Cinco de Mayo Celebration Downtown This Saturday

Horsemen ride down Broadway in the Cinco de Mayo parade.

This year’s Cinco de Mayo celebration will be this Saturday, May 2, in downtown Roscoe.  The parade down Broadway begins at 10:00am and the festivities will continue until 10:00pm with the windup of the street dance.

This year’s event focuses on family and children, and from noon to 3pm there will be children’s games and piñatas.  A DJ will play recorded music on Cypress Street from noon to 5pm, and this year’s feature band, El Nuevo Privilegio de JoseAntonio Hernandez, will be playing live for the free concert and street dance from 5pm to 10pm.  (Click here to hear his song "Enamorado De Ti.")

For more information, contact Jesse Gonzalez at 325-721-3442.

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TWO PLOWBOYS, ONE PLOWGIRL QUALIFY FOR REGIONAL TRACK MEET

Last Wednesday at the 2A Area Track Meet at McMurry University in Abilene, two Plowboys and one Plowgirl qualified to move on to the Region 1 track meet at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa this weekend.

Max Nemir finished third in the boys’ 300 meter hurdles with a time of 41.28 seconds, Kevin Lavalais finished fourth in the boys’ 200 meter dash with a time of 23.5 seconds, and Lyndi Wilkinson finished second in the girls’ 400 meter dash with a time of 1:02.74.

Here’s hoping all three can advance to state!

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JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY AT THE LUMBERYARD FRIDAY NIGHT

John Michael Montgomery

Another country music great will play the Lumberyard when John Michael Montgomery makes his first appearance ever in Roscoe Friday evening.  Montgomery, whose numerous hits have made him a favorite with country fans everywhere, has been recording since 1992 and is still going strong.

Born and raised in Kentucky, Montgomery came from a musical family and was a member of the family band before signing with Atlantic Records and releasing his debut album, Life’s a Dance, which contained his first number 1 hit, “I Love the Way You Love Me,”  In all, he’s recorded eleven studio albums and one compilation album, three of them multi-platinum (Life’s a Dance, Kickin’ It Up, and John Michael Montgomery), one platinum (What I Do the Best), and two gold (Leave a Mark and Brand New Me).

Over the years, he’s also had over thirty singles on the Billboard country charts, of which seven have reached number 1: “I Love the Way You Love Me,” “I Swear,” (Click here for video) “Be My Baby Tonight,” "If You've Got Love," "I Can Love You Like That," "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)," and "The Little Girl." Thirteen others have reached the top 10, including “Hold On to Me,” “Letters from Home,” “Home to You,” and “Friends.”

Saturday night will feature the up-and-coming Dix Hat Band from Lubbock, whose debut single “In and Out” (Click here for video) hit the charts last year.  Their first album, Red Dime, is due out this week.

For tickets and more information, phone the Lumberyard during business hours at 325-766-2457.

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WEATHER REPORT: TORNADO(S?)

Youtube video taken from US 84 by Smoke0258 (53 seconds).

Roscoe made the national news again last week, this time for a tornado that touched down north of Loraine and went east, crossing US 84 this side of Wastella before breaking up.  Landon Orman says that the tornado that crossed FM 608 north of town was a separate unreported tornado that didn't last long before breaking up.  The video of the tornado shown the next day on ABC's Good Morning America and the CBS Morning News with Charlie Rose was taken by Scott Etheredge.  Luckily, there was no one hurt and little to no damage—or if there was, I didn’t hear about it.

The rest of the week was not as exciting, but was eventful nevertheless with somewhere around another inch of rain falling on Friday.  Amounts varied according to location of course, but the official amount recorded by Kenny Landfried for Roscoe was .82”.  There was also a bit of precipitation just after midnight early Monday morning, around .06”, and another .13” early yesterday morning.  There were plenty of clouds around for more, but, once again, most of the rain fell elsewhere.

Temperatures were once again mild for this time of year.  The high since last Wednesday was the 85°F recorded Sunday afternoon.  The lowest high was yesterday’s 54° following the cold front that moved in on Monday.  Lows varied from last Thursday morning’s 62° down to this morning’s 42°.

The forecast is for clear skies and steadily warming temperatures through Saturday with partly cloudy skies on Sunday and Monday.  Today’s high will be only around 73°, but tomorrow’s should be back to about 80°, increasing steadily to Sunday’s 85°.  Lows will be in the fifties or low sixties.  There is no rain in the immediate forecast, but another front is due midweek next week, and right now the weathermen are giving us a 70% chance for more rain when it does arrive.

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† PAUL VERLIN HAGERMAN

Graveside services were held at 2:00pm on Monday, April 27, for Paul Verlin Hagerman, 81, who died on Saturday, April 25, at Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital in Sweetwater.

Mr. Hagerman married Deborah Hall on November 7, 1977, in Progresso, Mexico. He moved to Roscoe from Spearman when he retired in 1997. A heavy equipment operator, he worked for B & B Farm Industries and owned Hagerman Services in Spearman for many years. He was a Methodist.

Verlin is survived by his wife Deborah Hagerman of Roscoe; three sons: Steven Hagerman and wife Pat of Roscoe, Leon Hagerman and wife Amy of Plainview, and Robert Hagerman and wife Cathy of Pampa; four daughters: Paula Taylor of Fargo, SD, Verla Kunselman and husband Jim of Plainview, Valerie Huber and husband Mark of Amarillo, and Kathy Hagerman of Amarillo; sixteen grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. He has a sister, Rita Butler of Graham, OK, and two brothers, Dale Hagerman and Glen Hagerman and wife Vickie, both of Oklahoma City; numerous nieces, nephews, family and friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Leonard and Ellen Hagerman; his wife Lucille; a son Larry; and three brothers: Charles, Billy Joe, and Leon.

