July
9, 2010 Use Back button
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Alex ‘rains
on parade’
|
By
ANNA La FLEUR Production
Manager SANDERSON – A
guy named Alex came to town last weekend and, while the more than eight
inches of rain the hurricane left in his wake through Sunday was welcome at
area ranches, it didn’t do the annual Fourth of July celebration much good. Most of the
scheduled events Friday through Sunday were cancelled or, at least,
postponed. Many streets
in Sanderson, including Oak Street, had massive puddles while others had
small overflows of mud or rocks. Several “sink
holes” appeared, closing at least one street. Richard between First and
Second was blocked by a sink hole in the middle of the street. Further east,
the water in Amistad Reservoir near Del Rio was almost to the bottom of the
US Highway 90 bridge and overflowed several camping areas. One fisherman
was seen waiting patiently for a bite while his pickup and trailer sat under
several feet of water nearby. The rain
lasted the entire weekend with just a few breaks in the precipitation. Plans for
rekindling some of the July 4 celebrations were in progress at press time. Dr. Darrel
Wells, who had planned to offer the fireworks show Saturday night, indicated
he might be able to reschedule at a future date. “This caused
some others to think in terms of rescheduling instead of canceling them
outright,” Chamber of Commerce President Jim Street said. The American
Legion Auxiliary parade was one of the events that had to be canceled and the
Courthouse Lawn, normally a hub of activity on the Fourth of July, sat idle,
populated only by water dripping from the trees. Vendors did
not have to pay a fee so no refunds were necessary. The Sanderson Roping Club’s Annual Saddle
Roping Event didn’t stand a chance. It was one of the first events to drop
out. The ice cream
social could have taken place at either the Legion Hall or the Fair Hall but
it seemed better to put it off until the other celebrations could happen. The American
Legion softball tournament was also put off for sunnier weather, which meant
the 150 or so visiting athletes would not spend their weekend here. The wine
tasting at Papalotes also was cancelled and so was pizza offered by Shellie
Martin. All was not
lost because the Legion Hall had its regular noon barbecue and the Old Timers
Hour kicked off at the Fair Hall where spirited talks of the “good old days”
ensued over brownies. The Legion
lunch sold more than 200 plates including children’s plates and plates to go. Legion
spokesman Lea Hawn said the Legion Independence Day Lunch usually feeds about
300 people. In attendance
at the Old Timers Hour were Henry Beth Hogg, L.G. and Mary Nell Hinkle, Jim
and Alinda Turner, Margaret Farley and Heather Gully. The Turners
lived here until 1972 when they moved to Laredo for 16 years before settling
in Uvalde for the last 22 years. Jim Turner and
Mary Nell Hinkle were given awards for being the oldest man and oldest woman
in attendance. The street
dance was subsequently moved to Fair Hall where people could dance the night
away indoors. Southern
Comfort, a band from Del Rio, played for the crowd. On band breaks, disk
jockey J.R. Roman put his “spin” on the entertainment. The dance
ended promptly at midnight, causing some complaints from revelers who wanted
to keep on partying. The early end was because of a misunderstanding of state
laws. The thrills of
watching the fireworks display may have washed away but some towns people
didn’t let the rain dampen their Independence Day spirits. They spent the
weekend making sure their neighbors at least saw small fireworks they shot
off themselves. There were
also a few people who played in the creek that was flowing in Sanderson
Canyon. Others swam in
the football field that filled with water. The field is designed to hold
water in heavy rains to prevent flooding downstream. Children even
played in the ditches around town and set off smoke bombs and black cat
firecrackers. There were
many reports of family members who visited just to partake in the festivities
here but some told the News Leader that fun was still a big part of their
weekend. By
ANNA La FLEUR Production
Manager ABILENE – Six
Sanderson competitors won first place ribbons at the American Athletic Union
West Texas National Qualifiers Meet at Elmer Stadium here Saturday and all 14
