In defense of voting rights
2021-07-15
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Voting is the life blood of a democracy. Votes express the will of the many to direct the actions of the few. Voting preserves our Republic. Restricting voting kills democracy. Americans have struggled over the last 232 years to expand voting. In the beginning, woman couldn’t vote. Continue Reading
Uncle Sam needs you
2021-07-08
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer The World watched on Jan. 6, 2021, as criminals swarmed the United States Capital. The thugs wanted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Most of us looked on in horror. Congress had gathered in a solemn, constitutional ceremony to count the Electoral College votes. Each state hadContinue Reading
A letter to my daughters
2021-07-01
Austin Lewter/Jefferson Jimplecute Jennifer and I have four children — three girls and a boy. I was reared with all brothers. In fact, there was a dry spell of Lewter girl births from the late 1930s until the mid 2000s. So raising girls has been an education, but one I wouldContinue Reading
Gonzalez leaves curious legacy
2021-07-01
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Henry B. Gonzalez had a long and controversial career as a Texas politician. He was the first Hispanic elected to Congress from Texas and was never afraid to speak his mind on the issues. Gonzalez was born to immigrant parents in San Antonio in 1916. His parentsContinue Reading
Vaccinations are Pro Life
2021-06-30
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Since February, the United States of America has been making steady progress in the fight against Covid 19. Public safety measures such as mask wearing and physical distancing slowed the spread of the virus. We bought time for the development of several vaccines. The vaccines are highlyContinue Reading
The reality of risks
2021-06-24
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Many of the old German folk tales deal with risks and threats. Children needed to learn that there are dangers in the world. What must of us don’t realize is that the dangers are closer to home than we want to admit. Most of us prefer to believeContinue Reading
Failure is not an option
2021-06-19
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Here we go again. ERCOT, Electric Reliability Council of Texas, has warned us that the Texas power grid is about to fail. That doesn’t sound very reliable to me. It must sound reliable to Greg Abbot and Dan Patrick. They failed to provide solutions in the lastContinue Reading
Memories in the summer heat
2021-06-10
Glenn Melancon/ Contributing writer I love heat. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that summer is my favorite season. I’m always happy to see winter far behind us. Growing up summer always meant sun, water and travel. Dad’s government job offered us many opportunities beyond a secure paycheck and good healthcare. His vacationContinue Reading
Legislators don’t trust women
2021-06-05
Glenn Melancon/ Contributing writer Life for Texas women is about to get much more stressful. The Republican-led Texas Legislature just passed, and Republican Gregg Abbott signed, a new law allowing vigilantes to harass women. Conservatives simply don’t trust Texas women. They want the government and busy bodies to invade theContinue Reading
Multiple programs take on hunger in Marion County…
2021-05-29
To the editors, I would like to respond to a recent article in the Jimp, specifically the news that Mission Marshall has expanded their locations to include Woodlawn and is open to Marion County residents. Mission Marshall has also stated that Marion County organizations and businesses will be asked toContinue Reading
Jefferson Lions thank you…
2021-05-29
To the editor, Jefferson Lions Club would like to thank Jefferson and Marion County for helping us celebrate our 75th club anniversary on Saturday, May 15, 2021. It was great to see Lions Park filled with people, especially families. The weather was perfect and everyone had fun! SpecialContinue Reading
Congregation feels notice to vacate was abrupt…
2021-05-28
To the editor, Shalom Hugh. Thank you so much for your consideration and your thoughtfulness in responding and reaching out to us (for comment). To answer your questions: No we do not have a new home. We had no information of the non-renewal contract until it was handed to us directly Continue Reading
Excelsior Foundation plans restoration for synagogue property…
2021-05-28
To the editor, The Excelsior Foundation board of directors had our regularly scheduled monthly meeting today, May 10, 2021, to confirm results of the called-meeting on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. Following our 67th annual performances of the Diamond Bessie Murder Trial, we are keenly aware that restoration plans for the Ruth LesterContinue Reading
It’s best to listen to the experts
2021-05-28
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer My dad, Yves “Buster” Melancon served 27 years in the United States Army. He earned the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3. He started his career as a mechanic and ended as an Automotive Superintendent. Some of my best memories are helping him work on cars. In theContinue Reading