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Good fortune falls upon even those wanderers amongst us

Imagine scrounging from town-to-town, homeless, not knowing where your next drink is coming from much less your next meal when all of a sudden you find a “princely sum.”

Yost’s Law: When you see a bag sticking up out of the ground, grab it. If it’s cash, don’t take it to the bank. And stay the hell away from jail.

Such was the fate of one Timothy Yost. Known as a transient, the 46-year-old was purportedly heading west when he found something sticking out of the ground near the Colorado River in Bastrop, Texas. What was in the ground and was dug out by Yost was currency amounting to more than $77,000 in bills and gold coins. Yost tried to exchange the money, which was damp, for dry money at the bank and the bankers called the cops.

The cops took the money after writing Yost a receipt then went through a legal process known as the “Finder’s Keepers Law” in Texas. Publication is made that the money was found and a certain amount of time is given to claim the cash. If no one rightfully claims it, the money goes to the finder, who in this case was Yost. The Los Angeles Times reported some interest was expressed in the money yet no one claimed it belonged to them. Thus Yost will apparently get to keep the money. One slight problem though. Yost was in jail for criminal trespass and public intoxication when authorities decided the money would go to him. The Times said Yost was released from jail after posting $6,500 bond. Doesn’t that seem a bit extreme for bail on those charges? Oh well, he’s good for it, right?

What is the old saying? Something about even a blind sow finds an acorn every now and then? Or perhaps, even a drunken, homeless vagabond finds some cool cash every once and awhile. We’re not saying he was drunk when he got thrown in jail. He probably was just looking for a safe place to rest his weary bones until the money became legally his. Bless you Mr. Yost, don’t spend it all in one place. At least wait until you get to Austin.

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Sam Houston: Park tour guide

Yesterday I walked around a little bit at Houston’s Hermann Park as I had a bit of time to kill before my appointment at the VA hospital. It had been awhile since I just loafed at the park. I think maybe the last time was my Senior Trip, back some 38 years ago. Well, it hasn’t been that long. Still, the last time I was there in the park the surroundings were much different and it seemed a lot less crowded with buildings

Gen. Sam Houston, it seemed last I saw him on his steed, had not been relegated to delivering directions to folks inside the windows of the Hotel Zaza.

“There is a Subway a few blocks over that-a-way and a Starbucks just to the other side of it,” says the general, pointing in the approximate direction of the Texas Medical Center. “By damn, those two merchants seem to be everywhere in this land. I fought and led brave men into bloody battles down at San Jacinto and for what? It was all for Subway and Starbucks! Oh well. I could have ended up in Tennessee, where I would now be used, pointing out where Dollywood is located. I mean, Dolly, what a pair! Um, I meant Dolly and Porter, what a pair. I used to love the Porter Wagoner Show. That Speck Rhodes was certainly a humorous man. Of course … ”

 

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A debate en Español for Texas GOP senate candidates? ¿Por qué?

The idea of a televised debate in Spanish between the two Texas Republican candidates for Senate has sparked the fancy of a national media. Rumors circulating that top GOP vote-getters Ted Cruz and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst have agreed to an all-Spanish forum on Univision is apparently wishful thinking, according to The Texas Tribune. A Univision reporter apparently made the suggestion and the idea took a life of its own.

Cruz, the Canadian-born son of Cuban refugee parents, is not very hot for the idea. The former Texas solicitor general — Princeton and Yale Law-educated — grew up speaking “Spanglish” in the Lone Star State. Dewhurst learned Spanish as a CIA agent stationed in Bolivia. The lieutenant governor seems open to the idea of debate in his second-language while Cruz defends his poor Español partly in English and partly in Español: ” In any language, parece que el Señor Dewhurst les tiene miedo a los votantes de Texas.” This translates as: “It seems that Mr. Dewhurst is afraid of Texas voters.”

While somewhat entertaining this political sideshow in the Republican battle for a shot at replacing retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison does highlight the often over-looked fact otherwise buoyed by ignorance that “all Hispanics aren’t Mexicans.” In fact, all Hispanics don’t speak or even cannot speak Spanish.

Hispanics, or Latinos, have families that originate from a variety of countries south of the United States including Puerto Rico, Mexico and most South American countries. And while immigrants and first-generation Latinos may speak  Spanish in their household those numbers decline through subsequent generations. A Pew Hispanic Center survey notes that only 47 percent — fewer than half — of third generation Latinos speak Spanish proficiently or read a newspaper or book in that language.

