October 31, 2008
Cowboy
Social scheduled Sunday
|
MARATHON
– The 13th annual Cowboy Social and Silent Auction will be from 3 to 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 2. at the Ritchey Building here. There
will be food, fun and musical entertainment provided by Craig Carter and his
Spur of the Moment Band, as well as a silent auction in which participants
will have the opportunity to bid on quality items and services donated by
area businesses, local artists and artisans and individuals. All
proceeds from the meal and the silent auction will go toward the support of
Marathon Primary Care Services. Some
of the goals the clinic board has planned for the coming year include
updating computer equipment, including a videophone connection. This
will allow Dr. Jim Luecke to meet with Marathon patients while he is in
Alpine, updating medical and diagnostic equipment, as well as making improvements
to the clinic’s physical plant as needed.
In addition to the fun and festivities at the
Ritchey building, there will be a health fair next door at the clinic. MARATHON
– Don’t look now but today is Halloween, a day set aside for spooks, goblins
and everything even a little bit scary. It
all started here last night, Oct. 30, with a “spook walk” and the Halloween
Carnival at the Elementary school. Each
class had a booth, with Pre-K and kindergarten classes offered a fishpond
with the help of teacher Deborah Raatz. Selena
Martin led the first and second graders in a bucket toss game and Andrea
Johnson’s third and forth grade students had a clown toss. The
fifth and sixth graders offered cotton candy with the help of Carley Lethco. Belinda
Bynum helped the seventh graders with face painting while Margaret Mathews
assisted the eighth grade students with a “jail.” Freshman
and sophomores provided a haunted house, the juniors had a Mexican supper and
the seniors had a coke-toss game. There
was a cakewalk and a bounce house by the Parent Teacher Organization as well
as a football throw. All
that’s left to do tonight is “trick or treat.” Halloween
is an ancient hol-iday with roots in what is now Ireland and France. The
History Channel says the Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is
now Ireland and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. “This
day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark,
cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death,” the
channel’s website says. “Celts
believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the
worlds of the living and the dead became blurred,” it says. “On the night of
October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of
the dead returned to earth. “In
addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence
of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests,
to make predictions about the future,” the channel said. “For
a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies
were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter,”
it said. The
roots of the early beliefs are still evident in modern Halloween celebrations
but they have turned mostly to a holiday for children and for adults who want
to dress up like something they aren’t once a year. Tomorrow,
Nov. 1, is also All Saints Day, the feast that commemorates all those who have attained the beatific
vision in Heaven. The next day is All Souls’ Day, which commemorates the departed faithful who,
accor-ding to Catholic doctrine, have not yet been purified and reached
heaven. So
whether the spiritual event, the historical one or just plain fun is on your
agenda, have a happy Halloween weekend. By ANDREA JOHNSON Special to the News Leader MARATHON
– “Proud to be drug free.” Marathon Elementary launched Red Ribbon Week this
week. It is the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the country. The
week was designed to commemorate “Kiki” Camarena, who grew up in a
dirt-floored house with hopes and dreams of making a difference. After
graduating from college, he served in the US Marines and then became a police
officer. When
he wanted to join the US Drug Enforcement Agency, his mother tried to talk
him out of it. “I
can’t not do this,” he told her. “I’m only one person but I want to make a difference.” Camarena,
37, worked undercover in Mexico, investigating a major drug cartel there
until Feb. 7, 1985, when he was kidnapped by five men. One
month later, Camarena’s body was found in a shallow grave. He had been
tortured and killed. The
Brewster County Sheriff’s Department as well as the United States Border
Patrol were on hand to educate Marathon students on the dangers of illegal
drugs Monday. Sheriff Ronny Dodson, Chief Deputy Ryan Skelton, Deputy Craig
Spencer and Marathon’s own “Mr. Deputy,” Edward Cardoza, encouraged students
to “say no to drugs”. Pre-K student Colette Pineda and
Kindergarten student Sean Ramirez said they want to be just like our deputies
when they grow up. First grade students Isaac Briones and
Monique Pineda would also like to join the force as well as second graders
Alyssa Olvera, Sean Gotts-chalk, third grader Emilio Briones and fourth
grader Jesse Lopez. The
US Border Patrol brought one of their drug-sniffing dogs for a demonstration.
