Texas History Minute

from 56.39 Howe Enterprise February 11, 2019

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104 protons and 163 neutrons

Dr. Ken Bridges

In science, the passion for discovery drives great minds to answer the great questions about the world. The competitive atmosphere demands that scientists look at problems from multiple viewpoints and devise increasingly creative ways of uncovering knowledge

This process of research and experimentation has created the scientific and technological marvels of the modern world Though Texas has been home to many great minds, one stands out in the field of chemistry, James Harris Harris was a key member of a research team that discovered two new elements, making him one of only two Texans to help discover an element

James Andrew Harris was born in Waco in 1932 His parents divorced when he was young, leaving his mother to raise the future scientist alone. They eventually moved to Oakland, California, where he attended high school in the late 1940s

After graduation in 1949, Harris returned to Texas He enrolled at Huston-Tillotson College in Austin He excelled at his studies and graduated with a bachelors degree in chemistry in 1953 He enlisted in the army after graduation Harris served for two years, rising to the rank of sergeant before his honorable discharge in 1955

Harris found it difficult to find work after the army in spite of his credentials Eventually, he landed a job at Tracerlab, a California company that specialized in making radiation-detecting equipment

Along the way, Harris married and raised five children In 1960, he accepted a position as a nuclear chemist at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory at the University of California at Berkeley

In 1969, Harris was part of a team at the Lawrence Radiation Lab that included noted scientist Dr Albert Ghiorso, when they discovered an entirely new element, one never found in nature This element, Element 104, was eventually named Rutherfordium in 1997, after New Zealand native and physicist Ernest Rutherford Rutherford won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1908 for his work in discovering the radioactive half-lives of elements and differentiating between types of radiation from the decay of particles and whose work is considered by scientists to be the beginning of nuclear physics

Rutherfordium is an extremely rare metal with chemical properties similar to titanium or zirconium. The element was difficult to isolate The atom itself is large and unstable Its most stable form is Rutherfordium-267, consisting of

Because it is so unstable, it is radioactive and has a radioactive half-life of around 10 minutes. That is, in 1 3 hours, half of the atoms in a sample will spray off so many subatomic particles that it will transform itself into a different element entirely. Other known isotopes of Rutherfordium have half-lives ranging from less than a second to 15 minutes These short half-lives make it very difficult to study.

In 1970, Harris, Ghiorso, and their team made another breakthrough with the production of yet another new element Element 105, consisting of 105 protons (as opposed to just eight protons for oxygen or two protons for helium) was itself very unstable, and the atoms decayed quickly into other elements Little is known about its nature except that it is a metal The two elements were the largest atoms discovered up to that time

The American researchers initially wanted to list Element 105 as Hahnium after German scientist Otto Hahn, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1944 for his discovery of nuclear fission

A team of Russian scientists at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia, claimed that they had discovered both of the elements first in the 1960s However, other scientists pointed out that the Russian team had admitted altering their data Years of debates followed the competing claims The American team was ultimately able to name Rutherfordium while Russian scientists were allowed to give the name Dubnium to Element 105, after Dubna, the city that housed the research lab

At this point, the elements are so rare that no practical use for them has been devised beyond laboratory experiments

Harris was praised by colleagues for his co-discovery and toured the country giving periodic lectures on his work HustonTillotson College awarded Harris an honorary doctorate for his work in 1973

Harris retired in 1988 Today, 118 elements are known to exist, either in nature or in the lab Along with Dr Gregory Chopin, co-discoverer of the radioactive element Mendelevium, Harris is one of only two Texans be credited with co-discovery of an element And he is to this day the only African-American to be responsible for the discovery of any new element due to his work with the Berkeley research team Harris died at his home in California in 2000 at the age of 68

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

Do we care about what God wants?

Verse of the Week

y Holland

Is God always happy? Well, let me see, this is an unusual question but I would say probably not Since he is not made of flesh we assume that he does not have emotions like us

But, on the other hand, we read about his demonstrations of compassion and anger so I guess this is still up for debate It is my opinion that some things please him and others cause him disappointment and most of it is associated with the way people live So, what do you think makes him happy? Well, again we have the scriptures which reveal his thoughts and these explain his desires Remember, there was a time he became outraged when the people of Noah’s day were living like sinful Barbarians and he brought a flood that destroyed the whole world except for eight people So, we can clearly see that when individuals follow sin instead of submitting to his voice this makes him very upset Basically, He’s glad when we live for him and aggravated when we do whatever we want

