April 2025

The Alpine City Council convened on Tuesday night in the council chambers. All members were present except for Ward 2 Councilor Eva Martinez.

The Alpine Emergency Services Board held its regularly scheduled meeting onApril 7 in the Alpine Volunteer Fire Department (AVFD) meeting room. Treasurer Stacey Wood was absent, while Mark Rose attended via phone call. AVFD firefighter Larry Rodriguez was also in attendance.

It is no secret that black bears are here to stay in the Big Bend. In fact, the Borderlands Research Institute and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) are currently in the midst of a black bear study thanks in part to some “unruly” bears doing what bears do-digging into trashcans and becoming a nuisance in our communities.

In a near repeat of the Fightin’ Buck Relays, Alpine took the track and field by storm at Thursday’s District meet held at Buck Stadium, with the boys’ and girls’ teams earning the District title.

There are a hundred different ways to measure a coach’s impact — but for Alpine Lady Bucks Head Coach Christopher Virdell, win number 100 came with more than just a notch in the stat book. It came with balloons, a banner, and a wave of appreciation for a career built on more than just victories.

W Thank You On March 7, I received a hip replacement at Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso. I was then transferred to the Swing Bed Unit of our Big Bend Regional Medical Center.

The past several weeks have brought much-needed moisture to the Big Bend Region of Texas. Snow in April is definitely a rare occurrence and something to be excited about, that is, unless you ran the risk of planting an early garden, in which case you might not be quite as thrilled. I have personally seen flurries on Cinco De Mayo west of Marfa before, so caution, along with a little bit of luck, is always needed when predicting the ideal time to get veggies in the ground in this part of the world. While the moisture is welcome and will undoubtedly provide a Spring green-up consisting primarily of puncturevine, woolly loco, and garboncillo, it really is just a drop in the bucket as far as the moisture that we hope to have in the coming months.

“Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures.” — Lovelle Drachman, author Adventure was not on my mind after another day at the newspaper office almost 40 years ago. I was simply cruising the day’s mail, including the newest issue of Hemmings Motor News (aka “the car collector’s bible).

Margaret Helen Blackman (nee Travland), beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and sister, passed away peacefully on March 11 at the age of 88 years old. Born on April 14, 1936, to Oscar Travland and Melba Harvey Travland, she was the oldest of five children. Margaret grew up in Beeville, where her father taught her how to fly an airplane and subsequently soloed on her 16th birthday. She attended Sul Ross State University, where she met John Nixon Blackman III. They married on December 22, 1956, and enjoyed a 66 year marriage, sharing many adventures traveling the world and almost 40 years of teaching in Odessa, Valentine, Alpine, and the north slope of Alaska. Margaret and John retired to their Fort Davis home in 1994, hosting many family gatherings, including their annual family reunion every July 4th holiday. Margaret loved her backyard and spent many hours creating a beautiful green space behind her home. She also loved to sew and craft creative items to gift them to others. She frequently shared fond memories of her time with students, both in class and at the piano. She leaves behind many friends, including those who were part of the local Pokeno group and some who enjoyed making personalized cards. She was a long-time member of the Fort Davis United Methodist Church. Margaret is preceded in death by her parents, Melba Harvey Travland and Oscar Travland, her husband John Nixon Blackman III, her son John Nixon Blackman IV, brother Lawrence Travland (Mary), and brother Oscar Nance Travland (Patty). She is survived by her brother, Lewis Travland (Charlotte) and sister, Patricia Hodgens, sons Mark Blackman and Matthew Blackman (Melanie), eight grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren, and more students than we can count. A memorial service will be held in Fort Davis in early July to allow her family and friends to attend.

A recent archeological dig in Big Bend has uncovered an almost completely intact hunting kit, that archeologists believe could indicate human settlement occurred in the region earlier than previously thought. Found inside a remote cave in Big Bend National Park, the Center for Big Bend Studies Director Bryon Schroeder believes this new find can be applied to other dig sites within the Big Bend region.