County Fair tomorrow

SANDERSON – Tomorrow, Jan. 26, is a “red letter” day on the Terrell County calendar with the 29th Annual Terrell County Fair all day at Fair Hall.

“Big things are about to happen to the 4-H program,” Fair Board President Bobby Stegall said. “We have more kids involved this year than in the years past.

As of press time this week, there were 38 animals that had been validated for the fair.

They included four poultry entries, eight rabbits, 19 goats, six horses and one lamb.

Activities started yesterday, Jan. 24, with arts and crafts entries accepted. This includes 4-H, school projects, food entries and displays.

Arts and crafts chair Lea Hawn said there will be no final count until all the entries are in but shop teacher Jon Tom Lowrance said he will have “at least 13” projects from his students.

There were 30 entries to the photography contest from 4-H members at press time. There was no indication how many adult entries would be received.

From 9 a.m. to noon today, booths and vendors can set up. The judging of the arts and crafts will be from 1 to 4 p.m.

Tomorrow is the big day. From 8:30 to 10 a.m., livestock will be checked in for the show and judging will be from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

There will be a noon barbeque. Lunch plates are $6 each and include potato salad and desserts prepared by Terrell County 4-H members.

There will also be barbeque sandwiches, dessert and drink for $4.

 

At 1 p.m., the auction of livestock and crafts begin at Fair Hall. The pet show starts at 3 p.m.

“There will be many categories in which you can enter your pet,” Stegall said.
“Contact Henry Beth Hogg for more information on that.”

At 4 p.m., all arts and crafts and vendor booths begin clearing out and all items must be removed from the Fair Hall.

“We will not be responsible for any items left in the hall,” Stegall said.

A dance with music by DJ James Poe will end the fair’s events. This will begin at 9 p.m. and end at 1 a.m. Sunday.

“There is no ceiling in the Fair Hall but we will go forward with the fair,” Stegall said. “We will be accepting all contributions and donations to help complete renovations. The ceiling is under way and plans for completion will be in the spring or early summer.

“Everyone is welcome,” he said. “Please come show your support of the kids.”

Sanderson’s Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Mark Dominguez has been elected by a Board of Directors with the Texas Six-Man Association as Head Coach to the Division II All-Star West Team.

Mark told the News Leader, “I will be taking my own staff, they were very instrumental in getting us as far as we got this year, and there’s no need to change anything there.”

The coaches’ clinic and players practice for the All-Star game is scheduled for July 21 through 25. The game will be on July 26, 2008, at Lowry Field in Lubbock, Texas at 7:30 p.m..

The only Eagle nominated to participate in the All-Star game this year is Senior Ben Rubio. In talking to Coach Dominguez, this is an honor that is bestowed upon those who are nominated by the coaches in the district in which you play.

There are a lot of events scheduled to happen during the week of the practice before the game. If you and your family are interested in attending, you can contact the News Leader, or Coach Dominguez for a copy of the itinerary and a form to fill out to receive a copy of the video of the All-Star game, all copies of the video must be purchased in advance.

Raul Salazar, another senior, was invited to play in the Texas Bowl II. This game is scheduled to be played in Garden City on July 12, 2008. This game is by invitation only and should be considered an honor.

Coach D to lead

All-Stars

By KIM RAPP

News Leader Production Manager

SANDERSON – Construction on a new, eight-unit residential complex at the corner of Mansfield and Third Streets in Sanderson officially got underway Saturday with a formal groundbreaking ceremony.

County Judge Leo Smith said he was “tickled to death” with the project and the interest shown by Sharon Wolfe and her overseas husband Terry in building in the community.

Smith showed up, golden shovel and all, to begin construction on a duplex and a fourplex to be constructed on the site of two existing houses.

Plans include complete remodeling of both houses and the building of two new buildings.

The ceremony was MCd by Chamber President Jim Street who noted the critical need for housing as Sanderson pursues economic development opportunities.

Several citizens, County Commissioners Kenn Norris, Yolanda Lopez and Della Fuentes and County Attorney Marsha Monroe also were on hand.

Builder Glenn Wolf of Alpine and Wolfe’s sister Linda Roberts are also getting in on the action, buying property at 108 and 110 Hackberry to remodel and offer for rent.

