News

Dear Neil: We have a large poinsettia from last Christmas. We want to place it in a darkened area soon to start the bloom process. How can we prepare the plant for moving without breaking the branches?

On Sept. 14 the Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus announced that Visit Alpine, Texas won the 2021 Judges Choice Idea Fair award for Cooperative Marketing for a series of advertorial features in statewide print magazines. The features were a partnership with Alpine, Marfa, and Fort Davis which ran in Texas Parks & Wildlife, Authentic Texas, Austin Monthly and Ride Texas magazines.

On Saturday, Sept. 18, from 3-5 p.m., Big Bend Bluegrass Association will hold its first monthly music jam at Kokernot Park in Alpine. The September jam will be the first of many events, including a bluegrass festival scheduled for October 2022 in Alpine.

“New Yorker”-staff writer and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright will discuss his novel “The End of October” on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. as part of Alpine Public Library’s community conversations on health care resources in the Big Bend region. The discussion will be live streamed at the library and on Zoom.

At the 20th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony Saturday at the Alpine Border Patrol Station, Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson (right) presented Big Bend Sector Chief Patrol Agent Sean L. McGoffin (left) with a piece of metal from World Trade Tower II that was destroyed by a terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. Dodson offered the fragment as a token of appreciation for all the Border Patrol does to keep the nation safe. Avalanche photo by Gail Diane Yovanovich

What do you do when life gives you lemons? Make lemonade of course! If you are like me, growing up in Texas during the summer means it’s hot, and nothing is better than an ice-cold glass of some thing sweet and refreshing. My go-to was always pink lemonade as a kid, because you know regular just would not cut it.

The Big Bend Ranch Rodeo recently announced that this year it made the largest donation in its history to the Sul Ross Rodeo Excellence Fund. The Rodeo gave Dr. Bonnie Warnock, dean of the Ag Department at Sul Ross State University, a check for $30,000, bringing the total donations from the Ranch Rodeo to the Sul Ross Rodeo program to a little over $283,000 since 2000.

Alpine Humane Society Pet of the Week is Storm, a four-year-old Chihuahua mix, just one of five currently at the shelter. She weighs around 11 pounds. Storm, Maple, Lacey, Kobe, and Zekara are all waiting for new homes.

Alpine High School ag teacher Doug Fox heads up this week’s Greenhand Leadership Conference at the Sul Ross State University SALE arena for FFA students in the Big Bend District. Nine area schools participated, including Alpine, Fort Davis, Fort Stockton, Pecos, and more. In the photo the greenhands, typically freshmen in their first year of ag class, await the start of group sessions in which they practice leadership and communication skills, along with team building. Avalanche photo by Gail Diane Yovanovich

Big Bend Chamber of Commerce met for its annual membership and board meeting in Big Bend National Park on Sept. 9. The meeting was held in the outdoor amphitheater at Chisos Basin, and catered by the park lodge. Entrance to the park was free for those attending.