This had been going on for a week. Every time I dialed my daughter’s number another young woman spoke before Missy answered. This time the words were decipherable; before I’d only been able to tell it was a young woman speaking. As soon as my daughter answered she disappeared. by Beth Garcia    more »

I joined the Sul Ross State University faculty in 1967 as an Assistant Professor in Chemistry and was promoted to the rank of Professor in 1974. I was the Foreign Student Advisor for about ten years, and for several years was the Radiation Safety Officer at SRSU....   more »

I am very pleased and honored to have my book review of Marathon resident E. Dan Klepper's new book, 100 Classic Hikes in Texas (Mountaineers Books), published on the new and great TexasWildNetwork.com. Check it out! The article also appears in this month's Gazette.
-Marlys Hersey, Editor

In TPW's Sept. 2009 issue, Gazette contributor and one of our own favorite contemporary West Texas pioneers Megan Wilde has a wonderful article published as this month's "Legend, Lore, and Legacy" installment. "Plant Pioneer" is about botanist Mary Sophie Young; her "1914 journal reveals a tough, witty botanist with a passion for West Texas." Check it out!

The plaque on the side of the aluminum beast states that this model is a Globetrotter Land Yacht. Surely a Globetrotter could make a meandering trip through New Mexico to Flagstaff. Janet was skeptical, but I said, “It’s a Land Yacht for goodness sake.” Yes, pure luxury. by George Pitlik    more »

“Not only do I have fun making them,” says Helmert, “but also they represent my new life… I have lived and traveled all over the world. I wanted peace and quietness…. Living here has made me so happy and I want to express that.” By Marlys Hersey    more »

When we hiked up the Pinnacles Trail in the Chisos Basin of Big Bend National Park, I pointed out zone-tailed hawks circling far above us, and mentioned that they look a lot like turkey vultures, and especially from a distance the birds are hard to tell apart. During their week here, with his Nikon Coolpix, Nog took a lot of photos, including several of the cluster of turkey vultures roosting in the cypress trees behind our house. When they got back home and Nog was perusing his photos of the vultures visible from our backyard, he noticed a zone-tailed hawk in a few of them.   more »

An altercation during the early morning hours of August 22 led to the arrest of Guadalupe Flores on charges of stabbing Eric D. Burger. Both are from Lajitas. by John Waters    more »

On August 22, Congressman Ciro Rodriguez held two very different “Congress on Your Corner” town hall style meetings. One was in Alpine, held at Alexander’s Restaurant, and one later that same day was in Marfa, at the Presidio County Courthouse. by John Waters    more »

Sitting down with Rapp recently, I asked a for a situation report. He seemed satisfied, particularly with the kitchen staff. The kitchen staff and waiters are in their teens or early twenties. They were learning how to work together as a team, as well as how to prepare and cook specific dishes. They were making mistakes, but learning from them and gaining in confidence. Watching them grow in the job was his greatest pleasure. by Jim Glendinning    more »

The tone and tenor of recent Gazette references to Lajitas [suggests] that the Gazette is supportive of the resort in its efforts to gain administrative support and public funding for things that benefit only the privately-owned, for-profit resort and are of negative value to the public and the few remaining private property owners there.   more »

Haley Jo’s jaw dropped. Her hands worked harder on the apron, puckering it high enough to reveal the bottom hem of a yellow maternity top stretched over an eight-month baby bump. “Dead?” she spluttered, the apron falling. “How? I filled his cup on the last refill round, and it wasn’t very long ago." By Jackie Siglin    more »

Alpine’s Gallery Night Artwalk Sweet 16th anniversary is scheduled for the weekend before Thanksgiving, November 20 and 21. Planning of this year’s event is under way and the excitement of the artists, musicians, businesses, and patrons has already begun to build. This year’s Gallery Night may just be the best one ever. For the sixteenth anniversary the board of directors is pleased to announce...   more »

"Most girls go to Gary Blair's summer basketball camps with aspirations of earning a scholarship to Texas A&M, but for the girls from Big Bend High School the experience is one of life's rare treasures. This was the sixth straight year players from one of the nation's unique programs attended the A&M women's basketball camp."

YAY, Paisanas, and Marcy & Reagan Reed!

Read the full article by Robert Cessna at Aggie Sports.com

SOUTH BREWSTER COUNTY—Come one, come all! Last Minute Low Budget Productions of Terlingua is presenting “Lights On,” a series of short plays and skits at Lajitas’ Flat Rock Theater. The show opened Friday, July 3, and continues through this weekend, July 10-12.   more »

We opt for Puerto Vallarta: any warm salt water sounds good to me, and as a surfer now living in the desert, Waters opts for waves. A few years ago, we had a great trip in Mexico, training and bussing it all the way to San Blas, in the state of Nayarit — a small town on the coast, just a few hours north of Vallarta. To return to that region in just a few hours is a lovely prospect. by Marlys Hersey    more »

A population of about six alligators has been documented by Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens. Game Warden Ray Spears confirmed this with the Gazette: “Yes we do have some alligators. About 4-5 weeks ago... by John Waters    more »

A distinguished array of writers, photographers, publishers and booksellers convene in Alpine July 31-August 1 for the Second Annual Way-Out-West Texas Book Festival sponsored by the Alpine Rotary Club.   more »

In my practice in the Big Bend, I have seen RHCs rise and fall. In my master’s thesis I focused on rural culture and how that affected the success of patients in controlling their high blood pressure. And in that study project, I learned how important the community clinic is in improving the general health and welfare of a town. by JoAnn Lister    more »