qualified for the AAU Junior Olympic Games at Norfolk State University in
Norfolk, VA, July 31 to August 7. Taking home
first place medals were Cassie Woosley, Brandee Stegall, Brianna Lozano, Grace
Jahn, Abby Carrasco, Jalen Chriesman and William Roberts. William was
first in the boys intermediate 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:28.31, first
in the boys intermediate 3,000-meter run with a time of 9:51.73 and first in
the boys intermediate 2,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 6:52.91. Brandee placed
first in the girls sub–youth six-pound shot put with a distance of 22 feet,
2.25 inches, and first in the girls sub–youth discus throw with a distance of
35 feet. Cassie placed
first in the girls sub–youth 800-meter run with a time of 3:09.16 and the
girls sub–youth 1,500-meter run with a time of 6:40.87 and third in the girls
sub–youth long jump with a distance of ten feet, ten inches. Grace was
first in the girls youth 1,500-meter run with a time of 5:43.89 and third in
the girls youth 800-meter run with a time of 2:44.97. Abby came in
first in the girls youth 3,000-meter run with a time of 12:01.27 and third in
the girls youth 1,500-meter run with a time of 5:45.43. Brianna placed
first in the girls youth 100–meter dash with a time of 15.67, third in the
girls youth 200-meter dash with a time of 31.45 and fourth in the girls youth
long jump with a distance of ten feet, seven inches. Jalen placed
first in the boys youth 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.48, first in the
boys youth 200-meter hurdles with a time of 29.06, first in the boys youth
discus throw with a distance of 92 feet, seven inches, and third in the boys
youth 400-meter dash with a time of 1:00.36. Hunter
Truesdell placed second in the boys sub-midget 400-meter dash with a time of
1:27.38, second in the boys sub-midget 800-meter run with a time of 3:12.40
and second in the boys sub-midget six pound shot put with a distance of 15
feet, 1.25 inches. Joseph
Carrasco came in second in the boys youth 800-meter run with a time of
2:55.26, second in the boys youth 1,500-meter run with a time of 5:50.06 and
second in the boys youth long jump with a distance of 11 feet, nine inches. Shawn Stegall
placed second in the young men 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:00.72. Stephanie
Lozano came in second in the girls bantam long jump with a distance of eight
feet, four inches, and third in the girls 100-meter dash bantam with a time
of 17.07. Jacob Helmers
was second in the boys midget 400-meter dash with a time of 1:29.60, third in
the boys midget long jump with a distance of 11 feet, 2.5 inches, and fourth
in the boys midget 200-meter dash with a time of 39.99. Volunteer
Katie Roberts said the team was accompanied by team manager Eric Gomez of
Imperial, "Coach" Travis Roberts and numerous family members. Some of the
athletes toured the campuses of Hardin-Simmons and McMurry Universities “to
inspire them to reach higher and try harder for a bright and rewarding
future,” she said. “Congratulations,
West Texas A-Team on reaching your goal and advancing to Nationals,” Roberts
said. “We are all proud of you.” By
MARK GLOVER Contributing
Editor ALPINE - An
Air Ambulance airplane crashed and burst into flames approximately one mile from
the Alpine Casparis Municipal Airport early Sunday morning, claiming the
lives of all five people on board. The
twin-engine Cessna 421 was in route to Midland International Airport carrying
69-year-old patient Mary Folger and her husband, 79-year-old Guy Richard
Folger, of Alpine. Also killed
were two flight nurses, 49-year-old Sharon Falkener of Fort Davis and
42-year-old Tracy Chambers of Alpine, and 59-year-old pilot Ted Caffarel of
Beaumont. The patient
was being transported to a hospital in Midland-Odessa for a hip replacement. National
Traffic Safety Board investigator in charge Jennifer Rodi said the aircraft
likely took off from Runway 23 at the unattended municipal airport at
approximately 12:15 a.m. Sunday going into a light south-southwest wind under
overcast skies. “It is too
early to even speculate on what exactly went wrong,” Rodi said. “We don’t
know yet if the pilot was trying to abort the take off or maneuver a forced
landing or what. It was a dark night and we just don’t know what problem he
was dealing with.” Captain Rusty
