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In the Heart of the Blackland Divide

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

RCHS 2016 Homecoming Set for September 2-3

Roscoe exes at last year's pep rally.
The RCHS Homecoming Committee has announced that this year’s homecoming has been set for the first weekend of September, specifically Friday, September 2, and Saturday, September 3.

Here is the tentative schedule of events for the two days:

Friday, Sept. 2

1:30-2:30pm  Registration, reception & refreshments - Special Events Entrance

2:45pm  Pep Rally – Old Gym

4:00 – 7:00pm  Potato Bake benefiting Girls’ Athletics – Cafetorium

7:30pm  Roscoe Plowboys vs Early Longhorns

8:30-9:30pm  Registration, coffee and fellowship – Special Events Concession Area

10:00 pm Entertainment by Anna Mae Smith Peptis at The Lumberyard

Saturday, Sept 3

8:30-9:30am  Registration, coffee and donuts at Kelly’s Place on Broadway, hosted by Roscoe Lions Club

10:00am  Parade  -  Parade route from Broadway, Oak Street to High School

11:30am-1:30pm  Lunch and Program – RCHS Cafetorium, entertainment by Anna Mae Smith Peptis, and Tours of STEM Academy

1:30-2:30pm  Reminiscing with classmates and friends

2:30-4:00pm  Tour of Roscoe Museum, shopping in downtown Roscoe

9:30pm-1:00am  Entertainment and dancing at The Lumberyard

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Homecoming Committee members Teresa McFaul Watson and Connie McIntire Baize also report that the RHS classes of 1976 and 1986 are hosting a reunion for all Roscoe alumni on Saturday, September 3, with a barbecue supper beginning at 6:00pm. The menu includes brisket, sausage, chicken, pinto beans, potato salad, garden salad, and desserts. Drinks include tea, lemonade, water, and coffee.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP as soon as possible so organizers can make sure there is plenty of food. Cost is $15.00 per person. Contact Connie, Teresa, or Tim Thompson if you would like to prepay for your tickets.

All Roscoe alumni are welcome to attend, and even if you don't plan to eat, there will be areas for you to visit with classmates and catch up with old friends.

Organizers also say that Holiday Inn Express in Sweetwater is offering special rates for the weekend! Make plans to attend, and please share this information with others! For more information, consult the Roscoe Homecoming or the Roscoe High School Friends Facebook pages.

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RCHS ROBOTICS TEAM OFF TO STATE FINALS THIS WEEKEND

RCHS Robotics team at San Antonio earlier this year.
Roscoe High School’s Robotics Team is sending 11 students to Texas UIL’s first-ever FIRST state robotics championship this weekend at the Austin Convention Center to compete against 31 other Texas schools of all classes, almost all of them larger.

The Abilene Reporter-News was in town last week to describe Roscoe’s preparations for the upcoming event and to interview Roscoe’s players and coaches for a front-page article written by Timothy Chipp. It ran in the Reporter-News on Sunday. You can access the article and a video clip, also by Chipp, by clicking here.

The Plowbots will be competing in a game called Stronghold, which involves negotiating an obstacle course with two other allies to attack a castle. They play several rounds with different allies, and the teams with the most points at the end of the game are the winners.

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UPCOMING ROSCOE SCHOOL SCHEDULE

Mon., Aug. 1 – Plowboy football two-a-days begin, 6:30am

Mon., August 8 – Classes begin

Thu., Aug. 11 – Plowboy Preview, 6pm

Fri., Aug. 12 – First Plowboy scrimmage at Munday, 6pm

Thu., Aug. 18 – College classes begin

Fri., Aug. 18 – Plowboy scrimmage vs. Hawley @ Roscoe, 6pm

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WEATHER REPORT: HOT AND DRY

Summer sky.
There’s nothing unusual to report about this week’s weather since it has been just about as typical for this time of year as it could possibly be—with the possible exception of the higher humidity, around 50%. Skies have been clear to partly cloudy with breezes from the south or southeast, afternoon highs have been in the mid to upper nineties, and early morning lows have been in the mid-seventies. The highs for the week were 99°F on Sunday and Monday, and the low was 73° yesterday morning.

The outlook for the coming week is for more of the same. There is a 20% chance of thundershowers through Friday with a 0% chance thereafter. The weather will also be a little cooler through Friday. Today and tomorrow are projected to have highs of only 93° with Friday’s rising to 95°, but then on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday they should be back in the upper nineties. Humidity will continue somewhat higher than normal at around 50%.

A break in the heat with some precipitation would be nice, but it doesn’t appear very likely.

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Wednesday, July 20, 2016

City Council Hears Reports, Deals with Bandera Drainage Problems

The City Manager discusses drainage with a group of Bandera residents.
At its monthly meeting Thursday evening, Roscoe’s City Council once again tackled the drainage woes experienced in the Bandera development south of I-20 and tried to come up with an acceptable way to alleviate the problem. City Manager Cody Thompson presented the Council and Bandera residents with a map of the housing development showing the results of a survey conducted by Cheyenne Smith. The relative elevations show no clear path for water runoff. The low point is in the southwest corner of the development, and the high point is in the northeast, just the opposite of what is needed.

Thompson said that one possibility would be the insertion of a 36” culvert in the southeast corner, which would allow water to cross under FM 608 and drain southward. Another would be the building of a berm along the south and west sides to block water coming in from the adjacent cotton field, although this would depend on the agreement of the field's owner. And although Thompson also told residents that he and Commissioner Willman will do what they can, the City and County are not ultimately responsible for the situation as the development was built without proper regard to satisfactory drainage before the area was part of the City.

Police Chief Felix Pantoja gave the Roscoe Police Report for the month of June, informing the Council that there had been 84 total calls, 1 arrest, 3 crash reports, and 2 citations. He also said that the Department has hired a new part-time officer, Michael Redwine, who will share duties with part-time officer Dickie Summers.

