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SANDERSON –
For those who didn’t stay up to watch the ball drop in Times Square last
night, today is the start of a brand new year. It’s now 2010. And it is the
end of the old year, 2009, a year many of us would just as soon forget. First up on
the agenda for the calendar in Sanderson – at least the first major event –
is the 31st Annual Terrell County Fair and, while it is still three weeks
away, it promises to be the biggest yet. Some 80
animals have been validated as of press time this week and, in spite of a
sputtering economy, this year’s fair could also set a new record for revenue.
The economy
was already going south last year but the fair produced $17,000, up from
$14,000 in a “better” year in 2008. The events
begin Thursday, Jan. 21, and end with the livestock and crafts auction and
dinner at 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23. All events
will be at the Terrell County Fair Hall, a building the Fair Board acquired
from the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 2002. Some of the
proceeds from the fairs each year have gone into the building, upgrading it
each year. The year 2010,
though, will most likely be remembered as the year the $14 million school
bond program was completed with a brand new high school building, vocational
building and field house plus upgrades and repairs to all school facilities. Some will be
completed by the end of this month. Others will take the rest of the year.
But as we write this piece next year, it should all be in past tense. We hope. There is
nothing on the county’s calendar for February but March brings the Primary
elections and April brings the Easter Sunrise Service and the County
Sheriff’s Easter Egg Hunt on the Courthouse lawn. Easter Sunday is April 4. Later that
month is the Big Bend Open Road Race bet Fort Stockton and here with as many
as 160 drivers competing for best times in various speed categories, some
reaching speeds as high as 200 miles per hour on straight stretches. Many of the
entrants are just in it to be able to drive fast without worrying about
getting a speeding ticket. Others take their racing very seriously. May always
brings high school graduation and all the activities that go with it. In June, the
West Texas Herpetological Society has its annual field trip. July brings
another “red letter” day to town with the Fourth of July. The activities
include a parade and barbecue lunch, an Old Timers Hour and Ice Cream social
on Courthouse Lawn, class reunions, a fireworks show – burn ban permitting –
and the annual street dance on Hackberry between the Courthouse and the old
High School Building. The St. James
Festival also falls in July with daylong activities including a softball
tournament and a dance that night with the crowning of the St. James king and
queen. School starts
again in late August and, with it, football. What would fall be in West Texas
if it weren’t for high school football, which is almost a religion for some. September
brings the fall “Toe Tappin’ Tuesday” series of free concerts in the
Bicentennial Park Pavilion, courtesy of the Sanderson Arts & Education
Alliance. Another “red
letter” day comes in October with the annual Prickly Pear Pachanga on
Columbus Day weekend to celebrate Sanderson’s designation as Cactus Capital
of Texas. November, it’s
into the holiday season with a string of events beginning with Veterans Day
on Nov. 11, a Community Thanksgiving Service on Sunday before Thanksgiving, a
“turkey shoot” that day, TCISD’s “Senior Citizen Dinner” that week and the
lighting of the windmill in Bicentennial Park to start the Christmas Season. November also
brings the General Election and this year promises to be one of the most
interesting in many years. Widespread
opposition to US policies on the “stimulus,” health care reform, Cap and
Trade and others have brought out the TEA parties in vocal opposition and
some have even predicted the Republicans could take over the US House and
make serious inroads in the Senate. The Hunters
Feast is the first Saturday in December and the Chamber of Commerce sponsors
an annual “Christmas on Main Street,” an open house by businesses during the
month. There are
Christmas pageants and services at area churches, a Christmas program at the
school and the annual Christmas Bazaar by the Culture Club. But, then,
this is where we came in. Happy New
Year. SANDERSON –
The body of a young man was found Monday on the Jack Deaton ranch southwest
of Sanderson. He was later identified as Jason Mathew Beaty, 29, of
Clearwater, FL. Sheriff Clint
McDonald said an autopsy had been ordered but a preliminary cause of death
seemed to by hypothermia, or exposure to cold. The official low temperature
Monday morning was 27 degrees. McDonald said
no identification was found on the body but he said witnesses reported seeing
a man fitting the description hitchhiking near the Border Patrol station west
of Sanderson but east of the Deaton ranch on Dec. 22, nearly a week before
the body was found. Officials have
determined it was the same man based on his clothing and hair description. There was no
evidence of trauma or foul play on the body, McDonald said. Toler files in
county judge race SANDERSON –
County Judge Leo Smith has drawn opposition in his bid for re-election in the
March 2 Democratic Primary election. Terry “Tex”
Toler filed late Wednesday as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for
county judge. He said he
plans to run a “clean” race based on positive positions. Monday is
filing deadline for the Democratic and Republic Primary but there are no
local races in the Republican primary. At press time
this week, there was only one other contested race in Terrell County. Michelle
Marquez is running for the Democratic nomination to Place 2 County
Commissioner against incumbent Della Fuentes, who filed earlier. The winner of
that race will face Libertarian Pat Baker of Dryden in November. Also running
is County Commissioner Kenn Norris, County/District Clerk Martha Allen,
Justices of the Peace Corina Castro and Abby Roberts and Constable Kenneth
Turner. Lynda Helmers
is up for re-election as county treasurer but she has chosen not to run.