What might seem odd to those who see brown, or white, skin and a Hispanic-sounding name who no habla Español has long appeared to me as just one of those interesting facets of living in a multi-ethnic society. I once had a female roommate with a Hispanic surname who likely was helped in landing a TV reporter job because of those assets — not to mention her gorgeous looks — and whose Spanish was limited to “margarita por favor.” I have likewise known Latinos who spoke little or no Spanish married to Anglo wives who spoke “Español del rayo fluido,” (fluently, or so says my online translator!)

Given the audience who would watch a televised debate between these two GOP candidates — Cruz is a Tea Party favorite and Dewhurst, well, is Dewhurst — it would seem no more than a gimmick to stage a debate in Spanish for the pair. Likewise, it would be distinctly disadvantageous for Cruz if all he knows is an amalgam of the English and Spanish languages.

Personally, I don’t care if the two Republican senate candidates hold their debates in Esparanto. I have long been impressed with Democratic nominee Paul Sadler. The attorney from Henderson — yes, he did spend a couple of years during high school in Ventura, Calif., and yes, a high school friend of his was Kevin Costner, but who cares? — was a very skillful and passionate legislator during his time in the Texas House. Whether he has a chance, who knows? My money is on Dewhurst to win the runoff and if that pans out, he will be extremely difficult to defeat unless past or new rumors about his life are exposed as true. I won’t repeat the past rumors because they are just that, rumors, and they have as much of a chance being false as true.

Perhaps Sadler should start boning up on his Spanish if he doesn’t know the language or is rusty in its use. All I can say for now is bueno suerte, Mr. Sadler, you’ll need all the luck you can get.

 

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Some Texas counties never existed. Severe Texas trivia for nerds.

Okay you Texans or Texan wannabes: Let’s play a little Texas trivia.

Have you ever been to any of these Texas counties?

La Baca, Neches, Spring Creek and Waco.

How about these?

Richland, Webster and Latimer.

Ever waltzed across Texas through these counties?

Buchel, Encinal, Foley, Wegefarth, Greer, Worth, or Santa Fe,

Surely you have been to one of these counties at some time, right?

Harrisburg County, Navasoto County, Davis County, Buchanan County, and Cibolo County 

Well, if you’ve ever been in or to or waltzing through any of these counties in Texas you must have done quite a bit of traveling — into fantasy land.

Now, I am sure some of these sound familiar, places you may have heard of or visited or even lived in at one time or another. Richland? Webster? Santa Fe, Harrisburg? Navasoto, Buchanan, or Waco? Why I worked in and around Waco for seven years! Davis. Isn’t there a Davis County?

There is, of course, a Waco — just no Waco County as Waco is in McLennan County. I’ve been to the county courthouse many times. And as for Davis, there is a Jeff Davis County. Some friends of mine have a place out that way and think highly of it.

There is a small town called Richland, Texas, in Navarro County. Nearby is Richland Creek, which along with Chambers Creek, form Richland-Chambers Reservoir. It is the 3rd largest inland lake in Texas and supplies water for Fort Worth.

Harrisburg was a capital of a Texas provisional government until it was burned down by Mexicans. It is now a community in eastern Harris County on Buffalo Bayou and is part of Houston. Webster is in southern Harris County near Galveston. Santa Fe is southwest of Webster in Galveston County. I don’t know of a Buchanan, Texas, but there is a Lake Buchanan, Texas, which is on, surprise, Lake Buchanan. Pronounced, “BUCK-an-an,” the lake is one of the so-called “Highland Lakes” on the Colorado River to the north of Austin. It’s a really beautiful place, or was last time I saw it. Finally, Navasota is a nice little town located between College Station and Houston. You can find a statue of the explorer La Salle there as he was supposedly murdered by his own men near Navasota in 1687. That takes you back a few years, no?

Well, you say that is all well and good. But what the bluebonnets about these non-existent counties?

That is just the point.Texas has had a good number of counties proposed that never got off the drawing board. In fact, there are at least 32 counties which were established but no longer exist. I say 32. Do you see 32 above? You shouldn’t. That is because some counties had name changes and were changed back to their original name, according to the “Handbook of Texas Online.”

Some of the other cities were so-called “judicial counties.” Others were established by the post-Civil War Constitutional Convention and never got off the ground likely because of prejudice against the radical Republicans who were in charge. Still others were proposed by the legislature and later abolished by the legislature. Also, some counties were outside the boundaries of present-day Texas.