Thompson reported that the City’s Independence Day Celebration on July 2 was another success with over 2000 people in town on Friday night and about 3500 on Saturday. There were no problems of any consequence on either day, and all the events from the pancake breakfast, parade, Plowboy Mudbog, street vendors, free concert, street dance, and fireworks show were apparently enjoyed by all who attended.

Thompson also informed the Council that he now has his C water license and City worker Joe Vick has his D water license after attending classes and taking tests. He also reported that the owner of the old Truck and Travel Truck Stop will be putting in a lift station as a part of its renovation.

The City and County will be seal-coating City streets and country roads for the next thirty days, including areas of Second and Third Streets, which badly need it.

Budget workshops will take place in mid-August.

The Council also approved the appointment of Alissa Parrott to the 4-B Tax Board, as well as a resolution to participate with Atmos Cities Steering Committee and authorizing a payment of 2.5 cents per capita to fund regulatory and related activities to Atmos Energy Corporation.

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PLOWBOY BRAYDEN BEAL INTERVIEWED FOR KTAB-TV, KRBC-TV

Returning Plowboy quarterback Brayden Beal was interviewed last week on the evening news shows of KTAB-TV and KRBC-TV. The report indicates he is confident and ready to lead this year’s Plowboys to another winning season.

You can read the resulting article on the Big Country Homepage by clicking here.

The Plowboys will begin preparing for the 2016 season with practices beginning August 1.

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VICKIE’S GIFTS, CLOSED FOR REMODELING, RE-OPENS TOMORROW

Extensive remodeling is underway at Vicki's Gifts.
Vickie’s Gifts has been closed all this week for remodeling but should re-open again tomorrow. Remodeling, however, will continue with a Grand Re-Opening tentatively scheduled for about August 5.

Once finished, the shop’s front door will be in a new location, and there will be additional space for merchandise.

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ROSCOE LIONS THANK SUPPORTERS

The Roscoe Lions Club would like to say “Thank You!” to everyone who came out to the July 4th Pancake Breakfast and to the many who purchased raffle tickets. These were very successful events for our club and would not have been possible without your generosity. We look forward to giving back to our community and hope that you will continue to support the Roscoe Lions Club.

Roscoe Lions Club – Shane Tomlin

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RCHS VARSITY CHEERLEADERS SELLING ADS FOR FALL FOOTBALL PROGRAMS

RCHS 2016 Varsity Cheerleaders
The Roscoe Varsity Cheerleaders are selling business ads for the 2016-2017 football programs. There are also $25 ads for parents who would like to show their support for their child. If you would like to purchase an ad, please contact a cheerleader or Linda Hatcher at RCHS. Thanks so much for your support!

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LUMBERYARD FEATURES BRI BAGWELL FRIDAY, BOBBY FLORES SATURDAY

The Lumberyard kicks off the weekend with Bri Bagwell and the Banned Friday night followed by a command presentation of Bobby Flores and his Yellow Rose Band on Saturday.

Bri Bagwell
Bri Bagwell, who grew up in Las Cruces, NM, has been singing since childhood, originally performing with her twin brothers, and now travels the Texas honky-tonk circuit. She has been to Nashville and hopes to become country music’s next superstar. Her musical influences include Miranda Lambert, Patty Griffin, and Johnny Cash. This video features her singing her single “Whiskey.”

Bobby Flores
Perhaps best known as the former fiddle player for Ray Price, Texas swing artist and Grammy Award winner Bobby Flores has also had quite a career on his own both as a featured performer and as a session musician. He has been playing professionally since the age of seven and studied music theory and classical violin at Trinity University.

He has composed and performed in TV commercials and won numerous awards, among them induction into the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame. His recording of “I Wonder Who’ll Turn Out the Lights” is featured in the Tommy Jones movie Three Burials. He and his band Angel Fire have opened for George Strait, Garth Brooks, Tanya Tucker, Conway Twitty, and others. His Yellow Rose Band features three fiddles and some of the world’s best musicians.

His most recent album is Fast Company. Others include Eleven Roses, Christmas in Ol’ San Antone, Neon Nights, Direct from Blanco County, Too Many Rivers, Festival Favorites, and Just for the Record.

Tickets are $10 for Bri Bagwell and $15 for Bobby Flores. For reservations and more information, phone the Lumberyard at 325-766-2457.

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WEATHER REPORT: HOT, DRY, AND WINDY

Eden Baker took this photo of Thursday's spectacular sunset.
For the past couple of weeks, area residents have endured relentless heat and the dry weather typical of mid-July in this part of the world. I wasn’t here to experience the rogue sandstorm that hit the area on Tuesday, July 5, but I have heard plenty about it. The unusual event occurred because of the collapse of a cloud in the Snyder area, which increased the heat and produced high winds gusting up to 60mph. The result was an extended sandstorm that destroyed or damaged much of the young cotton around Roscoe.

A few days later on July 9, a thunderstorm produced anywhere from a trace to a half-inch, depending on location, but other than that, there has been little to no precipitation, generally clear skies, and daily winds from the south to southeast. High temperatures have ranged from 94° to 100°F with lows consistently in the mid-seventies.

The outlook for the coming week is for more of the same. Highs will be in the upper nineties, lows in the mid-seventies, humidity in the 40%-50% range—high for this area, with warm breezes from the south or southeast. There is no rain in the forecast.

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Wednesday, July 13, 2016

No Roscoe Hard Times This Week

There will be no Roscoe Hard Times this week. I returned from a trip to the Canary Islands Monday night and haven't had the time or energy to gather the news. The blog will resume next week.
                                                                                        --Edwin Duncan

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