December 2021

A great high school band starts with a great band director. The band director plays an enormous role in what makes a marching band perform at the highest level. And a passionate, knowledgeable director can push the students to the next level.

Coach Hugh Morrissey is pumped up and pleased. Pumped up for the upcoming rendition of Bucks basketball this season, and pleased with Alpine’s 3-0 start so far. The reigning district champs are coming off a superb 19-5 season with returning both the District MVP in Aiden Morrissey and District Defensive Player of the Year in Jayden Canaba, both seniors. Junior Tray Ervin was Second Team All-District for what should have been the District Sixth Man of the Year.

The Alpine Lady Bucks move to 3-2 on the season after an easy win against Van Horn Lady Eagles 61-20 on Nov. 30. On a night when everything went right for the Lady Bucks, Coach Rick Garcia could relish another breather before district play revs up.

In a team meeting on Nov. 29, Sul Ross State University head football Coach John Pearce announced his resignation after eight seasons.

I have been blessed to work for Alpine ISD for the past 16-½ years. In many ways, it seems as if this time has gone by in the blink of an eye. The memories I have made with friends, co-workers, and my family are priceless. I love our school district and the community of Alpine.

I wish I had a change of heart, but I still can’t support it. Back in 2009, long before I got my beloved 11-month-old puppy, Thurber, I was critical of a proposed federal bill that sought tax deductions for pet owners.

Thanks to the generosity of the Big Bend Regional Hospital District Board of Directors and administrators, Alpine ISD can now launch a certified nurse assistant program at the high school for the 2022- 2023 school year. It will involve a Career and Technical program of study in nursing science, and allow students to acquire an industry-based certification as a Certified Nurse Assistant. It would also prepare students to enter into a higher education nursing program.

As the holidays approach, communities around the Big Bend are positively impacted by the benevolence and generosity that brings people together. One private, nonprofit organization, the Marathon Foundation, has been quietly impacting the lives of Marathon residents since 2010, all thanks to a group of community-minded folks who use their acts of kindness to improve the lives of those who call Marathon their home.

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission recently awarded funding to Jeff Davis County Library under its American Rescue Plan Act Grants Program. The library received two grants.

On Nov. 23 Alpine Lions Club Treasurer and First Vice President John Sutterfield presented a $300 check to Big Bend Pets Director Patsy Culver so the group can better help pets in the community. Courtesy photo