Opinion

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. — Eleanor Roosevelt Looking back is part of the fun of writing a weekly column for decades.

As we bid farewell to 2023, we take a moment to reflect on the journey we’ve shared together as a community. This year has been a testament to the strength, resilience, and unity that defi ne the City of Alpine. As we express our gratitude, remember the highs and lows, honor those we’ve lost, and anticipate the possibilities ahead, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every member of our community.

“A sister is someone who knows everything about you and loves you anyway.” — Author unknown It was just a few days ago. November 14.

As the sun sets on another year at Sul Ross State University, I am filled with pride and gratitude for the incredible achievements and transformative experiences that have characterized our campus community. Reflecting on the past year, and indeed the last 18 months since I arrived, I find myself compelled to celebrate the remarkable milestones that have defined our journey at SRSU.

When managing rangeland for grazing purposes, it is essential that owners and managers understand the resources that are available to them to assist in this sometimes difficult and complex process. There is a wide array of innovative tools and resources at the disposal of individuals who find themselves making these critical management decisions. One of the many, highly effective services that producers can utilize through AgriLife is the Grazing Land Animal Nutrition Lab, commonly referred to as the GAN Lab. The GAN Lab dates back to the 1980s with its roots in the Conservation Biology and Range, Wildlife, & Fisheries Management Departments at Texas A&M University. The original goals of the lab were to study grazing and nutrition trends in livestock. An innovative approach was utilized that allowed actual measurement of nutrient intake and diet composition of animals through fecal samples, instead of the more commonly used widespread forage testing in pastures and rangelands. The results often portrayed a vastly different picture when compared with the actual grazing diets of the animals using these pastures.

“Your big-time writer is a person with incredibly poignant things to say about life and the profundity of the human condition … a columnist’s highest aspiration is for someone to cut his or her column out of the paper and hang it on the refrigerator.”

“The greatest lesson in life is realizing I still have a lot to learn.” — Author unkown The view from my window is thought-provoking. I’ve always tried to learn from experience and by watching others.

As the fourthcalled special session wraps up this week, the Texas Legislature leaves $5B in new public education funding unallocated due to political infighting over voucher programs. These funds should have been flowing to school districts, teachers, and classrooms over the past six months. Instead, they sit in state coffers waiting for state leaders to pass legislation that would provide muchneeded teacher pay raises, as well as district funding increases to counteract inflation, address learning loss, and improve safety and security.