HopeFest is a day dedicated to honoring organ, eye, and tissue donors. (See HopeFest 2025, Page 3)
Let’s go fishing on Aug. 9. (See Vamos a Pescar, Page 2)
Program provides weekend assistance to seniors. (See Sign up, page 3)
Movie time
Lunch, snacks, door prizes, and a movie on Aug. 9. (See “Friday Night Lights,” Page 16)
(See Walk of Fame inductees, Page 14)
Flatland Cavalry
Jerry Jordan James W. Johnson
Hector Galán
Vamos a Pescar set for Aug. 9
The 16th Annual “Vamos a Pescar, Let’s Go Fishing” event is set for Aug. 9, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Buddy Holly Lake on North University and Cesar Chavez Drive, and it’s free.
“Vamos a Pescar” uses fishing as a hook to bring families together.
The event is free, does not require a fishing license, no registration fee, and no cost for lunch – as to not hinder families, or discourage their participation in the event.
For more information, go to https://www.loshermanosfamilia.org/, scroll down and click on “Vamos a Pescar.”
In the blink of an eye, everything can change. So forgive often and love with all your heart. You may not have that chance again.
Superintendent to speak Aug. 2 at Roundtable
Dr. Kathy Rollo, superintendent of Lubbock ISD, will present “Lubbock ISD: Valuing Data, Developing Leaders, Loving People.”
The Roundtable meeting is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 2 at Carillon Senior Living, Point Plaza Building, 1717 Norfolk.
Cost is $20 cash or check made payable
to Roundtable. Anything extra goes into the Scholarship Fund for the Honors College at Texas Tech. Make reservation by July 31 a.m.
RSVP to MEvans1398@aol.com,
Next meetings will be Oct. 4, Nov. 1 and Dec. 6.
No meeting in September because of home Texas Tech football game.
Memory-making music & a story of determination
Join the Lubbock Christian Women’s Connection as they experience the memory-making music of Sherry Holley, niece of the legendary Buddy Holly.
In addition, Angie Thurman from Albuquerque will share her story of Grit, Gumption, Peace & Joy.
The meeting is set for Aug. 12, at Hill-
crest Country Club, 4011 N. Boston, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Cost for the buffet lunch, program, and door prizes is $23. Make reservations with Sharen at 806-392-0264 or Lubbock CWC@gmail.comDeadline to reserve is Aug. 8. To cancel, text or call Annie at 432-788-4335 by noon Aug. 8.
Celebrate life, love & community
HopeFest 2025
The first annual HopeFest, a free, family-friendly event is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 9, at the Texas Tech University Recreational Softball Fields.
The fields are just south of University Medical Center, off 10th Street and Texas Tech Parkway.
HopeFest is a day dedicated to honoring organ, eye and tissue donors across 109 Texas counties while celebrating the gift of life and raising awareness about the importance of donation.
A softball showdown will be held between University Medical Center and Covenant Health.
Activities will include a photo booth, face painting, crafts, and live DJ music.
The Covenant Children’s Kite Flight medical helicopter and trans-
port team will land onsite and give attendees a chance to explore the high-tech gear.
Lubbock Police Department will showcase their sleek motorcycles.
A mobile blood donation unit will be on-site for donations. Donors will receive a special thank-you gift.
Food trucks will serve ballpark favorites such as hot dogs, burgers, nachos, and snow cones.
“LifeGift’s HopeFest offers hope for the men, women and children waiting for life-saving organ, eye and tissue transplants in West Texas,” said Kevin Myer, LifeGift President and CEO.
More than 10,000 Texans are waiting for life-saving transplants.
Register to become an organ, eye or tissue donor today at DonateLife Texas.org.
Sign up to ‘Feed Seniors Now’
Comfort Keepers of Lubbock and Lubbock Meals on Wheels are gearing up for the 15th Annual Feed Seniors Now event.
This benefits Lubbock Meals on Wheels’ Weekend Meal Program which provides weekend sacks to clients in Lubbock and Wolfforth who have no access to food or assistance on weekends.
Because of the growing need, Lubbock Meals on Wheels is now providing weekend assistance to 675 seniors each weekend, 23% more than this time last year.
The need for this program continues to grow.
Sponsorship opportunities start at $250. To learn more, and sign up, contact one of the names listed below. To benefit from all sponsorship recognition, sign up by Aug. 7.
For more information, call Lisa Carson at 806-687-7800 or contact Mary Gerlach at mary@lubbockmow.org or call 806-7927971
The drive will take place throughout the month of September.
Bathtub Conversions
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 and brain health in the aging population through research, innovative educational initiatives and community engagement programs. The Garrison Institute on Aging advances knowledge about aging and age-related disease such as Alzheimer’s, other forms of dementia, mental health conditions, and brain disorders.