Wolf and his GW Construction are building the new housing project and financing is being handled by Sanderson State Bank.

It was designed by Joel Dyer and the central heat and air conditioning will be by Tri Air of Brackettville.

Asked when the project will be completed, Wolf said some progress will be noticeable “in a couple of months.”

Sharon Wolfe said she hopes to have the project completed sometime this summer.

In response to some questions she has received, she said, the project is a private development, not subsidized government housing.

La Hacienda de Dos Lobos will consist of the two existing houses, a four-bedroom, two-bath house and a three-bedroom, two-bath house that will be completely remodeled.

Construction crews will live in the smaller home while building the project.

The new buildings will consist of a fourplex with two-bedroom, two-bath apartments approximately 900 square feet each and a duplex with one- bedroom, one-bath apartments of about 600 square feet each.

Each unit will have a carport to accommodate one vehicle per unit. All units will have all new GE appliances including a refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher, washer and dryer.

All units will have central heat and air conditioning.

Dos Lobos under way

SANDERSON – The “trail bosses” of the Texas Pecos Trail will meet with the Sanderson Chamber of Commerce Monday in a public meeting to explore tourism development.

Texas Pecos Trail Region Chair Betty Cash and Trail Region Director Keith Godwin will meet with the chamber and anyone else who wants to attend at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Building.

Godwin said she will discuss Sanderson as “the natural stop for visitors” and “what people are saying about Sanderson.

“What do you, the civic leaders, the tourism industry and local government want to achieve?” she asked.

She said she would explore the current status and economic impact numbers that might be available and explore “what is your competition doing and what are your “partners” doing?”

She suggested taking advantage of current assets, market trends and help available, including that from the Pecos Trail region.

Godwin said the region could provide assistance with research and contacts for preservation projects and fundraising, grant applications, marketing guidelines, action plans, press releases, promotional plans, community assessments for branding, marketing and economic development, Web site marketing, event and workshop planning, printing of collaterals, heritage preservation and promotion program presentations.

“This is a chance for everyone in the community to share their views on what the want their town to be like,” Chamber President Jim Street said.

“We normally meet at noon but we scheduled this in the evening to give as many people as possible a chance to participate,” he said. “We hope to have a big turnout to hear what is available to us.”

Chamber to hear 'trail boss'

LAREDO – The Texas Department of Transportation plans to rehabilitate the 50-year-old Pecos River Bridge on US Highway 90 between Comstock and Langtry and about 75 miles southeast of Sanderson.

Rumors the bridge would be closed for renovation began to circulate in Sanderson last summer.

TxDOT officials say the bridge will not be completely closed but traffic will be limited to one way at a time during the construction period. 

The picturesque bridge, built in 1957, spans 1,300 feet and stands 270 feet above the water.

The $4.2 million project was and awarded to SRC Construction, Inc., this month.

The firm will start work in March and it is expected to take 20 months for crews to replace and widen the driving lanes on the bridge deck and upgrade the bridge railing.

During those 20 months, the bridge will continue to handle traffic while workers are refitting it.

Traffic will be reduced to one-way at a time with traffic signals at each end of the bridge directing traffic 24 hours a day.

Special accommodations are planned to handle emergency response vehicles during construction.      

“We want to emphasize that the Pecos River Bridge continues to be structurally sound and safe for the traveling public to use,” said TxDOT Laredo District Engineer Mario G. Medina, PE.

“And we want drivers to know that any interruption of local and through traffic during bridge rehabilitation work will be minimal,” he said. “Still, the traveling public should expect brief delays.”

There is an emphasis on preserving the bridge’s historic appearance while using modern state-of-the-art materials, innovative construction methods, updated roadway design and new bridge rails, Medina said.

Since US 90 continues to be an important part of the highway system for local, regional and national traffic and the bridge continues to be an important traffic link between west and south Texas and adjacent states, TxDOT officials will notify the public about the upcoming project through news releases, media phone interviews, flyers, posters and informational meetings to be scheduled in the project area.

Bridge to be repaired

SANDERSON – The Terrell County School Board agreed Monday to adopt seven “goals” for the district.

The board agreed to continue to improve TAKS scores with an emphasis on science and math, motivate students to improve student achievement, improve student attendance and continue with the campus improvement plan with emphasis on life skills and career education curriculum at the junior high and high school level.

