July 4, 2008
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SANDERSON
– It went from a serious drought to flooding conditions here in about two
hours Sunday when more than four inches of rain fell, filling drainage
ditches to overflowing and flooding several streets. Another
three-quarters of an inch fell on Monday. Marathon
recorded .7 inches Sunday and only 1.65 inches all week. Other spots around
West Texas had lesser totals. Alpine had only 0.17 inches Sunday. “The
ditches did great,” County Judge Leo Smith said. “I hope some day we can rock
the whole town.” The
county has installed rock-lined ditches starting at Pine and Fifth, funded partially
by a Texas Department of Safety “Border Colonias” grant. The
ditch was partially blocked on Hackberry where it goes underground at
Huds-peth, one block east of Fifth. Darrel
Seidel of the Rio Grande and Pecos River Soil and Water Conservation District
said five million gallons of water collected at the Sanderson football
fields, which serve a dual purpose of flood control and an athletic venue. “That
gives ‘The Pit’ a double meaning,” he said. Water was four feet deep over the playing
surface of the main field. To all the fine
folks in Terrell County, “Mar-Haba” (hello.) Happy
Fourth of July from Mosul, Iraq. It
has been almost two years since I left Terrell County and Sanderson and not a
day goes by that I do not miss it there. A
lot has happened since I left. I went back to South Texas, worked narcotic
investigations and tried to go back to college but something was still missing.
I
had a friend who is an Army recruiter approach me about enlisting in the
Army. I
listened to his spiel and now I am here in Mosul, Iraq, proudly serving in
the War on Terrorism. I
am deployed with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment
out of Fort Hood in charge of the Battery Commander’s personal security
detail. I
also provide sniper support and have my own team, the “HOW 6 MAFIA,” for
breeching and raiding houses. I
have been on more than 250 patrols and missions, had my Humvee blown up twice
by IEDs – improvised explosive devices – had more lead shot my way than I
care to count and lost two very close friends but still stand proud doing
what 95 percent of the country would not want to do. The
News Leader has agreed to let me share some stories, pictures and
straightforward thoughts on the war. Some
may be funny, some may be sad but I promise they will all be truthful and
from the heart. To
give you a mental picture of what it is like here, go to the Terrell County
sewer plant for the smell, have 100 hair dryers on high heat blowing on
you for the heat – average temperature is 127 degrees – throw in a dust
storm, have somebody shoot at you and you might get a mental image. I
have a mission to prepare for right now but I wanted to say something to the
people of Terrell County. Thank
you all for the support that you show and give the troops. We all appreciate
it. Have
a great Fourth of July and please keep us all in your prayers and your
thoughts. If
you have any specific questions feel free to email me at bull_dunham@yahoo.com
and I will be happy to answer them. “Ma’a Salama ”(Go
in Peace.) Greater
Love has none than this, that one lay down his life for his friends: JOHN 15:13. Vaya
con Dios, mis amigos. Former Terrell
County Deputy Shawn Dunham gas
plant FORT
STOCKTON – A major explosion at the Gray Ranch Gas Plant between here and
Sanderson Friday caused extensive damage to the plant but quick evacuation
resulted in no casualties. “Something
blew up,” Fire Chief Melvin Thomas said. “Damage was extensive and it will be
out of service for a good while.” He
said the cause for the explosion was still under investigation. A
witness said a pulley wheel on a compressor locked up and the friction caused
sparks. Thomas
said the plant was still on fire when his crews arrived but all personnel had
been evacuated safely. “Everybody
came out of it all right except it was hot,” he said. “While
there were no injuries, the company believes that the plant will be shut down
for at least 90 days for repairs and the net loss to SandRidge is
approximately 16.5 million cubic feet per day of methane sales,” SandRidge
Energy, of Oklahoma City, said in a press release. Thomas
said it took about 11 hours for the fire to be extinguished. SANDERSON
– The summer reading program came to an end last week with the theme, “Saddle
up and read, Bookaroo.” The
little cowboys and cowgirls heard the stories “The Jalapeño Man,” “Buffalo Surprise,”
“Why Cowboys Need a Brand, Why do Cowboys Sleep with Their Boots on?” and
“Gaston Goes to Texas.” They
even learned about some real brands here in Terrell County before making
brands themselves with pipe cleaners. Snacks
included pancakes with chocolate syrup brands on them and Buffalo Chip
cookies. Children
participated in activities, such as barrel racing with stick horses and
making their own Jalapeño man from cutouts. High
school helpers were Raquel Hinkley, Travis Roberts, Kelly Lomas and Darren
Seidel. The
program for elementary students is sponsored by the Piñon Grant. On
the last day, the kids were treated to a ride on a real quarter horse. Sandy
Pierce brought her son John’s horse, Darth Vader and the kids went for a real
horseback ride. “The
students had a great time learning and the staff, including the high school
helpers, were very pleased with the students’ behavior and terrific attitude
towards participating,” Librarian Pam Deaton said. SANDERSON – The Terrell County 4-H Club will host an astronomy class at 10 p.m. July 28 at the football field. “Local
resident Suzie Grusendorf will assist us with a basic class of identifying
the constellations,” Extension Agent Mark Carroll said. “There will be a
limited number of spotting scopes with tripods available for participants to
