Roscoe Hard Times

 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. This unique event is one in which Americans of all ethnicities, religions, and political persuasions traditionally gather with family and friends to count their blessings and give thanks for the many good things that we enjoy in this great land of ours.

But the holiday comes this year under circumstances unlike any other since the Pilgrims first observed the day back in 1620. For the first time ever, the government, through its health protection agency, the CDC, is urging everyone not to get together but to stay home and confine any celebrations to people already in the household. Visits with others should only be done virtually through phone calls or apps like Zoom or Face Time. It’s an unprecedented turn of events.

Unfortunately, Thanksgiving has come this year at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic is spreading everywhere and is almost out of control in many parts of the country. And the situation is also getting serious here. Roscoe Collegiate shut down last Tuesday and will re-open only when the numbers improve, and active cases in Nolan County have almost doubled from 46 two weeks ago to 94 last week and 159 this week. And these are the cases we know about, as some people are not reporting their conditions, while others may not know yet that they are infected. Hospital beds, especially ICUs, are full all over the Big Country, and the situation seems to worsen with no end in sight.

Under such circumstances, counting our blessings and rejoicing may seem strained and a bit of a stretch, but when we stop to think about it, most of us can still find plenty to be thankful for. For one thing, most of us are still healthy and proceeding with our normal lives as always—and we all live in a prosperous country where we can safely raise our families and freely engage in our own personal pursuits of happiness, whatever they are. And for that, we can all be grateful.

Despite the complications, many will be doing Thanksgiving anyway. As I mentioned last week, the airlines are reporting more travel this week than at any time since the pandemic began, although I did hear yesterday that ticket cancellations are reaching a record level. The highways, however, will no doubt be crowded as travel by auto is projected to be down less than 6% from last year. Area supermarkets have stacks of peanut oil in the aisles for people who plan to deep fry their turkeys, and they are also well-stocked with the traditional Thanksgiving foods.

On television, Macy’s annual parade will still kick off the day, although it will be modified this year with social distancing and other similar precautions. There will also be pro football for most of the day, even if the only spectators are cardboard cutouts and the cheering is canned like the laughter in sitcoms. CBS will broadcast the Houston Texans-Detroit Lions game starting at 11:30am. At 3:30, Washington plays the Dallas Cowboys on Fox, and at 7:20, NBC will host the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.

But, no matter how you spend the day, remember to give thanks for your blessings, don’t eat too much, take proper precautions, especially around the old folks and others who need them, and have a good time!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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REGULAR CLASSES LIKELY TO RESUME AT RCISD MONDAY

At posting time, Roscoe Collegiate administrators were pleased to see the staff and student numbers improving and were making plans to resume regular classes at school on Monday. The final decision, however, won’t be made until an administrators’ meeting on Sunday afternoon.

One way or the other, parents will be sent an alert immediately after the meeting to let them know the decision. If they don’t already have it, parents can download the alert app from the school website at https://www.roscoe.esc14.net/.

The alert app is the last item on the COVID-19 dropdown menu.

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TRASH PICKUP ON FRIDAY THIS WEEK

As is normal for the Thanksgiving weekend, trash pickup for Roscoe residents will be on Friday instead of the usual Thursday.

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WILL BANISTER AT THE LUMBERYARD FRIDAY NIGHT

Will Banister

Are you ready for some boot scootin’? Traditional country music returns to the Lumberyard on Black Friday evening with a performance by New Mexico singer/songwriter Will Banister. Originally from Portales, Banister has played in venues in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas, as well as in the U.K. and Europe.

He grew up to the sounds of Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, and George Strait, singers that have made an impact in shaping the sound of his songs. His latest album, Everything Burns, consists of eleven songs, ten of which he either wrote or co-wrote.

Some of his singles and covers include “Easy to Love,” “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” “He Stopped Lovin’ Her Today,” “Turned Her On to Country,” and “Ain’t That the Truth.”

