February 13,
2009
|
MIDLAND
– An old-fashioned West Texas dust storm blew through the area – literally –
Tuesday, closing roads and limiting visibility over a wide area and causing
at least one fatality. Over
a wider area, tornadoes ravaged parts of Oklahoma, killing eight in Lone
Grove near Ardmore, hometown of Teresa Smith, CEO of Cactus Health Services
of Sanderson. Smith
said her family survived the storm but she did not know if she had friends
among the victims. Four
18-wheel trucks and a Honda Accord were involved in a collision at the height
of the dust storm on Interstate 10 near Balmorhea, killing one and injuring
one other. Terri
Logan Trest, 59, of Soley AL, was killed in the accident and her husband, William
James Trest, was airlifted to Odessa Medical Center where he was reported in
“stable” condition Wednesday. Some
reports had said as many as 15 vehicles were involved but the Department of
Public Safety recorded only the five vehicles. Robert
Halpern, publisher of the Big Bend
Sentinel in Marfa, reported that State Highway 17 was closed between
Marfa and Fort Davis. Wind
blew over a tractor-trailer, blocking the travel lanes of the highway, he
said. By MARK GLOVER Contributing Editor BIG
BEND – The annual Pioneer Reunion at Panther Junction in the Big Bend
National Park Saturday focused for the first time in its 20-year history on
the Mexican side of the story. Recounting
the pioneer experiences of Mexican Families on both sides of the Rio
Bravo/Rio Grande, speaker by speaker offered untold and often sensitive stories
of the relationships of Mexicans with Anglos, blacks and Indians in the Big
Bend. Juan
Casas of Albuquerque wrote the recently published “Federico Villalba’s
Texas,” a historical rendering of Mexican life in the Big Bend during the
last century as experienced by his great grandfather, Federico Villalba. Casas,
who was inspired to write his book by his friendship with Victor Villaseñor,
author of “Rain of Gold,” offered several tales from his new book including
one about Mexico’s most notorious rebel and Texas’s most notorious law
enforcers. “Pancho
Villa was raiding Texas ranches along the border and bringing their cattle to
Mexico,” Casas said, wearing a broad rimmed brown cowboy hat during his presentation.
“The
Texas Rangers, who were well armed and ready to fight, were known by Mexicans
as the ‘Rinches,’” he said. “They went across the river to Porvenir looking
for the cattle rustlers, rounded up 17 men and executed them on the side of a
bluff in cold blood,” Casas said. “Ever since that day they were no longer
the ‘Rinches,’ but the ‘Los Diablos Tejanos.’” In
the past, many Texans considered Mexicans as “bandits and savages” and “99
per cent were depicted as criminals,” Casas said. “Even today, we are accused
of being terrorists.” Casas
then took questions from the audience. “I’ve been trying to put this together for
ten years,” Mike Boren, executive director of the Big Bend National History
Association and MC of the event, said in reference to the Mexican side of the
story. “It’s been hard to find speakers.” “We
knew hardly nothing of our history,” said Paul Briones, a science teacher and
host of the “Professor Paul 24-7 Show,” in San Antonio. “Many of these
stories only our grandmothers knew. But now they are coming to light.” Briones,
who also hopes to write an anecdotal history of his family in the Big Bend,
put together a brief family account of the Terlingua-Redford area after
posting “Terlingua Kid” on MySpace and receiving hits from relatives all over
America. Briones’
mother comes from Chihuahua whose family names include Gonzales, Carrasco and
Olivia. From
Baja Terlingua and Redford, his father’s heritage also included the family
names of Hernandez, Salcedo and Briones. Brisket
was served to a sold-out crowd of more than 150 during lunch on the patio of
the park administration building. The
event’s five speakers also included Angelina Solis Dawson of Lancaster, CA,
and psychiatrist Dr. Joyce Morin-Smith of Ashland, KY, daughter of Sotero
Morin of Alpine and the late Evelyn Blaine Morin. “There’s
something happening here today,” Enrique Madrid of Redford said later in the
afternoon during a break between speakers. “It is not unlike the Truth and
Reconciliation Program in South Africa today where blacks and whites are
trying to heal from the racial abuses of the Apartheid government of the
past.” Madrid,
who was born and raised in Redford, tossed his pony tail behind his shoulders
with a flick of his head and then looked down. “Many
of us have been victimized,” he said. “We have to forgive the US Marine Corp
for killing Ezequiel Hernandez. And we have to forgive the Texas Rangers. All
of us must forgive and repent.” Leroy
Baeza, semi-retired and past co-owner of Baeza’s Grocery Stores, spoke about
his family’s history in the Big Bend, recalling the Republic of Texas land
grant that his great-great grandfather Anastasio Baeza received from the
first President of Texas, David Burnet. The
land grant was in effect on both sides of the Rio Grande. He
also told the story of his father’s great-great grandfather Anton Dietrich,
who was the first Dutchover in the Big Bend. “He
was sitting at the docks in Antwerp when he witnessed a murder by two
sailors,” Baeza said. “They chased him down and put him on the boat. “Five
years at sea, he finally got off at Galveston,” he said. “The Americans were
recruiting soldiers for the Mexican-American War. “Dietrich
stood in line to join but he couldn’t speak English,” Baeza said. “The
recruiters said, ‘He looks Dutch all over.’ And he became Anton Dutch all
Over until he changed it to Dutchover.” After
the war, Dutchover went on to join Bigfoot Wallace on the Pony Express and as
a stagecoach driver between San Antonio and El Paso. Baeza
said Dutchover settled in Olympia Creek, married Dorothea Salcedo and raised
ten children. “On
my mother’s side there is Irish, Spanish and Mexican. On my father’s side
there is Dutch, Spanish and Mexican,” Baeza said from the podium. “So if you
see any red-headed, freckle-faced Mexicans, you know where they came from.
