School Board Slate Set for May 14 Elections

The RS&P on a run to Snyder in the early 1970s, from Willard McFaul's collection. 

Filing for places on the Roscoe ISD School Board has ended with four candidates running for three 4-year terms, and two candidates running for a single 2-year term.

Running for three 4-year terms:

 Jason Freeman
 David Pantoja
 Cheyenne Smith
 Wes Williams

Running for one 2-year term:

 Frankie Santiago
 Tim Tomlin

The School Board elections will run simultaneously with the City of Roscoe elections on May 14 with early voting May 2 to May 10.  

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ONE KILLED, ONE BADLY INJURED IN WRECK ON I-20 JUST EAST OF TOWN

The stretch of road where I-20 and US 84 merge about a mile east of Roscoe proved once again to be one of the most dangerous sections of highway in west Texas with a three-way wreck last Thursday afternoon.

 An 18-wheeler driven by Tem Tanh of Georgia was merging onto I-20 westbound from US 84 when he lost control, causing his truck to overturn.  In the process, he was hit by Ronald Jett of Lubbock, who was killed.  Mikle Lee Sadler of Loraine overturned his pickup in an attempt to avoid the other two vehicles and was taken to University Medical Center in Lubbock with a serious head injury. 

The truck driver, Tem Tanh, who caused the accident, walked away from the wreck without a scratch.     

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WHAT IS THAT WET STUFF FALLING FROM THE SKY?

Roscoe got its first appreciable precipitation of the entire year last Friday night with about .6 of an inch of rain in town.  Amounts varied in the area.  Areas west and south of town got about the same as Roscoe, but Gary Pieper got only about .2” on his farm in Wastella, and Avenger Field and Sweetwater got nothing. 

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CADEN SMITH AND JACINDA MORALES LEAD ROSCOE IN PIPER RELAYS

Both the Plowboys and Plowgirls participated in the Piper Relays in Hamlin on Saturday, March 19, along with other athletes from class 1A, 2A, and 3A representing twenty-five West Texas high schools.  Given the size of the meet, just to place in any event was remarkable.  Nevertheless, Roscoe had several athletes who did. 

For the Plowboys, Caden Smith was first in the discus with a toss of 159’ 7” and also first in the shot put with a heave of 51’9”.  He also placed fourth in the 110 hurdles with a time of 16.58.  Cody Graham was fourth in the 300 hurdles at 46.28.

For the Plowgirls, Jacinda Morales was second in the 800 (2:29) and fourth in the 1600 (6:00).  Lynnsi Moses was fourth in the 100 hurdles (18.27).  The Plowgirls’ 1600 relay team came in fifth (4:37) and their 800 relay team placed sixth (1:59). 

On Saturday, March 26, both Plowboys and Plowgirls will participate in the Lions Relays at Roby.     

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ALBERT GONZALES

Funeral services for Albert Gonzales, Sr., 35, were held at St. Albert’s Catholic Church on Tuesday, March 22, followed by burial in the Roscoe Cemetery.  Survivors include his wife, Enelida; five daughters: Anna Bell, Denali, Lupe, Victoria, and Mayra; and a stepson, Gabriel.  He had lived in Roscoe since 1982 and worked for Sweetwater Steel and as a farmer. He went to Roscoe High School and was a member of the Class of 1994.

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VERNA AKERS

Funeral services for Verna L. Akers, 91, were held at the Roscoe Church of Christ on Sunday, March 20, followed by interment in Snyder.  Survivors include a son, Eddie Joe Coston of Austin and a daughter, Penny Seats of Wiggins, Mississippi, along with several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Born in Shelbyville as Verna Miller, she graduated from Roscoe High School in 1936.  She was an LVN and returned to Roscoe from Graham in 1993. 

Candidates Announced for City Election

Filing is now complete for Roscoe’s upcoming City Election with one uncontested race and two contested ones.  

Candidates for Mayor include the incumbent Pete Porter and challenger Ken Brawley, while five candidates vie for City Council Place 3: incumbent Don Graham and challengers Christi Pepper Beal, Billy Guelker, Juanita Garcia, and Virgil Pruitt.  

