Elmer Kelton Book Signing

- Elmer & Anni Kelton -

We attended the Elmer Kelton book-signing party this morning at the City-County Library in Sweetwater. Elmer is pictured to the right with his wife of sixty years, Anni. There were a lot of notable people attending, including Mike Brentz, Jeff Stein, Ann Roberts, John Boggs and Evelyn White. Two Hastings employees were there selling Mr. Kelton's books for signing. It seemed appropriate for western artist Barry Arthur to be the October artist of the month, setting a nice background for the event. More information about library events and calendar can be found at www.sweetwaterlibrary.org.

An upcoming event that I would like to mention is the 1st Annual West Texas Harvest Wind Festival, Saturday, October 20th, 10-6 p.m. at the Roscoe Community Center. Activities include arts & crafts, retail vendors, entertainment, food, kids activities, a job fair, and exhibits. Details can be found at www.roscoewind.org.

Tom Hargrove identified the man in the picture with him of the cotton tree which was previously posted on this site. He is Brehima Dagnoko, program manager for the Group for Research and Training in Arboriculture and Agriculture. The photo was taken in Koutiala, a village in the Sahel, or semi-desert south of the Sahara, in Mali, West Africa.

Tom also had some good news regarding Long March to Freedom, his Colombia book (actually, his secret diary that he managed to smuggle out), and his book A Dragon Lives Forever: War and Rice in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Even though Dragon is a Vietnam War memoir, one chapter is about growing up in Fisher County, another is about being in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M during the mid-1960s. The books were originally published by Random House, then later by Tom himself. Presently, the Texas A & M University Press is republishing both books through the TAMU Press. Long March to Freedom will be released this month and in six months, A Dragon Lives Forever will be released. Go to www.tamu.edu for more about Tom Hargrove's literature.

Now, onto the headlines for this week's issue for the Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record:

• Tammy Morton Named JP Precinct 1
• Sweetwater Approves Purchase of Renewable Energy Credits through CAPP Program
• Joe Heflin Named Legislator of the Year by County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas
• Pre-K Rotan Photos with Mini-horses
• See You at the Pole photo
• Letter to the Editor by Elen Christopher suggests that we “forgive and forget” the $45,000 missing from City Funds
• Eilene Cave Celebrates 90^th Birthday (photo)
• Engagement Announcement for Cassie Dawn Terry & Jason Terrell Beaird (photo)
• Roby Class of 1956 Reunion Recap
• 8^th Grade Fajita Luncheon October 14, Rotan Cafeteria
• Birth Announcement for Kaden Royce Walden (photo)
• Roby Class of 1957 Recap and Group Photo
• Gamma Tau & DAR Tour Callan Museum (photo)
• Angel Velez Places in South Plains Fair
• Roby Lions Sports Report & Photos
• Obituaries for Alice Lee Kemp Ballenger & Vivian Louise Rogers Dunnington
• Joy Walker’s Fisher County Round-Up
• Recipe Corner: Chicken Frito Pie
• Weekly Calender for Roby & Rotan Schools
• Rotan Yellowhammers Sports Report & Photos

For those of you who may not know, Rosemary Donham is the editor and owner of the newspaper. She and her staff do a fine job, and if I had my own hardcopy paper, I would model it after hers. Have a good weekend!