Saturday's Spring Fling to Feature Fireworks, Fun, and Country Music

1100 Springs from Dallas will play the street dance on Saturday.

The City of Roscoe will celebrate the coming of Spring this Saturday with its second annual Spring Fling downtown.  

Highlights include street vendors on Cypress Street and Broadway, a kids’ area with a bounce house and other inflatables in Old Town Park, a chili cookoff at the Lumberyard, a street dance “on the bricks” with the country music band 1100 Springs, and a fireworks show to top it all off. 

Sponsored events will begin with the First Annual Screw Terlingua Chili Cookoff. Check-in and set-up begins Saturday morning at 8:30am at the Lumberyard on 7 Cypress Street.  Judging will be from 3:30-4:30, and awards will be presented at 5:30.  

At last count, sixteen teams have already entered and more are expected to apply between now and the deadline on Friday.  The entry fee is $25.  Entry forms and information about rules and regulations are available at the Lumberyard.

Other activities run from 5:00 to 10:00pm. 

The street dance with 1100 Springs will begin at 7:45pm.  Their first set will run to just before the fireworks show at 9:00.  Then, following the fireworks, they will return and play until 10:00. 

Those who aren’t ready to stop celebrating at 10:00 can continue at the Lumberyard, where Lyndall Underwood and the Dusty Creek Band will be playing on the outdoor stage starting at 10:00. 

The Lumberyard will actually begin its festivities the night before with the return of Jake Hooker and the Outsiders on the outdoor stage starting at 9:00pm.

Given decent weather, it should be a great weekend with plenty of music, activities, and opportunity of fun for all.  

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PLOWBOY EXES RELIVE FOOTBALL GLORY WITH OVERTIME VICTORY OVER COMMERCE

Plowboy alums prepare to run a play against Commerce in Cowboys Stadium.

A football team composed of Plowboy exes won a thrilling overtime victory 13-12 over the Commerce Tiger exes in Arlington on Friday.  The victory was an impressive one when you consider that Commerce is a 3A school and was therefore drawing from a much larger base of ex-football players than 1A Roscoe.

In the game, the Plowboys scored early in the first quarter but failed to get the point after. They held that lead until almost the end of the third quarter when Commerce made a TD but also failed to get the extra point.

The score remained tied until the end of regulation and went into overtime. The Plowboys made a touchdown and extra point, and Commerce responded with a TD of their own.  But then the Tigers failed on a two-point conversion attempt, ending the game in favor of the Plowboys 13 to 12.

The game was one of a series hosted by the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Alumni Football.  Alumni teams of Texas high schools were pitted against one another with games being played in the world’s premier football stadium—Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.  

Games were played in full pads with full contact and four twelve-minute quarters.  Each team had to have a minimum of 35 players on its roster in order to participate.

The Plowboy team included the following alumni from the ‘80s,’90s,’00s,and ‘10s:

Eric Robinson, Buster Frierson, Chris Hernandez, J. R. Abrigo, Jerry Chavira, Jim Watts, Jimmy Jones,  Nathan Hartkopf, Marcial Saenz, Moses Herrera, Gabriel Cruces, Armando Villa, Lewis Villa, Jesse Ochoa, Jared Ochoa, Jarrod Robinson, Lamont Thompson, Jacob Villanueva, Jared Villanueva, Michael Hermosillio, Michael Hernandez, Michael Brazil, Rueben Pantoja, David Pantoja, T. J. Rogers, Chris Gonzales, Tony Valenzuela, Juan Abrigo, James Pantoja, Simon Torres, Keith Hardin, Tate Mayfield, Travis Wright, Zack Green, Lavon Reese, Mckenzie Tillman, Derek Reese, Justin Gonzales, Skylar Stone, and Shawn Kincaid.  Sammy Ruiz was the coach.

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PLOWBOYS, PLOWGIRLS QUALIFY FOR REGIONAL IN AREA MEET AT GARDEN CITY

Several Roscoe Plowboys and Plowgirls qualified for the upcoming Regional Finals at the Districts 9 and 10 1A Area Meet at Garden City last Thursday.  

For the Plowboys, Jesus Leanos was second in the 3200 Meter Run with a time of 11:10.08 and third in the 1600 Meter Run with a time of 5:05.20.  Devon Freeman was second in the Pole Vault with a vault of 12’, and Eduardo Gallegos was fourth in the 400 Meter Dash with a time of 52.66. 

Dillon Freeman also competed but failed to qualify in the 300 Meter Hurdles, finishing eighth.

For the Plowgirls, Jacinda Morales was second in the 800 Meter Run with a time of 2:27.04 and third in the 400 Meter Dash with a time of 1:03.06. 

Plowgirls who competed but failed to qualify included Torrey Willman, who was sixth in the 100 Meter Hurdles;  Amber Craig, seventh in the 3200 Meter Run and eighth in the 1600 Meter Run; and Alura Renteria eighth in the 3200 Meter Run.

The Plowboys tied for 7th place out of 21 participating high schools, and the Plowgirls were 13th out of 18 participating high schools.

