Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is almost here again, and people all over the country will be getting together tomorrow with family and friends to celebrate this uniquely American holiday.  No matter what our race, religion, or political persuasion, we all use the day to pause, count our blessings, and give thanks for the many good things we enjoy in this land of ours.

As always, the central event of the day is Thanksgiving Dinner, which involves turkey and dressing, along with the other familiar Thanksgiving dishes--giblet gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and others. Some of the dishes go all the way back to the pilgrims’ original Thanksgiving dinner, although certain modifications, such as Cajun-style turkey deep-fried in peanut oil, are more recent. In any case, the main idea is to have good food and plenty of it so that no one leaves the table wishing for more. Americans eat more food on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year.

Another long-held Thanksgiving tradition is football, which goes all the way back to 1876, shortly after the game’s invention. That was the year that Yale and Princeton began an annual tradition of playing on Thanksgiving, primarily because it was a day that most people had off from work.

Today, the games we watch are played by the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys on television, and both games are long-standing traditions. The Lions' game that day goes back to the 1930s when their owner contracted with NBC to carry its Thanksgiving games nationally on the radio. In 1966, the Dallas Cowboys began Thanksgiving games because no other NFL teams were hosting TV games on that day.

There were a couple of years in the 1970s when the Cardinals hosted the Thanksgiving game, but they were not a good TV draw because they weren’t a good team. So, in 1978 the NFL commissioner asked Dallas, a perennial contender at the time, to resume hosting the game, which they did on condition that they host it forevermore.

So, since 1978, “America’s Team” and the Detroit Lions have always played on Thanksgiving with the Lions' game first followed by the Cowboys. Also, since 2006, when Thursday Night Football was introduced, there has been a third NFL game on TV that evening.

This year’s games are Bears-Lions at 11:30am, Bills-Cowboys at 3:30pm, and Saints-Falcons at 7:20pm. Go, Cowboys!

Here’s wishing you all a great day tomorrow, but remember to get plenty of rest tomorrow night so you’ll be full of energy and ready to go when you wake up on Black Friday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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DOWN MEMORY LANE: THANKSGIVING & THE RAT RACE

Editor’s note: I ran a version of the following in the Hard Times back in 2013, so some of you have already read it, but a Thanksgiving never goes by without my recalling how we observed the day when I was a boy, and I’m guessing the same is true for several other “old boys” who read this blog. So, I’ve decided to run it again today for them and also for any others who may be interested. For doubters about what you read, I can only say that I am not making up any of this. If you don’t believe me, ask anyone who ever went on one of these outings.

Since that first Thanksgiving feast shared by the Pilgrims and Indians in New England, the holiday has been observed in many ways, but if you were a boy growing up in Roscoe in the 1950’s or 1960’s, you may well have been involved in a yearly Thanksgiving ritual that was celebrated in a way like no other I ever heard of.

The Roscoe Boys Club had an annual Thanksgiving Feast, usually held on a little creek on a ranch not far from Maryneal. Each boy who participated, and there were usually about twenty or twenty-five who did, was instructed to bring a dish from home—potato salad, pie, cobbler, cake, cranberry salad, macaroni and cheese, green beans, potato chips, sweet potatoes—anything except the turkey and dressing, which was furnished by the Boys Club and prepared by the local Steak House. Boys Club director George Parks would make up a huge steel vat of lemonade made with fresh-squeezed lemons and pour in Welch’s grape juice from quart bottles. The squeezed lemon rinds would be thrown into the vat for flavor, and the top of the lemonade was covered with crushed ice and floating lemon rinds.

All the boys would meet at the Roscoe Times office at about nine or nine-thirty on Thanksgiving morning and go out to the ranch in a borrowed school bus, arriving at the creek around ten. Time between then and feast time was taken up with games, explorations up the creek, and shenanigans of one sort or another—like stripping off all our clothes and running around “in the raw” as we called it.

Then, when it was time to eat, the food would be brought out and set up on rock ledges. Boys would get a paper plate, line up, and fill their plates with everything that looked good to them. They would then go sit on a rock somewhere and start eating. There was always glory for the boys who could eat the most. But everybody ate two or three times as much as normal, especially since there was always an abundance of dessert, and the time after the meal was punctuated by the moans of those who had gorged themselves, that is, the majority of the boys. Nothing happened for at least a half hour while everyone lay on rocks and tried to recover, but then as stomachs started feeling better, activity would once again start up. Now it was time for the Rat Race, the highlight of the day.