Through our education programs, we aim to inform and empower the community, while our outreach efforts and newly established comprehensive memory clinic are designed to support patients and their care partners. These services help enhance quality of life, increase access to healthcare, and improve both psychological and physical well-being.
If you have questions related to health, aging, chronic disease, or mental health, we invite you to reach out. We’re here to connect you with the right resources and support.
You can contact the Garrison Institute on Aging at 806-743-7821 or email us at GIA@ttuhsc.edu.
Emergency contacts
It seems as though every month there is a major disaster in America. In early July it hit close to home with the flooding in the Hill Country. The timing of the event and the rapid rate of rainfall made the event difficult and deadly for many. For some occurrences, there is little time to react. However, there are important contacts we can make to become more prepared and aware for ourselves and those around us.
By TEXAS TECH HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER Garrison Institute on Aging
First option is 9-1-1. This is especially important in areas close to home. The State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR) allows resident to provide information on a specific situation to emergency management officials who will work to assist them to evacuate safely or provide with life-sustaining assistance in a disaster.
You can register online at stear. texas.gov or call 2-1-1 and follow the directions. The Office of Emergency Management for Lubbock County is also a great resource. You can stay informed through RUAware system or LBK Alert (through the City). The RUAware system can link you to notifications in 15 surrounding counties.
You can also register your storm shelter on this site. This is important when debris may be over the exit to the shelter. It can guide first responders to the covered location.
The LBKAlert is the City of Lubbock’s emergency notification system. This system can quickly provide you with critical information in a variety of situations such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, emergency evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods, and utility outages.
You can sign up at LBKAlert. com or call 3-1-1. It is not if this can happen again, but when
For additional information, go to the websites listed or contact our office at rsvp@ttuhsc.edu or 806743-7787.
Now for some summer fun
• The High Noon Concert at the Lubbock County Courthouse will wrap up on Aug. 6 at noon. You will
not be disappointed. This is a great time to take a relaxing lunch break.
• The Moonlight Musicals in Mackenzie Park began more than 20 years ago. It provides an outdoor amphitheater that brings musicals to families of the South Plains. A variety of offerings will be conducted throughout August, September and mid-October. Go to their website for information and ticket pricing. You can bring in your own food and beverages as well as lawn chairs.
August break
The Care Partner Academy and Healthy Aging Lecture Series will take a break in August and will resume in September. Watch for future details.
Movie event, Aug. 9
RSVP will host its annual MOVIE EVENT at 11 a.m. Aug. 9 at the Academic Event Center on the TTUHSC Campus (3601 4th St.)
The event is free and open to RSVP volunteers and their guests. Reservations are required and the deadline to confirm is Aug. 6.
If you have ever wondered what RSVP is all about, come to this event. We have lots to share with you. Lunch will be provided, and the featured movie will be “Friday Night Lights.”
As with past events, we will be accepting donations. This time we are supporting local rural schools with much-needed supplies. Suggested items include crayons, 24 count, glue sticks, #2 pencils, pink erasers, boxes of tissues, disinfectant wipes, construction paper, and monetary donations. All donations are optional.
Special days in August
• Aug. 1 has many areas to select from. Water Balloon Day (do not get caught) and homemade pie day.
• Aug. 2 is Ice Cream Sandwich Day and Mustard Day.
• Aug. 4 is Chocolate Chip Cookie Day and U.S. Coast Guard Day (thank you for your service).
• Aug. 6 is Root Beer Float Day. I sure miss A&W.
• Aug. 9 is Garage Sale Day.
• Aug. 10 is Melon Day. Any day is good for watermelons.
• Aug. 15 is Hawaiian Shirt Day.
• Aug. 16 is National Tell a Joke Day. You can use one of mine; I won’t tell.
• Aug. 17 is Baby Boomers Recognition Day. If you are reading this, you are probably one.
• Aug. 19 is soft ice cream day (isn’t that every day…like now?)
• Aug. 21 is National Senior Citizens Day. Take a bow. BTW, we need a month to celebrate.
• Aug. 24 is Peach Pie Day. I think the hail got all of my peaches.
• Aug. 27 is rock…paper…scissors day.
• Aug. 28 is Burger Day.
• Aug. 31 is “eat outside day” (leftovers from the 28th)
RSVP
RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) assists organizations and residents to match the needs of the organizations with the talents of our senior population.
Some services can be done at home or in a group.
