My backyard looks like "Life Without People"

Thanks to the recent rains and my lack of motivation to cut the grass my yard resembles something out of the History Channel show "Life Without People."
If you're not familiar with the show, it chronicles what the earth would be like after humans are gone. Buildings crumble, bridges fall and trees and foliage take back over their turf.
That's what happened to this one area of my backyard. I say "one area" because it's near a fence, out of the way and ignored by me.
Don't get me wrong, we have all the tools to do the job: riding mower, push mower, access to a weedeater and lots of other gadgets.
A few days ago a decided to do some real yard work in that spot. Pulls weeds, pick up sticks or limbs, that kind of stuff.

I headed to the dreaded spot and began pulling weeds when I noticed the beginnings of a tallow tree. I took out my little hatchet and chopped. And chopped and chopped and chopped. Then I had to dig to find the roots which were everywhere intertwined in the weeds and long grass.
My husband, who knows that when I get an idea in my head there's no use arguing, suggested to use the weedeater or just wait and he'd tackle the project.
No way. This was my project and I was not going to be beat by some weeds and grass.
As I inched my way through the mess it seemed as if time stopped or slowed to a crawl. Sounds became a distant noise, a few birds flew overhead, the flapping of their wings seemed at a snail's pace.
I was getting tired but refused to give up.
Then something happened.
I got to the worst spot of all, maybe about 4 foot by 4 foot in size. I noticed a bright hose on the ground and decided to pull it. That's when I discovered grass and weeds had grown around the hose and would have covered the item if I hadn't rescued it.
I tugged and pulled and felt muscles I didn't know I had - no luck. I had to get back on my hands and knees and pull the stupid weeds from around the hose.
After the hose was recovered I found a thin, lightweight piece of vinyl siding next to the house. This too was nearly overgrown.
I pulled once again and the vinyl moved a bit. Proud of my tenacity, I gave it one big tug. The piece came loose causing the short end near my arm to move violently upwards and slap the tender part under my arm. I still don't know exactly how it happened but I have a lovely black and purple bruise to prove it.
There's a lesson in this story; either do your yard work when it's needed or wait for someone else to do it.
I may wait next time.
Mary Meaux

Time waits for no one

Sheryl Vidrine Cude
July 6, 1962 to July 27, 2009



How often have you ran into a relative or friend you haven't seen in a long time and promise to "stay in touch?"
But sometimes that promise gets shoved to the bottom of your "must-do" list. Months pass, then years. Your daily life continues, you go to work, come home, pay bills, watch TV, whatever.
Then a name might pop up and you remember, "wow, I really should call so-and-so," but you never find the time to call.
That happened last night, July 27. An unfamiliar number popped up on my phone about 9:30 p.m. and I almost didn't answer. Then I thought maybe one of my kids, who are now adults, might be calling from a friends number so I flipped open my phone.
It wasn't from someone I expected to hear from. Actually I hadn't spoke with this person in about three years.
Tina, my niece, was calling to tell me that her sister, Sheryl, had died the night before.
While choking back tears, Tina told me Sheryl, who is just two years older than me, had died of sleep apnea.
I was thinking that I had just seen Sheryl about a year ago or a little longer when my brother, her father, Al Vidrine, had died.
I think I only caught part of the conversation with Tina because in the back of my mind was the guilt of not keeping in touch.
Still shocked, I flipped around online and found my brothers obituary. He died in December 2006. That meant I hadn't seen or spoken to Sheryl or Tina since then.
That fact got me thinking back a little further to when Al became terminally ill and family gathered at the hospital. I had called Al through the years off and on. So when the family dispersed after the funeral we parted with the usual promise of staying in touch.
But we'd all drifted back into our own lives, all of us.
Now I'm planning to attend the funeral of yet another person I had promised I'd stay in touch with.
Mary Meaux

Rock-n-Roll, mean people and concert etiquette

My friend, Cindy Lee, treated me to a concert at The Woodlands last week - ZZ Top and Aerosmith.
Awesome.
But there was a bit of a problem.
Let me tell the whole story first.
Mean people who seem to think you should sit down, eat popcorn, nachos and pizza while watching a rock concert.
I say "mean people" because that's what they were. Cindy and I were rock 'n rollin' when ZZ, "that little ol' band from Texas," hit the stage. Since I'm a bit timid I stood next to her, tapped my foot and sang along. Cindy, who has been to more concerts that I can count, is a free spirit who grooved, danced and swayed with the music.