Leila Cash has filed for that place in the Democratic primary. As of press
time, there were no local races in the Republican Primary but perhaps the
most interesting race of all is for the Republican nomination to governor. Incumbent Rick
Perry faces a very visible challenge from US Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and
lesser-known Debra Medina of Wharton. The winner
will face the victor of a four-way contest in the Democratic primary between
Bill White of Houston, Felix Alvarado of San Antonio, Bill Dear of Mt. Calm
and Farouk Shami of Houston. Both
candidates for lieutenant governor are unopposed in their primaries but
Democrat Ronnie Earle will challenge incumbent Republican David Dewhurst in
November. Another very
visible race will be in the Democratic primary for agriculture commissioner
where Kinky Friedman faces Hank Gilbert. The winner will take on incumbent
Republican Todd Staples in November. Joseph Mack
“Doc” Gould of Alpine has filed to face Francisco “Quico” Canseco of San
Antonio for the Republican nomination to the 23rd US House District. The
winner will face incumbent Ciro D. Rodriguez in the General Election. In Brewster
County, County Judge Val Beard will face Avinash K. “Avi” Rangra for
re-election and there is a three way race for County Commissioner Place 2.
Bill Bourbon and Andy Byrnes will take on incumbent Kathy Killingsworth, And Democratic
Party Chair Dale Christophersen faces a challenge from Clarence Russeau. Unopposed in
the primary at press time were Marathon JP Susana Gonzales, District Clerk Jo
Ann Salgado, County Clerk Berta Rios-Martinez, Treasurer Carol Ofenstein,
Commissioner Matilde “Wacky” Pallanez and JPs Jerry Sotello and Jim Burr. Republican
Chairman Greg Inderlied said there were no local candidates in the GOP
primary. SANDERSON –
Some street closures will affect traffic patterns around Sanderson, starting
next week. Terrell County
Road and Bridge Superintendent Mike Sanchez said new drainage ditches are
being provided throughout town under a Texas Department of Transportation
grant. Rock-lined
ditches are appearing on east-west streets between Wilson on the west and
where the streets end east of Fifth Street.
Sanchez said
it will be necessary to close some streets for “two or three days” each to
install culverts, or “tin whistles” under the north-south streets. The first
closure will be on School Street at Hackberry next week, followed by
Persimmon at Hackberry. Sanchez agreed
to tell the News Leader about each street closure in time to get a notice in
the paper. He said it
will also be necessary to close the front of the Sanderson High School
building but he said that should not be until after high school students move
to the new building nearing completion on Second south of the existing junior
high school building. A two-year
$936,000 “Border Colonias” grant from the TxDOT is funding new ditches for
the length of Pine and Hackberry from their west end at Wilson to where the
streets end east of Fifth Street. Other ditches
are anticipated and the county is investigating a system of ditches along
Cargile Street west of Javelina Hill. Some of the
rock needed for the project, which the county acquired from Dryden Stone, has
been stored at the proposed site of a new convention center at Oak and
Second. A pile of sand
the county bought from Albert and Sheri Thorn is on hand next to the county
Road and Bridge yard on Legion Street. The culverts
were provided by a $59,259.93 contract with Wilson Culverts of Elkhart,
Highland Concrete of Alpine and Fort Stockton has a $64,725.75 contract for
ready-mix concrete and Home Depot of Del Rio is providing Portland cement. The county has
matched the grant with $1 million in county funds over two years for the
ditch program. Engineer John
Landgraf of Landgraf Crutcher Associates of Odessa planned the ditches. which
eventually will cover all of Sanderson between Fifth and Wilson and from Oak
Street north to Kerr. SANDERSON –
Albert Peña, a school bus driver for Terrell County Independent School
district, was found dead at his home late Wednesday, apparently from natural
causes. More details will be in next week’s News Leader. St. James
observes Lady of Guadalupe By
KIM RAPP Production
Manager SANDERSON –
St. James Catholic Church here celebrated the “Lady of Guadalupe” last month,
