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6 pitches….2 HRs

You brought up being a lame duck president.

That's a good question. We will have to wait and see.

Obviously you know very little or nothing about the US Congress, which isn’t shocking. Trump is a lame duck president now the same as Obama was for 6 years and Biden was for all 4 years. There is nothing to deal with it. Neither party can pass a law without the support from the other party unless they control the House and have a 20 seat majority in the Senate. If those two situations do not exist, every president is a lame duck president. But it sure sounds impressive, if the other person doesn’t understand it. Like……. 🤣

Off of TexasForever’s initial topic. But, good discussion. Grew up on the farm. THAT was work! lol I also initially went to college on a scholly, became disillusioned, and joined the Navy. I’ve spoken about some of that experience. When I got out, I was hired on at a local petrochemical as a ‘B’ operator partly because of being a vet, was encouraged to go back to school while working, and got an AAS in Engineering Design. From there, I got my Mechanical and went to work contract at multiple firms. Got my PMP, and led projects for years. Got tired of working 80’s for straight pay, went back to school for my BSBM, and was asked to join Sales. I finished up as lead Downstream BD for Mustang/Wood Group, Fluor, Jacobs and a couple smaller outfits before calling it quits to take care of family. Better 1/2 was an Aggie ChemE, and son is a Nuclear Engineer.

I graduated high school wasted a couple of years going to Lamar cause I had NO idea what I wanted to do.... so, I started framing houses and then worked for North Star Steel. Both of those jobs had me back at Lamar pretty quick lol.

I don’t know what the job scene is like today. In the early 70s, there were plenty of jobs available, even for the trade schools. I went undeclared for a couple semesters which was a huge mistake. Unless you know your life’s ambition, paying to go to school is like a merry-go-round. There are lots of kids graduating high school who don’t have a clue what their job interests are. I was one of those kids. Should have stayed with the A/C field. There were like 10 jobs available for every graduate, but economics was a problem and I still wasn’t sure that’s what I wanted. Even back then, I couldn’t believe the ease of the basic subjects in the trade schools. Both math and English were on 4th or 5th grade levels. Math tests would have 1/2 + 1/4 equals……I would actually have people looking over my shoulder for answers. Maybe I should have tried engineering….lol. Long story short……economics was a key factor in my not finishing at Lamar. Nowadays, and probably back then, process operator classes would have been the best route for this area. Actually, back then, you could hire on in the plants straight out of high school. Nepotism ran rampant back then, so who you knew was a great application attachment. I submitted several and got no calls. Today’s youth don’t know what work is. If you want to test a person’s determination in keeping a job, let him hire on pouring concrete. Give him some rubber boots and jump in the middle of a form having to use rakes to move the pour. At the end of the day, you’ll know where he stands. I apologize for the meandering.

Lamar is extremely affordable when you start looking at other universities in Texas that have good/great engineering program and no not many international students when I was at LU... at least not in the industrial engineering program. For what it's worth, I think that if you are majoring in engineering, you should have at least 5 years of work experience before being able to graduate. That way you have some real world work experience to go along with the book(s).

Lamar is—comparatively—very affordable, close to industry, and has a good track record from my understanding. I assume most of the US grads stay fairly local. There’s a good network for referrals. Baddog and I are discussing a time decades before your attendance. Were there many international students in the Engineering program when you attended? Curious about it since the immigration system has been tightened up. Incidentally, I always liked hiring ET's. I also liked hiring ex-fitters. Both brought more 'common-sense engineering/design' to the table than many other new engineering grads. Maybe, because I was ex-operations before my degrees, and could see more of the value. I just never ran across many--or any--resumes from Lamar. So, I always presumed they stayed more at the direct client level in the Golden Triangle. Glad to hear there are still others who aren't just going for Liberal Arts degrees. We need them, and all crafts, skills, and trades.

I work with a bunch of engineers that graduated from LU. When I was at LU (late 90s/early 2000s) most of my classmates (industrial engineering major) where from the US.

Unless there is a super majority in both houses, everyone is a lame duck. In Obama’s two terms, he lost majority control over Congress for the entire last 6 years of his presidency with a split Congress. For the last 2 years the Republicans held both houses. Were you concerned about the term lame duck for the last 6 years of the Obama administration? OMG… a lame duck!! 🤣🤣🤣

They had enough talent to win a championship, no question. But you only get there when you develop every player, from the starters to the last man on the bench — mentally, skill‑wise, and with real structure. The days of rolling the ball out and hoping they figure it out are over. They also needed someone younger on staff who could keep the gym open, rebound for guys, and help them get that extra work in. That matters. And honestly, that’s probably part of why some players decided to leave. Still, I wish those kids nothing but success. Never let anyone tell you there’s only one way to reach your goals. Carve your own path and stand on it with confidence.

