March 28, 2008
|
FORT
STOCKTON – A 37-year-old Terrell County man was charged with reckless damage
and disobeying a fire ban this week in the massive Pecos-Terrell County
wildfire that broke out Friday, March 14. The Forest Service would not reveal the name. There was a name
in the Sanderson rumor mill but the News Leader was unable to confirm
it through official sources. Bill
Davis, fire coordinator for the Texas Forest Service, said this week that the
fire was traced to a welder’s torch. He said the fire started in Pecos County
but most of it was within Terrell County. The
range fires that blackened thousands of acres across Texas last week were
mostly gone this week after winds died down, humidity returned closer to
normal and a few places even recorded some rain. As
of Monday morning, the Texas Forest Service reported no fires in the state.
But one cropped up later in the day in Martin County north of Midland and
what was called the “Big Smoke Fire” had blackened 600 to 800 acres. Tank
batteries and oil wells were threatened but the fire was reported 50 percent contained
as of Monday evening. It was gone from the list of fires by Tuesday
afternoon. Another
in Jack County affected about 200 acres, threatening a hunting camp. Texas
Forest Service responded to 15 fires for a total 2,337 acres Tuesday. Helicopters
dropped 31 loads of water for a total of 24,986 gallons But, for the most part, the state was fire free this week. The 51,400-acre fire in northern Terrell and
eastern Pecos counties was one of the biggest in the state but, when it was
all done, no serious damage was reported. The
fire threatened several ranches including the Tommy Hayre, Porter, Thorn,
Word, Mitchell and Harkins Ranches and the Abilene Christian camp, among
others. ALPINE
– The Sanderson Eagles will be bring 23 students with their presentations to
the annual History Fair at Sul Ross State University Monday, March 31. Out
of the 24 students that attended the Sul Ross event last year, 19 of them
advanced to the state competition in Austin. One
team brought home a fifth place win for their division. Junior
High student Kayla Fuéntez will present a power point this year entitled
“Black Seminole Indian Scouts, The Lost Chapter of History.” Jalen
Chriesman will team up with Daniel Luevano and Mason Blackmon for their junior
high power point titled “Separate But Not Equal.” Taylor
Roberts, who will show the early twentieth century Texas Rangers with a
tabletop exhibit. For
the high school division, Raquel Hinkley has joined forces with Victoria
Busch and Jessica Garza to create a web site titled “The Civil War: Was it
Worth it?” Noemi
Nuñez, Rosa Gonzales, Valeria Orozco, Ernestina Gonzales and Andy Milstead
will perform a play on “Heroic Children of Chapultepec.” Juliana
Castro, Jimmy Rapp and Kelly Lomas will perform a play titled “Immigration in
Our Nation: The Great Debate.” Presenting
a tabletop exhibit called “Title IV: Survive and Advance” will be Jonathon Calzada
and L.A. Galvan. Travis
Roberts and Casey Couch will present a documentary on the atomic bomb, titled
“The Big Decision for Even Bigger Booms.” Alexa
Davis, Ashley Hernandez and Julianna Larinaga will have a documentary on UT
El Paso basketball entitled “The Game: The Story of the 1966 Texas Western
Miners.” History
fair participants are under the direction of history teacher/coach Adam
Portillo. SANDERSON
– Based on the balloons given out Saturday, 105 children of all ages turned
out for the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Courthouse lawn, sponsored by
Terrell County employees. Children
in four age groups fanned out over the yard, picking up eggs containing
candy, small prizes and other gifts. One
child in each age group found a $25 gift certificate to WalMart. Sheriff
Clint McDonald said 25 of the plastic eggs contained $1 “gold” coins provided
by Sanderson State Bank. Before
starting the hunt, children were all treated to a small stuffed animal and a
balloon, courtesy of David and Susan Brotherton. Preparing
for the event, the Brothertons provided 70 balloons but had to scurry for