beginning with the singing of Mañanitas the evening of Dec. 12. Mañanitas are
traditionally anniversary or birthday songs sung in the early morning. After singing,
they were off to the Parish Hall for a breakfast consisting of tamales,
menudo, coffee, tea and a little something for the sweet tooth. They then
returned to the sanctuary for mass in honor of “Our Lady of Guadalupe” then
back to the St. James Hall for the traditional party. “About” 25
members were served a turkey dinner, former Guadalupana reporter Consuelo
Galvan said. After the meal, gifts were exchanged and new
officers elected. Della Fuentes
is the new president, replacing Isabelle Spagna. Rosa Lopez
will be vice-president, replacing Romi Wiseman, and Keta Garza was elected
secretary, succeeding Irma Mendoza. Accepting
re-election as treasurer was Thelma Calzada. “She’s done it
for years and years,” Galvan said. And Amelia
Marquez will serve as the new reporter, replacing Consuelo Galvan. To close the
evening, each Guadalupana present received a turkey. “The
Guadalupanas would like to express a ‘thank you’ to the outgoing officers who
did a great job,” Galvan said. The Story of
“Our Lady of Guadalupe” goes back to early morning of Dec. 9, 1531, when the
first apparition of Our Lady appeared. Juan Diego was
on his way to mass and, as he walked the hill of Tepeyac, he heard singing. Looking up, he
saw a beautiful young lady who spoke, saying, "You must know that I am
truly the perpetual and perfect Virgin Mary. I am your merciful Mother, the
Mother of all Mankind. Here, I will hear their weeping, their sorrow and will
remedy and alleviate their sufferings, necessities and misfortunes.” That same
morning, Juan Diego went to Bishop Zumarraga, as commanded by Our Lady, and
delivered her message. Not
surprisingly, the bishop responded with pious caution and told Juan Diego to
come back another time. Juan Diego returned to the hill of Tepeyac
at about sunset of that same day and the Virgin appeared a second time,
exactly as he had seen Her at dawn. Juan Diego
urged Her to send someone else, someone more distinguished, to the bishop. "I am
only a poor man,” he said. “I am not worthy of being there where you send me.
Pardon me, my Queen. I do not want to make your noble heart sad. I do not
want to fall into your displeasure." But Our Lady
told him that it was he, and no other, whom She wished to send. She commanded
him to go back to bishop Zumarraga the following day. The next day
was a Sunday and Juan Diego went again to the bishop's house where the bishop
questioned him, more impressed this time. But the bishop said that Our Lady
must provide a sign that She really was the Mother of God. At sunset that
day, Juan Diego was back on the hill of Tepeyac to report to Our Lady who was
already waiting for him. He informed
Her that the bishop was asking for a sign and, of course, She knew what sign
the bishop was asking for and assured him that the next day She would give
him that sign. That evening,
Juan Diego found his uncle, Juan Bernardino, very ill and offered all of the
next day to care for his uncle. This caused him to miss his appointment with
Our Lady and Bishop Zumarraga. Juan
Bernardino, thinking he was going to die, told his nephew to fetch a priest
the next day for the Last Sacraments. Tuesday morning,
Juan Diego started out and intentionally avoided passing the top of Tepeyac
hill out of fear and embarrassment because he had not kept his promise to
return there to meet Our Lady the previous day. Also, he did
not want to be delayed by Our Lady from fetching a priest, since he believed
in the importance of the Last Sacraments for the dying. But while
passing the other side of the hill to avoid Our Lady, Juan Diego was
surprised at the fourth apparition. Our Lady asked
him where he was going. He explained about his sick uncle and how he was busy
caring for him the previous day. "Listen
and be sure, my dear son, that I will protect you,” Our Lady said. “Do not be
frightened or grieved or let your heart be dismayed. Am I not here, I, who am
your Mother, and is not my help a refuge? Be assured, he is already well. Is
there anything else you need?" And even as
Our Lady spoke, she appeared to Juan Bernardino and cured him. Our Lady then
told Juan Diego to climb the hill where only cactuses, thistles and
thorn-brush grew. Juan Diego had
never seen a flower there but, when he reached the top, it was covered with