Then came the first person who ticked me off. A woman, seated behind us somewhere, asked us nicely to move over. She actually wanted my friend to squat down. Yea right. Cindy has untreated scoliosis. She had decided to rock 'n roll and be in pain later than sit down during a performance of her favorite band ZZ Top.
A little later a man came up behind us, put a hand on each of our shoulders, and asked us to sit down. Sure, he was polite but come on. This was a rock concert and one of the very few I've ever been to.
This made me a bit upset but Cindy said to ignore them. We paid the same price for our LAWN tickets then these people and no where on the ticket did it say that patrons were supposed to sit down during the opening act.
During brief pauses in the music we heard the chanting "sit down, sit down," from behind us.
Then the same man came back and touched me on the shoulder. He said there was a man behind him who wanted us to sit. But it wasn't actually "us" he wanted to have sit down. It was me.
I looked to Cindy, who shook her head no, then I tried to reason with him telling him how much we had paid for tickets, and told him to talk to Cindy.
He said "no. We know she's not going to sit down. She's dancing."
"Well, I don't dance," I replied, as he insisted.
"Didn't you hear the people shouting at you to sit down?" the idiot asked me.
He finally left as I started crying. I was angry and cried. That sucks. If these people had come up to me with a rude attitude I would have been able to hold my own.
As an overweight person I know that I was singled out. If I were dancing like Cindy (and others around us) I still would have been asked to sit.
But if I were a "normal size" person I seriously doubt anyone would have griped.
I waited a few minutes then walked to a nearby place to buy a bottle of water for $4. (Good thing we weren't drinking alcohol. Beer was $9.50 each and mixed drinks $12 on up.)
As I turned around I searched the crowd for the idiot and the yelling people but didn't see them.
Bear with me, there's a little more story left.
I had missed most of ZZ's performance between being told to sit down, move over and being yelled at. My fault I guess, for turning my attention to them.
Then Aerosmith came on. Before they even began, the whole crowd was on their feet screaming.
I was ticked off by then. I turned in anger and yelled some curse words that boil down to "oh no, you told me to sit down and now you're standing up."
There was one more instance where someone told us to move. This was the guy to our right, who, at one point, passed out in his $6 rental lawn seat with a lit cigarette. Yea, this genius told us to move over a bit.
I'm still embarrassed that I got upset enough to cry but these people were mean. I can usually deal with meanness. I do have a temper and am impatient a lot. Plus I have a red belt in TaeKwonDo and I know how to hold my own though I don't fight and cause a ruckus.
So, dear readers, what do you think? Was I wrong to want to STAND and jam at a rock concert even though the crowd stood later?
I don't think so.
Next time I go to a concert I'm going to wear a specially made T-shirt that says
"No, I will NOT sit down," in big letters across the back.

Here's my friend Cindy rockin' at the concert. Thanks Cindy for a great concert and standing up for me.
Mary Meaux

Gamblin' on the Island
Here's this week's "things to grind on."






Casinos.
Those floating islands of luxury filled with bright lights and cacophony of the sounds of slot machines, roulette wheels and more.
Have many locals travel to Louisiana to get their game on? I know Texans go there. Just pass through the parking areas to a Louisiana casino and count the number of Texas license plates. It's amazing.
But do they belong in Texas? Or better yet, do citizens want one on Pleasure Island?
Pleasure Island, at one time many years ago, featured a dance hall/ballroom, midway with the largest roller coaster in the south and an Olympic-size swimming pool.
Now fast forward through the decades. The Island was, and is, one of the best places to fish. Recent years have seen professional fishing tournaments and if Ike hadn't hit us so hard there might have been even more, according to the Visitors and Convention Bureau who had the sad task of telling a person representing a large national tournament that the Island wasn't ready yet.
On weekends in the summer there are hundreds of people visiting the Island. And these are RV'ers either. I can attest to this because my family fishes out there. Try the south revetment road on a weekend and count the vehicles.
The Island also attracts whole families who fill up the gazebos and parks. Setting up picnics, flying kites and having fun.
The pros and cons of casino gambling has been a hot topic for a number of years and I'm not chiming in with my opinion.
Now it's your turn to talk. Do you think Pleasure Island needs a casino? Would you visit a casino if one were placed on the Island?
Or do you think casinos breed crime and would further ruin any plans of revitalizing the city?

On MJ's death and local news

It's been a while since I last posted, sorry folks. Been a bit busy.
As you can tell I've changed some of the layout, colors mostly, mainly because I'm getting older and the black background with white letters is hard on my eyes.
Now that I've revealed the fact that I probably need an eye exam, let's get down to business.
Michael Jackson is dead, can we move on now

No disrespect to the millions of MJ fans worldwide but I've met quite a few people lately who feel they have seen/read enough on the King of Pop.
I believe the man was a musical genius and his music will live on forever. He paved the way for others and revolutionized the music video (remember Thriller the video, way cool and a first for its time). Heck,I liked his music but I think it's time for the family to grieve, fans to grieve and to move on.
Local news
With all of the media attention to MJ some people may have forgotten that news continues to occur right here in our area.
Let's take a look at a few things:
Nederland survey

