Bulk Rate U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 50 Salado, TX 76571 VVillageillageSalado VVoiceoice Vol. XXVII, Number 15 Thursday, August 5, 2004 254/947-5321 fax 254/947-9479 email: [email protected] Topic will be annexation Village hosts town hall meeting Aug. 21 The Village of Salado by the Belton city council will host a town hall meet- to study annexation of ing 6:30 p.m. Aug.21 at the property on Amity East Salado Civic Center. and West have led area The meeting will residents to begin making provide a venue for dis- requests to the Village of cussion of annexation. Salado to be annexed into Salado cannot annex at- the Salado ETJ. will, as opposed to cities Village attorney Alan such as Belton, Temple Bojorquez and aldermen and Killeen, all of which will be on-hand to discuss have extra territorial juris- voluntary annexation. dictions within the Salado Maps showing the ETJs school district. of Bell cities will also be Recent announcements on view at the meeting. Salado thanks 1-4 Aviation Shown on this page are scenes from the Salado Day in honor of the 1-4 Aviation Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division July 30. Several hundred sol- diers and their families converged on Salado for Bright colors define artist George Boutwell’s water- the afternoon and eve- color paintings. ning. Clockwise, from top: Children enjoyed a pet- ting zoo in Pace Park, skipping rocks in Salado Boutwell returns to Creek; Salado Methodist Church served up ice Art Fair Aug. 7-8 cream; Salado Civic Texas artist George and will select 12 that Center served as the stag- Boutwell will return to are his favorites which ing area for the arrival Salado for his 35th con- will include Waco’s Health of the soldiers, greeted secutive year to show his Camp and Martin’s by local volunteers, and it watercolors. Kumbak “Dirty’s” and Top was all about the family For the last 32 years Notch both of which are in as soldiers, spouses and Boutwell’s full time occu- Austin for the 2005 Cal- children were welcomed pation has been touring endar. At this point he has throughout the village. Texas showing his Art and finished 11 paintings. (PHOTOS BY CHRIS MCGREGOR & TIM FLEISCHER) looking for interesting Previous calendars have things to paint. included area landmarks Boutwell got inspired with such as the Georgetown the diversity of Texas when Square, the Bell County he was Art Director of Courthouse, the Coryell Texas Highways Magazine County Courthouse The from 1966 to 1972. He was Westphalia Store, The still working there when Church of the Visitation he had his first showing at Westphalia, Saint Paul at the Salado Art Fair. In and Blue Ridge Churches 1986 he got the Idea to near Marlin and the Rock produce a Texas Calendar Church Near Clifton. featuring his art work and This will be Boutwell’s publish it himself. 35th consecutive year to The calendar has show at the Salado Art become very popular Fair. Dates and hours for because it changes themes the Festival are 8 a.m.-5 every year and portrays a Aug. 7 p.m. and 8 a.m.- 4 different aspect of the State p.m. Aug. 8. of Texas. Boutwell’s Cal- Boutwell will bring a endar for 2005 will feature selection of his original Vintage Drive-In Restau- watercolors and prints of rants complete with Clas- his work to the show as sic Cars. well as copies of his previ- In his travels he has ous calendars. found over 30 of them that are still in business Page 2A, SALADO Village Voice, August 5, 2004 Democrats hold unusually “United” convention; Kerry-Edwards nominated; FORUMFORUM Battle for undecided voters underway Boston’s FleetCenter and the nearby Off the An Open Exchange of Ideas Commons are located in the heart of New England where our great revolution Record was brewed in 1773. It was also the site last week of what was a “revolu- by Ken Clapp tionary” meeting of “united” delegates to the 2004 National Democratic Convention The news-hounds spent all week tell- that ended with the unanimous nomina- ing the rest of us that Kerry had a high tion of Massachusetts Senator John Kerry hill to climb in order to “introduce” him- for President. self to a national audience. Between John Edwards, also a Senator but from he and his family and his “Band of another region - North Carolina, was Brothers,” that hill was surmounted elected Vice-President and the new team and the “mission was accomplished.” began at once their 89 day battle to unseat President George Bush who will, on Sep- TARGET: UNDECIDED VOTER tember 2, be nominated in New York to Democratic party officials consider run for reelection and another four years the convention an “outstanding success.” of uninterrupted Republican style con- They wanted the gathering to