Plowboys Open Season in Haskell Friday

Jose Ortega (2) catches a pass and runs for yardage against Haskell last year.

After the August workouts and a couple of tough scrimmages against Munday and Hawley, the Plowboys begin their official 2017 football season Friday night against Haskell in Haskell.

They also opened their season last year against Haskell. That game was in Roscoe, and the Indians spoiled the Plowboys’ home opener with a come-from-behind 42-41 victory. This year’s Plowboys will be looking to avenge that loss, and the odds are good that they’ll be able to do it.

The Indians are rebuilding this year with only four returning starters. They also have a new coach in Brian Hodnett, whose 6-5 Jacksboro team advanced to the playoffs in 3A-II last year. The Indians will be breaking in a new quarterback on offense, and their defense will have to adjust quickly against the more experienced Plowboy offense.

The Plowboys’ new quarterback, Jayden Gonzales, will have returning receivers to throw to in Junior Martinez, Diego Garza, and 2A All-Big Country Jose Ortega, and All-Big Country running back Francisco Garcia is back for his senior season. He will be running behind an essentially new offensive line, but one that has shown improvement. On defense the Plowboys appear solid and quick, so if the team plays up to its potential, Haskell could be in for a long evening.

Kickoff is at 7:00pm.

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The Abilene Reporter-News interviewed Head Coach Jake Freeman last week. The video is available here. The paper also ran a photo gallery of the Plowboys’ third week of practice available here.

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EDU-VET PET CLINIC OPENS AT STEM CENTER

Dr. Betsy Oesch at the Edu-Vet Pet Clinic.

Roscoe now has a pet clinic. It officially opened on Monday at the RCISD STEM Center, and has two working veterinarians, Dr. Betsy Oesch, and Dr. John Dedwylder. Dr. Oesch will be on-site Monday through Friday from 8am-5pm, and Dr. Dedwylder will be on-site on Tuesdays. The Office Manager is Leslie Cathey.

The clinic is open for services to dogs, cats, and other small companion animals. It also supplies advanced reproduction techniques for cattle. Next summer it will open an equine division along with medical services for food animals. Roscoe students will benefit from working with the veterinarians and be able to obtain experience and certification.

For information and appointments, phone 325-766-3529. The Edu-Vet website is at www.edu-vetroscoe.com, and the Facebook page is at Edu-Vet Pet Hospital.

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PLOWBOY TUFF TRUCK & DEMOLITION DERBY TO BE HELD HERE SEPTEMBER 23

Jeromie Baugh in the Tuff Truck competition in April.

The Plowboy Tuff Truck & Demolition Derby returns to Roscoe for an encore performance on Saturday, September 23. The Tuff Truck event involves vehicles running an obstacle course for speed, and the Demolition Derby pits drivers crashing their cars into one another until only one is still able to run.

The event will be held just northwest of the railroad tracks on Business 84 at Cypress Street downtown. Gates will open at 2:30pm. Admission is $5 at the gate with ages 12 and under getting in free. Proceeds will benefit the Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department, and the concession stand will be run by the Jaycee Teens Club.

The event is sponsored by SJ Auto Sales, Pickrell Wrecker, and Legacy Tattoo.

For rules and other information check the Plowboy Tuff Truck & Demo Derby Facebook page.

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JAMES STURDIVANT TO PLAY ACOUSTIC AT THE LUMBERYARD SATURDAY

James Sturdivant

James Sturdivant, a member of the Black Dirt Revival band, willl be playing acoustic guitar and singing at the Lumberyard Saturday night.

There is no cover charge. For more information, contact the Lumberyard at 325-766-2457.

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WEATHER REPORT: COOL LIKE FALL PLUS A LITTLE MORE RAIN

The moon and sun at yesterday's sunset.

