Local change starts with people

Austin County and its municipalities are at a crossroads and decisions made in the coming months could determine whether the county becomes a sleepy backwater or shapes itself to be the next Fort Bend County.

OK, maybe Fort Bend County isn’t the best example, but it is growing and is generally bringing in high-end development. With the Houston metro area exploding like it is, Sealy could be poised to be the next Katy/Cinco Ranch. The Hwy. 36 corridor through Austin County could someday be connecting major cities like Hwy. 6.

Planning and budgeting now can put the county on a course for significant growth or we can continue to nickel and dime our way to being little more than a low-end bedroom community.

The first step involves people. Although I’ve only been here a few months, I’ve seen a huge trend in government employees seeking higher incomes. One of the constants I’ve observed is that overtime is generally not paid and salaries are lower than in neighboring cities and counties.

If you want to attract and keep good quality people you have to pay them a respectable wage and overtime, when necessary. The Sealy Independent School District realizes this and is trying hard to keep salaries in line with the region.

In comparison, the Austin County Jail is bottom-feeding in the employment pool. Most of the jail is closed because they can’t keep jailers employed. The county recently offered a little relief by offering to pay overtime, but that’s a Band-Aid approach to a gaping flesh wound.

Now the dispatch office is unhappy because they donate eight hours of labor each month to the county without being compensated. The Sealy Police Department has also been seeking overtime pay comparable to other departments.

If local governments wish to attract high-end development and a highly skilled labor force, they must first provide a place and opportunity for that to happen. Ultimately, it may mean raising taxes to pay more in salaries.

Rather than keeping taxes low and fishing for employees at the low end of the pay scale, there needs to be a mindset of providing higher salaries and a higher standard of living and having to pick and choose from the best professionals available. Quality people make quality communities. They also pay more in taxes.

As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. The best people are going to follow the best salaries. I understand that Austin County doesn’t have the budget or resources that Fort Bend County has, but it should at least be comparable to or better than other neighboring counties.

Once you start paying more and attracting a better labor force, you begin to see higher-end homes being built. You get higher-level businesses moving to the community. You grow the tax base and are able to provide better roads, schools, and other resources.

The other choice is to keep trying to do more with less and watching as our neighbors grow and thrive while we settle for whatever is left. We need to lead or follow. Personally, I’d rather it be the former.

Schlitterbahn a wet way to spend a wild day

Roughly translated from German, Schlitterbahn means “slippery road.” To anyone who has ever been to the popular water parks, Schlitterbahn means wet, wild fun, and lots of it.

I got my first taste of the famed attraction in New Braunfels last Sunday. Sandy and I took our two youngest boys on a weekend outing that included camping at Palmetto State Park near Gonzales and then a full day splashing in the sun at Schlitterbahn.

My wife, a native of Houston, was last there when she was a teenager. It had obviously grown and changed a lot since then.

I remember when we first moved to Texas nearly nine years ago and we were Googling things to do.

“Oh, Schlitterbahn!” Sandy exclaimed.

I stared at her with a befuddled look that cried for more explanation, or shock at hearing what I thought was an obscenity coming out of her mouth.

She had very fond memories of the water park and her return visit did not disappoint. The boys and I had very different perspectives of the experience. The boys had recently returned from spending a couple weeks with my dad back in Colorado. Part of that visit included a visit to Water World in Denver, so they naturally made comparisons between the water parks.

Over all, they felt Schlitterbahn was bigger and had more to offer but that the rides were better at Water World. We also explained to them that due to long lines we did not go on the more popular attractions.

Although we stayed away from the longest lines, we could not avoid getting stuck in some lines. Waiting nearly 90 minutes for a 30-second “thrill” ride was not fun in my book. Neither was riding a tube in a lazy river where you were bumper-to-bumper with annoying strangers.

When I did get moving through a rapid, more often than not I got pulled back in an eddy which allowed people behind me to blast through and further separate me from my family.

Despite my complaints, however, I think the best part of the day was spending it with my family and having some real enjoyable times. I liked that while it was 100 degrees, it felt like 72.

As for the park itself, Schlitterbahn will require a longer and more detailed examination before I can give it a final grade. Next time I want to go when it’s not so crowded and we can get a better variety of experiences. Until then, trips to the beach will have to do.

Sealybration a sizzling celebration

Another Sealybration has come and gone and the time has come for evaluation and planning for the next year.

Since this is my first Sealybration, I don’t have a frame of reference for comparison. I don’t know if it is bigger, smaller, better or average for the annual festival. I can compare it to other festivals, and I’ve been to a lot.

I’ve seen summer festivals in bigger towns that were not as good and I’ve seen festivals in smaller towns that were better. I’ve never seen one with such a huge softball tournament before. I also got my first taste of competition cooking thanks to our publisher and her husband, Karen and Eddie Lopez.

I had no idea how serious these competitions were and how dedicated the competitors are to their craft. I had the pleasure of sampling each of the meats Eddie prepared for the competition. It was all some of the best barbecue I’ve ever had.

 Knowing how good his stuff was, I was stunned we didn’t take home any metal. I think the world of competition cooking is going to require a little closer examination, or at least some serious sampling.

I did not watch any of the softball, as our new sports writer, Mindy Blankemeyer, had that covered. I did notice that the tournament went with the ferocity of a Chicago election, meaning it went early and often and lasted well into the night.

Speaking of well into the night, when I first heard that the headlining act, country singer Steve Wariner, wasn’t taking the stage until 11:30 p.m., I thought that was highly unusual. Normally you would showcase your top performer in prime time. Why would you pay big money for a famous singer and then have him go on long after most of the crowds would have gone home and gone to bed.

