Almeda Principal Beverly Cage State Rep. Dr. Alma Allen photo
The dedication of the new Almeda School building was started by a prayer from Rev. Taylor followed by a history of Almeda school which started in 1893. It was noted that Elorene Upchurch Hughes had attended Almeda School and later worked in the office for 23 years. Other highlights were comments by School Board Member Larry Marshall and Rep. Allen and a beautiful renditions of God Bless America by the school choir. The main speeches given by students, Dante Rosales and Keandria Carter were excellent topped off with a solo by Joshua Parker. You very well may hear Joshua’s marvelous voice on American idol in years to come. The program ended with a prayer by Rev. Morris followed by a delicious catered meal and a tour of the facility, which is a $12 million, 82,000 square foot complex with the latest technology such as “smart boards.” Smart boards look like a white board but they can be hooked up to the Internet or the teacher can just touch the screen and anything she wants appears or she can use it like an old fashion chalk board.
FROM HWY. 6 TO HOLMES ROAD
The area from South Post Oak to Cullen and from south of Hwy. 6 to Holmes Road was, at one time, included in the Almeda school district tax base. By 1903, about 30 kids attended the one room school built in 1894. A two-story building was built in 1914. By 1920, they had over 40 students and two class rooms. Fresno built an elementary school but the older kids continued to attend Almeda until 1937 when Almeda joined HISD. Ft. Bend students went to Sugarland. After WWII, the area began to explode. In 1960, Windsor Village and Montgomery relieved Almeda of several hundred students. Then in 1965 Hobby was built and Madison. In 1967 Grissom and Petersen were added and Dowling in 1968 to complete the Madison feeder pattern at that time.
St. Patties Trade Day
March 17, 2012 9am to 4pm buy, sell trade with your neighbors Poultry, horses, goats, plants, etc at 6215 FM 521 Arcola Feed &Tack. Call 281-431-1014 for details on getting vendor space.
MAYOR ANDERSON SAYS THANKS
Thanks to all the Southwest Trail Riders for working with Arcola to put on a parade in Arcola on February 12th to celebrate Black History Month.
EVENTUALLY
VOTER’S REGISTRATION CARD
Yes , our cards expired Dec. 2011, but don’t worry, you don’t have to reregister. They have not sent out the new cards because of the hassle on redistricting. If you were not registered in 2011, you must register 30 days before the election. For Harris County call 713-755-6965. Fort Bend residents call 281-341-3710.
Willie A. “Bill” Andrews received a 50 year pin and certificate from the Maonic Grand Lodge of Texas. Milton Zwahr of the Albert J. DeLange Lodge presents Bill with a 50-year pin. Bill is holding his 50-year certificate. Beside him is his lovely wife, Dahlia Rae. Bill, a resident of Almeda since 1936 is a charter member of the lodge and a veteran of World War II having served in the U. S. Army Air Corps.
EASY PUZZLES
In which sport are the shoes made entirely of metal?
How many 3-cent stamps are there in a dozen?
Can you arrange for two people to stand on the same piece of newspaper and yet be unable to touch each other without stepping off the paper?
John has three piles of sand and Mary has four and they put them together how many piles of sand would they have?
If the Vice-President of the United States should die, who would be President? Answers next month.
FREE TAX HELP
Every Tue. And Thur from 12:30 to 4 pm at Vinson library.
Every Tues. and Thur. from 10am to 1pm at Sienna Library. Tax forms are available at all libraries.
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, Open Sat. 10-5
Mon/Tue/Thur, 7:30 am to 9pm Wed. 7:30-6, Fri.7:30-5
Learn how to make a kite Sat. March 24, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Materials provided. Call 281-238-2900 for details
Book Club: The Color of Water on March 12th at 1:30.
COMPUTER CLASSES
Every Wed at 10am Mar. 7th, 14th, 20th, and 24th. Set up free Email Account, “MS PowerPoint Survival Basics” class for version 2007 on the 14th, and repeated Tues. Mar 20th at 7:00 pm. Intermediate” class will take place on Wed. March 21. “Ga Ga for Google Products,” Mar. 22. “MS Word Survival Basics” version 2007 Sat. Mar. 24. Blogging for Beginners Mar. 28.
Culinary Book Club Mar. 19th. 1:30 Chili and Cornbread. Family movie-time Sat. Mar. 10th, beginning at 2:00 pm. Free movie and light snacks. Call 281-238-2140. For children programs call 281-238-2900.
The Poison Tongue
© Copyright by Emmaline Wiley
Every game can be tamed, but the poison tongue, we are the blame, for what comes out of our mouth, and we have no shame.
James 3:7-10. I Peter 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
RE: January 2012 Our News commentary
Dear Mrs. Andrews,
The “Happy New Year” column was my first exposure to your newsletter. I have a few comments. First is the idea that the Democratic and Republican bail-out of banks, insurance companies, auto companies and other financial companies was a step toward “nationalizing” private companies.
