While Child Protective Services repeatedly insisted (and the media largely regurgitated this insistence) that the agency had no choice but to pull children from the Yearning For Zion ranch, that it was acting out of extreme concern for the safety and well-being of those individuals, two Alpine legal aid attorneys representing some FLDS mothers found the actions of the state in the ensuing weeks “unbelievably horrible.” by Marlys Hersey    more »

With the new council seated (and former Mayor Clouse in attendance as citizen), the May 20 meeting was dominated by an update on the “Solid Waste Project” by Grant Jackson of Naismith Engineering, Inc., who shared the latest findings from a study, to be completed this August, to help “recommend to you a menu of options available” for when Alpine’s landfill reaches its maximum holding capacity. by Marlys Hersey    more »

Who knew? It turns out that the big ol’ yucca (left) at the southeast corner of the Alpine Civic Center on W. Holland Avenue is the “Largest of its species growing in the United States.” The National Register of Big Trees informed the city of this distinction on May 5.   more »

Joni Marginot, Director of the Marfa Chamber of Commerce, loves the lights being out and seeing the stars. She finds the darkness soothing and said it was beautiful to look down a dark Highland Avenue towards the lighted Courthouse. Marginot said she had not heard one complaint from a tourist. They like it. The skies in Big Bend are an attraction for our visitors. by George Pitlik    more »

Alpine’s four candidates for mayor recently sat down with Dallas Baxter to discuss their reasons for running and what they think they can do as mayor of the Tri-counties’ largest city. Alpine’s mayoral election is held May 10. Early voting has already begun, and ends May 6. by Dallas Baxter    more »

On Friday, Nov. 16, at Alpine’s Gallery Night Artwalk, featured artist James Evans showed a collection of his photos, “Of Missing Persons,” residents of the Big Bend... by Marlys Hersey    more »

I thought about your request for improvements to the Gazette [“On celebrating 4 years of publication,” October 2007] and could think of nothing. It seemed as if nothing should be changed…and then suddenly   more »

Once established, the saltcedar is a tenacious tenant. Its root system is substantial with a tap root sometime reaching 15 feet deep and secondary surface roots which soak up rainfall. It tolerates drought, heat, cold, salinity, fire and flooding. But this is not the worst part.... by Jim Glendinning    more »

The purpose of the Arlington Memorials is, according to the national Veterans for Peace organization, “to make the consequences of war real, and to allow people to express their grief, respect and thoughts.” The several Arlingtons are primarily in honor of fallen U.S. service members, the VFP said, but they are also intended, in accordance with the group’s mission, “to increase the public awareness of the cost of war and to seek justice for veterans and victims of war.”   more »

When most people think of yoga, they think of people twisting their bodies like pretzels, and the way yoga has been adopted in the West definitely focuses on the physical postures, or asanas, that make up much of the practice. Actually, these asanas, or exercises, are only one of the eight limbs of yoga as set down by the Indian sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, over 2,000 years ago. by Ceil Drucker    more »

Always interested in opportunities in radio, Chavigny stays attuned to what’s going on with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). With his friend Danny Self, who had a pirate station in Marathon for a while, he tried to get a permit for a low-power FM station, but found that the short window of opportunity typically offered by the FCC was closed. Still, Chavigny watched and waited. And there it was.... by Dallas Baxter    more »

It seemed like a good idea at the time. The largest flying reptile ever unearthed came from the Big Bend. The scientific name is Quetzalcoatlus northropi and it is a species of Pterosaur, or flying reptile. Pterosaur literally means “flying lizard.” But don’t ever call it a dinosaur. I made that mistake. by Larry Francell    more »

With the wealth of books written on diet and nutrition it is no wonder that people are confused about what they should be eating. Much of this information is contradictory, while all promise health and disease prevention. Through many years of research and study, Dr. Campbell has proven that it is possible to control many of the diseases we face today through dietary changes. by Kathy Duncan, FNPC    more »

(Photo of Judy Magers, "The Burro Lady," in Terlingua, 2002, by Bonnie Wunderlich)
Magers was, unwittingly, a highly public persona throughout West Texas, though she remained intensely private throughout her decades of walking the highways of the region, sleeping on roadsides and talking with locals mostly just enough to obtain the bare necessities. by Don McDowell, Fred Gossien, James Evans, & Bonnie Wunderlich    more »

The gas tank is full at 10.6 gallons. At 70 MPG I can get to Houston without refueling and have enough fuel remaining to run around town for the weekend. (Remember when people ran out of gas trying to escape the hurricane last year?) by George Pitlik    more »

There is still time to be part of the great success story of how women of Boquillas, Coahuila, Mexico with help from women of Terlingua and Alpine, Texas raised $15,000 by selling quilts. by Dallas Baxter    more »

The Tri-counties has mind-boggling diversity in weather, soil, pests and moisture. But once you know the basics, it’s a matter of fine-tuning to get your vegetable garden just right. The soil is the beginning. What’s in the soil will be in our food. by Dallas Baxter    more »

To be in Terra’s company is to believe that anything is possible. Terra radiates optimism, her language peppered with adjectives like “beautiful,” “enchanted,” “charmed,” “magical,” and “incredibly beautiful.” Her homeschooling’s “self-teaching curriculum,” she explains, is based on reading the classical books, and is “so great, because it lets you realize that the sky’s the limit.” by Marlys Hersey    more »