Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 160, No. 52, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 17, 2010 Page: 3 of 16
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Clferokeeaif Herald ■ thecherokeean.com
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
3A
EDITORIAL BOARD
Whitehead Enterprises Inc.
publisher
MARIE WHITEHEAD
editor
TERRIE W. GONZALEZ
managing editor
| forward
So long, Charlie
"From the preservation
of our own history with
the Texas State Railroad,
to the land of Afghanistan
planting seeds for freedom,
a tall, lanky East Texan
made his life felt world-
wide. Our planet Earth will
not see his like again soon.
In fact, our Creator made
only one Charlie Wilson, lie
will be sorely missed,"
This was the immedi-
ate: reaction of Jack Stone,
a former Wells resident,
when he learned of
Charles Wilson's death last
Wednesday, Stone forged
a lifelong friendship with
the young Texas Senator
in 1973 when he chaired
the Texas Parks & Wild-
life Commission. These
two men, along with my
dad, Emmett. Whitehead,
envisioned a tourist train
chugging through the piney
woods forest.
When the train was
created in 1973, Wilson
worked the Senate and dad
worked the House to get
the legislation passed.
I'm not sure when I first
met Charles Wilson. It
may have been in the halls
of the State Capitol. Or
t'J
TERRIE GONZALEZ
heraid@mediac1r.com
it may have been in my
dad's office, where talking
politics was the order of the
day.
I just knew I liked him.
His laughter filled the
room, and it was hard to
overlook his imposing, six-
foot-so me thing frame
When he went to Wash-
ington, D.C. in 1973, he
championed another cause
which was dear to my
heart: The Big Thicket
National Preserve.
We shared several con-
versations on the topic as
he explained the fine art
of compromise in bringing
a controversial project to
fruition.
During the summer
of 1973, I hopped off an
Q | bctor
A snowball's chance
airplane in D.C. with two
suitcases and big plans for
a short internship with
Congressman Wilson.
The Watergate hearings
were in full swing, and it
was an electrifying time to
be in the nation's capitol. I
remember jogging to keep
up with his long strides
when he invited me to sit
in on his pre-recorded,
weekly radio address.
His name became a
household word in 2007
with the debut of a Hol-
lywood movie, "Charlie
Wilson's War,"' with Tom
Hanks in the lead role.
I interviewed Charlie
when George Grille's book
was released in 2003, and
I asked how he felt about
being portrayed as a jet-
setting womanizer.
He sighed and said he
had a choice of partici-
pating in the project and
getting an opportunity to
set the record straight, or
ignoring the project and
having no input.
He chose the former.
If Heaven needs a tourist
train or a new national pre-
serve, I'm sure my friend
Charhe is lining up the
votes.
It doesn't snow much in
Texas, but I don't have
to tell you that.
I suppose that's why
a good many of us turned
into kids for at least a little
while this past Thursday
night and Friday morning
when the snow started to
fall. I know I did. There
was a moment where I just
Sat next to the window
and watched the snow fall
gingerly on this little corner
of East Texas. lt d been a
while since I saw snow like that.
My most vivid memory of a snow day
came when I was in eighth grade. It was
much hke we saw here last week. The
only difference is that our powers that
be in the school district decided that the
roads wore fine and that we could start
school at 10 a.m.
I remember that there was an electricity
in the air for the entire day. Even better —
it was a Friday. Those two facts together
made us giddy. Our teachers, realizing
that there was no hope of getting us to lis-
ten, let us watch movies or talk amongst
ourselves,
"We'll pick up on Monday,'' several of
them had no choice but to say,
We had three different snowball fights:
at break period, at lunch and during band.
Adding to the excited insanity was the
fact that, during band, the power went
out for 30 minutes. Here we were, ranging
from eighth grade to high school seniors,
having ridiculous amounts of fun with
QUINTEN BOYD
chreporter@mediactr.com
flashlights and attempting
to play songs in the dark.
The same was true
Thursday and Friday. Sure,
some of us had to get up
and go to work, but for me,
I was still excited to look
outside and see snow.
All over my Facebook
page were pictures from my
friends and family, excited
to go play in the snow.
One friend said that the
snow brought out his inner
13-year-old, prior to mak-
ing the world's worse snowman, which fell
apart after only a short time. Almost all of
my friends were happy because the snow
cancelled classes. Since most of my friends
aré either still in college or teachers, they
needed the break.
All of my friends from the northern
states made fun of Texas because "it's not
supposed to snow there'" or "that's not real
snow.'' None of us cared. It was snow.