use.” He
said those planning to attend are encouraged to bring a pair of binoculars
and lawn chairs. Each
youth attending will receive a glow-in-the-dark bracelet or necklace and refreshments
will be available. The
class is open to all youth and residents. “Please
come out and enjoy an evening under the stars in Terrell County,” Carroll
said. For
more information, contact the Extension Office at 345-2291. dental
practices By JASON HENNINGTON Sul Ross News Writer ALPINE
-- Interests in dental practices both present and future are a part of Sul
Ross State University student Lucia DeLaRosa’s McNair Scholars Program
research. DeLaRosa’s
project, “Reshaping of Dental Practices in the 21st Century,” involves
studying laser use. Her
project, based on instrumentation, was extremely broad so she chose lasers as
the focus of her research. “That’s
where it’s going,” said DeLaRosa of San Antonio. “You can only do so much
with drills. “They
[lasers] are not trying to replace drills but are more convenient and acceptable,”
she said. DeLaRosa
has gleaned much of her information from articles and journals given to her
by Alpine dentist Dr. Jay Fielder. In
addition, Fielder has let her observe laser use in his office. “He
has given me a lot of articles, journals and course manuals,” DeLaRosa said.
“Thanks to Dr. Fielder, to help somebody like this is truly an act of
kindness.” During
her research, DeLaRosa learned the specific uses of different lasers and how
much they can improve the dental field.
“It’s
cool because different lasers do different things,” she said. “They are expensive
but can cut time off surgery.” Her
involvement in the McNair program is giving her a chance to be exposed to the
dental world prior to going to a dental school. Her
project is more of a “hands-on” experience rather than just research. “My
project is more focused on hands-on stuff,” DeLaRosa said. “I'm exposed to
things, not just reading in a book. “I
actually have a professional to ask questions and get direct answers,” she
said. “I wanted to be exposed to the drill and the suction and know what else
is out there.” Sul
Ross Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Chris Ritzi is her McNair Program
research adviser. “So
far so good,” DeLaRosa said of Ritzi. “He makes sure that I stay on track and
makes sure that I get everything done.” Ritzi
meets with DeLaRosa at least twice a week to review any information she has
gathered, investigate new sources and work on compiling her review paper on
the topic. “In
Lucia’s case, we are combining an internship with our local dentist, Dr.
Fielder, with a research paper,” Ritzi said. “She gets to spend the majority
of her mornings working at the dentist’s office, in effect ‘shadowing’ a
professional in the field. “This
is not only a good experience for her, but also an important step toward admission
into dental school,” he said. DeLaRosa’s
project differs from the typical research-driven topics. “She
is using her internship experience to draw on the application and use of
lasers in dentistry here in a rural setting,” Ritzi said. “We are examining
the literature and speaking to dentists in other parts of Texas to learn
about other applications of laser dentistry.” DeLaRosa
is a biology major at Sul Ross, which provides a solid base of pre-dental subjects.
Along
with being in the McNair program, she is also participates in the 3 + 4 Plan
program, newly designed for students interested in the dental field. The
program is designed to get students into dental school, and is associated
with the University of Texas San Antonio Health Center, one of the best
dental schools in the nation. The
3 + 4 Plan allows students to attend Sul Ross for three years and then
transfer to the dental school of their choice. Once
accepted, they attend that school for one year as an undergraduate, then
graduate three years later with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. “Lucia
is the first student here at Sul Ross to be taking part in the DEAP program,
which lets her complete her BS degree in biology at Sul Ross and her DDS in
Dentistry from University of Texas San Antonio Health Science Center in a
total of seven years,” Ritzi said. “As
both her undergraduate adviser and McNair adviser, I have been helping her prepare
for dental school admission,” he said. The
program requires a minimum 3.4 grade point average in science classes, all
pre-requisite classes passed and an 18 on the Dental Admissions Test. After
taking the test, DeLaRosa will have met all the entry requirements. UTSA
Health Science Center has accepted her and she will attend UTSA after she completes
her studies at Sul Ross. “I
went into the dental field not knowing if it’s what I wanted to do,” DeLaRosa
said. “Now I know I’m going to be a dentist.” The
McNair Program is named after astronaut Ronald E. McNair who perished during
the 1986 space shuttle Challenger disaster. The
program is designed to assist low income, first generation, and/or under
represented students earn doctoral degrees. It
assists students to prepare for and pass the GRE, LSAT and MCAT tests, as
well as apply for doctoral programs at other institutions. The
McNair program also sponsors travel to graduate fairs and symposiums, along
with periodic workshops on how to find and secure graduate funding for
involved students. Each
student receives free tuition, room and board and a stipend for summer
research. Each
student is mentored by a faculty member appointed depending on field of
choice. Recipients
will receive three hours of college credit and will engage in an intense
research project in their field of interest. Landscape
painting class offered ALPINE
– A landscape painting class will be offered at Sul Ross State University during
