Hereford on right economic path

I come from Colorado. Like Texas, it’s been a boom and bust state.
Right now Colorado is feeling a bust based mostly on the real estate crisis there. Texas, however, seems to be thriving, and Hereford in particular.
On the front page of Tuesday’s paper, we had the groundbreaking for the new clinic for Hereford Regional Medical Center. Below it was a picture of the new runway being built at Hereford Municipal Airport.
Across the highway from the airport is the Panda ethanol plant, which is due to go into service in October. The White Energy ethanol plant went into service earlier this year.
My own struggles with trying to find a house here tells me the real estate market is strong. I was walking down Main Street not too long ago and noticed that most of the buildings are occupied.
Downtown Longmont, Colo., where I’m from, has mostly vacant buildings. The city council there recently declared the Twin Peaks Mall a blighted area so that it could try and get government grants to help the owner remodel it. Many shops in the mall are vacant, though the mall itself is very nice.
I point these things out so that people here can better understand just how good they’ve got it. I’ve met some people recently who have indicated they would like to get out of Hereford. I can understand that, especially for younger people who want more out of life than they think they can find here. That’s normal in any small town.
It’s interesting, but everywhere I have lived outside of Colorado – Minnesota, North Carolina and, most recently Amarillo – people have asked me why I would leave Colorado to live here. I don’t get that in Hereford. Most people are proud to call this town their home and usually ask me how I like it.
I like it very much, thank you.
I want to live here and raise my family here. Hereford is good people. I like the values and work ethic of the people here. Sure, it’s not paradise, but it’s a good place to be.

Changes at the Brand
One of the things I want to bring to Hereford is some stability and dependability at the Hereford Brand. For too long the people of this community have suffered with a newspaper that was, to be blunt, less than adequate. We’ve got a long way to go to get where we need to be, but I feel we’re on the right path.
We have a new publisher who will be starting by July 7. His name is Grover Ford and he comes to us from Oklahoma. He’s a good man with a good mind for the newspaper business. Having a solid leader at the helm will help.
On the editorial side, we were without the services of Sports Editor Skip Leon for a couple weeks, but he’s back now. Unfortunately we are now without the services of reporter Patricia Gardner for several weeks while she takes a leave of absence to deal with a family situation.
While being shorthanded again will be a struggle, we will strive to improve the paper. We are working on a redesign of the newspaper that I hope will be more than cosmetic. I hope to make needed improvements in the content and the presentation of that content. Any suggestions you, the reader, might have for things you want to see in the paper (or no longer see), please let us know.
One thing I want for sure is more reader involvement. I want to encourage readers to send us pictures and items they feel are newsworthy. We’ll do our best to get them into the paper.
I also want to get our Web site running again soon. It’s been down for way too long. Until that happens, I am putting my column on my personal blog. You can find it and columns I wrote when I was in Colorado at www.joesouthern.blogspot.com.