more when the initial stash ran out. On
Sunday, the Sun did not rise
but the faithful celebrated the lifting up of the Son. A
mix of denominations gathered Easter Sunday for a non-denominational service
at the Dryden Methodist Church here. After
singing “Because He Lives,” 22 believers joined together to share in the most
celebrated day on the Christian calendar. Baptist
pastor John Carnagey read from I Corinthians where it reminds us that our
hope is not in this life alone but in the hope of eternal life. And
just as we die because of Adam, we live because of Christ, not because he
lived, but because he died and rose again some 2,000 years ago. Leah
Carnagey sang “Love Grew Where the Blood Fell,” while husband played piano. Désirée
Youngblood, the new pastor of the First Presbyterian Church here, delivered
the Easter message From Mathew 28:1 to 10. She
reminded listeners that “had Jesus not arose from the dead, our hope in him
would be in vain.” She
went on to tell the story of a savior who had vanished from his tomb, only to
go to a “dusty out-of-the-way place, much like Sanderson – Galilee.” Methodist
pastor Dick Zimmer led in a closing prayer. SANDERSON
– The annual “Walk Across Texas Kick-Off Party” will be next week here. The
Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Cactus Health Services sponsor the walk
to promote exercise and health. The
party will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, April 4, at the Pavilion in
Bicentennial Park. A
registration folder is also available at the Cactus Health office. “The
1996 Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health points out that
60 percent of American adults are not regularly physically active,” AgriLife
Family and Consumer Services Agent Evans Kott said. “In fact, 25 percent of
Americans are not active at all.” She
said physical inactivity is a major reason why so many American adults and
their children are overweight. “Through
a modest increase in daily activity, most Americans can improve their
health,” she said. “Walk Across Texas is a program that persuades and
motivates people of all ages to make the most important change – to get
started.” In
the walk, people team up to combine mileage walked to equal a trip across
Texas. “Increased
physical activity can have an impact on heart disease, by far the leading
cause of death in this country,” Kott said. “In addition, increased physical
activity improves blood sugar control for people with diabetes, blood
pressure control for people with high blood pressure, immunity and even
reduces depression. Getting moving can have a significant impact on your
health.” Walk
Across Texas is an eight-week program. Individuals or teams of eight people pool
their mileage to walk, ride, or run across Texas in eight weeks with their
friends, families, co-workers or solo. Open
Preserve INDEPENDENCE
CREEK – The Nature Conservancy of Texas will host an Open Preserve Weekend at
Independence Creek Preserve from Friday, April 11, to Sunday, April 13. The
event is free and open to the public, although advanced registration is
required by April 4. The preserve will be open from 5 p.m. on Friday to 12
noon on Sunday. All
guests are required to register at the pavilion within the preserve
headquarters upon arrival. Overnight
camping space in designated areas will be available for pre-registered guests
only. Independence
Creek Preserve is located 22 miles south of Sheffield on Highway 349. Visitors
may participate in camping, swimming, self-guided hiking, picnicking,
catch-and-release fishing, birding and other activities at their leisure. Visitors
should bring their own food and drinks for the weekend and plan to take their
trash home with them. No open camp fires will be permitted, only camp stoves
are allowed. Visitors
also should bring towels and swimwear, fishing gear, binoculars, sunscreen, a
hat and plenty of water to drink. Restrooms
are available at the pavilion within the headquarters. No
live bait is allowed for fishing, only artificial lures and worms. Firearms,
stereos and TVs are prohibited. No pets of any kind will be permitted.
