The Allen American (Allen, Tex.), Vol. 22, No. 69, Ed. 1 Sunday, September 1, 1991 Page: 2 of 56
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Page 2A — The Allen American — Sunday, September 1, 1991
OPINION
Letters to the editor
Hart beat
Memories from the heart
Dear editor:
This poem was written by Norman Hill as a tribute to his grandfather,
Roland Miller of Allen, who died Wednesday, Aug. 21, 1991.
My Grandfather
Mesquite and brambles cover now
the area where I found the plow,
Its rusted tines reminded me
of times that can no longer be.
Why take the time to dig and root
in a run-down yard searching for loot?
Because I long to be reminded
of those times that can no longer be.
The fondest memories from my youth, you see,
were spent on this old farm,
with a man whose love and patience I admire.
We joked and laughed, and he coughed and spat;
but now when I visit, we mostly just sit by the fire.
I realize that it won’t be long
before both the farm and the man are gone.
But a least twice a year I must return.
There’s something about the air at the farm
and there’s something about the fire so warm.
I want to hear his stories again,
all about nature, the wind and the rain.
Just to hear his voice again
is like a soothing massage for my brain.
He tells of how his tomatoes grew
and gives secrets of farming
no one ever knew,
and complains of no rain.
Then says, “Isn’t the sky pretty and blue.”
He taught me a lot, this man from the farm,
like how to be happy even when it’s too warm
and that hard work is God’s gift
for us to perform.
How to be honest and how to be fair
and how to appreciate clean county air.
So now you can see what that plow means to me
for it tills the earth no more,
but neither does he.
And when I set eyes on that rusty tine,
I’m thankful that his blood also is mine.
Bryan Johnson, with cake, shares his 45th birthday with visitors from
Mexico.
Mr. and Mrs. D.P. Goodman of
Italy, Texas, spent last weekend
with their son Charles Wray, his wife
Beverly, their daughter, Donna, and
son, David. All enjoyed the get-
. together, shared meals and attended
church together. The Wrays live in
Lucas.
Allenites enjoy vacation
Minetta Cotton recently accom-
panied her daughter and son-in-law,
Connie and Robert Gidney, and their
son, Chris, on a vacation to Red Riv-
er, N.M. Not only did they enjoy the
usual summer events and activities
of the area, Minetta says they had an
opportunity to experience some-
thing out of the ordinary.
A mud slide occured about seven
or eight cars ahead of them on one of
the thoroughfares. Although de-
layed, they eventually reached their
destination. The next day however,
as a result of the mud slide, the fish
in a nearby lake were unable to
breathe. They surfaced, and people,
- Laverne
I Hart
including Robert and Chris, were
able to reach down and catch trout
by hand. Now, who would have ever
thought it possible?
Minetta and Chris also enjoyed
each other’s company by playing
cards and games, sharing one of
those special times of togetherness
that grandmothers and grandsons
recall with fondness through the
years.
while in New Mexico, the family
made a shopping trip to Taos and
watched artists at work.
Haning receives great news
Henry Haning was as excited as a
great-grandfather can be when he
received word recently that his first
great-grandchild to carry on the
Haning name had arrived. The infant
is the son of Mr. and Mrs. David
Wayne Haning of Westminister. The
family lives on the “Where the Buffa-
lo Roam Ranch,” and Henry is ex-
pecting great things out of little 7V2
pound Gerrick Wayne Haning when
he gets a few more years on him.
Whitaker receives degree
Claud and Carol Whitaker
attended the graduation of their
daughter-in-law, Carol Lynn Whi-
taker, from Tarleton State Universi-
ty in Stephenville on Aug. 17. The
graduate, wife of Scott Whitaker, re-
ceived a bachelor of science degree
in elementary education and is
teaching at Eastern Hill Elementary
School in Fort Worth. She and her
husband live in Arlington.
Others attending the happy occa-
sion were Susan Whitaker Hender-
son, Scott’s twin sister, and her
daughter, Whitney, of Lemesa; Lois
Whitaker, Scott’s grandmother, of
Cisco; and Lena Dunagin, Scott’s
maternal grandmother, of Merkel.
Gandy attends ROTC camp
Brad T. Gandy received practical
work in military leadership at the
ROTC advanced camp at Fort
Lewis, Tacoma, Wash.
The camp, attended by cadets
normally between their third and
fourth year of college, includes in-
struction in communications, man-
agement and survival training. Suc-
cessful completion of the advanced
camp and graduation from college
results in a commission as a second
lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Guard
or Reserve.
