January 2012

Happy New Year
Can you be happy if you are not prosperous? Can you be happy under a Marxist government?
According to Lt. Gen. (Ret) W. G. Boykin we may find out. As a Green Beret, part of Boykin’s training was to study the model for developing a Marxist form of government.

1. Nationalize large sectors of the economy which is what the bailouts (started by a Republican and continued by a Democrat) were all about.

2. Redistribution of wealth. Something the health care bill does according to some of the people who actually read it.

3. Discredit the opposition. A memorandum went out from Homeland Security to ever law enforcement in the nation warning that they needed to be on the alert for terrorism from right wing conservatives, prolife groups, gun right groups and returning veterans.

4. Censorship. According to Boykin the hate crime legislation was targeted toward pastors that they would not speak out against same sex marriage, the dangers of Islam etc. Most of the media is already controlled by a few people who seem to go along with the ideas that fit in with the model.

5. Gun ownership control. The president has said he will sign the UN Small Arms Treaty which will control the sale and ownership of individuals in this country.

6. Develop a force to control population. When campaigning the president said he wanted a national security force as large and as well equipped as the military. The health care bill (HR 3590 Sec. 5210) includes provision for a commission of officers to work directly under the president in case of crisis.

What can we do? Boykin suggests email and call Congress until we are a pain in the neck. Also join groups who are trying to reverse the course we are on and elect candidates that believe like we do.

Click on Boykin’s message at http://www.morningstartv.com/oakinitiative/marxism-america

Internet users might want to inform themselves about HR3261. Proponents of the bill say it protects the intellectual property market ...and is necessary to bolster enforcement of copyright laws especially against foreign websites. Opponents say that it infringes on First Amendment rights, is Internet censorship,

Opponents say that it infringes on First Amendment rights, is Internet censorship, will cripple the Internet, and will threaten whistle-blowing and other free speech. To learn all about it just type SOPA in your search engine. This will be coming up in January and is one the bills that is important enough to be a pain to Congress by calling and emailing.

May this be a year that will result in many happy years to come by doing what citizens of the USA should do since our government is “by the people, of the people and for the people.”

ALMEDA DINER IS BACK
The Almeda Diner is back serving the homecooking American food that Almeda customers enjoy. They reopened Dec. 12th. See their ad on page six for hours.

A REQUEST FROM SENIORS FOR SENIORS
Clara Ward, 86, was told by her doctor to exercise or else. She walks about four miles a day and enjoys line dancing at the YMCA on Cartwright Road. But the YMCA has changed the time from 5pm to 7Pm. Concern for themselves and the other people on the road, many senior citizens do not drive at night. Clara and her friends are trying to get enough people lined up to petition the YMCA to make a time during the day for seniors to get their much needed exercise. Call her at 281-261-5771 to add your name to her list, but call after dark as this lady does not sit around in a rocking chair all day.

DO YOU WANT THIS IN TEXAS?
Last April, The Chicago Tribune reported that parents cannot fix their children a lunch for school "unless they have a medical excuse, they must eat the food served in the cafeteria."
That couldn’t happen in Texas. Or could it? It is amazing how many rules and regulation have been passed in the last few years which control what we can and cannot do.
We might gripe and complain which doesn’t do any good. We can do something. Your voice and influence is multiplied when you join with others who feel the same way you do on any issue of concern to you. And you can be an informed voter. if you depend on the sound bites of the media for your info you will just vote for whoever they think is good. Instead look at the persons record and ignore the meaningless comments.

Your vote counts far more in the primaries. A good thing about the primary, you cannot vote straight ticket. You have to decide in each race who will best represent your views. Very few people take time to go to the primary convention meeting that starts at 7pm right after the voting stops. Usually the election clerks are tired and want to go home but by law they have to allow all those who voted to come in and participate.

At the meeting decisions are made as to what you want on your party platform. You might want to say that you want anyone running on the Democrat ticket to pledge to enforce lawful local ordinances rather than give way to something the Feds try to ram down our throats with some rule that does not supersede the Texas Constitution. Or maybe you go to the Republican primary and want their platform to include issuing a Green card to anyone who wants to work and eliminate all welfare benefits to non citizens. Whatever you present in writing will
be voted on. If it passes at the primary convention it will be sent to the Senate Convention where it will be voted on again, then it will be deleted or added to the other ideas and sent to the State Convention. Then it could be added to the Texas platform and may become a part of the national platform for your party. Candidates are suppose to agree to their party platform.

It would make sense to read your party’s platform before making a suggestion as well as the other platforms. You will find that Libertarian, Democrat, and Republican platforms all have some good ideas that most everybody is in agreement on. If we could just get all the good ideas on all the platforms and get people elected who at least say they agree to the platform. Besides working on the party platform, you will also vote on delegates to send from your precinct to the local Senate Convention. Some of these delegates may be elected to go on the state convention.

The local Senate convention is a real education on how the political system works within a party. Get involved and attend your Precinct convention April 3rd at 7pm at your voting location.

BEGOTTEN
70 years of going to church but I never could explain exactly what the word “begotten” means until I read a book, Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis. An atheist for years, Lewis thinks through as to why and what he believes and he knows how to put his thoughts on paper.
Most Christians can quote, For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son...John 3:16.
Lewis writes (p. 157) Now that is the first thing to get clear. What God begets is God; just as what man begets is man. What God creates is not God just as what man creates is not man. That is why men are not Sons of God in the sense that Christ is. They may be like God in certain ways but they are not things of the same kind.

The understanding of the word begotten makes clear why Jesus is not only the Son of God, he is God. John 1:12 says, “As many as received him (Jesus) to them he gave the power to become the sons of God even to them who believe on his name.” We who are created or made from the dust of the ground can become the sons of God but we can never be God because we are not begotten of God.

I’ve tried to put in a small space the jest of what Lewis used several pages in his book to do. He gets his point across using illustrations. Mere Christianity is a book I would strongly recommend to any Christian to better understand what they do believe or anyone just curious about what the Christian faith is.

FEEDBACK
I asked Willie Keyworth if he heard about the uproar in Henderson Co. over the nativity scene: He answered:
My goodness , YES !! That's all you hear in this town. !! It's just some Non-religous Zealots , Yankees at that, and they want their 15 minutes of FAME ,and this is the only way they can get it. There is no way in HELL that you gonna get that Nativity scene removed from our CourtHouse Square . This is THE HEART of the BIBLE BELT !!!! There are more Baptist Churches in Henderson County than there are BEER JOINTS in Houston !!! Every year you get Idiots that try to get attention by pulling this kind of garbage. It just serves to get people all worked up and gives the News Media Org's a Field Day, but the really sad thing about all of it Sis, is that Half of the folks that are screaming about all this probably ain't seen the inside of a Church all YEAR

Ed. Note. On Dec. 17th, 5,000 people rallied in front of the courthouse in Athens to show their support for the county commissioner who said the nativity scene would not come down until after Christmas.

Stalin said: “America is like a healthy body, and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within.

Almeda Moe
Moe’s daughter, Zoe, got her first Christmas presents as a teacher at Almeda School. The daughter of the manager at the grocery store brought Zoe a basket of fruit. The son of the owner of the candy store gave her a huge box of chocolate and the florist’s daughter gave her a bouquet. The son of the liquor-store owner gave her a big heavy box. Zoe noticed it was leaking a little bit. She touched a drop of the liquid with her finger and tasted it. “Is it wine?” “No,” the boy smiled. She tasted another drop. “Is it Champagne?” “No,” grinned the little boy. “It’s a puppy.”

THANK YOU
Thank you, whoever you are, for the gift in appreciation of Our News.

FRESNO WATER BOARD
The Fresno Water Board meets the 3rd Thurs. of the month at 6 pm at the Mustang Community Center. A special meeting will be held the first part of January. The time, date and place will be on the water board web site: www.fortbendwater1.com
Get the minutes/agenda of past meetings and a map of the construction completed and in progress.

WHAT ARE YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS?
If you make a New Year resolution and have not broken it by January 21st, please call or email (address is at the top of the page) and Our News will share your three weeks of success.

GOD CAN MAKE YOU STRONG
© Emmaline Wiley
If you have felled, because you rebelled against God, because you did wrong, God can make you strong, to go on, and live a righteous life.
Proverbs 10:27-30; II Corinthians 12:7-10 and I John 1:9

MILTON “PEAVINE” MARTIN, 73, born January 4, 1938 in Barnes, Texas went home to his Heavenly Father on December 21, 2011. Milton and his wife, Karen Watson Martin, raised their two daughters Sheryl and Wendy while living on Anderson Road. They moved to Livingston where he was employed with International Paper Company as a millwright for 25 years, and was a faithful member of Central Baptist Church. Survived by his wife of 50 years, Karen Martin, two daughters, Sheryl Griffin and Wendy/Jimmy Willson; five sisters, three grandsons, Tyler Griffin, Daniel Kelley and Max Willson; granddaughter, and Kristina Sumpter. He is preceded in death by his parents, and three brothers.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Gideons International, P. O. Box 178, Livingston, TX 77351.

