June 27, 2008
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Officials
have battled several small wildfires in recent weeks, in spite of some
widely-scattered showers and a few thunderstorms. In
fact, some of the thunderstorms have spawned lightning, which started new
fires. Resources from many states have supported Texas firefighting
efforts. Sending help were firefighters from California, Georgia,
Tennessee, Louisiana, Virginia, Montana, Alabama, Arizona, New Mexico,
Oklahoma, Mississippi, Idaho, Colorado, and Washington. State
fire officials encouraged citizens to remain vigilant in their efforts to
prevent wildfires. The
current drought conditions mean that any moisture that does occur will be
immediately absorbed by the dry ground and vegetation. “Folks
have a tendency to think that with some rain, the fire danger has passed,”
said Texas Forest Service Fire Information Officer Nick Harrison. “We want to
emphasize that it will require a prolonged period of significant rain to
return to safe conditions.” He
urged citizens to continue a common-sense approach to wildland fire
prevention. He
cautioned people to observe burn bans, use the vehicle ashtray, be careful
when using equipment or welding outdoors, avoid driving or parking on tall
grass and remember that almost any heat source can start a fire under these
conditions. middle
class golf resort By MARK GLOVER Marathon News Leader LAJITAS
– Golf clubs still reign at the Lajitas Resort and Spa but, under new owner
Kelsey Warren, the green fees at their 18 + 1 hole Ambush Golf Course won’t
cost an arm and a leg. “We’re
a lot more middle class than we used to be,” Director of Sales and Marketing
Angie Thompson said. “Green fees range from $45 to $55 depending on the day.” That’s
down from $400 last year. Known
as the “Ultimate Hideout” during the Steve Smith era, room rates at the
resort ranged from $600 to $800 a night. Warren,
a Dallas oilman, bought it at auction last December for $13.5 million and
immediately turned over the management to Houston entrepreneur Edwin Leslie. “Edwin
dropped the room rates to $149 to $239 a night,” Thompson said. “And we’re
still a five star resort.” Jets
still land at the resorts 7,500-foot runway but they’re more likely to be
charters than privately owned. “Companies
out of Dallas and Houston who use our resort for special events generally
charter planes to bring their people in,” Thompson said. The
house that Bill Ivey of Alpine grew up in was converted to one of four dining
rooms in the Ocotillo restaurant under Steve Smith’s time at the resort. It
was not uncommon to see $50 entrees and $500 bottles of wine. “We
closed the Ocotillo,” Thompson said. “Now you can get fajitas for two on
Wednesday night at our other restaurant – The Candelia – for $15.99.” Lajitas,
an age old river crossing, was once the southern tip of the Comanche War
Trail and was used by Poncho Villa as an outpost during the Mexican
Revolutionary War. “Bullet
holes can still be seen at the Trading Post,” Thompson said. “It’s supposed
to be bullet-proof. We’re converting it to the Pro Shop later this year.” “My
dad used to own the Trading Post,” Bill Ivey said. “In fact he owned all of
Lajitas until the 1970s. “I
grew up there,” he said. “The bathroom of our house faced the river and he
had the window built up high so that when the bullets started flying we could
get down low.” The
resort is sponsoring a Labor Day championship golf tournament this year. For
$300, you receive three nights at the hotel, entry fee, golf cart and a
chance to win some big money. The
Ambush Golf Course is international. Hole 11A is a par one and requires a
160-yard shot across the Rio Grande into Mexico. Of
course you never get your ball back unless you want to go down to Presidio
and cross legally. But,
more importantly, if you sink your shot in the Mexican hole in one swing –
they’ll pay $100. Sign me up. I’ll use an old ball. MARATHON
– Jackie Boyd read “Armadillo Rodeo” by Jan Brett to children in the Summer
Reading Program this week. Then
the kids all decorated cowboy boots for craft time. “We
had 23 children this week for the program and our list keeps growing,”
Librarian Carol Townsend said. “There is still time to sign up and join the
fun at the Marathon Public Library Summer Reading Program. “We
have crafts, reading, puppet shows and snacks,” she said. “Please come and
join us on Wednesday afternoons from 1 to 2 p.m. To
sign up, Contact Townsend at 432/386-4136. Marathon
Public Library is a branch of Alpine Public Library. Friends
of Marathon Library News By Arlene Griffis Library Friend MARATHON
– In last week’s column, I mentioned the Alpine Rotary Club’s “Way Out West
