December 2021

The filing period for the March 1, 2022, primary ended Monday, and the field is crowded for the number one spot in Brewster County. The county positions up for grabs in the Nov.

Members of the Marfa ISD Ballet Folklorico Aztlan perform for an enthusiastic crowd at the Marfa Chamber of Commerce’s first annual holiday bazaar held on Dec 11 in front of the Presidio County Courthouse. The Chamber welcomed locals and visitors to get in the holiday spirit with vendors selling Christmas gifts, a holiday decorating contest, a visit from Santa, crafts for kids, and live entertainment. Avalanche photo by Roxanne Hill

Chances are that both locals and visitors have driven or stopped by the Alpine Visitor Center, whether on their way to other places in the Big Bend, or simply to enjoy all Alpine has to offer. The Alpine City Council approved a revamp for the center earlier this year, with funds coming from the hotel occupancy tax reserve and proposed for the 2022 budget.

For over a month the stores have been filling their shelves with Christmas decorations, candy, cards, and gift items. Everyday piles of catalogs filled with Christmas-themed clothing, dishes, decorations, and gift suggestions are delivered in anticipation of orders. Delivery in time for Christmas if ordered by a certain date is promised.

Point guards are always supposed to be great leaders, the leader of the team. As they go, the team goes.

It’s a good bet if you drove around Marathon in the early morning this past fall when it was still dark outside, you could see Jackson Barlow and Isaiah Briones running around town with headlamps on. No, they were not getting ready for a geological field trip to the national or state park. They were pushing each other because they are teammates on Coach Jacob Garcia’s cross-country team. And the duo pushed each other all the way to state this year. And they are the team. There are no other Marathon Mustang runners besides Briones and Barlow for Garcia, so he has a pretty good record for getting kids to state this season - 100%.

Seniors Elizabeth Uranga, Honora Hillery, Lauren Penders, and Kylie Garcia earned Academic All-State Cross Country honors this fall. The award is presented by the Cross Country Coaches’ Association of Texas, and is given to cross country athletes who have a cumulative GPA of 92 or higher to recognize their academic accomplishment throughout their high school career. Courtesy photo

Boys Basketball Dec. 9-11 Stanton Tournament @ Stanton Varsity Dec.

Season’s Greetings to all our area residents. This is a time of joy with family and friends, but it also brings a time of sadness with the passing of a family man and friend of the community.

As a new wave of migrants laps along the southern border, Texas is barricading a key entry point under international bridges in the town of Eagle Pass. Whether Operation Steel Curtain will deter illegal crossers or just reroute them up or down the largely unpatroled Rio Grande is an open question.