Last Tuesday I was fishing on Lake Brownwood, just south of the Wild Duck Marina, and noticed lots of Saltcedar growing along the shore line.

Saltcedar is one of the most invasive, hard-to-control woody plants in the world. This plant rapidly spreads along rivers, lakes and streams. Once established, it quickly chokes out desirable vegetation. Most important, saltcedar can draw water from underground aquifers- as much as 200 gallons per plant per day.

The hundreds of plants I saw were right at the water’s edge so they are getting the lake water. So let’s see, 300 plants x 200 gals is 60,000 gals of water a day, or 1.8 million gals per month! Wonder why the lake is going down? Lake Ivie is infested with saltcedar and is 50 feet low. The plants are in full pink bloom right now and the leaves look like a pale green cedar, hence the name.

I am a TEA party advocate, and express my political convictions in articles, letters to editors, and speeches at TEA party rallies.  The recent action by the US IRS is alarming; however, that abusive issue is now compounded by the US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Commerce.  During the past winter and this spring, I have been targeted by the US Departments of Commerce and Agriculture to fill out extensive, intrusive questionnaires on my rural property in Texas.  The questionnaires arrived via regular mail, with a bold warning that stipulated I was required by law to answer every question and to return the forms to the applicable departments.

The questions included identification of every resident on my property by age, ethnicity, income, employment, social security number, gender, etc. The agriculture form tasked me to reveal all income earned by sale of specific animals, fowl, and crops.  Page-after-page pried into my personal affairs.  I tossed the forms in file 13.  A second wave of questionnaires arrived with a stern warning that I was required under penalty of law to complete the questionnaires.  I disposed of that form also.  A phone call was placed to my home; the spokesperson for the US Department of Commerce admonished me for neglecting to perform my civic duty to help the US government compile vital information to help restore our economy.

In response to the overwhelmingly successful fundraiser held for his benefit, Bob Brewer writes the following to thank everyone involved:

Darla and I would like to thank you all...  Words cannot express my Thankfulness to you all...

If not for each an every one of you, my family, students, friends and people I never got to meet.   This would not be possible and due to you all, we exceeded our goal...

I go in for oral surgery May 15th in Dallas, TX around 10:30 a.m.  We ask you all to pray everything goes smooth for me and for my brother and wife that are talking me there and taking care of me till we get back. They said then your own your own!!  LOL...

I will thank each of you in person as soon as I see ya, and if there is ever anything we or I can do for any of you just let me know.  We love each one of you and pray that our Lord Jesus blesses each one of you and all your Families.

Bob & Steph Green spear headed the benefit and event and without their days of setting in front of Big Lot's selling raffle tickets for the awesome items they got to be raffled off and for the hours on Saturdays and after Church on Sundays, the use of the KBKMA Dojo training hall and getting the stage ready the "Texas Honey Badgers" who played that night. With awesome 'door prizes' and doing so much more not said....

Bob and his wife Steph are the new owners of KBK Martial Arts in Early Texas and teaching Bob Brewer's martial arts system of KBKMA, with his blessings.

Before 1934, a factory worker could not strike or engage in collective bargaining.  The corporations paid workers wages high enough to keep them alive.  The police would kill any laborer that corporate wanted killed.  Police routinely clubbed and shot anyone that striked for higher wages or safe working conditions.

The Wagner Act changed this rule of law in our nations.  The Wagner Act legalized the right for workers to organize and strike for higher wages, insurance and safe working conditions.  At the same time, Congress passed into law a law that set a minimum wage for non-unionist.

These two laws are laws that regulate the distribution of wealth, dividing the profit between the owner and the worker.  These new set of rules created a fair distribution of wealth.  The corporations have sought to kill those laws ever since their passage.

We talk about freedom from or with religious worship.  We hear talk that our ancestors, as protestants, fled Europe to escape from the clutches of church controlled governments, to worship or not as they wished.  It is clear that they wanted our government to be shed of religious driven government because the constitution says so.  Of course nobody teaches –or reads it anymore.

