Golden Gazette June 2024

Volume 36 Number 6

June 2024

24 Pages

Lubbock, Texas

LUBBOCK made the list

Lubbock is one in 7 affordable places The Lone Star State is being called the to retire in Texas. And from travel sources perfect bet if affordability is a top priority, to economic statistics, Lubbock, Texas, is especially for seniors looking for towns in making the cut – big time. the state which are perfect for retirement.

Texas offers affordable retirement options with low cost of living, housing, healthcare facilities, and many activities for seniors. st The website, Travel.com, describes Lub1 Roundtable ........................ 2 bock as one of the places people on a bud1st Military show tribute ....... 24 get can retire comfortably.

7th First Friday Art Trail The cost of living in Lubbock is 8% 11th Music & wisdom .............. 20 lower than the national average, so it’s no 14th Flag Day surprise it is among affordable cities in 15th VOTE .................................. 1 Texas cheaper than Austin. th The city offers affordable housing and 16 Father’s Day lower prices on utilities.

19th Juneteenth Travel.com goes on to explain that Lub21st The Longest Day ............... 5 bock sits in the western part of Texas near 22nd Run to Remember .......... 3,7 the New Mexico border.

LUBBOCK made the list ............... 1 Locals can access international airports High Noon Concerts ...................... 2 easily. There are many parks, restaurants, and events that take place all year round.

Loop 88 traffic changes ................ 2 Besides affordable housing costs and Hope Tower time capsule ............ 3 grocery costs that are below the national Dig safely ...................................... 8 average, the many healthcare facilities offer Then she read the curriculum ...... 9 quality medical care.

Charities awarded checks .......... 13 Travel.com lists various attractions inEmpowering schools .................. 23 (See LUBBOCK, Page 3)

In June & inside

Mark McBrayer

Steve Massengale

Runoffs set for June 15

Lubbock’s next mayor will be decided in a runoff election on June 15. Early voting is June 3-11.

Steve Massengale and Mark McBrayer, two sitting Lubbock city council members, will compete to be Lubbock’s next mayor.

Massengale currently serves as the councilman for District 4.

He’s an entrepreneur and says he will fight the growth of gang and drug activity.

McBrayer is an entrepreneur and a retiring attorney and currently serves on the council representing District 3.

Six candidates ran in the May 5 mayoral race, and no one garnered more than 50% of the votes.

The other election will be for the City Council District two seat, between Anah Menjares and Gordon Harris.

June 15

Page 2 • June 2024 • Golden Gazette

Roundtable set for June 1; Kurt Kaiser to speak Kurt Kaiser will be the speaker at the June 1 meeting of the Roundtable.

Kaiser and his dad have been living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Hopefully his dad will be able to come with him. His dad will be celebrating his 100th birthday this month.

Kurt will be the emcee for the Sounds of West Texas: A Tribute to Our Military program at the Cactus Theater on the evening of June 1.

RSVP by May 30 for the 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. meeting on June 1.

There will be no meeting in July.

Aug. 3 speaker will be Superintendent Kathy Rollo from Lubbock School District.

The meetings are held at Carillon Sr. Living, 1717 Norfolk Ave, Pointe The High Noon Summer Concert Series begins June 5 with the Caldwell Plaza Building in the Cimarron Room next to the main dining room. Price Kids performing at noon, on the Lubbock County Courthouse Gazebo and is $18 cash or check made out to Roundtable. Anything extra given goes lawn, 904 Broadway. into the scholarship fund.

The free outdoor performances feature local talent from noon to 1 p.m.

RSVP to Marie Evans at MEvans1398@aol.com or text 806-281-3181. every Wednesday through Aug. 7.

Food trucks will be on site during the concerts.

Two $50 cash prize drawings will be held during each concert. One ticket per person is allowed, and the winner must be present.

High Noon Summer Concerts begin June 5

June performances 5th Caldwell Kids (19th no concert – Juneteenth holiday) 12th Amber Pennington 26th Your Brother’s Uncle

Loop 88 traffic changes on FM 1585 The Texas Department of Transportation has shifted Loop 88 traffic onto the newly built eastbound frontage road. The traffic shift will allow crews to begin work on the westbound Loop frontage road.

“All Loop 88 traffic will be shifted onto the eastbound frontage road starting Tuesday,” said Joe Villalobos, P.E., Lubbock Area engineer. “Traffic will remain one-lane in each direction and will have a dedicated left-turn lane at the major intersections.”

Because of the new traffic change, drivers are asked to slow down and stay alert as they enter the work zone, Villalobos added.

The traffic change is part of a $154.8 million project to convert FM 1585 from a rural, two-lane roadway into Loop 88, a six-lane freeway with frontage roads, bridges, and ramps.

Construction on Phases 3A and 3B of Loop 88 are estimated to be completed in 2026.

LUBBOCK

(Continued from Page 1)

cluding the skeleton and craft displays at the Museum of Texas Tech University, the performances and visual arts at the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts & Sciences, and the Lubbock downtown historic district with different types of shops, eateries, and entertainment choices.

2024 - Lubbock Economic Development Alliance • Lubbock ranks top 20 best city to start a business • Lubbock named one of six Texas cities in the Top 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S. • Named among the 7 Most Affordable Places to Move in Texas After College • Lubbock is one of the 50 Best Places to Buy a Home for Under $300,000 • Top 10 US Cities Where a $100,000 Goes Furthest - Source: LubbockEDA.org

Hope Tower time capsule burial Covenant Health buried a time capsule at Hope Tower at Covenant Medical Center to be opened in 2073.

Included in the time capsule were: • A Bible with handwritten notes from the leaders of Covenant Health & Covenant Medical Center • A brick from the original Methodist Hospital women’s center • Blueprints (plans) for the construction of Hope Tower • Vials of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine • A caregiver T-shirt showing the partnership as the official hospital of Texas Tech Athletics • A photo album filled with pictures of Covenant Medical Center caregivers and patients A strong person does not seek revenge. They move on and let karma do all the dirty work.

I’m at that age that the next day my body whispers to me: Please don’t do that again.

Golden Gazette • June 2024 • Page 3

Page 4 • June 2024 • Golden Gazette

TEXAS TECH HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER Garrison Institute on Aging

The Garrison Institute on Aging was established in 1999 and named in honor of Mildred and Shirley Garrison in 2005. Our mission is to promote healthy aging thru research, promote educational and community outreach programs, and serve the community with services and contacts.

If you have questions on health issues, aging, chronic disease and mental health, please reach out to us. We can assist in connecting you with the right contact for your concerns.

ful for those who are facing this question.

The event is free and open to the public and is held at 6630 S. Quaker Ave. Suite E at noon. Light refreshments are served.

You can view on ZOOM as well (see ad for link). Call the Summer Solstice. It is 806-743-1217 for details. the day with the most hours of sunlight. Don’t forget the HealthWise Expo KCBD and its sponsors sunscreen.

• June 20-21 is Friends will host HealthWise Expo of the Library Sale Day. 2024 on June 15 at the Civic Members can come (or join) Center. The event is open to on Friday. Saturday is open the public and will be open to the public. Both days are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Numerous companies and open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mahon Library, in the health care providers will be on hand to provide valuable basement. information and resources No place like home … for your health questions.

The month of June is popular for weddings and childbirth.

I know the kiddos are glad to be out of school and the parents are busy planning camps and other outings to keep them busy and out of trouble.

The rain in May has been great, so put them to work in the yard.