Some areas are Lubbock Meals on Wheels, South Plains Food Bank, Friends of the Library, Exodus Pris(See The Young & the rest, Page 6)
Roasted vegetable mac & cheese
Ingredients
• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups cauliflower florets, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups Brussels sprouts, halved
• 2 cups butternut squash, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces whole-grain elbow pasta
• 1½ Tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup minced onion
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low-fat milk of choice
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups cheddar cheese blend, shredded
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil. Toss broccoli, cauliflower, squash, and Brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt. Spread vegetables in an even layer over both prepared baking sheets. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway, until soft and browned.
2. While the veggies roast, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes. Add flour, and cook another minute or until the flour mixture is golden and well combined. Add milk and broth; whisk, increasing heat to medium-high until mixture comes to a boil. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened slightly. Remove from heat.
4. Stir cheese into sauce and mix well. Once melted, add cooked pasta, stirring to combine. Fold in roasted vegetables and season with black pepper.
‘I learned the truth at seventeen’
At 74, Janis Ian has built a career on just two hit songs whose inspirations had come about under the most ordinary of circumstances.
Born Janis Eddy Fink in New Jersey, Ian mastered the acoustic guitar as a young girl and began pursuing dreams of becoming a folk singer. At age 12, she composed her first tune, the haunting “Hair of Spun Gold.”
A short time later, while riding her middle-school bus, Janis noticed a young interracial couple.
The result of that observation led to the creation of her debut recording of the controversial “Society’s Child (Baby I’ve Been Thinking).”
The 1960s was bringing numerous changes to American society, and Ian’s 1967 tune about an interracial teen romance caused an upheaval in certain circles.
She received hate mail and death threats, as did some disc jockeys who dared to spin her hit Verve Records disc on their turntables.
Janis’s heady days of success proved short-lived, though. The next several years saw her battling depression, substance abuse, and a manager who ran off with all her earnings.
But along the way she continued to release quality works of brutal honesty, soldiering on before appreciative but dwindling concert audiences. Discouraged at times, she briefly contemplated becoming a veterinarian.
By the mid-1970s, Ian was living with her mother and writing a song a day, all to no avail. It was then that another ordinaryseeming moment changed her life.
“One day, I was sitting at the dining
table, reading the New York Times magazine,” Janis recalled later. “There was an article about a woman who had thought her life would change and be perfect when she had her debutante ball. The first line was ‘I learned the truth at eighteen.’”
There it was—the idea for her next composition, and one that would resuscitate her faltering career.
During high school, she may have been the hip artist heard on Top 40 radio, but as a student she never experienced a homecoming or a prom or a party or even a date to the movies.
Ian spent three months writing “At Seventeen.” (The phrase flowed better than “At Eighteen.”)
I learned the truth at seventeen
That love was meant for beauty queens And high-school girls with clear-skinned smiles
Who married young and then retired The Valentines I never knew The Friday night charades of youth Were spent on one more beautiful At seventeen I learned the truth
It was long ago and far away The world was younger than today When dreams were all they gave for free To ugly duckling girls like me
In time, her Columbia Records single became a million-seller, as did the album from which it came: “Between the Lines.”
Later in 1975, Janis performed her anthem of angst on the first “Saturday Night Live.”
Eventually, she received a Grammy award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her iconic offering.
Thought: One must consider the idea that ugly ducklings become beautiful swans, so there is potentially hope for all of us.
Blast To The Past!
By Randal C. Hill
By
Garrison Institute on Aging TEXAS TECH HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER
on Ministries, Hospitals, Hospices, and Comfort Corps. We have a wide range of organizations that can use your time and talents. If you are looking for an activity that will provide services to those in need in the community, contact our office at 806-743-7787 or rsvp@ttuhsc.edu. We can provide you with a list of locations that would welcome your help. If you are already volunteering, we would encourage you to engage with us so that your contributions can be counted in our annual impact report.
August jokes
Why did August break up with April?
• Because it could not ‘spring’ into action.
Why did August always have a positive attitude?
• It knew the importance of staying ‘sunny.’
Why did the tomato turn red in August?
• It saw the salad dressing.
Why did the ice cream cone break up in August?
• It could not handle the ‘heat.’
Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day. ~ Sally Koch
Most
people are at the age where
they
are using their phones to document the good times. I am at the age where I use my phone to take pictures of labels I can’t read and use my phone to enlarge the print - so I can read it.
Chocolate is crucial for our survival. Dinosaurs didn’t have chocolate and look what happened to them.
Lubbock,Texas
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806-744-2220 View the Gazette online: www.wordpub.com
GOLDEN GAZETTE
Alice never gave up on ‘The Godfather’
The year was 1971. The setting was 12900 Mulholland Drive in Beverly Hills.
Inside the spacious abode lived actor Marlon Brando and his secretary/assistant Alice Marchak.
