Stautzenberger Named All-District MVP - Markham Newcomer of the Year

The 2004 31AA All-District Football Announcements were posted to the S-TISD website Friday. Congratulations to Blake Stautzenberger who was named Most Valuable Player of the District. Freshman Cory Markham was honored as the District's Newcomer of the Year. Players named to the First Team Offense included Jeff Hudson, Josh Manthei (Unanimous Pick), and Jordan Haws. First Team Defense players were Jeff Hudson,Josh Manthei, (Unanimous Pick), Bubba Gonzales (Unanimous Pick), Garrett Gonzales (Unanimous Pick), and, James Garcia. For complete listings including Second Team and Honorable Mentions, go to S-T ISD Online - 2004 31AA All-District Football Announcements.

Trans Texas Corridor Threatens Water Rights

CorridorWatch.org Member Bulletin (11.25.04) Potential threats to Texas’ water created by the Trans Texas Corridor are very serious. Some of our worst fears have just been reinforced by a Senate Subcommittee Report.

The Trans Texas Corridor plan includes pipelines described as being used to transfer water over long distances. Where will that water come from? Where will it go? We fear that it may be pumped directly from the Corridor itself.

The 4,000 miles of Trans Texas Corridor will cut through approximately 118 counties covering every region of Texas. Of course all 580,000 acres of the Corridor will become state owned land. Under provisions of law adopted by HB3588 Corridor land may be leased for any commercial, industrial or agricultural purpose. Nothing precludes leasing land for water mining or selling water rights. Under the rule of capture, the acreage isn’t as important as the location of the potential wells.

Are water wells on the Trans Texas Corridor exempt from local water conservation district regulations? We fear that they are exempt and not subject to local regulation.

Can our water be exported to Mexico, maybe in exchange for oil and gas?
Would water exported to Mexico be used to produce agricultural products that would flow back across the boarder to directly compete with Texas producers? We fear that it will... Read more....

Additional information regarding the Trans Texas Corridor may be found online at CorridorWatch.org

Area Residents Break out the Christmas Lights

With Thanksgiving safely behind us, Skidmore residents are untangling the lights and gearing up for Christmas. In the spirit of our previous spur of the moment "Halloween Costume Contest," the Signal is looking for Skidmore-Tynan's (and Papalote's) most impressive Christmas light display. Make your nomination in the comments section below.

High School Sports Pics

Jason Bevly heads for the basket.


Ben Mengers looks for an open man.

Ladycats Take 1st Place in Kingsville Academy Shootout

Ladycats with 1st Place trophy. Top row left to right: Emily Mengers, Chantale Adames, Katlynn Mengers, Lucy Espinosa, Becky Ramos, and Stephanie Coker. Bottom row left to right: Monica Olivarez, Sarah Mengers, Alysa Drake, and Stephanie Estrada. - Photos by Senecia Mengers

The Skidmore-Tynan Ladycats Varsity Basketball Team took first place in the Kingsville Annual Academy Shootout. The team defeated Hebbronville, Freer, and Valley View to advance to the championship game on Saturday, November 20th against the Robstown Lady Cottonpickers.  Becky Ramos was awarded MVP of the tournament and Stephanie Estrada was named All-Tourney for the Ladycats. The Ladycats are very excited about the upcoming season and appreciate the support of the community at their games. The Ladycats have a 7-0 record this year. Their first district game is in Skidmore, December 13, against the Odem Lady Owls.


Senior Ladycats from left to right: Katlynn Mengers, Sarah Mengers, and Becky Ramos.

Jr. High Sports Pics

Cody Chambers in the opening jump versus George West.


Kevin Ramos drives past a couple of Longhorns.


Alexandra Gonzales goes 1-on-1 on the S-T home court.

S-T ISD Positions Open for Language Arts, Math, and English Teacher.

Skidmore-Tynan ISD is now accepting applications for 6th grade Language Arts and 7th and 8th grade Math teaching positions.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.For more information, please contact the Skidmore-Tynan Jr. High at 361-287-3426. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

There is also an opening for a High School Certified Secondary English teacher. Position to be filled immediately. Contact High School Principal Patty Holubec at (361) 287-3427 ext. 215.

Applications are available online at the S-T ISD Website.

