Herman Brown- CACI Board of Directors passed July 22, 2025
Lake Como Milestone Event 2026
(Products of Lake Como Make It Big Time)
As the winter storm settles in, and we begin this +60 hour of below freezing weather. We are hunkering down for over 3 days of hibernation. You may just might submit to cabin fever, but wait if you like football and you may want to root for a feel-good story, settle in Sunday for the NFL Championship gameday. This is a rare occasion that two kids from a small community that is about one square mile, has the opportunity of having 2 of their own play in the Super Bowl from different teams.
Two fine young men of the highest character with exceptional athletic ability who has reached the ultimate status in the National Football League.
Milton Williams whose family lived in Como and has been a lifelong member Lake Como Greater Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church where his dad serves as the church’s associate minister.
On June 3, 2021, Milton signed his four-year rookie contract with the Philadelphia Eagles as a defensive lineman. During his rookie season in 2021, Williams played in all 17 games. In 2022, Milton continued to develop and played an important role in a dominant Eagles defense that helped the team reach Super Bowl LVII. By the 2023 season, Milton had solidified himself as a crucial part of the defensive line rotation. With increased snaps and greater responsibility, he maintained his reputation as a disruptive interior lineman. In 2024, Milton remained a key contributor, further refining his technique and impact on the field. Milton had two sacks and forced and recovered a fumble in the 40–22 win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, and with that solidified himself as one the premier defensive lineman in the NFL.
On March 13, 2025, Milton signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the New England Patriots assuring him to be one of the best at his position. The contract made Milton the highest-paid Patriots player ever, in terms of annual salary. And on Sunday he will be playing in his third NFL Championship game and in the playoffs every year.
Tariq (Riq) Woolen who was born and raised in Como, and was well known for his football and track accomplishments at Arlington Heights. His dad has been the coach of the Como community youth teams.
At the 2022 NFL Combine, Woolen ran a 4.26-second 40-yard dash, tied for third-best in the Combine history and fastest for a player over six foot. This make Tariq a covet draft choice and the Seattle Seahawks selected him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft. On May 6, 2022, the Seahawks signed Riq Woolen to a four–year, $3.99 million rookie contract that includes a signing bonus of $332,216. On September 12, 2022, Tariq made his professional regular season debut and earned his first career start in the Seattle Seahawks' home-opener against the Denver Broncos. Tarig established himself early on as an up and coming defensive back in his first year. He was named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team and earned Pro Bowl honors. He started in all 17 games in his rookie season with a total 63 combined tackles (46 solo), 16 pass deflections, and tied for most interceptions in 2022 with six. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. In 2023, Tariq returned as a starting cornerback under defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt in 2023. On January 31, 2024, the Seahawks announced the hiring of a new coaching staff, following the departure of Pete Carroll. Defensive coordinator Aden Durde chose to retain Tariq and Devon Witherspoon as the starting cornerbacks to begin the season. During the 2025 season Riq was held back because of injuries during most of the season but has return to the defensive back field in time for the end of the season and the playoffs.
There are several common threads, both being multi-sport athletes, both 26 year of age (less than a month apart), they are well respected as premier professional football players, and BOTH are from the same community, LAKE COMO, TEXAS.
The community is very proud of these young men’s accomplishments. This Sunday’s event is one of the ultimate achievements for Lake Como which has been recognized as the National USA Community’s Neighborhood of the Year, 2 years running. Where the community was rewards for its growth, development with its social, youth and senior programing, religious commitment, as well as initiatives for ex-offenders and its historic recognition. As a lifelong active member of the Como Community where I wear our purple and gold color so proudly in honor of our former high school, we are so very proud our Community and people with Como connections.
This Sunday join me and watch in the comfort of your own home this Sunday, January 25th, featuring New England Patriot (Milton Williams #97) vs Denver Broncos at 4 pm CT (CBS) and the Los Angeles Rams vs Seattle Seahawks (Tariq Woolen #27) at 7:30 CT (FOX). And they just might take it another step, that being Lake Como in the house, Super Bowl LX on February 8th, 2026.
National Neighborhood of the Year Award _ Lake Como 2024-2026
Here and see Marc Veasey make a presentation on the Congressional floor in honor of this award, follow the link below:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17-CMkTB9oOIvCGy3wUfdsQbBe2Gkhv3E/view
Lake Como Community is again:
City of Fort Worth Neighborhood of the Year 2 Years running
Past Reunion Vesper Service ministers (also Rev. Larry Atkins and now add 2024 Pastor Prince Charles Ray)
CACI News November 2025:
All the state propositions passed, so there were some good amendments that will directly benefit our community, but some will add unnecessary dollars to special interest.
THE COMO VOTES
The Como votes are getting scarce. This past election cycle was pathetic. We have 2009 registered voters in our community and only 8% voted. At the very minimum, you got to garner 10% throughout all districts. This cycle was low throughout the area but that is no excuse for the Como Community whose numbers are always a plus.
We can point out that over the years the community has transformed. During my early lifetime, the community was close to 100 % a black community. The fewer likely voters relied on assistance and received help to get to the polls. Some family member or a neighbor who helps with any shortcomings for not voting. Even as a kid I remember the blowhorns from cars, telling folks to go vote.
Voting was the most reliable way to be heard other than an organized protest, and we were heard in bulk. Politician found that this block of votes could turn a close election. This was mostly directed to local races where the margins were usually close. Many elections were decided by the Como block of votes. We had a voice that would be heard by most politicians and would usually get us a seat at the table to voice our needs.
The Como community is well over a third if not half now diverse. We have a language issue and a more reluctant population for a variety of justified reasons where name recognition could mean a house call from ICE.
We now have laws designed to make voting more of a job than a right. Mail-in voting is a chore, some polls have armed bandits intimidating voters by circling the polling locations, and there is a desire to disallow votes in targeted areas because of voting patterns.
I do know for a fact that most of my colleagues still make it to the polls, but they don't all live in Como anymore. I know because I get so many calls when my voters' guide is not out when voting starts. They grew up knowing that voting was a privilege and it really meant something. And they could always say that "I did not vote for that crook."
They have always been laws to keep convicted criminals from voting, but those rights could be returned after some time frames and a clean record, but we have missed out on getting those folks back into the system. We have not reached out to the Hispanic to bring them in. And perhaps I have not brought our kids along for the voting ride. We drop the ball in most cases, they in general don’t see voting as we (my generation) do. Our churches were once rallying point for voting registration, speeches and endorsements. But now the churches have to be careful in keeping religion separate from the state, if not a tax audit will just happen to appear if in opposition of the ruling party.
Especially these days with an all-out attempt to control your vote by gerrymandering you into a district where you are considerably outnumbered and render your voice speechless. Where your political representative can annoy you without any consequences. Let Make America Great Again now is code phase for returning to days in the sixties and before. (see narrative below)
Black Americans and the Vote
The struggle over voting rights in the United States dates all the way back to the founding of the nation. The original U.S. Constitution did not define voting rights for citizens, and until 1870, only white men were allowed to vote. Two constitutional amendments changed that. The Fifteenth Amendment (ratified in 1870) extended voting rights to men of all races. However, this amendment was not enough because African Americans were still denied the right to vote by state constitutions and laws, poll taxes, literacy tests, the “grandfather clause,” and outright intimidation. The Twenty-fourth Amendment (ratified in 1964) partly addressed this injustice by prohibiting the use of poll taxes in federal elections. In addition to these constitutional amendments, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 secured voting rights for adult citizens of all races and genders in the form of federal laws that enforced the amendments.
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