THE 2009 EAGLES – The Sanderson Eagles varsity football team for 2009 posed for a picture in the stands at Eagle Stadium last week. They meet their first challenge at 7:30 p.m. today, Aug. 28, against Grady at Lenorah. Players are all shown in a spread on pages 8 and 9 of the print version. Coaches in the picture are Head Coach Mark Dominguez, upper right, and Assistant Jerry Garza in front of him. On the left were Leighton Conway, partially hidden behind new Coach Luis Martinez.

SANDERSON – The Sanderson Eagle football season was just hours away as these words were written with the hometown football team traveling 200 miles northeast to take on the Grady Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Aug. 28.

As he has in recent years, Head Coach and Athletic Director Mark Dominguez scheduled tough games for the early part of the season with district games coming later.

Grady has always given the Eagles a hard time and tonight should not be an exception.

“Grady is an experienced team and they have mainly juniors and seniors,” Dominguez said. “They were picked to come out of the district and into the playoffs.”

He said the Eagles were “back to work this week” after last week’s scrimmage.

“We’ll see how we stack up against them,” Dominguez said. “They are sitting with about 24 or 25 kids.

“They continually run a [junior varsity] program,” he said. “By the time they are juniors, they have been through the ropes.”

He said here freshmen are thrown into the action without the interim learning and action they can get on a JV team.

“That can help or it can hurt,” he said.

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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

 

Tax rate proposed at 37.38 cents

SANDERSON – Terrell County Commissioners Monday “proposed” a tax rate of 37.38 cents per $100 valuation for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.

The rate is about 15 percent higher than 32.43 cents in the year just ending but County Judge Leo Smith said the taxes would bring in the “same amount of money” as the 2008-09 budget.   Read more...

TWO CHIEFS – Steve McCraw, left, posed with Terrell County Sheriff Clint McDonald recently. McCraw was named the new Director of DPS in June.  McDonald is first vice chair of the Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition. McCraw started as a trooper in 1977 and later went on to the FBI. Retiring from the FBI in 2004, Gov. Rich Perry named him Texas Homeland Security director where he served until taking the top DPS job.

 

 

 

‘Walking tour’ gets OK

Burn ban back in business

SANDERSON – A county-wide burn ban will be in effect Monday, Sept. 7, a week earlier than was announced last week.

County Commissioners approved the 90-day burn ban at a special meeting Monday, called to “propose” the tax rate for next year.  Read more...

SANDERSON – The long-awaited “Walking and Driving Tour of Historical Sites in Sanderson, Texas” got final approval Tuesday and distribution of the book should begin early next week.

The Chamber of Commerce approved the final draft but gave author Bill Smith until Monday, Oct. 31, to make final corrections of any “typos” he might find before printing 200 copies of the book and a companion three-fold brochure.   Read more...

SANDERSON – Homecoming comes early this year for the Sanderson Eagles, giving the school little time to gear up after the start of school last week.

It is next Friday, Sept. 4, when the Eagles host the Grandfalls-Royalty Cowboys at 7:30 p.m. at “The Pit,” or Eagle Stadium.   Read more...

SANDERSON – The Sanderson High School cheerleaders hosted the annual mini-cheer camp and it was a big success with 34 girls attending from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade.

One varsity cheerleader, Clarissa Brotherton, could not attend because of personal reasons.   Read more...

Nine burglars busted

SANDERSON – Nine Mexican nationals were in Terrell County jail this week charged with three burglaries in a series of home invasions this month.

Chief Terrell County Deputy Sheriff Kenneth Turner said he did not know if all of the burglars were arrested “but there have been no reports of burglaries since they have been in jail.”   Read more...

By STEVE LANG

Sul Ross News and Publications

ALPINE – As a banner was raised revealing the newly-named Vic and Mary Jane Morgan University Center, the retiring Sul Ross State University President and his wife were broadly praised.

Morgan, Sul Ross’ chief executive since 1990 and a faculty member for 34 years, will retire Aug. 31.   Read more...

By BOB VARMETTE

Pioneer staff writer

FORT STOCKTON – Even though it was finished on time and even slightly under budget, the completion of Pecos County Memorial Hospital’s Physical Therapy Wellness Center seemed a long time coming for PCMH chief executive officer Russell Tippin.

He recounted the long days and even some late nights of consulting with officials of Lott Brothers, the construction firm that built the new facility adjacent to PCMH.   Read more...

TCNL website no longer free

SANDERSON – The Terrell County News Leader website at www.tcnewsleader.com will no longer be free.

Starting Friday, Sept. 18, the site will bring up the opening paragraphs of two or three top stories but to read the rest, visitors will have to log on using a password supplied by the News Leader.  Read more...

