August 15, 2008
$1.1
billion Century plant due soon
|
FORT
STOCKTON – A $1.1 billion carbon dioxide extraction plant in Pecos County was
expected to begin construction Oct. 1 about halfway between here and
Sanderson, near the intersection of US Highway 285 and Puckett Road. Pecos
County Commissioners this week agreed to a “re-investment zone,” which would
make the project eligible for tax abatements. Fort
Stockton schools also agreed to a “pilot project” which would allow a payment
to the schools in lieu of taxes. “It’s
like a tax abatement,” Fort Stockton Economic Director Doug May told the News
Leader. “It is money that goes to the school that is not subject to
recapture.” Under
the state’s school finance scheme called “Robin Hood,” schools like Fort Stockton
and Terrell County are required to send vast amounts of tax receipts to other
districts to “equalize” revenues. “The
pilot project is a good deal for the schools,” May said. SandRidge
Energy of Oklahoma City announced in late June it had entered into an
agreement with Occidental Petroleum of Los Angeles, CA, to build and operate
the plant, to be known as the Century Plant, in Pecos County but it did not
provide a location. The
announcement said the plant, combined with existing SandRidge CO2
facilities, will allow treatment of approximately 1 billion cubic feet of gas
by the end of 2011. Oxy
spokesman Stacey Crews of Houston said Sand-Ridge will build the plant and
Oxy will operate it in a “win-win” proposition. She
said the CO2 is injected into a well site to help bring the oil to
the surface. “It’s
like the fizz in a can of coke,” she said. The gases in the well cause
bubbles, which make the oil more likely to rise to the surface. “They
haven’t given us a specific site,” May said. “We know roughly where it’s
going to be. It will be on Puckett Road right off of [US] 285.” for
airport SANDERSON
– Terrell County Commissioners should apply soon for a $50,000 federal grant
for Terrell County Airport, the Airport Board decided Tuesday. Engineer
John Landgraf of Landgraf, Crutcher and Associates of Odessa met with the
board to discuss what needs to be done to comply with what Landgraf called
state and federal “hoops and rules” needed to be eligible for grant money. The
board, which can only recommend action to commissioners, voted unanimously to
ask the county to hire LCA to prepare for the necessary compliance issues and
to apply for the grant as soon as possible. The
Texas Department of Transportation Aviation Division administers an annual
Routine Airport Maintenance Program each year, funded by the Federal Aviation
Administration. There
is $50,000 available in 50-percent matching grants each year for projects
such as runway and taxiways, fencing and the like. It
is too late to apply for 2008-09 money but the board suggested the county get
in on the ground floor for the new fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. County
Judge Leo Smith said there is $50,000 in the county’s proposed budget for the
next fiscal year to match the RAMP money. Smith
told the Board he plans to put $50,000 in the budget each year for airport
improvements because “the airport is an asset we’ve got to take care of.” The
county had planned a taxiway expansion early this year but learned from TxDOT
Aviation the airport was not in compliance with TxDOT and FAA requirements. Smith
said TxDOT officials told him last spring the county could use RAMP money to
get into compliance. Landgraf
said many of the compliance issues involve paperwork including a federal Form
740.1 that should be filed with FAA any time construction anywhere on the
airport “is higher than ground level” and that was not done in several cases. The
form allows FAA to check to be sure the structure does not interfere with
sight lines for pilots using the airport. The
US Border Patrol has a fueling facility at the airport but there has never
been a lease agreement filed with the county. Smith
said he would ask US Rep. Ciro Rodriguez to help him negotiate with the US Department
of Homeland Security to get the proper paperwork in place. TxDOT
questioned the agreement with Airport Manager C.D. Curry. Smith
said that contract was being renegotiated to comply with requirements. Landgraf
has submitted a proposal with $48,250 worth of work to get into compliance
but that figure could be reduced somewhat, he said. It