For
safety reasons, children must be supervised by their parents or other designated
adults. Independence
Creek Preserve is a wildlife sanctuary and snakes, skunks and other wild
animals may be present. Native
American or other historic artifacts may be examined and appreciated but may
not be removed. Vehicles
must remain on roads unless otherwise directed by preserve staff. To
register and get directions, call Kurt Hanna or Lisa Wrinkle at 432/345-6773
or e-mail at khanna@tnc.org or lwrinkle@tnc.org. BALMORHEA
– Two California people were killed and two injured in a one-vehicle rollover
early Monday 12.2 miles west of here. Killed
were Anna Bertha Rodriguez de Elias, 32, of Wilmington, CA, and Julio Del
Rio, 14, of Lynwood, CA. Both
were pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Rosendo Carracso. The
driver, Pablo Elias, 28, of Wilmington was injured and in critical condition
at Odessa Medical Center. Jose
Manuel Lopez, 13, of Wilmington was in stable condition at Reeves County
Hospital in Pecos. Texas
DPS Trooper Roy Lytle of Balmorhea said the Cadillac Escalade the victims
were riding in drifted into the media, the driver overcorrected and the car
rolled over several times. |
No
structures were lost in the fire that burned through the weekend and into
early last week. The
Forest Service said support from citizens is critical in the battle to
eliminate a rash of potentially deadly wildfires. Not
only have firefighters been dealing with a major wildfire season that has
threatened communities across the state, but they are also battling fires in
which arson is suspected. “Law
enforcement and firefighting officials need your help,” Forest Service
Incident Commander David Abernathy said. “Putting a stop to arson can save
lives, homes and property.” “Arson
is a second degree felony, punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and two to
20 years in prison,” Chief Law Enforcement Officer Gary Bennett said. “The
offense becomes a first degree felony if someone is injured or killed as a
result of the fire. Punishment for a first- degree felony is a fine of up to
$10,000 and five to 99 years in prison. Eagles ‘invade’ Washington,
DC By KIM RAPP News Leader Production Manager WASHINGTON
DC – Coach and teacher Adam Portillo and 12 other adults accompanied 13
students on a recent trip to the nation’s capital, a voyage in the planning
since September. The
kids and their parents had fundraisers such as manning the concession stand
for home basketball games and raffling off goodies like a full set of tires
donated by Sanderson Tire Center, two round trip tickets from Southwest Airlines
and a curio cabinet donated by Katy and Travis Roberts. The
group also received an $8,000 grant from The Abell Hangar Foundation of Midland,
money that was split evenly among the children. They
toured the nation’s capitol in a tour bus, complete with a guide named
Adrian. Among
the sights were the White House, The National Air and Space Museum, The
Holocaust Museum, The Supreme Court and George Washington’s home at Mount
Vernon, VA. “There
was a lot of walking involved,” said Portillo, who also said he would do it
again. He
is already planning a trip to someplace such as New York City in June of
2009. Other
sights included his personal favorite, The Arlington National Cemetery with
the resting places of former President John F. Kennedy and boxing legend Joe
Lewis. There,
they witnessed the “Changing of the
Guard” at the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” where unidentified military
service people are buried. Portillo
explained the change as a “very military type.” There is silence while the
new guard takes over every 30 minutes. The
guards do not speak during the ceremony. They face the tomb for 21 seconds in
resemblance of a 21-gun salute, walk to the other side and repeat the process. The
tombs are guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – or 366 during Leap Year. St.
Patrick’s Day brought out the bagpipes and the kids may have even spotted
President George Bush in a caravan of black limousines. Also
on the agenda were The Library of Congress and The Vietnam Vets Memorial. The
group experienced lunch in “China Town” and Portillo told the News Leader it
was “definitely a worthwhile trip. I wanted the kids to enjoy and learn more
about history.” FORT
STOCKTON – Race Coordinator Kenda
Furman said this week everything was coming together for the April 23 to 26
Big Bend Open Road Race. There
was some confusion early in the week over some volunteers but Furman said
that was cleared up. Furman
said there were 118 entries as of late Wednesday. She had said earlier the
race could be run with 75 to 80 entries.