Minor derailment delays Amtrak

SANDERSON – A single wheel on an engine of a freight train went off the track just east of here last week, causing minor damage but delaying the eastbound Amtrak train.

The entire locomotive “did not derail nor any cars,” a Union Pacific spokesman said.  Read more...

Big Bend skies to get darker

BIG BEND – The skies around Big Bend National Park should be even darker with the completion of the first phase of a partnership project to improve exterior lighting throughout the park.

The Friends of Big Bend National Park applied for and received a grant from the National Park Foundation, which was combined with design, installation and fixture donations from Musco Lighting of Denver to complete the project.    Read more...

Museum art classes set next month

ALPINE – The Museum of the Big Bend will kick off its second year of art classes starting Monday, Sept. 21.

Weekly classes will be offered for children ages 4 to 14. Classes will be weekly based on age from 3:45 to 5 p.m.   Read more...

SANDERSON – A meeting may be set up this fall with members of the Texas House Education Committee to discuss unique problems faced by rural West Texas school districts.

Staff members for State Rep. Pete Gallego of Alpine conducted an “office for a day” at the Terrell County Courthouse Friday and heard from the top brass at Terrell County Independent School District, among others.   Read more...

SANDERSON – Mark McAvoy of Knox City near Childress is the newest Terrell County deputy sheriff. He started work this week.

A native of Stratford, CT, is a retired navy military police officer who has worked in Harris, Hidalgo, Knox and  most recently in Cottle County.  Read more...

ALPINE – Dr. Ricardo Maestas, vice president for student and university relations and dean of students at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology at Socorro, was named the lone finalist for the presidency of Sul Ross State University.

Maestas was selected by a majority vote of the Board of Regents of the Texas State University System Friday during their meeting on the Sul Ross campus.

   Read more...

ROCK CAMP – The old “Rock Tourist Camp” on Legion Street is included in the new “Walking and Driving Tour,” to be released next week. The little rock cabins were one of the earliest motels in Sanderson, operated by the Turner family. Motels used to be called “tourist courts” and, earlier still, “tourist camps.” It can be seen adjacent to the Food Pantry and the county Road and Bridge office.

Homecoming comes early

WOODEN MOUNTAIN – A pile of wood began to grow into a mini-mountain this week on Legion Street south of the Road and Bridge yard. That “mountain” will be reduced to ashes Thursday as the annual Sanderson High School homecoming bonfire. The bonfire gets in under the wire for the county burn ban which begins Monday, Sept. 7.

Cheer camp ‘success’

MVP CHEERLEADERS – There were three “most valuable player” cheerleaders at the recent mini-cheer camp hosted by Sanderson High School varsity cheerleaders. The MVPs, from left, were Kailey Dominguez, Kenney-Mae Pacheco and Kiley Dominguez.

LITTLEST CHEERS – They start young at the Sanderson High School mini-cheer camp. Winning awards, from left, were Michelle Lopez, Landry Lowrance, Kiley Dominguez and Katie Jahn.

Hospital opens facility

Photo by Fort Stockton Pioneer

GETTING CLIPPED – Jeremy Calzada of Fort Stockton, grandson of Tony and Edelmira Calzada of Sanderson, cut the ribbon last week to open the new Physical Therapy Wellness Center at Pecos County Memorial Hospital. Looking on was Hospital Administrator Russ Tippin.

Deputy has anti-terror experience

ANTI-TERROR – Terrell County’s newest deputy sheriff worked in anti-terrorism in the US Navy and is familiar with drug-gang violence in Mexico and along the border. He sat down with News Leader Publisher Jim Street.

Rural districts to get state airing

WE HEAR YOU – Staffers for State Rep. Pete Gallego got an earful about state school finance laws from Terrell County ISD Board President Ada Lee Robbins and Superintendent Gary Hamilton Friday. Staff people, from left, were Chief of Staff Patrick Tarlton, General Counsel Andrew Cates and Legislative Aid Michael Pacheco.

UC now Morgan Center

CENTER OF GRAVITY – The University Center at Sul Ross State University officially became the Vic and Mary Jane Morgan Center last week. The Morgans posed in front of the building at a reception in their honor. Dr. R. Vic Morgan will retire officially Monday, Aug. 31, after 34 years at the school, the last 19 as its president.

Maestas ‘finalist’ for SR head

Dr. Ricardo Maestas

Photo by Annette Harris

WHICH WAY – Eagle Roy Shoemaker, 17, started around left end in the scrimmage against Buena Vista last week. Faking the other way were quarterback Joe Hopkins, and Bert Montalvo, 9.