Place 2, the only other seat on the City Council up for election this year, is uncontested with incumbent Helen Perry running unopposed. 

Voting takes place on May 14, with early voting May 2 to May 10.  The RISD School Board election will be held simultaneously with the City election.  I have a list of candidates’ names for the School Board, but since this is Spring Break week for the school, I was unable to get confirmation on the names, so I’ll wait until next week to post the official list.

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IVAN JAY KREJCI

Ivan Jay Krejci, 50, passed away at his home on Monday night.  Funeral services are pending with McCoy Funeral Home.

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RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUP DRAWS LARGE CROWD

The big news around town this past week was not about Roscoe but the 53rd Annual Rattlesnake Round-Up at the Nolan County Coliseum in Sweetwater, which drew a weekend crowd of an estimated 30,000 visitors.  The event kicked off with a parade down Broadway on Thursday with horses, floats, and marching bands and then went non-stop through Saturday.

Prizes were awarded to snake hunters with an $800 prize this year for most pounds and a $400 prize for the longest diamondback.  There was also a brisket/chili cookoff on Saturday that included a prize for the tastiest rattlesnake meat, and the Girl Scouts sponsored a dessert cookoff and salsa challenge. The Sweetwater Rifle and Pistol Club hosted its 51st annual gun, knife, and coin show.  

In the Nolan County Coliseum were the usual rattlesnake events with Miss Snake Charmer in the pit with the rattlesnakes, rattlesnake lectures in one area, rattlesnake skinning in another, and rattlesnake venom milking in another.  All this snake handling was accompanied by vendors selling rattlesnake-related products of all kinds on the floor of the coliseum and other vendors selling everything under the sun in the barn next door with food vendors both inside and out.  And if all that wasn’t enough, there was also a carnival in town with plenty of rides for the kids.  

For the Texas take on the event, check the Eyes of Texas website here. For a national perspective, check out the CNN article here.  

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TRACK SEASON UNDERWAY FOR PLOWBOYS, PLOWGIRLS

Track season has begun and the Plowboys and Plowgirls have already attended meets at Rotan and Throckmorton with another scheduled for Saturday at Hamlin.

At Rotan the Plowboys finished fourth in a field of seven behind Munday, Haskell, and Rotan, while the Plowgirls finished fourth behind Munday, Hamlin and Albany.  Standouts for the boys included Cody Graham, 2nd in the high jump; Austin Carrasco, 3rd in the 300 hurdles; and the 1600 relay team, which finished 3rd.

For the Plowgirls, Jacinda Morales was 1st in the 1600 and second in the 800; Lynnsi Moses was 2nd in the 100 hurdles; Whitney Williams was 3rd in the 400; and Amber Craig was 3rd in the 1600.

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At the recent Regional Meet in Powerlifting in Sundown, Corey Hatcher became a state alternate by placing 3rd in the 242-pound class with a total of 1300 pounds from a 285 lb. benchpress, a 500 lb. deadlift, and a 515 lb. squat. 

Roscoe Area Plagued by High Winds and Wildfires

Looking across I-20 at the wind turbines southwest of Roscoe on Sunday.

While the city of Roscoe itself was free of any major incidents this past week, a big fire on Sunday north of I-20 near Colorado City, twenty miles west, destroyed around 10,000 acres in Mitchell County and burned down thirteen houses, ten of them inhabited.  In Roscoe and the surrounding area, the smell of smoke from the fire was in the air on Sunday night, and almost everyone I talked to around town on Monday had a story of some sort to tell about it.  Photos of the fire and resulting devastation are available at the Abilene Reporter-News photo galleries.

 

The fire was probably caused and quickly spread by the high winds of the first serious sandstorm of the year.   On Sunday a strong wind blew in from the southwest off the Mexican desert, and temperatures steadily rose throughout the afternoon along with the increasing velocity of the wind gusts.  By 3:30 a full-fledged sandstorm with strong, gusty winds was in progress, and the temperature steadily rose, getting up to 87° or 88°F at its peak. 