includes preparation of a master plan but Board members told him such a plan
has already been adopted by the county. He
said it may only involve filing the plan with TxDOT and his fee could be
reduced as a result. Landgraf
suggested the Board come up with a list of priorities of projects, which
could include taxiway extensions, fencing, hangars and other improvements. There
is no grant money available for hangars but the reason for the taxiway extension
originally planned earlier was to provide for hangars. There
have been expressions of interest in basing airplanes at the airport if it
had hangars to get the aircraft out of the weather. Smith
said he thought fencing should be a primary priority because lifestock can
get on the airfield, causing a potential hazard to avigation. A
fence might have to be able to keep away deer but Curry said the biggest
threat in recent months have come from goats. He
said there have been a few “close calls” but no casualties from animal encroachment. If
the county gets the RAMP money in the new fiscal year, and $48,000 goes to
Landgraf, there would remain about $52,000 that could be used for other
projects. One
of the priorities discussed Tuesday would be application for a capital improvement
grant for airport lighting. Landgraf
said those grants have a three-year lead time so preparations now could
result in money in the 2011-12 fiscal year. Smith
said he would put the RAMP grant application on the agenda for the Sept. 8
Commissioners Court meeting and he said he hoped the compliance portion of
the work could be accomplished “this calendar year.” The
Airport Board will meet in early October when Landgraf’s schedule permits to
develop a list of priorities. SANDERSON
– The Sanderson Arts and Education Alliance has agreed to organize the annual
“Cinco de Mayo“ in Sanderson after the Cinco de Mayo Committee voted to dissolve
last month. Cinco
Treasurer Yolanda Connelly told the News Leader she had tried to get someone
else to get involved but failed. There
was a long discussion at the regular County Commissioners Court meeting
Monday about combining Cinco with the Cactus Pachanga, which the alliance
also runs. It
was finally agreed to defer any decisions until after this year’s Pachanga,
scheduled for the Columbus Day weekend in October. “Cinco
de Mayo has kind of fallen apart,” County Judge Leo Smith said. “We might
want to move Pachanga to that weekend.” When
the Texas Legislature named Sanderson the “Cactus Capital of Texas,” there
was language requiring a “Pachanga” each year to commemorate the designation. Pachanga
simply means “big party” in Spanish. “Pachanga
has become a good social time and I would not want to dilute what we are
doing,” Commissioner Kenn Norris said. Smith
said Cinco, which commemorates the victory of the Mexican army of the French
at Puebla in 1862, was popular early on because it was the only such
observation in the area. “Now
we have all the surrounding towns doing it and it’s now just local,” he said. “The
original design was that it would be a fall festival,” County Attorney Marsha
Monroe said. “Arts and Education is going to do both.” She
said Pachanga has become a “social event, so to speak.” Since
this year’s Pachanga is already in the works, it was finally decided to do
nothing until after that event. “Let’s
just turn it over to Arts and Education,” Smith said. Sanderson
kin youngest all star CINCINNATI,
OH – Caden Villegas, 7, grandson of Sanderson resident Romelia Cleveland and
son of Oscar and Rachel Villegas of Austin, is the youngest player in “Star
Wars” tournament history to make two separate all-star teams. Caden
recently returned home from the national roller hockey championship tournament
here. He
was one of only eight players selected from across the state to represent
Texas at the tournament. Over
the long weekend, Villegas played in 12 games across the two division that he
was selected to participate in. The
divisions were for children born in 1999 and 2000. He
also competed in several individual skills competitions throughout the
weekend. Caden
had a total of 18 points for the tournament and was named to both the ‘99 and
2000 division A11-Star Teams. The
Texas ‘99 team made it into the tournament's top tier bracket and finished
sixth overall. The 2000 team brought home the silver medal for its
division. At
the conclusion of the tournament, Caden was also named to the ‘99 division