Friday morning, while I was out taking
pictures of the snow before the big snow-
ball fight between the kids in the neigh-
borhood, I jiicked up some of the snow
and packed it into a ball, putting it in my
freezer. I knew it probably wouldn't last
long, but I didn't care. A part of me — the
13-year-old part who remembered that
day back at Paul Pewitt Junior High —
wanted to save the day just a little while
longer and enjoy it as a 26-year-old.
I'll have much more than a snowball's
chance of holding on to those memories for
the rest of my hfe.
TAXING I thoughts
Tax filing reminders for 2009
It's tax return filing
time again. Here
are a few important
reminders for 2009
returns.
• The law has strict re-
cordkeeping requirements
for deducting charitable
contributions. For each
contribution under $250,
you must have a bank
record such as a can^
celled check, credit card
record, or receipt from the
charity. For donations of
$250 or more, a receipt
from the charity must
be obtained before filing
your return. Generally,
donations of used clothing
and household items will
qualify for deduction only
if the items are in "good
condition or better."
• If your 2009 IRA
wasn't fully funded by
Dec. 31, 2009, and you
make IRA contributions
prior to April 15, 2010,
designate to the bank or
trustee that these 2010
contributions are for
2009 until you reach the
maximum allowed. You
can then deduct these
ANITA L. WOODLEE
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT
amounts on your 2009 tax
return for a quicker tax
benefit.
• Check your children's
need to file a 2009 tax
return. Generally, a
2009 return is required
if the child had wages of
more than $5,700, self-
employment earnings
over $400, or investment
income (such as divi-
dends, interest, or capital
gains) over $950. If your
child had both earned and
investment income, other
thresholds apply. Also, if
your child is due a refund,
a return must be filed to
get it.
•April 15, 2010, is more
than just the deadline for
filing your 2009 personal
income tax return. It's
also the deadline for
making 2009 IRA and
education savings account
contributions, filing 2009
partnership returns, fil-
ing 2009 gift tax returns,
amending 2006 returns,
and paying the first
installment of 2010 indi-
vidual estimated taxes.
•March 15, 2010, is
the deadline for filing tax
returns for calendar-year
corporations. It's also the
deadline for corporations
to elect S corporation
status for 2010.
For information or as-
sistance with any of your
2009 tax filings, contact
our office.
pd. advertising
ANITA L. WOODLEE,
CPA, PC
CERTIFIED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTANT
111 Henderson • Rusk • 75785
Phone: 903-683-1002
www.anitawoodleecpa.com
Visit our web site for new tax
tips arid financial calculators
r r
r
ih
Published weekly each
Wednesday by
WHITEHEAD
ENTERPRISES,
INC.
Texas' oldest continuously published
weekly newspaper, established as the
Cherokee Sentinel, Feb. 27,1850. Con-
solidation of The Cherokeean, The Alto
Herald and the Wells News & Views
CONTACT US:
Newspaper office located at;
618 N. Main in Rusk.
(903) 683-2257
FAX (903) 683-5104
(903) 586-7771 > Jacksonville
(903) 729-6889 • Palestine
(936) 858-4141 • Alto
Marie Whitehead
editor, advertising sales
(903) 683-2257 ext. 105
mwhitehead@mediactr.com
~H1
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Rates payable in advance:
Cherokee County $20/year
Outside Cherokee County $23/year
Outside Texas $27/year
Call (903) 683-2257
credit cards accepted
Terrie Gonzalez
managing editor
(903) 683-2257 ext. 107
herald@mediactr.com
Robert Gonzalez
advertising sales
(903) 683-2257 ext. 102
rgonzalez@mediactr.com
Gloria Jennings
general news
(903) 683-2257 ext. 106
news@mediactr. com
USPS 102-520
POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to:
CHEROKEEAN HERALD
P.O. BOX 475 •
RUSK, TX 75785
Periodicals Postage Paid at
Rusk, Texas 75785
Quinten Boyd
general news
(903) 683-2257ext. 109
chreporter@mediactr.com
Earline Bailes
classifieds, subscriptions
(903) 683-2257 ext. 101
classifiedads@mediactr.com
Tara Crosby
advertising sales
(903) 683-2257 ext. 103
sales@mediactr.com
HIGH POINTS I*- El Camino Real
Folks along El Camino
Real are picking
through the last pieces
of Valentine choco-
lates, wishing they hadn't
eaten all the good ones first.
