Thursday, October 22, 2020 | MySouTex.com | PAGE 4A Flutter by, … · 1 day ago · Flutter by,...
1
Thursday, October 22, 2020 | MySouTex.com | PAGE 4A I first noticed the large swarms of insects all over Highway 281 and Inter- state 37 a few weeks ago on my way to and from San Antonio, and it was my wife’s vehicle that ex- perienced the aftermath. Then, a couple of days later between Goliad and Beeville, the swarm was back, and to a lesser ex- tent between Beeville and Refugio, and my vehicle suffered the onslaught. While these beauti- ful flying bugs proved to be a nuisance for drivers whizzing by at 75 mph (or more), it was sad to discover that many of those insects were mon- arch butterflies taking part in their annual mi- gration to Mexico for the winter. There were already concerns about the dwin- dling numbers of these butterflies, but as many drivers’ windshields and front grills can attest, there must have been millions of casualties on Texas roadways. Dodging these large swarms would have been impossible. It was sur- prising just how many there were. You could pull into a gas station and clean your windshield, and within just minutes back on the road the windshield would look as bad or worse than it did before it was cleaned. Supposedly, this is an annual event, but I have never noticed such high numbers of the butterflies on our area roadways before. They certainly weren’t flying about in such numbers a year ago, or at least not where I was driving, and I don’t recall them covering the skies in such overwhelm- ing numbers the previous spring, either. The closest thing I re- call to such large swarms were some massive love bug flights, one of which had me stopping frequently to clean the windshield on a trip to Florida in October 1992 or 1993. Not all of the butter- flies in the Great Swarm of 2020 were monarchs, apparently. There are also millions of Ameri- can snout butterflies add- ing to the numbers, as well. Butterfly experts say the peak of migration is expected to wrap up around Oct. 22, but ex- pect plenty of stragglers to come flying along af- terward. Chip Taylor of Mon- arch Watch said the but- terfly migration this year is faster than usual, and credited weather patterns as the main reason. These monarch but- terflies (or at least those that survive the hazard- ous journey) enjoy their winters in the mountains of southern Mexico, and then they start the trip back to northern U.S. states and southern Can- ada over the spring. Seeing just how many of these majestic mon- archs ended up being splattered on cars, trucks, SUVs and 18-wheelers, it’s a wonder very many at all survive. Internet research has proved my speculation about heavier than usual numbers of migrating butterflies in 2020 to be correct. An Austin TV sta- tion/website, quoting a spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife De- partment, says weather patterns have indeed re- sulted in a busier year than usual for butterfly flights south. “These migration events happen every sev- eral years, but this year is a big one,” the TPWD spokesman said. Just how many of these butterflies are mak- ing the trek? Experts es- timate their numbers are in the billions — which is no surprise for those of us driving through South Texas. Here’s wishing these incredible butterflies the best on their journey, and hoping they will do their best to stay off of Texas roadways — for their sakes as well as ours. •[email protected]• REFLECTIONS FROM SOUTH TEXAS By Jeff Osborne Flutter by, butterflies — an epic swarm in 2020 Wake up, America Editor: I challenge all readers to look at what you are voting for by investigating for whom you are voting. The work of gathering data is done; you just have to look at it (Ballotpedia.org or ivoter- guide.com) to find out if your candidate shares your values (on abortion, taxes, freedom, gender, guns, etc.). Every. Single. Vote. Counts! The mar- gin of victory in recent elections is quite small. Go vote. Remind your family. Contact your neighbors. Drive them to the polls if necessary. Our nation is divided, and every voice needs to be heard (and counted!). You will make a difference; it is every Amer- ican’s privilege and duty. Be sure to vote all the way down the ballot; find out who’s on your ballot at www.votetexas. gov or get a sample ballot from your county clerk’s website. Believe it or not, we are in a war: a silent war. Anti-American ideology (us- ing many different names) has infiltrat- ed all levels of government, education and organizations all around the world. The information is available from many different sources. You can choose to remain ignorant, or you choose to open your eyes and look closely at both sides. Ignoring the other side won’t make it disappear. Now is the time. We must fight for America. It sounds extreme and sounds like something that would never happen here … but it is happening. People have lost their senses. Peaceful protests are turning into violent riots, and yet some people are calling for de- funding the police. Wake up, America. Pray, fervently. In God we