“Team America” team, which consisted of the top 10 players from across the
country. He
also is the youngest player to ever make “Team America” in the ‘99 division,
which is made up predominately of 9 and 10 year olds. rocks
for faithful By KIM RAPP News Leader
Production Manager SANDERSON – Five brave adults loaded up 12 youth here last weekend and headed to the Ninth Annual “Rock the desert” concert in Midland. Eleven
of those youth belong to 180º Revolution youth group of Sanderson. The 12th
was Jose Reyes, whom they picked up in Fort Stockton on the way north. “It
was awesome,” Cathy Lawson told the News Leader. We asked if she would go
again and she immediately said “absolutely.” Rock is an event designed with the youth in
mind, with Christian rock bands to share the message of Jesus Christ. This year’s theme was “Ignite” and Friday’s
headliners this year included Needtobreathe, Group 1 Crew, Family Force 5 and
illusionist Brock Gill. Groups such as Hawk Nelson, Switchfoot and my
personal favorite Disciple were on the card Saturday. I have been attending this concert for eight
years and it is such an awesome experience to worship God with 15,000 people. Some years it rained and one year there was a
horrible dust storm but God in all his glory has never failed to show up. The younger generation has taken praise and
worship to the next level. The event also had a teen tent where teens
could cool off, play video games and sit in on interviews with selected
artists or catch a quick game of ping-pong. Rock the Desert began in August of 2000 on the parking lot of Holy Trinity
Episcopal Church in Midland. The original purpose of RTD was to provide a free concert as a
project to reach out to the church neighborhood but it has grown to become an
area-wide event and now costs $20 for advance tickets and $25 at the gate. In an effort to make the event non-denominational, the event was
moved to Beal Park by the RTD Planning Committee. The concert was headlined by Newsboys and expanded to include
bands as well as games, a campout section and the addition of a Jumbotron
screen. The
attendance grew to more than 32,000. As of press time, final numbers were not in for this
year’s attendance. SANDERSON
– The Terrell County Sheriff’s Office is again in the market for a new deputy
after the resignation this week of Patrick Freeman of Longview. Freeman,
who was on the job almost one year, plans to work for the Odessa Police Department.
His last day was yesterday, Aug. 14. He
was employed by the Gladewater Police Department for a year and a half before
accepting the Terrell County position. Sheriff
Clint McDonald said that vacancy will need to be filled right away and two
more will open in October. Terrell
County Commissioners, in the final stages of adopting a budget for the
2008/09 fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, have put money in the budget for two
additional deputies. Commissioners
Monday also canceled three contracts with emergency medical technicians who
no longer live in Terrell County and changed one from a contract to an
employee relationship. Staci
Phelps was first of three to leave the county medical service. She was
replaced by Erica Bartley and Yolanda Martinez replaced Bartley. The
court canceled all three contract agreements and hired Martinez as an
employee at $52.40 for an eight-hour on-call shift. She will be paid $6.55
per hour for any shift longer than eight hours. The
court also canceled the contract with Johnny Allen who no longer provides the
service here. One
EMT position is still vacant. In
a related action, commissioners agreed to seek about $430,000 available in
technology grants under Gov. Rick Perry‘s Border Star Equipment and
Technology program. McDonald
said the grants would provide communications equipment, the largest going for
repeaters that allow two-way conversations over longer distances. “This
is a no-match grant,” County Judge Leo Smith said. “It won’t cost the county
anything. We may or may not get it but if we don’t take it, some other county
will.” |
May
said the state allows political subdivisions to abate taxes on “real high
capital projects” and the county’s adoption of the “re-investment zone”
allows it to eligible for an abatement. “It
is exciting,” he said. May
said SandRidge also plans to invest $345 million in the Pikes Peak and Grey
Ranch facilities, both in Pecos County. By KIM RAPP News Leader
