May 30, 2008
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SANDERSON
– The last two weeks of May have been a whirlwind of awards, especially for
two Sanderson High School seniors who will be among eight other classmates
getting their diplomas tonight. Danell
Graham and Davis Stumberg were named last week as valedictorian and salutatorian
of their class. Thursday
night last week, they were also honored as student athletes of the year at
the annual Awards Banquet at St. James Hall. Danell was Student Council president, secretary of
the National Honor Society and an alternate for Texas Six-man Coaches Association
All Star Basketball Game to be played this summer. She was named Most Likely to Succeed, co-captain
of the cheerleading team, winner of the DAR Good Citizen Award and a HOBY
ambassador. Davis was co-captain of the cheerleading team and
placed in several national cheerleading championships. He was vice president of the National Honor
Society, senior class president, senior class Student Council representative
and was also voted Most Likely to Succeed. Three students were honored for being chosen to
play in the Six Man Coaches All Star Games in July. Ben Rubio and Raul Salazar will play in the
football contest and Hannah Black will play basketball. Rosa Gonzales won the high school principal’s
award and William Roberts was given the junior high principal’s award. William is the valedictorian for the junior high
school. Ashley Hagelgans is salutatorian. Most athletic girl was Juliana Castro and Jacob
Benavidez was most athletic boy. Jessica Garza and Darren Seidel won the girls and
boys “fighting heart” awards. The all-around most valuable player for Eagle
football was Phillip Lascano. Offensive MVP was shared by Ben Rubio and Raul Salazar.
Defensive MVP was Ryan Rosas and Jacob Benavidez was special teams MVP. Phillip was also all around MVP and offensive MVP
for basketball. Jacob Benavidez was defensive MVP and Darren
Seidel won the “hustle” award. In girls round ball, Hannah Black was all around
MVP. Jenny Hernandez was offensive MVP and defensive
MVP was shared by Sarah Sivils and Jessica Garza. The “hustle” awards went to Blakeney Chriesman and
Noemi Nuñez. ~ SANDERSON
– The Piñon Foundation will help sponsor a Summer Computer Camp at Sanderson High School starting next week. It is open
to everyone and free of charge. Gina Garza will run the sessions along with the help of some
students. The camp will consist of three different sessions. Session I will be from 9 a.m. to 12 noon June 2 to 5 for
students entering first and second grades this fall. Session II will be from 9 a.m. to 12 noon June 9 to 11 and from
1 to 4 p.m. June 11 for adults. Parents can drop their children off at Vacation Bible School at
First Baptist Church across the street from the High School. Session III will be from 9 a.m. to 12 noon June 16 to 19 for
students entering third to fifth grade this fall. Individuals do not have to be present every day of their given
session. Microsoft Office will be used to teach basic skills. They include Power-Point,
Excel, Access, Word and Publisher. Degree of difficulty will vary depending on the given
session. For more information or to sign up call the high school at
345-2282 or e-mail Gina Garza at vgarza@esc18.net.
SANDERSON
– Activities for the two-day July 4 Independence Day celebration in Sanderson
were reviewed Tuesday by the Chamber of Commerce. Henry
Beth Hogg said the Terrell County Historical Commission had approved a
schedule of activities for the observance, starting with the annual parade,
which will start forming at 10 a.m. Friday, July 4, on School Street just
west of Sanderson State Bank. Parade chairman is Monica Graham. County
Road and Bridge Supervisor Mike Sanchez said vendors for the Courthouse Lawn
need to set up for Friday’s activities between 11 a.m. and 12 noon Friday and
between 8 and 9 a.m. for Saturday’s activities. There
is no charge for vendors but they must submit a form, available at the News
Leader office. “They
should make sure they do what they write down on the form,” Sanchez said. “We
will help them set up but they need to put down what they will need. And it
has to be accurate.” He
said if vendors have a change, they should notify him. The
parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. Friday, ending at Legion Hall for a noon
barbecue luncheon sponsored by the American Legion and Legion Auxiliary.
Plates will be $7 for adults and $5 for children. Hogg
said there will be an Old Timers reunion at 3 p.m. Friday, July 4, and 2 p.m.
