Thirty RCHS Seniors Receive Diplomas

RCHS Class of 2016

One of life’s milestones for thirty RCHS Seniors was reached Friday evening as they received their diplomas and concluded their high school careers in the Special Events Center. Twenty-four had already received their Associate’s Degrees from Western Texas College two weeks earlier. Six others were early graduates, having fulfilled all their requirements in December.

Valedictorian of this year’s class is Isaiah Gonzales with an overall grade average of 94.2. Salutatorian is Ray Bohall with an overall average of 92.9.

Here is a list of the Class of 2016:

          Rafael Aguayo*                        Ashley Lara*
          Crystal Alvarez E                      Kevin Lavalais*
          Ray Bohall*                              Javier Leaños*
          Magali Casas*                           Lena Martinez*
          Clayton Chadwick E                 Tristan Navarette
          Cassie Chavira*                        Max Nemir*
          Caty Chavira*                           Adrian Ortega*
          Derek Creed E                          Anthony Ortegon*
          Emily Gonzales* E                   Vincent Pantoja*
          Isaiah Gonzales*                       A. J. Renteria*
          Teresa Herrerra*                       Brena Robison*
          Hannah Hobdy*                        Alejandra Solis*
          Erick Huidobro E                      Bernardo Villa*
          Pablo Huidobro E                      Luis Villa*
          Victoria Jimenez*                      Lin Xiao*

* = Associate’s Degree from Western Texas College
E = Early Graduate (completed requirements in December)

--o--

CITY COUNCIL APPROVES BID OF ISABEL MOORE TO RUN CITY SWIMMING POOL

The Roscoe City Pool is scheduled to open next week.

In a special City Council meeting called on Monday, the Council unanimously approved the bid of Isabel Moore to run the City Swimming Pool this summer.

Tentative opening date for the pool is June 1 with prices and procedures to be essentially the same as last summer.

Last year the pool was open Tuesdays through Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00pm. Price of admission was $2 with season passes available for $75. The pool was rented for private parties that began and ended between 6:00 and 10:00pm. The fee was $60 for two hours, $70 for three hours, and $80 for four hours with a $15 deposit. That price included an approved licensed lifeguard.

--o--

PRECINCT 6 AND NOLAN COUNTY PRIMARY RUNOFF RESULTS

Voting was light in yesterday’s primary runoff election. Here are the results for Precinct 6, Roscoe’s Precinct, and Nolan County:

Republican Runoffs:                      Precinct 6         Nolan County

U. S. Representative, District 19
Jodey Arrington                                            41                        436
Glen Robertson                                             31                         442

Railroad Commissioner
Wayne Christian                                            47                        479
Gary Gates                                                       16                        265

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 2
Mary Lou Keel                                                22                        370
Wayne Wheless                                              35                        345

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 5
Brent Webster                                                17                       243
Scott Walker                                                  40                       476

Democratic Runoff:

Railroad Commissioner
Cody Garrett                                                      5                      19
Grady Yarbrough                                              6                      22

--o--

THE LUMBERYARD, ROSCOE GET GOOD REVIEW IN RV MAGAZINE ARTICLE

The Lumberyard (Photo by René Agredano)

The magazine RV Life has published a nice review of Roscoe, the museum, the school, the Stone Tower RV Park, the wind turbines, and the Lumberyard in an article published last Thursday. The author, René Agredano, and husband Jim were in town for the Mavericks’ live concert at the Lumberyard and appeared to thoroughly enjoy themselves during their brief stay here.

The article, entitled “Breeze into One of the Best Live Music Venues in Texas,” is available online and may be accessed by clicking here.

--o--

JASON BOLAND AT THE LUMBERYARD FRIDAY, “FLIP FLOPS & TANK TOPS” CHARITY EVENT SATURDAY

Jason Boland & the Stragglers.

It’s another big weekend at the Lumberyard with Jason Boland & the Stragglers in town Friday evening and the annual “Flip Flops & Tank Tops” charity event on Saturday afternoon and evening.

As all “Red Dirt/Texas Country” fans know, Jason Boland and the Stragglers are one of most popular groups now dominating the Texas music scene. The group got its start in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 1998 and released its first album, Pearl Snaps, in 1999.  Since then, they have gone on to produce six more studio albums: Truckstop Diaries (2001), Somewhere in the Middle (2004), The Bourbon Legend (2006), Comal County Blue (2008), Rancho Alto (2011), Dark & Dirty Mile (2013), and Squelch (2015), along with two live albums: Live and Lit at Billy Bob’s Texas (2002) and High in the Rockies (2010).

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

Then on Saturday, country singers Deryl Dodd and Sam Riggs will be just two of the bands appearing at the fifth annual “Flip-Flops and Tank Tops.” The event, whose proceeds go to the Hope Center for Autism and Snyder We Care, will feature live music starting at 3:00pm and continuing all evening.

The event includes a steak cookoff at the Lumberyard. As a sanctioned SCA (Steak Cookoff Association) cookoff, the entry fee is $100 with the sponsor, Backroads Music, supplying the steak.  The winner will advance to the regional finals at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth.