Both Plowboys and Plowgirls will participate in the Regional Qualifiers Track Meet to be held on the new track here in Roscoe on Friday.

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OPENING LITTLE LEAGUE CEREMONIES POSTPONED UNTIL SATURDAY, APRIL 28

Due to extensive sod work on the playing field at George Parks Field needing more time to mature, the Roscoe Little League opening ceremonies are postponed until Saturday the 28th of April.

--o--

WEATHER REPORT

Following a Saturday characterized by high winds and a high of 89°F, a cold front hit early Sunday morning lowering the temperature to 49° and dropping rain on the area for about a half hour before moving on.  Rainfall varied from four-tenths to three-quarters of an inch, depending on location.

Since then, there’s been nothing but sunshine with afternoon temperatures climbing into the seventies and eighties.  The forecast is for more of the same.

--o--

†NORA FAYE BERRY GRANTHAM

Burial in the Roscoe Cemetery followed a private family memorial service last week for Nora Faye Grantham , 68.  She died on Monday, April 9, at her home in Sweetwater.

Nora Faye Berry was born February 15, 1944, in Sweetwater.  She grew up in Roscoe and lived here most of her life.  She married Gerald Wayne Grantham on April 9, 1976, in Big Spring.  A beautician, she owned and operated Nora’s Beauty Shop in Roscoe.  She was also a co-owner of Mustang Oil Change and worked for Southwest Canvas in Sweetwater.  She was also a driver for a railroad transport company. 

Survivors include her daughter, Donna Jo Sims of Sterling, Colorado; son, Greg Sims of Euless; brother, Bob Berry of Roscoe; eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

City Prepares for Spring Fling Next Saturday, April 21

1100 Springs, a country music band from Dallas, will play for the street dance at the Spring Fling.

Event organizers are currently finalizing plans for the City of Roscoe’s second annual Spring Fling, which will take place in downtown Roscoe next Saturday, April 21.

The headline band for the street dance “on the bricks” on Cypress Street will be 1100 Springs, a popular country music band from Dallas, currently working on their ninth CD.  Recent CDs include “Midway,” “Eight the Hard Way,” “This Crazy Life,” and “Best of the Early Years.”

They will play two sets, the first starting at 7:45pm and running to just before the fireworks show at 9:00.  Then, following the fireworks, they will return and play until 10:00.  Some of their music can be heard by clicking here.

As with other recent city events, there will be a children’s area with bounce houses and other inflatables, along with the usual street vendors selling foods, crafts, and other items.

This year’s Spring Fling will also feature its first annual chili cook-off.  Over a dozen teams have already entered and more are expected.  The entry fee is $25 and all entries must be in by April 20th.  Entry forms and information about the rules and regulations are available at the Lumberyard Restaurant on 7 Cypress Street.

Besides the first, second, and third prizes awarded by the judges, a People’s Choice Award will be given to the team selling the most $1 tickets for tastes of teams’ chili entries.  A Showmanship Award will also be given.

All proceeds will go to Roscoe’s non-profit Open Door Day Care Center, located at the Methodist Church. 
 
Judging will take place at 4:30 and winners will be announced at 5:30.  

For more information, call Kelly Etheredge at 325-725-0756 or the Lumberyard at 325-766-2457.

--o--

LEANOS WINS TWICE, FREEMAN ONCE AT DISTRICT TRACK MEET

Jesus Leanos won both the 1600-Meter and 3200-Meter Runs, and Dillon Freeman won the 300-Meter Hurdles at the 9A District Meet in Albany last week, while several other Plowboys and Plowgirls also qualified for tomorrow’s Area Meet in Garden City. 

Leanos’s winning time for the 1600-Meter Run was 5:04.64 and for the 3200-Meters was 10:54.94.  Freeman’s time in the 300-Meter Hurdles was 43.81.

Other Plowboys who qualified for the Area Meet were Devon Freeman, who was second in the Pole Vault at 12’06”, and Eduardo Gallegos, who came in fourth in the 400-Meter Dash (52.66).

Plowgirls who qualified for Area include Jacinda Morales, second in the 800-Meter Run at 2:29.88 and third in the 400-Meter Dash with a time of 102.96.  Amber Craig was third in the 3200 Meters (14:04.96)  and fourth in the 1600 Meters (6:17.96), while Alura Renteria was fourth in the 3200 Meters (14:20.60).  Torrey Willman was fourth in the 100-Meter Hurdles (18.21).

After the Area Track Meet in Garden City comes the Regional Qualifiers Track Meet next Friday, April 20, here in Roscoe, followed by the Regional Track Meet on Friday, April 27, at ACU in Abilene. 

--o--

LITTLE LEAGUE OPENING CEREMONIES NEXT SATURDAY

The opening ceremonies for the Roscoe Little League Association will be on Saturday, April 21st, at 10:00am at George Parks Field. All teams and team members will be introduced, with team scrimmages to follow. Concession will be open with food and drinks. 

Please come out and help support these boys and girls as they kick off the 2012 baseball season.  