The big news in the weather this week is Hurricane Harvey, which slammed into Corpus Christi and then decided to park over Houston and leave more rain there than has ever fallen at one time in U.S. history. Harvey will probably wind up doing more damage to Houston than Katrina did to New Orleans. The whole country has looked on in amazement as the rain just keeps falling there.

Here in Roscoe we got a hard shower last Friday that was more intense in some places than others. Weatherman Kenny Landfried got only .28” on the east side of town, but some people in south Roscoe were reporting over an inch from the same shower. In any case, it was enough to create puddles all over town and keep the grass and weeds growing.

Of course, any rain whatsoever in Roscoe always counts as weather news, but the real news for the past week is how mild it’s been. Late August is typically just about as hot as it ever gets around here with 100°F temperatures more the norm than the exception. But this past week has had some of the coolest temperatures you’ll ever see for this time of year. The high for the past seven days has been 86° with the lows dropping into the sixties every night, culminating in this morning’s 57°. The sun has been out every day, so it hasn’t been this cool just because it was overcast the whole time.

The forecast is for more of the same. The highs today and tomorrow are predicted to be 86° under sunny skies. Friday and Saturday should be slightly warmer with highs of 89°, and lows should continue to be somewhere in the sixties. There is no rain in the forecast.

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Roscoe School Open House on Monday, New Vet Crew to be Introduced

by Dr. Kim Alexander, RCISD Superintendent

Roscoe Collegiate ISD will be hosting an Open House on Monday, August 28, at 6:00pm. We hope everyone will be able to attend as we introduce the new Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Betsy Oesch; the new Veterinary Technician, Rebecca Randall; and the new Office Manager, Leslie Cathey.

The Open House will begin in the cafeteria and expand from there with tours of Collegiate Edu-Vet at the STEM Research Center, Edu-Drone in the Shelansky Building, and the Montessori Early Childhood Center on Main Street.

Collegiate Edu-Vet, located at the STEM Research Center, will officially open on Monday at 8am. Initially, the Veterinary Hospital will provide a complete line of companion animal services, as well as supply all the advanced reproduction techniques for cattle. The plan is to open the equine division next July, along with the food animal line of medical services.

Collegiate Edu-Drone, located at the downtown Shelansky Building, is also officially open providing a full line of pilot training curriculum leading to FAA Certification for commercial drone flight. Also, Collegiate Commercial Drone is officially open to fulfill all your commercial drone requests, including agricultural data collection and real estate cinematography.

We hope you will all come out and support these RCISD business partnerships, established to provide meaningful STEM workforce certifications, along with paid apprenticeship opportunities for our students. RCISD is also currently working with Texas A&M and Texas Tech Universities to provide additional education opportunities in the form of four-year and graduate degrees to students from Roscoe and surrounding areas.

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PLOWBOYS LOOK PROMISING IN SCRIMMAGE WITH MUNDAY

Munday gets set to run a play against the Plowboys at Friday's scrimmage.

The Plowboys pretty much played Munday to a draw in their first scrimmage at Plowboy Field on Friday, but that’s not a bad thing. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football lists the Moguls as the favorites to win district 7-2A II and adds that “Munday will once again be a threat to do postseason damage.” So, the Moguls were a good test for the new 2017 Plowboys, their mettle, and their progress in playing winning football against a tough opponent.

At first it appeared that Munday would outplay the Plowboys, who were generally unable to move the ball on their first offensive series. Initial nervousness and missed assignments no doubt played a part. At the same time, Munday had some good plays and long gainers in theirs. But the next time the Plowboys had the ball, Francisco Garcia broke free up the middle to race 75 yards for a TD, and the Plowboys settled down and played good football the rest of the afternoon.

Throughout the scrimmage, the Plowboy defense looked strong. Munday had some tall receivers that gave the pass defenders trouble, but the Plowboys stopped the Moguls’ running game all afternoon with solid hits and strong pursuit. And the offense seemed to get better as time went on. By the end of the scrimmage, if anyone had the upper hand, it was the Plowboys.