Since then, the breezes have been slight and the skies bright blue.  But the lack of any appreciable rainfall since before Christmas along with the likelihood of more high winds have authorities concerned about the possibility of more fires in the area, and on Monday, the Nolan County Commissioners’ Court indefinitely extended the burn ban for Nolan County.  

The Plowboy grain elevator from the Maryneal highway at Bandera.

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JERLAND FREEMAN

Jerland Freeman in the 1950's

Roscoe lost one of its most prominent citizens last Friday evening with the passing of Jerland Fred Freeman, Jr., 82.  Funeral services were held on Monday at the Roscoe Church of Christ followed by burial in the Roscoe Cemetery.  Mr. Freeman was the owner and operator of Freeman Trucking and Freeman Farms and a leading member of the community for many decades.  Survivors include his wife, Elnor, daughters Pat and Jeannetta, sons Don and Steve, brother J. T., sisters Joyce, Maretha, Melba, and Billye, as well as 20 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.  He was preceded in death by his son Freddy and daughter Terri. 

Improvements in Progress at City Park

City workers near completion on third new pavilion at City Park.

At the City Council meeting on February 10, the Mayor and Council Members unanimously approved further improvements at the City Park, and in the past week considerable changes have been evident there.  Workers have erected two new pavilions and are nearing completion on a third.  These pavilions will provide a roof and shade for the new picnic tables beneath them, making for a more attractive park and a pleasant experience for the picnickers who use them.    

The City Council also approved improvements to the little city park across from the Roscoe State Bank downtown as well as replacing the fence at George Parks Field.  Three new live oak trees will also be planted downtown.   

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JIMMY LYNN BUCKNER

Funeral services are pending at McCoy Funeral Home for Jimmy Lynn Buckner, 60, who died Sunday at Nolan Nursing and Rehab in Sweetwater.  Jimmy Lynn grew up in Roscoe and was a member of the class of 1969 at Roscoe High.   

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CITY AND SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS

Qualified citizens desiring to run for Mayor, City Council, or membership on the RISD School Board have until Monday, March 14, to file an application. Both City and School elections will be on May 14, and early voting will be from May 2 to May 10.  

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CADEN SMITH TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL-STAR GAME

Plowboy football star Caden Smith has been invited to participate in the Myrle Greathouse Fellowship of Christian Athletes All-Star Game in Shotwell Stadium in Abilene on June 4.  He will play for the North squad.  Players from Classes A to 5A were chosen and will not only participate in the game but also attend a banquet honoring them on April 17 at the Abilene Civic Center.  

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Tejas Brothers lead singer Dave Perez awards the two best dancers on the floor a new Tejas Brothers CD.

Patrons at the Lumberyard on Saturday night got a sneak preview of the Tejas Brothers, the band that will headline the entertainment at Roscoe’s Spring Fling on April 16.  To get an idea of what’s in store for Roscoe then, click on the following links for YouTube videos of  last Saturday’s performance: Tejas Brothers, Part 1, Tejas Brothers, Part 2.

Demolition Under Way at Roscoe High School

And the walls came tumbling down.

Demolition of the old Roscoe High School building began in earnest last Thursday and, according to Superintendent Kim Alexander, should pretty well be a fait accompli by this weekend.  All week, local RHS exes have been driving by the school to view the progress, and many have stopped to take pictures or retrieve a brick as a keepsake of the building which was once so central to their lives. 

Built in 1938, it was not completed until the fall semester began that year, so its first graduating class was in 1939.  The last to attend classes in it were this year’s freshmen, making for a total of 74 consecutive classes, including practically every Roscoe High School graduate alive today along with countless others who are not.

Mindful of the feelings it evokes in those who went to school there, the superintendent and others involved in the current construction have been careful to preserve something of the old building for the new one going up.  The stone lintel over the entrance of the old building with the words Roscoe High School has been carefully removed and will become a part of the new building.  The new building will also have twin bell towers to preserve the characteristic look of the old one. 