They explained how the dogs are trained to
help in the war on drugs and, when the dogs are retired, they generally stay
with their last handler. Then
one of the Border Patrol helicopters landed on the track field. For
Kindergarten student Russell Martin, that was the best part of the day
because he wants to be an Apache helicopter pilot. Students
were able to look inside the helicopter and later wave as the pilot made the
15- minute trip back to Alpine.
Marathon students were rewarded for wearing their red ribbons every
day this week, and today they will all wear red in memory of “Kiki” Camarena
and the war on drugs. a
half century at the bar By MARK GLOVER Marathon News Leader NOTE:
Last week, we continued this interview with attorney Mike Barclay of
Alpine who had been honored for 50 years of service as an attorney. We
started two weeks ago. He continued to talk about his cases involving drug
and people smuggling. Much
has changed in the legal profession over Barclay’s 50 years of service. Ernesto
Miranda was convicted of kidnapping, rape and robbery in Phoenix in 1963. He
allegedly confessed to the crimes but later said he was coerced. Chief
Justice Earl Warren ruled that Miranda’s Fifth Amendment Rights, the right to
remain silent, had been violated by the Phoenix Police Department. “The
Miranda Ruling made certain that proper warnings were given to suspects by
law enforcement when arrested to protect their rights,” Barclay said. The
Fourth Amendment of the Constitution also protects against unreasonable
search and seizure. “Probable
cause has always been part of the basic reason to search and seize and it’s a
hard one to interpret,” Barclay said. Barclay
has had several cases thrown out of Brewster County Courts because of
officers’ failing to abide by the Fourth Amendment. “Ronny
[Sheriff Dodson] told me he didn’t know what probable cause was until I came
around,” Barclay said. In
1963, the Brady vs. Maryland case changed the law by requiring prosecutors to
disclose all material evidence favorable to the defense and vice versa. It is
now known as “reciprocal discovery.” “There
was a black man charged in a rape case. Back then this was a slam dunk for
the death sentence,” Barclay recalled. “But what the prosecutor failed to
share to the defense was that the woman had picked another man out of a
line-up. When they cross-examined the victim, she said, ’The police told me I
had the wrong man.’ And because that wasn’t shared, the case was thrown out
and the law was changed.” The
Federal Sentencing Guideline manual came out in the 1985 and provides a chart
to the sentencing judge on the inside flap of the 500-page book that shows
the recommended sentence for each grade of crime depending on previous violations. Another
change affected Barclay’s run of 13 capital punishment cases where he had
eluded the death penalty for his clients. “I
got them anywhere from five years to life,” Barclay recalled from his Dallas
days. Then
the new jury procedure eliminated the need for each juror to write the word
“death” in the sentencing. “Well
the next three cases in a row I got three death sentences,” Barclay said,
looking out his window. “I was thinking maybe it was time to leave. “These
people deserved a younger lawyer,” he said. “One who wasn’t so cranky and
could stay up later at night.” Judges,
however, have remained consistently human. “In
one case, I had a tough judge named Mack Taylor. My guy got a felony charge
for having an antique sawed-off shotgun hanging above his fireplace,” Barclay
said. “The
case before me was a heroin addict who pleaded to the judge that he was cured
and was walking the high road,” he said. “Judge Taylor looked at him and said
‘There’s something magic about that table because every drug addict that
stands behind it says they’re cured. Twelve years in prison.’ “We
were next and I tell the judge that we’ve got four character witnesses to
testify on behalf of my client,” Barclay said. “Judge Taylor looked at me and
said, ’I don’t care about your character witnesses. Fifty dollar fine Get out
of here.’ “I
had a man rob a convenience store in Fort Worth and kill the clerk with a shot
to the back of the head, assassination style. Brutal. He’d been sentenced
earlier to 20 years in a Colorado prison but they’d let him out in four,” Barclay
said. “One
of the conditions was that he must return to Texas,” he said. “The guy got
one stay after another for execution. Until finally we run up against Judge
Hampton in Dallas. “Instead
of the usual procedure, he wrote my client a letter. ‘Dear Larry,’ it read.
