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Sunday, May 31, 2009

A good year for Prickly Pear producers


I have never thought of cactus as being moody or fickle, but apparently when you see them blooming and want to take a photo, you should do it immediately while your eye is still on them, and not a few days later when you have the time. You can see that the yellows were happy to pose for me this morning, but the pinks were feeling a bit withdrawn.

A few days ago I came through the intersection of US 180 and FM 611 and was presented with a showy array of prickly pears in bloom. Beautiful pinks and yellows against a sultry background of humid green, it was gorgeous. We also found a brilliant and rather large purple blooming cholla just north of Johnny Ballard's house up at Camp Springs.

It looks like the algerita didn't make this year. I never saw any blooms or berries.

Okay, lots of graduations this week! We attended Roby so we could holler for Kim Williams, we're so proud of her! She had many kudos and honors, most noticeably the scholarship from Angelo State University in the amount of $74,000. Guess where she'll be going to school next fall.

I also want to mention some action that will be going on with one of my pet projects, STTAR, the committee restoring the Sweetwater Texas Theatre. Next Thursday, June 4, the neon Texas sign will be lowered and moved to a warehouse facility for cleaning and maintenance. Weather permitting, of course. Everyone is invited to come watch, it's bound to be a big to-do, with a big crane and lots of men running around trying to keep the sign from crashing to the ground.

Here are the headlines for the Roby Advance / Rotan Star Record issue for May 21, 2009:
  • Rotan City Council: 2007 audit presented, previous recalcitrant accounting methods being overridden as bookkeeping gets back on track
  • Fisher County Jr. Ag Day (photos)
  • Kim Williams on her way to another state championship in the shot put (photo)
  • DAR genealogy workshop held May 30
  • Obituaries for Billy Wayne Jeffrey (photo) and Harman Vernon Brumfield (photo)
  • Alyssa Leverton wins 2nd place in Texas National History Day
  • Pastor's Column: Pastor Jerry Vincent, First Baptist Church in Roby
  • Sheriff's report: six in jail
  • DAR visits Fisher County museum (photo)
  • Engagement announcement for Casey Moriah Jenkins and Benjamin Frank Wells (photo)
  • Jeffery Stuart Posey graduates from Lubbock Christian University (photo)
  • Brush Control seminar scheduled June 1 in Anson
  • Nic Southern to participate in the Texas Brigades program this summer, openings still available
  • USDA extends certain conservation reserve program contracts
  • Disaster assistance available for agricultural-dependent small businesses
  • Rotan eighth grade District Volleyball Champs (photo)
  • Rotan Jr. High tennis results (photo)
  • Rotan National Honor Society induction ceremony (photo)
  • Property tax protest and appeal procedures
  • Tumbleweed Smith: Traveling to Nearby States
  • Roby Prom King & Queen: Jordan Carrion & Tresley Terry (photo)
  • Birth announcement for Joey Alyssa Lujan (photo)
  • Johnathan Dalzell graduates from Texas Tech University (photo)
  • Random shots of Roby Pre-K & Early Childhood Fun Day (photos)
  • Kidnapping prevention class (photos)
Oh, a strange thing happened to us during a storm this week. There was an explosive lightning strike, then we heard the stove igniter clicking. It's gas with electric igniting. Anyway, we rushed into the kitchen to find a flame coming out from one of the stove top knobs. We were able to blow it out and had to unplug the stove to make the igniter go off. It's fixed now, but no one ever told me, "be sure to unplug your stove during a lightning storm". You learn new stuff all the time, huh?

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Hobbs graduation next week

Hobbs AEP students will finish classes June 3, and graduation will be June 4 at 10 a.m. For more information visit the Sweetwater ISD website.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Bari, Italy, December 2, 1943


I had never heard of Bari, Italy until George Maule told me about a night raid that he had been in that occurred there during World War II.

His ship, one of 21, was docked in the harbor in Bari to either load or unload.

He told the story so well that I was right there with him in that lighted harbor, standing next to him on the ship as he looked up in the night sky to see German planes flying in towards them, making a sound that would cause the hair to stand up on the back of your neck. But they had a real good gunner, he said. Perhaps that's why the next morning, his was one of only three ships that remained.

He told me that he had began to think that he had dreamed the whole thing until one of his daughters found a book that had been written about the maraud years later.

