July 2022

During the Bicentennial year of 1976, I was a 15-year-old history geek. To be alive for the 200th birthday of our nation, particularly in Philadelphia, where it all began, was intoxicating.

No sooner had Texas Sen. John Cornyn finished taking bows for delivering 15 Republican votes to pass a bipartisan gun safety bill than he began talking up amnesty.

In the book of Genesis the Bible tells of how God created the universe as we know it today in six days. On the seventh day He rested.

National Blueberry Month continues with a delicious cake made with blueberries. When the come in season, they cannot be beat! While they are closely related huckleberries, they are two different berries, each with several subspecies.

Austin-based song writer JM Stevens continued the summer-long Summer Off The Patio concert series at the Annie Riggs Museum in Fort Stockton with a live performance on July 7. Stevens’ album “Invisibles Lines” and music can be found on Spotify, iTunes, and Apple Music. The concert series has two remaining live performances left this summer, which include the dates of July 21 and Aug. 4. Courtesy Photo

If you have an event for our Do Something! listing, please e-mail nathan. heuer fortstocktonpioneer.

July 1974 issue: MISS FS HOPEFULS – Posing on the sign of the Fort Stockton City Hall are nine of the 11 contestants in the Miss Fort Stockton Contest this year. Pictured also is contestant committee chairman Gail Lain (at lower right portion of picture). From left, Teresa Lewis, Muff Moore, Genora Cummings, Worthie Brooks, Tonya Frazee, Pam Jamison, Cheryl Freeman, Julie Bryce and Pat Weathers. Not available for the picture were contestants Linda Weathers and Rachael Gomez.

Dear Neil: I bought this pecan tree from a tree farm in January. It was dug with a machine, then the root ball was wrapped in burlap and secured in a wire cage. I planted it within three days. Is it just in shock? Can it be saved?

The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs recently launched Texas Utility Help to help eligible low-income Texas homeowners and renters pay their utility bills. The statewide program works to distribute funding from the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and federal Low Income Household Water Assistance Program.

The Texas Education Agency has released the 2022 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness Results for grades 3-8, which showed across-the-board improvements in all grades and subjects, with especially significant gains in reading. “The investments that the state is making in reading academies and accelerated instruction are clearly paying dividends for our students, and the results are a testament to the hard work of teachers across our state,” Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said.