Advance News Journal

The usual 5-2 PSJA ISD board split changed to 4-3 last week over the oddest thing: whether or not to accept a $350,000 TEA Award, AKA, free money, from Texas Tech U. In other words, free money to mentor five high-performing teachers, which will end, provided they do the work, with a master’s degree in educational leadership.

Hard to believe that it’s been 34 years since a woman, Phyllis Griggs, became the first female elected to McAllen’s city commission. Back then, with a small chain of Mr. Donuts to her credit (McAllen and Weslaco), Griggs was known around town as the “Donut Lady,” especially since she was a hit with the cops long before she ran for public office. Why? Because she’d drop off free donuts to the old cop shop on Pecan.

I was going to write a column about Bob Dylan since he turned the big 80 Monday, but where is there to write that hasn’t already been written. Only thing I can say is, it’s nice to have been born during a time when I could enjoy his early stuff when it came out, after becoming a huge fan circa ’72. It’s been an uphill ride from there. Now I have to go listen to “Tweeter and the Monkey Man” for today’s writing inspiration (thanks, Mickey).