Opinion

November marks National Diabetes Month, a time to raise awareness, support loved ones, and empower those living with diabetes to manage their health. Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when blood glucose (blood sugar) levels are too high, which, if left unmanaged, can lead to severe complications like heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, nerve damage, and vision loss.

There are no strangers here, Only friends you haven’t yet met. — William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939) Irish poet Friends come from everywhere.

“My daughter got her driver’s license, and I never see her anymore.” This casual comment, made at the coffee club gathering last week, hit close to home. Being one of the group’s senior members allows me to offer first-hand experience and valuable advice—completely free of charge.

The Alpine Police Department (APD) has embodied the “service before self” principle through community policing programs. The origin of APD’s communitycentered approach can be traced back to the mid-1990s. Understanding that the community’s trust was paramount for effective policing, we implemented a series of programs aimed at establishing a strong, positive relationship between the department and the residents. These programs were not merely reactive measures but thoughtfully designed initiatives that focused on proactive engagement with the citizens of Alpine.

“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” — John Lennon (1940 – 1980) English singer, songwriter, and musician.

Sul Ross welcomed the inaugural class of the Presidential PLUS Scholarship this fall. Presidential PLUS is a full-ride scholarship, including tuition, fees, housing, and meals. The program provides support to the top 25% of seniors from Alpine, Balmorhea, Buena Vista, Crane, Fort Davis, Fort Stockton, Grandfalls-Royalty, Marathon, Marfa, Monahans-Wickett-Pyote, Pecos-Barstow-Toyah, Presidio, Sanderson, Sierra Blanca, Terlingua, Valentine, and Van Horn.

This year, my eldest and most expensive daughter embarked on her senior year at Texas A&M University, and my wife and I embarked on another year of wondering whether credit cards can actually implode from overuse.

Sun, moon, and starry sky early summer evenings, when the first stars come out, the warm glow of sunset still stains the rim of the western sky. Sometimes, the moon is also visible, a pale white slice, while the sun tarries. Just think -- all the celestial lights are present at the same time! These are moments of wonder -- see them and remember.

Dear Neil, our lawn maintenance company mowed our grass about a month ago. I noticed a spot that almost immediately appeared beneath our red oak. It was about 4x4 ft. and looked like it had tire tracks going through it. A few days later, we had our trees trimmed, and the company dragged limbs from our yard. Many more of the spots appeared almost overnight, again looking like tire tracks. We sprayed with a fungicide, and the grass began to look a bit better. One thing that showed up on web searches was Ascochyta leaf blight. We’ve never had anything like this in 11 years of living here. I’ve known how to deal with chinch bugs from reading your columns, but this one has me stumped. Any suggestions?

Philly cheesesteak conjures visions of tender slices of juicy beef, the tang and sweetness of vibrant bell peppers, the intense yet delightful bite of onions, and the ooey gooey goodness of melty provolone cheese.