So, today I want to solemnly remember those that died in Bari that night, and to be thankful for the ones that survived.

May 14, 2009
issue of the Roby Star Record / Rotan Advance:

-County Road System voted down
-Rivas & Carrion make Roby City Council, Sepeda re-elected as Roby Mayor
-Commissioners Meeting: Red Cross to help establish safety shelter; County Agent Barnett proposes renovations to County Show Barns
-Roby Kindergarten registration
-Rotan softball girls win first prize (photo)
-Monroe Moore tours Cotton, Inc. headquarters in North Carolina (photo)
-Obituary for Gary Dale Eaton (photo)
-Roby School Board meeting: catastrophic leave approved for Kristi Adkisson; ag teacher Judson Oppeguard resigns
-Pastor's Column: Pastor Charles Glidewell, Cross Roads Baptist Church
-News Briefs: Flags for Veterans donations being accepted at Anson VFW, c/o Leon West, 600 Forrest St., Rotan TX 79546; Clear Fork Crime Stoppers launches text messaging tip service
-Recipe Corner: Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
-Brittan & Brinlie Webb take titles at USA Gymnastics Region III Championship (photo)
-Engagement announcement for Lindsay Marie West & Byron Fielding Kennedy (photo)
-Marriage announcement for John Marvin Clark & Denim Rich (photo)
-Rotan School Board Meeting: Girls Softball program voted in; Baccalaureate to be held May 24 at 7 p.m.; Connie Early resigns
-Many 4-H students participate in District & State contests, nine Sr. 4-H members to represent Fisher County in state competition
-Joy Walker's Fisher County Roundup: Annie Mae McKinney celebrates 90th birthday; Linda Martin Thurman still in Arlington with sister
-Historical Commission: Roland Graham presented a report on early days in Colorado City; next meeting to be held June 2 at 7 p.m. in the Roby museum building
-Courtney Ann Patterson graduates from Angelo State (photo)
-Neugebauer's Newsletter: working to reduce wasteful Washington spending; cap and tax; National Police Week; Armed Forces Day
-Birth announcement for Tucker Glen McWilliams (photo)
-Rotan Honor Roll

May 7, 2009 issue:

-No Swine Flu in Fisher County
-Rotan represented at Texas Midwest Community Network luncheon (photo)
-Dustin Altmiller hired as new Rotan Athletic Director
- Rotan Freshman Ramya Sunku qualifies at State UIL (photo)
-Burn ban lifted
-Hospital Board: Dr. Carreon signs two-year contract; looking at new complex computer systems; closed session discussing Infection Control
-Joy Walker's Fisher County Roundup: babies, baseball and Youth fellowship
-Recipe Corner: Sweet Cornbread Cake
-Pastor's Column, Roby UMC Minister Bill Fitzgerald: Emerging Generations
-Rotan Gin Co. Annual Stockholders: audit report presented; Blackwelder and Nowlin re-elected to board; bale count of 40,478 for 2008
-Brittany Carr receives Josie Baird Grant-in-Aid (photo)
-Many 4-H members participate in District competitions (photos)
-Rotan Junior High Volleyball (photos)
-Sheriff's report, seven in jail
-Rotan Jr. High & Elementary honor rolls
-Jared Cave selected to 3-A All State Academic Basketball team (photo)
-Relay for Life (photos)
-Abilene Road Riders meet at Casa Morales in Rotan (photos)
-Tumbleweed Smith: Elementary Kids Learn to Garden
-Deadline for articles and photos to be turned in to the newspaper is Tues. at noon
-60 attend Rotan School Board special meeting to discuss Girls Softball Program
-Letter to the editor from Rotan Jr. High staffers commending parents on support during TAKS
-Letter to the editor from Nancy Sparks thanking those who attended the special Rotan School Board meeting discussing the Girls Softball Program
-Birth announcement for Cason Ray Ballard (photo)
-Neugebauer's Newsletter: Supreme Court selection; National Teachers Appreciation Week; District Wrap-Up

If you would like to read the factual account of the air raid at Bari instead of the botched one that I pulled from my faulty memory, you can order "Disaster at Bari", written by Glenn Infield, or "Nightmare in Bari", written by Gerald Reminick, from Amazon.com.

The photo is from The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association website.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Camp Springs Reunion June 7

I got a call from Charlotte Carey the other day telling me about a get together for the Camp Springs folks.

