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MARATHON
– Organizers for Marathon’s 8th Annual West Fest are gearing up for the party
at the Post Friday and Saturday, Sept. 19 and 20.
“We’re
moving along with it. Everybody’s doing their part,” Marathon Chamber of
Commerce President Hal Henthorne said.
Friday
Night’s dance will feature Los Pinche Gringos and Saturday’s events will
include the Cabrito Cook Off.
Last year, 21 teams competed for the best
barbequed goat and approximately 400 people attended the two-day event.
Colts
top Shorthorns
MARATHON
– The Lady Colts swept the Marfa Shorthorns in volleyball here last week.
Outscoring
the Shorthorns in game one 25-8, Krystal Aguilar had 14 consecutive serves,
only missing one,
Capri
Garlick earned four points, Micella Grano had three points off of serves and
two kills, Elizabeth Hernandez scored two points off of serves and one kill.
Serena
Arenas scored two points off of serves and two kills, Julia Ramirez had eight
digs and three kills and Bianca Cardoza had four digs.
Final
score in game two was 26-24 in favor of the Colts.
Krystal
scored 11 points off of serves and had six assists and two digs. Capri scored
six points off of serves, four kills and five digs.
Micella
tacked on five points with two aces and two kills and Elizabeth had three
points, six digs and one kill.
Serena
had seven digs and two kills, Julia scored one point off of a serve and had
eight digs and three kills while Bianca had three digs.
Game
three closed the match with a score of 25-11.
Krystal
scored six points off of serves with eight assists and three digs.
Capri
had two points off of serves with five digs, Micella scored two points and
three kills, Elizabeth had two points, four digs and one kill.
Serena
scored seven points with five digs and two kills, Julia scored six points
with two aces and six digs and Bianca had four digs and two assists.
The
girls will play again Monday, Sept. 15, when they travel to McCamey to play
at 4 p.m.
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Don’t
leave children alone in car
AUSTIN
– State Sen. Carlos I. Uresti of San Antonio has cautioned parents against
leaving children unprotected in car seats.
“As
the summer draws down to an end, busy school-year schedules kick up and the
parenting routine becomes more demanding,” said Uresti, whose Senate district
is the largest in the 48 contiguous US states and includes Terrell County.
”School,
art classes, soccer practice and daycare become part of a parent’s daily
commute and for young children but the extra car time can prove fatal,” he
said. “One of the biggest risks of death for toddlers and infants are hot-car
deaths.”
The
Centers for Disease Control said more than 9,100 children are treated in
emergency rooms from car incidents that do not involve traffic or collisions.
“While
any amount of time a child is left unattended in a car is too long, in Texas
it is illegal to leave a child under seven years old unattended in a vehicle
for longer than five minutes,” Uresti said. “It only takes a few minutes for
a vehicle to reach lethal temperatures on a hot day.”
He
said it only takes ten minutes for a car to hit 100 degrees on a 75-degree
day and on a 100-degree day, a car can reach 140 degrees in just 15 minutes.
“Unfortunately, many of the children who die in unattended
vehicles are found in the backseat of a car with their seatbelts still
fastened,” Uresti said. “While living with the guilt of causing death or
injury to a child is unbearable, a person can also be sentenced to up to two
years in jail and fined up to $10,000 if a child is injured as a result of
being left in a hot car.”
He
said children left unattended are also at risk of abduction. It is much
easier for children to be taken when nobody is watching them.
“Make
sure children know not to play in or around cars and never leave your car
keys where children may find them,” he said. “Lock your car doors and keep
your trunk closed. Always make sure all children are out of the car when you
reach your destination.”
Uresti
said these precautions only take seconds but they can mean the difference
between life and death for a child.
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US
285 bridges get load limits
PECOS
– The Texas Department of Transportation will restrict loads on two aging
“bridge class” box culverts on US 285 north of Pecos, a highway that serves
as a main route from Sanderson north to New Mexico.
The
large concrete box culverts at Sand Bend and Four-Mile Draw – two water
courses that are usually dry – are between the State Highway 302 intersection
and Farm to Market Road 652 at Orla.
Both
box culverts will be limited to vehicles carrying 11,000 pounds per single
and tandem axle or less.
Cars,
pickups and light trucks will not be affected by the posting.
TxDOT
officials emphasize that the structures remain safe for these vehicles.
