Joe Biden inherited a mess; Pandemic, divided America, immigration SNAFU, revenue shortfall, rising national deficit and debt, GOP misinformation campaign…and the list goes on and on.
Biden’s efforts to add calmness, empathy and reason to the national dialogue has been exemplary; his appointment of certain “program czars” have simply not worked.
VP Kanaka Harris was handed the chore of fixing the immigration problems on our southern border and, from research, reading and and analyzing stories, she is doing a lousy job. New problems seem to pop up every day, from accepting immigrants without COVID checks to sending thousands of immigrants by charter plane all over the country.
The program to create an immigration path to the U.S. for Afghan workers (and their families) who aided our troops, according to one in-depth article, is a “disaster”.
We OWE these brave workers; their safety are our responsibility.
I simply cannot see why the administration could not turn the entire process over to military logistics and material transportation officers. These trained officers regularly move huge amounts of people and material all over the world. Give the order to get it done…and back off and let them work their magic.
It is difficult to multi-task, and no job in the world requires more multi-tasking than that of a country’s leader.
Biden needs to “Cowboy up!” and jump-start his game in delegating difficult chores to people who know processes, programs snd protocol … and leave them to do the job. If no progress is made in a certain area within a reasonable timeframe, cut them loose and give somebody else the chance to be a hero.
Action, not weasel words. Results, not excuses.
Do it and do it now.
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Why are elected public officials who identify as Republican so darn mean-spirited?
I feel sure they love their families, revere their friends and spoil their dogs and cats. But when it comes to other humans — mainly those different from themselves, the poor, oppressed, scared, those seeking a better life — they turn into a combination of Scrooge and Darth Vader.
“Luke…I am your father. I will kill you now!”
Whatever happen to “compassionate conservatism”? You remember, because I sure do, when the GOP was not all about partisanship and retribution but looked at the ills of the country and, sometimes, worked with Democrats on societal issues that benefited about 30 percent of those citizens in the lower socioeconomic rungs of the Almighty Dollar Ladder.
Today, with only token opposition, the Republican Party is focused on three items: 1. Whatever Donald Trump wants is fine with the rank-and-file; 2. Whatever President Biden is trying to do will be opposed with the vigor of a rabid wolverine; and, 3. Their main job (both parties guilty here) is to get re-elected without primary opposition.
Oh, I guess there is a No. 4: Regardless of how out-of-touch some GOP lawmakers are with common sense and reality, no matter how many lies they perpetuate or how far up Trump’s accommodating posterior they insert their heads, as long as they vote the “right way”, they are part and parcel of the GOP cult.
How could any knowledgeable American not see that the GOP’s reticent on working to assist in curtailing the COVID pandemic is killing people, a majority of whom are the GOP faithful, the people who would vote for them if they were only alive?
The Republican Party is on the wrong side of history on tax reform
Issues (making the rich richer is not a winning political branding issue); pushing vaccination to slow the pandemic; reverting to policies and laws aimed at re-Jim Crowing the voting rights of minorities; threatening to kill a massive infrastructure bill because of a refusal to acknowledge that “infrastructure” is more than concrete snd steel; and, malignantly ignoring the plight of Americans living in poverty.
History will not treat the era of Donald Trump kindly. The would-be Emperor Trump was not only without clothes and abusing himself for the whole world to see, he actively encouraged his followers to follow his example and perform sadomasochistic rituals on their fellow countrymen and women.
And because Trump “tells it like it is” and is “not a typical politician”, they bow down to his crazed whims like the cult members they have become.
Most of his faithful are not yet ready to accept their political pied piper is a fraud and grifter and is not a Republican or Christian by any definition. He is a liar, an admitted abuser of women, a self-ordained “Christian” who does not attend church or know the Bible (remember “Two Corinthians”?)
His administration has had more scandals with more aides, staffers and campaign workers charged, convicted and jailed than ANY administration in history, including that of Richard Nixon.
One day, maybe, they will wake up amd see there”savior” for what he is: A fake prophet and narcissist. For those millions of faithful followers of Emperor Trump, that will a rude, crude, devastating awakening.
And, hopefully, they will learn from the experience and vow not to be bamboozled by politicians spouting BS ever again.
