412 E. OAK
P. O. BOX 99
SANDERSON, TX 79848
(432) 345-2676
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Brewster County Judge
Val Beard
P. O. Box 1630
Alpine, TX 79831
432/819-2412
Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson
201 W. Ave
E.
Alpine, TX 79830
432/837-3488
County Commissioner
Ruben Ortega
P. O. Box 233
Marathon. TX 79842
432-294- J 096
Marathon ISD Superintendent Neal Harrison
N. 5th Street
Marathon. TX 79842
432/386-4431
Terrell County Judge
Santiago Flores
P. O.
Box 4810
432/345-2421
Terrell County Sheriff
Clint McDonald
P. O. Box 320
Sanderson, TX 79848
432/345-2525
Terrell
County ISD Superintendent
Gary Hamilton
P.O. Box 747
Sanderson, TX 79848
432/345-2515
Constellation of the month
SANDERSON – Property values are off significantly in Terrell County and both the county and the School Board were working to fit expenditures
into the smaller revenue figures this week.
The School Board needs to adopt a budget by August 31 and the county will have just a little
longer before its fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
Both are dealing with a drop of about 17 percent in the total taxable property.
The county
bases its budget on a reduction from $655.45 million in the current year to $542 million next year.
The school district is using slightly
different figures because some properties are valued differently.
The School Board Monday night did not have a quorum and agenda items were moved to a special meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22.
The School Finance Committee was to have met last night, after press time,
to further refine budget figures.
Photo by Darrel Seidel
STOP RIGHT THERE – A stop sign at the Pecos County Road “T” intersection with US Highway 90 said it all. The
highway was under water. The intersection is half a mile west of the South Longfellow Ranch headquarters, 16 miles west of Sanderson.
Football
Begins!
Rains signal drought relief
SANDERSON – There was at least some hope over the weekend that the long, hot drought may be breaking.
Heavy rains have fallen in spotty areas around West Texas including a downpour west of here Saturday that had fizzled out to only .08 inches here.
Read more...
BRANCH WATER – The bar ditch next to US Highway 90 about 20 miles west of Sanderson was running full Saturday afternoon. After months
of drought, as much as six inches fell in places between Sanderson and Marathon bringing at least hope the drought may be over.
Photo by Darrel Seidel
RUNOFF – Water was running full in creeks and draws after as much as six inches of rain fell Saturday west of
Sanderson. Only 0.08 inch fell officially in Sanderson but rates of two to six inches were not uncommon as close as 15 miles west.
Tax holiday today
AUSTIN – This weekend, today, Aug. 19, through Sunday, Aug. 21, is the 13th annual Texas Sales Tax Holiday or Tax-Free
Weekend.
Consumers can expect to save approximately $8 for every $100 they spend on most clothing, footwear and school supplies priced
less than $100.
BALMORHEA – The Sanderson Eagles 2011 football team got its first look here in a scrimmage against the Bears and Fort Davis Indians
last Friday.
Head Coach Mark Dominguez said the young Eagles did better than expected for this early in the season and that he was happy to see how well the team was coming together.
Read more...
Deal trumps Obama
SANDERSON – There are two new administrators at the US Border Patrol Station here.
Thad Cleveland has been named patrol agent in charge, replacing Ernest Rodriguez who retired, and Jerry Turner has been selected as the assistant agent in charge.
Read more...
State notes earn high rating
AUSTIN — Wall Street bond raters have given their highest possible ratings to $9.8 billion in one-year
cash flow notes Texas will sell to support payments to public schools at the beginning of the new school year.
Texas’ 2011A Series
Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes, to be sold Tuesday, Aug. 23, are rated SP-1+ by Standard & Poor’s, MIG 1 by Moody’s Investors
Service and F1+ by Fitch Inc.
Lobo Flynt returns
ALPINE – The man who made news four years ago by returning to Sul Ross State University to play football at age
59 to finish a career he started 37 years earlier, was back this week.
Mike Flynt stopped in at the Sul Ross Lobos football team on
their opening day of practice Monday.
ALPINE – The 2011 Big Bend Balloon Bash marks its 16th Anniversary on Labor Day weekend here.
More than 20 colorful balloons were expected to rise early each morning above Alpine and soar across the Davis Mountains of the Big Bend September 3, 4 and 5 – of course, weather permitting.
Read more...
Wildland fires continue
SANDERSON – Terrell County volunteer firemen responded to six small fires last weekend and another was reported
24 miles west of here in Brewster County with Texas Forest Service responding.
Fire Chief Bobby Brotherton said a fire Wednesday, Aug. 10, burned about 310 acres on the Huckabee Ranch. It was extinguished the same day but flared up the next day and was extinguished again.
Read more...
ODESSA – Carlos Cruz, a 2003 Sanderson High School graduate, earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University
of Texas – Permian Basin this month.
A native of Sanderson, Carlos is the son of Ruben and Lora Cruz of Del Rio and grandson of Raul and Luz Flores of Sanderson.
