RCHC Meeting
2/25/2010
The Runnels County Historical Commission will meet in regular
session at Casa Cabana in Winters on March 6 at 11 a.m. There
will be a short program, business meeting and dutch treat
lunch. Meetings are open to the public.
Trent's Retreat Dinner Thanks!
2/24/2010
We would like to thank everyone in Runnels County
and beyond who supported our first annual Trent’s Retreat Dinner
and Auction Fundraiser. It was a HUGE success! We were truly
overwhelmed by your attendance and generosity. We can’t say
enough about how terrific everyone was who helped organize and
host the dinner and auction! Thank you also to St. Joseph’s
Parish for allowing us to use their hall and to all the folks
who stopped by to help. Thanks to the cooks who out did
themselves on such an AWESOME meal! It took everyone working
together to make this event a success and we appreciate each and
every one of you.
We want to personally THANK all of you who joined us on
Saturday night. We also want to stress our sincere appreciation
to those of you who donated and purchased items at the auction
as well as those of you who have donated to the Retreat. It has
touched our hearts and made us swell with pride to see our
friends and neighbors come together to support this cause.
Trent’s doctor from Fort Worth and our friends and family from
out of town were so amazed at how everyone pitched in to help
and support the fundraiser. We can hardly wait to share your
kindness and compassion with the families that will be staying
at Trent’s Retreat.
Due to all of the overwhelming support, we will be able
to begin the building of the Retreat very soon. Along with the
money we have raised, several local contractors and businesses
have volunteered their labor and materials. We plan to post
pictures on
www.trentsretreat.org as the building progresses, so you can
enjoy watching the process.
Thank you so much for helping us celebrate Trent’s
memory while helping other families who are fighting pediatric
cancer. We appreciate each and every one of you from the bottom
of our hearts.
David, Misty, Allie and the rest of Trent’s family
Evergreen Cemetery Faces
Financial Crisis
2/24/2010
The Evergreen Cemetery, just south of the
City of Ballinger, is facing a pressing, financial crisis.
Currently the Cemetery is spending approximately $2,000 per
month to keep the grounds in an acceptable condition, but is
only receiving an average of $1,000 per month from income
sources.
The Board of Directors decided in their June meeting to
make a push for donations. Based on that decision, a total of
300 letters were mailed out to members. The Cemetery received
approximately $6,000 from just over 80 donors. This is a large
sum of money, but the Cemetery had urgent needs this year. The
Board of Directors had to purchase a new mower and a new
maintenance shed because the mower could not be repaired and the
maintenance barn collapsed due to age. Those two needs plus
paying the caretaker quickly exhausted the operating fund and
the money from the donation drive earlier in the year.
The Evergreen Cemetery is a piece of Ballinger’s
history. The Cemetery is not owned or supported by the city or
the county. The only sources of income are interest earned on
the Perpetual Care funds and sales of lots. According to the
law, Perpetual Care funds cannot be used at any time for any
reason. These reserve funds are designated to provide income
only from the interest they earn. With interest rates at an all
time low and a steady decline in lot sales due to various
reasons, the Cemetery’s income has dwindled.
It is estimated that there are several hundred people
that will read this article who have ties to the Cemetery, i.e.,
parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters. If
you are one of those that have relatives buried in Evergreen or
the Garden of Memories, please visit the Cemetery soon to see
how much work it takes to maintain the cemetery grounds. While
it looks good now, without your financial support the
maintenance will slow down or completely cease and soon it will
have the appearance of a long-forgotten Cemetery.
The Directors realize that times are tough and there
are numerous worthwhile organizations asking for your
assistance. But please keep the Cemetery in mind. You are the
Cemetery’s last hope of continuing to be a peaceful resting
place for loved ones.
The next meeting of the Cemetery’s Board of Directors
is March 9, 2010. All members are encouraged to attend the
meeting. For further information, please contact Dennis Havlak,
the Cemetery’s manager, at 325-895-5792. Donations may be
mailed to the Ballinger Cemetery Association PO Box 127
Ballinger, TX 76821. Donations may also be made in person at
the Cemetery’s business office located next to the Post Office
at 112 South 8th Street.
Crimestoppers Announcement
2/24/2010
-by Deputy
Stephen Gray, Runnels County Sherriff's Office
The Runnels
County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Postal Inspector
request your help.
We have been having a problem with rural mailbox vandalism.
This may seem like a game to someone but not to the victims who
have to replace or rebuild their mailboxes. This act of
vandalism is a serious federal and or state offense. If anyone
has any information about who may be responsible for these
criminal acts, please contact your local law enforcement agency
or the Federal Postal Inspectors Office. You do not have to
give your name when calling. A reward is offered for
information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the
person(s) responsible.
Norton Lions Club Chili Supper
2/24/2010
Norton Lions Club Annual Chili Supper
Saturday,
February 27, 2010
5:30-7:00 P.M.
$6.00 per person
(all you can eat)
With Desserts Extra
CarryOuts Available for $7.00 a Quart
Norton Community Center
Proceeds to be used for repair of air
conditioners in community center.
Sandy's Dollars and Sense
2/23/2010
Sandy Taylor will be writing a monthly financial
newspaper article and releasing it to post on BallingerNews.com.
There's a new link to her articles under the Columns link on the
menu bar above. It's titled "Sandy's
Dollars and Sense"
Burning the
Note!
2/23/2010
Elder
Scott Flanagan of Grace Fellowship Church burns the bank note
indicating the debt has been paid for the Church and adjoining
Grace House. Grace Fellowship has been greatly blessed by
faithful giving and was able to pay the debt off in half the
time the note was made for. Grace Fellowship Church is a
non-denominational family-integrated church located at 609 North
9th Street. Services are held on Sunday mornings beginning at
10:30 AM.
