BIG BITE – “Butter,” aka Joanna Ramos, took a big bite of a hot dog at the Los Jaks rally in Marathon last weekend. Driving the bike was Hugo Galindo. Proceeds from the rally benefit the Catholic Church Bereavement Fund.

BIG WINNAH – Gily Rodriguez of Alpine won two out of three games at the Los Jaks rally in Marathon last weekend. Rodriguez is an avid rally goer and usually takes something home with him.

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE – A range fire near Cathedral Peak in the Glass Mountains west of Marathon burned for more than a week and was only 75-percent contained by Wednesday this week. It was in an area difficult to get to and crews from as far away as Montana responded to help.

MARATHON REPRESENTED – Arlene Griffis, left, and Carol Townsend were among four Marathoners at the Texas Library Association meeting in Dallas last month. Here, they met with Darryl Tocker of the Tocker Foundation, which issues stipends to librarians from small communities enabling them to attend conferences such as TLA.

EASY ENTRY – Dave Carpenter entered his racecar through the window to start the second lap in the Big Bend Open Road Race Saturday. Like many cars modified to race, the doors are sealed shut making the window entry necessary. The car posted the best speed this year, averaging 166.535 miles per hour from Fort Stockton to Sanderson and back.

GARDEN OF GAGE – Janice Jobe surveyed her handy work as groundskeeper for the Gage Hotel. Her momma told her to “go play in the dirt” and she’s managed to make that commandment a livelihood.

EL PATRÓN – Amtrak had a rider when it passed through Sanderson Tuesday. A 1927 railway car, restored by Patrón Tequila, was on the tail end of the regular passenger train. Before the jet age, personal train cars were a preferred method of travel. Similar private cars are not unusual behind Amtrak trains.

MARATHON RACERS – John Hart of Gainesville and Marathon, left, and Lloyd Goldwire of Marathon took third place in the 100-mph class at the Big Bend Open Road Race Saturday. Hart has raced for many years in the Big Bend Open Road Race and the Road Runner Open Road Race but it was the first time for Goldwire. Hart drove his 2007 Corvette Z06 while Goldwire navigated. Steven Wood, another Marathon "local," navigated for his father Bruce Wood of Alpine in a 1999 Mustang in the 130 mph Grand Sport Division.

Photo by Sheri Thorn

REPEAT PERFORMANCE – A range fire broke out late Wednesday in east Pecos and north Terrell Counties, eerily similar to one six weeks ago that blacked 51,400 acres. This fire was north of the March 13 fire and quite a bit smaller – so far, at least.

NOT WINTER – It’s really spring but this view of US Highway 90 between Marathon and Sanderson Saturday night looked like winter. A storm dumped hail on both US 90 and US 285 between Sanderson and Fort Stockton about sundown Saturday. At least it’s moisture but Sanderson only recorded three hundredths of an inch of precipitation.

SPORTSMANSHIP – George Hansard, left, president of Pecos County State Bank, won the Sportsmanship Award Saturday at the Big Bend Open Road Race. Hansard went “the fastest I have ever traveled in a car” when he served as navigator to Ted Zaleski of Austin in the 150-mph class.