beautiful Castillian roses, wet with dew and of exquisite fragrance. After Juan
Diego had gathered the roses, he took them to Our Lady who arranged them with
Her own hands in his tilma, also known as a tilmàtli, which was a type of
outer garment worn by men, and tied a knot behind his neck to hold the roses
in place. "This is
the sign that you must take to the lord bishop,” She said. “In My name tell
him that with this he will see and recognize My will and that he must do what
I ask. He will see that the church is built for which I ask." The bishop was
waiting when Juan Diego arrived at his house where he opened his cloak and
the fresh, beautiful roses cascaded to the floor. And behold, a
full portrait of Our Lady began to appear on the tilma right before the eyes
of the bishop, as if painted by heavenly hands. In the
imprint, Our Lady had Her hands joined in prayer, Her soft, black hair falling
gently upon Her shoulders under Her cape and framing the perfect oval of Her
face with slightly closed eyes and a light smile – a miraculous legacy for
all generations to see and know the true face of Our Lady. Seeing the
sign he had asked for, the Castillian roses, and beholding the miraculous
imprinting of Our Lady's image on the tilma before his own eyes, Bishop
Zumarraga fell to his knees. Before him was
the True Image and form of Our Lady, Her own self-portrait. He wept as he
prayed for forgiveness for having doubted Her and Her messenger, Juan Diego. It seems that
when Juan Diego opened his tilma and the roses fell to the floor, Our Lady,
who was behind Bishop Zumarraga facing Juan Diego, allowed Her image to be
imprinted on the tilma as if reflected in a mirror. But She was
there as a silent witness to the unfolding event, unseen by all, including
Juan Diego. Regaining his
composure, the bishop reverently removed the tilma from Juan Diego and
enshrined it in his private chapel. Juan Diego remained
with Bishop Zumarraga that evening, narrating the events of the past few
days. Both were
filled with wonder at the things God had wrought in their midst. Within two
weeks, an adobe chapel was erected to house the tilma for public veneration.
It was dedicated by Bishop Zumarraga on Dec. 26, 1531. From that time
on, everybody came to venerate the surprisingly beautiful image and people
have been coming ever since – day and night, season after season, century
after century. Later, the
Catholic Church would proclaim Our Lady under the title of Our Lady of
Guadalupe, the Patroness of all the Americas. In 1935, Our Lady of Guadalupe
was formally proclaimed the Patroness of the Philippine Islands. Cactus Chat:
‘Greetings for the Season’ By
ANNA La FLEUR News
Leader Writer SANDERSON –
Christmas is a time for visiting, right? Well, we did. Emily Wilson
was one who came to call. The daughter of Rita Rodriguez of Sanderson is in
the Navy and is currently attending the “A” school for aviation in Pensacola,
FL. Annette Harris
had the most wonderful visitor she could when husband Rob Harris visited from
California. Annette &
her children Angelina, Tim, Joe, Aundrea, Alliyana & Craig said they
enjoyed the visit from dad. Annette said
she then went to California to be with her husband for the week. She told me
that this was a good Christmas and she was glad she was able to spend it with
Rob. Stevie
Fuentes, his wife Berri Lynn & children Cai & Cedric visited Della
& Pancho Fuentes. Della also had
a visit from her brother Poe Picaso, his wife Monica Picaso and their
daughters Mary & Shelly of San Angelo. Other Fuentes
visitors were at the home of Joe & Rosario. Joe, Jr., & Debbie
Fuentes came to call Twin
grandsons, Joachim & Isaac Nevarez and their dad John Nevarez tagged
along. The twins are both in the military. Karen &
Mike Sanchez said they had a full house with visits from their sons Mike,
Jr., Joseph, Eric, & James Daniel. The Jon Tom Lowrance
family went to Coleman for the holiday where they visited with Tanna’s
parents, Gary & Rhonda Wilson. Going with Mom and Dad were daughters
Landry, 5, Laycee, 2, & Layla, 1. Also there
were her sisters Tara Cummings & Tessa Phillippe. Cummings brought her
husband Rylie and their children Kiley, 6, Karter, 4, Kinley, 3 & Kreed,
2. Phillippe brought her husband Chad and five- month-old Stetson. Ellis &
Lynda Helmers had a visit by their son Tye & children Taylor and Gracie.