Texas Book Festival” August 8 and 9. The
first-time event features 20 authors, a number of vendors who will be selling
books and a silent auction. There
will be a special children’s program on Saturday, Aug. 9. All
proceeds from this event will benefit Alpine Public Library and its Marathon
branch. In
each of the remaining weeks leading up to the festival, I plan to highlight
one or two of the featured authors who will be on the program. This
week’s column focuses on Lee Merrill Byrd and her husband Bobby, both of whom
will be at the festival as publishers and as writers. They are co-founders of
Cinco Puntos Press in El Paso. The business, started in 1985, is a nationally-known,
independent, literary press that specializes in publishing fiction,
non-fiction, poetry and books for kids from the US/Mexico border, Mexico and
the American Southwest. In
recognition of its importance as a voice for this region and its commitment
to literature, Cinco Puntos has received the American Book Award for
excellence in publishing and been inducted into the Latino Literary Hall of
Fame. The
press has also received five publishing grants from the National Endowment
for the Arts as well as three similar grants from the Texas Commission for
the Arts. The
Border Regional Library Association, in addition to awarding Southwest Book
Awards for many of its books over the years, presented CPP with a special
Southwest Book Award in 1993 for outstanding achievement in bringing national
recognition to regional literature. They
have also received two grants from the Fideicomiso para la Cultura de México
y Estados Unidos, funded jointly by the Belles Artes and the Rockefeller
Foundation. CPP’s
business, however, is not limited to bookstores. Direct sales to the
educational market have become a strong part of the company. Their
bilingual and culturally relevant children's books are the backbone of this
market. Lee Merrill Byrd’s most recent book, which is available in the
Marathon Public Library, is “Riley’s
Fire,” the fictional story
of Riley Martin, a second-grader from El Paso whose typical curiosity
regarding fire takes him to a place that neither he nor his devoted parents
ever imagined they would ever find themselves, the Shriners Burns Institute
in Galveston. After experimenting with gasoline and a lighted match, resulting
in third degree burns over 63 percent of his little body and face, Riley
embarks upon a journey toward healing that will hold the reader spellbound
until the end. Although the situation is a tragic one that will tug at your
heartstrings, especially if you are a parent, “Riley’s Fire” is not primarily a story of tragedy but, rather,
one of triumph – of the body and of the human spirit. Although this is a work of fiction, I sometimes had a hard time
remembering that as I read the book. Byrd really brings her characters to life due to her talent as a
writer as well as from her first-hand experiences with the medical procedures
Riley undergoes and the emotions, which take place within the members of this
family. Her own two sons, now adults, survived a playhouse fire when
they were four and seven. Lee’s husband Bobby grew up in Memphis,
TN, but since 1963 has lived mostly in the American Southwest. In
1978, the couple moved to El Paso with their three children, making the city
and the border region their home. Bobby
is an award-winning poet, whose most recent book of poems is “White Panties, Dead Friends and Other Bits
& Pieces of Love.” In
2002, with his son John and friend Luis Humberto Crosthwaite of Tijuana, BC,
Byrd edited “Puro Border: Dispatches,
Snapshots & Graffiti from the US/Mexico Border.” In
2005, Bobby and Lee each received the Lannan Fellowship for Cultural Freedom. Bobby and Lee Byrd will appear on a panel at the book festival
featuring writing and publishing. Cinco Puntos Press will also have a booth at which visitors may
purchase any of their delightful and unusual publications. Both Byrds will
also be available to autograph their books as well. For more information, their website can be found at www.cincopuntos.com. For information about the book festival, visit the website www.wowtxbookfestival.com . Happy
Reading. Arlene Griffis is a volunteer
at Marathon Public Library, which is a branch of Alpine Public Library. |
Anyone
who observes smoke or flames is asked to call 911 immediately. Homeowners
can take steps to protect their property by ensuring vegetation is thinned
enough to prevent flames from finding a way to the structure. They
should remove other burnable material at least 30 feet around their homes. Helpful
tips can be found online at www.firewise.org,