The pretty cards have been
stuck in drawers for safe
keeping with all the other
cards that haven't been
looked at again since they
were put away. I guess we
just keep them to remind
us that someone cares. The
Friday snow day cancelled
all the Valentine parties the kids had
planned at school, but it didn't interfere
with your four bits' worth of news.
Many of our kids had never seen a
measurable amount of snow before, so
they didn't waste anytime getting outside
to enjoy it. I saw everything from six-foot-
tall snow men down to six-inch-tall snow
men. The snow didn't last as long as the
kids would have liked, but at least we got
to build one childhood snow memory.
Rebecca Corley is home after sur-
gery last week and doing very well. We
want keep her , Clint and the boys in our
prayers until she makes a complete re-
covery. I don't know why such bad things
happen to such good people, but as long as
we have so many good people praying for
them they ought to be alright. Get well
soon, Rebecca.
The Cherokee County Electric
Cooperative Relay for Life Team,
"The Transformers" have started their
fund-raising for this year's Relay for Life.
On Feb. 26, the Transformers will host
a bingo night at the CCECA Community
Room. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the
games will begin at 7 p.m. A concession
stand will be open, and a cake auction will
be held during intermission. Cancer has
touched all of our lives, and folks across
our county work hard for the Relay for
Life event each year. Help out a team
when you see them having a fund-raisgr.
Last week I told y'all about my trip
to Palestine to watch a professional
wresthng match with Judge Bascom
Bentley as the announcer. I mentioned
the fact that we had never had a wres-
tling match in Alto. Marie Thomas let
me know that I am wrong. She told me
when she was a little girl around nine or
ten years old, she watched a wrestling
match in Alto in the 1930s at the area
on the southeast corner of the Highway
69 and 21 intersection, about where the
Subway sandwich shop is now. There was
an empty lot behind the old telephone
office that played host to an assortment of
medicine shows, tent revivals and other
performances. A medicine show had come
to town and was looking for a local man
to take on a big wrestler they had as part
of the entertainment. The Justice of the
Peace was Judge Mack Ray. Judge
Ray had six boys Lawrence, Roy, Troy,
Joel, Max, and Vardeman. He also had
two girls Eunice and Coletta. The dash-
CHRIS DAVIS
elcaminoreal@consolidated.net
ing young Vardeman Ray
volunteered to take on the
big wrestler from the medi-
cine show. A big crowd,
incluchng Marie Thomas,
showed up to watch. The
two men stepped into the
ring and began circling
each other, and before you
knew it Vardeman had that
big wrestler in a hold he
couldn't get out of and in
just a little bit he whipped
him good and pinned him to
the ground. Marie said the
girls went wild after the handsome young
man after he bested the professional wres-
tler. I don't think wrestlers came back to
Alto anymore after the humiliating defeat
of one of their own by Vardeman Ray. I
guess judges and wrestlers went together
even back then. A big thanks goes out to
Marie Thomas for telling me the rest of
the story. I just hope no one tells me that
my mother-in-law was a lady wrestler
from a medicine show that stopped off in
Alto in the 30s.
•< Cecil
Frazier will
celebrate her
101st birthday
in Gallatin.
Her secret
to longevity
is living the
Golden Rule.
Cecil Frazier of Rusk is about to cel-
ébrate her 101-year-old birthday on Feb.
25 of this year. She will be honored by her
family with a birthday celebration at 2
p.m. Feb. 20 at the Gallatin Community
Center. Ms. Frazier is a remarkable lady.
She still resides at home and continues to
read her Bible and a variety of books and
news articles. She doesn't wear glasses.
Often times you will hear her singing
one of her favorite songs to Jesus. She
will tell you how blessed she is and loves
to have visitors come by to see her. Ms.
Frazier was a nurse for over 30 years. She
says she has hved this long because she
has always followed the Golden Rule —
Love one another as you would have them
love you. A big thanks to Alice Todd for
letting me know about Ms. Frazier's big
day. I want to wish a very remarkable
and special lady a happy birthday.
With all the snow and rain we have re-
ceived, it is doubtful that many of you got
your potatoes planted before: Valentine's
Day. I know I am not even close to being
ready to plant anything. If somebody got
their potatoes planted this weekend, I bet
they will rot in the ground before they
come up, so I guess I'm glad I'm behind.
Keep the news coming and I'll keep churn-
ing it out. I'll see ya next week! And
remember. Never decide to do nothing
just because you can only do a little.
Do what you can.
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 160, No. 52, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 17, 2010, newspaper, February 17, 2010; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152926/m1/3/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.