FAMILY AFFAIR – Travis Roberts of Sanderson, center, was joined by his parents Travis and Katie after winning third place in the 1,600-meter
run at the state finals last week. Travis missed first place by less than half a second.
SANDERSON – What a difference two weeks makes – or at least so it seemed.
A large turnout was present for Commissioners Court Monday
and much of it was for a discussion over a proposed Convention Center, an issue that at one point saw the threat of a fist fight at
a special meeting May 21 when a group appeared asking commissioners to consider the 1927 Kerr Building as the site for a convention
center.
But the acrimony that characterized the meeting last month was gone Monday.
“This should be the best project we can have but
let’s all just get along,” County Judge Leo Smith said.
Smith said at the beginning he would propose a set of “rules” for public
discussion at Commissioners Court meetings, saying some meetings had “gotten out of hand.” He never brought the rules up for discussion.
The county has been debating the issue of a “convention center” since Attorney General Gregg Abbott ruled in 2004 that the county’s
“venue tax” could be used “only” in conjunction with a “convention center.”
Smith Monday offered a suggestion that he said would be a “win-win for everybody.”
Two weeks ago, he retorted that the Kerr Building
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
By SUSAN COMBS
Comptroller of Public Accounts
AUSTIN – Now that the Texas Legislature
has departed town, we are reminded how quickly circumstances change.
Only five months ago, as state lawmakers were about to convene,
President Bush held his final press conference, the Detroit auto show opened to great fanfare and a judge said Bernie Madoff could
stay out of jail — for now.
That was Jan. 12, the day that I performed my duty as the state’s chief financial officer and told
THE WINNAH – Julia Ramirez won first place in the Poster Contest at the Marathon Public Library last week. Second through fifth
places went to Loreyna Cardoza, Alyssandra Cardoza, Bianca Cardoza and Norman Martin respectively.
Burn ban ends – for now
SANDERSON – Terrell County is not under a burn ban for the first time in several months.
The latest ban expired over the weekend and was not renewed Monday. But it could be reinstated as early as next month if the weather turns hot and dry as expected.
Read more...Travis places third at state meet
AUSTIN – Travis John Roberts of Sanderson brought another state medal to town last week when he placed
third in the 1,600-meter run here last weekend.
Travis ran with a time of 4:32.70, missing second place by .42 seconds.
Read more...Suspected alien dies in park
BIG BEND – One apparent illegal alien from Mexico died of what appeared to be exposure and two others were hospitalized Wednesday.
Read more...One killed in rollover
PYOTE – A California man was killed and three others injured in a one-vehicle rollover accident here last week.
The
Department of Public Safety said Francisco Ortiz, 70, of Maywood, CA, died after the pickup he was driving drifted into the median
on Interstate 20 and State Highway 115 Thursday. He overcorrected and the truck then struck a concrete pillar.
Injured were Manuel Ortiz, 35, Elvira Enriquez de Ortiz, 63, and Patricia Enriquez Ortiz, 37.
~
MARATHON – The Friends of the Marathon Public Library began their summer reading program last week with 14 children and six adults present.
Read more...TCISD places 22 on Honor Roll
SANDERSON – There were 22 students on the “All A” Honor Roll for Cycle Six at the end of the 2008-09
school year at Terrell County Independent School District.
Another 41 made the A-B Honor Roll.
Read more...RANKIN – Shannon Weyerts, daughter of Robert and Amy Weyerts of Fort Stockton, was named Upton County 4H All Youth Rodeo Princess
here Saturday.
She is also the granddaughter of Johnny and Tana Surratt of Marfa and Paul and Beverly Weyerts of Alpine. Ted and Frances
Harper of Marfa are her great grandparents.
Shannon had to show her horsemanship by doing a pattern on her horse that was shown to her by the past princess. She also competed in the rodeo.
Read more...16 on ‘all-year’ Honor Roll
SANDERSON – Sixteen Sanderson Elementary students were honored with all-year awards for honor roll and
perfect attendance last week.
Justin Flax and Jesse Roberts had perfect attendance all year.
Getting all As for the entire year were fourth grader Jesse Roberts, third graders Noah Aguilar and Luke Carroll, second graders Elijah Carrasco and Kailey Dominguez and first grader Taryn Mitchell.
