Columns

By Joe Guzzardi

The March Bureau of Labor Statistics report was a disappointment, with the economy adding only 103,000 jobs. March's poor performance deflated the enthusiasm February's report generated with its 313,000 new jobs, the biggest increase in 1-1/2 years. From the 320,000 revised February total, the jobs created drop-off measured 66 percent. Since January, monthly new employment averages are 202,000 - not terrible, but nothing to shout about.

By: Raymond Powell

Will Rogers made the statement a number of years ago that all he knew was what he read in the papers. After having been retired from the DeSoto School System since January 1, 1980 about all I know about the DeSoto Schools is what I read in the paper – and it sure sounds good!

Being a history buff it is challenging to look back over some DeSoto School history and find DeSoto was innovative and excelling in education through the years. The first public high school in Mansfield where attendance was required by law was Central High School built in 1895 at the southeast corner of Crosby St. and Louisiana St. directly across the street from the present DeSoto School Board Office.

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By Tom Purcell

"The lousy Republicans are supposed to decrease federal spending and get our deficit under control, not blow the budget even more!"

"Ah, yes, you speak of the massive $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill President Trump just signed into law. Members of Congress were only given 24 hours to read the 2,232-page monstrosity, which nobody did before voting for it."

"What the heck is an omnibus bill, anyhow?"

"It combines 13 separate appropriation bills, which Congress otherwise must pass and the president must sign, into a single bill that funds all government departments and activities.

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By: Raymond Powell

April 11, 1997 is the day Mansfield made the Guinness World Record Book. A downtown parade got underway with eleven Parade marshals of Veteran, longtime residents whose ages totaled 930 years. They were Evans Calvert, Ralph Fraser, Roger Silver, Hughes Jordan, R.U. Johnson, Cecil Flanders, Jack Lowery, J.C. McLaurin, P.E. Dixon, R.C. Bridges and W.T. “Billy” Pegues. Records reveal that Calvert and Fraser were the senior members among the longtime citizens. This writer has wondered down through the years how Claude Roberts was not included as one of the Parade Marshalls. The only logical conclusion is that Claude didn’t want to be put in the same group of “Old Men”!

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By Peter Funt

Why on earth would anyone bother to make the bed when his wife is out of town?

My wife Amy is on a birthday trip to Paris - and my gift to her is that I'm not tagging along to complain as she visits at least two museums, five boutiques and one opera house each day.

I'm home with our Shih Tzu Dorothy, who is savvy enough to understand that when Amy's away the routine is a bit different. For instance, the coffee I'm drinking as I write this was brewed yesterday and reheated this morning in the microwave. That's eight minutes saved right there.

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By: Raymond Powell

Much has been written about “America’s Pastor”, Billy Graham, since his recent death on Feb. 21, 2018. He was born and reared on a dairy farm and he was accustomed to milking cows and hard work. Having Christian parents he became saved at an early age. Billy Graham has influenced millions of lives all over the world and thousands have been lead to Christ through his preaching. Many are reminiscing on the spiritual counsel he provided 6 Presidents of the United States. Others are remembering his impeccable character, especially during the 80’s, when ministry failures seemed all too common.

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By Dr.Raymond Youngblood Jr.

About to enter the job market after school. So, let me tell you a few things that can help you not make a fool of yourself, set you straight, and help you not get fired so fast as I did. Yep, I was "let go" several times before I started my own business.

One firing I deserve, the second, was way above my pay-grade, and the other was, let's just say I refuse to perform a personal task for my boss not in my job description. I was also a model employee with many promotions.

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By: Raymond Powell

Several people mentioned Hendrix Manufacturing Co. and wished they knew the history of the plant. Piecing together bits of information from various people finds that the plant has more than a 125 year history in Mansfield. Brothers Fred and Frank Kavanaugh chartered the DeSoto Foundry and Machine Co. on March 13, 1906. The purpose of the company was to establish and conduct a general foundry to make and sell parts for sawmills. The first board of directors for the DeSoto Foundry listed Frank Kavanaugh as president, Walter Perkins as sec/treasurer, Joe R. Brown and O.V. Sample. Stock holders were S.G. Sample, S.A. Kidd, C.W. Elam, M. Ricks, J.W. Porter and Hollingsworth. The first agreement was with DeSoto Land Co. to rent 3 ½ acres on Railroad St. and to provide parts and machines for the sawmill there.

By Danny Tyree

I guess those shoppers were ahead of their time.

My mother stumbled across some yellowing editions of our local newspaper from 1976 and 1977. One issue featured a front-page story about an elderly man who walked to a neighborhood grocery store every day with his faithful dog, just to hang out all day. (The dog kept up the routine even when his master took ill and was temporarily placed in a nursing home.)

Flash forward to 2018. According to the Wall Street Journal article "Finding Love in the Frozen Food Aisle," supermarkets have emerged as Americans' new hub for face-to-face socializing.

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By Raymond Powell

Women have helped defend the United States since the birth of our nation. Some women donned men’s clothing – passing as soldiers to serve our country long before being allowed to vote. March is Women’s History Month and very little publicity is given this event but they deserve our homage and recognition. 

During the Revolutionary War the Continental Army and Colonial Militia did not allow women to enlist. Women served as cooks, seamstresses and nurses while accompanying men on battle campaigns. More than 20,000 women assisted in the above ways and down through the years women served in other ways.

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