TOP KIDS – Raquel Hinkley and Jimmy Rapp this week were named the top graduates for the Class of 2009 at Sanderson High School. Raquel
is valedictorian with a grade point average 94.99. Jimmy’s GPA was close behind at 94.34 for the salutatorian honors.
LOS ANGELES – Amtrak, which operates passenger train service through Sanderson three times per week in each direction, is considering
operating daily trains on the route.
The Sunset Limited now operates between Los Angeles and New Orleans, a route that has not seen
frequencies greater than tri-weekly since Amtrak’s inception.
Brian Rosenwald, Amtrak’s chief of product management, outlined the proposal
before the California Rail Political Action Committee/National Association of Railroad Passengers meeting last week, reported in Train
Magazine.
The train would operate as an extension of the Texas Eagle, which currently connects Chicago with San Antonio, and would
take the place of the current Sunset Limited.
A stub train would operate between San Antonio and New Orleans to handle passengers in
that portion of the corridor.
Currently, a coach and sleeper from the Sunset operate as through cars to Chicago on the Eagle three
days per week, while a dormitory sleeper, full sleeper, dining car and coaches operate from Los Angeles to New Orleans through Sanderson.
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
Top graduates named
SANDERSON – Raquel Hinkley was named valedictorian and Jimmy Rapp was awarded salutatorian of the Sanderson High School Class of 2009 this week.
It was a close race as Raquel carried a grade point average of 94.99 and Jimmy was close behind with 94.34.
Read more...DEPRESSION CONE – This diagram indicates the “cone of depression that is formed when water is pumped out of a well. The Far West Texas
Regional Water Planning Group has begun a study of the Marathon Aquifer.
By Daniel Eaton
Special to the News Leader
MARATHON – Water, aquifers, large-capacity wells and public opinion have been in the forefront
of many news stories, meetings and coffee shop talk since the Rio Nuevo, Ltd., scheme to sell water from the Big Bend to cities far
and wide.
The issue came back last week when opposition arose in Fort Stockton to a similar plan by former gubernatorial candidate Clayton Williams to export water from his property there.
Read more...Dunlap found not guilty of murder
By MARK GLOVER
Contributing Editor
ALPINE – T.J. Dunlap is a free man today after a jury in a Brewster
County court found him not guilty last Friday in the murder of Richard Lynn Purdy.
Purdy died of a .44-caliber gunshot wound to the head on Marathon’s main street last year after the running of the Big Bend Open Road Race.
Read more...SANDERSON – Terrell County has been designed the repository for emergency supplies for the region, County Judge Leo Smith said this week.
Smith and Road and Bridge Field Foreman Ruben Rosas went to San Antonio and returned with a trailer load of supplies including cots and blankets.
Read more...Boosters ‘table’ officer election
SANDERSON – The Band Boosters met this week to discuss this year’s scholarship, Band Camp and
elect new officers.
Jimmy Rapp is the only senior in band this year. He will need to complete an application and write an essay telling why he thinks he deserves a scholarship and what his future plans are.
Read more...PECOS – Nobody knows how many miles Jerry McGuairt has driven during his 44-year career with the Texas Department of Transportation – probably approaching a million.
What everybody does know, though, is that the Fort Stockton area construction manager has never had an accident in all those miles.
Read more...‘Bird walk’ by CDRI planned
FORT DAVIS – The Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute will celebrate International Migratory Bird Day with
a bird count and walk beginning at 7 a.m. tomorrow, May 9, at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center here.
Birders of all levels are encouraged to attend. CDRI said attendees should bring binoculars, field guides and water and dress appropriately.
Read more...Walk across Texas set
SANDERSON – The kickoff for the Sanderson “Walk Across Texas” promotion will be at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at
Bicentennial Park.
The Cactus Health Clinic and the Texas AgriLIFE Extension Office will host a “fun, festive and fantastic kick off party,” Extension Family and Consumer Affairs agent Evans Foster said.
Read more...SANDERSON – Five Sanderson High School ladies were inducted into the National Honor Society this week.
Raquel Hinkley, Blakeney Chriesman, Ernestina Gonzales, Noemi Nuñez and Sarah Sivils lit their candles and took their oath as parents, friends and teachers looked on.
Read more...Operation Detour has drug alert
MARFA – The US Border Patrol’s Marfa Sector, in collaboration with local and state law enforcement agencies including the Terrell County Sheriff’s Office, has kicked off “Operation Detour,” a public awareness campaign to prevent a trend by drug trafficking organizations that lure young adults into engaging in specific criminal activity.
Operation Detour was conceived and designed by members of the Border Patrol’s Del Rio Sector.
Read more...One killed in rollover
IRAAN – A one-vehicle rollover north of here early Sunday left one dead and two hurt, one critically.
The Texas Department of Public Safety in Ozona said the driver of the pickup, Mark Anthony Martinez, 19, of Big Lake, was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Jim Hearne.
Read more...Open Preserve Day set
FORT DAVIS – The Nature Conservancy’s Davis Mountains Preserve will be open for hiking, trail riding, backpacking
and other outdoor activities from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 16.
The 32,000-acre Davis Mountains Preserve is a unique “sky island” ecosystem, providing a home to animals and plants, some of which live nowhere else on Earth.
