March 13,
2009
|
AUSTIN
– Texas Comptroller Susan Combs of Marathon is one of only three women named
to Government Technology magazine’s
2009 list of the Top 25 “Doers, Dreamers and Drivers.” The
list in the publication’s March, 2009, issue honors leaders who use
technology to solve problems, meet evolving expectations and operate more
efficient government operations. In
her profile, the magazine acknowledges Combs’s transparency efforts,
including an initiative to publish expenditure information in the “Where the
Money Goes” online database, which won a 2008 Best of Texas award from the
Center for Digital Government. The
magazine also highlights Combs’ Open Book Texas initiative, launched in
December 2008, designed to promote open government and smart spending. “In
the age of the Internet, there is seldom a good reason why government cannot
keep citizens informed about how tax dollars are spent,” Combs said. “This
emphasis on transparency is not only about making local governments more
accountable to citizens, it is equally about making local governments
stronger and better. “As our own experience shows, if you know what
you are spending, you know how to spend better,” she said. “We support that
philosophy at every level of government.” By KIM RAPP News Leader Production Manager MARATHON
– Marathon Elementary fourth grader Jesse Lopez rode the most laps last week
in the St. Jude’s Bike-athon, completing 60 laps or 15 miles. First
grader Kenton Duncan completed 51 laps with mom Kendra beside him, which
measures out to almost 14 miles. Second
grader Noah Lopez completed 50 laps, which is equivalent to 13.5 miles. Marathon
Health Clinic nurse Amy Travis rode along with her son Logan Williams. The
first grader and his mom chalked up 45 laps, which is a little over 11 miles.
Third
grader Loryn Garlick rode 11 miles, or 44 laps, while third grader grade
Emilio Briones rode 42 laps. First
grader Kyler Duncan completed 41 laps, second grader Alyssa Olvera rode
around the track 37 times and third grader Zane Roberts racked up 37 laps First
grader Monique Perez rode 34 laps, kindergarten student Russell Martin made
it around the track 26 times and fellow kinder student Giana Gonzales made 24
laps. Pre-K
kiddo Colette Pineda rode 24 laps with mom Angelique. Pre-Ker
Lawson Meiers peddled 22 laps, third grader Cameden Lujan circled the track
21 times and second grader Aly Cardoza walked 19 laps around the track. Kindergarten
student Alexya Grano rode her Dora the Explorer bike for 18 laps. Also
walking around the track was first grader Loreyna Cardoza, who circled the
track 14 times. The
youngest rider was Margarita Briones with 13 laps and first grader Isaac
Briones also had 13 laps under his belt. The
annual Bikeathon benefits St. Jude’s Children’s Hospitals. Participants
receive prizes such as backpacks and t-shirts, according to how much money is
raised from pledges. St.
Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its
pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other
catastrophic diseases. Founded
by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, TN, St. Jude freely
shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the
world. No
family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance and families without
insurance are never asked to pay. After
working up an appetite, the kiddos crossed the street where the Parent
Teacher Organization had a hamburger lunch for sale. For
those not wanting a burger, a grilled cheese sandwich was also available. Proceeds
from the sale will be used for “Earth Day,” which falls on April 22. But
with TAKS testing and busy kids, the Mustangs have opted to celebrate it on
May 1. The
PTO hopes to bring in a few other schools, some professionals in the
environmental areas and even camels – yes, camels. “It’s
not so much an eco-system thing,” said organizer Rhonda Garlick. “It’s more
about showing the children the different resources the earth has to offer.” For
more information on Earth Day, check out www.earthday.com.
FORT
STOCKTON – Next Friday, March 20, will be National Ag Day to mark the abundance
provided by agriculture in the country. American
agriculture is responsible for providing the necessities of everyday life –
food, fiber and even fuel, said Cullene F. Heritage, executive director of
USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Pecos and Terrell Counties. He
said producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities,
government agencies and countless others across America will gather to
celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture on the first day of spring. “The
National Ag Day program is committed to increasing public awareness about
American agriculture,” he said. “As the world population soars, there is even
greater demand for the food, fiber and renewable resources that the United
States produces.” The
Agriculture Council of America, organizers of National Ag Day, says every
American should understand how food, fiber and renewable resource products
are produced and should value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining
a strong economy. Consumers
should appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and
affordable products, Heritage said. National
Ag Day will focus on educating Americans about the industry so they may also
acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the industry. “Today's
farmer feeds more than 130 people in the United States and abroad,” Heritage
said. “In 1960, that number was 25.