They will have plenty of daylight as June has the longest daylight hours in the until it’s not Northern Hemisphere. Good The Care Partner Acadluck with that. emy will meet June 4 at noon. Becky Haskitt (forFun days in June mer caregiver and Licensed • June 1 is Say Some- Social Worker) will disthing Nice Day. This should cuss “There’s no Place Like be every day!

Home…Until It Is Not.” • June 6 is National YoIf you have questions Yo Day. about what to look for and • June 14 is Flag Day. what to ask when looking Learn the guidelines for for an appropriate facility displaying the American flag for your loved one, this is the properly. time and place.

• June 16 is Father’s Day. Former and current careHonor your dad, grandad, givers are encouraged to uncle or any other person bring questions and experiwho helped you to become ences to discuss with others. the person you are.

Even if you are not a care• June 19 is Juneteenth giver, your input can be help• June 20 is the day of

By

TTUHSC campus. Day-long respite can be provided if needed (a pre-intake is required). Contact SPAG-AAA at 806-687-0940 for details and to register. For a map of the AEC, contact Joan at 806-743-1217.

Phrases you should never say to someone from Texas.

If you are 55 or older, retired or not, and want to give back to the community, call us.

Or if you are already serving in the community, contact us to have your service added to our report. We have several areas that can use your help.

These include but not limited to Lubbock Meals on Wheels, Friends of the Library, SPFB, local hospitals and clinics, Hope Lodge, Ronald McDonald House, churches, civic organizations, crafters, and so many others.

Our volunteers make Lubbock a great place to live and contribute to the community.

If you are interested in giving back to the Lubbock community, and becoming a part of this great group of volunteers, call 806-7327787 or email rsvp@ttuhsc. edu for information.

• Why do you talk so slowly?

• You guys must have barbecues all the time, right?

• Texas really isn’t that big!

• Do you deep-fry everything?

• The summers can’t possibly get that hot.

• Football is boring.

• I don’t like Chick-fil-A. • I like ketchup on my barbecue.

Caregiver Conference • Do you ride a horse to South Plains Association school? of Governments- Area Agen- • Where’s your cowboy hat? cy on Aging (SPAG-AAA) is • Y’all isn’t proper grammar. presenting the 10th Annual Caregiver Conference on RSVP June Jokes June 20.

RSVP (Retired and Senior Dr. Jonathan Singer will What do you call it when Volunteer Program) is a fedpresent a wide variety of a person says it is June in eral grant funded program topics for caregivers and that assists older Texans in July? their families and friends.

• Ju-lie! finding volunteer activities The event is free and lunch What do you call a bear that match their time and will be provided, and you with no teeth? talents. will need to register no later • A gummy bear We are located at the Garthan June 17. Registration is rison Institute on Aging. at 8:30 a.m., and the event will begin at 9 a.m. until 3:30 Do not ever question the value of volunteers. p.m.

Noah’s Ark was built by volunteers; the Titanic It will be held at the Acawas built by professionals. ~ Dave Gynn demic Event Center on the

The Longest Day:

Understanding Alzheimer’s & dementia The Longest Day is the day with the most light – the summer solstice.

On June 21, people from across the world will fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life.

Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases.

Not normal part of aging

The greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older.

Alzheimer’s disease is considered to be younger-onset Alzheimer’s if it affects a person under 65.

Younger-onset can also be referred to as early-onset Alzheimer’s.

People with younger-onset Alzheimer’s can be in the early, middle or late stage of the disease.

10 early signs & Worsens over time symptoms of Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s is a progressive 1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life 2. Challenge in planning or solving problems 3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks 4. Confusion with time or place 5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships 6. New problems with words in speaking or writing 7. Misplacing things & losing the ability to retrace steps 8. Decreased or poor judgment 9. Withdrawal from work or social activities 10. Changes in mood & personality - alz.org

disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years.

In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment.

On average, a person with Alzheimer’s lives 4 to 8 years after diagnosis but can live as long as 20 years, depending on other factors.

The 2024 Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Lubbock is set for Oct. 5 at Adventure Park, 5110 29th Drive.More information will be available online at alz.org or by email to mdvasquez@alz. org, 806-412-0729.

- Source: alz.org

Golden Gazette • June 2024 • Page 5

Page 6 • June 2024 • Golden Gazette

In 1978, after producing two poorly selling Village People albums that featured only a lead singer (Victor Willis) and some session musicians, French record producer Jacques Morali experienced an epiphany for his third effort: a Casablanca Records album called “Cruisin.’”

And included in that breakthrough disc would be a megahit single that would knock down popculture barriers as it rocketed onto hit charts worldwide.

Jacques had recently strolled through Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood when he noticed the Y.M.C.A. building on 23rd Street.

As the Y.M.C.A. was unknown to Europeans, he inquired inside and learned that the place offered inexpensive rooms and a safe haven for young men visitors.

When he learned later that it was also a place for gay men to connect, Morali sought to create a song to fit his little-known group.

Jacques created most of

1970s

“Y.M.C.A” in about 20 minutes, then handed everything to Willis and told him to add some lyrics.

Victor did just that— with a later quite-surprising admission.

Morali had wanted to exploit the burgeoning New York disco scene, which was primarily confined to gay dance clubs in Greenwich Village (hence the act name Village People).

Following a clever plan of action he had devised, Jacques assembled a five-man group after advertising in a local music publication.

“Macho types wanted,” it stated.

“Must dance and have a mustache.”

To sell “Y.M.C.A.” as a campy song-and-dance number, Morali created a video portraying the Village People as a bunch of funloving guys who poked fun at macho-gay-fantasy personas.

The new version of the Village People included African American

Willis (seen in videos as either a cop or a naval officer), Felipe Rose as the Indian chief, David Hodo as the construction worker, Randy Jones as the cowboy, Glenn Hughes as the leather-clad biker, and Alex Briley as the Black soldier.

Straight? Gay? Who cared?

Fun was the focus here: Young man, there’s a place you can go I said, young man, when you’re short on your dough You can stay there and I’m sure you can find Many ways to have a good time It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.

“Y.M.C.A.” became one of fewer than 40 singles to sell more than 10 million copies.

It’s still a mainstay in ads, movies and television, and at weddings, parties and sporting events, fun-lovers sometimes do the Y.M.C.A. dance by waving their arms to spell out the letters.

In a 2017 interview, Victor Willis, a preacher’s son who co-wrote the hits and delivered the goods in a gospel-like shout, explained, “’Y.M.C.A.’ wasn’t written to be a gay song because of the simple fact that I’m not gay.

“I wrote it about hanging out in urban neighborhoods in my youth.

‘You can hang out with all the boys’ was a term about me and my friends playing basketball at the ‘Y.’ “But I wanted to write a song that could fit anyone’s lifestyle. I’m happy the gay community adopted it as their anthem. I have no qualms with that.”

Golden Gazette • June 2024 • Page 7

‘Run to Remember’ to benefit programs of Catholic Charities Catholic Charities of Lubbock will host its inaugural Run to Remember, a 5K and fun run/walk, in remembrance of our neighbors on the South Plains who are experiencing poverty, homelessness, hunger, crisis, and trauma.

The event is sponsored by TXU Energy and will begin at 8 a.m. June 22, at Catholic Charities, 102 Ave. J. The running and walking routes will pass through Lubbock’s historic Guadalupe Neighborhood, Aztlan Park, and Mackenzie Park.

Run to Remember is a familyfriendly event open to all ages and fitness levels.