Production Manager SANDERSON
– Several Sanderson Eagle football fans got their first look at the 2008-09
team at Midnight Madness last week. The
boys have all survived two-a-days and did some drills in full pads to the
delight of the fans. Midnight
Madness is sort of a kick off to the new season. It is the first practice
played in full pads. Dave
Campbell’s Texas Football magazine has ranked the defending district champions
sixth in division II. It
said the Eagles will be a team “to watch” in the upcoming season with plenty
of talent coming back from last year. Returning
talent this year will include some who shone on the field last year including
Phillip Lascano, J.D. Brotherton, Ryan Rosas, Jacob Benavidez, Darren Seidel
and others. Jonathan
Calzada was named “newcomer of the year” last year but a serious knee injury
late last season will keep him sidelined this year. Coaching
the guys again this year will be Head Coach and Athletic Director Mark
Dominguez, assisted by Jerry Garza and Leighton Conway. Adam
Portillo was also on the coaching staff but he told the News Leader he has resigned
to accept a position in Midland. The
first scrimmage is at 10 a.m. tomorrow in Balmorhea as the Eagles, Balmorhea
Bears and the Indians of Fort Davis square off against each other. The
Eagles will travel to Buena Vista on Friday, August 22, for another scrimmage
with the Longhorns. The
first game of the season will be at 7:30 p.m. August 29, here, when the
Eagles will take on the Wildcats from Grady. On
hand in the current concession stand will be the Band Boosters, who will
offer cold drinks, hot dogs and other football favorites. The Booster club raises funds to send
students to band camp during the summer. They
also provide a scholarship to a deserving senior each year. By KIM RAPP News Leader
Production Manager SANDERSON
– The Terrell County ISD music program is already under way for the new
school year and was expected to show improvement over recent years. New
Band Director Eric Cooksey has been spending his time cleaning up the band
hall and organizing things. He
said he is very serious about rebuilding the Eagle band. Cooksey
has had several meetings already, including one with the Band Boosters Monday. Juliana
Castro and Jimmy Rapp spoke about their trip to Band Camp last summer in San
Angelo at Monday’s meeting. Kathy
Lawson spoke for her son Cordell, who arrived later. Juliana
said she liked the structure of the camp. She said they had fun outside of rehearsals
but, when it was time to play music, they were attentive and wanted to
perform. “I’ve
never enjoyed band like that,” she said. She
was second chair in the symphonic band and said she would “definitely” go
again. Jimmy made his second trip to the camp. He
said he “liked it very much.” His favorite part was the concert. He
sat first chair in the Symphonic Band. He said he was very nervous before the
concert. ”I’ve
never played before a crowd like that,” he said. “It felt great to play and
know I did good. There were no ‘sympathy’ claps.” “Cordell
really enjoyed the experience,” his mom, Kathy Lawson, said. “He wasn’t sure
what to expect, but had a fun filled week.” Cordell
taught himself the clarinet. Lawson
drove the kids to San Angelo and donated the gasoline. There
were not enough Booster Club members present to elect new officers Monday. A
special meeting will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, to tend to that matter. Also
at that meeting will be a concession stand update, the annual scholarship
guidelines and definitely the process of making some by-laws for the organization.
The
Band Boosters does not have a tax exempt status as was earlier believed. As
of yet, by-laws have not been located. A
company called In Tune Music was expected soon to examine musical
instruments. The
company, formally known as Caldwell Music, will come and look at the instruments
that need repair and possibly fix them. The
Booster club has allotted $600 for instrument repair of which $48 was spent
last summer when the kids attended Band Camp to repair a saxophone, leaving
about $550 for additional repairs. There
might also be some school funds for this particular reason, which “will come
in handy,” Cooksey said. Last
week Cooksey headed a band meeting. School board President Ada Lee Robins was
present along with four parents and three students. A
