Democratic Club presents the Great Gerrymandering debate

Vicki Baker In Texas, like most states, district maps — which define where the constituency of one representative ends and that of another begins — are drawn by the state’s lawmakers. Having politicians define their own districts has not gone entirely smoothly, and several cases involving political gerrymandering, or the drawing of districts (especially oddly…

Drink and learn

In the middle of Brussels, Belgium there is an interesting and much beloved unique sculpture. Manneken Pis (meaning “Lil’ Piddler” in Dutch) is a landmark sculpture in Brussels, depicting a naked little boy urinating into a fountain’s basin. It was put in place in 1618 and is the best-known symbol of the people of Brussels.…

MP-1: The Mineral Planet, a novel by CL Smothers

Carl Smothers An ancient entity has been the custodian of an invaluable asset for 1000 years. Aliens invade her planet, intending to exploit its resources and unintentionally create cataclysmic damages to her world. An interplanetary war breaks out to control the most valuable piece of real estate in the galaxy—MP-1. The Entity is drawn into…

A traditional Italian dinner

Frank Cianci For Italians, it’s all about love: love of family, love of food, love of wine, love of music. Family dinners, especially Sunday dinner at nonna’s (grandma’s), allowed us to express all those loves at once. Memories of those family dinners evoke strong emotions. One such dinner was polenta sulla spianatoia (polenta on the…

Experience these great Road Runner trips

Tom Zumann Pioneer Woman and Osage County Explore the Land of Wonder featuring the Pioneer Woman Mercantile. Experience open prairies for viewing bison at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve and wild Mustang sanctuary at Mowdy Ranch. The prairie visit also includes the Woolaroc wildlife preserve, which embodies the natural environment and cultural heritage. Be the judge…

Women’s Club members bring backpacks and school supplies

With sacks and bundles and packages, the Women’s Club members again answered the call for school supplies for the Denton County Friends of the Family and filled the clubhouse foyer. Pencils, paper, scissors, crayons were just a few from the long list of items. Backpacks of every size, color, depth, description filled in the spaces…