September 26, 2008
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By KIM RAPP News Leader
Production Manager MARATHON
– Ervey Hernandez of Fort Davis took home top honors for the best Cabrito at
the annual West Fest at Post Park here Saturday. He
received $600 for his gourmet goat. Buddy Cavness ran a close second taking
home $300 and in third was Kristen Cavness, who pocketed $200. The
annual event, sponsored by the Marathon Chamber of Commerce, provides a
little “friendly competition,” good food and entertainment for the whole family. Two
years ago, the red-letter event was moved from The Ritchey Building in town
to the Post Park, six miles south. The
best brisket award went to reigning champ Todd Liverman of the Lampasas
Bunch, earning him $110. In
second and third place was Levy Hardy, winning a total of $150. Voted
best beans were those cooked up by Debbie Conley, reaping $60. In
second place was Buddy Cavness, putting $40 in his pocket, and in third was
Rosalinda Crase, earning a crisp $20 bill for her efforts. In
the dessert category, Pamela Salcido of Fort Davis won first place with her
entry, earning her $60. Coming
in second was Kristen Cavness, pocketing $40, and in third was Teri Ortega,
earning $20 for her concoction. Richard
Cavness, along with “Pat & the Girls,” won first place and $300 in the
Showmanship category. In
second place was Kristen Cavness with “Leftovers and the Dog Rangers,”
earning them $200. Marilyn Shackleford and the Dead Horse Ranch won third
place, fattening their wallets by $100. Chet
Cavness of Alpine thought the 60s look was so groovy, he stayed in character
all day, Afro haircut included. In the canoe races, Lynn and Della Shackleford
paddled their boat into first for the win. The couple earned $20. By ARLENE GRIFFIS Special to the News
Leader MARATHON
– Although a new face at the Marathon Public Library these days, Shirley
Rooney is certainly no stranger to those who have lived in Marathon for any
length of time. For
that matter, she is a familiar face to many tourists and occasional visitors
from the seven years she owned and operated Shirley’s Burnt Biscuit on the
Main Street. Shirley
was born in Balmorhea on August 26, 1934, to Charles and Margie Smith. When
Shirley was only one month old, her parents moved to Iron Mountain Ranch
north of Marathon, where they lived for about eight months. They
then moved to Marfa where Shirley attended elementary school. In 1948, the
family moved back to Marathon where they opened Big Bend Café. Shirley
finished high school in Marathon and, in 1952, married rancher Pat Rooney, a
native of the area. She
said she was a “town girl” all the way and knew nothing about ranch life. As
a young bride, she moved from town where her family had electricity and
running water to Horse Canyon, which is about 80 miles south of Marathon below
the former La Linda Crossing. She
says that she had never even seen a “two holer,” a common term for an outhouse,
until she became a rancher’s wife. Almost
unbelievable to me was that fact that there was no electricity south of
Marathon until 1960. Shirley
says that she broke many a kerosene lamp chimney trying to clean the soot
off. After
becoming pregnant with the first of her three daughters, Shirley decided that
she was not enough of a “pioneer woman” to give birth so far from civilization,
so she stayed in Alpine to await the arrival of Becky in June of 1953. In
September of that year, Pat, Shirley and Becky moved to Valentine where they
lived at the north end of a ranch under the Rim Rock, a noted geological formation
of the area. Also
located on this ranch is Capote Falls, which is the tallest waterfall in
Texas. This
ranch was so isolated that Shirley says that she would often go a month at a
time without seeing anyone other than her family and the ranch hands. “I
could see clear to Presidio and, when there would be dust stirred up along
the dirt road, I would get so excited because I thought company was coming,”
Shirley said. “I would be so disappointed when they would turn off somewhere
before they reached us. “After
World War II ended, many veterans were encouraged to enter college and study
geology, as it was thought that there would be a market for many geologists,”
she said. “Geology students from University of Texas in Austin were sent to
the ranch to do research and write their theses. “Dr.
Jack Wilson brought his wife and six students while he was studying there,
and I was so glad to have some company,” Rooney said. “The whole area where
we lived had once been under a sea millions of years ago and there was sea
life evident everywhere in the form of fossils and shells.”
In
1959, the Rooneys moved to Marathon and lived in a house belonging to Pat’s
family so that Becky could start to school.
Pat
and Shirley also had two more daughters, Francene and Betty Jo. All three
girls graduated from Marathon High School. After
the youngest daughter started school, Shirley returned to work as a waitress,
working for her father at Big Bend Café.