The fun walk is free and will circle Atzlan Park. The 5K is $30 per individual or $200 for a team of up to eight.

A T-shirt and medal of completion will be included in the cost of the registration for 5K participants.

All participants will be required to complete a registration and release form.

“This is a great opportunity for Catholic Charities to take a moment to reflect and really remember why we do the work we do – to serve those who are in need, just as Christ said in Matthew 25:40.

“It’s our mission to help those in our community who are less fortunate and who experience extremely trying times and difficult circumstances.

“Your partnership in this year’s Run to Remember will put food on the table and clothe children and families, purchase medications and hearing aids for the elderly and disabled, and so much more. Your help means everything to us,” said Erin Baxter, director of development.

To learn about the various sponsorship levels available or to reserve

a team for the Run to Remember, contact Erin Baxter at erin@cclubbock.org.

Volunteers are also needed for various roles during the event including, set up, water stations, parking, and course monitors.

Interested volunteers can contact Carol Alonzo at carol@cclubbock. org.

Proceeds from Run to Remember will benefit the programs and services of Catholic Charities, a local 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and Lubbock Area United Way partner agency, that provides a variety of services to Lubbock and 29 surrounding counties, including no-cost youth and family counseling, emergency assistance, a food pantry, kinship resources, legal immigration services, and aid to the elderly, to families and

individuals in Lubbock and many surrounding counties.

For more information about the services Catholic Charities provides, visit www.cclubbock.org.

#LetsDoLunch Once a week, or once a month, use your lunch hour to deliver a hot, nutritious meal to someone who is homebound.

You will make their day, and they will make yours.

Call

806-792-7971 for more info.

Lubbock Meals on Wheels www.LubbockMealsOnWheels.org

Page 8 • June 2024 • Golden Gazette

Dig Safely: Always call 811 before any excavation project Before grabbing that shovel, Atmos Energy reminds everyone – homeowners and professional excavators alike – to keep communities safe by contacting 811 prior to starting any excavation project.

Digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities can result in disruptions to critical services, serious injuries, and costly repairs to underground utility lines.

Spread safety awareness

to homeowners, contractors, and any professional excavator. 811 is the national call-before-you-dig phone number, and it is a free and easy service required by law.

By making a request online or over the phone by calling 811 a few days before digging, you are helping communities maintain essential utility services, promoting safety, and reducing the likelihood of accidentally digging into buried utility lines.

“Whether you are a landscape architect or a ‘do-ityourselfer,’ if your backyard beautification project requires heavy equipment or power tools, make sure all underground utility lines have been located and marked,” said Johnny Castillo, Atmos Energy damage prevention specialist.

Everyone who contacts 811 a few days before digging is connected to a local notification center that will take the caller’s information and communicate it to local utility companies.

Being a music lover with a terrible voice is the saddest part of my life.

Professional locators will then visit the dig site to mark I accidentally paid for my groceries with my library card and now I have to return my Captain Crunch in two weeks. the approximate location of underground utility lines I’ve entered the snapdragon part of my life. with spray paint, flags, or Part of me has snapped and the other part is draggin. both.

Homeowners are further encouraged to take a few precautionary measures when planning any digging project this spring: Plan ahead. If work is scheduled for an upcoming weekend, make a free 811 request on Monday or Tuesday – providing ample time for the approximate location of lines to be marked.

Confirm that all lines have been marked.

Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings.

If a contractor has been hired, confirm

that the contractor has contacted 811.

Don’t allow work to begin if the lines are not marked.

Visit 811beforeyoudig. com for complete information.

Ruidoso Map Map folds out to 34.5” x 22.5”

Street Map & Scenic Locator Buy a Ruidoso Map & have it mailed to you. www.RuidosoMap.com or mail a check for $3.25 to:

Word Publications P.O. Box 723 Tahoka, TX 79373

Include an address to mail the map to.

806-744-2220

Golden Gazette • June 2024 • Page 9

INVESTIGATIONS

A GOP Texas school board member campaigned against schools indoctrinating kids. Then she read the curriculum.

By Jeremy Schwartz The Texas Tribune and ProPublica

Weeks after winning a school board seat in her deeply red Texas county, Courtney Gore immersed herself in the district’s curriculum, spending her nights and weekends poring over hundreds of pages of lesson plans that she had fanned out on the coffee table in her living room and even across her bed.

She was searching for evidence of the sweeping national movement she had warned on the campaign trail was indoctrinating schoolchildren.

Gore, the co-host of a farright online talk show, had promised that she would be a strong Republican voice on the nonpartisan school board.

Citing “small town, conservative Christian values,” she pledged to inspect educational materials for inappropriate messages about sexuality and race and remove them from every campus in the 7,700-student Granbury Independent School District, an hour southwest of Fort Worth.

“Over the years our American Education System has been hijacked by Leftists looking to indoctrinate our kids into the ‘progressive’ way of thinking, and yes, they’ve tried to do this in Granbury ISD,” she wrote in a September 2021 Facebook post, two months before the election.

“I cannot sit by and watch their twisted world view infiltrate Granbury ISD.” But after taking office and

examining hundreds of pages of curriculum, Gore was shocked by what she found — and didn’t find.

The pervasive indoctrination she had railed against simply did not exist.

Children were not being sexualized, and she could find no examples of critical race theory, an advanced academic concept that examines systemic racism.

She’d examined curriculum related to social-emotional learning, which has come under attack by Christian conservatives who say it encourages children to question gender roles and prioritizes feelings over biblical teachings.

Instead, Gore found the materials taught children “how to be a good friend, a good human.”

Gore rushed to share the news with the hard-liners who had encouraged her to run for the seat.

She expected them to be

as relieved and excited as she had been. But she said they were indifferent, even dismissive because “it didn’t fit the narrative they were trying to push.”

So, in the spring of 2022, Gore went public with a series of Facebook posts.

She told residents that her backers were using divisive rhetoric to manipulate the community’s emotions.

They were interested not in improving public education but rather in sowing distrust, Gore said.

“I’m over the political agenda, hypocrisy bs,” Gore wrote. “I took part in it myself. I refuse to participate in it any longer. It’s not serving our party. We have to do better.”

Gore’s open defiance of far-right GOP orthodoxy represents an unusual sign of independence in a state and in a party that experts say increasingly punish those deemed disloyal.

It particularly stands out at a time when Republican leaders are publicly attacking elected officials who do not support direct funding to private schools.

“It’s a rare event to see this kind of political leap, especially in a world that’s so polarized,” said University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus. “You

rarely see these kinds of changes because the people who are vetted to run tend to be true believers. They tend not to be people who are necessarily thinking about the holistic problem.”

“With the presence of Donald Trump, fealty to cause has amplified, so this kind of action is much more meaningful and much more visible than it was a decade ago,” Rottinghaus said about Gore.

In March, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, was victorious in unseating five lawmakers in his own party and forcing another three into runoff elections after they voted against voucher legislation that would allow the use of public dollars for students to attend private and religious schools.

His efforts sent a message that those who did not unflinchingly support his priorities would face grave political repercussions.

Gore was part of a similar movement of hard-liners who pushed out the Republican Hood County elections administrator in 2021 after determining that she was not conservative enough for the nonpartisan position.

Now Gore and other disillusioned local Republicans have formed a group pushing against an “ultra-right” fac-

tion of the party that it says has become obsessed with “administering purity tests” and stoking divisive politics.

The former teacher and mother of four was influenced by such politics when she decided to run for office.