Film festival a dream come true

A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty Hi-Yo Silver! The Lone Ranger rode again.
After years of planning, the 75th anniversary celebration of the Lone Ranger was held two weeks ago at the Memphis Film Festival. It was an amazing event, but not in the way I anticipated.
I expected an event where I would get to rub elbows with celebrities and meet people from the Lone Ranger Fan Club that I had only communicated with via phone and e-mail. What I didn’t expect was to actually befriend and form lasting relationships with these people. It wasn’t just the fan club members, but the celebrities as well.
Several of the movie stars that were invited were child actors in the 1950s and haven’t had an acting job since they became adults. Some have continued their careers, but aren’t generally marquee names.
Noel Neill, who is best known for playing Lois Lane on “Adventures of Superman,” was the biggest star there. She was also the smallest, but that’s a different story. She was sweet as could be and treated everyone like they were old friends.
Since we were also celebrating the 70th anniversary of Superman, Neill was a natural to bring to Memphis. It helped that she did an episode of “The Lone Ranger.” One other actress had a link to both heroes.
Beverly Washburn was in the motion picture “The Lone Ranger” with Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels. She had a part in the movie “Superman and the Mole Men,” which became the first episodes of the TV show. She also did a “Star Trek” episode, of which I’m a huge fan. Most people, however, remember her as the little girl on “Old Yeller.”
Two guest stars that appeared in more Westerns than you can shake a stick at were Dick Jones and Gregg Palmer. Jones was Jock Mahoney’s sidekick in “Range Rider.” He was also the voice of Disney’s Pinnochio.
Palmer is a ham and can do the best imitations of John Wayne, Gary Cooper and Jimmy Stewart I’ve ever heard. He was always cracking people up. He said he wanted to come to the festival so bad that he turned down two jobs to join us – painting the kitchen and fixing the screen door.
Bob Hoy was a late addition to the lineup. He replaced radio announcer Fred Foy, who backed out for health reasons. Hoy was primarily a stuntman and did some stunts for Jay Silverheels, who was Tonto on the Lone Ranger. Hoy was also a henchman in Butch Cavendish’s gang in “The Legend of the Lone Ranger.” He had some great stories to tell about his stunt work.
Other actors with Lone Ranger ties included Claudia Barrett, Michael Chapin and Lanny Rees. Barrett did an episode each with Clayton Moore and John Hart. Chapin did one Lone Ranger, but is best known for his part in “Rough Ridin’ Kids.”
Rees is one of the actors I got to know well. He did one Lone Ranger episode, but is best known as Junior Riley in the movie and television show “The Life of Riley” with Jackie Gleason. Once he reached draft age, Uncle Sam came calling. After the service, he married and took regular jobs. He was a mechanic most of his life.
I think Rees got the most of anybody out of the festival. He was just a regular guy whose film career is largely forgotten. But for one weekend he got star treatment, and boy did he shine!
Barrett was reunited with Gregory Moffett, who was one of the Superman guests. They were in the 3-D cult classic horror film “Robot Monster.” Moffett, like Rees, gave up film when he grew up. He was just as star-struck as anyone else at the festival.
The glamorous Laurie Mitchell, though no longer the blonde bombshell she was in the ’50s, was flirty and fun and a real joy to be around.
We were also graced by the Perreau sisters, GiGi and Janine. They often competed with Beverly Washburn for roles and the three of them had stories to share. Though he didn’t have a connection to the Lone Ranger or Superman, Kenny Miller was an invited guest. He starred with Mitchell in “Attack of the Puppet People.” He was also in “I was a Teenage Werewolf,” among others.
The one celebrity I got to know best was Jeffrey Breslauer. He has done a lot of work with the Muppets and appeared in an episode of “Superboy” in 1991. His voice can be heard as that of the Joker in the Batman attraction at all the Six Flags theme parks.
A bonus was the appearance of Gordie Peer, who used to tour the rodeo circuit with Clayton Moore. Peer entertained us with stories and his skills with a whip and his gun spinning.
Of course, I’ve done gone and spent all my time bragging about the celebrities and failed to mention the fellow fans that I got to know.
It’s also nice to know that I’m not the only one who owns a Lone Ranger outfit and isn’t afraid to wear it in public.