Nationalization is when government takes ownership and control of a company with little or no payment to its stock holders. The bail-outs were zero or near zero interest loans, plus other funds that amounted to outright gifts. This is not nationalization; it is a redistribution of wealth, in the form of government debt, from the rest of us to big financial companies. Government did temporarily take ownership of some auto company stock, which is now being bought back by those companies.
The bailout went to the big financial companies whose handling of home mortgages and credit-default swaps created the financial crisis which forced government to bail them out. These companies are now making huge profits with executives often getting record-breaking bonuses. On censorship, both Republicans and Democrats vote for laws, like the Patriot Act, that limit free speech and civil rights. When W. Bush was President, Democrats hated Bush’s destruction of civil rights while Republicans backed Bush. Now that Obama is President, Republicans hate Obama’s destruction of freedom and Democrats back Obama. Both parties are so afraid of a terrorist catastrophe, that they destroy freedom to protect themselves from any charge that they did not do enough to prevent it.
The last comment concerns the idea that Liberals are “Marxists” who want a communist dictatorship. This is repeated so much on conservative talk shows so much that many believe it. In reality, liberals do little to curb abuses of capitalism, like the recent financial crisis. Liberals seldom speak out against the increasing power and influence of the rich and their corporations. They are even afraid to use the powers government still has to curb corporate abuses. They go along with the economic march toward ever more of the nation’s wealth going to an ever smaller group of rich people. Liberals help the rich because of big donations to political campaigns that feed liberal political ambitions. Most liberals going along with the capitalist system of the rich getting richer and everyone else getting poorer is pretty much the opposite of Marxism. Working class conservatives will win some social issue battles that don’t cost the rich any money. Working conservatives will lose when they go against the rich. A good example is the way the rich and their super PACs manipulate Republican presidential primaries. They divide opposition to Romney, the rich guy, so that he wins even when most Republicans don’t want him.
Good luck with building a publication. I know it’s a challenge.
Sincerely, H. Thompson gzrintx@gmail.com
Editor’s note: If you want to challenge Mr. Thompson send in your views and I’ll publish according to space available.
SAFETY TIP
Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold the vegetable.
HOW CAN I KNOW?
When a kid asks a simple question you should be able to give a simple answer. He wanted to know if he could be sure he would go to heaven or as he put it ‘not down there.’
My first response was to quote the Bible which says (John 3:16) For God so loved the world that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Then I thought of the verse in James 1:19, ...the devils also believe and tremble.
He needed to know that believing about Jesus is not the same as believing in Jesus. When we believe in him, we want him in our life. This boy asked Jesus come into his life but how would he know. He didn’t feel any different but his eternal destination has nothing to do with feelings.
First off, he had to take Jesus at his word where verse after verse in the Bible backs up what Jesus says. As he obeys, he will know in his heart. From my own experience I know He is in me when I’m patient because I’m naturally impatient; when I worry, but then allow God’s peace to calm me; when I can actually be kind and care about someone who has hurt me; when I’m generous because I’m naturally selfish. The list goes on.
In Romans 8:38 & 39, Paul was not afraid to face death because he believed that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Today people are losing their jobs, their homes, their families and even their lives because of their faith in Christ. That kind of faith is not about, but in Jesus. A faith that is evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) If our country continues to reject the principals of the Bible, we too may be called upon to show that our God is more important to us than anything this world has to offer because we know where our eternal destiny is.
PRIMARY
In Texas, a candidate, for whatever office they are running including the president, has to have more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate has over 50%, there will be a run-off election to determine who will get all the delegates Texas has. Other states divide the delegates according to the vote but in Texas the winner takes all. Chances are almost sure that Texas will have a run-off election.
ENOUGH PEOPLE COULD MAKE A CHANGE
If you are a Democrat and not real happy with some of your party’s policies or if you are a Republican and would like to see some changes, the first place to start is right after the primary at 7pm election day. That is when the local convention is held and each person in attendance can present written requests like: Whereas, our government is passing a debt to our children that will make their lives more difficult and whereas the average government worker makes more money than the average American, I propose that the pay of all government workers be cut by 3%.
After you make whatever proposal you want, then every one in attendance votes. If it passes on the local level it goes to next level and so on until it could eventually become part of your party platform. Unless a candidate agrees to the platform they do not get help from the party.
It starts with an individual like you.
Residents of District K
District K stretches from the edge of the Texas Medical Center to the portion of Houston within Fort Bend County. The District also includes the Reliant/Astrodome complex, two management districts and parts of Houston ISD and Fort Bend ISD . District K Council Member Larry Green, according to his Green Gazette publication, encourages you to continue to access the City of Houston’s 311 system by phone or online: 311@houstontx.gov. Feel free to contact his office as a follow-up to your 311 request. The District K phone # is 832-393-3016. Green welcomes your feedback on how to improve the quality of life and broaden economic development in Dist. K. Send comments by email to kdistrict@houstontx.gov.