In
February, 1964, she purchased the café from her parents and continued to operate
it until 1975 when she moved to Sanderson and became supervisor of the school
cafeteria there, a position she held until 1981. After
resigning from that job, she returned to Marathon and opened a new restaurant
on the east end of town. She
kept it open for four years, at which time, at the request of her father-in-law,
she closed it in order to care for her mother-in-law, who was very ill. After
the elder Mrs. Rooney’s death in 1983, Shirley starting cooking at the Gage
Hotel where she was employed for 16 years.
On
May 1, 1999, she opened Shirley’s Burnt Biscuit, the bakery she owned and operated
next to the post office until August, 2006.
Visitors
to town were always equally delighted with Shirley’s biscuits, cakes and pies
and her small town West Texas hospitality.
The
Burnt Biscuit has been written up in several magazines, including Texas
Highways and Texas Monthly.
In
2006, Shirley sold the bakery to Don Boyd who continues to offer delicious
pastries to locals and visitors at a new larger location. After
being retired for two years, Shirley decided she still had something to offer
to the public so this past summer she began a part-time job at the Marathon
Public Library under the Experience Works program, which is a federal employment
initiative focused on meeting the training and employment needs of a rapidly-
growing-older population. For
years, she has maintained that she was holding at 39 years of age but, in order
to get this job, she had to be at least 55. So she says that she now admits
to being 56. She
assists librarian Carol Townsend Monday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. Although
she had never used a computer, she is still able and willing to learn how to
use the computer to run the circulation desk. Already
an avid reader, being in the library for Shirley is like being a little kid
in a candy store. She
loves reading almost anything non-fiction, especially the history and geology
of the Tri-County area. Now
for former city folks used to the quiet atmosphere of a public library, you
won’t find that here, at least not when Shirley is present. If
you are looking for a quiet place to read or study, you might consider the
Sul Ross library in Alpine. But
if you are seeking lively conversation with a woman who has an almost
photographic memory of the history of the Big Bend, stop in and pass some
time with Shirley. She is a living history book. MARFA
– A twin-engine airplane that crashed last week, killing three officials and
the pilot, appeared to have run into a mountain in minimal visibility, a
spokesman for the US Customs and Border Protection agency said this week. Border
Patrol spokesman Bill Brooks told the News Leader the chartered
twin-engine Cessna 421 flying out of El Paso was found in the “very rugged”
Sierra Madre Mountains 13 miles from the International border at the Rio
Grande. Killed
in the accident were US Boundary and Water Commissioner Carlos Marin, his
Mexican counter part Arturo Herrera, Rio Grande Council of Governments
Director Jake Brisbin, Jr., and pilot Matthew Juneau. Brisbin
was a former mayor of Marfa and a former Presidio county judge. Brooks
said the aircraft was piloted by a “Legacy Border Protection pilot” and the
officials were going to inspect river flooding around Presidio. “We
had two helicopters in Mexico, with the permission of the Mexican
government,” Brooks said. “The aircraft was spotted 13 miles from the border and
23 miles northwest of Presidio.” Brooks
said visibility “wasn’t stormy but the overcast was pretty low.” There
appeared to have been some fire and Brooks quoted Mexican authorities as
saying the bodies were burned. The
US National Transportation Safety Board has been invited to assist in the
investigation but Mexican authorities are in charge. Flooding
along the Rio Grande at Presidio has been heavy for two weeks, the result of
heavy rains and releases from the Luis Leon reservoir up the Rio Conchos from
Presidio. The
Rio Conches flows into the Rio Grande near Presidio and flooding downriver
has closed State Highway 170 between Presidio and Lajitas. The
International Bridge between Presidio and Ojinaga was closed last week and
remained closed at press time. The
river subsided somewhat this week but was still over flood stage. Memorial
services for Brisbin were Monday in El Paso, Tuesday at nearby Fort Bliss and
Wednesday in Marfa. Interment details were pending at press time. |
Other
booths included the junior class with its offer of burgers and candy. The
class is raising funds for prom and possibly a trip in the future. Lois
Horton set up to sell some homemade jewelry, signs and other western
knick-knacks. Horton
also offers saddles, tacks and other needs for the west Texas cowboy – or cowgirl. Yeyes
Flowers & Gifts made the trip from El Paso, serving up burritos, tacos
and corn on the cob. Diana
Stringer was on hand with her home-jarred jams and there was even a birthday
party for 14-year-old Krystal Aguilar. The Elementary Parent teacher Organization had
a dunking booth where, for a price, one could get a chance to dunk Duncan. By MARK GLOVER Marathon News Leader PRESIDIO
– Twin-screw, heavy-lift helicopters airlifted jumbo bags of sand while volunteers
worked with their hands at ground level alongside Border Patrol agents and
prison inmates sand-bagging the banks of the Rio Grande here this week as the
river continued to run at flood levels. “The good news is the
river is down,” Presidio County Attorney Rod Ponton said. “The bad news is Mexico
is taking in more water at Luis Leon [Reservoir].” Record
summer rains in the Chihuahua Desert have been forcing Mexican authorities to
release more and more water at the Luis L. Leon Dam into the Rio Conchos to
relieve pressure at El Granero, the large lake that lies 80 miles south of Ojinaga.
