Giddings Times & News (Giddings, Tex.), Vol. 117, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 17, 2007 Page: 19 of 24

                                
VIEWPOINT
BY B.P.
BIG TURNOUT - There
was a big voter turnout for the
Giddings ISD elections last
Saturday due to the bond issue
proposal and contested races
for school board.
The $38 million school bond
issue passed by a 2-1 margin,
showing very strong support
for these proposed projects.
And Lee Countians joined
other Texans in overwhelm-
ingly voting to lower school
property taxes by one-third
for homeowners who are 65
or older or who get federal
disability payments.
MOTHER’S DAY NICE
-- The weather turned out re-
ally nice for Saturday's elec-
tions and also on Sunday for
Mother's Day.
All of the mothers and grand-
mothers who were preparing
for relatives coming to visit
had to be thrilled that it was
sunny and dry so the kids -
and even some of the adults
- could be outside.
FIRST NAMED STORM
— Three weeks before the of-
ficial start of the Atlantic hur-
ricane season, the first named
storm of the year formed off
the southeastern U.S. coast the
middle of last week.
Subtropical Storm Andrea
had top sustained winds of
45 mph and came ashore in
the Carolinas, bringing some
much-needed rain to the re-
gion.
But if this is any indication of
how early storms are going to
be forming this year, it should
• be a quite active hurricane
season.
FAIR & RODEO - If you re
looking for some exerting
events to attend this week,
you'll find plenty of them at
the Lee County Fair & Rodeo
this Friday and Saturday at
Firemen's Airline Park and the
Sheriff's Posse arena.
There will be lots of fun-filled
events, including the always
big barbecue cookoff, as well
as many other contests and
games.
A quilt show, exhibits, and
arts and crafts displays will be
part of the events planned.
Music is always a big part
of the fair -- and there will be
plenty of it this year too.
See you there!
2 IN ONE DAY - Jerry
Bayer of Dime Box read my
column last week about keep-
ing an eye out for snakes.
Well, his eyes must have been
wide open because he said he
killed a rattlesnake with four
rattlers early last week near a
building on his property.
He said the snake was all
stretched out, probably trying
to warm up in the sun.
That same day, Jerry said he
killed a copperhead near that
same building only about 50
feet from where he saw the
rattler.
Jerry reminds all our read-
ers about keeping their grass
mowed, because high grass
and weeds lure snakes and
makes it hard to spot them.
It's especially dangerous for
children and pets like dogs.
On another subject, Jerry said
when he mentioned about how
all the heavy rains had hurt
his peach trees, he was talking
about the freshly-planted ones
- not his mature trees.
He said he had planted 10
small peach trees and all the
rain may have killed I or 2 of
them.
+
HIGH CHOLESTEROL
-- Cleva Gandy of Ledbetter
called to say she’s been able
to lower her cholesterol taking
red yeast rice.
She said she's been taking a
600 milligram capsule every
morning for 5 months and her
good cholesterol has dropped
from 238 to 202 and her bad
cholesterol went from 178 to
125.
Cleva also said she's been
taking a tablespoon of ground
flaxseed on her cereal or mixed
in her orange juice. She said
that's supposed to help with
cholesterol.
Red yeast rice is a product of
yeast grown on rice. It's served
as a dietary staple in some
Asian countries.
big affect on all of us living
in rural areas like Lee County,
it's going to definitely hit big-
city folks.
Those working in the big cit-
ies are living farther away from
their jobs than they did in the
1970s, so it takes more gas to
get to work.
And now with the rise in
dual-income households, there
are now two people who drive
those distances every day.
So if gasoline prices go up
much more, there's definitely
going to be a big outcry from
all these people who are going
to be paying a lot more just to
get to work.
And farmers and ranchers
It contains several com-
pounds collectively known  mer travel begins late next
P * month
as Monacolins, substances month.
known to inhibit cholesterol   What s got oil refinery of-
synthesis.                       ficials surprised is that even
Here is w hat the Mayo Clinic though gasoline prices are up,
reports:                        the demand is up too.