Taylor of the Brewster County Sheriff’s Office was working traffic on State
Highway 118 at the time of the crash when a car pulled over and advised him
they had “just seen a plane go down.” A number of
eye-witness reports have been filed with the NTSB. An
unsubstantiated report suggests one of the plane’s two engines was on fire as
the aircraft crossed the fence at the end of the runway. “That’s a
rumor we’ve heard as well,” Rodi said. “We’d like to hear from that person if
they are indeed out there.” O’Hara Flying
Services of Amarillo, doing business as Air Ambulance, was the operator of
the aircraft. It was their
second accident in 14 months, both occurring taking off in Cessna 421s from
Alpine Airport. On May 11, 2009,
an Air Ambulance C-421 piloted by Dan Hill made an emergency landing in a
field at the Newbury Ranch near Lizard Mountain, two miles from the runway. Hill, flying
solo, was not injured in the accident. “We’re sifting
through the wreckage,” Rodi said. “It’s like digging up fossils. “If you dig
too hard and fast you can lose some of the evidence,” she said. “Much of the
fuselage burned. The debris path suggests a heading of 060 [northeast] and
after the initial ground scars there was a slight deviation to the right
which is when it likely inverted. We’re trying to ID various components.” Rodi said her
field investigation would likely take five weeks. Her NTSB “Go
Team” will further examine the wreckage components in the lab and then meet
with the Federal Aviation Administration, witnesses and others involved
before putting together a recount of the accident and handing it over to the
five-person board in Washington, DC, which will ultimately determine a
“probable cause.” “It might take
as long as a year,” Rodi said. By Monday
afternoon, the seldom-used dirt road that led to the vicinity of the crash
site on the north slope of a green hill at the 06 Ranch was guarded by
Sheriff’s deputies and worn with official traffic including the FAA, Texas
Department of Transportation and family members of the deceased. Eagle
Football schedule released SANDERSON –
The Sanderson High School varsity Eagles football schedule for this year will
begin with a scrimmage with the Indians at Fort Davis at 10 a.m. Aug. 14. But for the
players, the action starts two weeks before that with “two-a-day” practices
starting Aug. 2. The Buena
Vista Longhorns will host the Eagles for their second scrimmage at 6 p.m.
Aug. 20. The first
varsity game will be against Grady at the McCamey West Texas Shootout at 10
a.m. Aug. 28 The first home
game and the first district game will be at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 3 when
Sanderson hosts the Longhorns. Then it’s off
to Grandfalls when the Cowboys host the Eagles at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 10. The schedule
this year calls for two games with each district rival, giving the team eight
district games on a “home and home” basis.
The Eagles
then take on the El Paso Jesus Chapel in the “Sun City” at noon on Sept. 18. Sanderson will
host Del City at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24. The Eagles are
back on the road next week, heading to Balmorhea to take on the Bears in
another district game at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1. The “home and
home” series with Buena Vista will be the next week when the Eagles visit the
Longhorns at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8. Grandfalls
will face the Eagles for the second time at Eagle Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Oct.
15. October 22 is
an open date but on Oct. 29, Dell City Cougars will host the Eagles at 7:30
p.m. at Dell City. Balmorhea
plays Sanderson here at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5 in the final game of the regular
season. The Junior
Eagles will face the Grandfalls cowboys here at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 9, leaving
Sept. 16 as an open date. The Del City
Cougars host the Junior Eagles at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 23. Sanderson
takes on Balmorhea here at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 30 at Eagle Stadium. The Longhorns
take on the Junior Eagles here next at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 7. The next game
will be at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at Grandfalls against the Cowboys, leaving Oct.