Today, more than 15 percent of the US population is employed in farm
or farm-related jobs.” ALPINE
– The Trans Pecos Prescribed Burn Association was officially created last
month when landowners and managers from across the Trans-Pecos region
gathered at Sul Ross State University here. Those
attending the organizational meeting included landowners and managers from
Brewster, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Pecos and Presidio counties. Texas
Parks and Wildlife, the National Park Service and the Nature Conservancy also
were represented. Brewster
County Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Santry also participated. Landowners
also elected officers to serve on the association board. Board
members include President Brent Charlesworth of Brewster County, Vice
President Walter Klein of Presidio County, Secretary/ Treasurer Ed Holland of
Brewster County and board members Homer Mills of Brewster County and Stewart
Schmidt of Brewster and Jeff Davis counties. Membership
in the Trans-Pecos Prescribed Association is open to anyone interested in
prescribed fire and fire management. Membership
dues are currently $25 per year. The new group met again last night at
the Turner Range Animal Science Center on the Sul Ross State University
campus. Fire
is a big concern for area ranchers, county officials and the general
public. In recent years the large scale wildfires in the region have
emphasized the need for proper fire and fuel management, both on public and
private properties. The
burn association was created to address the need on private ranches
throughout the Trans-Pecos. The
major goals of a burn association are to provide for training in fire
behavior and prescribed fire application to its members, provide a
community of landowners and individuals that can safely apply prescribed fire
to rangelands, provide a mechanism for certification as a certified
prescribed burn manager and a decrease in liability for landowners and
provide a mechanism to effectively communicate with county and other local
officials to safely manage fire in a county. “Many
have asked why we need prescribed fire,” said Sul Ross Associate Professor of
Natural Resource Management Dr. Bonnie Warnock. “Shouldn’t we put out all
fires? The answer to that is fuel and vegetation management. “One
of the best ways to avoid catastrophic fires is to manage fuel loads via prescribed
fires,” Warnock said. “Over the past 100 years, we have gotten very good at
putting out wildfires. This has led to an increase in shrub species and
an increase in the amount of fuel available to burn on our rangelands. “Prescribed
fires are a tool that landowners can use to reduce shrub species, increase
grass diversity and manage rangeland fuel loads, thus helping prevent
catastrophic wildfires,” Warnock said. “Prescribed fires are often one of the
most effective and least expensive tools that private property owners have
available to them when they manage their rangelands.” ODESSA
– Odessa College will offer its summer classes at a reduced tuition rate
again this summer. At
a called board meeting last week, the OC board of trustees voted to approve reduced
tuition rates for summer college credit classes in order to help break down
educational cost barriers. Students
will pay the regular tuition price for their first three-hour course each
summer I and/or summer II session and any other classes taken during the same
session will be at half price. The
special tuition reduction applies to all students who take OC college credit
classes on the main campus, on the Web or at one of the OC extension sites. As
an example, if an in-district-student takes six hours during either of the
two summer sessions, the tuition for the first course during a session would
be $174 and the second course would be $87 for a total of $261. The
more courses the student takes in a session, the more the savings will be. Out-of-district
students also will benefit from the reduced tuition savings. Student
who have already registered and paid for their summer classes will receive a
refund for the difference in the tuition. Registration
for summer classes is now available 24-hours a day online at www.odessa.edu or on campus during the regular business hours of 8 a.m. to 5
p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.
For more information, call the OC Help Center, 432/335-6433 or log on
to the Web site. at
Museum FORT
STOCKTON – The Fort Stockton Historical Society will host a “Period Promenade”
here on Saturday, April 4 in honor of the town’s Sesquicentennial Year. The
event will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Annie Riggs Memorial Museum and is
free and open to the public. All
are invited to participate in period dress, from 1859 to 2009, and promenade. Participants
need to register by April 1 with the museum staff at 432/336-2167. They
should arrive at the museum by 9:30 a.m.