Snow Day Photo Gallery
2/23/2010
We requested you send you pictures from your day in the
snow and were provided MANY! Click
here to see the Snow Day Photo Gallery! It's not too late to
send your pictures to be added to the gallery. Send them to
news@ballingernews.com
Thanks to everyone that sent in your photos and allowed us to
post them!
NRCS Accepting Applications for
Wetlands Reserve Program
2/23/2010
TEMPLE, TEXAS, Feb. 17, 2010 – The USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting
applications from landowners interested in wetlands restoration
through the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). WRP is a voluntary
program that provides technical and financial assistance to
private landowners and Tribes to restore, protect, and enhance
wetlands in exchange for retiring eligible land from
agriculture.
“While Texas landowners
have restored thousands of wetland acres through the program,
changes made in the 2008 Farm Bill make WRP an even better
investment,” said Don Gohmert, NRCS state conservationist for Texas.
“The new program rules make it easier for landowners to enroll acres
and provide a better system for assessing the value of the land
enrolled.”
The 2008 Farm Bill
changes the process for determining the easement value, directing
NRCS to pay the lowest of:
·
the fair market value of the land according to the Uniform
Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices or an area-wide market
analysis;
·
the geographic area rate cap as determined by the Secretary
of Agriculture; or
·
the landowner’s offer.
WRP offers three enrollment options:
·
Restoration Cost-Share
Agreement. This is an agreement for a minimum of
10 years in duration to reestablish degraded or lost wetland
habitat. NRCS pays 75 percent of the cost of the restoration
activity. This does not place an easement on the property. The
landowner provides the restoration site without reimbursement.
·
30-Year Easement.
This is a conservation easement lasting 30 years. Easement payments
are 75 percent of what would be paid for a permanent easement. NRCS
also pays 75 percent of restoration costs.
· Permanent
Easement. This is a conservation easement in
perpetuity. NRCS pays for the easement, as well as 100 percent of
the costs of restoring the wetland.
Wetlands provide
habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered
species; improve water quality by filtering sediments and chemicals;
reduce flooding; recharge groundwater; protect biological diversity;
and provide opportunities for educational, scientific, and limited
recreational activities.
For more information
about WRP, contact your local NRCS office to determine if your land
is eligible or visit the NRCS Texas Web site at
www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp.
To view some other recently released articles, click on the
following:
Funding Available for Texas Grassland Owners,
Farm and Ranch Lands Program,
Environmental Quality Incentive Program
FountainGate Fellowship "42"
Tournament
2/23/2010
WHAT: “42” Tournament
WHEN: Saturday, March 6
WHERE: FountainGate Fellowship, 909 N. Willis, Abilene TX
COST: $15 per person (lunch included ; $12.50 per person if
entry form received by March 4).
DETAILS: Tournament will be double elimination; round-robin play
followed by bracketed competition. Each team guaranteed 8 games.
Trophies awarded for 1st & 2nd place. Proceeds benefit
children’s ministry of FountainGate Fellowship. Maximum entries:
32 teams.
EVENT SCHEDULE:
8:00 am Coffee and donuts / Registration
8:30 am Registration closes
8:45 am Welcome; rules of play presented
9:00 am Round-Robin play begins (lunch to follow)
1:00 pm Bracketed play begins
Click
here to download this info that also contains the entry form
Eddie Chumney on the 70
Weeks of Daniel
2/23/2010
Author and International Teacher of the Gospel of the
Savior,
Yeshua ha-Mashiach / Jesus Christ, and the Hebrew Roots of our
Faith
Sponsored by Abilene Torah Group
Sunday, March 7, 2010
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Taylor County Expo Center in WHC Ranch House
1700 Hwy. 36 (South 11th Street @ Loop 322)
Abilene, Texas
(There is No Charge to Attend the Seminar – A Free-Will Offering
is accepted)
RSVP – Seating is Limited - Contact:
325-660-1952
e-mail:
abilenetorahgroup@att.net
You might have seen Eddie Chumney on God’s Learning Channel as a
weekly teacher (programmer), or on Light of the Southwest, where
he has been a guest of Al and Tommie Cooper several times. Eddie
is an international teacher of the Hebraic/Jewish roots of
Christianity, helping people to understand the scriptures
through the Hebrew, rather than the Greek, mindset.
For more information about Eddie, please visit his website
www.hebroots.org, or visit his PalTalk congregation, HHMI
Beit Yacov, on the internet each Saturday morning beginning at
9:45 a.m. for the current news update to help us understand
things currently happening in the middle east, particularly as
it regards the land of Israel in the latter days. Following the
update, there is a study of the weekly Torah portion, and an
afternoon midrash of the weekly scripture study. (PalTalk.com is
a free downloadable software with audio and chat.)
Immunization Clinics
2/23/2010
Texas Department of State
Health Services
H1N1 and Seasonal Flu Vaccine Available to All
Ballinger
Thursday, March 11th
10-12 & 1:30-3
608 Strong (behind the courthouse)
Please bring child's immunization records
If Child has Medicaid or CHIP please bring card
For more information call 325/754-4945
Benefit for Melinda Clayton
2/22/2010
We are hosting a Drive Thru Chicken Plate Dinner to benefit
Melinda Clayton. Melinda is a kindergarten teacher at Ballinger
Elementary School who has been diagnosed with ALS.
When: Sunday, March 7, 2010
Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm
Where: Ballinger Elementary 3rd Grade Entrance
Cost: $7.00
Advanced tickets available at the following establishments:
Ballinger Elementary, Ballinger Jr. High, Ballinger High School,
Apples N'Spice, Ballinger Florist, Ballinger City Hall, 1st
Community Federal Credit Union, Ballinger National Bank, 1st
National Bank of Ballinger, Curiosities, Chandelier Ranch, and
Mueller's.
