August 2021

Saturday clicked for the Alpine Lady Bucks. In a season that has been a learning experience for the young volleyball team, determination paid off Saturday in San Angelo. The team traveled to Wall Thursday to take on the Wall Hawks. In a fierce battle in cotton country, the Lady Bucks were defeated but not deflated against the always competitive 3A powerhouse.

Henry Ford said, “Ask a man what he wants, and he’ll tell you he wants a faster horse.” Ford produced horseless carriages in mass quantities. Soon a revolutionary way of travel emerged, and private ownership of cars swiftly swept across this nation and eventually went worldwide.

The 2021 Big Bend Ranch Rodeo is now in the record books, and the Aug. 13-14 event was full of excitement, sportsmanship and suspense. The best cowboys from Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas showed off their skills at the Sul Ross State University SALE arena in Alpine.

Dear Neil: We’ve had this fig in our family for many years. This past winter was hard on it, but it’s coming back, and it’s bearing fruit. Should we cut the dead limbs off now or wait until the winter dormant season?

As a research engineer at McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis, John Kuehne specializes in bringing automation to the movement of the telescopes. He is likely to be found rewriting automation software he previously created into the more “robust programming language” called Ada.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Aug. 12 at Sul Ross State University in Alpine for the future expansion of the Emmett and Miriam McCoy Building at Museum of the Big Bend. Present at the ceremony and holding the traditional groundbreaking shovels were TSUS Student Regent Camile Settegast, Dean of Educational and Cultural Resources April Aultman Becker, TSUS Regents Alan Tinsley, Regent Don Flores, and Nicki Harle, TSUS Second Vice Chairman Garry Crain, TSUS Chancellor Brian McCall, TSUS Chairman Charlie Amato, TSUS First Vice Chairman Duke Austin, Brian McCoy, Brenda McCoy Remme, Reid McCoy, and Sul Ross President Pete Gallego. Avalanche photo by Roxanne Hill

A rite of passage for all hardcore Texas high school football fans kicked off this past weekend around the state. Like a kid unwrapping Christmas presents, each week brings a new gift - two-a-days started Aug. 2, midnight practice a fortnight ago, then the first varsity scrimmages were played this weekend, allowing football starved fans to get an introductory look at their hometown boys.

The proposed tax rate and employee pay raises generated much debate at the Brewster County Commissioners Court regular meeting on Aug. 11.

Guillerma Ramirez, 91, passed away on Aug. 13, 2021 in Pflugerville, Texas.

Mary Eva “Joyce” Wright passed away on July 14, 2021, following a lengthy illness. Born Dec. 4, 1936, she was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Irby Hearn Wright. Joyce and Irby retired to Alpine, Texas, where they enjoyed expansive views of the Far West Texas mountains they loved. She was an avid reader, a frequent writer of letters-tothe-editor on a variety of subjects, an animal lover, and a fan of projects like Marfa Public Radio. When she wasn’t writing or designing and building her dream home, she was sewing, canning, making candles and soap, or tending to her flowers. Joyce is survived by son, Luke Troxel Wright; daughters Ann Kennedy, Audrey Spolarich, Angela Wright, Allison White, and April Beck; 10 grandchildren; four nieces and a nephew; and many other relatives and dear friends.