Vinson Library
3810 West Fuqua 832 393 2120 Open Tue. 10-6, Wed. 10-6, Thurs.12-8, Fri. 1-5, Sat. 10-5. Closed Sunday and Monday. Internet open 24/7 houstonlibrary.org

Sienna Library
8411 Sienna Springs Blvd. 281-341-2677,
Mon/Tue/Thur, 7:30 am to 9:00 pm
Wed. 7:30-6, Fri.7:30-5, Sat. 10- 5
http://www.fortbend.lib.tx.us)
“Free Homework Help for Parents and Students,” Feb.4th, 10am. Includes an introduction to the library’s free online resources that help families with homework, skill-building, and test preparation. online tutoring resources including the SAT and ACT practice tests etc. as well as a variety of other resources available through the library’s website, such as Biography in Context or the MasterFILE Premier database.
Jan. 12, at 10am. Learn how to browse, select, and download eBooks to your eReader from the library’s online digital library collection,
SIENNA BOOK CLUB Mon. Jan. 9, beginning at 1:30 pm, The book to be discussed is One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd.
Mother Goose Time Tues. 10am except Jan. 3rd. Toddler Time -- Thursdays at 10:00 am except Jan. 5th.
Pre-school children, 3 to 6 years of age, Story Time, where they hear stories, watch movies, and participate in age-appropriate craft activities, beginning at 10:00 am each Wed. except Jan. 4th. Kinder Korner 2nd Wed. 4:00 pm. Pajama Night Story Time Mon. at 6:30 pm -- Library closed Jan. 2nd 281-238-2900
Computer classes are free to the public. Reservations are required. Register online at (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on “Calendar,” select “Sienna Branch,” and find the program or register by calling the library at 281-238-2900.The Culinary Book Club will meet on Mon. Jan. 16th, at 1:30 pm, The topic of the month is southern, down-home, country cooking.
FAMILY READING CLUB will begin on Sat. Jan. 21, until March 3rd.

BACK YONDER
On a chilly January morning in 1916, six-year-old Marion Keyworth happily hopped in the back of Mr. Foster’s T-Model Ford. Marion was too young to go to school as kids had to be seven before starting to school in Texas back then.
Mr. Foster was talking to Marion’s mother as they bumped along the gravel road. “As you can see Mrs. Keyworth, Almeda Road (or Highway 19) is passable year round. You can deliver your milk to Houston without a problem.”

Marion was a kid but he wasn’t stupid. Was his mother thinking about moving? After they had passed the beautiful trees at Herman Park and crossed Brays Bayou, Marion didn’t see a tree. Even at Sims Bayou, no trees. Why no trees, he wondered.
“All this land as far as the eye can behold,” said Mr. Foster, “is open range. You can fence your cattle up at night and let them graze anywhere all day long.”

“That would be a relief,” said Marion’s mom. “Right now I have to lease 300 acres for the heifers and dry cows. My foreman with the help of Marion, since he was three years old, has rounded them up when they are ready to have a calf. But getting them from that pasture (Galleria area) to our place (West Gray) creates problems. More people are moving in and some folks don’t appreciate getting free fertilizer in their yards.”

Marion smiled at that remark even as he looked out the window at the dismal countryside. For about the last ten miles he thought he had seen one house. His mother continued talking, “I could buy a piece of land nearby for $8 an acre, (River Oaks) but it is so low and such a swamp, it is a water moccasin haven. I’m afraid to let the boys go near the area.”
About a mile south of Sims, the Model T turned onto a dirt road. “I understand they call this Anderson Road,” said Mr. Foster. “Mr. Anderson uses a team of mules to keep it graded. You notice he has good ditches on both sides of the road so it doesn’t stay muddy too long after a rain.. He lives about a mile further west, beyond him the Buell families (Hiram Clark) and a short distance west of them are the Edmunsons. All good hardworking folks.”

A half mile west of Almeda Road, Mr. Foster turned in front of a two-story unpainted house surrounded by dead grey stalks of blood weeds towering five feet over Marion’s head and not one scraggly tree. It was a dreary scene. He listened to the grown ups talking, then tugged on his mother’s dress, “Momma, you are not going to buy this terrible place, are you?”

All the way back to Houston as his mother and Mr. Foster discussed details, Marion laid in the back seat and cried. Little did he know he would spend the next 60 years on Anderson Road in the little town of Almeda, Texas. Years that were filled with fun, adventure, devilment and hard work of a country boy in the early part of the century.

The Wonderful World Of Auctions. By James Wark
One dollar bid ,now two, now two, will you give me two. Sold to number 17 for a dollar. Welcome to the world of auctions. A auction is a sale where goodies are sold to the highest bidder, regardless of the original cost. First question is, where can you find out where they are held. With the invention of the Internet, just look under auctions. Your newspaper has a section just for auctions. Or for great steals too numerous to list, Federal give away hotlines are as follows. Department of Defense 1- 800 -GOVT-BUY or General Services Administration 1 800- 488-3111. DOD has the deal where you have sealed bids & the G.S.A. has sales where you bid at live auctions. Sealed bids are where you have until a certain date & time to turn in your bid in a sealed envelope, to be opened with everybody else's at the same time. That means if you are the only one who turns in a bid, you just bought it, regardless of price. Do you feel lucky or what?

What is sold at auctions? You name it. The list is too long for this article, but to touch on a few. Real Estate- Art Work- Cars- Trucks- Office Equipment- Ships-Computers. The list would be shorter on what is not sold. Even possessions of the famous can be yours. Always find out what the rules & regulations are before you show up raising your hand or waving you paddle. For instance, check out if they have a buyer premium. That could be as much as 15 %. OUCH. An extra $ 150.00 for every $ 1000.00 you spend. And lets not forget local taxes (average 8 %) But some have no buyers premium at all. Every auction company has different rules. Also check out if there is a minimum or reserve. If its over your budget, don't waste your time. But if its advertised as no minimum or no reserve, you could hit the jackpot if you are the only one there who wants the fine outstanding merchandise.

White HOT Tip: At a auction, you will meet other investors. Learn what they are buying. That way, if you see what they want & if when you see it at another auction, buy cheap & sell to them. Added hint: Have them pick it up at the auction site. How much is that worth? Another feature in my bag of tricks. To be continued next month

Published by Sis Andrews
2500 copies distributed 1st wk of month
12 issues mailed to your home for $8.50
Our News is online at
http://almedaournews.blogspot.com
Deadline for news/ads is the 25th

Merry Christmas
Once again Arcola will have a Christmas party but they desperately need volunteers. Last year 400 people were served at the Arcola facility on Hwy. 6. Santa will be passing out gifts to the children on December 17th at noon. Mayor Anderson is hoping volunteers will make the event as successful as they made the July 4th celebration. Anyone or any group who would like to perform in the program can call city hall at 281-431-0606. The deadline to call is Dec. 10th.

CHRISTMAS QUESTIONS
1. What two books of the Bible tell of the birth of Jesus?
2. What country was Jesus the king of kings born in?
3. What town was Jesus born in?
4. What happened in that town after Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Egypt?
5.Why did they go to Egypt instead of another country?
Can you score 90? You get 10 points for each correct answer and 10 points for each question if you know where the answers were predicted in the Old Testament, except for the first question. Answers below

NATIONAL BIBLE BEE PAYS WINNER $100,000
Kari Erickson from South Dakota was one of the winners taking home $100,000 in the National Bible Bee. A total of $260,000 was given in prizes. Kari learned 1,100 Bible verses over the summer months. Behany Xiques from FL. in the Jr. division learn 700 verses and the winner of 7 to 10 year old category, Olivia Davis from Oregon learned 350 verses. Of the 5,654 contestants, 300 qualified for national in Nashville and five kids from each category made it to the semifinals. Learning the verses is a family affair for most as they practice reciting. Anyone interested can click on www.BibleBee.org It cost $35 a child to enroll but that is used to pay for the material.

Arcola City Council Dismisses Police Chief
After receiving numerous complaints and a petition from citizens concerning the police chief, three of the five members of the city council voted to terminate James Barkley, who had been employed by the city for five years.
While the mayor can not vote, she is to be commended for having the guts to bring the matter to the attention of the council as she serves the citizens.

The angel said, “Call his name JESUS for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

UNITED NATIONS AGENDA 21
Kiss the America we know good-by if the United States agrees to the UN Agenda 21. Never heard of it? Type it into your search engine and learn more than you want to know.

A CHALLENGE TO NBC, ABC, CBS, & FOX
How many hours has the news media talked about Herman Cain and the women he is suppose to have harassed? If only the media would spend a fraction of that time informing the public on facts. With all their investigating reporting there is one fact they have never mentioned which a housewife named Linda Jordan discovered.
Linda feels like she, and the rest of the citizens of this country, are the employers of our elected officials. Since employers are suppose to use the government e-verify to see if their employees are legal citizens, Linda decided to e-verify one of her employees, President Obama H. Barack. When she typed in his name, birthday, and social security number 042-68-4425, which the president used on his 2009 IRS tax statement, Linda received a notice that there was a mismatch. Another interesting thing about that social security number is that 042 to 049 numbers were all issued in the state of Connecticut and according to the SS # right before 042-68-4425 and right after, they were issued the same time Obama was working as a teenager in Hawaii.
Now compare this information that Linda researched with the information we have about Herman Cain and tell me why the media thinks Cain is worth hours and hours of noteworthy news and the above is not mentioned even by all the so called conservative Republicans.
Perhaps if the media brought this the president’s attention he would explain it.