The Rat Race was a kind of initiation ceremony. Boys who had run the Rat Race on a previous Thanksgiving were the throwers, and boys making the trip for the first time were the rats, the runners. First, a nice grassy expanse was located, one which could be run on barefooted without hurting the feet. This was always somewhere down by the creek. Then, all the half-lemon rinds in the lemonade vat would be distributed to the throwers. There would generally be enough rinds for every thrower to have two or three.

The hapless victims, the runners, would then strip down completely naked. This in itself could be harsh, especially in those years when Thanksgiving happened during a cold spell with a sharp north wind. In the meantime, the throwers with their lemon rinds arranged themselves in a long line running parallel to the creek. The runners, who were at one end of the line, waited their turn to “run the gauntlet” between the creek and the throwers.

When George said, “Go,” the one whose turn it was took off running as fast as he could past the line of about twenty howling boys, who pelted him with the lemon rinds as hard as they could throw them as he went running by. When he got to the end of the line, he jumped into the creek for a quick, cold wash-off because he would be covered with the sticky lemonade juice that came from his pelting. Throwers then retrieved their lemon rinds, lined up again, and yelled out threats and taunts at the next victim until George set him off and the pelting resumed.

This process was repeated until every rat had run. The only rules for the throwers were that you couldn’t throw until the boy was even with or past you—and that you couldn’t aim for the head. Backs, sides, and butts were the acceptable targets, and a hard-thrown half-lemon rind could raise a welt, especially when thrown by some of the older boys. The only mercy shown was to the littlest boys who bravely endured the ordeal. Everyone else was pelted unmercifully. The only solace for the runner, often through held-back tears, was that once he had run the Rat Race, he never had to do it again. Instead, he could look forward to being one of the throwers the following year and forever thereafter.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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PLOWGIRLS LOSE A CLOSE ONE TO POST 32-29

Despite being handicapped by injuries, the Plowgirls played Post down to the wire before losing 32-29 in Post Monday evening. Playing at times with three freshmen and two sophomores, they still managed to lead 25-23 at the end of three quarters before losing by three in the fourth. Shauna McCambridge had a big night rebounding with 16 total rebounds, 6 offensive and 10 defensive.

Scores by quarters:
Post                    13        18        23        32
Plowgirls            6         14        25        29

Indiviual Plowgirl scoring: Mia Lavalais 8, Shauna McCambridge 6, Kaylea Perez 6, Cameron Greenwood 5, Riley Sheridan 3, Layla Herrera 1.

The Plowgirl Junior Varsity beat Post’s JV team 24-23 to remain undefeated. Victoria Martinez had 20 points and Malieja Munn 4.

The Plowgirls are off for the rest of the week for Thanksgiving and will resume play next Tuesday, December 3, with Jayton in Jayton.

--o--

ANSON TOPS PLOWBOYS 55-25

The Plowboys fell to the Tigers in Anson Monday evening 55-25.

Scores by quarters:
Anson              14        24        39        55
Plowboys          5          8         16        25

Individual Plowboy scoring: Ryan Highsmith 6, Zachary Parrott 4, Antonio Aguayo 4, Vidal Aguayo 4, Brayan Medina 3, Hunter Anglin 2, Tristan Baker 1, Junior Martinez 1.

The Plowboys are off the rest of the week for Thanksgiving. They will resume play next Tuesday with Jayton in Jayton.

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CENTRAL ROLLING PLAINS CO-OP GIN REPORT

Central Rolling Plains Co-op Gin.

 As of yesterday afternoon, Roscoe’s Central Rolling Plains Co-op Gin had produced 31,380 bales of cotton from this year’s crop.

Gin manager Larry Black believes they are about half done with the ginning and will make somewhere around 60,000 bales of cotton this year. The 12-year average (since 2007) for annual bales from the gin is 63,024, so this year’s crop is shaping up to be just about average.

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FOOD BANK GIVES FOOD AT COMMUNITY CENTER

The Food Bank yesterday afternoon.

The Food Bank of West Central Texas was at the Community Center yesterday giving away free food. They will be returning again sometime soon with more. So far, they have distributed over 6400 pounds of food, which is free to anyone who needs it. 

Yesterday they were distributing hams, tomatoes, carrots, bananas, breads, and desserts. The Food Bank works out of Abilene and serves 13 Big Country counties.

Their slogan is “We can end hunger one helping at a time.” The phone number is 325-695-6311, and the web page is at fbwct.org. They also have a Facebook page.

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TRASH PICKUP ON FRIDAY THIS WEEK

City Hall wants to remind Roscoe residents that trash trucks will not be operating on Thanksgiving Day but will instead pick up trash on Friday. Please inform those who might not be aware of this change in the normal schedule.

City Hall will also be closed for Thanksgiving both Thursday and Friday. For questions, contact City Hall at 325-766-3871.