the second summer session July 7 to 30. This class will meet from 5 to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday,
beginning Monday, July 7. Students may choose any medium that they are comfortable using
and are asked to stick with that medium throughout the semester. A van for transportation will be provided and daily painting
excursions are planned to the Kokernot Park in Alpine, the Post in Marathon,
the Paisano Encampment between Alpine and Marfa, the Chihuahuan Desert
Research Institute in Fort Davis and the Indian Lodge in the Fort Davis State
Park. Three credit hours are available for this class or students may
opt take the class for no grade. The class is open to the public but all tuition and fees must be
paid in order to participate in critiques and lessons. to host Open Preserve Day INDEPENDENCE
CREEK – The Nature Conservancy of Texas will hold an Open Preserve Day at its
preserve here from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday,
July 12. The
event is free and open to the public, although advanced registration is
required by Tuesday, July 10. Independence
Creek Preserve is located 22 miles south of Sheffield on State Highway 349. Visitors
may participate in swimming, self-guided hiking, picnicking,
catch-and-release fishing, birding and other activities at their leisure. Visitors
should bring their own food and drinks for the day and plan to take their
trash home with them. Visitors
also should bring towels and swimwear and fishing gear – no live bait, only
artificial lures and worms. They
should also bring binoculars, sunscreen, a hat and plenty of water to drink. Restrooms
are available at the pavilion within the headquarters. Firearms,
stereos and TVs are prohibited. For safety reasons, children must be supervised
by their parents or other designated adults. No pets of any kind will be permitted. “Attendees
should keep in mind that the Independence Creek Preserve is a wildlife
sanctuary and that snakes, skunks and other wild animals may be present,”
preserve spokesman Lisa Wrinkle said. “Native American or other historic
artifacts may be examined and appreciated but may not be removed.” Vehicles
must remain on roads unless otherwise directed by preserve staff, she said. To
register and get directions, call Kurt Hanna at 432/345-6773 or e-mail him at
khanna@tnc.org or Lisa Wrinkle at
432/345-6773 or e-mail at lwrinkle@tnc.org. The Nature Conservancy
is an international, nonprofit organization
that preserves plants, animals and natural communities that represent the
diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to
survive. To
date, the Conservancy and its nearly one million members have been responsible
for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and
have helped protect more than 117 million acres in Latin America, the
Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. The
Nature Conservancy of Texas owns 35 nature preserves and conservation projects
and assists private landowners to conserve their land through more than 70
voluntary land-preservation agreements. The
Nature Conservancy of Texas protects 250,000 acres of wild lands and, with
partners, has conserved close to a million acres for wildlife habitat across
the state. Visit
The Nature Conservancy of Texas on the Web at nature.org/texas. |
Smith
said the floodgates were opened and it took “three to four hours” for the
water to drain out through the town. Seidel
said the floodgates were not opened until the flooding had subsided downstream
from the athletic fields. Smith
said he would not rescind an emergency order banning all fireworks in the
county, saying only Gov. Rick Perry could now cancel the order. “We have had a lot of rain but there is still
a lot of dry grass,” he said. “It will take a week for the green grass to
grow but we still have a problem.” SANDERSON
– Sanderson, Marathon and communities around the nation will pause today to
remember something that happened 232 years ago. The Second Continental Con-gress adopted the
Declaration of Independence at Phila-delphia on July 4, 1776. The 13 English colonies in North American proclaimed
that they were “free and independent states” and that “all political
connection be-tween them and the State of Great Britain is and ought to be
totally dissolved.” John Hancock, as the elected president of Congress, was
the only person to sign the De-claration of Independence on July 4. He said he signed it in large handwriting so King
George III could read it without his glasses. The name John Han-cock has
since become synony-mous with signatures. It was not until the following month, on August 2, that
the other 55 delegates began to sign the document. And it took a bloody, eight-year war to convince King
George and the best Army in the world at the time that the Americans meant
business. With the official holiday falling on a Friday,
Sanderson organizers have opted for a two-day observance today and tomorrow,
July 4 and 5. It all begins at 10 a.m. today as entrants for the
annual Fourth of July parade begin lining up on School Street just west of
Sanderson State Bank. Setup for vendors at the Terrell County Courthouse will
also be from 10 to 11 a.m. on the Courthouse Lawn. The parade is sponsored by the American Legion and the
Legion Auxiliary. Parade Chairman is Monica Graham. The march will begin at 11:30 a.m. down Oak Street, or
Highway 90, to the Legion Hall where a barbecue lunch will be served
beginning at 12 noon, also sponsored by the Legion and Legion Auxiliary. An adult plate will sell for $7 and child plates are
$5. Take-out plates also will be avail-able. Then the observance will repair to the Courthouse Lawn
where vendors will be on hand to provide food, games, silent auctions and
other attractions. At 3 p.m., the Terrell County
Historical Commission will conduct the Old Timers Re-union with prizes