reach out trol. to the undecided and independent voter, The reason for categorizing the Demo- more than the parochial concerns of their cratic conclave as “revolutionary” is that multi-faceted special interest members this year’s group held a four day conver- and it appeared to do just that. With that gence of “oneness of mind and purpose” goal achieved, the Kerry-Edwards cam- rather than their normal “encounter” paign will now move relentlessly from type circus implosion created by a wide key state to key state seeking those who (and sometimes wild) variety of aims, are not pledged to either party’s candi- Dump Cheney? ambitions and demands. dates. The “New Democrats” worked together Republicans, who will meet on August without complaint; created a non-contro- 30 in New York, will be doing the same It’s not going to happen. But the media versial platform; kept “Bush bashing” to an thing after they nominate George Bush and the Democrats want it to happen, so absolute minimum; and presented speak- and Dick Cheney. Both parties know that it will be a topic of intense political con- Rich ers who circled their wagons (without res- with polls showing a statistically tied versation -- President Bush dumping Dick ervations) around Kerry and Edwards. race between Bush and Kerry, they must Cheney from his ticket. The Convention’s script was followed to attract the remaining 10 to 20 percent It’s not going to happen, because Bush Lowry the letter as directed by Kerry and the of voters who have yet to decide. For is loyal to a fault, and Cheney is, in nearly 5,000 delegates loyally (and qui- therein lies the road to success and the any case, popular and valued within the etly) marched along in lock-step. presidency. administration. As a White House aide be a sign of weakness and play as an Both sides would do well to stay clear says: “He’s smart and tough and trusted admission that their charges against him OLD TIMEY EXCITEMENT MISSED of negativity because that’s one thing that and discreet. At Madison Square Garden have been accurate. It would be the most Many of us who have watched conven- definitely causes uncommitted voters to during one of FDR’s conventions they important Democratic takedown since tions over the years were a tad wistful shy away from placing permanent mem- unfurled a banner that read, ‘We love you Robert Bork and Newt Gingrich, and the about what used to be an exciting qua- bership with either political parties. for the enemies you’ve made.’ That’s the Bush campaign knows it. “For years the drennial bloodletting with battles fought Such things as the tone of the cam- way we feel about Dick Cheney.” left’s strategy has been to go after effec- in the smoke-filled back rooms, and on the paign; the debates; a misstated fact or The frenzy over kicking Cheney over- tive conservatives on a personal basis,” convention floor, between various politi- unthinking comment; or some happen- board has been ignited by a stray comment a Bush campaign official says. “That’s cal leaders representing the divergent fac- ing thousands of miles away - could advocating it by former New York Sen. Al the modus operandi. The political game tions within the party. determine the winner this year, espe- D’Amato and a Newsweek poll showing is personal destruction.” Expecting the unexpected, was also cially since the race is dead-even and the the Bush ticket would be marginally more What of the substantive charges missing, with winners many times not independent vote relatively small. popular with someone besides Cheney in against Cheney? He kept the proceed- known until after hours of balloting. Also the No. 2 slot. ings of his energy task force secret in missed were the parades (complete with DNG FINDS ACORN If Bush dumped Cheney, any bounce order to establish an important point brass bands) that followed each nomi- he would get in the polls would dissipate about executive powers -- and won a nation. And remember the “plots” and We’ve all heard the old bromide that quickly since people would soon focus preliminary battle in the Supreme Court. “counter-plots” dredged up by the vari- even a “blind hog will eventually find an again on what they like and dislike about He was formerly chairman of Hallibur- ous state delegations? These were quickly acorn.” The truth of this came to light Bush himself. Bush would risk alienating ton. So what? Halliburton had the same uncovered by the media who rushed to be from an unlikely source last week when his base, which loves Cheney, and prompt- arrangement to provide emergency work first to spread the word to a vast radio-TV a senior member of the Salado Do-No- ing an intraparty bloodbath if he picked overseas with the Clinton administra- audience.