They will have a chance to work out some of the kinks again tomorrow afternoon when they take on Hawley, a 2A Division I team in the same district as Anson and Post. Once again, they’ll be facing a formidable opponent. Last year the Bearcats were a 2A-1 area finalist with an 8-4 record. Returning seven starters on both sides of the ball, their quarterback is Quay Stokes, last year’s Abilene Reporter-News All Big Country 2A Player of the Year, who was personally responsible for 51 TDs both running and passing. The scrimmage is at Hawley and begins at 6:00pm.

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PLOWBOY PREVIEW DRAWS LARGE CROWD

Players and fans enjoyed the burger supper at Plowboy Preview.

For the second year in a row, the Plowboy Preview was held indoors because of the threat of inclement weather, but that didn't damping the enthusiasm of either players or fans. After a burger supper in the cafetorium, everyone went to the Special Events Center, where the Cheer Pals performed along with the cheerleaders, and the band, the cross-country team, and the football teams and coaches were introduced. A large crowd of fans cheered them on before ending the evening with the school song.

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LYNDALL UNDERWOOD RETURNS TO THE LUMBERYARD SATURDAY

Lyndall Underwood & the Dusty Creek Band

Roscoe’s own Lyndall Underwood and his Dusty Creek Band will be back at the Lumberyard for the first time in a while Saturday night. Since their last appearance there, they’ve played in venues all over the region and even been the feature band on a cruise ship to the Caribbean.

As always, they’ll be playing dance-friendly traditional country music, perfect for two-stepping. They’ll open around 9:30pm. Cover charge is $10.

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

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WEATHER REPORT: A DRYING OUT, A SOLAR ECLIPSE, AND A LITTLE RAIN

Eden Baker got this great shot of the approaching front last night.

After the rains of the previous week, this past one saw the sun come out, the puddles dry up, and the temperatures rise. Every day since last Wednesday reached over 90°F with the hottest day being yesterday at 95°, while lows ranged between 69° and 73°.

Monday was the day of the solar eclipse, and although the moon didn’t completely blot out the sun like it did in other parts of the country, it did cover over half of it here at its maximum coverage. Many Roscoe folks had homemade eclipse viewing devices like cardboard boxes or cards with holes poked in them, while others had welding masks for viewing. It began here at 11:33am, reached its peak at 1:01pm, and was completely over at 2:30. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but the eclipse did dim the brightness of the midday sun enough that it was noticeable. It also created some strange shadows under the trees. We won’t see another one until April 2024, and that one won’t be total in Roscoe, either. But the moon will cover more of the sun here than this one did.

Last night a front blew in from the northwest, dropping temperatures into the sixties, and a light rain fell for a while. My rain gauge recorded .14”, the same amount that Kenny Landfried got for the official total. The forecast is for lower temperatures for the coming week with highs ranging from today’s 84° to Saturday’s 79° before warming back up to Monday’s 86° and Tuesday’s 87°. There’s a 50% chance of thunderstorms today, 50% tomorrow, and 90% Friday, diminishing to 40% Saturday and 10% Sunday. Lows should be in the mid-sixties the entire week.  

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Rains Boost Cotton Crop

Saturday evening's storm moves in from the southwest.

This week’s showers couldn’t have come at a better time for this year’s dryland cotton crop, and area farmers are breathing a sigh of relief over the rains that have fallen since Saturday. One referred to them as a “million-dollar” rain for the area. Ranchers also welcomed it, of course, but the cotton had reached the point that if it didn’t get a rain soon, all its early promise was going to be lost as it withered under the relentless August heat. This is not to say that decent weather won’t also be needed from now until the harvest, but at least the area is still on course for a great crop.

