Roscoe Wind Farm Featured in Weather Channel Series on Wind Energy

At the Lumberyard, a cameraman gets footage of Cliff Etheredge talking to TSTC students about wind energy.

 A film crew from Los Angeles has been in town for the past couple of weeks conducting interviews and making video footage for an upcoming four-part series scheduled to air on the Weather Channel sometime next March.  The series, entitled “Turbine Cowboys,” a word-play on "urban cowboys," features the men and women of the wind industry and will have as one of its focal points the Roscoe wind farms. 

During their stay here, the film crew, headed by David De Angelis, did research, conducted interviews with workers and others whose lives are affected by the wind industry, and filmed area wind farms, at one point even going to the top of the Plowboy grain elevator to get some shots from there. 

On Wednesday evening, they were outside at the Lumberyard, filming the conversations of a small gathering of wind energy workers and a group from TSTC, along with Cliff Etheredge and yours truly. 

That concluded their work in Nolan County, and the next day they left for Idaho, where they’ll be for a couple of weeks doing more of the same before going to Tehachapi, California, to cover the wind industry there.  They also plan to visit and include an offshore wind farm in the UK.   

They will remain in touch with Cliff Etheredge and let him know when the series will air as soon as they find out themselves.  Each of the four episodes will be a half-hour long. 

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PLOWBOTS TO COMPETE IN TEXAS-NEW MEXICO REGIONAL ROBOTICS MEET

Plowbots proudly display trophies won at the Big Country Hub Robotics Meet.

After winning the Big Country Hub meet, the Plowbots, Roscoe Collegiate’s robotics team, will compete Friday and Saturday in Garland at the Regional BEST Robotics Meet.  BEST is an acronym for Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology, and this region includes all the hubs in Texas and New Mexico, of which the Big Country Hub is only one.

This year’s contest theme is “Bugs,” and each team must build a robot that collects different types of “bugs” and puts them in a collection area.  The Plowbots’ robot is named Mantis, after the bug-eating insect. 

The Plowbots are led by Coach Dan Boren. Club President is Hannah Weems.

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ROSCOE COLLEGIATE HIGH SCHOOL FEATURED IN NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE 

Two Nolan County schools, Roscoe Collegiate and Blackwell, were featured in a New York Times article published on November 10 about the effect of wind money on small schools in west Texas.  The article, written by Morgan Smith, originally appeared in the Texas Tribune, a non-profit publication which the New York Times occasionally reproduces articles from for its online edition. 

The article focuses on the benefits that Roscoe School is implementing with its collegiate program.  Through the program, 13 of the 25 high school graduates this past spring  graduated with Associate Degrees from Western Texas College in Snyder because they were able to take community college courses while going to Roscoe High.  The article also discusses some of the goals that Roscoe is setting for its students in both grade school and high school.  

The original version of the Texas Tribune article includes this three-minute video:

To go to the New York Times article, click here.   To go to the original Texas Tribune article, click here.

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JACINDA MORALES FINISHES 18TH IN STATE CROSS-COUNTRY MEET

Jacinda Morales finished 18th in a field of 103 runners with a time of 13:09 in the Class A Cross-Country State Finals in Round Rock on Saturday.  The winner, Macey Siegert of Seymour, had a time of 12:19.

--o--

PLOWGIRLS DEFEAT BLACKWELL IN BASKETBALL

The Plowgirls  defeated the Lady Hornets in Blackwell last night.  I don't yet have other details but will post them as soon as I get them.  The Plowgirls lost their first game of the season last Tuesday to the Winters Blizzards 52-37.

The Plowboys don’t officially begin their basketball season until next Tuesday, when they and the Plowgirls play games against the Wolves in Colorado City.  

--o--

WEATHER REPORT

Despite the lack of precipitation, Roscoe experienced another week of beautiful fall weather with highs generally in the seventies and lows in the fifties—although it was a bit cooler than that last Wednesday and Thursday, and a couple of days were pretty breezy.  Still, the weekend was beautiful, and on Sunday and Monday the skies were cloudy with temperatures climbing up to 80°F.

There has still not been a freeze, and my garden is going strong with tomatoes, peppers, and okra all still producing (See photos.).  Bruce McGlothlin’s confident prediction of a freeze on precisely November 12 was therefore obviously in error. 

To be fair to Bruce, though, this year has been an unusual one when it comes to the usually reliable methods of predicting the weather.  You may recall that back in March the buzzards returned and the old mesquite trees budded out—and, despite that, we still had a late freeze.  That’s not supposed to happen, and in normal years it wouldn’t.  But this year’s weather has obviously been anything but normal. 