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Casey Donahew, Asleep at the Wheel at Lumberyard This Weekend

Casey Donahew and Band.

It’s another big weekend at the Lumberyard.  On Friday, popular Texas Country singer Casey Donahew makes his debut in Roscoe, and on Saturday, nine-time Grammy Award winners Asleep at the Wheel return for an encore performance.

Singer and songwriter Casey Donahew, originally from Burleson, began his singing career in 2002 and since then has built up a large fan following on the Texas bar circuit.  His Texas Country style is similar to that of Pat Green, Randy Rogers, and Robert Earl Keen.  His six CDs include one live and five studio albums, including Moving On, Double-Wide Dream, and Standoff.  Popular singles include “One Star Flag,” “White Trash Story,” “Double-Wide Dream,” “Small Town Love,” “Let Me Love You,” and “Whiskey Baby.”

Asleep at the Wheel

Appearing on Saturday evening are nine-time Grammy Award winners Asleep at the Wheel.  Led by Ray Benson, who also hosts the television series Texas Music Scene, the group has been a fixture of Texas music since the seventies, appearing on Austin City Limits a record ten times.  They have been named the Best Country Music Band by Rolling Stone magazine, toured Europe, performed for George and Laura Bush, and appeared in the movies Roadie and Wild Texas Wind.  They are members of the Texas Music Hall of Fame and have received numerous other major awards.  Their western swing music always brings out the dancers, and tunes like “Cotton-Eyed Joe” and others always make for a fun evening.

For reservations and more information, contact the Lumberyard at 325-766-2457.

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WHITNEY WILLIAMS HONORED AT TEXAS TECH

Whitney Williams is inducted into ΒΓΣ, business honor society at Texas Tech.

Whitney Williams, daughter of Wes and Shelly Williams who was salutatorian of last year’s graduating class at RCHS and also a state silver medalist on the Plowgirls’ 4 x 400 relay team, has just received another honor, this time from the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech.

She has been inducted into ΒΓΣ (Beta Gamma Sigma), the international honor society for business students.  Membership requirements include that a student must be in the top 10% of a bachelors or masters business program and they are inducted toward the end of their degree program.  Whitney is already a senior at Tech.  While membership is highly selective, Beta Gamma Sigma is the largest alumni group in the world for graduates of business programs. It is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies and a major emphasis is to foster ethical business leadership.  

Congratulations, Whitney!

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CALEB WARD FINISHES THIRD AT STATE SCHOOL BUS SAFETY SPEECH CONTEST

RCHS had three students participating in the 14th Annual TAPT (Texas Association for Pupil Transportation) State Speech Contest in Waco on Monday.  They were Cutter Davila, Caleb Ward, and Murissa Horton.  Caleb Ward finished in third place, which came with a $200 scholarship.

Congratulations to all three for advancing to the state finals, and congratulations to Caleb, who finished third!

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2015 RCHS MASQUERADE PROM AT COMMUNITY CENTER SATURDAY EVENING

The 2015 RCHS Masquerade Prom for grades 9-12 will be from 8-12pm on Saturday at the Roscoe Community Center.  Tickets are $9 at the door.

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7AA AND 8AA AREA TRACK MEET TODAY

Several RCHS athletes, both Plowboys and Plowgirls, are competing in the Area Track Meet at McMurry University in Abilene today.  Results will be posted here next week.

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WEATHER REPORT: SOME HAIL, MILD WEATHER SINCE

Hail in my yard last Thursday.

On Thursday afternoon it hailed here in town three times, the first time with the sun shining.  A big cloud moved in from the southwest and dumped the hail along with some rain before it moved on to the northeast.  The hail wasn’t large enough to do much damage, however.  Most of it was marble-sized, but there were a few about the size of a fifty-cent piece (anybody remember those?) and ¼” to ½” thick, shaped like a hockey puck.  Here in the south part of town .65” of rain fell, but it was less west of town.  The next day there was also a good chance of more rain, but the storm clouds missed us, dropping rain on  places east of Roscoe and points east all the way to Fort Worth and Dallas.

Since then the weather has been generally partly cloudy and mild.  There was some thunder last night but no rain.  Temperatures have been milder than normal for this time of year with highs ranging from 80°F on Thursday, Saturday, and yesterday and 70° on Monday.  Lows ranged from 61° on Thursday to 46° on Monday. In general, we are having pretty spring weather—wheat looks good in the fields, wildflowers are blooming, weeds are growing, and people are out mowing their lawns more than usual.  And I probably shouldn’t say this for fear of creating some kind of jinx, but so far this spring there hasn’t been a single sandstorm. I can’t remember the last time that’s happened.

The forecast is for somewhat warmer temperatures this coming week with a 20% chance of rain this evening and tomorrow increasing to 40% tomorrow evening and night.  Highs are predicted to be in the mid-eighties through the weekend with lows in the mid-fifties to low sixties.

A good chance for more rain is predicted for next weekend.

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† MATILDA A. SAAVEDRA

Holy Mass of Christian Burial was at 10:00am on Saturday, April 18, at Holy Spirit Parish Catholic Church for Matilda Alvarez Saavedra, 62, of Roscoe. Interment followed at Roscoe Cemetery.  She passed away at Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene on Monday, April 13.