“But we consider ourselves ‘Big Benders,’” he said. ‘Windmill’
seen for TC landfill SANDERSON
– Wind-generated energy was one possible solution to putting a building at
the Terrell County Landfill to house the landfill attendant who also serves
as the animal control officer. The
building would house the animal control facility, letting the dual purpose
officer have an office for both of his responsibilities. In
the past, the landfill attendants have had to use a county pickup with the engine
running to get out of the elements. But
getting power to the landfill east of Sanderson has been a problem. County
Judge Leo Smith said it would cost some $60,000 just to extend the line to
the landfill from where it ends at the entrance to Casa Barranca, a proposed
housing development on top of a hill at the east end of Sanderson. The
County Commissioners Court last month asked Commissioner Charles Stegall to research possibilities and, while it
was not on the agenda Monday, Stegall told commissioners Monday the county
could acquire a wind turbine, complete with backup batteries, for about
$12,000. He
said one or two turbines could provide the power needed for the landfill building. For
an additional $3,000 per unit, the county could get a turbine that would
allow the county to sell power it was not using back to the power company,
reducing its utility costs. But
that would require extending the power line. County
Judge Leo Smith earlier explored a wind farm for the county but learned it
would not be feasible at the time because of a lack of power transmission
lines to the county. “But
the cost [of wind power generators] is coming down all the time,” he said. Because
there was no agenda item, no action was taken on the issue.
Stegall said he would continue to research the question. By KIM RAPP News Leader
Production Manager SANDERSON
– The Sanderson Eagles took on the Buena Vista Longhorns in the final game of
the regular season Friday. The
girls barely lost in a nail biting 45-43 final that had the crowd on the edge
of their seats or on their feet. With
30 seconds left, the Eagles pulled within a point but then lost by two. Personal
stats were unavailable at press time. The
guys took the floor and, though the Longhorns drew first blood holding a
16-11 lead after one period of play, the Eagles pulled ahead in the second
quarter and never looked back, winning by a score of 64-53. High
score honors belong to Senior Phillip Lascano with 20 points. Travis
Roberts put 19 points on the board, Jacob Benavidez and J.D. Brotherton
scored six points apiece, Jimmy Rapp scored five points and Darren Seidel put
four points on the board. Also
scoring were Cordell Lawson and Jonathon Calzada with two points apiece. At
half time, the scoreboard read 32-23 in favor of the Eagles. After
three quarters, the Eagles remained on top, 45-40. Both Varsity teams have advanced to
the play-offs and will begin at a date to be announced. from
Sanderson SANDERSON
– It’s time once again for the annual History Fair and a total of 30 students
from Sanderson High School and Junior High will participate this year. The
statewide theme for this year’s fair is individual history. From
the junior high, Mason Blackmon will prepare an individual documentary on
World War II Fleet Commander Adm. Chester Nimitz. Jalen
Chriesman and Daniel Luevano will create a website on President Harry S
Truman and Kayla Fuéntez along with Grace Jahn will do a documentary on nurse
Clara Barton. Danae
Fisher will do a tabletop exhibit on athlete Babe Didrikson and Joey Carrasco
will work with Luis Garza and Anthony Fuéntez on an undecided project. As
for the high school students, brothers Travis and William Roberts will create
a tabletop on the Camel Trains, an experiment with camels as desert transport
in the 19th century. Vicky
Busch, Jessica Garza, Sarah Sivils and Alexa Davis will research President
Dwight Eisenhower and create a website. Noemi
Nuñez, Valeria Orozco, Cordell Lawson, Andrew Woosley and Jonathon Calzada
will perform a play on labor leader Caesar Chavez. Kelly
Lomas will team up with Ernestina Gonzales, Taylor Johnson and Brianna
Johnson to do research singer Johnny Cash. Julianna
Larrinaga will work with Juliana Castro, Jimmy Rapp and Roxanna Rodriguez to
do a documentary on Thomas Gallaudet, the creator of sign language. Casey
Couch and L.A. Galvan are undecided about their project. Regional
competition will be on March 19 in Alpine. In
2007, 19 out of 24 Sanderson students advanced to the State competition in
Austin. Daniel
Rapp, Ariana Gamboa, Erin Corbett, Josh Estrada and Jimmy Ramirez won fifth
place at State for their documentary on six-man football that year. The
success two years ago sparked interest in students once again participating
in the History Fair. Trisha
Nichols, who is in charge this year, said parents and other members of the
community are encouraged and needed to be “judges” as a practice run. “The
students need to practice presentation,” she said “It’s part of it.” The junior high students will work
on their project on Thursday nights at 6 p.m. while the high school will follow
on Thursday at 7 p.m. SANDERSON
– Friends, co- workers and neighbors chipped in more than $1,800 Monday to
help pay medical expanses for one of Sanderson’s newest residents. Kodi
Alana Dominguez was born to Mark and Kim Dominguez on Dec. 27, about three
months premature. Kodi
was not present for the dinner in the High School Cafeteria because her
doctors did not want her going out in public until she got stronger. Dad
Mark stayed home while Kim and Kodi’s sisters, Kailey and Kylie greeted
diners who showed up for the roast beef and trimmings. Mark
Dominguez is Sanderson High School Athletic Director and doubles as
Elementary School principal. Kim is secretary to Superintendent Gary
Hamilton. Mark
and Kodi were represented by pictures displayed on a table. Kodi
weighted in at less than three pounds at birth but her mom said she is
getting stronger by the day. Hamilton
said Terrell County ISD employees have a “wonderful” health care plan but the
family’s expenses are mounting. Volunteers
provided the dinner and guests paid $6 per plate. In