‘You will be executed on October 16, 1983. Have a nice day.’” The
phones rang and the secretaries were handing Barclay messages. He looked
across the files on his desk. The interview was over. Mike Barclay, Texas lawyer, 50 years
and counting. homecoming
finalists ALPINE
– Sul Ross State University has named 12 finalists for the 2008 Sul Ross
State University Homecoming king and queen. Queen
finalists are senior Celina Candelaria of El Paso, freshman Grace Fox
of Killeen, sophomore Marlett Garcia of Presidio, senior Morgan
Johnson of Christoval, senior Veronica Ruffier of El Paso and junior
Shiloh Shugart of Merkel. King
finalists are senior Logan Means of Dell City, senior James Aldridge of El
Paso, freshman Aaron Gonzales of El Paso, freshman Jared
Hilgenberg of El Paso, freshman Sammy Martinez of Odessa and junior
Monte Piper of Sugarland. Finalists
were announced Monday during a performance by comedian Lee Camp in Marshall
Auditorium. Reigning
Queen Ereka Howard of Midland and King Moises Morales of Fort Hancock will
crown their successors during halftime of the American Southwest Conference
football game tomorrow, Nov. 1, between the Lobos and Louisiana College. “Lobos
Throughout the Decades” is the 2008 Homecoming theme with events continuing
through Sunday, Nov. 2. The
annual pep rally and bonfire activities will start at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Oct.
31 at the field adjacent to Kokernot Park. There
will be a Homecoming lunch will begin at 11 a.m. today in the UC Dining
Services. Homecoming
registration will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the UC first floor. The
$40-per-person packet includes a commemorative T-shirt, admission to the
Homecoming luncheon, Welcome Social, pre-game lunch, football game,
President’s reception and Sunday farewell brunch. The
Sul Ross Alumni Association will have its annual meeting at 1 p.m. in the UC,
Room 210. A
campus tour will begin at 3 p.m. at the University Center. There will be an
Alumni and Friends pre-social at 5 p.m. will on the patio at Alpine’s Reata
Restaurant. A
Homecoming Welcome social begins at 7 p.m. in the UC second floor foyer. At
8 p.m., the annual Homecoming Chili Cook-off will be judged at the Sul Ross
track field and the lighting of the Bar-SR-Bar will be at 9 p.m. Tomorrow,
Nov. 1, the annual Homecoming parade will begin at 10:30 a.m., proceeding
from the Alpine Civic Center east on Holland Ave. to Jackson Field. J.
Travis Roberts of Marathon will serve as Grand Marshal. A
pre-game luncheon will be at 11:30 a.m. at Jackson Field. At 1 p.m., the Lobos will battle Louisiana
College in an American Southwest Conference football game. Coronation
of the 2008 Homecoming Queen and King will be at halftime. A
post-game Baby Boomers reception is scheduled from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the
Holland Hotel in downtown Alpine. A
6:30 p.m. reception at the home of President R. Vic and Mary Jane Morgan will
precede the 7:30 p.m. Hall of Honor/Distinguished Alumni banquet. On
Sunday, Nov. 2, a Homecoming 5K run/walk begins at 9 a.m. with start and
finish at Kokernot Lodge. A farewell brunch buffet is scheduled
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the UC Dining Services. |
Everyone
is invited to tour the clinic and its facilities, as well as taking advantage
of the free blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol tests, which will be
given on site. Big
Bend Regional Medical Center diagnostician Fran Witt will also be on hand to
provide counseling session regarding nutritional health. Clinic staff includes Licensed Nurse Practitioner
Joan Lister, LVN Ruth Spitzer and Office Manager Isabel Shackelford. By BERTHA ARRIOLA Special to the News Leader MARATHON
– Who would have thought that a pumpkin patch and an organic vegetable garden
would be growing in the backyard of the Marathon elementary school? Elementary
students, under the guidance of LaVerne Avery, Selena Martin, Andrea Johnson
and Deborah Raatz, began their gardening skills last fall with an
eight-by-eight- foot raised bed. Students
first planted lettuce and greens and, by Field Day in May, were enjoying
fresh salads. Meanwhile,
Pre-k and kindergarten students planted squash, carrots, spinach, bell
pepper, jalapenos and tomatoes while third and fourth graders planed green
onions and leeks. Before
the end of May, students had planted two more eight-by-eight raised beds with
saved pumpkin seeds along with cantaloupe and watermelon seeds. On
most Fridays in September and October of this school year, students are taken
to the garden to choose a vegetable to take home. Many
of the students are excited at the number of pumpkins that have grown in the
patch. Thirty
pumpkins have already been stored and ready to give to students and many more
are still growing in the plot. Teachers
have been using pumpkins to teach estimation, measurement and counting. Extra
vegetables have been sold at the French Company Grocer. Future plans for the garden include a compost
pile, more fruit trees to plant and some papercrere benches – and still more
vegetables to grow. Let
us hear of kids’Thanksgiving By KIM RAPP News Leader Production Manager MARATHON
– Thanksgiving is less than a month away now and the Marathon News Leader is
putting out a call for what younger children are thankful for. For
