March 7, 2008
|
SHEFFIELD
– The announced closing of the Texas Youth Commissioner boot camp here could
be good news or bad, depending on with whom one discusses it. TYC
Conservator Richard Nedelkoff announced last week that the Sheffield Boot
Camp facility here would be closed on March 31. “I
never did like that place anyway,” Wayne Kirkfield said. “They should never
have closed the elementary school and moved it to Iraan.” Kirkfield,
who has lived here since 1973, said most of the employees of the boot camp
should be able to find jobs. He
said his daughter works there as a cook and may not find a place so easily. “But
it’s probably a good thing they are closing it,” he said. But
Pecos County Commissioner Jay Kent of Iraan disagreed. “It
is a bad thing for the community and especially for the school district,” he
said. “They will be losing state money paid per student.” He
said TYC offenders are “technically and literally students of the
Iraan-Sheffield Independent School District.” Closing
the boot camp will “absolutely have an impact,” he said. “Not all people will
choose to go to the oilfield. “If
they transfer to Pyote, good for them,” he said. “But a lot of them have
children in school and, if they transfer, the school will lose that enrollment.” Superintendent
Kevin Allen said the loss will be a “significant amount of money.” He
said the district provides the educational component for the offenders and
the district gets state aid on a per-pupil basis. “The
numbers there were 110 a year ago and now we are staring at zero,” Allen
said. The student population has dropped by that number of kids, which is a
20 to 25 percent drop” in the school’s total enrollment. Allen
said an “unknown factor” is how many workers at the camp will move to another
community and take their children with them. But
Nina Wallace, who just opened Nina’s Café on Main Street, said she didn’t
think the closing would be a problem for her new business. “Most
of our customers are workers in the oilfield or for the seismic company
[Dawson Geophysical] working in the area,” she said. Nedelkoff
visited the boot camp last week and spoke with employees about the facility’s
closure and employment opportunities for the TYC staff at the facility. The
Sheffield facility currently houses 17 youth and has a staff of 60. Chamber
to help with
road race SANDERSON
– The Sanderson Chamber of Commerce has agreed to fill in on the Sanderson
end for the Big Bend Open Road Race, scheduled between Fort Stockton and here
April 23 to 26. Sanderson
Volunteer Coordinator Jannie McDonald told County Judge Leo Smith last week
she would not continue in that job this year. Smith
also serves as chairman of the three-member board that oversees the
non-profit organization that runs the race. “We
will do what we can to fill some pretty big shoes,” Chamber President Jim
Street said. “But contrary to some reports we have heard around town, we are
not ‘taking over’ the road race.” Street
said he contacted Race Coordinator Kenda Furman who said a key need is
getting volunteers for “gates” during the race and the practice runs the week
before the race. “This
is really the only way to see the race and volunteers will all get t-shirts
and other goodies,” Furman said. “They can have a picnic or something and
enjoy the race.” “Gate
Guards” are posted along the racecourse at ranch roads and others
intersecting with the highway to be sure nothing wanders into the path of
race cars. The
race itself will be Saturday, April 26, on US 285 between here and Fort
Stockton. Preliminary
trials and test runs will be Wednesday and Thursday, April 23 and 24, on US
Highway 90 from Sanderson ten miles west to the roadside park and back. “We’ve
probably got 50 or 60 cars right now,” Furman said late last week. “We have
at least two in the unlimited class.” She
said Mike and Marsha Borders of Las Vegas, who hold the course speed record,
had scheduled another race when they heard BBORR was being canceled. “But
he’s going to see if they can’t cancel that one so they can come back,” she said. Street
called for volunteers, both to help coordinate gate guards and to help in
other ways such as placing signs and streamers along the race and the like. “Whatever
we do, we are taking our directions from [Race Director] Randy Archer and
from Kenda,” Street said. “We are not ‘taking over,’ we are offering whatever
help we can provide.” Street
said Dorothy Marquart, who worked with McDonald in previous races, has agreed
to meet with local volunteers in the next week or so to lay plans for making
sure the Sanderson end of the race runs smoothly. GOP
shows signs of life in county election SANDERSON
– There were no real surprises on election day in Terrell County with one
possible exception. The
Republican Party has been virtually non-existent here until Tuesday. It
even looked like there would be no Republican Primary this year until Beverly
Evans stepped up and volunteered to be the de-facto county chairman. In
years past, only a handful showed up to vote in the Republican Primary. It
was said that Terrell County voters tended to vote Republican in the November
general election but were strictly Democrat in state and county races. The
nascent Republican Party in Terrell County still trailed the Democrats in
total votes, 216 to 72 but the 72 voters was a big jump over previous years. Republicans
