THE EAGLES – The Sanderson Eagles will take to the field for the opening game at home tonight, Aug. 29, hosting the Grady Wildcats. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. at Eagle Stadium. Head Coach Mark Dominguez counts 17 players on his squad. See individual players on Pages 8 and 9.

SCHOOL JOINT – The new Sanderson High School wing will connect with the existing junior high school building at this southwest corner when it is completed some time next year. The School Board Tuesday awarded a $4.8 million contract for the addition and a new vocational building to be constructed east of the junior high building.

CARTEL HIGHWAY – The drug cartels in Mexico are apparently building new roads to make smuggling of narcotics and people easier. This system of highways leading up to the Rio Grande from the Mexican interior was photographed recently south of Dryden by a law-enforcement helicopter crew.

TOP VOLUNTEERS – Jill Jahn and Wayne Truesdell were honored as outstanding volunteers for the Terrell County 4-H Club Saturday. The awards came at the District 6 luncheon in Monahans.  

QUEEN NORMA – Norma Guadarrama was honored at a party fit for a queen last week. No less than 39 friends and supporters showed up at Cantina El Galivan to show their support in her battle against cancer. It started as breast cancer, then spread to other parts of her body.

GETCHER POPCORN – The movie was about to start last week. Dirk Lemkuil sought his seat as Sheriff Clint McDonald, center, and Chief Deputy Kenneth Turner looked on. The law officers showed a movie at the Sanderson Community Building about the increasing border violence along the US-Mexico border by drug cartels.

PINK RIBBON CAKE – What’s a “ribbon cake?” Susan Brotherton, left, prepared one for her friend Norma Guadarrama who is battling cancer. A group of friends showed up to show their support at Cantina El Galivan last week.

DO YOU SWEAR? – County/District Clerk administered the oath of office this week to the newest Terrell County deputy sheriff. Paul Tidwell, who hails from May, near Brownwood, came to us from the Winters Police Department.

TRAIL BOSSES – Betty Cash, president of the Texas Pecos Trails, and Regional Coordinator Paula Walker told the Chamber of Commerce this week “heritage tourism” is a $40 billion industry and Texas is first in the nation. Looking on was Chamber Secretary Lea Hawn.

BASHING BALLOON – Balloons like this one should full the skies over Alpine this weekend. The 13th Annual Balloon Bash will be Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Aug. 30 and 31 and Labor Day, Sept. 1. Launchings will be at Sierra La Rana two miles south of Alpine all three days.

STONED – Pedro Martinez, right, and Elijio Verde of Del Rio placed stone siding on a new drainage ditch along Fifth Street in Sanderson this week. The project is part of an overall plan to provide storm-water drainage for all of Sanderson.

TO CHEER – Sanderson High School cheerleading squad for 2008 took part in the Fourth of July parade this year.  Juliana Castro as “Beaker” the Eagle looked over her teammates, from left, Alexa Davis, blakeney Chriesmanj, Clarissa Brotherton, Taylor Johnson, Lizette Ramírez and Roxanna Rodriquez.  They’ll be on the field tonight as the Eagles take on the Grady Wildcats.

BACK TO SCHOOL BLUES – Zane “Scooter” Turner’s tears at the first day of school spread to Daddy Rick Turner this week. Scooter is a brand new pre-kindergartner at Sanderson Elementary, one of 164 school kids to show up for the brand new school year Monday.