21 an open date. Sanderson
hosts On Nov. 4, the
Junior Eagles load up to play the Junior Bears at Balmorhea at 5:30 p.m. in
the final game of the regular season. ALPINE - Tax
and budget protesters rallied at the Alpine Courthouse Saturday despite the
rain. But organizers said the weather did minimize the size of the turnout. The Tea Party
Movement, for Taxed Enough Already, is a national movement that emerged on
income tax day, April 15, last year after the Stimulus Bill and other actions
of the new Obama Administration that greatly increased the national debt. It also was
inspired by the memory of the Boston Tea Party of 1775 that led to the
American Revolution. “We need the
government to understand and take note,” protester Stacey Roberts said. “We
don’t work for you, you work for us.” The Big Bend
group that claims neither Republican nor Democrat roots released a statement
containing some of their beefs with the federal government. They included
“that the government’s behavior of spending into an inconceivable amount of
debt is both immoral and unacceptable. “The US
unemployment rate has continued to rise and shows to not be improving like we
were promised,” the statement reads. “There has been a constant bleeding of
jobs and more and more stimulus money keeps getting pumped into the dying
body with no life being resurrected. “Our current
government would have you believe that we are on an economic recovery,” it
says. “Really?” The Tea Party
movement resulted in rallies across the US over the last 15 months, including
on here on April 15. SANDERSON –
The Terrell County Rec. Cross Country Camp in Sanderson brought students from
area schools for two weeks of clinics with coaches from Hardin Simmons and
McMurry Universities last month. “The TC Rec
Cross Country Camp was a great success and a rare opportunity for the
athletes that attended,” volunteer Katie Roberts said. She said
runners from Sanderson, Alpine, Midland and “even Kerrville came to have fun
and learn about a sport that is gaining in popularity in West Texas.” Cross Country
and Distance Coach David Chandler of McMurry University and Kenneth Wheeler,
a recent McMurry graduate and top distance runner, were instructors for the
camp. “The runners
enjoyed three days of learning about training techniques, both physical and
mental, muscle groups, exercises to avoid injuries and what to do after one,
and how to juggle. Yes, juggle,” Roberts said. “With all the
rain, there was only minimal opportunity to get some running in but the
group found many ways to be entertained while spending most of the camp
indoors,” she said. “They watched inspirational documentaries,
interacted in several group discussions and enjoyed videos
of brothers William Roberts and State Champ Travis Roberts at
the recent state meet.” Travis won two
gold medals and William came in fifth in the State 1-A meet in Austin in May. “Most
importantly, they viewed detailed footage of themselves running at different
speeds to show what was right and wrong with each runner’s form,” Roberts
said. “This taught them where their strengths lay and how to take advantage
of them during a race.” Meals were
served at Legion Hall with the help of volunteers including Nancy Stegall,
Shellie Martin, Judy Houston and Roberts. Terrell County
provided all the costs for campers, including those from out of town.
Visitors only paid for the AAU insurance. All other costs were paid by the
county. Volunteers
helping with the camp included Jill Jahn and Tammy Truesdell “who shopped for
all the food and spent hours doing paperwork,” Roberts said. She also thanked
David Carrasco, “our ever-helpful technician and all around go-to guy, and
Travis Roberts who tended to every aspect the camp required.” "I'm
impressed," said Coach Chandler. "This community organized in a
matter of weeks a camp that takes months to plan and I have a whole
university at my disposal." When the
runners asked if the coaches would come back next year, they agreed without
hesitation, Roberts said. “The last afternoon
was spent by each runner writing personal and inspirational messages to each
other in support of the upcoming cross country season,” she said. “We
invite the public to come and watch our athletes succeed.” All 14
Sanderson students who competed at the American Athletic Union West Texas
National Qualifiers Meet at Abilene Saturday qualified for the AAU Junior
Olympic Games at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, VA, July 31 to August
7. Six Sanderson
athletes brought home first-place ribbons for their class at the meet. Families
find fun on Fourth By
ANNA La FLEUR Production
Manager SANDERSON –
Local residents Ray Shoemaker took his sons David, Roy & Mikey Shoemaker
to “It is what he