Daddy's Day

Father’s Day is a misnomer. It ought to be Daddy’s Day.
As the saying goes: Anyone can be a father. It takes someone special to be a daddy. There are too many fathers who don’t chose to become daddies. Too many men are absent from their children’s lives. Too many men are either not involved with their children at all or are too engaged in their careers and hobbies to be an effective father.
Oftentimes I feel like the latter. For the past year especially, I have been busy planning for the 75th anniversary celebration of the Lone Ranger, which we held last weekend at the Memphis Film Festival (more about that next week).
I would come home from a long day at work and get right on my computer. I’d stay there most all evening, breaking to eat dinner, bathe the little boys, do prayers and send the kids to bed. Then I’d be back on the computer again.
I owe a lot to my family. I owe them a lot of time. I have walks to take, bikes to ride, games to play, fish to catch and baseballs and footballs to toss around in the back yard. It’s time to go camping, swimming and horseback riding. I want to introduce my children to drive-in movies and take the family out for ice cream. We’ve gone too long without doing very many of those things.
Of course, being a good daddy also means being a good husband. Sandy has been very patient with me. It’s time for her patience to pay off. It’s time for evening walks holding hands, giving shoulder rubs, painting toenails and having Bible studies together.
I used to have a button that read “88 percent of life is just showing up.” I find that to be true. Being physically present says a lot to those around you. Being mentally engaged, however, is the difficult part. I guess that’s why there’s only 12 percent left of life.
I recently wrote a graduation story about Crystal and Roy Barboza, two students who graduated high school this spring. They’ve been married more than two years and have a daughter.
While I don’t condone people getting married at 16, I have a lot of respect for Roy. He has been determined to make his marriage work. He works to care for his family and he made the effort to finish school. How many of his peers have shunned their responsibility as a father?
Roy chose to take the high road. He’s a daddy to Khrysell. He’s a husband to Crystal. He’s got a hard road ahead of him. He needs all the encouragement he can get. I hope he hangs in there. I hope he bucks the trends and has a marriage that lasts a lifetime. He sets an example that young men today can learn from.
We don’t need more teen fathers. What we need are young men willing to commit to their families when the time to wed comes.
Being a father is hard work, especially with so many things demanding our time. But the rewards are well worth it. There’s nothing like having your child squeeze your neck, kiss your cheek and say “I love you Daddy!”
I want my kids to grow up to be the best at whatever they decide to do. But more than that, I want them to be Scout leaders, Sunday school teachers, PTA presidents and the like. I want my grandchildren to have great parents – ones who learned by example. But before I can have any of that, I must first set the example myself.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to go play some catch.

Graduation memories

Covering graduation last weekend made me feel a little nostalgic. It was 25 years ago that I walked across the stage at Niwot High School, accepted my diploma, and shook the hand of Principal Robert “Wimpy” Moderhak.
I’ll never forget those immortal words he spoke to me – “I still owe you five dollars.”
It was a hot day and graduation was held at the track around the practice football field. When the first row stood up to go to the stage, everyone’s gown was plastered to their backs with sweat.
Immediately, everyone still in their seats leaned forward and began tugging at their backs to air out the sweat before it was their turn to stand up. For once I was grateful that my name came near the end of the alphabet. I was dry by the time I came to collect my diploma.
Now, you may be wondering why Mr. Moderhak owed me five bucks and why on earth we called him Wimpy. He was a slightly rotund man with a balding head and a big, cheesy mustache. That fact that he usually wore a suit and often donned a bowler hat made him look just like the character on Popeye. Of course, he hated the name Wimpy and you didn’t dare call him that to his face.
And no, he wasn’t gladly paying me Tuesday for a hamburger today. Some troublesome sophomores had damaged one of my cassette tapes and he had $5 in restitution from the little thugs to give me. Still, he chose and odd moment to remember it.
That wasn’t the last time I saw Mr. Moderhak. I came back to work at my hometown newspaper, the Longmont Daily Times-Call, and called him often for stories. Only this time he was an assistant superintendent. I wrote about his retirement and had only one other occasion after that to talk to him.
He won a contest to appear at halftime at the Sugar Bowl. He could win $2 million if he could throw a football so many yards to a target four times and then have ex-quarterback Joe Theismann do the same. Mr. Moderhak made all of his throws, but Theismann missed his. Still, he walked away with $500,000 and a free T-shirt.
I have to say I was impressed with the Hereford Class of 2008. As a whole they were very well behaved and respectful. It was a very dignified ceremony. Flash back 25 years ago to northern Colorado and we were a much more colorful lot. It was the time of big hair and the only way you could tell the difference between the genders from behind was by how teased the hair was.
Despite the threat of not being able to walk the stage, several people put messages on their mortarboards and/or hid things in their robes. Some blew bubbles during the ceremony. I seem to recall a couple inflatable beach balls bouncing around.
One or two graduates leaped into the arms of coaches as they crossed the stage. Most, but certainly not me, voted “Wasted on the Way” by Crosby, Stills and Nash as the song for the Class of 1983.
It’s funny how much we remember and treasure our high school days. It was only three years out of my 42 years of life, but clearly among the best of times. I now have a daughter, Heather, who is in high school. Unfortunately I don’t get to share much of her high school experience. She is the product of my first marriage and lives with her mother in Minnesota.
Still, I get to have her for the summer and she will be joining me this weekend at the Memphis Film Festival. I can’t wait to see her again.
As for the Class of 2008, I can’t say that I have any profound words of wisdom to share with you. The best advice I have is to always do your best, trust God and never believe anyone who tells you that you can’t do something (unless that person is God or a law enforcement officer).

