Seems like I spent most of this week chasing our athletes around a track and a diamond. And I’ve learned that standing for hours can be just as hard as walking for hours. But couldn’t have been as tough as it was for those sprinting at turn three on the track when that wind kicked in.
Coach Peevey said, “Is the wind getting worse? I mean, I don’t remember wind like this when I was a kid.” I told him that’s the first sign of getting old. The summers are always hotter, the cold days are colder and the windy days are windier. Welcome to the club!
But I’d have to agree I don’t recall five days of steady wind like this. Probably should blame it on the Lions Club Carnival but they already take credit for the rain…which is coming Saturday.
The wind has already affected the carnival as it tore off the top to the Merry Go Round so they may take the top off another ride just to prevent it from happening again. The Carnival runs next week Wed-Sat so be sure to spend at least one evening out there.
And maybe for the first time, I’m hearing a “must try” about another food item other than the famous hamburger. Sources tell The Juice (and it wasn’t Steve) that Steve Maddox has been toying with a Cajun fried rib recipe and has perfected it. So it’ll be on my list to try but it won’t stop me from getting my pork-a-bob to go!
While the Lions do their best to hold the carnival from blowing away, two other annual events are going away.
The Together Thursday free concert by DOW put on their last event two weeks ago. And the 89th St. Mary Festival to benefit St. Mary School is expected to be their last since the school will be closing. So please put April 26th on your calendars so we can send them out with a bang. By the way, Art in the Park has been rescheduled for April 12.
For many years, Orange County had a thing against live music in restaurants. It just wouldn’t work. But that has changed. I’m not sure why but I’m glad that it’s working.
Got to hear local musician Chris Hantz play live for the first time on Thursday. Anyone that can go from STP to Merle Haggard to Jamey Johnson, and do it well, I’m in!
Got to hear Casey Chesnutt live for the first time during the LSCO Education Foundation Event last weekend. He may have enough songs for his own catalog some day but he’ll never be able to stop singing his dads music. Man does he sound like him. And that’s not a bad thing.
Congratulations to my friends and Orange County natives David Montagne and Stephen Lee. Both are members of the Class of 2025 to be inducted into Lamar University’s Distinguished Alumni on Saturday. Montagne has been the longtime General Manager of the Sabine River Authority and Lee, who played football at Lamar, is now the President of First National Bank of Bastrop.
We briefly talked about coaching clichés last week in The Juice, and yes I heard “sophomore” many times at the track meets. I asked for your favorite and received two for the same quote and it was by the human quote maker himself, Dan Hooks. The former WOS Coach was famous for saying at the beginning of every season, “On paper we look pretty good but the last time I looked we still play the games on grass. So we’ll see.”
And I also told you last week I may have an announcement that would excite some of you and I’m excited too. I don’t have all the details, but I’ve been asked to do a live interview with Dallas Cowboy great Jay Novacek for the Salvation Army. It will be a luncheon on May 21 at 11:30am. I know we have a lot of Novacek/Cowboy fans around here so save the date.
Good luck to the Coogs and the Horns in the Final Four!
-Gary Stelly-
gstelly66@gmail.com
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Volume 1 No. 12
The Juice is a weekly column where Gary Stelly discusses things that happened the past week and mixes it with 40 years of being involved in the Orange County community. (If we think of a better way to explain it we’ll change it) You can also check out his podcast by clicking on the Behind the Mic banner on the KOGT.com front page.
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