At the time, Brando was deep in debt, overweight, addicted to Valium, looking at his third divorce, and determined never to act again.
No matter. Nobody in Tinseltown was looking to hire him anyway. At one time the well-respected darling of stage and screen, Marlon had earned an Oscar for his performance in 1954’s “On the Waterfront.”
1970s 1970s
Paramount’s honchos harrumphed that there was no way they would consider using the washed-up pariah, leaning instead toward either Ernest Borgnine or Charles Bronson.
Puzo penned a note to the iconic actor, which read, “Dear Mr. Brando. I wrote a book called THE GODFATHER, which has had some success, and I think you’re the only actor who can play the Godfather with that quiet force and irony the part requires.”
When the note arrived, Alice put it on Marlon’s bedside table without comment.
Puzo mailed Marlon a copy of “The Godfather,” hoping to convince Brando to take the role.
The response: “I’m not a Mafia godfather. I’m not going to glorify the Mafia.”
But when Marchak read the book, she later recalled, “I just knew this was for Marlon.”
Alice’s breakthrough arrived when she told Brando that Paramount was now considering Laurence Olivier to portray Vito.
Marlon’s reaction was immediate: “He can’t play a Mafia don!” Suddenly, for whatever reason, Brando found inspiration in the burly Corleone character.
But the Omaha-born actor hadn’t been in a hit movie since the late 1950s, and over the years he had become anathema to Hollywood’s moguls because of his tyrannical and unreliable behavior.
In 1969, crime writer Mario Puzo had published the best-selling Mafia-themed book “The Godfather.”
Now, two years later, Paramount Pictures announced its production as a feature film. Puzo told Paramount that he had only Marlon Brando in mind as Vito Corleone, the bigger-thanlife don of a powerful Mafia clan.
Brando soon phoned Puzo to thank him but expressed no interest in the role.
Alice knew it would be a struggle to get Marlon back in the game—or if anybody would even want him if he did.
She subscribed to the Hollywood Reporter to track potential roles for her boss.
Rather than express gratitude, though, the touchy thespian flew into a rage and roared, “This is my house, and I will not have anyone bringing movie magazines into it!”
Alice drew a deep breath and persevered in silence.
Marlon darkened his blonde locks with shoe polish, added a mustache with the same polish, and stuffed tissues in his cheeks before assuming a speaking voice of mumbled gravel.
When Coppola insisted that Brando deserved the film’s plum role, Paramount folks reluctantly signed Marlon for a relatively low salary.
“The Godfather” became one of the biggest movie hits ever, and Marlon Brando won his second Best Actor Academy Award (which, always the maverick, he refused).
Congratulations to Alice Marchak!
From withdrawals to conversions, taxes in retirement can be a balancing act
After a fruitful career and plenty of practice paying taxes, you may feel prepared for the tax man in retirement.
But a review of your post-retirement taxable income may yield some surprising insights.
Examining your position can help you design ways to optimize your current investment strategy.
Taking a new look at both fixed and flexible expenses provides the
opportunity to ask questions and have discussions with your financial advisor about the tax implications of your total portfolio.
When it comes to taxation, the more thorough the examination, the better.
Solopreneur? Take deductions
If you’re still working as a solopreneur, you can actually deduct Medicare Part B and D premiums
– even if you don’t itemize. Supplemental Medicare and Medicare Advantage costs are also deductible.
But not everyone can deduct – this only applies if you don’t have access to a health plan for your business or through your spouse’s employer or business.
Taxes on Social Security income
Despite any widespread myths to the contrary, Social Security is taxable income. You could pay tax on up to 85% of your Social Security income under certain circumstances, so beware of your filing status and annual income.
For example, if you file a return as an individual and your adjusted gross income plus nontaxable interest, in addition to half of your Social Security income, is more than $34,000, you’ll pay tax on up to 85% of that benefit.
Adjusted gross income covers everything, from wages (if you are still working) to rental income and, most importantly, any withdrawals from 401(k)s and IRAs.
However, Roth IRAs are exempt.
Offsetting required minimum distributions
Depending on your portfolio, required minimum distributions (RMDs) can bump you into a higher tax bracket than you were expecting.
It’s important to take RMDs into consideration every year and factor in what you’ll be required to take out of your retirement accounts starting at 72 (or earlier if your plan allows).
One way to balance an increased tax burden is with a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). After 70
1/2, you can donate up to $108,000 a year to an eligible charity directly from your traditional IRA – and you won’t have to pay any taxes on it.
QCDs can also be a way to meet your RMD, with the caveat that you can’t then itemize the donation as a charitable deduction on your return.
To convert or not to convert
If you’ve got retirement funds in traditional IRAs or 401(k)s, you have the option to convert these to a Roth at any time.
