Texas History Minute

The Texas Rangers became an important force for order in a time when very little was to be seen across Texas It slowly evolved from a reconnaissance unit in the Texas Revolution to a military and police force by the time of statehood One of the earliest leaders of the Rangers was Tennessee native Jack Hays Hays became famous for his bravery in battle and respected for his fairness in diplomacy and peace, helping to cement the legendary reputation of the force

Dr. Ken Bridges

John Coffee Hays was born in January 1817 in Wilson County in central Tennessee, one of three children to a farm family He was born into a family with a taste for adventure who often ended up on the front row to the historic events of the times In 1804, Hays’s grandfather sold his expansive estate, the Hermitage, near Nashville to Andrew Jackson, then an up-and-coming judge as well as Jack Hays’s distant great-uncle Hays’s father fought with Jackson during the War of 1812.

His charmed boyhood came to a tragic end in 1833 when his father died He lived briefly with an uncle in Mississippi, working as a surveyor for a short time By 1836, with revolution sweeping across Texas, Hays went to join the cause He brought a letter of recommendation from Jackson, by this time the president, to Sam Houston, who knew Jackson and the Hays Family well Houston named Hays to a Ranger unit, serving with Erastus “Deaf” Smith and Henry Karnes Hays came to Texas in the midst of chaos and spent much of his time with reconnaissance work in those maddening weeks as Texas settlers pulled away from the advancing Mexican Army

After the Texas Revolution, Hays was appointed deputy surveyor for the Bexar District, the sparsely settled but intensely challenged areas west of San Antonio The Comanches controlled the Panhandle and much of West Texas and were determined not to let that control slip to anyone else Other tribes contested these lands, and Texas settlers moved steadily toward it The intense back-andforth fighting between tribes and settlers was a feature of the frontier for many years It was in these years after independence that the Texas Rangers began to emerge initially as a military force separate from the regular army As Hays surveyed land claims, he and other Rangers found themselves repelling tribal raids

By 1840, he had risen to the rank of captain But Texas was at its weakest, with sparse ability to even defend itself The Rangers had the backbone of frontier defense for the republic In 1841, Mexico had stabilized just enough to launch a punitive raid into South Texas Hays in response staged an assault on Laredo, a town claimed by Mexico in the disputed territory between the NuecesRiver and the Rio Grande He returned the horses the Rangers had seized in the raid, promising that the raid was a warning He would lead another raid against Mexico later that year

After years of fighting largely on their own turf, Comanches decided to even the score and launch a surprise raid deep into Texas, stunning the populace The 1841 Comanche raid brought them all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, spaces as different from their familiar plains and patches of western desert as any land in Texas could be Hays led a force at the Battle of Plum Creek to push them back to the plains

The Rangers did not have the force to confront the Comanches themselves for a sustained period The Apaches shared a long enmity with the Comanches, and through careful negotiation, Hays convinced the skeptical Apaches to help them, or at least stay neutral for the time being He then led a punitive expedition with the aid of an Apache chief, Flacco. With Hays and Flacco at each others’ side, they often charged forward in one battle after another, leading their combined forces against the Comanches, sometimes outmanned four-to-one In the process, Comanche power over the arid lands of the West weakened The Comanches continued to be a major force in the area for some time; and Hays won the admiration of the Comanches, Apaches, and Texans for his daring

By the time Texas became a state in 1845, the Texas Rangers were a respected force on the frontier, and Jack Hays was one f their most important leaders However, the price of statehood increasingly meant the possibility of war with Mexico In the battles to come, Hays would distinguish himself once again

(continued next week)

Dr Bridges is a Texas native, writer, and history professor He can be reached at drkenbridges@gmail.com.

Monday, December 24, 2018

Denison juvenile identified for Howe church burglary

Texoma Hot Jobs

HOWE, Texas

The Howe Police Department has identified a 15year-old Denison juvenile as a person involved in the December 16 burglary of the Community Fellowship Bible Church

After taking the initial burglary report Sunday morning, Officer Brandon Ozuna followed up and identified the suspect at a nearby residence The juvenile confessed and led Ozuna to an area in Howe where he had hidden more than $1,000 worth of property taken from the church

Howe investigators followed up on the case and believe the juvenile suspect is responsible for numerous other burglaries that have occurred in Howe over the past year Howe officers executed simultaneous search warrants of homes in Denison and Howe late Thursday evening and recovered evidence they believe is related to the church burglary and other crimes

The investigation is ongoing and officers anticipate filing additional charges against the suspect and his accomplices Anyone with information regarding these crimes is encouraged to contact Sergeant Keith Milks with the Howe Police Department at 903-532-9971

Job Title LEAD MAINTENANCE workintexas.com Posting ID

3083032

Location

Sherman Posting Close Date 01/07/2019

Posting Link http://bit.ly/2UTvIk6

Description

A local company is looking for a LEAD MAINTENANCE who will perform any and all duties called upon by supervisors to ensure that property operates in an efficient and economic manner. Extensive knowledge of all phases of plumbing, general carpentry, painting, electrical maintenance, pool maintenance, HVAC, and appliance repairs. HVAC certification and Pool certification

