HOW OLD? – No, Katy Jahn, left, and Kylie Dominguez are not really 100 years old. Not even close. They are celebrating 100 days of
school. The kindergarteners joined other Sanderson Elementary students to mark the century mark last week.
SAN ANTONIO – Terrell County Judge Leo Smith said Monday he met with members of the board of directors of Amtrak here last week and
Chairman Thomas Carper indicated he would help the county in its plans to acquire a platform to be used for a depot in Sanderson.
There
had been reports Amtrak might eliminate the stop in Sanderson in its thrice-weekly service east and west through town.
The train stops
in Sanderson if someone wants to get on or off. If it passes through ahead of its scheduled departure time, it has to stop until that
time.
Smith said Amtrak had earlier indicated that if the county built a permanent “platform” for people to use to board and de-board
the train, it might decide to continue to stop in Sanderson.
Smith said the discussion was on a platform with a roof and at least three
sides plus rest rooms and a drinking fountain inside.
“He [Carper] told me he would talk to Union Pacific about our need and maybe
get some land to put the platform,” Smith said. “This could take some time but our interest in providing a station could help keep
our Amtrak service.”
About the same time reports surfaced that Amtrak might eliminate the stop in Sanderson, there were other reports
the company was considering daily service along the Sunset Limited route.
Amtrak ‘platform ’sought
Brewster County Judge
Val Beard
P. O. Box 1630
Alpine, TX 79831
432/819-2412
Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson
201 W. Ave
E.
Alpine, TX 79830
432/837-3488
County Commissioner
Ruben Ortega
P. O. Box 233
Marathon. TX 79842
432-294- J 096
Marathon
ISD Superintendent Conrad Arriola
N. 5th Street
Marathon. TX 79842
432/386-4431
Terrell County Judge
Leo Smith
P. O. Box 4810
432/345-2421
Terrell County Sheriff
Clint McDonald
P. O. Box 320
Sanderson, TX 79848
432/345-2525
Terrell County
ISD Superintendent
Gary Hamilton
P.O. Box 747
Sanderson, TX 79848
432/345-2515
Lowry stumps at café
ROYAL PAIR – Darren Seidel and Blakeney Chriesman were crowned king and queen of the Junior-Senior Prom Saturday. The junior class,
which produced the affair, created the theme, “From Dusk Til Dawn. San Saba High School student Tyler Lackey came to take professional
pictures. They can be seen at www.wtlphotos.com.
The Texas Forts Trail
Chili or Super Bowl?
SANDERSON – Football fans around the country, including Sanderson, will huddle in front of their television sets
Sunday to watch one of the biggest spectacles in sports, the National Football League’s Super Bowl XLIV.
The Sanderson Band Boosters
also hope they’ll gather around a “steaming hot bowl of chili” to support the Sanderson band program.
Groundwater lecture planned
ALPINE – Environmental historian Dr. Megan Benson will discuss “Groundwater War! Law, Politics and the
Texas Rule of Capture” Friday, Feb. 12 at Sul Ross State University.
Benson’s lecture will be at 7 p.m. in the Morgan University Center’s
Espino Conference Center. There is no admission charge.
Cowboy poets to meet
ALPINE – The 24th annual Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering will be Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26 and 27, on the campus
of Sul Ross State University here.
About 50 poets, musicians and storytellers from around the world will participate.
The West Texas
National Bank is the title sponsor. The City of Alpine also provides significant support.
Math kids aid St. Jude
SANDERSON – Sanderson Junior High School students raised $1,154.10 for the Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital
this year by asking the community for donations.
The 14 students did extra math problems and raised the money to help the children,
their families and the research efforts hospital.
SANDERSON – Dr. Robert Lowry of San Antonio wondered last week why it would take more than 2,000 pages for a federal healthcare bill
when the entire nation was founded on just a few pages.
The Senate-passed healthcare bill last year was 2,400 pages long in its final
iteration, just a few pages longer than the House-passed bill.
School gets a new acronym
AUSTIN – For those just getting used to what “TAKS” stands for, the state has come up with a new acronym
for testing students in public schools.
Education Commissioner Robert Scott announced last week that the next generation of student
tests, starting in the 2011-12 school year, will be known as STAAR, for “State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness.”