She was motivated to seek a school board seat after a steady stream of reports from the right-wing media she consumed and her social media feeds pointed to what she saw as inappropriate teachings in public schools.

She, too, had been outraged by school mask mandates and vaccine requirements during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But Gore said she feels that she was unwittingly part of a statewide effort to weaken local support of public schools and lay the groundwork for a voucher system.

And she said that unless she and others sound the alarm, residents won’t realize what is happening until it is too late.

“I feel like if I don’t speak out, then I’m complicit,” Gore said. “I refuse to be complicit in something that’s going to hurt children.”

Because of that outspokenness, Gore is facing backlash from the same people (See She was motivated, Page 10)

Page 10 • June 2024 • Golden Gazette

She was motivated to seek a school board seat after a steady stream of reports from the right-wing media she consumed and her social media feeds pointed to what she saw as inappropriate teachings in public schools.

(Continued from Page 9)

who supported her race. She has been threatened at raucous school board meetings and shunned by people she once considered friends.

School marshals escort her and her fellow board members to their cars to ensure no one accosts them.

When things get particularly heated, a fellow trustee follows her in his car to make sure she gets home safely.

“None of it was adding up” Before Gore decided to seek office for the first time, prominent GOP operatives had been pushing for likeminded allies to take over school boards, framing the effort as necessary to maintain conservative Christian values.

In May 2021, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon told followers on his podcast that school boards were the road back to power for conservatives following the 2020 presidential election.

Two months later, North Texas-based influential pastor Rafael Cruz, the father of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, amplified that message on social media, saying that getting candidates on school boards was critical.

“We need to make sure

that strong, principled Americans, those who uphold our Judeo-Christian principles that have made America the greatest country in the world, are elected to school boards,” Rafael Cruz said in a July 2021 video posted to his Facebook page. “Because I’ll tell you the left is controlling the school boards in America.”

Those messages reached Granbury, where former Republican state Rep. Mike Lang and political consultant Nate Criswell asked Gore to run for the school board.

Gore recalls hearing Cruz give a fiery speech while she was campaigning.

In the speech, which reinforced her decision to run, she said Cruz boasted about flipping the school board in Southlake, Texas, by getting the churches involved in helping to install Christian candidates.

“When you put in the minds of parents that there is an agenda to indoctrinate their children … and the only answer is to get conservative Christian people elected to the school board,” Gore said, “it’s a very powerful message” Gore, now 43, first became involved in local politics in 2016 when she campaigned door-to-door for Lang, a former constable

who successfully ran for the Texas Legislature.

She then served on a leadership committee for the Hood County GOP. After Lang decided not to run for reelection in 2020, he asked Gore to join the “Blue Shark” show, a webbased program he founded and co-hosted with Criswell that produced videos taking aim at local politicians and officials considered insufficiently conservative.

Criswell later ran campaigns for Gore and Melanie Graft, another school board candidate who previously tried to remove LGBTQthemed books from the children’s section of the county library.

Soon after the women won their elections, the Granbury school district descended into a high-profile fight over school library books.

Administrators pulled 130 library books from the shelves after Matt Krause, a Republican representative from Fort Worth, published a list of 850 titles that he said touched on themes of sexual orientation and race.

At the time, ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and NBC News obtained audio of the district’s superintendent, Jeremy Glenn, making clear to librarians that he had

concerns about books with interested in misleading resiLGBTQ themes, including dents than in improving eduthose that did not contain cational outcomes.

In early 2022, leaders of descriptions of sex.

After the reporting, the (See “More interested,” Department of Education Page 16) opened a civil rights investigation, which is ongoing, into whether the district violated federal laws that Lubbock,Texas prohibit discrimination based 806-744-2220 on sexual orientation and gender.

GOLDEN GAZETTE is pubA volunteer review comlished monthly by Word Pubmittee of parents and district lications.

Submitting information employees eventually recomNews items, letters to the editor, mended returning nearly all photographs, and other items of the books to the shelves. may be submitted for publicaHard-liners wanted addition. tional titles removed, claimLetters ing that the district was All letters must include the writer’s name, address and allowing “pornography,” telephone number. Anonymous without offering evidence to letters will not be published. support the assertion.

If chosen for publication, only But Gore backed the comyour name and city will be mittee’s findings, saying she printed with your letter. We prefer letters that are fewer was satisfied with the handthan 200 words. Letters may ful of books the district had be edited for clarity, factual inremoved for explicit content. formation, and length. Personal Glenn, too, drew the ire attacks on individuals will not of his onetime allies after he be published. also supported the commitAdvertising Advertising rates are available tee’s recommendation. Lang by calling 744-2220 or emailing and Criswell have since maedwards@wordpub.com or called for his ouster. Glenn cswinney@wordpub.com. declined an interview request Subscriptions through a district spokesperFor a subscription, send a check son. to Golden Gazette, P.O. Box 723, Tahoka, Texas 79373. $30 The book debate, along for one year, or $60 for 2 years. with a series of other fissures, contributed to Gore’s growing belief that her for- View the Gazette online: mer colleagues were more www.wordpub.com

Golden Gazette • June 2024 • Page 11

Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream Ingredients

• 2 medium peaches, halved • 2 tablespoons butter, melted • Cinnamon, to taste • 1 cup vanilla ice cream

Instructions

1. Heat grill to medium heat. Brush both sides of peach halves with melted butter.

2. Place peaches cut-side down onto hot grill. Cover grill and allow peaches to cook for 4-5 minutes before flipping.

Cook peaches an additional 4-5 minutes, until charred and softened.

3. Remove peaches from grill, sprinkle with cinnamon, and top each halve with a scoop of ice cream. Serve immediately!

Office desk & chair Great for office or home office.

Office-type desk and office-type chair, high back, adjustable height.

Free to good home! Desk top is 60”x30” Call 806-777-0188.

Entertainment center / storage area Old-style entertainment center with shelves on the left side, bottom drawer on the right, and area for TV or additional storage.

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Page 12 • June 2024 • Golden Gazette

‘Horizon: An American Saga’ Movie Preview Kevin Costner’s latest venture, “Horizon: An American Saga,” has been a fourfilm “passion project” of his since 1988, with his ultimate

goal and legacy being to offer a sweeping chronicle of the Westward Movement.

Even among the boxoffice heroes in Tinseltown,

getting financed can be frustrating when it comes to dealing with the studio bean counters.

But Kevin’s “Horizon” is a self-financed enterprise that he has already pumped 20 million of his own dollars into.

Consider that he recently sold 10 acres of prime California beachfront in fashionable Santa Barbara.

Filmed amidst spectacular scenery in southern Utah, “Horizon: An American Saga” is the well-researched narrative of a 15-year time span in the pre- and postCivil War era, and the later struggles to settle the new frontier.

There is probably nobody in Hollywood today who is more involved in Westerns than Mr. Costner. California-

By Randal C. Hill

interactions with the indigenous people who lived on the land, and the determination and—at many times—the ruthlessness of those who sought to settle on it.”

Warner Brothers seems fully on board with the undertaking. Their press release Pick up a print edition proclaims, “In the great at any of our 100+ locations tradition of Warner Broththroughout Lubbock or go online to ers Pictures’ iconic Westwww.WordPub.com erns, ‘Horizon: An American click on “Seniors” Saga’ explores the lure of click on “Golden Gazette” the Old West and how it was choose a ‘pdf version’ won—and lost—through or a ‘flip-the-page’ version. the blood, sweat and tears of many...