Please no more free advertising to the president For more than three years we have seen how the media press, radio, television, etc has been giving free publicity to the candidate and now president, repeating his name and surname constantly The free advertising provided during the election campaign is valued at more than $2 billion

The president accuses the media in the most blatant, insulting and aggressive manner of being the number-one enemies of the American people The aggression to the media is increasing, reaching extreme situations such as not allowing their presence or even expelling journalists from their press conferences or presentations of their Reality-Fake This fanfare is extremely harmful to journalists in the United States and the world; perhaps we could relate to the horrible attack that the press suffered in Annapolis, Maryland, with the balance of five fatalities

Attacks on the press are a cruel attack on the Constitution, freedom of expression and the right of every citizen to be well informed The damage that is being done to the country in general and to the press in particular must stop immediately and definitively; if the Republicans do not dare and the Democrats cannot, perhaps the journalists themselves should do it The media press, radio, TV, etc should boycott the president’s name with absolute silence to everything he says, writes or does In cases where there is no choice, they can use alternatives such as the president, the executive, the administration, etc

Maybe it is not my place, but it would be advisable that the media pay more attention to the people, to the underpaid workers, to the families who cannot afford medical insurance, who cannot pay their rent as housing is becoming more expensive every day, take their children on vacation or send them to the university

Please, for the sake of democracy, of our country, for our families and future generations, let us all join in the boycott; do not repeat the name or surname of the president Please no more free publicity to the president

Thank you,

Angel Luis Ponce de Leon, Lake Worth, Florida

From the editor:

Wow I had no idea that we had readers from Florida - Palm Beach County for that matter -the hotbed of questionable voting practices I'm assuming your letter went to massive amounts of publications across the United States because we are a small hometown rag that doesn't dig deep into national politics But however, we do from time to time mention the President of the United States Donald Trump because, believe it or not, he makes news from time to time Therefore, your attempt to have the media boycott the reporting of President Trump's name is a little worrisome to those journalists who respect the first amendment You are correct in that President Trump attacks the media and it is this editor's belief that much of President Trump's attacks are warranted According to an article in The Washington Post, Trump hatred shows in 91 percent negative coverage of his presidency Even with that, his approval rating is somehow 49 percent despite the "CNN Journalist of the Year" being fired for manufacturing at least 14 of his 60 articles provided fraudulent information and then stating he was sick and needed help

There was a time when the media at least made an attempt to be fair to both sides in the political debate Sadly, that time is now dead and gone And it shows in the contempt many American now have for the media Even so, don't shed a tear for the media's seriously tarnished reputation as they've brought it on themselves

Thanks for your letter regarding your President Donald Trump

This position requires a High School diploma or equivalent, and a minimum of 1 years of related experience. HVAC License/Certification

Job Title COMMERCIAL ELECTRICIAN - 1ST SHIFT workintexas.com Posting ID

8679872

Location

Denison

Posting Close Date 01/10/2019

Posting Link http://bit ly/2R7lVYQ

Description

A local company is looking for a COMMERCIAL ELECTRICIAN - 1ST SHIFT who will install or help install electrical components within equipment enclosures. Must have knowledge of NFPA/NEC Standards, low voltage, testing devices, installation and running, bending, fabricating conduit. Must have own tools, able to read tape measure, blue prints, schematics, diagrams and technical orders.

This position requires 1-3 years of experience commercial or industrial electrical projects.

Howe ISD substitute training information

Howe ISD is currently accepting applications for substitute positions for the 2018-19 school year To be eligible for substitute placement, applicants must:

*Be at least 18 years old

*Have a high school diploma or equivalent

All applicants who meet the above criteria are required to attend a mandatory training on Thursday, January 10, 2019, 9:00 am – 11:30 am in the Howe ISD Administration Building before being placed on the district’s substitute list All applicants must provide the following:

*Two forms of identification (i e Driver’s license, social security card)

*Completed substitute packet (packets given at training)

Teaching Certificate must provide the following before being paid the certified substitute rate:

*Copy of Transcripts

*Copy of Valid Texas Teaching Certificate

You may contact Pauli Stephens at 903-532-3204 for additional information Application forms will be provided at training

This is our 250th edition under our ownership of the Walker family (second go-around) We've come a long way since our first edition nearly five years ago when we didn't know what we were doing - only trying to serve our community the best way we knew. Now we're a little better in some ways, but still have that desire just to serve our community Thanks to all who make it go! Love you all, Monte C

Advice for attainable financial New Year’s resolutions?

Hi Taylor - I’m thinking about my New Year’s Resolution and hoping to make it something money related. Not really sure where to start, so do you have any advice for a resolution that might not be too hard to you already have, you quick financial chang immediately improve financial outlook On taken that step, you’ll become a little more the investing process more of an active role retirement savings If have a retirement acc I think opening one s absolutely be your resolution.