TIPPING FEE
The landfill on Almeda Road pays Ft. Bend County a tipping fee which amounts to about $200,000 some years. A committee appointed by the commissioners court makes recommendations on applications sent in, according to chairman Michael Gutirrez. The YMCA was recently given 470,272 l $35,000 for a summer program at Mustang Center and the rest for a computer lab. $37, 417.80 was given to the Fresno Volunteer Fire Dept. to pay for a full time station attendant. One half of the tipping fee goes to the Ft. Bend Co. general fund. To get an application on the website go to fortbendcounty.gov.com, click on county government then commissioners court pct.1.

FEEDBACK
Thanks to the Almeda community for an awesome turn out for our Fall Fun Day, Oct. 28th at Ameda U. Methodist Church.

Almeda Moe
Almeda Moe and Fresno Joe applied for a job as manager at the Almeda Country Club. Both men seemed equally qualified so the owner gave them a written test. Moe and Joe each got 19 of the questions right but the owner said he was going to hire Moe. “What,” cried Joe. “This is discrimination. You are hiring him because he is from Almeda.” “Not really said the owner. I’m basing my decision on your answer to question # 3 which you both got wrong.” Joe snapped, “If we both got it wrong how should that make a difference?” “Well,” replied the owner, “Moe answered ‘I don’t know’ and you answered, ‘Neither do I.’”

Christmas Party and Santa's Workshop
Christmas basket give-aways from raffle drawing
Almeda United Methodist Church
14300 Almeda School Road
713-991-2568 5:30 - 8 p.m.
Have your picture made with Santa!
Gift & refreshments for all ...HO HO HO.

Vinson Library
3810 West Fuqua 832 393 2120 Open Tue. 10-6, Wed. 10-6, Thurs.12-8, Fri. 1-5, Sat. 10-5. Closed Sunday and Monday. Internet open 24/7 houstonlibrary.org
Sienna Library

8411 Sienna Springs Blvd. 281-341-2677,
Mon/Tue/Thur, 7:30 am to 9:00 pm
Wed. 7:30-6, Fri.7:30-5, Sat. 10- 5
Closed Dec. 23rd.—26th and Jan 1st and 2nd.

HOLIDAY PUPPET SHOW
A special show “The Night Before Christmas,” on Sat. Dec. 17th, at 11:00 am,
Free and open to the public. Learn how to
share Your Digital Pictures 101, Dec.28, at 10:00 am “The Basics of Buying and Selling on eBay” Dec 8, at 10:00 am, register by calling 281-238-2900

FRESNO WATER BOARD
The Fresno Water Board meets the 3rd Thurs. of the month at 6 pm at the Mustang Community Center.

Condolences
MARY ELIZABETH DOWNEY 70, born April 11, 1941 in OK. She passed away November 5, 2011. A longtime employee at Two Sisters, she also worked at Save and Save on South Post Oak. Her children and her grandchildren were her life. She is survived by six children: Thomas/DeAnn Downey, Susan/Allen Moore, Wesley/Rebecca Downey, Rebecca/Mickey Bobbitt, Elizabeth/Roger Hellman, and Martin Downey; 14 grandchildren, 3 greats and 4 siblings.

GLADYS E. DAGG 96, born October 10, 1915 passed 11, 11, 2011. She married Lewis Dagg in 1940 and lived on the old Dagg homestead. She loved quilting, gardening, playing cards, traveling and even taking an Alaska cruise when she was 92. A strong Christian she passed her faith to her children and grandchildren. A member of Minnetex Community Church in 1950 then Southway Community Church which she last attended Oct. 30th. Preceded in death by her parents, Theodore/Marie Horn; husband, Lewis Dagg; son, Arthur L. Dagg; and five siblings, she is survived by Mary Miller, Evelyn Hall, and Suzan Dagg; seven grandchildren and five greats.

PATRICIA MARIE CURTIS ,82 was born in New Orleans, LA on March 20, 1929 and passed away November 12, 2011. Pat’s exuberant joyous spirit lit up the lobby at the Bank of Almeda. She wrote a history of Windsor Village and was an Avon district manager. Her first love was singing in the church choir, first at Almeda United Methodist and then Westbury where she also played the hand bells. Preceded in death by her husband James Curtis, Pat is survived by three daughters: Susan Gaston, Carol/Daniel Burnham and Margaret “Peggy” Miller, six grandchildren and two greats. The family requests humorous stories of her to be sent to caburnham04@sbcglobal.net

ANTHONY R. PARKER, 73, was born December 29, 1937 and died November 15, 2011. He lived his entire life on his parent’s farm in Almeda, Texas making a living as an automobile mechanic and later as a diesel mechanic. He married his childhood friend Patti Sue Roco on July 7, 1956. They loved traveling around the United States. He also enjoyed restoring antiques and feeding people from his garden and the barbecue he cooked every Sunday. He is survived by his wife, Patti sue, four children, eight grandchildren and four greats.

EVERETT LYNN POTTS, 46,
Born August 26, 1965, Everett passed away November 17, 2011. Preceded in death by his father Kenneth Potts and mother Nelta Bratton, Everett is survived by his loving family; daughters, Marissa and Shannon Potts; grandsons, Bradyn and Kadyn Holbert; father, Dwight Bratton; sisters, Andrea/Kevin LeCompte, Tiffany/Scott Hamilton; brothers, Jimmy/Angie Potts and Robert Bratton. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and good friends. Everett loved his family. He was a fun son, dad, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and paw-paw. He had a kind soul, great smile and will be greatly missed.

ALICE WHITELOCK, 96, joined her Lord Jesus Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2011. She was a helpmeet to her husband, Gordan Whitelock when they established a small church in the oil field town of Pierce Junction and the Lifeboat, a place for teens to gather and have fun in a Christian atmosphere. When Pierce Junction ceased to be a community, their church bought the original Almeda Methodist building, where Alice served beside Gordan until they established Camp Peniel in Marble Falls. At camp, over the years, thousands of youth have been brought to an understanding of the Christian faith while having the most fun in their lives. Alice is preceded in death by Gordan and one grandchild, Whitney Whitelock. She is survived by three children: David/Rosie, Paul/Donna, Mary Edith/Don Barber, 15 grandkids, 10 greats and 1 great, great.


LAST MONTH FOR HOG OUT PROGRAM
Texas is fed up with feral (domestic gone wild) hogs. In just one night the hogs can do $40,000 worth of damage at a club. Besides tearing up parks, golf courses, and yards, the hogs kill farm animals and wildlife. Texas has set up a program called Hog Out. The counties that do the most to educate citizens on the hogs and turn in the most affidavits of hogs killed can win up to $20,000. Fort Bend County is leading in participation as the hogs have become a real problem to residents. You don’t have to live in the county to hunt for hogs but it does have to be killed in Fort Bend Co. to count for Fort Bend. To get an affidavit call 281-342-3034 or go online at http://fortbend.agrilife.org to record the feral hogs you killed. One man accidently hit a hog with his car. If the hog is dead it counts but the cost of damage to a car runs about $1200. The program ends Dec. 31st for this year.

CALL TO ACTION
John Adams said, “There are two ways to conquer and enslave nation. One is by sword.

The other is by debt.”
Al Green was one of 23 representatives that defeated a balanced budget amendment in November. The United States debt has risen from about $25,000 per person to $50,000 since he has been in office. You can voice your concerns by calling 281-575-1635 or email tx09ima@mail.house.gov

AN UNUSAL BUSINESS TODAY
Chick-fil-A is run by devout Christians who believe in strong marriages, devoted families, and the highest standards of character for their workers. The restaurant chain's official corporate mission is to "glorify God" and "enrich the lives of everyone we touch." The company's community-service initiatives, funded through its WinShape Foundation, support foster-care, scholarship, summer-camp, and marriage-enrichment programs. On Sunday, all Chick-fil-A stores close so workers can spend the day at worship and rest.

ANSWERS TO CHRISTMAS QUESTIONS
1.The books Matthew and Luke tell of the birth of Jesus.
2.Jesus was born in the country of Israel. Numbers 24:17
3.Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem. Micah 5:2
4. Herod had all the boy babies under two years old killed in Bethlehem and all around as predicted in Jeremiah 31:15
5.Joseph was warned by an angel in a dream, that he should take Jesus to Egypt until it was safe to leave Egypt fulfilling the prophecy in Hosea 11:1 that says, “and called my son out of Egypt.”

REMEMBER MELISSA
Fifteen years ago, in the February issue of Our News pretty Melissa Pennington is shown with her horse on which she had won many prizes in shows. She continued to win top notch events until she had to choose between her horse and college. She chose Texas A&M. A degree in bio medicine, double masters degrees in health care administration and business, a stint in a hospital in NC and now she is the Director of Business Development at Memorial Herman Southwest. Melissa Pennington Mielcarek, her husband, and little girl attend New Hope Church, not far from their home on Hwy. 6.