wants to do with his life and I am very proud of him,” Ray Shoemaker said. Second grade
teacher Irma & Art Mendoza had a home full of visitors over the weekend. “They all came
to see the celebration here because they heard so much about it,” Irma
Mendoza said. “Even though everything was rained out, we still had a good
time.” Their
daughter, Karina & Trevor Harrison, came from Trevor’s folks
Troy & Dianne Harrison of Aztec, NM, visited with their son Jerrod of Gabe &
Roxanna Espino of Kermit were here with their children seven–year-old Karisa
& Zeke, who is three. Daniel Mendoza
of Alpine brought Kasia Havens of With them was
friend Millie Rey from Just next
door, Melva Cooke entertained her three sons Nelson, Darrell & Craig. Nelson brought
his son Darret with him. Craig was here
until Tuesday when he took his mother to the doctor. Kim Rapp &
son Jimmy Rapp of Real estate
broker and Jim &
Alinda Turner of Uvalde visited Sanderson for the weekend and participated in
the Old Timers Hour at Fair Hall. Turner was
found to be the oldest man present. The honor of the oldest women present
went to Mary Nell Hinkle. “That was not fair,” Hinkle quipped. “I was
oldest women before and just because the other women are on the Historical
Society here doesn’t mean they don’t count. Something has got to be done.” She said Henry
Beth Hogg & Margaret Farley didn’t count because they are members of the
society. Turner also
laughed at the idea of being the oldest man in attendance. Jim &
Alinda Turner lived here for many years before moving to The couple
lived there for 16 years before settling in Uvalde where they have been for
22 years. Mike & Karen
Sanchez said they had family visitors from all over the state. “Wow, a ton of
people in addition to the regular Sanderson people,” son Joseph Sanchez said. Joseph’s
uncles George Sanchez from Joseph’s
grandma Amelia Sanchez came from the nursing home in “My little
brother James Daniel came in from Alpine,” Joseph said. Uncle Hector
Salazar & Aunt Debbie Salazar came from Albert Cantu
had a visit from his sons Cory & Tyler Cantu. The Dale Busch
family is in Leo’s sister
Victoria Busch is postponing her new job at Mid-Tex here to see her brother
graduate. Leo will have his associate degree in automotive science. “I’m probably
going back to Sanderson for a month,” Leo said. “Then I will probably go to AUSTIN – The
office of Texas Comptroller Susan Combs will offer ten tax seminars at
various locations across the state this month. The free
taxpayer seminars are designed to help new and existing business owners
understand their state tax responsibilities. “A diverse
economy, growing work force and friendly business climate attract more
businesses to the Lone Star state every day,” a press release said. “At the
seminars, taxpayers can learn about sales tax forms, filing and paying taxes
electronically, taxable goods and services, e-services to help taxpayers
manage their accounts online, the comptroller’s e-mail subscription service
that alerts taxpayers when new tax information is posted online and the array
of other services and information available to assist taxpayers.” Comptroller
representatives will answer questions and provide assistance to attendees. “A strong and
diverse business community is the key to Texas’ economic strength,” Combs
said. “We are committed to assisting Texas businesses by making taxes
simpler, smarter, faster and, above all, transparent. We owe it to our
taxpayers to provide the best customer service possible.” A complete
list of locations, dates and times is available at www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/seminars.html. For more
information, call the comptroller’s tax assistance line at 800/252-5555. By
MARK GLOVER Contributing
Editor ALPINE - The
state of Texas overall has reduced ozone levels by 22 percent over the last
decade while population has increased 16 percent. “That’s pretty
substantial,” said David Brymer, division director of the Air Quality
Division of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. “But we’re being
asked to do even more.” Brymer spoke
at a town hall style meeting here this week, called to discuss the local
impact of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to revise the Clean
Air Act and cut ozone levels by as much as 20 percent across the nation over
the next several years. Houston was
the biggest reducer of ozone over that period but remains the No. 2 most
ozone polluted city in the state after Fort Worth. The TCEQ rates
Fort Worth air at 86 parts of ozone per million. The
federally-operated air quality monitor two miles east of Panther Junction
placed the Big Bend region at an average of 66 parts per million. “That puts the
Big Bend in non-attainment if the EPA mandates their most strict proposal,”
Brymer said. But State Sen.