All proceeds benefit Melinda Clayton.
Top Ratings at Solo and
Ensemble
2/22/2010
-by D'Ann Hatler
Eleven Ballinger High School students and two Ballinger Junior
High students received top ratings in the Region VII UIL Vocal
Solo and Ensemble Contest and in the related Region VII Junior
High Vocal Solo and Ensemble Contest at Howard Payne University
in Brownwood, Saturday, February 20. Those taking Division I
(Superior) ratings and medals on class 1 vocal solos (solos of a
high difficulty level) are:
Jacob Arp (Grade 12)
Alyssa Biscoe (Grade 9)
Christal Castillo (Grade 12)
Courtney Gibbs (Grade 10)
Judd Hatler (Grade 9)
Lindsey Heidenheimer (Grade 9)
Reese Hallmark (Grade 9)
Magdalena Hogan (Grade 11)
Will Irish (Grade 11)
Karina Lemus (Grade 10)
Riley Woodruff (Grade 9)
These are now certified for participation in the Texas State
Solo and Ensemble Contest, to be held at Hendrickson High School
in Pflugerville, just north of Austin, on May 29 and 31. Our
students will be attending on Monday, May 31, as graduation is
May 29.
Jacob, Christal, and Karina are making return trips to state as
they also qualified last year.
The following students received Division II (Excellent) ratings
on class 1 solos:
Dacayla Caudle (Grade 9)
Brandon Vasquez (Grade 9)
Brayden Zertuche (Grade 9)
In the related Region VII Middle School Vocal Solo and Ensemble
Contest, also at Howard Payne University, the following
Ballinger Junior High students took Division I (Superior)
ratings and medals on class 3 (freshmen level) vocal solos:
Jack Buxkemper (Grade 7)
Tessie McVey (Grade 8)
Students in both divisions prepared well and did an outstanding
job of representing their respective schools at the contests.
We extend our congratulations to each of these students for
their outstanding achievements in representing their respective
schools.
Dale E. Ellis is faculty sponsor for choral music events. Ida
Lee Ellis, music teacher for Ballinger Elementary, played the
piano accompaniments for the students. Mr. Ellis would also like
to thank Mrs. Janet Wilson, BHS and BJHS Band Director, for her
assistance in preparing these students for competition.
D’Ann Hatler and Laurie Woodruff served as parent sponsors for
the events.
In Need of Umpires
2/22/2010
The Ballinger Youth Baseball Association is looking
for paid umpires for games and is offering free training.
Umpire Clinic Set for April 10
Pre-register before April 8, 2010
Contact: David Esquivel FMI 325-895-1124
Date: Saturday, April 10, 2010
Where: Davenport Field
Time: 10:00am
Cost: No Cost
BES Pizza With The
Principal
2/22/2010
Fourth Six Weeks: Pizza with the Principal
Starting in front left: Jonathan Marcon (3rd grade),
Zach Cotter (Kinder), Caitlin Bishop (2nd grade), Robert
Roman (Pre-Kinder), Sebastian Delgado (4th grade), Damian
Michalewicz and Courtnie Luna (1st grade). Not
pictured: Principal Brian Arrott.
Ronald McDonald House
Hosting "Look at the Stars"
2/22/2010
Ronald McDonald House
Charities of the Southwest will be hosting the 2010 “Look at the
Stars” Benefit Dinner and Auction, Friday, March 26 at the
Lubbock Scottish Rite Building at 6:30pm. Come in your fun
party attire for a night of fabulous food, entertainment by
Element and a silent and live auction. 24 local artists who have
painted beautiful children’s chairs will be featured, as well as
other items. All proceeds benefit the critically ill children
and their families who are served by Ronald McDonald House
Charities. For ticket information call 744-8877.
2010 All School Reunion -
Date Change
2/20/2010
An
organizational meeting for the 2010 All School Reunion will be
held at the board room of the BHS Administration Building on
Thursday, Mar. 4th at 7:00 pm. This reunion cannot
happen without people willing to help. Representatives from all
classes will be needed to work on updating their class list so
information can be sent out. Please come so your ideas can
be heard. October has been suggested for the Reunion and plans
need to be made ASAP so former students can make plans to
come. For further information, please call Carla Campbell, at
365-5094
BISD 4th Six Weeks Honor Rolls
2/20/2010
Gray Skies are Gonna Clear Up… Let’s Plant Some Grass
2/18/2010 -excerpt
from "On the Level" by Charles Frerich
As cold and rainy as it has been the last
several weeks it’s hard to imagine anything to do with global
warming. But spring is right around the corner and with that
comes sunshine, warm soils and spring rains. In west Texas,
even though we just finished a wet spell we still anticipate the
next rain. As the days get longer and the sun warms the soil we
begin to see a flush of growth from weeds and grasses.
Read the rest of the story from the menu bar
under Columns.
This Just In!
2/18/2010
THIS JUST IN, THIS JUST IN! Trent's Retreat now has over 200
items for the Steak and Shrimp Dinner & Live Auction including a
Tony Romo autographed football and Jordan Shipley autographed
football. Tickets for the dinner and auction are available at
Main Street Soda Fountain. View auction items at Main Street or
online at
www.trentsretreat.org
Runnels County Retired
Teachers
2/18/2010
Runnels County Retired School Employees (Runnels County Retired
Teachers) have a change in their meeting date for March. New
date will be Wed, March 3 in Miles at the Miles Opera House at
2:00 PM. Meet at the First United Methodist Church in Ballinger
at 1:30 to carpool.