“More
are coming in now,” she said. There
are three cars in the unlimited class, a category that lets drivers go as fast
as they can. Time
to beat was set last year when Mike and Marsha Borders of Las Vegas, NV,
broke the 21-minute barrier, zipping down in 20 minutes, 32 seconds, at an
average speed of 172.389 miles per hour. The
return Saturday afternoon was in 20 minutes, 29.3 seconds, for an average of
172.78 mph and an overall average of 172.584 mph. The
couple’s red and yellow 1999 Winston Cup Monte Carlo struck a buzzard on the
first leg from Fort Stockton to Sanderson Saturday but they managed to break
the all-time record, buzzard or not. The
Borders signed up for another race when it appeared the Big Bend would be canceled
and will not race this year, Furman said. Charlie
Friend of Alamogordo, NM, will move up to the unlimited class this year in
his unlikely 1965 Chevrolet Corvair. Joel
Hannig of Hickson, ND, and his 1962 Dodge Polara, who finished second behind
Borders last year, will also race in the unlimited class as will Dave
Carpenter of Parker, CO. In
all classes except unlimited, drivers compete not for fastest speed but how
close they can come to the speed for that class. Lascano replaced Jannie McDonald, who has been the Sanderson
volunteer coordinator since the beginning. She announced earlier she would
not be available this year. Lascano said volunteers are still needed for the race. They are
needed for gate guards and other activities. Being a gate guard is the only way to actually see the race.
They are stationed along the highway on race day to make sure no one strays
onto the highway from side roads and ranches while racecars zoom by, some at
more than 200 miles per hour. US Highway 90 from Sanderson ten miles west to the roadside park
will be closed intermittently Wednesday and Thursday, April 23 and 24, for
practice runs and qualifications. Gate guards are also needed along this stretch. Friday, all participants repair to Fort Stockton for a viewing
of cars at Rooney Park and a parade down Dickinson Street. The race itself will be Saturday, April 26. US Highway 285 will
be closed all day for the race and gate guards will be posted at their spots
until the highway reopens. The race starts that morning at US 285 and Mockingbird Lane in
Fort Stockton and the first lap ends near Downie Arena in Sanderson, a
distance of 59 miles. Some of the fastest cars get here in slightly more than 20
minutes. The racers all gather around the Terrell County Courthouse for a
lunch break during which citizens can see the cars up close and personal and
chat with the drivers. In the afternoon, the second lap starts near Downie Arena and
ends in Fort Stockton. There
will be a post-race party in Rooney Park and the awards banquet will be at
7:30 p.m. in the Civic Center. DALLAS
– A movie about small towns and their struggles to survive, including the
invention of “six-man football,” will premier at the AFI Dallas Film Festival
today, March 29. NEVERTOOLATE Films and Visual Vagos announced the world premier
of the film, “Six Man, Texas,” last week. A press release said the movie is about the struggle of rural
communities to keep their tiny schools open and to keep playing their “unique
six-man version of football.” The film will play on two consecutive Saturdays in Dallas, the
world premier today and a second screening on Saturday, April 5. The film company chronicled many small public schools with
six-man teams throughout Texas from 2000 through 2003. The filmmakers then re-visited the 2000 Aquilla team in the
summer of 2005, five years after their Cinderella season. Aquilla is in central Texas between Waco and Hillsboro. They also filmed the last graduation of Three Way School in 2002
before it closed after serving the surrounding South Plains communities since
1947. Many rural schools throughout Texas have fallen below student
populations needed to reasonably support a public school. “However, without the school as a vital community center and
without the game as a socially unifying force, the town would eventually
disappear,” the release states. “For many communities, simply keeping the
school open and finding enough students for the game is an annual struggle.” Marathon had to abandon their football schedule last year when
an injury dropped their team to five players. “We focused on public schools because they are such a critical
part of small town culture,” said Alan Barber, “Six Man, Texas” producer and
director. “At one time in America, public schools were the vibrant backbone
of the educational system. In Six Man towns, they still are.” Although many similarities exist among more than 120 Texas
public high schools that play six-man football, the film highlights the story
of two schools as metaphors for shrinking rural economies. “The similarities seem to create a community of towns united by