Not talking politics

Let’s not talk politics, shall we?
I don’t like politics. The more we talk about them the less intelligent I feel. So let’s not talk about the fact that Hillary Clinton doesn’t have a rat’s patootie’s chance against Barack Obama bin Laden or whatever his name is.
I don’t think it really matters who wins the Donkeycratic nomination in Denver this summer. Ain’t a one of ’em in the lot that’s got a chance against John McCain. At least that’s what I’d tell ya’ if we was talking politics, which of course, we ain’t.
Now, here’s why – despite the fact that Dubbya has messed things up real bad for the Elephants – that McCain is gonna win in November. It’s the ghost of Harry Truman.
For those of you who are old enough to remember – and that certainly doesn’t include me – ol’ “Give ’em Hell Harry” wasn’t supposed to win the election. His party was a demoralized disgrace, kind of like Britney Spears in a Mother of the Year contest.
Now Truman, who played for the Donkeys, was a war hero and well-known politician who worked hard and beat Thomas Dewey, who came across real slick and polished and trumpeted himself as the candidate of change.
Assuming that history will repeat itself, flash forward to 2008 (it’s a stretch, I know, but play along anyway). You’ve got McCain as the war hero and popular politician whose values are pretty much in line with all us good hard-workin,’ right-wing, conservative Christians.
If you pit McCain against Obama, you’ve got the war hero against the slick candidate for change. Obama has more going against him than just a weird name – one that happens to be very similar to Public Enemy No. 1. Obama has been linked to Islam, the religion of our enemies. In his effort to break that link, he aligned himself with a real nut job. Now he’s trying to break that link.
There also is a picture going around the Internet of him not holding his hand over his heart during the Pledge. That’s just plain un-American!
If we was talkin’ politics – which we ain’t – I’d be reminding you that he stands for abortion and same-sex marriage. I don’t know where he stands on gun control, but if he’s like his fellow Donkeycrats, he won’t trust you with a gun, but he will let you kill your babies. That just don’t make a lick of sense to me.
The one other factor that really hasn’t been talked about is racism. Obama is black and I don’t think this country is ready to elect a black person as president. Racism is still too strong. I know, I lived in North Carolina long enough to be called both racist and an “N-word lover.”
Personally, I don’t have any problem with his race or the color of his skin. It’s the character of the man inside I’ve got issues with. At least that’s what I’d tell you if this column was about politics, which it ain’t.
While I don’t have a problem with him being black, there are too many people out there who do. While they may not tell that to the pollsters, they will say it loud and clear at the polls.
Now, you might be asking yourself, “if this column isn’t about politics, what is it about?” The answer is this – cheeseburgers.
I think cheeseburgers are the greatest invention since sliced bread – which of course you need in order to have a good, juicy cheeseburger. I think the cheeseburger is the perfect all-American food. And the most popular place to get one is at McDonald’s. And McDonald’s reminds me of McCain because they both have the McIrish thing going for them.
So if I don’t feel like talking politics, I just go to McDonald’s and cast my vote there. And yes, I would like fries with that.