Saturday, July 5, sponsored by the Historical Commission. Both will honor the
oldest man and oldest woman. “They
have to be present to win,” she said. The
Historical Commission also will unveil a marker for the World War I airfield
near the present Sanderson Wool Commission at 5:30 p.m. Friday. There
will also be a 1983 Sanderson High School class reunion. A
free street dance will be from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight Friday with music by
disc jockey James Poe. The
dance, on Hackberry Street between the High School and the Courthouse, will
be sponsored by Sanderson State Bank and the Sanderson Branch of Pecos County
State Bank. Saturday
will begin with a breakfast at Legion Hall for a $6 “donation.” There
will be a “Pink Elephant” silent auction from 10 a.m. to 12 noon on the
Courthouse Lawn, sponsored by the Legion Auxiliary. After
the Old Timers Hour at 2 p.m., the Sanderson Culture Club will have its
annual ice cream freezing contest. The
confections will be available for sale after the judging. The
hometown band Terrell County Bs will provide music for the annual street
dance on Hackberry from 9 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday, July 6. The
activities come to a close with another breakfast at the Legion Hall Sunday
morning. The
Chamber voted to provide a booth on Saturday at the Courthouse Lawn. Hogg
said about ten other vendors had signed up by this week. ALPINE
– Sul Ross State University GEARUP program coordinators and director Aster
Trevino, along with principals, teachers, counselors and parents attended a
conference in McAllen this month. The
Rally in the Valley conference was hosted by Doris Teague and the GEARUP programs
in the Valley. It
consisted of breakout sessions, which covered a variety of strategies for
teachers, counselors, parents, students and coordinators. GEARUP
is a federally- funded grant program that tracks area students who entered seventh
grade in the fall of 2005 and continues through a summer college bridge
program following high school graduation in 2011. The
program is designed to ensure that high school students gain early awareness
about what it takes to enter college and the opportunities a college
education can offer. It
also targets first-generation students and students who meet federal financial
guidelines. Sul
Ross GEAR UP serves 14 school districts in nine Texas counties bordering
Mexico including Terrell County and Marathon Independent School
Districts. GRANDFALLS
– The body of 19-year-old Frazier Riggs was pulled from the waters of
Imperial Reservoir near here Sunday after a three-day search. Riggs
apparently fell off a jet ski Thursday afternoon. Crews from the Pecos County
Sheriff’s Office, EMS, Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Department
of Parks and Wildlife searched by water and air for the body. He
was not believed to have been directly related to the Riggs family of Terrell
County. World
War II history DEL RIO
– A World War II oral history
training and military and home front sites workshop will be all day tomorrow,
May 31, at the Laughlin
Heritage Foundation Museum here. The Texas Historical
Commission, in conjunction with the Val Verde County Historical Commission,
will conduct a free oral history training workshop from 9 a.m. to noon. And there will be a public meeting to
discuss area World War II military and home front sites from 1 to 2 p.m. The workshop, one of a series taking
place across the state with funding provided by the Houston Endowment, the
Summerlee Foundation of Dallas and other private donors, is designed for people wishing to learn how to
conduct and record oral histories pertaining to World War II and provide the
public with an opportunity to discuss local sites. The workshops, titled “Here and There:
Recollections of Texas in World War II,”
are part of the THC’s Texas in
World War II initiative, a program to honor and preserve the memories of
Texans who served in the armed forces during World War II and the
contribution they made to the war effort. Historical markers, a commemorative brochure, oral
history workshops and a military/home front sites survey are part of the program. The museum is at 309 South Main Street. |
Coach Jerry Garza jokingly gave a “George Foreman”
award to Vicky Busch. He said there was some confusion on the court
during a game one time and he asked what had happened. “I don’t know, Coach,” he quoted Vicky as
explaining. “Somehow, she just ran into my fist.” The girls’ basketball team went on to win third in
the district. Noemi Nuñez and Travis Roberts were MVPs in cross
country. Track MVPs were Hannah Black and Noemi Nuñez on
the girls’ side and J.D. Brotherton for the boys. In field events, Alexa Davis was MVP for her role
in the discus event. Golf MVPs were Jessica Garza and Raul Salazar. Tennis MVPs were Ben Rubio and Miriam Nuñez. ~ SANDERSON – The Sanderson Chamber of Commerce has voted to “recommend” Terrell County acquire 5,000 posters showing indigenous cactus flowers and touting Sanderson as the “Cactus Capital of Texas.” County
commissioners last month asked the chamber to review the proposal and make
recommendations. Rick
Vanderpool of State Art/US of Commerce, offered to do 5,000 posters for
$8,900, which could be sold in the Visitor Center, the museum, banks and
retail outlets. Vanderpool
was unable to attend the chamber meeting Tuesday but Dorothy Marquart said
she has been working with him on the project for more than three years. “Usually,
people go to Rick to get these projects,” she said. “But he came to us.” She
said Vanderpool suggested the cactus poster similar to others he has done for
Texas wildflowers, hamburgers, coffees and other topics. “I
feel honored that he chose Sanderson because he wanted to help the town,”
Marquart said. “He has seen a definite improvement in town.” The
chamber voted unanimously to recommend the county acquire the posters. The
vote put the chamber on record in support of a horizontal format with fewer
pictures than some samples that contained more than 200 images. The
chamber would also like to see a variety of sizes of the images and suggested
a poster similar to one called “Looking for Texas.” Vanderpool
produces full-color themed posters and sells them, typically for $19.95 each. “They
really sell,” Marquart said. “He has really worked on this. It was something
he really wanted to do.” She
said the poster would be a “good way of advertising Sanderson as the Cactus
Capital of Texas.” County
Judge Leo Smith said he is more interested in getting the posters out to
promote the county than in making money on them. But
they could be provided to community organizations that could them sell them
as fundraisers. Smith
told commissioners last month the county could frame some of the posters and
give them to visitor centers, restaurants, hotels and other tourist venues to
promote the area. Others
could be sold in the Terrell County Visitor Center and elsewhere. rack
up points SANDERSON – Luis Garza paced his Sanderson Elementary accelerated readers to a year-end total of 5,867.5 points for the school year just ended. Luis
scored 248 points to lead his fifth graders to a total of 1,473.2 points.