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WEATHER REPORT: MOSTLY NICE

Monday's sunset.

The weather was varied this past week, but most of the time it was nice, and some of the time it was very nice—at least up until yesterday afternoon when a strong west wind blew in with sustained speeds of 35mph and gusts up to 40mph and more. The wind blew up enough dust to color the sky a dull brown.

Temperatures were cool on Friday, when the high never got over 45°F and we got a little rain, but Saturday was nice with 62° and the following three days all had afternoon highs in the seventies, 73° on Sunday, and 71° Monday and yesterday. Lows were in the thirties and forties.

That all changed beginning with the high west wind and dust storm yesterday, and temperatures will definitely be cooler today and tomorrow. Today will be increasingly overcast with a high of 46° anf a 50% chance of rain this afternoon increasing to 90% tonight. Tomorrow will be more of the same with an east wind and a high of 47° with a 70% chance of rain. Friday will be windier and warmer with a high of 70° and blustery south winds of 20-30mph and clouds along with a 50% chance of rain. Saturday will be windy with sunny skies and a high of 61°, and Sunday and Monday will be similar to Saturday as we move into December.

--o--

Plowboys Open Season with Win at Munday

Hunter Anglin scored 13 points in last night's win over Munday.

The Plowboys opened their basketball season with a come-from-behind 39-37 victory over Munday in Munday last night. Trailing 18-11 at halftime and 31-24 at the end of three, the Plowboys outscored the Moguls 15 to 6 in the fourth quarter to win by two, 39-37.

Hunter Anglin led the scoring for the Plowboys with 13 points, followed closely by Ryan Highsmith, who had 12. Brayan Medina made 6 points, Junior Martinez 5, Vidal Aguayo 3, and Tristan Baker 1.

Scoring by quarters:
Plowboys            3          11        24        39
Munday              9          18        31        37

The Plowboys’ next game will be next Tuesday, November 25, when they take on Anson in Anson. The JV game begins at 5:00pm and the varsity game at 6:30pm.

--o--

PLOWGIRLS LOSE TWO: ONE CLOSE, ONE NOT

The Plowgirls have played two games since last week and unfortunately lost them both. On Saturday afternoon, they played a nail-biter with Winters, losing by only two points, 48-46. 

Then last night they never really had a chance against a good Ira team in Ira because they had three starters out. They lost that one 54-34.

Winters 48 - Plowgirls 46

Scores by quarters:
Winters            14         27         34          48       
Plowgirls           9          24         31          46 

Individual Plowgirl scoring: Kaylea Perez 12, Carson Greenwood 11, Shauna McCambridge 7, Layla Herrera 6, Riley Sheridan 6, Cameron Greenwood 4, Sadie McCambridge 0, A. Ortega-Solis 0.

The JV Plowgirls won their game 22-16. 

Ira 54 - Plowgirls 34

Scores by quarters:
Ira                    14          34        47          54
Plowgirls          8          12         19          34

Individual Plowgirl scoring: Perez 12, Ortega-Solis 8,  Sh. McCambridge 6, Car. Greenwood 6, Cam. Greenwood 2, Sheridan 0, Herrera 0.

The JV Plowgirls won their game 26-19. They are still undefeated at 4-0.

The Plowgirls’ next game is next Tuesday, November 25, with Post at the Special Events Center. JV game starts at 5:00, varsity at 6:30pm.

--o--

ROSCOE IN YEARS GONE BY: BASKETBALL DISPUTE WITH ABILENE

Editor's note: As happens occasionally, news was short in Roscoe this week. Just about all that's been going on is the weather and basketball, so while we're reporting on basketball, I thought I'd include an article about a difference of opinion Roscoe had with the Abilene team way back in 1921. 

The 1921 RHS team: From the top: Everett Duncan, Bob Potter, Jack Johnson, Cecil Long, Fred Haney.

(from the Abilene Reporter-News, January 14, 1921.)
 
DENIES ABILENE FIVE FORFEITED TO ROSCOE; REFUSE TO ACCEPT TERMS

Denial of the claims advanced by Roscoe High School that the Abilene High School had forfeited a game to them through failure to come to Roscoe on Tuesday for a basketball game was made by Coach P. E. Shotwell of the local high Friday morning. The Reporter has received a communication from Roscoe from an anonymous writer, who says under date of Tuesday, “The Abilene High School forfeited the scheduled basketball game to Roscoe High School today when they refused to come here. Roscoe High School is the undefeated champion of Nolan, Mitchell, and Taylor counties. They have a fast light team and expect to take the district championship this year.”