I have tried, nerd that I am, to track all the counties in Texas I have visited. I could draw you an outline of the area of the state in which I’ve traveled and that which I haven’t. But you have to remember that Texas has 254 counties. That’s quite a load. The District of Columbia (a.k.a. District of Confusion), has only one county. Delaware has three. Louisiana has no counties. But they have 66 parishes.

To be honest, I doubt I could even name all the Texas counties. Why would you want to you say? I don’t know. Maybe La Salle was given a geography test and that he failed it was the reason he was murdered in present-day Grimes County. Probably that is not the reason but who knows? I mean, you never know when a little extra knowledge might just save your life, or make you look like a big weenie.

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Death of Rollover Pass somewhat an exaggeration?

It seemed like a done deal. One day I would wake up and take a drive on Interstate-10 from Beaumont to Winnie, then head south on State Hwy. 124 to High Island, and finally take Texas 87 onto the Bolivar Peninsula where I would find … nothing.

Well, not exactly nothing. You see, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) has planned to fill in the popular man-made cut between the Gulf of Mexico and East Galveston Bay called “Rollover Pass.” Money had been appropriated from the stingy Texas Legislature and Jerry Patterson, Texas Land Commissioner, said it was a done deal.

 “Patterson took one of the last remaining steps required by the Legislature to close Rollover this week by posting his declaration in the Texas Register that the pass causes increased erosion and needs to be closed,” a GLO press release from December 2011 declared.

But deal it is, maybe just not a done deal.

Rollover has been a popular, free fishing spot for anglers who otherwise might not find a Texas Gulf fishing place. The less-moneyed and the wheelchair bound fit into those categories. It was built for recreation and it has given back plenty. But studies say the artificial channel has caused severe beach erosion. All one has had to do over the years is walk around to the west of the pass to see some significant desedimentation. The last time I had a really close look at the erosion was about 15 years ago and that was before three hurricanes and probably a tropical storm or two came calling.

The state land office, headed by retired Marine fighter pilot Lt. Col. Jerry Patterson, is charged with caring for Texas beaches and GLO plans to build a 1,000-foot pier for anglers after filling in Rollover. Patterson is also a considerable Texas pol, having served in the Legislature and who plans to run for lieutenant governor in 2014.

A February editorial in our local daily newspaper, the Beaumont Enterprise, said it was time to piss on the fire and call in the dogs at Rollover. Well, they didn’t put it exactly that way.

But the property is owned by the local community association, as well as the rod and gun club, which includes conservationists among its number, whose members say: “Hold on for one cotton-pickin’ minute!” The club says it has plans to help enhance the spot and, basically, says Patterson can take his pier and stick it up his leather neck.

Bolivar of years past was pretty much the egalitarian Upper Texas coastal spot even up to the time much of Crystal Beach and other sections of the peninsula were flattened in 2008 by Hurricane Ike. One can only look at the rebuilding going on and surmise that the “Phoenix” version of Bolivar — raised from the ashes — will be much pricier. The beach itself changed in tenor over the years after Galveston Island, across the bay, outlawed alcohol on its beaches. Thus, Crystal Beach became the “party.”

The spot adjacent to Rollover has been home to bars and bait houses in past years. At watering holes there, and at the Ship’s Wheel, one could always find the colorful characters who searched for their lives and who seemed to get caught in the sea drift. It really has nothing to do with good nor ill. It’s just another hue of beaches.

Other worries such as the pass causing changes in the bay’s salinity levels exist on top of the erosion problem, the latter which is fought all up and down the beaches along the now washed out Hwy. 87, from McFaddin Beach to High Island.

Scientifically, I couldn’t say what would be the best answer to the question: Should the GLO should go ahead, fill in Rollover Pass and build the pier? I feel like the growing Houston-area population and money could very well turn Bolivar into a continuation of Galveston, which can be accessed by a very charming and energizing ferry ride. That’s not to say Galveston is not without its charms. I love the town. But it isn’t Bolivar of yesteryear.

The GLO and other entities across our country are fighting beach erosion. It doesn’t just happen on the Upper Texas Coast. It seems like where there is a will to save Rollover Pass, then a way to mitigate its problems must be found and that doesn’t include just pouring money down a hole. Almost $6 million was allocated to close the pass and build the pier. Estimates to thwart the effects of Rollover are for as much as $1 million yearly, according to some figures. Of course, the pier will need upkeep. It will have to be built tough to survive future storms and might not at that.

So as Houston Chronicle outdoors writer Shannon Tompkins says in his piece I have linked, there is a “pass impasse.” Call it what you want, it is more than just about fishing.