This strategy could potentially lower future taxes – but you’ll have to pay taxes in the year you convert. Look at current tax rates and potential future income from your assets and talk to your advisor and tax professional to forecast whether Roth conversions would make sense for you.
The right amount of withdrawals
Conventional wisdom says to follow the “4% rule” – withdrawing no more than that amount of your retirement portfolio every year.
But this is only a general guidance – and deserves to be revisited, especially when there are market waves, inflation or other headwinds.
Be sure to set up a time to renew and adjust your withdrawals as needed to manage your income bracket most effectively.
Tax implications can be overlooked too often when the focus has been on saving and investing for so many years.
Whether you are pre-retirement or post-retirement, there’s always an opportunity to review – and adjust.
Zach Holtzman, Financial Advisor
Jeff Bilberry, a lifelong cowboy and respected leader in the ranching industry, is the recipient of the 2025 RHA Working Cowboy Award, representing the western division.
Photo by Ross Hecox
Marriage is watching your husband drive past 15 good parking spaces before choosing the one that makes absolutely no sense.
Not to brag, but I just walked into a room and totally remembered what I went in there for.
When your children are teenagers, it’s really important to have a dog so that someone is happy to see you.
Behind every strong independent woman there is a cat that follows her to the bathroom.
Working Cowboy Award to honor 2 greats
The Ranching Heritage Association will honor two working cowboys with this year’s annual RHA Working Cowboy Awards - Tom Moorhouse of Benjamin, Texas, and Jeff Bilberry of Kenna, New Mexico.
The RHA Working Cowboy Awards will be presented during the annual National Golden Spur Award Honors on Oct. 4, at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center.
“The RHA Working Cowboy Award is designed to recognize outstanding individuals who make their living primarily on horseback, caring for livestock on a daily basis,” said Jim Bret Campbell, executive director of the Ranching Heritage Association and the National Ranching Heritage Center.
A fifth-generation rancher and cowboy, Tom Moorhouse has dedicated his life to the land and livestock of West Texas with his long-standing commitment to stewardship, horsemanship, and traditional cowboy values. Moorhouse’s career spans decades of work on historic ranches, including the famed Moorhouse Ranch.
Jeff Bilberry is a lifelong cowboy and respected leader in the ranching industry. A fourth-generation rancher whose legacy runs as deep as the roots of the land he stewards, Bilberry exemplifies the time-honored values of integrity, service, and a life spent horseback.
Quality End of Life Care
Tom Moorhouse, a fifth-generation rancher and cowboy, is the recipient of the 2025 RHA Working Cowboy Award, representing the eastern division. Photo by Ross Hecox
‘Beanies & Weenies’
Dear Folks,
It’s not often that I share a favorite recipe of mine, so I hope this one also becomes one of your “quick” favorites. “Beanies & Weenies”
1/2 28 oz. can of Bush’s Baked Beans w/bacon & brown sugar
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
4 Hebrew National 100% beef, bun length Franks
Catsup to taste (I use a lot)
2 t yellow mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar (or to taste)
Always use a Pyrex glass serving bowl w/lid to mix all ingredients. I use my “nuker” (microwave) for a total of 6 minutes.
Directions:
Pour 1/2 can beans into bowl and add the chopped onion — mix well. Pour enough catsup into beans until you get a nice red color, then add the yellow mustard. Mix all very well.
Next, slice each Frank lengthwise in half and cut each half into 1/2” pieces. Toss all Franks into bean mixture — mix well. Add the brown sugar, (I use 1/2 cup of loose pack). Mix well until sugar dissolves.
Cover with lid and use full power of “nuke” for 3 minutes to start. Stir the mixture to insure all ingredients will cook evenly. Next, “nuke” it again for 3 more minutes. Now, you have a delicious dinner for yourself, kids, or grandkids.
Note:
The leftover canned beans can either be frozen, or kept in fridge for another meal.
The leftover ”B and W’s” get a better flavor with each day in the fridge. This also makes a great protein lunch. Enjoy! It’s that time to watch for “the school kiddos.”
Until next month, Cathy
Loop 88 bridge deck
The concrete deck for the new Quaker bridge at Quaker Avenue and Loop 88 was poured on July 11. This work 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.