Heavier
traffic will be rerouted. Truckers with loads above 11,000 pounds per axle up
to the legal limit should plan to take an alternate route.
Oversize-overweight
vehicles, which require permits, will be diverted to alternate highways by
the TxDOT route permit.
Signs
announcing the load limits will be put up along area highways in the next few
days.
TxDOT
plans extensive repairs to both structures, which were built in 1932 and
widened in 1959, in the next 12 months.
Load
limits will remain into effect until repairs are completed.
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Submit
youth loan requests
FORT
STOCKTON – Rural youth between 10 and 20 years old can qualify for Farm Service Agency loans to establish and operate
income-producing projects.
The FSA, a division of the US Department of
Agriculture, allows young people to establish projects of modest size in
connection with their participation in 4-H clubs, Future Farmers of America
and similar organizations.
Each project must be part of an organized and
supervised program of work.
The project must be planned and operated with the help
of the organization adviser, produce sufficient income to repay the loan and
provide the youth with practical business and educational experience.
Each year, many young entrepreneurs take advantage of
these loans and gain valuable business experience in the process.
To qualify for a loan, an applicant must be a citizen
of the United States between 10 and 20 years old and conduct a modest
income-producing project in a supervised program of work.
Applicants must also be capable of planning, managing
and operating the project under guidance and assistance from a project
adviser.
The project adviser must recommend the project and the
loan and agree to provide adequate supervision.
These loans of up to $5,000 may be used to finance
nearly any kind of agricultural income-producing project.
Loan recipients may use the money to buy livestock,
equipment and supplies, buy, rent or repair needed tools and equipment and
pay operating expenses for running the project.
Projects are limited in physical size, capital
requirements and overall objectives.
Applicants must sign a promissory note and be
responsible for repaying the loan. In some cases, a cosigner may be required.
Loan collateral normally consists of crops produced for
sale, livestock, equipment and other items purchased with loan funds.
The repayment schedule will be worked out with FSA.
Payments will be tailored to the type of project for which the loan was made.
For example, if the loan is to raise livestock or
crops, it would normally be paid when the produce or livestock is sold.
If the project is a repair shop or some other service
operation, the loan can be paid from the weekly or monthly earnings.
The Loan Office is located at 2306 West Dickinson,
Suite 1, here and serves the 14 westernmost counties in Texas.
For an application or additional information contact
the Fort Stockton Office at 432/336-5206 or by email at bill.mcanally@tx.usda.gov
.
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This
year, a panel of six to seven judges will roam the cook camps, sampling the
best in cabrito, brisket, beans, desert and showmanship.
“The showmanship award is judged on what they
do, how they do it, the look of their camp and how they dress up,” civic
leader Patsy Cavness said.
La
Entrada meetings postponed
ODESSA
– The third and final round of public meetings for the feasibility study for
“La Entrada al Pacifico” scheduled for September in four West Texas cities
along the designated trade corridor has been postponed.
The
plan was for a major highway connection between the US Midwest and the West
Coast port of Topolopampo, Sin. over Midland/Odessa and the border at
Presidio/Ciudad Ojinaga, Chih.
“There
was some additional internal coordination that needed to take place” before
the meetings could be held said Peggy Thurin, who is overseeing the study for
the Texas Department of Transportation’s planning division.
Meetings
canceled had been scheduled for Sept. 15 in Presidio, Sept. 16 in Alpine,
Sept. 22 in Fort Stockton and Sept. 23 in Odessa/Midland.
The
public will be informed in advance of the date and time for the rescheduled
meetings, Thurin said.
Brian
Swindell, who heads up the Dallas-based HDR Engineering team of consultants
conducting the study, said that the final meetings will present the team’s
recommendations for safety and mobility improvements along the corridor between
the Odessa-Midland area and Presidio.
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Panel
mulls border issues
ALPINE
– Sul Ross State University Professor of Geology Dr. Kevin Urbanczyk, who
also serves as director of the Rio Grande Research Center, and graduate
student Adelina Beall of Alpine attended the fifth annual National Coordinators meeting of the Border 2012 Environmental
Program in Cuidad Juarez, Chih. this month.
Representatives from Texas, California, New Mexico, Arizona and
six Mexican states attended the meeting.
The Border 2012 Program is a bi-national effort that addresses
the most pressing environmental issues along the border.
It is a collaboration headed by the US Environmental Protection
Agency and Mexico’s Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources.