Five BHS Students Compete
in VASE
2/18/2010
The
regional event of Visual Art Scholastic Event (VASE) was held on
Saturday, February 6, 2010, at Central High School in San
Angelo. Five students from Ballinger High School participated in
the competition that is sponsored by Texas Art Education
Association.
Those participating were Judd Hatler (pictured left), and
pictured right, Blake Holle, Cheyene Parker, Emily Studer, and
Ali Tounget.
Jurors rate the students based on their artwork and individual
interviews. The highest rating is IV Superior, followed by III
Excellent, II Average, and I Below Average.
Ali Tounget received a III Excellent rating on her mixed media
piece called “Red Kiss.” Cheyene Parker also received a III on
her piece called “Sunflower.” Cheyene also received a IV
Superior rating on her drawing called “A Vase and Other Stuff.”
Also receiving IVs were Blake Holle for his pieces, “Me, Myself,
and I” and “Shattered Thought.” Emily Studer received a IV for
her drawing “Mind Bottling.” Judd Hatler received a IV on the
drawing he titled “In the Mirror”. Judd received a IV and will
also be advancing to state competition in April with his drawing
called “Through a Cubist’s Eye.”
These works will be included in a special exhibit at the 2010
Fine Art Extravaganza in the Spring.
Meet and Greet - Runnels
County Judge Candidates
2/17/2010
Runnels County Judge Candidates "Meet and Greet" & Forum
Thursday February 18, 2010
6:00 - 6:30pm "Meet and Greet"
6:30 - 8:00pm Forum
Location: Ballinger High School Auditorium
The Forum will also be broadcast on KRUN 1400 AM
This event is sponsored by the Ballinger Noon Lions Club and
KRUN Radio
Lions Club and KRUN do not support any one candidate, This Forum
is strictly for the voters of Runnels County.
FAFSA Help
2/17/2010
A representative from Western Texas College will be in the
Ballinger High School library on Tuesday, February 23 from 10:00
a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to help any parents of seniors who need help
with the FAFSA. Please register for your Pin at
www.pin.ed.gov a few days before you come and bring your
filed tax return. If you have any questions, you may contact
Kandace Arrott at 365-3547 ext. 5005.
Trent's Retreat Steak and
Shrimp Dinner and Live Auction
2/17/2010 -by Misty
Ueckert
We are inviting all of Runnels County
and beyond to bring a hearty appetite and join us for an evening
of good friends, good food, and good fun - all for a great
cause! Trent’s Retreat will hold its first annual Steak &
Shrimp Dinner and Live Auction on Saturday, February 20th
at St. Joseph’s Parish Hall in Rowena. The delicious meal of
grilled steak and shrimp with all the trimmings will be served
from 5:30 – 7:30 with the live auction beginning at 7:00.
Advance tickets may still be purchased for $15.00 at Main
Street Soda Fountain or from any committee member. Tickets will
be available at the door for $20.00. For more information go to
www.trentsretreat.org
Because of your kindness, we have over one hundred
items for the live auction. Some of the auction items include a
storage shed, many beautiful handmade quilts and afghans,
overnight hotel stays, restaurant gift certificates, Texas
Rangers tickets, original prints and paintings, a pink shotgun,
a three night stay at a house on the beach, metal art, heavy
duty gas-powered leaf blower and weed-eater, crosses, tent
canopy, adirondack chairs, luggage sets, jewelry, blown glass,
shelled pecans, deer feeders and much, much more! Many items
are on display at Main Street Soda Fountain or may be viewed
online at
www.trentsretreat.org If you would like to donate an item,
please call Diane Michalewicz at 442-3202 or Jodie Kalina at
442-2503. In addition to our live auction we will be having a
Penny Social or Chinese Raffle. You may purchase a raffle
ticket with twenty-six chances to win. Just put your tickets in
the bucket by the items you would like to win. The more you
like an item, the more tickets you put in that particular
bucket. We have over twenty baskets full of items for our
Chinese Raffle and winners will be announced at the end of the
evening.
The response to Trent’s Retreat has been so heartfelt!
We have had local builders, a plumber, an electrician, air
conditioning and heating, concrete, and landscapers come forward
to volunteer their labor. Our Dinner and Auction will help us
raise funds for the materials to build the Retreat. We hope to
begin in March and be able to begin serving families in
September. During Trent’s treatments and stays at Cook
Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, we constantly told
everyone how fortunate we were to live in a small town because
everyone was so kind to rally around our family. We are so
excited to share this love and kindness with other families who
are dealing with so much. It is so difficult to juggle
treatments, watching your child lose their hair and miss out on
so many things, watching them be in pain and wondering if the
treatments are working, trying to make time for your other
children, and juggling finances to pay the bills, motels, food,
and gas, as well as hold down a job. It is so overwhelming!
Trent’s Retreat will be a place where families can come
and hopefully forget about the reality of all of this for just a
little while and just spend time being together as a family.
Thank you so much for helping the dream of Trent’s Retreat
become a reality. We will be forever grateful to all of you!
BHS UIL Results
2/16/2010
-results
provided by Roxan Bowman
The
Ballinger High School UIL Team competed in the Wylie Valentine
Classic on Saturday, February 13. Over 25 schools ranging from
1A to 3A completed. Ballinger was lead by an outstanding
performance by the Journalism team which won first place in
overall Journalism, as well as the speech team, which took
several medals including two individual golds.