in Terrell County went for John McCain for President, following a state and
national trend. The
Arizona Republican gathered the delegates he needed nationwide the same day
while carrying Texas with 51.24 percent of the vote. Mike
Huckabee carried Terrell County, though 31 to 30. Republican
Senator John Cornyn was nominated for his seat with 81.48 percent of the vote
statewide and a 23-5 victory over challenger Larry Kilgore in Terrell County. County
Republican voters overwhelmingly Okd three referenda that also carried by
wide margins statewide. Number
one would require enforcement of border laws. Number two would require a
photo identification to vote and the third would require political bodies to
obtain voter approval before raising taxes higher than the population
increase and inflation. On
the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton edged Barack Obama for President, 50.8
percent to 42.4 percent statewide. In the county, voters went for Clinton 125
to 69. Richard
J. “Rick” Noriega appeared to win nomination to face Cornyn for his Senate
seat with 50.97 percent of the statewide total as of Wednesday morning. He
carried Terrell County 81 to 41 with two other candidates in the race. Local
officials were all unopposed for re-election and none faced Republican opposition
in the fall. County
Attorney Marsha Monroe got 131 votes, Sheriff and Tax Assessor-Collector
Clint McDonald polled 174 votes and Kenneth Turner got 131 votes for
constable. Running
in individual precincts, Yolanda Lopez scored 51 votes in County Commissioner
Precinct One and Charles Stegall got 43 nods to stay in his Precinct Three
seat. Williamson newest
deputy SANDERSON
– Keith Williamson, a native of Blanco in Central Texas, has become the
latest Terrell County sheriff’s deputy, bringing the department to within one
of full employment. Williamson,
a veteran of 25 years in law enforcement, was sworn in last Friday. He
will work midnight shifts beginning today, March 7. Williamson
came to Terrell County most recently from McCamey where he worked as an Upton
County deputy. He
has also worked in Sierra Blanca and Post. He
and his wife Sandra are currently looking for a house in Sanderson. Their
children are all grown and have moved away, he said. Sheriff
Clint McDonald said the department now lacks only one deputy under the state
Linebacker program. He
said the position has been funded for this year. Sheffield
café now
in business SHEFFIELD
– The town again has a full-time restaurant. The
small café on Main Street has been on again, off again but is now open seven
days a week under the new name of Nina’s Café. Nina
Wallace, daughter of Randall and Ady Wallace, formerly of Sanderson, opened
the café last week with her partner James Michael Collett. Ironically,
the new café opened just as it was being announced that the Texas Youth
Commission boot camp here would close at the end of the month. But
Wallace doesn’t think the closing of the facility will have much of an impact
on her customer base. “Most
of our customers are workers in the oilfield or for the seismic company
[Dawson Geophysical] working in the area,” she said. The
café will be open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday
hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday,
the restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wall
coalition formed SAN
ANTONIO – No Border Wall Coalition, No Wall – Big Bend Coalition and Reviva
Collective have announced that they are joining together with other organizations
nationwide in a call for a moratorium on the construction of walls along the
US-Mexico border. The
groups claim that the Department of Homeland Security’s border wall project
is politically motivated, that it will have no impact on immigration or
smuggling and will do nothing to protect the US from terrorism. Yet
the wall could have devastating consequences for the environment, the economy
and the communities of the border region, they say. Last
month, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff admitted that no potential terrorists
had ever been apprehended on the southern border and that he doesn’t “see any
imminent threat of terrorists infiltrating from Mexico.” However,
DHS has frequently referred to the imminent threat of “terrorists and
terrorist weapons” crossing the southern border in order to “justify the
breakneck speed of border wall construction,” No Wall – Big Bend co founder
Adrienne Evans said. Citing
the Border Patrol’s own statistics, illegal crossing of the Texas border has
decreased significantly between 2006 and 2007 including a 34 percent decrease
in the Rio Grande Valley Sector and a 46 percent decrease in the Del Rio
Sector. “By
contrast, the heavily fortified San Diego Sector, where a triple-layer wall
divides the border, saw a seven percent increase in illegal crossing,
suggesting that walls are not a meaningful deterrent for undocumented
crossers,” Evans said. A
June, 2007, Congressional Research Service report concluded that the walls in
San Diego had “no discernible impact” on the number of people entering the US
illegally, she said. “The
Border Patrol has also stated repeatedly that a wall only slows crossers down
by a few minutes,” Evans said. “The groups are also calling for an immediate
suspension and repeal of section 102 of the Real ID Act of 2005, which gives
Chertoff the power to waive all laws in order to build the border wall.