UPDATE 12/15/04: The 6th Grade Language Arts and High School Certified Secondary English teacher positions have been filled.

Bobcats Fall to Yorktown in Area Playoff

Blake Stautzenberger looks for an open receiver.

The Bobcat football season came to an end Friday as Yorktown proved to be more than worthy opponents. The Wildcats effectively shut down the Bobcat running game and seriously hampered QB Blake Stautzenberger's attempts to take the game to the air. Yorktown's speedy defensive backfield looked like shadows on Bobcat receivers - allowing only 5 completions on 21 passing attempts and racking up 3 interceptions.

After a scoreless 1st quarter, the Wildcats were first to put points on the board with a touchdown and extra point. The Bobcats received a lucky break when a Yorktown interception and resulting touchdown was called back due to an illegal block. The Wildcats settled for a field goal, bringing the score to 10-0. In the closing seconds of the first half, Stautzenberg connected with a "hail mary" to Garrett Gonzales putting the the ball inside Yorktown's 20 yard line and firing up the Bobcat fans. With just 21 seconds left in the half, Stautzenber connected again with a short pass to Josh Manthei for the touchdown. Kicker Adam Aguilar came through with the extra point and Bobcat spectators breathed a sigh of relief as they entered halftime with the score a respectable 10-7.

The Bobcats received another lucky break early in the 3rd quarter when a Wildcat lineman barreled into the punter. The resulting "roughing the kicker" penalty gave the Bobcats a first down. Unfortunately, Yorktown stopped the Cats' momentum a few plays later by stripping the ball away. Yorktown continued to move the ball against the Bobcats, scoring another 6 points on a touchdown and missed field goal attempt.

Things were looking bleak in the 4th quarter as a third Wildcat touchdown brought the score to 22-7. Undaunted, the Bobcats continued to put a up a valiant fight. Henry Herzog made a diving grab into the endzone to kill a Bobcat punt on the Yorktown 1 yard line and the Cats repeatedly forced Yorktown to punt from deep within their own territory. Refusing to give up, the Bobcats turned to their passing game in hopes of making something happen. But the Wildcats' smothering pass defense proved too difficult to penetrate and as the final seconds of the game ticked away the score remained Yorktown 22 - Skidmore-Tynan 7.


Josh Manthei goes up against a wall of Wildcats.

Skidmore Signal Now in Tabloid Format

The Signal is new and improved.

If you are familiar with the previous incarnation of the Skidmore Signal newsletter, and have been out and about lately, you may have noticed some pretty big changes to our little publication. To date, the Signal existed only on the internet and occasionally as a small, hard to find, two-page newsletter. On Tuesday the Signal evolved into a full fledged 12 page tabloid newspaper and by golly we printed a lot of them and we're putting them everywhere. Faithful readers of the online Signal will find familiar content along with a few new articles. The final installment of Edwin Wallek's 3-part story "Picking and Ginning" is included along with the first two segments for the benefit of the many folks who will no doubt be reading it for the first time. In future issues, selected stories will appear first in the printed edition, then online. In this way, we hope to keep the flow of information fresh while attracting more readers via the new "offline" format.

The new Signal may be purchased for the low low price of 50 cents (or 2 for a dollar) at any of the following local businesses: Chisholm Trail Cafe, Dalia's, Hilltop Lounge, Hoot Owl Hollow, Lucky Horseshoe, Kwik Pantry, Papa's Market, Mary's Place (Papalote), and Shamrock. We are hoping to place a few issues at the Tynan Co-op by the weekend. The Signal thanks the community for its support and welcomes any suggestions for improving the publication.

Turkey Shooters Raise Cash for Lions Club

Shooters compare targets.

After a disappointing turnout last year, Skidmore-Tynan Lions Club members were pleased by the success of Sunday's Annual Turkey Shoot. Participants in this year's fundraiser shot ten rounds for ten turkeys, plus one split-the-pot round, raising over $200 in support of Lions charities. The Signal can testify that all participants were excellent shots provided they were using shotguns. In the 22 rifle round, all ten shooters missed their targets completely. It was agreed that the fault must lie in the vintage 22 rifle loaned by Lion President David Waishes. After switching to a more contemporary model, two shooters succeeded in hitting the target. The rest repeated their performance of the previous round. Mr. Waishes was happy with the results as he only had to draw up two new targets and can reuse the rest in next year's shoot. The Lions thank Hoot Owl Hollow for hosting the event.