barbecue was discussed for the beginning of the new school year at some
future date. Cooksey
talked of having the “legendary” Kirk McKenzie come one day next week. McKenzie
was Cooksey’s band director in 1967 and was instrumental in our kids winning
a division championship and making our Eagle band what it used to be. Cooksey
has stayed in contact with McKenzie over the years. He said it was McKenzie who
encouraged him to accept the position here. Band
practice began this week with practices on Monday through Thursday. Cooksey
encourages anyone interested in rebuilding the band to come to a practice. He
said only one student showed up for the first practice but, by the second
practice, word got around and several turned out. CORPUS
CHRISTI, Texas – Emelio Andres “Andy” Martinez of Sanderson graduated from
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi during the 2008 Summer Commencement
Saturday. Martinez,
son of Emelio Martinez and Jimmy and Sandra Davis of Sanderson, received a
Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the A&M College of Business. Texas
A&M University-Corpus Christi awards bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees
from the Colleges of Business Education, Liberal Arts, Nursing and Health Sciences
and Science and Technology. The
school, the only university in the United States located on its own island,
is a member of the Texas A&M University System. Sul
Ross student orientation starts this weekend ALPINE
– New student orientation this weekend will usher in the Fall 2008 semester
at Sul Ross State University, with classes beginning Wednesday, Aug. 20. Students
will meet with academic advisers for academic advisement and selection of
courses today through Sunday, Aug. 15 to 17. Sessions
will also acquaint students with traditions, student life activities and services
available at Sul Ross. Residence
halls will open at noon tomorrow, Aug. 16. There
will be a faculty meeting in the Studio Theatre at 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 18,
with school and departmental meetings scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Late
orientation will be Sunday and Monday, Aug. 17 and 18, for new and transfer
students. On-line
registration closes at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, which is also the last day
for students to register in Education block courses. Classes,
late registration and schedule changes begin Wed-nesday, Aug. 20. Weekend
Format classes begin Saturday, Aug. 23. Monday,
Aug. 25, is the last day for late registration and schedule changes. Monday,
Sept. 1, is the Labor Day holiday with no classes scheduled and offices
closed. Sul
Ross will host the annual New Student Convocation at 10:15 a.m. Thursday,
Sept. 4, in Marshall Auditorium. Friday,
Sept. 5, is the 12th class day and Friday, Sept. 12, is the final day for
students enrolled in Education block courses to drop a course and receive a
“W.” Monday,
Sept. 22, is the deadline for applying to student teach during Spring 2009
semester. Deadline to apply for Spring 2009 graduation is Friday,
Sept. 26. Tuesday,
Oct. 7, is mid-semester. A “University as Community” meal on the mall will be Monday, Oct. 29.
Friday, Nov. 7, is the last day to
drop a course with a “W.” Drops must be processed in the Registrar’s Office
by 4 p.m. Thanksgiving holidays will be
observed Monday through Friday, Nov. 24 to 28. Friday, Dec. 5, is the final class
day. Final examinations will be Monday through Thursday, Dec. 8 to 12. Fall commencement exercises will
be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, in the Pete P. Gallego Center. SANDERSON
– Paramedic Butch Maldonado will teach a class to become a certified EMT
Basic. Maldonado, who has been an EMT for several years, is the instructor
for Terrell County EMS. He
hopes to begin classes in mid September and they will be on Saturdays. The
classes run eight hours and there are 20 classes in the program, Maldonado
said. Certification
will be nation- wide. There
is no fee for the class but students will be expected to purchase books,
“which should run about $100,” Maldonado said. Students
will also be required to obtain hours in the emergency room in Fort Stockton
as well as go on ambulance runs. To
reserve books and become part of a career Maldonado said is highly in demand,
call him at 432/940-3664. The
annual back-to-school state “tax holiday” will be this weekend, today, Aug.