“When the basketball schedule was made out,” Coach Shotwell said Friday, “it was agreed that the teams should meet as arranged in the schedule if satisfactory arrangements could be made. The Abilene High School offered to pay the expenses of the Roscoe High if they would come here and play, or we were willing to go there if they would pay our expenses. They refused to do either. Therefore, we did not go to Roscoe on account of the fact that a satisfactory agreement for staging the game could not be reached.”

The Abilene High basketball five was scheduled to play at Ovalo today, Friday, but up to noon Coach Shotwell had been unable to get in touch with Ovalo.

--o--

EARLY DAY SPORTS AT ROSCOE HIGH SCHOOL

The 1925 RHS girls' team, l to r: Lucille Gordon, Alene Snyder, Arita Risinger, Emily Arledge, Alyeen Ater, Jewel Hastings, Vera Pitts, Bernice Duncan, Maud Williams Green, Coach.

The 1921 basketball article above reminded me of questions I’ve been asked over the years about when Roscoe High School first played certain sports. So, by way of explanation I started writing down what I've found out or heard in that regard, and the result, which follows, turned into a longer and more involved discussion of the evolution of girls’ basketball in Roscoe than I originally intended. Nevertheless, I include it all in the hope that some of the details may be of interest to at least some readers.

The earliest information I’ve found concerning a Roscoe High School sports team is a February 23, 1908, article in the Fort Worth Telegram about a baseball game. Entitled “Colorado Team Wins Game from Roscoe,” its subheading is “High Schools of Two West Texas Towns Play, Score Resulting 13 to 5.” Then in 1909, an Abilene Reporter-News article mentions a track meet sponsored by Roscoe High School.

The first we know about football is from a 1972 interview with R. E. Gracey conducted by Fred Carpenter of the Southwestern Historical Museum at Texas Tech. Gracey, who graduated from Roscoe High in 1913, says he and his classmates played football. He mentions that students had to buy their own equipment, including the football, and there was no designated football field. He also says they played teams from Colorado City, Snyder, Sweetwater, Loraine, and Blackwell.

Unfortunately, there is no record I know of to determine when the school first had basketball teams, either boys’ or girls’, but by the 1920s they had both. In those days, basketball was played outside on dirt courts, and I’ve been told the girls played on an open lot across Cypress Street from the Lumberyard, about where the Legacy Tattoo Parlour is now.

Girls’ rules were different in those days, and in the 1920s, modesty demanded that they wear stockings and bloomers as uniforms. Also, the girls’ rules were different from the boys’ because it was believed that the full-court game the boys played was too strenuous for girls.

Originally, there were six girls to a team, and the court was divided into three parts with two girls from each team in each part. Two offensive players took shots at the opponents’ basket on one end, two in the center could only move the ball from the defensive to the offensive side, and two others guarded their own team’s goal on the other end.

In 1938, the girls’ rules changed, and the court was divided into two parts with three defenders on one end and three offensive players on the other. Players could not cross the center line but had to pass or hand the ball to a teammate on the other side. In Texas, these rules lasted into the 1970s. At Roscoe, girls played six-player half-court rules until 1978, when they switched over to five players and full court rules like they play today. Also, at RHS, girls’ basketball was discontinued by school board vote in 1958 and not taken up again until 1967.

In Roscoe, basketball games were played outdoors until a gymnasium was built around 1933. From what I've heard, that old gym was more like a barn. Scores in outside games were usually much lower than today with final totals for each team usually in the teens or less.

In any case, basketball and other high school sports have a long and venerable history in Roscoe. Whether the “fast, light” RHS basketball team of 1921 won the district championship or remained the undefeated champions of Nolan, Mitchell, and Taylor Counties is not known, but I’m guessing that maybe they didn’t if Abilene coach P. E. Shotwell had anything to do with it. 

--o--

WEATHER REPORT: WARMER, NICER

Sunrise on Sunday.

After the erratic and varied weather of the week before, this past week seemed much smoother and more pleasant with steadily warming temperatures culminating in the past two days, both of which were as nice as you could ask for with sunny skies, light breezes, and afternoon temperatures that reached 73°F on Monday and 78° yesterday. There were no freezing temperatures after last Wednesday, and highs increased from 53° on Thursday to 62° Friday, 67° Saturday, 62° Sunday, and then 73° Monday and 78° yesterday. Lows were also warmer including last night’s low of 59°, the warmest low we’ve since mid-October.