Matilda was born in July 2, 1952, in Blanco. She moved to Roscoe from Sweetwater the same year she married Benigno Saavedra. She worked as an LVN at Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital, Simmons Memorial Hospital, Sweetwater Health Care, and Holiday Retirement Center. Also active with family planning in the community, she was a member of Holy Parish Catholic Church, where she was very active until her health began to fail.

Survivors include her husband, Benigno Saavedra of Roscoe; son, Julian Saavedra and wife, Nancy, of Midland; sisters, Mary Perez and husband, Frankie, of Sweetwater; Josie Hernandez and husband, Joe, of Sweetwater; brother, Santos Alvarez and wife, Kim, of Copperas Cove; and grandson, Xavier Saavedra of Midland.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Prajedesa and Adela Alvarez, and her son, Martin Saavedra.

Pallbearers were Florentino Saavedra, Julian Saavedra, Johnny Sepeda, Jonathan Hernandez, Mario Perez, and Chris Ramirez.

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† CHARLES EDWARD RATLIFF, JR.

Funeral services for Charles Edward Ratliff, Jr., 83, will be held tomorrow, April 23, at 10:30am at the First Baptist Church in Roscoe with Dan Boren officiating.  Interment will follow at the Roscoe Cemetery.  He died in Seguin on Monday, April 20.

Charles Ratliff was born on September 10, 1931, in Slidell, Louisiana. He moved throughout Texas and Louisiana with his family before settling down in Roscoe in the seventh grade.  He married Verlia Jones in 1949.  They then raised a family of three children.  He worked for Lone Star Industries in Maryneal for more than 37 years, working in the lab and as a safety supervisor.  Upon retirement, he worked for 22 years as a substitute teacher in the Roscoe Schools.  His and his wife’s contributions to the Roscoe Schools over the years were recognized by the naming of facilities in their honor, the Ratliff Library in the Elementary School building and the Charles Ratliff Press Box at Plowboy Field, an honor recently bestowed upon him in commemoration of his 45 years of service as public address announcer for junior high, junior varsity, and varsity football games and track meets.

Charles was preceded in death by his wife, Verlia, in March 2013 and two brothers, Jesse and Tommy.  He is survived by three children, Mike Ratliff and wife Jolie of Austin, Larry Ratliff and wife Diane of Seguin, and Connie Drake and husband David of Whitney; five grandchildren, Stephen Ratliff and wife Diana of Dallas, Julie Wood and husband Caleb of Dallas, Lindsey Ratliff of Odessa, Jenny Childress and husband Kyle of Kyle, Texas, and Alison Pruett of Dallas; and five great-grandchildren, Carter, Issac, and Brooks Wood of Dallas; Landon Evans of Odessa, and Kennedy Childress of Kyle.  He is also survived by two sisters, Mary Ann Stocker and Delores Ratliff.

Pallbearers will be his grandchildren, Stephen and Diana Ratliff, Lindsey Ratliff, Julie and Caleb Wood, Jenny and Kyle Childress, and Alison Pruett.

Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00pm today, April 22, at McCoy Funeral Home in Sweetwater.  Online condolences may be expressed at www.mccoyfh.com.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Roscoe Public School Library or Plowboy Booster Club.

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City Council Awards Bids, Approves Cinco de Mayo Celebration

City Manager Cody Thompson addresses the Council at last night's meeting.

Among other actions at its monthly meeting last night, Roscoe’s City Council named the winners of the bids for City waste disposal, swimming pool operation, and cemetery maintenance.  They also approved a Cinco de Mayo celebration and parade to be held on May 2.

Knox Waste Services, the company which currently operates the City’s waste disposal, was selected to continue its operation for the next five years, primarily because most Roscoe residents are satisfied with the job they’ve been doing for the past few years.  They were challenged by Republic Services, whose costs and services were similar to those of Knox Waste Services.

The current custodian of the Roscoe Cemetery, Harold Gruden, who chose not to apply for another term, will be replaced by Mark Garcia of Sweetwater, who is also currently employed by Smartt Move LLC in Roscoe.  The City Swimming Pool will once again be operated this summer by Kalyn Presley Tate, who ran the pool last year.

Roxanna Reyna spoke for the group who requested and received the City Council’s permission to hold its annual Cinco de Mayo celebration in downtown Roscoe on Saturday, May 2.  The event will run from 10am to 10pm with the parade down Broadway at 11am.  This year’s celebration will differ from last year’s in its focus on family and children with children’s music, children’s games, and clowns.

City Manager Cody Thompson also gave his monthly public works update to the Council.  He reported that the City Water Treatment Plant has been operating as planned for the past three to four weeks delivering R. O. water with no problems.  He also said the City has been hauling and using recycled asphalt from the US 84 highway area and that the City will once again work with the County in the annual sealcoating of streets this May and June.

The park fence by the swimming pool will be completed by the end of this month, and the ballpark lights at George Parks Field will be repaired within the next couple of days with the help of ECM Electric’s cherry picker truck.

EHT Engineering of Abilene is working with the Texas Water Development Board on the City’s sanitary sewer line improvements currently underway, and the City has informed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that cleanup of the old sanitary sewer plant will begin within the next sixty to ninety days.

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PLOWBOYS, PLOWGIRLS QUALIFY FOR AREA MEET

A number of Plowboys and Plowgirls did well enough at last week’s District 7-2A meet in Stamford to advance to the Area Meet at McMurry University in Abilene next Wednesday, April 22.  In order to qualify, athletes had to finish in one of the top four places in each event.

