The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 130, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 27, 2005 Page: 4 of 12
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I
Opinion Page
Page 4
The Albany News
Thursday, October 27, 2005
...The Albany News
£*Since 1875
■''Oldest journalistic venture west of the Brazos
%
'./Publisher
-v
Donnie A. Lucas
Editor
Melinda L. Lucas
Advertising Manager
Donna Hargrave
Moran Correspondent
Audrey Brooks
Office Manager
Sheryl Spore
Typesetter
Betty Viertel
Office Assistant
Jordan Lucas
editorial
Frighteningly Fun!
Black cats, ghouls and goblins, elaborate cos-
tumes, sugary treats - just about everyone's famil-
iar with the traditional trappings of Halloween.
But how did an ancient pagan ritual grow into one
of the most popular kids' nights of the year? How
did it get to be the big bucks holiday it is today?
Many experts believe the druids were the first to
observe Halloween. Dating back to 700 BC, they
celebrated the festival of Samhain (the end of the
harvest and a time to honor the dead) on November
1. Eventually, the night before became known as
the Eve of All Hallows, aka Hallow Even, aka
Hallow e'en.
And just how did trick-or-treating get started?
On the evening before Samhain, people left food on
their doorsteps to keep hungry spirits from enter-
ing the house. For entirely separate reasons, festi-
val goers started dressing in ghost, witch, and
goblin costumes - so wandering spirits would leave
them alone. You can see where this is going.
Outdoor trick or treating is a long-standing
tradition in many families. Children love to show
off their costumes and collect goodies, and adults
have just as much fun interacting with the kids.
So don't risk a Halloween catastrophe. You may
not expect any problems in our small town, but even
a minor injury can ruin the evening for a four-year-
old. Before allowing your child to go trick or treat-
ing, especially if you're going along, take the neces-
sary time to go over important safety rules.
• While children are most concerned about the
appearance of their costume, a parent's job is to be
^certain that the costume is safe. Fire resistant does
S3not mean fireproof. Purchase costumes made of
ffjflame retardant material and make sure costumes
ikdo not come in contact with open flame.
Jg • Choose costumes that make it easier to walk,
£_see and be seen. Choose light-colored materials
Swith glow in the dark or reflective tape.
** • Masks can obstruct vision - consider using
makeup instead and make sure hems are short
enough to prevent tripping.
• Watch out for cornstalks, hay bales and other
decorations. Make sure they are not placed near a
heat source and make sure they are not placed
where they are blocking doorways or stairs.
• Adults and children should use a flashlight to
make themselves visible to motorists. Walk facing
.traffic.
* • Instruct children only to accept treats at the
_ doorway and never go inside the home of a stranger.
| If a house is not lit up, do not visit it.
• Keep yards free of tripping hazards such as
! tools, hoses, etc.
• Children should be instructed to eat their
| treats only after parents have inspected them.
; Discard unwrapped treats. If in doubt, throw it out.
• Be careful if you are driving a vehicle on
f "Halloween. Excited children often dart into traffic,
| and they may be difficult to see especially if they are
; dressed in dark costumes.
policy
; THE ALBANY NEWS
(USPS 012-400) is published weekly, except for one week in
July 2005 and one week in December 2005, for $28 per year
for subscriptions within Shackelford County, $33 per year
for subscriptions within Texas, and $38 per year for out-of-
state subscriptions by Lucas Publications Inc., 49 S. Main,
Albany, Texas 76430. Periodicals postage paid at Albany,
Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE
ALBANY NEWS, PO Box 278, Albany, Texas 76430-0278.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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writer's name and city will appear in print.
The publisher reserves the right to edit or
to refuse any letters. Send letters to THE
~ ALBANY NEWS, PO Box 278, Albany TX
76430-0278.
CORRECTIONS
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rected when notification in writing is given
to the publisher within 10 days after pub-
lication.
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AFFILIATIONS
2005 MEMBER: Texas Press Association,
- West Texas Press Association.
panderings by Pat
•to
!)1
By Pat Lidia Jones j
The other day I heard my grand-
daughter Madison say something
that thrilled this grandmother. She
said that she was "into a book she
just couldn't put down." If she can
feel that way now, she'll always love
to read. To be "into a book" is the
most wonderful feeling to a reader.
I have watched her draw hop-
scotch squares onto the driveway
with chalk. That brings back other
fond memories I have of being a
little girl in grade school or Pri-
mary, as we called it then.
We played outdoors anytime
there was fair weather. I lived in Ft.
Worth and it was a time right before
World War II broke out. I was in the
third grade and my mother and dad
and my sister Kay and I lived in a
small apartment right across the
street from a grade school and a
junior high school.
My girlfriends and sometimes
boys in the neighborhood were my
world after school and on week-
ends. We met at the school and
planned our play. If it was hot
weather, we played "jacks." One of
the entry ways at the school had the
most satin-smooth concrete imag-
inable and it made jacks a pleasure
to play. We were good too. We started
with "Babies" and worked up to
"Shooting Stars." I never thought
I'd forget how to play and all the
names of games, but there you go -
I never thought I'd be 72 years old
either.
