January 31, 2020 - Stamford American

STAMFORD

American THE NEW

JANUARY 31, 2020

12 PAGES FULL OF NEWS, SPORTS, AND OPINION SERVING STAMFORD AND JONES COUNTY

$.75

INSIDE PAGE 2

SHOW:Food Challenge Results

PAGE 16

SHOW: More Jones County Show Results

THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN VOL. 11, ISSUE 37 STAMFORD AMERICAN VOLUME 98, ISSUE 43 STAMFORD LEADER VOLUME 114, ISSUE 44

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James Decker, Mayor of Stamford, Texas in front of his law office, built in 1928, at 127 E. McHarg, (325) 773-2255. (Inset Photo: 127 E. McHarg began as a one pump filling station between 1917 and 1927 when it was torn down to make way for the (WTU) West Texas Utilities building, now the law office that we enjoy today. Stamford City Hall was built in 1917.) See Full Story Page 3

2 JANUARY 31, 2020

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MARK THE DATE...

JAN 31

RETIREMENT PARTY: Raymond Pippin will be retiring from the City after 26 years of devoted service to the citizens of Stamford.

A Retirement Party will be held at Stamford City Hall on Friday, January 31, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.

FEB 8

SMORGASBORD: Swedish Smorgasbord will be Saturday, February 8, 2020, at Bethel Lutheran Church in Avoca, (Ericksdahl Community) Texas. Tickets are $25.00 (sold in advance only). Available Seating Times are 5:00, 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. For tickets contact Annette Wilson (325)773-2104 or Tena Tankersley (325)668-2796.

FEB 2

THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER FORECAST

February 2nd at the home of Johnna Page at 3:00 p.m. Contact her at (325) 669-1149. If you have need further information about joining 4-H, please contact the Jones County Extension Office at (325)823-2432 and talk to Kelli Maberry, CEA-FCH or Steve Estes, CEA-Ag./NR.

Friday 65 | 41

Saturday 69 | 41

Sunday 64 | 42

Monday 72 | 46

Tuesday 66 | 42

Wednesday 61 | 37

Thursday 60 | 39

The weather is provided for you

by Country Drug Store. We’re here for you Rain or Shine.

FEB 3

4-H MEETING: Jones County 4-H Club will meet on Monday, February 3rd at the Jones County Activity Center, 1108 West Court Plaza, Anson at 6 p.m. If you have need further information about joining 4-H, please contact the Jones County Extension Office at (325)823-2432 and talk to Kelli Maberry, CEA-FCH or Steve Estes, CEA-Ag./NR.

4-H MEETING: Stamford 4-H Club will meet on Sunday,

Happy Birthday!

FEB 2 – Walter Bolin (Bingo) FEB 3 – Jewellee Kuenstler FEB 4 - Michael Copeland, Sharon Buchannan Know someone who is having a birthday? Call us at 325-773-5550 and let us know! Each week a drawing will be held, and the winner will receive a free $10 Gift Certificate from Noteworthy! Please provide your name and a phone number when submitting the birthday, so that we can contact you when they win.

Callie Metler-Smith | Publisher callie@americannewspapers.net Kay Spears | Editor kay@americannewspapers.net Gayle Lovvorn | Office Manager office@americannewspapers.net

Super proud of all these 4-H food challenge teams! They all did great today. Here are the results: Quincy, Elizabeth & Sayleigh 1st, Hunter, Cooper, Wade & Braden 3rd, Emmalyn, Leah, Miley & Serenity 5th, Cole, Jasmine, Sadie & Samantha 2nd, Chanlee, Mattie, Ava & Avan 5th

SUBSCRIPTION RATES Within Haskell, Jones, and Stonewall Counties: $30 Within Texas: $32 Within the United States: $35 DEADLINE

The deadline to submit news and advertising is 5 p.m. on Fridays. Exceptions may be granted only by permission from the publisher.

SUBMISSIONS POLICY

The New Stamford American reserves the right to reject unsolicited submissions for any reason. Articles and news items submitted are subject to editing by staff.

NOTICE

Any erroneous reflection upon the character, reputation or standing of any individual, firm or corporation will be gladly corrected upon being brought to the attention of the publisher.

The New Stamford American (USPS 025-332) is published weekly at 102 South Swenson, Stamford, Jones County, Texas by Clear Fork Media Group LLC. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stamford, Texas 79553. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The New Stamford American, P O BOX 870, Stamford, Texas 79553 MEMBER 2019 TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION

102 S. Swenson, P.O. Box 870, Stamford TX 79553 * 325-773-5550 * FAX: 325-773-5551

Community

JANUARY 31, 2020 3

THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN

The NW Corner of McHarg and Wetherbee

BY KAY SPEARS In 2009 the building at 127 E. McHarg, on the northeast corner of the Stamford square, was refurbished by the new law firm of Shotts, Pardue, Trevino and Guevara for their local offices. With offices also in Austin and Lubbock, the law firm consisted of Jean E. Shotts, Jr., Keith A. Pardue, Lina Trevino, Mike Guevara and associated James Decker. They were a general civil practice handling almost everything except criminal defense.

The building seen today was built by West Texas Utilities Company (WTU) in 1928, “to house the company’s local office and retail operations” as stated in an article in the New Stamford American’s September 10, 2009 edition. A utility company needing retail space may seem an odd concept today, but back then utility companies had store fronts and WTU offered pretty much anything that required electricity. That included refrigerators, stoves, lamps, etc. partly to lure the consumer away from using gas appliances. There was a time when gas piped into the home provided light before a town was wired with electricity.

The WTU company expanded in the 1920’s, building many expensive and stylish buildings across Texas. The Stamford building is one of the best surviving examples of their push forward. It is a rare example of Spanish Colonial Revival-style architecture in this part of West Texas. The WTU moved to other locations in Stamford including the larger portion of the “Bryant-Link” build-

Stamford City Council Meets

BY KAY SPEARS

The construction in 1927 of the West Texas Utilities building at 127 E. McHarg, Stamford. When completed, ice was sold out the back. ing, at 120 S. Swenson on the west side of the square.

They sold it to AEP North Company in 1985.

In 1979 the Pink Ladies Auxiliary opened their Thrift Store in “the old WTU building” before moving to their permanent home in 1980 on the south side of the square, 110 E. Hamilton. There may have been other businesses set up in that building, however Gail Marugg owned the building from 1986 to 2008, operating Gail’s Hallmark for many years.

WTU built the 127 E. McHarg building, but there was another building before 1928 that housed a one pump filling station on the NW corner of E. McHarg and Wetherbee. There was a sign painted on the neighboring brick building showing C. W. Kight as a dealer in Dodge Brothers Motor Cars. The gas station may also have been an auto dealership.

James Decker has owned the building since 2008.

His eyes lit up when he stated he wanted the 127 E. McHarg building since

he was a kid. “This building is built entirely out of concrete, concrete beams, roof. I’ve always felt this is about the sturdiest building in town.” He remembers ice being sold out the back of the building. He stated Arledge “ice house”, where Fran’s Cleaners is today on W. McHarg, was the bulk ice company in town. They would buy it wholesale and then retail it to individuals.

He recounted Lee Dickerson had worked for WTU when they were in the 127 E. McHarg building. Dickerson told him that back in the pre-WWII days George Flournoy, the City Marshall, would come out of City Hall back when the Police Department was in City Hall.

He had a tree stump set up across Wetherbee from City Hall, which would be the side of the 127 E. McHarg building, firing his pistol at it in the mornings. This was for target practice and to let the criminals know he had a gun and knew how to use it. Dickerson related that Flournoy didn’t always hit the stump and there are chips in the brick and

concrete where the bullets ricocheted off the side of the building, shooting downtown in the middle of the workday.