It also plans to continue with physical facilities improvements, maintain sound fiscal practices and maintain a technology plan that addresses current and projected needs.

The goals were taken from the district improvement plan.

Board members plan to adopt goals for Superintendent Gary Hamilton at a later meeting.

Nobody spoke at a public hearing on the 2006-07 Academic Academic Excellence Indicator System Report and the 2006-07 School Report Card.

It was announced earlier that the school received an exemplary report for Sanderson Junior High School, recognized for the elementary school and acceptable for the high school.

There also was no action on the 2006-07 audit report because it was not ready.

Business Manager Blain Chriesman said a meeting will be scheduled next week to review the audit.

Board President Ada Lee Robbins commended Chriesman and the school staff for their “stewardship” of taxpayers’ money and improvement in the financial problems the district faced in recent years.

In other action, the board approved the purchase of a new Chevrolet Tahoe to replace the existing vehicle, which has more than 200,000 on the odometer.

And Hamilton presented board members with certificates of appreciation in conjunction with School Board Appreciation Month.

School adopts

set of 'goals'

SANDERSON – Wildlife biologists from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will conduct low-level helicopter surveys for mule deer through-out 18 counties in far west Texas through February.

These surveys are carried out every year to help determine mule deer population trends, estimate population densities, and determine herd composition.

The survey data will be used to establish harvest recommendations, formulate hunting permit issuance rates and provide deer harvest and management recommendations to landowners and hunters.

Those with questions can contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Division District Office at 432/837-0051.

Helicopter survey planned by TP & W

By R.M. GLOVER

MNL Editor

ALPINE – Those who read Cormac McCarthy’s book “No Country for Old Men” and recently saw the movie by the same name, now playing at Rangra Theatre here, the comparing of the two media might drive one insane.

There’s a need to declare a winner. Is it the minimally-worded novel that gives much room for reader imagination

Compare that with the Coen brother’s take with the spin of the actors – and a Marfan landscape?

But the motion picture version was nominated for no less than eight Academy Awards this week.

Three of the main characters are Viet Nam vets still physically prime in this movie, set in 1980.

They know how to saw gun barrels, quick load clips and doctor themselves – and there’s a lot of it.

Llewelyn Moss, a Sanderson welder who lives in a trailer behind the “Desert Aire” Motel, discovers a drug deal gone bad while hunting Antelope.

He finds $2 million in cash under a lone mesquite tree in a satchel fitted with a transmitter.

Josh Brolin, the young Nick Nolte-type actor propels the story forward, running the camera crew through the Rio Grande, Eagle Pass, down some choice landscape off Farm Road 2810 and winding up poolside at a cheap motel in El Paso.

The antagonist is Anton Chugar – it rhymes with sugar – a villain nearly as diabolical as Melville’s Captain Ahab in “Moby Dick” or Judge Holden in McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian.”

His psychopathic ways are governed by the principle that all threats and promises must be acted upon to the ultimate degree.

But his will is limited. Chance, he recognizes, is a player in all events, reflecting perhaps, McCarthy’s interest in Chaos Theory, which he studied at the Santa Fe Institute, while writing the novel.

This character’s cold murderous efficiency is played by the sinister Javier Bardem with great finesse.

He doesn’t overplay the role. It’s subtle and spooky. Maybe it’s his haircut.

The flipping of a coin determines who should live when a victim’s question is correctly posited to him.

Chip Love’s question is wrong and he gets it early in the movie with Chugar’s choice weapon, a gas fired plug machine used in slaughterhouses.

Tommy Lee Jones plays a flat old-man sheriff but a true-grit Texan who realizes crime ain’t what it used to be.

He seems to be haunted by the audacity of today’s criminals and, at the same time, plugged up by some fame he doesn’t deserve.

The depth of this character is far more significant in the book where his narrations and flashbacks give rise to a sense that God has failed him.

The futility that he feels as an old man in sparse rugged west Texas and hence the title, triggers what McCarthy might be telling us and what the Coen Brothers did not fail to include – Chugar’s ways reflect a deeper reality.