Read more...CHSI ‘making progress’
SANDERSON – The Sanderson Clinic and its companion in Fort Stockton, both under Cactus Health Services, Inc., of Sanderson, “have made a lot of progress,” Cactus CEO Teresa Smith said this week.
Read more...Plan threatens state economy
AUSTIN – Concerns arose here this week over proposed cap and trade legislation and possible regulation
of carbon dioxide by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Gov. Rick Perry expressed concern about the impact of proposed rules on the Texas energy industry and economy.
Read more...CARLSBAD, NM – Sanderson kin Davin Darnell and Shelly Picasso are members of a Midland softball team that has one several tournaments
lately.
Davin is the daughter of Jody and Victoria Darnell of San Angelo and granddaughter of Juanita Hamilton and the late Bill Hamilton of Sanderson.
Read more...Long-sought airport lease in sight
SANDERSON – One item slipped quietly by with little comment during a lengthy meeting of Terrell County Commissioners Monday. But some have been looking for it for several years.
Read more...County extends
predator control work
SANDERSON – The killing of predators from the Robinson R-44 helicopter of Terrell County rancher Steve Forest will continue under a $20,000 contract extension with Terrell County.
Read more...Project Graduation 2010 on tap
SANDERSON – Project Graduation 2010 will continue but as an organization separate from the 2009 group,
it was decided at a pair of meetings Monday.
Nominated 2010 spokesperson Cheryl Seidel discussed what she found out since an earlier meeting.
Read more...Emergency gear to be displayed
SANDERSON – When folks gather at the Courthouse Lawn for the annual Fourth of July activities next month, there will be a new display adjacent to the eastside parking lot.
Read more...County agrees to reprint
‘Visitor Guide’
SANDERSON – Terrell County will make another effort to obtain “volume three” of the Terrell County Visitor Guide after an order of the books arrived that were considered unacceptable to both Chamber of Commerce and Terrell County officials alike.
Read more...Visitor Center might get longer hours
SANDERSON – The Terrell County Visitor Center, which has received complaints that it is not open enough hours to accommodate passing tourists, could get longer hours after Commissioners Court action Monday.
Read more...Park rules target vandalism
SANDERSON – A 10 p.m. curfew and other rules have been adopted for Bicentennial Park and the Pavilion in
an effort to stem some vandalism that has occurred.
County Judge Leo Smith said a frequent complaint is the rubber coating on the new
picnic tables has been systematically stripped by vandals.
Besides the curfew, the new rules require that all cooking and barbecuing
must occur in the grass areas only.
Glass containers are not permitted in the pavilion or park areas.
Read more...‘Car2Can’ deadline nears
AUSTIN – The deadline for the “Car2Can” video contest is June 28.
Texans can submit their videos for the next
Don’t Mess with Texas commercial that will air during prime-time television.
“The idea behind Car2Can™, a first-ever video contest
by Don’t Mess with Texas, is creatively showing how to get trash from cars to trashcans instead of the side of Texas roadways,” TxDOT
said in a news release.
The grand-prize winner’s video will air during prime-time television this summer and the winner will receive a $500 Wal-Mart gift card.
Read more...SOMEWHERE IN HERE – There was a question of where the county might build a proposed “convention center” but it would likely be in
this view. In the foreground is a site at Oak and Second the county has bought and cleared for the project. Or it could be in the
Kerr Building, the three-story building visible in the distance.
COOKIE BOY – Isaac Briones made cookies for the Marathon Public Libraries Summer Reading Program recently. The program began last
week with 14 children and six adults present.
BUILDING A VOCATION – The new vocational building as part of the Terrell County School District’s $14 million bond issue is taking
shape just east of the present junior high school building. New high school classrooms are under way south of the junior high and
the school board will “discuss” a new field house at the school board meeting Monday night.
SOFTBALLERS – Davin Darnell and Shelly Picasso are members of the N-Forcers Select softball team of Midland that has won several tournaments
recently. Davin is the daughter of Jody and Victoria Darnell of San Angelo and granddaughter of Juanita Hamilton and the late
Bill Hamilton. Shelly is the daughter of Poe and Monica Picasso of San Angelo and granddaughter of Rosa and Serapio Picasso and Joe
and Lupe Ponce of Sanderson.