--o--

ANDY WILSON AND PATTY McBRIDE TO RUN CITY SWIMMING POOL THIS SUMMER

At last night’s City Council Meeting, Council Members approved Andy Wilson and Patty McBride’s application to run the City Swimming Pool this summer.  Wilson is the Principal of Roscoe Elementary School and McBride, also a Roscoe resident, teaches in Colorado City.  Both have previous experience at the Roscoe Pool.

Christy Bowen and Bonnie Robinson also applied to run the pool but were unsuccessful in their bid.

In other business at last night’s meeting, the City Council approved a request for a Cinco de Mayo celebration in downtown Roscoe with a parade and street dance on Saturday, May 5.

They also proclaimed April as Fair Housing Month and May 4 as Generation Texas Day.

 

--o--

CITY’S SPRING CLEANUP A SUCCESS

City Manager Cody Thompson reported at last night’s City Council Meeting that last week’s Spring Cleanup was a success.  

Approximately 140 residents disposed of 68 tons of debris and 120 yards of brush.  Additionally, three forty-foot bins of tires were collected for recycling.   

--o--

WEATHER REPORT

Rain fell twice in the past week.  Unfortunately, both times were brief and of little consequence.  The first, on Saturday evening, promised much more with dark clouds, thunder, lightning, and high winds, but the thunderstorm managed to miss Roscoe almost entirely with rainfall of only one or two tenths of an inch in most places and none at all in others.

Nevertheless, high winds from the storm managed to do some damage.  A grain storage building on Front Street owned by Randall Smith lost its metal roof to a strong downblast of wind at about 6:20pm.  The roof landed in a crumpled heap on a nearby truck and on the ground nearby. 
 
The second rain fell early yesterday morning with most places in Roscoe once again getting a tenth or two.   These rains, although welcome, are not nearly enough.  What the area needs is a good two or three inch rain that will provide some deep moisture for this year’s crops.

Besides the two rains, the temperatures for the week were just about as good as you could want for this time of year with highs of around eighty and lows around sixty.  Most days were sunny or partly cloudy, and breezes were generally light. 

The forecast is for more of the same with a 20% chance of thunderstorms through the weekend.

--o--

Roscoe Featured in Weather Channel Series Beginning April 17

The Roscoe Wind Farm is once again the focus of a program on wind energy.

Many of you will recall the film crew from Los Angeles headed by a David DeAngelis that was in Roscoe for a couple of weeks last November.  They did a lot of filming and interviewing while they were here and told us at the time they thought the programs they were creating would air on the Weather Channel sometime this spring.

Now it’s official.  Last week the Weather Channel announced that on April 17, it will launch its new series “Braving the Elements” with a four-part series entitled “Turbine Cowboys.”  Roscoe and the Roscoe Wind Farm, which have already received much attention in the national and international media, will once again be featured as one of the episodes focuses on the Roscoe Wind Farm, one of the world’s largest. 

The exact date for the episode about Roscoe has not yet been posted but will be made available here in the Hard Times as soon as it is known. 

The “Braving the Elements” series will run on Tuesday evenings starting at 8:00pm, and the “Turbine Cowboys” portion will have episodes entitled "Climbing School," "Extreme Alaska," "Saved by Wind," and "Amazed in Mexico."
 
The show featuring Roscoe will no doubt be the one entitled "Saved by Wind," which has this subtitle: "Learn how the town of Roscoe, Texas transformed from a dying farm town to a thriving community in this web exclusive clip from Turbine Cowboys, the brand new series on The Weather Channel.”

You can access the 3-minute, 33 second video preview on the Weather Channel’s Turbine Cowboy home page by clicking here.

If you watch the video, you will notice that the show’s producers sometimes get Roscoe mixed up with Sweetwater, misspell Cliff Etheredge’s name, and commit a couple of other minor errors, but these glitches are more than made up for with some good images and descriptions of Roscoe and the surrounding area. 

Seeing the video preview is enough to whet interest in learning what the full thirty-minute program is going to be like.   

In addition, Roscoe will also be getting some footage in a documentary celebrating Earth Day entitled “Powering the Planet,” set to show on most PBS stations on Sunday, April 22.   I haven’t seen the schedule for KERA-TV, the local PBS station, past April 15 but will also inform you about it as soon as I find out.  

An online summary of the PBS documentary says that part of it is about West Texas citizens “who have taken sustainability into their own hands by becoming stakeholders in wind turbines.”  That sounds like us. 

Stay tuned for more details.

--o--

FIRE CAUSES EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AT SMACKERS CAFÉ

Smackers Café, which re-opened just a little over two weeks ago, is once again closed after extensive damage caused by a fire that broke out in the back of the café last week.  

The fire, thought to be electrical in origin, was discovered around eleven o’clock on Tuesday, March 27, and both Sweetwater and Roscoe Fire Departments responded to the blaze.  The fire apparently started near a freezer and may have been the result of faulty wiring.

Having just opened, the Lamberts had not yet obtained fire insurance, so they are bearing the full brunt of the expense and are not certain about when, or if, they’ll be re-opening any time soon. 