Sports Pic

Chris Patrova takes a jump shot in Monday's Jr. High game versus Freer.

Former S-T Grad Dies

Julie Sugarek relays news of the death of a former S-T graduate. Jennifer Schmidt graduated from Skidmore-Tynan in 1994. Sadly, Jennifer's brother Chad Schmidt also passed away recently. The news clipping follows:

LAKE HIGHLANDS: Former football star, wife found dead in their home.
A former star Texas A&M University football player and a woman believed to be his wife were found dead in their Lake Highlands home about 11 p.m. Friday, police said. Investigators had not determined Saturday how Lance Teichelman, 34, and Jennifer Teichelman, 29, died in their home in the 8700 block of Halstead Court. A police officer found the couple, and there were no obvious signs of trauma, authorities said. The Dallas County medical examiner's office said toxicology tests were planned. Mr. Teichelman, a defensive lineman in the early 1990s at Texas A&M, was a seventh-round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 1994. He had stints with the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. The Cotton Bowl committee named him to its all-decade team for the 1990s.

UPDATE: Lance Teichelman's obituary is online in the Austin American Statesman Obituaries. Unfortunately, Jennifer is not mentioned. If someone comes across her obituary please inform the Signal by clicking on the "Submit News" link at the top of this page. Additional information regarding the mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths of Lance and Jennifer can be found at DallasNews.com Tests pending in death of ex-A&M star.

UPDATE: Charles Teichelman informs the Signal that Jennifer's obituary appears in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times November 16 Obituaries.

Bobcats 15 - Longhorns 12

Bobcat players celebrate a hard won victory.

Big plays made all the difference as the Hebbronville Longhorns and Skidmore-Tynan Bobcats faced off in Fridays first post-season playoff game. Hebbronville was first to put points on the board with a touchdown and failed extra point attempt. The Bobcats quickly answered with a Josh Manthei run into the end zone followed by Adam Aguilar’s extra point kick. The Bobcats continued to lead 7-6 through the third quarter in what would be a tight defensive battle. Prospects were looking good for the Bobcats in the fourth quarter after a 15 yard penalty pushed the Longhorns well back into their own territory. But the Longhorn quarterback pulled off a 75 yard touchdown pass that put the Longhorns ahead 12-7 with just a little over five minutes left in the ball game. Not to be outdone, the Bobcats answered with a 60 yard drive capped off by a Blake Stautzenberger touchdown and 2 point conversion. With just two minutes left on the scoreboard, the Bobcat defensive squad held on to the lead and the Bi-District Win. The Bobcats will face off with Yorktown in area playoffs at 7:30 pm Friday, November 19, again at Beeville’s Veterans Memorial Stadium. Go Bobcats!


Bobcat Band drummers treated fans to a special half time routine.

You Want Fries with Your Liver Failure?

Had a Big Mac lately? You could be putting your health at serious risk. Yahoo News reports South Korean activist ends risky diet of junk food. And for the documentary that inspired it all: Super Size Me

Proposed Trans Texas Corridor Intersects Bee County

What's a quarter mile wide, has ten lanes of traffic, six high speed railways, and crisscrosses the heart of Bee County? CorridorWatch.org has an informative website with details on what appears to be a massive statewide boondoggle in the making. Take a close look at Bee County on this map of the proposed corridor routes.

Beeville Hosts S-T vs. Hebbronville Football Playoff

The Bobcats will go up against District 32 champs, the Hebbronville Longhorns, at 8pm Friday in Beeville's Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns went 5-0 in District play with an overall record of 7 & 2. The Longhorns and Bobcats faced two common opponents during the regular season. The Longhorns lost to Odem 20-14 who the Bobcats narrowly defeated 22-21 in overtime. Both teams defeated Freer although the Longhorns 31-8 win was a bit more impressive than the Bobcat 14-6 score. The Bobcats ended the season with a 5-1 District record and 7-3 overall. Presale tickets for Friday's big game are available at the S-T High School office. Tickets are $1 for students and adults $4.

