Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 155, No. 13, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 19, 2004 Page: 3 of 16
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OPINION
-S-
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Clfcrokccaií Herald
Page 3
LETTERS POLICY
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475, Rusk, Tex. 75785; FAX to 903-683-5104;
herald@mediactr.com.
An open letter to RHS graduates
MICH ELE ALLEN
Rush
We've been subscribing to
the Cherokeean ever since we
moved from Rusk nine years
ago. I've been watching the
class of 2004 grow and achieve
throughout the years.
When I look at your pictures
in the newspaper, it is hard to
beheve that you are so grown
up, because I remember you as
you were in the fir st, second and
third grade. I am so proud of all
of you—you've made outstand-
ing accomplishments in all
aspects of your hves—church,
community and school.
I don't know if you will
remember me, but I remember
you with love and a continued
Females must stand their ground
DELLA MAE KINNEY
Rusk
Females, stand your ground.
Be strong. Set your morals
high, respect yourself. Never,
ever listen to any males, young
or old, when he is wanting you
to prove your love for him, even
if you do love him.
He will promise you anything
or will do anything for you, if
you will give in.
Remember what you lose.
Once you lose it, you can never
get it back.
When you stand your ground,
you won't have to be ashamed
Texas State Railroad
Call 888-294-2847
Round Trip: Adults $16 * Children (3-12) $10
One way: Adults - $11 • Children (3-12) - $7
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m
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Steven Hoyt Lyons
Owner
Lisa Lyons
Office Manager
WE CARE ABOUT
YOU AS MUCH
AS YOU CARE
ABOUT YOUR CAR.
What you and your car need is an insurance agent
who cares. That's just what you've got. Call me today.
WE LIVE WHERE YOU LIVE!"
Austin Young, Agent
603 N Henderson
Rusk, TX 75785
Bus: 903-683-5486
LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR
STATE FARM IS THERE.
Providing Insurance and Financial Services
State Faim Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Not In NJ) Bloomington, Illinois
Rusk needs a boost of old-fashioned capitalism
r*" M.B.SMITH
sense of pride.
Looking at what you are now
and knowing what you will
accomplish. I realize once again
why I teach. When a teacher can
see a group of students grow
into the leaders that our coun-
try needs at such an important
time, I know that being a part
of this growth is both an honor
and a privilege.
I wanted to write to wish you
Blessings and God's speed. You
have never been far from my
heart and thoughts. Always
remember, you never walk
alone and that you are loved by
one of your former teachers.
or afraidofwhat couldhappen.
You could get pregnant or con-
tract a venereal disease or
AIDS. Things you have to slip
around to do are wrong.
Keep yourself pure until
you meet the man you want
to marry and spend the rest of
your hfe with.
When I was a teenager, I had
a number of requests. But my
mother had taught my sister
and me to be good girls. I'm so
glad I stood my ground.
Rusk
Choosing a picturesque town
in East Texas to relocate to after
the death of my wife was a bit-
tersweet pleasure. Certainly I
would miss my mate of 40 plus
years but I would no longer be
tied to Houston. The noise, the
pollution, the danger, the sky so
bright you can never see stars,
all behind me now.
Rusk. What a find. A beauti-
ful downtown with acourthouse
square. A friendly small town
atmosphere in a rural setting.
Yes, a dark sky filled with a bril-
liant celestial display. I found
an old house on a I i I l ie bit of
land that, in spite of years of
neglect, could finish out my
dream. I'm a lucky man.
Now we all know that there is
no utopia, andl certainly didn't
come looking for one. But I am
surprised to find that I just
might have hitched my wagon
to a dying horse. Rusk, for all
its beauty, charm and all the
wonderful people, is withering.
The square is pock-marked
with empty storefronts. The
business community seems to
be asleep at the switch. What
I see is a town whose young
people are going to leave in
increasing numbers until we
simply che off from old age.
It is not, of coarse, shocking
that small shops close in a
small town. Blame our mobility
Blame Wal-Mart. You can even
do a httle pointing at television,
if you've a mind, but blame
doesn't change anything. If it
did, just think of all the sports
scores that could be reversed.
All the divorces that would be
undone. Nope. Blame just isn't
much help.
Most towns with a still stand-
ing square tend to re-develop.
The new economy is antique
shops, arts and crafts stores,
an art gallery, tea rooms and
restaurants. Maybe even bou-
tique dress shops.
The down side to this kind
of re-development is that small
shop owners can't afford to pro-
mote the town on their own.
They do not have the financial
wherewithal to re-direct traffic
from the highway or promote
the town for tourism. They do,
however, generate sales taxrev-
enue for the city. They do pay
rent, utihties and insurance.
Some even have employees.
They revitalize a town and
make it a more interesting
place to live.
These small businesses are
a benefit to the community as
a whole, not just the owners.
The gas stations pump more
gas. The restaurants serve
more food. The hotels and bed
and breakfast inns enjoy more
guests. With all the increased
activity more hardware is sold,
more groceries bought and
probably more traffic tickets
written. Property values go up.
Home and land sales increase.
The hst is endless.
The challenge is that this is
something we don't remember
how to practice. It is called
capitalism. Making invest-
ments with the goal of a
slow steady growth instead
of market chiven quick profit
for a very few. The business
of government really is busi-
ness. When government helps
the economy grow, government
gets more revenue. It is time
to promote Rusk. It is time to
invest in Rusk. Or we coulcl
eventually become a county
courthouse and state hospital
with little else to create a genu-
ine community.
I am aware that, to a limited
extent, we promote the Texas
State Railroad but, even then.
we clo little to keep those
visitors in Rusk shopping,
strolhng and spenchng. And,
frankly, once you have taken
a train riele, it may be a long
time before you return.
In the tiny town of Round Top,
they havecreateda semiannual
antiques Mecca, thatfor aweek
in the fall and again in the
spring, attracts tens of thou-
sand of visitors to the area. It
is now so successful that many
residents make a large portion
of their yearly income in those
two Weeks.
Now I don't know if Rusk
can accomplish all that but it
seems hke opportunity is pass-
ing us by. Of course resisting
change and doing nothing are
as normal as gray hair and
wrinkles. Nothing is as offen-
sive as an outsider coming into
your home complaining and
criticizing. Sometimes, though,
that fresh perspective is help-
ful, even as it is offensive, The
old "can't see the forest for the
trees" syndrom. Please under-
stand I am happy with my choice
of where to hve out the rest of my
life. I am here by choice among
the trees and wonderful people
of East Texas.
TOO
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 155, No. 13, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 19, 2004, newspaper, May 19, 2004; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152625/m1/3/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.