Living with children

Rosemond’s Pithy Philosophical Snippet of the Week: Crazy is believing that feelings – yours and other’s –define and should therefore govern external reality. It is keep? - Melissa

Hey Melissa - January must be the most fiscally responsible year of the month, as people recover from the holidays and try to stick to resolutions February is usually a different story, so let’s go over some tips if one of these options is something you can keep for an entire year

1 Drop an expensive habit The key to setting financial goals you can stick to is eliminating broad, vague objectives We all want to save more and spend less, but what does that actually look like? If you go over your spending habits and target something that’s pretty costly, you can do some pretty quick saving If you currently smoke cigarettes, your health and bank account will be delighted if you stop If you buy an expensive coffee and a danish each morning, see if you can find a cheaper option You probably have dozens of expenses that don’t ruin you financially, but you’ll have a much heavier wallet as soon as you cut them out of your life

2 Pay attention to your retirement If you already have an IRA or a 401(k), you might not be worrying about your savings However, by either rolling your 401(k) over to a more promising IRA or rebalancing the account

3 Commit to spending-free days Like I said, the big goals can be difficult Funding retirement requires extra money management, and changing your habits takes serious discipline Sometimes the best resolutions are the ones that don’t seem too daunting but have the potential to grow into bigger life changes If you commit to not spending any money one day a week, or one weekend a month, you don’t have to embrace a huge lifestyle shift It can just be every other Thursday, or targeting a weekend when you know you don’t have any social obligations When you force yourself to plan a day in which you can’t spend money, you have no choice but to think of free activities and planned meals at home With any luck, the behavior will become habitual and spending-free days will start filling up your calendar one thing to say, “Randolph really covets Humbert’s jacket and wishes it was his.” It is quite another to say, “Because Randolph covets Humbert’s jacket and wishes it was his, Humbert should not be allowed to wear said jacket where Randolph might see him wearing it ” The former is a statement of fact, however subjective, concerning Randolph The person making the latter statement, however, obviously thinks feelings – in this case, Randolph’s – should govern some external reality That’s just crazy

Hopefully one of these options will work for you, Melissa And, if you’re feeling determined, maybe you could try all three You can never have too many good resolutions Happy New Year!

Kovar - Family Man Wealth Manager. Author. Speaker. Serial Entrepreneur. Travel Lover. Chick-Fil-A Fanatic Kovar is the CEO and founder of Kovar Capital Management LLC of Lufkin, Texas.

Apparently, Randolph’s jacket and jackets like it have caused the adults who run Woodchurch High School in Northwest England to go temporarily insane – we hope, at least, that it is temporary

Said WHS adults – administrators, teachers, and who knows whom else – have banned students from wearing certain expensive jackets to school because that causes other students who cannot afford them to feel bad (i e to experience feelings of covetousness and jealousy); as such, say WHS administrators, wearing the jackets in question is a form of bullying No kidding Wearing an expensive jacket that other kids’ parents can’t afford is the equivalent of purposefully tripping another kid, thus causing him to fall down a flight of stairs, breaking several bones

Perhaps Brexit has something to do with it, but the Brits seem to be having difficulty separating feelings from facts these days Another example involves journalism professors at Leeds Trinity University in West Yorkshire, England Said profs have been instructed to not use the word “don’t” in class lest student snowflakes be caused debilitating anxiety, be unable to complete assignments, fail, become homeless, and bring on the Apocalypse The same, by the way, goes for professors using capital letters for emphasis (e g YGBKM!) I love British humor, but I’m worried they may be losing it

In fact, this sort of madness has been building in England since the founding of Summerhill School in

1921 On its website, Summerhill is described as “a democratic, selfgoverning school in which the adults and children have equal status each child being able take their own path in life and following their own interests to develop into the person that they personally feel that they are meant to be This leads to an inner selfconfidence and real acceptance of themselves as individuals ” Isn’t that just lovely? Meaningless, inane, and stupid, but lovely nonetheless

In the late 1960s – from which all current forms of madness in America derive – Summerhill was held up as the ideal to which American education should aspire One expression of this was the socalled “open classroom/school” where the student was a bold explorer and the teacher was a mere facilitator In first grade, my son attended an open school After nine months of bold exploring and being facilitated, he didn’t even know his ABCs

Here’s what I’d like to point out to the folks at Woodchurch High: If you ban clothes that cost more than, say, 200 euros (or pounds, as the case may soon be) then certain students begin coveting items of clothing that cost more than 150 euros/pounds and those will need to be banned The logical end of this is that WHC bans clothing altogether Eventually, it becomes Woodchurch Home for Permanently Deranged Former High School Administrators That tragedy could be averted by simply mandating that all students wear uniforms But that’s commonsense, which is de facto banned at WHC

As for Leeds Trinity University, the solution to young adults who cannot tolerate the word “don’t” or acronyms is to send them to Summerhill where they may or may not learn their ABCs but their feelings concerning themselves will always be affirmed…which is why they can’t tolerate the word “don’t” in the first place

We can only hope that this madness will cease when Brexit is finally resolved

Family psychologist John Rosemond: johnrosemond com, parentguru com

John Rosemond has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971 in the field of family psychology In 1971, John earned his masters in psychology from Western Illinois University and was elected to the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society