Team Results:1st Place Overall Journalism
1st Place Science: Jared Fournier, Marcus Nelson, Jeremy Fischer
and Katie Chapman
2nd Place Number Sense: Jared Fournier, Collin Brown, Blake
Holle, Darian Evans and Judd Hatler
2nd Place Mathematics: Collin Brown, Jared Fournier, Katie
Chapman and Darian Evans
3rd Place Calculator: Kaci Hite, Katie Chapman, Jacie Frierson
and Karri Pruser
Individual Results:
Alice Avis: 2nd Informative Speaking
Samantha Baird: 5th Feature Writing
Alyssa Biscoe: 1st Editorial Writing
Collin Brown: 4th Mathematics
Jared Fournier: 4th Number Sense, 3rd Science
Samantha Gonzales: 2nd Prose
Kaci Hite: 5th Calculator
Maggie Hogan: 1st Informative Speaking
Clay Kelly: 4th Persuasive Speaking
Marcus Nelson: 4th Science
Paige Sanders: 1st Headline Writing
Sterling Sanders: 3rd Editorial Writing
Ali Tounget: 3rd Headline Writing
Evan Wilson: 1st Persuasive Speaking
The First National Bank of
Ballinger Valentine's Day Raffle -
Relay for Life Benefit Winner
2/14/2010
Bob
Brown was the winner of dinner and a dozen Roses for his
sweetheart for Valentine's Day. Pictured with Mr. Brown is bank
employee Tamara Moore who presented him with his roses and gift
certificate to Villa Palma.
Information about your
Runnels County Dispatch
2/14/2010 -provided
by Runnels County Dispatch Office
With the well deserved retirement of Janice Amarine from the
Ballinger Police Dept., all of the County's dispatching will be
done through the dispatch office located in the Runnels County
Jail. The five dispatchers that work there are responsible for
answering all 911 calls for the county in addition to the phones
for the police depts. of Ballinger and Winters and the Sheriff's
office phone weekdays after 5pm as well as weekends. The
dispatch office can also be reached at their main number of
365-5961 for non-emergency calls. The dispatching duties
include the Sheriff's Office, the Ballinger, Miles and Winters
police departments, all of the county fire departments,
Ballinger and Winters EMS, the game warden and DPS. Dispatch
can be extremely busy at times but will always strive to give
the best service they can at all times. The questions they ask
may not seem important to you when you call ,but they need all
information possible to dispatch the proper people and for their
officer's safety. Runnels County Dispatch is available to give
presentations to any interested group on using 911 or how
dispatch works. For more information call 365-5961.
BYBA Signup has Begun
2/12/2010
The Ballinger Youth Baseball Association (BYBA) has
started accepting registration forms for the 2010 baseball
season. The forms are available through the schools, Treadmill,
and online at
www.leaguelineup.com/ballingeryouthbaseball. New this year,
all registration forms will need to be accompanied by a copy of
the player’s birth certificate. Completed forms, birth
certificates, and payment will all need to be received by March
5, 2010. Any registration forms received after this will be
charged a $10 late fee and will be subject to space
availability. Coach applications will be available on the
website as well as at Treadmill. Player and coach forms can both
be turned into the Treadmill or mailed to Ballinger Youth
Baseball Association, P.O. Box 203, Ballinger, TX 76821. The
BYBA also has board positions available. We are looking to make
this a great year and any individuals willing to help us achieve
this are welcome to join our next meeting February 17, 2010, 6:00pm
at Beefmaster. Additional information can be found on our
website.
Spotlight Change
2/12/2010
Meet your DAEP Instructor on
the new edition of the BISD Faculty Spotlight.
Keeping the Arts in Texas -
100 Artists Act
2/12/2010
The works of over one hundred artists from three
foreign countries, two continents and fifteen states will be
auctioned off on Saturday, March 20, 2010, to benefit Artists
Changing Tomorrow or ACT. The ACT International Invitational
2010 is a project of the nonprofit Art Guild of Rural Texas
based in Fayetteville, Texas.
Artists from as far away as England and South America
have contributed original works for the auction. American
artists from fifteen states have also contributed, including
Ballinger artist, Susan Mansell. Works will include traditional
media such as oils, acrylic and watercolor paintings as well as
photography, fiber art, metalwork and ceramics.
ACT is the inspiration of internationally known Texas
artist, Karen Vernon. Vernon, herself, has been painting since
childhood and earned her degree in art education. After teaching
for several years, she began her career as a watercolorist full
time. Now, after a 40-year career in the arts, Vernon
contributes much of her success in life to her early childhood
experiences in the visual arts and music. “In the face of
ever-shrinking funds allotted to the arts in schools and
communities, I decided artists of today must act to support
programs which nurture the environment needed for the artists of
tomorrow.”
Ms. Vernon is ecstatic about the artists’ responses to
her request for original art for the auction. “I invited 120
known professional artists from around the country and abroad to
donate a 12” x 12” original art piece. These are professional
artists who exhibit and sell their work in galleries and are
established in many public collections. Of the 120 professional
artists asked, 102 artists said yes. The response and support
from artists has been incredible.”
Some of the well-known artists include Florida artist,
Dean Mitchell whose watercolors and oil paintings are found in
some of the most notable collections. Mitchell generously
participated stating he was “glad to be a part of anything that
encourages a deeper appreciation of the arts.” Margaret Roseman
and Linda Kemp, highly collected watercolorists from Canada,
enthusiastically joined forces with the US artists. David Poxon,
watercolorist from the UK and Bernard Mendoza from England and
the US came on board with avid support and contributions to the
cause. Mendoza is an internationally known reportage
photographer, with works in US museums and the National Portrait
Gallery in London and in Scotland. When he heard of the ACT
project, he stated, “There is no more important project with
which to be aligned.”
“Our short range goal for ACT is to raise funds for
Texas arts programs. Our long range goal is for ACT to inspire
other communities around the country and the world to create
their own ACT programs, too.”
The public is invited to attend and to bid on the
pieces. All proceeds benefit Artists Changing Tomorrow or ACT, a
program of the Art Guild of Rural Texas, a 501 C3 non-profit
organization.