Spectators will have seats on the historic hotel’s wrap-around, shaded
porch. Friends
of Marathon Library News By ARLENE GRIFFIS Library Friend MARATHON
– Spring is always a time that ushers in lots of activities at the Marathon
Library. For
the past several months, Branch Manager Carol Townsend and Experience Works
employee Shirley Rooney have been relabeling all the books and movies in the
library in preparation for the conversion of both the Alpine Public Library
and its Marathon branch to the library computer management system Biblionix
from the older Spectrum, the system used for the past several years. All
library materials now have color-coded spine labels which make location and
identification of materials easier for staff and patrons alike. It
was a huge undertaking but, now that it is done, Townsend said she is
relieved. “I
am so glad now that we did all this,” she said. “Everything looks so much
more uniform and professional.” Another
change in the last month is the hiring of a new library director to oversee
both branches after Anitra Clausen and her husband moved to El Paso to work
through their church in ministering to persons in that city whose native
language is Mandarin Chinese. The
new director is Paige Delaney who has already made several visits to the
Marathon branch in her first few weeks on the job. One
of the advances she has made involves the use of the free computers at the
library. In
the past, every adult who used one of the computers was required to read and
sign an agreement prior to using the Internet but Delaney has placed the
agreement document on each of the computers so that patrons may simply click
the appropriate box on the computer before logging in. This
will save paper as well as making the monitoring of computer usage much
simpler for library staff. Also,
beginning Sunday, March 15, a patron must be at least 17 years old to use the
adult computers at the front of the library.
Patrons
16 years of age and under may, with a parent’s consent, use the library’s specially-designated
children’s computer. Parents are
encouraged to fill out a consent form before Sunday. Also, the wording of the agreement has
changed slightly so even if parents have filled one out in the past, a new
one needs to be signed and put on file. “If
you have any questions about the new internet user agreement for children,
please call 386-4136 or come by the library any time between 11 a.m. and 5
p.m. Monday through Friday,” Townsend said. Another
activity looming on the horizon is the library’s Summer Reading Program whose
theme this year is “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” Townsend
visited the school in Marathon prior to spring break to distribute materials
for the annual Summer Reading poster contest which is open to all students
from pre-K through eighth grade, including those who are visiting in town during
spring break. All
they need to do is come by the library and pick up poster materials and
information. Participating
youngsters will work on their posters during spring break and turn them in to
the library by Friday, March 20. The
posters will be judged and the winners announced at the end of March. Prizes will be awarded for first through
third place. Townsend
has already sent letters soliciting donations for the Summer Reading Program
and reports that contributions have been steadily coming in. The
Summer Reading Program provides Marathon’s kiddos from preschool through
eighth grade with activities including crafts, games, snacks, puppet shows
and story time as well as the opportunity to check out some of the great
books the library has to offer. Anyone
who would like to contribute to the program in any way, including volunteering
to help with one or more of the sessions, is encouraged to contact Townsend
at the library. The
Summer Reading Program will meet at the library each Wednesday during the
summer from 1 to 2 p.m. Check
the bulletin board in front of the post office and the Marathon News Leader for more details during the month of
May. Library
staff and Friends of the Library will also present a program at the school during
May to usher in this year’s theme. For
adults, in addition to the public computers and free Internet, the library
offers a wide variety of reading materials including books of fiction,
mystery fiction, western fiction, biographies, natural history and Texana as
well as some excellent reference books.
Several
magazines and local newspapers are available for patrons’ convenience, as
well. Those
who are more interested in movies can check out the selection of DVDs for
both adults and children. The
new filing system makes browsing easier and more efficient for everyone. Those
who have not visited the Marathon Library recently should stop in and visit
with Carol and Shirley and ask them to show them around. Oh,
and check out a book, a movie, or both while you’re at it. Our little library
is truly a jewel to be treasured. Happy
Reading. Arlene Griffis is a volunteer at
Marathon Public Library, which is a branch of Alpine Public Library. |
In
recognizing the demand for improved services, Combs’ efforts to re-engineer
the Comptroller’s office propelled the state to analyze expenses and use
electronic tools to offer a transparent look at government spending. Combs
said she brought the agency into the 21st century and by leading the charge
with transparency and she’s now helping other state agencies and local
governments open their books and identify ways to spend smarter. Government Technology
is a national magazine covering information technology’s role in state and
local governments. Through in-depth coverage of IT case studies,
emerging technologies and the implications of digital technology on the
policies and management of public sector organizations, Government Technology chronicles the dynamics of governing in the
information age. Chamber
to host ‘mixer’ -- again MARATHON
– The third monthly Marathon Chamber of
Commerce mixer will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at Shirley’s
Burnt Biscuit Bakery. Owner
and chief baker Don Boyd will serve some of his baked goods as well as offer
several types of specialty coffees, lattes and espressos. Boyd’s
wife Jackie will have her adjacent Purple Sage Antiques store open for the
event as well. The
Chamber has invited everyone to come in and browse through her merchandise
after enjoying the goodies next door.