In late 2010 and early 2011 a friend of James Decker, Nick Arrott, was interested in forming a law firm with him. After they opened their law office, the original firm broke up and Mike Guevara joined them with Gary Shahan. They have offices in Stamford, Abilene, Robert Lee and Austin. Decker stated, “For the most part, we focus on real estate, estate planning, probate, oil and gas, farm and ranch.” He also owns the Sovereignty Abstract and Title Company in Haskell and Benjamin, Texas.

Decker was elected Mayor of Stamford on Cinco de Mayo, May 5, 2018 and makes a whopping $50.00 per month in that position.

Mayor Decker stated in a town the size of Stamford, the City Manager handles the day to day affairs of the City.

SEE DECKER, PG 4

The Stamford City Council met at 5:15pm on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, instead of the usual Monday, due to the Martin Luther King holiday.

Councilman Ken Roberson gave the invocation after Mayor James Decker opened the meeting and before the Pledge of Allegiance was said. The other Councilmen in attendance were Robert Wingrove, Jimmy Doan and Paul Wright along with City Manager Alan Plumlee, City Secretary Kim Bryant and City Attorney Raymond Hollabaugh. CFO Karen Lou Graham and Chief of Police Darwin Huston were present in the audience.

Mayor Decker stated there was a quorum present and acknowledged the Stamford American was streaming the meeting on FaceBook, as was done at the last meeting. He stated there had “been some good feedback on that. I heard several people say they were excited that they could watch it even though they could not come to the meeting, from folks younger and older.

Sandra Rhea was the first person signed up to make a public comment.

Rhea stated she was to be joined by Frankie Dickerson, however Dickerson had a stroke and is in an Abilene hospital. Rhea addressed an issue of the “wagonwheel” quilt, in the Cowboy Country Museum, made by the Lions and Lioness Club in 1977. She

gave a short history of the quilt saying that people paid 50 cents to sign their names between the spokes of the 100 embroidered wagonwheels. The quilt has been folded, not rolled, and stored in the back room of the museum. Her goal is to have the quilt returned and hung in the VIP center.

She stated KTXS and the Abilene Reporter News are interested in doing stories on the quilt with its 1,000 names and 100 businesses. Mayor Decker told Rhea this would need to be addressed by the museum board. Rhea also mentioned taking the life size stand-up of Elvis Presley from the museum, to use at fundraising events.

The second person to address the Council was Antonia Rodela on the subject of two properties.

She asked for an extension to clean up a property. Her father homesteaded another property.

She would like to be able to purchase it, however her father did not know to submit paperwork to keep the property in his name.

She brought documents concerning this property to show the Council.

Mayor Decker told her the person to see about the extension is Manuel Ramos, Code Enforcement Officer. No other recommendations were made to Rodela.

The Consent Agenda consisted of the minutes of the last Regular City Council Meeting on January 6, 2019, which the Council approved.

SEE CITY, PG 4

4 JANUARY 31, 2020

Rolling Plains Cotton Growers Prepare for Annual Meeting The Rolling Plains Cotton Growers, Inc. (RPCG) will hold their annual meeting at the Big Country Hall on the grounds of the Taylor County Expo Center on February 18, 2020. Cotton producers, landowners, agribusiness professionals, local elected officials and other interested parties are encouraged to attend. Please visit the RPCG website www.rpcotton.org for more information.

The meeting will focus on industry priorities like cotton research and sustainability, as well as an update from Washington, DC on agriculture trade issues from Rep. Jodey Arrington (TX-19). Meeting registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. and the event will conclude after a BBQ lunch. Producers in need of Certified Education Units (CEUs) may stay for an afternoon session with the Taylor County Extension Office. While in Abilene, attendees are encouraged to visit the Abilene Chamber of Commerce’s annual Texas Farm Ranch and Wildlife Expo.

Local 4-H Club to Meet Next Week Stamford 4-H Club will meet on Sunday, February 2nd at the home of Johnna Page at 3:00 p.m. Contact her at (325) 669-1149. It is time to start planning for Spring activities such as shooting sports, photography, consumer decision making, quiz bowl, horse projects.

If any of these projects interest you, please join them.

If you have need further information about joining 4-H, please contact the Jones County Extension Office at (325)823-2432 and talk to Kelli Maberry, CEA-FCH or Steve Estes, CEA-Ag./NR.

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THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN

CITY: Continued From Page 3 Two bids for entity properties were removed from the Consent Agenda due to Councilman Wright and his wife being the people making the bids. The following bids were approved: Bid for entity property located at 107 E. Oliver (Lot 8, Block 5, Original Town of Stamford, Jones County, Texas) from Jose Baez (R21789).

Bid for entity property located at 111 W. Oliver (Lot 8, Block 11, Original Town of Stamford, Jones County, Texas) from the City of Stamford (R19380).

On the Regular Agenda, the Council approved the following two items withdrawn from Consent Agenda: Bid for entity property located at 507 E. Campbell (Lot 4, Block 96, Original Town of Stamford, Jones County, Texas) from Paul and Lola Wright (R17904).

Bid for entity property located at 509 E. Campbell (Lot 5, Block 96, Original Town of Stamford, Jones County, Texas) from Paul and Lola Wright (R20017).

Police Chief Darwin Huston presented the Police Department Annual Report and the Racial Profiling Report. The following crimes were down in 2019 from 2018: Robbery, assault, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft, DUI and accidents. Arrests were down as were citations, stolen property, and animal control calls. Mayor Decker asked what Huston attributes the thefts going down to. Huston replied, “Some have left and thanks to the State of Texas, we found alternative living for them.”

The Racial Profiling Report “basically relates to our traffic citations” and is required to be given to City Council annually. Huston stated, “In the 12 ½ to 13 years we’ve never had a complaint on profiling.”

Chief Huston indicated the criminal process, including court, was working well. Wingrove asked about the local level and Huston stated, “There are things that are not happening that should be happening.” He referred to an incident of theft at Wal-Mart when he needed a warrant. He found that there were three other warrants for the same person, which neither he nor dispatch had been given.

There needs to be better follow-through.

Huston stated the department has five officers and they

are looking for someone to replace the officer who retired.

Theft of Stop signs has declined. He stated he would like to begin eliminating Yield signs and replacing them with Stop signs, beginning around the schools and work out from there. The Council agreed to accept the above reports.

The meeting moved on to the State of the City Report.

Mayor Decker reported he had the report translated into Spanish for those who would prefer that language. He stated an email account has been set up to report potholes and other street issues. That email address is stamfordstreets@gmail.com. A copy of the report is available at City Hall.

City Manager Plumlee gave an update on current projects. He stated he has received the “go ahead” to begin the raw water pump station from the Texas Water Development Board. He has been in contact with the engineering firm to put together a pre-construction conference.

He stated there have been 10 water leaks in the past 17 days and 5 sewer problems have been addressed. With the FEMA grant, they are working on 19 street blocks. The auditors are being talked with and given the information they need.

Voting includes the open seats of the Mayor and Places 4 and 5. The last date to file for those is February 14, 2020 and the election is May 2, 2020 at the Stamford High School. Early voting will be April 20-28, 2020 at Stamford City Hall.

There will be fire training at City Hall, an introductory school Saturday, January 25, 2020. A retirement party for Raymond Pippin will be on Friday, January 31, 2020 at City Hall.

City Council went into Executive Session and upon returning to Open Session there was no action taken and the meeting was adjourned. The next scheduled meeting is on Monday, February 3, 2020 at 5:15pm in the Council chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 201 E. McHarg, Stamford, TX. If attendance is not possible, the paper has begun the first live streaming of the proceedings and is attaching it to its FaceBook page, The New Stamford American.