UIL districts aligned
AUSTIN – Sanderson High School will be in District 6 in Class 1A, Six Man Division II this year. The new alignment
was announced Monday.
Joining the Eagles in the district will be Balmorhea, Dell City, Grandfalls-Royalty and Imperial Buena Vista.
SANDERSON – Kayla Fuéntez of Sanderson has been selected for the United States Achievement Academy’s Who’s Who in Leadership Service
for the 2009-10 school year.
Kayla, the daughter of Marco and Ronnie Fuéntez, was the winner of the USAA’s National History and Government
Award last year.
She is the granddaughter of Pancho Fuentes and Yolanda Martinez of Sanderson and Don and Susanna Fuéntez of Marathon.
Kayla was in the top ten
Read more...Students collect pennies for patients
SANDERSON – The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has invited Sanderson Elementary School to participate
in a fund raiser called “Pennies for Patients,” although all coins will be accepted.
Beginning Monday, Feb. 8, and ending Friday, Feb.
26, the students will participate in raising funds that will help support the cause
Domestic livestock targeted
SANDERSON – A “Local Working Group” for the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation
Service and the Rio Grande-Pecos River County Soil and Water Conservation District decided Tuesday to concentrate on “domestic livestock”
at a meeting here.
The NRCS hosted the public and any agencies with an interest in conservation issues to receive input from local
agencies, organizations, businesses, and individuals that have an interest in natural resource conditions and needs in Terrell County.
FORT STOCKTON – A Fort Stockton Border Patrol agent seized 282 pounds of marijuana with a street value of more than $225,000 last
week.
The agent was on patrol on US Highway 285 south of Fort Stockton when he encountered an SUV.
Red Devils bedevil Eagles
By ANNA La FLEUR
News Leader Writer
SANDERSON – The Varsity Eagles came out second best to Rankin here Tuesday
in close games. The boys lost 34-38 and the girls came out behind in a 41-49 ball game.
Travis Roberts was the top scorer for the boys
with 11 points. Cordell Lawson was on his heels with nine points. Darren Siedel was not far behind with seven points. Tim Hopkins
had five points and William Roberts scored two points.
By MARK GLOVER
Contributing Editor
SANTA ELENA CANYON - Like many west Texans, I wear a few hats, ranch hand, adobe man, writer man
and about once every three months I get a call to be a tour man. This call came at 6:45 am.
I couldn’t make out the accent. Chinese?
Romanian? Over the next several months the call came regularly.
“It’s Mr. Mullet again,” Lori would say handing me the phone across
the bed. Mr. Mullet was reconfirming his tour of the Big Bend National Park.
So when I saw four guys walking down Holland Avenue in
matching black hats, matching black vests and cobalt blue shirts, I thought – Oh, Mariachis.
Odessa College sponsors
youth democracy program
ODESSA – Odessa College will sponsor a democracy program to educate youth about the
US Congress and encourage them to become active participants in the democratic process.
The program, created by the Committee for
Citizen Awareness, involves two major components.
Nelson adds chapter on poetry
ALPINE – Sul Ross State University Associate Professor of English Dr. Barney Nelson will publish a chapter
in a new Blackwell Companion to the Literature and Culture of the American West edited by Nicolas Witschi.
Nelson’s chapter, entitled
“The Nature of Cowboy Poetry,” discusses the abundance of nature imagery and especially the positive characterization of wolves and
coyotes. The collection is scheduled for publication in 2011.
Pipes new project director
FORT DAVIS – Former Odessa Police Chief Chris Pipes has been hired as the new Davis Mountains Project director
for the The Nature Conservancy.
Born in Garland and raised in Odessa, Pipes served for 25 years in the Odessa Police Department, rising
through the ranks from cadet to chief.
Deadline nears for prepaid college
AUSTIN – Families have until Feb. 28 to lock in college tuition and required fees at current rates
for the state’s public colleges.
“The Texas Tuition Promise Fund helps put higher education within reach for all families,” Texas
Comptroller Susan Combs said. “Whether it’s a four-year degree or career training at a community college, saving for college will
help our children gain the skills they need for well-paying jobs.”
Tax credit helps needy
WASHINGTON, DC – US Rep. Ciro Rodriguez has urged eligible taxpayers to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit this
year, which helps boost needy families out of poverty each year.