--o--

JACINDA MORALES WINS TWO EVENTS AT COLORADO CITY MEET

Plowgirl Jacinda Morales notched up two more victories in last Thursday’s Lone Wolf Relays at Colorado City, winning both the 400 and 800-meter races.  Her time in the 400 was 1:03.9 and in the 800 2:29.3.

Other Plowgirls who did well include Amber Craig, who was second in the 3200-meter run with a time of 14:22.9 and fourth in the 1600 meters with a time of 6:23.14, and the 1600-meter relay team (Jacinda Morales, Katie McIntire, Whitney Williams, Olivia Rovig), who finished third with a time of 4:42.19. 

The Plowgirls came in fifth place with an overall total of 55 points.

The Plowboys finished in eighth place in the boys’ division with an overall total of 38 points.  Jesus Leanos was second in the 3200-meter run with a time of 11:02.29, and Devon Freeman was second in the pole vault with a vault of 11’0”.  Landon Jones was third in the discus with a throw of 108’4”. 

Teams competing in the meet included Sweetwater, Snyder, Forsan, Coahoma, Seminole, Grape Creek, Roscoe, Munday, and Colorado City.

Both the Plowgirls and Plowboys will participate in the District Track Meet, which starts today in Albany and resumes on Friday.

--o--

† DAVID WAYNE PRITCHARD

David Wayne Pritchard, 47, formerly of Neosho, Missouri, died on Thursday, March 22, at his home following a short illness.  Graveside services were held on March 28 at Burkhart Cemetery in Missouri.

David was born February 13, 1965, in Stella, Missouri.  He served in the US Navy from 1986 to 1990, and currently owned and operated D and A Construction.  He married Amy Bradshaw on October 8, 1992, in Miami, Oklahoma.

Survivors include his wife Amy and five children: Eric Shane Pritchard, Bobby Lee Henderson, Brady Don Henderson, Kimberly Erin Wylie, and Casey Renae Pritchard; as well as 17 grandchildren and numerous uncles, aunts, and cousins. 

Online condolences may be posted at www.clarkfuneralhomes.com.

--o--

WEATHER REPORT

After experiencing a hot weekend with unseasonal highs of 93°F on Friday, 94° on Saturday, and 95° on Sunday, the weather cooled to a high of 89° on Monday and only 77° yesterday.  The daily lows similarly dropped from 68° on Sunday morning to only 51° on Tuesday.

There was no precipitation, and although the rainfall of first three months has been enough to make everything green and bring out the wildflowers, area lakes are still down, and everyone could use a good rain.

Unfortunately, there is none in the immediate forecast until the weekend when there will be a 30% chance. 

--o--

Crop Maybe Not So Good This Year Says "Injun Robert"; March 22 Revisited

Injun Robert's pre-dawn fire used for the "Sunrise Wind" ceremony.

“Injun Robert,” also known to local palefaces as Robert McBride, took up the challenge and performed the smoke ceremony as prescribed in last week’s Roscoe Hard Times.  If you’ll recall, I described there Injun George’s former practice of building a fire at dawn on March 22 every year, noting the direction of the smoke, and then predicting the success of the coming year’s crop.  

The results for Injun Robert were not as auspicious as might be hoped for since the wind was out of the southwest, which according to Indian tradition presages an inferior crop. 

If that prediction  had come last year when at this time the country was already suffering from sandstorms and wildfires, I’d have been more comfortable with it than this year when we’ve had more rain than normal for the first three months.

In addition, I’ve been bothered by the use of March 22 for leap year.  This is an issue that also worried Injun George, and he wrote about it in more than one article.  Once, he even went so far as to ask Injun John if the Plains Indians of the 1880s would have been aware of leap year and Injun John naturally answered, “probably not.”

Most likely the Indians had their own methods for determining the day of the spring equinox and then performed their smoke ritual the day after.  If that’s the case, then the ceremony should be on March 22 on most regular years but on March 21 on leap year, since in both cases those are the days after the coming of the spring equinox.

In fact, more research into the ceremony provides some corroborating evidence that backs up the assumption.  An AP article entitled “’Sunrise Wind’ is Good Omen for Farmers,” published several years ago, gives more detailed information on the ceremony than Injun George probably knew about. 

According to the article, the “Sunrise Wind” ceremony was known in the Comanche language as Taba’na Yuan’e and was performed on the first day following spring’s start. 

Also, according to the article, if the wind comes from the east or northeast, there will be plenty.  If it blows from the north or the northwest, conditions will be average.  A west or southwest wind doesn’t bode well, and a south wind is just plain bad news.

This additional information about the ritual suggests then that performing it on March 22 in a leap year is a day too late.  It should have been done on March 21.  Just for the record, the wind at dawn on March 21, i.e., last Wednesday morning, was out of the northwest—predicting an average crop. 

And that’s the prediction I’m going with—but we’ll have to wait until fall to find out for sure.

  

--o--

Roscoe High School, built in 1904.

WHEN WAS ROSCOE HIGH SCHOOL ESTABLISHED?

That was a question I was asked by four or five different people this week.  Judging from what they told me, there is a plan afoot to put a marker somewhere in the new building noting the year that Roscoe High School was established, and they were seeking confirmation from me about the correct year.