Harrison said. ‘Bowls
of Red’ to mark Fourth of July MARATHON – The annual
Cowboy Chili Cook-Off will kick-off the July Fourth weekend here at noon on
Saturday, July 5. All proceeds will
benefit the Marathon Volunteer Fire and Rescue. The event is
sanctioned by the Chili Appreciation Society International and that means no
varmint meat including rabbits, coon, snake or sheep more than a year old can
be cooked in the chili. Salsas will also be
judged and anyone can enter the contest with their salsa for $10. Craig Carter and his
band will bump it up Saturday night, swinging Marathon’s annual “Dance at the
Post” into high gear. Music starts at 8 p.m. and goes ‘til the cows come
home. There will be another round
of contesting chilis on Sunday afternoon. All proceeds will
benefit The Friends of Marathon Library. Once again, it is a
CASI sanctioned contest. CASI, one of two organizations that make the
Terlingua Chili Cook-off happen every November, sanctions over 600 chili
cook-offs throughout the world each year. Their mission is to
enjoy steamy bowls of red and raise money for charities. There will also be a
bean contest on Sunday. Bring your best bowl of frijoles and $10 to enter. By Mark Glover Marathon News Leader ALPINE
– Dr. Vic Morgan is in his 18th year as president of Sul Ross State
University. The former math professor sat down with a Marathon News Leader
reporter this week to discuss the university’s past, present and future as an
institution of higher learning in the sparsely populated Big Bend Region of
Texas. MNL:
Dr. Morgan, you served as unofficial, acting, interim and finally, after a
nation-wide search, the official president of Sul Ross State University after
being appointed by the Board of Regents during Ann Richards Administration
and confirmed by the legislature. What
is the most satisfying feature of your job? Morgan:
Watching students develop, grow and graduate. The highlight for me of each
semester is the Commencement Ceremony. That’s what we’re all about. Helping
the students become successful. MNL:
After graduating from High School in Bangs, you received a Bachelors at
Howard Payne, a Masters at Vanderbilt and a Ph.D from the University of
Missouri, all in math. If you had to do it over again would you still choose
math? Morgan:
Absolutely. MNL:
How has math tweeked you and how can it help students? Morgan:
I think it makes me a better problem solver, a better analyst. But
I don’t know how true that is. There are other good university presidents who
are geologists, historians, writers. For
students I think it helps them to come up with solutions. It’s the basis for
anything you want to do. MNL:
What about the “flat Earth” theory and the rumble that American students are
lazy when compared with Indian and Chinese students? Morgan:
The ancient Greeks said the same thing about their next generation. We
live in a global society. But that does not mean that nerds rule. Put
the best American students up against the best Indians or Chinese and we’ll
do just fine. MNL:
What about open enrollment at Sul Ross? Can anybody get in? Morgan:
We don’t have open enrollment. Our admitting standards require that a new
college freshmen be at the top ten per cent of their graduating high school
class. If
not, then they must score at least a 20 on the enhanced ACT test or 920 or
better on the verbal and math SAT and be in the upper half of their
graduating High School class. If
they don’t meet these standards, they can be admitted probationally based on
performance scores or, if all else fails, they can appeal by writing an
appeal letter. This
shows motivation and an interest in attending college. Kids deserve an
opportunity to go to college. MNL:
What is your philosophy of education? Morgan:
Our goal is to help students learn to learn, not to fill their heads with
facts and figures, to teach them to learn to make effective decisions and
become effective citizens. They’re
not going to enter the job market and stick with a company for 30 years like
their parents did. Their jobs don’t even exist yet and likely they won’t last
more than three to five years. They have to know how to re-train themselves. MNL:
What is the most frustrating part of your job? Morgan:
Funding is always frustrating. We can’t pay faculty and staff what they’re
worth. And
85 percent of our students have a documented financial need as compared to UT
Austin where it runs 12 to 20 percent. Sixty-five
to 70 per cent of our students are first generation college students. MNL:
Is Texas Tech taking over Sul Ross State University? Morgan:
If they are, they haven’t talked to me about it. It’s a legislative process.