Max Nemir won first place in the boys’ 300 meter hurdles with his best time of the year, 41.11 seconds; the Plowboys’ 4 x 400 meter relay team also won their event with a time of 3:33.28; and the Plowboys’ 4 x 100 meter relay team came in second with a time of 45.15.  Kevin Lavalais also came in second in the 200 meter dash with a time of 23.56.

Lyndi Wilkinson was the star for the Plowgirls, winning the Triple Jump with a distance of 34’ 11½”, her best result yet, and finishing second in the girls’ 400 meter dash with at time of 1:02.06.  Magali Casas  qualified for the Area Meet by clearing 7’ 4” in the Pole Vault, good enough for fourth place.

The Area Meet will determine qualifiers for the Regional Meet at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa on Saturday, May 2.

Here are the complete results of the District Meet for the Plowboys and Plowgirls:

Plowboys

Event                           Place       Athlete                    Time/Distance 
200 meter dash             2          Kevin Lavalais              23.56
400 meter dash             7          Pablo Huidobro            56.32
300 meter hurdles        1          Max Nemir                     41.11
4 x 100 meter relay       2          Roscoe                           45.15
    (Ryland Madrid, Max Nemir, Javier Leanos, Kevin Lavalais)
4 x 200 meter relay       6          Roscoe                          1:38.14
    (Eric Huidobro, Javier Leanos, Pablo Huidobro, Ryland Madrid)
4 x 400 meter relay        1          Roscoe                         3:33.28
   (Juan Solis, Max Nemir, Javier Leanos, Kevin Lavalais)
Shot Put                           5           Anthony Ortegon         39’ 5¼”
Discus Throw                  7           Anthony Ortegon         108’ 3”

Plowgirls

Event                           Place       Athlete                    Time/Distance 
400 meter dash             2          Lyndi Wilkinson           1:02.06
1600 meter run              6          Alejandra Solis             6:16.50
                                           8          Allison Acebedo           6:48.20
3200 meter run             6          Allison Acebedo           15:28.32
100 meter hurdles         6          Magali Casas                  20.32
4 x 400 meter relay       5          Roscoe                             4:17.40
   (Karina Cisneros, Lyndi Wilkinson, Dani Dean, Murissa Horton)
Pole Vault                        4          Magali Casas                   7’ 4”
Triple Jump                    1          Lyndi Wilkinson            34’ 11½”
Shot Put                           8          Arizona Guevara           24’ 1”
                                           9          Alex Guia                         22’ 5”
Discus Throw                 11        Arizona Guevara              65’ 7”
                                          13        Alex Guia                          49’ 6”

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READERS PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT LAST WEEK’S FEATURED OLD PHOTOS

Roscoe Lions Club softball team in 1963 or 1964.

Several of the questions raised about the two old photographs featured in last week’s post have been answered by readers with good memories.  Doc Pietzsch phoned to say that the team was indeed made up of members of the Roscoe Lions Club and that their opponent was a team from the American Legion whose players also dressed in female outfits.  He said the teams played one another every year for three or four years at the Roscoe baseball field, and the reason was to raise money for charity.

Billy Joe Jay said that the name of the unidentified player in the team photo was Joe Sneed, former owner of Sneed’s Drug Store, and Ken Brawley, whose parents were sitting in the ’58 Chevy in the second photo, was able to pinpoint the year of the photos to 1963 or 1964.

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WEATHER REPORT: RAIN

Rain falls on Monday afternoon.

The big weather event for the week was the rain that gently fell off and on for most of the day on Monday.  It had been a while since we'd had a good rain, so when the skies on Sunday were covered with low clouds and there was a 50% chance of precipitation, everyone was hopeful that something would happen.  So, it was frustrating that every time a little shower would begin, it would also cease within a couple of minutes, doing nothing more than wetting the sidewalks.  Thus, Monday’s showers were a welcome contrast.  Area totals for the day ranged from a little over a half-inch to an inch and a half.

In east Roscoe, weatherman Kenny Landfried recorded an official total of .83”, but noted that he got 1.4” on the family farm northwest of town.  In south Roscoe, Ken Brawley had .98”, and areas south of town got totals ranging from .57” to .87”, although I understand that the Champion area got more.  Avenger Field five miles east got .66”.  In any case, everyone got enough to be temporarily satisfied and looking forward to more since the forecast is for a 50% chance of rain tomorrow and 40% for Friday.

Temperatures were mild for this time of year with the high for the week at 84°F on Sunday, but the rest of the week saw highs only in the seventies and sixties.  The outlook is for a high today of about 81°, which should be warmer than the rest of the week through Monday, when the highs are all predicted to be in the seventies and lows in the fifties.

The long range forecast is for another good chance of rain next week.  So, with all the chances we’re getting now, maybe the ground will be in good shape when planting season begins.

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  Terri Clark put on a great show at the Lumberyard Friday evening.

Terri Clark, Gary P. Nunn at Lumberyard Friday Evening

Terri Clark

At the Lumberyard, the stars just keep coming.  Less than two weeks after Merle Haggard played on the new stage there, country and western music fans will be treated this Friday night to two more accomplished performers with the appearances of Terri Clark and Gary P. Nunn.

Gary P. Nunn, who will open for Terri Clark, is a member of the Texas Hall of Fame, and in 2007 Gov. Rick Perry appointed him an official Music Ambassador for Texas.  He has been a fixture in the Texas music scene since the seventies when he formed the Lost Gonzo Band and played with Willie Nelson, Michael Murphy, and Jerry Jeff Walker.

