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I was driving my golf cart around Allen last week and was looking to see what Allen folks are doing this summer. Contrary to what a passersby might think, Allen is a pretty busy place. Lots of people are busy getting ready for their vacations and some are already back from theirs. I drove by the swimming pool down at the park and a happy bunch of kids were doing their best to stay cool and have fun under the blazing mid-summer sun. And yes, that’s great and fun way to beat the heat. And boy. Allen does get really hot here in July.
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Forty years ago, Dayna and I purchased The Allen Advocate from Virgil and Jackie Guy. It has been a great journey and we have made many lifelong friends. Had it not been for Wayne and Pat Bullard, Charles and Betty Spear and Eric Pierce, I don’t think we would have ever survived those early years.
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My friend Debbie told me a story about her father that warmed my heart and stopped me cold. Here’s the basic story as she related it:
Read moreJune brings on something called July. And this July will be just like a lot of other Julys. Hot. Real hot. Makes me remember the July of 1943. When I was “stuck” down on Goat Ridge in Leflore County at my grandparents. And July 4 th was coming up. Not that anyone down there seemed to notice. In later years Gerald would compare Grandpa to the Jap general who commanded the slave labor in the movie about building the Bridge Over the River Kwai. We of course were the hapless prisoners of war. Slave labor if you will.
Read moreSo, when did these Father’s Day celebrations get started and how? Well, the first one came forth on June 19, 1910. The same year my own father was born. Men scoffed at this new day. “It’s just a trick to get people to spend money on yet another holiday,” said my dad. “Besides, we wind up having to pay for it ourselves anyway, so what’s the point.”
Read moreMemorial Day is here. A time to remember and honor those heroes who paid the ultimate price to defend our country. There are many heroes in our area. And I salute all of them. But today I want to talk about a particular one. One you may not have known of or remember. A boy from Lula. A boy who gave his life for our freedom. His name: Gene Porter Hamilton. Ever hear of him? Everyone knew “Gene Porter” as his mother called him back in the 30’s. She and her husband, Virgil Hamilton, raised Gene over at Lula where Gene went to school and his dad Virgil Hamilton was a wellknown grocer.
Read moreIt’s May and this heralds’ observations of many important days. Graduations have taken place and so did Mother’s Day. I don’t know where we will hold the Memorial Day ceremonies this year, in the cemetery or some indoor venue, but the date is May 30 at 11:00 am. Stay tuned. But speaking of Memorial Day next Monday, I think of some of the heroes of my own heart. One of them is from Texas but that’s sort of local to me.
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