QUOTE
How fortunate for leaders that men do not think. -
Adolf Hitler

A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE’S PLAN
My Plan to Restore America cuts $1 trillion in federal spending during the first year of my presidency by eliminating five federal departments that I can actually name - Education, Energy, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, and Interior.
As President, I'll balance the budget by year three without cutting one penny from our veterans, one penny from our senior citizens, or one penny from our national defense. That's what sets me apart - my plan, my record of being right while others were wrong, and my unmatched and unwavering record of fighting for fiscal responsibility and constitutional principles.
Once people learn about my support for the Second Amendment and the Right to Life, and my unmatched record on spending in Congress, they realize I am the true conservative.
And when they learn that I'm a man of faith, a military veteran - having served five years in the Air Force during the turbulent 1960s - and that I've received more money from our active duty troops than all my Republican opponents COMBINED, they realize I'm the Republican to take on and DEFEAT President Obama in 2012.
Unlike my opponents, I'm not running from my voting record. I'm not running from my public statements. I'm not running from my predictions. I'm running on them.
In 2003, I predicted the Housing crisis and pushed to get the government out of the mortgage business. In 2008, I fought TARP and the Fed when they laid waste to our economy, while others in this race applauded their disastrous Big Government intervention. And unlike my opponents and most people in Congress, I am absolutely ready to enact real spending cuts, right now.
For years, he has pushed for a full audit of the Federal Reserve which recently spent $2 trillion dollars of our tax money. They answer to no one and have not seen fit to say where the two trillion dollars has gone. A lot of people with a lot of money will not want to see Ron Paul become president and it seems the Republicans, the Democrats and the media try their best to ignore him.

November 2011

TEN AMENDMENTS TO THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION
Election Nov. 8th early voting ends Nov. 4th

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted ChurchNovember 13th See two reasons why we need to pray at end of this issue.

Reverend Jakob Klingenberg, II
preached his first sermon at Anderson Road Baptist Church in October 1970 and his last sermon September 25, 2011 completing 41 years of ministry to the people of this area. On September 28th he left this earth and the hundreds of people who had come to love and admire a godly man.
Born September 13, 1928 in Huffnungstall, Siberia Russia, Klingenberg and his family moved to . to Germany to escape the Communist oppression only to come under the rule of Hitler. For seven years Jakob did not see his father who served as a Russian translator in the German army. When Jakob was 14 years old he was put in command of 100 boys in the Hitler Youth program. He saw many of his young friends sent to the front lines. His family had to flee once again when the Russians moved in. Some years later Jakob at the age of 21 received Christ as his Savior. Two years later, his family immigrated to the U. S. He got his GED, served in the army artillery from 1953 to 1955, and married Janell June Lengefeld in December of ‘55.
After getting his BA and Master of Religious Education degree, he worked as a rice farm manager, elevator operator, supervisor of a work crew, and drove school buses while pasturing churches in Tennessee and South Dakota. While a pastor at Anderson Road, he taught at Broadway Baptist school.
When the demographics of the area changed, Klingenberg changed from a pastor of a predominately white church to a diversified congregation. The color of a persons skin did not affect his goal in the lives of the people he served. That goal was, “that you would come to know Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and grow in your walk with the Lord.” A favorite verse of his was Philippians 1:6—“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”


Arcola Police Chief Under Fire
Arcola Mayor Anderson has received complaints from citizens and businesses about Arcola’s police chief. She asked for a special meeting to address the concerns but two of the city council members, Mrs. Mathews and Mrs. Jackson, failed to attend the meeting. There must be four out of five council members in a special meeting to make decisions, so nothing was accomplished although many interested residents attended. The mayor can call for a meeting but she can not vote. At a regular session, held on the second Tuesday of the month, four members do not need to be present so the matter will have to wait until then. Arcola will keep their police department.

WHAT ONE WOMAN CAN DO
Robin G. isn’t looking for money or fame, she just loves her community and cares about the safety of children and the elderly. The sidewalk along Bathurst gets covered with weeds so people walk in the street, For seven years she has cleared the weeds on both sides of the sidewalk for about a half mile. She doesn’t feel too kindly towards the tax exempt owner of the property for not taking care of it but she decided fussing doesn’t do any good. She can see to it that the people have a safe place to walk. Robin takes pride in community, but she can’t do anything to slow down the speeders who have crashed into five houses on Bathurst. She hopes the city will take care of that problem.


INTERESTINGIn Michigan when you call the Public Assistance office you are told to “Press 1 for English. Press dos for Spanish, or Press 3 for Arabic”! Here is the number 1-888-678-8914. I called but I really couldn’t understand the Arabic words for press 3.

Parents, Teachers, Students, Almeda School Helpers All of the above joined in helping Ms. Nikki Skinner’s dream come true. Pictured on the far right with the shovel, Ms. Skinner is the scientist teacher at Almeda Elementary. No Child Left Inside is her idea of the best way to teach science as research backs up her idea that children learn best in outdoor activities. A project such as this connects the kids to the land. They learn ways to provide for themselves and care for the land.
Some of the children, have a lot to learn like Adrian who is in kindergarten. He wants to plant pineapples, apples, watermelons, and coconuts. His brother, Abram wants to raise tomatoes and marshmallows. Their dad liked the idea that his boys were learning to build and work together.
Energetic fourth grader, Hector Almanza, worked hard and fast unloading dirt to help fill 12 garden plots. He enjoys “landscaping” and said, “I think with my help Almeda and the world can be a brighter place.”
Wes Wofford, who is standing next to Ms. Skinner, also worked to make Almeda a brighter place. His mother, Virginia Whitley attended Almeda school 65 years ago. Wes’ wife, Cecilia, works in the office at Almeda. She is responsible for reaching people who donated food for the event. Subway on 288 near Almeda Genoa donated “Subs”, Mimi’s Café in Pearland’s Town Center supplied scrumptious muffins and Auntie Annie’s Pretzels, inside HEB, provided pizza and Cinnamon Bites.
In the photo standing between Wes and school maintence, Mr. Hanley, is Wendy Hawkins. She and her husband Johnny represented Azko Nobel, Almeda’s business partner. Johnny kept working when the sun caused some to slow down.
The group wearing orange shirts are from Home Depot. When Ms. Skinner asked the Home Depot manager Glenda Tolliver for help, she immediately responded. Ironic, one of the crew from Home Depot was Julio Nazquez, a former student.
Ms. Skinner says , “You receive not because you ask not.”
Skinner asked TSCPA for a grant and received $1900 to buy the lumber, dirt, and gravel she needed. Burpee donated seed.
She won’t need to ask for money again as some of the produce will be sold to raise funds for seed, fertilizer, and plants. Some of the vegetables the students raise will be cooked in the cafeteria. The Almeda Garden Gophers will promote advertisement of the benefits of eating greens from their garden.
Ms. Skinner has found more than one way to teach.

USE WORDS TO HEAL
Use words to fill hearts with joy
Not to destroy
Use words to heal
Not to kill or make ill
Use words to give life
Not to stir up strife
Stay in God’s perfect will.
© Copyright by Emmaline Wiley.
A soft answer turns away wrath: but harsh words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge aright but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness. Proverbs 15:1&2 Death and life are in the power of the tongue. - 18:31 Ephesians 4:25-32.

OCCUPY ORLANDO People are protesting through out the country. Every wonder who is organizing the protests. Guess who signed the application for the use of Orlando’s Johnson Park for the Orlando protest? According World Net News it was Shayan Elahi, the attorney who fought to have a Rifqa Bary returned to her parents. Rifqa became a Christian and feared her Muslim parents would kill her to protect their honor.
In the video on World Net News, Elahi was taking a leadership role in Occupy Orlando. On their facebook page it says, “...like our brothers and sisters in Egypt, Greece, Spain, and Iceland we plan to use the revolutionary Arab Springs tactic of mass occupation to restore democracy in America.”
Let’s see restore democracy by taking away what some earn and letting the government distribute it. All these rich people, does that include the athletes, who work their guts out when they were kids to be the very best? Or is it just the ones who were gifted with a high degree of intelligence like Bill Gates who prefer to excel in business than play? What is to keep the ones in government who do the distributing from becoming greedy and giving to their greedy friends? Whose fault is it when the government takes taxpayer money and gives it to corporations?
Ron Paul aims to cut $1 trillion in spending during his first year in office, in part by "eliminating five cabinet departments (Energy, HUD, Commerce, Interior, and Education), abolishing the Transportation Security Administration and returning responsibility for security to private property owners, abolishing corporate subsidies, stopping foreign aid, ending foreign wars, and returning most other spending to 2006 levels.
Reducing the size of the sacred cow of government is one reason why Republicans and Democrats try to ignore Paul.

ANOTHER SCAMCheck your receipt when you use your credit card as the cashier may add a cash back to your bill and then pocket the cash or hand it to a friend who is next in line.
ECONOMIC SOLUTION Senator Rand Paul’s solution is to “cut a penny from every dollar the government spends and balance the budget in 7 years.”