In
addition to the food and drink, there will be door prizes, music and time to
visit with friends and neighbors. The
Boyds, who purchased the bakery from Shirley Rooney in 2006, recently moved
the Burnt Biscuit to a larger location next door to the original. It
was closed for a number of weeks as new state-of-the art kitchen equipment
was installed and a larger indoor seating area was completed. Despite
the change in ownership, the name of the establishment remains “Shirley’s
Burnt Biscuit” due to its longtime reputation as the source of pies, cookies,
cakes, doughnuts, kolaches and other delicacies. Usual
hours for the “Biscuit” are 5:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and
some Saturdays, mostly during holiday weekends or other times when more
tourists are in town. The
Boyds also take special orders for baked goods with Don doing most of the
baking and Jackie doing the decorating. Purple
Sage is full of furniture, dishes, luggage, musical instruments – including a
working player piano with rolls of music included – and other items too
numerous to mention. Visitors
enjoy just browsing in the store. The
close proximity of the Burnt Biscuit’s kitchen enables Jackie to also offer
teas and luncheons for occasions such as birthdays and bridal showers. These
events need to be scheduled in advance by calling 432/386-4008, which is also
the phone number for the bakery. in
highway work seen HONDO
– US Rep. Ciro D. Rodriguez last
week announced $33.72 million to be spent on road projects through-out his
Congressional district. The
projects are funded in the “American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act,” also known as the “stimulus bill,” and will be implemented by the Texas Department of Transportation. The
road projects include new construction and road repair in Brewster, El Paso,
Pecos, Edwards, Val Verde, Maverick, Uvalde and Medina Counties. “The
recovery package will greatly help Medina and other counties throughout our
district especially as job losses continue to mount throughout Texas and our
country,” Rodriguez said. “The full package will create or save 269,000 jobs
in Texas with an estimated 172 jobs just for the road projects in Medina
County. “Several
of the best road projects in Texas that will help boost jobs and economic
development to drive us into the future are right here in our communities,”
Rodriguez said. The
projects include $4.75 million to resurface US Highway 67 from Mosely Lane on
Alpine’s west side to 7.921 miles west. As
mentioned in the News Leader last
week, there is $2,417,418 to repair US 385 from near Escalera Ranch Road and
the gas plant to the big hill south of Fort Stockton on the highway to Marathon. And
there is $3,171,512 to repair US 90 from 4.44 miles south State Highway 163
in Comstock to 8.46 miles south. The
TxDOT office in Laredo said another project of about $4 million would
resurface US 90 in Del Rio from the US 277 interchange to Stricklen Street. entertains
traveling couple By ARLENE GRIFFIS Marathon Editor MARATHON
– Whenever Steve and I talk with friends and relatives from other parts of
the state, they often ask if we have satellite radio in our van since we
travel so much in remote areas of Texas where signals from radio stations in
the big cities are very weak or non-existent. They
are often surprised when we say we do not. It
is a common phrase out here in Far West Texas that people who move here
either “get it or they don’t.” Well,
these well-meaning folks who are so concerned about our connection with the
rest of the state obviously do not “get it.” In
fact, they just have no idea what they are missing by not having the
experience of listening to some of the lesser-known small town radio stations
in West Texas. Whenever
Steve and I do travel, we try to plan our departure from Marathon at about
9:30 a.m. so that as we approach Fort Stockton, we are able to pick up KCKM
at 1330 AM from Monahans for “Dial and Deal” from 10 to 11 a.m., hosted by
Steve Gustafson. If
you are a fan of such TV programs as “My Big Redneck Wedding” or the “Blue
Collar Comedy Tour,” you would love “Dial and Deal.” As
we left home Monday morning, this is a sample of what we heard: Steve:
“Good morning, you’re on Dial and Deal.” Caller:
“Yeah, I got two cheerleader uniforms, size 12 and 14 for sale. [The gals who
wore these were obviously the base of the pyramid.] I want $10 for each of ‘em.” Steve:
“Okay. Say, this is Sally Jo, isn’t it?
