Temple Daily Telegram's Columnist Listings http://www.tdtnews.com Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:39:40 -0500 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0500 tdt@temple-telegram.com (Carroll Wilson) webadmin@temple-telegram.com (Jonathan Dwinell) en-us Copyright 2009, Temple Daily Telegram http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/07/20/59398 WHITEHALL - It must have been a horrific sight for a teenage boy: Watching his first dog, a collie named Mickey, and a raccoon thrashing in the Leon River. Locked in a death struggle, kicking and splashing, the dog pushed the raccoon underwater. But the coon resurfaced, climbed on the dog’s head and Mickey disappeared underwater. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/07/20/59398 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/07/17/59356 A few months after Wenda Elliott opened a scrapbook store on North Ninth Street near downtown Temple a neighbor dropped by for a visit. It didn’t go well. Ms. Elliott recalled the woman living next door said she wanted a car parked in front of her house moved and abruptly left. Two year later, this parking issue between residential and commercial interests has mushroomed into a public hearing before the planning and zoning commission that could have an impact on how the city regulates growth in an old neighborhood nestled between downtown and the Historic District. Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/07/17/59356 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/07/16/59338 About three weeks ago at a Bell County ranch, Richard Cortese and some other cowboys got together for a little roundup - one black cow. Looking for a cool drink on a hot day, the poor animal got bogged down in mud at a water tank that had almost dried up. “They try to get to that little pool of water, ’cause that’s where they’re used to going, and the silt in the bottom of the tank, it’s just like it’s got no bottom to it,” said Cortese, a Texas Farm Bureau agent for 13 Central Texas counties and a Bell County commissioner. “You can walk in it even after it’s dried up and you’ll just about go down to your knees.” Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/07/16/59338 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/07/09/59149 The Central Texas corn crop is roasting in the summer sun, like ears left unattended on a backyard barbecue. Blazing heat and sparse rainfall have significantly lowered yields for most corn farmers. Rather than the typical plump ears that swell inside their husks in July, this year’s crop is stunted. Spindly stalks and small cobs with fewer kernels will make a poor payday when the grain trucks start rolling into the storage elevators later this month. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/07/09/59149 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/07/08/59123 A committee that wants to change how alcohol is sold in Temple says modifying local liquor laws would increase sales tax revenue, add new jobs and be the bait that will land a big fish from the retail sector. The Temple Committee for Economic Growth on Tuesday launched a campaign to allow take-out liquor sales from package stores and remove the requirement that some establishments selling alcoholic beverages must operate as private clubs. Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/07/08/59123 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/07/07/59099 Belton insurance agent Barry Harper got a Monday morning phone call from a policyholder who had just been in an automobile accident. An uninsured motorist ran a stop sign in Temple and plowed into the woman’s car. Harper said he frequently gets calls like this. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/07/07/59099 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/07/06/59084 A heart surgeon, a violin teacher and two good ol’ boys make an unlikely quartet of cut ups. But thanks to their talent, treasure and tenacity, a rusty old sawmill whirls again, rescued from the junk pile. This story begins more than a year ago, when Dr. Charles Reiter began poking around on the Internet, looking for a way to mill the ubiquitous cedar growing on the family’s 1,000-acre ranch near Lake Belton. The Reiters plan to use the lumber when they build a “green” home. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/07/06/59084 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/25/58835 Married 59 years, Charlie Cole recently gave his wife, Ruth, a present she had never before received - rooftop solar panels installed on their South Temple home. “It’s something my wife had always wanted,” Cole said. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/25/58835 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/21/58739 Sons of the Great Depression, these longtime Temple residents, fathers and grandfathers demonstrated love for their wives and children by building successful businesses. Whether it was mounting tires on big rigs, flipping burgers or repairing typewriters, these dads leave a legacy for their families, and the community, through their hard work. Although their children pursued different avenues in their youth, some returned home, started at the bottom and have taken Dad’s company into the 21st century. Sun, 21 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/21/58739 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/20/58720 Tony Jeter, Temple city councilman since 2002, said Friday he would not run for reelection next year. But he will complete his third term, which expires in May 2010. That would make eight years at city hall. Jeter said he has no further political aspirations. Sat, 20 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/20/58720 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/17/58667 Going back several years, Temple mayor Bill Jones III and councilman Russell Schneider have abstained from voting or discussion on issues regarding how and where the city will grow and infrastructure repairs a combined 47 times, according to public records. These abstention affidavits are required under the city charter. They are a tool in a system of checks and balances that emphasizes transparency in government. It requires elected city officials to declare a possible conflict of interest. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/17/58667 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/16/58642 It’s no secret. Temple councilman Tony Jeter wants an independent committee to review the city charter regarding elected officials doing business with the city. The charter hasn’t been amended in 19 years. But he can’t count on much help from the mayor and fellow council members. The two additional votes he needs to pass a motion that would put the issue to a public vote is likely not there. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/16/58642 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/15/58616 After fading and rusting away in pastures for years, some tough old trucks are returning to work, reincarnated as trailers. But they must first withstand decapitation from a welder’s torch. Wielding an acetylene-fueled scalpel, Glen Raabe has performed a half-dozen such steel surgeries. Raabe makes it sound simple. Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/15/58616 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/14/58591 Since 2005, one Temple City Council member has landed more than $3 million in city contracts for his construction company, and the mayor has done steady business - more than $100,000 - with the city through his quarry, trucking and steel companies, according to public records. These figures, obtained through public information requests, do not include subcontracts with the city. Sun, 14 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/14/58591 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/11/58551 Hoping to harness lower electric bills, two Bell County vanguards are tossing their money into the wind. A certified public accountant and a semi-retired couple have both erected wind towers on their rural property on Temple’s outskirts. Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/11/58551 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/10/58520 If you want to keep up with this 64-year-old, half-Cherokee, half Scotch-Irishman on his daily rounds, take this advice: Pack a lunch. To help pay medical bills, Hal Rollins covers six, seven, maybe eight miles a day, five days a week, retrieving roadside aluminum cans for recycling. He got sick last year and can’t get a doctor’s release to return to his job operating an overhead bucket on a tree-trimming crew. Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/10/58520 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/09/58511 The Temple plant manager for Oncor Electric Delivery said Monday the “smart meters” the state has said are obsolete actually have their uses. Over the past few years, Oncor has purchased 898,000 meters as part of their plan to upgrade to automated meters that can be operated from a central location, rather than sending out a service technician. But the Public Utility Commission announced last week these meters don’t meet state standards. Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/09/58511 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/06/58490 About 1,000 friends, family and fellow parishioners gathered at the Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center Wednesday evening in Temple to recognize Catholic laity who have given their time and talents to their community. Representing the Catholic Church of Central Texas, Bishop Gregory Aymond presented the Lumen Gentium - “Light of the World” - award to 89 Central Texas individuals or couples. Sat, 06 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/06/58490 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/07/58452 In 1997, New York art historian Grace Jeffers talked the Wilsonart folks into giving her a look-see into the old house that founding father Ralph Wilson Sr. built in 1959. Jeffers just about yanked the remodeler’s hammer out of his hand. One year after she persuaded Wilsonart to leave the house intact, the National Register of Historic Places added the home to its list of historic landmarks. Sun, 07 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/07/58452 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/07/58451 Back in the mid-1950s, businessman Ralph Wilson Sr. signed with his former employer an agreement not to compete within 1,000 miles of the California company. So Wilson built his laminate factory in Temple. The competition probably should have banished Wilson to the moon. Sun, 07 Jun 2009 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.tdtnews.com/story/2009/06/07/58451