The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 94, No. 83, Ed. 1 Tuesday, April 29, 2014 Page: 4 of 8
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‘he Baytown Sun
OUR VIEW
Cheers
& Jeers
Cheers and Jeers is a collection of quick hits of
praise and comments on local, state and nation-
al issues. Cheers and Jeers is published every
Tuesday.
Cheers
• To the Baytown’s Parks and Recreation depart-
ment for celebrating Arbor Day and giving away
1,600 one gallon size trees this year. The depart-
ment was more than generous by allowing 3 trees
per person. Thank you for bettering this city with
your generosity!
• To Goose Creek Memorial High School and
Robert E. Lee high school for scoring among
the top in the 4A UIL academic competition and
bringing home numerous awards.
• An honorable cheers to one of Baytown’s very
own, O.J Lamb, a World War II veteran who trav-
eled to Washington to see the World War II me-
morial - courtesy of Honor Flight, an organization
created for veterans to visit these memorials.
An additional cheer goes to the residents at Bay-
town’s St. James House for sending off Mr. Lamb
with a warm gathering before his departure. Thank
you for your service Mr. Lamb, we hope you had
safe travels.
Jeers
• Today’s jeer is addressed to the city for receiv-
ing an F in traffic and congestion in this year’s
DirectionFinder Citizen Survey, for the second
year. In a developing city, traffic and congestion is
a constant - and for Baytown, growth and devel-
opment are pressing issues knocking af the door.
This jeer addresses the questions of how and when
can these issues be organized in a sooner-rath-
er-than-later fashion.
Cheers and Jeers is compiled by City Editor
Christina Martinez. The Sun encourages read-
ers to submit their own cheers and jeers. Send
submissions to sunnews@baytownsun.com.
Viewpoints
Tuesday
April 29, 2014
Why I write book reviews?
. Someone recently asked me what
motivated me to write book reviews.
I have been thinking about the ques-
tion. Reading is an addiction for
me, but as a child I was taught that
my chores must be finished before
I could indulge myself. Now I have
an excuse to sit curled up in front of
the fire with a good read.
Not leading an exciting life, I
longed to escape into the life of the
protagonist’s conflict with a book.
Unless your real life is filled with
thrills and chills, reading is the best
prescription for vicarious and legal
fun. I suppose in the world of ad-
diction mine is less detrimental than
alcohol, drugs, shopping, or over-
•eating.
I find that as a book reviewer, I
gain credibility and visibility for
promoting my novels and magazine
stories. When a writer submits to a
publisher, they are always asked to
list previous publications. When I
first started my minuscule success-
es were few and far between, but I
JoAn
MARTIN
could name news-
papers and library
journals that circu-
lated my book re-
views.
What better ex-
cuse for spend-
ing money at the
bookstore? “Read-
ing these novels
is preparation for
writing my Civil War story.” And
look what a great tax deduction l get
when it’s time to file my profession-
al expenses.
Christmas comes in the mail sev-
eral times a year when the mailp-
erson delivers a box of beautiful
picture books from a well-known
publisher. And I get to keep the
books to use as gifts or donations to
school libraries.
I usually agree to review longer
novels but dread having to read 400
pages instead of 24. Reviewing a
short picture book is a lesson in not
telling the story, but offering the
reader an idea of what the book is
about. One of my fans says, “I had
to quit reading your reviews because
I wanted to buy every book.” What a
wonderful testimony.
I am adamant that I write a review,
as opposed to a critique. I want to
persuade every reader to be curious
about the story so I don’t spoil it. I
am not adequate to tell another writ-
er how to write if they’re story is
already published. If I wanted to cri-
tique, I’d join a critique group whose
job is to help a writer improve.
I will continue to feed my reading/
writing addiction as long as I can get
them published. I try to have several
reviews in reserve so each week, I
can submit a book review that will
help readers make better choices.
Besides look how much information
I am collecting!
JoAn Martin is a retired teacher
with five published novels. She can be
reached by email at Josbook@mind-
spring.com.
Share your opinions with our
readers. Send us your letter to
sunnews@baytownsun.com.
Be sure and include a phone
number so we can verify your
letter. You can also submit letters
online at www.baytownsun.com.
Letters are limited to 300 words and are subject to editing.
TODAY IN HISTORY
Today is Tuesday, April 29, the ll 9th day of 2014.
There are 246 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On April 29, 1974, President Richard M. Nixon an-
nounced he was releasing edited transcripts of secretly
made White House tape recordings related to Watergate.
On this date:
In 1429, Joan of Arc entered the besieged city of Orle-
ans to lead a French victory over the English.
In 1861, the Maryland House of Delegates voted 53-13
against secedipg from the Union. In Montgomery, Ala.,
President Jefferson Davis asked the Confederate Con-
gress-fofthe authority to wage war.
In 1913, Swedish-born engineer Gideon Sundback of
Hoboken, N.J., received a U.S. patent for a “separable
fastener” — later known as the zipper.
In 1945, during World War II, American soldiers liber-
ated the Dachau concentration camp.
In 1957, the SM-l, the first military nuclear pow'er
plant, was dedicated at Fort Belvoir, Va.
In 1968, the counterculture musical “Hair” opened on
Broadway following limited engagements off-Broadway.