“Such
power concentrated in the hands of an unelected official makes a mockery of democratic
processes,” she said. “The
only reason to waive the laws is because you intend to break them,” Texas
border resident Scott Nicol said. In
the hurricane-prone Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, as well as in Presidio,
plans are to build the wall on or near the flood control levees. “Yet,
there have been no studies published that describe what impact the proposed
wall would have on flooding or on the integrity of the levee system,” Evans
said. “DHS has continued to operate under the false assumption that the harsh
conditions of the desert are a deterrent for people seeking entry into the
US.” As
DHS builds walls in populated areas, desperation drives more people into
remote desert areas where they are more likely to die from dehydration and
exposure, she said. The
General Accounting Office found that, as walls have gone up, the number of
people who have died attempting to enter the US doubled between 1995 and
2005. “This
is an ongoing humanitarian crisis that requires an immediate solution,” Evans
said. “It is irresponsible to erect a permanent wall without full knowledge
of what those consequences will be. “DHS’s
blind rush to draw lines on a map, heedless of the consequences on the
ground, makes a moratorium on border wall construction imperative,” she said.
“Congress must take the time to evaluate the serious costs and impacts of the
border wall and to determine whether it is in fact the best way to address
the complex issues of immigration and national security.” |
All
youth will be transferred to other TYC facilities by the end of March and the
agency will try to locate them as close to their homes as possible, Nedelkoff
said. TYC
employees in good standing will be invited to transfer to the West Texas
State School in Pyote, approximately an hour north of here. Ironically,
it was the Pyote facility in which the first charges of sexual abuse of offenders
by TYC officials first emerged a year ago. “That happened about a year ago and now who
gets hit?” Allen said. The
agency has been rocked by scandal and changes of officers since. Dimitria
Pope was forced to resign as acting executive director earlier this month. Nedelkoff,
who became the agency’s third conservator in nine months in December, may
name a replacement soon. If
he does, TYC will have its fifth executive director in only a year. Nedelkoff
said employees seeking transfers will not have to apply for current vacancies
but will instead be directly transferred to Pyote or to any other TYC
facility. TYC
human resources personnel and the Texas Workforce Commission will be in
Sheffield to assist those employees who choose to leave the TYC, the agency
said. A
driving factor in the decision to close the Sheffield facility was the
inability to recruit juvenile correctional officers and case managers to work
in the West Texas town, Nedelkoff said.
Staff
shortages have been constant at the facility for years and resignations over
the past year forced administrators to adjust the youth population down from
the budgeted 80 to its current population of 17. Drug cartel builds
roads SANDERSON
– There is no legal border crossing between the United States and Mexico
anywhere near Terrell County but roads are being built up to the border just
inside Mexico, Sheriff Clint McDonald said this week. “They
are coming this way,” McDonald said. While
there are no border crossings, the drug cartels are building the highways so
they can smuggle their dope into the country more easily, he said. “You
can see the big D-8 bulldozers just across the river,” the sheriff said.