DECKER: Continued From Page 3 In a smaller town, such as Hawley, Texas, the Mayor is the de facto City Manager. “The Mayor is the face of the city, so to speak, sets the tone for the city, the City Council and leadership and works with the City Council to set policy and push our city in the right direction. It is less day to day management than it is big picture policy and representation of the city.”

It is important to Mayor Decker that the public know and understand what is going on at the City level. He states it is easy “if you are in a position with knowledge” to take for granted that everyone else knows exactly what all the specific words, “the lingo and jargon”, mean that you are talking about. He prefers to offer explanations and ask questions for others to give more in depth information during City Council meetings.

The 127 E. McHarg building’s original character has been kept up and can be seen in old pictures of the building itself displayed on a wall inside their lobby. The law firm of Shahan, Guevara, Decker and Arrott, (325) 773-2255, continues to write the latest page in the history of a grand building in Stamford, Texas.

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THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN

o

No Burn Ban for Jones County

BY KAY SPEARS

The Jones County Commissioners Court met Monday, January 27, 2020, 9:00am in the Commissioners Courtroom on the third floor of the Jones County Courthouse in Anson, Texas. In attendance were y Judge Dale Spurgin, the Jones County Commissioners: James Clawson (Pct. 1), Lonnie Vivian (Pct. 2), Ross Davis (Pct. 3), and Joel Spraberry (Pct. 4), County Clerk LeeAnn Jennings, County Treasurer Amber Thompson, County Auditor Gwen Bailey and County Sheriff Danny Jimenez.

After Judge Spurgin called the Commissioners Court to order, the first item addressed was the State Monitor Visit for Dispatch. Adriana Munoz presented the findings of the State Monitor visit. Covered in this visit y was the transition into the Next Gen 9-1-1, which will enhance their capabilities to receive more accurate locations of 9-1-1 calls. In the future, the internet used by Dispatch in this region will n be connected to the State’s system. This will mean when dispatch receives a Text 9-11, the officers will be able to receive pictures and videos along with the texts on their iPhones. Dispatch will also be able to transfer calls to anywhere in the state. This update will be seen in the Fall, with no cost to Jones County.

Regarding the State Monitor Visit, Jones County Dispatch “passed with flying colors.” Munoz stated they have not advertised it, but they are capable of receiving and responding to 9-1-1 calls if the caller uses texting. This would be helpful if the caller is unable to speak. All the dispatchers can handle Text 9-1-1 calls.

The minutes of the last regular meeting on January 13, 2020 were approved.

The following trust property bid from the City of Stamford was approved.

A bid submitted by City of Stamford for the purchase

of (R19380), Lot 9 in Block 11, of the Original Town of Stamford, Jones County, Texas. The Bid Amount is $10.00 and Consideration.

Court cost has been waived.

Judge Spurgin explained the City of Stamford has taken down the building on the property, cleaned up the lot and the Court can accept this as the contribution and consideration.

Judge Spurgin gave an update regarding Disaster Declaration and all items related to FEMA, TDA and TDEM forms, requirements for the County projects. The discussion included reimbursements, advanced funding issues and mitigation projects information. Judge Spurgin stated, “I don’t have a lot of confidence, at this stage, in the folks in Austin.”

This refers to the 56% advanced funding of a project and the problems they have experienced. For instance, Commissioner Clawson has a $70,000 reimbursement pending since April 2019.

This agenda item needed no action taken on this complicated issue.

The Commissioners approved adding Salado, which was Lueders Limestone, and Primal Crushing, LLC to the Material and Hauling Bids list of vendors.

The Interlocal Agreement between Jones County and the City of Anson, Texas was discussed. An Interlocal Agreement was made verbally in 2005, with then Commissioner Steve Lollar, when the City of Anson moved their annexation further south. Anson was to pay water and utilities to the City Barn in exchange for an agreed upon dollar amount and maintain certain roads. Since it was a verbal agreement, the City of Anson shows the County has a delinquent water bill.

The State law changed and in the future road maintenance included in the agreement can no longer stop at a fence line. Precinct 4 will start paying the water bill. It was approved to cancel the verbal agreement.

County Treasurer Thompson presented an update on the Jones County Personnel Policy. The Commissioners discussed several areas including insurance coverage extended to spouses of personnel. The discussion of Formal and Informal Marriage continued from the last Commissioners Court.

It was noted they are trying to make the Personnel Policy “user friendly.” No action was taken at this time.

Thompson then presented the Treasurer’s Report, which was approved. It was noted that money was being received from the Jones County Appraisal District for paid property taxes and that penalties start on February 1, 2020.

Names were drawn from Jones County residents to be asked to be public members on the Salary Grievance Committee. This committee is formed annually under State Law for elected officials to file a grievance of their set salary. The County Judge chairs this committee but does not have a vote. The required three members, if they accept, are: James P. Quinlan, III from Anson; Jori Dawn Vancleave from Hamlin; and Terry L. Wade from Merkel. The required three alternates are: Rebecca Sue Smith from Stamford; Wendi Sue Pearson from Hawley and Pamela Marie Lyon from Hawley. The Commissioners approved the names submitted.

Judge Spurgin stated there is a criminal penalty of $500.00, a Class E misdemeanor involved during a Burn Ban. That is why the

Commissioners Court, and not the County Judge, is required to activate a Burn Ban. He stated wind is his biggest concern. Burn Bans are put in place because more people are moving in, building, especially south of Hwy 180 and there is a stress on the local Volunteer Fire Departments’ resources, “they are particularly limited on personnel.”

Next, discuss and take action to Ratify Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Judge Spurgin updated the Commissioners on the Bluebonnet Facility stating there were resignations in the Medical Department.

Those positions have now been filled. The resignations kept the bed count down to 350 and the improvements on background checks look forward to full staffing before the end of the month.

It was approved to enter this documentation into the record.

County Auditor Bailey presented the Line Item Transfers, which was approved before the Commissioners approved to Pay Bills.

Judge Spurgin stated there was another Child Protective Services (CPS) attorney bill received. He addressed it with Judge Brooks Hagler.

This was another multiyear case. Commissioner Davis brought up the need to purchase a used packer and this will be on the next meeting’s agenda. With no further business to address or discussion items, the meeting was adjourned.

JANUARY 31, 2020

5

5 Ways Agriculture Plays In The Super Bowl

BY JULIE TOMASCIK Chicken wings. Peanuts. And you can’t forget the pigskins, give or take a few pounds of air. Those can mean only one thing. Super Bowl weekend.

The biggest game of the year is just a few weeks away.

And while New England Patriots fans prays Tom Brady returns for another season and Dallas Cowboys fans hope Mike McCarthy is the Coach to get the Boys’ to the Big Game, I’m pulling for agriculture.

Wait. That’s not a team.

Agriculture may not get much recognition–if any–but it’s a major player in the game. And Texas agriculture is part of that role, even if the game isn’t in Texas this year.

So how exactly is agriculture involved?

Footballs. They’re made from leather. And Texas leads the nation in cattle numbers with nearly 12 million head.

Peanuts. The Lone Star State grows more than 423 million pounds of this popular snack. That’s a lot of nuts!

Land. A football field, including the end zones, takes up a pretty big chunk of land. About 1.3 acres. To compare, Texas is home to more than 130 million acres of farmland. That’s about 100 million football fields.

Chicken wings. Super Bowl weekend is unquestionably the biggest time of year for wings. Texas grows more than 100 million chickens each year, ranking sixth in the nation.

Cotton. Texas is a major cotton state. And 3.5 million bales of cotton were produced in 2011. Need a Super Bowl XLIX championship shirt? They’re made from cotton!