their common priorities, the school and a passionate commitment to their
children,” The release says. “It is as if there exists a state within a
state, the state of Six Man, Texas.” WINK
– Isaac Ramirez had low score of 95 to pace the Sanderson Eagles to a seventh
place overall at the Wink Golf Tournament here this week. Raul
Salazar followed with a 104. David Shoemaker carded a 112 while Jacob
Benavidez scored a 117 and Casey Couch went home with a score of 131. Athletic
Director Mark Dominguez said the tournament was limited to five players and
he took his top scorers. There were 10 teams in the tournament All
golfers, girls and guys, will attend the district golf tourney in Lajitas on
April 1 as there is no limit to how many players can participate. Tee off
begins at 9 a.m. Boys
include Isaac, Raul, David, Jacob, Casey, Jaime Rodriguez and Cordell Lawson. Lady
golfers include Jessica Garza, Julianna Larinaga and Juliana Castro. AUSTIN
– In its third year as a lead agency organizing Global Youth Service Day in
the state, the Texas Youth Commission announced this week that participation
in the project was greater than expected. Still
a month away from the event, TYC said 186 partners have committed to being involved
compared to 70 total coalition members last year. Since
2006, commission has been selected by Youth Service America, the event’s
organizer, to forge coalitions of partner agencies and entities to participate
in the event. “Service
to others is the type of positive behavior we want to instill in every child
in TYC,” TYC Conservator Richard Nedelkoff said. “Working with our
volunteers, the kids can learn that they still have an important role in our
communities.” The
TYC offers “boot camp” training for young offenders. It will close its Sheffield
facility by the end of the month. GYSD
is an annual global event that highlights and celebrates the contributions of
youth to their communities through volunteer service. During
GYSD, youth around the world organize simultaneous community service projects
to address local needs. This
year’s event will be the weekend of April 25 to 27 and youth from more than
100 countries in every region of the world will be involved. Youth
will assist elderly residents of nursing homes and promote cancer awareness
as well as communitywide clean-up and beautification projects. The
youth choose the projects they are able to complete and that will impact the
greatest needs in their communities. Last
year, 5,655 youth participated in 88 projects benefiting 82 communities and
directly affecting and estimated 50,636 people. Last
week, TYC announced that former TYC offender Jermaine Griffin was part of the
University of Texas at Arlington’s return to the NCAA men’s basketball
playoffs after a 49-year absence by winning the championship of the Southland
Conference Griffin
was committed to TYC at age 12. It has been a long time since his TYC days,
but he remained in close contact with TYC. “I
saw a man that we are so glad we invested in,” said Helen George, TYC quality
assurance administrator for the Houston District office. She
was in the audience when the Mavericks won their conference championship. “You
had to see him to understand how important that moment was,” she said of Griffin,
who at 6-foot-9-inches has been a starter and a star player on the team all
four years of his college career. |
“Please
do your part by reporting any information regarding suspicious wildfires to
your local law enforcement officer,” Bennett said. A
reward of up to $2,000 is offered for information leading to the arrest and
grand jury indictment of the person or persons responsible for arson fires. SANDERSON
– The “buzzards” will come home to roost next weekend as several hundred
bikers are expected for the Seventh Annual Buzzard Rally for motorcycle
enthusiasts. Organizer Lindy Stumberg said there was a meeting last night to
coordinate all activities and make final preparations for the event. The
American Legion Post 160 took over sponsorship of the event this year but,
other than moving everything a few hundred feet west (not south like we said
last week), it will be pretty much the same as before. Last
year, an unusually wet spring and early summer cut into the turnout when
rains that weekend dampened spirits and just about everything else. A
drought so far this year should change that condition substantially. The
weatherman is predicting sunny skies and highs in the mid 80s, just about
ideal weather for bikers – if not for area farmers and ranchers. The
warm, dry weather has already brought plenty of bikers to the area in search
of that perfect ride through the county. More
than 400 motorcycles are expected to descend on Sanderson for the rally. It
all begins Friday, April 4, with registration