The art will be on display for previewing at The
Gallery at Round Top, TX, from March 17, 2010, to March 19,
2010. The silent auction itself will be from 4 PM to 9 PM on
Saturday, March 20. The Gallery is located at 203 East Austin
Street in Round Top, Texas. The phone number is 979-249-4119 for
more details. Reservations for the auction are required.
Catalogs from the show are available for $65. Contact:
info@artguildtexas.org
More information is available on the artists and their
artwork is available at:
www.act4art.org
www.artguildtexas.org
BHS CX Debate Team Takes
District Title
2/11/2010
The
Ballinger High School CX Debate team took the District 7AA
Championship and qualified two teams for state competition. The
BHS students dominated a field of 11 teams competing in Wall
Wednesday for the District Championship.
The team of Alice Avis and Magdalina Hogan were undefeated in
prelims and advanced to the finals as the number one seed. They
defeated the Grape Creek A team in the semi-finals and the
Ballinger B team to clinch the gold medal.
The Ballinger B team of Evan Wilson and Clay Kelley
completed preliminary round with a 2-1 record and was the fourth
seed in finals based on speaker points. They defeated the Wall A
team in semi-finals which set up the all Ballinger final.
Freshmen Lindsey Heidenhemer and Samantha Regula
represented the Bearcats as the C team. The girls did not advance to
the finals but competed well as they faced the top teams from Wall,
Grape Creek and Coahoma in their preliminary rounds.
The top speaker award went to
Montemayor from the Wall A team. Hogan finished
2nd in Speaker points and Avis was third.
The state qualifiers will travel to Austin in March
to compete at the State Meet. They are
Coached by Sheran Geistmann and Leah Coco.
Janice Amarine to Retire
after 53 years
2/10/2010
On Feb. 12, 2010, the city of Ballinger will have a retirement
party for Janice Amarine. Janice is retiring after 53 years of
service, with the Ballinger Police Department. Her 53 years of
service, is the longest in the history of Ballinger and probably
most of the other cities in the State. She started working for
the PD on July 1, 1957, two months after graduating from high
school.
When asked about one of her memories from the past,
Janice remembers meeting Paul Boggess, former police officer and
chief of police, when he was 6 or 7 years old. Paul's
grandfather was a police officer and had brought the young boy
into the police station to meet Janice. After talking for a
bit, Janice asked Paul what he wanted to be when he grew up.
Paul replied that he wanted to be a policeman, like his
granddad. Janice told him she hoped that she would still be
around when he realized that dream. Well, as it turned out, she
was still around and worked with Paul for 26 years, ultimately
Paul was her boss as the Chief of Police for most of those
years.
Throughout the years, she has seen a lot of changes and
worked with a lot of different people. In Ballinger, if you
want to know a phone number and can't find it in the phonebook,
everyone knows you can call Janice and odds are she is going to
help you out. She is lovingly know as "a living phone book".
A retirement party is being held on Feb 12, 2010, at
Ballinger City Hall, from 2 to 4. Everyone in the community is
invited to come out and show their appreciation for Janice.
See the Faces page for a few more shots of Janice at a dinner
this evening with Chief J.C. Gore and others.
Thanks from The Carnegie
Library
2/10/2010
-by Carla Campbell, President of
the Library Board
On behalf
of the Carnegie Library Board, I would like to thank all who
attended A Taste of Ballinger. This fund raiser for the library
was very successful. I hope you all enjoyed the food and the
fellowship. A special thanks to the churches who participated
this year: 9th St. Church of Christ, First Christian, 7th St.
Baptist, St. Mary's Catholic, Methodist, 1st Baptist, and
Presbyterian. Without your participation and the wonderful food
your members prepared, this fund raiser would not have been
possible. Thank you to the Art Guild for your participation
also.
New Rotarian
2/10/2010
Ballinger
Rotary Club welcomed another new member this week. Stacy Hopper
rotary club president, presents Byron Bauerlein with a
certificate and new member packet.
Suggested Tornado Drill for
Schools
2/10/2010 -made
available by BISD Superintendent Laura Strube
The National Weather Service (NWS) in San Angelo encourages all
residents and schools across West Central Texas to practice
their tornado warning drill on Thursday, February 25, at 9:30
A.M. Click
here to view the press release.
FCCLA Bake Sale
2/10/2010
Ballinger FCCLA will be hosting a bake sale this
Saturday, February 13 from 10 - 2 in the Walmart parking lot.
All proceeds will go to the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty which
supports self-esteem workshops for pre-teens and teenagers.
Please come out and help us support a great cause!
Relay for Life Bake Sale
2/10/2010
The Sugarbakers will
be having a bake sale, Friday, February 12, at Wal-mart, noon
until sold out. There will be cakes, pies, diabetic treats, and
much more. All proceeds will go to the Runnels County Relay for
Life.
Contact: Nalda Keesee 365-2707 if you need any more info.
Benefit Account
2/8/2010
To help benefit Melinda
Clayton who was diagnosed with ALS, there has been an account
set up at Ballinger National Bank for anyone who would like to
make donations to help go towards medical expenses for the
family. For More information, contact Brooke at
brooke_clayton@verizon.net
Ballinger FCCLA Attended
Region II Meeting
2/8/2010
Ballinger FCCLA attended the Region II meeting
February 5 and 6. The chapter had two candidates for Region
officer with both being elected it. Kelsey Lott was elected
Region II V.P. of Parliamentary Law and Courtney Gibbs was
elected Region II V.P. of Correspondence. Both young ladies will
be representing the chapter next year as they serve the Region.
Leadership Enhancement Opportunities are tests that
students can take to show their knowledge in the area of Family
and Consumer Sciences. 5 members took LEO's from BHS including
Josh Daniels who received a silver medal in Consumer Math and
Kassia Jaramillio who received a silver medal in Etiquette.
