Saturday's Internet Edition, July 31, 2010.
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| Son of local man honored in Atlanta.... Kiran Ahuja, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, AAHF President Farooq Soomro and AAHF Chairman Ani Agnihotri at the 7th Annual Asian American Heritage Foundation Banquet presented an award to Joel ‘Dan’ Harlow for his long standing and continuing contributions to our local Asian communities as The Home Depot Associate Resource Group Executive Officer and AAHF Board Member. |
- With my car in the shop on a day that I’m normally out exploring for content for this column, I started looking around Van Horn thinking, “What can I do today?”
For kids of all ages, the answer is simple – visit the Boys and Girls Club. And stay awhile.
Located just off Second Street in a big metal building, the Boys and Girls Club is bustling with activity this summer and waiting for you, reader, to become involved. Whether you send your child or grandchild there or you volunteer or just stop in to say hi and see what it’s all about, Club Director Melinda Baeza wants the community to know what’s going on within those four walls.
According to Club Board President John Clark, the building was built through a county grant over three phases. The first phase was the building, the second phase was the gym and the third and final phase, which is starting next week, is finishing out the interior of the building.
“We’re excited that this will give us a huge amount of opportunity to expand our programs and attract more kids,” said Clark.
Baeza said the interior of the building will be completed in a matter of months.
Right now 35-40 kids make the Club their home during summer afternoons from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. With the addition of programs in the future, the Club leaders want to get as many kids as possible involved.
A future project the Club wants to undertake is raising a Community Garden for the kids, said Baeza. The garden would be the kids’ responsibility and they would be able to take the produce home to their families.
“The kids raise it and enjoy the proverbial fruits of their labor, literally,” said Clark.
What started as a youth club gradually transformed in 2006 into a Boys and Girls Club in Van Horn, said Clark. For the first time since its inception as a Boys and Girls Club, an active board governs the Club.
The summer program at the Club consists of a daily reading program to combat the “summer brain drain,” said Baeza, as well as cultural arts, playing basketball and working on the computers.
“We’re laid back during the summer,” said Baeza. The Club’s after-school program is more structured with tutoring, sports and fitness and cultural arts, she added. A school bus drops off 40-45 kids every day during the school year, she said.
On July 23, Club goers will be taking a field trip to Alpine to see Alicia in Wonder Tierra, a play put on by the Theatre of the Big Bend and Latin Children’s Festival. After the play, everyone will attend a Big Bend Cowboys baseball game.
“It’s going to be a huge opportunity for our kids,” said Baeza.
And the field trip isn’t just for regular Club members.
“Anyone can go,” Clark added. “Not just members.”
Becoming a member at the Boys and Girls Club is “nice and simple,” said Baeza. Interested guardians of children need to go by the office and fill out a registration form.
It doesn’t get much simpler than that, does it?
For adults who want to get involved, Baeza said volunteer help can always be put to constructive use at the Club. According to Clark, the Club, as a non-profit, functions on donations and grants. If you find yourself without the time to volunteer, you can still make a difference in this community by donating to the Boys and Girls Club.
Editor’s Note: This is a weekly column featuring area summer activities. What you read about here, the author has done! If you have an idea or suggestion, please contact Holly Wise at wiseholly1@gmail.com.
Column One
By Dawn Simpson
Hats off to the ladies of Women’s Service League for coordinating the July 4th Celebration. I kept wondering if it was going to be rained out, but the biggest rain shower of the day came just as it was closing down. The cooler temperatures were welcome for sure.
I didn’t realize that Richard Montes, the pest control guy, was so talented. Wow, can he ever play the guitar. And his lead female singer was awesome! If we ever get a chance to have them back in Van Horn for an event you all must hear them. Such a nice variety of music from different eras. His rendition of ‘Hotel California’ sounded just like the original by the Eagles and took me back to the 70s as we sung along.
Come back soon, Richard!
Another familiar face – who was painting the faces of all the children there with all sorts of ‘face art’ – was Javier Martinez. He and Cynthia and girls are missed here.
* * * * * * * *
You may have noticed when you picked up this newspaper that it feels a little light. Well, it is. In fact it is 2 pages lighter. You see, in July each year there isn’t much news, and even less advertising. Since advertising is how we pay the printer’s fee and other bills, we have decided that during July we may cut back to a 4-page paper, if necessary, instead of the 6 pages that we normally have. There’s no reason to pay the extra for 2 pages just to fill it with ‘filler’ or whatever we can find. Of course if there is news and ads to fill 6 pages each week, that’s great. We’ll do it!
There is perhaps another reason. We’re tired. July is the one month that we can relax just a little if we want to, and yes, we want to. I really envy those who work in jobs that allow them to take two or even three weeks of paid vacation each year. We don’t have that luxury, so we have to work in a few days here and there during the slower month of the year.
We usually skip one week during July and don’t publish. However, this year that week will be August 5th, in order to attend the wedding of Shanna Roberts, our niece.
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Thanks to the friend who sent us the following. He knew Larry would appreciate it, being a Viet Nam Vet and helicopter pilot. Sure enough, Larry knew exactly where this would have taken place and when. He wasn’t twenty miles from where it took place.
Courage
You’re a 19 year old kid.
You’re critically wounded and dying in the jungle somewhere in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam.
It’s November 11, 1967.
LZ (landing zone) X-ray.
Your unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 yards away, that your CO (commanding officer) has ordered the MedEvac helicopters to stop coming in.
You’re lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns and you know you’re not getting out.
Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you’ll never see them again.
As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.
Then - over the machine gun noise - you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter.
You look up to see a Huey coming in. But ..... It doesn’t seem real because no MedEvac markings are on it.
Captain Ed Freeman is coming in for you.
He’s not MedEvac so it’s not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided he’s flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway.
Even after the MedEvacs were ordered not to come. He’s coming anyway.
And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 3 of you
at a time on board.
Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses
and safety.
And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times!! Until all the wounded were out. No one knew until the mission was over that the Captain had been hit 4 times in the legs and left arm.
He took 29 of you and your buddies out that day. Some would not have made it without the Captain and his Huey.
Medal of Honor Recipient, Captain Ed Freeman, United States Army, Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalary Division, died in August, 2008 at the age of 80, in Boise, Idaho.
May God Bless and Rest His Soul.
We heard a lot about the death of Michael Jackson last year (24/7 coverage) but we heard nothing about this Medal of Honor hero.
Shame on the American media!!!
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
July 8th - Officers and directors of the Culberson County Historical Museum Association are slated to meet this evening at 6 p.m. at the Clark Hotel Historical Museum.
July 9th - Nothing scheduled at press time.
July 10th - Nothing scheduled at press time.
July 11th - Attend the church of your choice today.
July 12th - Culberson County Commissioners are scheduled to meet this morning at 10 a.m. at the County Courthouse. Members of the Van Horn Lions Club are slated to meet this evening at 7 p.m.
July 13th - The Van Horn Rotary Club will meet today at noon at Chuy’s Restaurant.
July 14th - Nothing scheduled at press time.