“Costner’s ambitious cinematic adventure will take audiences on an emotional Our 36 year in publication Published monthly by Word Publications journey across a country at www.WordPub.com war with itself, experienced To subscribe to the Golden Gazette, call 806-744-2220. through the lens of families, $ 30 for the year; $60 for two years. friends and foes, all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.”

Kevin stars in and directs the episodes—impressively epic in scope and scale—as well as cowriting and co-producing the project.

The first feature releases June 28, followed by the ● Fulltime Medical Director ● Pain & Symptom Management second on Aug. 16. If ● 24-Hour Support for Patient & Family ● Grief Recovery / Counseling Center the first two prove to be box-office winners, Kevin ● Music Therapy ● Non-Profit Serving 19 Counties Since 1987 plans to shoot two more full-length movies in order The Region’s ONLY Pediatric & Adult Hospice to bring his lofty goal to completion.

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born in 1955, his love of the genre began with the 1962 classic “How the West Was Won.” While he’s had a long and varied movie career (“Bull Durham,” “Field of Dreams,”, “JFK,” “The Bodyguard”), it was Costner’s award-winning “Dances with Wolves” in 1993 that put him on track to his most recent involvement with “Yellowstone,” one of television’s biggest successes of the last decade.

He recently left the highly rated series to concentrate on “Horizon: An American Saga.”

Kevin explains, “America’s expansion into the West was one that was fraught with peril and intrigue, from the natural elements to the

Golden Gazette • June 2024 • Page 13

3 local charities awarded checks The New Neighbors Club of Lubbock awarded a total of $10,500 to three local charities — Meals On Wheels, South Plains Food Bank, and Unpack Ministries at the May meeting of the club.

The club is dedicated to helping others find new friends and interests. Cards & other games, a book club, theater movies, and lunch groups bring many hours of enjoyment to the members and provide opportunities to form long-lasting friendships.

It’s not only a social club, they are an integral part of the community through participation in many service projects.

Through the many efforts of the Ways and Means committee, comprised of Judy VanGilder, Linda Stringer and Connie Englund, the two traditional Game Days New Neighbors Club of Lubbock distributed its charitable donations for the year at the May meeting. were hosted where money is raised through Club president Virginia Ysasaga awarded checks for $3500 each to Unpack Ministries, Meals on Wheels and the Lubbock Food Bank. Pictured are Holly Hallford with Unpack Ministries; Dina Jeffries with the a silent auction.

The Community Service chair, Cynthia South Plains Food Bank; and Mary Gerlach and Lisa Gilliland with Lubbock Meals on Wheels.

Burnam, organizes opportunities for chari2431 S. Loop 289 table volunteer participation and ultimately uses the Game 806-771-8008 Day profits and donations to award funds to three charities 6202 82nd St. at the end of the year.

806-687-8008 The awards presentation of $3,500 each was held at the Women’s Club at the last yearly luncheon meeting.

4138 19th St. Anyone interested in learning more about the New 806-780-2329 Committed to providing you with the Neighbors Club may contact the membership chair, Cindy 12115 Indiana Ste. 2 best possible care, compassion, and respect Andrews, at candrews@nts-online.net or President Virginia 806-993-5041 in a safe and comfortable setting.

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Page 14 • June 2024 • Golden Gazette

Social Security Survivor Benefits for eligible family members When you think of Social Security, you probably think of retirement.

However, Social Security can also provide much-needed income to your family members when you die, making their financial lives easier.

Your family members may be eligible to receive survivor benefits if you worked, paid Social Security taxes, and earned enough work credits.

The number of credits you need depends on your age when you die.

The younger you are when you die, the fewer credits you’ll need for survivor benefits.

However, no one needs more than 40 credits (10 years of work) to be “fully insured” for benefits.

And under a special rule, if you’re only “currently insured” at the time of your death (i.e., you have 6 credits in the 13 quarters prior to your death), your children and your spouse who is caring for them can still receive benefits.

Survivor benefits may be paid to:  Your spouse age 60 or older (50 or older if disabled)  Your spouse at any age, if caring for your child who is under age 16 or disabled  Your ex-spouse age 60 or over (50 or older if disabled) who was married to you for at least 10 years  Your ex-spouse at any age, if caring for your child who is under age 16 or disabled  Your unmarried children under 18  Your unmarried children under 19, if attending school full time (up to grade 12)  Your dependent parents age 62 or older This is a general overview–the rules are more complex.

For more information on eligibility requirements, contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) at (800) 772-1213.

The higher your earnings, the higher the benefit.

This monthly benefit is equal to a percentage of your basic Social Security benefit.

The percentage depends on your survivor’s age and relationship to you.

For example, at full retirement age or older, your spouse may receive a survivor benefit equal to 100 percent of your basic Social Security benefit.

However, if your spouse has not yet reached full retirement age at the time of your death, he or she will receive a reduced benefit, generally 71.5 to 99 percent of your basic benefit (75 percent if your spouse is caring for a child under age 16).

Your dependent child may also receive 75 percent of your basic benefit.

A maximum family benefit rate caps the total amount of money your survivors can get each month.

The total benefit your family can How much will receive based on your earnings reyour survivors receive?

An eligible family member will cord is about 150 to 180 percent of receive a monthly survivor benefit your basic benefit amount.

If the total family benefit exceeds based on your average lifetime earn(See Survivor benefits, Page 15) ings.

Survivor Benefits for family (Continued from Page 14)

this limit, each family member’s benefit will be reduced proportionately.

You can find out more about future Social Security benefits by signing up for a my Social Security account at the Social Security website, ssa.gov, so that you can view your online Social Security Statement.

Your statement contains a detailed record of your earnings, as well as estimates of retirement, survivor, and disability benefits.

If you’re not registered for an online account and are not yet receiving benefits, you’ll receive a statement in the mail every year, starting at age 60.

Don’t forget the lump-sum benefit

If you’ve accumulated enough work credits, your spouse may receive a lump-sum benefit of $255.

Your spouse must have been living with you at the time of your death or have been receiving benefits based on your earnings record if living apart from you.

If you’re not married at the time of your death, the death benefit may be split among any children you have who are eligible for benefits based on your earnings record.

If you’re already receiving benefits based on your spouse’s earnings record, the SSA will change your payments to survivor benefits (if your children are receiving benefits, their benefits will be changed, too).

But if you’re not yet receiving any Social Security benefits or if you’re receiving benefits based on your own earnings record, you’ll have to fill out an application for survivor benefits.

It’s helpful to have the following documents when you apply, but if you don’t have all the information required, the SSA can help you get it:

 Proof of death (a death certificate or funeral home notice)  Your Social Security number, as well as the deceased worker’s number  Your birth certificate  Your marriage certificate, if you’re a widow or widower  Your divorce papers, if applicable  Dependent children’s Social Security numbers, if available  Deceased worker ’s W-2 forms, or federal self-employment tax return, for the most recent year  The name of your bank, as well as your account numbers, for direct deposit

Visit the SSA website or your local SSA office, or call 800If a loved one has died, contact the Social Security 772-1213 for more information on survivor benefits and how to Administration If a loved one has died and apply for them.

Zach Holtzman you are eligible for survivor financial advisor benefits, you should contact the SSA right away.

Golden Gazette • June 2024 • Page 15

Three ‘surprises’ on Slide Road Dear Folks, This month, I’m devoting this column to “Bubba’s 33 Lubbock.”

We recently ordered through DoorDash, some of the best dinners ever!