His fame as a performer is matched, if not exceeded, by his songwriting skills.  What self-respecting Texan can’t sing along to “I want to go home with the armadillo, good country music from Amarillo and Abilene” from his “London Homesick Blues”?  He’ll be singing that, “What I like about Texas,” “Terlingua Sky,” and others, including songs from his latest album, One Way or Another.

Gary P. Nunn

Terri Clark, originally from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, moved to Nashville to launch her music career and issued her first single, “Better Things to Do,” in 1995.  Since then, she has recorded ten studio albums, four compilation albums, one live album, and 37 singles.

Six of her singles have made it to number one on country music charts: “Girls Lie Too,” “You’re Easy on the Eyes,” “If I Were You,” “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me,”  “Emotional Girl,” and “In My Next Life.”  Other hit singles include “Now That I Found You,” “I Just Wanna Be Mad,” and, more recently, “Some Songs,” the title song of her latest CD.  She lives in Nashville and currently co-hosts America’s Morning Show on Nash FM with Blair Garner and Chuck Wicks.

For more information and reservations, contact the Lumberyard during business hours at 325-766-2457.  Saturday night’s show will feature Aaron Einhouse and Band.

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ROSCOE MAN KILLED IN AUTO ACCIDENT NORTH OF SNYDER

Dustin Lynn Heady, 25, originally of Stephenville, was killed in a one-vehicle accident three miles north of Snyder at about 11:00pm Saturday night.

At 11:14pm, DPS and emergency personnel responded to the crash scene, where they found a 1999 Lexus sedan facing south in the median of the highway.  DPS reported that for an unspecified reason, the southeast bound driver ran off the left side of the roadway and struck a guardrail in the median.  His car was facing south when DPS arrived.  The road was wet, and he was not wearing a seatbelt.

Heady was living with his grandparents, Richard and Diana Heady, north of Roscoe in Fisher County and  working for his uncle, Ricky Heady of Champion.  He was planning to manage an auto parts store in Colorado City and was in the process of purchasing a home in Loraine.

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TRACK RESULTS FROM COLORADO CITY’S LONE WOLF RELAYS

Both Plowboys and Plowgirls competed last week against a strong field at the Lone Wolf Relays in Colorado City.  Here are the results.

Plowboys

Event                           Place       Athlete                            Time
200 meter dash             4             Kevin Lavalais              23.15
4 x 100 relay                  4             Roscoe                         45:22.0
   (Ryland Madrid, Max Nemir, Javier Leanos, Kevin Lavalais)
4 x 400 relay                  2             Roscoe                              3:34
   (Juan Solis, Max Nemir, Javier Leanos, Kevin Lavalais)

Team Results: 1. Snyder, 2. Colorado City, 3. Clyde, 4. Haskell, 5. Stanton, 6. Anson, 7. Sweetwater, 8. Roscoe, 9. Midland Christian, 10. Coahoma.

Plowgirls

Event                           Place          Athlete                     Time (Distance)
400 meter dash             3             Lyndi Wilkinson           1:03
800 meter run               6             Danielle Dean               2:49
1600 meter run             4              Alejandra Solis             6:19
4 x 400                            4               Roscoe                           4:41
Triple Jump                   1               Lyndi Wilkinson         32’10½”

Team Results: 1. Clyde, 2. Colorado City, 3. Snyder, 4. Stanton, 5. Anson, 6. Haskell, 7. Sweetwater, 8. Roscoe, 8. Coahoma.

The District 7-2A meet was in Stamford yesterday, but results were not available to me at posting time.

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FIFTY-YEAR-OLD PHOTOS RAISE QUESTIONS

Bottom: Tommy Huff, Glenn Pitts, Billy Whorton, Harold Haynes, Bernard Shelansky, Walter Driver, William Haney.  Top: George Parks, ? , John McKay, Arliss Haynes, Landrum Medlock, Clyde Jay, Glenn Roenfeldt, Russell Haney. (Click photo to enlarge.)

This week, Vickie Haynes lent the Roscoe Historical Museum a couple of old photographs from about 1960 or so that have me and others scratching our heads about just what exactly they represented.  Taken at the baseball field, both photos show a group of Roscoe’s most prominent men of the time dressed as female softball players.

Since the Roscoe Lions Club was active back then, and most, if not all, of the men in the photos were members, they may have been involved in some Lions Club activity.  However, no one thus far has been able to confirm that.  Speculation is that they may have been playing a softball game with one of Roscoe’s female softball teams, specifically the Roscoe Sluggers.  However, when I phoned Lois Brawley, one of that team’s surviving members, and asked her if she recalled playing a group of men in female outfits, her answer was no.  She did say, though, that her memory now is not what it once was, so it may well have happened and she’s simply forgotten about it.

In any case, if any of you who see these photos can fill us in on what the occasion was, I’d appreciate your input.

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SPRING CLEAN-UP SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 13-18

The City of Roscoe’s Spring Clean-Up this year will be from Monday, April 13, through Saturday, April 18.  Hours of operation will be from 9am to 7pm, and the location will be on Front and Bois d’Arc Streets, on the block just north of the Plowboy Center Lodge on Broadway.

There will be three huge dumpsters and one dumpster for tires.  All household trash must be delivered and deposited within the dumpsters.  There will be no separate piles for metals or tree limbs and brush.  Items not allowed in the dumpsters include paint, oil, oil filters, chemical containers, or tree limbs.  Air conditioners and refrigerators must be tagged landfill acceptable.  There will be no curb service.