Jason came from Austin to visit and they said they all had a wonderful time. The Randal
Wallace family had visitors. Nina Wallace came from San Antonio to see the
family. Randal, Jr., brought his children Kevin, 12, and Katelyn, 5, from
Rankin. Jason came from Seminole where he is a teacher. Surprising his
mom with a visit was Jimmy Rapp, the son of Kim & Robert Rapp of
Sanderson and Hobbs, NM. Jimmy made
the Dean’s list at the University of the Southwest at Hobbs with a GPA of
3.5. Paul La Fleur
and children Mark & Elia went to Fredericksburg to visit his parents. Dorothy &
Clovis La Fleur say they haven’t seen their grandchildren enough lately. La Fleur spent
Christmas day on the road but he said it was worth the trip. He took his
children to see their great grandmothers in the Knopps nursing home in
Fredericksburg where Dorothy’s mother, Pat Scott, shares a room with Clovis’s
mother, Eva La Fleur. The two both
lost their husbands and now share a room close to their family. And going, not
coming, were Joe McGee, Ashley Vlach & their two month old son Donovan
McGee who will go to Houston soon. Vlach is the
daughter of Sanderson local Cherie Nicholes. The couple will help Vlach’s
sister, Cassandra, who is having a baby. They told me it will be a girl.
McGee & Vlach will return to Sanderson in about a month. Also going is
Donna Smith, who retired yesterday as Deputy County Clerk. Donna has
worked for the county for 14 years, the last 10 in County/District Clerk
Martha Allen’s office and four years in the county extension office. Before that,
she helped her late husband Tom and the service station and deer lease
business. And Rose
Gibson has been on her birthday cruise. She took a plane to California where
she got on a cruise ship headed for Mexico. The cruise was all she could talk
about for months. Since her
birthday party was cancelled due to husband Butch’s health, it was all she
had been looking forward to, family and friends said. SANDERSON –
Lupe and Joe Ponce will put $25 in their pocket, as well the Eagle’s Nest
Café. They were the winners chosen for the Christmas lighting contest. The Ponce home
is on East Hackberry east of Fifth and east of Hudspeth Street. The café is
across US Highway 90 from the old Princess Theater and the proposed site of a
County Convention Center. The contest,
sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, was back by popular demand this year. Three
anonymous judges made the hard choice before Christmas. Winning
honorable mention is all of the Terrell County Road and Bridge crew. They put up
the lights on the Courthouse Lawn and along US Highway 90. “The
Courthouse looks awesome,” said one of the judges. The judges
also discussed the possibility of giving away a prize for the “best block” in
next year’s contest. By
ANNA La FLEUR News
Leader Writer SANDERSON –
The Sanderson High School varsity girls came in third and the varsity boys
placed fourth in the Sanderson Tournament here the weekend before Christmas. Marfa girls
won the tourney and Van Horn came in second. Van Horn boys
won their side of the tourney. Fort Davis was second, Marfa third and
Sanderson came in fourth. There were no
details available at press time on the boys tourney. In the opener,
the Lady Eagles defeated Fort Hancock 49 to 31. Blakeney
Chriesman was the top scorer in the game with ten points. Amber Bon was on
her heels with nine points, Jessica Garza had seven points, Roxanna
Rodriguez, Juliana Castro, Sarah Sivils and Lizette Ramirez each scored five
points and Noemi Nuñez scored two free throws. The girls from
Sanderson next took on Van Horn but came out second best 39 to 42. Blakeney had
the top score of 12 points, Sarah had ten and Amber scored nine points. Noemi had five
points in the game, Jessica scored two points and Lizette had one point. Then the Lady
Eagles took on the Indians from Fort Davis and prevailed 30 to 29. Juliana and
Sarah tied for top scorer with six points each. Not far behind were Blakeney
and Amber with points each. Noemi had four
points and Jessica Garza and Lizette Ramirez both scored two points each. Earlier, the
Lady Eagles defeated Grandfalls 54 to 18 in Grandfalls. Noemi topped
the scoring with 14 points. Amber and Blakeney each scored 12 points for the team.