It has to go through Austin first. MNL:
Your wife Mary Jane, among other posts, is part of the TAKS Committee at
Marathon Independent School District. Morgan:
Yes, she got involved two years ago when they were a low-performing school,
helping to revise curriculum and provide tutoring. Now
I believe they are a recognized school and doing well. MNL:
Marathon rancher Jack Pope helped save Sul Ross at one point. Morgan:
Yes, Jack was a member of the Texas Supreme Court in 1985 and helped fight
off an attempt to close the college by suggesting to the legislature that, if
they did close it, they’d be building another soon to do the same thing. MNL:
Being on the edge of the desert, some people look up at the university on the
hill and see it as a water guzzler, with all the green grass. Have
you considered expansion of your x-scaping and/or a water recovery system? Morgan:
Nothing formally planned. But we do live in a highland grass plain. That’s
why the cattle industry flourishes here. [We grow] No exotics [grass.] MNL:
I hear you’re a motorcycle riding enthusiast. What kind of bike do you have
and what’s your favorite rides? Morgan:
I ride a BMW R1150 RT. My favorites rides in Texas are River Road, Scenic
Loop, Wild Rose Pass. MNL:
I understand the utility bills at Sul Ross run $90,000 a month. Is their any
plans for alternative energy systems? Morgan:
I don’t know if $90,000 is right but I do know it’s high. As we speak we’re
installing a solar energy system at the pool to heat the water. No
other programs are planned other than conservation, meaning that every
building we build is built to save energy. MNL:
Do you have a re-cycling program at Sul Ross? Morgan:
We recycle paper, cardboard. We had a student program recycling cans. MNL:
What is your philosophy on recycling? Morgan:
We need to do it. At a small institution, if it is not economical, then you
are taking [funds] from some other place to do it. We
have to do it at the expense of something else. But it’s the right thing to
do. We
live on a space ship and more and more we are understanding what that means. MNL:
Recently during the re-accreditation process with the Southern Association of
Colleges, the theme of Sul Ross’s unique location was trumpeted. Morgan:
Accreditation basically means we are to find 75 things we can do to improve
student learning. Our
new Quality Enhancement Plan hopes to improve learning by using our great
outdoor environment and emphasizing outdoor activity, engaging students,
which can improve critical thinking skills and in turn enhance student
learning. MNL:
What does it mean to be a small university in the middle of nowhere? Morgan:
We provide teacher training in rural west Texas. Sixty percent of our
students take some type of teacher certification class. We
provide teachers, administrators, counselors, principals, superintendents. We
were founded as Sul Ross Normal College, a college to train teachers. Our
first student, Jamie Macou, graduated here and went on to teach at the
Centennial School in Alpine for 35 years. Jamie
Macou typifies who we are and what we are. But we do lots of things. We
have an outstanding Plant and Animal Range Science, Biology and Geology and I
don’t see how we could do without the humanities and art and music. MNL:
Some in the field of education are concerned with the burgeoning ratio of
administrators to faculty. I
think Sul Ross has three administrators for every instructor. Doesn’t that
create a lot of bureaucracy? Morgan:
Define an administrator. We have 400 employees of which 100 are faculty. The
faculty would be upset if I took away their secretaries. We
have cut administration. Two years ago we had five VPs. Today we have three. MNL:
How do you see the future of Sul Ross? Morgan:
There will be more distant learning and web-based classes. But these types of
classes do not broaden the student’s perspective. A
big place in education is the residential campus where students get their
degrees and grow-up. On
campus you learn a lot about people and much of that learning takes place
outside the classroom, bull sessions, room-mates, student organizations, etc.
MNL:
When the time comes, what will be Vic Morgan’s legacy at Sul Ross? Morgan:
I don’t know if I’ll have to leave a legacy. Perhaps getting credit or blame
for tearing down the old buildings. But
we have enhanced the academic progress and rebuilt the campus. The next
president will need to raise a lot of money. We’ve
got a damn fine faculty and an outstanding library. You
know, the oldest institutions in America are universities. That’s because
they provide a pretty incredible product. |
A hotline has been
established for anyone who has information regarding possible arson starts. The
Texas Arson Hotline is 817/579-5686. Court
clears wall construction By MARK GLOVER Marathon News Leader Border
Wall proponents applauded this week’s US Supreme Court decision not to act on
a lawsuit brought by The Sierra Club and The Defenders of Wildlife. The
case challenged the constitutionality of The Real ID Act, which allowed US
Homeland Security Chief Micheal Chertoff to sidestep more than 30 federal
laws including the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and the
Endangered Species Act. The
action will pave the way for the construction to begin on a wall along
portions of the US-Mexico border. Fourteen
House Democrats including seven committee chairs had filed a brief in support
of the environmentalist appeal. “Without
a comprehensive plan, this fence is just another quick fix,” said Rep. Bennie
Thompson, D-MS, one of the signers of the brief and head of the House
Homeland Security Committee. Rep.