Cadet Gandy is a student at
Georgetown University, Washing-
ton. He is the son of Tom Gandy of
Allen and Shirley Gandy of Irving.
Williams graduates
Marine Lance Cpl. Alan K. Wil-
liams, son of Buddy J. and Ruth E.
Williams of Allen, recently gradu-
ated from Air Traffic Controller
School.
During the course at the Naval Air
Technical Training Center, Naval
Air Station Memphis, Millington,
Tenn., students receive basic con-
trol tower and radar control training.
William’s studies included aviation
weather, flight data, ground and loc- G
al control, basic radar, radio com-
munications, navigation aids, flight
planning, aeronautical charts and
publications. They also receive the
technical training necessary to re-
ceive Federal Aviation Administra-
tion certification.
Williams graduated from Allen
High School in 1990 and joined the
Marine Corps in Aug. 1990.
Johnson family celebrates a
Bryan Johnson’s 45th birthday e
was celebrated in an unusual way
this year. The family was hosting a
group of Girl Scouts from Mexico at
the time, so Bryan’s wife, Marsha,
had his birthday cake decorated with
a Spanish greeting on top.
Two of the Scouts had birthdays
while visiting with the Johnsons and
received special gifts purchased for
them at a Scout shop. The Scouts
are unable to obtain some the the @
Girl Scout patches in Mexico.
The Johnsons love having the Girl
Scouts visit with them because the
girls are loving and appreciative
guests. The only problems arise as a
result of the guests not quite under-
standing how showers and shower
curtains work — the bathroom still
gets flooded.
The Johnsons are also welcoming
Dan Brown, a cousin and nephew g
from Houston, into their family. Dan •
will be staying with them while
attending Collin County Community
College
Hart, a longtime Allen resident, is a
free-lance writer and an author of
children’s books.
by Norman Hill
Proclamation
Looking back#
10 years ago
■Shane Vance was named the win-
ner of The A lien American circula-
tion contest. He selected for his
prize $120 in cash for selling 27
subscriptions to the paper. Other
cash prize winners were Angel O
Whitall, Tommy Pritchard, Tracy
Hukill, Lisa Mikula and James
Hart.
Rolin Miller displays his “big catch” during a fishing trip with his
grandson, Norman Hill.
Letter policy
■For the 1981-82 school year,
2,499 students were registered in
the Allen Independent School Dis-
trict. By school, the student num-
ber breakdown was: Rountree
Elementary School, including spe- ©
cial education students, 706; Boyd
Elementary School, 425; Allen
Middle School, 673; and Allen
High School, 695.
The Allen American welcomes letters to the editor on subjects of interest to
our readers. Short letters are most likely to be chosen for publication; the use of
material is at the discretion of the editor. The editor reserves the right to edit
letters to meet space requirements, to clarify, or to avoid obscenity, libel or
invasion of privacy. Individual complaints against businesses and letters thank-
ing businesses for small donations or other actions cannot be published.
Submissions should be sent to: Editor, The Allen American, P.O. Box 27,
Allen, Texas 75002 by noon on the Wednesday before the desired Sunday of
publication.
■First day enrollment figure for
Lovejoy Independent School Dis-
trict for the 1981-82 school year is
275 students from kindergarten •
through sixth grade.
Janice Hirmon/Allen American photo
The Allen American
A Harte-Hanks Community Newspaper
205 West Main, P.O. Box 27
Allen, Texas 75002
727-3352
Christian R. Schiit
Publisher
Allen Mayor Dr. Joe Farmer, right, presents a
proclamation to Dein Eisen, chairman of the
Greater Dallas Chapter of the National Coun-
cil on Youth Leadership naming Sept 8-14
“Youth Leadership Awareness Week” in
Allen.
■Dedication of the new wing of
the Estelle Spurgin Elementary
School in the Lovejoy Independent
School District was held in the new
gymnasium of the school. Rep.
Frank Eikenburg was the guest
speaker.
Railroads brought seafood to Allen in 1870s
Debbie Tackett
General Manager
Nate Nelson
Circulation Director
Ann Todd
Receptioni st/Accounting
Peggy Helmick-Richardson
Editorial Assistant
Wayne Epperson
Editor
Mark Hutchison
Managing Editor
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING - 727-SELL
The Alien American (USPS 051-180) is published biweekly, on
Sundays and Wednesdays, by Harte-Hanks Community
Newspapers, 801 E. Plano Pkwy., Plano, TX 75074.