Sarah had seven points, four points were scored by Jessica, Roxanna added her
three points and Lizette had a pair of points. SANDERSON –
The Housing shortage here is getting some relief with some new residences
going up on School Street near Hackberry. Monty Harkins
and Jay Holstein are partners in an apartment complex west of School and
across the street from the complex of four homes Billy Black and Jon Tom
Lowrance are building on the former Flower Company property. Harkins said
their apartments will be called The Lodge. They will be two-bedroom homes
that are fully insulated and the three are units are dubbed A, B and C
buildings. The third
building was put into place Wednesday afternoon and utility poles were
installed to provide power for the homes. Harkins said
the electric poles were ordered about two weeks ago and arrived just hours
before the final apartment was put into place. The pre-fab
apartments were constructed in San Angelo and shipped here via truck. Black said the
first of four homes in his complex – all three bedroom, two bath units – is
nearing completion and Art and Tammy Ramsey were preparing to move in. He said work
would start on the second unit soon and he hoped to have it completed by
sometime in February. The third will
start when the second nears completion and the fourth after that, he said. All will be
for sale at a price to be determined based on the final size of the home.
Each will be a different size, Black said. SANDERSON –
Only seven players turned out for the Sanderson Recreation football game
Sunday, Dec. 21, and since at least 12 kids are needed to field two six-man
football teams, the game was canceled. The holidays
always take some kids out of town to grandmas or wherever, but when they come
back, they will have jerseys waiting for them, with numbers and everything. The next game
will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 3 in “The Pit.” The Cowboys
will face the Colts, both teams representing Sanderson. Evans’
‘office’ is the Big Bend By
PAMELA LeBLANC American-Statesman
Staff MARATHON –
James Evans heads to work, a camera slung over his shoulder and a vast desert
in his windshield. His office?
The Big Bend region of far West Texas, a sprawling, prickly landscape
populated by spindly ocotillo, bristly javelina and a rugged, independent
brand of human. Sometimes,
he's directed by the weather. Sometimes he moves with the clouds. He might
notice a rock or formation he hasn't seen before. Maybe the fall
or summer light is just right. He stops. Sets
up his gear. Captures the time and place. For 20 years,
Evans, 55, has recorded the spirit of Texas' wildest region. His book
"Big Bend Pictures" is packed with shots of big-time ranchers and small-town
kids, snakes slithering across sofas and unexpected views of Big Bend
National Park. "I
believe if I had not photographed these people, this area, no one would have
seen it in this way," he says. "It sounds egocentric, and maybe it
is a little bit, but there is no way out of that if you are driven by your
work." Evans, who
grew up mostly in West Virginia, moved to Marathon from Austin 20 years ago.
He sprawls in a leather armchair at Evans Gallery, just a few doors down from
the old Gage Hotel. He's quirky
and endearing, with longish graying hair, a mustache and thick,
plastic-rimmed glasses. His white shirt is tucked into a pair of worn jeans,
and his brown boots are scuffed. "Living
out here you can be eccentric," he says. "It's sort of where misfits
fit. It's a place that doesn't think it's aberrant behavior if you're just a
little weird." Evans' studio
stands across a gritty two-lane highway from the gallery. Traditional and
computer darkrooms are set up here and it serves as a hiding place when he
doesn't feel like interacting with the trickle of customers at the gallery. Still, some
know where to look. On the door, visitors have scrawled messages: "Next
year we'll buy something, I promise" and "The door was unlocked and
we admired your work." Inside, photos
hang from clips on the wall and a long table is strewn with prints. Evans was
working in a West Virginia machine shop after high school when a co-worker
sold him a 35-mm film camera. He took the
camera to the drag strip and photographed races, selling the images to the
drivers. But he hated
the cold and took a cue from geese he watched fly south. A single roll
of film tells the story: The beginning is filled with pictures of Evans
partying in the streets after the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series
in 1980. The end shows him standing on a Texas beach. In Corpus
Christi, Evans met another young photographer, Andrew Eccles, who later
worked as an assistant to celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. In 1984, Evans
helped them photograph then San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros for Vanity Fair.