Golden Gazette Crossword Puzzle
ACROSS
1. Unit of linear measure
5. Reveal indiscreetly
9. Parboil
14. Fencing sword
15. Timber wolf
16. Capital of Vietnam
17. Incline
18. Mental lapse
19. To exercise control
20. Male child
21. Capital of South Australia
22. Having skill
24. Mental condition
28. Bites
29. The bow of a ship
31. Opposite of pro
32. Matures
33. Poetry
34. Musical instrument
35. Official language of Pakistan
36. Fishing net
37. Curse
38. Fish eggs
39. Stenographer
40. Actively engaged
41. Donkey
42. Cease moving
43. Constituent
44. Jamlike spread of prunes or apricots
46. Burrowing rodents
49. Infinite time
52. Policeman
53. Peace of mind
56. Person who lies
57. Pointed arch
58. So be it
59. Relaxation
60. Tree insect
61. Depression in a surface
62. Poker stake
DOWN
1. Shouts
2. More or less vertical
3. Lectern in a church
4. Lair
5. Cutting edges
6. Having lobes
7. Second son of Adam and Eve
8. Adriatic wind
9. Unsubstantial
10. Provide food
11. Black bird
12. Forfeit or sum paid into the pool
13. Loud noise
19. Full of crevices
21. Mountains
23. Stead
25. Acoustic engineer
26. Infested with lice
27. Finishes
29. Sharp end
30. City in W. Nevada
32. Got up
33. Rind
35. Mountain range
36. Gazes fixedly
37. Restraint
39. Break into pieces
40. Infant
43. Evident
45. Animation
46. Ascended
47. Browned sliced bread
48. Carousal
50. Peruse
51. Title
53. Fireplace shelf
54. Self-esteem
55. Atmosphere
56. Meadow
Solution on Page 13
Life requires a lot of soul searching & it’s never
As we grow older, do we grow wiser? Think of your friends. Has life taught them the lessons they needed to learn? I have had to learn the same lesson over and over. Maybe that’s why most of us live so long.
We all have lessons to learn in life. Have you ever noticed how you can sometimes see the person is learning a lesson before they do? You see what is happening in their life and you “know” or you might say you could “feel a certain thing would happen.” You can see it because you are not in it. It is so hard to “see what is happening” when it is happening to you. Of course, we are not always right either.
You might have gone to someone’s wedding and said, “That will never last.” And maybe they are still married.
When you have close friends, you find that most people do not want to hear, “You should do this.” If we can see that people don’t like to be told what they should do, how come we still do it?
When was the last time you were in a conversation where someone said, “You should do this?” It is often infuriating. When someone has struggled through an issue, of course they have thought about all kinds of options. They just haven’t figured out what to do.
Sometimes we set ourselves up for people telling us what to do by talking about our issues. What is the listener supposed to do? Sit there and say nothing? It is possible to hear someone out and not make suggestions, but that can be difficult.
Everyone has an opinion.
Most of the time people just need is to talk it out -- they do the talking and come up with their own solution. Of course, it sometimes takes years.
I had someone do reflexology on my feet, and as she did, I began talking about what had been happening in my life. She may have listened or just let it go in one ear and out the other.
But by the time I had talked about the issue, it was clear to me what I needed to do. She didn’t even comment.
It is rare we talk our problems out unless we are speaking to someone. And that is what a friend is: someone who lets you figure it out on your own. That is what a good therapist does. They listen to you as you figure out what you need to do. They do not figure it out for you.
It is a reminder of how helpful a good therapist can be. It isn’t that they don’t say anything. They do. My friend did: a question here and a question there. Or they might ask how you feel about what you are saying. But, it isn’t suggestions about what you should do.
Many people talk about how much therapy helped them and how much they learned in therapy about themselves.
If you have an issue you would like to figure out, ask around to find a good thera-
too late
pist. They can really be helpful when you need them, and if you work things out with a therapist, there is no need to get mad at friends for trying to advise you.
Having a real conversation with a friend is an art in and of itself. You might think you would feel awkward without saying something. You will say something. You just don’t directly tell them what to do. It is their life, and they must decide what to do.
For most people, our younger years were a struggle. But senior years them-
selves bring new and different struggles.
How do I deal with the loss of my best friend? How do I deal with one of my children being errant? What is the best way to plan an estate for when I am gone?
We will always have issues. It requires soul searching and digging deep to determine our course of action. If you feel like a therapist would be helpful, please see one. It is never too late. I honestly do not know where I would be if I hadn’t had years of therapy.
Texas is getting older & its child population is growing
By Joshua Fechter Texas Tribune
Texas is growing older faster than the rest of the nation, but the number of children in the state has grown while the country’s population of young people has shrunk.
The population of Texans age 65 and older grew faster than any other age group since the start of the decade, U.S. Census Bureau data released shows — including working-age adults and children under the age of 18.
The number of elder Texans grew 3.8% from 2023 to 2024, faster than the rest of the nation as a whole.
People are living longer than in past generations. As they age, older Texans will increasingly rely on those of working age, a population that isn’t growing as quickly, for support, said Holly Heard, vice president of data and analytics at Texas 2036.