for the oldest man and woman present. Rick Vanderpool of State Art/US of
Commerce also will set up at 2 p.m. to sell his brand new Cactus Capital
posters depicting indigenous cactus flowers. Vanderpool
will autograph them at no charge over the $20 price. The TCHC will also unveil an historic marker at 5:30
p.m. at the site of the Terrell County World War I airfield near where the
present Wool Com-mission building now stands. The first day of the two-day bash will conclude with
the first of two street dances on Hackberry between the Court-house and
Sanderson High School. Disc Jockey James Poe will provide music for dancing
from 8 p.m. till midnight. Tonight’s street dance is courtesy of Sanderson State
Bank and the Sanderson branch of the Pecos County State Bank. The 1983 Sanderson High School Class Reunion also will
be tonight. Setup for tomorrow’s acti-vities will be from 8 to p
a.m. at the Courthouse Lawn. The American Legion will begin the public activities
with a breakfast from 7 to 9 a.m. at Legion Hall. A $6 “donation” is sug-gested. Children under ten years
old can eat for free. Then it’s back to the Courthouse Lawn for the Pink
Elephant Silent Auction from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, also sponsored by the
American Legion Auxiliary. The American Legion will provide barbecue sandwiches at
the Courthouse Lawn from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The price of $5 includes chips
and drink. There
will be another Old Timer’s Reunion at 2 p.m. and the Friendship quilt will
be on display. Rick Vanderpool will set up again at
2 p.m. to sell his autographed posters. The Sanderson Culture Club will conduct its annual
Home-made Ice Cream Contest at 3 p.m. Terrell County’s home-grown band Dewey and the Terrell
County Bs will provide music for the street dance from 9 p.m. tomorrow to 1
a.m. Sunday. The usual fireworks demon-stration during the dance
will be a “no show” this year be-cause of the drought con-ditions. Heavy rains during the weekend were not considered
sufficient to completely eli-minate all fire danger. The celebration ends Sunday morning, July 6, with the
American Legion Breakfast from 7 to 9 a.m. Smokey
Bear team up McGREGOR
– Country music singer Kevin Fowler and the Texas Forest Service have teamed
up to produce a public service campaign on wildfire prevention. An
appearance by Smokey Bear reinforces the familiar message that “Only You Can
Prevent Wildfires.” The
campaign shows Fowler, a native of Amarillo, with the help of Smokey Bear,
stop a “wise guy” from igniting a brush pile in dry weather conditions. “Approximately
96 percent of wildfires in Texas are preventable,” said TFS Fire Prevention
Specialist Mary Kay Hicks. “The
hot, dry conditions that Texas has been experiencing are ideal for wildfires
and something as simple as sparks from chains dragging the ground can easily
ignite a devastating fire,” she said.
“Over
94 percent of the fires in Texas are caused by careless debris burning,”
Hicks said. “We also wanted to send the message that, if you start the fire,
you are responsible for it. “This
applies to welding and other kinds of spark-producing equipment as well,” she
said. “Texans need to know that they have the power to keep a devastating
wildfire from happening.” new
bank scam SANDERSON
– The Better Business Bureau of the Permian Basin has asked the News
Leader to warn residents of another scam making the rounds. “We’ve
gotten an unusual amount of phone calls today regarding a man calling local
numbers telling the person who answers that their checking information has
ended up on the internet and, if they’ll go grab their check book, he’ll help
them ‘verify’ their information,” Membership Coordinator Heather Francell
said Wednesday. “Most
of our callers are smart and ask him for his number or company name at which
point he hangs up,” she said. The
caller seems to be male, saying he’s with the “National Verification League”
or “International Verification Society” or something similar. “He’s
pushy, skims over stuff and asks for the checking account number,” Francell
said. “Keep your ears open in situations like this. “This
is a scam to get your personal information in one of the most direct approaches
we’ve seen,” she said. “If you feel concerned, contact your bank or credit
union and have them flag or watch your account for unusual activity. “Ask
the caller questions,” she said. “A legitimate company will answer every question,
including the name of the company, verifiable phone numbers and addresses and
encourage you to check them out. “And,
as always, you can contact us here at your local Better Business Bureau
to check out a company or let us know what's going on,” Francell said. “We
encourage it.” quince
ańos By LYN ROSAS News Leader Business Manager SANDERSON
– Roxanna Lynn Rodriguez, along with her parents Juan and Maria Rodriguez and
many relatives and friends, celebrated her quince años with a mass, dinner,
reception and dance Saturday. The
“Quinceañera,” which lasted an entire day and night, is a Mexican tradition
marking the coming of age of a young girl with the renewal of her baptismal
vows and a public commitment to God and Our Lady to live out the teachings of
Christ and his church as completely as she can. Roxanna
stood before the father and the community and renewed her vows. During
the mass, Roxanna was presented with a wide array of gifts, each with a special
meaning, from Padrinos selected by her parents. The
gifts were blessed by Father Thomas Manimala and then given to the
Quinceañera. Roxanna
was the center of attention to her many admirers, godparents, family and
friends as she made her commitment before the community and Christ. The
ceremony left the church and headed to the hall for a dinner in her honor.