Nederland is updating their 10 year strategic plan for development and rightfully so. Cities change, population changes and needs change.
The Nederland Strategic Planning Citizen Survey tapped into the opinions of a cross sampling of the community and touched included issues of physical/city facilities, citizens business, governance and level of services.
Responses were divided into categories of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, or SWOT, then the input was prioritized by category and ranked with the top three priorities in each section. The information was looked at in the context of growth, stability, decline and re-development.
The top three strengths listed by residents include the school district, proximity of resources and a safe and secure town.
The school district is a big draw especially for those not wanting their children in certain other school districts. I'm not judging the opinions of those people, just stating a fact I've learned as a reporter.
One problem mentioned by the consultant who went over the findings was the condition of the district's facilities. A recent bond issue was shot down by voters and now, as budget time approaches, the district will likely be dealing with the same issues again such as aging schools.
While "safe and secure town" is listed as a strength,crime in nearby areas and subsidized housing are listed as numbers two and three on the list of weaknesses. While the respondents didn't come out and say which town had the crime they are worried about it's obvious the town is Port Arthur. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
You can draw your own conclusions. I'm certainly not bashing the Port Arthur Police Department. They do a heck of a job and Chief Blanton and his crew work their tails off to make the streets safe and ride PA of gang violence.
As for subsidized housing, I'm guessing they might mean a certain apartment complex located directly across FM 365 in PA but is in Nederland ISD.
So what would bring in new business to Nederland and what business should it be?
There's not room to expand and create a themepark as some citizens said they want so what's some ideas?
Arsons

While many people were out celebrating Independence Day, someone was out setting fires. Scary stuff.
Three fires to be exact.
A vehicle at a construction site, a part of the construction site and a limo parked at a nearby attorney's office were torched.
And we can all remember the arson case that happened in January that destroyed a section of the former Lincoln High School. A hearing was held recently and a juvenile will face charges as an adult.
The 15-year-old will have his day in court and let's let the courts decide his guilt or innocence.
As for me, I'm 44-years-old and cannot remember a time when there was this amount of arson in the area and it's scary.
What if someone had been hurt or killed? Why does someone do these types of crimes?
NOTE
For those who choose to respond, please be civil. No racial remarks please. I think we, as adults, can give an opinion without being ugly about it, ok.
So, grind away.
Let us know if you think Michael Jackson has had enough coverage.
Let us know what you think about the Nederland survey.
And chime in on the topic of arson too.
Have a great day and check back with the Daily Grind because I plan on updating at least once a week, maybe more.
Mary Meaux

Cancer treatment-who's right? Religious beliefs or court ruling

A Minnesota judge ruled that a 13-year-old cancer patient must be evaluated by a doctor to determine if the boy would benefit from restarting chemotherapy over his parents' objections.
Daniel Hauser has Hodgkin's lymphoma and underwent one treatment before quitting the treatment in February because Daniel and his parents opted instead for "alternative medicines" based on their religious beliefs.
The parents say this is their son's decision to treat the disease with nutritional supplements and other alternative treatments favored by the Nemenhah Band. The Missouri-based religious group believes in natural healing methods advocated by some American Indians, according to an Associated Press story.
The judge in the case will allow the teen to stay with his parents and gave them until Tuesday to get an updated chest X-ray for their son and select an oncologist.
Here's the kicker:
If the evaluation shows the cancer had advanced to a point where chemotherapy and radiation would no longer help, the judge said he would not order the boy to undergo treatment.
However, he said, if chemotherapy is ordered and the family still refuses, Daniel will be placed in temporary custody.
Court documents say Daniel doesn't fully understand how sick he really is. Doctors say he has a 90 percent chance of recovery with chemo and a 5 percent chance without treatments.
This brings some interesting points to review.
* Should the courts be responsible for making decisions regarding cancer or other medical treatments?
* Is the court overstepping the separation of church and state?
* Or should issues such as Daniel's be seen on a case by case base?
So go ahead, let us know what you think.
Mary Meaux

Are you safer not knowing?

I wonder, do people really want to know what crimes happen in their neighborhood/city?
Many of you know I cover the police beat (among other beats) and I've heard different responses to whether crimes should be publicized and how much information should be out there.

Is it better to know a home was burglarized in the such-and-such block of X street or that a suspect entered the garage through an unlocked door and stole a weedeater?
Does the detailed version make the victim, although not identified, a target for another burglary?
Or does the crime make neighbors more aware of what is going on in their area allowing them to watch out for each other?

I've had comments from people who like to read what was stolen i.e. blues jeans from a department store, a bottle of cheap rum from a home. And, from the feedback I receive, people like to read the Port Arthur Police Beat. Some read for entertainment, others read to see what's going on in their neighborhood just to be nosy while others use the information to look out for their neighbors.
Some police departments in the area provide the bare bones. An assault occurred, a vehicle stolen. Others will say a man was assaulted after a disturbance at a club or a 1999 Chevrolet F-150 truck was stolen from a home.
What about neighborhood watch groups? Would they even exist if the crime information was kept to a minimum?

Are you safer not knowing?
By peeping out your blinds and making an anonymous call to the police but not speaking with your neighbor the next day in hopes of preventing future crimes?
(Note: I do not provide details of a sexual assault report. I simply type that a sexual assault was reported. Yes, I may know some of the details. UNLESS the police wish the information to be publicized such as the case of an older woman who was sexually assaulted recently. The police were looking for the suspect and provided the information in a press release. The victim was not identified.)

Here's some things to grind:
* Should the police beat published in the paper/online provide a slightly detailed account or the bare bones?
* If the detailed information is printed does this make the person who is already a victim the target of another crime?
* Does the detailed information make you sit up and take notice of what is really going on in your city/neighborhood?

Mary Meaux