Columns
Busy October
Posted on November 3rd, 2011
At a Glance
By Johnny Griffin, Editor
Hopefully as September leaves us, it will take most of the really oppressive heat we’ve had the last two months with it. Vance, the rain recorder, has taken to recording daily temperatures as well. I guess he got tired of nothing to record as far as rainfall goes. If I thought y’all would believe them, I’d publish the numbers he gave me for August. They were truly unbelievable, but probably accurate.
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At a Glance - What a Day!
Posted on September 22nd, 2011
Saturday morning I left early to travel to Palacios, primarily to shoot photos at a cross country meet. I arrived there about 7 a.m., just after sunup.
A coach from another school asked me about driving that far so early in the morning to cover a high school sporting event. My standard answer is about working outside on a beautiful morning in a beautiful location and getting to visit with kids, parents and coaches with none of the responsibilities of real work.
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A fun day
Posted on August 12th, 2011
At A Glance
By Johnny Griffin, Editor
Wallis Fun Fest was a fun day.
This year’s Chamber of Commerce fund raiser was a new twist on a wonderful Wallis tradition, the WOFF.
By most accounts, vendors had some success, the auction went very well, the games and activities were enjoyed by many and the Barbecue Cookoff was very successful with 17 teams participating.
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A rock and a hard place
Posted on August 12th, 2011
By Johnny Griffin, Editor
Texas has been one of the best states to be in when it comes to the economic woes that have gripped the country for the past few years, but we all have been affected by the economic downturn.
Now, severe drought has taken control and the losses will be huge, both in agriculture and industry. According to AccuWeather.com, the past nine months (October 2010 to June 2011) have been the driest in Texas history.
We happen to live in one of the hardest hit regions, as far as lack of rainfall goes, and our native and improved grasses don’t respond as fervently to a little rainfall as native grasses do in the west and southern parts of our state. We need a lot.
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Hot, dry and drier
Posted on July 21st, 2011
I just received the mid-year-nearly-official rainfall report from the Houston Street recording office in Wallis. I know y’all don’t need Vance’s numbers to tell you it is really dry this year, but the latest numbers reveal some interesting facts.
In Wallis, it has rained a total of 7.87 inches in the 181 days from Jan. 1 to June 30. That is the only time since at least 2000 that it has rained less than 10 inches in the first six months of a year. The next lowest first six months total was 10.3 inches in 2003.
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A great day
Posted on June 25th, 2011
At A Glance
By Johnny Griffin, Editor
Since I have become a grandfather, Father’s Day seems to have become a little bit more special. Not that the day hasn’t always been special, I guess I just appreciate some things a little more.
Our family has never been real big on gifts for holidays other than Christmas. We lean towards family gatherings as being a gift in itself that is hard to top. This year we are all heading west to Yancey to celebrate our youngest granddaughters first birthday. The gathering just happens to be on Father’s Day, so we all get to participate in the gift.
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Parts of the Old West are pretty new
Posted on June 25th, 2011
Marfa hosts Mike and Suzanne Shurley, left, Joanie Griffin, Joanie Wilson and Johnny Griffin gather in the courtyard of the historic Paisano Hotel in Marfa. At right, Granddaddy Griffin and Little Joanie take a break on the banks of the Rio Grande between Presidio and Lajitas.
By Johnny Griffin, Editor
When I used to go steer roping in Marfa 35 years ago, I never dreamed I would someday return to dine on a roast beef Panini sandwich and drink peach flavored ice tea in a cute little bistro located in the alley behind what used to be a candy store.
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Whew!!
Posted on June 24th, 2011
At A Glance
By Johnny Griffin, Editor
What a week this has been.
Starting on Tuesday of last week, there was a band banquet, FFA banquet, athletic banquet, city council meeting, upset local residents, little league closing ceremonies and a granddaughter’s dance recital thrown in for fun on Sunday afternoon.
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Attitude adjustment
Posted on June 24th, 2011
At A Glance 5-19-11
By Johnny Griffin, Editor
My weekend started last week on Thursday and the 1.5 inches of rain received in the area did wonders for my attitude. It’s not enough to help a whole lot in the long run, but it was a lot for Thursday and that is good.
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Attitude adjustment
Posted on May 19th, 2011
At A Glance
By Johnny Griffin, Editor
My weekend started last week on Thursday and the 1.5 inches of rain received in the area did wonders for my attitude. It’s not enough to help a whole lot in the long run, but it was a lot for Thursday and that is good.
Early Friday morning, my bride and I headed for Galveston and the Texas Gulf Coast Press Association convention. Our hotel was right on the seawall and the weather was beautiful. It was a little cool for the beach, but a lot of other folks jumped right in anyway.
We heard from some good industry folks about ways to improve our newspaper and continue to grow in today’s world, but my favorite program was presented by a public information lady who worked for the City of Galveston.
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