Juarez Academy, a Morman school from Mexico. They came and played in the tournament every year and my friends and I looked forward to that for weeks in advance!
So put aside all those Christmas doings and enjoy one or two or ten games of basketball this weekend.
Saturday evening will put us all in the holiday mode with the Lighted Christmas Parade. There will be food, fun, and things to buy, and even free hot chocolate in the museum. You know, just walking into our museum, hearing the creaking floors and smelling the smell of an old building is a remainder of the many, many years of good times past in that great old building. That is a treat in itself.
Let’s just hope our extremely cold weather doesn’t make an appearance for this fun annual occasion. But if it does, well, the caps and gloves and cold noses will just lend to the holiday mood.
Tuesday, Dec. 12th is another important date to remember. If you haven’t voted early before then, be sure and cast your vote in the run-off race for our 23rd Congressional District Representative.
This Sunday, Dec. 10th, the First Baptist Church will be presenting their Christmas music program, entitled “From the Cradle To The Cross”. Everyone is invited and it begins at 6:00 PM. Nothing gets you thinking “Christmas” like music. Especially if it is music which tells the story of the greatest gift ever given to mankind - a Savior.
We hope churches will let us know of any special services or activities that will be planned for the coming holidays. We’d love to let people know about them.
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Sometimes I mention in this column the passing of people in our community. Of course it’s those which I have known personally and that I have special memories of and I don’t mean to just pick certain ones to mention. Every person who passes away in our home town is very special to someone and has made lasting memories for those who knew and loved them.
Trudy Davis lost her long, long battle with cancer this week. But what a positive person she remained through all these years. I was able to get to know Trudy the past few years through church. Her strong faith and devotion to her Lord was an inspiration to us. And whether she was helping out at the Food Bank, in the church office or at the Culberson County Livestock Shows & Auctions, she more than did her part. But you know what Trudy was absolutely the best at? She gave the best hugs in the world. I will miss them on Sunday mornings.
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If you are getting a little uptight with the hectic planning of the holidays, here’s a few things to read and smile about:
1. Save the whales. Collect the whole set.
2. A day without sunshine is like.......night.
3. On the other hand, you have different fingers.
4. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.
5. Depression is like anger without enthusiasm.
6. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.
7. Support bacteria......they’re the only culture some people have.
8. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
9. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
10. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
11. How many of you believe in pshcho-kinesis? OK, then raise my hand.
12. OK, so what’s the speed of dark?
13. When everything is coming your say, you’re in the wrong lane.
14. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
15. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
16. Eagles may soar, but weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines.
17. What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
18. I couldn’t repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.
19. Just remember - if the world didn’t suck, we would all fall off.
20. Light travels faster than sound. That’s why some people appear bring until you hear them speak.
21. Life isn’t like a box of chocolates.......it’s more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today might burn you tomorrow.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
December 7th - The members of American Legion Post 508 are scheduled to meet this evening at 6:30 p.m. at the Clark Hotel Historical Museum. Members of the Van Horn Volunteer Fire Department are slated to meet this evening at 7 p.m. at the firehouse.
December 8th - The Van Horn Eagles will host their annual Invitational Basketball Tournament today. The Van Horn Eagle girls and boys JV are slated to compete in the Fort Davis Invitational this today.
December 9th - The Van Horn Eagles continue hosting their annual Invitational Basketball Tournament today. Van Horn’s JV girls and boys continue in the Fort Davis Tournament today. Van Horn’s Annual Lighted Christmas Parade and Show & Sell is set for tonight at 6:30 p.m. downtown.
December 10th - Attend the church of your choice.
December 11th - Culberson County Commissioners are slated to meet this morning at 10 a.m. at the County Courthouse. The Van Horn Rotary Club will meet today at noon at Chuy’s Restaurant. The Van Horn Junior High basketball teams play here and in Presidio this evening beginning at 5 p.m. The Lions Club of Van Horn is scheduled to meet this evening at 7 p.m. at the Sands Restaurant.
December 12th - Nothing scheduled at press time.
December 13th - Nothing scheduled at press time.