children 10 years of age or younger, ask what they are thankful for and we
will bless the readers with a smile around Thanksgiving. Send
us the thoughts, unedited. Please resist the temptation to correct your
child’s thoughts. Let’s hear them in their own words. Thanksgiving
is Thursday, Nov. 27, leading into the Christmas holidays. It
is the time of year when all of us begin to recognize the blessings in our
lives. E-mail their answers to kim@tcnewsleader.com, call us at
432/345-2676 or track down Marathon editor Arlene Griffis. By ARLENE GRIFFIS MNL Editor ALPINE
– The 2008-09 class of Leadership Big Bend met in the Gallego Center on the
campus of Sul Ross State University last week. After
the welcome by program host Kathy Bork, Henry Moon presented information on
the structure and function of city and county government in the Big Bend Region. Class
members then split into county groups to discuss major issues presently facing
the tri-county area, after which they listened to a panel discussion featuring
Judge George Grubbs of Jeff Davis County, Judge Val Beard of Brewster County
and Judge Jerry Agan of Presidio County.
During
a working lunch, the panel format continued with the focus changing to city
government with panel members, Alpine City Manager Chuy Garcia and Johanna
Nelson, a member of the Alpine City Council. The
class spent the afternoon at the Turner Range Animal Science Center where
they received an overview of ranching in the area given by Julie McIvor. The
group ended the day by accompanying Dr. Paul Will and Dr. Jeff Pendergraft on
a tour of the Range Animal Science center.
Leadership
Big Bend promotes leaders for the Big Bend area for the present and the future.
Leadership
Big Bend will identify those who want to be involved in the economic and
community development of this area and further develop personal skills. The
program begins each September and consists of nine full-day sessions that
will provide the participants with an awareness of the challenges and possibilities
in the area. This
year’s class members include Yolanda Belazi, Laura Bell, Fonda Ghiardi,
Hannah Gray, Tex Harrison and Tamara Mayo of Fort Davis. Alpine
members are Adrian Billings, Karen Boyd, Patsy Culver, Adrienne Dreyfus,
Selma Garcia, Bonnie Hamilton, Jason Hennington, Tim Howard, Van Lyle,
Johanna Nelson, Belle Peña, Sally Schaefer, Jay Umphlett, Doris Werckle and
Teresa Williams. Arlene Griffis represents Marathon
and Susan Celaya, Lisa Turecek and Bill Wellman come from Big Bend National
Park. By MARK GLOVER Marathon News Leader TERLINGUA
– Steaming bowls of red will be the main event here this weekend as cooks
from around the world compete for the big enchilada of the chile world. Chile
Appreciation Society International and The Frank X. Tolbert-Wick Fowler
Memorial – The Original – are sanctioning the final chili cook-off
competitions of the year here to determine the best 2008 chile maestros. Last
year, more than 500 bowls of chile sizzled judges’ taste buds. “I
like to clean my pallet between chiles with celery. Others use crackers,
carrots or beer,” Terry Buffalo “Butt” Butler said. “Most of them use beer.” Butler
has been attending the Chile Cook-Offs for 34 years and his wife T.J. for 27
years. Both judged at the CASI event last year. Along
with the chile and beer, 57 arrests were made last year, mainly for public
intoxication. “Our
rules are very simple down there,” Sheriff Ronny Dodson said. “If you’re
driving a four-wheeler the speed limit is five miles per hour and if you’re
drunk and fall, fall out of the road. “Smoking
marijuana and fighting will land you in jail,” the sheriff added. Drunks
however are handled a little differently. “We
can’t haul all the PIs up to the jail so we build a campfire every night and
the really drunk ones are brought there,” Dodson said. “We write the time on
their hands. After four hours at the fire to give them time to sober up, we
release them with a citation.” The
Chili Cook-off started in 1967, back when Carroll Shelby was racing Cobras
and selling Terlingua Ranch property at $1 per acre. It
wasn’t selling fast. Then he and his partners Frank Tolbert and Wick Fowler
heard about Holiday Magazine writer H. Allen Smith’s boast that “nobody
in Texas knows how to cook chile.” “The
next thing you know, there was a Chili Cook-off at the Terlingua ghost town
between the Yankee Smith and Wick Fowler,” Elton Holmsley, an old timer of
the Chili Cook-Offs, said. “The judge was Hallie Stillwell. She burned her
tongue and declared the contest a tie.” Entries
grew and in 1970, the first woman was allowed to compete. She didn’t win. In
1973, Sheriff Jim Skinner advised Fowler and Tolbert that the ghost town
mineshaft area was “too dangerous for all these drunks,” Holmsley said. The
event moved to Glen Pepper’s “Villa de la Minas” ranch until the 1980s when
tension between rivaling parties caused a split. “Shelby
had already taken his cook-off to the Mojave Desert in California. The rest
of ‘em went to federal court in Pecos. The dispute was heard by Judge Lucius
Patton who threw the case out,” Holmsley said. “Said it was between you boys
to figure out.” In
November of 1988, CASI bought the land their event is now located on and the
“Original” stayed behind Arturo’s store. Chile
