Twenty-Eight Seniors Graduate at Friday Commencement

RCHS Class of 2017

A chapter of life closed for twenty-eight Roscoe Collegiate High School Seniors Friday evening as they received their diplomas and successfully completed their high school careers in the Special Events Center.  Even more impressive is the fact that twenty-seven of them had already received their Associate’s Degree from Western Texas College in a ceremony held on May 5. The only graduating senior not to receive an Associate's Degree was newcomer Melanie Arenivaz, who nevertheless was able to amass 40 college credit hours in her time at RCHS.

      Caleb Ward, Valedictorian               Johnathon Cuellar, Salutatorian

Valedictorian of the Class of 2017 is Caleb Ward, who had an overall grade average of 97.03.  He plans to attend Lubbock Christian College.  Salutatorian is Johnathon Cuellar with an overall average of 93.03.  He is going to Texas Tech.

Here is a list of the class of 2017:

Christian Nathaniel Acuña* ⱳ             Jetly Dean Hobdy* ⱳ
Isaias Ray Aguilar* ⱳ                             Tyler Adam Jowers*
Melanie Serena Arenivaz                       Mitchell Garrett Madden*
Javier Armenta*                                      Roadey Dakota Mann* ⱳ
Joseph Brayden Beal* ⱳ                        Braiden Louis Moore* Φ
Matthew Hendrix Buckley*                   Jayce Corbyn Phillips* ⱳ
Angelica Maria Castillo*                        Quinten Dale Saddler*
Karina Guadalupe Cisneros*                 Shirley Marie Sanchez*
Katelyn Marie Collins*                            Lacey Leann Silva*
Johnathon Edward Cuellar* ⱳ              Saxton Wade Stewart* ⱳ
Juan Jose Garcia Solis* ⱳ                      Bergan Quinn Treviño *
Justin Nicholas Gardner* ⱳ                  Caleb Don Ward* Φ
Mayda Alejandra Guia*                          Lyndi Kay Wilkinson*
Jovanah Renae Guzman* Φ                  Austin Kye Willman*

* = WTC Associate’s Degree
ⱳ = TSTC Welding Certificate
Φ = Phi Theta Kappa (WTC Honor Society)

Here are the Top Ten finishers gradewise in order:

1.  Caleb Ward
2.  Johnathon Cuellar
3.  Braiden Moore
4.  Jovanah Guzman
5.  Karina Cisneros
6.  Justin Gardner
7.  Shirley Sanchez
8.  Bergan Treviño
9.  Christian Acuña
10. Brayden Beal

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DEVON REECE FREEMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS GO TO BRAIDEN MOORE, LYNDI WILKINSON

Braiden Moore and Lyndi Wilkinson receive awards from Jason Freeman.

The Devon Reece Freeman Memorial Scholarship awards were given to two graduating seniors, Braiden Moore and Lyndi Wilkinson at the commencement exercises in the RCHS Special Events Center on Friday night.

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PLOWBOTS FINISH EIGHTH OF 32 AT STATE ROBOTICS MEET

Front: Tristan Brooks. First row: Becca Shaw, Liberty Saenz, Riley Sheridan, Braxton Parrott, and Martin Luna. Back: Arizona Guevara, Mitchell Madden, Christian Acuña, Caleb Ward, Camden Boren, Ryan Highsmith.

The RCHS Plowbots finished a respectable eighth of the 32 teams who qualified for the State FIRST Robotics Competition in Austin. Their finish is noteworthy because the competition is not divided according to classes based on school sizes, and they were competing primarily with 5A and 6A schools.

The Plowbots entered as a wildcard team based on their success in the regional meets they competed in. They lost in the state quarterfinals to the eventual runners up.

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RHS CLASS OF 1967 HOLDS FIFTIETH-YEAR REUNION

by Doc Pietzsch

Front row: Jackie Smith, Doc Pietzsch, Sally Turner, Tommy Santiago, Jimmy Smith. Back row: Ronnie Wade, Jimmy Wallace, Cynthia Richburg, Tommy Meredith.

The Roscoe High School Class of 1967 met at the Holiday Inn Express in Sweetwater on Friday, May 19, exactly 50 years after their graduation on May 19, 1967. After reminiscing and visitation, the group went to Buck's for dinner, after which they returned to the Holiday Inn for more reminiscing.

On Saturday morning, they met again with time devoted to remembering deceased classmates: E.H. Pursley, Shirley Pickering, Harold Arpe, Mitchell High, Barbara McDonald, Jim Rayburn, Carroll Reed, Steve Smith, Carol Wilkins, Linda Pietzsch, and Melba Jones.