addition, several volunteers donated cakes and Becky Norris provided a gallon
of ice cream, which were auctioned off by County Commissioner and Auctioneer
Kenn Norris, bringing as much as $65 for a single dessert. in
giant telescope AUSTIN
– The University of Texas at Austin and McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis
have joined with eight other astronomical research organizations from three
continents in signing the Founders’ Agreement to construct and operate the
25-meter Giant Magellan Telescope at Las Campañas Observatory in the Andes
Mountains of Chile. “In
order to maintain our leadership role in astronomy in the future, Texas must
be a part of the development and employment of the most advanced
instruments,” said Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, dean of the university’s College
Natural Sciences. “This means being involved in the creation of a very large
telescope that will allow astronomers to push data acquisition and
observation to much more advanced levels than ever before. “We
believe that the GMT project offers the best telescope design and the best
partnership available, and we are proud to be part of the effort,” she said. “Joining
GMT keeps our astronomy program very competitive,” said Dr. David L. Lambert,
director of the McDonald Observatory. “It will be a tool for us to probe the
coming frontiers of optical and infrared astronomy.” In
addition to the university, other US participants include the Carnegie Institution
for Science, Harvard University, the Smithsonian Institution, Texas A&M
University and the University of Arizona. The
two Australian members of the Founders group are the Australian National
University and Astronomy Australia Limited. The
newest partner to join GMT is the Korea Astronomy and Space Science
Institute, whose representatives were to have signed the Founders Agreement
last week. Lambert
said the university hopes to take a leading role in the telescope’s
instrumentation, proposing to build two major instruments for GMT in Austin. These
would be spectrographs, the instruments that are mounted on telescopes and
take light from a star or galaxy and break it up into its component
wavelengths, like a prism breaking light into a rainbow. Spectrographs
enable astronomers to learn the distance, temperature, motion, chemical
content and more of objects millions of light-years away – places mankind will never be able to visit
and study up close. GMT
will provide unique capabilities that will open new windows onto the universe
and help answer questions that cannot be answered with existing facilities. Earlier,
it was announced that a pair of astronomers from Texas and Germany have used
a telescope at McDonald together with the Hubble Space Telescope and many
other telescopes around the world to uncover new evidence that the largest,
most massive galaxies in the universe and the supermassive black holes at
their hearts grew together over time. “They
evolved in lockstep,” said UT Austin’s John Kormendy, who co-authored the
research that appears in this week’s issue of Astrophysical Journal
Letters with Ralf Bender of Germany’s Max-Planck-Institute for
Extraterrestrial Physics and Ludwig Maximilians University Observatory. Astronomers
know that galaxies, those vast cities of millions or billions of stars, grow
larger through collisions and mergers. Kormendy’s
and Bender’s work involves the biggest galaxies in the universe — “elliptical
galaxies” that are shaped roughly like footballs and that can be made of as
many as 1,000 billion stars. Virtually
all of these galaxies contain a black hole at their center. A
black hole is an infinitely dense region that contains the mass of millions
or billions of stars and from which no light can escape. A
current leading theory says that when galaxies collide, their black holes end
up revolving around each other. Together,
the two black holes act like an egg beater: They violently stir up the galaxy
center with their incredibly strong gravity and they fling stars out of the
central regions.
As the black hole pair sinks to the center of the new merger remnant,
this supergalaxy’s core is depleted of the stars that were flung away. By JASON
HENNINGTON Sul Ross News Writer ALPINE
– This city’s Centennial School building provided a “picture perfect” setting
for a donation to Sul Ross State University. Alpine
Chamber of Commerce manager and local artist J.R. Smith painted a portrait of
the Centennial School when it served as an elementary-junior high facility. “The
painting was dedicated to the 2008 Centennial School reunion with proceeds
benefiting the Centennial School Endowment,” said B.J. Gallego, an Alpine
resident and former Centennial School student. Smith
said he was honored to do the painting of the school because of its
historical significance. “The
school has such a wonderful heritage, I said I would be honored to do a
painting for them,” Smith said. After
seeing some of Smith’s work, Gallego suggested that a painting be used for
fund-raising purposes during the school reunion. “He
saw some of the architectural portraits I have done in the past [many of
which have historical markers],” Smith said. “He told me that I needed
to see the Centennial School building. Later he took me up to see it and took
me on a tour of the building.” Once
the painting was finished, it was donated and a suggestion was made to sell
prints of the painting. All
of the money raised would go to the Centennial School Endowment. “I
produced 100 prints for the committee to sell,” Smith said. “Then the
committee could do whatever they wanted with the painting. They decided to
give it to the university. I
am very pleased that they had success in selling the prints,” he said. “I
also enjoy that the painting is able to now hang at the Centennial School.” The
painting has been added to a display of artifacts from the school’s
past. This is the fifth year of the display. “It
is paying tribute to the school reunion, the history and culture of the Centennial
School,” Gallego said. For
more than 30 years, from 1936 to 1969, Centennial School – located on West Avenue
H in Alpine – was a center of educational and social life in the neighborhood.