The forecast for the coming week is almost a carbon copy of the weather we had this past week, cooler tonight and tomorrow, then warming up to a nice weekend, followed by a couple of days of cloudy weather on Sunday and Monday. 

City Council Approves Closure of Elm Street in Front of School

This artist's depiction of the renovated east entrance to the school does not show the new road that will loop around to 8th Street but is included here to give an idea of how the new entrance will look when finished. (Labels for 8th Street and the proposed new road are mine.)

At last night’s City Council meeting, RISD Superintendent Kim Alexander received unanimous approval to move forward with a plan to permanently close Elm Street between 7th and 8th Streets. 

Due to the recent construction at the school, the entrance to the High School now faces Elm Street just like the entrance to the Elementary School, and when school turns out in the afternoons, students of all ages must cross the street to catch a bus or walk home while parents in cars pick up their children and drive away.

Students will all be safer with the proposed restructuring of the area in front of the school, planned to take place over the next few months. 

A new semi-circular drive will allow parents access to the front of the school to drop off and pick up their kids.  It will run from Ash Street behind the current administration office up to the school entrance and then loop around back to Ash via 8th Street.  

The new arrangement will allow kids on foot to leave the school area without having to cross the street. 

--o--

WORK BEGINS TO COVER PLOWBOY FIELD WITH ASTROTURF

Plowboy Field will look like this once it is surfaced with Astroturf.

Plowboy Field is no longer covered with grass.  On Monday, heavy equipment could be seen on the football field grading up and removing it to make way for Astroturf, which will be the surface used by the Plowboys from now on.  The change, a decision of the School Board, will be complete before next fall. 

As part of the renovation of the school’s east entrance, the current practice field on 8th and Ash will also be done away with and converted to a parking lot.  Since Astroturf isn’t damaged by practice like grass is, future football practice sessions will take place on Plowboy Field.

The Astroturf surface is supposed to last for ten years, the same amount of time the school will take to complete payments for its purchase.  One of its big advantages is the minimal amount of maintenance required.  A sweeping device is brought in once a year to clean the surface, and that’s it.

The track that circles the football field will also be resurfaced.  Originally built in 1987, it last received a new surface in 2001, which was projected to last for seven years.  However, it has now been used for ten, so another new surface is overdue. 

The changes to Plowboy Field along with the renovations to the school’s east entrance constitute the final phase of the school’s renovation, which was divided into four phases:

• Renovation of the elementary school.  
• Conversion of the old band hall and early childhood center into the E.On Center and the new math and science wing.
• Demolition of the old high school building and construction of the new building containing the gymnasium, three classrooms, and a concession area that will face inward during basketball season and other indoor events and outward during football and track events.
• Astroturfing of Plowboy Field and re-surfacing of track.  Construction of east entrance area with parking lots.

The first two phases are complete.  The final two are both projected to be finished sometime next summer, so when school starts in the fall, everything will ready to go. 

--o--

JACINDA MORALES QUALIFIES FOR STATE CROSS-COUNTRY MEET

Jacinda Morales came in sixth with a time of 12:37 at the regional cross-country meet in Arlington on Saturday, good enough to qualify her for the state cross-country meet in Round Rock this Saturday. 

The Plowgirls' cross-country team came in eighth and did not qualify.

--o--

PLOWBOYS FALL TO ROTAN 12-2 IN SEASON FINALE

The Plowboys concluded the 2011 football season with a 12-2 loss to the Yellowhammers in Rotan last Friday night, bringing to an end a difficult season for fans and players alike.  Their final record was 0-10 overall and 0-5 in district.

They were actually ahead for the first time all season when Eric Padilla tackled a Rotan player in the end zone with 3:47 to go in the first quarter.  The Plowboys then held the 2-0 lead until Deandre Lee’s 9-yard run with 3:25 to go in the second quarter put the Yellowhammers ahead 6-2.

Then, right before the half, Lee scooped up a Plowboy fumble and returned it 45 yards for another touchdown with only three seconds left to go in the half.  There was no scoring in the second half.

Eric Padilla led the Plowboys on offense with 12 carries for 43 yards. 

  

--o--

CHRISTMAS PARADE SET FOR DECEMBER 17

The City Council approved a Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 17, down Broadway.  The Community Center will also be open for hot chocolate and visits with Santa Claus.  Parade marshal is Roscoe Chief of Police Felix Pantoja.  The parade, as always, will be dedicated to those serving in the military.

--o--

WEATHER REPORT

A cold front blew in last Wednesday sending temperatures down into the low thirties.  A predicted first freeze on Thursday night never materialized, and the weekend weather was just about as perfect as a person could ask for with sunny skies, highs in the seventies, and only light breezes.  