The Spring Clean-Up is for City of Roscoe residents only.  Before using the facility, you will be required to show a City of Roscoe water bill or other identification clearly showing you are a Roscoe resident.

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ROSCOE FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION SET FOR SATURDAY, JULY 4

This year’s Independence Day Celebration will be on Saturday, July 4.  The event will last from 10am to 10pm and will include a parade, kids’ area with bounce houses, Plowboy Mudbog, street vendors, a free concert and street dance with live music, and a fireworks show.

The featured band for the free concert and street dance this year is Cody Canada and the Departed.  So, mark your calendar and make plans now to attend.

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LORENZO RANGEL RECEIVES 30-YEAR SERVICE AWARD

Lorenzo Rangel, Sr., recently received a plaque from Kim Alexander for thirty years of faithful service driving a tractor for Alexander Ag.

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ROSCOE HAPPENINGS NOTED IN ABILENE GOSSIP COLUMN

Miz Cheevus, the Abilene Reporter-News’ venerable gossip columnist, mentioned these Roscoe activities in her column on Monday:

The Lumberyard over in Roscoe has been quite busy with bookings by popular bands. Country legend Merle Haggard performed March 29. It was an ideal setup for the “Young” cousins to gather at the newly redecorated Childers Farm Office across the street for a little visiting before going over to hear the music.

Carl Childers, Sheila Young Fox and Diane Young Coleman, of Austin, had just attended the funeral in Sweetwater of their cousin James Wells Young III, third-generation steward of the Y5 Ranch and musician extraordinaire.

Others present included host Jose Delucchi; his mother, Edith, who was visiting from Peru; Roy Helen Ackers, accompanied by Tom Laughlin; Gerald and Christie Galbraith; Don Paige and Beth Doan; Ted and Eva Grisham, from Midland; Woody and Lee Ruth Gilliland, who were introducing Jan Smith, whose husband is Steve Smith (they are most helpful to the West Texas Rehabilitation Center in Sweetwater); and Meredith J. Riney, who just passed the law exam.

Vickie’s Gifts in Roscoe now is owned by daughter Koti Lindsey (Miz C sniffs out essentials like shoes and gifts). Roy Helen saw Christie Galvan, administrative assistant to Kirby Andrews, president of First Financial Bank in Sweetwater.

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WEATHER REPORT: WARM AND DRY

The buds are out on the McBrides' old mesquite tree, above, but not on mine. (Photo by Patty McBride)

We’ve had typical spring weather this past week, and the forecast is for more of the same this coming week.  There was no precipitation.  On Saturday, there was a cloud with thunder and lightning but nothing more.  That could change this weekend, though.

The temperature hit 90°F on Thursday, but a cold front moved in, and Friday’s high was down to 74° and Saturday’s was 65°.  But then it began warming again, and by yesterday the temperature was back up to 91°.  More importantly, lows were in the fifties or sixties except for Saturday morning when the temperature dropped to 44°.  Chances for a late freeze are diminishing with each passing week, and none is forecast for the coming week.

Today’s and tomorrow’s highs should be a little cooler at 85° and 83° respectively.  However, another cool front should arrive on Friday morning, dropping the high that afternoon to 72° and bringing with it a 40% chance of rain, which will last until midday on Sunday.  The forecast lows from now through the weekend will all be in the fifties and sixties.

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† DUSTIN LYNN HEADY

A funeral service will be held for Dustin Lynn Heady, 25, in the Erath County Cowboy Church in Stephenville at 2pm on Friday, April 10, with Rev. Werth Mayes officiating.  He will be buried at Round Mountain Cemetery north of Roscoe in Fisher County on Saturday, April 11, at 2pm.

Dustin was born on January 2, 1990, and died in an auto accident on Saturday, April 4.

Survivors include his father, Tony Heady and wife, Pamela, of Stephenville; mother, Angela Gifford and husband, Toby, of Stephenville; maternal grandparents, Jim and Angie Gourley, of Clifton; paternal grandparents, Richard and Diana Heady of Roscoe; and brothers, Trotter Heady of Corpus Christi and Parker Heady of Stephenville. He is also survived by his uncle Ricky and aunt Christine Heady of Champion; uncle Tracy and aunt Holly Stevens of Folsom, CA; and aunt Sherry Bascom of Odessa, and several cousins.

Condolences may be expressed on the website of the Lacy Funeral Home of Stephenville.

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Large Crowd Attends Roscoe Spring Super Sunday

 
What a day it was on Sunday!  Large crowds were seen in all the Roscoe businesses, and visitors from all over west Texas gathered to get a chance to see country-music legend Merle Haggard and the Strangers perform on the Lumberyard’s new stage.

The Roscoe Historical Museum was open, and from noon to about four o’clock there was a steady stream of visitors who came in out of curiosity—as well as to get out of the hot sun and 90° weather outside.  Many put bills in the donation box, and all seemed to enjoy the eclectic collection of historical artifacts and photographs of old Roscoe that the museum offers.

Downtown businesses like the Blackland Smokehouse, the Lumberyard, and the Wildflower Boutique were full of people, as were the businesses on Main Street like Vickie’s Gifts, the Southern Belle Salon, and Main Street Antiques, which was open for the first time ever.  The Highland High seniors and juniors were selling at bargain prices various small hardware items that they had received as a donation from Higginbotham-Bartlett in Sweetwater, and Burritos Zacatecas sold tacos from their taco stand across from the Post Office.  The Community Center sold meals and had some vendors. McVey’s Native Nursery was open on the north side, as was Peppy’s Mexican Imports on Main, and the Roscoe Thrift Store on east Broadway.