The meeting identified key concerns of the border states,
including bi-national efforts toward clean air, clean water, waste
management, environmental health, emergency preparedness and environmental
stewardship. Results are measured in each area.
In addition to the federal agencies, the Border 2012 Program includes
participation by the border states, tribes, indigenous communities, local
governments, industry and the general public.
Notes
and literature about the meeting and Border 2012 can be viewed in the Rio
Grande Research Center, which is the middle red brick building immediately
below Lobo Village 1 on the Sul Ross Campus here.
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Flag
customs, etiquette seen
By KIM RAPP
News Leader Production Manager
With
thoughts on everyone’s mind on that horrible day seven years ago, Sept. 11,
2001, we looked into a little flag etiquette that every American should know.
At
military funerals, there is a 21-gun salute. That stands for the sum of the
numbers in the year 1776.
When
a flag is presented to the next of kin at such a ceremony, the Honor Guard
pays close attention to correctly folding the flag 13 times.
Some
people think it’s to represent the original 13 colonies. In an e-mail, I
recently learned the meaning of each fold.
The
first fold represents life.
The
second is a symbol of the belief in eternal life.
The
third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing the
ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of our country to
attain worldwide peace.
Fold
four represents the weaker nature for, as American citizens trusting in God,
it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His
divine guidance.
The
fifth fold is a tribute to the country.
In
the words of Navy Commissioner Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr., (1879-1820)
“Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but
it is still our country, right or wrong.”
Fold
number six is for where people’s hearts lie.
It
is with their hand over their heart that they “pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one
nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
The
seventh fold is a tribute to its armed forces that they protect their country
and their flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or
without the boundaries of their republic.
Fold
number eight is a tribute to the one entered into the valley of the shadow of
death, that we might see the light of day.
The
ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood and mothers, for it has been through
their faith, their love, their loyalty and devotion that the character of the
men and women who have made this country great has been molded.
Fold
number 10 is a tribute to the father for he, too, has given his sons and
daughters for the defense of their country since they were first born.
The
eleventh fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King
Solomon and glorifies, in the Hebrew eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The
twelfth fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in Christian
eyes, God the father, the son and the Holy Spirit.
The
thirteenth fold – when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost
reminding them of their nation’s motto, “In God we trust.”
After
the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it looks like a cocked hat as a
permanent reminder of soldiers who served the country as far back as those
who served under General George Washington to preserve and protect the
rights, privileges and freedoms we all enjoy today.
Some
traditions and ways of doing things have a deeper meaning.
In
the future, when you see the flag folded a certain way, you’ll know why.
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Friends
of Marathon Library News
By ARLENE GRIFFIS
Library Friend
MARATHON
– My first recollection of going to a library occurred when I was about four
or five years old.
My
mother, who was determined from the moment of my birth that I would be a
reader, took me to town, which for us was Madisonville, a small town in east
central Texas.
Madisonville
is a typical Texas county seat, having the courthouse located in the center
of a town square.
Near
the curb in front of the courthouse, a strange-looking vehicle was
parked.
On
the outside, it looked like a school bus but when we stepped inside I noticed
that all the seats had been removed and replaced with bookshelves around the
perimeter of the bus’s interior.
My
mother told me that this converted bus was called a bookmobile and that we
could borrow some books, take them home and read them and then bring them
back to the bookmobile next week and exchange them for some different
ones.
You
see, our little town at that time did not have a library so the bookmobile
came from Bryan, 36 miles away, once a week to deliver the world of
literature to Madisonville and other small towns in the area.
In
later years as my love of reading took hold, I noticed that my mother really
did not like to read all that much for her own enjoyment but I guess that she
did like to read to me, which provided the foundation for a lifelong adventure
in reading.
Paradoxically,
when my two daughters were young, I, who love to read more than anything, did
not read to them as much as I probably should have.
I
was always so absorbed in reading whatever book I was immersed in at the time
that I neglected to spend time actually getting them involved.
Don’t
get me wrong. We participated in many activities together but, in retrospect,
I guess that I was somewhat selfish where reading was concerned.
That
was my “private time,” my “escape,” if you will.
As
adults, my daughters have become occasional readers but I don’t feel that
they will ever develop the enveloping love of reading that I possess.
Am
I to blame? Or are we born hard-wired to like or dislike reading?
I
don’t have the answer to that question but if I were a young parent today, I
would not take any chances.
Therefore,
I would like to encourage you if you have toddlers and preschoolers to begin
now before it is too late.
Turn
off the TV and the computer, grab a book and read it to your child.
This
could be the single most important thing you will ever do as a parent to
ensure your child’s future success and happiness.
One
goal of the Marathon Public Library this next year is to implement a toddler
program that would meet once a week at the library.
In
this program, which would involve both children and parents, the focus would
be on instilling the practice of reading in very young kids.
Librarian
Carol Townsend and I are in the process of writing a grant, which would
provide our library with the materials for this program.
We
hope to start the program in January. Watch for details at the library, on
the bulletin board by the post office and in this column.
If
you are an older student or even an adult who has never particularly enjoyed
reading as a hobby, start by finding a subject that interests you.
Unlike
the children in the hometown of my youth, which was actually much larger than
Marathon, you are fortunate in the fact that you do have a library, which is
open five days a week.
The
Marathon Public Library has books on almost any subject you can think of and
Carol has on her desk a “wish list” of books that patrons would like to see
us obtain.
Some
of the types of books you will find on the shelves are general fiction,
mystery fiction, biographies, romance, history, travel and adventure, just to
name a few.
Our
library also has quite an impressive collection of western and Texana, both
fiction and non-fiction.
And
finally, a note to those who already do like to read and know what you enjoy.
Check
out some of the books the Friends of the Marathon Library organization has
for sale.
Carol
and Shirley Rooney have been busy “weeding” out some of the books that have
not been checked out recently in order to make room for new acquisitions.
Some
of these are rare first editions, which you may want to add to your own library
at home. I was amazed at some of the treasures they discovered.
When
you go into the library, just ask to see the books they have for sale.
In
addition to these collectible books, there are a number of assorted fiction
hardback books for sale as well.
These
are priced at the affordable amount of $1 each. What a deal.
Happy
Reading.
Arlene
Griffis is a volunteer at Marathon Public Library, which is a branch of
Alpine Public Library.
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Proceeds
from the event will benefit the Marathon Chamber of Commerce.
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Mustangs
preparing for season
MARATHON
– The Marathon Mustang six-man football season officially starts Thursday,
Sept 18, with a home game against the Fort Davis junior varsity Indians.
“We’re
ready and we hope we’ll have six players,” Defensive Coordinator Richard Madrid
said.
Omar
Grano was injured in the scrimmage against Valentine last week and was out of
uniform in Monday’s practice.
“He’s
tough. He’ll be ready,” Offensive Coordinator Will Cazares said.
The
Mustangs played much of their last game against Sanderson last year with five
players when Cito Hernandez was injured.
Randy
Ramirez was unable to complete the season because of parole violations.
This
year, the Mustangs have three freshmen including Grano, Zach Gonzalez and
Edward Gonzalez. Sophomores Colten Johnson and Jerek Lara fill out the team
with junior Cito Hernandez.
“Our
freshmen have never played football,” Madrid said. “But they’re looking
good.”
Madrid
and Cazares are helping Head Coach Gene Peña this season.
They
are both from El Paso studying at Sul Ross and are former baseball players
with the Sul Ross Lobos.
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Olivas
named to
Hospital
District
ALPINE
– The Hospital District officially swore in Elena Olivas at its meeting last
week to serve as District 2 representative from Presido replacing Rebecca
Wainwright, who resigned earlier this year to work as a civilian nurse in
Japan.
The
Hospital District Board consisting of five members representing the greater
Brewster-Presidio area, was scheduled to meet yesterday, Sept. 11, at the old
Alpine Hospital to vote on a proposed six percent tax rate hike for fiscal
2009.
“It’s
a very slight increase from last year,” Hospital District Executive Secretary
Maria O’Bryant said. “If a property owner owns a $100,000 home, they will pay
an additional $1.43 per year on their property taxes.”
If
the tax rate is approved, the Hospital District expects to collect an
additional $89,471 to help finance the 2009 budget that was approved by the
board at a meeting in August.
Most
of the $626,000 budget is used toward indigent health care not only at the
Big Bend Regional Hospital in Alpine, but also at the rural health clinics in
Marathon, Presidio and Marfa.
Sealed
bids for the purchase of the old Alpine Hospital were to be reviewed and
possibly approved at yesterday’s meeting.