FOR YOU OR YOUR DOG Skunk's musk is the essence of putrid rot, a concentration of the same aromatic chemicals found in decomposing flesh. If you or your dog falls victim, forget the tomato juice bath. Follow the recipe proven by chemists to neutralize skunk smell: 1 quart fresh hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 teaspoon liquid soap. Wash with the mixture while it's still bubbling." It works according to an article in the Feb 2007 issue of Field and Stream


FEEDBACKThat was a land phone not a cell phone that my friend paid $52.03 for a six minute cell phone collect call she accepted

FYIRodrigo Carreon says that the Metro bus runs every 15 minutes from 5am to 7:45 and every 15 minutes 3:30-7pm from the bus stop next to Kroger on Hwy. 6. Bus tickets can be purchased at Krogers.

HOW DO YOU WALK? In a letter to the Ephesian Christians, Paul begs them to walk, or live, worthy of their calling. To be worthy must mean go to church, give a tenth of your income, don’t lie, cheat, or steal. Strange but it doesn’t mention any of those things. Instead Paul writes, “to walk worthy with all humility, gentleness, with patience putting up with each other’s shortcomings with love.” Ephesians 4:2
That word humility does not exactly fit in with most Americans attitude of being # 1. Nor is that the attitude some fine church-going people display. But humility should be the #1 characteristic of Christians. For true believers understand how unworthy they are to be called the children of God. That it is only because of the love of Jesus and the sacrifice of his life for us that we can be forgiven. Because Jesus conquered death we can receive Him into our life. It is by his grace not by anything we do that enables us to live a life that pleases God.
No way could we ever pay for all He has done for us.








The burned face of 10-year-old Namrata exemplifies the horror Indian Christians face every day. As radical Hindus attacked her village, a bomb exploded and burned 40 percent of her body. The Voice of the Martyrs paid for her medical care. After 45 days in the hospital, her face was fully healed. Namrata has dedicated her life to spreading the gospel.



A radical Muslim slashed this 4-year-old girl’s arm during an attack on the Christian village of Dogo Nahawa in Nigeria. Her arm had to be amputated. Let’s pray on the 13th of every month for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ.

NOVEMBER 2011

ELECTION NOVEMBER 8th
There are ten Texas Constitutional Amendments on the ballot for all Texans to vote on. Houstonians elect a mayor, a city controller, five at large citywide council positions and 11 city council district seats.
Most of Our News readers are no longer in Wanda Adams District D but in the newly created District K containing thirty three precincts including Precinct 0131. The other precincts are west and north of 0131. The three candidates on the ballot for Dist. K are Pat Frazier, Larry Green and Alex Gonik. You can see Pat’s picture on page 3.
Houstonians will also decide on the following propositions:
Proposition 1: Relating to the Creation of a Dedicated Funding Source to Enhance, Improve and Renew Drainage Systems and Streets. Shall the City Charter of the City of Houston be amended to provide for the enhancement, improvement and ongoing renewal of Houston's drainage and streets by creating a Dedicated Pay-As-You-Go Fund for Drainage and Streets?

Proposition 2: Relating to Residency Requirements for District Council Office for the November 2011 General Election.
Shall the City Charter of the City of Houston be amended to provide that for the general election to be held in November 2011, and for the purpose of redistricting, the required period of residency to file for the office of District Council Member shall be reduced from 12 months to 6 months preceding the election day?

Proposition 3: An Amendment to the City Charter Relating to the Use of Photographic Traffic Signal Enforcement Systems (Red Light Cameras). Shall the City of Houston continue to use red light cameras to enforce state or local laws relating to traffic safety?
The last day to register to vote is Oct. 11th. (It is now a felony to register if you are not a legal resident.)
Early voting begins Oct. 24 to Nov. 4th.

Presidential Candidate Cain
Watching TV you might think Romney and Perry are the only two men to choose from in the Republican primary. The Florida straw poll said differently when 65-year-old Hermann Cain came out first with 37% of the vote. He said, “The voice of the people is more powerful than the media and the message is more important than money. He has good common sense solutions to our economy problems. Cain is an extremely successful black business man who has never held a public office. He was affiliated with the Teaparty movement before it was called the Teaparty. To me Cain is among my top three candidates whom I believe would make a good leader.

strong>IN GOD WE TRUST
Our national motto is In God We Trust. In 1814, in the last stanza of the Star Spangled Banner, Francis Scott Key wrote And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
By 1864 the words were put on some coins. In 1956, Congress made it our official national motto which is printed on all our currency.





John Hoffman and Chris Gonzales
New plant managers have recently joined each of the plants. John Hoffman joined the Houston Plant in October as Plant Manager. He comes from Chicago, and has been with Akzo Nobel for 22 years, serving as a Plant Manager in two assignments, and in the corporate office in another. The new Plant Manager at Champion Technologies is Chris Gonzales, who is a Texan, and was formerly with Lyondell in La Porte.
Both are residents of Fort Bend County
Know your neighbors
Knowing who comes and goes regularly, and what normal day-to-day activities to expect in your neighborhood are essential to personal and community security! In today’s post 9-11 environment, knowing what happens around you and your family is more important than ever!
The Community Advisory Panel to Akzo Nobel and Champion Technologies (ANC CAP) provides a means for area residents to learn about their industrial neighbors, and the operations at their facilities. CAP has been meeting monthly since April, 2004 with sixteen members drawn from Arcola, Fresno, Shadow Creek Ranch, and Almeda neighborhoods surrounding the two sponsoring plants. The CAP provides a forum for two way communications between plant managers and neighborhood representatives. At each meeting the members hear Plant Updates, which cover the plant’s safety and environmental performance and provide news about operations, permit changes, special projects and awards the plants receive.
Plant representatives hear community news as well, allowing the representatives to gain insight on the day to day life in the surrounding neighborhoods. Members encourage the companies to support local activities, and both have shown their willingness to be involved with their neighbors.
Champion supports the local Volunteer Fire Department that serves Fresno, Arcola, and the surrounding community, and is active with the Senior Center. Akzo Nobel is a business partner to Almeda Elementary School, and provides scholarships to local high school graduates.
Community Members select the meetings agendas covering a range of topics. Most recently, the CAP learned about the TCEQ permitting and how citizens can participate in the process. Concerns about water quality and private wells brought experts to the meeting to answer questions and inform the citizens how to test wells to ensure they are safe. The CAP also learned about waste disposal and deep well injection.
Other topics the CAP has examined in recent months include safety training for oil rig workers, plant security, and how to develop a culture of safety in petrochemical facilities. The CAP reviews and evaluates its operations annually. New programs are planned based on members’ new concerns or current local issues – and no question goes unanswered. The CAP is open to citizens who live or work in the area, and are interested in learning more about neighboring industry or in membership. Those wishing to attend a meeting may contact the Facilitator at m.j.naquin@informedfutures.com

A TIME TO DIE
Are our days numbered? Is there a day marked out when we will die? In chapter 3 verse 1 of Ecclesiastes, the writer says there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. It is easy to understand that there is a time to plant and a time to harvest, a time to laugh and a time to mourn and a time to keep silence and a time to speak, but a time to die?
Chap. 8 v. 8 says, “no man has power in the day of death.” Moses wrote, “Teach us Lord to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. Psalm 90:12
The fear of the Lord adds days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. Proverbs 10:27
O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days. Psalms 102:23
...deceitful; men shall not live out half their days. Psalm 55:23 Ecc. 7:17: Be not overmuch wicked neither be foolish: why should you die before your time?
...our days on earth are a shadow writes Job in Ch. 8 v.9. Other verses also point out how short life on earth is.
While we don’t know how long our life will be, if God knows us well enough to know how many hairs are on our head and he is aware when a sparrow dies, He most likely knows when we will die. Jesus said (John 5:24) that he who hears my word and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is (already) passed from death into life. One thing for sure, all of us had a time to be born and there will be a time to die. Thank God, Jesus conquered the grave taking the sting out of death. I Corinthians 15: 54-

CEMETERIES
Mary Appling from Fresno, who has worked for the two major owners of all funeral homes in the United States, is the director of her own independent funeral home. She shares her knowledge on cemeteries: For a person to be buried in a family, church or community cemetery, you can hire people who will open and close the grave. They charge anywhere from $600 to $1500 depending on the location and who you hire. Usually you go through your funeral home for this service.
At South Park that service is provided by the cemetery for $1,395. South Park also requires an outer burial container which they charge $895 (as of August 2011) but you don’t have to buy the container from them. Mrs. Appling says you may buy it from a funeral supply store or from your funeral director. As a funeral director, she can offer you a container for $600 tax free whereas the funeral stores have to charge a tax and a delivery fee. Same thing with caskets. You can have one funeral home do the service and buy your casket elsewhere, often saving $100 of dollars.
Funny how a person will shop for hours for a blouse or a pair of shoes to save ten bucks, but when it comes to a funeral, money seems to be no object.

STAY HUMBLEWhen people do you wrong and you think you can’t go on, stay humble and God will make you strong.
Keep looking to the hills, help is on the way. God never slumbers nor sleeps. Remember stay humble, pray, fast, and obey. Psalms 121, II Chronicles 7:14, Matt. 6:14-18, 17:21 & 18:4
© Copyright by Emmaline Wiley.