We had a baseball, a bat. I don't
know who they belonged to, but I
was chosen to take them home with
me because I lived so close and we
were almost always at home.
We played Hopscotch and school
and slinging statues and London
Bridge. We played hide and seek
until neighborhood mothers started
calling us home after dark.
Then the War happened and our
play took a serious turn. We memo-
rized warplanes: their names, sizes
and shapes. We memorized the
ranks in the Army, Navy and Ma-
rines. We learned their songs and
insignias. We marched around and
saluted. We knew our favorite war
heroes and our generals.
One friend lived with her grand-
mother a block over on St. Louis and
there was a big wonderful front
porch with a swing. That swing be-
came our plane. We shot "machine
guns" and dropped "bombs" from
that plane. We "parachuted" from
that swing. I loved best being Jimmy
Dolittle, my hero.
Our grade had a Victory Garden
at school and we were mighty proud
of those vegetables - the few that
were sturdy enough to grow in spite
of all the care they received from the
third and fourth grades.
We all saved our money from
chores and/or allowance to go to the
neighborhood movie, the Tivoli.
Most of the movies were about war
and we watched from the front rows.
There was always a comedy, which
we cheered mightily. There was a
newsreel too, which bored us unless
there was a clip of Hitler or Mussolini
or Tojo. We booed loudly, while we
cheered everything American. Our
patriotism was clear-cut and single
minded. Most of our parents worked
in defense plants.
We had blackouts at night and
there were volunteers who walked
around the neighborhoods, caution-
to your health
ing those who forgot and left lights
on or shades up. It was pretty dra-
matic to the kids my age. Some-
times when planes flew over, it was
scary.
But in the daytime we played our,;
games of marbles, wood tag, drop
the handkerchief and Red Rover.
Then suddenly the war was overJ>
The Germans and the Japanese sur-
rendered. We were too big for our-5
war games in the porch swing. We
were moving from grade school intp;
junior high. Defense plants were
closing - no need to build any more
bombers or fighters. Men started
coming home from the service. : m
Kids were worried. They didn't'
know what was happening. My dad
lost his job and he found one work-'1
ing at an oilfield camp out by a place
called Albany, Teftas.
I never heard of it. I didn't want
to move away from all my friends. I
didn't want to live in the country
and ride a school bus 18 miles every
morning and 18 miles every evening,
My life was over, I thought.
Little did I know that the best
part of my life was just beginning;'
By Ryan Ford, M.D,
I know you're as excited as I am
about the recent publication of the
2004 Annual Bibliography of Sig-
nificant Advances in Dietary
Supplement Research. What? Never
heard of it? OK, it's official; I am a
geek, but my daughter could have
told you that years ago.
This document gives anyone in-
terested a snapshot of medical re-
search that goes on around the world
with regard to dietary supplements
like vitamins and minerals. Specifi-
cally, the writers of this document
compile huge amounts of research
data to give geeks (like me) an op-
portunity to see what is being
learned about dietary supplements
and how these can influence our
health.
This year's publication contained
a study done on a supplement I have
recommended to many patients, glu-
cosamine. It is fairly well accepted
in mainstream medicine now that
this is an important supplement
with regard to joint health. We are
living longer than ever and our joints
are wearing out. Just ask your local
80 year old.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are
the building blocks of cartilage. Vet-
erinarians have been giving this
stuff to dogs and horses for years
with impressive clinical results.
Don't ask me why, but I get the
feeling that around here if a vet
recommends it, people would be
more likely to try it. I'm really not
sure what that means.
No medical study has ever proven
that when taken as a dietary supple-
ment, the molecules glucosamine
and chondroitin wind up in the car-
tilage covering of bones. We aren't
even terribly sure if the supplement
is absorbed in its natural state or
chopped up and digested like the
chicken fried steak you had for din-
ner last week. We do know that a
significant percentage of patients
report significant pain relief within
six months on these supplements.
Now there is more support for the
supplement glucosamine. In a three
year trial of glucosamine versus pla-
cebo, patients on glucosamine (1500
mg per day) did not demonstrate
any loss of joint space on plain x-
rays of the knees. The placebo group
did demonstrate significant joint
space narrowing; this translates into
cartilage loss, which is the hall-
mark of osteoarthritis.
What I am banking on is the very
long term benefits of glucosamine
amblin* through albany
and chondroitin. I take it with the
hope of primary prevention of os'
teoarthritis. Most people will noti
have any side effects from taking'
the medication, but consultation:
with a physician is advised prior t'$'
starting supplements.
Glucosamine does have drug-
drug interactions with some pre-
scription medications; mostnota,-}
bly, it can decrease the effective?;
ness of diuretic medications. Those,
on diuretics for high blood pressure >
or congestive heart failure may run
into trouble while taking these joirtt
supplements.
I've not forgotten the benefits of
MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) for
joint pain relief, but we'll discuss
this some other time. Thanks for
reading, send questions and com-
ments to docrdford@yahoo.com.