The
facility was built by the Works Progress Administration for the Alpine
Independent School District in 1936 and named in commemoration of the Texas
Centennial. Centennial
School provided education through the eighth grade for Hispanic and African American
students until its closing. Alpine
ISD used Centennial for two years after its schools integrated. The facility
later served as an office building for various tenants until 1983 when it was
closed. Sul
Ross purchased the property in 2001. Through the efforts of State Rep. Pete
P. Gallego, funding was obtained to renovate the facility. The
21,010-square foot building renovation was completed in 2003 before being
dedicated in 2004 and is home to the Big Bend Region Minority and Small
Business Development Center. It
also houses offices for the Center of Big Bend Studies, costume storage
space, an art studio, a shared conference room and a general purpose
classroom. “The
bond and relationship of all the fine people that attended the school is
great,” Smith said. “I so appreciate that I was given an opportunity to
participate in their reunion celebration.
“The Centennial School is such a major and important piece of the
history of Alpine,” he said. “It must be remembered and preserved.” |
Further
east, the Associated Press reported a tractor-trailer overturned on
Interstate 35 from the winds at Bruceville-Eddy between Temple and Waco. Winds
blew up in Sanderson late Tuesday, apparently causing a small fire in one
unit at the Budget Inn. Fire
Chief Bobby Brotherton said a shed was blown into power lines, causing the
short that started the fire. Damage was confined to an air conditioner and
the wall around it. County
Judge Leo Smith, who lives next door, smelled smoke and called Brotherton who
quickly extinguished the fire. No other damage or injuries were reported Winds
in West Texas were reported as high as 66 miles per hour in Fort Stockton and
Pecos. KWES, Channel 9, in Odessa reported winds of 91 mph at McDonald
Observatory near Fort Davis. SANDERSON – The
Terrell County Commissioners Court voted 3-1 Monday to apply for a $200,000
matching grant from the US Department of Agriculture to be used as “seed
money” to grow new and existing businesses. “We
need to try to stimulate the growth of Sanderson and Terrell County,” County
Judge Leo Smith said. “Towns and other communities all around us are doing
it.” Specifically,
the county agreed to match a grant of $200,000 with $200,000 from the
county’s contingency fund, which could then be used as loans to new
businesses or for expansion of existing businesses. “I
don’t think we need to be in the banking business,” said Commissioner Charles
Stegall, who cast the negative vote. Smith
said the money would go into a revolving loan account which could grow over
time. If
a borrower defaulted on the loan, Smith said, the county could foreclose on
the property and sell the property at auction. County
Attorney Marsha Monroe also opposed the idea. “If
they [borrowers] are not secure enough to get a bank loan, why would the
county want to get involved?” she asked. She
said if a borrower were a good risk for the county, he should be able to
qualify for a bank loan. Smith
said incorporated cities “all around us” are financing new businesses. “Towns
will build an industrial park and the city will give them the land,” he said.
“We could use the money to get a decent grocery store. Or we could prop up a
grocery store we already have.” He
said the loan might help a grocery store get inventory “at a competitive rate
so they don’t have to go out of town and pay retail prices. “We
need to do something to stimulate our town,” he said. “Every town, bar none
except Sanderson, is building a new motel.” Commissioners
agreed to apply for the loan before the deadline. Smith
said no money would be spent unless the court agreed to make a specific loan.
But if the court did not take action this week, it would be another year
before it could apply again.
“If we don’t like it, we don’t do it,” he said. SANDERSON
– Pecos County State Bank is now the depository on record for Terrell County
and Permanent School Funds after action Monday by County Commissioners Court. Sanderson
State Bank had the contract before it was closed in December and its assets
taken over by Pecos County State Bank. Pecos
County was the only bidder for the depository contract. Bank President George
Hansard was present for the bid opening. The
agreement is for four years with an opportunity for either side to
renegotiate after two years. In
a related action, the bank agreed to provide an $80,000 letter of credit to
cover the costs of closing the county landfill, should that be required. County
Judge Leo Smith said the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requires
the letter of credit, which the county formerly had from Sanderson State. He
said it is a requirement of the law and he does not anticipate the county
needing to exercise the agreement. “They
could close us down without it,” he said. In
other action, commissioners agreed to accept a bid of $232.22 Gary Morgan to
removing the old Little Green House building at the site of the proposed
convention center at Oak and Second. Morgan
started work right away and almost immediately uncovered a long-hidden mural
of cowboys and a stage coach. Historical
Commission Pres-ident Henry Beth Hogg said the mural was painted by Harvey
Rogers when he operated Harvey’s Café in the building in the 1960s. Morgan
said the mural will soon be lost forever when the wall comes down. And
commissioners agreed to continue advertising for a contractor to perform work
on the courthouse. Smith
said there had been no response to earlier advertisements for the work. The deadline for responding was
extended until March 6. Cancer ‘relay’ set for April 17 ALPINE – The American Cancer Society will sign up volunteers for
its Cancer Prevention Study-3 at the Relay for Life here from 6 to 10 p.m.