And maybe agriculture will make it in another commercial this year, too.

So, while I’ll be enjoying my fair share of wings, picking my favorite commercial and cheering loudly, I’ll also be rooting for agriculture.

What are your plans for the big game?

6 JANUARY 31, 2020

Bulldogs Grab Two Wins

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THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN

The paw print

The Bulldogs pulled away in the second quarter to handily defeat district rival Hawley 68-53. Leading the scoring was Austin Brewer with 27 points. Trace Price and D’Marcus Barber had 11 each, Stephon Johnson and Keyven Mueller scored 9 apiece, and Lane Patton had a free throw.

Stamford 14 16 15 23--68 Hawley 14 7 13 19--53 Behind the phenomenal 37 points scored by Austin Brewer, the Bulldogs overpowered the Roscoe Plowboys 83 to 34. Trace Price also had an outstanding night scoring 21 points. Keyven Mueller contributed 12, D’Marcus Barber and Stephon Johnson had 4 each , Charles Moore scored 3, and Isaiah Gonzales had 2.

Stamford 20 27 22 14--83 Roscoe 8 11 9 6--34

Mrs. West’s Advanced Social Studies class presented their projects over the series “Band of Brothers” and the role they played in WWII. The projects were judged and the following were the top four. 1) Kenadee Gann, 2) Brett Patterson, 3) Lane Patton, 4) Storey Gomez (Photo courtesy of Mindy West)

OLIVER ELEMENTARY 1ST SEMESTER HONOR ROLL A HONOR ROLL

1ST GRADE: Layton Adams, Shadixx Agraz, Kaelyn Aguilar, Aysin Alvarado, Nevaeh Alvarado, Cadance Andruch, Garryn Bell, Jaxsyn Bolin, Karsyn Bryant, Carter Cantu, Natalie Carter, Kayden Contreras, Kannyn Cornelius, Robert Delce, Jaycee Escobedo, Ky’Rhyanna Flye, Sophee Garcia, Victoria Marquez, DJ Marsh, Cy Martinez, Karrison McCann, Preslee Pattison, Jazlyn Sarmiento, Haze Strand, Ethan Wilson 2ND GRADE: Gary Bell, AJ Brewer, Koasjia Calicutt, Addison Cook, Addison Corzine, Ethan Finley, Kae’Bren Fletcher, Kevin Flores, Esmelina Gomez, Cameron Huston, William Ivy, Teagan Lillie, Randa McCrary, Em-

erson Moreno, Ky’Lynn Pattison, Layne Seelke, Micheal Segura, Addyson Silguero, Natali Venteno, Emily Wilson, Pyper Wright 3RD GRADE: Norah Andruch, Steven Conway, Braisyn Dillard, Easton Hernandez, Braden Logan, Isabella Marquez, Krysalyn McClintock, Michael Ortega, Morgan Woolf 4TH GRADE: Miles Follis, Karsten Hall, Ace Martinez, Quincy Page, Jace Patterson, Elizabeth Rhymes, Caroline Shoemaker, Christiana Weathersbee, Bryson Wilson 5TH GRADE: Joshua Andruch, Cutter Caddell, Khloe Cantu, Jacy Corzine, Trey Dippel, Caitlyn Ender, Everett Ekdahl, Amber Miramontes, Joshua Rhymes, Levi Valenkamp

A/B HONOR ROLL

1ST GRADE: Jaden Acosta, Erma Bell, Lake Buzzard, Ky’Lynn Escobedo, Isabella Finley, Jackelin Gomez, Harper Henager, Melvin Henry, Carter Hickman, Paisley Huston, Robert McCoy, Adam Mendez, Jaxen Painschab, Keaton Sells, Austin Sugar, Khys’n Willis 2ND GRADE: Austen Aguilar, Dariah Cooper, Ivan Gallegos, Journee Green, Jacob Green, Alexis Harris, Aubrie Holmstrom, Colton Huston, Luis Ibarra, Za”Brein Kinney, Ashlinn Mays, Isabella Olson, Michael Quinonez, Maricela Resendiz, Jordan Silguero, Alika Valenzuela , Michael Zapata 3RD GRADE: Cayden Atkinson, Esai Cedillo, Kiley

Crowson, Zamara Flores, CJ Gomez, Jaxon Harris, Jaiden Painschab, Brooklyn Reed, Haileigh Thompson 4TH GRADE: Sarah Acosta, Brennan Armstrong, Ethan Bailey, Kash Brattain, West Garza, Marivella Gonzales, Sutton Milford, Dallas Sanchez, Julian Silguero, Jennifer Silva, Michael Vasquez, Baelie Womble, Wade Wright 5TH GRADE: Krailyn Becker, Jordan Burns, Mattielynn Clifton, Baylor Flow, Lukus Gonzales, Trinity Green, Hadley Gurley, Zayne Lefevre, Carlee Levens, M’Kinley Locke, Kree McCright, Ramiro Mendez, Madalyn Mueller, Christopher Pardo, Crystal Pardo, Kenzlie Salazar, Aiden Sarmeinto, Erica Silguero

OLIVER ELEMENTARY 3RD SIX WEEKS HONOR ROLL A HONOR ROLL

1ST GRADE: Layton Adams, Shadixx Agraz, Cadance Andruch, Garryn Bell, Jaxsyn Bolin, Carter Cantu, Robert Delce, Jaycee Escobedo, Ky’Rhyanna Flye, Victoria Marquez, Cy Martinez, Preslee Pattison, Haze Strand, Ethan Wilson 2ND GRADE: Gary Bell, AJ Brewer, Addison Cook, Addison Corzine, Kae’Bren Fletcher, Esmelina Gomez, William Ivy, Teagan Lillie, Randa McCrary, Emerson Moreno, Ky’Lynn Pattison, Layne Seelke, Micheal Segura, Addyson Silguero, Alika Valenzuela, Emily Wilson, Pyper Wright 3RD GRADE: Norah Andruch, Steven Conway, Braisyn Dillard, Easton Hernandez, Braden Logan, Isabella Marquez, Krysalyn McClintock, Michael Ortega, Haileigh Thompson, Morgan Woolf 4TH GRADE: Miles Follis,

JANUARY 31, 2020 7

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THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN

Karsten Hall, Ace Martinez, Quincy Page, Jace Patterson, Elizabeth Rhymes, Caroline Shoemaker, Christiana Weathersbee, Wade Wright 5TH GRADE: Joshua Andruch, Cutter Caddell, Khloe Cantu, Jacy Corzine, Trey Dippel, Caitlyn Ender, Carlee Levens, Amber Miramontes, Joshua Rhymes, Levi Valenkamp

A/B HONOR ROLL

1ST GRADE: Jaden Acosta, Kaelyn Aguilar, Aysin Alvarado, Nevaeh Alvarado, Erma Bell, Karsyn Bryant, Natalie Carter, Kannyn Cornelius, Isabella Finley, Sophee Garcia, Harper Henager, Melvin Henry, Paisley Huston, David Marsh, Karrison McCann, Robert McCoy, Adam Mendez, Jazlyn Sarmiento, Keaton Sells, Austin Sugar 2ND GRADE: Austen Aguilar, Koasjia Calicutt, Dariah Cooper, Ethan Finley, Kevin Flores, Ivan Gallegos, Journee