The Roscoe Express shuttle operated all afternoon, carrying visitors from one business to the next.

At the Lumberyard, the music started at three.  Jamie Richards and his band, generally headliners in their own right, kicked off the live music and played for over an hour and a half.  They were followed by the Playboys Special Edition, which consisted of some of Bob Wills’ old band members along with a talented young female fiddler.  They played all the old Bob Wills songs, and old-time Western Swing filled the air as dancers two-stepped on the dance floor.

After about a half-hour break, they were then followed by Merle Haggard’s band, the Strangers.  Haggard’s son Noah entertained the crowd with his vocals for an extended set followed by another intermission.  And then, at about eight-twenty, what everyone had been waiting for finally arrived as country-music legend Merle Haggard made his way onto the stage and up to the microphone.  He then played and sang non-stop for the rest of the evening.  Each song was followed by cheers from the crowd, and many sang along with him as he performed songs that all his fans know by heart.  Still spry at 77, his voice is not as strong as it once was, but that didn’t seem to matter to anyone as every song he sang—songs such as “Mama Tried,” “Today I Started Loving You Again,” “Silver Wings,” “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink,” “Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down,” and “Okie from Muskogee”—brought back memories of the past and over the years have become a part of the fabric of our lives.

By ten o’clock it was all over, but the day was one that will be long remembered by all who attended, and one that adds to Roscoe’s reputation as a small town that exemplifies the vitality, character, and spirit of west Texas.

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CITY-SPONSORED EASTER EGG HUNT IN OLD TOWN PARK THIS SATURDAY

The City of Roscoe invites one and all to its annual Easter Egg Hunt at 2:00pm this Saturday, April 4, in Old Town Park across from City Hall.  As in past years, hunts are planned for three separate age groups: 0-3 years old, 4-7 years old, and 8-12 years old.

Please bring cameras and baskets for goodies.  For more information, contact City Hall during business hours at 325-766-3871.

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RCHS ONE-ACT PLAY ACTORS WIN HONORS AT DISTRICT MEET IN STAMFORD

RCHS one-act play cast and crew 2014-15.

The RCHS one-act play cast and crew finished their season on Saturday at the district meet in Stamford and, although they won’t be advancing to regional this year, were the recipients of several awards. Cassie Chavira was selected to the All-Star Cast, Caleb Ward won the Technical Award, and Isaiah Gonzales made the Honorable Mention Cast.

Roscoe’s one-act play was entitled “The Small World of Millie McIvor” by Ronald Burke.  The directors were Gay-Lynn Moses and Vanessa Galvan, and the actors were Cassie Chavira, Samantha Ortega, Adrian Ortega, Isaiah Gonzales, Danielle Dean, Caty Chavira, and Nolan Reeves.  Crew members were Spencer Little and Caleb Ward.

The plays in competition were from Albany, Anson, Hamlin, Haskell, Hawley, Roscoe, Stamford, and Winters.

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ROSCOE SCHOOLS OUT EARLY FOR GOOD FRIDAY

Roscoe students will probably think it’s Good Friday for more reasons than one as the schools will be out at 1:30pm on Friday in honor of the holiday.  They will return at the regular time on Monday morning.

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PLOWBOYS, PLOWGIRLS COMPETE IN ROBY, SAN ANGELO TRACK MEETS

Plowboys and Plowgirls have competed in two meets over the last two weeks, one the Cottonwood Creek Relays in Roby, and the other the San Angelo Relays, which had numerous larger schools competing against the Plowboys and Plowgirls.  The information for it may not be complete, but it was all that was available to me.

Cottonwood Creek Relays

Plowboys competed against athletes from the following high schools: Blackwell, Borden County, Crosbyton, Hawley, Hermleigh, Highland, Ira, Lueders-Avoca, Roby, Roscoe, Rotan, Sterling City, Throckmorton, Westbrook.

Plowboys

Event                              Place       Athlete                            Time

100 meter dash                5           Pablo Huidobro             12.08
200 meter dash                2          Kevin Lavalais                23.62
400 meter dash                6          Pablo Huidobro             56.11
4 x 100 relay                      2           Roscoe                            45.56
    (Ryland Madrid, Max Nemir, Rafael Aguayo, Kevin Lavalais)
4 x 200 relay                     5           Roscoe                           1:40.18
    (Eric Huidobro, Rafael Aguayo, Ryland Madrid, Pablo Huidobro)
4 x 400 relay                     1           Roscoe                           3:39.2
    (Juan Solis, Max Nemir, Luis Villa, Kevin Lavalais)
300 meter hurdles           2           Max Nemir                     42.85

Plowgirls

Plowgirls competed against athletes from the following high schools: Blackwell, Borden County, Hawley, Hermleigh, Highland, Ira, Jayton, Lueders-Avoca, Roby, Rotan, Sterling City, Trent, Westbrook.
Event                              Place       Athlete                            Time

 400 meter dash                1          Lyndi Wilkinson           1:06.01
800 meter run                  3          Karina Cisneros            2:48.54
                                             5          Dani Dean                      2:53.09
1600 meter run                3          Allison Acebedo             6:36.75
3200 meter run                5          Allison Acebedo           14:54.97
4 x 400 relay                     2          Roscoe                             4:37.73
    (Dani Dean, Lyndi Wilkinson, Karina Cisneros, Emily Whiteley)
Triple Jump                       6           Lyndi Wilkinson           30’ 2½”
High Jump                         4           Emily Whiteley                 4’ 6”