[email protected] Tom Halliburton’s Track Volume 38, No. 12 ____ _ May 19, 2026 A message to Golden Triangle-area tracksters: Your ol’ Bubba salutes you, congratulates you and thanks you for your performance at the UIL state track and field championships. Our Beaumont-Port Arthur-Orange area has had rough visits to Austin in recent years but not this time. It was a week to remember for several young men and women who made our region proud. And that goes for the coaches, advisors and trainers who work with the athletes. Track and field, when done properly, is hard work, with precious little media coverage or outside public attention. That’s why this weekly newsletter exists. It’s a labor of love for the people involved in track. Your author doesn't make a dime from anyone to do it. It's a hobby strictly for the people involved in the sport. The DFW Metroplex had been dominating recent state meets to an almost embarrassing level but not this time. Greater Houston and our neighbors dominated this year. That’s a credit to hard workers like Darrell Granger in Port Arthur, Renwick Johnson in Beaumont, Becca Peveto in north Orange. These are high-quality coaches who have produced athletes to be the best they can be. That’s what life is all about after high school – being the best adults that they can be. Our total board, counting Warren for the first time, includes four GT-area gold medals, two silvers and two bronzes. Six new events produced area-best and a seventh event matched the exact area-best. So here goes the honor roll --- GOLD MEDALISTS 3A Boys 110-Meter Hurdles – Vaughn Westhoven, Warren, junior, 13.94. 4A Girls Shot Put – Madagyn Boudoin, Lumberton, senior, 43-6. 4A Boys High Jump – Kobe Prejean, Hamshire-Fannett, senior, 6-7 5A Boys 1,600-Meter Relay – Port Arthur Memorial, 3:14.69, Coach Darrell Granger (Matthew Christian, Cam’Ron Roberts, Tyson Barnes, Brandon Richards) SILVER MEDALISTS 4A Girls High Jump – Rocsan Hadnot, Jasper, junior, 5-8 5A Boys 800-Meter Run – John Fowler, Beaumont West Brook, junior, 1:52.20 BRONZE MEDALISTS 4A Boys 200-Meter Dash – Sage Gilder, Hamshire-Fannett, junior, 21.37 5A Boys 1,600-Meter Run – John Fowler, Beaumont West Brook, junior, 4:22.70 NEW GOLDEN TRIANGLE-AREA BESTS RECORDED AT THE STATE MEET Vaughn Westhoven, Warren, 13.94; Sage Gilder, H-F, 21.37; John Fowler, WB, 1:52.20; Jaislyn Heater Vidor, 5-8 in 4A girls triple jump; Dinah Tippins, LC-M, 23.78 in girls 4A 200-Meter Dash; LC-M girls 800-Meter Relay, 1:39.65, Coach Becca Peveto (Janet Le, Dinah Tippins, Amaya Meadows, Brianca Barclay) Taking a Titan advantage of their opportunity Tradition must be passed on or it can become a Titanic sinking ship. Tradition can die very easily when schools consolidate. Beaumont and Port Arthur know the difficulties all too well. Students and fans support their Lincoln BumbleBees, their Jefferson Yellow Jackets, their Hebert Panthers, their French Buffaloes…. and then, poof… It’s gone and it’s tough on everyone. Yet in rare instances, with the right people and formula, tradition can endure. LeRoy Leopold and his Lincoln track teams became state champions in the previous century. Leopold coached hard and required his guys to run the quartermile as the backbone of his program. When the Hall of Fame mentor decided to retire, Leopold recommended a replacement in the toddler years at Memorial High School. His assistant Darrell Granger had been the anchorman on a record-holding 4x4 relay team. It was a state record that stood for 17 years. Granger may not have been a carbon copy of Leopold but he was close enough. He coached hard, too. He emphasized the quartermile for his runners, too. Lincoln’s mile relay tradition of success continued with a new school name, new athletes and new colors. Ahh, but track success never is automatic. It requires extra-hard work, continuous coaching and fine-tuning. Relays force a coach to shuffle the deck and insert an alternate or switch a running order. Memorial had not been winning the boys 1,600-meter relay all season. Teams were beating the Titans week after week at nickel-and-dime meets. Even at the 19-5A district meet, Memorial was a lackluster third place at 3:26.72 with Amante Martin, Cam’Ron Roberts, Matthew Christian, and Malcolm McCrea. A week later, Granger added two runners and subtracted two as the Titans improved to 3:16.17 yet they did not capture any area gold medals. So Granger added and subtracted another member for the 5A regional. No wins again and PA settled for a third-place time of 3:12.46 but the Titans had improved their time. Fifteen years ago, the UIL added a ninth state meet entry, lumping the top two finishers in each region plus the best third-place time or length in an event. That’s where the Titans caught a break. A stride behind Iowa Colony and Texas City, Port Arthur still reached Austin’s big dance with the fastest third-place time. Memorial had been rewarded for its flexibility and hard work. Don’t think Granger was finished shuffling his deck before Austin, though. The tinkering and hard work continued. Tyson Barnes replaced Jaylon Gibson at state and was inserted into the third leg of the relay. The winning time (3:14.69) was more than two seconds slower than the regional time. A 200-meter runner for much of the season, Brandon Richards brought home the baton ahead of Texas City, roaring through the last 100 meters. “I knew that if Brandon was close enough to the lead when he got the stick, that we would have a chance,” Granger said. “The thing I was most-proudest of was how Tyson ran well enough to put Brandon in that position.” Announcers at the event described the come-from-behind victory as an “astonishing upset” by a third-place regional finisher. In reality, it’s just an old Port Arthur tradition. PROUDEST MOMENTS FROM THE PRESS BOX THURSDAY You start the three days with a determined Lumberton senior who would not be denied. MADAGYN BOUDOIN equaled her PR and won the gold after entering the competition with the second-longest regional throw. She duplicated her season-best on her second attempt at Mike Myers Stadium, unleashing another toss of 43-6 FRIDAY West Brook junior JOHN FOWLER had the second-fastest state qualifying time in the mile and looked in position to take the lead at the end of the backstretch on the mile’s final lap. Fowler got bumped with 200 to 220 meters left in the race but carried home a gold (1,600) and a bronze (800). Port Arthur junior BRANDON RICHARDS blazed through the deciding anchor lap in 47-flat, overtaking Texas City in the final 100 of the 4x4. Titans knew they had a shot at pulling an upset if Tyson Barnes could run a strong enough third leg to give Richards a chance. Tyson made his coach Darrell Granger proud because Richards was close enough in second place at the early strides of the gun lap. SATURDAY The south wind, recorded at 4.0 meters per second, was well above the 2.0 legal limit. Wind or no wind, C.E. King sophomore DILLON MITCHELL turned into a cyclone at about 50 meters and clocked a 9.92 in the 100. If it had not been wind-aided, the 9.92 would have tied a national HS record. GOLDEN TRIANGLE-AREA TRACK & FIELD FINAL LEADERS DISCUS – Girls: Tatiyana Crain, PA Memorial, 145-8; Boys: Joe Bowser, West Brook, 171-11 SHOT PUT – Girls: Madagyn Boudoin, Lumberton, 43-6; Boys: William Crosby, Orangefield, 48-10.5 HIGH JUMP – Girls: Rocsan Hadnot, Jasper, 5-8; Boys: Ja’Cory Davis, PA Memorial, 6-10 LONG JUMP – Girls: Kelsey Banks, Hardin-Jeff, 18-8.75; Boys: D’Andre Carter, WB, 22-11.25 TRIPLE JUMP – Girls: Jaislyn Heater, Vidor, 39-5.75; Boys: D’Andre Carter, West Brook, 44-9.75 POLE VAULT – Girls: Janet Le, LC-M, 10-9; Boys: Gavin Rubio, Hardin-Jefferson, 14-0 100 M – Girls: Jalexis Neal, PA Memorial, 11.42; Boys: Willie Clark, WB, 10.53; Sage Gilder, Hamshire-Fannett (hand-held) 200 M – Girls: Dinah Tippins, LC-M, 23.78; Boys: Sage Gilder, Hamshire-Fannett, 21.37 400 M – Girls: Jada Guilbeau, PA Mem, 57.85; Boys: Matthew Christian, PA Memorial, 48.88 100 M Hurdles – Girls: Kiley Havard, Nederland, 14.57 110 M Hurdles – Boys: Vaughn Westhoven, Warren, 13.94 300 M Hurdles – Girls: Paisley Angelle, LC-M, 45.78; Boys: Shay Stacy & Brodie Ferguson, Vidor, 37.56 800 M – Girls: Meribeth Owens, Bmt Veritas Classical, 2:19.65; Boys: John Fowler, WB, 1:52.20 1600 M – Girls: Meribeth Owens, Bmt Veritas Classical, 5:11.77; Boys: John Fowler, WB, 4:12.91 3200 M – Girls: Ella Mecom, Nederland, 11:19.37; Boys: John Fowler, West Brook, 9:28.87 400 M Relay – Girls: LC-M (Janet Le, Dinah Tippins, Amaya Meadows, Brianca Barclay) 47.86; Boys: West Brook (D’Andre Carter, Willie Clark, Aden Mills-Teate, Jay’vier Fair), 41.37 800 M Relay – Girls: LC-M (Janet Le, Dinah Tippins, Amaya Meadows, Brianca Barclay) 1:39.65; Boys: PA Memorial (Payton Bell, Cam’Ron Roberts, Alex Eugene, Brandon Richards), 1:25.69 1600 M Relay – Girls: Bridge City (Rylee Carver, Jada Juneau, Makya Augustine, Kylee Britten), 4:06.15; Boys: PA Memorial (Matthew Christian, Cam’Ron Roberts, Jaylon Gibson, Brandon Richards), 3:12.46 Tom Halliburton is a senior sports correspondent with the Beaumont Enterprise