Green, Jacob Green, Alexis Harris, Aubrie Holmstrom, Cameron Huston, Colton Huston, Za”Brein Kinney, Ashlinn Mays, Isabella Olson, Michael Quinonez, Alexander Raines, Maricela Resendiz, Natali Ventieno, Michael Zapata 3RD GRADE: Esai Cedillo, Kiley Crowson, Zamara Flores, CJ Gomez, Jaxon Harris, Jaiden Painschab, Brooklyn Reed 4TH GRADE: Brennan Armstrong, Kash Brattain, Noah Carter, West Garza, Marivella Gonzales, Alyia Graciano, Sutton Milford, Dallas Sanchez, Crystal Silguero, Julian Silguero, Jennifer Silva, Michael Vasquez, Bryson Wilson, Baelie Womble 5TH GRADE: Kara Ashby, Krailyn Becker, Jordan Burns, Mattielynn Clifton, Everett Ekdahl, Baylor Flow, Trinity Green, Hadley Gurley, Brody Jones, Zayne

Lefevre, M’Kinley Locke, Kree McCright, Ramiro Mendez, Aaniyah Montanez, Madalyn Mueller, Crystal Pardo, Kenzlie Salazar, Aiden Sarmeinto, Erica Silguero, Isaiah Watts-Harvey

STAMFORD HIGH SCHOOL 1ST SEMESTER HONOR ROLL 9TH GRADE

A: Laylonna Applin, Kayla Cantu, Riley Paige Carver, Emily Patterson, Cameron Shoemaker AB: Jameson Bell, Cruz Cantu, Truett Ekdahl, Melanie Gonzalez-Green, Doralynda Guerrero, Hayden Henager, Konstance Jimenez, Stetson Koenig, Simon Kruckner, Coy Lefevre, Samuel Milford, Nicole Moreno, Madison Proffitt, Chloe Ratheal, Nickolas Richard, Alysha Sanchez, Lance Terry, Dominic Vega, Madison Woolf

10TH GRADE

A: Jacelyn Bell, Tylee Bevel, Audrey Brewer, Madison Bryant, Citlaly Gutierrez, Gabby Lintini, Tate Mathis, Shandlee Mueller, Addison Reel AB: Bresha Applin, Jacoby Castro, Candace Clayton, Jesus Deleon, Macy Detamore, Dylan Faulks, Isaiah Gonzales, Savana Gonzales, Chloe Hall, Orlando Moreno, Thalia Ponce, Esmeralda Quiroga, Hailee Richardson, Teresa Roque, Jessica Sarmiento, Dalton Womble

11TH GRADE

A: Jaelynn Bryant, Kristian Cantu, Carson Carver, Bryson Holt,Cato Macias, Nicholas Roden,Laramie

Terrell, Luke Thane, Sean Thane AB: Kelvinasjia Calicutt, Cj Cerda, Brennon Day, Zak Elkins, Daisy Garcia, Danny Guerrero, Zhawn Holden, Taylor Jimenez, Stephon Johnson, Destiny Karg, Houston Koenig, Angel Martinez, Katilyn Mcclintock, Paris Menchue, Scott Moreno, Gracie Oliver, Natalie Roden, Cierra Stoner, Tyler Wheeler

12TH GRADE

A: Austin Brewer, Sadie Cole, Mallory Copeland, Carlee Dancer, Macie Fernandez, Kenadee Gann, Storey Gomez, Alexis Johnson, Cade Lefevre, Stephanie Pardo, Brett Patterson, Lane Patton, Trace Price, Endia Pryor, Keith Richards, Korey Villanueva, Jackie Yang AB: Christian Cardenas, Christian Cedillo, Sterling Cullen, Lesly Deleon, Reagan Detamore, Marcus Gonzales, Madysen Jimenez, Keyven Mueller, Adreana Ortiz, Maribel Rosas, Toby White

8 JANUARY 31, 2020

VIP Menu February 3-7 Monday Schnitzel, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Carrots, Pears & Cottage Cheese Tuesday Cheeseburgers with all the Fixings, French Fries, Ice Cream Wednesday Taco Salad, Spanish Rice, Pinto Beans, Jell-O With Fruit Thursday Sauerkraut with Wieners, Fried Potatoes, Bread, Dirt Cake Friday Chicken Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread, Coconut Pudding

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Better Than You Think

In his book, “A Big Gospel in Small Places: Why Ministry in Forgotten Communities Matters,” pastor Stephen Witmer outlines the importance of ministering in small places. “Small places” is a loose term because it can be defined relatively. “Big” and “small” are not binary definitions, rather they fall on a spectrum of bigness and smallness. Generally speaking, Witmer uses “small places” to describe any community that is not part of a metropolitan area or that isn’t viewed as a cultural or political center (like a college town or state capital). If you perceive your community as rural, you probably live in a small place he’s talking about.

Stamford is a “small place” by most any definition, but it should be noted that my college friend Tobin Redwine (the pride of Lazbuddie, Texas) once called me a “city slicker” because Stamford had a Wal-Mart, an Allsup’s, and an 11-man football team. He was joking. I think.

Though there are many, many

ESSAYS FROM WEST OF 98 James M. Decker small places in America, their individual importance in the American landscape has declined.

In 1790, only 5% of Americans were urban dwellers. By 1870, it was 25%. By 1920, it was 50%.

In 1960, it was 66%. Today, over 80% of Americans live in urban areas. Society’s view of small places has shifted as well. Thomas Jefferson believed that agriculture was our wisest pursuit and that a society derived its true wealth, good morals, and happiness from a rural basis. By the 1920s, Amer-

THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN

ican writer and commentator H.L. Mencken wrote that the farmer “is a tedious fraud and ignoramus, a cheap rogue and hypocrite, the eternal Jack of the human pack.

He deserves all that he ever suffers under our economic system, and more.”

Real nice guy, that Mencken.

Turn on the television or the radio today and you’ll find small places treated on a spectrum ranging from patronizing to derision. Christian leaders are not much better. Witmer writes of seminary students who are told not to “waste” their potential on rural churches. Witmer himself struggled with a youthful worry that he was “underachieving” by staying in a rural community.

Rural author Wendell Berry once wrote that many young ministers had been “called” to serve the churches of his Kentucky hometown, but none had seemingly ever been “called” to stay.

Modern America defines success with upward mobility to bigger, better places. Our rural communities are guilty too. When parents encourage their children to go find a “better” life elsewhere,

they’re telling their children that rural life back home is a failure at worst, underachieving at best.

But where did we get this notion? It was certainly wasn’t from the Bible, presumably the manuscript for living a Christian life. Brad Roth, author of “God’s Country: Faith, Hope, and the Future of the Rural Church,” writes that “the rural church represents God’s commitment to be with all people, everywhere, through the church, as Christ’s body.”

Despite our worldly tendency to be awestruck by fame, fortune, and power, God isn’t so easily misguided. As Witmer notes, God often chooses weak and unimpressive people and things to make known His own great power. If you don’t believe me, read the backstories of a few notable people: Moses (murderer with a speech impediment), King David (weakling who was an adulterer), Nehemiah (cupbearer with no royal or leadership background), Hosea (married to a prostitute), and Paul (the greatest persecutor of Christians). Jesus himself rode into Jerusalem, for the glory of Good Friday, not as a conquering

hero on a mighty steed, but as a simple carpenter on a donkey.

Witmer writes that God has a penchant for showing love to those who seem least worthy of it and who seem the least likely to influence others. Lacking worth and influence sounds a lot like our perception of small places in 21st century America. Witmer writes of flying across America at night, seeing only darkness occasionally punctuated by a small light or a cluster of lights. Each individual light seems insignificant, amidst the vast expanse of darkness. But as Witmer points out, in each light, God sees tremendous value, promise, and a reason to send His Son to die on the cross at Calvary.

I agree with a poignant line from Pastor Witmer: “God thinks more highly of small places than we do.”

Maybe we in America should reconsider that.

