COME ON, COME ON – Ezell Minton of Barnhart Crane & Rigging of Houston guided the crane operator preparing to unload a half-million pound vessel from a train this week. Helping hold the beam straight was Norbert Sanchez, also of Barnhart. Oh, this tank is the “little” one. There was a larger one close by. 

SANDERSON – The annual Prickly Pear Pachanga, celebrating the naming of Sanderson and Terrell County as “Cactus Capital of Texas,” will be tomorrow, Oct. 10, at the Courthouse, Community Building and Bicentennial Park.

This year's theme is “Living Well and Smart in the Desert.”

Sanderson Arts and Education Alliance President Terry “Tex” Toler said the goal of the theme “is to expand the sustainable living, conservation and ‘green’ building aspects of the seminar portion of the Pachanga in coming years with an emphasis on our major resource of cactus and native desert plants for xeriscaping, nutrition and health, aesthetics and energy conservation.” 

He said leading authorities in these subjects and themes will make presentations in a roundtable panel discussion format with public question and answer time.

Booths and panel discussions will open at 10 a.m. in the Bicentennial Park Pavilion adjacent to the Terrell County Courthouse at First Street and Hackberry, two blocks north of Highway 90. 

Booths will feature food, cactus-themed arts and crafts and living cactus for sale and trade. The seminars and booths are free and open to the public.

The first panel discussion from 10 to 11:15 a.m. tomorrow will be on the topic “Living Well, and Smart, in the Desert.”      Read more...

It’s time for Pachanga

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 KIM RAPP

Production Manager

SANDERSON – The normally- quiet Downie Street near the old Sanderson Depot was a hub of activity this week with Barnhart Crane & Rigging of Houston busy unloading two giant vessels off a train to transport them to the Century Plant between here and Fort Stockton.

Project Manager James Weston told the News Leader about the size of the vessels on extra-heavy-duty flat cars.      Read more...

PASSING BY – The Amtrak passenger train rolled by two huge tanks being shipped to the Oxy Petroleum-SandRidge Energy Plant between Sanderson and Fort Stockton this week. The two tanks will be taken to the site next week on a special rig that boasts as many as 338 tires on the ground on parts of the trip.

 

 

 

 

Photo by Casey Couch

TANKS A LOT – This photo taken from the hill south of Sanderson shows the size of two large vessels headed to the Century Plant north of Sanderson. The one on the right is 218 feet long now, the size of a Boeing 747-200. When placed upright, it will be as tall as a 20-story building.

By ANNA LaFLEUR

News Leader Writer

ALPINE – The Big Bend Mountain Ramble Cross Country Meet here was owned by the Sanderson Eagles Saturday when three top places went to Sanderson runners and Sanderson teams were first in three of the  four divisions.

Abby Carrasco topped the Junior High Girls’ Division with a time of 15:45. Noemi Nuñez clocked in at 16:42 to take first in the High School Girl’s Division and Travis Roberts won another first with time of 18:55 in the High School Boy’s Division.      Read more...

IMPERIAL – It was the fourth game of the year for the Sanderson Eagles but it was the first complete ball game they have played this year.

The first three ended in the 45-point “mercy rule” in six man football that says if one team is ahead by 45 points or more any time after half, the game is over.   Read more...

Amendments nine, ten

There are 11 Constitutional Amendments before the voters of Texas in the Nov. 3 General Election. Early voting begins Monday, Oct. 19.     

There are no candidates on the ballot but there are the amendments and a school bond issue, to be discussed later.

Read more...

Republicans show signs  of life

SANDERSON – It’s been said that the only way to get elected to a local office in Terrell County is as a Democrat. But that could be changing.

About a dozen interested people showed up for an organizational meeting of the Terrell County Republican Party Tuesday and elected Heather Gully party chairman.  Read more...

SANDERSON – There is a new biologist for the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife in town.

Austin Stolte started his new career July 20. He moved from here from San Antonio where he lived in the Sea World area.

In pursuit of work for TP&W, he found employment at Elephant Mountain in Brewster County.

It wouldn’t be long before he discovered a position as the new Trans-Pecos Wildlife Biologist for Terrell County.      Read more...