My honest answer to all of them was that I am not sure, but since they wanted me to put a date on it, I responded with 1904 because that was the year the first high school building was built in Roscoe.

But it wasn’t the first school that Roscoe had.  Several sources indicate that Roscoe had a school in the 1890s.  Maurine Whorton Redway’s novel, Out of the Whirlwind, which is set in early day Roscoe—or Vista, as it was called then—describes the building of a small wooden school building, which had a single teacher. 

Also, Stanley Cleckler has several essays written by students who were assigned to compile histories of Roscoe.  Most were written in 1928 and 1936, when the students could still talk to people who were around when Roscoe was first being established and settled. 

The essays that have a date for the first school in Roscoe put it at either 1891 or 1892, the latter year appearing more often than the former, and all agree that it was a small, unpainted wooden building, which was also the site for church services of all denominations.  The first teacher was a Mr. C. S. Knott, also known as Professor Knott.

These and other sources also agree that Roscoe’s first brick school was built in 1904, and early day post cards of the new building identified it as Roscoe High School, although it also apparently housed the grade school as well. 

My guess is that it was labeled Roscoe High School to indicate that it was more than just a grammar school, as the majority of schools were in those early days.   If there were any graduating high school classes before the new building, I have no record of it.

So, unless someone comes up with more definitive information than I’m aware of now, the exact date cannot be given with any degree of certainty—but if 1904 is not correct, at least it’s close.

--o--

CITY OF ROSCOE SPRING CLEAN-UP IN PROGRESS THROUGH SATURDAY

The City of Roscoe is currently holding its annual Spring Clean-Up from 9:00am to 7:00pm daily through this Saturday, March 31, with city employees on hand to direct and assist in trash disposal.   

Dumpsters are available at the Roscoe recycling center at Business US 84 just north of the railroad tracks, and separate areas are designated for tree limbs, brush, and metal objects.  There is also a place for tires. 

For more information, contact City Hall during business hours at 325-766-3871.

--o--

PLOWBOYS FIRST, PLOWGIRLS SECOND AT ROTAN’S DOUBLE MOUNTAIN RELAYS

The Roscoe Plowboys finished first in Saturday’s Double Mountain Relays in Rotan, amassing 145 points to second-place Roby’s 103, while the Plowgirls came in second with 99 points to Roby’s 100.  Other high schools in the meet were Rotan, Loraine, Westbrook, and Trent.

For the boys, Jesus Leanos won first place in two events, the 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs.  Dillon Freeman was first in the 300-meter hurdles, Devon Freeman was first in the pole vault, and the 400-meter relay team (Dillon Freeman, Eduardo Gallegos, Landon Jones, Jose Rangel) also came in first.

For the girls, Jacinda Morales won the 400-meter and 800-meter races and was a member of the winning 1600-meter relay team (Jacinda Morales, Katie McIntire, Whitney Williams, Olivia Rovig).  The Plowgirls also won the 400-meter and 800-meter relays (Katie McIntire, Whitney Williams, Olivia Rovig,  Mireya Sanchez). 

The Plowboys’ and Plowgirls’ next meet is at Colorado City tomorrow afternoon starting at 3:45pm.

--o--

WEATHER REPORT

Last Thursday, Roscoe got .06” of precipitation.  Ever since, it’s been springlike weather with sunny or partly cloudy skies, high temperatures in the eighties, and lows in the upper fifties.  The forecast is for more of the same with a 20% chance of precipitation for the next couple of days. 

The old mesquite trees have finally decided to bud out, so it really seems that we’ve had our last freeze and that winter is a thing of the past.  I’m not the only one who’s been working to get a garden ready for the coming year.

--o--

† C. W. HEAD

Graveside services for C. W. Head, 87, were held on Saturday, March 24 at Sweetwater Cemetery.  He died on Thursday, March 22 at the Sweetwater Health Care Center.

Born on August 23, 1924, in Henderson County, he attended school in Athens and married Jo Ann Boone on July 28, 1967, in Sweetwater.  They lived in Roscoe for many years before moving to Sweetwater.  He worked as a heavy equipment operator for Lone Star Industries and helped build the facility.

Survivors include his wife, Jo Ann Head of Sweetwater; daughters, Doris Harvey of Abilene, Sherene Templet of Roby, Celia Rasberry of Roby, Shanna Zelner of Seminole, and Kelly Espinoza of Abilene; sons Winfred Head of Granbury, Teddy Head of Victoria, and Kenny Head of Mt. View, California; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. 

He was preceded in death by a son, Clinton Head, in 2007; a daughter, Kimberly Jo Head Davis in 2010; four brothers, and one sister. 

Online condolences may be made at www.mccoyfh.com.

--o--

Spring Arrives—and with it, Memories of Injun George

An unmistakable sign of spring, the return of the buzzards.

Spring has sprung in Roscoe.  Fruit trees have blossomed, and all the other trees, excepting the old mesquites, are budding out.  Lilacs and forsythias are in full bloom, and wildflowers, especially those little purple ones, cover yards, lots, and other open spaces all over town.

