Revving engines and haircuts return to Snyder

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My Two Cents

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To steal a line from Elton John, Saturday night was alright for driving.

Despite the mid-August-like heat, it looked like more than 100 vehicles lined up and participated in the Snyder Wheels Car Club cruise from Towle Park to downtown Snyder and back. Several times as many people lined College Ave. to watch. 

I think there were a lot of people who were ready to get out of the house. And Saturday’s cruise was a chance to do that — and for car enthusiasts from near and far to get together and show off their rides.

Thank you to everyone with the Snyder Wheels Car Club for bringing us a sense of normalcy and for giving us a show to come out and watch. Thank you also to everyone who participated. 

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Who would have ever thought we would get so excited about the prospect of getting a haircut?

The covids and the various ways it has disrupted everyday life has been something else. My barbershop doesn’t actually re-open until Tuesday, and I imagine the scene there will be like the rush to get a haircut on the day before school begins, but in this case lasting for a few weeks or longer and socially distanced.

As the workers who’ve been shut out of their businesses longer than anyone else, I’m sure they will welcome being busy and greet a steady stream of shaggy-haired customers with a smile and a sharp pair of scissors. 

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I’ll be interested to see how tonight’s virtual Tempest performance plays out. 

The youngest daughter is a cast member in Snyder High School’s one-act play entry, so we’ll be tuning in as she and the rest of the cast and crew present the Shakespeare play. Of course, she’ll make sure we’re doing that from another room in the house. 

I know it’s been hard for Gillian and the rest of the cast and crew to have their one-act play season canceled early. While there has certainly been a focus on canceled sports, Snyder High School had several students who had already qualified for UIL state competitions in band and choir, as just two examples. 

I hope tonight that they are well received with a large audience and positive feedback after their performance.

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After a series of technical hiccups on Monday, the Snyder City Council met without a hitch on Friday afternoon. The council has been meeting remotely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a decision that adds several layers of wrinkles to a process outlined by state law.

I want to take a moment and thank the council members, city staff and the city’s attorney for postponing Monday’s scheduled meeting to Friday in order to make sure everyone was able to participate. The business on the agenda is pretty routine, but it’s important that even routine matters be handled in the open.

The proper way is not always the easiest way — but taxing entities that follow the guidelines outlined in the state’s Open Meeting Act tend to benefit from greater confidence among citizens than those that choose ignore the law.

Reporters from this newspaper tend to be the only members of the public at most governmental meetings, but the public deserves to know when the meetings will happen, how they will be conducted and how, should they choose, they can participate without obstruction.

Thank you Snyder, for leading the way on this.

 

Bill Crist is the publisher of The Snyder News. Comments may be emailed to publisher@snyderdailynews.com.