trust. Sign the #PolicePledge at www.HeritageAc- tion.com or #TexasBacksTheBlue to show your support for your local law enforcement officers. Regina Dove, Bee County House of Representatives passes bipartisan elder abuse act Editor: As a former caregiver for my hus- band who had dementia, I understand firsthand the impact this disease has on families across America. While not often discussed, elder abuse is a serious issue, and even more so for those liv- ing with Alzheimer’s or other dementia who aren’t always able to clearly com- municate their thoughts. The trauma of elder abuse can result in premature death, the deterioration of physical and psychological health, destruction of so- cial and familial ties, devastating finan- cial loss, and more. The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the bipartisan Promot- ing Alzheimer’s Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act (S.3703/H.R. 6813), which would require the Department of Justice to develop training materials to assist law enforcement officers, pros- ecutors, judges, medical personnel, vic- tim services personnel and others who encounter and support individuals liv- ing with Alzheimer’s and other demen- tia. Dementia-specific training materi- als for these professionals will improve the quality of their interactions with individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia and will also help pro- tect them from elder abuse. Please join me and the Alzheimer’s Association in thanking Congressman Filemon Vela for supporting this legis- lation to protect the more than five mil- lion Americans living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia. Sincerely, Wanda Gray, Alzheimer’s Advocate Vineyard thanks Editor: On behalf of our local Bee County Toys for Tots campaign 2020 we would like to thank the Walmart Community Grants Team and Facility #463 our lo- cal Walmart for selecting us to receive a $2,000 grant. They stated “We are thrilled to support your work in our communities and share your desire to provide local impact by receiving this grant, you are part of a long history of Walmart’s commitment to giving back to the communities where we operate.” This is a year like no other, and local families are suffering from the effects of the pandemic and we will see an increased need this Christmas. These funds will be used to buy toys, to put smiles on children’s faces come Christ- mas morning. We are truly grateful. Sincerely, Susan Dirks, TFT Coor- dinator, Virginia Cherry Assistan Coordinator Spreading the word Dear Bee Picayune team: We would like to sincerely thank you for the beautifully written article that was published in last Thursday’s paper – “From Grief to Serenity”. What a blessing it was for Karen and the rest of us to be highlighted for the work we do. More importantly, you spread the word and gave info on our services to others who are hurting. We want to help as many people as we can, and we believe your article helped us to help others! Thank you and God bless you all! Crystal Cox, Karen Knowlton, Katie Jo Tipps, Richard Alford, Frank Cul- len, Justin Cline and Linda Mendoza Comments come from experience Editor: I don’t need to Google to read Cathy R. Just reading Cathy’s response tells quite a bit about her. I would not make such vile remarks against a person I know so little about. But it is so typi- cal. I see the importance of educating children on our history and on the per- sons who fought and died to build this nation. I had two teachers who had a profound effect on my life. Mrs. Rex West and Nellie Stewart taught me to love books and learning. I am still an avid reader. These riots that are going on now re- mind me of Nazi Germany. As a young army bride I joined my husband in Ger- many shortly after World War II. I saw the results of what happened to what was once a very cultured nation after it fell prey to a mad man. The education of their children was also allowed to be altered, and the destruction was unbe- lievable. If we don’t learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. It is hap- pening here. I have had bad experiences with our education system. When my oldest child was in the third grade his grades started dropping. When talking with the principal I was told to be prepared to have a high school dropout. I prompt- ly had my children removed from that school after a battle. Not only did my child graduate, he is now in our Hall of Fame three times and retired federal of- ficer. As my children grew I began to note that one was having a reading prob- lem. Luckily I had a cousin, a teacher trained in that field, who taught me. I approached the school asking for help. I was told I didn’t have a degree, sit down, shut up. I didn’t know what I was talking about. So began a six-year battle before I succeeded in getting my son tested. He had dyslexia. In college he learned,on his own, that using the color green cellophane helped him read. He also retired as a federal officer. There was one teacher, Mrs. Hatcher, who helped my daughter. She had missed a tremendous amount