If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to get out and do some dancing and hear some fine live country music, here’s your chance. Cover charge is only $10 at the door, and the show begins at 8:00pm.

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

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COVID-19 CONTINUES TO BREAK RECORDS

In the United States, the surge of Covid-19 continues in almost every state. The country’s weekly average of new cases is now over 162,000 a day and over a million a week. Some states are restricting gatherings of over 10 people, and others have curfews. California reported 17,694 new cases on Monday, which is more than any state has ever had for one day as infections and hospitalizations rise at “an alarming rate.” Eleven states—Kansas, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kentucky, Minnesota, Idaho, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, and South Dakota—had more deaths in the past week than in any other week since the pandemic began. And in Pennsylvania, where the biggest day for drinking is the day before Thanksgiving, the Governor has outlawed the sale of alcohol after 5pm.

In Texas, Covid-19 records continue to be broken. Yesterday, 13,998 new cases were reported statewide, and the daily average for new deaths is still increasing. Hospitalizations also continue to rise with 8,495 Texans as Covid-19 patients. The state is sending 36 National Guard members to help in mortuaries in El Paso, which has been paying jail inmates $2 an hour to move bodies there. Tarrant County has broken its record for Covid-19 cases, and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price has tested positive.

In the Big Country, the Abilene Community Safety Level continues to be at Level 5-Critical as the number of active Covid-19 cases continues to grow. It now has 2,706 active cases compared to 2,249 last week and 1,499 on November 1. The number of Covid-19 hospitalizations has also grown to 104, up from 83 last week and 50 two weeks ago. The 22-county Big Country region ICU beds are all full. Abilene hospitals have 78 employees in quarantine and 76 nurses on loan from the state. They also have just received a mobile morgue as they prepare for the coming Covid-19 surge. Abilene hospitals have now had 103 total Covid-19 deaths, up from 89 last week.

Locally, Nolan County now has 159 active cases, 66 more than the 94 of last week. The little chart for Nolan County in the Hard Times’ right-hand column still shows a high infection rate. Mitchell County has 68 active cases, more than double the 31 of last week, and Fisher County has 13 active cases, up from 12 last week. In Scurry County, the numbers have dropped to 140 active cases compared to 161 last week. Scurry County has now had 21 Covid-19 deaths with 2 more this past week.

Here are the Big Country’s county totals for the year as of yesterday (with last Tuesday in parentheses): Howard, 1,680 (1,516); Jones, 1,604 (1,578); Scurry, 1,527 (1,397); Erath, 1,315 (1,217); Brown, 908 (837); Nolan, 687 (580); Comanche, 470 (408); Eastland, 359 (316); Runnels, 346 (325); Mitchell, 319 (263); Stephens, 241 (216); Callahan 211 (180); Coleman, 178 (169); Coke, 168 (153); Fisher, 149 (140); Knox, 119 (116); Haskell, 96 (93); Shackelford, 49 (46); Kent, 25 (19); Stonewall, 24 (24); Throckmorton, 23 (22);
 
Selected west Texas counties yesterday (with last week in parentheses): Lubbock, 29,378 (26,145); Midland, 7,027 (6,756); Wichita (Wichita Falls), 6,461 (5,558); Ector (Odessa), 4,864 (4,864); Tom Green (San Angelo), 3,282 (3,057).

Texas now has had a total of 1,115,371 cases (1,039,513 last week), 169,826 of them active (139,048 last week), and 20,750 total deaths (19,579 last week).

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WEATHER REPORT: WARM AND SUNNY ON THANKSGIVING

Yesterday morning's sunrise.

Folks planning outdoor activities for Thanksgiving will be happy to note that the day will be warm and sunny with an afternoon high possibly reaching 80°F. There will also be a southwest breeze of about 10-20mph, but that’s not much compared to the wind that we got yesterday afternoon, which had gusts up to 40mph.

The past week was about the third in a row in which there has been little variation and few surprises The highs from Wednesday to Saturday were all in the mid-70s with lows in the mid-40s to mid-50s. Rain was forecast along with the mild norther on Sunday, but if there was anything more than a little mist, I didn’t see it.