beginning at noon at the Legion Hall. There will be a Biker Party that begins “when you get here” and
lasts until midnight with a disc jockey starting at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 5, is the “main event, starting with breakfast
at 7 a.m. at the Legion Hall for a “modest” fee. A scenic “poker run” around the county will start the games with
the first bikes leaving at 9 a.m. Saturday. Cyclists will make stops along the way, picking up cards for a
poker hand and the winner will receive a cash prize, to be determined based
on the number of entrants. At 2 p.m. Saturday, riders will participate in a series of games
at Legion Hall, competing for trophies in these events. In the “Straw in the Bottle” contest, a rider on the back of a
bike tries to put a straw in a beer bottle with her mouth while the driver
goes by at slow speed. The “Slo Mo” race will be won by the rider who can drive his
cycle the slowest without touching the ground with his feet. The rider gets into the act again in the “Tennis Ball on the
Cone” event, trying to place tennis balls on top of cones strategically
placed along the course. In the “Weenie Bite” contest, a rider on the back of a bike
tries to bite a hot dog suspended over the course as the driver moves the
machine under it. There is also a “best of show” contest for the best looking
motorcycle at the rally. In the annual “Show of Strength Parade” at 6 p.m. Saturday, bikers
will all drive east on Oak Street, or Highway 90, from Sanderson State Bank
to the Legion Hall, revealing the number of attendees at the event. There will be a barbecue dinner at 6:30 p.m. at the Legion Hall
and another Biker Party at 8 p.m. with live music until 1 a.m. Sunday. For Sanderson residents who don’t want to register for the
entire event, dance tickets will be sold for $10 per person. The event comes to an end Sunday, April 7 with breakfast at the
Legion Hall and a closing prayer service at 8 a.m. New this year will be lapel pins on sale at the Legion Hall. Organizers are seeking volunteers to work the event and local
food vendors. Volunteers can get in free to all events. For more information
on both, call Lindy Stumberg at 432/345-2189. Early
voting across Texas starts Monday, March 31, as Democrats will vote in a
runoff election April 8 for nomination to the Texas Railroad Commission. County
conventions in Terrell County will be tomorrow, March 29. Democrats
will meet at 10 a.m. in the Terrell County Courthouse to select one delegate
and one alternate to the state convention in Austin June 6 and 7. Republicans
will meet at 5 p.m. in the Community Building to select two delegates to the
state Republican convention June 12 to 14 in Houston. The
number of delegates is determined by the votes cast for governor in the 2006
general election. There
is no Republican runoff April 8. Democrats will chose between Mark Thompson,
who won 48.32 percent of the vote in the March 4 Primary Election. He
will face Dale Henry, who got 27.7 percent while third-place Art Hall
garnered 23.97 percent. The
winner will face Michael L. Williams who was uncontested in the Republican primary. Polls
will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 8. Terrell
County’s four precincts will be consolidated on the first-floor lobby of the
courthouse. Marathon
voting will be in the Community Building. Early
voting will be in the Terrell County clerk’s office during regular business
hours through Friday, April 4. Marathon
early voting for all precincts will be in the county tax office. SANDERSON
– A group of 30 women over the age of 50 are scheduled to stop here tomorrow
night, March 29, as part of a 3,135-mile bicycle ride across the United
States. They
expect to stop in Marathon tonight before continuing on to Sanderson. The
bikers dipped their rear wheels in the Pacific Ocean on March 7 in San Diego
and expect to finish their trek in St. Augustine, FL, in early May. They
are being supported by WomanTours, Inc. of Rochester, NY – the only all-women
bicycle touring company in the country. The
oldest biker on this tour is 68 years old, but the average age of all the
women is 60. Several
of the women are cancer survivors, while others have survived stroke and
heart disease. “In
this era of American obesity and lack of physical activity, it’s heartening
to see older Americans undertaking the significant physical challenge,
despite their own health limitations,” WomanTours President Jackie Marchand
said. Deputy’s
family comes to town By KIM RAPP News Leader Production Manager SANDERSON
– Terrell County’s newest deputy sheriff, Vince Perna, brought his family
down for the Easter Egg Hunt Saturday at the Terrell County Courthouse. His
wife, Ryan, still lives in Fort Stockton where she teaches licensed
vocational nursing at the Williams Regional Technical Training Center. Tagging along were Kaylei,
5, and Anthony, 4.