He lives in Odessa where he is employed as a senior cost accountant.
Cruz is preparing to sit for the
CPA license exam in order to become a certified public accountant.
He dedicated this accomplishment to his son Caleb and his late sister Melissa.
~
Auxiliary supports SVFD
By RAQUI HINKLEY
Production Manager
SANDERSON – The American Legion Auxiliary has been sponsoring fundraisers
to benefit the Sanderson Volunteer Fire Department, which has stayed busy this spring with wildfires, not only in Terrell County but
assisting other departments through “mutual aid” agreements.
Fundraisers have included the Schwan’s truck sale at the Nopalito Market Days and the “boots” placed at local business for donations.
Read more...
Rains let campsites open
BIG BEND – Several inches of rain have fallen at Big Bend National Park, allowing officials to open all High
Chisos backpacking campsites, which had been closed because of fire danger.
Full use, both daytime and overnight, of the Chisos high
country is now re-opened and available including dispersed zone camping in the Blue Creek and Lower Juniper Zones.
Back-to-school tips
By JASON ALDERMAN
VISA Financial Education
The days when you could send your kids off to the first day of school
with a lunchbox and a hug are long gone.
Today's back-to-school preparations likely include filling out piles of pre-enrollment paperwork, lining up carpools and, of course, the dreaded shopping excursions for clothes and school supplies.
Read more...
SANDERSON – About 300 linear feet of “C Channel” roofing metal was reported stolen from a lot at Fifth and Hackberry here this week.
Gary Morgan said he has been away in Oklahoma and Tennessee for several months and, when he returned, he discovered the metal missing.
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Park road work done
BIG BEND – Work on some roads at Big Bend National Park has been completed and some areas are again open.
Road surfacing and improvement work has been completed for the Glenn Springs, Maverick and Pine Canyon backcountry roads within the park.
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TOUCHDOWN AHEAD – Sanderson Eagle sophomore Jalen Chriesman headed for paydirt in a scrimmage last week in Balmorhea. The Eagles got
their first experience in game-like conditions against the Bears and the Indians from Fort Davis. First game will be Saturday, Aug.
27, at the Texas Shootout in McCamey. They are home tonight for a scrimmage against Buena Vista at 6 p.m.
Thad Cleveland
Jerry Turner
UP IN THE AIR – Five of the 13 hot-air balloons that flew last year at the Big Bend Balloon Bash in Alpine were spotted in this shot.
This year, as many as 20 of the colorful lighter-than-air craft are expected to take part. It’s all weather permitting, of course,
on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3, 4 and 5, at Casparis Airport.
IN THE DITCH – William Shoemaker, 81, of El Paso escaped serious injury Monday when the pickup he was driving went off the road and
rolled over on US Highway 90 about ten miles east of Sanderson. Shoemaker was westbound just before Sanderson Canyon when the truck
left the road, traveled more than 100 yards on the shoulder and rolled into a ditch.
Carlos Cruz
Metal missing from lot
MISSING METAL – Gary Morgan held a 1.5-foot piece of “C Channel” roofing metal at his lot at Fifth and Hackberry. He said while he
was away in Oklahoma and Tennessee, someone hauled off about 300 linear feet of the metal. He is looking for an eye-witness to the
theft.
WATER GIRL – Kiley Dominguez had her hands full with drinks for the Sanderson Eagles last week. Her daddy is Head Coach Mark Dominguez
and the Eagles were at their first scrimmage of the new season against the Bears and Fort Davis Indians at Balmorhea.
STAND TALL – Two hot-air balloons were inflated as part of the Big Bend Balloon Bash in Alpine last year. Pilots were able to fly
on Saturday of Labor Day weekend but winds were too high for the other two days. Try again this year. The “Bash” is scheduled for
Labor Day weekend again, Sept. 3, 4 and 5, at Alpine Casparis Airport.
SANDERSON – The recently-passed budget reduction bill that allowed an increase in the national debt ceiling was not the final answer
to the nation’s debt problems but it “trumped” the President and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, US Rep. Francisco “Quico” Canseco
said Saturday.
SCHOOL WOES – Terrell County ISD Board President Ada Lee Robbins shared some school budget woes with US Rep. Quico Canseco Saturday.
Canseco said he agreed with the need to eliminate the US Department of Education and attacked “one size fits all” meddling by state
and federal governments into local education decisions.
TROJAN HORSE – US Rep. Quico Canseco told a small group at the Terrell County Courthouse Saturday that the recently-passed budget
reduction act was a “Trojan Horse” to open the door for future budget reductions. Saying that while the bill did not go far enough
on budget cuts, it was “like a can opener, opening the can” to more cuts later.
Open house set at Preserve
SHEFFIELD – The Nature Conservancy of Texas has again invited the public to “swim, fish and enjoy the cool
waters amid the beauty of a natural oasis in the wilds of West Texas” during the free open preserve day at Independence Creek Preserve
tomorrow, Aug. 20.
Read more...