Here is a two-part question; do you believe he is happy with you, and do you really care what he thinks about you? Anyone can take the time and learn about God and what he expects from us Yes, there is a problem with the world’s lack of spiritual understanding but there is also a huge issue with people who realize what is right but arrogantly refuse to do it These individuals walk in the shadows and avoid God’s light on purpose because his holy truth exposes more than what they want to deal with They know deep down that he is not happy with them and yet they are content to live in denial far away from anything that will cause feelings of guilt You see, the Bible was given to us so that we could understand right and wrong and how much God wants us to be good He is also not shy about explaining the consequences that will happen when we choose to be bad One reason why it is so important to read his word (and exactly why many do not even open it) is that it empowers us to live up to God’s standards while eliminating our excuses Charles Stanley is quoted, “To discipline ourselves is to simply say no to our desires when they conflict with God’s will ”

With God being the creator and judge of all things, our soul being priceless, and eternity just a breath away, why are so few interested? I am not necessarily a single-minded, hellfire and brimstone preacher, even though there is nothing wrong with presenting much needed Biblical truth, but my desire is to emphasize and relay the message of God’s great love He has a beautiful and wonderful plan for everyone but the problem is that many sadly do not care How can I make such a statement? Look around, do people look interested in God to you? The Lord desires to give us all we could ask or imagine but instead of us living for ourselves, he is calling us to live for him. Until we turn away from our selfish independence and realize that he created us and bought us with a great price, we will not really be concerned with our allegiance to him How can we take our spiritual life seriously until we refuse to be controlled by our own will? Good news! We can be transformed into a new person with a new lifestyle when we ask Jesus to change our mind

We realize that what and how much we know is the heart of the matter as Luke chapter 12 says, “To whom much is given, much is required ” This means the more we discover about what God wants from us, the more responsibility we have to obey him and the amount that he is pleased with us will be measured by how committed we are to his instructions. Knowing his plan is one thing but demonstrating our knowledge is something completely different When we choose to take that first step of faith to live for Jesus we are accepting the basic fundamentals of salvation and can sincerely pray, “Lord, all things are possible with you Please save me, renew my mind, fill me with your Spirit and whatever you tell me to do, may I react according to your will – not mine, amen ”

Debating Whether Or Not To Resign

As inconceivable as it may be to some in the year 2019, racism is still very much a part of our collective societal framework

Coincidentally, my family and I recently worked our way through the television series Roots,a production based upon a book by Alex Haley Originally aired in the 1970’s, it immediately captivated the nation, ranking as one of the most watched broadcasts in the history of this country Perhaps this story is one to which we should return, in order to inform the debate currently raging in Virginia, and by extension, the nation as a whole

The story begins with Kunta Kinte (played by LeVar Burton), a native of Gambia born around 1750 He is captured as a teenager by slave traders, taken to America and sold into slavery Kinte marries and has a daughter, and the show follows Kinte’s family line Eventually, the Civil War brings freedom; and, more than a hundred years later, his relatives pay homage to his memory by recounting the story of their African past

“You can't understand many of the most destructive issues or policies in our country without understanding our history of racial inequality,” Bryan Stevenson said in an interview earlier this year Stevenson, a Harvard Law graduate, is the founder and executive director of theEqual Justice Initiative In his memoir, Just Mercy, he writes of encountering what he describes as institutional racism as a young lawyer in the deep South circa 1983 He argues that racial discrimination still plagues our nation, and in some ways, is baked into our legal system (especially in the Deep South)

Leading one to wonder, is racial reconciliation even possible?

The bonus features included with ng scene The both -American ether for a Nearby is a ncestors long nd drink, mpany No ted, no sense ir way into a y takes a group g together gs that are true says He how so many thers who from another nd I think of immigrant ships from Europe, slave ships from Africa And it seems to me that now that we can gather we sort of symbolize the best potential of this country,” he declares The ability to join together, regardless of race or creed, past pain or sorrow A scene exemplifying the power of restoration, and the hope and promise of America, embodied by her people

As we once again grapple with the bias and prejudice still painfully prevalent in our society, I wonder if Haley’s account offers us a way forward In helping us see each other in a whole new way

“By now, the response worldwide has made Rootsmore than just a book or a television event, because people’s everywhere have been moved to search after their own roots,” Haley once said “And in making us realize how alike we all are, Rootsreally may have become a bridge to a greater understanding between all peoples ”

Perhaps we can combat racism and attitudes of hate by walking across this “bridge ” By making every effort to celebrate cultural differences, instead of choosing to traffic in the use of stereotypes and generalizations By treating everyone we encounter with both dignity and respect, regardless of race or ethnicity By working to eradicate all pockets of racism present throughout all facets of our society, even among our leaders

Undoubtedly, Ralph Northam should resign However, whether or not he chooses to do so, we can all do more to combat racism wherever and whenever it is encountered

“We have it in our power to begin the world over again,” Thomas Paine once wrote Are you willing to heed the call?