First, I must explain that Bubba’s 33 is a national franchise and Texas has more than 20 locations. We are fortunate to have our own location on Slide Road. They arrived in our “Hub” more than three years ago. #1 surprise is their “Italian Chopped Salad.” Now folks, forget all you’ve ever known about the term “chopped.”

This so-called chopped wonder is actually prepared in a food processor!

Ingredients include salami, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, turkey, mozzarella and provolone cheeses, and not to be forgotten, iceberg lettuce.

The specific dressing is a vinaigrette which includes lemon and basil. This dressing is perfect for this salad.

Now folks, don’t think I’ve lost my mind, but this salad must be eaten with a spoon! Now, you’ve been advised how to properly eat this “concoction!”

I spoke at length with Marco, the local business partner, and he confirmed my suspicion about the use of a food processor. It’s not possible to chop that fine with a knife. #2 surprise is they have “pizza night” every Tuesday. I quizzed Marco about how Bubba’s version

is prepared. First, all their dough is made from scratch in-house. Next, only one thickness is made! All the other pizza places use two thicknesses making an awful doughy mess called pizza—YUK! Yes, folks, Marco promised me all their prepared pizza dough bakes up CRISPY!!! OMG! I think their pizza is it!

Last, but not least, is surprise #3.

We ordered a Rib Eye Steak; TENDER is the descriptive word used for their cut of beef. Marco informed me during our conversation that their steaks are aged for several days before delivery to the restaurant.

Aged beef is the secret to all tender meats. You may select either the 10 ounce or 12-ounce size. This is a “Cathy Must Have!”

The rest of the menu is quite extensive. 10 appetizers are listed, 10 side selections, 10 salads, 9 sandwiches, both boneless and traditional wings, 5 2-pound Angus beef burgers, 3 yummy desserts, and of course flavored teas and lemonade, plus 9 soft drinks, and fresh brewed coffee.

Important info: Bubba’s 33 Lubbock, 6210 Slide Road Managing partner – Marco Vasquez Sunday – Thursday – 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight. www.bubbas33.com Cathy

Page 16 • June 2024 • Golden Gazette

‘Band on the Run’ Paul McCartney & Wings

Did Paul McCartney ever consider “Band on the Run” to be jinxed?

If he did, there had been a couple of good reasons to think so.

He and his Wings group were scheduled to fly to Nigeria to record “Band on the Run.” But some of the musicians never showed, so only Paul and Linda McCartney and Wings guitarist Denny Laine made the journey.

In the studio, McCartney sang lead and filled in on guitar, electric piano, bass and drums. (“I played a lot of stuff myself. It was almost a solo album. Almost.”)

Not quite. Wife and partner, Linda McCartney, added synthesizers and electric piano to the tracks, and Denny Laine offered lead guitar. And both sang backup vocals.

“Band on the Run” became a five-minute-plus work that played out like a three-act mini-drama.

There was the slow, meandering opening. A hard-rocking section kicked in next.

Finally, a dynamic Eagleslike harmony drove the work to a powerful finale.

But as the trio was walking back to their hotel that night, they were robbed at knifepoint, with thieves snatching their tapes and vanishing into the darkness.

Paul, Linda and Denny thus had to create a new recording from memory.

Flashback.

At one time, the Beatles were a struggling band covering Top 40 hits in German bars.

They eventually broke big in the UK in 1962, became teen idols throughout Europe the following year, and conquered America in 1964.

But when the Fab Four began their own music label— Apple Records—in 1968, they “officially” entered the world of Big Business.

Consequently, the Beatles

walls, Sent inside forever

Stuck inside these four

(Continued from Page 10)

When the song shifted to the rapidly growing district the next tier, we heard a pris- announced plans to ask voters for $394 million in bonds oner’s lament: to build a new high school If I ever get out of here and renovate existing camIn the final section, we puses. learned of a “jailer man” and School board members how a county judge held a established a community adgrudge because he’ll have visory committee that would to “search forevermore” but counsel the district. will never capture the elusive Gore chose Criswell as “band on the run.” her representative on the McCartney later explained committee. that his lyrics involved police She thought that once hassles and drug problems.

Criswell saw the district’s “We were being outlawed needs firsthand, he would for pot.” (He preferred mari- support the bonds. juana over booze.)

But the opposite happened. Criswell urged voters to reject the measure, claiming some parts, such as providing full-day pre-K programs for all students,

By Randal C. Hill were “communist in nature.”

“Our argument on ‘Band Gore said Criswell dion the Run’ was that we’re rected her and Graft, who did not criminals…So I just not respond to requests for made up a song about people comment, to post messages breaking out of prison.” on social media against the Paul later said of his musi- bonds. cal creation, “It’s a million When Gore pushed back, things, all put together…a she said Criswell accused her band on the run—escaping, of betraying the party. (The freedom, criminals. You bonds ultimately lost by a name it, it’s there.” wide margin.)

To McCartney’s delight, Gore said Criswell also his fans embraced the Ap- pressured her to stop speakple single, which topped ing with all of her fellow Billboard’s chart. Even ex- school board members, expartner John Lennon, often cept for Graft. one of Paul’s harshest critics, “They’re just lying to you. enthusiastically pronounced They’re not your friends,” it “a great song.” she recalled him saying.

Blast To The Past! often had to endure boring meetings in stuffy boardrooms.

At one such gathering, George Harrison unknowingly handed McCartney a part of “Band on the Run.” Paul remembered, “It started off with, ‘If I ever get out of here.’ That came from a remark George made at one of the Apple meetings.

He was saying that we’re all prisoners in some way.”

Lyrically, “Band on the Run” opened with the narrator already being incarcerated:

More interested in misleading residents than in improving educational outcomes

“I was like, how am I supposed to do my job as a board member if I’m not talking to anybody?” Gore said. “None of it was adding up.”

Criswell, who has previously said he supports public schools, declined to answer detailed questions. Lang did not respond to requests to comment.

In April 2022, Gore rescinded her nomination of Criswell to the bond advisory board. She felt that he and Lang were misleading voters about the bond and its cost to taxpayers.

“Mike Lang would call them snowballs,” she said.

“You just get as many little snowballs as you can so you’re attacking from multiple fronts. And then you see which ones start to stick and gather speed and get bigger and bigger.”

In June 2022, Lang and Criswell directed one of their snowballs in Gore’s direction, taking a veiled shot at the former co-host of their show.

In a video, Criswell praised Graft for continuing the fight to remove books from the school district’s libraries, saying she was “the only one that acts as the buffer right now on that board, which is sad, because, you know, we’ve had other (See I refuse, Page 18)

Golden Gazette • June 2024 • Page 17

Something to ponder

The U.S. has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance.

I’ve needed a doctor.

I’ve needed a teacher.

We need farmers.

I have needed an auto mechanic, a plumber, a house painter, and a lot of other everyday people.

But I have NEVER, not even once, needed a pro athlete or a Hollywood entertainer for anything.

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The fact that some people can’t distinguish between etymology and entomology bugs me in ways i can’t put into words.

Your time on Earth is limited. Don’t try to ‘age with grace.’

Age with mischief, audacity, and a good story to tell.

Page 18 • June 2024 • Golden Gazette

‘I refuse to participate in any Need a doc? agenda that will dismantle or www.LubbockMedGuide.com Lubbock & area physicians - by specialty & alphabetically abolish public education.’ + hospitals & related medical services

(Continued from Page 16)

people elected in recent elections that just haven’t lived up to the expectations.”