Memphis Film Festival

Two great legends make for one super celebration.
On June 5-7, the Memphis Film Festival will salute 75 years of the Lone Ranger and 70 years of Superman. (That’s Memphis, as in Tennessee, not Texas.) It’s an event that I have been planning for throughout the past five years. It began when my friend Jim Hollaert and I were lamenting that no one was doing anything for the 70th anniversary of the Lone Ranger.
We decided back then that the 75th anniversary would not pass without some kind of a celebration. Jim owned a Web site dedicated to the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers and other Western heroes. I own the Lone Ranger Fan Club. For the first couple of years the two of us and others talked about holding a festival. We knew we wanted to celebrate the Masked Man and we wanted to do it in the summer of 2008.
Two years ago I formed an international committee to plan a 75th anniversary celebration. I can say international because one of the members, Elizabeth Mortimer, is from England. The Committee met by e-mail and phone. We had a huge celebration planned out that was to be held in Amarillo.
The company that owns the rights to the character, however, didn’t like the location or time of year that we picked. Without their support, we couldn’t get sponsors and the necessary financial backing. Our plans were sunk a year out from the date, but rather than admit defeat, someone suggested we partner with an existing film festival.
After interviewing several, we felt we had the best offer from the Memphis Film Festival. There was only one catch. Ray Nielsen, the gentleman who runs the show, wanted to split the bill with Superman, who is five years the Lone Ranger’s junior. With a new Superman movie in the theaters, that seemed like a great way to increase attendance at the show, so we went for it.
For the next several months we wrangled over the guest list and other events. Wanting to focus on the television shows from the 1950s, we went through a tedious process of inviting guests, having some drop out for various reasons, and inviting others. As it stands now, we have two guest stars who have appeared on both shows. Noel Neill, who was Lois Lane on TV, and Beverly Washburn hold the double-billing status.
Joining them are, from the Lone Ranger side, Claudia Barrett, Michael Chapin, Bob Hoy, Dick Jones, Gregg Palmer and Lanny Rees.
Hoy was a late replacement for radio announcer Fred Foy, who had health concerns. Hoy was a stuntman for Jay Silverheels, who played Tonto. He also had a part in the movie “The Legend of the Lone Ranger.”
On the Superman side, stars include Laurie Mitchell, Gregory Moffett, Janine Perreau, and Jeffrey Breslauer, who was on “Superboy.” Additional guest stars include Kenny Miller and GiGi Perreau. Jack Larson, who was Jimmy Olsen on “Adventures of Superman,” will be on a panel via telephone.
The festival will include panel discussions, autograph sessions, a dealer’s room and radio program re-creations of “The Lone Ranger,” “Superman” and “Challenge of the Yukon” (also known as “Sgt. Preston of the Yukon”).
To help raise funds for the event, we have been having an opportunity drawing for a replica Lone Ranger holster and gun set. The guns are not real, but are for display and trick spinning. The holster is made by master craftsman Dusty Johnson of the Pleasant Valley Saddle Shop in Loveland, Colo. For more information about that, please visit www.lonerangerfanclub.com.
I have to admit that the festival isn’t everything I first envisioned, but at least I kept my promise to have an event and it will be a lot of fun. I know it’s short notice for folks here, but I hope some of you will be able to join us in just over a week in Memphis.