Architect Don Smith, Contractor J. O. Pearson, Construction Supt. Mr. Ross, School Board Members C. D. Maloney, A. M. Coleman, Rev. G. W. Parks, R. L. Adams, J. H. Scruggs, E. J. Worthy, and Superintendent I. R. Huchingson.

  The photo above appeared in the 1938 Gleaner, and along with it the following statement:
     

     “It has been the pleasure and purpose of the Board of Education and of the Administration to erect a building which will better serve the educational needs of the students of Roscoe of the present and future.

       It is for the development of character, leadership, industry, and achievements that make life worthwhile that the building has been planned and constructed.  The sincere wish of those directly in charge of its erection is that it may serve well its purpose and be an inspiration for service to each of the great number of students who may enter its doors.”

Indeed, the old building has “served well its purpose” and been an “inspiration for service to the great number of students who entered its doors.”  May the new building going up do the same for the students it serves over the next decades! 

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PLOWBOYS FALL TO MUNDAY, MISS PLAYOFFS

The Roscoe Plowboys basketball team lost to the Moguls in Munday Friday night 68-42, killing their chances for making the playoffs and ending their season at 13-12 overall and 5-5 in district play.

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THE WEATHER: WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEEK MAKES

When last week’s issue of this blog was posted, Roscoe was experiencing single-digit temperatures and below-zero wind chills, and now we’ve just had two of the prettiest days you could ask for with sunny skies, light breezes, and temperatures in the seventies and even low eighties.  The forecast for today, tomorrow, and the next few days is for more of the same with highs around 80°F.  Maybe the groundhog was right this year and winter really is over. 
 
But that’s the good news.  The bad news is that there has been practically no precipitation around here since the beginning of the year, and unfortunately there is none in sight.  Some wheat planted in November still has yet to come up, and if the area doesn’t start getting rain soon, prospects for a decent cotton crop this year won’t be good.  The price of cotton is higher now than it’s ever been and should remain that way, but it won’t make any difference if our farmers can’t make a crop.  So, come on, rain! 

Intense Cold Punishes Area

The results of a broken hot water line in my ceiling.

The coldest weather in more than a generation has left in its wake a multitude of broken water pipes and related disasters in Roscoe and the surrounding area.  At least half the people I’ve talked to in the past few days have related some tale of woe concerning their problems with ice and broken water lines, and the impact of the storm has been readily apparent in such places as A-1 Wholesale Plumbing Supply in Sweetwater.  Normally open only M-F, it opened its doors on Saturday to long lines of people with broken pipes and fixtures in their hands looking for replacements. 

Plumbers worked overtime to make repairs before the next cold spell hit, which unfortunately happened to be last night as the temperature plummeted again for the second time in a week.  At 5:00 yesterday afternoon, it was 66°F, but by 11:30 last night, only six and a half hours later, it had fallen over fifty degrees to 15°F with high winds.  There were below-zero wind chill temperatures throughout the night, and by morning it was down to 9°F.  Like others here, I’ve got my fingers crossed that the recent repairs were good ones and the water lines make it through this latest spell without breaking.

I wish I could say I’ve been spared so far, but I haven’t.  Last Thursday evening at about midnight a ¾” hot water line in the ceiling directly over the Roscoe Hard Times “office” (i.e., my computer hutch with computer, printer, scanner, router, etc.) suddenly burst, shooting out a steady stream of water and causing a big chunk of the ceiling to collapse and fall to the floor, covering everything below with broken sheetrock, wet insulation, and water. 

At the water heater, the shutoff valve to the hot water line was stuck from years of nonuse, and an attempt to open it only caused the handle to break, so a considerable amount of water poured onto the carpet before I managed  to turn off the water at the meter outside.  The resulting mess was too shocking for me to put on this family blog (actually, taking pictures was the last thing on my mind at the time), but I can assure you it wasn’t a pretty sight. 

Unsurprisingly, the scanner and keyboard were ruined by water, falling sheetrock, and wet insulation, but the computer miraculously still works—although without sound from either the speakers or the headphones.  And, even though sound is not necessary for most computer operations, it is needed for creating YouTube videos, such as the ones I have posted on this blog and elsewhere, so I will have to fix the problem soon or get another computer. 