Second was Marco Fuéntez with 209 points. Jesse
Roberts racked up 226.4 points to pace his fourth grade class to 1,265.5
points. He was followed by Andrew Portillo with 164.2. Third
grader Mikey Shoemaker won with 189.9 points followed by Al Johnson with 171
for a total of 1,121.1. In
second grade, Noah Aguilar was tops with 188 points and Luke Carroll was next
with 148.9 for a total of 1,417.9. Kailey
Dominguez was first among first graders with 128.3 points and Elijah Carrasco
was right behind with 124.5 points and a grade total of 589.8 points for the
year. to
honor lawmen ALPINE
– Members of the Big Bend Area Law Enforcement Officers Association will
conduct a memorial ceremony at 10 a.m. today, May 30, on the campus of Sul
Ross State University. The
event will be on the mall near the University Center. The public is invited. State
Rep. Pete P. Gallego will the keynote speaker. Chief Patrol Agent John J.
Smietana, Jr., of the US Border Patrol’s Marfa Sector will be the master of
ceremonies. The
BBALEOA, with support from Sul Ross President R. Vic Morgan, has begun a campaign
to build a permanent memorial on the campus for law enforcement officers who
have been killed in the line of duty. Officers
working in West Texas or from West Texas will be listed on the memorial. The
area included will be from El Paso to the Permian Basin and including the Big
Bend. At
today’s ceremony, a temporary memorial will be presented to the university to
be mounted in the law enforcement academy classroom space. To
date, 111 names are listed on the memorial including local, state and federal
officers. Tax-deductible
donations can be made to the BBALEOA in care of John Carter, PO Box 512,
Pecos, Texas 79772. SANDERSON
– Ten Sanderson High School students will become graduates in just a few more
hours when they walk across the stage at Sanderson High School Auditorium at
8 p.m. today, May 30. Two
more students have all the necessary credits but will not graduate because of
a failing grade on a TAKS test. Both plan to complete their studies this
summer. Leading
the graduates tonight will be Valedictorian Danell Graham and Salutatorian
Davis Stumberg. Other
graduates will be Hannah Black, Erin Corbett, Rosa Gonzalez, Jenny Hernandez,
Irma Nuñez, Isaac Ramirez, Ben Rubio and Raul Salazar. Kelsie
Hall and Catherine Villarreal hope to complete their studies this summer. After
graduation, the new grads will gather in the street in front of the school
for the school song and tossing their caps into the air. Then
there will be the all-night, chemical-free party in the High School Gym known
as “Project Graduation.” Area
businesses donate prizes for students to win playing games. ALPINE
– Popular singer and musician Terra Peters of Alpine and Marathon and Jackie
Kay Sandifer of Sanderson were among a total of 168 Sul Ross State University
students and 76 from the sister campus at Rio Grande College to receive a
degree during spring commencement exercises this month. Peters,
who has entertained throughout West Texas, received a bachelor degree in
general studies. Sandifer
received a BS in kinesiology and sports science at the Sul Ross commencement. Among
other graduates was Camilia Yvette Ortega of Fort Stockton, who received a BA
in administrative systems and business technology. Ortega
was featured on the News Leader two weeks ago as the 22nd member of
her family to receive a Sul Ross degree. Members of the Peña and Parada families of Sanderson began
attending Sul Ross in the 1950s and Clotilde Peña Hernandez, Camila’s
great-aunt, was the first to graduate, earning a BA degree in 1960. Rodriguez graduates, lines up employment AUSTIN