Junior High has football too

SANDERSON – With all the emphasis on Sanderson varsity football every fall, the younger Eagles and their gridiron exploits are sometimes overlooked.

The team at this writing had only played two games. Rankin shut out the junior Eagles 44-0 on Sept. 24 and Garden City won 24-6 the next week at Imperial.   Read more...

Food preparation gets $250,000 grant

PECOS – TransPecos Foods here has received a $250,000 energy efficiency grant provided under the Rural Energy for America Program of the US Department of Agriculture.

USDA Rural Development Business and Cooperative Programs Director Daniel Torres presented a ceremonial check to TransPecos this week.   Read more...

‘Teen Read Week’ coming  this month

SANDERSON – Teen Read Week is October 18 to 24.

Any student coming into the junior high or high school library to check out a book, turn in a book or take an Accelerated Reading test will be eligible for a drawing for a free book during the week.

Three books will be given away at the junior high as well as three books from the high school.   Read more...

SR gets $1.4 million

ALPINE -- Sul Ross State University here will receive a $1.434 million grant for a Sustainable Agriculture Water Conservation Project.

It was part of U.S. nearly $6.5 million in funding secured for agricultural research in the 23rd US Congressional District.   Read more...

Christmas Bazaar to open season

SANDERSON – With Pachanga coming up this weekend, Halloween and others, the Thanksgiving/Christmas Holiday is close at hand.

The Culture Club announced this week that the Christmas Bazaar and Bake Sale will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Community Building.  Read more...

Preserve offers open hiking

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 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct, 24. The event is free and open to the public. 

The 32,000-acre Davis Mountains Preserve is a “sky island” ecosystem, providing a home to animals and plants, including some found nowhere else on Earth.    Read more...

Three Eagles top CC

TOP GIRLS – Sanderson runners took first in three of four divisions at Cross Country last week and the school also won three of four divisions. Noemi Nuñez, left, won the High School Girls Division and Abby Carrasco was the top Junior High Division runner. Travis Roberts, not shown, was the first place runner in the High School Boys Division.

WIDE LOAD – The two vessels that passed through Sanderson this week were headed to the Century Plant between here and Fort Stockton. The transportation process was to take approximately four days. The $1.1 billion plant, 37 miles north of Sanderson near US Highway 287 and Puckett Road, will separate carbon dioxide from methane for Oxy Petroleum and SandRidge Energy.

THAT’S ALL – An unidentified Buena Vista Longhorn was unable to push the ball over the goal line in last week’s Eagle 48-8 victory at Imperial. Stopping him after a third and goal from inches away were Tim Hopkins, 22, and Robert Montalvo, 9. On the ground and barely visible was Eagle Jacob Benavidez.

Photo by Annette Harris

BAND FOR BOTH – The Sanderson High School Band made the trip to Imperial Friday for the Eagles-Longhorn football game. Buena Vista did not provide a band so the Sanderson ensemble entertained both sides as well as offering the National Anthem at the beginning of the contest.

BRIEF CAREER – Gilbert Bell, right, was honored Tuesday on his retirement after 37 years of service on the board of the Rio Grande –Pecos River Soil and Water Conservation District. In presenting the plaque, Board Chairman Malone Mitchell noted Bell had been a “good and very fruitful member” for more than a third of a century. The SWCD has been trying to get an underground water district and Bell “brought the need to our attention,” Mitchell said.

SPANISH CAR WASH – Members of the Sanderson High School Spanish Club washed cars Sunday to help pay for a trip to Spain next summer. Sponsor Jerry Garza, center, said the group raised $250 toward a trip to Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Valencia and Barcelona in June. Also shown washing were Jessica Garza and Travis Roberts.

ROCK WALK – The pathway to the Pavilion at Bicentennial Park is now paved with stone. The county used Dryden Stone and labor by Efrain Martinez of Del Rio to provide the new walkways. The $5,500 contract provided about 1,500 square feet of walkway from First Street to the east entrance of the Pavilion and another from the south entrance to the alley.

NEXT PRESIDENT –

Dr. Ricardo Maestas was photographed at his desk recently, perhaps boning up for his new job. He takes over as the 11th president of Sul Ross State University at Alpine Nov. 9. He succeeds Dr. R. Vic Morgan, who retired Aug. 31 after serving 19 years.