Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!  Here’s wishing you the best of holiday cheer!  By this time you should be just about finished with your Christmas shopping, and if you’re really diligent, you may have all your gift wrapping done as well. I hope you’ve been a good boy or girl this year and won’t wind up with switches or lumps of coal in your Christmas stocking.

If you’re lucky, you won’t be facing one of those late night sessions that require you to put together something with “some assembly required.” But if you must, just be patient as you read the garbled instructions, and remember that the Chinese person who wrote them was doing the best that he or she could with only two years of high school English. I’ve also found that those two or three pieces that are left over when you’re finished probably aren’t necessary anyway.

In any case, here’s hoping you enjoy this special holiday with family and friends, that you don’t eat or drink too much, and that the gifts you give and receive are perfect. Merry Christmas!

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SANTA CLAUS VISITS ROSCOE

Santa Claus was more than welcome at school last week. (Photo by Jodi McFaul Kingston)

Santa Claus made two pre-Christmas visits to Roscoe last week. On Wednesday he went to Roscoe Elementary School to find out what boys and girls want for Christmas this year. Then on Saturday, he did the same in Old Town Park after riding in the Christmas Parade with the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary. 

He’ll be back tomorrow night with his reindeer and sleigh, so don’t forget to leave him some milk and cookies! Delivering all those presents is hard work.

Santa rides in the Roscoe Express in the Christmas Parade. (Photo by Jodi McFaul Kingston)

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PLOWGIRLS FALL TO STAMFORD 47-33

In a game played in Stamford Friday evening, the Plowgirls stayed close in the first half, but in the second the Lady Bulldogs pulled away for a 47-33 victory. 

Here is the scoring by quarters:

Stamford          6          20        31        47
Plowgirls          5          19        23        33

Plowgirls’ individual scoring: Veronica Cuellar 12, Bonnie Wilkinson 7, Lyndi Wilkinson 4, Kirkland 4, Karina Cisneros 4, Bergan Trevino 2.

The Plowgirls are off for Christmas Break and will resume play next week at the Eula Tournament, December 28-30.

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MASONIC LODGE PROGRAM TEACHES FIRST GRADERS HEALTHY DENTAL HABITS

Shane Tomlin and first graders.

The Sweetwater Masonic Lodge #571 presented the Fantastic Teeth Program to the First Grade Class at Roscoe Elementary School. Shane Tomlin and Jimmy Apel, members of the Lodge, were on hand for the presentation. 

The students had a lively “quiz” with Tomlin regarding healthy dental practices. At the end of the program, all students received a Dental Kit, compliments of the Masonic Home and School of Texas. 

The Fantastic Teeth Program focuses on preventing tooth decay in children by teaching children and parents good dental habits.  This program, sponsored by Masonic Home and School of Texas (MHS), delivers thousands of free prevent tooth decay kits across the State of Texas.

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CITY HALL TO CLOSE FOR CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR’S

The Roscoe City Hall will be closed tomorrow, December 24, and Friday, Christmas Day. It will open again on Monday, December 28 and close again next Thursday and Friday for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. 

Trash pick-up will be on Thursdays, as usual.

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TxDOT COMPLETES BRIDGE INTO ABILENE, CLOSES DETOUR

Roscoe folks who travel to south Abilene will be glad to know that the Business I-20 bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad in southwest Abilene is scheduled to open today, and that the detour on eastbound I-20 will no longer be necessary. The regular route to US 84, which has been closed since last May, is once again open, and drivers will be able to resume their normal route on the newly constructed bridge.

The project was completed one month ahead of schedule.

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WEATHER REPORT: MILD BUT WINDY

The flag at the Museum was popping in yesterday's strong west wind.

This past week has been generally warmer and windier than average for this time of year. After cool weather on Thursday and Friday, when highs were in the fifties and lows in the upper twenties and thirties, it warmed up into the sixties in the afternoons on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday with lows in the forties. Then yesterday afternoon the temperature reached 74°F, the high for the week. The low came on Friday morning when it was only 27°. Even so, the grass in my yard is still green.  

However, the most prominent feature of the weather this past week has been the wind.  Under clear or partly cloudy skies, the south and southwest winds started blowing on Saturday and have continued ever since, peaking in the afternoons and diminishing at night. The windiest day was Sunday when there were sustained high winds of 31mph with gusts up to 41.

Today should be a repeat of yesterday with partly cloudy skies and south winds of 15 to 20mph. Temperatures should climb to about 70° this afternoon and fall tomorrow morning into the mid-forties. Christmas Day will see a high of about 68° and a low of 54° with less wind.

Meteorologists are also saying that we could see our first snow of the year on Sunday night or early Monday morning. A front will move through on Saturday, bringing a 50% chance of rain during the day, increasing to 70% Saturday night. Then on Sunday the projected high will be only about 36° with a 60% chance of rain and a 40% chance of rain, freezing rain, or snow Sunday night. People who are going north to the panhandle should be prepared for snow instead of rain, so it may be advisable to leave earlier rather than later. Monday’s chances of precipitation will be much less, but it will still be cold with a high of around forty and a low in the upper twenties.

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