Opinion

“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.

As we roll through these holiday seasons, from Thanksgiving to Christmas we want to remind our citizens to stay vigilant. We have a tendency to let our guard down, especially during the holidays. The Alpine Police Department (APD) receives multiple reports of all types of SCAMS, thefts, and burglaries. Most of the time these reports are crimes of opportunity. Either we forget to lock the door behind us, leave something of value in public, or provide too much information on the internet. We all could use some reminders during the year. The Alpine Police Department has programs that can assist you at any time of the year.

When you come to a fork in the road, take it. — Yogi Berra There are no coincidences in life.

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“I’m thankful for every moment.” — Al Green, singer and songwriter. The holiday season is the best.

Many thanks On November 2, I was dining at the Reata with a dear friend when a piece of the chicken fried steak I had ordered got stuck in my throat. It quickly became apparent that a Heimlich procedure was in order and the Reata staff quickly reacted.

“We cuss Congress, and we joke about ‘em, but they are all good fellows at heart. And if they wasn’t in Congress, why, they would be doing something else against us that might be even worse.” — Will Rogers (1879-1935), vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator.

In our ongoing efforts to clear a backlog of old (some 20-plus years) traffic citations and debt claim cases, we’ve achieved some major milestones that should greatly enhance our ability to process those cases.

The first of the Army Topographical Engineers surveying for a road through the Davis Mountains were Lieutenants Wiliam H.C. Whiting and William F. Smith (1849), both serving under Colonel Joseph E. Johnston, senior engineer in Texas. Whiting graduated first in the West Point Class of 1845, and Smith fourth.