July 2024

Birdies rain or shine

This year’s annual Sul Ross Ag and Rodeo Association reunion is scheduled for Friday, July 19 through Sunday, July 21 with most events occurring at the Everett E. Turner Range Animal Science complex. This yearly reunion hosts a domino tournament, goat roping, team roping, a poker tournament, a golf tournament, and a barrel race, breakaway roping, ribbon roping, goat tying, and pole pending competition with proceeds benefitting scholarships for the Sul Ross State University Agriculture and Rodeo programs.

The Alpine Emergency Services Board held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 16 at 5:30 p.m. Vice Chairman Aaron Rodriguez conducted the meeting after the recent loss of Chairman Paul Loeffler.

The Alpine Cowboys have shown resilience and strength in their recent games, maintaining their status as the number one team in the Pecos League Mountain South Division with a remarkable 32-3 record. Since June 28th, the Cowboys have delivered a series of impressive performances, showcasing both their offensive and pitching prowess, although they have encountered a few setbacks along the way.

Early in the morning, the catfish play tag. If you’ve ever seen a dog, get the “zoomies,” you’ll be picturing something very similar to the burst of energy Ictalurus lupus gets when the day’s first light hits the canals.

As a result of the surprising recent book, “Founding Partisans: Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Adams and the Brawling Birth of American Politics,” published in 2023 by U.T. history professor H. W. Brands, pointed out that extreme partisanship in U. S. politics has a 200+ year history. Although our first president George Washington thought that parties were unhealthy for our fledgling democracy, that was soon undercut by the developing factions of Hamilton-Adams, who favored a strong central government, and Jefferson- Madison, who favored state government and agriculture. Those factions rose to extreme lengths during the presidential electoral college contest between Adams, Burr, and Jefferson. Ultimately, Jefferson prevailed in the tied electoral college contest when the Federalist Hamilton belatedly decided to support Jefferson over Aaron Burr to win the presidency in 1801. That election, when Adams declined to attend the inauguration of Jefferson, resulted in almost a lifetime of animosity between Jefferson and Adams who had been respected colleagues during the revolution, and diplomats in Paris seeking a treaty between the U.S. and England to end the Revolutionary War. In the brief period prior to their same-day deaths on July 4, 1826, both Adams and Jefferson sought reconciliation with one another by exchanges of letters. In the last few years, extreme partisanship appears to threaten the stability of our country with some partisans saying that democracy is not necessary for the proper functioning of our republic. It behooves all citizens of all parties to respect democracy by accepting the wishes of voters. Only then can the foresight of our founders, admittedly not initially respectful of all races and genders, ensure that the rights of lawful voters will prevail

The Big Bend Arts Council and the other businesses lost in the fire on May 26 would like to thank the Board of ArtWalk Alpine, Inc. for their fundraiser, “Let It Rain” which ran from Friday, June 28, with live music, 15 bands, at the Granada Theater through to Saturday as a silent auction, fajita dinner and music at the American Legion Hall. They volunteered and worked to make that weekend a tremendous success! The American Legion provided the space for Saturday, along with their wonderful kitchen facilities, and the ArtWalk Alpine Board volunteered along with members of the Big Bend Arts Council and members of the Lions’ Club in food prep, serving, and management of the silent auction. Donations from businesses and individuals for the silent auction were overwhelming and so generous. This Saturday fundraiser was focused on providing funds to the 27 artists of Gallery On The Square who lost all of their artwork and displays in the May 26 fire. These funds will be used for art supplies, etc. so that these artists can begin anew.

You may have been told that illegal immigrants are voting in our elections, receiving welfare, bringing in most of the fentanyl, raising crime rates, and taking your jobs. All lies. This is the same tactic Hitler used to demonize Jews as causing all the ills in Germany in the 1920s and 30s.

A former Sul Ross professor of biology and zoologist, Dr. Steven G. Platt has published an extensive study of a rare turtle in Myanmar. In May, Platt, a professor at Sul Ross from 2006 to 2011, published a study on the Burmese Roofed Turtle (Batagur trivittata) that was once widespread and abundant in Myanmar.

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