West Texas Wind Festival This Saturday

Cooder Graw, this year's featured band for the free concert and street dance.

Plans are being finalized for the tenth annual West Texas Wind Festival, and organizers are expecting a large crowd, especially for the free concert and the fireworks show. The weather is predicted to cooperate with sunny skies and a high in the upper eighties.

As usual, the downtown streets will be lined with vendors all afternoon and evening, and the Roscoe Historical Museum will be open. The Roscoe Express Shuttle will also be on hand to take people to and from selected parking areas and downtown all afternoon at no charge. Cooks will be barbecuing around the Fire House and Community Center most of the day.

The South Austin Moonlighters will open the free concert at 6:00pm.

Music for the free concert and street dance in Cypress Street will begin at six with the South Austin Moonlighters. They are a group of established musicians and songwriters who consider themselves and their music “True Americana,” a band that blends country, blues, folk, and rock. They are regulars at such Austin venues as The Saxon Pub and Threadgill’s, and Gruene Hall, just up the road. Singles include “You, Love, & Me,” “To Love Somebody,” and “Little Rain.”

They’ll be followed by about fifteen minutes of announcements and the cookoff results.

Then at around eight, Cooder Graw will take the stage. This band refers to its country/alternative  music as “loud country.” Best known for its song “Llano Estacado,” the group formed in 1998 and, unlike most bands, was made up from the start of members in their late thirties to early fifties. The lead singer, Matt Martindale, was the assistant DA of Gray County and guitarist Kelly Turner managed a manufacturing plant in Slaton.

They originally called themselves Coup de Grace, but since another band already had that name, they changed theirs to the Texas pronunciation of the original name, Cooder Graw. They produced several CDs, their first being Home at the Golden Light and toured extensively, becoming a major influence on the Texas scene, but in 2006 they broke up with a couple of members going back to their previous professions. Then in 2012, they got back together again, picked up two new members and have been performing ever since. Since re-uniting, they have produced two CDs, Front of House Live, and their latest CD, Cooder Graw: Love to Live By. Videos that exemplify their style include "Better Days," "Llano Estacado," "Motel Lights," and their latest, "Love to Live By."

The fireworks show will follow Cooder Graw’s performance at about 9:40 and conclude this year’s Wind Festival, although those who aren’t ready to go home yet can move over to the Lumberyard, where the music and celebration will go on until midnight.  There will be no cover charge.

Here are details for the RVFD Steak Cookoff and Plowboy Mudbog:

6th Annual "BBQ in the Wind" Steak Cookoff

First Place Steak Prize:
$1500

Sponsored by the Lumberyard and Young Farm Estates



Categories:
16 oz. Rib Eye Steak
Pork Spare Ribs
Pulled Pork

Cooking fuel: wood, gas, or charcoal
Schedule:
6:30-8:30pm (Friday)/8:00am (Saturday) – Meat inspection begins
10:00am – Cooks’ meeting

Turn-in times:
3:00pm – Pulled Pork
4:00pm – Pork Spare Ribs
5:00pm – Rib Eye Steak

Dry camper spaces only. No hookups. One camper, one vehicle, up to 12' x 12' cover, and up to two pits in cooking area are allowed.

$150 for all 3 events. Must enter all 3 events to enter Steak category.

All proceeds go to the Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department.

Plowboy Mudbog

As always, mudboggers will be coming in from as far away as Hobbs, NM, the Panhandle, and several area towns to try their vehicles in Roscoe’s blackland mud, so competition will be fierce.

Registration for entrants begins at 9:30am Saturday morning at the northwest corner of George Parks Baseball Field at Second and Sycamore Streets.  The driver entry fee is $30.