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Two
square off in House race
By MARK GLOVER
Marathon News Leader
Democrat
incumbent US Rep. Ciro Rodriguez hopes to return to Washington, DC, in
January as he takes on Republican challenger Lyle Larson in the upcoming
November 4 general election.
Both
men live in San Antonio and will attempt to represent the largest
Congressional district in Texas.
The
23rd district covers the southern part of San Antonio west to the east part
of El Paso and runs south of Interstate 10 to the border.
It
includes the cities of Laredo, Del Rio and the Big Bend Region of the state.
It also includes Sanderson and Marathon.
Rodriguez
won the special election two years ago in December when a three-judge panel
ruled that some 23rd District voters had been “disenfranchised” and that the
district was “gerrymandered.“
“Gerrymandering
is a universal charge,” Jeff Davis County Republican Chair Harold Patillo
said. “Hell, every city in Texas could be considered gerrymandered. It all
boils down to politics.”
Slight
geographical adjustments were made to the district and the November, 2006,
election in which Republican incumbent Henry Bonilla had won was ruled
invalid.
One
month later, the December, 2006, special election drew seven candidates.
“It
was a free-for-all election,” Patillo said. “After the judges’ ruling all you
had to do was pony up the money and you could run to represent the district
in Washington.”
The
filing fee to run for the two-year term in the US House is $2,000.
“You
didn’t even have to live in the district,” Patillo said.
As
long as you are a Texan, an 1884 law allows representatives to live outside
their districts.
Rodriguez
serves on the Veterans Affairs Committee. During his incumbency, Congress
passed the new G.I. Bill, financially the largest G.I. Bill in the history of
the country. The bill establishes a number of new education benefits for
veterans.
Rodriguez
also serves on the Appropriations Committee and was part of the “Operation
Stone Garden” bill that establishes $60 million to reimburse local law
enforcement expenses incurred monitoring and protecting the border.
Rodriguez
shares credit with Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson in a bi-partisan
effort that added language in a 2007 bill that requires Homeland Security to
engage and consult with the public in regards to the proposed Border Wall.
This
year, Rodriguez has initiated another bill that will evaluate Homeland
Security’s public engagement and consultation performance.
In
this election, Rodriguez will face another experienced Republican.
Larson,
who runs a small business in San Antonio, is in his 12th year as a Bexar
County Commissioner and works with Rodriguez’s brother Chico, a fellow Bexar
County Commissioner. He is not a supporter of the border wall.
“No
country in the history of the world has ever been able to stop unilateral
movement between borders by building a wall,” Larson said.
“There
may be some areas where a physical feature will help,” he said. “But I don’t
want to kill the border economy.
“The
issues require bi-lateral cooperation, not only between Republicans and Democrats,
but we have also to sit down at the State Department level with Mexico,” he
said. “And the impetus for Mexico to sit down with us is $1.3 billion in drug
interdiction funds that our congress has approved.”
The
23rd District has 600 miles of border with Mexico.
Larson
was asked about new Mexican President Felipe Calderon and the fact that more
than 500 police officers and close to 10,000 citizens have been murdered in
Mexico since his reign began.
“I
think they’re cleaning up the drug trade, but I am skeptical,” Larson said.
“It’s a real threat to the people on the front line, in Marfa and Presidio.
“The
Mexican government needs to think twice about pushing that into our country,”
he said. “It is not tolerable.”
On
illegal immigration, Larson believes that the “catch and release” program
that was in effect prior to 2006 was an inferior method to apprehending
illegal aliens.
“Now,
everybody they pick-up, they detain. That’s working better than the catch and
release program,” Larson said. “We need more officers on the ground. We need
to saturate the area with federal agents in cooperation with local law enforcement.”
On
energy matters Larson is in favor of offshore drilling.
“Congressman
Rodriguez voted four times against offshore drilling,” he said. “I believe
tax revenues from the new oil finds offshore will help fund R & D on
other forms of energy to power our vehicles of the future.“
He
also commented about the G.I. Bill that was recently passed.
“The
game in Washington is one-up-manship,” he said. ”The Republicans lay out a
plan and the Democrats add to it to make it look like they’re more interested
in veterans than we are.
“It
does not serve the American people when the two parties are bickering,”
Larson said. “We’ve got a $10 trillion deficit and we need to control our
spending but we also need education and job training for the men and women
coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq.
“But
we need to concentrate on what they really need,” he said.
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