Displaying the 10 Commandments

When I was first introduced to the community, the headline read, “Lone Ranger fan takes editorial reins at Brand.”
I sure don’t mind being known as a Lone Ranger fan. I’m proud of it. But a bigger part of me wishes the headline had said something about a Christian taking the reins at the Brand.
I say that because, though I don’t always act like it, I consider myself to be first and foremost a follower of Jesus Christ.
That being said, I’d like to play devil’s advocate for a bit. I think it’s in Deaf Smith County’s best interest to reject a proposal to erect a 10 Commandment’s monument on the courthouse lawn. Now, before you get all riled up, here’s why I feel that way.
First of all, the monument is clearly designed with a religious purpose in mind. The men spearheading the effort, Elliot Crabtree of Conlen and Nort Mowrey of Amarillo, have made it clear that they want to get the message across that this nation was founded on principals of Christianity. That puts it in clear violation of the First Amendment.
As a Christian I can’t help but wonder what Jesus would have felt about it. Jesus wasn’t in the business of breaking rules. In fact, he taught his followers to obey the laws and to respect those in authority.
Secondly, if it’s important enough for this community to have the 10 Commandments on display, why not pick another location where it doesn’t conflict with the Constitutional rights of others. Surely there are plenty of business owners who would be glad to donate space for it. Maybe a non-governmental group or organization could provide a spot.
I just don’t think it’s in the county’s best interest to risk an expensive and emotional lawsuit when it is on shaky grounds to begin with.
If the 10 Commandments are important enough to people to put on public display, then maybe folks ought to display them at their homes, their churches or other such places.
I think the 10 Commandments serve as the cornerstone for most laws in this world and there is no doubt they are the foundation of the laws of our land. But I don’t know of anyone who fervently obeys all 10 of them. Try as I might, I know I don’t. I, and most people I know, don’t obey the fourth Commandment. I don’t know of anyone who keeps the Sabbath holy.
I want to, and I try, but our culture almost prohibits it. Of course, there are nine other Commandments and various people have their own problems following them. That’s where God’s grace is such a beautiful thing. I think as long as we strive to obey them, he forgives our shortcomings.
And as a side note, the second Commandment tells us not to make any idols, which, some may argue, this is.
I respect what Crabtree and Mowrey are doing and I feel it’s a noble thing. I just think they’re going about it the wrong way. I think if they re-evaluate their strategy and look for private locations, they can achieve their goal of getting the monuments erected in each county in Texas.
I would feel a whole lot better about supporting the effort if it didn’t put me into conflict with the laws that give me freedom to worship as I please. And I think the people of Hereford and Deaf Smith County would probably feel the same.

Welcome to Hereford, Texas

One of the first things I was told about Hereford is that it’s a very friendly town.
I can’t dispute that. Within days of my arrival at the Hereford Brand, I had several people coming in to meet me. Nearly everyone has gone out of their way to say hi or help out in some way.
It’s a far cry from the reception I got when I moved to Amarillo two and a half years ago. Nothing against the big city, but I was ready to leave the day I arrived. And given how nice things have been here, I still can’t wait to leave and to call Hereford my home.
I’m a small-town country boy at heart. I never did adjust well to life in the big city. Oh, I made friends, found some favorite places to go and have become a member of a wonderful church. But I’m afraid to let my children ride their bikes, take walks, go to the park or play with the neighbor kids.
Somehow I don’t think those will be a big issue for me here. I feel a whole lot safer here than I do in Amarillo.
I’m not going to badmouth Amarillo. It’s been a good place to live, despite my reservations. But I grew up in the village of Niwot, Colo. At the time it was a little farming community of about 500 homes. We had a one-acre hobby farm with cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks and about 200 rabbits. I also raised bees and we had a huge garden.
My wife Sandy, who was born in Houston but grew up in Oregon, also lived on a hobby farm in the country. It’s something we’d like to have for our own children some day. I think Hereford could provide that for us.
On the other hand, life at the Hereford Brand these past couple weeks has been a comedy of errors. To say that we’re technologically advanced would be a gross overstatement. We’ve recently had our computer system overhauled. That caused us some major glitches, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. At this point we’re still trying to get our e-mail capabilities back.
On top of that, Friday was the last day for our publisher, Larry Reynolds. His time here was short, but effective. We’re in much better shape now than when he arrived here in February. He has been lured away to Liberal, Kan., and we wish him all the best.
In the meantime, that’s going to leave a lot of little chiefs trying to fill in some big shoes until a new publisher is named. Please bear with us and understand that we’re trying our best.
I am a big believer in community journalism. I want the people of Hereford to feel and to know that this is their paper. Each reader and advertiser has a stake in this paper and I want you to feel like it’s your own. Please feel free to contact us with your story ideas, pictures, etc. If it’s important to you, it’s probably important to others in the community. And that’s what we’re here for, this community.