The forecast is for another warm day today with a high of 72° under partly cloudy skies and with strong south winds of 20 to 30mph with gusts even higher this morning. This afternoon, there is a 40% chance of thundershowers, and tonight the winds will die down. Tomorrow evening winds will shift to the north, temperatures will drop to a high of about 64°, and there will be a 50% chance of rain during the day increasing to 80% tomorrow night. Friday’s high will be only about 52° with a low Friday night in the upper thirties. Saturday will be sunny and warmer at 64° with Sunday afternoon reaching 67° and Monday back up to 70°. Lows will be around 40°.

Any rain after tomorrow is unlikely.

--o--

Christmas Open House a Hit with Shoppers

Shoppers in Vickie's Gifts on Sunday afternoon.

Thanks in part to the beautiful weekend weather, this year’s Christmas Open House downtown was once again a roaring success. Cars lined Main Street from Broadway to Main Street Antiques and both Broadway and the Community Center area were full as well.

All the merchants I talked to spoke of large crowds, lots of fun, and plenty of sales. The Community Center was full of vendors and customers both at the Clodhopper Trades Day on Saturday and the Open House on Sunday.

--o--

CITY COUNCIL HEARS REPORTS, CONDUCTS BUSINESS

At its monthly meeting at City Hall last night, the Roscoe City Council heard the City Manager’s report on public works, rejected Skeet Kimbrell’s proposal to extend the cemetery maintenance contract, approved a financial arrangement with Young Farm Estates, and discussed the hiring of a new City Secretary.

City Manager Cody Thompson said the City has completed the installation of a computerized system to record the number of gallons of affluent flowing from the city sewer for irrigation of the nearby fields, as mandated by the TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality). 

This week, City workers will be putting in new filters at the City’s reverse-osmosis water plant and putting up the Christmas tree in Old Town Park.

The water-line improvement project is on track, and environmental compliance in progress. Bidding on the project will begin in late December or early January.

The water and sewer rate study to determine user costs, which began in September, is still in progress. The recent laying of the new sewer line between Cypress and Main Streets proceeded on a loan from the TWDB (Texas Water Development Board), most of which will have to be repaid, thus necessitating some raising of current rates.

Cemetery maintenance man Skeet Kimbrell proposed extending his contract into the winter months so that the trees at the cemetery could be trimmed. After some discussion, the Council rejected the proposal.

Carl Childers, developer of the Young Farm Estates housing development in north Roscoe, proposed a change in the current tax structure of the development that will allow him to continue to build new homes there. After some discussion, the Council approved his request to provide a tax break.

The Council then discussed the hiring of a new City Secretary to replace Donna Parker, who will retire at the end of the year. Some applications have already been received, and interviews will take place next Thursday, November 21, at 7:00pm in City Hall.

--o--

CROSS PLAINS DOWNS PLOWBOYS 45-20

Junior Martinez scores a Plowboy touchdown on a one-yard run.

The Cross Plains Buffaloes dashed any hopes the Plowboys had for the playoffs with a solid 45-20 victory at Plowboy Field Friday night. In doing so, they ended one of the most difficult football seasons the Plowboys and Coach Jake Freeman have experienced in many years.

This year’s team faced one of the toughest schedules imaginable since many of the opponents were fielding their best squads in years. These included not only state-ranked teams like district foes Hamlin and Albany, but also Hawley and, at the time, Stamford. Christoval just finished the regular season at 9-1, and both Miles and Cross Plains finished 7-3. In fact, the only other opponents that didn’t finish with a 7-3 record or better were Chico and Haskell, who both finished 3-7. The Plowboys beat Chico and lost to Haskell.

Friday’s game with Cross Plains began slowly with neither team able to mount any sustained drives until late in the first quarter when the Buffaloes put together a 9-play drive that started on their own 24 and ended with a 1-yard touchdown run followed by a failed conversion to go up 6-0.

They got another touchdown in the second quarter on a 38-yard return of an intercepted pass. The extra-point kick was good, and the score was 13-0. Later, they mounted another drive ending with a 2-yard run to increase the lead to 19-0, the score at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Buffaloes scored again to go up 26-0. Then, in the fourth they put the game out of reach with 2 more TDs to increase the lead to 38-0 before the Plowboys got on the scoreboard with a 25-yard pass from Junior Martinez to Antonio Aguayo. Ryan Highsmith ran for the 2-point conversion to make the score 38-8. After Cross Plains responded with another touchdown to lead 45-8, the Plowboys followed with two more touchdowns, both one one-yard runs by Martinez, to make the final score 45-20.

For the game, Martinez completed 15 of 35 passes for 1 TD and 246 yards but with 4 interceptions. Zachary Parrott completed 1 pass for 5 yards. Antonio Aguayo led the receivers with 4 catches for 113 yards and 1 TD. Highsmith had a catch for 65 yards, Parrott had 6 for 56 yards, and Jaythan Coale had two for 7. The rushing game was essentially non-existent with Martinez totaling 1 net yard but with 2 TDs. Jake Gonzales had 3 yards on 2 carries and Gunner Helm had I yard on 1 carry.