'No Country'

book, vs. film

COMSTOCK – The first ever Seminole Canyon “Arche-olympics” will be next month at the heritage-rich Seminole Canyon State Park near here.

The event from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, will put the primitive skills of our Texas ancestors into practice.

Contestants will hunt targets along a nature trail in the State Park in the Atlatl Spear-thrower competition, just as hunters did for thousands of years in this ancient area of Texas.

Others will use a boomerang-like rabbit stick to hit moving and still targets representing small game in the Rabbit Stick competition.

And contestants will see who will be the fastest to use a simple hand drill to make a fire in the Friction-fire Race.

Event competition is for individuals and teams of all ages. 

“The teachers and experts from Shumla School in Comstock and at Seminole Canyon State Park have created an incredible day of experiences for visitors with an adventurous and competitive spirit,” said Jack Johnson of Shumla.

He said Joe Labadie, National Park Service archeologist at Amistad Recreation Area near Del Rio, will discuss artifacts in the area.

There are registration fees for individuals and for teams with fees being applied for awards and other expenses associated with the Arche-olympics.

Registration forms and more details on the events scheduled may be obtained by calling 432/292-4848, by e-mail to jjohnson@shumla.org or by visiting the Calendar of Events at www.texaspecostrail.com.

Those who want to camp at Seminole Canyon for the event, should make reservations by calling 512/389-8900.

The park only has about 30 campsites and they will rent quickly.

The National Park Service at Lake Amistad has inexpensive primitive campsites. Lodging also is available in Del Rio and Sanderson.

For information, call 830/ 775-7491.

'Archeolympics' set

SONORA – The new Board of the Texas Pecos Trail Region last week agreed to continue supporting major preservation projects for their historic and environmental destinations.

They include the Historic Old Sonora Ice House Ranch Museum and Eaton Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Sonora, Mission Mary in Toyahvale, The Carmelite Monastery in Stanton, Del Rio’s “oldest house,” promotion of the 150th Anniversary of the Butterfield Overland Mail Stage and numerous tourism and preservation workshops.

Also on the agenda at the first meeting of the year was the 20 plus pages of a full-color travel guide for the region.

The meeting at the historic Sutton County Courthouse was kicked off by a welcome from Mayor Gloria Lopez and a tour of the renovated courthouse.

County Judge Carla Garner gave the more than 30 visitors attending the educational program tour an account of the restoration project for the courthouse.

Then the Region’s partners, board members and area wide civic leaders met for the networking luncheon catered by Sutton County Steakhouse.

Sutton County is one of 22 counties that make up the Texas Pecos Trail Region, a non-profit program that supports communities in promoting preservation and heritage tourism as an important investment in economic development.

New board members include Vice Chair Ann Schneemann of Big Lake, Past Chair Shanon Biggerstaff of Ozona, Mary Ann Kay and Nancy Jenkins of Rocksprings, Mayor Sherry Phillips of McCamey and Burr Williams of Midland.

TPTR Board Chair Betty Cash thanked Sonora and Sutton County for their support of the Pecos Trail Region program, then introduced the new board members.

The report by Region Coordinator Keith Godwin revealed much of the progress and successes made in 2007 and the support for community projects and workshops planned in 2008.

The next Board of Directors Meeting and Networking Luncheon will be March 13 in Fort Stockton.

For more information on the Texas Pecos Trail Region programs, traveling the Region or on the area’s activities – contact Godwin at 325/387-2927

The website can be reached at www.texaspecostrail.com. 

Trail to support tourism projects

By JASON HENNINGTON

Sul Ross News Writer              

ALPINE – A group of Sul Ross State University students charged with “ramrodding” game room activities take their responsibilities seriously, to the point of adopting the name, Team Ramrod.

The eight students include Logan Means of Del City, formerly of Sanderson.

The students work in the University Center’s popular hangout sponsor various tournaments and offer friendly smiles and greetings to their patrons.

Team Ramrod members work in the game room under the supervision of UC Coordinator Maggie Miller. 

“A few were told they would be my ramrods while I was gone, and Kelly [Hotz] just ran with it,” Miller said.

Team Ramrod members are Means, Hotz of La Porte, Jason Wickery of San Antonio, Uriaka Asing of Dallas, Jennifer Harder and Will Cazares of El Paso and Courtney Halley and Melanie Valenciana of Odessa.