Again I got an education on small town summer festivals in South Texas. The crowds didn’t go home. In fact, I think they grew. The temperature dipped and the night air felt refreshing. Another thing that was refreshing was watching people dance. Y’all were doing actual real dances, not just swaying your hips or gyrating a little bit like most do in the rest of the country. People of all ages were dancing and doing it well.

I was disappointed in the parade. Most people didn’t seem to know there was one. I had to search high and low for it. There was nothing more than a few tractors and classic cars in it. My wife and I made up half the crowd. The traffic on the street wasn’t stopped and went around the parade.

Sadly, it was the longest of the two parades I’ve seen this year in Sealy. Apparently Sealy knows how to cook barbecue, play softball and dance to live music, but doesn’t know how to put on a parade. (And no, I’m not volunteering to head it up next year.)

It was really cool to see how many people volunteered and worked hard to make Sealybration happen. The committees did an oustanding job. Things that needed to get done got done. I was very impressed.

That being said, I think the next year would benefit from maps of the grounds. I think a flier with all of the pertinent information would have been very helpful.

I would have also liked to purchase a Sealybration t-shirt, but never saw them for sale.

All in all, I think Sealybration was enjoyable and it supports a great cause with the Sealy Community Foundation. Everyone involved deserves major kudos. I’m really looking forward to next year’s festival.

A brief understanding of the meaning of life

God put me on Earth to accomplish a certain number of things and at the rate I am going, I will never die!

That bumper sticker slogan has been around for a while but it still cracks me up. It also makes me stop to think. (Sometimes I even remember to start again!) It’s very easy to get caught up in the busyness of life. Sometimes we get so busy and so overwhelmed that we forget why we are here.

That then begs an answer to the age-old question, why are we here? Why do we exist? What is our purpose in life? It doesn’t matter what philosophy, faith or creed you subscribe to, the fact remains that no one person knows exactly why mankind exists.

As a Christian I believe that we are created by God for his pleasure and purpose. Intellectuals will tell you we are the result of an evolutionary process begun with the big bang. There are numerous beliefs and theories as to how humans came to be.

While I still like to ponder that question, there are some things even more relevant to consider. I am here. I do exist. So what do I do now? What is my purpose? What will be my legacy long after I am gone?

I firmly believe that I am here to carry out God’s will for my life. If my purpose is to follow the Great Commission, I have done a very mediocre job of fulfilling my primary reason for existence. I’ve done it with mixed levels of success over the years.

On that note, let me say here and now that my door is always open to anyone wishing to know more about obtaining eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Switching gears, however, I’d like to look more in depth at our legacy and what we leave behind once we’ve left this life. In recent weeks I have spent a lot of time in cemeteries and museums. It reminds me that it is inherent in most all people to want to make a difference in this world and to leave a mark on history.

Most people will leave little more a headstone and maybe an obituary to show that they were here. Early in my career I used to take comfort in knowing that my name and works were preserved forever in newspaper archives across this nation (and in other countries thanks to The Associated Press).

As the biological father of three of my four children (I did a step-parent adoption of one), I know that, barring the unforeseen, my bloodline will continue on. Still, I wonder if that is enough? Have I made a real difference? Will I be remembered generations from now? Do I want to be remembered generations from now?

When I get to Heaven, will it matter that I wrote thousands of stories, hobnobbed with celebrities, photographed marvelous things, or done any of a number of things that would leave a lasting mark here on this planet? Or will it matter more how I cared for my family and people in need?

Famed pastor Rick Warren or Saddleback Church in California said the only thing we take with us from this life to the next is our character. It’s not so much what we do in this life, but why we do it that matters. If I do the most noble and selfless thing for personal gain, have I really gained anything?

Humans are by our very nature selfish beings. One of the beautiful things about Christianity is it teaches us to be in selfless service to others. Let me tell you, that is hard to do. It is counter intuitive and countercultural.

In the end, however, it is the only thing that will leave a meaningful impact here to the benefit of future generations and also follow you to the next life. That is a legacy worth living for.

Choose battles with civility and grace

It is in our human nature to want to be right. It is only natural to seek justice or revenge when you have been wronged. Nobody likes to lose. Nobody likes to turn the other cheek.

Sometimes, though, it is better to be wronged and to forgive than to be right and not be forgiven. You have to choose your battles. What will you fight for and what is not worth fighting for?

It is one thing to stand up for what is right. It’s another thing to stand up to be right. Too often those get mixed up, especially in politics.

I see a lot of pointless and unproductive bickering in the world, especially in the world of politics. From the grassroots to the global stage so much potential is lost because people feel the need to impose their will or opinions on others without first listening to hear what the others have to say.

Simple acts of civility and grace will accomplish much more than a harsh word will any day.

As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:7: “The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?”

Many people are familiar with the opening line of Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

It takes great insight to know what things we can and should change. Sometimes we have to accept that something should not be changed because it would cause more harm than good.

Author Stephen Covey in his book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” says the fifth habit is to first seek to understand, then to be understood. This principle puts other people first, which is what true public servants should do. Good leaders lead. Great leaders listen.

When someone has a problem, half of the solution is just to listen and understand. When people feel understood, they feel appreciated and valued. Even if you are unable or unwilling to solve their problem, just knowing that you understand them and their issue diffuses anger and frustration.

Great things can be accomplished when we all work together. From city hall to the county courthouse to the White House and the halls of Congress, focusing on the common good is far better than nitpicking failures.

If a reputation for petty squabbles and distrust prevails, the world will overrun us because we’re not paying attention. It’s like having two outfielders in baseball arguing about who should have caught the ball while the opponent circles the bases and heads for home.

To play off the adage of teaching a man to fish, I think we get so caught up arguing about bait that we forget to show the man how to use the pole.

We can do things better if we don’t have to be perfect. We can’t always have our own way but we do have to make a way for everyone.