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The experience and wisdom of an older generation can be so amazing and uplifting. The differences in available technology today versus the thirties, forties, and fifties is vast. And yet, many advances in science and medicine occurred in these decades as well as the groundwork for modern day advancements in technology. For example, Hedy Lamarr known primarily as an actress theorized the basis for WiFi technology that we employ today. Many harsh and sometimes fatal diseases were cured or at least slowed down such as polio. The ‘human computer’, Katharine Johnson and her colleagues at NASA put man on the moon calculating with a slide rule and No. 2 pencil as our modern computers didn’t exist. And from Mendel’s observations of the humble pea plant to Franklin’s X-rays of Slide 51 to Watson and Crick’s work on the double helix structure, DNA was named and imagined. All of these wonderful ideas and realizations occurred prior to 1969.

Last week we left Steve Davis as he began “Army Basic Training” at Fort Monmouth in New Jersey and was definitely feeling culture shock. Apparently, it was not Forney or Sunnyvale!

On July 26, the City of Mesquite, Dalfen Industrial and Stream Realty officially broke ground on phase one of the new two million square foot Mesquite Airport Logistics Center master planned industrial park.

On Wednesday, July 21, 2021, Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office and Kaufman County Constable, Precinct 2, responded to a call reporting a shooting in the Travis Ranch community, located northwest of the City of Forney. At approximately 4:45pm, law enforcement officers arrived to find a deceased male on San Antonio Drive who was later identified as 34-year-old Jeremy Carter of Mesquite. Following the release of several photos and videos of persons of interest in the investigation, two men surrendered to Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office Saturday morning. Antonio Dewayne Bowens, 17, and Markuevis Bowens, 20, were arrested after turning themselves in and were subsequently charged with murder. Bonds for both men have been set at $1,000,000 each. Korwin Brown, 18, was also arrested on July 26 in connection with the shooting and charged with murder. At the time of press, bond had not been set.

On Tuesday, July 13th, 2021, at around 10:30 pm, Forney Police Officers responded to a parking lot in the 800 block of US HWY 80 for a reported aggravated robbery. Victims told officers they were meeting someone there to sell a puppy and were robbed at gunpoint. The suspect vehicle was reported as being a tan Toyota Camry with paper tags occupied by three individuals. During the transaction, the puppy was taken and when the owner tried to retrieve it, one of the individuals displayed a gun. They left with the puppy and were seen head-ing west towards Mesquite. The suspects were described as Hispanic males in their late teens or early twenties.

I’m sure most readers of my column are well aware of my take on catch and release. I’m all about the conservation of our fish and game but have absolutely no problem with the practice of releasing the fish I need for dinner into a hot cast iron skillet filled with cooking oil.

If you’re in the early stages of your career, you’re probably not thinking much about retirement. Nonetheless, it’s never too soon to start preparing for it, as time may be your most valuable asset. So, you may want to consider retirement savings vehicles, one of which is an IRA. Depending on your income, you might have the choice between a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA. Which is better for you?

While I’ve always thought of the “dog days of Summer” representing the period of stagnation or inactivity due to the hot, sultry weather that typically occurs between July 3 and August 11 (2021), it actually goes back to Ancient Greece. It’s the part of the year that Sirius, nicknamed the Dog Star, has its annual rise over the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere. My own dogs have been showing that both definitions are accurate--but Forney ISD and the construction companies aren’t letting the heat slow them down. They are finishing three new schools--Griffin, Jackson, and Rhodes--that will be opening this fall!

While the budget, pandemic and the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri dominated much of the 87th Texas Legislature, lawmakers made unmatched progress in education-to-workforce alignment issues that will have long-term benefits for students, employers and economy.

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced a lawsuit against the Biden Administration as a part of the Texas Defense Task Force. Filed in the Southern Texas District Federal Court, McAllen Division, the lawsuit sues President Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas on grounds of illegally preventing the border wall from being constructed.

Steve Davis was one of the “older guys” in Forney High School when I attended in the mid-to-late 1960s; I knew who he was but not too much about him. He was one of the “Sunnyvale Crew,” who were fortunate enough to be part of Sunnyvale’s agreement with FISD to “educate their elementary/jr. high students after their graduations from grades 1-8.” I came to know him much better when we both served on the Kaufman County Historical Commission a few years ago and shared rides back-andforth to-and-from Forney to Kaufman. We both “gave up” our appointments after a term of service, but kept up our friendship as Steve sent material for Messenger articles about “Vintage Automobiles” and about the area of land around the Clements Ranch and bottom land near the Trinity River and Lake Ray Hubbard (at one time supposedly to be called “Forney Lake” or “Lake Forney.”) Steve is a “well-read and learned” man, an interesting conversationalist, a donor to the Spellman Museum, and an “expert” concerning many vehicles and “women” in general. He probably won’t admit it, though, but his wife is probably smarter than he is; she married him did she not? I have visited him at his house several times during the past years and think he is very worthy of having an article “penned about him,” as Shakespeare would say!

Governor Abbott issued a proclamation that identifies eleven agenda items for the Special Session. Special Session agenda items will include:

My wife and I have been subscribers of “E! Terrell” ever since being high bidders for a season pass at the Forney Chamber Auction a few years ago and were very disappointed when the productions came to a temporary halt as the result of the “pandemic.” However, we are thrilled that once again, things are back “up and running,” as of the music/comedy presentation by the “Atlantic City Boys” on July 15 at the Terrell ISD Jamie Fox Performing Arts Center on Poetry Road. This presentation was actually one of two “make-ups” for patrons who had paid for season tickets for the 2019-2020 season that was suspended with two shows remaining! All tickets were honored, and a full-house showed up “cheering and roaring to go.”