Approximately 250 people were served a wide array of foods and deserts. Following
the dinner, the hall was prepped for the reception and dance that took place
at 8 p.m. After
the “marcha,” the giving of gifts continued. Roxanna
danced the father/daughter dance with father Juan Rodriguez to Tim McGraw’s
“My Little Girl.” The
night’s celebration came to an end with singing “Happy Birthday” to the
Quinceañera, and Roxanna’s mother Maria thanking the crowd for their support
and attendance to make her daughter’s day a special event she will remember
forever. SANDERSON – The eight-point star “signature” quilt project will be displayed for the first time this weekend at the Old Timers’ Hour at Terrell County’s 2008 Fourth of July Celebration. The
Old Timers’ Hour will be at 3 p.m. today and 2 p.m. tomorrow on the
Courthouse Lawn. In
the fall of last year, an old quilt was given to the Terrell County
Historical Commission by a granddaughter of Bustin Canon, who had found it in
her family belongings. It
was believed the quilt was started by the Missionary Society of the Methodist
Episcopal Church South, as it was then called, as a money-making project
around 1936 to 1940. For
a small donation, people could have a name embroidered on a point of one of
the 30 stars. A
total of 240 names and nicknames, along with business names and virtues were
embroidered in blue thread on red star points, some by hand and some by
machine. Church
records show that Rev. Samuel M. Mims and family came to the area in 1934,
followed by Rev. Jessy Y Bowman and family in 1937 to 1941. Both
ministers served churches in Dryden and Sanderson. Of
the some 30 Dryden and Sanderson Methodist Church families with names on the
quilt, three still attend the church in Sanderson. They
are Mary Nell Higgins Hinkle, Bill Goldwire and Doris McSparran Tollett. The quilt that began long ago was finally
finished in the spring of 2008 by the Busy Bee Quilters of Alpine. The
hand-finished quilt will be on permanent display at the Terrell County
Memorial Museum at the corner of Mansfield and Second Streets here. SANDERSON
– It may have been the fireworks ban or a car wash that brought about the
heavy rain showers over the weekend here. It’s
a widely-held belief that the surest way to make it rain is to have your car
washed. The
car wash Saturday and two bake sales are helping finance a trip by some Sanderson
youth to a church camp July 21 to 25 in Reserve, NM, near Silver City. The
Calvary Baptist Church will sponsor the trip, driving the 12-and-a-half hours
to get to the Apache Creek Deaf and Youth Camp in the mountains near the
Arizona border. It
is in the San Francisco Mountains near a 9,786-foot mountain with the appropriate
name of Eagle Peak. The
Church has sponsored the camp for several years. It will be the fourth year
for this group of teens. Last
weekend, there was a bake sale and a car wash. Another bake sale is planned
for 7 a.m. this morning, July 4, in front of the church. Pastor
Dean Lang founded the camp 33 years ago. He and his wife Janice run the camp
with their son Craig as camp director. Activities
for campers include horseback riding, swimming, hiking, volleyball, a
rock-climbing wall, train rides and, new this year, a gyro, which is a huge
ball that the kids are strapped into and sent spinning. Campers
also can bring rollerblades for some fun on wheels. And, of course, there’s a
cowboy cook-out. All
counselors come from Christian colleges. Laura Murphy will make the trip from
Orlando, FL, for her fourth year in a row. Janice
remembers the Sanderson group coming up and is “looking forward to seeing
them again.” this
month ALPINE – Program Council members from 1976 to 2004 will be
honored during Sul Ross State University’s annual “Branding Together” alumni
and friends reunion, scheduled July 18 to 20 here. Hosted
by the Sul Ross Alumni Association, “Branding Together” is open to all
alumni, past and current faculty, staff and friends of Sul Ross. Registration and entry forms for events and activities are
available online at the website www.sulross.edu/mybarsrbar. Planned activities include a Friday night social, campus tour,
Saturday “Branding Together” fun and games, 5K run/walk and “Branding under
the Stars” at the Reata patio with music by Tunes of Texas. For more information, contact Maggie Miller at 432/ 837-8423 or
Saul Garza, director of Alumni Affairs, at 432/837-8697 or via by e-mail at sgarza@sulross.edu. SANDERSON – In spite of heavy rains over the weekend, the total fireworks ban, proclaimed last week by County Judge Leo Smith, will not be lifted. Under
a convoluted state law, a county can order a total fireworks ban under emergency
conditions but only for 60 hours. Only the governor can extend the ban. Smith
did not declare the emergency until Thursday morning, June 26, after Gov.
