Remembering November 22, 1963

The motorcade in Dallas in 1963.  (Photo from Internet.)

There are certain public events in life that occur with such impact that anyone who lives through them always remembers where they were and what they were doing when they happened.  Examples that spring to mind are the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Coming of the New Millennium on January 1, 2000, and the attacks on the Twin Towers on 9-11, 2001.

One of the most momentous was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, and this Friday will mark its fiftieth anniversary--a fact we are all sure to be reminded of if we watch the news or read the paper that day.  But anyone old enough to remember that time will also remember how it shook the country to the core when it happened.

It was a day that started out with so much promise.  If I’m not wrong, it was the first time any President had ever visited the state of Texas, and Kennedy got a grand welcome in Fort Worth before heading over to Dallas for a downtown motorcade, and we all know what happened there.

Where were you when you learned that the President had just been assassinated?

I was a sophomore at Texas Tech and was in the Broadway Drug just across the street from the Tech campus.  Three friends and I were in the back playing pinball for quarters.  The pinball machine was next to the pharmacy counter, and the pharmacist had his radio on listening to music, which was interrupted with the news that the President had just been shot and taken to Parkland Hospital.

My roommate, Rick, who was from Mississippi and despised Kennedy, smiled and exclaimed, “So, they finally got the s. o. b.!” whereupon my friend Tom said to him, “If you say another word, I’ll beat your brains out!”  I also remember seeing Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald on national TV a couple of days later and also watching the military funeral given the President through the streets of Washington.

It’s a time I’ll never forget, and, if you’re old enough to remember it, I’m willing to bet that the memory is impressed just as indelibly in your mind as it is in mine.

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PLOWGIRLS BEAT WINTERS 31-27, LOSE TO COLORADO CITY 41-22

Aston Payne makes a layup in 3rd quarter action against Winters.

In a game that saw several lead changes, the Plowgirls came through with a strong finish Friday evening to defeat Winters 31-27.  The Lady Blizzards led 8-7 at the end of the first quarter, 18-14 at the half, and 20-19 at the end of three.  But the Plowgirls went ahead to stay early in the fourth quarter and came away with their second win of the season.

High scorer for the Plowgirls was Eva Aguayo with 10 points.  Aston Payne had 8, Shelby Brown 7, Sunshine Saddler 3, Whitney Williams 2, and Selena Perez 1.

In the early game, the Stamford JV beat the Plowgirls JV 51-17.

Then last night in Colorado City, the Plowgirls lost to the Lady Wolves 41-22.  The score was 13-5 at the end of one, and by halftime it was 27-6.

Aguayo was again the high scorer for the Plowgirls with 10 points.  Saddler had 4, Mia Herrera 3, Payne 2, Brown 2, and Danielle Dean 1.

The Plowgirls JV lost the first game to the Colorado City JV 41-29.  High scorer for the Plowgirls was Magali Casas with 14 points.

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US 84 OVERPASS SET TO RE-OPEN ON TUESDAY

US 84 traffic is rerouted to I-20 West as workers repair bridge.

For the past week, the US 84 overpass east of town has been closed as repairs were necessary after the recent truck wreck there, and traffic has once again been detoured with much of it coming through Roscoe as a short cut to I-20 East. 

According to TxDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) spokesperson Darah Waldrip, that should all cease next Tuesday, November 26, as that is the scheduled date for the completion of bridge repairs. 

TxDOT will also open bids soon for the installation of lighting on I-20 West at the curve just before the underpass in the same location.  Hopefully, the lights will cut down on the number of wrecks there.

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TWO EIGHTH GRADERS TO ATTEND 4-H WORKSHOP IN WASHINGTON, DC, THIS WEEKEND

The 4-H Conference Center in Washington, DC.

Two local 4-H Club members, Clemente Aguayo and Murissa Horton, both eighth graders, have been chosen to participate in a 4-H Tech Wizard technology training workshop at the 4-H Conference Center in Washington, DC this weekend.

The trip is funded by AARP (American Association of Retired People) and will be repaid with student community service.  Students will mentor senior citizens in the use of such modern technology as computers, cell phones, and the new high-tech televisions.

Aguayo and Horton were selected to represent the Roscoe 4-H Club from the quality of the essays and presentations they made as members of the Roscoe 4-H Club’s Tech Wizard program.  The director of the Roscoe 4-H Club is Roxanna Reyna.

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COMMUNITY CENTER TO HOST THANKSGIVING DINNER

If you want to enjoy a good Thanksgiving dinner but not the hassle of fixing it, or if you’re away from family this year with nowhere to go, the solution to your problem is at the Roscoe Community Center, which is hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner with turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, from 11:00am to 3:00pm.

There is no charge for the dinner, but donations will be accepted, and all are invited.  For more information, contact Helen Perry at 325-766-3149.

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WEATHER REPORT
 
The weather this past week has been relatively unremarkable for this time of year.  The weekend was beautiful with highs of 81°F on Saturday and 80° on Sunday.  It was a bit breezy but not that bad.  Monday and yesterday were sunny but cooler with highs of 64° and 72°, respectively, and today should be similar.
 
There is a 20% chance of rain tonight and tomorrow, increasing to 40% tomorrow night and Friday as a cold front blows through.  Friday will be much cooler with highs in the upper thirties and lows in the upper twenties.  

We could see some sleet or freezing rain Friday night and Saturday.  Sunday and Monday will also be cold with a 30% chance of precipitation.

--o--