The cool front and clouds lowered Sunday’s high to 60°, but it had returned to 69° on Monday and 79° yesterday as strong southwest winds kicked up dust and caused a wind advisory to be issued. Last night the wind diminished and shifted back to the north, which has brought cooler temperatures.

Today’s high should reach only about 65° under sunny skies, but tomorrow will be warmer and should be fine for cookouts and other outdoor activities.

Tomorrow night another cold front with strong north breezes will move through and bring clouds. The high on Friday will be only about 55° with a morning low of 39°. On Saturday, there will be clouds and a 40% chance of showers with a high of 54°. Sunday and Monday will also be cool with highs of 59° and 55° and lows of 36° and 32° as the weather cools as we head into December.

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† SAMUEL EDWIN YOUNG, SR.

Graveside services for Samuel Edwin Young, 81, of Sweetwater were at 12 Noon on Saturday, November 21, at Roscoe Cemetery. He passed away Thursday, November 19, at Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital.

Sam was born August 12, 1939, in Taft, Texas, to the late Joseph Bruno and Ollie Bernice (Harvey) Young. He married Dorothy Lou Hestand on February 17, 1960, in Sweetwater. He was a veteran and served in the U.S. Navy. He worked as a Maintenance Superintendent for over 40 years at the Sweetwater Cotton Oil Mill and was a longtime faithful member and deacon at Lamar Street Baptist Church.

Sam is survived by his sons, Sam Young, Jr., and wife Colette of Joshua, Texas, and Brad Young and wife Sondra of Sweetwater; brother, Frank Young of Nolan; sister, Lottie Brown of Champion; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy, parents, and eight brothers and sisters.

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† MANUEL CUELLAR, JR.

Holy Mass of Christian Burial for Manuel Cuellar, Jr., 78, of Roscoe will be held at 10:00am, Friday, November 27, at Holy Spirit Catholic Parish in Sweetwater with Rev. Michael Udegbunam officiating. Burial will follow at Roscoe Cemetery under the direction of Cate-Spencer & Trent Funeral Home. He passed away at his residence on Sunday, November 22.

A prayer service will be held at 6:30pm today, November 25, at Cate-Spencer & Trent Chapel with Deacon David Mendez officiating, followed by a rosary at 7:00pm recited by Victor Rubio, Jr.

Manuel was born on November 12, 1942, in Kenedy, Texas, to Manuel Cuellar, Sr., and Julia (Polanco) Cuellar. He married Juanita Diaz on March 23, 1980, in Roby. He was a member of Holy Spirit Catholic Parish and Crusillista and Santo Nombre.  He worked as a truck driver for Brazos Transportation and Dent Trucking before retiring. He loved spending time with his family and attending their school sporting events.  He was their biggest fan. He loved the Seattle Seahawks.  Being a truck driver, he loved traveling and could give directions to anywhere.      

He is survived by his wife, Juanita Cuellar of Roscoe; daughter, Feliciana Campa and husband Lucan of Roscoe; son, Roman Cuellar and wife Eva of Grand Prairie; son, Julian Cuellar and wife Veronica of Roscoe; daughters, Manuela Cuellar of Snyder; daughter, Esther Hernandez and husband Brian of Snyder; John Garcia of Lamesa; Albert Castaneda and wife Trina of Brownsboro; Anita Castaneda of Sweetwater; and Stephanie Lopez and husband Reynaldo of Ranger; twenty-nine grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren; brother, Juan Cuellar; and two sisters, Juanita Moncada and Maria Guerra.  

Pallbearers will be Diego Vela, Julian Cuellar, Jr., Adam Cabrera, Dominic Cabrera, Albert Castaneda, Jr., and Roman Cuellar, Jr.

Honorary pallbearers will be Brian Hernandez, Eric Castaneda, and Aaron Cuellar.  

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