-- Anthony Rodriguez, a 2003 graduate of Sanderson High school, graduated
from the University of Texas at Austin this month. Rodriguez
son of Ernest and Licha Rodriguez of Sanderson received a Bachelor of Science
degree in aerospace engineering along with a supplemental certificate in business
foundations. He
has accepted an employment offer from Sunrise Ridge Algae Inc., an
alternative fuel company based in Austin. Rodriguez
will work as the pilot plant supervising engineer in charge of leading operations
to convert algae into bio-diesel fuel. “I
am extremely excited to have completed my formal education,” he said. “I owe
so much to my family and friends who have supported me throughout the
process. I now look forward to working in the real world and trying to make a
positive impact on society.” AUSTIN
– The W.R. Stumberg Ranch in Pecos County west of Sanderson has won the Lone
Star Land Steward Award from the Texas Department of Parks & Wildlife. Marshall
Miller, Jr., and his sister Mary Elsie Newton began operating the ranch in
1993. It has been in the family since the 1920s. John
Fehner, who goes by “Hippie John,” is ranch manager. Cattle are grazed at light to moderate
rates during favorable rainfall years. During dry years, grazing is reduced
by 70 percent and cattle are removed completely during prolonged drought. Since 2002, the ranch has implemented about
10,000 acres of brush management to control tarbush, creosote, mesquite and
juniper. Water
availability has increased through rehabilitation of old wells and earthen
tanks and the addition of 30 water troughs and three miles of water line. Managing for mature mule deer is a ranch
goal. Achievements include increased mule deer weights and a doubling of the
population since 2002. The
13th Annual Lone Star Land Steward Awards recognized private landowners for
their accomplishments in habitat management and wildlife conservation. The program is designed to educate
landowners and the public and to encourage participation in habitat conservation.
Texas
Parks Wildlife Department’s primary partner in the awards is the Sand County
Foundation. Other sponsors include
Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, H. Yturria Land and Cattle Company,
Texas Wildlife Association, Lower Colorado River Authority, USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service, Texas Farm Bureau and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers
Association |
Two junior high students, William Roberts and
Jalen Chriesman, took home $100 Wal-Mart gift certificates for being on the
All-A honor roll all five six-week periods. Getting $75 certificates for A-B honor roll were
high schoolers Cameron Baker, Ernestina Gonzalez, Cordell Lawson, Kelly
Lomas, Noemi Nuñez, Vicky Busch, Blakeney Chriesman, Jessica Garza, Travis Roberts
and Darren Seidel. Junior high A-B Honor Roll recipients were Mason
Blackmon, Kayla Fuéntez and Daniel Luevano. SANDERSON
– A controversy over the Band Booster scholarship continue to simmer this
week when a meeting was postponed because not enough officers were present to
conduct a meeting. Newly
appointed president Cathy Lawson Tuesday became the third club officer to
resign. “I
do not feel qualified to be president over an organization with no written
by-laws,” she said Tuesday. The
Boosters have no written by-laws per se and have operated on “tradition” for
many years. The
group has given a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior each year. Davis
Stumberg was the only senior that met the criteria set by the booster club.