April 17, at Jackson Field at Sul Ross State University. Anyone between the ages of 30 and 65 who has never been
diagnosed with cancer and who will commit to the study for the long term may
sign up. Participants will be asked to complete a brief survey, provide a
waist measurement and give a small amount of blood, collected by a medical
professional. At home, they will complete a more detailed survey that asks
questions related to medical history, lifestyle and behaviors. Participants periodically will receive a survey at home asking
to update the information. The Alpine Relay for Life will be the only time CPS-3 will enroll in the Tri-County area this year. For more information or to learn how to become involved, visit www.cancer.org/cps3 or call Marvie
Burton at 432/837-2594. Burton may be e-mailed at williambburton@hotmail.com. ALPINE
– Eight Sanderson High School students participated in “Sully Super Saturday”
at Sul Ross State University here over the weekend. Making
the trip were Jonathan Calzada, Casey Couch, Lindsey Deason, L.A. Galvan,
Brianna Johnson, Taylor Johnson, Alan Marquez and Ernestina Gonzales. Albert
Peña was the bus driver and Laura Galvan went as the sponsor. The
kids attended Sul Ross basketball games after the events of the day. Sully’s Super Saturday is for prospective students interested
in enrolling at Sul Ross State University. The event is hosted by the Office of Recruiting. During
the preview, students can discover the programs offered at Sul Ross. GEARUP,
for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is a US
Department of Education grant program aimed at helping students get a jump on
the higher education process while still in junior high.
Participating students entered the program as seventh graders in the
fall of 2005 and will stay involved through a summer college bridge program
after high school graduation in 2011. SANDERSON
– The Sanderson Junior High girls came out third in the district championship
but the boy’s team was eliminated last weekend. In
the first round, the girls defeated the Longhorns from Buena Vista by a score
of 24-19. Melissa
Gonzales held high score with 10 points. Danielle
Fisher scored eight points, sister Danae Fisher added four points to the
total tally and Daniella Garza scored two points. The
ladies then lost to the number one seed Rankin Red Devils by a score of
25-11. Scoring
in that game were Danielle, who scored four points, Melissa put three points
on the board while Danae and Kayla Fuéntez both added two points to the
total. Rankin
went on to win first place in the girl’s junior high division. Sixth
graders on the roster for 2008-09 were Megan Seidel, Brianna Lozano, Cassie
Woosley, Mikayla, Abby Carrasco, Ashley Barron and Grace Jahn. Seventh
graders included Kayla Fuéntez and Danae Fisher. Eighth
graders were Daniella Garza, Danielle Fisher and Melissa Gonzales. The
girls were headed up by newcomer Landra Stewardson, who said she would like
to thank everyone who helped make the tournament a success and to all who supported
the Eagles throughout the season. In
boy’s action, the guys lost their first two games and were eliminated. In
game one, the Longhorns from Buena Vista defeated the Eagles 48-20. Scoring
for the Eagles were Jalen Chriesman with eight points, Luis Garza scored six
points, Dryden Baker added four points to the total tally and Daniel Luevano
and Mason Blackmon hit the net for one point apiece. In
game two, the Cowboys from Grand Falls outscored the Eagles 46-18. Jalen scored five points, Mason put
four points on the board, Luis scored three points and Daniel, Anthony
Fuéntez and Joey Carrasco all scored two points each. SANDERSON
– Sanderson Elementary and Junior High School students have agreed on “Toys
Go Out” by Emily Jenkins as a nomination for the Texas Bluebonnet book
festival, announced this week. Elementary
students picked the book as first place. Runner up was “Lawn Boy” by Gary
Paulsen. The
14 Sanderson Junior High students also voted for “Toys” as a runner up, tied
with “Tall Tales” by Karen Day. Their
favorite book from the list was “How to Steal a Dog” by Barbara O’Connor. “How
to Steal a Dog” also won second place statewide. The state winner was “One Potato, Two Potato by Cynthia
DeFelice, illustrated by Aundrea U’Ren. There
were 151, 631 total votes cast with 23,168 going to the winner. Second place
winner scored 19,257 votes and third place went to “The Invention of Hugo
Cabret” with 17,062. The
Texas Bluebonnet books are created by Texas librarians and students from
across the state get to vote on their favorite book. There
are 20 books on the list each year and, in order to vote, students must read
five of the books. Fifth
grader Jesse Roberts read all 20 books from the list and will be eligible to
get a free book at the next Sanderson Elementary Book Fair. The
winner is announced in February of each year and the author receives an award
at the Texas Library Association Bluebonnet Banquet in April. To
celebrate the event, elementary students had brownies, ice cream, popcorn and
a drink. Junior high students also had cookies and pickles and did some drawings
for some books. Elementary
students able to vote and attend the party included Noah Aguilar, Lauryn and
Luke Carroll, Hunter Truesdell, Daniela Barron, Edwin Carrasco, Andrew Hines,
Al Johnson, Kenney- Mae Pacheco Mikey
Shoemaker, Austen Stepp, Olivia Adauto, Mariah Aguilar, James Castro,
Elias Hafner, Aundria Hopkins, Jesse Roberts, Mayra Rodriguez and Valentine
Shindel. As
their names were drawn, they were able to pick from a selection of books
donated by Tami Carrasco.