15 to Sunday, Aug. 17, to help parents stretch their budgets for school
supplies. The
“No Tax Weekend” will allow shoppers to save the sales tax on items students
will need for the new school year. To
allow lifeguards, many of whom are school students, the Bicentennial Park
Swimming Pool in Sanderson will be closed tomorrow and Sunday, Aug. 16 and
17. Many
of the lifeguards are also football players or cheerleaders so the pool will
also be closed on Friday, Aug. 22 for a scrimmage at Imperial. The
pool will open Saturday, Aug. 23, for the final day of the year. The
tax holiday law exempts most clothing and footwear priced under $100 from
sales and use taxes, which could save shoppers about $8 on every $100 they
spend. Backpacks
under $100 and used by elementary and secondary students are also exempt. Lay-away
plans also can be used to take advantage of the sales tax holiday. SONORA
– The Texas Pecos Trail Region has called for nominations for membership on
its board of directors. The
11-member board is composed of professionals from throughout the region in a
variety of backgrounds including tourism, economic development, parks and wildlife,
civic leadership and historic preservation. Pecos
Trail Region Board members are selected through a nomination process and
serve three-year terms. There
is a commitment of one board meeting every other month plus additional time
spent working on such issues as historic preservation, economic development,
promotion and education. Candidates,
regardless of background, should have an interest in heritage tourism. The
Texas Pecos Trail Region is a regional tourism initiative developed by the
Texas Historical Commission that fosters regional economic development by
promoting heritage tourism through the preservation of cultural and historic
resources and regional partnerships. The
Pecos Trail Region includes Terrell County along with Andrews, Crane, Crockett,
Ector, Edwards, Glasscock, Kimble, Kinney, Loving, Martin, Maverick,
Midland, Pecos, Reagan, Reeves, Sterling, Sutton, Terrell, Upton, Val Verde,
Ward and Winkler. Board
application packets may be downloaded from the Pecos Trail web site at www.texaspecostrail.com. For
more information or to receive a packet by mail or email, contact Regional
Coordinator Paula Walker at 325/387-2927 or by e-mail at texaspecostrail@hotmail.com. Deadline
for board application submissions is August 29. SANDERSON
– Jessica Garza will give a short presentation on her trip to Europe this
summer as a youth ambassador. “We feel that it is important to give back to the community,”
her mother Gina Garza said. “Without many of you, she would not have been
able to take advantage of this opportunity for the trip of a lifetime. This
is our way of saying thank you.” Jessica will speak at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, August, 19, at St.
James Hall. “We hope you can come out and enjoy,” Gina Garza said. “There
will be pictures, good conversation and finger foods.” |
The
Grey Ranch plant was seriously damaged in a fire in June but May said Sand-Ridge
planned to rehabilitate the facility. SANDERSON
– The Terrell County burn ban was canceled Monday in action by the County
Commissioners Court. The
county enacted a 90-day ban in January and renewed it for another 90 days in
April. The county imposed a 30-day extension last month. March
and April saw major grass fires throughout West Texas, two of the biggest coming
just days apart straddling the Terrell-Pecos County line. Also
included was a total ban on fireworks, which prohibited the annual fireworks
display for the Fourth of July festivities. County
Judge Leo Smith noted that there have been no major fires in recent months,
even though it is “still a bit dry in the eastern part of the county.” Several
rains in recent weeks have eased the tinder-like conditions of rangeland in
the area. “People
are doing a good job” of preventing fires, he said. “If
something bad happens, I can still impose an emergency ban to be ratified
later,” he said. Smith
said Monday the ban removal was effective “right this minute.” SANDERSON
– Terrell County Commissioners will have a special meeting at 9 a.m. today to
propose a tax rate for the coming fiscal year. A
final budget workshop Monday put the final touches on the spending plan for
the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. The
proposed tax rate was not known at press time this week but it was expected
to be a few cents higher than the current year rate of 27.68 cents per $100
valuation. The
“rollback” rate this year is 32.44 cents. That is the highest rate they can
set without being subject to a rollback election. Today’s
action could set in place public hearings August 29 and Sept. 2 with final approval
on the budget tentatively scheduled for the regular meeting on Monday, Sept.