“They are building highways right up to the border.” McDonald
met with the Texas Joint Border Security Operation last week at the Steve
Forest ranch in eastern Terrell County. He
said the committee included State Reps. Warren Chisum of Pampa and Carl Isett
of Lubbock, Chief of Emergency Management Jack Colley, Department of Public
Safety Commissioner Beth Anderson, Steve McCraw from the governor’s office on
Homeland Security and three Texas Rangers. Terrell
County was also represented by County Judge Leo Smith, Commissioners Kenn
Norris and Charles Stegall and Justice of the Peace Abby Roberts. “They
are visiting with property owners in every county along the border to see
what the state can do to support the sheriffs offices,” McDonald said. “They
wanted a place close to the airport so they could fly in, have a meeting and
leave.” He
said the Forest ranch had the necessary facilities and the group flew in, ate
lunch at the ranch, had their meeting and left. “This
is the group I have been meeting with since I took office,” McDonald said.
“They do know where Terrell County is.” He
said the state has spent about half a million dollars on border security
through Operation Linebacker and “Type One” crime – essentially serious
felonies – is down by 67 percent along the border since 2005. “Clearly,
what we are doing is working,” he said. McDonald
said fences in urban areas, such as those proposed by the government in
places like Presidio, are complicating the law enforcement problem. As
a fence goes up in an urban area, the border crossings move to more rural
areas, complicating life for everyone else. “What
we don’t need are walls but more boots on the ground,” he said. “The ports of
entry are getting so busy, they are just waving them on through.” McDonald
said further checks on urban traffic just complicate it in the rural areas. Rivera wins predator
contest DRYDEN
– Robert Rivera of Sanderson was the high point winner in the Terrell County
Predator Contest for 2007/08 with a total of 2,800 points. Rivera
took home a Cabela’s gift certificate worth $500. Winner
of the drawing for the $250 Cabela’s gift certificate was Jesse Bolton of
Dryden. Bolton
also came in second place in points with a total of 2,200. There
was a tie for third place between Lacey James of Dryden and Robert Burton of
Mathis with 275 points each. There
were 145 predators taken between November 3 2007 and March. They included one
mountain lion, five feral hogs, 24 bobcats, 12 coyotes, 42 foxes and 51
raccoons. The
sponsors of this year’s contest were Wayne Sutton and Allen Askins of Dryden
and Jon Lowrance, Gary Hutto and Bobby Brotherton of Sanderson. Tentative dates for the next contest will
be August 1, 2008, thru March 1, 2009. Contestants
were urged to get their traps ready. Eagles
‘invade’ historic
fort FORT
LANCASTER – All seemed status quo one early morning last week at the lonely
post overlooking Live Oak Creek and the Pecos River Valley. Then
the Sanderson Eagles, grades two through 12, arrived for their history day at
Fort Lancaster. The
field trip was coordinated between Fort Lancaster Curator and Interpreter
Kinley Coyan of Sanderson and Superintendent Gary Hamilton. “I
am a history nut and I’m fortunate to be in a position where I get to talk
about West Texas history on a daily basis,” Coyan said. “I wanted the kids of
Sanderson to be able to have a ‘hands on’ experience with their local history
and Gary was good enough to allow the students an ‘out-of-the-class-room’ educational
day.” Friends
of Fort Lancaster President Bill Stone, one of the re-enactors who portray
soldiers from the time period the post was occupied, showed the students
different items that soldiers used during this time period and explained to
the students and staff how the confederates used their horses during the
Civil War. Stone
also brought the stagecoach for the students to investigate and have their pictures
taken. Camel
expert Doug Baum brought two of his camels, Gobi, a Bactrian with two humps,
and Richard, a Dromedary with one hump. He
said Bactrian camels were used more as a beast of burden carrying heavier
loads than the Dromedary. Although
Dromedary camels were used as pack animals, they were also used more for
speed. Camels
stopped twice at Fort Lancaster, once in July of 1857 and again in June of
1859. The
military experimented with camels in the late 1850s to see how they would
respond in the desert conditions of the Trans-Pecos and Southwest region. Cody
Golden, another member of the Friends of Fort Lancaster group, discussed how
soldiers would use their heavy artillery. Golden
brought a ten-pound ordinance rifle, similar to a canon, and demonstrated how
the soldiers loaded the gun and cleaned the barrel after every fire. Gaylon
Harrison and Chap Traylor, both dressed in different Confederate uniforms,
showed the several different items that the soldiers used and carried while
traveling from place to place or while encamped at a more permanent
location. They
discussed the different weapons used and fired a few powder rounds from their
muskets without using any projectiles.