judge Roy Pitcock, who has been judging at the “Original” since 1989, said
the main difference between the two cook-offs was that when the National
Anthem was played at the “Original,” everybody stood. When
asked if the “Original” allowed armadillo meat in their chile, which had been
a rumor going around the CASI camp last year, Pitcock shook his head, leaned
across the table and said, “No animals like that. They’re the ones with no
rules.” Both
events contribute funds toward national and local college scholarships and other
charities through entry fees, sponsorships and the sale of food and beverage.
CASI
sanctions more than 500 cook-offs and raises more than $1 million each year
for local charities. This year, the “Original” event
selected the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease,
as recipients of the proceeds. Big
Bend area geology explored By MARK GLOVER Marathon News Leader ALPINE
– In the middle of Brewster County, looming large, square-shouldered and something
like an African beast, Elephant Mountain stands 6,200 feet above sea-level
offering vistas of the volcanic history of West Texas – the Paisano Plateau,
the Window at the Chisos, the Bofecillos, the Apache Mountains and, in the
far distance in south Presidio County, the remnants of one of the biggest
volcanic explosions of all time, Chinati. The
Chinati Volcano killed everything within a 100-mile range of its vent. The
red-hot rock blew into the atmosphere and cooled as ash likely darkened the
sky for years, nucleating giant electrical thunderstorms that altered the
climate. A
span of trees near Candeleria that were walloped with the explosive force
fell in a semi-circular pattern indicating the direction of the blast and can
still be seen today, petrified. Chinati
is ranked as the 20th most powerful volcano in the history of the planet. Thirty
to 35 million years ago, West Texas was a violent place, a cauldron of
volcanic activity. And
it is this period of time that formed and now defines the geography of West
Texas. A
very brief geological history of the Trans-Pecos starts 200 million years ago
with the deposition of limestone from the giant Permian Sea that covered the
area. About
140 million years later, mountains began to build as plates shifted below the
Earth’s surface. In
the Tertiary Period, volcanism was followed by the Miocene Epoch where tremendous
faulting occurred. And
then 15 million years of erosion brought us to the present. The
mountain savannah on top of Elephant Mountain is covered with a dark clay
soil, older than most soils of the region. It
is somewhat protected from the tremendous force of millions of years of
erosion, as are many of the high plateaus in the region. Some
scientists speculate that when the hot volcanic ash landed, it welded to
already existing surface rock creating a super hard substance known as
ignimbrite. This
rock, found at the base of many of our region’s mesas, was more resistant to
erosion. Green
Valley, a low expanse of land that runs below Mitchell Mesa near Casa Piedra
east through the Folkes and O-2 ranches, can be seen from Elephant Mountain,
illustrating the power of erosion. In
some places, the desert floor is thousands of feet below the plateaus suggesting
tons of earth that has been swept down valleys like Calamity and Terlingua
Creeks and eventually into the Rio Grande where, over the years, this earth
was pushed downriver into the Gulf of Mexico, spreading Texas across the
globe. |
The
clinic is open each Monday and Thursday and can be reached by calling
432/386-4316. Admission
to the social is $15 for adults and $5 for children age ten and under. MARATHON
– The Marathon Lady Colts volleyball team ended a perfect season by defeating
the McCamey A and B teams on here Monday. Parents
of the undefeated team were recognized and honored for their support and
presented with flowers. Krystal
Aguilar took control of game two by scoring 25 straight points against a
McCamey B team. On
their way to becoming Buena Vista Tournament Champions, the Lady Colts
defeated Buena Vista, Grandfalls, the Lady Warriors of Odessa, McCamey A and
B teams, Fort Davis, Marfa, Grandfalls again and Marfa again. They
topped off the tourney by defeating McCamey A team and B team again, earning
them championship status. The
Lady Colts were also Fort Davis Tournament Champs, defeating Marfa,
Grandfalls and the Bears from Balmorhea. The
girls finished the season with a record of 12-0. “I knew all year they could do it, but I am
glad the girls progressed all season and continued to improve,” Coach Nitra
Woods told the News Leader. ”They
are all MVPs.” Book
sale successful MARATHON
– The fundraiser by the Friends of the Marathon Public Library at the
Marathon Community Center last weekend was considered a success. The
group sold books that library staff had removed from inventory, as well as
some Christmas ornaments and hand-knitted scarves and hats. The
Friends hosted a salad luncheon Sunday, which was attended by approximately
50 people. After
the luncheon, Marathon photographer James Evans presented a slide show of a
collection of people, places and things around the Big Bend region. “The
entire audience was spellbound during the approximately 15-minute program,
which was set to background music,” Friends President Arlene Griffis said.