Read more...BV bond vote set tomorrow
IMPERIAL – Voters in the Buena Vista Independent School District here will go to the polls tomorrow, May
9, to decide on a $2.3 million bond issue.
Superintendent David Dillard told the News Leader he is “optimistic” the issue will carry.
Read more...Computer classes offered
ALPINE – Marathon and Alpine Public Libraries will offer free basic computer classes at the two libraries
this summer.
The first session will be from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, May 19 through June 4, at the Alpine Public Library.
Read more...ABILENE – Lloyd and Joyce Ritchey, former residents of Terrell County, have announced both the graduation and upcoming marriage of
their granddaughter, Elizabeth Ritchey.
The 2006 Sanderson High School graduate will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors
from McMurry University in studio art with a minor in English tomorrow, May 9.
On June 6, she will marry M. Scott Lawson, son of Mike and
Read more...IN CASE OF EMERGENCY – County Judge Leo Smith, right, and Road and Bridge Field Foreman Ruben Rosas returned this week with a trailer
full of supplies. Smith said cots, blankets and other emergency supplies were loaned by the government for use anywhere in the Southwest
Texas region.
I SWEAR – Five ladies inducted into the Sanderson High School National Honor Society Monday. They were, from left, Blakeney Chriesman,
Ernestina Gonzales and Noemi Nuñez. Hiding in back were Raquel Hinkley and Sarah Sivils.
LET THERE BE LIGHT – National Honor Society SHS President Vicky Busch lit the candle of knowledge at the NHS inductions this week.
Five Sanderson High School students were inducted in a ceremony Monday in the High School Auditorium.
SAFETY FIRST – Jorge Estrada of Sanderson, right, received a 15-year safe driving award from District Engineer Mike C. McAnally last
month. Estrada was among those honored by the Texas Department of Transportation for safe driving records. Estrada racked up 15 accident-free
years.
By KIM RAPP
News Leader Production Manager
SANDERSON – The recent US “stimulus” bill will result in several grants to area health centers
and schools, US Rep. Ciro Rodriguez said Saturday as he visited the Cactus Health Services Clinic here.
Rodriguez said CHSI will receive $125,649 to expand its services in Sanderson and Fort Stockton.
Read more...POLITICS AT WORK – Congressman Ciro Rodriguez made an appearance at the Cactus Health Clinic in Sanderson Saturday. Listening in were
Cactus Board Member Edelmira Calzada and husband Tony. The clinic stands to gain $125,649 from the federal “stimulus” package.
WATER STUDY – Bill Stein of LBG-Guyton Associates, left, moved the transducer in the well as Guy Falzarano of Sul Ross State University
monitored the pressure gradient on the computer. It’s part of a study of the Marathon Aquifer by the Far West Texas Regional Water
Planning Group.
Lifeguard training at SRSU
ALPINE – American Red Cross lifeguard training will be today through Sunday, May 8 to 10 and May 22 to 24
at Sul Ross State University.
The complete lifeguard training course will be he from 6 to 10:30 p.m. today, May 8, and Friday, May 22, and from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday both weeks at the Sul Ross Pool.
Read more...Morales address set
ALPINE – David S. Morales, deputy Texas attorney general for civil litigation, will deliver the commencement address
at Sul Ross State University’s Alpine Campus spring graduation ceremonies Saturday, May 16.
Ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. in the
Pete P. Gallego Center.
Dr. Norma V. Cantu, professor of Law and Education at the School of Law of the University of Texas at Austin, will speak at the Sul Ross-Rio Grande College commencement at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the International Trade Center at Eagle Pass.
Read more...Track meet for region back on
SANDERSON – Sanderson High School will send a track team to the regional finals next week after all.
The University Interscholastic League canceled the meet, originally scheduled for last weekend in Levelland, saying the state track meet would be May 14 to 16 and that qualifiers would come from the tops four participants in each event from each region.
Read more...Drive tops half million
ALPINE – Sul Ross State University’s annual fund campaign passed the half-million-dollar level early last week.
A $30,000 gift lifted this year’s campaign to nearly $525,000. The annual campaign began Dec. 1.
Read more...MARATHON – The Texas Book Festival has awarded a book grant of $2,400 to the Marathon Public Library to fund new large print and audio
books.
“We are extremely grateful to receive this grant,” Branch Manager Carol Townsend said. “The funds will enable us to enhance the audio and large print books sections of the library, which benefits our seniors in Marathon.”
Read more...STONED – Bill Hawn of Sanderson took this picture of a hail-stone last week near Ranch Road 2400 and Tower Road east of Ranch 2886.
The storm also spawned a tornado nearby and hail caused extensive damage to the Hugh Childress ranch in north Terrell County.
BOOKFEST BENEFIT – Marathon Branch Library Manager Carol Townsend, right, and Library ‘Friend’ Arlene Griffis showed off a Texas Book
Festival Grant certificate this week. The festival awarded $2,400 to the library’s large print and audio books program.
AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Transportation said the “YouTube” generation can help solve Texas’ litter problem – how to get trash
from cars to trashcans instead of the side of Texas roadways.
TxDOT’s “Don’t Mess with Texas” campaign is launching the Car2Can™ Video Contest, a first-ever video competition with the winning entry to air during prime-time television.
Read more...