By Larry Befh
Our just completed anniversary
trip was so great and so much fun
that it will take two columns to tell
you about it. We drove over 2,700
miles round trip with Wooster, Ohio
as our terminal destination. The
weather was beautiful the entire
trip and our little car routinely got
33-35 miles per gallon. We didn't
rush and we stopped and lingered
when and where we wanted to.
There were several nice surprises
along the way. The first one was in
Muskogee, Oklahoma at the Five
Civilized Tribes Museum. We had
planned to see it anyway, but by
great good luck, our visit coincided
with the museum's annual Masters
Art Show. This is a competitive show
of two and three dimensional works
by outstanding Native American
artists from the five civilized tribes.
"Civilized," of Course, was from
the white man's point of view. It
includes the Cherokee, Chickasaw,
Choctaw, Creek and Seminole
tribes. All were forcibly resettled
from their original areas to the Okla-
homa territory. Their art works re-
flect their myths, legends and inter-
pretations of tribal history. (Note
that the Comanches, so familiar to
the early settlers of this area, are
not included.) I think most Albany
folks would enjoy the art works.
The museum building itself is of
native stone and was built in 1875
as the Union Indian Agency. Its
permanent collection includes not
only many fine works of art but also
many interesting Indian artifacts
on exhibit. For anyone interested in
Southwestern history, it is definitely
worth a visit.
From there we drove deep into
the "Show Me" state and stopped
again at Gray's Summit, Missouri.
There we visited the Shaw Nature
Reserve. It is an area of several
hundred acres including a natural
prairie area, wetland, forests and
14 miles of trails for hiking. It was
established in 1925 by the Missouri
Botanical Garden and is now a
leader in restoration ecology and
environmental education. Plus it's
a beautiful place.
The two biggest hits with us were
the fine wildflower garden and an
authentic full-sized sod house. This
latter was like the sod houses fea-
tured in the great prairie books by
Laura Ingalls Wilder and in the
"Little House on the Prairie" televi-
sion series. The Little Quilter was
fascinated by it, but she was awed
by the housekeeping challenges. It
makes you appreciate the comfort-
able houses we live in today.
From Gray's Summit we drove
through Saint Louis (whose Cardi-
nals were then being defeated by
the Houston Astros in the baseball
playoffs) and across the Mississippi
River into Illinois, the "Land of Lin-
coln." We stopped for a while in the
little town of Vandalia, a former
capital of the state of Illinois. The
old statehouse built in the mid-
1830's has been fully restored and
we enjoyed a tour. It served as the
seat of government from 1836 to
1839.
Abraham Lincoln served as a leg-
islator there, the first statewide of-
fice of his political career. His home
base was Springfield and he was a
leader of the successful movement
to transfer the capital to that city.
This resulted in charges of logroll-
ing and corruption, but Lincoln, of
course, went on to greater glory.
The next stop was in Marshall,
Illinois on the far eastern side of the
state. There we visited with some
dear friends including my old army
buddy from the Berlin Brigade. We
served there together during some
of the tensest days of the Cold War.
He is active in both the American
Legion ^nd the VFW and we visited
both clubs and drank toasts to one
thing and then another. I was
warmly greeted and welcomed by
the commanders of both organiza-
tions. A great catfish dinner topped
off our visits. This was another big
surprise; I didn't know that Yan-
kees even ate catfish.
After that, the next surprise was
that we crossed the entire state of
Indiana in little more than two
hours. In Texas, you drive for two
hours and you're still in Texas! And
contrary to rumor, the state seal of
Indiana is not a basketball.
Then it was on into Ohio to Co- i
lumbus and then northward to
Wooster. But that must wait until |
next time.
It was a great trip, but it's good to
be home, especially since home is
Albany, Texas.
Happy Halloween!
vA l_ /v v
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
OCT 23-29
OCT. 27
OCT. 28
OCT. 29
OCT. 30
OCT. 31
NOV. 1
NOV. 3
NOV. 4
NOV. 8
NOV. 12
Red Ribbon Week
Lions Club - Icehouse, 12 noon
Chamber luncheon - Ft. Griffin Gen. Mdse.,
12 noon
Albany Lions vs Haskell - Indian Stadium, 7:30 pm
Fall Fest booth preparation - NSES, 9 am
Punt, pass & kick competition - McMurry stadium
in Abilene, 10 am
Lady Lions vs. Woodson - AHS gym, 10 am
Choral clinic - Presbyterian church, 10 am-2 pm
PTO Fall Fest - NSES campus, 5:30-9 pm (Cafeteria
5-9 pm, Bingo 5:30-9:30 pm, Costume contest,
6:30 pm)
Running Man - Presbyterian basketball court, 9 pm
Community Hymn Sing - First Baptist Church, 6 pm
Commissioners court - Courthouse, 9 am
Downtown trick or treating - 4-5 pm
ESL classes - Resource Center, 6-8 pm
Blood drive - First Baptist parking lot, 1-6 pm
Early voting ends
Amendment election - Courthouse & 3 precinct
voting sites, 7 am-7 pm
Presbyterian Bazaar 8c Downtown Holiday Preview '
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Lucas, Melinda L. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 130, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 27, 2005, newspaper, October 27, 2005; Albany, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth414401/m1/4/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.