Alzado Rodriguez and Rebecca Johnson received bronze medals as
well as Kaitlin Bryan took an LEO. Nolan Esquivel was also on
hand recording all of the events for the Region by participating
on the Connection Team.
STAR events are competitive events where members
compete individually or as a team. BHS had 6 teams representing
them in STAR event competitions. Jessie Horton, Myranda Fuentes,
and Brittany Hurt competed in Chapter Service and placed 6th.
Natalie McClure, Magan Rich, and Katlyn Heidenheimer competed in
Illustrated Talk and placed 5th. Melanie Bailey competed in Job
Interview and placed 3rd. J'Zee King and Susan Wallace competed
in Chapter Showcase and placed 1st. Kelsey Allen, Maritza
Aguirre, and Erica Hunter competed in National Programs in
Action. Dulce Castillo and Jacklyn O'Bryant also competed in
Focus on Children. All teams placing in the top 6 will advance
to state.
The First National Bank of
Ballinger - Bake Sale
2/8/2010
The First National Bank of Ballinger is having a bake sale
to benefit the American Cancer Society
Friday, February 12, 2010
9 a.m. To close
Cakes, pies, brownies, cookies, candy bags and more!
We are also selling Valentine Day’s picture frames in the lobby
all week.
Lots of special treats so please stop by and take a look.
We appreciate all donations. The First National Bank of
Ballinger.
New Rotarians
2/8/2010
The
Rotary Club accepted two new members pictured below.
Left New Member Melanie Womack, Center Rotary Treasurer David
Cowart, and Right, New Member Glenda Wood.
Accident Information and
Thanks from Chief Gore
2/8/2010 -by
Ballinger PD Chief J.C. Gore
At approximately 10:39hrs., 02/05/2010, central
dispatch received an inbound emergency call reporting a major
traffic accident on highway 67 in front of Town and Country.
Mark Irby heard the initial collision and was first on scene. He
summoned assistance and began to assist the injured. The female
passenger identified as Tamara Joiner was flown via Shannon
AirMed1 to
Shannon
Medical Center where she remains in critical condition. The
driver, identified as Lloyd Joiner was transferred to Ballinger
Memorial Hospital, stabilized and then transferred to Shannon
Medical Center. The driver of the other vehicle, Harm Ray Glass
was treated at Ballinger Memorial Hospital and released. The
accident is still under investigation.
I would like to
extend my sincerest appreciation to Sheriff Baird and his staff,
Game Warden Lane Pinckney, Constable Wayne Poehls and Mark Irby
for their assistance in handling the vehicle accident occurring
Friday on Highway 67. Also, my compliments to the
Ballinger Emergency Medical Services and Ballinger Memorial
Hospital for their quick response and assistance.
The difficulty
in handling serious situations would be compounded without the help
of these professionals and I am deeply grateful they were there.
The Ballinger
Fire Department provides an indispensible service in removing and
caring for injured persons following vehicle accidents. The fire
department consist of men and women who not only fight fires, assist
in traffic accidents, but will turn out to look for lost kids, help
in traffic control and whatever else the community requires. We are
a fortunate community to have them.
The police
department continues to enjoy a close rapport with the Texas
Department of Transportation. Without being called, they have
responded to incidents and have assisted in traffic control and
relieved the law enforcement officer to care for the injured and
removal of vehicles.
Ballinger is a
fortunate town to have such dedicated professionals in law
enforcement, emergence medical services, the fire department, TXDoT,
and last but not least, the individual who when they see the need,
responds without being ask and expects nothing in return.
For some unknown
reason, we seem to be at our best when things are at their worst.
Groundbreaking
2/7/2010
The Glory Road Cowboy Church plans a groundbreaking/dedication
for our new church on Feb 14th,at 3:00 pm
From Ballinger take Hwy 158 to 2111, turn left, go 1 mi to CR
293, turn right about 1/2 mile.
Come join us for our celebration. Public welcome.
First Baptist Church
Valentines Banquet
2/7/2010
First Baptist Church
400 N. 8th Street
Free Meal and Inspirational Speaker
Wednesday, February 10, 6:00 PM
Speaker Grant Lengefeld
“A Story of Love, Faith, Forgiveness and Victory”
Childcare provided by reservation, 365-3565, for children ages 4
and younger
Straight From the Heart
Blood Drive
2/7/2010
Thursday, February 18th
4:00pm – 7:15pm
Bloodmobile in the Wal-Mart Ballinger parking lot
Schedule your life-saving donation today:
Call United Blood Services at (325) 223-7500
Or go online to www.bloodhero.com
And enter sponsor code: walmartbal
Each donor will receive:
A t-shirt with Don Dane’s artwork
Entry into Daily and Grand Prize Drawings
GRAND PRIZES
--GEORGE STRAIT Autographed Jacket
courtesy of George Strait
--One Pair of Leddy Vaquero Boots
courtesy of ML Leddy’s Boot and Saddlery
--$150 GIFT CERTIFICATE
courtesy of Mr. Boots
--2 TICKETS TO THE FINAL RODEO PERFORMANCE
courtesy of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Association
DAILY DRAWINGS
--A PAIR OF TICKETS TO Various RODEO Performances
courtesy of San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo
--GATE PASSES courtesy of San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo
--FREE SHOE SHINE courtesy of Ernie’s Shoe Shine
--Wrangler Jeans courtesy of Tractor Supply
--Wrangler Jeans courtesy of Palmers Feed and Supply
The First National Bank of
Ballinger Valentine's Day Raffle -
Relay for Life Benefit
2/3/2010
Win a dozen roses, a box of chocolates and dinner at
Villa Palma for your sweetie.