Junior high students included Kayla Fuéntez, Jalen Chriesman, Anthony
Fuéntez, Joseph Carrasco, Abby Carrasco, Alexis Olivares, Ashley Barron,
Mason Blackmon, Grace Jahn, Hannah Johnson, Megan Seidel, Cassie Woosley,
Danae Fisher and Daniel Luevano. By KIM RAPP News Leader Production Manger For
the superstitious, today is Friday the 13th, an event that will appear two
more times this year. “Experts”
– if there can be such a thing as a “Friday the 13th expert” – say this is
the most widespread superstition in the United States today. Some
people won’t go to work on Friday the 13th, some won't eat in restaurants and
many wouldn’t think of setting a wedding on the date. The fear of Friday the 13th is called
“araskavedekatriapho-bia, a word derived from the combination of the Greek
words Paraskeví, meaning Friday, and dekatreís meaning thirteen attached to
phobía meaning fear. It is a
specialized form of triskaidekaphobia, a simple phobia of the
number 13, and is also known as friggatriskaidek-aphobia, the Friday the 13th
website says. The
term triskaidekaphobia was derived in 1911 and first appeared in a mainstream
source in 1953. The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, NC, says an estimated 17 to
21 million people in the US are affected by a fear of this day. “It’s been estimated that $800 or $900 million is lost
in business on this day, in the US,” the site says. The actual origin of the superstition, though, appears
also to be a tale in Norse mythology. Friday is named for Frigga, the free-spirited goddess of
love and fertility. When Norse and Germanic tribes converted to Christ-ianity,
Frigga was banished in shame to a mountaintop and labeled a witch. It was believed that every Friday, the spiteful goddess
convened a meeting with 11 other witches, plus the devil – a gathering of 13
– and plotted
ill turns of fate for the coming week. For centuries in Scandinavia, Friday was known as
“Witches’ Sabbath.” Throughout
the western world and, yes, even in Sanderson, people can still be found
numbering their houses “12 ½” to avoid living in number 13. The
state lotteries of France, Italy and elsewhere never sell tickets with that
number. Hotels
and hospitals, and similar institutions, often have no room numbered thirteen
and many big hotels, like the new Cavendish Hotel completed in London in
1966, and the Outback Oasis in Sanderson, have no room number 13. Many
buildings do not have a 13th floor. Some entrepreneurs use this date to release movies,
books or other events like record releases to add a little drama, including
the latest release of the movie, “Friday the 13th.” Perhaps
the best known of mealtime dangers is the belief that it is unlucky to seat
13 at a dinner table. So
widespread is this superstition that most hostesses will go far out of their
way to avoid having 13 guests. Should
any invited guest unexpectedly cancel, leaving only thirteen for the meal,
almost anyone will be dragged in to fill the vacant chair. The
old belief is that the first person to rise from the table will die within a
year. Slight
protection against this fate is supposed by some to be afforded if all the
company rise together. Nevertheless,
it is safer to avoid the unlucky number if possible. Usually the host or
hostess will try to arrange matters so that neither a person falling out nor
an unexpected guest will leave thirteen. It
is thought that this superstition may have had its origin in the Gospel story
of the Last Supper in the events which followed the Passover meal partaken of
by the 12 disciples and their Master. Judas, who rose first from the table, was
the first to die as recounted in the New Testament. It
is probable, however, that it goes back farther in time than that, for
divination by numbers played a large part in ancient religions. Whether
you are one to go about your day or one who stays home terrified, have a good
day. By MARK GLOVER Contributing Editor BIG
BEND – They rode through the narrow passage in the hot, dry desplobado, the
scope of their European garments long since reached as they sweated what
little fluid remained in their gaunt frames. “Agua,”
the head rider spoke just above a whisper. “Si,
agua,” repeated a lieutenant, leaning in his saddle. The
line of soldiers marching behind stopped and waited as the officers
dismounted and led their horses to the trickling Maravillas Creek. “Caballos,”
a soldier said, pointing to the white capped outcroppings in the near distant
hills. In
the cut known as Persimmon Gap, just north of the Big Bend National Park
where the outlaying edges of the valley reveal geologic history as far back
as 300 million years ago, an erosion-resistant white mineral known as
“novaculite caballo” tattoo the hills and are named after the 16th century Spanish
explorers who thought the outcroppings looked like horses. This
range of novaculite, a form of flint, is part of the Quachita Thrust Belt and
represents the tail end of the Appalachian Mountains. Visible
above the surface as a craggy, low-elevation mountain range in west central Arkansas
and southeast Oklahoma, this ancient fold wanders subterranean through much
of Texas until it resurfaces just north of Marathon. The
white-brown novaculite abounds in the Marathon Basin, a 30- by-40 mile
stretch of land that consists of plains, hilly lowlands and low mountain
ridges carved from folded Paleozoic Strata, a product of uplifting where
powerful forces in the crust, thrust up older rock through the younger,
primarily volcanic rock of the area. And
just a stone’s throw away, the Santiago Mountains loom in the west,
representing the tail end of the much younger Rocky Mountains.
The two prominent mountain ranges of the United States terminate here
in the Trans-Pecos, separated only by a few miles and more than 200 million
years of tectonic activity in the Earth’s ever-changing crust. |
Interstate
10 near Bakersfield was closed into Wednesday because of downed power lines. The Texas Department of
Transportation crews closed two highways in the Pecos area because of blowing
dust and poor visibility. Defense
of fire threat suggested SANDERSON
– With a scant 12 hundredths of an inch of rain all year here and high winds,
fire danger throughout Southwest Texas is extremely high this year. “This
fire season, perhaps landowners should to take a ‘defensive driving’
perspective on fire prevention and control,” County AgriLife Extension
Agricultural and Natural Resources Agent Mark Carroll said. “In
most cases, the people traveling down the highways and county roads are not
going to be worrying about the landowner’s grass,” he said. “So, as
landowners with something to protect, you need to take a lesson from the
defensive driving courses. You need to be watching out for them and taking
evasive actions.” With
the drought conditions that have set in across much of the state, that means thinking
in terms of mitigation, fuel management and prescribed burning, he said. Terrell
County is one of several in the area with a current burn ban in effect. “AgriLife
Extension range management and beef cattle specialists tell us that land
owners need to think about fuel management – shred it, graze it, burn it down
– to keep from getting in a situation where fire can do significant damage,”
Carroll said. “As
a tool in fuel management, removing that fuel is important,” he said.