San Angelo Relays

Plowboys

Event                              Place       Athlete                           Time

100 meter dash                24        Pablo Huidobro             12.99
                                            26        Rafael Aguayo                13.02
                                            30        Luis Villa                         13.33
200 meter dash                 3         Kevin Lavalais               23.10
400 meter dash               17         Pablo Huidobro             58.01
                                            27          Juan Huidobro             61.01
300 meter hurdles           7          Max Nemir                     42.4
4 x 100 relay                      8          Roscoe                            44.9
   (Ryland Madrid, Max Nemir, Javier Leanos, Kevin Lavalais)
4 x 200 relay                   12           Roscoe                         1:36.4
   (Eric Huidobro, Rafael Aguayo, Pablo Huidobro, Ryland Madrid)
4 x 400 relay                    11           Roscoe                         3:37.4
   (Juan Solis, Max Nemir, Javier Leanos, Kevin Lavalais)
Discus throw                   19          Anthony Ortegon         93’ 9”

Plowgirls


Event                              Place       Athlete                            Time

100 meter dash               26        Lena Martinez               15.63
                                           28        Bergan Trevino              15.94
                                           29        Angelica Castillo            17.44
200 meter dash              29        Lena Martinez                32.01
                                           31        Bergan Trevino               33.70
400 meter dash                7         Lyndi Wilkinson           1:04.5
300 meter hurdles         20        Magali Casas                  1:04.82
4 x 400 relay                   10         Roscoe                            4:17.40
(Danielle Dean, Lyndi Wilkinson, Karina Cisneros, Mireya Sanchez)
Triple jump                      6          Lyndi Wilkinson         31’1.25”
Pole vault                        10          Magali Casas                    6’ 6”
Shot put                           19          Arizona Guevara        23’ 8½”

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WEATHER REPORT: WARM AND WINDY

The Texas Red Oaks have budded out.

The weather this past week was typical for this time of year—warm for the most part with one cooling front that arrived with strong, gusty winds on Sunday afternoon during Roscoe’s Spring Super Sunday.  In about two hours’ time, the temperatures dropped from an uncomfortably hot 89° to around 62° with a strong breeze.  Then, yesterday we had a couple of light showers that didn’t amount to much as most of the storm missed Roscoe.  I heard a couple of reports of light hail south of town and at Lake Sweetwater.  There were also reports of up to a quarter of an inch east of here, but here in town we got just enough to get the ground wet.  

We haven’t had anything close to a freeze in the past couple of weeks, and there’s nothing drastic forecast for the coming week—so I’m going to go out on a limb here and fearlessly forecast that the danger of a late freeze is behind us, and all the fruit trees around Roscoe stand a good chance of actually bearing fruit this year.  Algerita berry bushes are blooming on area ranches, and I’m looking forward to picking some when they get ripe.

Today’s high of around 84° will be surpassed by tomorrow’s predicted high of 91°.  Then, another cold front will move through early Friday, and the high will drop down to 68° with a low of 46°, followed by similarly cool weather on Saturday.  Then, we’ll get steadily warming temperatures in the days following.

There is no rain in the immediate forecast.

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† STEVEN R. SMITH

Funeral services for Steven R. Smith, 67, were held at 12:00 on Saturday, March 28, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 10351 N. Bayhill Drive, Cedar Hills, Utah.  Interment followed at Eastlawn Cemetery in Provo, Utah.

Steve was born July 10, 1947, in New York City to Arel and Ruth Smith.  He later lived in Oklahoma and Texas and moved with his family to Roscoe when he was fifteen.  He was a 1967 graduate of Roscoe High School. After a year of college in Texas, he moved to Utah and graduated from Brigham Young University with a business degree.  He worked for years at Nature’s Sunshine, a health products company, and later started another very successful nutritional company, SuLin International.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Linda, his mother Ruth, father Arel, and brother Bobby.  He is survived by his wife, Rosemarie; sisters, Anna Mae (John) Peptis, Charlene (Mike), and Shelly (Paul) Romero; and brother, Kenneth Williams of Sweetwater; his children, Brandon (Tonia) Smith, Stefanie (Gabe) Birrer, Darrell Billie, Kathy (Matt) Taranto, Dana Smith, Brianne (Nate) Hovey, Steven B. Smith, Jason (Melissa) Nielson, Allyse (Patrick) Sedivy, Marisa (Joel) Wright, Josh (Shannan) Nielson, Jared (Lacey) Nielson, Jessica (Craig) Hayward; and 42 grandchildren.

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 † ROBERT “BOBBY” DONALD DYER

A graveside service for Robert “Bobby” Donald Dyer, 62, was held at 2:00pm on Saturday, March 28, at Roscoe Cemetery.  He passed away on Wednesday, March 25, in San Angelo.

He was born on September 30, 1952, in Sweetwater and moved with his family at age 9 to Roscoe.  He was a 1970 graduate of Roscoe High School.  He attended Western Texas College and then went on to Angelo State, where he graduated with a degree in accounting.  He served on several boards in Roscoe, including the Roscoe Improvement Board, and was a Roscoe City Councilman for twelve years.  He was a past member of the Roscoe Lions Club and a member of the First Baptist Church in Roscoe.

Survivors include his mother, Allie Bea Dyer, of Roscoe; brother, Jim Dyer and wife, Diana, of San Angelo; nieces, Kimberly Dyer Fisher and husband, Jarrad, of Stillwater, OK, and Kasey Mahan and husband, Cody, of Richardson.

He was preceded in death by his father, Arthur Dale Dyer, on February 9, 2002.

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