A friend said she accepted a collect call to her cell phone and got a bill for $52.03 for six minutes. Might want to find out what your phone company will charge before you accept a collect call.

November 2011 news

Freaky Friday Fest
from 7p ‘til 930p, arts 'n crafts, creepy crawl snacks in a fun house. Come in fall costume. Free to all.
Almeda United Methodist Church
14300 Almeda School Road
FRESNO WATER BOARD
The Fresno Water Board meets the 3rd Thurs. of the month at 6 pm at the Mustang Community Center.
. . Vinson Library 3810 West Fuqua 832 393 2120 hpl.lib.tx.us
Sienna Library 8411 Sienna Springs Blvd. 281-341-2677, www.fortbend.lib.tx.us
Mon/Tue/Thur, 7:30 am to 9:00 pm
Wed. 7:30 am to 6pm Fri. 7:30 am to 5 pm Sat. 10am to 5 pm
The Culinary Book Club meets Mon. Oct.17th, at 1:30 pm,
Sienna Book Club will discuss
SAY WHEN on Oct. 10th at 1:30 pm. More info: 281-238-2900.
The “Computers 101” class (basic introduction)- Wed. Oct. 5th, at 10 am, .The “MS Word Survival Basics” class Oct 12th,
The “MS Word – Intermediate” class Oct. 19th, “Introduction to Microsoft Publisher” Oct. 26,th. The classes are free and open to the public. Reservations are required. (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on “Calendar,” select “Sienna Branch,” and find the program or call 281-238-2900.
FREE “SAT” PRACTICE TEST
A free practice SAT test at Sienna Branch on Sat. Oct. 22nd, 10 am to 2:15 pm, Follow-up strategy session Oct.29, 10 am to 12 noon, Students will take the practice test during session one, and will review their scores and learn strategy tips to increase their future scores at the second session.
COMMISSIONER ON YOUR CORNER
FBC Commissioner Morrison, Precinct 1, will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting on October 13th at Arcola City Hall located at 13222 SH 6, Arcola from 6:30P.M. till 8P.M. He will be discussing any concerns that the residents of Precinct 1 may have.
Back Yonder In Almeda
Get the history of Almeda at Bob’s or Debbie’s. Call 713-433-1098 for info

FEEDBACK/OPINIONS

FEEDBACK
After seeing that Almeda School had two detention ponds, Jim Bockel says, “I use to have to sit in a hot classroom for detention, now kids have a pond to sit in when they are bad.” Progress, Jim progress.

Joaquin Rodriguez says, “Nobody believes me but riding north on a bicycle is easier than riding south on Almeda Road because the road slants up going north.” He wants others to make a test ride and confirm his theory.

James Andrews says:
Have you ever thought, "I really like what Joe Notachance stands for. I think it would be great if he could win, but I don't want to waste my vote on a candidate that doesn't have much of a chance."
Here's a little list of reasons to go for it, and vote your heart anyway:
6. The more votes Joe gets, the more the guy with the pretty hair has to pay attention to what Joe said.
5. Your vote might not tip the election, but it might tip Joe's confidence enough to run again. Times may change, and Joe might have a better last name by then ... like Joe Slimtonone.
4. Your support might encourage Joe's son, Jand Possiblecontender, to carry the torch for ol' dad.
3. You never know when everyone else is going to say, "What the heck, let's do it."
2. There are so many good ways to waste a vote these days, why not waste it on a Joe you actually like?
1. A vote for Joe might make the Uncle Sam's in there now think twice about voting in another raise for themselves.

Earl Divoky writes: The Tea Party is doomed to disappointment if they think the 10th amendment trumps the rest of the Bill of Rights combined, since Florida isn’t the first state to try drug testing for welfare recipients. In 2003, Michigan’s similar law was ruled unconstitutional for violating our 4th amendment protection against unreasonable searches without probable cause.
To highlight this war on the Poor’s hypocrisy, Louisiana/s Sen. David Vitter has introduced the “Drug Free Families Act” in Congress, which would create yet another unfunded Federal Mandate (at the states’ expense, of course!) to unconstitutionally require all 50 states to drug test all temporary Assistance for Needy Families program applicants and recipients—the 10th Amendment being conspicuously absent!
Sen. Vitter should read his Bible more—a lot more! In Luke 11:46, Jesus chastises those who would, “...load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.”
Ed. Note Any thing in the feedback column does not necessarily hold the views of the editor

September 2011

32,000 PEOPLE PRAYING
Did they pray for rain, Sue Hughes wanted to know.
No they prayed for our nation.
A theme song was Lord have mercy for we have placed our hope in Thee.

It was inspiring just seeing people from all races, backgrounds, ages, and cultural gathered together and joined in praise and worship of Jesus Christ while praying for forgiveness and asking God to help us as individuals to do what is right and to heal our nation.

AUGUST ISSUE OF OUR NEWS

To read about this and the rest of the August issue go to page August 2011.

July Issue

CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
The above words are the first of the 1,337 words of the Declaration of Independence signed by 56 men who laid their life, property and honor on the line.
Compare that with the 400,000 words in a health care bill which is estimated to cost $2.24 million per word over a period of ten years signed by men and women who had so much “confidence” in the bill they exempted themselves. We’ve come a long way. Is it the right way?

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. Thomas Jefferson

WHAT ARE YOUR KIDS DOING?
With jobs getting harder too find and the possibility they will be harder to find in the future, maybe it is time to think of creating your own job as a way to make a living. Summer is a good time for kids to think in terms of becoming an entrepreneur. But how? Many of the jobs their parents did are no longer practical.
Anyone under the age of 18 who will share their idea on how to make honest money being your own boss, will receive $5 from Our News. You have to actually do it yourself, not just think about it. Call 713-433-1098 for details.


LONG BEFORE
Long before anybody thought of Fuqua, Orem, or Hiram Clarke, Gustaf and Hilda Anderson zipped up and down a dirt trail, later called Anderson Road..
When he went to Houston (12 miles to the court house maybe only 11 to the city limits) Anderson traveled in a mule-drawn wagon so he could bring a month’s supply of groceries back home. It was a two day trip.
Imagine a flat, treeless prairie with no drainage and normally wet. The only house between Almeda and Holmes Road was the Taylor homestead. No light poles, or telephone poles along Almeda Road which was dirt or mud. The reason the trip took so long was because every so often mud would clog up the wheels on the wagon so badly, Anderson had to stop and shovel the mud out from between the spokes, then travel a little further. Think about that next time you have to stop at a red light.
Gustaf and his wife Hilda left Iowa and came to Almeda on a train in 1895. He had seen brochures of oranges growing in January in a tiny town in Texas. Gus relished the idea of farming year round in the sunny south. What a shock when they stepped off the train into two feet of snow at the Almeda depot. February 15th a record of 22 inches fell in 24 hours in Harris County. It turned out those oranges had been tied to a hedge.
The Andersons took it all in stride. Gus was on the school board in 1914 when a two story building which was built at the present site of Almeda Elementary east of Almeda Road. The Andersons lived a mile west of Almeda Road. To make it a little easier to travel, Anderson would hitch up his mule to a slip and pile the dirt up in the middle of the road so water would drain on either side. This he did time and time again. Soon everyone called it Anderson (’s) road. Excerpt from Back Yonder in Almeda.

106 TOMATOES FROM ONE PLANT
Bobby and his wife Margaret Keyworth were eating fresh tomatoes in April from a plant that produced 106 tomatoes. Bobby planted Martian Giant tomato seed the first week of November in pots. Three or four times last winter he had to bring them in the house when a freeze was forecast. In February, they were blooming when he planted them in the garden.
As a kid growing up in Almeda, Bobby never came near the garden. He was too busy trying to reach his goal of becoming a pro baseball player. He did bat against Nolan Ryan in a regional game but that was in Little League. Pro ball was not in his future but gardening was. Bobby got interested in gardening, “When I got hungry,” he jokes.
He really got hungry for some good tasting insecticide-free food. Bobby’s vegetables are organically grown: castings from two pounds of red wriggler worms for fertilizer and a garlic mixture to combat insects. He loves to experiment. Bobby plants tomatoes in January, February, May whenever. Who knows, next year he might surpass his own record of 106.

CONSERVATIVE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION
King Street Patriots takes its name from the original group of patriots who demonstrated in the streets of Boston in 1770 in response to confiscatory British policies enacted against the colonists. King Street was known as the hub of historic and patriotic acts of community activism.
It is in the same spirit that King Street Patriots has launched its efforts to battle the most brazen attempt by liberals in the last fifty years to further an agenda which Patriots considers diametrically opposed to the welfare of all Americans. King Street Patriots is committed to Freedom, Capitalism, American Exceptionalism, Constitutional Governance and Civic Duty. If you would like to learn more about King Street Patriots or their True the Vote initiative, please visit their website at www.kingstreetpatriots.org or www.truethevote.org. If you would like more information, please contact them at info@kingstreetpatriots.org.
Listen to their meetings live online by going to their website and see if this is an organization you might want to join. They don’t just sit around and talk about what is wrong with the country but they actually do something.