Darcy Curnutte - South Texas Distinguished Scholar

S-T ISD Senior Darcy Curnutte was named as one of two scholarship winners in the Spirit category of the 2004 Caller-Times South Texas Distinguished Scholars. The S-T ISD website notes "She is among eighteen students from some forty Coastal Bend high schools chosen for this honor, and was chosen from more than 300 nominations." Read the S-T ISD article Local Teen Receives Distinguished Award for details of Ms. Curnutte's academic and extracurricular accomplishments. The Caller-Times website also features a story entitled "Darcy Curnutte enjoys sports, puts academics first."

Water Board Begins Work on East Side

The corner of Sullivan and 3rd Street.

The Skidmore Water Supply Corporation began laying the water and wastewater lines on Skidmore's east side this week. Water board president Jim Strong estimates the east-side work could be completed in as little as 6 months but was careful not to make any promises. Water lines on the west side of Hwy 181 are scheduled for testing Monday or Tuesday and, assuming all goes well, residents and and businesses along 181 could have access to city water the following week.

Local Election Results

The voters have spoken and the results are in. County turnout in the presidential race was 57.56% of 16,513 registered voters. Exact Bee County vote counts and other details may be found online at the Office of the Secretary of State 2004 General Election Night Returns.

President
George W. Bush (REP)
U. S. Representative District 15
Ruben Hinojosa (DEM)
Railroad Commissioner
Victor G. Carrillo (REP)
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 3
Harriet O'Neill (REP)
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 5
Paul Green (REP)
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 9
Scott Brister (REP)
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2
Lawrence "Larry" Meyers (REP)
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Place 5
Cheryl Johnson (REP)
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Place 6
Michael E. Keasler (REP)
State Senator, District 21
Judith Zaffirini (DEM)
State Representative District 35
Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles (DEM)
Justice, 13th Court of Appeals District, Place 3
Linda Yanez (DEM)
District Judge, 343rd Judicial District
Janna K. Whatley (DEM)
District Attorney, 156th Judicial District
Martha Warner (DEM)
County Attorney
Mike Knight (DEM)
Sheriff
Carlos Carrizales (DEM)
County Tax Assessor-Collector
Andrea W. Gibbud (REP)
Constable, Precinct No. 4
Tom Brown (DEM)

The Signal Called it First - BUSH WINS

The first numbers are starting to come in. Looks like Bush Wins Nation's First Votes. Kerry likely to put off concession speech to last minute.

"Reflecting on Lesson Learned"

Kitten Murphy writes "This poem was written by my son, Micheal Scott. This is his story of the week of June 6, 2004: when the devil tried to take him but God wouldn't let Micheal go. I share this with you in hopes you will pass it on to maybe help another teenage soul out there somewhere who is in denial, just as Micheal was on that week. This poem IS a true story."
Full moon shining bright in the sky
Three sheets to the wind
I'm driving with some people who I thought were my friends
Headed back from doin some things I might not've
South bound 181, blurred dotted lines passin by like stars in the night
I fly by where I used to lay my head
If I'm not careful, six feet under may be my new bed
On I go down some winding turns and around a bend
To the house of one of those "friends"
Drop them off and then back down that road I go
I pass back by that house that I loved so.
God told me that this is where I better stay
But, I decided to keep going without delay
South bound 181, blurred dotted lines are still all around
Speedometer reading sixty,
I knew still that I was being risky
Within a fraction of a second
I was at my exit
Little did I know that ending my life was going to be in this direction
Gear thrown down in park
Out of the truck I successfully embark
With the words of God still ringing in my ear
I lie down on that couch with no fear
Sleep, sleep, such a deep dreamless sleep
Until three days later
I wake, with my loved ones crowded around my feet
In the hospital I was
All because I did what everyone else does
With tears in her eyes
My mom says, "Micheal, you were about to die"
North bound 181,
I say to God, " I'm thankful to be your son."

I learned the hard way as to what the consequences of teenage drinking are. Do not ever say that this kind of thing will never happen to you. I said that and it happened to me! Please read this poem again, put yourself in my shoes, and think as to what would have happened if God would not have given me another chance. Some people are not so lucky!!! -- Micheal Scott, October 31, 2004