Not only is this team responsible for activities in the game room but they also set up any events being held in the University Center. 

“Any setup in the UC, banquets and all programs,” Halley said. “Anything cool that has happened in UC history, Team Ramrod was there.”

Along with setups, the game room hosts a variety of tournaments for students and staff members, everything from nine-ball pool tournaments to Guitar Hero on Playstation 2, there is a tournament for everyone. 

Each member of the team puts on a tournament and usually competes as well. 

Hotz and Means are known as the game room All-Americans.

“When you come through that door you have to go through me or Kelly first,” Means said. 

With the new semester approaching, Team Ramrod is planning to make the game room a more enjoyable place for students to come and hang out. 

The pool tables have recently been resurfaced. Upgrading equipment and adding new games are being discussed.

The staff stressed that when students enter the game room they need to sign in and leave their IDs on the front desk to keep track of attendance.

“Numbers help us get new equipment,” Asing said. 

All chosen by Miller, Team Ramrod not only represent the game room, but her as well.

“When Maggie wants to put her best foot forward she sends us,” Halley said. 

The entire team agrees that Miller is great to work with in efforts to provide a friendly environment for students and staff members as well.

“She’s easy to get along with,” Hotz said.

“She’s the coolest boss we’ve had,” Means said.

Miller agreed that this is a special group of students and she appreciates the work they are doing.

“It’s a very good group of students,” Miller said. “They are the first group to name themselves.”

SR students 'ramrod' game room

Longhorns top Eagles

- twice

By LYN ROSAS

News Leader Business Manager

SANDERSON – The Sanderson High School varsity basketball teams hosted the Rankin Red Devils on Friday night and both Eagle teams lost by 26 points.

The Lady Eagles came out fighting hard and held their own for a while.

But after a few mistakes that the Red Devils made good on, the Lady Eagles ended up loosing with a score of 45 to the Red Devils’ 71.

Scoring big for the Lady Eagles was senior Jenny Hernandez with 16, two of which were the result of a technical foul called on the coach of the opposing team.

Following Jenny by one was senior Hannah Black with 15. Sarah Sivils had seven, Noemi Nuñez added six and Miriam Nuñez dumped in one.

The Eagle boys had a very similar game, loosing with a score of 28 to the Red Devils’ 54.

Top scorer for the Eagles was sophomore Darren Seidel with nine. Following him was Jimmy Rapp with seven, Phillip Lascano had six, Jacob Benavidez had five and Cordell Lawson added one.

Eagles lose to Rankin

By KIM RAPP

News Leader Production Manager

SANDERSON – Several people made the trip to Sanderson to celebrate the 80th birthday of Pete McDonald last weekend.

Pete was raised here and “wanted to celebrate this milestone with friends and loved ones.”

Pete and wife Berniece hail from Oklahoma City, OK.

Also from Oklahoma City was his son Brandon with wife Jessica and kids Spencer, Pete’s only granddaughter among eight grandchildren, and grandson Hunter.

Gary McDonald made the trip from San Angelo with wife Denise as did Wade & Peggy McDonald.

From San Antonio came Joe & Avis Riley while David & Darlene Wright made the trek from Weatherford, OK.

Roland & Harriett McDonald made it down from Granbury, Mike & Shea McClellan came up from Del Rio with daughter Elizabeth and Pete Jr. came for dad’s birthday with wife Bev and kids Mason & Nick from Rosharon.

For the last 57 years, Pete & Berniece have run their own family business, selling Singer sewing machines in Oklahoma City.

He shared a few special memories of growing up here way back when, including the time he and some friends “branded” themselves at age 10 or 11.

He highly recommends “going back to your home town and really enjoying it.”

Family members also celebrated with Billie McDonald of Sanderson, whose birthday was last week.

McDonald an octogenarian

EDITOR’S NOTE: Two weeks ago, we carried the Spanish language version of the following story, provided by Susanna Fuéntez of Marathon. Because more than 60 percent of our readership is Hispanic, we did not provide a translation into English.

For those who asked, we provide that translation here, courtesy of Maria Rodriguez of Sanderson.

Perhaps this version of  “la llorona,” or the wailer, is somewhat different from what some of you have heard, even though it carries the same subject.

