Frog Gone

"And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people." (Exodus 8:11)

Photo ftom Pinterest.

Second only to the courthouse, it is the most photographed structure in Kermit, Texas. It is mentioned in at least two travel books, this one and this one. And it's about to be painted over. And only a few of us, it seems, are sad about it.
From CBS7:
Posted: Friday, July 18, 2014 7:13 pm | Updated: 1:27 pm, Mon Jul 21, 2014.
by DeAnn Lopez

(Watch the video here.)

KERMIT - It seems that Kermit the Frog has over stayed his visit in one West Texas city.

The Muppets star's face was painted on the city's water tower nine years ago when Kermit came down to celebrate his 50th anniversary of being in the entertainment industry.

City officials have been planning Kermit’s departure for a little over a year now.

Even though it won't be cheap to paint over the Muppets star, it's a price they’re willing to pay to show their community pride.

Back in 2005, Kermit Texas was the first stop that Kermit the Frog made while on his 50th Anniversary World Tour.

As part of his visit, Disney was given permission to paint Kermit’s face on the city's main water tower.

But, in just a few weeks the high school’s mascot will be buzzing its way back on to the tower.

"It's been the desire of many citizens that we make this change," Mayor Jerry Phillips said.

The water tower isn't the only thing that Kermit the Frog left his mark on.

Kermit the Frog Boulevard, which runs directly in front of City Hall, will once again be named South Tornillo Street.

CBS7 photo.

During Thursday night’s city council meeting, council voted to re-paint not only the Kermit the Frog tower, but their other water tower, which is going to cost them $123,500.

But not all residents agree with council’s decision.

 "I kind of don't see the point of them wanting to recover the Kermit the Frog, we got a lot of attention even with the Kermit the Frog festivities that still go on, I mean the Kermit Celebration Days, which they call now,” Kermit resident Letecia Garcia said. “It brings in a lot of publicity for Kermit."

Long-time resident Jaime Morales says he can't wait until those paint brushes hit Kermit the Frogs face.

"I know Yellow Jackets has been up for the longest time, I came to school here (Kermit High), I was proud to be from this school, it doesn’t make sense why we would still have a Frog,” Morales said. “It’s time to let go and let our bee come back."

If all goes according to plan, both towers will be painted sometime in mid-August.

(I just found this: About a month after Kermit's visit in 2005, a UFO was reported near Kermit. Muppets from Space? - DK)

Bring the Marshmallows Part 2!

Liz and Robert are visible above.

My camera's battery was iffy here, so lucky for me that Creating Memories documented the entire homecoming parade and bonfire.  Be sure to see all 324 of their pictures.

 

Robert and a friend.

 

My shadow.

This was Kermit's first bonfire since 2010, due to burn ban issues.  This year, the county granted an exemption for one night only.

The football team arrives.

Of course, this is all entirely safe.  No one ever throws aerosol cans or bullets or anything in the fire.  Everyone acts responsibly.

Looks like a fire to me.  Yup.

 

 

Bring the Marshmallows!




From Winkler County News.

Click to enlarge.

Is Kermit Getting Tired of Kermit the Frog?

(We at Frogtown have long celebrated the now-fading images of Kermit the Frog which first appeared in 2005 when he visited our town. See here, here, here and here. But some residents and former residents of Kermit may be feeling differently ... )

From NewsWest9:
Posted: Jul 24, 2012

From Kermit on Tour.

By Sylvia Gonzalez NewsWest 9

KERMIT - It's not easy being green in Kermit.

Several people in the small town of Kermit have taken to Facebook to express their disgust for Kermit the Frog. Some want to see him permanently removed while others like having the amphibian around.

"We were proud to be the fighting Yellow Jackets, we've never been the frogs," former Kermit resident, Allen Vinyard, said.

The Facebook page, Kermit Memories, has been seeing more comments than usual and it all revolves around Kermit the Frog. There are people who believe they're seeing too much of him in town.

Vinyard lived in Kermit during his school years, and even though he no longer lives there, he says its embarrassing the reaction people get when he reveals where he is from.

"It's insulting to me when I tell someone where I grew up and they say oh like Kermit the Frog, and I say no like Kermit Roosevelt, which the town was named after," Vinyard said.

Many of the residents that NewsWest 9 spoke to didn't have any negative feelings towards the frog, as a matter of fact they are proud of it.

Austin Williamson is the starting quarterback for the high school football team and he says when he plays in other towns he actually likes hearing comments about Kermit the Frog.

"I take it as a compliment because I want a lot of people to know what Kermit is, but you have to tell them what it is, what it actually is. It's more than just a frog. I think it is just a little design, there's nothing wrong with it just being there," Williamson said.

Some of the comments on Facebook read, "The stupid frog was nothing until some California hippies got lucky. Kermit, Texas is way more important than the stuffed sock."

Another one read, "death due to an allergic reaction to a yellow jacket."

Lane Nutt is a business owner and he says he uses the frog as a conversational piece.

"In my business, I have lots of calls and they always make some comment about Kermit the Frog, it's kinda like a conversational piece, it doesn't bother me," Nutt said.

Nina Huda is a former resident of Kermit, who says the Facebook comments is just the beginning of what they plan on doing to get rid of the frog.