James Decker is a lawyer, farmer, and mayor in Stamford, Texas, and the creator of the forthcoming “West of 98” podcast and website.

He may be contacted through Facebook at facebook.com/james. decker.

Nugent Church of Christ Nugent, Texas Wayne Kitchens, Preacher Sun. 10 Bible Classes 11 Morning Assembly

St Ann’s Catholic Church 1001 S Swenson 325-773-2659 AM Mass: 11:00

Temple Baptist Church Jesse Morton 309 E Campbell 325-773-2550 AM Service: 11:00

LOCAL CHURCHES Avoca Baptist Church Rev. Les Mims 773-3531 AM Worship: 11:00 Avoca United Methodist Church Dennis Huffaker 773-3909 AM Worship: 9:45 Bethel Church of God in Christ Pastor Session 407 W Handlan 325-773-5730 Bethel (Christ) Lutheran Church Rev. Richard Strait 1024 E. Vanderbilt 325-773-5949 AM Worship: 9:00 Bethel Lutheran Church Rev. Richard Strait 10707 N. FM 600 325-773-5949 AM Worship: 11:00

Central Presbyterian Rev. Dr. Kelly Pigott 601 Rowland 325-773-3381 AM Worship: 11:00 Common Ground Youth Ministry Paul Wright 219 S Swenson 325-773-3604 Faith Lutheran Church Sagerton, Texas 940-200-0723 AM Worship: 10:30 Family Church of Christ 1505 E. Wells St 325-773-5250 Worship: 9:45 a.m.

1st Assembly 1214 Compton Pastor John Shepard Worship: Saturday @ 6:00PM (325)267-0955

First Baptist Church John Ward 214 N Swenson 325-773-2781 AM Worship: 11:00 House of God Pastor Bobby Acosta 802 Ferguson St Sundays 11:00 am Lueders First Baptist Church Roscoe McCoy 228-4622 AM Worship: 11:00 MacKenzie Trail Cowboy Church AM worship 11:00 Heart of God Church 114 E Campbell Joanne Ochoa AM Worship 10:30 Nugent Baptist Church Craig Thames 228-4457 Worship: 11:00

Orient Street Church of Christ Wes Horn 510 S Orient 773-3419 Worship: 10:30 Paint Creek Baptist Church Pastor Tony Grand 940-864-3358 AM Worship: 11:00

WANT TO SPONSOR THE CHURCH PAGE? Call 325-773-5550

St. John’s United Methodist Church Pastor John Erwin 201 S Ferguson 325-773-2561 AM Worship: 10:50 Solomon Temple Baptist Church Rev. Donnie Massey 315 N. Haskell St. 325-773-2213 AM Worship 11:00

Trinity Church Dr. Robert Wingrove 220 E. McHarg

Governor Applauds White House Approval Of Women’s Health Funding AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott said Jan. 22 that a Trump administration decision reestablishes the federal partnership for the Women’s Health Program in Texas.

Abbott issued a statement concerning the approval of the 1115 Waiver for Healthy Texas Women: “The Lone Star State is once again in partnership with the federal government to provide meaningful family planning and health services while fostering a culture of life. This collaboration is a symbol of our commitment to championing the lives of Texas women. I am grateful to President Trump and his administration for approving this waiver and for his commitment to protecting the unborn while providing much-needed health resources to Texas women.”

According to the governor’s office, “Healthy Texas Women offers family planning and women’s health services to Texas women who earn less than 200% of the federal poverty limit. In 2018, HTW served approximately 173,000 Texans. While this program is currently funded with state general revenue, Texas submitted a Medicaid 1115 waiver application after President Trump took office, requesting federal matching funds for the program. The waiver had previously not been renewed under the Obama administration because Texas refused to fund abortion providers or their affiliates.”

Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading provider and advocate of highquality, affordable health care for women, men and young people, had a different view. The organization posted a news release saying the Trump administration “rewarded Texas’s long-standing effort to cut off people’s access

JANUARY 31, 2020 9

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THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN

CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS

Ed Sterling

to health care. The administration approved Texas’ request to implement a Medicaid family planning program that bars patients from accessing care at Planned Parenthood and other sexual and reproductive health care providers that also provide abortion.

This is the first time the federal government has allowed a state to explicitly waive Medicaid’s free choice of provider for family planning provision. This move upends longstanding federal law and sets a dangerous precedent for other states to pursue similar state-level measures, with grim consequences for health care access nationwide.”

Data from the Austinbased Center for Public Policy Priorities estimates that nearly 45,000 fewer women received birth control, cancer screening and other services through the Healthy Texas Women program — a nearly 40 percent drop — than when Planned Parenthood participated in the program.

JOBLESS RATE STAYS LOW The Texas Workforce Commission on Jan. 24 reported that the seasonally adjusted Texas unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in December, up one 10th of a percentage point from 3.4 percent in November 2019.

Although the rate of unemployment increased slightly, Texas did add 29,800 jobs over the

month. TWC Chairman and Commissioner Representing the Public Bryan Daniel said, “Our current economic climate creates opportunities for our skilled workforce and success for employers. We look forward to continued growth in our great state throughout 2020.”

Regionally, the Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area recorded the lowest unemployment rate among Texas MSAs in December with a non-seasonally adjusted rate of 2.1 percent, followed by the Amarillo MSA at 2.3 and AustinRound Rock with the thirdlowest rate at 2.4 percent.

PAXTON JOINS IN BRIEF Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Jan. 22 announced his joining 17 other states in a friend-ofthe-court brief that argues for protecting fetuses with Down Syndrome from abortion based on genetics.

The brief, filed with the Cincinnati-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, seeks to reverse an Ohio federal district court ruling that “created a categorical right to abortion, regardless of whether the reason for an abortion is clearly based on discrimination against a child with disabilities,” Paxton said in a news release.

REGISTRATION IS URGED Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughs, the state’s chief election officer, on Jan. 23 reminded Texans to make necessary preparations to vote in the upcoming March 3 party primaries.

Feb. 3 is the registration deadline.

“Being prepared is essential for Texans seeking to make their voices heard,” said Hughs. “In addition to registering to vote, Texans should set aside time to ensure that they have made the necessary preparations to cast their ballot. Together, we will ensure that

all eligible Texans are able to take part in shaping the direction of the Lone Star State.”

As of this month, according to the Secretary of State’s Elections Division, there were 16,106,984 registered voters — a new state record.

Information on how to register to vote and the voting process, such as what forms of identification may be presented when voting, is available at votetexas.gov or 1-800-252-VOTE. SAFETY TRAINING IS

HELD The City of Austin, Travis County and Joint Task Force Civil Support from the U.S. Department of Defense conducted response training in Austin last week for a fictional nuclear incident.

As many as 1,000 Department of Defense personnel, 50 City of Austin and 10 Travis County staff participated in the training.

Juan Ortiz, director for the City of Austin Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management,

said, “We want to build the relationship with the armed forces to ensure we are prepared to respond and work together as efficiently as possible in the event of a disaster.”

Events related to the exercise in Austin were conducted in Killeen and Fort Hood last week and continued into the current week.

10 JANUARY 31, 2020

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Cherish Every Moment The day before I sat down to write my thoughts this week I wanted to talk about a completely different topic, but I knew that after the tragic event that occurred this past Sunday and the collective thoughts of many individuals I felt that I needed to change what I wanted to say to echo the THOUGHTS FROM thoughts of what a lot of people are thinking about.

