Columns

I would argue hiring great coaches is not a difficult task. I would say retaining them is another matter entirely. Have you ever heard winners win and losers lose? There is a lot of truth to this statement. When winning is consistent every year, I believe there are tools in place perpetuating the program. Community, administration, dedicated players, and competent energetic coaches are necessary tools. Programs losing consistently lack one or more of these.

Slogan t-shirts are my preferred method of communication – I’m a walking bumper sticker. I have t-shirts from my favorite Mexican restaurant in San Antonio ( Mi Tierra), several from my church (Kitchen Crew, Kid’s Ministries, Health Fair…), and many others from places I’ve visited (Washington, D.C., Puerto Vallarta, NYC, South Beach…). As I’ve written, I used to design t-shirts for the Christian Youth market, and just recently created a new design ( Forget Me Remember Jesus ).

Dear Editor, In recent weeks of tax appraisal statements being sent out, it has become evident that there is an egregious disparity in the property values being assessed in Van Zandt County and true market value of homes and land. Something has to be done to rectify these unequal weights and measure practices that are threatening home ownership in our county and state.

Until last week, I had a fluffy white beard. This was the first time I’d ever let it grow for more than two weeks – usually, I just look a little “scruffy,” but my wife and I agreed that I should avoid shaving (except my neck) until my very difficult assignment in Virginia was over (as a sort of protest). But now that it’s over, I’m unemployed, and the beard might not fit the professional appearance I want to convey. And, as my sweetie reminds me, Purt eats a lot of pricey dog food, so the beard had to go.

The college transfer portal permits student athletes to place their name in an online database. This database is declaring their desire to transfer to another college. Student-athletes enter the portal by informing their current school of their desire to transfer. Then the college has two business days to enter the athlete’s name in the database.

The definition of ‘Host Family’ is a ‘normal’ family which opens its doors to experience a new culture and gives students a second home. Hosting is an extremely rewarding experience.

Have you noticed signs or blue pinwheels around the county informing the public about child abuse this month? That is because April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. Van Zandt County has a board of members from most towns in the county comprised of different ethnicities, genders, socioeconomic status, and races.

•Names will not be withheld. newspaper, its staff or management.

Letter to the Editor Hi. My name is Kitten Struchen Murphy and I live 10 miles southwest of Canton off of Hwy.

I’m working in Nebraska right now, and I must say I’m identifying with Charles Ingalls (the beloved “father” character of ‘Little House on the Prairie’ fame. I do, in fact, live in a little yellow house on the Nebraska prairie, and I’m (temporarily) part of a community of about 350 folks. And, like Charles Ingalls, I had to leave home to help support my family, though he left Nebraska to do so, and I came to Nebraska. There’s a reason why so many wind turbines are popping up around this state – the wind is constant, strong – and occasionally maddening. I took a bike ride in the country last Sunday, trying to follow the directions a neighbor gave me to the next tiny village. I got lost, and by the time I made it back to my little yellow house, I was bone tired, thirsty, frustrated, and starving.