NEW COPS – Two new deputies have joined the staff of the Terrell County Sheriff’s Office. Don Howard, left picture, is from Sterling
City. He replaces Nathan Campbell, who did not complete his “probationary” period. Eddie Evans of Iraan will work the Linebacker position
which has been vacant for some time.
TOP THREE – Travis Roberts of Sanderson, right, won third place in the 1,600-meter run at the state track meet last week. Winning
first was Jonathon Lira of Plains, left, and second place went to Logan Foster of Elkhart Slocum.
‘Follies’ opens June 26
ALPINE – “The Will Rogers Follies,” a musical celebrating one of America’s most popular humorists, opens the 45th Theatre of the Big Bend season, June 26 to July 12.
Based on the book by Peter Stone with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Cy Coleman, “The Will Rogers Follies” is directed by Dona Roman, associate professor of Theatre at Sul Ross.
Read more...SAN MARCOS – The Sul Ross State University Center in Alpine will be known in the future as the Vic and Mary Jane Morgan University
Center after action by the Board of Regents of the Texas State University System here this week.
The board passed resolutions renaming
the center in honor of retiring President Dr. R. Vic Morgan and his wife Mary Jane.
In addition, Morgan was accorded president emeritus status upon his Aug. 31 retirement.
The center was named to recognize the contributions of Morgan, who has spent 34 years at Sul Ross, and his wife.
Read more...CDRI ‘Critter Club’ to meet
FORT DAVIS – The Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute is offering its Critter Club Nature Camp again this
summer.
Critter Club is a half-day of activities for children ages 4 to 6. It starts Monday, June 15, and lasts for one week.
Read more...SR Summer I enrollment up
ALPINE – Fourth-day enrollment for Sul Ross State University summer session I classes showed a 2.8 percent
increase for corresponding 2008 totals and 9.91 percent hike over the final headcount.
A total of 843 students were enrolled as of Thursday, June 4, the fourth day of classes. This compared to 820 students a year ago.
Read more...MARFA – Two men from the El Paso area were in custody of the Drug Enforcement Administration this week after trying to smuggle 975 pounds of marijuana in a horse trailer through the US Border Patrol’s Highway 67 Checkpoint south of here late Saturday.
The
dope was in a hidden compartment in the tack area of the trailer.
Agents became suspicious when they noticed fresh caulking and paint.
There were 917 bundles
Read more...Funds raised for accident victim
SANDERSON – Officers and employees of the US Border Patrol Sanderson Station again chipped in for medical expenses for a relative of an employee seriously injured in a car crash earlier this year.
Read more...Ditch material bids awarded
SANDERSON – Terrell County Commissioners awarded two bids for materials needed for new drainage ditches
Monday.
Harrison Stone, through Jon Tom Lowrance, received a contract for $122,000 to provide stone for drainage ditches on Pine and Hackberry between Wilson and Fifth Streets and Albert Thorn got a contract for $15,575 for sand, which already has been delivered.
Read more...Drug policy gets ‘teeth’
SANDERSON – Terrell County Commissioners Monday adopted some new “disciplinary measures” to go with the county employee handbook, specifically to deal with drug testing for county workers who need a commercial driver’s license for their jobs.
Read more...Communities get
‘Stonegarden’ funding
WASHINGTON, DC – The US Department of Homeland Security has awarded $6 million for the 23rd Congressional District in funding for border law enforcement efforts through “Operation Stonegarden.”
Read more...New housing plans seen
SANDERSON – Three new houses could help ease a housing shortage here.
County Commissioners Monday agreed to advertiser for a hearing to replat the lots at the old “greenhouse” at School and Hackberry where Jon Tom Lowrance and Billy Black propose to build three houses.
Read more...NOT A HORSE – The US Border Patrol this week released a photo of part of a 975-pound marijuana load discovered by Marfa Station Border
Patrol agents hidden in the tack area of a horse trailer. The load was discovered at the Border Patrol checkpoint south of Marfa Saturday
night. Two US citizens have been arrested.