It will be June 7, 2009 at The Shack in Snyder, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dutch Treat. Charlotte said this is the usual meeting place, so I won't go on and on with details about how to get there.

I can hardly say Camp Springs, I always want to say Camp Spring, without the s. It's because when I was working for the Snyder newspaper, I made the mistake of saying Big Springs. They practically jumped me, tied me up and yelled in my face, "Big Spring, there's only one." Ruined me for life on springs.

They didn't really do that, just said it normally. They weren't even rude. I was just adding some drama. Sometimes you have to make your own.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Katzenjammer Kids


I've heard three references in the past week to the Katzenjammers, so I figured I'd give them a mention. I had no idea who they were until I looked them up on Google, then I said to myself "Oh, yeah, I know who they are!"

I found that there is a split in Katzie fans. This is due to the strip being drawn by seven different artists since it's creation by Rudolph Dirks in 1897. Some are purists and only like the original drawings, while some prefer Harold Knerr or later artists. The strip is still in creation in the present, notably the world's longest running comic.

Anyway, if you want to know more, just Google or Yahoo.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Billy Wayne Jeffrey, Joyce Leech obituaries

Billy Jeffrey, 75, of Fisher County, and Joyce Leech, 76, of Abilene died this week. Please keep their families in mind as you go through your day. RIP.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Hobknobs and drumsticks

My band friends have been rubbing shoulders with the highfalutin' here lately. Waxahachie band Whiskey Hill opened again for Willie at country music mecca Carl's Corner this past Saturday, celebrating the Highwayman's 76th birthday. Penny, whose husband Darrin plays lead guitar in the band, called me to let me know she had met Woody Harrelson, seen Billy Bob Thornton's band play and ran into one of the Van Zant boys at the back door.

Roby based band Lawless Flatz played at the Sweetwater Creek Ranch in Nolan County a couple of weeks ago and met NFL Hall-of-Famer Jim Kelly (Buffalo Bills). They're spreading their music all around Texas, from playing in Del Rio last Friday to playing in Dumas during June.

The photo of BBT is courtesy of Penny.

Here is the news that made headlines in the Roby Star Record / Rotan Advance, April 30, 2009 issue:
  • Silver Medal for Cantu & Lit Crit team at Regional Academic meet (photo)
  • Lucy Alls wins in Las Vegas at U.S. Finals Cheer Competition (photo)
  • Lions Club District 2T-2 District Governor Elect Freda Buckner (photo)
  • Lions Club District 2T-2 Sweetheart Katie Martin selected Queen (photo)
  • Recipe Corner: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
  • News Briefs: McCaulley Cemetery Fish Fry, May 9
  • USDA extends sign-up date for DCP & Acre programs
  • Saturday election May 9: Roby City Council & Adoption of County Road System - Precinct 3 (Hobbs) votes at Roby Community Center
  • Pastor's Column: Wes Eastman, Rotan Church of Christ
  • Sheriff's report, seven in custody
  • Bridal Registry at The Yellow Rose, inside The Newspaper Office: Casey Jenkins, Holli Griggs, Opal Tribble, Serena Gates
  • Tumbleweed Smith: Country People are Stronger
  • Fisher County Roundup by Joy Walker: Copelands and McCombs have visitors
  • Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack appoints Doug Caruso as Administrator of the USDA FSA
  • Delta Kappa Gamma meets at Hart Ranch, Kathy Dickson presents organic gardening program (photo)
I've heard people talking a lot about tolerance this week, and I gave some thought to what was least and most tolerable.

For now, I'll say the least tolerable is people who show up to work late. I could really rant on and on about this subject, how if everyone started showing up late, it would lead to the eventual downfall of the human civilization. Plus, it's just darned inconsiderate and lazy.

The most tolerable is the guy who sits on the street corner begging for a handout. I mean, he gets up and goes and does something about his situation. I never give anything to those people, but plenty of other folks do, so not only is the beggar earning income, they are allowing citizens to feel useful and kind towards their fellow man. Also, think about it, it takes some type of bravery to go sit on the street corner. I mean, would you do it?

Enjoy the 2000 degree heat we'll be having the next couple of days. Be sure to get all your smelting needs taken care of with this natural resource. Or maybe you could just hang some clothes on the line and save a little electricity.