All of us who have lived in Marathon grew up hearing many beautiful legends, which were at the same time scary.

Almost all of these rich legends come from beyond Mexico and, fortunately, as we are all Mexican descendants, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc., they passed them on to us and we will pass them on to our kids and grandkids and that is our culture, rich in legends and favorite Mexican sayings.

Although my mom and my dad became naturalized citizens of the United States through correspondence courses they took at the University of Texas, they never forgot their people and their culture, rich in legends and sayings from Monterrey, Mexico.

They kept these legends and sayings very close to their hearts and this is the way they would tell my brothers and me.

There was this woman who had no husband. The reason that she had no husband has been a subject of much speculation for some decades. But she had three small kids.

However, she started a relationship with a single man, very handsome, and she fell madly in love.

The relationship continued for some time, and she (not he) insisted in marriage. Not being man enough, he rejected her.

Why? Well it seems he had a problem with her kids. They were not his; therefore he did not like them.

She nearly went crazy when she heard this because she was madly in love with him, but what about her kids?

In a horrible moment, she decided to take them to a lake or river, which was near the village, and there she threw them in the water and there is where those innocent kids spent the last minutes of their lives.

When she realized what she had done, distraught, the mother jumped into the river to rescue her kids but it was too late. The current had taken them and they never were found.

The mother, hearing her babies cry, realized her horrible deed.

Distraught and full of guilt she jumped into the river and drowned.

Others say that she died, that she turned crazy and, to this day, where there is a lake or river, you can hear an awful cry of a mother who grieves for her dead children.

Another version says that her spirit (or ghost) is seen at many lakes and that she floats above water.

Some elderly also say that they have heard her cry and have seen her spirit at our own Peña Park.

My Mom would sometimes frighten us by saying, “If you all don’t behave, La Llorona is going to come.” (Sometimes it worked.)

I hope that this legend has brought a bit of happiness in your personal lives.

Until the next legend.

'La Llorona' translated

ALPINE – “Interior Journey,” a Master of Arts exhibition by Sul Ross State University student Maria Jose Leyva of Presidio opens Monday, Jan. 28.

Leyva’s exhibit will be on display through Feb. 8 in the Main Gallery at the Francois Fine Arts Building.

“My art is influenced by physical expression of the human spirit and spiritual iconography,” Leyva said. “In this exhibition, I portray the inner spirit in each subject.

“My cultural heritage is one of the aspects that identifies my work and inspires the spirituality and emotion of these paintings,” she said. “During our lives, we hear many stories we identify with and through this we experience an inner journey in ourselves.

“My work has become a reflection of these tales,” Leyva said. “By blending traditional renaissance imagery with a contemporary colors palette, I attempt to create a universal narrative about the inner journey we all take.”

Art exhibit opens Monday in Alpine

MARATHON – A letter writing party at Eve’s Garden here will join in spirit other letter writing parties designed to help oppose La Entrada al Pacifico, the NAFTA truck route through the Big Bend.

Several area groups have opposed plans for truck routes through the area to connect the Mexican port of Topolobampo, Sin., on the Gulf of California  to the interior of the United States.

The letter-writing event is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. tomorrow, Jan 26.

“There is power in everybody thinking about it at the same time,” said Kate Thayer, proprietor of Eve’s Garden. “Everybody’s invited to come by and join us to help stop this insanity.”

There have been conflicting messages from residents all along the proposed trade route through West Texas, some supporting and some opposing the plan.

For some, the US Highway 67 routing is ideal for moving freight and connecting the central US to the growing markets in Asia in an economic development master plan that includes improving highways in the region.

The highway would pass through Fort Stockton, Alpine and Marfa on the way to the border crossing at Presidio.

From there it would connect to new roads from Ojinaga, Chih., to the west coast of Mexico.

For others, mostly from the Big Bend communities of Alpine and Marfa, reinvigorating the old South Orient rail line from north of San Angelo to Presidio is the only way to move freight through the region without damaging the environment.

They worry that increasing truck traffic through their communities can create pollution and increased traffic hazards and destroy the rural atmosphere that attracts people to the area.

For more information on the on the letter-writing project, contact Thayer at Eve’s Garden.

Letter writing party to oppose 'La Entrada'