“Although all of James’ pictures are breathtaking, he has a special talent
for photographing people, as he seems to have the ability to photograph their
very souls along with their faces. “Many
of these ‘people’ pictures evoked strong emotions in those present, particularly
those who have lived for a long time in the area,” she said. “David
and I moved here in 1995 and so many of those were people we knew back then
who are no longer with us,” Librarian Carol Townsend said. Evans’
photography book, “Big Bend Pictures,” was published by University of Texas
Press in 2003. He is considering a second book proposal featuring these photographs. “This
was such a successful event for Friends of the Marathon Library,” Griffis
said. “The money raised will help fund several of our projects for the coming
year. ”We
want to thank each person who donated a salad or salads as well as those who
purchased books and made other monetary donations,” she said. “Our patrons
are always generous and are willing to come to our aid in times of need. A
town the size of Marathon is so fortunate to have a library.”
Librarian Townsend and assistant Shirley Rooney will continue to sell
Christmas ornaments and scarves throughout November and December at the
library. MARATHON
– Big Bend National Park Fire Fighters Dave Yim and Dave Van Inwagen visited
Marathon Elementary School to show students how to use fire extinguishers
this week. “Dave
and Dave” explained that most fires occur in the kitchen within 15 minutes. Each
student received information to take home with hints to prevent home fires. The
Big Bend National Park Fire Fighters spend most of their time educating park
employees about fire prevention. Homes
in the park are equipped with sprinkler systems as well as smoke alarms and
fire extinguishers. Students
were given guidelines as to when a fire extinguisher should be used, if a
person were on fire and when to “get out and stay out.” They
were given lessons using real fire extinguishers in putting out a fire. “I wouldn’t
have known how to use the fire extinguishers before today,” Elementary
teacher Selena Martin said. Friends
of Marathon Library News By ARLENE GRIFFIS Library Friend
MARATHON
– Happy Halloween. I guess I should have reviewed a scary book this week but
I didn’t think about it in time. The
one I chose, however, is somewhat frightening, although not in a spooky way,
and is also appropriate to end October, which has been designated as Cancer
Awareness Month. I
know that I have said before that the best book I have ever read is always
the one I am currently reading but the one I have just completed is truthfully
one of the best ones I have ever read.
It
is called “Ice Bound: A Doctor’s Incredible Battle for Survival” by Dr. Jerri
Nielsen with Maryanne Vollers. You
may remember about ten years ago hearing about a doctor at the South Pole who
treated her own breast cancer until the polar winter was over and a rescue
plane was able to land at the Pole. Jerri
Nielsen was that doctor and this book is her story, told in her own
words. In
the fall of 1998, at the age of 46, after a terrible marriage to an
emotionally and verbally abusive husband, Nielsen found herself living back
at her parents’ home and working as an emergency room physician at a hospital
in eastern Ohio. Tragically,
in an effort to escape the suffocating and destructive marriage, she subsequently
lost her children to her ex-husband’s manipulative in-fluence. Although
her parents and her two younger brothers were supportive and served as her
mental saviors through these difficult times, Nielsen understandably
continued to feel restless, depressed and ready for a change. Then
she saw an ad for a job in Antarctica, a place she had always wanted to see.