Moreover, the buzzards are back.  A few could be seen as early as last week, but then on Monday afternoon I saw a flock of forty or fifty of them circling overhead over in Sweetwater, confirming their annual return to the area.   

So, not only are the local signs of spring on display, but the new season has also officially arrived according to the calendar.  Today, March 21, is traditionally seen as the first day of spring.  

Scientists are even more precise.  For them, spring arrives at the exact moment the sun is positioned directly over the equator of our tilted earth.  This year, that moment occurred yesterday at exactly at 12:14am central time (i.e., on the 20th because this is a leap year).   And when the sun came up yesterday morning over Egypt, the Sphinx was pointing directly at the rising sun, as it always does on the first day of spring.

Many of us can remember when Roscoe had its own special spring ritual, and I was reminded of it on Monday when Stanley Cleckler came by the house with several old copies of the Roscoe Times, each of them containing commentary on the rain dance that used to be done each year by Injun George, a.k.a. George Parks, in some lonely spot in the country at sunup, always on the morning of March 22.

This ritual was not confined to Roscoe, however, but was done in a couple of other west Texas spots every year, the continuation of a ritual of the Plains Indians, who observed the practice in these parts long before the white man came. 

Injun George’s version of the ceremony was a variation of the original, though.  He did his first rain dance in 1972, after hearing of an “Injun John,” John W. Crim of Muleshoe, who performed a similar ritual there that he’d learned from his father, who in turn had learned it from the Indians in the nineteenth century.

The story goes that the elder Mr. Crim in the 1880s was in charge of the mule teams used in the building of the T&P railway across west Texas.  While in the mountainous Van Horn area, he noticed early on the morning of March 22 puffs of smoke winding upward from all the Indian huts in the area. 

He inquired why this was being done on that particular morning and was told that it was the Indian way of foretelling the crop outlook for the year.  Just as the sun came up, the fire was lit and something was put in it to make the smoke dark.

The Indians then watched the smoke swirl upward. If the wind that carried it upward was from the northeast, it foretold plentiful crops.  An east or north wind was pretty good, a west wind bad, southwest still worse, and a south wind terrible.

The rain dance around the fire was an innovation of Injun George, who did it in an attempt to bring plentiful rain to the Roscoe area.  Each year he would don Indian garb, including a headdress with feathers, and do his solitary dance at an undisclosed location.   Then, observing the direction the wind blew the smoke, he would make his prediction for the year and announce it in the Roscoe Times.

Once he started, he continued the ritual every year for the rest of the 1970s.  Then, in 1980, the year of the great flood, Injun George hit a major snag as several of the local farmers blamed him for the crazy weather of that year. 

Not too long before March 22, he fell from the press in the Times Office and broke his hip, causing him to limp around the fire on the morning he did his dance. 

All that spring and summer, it hardly rained at all, and then in September, the remnants of a hurricane stalled over west Texas and Roscoe got something like seventeen inches in two days, causing the worst flood seen in generations and wiping out what little cotton crop there was.

Several farmers swore it was because he limped around the fire on the day he did his dance.

Then, two years later, in 1982, May and June were so wet the farmers couldn’t get into the fields to plant their crops, and Injun George decided to give it up.  Here is his final quote on the issue from the Pickin’s column of the Roscoe Times of June 25, 1982:

“Injun George has resolved never to do another rain dance.  This is the second time in three years when his dances have nearly drowned Roscoe out.  Find you a better Injun.”

Injun George went to the Happy Hunting Ground the following year. 

Tomorrow is March 22, the day that the Plains Indians--and Injun John and Injun George--always lit their fires and observed the direction of the smoke.  All swore to the accuracy of the ceremony’s predictions.  I do not intend to light a fire and perform the ritual at dawn, but next week I will duly report here in the Roscoe Hard Times the findings of anyone who does. 

Let me know.

--o--

CITY OF ROSCOE SPRING CLEAN-UP SET FOR NEXT WEEK, MARCH 26-31

The City of Roscoe will hold its annual Spring Clean-Up next week from Monday, March 26, through Saturday, March 31.  Hours of operation will be 9:00am to 7:00pm.

Dumpsters will be available at the Roscoe recycling center at Business US 84 just north of the railroad tracks, and separate areas will be designated for tree limbs, brush, and metal objects.  There will also be a place for tires.

For more information, contact City Hall during business hours at 325-766-3871.

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ROSCOE LITTLE LEAGUE SIGN-UP DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, MARCH 23.

It is signup time again for boys and girls who want to participate in this year’s Roscoe Little League program, and the deadline for registration is this Friday, March 23.  The first meeting is also this Friday at 6:00pm at the Roscoe Elementary School.

If you have questions or need more information, contact David Pantoja at 325-280-1917.  The Facebook page is here.

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PLOWBOYS AND PLOWGIRLS RECEIVE DISTRICT HONORS IN BASKETBALL

The all-District 9-1A, Division I, honors have been announced, and a number of Plowboys and Plowgirls have been named.

For the Plowboys, sophomore Jesus Leanos was selected as one of two Newcomers of the Year.  The other was Kelby Bell of Haskell.  Also, Keeston Ford received honorable mention. The District MVP was Jesse Ramos from Stamford.