of school due to an illness. Mrs. Hatcher worked with her for a year, helping her catch up. You work long hours. So do others. Our military, firemen, law enforcement, doctors, nurses and others put their lives on the line for us every day. I have had calls from parents who are very upset with the situation. One parent with a special needs child who cannot speak is expected to be taught Spanish. Another special needs child receives approxi- mately 15 minutes a week help from his teacher. Another lady tells me she is expected to teach Spanish to her child when she never took Spanish in school. Others speak to me of the frustration of trying to teach algebra after being out of school over 30 years. Again I’m told to sit down, shut up. Joanne L .Hadwin P.S. it is a simple matter to raise taxes by reappraising property. It’s done all the time. The Bee-Picayune and Goliad Advance-Guard welcome letters to the editor. Anyone wishing to submit a letter for publication may do so, provided that his/her name, address and telephone number is included. It is our longstand- ing policy not to accept or run unsigned letters. All others, provided they are authenticated, pertinent to the commu- nity’s interests, not libelous, not self- promotional in lieu of purchasing legiti- mate advertising, or overly lengthy, may be run on a space-available basis as determined by the editor. All letters must be no longer than two, double-spaced, typewritten pages (or 500 words) and may be subject to editing. E-mail can be sent to [email protected]. Open 9am-5pm Thu-Sat. Located in Goliad ‘on the square’ at 240 S. Commercial Street. Sell-Trade-S Buy-Sell-Trade-Smith pen eature an ultrasonic cleaning chine that cleans weapons to GET YOUR CHRIST CAMMO HERE We feature an ultrasonic cleaning machine that cleans weapons to ‘outta the box new’!
Transcript of Thursday, October 22, 2020 | MySouTex.com | PAGE 4A Flutter by, … · 1 day ago · Flutter by,...
-
Thursday, October 22, 2020 | MySouTex.com | PAGE 4A
I first noticed the large swarms of insects all over Highway 281 and Inter-state 37 a few weeks ago on my way to and from San Antonio, and it was my wife’s vehicle that ex-perienced the aftermath.
Then, a couple of days later between Goliad and Beeville, the swarm was back, and to a lesser ex-tent between Beeville and Refugio, and my vehicle suffered the onslaught.
While these beauti-ful flying bugs proved to be a nuisance for drivers whizzing by at 75 mph (or more), it was sad to discover that many of those insects were mon-arch butterflies taking part in their annual mi-gration to Mexico for the winter.
There were already concerns about the dwin-dling numbers of these butterflies, but as many drivers’ windshields and front grills can attest, there must have been millions of casualties on Texas roadways.
Dodging these large swarms would have been impossible. It was sur-prising just how many there were. You could pull into a gas station and clean your windshield, and within just minutes back on the road the windshield would look as bad or worse than it did before it was cleaned.
Supposedly, this is an annual event, but I have never noticed such high numbers of the butterflies on our area roadways before. They certainly weren’t flying about in such numbers a year ago,
or at least not where I was driving, and I don’t recall them covering the skies in such overwhelm-ing numbers the previous spring, either.
The closest thing I re-call to such large swarms were some massive love bug flights, one of which had me stopping frequently to clean the windshield on a trip to Florida in October 1992 or 1993.
Not all of the butter-flies in the Great Swarm of 2020 were monarchs, apparently. There are also millions of Ameri-can snout butterflies add-ing to the numbers, as well.
Butterfly experts say the peak of migration is expected to wrap up around Oct. 22, but ex-pect plenty of stragglers to come flying along af-terward.
Chip Taylor of Mon-arch Watch said the but-terfly migration this year is faster than usual, and credited weather patterns as the main reason.
These monarch but-terflies (or at least those that survive the hazard-ous journey) enjoy their winters in the mountains of southern Mexico, and then they start the trip back to northern U.S.
states and southern Can-ada over the spring.
Seeing just how many of these majestic mon-archs ended up being splattered on cars, trucks, SUVs and 18-wheelers, it’s a wonder very many at all survive.
Internet research has proved my speculation about heavier than usual numbers of migrating butterflies in 2020 to be correct.
An Austin TV sta-tion/website, quoting a spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife De-partment, says weather patterns have indeed re-sulted in a busier year than usual for butterfly flights south.
“These migration events happen every sev-eral years, but this year is a big one,” the TPWD spokesman said.
Just how many of these butterflies are mak-ing the trek? Experts es-timate their numbers are in the billions — which is no surprise for those of us driving through South Texas.