UNDER THE CAP The world lost a basketball icon this past Sunday with Will McClure Kobe Bryant along with his daughter and seven others passing away in a terrible helicopter crash. Almost immediately the outpouring of support for the Bryant family and prayers for the family was overwhelming with no measure of hate as far as I could see. Regardless if you are a fan of his or not, the world lost a fellow human being on that day. What makes this more heartbreaking was that more lives were lost including Bryant’s daughter with the reports being that the group was flying for her and her teammate, who was also on board, to play in a basketball game. To put it into perspective, Kobe Bryant was being a father and looking to make more moments with his daughter as she pursued and loved the same sport he did.

Among the many memorial messages I noticed a trend: cherish every moment. This would be accompanied by pictures of Bryant and his daughter together, showing how well they embodied this idea.

The outpouring of love and support for an individual that a vast majority of us had never even met really did get me thinking about how short and precious our lives really are. I’ve talked in the past about how we seem to be absorbed into our own individual worlds on most days, missing the many things that can, and do, pass us by.

This is especially true when it comes to our loved ones.

One day you could be talking to them in person or on the phone and then the next, they’re gone. It’s always heartbreaking as we then go through the many things that were left unsaid and the things we missed. I have lost loved ones in my life that I still miss every day where I wish I could just say I loved them one more time. I know many of you reading this feel the same way and the thing is that we always tend to forget that tomorrow is never guaranteed. Plans that we make can change in an instant, so it should always be the number one priority to make today count. Life is too short to let any little moment pass us by.

We all make plans for the future, whether it be in the next year, next week, next day or even the next hour; however, we never know what is around that next corner and we can’t let anything go undone or unsaid. If you have someone on your mind that you haven’t talked to in a while, make that call. If you haven’t told your parents, siblings, grandparents or spouse that you loved them lately, make sure to tell them so. In reality, there are no true second chances to live the one life you have, so make the most of each and every day to make memories that will last for the rest of your life and beyond in others. Cherish the time you have on this earth and don’t let the important things pass you by. After all, we can make plans all we want, but we never truly know what tomorrow may bring.

Until next time, dear reader, my cap’s off to you!

The Mennonite Migration A pickup truck crowded with nearly a dozen Mennonites left El Paso in 1977. When it reached a hill west of Seminole there was a big sigh of relief and the driver, when he saw the valley below, told his passengers, “We are Home.”

It had been a long journey scattered over several years and several countries. Throughout history in country after country the Mennonites had been promised special dispensations from the various governments regarding taxes, religious freedom and land ownership. When those were removed the Mennonites became vagabonds looking for a home.

Mennonites are followers of Menno Simons, a former Catholic who disagreed with the church’s insistence on infant baptism.

He thought baptism should come when a person was old enough to make decisions. He also believed in pacifism. Menno lived from 1496 to1561 in the Netherlands. Mennonites were given exemption from military service if they used their skills to reclaim some low land on

the coast. When that ended the Mennonites were without religious freedom. Some were persecuted.

They fled to Poland, then Russia, the US, Canada, Mexico, Paraguay and other countries. Today Antarctica is the only continent without Mennonites. They are quick to point out that they are members of a religion. They are not an ethnic group.

Tina Siemens lives in Seminole. She and 550 other Mennonites got to Seminole in the seventies.

Tina and her husband own a construction business and Tina is active in the community, serving on both the hospital and chamber of commerce boards of directors. In November of 2015 she was named Seminole’s citizen of the year.

Tina has documented the Mennonite migration to Seminole in a book titled SEMNOLE (SOME PEOPLE NEVER GIVE UP). In researching material for her book, she collected every

national story she could find about the frustrations and setbacks her group encountered in moving between Canada, Mexico and the US. There is no shortage of reporting on the subject. She has huge scrapbooks of write-ups in the New York Times, Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News and many other publications including the Seminole Sentinel, which covered the story in a professional manner. It is a story that captured the American public and the Mennonites found much support in their plight. Even after the group got to Semi-

TUMBLEWEED SMITH

nole there were worries they would be deported.

Border patrol buses lined up around the courthouse ready to haul them out of the country. But after congress passed a special bill especially for those 550 people they finally became US citizens in 1986 and have been productive members of Gaines County ever since. Because of their farming expertise they have made the county a leader in agriculture.

Tina herself says it was a roller coaster for many years. “But you look back on those experiences and realize that’s what makes us strong. We persevered, went through the hard times and learned lots of things. The struggle has made us appreciate being Americans. I truly can say from the bottom of my heart I am an American. I have achieved the American dream.”

What a beautiful day we have today! (Sunday) It seems like spring. A great day to hang out laundry.

We better hang on to our hats, it looks like this year is going to fly by like 2019 did. Let us see what is coming up in February.

Saturday, Feb. l is National Freedom Day Sunday, Feb. 2, there will be a Lodge meeting at 4 P M at the Old Glory Lodge with Pot Luck as the evening meal. It is also Groundhog Day. Monday, Feb. 10 there will be a Senior Citizens Dance at the Old Glory Community Center from 7 P M until 10 P M. Everyone is invited, all ages.

Wednesday the 12th is Lincoln’s Birthday.

Friday, the 14 is Valentine Day, remember that special person.

Monday, the 17th is a holiday, President’s Day. Thursday, the 20th the Hobby Club will be meeting at the Sagerton Community Center at 2 P M. Saturday, the 22nd, there will be a musical at the Old Glory Community Center, concession stand will open at 5:30 P M and the program will follow.

The 22nd is really Washington’s birthday, no

“True wealth is what you evening with holiday. are, not what you have.” approximately Sunday, Happy Birthday Wishes seventy folks the 23rd Iwo go to Morgan Dixon, attending. We Jima Flag Dewayne Hertel, Johnny had so many Raising day Massey, Elliott Nehring, musicians (l945) wanting to play Ethan Nehring, Clyde WednesStegemoeller, David Martin, that it was alday the Steve Letz, Nancy Clark, most midnight 26th is Ash Leslie Kupatt, Sara LehWednesday.

OLD GLORY NEWS so all of them rmann, Jewelee Kuenstler, could play.

By the Lilly Dudensing, Jimmy We certainly Way this is

By Anita Dozier Martinez, Guy Callicaotte, appreciate leap year.

Dan Rosenberg, and Juanita all of those Hazelee Swink. We wish you many musicians to come from all New of Haskell came over more. over the area and join in on Friday and spent the Anniversarty greetings go the program. Lot of great weekend with her grandto Jimmy and Jana Grishtalent. We also appreciate parents. Dale and Carm am. Have a wonderful day. all of the folks supportLetz. ing our concession stand, Sue Callicoatte of Abilene almost sold out. Thanks to came to Aspermont on Bernice Rhoads and Glenda Thursday where she met Pritchard for the donaPhyllis Letz and they ention of pies. Winning the joyed Pizza and a nice visit. door prizes were Glenda Danny Letz drove to LubPritchard of Hamlin and bock on Sunday to attend Oscar Armstrong from a Steel Guitar Jam Session with lot of other steel guitar Stamford. It was a fun time for all. See all of you next players at the Elks Club. month.

Mitie Dunham met Bo Thought for the week: and Whiz Creighton in Aspermont for lunch following church services.

I enjoyed having daughter, Susan, spend Tuesday with me. On Thursday, Mike as of 1/29/20 and Maxelle came for a visit in the afternoon. Doug Ericksdahl Coop Gin - 6672 (final) Vahlenkamp also stopped Farmer’s Coop Gin-Stamford - 25,114 (final) by on Thursday evening.

Farmer’s Coop Gin-Radium - 9,037 (final) We had a great musical Farmer’s Coop Gin-Anson - 14,560 at the Center on Saturday

BALES GINNED AT AREA GINS

PUBLIC NOTICE

Classifieds Send ads and news articles to: office@americannewspapers.net or FAX 325-773-5551

JANUARY 31, 2020 11

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THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN

Hanson Paint & Body Shop in Haskell, Texas is taking applications for the position of auto body paint and repairman. Please apply at 207 S. 1st Street, Haskell, Texas.