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“GOP eyes plan to kick Cheney, Kinzinger out of the party”
Voicing different ideas to help solve problems is always the best way to work toward the best solution.
Wanting everybody to think the same, walk in lockstep to a regulated beat and mindset is not the workings of a democracy.
The current Republican Party has lost its way, its vision, its push for compassionate conservatism. Following the Trump mantra and model of self-delusion, the party is destroying itself from the inside.
This country needs two (or more) strong parties. But all parties need to have certain elements in order for this nation to remain a world leader: Humility, empathy, the ability to listen to other ideas and to be able to admit when you are wrong.
In the present political climate, few of our elected officials possess these qualities. In 2021, however, the Republican Party is determined to self-destruct in the name of…what, exactly?
They are using pages from the not-so-distant past to suppress votes, hush detractors in their own ranks, using scare tactics in areas of healthcare, gun rights, LGBTQ issues, immigration, education and federal vs. states rights to keep this country divided.
Both parties, without realizing it, spotlight their fringe players, those on the outer edges of liberalism and conservatism; that hurts both parties with clear-thinking voters.
It’s time to push those publicity-hungry politicians out of both parties and return to the system of conversation, conviviality and compromise.
You know…when real programs and policies to push America and ALL citizens forward was the goal of the executive and legislative branches of government.
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If you like facts, you will want to read this article. If you don’t like facts and prefer liviing in a bubble — move on. Ron Munden
EPI UPDATE The WHO COVID-19 Dashboard reports 192.3 million cumulative cases and 4.14 million deaths worldwide as of 11:11am EDT on July 23.
Countries around the world are combating new COVID-19 surges, generally believed to be driven, in part, by increasing prevalence of the Delta variant (B.1.617.2). Unlike in previous surges, there do not appear to be strong regional trends, with the countries facing the largest surges distributed around the world. In fact, looking at the biweekly trends, there are approximately 50 countries where daily incidence has more than doubled, and they are spread across nearly every continent and region, with the notable exceptions of Central and South America.
In terms of total daily incidence, there are 15 countries reporting more than 10,000 new cases per day, including 6 reporting more than 25,000. Among these countries, 5 are in Asia (including Iran in the Eastern Mediterranean region), 4 are in Europe, 3 are in South America, and 2 are in North America. South Africa is the only African country, and none are in Oceania. Ten (10) of these countries are reporting increasing daily incidence over the past 2 weeks, including the US (+142%), Spain (+146%), and France (+287%), which more than doubled over that period. India and Argentina have exhibited decreasing trends since at least mid-June, and Brazil, Colombia, and South Africa passed their respective peaks since the beginning of July. These 16 countries account for nearly 75% of the global daily incidence. Among the countries with available data on the Delta variant, all* are exhibiting sharp increases in Delta prevalence over the past several months. India, where the variant was first reported, was first in March, and Delta prevalence began increasing in most of the other countries by late May/early June. Of the 10 countries with data available for July 12 or later, 8 are reporting higher than 70%, including 6 higher than 90%.
*Argentina does not have data available after May 17.
Similarly, the top countries in terms of per capita daily incidence represent most regions around the world. Among the top 20 countries, nearly half (9) are in Europe, 4 are in Africa, 3 are in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 3 are in Asia. Fiji is the only country in Oceania, and none are in North America. Argentina, Colombia, Malaysia, Spain, and the UK are on both lists, and considering their large populations compared to the other top per capita countries, this further illustrates the severity of their respective epidemics. All but 5 countries—Argentina, Colombia, Mongolia, Namibia, and Seychelles—are reporting increasing daily incidence over the past 2 weeks, including 9 that more than doubled over that period. Notably, Malta’s daily incidence increased nearly 1,500% over the past 2 weeks (peaking at more than 3,000% on July 16), bringing its daily average to approximately 200 new cases per day—up from 1 in mid-June. Only a small handful of these countries have data available regarding the prevalence of the Delta variant, and 4 of the 8 countries were also among the highest total daily incidence. All of these countries** reported major increases in Delta prevalence starting in May, and 5 of the 6 countries with data available for July 12 or later are reporting 80% or higher.
**With the exception of Argentina, which has no data available after May 17.
Global Vaccination
The WHO reported 3.57 billion doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines administered globally as of July 20. The WHO reports a total of 1.37 billion individuals have received at least 1 dose, and 656 million are fully vaccinated. Analysis from Our World in Data shows that the global daily doses administered fell sharply once again, now down to 29.1 million doses per day. Our World in Data estimates that there are 2.09 billion vaccinated individuals worldwide (1+ dose; 26.9% of the global population) and 1.05 billion who are fully vaccinated (13.5% of the global population).
UNITED STATES
The US CDC reported 34.2 million cumulative COVID-19 cases and 607,684 deaths. With more than 40,000 new cases per day, the US surpassed both the peak of the initial surge—31,327 on April 12, 2020—and the low reported following the summer 2020 surge—35,082 on September 13, 2020. The current average is more than 3.5 times the most recent low on June 19 (11,467) and is still increasing steadily. Daily mortality also continues to increase, up to 223 deaths per day, which is more than 40% higher than the most recent low on July 11 (159). Notably, the proportion of emergency department patients diagnosed with COVID-19 has tripled since June 21, up from 0.6% to 1.8%, which is an indication of increasing burden on health systems*.
*In an effort to provide a more accurate analysis of the current epidemiology, we are largely focusing on longer-term trends, as the most recent data are more likely to be affected by changes in the frequency of state-level reporting, particularly over the weekend.
The US CDC added a new feature to its COVID-19 Data Tracker, which displays a combination of vaccination coverage and per capita weekly incidence at the county level. The 2-dimensional coloring scheme will take some time to interpret, but it is fairly clear that the major US COVID-19 hotspots are Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana, where counties are reporting lower vaccination coverage and higher weekly incidence. Alabama and Mississippi are exhibiting similar trends, but to a lesser degree. Many counties in Florida are reporting elevated weekly incidence, even with higher vaccination coverage than in neighboring states. No data are available for Texas.
US Vaccination
The US has administered 340 million cumulative doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Daily vaccinations are increasing slowly, now up to 446,613 doses per day*. A total of 187 million individuals in the US have received at least 1 dose, equivalent to 56.4% of the entire US population. Among adults, 68.6% have received at least 1 dose as well as 10.2 million adolescents aged 12-17 years. A total of 162 million individuals are fully vaccinated, which corresponds to 48.8% of the total population. Approximately 59.7% of adults are fully vaccinated, as well as 7.9 million adolescents aged 12-17 years.
*Due to delays in reporting, estimates for the average daily doses administered are less accurate for the most recent 5 days. The most current value provided here corresponds to 5 days ago.
DELTA VARIANT The US CDC continues to sound the alarm about the rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant within the United States. Earlier this week, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky shared that the Delta variant now makes up 83% of domestically sequenced SARS-CoV-2 cases. This is a dramatic rise from the beginning of the month, when the Delta variant made up about half of sequenced cases within the US. There has been a corresponding rise in the number of new COVID-19 cases and related deaths throughout the month, especially impacting unvaccinated parts of the population. In a press conference earlier this week, Dr. Walensky warned that the Delta variant is one of the “most infectious respiratory viruses we know of,” urging individuals to get vaccinated. The CDC has made it clear that this will be another pivotal moment in the United States’ COVID-19 response, cautioning that many communities with low vaccination rates may face challenges of overwhelmed health care systems if preventative actions are not taken.
US CDC ACIP MEETING The US CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on July 22 concluded the benefits of the J&J-Janssen SARS-CoV-2 viral vector vaccine outweigh the risks of some people developing the rare neurological disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) after receiving the shot. Earlier this month, the US FDA updated the J&J-Janssen vaccine’s label to warn of a possible increased risk of GBS. According to data presented at the meeting, the FDA’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) recorded 100 preliminary reports of GBS after J&J-Janssen vaccination as of June 30, out of 12.6 million doses administered at that time. Of those cases, 95 required hospitalization, 1 person died, and 5 cases were non-serious. Dr. Hannah Rosenblum, a researcher with the CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases’ Division of Viral Diseases, presented data showing the risk of vaccine recipients developing GBS remained low when compared to the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths prevented by vaccination. The CDC plans to update its guidance for the J&J-Janssen vaccine to recommend that patients with a history of GBS first consider the 2-dose mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, if possible. However, some panel members pointed out there are risks associated with those vaccines as well, including myocarditis and pericarditis, and that information on all of the risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines should be made available so people can make the best choice for themselves.
The ACIP also considered whether to recommend additional, or “booster,” doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for people who are immunocompromised, who represent about 2.7% of the US population. Dr. Sara Oliver with the CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases presented data based on several small studies looking at vaccine response among immunocompromised people and additional doses in this population. Although emerging data suggest an additional SARS-CoV-2 vaccine dose in immunocompromised people enhances antibody response and increases the proportion who respond, the panel did not make an official recommendation on additional shots and will continue to review available data. Dr. Oliver also noted that serologic or cellular immune testing outside of research studies is not recommended in the US at this time. Some panel members expressed concern over immunocompromised patients getting additional vaccine doses without an official recommendation to do so, saying “the issue is almost running away from us.” Although another ACIP meeting is not yet scheduled, the panel is expected to meet again in August.
GAO PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE REPORT The US is concurrently responding to and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, with an ongoing national vaccination campaign and widespread loosening of public health measures amid a recent increase in cases. Recognizing this balance as “fragile,” the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) on July 19 released its 7th comprehensive report on the COVID-19 pandemic, providing an additional 15 recommendations to various US government agencies. Previous reports included a total of 72 recommendations on COVID-19, with agencies agreeing to implement 57 of them and having fully implemented 16 to date. The most recent report makes several recommendations related to national pandemic preparedness, including advice to the CDC to develop a plan to enhance surge capacity for laboratory testing and establish contracts for the manufacturing and deployment of diagnostic test kits prior to public health emergencies. The GAO also made suggestions to the US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) regarding the organization and oversight of the country’s Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), which provides medical supplies and other materials to respond to a broad range of emergencies. Several other recommendations relate to the oversight, timely use, and integrity of COVID-19 relief funds allocated to HHS, the US Department of Education, US Department of the Treasury, US Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and Internal Revenue Service (IRS). According to GAO, if effectively implemented, the recommendations “can help improve the government’s ongoing response and recovery efforts as well as help it to prepare for future public health emergencies.”
EXPIRING VACCINES With demand for SARS-CoV-2 vaccination largely leveling off in the US over the past 3 weeks, millions of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses are set to expire in the next few months. Several states and some global health experts are calling for the excess doses to be redistributed to other countries, but so far the US government has rejected those requests, citing legal and logistical challenges. However, states are now able to request a specific number of vaccine doses instead of having doses distributed to them based on their population. Delayed reporting, everyday wastage, and waning demand, including those who did not go back for second doses, are among the sources for a pile up of inventory. The FDA previously extended the shelf-life of the Pfizer-BioNTech and J&J-Janssen vaccines, and some hope an additional extension for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be approved. Meanwhile, the federal stockpile of vaccine doses continues to grow, with approximately 390 million of the 1.41 billion doses purchased by the US having been delivered, and another 562 million doses from Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and J&J-Janssen expected to be delivered by the end of 2021. The White House has pledged to donate 80 million doses of its vaccine supply, and will purchase an additional 500 million doses for low- and lower-middle-income countries. But some experts note the doses currently sitting in states are ready to be administered, not waiting to be manufactured, and those doses could have a positive impact in other countries if states were permitted to redistribute them.
VACCINE MANDATES As SARS-CoV-2 vaccines become more widely available, some organizations, schools, and businesses are considering making them mandatory. This week, a US federal judge ruled to uphold a mandatory vaccination policy implemented by Indiana University, which would require SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for students, faculty, and staff before returning to campus this fall. The ruling acknowledges that the university has the authority under the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution to pursue reasonable measures to protect the “public health for its students, faculty, and staff.” The students who filed the original suit are reportedly appealing the judge’s ruling.
On July 22, the American Hospital Association, the country’s largest association of hospitals and health systems, issued a statement in support of mandatory SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for healthcare workers. The statement argues that the vaccines have been demonstrated to be both safe and effective, and they play a critical role in protecting the health of both healthcare workers and their patients, many of whom are at elevated risk of severe COVID-19 disease. There have been several notable examples of hospitals firing employees who refused the vaccine, and the issue will certainly receive ongoing attention, especially until the vaccines receive full FDA approval.
VACCINE EFFICACY AGAINST VOCs A recent bioRxiv preprint study compared neutralizing antibody titers elicited by the 3 SARS-CoV-2 vaccines authorized for emergency use by the US FDA against pseudotyped variants of concern (VOCs) and variants of interest (VOIs). The small study compared blood samples from 17 people who had the 2-dose mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna and 10 people who received the single-dose viral vector vaccine from J&J-Janssen. Overall, the study showed a high level of antibody cross-neutralization elicited by the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines against VOCs but significantly decreased neutralization by antibodies generated by the J&J-Janssen vaccine. Because the study was conducted using blood samples, it might not reflect real-world performance, but the results counter previous reports of the J&J-Janssen vaccine’s efficacy against the Delta variant. The authors of the bioRxiv study, which is not yet peer-reviewed, said they hoped the findings did not discourage people from getting the J&J-Janssen vaccine but that future recommendations included advice for an additional second dose of that vaccine or an mRNA vaccine. The authors also called for continued surveillance of breakthrough infections to help determine the real-world effectiveness of the vaccines.
Another study evaluating vaccine effectiveness against the Delta variant was published July 21 in the New England Journal of Medicine. This study compared the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine and AstraZeneca-Oxford viral vector vaccine against the Alpha and Delta variants. Following 1 dose of the 2-dose vaccines, effectiveness was notably lower among persons with the Delta variant (30.7%) than among those with the Alpha variant (48.7%), with the results similar for both vaccines. Following a second dose, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 93.7% effective against Alpha and 88% effective against Delta. The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine after 2 doses was 74.5% effective against Alpha and 67% against Delta. The researchers note the differences in effectiveness between the vaccines are considered modest and support public health efforts to maximize uptake of the full 2-dose regimen to protect against VOCs.
REAL-WORLD VACCINE EFFECTIVENESS A study published July 20 in the Annals of Internal Medicine details a test-negative case-control study examining the short-term effectiveness of authorized SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in preventing infections. The research team used data collected through the US Department of Veteran Affairs’ (VA) COVID-19 Shared Data Resource, a national database containing extensive demographic, clinical, pharmacologic, laboratory, vital sign, and clinical outcome information derived from multiple validated sources. The researchers identified all individuals who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 15, 2020 and March 4, 2021, and matched them with control participants who had similar factors such as sex, age, race, BMI, and geographic location, but who had tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. The main measure of interest was vaccine effectiveness 7+ days after the second vaccine dose, but the researchers also examined vaccine effectiveness among those who received only 1 dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.
The team identified 54,360 matched pairs of veterans. Among those who tested positive, 18% had been vaccinated, compared with 32.8% of those who tested negative. Overall, the vaccines showed 97.1% effectiveness among those who received the second dose at least 7 days prior. Among those who received only 1 dose, effectiveness was 85% overall. The research team concluded the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines being employed by the VA provided a high level of protection against infection. However, they noted several limitations of the study, including a predominantly male study population, a lack of data for currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, and a short follow-up period.
HEALTH EFFECTS OF LOCKDOWNS Researchers continue to explore the potential unintentional health impacts of COVID-19-related lockdowns. A commentary
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On April 20th, 2020 the ProRodeo Hall of Fame announced their prestigious list of 2020 inductees. Marshall, Texas native, 11 time NFR qualifier and 1980 WPRA World Champion, Martha Josey was selected as the only female rodeo competitor to be inducted that year. Because of the pandemic the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and their inductees have been patiently waiting to celebrate their inductions.
The ProRodeo Hall of Fame boasts one of the most esteemed collections of legendary cowboys and cowgirls in the nation. To be selected as an inductee is the highest honor for a rodeo competitor, stock contractor, contract personnel, and even livestock.
During her 50 year career as a professional barrel racer, Martha won every championship you can win. Martha began her domination of the barrel racing scene in the 1960’s. She and Cebe Reed won every barrel race they attended claiming multiple association titles, and quarter horse show championships.
Her first year competing in the Girl’s Rodeo Association (GRA), now the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), she qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in 1968. Martha then went on to qualify 10 more times across 4 decades on 6 different horses. In 1980, Martha and her iconic horse Sonny Bit O’ Both won both the WPRA World Championship and the AQHA World Championship in the same year; a record that hasn’t been matched to this day. In 1988, Martha qualified to compete at the 1988 Calgary Olympic Games. After the dust settled, she walked away an Olympic Bronze Medalist and Team Gold Medalist.
While still competing, Martha and husband R.E. felt called to share their hard-earned knowledge with other aspiring barrel racers and calf ropers. In 1967 Martha and R.E. Josey held their first barrel racing clinic. Fast forward 52 years and the Josey Ranch, located in Marshall, Texas, is now synonymous with superior barrel racing instruction. Martha, R.E., and their team have trained over 300,000 students with many going on to win big in the arena. A few notable names that got their start at the Josey Ranch are: Fallon Taylor, Mary Walker, Jimmie Smith, Lynn McKenzie, and Angie Meadors.
The Josey Ranch is also known for hosting the renowned Josey Reunion and Josey Jr. World Barrel Races that bring in over 5,000 competitors and fans each year. Over the years it is estimated that over 2 million visitors have crossed through the gates of the Josey Ranch. Martha and R.E. Josey prove that the mark of a true legend is in the champions that they train.
“I was completely shocked by the call that I was being inducted,” Martha states. “I have dreamed of being a member of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame for as long as I can remember, this is such an honor. Thank you to all my students, fans, sponsors, and especially my all time favorite coach R.E. Josey. I couldn’t have done it without all of y’all!”
Martha can now add the ProRodeo Hall of Fame to her illustrious list of inductions from other Hall of Fame’s including the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame, and the Ark-La-Tex Sports Museum Hall of Fame.
Martha traveled to Colorado Springs for her induction July 14th.
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When the Pioneer Days Festival gets started on September 4 with a parade, the streets of Jefferson may not be this crowded as the one pictured in the old photograph of the bygone days of the city,, but it will be a lot more fun.
Jefferson’s Opera House Theatre Players has put together a 3-day festival that will, hopefully, bring lots of visitors to the city on the long weekend of Labor Day. Starting with a parade at 10 am the morning of Sept. 4th, the parade will be a parade of all pioneer-suited horseback riders to depict the
earlier days of old Jefferson which was founded in the 1840s along the Big Cypress River. The Players are currently seeking more horse-back riding groups and individuals that will participate in and be willing to dress in the garb of the pioneer settlers of that day. A prize will be given to the entry that is judged the most authentic of the bunch. Board member Hollis Shadden is trail boss for the entries.
Also on tap for Saturday, is an Old Fashioned Street Dance, located on the brick covered streets of downtown Jefferson specifically Austin Street.
Everyone is invited to attend the dance that will feature entertainment by Sheila and the Caddo Kats Band of nearby Karnack.. The band will play for boot-scootin’ dancin’ from 6 to 8 pm on Austin Street between Polk Street and Walnut Street. A prize will also be given here for the most authentic “cowboy or pioneer” outfit in the group of dancers. Dance-manager is board member Joe Todaro.
Sunday, Sept. 5’s event will be centered on the First Annual Port Jefferson Dutch Oven Cooks, a group that dress in period costume and make tasty Vittles and Grub for hungry visitors that you can sample at no cost. Also scheduled are several entertainers including Johnny RiverRat and Miss Ann Leslie, both singers of note who will perform either original songs or songs that recall the past pioneer days of early Jefferson. It is expected
that several square dance groups will demonstrate square dancing as members of the East Texas Square and Round Dance Association.
A very unusual bit of entertainment will occur at odd times during the 3-day event when new OHTP board member, Jim Blackburn, and friends re-create a true-life shootout that once happened in the wagon yard of downtown Jefferson. The hombres will be dressed in cowboy gear and armed with authentic-looking guns and will stage the shootout complete with dialogue at least four times during the weekend event.
According to OHTP president, Marcia Thomas, the first two days of the Pioneer Days Festival is free for all to attend. There will be no cost to participate in the Parade, the Street Dance or the Vittles and Grub Dutch Oven meal where samples will be served. Individuals may also patronize the many restaurants and shops for drinks and souvenirs as well as ride the various amusement rides available during their free time. There is also a drive-through
safari ride available on the outskirts of town that will be open where exotic animals, including a Texas Longhorn Steer, can be seen.
Pioneer Days will culminate on Monday, September 6 with a performance by the famous singing instrumental group, the ‘Sons of the Pioneers” in the Visitor Building at 3 pm. Tickets for the show may be purchased online at $35/pr for VIP tickets (only 20 of these first 2-row tickets are left) or a general seating ticket at $25/person. They may also be purchased at The Willow Tree, 211 N Polk, in Jefferson.
For more information regarding the festival, please contact JeffersonTheatre@aol.com or call 903-665-8243 and leave message if no answer.
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The nationally recognized animal welfare advocate, Jordan’s Way, chose Friends of Marshall Animals to be one of the stops on their 50-state rescue/shelter fundraising tour.
Our fundraiser will take place Wednesday, July 21, 2021, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., at the current shelter. The scheduling was determined by Jordan’s Way’s travel timetable and we’re honored to be one of only 20 stops in Texas.
The event itself is a live fundraiser; essentially a telethon broadcast to a Facebook audience. In order to meet our goal of $15,000 in four hours, it’s very important that we get prominent local citizens, such as yourself, involved.
Do you have a good sense of humor? Are you willing to participate in stunts that would be beneath your dignity for anything other than a great cause? We need you!
Some of the activities may include:
– taking a pie in your face
– enjoying a bucket of water poured over your head
– bobbing for dog bones in whipped cream
– shaving your head
– coloring your hair
– eating dog food
If you’re willing to do even more extreme stunts, we’d love to hear about it. We need good incentives to encourage people to donate!
You decide at what total fundraising amount you’re willing to participate in certain stunts. (Note that no one volunteer will necessarily be chosen to perform all of the stunts he or she is willing to do.)
For example:
At $1,000, you’re willing to take a pie in the face
At $5,000, you’re up for a bucket of ice poured over your head
At $10,000, you’ll let a puppy lick whipped cream off your face
At $15,000, you’ll eat dog food
At $20,000, you’ll allow your head to be shaved
Participants are encouraged to recruit other willing volunteers, and also to reach out to their friends, family, & social media with challenges “on the side.” For example, you might say to them, “please help the fundraiser get to $500, and I will let them throw a pie in my face.”
We are also recruiting local businesses to match donations. They will be recognized on the live feed and also have a post of their own on our social media. Our Facebook page alone has over 12,000 followers.
Here’s a link to the Jordon’s Way fundraiser page for FOMA. People are already donating!
This TV news story about one of Jordan’s Way’s previous stops may give you a better idea of what happens during the fundraiser: https://youtu.be/mrN9sRrvzTY
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Despite news and pundits stating it, Critical Race Theory DOES NOT teach superiority of any race over another. It’s a study about certain systems set up to discriminate against a race or races.
It is a fact that this country…in its laws by state and nationally DID discriminate against myriad races and religions. That practice is happening today with voter suppression laws and gerrymandering.
Critical race theory is an academic concept that is more than 40 years old. The core idea is that race is a social construct, and that racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies.
The basic tenets of critical race theory, or CRT, emerged out of a framework for legal analysis in the late 1970s and early 1980s created by legal scholars Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Richard Delgado, among others.
A good example is when, in the 1930s, government officials literally drew lines around areas deemed poor financial risks, often explicitly due to the racial composition of inhabitants. Banks subsequently refused to offer mortgages to black people in those areas.
Racism has existed since the founding of this county. It still exists today. It is history…and embedded in the present culture.
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Another-Trumpian-moment-in-history story of the day:
Former President Donald Trump says he never threatened a coup and that “if I was going to do a coup, one of the last people I would want to do it with is General Mark Milley.”
This was in response to a report in a book that Milley feared Trump would attempt a coup after he lost his re-election bid.
Hmmm. Sounds familiar. Oh, yes, I remember!
“I didn’t molest her. But if I was going to molest someone, it wouldn’t be her, because she’s not my type.”
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