"I don't
think we get that kind of opportunity often but watching her I totally got
it," he says. He moved to
Austin shortly afterward and worked with commercial photographer Tomás Pantin
for two years before starting his own business. But after
visiting Big Bend National Park with a friend a few years later, he wanted to
move there. "The
vastness of it all, the freedom you feel when you're in the park … In a week
I was sold," Evans says. He stopped by
the Gage Hotel in Marathon, just an hour from the park's headquarters, and
applied for a job. He had no
cooking experience, but the hotel hired him and he left Austin to earn $4.25
an hour whipping up enchiladas and chicken-fried steak. Cooking, he
says, wasn't so different from darkroom work. "I'd
bring my timers, set my clock. When I got a [food] ticket, I'd set it for 15
minutes," he says. On days off,
he'd venture into the park. At first, he just hiked and camped. "I didn't
shoot a picture for months," he says. "It's very intimidating. I'd
just watch the sun and how light reacted to the mountains." After a year,
he started using his cameras. Soon, he was printing photos, gluing shots of
snakes, horny toads and tarantulas onto card stock and selling them as note
cards for $2 each in the lobby of the Gage. Bigger framed
photos sold for $35. When Whole Earth Provision Co. in Austin ordered 300
note cards, he knew he was onto something. Then Stephen
L. Clark Gallery in Austin did a show featuring Evans' work. "They
really weren't coming for me, they were coming because it was Big Bend. I
learned if I was true to Big Bend, if I approached it with honesty, I would
be OK," Evans says. At first, Evans
sold mainly landscapes, but his heart was in portraits and scenes that showed
what it was like to live there. "No one
was living here, photographing it," he says. "Being here was a
great advantage. When the light got beautiful, we'd pack up and go." Evans no
longer works at the Gage and his photos now sell for $1,000 instead of $35.
His work is included in collections at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston,
the Ransom Center at the University of Texas, the El Paso Museum of Art and
the Wittliff Collection of Southwestern and Mexican Photography at Texas
State University. In 2003,
University of Texas Press published "Big Bend Pictures." The people in
the book are more than subjects; they're friends. They got used to seeing
Evans toting around his camera and didn't mind when he used it. "When you
live in a town of 400 people, you know about their lives, the good parts and
the bad parts. It's the human condition," he says. "To be witness
to that, that was the difference. I know everybody in that book and I'm not
trying to make them princes or princesses, just the human beings that they
are." Of the 102
photos in the book, five are of rancher Hallie Stillwell, who drove into Big
Bend in 1910 in a covered wagon. One of Evans'
favorite photos shows her with her daughter, against the desert. Another
shows Stillwell before she died at an Alpine nursing home in 1997. Austin
photographer Michael O'Brien, whose work has appeared on the cover of
National Geographic and Time magazine, and has a book of his own, "The
Face of Texas: Portraits of Texans," has been an admirer of Evans' work
for nearly 20 years. "Most
photographers, if they wanted to be in magazine photojournalism, would be
either in New York or, if they're in Texas, Austin or Houston or
Dallas," O'Brien says. "He took a completely irregular right turn
and went to a place that his heart connected to. James listened to his inner
voice rather than try to hear what the magazine world wanted to direct him.
He has photographed in such a passionate way you feel that when you're
looking at the pictures, you're having a spiritual connection to the
place." Evans'
girlfriend Marci Roberts, who owns the French Co. Grocer in Marathon, puts it
another way. "He
doesn't fit into our society's parameters," she says. "He sort of
rejects all of it. Just the fact he would give up everything to come out
here, to give up material pleasures to come out here ... He's real. I think
of him as a little Buddha." Evans says
another, less conservative book is in the planning stages. It likely will
include nudes, night-time scenes and digitally manipulated photographs. "What I'm
trying to do is show how faceted I am," he says. "Not just
landscapes, but the creative flow of being here." He's trying
new things photographically. Instead of shooting when the light is kindest —
early in the morning or at dusk — he's experimenting with shooting in stark
sunlight to create flat images with no depth of field. "That's
pleasing me," he says. "Creativity comes when you can free your
mind of all the things that suppress it." He's also
hoping to land a grant from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
that would allow him to spend a year in an Airstream trailer, roaming and
photographing the national park and its border with Mexico. He goes to the
park a couple of days a week. When he's shooting, he thinks about his life,
friends and mom. "I think
how lucky I am to be here ... how fortunate I am to be on this beautiful
planet in my own little world and to be documenting this small part of an ever-changing
Earth." Copyright 2009, Austin American Statesman Reprinted with permission Permission per Drew Marcks ALPINE – April
J. Cavness of Marathon graduated from Sul Ross State University last month
with a BA in psychology “cum laude.” She was among
a total of 219 students, 144 from the Alpine Campus and 75 from Rio Grande
