December 2022

With what seemed like a short summer break, the Alpine Lady Bucks were back on the court this past weekend. The Bucks volleyball team looked a bit different this year than it has in the past.

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Send your community events to editor@alpineavalanche.com. Jan.

“Big results require big ambitions.” — Heraclitus, ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher “Good afternoon, I hope you remember me from the early 1980s before I moved to Hemphill,” the message in my inbox from Gary Stewart began. “You were a helpful boss and advocate, and I appreciated your advice.” “Certainly, I remember you,” I responded as soon as I saw Gary’s words.

Two Sul Ross State football players were named to the D3football.com 2022 All-Region 3 team. Offensive lineman Ajani Batts earned third team offense.

Happy New Year Alpine. It is hard to believe that another year is winding down and 2022 is in the rear-view mirror.

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The wide-open spaces of West Texas lured a record 581,000 recreational visits to remote Big Bend in 2021. These numbers reflect a 25% increase since 2019, the last year the park was completely open, and a 49% increase since 2016. Once relatively unknown, the Big Bend area continues to see a significant increase in visitation, and the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in even more visitors seeking out the qualities of this special place. “This is a significant milestone,” said Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services Tom VandenBerg. “When Big Bend National Park was established in 1944, a mere 1,400 visitors arrived that first year, but park promoters dreamed of a day when the area would host half a million visitors. That dream has now become reality.”