Rick Perry extended similar bans for Ector, Midland and Andrews Counties.
Martin County has since joined in the ban. Smith
said now that the governor has extended the ban, only the governor can lift
it. But he said he would not recommend it. “We
have had a lot of rain but there is still a lot of dry grass,” he said. “It
will take a week for the green grass to grow and we still have a problem.” Smith
said if the grass has a day or so to dry out, it will catch fire with the
smallest spark. “The
rain helped,” he said. “But it did not solve the problem.” Fire
Chief Bobby Brotherton told Smith there had been three fires since the heavy
rains over the weekend, one started next to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks
ten miles west of Sanderson, one caused by a lightning strike on the Goldwire
ranch north of town and one on the Huckaby ranch near the Pecos/Terrell
County line. “Even
when the grass is wet, it can still burn,” Smith said. “Folks
have a tendency to think that with some rain, the fire danger has passed,”
Texas Forest Service Fire Information Officer Nick Harrison said last week.
“We want to emphasize that it will require a prolonged period of significant
rain to return to safe conditions.” Smith
said when he sought the ban extension from the governor’s office, Terrell
County was rated 775 out of 800 total points on the TFS drought rating
system. Andrews
County, one of the first to seek the ban extension, was rated 680, Smith
said. It
is a total fireworks ban. It prohibits the sale, purchase or use of
fireworks. Smith
said some will be upset because they cannot use the fireworks that typify
July 4 observances. But
most support the ban because of the danger of a fire destroying property, he
said. |
Smith
said if the grass has a day or so to dry out, it will catch fire with the smallest
spark. “The
rain helped,” he said. “But it did not solve the problem. Terrell
County legend dead at 84 SANDERSON
– Funeral services were Tuesday at First Baptist Church here for Bryan Ross
Stavley, a Terrell County Legend, who died Saturday in Ozona. Arrangements
were by Preddy Funeral Home. Stavley
was born in Del Rio on April 17, 1924, to Terrell County ranchers Charles
Franklin and Lena Schraffl Stavley. He
attended school in Sanderson, graduating in 1942. In
the fall of 1942, he left Terrell County to attend Texas Christian University
on a football scholarship. He
enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in November 1943 and was transferred to
General George Patton’s Third Army, 71st Infantry Division, because of a
shortage of planes for training. He
received the Bronze Star medal for meritorious achieve-ment in ground
operation against the enemy in the European Theater of Operations. He was
also awarded the Purple Heart medal. Stavley
was a member of the ETO championship 71st Division football team. In
1946, he began his 42-year career with Southern Pacific Railroad. He
was a member of the American Legion and the First Baptist Church of
Sanderson. He
married Pelham Rose Bradford of Pumpville on March 8, 1947. In
1949 and 50, he took a leave of absence from the railroad and he and Pelham
Rose moved to Mexico where he worked as an inspector for the US Agriculture
Department assigned to the Commissión Mexico-Americana para de la
Erradicación de la Fiebre Aftosa (the Mexican-American Commission for the
Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease.) Stavley
was a well-known figure in Terrell County. With his cigar, hat and quick wit,
he always seemed larger than life to those who knew him. He
was preceded in death by his parents and six siblings. He
is survived by his wife of 61 years, Pelham Rose Stavley; daughters Pam and
Jim Halsey of Woodsville, NH, Sherry and Ronnie Hall of Brackettville,
Bryanann Stavley of Seattle, WA, and Lisa and Cole Jennings of Iraan; nine
grandchildren, Melanie Hall and Tommy Hanson of New Braunfels, Christopher
Bryan and Amy Hall of Schertz, Jordan Halsey and Brendan and Vanessa Halsey
of Reston, VA, Brandi and Ross Jennings Crawford of Ozona, Jared Jennings and
Colby Jennings of Lubbock, Pelham Delaney and Julia Delaney of Seattle, WA,
and six great-grandchildren, Blaine Ross Hanson, Natalie Brooke Hanson, Bryan
Spencer Hall, Kaylie Halsey, Patrick Halsey and Justin Holt Crawford. Pallbearers
were Tommy Hanson, Christopher Hall, Jordan Halsey, Brandon Halsey, Ross
Crawford Jared and Colby Jennings. FORT
STOCKTON – Musician Ed Stabler will return here Thursday,
July 10, to perform at in the Summer Off the Patio series at the Annie Riggs
Memorial Museum. The
free outdoor concert begins at 8 p.m. and everyone is welcome. Special
sponsors making the event possible are Esther Ligon and an anonymous sponsor. It
is hosted by the Fort Stockton Historical Society. For
more information, call 432/336-2167 or the website at www.cowboydirectory.com. SANDERSON – The 90th Aero Squadron airfield near what is now the Sanderson Wool Commission will be remembered at 5:30 p.m. today with an historic marker by the Terrell County Historical Society. The
book “Terrell County, Texas, Its Past, Its People,” says the field was
commissioned west of Sanderson and the first aircraft of the 90th Aero Squadron
Flight “B” arrived in November, 1919, one year after the end of World War I,
then called the “War to End All Wars.” The
squadron headquarters moved here from Eagle Pass on Jan. 20, 1920, and the