Harrison
had several reproduction flags and he explained the symbolism that each flag
possessed. He
showed how flags were and are still used as a means of communication. During
lunch, many of the younger kids participated in games that would have been
played in the mid to late 1800s. After
lunch, Coyan took everyone on a guided tour of the ruins. He discussed the history of Lancaster,
including the Day After Christmas Battle where an estimated 1,500 Kickapoo
Indians attacked the post in 1867. “The
students participated very well during the tour of the ruins and asked really
good interesting questions pertaining to the fort,” Coyan said. “ It was
exciting to see the students taking an interest in the history of the fort
and being inquisitive.” The
seniors have a chance to participate for a $250 scholarship donated by the
Terrell County Hunters’ Feast. They
are encouraged to write a paper of no more than five pages about the history
of Fort Lancaster, which will be judged by members of the Fort Lancaster
Friends Group and the winner will be announced the middle of March. “The
staff here at Fort Lancaster was excited to host an educational day for an
area school, but we really didn’t know what to expect,” Coyan said. “All the
students from Sanderson were well behaved and for the most part seemed
genuinely interested in the history that was being presented to them. “It
was fun having such a good group of kids spend the day with us,” he said. In
January, Fort Lancaster and 17 other historic sites around the state of Texas
switched agencies and are now a part of the Texas Historical Commission. The fort is on
Highway 290 between Sheffield and Interstate 10. For information, call
432/836-4391. Sanderson
shop opens SANDERSON
– Another new business on Oak Street here is “Somewhere in Time.” In
the building formerly occupied by “Bertha’s Beauty Shop,” the store now
offers a variety of merchandise. Co-owners
are Dale and Claudia Lascano of Sanderson. Grand
Opening for the business at 409 East Oak will be tomorrow, from 11 a.m. to 6
p.m. The
Sanderson Chamber of Commerce will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30
a.m. Refreshments will be served. The
new store offers designer handbags, jewelry, cleaning supplies and health and
beauty aids. The
“little shop with a big personality” also offers wedding and baby registry. It
also carries such brand names as Anne Geddes baby products, Willow Tree
collectibles and Dreamsicles collectables. Other
inventory includes picture frames, nostalgic candy and a limited selection of
over- the-counter-medications. The
co-owners will continually be on the look out for new and exciting products. Dale
Lascano said to let them know if you need something in particular. The
shop will be open from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. seven days a week. ‘Little
Dribblers’ under way SANDERSON
– The youngest Sanderson Eagles have started their basketball season through
the Terrell County Recreation Program. Kids
in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade are “Little Dribblers” and the
coaching staff consists of Tammy Truesdell and Robin Turner for the Pre-k and
kindergarten. Sara
Gonzales and Adriana Aguilar coach the first and second graders and third,
fourth and fifth graders have three teams coached by Billy Black, Travis
Roberts and Marco Fuéntez. Also
donating his time on the court is Wayne Truesdell as referee. Games
are every Thursday throughout March in the new gym and are free of charge. Everyone
involved is a volunteer and no one is paid. |
Nedelkoff
also said TYC will continue operations at the West Texas State School and at
its Victory Field Academy in Vernon. The
agency will need the capacity these facilities offer as it begins major renovations
to convert numerous open-bay dorms throughout the system into single room
facilities. “This was a difficult but necessary
decision to ensure we are properly utilizing our resources and facilities,”
Nedelkoff said. “We will do everything within our power to retain all of the
staff who currently work at Sheffield or help them find new jobs.” to
all district SANDERSON
– Sanderson varsity Eagles Junior basketballer Phillip Lascano made first
team All-District in the Six-Man Coaches Association. Sophomore
Jacob Benavidez made newcomer of the year. The
Eagles ended their season with a record of 6 and 15. Making
honorable mention were junior Jimmy Rapp and sophomore Darren Seidel. Co-MVP
in Sanderson’s district were Jacob Schmitz, a junior from Rankin, and senior
Garrett Avalos, also of Rankin. Also
making first team all-District in Sanderson’s district were sophomore Roy
Ramirez, and B.J. Santiago, both of Grandfalls. Buena
Vista placed three on the squad, seniors Chase Dillard, Glen Salcido and Joey
Acosta. Rankin
