Correspondence

The Marfa Rotary Club recently fabricated our own dunking booth, thanks to Marc Declercq and Presidio High School Ag department. Special thanks goes to Ellie Madrid and the Marfa Studio of Arts for doing such a wonderful job in painting our tank.

We were able to take our booth to the 4th of July celebration in Ft. Davis and with only a few tweaks that were needed we had a successful event.  However, our dunking booth is not functional without the assistance of individuals that are brave enough to be dunked. The Marfa Rotary Club would like to extend our thanks to all the individuals that participated in our dunking booth.  A special thanks to Roy Ferguson and his entire family, Teresa Todd, Graydon Hicks, and our special guest that attends our meeting when she is in town, Miss Bianca Garcia.

It is because of you all that our booth was such a success!

Brenda Garcia

President

Marfa Rotary Club

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Today I am urging you to vote for Pete Gallego for Congress in the primary run-off election on July 31, 2012.

We do need Pete Gallego in the Congress representing our interests.  But for that to happen we need to vote for him in the run-off.

While I know that Pete can represent the entire district, both urban and rural, we need him as he understands our area especially well and will bring his long time experience from the state legislature to the congressional office.  We are unusually fortunate in that he knows us well in the Big Bend, that he grew up here, that he understands us and our needs, that he understands the rural areas.  And he understands the mix of urban and rural that he will represent, as he has been involved in all those issues for the last 22 years.

We need to take back the Congress, and electing Pete will help that effort.  Please choose Pete in the run-off.  Very few people come out for primary elections and their run-offs.  We need Pete to take on the current Republican congressman.

Please vote for Pete Gallego in the run-off.  Every vote counts, every vote is needed.  Please vote and ask your friends to vote for Pete Gallego.

Fran Sage

Alpine

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I am writing this letter in reference to the 83rd District Attorney’s runoff election.

I retired as Assistant Chief of Police from the San Angelo Police Department after 29 years as a law enforcement officer. During my career I spent 20 years in the Narcotic’s Division, and for 10 of those years served as the Commander of the Rio Concho Drug Task Force working in San Angelo and the surrounding area. It was during these years in Narcotics that I had the opportunity to work with Frank Brown. He was our Task Force Prosecutor working for the District Attorney’s Office. I spent countless hours with Frank working on drug investigations, as well as many hours in courtrooms as he represented the State in our cases. I, as well as other Task Force Officers, spent many late nights with Frank at our side working on investigations or preparing for trials involving our cases. During these long and often stressful hours of work, I came to know Frank Brown very well. I know he is honest, dependable, and a man of great integrity. We developed a lasting friendship, and it is with great respect and admiration that I write this letter of support.

Frank Brown is one of the most knowledgeable attorneys I have ever known, and I have known many. Frank is board certified in criminal law; this means he has received the required training and experience to be a specialist in criminal law as set out by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. In the medical world we expect to be treated by specialists for important and life-threatening conditions. Isn’t it equally as important to have a prosecutor who specializes in criminal law? While serving as our Task Force Attorney, Frank was named Prosecutor of the Year by the Texas Narcotic Officers’ Association. Frank came early and stayed late, and he was involved in all phases of our work. Frank was constantly teaching and training us, making us better police officers. As a direct result of his influence, and because of the high standards he expected from both himself, and us, we were more professional.

I feel a strong connection to the Big Bend region of Texas. I grew up there, graduated from high school in Van Horn, and still have family members living in or near Alpine, Marfa and Presidio. I am excited that the people of the area have a man like Frank Brown wanting to serve as their District Attorney. I would like to encourage each person in the 83rd Judicial District to vote for Frank Brown for District Attorney in the upcoming runoff election. Your district, your law enforcement, and your family will be better for it.

Sincerely,

John C. Sparks

San Angelo

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In response to Ken Whitley’s letter last week: What kind of a burr do you have under you blanket anyway?  Why in the world would you want to divide Texas into five different states? You must be just throwing that out there to stir up reaction.  Well, you’ve got it.

Texas is Texas. Leave it alone! Its variety and different regions are part of what make it uniquely Texas, each having its own merit in contributing to Texas culture and its total story. And not to present Rick Perry as perfect or without flaws, but many Texans may identify with him because of some basic beliefs that run common to most of us and which matter bigger than anything else when you get to the grit of it all.

Here are only three big examples of what may matter to a lot of true Texans:  One, deep belief in individual private ownership of land with protection of individual private property ownership’s rights. Two, deep belief in freedom of individuality and independent thinking apart from and more important than any excessive or intrusive government control over your life and/or your business. Three, a link to agriculture which may be instilled in many generation Texans by heritage or ancestry or an association of some kind directly or indirectly with the land, which builds on a person’s personal strength in self identity and fortitude of conviction.

I am not sure what you are trying to suggest by dividing up Texas. I don’t know where that comes from for you or what inspired that conclusion for you, nor what you think that is supposed to solve exactly. Perhaps it’s just a big old case of Louisiana jealousy. If you think that Far West Texas is the only place that a real cowboy exists, then perhaps you need to do some Texas history research and follow up with an update to the present. You will probably find that cowboys all over Texas, just like everything else any more, have had to adapt and change with the times due to necessity and in order to survive. They have had to adapt in Far West Texas too because it is not that golden era of ranching that it once was, although we all aspire to the spirit of it still and probably always will.

I can say that as one Texan I find your suggestion to divide Texas completely irritating, period!

Nancy J. Wood

Marfa

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I really would like to know the rationale behind Republican South Carolina U.S. Senator Lindsey Grahams’ opposition to cuts in military spending. It is inconceivable to me that anyone, much less a senator, cannot see the need or a way to substantially reduce our military presence around the world.

In my view, we could reduce the military budget by 50% and never miss a war AND we could take the ‘surplus’ and use it for humanitarian purposes.

This is is first time Senator Graham has disappointed me by taking a stupid position. I used to think he would be a great presidential candidate down the road – never mind.

Ken Whitley

Marfa