Older Texans face increased pressure from the state’s high housing costs. In
our economy,” Potter said. Texas remains fairly young. The median age ticked up slightly from 35.3 years old in 2020 to 35.8 last year, below the U.S. median of 39.1.
As the rest of the country saw the number of minors decline since 2020, Texas’ population of young’uns grew.
Texas remains younger than other states, but the number of older Texans has outpaced that of any other age group.
a state with the highest levels of people without health insurance, a growing number of Texans will face ailments as they age.
“Texas is less equipped than many other states to take care of our aging population,” Heard said.
The number of workingage Texans hasn’t kept pace with growth in the senior population even as the state has boomed.
Texas has seen fewer people move here from other parts of the country, but the state will have to lean on labor from outside its borders to keep its economic growth humming, said Lloyd Potter, state demographer.
“If we’re not producing our labor in Texas and if we can’t import them, then that’s going to potentially have an impact on the expansion of
The state’s population of Asian Americans, African Americans and Latinos has taken off since 2020 — and those families have been the source of the state’s relative baby boom compared with the rest of the country, Potter said.
Still, their birth rates are declining. White Texans are having fewer kids, too, as that group’s population has stagnated.
Children outnumber seniors in Texas, which isn’t the case in 11 states including Delaware, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
But 76 out of 254 counties have more elders than children — predominantly rural places young people left when they came of working age to seek job opportunities elsewhere, Potter said.
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Power wheelchair, 2 years old, like new. Black & red wheels. New power battery charger. New $2,800, asking $800. Call 806-797-3339.
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Two cemetery plots at Resthaven, $2,000. Call 806-5772895 4/25
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Mom texted her son:
Mom: “What does IDK, LY, TTYL mean?”
Son: “I don’t know, love you, talk to you later.”
Mom: “Ok then! I will ask your sister.”
Don’t buy that $300 bag to have nothing in it. Buy that $10 bag and have $290 in it. Don’t go broke trying to look rich.
Walk of Fame inductees
The Civic Lubbock, Inc. Board has announced the upcoming inductions into the West Texas Walk of Fame for 2025.
The honorees are Flatland Cavalry, Hector Galán, James W. Johnson and Jerry Jordan.
The induction ceremony will take place on Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. in the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center Theatre, 1501 Mac Davis Lane.
Country and Americana band, Flatland Cavalry, formed in Lubbock, in 2012 when Cleto Cordero and Jason Albers took their high school jamming sessions to the next level while studying at Texas Tech University.
Over the next few years, the band’s numbers grew with the addition of Jonathan Saenz, Reid Dillon, Wesley Hall, and Adam Gallegos.
By 2015 the band was regularly playing gigs throughout Lubbock’s music scene, becoming particular favorites at the Blue Light.
Hector Galán, an independent documentary filmmaker from San Angelo, Texas, is one of the most prolific and passionate working in his field today.
Beginning his career at 18 straight out of high school, Hector worked as a camera operator for his local TV Station in San Angelo.
Hector became a hot commodity; he was recruited to Austin to produce a national PBS series which would become his springboard into his documentary television career that resulted in him producing episodes of the provocative television series
Frontline.
Visual Artist James W Johnson was born in suburban upstate New York in 1954.
He initially began his studies in chemistry, but in 1974 upon taking an art class for fun, he found his life’s true passion in art.
James, partly inspired by Texas Tech’s Lynwood Kreneck whom he met at a printmaking workshop, moved to Lubbock in 1978 where he attended Texas Tech University and received his Master of Fine Arts in 1981.
Since moving to Lubbock, James has committed more than 80,000 hours to creating his art.
Primarily a painter, he has worked with many forms of art, covering mediums such as video, sculpture, etchings and even furniture making.
Visual Artist Jerry Jordan was born in Lubbock in May of 1944 and was raised on a farm between Meadow and Ropesville.
Jerry’s artistic journey began at the age of 13 years old when a gift from his parents of paint by numbers canvas sparked a lifelong passion.
A year later while at a family reunion in Paris, Texas, Jerry chanced upon the studio of renowned artist W.R Thrasher, becoming instantly captivated by the work on display.
Jerry’s signature artistic resolve can be summed up in his simple statement that “talent accounts for about two percent of a painter’s success. The rest is just ‘I’m-a-gonna-do-it’ determination.”
‘The Thursday Murder Club’
Are you looking for a film that’s kinda quirky, as well as a full-length feature that can be enjoyed at home?
If so, Netflix’s “The Thursday Murder Club” may be just the ticket for you.