"We are going to be doing petitions and sending them to the City Manager's office," Huda said. Many residents say they're subject is clear. "Get rid of the frog," Huda said.



(Repost) To Touch an Angel by Paul Crume

Merry Christmas everybody! I posted Paul Crume's 1967 masterpiece three years ago and illustrated it with some rather spooky angel images. This year I thought I would repost it, with pictures we took at Odessa's Starbright Village. This may be a hare-brained idea, but you be the judge.

 You can see the Dallas Morning News animated version here and read more about the author here.
View the Starbright Village tree-lighting ceremony here.


Liz and Robert.

"A man wrote me not long ago and asked me what I thought of the theory of angels. I immediately told him that I am highly in favor of angels. As a matter of fact, I am scared to death of them.

Any adult human being with half sense, and some with more, knows that there are angels.

If he has ever spent any period in loneliness, when the senses are forced in upon themselves, he has felt the wind from their beating wings and been overwhelmed with the sudden realization of the endless and gigantic dark that exists outside the little candle flame of human knowledge.

 

He has prayed, not in the sense that he asked for something, but that he yielded himself.

Angels live daily at our very elbows, and so do demons, and most men at one time or another in their lives have yielded themselves to both and have lived to rejoice and rue their impulses. 

 

But the man who has once felt the beat of an angel's wing finds it easy to rejoice at the universe and at his fellow man.

It does not happen to any man often, and too many of us dismiss it when it happens.

I remember a time in my final days in college when the chinaberry trees were abloom and the air was sweet with spring blossoms and I stood still on the street, suddenly struck with the feeling of something that was an enormous promise and yet was no tangible promise at all.

And there was another night in a small boat when the moon was full and the distant headlands were dark but beautiful and we were lonely.

The pull of a nameless emotion was so strong that it filled the atmosphere. The small boy within me cried.

Psychiatrists will say that the angel in all this was really within me, not outside, but it makes no difference.

There are angels inside us and angels outside, and the one inside is usually the quickest choked.

Francis Thompson said it better. He was a late 19th-century English poet who would put the current crop of hippies to shame.

He was on pot all his life. His pad was always mean and was sometimes a park bench.

He was a mental case and tubercular besides.

He carried a fishing creel into which he dropped the poetry that was later to become immortal.

"The angels keep their ancient places," wrote Francis Thompson in protest. "Turn but a stone, and start a wing."

He was lonely enough to be the constant associate of angels.

There is an angel close to you this day. Merry Christmas, and I wish you well."

Fallen Officers' Memorial.

Robert.

egalliV thgirbratS.

More about Starbright Village

The Spook Parade

These pictures were taken on Halloween 2008. I'm a little behind on blogging, okay?  First, here's some pictures from the late, lamented Room 19: 

Step 7: Adjust data to fit hypothesis.  Step 8:  Publish.

Spiders grow awfully big in West Texas.

Frankenstein is one of Liz's most popular decorations.

Anyway, this is how Kermit does trick-or-treating:  It's called the Spook Parade.  The downtown merchants give out candy.  The kids, young and old, file past in a somewhat orderly fashion.

Robert as Indiana Jones.  See shadow of photographer.

This cat does not look happy in this Winkler Post shot ...

(be sure to view all 71 of their photos)

Halloween is tough on pets.

The line begins about 5 p.m. beside the skating rink ...

... and to the front of Lowe's Supermarket.

Rumor is there's a kid in a cockroach costume.  What kind of parent ... Never mind!

Tristan, one of Liz's students, came in this charming costume.

My goal is to find the kid dressed as a cockroach ... but he's too quick for me.  You turn on the light and he's gone.

The Winkler Post beat me to him!

Child on pile of rusty metal looks safe.

The Kermit police keep the street blocked.

We spend seven years of our lives waiting in line, you know.

Awright, who put Halloween so close to election day?

See reflection of photographer.

Or if you see, like, flames or something...

The wires at the left appear very safe.

First candy stop.

Onward to the credit union.

There we are in the credit union window.

Then across the street and down the block ...

Want to look like this?

 ... and through the alley.

The purpose of all this is to make the child tired, right?

The Jack and Jill shop was founded by musician Doug Smith's parents.

This familiar fellow stands in the doorway of H and R Block.

Yes, there are a few Democrats in Kermit.

This mural shows many of the town's historic buildings, and even the Wink Sink!

The only local contested race in 2008 was for district attorney.  The seated gentleman is Mike Fostel, the incumbent.

Caption this pup.

How long has this guy been waiting for a loan?

More animal cruelty.

Now we head into the courthouse.

This interesting marker belongs near Wink.  I don't know why they keep it in the courthouse, but here it is.

These markers also appear in this post.  I guess I just like to repeat myself.

This time capsule is scheduled to be opened later this month (September 25).

Kermit looks on in approval.  Or not.

Leaving the courthouse,

 

we head across the street to what used to be a theater.  Now it's a real estate office.

There are a few Star Trek fans in Kermit too.  (From the Post.)

We were here a few days before for a cakewalk.

This is about a 90-minute walk.  Hopefully Robert is tired.  I know I am.


The last candy stop is James Jepson, the other guy who was running for district attorney.  (He wound up being defeated 2 to 1.)

This marker tells the story of Col. C.M.Winkler, whom the county was named for.