The Ennis Daily News (Ennis, Tex.), Ed. 1 Thursday, February 14, 2013 Page: 4 of 8
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Opinion
Page 4
Thursday, February 14,2013
Ennis Daily News
Don’t give
up on CPRIT
completely
Our
Point of
View
If we’re sure of anything, it’s Tex-
ans’ dislike of programs perceived as
“big government incompetence or
wastefulness.”
Add a dash of even perceived mis-
conduct or criminality, and you’re
nearly guaranteed a public relations
disaster.
The public pillorying of the Cancer
Prevention and Research Institute of
Texas has been a sad sight for those
who believe in the power of the state
agency’s efforts in cancer prevention.
The American Can-
cer Society has an-
nounced its public
support for CPRIT at
recent hearings into
the agency in the Leg-
islature, but its un-
clear whether even the
nationwide agency’s
backing is enough to help buttress the
state group after big problems arose at
the end of 2012.
CPRIT revealed an $11 million award
to a Dallas-based company that entirely
bypassed the review process, and pub-
lic corruption prosecutors are involved
in a criminal investigation into the sit-
uation.
Republican Sen. Jane Nelson has
filed a bill that would cut off agency ex-
ecutives from having business relation-
ships with award recipients — a wise
move — and strengthen oversight of
rules requiring grant winners to put up
matching funds.
These are good steps, and we encour-
age that more such measures deemed
necessary in righting the CPRIT ship
are researched, honored and put in
place if so needed.
Out of hundreds of grants CPRIT
has been responsible for, only a handful
of those have been shownt o have is-
sues.
The power of state support in help-
ing people struck down with cancer is
significant. CPRIT has, for example,
funded programs in the past that have
helped offer large numbers of mammo-
grams that found cancer in women who
otherwise may not have had access to
those services.
Money is important, and the honest
and forthright stewardship of public
funds is just as important. So is the
fight against cancer and the help of
others when it strikes.
There is a balance to strike, and
keeping a public entity involved in the
fight against cancer statewide is some-
thing we can support.
© Contents copyright 2013 and cannot be reproduced
without the written permission of the publisher.
Tre Bischof ■ Publisher Michelle Crouch ■ Advertising Manager
Nick Todaro ■ Editor Teresa Watson ■ Office Manager
Femey Parra - Production Manager
Tico Montemayor - Circulation Director
Melissa Honza - Composition Manager
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Room to breathe in Ennis
Coming from a large school dis-
trict about 22 miles north of here,
I was excited about making the
move to Ennis at the start of this
school year.
My personal jour-
ney began about two
weeks before school
started, and I was able
to jump right in and
work with the other
administrators in
planning the success-
ful launch of a new
school year.
First, let me pro-
vide you with just a
little background
about myself. I gradu-
ated from Texas A&M
University with a degree in fi-
nance and went to work in corpo-
rate America for five years as a
financial analyst before switching
gears toward a career in public ed-
ucation.
I started my public education
career as a substitute teacher in
2004, which was followed by my
first full-time position in 2005.
You know that “large school dis-
trict about 22 miles north of here”
that I mentioned at the beginning
of this column? I was referring to
Dallas ISD, where I worked for
seven years. I started as a sixth
grade English/Language Arts
teacher for one year, followed by
six years as an English teacher in
the eighth, ninth and 10th grades.
When the opportunity arose to
apply for the position of assistant
principal at Ennis High School, I
jumped at it. It didn’t take very
long for me to realize that I really
like the community
feel of Ennis ISD and
the surrounding area.
Once school started
in August, I was very
excited to see all the
good things that are al-
ready going on here in
Ennis. In particular, I
was overjoyed to see
that our classroom
teachers here are able
to teach and that our
students are able to
learn.
Teachers here can teach with
their doors closed and locked if
they choose. Teachers can teach
their classes without the need to
worry about having someone look-
ing over their shoulders at all
times.
Yes, we all know that some stu-
dents are quite a challenge in the
classroom. However, as an admin-
istrator, I am thankful that my
work day is not filled solely with
the handling of discipline issues.
Now granted, I do have those days,
but it is not a daily occurrence.
Our teachers at Ennis High School
do a great job of keeping our stu-
dents fully engaged with excellent
bell-to-bell instruction.
The state testing season is now
upon us, and we know how impor-
tant it is that we conquer all parts
of those tests. It is a stressful time,
as we all know, but I have the ad-
vantage of seeing all the good
things that are going on in the
classrooms. I see how hard stu-
dents are working and how they
are being successful in their class-
rooms.
Seeing firsthand what is going
on in our classrooms, I have no
doubt that our students have
everything they need to be suc-
cessful ... not only to be successful
in their classes and successful on
all their tests, but also to be suc-
cessful in that most important
area of all — life.
Most times, I stand in the hall-
way in the same spot during each
passing period. I see the faces of
our EHS students and, nine times
out of 10, they have smiles on their
faces.
Our students are quick to say,
“Good morning,” “How are you?”
and “Have a good day!” We have
fantastic students here in Ennis,
and they have such tremendous
opportunities before them.
As a new school administrator, I
am enjoying being a part of the
great things that are happening —
and the great things that will hap-
pen — here in a town about 22
miles south of the big city!
Evelyn Carter is the assistant
principal of Ennis High School.
Letters to editor
Just send me an
ambulance already
I am writing this following an
incident that occurred at my
business on Feb. 5, 2013.
I had a 94-year-old gentleman
waiting for a shave and a haircut
with his daughter. I was cutting
another man’s hair, and all of a
sudden, I looked at the older gen-
tleman — his head had fallen
back and his eyes rolled back into
his head. I hurried to assist him,
as did his daughter. After he
somewhat came around, I called
911.