The story’s setting is Cooper’s Chase, an upscale retirement community in England where seniors relax, play bridge, read books and gossip. But that doesn’t quite satisfy one particular foursome living there.
done in their careers, and how much of a laugh they were having living there, and I thought, ‘I bet if there was a murder, this lot would solve it—or commit it.’”
Osman spent 18 months writing his debut novel, always unsure of how the public might react to it.
But “The Thursday Murder Club”
Movie Preview
By Randal C. Hill
became the fastest-selling English novel of all time.
While they fit in well with the other residents, they meet in secret every Thursday to work on cold murder cases that the local Kent police haven’t yet been able to solve.
It’s a lot of frivolous fun for the would-be sleuths until they are suddenly thrust into all the complexities of a real homicide case when a property developer is killed.
“Now we’ve got a real case to solve!” declares one team member as the Miss Marple-style romp begins.
“The Thursday Murder Club” is the brainchild of Richard Osman, an English celebrity whose pop-culture popularity rivals that of the best-known entertainers on our shores.
Osman’s story is drawn from his 2020 runaway bestseller of the same name in his homeland.
Richard found inspiration for his book while visiting his own mother’s retirement community.
“I spoke to residents and listened to some of the things they’d
And now a terrific cast is bringing the lovable faux detectives to the screen.
Helen Mirren plays ex-spy Elizabeth Best. Pierce Brosnan is Ron Ritchie, a retired union leader. Former psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif is portrayed by Ben Kingsley. Celia Imrie takes on the role of ex-nurse Joyce Meadowcraft.
This Netflix special presentation is directed by Chris Columbus (“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”). Under his guidance, “The Thursday Murder Club’ viewers will find a hilarious edge-of-your-seat adventure, yet one that also includes a delicate balance of intrigue and heart.
“Mystery fans will be very happy,” Columbus promises. “It’s interesting that we’ve got four elderly people who are living in a retirement community and are fascinated by death and murder. They are facing their own demise, yet at the same time they are obsessed with studying cold cases. I fell in love thematically with that.”
The fun begins Aug. 28.
The
News
Ranching
Heritage Center to host Ranch Verse, Aug. 2
The 3rd Annual Ranch Verse Event is set for Aug. 2, celebrating the rich tapestry of Western music and culture.
Daytime events are free and will run from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Aug. 2 at the National Ranching Heritage Center, 3121 Fourth St.
The Evening Concert is set for 7:30 to 10 p.m., Aug. 2 at the Cactus Theater, 1812 Buddy Holly Ave. Ticket prices start at $37.
Western artists Dom Flemons, Hal Cannon, Pipp
Gillette and Joel Nelson will join cowboy songster Andy Hedges for storytelling, song and poetry.
For tickets and the full schedule, visit https://ranchingheritage.org. At the top of the web page, click on ‘Events,’ then click on ‘Ranch Verse.’ Call 806-742-0498 for more information.
National Senior Citizens Day
is held annually on Aug. 21, a day of recognition for all seniors. It’s a great time to let your favorite senior know just how special he or she is to you.
Texas Tech Football 2025
Listed by: Date, School, Mascot, Location of Game
Aug. 30 Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions, Lubbock
Sept. 6 Kent State Golden Flashes, Lubbock
Sept. 13 Oregon State Beavers, Lubbock
Sept. 20 at Utah
Utes, Salt Lake City, Utah
Sept. 27 OFF
Oct. 4 at Houston
Cougars, Houston
Oct. 11 Kansas Jayhawks, Lubbock
Oct. 18 at Arizona State
Sun Devils, Tempe, AZ
Oct. 25 Oklahoma State Cowboys, Lubbock
Nov. 1 at Kansas State Wildcats, Manhattan, KS
Nov. 8 BYU
Cougars, Lubbock
Nov. 15 UCF Knights, Lubbock
Nov. 22 OFF
Nov. 29 at West Virginia
Mountaineers, Morgantown, West Virginia
Welcome to RSVP Movie Event 2025 “Friday Night Lights”
RSVP and the Advisory Council are proud to host our Annual RSVP Movie Event. We will be featuring “Friday Night Lights.”
Lunch, snacks and door prizes will be provided. All RSVP members, family, and friends are invited to attend.
Doors open at 11:00 a.m. and wrap up at 2:30 p.m. at the TTUHSC Academic Event Center, 3601 4th St. Saturday, August 9, 2025 11:00 am - 2:30 pm
Donations will be collected for school supplies for area schools. Items to be collected are ❏ Crayons, 24 count ❏ Glue Sticks ❏ #2 Pencils ❏ Pink erasers ❏ Box Tissues ❏ Construction Paper ❏ Disinfectant Wipes ❏ Monetary donations All donations are optional.