Three days later, Gore fired back.

“I refuse to be someone’s puppet,” she wrote in a June Facebook post. “I refuse to be told what to do, what to say or how to vote. I refuse to participate in any agenda that will dismantle or abolish public education.”

‘Extremism IS the problem’

A week after that post, Gore watched the livestream of a Granbury school board meeting on her laptop from a hotel room along Mexico’s Caribbean coast while on an anniversary trip with her husband.

Emotions ran high as about a dozen residents complained that board members had not removed enough books from the library.

Some argued that the school board was stifling dissent from Graft by requiring the consent of two board members to place an item on the agenda.

During the meeting, Cliff Criswell, the grandfather of Nate Criswell, took the microphone, carrying what police would later describe as a black handgun in a leather holster.

He accused board members of allowing pornography in school libraries and of trying to “rip apart” Graft, whom he had previously described as “the only conservative on the board.”

“We have profile sheets” on all the trustees except for Graft, Cliff Criswell shouted.

“We know what you do. We know where you live.”

Gore was shocked. Panicked, she started calling family members.

“My grandmother was home with our children,” she recalled in an interview.

“My brother came over and slept on my front porch to make sure nobody showed up at our house in the middle of the night. I mean, my kids were terrified after that.”

Later that night, Gore addressed the incident on Facebook.

“Tonight, threats were made against me, every board member (except one) and our superintendent. We were individually called out by name, told we had profile sheets made on each of us and that we would be dealt with accordingly. THIS IS NOT OK. I take threats against myself and my family seriously, especially with all of the violence in today’s world. Will we be dealing with school board shoot(See The only people, Page 19)

Golden Gazette Crossword Puzzle ACROSS 1. Resound 5. Enthusiastic 10. Smallest component 14. Hip bones 15. Babble 16. Narrative of heroic exploits 17. Saucy 18. Epileptic seizure 19. Plebeian 20. Agent inducing vomiting 22. Building 24. Person who rides 25. Spanish Mister 26. Naive person 29. Bird of prey 33. Observation 36. Unpleasant sound 39. Headband 40. Harvest 42. Metal spikes DOWN 44. Long narrow strip 1. Scottish musician of fabric 2. Fragrant resin 45. Christmas song 3. Ventilated 47. Snares 4. Tin plate 49. Lair 5. Heroic 50. Pertaining to sound 6. Curve reproduction 7. Entrances 51. Soft lambskin leather 8. Musical study piece 53. Faux pas 9. Gum 57. Area used for sports 10. One who seeks advancement 61. Climbing shoot 11. Baby powder 63. Ensnare 12. Double curve 64. Adriatic wind 13. Fairy queen 65. More mature 21. Republic in SW Asia 67. Gambling game 23. Enemies 68. Atop 27. Electrically charged atom 69. Severe 28. Decree 70. A person who uses 30. Prod 71. Metrical romance 31. Easy stride 72. Trio 32. Paradise 73. For fear that 33. Killer whale

34. Sweetheart 35. Reddish brown chalcedony 37. Title of a knight 38. Dash 41. Affecting the emotions 43. Mineral spring 46. Burden 48. Duration 52. Tricky 54. Frozen dew 55. Disgusting dirt 56. Senior 58. Efface 59. Nostrils 60. Toward the port side 61. Drink to excess 62. Greek god of love 63. Sea eagle 64. Insect 66. Before Solution on P. 21

Golden Gazette • June 2024 • Page 19

The only people who pay the price are the kids of the district (Continued from Page 18)

ings next?!? WE MUST DO BETTER!” In response to a commenter’s message of support, Gore wrote, “Extremism IS the problem.”

According to a Granbury police report, an off-duty officer spotted a black pistol in a holster in Cliff Criswell’s waistband and alerted school and city police.

Possession of an unauthorized firearm at a school board meeting is a third-degree felony under state law, but because officers didn’t conclusively identify the weapon that night, and because Cliff Criswell declined to cooperate, prosecutors were unable to file charges, said Granbury police Deputy Chief Cliff Andrews.

Cliff Criswell could not be reached for comment.

“Had we identified the gun at the very moment, yes, absolutely, we could have filed charges on it,” Andrews said. “We made a simple mistake.”

The incident forced the district to adopt tighter security measures, including clearly posting signs prohibiting firearms and bringing in additional officers during board meetings anytime administrators expect that certain topics could lead to heated exchanges.

“That was the moment I saw how crazy it was, how unhinged it had become, and how far some people were

willing to go to prove their points,” Gore said.

Yet rhetoric over the school district only ratcheted up in the ensuing months.

That fall, Hood County’s far-right leaders backed the school board candidacy of Karen Lowery, who in May 2022 was one of two women who filed a criminal complaint against district librarians claiming they were providing pornography to children. A Hood County constable has declined to answer questions about the status of the complaint.

Lowery, who had served on the committee that reviewed library books but opposed returning them to the shelves, also received a key endorsement from Rafael Cruz. She went on to win her election in November 2022.

Her victory helped resurface the district’s book battles as she pressed to remove more titles.

Then, in August 2023, Lowery snuck into a high school library during a charity event and began inspecting books using the light of her cellphone, according to a district report.

School board members met to discuss censuring Lowery at an Aug. 23 public meeting for violating a policy that requires them to get permission from principals when entering a campus and for not being truthful when confronted by an administrator.

Lowery claimed she had disclosed her visit to the library beforehand as required.

She did not respond to calls or emails seeking comment.

A district spokesperson said he was unable to pass along an interview request because Lowery has requested to only be contacted through her board email.

The board voted to censure Lowery, who opposed the symbolic measure along with Graft.

“It is clear that the actions Mrs. Lowery took, as evidenced by the community and the outcry that we have heard tonight, has broken some of that trust with our staff, parents and community members,” said Gore, who motioned to censure Lowery.

“The only people that pay the price for this, no matter what happens tonight, are the kids of this district.”

Old foe, new friend

By November 2023, the battle lines over school vouchers were hardening in Granbury, and at the state Capitol in Austin.

Abbott had begun waging war against Republicans who had not supported voucher efforts and contributed to their failure during the last legislative session. One lawmaker who escaped Abbott’s wrath was Shelby Slawson, a Republican who represents Hood County.

Unlike some of those now being targeted, Slawson had

bucked a request spearheaded by Gore and supported by the school board majority that urged lawmakers to vote against a measure that would send public dollars to private schools.

Slawson did not respond to questions regarding her decision to vote in favor of vouchers despite the local school district’s opposition to the legislation.

Meanwhile, Granbury was facing a tough election. The school district was asking voters to approve a $151 million bond measure to build a new elementary school in the rapidly growing and overcrowded district, as well as provide security updates and renovations to aging campuses. The balance of the school board was also at stake in the same election.

Bond opponents formed the Granbury Families political action committee.

In advertising materials, the group cited library books as one of the principal reasons residents had lost trust in the board.

“Our community has lost faith in the board’s ability to conduct business,” the group claimed. “Not another penny until GISD gets new leadership.”

Nate Criswell, Gore’s former co-host and campaign manager, loaned the PAC $1,750, according to campaign finance reports filed with the district. The loan constituted about 40% of the

PAC’s funding ahead of the November election.

Although a majority of the state’s school districts with bond measures scored victories, Granbury’s tax measure failed once again. (Voters rejected another bond measure in May 2024.) Hard-line conservatives celebrated the loss, pointing to anger over the library books issue.