placed two, senior Chase Epley and junior Juan Hernandez. Group seeks service
increase NEW
ORLEANS – A new support group for the Sunset Limited long-distance passenger
train will have its second meeting here March 29 at the Union Passenger
Terminal here. The
group, calling itself SMART for the Sunset Marketing And Revitalization Team,
met for the first time here in January. A
future meeting could be in the Big Bend/Trans Pecos area next fall. The
National Association of Railroad Passengers hopes to organize marketing
support groups along the routes of Amtrak’s long-distance passenger trains. The
Sunset Limited passes through Sanderson and Marathon three times per week in
each direction. Henry
Wulff, president of the Texas Association of Railroad Passengers and a SMART
board member, said the Texas group hopes to meet in far Southwest Texas,
perhaps in Alpine. “As
President of the Texas Association of Railroad Passengers, I visited with you
in August regarding Amtrak’s Sunset Limited and our Association’s efforts to
improve service along this Amtrak route,” Wulff said in a letter to “West
Texas friends.” “This
new group will be patterned after TEMPO, the Texas Eagle Marketing and
Performance Organization, a highly-successful support group that markets the
Texas Eagle between St. Louis and Los Angeles, including the section of the
Texas Eagle that joins the Sunset Limited from San Antonio to Los Angeles,”
he said. The group is focusing on the original Sunset route from Los
Angeles to Orlando. Wulff said SMART has adopted the same goals he discussed during
his visit to Sanderson in August. They include daily service, on-time performance, restoration of
service between New Orleans and Orlando and restoration of service to Phoenix
– “a new goal I did not discuss with you.” He said SMART is making an effort to expand its membership
across the entire Sunset Limited Route. After the March meeting, the next meeting will be in Chandler,
AZ, in early May, an exact date and time to be determined. “A fall meeting is planned for October,” Wulff said. “SMART
would like to consider Alpine as the site for that meeting. SMART
attendees would arrive by Amtrak on Thursday, the meeting would be held on Friday
and attendees would depart by Amtrak on Saturday. “Probably 30 people from California to Florida would be
attending,” he said. “But we have a number of concerns to overcome.” He said rental cars appear to be both expensive and in
short supply. “There are good hotels but transportation to and from them is an
issue,” Wulff said. “We have been meeting in Amtrak facilities which isn’t possible
in Alpine,” he said. “A meeting room with table seating for 30 or more must
be found.” He said there will be extra time on the schedule, so tours in
the area are possible but local transportation is again a problem. “The Friday evening meal could be an event involving local folks
and the SMART attendees,” he said. “SMART could hold a public meeting for the
residents of the area, Chamber members, etc., to do a short 20-minute
presentation on SMART and take questions from the audience. Maybe a
power-point presentation during a reception.” Wulff said SMART Board members pay for their own
transportation to the meeting, hotel rooms, meals and other expenses. “We are
all volunteer folks and need to keep the costs of our volunteer activities
within reason,” he said. Grant
to target violence ALPINE
– Sul Ross State University has applied for a $299,908 Department of Justice
grant devoted to preventing, identifying and responding to violent crimes
against women. If
approved, the three-year STOP grant will fund development and implementation
of services specifically devoted to prevention and response of violent crimes
against women, including sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking. Sul
Ross Department of Public Safety Lt. Drew Powell is the proposed project director
and primary investigator. In
addition to developing and implementing coordinated on- and off-campus
services for violent crime prevention and response, he said the major goals
of the project also include expanding professional training for law enforcement,
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and campus community members emphasizing victim
safety, preservation and processing of evidence and accountability. “A
lot of pieces are already in place,” Powell said. “We have set our goal as
nothing less than to change the campus environment so that even the mere
suggestion of violence is unacceptable. “I
feel my implied responsibility on this campus is the safety of all people, students,
faculty and staff,” he said. Three
win top track
places SANDERSON
– Three Sanderson Eagles won first place honors at the Rio Grande Relays here
last weekend. There
were 15 schools at the Rio Grande Relays for high school this year. J.D.