Samuel Moore-Sobel is a freelance writer To read more of his work, visit wwwholdingontohopetodaycom

Garden activity in February

So you might be thinking, “what garden activity in February? Looks pretty bare to me ” Even though plants and grass look dormant, there’s plenty of activity in the soil and our trees, shrubs, grass and flower beds are getting ready to spring into life It’s a great time to work in our yards on some of our warmer days – so nice to be outside and not feel like you’re melting in the Texas heat The first week or two this month is the time to inspect for weeds popping up, insects starting to appear, trim away dead growth, add all those piled-up leaves to your compost bin, or plan a new bed The second half of the month is good to plant (or transplant) shrubs, prune, treat the insects and disease you spotted, and consider fertilizing

First things first, and all great gardens start with healthy soil If you haven’t tested your soil in a couple of years, now is a good time The test results will give you a report about which nutrients are lacking and what to add Forms and instructions on how to do a soil test can be found at the AgriLife Extension Office in the Sherman Courthouse or on the internet at soiltesting tamu edu

Organic methods for weed control are a good mowing, pulling them now because they’re small and easily dislodged, or using a spot-on treatment with 20 percent vinegar. “Spot-on” because the vinegar is not picky about the root it kills –whatever root it saturates will be dying within 24 hours

Dormant season is the time to shape your trees and shrubs –provided they’re not springtime bloomers If you still have roses (they’ve survived the deadly rose rosette disease), remove any weak internal stems and dead canes Each cut should be above a bud that faces out from the center The goal is to encourage stem growth to the outside of the shrub and prevent stems from growing too close and rubbing against another stem Do not prune climbing roses or once-only springtime bloomers until after you’ve enjoyed their blooms because the flower forms from new growth

Use a balanced granular fertilizer and work it into the soil around your plants according to package directions Adding a fresh layer of compost can also provide vital nutrients to your garden Be sure to water the roots to protect from cold night-time temperatures and dissolve the fertilizer Earlyblooming flowers, irises, azaleas and narcissus will appreciate an early feeding

Planting cool weather vegetables such as certain varieties of onions, snap peas, cabbage and broccoli can be done in mid-February, but with our ever-changing North Texas weather, do not plant lettuce, spinach, or chard until late February, or maybe even later if we have that surprise freeze that swoops down from the north – just when we thought it was safe! I read in the Old Farmer’s Almanac that there’s a 30 percent probability that our last frost date is March 25, but this is Texas, so tune in to our daily weather forecast

Watch for scale insects on plant leaves; they seem to be the first to brave the cooler temperatures in spring Use a dormant oil to treat them and read that label to make sure we’ve got the right temperature to apply it If you detect powdery mildew, an organic fungicide recipe is to mix 1 part milk to 9 parts water Neem oil is a good choice for several problem insects and diseases

If you planted pansies in the fall, now is the time to remove any dead leaves or spent blooms, apply a little fertilizer, water in, and enjoy a renewed blooming into March or April The bunch I planted last year made it into May before they finally gave up

It’s not too late to join us and become a Master Gardener Our curriculum covers all aspects of horticulture Classes begin February 20th, and information on our training program and an application form can be found on our website at http://wwwgraysoncounty mastergardeners net/

Submitted by Beverley Patterson and Marigay Black, Grayson County Master Gardeners Grayson County Master Gardeners Association is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Reach us by email at mastergardeners@ co grayson tx us, by phone 903813-4204, or our Facebook group

Howe Police Report: 21-year-old arrested for furnishing alcohol to minors

On Saturday, February 2 at 1:25 am, Howe police officers responded to a party at a residence in the 700 block of North Collins Freeway after seeing what appeared to them to be minors on the property consuming alcoholic beverages Numerous people fled on foot as the officers arrived A 21-year-old female resident claimed responsibility for providing alcohol to everyone at the party, including the minors She was arrested and charged with Furnishing Alcohol to Minors

How can I improve my work/life balance?