The first rain came seemingly out of nowhere at midday on Saturday, and although some forecasters were giving the area as much as a 30% chance of rain for the day, most people were caught by surprise by the storm’s suddenness and ferocity as it blew in from the west. One minute the sun was shining brightly as it had been for days, and then the storm hit with thunder, lightning, high winds, and sheets of rain. It then moved on east, but while it lasted, it dropped as much as two inches. Roscoe weatherman Kenny Landfried recorded 1.66” while others had more or less, depending on location. The sun came back out, and most assumed that that was it.

But that evening just about sunset, another storm blew in, this one from the southwest, and like the earlier one, it came in with a bang—thunder, lightning, and wind. The downpour didn’t last as long though, and it tapered off to a gentle rain before moving on. Totals for this one were generally less than an inch—Kenny Landfried got .77”, while I had .86”, but combined with the earlier rain, it gave most area locations somewhere around an inch and a half to two inches or more for the day.

Then yesterday morning more rain fell, and the weather was cool and cloudy all day with a light rain falling most of the time. The temperature never got out of the seventies, and the official rainfall total was .81” for the day. Not everyone got that much, but most would agree that what they got the past few days has been enough to make a real difference for the plant life in these parts. And the puddles in town are as big as they ever get, short of a flood.

The forecast is for a return to normal August weather for the next couple of weeks. Skies will be sunny today with a high of around 95°F. Tomorrow and Friday are predicted to be cloudier but with highs still in the mid-nineties. Then on Saturday, skies will clear again and highs of around 95° are forecast for the next week or so with lows of around 73°. Chances for rain are 20% or less for the foreseeable future.

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PLOWBOY PREVIEW TOMORROW AT PLOWBOY FIELD

Cheer Pals lead a cheer at a previous Plowboy Preview.

The annual Plowboy Preview will be held tomorrow, August 17, with a hamburger cookout behind the east stands starting at 6:00, with burger, chips, and drink costing $6.  Then at 7:00pm, this year’s football players, coaches, cheerleaders, and band will be introduced in front of the east stands.

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PLOWBOYS SCRIMMAGE AT HOME WITH MUNDAY FRIDAY

Fans can get their first look at this year’s Plowboys in a scrimmage with Munday at Plowboy Field Friday starting at 6:00pm. Next week they’ll take on Hawley in Hawley for their final warmup before starting their season with the Haskell Indians in Haskell on September 1.

Here is the Plowboy football schedule for 2017:

Date                 Opponent         Location           Time
Aug. 18            Munday**         Home               6:00pm
Aug. 24            Hawley **         Away                6:00pm
Sept.   1            Haskell              Away                7:00pm
Sept.   8            Early                  Away                7:30pm
Sept. 15            Albany               Home                7:30pm
Sept. 22            Open
Sept. 29            Anson                Home               7:30pm
Oct.    6             Menard              Away               7:30pm
Oct.  13             Roby*                Home                7:00pm
Oct.  20             Plains*              Home               7:00pm
Oct.  27             Seagraves*        Away               7:00pm
Nov.   3             Tahoka*             Home              7:00pm
Nov. 10             Hamlin*            Away                7:00pm
                        ** = Scrimmage
                        *   = District Game

As the schedule shows, the Plowboys play three of their five district games at home, but the two that may be the most significant, Seagraves and Hamlin, are both away games. Because of the long distances needed for travel, all district games will begin at 7:00pm.

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STUDENT ENROLLMENT AT ROSCOE REMAINS CONSTANT FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR

After experiencing steady growth from 2011 to 2015, the Roscoe Collegiate Independent School District has seen its initial fall enrollment level off now for the past two years. As of Monday, the total enrollment at RCISD was 611, seven more than last year at the same point but down seven from 2015, the year before. The largest growth this year has been in the Early Childhood classes.

                           Grades                    2015              2016            2017
Elementary        pre-K – 5                365               347             358*
Junior High        6-8                          118                123              121
High School        9-12                        135                134              132
Totals                  pre-K – 12              618               604              611

* This figure counts the pre-K students who have enrolled but not yet attended their first class because 4-year-olds begin next Monday, August 21, and 3-year-olds the following Monday, August 28.

