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NTMWD Receives Additional Recognition for

NTMWD Receives Additional Recognition for Transparency Efforts from Texas Comptroller

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) is the latest local government entity to achieve specific debt transparency goals through the Comptroller’s Transparency Stars program. NTMWD received a Transparency Star in the area of debt obligations, which recognizes entities whose websites show visual and narrative detail on outstanding debt, tax-supported debt obligations, historical bond elections and more.

How Oatmeal Helps Individuals

How Oatmeal Helps Individuals Overcome Stomach Bugs

Thanks to impressive nutritional content, oatmeal is the unsung hero of the pantry. While it might not garner the glory of coldbusting chicken soup or sore throat-conquering tea with honey, oatmeal can help people overcome common illnesses like stomach bugs. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that women consume between 21 and 25 grams of fiber each day and advises men to consume between 30 and 38 grams of fiber each day. A single one-cup serving provides four grams of dietary fiber, and that doesn’t even include the additional fiber many people get when they add fruits and berries to their morning bowl of oatmeal. But it’s the fiber in the oats themselves that can be especially valuable for individuals who have digestive disorders or those want to prevent them. For example, experts with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health note that the insoluble fiber found in oats has been linked to a 40 percent lower risk for di

Equity vs. Low Expectations

Equity vs. Low Expectations

Equity in education is the action of providing students access to what they need to be successful academically. While equality reflects all students being treated the same and given access to the same or similar resources, equity is achieved when students have access to what they need individually. Efforts to ensure equity for all students is good policy and can improve student achievement at all levels. However, actions being taken by some school districts are being called equity, when they are actually lowered performance expectations.

Texas Game Warden Memorial

Texas Game Warden Memorial is Moving to New Home

Since 2012, the Game Warden Peace Officer’s Association has been working to relocate the memorial from the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens to the grounds of the Texas State Capitol. The life-size bronze figure of a Texas Game Warden stands to honor the wardens that lost their lives in the line of duty and serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy of the Texas Game Wardens.

Dallas Arboretum Offers

Dallas Arboretum Offers $5 Admission to Start the New Year

To kick off 2022 and encourage people to enjoy the outdoors, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden offers $5 general admission for the entire month of January. Tickets need to be purchased online. Pre-purchased parking is $11. The Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden is closed for preventative maintenance January 2nd to February 19th.

Cedar Fever Season in Texas

Cedar fever season peaks in December in Texas. (Texas A&M Forest Service photo)

Cedar Fever Season in Texas

Cedar fever season is upon us once again, complete with runny noses, itchy eyes and general misery. But what exactly is cedar fever and why is it so insufferable this time of year?

Mesquite Installs Councilmembers Casper and
Mesquite Installs Councilmembers Casper and
Mesquite Installs Councilmembers Casper and
Mesquite Installs Councilmembers Casper and
Mesquite Installs Councilmembers Casper and

Mesquite Installs Councilmembers Casper and Vidler; Green Selected as Mayor Pro Tem and Boroughs to Serve as Deputy Mayor Pro Tem

Prior to the Dec. 20 Mesquite City Council Meeting, Jeff Casper, Place 1 and Jennifer Vidler, Place 3, were installed as newly elected Councilmembers during a swearing-in ceremony and Mayor Daniel Alemán, Jr. as well as all City Councilmembers were presented their Certificates of Election.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

There’s lots to do in the outdoors during the winter months. Using a caller to attract wild hogs is a great deal of fun and a good way to stock the freezer with great tasting wild pork for upcoming cookouts.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR THE NEW YEAR

At the close of each year, I always reflect upon all the great times I enjoyed in the outdoors and wonderful people I had the privilege of spending time with. Each year, one could almost ‘set his watch’ to the timing for a year in the outdoors. Beginning with late winter white bass and striper fishing during the spawn, then spring turkey season and when the water warms around April, fishing for most species begins to heat up. Then in Fall the hunting seasons once again kick in. Life in the outdoors for me has been a glorious merry go round of activities, each of which occur on a yearly basis at about the same time.

Wintarmanoth is Coming
Wintarmanoth is Coming

Wintarmanoth is Coming

Once upon a time, pre-713 BC to be almost but not quite exact, there were 10 months and 304 days in a year, starting with March. And, we’re talking Roman calendars, by the way, lest you were thinking Julian calendars or Gregorian calendars or something along those lines. No one is entirely sure how we picked up January and February. I mean, yes, there’s a legend about a king named Numa Pompilius who added the extra months, but given that he’s basically a mythical person, who may or may not (based on whether he was even real or not) have been the successor of Romulus, that’s pretty much a huge question mark. Or, maybe you fall into the opposing camp of historians who credit the additional days to Decemvirs, a 10 man commission of Roman law writers, around 450 BC. Regardless, it does seem to have originated in the Northern Hemisphere, since January was first called a variety of things by a variety of people. The Saxons said Wulfmomath, or Wolf Month, since the January full moon is known as the Wolf Moon. The court of Charlemagne used the term Wintarmanoth – meaning cold month. The Finnish say tammikuu, or heart of winter. Since January (the actual word derives from Roman mythology’s Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions) is the coldest month of the year, if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s safe to say all the names originated there. But, as necessity breeds invention, so was January born mainly from a war, the Lusitanian War of 153 BC, perhaps. See, Chief Punicus, of the Lusitanians, defeated some Roman governors and killed all their troops. The Romans demanded an investigation, as Romans do, and immediately sent the 153 BC version of the Red Cross to Hispania to deliver aid. Then, they decided to make some better rules, again, as Romans do. They needed them to go into effect immediately. But, it was 2.5 months before the day new rules went into place (cause, March). So, the Romans flipped the script on the calendar and added January and February. Presto, abracadabra, a la peanut butter sandwiches, and there were new months and new laws and a big Roman mulligan for Hispania.

Laymen’s Corner

I always make my new year’s resolutions simple and short so when I break them it isn’t so much trouble. I guess there is a name for that which is called lazy or weak or many other names. I think the resolutions are like making a vow. In times past a vow was binding and serious. Many people tend to brush them off as a fad or a little game that is unimportant. Among many Christians that is not so. I think the resolutions we make help us grow and get more serious about what we do in our daily lives. GOD is always serious about what we do with our lives. Our lives really belong to Him and honesty is surely among the top things GOD is pleased with. If we could always be pure while we live in this world, it would not have been necessary for Jesus to come and pay for our sins. So what should our first resolution be? I think it should go something like this: I VOW TO SERVE GOD WHEREVER HE SENDS ME THIS YEAR. That might not sound like much but I think GOD will remind us of our vow each time we break it.

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