What the Abilene Reporter-News liked and disliked: Give us a break!

Our view
·4 min read

LIKES

  1. Spring break. If nothing else, we can have a "spring break" mentality. As Alan Jackson might sing, it's spring break somewhere. Check first if that means the office.

  2. Congrats again. The Hardin-Simmons women's basketball team won their first-round match in the NCAA Division III tournament but fell to Trinity in the second round. Trinity has won four straight vs. the Cowgirls over the past year, so we're going out on a limb here to say the San Antonio bunch is a shade better. If anyone can turn that around, it's coach Kendra Whitehead, who has won 101 games at HSU in five seasons.

  3. Music to muse. What's going on in Abilene? Suddenly, we're getting concerts by artists with real and unique music talent, both instrumentally and lyrically. Charlie Crockett, Rodney Crowell, Lyle Lovett and, last week, Hayes Carll. These shows have been at the Paramount Theatre and delighted fans who normally have to travel far to hear these artists. Coming in June is Mary Chapin Carpenter, a woman finally joining the boys. This is good stuff and could continue with community support.

DISLIKES

  1. We got spoiled. Well, just as we were getting used to spring, it was chilly and damp Wednesday. Those who went to baseball and softball games Tuesday evening, after a high of 72, were going to vehicles for coats and blankets as the temperature fell into the upper 50s with a steady north wind blowing. And it wasn't baseball weather Thursday, either. But that's outdoor sports in March.

The Abilene slogan we've tried to forget.
The Abilene slogan we've tried to forget.

HMMM

  1. Trip down memory lane. While searching our files last week, thinking again how glad we all should be that those were not lost in our fire, we came across one marked "Abilene's Slogan." Did you know that we officially named ourselves the "Key City of West Texas" in June 1946? There were 200 slogan contest entries and Jack Smith was the winner. He took home a whopping $25 - far less than what we paid for the "Frontiering!" idea 20 or years ago. Imagine, him considering we're still the Key City 77 years later. In 1949, we (actually, Moon Mullican - yes, his real name) came up with the Key City Kid, who became the official greeter for the Abilene Chamber of Commerce. The "dashing caballero in chaps and Texas ten-gallon hat" looked nothing like Doug Peters ...

  2. Razor-sharp humor. You have to admit, the pushback that the Wylie ISD and its board is getting over making students shave facial hair has some humor. How serious are those speaking to the board? Enough that a "Come and Shave It" slogan has evolved, based on "Come and Take It" flag with a cannon on it from the Texas Revolution stand at Gonzales. Next thing we'll see is the rattler roundup in Sweetwater bidding folks to "Come and Snake It" ...

  3. Calendar crisis. The Abilene Public Library announced its spring break plan, and will have an activity based on the popular Netflix show "Wednesday" (you know, the girl in the Addams Family). But it will be Thursday, not Wednesday. But Pi Day, which is 3-14-23, will be Tuesday. We are so confused.

  4. This is not going well. Let's backtrack. Texas and coach Shaka Smart part ways, days after the 'Horns lost in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament to Abilene Christian. Texas Tech coach Chris Beard, who led the Red Raiders to the NCAA final in 2019, goes to Texas. Assistant Mark Adams takes his place. Beard now is out at Texas and Adams is suspended and likely out at Tech. It has been said that the long-term success of an athletic program - maybe any program - largely is based on stability. That is not the operative word here.

  5. Just a name. It's great to welcome two lions to our zoo. One is named Dixie, though born in San Diego, Calif. Isn't "Dixie" now deemed offensive? The Chicks believe it is. Our guess is that if you want to argue with a lion about its name, go right ahead. Our money's on Dixie ...

  6. 3 on 3. The upcoming local election seems to have created two fronts, with three candidates aligned on the right and three more maybe farther on the right. That leaves Desi Reddy and Shawnte Fleming as the more independent hopefuls. It will be interesting how this pans out ...

Yard signs for three city of Abilene offices link council hopefuls Blaise Regan and Brian Yates with Weldon Hurt, who seeks to be mayor. All three have championed business growth as key to Abilene's future.
Yard signs for three city of Abilene offices link council hopefuls Blaise Regan and Brian Yates with Weldon Hurt, who seeks to be mayor. All three have championed business growth as key to Abilene's future.
Yard signs for three candidates for the May 6 election in Abilene link Council hopefuls Scott Beard and James Sargent with Ryan Goodwin, seeking to be mayor. All three support passage of the "sanctuary city for the unborn" ordinance last year and have church community ties.
Yard signs for three candidates for the May 6 election in Abilene link Council hopefuls Scott Beard and James Sargent with Ryan Goodwin, seeking to be mayor. All three support passage of the "sanctuary city for the unborn" ordinance last year and have church community ties.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: What the Abilene Reporter-News liked and disliked: Give us a break!