Living with children

Taylor Kovar

Hey Taylor - My wife keeps telling me to find a better work/life balance, and while I know she has a point, I’ve got no clue how to do it I can’t afford to work less, and that’s what throws off the balance Any tricks for fixing this broken system? - Shawn

Hey Shawn - Let’s get this system back on track! I believe in working hard, but never at the expense of your happiness When you’re putting in 40+ hours a week, it’s hard to find time for anything else - that’s why you have to get specific in the ways you make time and prioritize your non-work life

Start the day on your terms This is one of the simplest ways to relieve yourself from the stresses of work, and yet it’s incredibly difficult for a lot of people If you currently roll out of bed when your alarm goes off, stumble to the shower, shove a piece of toast in your mouth and head to the office, that’s a pretty dreary morning While you probably can’t start your workday later, you can get up earlier to make more time Most people bristle at this suggestion, but after a few mornings of getting up a little earlier to go for a jog and read a book or catch up on an episode of a TV show you like, you’ll feel much, much better Do something you enjoy before heading to the office instead of letting the rat race dictate your entire day

Shake up your schedule Part of what makes the daily grind so tedious is being stuck in routine we don’t love If you can break that cycle, you might be able to get more work done and have more personal time Think about taking an extra 15 minutes at lunch to do something more than eat, and then make up that time at the day Or plan to d paperwork at 10 pm wife goes to bed; tha won’t interrupt perso you also won’t have it the next day

Find a new outlet So biggest problem with pressure we put on o good to be motivated and driven, but there’s a line that can be crossed when you start worrying and thinking about work all the time If you start a new hobby or workout routine that takes up a little brain space, you might feel less overwhelmed Meditate, do a jigsaw puzzle, make paper airplanes, whatever You don’t need to put a ton of time into it, just enough to take your mind of work every now and then

The common thread with these ideas is to change your schedule a little bit That’s the simplest way to start The concept of improving your work/life balance is daunting when viewed as a singular undertaking. If you break it down into little steps, it’s much more manageable Good luck, Shawn!

Taylor Kovar, CEO of Kovar Capital Read more about Taylor at GoFarWithKovar com

Disclaimer: Information presented is for educational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein To submit a question to be answered in this column, please send it via email to Question@GoFarWithKovar.com, or via USPS to Taylor Kovar, 415 S 1st St, Suite 300, Lufkin, TX 75901.

I receive a steady stream of missives from teachers, ex-teachers, and other folks who have insider knowledge of America’s schools They all say the same thing –classroom discipline is falling apart and has been for some time – and ask the same question: What can be done?

Public-school administrators – not all, but entirely too many – refuse to acknowledge the problem When I bring the subject up, they dismiss it, as in, “Oh, it’s not as bad as people make it out to be” whereas every teacher I’ve spoken to in the past twenty years has told me it’s worse than the public even imagines and getting worse with every passing year

One insider recently wrote: “Excellent teachers are giving up They send kids to the office when they're disruptive, and in minutes the child is back after having received a cookie or some other treat while they talked about their ‘feelings ’ Also, almost every teacher says that when they call a parent about a child's behavior, the parent makes excuses or blames the teacher”

That description is typical I will simply add that not only are many good teachers leaving, but many good students are as well They are either moving to private schools (where a disproportionate number of public-school teachers send their kids) or being home-schooled As a result of this exodus, the per capita rate of problem students rises. Add in the steady increase in underdisciplined children coming to kindergarten and the question becomes: What will public education look like in ten years if these trends continue?

At this point, the reader should know that I flunked fortune-telling in graduate school and had to relinquish my crystal ball and tarot cards; nonetheless, I predict that by

2030 nearly every public-school student will have a diagnosis of one sort or another. In most cases, these diagnoses will be bogus (i e , pseudo-scientific, as in ADHD and ODD) Increasing the population of “special needs” children will not only compensate for funding shortfalls as student population declines but will also allow public schools to pretty much abandon academic and behavioral standards.

The sound the reader now hears is a mélange of screams, expletives, and general gnashing of teeth coming from the nearest public school, so let me be perfectly clear: In the course of my career, I’ve come to know many publicschool teachers They are, with rare exception, dedicated people Teachers are not the problem – not for the most part at least The problem consists of equal parts irresponsible parenting (not confined to any given demographic), parents who make excuses for brats they send to school (just another form of irresponsible parenting), teacher unions that have been given legal power to game the system, federal aid to education (long outlived its usefulness), and administrators who strip teachers of permission to discipline and then discipline teachers who have the temerity to do so One example of the latter is caving in to parents who accuse teachers of hurting their children’s feelings or having “personality conflicts” with them

Taxpayer revolt, anyone?

Here’s what no one can argue: America’s children deserve better much, much better 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