Conversations with God by Neale D. Walsch.
Walsch using “the voice of God” answers questions supposedly asked by kids, but his "answers" go against the Bible, the word of God.
A girl asks the question "I am living with my boyfriend. My parents say that I should marry him because I am living in sin. Should I marry him?" His reply is, "Who are you sinning against? Not me, because you have done nothing wrong." Guess Walsch never read Romans 1:29, 3:23, I Cor. 6:18 and 10:8, Galatians 5:19-21, Eph. 5:3, Col. 3:5-6, I Thess. 4:3 or Psalms 51:4 which makes it clear that any sin is against God.
Another child asks about God's forgiveness of sin. Walsch’s reply “I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive. There is no such thing as right or wrong.”
Too bad Walsch wasn’t there when Jesus hung on the cross and prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”. Walsch could have explained to Jesus that the ones who hammered nails in his hands didn’t do anything wrong.
Walsch might be criticized for misuse of his titles, but then perhaps he thinks he is God. Pity the poor kid who is searching for God and truth if they pick up one of Walsch’s books. These books are being sold to schoolchildren through The Scholastic Book Club.

THE TENTH AMENDMENT
Whatever party you prefer try to find out how the candidate feels about the Tenth Amendment. Recently a federal judge ruled against the people of Houston, who voted to ban the red light cameras. According to the Tenth Amendment of the U. S. Constitution, that judge was way out of line. The Tenth is as follows: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”


FUN AND GAMES AT McCARTHY OIL & GAS
Blue Lake Field, Brazoria County, TX: In 1948 the “King Of The Wildcatters” (Glen Mccarthy) seemingly couldn’t drill a dry hole as he was reportedly worth $200 million—a tidy sum by Pierce Junction and Blue Ridge standards. Since daddy knew the production supt., my cousin Jim and I “hired out” as roustabouts. Of particular interest was a gas well with the highest recorded pressure in the Gulf Coast; nonetheless, a serious leak had evolved in a wellhead flow control valve. While helping erect a scaffold around the “tree” for workover operation, I was offered the job of derrickman (nobody else wanted it) at a pay increase of 90 cents an hour. This would, of course, buy a lot of good Gulf gasoline for the family Hudson, along with new overalls and extra underwear from J. C. Penny’s. Upon consulting with daddy, he pointed out that connecting flow lines and separators to tank batteries was a whole lot safer than a trip to the moon via blowout.
During the daily course of events, manual labor produced hefty appetites especially around noontime; so everybody would retreat to the shade of a large pecan tree and chow down on sack lunches. Thinking back, I can still visualize the scenario of catching a harmless “spreadnadder” snake and dropping it into cousin Jim’s lunch sack after his offhand remark about being hungry enough to “eat a snake”. Originally from Idaho, he seldom saw any snakes but still considered each one to be poisonous; so when reaching in for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, he knew right away something was amiss. Consequently, his lunch sack ended up dangling in the breeze from a tree top branch while curious squirrels watched him hop around in an uneasy inspection of his BVD’s. As lawyers are prone to say, “the evidence was clearly beyond any shadow of doubt.”
Epilog: Glen McCarthy went on to build the Shamrock Hotel, which boasted of having 1000 bathrooms. Sad to say, cousin Jim never got close to using one.
By John Breckenridge

TOWNHALL MEETING
FBC Commissioner Morrison, Precinct 1, will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting on July 14th at Arcola City Hall located at 13222 SH 6, Arcola from 6:30P.M. til 8P.M.

FRESNO WATER BOARD
The Fresno Water Board meets the 3rd Thursday of the month at 6 pm at the Mustang Community Center.

DULLES HIGH SCHOOL REUNION
The 1971 graduates of Dulles will hold their 40th reunion on August 6th in Richmond. Contact Cheryl Stover at 979-357-2296 or 979-203-7740 for more information.

LEARNING MORE ABOUT FUNERALS
While every family is different and have different thoughts, certain things are the same for everyone.
The funeral director will need the following information which is required by the state: the complete and correct name of deceased, maiden name, sex, date of death and birth, age, place of birth, Social security #, race, veteran, formal education, marital status, surviving spouse, occupation, usual occupation, home address, father’s name, mother’s maiden name, and place of death. This information can be provided at the first arrangement conference with the family. This is also the time to bring the clothes you want the deceased to wear. Long sleeves, modest collars and loose fitting clothing can be adjusted easily. A good sized picture helps the funeral staff provide a better appearance of the deceased. Results are usually better if done as soon as possible after death.
Other things that the family has to decide is what, if any, music, someone to conduct the funeral, a casket, times for visitation (which is usually the night before the service) and the location of the service or if the family desires to have graveside service only or a memorial service later.
During the arrangement meeting, the law requires a funeral home to provide a price list of all their services and merchandise. You do not have to buy your casket or urn from the funeral home. You can order it from a casket manufactory or you can even make your own if it meets certain specifications. One guy made himself a very nice coffin and used it as a book shelf before he died.
Funerals are like anything else, you get what you pay for. The only trouble is most people are operating strictly on emotions and don’t think very clearly. Planning ahead is a good idea. Most of the information in this article was provided by Mary Appling director of Unity Funeral Chapel Inc.

FEEDBACK
I am writing concerning the article “The World’s Largest Army.” It is true that some would love to see us Americans unarmed. And it would be foolish if the government handed it to “them” on a silver platter. I use to write to a hunter in Australia. He told me their government did just that—disarmed them. After that, he said, their crime rate increased dramatically! You really think that the criminal minded people turned in their guns? Of course not! He told me that he kept his rifle. He owned a large ranch and needed it to protect his livestock. My precious dad took me hunting when I was six years old and at 58 years I’m still hunting without any impediment! Thank God! I had a .303 British Enfield Mark III rifle with a high-dollar Bushinell scope but it was stolen. If anyone tries to sell it to Our News readers please contact detective Smith at the Fort Bend sheriff’s office. The serial # is 74673. For your own protection keep the serial numbers on your guns.
Grady S. Hernandez Jr. (In the 60’s he bought one or two shotgun shells from Senior’s store in Arcola when he didn’t have enough money to buy a whole box.)

Sienna Branch Library
An introductory program for Spanish-speaking adults on the free practice GED tests is available in the library’s Learning Express Library online resource. The program will take place on Friday, July 8, beginning at 2:00 pm, in the Computer Lab of the library, located at 8411 Sienna Springs Blvd in Missouri City. For info on this and other events call 281-238-2900.

RAINBOWS
When I see a rainbow high in the sky above, It reminds me of God’s love, covenant, and promises.
© Emmaline Wiley Genesis 9:8-17

June Issue of Our News

I would like
to hear from some of the old Almeda gang.Besides Jr & Sherry & Moon & Brenda I have had no contact for the
last 55 years.Its one of the things on my bucket list.My Email is rick_jean@juno.com
Richard Inmon

May 7, 2011 The 10th Annual “Doc” Wynn Open Match
was held at Bailey’s Rifle & Pistol Range. Opening ceremony began with the veteran range masters and employees raising the flag.
Mrs. Bailey welcomed the shooters and presented a history on “Doc” Wynn and how the match started ten years ago. She also presented a short story on how the shooting range began in the late 50’s. Shooters were amazed to hear that apple boxes were the first shooting benches in the beginning
Everyone rallies for the “Doc” Wynn Match. It’s rewarding to win the honor to have your name on the wall plaque in Bailey’s House of Guns as top shooter. Believe me... there was some good competition.
Mrs. Bailey presented Renard Alexander with a plaque for his continued support of the “Doc” Wynn match and other matches. The participants gave their best in each category to win a trophy for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
Congratulations to the winners in the “Open Class:” 1st Herbert Crear, 2nd, Carey Pardue, & 3rd Renard Alexander. “Production Class” 1st Charles Michalak, 2nd, David Garza, & 3rd, Fred McCutcheon.
No one left the match empty handed. Everyone joined in the fun of receiving a door prize donated by manufacturers and distributors of Bailey’s House of Guns. Thanks and appreciation go out to these people for their continued support to Bailey’s. Most of all we thank our shooters for their continuing support and dedication to the shooting’s industry. And remember this event is held the 1st Saturday in May. New shooters are welcomed to join the fun. Hope to see you next year.
Bailey’s House of Guns

NEW HISD SCHOOL ON ANDERSON ROAD
Ground is being cleared in the 4800 block of Anderson Road for a Pre K-8th grade HISD school. According to Senior Manager, Meredith Smith, the goal for completing the construction of the building is Jan. 2013. It will have a full size gym, library and enough class rooms for 900 students. The construction will cost $20 million. Desk, computers, etc. will be another $10 million. HISD bought 24 acres. The west part of the land was bought from Horatio and Elsie Amaya for $615,850. The east section was bought from Aspen J. Taylor for $710,000 approximately $55,000 an acre. Mr. Taylor received more because a house was on his property. That was the house Mr. and Mrs. Kelso lived in for many years. Mrs. Kelso would be proud that a school is replacing her home as she was a teacher and a principal with HISD. Kelso would have been a fitting name but there is a Kelso Elementary so it will be the Billy Reagan K-8 School

WHAT TO DO AT THE TIME OF DEATH In last month’s issue, information from the funeral director of Unity Funeral Home, Mary Appling, was about the death of someone in hospice or hospital care where pending arrangements can be made before death. If death occurs and a person is at home and not under hospice care, Appling says to call 911. A funeral home may not pick up a body until it is released by authorities. The medical examiner will pick up the body and may do an autopsy if the person was not under doctor’s care. When the body is picked up by the authorities, then the next of kin can make arrangements with a funeral home giving them permission to get the body when it is released.
A funeral home has to release the body to you if you decide to go with a different home, but they can charge you an outlandish price for just picking up the body or anything else they do such as embalming. So take your time and find out what they will charge before you give them permission.
Embalming is not a state law and not necessary unless the funeral services involve viewing of the body or the body will be placed on public transportation. Exceptions are made in case of religious beliefs.
A person licensed by the state must complete this procedure. Embalming is done in a surgical setting in which the blood is removed and replaced by a preservative chemical. Dyes in the embalming fluid reduce the need for cosmetics. The quicker it is done the results are more life like and better. Embalming is also recommended to control odors and leakage. Otherwise refrigeration would probably be necessary.

