The tennis program is growing! Last year saw only 7 total players with two boys and five girls. But the 2024 roster more than doubled to15 total players, seven boys and eight girls. The Boys Team is Dalton Schreieck (Sr.), Jace Walker (Sr.), Jaxon Bailey (Fresh.), Lathan Garner (Soph.), Braylon Graves (Soph.), Max Corum (Fresh.), and Zachary Clark (Fresh.). On the Girls Team is Ava Tiller (Jr.), Travyn Farmer (Jr.), Janae Chapell (Sr.), Ella Branscomb (Fresh.), Hannah Groot (Jr.), Ashlyn Tiller (Fresh.), Nola Chesney (Soph.), and Evelyn Gentry (Sr.).

A Honor Roll:
Briley Cantrell, Ava Chamberlain, Landon Jessee, Naomi Corum, Kinsley Owens, Bree Williams, Presley Wyrick, Emma Hoskins, Easton Brantley, Colt Cheser, Wannis Gilliland, Charlie Lundy, Tayo Mcloud, Peyton Ramsey, Rylan Rowe, Zayden Clark, Rayen Dyer, Frankie Lundy, Kinsley Thorpe, Camila Soto, Corey Beeler, Mayson Douglas, Brooklyn Evans, Lincoln Harrison, Abram Hickman, Greyson Johnson, Carson Naglitch, Lileigh Ruthven, Emily Ward, Cecilia Wilder, Trayson Wynn, Mabry Acuff, Kendal Atkins, Raylan Capps, Gracie Corn, Amelia Harrell, Maci Williams, Rhett Weaver, Dawson Walker, Jedidiah Simmons, Luke Napier, Ember Murray, Adley Keith, Braydyn Hunter, Ryker Harper, Kasen Conley, Leeila Brinker, Marlei Chandler, Camden Griffin, Willow Hickle, Logan Jessee, Faith Merritt, Kyndal Nicely, Zayla Stair, Jasper Swift, Ava Zielinski, Liam Bussell, Keaton Mathis, Colton Surrett, Jake Beeler, Meyah Meza, Jace Nagelitch, Emmie Jo Nirmaier and Marlee Weaver

A wise teacher was talking to a gathering of people when a lawyer stood up to test his knowledge. He asked, “How can I live forever?” The teacher responded by asking him what is written in the law and if he has read the law. Knowing the teacher was a religious man he quoted from the law of Moses, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” The wise teacher affirmed that he had answered correctly and told the lawyer, if he would do it, he would live. The lawyer wasn’t satisfied and still wanted to test the teacher so he asked him another question, “And who is my neighbor?”

Country Connections By James and Ellen Perry
A Once Upon a Time video on You Tube by Kenny Vance contains this verse in this beautiful song, “Once Upon a Time there was a Love Sent Down to Earth From Angels Above.” During the late ’50s and ’60s there were lots of Doo-Wop and country songs comparing girlfriends to angels. Try to record a song today that has angel or Biblical phrases and you will be run out of any recording studio in Nashville, LA, Dallas, New York or Chicago. Referring to a teenage girlfriend as an angel only happened once upon a time 70 years ago.

Ah Spring! After a cold winter, we get one of those sunny, balmy days where the temps get up into the 60s and everybody sheds coats and dreams of gardening or fishing. Then along comes a cold snap that feels colder than what it is because your body had immediately acclimated to that warmth and sunshine. Those cold snaps are regular events that have been around before TV meteorologists, and our forefathers had to watch nature to determine when to plant crops. So through the ages we have weather lore that is still with us today.

This has almost everything in it but the kitchen sink. It shows what you can do with a small can of salmon. Prepare macaroni and cheese mix as directed on package. Add flaked salmon, mushroom soup, chopped pimiento and milk. Carefully fold in English peas. Place in 1-1/2 quart buttered casserole. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for about 40 minutes or until bubbly.

If you know my mom, you know that she’s the type of person who knows almost everybody and she loves to chat and catch up with them when she can. But there was this one instance when talking with an old friend threw her for a loop. To be honest, it did me as well.

I have a neighbor who has many statues of animals in her yard. I jokingly told her one day, “I’m worried about your livestock. I’m afraid they’ll wander into the road and get killed or cause someone to wreck.”
I also expressed concern at what the cost must be to feed all those animals.
I have never been one to try to “keep up with the Joneses,” but sometimes life circumstances just present the opportunity.

There are two major opinions about zoning in Union County. One seems to be “don’t tell me what I can do on my property”. People do not want to be told that they can or cannot (choose one) put an RV on their property, raise pigs or turkeys, build another building on their property, rent their property out to others, collect scrap metal. There is a long list of possible rules and regulations that many of the “don’t tread on me” citizens of this county simply do not want. There are also the “not in my backyard” folks who have a point as well.

Calling all Veterans! What better way to celebrate April Fool’s Day than to be at the American Legion building at noon to feast on Veteran Volunteer Margo McCaffery’s Famous American Goulash! Sometimes called slumgullion, American goulash is a comfort food dish based on the Hungarian goulash stew. The ground beef, tomato and macaroni are in a beautifully seasoned tomato sauce. Shredded cheese and sour cream will be available for garnish.