Brotherton won the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.08. He placed second in
the 200-meter dash, clocking in at 23.58. Travis
Roberts ran the 1,600-meter race the fastest, crossing the line in 5:02.50
and earning him first place. He also placed fourth in the 3,200-meter run
with a time of 11:30.55. Senior
Davis Stumberg cleared six feet to win the high jump competition. Phillip
Lascano soared 11 feet in the air, placing second in the pole vault
competition, and then jumped 39 feet, seven and a quarter inches to earn
second place in the triple jump category. Darren
Seidel showed his strength in the discus throw with a distance of 105 feet,
two inches, placing him in third place. He
also competed in the shot put event, heaving the steel ball 36 feet, eight
inches and placing sixth in that event. Jacob
Benavidez won two fourth place honors in the 200-meter dash, clocking in at
23.93, and the 800-meter run, finishing the race in 2:19.11. Junior
Jimmy Rapp won fifth place in two events. In the 110-meter hurdles, he
clocked in at 20.96 and, in the 300-meter hurdles, he finished in 52.33. David “Shoe” Shoemaker placed fourth in
the discus throw with a distance of 104 feet. Cordell
Lawson also ran the 300-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 57.17 and placing
sixth. The
Eagle men placed third overall with 82 points. In
girls action, Juliana “Jewelz” Castro won third place in the 400-meter dash
with a time of 1:09.36. A
relay team made up of Jewelz, Hannah Black, Clarissa Brotherton and Roxanna
Rodriguez took third in the 800-meter relay, clocking in at 2:04.52. The
team then doubled their distance and took third in the 1,600-meter relay with
a time of 4:55.34. Hannah bagged another third place win in
the 100-meter hurdles, crossing the line in 19.12. Alexa
Davis placed fifth in the discus throw with a distance of 68 feet, eight
inches. Overall
the girls placed sixth in the meet. The
junior high Rio Grande meet was Saturday. Taylor
Roberts won two first place honors, one in the 1,600-meter run with a time of
5:20.58 and one in the 2,400-meter run, crossing the line in 8:14.71. Right
behind him in both races was Shawn Stegall. He ran the 1,600-meter race in
5:29.17, earning second place, and in the 2,400-meter race, finishing second
with a time of 8:41.36. The
boys finished sixth out of the 10 participating schools. In
junior high girls action, Ashley Hagelgans won fourth place in
discus-throwing competition with a distance of 57 feet, eight inches. ‘Bashful’
clickers provided SANDERSON
– A student who is too bashful to vocally provide an answer in class – or one
afraid of teasing if he guesses wrong – will soon have a new way to answer
questions from the teacher. With
a new “clicker,” the student can answer silently and the answer will appear
on the teacher’s computer screen along with the student’s name. The
new “clickers” and cameras that can look over a teacher’s shoulder as he
works a math problem or something, were provided by a GEAR UP grant. “If
kids are afraid to speak up or if their afraid they will be made fun of, this
gives them a chance to participate,” said Manny Benavides, Sul Ross State
University outreach coordinator. Terrell
County ISD Technology Director David Carrasco also inspected a new, lighted
camera system that can put a teacher’s work on a desk onto a screen. The
camera can also be connected to a microscope for use in science class. “We
are providing three of these systems to Fort Stockton and we have other
devices for other schools in the area,” Benavides said. “Imperial is getting
new televisions.” The
GEAR UP program, for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for the Undergraduate
Program, started in 2005 with qualifying seventh graders. It
follows them through high school graduation, providing assistance to help
them with their education. Benavides
said he hopes to get funding under a new program that would start with
children in sixth grade. |