The
family hopes to join “Dad” in Sanderson later this year. Also
seen at the Easter Egg bash was John Thomas of Fort Lupton, CO, near
Denver. He
“just showed up” to visit daughter Anna La Fleur and husband Paul.
Mark
La Fleur took part in the hunt but little sister, Elia
Marie, didn’t. At seven months, she is just too little. But wait till
next year Heather
& Lloyd Gully are new Sanderson residents. The son
and daughter-in-law of Hazel Gully brought four-year-old Morris
and one-year-old Gabriel in the move from Kerrville. Lloyd
will do surveying and work with Sanderson Real Estate while Heather
stays home to watch the kids. Visiting
our corner of the world recently were Juan
& Maria Elena Rodriguez. Their daughter Karissa, 7, tagged along. Juan graduated
from Sanderson High School back in ’97 and is currently serving our country
in the United States Marine Corps. They
came to visit his grandparents, Micaela
& Jose Rodriguez, and the
rest of the Rodriguez crew before Juan
is deployed to Okinawa, Japan. His
wife and daughter will join him to spend the next three years. Nancy & Tom Koger
snuck into town last month. The former
Sandersonites moved to Big Spring a while back. Tom was the lay pastor at the First United Methodist Church here. They
came down to visit Don & Cindy
Kelso, among others, along with welcoming the new pastor at the church, Désirée Youngblood. The
couple returned home to find only one broken window at their home, about two
miles away from where the Alon Refinery exploded while they were here. Barbara & Darwin
Wittneben came to town to visit
last week from their new digs in College Station. Barbara
was a school counselor here a few years back and also served on the school
board. Darwin was the shop teacher
at Sanderson High. Lyn & Ruben Rosas
had visitors last week. Ruben’s brother
John came from Houston with sons Joey & Justin. While
here they went to the Hagelstein ranch to pay a visit to John & Ruben’s father, Manuel Rosas. The
family enjoyed spending time with Ryan
& Ralston and the rest of the Rosas bunch before returning
home where John installs cable. Kathy Delefuente
and Stephanie Sanchez made the
trip from Brady, bringing Kathy’s
kiddos, eight-year-old Jacob,
seven-year-old Emily and Nina, who is all of four years old. Sanchez brought eight-year-old Jacob. The
bunch came to see family and friends. Delefuente
is the daughter of Lupe & Joe
Ponce of Sanderson. Jimmy
Rapp and Kelly Lomas took off for spring break last week. The
two packed their bags and went to Hobbs, NM, where Jimmy’s dad Robert
lives. Sister
Bobbi Rapp also came east to visit from Las Vegas,
NV, where she attends the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Jimmy & Bobbi
belong to Kim & Robert Rapp
and Kelly is the nephew of Amelia Lomas. Jimmy and Kelly made it home for Easter as did
big brother Daniel Rapp who attends
Midland College. Before coming home Daniel picked up James
Daniel Sanchez in Alpine and
the two of them headed for El Paso to see high school chum Cory Cantu. Sanchez
is the son of Mike & Karen Sanchez of Sanderson and Cantu belongs to Albert Cantu, also of Sanderson. Traveling
through Marathon on their way from the Big Bend national park were Fred & Kathy Krebs. Fred is a
Lutheran pastor in Austin while Kathy
is a fifth grade teacher who also teaches adult Christian education. This
was not their first trip this way. They say they “love to get away to the
peace and quiet the area offers,” Krebs
said. |