Peter King, R-NY, said the Supreme Court decision was “a victory for common
sense and a victory for Americans who want secure borders.” King
was a co-author of the 2006 Secure Border Act that called for 314 miles of
border wall to be constructed. The
City of El Paso has also filed suit against the federal government and is
also challenging the constitutionality of The Real ID Act. The
suit is presently pending in federal court in El Paso. Another
legal challenge to the border wall is the Texas Border Coalition suit that
alleges that the federal government exercised imminent domain powers against
south Texas landowners without reasonable negotiation for fair market land
value. However,
this case is not expected to reach the Supreme Court before the end of the
George W. Bush Administration. Democratic
Presidential nominee Barack Obama has tentatively supported the border wall
construction but has stated that a “review” may be in order. Meantime,
the award to the winning bidder to construct 6.1 miles of border wall in Presidio
was scheduled to be announced this week. However,
US Border Patrol Marfa Sector spokesman Bill Brooks said “the bid awards for
construction have been delayed until next week. “The
US Army Corp of Engineers is handling the bidding process,” Brooks said.
“Once the winning contractor is selected, border wall construction can begin
immediately.” 50
years MARATHON
– Friday, July 4, will be a day early but, when you’re counting 50 years of
wedded bliss, what does a single day count? Marilyn
Coe and Macky Shackelford of Marathon were married on July 5, 1958, and to
celebrate that occasion and all the good times since, their four sons and
their families are planning a party at the Post Park southwest of Marathon at
5 p.m. on Friday, July 4. Macky
and Marilyn are long-time residents of Marathon. They
graduated from elementary and high school here, then moved away for a few
years while Macky worked construction in several Texas towns and then for a
propane company in Alpine. But
Marathon was where they had their roots and the couple returned for Macky to
establish the town’s first propane company, selling it in the mid-90s to an
Alpine businessman. Marilyn,
meanwhile, had received a teacher’s degree from Sul Ross State University and
taught at Marathon Elementary before becoming the Reading specialist at
Junior High. In
recent years, she taught in Presidio and is now teaching education classes at
Sul Ross. A
fifth-generation Marathoner, she also wrote regularly for area newspapers,
including the News Leader, about the town, its history and
inhabitants. In
recent months, Macky has been building the couple a “retirement” home at Dead
Horse Mountain Ranch, the property they own west of Black Gap and east of La
Linda. The
couple’s four sons, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild are hosting
the party and they plan to offer brisket, pork ribs and fried fish with
special trimmings to all who want to celebrate the happy couple’s 50th
wedding anniversary. The
younger Shackelfords include Cary and wife Shelly of Wink and their children
Me-lissa and her husband Chad Robertson and their son Reed. Other children of
Cary and Shelly are Lacy and Gill. Another
son is Keith and wife Betty of Pflugerville and their daughters Brittney and
Tara A
third is Lyn and wife Della and their three daughters Randi, Lindi and Kati,
of Marathon. The
fourth is Coe Pratt and wife Meg of Burnet and daughter Keirstin and sons
Layton and Quentin. MARATHON
– The Marathon ISD Building Improvement Committee will have its first
fundraiser next weekend, Saturday, July 5. The
MISD Booster Club will sponsor the Fourth of July Dance, July 5, at the Post
Park while the Building Improvement Committee will sponsor the BBQ Lunch. Plates
are $6 each. Serving will begin at noon and continue
until “whenever.” The
Committee consists of Rosie Aguilar, Lee Roberts, Pete Salas and Rhonda
Garlick. The
first task will be new fire doors and classroom doors for the high school and
a new fire alarm system throughout both campuses. For $400 or more,
donors may be recognized with a plaque on a door at the school. |