FOR SALE TREES are now available to order from the California Creek SWCD. We have evergreen and hardwood seedlings. For information on availability and varieties please call Elizabeth Olson at 940-8642617 ext. 4 or 940-256-1174. Deadline to order is February 10th.

The City of Stamford will receive sealed written proposals for the care and maintenance of the Post Office lawn. Sealed proposals will be received in the City Secretary’s office no later than 5:00 pm on February 12, 2020 and will be opened for the record at 5:30 pm on February 17, 2020 at the Stamford City Council meeting. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, in whole or in part, deemed by the City to be in the City’s best interest.

A copy of items to be addressed can be picked up at Stamford City Hall.

8603 FM707 TRUBY RANCH Fantastic Home w/ a pool.........IN CONTRACT HWY 277 Hawley Faith over Fear home, barn w/horse stalls 51± Ac..IN CONTRACT 2952 CR 216 Nice Home on 1 acre south of town! 4/2..........................$153,900 1502 Compton Stamford 3/2/2 Ranch home 1.6± AC!......Reduced! $124,900 1310 PORTLAND Great 3/2 remodel! Must See!...................................$114,500 613 POTOMAC 3/1.5 corner lot!.............................................................. $72,500 703 Columbia Nice 3 bedroom 2 bath on a corner lot w garage!Reduced!$69,900 804 Wells 3/1 w CH/A, tiled walk-in Shower...........................IN CONTRACT 716 E Oliver 4 bedroom/ 2 baths quiet area..............................................$68,900 1207 HUDSON 3 bedroom, 1 bath in a good location!..............................$49,900 New 1315 Hudson Rd 3/1 w CHA Great location!................................$39,900 McHarg Lots with Barn and wet weather creek!.........................................$32,000 712 E Vanderbilt Gorgeous 1910 2 story Victorian home.........................SOLD 807 Commercial 2/1 2 living areas...................................................................$72,900 519 Commercial Ave, Anson- 3/1 Rock home w Metal shop...............$49,000 Sagerton 3 bd 1 bath with fireplace and out buildings..............IN CONTRACT #10 Country Cove ALBANY Nice 3/2 Brick home in cul-de-sac!...... $164,000 913 Harold St ALBANY beautiful 2 story Call for details!.......IN CONTRACT 140 Offield ALBANY Blacksmith Shop, Art Studio and 3/2 mobile Home......$82,000

COMMERCIAL

1303 Swenson - 25,000 sq ft building 1631 17th St, Anson - over 4,000 sq. ft, restaurant equip....... IN CONTRACT 901 Commercial ANSON- 12,600 Sq. Ft. parking lot, HWY Frontage$175,000 The Hamlin Elevator, 423 E Lake Drive, Hamlin 1270 HWY 222 KNOX CITY Truck Facility on 35± Acres....................$359,000

FARM & RANCH

FISHER COUNTY

839± AC Secluded w/ Large neighbors and Big Canyon! IN CONTRACT 480± AC SE of Roby Tank, water well 170± Ac SE of Rotan Pasture SOLD Paved Rd frontage IN CONTRACT

CALLAHAN COUNTY

1,015± AC Great Sock Farm or Hay farm SOLD 10 ac Old Peanut Co-op Property

HASKELL COUNTY

126 ac cult. N.380 Rule 160± AC – The Kittley Irrigated Farm Northwest of Rule! SOLD 271± AC SE of Weinert Dry land farm w/ pasture, tanks and creek!

619± AC N of Lake Stamford pasture and tanks!

JONES COUNTY

NEW 377 ac on Hwy 277 Pasture/Cult.

Coop water 1,764± Ac Near Lueders Great Hunting!

782± AC N of Neinda Mostly Cultivated farm 663± AC Great combo place w/ fence, pens, water well and tank 402± AC FM 600 & HWY 180 389± AC Cultivation, Rural water and Electric N of Merkle 323 Ac Creek, Cultivation and Hunting!

253± AC FM 600 & HWY 180 247± Stock Farm SOLD 241± AC FM 600 & HWY 180 239± AC FM 600 & HWY 180 230± AC Ft. Phantom River Ranch, Excellent Hunting!

220± AC Cultivation on California Creek and US HWY 6 RD Frontage 160± AC south of Avoca IN CONTRACT 139± AC- Farrington Cotton Farm Prime Cultivation 62± AC N of Merkel, GREAT building Site!

50± AC Cultivated farm 45± Acres Right outside of Town 26± AC FM 2746 S of Anson water well List price $90,000 20± AC Near Ft. Phantom OAK TREES w/ Electric and rural water!

SHACKELFORD COUNTY

440± AC North of Abilene Cultivation and pasture w/ Spring, Rural Water and 3 tanks!

STEPHENS COUNTY

85± AC Native pasture w/ house

KENT COUNTY

925± AC-Panther Canyon Ranch-Native pasture w/ food plots, springs on Panther Canyon and Croton Creek on the north Boundary!

DICKENS COUNTY

1,450± AC Fantastic Hunting, Shinnery, Large Stock Tank

STONEWALL COUNTY

330± ac cult. & pasture, good stock farm 5,900± AC- Seven Diamond L Canyon Ranch two creeks and salt fork river 2,082± -AC- Double View RanchSpectacular views, River, 4/3 Home and Barns, rural water!

800± AC - White Ghost River Ranch - Salt Fork of the Brazos! Views of the River Canyon!

658± ac Heath Ranch 200FT elevation changes, live spring and exotics!

320± AC – Hall River Ranch River Frontage w/ 2 story home SOLD 330± AC- Great View of Double Mtns. w/ scenic deep canyons, large neighbors, hunting!

130± AC- Youngers 130 Good Cultivation and great Hunting!

332± AC – Canyon West Ranch Great Views! Water, Electric & Secluded!

133± AC S of Swenson Brushy w/ HWY 380 Frontage Electricity on site!

1,455± Acres Base of the Double Mountains!

165± Acres All pasture, Great Hunting!

TAYLOR COUNTY

5± Acres Off of HWY 351 No Restrictions Reduced $32,500 Taylor Ridge Estates- 20-80 Acre rural tracts Call for info.

707 Ranch 10-12± tracts SOLD 54± AC S of Trent Great Views!

36± AC S of Trent Elec & Water!

20± Acres White Mines Road Creek, Hunting, No Restrictions $140,000

THROCKMORTON COUNTY

460± AC Morning Star Game Ranch High fenced turnkey w/ Hunting Ranch 160± AC Cultivation and Pasture w/ 3BR Home west of Woodson

12 JANUARY 31, 2020

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Jones County Livestock Show 2020 CHAMPION WHITE OPB: Dylan Muehlstein CHAMPION HAMP: Wesley Muehlstein RESERVE CHAMPION DUROC: Lexi Williams, LuedersAvoca FFA Chapter RESERVE CHAMPION DARK OPB: Alyssa Wyatt, LuedersAvoca FFA Chapter CHAMPION GILT: Riley Moore, Lueders-Avoca FFA Chapter CLASS WINNING HAMP BARROW: Mattie Barnes, Lueders-Avoca FFA Chapter CHAMPION SENIOR SHOWMAN: Alyssa Wyatt, LuedersAvoca FFA CHAMPION SENIOR SHEEP SHOWMAN: Kristen Johns, Lueders-Avoca FFA Chapter

Reserve Grand Champion Barrow, Reserve Champion Cross: Alyssa Wyatt, Lueders-Avoca FFA Chapter

Grand Champion Barrow, Champion Cross: Emily Muehlstein

THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN