LOVE

1. Grads. Congratulations to all of the new graduates, and those almost there. We hope you’ve seen our annual vals and sals tribute on Thursday. I wonder if this year’s chant could have been, “Off with the masks, we think we’re done, senior class of ’21!”

2. You too. A big thumbs up to all who have succeeded in educating adults. The challenges to obtaining a high school equivalency certificate are many, without even considering a pandemic. These people started with a dream and ended with the reality of fulfillment. Path to follow!

3. Memorial Day weekend. Before you think about wearing summer white, or whatever color makes you happy, think about red, white, and blue. Let us pay tribute to those who served our country with all they had.

► Ron “Doc” Smith often wears the ring given to him by the family of a Marine whose life he tried to save in Vietnam by rushing through a minefield. It’s a living memory years later for the former Marine Corps member. See Laura Gutschke’s story in the Sunday print edition and on reporternews.com.

4. “Lefty” won here too. More seasoned golfers and golf enthusiasts in Abilene this week recalled that Phil Mickelson, who at 50 won the PGA Championship on Sunday, played in Abilene as a teenager. Jack Wilson also called us to tell us that in a post-tournament Golf Channel interview with Justin Leonard, Leonard mentioned meeting Mickelson in Fairway Oaks a long time ago. Leonard said he was two years younger and wondered, “What is that guy from San Diego coming to play in Abilene, Texas? You won the event, of course, like you? should have. ” Mickelson went on to win three individual NCAA titles at Arizona State before becoming a PGA Tour star and fan favorite. Part of this skill was honed in Abilene.

5. Diamonds are a girl’s (and a man’s) best friend. The pitch narrowed a bit last when we lost Cooper and Eula softball, but our area still had Albany, Anson, Jim Ned, Stephenville, Westbrook and Wylie playing baseball, and Colorado City and Stamford playing softball before. the graduation weekend. Eula missed a chance to play in the State Tournament, but we’ll have a team there with the Lady Bulldogs and Lady Wolves fighting. Congratulations on playing ball at the end of May.

6. Rockin ‘Robin. We hope the visitor from Abilene, Dr Robin Armstrong, enjoyed his visit to Abilene on Thursday. Armstrong is a member of the Texas National Committee for the Republican Party and spoke with local party members Thursday. He is on staff at Mainland Medical Center in Texas City.

7. Not a Buc-ee but … we saw the completion end at a QuikTrip store on Interstate 20 in north Abilene. Surprisingly, Abilene hasn’t had a travel stop like this, although Tye has been offering this option for years. It might take a little trip there to check it out.

8. No more rain. We had a beautiful month of rain, well above normal. And for the most part, without too much drama. The San Angelo National Weather Service confirmed the recent vortex near Sterling City as an EF-1, with winds of around 100 mph. We can expect continued precipitation without anything else.

9. Sears Space. Interesting in what is going on in and around malls these days as our needs change. Already the Mall of Abilene has a public library, and now it will house the staff of Hendrick Health. The empty space filled is a good thing.

HMMM

1. The cowboys will win it all! The good news is that quarterback Dak Prescott has recovered from his ankle injury and is training again. This news alone kicked off the annual hoo-rah that Dallas will win the division and win the Super Bowl and save humanity from space invaders. Slow down, fans. Then again, Cowboys fans are probably more optimistic right now than Packers and Texans fans, who have no idea who will start the season opener right now.

2. The grill of the moment. What movie was it in which Robert Duvall’s character said, “I love the smell of barbecue in the morning!” With this holiday weekend, the grills will be on and the aroma will spread throughout the neighborhoods. Mmmm …