On Monday the temperature got up into the low eighties, but that night another front blew in, bringing a shower with it.  It rained off and on for about a half hour with a downfall of a quarter to four-tenths of an inch.  Yesterday was cooler with a high of only about 61°, a low of about 35°, and north winds of 15-20mph.

Today’s high will be only in the high fifties, but the forecast is for warmer temperatures and  another gorgeous weekend.

Roscoe still hasn’t had a freeze. The average date for the first one is November 11, and back in September Bruce McGlothlin confidently predicted that the first freeze would be on November 12 this year, which is Saturday.  It will be interesting to see if he's right.

--o--

Remembering the Roscoe, Snyder & Pacific Railway

The RS&P on a run to Snyder in the 1970s.

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been working on an application to the Texas Historical Commission for a historical marker for the Roscoe, Snyder & Pacific Railway.  If approved, it will be permanently placed in Roscoe’s Memorial Park on Cypress and Broadway, across the street from the museum. 

Since the RS&P has now been gone since 1984, an entire generation has grown up here without it, but for most of Roscoe’s existence it was a major player in the area and for that reason deserves to be recognized and remembered.  Even today, many people around the country are aware of Roscoe, Texas, only because of its existence. 

The RS&P began in 1906 as the idea of General F. W. James, an early pioneer and west Texas entrepreneur, who hoped to connect the cities of Snyder, Post, and Lubbock by rail to the Texas & Pacific Railway at Roscoe and then continue on to New Mexico. Fortunes were waiting for businessmen who could bring efficient transportation to the new communities that were springing up on the prairie that not too long earlier had been the domain of buffaloes and Comanches.   

General James got the backing of a group of businessmen from Abilene and then went to Roscoe and Snyder with his idea.  The leaders of both communities were enthusiastic about his proposal and promised him both money and land.  A deal was struck in the summer of 1906, and in October the Roscoe, Snyder & Pacific Railway was formally chartered with a capital of $200,000. 

Surveying and grading began and continued until June 1907, when the first track was laid on the railroad’s right of way in Roscoe.  That fall the crews, working ten-hour days at 15¢ an hour, built a bridge over Cottonwood Creek, then laid track the eight miles to Wastella.  In early 1908 they reached Hermleigh, and in May they made it to all the way to Snyder. 

Passenger and freight service between Roscoe and Snyder began on May 22, 1908, and on June 4 there was a big celebration in Snyder attended by a crowd estimated by the Dallas Morning News at 10,000.  Track laying continued, and in September 1909, the work gangs reached the new city of Fluvanna, 49½ miles from Roscoe, and there was another celebration. 

However, in that same month the Santa Fe began laying track from Lubbock toward Coleman to connect with its southeast Texas subsidiary, the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe, and there was thus no future for the RS&P to go any farther.  So, its proposed northwestern expansion was never fully realized, and the Pacific part of its name remained only as a relic of the founders’ early dreams. 

Nevertheless, it survived early financial difficulties and prospered.  Even though passenger and freight service to Fluvanna was discontinued in 1941 and passenger service to Snyder in 1953, it  remained one of the most successful short lines in the country by serving as a bridge between the Santa Fe and the T&P railroads. Its success was recognized in a 1955 feature article in Railway Age magazine.

In 1962, it converted its old steam engine repair shop in Roscoe into a railcar repair facility to service its own cars and those of other companies—and later designed and built cars to meet shippers’ needs.  This branch of the railroad later became the National Railcar Company and is now Eagle Railcar Services.

In 1967, the RS&P was sold to Roger Mize of Snyder and the Murchison Brothers of Dallas—one of whom, Clint, also owned the Dallas Cowboys.  It was prosperous all through the 1970s with over seventy full-time employees, two modern diesel engines, and over 600 freight cars.  In those years, it made between $1 million and $1.6 million a year before taxes.

However, deregulation of the railroads following the passage of the Staggers Act in 1980 made it impossible for the company to continue to compete.  It began losing money and finally had to be shut down in August 1984. 

Nevertheless, the RS&P was a major player not only in the settlement, growth, and prosperity of Roscoe and surrounding area but also in the efficient and timely transport of goods and produce between the west coast and the south for more than seventy-five years. 

The track between Roscoe and Snyder was picked up shortly after the railroad closed, and all that remains today is the track and a diesel locomotive now owned by Eagle Railcar, but you can still follow the RS&P on an imaginary trip from Roscoe to Snyder by viewing this eight-minute YouTube animation created by railroad hobbyists.  

Sponsors for the historical marker are Susan Alford’s third graders, who raised the money for the application and the fee for the marker.  