Kolten Hope led the defense with 6 tackles, while Gonzales had 4, and Martinez, Helm, Antonio Aguayo, and Garrett Bowers all had three. Several others had at least one tackle or assist. Coale intercepted a pass and Parrott covered a fumble.

Scoring by quarters:
                             1         2         3          4          T
Cross Plains      6         13        7         19        45
Plowboys           0          0        0         20        20

--o--

ROSCOE STUDENTS HONOR VETS ON VETERANS DAY

This video by EduDrone instructor Dusty White presents highlights of the tribute to veterans by Roscoe students on Friday.
 

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PLOWGIRLS DEFEAT ROBERT LEE, LOSE TO EULA

The Plowgirls opened their basketball season on Saturday afternoon with a 36-27 win at home over Robert Lee, but then lost last night at home 44-30 to Eula. They are now 1-1 on the season.

In the opener the Plowgirls came from behind to win the game after trailing 18-12 at the half. 

Here’s the scoring by quarters:

                            1          2          3          4
Plowgirls           7        12        28        36
Robert Lee       4         18        23        27

Freshman Carson Greenwood led the Plowgirls in scoring with 11 points, followed by senior Sadie McCambridge with 7, junior Riley Sheridan with 6, freshman Layla Herrera 6, sophomore Shauna McCambridge 4, and sophomore Kaylea Perez 4.

The Junior Varsity Plowgirls also won their game with Robert Lee in overtime, 24-21.

Then last night at the Special Events Center, the Plowgirls lost to Eula, 44-30.

Scoring by quarters:
                            1         2           3           4
Eula                  15        29        32        44
Plowgirls           7        14         20        30

Carson Greenwood again led the Plowgirls in scoring with 11 points, followed by Shauna McCambridge with 8, Kaylea Perez 4, Sadie McCambridge 3, Victoria Martinez 2, and Layla Herrera 2.

The JV Plowgirls won their game against the Eula JV 26-19. They are now 2-0 on the season.

Next up for the Plowgirls are the Winters Blizzards in Roscoe this Saturday, November 16. The JV game begins at 12:30pm, and the Varsity game at 2:30.

--o--

MATH PhD PROPOSES TEACHING METHODS FOR RCISD

Dr. Jim Curry presents his proposal to Roscoe teachers on Monday.

In a lecture presented to selected faculty and administrators on Monday afternoon, Jim Curry, a Mathematics PhD from Notre Dame, proposed changes in the way computing and math are taught at RCISD.

Specifically, he made three recommendations:

First, computing classes should be teaching a programming language called LISP, which he believes will be the language of the future because it is simple and easy to teach and more open and flexible than those currently used. One of LISP’s forms, known as Scheme, is preferable to the others.

Second, elementary math education should follow the Trachtenberg Speed System of Basic Mathematics, a system used successfully for many years in Switzerland. He said it is easy even for small children to learn, and after three or four years of using the system, they are far better at mathematics than students learning math as it is currently taught in the U. S.

Third, a Japanese method of teaching mathematics inspired by Professor Kunihiko Kodaira of the University of Tokyo should be taught to high school juniors. Like the Trachtenberg system, it is a superior method of teaching mathematics that is more explanatory and yet simple enough to be mastered by teachers and students alike.

At the end of his talk, Dr. Curry distributed materials to RCISD faculty members, who will review them for decisions concerning their possible use in Roscoe classes.

--o--

WEATHER REPORT: A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING

Thursday's rain left puddles in the low spots on Broadway.

The past week has been a real doozy as far as the weather is concerned. It was the complete opposite of what we got in August, when every day was almost a carbon copy of the one before it. In the short space of the past six days we’ve had sunshine and clouds, high winds and dead calm, warm weather and icy cold, and even a nice rain.

The rain came on Thursday. It was the first rainfall of over an inch since mid-September and before that since late June. Most of it fell before sunrise, but a bit more fell during the day. I had 1.7” in my rain gauge at about 8:00am, but a quarter-inch more came during a cloudy day for a total of 1.95”, while Kenny Landfried recorded an official 1.87”. Some places in the Roscoe area got over 2 inches, while others got less. The rains came with the arrival of a norther with strong wind gusts and a rapid drop in temperature. Friday’s high was only 52°, but the wind died down, and although the temperature was in the upper forties at the football game Friday evening, being outside wasn’t so bad because the wind had dropped to a light breeze.