8. gets
upgrades SANDERSON
– The Terrell County Volunteer Fire Department is expanding with new
equipment and an expansion of the department’s headquarters at Oak and First
here. Terrell
County Commissioners agreed Monday to buy structural steel for “not to exceed”
$18,000 to expand the building to the north. A
concrete slab was ordered last month and recently completed. West Texas
Contractors of Fort Stockton provided the 2,600-square-foot slab behind the
existing fire station under a $22,400 contract. Fire
Chief Bobby Brotherton said he has several welders among the volunteer
firefighters and they will erect the steel with the help of the county’s Road
and Bridge Department. There
is money in the department budget to pay for additional materials for the
building, which will effectively double the size of the garage, which houses
fire trucks and ambulances. Also
last month, commissioner agreed to purchase a used fire truck from the Fort
Stockton Fire Department for $10,000. Brotherton
said the truck, a 1984 model with only 23,000 miles on the odometer, was an
“excellent truck” and a “tremendous buy.” The truck new would sell for
$350,000. He
said the 1,000 feet of hose would be able to fight a fire in any building and
reach any fireplug in town. Brotherton
also said this week a new truck the county bought for $40,000 from Philpot
Ford in Nederland and a “slide-in” fire unit has arrived and was being fitted
this week. for
Fourth SANDERSON
– The Sanderson Chamber of Commerce was given overall responsibility for the
2009 July 4 observance in action by County Commissioners Monday. County
Judge Leo Smith noted that this year’s activities “turned into a mess” when
confusion arose over which group was responsible for what. “Coordination
is the key word here, not control,” Chamber President Jim Street said. “The
Independence Day celebration has been a community-wide event and we hope to
keep it that way. “But
when everyone is in charge, no one is in charge,” he said. “We want input
from everybody but someone has to coordinate, just to be sure everyone is on
the same page.” “Last
year we had a mess over who hired the band and who cleaned the rest bathroom,”
Smith said. July
4 falls on Saturday in 2009 so there should be no disagreement on a date for
the major part of the festivities. However,
some activities like class reunions could be on Friday. County
Attorney Marsha Monroe noted that Sunday, July 5, will be the centennial for
First Presbyterian Church. “It
could be an all-weekend event,” Smith said. The
court voted to empower the Chamber to “set the date and hire the band.” The
county contributes to community events and has set aside $2,500 toward hiring
a band for the event. Smith
said he had spoken with new Terrell County ISD Band Director Eric Cooksey who
suggested a “name” band might be hired. Cooksey,
a member of the Terrell County Bs that have played for the last two years,
said the band enjoys the experience but some years it might pay to hire a
more widely-known band. “We
either have to run it ourselves or get someone to do it,” Smith said. “It’s
either the Court or the Chamber.” Commissioner
Kenn Norris suggested the county be a member of the Chamber. “Towns
that are successful all have a good chamber,” he said. Smith
said he hopes to plan for a bigger event for July 4, 2010, the fifth
anniversary of the very successful Centennial Celebration. He
has suggested in the past that the county plan some celebration along the
Centennial lines every five years. ALPINE
– Texas State Rep. Pete P. Gallego praised Sul Ross State University
graduates for their persistence and determination last week, then urged them
to use their talents to benefit others. Gallego
delivered the summer commencement address Saturday at his namesake, the Pete
P. Gallego Center, on the Alpine campus. A
total of 117 students were candidates for degrees. Gallego,
a 1982 Sul Ross graduate and nine-term state representative, noted that statistically,
each graduate achieved what 99 out of 100 other world citizens did not – a
college degree. He
praised the graduates for their persistence. “One
of the challenges of society today is that when things get hard, people quit.