nine deHavilland DH-4 aircraft were used in border patrol operations. “The
plane carried three 30-caliber machine guns, one firing forward and operated
by the pilot and two fired flexibly by the other crew member who also served
as observer, radio operator, bombardier and gunner,” Walter G. Downie wrote
in a June, 1954, article in the San Angelo Standard Times, excepted in the
history book. The
ten officers and 60 enlisted personnel operated the aircraft, providing daily
patrol of the US-Mexico border from Brownsville to San Diego, CA. The
Sanderson unit was responsible for patrolling the Rio Grande from Lajitas to
the mouth of the Devil’s River near Del Rio. Several
people who went on to make names for themselves were involved in the
operation including Gen. Jimmy Doolittle who later commanded a flight of
aircraft-carrier-based Mit-chell B-25 bombers that conducted the first
bombing raid on Tokyo, Japan, during World War II. “A
favorite story is the account of Jimmy Doolittle’s alleged flight under the
famed Southern Pacific ‘high bridge’ on the Pecos River east of Langtry,”
Downie wrote. “While the story is not fully documented, it recounts the
allegation that the young Lieutenant Doolittle, an intrepid flier, took a
dare to fly under the bridge.” Downie
said Doolittle was stationed at Eagle Pass but was a “frequent visitor” to
Sanderson. Downie
wrote that “probably the biggest excitement” during the period was the disappearance
of Army aviator Alec Pearson on a coast-to-coast flight. The
search centered on Sheffield where witnessed said they heard an aircraft
engine, rare in those days. The
search, under the command of Capt. Carl Spaatz, ended when Pearson showed up. He
had crash landed in Mexico, hiked to the border and was brought to Sanderson
by a “goatman” whose camp Pearson wandered into. Spaatz
later gained fame as a general in Europe during World War II. The
“historic” plaque is created by the county Historical Society. It is similar
to the Historical Markers done by the Texas Historical Commission. A
state Historical Marker is being planned for the Terrell County Airport near
Dryden, which was build during World War II. ‘pox
on both houses’ By MARK GLOVER Marathon News Leader ALPINE
– Politically, being a Libertarian throws you in neither the conservative or
liberal camp. For
Dr Larry Sechrest, Professor of Economics at Sul Ross State University and
libertarian, this means yes on legalized drugs, prostitution, gay marriage
and gambling and no on Food Stamps, income tax, government bail-outs and the
Patriot Act. “Libertarians,”
Sechrest said, “say to liberals and conservatives alike, ‘a pox on both your
houses.’” He
sat behind his monitor in his office wearing black, peering through thick
glasses, his white beard and modified Prince Valiant haircut, distinctive. Ceiling-high
shelves cover the walls, stuffed with volumes written by authors from Al Gore
to Shakespeare, Marx to Ayn Rand. Drawings
of sailing ships speck the few un-booked areas and a cleared spot on one
shelf harbors a framed photograph of his wife, Molly. “Most
Americans don’t understand that the spirit of our Founding Fathers was significantly
Libertarian,” Sechrest said. Libertarians
believe that the fundamental threshold condition for a peaceful life is the
absolute respect for a person’s rights including the right of private
property. What
you do in your own house is your business provided you don’t harm anybody. The
biggest components of a libertarian government are a police force, armed
forces and a legal system. Sechrest
believes that our country could operate well with a $500 billion budget under
a Libertarian regime rather than the $3 trillion budget we now have. Three
watershed characters in the history of America were the fundamental
philosophical forces that pushed the US away from its founding principles
into the present “intrusive economy,” Sechrest said. “Abe
Lincoln was a huge statist, a virtual dictator,” he said. “He wanted to
exploit one part of the country for the benefit of the other. “He
introduced the draft and the income tax,” Secrest said. “He arrested the
entire Maryland legislature. He suspended Habeas Corpus. “Like
George Bush and his Patriot Act, it was to hell with civil liberties,” he
said. “There’s
a mythos in our country about Abe Lincoln,” Secrest said. “He was not a poor
man. He was a highly paid attorney for the railroads and he proved his color
with the Land Grants of 1862 [benefiting the railroad companies],” Sechrest
said. “John
McCain’s hero, Teddy Roosevelt, wanted to rule the world,” he said. “He was a
die- hard imperialist and loved war. “He
believed that we were the right hand of the Messiah, instruments of God, like
the Neo-Cons believe today,” Secrest said. “He was a good shot, educated, good
writer but a dangerous man. His ideas were like the Monroe Doctrine on
steroids. “The
other Roosevelt, FDR, was a monstrous president, not a savior, as most people
think, but a destroyer,” he said. “Many of our traditions of welfare were
inspired by his administration. Two big myths about the man, that he got us
out of the depression and that WWII was good for the economy – both false. “He
admired Stalin and Mussolini,” Secrest said. “He created the Cold War by
giving Eastern Europe to Stalin. By his actions he subjected 100 million
people to Communism.” Sechrest
believes that the best US president in the last half-century was Ronald
