Kendall Stanley: Thanks a lot, governor!

Heard of Eagle Pass, Texas? Of course you have!

Eagle Pass is where Texas governor Greg Abbott made his stand against the Biden administration’s handling of the immigration issue at the southern border. Eagle Pass is where Abbott and the state took over a park to prevent migrants from crossing the Rio Grande River. Concertina wire lined the riverbank, only to have migrants try and work their way through it.

A court ultimately said border patrol agents could remove the wire to allow access to the park, where the service typically launched boats to patrol the river.

But that hasn’t stopped Abbott from installing more wire along the river.

But this isn’t about Abbott going on a tear around Eagle Pass; it’s about the eclipse, believe it or not.

Eagle Pass was the first American city where the eclipse started its trek across the country.

Spotting an opportunity (and given the history of other towns where eclipses occurred) the city started promoting itself as the place to be to view the eclipse. Promoters even came up with a three-day music festival. Room rates at local motels went sky-high.

Given the back and forth between the governor and the feds, and plenty of folks complaining they were the epicenter of the massive wave of illegals entering the area, etc., it soon became a situation where people decided that maybe Eagle Pass wasn’t the best place to watch the eclipse.

Don’t want to be right on the border, eclipse or no eclipse.

And then this happened according to a report in The Daily Beast:

“The producers of the music festival named it 57 South Music Fest, after U.S. Highway 57 South, which reaches the border at Eagle Pass and the designated venue, city-owned Shelby Park. The scenic 47.4-acre grassy expanse on the banks of the Rio Grande River has been the site of successful carnivals and events, including an annual international friendship celebration. The 57 South producers posted what seemed like a formula for a resounding success.

“17 Bands, 3 Nights, 2 Stages, & 1 Total Eclipse – April 5-7, 2024”

“The city posted its own appeal: “If you’re a music lover and a celestial enthusiast, then there’s no better time to start planning your trip to Eagle Pass, Texas!”

“But nobody foresaw that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott would seize control of the park on Jan. 10 as the base for Operation Lone Star, a $10.5 billion political stunt in response to the ”invasion” of migrants at the southern border. He ordered Texas Army National Guard soldiers, supported by state law enforcement officers, to place steel shipping containers and string razor wire along the water’s edge. He barred federal Border Patrol agents from the site of the planned music festival.”

Kiss that influx of money goodbye.

And thank the governor for all his help in bringing a tourist boom to Eagle Pass. Hopefully the next time he has a bee in his bonnet to do things off the cuff he might consider the impact his battle with the feds might have on the citizens of Texas.

Remembering the cheerleader

There are plenty of people who boost their town whenever they can but in the end there was only one — Fran Foster — who could claim the title of the best.

Here’s a little bit of Fran’s life as recounted in her obituary: “Over the years, Fran held many jobs including as a telephone operator for "Ma Bell" and as one of the first females for their "Miss Dig" program, then as the Welcome Wagon Lady, and eventually selling advertisements for the Phone Guide.  “She flourished in any position where she could be social and involved in community outreach. She joined the PTA, was President of Music Boosters, was involved with the Midshipmen Drum and Bugle Corps, and a member of Telephone Pioneers. She was a Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, even winning an award as a "Chamber Enthusiast." While married to Jim, she joined the Fire Belles and Bucket Brigade, both groups for wives of firemen that helped to raise funds and support the department and community in various ways.”

On the Fourth of July, you could find her on the spinning ladder above the Epsilon Jass Band playing on an antique fire truck going down many a parade route.

Beyond her involvement throughout the community I knew Fran from work with the Phone Guide.

She was a fierce enthusiast for the work we did at the News-Review and she’d talk up anyone who was nearby about what a community asset we were.

Put all that together with a million-dollar smile and an unmatched joy for life and you had a woman that wasn’t just a resident of the community, but an institution in it. You don’t find that special someone in every community but I’m proud to say that in Petoskey, we had Fran.

— Kendall P. Stanley is retired editor of the News-Review. He can be contacted at kendallstanley@charter.net. The opinions expressed in this column are those of the writer and not necessarily of the Petoskey News-Review or its employees.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Kendall Stanley: Thanks a lot, governor!