--o--

JACKRABBITS DEFEAT PLOWBOYS 28-7

The Ralls Jackrabbits proved to be too much for the Plowboys last Friday night, scoring a touchdown in each quarter to win by a score of 28-7.  Three of their TDs came on long runs, two by Kaleb Reese—a 60-yarder in the first quarter and a 41-yarder in the fourth—as well as a 32-yarder by Jonathan Vangundy in the third.  Reese rushed for 150 yards overall.

Roscoe’s lone score came with 1:36 left to go in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard run by Eric Padilla, who rushed for 102 yards on 17 carries.  

The Plowboys are now 0-9 for the year and 0-4 in district play. They conclude their season on Friday against the Yellowhammers in Rotan.  Rotan is now 3-6 on the year and 1-3 in district after defeating Roby last Friday 24-14.

If the Plowboys do go 0-10 on the year, it will be the first time it has happened since 1990 and the fourth time overall.  The other 0-10 seasons were in 1954 and 1967.  

--o--

 
AMERICAN LEGION TO HOST BREAKFAST ON VETERAN’S DAY

The Frost-Whittington American Legion Post No. 227 announces a Veteran’s Day Breakfast, which will be held next Friday, November 11, at 7:00am.  All veterans and active duty personnel along with their families are invited.

For more information, call 325-766-8887.   

--o--

THE WEATHER REPORT

The weather was generally beautiful for the week with high temperatures in the seventies and lows in the forties.  A cold front blew in last Thursday bringing cool weather for a couple of days with lows in the high thirties and highs in the upper fifties.  There was a bit of a frost one morning but not enough to kill any plants. 

Thursday was cloudy and rainy most of the day with intermittent drizzle that amounted to about two or three tenths of an inch.  Monday was a bit breezy, but other than that, the weather was just about as pretty as you could ask for. 

That’s all supposed to change today, however, with a norther blowing in later on with temperatures falling from the seventies to the mid-fifties this afternoon with winds from the northwest around 25-30 mph and gusts up to 45 mph. Lows in the mid to low thirties are predicted for tonight and tomorrow night, followed by warmer weather for the weekend. 

--o--

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS ON SUNDAY

Don’t forget that Daylight Savings Time ends at 2:00am this Sunday, November 6.  You’ll need to set your clocks back one hour to create the only twenty-five hour day we’ll have this year.  

Happy Halloween!

Halloween will be on Monday this year, so remember to buy some trick-or-treat candy if you haven’t already done so, and keep in mind that kids will be trick-or-treating and walking the streets before and after sundown.   

Although Halloween may not be the wide open affair it once was, it is still observed with some semblance of its old spirit in Roscoe. After living in the big city for so many years, I assumed that the “trick or treat” part was just about dead, and I was dubious last year when people told me to buy at least three bags of candy. 

But they were right. By the end of the evening, I had only about three Reese’s Sticks left from the three bags I bought. Some of the little kids did have mothers taking them around in cars, but more often than not it was big sisters or brothers out walking the streets with them, just like in the old days.

That’s a lot better than the urban suburbs, where one bag of candy is usually more than enough—at least where I lived. Trick-or-treating starts there about an hour before dark, and the kids in costume are invariably accompanied by mothers who stand a few steps back and carefully watch whoever answers the door. Many won’t even knock at a door that doesn’t have the porch light on and also something like a jack-o-lantern on the front porch to indicate that the house is a “safe” one.  

And an hour or so after dark, it’s all over. Maybe a couple of twelve-year-olds come around at 7:30 or so, but after that there are no more knocks. As far as the treats go, no mother is about to let her kids eat anything that’s not pre-packaged for fear the candy might have LSD in it or razor blades or something toxic. 

That’s not the way it was in Roscoe some fifty years ago. Back then, “trick-or-treat” meant trick or treat.  If we kids said, “Trick or treat,” and the person who answered the door didn’t give us some candy or if they told us to go away, then a “trick” was fair game. I can remember carrying a piece of soap to write with on window screens in case of such an eventuality, and I can also remember kids with toilet paper as well. 

And there were no adults out walking us around. When we were ready to go, our parents told us to behave ourselves, and then they went back in the house while we headed out for a night of adventure with masks on our faces and empty paper sacks that we were anxious to fill. 

We roamed the town knocking on doors and hoping to hit the jackpot with candy. As far as treats went, the best were not pre-packaged but home-made candy apples or caramel popcorn balls—although getting something like a Milky Way or Three Musketeers was a rare and treasured gift. Usually, though, the treat was something like candy corn, marshmallow peanuts, Kits, Tootsie Rolls, or some other kind of penny candy.

And prank playing was a regular part of the evening, especially for the older kids. While the younger ones were trick-or-treating, teenagers were out prowling around and running in packs looking for some kind of monkey business to get involved in. Those big enough to be going around in cars sometimes had water balloons, and if you were a kid walking the streets, you had to watch out for them. 