In 1992, rioting resulting in 55 deaths erupted in Los
Angeles after a jury in Simi Valley, Calif., acquitted four
Los Angeles police officers of almost all state charges in
the videotaped beating of Rodney King.
In 20l l, Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton
were married in an opulent ceremony at London’s West-
minster Abbey.
Ten years ago: A national monument to the 16 million
U.S. men and women who’d served during World War II
opened to the public in Washington, D.C.
Five.years ago: During a prime-time news conference
marking his 100th day in office, President Barack Obama
said that waterboarding authorized by former President
George W. Bush was torture and that the information it
gained from terror suspects could have been obtained by
other means.
Thought for Today: “An intellectual hatred is the
worst.” — William Butler Yeats
. Irish poet and playwright (1865-1939)
Thursday with running mate Leticia
Van de Putte, because she wasn’t yet
cleared for the campaign trail since
neck surgery April 16.
But the mostly female crowd
of 800 responded enthusiastically
to Van de Putte’s call to put more
women at the tables where public
policies are hammered out.
To try to overcome their problems
with women, she said, Republicans
have resorted to holding classes to
coach their candidates on how to
talk to women.
Instead, “Why don’t you just
listen to them in the first place?”
the feisty lawmaker asked, to the
crowd’s delight.
Van de Putte, a veteran state sen-
ator from San Antonio, is the Dem-
ocratic nominee for lieutenant gov-
ernor. Her senate colleague Davis,
from Fort Worth, is the party’s nom-
inee for governor.
It’s the first time in Texas history,
for either major party, that nominees
for both positions are women.
Davis recalled for the crowd the
late Gov. Ann Richards’ famous
description of women’s abilities
that she used in keynoting the 1988
Democratic National Convention in
Atlanta - that dancer Ginger Rog-
ers could do everything that partner
Fred Astaire did.
“ ‘Except she did it backward - in
high heels,’ “ Van de Putte quoted,
to uproarious laughter.
“Maybe we should add in running
shoes,” she added - a reference to
the pink jogging footwear Davis
wore during her famous filibuster
last June against a law to make abor-
tions harder to obtain.
Van de Putte jabbed at Houston
state Sen. Dan Patrick, a radio talk
show host who many think will beat
incumbent Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst
May 27 in the Republican runoff for
lieutenant governor.
Patrick says he opposes a law re-
DAVE
MCNEELY
as men for equal
work because he
thinks the “free
market,” rather
than government,
should decide that.
But not so when
it comes to wom-
en’s reproductive
de Putte charged.
decisions, Van
“He thinks that is government’s job,
right?” she asked.
Davis, with the help of a Skype
interconnect on a large TV screen,
appeared live from her home in Fort
Worth, wearing a scarf around her
neck.
She kept up her criticism of her
Republican opponent for governor,
Atty. Gen. Greg Abbott, over his
call for phasing in pre-Kindergarten
classes for four-year-olds - and test
them — rather than have universal
pre-K, as she favors.
Texas needs a governor, Davis
said, who will “value each and ev-
ery child.”
Annie’s List . . . No, it’s not
named for Ann Richards, but it’s
sort of similar as a “first.” The Annie
is Annie Webb Blanton, a teacher at
elementary, secondary and college
level.
She was the first woman elected
to statewide office in Texas - state
superintendent of public instruction
in 1918.
Fittingly, the year before, she had
become the first woman president
of the Texas State Teachers Assn. In
that position, she helped campaign
for women to get the vote.
She got help from new Gov. Wil-
liam P. Hobby, Sr., who had moved
up from lieutenant governor in 1917
after the Legislature impeached Gov.
James Ferguson. He had vetoed the
appropriation for The University of
Texas, after administrators refused
to dismiss some professors he didn’t
1918, so the Legislature could vote
to allow women to vote in party pri-
maries. Later that year, Blanton de-
feated the incumbent state superin-
tendent and another candidate, and
also led the women to help Hobby-
win win Democratic nomination for
governor.
Ferguson’s wife Miriam Aman-
da Wallace Ferguson — known as
“MA,” and thus her husband was
“PA” Ferguson - in 1924 was elect-
ed the first woman Texas governor.
She was beaten for re-election two
years later, but was elected for an-
other two-year term in 1932.
In 1990, Ann Richards became
the first - and only - Texas woman
elected governor whose husband
hadn’t held the job first.
Perhaps coincidentally, the lun-
cheon featuring the two women can-
didates was held the same day that
Richards’ daughter Cecile, national
president of Planned Parenthood,
was interviewed on Katie Couric’s
afternoon ABC TV show about a
new documentary on her mother.
The release of the 82-minute film,
scheduled for a debut on HBO on
May 1, may be a boost for the at-
tempt to promote two women to the
top spots in 2014.
Dewhurst, in an attempt to stave
off some of Patrick’s presumed Tea
Party support, has announced en-
dorsement by at least three local Tea
Party organizations, plus 30 of the
62 members of the State Republican
Executive Committee.
He’s also pointedly pointing out
that he and Van de Putte have re-
leased their tax returns for the last
three years, while Patrick - at least
so far - refuses to.
Contact Texas political writer
Dave McNeely atdavemcneelyl 11@
gmail.com.
Th^lBaytown Sun
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Bloom, David. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 94, No. 83, Ed. 1 Tuesday, April 29, 2014, newspaper, April 29, 2014; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1066137/m1/4/?rotate=270: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.