The
first wave of water hit Ojinaga last week, breeching levees, flooding the
Colonia district of Ojinaga and pouring more water into the Rio Grande. The
International Bridge between Ojinaga and Presidio remains closed. Last week US Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison
and John Cornyn and 23rd Congressional District Rep. Ciro Rodriguez solicited
President Bush’s signature for disaster relief for victims along the flooded
Rio Grande in the Presidio area. “The
governor signed it, now we’re hoping the President will sign it also,”
Rodriguez told the Marathon News Leader from his cell phone as he
campaigned outside of San Antonio Friday. If
signed by the President, financial relief for the Rio Grande flood victims
would be a supplement to the Hurricane Ike government assistance package. In
Lajitas, the Rio Grande had dropped four feet since the record level of 26.5
feet set last week. “So
far six families have lost their homes in Paso,” TxDot Assistant Supervisor Carlos
Mendoza said, referring to Paso Lajitas, the small Mexican community on the
other side of the river. “The
river is gradually working down but [it is] likely Mexico will release more
water from the Luis Leon Dam,” he said. “It’s still raining down there.” By MARK GLOVER Marathon News Leader ALPINE – Candidates are turning up the heat in the final
40 days of campaigning in the two contested Brewster County races in to be
decided in the November 4 General Election. The Precinct 1 county commissioner seat features Republican
incumbent Cookie Stone squaring off against Democrat John R. “Bit” Robertson. Stone replaced Micky Clouse 14 years ago when she ran for
mayor of Alpine. Stone, who worked for Foxworth Gailbraith for many years,
has an extensive background in construction. During his tenure, county projects included construction
of the fire departments and community centers in Marathon and Alpine,
re-modeling the old jail in Terlingua and construction of the new jail in Alpine.
If re-elected, he also plans to be part of the new
9,000-square-foot Alpine Public Library construction project. Stone is also a believer in “holding taxes down.” Rancher and florist John R. “Bit” Robertson attended Sul
Ross State University and has lived in the area since 1970. Although he is keen about improving infrastructure in the
county, he is concerned about the present and planned rate of spending for
the various capital improvement projects proposed in the area. Also in Brewster County, the Precinct 1 constable seat is
being contested. Henry Ogletree, the eight-year Republican incumbent, will
take on Democratic challenger Cornelio Vega. Ogletree served as Alpine police chief in 1995 and has a long
history in law enforcement. Ogletree takes pride in serving “all the people” and
“treating everybody fair.” Vega was employed by Duncan Disposal and has lived in
Brewster County for six years. He was unavailable for comment at press time. A large voter turnout is expected in November as voters
consider not only local elections but also the presidential race between John
McCain and Barack Obama, the senate race between incumbent John Cornyn and
Democrat challenger Rick Noriega and the Texas House race between incumbent
Pete P. Gallego and Republican challenger Thomas T.C. Kinkaid of Fort Stockton. Texas
law requires that voters register by October 6 to be eligible to vote in the
general election. Friends
of Marathon Library News By ARLENE GRIFFIS Library Friend In
my column last week, I reviewed “Into The Wild” by Jon Krakauer and promised
that this week I would review “Into Thin Air,” which is the chronicle of the
May 1996 disaster on Mt. Everest at a time when Krakauer himself was a member
of one of the climbing expeditions. I
first read this book about six or seven years ago and reread it last year. As
I have said before, I love to read about adventures I would never undertake myself. That
is one of the best things about reading. You can be transported into other
worlds, other lives and other experiences. I
would never undertake the climbing of Mt. Everest for many different reasons,
not the least of which is the cost, which can run upward of $60,000. Yet I
read everything I can get my hands on regarding the subject. Probably
the closest I will ever come to the real deal is that I have ridden the
“Expedition Everest” ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida. Mount
Everest, a part of the Himalaya range in Asia, is located on the border
between Nepal and Tibet. The summit of Everest is 29,029 feet above sea
level. To
put that into perspective, Chinati Peak, which can be seen from Highway 67
between Marfa and Presidio, has an elevation of 7,728 feet, while Emory Peak
in the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend National Park tops out at 7,825
feet. That
means that Mt. Everest is almost four times as high as any of the mountains
we see here in Far West Texas. Another
way to try to imagine the magnitude of this huge peak is to consider that
cruising altitude for most commercial airliners is about 35,000 feet. It
was surprising to me to find out that among seasoned climbers, Everest is not
considered to pose substantial technical climbing difficulty as compared to
others of similar altitude, such as nearby K2, for example. It
does, however, have many other inherent dangers such as altitude sickness,
severe wea-ther and extremely high winds.
