Auditor A No Show, Matt Mercer Appointed as City Attorney

Not much to report from tonight's Rotan City Council Meeting. Mainly, the auditor did not show and has communicated that she will not have a draft until the end of this week or the beginning of the next. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Nov. 19, but the Mayor indicated a special meeting will probably be called to deal with the audit. Also, Matt Mercer was appointed as the new city attorney. To read more details on this meeting, pick up a copy of the Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record on Thursday.

Rotan City Council Meeting October 16, Audit to be Presented

Headlines for the October 11, 2007 issue of the Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record:

• Rotan City Council Meeting, Oct. 16, 6:30 p.m., the Audit will be presented by Merrit / McClain from Abilene
• Boot Scoot and Wild Hog Fest, Oct. 18 & 20 (photos)
• Boot Scoot Cake Baking & Pie Contest, Oct. 18, Airport
• Hog Fest Walk / Run, Oct. 20, 7 a.m., Sr. Citizens Building
• Roby First Baptist Church Revival, Oct. 14 – 17
• Rotan Eighth Grade Fajita Luncheon, Oct. 14, 11 a.m., $6.00
• Frank Cockrell Art Association (formerly Fisher County Art Assoc.) Hangs Murals Downtown (photos)
• Obituaries for Merle Wayne Burns & Joe Frances Clark
• Notice of Amendment Election Nov. 6
• Roby City Council Approves Purchase of Vehicle
• Annual McCaulley Fall Fish Fry (very good photo!), Oct. 17
• Flu Shots Available at Roby Rural Health Clinic
• Tumbleweed Smith: Big Spring’s Foremost Animal Lover
• Fisher County Hospital Board Adopts Budget, Sets Tax Rate
• Rotan Junior High & Elementary Honor Roll
• Rotan & Roby Schools Weekly Calendar
• State Comptroller Releases Texas Unclaimed Property
• Joy Walker’s Fisher County Round-Up
• Commissioners Hold Special Meeting on Wind Farms, Review Steps for Tax Abatement
• Fisher County Commissioners Court Approves Cell Phone Plan; Fields Monthly Reports
• News Briefs: Red Ribbon Week; Annual Sausage Supper; Men’s Breakfast; Diabetes Program; Fisher County Boot Scoot & Hog Fest
• Randy Neugebauer’s Newsletter: Immigration Reforms; Internet Tax; Attacks Against the Word “God” in D.C.
• Members of the Fisher County Chamber of Commerce
• Wedding Announcement for Heather Vincent & Casey Lester
• Grand Champion Mare (photo)
• Rotan Yellowhammers Sports Report & Photos
• Roby Lions Sports Report & Photos
  

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!

Where Did the Money Go?

Well, the minutes for the Sept. 18 Rotan City Council meeting have been published in the Rotan Advance / Roby Star record this week. There is still no news of where the $45,000 or more has gone to. This is the third meeting installment, it would definitely be worth your money to get the back orders on this story. It's a downright scandal, and a question of some conflict of interest.

The Sweetwater Reporter ran an article about the accident Patsy and Homer Grimes had in New Mexico. You know, I don't like it when a news story reports "they weren't wearing helmets" or "they weren't wearing seat belts". Does it make it okay to have a major accident if you are buckled up, but not if you aren't. That's like asking if a family member who died of cancer used to smoke. Does it make it okay or less tragic if they didn't?

Tonight is Rotan's Homecoming. They are playing Hawley at 7:30 p.m. Next week Sweetwater and Roscoe will be having their homecomings.