A woman answered the phone,
and I advised I needed an ambu-
lance at my business, giving the
name of my business, the ad-
dress and stating I needed an am-
bulance as I had a 94-year-old
man having either a stroke or a
seizure in my business.
I was transferred to a dis-
patcher for East Texas Medical
Center EMS in Tyler. I made the
same statement about a 94-year-
old man having a stroke or
seizure in my business, giving
my address three times, the name
of my business three times and
my phone number, as well as the
town I lived in. She kept asking
questions.
I have personally handled dis-
patching an ambulance when
needed.
Name, address and phone
number taken — ambulance
toned out and dispatched. Then
ask the questions.
The woman who was with her
father called her husband, who
was out on County Road 660, and
he got there while I was still try-
ing to get an ambulance to my
business in downtown Ennis.
I have already called and
talked with City Manager Steve
Howerton and was told a meeting
with the fire department and
ETMC would be scheduled and
this would never happen again. I
have not heard what the outcome
of the meeting was.
I just think this needed to be
brought to the attention of the
citizens of Ennis and the city
commission and all avenues
should be covered so this truly
never happens again.
James “Red” Sanders
Ennis
he ballad of small world travelers
I called my 89-year-old aunt re-
cently and announced that I would
be traveling her way in January
“Good,” she said with enthusi-
asm. “Where are we going?”
It has become a tra-
dition that whenever I
land back in my home-
town, we take a day
trip. We kick around
cemeteries, shop in
clothing boutiques, go
watch the golfers play
at the Robert Trent
Jones course, find my
great grandmother’s
old house in Troy Ala.,
take pictures of the
schools she and my
mother attended when
they were children or
navigate our way to
Pine Apple, Ala., the first capital of
Alabama (called Catawba), her
daughter’s Lake Jordan home or
Jasmine Hills.
“You know, I haven’t thought
about it,” I said, and as I did, the
image of the Boll Weevil in Enter-
prise popped into my head. The
statue is a tribute to the nuisance
insect that sparked an agricultural
rebirth in the region.
“I haven’t seen the Boll Weevil in
awhile,” I said to her.
“Well I haven’t either,” she ad-
mits, and invariably she knows an
antique store that’s on the way or a
little coffee shop where you can get
a sandwich.
“Or we could go to the River
Walk area in Montgomery,” I said.
“I think there’s a new museum
downtown.”
Wherever we go, we drive
through residential areas and look
at houses. In our shared tradition,
a house must be painted frequently
and surrounded by well-manicured
shrubs.
“Now that’s attractive,” she will
say about one.
“If they’d just put some shutters
on that house, it would look so
much better,” she declares.
We’re riding because, at age 89,
she thinks she wants to paint her
house.
She just can’t decide
what color and doesn’t
sense any urgency to
the decision.
When she last vis-
ited Perry, she loved
the color of the home
that my preacher and
his wife share. I visited
Sherwin-Williams to
get all the color num-
bers and mailed them
to her with specific di-
rections.
Those notes are still
in a folder, but she just
hasn’t decided.
“Get in the car,” she said to me
recently, “I want to show you the
color of this house on Chestnut
Street. It’s gray but it has a touch of
green in it; I think I like it.”
“Look at those camellia bushes,”
she points out on the way “Aren’t
they beautiful?”
“I can’t believe they’re not taking
care of Ella Jane’s house. She’s
probably rolling over in her grave,”
the commentary continues.
The phone conversation contin-
ued. “We could go to Monroeville,”
I suggested. “I’m always all about
‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ or there’s
that antique library in Eufaula
where we could look at the antebel-
lum homes, or take Harry out to
lunch.”
“You just need to stay a month,”
she sai d to me.
Then she adds, “I went to Patts-
burg on Saturday”
“Where’s that?” I asked. “I’ve never
heard of it.”
She gave me general directions
and then explained the reason for
her trip. “As far as Wilma and Ray
and I know, we’re the only three left
from our class. It was Wilma’s 90th
birthday so I drove over for the
party”
“Wow,” I said. “How’s Wilma?”
“Good,” she said. “She’s getting
along pretty well. Her 97-year-old
sister had been in the hospital but
told the doctor she had to be dis-
charged for her baby sister’s birth-
day party”
“And the doctor complied,” my
aunt said with authority
“Of course he did,” I added.
“Who argues with a 97-year-old
woman?”
“For traveling, I put my sticky
note on the dashboard,” she said.
“You did what?” I asked.
“Jimmy Miller lives out that
way, so I put a sticky note on my
dashboard that said, ‘In Case Of
Accident, please contact Jimmy
Miller,’ and I gave his number. “
“You didn’t put your daughter’s
name on the note?”
“Well, that’s in my wallet if they’re
rifling through the remains,” she
said, “but if it’s just a little fender-
bender, Jimmy would be closer. I
told him I always did that and he
just laughed.”
I laughed, too.
“Well, we could go to Pattsburg,”
I said, but she resisted.
“Lord no, there’s not a thing
there ... but Wilma, and I just saw
her.”
So we’ll go in a different direc-
tion when I arrive—never to Paris
and Rome, but to Dozier and
Goshen, because that’s what we do.
And if we think we should,
we’ll put a sticky note on the dash-
board.
You can never be too careful.
Susan Lincoln is the managing
editor of The Perry (Fla.) News-
Herald, a sister paper of The
Ennis Daily News.
Susan Lincoln
The Midweek
Muddle
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Todaro, Nick. The Ennis Daily News (Ennis, Tex.), Ed. 1 Thursday, February 14, 2013, newspaper, February 14, 2013; Ennis, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth774544/m1/4/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Ennis Public Library.