School Starts This Week!

Time sure does have a sneaky way of slipping past me! Here it's been three weeks or so since I've given any newspaper updates or anything. Well, at least I've made it in time to tell you school's in!

Rotan Schools will open their doors on Monday, August 14th, at 8 a.m. Elementary students will need to report to their classrooms, Junior High to the first period on their schedule and High School to the auditorium.

Roby Schools will open Wednesday, August 16th, at 7:50 a.m. K-6 students will report to the cafeteria, 7-8 report to the gym. The paper doesn't say where the Roby High School students report to. By the way, all this information and much, much more is in the Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record, including interviews with school administrative members.

Okay, here's the short on what is in the newspaper this week:

• Rotan and Roby ISD Bells Ring
• Rotan Yellowhammers Football Preview
• Roby Lions Football Preview
• Photo of Southern Touch Flower Shop
• Photo of Girls Tea Party at Taters & Toads
• Bryan, Etheredge & Martin Reunion
• Roby Cheerleaders Win Trophies
• Artic Blast SnoCone Promo Photos
• Sign Up for Fisher County Fair & Rodeo
• Marriage of Crystal Early & Brian Loyd Lummus
• Engagement Announcements for:
• Jones-Wetsel, Putnam-Akins and Greenway-Foust
• Birth Announcement for Kaylee Capree Flugel
• Obituaries for Roy Graham Roberson and Clay Melton Smith
• Introduction of Dr. Sarah Braaten Ferguson, M.D.
• FSA Emergency Farm Loan Announcement

And, of course there is the Sheriff's Report, Legal Notices, Joy Walker's Fisher County Round-Up and lots more.

This morning when I woke up, we were without water pressure. Here it is only three hours later and the water is back on, and this is Sunday. A couple of weeks ago, the electric went out at midnight and it was back on a few hours later. I just want to tell our utility people how much we appreciate them. Our ancestors may have been pioneers, but I'm too wimpy to go without my electricity and water!

Oh, and about the photo. This is Sue and Hank, our 24 week old Brittany Spaniels. I've always been a cat person, but these two have converted me. We got them in Rotan and they're a real pleasure to have around. Happy Sunday, everyone!

Rotan Advance / Roby Star July 13 & July 20 Highlights

I let two weeks gang up on me! Here are the top stories from the July 13th issue:

• Jody Guy Named New Roby CISD Athletic Director
• Commissioners Meeting Minutes
• Lonnie Hines Resigns as Roby Athletic Director
• Coach Nathan Wheeler Resigns from Roby CISD
• Dates Set for Roby Athletic Students Physicals
• Birth Announcement for Mary Abigail Moffett and Karly Ann Briggs
• Marriage Announcement for Kristina Maria Hamilton and Joshua Ray Benitez
• Rotan 1960's Class Reunion Saturday 22nd at Dairy Queen, 2 p.m
• Engagement Announcement for Chelsea Smith and Brad Atkinson
• Marriage Announcement for Alexis Dunham and Christopher Keys
• Obituaries for Dan Kennedy, Haldean "Dink" Cave, and Billy E. Bryan
• Fisher County Financial Report
• Sardis Cemetery Association Meeting Minutes

Here are headlines for the July 20th issue:

• Building Donated to Rotan Golf Course
• Rotan ISD Hires Thomas Bridgmon as Band Director
• Rotan City Council Meeting Minutes
• Rotan School Board Meeting Minutes
• Local Fire Dept. Works Shinnery Fire
• Rotan Class of 1948 Reunion Sat. 22 at the Church of Christ, after lunch
• City-Wide Garage Sales August 5th
• Birth Announcement for Mason Wesley Pullig
• Mijares 5oth Anniversary Recap
• Ashleigh Bullard and Jacob Price Marry
• Job Opening at the FSA in Roby
• Death of Nikki Alissa Yanez
• Photos of Swimmers at the Roby & Rotan Pools

Whew! I'll try not to let that pile up again. Remember, information for subscribing to the paper is in the link list on the right.

Hobbs Holler Website is On-Line!

I have launched the Hobbs Holler website. I'm still working on it daily, so if a link doesn't work today, it will soon. Feel free to send me suggestions by e-mailing me. Also let me know if your browser doesn't support it so I can make adjustments. This is a work in progress and I'd like to know what you guys want on the site. If there are photos of certain things around Hobbs and Fisher County you would like to see, I'd be glad to add that to the page. I hope you enjoy it!

Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record Highlights 7/6

• Summer Youth Activities Schedule
• Terrye Gruben is New County Auditor
• Bettye Jo Vaught Retires as County Auditor
• Country Market & Cafe Opens in Roby, formerly Circle D
• Very Funny Editor's Column Regarding Public Restrooms
• Notice of Sheriff's Sale
• McCright Family Reunion
• Louada Posey Obituary
• Lots of July 4th Photos from the Park
• Bridal Shower to be held for Kasey King & Josh Lindsey
• Bridal Shower to be held for Veronica Thomas & J.R. Tankersley

Selections for the showers are at the Newspaper Office.

The Fireworks show was really something and there were a lot of folks out to see it. The explosions were so loud you could feel them. Can't wait 'til next year!

What You Missed This Week, June 29...

in the Rotan Advance / Roby Star:

• 4th of July Celebration to be held
• Roby Lions Club Officer Installation
• Rotan Represented on Region Council
• Blood Drive July 3rd
• Rotan School Board Minutes
• Fisher County Hospital Board Minutes
• Calvin & Glenna Crow 60th Anniversary Announcement
• Crow-Lambert Reunion Notes
• Obituaries for James W. Adams, Jr. and George Edward Maule
• Notice of Sale of Property by the Rotan ISD
• Quad County (West Division) Baseball Photos

and much, much more. You ought to sign up and get the details!

George Maule dies at Age 84

I just received the news that my buddy George died about 6 p.m. today. His funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday morning at the First Methodist Church in Rotan.

What You Missed This Week...

..by not getting the Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record. Here's the highlights:

• Summer Youth Programs, numerous activities for the kids, including movies at the old Lance Theatre
• Stetson Rasberry joins the Texas State Hgih School Rodeo Team
• Fisher County ban burn enacted June 15th
• Chris Gonzales signs with Ranger College
• Cross Roads Vacation Bible School this week
• Spencer-Paske engagement announcement
• Births of Hunter Lee Bowman and Xander Coe Moffett
• James Ratliff's three-legged calf
• Cleveland / Moise Reunion highlights
• Obituaries for Merry Lou (Terry) Fuller and D.L. Knight
• Joy Walker's County Round-Up

...and much, much more, including recipes, classified ads and legal notices. For some reason there wasn't a blotter this week. Someone important must have gotten arrested this week! If you want to subscribe, just click on the link in the right column and get the information.

Hobbs Reunion Planned for October

The Hobbs School reunion has been planned for Saturday, October 21 this year. There will be a morning program and lunch in the gym. If you want to be added to the invitation list (either e-mail or paper mail), drop me a line at leslietempleton@yahoo.com. If you're here during the week, be sure to check out the old auditiorium, which I believe was restored a couple of years ago. There are photos of past graduates in the gym, and there have been upgrades done to the school itself.
Take some time to stop by the cemetery and pay your respects to family members and friends, and maybe run over to Rotan to see what's new there.
They're hoping for a big turnout this year!

Hobbs News

I have added two new links over in the right hand column, one with information about the local newspaper, the Rotan Advance/Roby Star, and one that goes directly to the Hobbs High School Classmates registration page.

Classmates basic membership is free, and there is always some sort of information to be gleaned there. I signed up for a 3-month gold membership recently, which was nice because I could add photos and announcements, and also look around a little deeper into the site.

I had to make sure to go in and change the payment plan on my account, though, because their default is an automatic draft from your bank or credit card account.

I am going to dig up some alumni information and make that available here, soon. I believe a Hobbs High School Reunion is scheduled for this year.

Todd Matthies Dies at 37

John Todd Matthies of Roby, Texas died May 29 in Roby.

Todd, as he was known to everyone, was born September 9, 1968 in Abilene, Texas. He was the son of Shirley (Farmer) Jeffrey and the late John Matthies (died at age 42). He graduated from McCaulley High School in 1987 and Tarleton State University in 1991. Todd married Fonda Jeffrey August 27, 1990, in Snyder.

Todd worked for the Texas Department of Transportation in Roby as a sign man. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Roby.

He was preceded in death by his brother-in-law Todd Wayne Jeffrey, as well as his father, John.

Survivors include his wife, Fonda, son and daughter Heath and Hope, mother and stepfather Shirley and Billy Wayne Jeffrey, brother Rodney Matthies, sister-in-law Jana Bond and husband Ricky, step-grandparents Truett and Jewell Jeffrey, and nephews and niece David Bond, Judd Bond, Carl Bond and Kristi Smith and husband Joe.

Todd was buried at Roby Cemetery on May 31. The funeral procession was lead by the TxDOT sign truck that he worked in.