College, who were candidates for degrees during fall commencement exercises
at the Pete P. Gallego Center. A “cum laude”
degree is one earned with a grade point average of 3.5 to 3.69. Cavness is the
daughter of Sam and Dara Cavness and granddaughter of Patsy and the late Sam
Cavness, all of Marathon. AUSTIN – The Pecos
County Community Action Agency, which serves Terrell, Pecos and Crane
Counties, received $150,000 of a total $30.1 million grant from The Texas
Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The grants
went to 48 eligible nonprofit and local government agencies offering an array
of services designed to transition low-income Texans out of poverty and
toward self-sufficiency. The TDHCA made
the awards through its Community Services Block Grant Program, which funds
local agencies providing direct essential services to very low income
individuals as well as helping meet the administrative expenses of these
local organizations. “Helping
Texans achieve self-sufficiency is the first priority of the CSBG Program and
a critical component of the Department’s charge,” TDHCA Executive Director
Michael Gerber said. “Transitioning individuals from poverty toward
self-sufficiency brings greater stability to low income Texans and the
neighborhoods in which they live.” DALLAS –
Karina Mendoza Harrison, daughter of Arturo and Irma Mendoza of Sanderson,
has received a doctor of dental surgery degree from Texas A&M Health
Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry. Mendoza is a
1996 graduate of Sanderson High School, where she was a member of the
National Honor Society. She received
her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in 2000 from St. Mary’s University in
San Antonio. The new dental
surgeon received her doctorate during ceremonies in May at the Morton H.
Meyerson Symphony Center here. Before
graduation, Mendoza received the Academy of Dentistry award, the American
Association of Public Health Dentistry award and the American Academy of
Esthetic Dentistry Award. She was a
member of the Delta Sigma Chi dental fraternity, the Hispanic Dental Society
and the Texas Association of Women Dentists. She and her
husband Trevor are in practice together at La Esperanza Clinic in San Angelo. MIDLAND – The
Better Business Bureau has reported on another “phishing” scam designed to
steal personal identity information. The BBB here
reported it has received numerous telephone calls from consumers in the
Permian Basin reporting a text message scam. Other BBBs in the US also
have received reports. Messages on
cell phones purport to be from a credit union. The urgent message warns the
recipient that his identity has been compromised. A toll-free
number is provided for response. When the phone owner calls the number, he is
asked to verify a credit card number or provide other forms of
identification. BBB President
and CEO Trish Powell urged consumers to recognize the red flags prevalent in
phishing attempts. “They all
imply some sense of urgency, asking the recipient to immediately verify
account information,” Powell said. “They indicate that consumers must act now
to prevent further problems.” She cautioned
consumers to beware of phishing scams, no matter how the message is delivered
and suggested several tips. Don’t provide
information in response to unsolicited emails, phone calls or text messages. If the request
appears to come from a bank or financial institution, contact them directly,
using the number on the back of a debit or credit card, to report the matter.
Financial
institutions and government agencies do not use prerecorded messages to
handle security issues. If you have
reason to believe a request for information is legitimate, contact the
business directly. If your bank
telephones you to report suspicious use of your card, they will not need to
request identifying information. They already have that on record. Do not
automatically trust a phone number based on its area code. Con artists can
hack into Caller ID systems and VoIP users can assign any area code to a
phone number. If you think you
have been a victim of phishing, visit the FTC’s Identity Theft Web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft/con_about.htm. BY KIM RAPP Production Manager SANDERSON – A
group of 15 Sanderson residents turned out on a cold December evening last
month to light a candle and say a prayer for Sanderson youth serving our
country in the US armed services. We each took
turns telling who we were there to represent and a little about what our
soldier is doing now. Whether
stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan or Florida, many of them were not home for
Christmas. “It was very
heartfelt,” said Dale Caruthers, mother of US Marine Phillip Lascano who is
stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA, near San Diego. There were
even a few veterans present and they were honored as well. The candles
will stay at the monument for those who wish to stop and light them. “We all drive
by this monument 15 to 20 times a day,” co-organizer Lyn Rosas said. How
often do we stop to appreciate what our ‘kids’ are doing for us and for our
country?” MARATHON –
Longtime local Shirley Rooney was treated for congestive heart failure and
was put on diuretics. She was flown
to Midland to have an internal defibrillation procedure. She has
recovered and “sounds great,” said brother Bill Smith of Sanderson. Rooney should
return home to Marathon late this week. |
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