Letters to the Editor

FROM THE PRECINCT 1 DESK: I appreciate all the good input from those who were able to make the road meetings. As a reminder, anyone who can’t make them is more than welcome to call and talk with me or leave a voicemail with input at 936-241-6241.

Dear Veteran, When you have a health care concern or question, it’s not always easy to schedule an appointment. If you’re sick, you might not want to get out of bed or drive to a clinic. The VA Health Chat mobile app makes it easy to get help wherever you are. To use this new service, download the VA Health Chat app. https://mobile.va.gov/ appstore With VA Health Chat, you can quickly connect with a VA health care team member. Caring staff can give virtual health care, provide medical advice, schedule appointments, refill prescriptions, and more. Try VA Health Chat if you’re looking for immediate answers on the topics below: Minor injuries or illnesses, like congestion, rash, or a stomachache Deciding if you should be seen in-person Questions about your prescriptions Scheduling a medical appointment You can chat with a VA health care team member Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in most locations.

I don’t want to lose focus on the greater obligation of the commissioners’ office to govern, but I know the roads are generally what we see first. I would like to give a couple of updates and express my appreciation for the way the community has continued to work with me in this area so far. Many people start their conversation off with something similar to “I don’t want to be a bother but” or “I’m sorry to bring this up but” … Part of my job is managing our roads and I need to be informed about conditions as they come up. I don’t mind being reminded occasionally of things needing to be addressed because this helps me update prioritize my work as conditions change. I purchased a more efficient vehicle to be on the roads more. Since December 2, I have already put over 8,000 miles on this vehicle so far. Good road design takes time, organization, and effort. I have found that the best time to look at the roads is after dark during a heavy rain. If you see a blue Bronco Sport driving slowly down your road or backing up around midnight, please don’t shoot lol, it’s probably just me. I also understand the real concern that our “gravel road” design is rough on vehicles as I have already had over $1,000 in repairs to my new vehicle, directly resulting from county roads. I agree we need to move to a better road design. I am developing a plan to fix this.

Last week I talked about the extensive job of the commissioner. I’ll talk more about this in a bit but want to offer some ideas to anyone thinking about being more involved. I believe the most effective place to start is by attending commissioners’ court. This is the place where all major county decisions are made. In this room you can meet virtually all county officials at some point, observe the process that control our local government, see the positive and negative influence of government decisions (local, state, and federal), and other unique things. The government doesn’t just magically function on its own. There is a complex system requiring people to step forward and serve as “the adults in the room.” By this I mean folks who daily work diligently to sacrifice and look out for the good of those around them, performing all the hidden jobs and making the hard decisions. This functions much like the household of my youth where my parents were patient with us as children while juggling all the jobs of budgeting, securing money for bills, making the hard choices of what we really “needed” while also trying to supply as many of our family’s “wants” as possible. At the same time a good parent takes care of the “big things.” They put others in charge or look for volunteers to carry out “simpler” tasks they may not have time or capacity to do. There’s lots of “chores” in a family and in our local government. In my opinion, if we want to imagine an ideal government, we should look at our understanding of an ideal of family.

Dear Editor, I am writing to thank Madisonville -area residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season. Generosity throughout contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child. Across the U.S., the project collected over 9.3 million shoebox gifts in 2022. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2022, the ministry is now sending nearly 10.6 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide. Through shoeboxes—packed with fun toys, school supplies, and hygiene items—Madisonville-area volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world. Each giftfilled shoebox is a tangible expression of God’s love, and it is often the first gift these children have ever received. Through the continued generosity of donors since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 209 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories. This year, Samaritan’s Purse delivered its milestone 200 millionth shoebox, which was packed on a country-wide tour and then hand-delivered to a young girl in Ukraine.

From the Precinct 1 desk: Happy New Year! I wanted to update on progress of the end of the year, address some concerns, and share some things headed your way. We were able to finish the year strong by placing 47 loads of rock on Precinct 1 roads over December 28-30.

Dear Madison County Residents, I really appreciate the continued support from our community and the great participation in the meeting I held a few of weeks ago. I was happy to get as much information as I did and enjoyed providing some information on our plans and vision for the future. Since the meeting was so productive, I do intend to hold more. I have been constantly reminded that our county is full of well-intentioned good folks who truly care about one another. One of the big ideas that is taking shape from the meeting is “road communities” which will include designated contact people for communication. The purpose behind this would be to identify one or more people on each road to help me coordinate, schedule, and communicate with their neighbors. They would also set up meetings with the primary road users to discuss upcoming projects and get more detailed input on the problems needing to be addressed. To date I have 8 volunteers set up to begin work in this area. If you would like information on the contact person for your area, please call my office.

It is a good time to think about the things I am thankful for after serving for a couple of weeks as precinct one commissioner. I am grateful for the support during the election and the opportunity to serve. Since the election, I have hardly had time to take a break to show my gratitude for all those who have been eager to help set me up for success, including many county officials and specifically the other commissioners who have all voiced their support in helping me to serve you to the best of my ability.

Dear Editor, This past August makes three years since I retired and moved here to Madison County, Texas. I didn’t move here because of the Madisonville ISD ratings or employment. The main reason was for the family and friends I have here. I enjoy reading the Madisonville Meteor newspaper weekly. I would like to point out that at the top right-hand corner of the front page, under the Madisonville Meteor, it says “Thank a Veteran and Serviceman Every Day.” I am a proud Air Force veteran and usually wear something that states that fact. The point of this article is that the three years living here, and going about my daily life, I cannot count on one hand the number people who have thanked me for my service to this great country. This makes me wonder how many veterans in this community are not recognized for their military contributions. If you didn’t serve, it doesn’t mean anything to you. But to those of us who did, a simple thank you means a great deal. Just something to consider, especially since it is on the front page of the paper, every week.

It is a great honor to serve Midway as your new Postmaster. In my years with the United States Postal Service, I have seen firsthand the role the Postal Service plays connecting neighbors and our community to the nation.