Data
obtained in 2007 indicate Everest has claimed a total of 210 lives, including
the eight who perished during the 1996 storm, which forms the background for
“Into Thin Air.” In
March, 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and experienced
climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by well-respected Everest guide Rob
Hall of New Zealand. As
well as providing a riveting narrative of the adventure with all its highs
and lows, Krakauer’s book also provides us with an objective analysis of the
factors leading up to the expedition’s tragic end. For
those of us who have not seen – and in all likelihood will never see – the
majestic landscape of the Himalaya, Karakauer does an amazing job of painting
a picture of it in words. I
felt the bone-chilling cold and had trouble getting enough oxygen just while
reading the book. As
the journey up the mountain progresses, Krakauer provides the reader with a
history of the mountain and those who have attempted to conquer it by
recalling the triumphs and disasters of other Everest quests throughout the
years. Without
getting too technical, he also provides an accurate description of how one
attempts to acclimatize to the harsh conditions. I
quickly became convinced that summiting Everest requires patience of a degree
that most of us simply do not possess.
One
of the things I liked best about “Into Thin Air” is the way in which Krakauer
goes into such great detail in introducing us to the major players in this
expedition. He
spends a lot of time on character description, so much so that I felt I knew
each of the climbers personally and could almost predict what each would do
when confronted with certain situations.
Written
within months after the tragedy, the author’s own anguish is still raw and
close to the surface as he reflects upon what went wrong and challenges his
readers to do the same. Jon
Krakauer is not an author who cranks out a book every six months or so. His
books include an incredible amount of research, reflection and interviews
with people. Another
of his works, which is very different from “Into The Wild” and “Into Thin
Air,” is “Under the Banner of Heaven.” In
this book, Krakauer explores the shadowy world of Mormon fundamentalism,
which has been around for a long while but is fresh on the minds of West
Texans, in particular due to the CPS raid of the compound in El Dorado last
summer. Next
week, I will share highlights from this fascinating book. Happy
Reading. Arlene
Griffis is a volunteer at Marathon Public Library, which is a branch of
Alpine Public Library. |
Marshal
Duncan, that is. The senior at MISD took advantage of the chance to cool off
after rowing in the canoe races. Friday night,
Los Gringos provided a little dancing music under the stars, where there were
no hats on the dance floor. MARATHON
– Graveside services were Wednesday, Sept. 24, here for Samuel “Sam” Cavness
of Marathon, who died Saturday. Sam
was born to Will and Dolly Cavness on June 8, 1918, in Blue Mountains, Mason
County. He
married Patsy Ruth Granger on September, 2, 1946. Sam served for more than
two years as head of a gun crew with a dismounted cavalry unit in the South
Pacific Theater. He
was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and four Bronze Stars,
Philippine Liberation Ribbon with two Bronze Stars, Good Conduct Medal and
the American Defense Service Medal. Sam
worked for Guy Combs, Jr., for eight years, Dove Mountain Ranch for 32 years
and for the Black Mesa Ranch for seven years. Sam
is survived by his wife Patsy of sixty-two years; four sons, Sammy and Dara
Cavness of Marathon, Robert and Paula Cavness of Belize, Toby Cavness of Fort
Davis and Leo Cavness of Pecos; eight grandsons, Buddy, Matt, Cody, Joe, Cal,
Chet, Clay and Richard Cavness, four granddaughters, Amy Hardy, April
Cavness, Amber Decker and Whittney Cavness, and nine great grandchildren,
Caleb Decker, Madison and Mason Cavness, Summer and Sterling Hardy, Caden Cavness,
Logan and Carly Cavness and Owen Cavness. In
lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the First United Methodist Church
in Marathon or the Marathon Cemetery Association.