I thought I recognized your voice.
“I
guess those girls have graduated now and don’t need those uniforms any more,
huh? If anybody out there needs
cheerleader uniforms, give Sally Jo a call.” Steve:
“Good morning, you’re on Dial and Deal.” Caller:
“Hey, Steve, this is Manuel. I will detail your car inside and out. I charge
$30 for a car, $40 for a pick-up and $50 for an SUV. “I
also do landscape work and clean pistols and rifles. Oh, and I’m lookin’ for ten sheets of 4-
by 8-foot paneling or plywood if anybody has any for sale.” Steve:
“All righty. Now Manuel, you also have a pressure washer, don’t you, so you
can get those cars really clean?” This
is the best part of Dial and Deal.
This Steve guy is a salesman extraordinaire who will embellish things
a bit to help the callers out. “Now
let’s announce the menus for the day,” Steve says. “Well, this week both the
Monahans and Kermit schools are closed for spring break so there are no menus
today but the Ward County Senior Center is serving baked chicken with
homemade cream gravy, corn-on-the-cob, green beans, mashed potatoes and banana
cream pie. all for $5.95. And that includes a big glass of sweet tea. “Okay,
let’s take another caller. Good morning, you’re on KCKM’s Dial and Deal.” Caller:
“Hey, Steve, how’re you? This is Bobbie Lee from over in Wink. I’m lookin’
for the side window for the driver’s side of a 1988 Ford Bronco if anybody
out there has one. “And
I also need cheerleadin’ uniforms for my two granddaughters.” I
swear I am not making this up. Steve:
“Okay, Bobbie Lee from Wink needs a side window for an ’88 Bronco and, Bobbie
Lee, what size uniforms do you need?” Bobbie
Lee: “Oh, I’m not sure. At least a size 12, I’d say.” Steve: “Well, you need to call Sally Jo. Let me
see, her number is 555-6367. She has
a couple for sale.” You
see, not only does this guy make a great sales pitch, but he helps by
matching up the buyer and the seller. Steve:
“Good morning, thanks for calling Dial and Deal.” Caller:
“Good morning Steve. This is Clyda Ruth Spears and I need the number for that
Manuel that called in earlier. He ordered some thin mint Girl Scout cookies
from my daughter and I need to tell him he can come and pick ‘em up.” Steve:
“Manuel if you are listening, you can pick up your thin mints from Clyda
Ruth, and Clyda Ruth, just hold on the line and I’ll get you that number. “Now
it’s time to put in a good word for La Rue’s Mess Hall inside the Mitchell’s
Thrifty Mart. They serve their Fast and Fresh breakfast from 6 a.m. to 11
a.m., which means you got about 22 minutes to make it over there. “Why
don’t you give ’em a call and tell ‘em you’re on your way. And while you’re
there, grab one of those sale circulars from the Thrifty Mart and take advantage
of some of the deals they have, like 79 cents for a loaf of bread and other
specials on things like a gallon of Gandy’s milk. “Now
back to the phone lines. Good morning, you’re on Dial and Deal.” Caller:
“Mornin’ Steve, this is Suzette from Goldsmith. I got a bunch of stuff for
sale here. “I’ve
got two pairs of men’s work boots, the kind like you need in the oil
patch. They’re brand new and they
come from Wood’s Boots up in Odessa. “My
husband bought a pair of nines and a pair of nine-and-a-halfs and neither one
of ‘em fit. “I
also got a Gazelle exerciser like they sell on TV, a set of Goodyear chrome
mags and an electric hospital bed with mattress. “Oh,
and a 100-year anniversary Harley Davidson ring that I want $100 for. Oh, and
I also do ironin’ and baby-sittin’.” Steve:
“Okay, thanks, Suzette. That’s all the callers we have time for today but
real quick let’s recap some of the stuff from the past couple of days. “Louella
here in Monahans is still looking for a four-wheel walker if anyone out there
has one. And we have some folks in Pyote who need to get out of town real
soon and have a two-bedroom trailer for rent or for sale. “And
Manuel, don’t forget to go by and pick up those thin mints from Clyda Ruth’s
little daughter. “Now
I’m headed to Mesquite Bean Barbecue in Pyote for some of their fried
jalapeño and cheese kolaches. Now in
other parts of the state, they bake their kolaches, but not these folks at
the Mesquite Bean . . .” By MARK GLOVER Contributing Editor After
a short dig, the animal pulled itself under the 16-foot- high fence and
squeezed free. It
dashed across the short soggy apron, then found the hard traction of asphalt
under its paws. It