In addition, four boys received academic all-district recognition: Brant Burnett, Keeston Ford, John Hermosillo, and Luke Rovig.

For the Plowgirls, Lynnsi Moses was on the all-District first team.   Jacinda Morales and Faith Boren were on the second team, while Sarah Kingston and  Mirian Solis received honorable mention.  The District MVP was Chelsea Rodgers of Hamlin.

Ten Plowgirls also made academic all-district: Kendall Moses, Lynnsi Moses, Natalie Anthony, Carolina Perez, Stina Tomlin, Jacinda Morales, Faith Boren, Torrey Willman, Sarah Kingston, and Mirian Solis.

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PLOWBOY TRACK TEAMS DO WELL AT PIPER RELAYS IN HAMLIN

Several Plowboys and Plowgirls scored points at last Saturday’s Piper Relays in Hamlin.  Athletes from 23 area high schools competed in the boys’ events, while girls from 27 high schools participated.  

For the Plowboys, Jesus Leanos came in third in the 3200 meter race with a time of 11:00 minutes; Eduardo Gallegos was fourth in the 400 meter dash at 54.82 seconds; and Devon Freeman was fifth in the pole vault with a jump of  11’6”.

For the Plowgirls, Jacinda Morales was third in the 800 meter race with a time of 2:34.

Both the junior high and high school track teams will participate in Saturday’s track meet at Rotan.  The meet begins at 9:00am.

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WEATHER REPORT

This was an unusual week for weather—not for the rainfall or the high temperatures, but for the lows.  For four consecutive days—Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—the temperature never fell below 60°F, not normal at all for this time of year.  The daily highs during this spell were in the mid to high seventies, except for Sunday when it got up to 83°. 

Then on Monday morning, a front moved in, temperatures dropped, and we got about a quarter inch of rain, bringing the total for the year up to five inches.

Since then, the sun has come out, and it’s been breezy and cooler, with lows dropping back into the forties, more normal for this time of year.  The forecast is for warmer weather as we move into the weekend with sunny skies and highs in the eighties and lows in the fifties.

Smackers Café Re-Opens Downtown

Smackers Cafe

After a two-year hiatus, Smackers Café, on the corner of Broadway and Main, has quietly re-opened under new ownership and management.  This time it’s a family affair with Jess and Bobbie Lambert the owners, Tim Lambert the baker, and Terry and Tammy Lambert the prep cooks.

Specializing in coffee and donuts, the new Smackers offers a variety of freshly baked pastries including cinnamon rolls, donuts, kolaches, fritters, and cakes.  So far I’ve tried only the fresh cinnamon roll but can confirm that it was excellent.

In addition, you can order such food items as breakfast burritos, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, pork cutlets, chicken-fried chicken, and daily specials.

Smackers is open from 6:00am to 2:00pm daily Monday through Saturday. 

A Grand Opening is planned for later when all new equipment has arrived and is in operation.

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RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUP A SUCCESS DESPITE THE WEATHER

The first two days of this year’s Rattlesnake Roundup at the Nolan County Coliseum suffered from the weekend’s cold, wet, and windy weather, but the crowds were out on Sunday afternoon, and the Sweetwater Reporter estimated that as many as 30,000 people overall attended the festivities. 

Friday was so cold and wet that the annual Rattlesnake Roundup parade was called off, and Saturday was no better.  Outside food vendors, the carnival, and outdoor activities suffered from a shortage of patrons. But Sunday was warm and sunny, and the crowds were so thick that just getting from one place to another was a problem, especially in and around the coliseum annex, where the vendors were located.

There were live music and dances on Friday and Saturday nights, a new Miss Snake Charmer was crowned, and the Gun, Knife & Coin Show was as good as ever.  The Sweetwater Jaycees paid $10 a pound for rattlesnakes, and Donnie Willman had the longest beard in the the Jaycees’ beard contest.

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COREY HATCHER NAMED STATE ALTERNATE IN WEIGHTLIFTING

Plowboy Corey Hatcher has been named as a state alternate in the 220-pound class after coming in third Saturday at the regional weightlifting meet in Sundown.  He totaled 1365 pounds with a 500-pound squat, a 300-pound bench press, and a 515-pound dead lift.

Landon Jones placed seventh in the 181-pound class.  

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CITY COUNCIL PROCLAIMS APRIL CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH, SETS ELECTION DATES

The Roscoe City Council last night voted unanimously to proclaim April Child Abuse Awareness Month.  The Nolan County Commissioners Court made a similar announcement on Monday.

The Council also set May 7 and 8 as days to stay open for twelve hours during the early voting at City Hall.  The election will be in the Community Center on the following Saturday, May 12.  

Two City Council seats are up for grabs, and there are three nominees—incumbent Robert McBride, recent appointee Christi Pepper Beal, and challenger Robert Fortin.  The two candidates receiving the most votes will be elected.

The Council also received the city’s financial report from accountant Ricky Bowman and was informed on several matters by City Manager Cody Thompson.  These included progress reports on the north side lift station, the water treatment plant and water lines, and Clean-Up Week, which will take place on the last week of this month.  