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FUNDRAISER FOR DOUG RICHBURG AT VFW SATURDAY

Doug Richburg

A fundraiser for Doug Richburg will be held this Saturday at the VFW. All monies collected from all sources go to benefit Doug and his medical expenses and needs. There will be door prizes and an auction of donated items by individuals and businesses. Music begins at 2:00pm and lasts until at least midnight.

Free entry lasts until 7:30pm and is $10 after that. A BBQ sandwich meal provided by Big Boys BBQ will be served from 4:30-7:30pm.

If you have something to donate for a door prize or for the auction, or if you would like to make a money donation, contact Mark Wayne Hagood or Brenda Sutton Stevens by Facebook private message. They can arrange for an item to be picked up.

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“IF WORD GOT OUT, WOOD THEY COME,” ABILENE REPORTER-NEWS PUBLISHES ARTICLE ON LUMBERYARD

(Photo by Greg Jaklewicz)

The Abilene Reporter-News published another nice article on the Lumberyard and its importance as a west Texas music venue, this one by staff writer Greg Jaklewicz. It appeared in Friday’s paper and was accompanied by several photos. You can access it by clicking here.

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ROSCOE COMMUNITY CENTER NEWS

3RD SUNDAY LUNCH
There will be NO 3rd Sunday Lunch on August 20.
The next lunch is scheduled for September 17

COOKBOOK NEWS
The center is putting together a cookbook with all recipes from all the great cooks in our community. If you would like to submit a recipe, please get them to any board member or mail them to

Roscoe Community Center
P.O. Box 152
Roscoe TX 79545

GENERAL RCC NEWS

Our next scheduled meeting is set for September 11 at 6:00pm at the Community Center.
We invite anyone who might be interested in being part of the Community Center. We have several community service projects in the works and need people to help make them successful.

For more information call President Shawn Scott at 325-242-2687 or visit with any Board member.

COMMUNITY CENTER RENTALS
Several dates open for rentals, so call and book your next event
Call Misty @ 325-338-1005

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CAMERAN NELSON AT LUMBERYARD TOMORROW NIGHT

Cameran Nelson

Yes, you read that right. Country singer Cameran Nelson will be playing live at the Lumberyard in an unusual Thursday night appearance tomorrow night. Nelson is originally from Haskell but now calls Blanco home. He’s lived all over Texas and studied music at South Plains College in Levelland.

His first full-length album, Happy to Beer, was released in 2013 and nominated for three Texas music awards: Male Vocalist, Rising Star, and Record of the Year. His single “35 Runs Both Ways” was a multi-week #1 on the Texas Regional Radio Report and the Texas Music Chart. His current project, Good Thing Going, has produced two more #1 hits with “Shotgun,” and “You Can Still Wear White.” And his  single, “Little That We’re Livin’ On,” has also received radio play.

Cover charge is $10. For reservations and more information, contact the Lumberyard at 325-766-2457.

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Early Childhood Center Marks New Beginning for Pre-Schoolers

The Early Childhood Center on Main Street.

Classes start tomorrow for Roscoe’s Schools, and with them an exciting new program begins for pre-schoolers. The Montessori method, developed and proven in expensive private schools in the U.S. and elsewhere, will for the first time be available to public school students here in Roscoe at no extra charge.  Similar programs in Dallas cost over $11,000 a year per student, and that’s without extended stay in the afternoons.

The new program will provide students an approach which emphasizes active learning, independence, and cooperation, and instruction is designed to coincide with each child’s unique pace of development. Teachers must be trained and certified in the Montessori method, as RCISD’s all are.

The new Early Childhood Center has been designed specifically for Montessori’s classroom requirements. These include more space for storage of manipulatives and hands-on types of activities.