I'm going to go ahead and give you the headlines on this week's issue of the paper:

• Rotan City Council Holds Meeting Centered Around Budget and Nepotism Law
• Rotan Homecoming 2007 Queen & King nominees (photos)
• Rotan Receives Community of Achievement Award
• Rotan ISD Open House Monday Sept 24 @ 6 p.m.
• Life After Loss Meeting Oct. 9
• WTC to Host College Day Sept. 27
• Casey Lester to wed Heather Vincent, Shower Date Sept. 23, Selections at the Newspaper Office
• Notice of Impoundment and Sale of Estray
• Charity Murdoch Graduates from Southwestern Assemblies of God University
• Birth Announcement for Cooper D. Mullins (photo)
• Anson & Dorothy Martin, 60th Wedding Anniversary at Cross Roads Baptist Church, Sat., Sept. 29, Everybody is Welcome! (photo)
• Justin Roddy to marry Stacey Head, Sat., Oct. 6
  
• Wild Hog Fest Cake & Pie Contest, 5 p.m., Gospel Night 6 p.m., Steak Dinner, Thurs., Oct. 18, Fisher County Airport
• Fisher County Hospital District Proposed Budget Meeting Sept. 24 @ 6:30 p.m., Hospital Dining Room
• Rotan School Board Reviews Finances, Approves Sale of Properties
  
• Thank You from the family of Estelle Polk
• Public Notice Regarding Constitutional Amendments
• Notice of Sheriff's Sale, Abandoned Vehicle
• Newsbriefs: GED Classes; Story Time @ Library
• Notice of Sheriff's Sale, Land
• Fisher County Sheriff's Report
• Fisher County Round-Up, Joy Walker
• Roby Lions Sports (photos)
• Rotan Yellowhammers Sports (photos)
• Rotan Spanish Club (photo)
• The Newspaper Office now has a selection of Fall color gifts to choose from
• Fisher County Little Texans Thank You
• Fourth Generation Yellowhammers (photo)
• West Texas Fair Results
• Yanez Celebrate 40th Wedding Anniversary (photo)(a very good one!)
• Many, many old photos for Rotan Homecoming (4 pages)

Take care 'til next time, and keep reading the Hobbs Holler and the Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record!

Update on the Grimes

Well, the news is not so bad, thank goodness! The couple was in Ruidoso when the accident happened. Homer is in the hospital in El Paso with broken ribs, and Patsy has been released. I know they probably feel all broke up, but I'm glad this story doesn't have a tragic ending. Get well soon, Homer and Patsy!

Homer and Patsy Grimes in Accident

We heard yesterday that Patsy and Homer had been in a motorcycle accident up around Albuquerque and that they had been care-flighted to a nearby hospital and were in critical condition. Not sure as the details, how many vehicles or exactly what happened. I called UNMH to see if they were patients there, but only came to a dead end, a phone that rang and rang and I didn't know if it was connected to a department or a room. Hopefully details will be coming soon. Just wanted everyone to be thinking of them.

Rotan City Council Meeting September 18

Don't miss it as the Rotan City Council discusses the budget! Surely, something will be said about the missing $45,000. In the current Rotan Advance issue, the last meeting minutes are, again, published verbatim. The affair has been turned over to the Fisher County Sheriffs Office and District Attorney Mark Edwards. I believe the meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Rotan City Hall. To be sure, get the newspaper and read the bulletin.

Tom Hargrove, A Hobbs Boy in Africa

Tom came up with the title himself, as you will know if you read last week's entry. The photo is from Tom and shows him (right) inspecting a 10-foot-tall Cotton Tree in a village in Mali, West Africa. I will be identifying the other person in the photo forthwith. Cotton is a perennial crop, which mean that it will grow indefinitely if not killed by winter or purposely destroyed. Note the thick, wood-like base of the plant. You can also see small pods of lint - the bolls - on the plant. This plant was being grown as an ornamental, not for production. No, I'm not a cotton genius, Tom gave me all that information.