leapt north out of the fenced Everglades marsh, chancing to visit the Saw
Grass Swamp on the other side of the freeway. Now
its six-foot body in full arc, airborne, a stretched mass of kinetic energy
illuminated in a flash of a headlight and at once collected in the grill of a
Peterbilt – dead. In
1973, the Florida panther was listed as an endangered species. Although
protected by law from hunters and trappers, the growing human population of
Florida and subsequent traffic continued to pummel the panther numbers. By
1995, according to US Department of Fish and Wildlife, only 20 to 30
remained. Measures
to shore up the dwindling panther count brought west Texas mountain lions to
Florida. Similar
in DNA structure, eight female Texas lions were released in 1996 into the
Everglades National Park and the Big Cypress National Preserve to prevent
genetic bottle-necking and restore a healthier gene-flow to the Florida panther.
The
program was considered a success and today there are more than 100 panthers
living in Florida. But they remain listed as an Endangered Species. There
are no six-lane highways like Alligator Alley in the Big Bend but mountain
lions in west Texas have their own challenges for survival. The
most recent field study of the west Texas mountain lion occurred in the
464-square-mile Big Bend State Park. Performed
by the Borderland Research Institute and the Texas Department of Parks and
Wildlife, 21 mountain lions were trapped and collared between 1993 and 1997. By
monitoring the radio-collared animals, males were found to have an average
range of 135 square miles while females averaged 79 square miles. The
large range for the west Texas lion suggests a low prey density. Scat
analysis indicated that mule deer and javelina were the preferred prey. Female
south Texas mountain lions in a similar study found that they killed a large
prey every 5.88 days. During
the 4.5 year study in the Big Bend State Park, 17 of the 21 mountain lion
control group died including fifteen that were shot or trapped by predator
control practices in private lands adjacent to the park. In
Texas, the mountain lion is not protected by game laws. Open season on the
mountain lion allows hunters to kill for trophy mounts in any season. Ranchers
can legally cull the potential predators year round to protect their
livestock. No
current data is available to determine the actual amount of Brewster and
Presidio County cattle lost to mountain lions, nor has the 1993-1997 study
collected sufficient information to determine the general health and future
of the west Texas mountain lion. |
“As we endure a year fraught with challenges,
a clear vision and leadership on technology issues may be more important than
ever before,” said Government
Technology Editor Steve Towns. “We’re confident that our 2009 ‘Doers,
Dreamers and Drivers’ are prepared to answer the call.” at
Rio Grande Relays SANDERSON
– Five Mustangs and one Colt placed at the Rio Grande Relays here last weekend. Coach
Gene Peña’s boys placed 12th overall. Colten
Johnson placed fourth in the long jump competition soaring 18 feet, 3/4
inches and Cito Hernandez placed sixth in the 100-meter dash clocking in at
12.02. For
Coach Nitra Woods’ girls, Prissy Hernandez placed sixth in the long jump
category, soaring 13 feet, 6 1/2 inches and Marisol Aguilar flew 27 feet, 11
inches in the triple jump landing in sixth place. In
junior high action on Saturday, both boys and girls placed 10th. Micella
Grano came in fifth place in the shot put competition. She heaved the metal
ball 23 feet, 8 3/4. No one else placed. in
river basin EL
PASO – The 2009 storage is up at reservoirs north of here, snowpack is above
average and flows in the Rio Grande have begun. Much
of West Texas has been in drought conditions through much of the winter,
eased only somewhat by more than an inch that fell in Sanderson Tuesday night
through Wednesday. In
spite of extremely dry conditions in the area this year, the key to Rio
Grande upper basin surface water supplies and reservoir storage levels is
winter precipitation and snowpack moisture in Northern New Mexico and
Southern Colorado. After
a series of winter storms in late December and early January, it appears that
snowpack reached its peak in January. Since
then, La Niña weather conditions have brought above-average temperatures and
below-average precipitation and the National Weather Service predicts these
conditions will continue for the next three months. Even
