Opinions

There’s nothing more jarring than to be awakened in the way-too-early hours of the morning (3:32 a.m. to be exact) by a happy little yappity-yap puppy dog who has the frantic need to lick every bit of skin off of your left ear.

As a fourth generation East Texan, a property owner, a businessman, a father, an Eagle Scout, and as Mayor of my hometown of Atlanta, Texas – not to mention a lifelong advocate for private property rights and personal responsibility – the proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir flies in the face of all I hold dear. And while my ancestral homestead is not in the proposed taking, it is heritage farmland; and only a matter of time before big cities and big spenders swiftly run through whatever resources they are able to procure from us now, only to come back for more later. That’s why there’s never been a more crucial time to support the Preserve Northeast Texas effort and stop the Marvin Nichols Reservoir.

I think it would be safe to say that the last 17 to 18 months have been hard on everyone. Just when we think we may be getting back to normal, another wave hits and things go haywire again. So, I would say that we are still far from “normal.” (And, honestly, I am not sure we will ever get back to what once was “normal.”