But the boosters voted last week to give him a $500 scholarship. The
issue led to the resignation of President Lindy Stumberg and Vice President
Corina Castro. Many
club members said the $500 scholarship was not what had been advertised to the
public. A
special meeting will be called to discuss sending students to band camp this
summer at a time to be announced. New
officers will be elected at that meeting. A
good number of concerned parents turned out for the meeting that was
postponed Tuesday. Some said it was the biggest turnout in several years. SANDERSON
– A house in West Sanderson that withstood the 1965 flood that wiped out the
Wool Commission building next door and much of Sanderson did not withstand
the bulldozers this week. The
house owned by William Doyle O’Bryant, Tomas William O’Bryant and William
Dugan O’Bryant was reportedly built in 1940s but had been abandoned for
several years. It
will now become a livestock facility for the Terrell County 4-H Club. The
Piñon Foundation bought the house and donated the property to 4-H. It will
also pay to build the livestock facilities. Terrell
County ranchers Albert and Sheri Thorn donated their equipment and time to clear
the lot and house. Ralston
Rosas, hired by the Thorns, operated the bulldozer used to clear the house
and lot. Not
much remained of the property around the old house. A
cement slab is all that is left of the Wood House and Terrell County stores
millings it has gotten from the Texas Department of Transportation to
resurface roads. The
Piñon Foundation of Oklahoma City makes charitable contributions in Pecos and
Terrell County areas. Missions include educational improvements and spiritual
enrichments. SANDERSON
– American flags were placed on graves of veterans at Cedar Grove and Santa
Rita Cemeteries here Monday in observance of Memorial Day. The
American Legion and Legion Auxiliary have provided the flags for several years. Santa
Rita spokesman Edelmira Calzada told the News Leader Santa Rita will
provide its own flags next year. Cedar
Grove is owned by Terrell County. Santa Rita is privately owned. Memorial
Day was first officially proclaimed, by General John Logan, national commander
of the Grand Army of the Republic, on May 5, 1868. It
was first observed on May 30, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union
and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The
first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890
it was recognized by all of the northern states. The
South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days
until after World War I when the holiday changed from honoring just those who
died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any
war. It
is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May, changed
from May 30 when Congress passed the National Holiday Act of 1971 to assure a
three-day weekend for most federal holidays. Several
southern states have an additional day for honoring the Confederate war dead
on January 19 in Texas, April 26, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and
Mississippi, May 10, in South Carolina and June 3 – Jefferson Davis’ birthday
– in Louisiana and Tennessee. SANDERSON
– The Terrell County 4-H Club has scheduled archery, crafts and astronomy
classes for the coming weeks. Separate
classes for archery and crafts will be at 10 a.m. every Monday from June 16
to June 30 at Fair Hall. There
will be an astronomy class at 10 p.m. July 20, at the Eagle Football Stadium. July
20 will be the 39th anniversary of Neal Armstrong’s “one small step for
mankind.” Armstrong
was the first human to step on the Moon on the Apollo 11 mission. ALPINE
– Summer session classes at Sul Ross State University summer session classes
begin Monday, June 2. The
first summer session will conclude Monday, July 7, with final examinations
and Summer Session II begins Tuesday, July 8. Summer
commencement will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, in the Pete P. Gallego
Center. The
Summer I academic calendar begins Sunday, June 1, when residence halls open
and on-line registration ends at midnight. Classes,
late registration and schedule changes begin Monday, June 2. Thursday,
June 5, is the last day for schedule changes and late registration. Weekend
format classes begin Saturday, June 7. Monday,
June 16, is the last day to register for shortened-format courses. Class begins
this day. Wednesday,
June 18, is mid-term. Friday,
June 20, is the last day to drop a course with a “W.” Drops must be processed
in the Registrar’s Office by 4 p.m. Final
examinations will be on Monday, July 7. The
second summer academic calendar begins on Monday, July 7. On-line
registration ends at midnight. Classes,
late registration and schedule changes begin Tuesday, July 8. Friday,
July 11, is the last day for schedule changes and late registration. Mid-term
is Wednesday, July 23. Friday,
July 25, is the last day to drop a course with a “W.” Drops must be processed
in the Registrar’s Office by 4 p.m. Final
examinations will be Friday, Aug. 8, and summer commencement will be at 10
a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, in the Pete P. Gallego Center. COLLEGE
STATION – The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has named Tom
Boggus as interim director of Texas Forest Service. The
agency has become known recently in West Texas for its work in controlling a
spate of wildland fires that have broken out in hot, dry conditions lately. Boggus,
a 28-year career executive with the agency, has served as associate director
for forest resource development and sustainable forestry since 2005. He
succeeds James Hull who is retiring at the end of the month after leading the
Texas Forest Service for 12 years. “We
are fortunate to have a person of Tom’s experience who will lead the agency
until a new director is appointed,” said Dr. Mark Hussey, interim vice
chancellor for agriculture and life sciences. Boggus
joined the Texas Forest Service as a forester based in Linden in
1980. He rose through the ranks to become the agency’s associate
director for administration in 1996. Under
his leadership, the Texas Forest Service has reached out to new individual
and family forest owners with innovative educational and conservation
programs, developed a southern pine beetle prevention program that is a
national model and pioneered ways to provide new services aimed at conserving
forests. Currently,
Boggus serves as chair of the Southern Group of State Foresters’ Management
Committee consisting of forest management leaders from 13 southern states,
Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and federal partners. He
holds active memberships in the Society of American Foresters and is past
president of the Texas Forestry Association. He
was recognized for his achievements in 2007 with the Regents Fellow Service
Award. Boggus
received his forestry training at Stephen F. Austin State University, where
he earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forestry. The
Texas Forest Service is recognized as the leader in defining forestry of the
future for Texas and the nation through its applied programs in forest and
tree development, wildfire prevention, mitigation and protection, urban and
community forestry and a host of other innovative forest sustainability programs.
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