with the warm, dry weather, an above-average spring runoff was predicted. Mountain
snowpack is currently 106 percent of the 30- year average for this
date. Based
on current snowpack conditions, Wayne Treers at the US Bureau of Reclamation
here, projects after adjustment for upstream reservoir storage and use,
spring runoff and inflow will be 610,000 acre-feet or 106.6 percent of the
long-term average inflow to Elephant Butte Reservoir. For
last 13 years, there have only been three years with above average spring
runoff into Elephant Butte, 1997, 2005 and 2008. The
amount of water stored in the two Rio Grande Project reservoirs, Elephant
Butte and Caballo, 120 miles north of El Paso, is currently 711,409 acre-feet
or 32 percent of the total combined reservoirs’ capacity of 2.2 million
acre-feet. This
is higher than the 527,420 acre-feet or 24 percent of capacity in storage at
this time last year and greatest beginning season level since 2002, in part
because of upstream user over-deliveries to the Rio Grande Project. The
amount of water owed to upstream users under the Rio Grande Compact between
Colorado, New Mexico and Texas and to San Juan-Chama Project users is 140,980
acre-feet and, while contributing to storage levels, this water is
unavailable for Rio Grande Project use. Also
contributing to higher storage levels is carryover of 232,882 acre-feet of
water conserved by El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1 users last
year. The
initial 2009 season water allocation to Rio Grande Project users started in
January at 54.7 percent of a full annual water supply and was increased to
58.5 percent in February. The
US Bureau of Reclamation anticipates a full supply for Project users in 2009
based on current runoff forecasts. For
comparison, the initial January 2008 allocation was 24.2 percent of a full
supply but with spring and summer inflows, this was increased to 96.3 percent
by the end of the irrigation season. for ‘Century Plant’ FORT STOCKTON – Work on the proposed $1 billion Century Plant
between here and Sanderson was expected to begin soon after a groundbreaking
Wednesday. SandRidge Energy of Oklahoma City and Oxy Petroleum Corp. of Los
Angeles are teaming up on the plant near US 285 and Puckett Road which would
separate carbon dioxide from methane, thus benefiting both companies. “It’s a very large
project and takes a lot of time and a lot of money,” SandRidge CEO Tom Ward
said. “To us, it was sort of a match made in heaven,” Oxy Permian
President William Albrecht said. Doug May with the Fort Stockton Economic Development Corporation
said the plant will provide about 500 construction jobs over the next two
years with a projected economic impact of $79 million. “That’s a lot of money coming into a town our size over two
years,” he said. It is very significant.” May said some oilfield jobs have been lost and the construction
jobs will not replace all of them. After the plant is built, it will employ
30 to 40 workers. “But as it comes on line and they separate that CO2,
they‘ve got to start drilling,” he said. “We are going from drilling to construction
to drilling, if that makes any sense.” SandRidge spokesman Kevin White told the News Leader the plant, which was announced last year, will separate
CO2 which Oxy can use to help it retrieve oil reserves from the
methane, which is more commonly known as “natural gas” to be used for home
heating, cooking and the like. “We believe we sit on top of our leasehold that we own and where
the Century Plant is sits atop the best reservoir in the United States to
produce natural gas from,” Ward said. White said the CO2 is injected into the field to
produce a “positive impact” for Oxy. “For us, [the CO2] makes our methane unmarketable
until we get it out of the gas stream,” White said. “It’s obvious, it's a huge project,” May said. “We have lost some jobs in the drilling
platforms and laying down some rigs and we’ll be able to offset that with
these construction jobs so we are very, very fortunate the plant is getting
built.” May said the job losses did not affect local residents as much
as some may think. “Locally, I think we’ll offset the majority of them [lost
jobs] because a lot of the jobs we lost was from people who didn't reside
here and they didn't move here to work,” he said. “I think our local
residents are going to have a real opportunity if they have lost their jobs
in the drilling field to get a construction job.” By STEVE LANG Sul Ross News and