Here’s wishing these incredible butterflies the best on their journey, and hoping they will do their best to stay off of Texas roadways — for their sakes as well as ours.•[email protected]•
REFLECTIONS FROM SOUTH TEXASBy Jeff Osborne
Flutter by, butterfl ies — an epic swarm in 2020
Wake up, AmericaEditor:
I challenge all readers to look at what you are voting for by investigating for whom you are voting. The work of gathering data is done; you just have to look at it (Ballotpedia.org or ivoter-guide.com) to find out if your candidate shares your values (on abortion, taxes, freedom, gender, guns, etc.).
Every. Single. Vote. Counts! The mar-gin of victory in recent elections is quite small. Go vote. Remind your family. Contact your neighbors. Drive them to the polls if necessary.
Our nation is divided, and every voice needs to be heard (and counted!). You will make a difference; it is every Amer-ican’s privilege and duty. Be sure to vote all the way down the ballot; find out who’s on your ballot at www.votetexas.gov or get a sample ballot from your county clerk’s website.
Believe it or not, we are in a war: a silent war. Anti-American ideology (us-ing many different names) has infiltrat-ed all levels of government, education and organizations all around the world. The information is available from many different sources.
You can choose to remain ignorant, or you choose to open your eyes and look closely at both sides. Ignoring the other side won’t make it disappear.
Now is the time. We must fight for America. It sounds extreme and sounds like something that would never happen here … but it is happening.
People have lost their senses. Peaceful protests are turning into violent riots, and yet some people are calling for de-funding the police. Wake up, America. Pray, fervently. In God we trust. Sign the #PolicePledge at www.HeritageAc-tion.com or #TexasBacksTheBlue to show your support for your local law enforcement officers.Regina Dove, Bee County
House of Representatives passes bipartisan elder abuse actEditor:
As a former caregiver for my hus-band who had dementia, I understand firsthand the impact this disease has on families across America. While not often discussed, elder abuse is a serious issue, and even more so for those liv-ing with Alzheimer’s or other dementia who aren’t always able to clearly com-municate their thoughts. The trauma of elder abuse can result in premature death, the deterioration of physical and psychological health, destruction of so-cial and familial ties, devastating finan-cial loss, and more.
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the bipartisan Promot-ing Alzheimer’s Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act (S.3703/H.R. 6813), which would require the Department of Justice to develop training materials to assist law enforcement officers, pros-ecutors, judges, medical personnel, vic-tim services personnel and others who encounter and support individuals liv-ing with Alzheimer’s and other demen-tia. Dementia-specific training materi-als for these professionals will improve the quality of their interactions with individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia and will also help pro-tect them from elder abuse.
Please join me and the Alzheimer’s Association in thanking Congressman Filemon Vela for supporting this legis-lation to protect the more than five mil-lion Americans living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia.Sincerely, Wanda Gray, Alzheimer’s Advocate
Vineyard thanksEditor:
On behalf of our local Bee County Toys for Tots campaign 2020 we would like to thank the Walmart Community Grants Team and Facility #463 our lo-cal Walmart for selecting us to receive a $2,000 grant. They stated “We are thrilled to support your work in our communities and share your desire to provide local impact by receiving this grant, you are part of a long history of Walmart’s commitment to giving back to the communities where we operate.” This is a year like no other, and local families are suffering from the effects of the pandemic and we will see an increased need this Christmas. These funds will be used to buy toys, to put smiles on children’s faces come Christ-mas morning. We are truly grateful.
Sincerely, Susan Dirks, TFT Coor-dinator, Virginia Cherry Assistan Coordinator
Spreading the wordDear Bee Picayune team:
We would like to sincerely thank you for the beautifully written article that was published in last Thursday’s paper – “From Grief to Serenity”. What a blessing it was for Karen and the rest of us to be highlighted for the work we do. More importantly, you spread the word and gave info on our services to others who are hurting. We want to help as many people as we can, and we believe your article helped us to help others! Thank you and God bless you all! Crystal Cox, Karen Knowlton, Katie Jo Tipps, Richard Alford, Frank Cul-len, Justin Cline and Linda Mendoza
Comments come from experienceEditor:
I don’t need to Google to read Cathy R. Just reading Cathy’s response tells quite a bit about her. I would not make such vile remarks against a person I know so little about. But it is so typi-cal. I see the importance of educating children on our history and on the per-sons who fought and died to build this nation. I had two teachers who had a profound effect on my life. Mrs. Rex West and Nellie Stewart taught me to love books and learning. I am still an avid reader.
