Your Viewpoint Letters to the Editor

Bottom line?

Jasper

If I understand correctly, according to some people, all of life is about the financial bottom line. As a Jasper resident, pastor of a church and father and grandfather, I am convinced that there is more to life than that.

There has to be something said about the quality of life and the responsibility we have to our community to keep it free from the problems associated with open bars and the sale of beer and wine in our stores.

Since I am not a resident of the City of Jasper, I realize that I have no say or vote in what happens within the city, but all of us are impacted by what happens in this "Jewel of the Forest."

Today I write from the point of a father who almost lost a four year old son to a drunken driver. Somehow the bottom line seems rather meaningless when one has to stand by while an unconscious child hovers between life and death.

Unfortunately, this same scenario is repeated many times over to many families who are not as fortunate as we were to have our child returned to health.

It is my sincere prayer that the people of the City of Jasper will take a stand to say that precious lives of our children, youth and adults are more important than profits and the infamous "bottom line.

TB payments to heirs not much

I read with interest your article on the Toledo Bend Project; especially the statement "It is the only project of its kind built without federal funds; three investor-owned utility companies and the two states jointly financed the construction."

I am sure your statement is factual; however please let me enlighten you about the payments some heirs, to property in Sabine County, received for their share of the land.

Recently I was looking for some information in my late mother's file (Edna McGraw Boddy) and came across a letter from a well know attorney in Hemphill. My grandparents were land owners in the little community of Fairdale (now under water). They had sold or given away some of their property, but their heirs still retained 81 acres and their family home.

My mother came from a family of ten. Each received a total of $797.87 for their 1/10 interest in the 81 acres. That is $7,978.70 for 81 acres and the old family home.

No, my family was not from outlaws and did not swim the river to get away from the law. They were law abiding, hard working, dirt farmers. They gave what they could and helped many in their community and beyond.

They came to Texas for a new beginning and many in Sabine County and surrounding counties can be proud and hold their heads high, knowing they came from such humble God loving beginnings.

Toledo Bend is a wonderful place to visit, scenic and the fishing is great; however every time the lake has been "down," since I moved back to East Texas, I and some of my cousins, have gone "home" to Fairdale, just to remember our relatives and wonderful years we spent there.

Still waiting for justice, closure

For anyone who has ever had to wait on anything, you can relate to the frustration. Now imagine that you are the family or friend of someone who was murdered in Jasper County 25 months ago and are still waiting on a trial to begin. Now you can see why the family and friends of James H. McClelland are beyond frustrated. All that we are asking for is justice, the right of a speedy trial and closure.

Our local judges have managed to allow the proceedings of James Wiley Dotson to be postponed on several different occasions in the last few months alone. A local Defense Attorney asked for a motion of continuance in September 2007 which was granted by a District Judge, and then local officials were awaiting information from the DPS crime lab when the trial was to begin in November, and was once again delayed due to the information not being received. At the end of December a trial date of January 14, 2008 was set and publicly announced on local radio stations. The week before the trial was to begin the family was told the Defense Attorney filed another motion of continuance stating the he had to be out of town, which was again granted by our District Judge. Why didn't the District Judge hold this attorney to his commitments, or is this just another example of the "home town boys, small town politics" that is allowing J.W. Dotson to lead a free and normal life in our society?

The McClelland family has spent the last 25 months without a loved one that was taken from them, while other murders that have occurred in this County since have been settled. These family members have their closure, and we would appreciate the same. To all those involved in allowing this trial to be postponed time and time again if the victim was your brother, father, uncle or friend I hope that you would feel the same amount of frustration that we do. A trial date of February 25, 2008 has been set, and we strongly hope that there are no more postponements from our Judicial System.

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The Jasper Newsboy would like to publish your thoughts and concerns about issues that are important to you.

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Mail letters to:
The Jasper Newsboy
P.O. Box 1419 Jasper, Texas
75951-1419 or e-mail to:
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