This poster lists all the musical groups that are playing. Tickets are $20.

--o--

WEATHER REPORT: WARM AND WINDY

Sunday's sunset over Old Town Park. (Photo by Sheree Herd)

Since last Friday, the two most noticeable features of the weather have been the warmer days and nights and the wind, which has blown nonstop for the past four days and nights. The windiest day was Sunday with sustained breezes of up to 28mph and gusts up to 39, but Monday was almost as bad with its strong winds and dusty skies in the late afternoon.

With the warm weather we’ve had for the past few days, it’s already hard to believe that last Wednesday was as cool as it was with a high of only 56°F and about .3” of rain. The high for the past three days running has been 86°, and today the forecast is for our hottest day of the year thus far when the temperature tops out at about 94°.

Tomorrow should be a little cooler with a high of 87°, but there’s also a good chance we’ll get more rain, especially tomorrow night when the possibility is as high as 80%. The highs will continue to be in the mid to upper eighties and lows in the sixties until Sunday, when a cool front will drop temperatures and bring another good chance of rain. If you’re planning an outdoor barbecue for Memorial Day, you may want to also have a backup plan, since forecasters are predicting an 80% chance of rain that day.

--o--

A MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE TO S/SGT. WELDON NORRIS

S/Sgt. Troy Weldon Norris, known in Roscoe as Weldon, was a 1940 graduate of Roscoe High School and a halfback on the Plowboy football team. Students chose him the school’s Best All-Around Boy in 1939. Before going overseas he married Dorothy Blair.

He entered the Army in 1942, shortly after Pearl Harbor, and trained in California, Georgia, and North Carolina. He was assigned to Company I of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, a unit of the “Screaming Eagles," the 101st Airborne Division. With his unit, he saw extensive action on D-Day. The division jumped in the dark morning before H-Hour to seize positions west of Utah Beach and was involved in heavy combat in the weeks following. That fall, they jumped into Holland during Operation “Market Garden,” where they fought against heavy odds for ten days and then continued on to liberate Holland, spending a total of 72 days in combat.

In December 1944 they were sent to hold Bastogne, Belgium, in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. There they were surrounded by German forces who demanded immediate surrender. The division commander, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, made history with his classic reply, “Nuts!” They then fought against overwhelming odds from December 18 to 27. Here is some of the official wording of the Presidential Unit Citation the 101st Airborne Division received:

“Essential to a large scale exploitation of his break-through into Belgium and northern Luxembourg, the enemy attempted to seize Bastogne by attacking constantly and savagely with the best of his armor and infantry. Without benefit of prepared defenses, facing almost overwhelming odds and with very limited and fast dwindling supplies, these units maintained a high combat morale and an impenetrable defense, despite extremely heavy bombing, intense artillery fire, and constant attacks from infantry and armor on all sides of their completely cut off and encircled position. This masterful and grimly determined defense denied the enemy even momentary success in an operation for which he paid dearly in men, material, and eventually morale.”

The siege was broken on December 26, but the fighting continued until January 18, 1945. S/Sgt. Norris was killed in action on January 13. He was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster and a Purple Heart, and his regiment was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation. He was re-buried in Roscoe Cemetery in 1946 with full military honors.

--o--

† FRANK YOUNG, JR.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, May 27, at First Baptist Church in Roscoe for Frank Young, Jr., 64, of Roscoe, who passed away on Sunday, May 22. Burial will follow at Roscoe Cemetery.

Frank was born in San Marcos on May 6, 1952, to Frank and Gerry Young. He attended Sweetwater High School, Angelo State University, and Abilene Christian University. He married Jana Ivy on June 11, 1971. They were married 44 years. Frank, Coach Young to most, was a coach and a teacher for 33 years at Roscoe schools. He loved his Plowboys and Plowgirls. He inspired students not only by his teachings from a book but by his actions. His smile was contagious and he never met a stranger. Frank’s children and grandchildren were the pride and joy of his life. He looked forward to spending time with them whenever he could. He was preceded in death by his mother, Gerry Young.

Frank is survived by his father, Frank Young, Sr., of Nolan; wife, Jana of Roscoe; sons, Toby Young and wife Amy of Roby, and Bo Young and wife Lauren of Katy; grandchildren, Anslee Few, Houston Few, Staleigh Young, Hailyn Young, Walker Young and June Young; sister, Cindy and husband Al Lara of San Angelo; brothers, Ron Young and wife Sherry of Wichita Falls, and Ricky Young and wife Vickie of Merkel; along with numerous nieces and nephews.

There will be a visitation on Thursday, May 26, from 6:00 to 8:00pm at McCoy Funeral Home in Sweetwater.

Pallbearers will be Chuck Cathey, Jody Underwood, Jady Underwood, Russell Graham, Jose Hernandez and K.C. Hope.

Honorary pallbearers will be Rudy Raughton, Johnny Martin, Doyle Sanders, Doyle Edmiston and Joe Ejem.

--o--