But even as they celebrated, the November election delivered a setback to those who wanted to take over the school board. The two candidates supported by hard-line conservatives lost by wide margins, denying the county’s far-right faction the majority on the board.

Among the winners in that election was Nancy Alana, the school board member whom Gore ousted two years earlier. This time around Gore endorsed Alana, and the two former opponents have since become friends and allies.

“She let everybody know that she had been misled and that she has seen for herself the good things that are happening in our school district,” Alana said. “That the school board can be trusted.

That the administrators can be trusted. And she has spoken out on that. And that has made a big difference.

“And she is very well thought of in our community because of her willingness to step up and say, ‘I was wrong.’”

Page 20 • June 2024 • Golden Gazette

Music and wisdom at Christian Women’s Connection Gifted musical talent will highlight the June luncheon of the Christian Women’s Connection.

Johnny Hughes will provide the music, and Lisa Burkhardt Worley will share Pearls of Wisdom through Facing your Fears.

The luncheon is set for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. June 11 at the Lubbock Country Club, 3400 Mesa Road.

The buffet lunch, program and a chance to win door prizes is $23, and attendees pay at the door.

RSVP by June 7 to Sharen at 806-392-0264 or LubbockCWC@gmail.com.

Honor reservations, give to a friend, or cancel by June 7.

Walk-ins are welcome, though reservations ensure a place and enough food. Find us at Facebook at Lubbock Christian Women’s Connection.

I seem to be missing the “zippity’ part of my ‘do-dah” day.

I think everyone is fixing to find out why their grandparents stayed at home, had a garden every year, ate leftovers, and saved the used aluminum foil.

Willa Cather wrote: “Anybody can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the prairie.”

3 stages of life: 1. Wanting stuff.

2. Accumulating stuff.

3. Getting rid of stuff.

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Page 22 • June 2024 • Golden Gazette

Those rites of passage & making our own decisions We love watching the children in our lives grow and develop.

We are pleased when we see them learn to play with others and make friends or do well in school.

There are many “rites of passages” while growing up. The one our generation thinks about the most is when we were finally old enough to “have wheels!”

We watch the children we love graduate from high school and make choices about what to do next.

We smile as they learn about having to pay taxes, voting and debt.

We wish them the best and hope life will be easy on them although we know that ALL people have their struggles.

If they are lucky, they will have a good strong foundation from which to launch into adulthood.

And if we can stay around long enough, we may see the beginning of the next generation. And we think, “Ah, to be young.”

There is the stark reality that even though inside, I feel like I am about 40, I am much older. Just as young people find adulthood by going through their passages, we older folks go through them in a somewhat backward manner.

You may have the experience of losing your best friend. It is a lot easier to make a best friend than to lose them. One of my best friends died in 2013 from breast cancer. The other presently has Alzheimer’s.

Although I lived a long way from my friend who died in 2013, I did go and visit her several times in the last year of her life.

I remember walking on the beach with her picking up sea-shells that I put in a decorative jar in my bathroom. Every time I look at that jar, so many fond memories come.

My friend with Alzheimer’s, along with her family, are making decisions for her health care that I would not make.

It is not my life. And unless I am asked, I learned a long time ago to only give advice if it is requested or if they pay for it.

I have to say, it is hard for me to watch even though, God knows, I think we should get to make the choices we want when it comes to our health.

But just as children have the passage of learning to make friends, as an older person, I’m at the passage of having to let friends go.

How many fun times have we shared? How much I love her! I tell myself, love her enough to let her do it her way. And I do.

I thank God one more time for a valuable lesson from my Granny.

When I was 19, when I knew everything, my Grandpa was in the hospital.

The doctors wanted to do a drastic surgery, and my Grandpa was having to decide whether to do it or not.

My Grandpa, Granny

respect because I want it in my own life.

Everyone has a different idea, but I feel there are worse things than death. I

and I were in the hospital room. Grandpa was saying the doctor said this and the doctor said that.

I remember so clearly, I said, “Well Grandpa, you have to do it. You don’t have any choice, does he, Granny?”

When put in a spot, Granny could look a lot like the church lady from Saturday Night Live, without the laughs.

She moved her body in church lady fashion and said emphatically, “Well now, that is up to him.”

The doctor had said he only had a 50% chance of making it through the surgery because of his heart.

She was giving the man she had spent almost 60 years with, and obviously loved, the respect to allow him to make his own choice. I like that kind of

can make that choice for myself. And unless I have expressed power of attorney, I feel, like my Granny, - each person gets to make that decision.

We are all different. Notice how you want to say do this or that because you don’t want them to abandon you. You want them to live.

My Granny had so many expressions that I often hear in my head. One of them is, “Walk a mile in their shoes.”

A friend asked me numerous years ago, wanting to turn the tide of memory loss we were seeing, “What are we going to do?” I said, “Love her.” And give her the respect to make her own decisions about what happens.

I never said it is easy because it isn’t.

Crazy?

I prefer the term hilariously unstable.

Golden Gazette • June 2024 • Page 23

2-year learning journey designed to empower schools

Lubbock ISD has selected participants gain the skills Charles Butt, chairman of named the nonprofit orga- lifelong advocate for social the campuses for its Hold- and tools necessary to lead H-E-B, founded The Hold- nization for his mother, a justice. sworth Partnership Campus with impact. sworth Center in 2017. He former schoolteacher and (See Learning journey, Page 24) Leadership Program (CLP).

The Holdsworth Partnership CLP is a two-year learning journey designed to empower principals and their teams to become stronger leaders and drive meaningful change within their respective campuses.

Participants receive executive coaching and engage in collaborative problemsolving to address issues that impact student learning.

The selected campuses represent a diverse range of Lubbock ISD Campus Leadership Program principals educational settings committed to fostering stronger leadership and driving positive change within their districts.

The campuses selected for participation in the Holdsworth Partnership CLP are: • Coronado High School • Evans Middle School • Hutchinson Middle • McWhorter Elementary • Smith Elementary • Williams Elementary The Campus Leadership Program is part of a multiyear investment from the Holdsworth Center to grow stronger leaders within districts and help superintendents and central office staff build their own best-in-class talent development systems.

Through a combination of experiential learning, coaching, and interactive sessions,

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Page 24 • June 2024 • Golden Gazette

Military show tribute at Cactus Theater The Sounds of West Texas - “Tribute to Our Military” show is set for 7 to 9:30 p.m. June 1 at the Cactus Theater, 1812 Buddy Holly Ave. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. for the show that will benefit the Texas South Plains Honor Flight.

All floor and standard balcony seats at $25. Limited balcony box seats are $45 which includes concessions. For tickets call 806-531-3827 or go online to www.CactusTheater.com. The military will be honored with songs, special guests and memorable performances.

Memorial Day Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.

Learning journey (Continued from Page 23)

Inspired by his mother, Charles has directed much of his personal and corporate giving toward education, developing initiatives such as the annual H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards, the H-E-B Read 3 early literacy program and Raise Your Hand Texas, an advocacy organization focused on public policies that support and improve public schools.

The Holdsworth Center builds on those efforts by strengthening the leaders who serve educators and students.

Teenage young girls: If you’re ever out and a man is making you feel unsafe, scan your surroundings and find an older female, make eye contact with her, and make a beeline toward her while saying, “Mom, this guy is bothering me and makeing me feel uncomfortable.” I promise you, 9 times out of 10, the momma bear will pop out of us. Thank me ladybug. Mommas everywhere got you.