Opinion

“Singin’ the blues while the lady cats cry, ‘Wild stray cat, you’re a real gone guy.’ I wish I could be as carefree and wild But I got cat class, and I got cat style.” ― The Stray Cats, an American rockabilly band I saw another news item about big cats in East Texas last week. This time, it was about a huge one up near Longview that ran out in front of a police cruiser at 3 a.m.

As we wrap up the fall semester and the year, I want to review some of Sul Ross State University’s many accomplishments in 2024. It’s been a success by all measures, including enrollment and retention – though we remain steadfast in our commitment to pursuing growth and success in our student population and for the entire campus community.

“It is strange that the years teach us patience; that the shorter our time, the greater our capacity for waiting.” ― Actress Elizabeth Taylor (1932 – 2011) “I’m going up to W.R. DeWoody’s Western Auto,” my grandfather announced one summer day in the early 1960s.

As fall turns to winter again, the changing seasons bring more than holiday cheer to many families. For youth livestock exhibitors and their families, this time of year also brings late nights, early mornings, cold temperatures, and an increased commitment of time and energy as they prepare their animals for livestock shows. The skills and life lessons learned through youth livestock projects are immeasurable, but their impact can be observed if you have the opportunity to watch these youth in the show ring.

During the last four years, communities along the southern border have been ground zero for illegal immigration. Stretching over 800 miles of the Rio Grande, my congressional district includes places like Eagle Pass, Del Rio, and El Paso. These places have all been ravaged by the Biden administration’s “America Last” agenda, which has led to the worst border crisis in our nation’s history. It has also empowered transnational criminals like never before.

“You can have whatever you want if you believe in yourself and keep your feet firmly planted on the ground.” ― A. J.

We are now in the season of Advent. This past Sunday, we celebrated the first Sunday of Advent. Traditionally, the theme for the First Sunday of Advent is Hope. As we look forward to the second Sunday of Advent, the theme for the week is traditionally Peace. Some of us may be shaking our heads, grunting, or raising our eyebrows in disbelief at that single word — Peace.

The City of Alpine Building Services department has been busy in the last six months. We have been working on updating the outdated zoning ordinance to meet and match the requirements of the adopted 2021 International Building codes. We started off with basic definitions, marrying the requirements in the international zoning codes. Many of the ordinances have not been updated since the late 1970s or 1990s. The ongoing pressing question we hear the most from our growing community is, “ How do we encourage more affordable housing in Alpine?”

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” ― Anonymous “Lifelong member of the church of Christ, serving as song leader most of those years.” I wrote that last week, one of many notes on one of many yellow tablets cluttering my desk. While struggling to come up with a reasonable forward for my book, I’ve resolved to finish it soon—the forward or the book, maybe both.

As I announced in this column in January, Sul Ross State University purchased two downtown buildings—Porter’s Grocery and TransPecos Bank, both located on 5th Street. As is often the case when bureaucracy is involved, it took a while to close on the properties and ultimately decide how each would be utilized.