Reagan, though Calvin Coolidge was even better in the 1920s. “Reagan
was remarkably bright and a better intellectual than Al Gore. Based on his
speeches he was a good president, but his policy was not consistent,”
Sechrest said. “He spent too much and opposed true free trade.” Sechrest
is warm to the philosophy of Ayn Rand. He believes that we should have a
right to control our own destiny. But
he agrees that many people cannot seem to get past the title of one of her
famous books, “The Virtue of Selfishness,” because words like greed and
selfishness have an anti-Biblical connotation. “It’s
not Jesus,” Sechrest said. “Greed is good as long as nobody has political
privilege. But when you have somebody benefiting at the expense of others, it
trumps the voluntary choices of others. “Every
dollar in a politician’s hand is a dollar wasted,” Sechrest said. Because
of the length of this interview, it will be continued next week in the News
Leader. By KIM RAPP News Leader Production Manager MARATHON
– The annual Cowboy Chili Cook Off kicks off tonight, July 4, with a welcome
party for the cooks at the Marathon Motel. Participants
should bring anything that involves chili. “Bring
enough for your group plus two,” the website says. Locals are welcome and the
party begins at 7 p.m. Tomorrow,
July 5, chili heads will gather at the Community Building for the fourth
year. The
competition is sanctioned by the Chili Appreciation Society International, in
which the top ten winners can earn CASI points. Texas
residents need only 12 points to qualify for the big chili cook off in
Terlingua, November 1 and 2. At
the Cowboy Chili Cook Off here, first place will bring in four points, second
place will earn three points, third place gets two points and fourth through
tenth place bring one point each. There
will be prizes for first through tenth place with first place taking home a
bronze cowboy hat made by Marathon artist Lloyd Goldwire. Judging
will be at 3 p.m. There
will also be a salsa contest at noon for a $10 entry fee. There are no rules. Half
the proceeds go to the top three winners. The other half will benefit the
Marathon Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. There
will be a barbecue lunch at the Post benefiting the Marathon ISD Building Improvement
Committee. Plates will be delivered to the Community Building for the contestants. And
on Sunday, July 6, the fun continues with another fully-sanctioned chili cook
off with judging at 2 p.m. This
time, proceeds benefit the Friends of the Marathon Public Library. Instead
of salsa, entrants should bring their best pot of beans at noon and, for $10,
try their hand at winning cash prizes for first, second or third place. Half
the money will go to prizes. The other half will help support the MVFD. On
day two, the top chilihead will take home a bronze mustang, also by Goldwire. “There
will be raffles and all kinds of fun,” organizer Daniel Eaton said. These
are both CASI sanctioned events in which chili cooks have two chances to earn
CASI points. There
will also be a showmanship competition, which has the same point system as
the other competitions. Showmanship points
allow entry in the same category at Terlingua. FORT STOCKTON – Signup has begun for the 2008 Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment Program, which helps deliver certainty for the crop year and the option of a timely advance payment. Cullene
F. Heritage, executive director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency here, said contracts
are available now at USDA Service Centers. USDA’s
DCP readiness follows the June 12 availability of marketing assistance loan
and loan deficiency payment provisions within three weeks of commodity title
enactment. “Within
weeks of its becoming law, we began to put a farm bill into the field and out
into the country,” Heritage said. “USDA does what its employees do best,
putting words into action and delivering results.” Producers
can fill out their 2008 DCP contract at any USDA Service Center. Producers
can also sign up online. They
can choose payment options, assign crop shares and sign and submit their
contracts from any computer with Internet access. They
can also view and print submitted contract options. USDA
computes DCP payments using base acres and payment yields established for
each farm. Eligible
producers receive direct payments at rates established by statute regardless
of market prices. For
2008, eligible producers may request to receive an advance payment of 22
percent of the direct payment for each commodity associated with the farm. USDA
will issue advance direct payments as soon as practical after enrollment.
Final direct payments will be issued after Oct. 1. Counter-cyclical
payments vary depending on market prices and are issued only when the effective
price for a commodity is below its target price, which takes into account the
direct payment rate, market price and loan rate. Since
2002, USDA has issued approximately $40 billion in DCP payments to America's
agricultural producers. Participants
must submit the completed DCP contract by Sept. 30. Applications filed after
this date will not be approved. The
online, electronic DCP service is available to all producers who are eligible
to participate in DCP and who obtain eAuthentication accounts. The
electronic service is available by going to http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/edcp
and clicking on “Access eDCP Service.” |