A Patchwork Column
Some random thoughts as I think about what to buy at the fireworks stand this weekend: S aturday is the 176th Round Top Independence day celebration, and if you’ve never been, it’s about time you headed to Round Top for the 4th of July.
It always amazes me how many local folks have never been there for the speeches on the town square, the parade, and the barbecue at the Rifle Hall afterwards. Actually I never went to Round Top on the Fourth of July as a kid. It wasn’t until we moved back to La Grange 17 years ago that we went to our first Round Top 4th, and we’ve been going back ever since.
It’s hot, it’s crowded, you’ll have to park really far away and fight traffic afterwards, but I can’t recommend it enough. W hile I am on the subject of recommendations, do yourself a favor and watch a bunch of the World Cup soccer coverage. I’ve never been a big soccer fan, but these matches are so compelling, and the fans so into every minute, it’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement.
I was saddened by the recent passing of former La Grange mayor David Noak.
I can’t say I knew him well, and I was too young to remember his tenure as mayor, but I’d like to share a story about the kind of person he was.
Early in my time as editor here, he called the newspaper and said he remembered that The Record used to run a listing in early January of everyone who died here the previous year. He asked that we re-start that tradition, and with a lot of hard work every year from staffer LouAnn Adcox we obliged, and have continued to do so.
Every year without fail after we ran those lists, he would call the office and thank us.
The power of a well-timed kind word is something everybody should learn.
It’s so powerful. Certainly more powerful than negativity.
I got an email the other day from someone very politely complaining about something we did in the paper.
I responded with an explanation, and then the writer wrote back with some very nice thoughts and also saying that she regretted that her firstever message to the newspaper was a complaint when she otherwise has enjoyed the paper for a long time.
I’ve found myself thinking back to that a lot. What a great way to think – try to make first impressions positive. Then the complaints can follow.
I ’m so glad Larry Faldyn, after years of trying, has been able to sell Lukas Bakery and retire from having to get up at midnight to bake all those wonderful pastries.
I’m also glad that his recipes will be continued by the new owner.
On my first day at The Record back in April 2009, it was midmorning when my newsroom partner Pancho Howze suggested we walk over to Lukas.
We made it an almost daily ritual for years – often bumping into folks that gave us great story ideas on our walk around the square.
People often ask about Pancho (or H.H. Howze as his byline read). Even though he left the newspaper six years ago, he’s still around. Now well into his 80s, he and his wife moved from Round Top to La Grange – and he still walks to Lukas most days.
O ur 16-year-old son Deacon started a new job at HEB a few weeks ago, 32 years after I was hired at the La Grange HEB as my first “real” job.
Amazingly there are several folks still there that I worked with – Morlene Johnson, Sherry Dittrich, Justin Dahse and Linda Johnson. There may be others that work behind the scenes still there too.
Deacon has started as a bagger and a cart pusher, just like I did. When I began at HEB the store faced Beefhead Ditch and was a lot smaller. It’s gone through several renovations since then.
From his description, the job sounds pretty much like it was in my day, expect they get to wear blue jeans now.
They even wear the exact same style name tags we did all those years ago.
If you see Deacon bagging your groceries, make sure to tell him to “don’t crush the eggs.” If I had a nickel for every time an eagle-eyed customer told me that during my bagging days, I’d probably be able to retire right now like Larry Faldyn.
Anyway, I hope Deacon ends up enjoying his time at HEB as much as I did.
O n this Independence Day weekend, I’ll close with one of my favorite bits of patriotic trivia about Fayette County.
Back in 1861, only 18 of the 122 reporting Texas counties voted to stay in the U.S. instead of seceding to join the Confederacy. Fayette County was one of those 18 counties who voted to stay.
Hope you have a great 4th of July.