Pete Gallego said “it aint us” that’s polluting the Big Bend air. The Bravo
Study, a Big Bend air quality study conducted during a four month period in
late summer and early fall of 2003, indicated most of the pollution in the
area was from the Ohio River Valley and the Gulf Coast petro-chemical
complex, the largest refining area in the world. “There may be
provisions that could take into account transport of ozone which might affect
how attainment is derived,” Brymer said. “Obviously there are very few if any
large point sources [of pollution] in the area. There is also provisional
language that takes into account international transport of pollution, which
includes Mexico.” “This area is
a prime tourism destination and a non-attainment label would be detrimental
to our economy,” Brewster County Judge Val Beard said. Fran Sage
suggested the methodology used by the government for calculating ozone
pollution “doesn’t fit an area such as ours, especially when they’re
polluting us.” Gallego
suggested the region become pro-active to avoid “non-attainment” status. “In the Bravo
Study, we did not have good cooperation from Mexico and that limits our
ability to prove to the EPA it’s not us,” he said. “We’re in a contest with
the EPA. “We had a
flexible system under the Bush Administration [permitting polluters] that I
didn’t like,” Gallego said. “But the Obama Administration is not letting
anything slide.” Gallego said
gasoline prices will likely rise if non-attainment is levied because “gas
stations will have to have the same vapor recovery equipment as they do in
big cities like El Paso and permitting for automobile inspections will be
tougher.” Big Bend
National Park scientist Jeff Bennett said the Bravo Study was only four
months of data. “It’s a
snapshot. It should inform us as we talk about these issues but it is not the
gospel,” Bennett said. “More data is needed.” SANDERSON –
Weather over the weekend slowed progress on a $14 million bond issue for
Terrell County Independent School District but efforts were under way this
week to make up for lost time. Mid-Tex of
Midland is the “contractor at risk,” responsible for oversight of all the
projects on all campuses. Mid-Tex
officials said they are making strides to keep up with the Aug. 2 deadline
for the field house and an Aug. 20 deadline for upgrades to the elementary
school. “We are behind
about a week due to the rain but we should get caught up soon,” Site
Superintendant Joe Marquez said. The crew has
worked on the windows, painting, removing floor tiles containing asbestos,
interior windows, door jams, filling leaks in the roof and patching around
the new air conditioner units at the elementary school. The company
recently hired two more people to help get the work back on track. The bond
issue, approved in May, 2007, is providing new high school classrooms south
of the junior high building, a new vocational building and field house and
revisions to the other facilities including the elementary school, gyms and
junior high building. FORT DAVIS – A
44-year-old minister from Odessa was killed Monday afternoon when the
motorcycle he was riding lost control on a “sharp curve” on State Highway 17
10.8 miles north of here. Michael Robert
Graham was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Fred Granado
of Fort Davis. Trooper
Shannon Hamby of Fort Davis said the victim was not wearing a helmet. The
pavement was dry at the time of the accident. ALPINE –
Leadership Big Bend is seeking applications for its 2011 class to develop
leaders for the tri-county region. “We do that by
identifying those persons who want to be involved in the economic and
community development of this area,” Leadership spokesman Kathy Bork said.
“Leadership Big Bend provides a unique perspective of the Big Bend area and
helps participants become more knowledgeable about Brewster, Jeff Davis and
Presidio Counties.” She said
learning about the area's needs encourages participants to discover solutions
for meeting those needs. “One of the
most important aspects of Leadership Big Bend is the establishment of a
network of community and area leaders,” Bork said. “Challenges facing the Big
Bend area can be met more easily when people get to know one other and learn
skills to help them work together to accomplish their goals.” Nominees
are solicited from businesses, professional groups, agencies, institutions,
civic groups and interested individuals. The Admissions
Committee selects fifteen participants for each class. Applications
are available at http://www.leadershipbigbend.org/application.pdf. They should be
postmarked no later than August 14 and sent to PO Box 242, Alpine, TX 79831
for consideration for the 2011 class. Contact Bork
at 432/386-3551 or for more information or borkedit@sbcglobal.net. SANDERSON –
The Sanderson High School Spanish Club visited Spain for a ten-day adventure
last month. Spanish Club
members on the trip were Victoria Busch, Jessica Garza, Chris Marquez, Miriam
Nuñez, Noemi Nuñez and Travis Roberts. All now have
graduated, Miriam having graduated in 2009. The others turned their tassels
this year. Others
traveling in the group who funded their own way were Amy Carman, Jesse
Daniel, Trisha Nichols, Virginia Garza, Luis Garza and group leader Jerry
Garza. Students in
the club raised the money for their flight tickets, tours, tips and hotels
with several fund raisers. The first day