The drawing will take place Friday morning, February 12th at 9
a.m. You will be notified by phone to pick up your prize.
Tickets are $1/each or $5 for 6 tickets. Tickets may be
purchased at The First National Bank of Ballinger.
Gray Ranch Youth Hunt
2/2/2010
-by Lane Pinckney, Game Warden
The
Sixth Annual Runnels County Youth Hunt was held on the Gray
Ranch January 9th and 10th during the special youth
only deer season. In spite of temperatures in the teens, six
young hunters from the Runnels County area harvested two bucks
and five does during the two day hunt. The hunters were, left to
right, Jacob Boggess, Jared Heitman, Travis Martinez, Marcos
Fuentes, Fabion Reyes, and John Cuellar. Prior to going to the
field the hunters were instructed in marksmanship, firearm
safety, game laws, hunter ethics, and tracking. Assisting with
the hunt this year were Gerry Kindle, Mike Gray, Brandon Bates,
Marshall Green, Lane Pinckney, Doug Black, Jay Patterson, Zac
Gray, Shaughn Sims, Leonard Westra, and Danny Wright. Sponsors
of this years hunt are Owens Processing, VFW Post in Brady, the
Gray family, and the Texas Game Warden Association. During the
last six years this youth hunt has introduced 41 youngsters to
the sport of hunting with everyone harvesting at least one deer.
Many of them experiencing the excitement of harvesting their
first deer ever. Thanks to the supporters of this event for
their donations, contributions and their continued support and
commitment to our youth, youth activities, wildlife management,
and conservation.
Imagination Station
Playground Raffle
2/2/2010
First Prize:
10 game mini plan for San Angelo Colts ($85 value)
$30 gift card to Buffalo Wild Wings
4 Bowling passes
Second Prize:
2 tickets to San Angelo Stampede
football game
$30 gift card to Texas Steak Express
4 Bowling passes
Imagination Station Dinner Raffle
One night stay at Comfort Suites
(4450 W Houston Harte)
$25 gift card to Olive Garden
2 Movie passes
2 Bowling passes
Contact any board member: Terilyn at
Willingham Ins., Stacy at Mueller Supply, Elaine at Little Tots
Depot, Tammie at Chamber, Elizabeth at 1st Community, Clay at
Ballinger National Bank or any of the following committee members:
Sheree Goetz, Mark Willingham, Sherry Cavazos.
Open House
2/1/2010
The Ballinger Senior Citizens will be having an Open House in
the
Newly renovated center at 608 Sealy on February 11th
from 2:00-5:00. Everyone is invited to come see our new center.
The total renovation Was paid for thru fundraisers, grants and
community donations. The dining room has all new dining tables
and chairs and the kitchen is Equipped with some new equipment.
Plaques are on the wall in the dining area showing all our
contributions. We want to take this time to
express our gratitude to all those who contributed. The seniors
in our community deserve a nice place to gather to eat and
socialize. We hope that other seniors in Ballinger and the
surrounding areas will come and enjoy some time with us. We
serve a noon meal every weekday and the center is open from
7:00-2:30 for anyone to come and play games, enjoy a cup of
coffee or a nutritious meal. Citizens under 60 are also invited
to join us for a meal as visitors.
St. Joseph Parish Blood
Drive
2/1/2010
The Bi-Monthly Blood Drive will be held at St. Joseph
Parish Hall, Rowena, on February 7, 2010, from 8 a.m. - 12 noon.
For more information or to set up an appointment, please contact
David or Pat Lange at 442-4721. If you can - give the gift of
life.
View past news on
our Archives
page.
Texas
Wildlife Services has renewed their efforts to manage a predator
buffer zone on the north side of Runnels County. County Trapper
Wayne Johnson will be working the next few weeks to locate feral
hogs and other predators as they prepare for a sweep of a Northern
Runnels County. Producers who signed up for the program need not do
anything. Those contracts are still good. All other landowners who
would like to sign up are encouraged to do so by calling Wayne
Johnson. 
Tom
and Deborah Sykes of Ballinger wish to announce the engagement of
their daughter, Leslie Ann of Lubbock, to Jeffrey Brian Pair of
Midland.
Nicole
Ramirez won the perfect attendance drawing for the fourth six weeks
at Ballinger Elementary School. There were 223 students who had
perfect attendance. Nicole is in the fourth grade and her teachers
are Mrs. Jennifer Cullen and Mrs. Shayla Dankworth. Congratulations
to Nicole and her family. Nicole has won movie tickets to Cinemark
and dinner at Mr. Gatti's. Good Attendance = Family Fun !
The
Ballinger Knights of Columbus Council #10985 annually raises money
for the Pregnancy Help Center of the Concho Valley. Once a year,
the Knights pass out baby bottles to the parishioners at the weekend
Masses at St. Mary’s. The parishioners are asked to place their
loose change in the bottles for a month or until they are full, and
then return the bottles to church. This recent collection brought
in $1,300 for the Pregnancy Help Center. The picture shows Grand
Knight Tom Studer presenting the check to Judy Presley, the
Administrative Assistant of the Pregnancy Help Center. Also
attending the presentation are council members (L-R) Jim Studer,
Edwin Zly, Alton Schaefer, Larry Lange, and David Workman. The
Pregnancy Help Center of the Concho Valley is a locally funded
organization which provides guidance and support to expectant
mothers experiencing an unexpected or crisis pregnancy. The
Pregnancy Help Center provides information and support concerning
alternatives to abortion. The Knights of Columbus wish to thank the
parishioners of St. Mary’s Star of the Sea in Ballinger for their
generous support. 
Greg
W. Schwertner, President and CEO of The First National Bank of
Ballinger announces the promotion of DeeDee Peterson to Assistant
Vice-President.