 When we got back home from our trick-or-treating, we emptied our sacks onto the table and checked out our take for the evening, and, if our mothers weren’t watching too closely, we ate too much of it, starting with the best first. 

Still, although Halloween has changed over the years, I’m sure today's kids enjoy the adventure much as we did.  

(For a Halloween greeting, click here.)

--o--

CROSBYTON DISPATCHES PLOWBOYS 48-6

It was another tough game for the Plowboys Friday night as the Crosbyton Chiefs came in and methodically put them away with solid displays of both offense and defense.  The Chiefs’ Adam Ortiz returned a Plowboy fumble for a touchdown on the opening kickoff, and that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the game.  

The score at halftime was 21-0, and the Plowboys were held scoreless until Chris De Leon scored on a 38-yard touchdown run with 3:23 left to go in the fourth quarter.  The Plowboys played hard, but with their five turnovers—four fumbles and one interception—there was no chance of them staying in the game.  

Standouts on defense for the Plowboys were Landon Jones, Eric Padilla, and Luke Rovig and on offense Padilla, Rovig, and Chris De Leon.

The Plowboys play at home again this Friday, this time against the Ralls Jackrabbits, who are 3-5 on the year and 2-1 in district play.  Last Friday they beat Roby 20-6.  Kickoff is at 7:30.

--o--  

PLOWGIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY TEAM QUALIFIES FOR REGIONAL

The Roscoe Plowgirls’ cross-country track team came in third in the district meet on Monday to qualify for the regional meet on Saturday, November 5.  Girls on the team are Amber Craig, Danielle Dean, Crystal Luna, Jacinda Morales, Alura Renteria, Miriam Solis, and Whitney Williams.  

--o--

WEATHER REPORT

Except for the lack of precipitation, Roscoe enjoyed a week of almost perfect weather, with highs in the low to mid eighties and lows in the high fifties.  It’s that time of year when neither air conditioners nor heaters are needed, and windows can be left open all day.  

That’s all supposed to change today with a norther blowing in and a 30% chance of rain tonight.  Tomorrow will bring a 50% chance of showers with a low tomorrow night in the upper thirties, which will be the coldest it’s been so far this year.  

The rain we got a couple of weeks ago has revived all the lawns around town, and everything is a lot greener now than it has been all year.  Even so, the Nolan County Commissioners re-instated the burn ban at their meeting on Monday, and a nice rain today or tomorrow would be more than welcome.  

Wind Festival a Huge Success

Spectators crowd Cypress Street to hear the Bellamy Brothers. (Photo Courtesy of Leslie Schmidt)  

On a day when the weather was almost as perfect as anyone could ask for, a huge throng of local  folks and visitors from surrounding communities converged on downtown Roscoe to enjoy the fifth annual West Texas Wind Festival, which turned out to be the biggest and arguably the best one yet.

The free concert starring the Bellamy Brothers and the fireworks show were attended by an estimated crowd of 3500, which filled the downtown parks and Cypress Street from the stage next to the Roscoe State Bank all the way back to the Lumberyard. 

The Barbecue Cookoff sponsored by the Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department had more entries and prize money than ever, and the always popular Plowboy Mudbog drew a sizable crowd at George Parks Field while vendors of all types sold their wares on the downtown streets.  

Kids enjoyed the inflatable slides, bounce houses, and games in the downtown park, and the ones who participated in the Mudbog Dash for Cash at the baseball field were covered with mud as they raced, stumbled, fell, and crawled through the blackland sludge of the mudbog to the delight of the onlookers.  

Food and snacks of all types were available everywhere, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves as they watched or participated in the many festivities. 

Lawless Flatz kicked off the free concert and street dance and got the crowd revved up for the Bellamy Brothers, who followed and pleased the audience with old favorites such as their “Let Your Love Flow,” “Old Hippie,” “Redneck Girl,” and “If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body,” while mixing in some of their more recent hits like “Guilty of the Crime,” “Jalapeños,” and others.

Despite the huge crowd, events seemed to go off without a hitch, and most who attended went away pleased with the way the festival was run.  All the planning and hard work by the organizers of the event paid off, and the result was one the city can be proud of.  

--o--

WEST TEXAS WIND FESTIVAL, PART 1: 

Scenes from the 5th annual Wind Festival, including the Plowboy Band, street scenes, the Plowboy Mudbog, the Mudbog Dash for Cash, and cookoff scenes.

 WEST TEXAS WIND FESTIVAL, PART 2:

Scenes from the 5th annual Wind Festival, including street scenes, kids' inflatables, Lawless Flatz, cookoff awards, fireworks, and the Bellamy Brothers singing "Old Hippie" and "Guilty of the Crime."