ENGINEERING DEGREES
Total U.S.-born individuals under the age of 66 who have engineering degrees, but don't have an engineering job is 1.8 million based on most recent American Community Survey by the Obama Administration. So why was our tax money given to a Chinese firm who hire Chinese citizens to do the work in our country when we have high unemployment?
Cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls. To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222 . It is the National DO NOT CALLLIST. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You MUST call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked
GARDENING
Now is the time to plant. It is a little late but not too late to plant potatoes. New potatoes do better here, but this year I decided to try planting the eyes from a white potato. We will see.
You can spend a lifetime gardening and there is still more to learn. The best investment I’ve made in recent years is three raised beds. I can stand up and pick my vegetables and strawberries. All you need is wood box about 4 feet x 8 feet and four to six inches deep. Set your box on top of cinder blocks to the height you want, then fill with dirt. I use the dirt out of my garden. Right now I’m eating spinach and carrots. I’ll be pulling up the spinach and planting green beans, something else that is hard to bend over and pick. I’m also eating fresh tomatoes from a plant that I planted in a big pot in July. I brought the plant in during the winter and set it in front of a window. If you have had some good luck with gardening share it with Our News readers. Call or email. 713-433-1098 or siskeyworth@att.net
IRAN
Why are 70% of Americans concerned that Iran will get nuclear weapons? What is the difference in Iran and Pakistan, other than Iran has a leader that talks about what he wants to do? IF Iran develops a bomb, what would happen to Iran if they used it? They no doubt would use it against Israel, but Israel probably has ten times the fire power to send back to Iran. The thing that holds Israel back from using a preventive strike is fear of rejection by the rest of the world or maybe they just don’t want to kill a bunch of people unnecessarily.
Are we worried about the effect Iran will have on the price of oil? The price in America would drop as soon as the president agrees to let oil flow from Canada or give more permits to let the oil companies produce more wells. Why can’t we produce the oil we need? Politics? Ed. note After writing the above I have learned what the difference is in Iran and Pakistan and I have a better understanding of the concern of Iran having nuclear weapons. Next month, I'll do a little more research.
ALMEDA METHODIST CHURCH BUILT IN 1936
The little church at 14 Broadhurst has a different front and side extensions added to the original structure and once again another congregation. The previous Spanish speaking Baptist church, started with 27 members and increased to 450-500 people. When they moved to a new location on Almeda Genoa, the Christian Life Fellowship Church bought the 6300 sq. ft. building and two acres.
The CLF church started in Pastor Darrell Jackson’s living room with eight members in 2003. They moved into a day care facility in Fresno, but with 55 members they needed more room. They will have a ribbon cutting ceremony at 2:30 March 11th followed by a worship service. Normally, services are held from 9:45 to 11am every Sunday.
Pastor Jackson got his Masters Degree from Faith Seminary located in Tacoma WA by way of DVD’s, correspondence and online courses. Jackson plans to reach out to the seniors and youth of the community using the same methods so even if a person can’t attend church they can still learn and share their concerns and feel a part of the congregation. You may contact the church by calling 832-668-5850 or email clifefellowship@yahoo.com
BACK YONDER
In 1821, Stephen F. Austin hired Bartlett Sims to survey the area. How do you suppose Sims Bayou got its name? Sims had to have a visible mark to survey. He spotted a tree on Clear Creek. New settlers were more interested in the land along the Brazos River. The soldiers who fought for Texas independence were awarded a section of land. By the time C. V. Uglow was awarded 640 acres in 1845, he and his wife had died. The property, in the vicinity of Hiram Clarke and Anderson Rd., was auctioned off. The highest bidder got 640 acres for $13.35 or two cents an acre.
East of the Uglow section, the family of N. B. Waters, another soldier, was awarded two sections of land because he was killed in the war. Right through the sections of Waters Survey, the Colombia Tap Railroad was built between Pierce Junction and East Colombia in 1858. The Water’s heirs sold 853 acres for $3,000 in 1881 to Tressie Reid. Just 8 years later it was sold for $8,000—almost $10 an acre.
In 1892, developers, Higbee, Hicks, and Hooper, filed a plat of 250 acres of the Waters Survey as the town of Almeda, Texas.
Information on the town and surrounding area, photos, and the lives of the earliest settlers is in the book Back Yonder In Almeda. Available for $12 at Bob’s State Inspection and Debbie’s Barber Shop in 14000 block of Almeda Road or send $14 to
Our News P. O. Box 450336 Houston, TX 77245 to have it mailed to you.