On the bright side, the gaping hole in my ceiling has been replaced with new sheetrock, and a new hot water line now runs under the floor rather than above the ceiling.  Like many other people around here, I’ve got my fingers crossed that these latest repairs will hold, that this frigid weather will end, and that life will soon return to normal.  

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PLOWBOYS WIN TWO OF THREE TO STAY IN RUNNING FOR PLAYOFFS

After winning two of three basketball games this past week, the Roscoe Plowboys can secure a place in the playoffs with a win over the Moguls in Munday this Friday.

The Plowboys beat the Pied Pipers 34-30 in Hamlin last Friday as Caden Smith led the way with 17 points while Cody Graham got 10.  Then on Saturday they hammered Rotan 59-24 in a game made up from the one postponed last Tuesday because of the bad weather.  Smith again was high scorer for the Plowboys with 21 points, and Cody Graham got 20.

Last night the Plowboys lost at home to first-place Stamford (9-0) 63-51 with Smith scoring 25 points and Graham 12.  Roscoe is now 13-11 for the year and 5-4 in district play.  Munday is also 5-4 after beating Haskell on Saturday, so the winner of Friday’s game will secure the final playoff spot with a 6-4 record. 

The Plowgirls had another rough week, losing to Hamlin 57-27 on Friday and to Rotan 46-38 on Saturday.  Last night they played well against the Stamford girls but fell just short, losing 39-37.  Against Hamlin, Lindsey Williams, Kim Norris, and Faith Boren all scored 6 points, and against Rotan Williams had 13 and Norris 8.  Jacinda Morales was the Plowgirls’ high scorer against Stamford with 10, while Williams had 9.    

Wintry Blast Hits Roscoe

My back yard at dawn with a temperature of 6°F and a below-zero wind chill.

Roscoe finally got its first snow of the year on Monday night.  After a couple of relatively balmy days on Sunday and Monday in which the afternoon temperatures were in the mid-seventies on Sunday and mid-sixties on Monday, a winter storm, preceded by high gusty winds, blew in from the northwest with sleet, snow, thunder, lightning, and steadily falling temperatures, dropping fifty degrees in fifteen hours.  By Tuesday morning it was down to 15°F with a sharp north wind and by this morning was down to 6°F with a wind chill of -12°F. 

Roscoe schools were closed as kids saw their first two snow days of the year, and I-20 had more than its share of jack-knifed trucks and vehicles in the ditch. Up until this storm, Roscoe had been lucky this winter, missing most of the bad weather that has hit other parts of the nation, but this front has hit Texas hard, just as it has about two-thirds of the rest of the country.  

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PLOWBOYS LOSE AT HASKELL 51-32, ROTAN GAME POSTPONED

The Plowboys lost big to the Indians in Haskell last Friday night after almost beating them in Roscoe a couple of weeks ago.  This game was no contest, though, with Haskell ahead 22-12 at the half.  Caden Smith had 13 points and Devan Cole 7 to lead the Plowboys, who are now 3-3 in district play.

The Plowgirls also had a rough night, losing to the Maidens 42-26.  Lynnsi Moses and Carolina Perez had 7 points each for the Plowgirls, who are now 1-6 in the district. 

Last night’s scheduled games with Rotan were postponed due to the cold weather and bad roads.  

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POSTING OF HARD TIMES DELAYED

Some of you may have figured out by now that for the past couple of months I have fallen into a pattern of posting new issues of the Hard Times sometime on Wednesday mornings, and I’d planned to do the same today, but just as I sat down to the computer at 8:20 this morning the electricity went out all over Roscoe, and it didn’t come back on until after 10:30, disrupting my morning and my plans of writing for the blog.  

Unfortunately, I also discovered that I don’t have hot water, so the cold here is definitely a problem, and, like everyone else around here, I’m looking forward to the thaw and some warmer weather.  According to the weather forecast, however, we’re going to have to wait until Friday afternoon before we see anything above 32°F.

Last week I posted a link to the photos of the new classrooms and other renovations at the school.  If for some reason you missed them or want to access them again, you can do so by clicking here.