KILGOROUND
MITCH LUCAS

I WENT TO SLEEP Saturday night, a little under the weather, and woke up and it was Monday afternoon.

At least, that's the way it felt. I promise you, both Sunday and Monday, I felt like I'd been hit by a bread truck. I never had allergy problems before until recently, but the last few days have been rough. To anyone that I didn't see on Sunday and Monday that I was supposed to see (including my church choir and Dr. Jeff Davis), my apologies.

On the positive side, I did get to watch plenty of "Spongebob Squarepants."

But I'm highly medicated as I write this, and if the bread truck came back, I probably wouldn't feel it, anyway.

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OUR ATHLETIC school year is just about up, with the elimination from the Class 4A playoffs of the Kilgore High School Bulldogs, and with the elimination of the Sabine High Lady Cardinals from the 3A softball postseason

Believe it or not, football will be the next organized sport to start. Wow, does time go by fast - it seems like we just walked off the Rose Stadium turf about a month ago.

There will be no spring practice this year for the Kilgore High School football team, with coach Mike Vallery opting instead to have a longer August practice and an extra scrimmage. Kilgore College's spring is finished, wrapped about 10 days ago with a good spring game showing for the Rangers' defense.

There is at least one more athletic competition left involving a Kilgore athlete. Senior Tai'Shea Reese will compete in the long jump on Friday in the UIL State Track & Field Championships at the University of Texas in Austin. She's going in as the winner of the jump at her regional meet (a couple of weekends ago in North Texas), and I

time have believe Tai'Shea has to be considered one of the favorites to win, or at least medal.

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IF YOU'D LIKE to see Patsy Cline, or at least probably the closest thing to her, you can come out to the Dodson Auditorium on the KC campus tonight.

Sherill Douglas will be the performer in "Crazy 'Bout Patsy," a tribute to Cline and her music, at Dodson tonight, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets have been on sale for some time for $20 and $15, and this is being sponsored by the Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation (KHPF).

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WE CAN'T let today go by without thanking the press crew at the Henderson Daily News. The drive motor on our printing press burned up Saturday morning and Henderson rescued us, printing the Sunday paper for us.

THE motor is repaired and back in service.

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ON SATURDAY, MAY 31, the East Texas Lions Clubs will host a benefit for diabetic and handicapped children at the Sacred Spur Ranch, north of Longview.

It will be an all-day event, including entertainment, games, food and a horse show, and several celebrities will be on hand, including legendary Western actor Robert Fuller, and also U.S. Congressman Louie Gohmert, and a Texas Ranger (of the law enforcement variety, not the sub-par baseball team), Glenn Elliott, author of "A Ranger's Ranger."

Gates will open at 8 a.m. that Saturday, and tickets are $10 for the day.

The event culminates Saturday night with a steak dinner and dance, which will require a separate ticket.

For more information, call (903) 938-1829, or write an e-mail to nancy43@yahoo.com.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY to Vickie Briggs, J. Mitchell, Jimmy Culp, Frances Garrett, Mrs. W.P. Donnelly, Sylvia Clark, Debbie Lloyd, Debbie Norris, Sandra Downs, Pam Holcombe, Helen Palmer, Joshua Palmer, Vickie Briggs, Ken May.

Some folks of note who are also celebrating birthdays today: singer Bob Seger (63), actor and liberal-cause champion George Clooney (47), TV personality Tom Bergeron (host of "Dancing With the Stars" and "America's Funniest Videos;" he's 53), actress Roma Downey (48), and singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore (63).

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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TODAY to Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Hooten, Barbara and Sylvester Conrad.