“Whether it’s a welding spark, thrown cigarette or hot box on a railroad, if
the fuel is not there, the fire won’t have a chance to grow and spread.” The
Texas Forest Service has urged citizens across the state to be aware of heightened
wildfire danger due to a low pressure fronts that drop humidity levels and
produce high winds. Tom
Spencer, Forest Service predictive services department head, said these
conditions could lead to wildfires that spread quickly, pose containment
problems and endanger public safety. Spencer
warned that while some precipitation has fallen, prolonged drought conditions
have not improved and freezing temperatures only cause drought-cured grasses
to become even drier. The
Forest Service’s Predictive Services Department forecasts that through the
month of February, fuels such as grasses and trees are expected to remain
critically dry. The
wildfires on the winter-cured grasses in the High Plains can spread up to 2.5
miles per hour with flames reaching six to 10 feet in length Carroll
said some tools that land owners can use to mitigate and lower the risk
include making sure the roadside ditches are mowed adequately along their
property line and contacting the highway department if necessary. Prescribed
burning can be an option to manage brush and high grasses, where burn bans
are not in effect. The
Forest Service has an updated list of counties enacting burn bans at: http://tfsfrp.tamu.edu/wildfires/decban.png
. Establish
fuel breaks, or fire lanes, along fences, roadways and between buildings and
fields, Carroll said. When welding, be sure the work area is free of grass
and debris, have a spotter and a water source handy.
More information about protecting against and preventing wildfires can
be found at: http://texashelp.tamu.edu/
. SANDERSON
– The Band Boosters have set the date for the annual Chili Super this year,
to be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 24. This
is the biggest fundraiser for the boosters, with funds providing a
scholarship for a deserving senior or seniors. “This
year, we hope to make enough to send more kids to band camp this summer,”
Band Director Eric Cooksey said. “As
in the past, you can get a steaming bowl of chili for $5, a baked potato for
$5 or one of each will cost you $7,” Booster Vice President Kim Rapp said.
Delivery is available and to-go plates as well. The
Eagle band will perform during the supper. Cooksey suggested playing two
sets, one for early birds and one for those who attend later. The
band also is going to perform at a Jackalope Hockey Game in Odessa next
month. “The
kids are excited about that,” said Cooksey. A
“concert in the park” was also discussed as a fundraiser for the boosters in
April. Rapp
said tickets will be sold which will guarantee a seat under the pavilion and
a chance at a door prize. The
price of the event has not yet been determined. Proceeds
from this event will go towards an end-of-the-year trip, possibly a ride on
Amtrak for students in the seventh through 12th grades. The
Boosters at their meeting this week also discussed Cooksey’s plan to attend a
Texas Music Educators Association conference in San Antonio. At
the convention, Cooksey will network with others in the field, check out some
rental companies that offer instruments and “maybe” come home with some new
fundraising ideas, he said. Cooksey
told the boosters that the band is making some real progress and that it is a
“process.” “It
doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “But it is worthwhile.” The
boosters meet on the first Monday of the month and all are encouraged to come
help support our band. Other fundraising ideas are welcome,
Rapp said. in
Sanderson WASHINGTON, DC – US
Rep. Ciro D. Rodriguez plans a stop in Sanderson
Monday on a swing through his district during President’s week. Rodriguez
will at the Round House Café from 3 to 4 p.m. Monday. He
will meet with constituents to discuss the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act, military and veteran’s issues and other concerns about the economy
including rising food prices, and job security. “It’s
important to me to visit with people from all over my district to tell them
about the work we’ve been doing but also to learn what it is that’s most
affecting their lives,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve done work for our
economy, veterans, for our military and to postpone the transfer to digital
television in the first few weeks of Congress.
“Unfortunately, people continue to struggle and there’s a lot more we
need to do in the long term to address our national economic climate,” he said. “I
look forward to keeping in touch with the folks in our vast district.” South
Africa clinics SAN
ANGELO – Georgianna Escamilla-Valdez of San Angelo, daughter of Diana
Escamilla of Sanderson, has been nominated to attend the International
Scholar Laureate Program Delegation on Nursing in Cape Town and Johannesburg,
South Africa this summer. The
nomination states she was chosen based on her exemplary leadership skills and
outstanding academic performance as a member of Phi Theta Kappa International
Honor Society. The
program lasts 11 days during which time she will go behind the scenes in hospitals
and clinics in major cities and rural communities to observe South African
nurses in their interactions with patients. She
will attend conferences holding compelling discussions with health care
experts about the country’s dire shortage of nurses and doctors. She
will go on excursions to both private and public hospitals and learn how to
deal with the emotional aspect of her job. The
program is designed to motivate nurses and help define their goals and
inspire them to focus on their energies. Escamilla-Valdez is a 2008 graduate
of San Angelo State University. AUSTIN – Enrollment ends this month for a chance
to lock in the cost of college. Texas Comptroller Susan Combs reminded
parents that the current enrollment period ends Feb. 28 for the Texas Tuition
Promise Fund, the state’s new prepaid college tuition program. Enrollment
opened in September for the program, which allows families to lock in college
tuition and required fees at current prices of Texas public colleges and
offers many flexible options to prepay those expenses before a child is ready
for college. “The
Texas Tuition Promise Fund makes it easy to save for college, even in these
challenging economic times,” Combs said.