WEST TEXAS WIND FESTIVAL, PART 3:

The Bellamy Brothers sing "For All the Wrong Reasons," "Let Your Love Flow," and "If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body" at the street dance.

--o--

PLOWBOYS FALL TO ROBY 14-0

The Roscoe Plowboys put up their best defensive effort of the season against the Roby Lions last Friday, but the offense couldn’t capitalize, and the Plowboys lost once again.  Roby jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on touchdown runs by Matt Fells and Troy Stevenson, and that was the end of the scoring for the evening for either team.  Roby is now 2-1 in district play and Roscoe is 0-2. 

Chris De Leon rushed for 70 yards to lead the offense while Luke Rovig, Landon Jones and Matthew Cuellar stood out on defense.

This Friday the Plowboys are at home against the Crosbyton Chiefs, who are 4-3 on the year and 2-0 in district play.  They are coming off a 60-15 shellacking of Rotan.   

--o--

† RUTH LIGHT

Funeral services were held on Friday at the Roscoe Church of Christ for Martha Ruth Light, 96,  who passed away on Wednesday, October 12, at Sweetwater Healthcare Center.  Interment followed at the Roscoe Cemetery.

She was born April 7, 1915, in Mitchell County and married Leland “Runt” Light on April 5, 1947, in Hermleigh.  She attended Wastella schools and lived in Nolan and Mitchell Counties all her llife. She attended beauty school in Abilene and worked as a beautician for many years.  She was also a housewife and member of the Roscoe Church of Christ.

Survivors include her daughter, Schylon Boyd of Sweetwater, granddaughters Sabrina Bishop of Roscoe and Sharessa Garrett of Sweetwater; a sister, Ruby Parker of Roscoe, and brother, Wayne Hagood of Sweetwater; a great-granddaughter and many nieces and nephews.

--o--

† ARCHIE HUNTER

Funeral services were held on Sunday at the First Baptist Church for Archie Joseph Hunter, who passed away at home on Thursday, October 13.

He was born on May 27, 1932, and graduated from Roscoe High School in 1952.  After attending Arlington Junior College on a football scholarship, he served in the U.S. Army and played on the all-Army football team before returning to college at Hardin-Simmons University, where he played for Coach Sammy Baugh. He married Sherry L. Hunter on February 25, 1956. 

After graduating with a degree in accounting, he moved back to Roscoe and went to work for Flintkote in Sweetwater, where he rose in rank to become the North American comptroller before retiring in 1994.

He was a long-time Deacon of the First Baptist Church. He was also a high school football and basketball official for many years.  He attended all Plowboys and Plowgirls sports events and was a leader in the booster club.  He was also a community leader, serving on the school board and groundwater district board.

Survivors include his wife, Sherry, of Roscoe; daughter Sandy Graham of Stephenville; sons Arthur Lee Hunter of Crawford and Dan Hunter of Stephenville; sisters Audrey Hunter and Mae Hunter of Coppell and Sue Sanford of St. Louis, Missouri; brother Howard Hunter of Odessa; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were the Roscoe Plowboy coaches and honorary pallbearers were the Deacons of the First Baptist Church.

Big Rain Breaks Long Dry Spell

Rain falls on my driveway early Saturday morning.

On Saturday the big rain finally came that everyone in west Texas has been hoping for all year long.  It started in Roscoe about 8:30am and continued off and on for the rest of the day.  Some places recorded a tenth or two on Sunday, but in general, it all happened on Saturday. There was no hail, and, outside a couple of hard bursts, the rain was almost completely of the slow, easy variety that soaks in instead of running off.

Amounts of rainfall in the area varied depending on location, but most places got somewhere between three and four inches, including Roscoe. Although some people on the southwest side of town reported over four inches, the official amount recorded by Kenny Landfried on the east side was 3.45”, bringing the year’s total to 5.98”. 

The most rain reported in the Roscoe area was in the south and west.  Some places around Maryneal got more than five inches, and the same was true for some farms closer to Loraine.  Jill Frizzell, who lives across I-20 from Frances Richburg on the Champion road six miles west of town, recorded 5.25”.  

Jerry Rannefeld, four miles west, got 4.5”, and David Duncan, three miles west got 2.8” while John Bergstrom, two miles out, also got 2.8”.  Northwest of town Gary Pieper got 4.5” in Wastella, while Inadale got 4.0”.  North of town, Darrell Aljoe had 3.6”, Jeremy Baker 4.0”, and Billy Joe Jay 4.1”.

The rain was not confined to the Roscoe area but fell throughout much of the Big Country.  Sweetwater got 4.0”, Rotan 2.62”, Abilene 3.57”, Clyde 2.94”, Ballinger 2.7”, Coleman 2.44”, Brownwood 5.21”, Brady 2.75”, Haskell 2.87”, Throckmorton 4.75”, and Albany 3.5”.