This fall the Early Childhood Center has six classes, each composed of about twenty-one 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds. Five-year-olds begin tomorrow, four-year-olds August 21, and three-year olds August 28. The teachers are Kristin Bohay, Dana Elmore, Katherine Jackson, Kristi Martin, Rhonda Wilson, and Jana Young. They are all excited to be involved in this new program. Classes are from 7:55am-2:30pm, M-F.

Early success in reading and math has positive repercussions throughout all subsequent grades, as do positive attitudes toward learning, and the Montessori method is a proven system for achieving these goals for children of all backgrounds and abilities. Its implementation will strengthen the scholastic level of Roscoe’s schools from the students’ first exposure and provide them a lifelong benefit.

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PRACTICES BEGIN FOR 2017 PLOWBOY FOOTBALL

Plowboy linemen work out Monday morning.

Are you ready for some football? On Monday morning, the 2017 edition of the Roscoe Plowboys began fall workouts at Plowboy Field. Morning practices continued through this morning, but, since school starts tomorrow, they will be cut short, and Coach Jake Freeman will have to be satisfied with afternoon practices from now on.

The Plowboys’ first scrimmage will be at home next Friday, August 18, at 6:00pm against Munday. The following Friday, August 24, they will scrimmage against Hawley in Hawley in preparation for their season opener with the Haskell Indians on September 1.

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, the premier publication for high school football in Texas, predicts the Plowboys will finish second in district to Hamlin, this year’s pre-season favorite. Here’s how its writers see District 4-2A-II winding up:

1.      Hamlin Pied Pipers
2.      Roscoe Plowboys
3.      Seagraves Eagles
4.      Tahoka Bulldogs
5.      Plains Cowboys
6.      Roby Lions

However, the Plowboys have won the title before after being predicted not to win, year before last being a prime example, and they are optimistic they can do it again, just like the 2015 Plowboys did. They are returning eight starters on both offense and defense.

With last year’s quarterback, Brayden Beal, lost to graduation, the Plowboys will be breaking in a new player at that position. And while nothing is written in stone yet, Jayden Gonzales (5’8” 160) has been taking the reps with the first team, while Junior Martinez (6’1” 180) also works out at the position. Several Plowboy linemen graduated last year, so the offensive line will probably be going through some growing pains in the first few games, but the players at the skill positions show a lot of promise, and the defense looks solid.

Players to watch include Jose Ortega (5’7” 160), who was 2A All Big-Country last year at wide receiver and defensive back, Francisco Garcia (5’9” 185), 2A All Big-Country running back; lineman Paul Pantoja (6’ 0” 225), 2A All Big-Country; Junior Martinez WR/DB, linebacker Tait Fullwood (5’9” 165), lineman Parker Payne (6’1” 210), WR Micheal Wright, DT Joel Guis, WR Diego Garza, LB Cade Garrett, LB Coltin Watts, C Rey Martinez, OL Garrett Bowers, and CB Brandon Lavalais.

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CITY COUNCIL MEETING SHORT AND SWEET

The Roscoe City Council had no significant action items on the agenda at its monthly meeting at City Hall yesterday evening. They did, however, hear the monthly report on City works as well as the monthly Police report.

City Manager Cody Thompson reported that seal-coating is currently in progress and that 7th Street from Main to Ash Streets was seal-coated yesterday. The awarded sanitary sewer project is now complete, and the City has $142,000 left over. On Friday, a project meeting will be held to discuss additional work and the Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant.

The grant application applied for to the State ranked tenth, but only the first seven were funded, so according to that ranking, Roscoe should be funded in 2018.

Additional policing will be in the new school zone areas Thursday around the Early Childhood Center on Main Street.

The City Council will hold its annual budget workshops next Tuesday and Thursday, August 15 and 17, at 7:00pm.

This year’s West Texas Wind Festival has penciled in T. G. Sheppard as the feature performer at the free concert. The Plowboy Mudbog will also be held then.