Entries will be in six classes:

1.    Street: 35” tires and under with limited engine modification
2.    Super Street: 35” with engine vac under 13”
3.    Modified: 36” to 39” with limited engine modification
4.    Super Modified: 36” to 39” with engine vac under 13”
5.    Open: 40” and over.
6.    Tractor Wheels  

Since there’s an advantage in going last rather than first, each mud vehicle makes two runs, with the second run in reverse order from the first. Street and Super Street classes will do both their runs first, and then the rest of the classes will follow in order.

The public gate will open at 11:00am with the mudbog competition beginning at noon.  Admission is $5 for adults (17 and older) and $3 for kids (11-17), with free admission for children (10 and under).  Proceeds from gate and concession stand will benefit the Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department.

Time permitting, there will also be a Plowboy Mudbog “Dash for Cash,” an entertaining event featuring kids running through knee-deep mud.

Spectators are encouraged to bring sun block, canopy, and lawn chairs. For more information, see the Plowboy Mudbog Facebook page, or contact Felix Pantoja at 325-514-8384.

For more information, contact Gary Armstrong at 325-235-4110.

Downtown Schedule:

6:00pm/7:30pm – The South Austin Moonlighters
7:40pm – Announcements of Cookoff Winners, give aways
8:00pm – The Cooder Graw Band
9:40pm – Fireworks Show
10:00pm – Event Ends

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PLOWBOYS OVERPOWER ROBY 52-8

For the second week in a row, the Plowboys faced a weak team that was no match for them. They jumped out to a 21-0 lead over Roby in the first quarter and never looked back as they amassed a 45-0 lead at halftime, causing the coaches to agree to run the clock nonstop in a shortened second half.

It’s hard to fault Roby’s players. They do the best they can with what they have, but their high school enrollment is just a little over half of Roscoe’s (and less than half of Seagraves’ and Tahoka’s), and they just don’t have that many players to choose from. For the past two or three years, they’ve been hanging on, hoping for some increase in enrollment, I suppose. However, it’s just not happening, and, like Rotan did a couple of years ago, they’re going to have to face reality and go six-man if they ever want to have any future football success.

And it will be sad when it happens, just as it was with Rotan. Over the decades, the rivalries between the Plowboys and their Fisher County neighbors to the north have always been spirited, resulting in some great games—with the Plowboys winning some and the Lions or Yellowhammers winning others. But school enrollments are constantly changing, some growing while others shrink. And Roby is unfortunately one of the latter.

All three Plowboy TDs in the first quarter were pass plays, the first an 8-yarder from Brayden Beal to Diego Garza, the second a 27-yarder from Beal to Francisco Garcia, and the third a 64-yarder from Beal to Garza. In the second quarter, Garza scored on a 10-yard run, Clemente Aguayo scored on a 1-yard pass from Beal, and Garcia scored on a 2-yard run.

Then, Juan Garcia kicked a 35-yard field goal to make the score 45-0. That’s a pretty good distance for a high school kicker. Garcia was also 7 for 7 with his extra-point kicks, so it appears that the Plowboys now have a competent kicking game, which will be an asset as they move into more competitive games.

Francisco Garcia also scored in the third quarter on a 1-yard run to finish the Plowboy scoring, followed by Roby’s lone touchdown in the game.

The scoring by quarters was like this:

Plowboys          21        24        7          0
Roby                   0          0        8          0

For the evening, Brayden Beal completed 17 of 27 passes with no interceptions for 249 yards and 4 TDs. Francisco Garcia ran 11 times for 52 yards and 3 TDs, and Diego Garza ran twice for 20 yards. Garza led all receivers with 4 catches for 89 yards and 2 TDs, Junior Martinez caught 2 for 58 yards, Garcia 4 for 49 and 1 TD, Aguayo 4 for 46 and 1 TD, and Jose Ortega 2 for 6.

On defense, Juan Garcia and Tait Fullwood both had 5 tackles, Matt Buckley 3, Austin Willman and Jose Ortega 2, and several players had one.

The Plowboys are now 3-3 on the season and 1-0 in district play.