On Monday, the Nolan County Commissioners lifted the county burn ban that has been in effect since early last spring.

--o--

HUGE CROWD EXPECTED FOR WIND FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY

The Bellamy Brothers

Roscoe’s Community Development Board met at City Hall last night to discuss final plans for the fifth annual Wind Festival coming up on Saturday.  This is most likely to be the largest one ever, primarily because of the popularity of the Bellamy Brothers, who are the feature group for the free concert to be held “on the bricks” in Cypress Street in front of the Roscoe State Bank.

The Bellamy Brothers, David and Howard, have been performing together since 1968 and over the years have established themselves as one of the premier musical groups in the country.  Even if you’re not a big country and western fan, you’ll be familiar with many of their songs. “Let Your Love Flow,” released in 1976, hit number one on the pop charts in both the U.S. and Europe, and their country classic, “If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body, Would You Hold It Against Me,” also was a crossover number one hit.  It was also named the 1979 “Song of the Year” in the UK. 

The pair also had a string of hits in the eighties and nineties, including such songs as “Redneck Girl,” “Santa Fe,” “Old Hippie,” and others.  In 2005 they recorded “Angels & Outlaws, Volume 1,” a compilation album with Dolly Parton, George Jones, Tanya Tucker, Alan Jackson, and Montgomery Gentry, while more recent albums include “The Anthology, Volume 1,” with the single, “Guilty of the Crime,” and a CD of gospel music entitled “Jesus is Coming.”  

The Wind Festival will almost certainly be your only chance ever to see them for free, so if you live in the area, make plans to take advantage of the opportunity.  The opening band for the free concert will be Lawless Flatz, a popular group from Roby. 

Another popular event on Saturday will be the Plowboy Mudbog, which is shaping up to be the biggest and baddest ever with entries from as far away as Hobbs, New Mexico, planning to attend.  Prices for admission will be $5 for 14 and up, $2 for 7 to 13, and free for kids 6 and under.  Events will run from noon until finish around 4:00 or so. , All proceeds will go to Roscoe’s Little League Baseball program.  The Roscoe Academic Booster Club will handle the food concession.  

The Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department will also hold its annual Barbecue Cookoff  with prizes for steak, ribs, and chicken:

                          1st Prize    2nd Prize  3rd Prize 
     1. Steak        $1000        $500         $250
     2. Ribs            $500        $250          $150
     3. Chicken     $250        $150             $75
 

The entry fee is $75, and contestants must enter all three categories. 

Arts, crafts, and food booths on downtown streets will include a number of local non-profit organizations including school groups from both Roscoe and Highland, and the kids’ area downtown will once again feature several inflatables.

There will also be a fireworks show at 8:45pm.

Weather permitting, this year’s Wind Festival should be a memorable event.  

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PIED PIPERS DOWN PLOWBOYS IN DISTRICT OPENER 40-8

In the district opener for both teams, the Hamlin Pied Pipers methodically beat down the Roscoe Plowboys for a 40-8 victory.

The Plowboys held the Pipers until the latter part of the first quarter when Taylor Lambert found Tanner Kieschnick wide open in the Plowboy secondary for an easy 64-yard touchdown pass, and the game went downhill for the Plowboys from there. 

By halftime, the score was 18-0, and the outcome no longer in doubt as the Plowboys were unable to sustain any drives on offense.  Finally, in the last minute of the game, Eduardo Gallegos scored on a 63-yard run and Eric Padilla ran over the extra points to avoid the shutout.

This Friday, the Plowboys travel to Roby to take on the 1-5 Roby Lions.  The Plowboys are now 0-6 for the year.

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† WILLIE ARPE CROW

A graveside service was held on Friday at the Roscoe Cemetery for Willie Arpe Crow, 82, who died in Granbury on Tuesday, October 4.

She was born April 1, 1929, in Hunt County and married Woodrow J. Arpe on Feb. 20, 1946, in Nolan County. She was a member of the Roby Church of Christ and had lived in Roscoe since 1946. She worked for the George Thompson Agency and Bennett & Baucum Agency before going to work at the Nolan County Auditor’s office in 1978. She later was appointed Nolan County Auditor and held that position until her retirement in 2001.

Survivors include two sons, Billy Arpe of Roscoe and Jackie (Chuck) Arpe of Stephenville; one daughter, Patricia Davis of Giddings; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Fire Department to Hold Raffle for Barbecue Pit

Barbecue Pit to be raffled off at Wind Festival

The Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department will be selling raffle tickets at its booth at the Wind Festival on Saturday, October 15, for a beautiful barbecue pit built and donated by Stewart Williams.  