We may desire to elect one who follows our moral code, but that is part of elections.  Heaven knows our government is full of thieves.  But that is our fault because we vote them into office because of this and that, stuff that we believe that is not true.

A current example is -Same - Sex Marriage contracts.  News tells us this law is about moral issues.  Yet that is not true.  The current case in the Supreme Court is about contract law.

The question revolves around a law that prevents legally married gay couples from receiving spousal benefits from the federal government such as retirement pay, tax return benefits and health coverage, the same as a man and woman legally married receive.

If you follow the headlines, you know that child sexual abuse happens. It happens often and close to home. This reality can be overwhelming, but it’s important to remember that child sexual abuse can be prevented when we all play our part.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and this April, communities across the country are standing up for child sexual abuse prevention by proclaiming “It’s time … to talk about it!” All adults have a role in child sexual abuse prevention, and this year’s campaign encourages individuals and communities to support healthy childhood sexual development by talking early, talking often, and taking action.

By learning and talking about healthy childhood sexual development, adults are able to support the children in their lives. When adults support age-appropriate behaviors, model healthy boundaries and speak up to other adults, they are an ally to prevention. It’s also our job to respect children, model healthy behaviors and boundaries, and confront adults when they act in ways that are not appropriate.

There is often silence and discomfort when it comes to the discussion of sexual development. It’s important to understand that this is a normal experience we all share. By opening up communication, sharing age-appropriate information with children, and educating one another — we are taking steps toward a safer community.

Brownwood is dying.  Vacant buildings everywhere, vacant houses everywhere.  The sales taxes do not increase, but go up some – but rise is only inflation, if that.  Our athletes in school now play Llano, Lampasas, etc.

Our local political leaders should adopt a Move Brownwood Forward Plan.

1. The first item is water.  Governor Perry proposes to make 40 billion available for water to use.  The cities of Abilene and San Angelo are in the hunt for some of this money.  We should be too.

There is a location up the Bayou to build a reservoir.  Our Water District started to work to build the dam, in the 1960’s, then we lost our political support and the plan disappeared.  Abilene officials have pitched their hats in the ring.

We should do so.  New dam, drilling water wells, pipelines and purification plants are acceptable projects.  We must have a plan for our State Senator Frazier of Marble Falls and House member Jim Keffer of Eastland to advance for us.

The Board of the Heart Association of Brownwood would like to thank all who made the 2013 Heart Gala event a huge success.

Premier Underwriters Steven and Teresa Beal and Event Underwriters Brownwood Regional Medical Center, and Senior Care of Brownwood Health and Rehabilitation contributed greatly to an evening of “Heart and Soul.”  Also contributing to the event were Willie’s T’s, Ryan Construction Company, Big Country Ford, Dr. Dan and Cynthia Locker, Dr. Chris Stephens, Dr. Tim and Mandy Moore, Landmark Life, PF&E Oil Company, Davis Kinard and Company, Scott McDonald, Mid-Tex Federal Credit Union, Norma Oliver, Prudential Ross Real Estate, Ribble Land Design, Songbird Lodge, Texas Bank, 3M Company, Bill King Insurance, Bishop Distributing, Blaylock Funeral Home, Citizens National Bank, CMS Healthcare, Heart of Texas EMS, Dr. Henry and Nneka Ejere, Dr. Kevin Clardy, Drs. Comoli and Ethridge, Early Chamber of Commerce, Lee Hoffpauir Chevrolet, Heart of Texas Internal Medicine, Hi-Way Auto, Stephens Ranch Hand Real Estate, and Tunnel Construction.

Live Auction donors were Blevins Body Shop, Hooligan Hoggers, Debbie Stembridge, Ted and Martha Shelton, Joy Ivy, and Donna Rice. Decorations were provided by co-chairs Karen Fisher of Sparkles and Spurs Wedding and Party Venue and Joy Ferguson.