The City has made claims for insurance money on a water pump that was recently struck by lightning and for a wrecked City vehicle.

The City Council also heard the Police Report for the month of July from Police Chief Felix Pantoja.

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SATURDAY FESTIVAL FEATURES DALE WATSON, DALLAS MOORE, & OTHERS

Dale Watson

A host of performers will be at the Lumberyard this Saturday when Dale Watson, Dallas Moore, Bonnie Montgomery, Billy Don Burns, Josh Morningstar, and Richie Allbright come to town for the Ameripolitan Outlaw Music Festival, an annual show that was in Austin last year.

Dale Watson will be singing tunes such as “Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down” and “I Lie When I Drink,”  Dallas Moore will sing his “Outlaw Country” and “Raisin’ Hell and Slingin’ Gravel.” Billy Don Burns will do “Lonesome 77203” while Bonnie Montgomery, Josh Morningstar, and Richie Allbright also have their turns at the mike.

The show begins at 6:00pm. For reservations or more information, contact the Lumberyard at 325-766-2457.

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WEATHER REPORT: COOL WEATHER BUT LITTLE RAIN

Thunderhead in southeast sky on Sunday afternoon.

The past week saw showers in some local areas but in Roscoe itself, there was little precipitation as had been predicted. On Sunday, areas north and northwest of town got measurable rainfall, somewhere between a quarter and half inch, Some areas west of town also got rain, but others got none, and the dryland cotton still needs a good August rain.

Temperatures rose into only the 80s on last Wednesday and Thursday, but then on Friday it climbed to 94°F, on Saturday to 98°, and on Sunday to 99°. But then after the cold front moved through Sunday evening, temperatures dropped and we’ve had wonderfully cool weather for August the past two days. Highs on Monday and yesterday were only 83° while lows since Sunday have been in the sixties.

Today’s high will be warmer at 90° and tomorrow’s, Friday’s and Saturday’s even warmer at 95° or 96°. There are no chances of rain before Sunday, when the percentage climbs to 40%. Let’s hope this time we get something substantial, enough to make everybody smile.

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† VIRGINIA GARCIA GUERRERO

Virginia Garcia Guerrero, 89, of Roscoe went to rest with her Lord and Savior on Tuesday, August 8, 2017.

Services will be at 2:00pm on Thursday, August 10 at McCoy Chapel of Memories with Dr. Chris Stephens officiating. Interment will follow at Roscoe Cemetery. Family visitation will be Wednesday from 6:00 until 8:00pm. McCoy Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

She is survived by three sons, Jessie Guerrero and wife Susan, Margarito Guerrero, and Joe Guerrero; five daughters, Patricia Da Silva and husband Jonimar, Laurie Willman and husband Gus, Yolanda Lansford and husband Wayne, Maria Soto and husband Joe, and Virginia Rangel. She is also survived by two brothers, Juan and Amado Garcia; one sister, Tana; and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

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Jessie Marth, Roscoe's Oldest Resident, to Turn 103

Jessie Marth

Roscoe’s oldest citizen, Jessie Marth, will celebrate her 103rd birthday, next Thursday, August 9.

She won’t be having a big party this year, but well-wishers are welcome to send birthday greetings to her at 1200 12th Street in Roscoe.

Happy Birthday, Jessie!

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TWO KILLED IN HEAD-ON COLLISION SUNDAY ON US 84

Two men, Bobby Jack Moody, 85, of Abilene and Stephen Joshua Arndt, 34, of Clyde were killed instantly in a head-on collision that occurred in the northbound lane of US 84 about a mile north of Roscoe around 6:25 Sunday morning. Moody was driving south in a 2013 Dodge Caravan and crossed over into the northbound lane, where he crashed head-on into a 2015 Subaru Impreza driven by Arndt.

Both men were pronounced dead at the scene. Both were wearing seat belts at the time of the collision. The accident is still under investigation.