"Since the 1970s, human As I’ve said, it looks like
studies have reported that red many people are going to hit
yeast lowers blood levels of the highwayson weekends and
total cholesterol, low density for vacations no matter what
lipoprotein/DI (bad choles- they have to pay for fuel.
terol) and triglyceride levels. But if the price ever gets
“For lowering cholesterol, anywhere near $4 a gallon, that
there is better evidence for us- may be a different story. Then
ing prescription drugs such as it might have reached the point
lovastatin.                     where a lot of people would to
have to decide between mak-
HEEL SPUR REMEDY ing their house payment and
- Here's something to tell paying credit card bills - or will also feel it too in the use of
anyone who's suffering from having to move into an apart- .   . and fertilizer hills
a painful heel spur          ment and eating cheese and '^XX demand for has
Try putting a heel cup in your crackers so they can continue will subside and we n have
shoe. It only costs about $9 taking trips,                   another mild storm season
and can usually be bought at a The AAA motor club reports
pharmacy -- or the pharmacist that population gains and eco- KIDS & TOOTH DECAY
can probably order one for nomic growth are causing an .. Tooth decay in young chil-
you. ’                   increase in fuel purchases, dren’s baby teeth is rising.
It's certainly a good first If the economy is indeed It’s another indication that
step before going the route of picking up instead of slowing preschool kids are eating too
painful injections, expensive down, gasoline use is rising much sugar, according to the
orthotics or surgery.           almost 5% above the 5-year largest government study on
average,                       the nation’s dental health in
UNCLAIMED$5,000-The   Another thing putting pres- more than 25 years.
Goodwill in Greenville, South sure on gasoline prices is that But there’s also some good
Carolina got a big surprise cash inventories are at the lowest news - older children have
donation recently,              level in two decades for this less periodontal disease than
Someone left more than time of year. Why? Because in the past, and more of the el-
$5,000 in cash in an envelope of refinery fires, power failures derly are retaining their teeth,
tucked into a pair of pajamas and maintenance work that oil Experts are concerned about
that had been donated.         companies failed to complete the amount of cavities in baby
The note, signed with only last year.                     teethofchildrenages2to5.lt
the first name, said the donor Then there's the upcoming increased 28% from 1999 to
had been saving it awhile hurricane season that starts 2004 - from 24% from 1988
and hoped the person who June 1 --just overamost from to 1994, the report finds.
found the cash would spend now.                        Tooth decay had been de-
it wisely.                        And hurricanes are always creasing in young children for
Goodwill has placed the  the huge wildcard.            40 years, but now it’s going
money in a safe. If no one After a disastrous year of back up.
claims it, it will be a donation storms in 2005, last year the One reason is that parents
to the agency.                  U.S. dodged a bullet as most  are giving their children more
Kelli Owens found the money  of the predicted storms never processed snack foods than in
while sorting clothes as part  materialized.                  the past, and more juice boxes
of a job training program. The So let s all hope we get an- and soda.
21-year-old mother of three other year like last year and One thing parents can do to
children said she could think not a repeat of 2005.           help the situation is to help
of plenty of ways to spend the But forecaters are predicting their young children brush
cash. But instead, she took it that this year’s season will be their teeth properly.
straight to her supervisor and active with as many as nine But most importantly of all -
then returned to finish the final tropical storms reaching hur- don't let them eat a lot of junk
six hours of her shift.
"I'm an honest person,"
Owens is quoted by the As-
sociated Press. "I was brought
up that way. I'm always going
to be that way."
AVOIDING PHRASE --
You’re not going to hear Brit-
ish government officials using
the “war on terror" statement
favored by President Bush
anymore.
A member of Tony Blair's
Cabinet has brought out into
the open a quiet shift away
from the U.S. View on combat-
ing extremist groups.
International Development
Secretary Hilary Benn said the
phrase strengthens terrorists
by making them feel part of a
bigger struggle.
She may be right.
And the reason I think she’s
probably right is because that's
how I felt the first time 1 heard
Mr. Bush use that phrase -- .
right after the Sept. II attack.
And he's still using it.
NOT FEELING PINCH
— On a similar subject, it's
now being determined that
the fighting in Iraq and Af-
ghanistan and related military
operations is about to become
the second-most expensive
conflict in American history
-- after World War II.
Since the Sept. II. 2001 ter-
rorist attacks. Congress has ap-
proved more than $609 billion
for the wars.
But the U.S. is vastly richer
than it was in those days, and
the nation's wealth now dwarfs
the price of war, economists
say.