You have persisted,” he said. “You
are part of a pretty elite group,” Gallego said. “Today, when you look back,
you can realize that you have achieved what 99 out of 100 others have not.” He
reminded graduates that just as others had helped them realize their dreams,
they should pass their good fortune forward. “Help
others achieve their dreams. Build bridges. Keep building on top of the foundation
you have now,” he said. “It is strong and you will have to use it many times
to shoulder challenging burdens.” Gallego
stressed the virtues of love, compassion and caring. “If
you don’t make a difference in someone else’s life, bricks and mortar aren’t
really important,” he said. He
quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said, “Make the most of yourself, for that is
all there is of you,” and urged the graduates to trust themselves and believe
anything was possible. “If
it wasn’t for dreaming, I would not be standing here,” Gallego said. “I
thought my chances were limited before I learned to dream.” He
also stressed that his successes were not his own, but shared with many
others, and told his audience to give something back. “When
you hand over the reins to the next generation, hopefully you will hand your
successors a better world,” he said. He
concluded with a story of a persistent six-year-old who wanted his busy father
to teach him the game of baseball. The
father, pre-occupied, finally, cut a map of the world into many pieces and
told his son, “when you can put this map back together, I will teach you to
play baseball.” Soon
after, the son returned with a correctly-taped map in place. “How
did you do this so quickly?” the astonished father asked. “There
was a picture of a man on the back of the map,” the boy said. “I thought if I
could put the man together, the rest of the world would fall into place.” “As
you leave here today with your degree, we all hope we have done a good job so
you can do your part in helping to put the world together,” Gallego
concluded. $11,000
from fish MARATHON
– A single bottle of tequila sold for $2,000 last week as the annual Fish Fry
to benefit the Marathon Community Building reeled in more than $11,000, organizer
Ruben Ortega said. “It
was an excellent turnout,” he told the News Leader. Four
fryers provided massive amounts of the crispy delicacy, Ortega said. Manning
the cookers were Ben Ramirez, Kim Vann, Clifford Maples, Mike and Elizabeth
Johnson, Jim and Lee Roberts and Bob Gresham. Also
cookin’ up some fish were Pancho and Ray Ortega and Sam and Buddy Cavness. There
were several desserts up for grabs to the highest bidder as well as the tequila. The
lucky winner asked to remain unnamed. Topping
the dessert list was a cake made by Chef Paul Peterson that brought $1,000 to
the cause. Also
up for auction were one night and golf for two, donated by the resort in
Lajitas, an antique table and jewelry, among many other items. While
the guys were busy outside, inside the ladies took care of business. Ortega
thanked Rhonda Garlick and her girls Lauren and Capri, Cathy Carter, her
granddaughter Bryce Hinsley, Eileen Hogue, Terri Ortega, Marilyn Shakleford,
Kathy Gresham and Kathy Killingsworth. Also
busy inside were Haley Coleman and others who helped out. The proceeds from the Fish Fry go to
renovations of the Community Building. The
building now has a new heating and air conditioning system and new restrooms. Next
on the repair list are finishing the kitchen, a media room for meetings and
new doors complaint with the Americans with Disabilities Act. for publication ALPINE – Contemporary Literary Criticism, the world’s leading
resource for information on modern literature, has selected an article by Sul
Ross State University faculty member Dr. Barney Nelson for inclusion in
Volume 251. The article, “Dana Gioia is Wrong about Cowboy Poetry,” was
originally published in the Western American Literature journal in 2006. Gioia, a poet, literary critic and director of the National
Endowment for the Arts since 2003, has brought extensive attention to cowboy
poetry through his own articles on the subject. Nelson is an associate professor of English at Sul Ross. Nelson’s article challenges some of Gioia's ideas and summarizes
their differences. As a result of the original article and its republication in
CLC, Nelson has also been invited to contribute a chapter on cowboy poetry
for a new Blackwell Publishing Companion to the Literature and Culture of the
American West, scheduled for publication in 2010. Blackwell Companions are advertised as “Extensive volumes that
provide new perspectives and positions on contexts and canonical and
post-canonical texts, orientating the beginning student in new fields of
study and providing the experienced undergraduate and new graduate with
current and new directions, as pioneered and developed by leading scholars in
the field.” “Although I take Gioia to task a little bit, he has done a
wonderful service to rural Western America by providing his own pen in
support of the study of cowboy poetry," Nelson said. “He’s truly been a
leader in providing new directions for scholarship in literary criticism.” The Blackwell edition will be edited by Nicolas Witschi, current
president of the Western Literature Association, and chair of the English
department at Western Michigan University. Nelson
has also published “Every Educated Feller Ain’t a Plumb Greenhorn: Cowboy
Poetry’s Polyvocal Narrator,” in the journal Heritage of the Great Plains in
2000, and edited a volume of cowboy poetry, “Here’s to the Vinegarroon!”
published locally by Bill Brooks as Territorial Printers in 1989. |