“If your child attends a Texas public college, you don’t have to worry
about the volatile stock market and you can prepay for as much of your
child’s college costs as your family budget allows.” During
the current enrollment period, more than 4,800 children have been enrolled in
the Texas Tuition Promise Fund. The
contracts purchased are worth almost $100 million in future college tuition
and required fees. “You
must enroll your child in the Texas Tuition Promise Fund by Feb. 28 to take
advantage of current contract prices,” Combs said. “When the current enrollment period ends, enrollment will close
until September, except for newborns born in March through August. “We
will survey colleges and universities regarding their future tuition and fees
and set new contract prices for the next Texas Tuition Promise Fund
enrollment period.” Families
enrolled in the program purchase tuition “units” with three levels of pricing
to prepay undergraduate resident tuition and required fees at schools ranging
from public community colleges to four-year state universities. During
the current enrollment period, parents of a newborn can pay as little as
$15.16 per month until their child’s high school graduation to prepay a year
of tuition at a community college. Parents
of a seven-year-old who want to prepay the weighted average cost of one
year’s tuition at a four-year Texas public university could spread the
payments over ten years for $81.53 a month. “The
Texas Tuition Promise Fund allows families from any economic background to
achieve their education goal — whether it is a four-year college degree or a
training program at a community college to gain the technical skills that
good, well-paying jobs require,” Combs said. “The US Department of Education
estimates about 80 percent of the fastest-growing job categories in the near
future will require some education beyond high school but not a bachelor’s
degree. “Texas
employers report a growing shortage of workers with technical skills needed
for the jobs in Texas’ future,” Combs said. Combs’
Web site can help families plan and save for college. The
Web site provides information on careers that will be in demand in the future
and the education requirements for various fields. It
also includes tools to help families calculate college costs and determine
whether they are saving enough money.
To
learn more, visit www.EveryChanceEveryTexan.org. Or go to the Texas Tuition Promise fund Web
site at www.TexasTuitionPromiseFund.com. Ari
excels at band competition By KIM RAPP News Leader Production Manager Ari Ybarra of Monahans played a
French horn solo and participated in ensemble in the Monahans Band
competition Saturday. Ari played “Dance of the
Bears” for her solo and received a division I, which allowed her to earn her
letter. Her accompanist on the
piano was Sue Branham. Ari is the granddaughter
of Yolanda Connelly of Sanderson. Daniel Rapp has finished his
schooling in Pensacola, FL, where he is stationed in the United States Navy. He
received his orders and will soon be headed for Norfolk, VA, instead of
Europe as he had hoped. Daniel is the son of Robert
& Kim Rapp of Sanderson. Christopher McDonald & Grandma Diana
Escamilla hit the road and went to San Angelo to visit Diana’s daughter
Georgianna Escamilla-Valdez and her family. Husband, Bryan and kiddos Bryianna
& Braylen are always glad to see them. ALPINE
– Writers will gather for the 18th Annual Writers Round-Up April 24, 25 and
26 at the Paisano Baptist Encampment between here and Marfa. Professional
authors highlighting the retreat will include Dr. Barney Nelson, creative
non-fiction writing professor at Sul Ross State University and author of
numerous books on the west illustrated with her own photography. Linda
LaRoque, romance writer and successful self-marketer on the internet, and
Mike Cox, journalist, researcher and author of a book about the Texas Rangers,
“Wearing the Cinco Peso,” will also be present. Writers
can learn how to hone their writing skills, sell their works successfully on
the internet and other venues and research and tell a story in an
entertaining way. Limited
rustic lodging is available at the encampment and meals will be western
“grub.” Between
learning sessions there also will be opportunities for hiking, photographing,
birding, networking and recharging in the rugged Davis Mountains. Retreat
prices, which include meals, for non-members are $110 before March 31 for one
person and $180 for a couple. For more information contact: Reba Cross Seals
432-837-2919 rcrossseals@wildblue.net
or Jackie Siglin 432-364-2399 bakedalaska1@bigbend.net.
The event is sponsored by Texas Mountain Trail Writers. to feature soprano ALPINE
– The Sul Ross State University Concert Artist Series will feature soprano
Dr. Jamie Reimer as part of the Evening of the Arts series at 6:30 p.m.,
Saturday, Feb. 21, in Marshall Auditorium. An
Art Gallery reception will follow in the Francois Fine Arts Building at 7:30
and the Theatre Program’s production of “The Complete Works of William
Shakespeare, Abridged” will be at 8:15 p.m. in the Studio Theatre, also in
the Francois Fine Arts Building. Reimer
serves as lecturer of Voice at the University of Nebraska School of Music.
She is quickly gaining recognition as an expert on the songs of Robert Owens
following her collaboration with the composer in 2007 and her work has been
presented at national and regional meetings of the National Association of
Teachers of Singing and the College Music Society. Her
academic accomplishments include graduate degrees from University of Nebraska
at Lincoln, where she was a Maude Hammond Fling Fellow and the recipient of
an Othmer Fellowship, the University’s most prestigious graduate award, and
two degrees from Hastings College in Nebraska, where she took classes from
Dr. Donald Callen Freed, current Sul Ross associate professor of Music. Reimer
is the recipient of a University of Nebraska Humanities Center Grant, the
Sigma Alpha Iota Doctoral Grant, an internship at the John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts and was selected as a Theodore Presser Scholar in
1999. In
2006, she was chosen as one of the 12 best young teachers in the United
States and Canada for the National Association of Teachers Intern Program.
Prior to joining the UNL faculty, Dr. Reimer taught voice and related
courses at Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, NE. |
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