The Plowboys play their second district game this week with Plains in Plains. Why we’re in a district with Plains is beyond me because it’s 158 miles from Roscoe, so it will be a long trip for the players, band, and cheerleaders, as well as Plowboy fans making the trip. The Cowboys are 2-4 so far this year with victories over Smyer and San Jacinto Christian Academy (Amarillo). They are 0-1 in district, coming off a bad loss to Hamlin in Hamlin last week 55-0.

As with all district games this year, kickoff will be at 7:00pm.

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CITY COUNCIL TO OPEN BIDDING FOR SANITARY SEWER LINE IMPROVEMENTS

City Manager Cody Thompson reports to the City Council.

At its monthly meeting at City Hall yesterday evening, the Roscoe City Council heard City Manager Cody Thompson report that the bidding schedule for sanitary sewer line improvements has been set. He also reported on other current City projects, and Roscoe Police Chief Felix Pantoja gave the Police Report for the month of September. The Council then passed some routine action items before adjourning.

Thompson has set the schedule for obtaining a contract for the sanitary sewer line improvements. As required by law, public notice will be given twice, once on October 14 and once on October 21, in the Sweetwater Reporter. Bidding will open on November 3, and the City Council will award the bid at its next monthly meeting on November 8.

Thompson reminded the Council that with the new fiscal year beginning on October 1, the $8 monthly raise for City water will be reflected on the November bills. Tax statements and cemetery donation requests will also go out.

City workers have mowed the cemetery and clean-up there is ongoing. Someone has volunteered to paint the gateway to the entrance to the cemetery. City workers are also making an extra effort to clean up the town this week for Saturday’s Tenth Annual West Texas Wind Festival.

Police Chief Felix Pantoja reported that the Department received 116 calls during the month of September and had two vehicle crash reports, as well as a report of an attempted kidnapping. The Department also managed to recover two shotguns stolen from a break-in at one of the Pecan Street Apartments.

Pantoja also reported that on Monday RHS alum and ex-marine Damian Deleon graduated from the West Central Texas Law Enforcement Academy in Abilene. He has now been employed to a full-time position with the Sweetwater Police Department.

The City Council then approved the 2015-16 fourth quarter investment report. They also granted a fireworks permit for the West Texas Wind Festival and approved the closing of downtown streets for the same event.

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ROSCOE POLICE PRESS RELEASE ON ALLEGED ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING

The Roscoe Police Department is placing on inactive status the alleged attempted kidnapping case reported September 28 by an Elementary student of RCISD.

Thanks to the help and quick response by the Department of Public Safety, Nolan County Sheriff’s Department, Sweetwater Police Department, and TSTC Police Department, extreme efforts were made to apprehend the purported suspect.

There have been no witnesses nor additional information to substantiate the student statement. RCISD appears to have sufficient security to prevent such an occurrence from taking place.

Felix Pantoja, Chief
Roscoe Police Department

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WEATHER REPORT: SUNNY SKIES, NICE FALL WEATHER

Clear skies at dawn this morning.

The mild, dry weather from last week continued into this one, and we have had some beautiful, sunny days. There hasn’t been a cloud in the sky for two days, and today should be no different. Weekend temperatures were mild with a 73°F high on Friday, 71° on Saturday, and 76° on Sunday with lows around 50°. On Monday the high rose to 81° and yesterday to 88°. Today it should reach 90° before a front moves through dropping tomorrow morning’s low to 51° and tomorrow’s high to only 70°.

The heat will return on Friday, however, with a projected high of 85° and 90° for the Wind Festival on Saturday. Sunday’s high should reach 93° and Monday’s a blistering 95°. Lows will be in the upper sixties.

There is a 20% chance of showers tomorrow and Friday, 0% otherwise.

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† GAYNELL CLECKLER HIGH

Gaynell (Cleckler) High, 83, passed away in Sweetwater Saturday, October 8, 2016. Services are pending with McCoy Funeral Home in Sweetwater.

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