The difference in death and taxes, death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets. Will Rogers

The problem is that you think of it as your money. IRS

HEALTH CARE BILL
Acting Solicitor General Neal Katya acknowledged that the health care bill was unlike any other bill in America history. If Congress can force us to buy health insurance, they can force us to buy certain foods or anything else.
According to a White House web site, 1,377 waivers have been given to people who want to opt out of the health care bill. If the bill is so good why did Congress exempt themselves and why are the unions and rich people in Pelosi’s district getting the waivers?
My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. Thomas Jefferson

FEAR

What are you afraid of? Snakes, tornados, terrorists, cancer, Democrats, Republicans? II Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” Power with love is good. Love with sound judgment is very good.
When Jesus was on earth he demonstrated his power over all aspects of life. With a word he calmed the wind and sea. He healed all manner of physical and mental ailments. He chased many evil men out of His Father’s house with nothing but a whip. He provided food for 5,000 men plus women and kids with a boy’s lunch. Nothing is too hard for Him.
God demonstrated love when He allowed His only Son to bridge the chasm between a holy God and sinful man by placing the sins of mankind on Jesus, the Son, so that we can be forgiven and made right with God.
Jesus was willing for He knew the joy He would have when He rose from the grave and would draw millions of people into the family of God.
The Holy Spirit of God gives us sound judgment, overflowing love, and power to live according to God’s will and plan for each of us.
So what should we be afraid of? Romans 8:31-38 says, if God be for us, who can be against us? Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Not even death.
Yet we are advised to have one fear, for Proverbs 1:7 says The fear of Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and instruction. And 14:27 says the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death.

THE WORLD’S LARGEST ARMY
In Wisconsin there are 600,000 hunters with a deer license, 750,000 in Pennsylvania, Michigan has 700,000 and west Virginia has 250,000. Just those four states have enough armed individuals to make up the largest army in the world. Hunting is not just a way to fill the freezer. It's a matter of national security. That's why all enemies, foreign and domestic, want to see us disarmed.
Food for thought when next we consider gun control.
Washington DC's murder rate of 69 per 100,000 is due to strict gun control, and Indianapolis' murder rate of 9 per 100,000 is due to the lack of gun control.
Comparison of doctors and guns.
(A) The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000.
(B) Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year are 120,000. (C) Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171.
Statistics courtesy of U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services.(A) The number of gun owners in the U.S. is 80,000,000. (Yes, that's 80 million) (B) The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, is 1,500.
(C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is .000188. Statistics courtesy of FBI
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY JUNE 19TH

LOW VOTER TURNOUT

In the recent Arcola City Counsel election voters could vote for three candidates. Rosa Rojas got the most votes: 32. Incumbent Tom Hilton-20, Incumbent Florence Jackson-19 and Incumbent Greg Abarr lost his seat with 15 votes. Assuming each voter voted three times, less than 30 of over 1,000 Arcola residents decided who would serve on the city counsel.
In the county wide school board race about 8,000 people voted. Patsy Taylor from Fresno won Position 5 getting 52 more votes than Juanita Reynolds. Susan Hohnbaum held onto her seat for Position 1 and Bruce Albright won Position 4 beating out several candidates including Fresno resident, Rodrigo Carreon. Rodrigo’s thoughts on the low voter turnout, “I guess they are not paying high enough taxes.”




May 7, 2011 The 10th Annual “Doc” Wynn Open Match
was held at Bailey’s Rifle & Pistol Range. Opening ceremony began with the veteran range masters and employees raising the flag.
Mrs. Bailey welcomed the shooters and presented a history on “Doc” Wynn and how the match started ten years ago. She also presented a short story on how the shooting range began in the late 50’s. Shooters were amazed to hear that apple boxes were the first shooting benches in the beginning
Everyone rallies for the “Doc” Wynn Match. It’s rewarding to win the honor to have your name on the wall plaque in Bailey’s House of Guns as top shooter. Believe me... there was some good competition.
Mrs. Bailey presented Renard Alexander with a plaque for his continued support of the “Doc” Wynn match and other matches. The participants gave their best in each category to win a trophy for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
Congratulations to the winners in the “Open Class:” 1st Herbert Crear, 2nd, Carey Pardue, & 3rd Renard Alexander. “Production Class” 1st Charles Michalak, 2nd, David Garza, & 3rd, Fred McCutcheon.
No one left the match empty handed. Everyone joined in the fun of receiving a door prize donated by manufacturers and distributors of Bailey’s House of Guns. Thanks and appreciation go out to these people for their continued support to Bailey’s. Most of all we thank our shooters for their continuing support and dedication to the shooting’s industry. And remember this event is held the 1st Saturday in May. New shooters are welcomed to join the fun. Hope to see you next year.
Bailey’s House of Guns

May Issue Does God Answer Your Prayer

DOES GOD ANSWER YOUR PRAYERS?

When Jesus prayed, his followers asked him to teach them how to pray. He gave them an example found in Matthew 6:9 which we call the Lord’s prayer. The first point he made was to pray to “Our Father.” A person could spend hours on what those two words should mean to us. Jesus pointed out that we should hallow or hold sacred the name of God. Then we need to get the right perspective by praying that God’s kingdom come and His will be done, meaning we want to submit to His authority and His desires above our own or any other person. Now we are ready to ask Him for what we need this day. And to forgive us as we forgive others. How many prayers bounce off the ceiling because there is someone we haven’t forgiven? Finally Jesus said to ask God to lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. BECAUSE or “for the kingdom and the power and glory belongs to God.” Mouthing the words we call the Lord’s prayer is useless, unless our mind understands the meaning of the words and our heart is willing to be in subjection to God’s will. How do you know God’s will? Most of the time we just need to recall some of His words in the Bible. Other times we need to do something much harder: be still and listen. Prayer is not just asking God for what we want but getting to know God and the joy and peace of fitting into His plans for us.

Although advertisers can post an ad beside this article. they do not reflect the belief of the writer

May Issue-No Rain What do you about funerals?

NO RAIN FOR SEVEN MONTHS

Margaret Cotter Nagy sent an email from where she lives 55 miles south of Alpine and about 50 miles from the wild fires. “EVERY THING is SO PARCHED, not a wild flower blooming on our 40 aces that I have seen,” she writes.

In 2006, Margaret a Hou-city girl and her husband, Ernie retired and moved west where Ernie has preached for the last four years. At first they lived in a tent for three months then moved into a cabin and were able to get a phone, propane, solar panels and a refrigerator! Since it cost $40 a foot to drill for a water well and water is found about 1300 feet down, they depend on rain water. The cactus thrive on the brief showers where a two inch rain means two-inch raindrops two inches apart. They are very conservative but they need more water than the cactus. When the water gets too low in their tank, they have to drive several miles to buy water and then haul it home.

Recently, Margaret had some errands to run and took a 60 mile trip. While in the area she went to an RV park and had a shower. It cost $2.

Next time you think about needing rain, be thankful you can still turn on a water faucet.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT FUNERALS?

Most people don’t want to talk about funerals, but unless Jesus returns before we die, we will have a funeral.

Mary McCloud Appling, who grew up in Almeda and now lives in the Arcola area, doesn’t mind talking about funerals. She has even written a book on the subject. After talking to a funeral director, Mary realized she had the qualities for that position when he said he had to be a doctor, psychiatrist and preacher rolled into one. In 1992, Mary enrolled in mortuary school. In 2004, she purchased Unity Funeral Home.

Mary has noticed that people spend months planning a wedding but try to jam the SAME amount of detail into two or three days when planning a funeral. Some funeral homes will give you the cost of a funeral but then you find the things a person would normally expect to be included are extra.

Eliminate some of those surprises by making pending arrangements with a funeral director when death is imminent. If the person is under Hospice or Home Health Care and death occurs, immediately call their contact number as they are trained to know exactly what steps need to be taken. If the person is in the hospital, the doctor may advise the family to sign a form giving the hospital permission to release the body. At that time pending arrangements can be made with the funeral home of a person’s choice. There is much more to think through that will be mentioned in future issues.