Features

Now is the time

We had an election last May where Beaumont residents chose some new members of the Beaumont Independent School District board of trustees. Also on the ballot was a referendum issue asking if voters favored altering BISD’s method of electing trustees from seven at-large members to one that had five single-member districts with two members elected at large.

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Phony Texas legislation

During the last session of the Legislature, the phoniest piece of legislation passed was the Voter ID Bill. Passed off as an effort to stop voter fraud, this legislation is being recognized as simply a partisan effort on the part of Republican right-wingers to reduce the number of people voting. The legislation smelled so bad the U.S. Department of Justice, under the Voting Rights Act, is holding up its implementation.

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First duck season split was much better than expected

I don’t know if it’s possible to have a better duck season than what we have experienced so far. The first split came to a close on Nov. 27, and based on what I’ve seen and heard, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was dead on when they advised duck hunters to get set for a better than average season. The second half will run from Dec. 10 through Jan. 29 in both the north and south zones.

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Guided fishing, hunting trips make great gifts

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and it seems as though most folks around our area fared well. Certainly there are exceptions to that, but for the most part things locally in the outdoors are good. Even with the drought curtailing food growth for the deer, they continue to feed mostly at night. That has been the case, in my experience, no mater the moon phase. Even so, there have been some really fine bucks taken in East Texas, which is nothing unusual. Their body condition is not as good because of the drought, but all in all they are not in bad shape.

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Seed saving, part 2

The International Seed Saving Institute has the mantra “Feel the need for seed!” Yes, this institute does exist. It is located in Arizona and is a great resource for seed saving, permaculture and any questions related to seed saving.

Why should you become a seed saver? Seed saving is as old as gardening. Years ago gardeners considered seeds from their favorite plants to be treasures to be guarded. Since seeds these days are relatively inexpensive, you may ask, “Why should I be a seed saver.”

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