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Adoption Day celebrates new beginnings
Published November 21, 2005
ACCLAIM AND A SHAME:
It’s hard to conceive of anything that could be of more benefit to a child than loving parents and a stable home. Unfortunately, too many children never get to experience these fundamental foundations of development. According to Brazoria County Children’s Protective Services, there are hundreds of children in need of adoption just from that agency alone.
A number of county officials and area agencies are doing what they can to fight this problem.
For the third year in a row, Brazoria County celebrated National Adoption Day with mass adoption procedures at the county courthouse in Angleton. In addition to the finalization of adoptions, the event is designed to highlight the need for adoptions, especially of older children.
Officials from DePelchin Children’s Center and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services were on hand Thursday at Adoption Day to answer questions and pass out information.
Eight adoptions were finalized at the event. While the turnout was lower than the previous two years, the day was no less joyful, said County Court-at-Law Judge Jerri Lee Mills, who herself has adopted an older child.
“It’s nice to do something in a courtroom where there’s nothing but smiles,” Mills said. “We still made a lot of people happy.”
This is one idea that’s succeeding in its goal to create brighter futures for children who deserve happiness, but have often been denied this so far in their lives by circumstances beyond their control
District Attorney Jeri Yenne said other counties are setting aside a day for their courts to handle adoptions much the way Brazoria County does.
“I think the day is catching on,” Yenne said.
Church honors National Guard
Faith and patriotism are two of the traditional pillars of good citizenship in Brazoria County.
A post-Veterans Day event Nov. 13 spotlighting the National Guard hosted by the Angleton Church of Christ showed those qualities are still in good supply. Members of the church said they felt it was important to show support for both the area Guard members and their families.
The National Guard has been in the spotlight both nationally — due to the high proportion of Guard units serving in Iraq — and locally due to the recent deployment of the unit based in Angleton.
“I think it’s wonderful for them to have this,” said Margaret Curran, whose son, Spc. Paul Giambelluca, is a member of the Texas National Guard.
The program included the congregation singing “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and the introduction of local Texas National Guardsmen and veterans. Family members of current and past soldiers were acknowledged, as well.
“God tells us to honor people where honor is due and that’s what we try to do,” church minister Leland Rodgers said.
While a strict privacy act made it difficult to identify area Guardsmen and invite their family members directly, this event still provided a valuable community service in spotlighting their service and sacrifice.
Great American Smokeout saves lives
Back in the old days, that bygone era in which the Great American Smokeout began 29 years ago, it seemed at times as if the Marlboro Man was almost as omnipresent as Santa Claus.
But thanks in large part to the efforts of this event hosted annually by the American Cancer Society, smoking is much less popular.
On this day celebrated Thursday of last week, smokers were asked to put down their cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco, as all have the potential to cause cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, smoking rates in the United States have dropped from 42 percent in 1965 to 22 percent. But still, the organization estimates that more than 11,000 Texans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005, and of those, 10,620 will die.
Getting the attention of young people is especially important, as statistics show.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tobacco use among high school and middle school students hit record levels during the 1990s and more than 80 percent of current adult smokers started before they were 18 years old.
Even long-time smokers can see dramatic and quick improvement in their health once they’ve stubbed out their final cigarette. The Great American Smokeout has undoubtedly prolonged many lives over the years and will continue its crusade to help Americans quit this addictive and deadly habit.
For more information, visit the American Cancer Society Web site at www.cancer.org or the Smokeout Web site at www.greatamericansmokeout.org.
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