I have never thought of letting cotton grow beyond one season, and it was an inspiring idea, although Dad did point out that it wouldn't make it through the winter. It just kind of made me wonder about the other things I've never thought about or explored, and if you read Tom's Africa Travel Journal, you will feel like you're letting the grass grow under your feet. I have perused the journal and it made me feel like I need to get up and do something! It also made me hungry as he describes the delicacies he ate. This was about his fifteenth trip to Africa. Once again, if you would like to read the journal, please email me at admin@hobbsholler.com and I will let Tom know. I encourage you to get the journal, he is a natural storyteller. Well, and he has written a few things. Check it out on Amazon.

September Rolls Around

The nights and mornings are already feeling cooler, and it's hard to believe that we're this far into the year. It's time to start looking at Halloween costumes, making Thanksgiving plans and buying Christmas presents. Oh, and, of course, it's football season. Curse satellite television! (Not a fan!)

I've posted a photo of an unnamed kitten to the site today. This lovely female calico will be ready for adoption on September 9. We had three late summer litters. If only I was as good at raising cattle as I was at raising kittens.

I have a few bits of news to share. Tom Hargrove recently returned from a five week trip across Mali, Togo, Rwanda, Congo, Mozambique and South Africa. He took 2,000 digital photos and kept a journal as he traveled. He says that although the trip was official, as he was working in an agricultural development program, much of the journal is personal, such as notes about the food, travel in Africa, people he met, impressions of different countries, etc. If you would be interested in reading the journal, contact the me and I'll send the message on to Tom. I will be requesting the journal for myself and maybe I can get him to send a photo to post here. The email subject he sent was "Africa Travel Journal, or A Hobbs Boy in Africa". Africa is a looooong way from Hobbs!

Ricky Neill says photos are up on the forum. The artwork display from the Fisher County Fair and Rodeo entries are posted there. The talent is amazing, please be sure to look it over. I clicked on the link at the bottom that has zenfolio in it.

I haven't heard anymore about the missing city funds, and there's been nothing else reported in the paper or on the news. They might be talking in Rotan proper, but you miss a lot of that when you live this far out.

Start making your plans for the Boot Scoot & Wild Hogfest that will begin October 18. It will be held at the Fisher County Airport. Lubbock area bands, the Hogg Maulies, and Matt Martindale will be entertaining on Saturday night.

Okay, now for the Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record update for August 23, 2007:

• Torrential Rains Fall on Fisher County, ranging from 5 to 15 inches
• Miss Fisher County photo
• Roby Homecoming Yard & Window Decorating Contest, Sept. 6 Judging
• Neugebauer Visits County (photos)
• Rotan ISD Board Meeting Minutes, Discussion of Open Campus and Drug Testing
• Laci Brooke Martin & Cory Lee Huggins wedding announcement (photo)
• Fair & Rodeo Results
• Rosemary Donham named to the Media Honor Roll
• Obituary for Tommy Lyndle Stanford
• Photos of Fair & Rodeo Queens and runners-up
• Lindsey Collins Graduates (photo)
• Lions Sports (photo)
• Jeremy Alls Graduates from Angelo State
• Random Photos from Fair & Rodeo Exhibits, Rodeo & Parade

A map of the county is on the front page of the paper along with the rain story. I was surprised to see that Lawlis Flat is an actual place. I thought my band friends had made the name up.

Speaking of Lawless Flatz, they will be performing tonight around 8 p.m. at the grand opening of Rolling Thunder, a bar & grill in Fluvanna, which is just west of Snyder. You can get more information about that show from their myspace profile.

Have a safe Labor Day!

Rotan City Council in the Hotseat

If you have never purchased a Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record before, now would be a good time to do so.

Apparently, according to the account of the Rotan City Council meeting held on August 14, there is approximately $44,000 to $45,000, or more, missing from the coffers.

The paper offers the meeting minutes verbatim. The story continues from page1 on to pages 2, 6, 9 and 10. The conversation definitely sounded heated, but a bit ambiguous. It was noticed that the legal council for the city is the son of a council member. It also sounds like they have a good idea of where the money went, although it is never clearly alleged how or whom.

So, here I am, crying the week's headlines on the street corner. Get your Rotan Advance!