These riots that are going on now re-mind me of Nazi Germany. As a young army bride I joined my husband in Ger-many shortly after World War II. I saw the results of what happened to what was once a very cultured nation after it fell prey to a mad man. The education of their children was also allowed to be altered, and the destruction was unbe-lievable. If we don’t learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. It is hap-pening here.
I have had bad experiences with our education system. When my oldest child was in the third grade his grades started dropping. When talking with the principal I was told to be prepared to have a high school dropout. I prompt-ly had my children removed from that school after a battle. Not only did my child graduate, he is now in our Hall of Fame three times and retired federal of-ficer.
As my children grew I began to note that one was having a reading prob-lem. Luckily I had a cousin, a teacher trained in that field, who taught me. I approached the school asking for help. I was told I didn’t have a degree, sit down, shut up. I didn’t know what I was talking about. So began a six-year battle before I succeeded in getting my son tested. He had dyslexia. In college he learned,on his own, that using the color green cellophane helped him read. He also retired as a federal officer. There was one teacher, Mrs. Hatcher, who helped my daughter. She had missed a tremendous amount of school due to an illness. Mrs. Hatcher worked with her for a year, helping her catch up.
You work long hours. So do others. Our military, firemen, law enforcement, doctors, nurses and others put their lives on the line for us every day. I have had calls from parents who are very upset with the situation. One parent with a special needs child who cannot speak is expected to be taught Spanish. Another special needs child receives approxi-mately 15 minutes a week help from his teacher. Another lady tells me she is expected to teach Spanish to her child when she never took Spanish in school. Others speak to me of the frustration of trying to teach algebra after being out of school over 30 years.
Again I’m told to sit down, shut up. Joanne L .Hadwin
P.S. it is a simple matter to raise taxes by reappraising property. It’s done all the time.
The Bee-Picayune and Goliad Advance-Guard welcome letters to the editor. Anyone wishing to submit a letter for publication may do so, provided that his/her name, address and telephone number is included. It is our longstand-ing policy not to accept or run unsigned letters. All others, provided they are authenticated, pertinent to the commu-nity’s interests, not libelous, not self-promotional in lieu of purchasing legiti-mate advertising, or overly lengthy, may be run on a space-available basis as determined by the editor. All letters must be no longer than two, double-spaced, typewritten pages (or 500 words) and may be subject to editing. E-mail can be sent to [email protected].
Buy-Sell-Trade-Smith
Open 9am-5pm Thu-Sat. Located in Goliad ‘on the square’ at
240 S. Commercial Street.
We feature an ultrasonic cleaning machine that cleans weapons to
‘outta the box new’!
GET YOUR CHRISTMAS CAMMO HERE!
We feature an ultrasonic cleaning machine that cleans weapons to ‘outta the box new’!
Buy-Sell-Trade-Smith
Open 9am-5pm Thu-Sat. Located in Goliad ‘on the square’ at
240 S. Commercial Street.
We feature an ultrasonic cleaning machine that cleans weapons to
‘outta the box new’!
GET YOUR CHRISTMAS CAMMO HERE!
We feature an ultrasonic cleaning machine that cleans weapons to ‘outta the box new’!
Buy-Sell-Trade-Smith
Open 9am-5pm Thu-Sat. Located in Goliad ‘on the square’ at
240 S. Commercial Street.
We feature an ultrasonic cleaning machine that cleans weapons to
‘outta the box new’!
GET YOUR CHRISTMAS CAMMO HERE!
We feature an ultrasonic cleaning machine that cleans weapons to ‘outta the box new’!
Buy-Sell-Trade-Smith
Open 9am-5pm Thu-Sat. Located in Goliad ‘on the square’ at
240 S. Commercial Street.
We feature an ultrasonic cleaning machine that cleans weapons to
‘outta the box new’!
GET YOUR CHRISTMAS CAMMO HERE!
We feature an ultrasonic cleaning machine that cleans weapons to ‘outta the box new’!Buy-Sell-Trade-Smith
Open 9am-5pm Thu-Sat. Located in Goliad ‘on the square’ at
240 S. Commercial Street.
We feature an ultrasonic cleaning machine that cleans weapons to
‘outta the box new’!
GET YOUR CHRISTMAS CAMMO HERE!
We feature an ultrasonic cleaning machine that cleans weapons to ‘outta the box new’!