By ANDREA JOHNSON Special to the News
Leader MARATHON
– After a successful trip to the Globe Theatre to see “Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs” this month, the Marathon Elementary School had an Open
House/Apple Party. T.J.
Joyner drove students from Pre-K thru sixth grade to Odessa on September 16
where they were “front and center” for the production of “Snow White.” Parents
and PTO members Judy Briones, Rosie Bowers, Diane Cook and Laverne Avery
accompanied the group. Fourth-grade student Jesse Lopez liked the
character of Frederick the best because, after all, he got to kiss Snow
White. After posing for pictures with the cast,
the students went to Gattiland for pizza and fun. The
bumper cars were a favorite of third grade-students Cameden Lujan, Loryn
Garlick and Zane Roberts. On
Thursday, parents were asked to send an apple dish if they could and the
response was overwhelming. Students and guests feasted on apple crisp,
apple cobbler, apple hand pies, apple pies, apple dumplings, apple smiles,
apple butter and an assortment of dips for sliced apples. And
apple enchiladas. Yes, apple enchiladas. Students
participated in several apple activities such as apple tastings and the red apple
won. They also made apple bookmarks, learned
what states in the United States are apple producers and colored apple pictures. Apple
bobbing rounded out the activities. Rumors circulated that the Dark Queen
might have placed a poisoned apple in the apple-bobbing tub that was meant
for Snow White but all Marathon Elementary students are healthy. Thanks
to the Marathon PTO for sponsoring the field trip as well as our amazing
parents who respond to all of our requests 150 percent. MARATHON
– The Fourth Annual M2M foot race, a qualifying race for the famous Boston
Marathon, will be Saturday, Oct. 18. The
26.2-mile run begins near Alpine and ends in “downtown” Marathon. There also
is a half marathon and a 10-kilometer race. A
welcoming party at the Community Building Friday, Oct. 17, will feature all-you-can-eat
pasta for $8. Craig
Carter and the Spur of the Moment Band will perform at the awards ceremony
Saturday night after the race at the Marathon Motel. “Volunteers
are needed,” M2M coordinator Marsha Roberts said. “We need water stations.
There will be a contest for the best water station and the winner gets $100.” The
race was suggested by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs of Marathon in 2003. It
has been the site of many races in the past and many of the same runners
return each year. Peter
Rauch of Austin was the winner of the race last year, crossing the finish
line in two hours, 53 minutes and 26.3 seconds. There were 66 runners in last
year’s full marathon. Placing
59th last year was Marathon High School senior Randy Ramirez who clocked in
at 5:32:39.95. Also from Marathon was Devin Kolesar who placed 61st with a
time of 5:49:54.80. At
17, Devin was the youngest participant in the race, followed closely by
18-year-old Randy. They were the only teenagers to participate. In
the 13.1-mile half marathon, Paul Salazar took home first place, running the
distance in 1:25:51.24. The
44-year-old combined his time with Cindy Salazar, who ran the half marathon
in 1:30:03.39. The two times are combined to determine the winner. Also
participating in the half marathon last year was local artist James Evans. He
clocked in at 2:27:46.89, placing him in 21st place. Fort
Davis cross country coach Jarime Baethge won the 10 K run with a time of
43:35.34. Also
running was his wife Becky, another Fort Davis coach, who clocked in at
57:35.49. Baethge
told the News Leader his inspiration was his cross- country team. “If
I’m going to make you run, I’m going to run,” he told his charges. Placing
fourth in the 10 K run last year was Adam Portillo, a coach from Sanderson. He
crossed the line in 47:16.04, winning first in the 30-to-39 age group. This
was his first run. He said he was on the lookout for more races in the area. “I
feel good, though the last mile was tough,” he said. Portillo
trained by running four to six miles daily in Sanderson. Not
far behind him was Lance Ramirez of Marathon in twelfth place with a time of
58:17.69. He
told the News Leader he ran the
race to stay in shape. It was his first but he will do it again, he said. Another
local in the 10 K last year was Lauren Goldwire of Marathon. Her time was
1:15:15.39. Winning
the hand cycle category for the third year in a row was Mikail Davenport of
Austin. Complete
race results are available at www.run-far.com. The
Marathon Volunteer Fire Department raffled off a photo printed on a canvas. Brewster
County Commissioner Ruben Ortega took home the prize, which was raffled off
at the awards ceremony. The
artist, Joe Forks, lives in San Antonio and has property in Marathon. Down
the block, Carol Townsend sold raffle tickets for a quilt to benefit the
friends of the Marathon public library. |