of the trip was the overnight flight to Spain. The next two
days were spent exploring Madrid and visiting the Prado, Puerta del Sol,
Plaza Mayor, Plaza de Oriente and the Royal Palace, which was built by
Bourbon King Phillip V. On the fourth
day, the group travelled to Córdoba via Puerto Lápice, visited the Mezquita
and continued on to Seville. The next day
the group took a guided tour of Later that
day, they took a walking tour and saw the Torre del Oro, the Plaza de Toros
and travelled to The sixth day,
the group had a free day in Costa del Sol. The next
morning, they travelled to Granada where they took a guided tour and visited
the Alhambra. The group
travelled to A guided tour
of Then they took
a guided tour of Barcelona, visiting the La Sagrada Familia. The same day
the group also visited the Parc Guell before taking another walking tour of
Barcelona and seeing Las Ramblas. The next day
the exhausted travelers packed up and departed for home. Each tour on
the trip was given by licensed local guides and the tour director. The nine
overnight hotel stays included private bathrooms and European breakfast and
dinner daily. The students
and chaperones took many pictures and each student was expected to write in a
journal during the trip. The Spanish
Club will present a slide show for the public at the Community Building at 6
p.m. Monday July 12. Punch and cookies will be served. Pecos EMS
Director Joe Tollett told the News Leader he is exploring options, which
could include a “satellite” EMS station in southern The Balmorhea
service has been operating with “one lady who works pretty much 24/7,”
Tollett said. She has one helper he said but her time is “real limited. “They haven’t
been able to get any people,” he said. “They are just out of people.” Tollett said
the variance was for three years, which is unusually long for a state
variance. It allows an
ambulance to operate with one medically-certificated operator and a driver
instead of two certificated people. “They
[Balmorhea] can’t continue,” Tollett said. “We are trying to decide” what to
do. Balmorhea is
30 minutes driving time “in good weather” from Balmorhea was
responsible for 1,000 square miles, including 60 miles of Interstate 10. The Pecos EMS
has 3,000 square miles to look after and when it takes over the Balmorhea
area, it will have two interstate highways to respond to. Tollett said
the good news is that he has until the end of the year to find a solution. ALPINE – The
Alpine Rotary’s third annual Way-Out-West Texas Book Festival will launch
here Thursday, July 29, with a sundown barbecue and belly dancing by the
Mystic Gitanas. Then will come
two days of readings and performances for children and adults by David
Morrell, Denise Chavez, Benjamin Saenz, J.P.S. Brown, Joel Nelson, D.J.
Stout, James Evans and ten other authors. Capping off
the event on Saturday, July 31, will be a benefit concert by The Flatlanders
featuring Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock. Alpine Public
Library will receive all proceeds. Daytime events are free. Evening events
including the Thursday barbecue, Friday banquet and Saturday concert are
ticketed. All events
will be at Sul Ross State University facilities. For more on
the WOW Texas Book Fest, log on to the website info@wowtxbookfestivalcom or wowtxbookfestival.com OKLAHOMA CITY
– SandRidge Energy last week announced that it has signed a letter of intent
with a large independent oil and gas company to sell deep acreage rights in
Oklahoma for $140 million in cash. SandRidge has
no associated proved reserves or current production from the deep rights
located in the Cana Shale play in northwest Oklahoma and will retain the
shallow rights to the acreage. SandRidge said
it would use the proceeds from the sale to pay down existing borrowings under
its credit facility. The
transaction is subject to successful negotiation of a purchase and sale
agreement and other customary closing conditions. The company
expects the transaction to close in the third quarter of 2010. The proposed
sale does not affect SandRidge's pending merger with Arena Resources, Inc.,
which would provide oil resources for SandRidge, and Arena has been informed
of the proposed transaction. ALPINE – The
fourth annual “Branding Together” 5K run/ walk will be tomorrow, July 10,
rain or shine. The event at
Kokernot Lodge, hosted by the Sul Ross State University Alumni Association,
begins at 8 a.m. with registration fee of $20 per person. It is free to Sul
Ross students with current ID. Children 12
and under will need a parent’s or guardian’s signature to register. The event
is open to casual walkers, family fitness fans and serious runners alike. There will be
an awards ceremony immediately after the race. Awards will be presented to
the overall female and male winners, as well as first to third places in each
age group. Age categories
are 12 and under, 13 to 19, 20 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60
to 69 and 70 and over. Results will
be timed and tabulated. Registration forms are available by emailing alumni@sulross.edu. Race Material
pick-up is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, July 9, at the Morgan University
Center information desk and 7 to 7:45 a.m. tomorrow, July 10, at Kokernot
Lodge. For more
information, contact Saul Garza, art 432/837-8697 or sgarza@sulross.edu. |
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