This is your chance to win a barbecue pit as well as to support your local firefighters, who have been busy enough, to say the least, over the past few months. 

A $1 donation will get you one chance, and a $5 donation will get you six chances.  Tickets may also be purchased before the festival from local firefighters.  

For more information contact Gary Armstrong at 325-235-4110.

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WIND FESTIVAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15

8:00am – Cook’s meeting. Deadline to enter Cookoff.
9:30am – Registration for Plowboy Mudbog contestants begins.
10:00am – Vendors, Kids’ area open
11:00am – Public gate for Plowboy Mudbog opens
12:00 – 5:00pm – Plowboy Mudbog at George Parks Field
4:00pm – Judging for steaks, ribs, chicken in Cookoff
5:30-7:30pm – Free Concert begins with Lawless Flatz
7:30pm – Cookoff prizes awarded
8:00-8:45pm – Free Concert continues with Bellamy Brothers
8:45-9:05pm – Fireworks Show
9:05-10:00pm – Free Concert continues with Bellamy Brothers
10:00pm – Festival Ends

Contacts for more information:

Vendors – Kelly Etheredge, 325-725-0756
Barbecue Cookoff – Gary Armstrong, 325-235-4110
Plowboy Mudbog – Felix Pantoja, 325-514-8384, or David Pantoja, 325-280-1917
Free Concert and Street Dance – Kelly Etheredge, 325-725-0756
Roscoe City Hall – 325-766-3871

More details are available in last week's edition of the Roscoe Hard Times.

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PLOWBOYS OPEN DISTRICT PLAY ON FRIDAY AGAINST HAMLIN

After a week off, the Roscoe Plowboys will open district play this Friday, October 7, at Plowboy Field against the Hamlin Pied Pipers, who also had an open date this past week. 

The Pied Pipers were pre-season picks of both the Abilene Reporter-News and Dave Campbell’s 2011 Texas Football magazine to win District 7A-II, so the Plowboys will have their hands full. 

Hopefully, the Plowboys' grueling pre-district games will give them the experience they need to handle their district foes and make it to the playoffs once again.  Kickoff  is at 7:30pm.

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† BETTY JEAN NANCE

Funeral services were held last week in Yuma, Arizona, for Betty Jean Nance, who passed away on Sunday, September 25.

She was born Betty Jean Hestand on September 26, 1935, in Roscoe and married Edgar Nance, Sr.  She graduated from Roscoe High School in 1954.  Survivors include her husband, Ed, Sr. of Yuma; sons Ed Jr. of Yuma, John of Eugene, Oregon, and Robert of Tucson; daughter Rebecca of Yuma; brother David Hestand of La Junta, Colorado; and sister Dorothy Young of Sweetwater. 

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† ANTONIO B. QUINTANA

Antonio Quintana, 95, passed away at home on Sunday, October 2.  Services were held yesterday, October 4, at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Sweetwater followed by interment in the Roscoe Cemetery.

Antonio was born May 10, 1916, in Shafter, Texas.  He moved to Mitchell County in 1932, married Cecilia Santiago on November 13, 1936, in Loraine, and farmed and lived west of Roscoe for the rest of his life.  He is survived by sons Rosalio S. (Chale) of Waxahachie, Jose S. (Bill) of Roscoe, and daughter Eufelia Quintana of Roscoe; six grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren.    

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† WILLIE ARPE CROW

Willie Arpe Crow, 82, died yesterday, October 4.  Arrangements are pending with McCoy Funeral Home.

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THE REEL DEAL IS REAL DONE

The Reel Deal Game Room, which opened on August 3 in Doc Daily's old office on Main Street, has closed its doors and ceased operations.

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WEATHER REPORT

The area experienced some cooler weather this week with two mild cold fronts.  Last weekend saw high temperatures in the eighties and lows around sixty followed by a couple of days that got up into the low nineties.  These were followed however by the last couple of days, when temperatures dropped back to maximums in the upper eighties and lows in the high fifties. 

The forecast is for cooler weather this weekend with increasing chances for showers starting at 20% today and increasing to 30% on Friday evening, 40% on Saturday, and 50% on Saturday night, decreasing to 40% on Sunday and 20% on Sunday night.

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ANIMALS ON THE MOVE

The drought is apparently having an effect on the local wildlife as more animals have been seen in and around town lately.  Nolan Martin, the manager of the Lumberyard café on Cypress, reports that he has seen the following animals downtown: raccoon, possum, skunk, silver fox, and red fox, and on Monday David Duncan saw two pronghorn antelopes just a couple of miles west of town.  Apparently, the search for food and water is causing the animals to stray from their usual haunts.