Commentary

Texas weather great for growing lemons

What a joy it is to look out your patio window and see a little lemon tree chock full of these bright yellow treats. And the blooms have a heavenly scent. The warm weather of Texas is perfect for growing lemon trees. But just like with any region where you grow citrus plants, you have to take steps to ensure the health of your tree if you want the harvest. One of the easiest ways to grow happy lemon trees and other citrus here is to plant them in containers.

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Don't forget about boating safety on Memorial Day weekend

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and this is typically a time when thousands of folks across Texas take to the lakes, rivers and bays in boats, jet skis, kayaks and canoes. It’s also a weekend when game wardens will be out in numbers checking to make sure that you’ve got enough life jackets on board and that the person running the boat is not drinking and driving.

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Elegant Volvo XC60 premium utility vehicle

For 2014, Volvo treats its award-winning XC60 small premium utility to the most extensive refresh since its introduction four years ago.

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Kelly student wins $1,000 scholarship in Citizen Bee

Thomas Cobb and Mavis Triebel

Thomas Cobb and 18 other students from across the state competed in the Texas State Citizen Bee in Austin. Cobb was one of five students to have a perfect score in the oral portion of the contest and had a total score of 97 out of 100 points to win First Place and a $1,000 scholarship. The Texas Citizen Bee is a statewide civic education program and competition that offers teachers and high school students an exciting way to study America’s heritage. Contestants participate in a timed, multiple-choice written examination and an oral round.

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In the Dark with Melanie Dishman: 'the Other Woman'

Three chicks and the same guy in this sort of rom-com about a serial womanizer knocked “Captain America” out of the top spot in its opening weekend. This predictable film was penned by first-time screenwriter Melissa K. Stack.

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Local Cajun food vendor realizes dream

Bebeaux’s Cajun Food announced Wednesday, April 23, that its chicken and sausage gumbo will now be avail­able at Market Basket stores through­out Southeast Texas.

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For 2014, Dodge's mid-size Avenger

Offering impressive fuel economy and a starting Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $20,595, the Dodge Avenger features value and a style all its own in three trim levels: SE, SXT and R/T.

 

Avenger SE

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Robert Sloan Outdoors: You never know where you're going to find a game warden

Robert Sloan photo

One of the wackiest things I’ve ever seen a game warden do was to crawl up a tree so he could see where three young squirrel hunters were heading after a successful hunt. Those hunters were two buddies and me. We were around 12 years old at the time. We had bagged five big fox squirrels on family land in Polk County not far from Lake Livingston. We saw the game warden coming down the tree. As we stood there in complete disbelief, he asks to see our squirrels, and we pulled them out of our game bags and couldn’t have been happier.

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Antiques in the garden

If you want to get out of those big box stores and find something more personal for your outdoor spaces, you are on the “Right Side of Texas.” Decorators and gardeners in the know scour our local antique stores for the best and most unique inspirations for their gardens. Just flip through magazines like Architectural Digest or Southern Living and you will see picture perfect areas with personal touches. Free your mind. The trend now is to re-use and re-purpose.

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Nissan's midsized truck, the Frontier

For 2014, Frontier again offers a choice of a powerful 4.0-liter DOHC V6 engine rated at 261 horsepower and 281 foot-pounds of torque or a fuel-efficient 152-horsepower 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder engine (4x2 King Cab) rated at 19 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway (I4 King Cab 2WD M/T).

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