Putting aside whether we can
afford the price of this war or
not, there's no price that can
be attached to the lives of U.S.
soldiers lost in this conflict --
not counting those who were
injured and disabled.
$4 A GALLON GAS? -
Although we’re still about a
quarter away from $3 a gallon
gasoline, there’s now talk of $4
a gallon gas - and maybe not
in the all too distant future.
Already fuel prices are rising
at a pace not seen since Hurri-
canes Katrina and Rita took out
a third of the U.S. oil refining
industry in 2005.
And gasoline consumption is
climbing twice as fast as it did
last year -- and will certainly
pick up even more when sum-
ricane force.
food and sugary drinks.
St. Mark’s Medical
Office Building—
Giddings
Now Open to Serve Lee County
Monday ~ Friday
Giddings Family Health Clinic 979-542-7400 or 979-968-849 3
Thomas Borgstedte, D.O.
Mike McBroom, M. D.
William H. Pierart, III, D.O.
Mary Wells,CFNP
l General Laproendoscopic Surgeons of Central Texas 979-242-5605
Tuesday afternoons and Th ursday mornings
Albert L. Chorens, M. D.
Russell Juno, M. D.
Anant Praba, M. D.
Austin Heart -Cardiology
979-242-5677
William Bailey, M. D.
Allergist & Immunology        979-776-0700
Keith Paul, M. D.
Podiatry
979-242-2205
Paul Gee, DPM
979-540-2100
84 3 E. Industry Giddings,Texas 78942
1
I
Bastrop Co. man who
killed wife sentenced
to 10 years probation
A 67-year-old Bastrop County
man who choked and stabbed
his wife to death won't be go-
ing to prison due to a sentence
given by District Judge Terry
Flenniken.
Robert Crerar, a retired coun-
And AccuWeather.com is
predicting that some storms
will strike the Gulf Coast.
While $3 or $3.50 or even
$4 a gallon gas won't have a done.
Giddings, Texas, Times & News - Thursday, May 17, 2007 Page 7h
ty probation transport officer,
has been sentenced to 10 years
probation.
Crear. who was taking Cym-
balta and other drugs for severe
depression, told his wife of 30
years on Oct. 1 that he was
going to kill himself.
Dolores Crerar, 73, told her
husband that she "couldn't go
on without you; kill me first,"
court records show.
So Crerar choked her and
then stabbed her 47 times and
slit her throat. Then he called
911 to report what he had
He told authorities that he had
planned to kill himself after
taking his wife’s life, but he
was too tired to do it.
In his confession, Crerar
stated: “I feel it’s out of charac-
ter for me to do something like
that. I ask myself over and over
again why did 1 do something
like that and 1 can't answer that
question."
Crerar's lawyers say a doc-
tor's increased Crerar's dosage
of Cymbalta four days before
the murder and that caused him
to try to kill himself.
He had tried and failed to
hang himself the day before the
murder - and kill his wife.
Investigators had also found
other prescription drugs, in-
cluding sleep aids Rozerem,
Lunesta and Ambien.
Laura Birnbaum, M. D.
Board Certified In Family Medicine
Accepting New Patients
Call To Schedule An Ajopointnient
Flu Shots Are Still Available.
No Appointments Needed.
Medical Care For Your
Entire Family
(979) 542-9000
Sometimes depression
is normal, study finds
Up to 25% of people that
psychiatrists diagnose as de-
pressed might just he reacting
normally to things like los-
ing a job or going through a
divorce.
That was the finding of a new
analysis that re-examined how
diagnostic criteria are used.
This could affect how depres-
sion is diagnosed, the growing
use of symptom checklists in
identifying those who could be
suffering from depression and
the $12 billion a year U.S. mar-
ket for antidepressant drugs.
At present, patients are di-
agnosed on symptoms that in-
clude fatigue, sadness, insom
nia and thoughts of suicide.
The diagnostic manual used
by psychiatrists shows that
anyone who suffers from at
least five of such symptoms
for as little as two weeks may
be clinically depressed.
But the new study found
that extended periods of de
pression-like symptoms are
common in anyone who has
been through life stresses like
divorce or a natural disaster
and they don't necessarily tie
in to illness.
It's estimated that one in six
Americans will suffer from
clinical depression at some
time in their life.
Compassionate ( are
for Life.
1
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J