El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 82, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 31, 1986 Page: 4 of 22
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Page 4-A El Lender-W. Wednesday, Dec. 31,1966
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Viewpoint
When Needs Arise
Citizens Meet Them
The needy, and the lonely, were not forgotten in
El Campo this holiday season. For that, the com-
munity is to be commended.
True, it was the “10 percenters” who came
through in the clutch, but thank God for them. (“10
Percenters” is the name we affectionately call the
some 10 percent of the local population who do more
than wish for things to happen; they get out and
make them happen).
It all began a year ago with a community
Christmas dinner, served free to the public by
Mikeska’s Bar-B-Q and Catering Service. Assisting
Mikeska’s in a big way was Max Harrah and the
Rev. Harry Rowe, who came up with the idea and
approached the Mikeskas about the food.
That seed led to The Blessing Cup Storehouse, a
local outlet to help the needy on a temporary basis
with food, clothing, blankets and sometimes
assistance with utility bills. Again, it was Harry
Rowe and Max Harrah who helped make it possible
with the donation of a portion of their downtown
building. Of course it was Sister Elizabeth
Riebschlaeger, a St. Philip’s nun, who helped put
together a team of board members representing
several churches who have helped the Blessing Cup
to grow.
The Blessing Cup has been a blessing to the down
and out all year long. Hopefully, the people of El
Campo will make sure it survives.
The Mikeskas and their employees came through
again this year, providing a free Thanksgiving din-
ner to the community. And on Christmas Day Har-
rah, Rowe and members of their church and other
churches, worked with the Golden Corral Family
Steakhouse to provide dinner to the community.
These meals were not publicized as being for the
needy, or the poor. While it was on behalf of the poor
that the meals were provided, they were for all.
They were for everyone who wanted to spend some
time with fellow citizens at Thanksgiving and
Christmas rather than to sit home alone. Whatever
their reason for attending, the people joyously par-
took of the meals.
And the Jaycees collected toys and raised money
to buy toys for needy children. The Jaycees and
those who helped their cause should feel good in
knowing they brought joy to many households. The
El Campo Lions Club did the same thing, but with
food baskets. Again, a big thanks goes out to the
Lions and to the citizens who either donated food or
money for the purchase of food for Lions to
distribute. The Kiwanians were also helping out
with food and gifts, and the Pilot Club and other
organizations and individuals did their part to make
Christmas merry for others.
In an act of caring for the well being of the entire
city, about 80 people chipped in last month to help
beautify the southbound entrance to El Campo
along U.S. 59. Greenleaf Nursery made the project
possible by donating the plants, as did the Jaycees
who have committed to taking care of the plants for
a year before the Highway Department takes over.
Projects such as the planting of wild flowers and
others are too numerous to mention, but people
have been busy.
Unfortunately for several families from Illinois
and Houston, the holiday was tragically marred
with the death of nine family members in a car
wreck near Hillje Dec. 21. There was only one sur-
vivor, a 7-year-old boy, who lost his mother and
three sisters in the wreck. To make matters worse,
he has no legal father.
Again, the community responded. He received a
visit in his hospital room from Santa and three
beautiful elves. And hospital employees and others
in town donated clothing, cookies, coloring books
and other gifts to help raise his spirits.
And his family members who came in to make
funeral arrangements were also taken care of. St.
Robert’s Catholic Church picked up the tab for three
rooms at the El Campo Inn, and arrangements were
made to serve them some food, although according
to Bobby Perez, who assisted with that project, $81
is needed to pay off the food bill.
Perez, in a telephone conversation Monday, pret-
ty well summed up the giving and caring attitude in
town. “El Campo really came together this year.
Maybe we do it every year, but I really noticed it
this year.”
Let’s don’t rest on our laurels. Let’s keep it up,
and resolve to help that 10 percent grow in 1987!
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Sound-Off...
Every January 1
millions of people
make New Year’s
resolutions, but by
January 31 over half
of those people end
up breaking their
resolutions. This
week Sound-Off
found some deter-
mined resolutioners
and asked: “What
will your New Year’s
resolution be for
1987?”
Becky Ivy
P.O. Box 18
El Campo
“I promise not to make
one, I always break them.”
Gordon Sorell
801 Donald
El Campo
‘Lose a little weight.’
Ralph Williams
P.O. Box 528
El Campo
Bhavana Desai
405 West Jackson
El Campo
Robert Anderson
202 Eleanor
El Campo
“Try to be nice to ‘‘Try to make the best of “That everybody will go to
everybody.’’ the new year.” heaven in’87.”
By HARLAN HOBBS
Is EC Gem In
The Rough?
The day after Christmas
often has a meaning all its
own. This year was no ex-
ception as I savored the final
hours of the annual holiday
flight to be with children and
grandchildren in California.
Awakening as usual on El
Campo time, I strolled out-
side the guest house door to
see the sun rising over the
hills. I picked a ripe Valencia
orange from the generous
tree at the pool house gate
and sucked its golden juice
until the morning chill drove
me indoors.
On a coffee table in the
guest house was a collection
of current publications. Idly,
I picked up a copy of “Screen
Actor,” official journal of The
Screen Actors Guild and
suddenly memory hurled me
across a half century back to
the time when I was a part of
a town called Hollywood.
Filmdom lost some legen-
dary people in 1986 and some
of them were my friends.
Their eulogies are in the
magazine.
Sterling Hayden took the
long voyage. I remember
walking with him one
Christmas Eve up the steep
incline of her driveway to one
of Gail Patrick’s Christmas-
tree-trimming parties at her
home on Hollywood
Boulevard.
Desi Arnaz stored his bongo
drums away. Always when
my beautiful Jean and I
would walk in Ciro’s on the
Sunset strip he would beat out
and chant a'Cuban version of
“Canadian Sunset” for her.
Forrest Tucker was one of
the gentlest physically big
men I’ve ever known. He was
a gentleman, truly. His
contributions on screen were
only a part of the whole man.
But there were things
closer to home than the
obituary column for “the
golden age” of Hollywood.
Texas has things other than
oil and agriculture and
avarice. Texas has story-
tellers and talent and op-
portunity.
SAG points out that over in
Houston one of its former
members, Jack Dunlop, is
now executive secretary. A
man with proven executive
ability, he could play a role in
making Houston and South
Texas, including El Campo.
the replacement for a
Hollywood grown too
grasping, too complacent, too
self-centered. Much like
Houston did with oil.
Robert Redford, a fellow
from films, says it per-
suasively in a recent speech
in Dallas:
“You have Texas on the
cutting edge of an industry
that’s changing, and it’s
changing for the better with
the movement toward
regional, independent film
making Some of the greatest
talent in this country is
Texan. There’s a great
amount of talent coming in
and out of Texas.
“I can only urge you to
acknowledge that and to
support your own.”
This actor feller. Robert
Redford. is one smart
hombre!
Incidentally, El Campo!
Hollywood once was a little
place, unknown until some
smart folks from “Back
East” decided to make •
picture — and some profits —
there.
s
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Barbee, Chris. El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 82, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 31, 1986, newspaper, December 31, 1986; El Campo, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1019037/m1/4/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Wharton County Library.