A doctor for the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station was needed immediately. Nielsen
applied and got the job, thereby embarking on an adventure more exciting than
even she could ever have imagined. Although
her breast cancer was probably what gave the doctor the most recognition, it
is not the major focus of “Ice Bound.” Because
I love to read stories of extreme adventure, I was captivated from beginning
to end. Nielsen
spends a great deal of time introducing and expanding upon the characters who
were her “dome-mates” at the Pole as well as describing in detail the living
accommodations, climate, dangers and rewards of life at the bottom of the
world. What
I enjoyed most were her descriptions of the activities she and her fellow
“Polies” devised to have fun and endure the six-month long polar winter. Nielsen’s
account of her great Antarctic adventure is also quite reflective, as she
discovers characteristics and qua-lities in herself that surprised her as
well as helping her to accept the circumstances and relationships which
shaped her life. She
also develops a renewed view of the human condition and the lifestyles which
make us happiest and most productive. In
the words of the author, “We come to understand and rely on each other in a
way that is not of this century, not of this time. This is how human beings
were meant to live, in tribes. “The
tribe is all that we have here and it makes its own laws, customs, rules of
interaction and concept of duty,” she wrote. “Here, duty is everything. How beautiful and simple that is. “It
is my duty to love and accept and care for everyone, and worry about their
mental, physical and spiritual health, all the time – just like those who
have done my job since the beginning of time,” Nielsen wrote. In
e-mails to her friends and family, Nielsen also expresses her feelings of
euphoria at feeling that she is in precisely the place she is supposed to be
in at that specific time in her life. “Like
a sailor who could become ‘of the sea.’ I had become of ‘of the Ice,’” says
Nielsen. “Many people responded when they read my letter. “A
Vietnam veteran wrote that he understood because he had come to love the heat
and went to live in the Arizona desert,” she wrote. “I believe it can happen
to anyone whose heart bonds with a landscape. It is like a love affair with a
place.” I
could strongly identify with those emotions as I fell in love with the Big
Bend the first time I saw it. I
feel that it is where I was meant to be. Every day I continually marvel at
the diverse personalities and talents that we have here in Marathon. We
are, in a sense, a tribe whose members take care of each other physically,
spiritually and emotionally. No other place I have ever lived has given me
the same feeling of completeness. Happy
Reading. Arlene Griffis is a volunteer at
Marathon Public Library, which is a branch of Alpine Public Library. AUSTIN
– Next Tuesday is Election Day across the country and Texas Secretary of
State Hope Andrade said this week the final tally of registered voters in
Texas for the General Election is 13.5 million, up from 12.7 million registered
voters in this year’s March primaries.
“I am excited about the growth we have seen statewide in voter
registrations since March,” Andrade said. “Texans recognize the importance of
this election and are already exercising their right to vote in record numbers
during early voting.” More than 2 million registered Texans cast a ballot during the
first eight days of the early voting period, which ends today, Oct. 31. “The convenience of early voting continues to be something
Texans appreciate,” Andrade said. “It is not too late to take advantage of
early voting and avoid what may be long lines on Nov. 4.” Additionally, Andrade reminded voters what they can expect when
they get to the polling place. Each polling location should be accessible to voters with
disabilities and include at least one accessible voting system. If a voter presents a voter registration certificate, he will
not be required to show another form of ID. If, however, a voter does not have a voter registration
certificate with him, he may still vote if he provides another form of
identification. A list of acceptable forms of identification is available at www.votexas.org and includes a driver
license or personal identification card issued by the Texas Department of
Public Safety, a form of identification that contains a photograph and
establishes the voter’s identity or a birth certificate or other document
that confirms birth and is admissible in a court of law to establish identity. Other acceptable forms include US citizenship papers, a US
passport, official mail addressed to the voter by name from a governmental
entity or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check,
paycheck, or other government document that shows the voter’s name and
address. If a voter’s name does not appear on the list of registered
voters, he still has a right to cast a provisional ballot, which will be
counted once it is determined the voter is eligible to vote. Andrade said her office is committed to protecting voting rights
and encourages Texans to call the voter hotline at 800/252-VOTE if they have
questions or concerns about the voting process. Polls will be
open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Terrell County Courthouse in
Sanderson, the Community Building in Marathon and polling places across the
state. |