Terrell County News Leader

PASS THE PRIVILEGE – Outgoing St. James Queen and King Stephanie Lozano and Sean Lopez crowned their successors Camry Lopez and Andrew Cavender Saturday. The crowning was a high point of the day-long festival that brought in about $11,000 to finance church activities for the year.

SANDERSON – With no school to attend this summer, some Sanderson students still found a way to spend time in a classroom.

Sanderson teacher Tami Ca-rrasco instructed an “Enviro-Camp” for children in grades pre-kindergarten through six about recycling, composting and other practices friendly to the environment.

YEARLY GUIDE – Dana Davis, who is coordinating production of a new Visitor Guide, showed members of the Sanderson Chamber of Commerce a mockup of a new edition of the book. The Chamber agreed to publish the book annually and to extend the deadline for advertising submission from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1. The new book should be published late this year or early in 2009.

BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE – Little Lucas Herrera and dad, Joey, found the perfect spot to watch the softball games last weekend. The tournament consisted of six teams and benefited the St. James Festival. Their seat didn’t last long. Bobby Stegall won it in the raffle.

SEMPER FI – Charles Michael Galvan left for 13 weeks of US Marine Boot Camp at Camp Pendleton, CA, Monday. He is the son of Mr. Albert and Rosella Juarez of Sanderson and Carlos and Roxanne Galvan of Sheffield and the grandson of Pascuala Livingston and Consuelo and Paul Galvan of Sanderson. Seeing him off with friends and family in Sanderson were nephews Andrew and Brayden.

REAL CHIMERS – Joey Carrasco showed off a wind chime he made from recycled materials with the help of Mom and teacher Tami Carrasco. Brother Elijah was still working on his while Hunter Truesdell peeked around Elijah’s head. The kids were taking part in an “Enviro-Camp” at Sanderson Junior High School this week.

FRAMED – County Judge Leo Smith showed off a framed poster showing indigenous cactus blooms from Terrell County Tuesday. When all the frames are delivered, hopefully within the next week, Smith plans to provide a free, framed poster to any business that will agree to display the poster.

PARTY PREP – Kate Thayer was seen this week putting the finishing touches to her kitchen at Eve's Bed and Breakfast in Marathon. The B&B will be the site of tonight’s Living with Nature reception starting at 7 p.m. A list of speakers are scheduled all day tomorrow.

ALL IN THE FAMILY – Dustin Rapp, top, Heather Rapp and Mary Peterson came calling last week. They are nieces and nephew of Robert Rapp of Hobbs, NM, and Sanderson. While here they enjoyed watching Dustin, aka “Bug” play softball in the St. James Festival tourney.

TWO OF A KIND – Seth Farrell of Albuquerque, NM, was not injured when his tractor and flat-bed trailer overturned at US 90 and 285 in west Sanderson Friday, top picture, the site of numerous such accidents over the years. Sure enough, four days later, Dick Harrington of Los Angeles, below, laid his rig over on the same curve. He was carrying glass bottles to the NAPA winery near Sonoma, CA. It may be a load of broken glass by now. But Harrington wasn’t injured.

DRAINING WORK – US Soil and Water District Conservationist Darrel Seidel peered through a surveyor’s scope this week as Terrell County Road and Bridge crews continued with drainage work. Michael Sanchez held the pole in the ditch while Hunter Smith and R&B Supervisor Mike Sanchez looked on. The current project will add rock sides and improve the ditches the length Fifth Street and on Kerr east to the end of the street. It is being financed by $100,000 in county anticipation notes.

HOME HOTEL – Mattie V. Stuessy posed recently in front of the house she was born in, the former Chambers Hotel. It was the first hotel in Marathon, built in 1891 as an adobe building, later covered with clapboard. When her dad refused to give Alfred Gage a room all year, Gage decided to build his own hotel. And the rest, as they say . . .