Second class postage paid at U.S. Post Office, Allen, TX 75002.
Postmaster: Send address changes to The Allen American, P.O.
Box 27, Allen, TX 75002.
FOR HOME DELIVERY, SERVICE, AND BILLING
CALL 727-3352
Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Saturday, 8:00 a.m.-l 1:00 a.m.
Subscription Rates: $27/year, $1 8/6 months
Outside Collin County: $35/year, *24/6 months
I once met a lady who said she did
not like living in Texas.
Instead of flaring up in defense of
the Lone Star State and Allen in par-
ticular, I tried to be understanding
and murmured something about her
being homesick for her family. But
much to my surprise, it was not her
family she missed.
Her complaint was that there is
little variety in seafood available ence in the ’40s when he ate at one of
here. She particularly missed the Dallas’ few seafood restaurants. He
Chesapeake Bay crabs that had been turns green at the memory.
abundant during her childhood on Without scientific knowledge to
Maryland’s eastern shore. explain sudden bouts of illness after
She lost my sympathy there. I eating seafood and fish, there arose
guess you don’t miss what you have certain beliefs and taboos. Oysters
never known. As provincial as it were not to be eaten in months that
sounds, my idea of seafood is a sal- did not contain Rs. There is no
mon croquette or a tin of sardines. I coincidence that these are the hot
was grown before I discovered tuna summer months. I have never
fish. understood why fish and milk should
I am not alone in my antipathy to not be mixed. How can you eat fried
seafood. Other local natives tell me catfish without cream gravy and bis-
they have found it difficult to acquire cuits?
a taste for seafood that was not There was some serious consequ-
generally available in quantity until ences to the lack of seafood in our
they were adults. One family mem- diet. Thyroid disease caused by
ber even includes our freshwater iodine deficiency has been common
catfish in her ban against seafood. here among the farm folk who lived
One problem was that seafood mostly on the food they produced,
was often iffy, back before modern Iodized salt was introduced to make
Gwendyn
Pettit
Between
the Creeks
but it was expensive. Since my child-
hood years were during the De-
pression and World War II, I remem-
ber only two or three times that my
father splurged on a dozen or so oys-
ters. I watched as he opened the
shells, hopeful of a pearl. But when it
came to eating his oyster stew —
gray bits swimming in a milky broth
— or those he dipped in batter and
deep fried, I could only force myself
to try a sample because he made
such a production of the occasion.
North Texans had their first taste
of seafood when the railroad reached
here in 1872. Galveston was then
only a day away. In the newspapers
of that time, restaurants and stores
advertised that they now had fresh
oysters.
Bill Haynes of McKinney found an
article in the McKinney Weekly En-
quirer about one of our early Allen
merchants and sent it with a note,
“Thought you might be interested in
this.”
One of the first businessmen to
buy property when the H.&T.C.
railroad began selling town lots in
1876 was George C. Mountcastle.
His first location was the block west
of Butler, between McDermott and
refrigeration and fast transport. My up for the lack. Belmont. However, at about the
husband had an unfortunate experi- Some fresh seafood was available, same time. J.W. Franklin, Allen’s
first postmaster, bought a lot facing
the railroad depot and constructed a
building for a general merchandise
store.
In 1879, Mountcastle bought out
Franklin and moved his business to
that location, now at the corner of a
Austin and Belmont — the lumbery- "
ard site. Mountcastle became
Allen’s postmaster on Jan. 8, 1880.
The Enquirer of February 10,
1883, reported: “The store house of
Geo. Mountcastle, at Allen, was.
burglarized last Friday night and
some articles of small value taken.
The robbers helped themselves to a.
mess of oysters, eating them on the
counter, seasoning with pepper-
sauce, crackers, etc., after which ©
they tried to open the safe, but
failed.
“Among the other articles taken
were some registered letters and
postage stamps which will attract'
the attention of Uncle Sam’s detec-
tives.”
Mountcastle advertised a $200 re-
ward for those who burglarized his
store but we do not know if the gour-
mand robbers were ever caught. •
Pettit is a longtime Allen resident
with an avid interest in history.
i
4
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Hutchison, Mark & Epperson, Wayne. The Allen American (Allen, Tex.), Vol. 22, No. 69, Ed. 1 Sunday, September 1, 1991, newspaper, September 1, 1991; Allen, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1626246/m1/2/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Allen Public Library.