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NEW FACULTY FOR 2017-18 AT RCISD

New Principals John Bolton, RCHS, and Crystal Althof, Roscoe Elementary.

Lindsay Mann, Kalyn Tate, Glenn Wortham, Katherine Jackson, Kristin Bowhay, Shawn Speck, Dana Elmore, Scott Riley, Tanner Mann.

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SCHOOL ZONE TO BE INSTALLED IN FRONT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER ON MAIN STREET NEXT WEEK

The Early Childhood Center on Main Street.

Next Thursday a school zone will be put into effect for the new Early Childhood Center on Main Street. It will extend on Main from Seventh Street to the I-20 access road and will likely have a speed limit of 25mph. The work and its expenses will be handled by the State since FM 608 is a state highway.

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CRYSTAL GAYLE AT LUMBERYARD FRIDAY, BRUCE ROBISON SATURDAY

It’s another big summer weekend at the Lumberyard with country great Crystal Gayle on Friday night and Bruce Robison on Saturday.

Crystal Gayle

Crystal Gayle, the little sister of Loretta Lynn, was born Brenda Gail Webb, the youngest child in a poor coal-mining family. While growing up, she learned to play guitar and sing backup and toured with her sister while still in high school. She changed her name to Crystal Gayle when she signed a record deal with Decca Records. Her first top ten hit, “Wrong Road Again,” came in 1974, and her first number one hit, “You Never Miss a Real Good Thing,” came in 1976.

Her most famous hit, “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue,” came the following year, and in the following decade, she had many big hits, both country and crossover, and won many awards. She received a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and was the Country Music Association’s “Female Vocalist of the Year” in both 1977 and 1978. She is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from NAMM, and has her own star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

During a long career, she has produced 28 albums. Top singles include “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue,” “You and I” (with Eddie Rabbitt), “When I Dream,” “Let Me Be There,” “The Sound of Goodbye,” “Talking in Your Sleep,” “Half the Way,” and many others.

Bruce Robison

Bruce Robison, the brother of Charlie Robison, is better known as a songwriter than individual performer, and songs of his that have hit number one include Tim McGraw’s “Angry All the Time” and the Dixie Chicks’ “Travelin’ Soldier.” But he wants to change all that and is currently on tour to promote his new solo LP Bruce Robison & the Back Porch Band, which received this popular review in The Rolling Stone.

Currently, his most popular performances have been with his wife, Kelly Willis. They include “Angry All the Time,” “Long Way Home,” and “Leaving.”

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

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ENEZ ENSENIA ANNOUNCES PUBLICATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOK

Roscoe resident Enez Ensenia has published a children’s story, Sourpuss Longbottom, categorized at Amazon under Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, and Myths. The print edition is available on Amazon for $6.00, and the e-book for Kindle is $2.99.

For more information, click here.

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WEATHER REPORT: SUMMER HEAT, THEN COOLER—WITH A TOUCH OF RAIN

Cloudy skies over Roscoe this morning.

After eleven consecutive days in which the temperature reached 95°F or more culminating in Friday and Saturday’s 100° maximums, the heat finally abated somewhat with Sunday’s high of 94°, Monday’s 89°, and then yesterday’s 79°. There was a 60% chance for rain yesterday, and the meteorologists were right in that we did get some rain. However, it was only enough to settle the dust and no more. I got .08” in the afternoon and then .02” more last night for a grand total of .1”—not enough to matter in the greater scheme of things. Area farms didn't get much more, and some didn't get any.

The next few days will be cooler, though, and that is a welcome change. Today’s high is forecast to be 83° under cloudy skies, tomorrow’s 91° and sunny, and then 87° and 89° with clouds for Friday and Saturday but little possibility of rain.

The good news, however, is that the chances for precipitation are high for all next week starting on Sunday. Let’s hope the forecasters are right and we get enough to make a difference this time.

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