“With tax season coming up, every dollar is going to count,” Rodriguez
said. “This important tax credit is available for eligible taxpayers, but each year up to 7 million eligible taxpayers don’t claim
it. That should change this year as we seek to make more people aware of this key tax benefit.”
Harvesons co-author chapter
ALPINE – Sul Ross State University faculty members Dr. Louis Harveson and Dr. Patricia Moody Harveson have
co-authored a chapter in a book published by the University of Arizona Press.
The Harvesons, along with Melanie A. Culver, Cora Varas
and Bonnie McKinney, wrote “Connecting Wildlife Habitats across the US-Mexico Border” in the book, “Conservation of Shared Environments:
Learning from the United States and Mexico.”
‘Private Lives’ opens Feb. 19
ALPINE – Comedy, romance and espionage meet under the covers as “The Private Lives of Private Spies,”
which premieres Feb. 19 at the Granada Theatre in downtown Alpine.
Performance times will be at 8:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb.
19 and 20 and 26 and 27, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21 and 28.
VOTE FOR BOTH – Several Sanderson residents are displaying signs for more than one candidate in the same race, just to show they are
fair. This pair seen at Aurora’s market included signs for both candidates for the Democratic nomination to County Judge. Early voting
in the two major parties will be during normal business hours Feb. 16 to 26 at the Terrell County Courthouse. There will be one Saturday
for early voting, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., including the noon lunch hour, Feb. 20.
ESSAYISTS – Winners of the 2010 Conservation Essay Contest, front row from left, were Jesse Roberts, Daniel Luevano, Jalen Chriesman
and Kayla Fuéntez. Board members, from left, were Malone Mitchell, Blain Chriesman, Jon Tom Lowrance, Charles Stegall and Wayne Sutton.
OVER THE FALLS – Dr. Robert Lowry of San Antonio, left, said he decided to run for Congress now instead of after his children grow up because the country will be “over the falls by then” if he waits. Lowry spoke to a small group at the RoundHouse Café last week.
Looking on were Beverly Evans and Gilbert Bell.
Kayla in Who’s Who
Kayla Fuéntez
Agent seizes pot in car
DRUG ROLL – More than $225,000 worth of marijuana was recovered in the back seat of an SUV pulled over by a US Border Patrol Agent
south of Fort Stockton last week. The agent noticed the driver of the rented vehicle acting nervous and he stopped to check it out.
TOP BLUEBONNET READERS – Fourth grader Luke Carroll, left, and third grader Justin Flax read the most books on the Texas Bluebonnet Books list for 2009-2010. Twenty-three eligible voters selected "Martina the Beautiful Cockroach" as their favorite Texas Blubonnet Book of the year, in an election held during a party for successful Bluebonnet readers at Sanderson Elementary last week.
NOT OHIO – Four young Amish men toured Big Bend National Park and the mountains of Southwest Texas recently. Guide and sometimes News
Leader correspondent Mark Glover showed the visitors a few things about life in the Old West, a far cry from their farms back in Ohio.
Drive set to recycle chemicals
SANDERSON – A plan to recycle hazardous home chemicals could be some time this summer, financed by a
$4,000 state grant, County Judge Leo Smith said this week.
Smith said the grant, through the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission,
would pay to have someone haul off items such as oil, oil filters, batteries, paint, chemicals such as bleach or Drano and other household
items that should not be placed in a landfill.
Sully’s Super Saturday Feb. 20
ALPINE – Prospective students and their families can explore educational opportunities and campus life
at Sul Ross State University during Sully’s Super Saturday, Feb. 20.
Check-in and registration begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Morgan University
Center. The opening assembly will include a greeting from the Sul Ross President Dr. Ricardo Maestas, Provost and Vice President for
Academic and Student Affairs Dr. David Cockrum and Gregory Schwab, associate vice president for Enrollment Management.
ANT FARMERS – Sanderson Elementary Kindergartners recently enjoyed watching ants at work in the class ant farm. The kiddos seem intent on what the little bugs are up to.
TRAIN STOP – Terrell County is trying to find a way to build a platform for Amtrak passengers in hopes of keeping the Sanderson stop
active. There were rumors the railroad would suspend the stop but a platform could help save it. County Judge Leo Smith met with the
Amtrak Board last week and there may be a solution soon.
GO COWBOYS – The
