New Building Sees First Use at Roscoe High

The Roscoe Collegiate Special Events Center

The plan was always to have the new building completed by the time school started this fall.  And it almost was—but not quite.  Still, it was close enough that they’ve begun using it anyway.  

Classes are being held in the Roscoe Collegiate Special Events Center’s three new classrooms, the new gymnasium is complete except for seating that will soon be installed,  and the new concession stand was used for the first time at last week’s scrimmage with Haskell. 

The new entrance on the east side of the school is also almost done and should be complete in a couple of weeks, and the same goes for the paving of 7th Street on the north side of the school and administration building.  

The entrance circle and parking lot and the football field parking lot will get asphalt paving, while 7th Street, the south parking lot, and the administration building parking lot will get a sealcoat topping.  Part of the holdup has been the paving contractor’s prior commitments elsewhere.

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NEW SCHOOL YEAR BRINGS INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT

On all levels, there are more students in Roscoe schools this year than last, as can be seen in the chart below.  The elementary grades, pre-K to 6th grade, have a total of 284 students compared to last year’s 234; junior high, grades 7 and 8, has 53 students this year compared to last year’s 31; and high school, grades 9 through 12, has 110 students this year compared to last year’s 98.

                               Grades          Last Year  This Year   Net Gain
Elementary         pre-K–6             234             284             50
Junior High           7-8                       31                 53             22
High School          9-12                     98              110             12

Totals                  pre-K–12            363             447             84

Most of the growth is a result of new transfers from nearby cities: Sweetwater, Loraine, Colorado City, and even Trent. 

Although school has already begun, school officials still anticipate the enrollment of a few more students in the next few days. 

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CHIROPRACTOR SETS UP PRACTICE IN SPECIAL EVENTS CENTER

Nicholas T. Anthony, D. C., a former Plowboy (Class of ‘01) and son of Steve and Debbie Anthony, has established his chiropractic office in the Special Events Center, the new building at Roscoe Collegiate High School.  There he will perform chiropractic services, physical rehab, and nutritional counseling to both students and the public. 

He is leasing the office, and although it is located in the new building, he is not a school employee but independent.  He will however donate his services to students as team doctor and athletic trainer. 

A graduate of ACU and the College of Chiropractic at Parker University in Dallas, he has been with Action Chiropractic in Abilene for a year and a half and will continue to be there on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

He will be in Roscoe on Tuesdays and Fridays and will be open to the public from 8:00am-5:00pm.  His business here is known as the Collegiate Chiropractic and Wellness Center, and his phone number is 325-766-3423.

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PLOWBOYS TO KICK OFF SAMMY BAUGH CLASSIC AGAINST DE LEON 

For the eighth consecutive year, the Roscoe Plowboys will open their football season at Mustang Bowl in Sweetwater.  Their game on Thursday night against the De Leon Bearcats will open this year’s Sammy Baugh Classic, which will also feature Sweetwater vs. Eastland on Friday night, Roby vs. Irion County at 11:00am on Saturday, and Everman vs. El Paso Del Valle on Saturday night.

Hopes are high that this year’s edition of the Plowboys will see a return to the old winning ways.  Kickoff is at 7:30pm.  

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LUMBERYARD BOOKS RAY PRICE FOR OCTOBER 12 APPEARANCE

Ray Price

After successful shows this year by such noted performers as Mel Tillis, Johnny Rodriguez, Asleep at the Wheel, and the Bellamy Brothers, the Lumberyard has just scheduled its biggest name to date in country music legend Ray Price, who along with his Cherokee Cowboys will be coming to town on Friday, October 12.

Tickets and table reservations for the show will be available at the Lumberyard starting on Tuesday, September 4.

October will be quite a month for music in Roscoe as the Lumberyard hosts Johnny Bush on October 6 and Ray Price on October 12, while Gene Watson will be the highlight of the evening “on the bricks” at the Wind Festival on October 20. 

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CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO KEEP SAME TAX RATE AT BUDGET WORKSHOP

The City Council unanimously voted to keep the coming year’s tax rate the same as this year at last night’s budget workshop in City Hall.  Even so, some increase in revenue is expected with the generally higher appraisals set by this year’s appraisal board. The City has also received extra funding from new building permits and other sources.

The Council also voted to grant a 3% cost of living increase to the salary of city employees with the exception of the City Manager, who declined the raise.  Employees received no increase last year, so the 3% was presented as a 1½%  cost of living allowance for the past two years.   

The Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department was also voted a $5000 increase over the $5000 annual allotment it currently receives from the city.  The extra money was needed to help make ends meet, especially because of the extra expenditures incurred last year because of the extensive fires in the area.

Police Chief Felix Pantoja requested that something be done about his office on the second floor above City Hall, citing a number of problems including a lack of insulation and problems with the leaky windows, the restroom, and the floor.  The Council agreed to provide him some immediate relief using money remaining in this year’s budget. 

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GEORGE PARKS MEMORIAL

The George Parks Memorial Fund received nice gifts this past week from the following donors:

                                                    John Drake
                                                    Bill Henrich

The order for the memorial has now been finalized and placed with Sterling Monument of Eastland. 

Those of you who gave should know that your donations are tax deductible as the fund is a part of the Roscoe Improvement Fund, which as a 501(c)(3) is an approved non-profit by the IRS.

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WEATHER REPORT

Once again, the weather was cooler than is usual for August, and there were several opportunities for rain.  Almost every afternoon the clouds would build, and often they were accompanied by lightning, thunder, and falling showers here and there.  

However, the rains always seemed to move in the same direction—away from Roscoe.  If the showers were to the north, the clouds moved north; if they were to the south, the clouds moved south.  And so on. 

It sprinkled in Roscoe on both Saturday and Sunday, but on neither day was there enough precipitation to measure.

The next few days should see more typical August weather with highs in the nineties and lows in the lower seventies.  The possibility of rain is not mentioned in the forecast. 

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† ORDRA FAY SMITH

Ordra Fay Jones Smith, 83, passed away last Wednesday, Aug. 22.  Funeral services were on Friday at McCoy Chapel of Memories, and interment followed at the Roscoe Cemetery. 

Ordra Fay Jones was born June 19, 1929, to Charlie Alford and Jettie Ordra Smith Jones.  The  youngest of six children, she grew up in Fisher County and attended school at Hobbs and Sweetwater. She married Walter Lloyd Smith, Sr., on May 11, 1946.

She worked alongside her husband in his body shop in Roscoe.  She was also a housewife who had worked as a switchboard operator and school cafeteria worker.  She was a member of Eastern Star, taught Sunday school, and sang in the choir.  She was instrumental in bringing the United Girls Softball Association to Sweetwater.  She also helped with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and for many years ran a snow cone business in Roscoe with her grandchildren. 

Ordra was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Walter Lloyd Smith, Sr.; brothers, Lee Willie, Edgar and Charlie Jones; and sisters, Juanita Little and Lucille Hammond.

She is survived by her three children, Walter, Jr. of Sweetwater and Carolyn Smith and Patricia Forgay of Roscoe; seven grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

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