The weekend was perfect for the big weekend downtown. Saturday’s high was 69° and Sunday’s 76° with sunshine on both days, so the crowds at the Clodhopper Trades Day and the Christmas Open House downtown moved from one place to another with no hindrance from the weather. The crowds would have been much smaller if the weather we had on Monday had arrived earlier. 

Both Monday and yesterday were seriously cold. The high on Monday came at midnight and by sunrise the wind was howling from the north with gusts up to 45mph and a temperature that dropped below freezing. It was down all the way to 18° yesterday morning with a wind chill down to 9° at one point. Yesterday’s high was only 35°, but even that felt better after what we went through on Monday.

Today will thankfully be warmer. Skies will be mostly cloudy, but the temperature will warm into the mid-fifties this afternoon before falling to 33° by morning. Tomorrow the skies will clear with a high of 54° warming to 61° on Friday and 64° Saturday. A light cold front arrives on Sunday, dropping the high to 53° and the low to 39° before warming up again to 68° and sunshine on Monday.

Precipitation is not likely in the upcoming week as Sunday is the only day with as much as a 20% chance of rain.

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Christmas Open House This Sunday

For those of you who don’t think Roscoe is ahead of the game, consider this—the Community Center hosted its annual Thanksgiving dinner this past Sunday, and Christmas Open House is coming up this Sunday! 

Always a hit, this popular shopping event, now in its seventh year, launches local merchants into the holiday season and provides customers with their first taste of Christmas shopping with fanfare and refreshments.

Between 1:00 and 5:00, several Roscoe downtown businesses will be featuring their latest selections for the upcoming season. These will include Vickie’s Gifts, Wildflower Boutique, Cotton Belle, Southern Belle Salon, McVey’s Nursery, and the Lumberyard, which will open at 12 for those who want lunch.

The Roscoe Community Center will get an early start with its Clodhopper Christmas Trades Day on Saturday from 9 to 4 and will have vendors selling food as well as merchandise. On Sunday, it will host a number of vendors from 1 to 5 who will also be selling all kinds of items. For details, see the flyer below at the end of this week’s post.

The Roscoe Express shuttle will operate all afternoon carrying visitors from one business to the next at no charge. Everyone is invited, so come on out. This event is always a lot of fun.

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ROSCOE FFA MEMBERS BRING HOME GOLD MEDALS FROM THE NATIONAL AGRISCIENCE FAIR

Rebecca Shaw and Caleb Boren with their project's blue ribbon.

Indianapolis, Indiana – Caleb Boren and Rebecca Shaw of the Roscoe FFA Chapter won gold medals and placed 2nd in the Animal Systems category Division 6 at the National FFA Agriscience Fair at the 92nd annual National FFA Convention held October 28-November 2, 2019, in Indianapolis, Indiana. They competed against other Agriscience projects from across the Nation.

The Agriscience Fair fuses the traditional science fair with agriculture. FFA members conduct cutting edge agricultural research to compete in categories such as biochemistry and microbiology, environmental science, zoology, botany and engineering.

The Agriscience Fair was made possible by these sponsors: Cargill, John Deere, Sygenta, Bayer, Alltech Inc., Zoetis, Wrangler, and Corteva Agriscience.

The 92nd annual National FFA Convention recorded approximately 69,000 members and guests. Members of the nation’s largest agricultural youth leadership organization spent the week attending leadership workshops, participating in events and activities, being recognized for their achievements, and serving as the legislative body for the National FFA Association.

FFA gives students the opportunity to apply practical classroom knowledge to real world experiences through local, state and national competitions. For more information about the National FFA, visit www.ffa.org.

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BIG WEEKEND AT THE LUMBERYARD, JON WOLFE FRIDAY, LAZER LLOYD SATURDAY, CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY

The joint will be jumping this weekend at the Lumberyard. Jon Wolfe will perform on Friday and Lazer Lloyd on Saturday. Then on Sunday afternoon from 12 to 5, the Lumberyard will be open for Roscoe’s Christmas Open House.

Jon Wolfe.

Jon Wolfe will make his first appearance ever at the Lumberyard on Friday. A native of Oklahoma, Wolfe has been a professional musician since 2004, when he settled in Austin and became a regular performer on the Lone Star honky tonk circuit.

He released his debut album, Almost Gone, in 2004, and has produced three other studio albums since then: It All Happened in a Honky Tonk (2010), Natural Man (2015), and Any Night in Texas (2017).

Top singles include “That Girl in Texas,” “I Don’t Dance,” “What Are You Doin’ Right Now,” and “Boots on a Dance Floor.”

Lazer Lloyd.