Jackie Smith and Tommy Santiago gave power point presentations of the class history. After more visiting, the reunion concluded with lunch at Allen's Family Style Meals in Sweetwater.

Those attending were Jackie Smith, Tommy Santiago, Norman Neves, Cynthia Richburg, Sally Turner, Jimmy Wallace, Jimmy Smith, Tommy Meredith, Ronny Wade, and Doc Pietzsch. Of those attending, all but Tommy Meredith and Norman Neves started first grade together at Roscoe Elementary.

A good time was had by all.

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LUMBERYARD WEEKEND FEATURES ROGER CREAGER, SHINYRIBS

It’s springtime, the weather is nice, and the Lumberyard is planning another big weekend with Roger Creager on Friday night and Shinyribs on Saturday. Both will take the stage at 9:30pm.

Roger Creager

Roger Creager, who holds a degree in business from Sam Houston State and a degree in agriculture from Texas A&M, is a native of Corpus Christi but got his start in music while at Texas A&M in the late nineties. To date he has released seven albums, including Long Way to Mexico (2003), Live Across Texas (2004), Here It Is (2008), Surrender (2012) and Road Show (2014). Popular singles include “The Everclear Song,” “For You I Do,” “Gulf Coast Time,” “Long Way to Mexico,” “Things Look Good Around Here,” and “I’m From the Beer Joint.”

Shinyribs

Shinyribs is one of the fastest-moving bands in the Texas scene right now. They exploded onto the Austin scene at Ray Benson’s club, The Rattle Inn, and have been drawing large crowds ever since. Led by Kevin Russell, their most recent album, Okra Candy, follows their first two, Well After Awhile, and Gulf Coast Museum.

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

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WEATHER REPORT: BIG RAIN DRENCHES AREA

The rain pours down on Friday morning.

The Roscoe area finally got the big rain everyone had been hoping for. It came on Friday morning, and it was a gully washer with reports of amounts up to seven inches, although it was less than that in most places. Here in town there were several reports of four inches and up. The official amount recorded by Roscoe weatherman Kenny Landfried was 3.87”. He also reported that six inches fell around Champion Creek, and several others had totals in the five to six inch range. The seven inches was reported by Royce Walker northwest of Roscoe. West of town reports were around four inches. There was more rain in the west and northwest and less east of town. Colorado City got 6.7” and Westbrook over 7”. Many terraces were broken in the process, and farmers will be busy with repairs as soon as they can get in the fields.

No one was happier about the big rain than the frogs, who could be heard all over town on Friday and Saturday nights. It rained again early Monday morning, but the amounts were far less. Kenny Landfried got an official .28” in town, but some in the country got as much as an inch or more. In any case, those big cracks that were in the ground are all gone, east Broadway has some serious puddles in several intersections, area lakes have water going over the spillway, and the fields will have some deep moisture when cotton planting begins.

Along with the rain came some seriously cool weather for May. Thursday’s 94°F was just a memory by Saturday when the high was 74°, and Sunday was even cooler with a high of 69°. The sun came out long enough on Monday to warm things up to 77°, but the coolest high of the week was yesterday’s 67°. Nights were correspondingly cool with lows in the mid-fifties. I had to put some extra cover on the bed to stay warm enough to sleep.

Today that should all end, though, with sunshine and a high of 83°. And I don’t think anyone is ready for tomorrow’s projected high of 99°. Ouch! That’s a difference of 32 degrees over yesterday’s high, and Friday and Saturday are predicted to be just as hot. Sunday should be much nicer with a high of 82° and the outlook for next week is for highs in the eighties with lows in the sixties.

As they say, if you don’t like the weather around here, just stick around for a while. It will change.

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A MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE TO MAJOR BOB ANTHONY

Major Bob Anthony

Major Bob Anthony was the son of Mr. and Mrs. L. G. Anthony, 300 Ash St., and husband of Marjorie Stevenson. He was a graduate of Roscoe High School and played basketball at McMurry College. After entering the Army Air Corps in 1941 and training in California and Colorado, he served in the USA and the Pacific. He was awarded the Presidential Citation and Purple Heart. A bomber pilot, he was killed in action during a raid on Tokyo, August 8, 1945, two days after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

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† ROBERT J. KLEPPER

Robert J. Klepper, 68, of Roscoe passed away Monday, May 22, 2017, in Abilene. He was a 1966 graduate of Roscoe High School.

His wishes were to be cremated and no other services are planned. All arrangements are under the direction of McCoy Funeral Home.

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