December 2021

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil One small, diced onion 2 minced garlic cloves 8 ounces of fire roasted green chiles 3 cups shredded chicken 1 cup of your favorite salsa 1 10 oz. can of green enchilada sauce 4 cups chicken broth or stock 1 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese 1/2 cup cream cheese 2-3 corn tortillas or the packaged corn tortilla strips.

I love Mexican food, and making green enchiladas as a soup fits right into this love I have for that ethnic cuisine. I have made this soup several times, and it was what I would consider a medium on the scale of difficulty, but I have since found an easier recipe.

Dear Neil: Several months ago, I read about using cardboard and newspapers to keep my compost and garden free of weeds. I can’t find that reference.

December 22, 2011 Turtle Powell, shown above, and his partner Jhett Johnson won the world championship in team roping at the recent National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. December 1, 2011 Alpine’s seventh grade basketball A team, playing as Alpine Purple, recently won the Big Bend Tip Off Classic Tournament.

Alan Vannoy, Alpine: I run Cow Dog food truck, so I’ll be eating black eyed peas and snuggling with my dog on the couch. Lana Covington, Alpine: I will usher in the new year quietly, reflecting on the past year and imagining the possibilities for a great Year 2022.

Alpine Police Department Sgt. Aaron Villanueva (top left), Lt. Kirk Caughman (front left), and Chief Darrell Losoya (front right) accepted gifts from Alpine Middle and High school Lady Buck basketball players. The toy donation went to support the Police Department’s Blue Santa effort. Courtesy photo

With costumes on and butterflies in their bellies, Marathon students become stars as they took the stage to perform “Snow Queen.” In just one week, students auditioned, rehearsed, and participated in acting workshops in preparation for the big community performance. Even shy and reluctant children broke those barriers as they took on the role of their characters while building critical life skills - teamwork, confidence, and effective communication.

Alpine Humane Society Pet of the Week is Hershel, a sweet little purr box ready for his new home. Hershel came into the shelter as a six-weekold kitten, and is now three months. Can you believe he is still here? Maybe he was just waiting for you.

Children from Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Alpine participated in the Christmas Eve Children’s Service on Dec. 24 with a live nativity, including a real infant representing baby Jesus. The children were joyful and eager to be a part of the beautiful celebration, and participated in the gospel during mass. The church chorus sang the Gloria at the end of the service. Courtesy photo

A federal judge on Dec. 22 ruled in favor of Brewster County Judge Eleazar Cano in a lawsuit over his move to temporarily close local hotels in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.