Publications KENT – Misty Sumner proudly
posed with a trophy mule deer buck on the Jobe Ranch. Then,
her co-workers untied bindings and the buck, wearing a new radio collar,
lurched to its feet and bounded back into the brush. The
procedure was repeated more than 20 times over a three-day period as part of
a Sul Ross State University Wildlife Management research project. Sumner’s
husband Lane, a 1984 Sul Ross graduate, manages the Jobe Ranch, located north
of here in Culberson County. Misty
is a regional biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and is
completing her master’s degree from Sul Ross. Her
research includes determining the home range, assessing the health and
measuring yearly antler growth of mature mule deer bucks. Global
Positioning System radio collars tuned to specific frequencies last about two
years. The
collars enable Sumner to obtain home range sizes and movement by determining
the location of each deer every five hours. The
collared bucks, ranging in age from 4.5 to 8.5 years, are hunted only by helicopters
using net guns. Upon
capture, they are physically restrained, blind-folded, processed,
photographed and released. On
the ranches that make up the study area, they are protected from hunters. “Mule
deer hunting – especially the trophy bucks – is a staple of West Texas’
hunting economy,” said Dr. Louis Harveson, director of the Borderlands
Research Institute and Sul Ross professor of Natural Resource Science. “One
of our studies is how to grow bigger and better deer but, at the same time,
balancing the nutrition, habitat and ranch management.” Presently,
the BRI is managing some $500,000 in mule deer research grants. Research
includes Sumner’s project of monitoring trophy mule deer buck movement, as
well as projects studying genetics, habitat change and effectiveness of
feeding programs. Deer
feeding programs definitely add protein to deer diets but Harveson said there
is concern that overfeeding can lead to over-population and in turn
jeopardize habitat. “The
deer herd cannot subsist on the feed [in feeders] alone,” he said. “If too many
deer crowd into an area because of the feeders, they may start feeding on
other plants not normally in their diet and consequently do harm to the habitat.” On
neighboring Boracho Peak Ranch, graduate student Reagan Gage of Jarrell is monitoring 33 mule
deer, mostly does, to study the effects of the herbicide Spike 20P on mule
deer, scaled quail and other wildlife populations in the Trans-Pecos region. “Since
mule deer populations have declined at the landscape level in recent years,
it is reasonable to concluded that broad-scale habitat change, especially
brush encroachment, is a likely candidate for the change,” Harveson said. “Reagan
is collaring does for reproductive data as well,” he said. “These are small
pieces of the puzzle. The projects compliment one another.” To
combat brush encroachment on natural habitat, the herbicide Spike 20P
(tebuthiron) has been commonly used. Harveson,
who is the principal investigator for the project, said the research will
seek to determine the effects of grassland restoration on wildlife populations. Boracho
Peak Ranch, encompassing nearly 100,000 acres, is located in the center of
the Trans-Pecos. The ranch contains a number of vegetation types. Research
will determine how wildlife adapt to habitat restored through the use of herbicides,
especially Spike 20P. The
study also will determine deer movement between areas of land treated with
Spike 20P and untreated areas. “Research
specialists with the Natural Resource Conservation Service commonly prescribe
Spike as an option for controlling invasive brush species,” Harveson said.
“Despite the increased interest and use of Spike, few data are available
regarding its effectiveness to reclaim desert grasslands and more importantly
what affect Spike has on wildlife populations. “Because
of the widespread use of Spike, the economical importance of wildlife in the
region and the lack of technical information, our goal is to evaluate the
effects of Spike 20P applications on populations of mule deer, scaled quail
and other wildlife,” he said. Harveson
noted that landowner cooperation has been a key to the on-going research. “We
have a lot of landowners who have made generous commitments to studying these
resources,” he said. “Our goal is to retrieve and process data to help them
make good decisions in land management.” |