Lazer Lloyd is a singer/songwriter and a citizen of the world. Born and raised in the US, he has spent much of his adult life living overseas in places like Israel, Brazil, and Europe. He began playing in rock bands in high school, and, after graduating from college, recorded his first song in Nashville. 

In the late ‘90s, he took his music to Israel and played and recorded both solo and with Israeli bands there. His music is a blend of rock, country, blues, and Americana with a touch of foreign influences. He has recorded several albums both in Israel and the US and is currently on a tour of the US.

Notable singles include “Burning Thunder,” “Talk,” “America,” and “Put a Little Gas in Your Tank.”

If you haven’t already seen the Lumberyard’s recent changes, you also need to check out the renovations, which include three pool tables, a foosball table, a juke box, an ATM machine, and a new clear protective barrier to keep out the wind and rain for events in the small stage area.

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

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PLOWBOYS FACE CROSS PLAINS HERE FRIDAY EVENING

Action from a previous Cross Plains game.

The Plowboys will play their final regular-season game at Plowboy Field Friday evening with the Cross Plains Buffaloes. With a win, Roscoe could force a three-way tie for third place with the Buffaloes and Haskell, putting the league’s tiebreaker rules into effect. The Plowboys lost to Haskell 49-21, while Cross Plains defeated the Indians 25-22.

A victory won’t be easy, though. Even though the Buffaloes are coming off a 41-0 loss last week to number 8 state-ranked Hamlin, they are a good team, 6-3 on the year. They have victories over Menard 34-7, Ranger 55-0, TLCA (San Angelo) 62-12, Plains 54-0, Miles 42-6, and Haskell 25-22. Their three losses were to Christoval 26-14, number 2 in state Albany 41-13, and Hamlin.

Kickoff is at 7:00pm.

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PLOWGIRL BASKETBALL SEASON BEGINS SATURDAY

After a couple of warmup scrimmages with Eula and Snyder, the Plowgirl basketball season officially gets under way with a game with Robert Lee here at the Special Events Center Saturday evening. The Junior Varsity game will start at 5:00 and the Varsity game at about 6:30.

Then, next week they will have two more home games, the first on Tuesday, November 12, with Eula and the second with Winters on Friday, November 15. Start times for both are 5:00pm for JV and 6:30 for Varsity.

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VETERANS DAY PROGRAM AT SCHOOL FRIDAY

Roscoe Collegiate ISD’S Veteran's Day Program is this Friday from 8:50-9:30am in the school cafetorium. All local veterans will be recognized and honored. We welcome anyone who would like to attend.

The program includes flag presentations by Boy Scout Troop 140 and music by the Plowboy Band, the Roscoe Elementary Choir, and the Roscoe Collegiate Teacher's Quartet. Winners of the essay, art, and poetry contests will be announced, and the guest speaker will be Andy Wilson.

If you are a veteran, come early for coffee and cookies at 8:30 am. We would also like for you to sit on the gym floor for the program, so we can honor you.

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WEATHER REPORT: FIRST HARD FREEZE, THEN MILD

Saturday's sunrise.

Our first hard freeze of the fall came on Thursday morning when the temperature dropped all the way to 20°F, which set an all-time record for the day by six degrees. The low reading was accompanied by a stiff north breeze that made it feel even colder than that, and it seemed that winter had suddenly arrived in October. 

However, Friday afternoon was much warmer at 71°, and since then we’ve had relatively mild weather typical for this time of year. Saturday’s high was 60°, Sunday’s 74°, Monday’s 82°, and yesterday’s 61°, while the lows ranged from Friday’s 33° to Monday’s 50°.

Daylight savings time ended early Sunday morning, and since then darkness has seemed to arrive much too early in the afternoons. I guess I’ll get used to it in a couple of days, but for right now I’m waking up too early in the mornings and getting sleepy too soon at night.

The weather has generally been cooperating with the cotton harvest this year by staying sunny and dry. However, we haven’t had any meaningful precipitation for a long time now, and unless the pattern changes soon, we may not have much ground moisture for next year’s crops.

The dry spell could begin to change as soon as today. There’s currently a 40% chance of scattered thundershowers, which will increase to 90% tonight and continue into tomorrow with a quarter of an inch or so of rain expected. Winds will shift to the north tomorrow and gusts could reach over 40mph as the temperature drops to a high of only 47° and a low of 33°. Friday will be overcast with a high of 53° but with almost no chance for rain, and with only light winds, the football game should be chilly but not bad. On Saturday the sun will come back out and the high climb to 67°. 

Sunday should be nice for Christmas Open House with sunny skies, light southerly breezes, and afternoon temperatures in the seventies.

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