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WEATHER REPORT

The weekend was cold, windy, wet, and miserable.  With temperatures in the thirties, the Rattlesnake Roundup's annual parade was canceled on Friday, as was the track meet scheduled for Plowboy Field. 

Temperatures never went below freezing but with a sharp north breeze, the wind chill went down to as low as 23°F, and a few snowflakes were witnessed here and there.  All told, it was cloudy and drizzly for three days, yet the total precipitation for the spell was only about .3”, bringing the year’s total to 4.75 inches.

The skies cleared on Sunday, however, and the weather that afternoon was about as perfect as it gets, with a light breeze, sunny skies, and temperatures in the seventies.   Monday was even warmer, with afternoon temperatures in the low eighties, but the wind was also higher.  Yesterday was more like Sunday and was a beautiful day to be outside. 

Local students have been enjoying the weather this week while they are on spring break. 

The forecast for the next few days is for cloudy skies and a 20% to 30% chance of precipitation, with highs in the upper seventies and lows of only about sixty.

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TRACK MEET AT HAMLIN ON SATURDAY

After postponing Roscoe’s scheduled track meet last Friday because of the weather, the Plowboys will resume their track season on Saturday with a meet at Hamlin, which starts at 9:00am.

Plowbots Win Awards in San Antonio

The Plowbots at the San Antonio Convention Center last weekend.

Roscoe Collegiate High School’s robotics team, the Plowbots, won two awards at the Alamo Regional Event of the US First Robotics Competition, held at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio last weekend. 

Their robot with its farming motif won the Creative Design Award, and the team also received the “Cooperatition Award” for its helpfulness toward other robotics teams during the competition.

They competed directly against high schools of all sizes and were just one of 64 teams in the event, making their successes all the more impressive. 

In November, the Plowbots won the Big Country Hub Meet.  They are led by Coach Dan Boren, and Club President is Hannah Weems.  Their primary sponsors are the Texas Workforce Commission and Ludlum Industries.

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LEANOS AND MORALES WIN AT ROBY TRACK MEET, PLOWBOYS HOST MEET ON FRIDAY

The Plowboys opened their track season at a meet in Roby last Saturday.  In the boys’ competition, Jesus Leanos won the 3200-meter race and was second in the 1600.  For the girls, Jacinda Morales was first in both the 400 and 800-meter runs. 

Workmen are busy putting the final touches on the new track surface for this weekend’s track meets to be held at Plowboy Field.  The junior high meet will be tomorrow afternoon, and the high school meet will start at 2:30pm on Friday.

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RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUP IS THIS WEEKEND

Rattlesnake hunters display some of their catch in this 1957 rattlesnake hunt that inspired the Rattlesnake Round-Up.

The Annual Rattlesnake Roundup will be held this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the Nolan County Coliseum, and, as usual, plenty of Roscoe folks will be involved in the activities—as they have been since its inception in 1958.

In fact, Wilburn Hughes recently lent me a copy of an old Sweetwater Reporter article written by Otis Francis that says the Jaycees initially picked up the idea for the roundup from a 1957 rattlesnake hunt conducted by a group of men from Roscoe and Sweetwater who bagged 64 rattlers in a couple of hours.  

In that group were Wilburn Hughes, Leon Davis, Harvey Staton, Hillis Thornburg, and H. T. Zimmerman from Roscoe and N. A. Dressler, Jimmy Dulaney, J. B. Harley, Slim Staton, and Harold Clegg from Sweetwater. 

The complete schedule of this year’s roundup events, along with other information, is available on the Rattlesnake Roundup website, which you can access by clicking here. 

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DOYLE EDMISTON’S BASKETBALL CAREER REMEMBERED

An Abilene Reporter-News article published on Saturday mentioned Roscoe farmer Doyle Edmiston’s illustrious basketball career at Rising Star and at Hardin-Simmons University. 

Selected All-Border Conference twice in a three-year career, he led the Cowboys with over a thousand career rebounds, still a school record.  He also holds the single-game record with 31 against West Texas State.  He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1959.

The article is accessible by clicking here.

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ROSCOE HIGH LEADS BIG COUNTRY WITH 2010 GRADUATION RATE

A recent article in The Abilene Reporter News reported that Texas ranked tenth in the nation for its 2010 high school graduation rate of 84.3% and that Roscoe Collegiate High School led schools in the Big Country with its graduation rate of 100%.

RISD Superintendent Kim Alexander stated that the school has had a 100% graduation rate since 2009.  In 2008 its rate was 91.3%, and in 2007 it was 96.3%.

Texas had the fifth-highest rate for African-American students at 78.8 percent.  The article is accessible by clicking here.

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WEATHER REPORT

Spring seems to have arrived.  The trees around town, excepting the mesquites, are all budding out, and temperatures have gotten up into the seventies the past couple of days.  We've also been having springlike winds of 20-25 mph with gusts up to 40 out of the southwest--with wind advisories in effect for all of the Big Country.

The forecast is for more of the same today with a front coming in tomorrow that will cool things off and bring a 30% to 40% chance of precipitation as we move into the weekend.