Didya get full?

Skidmore's Chisholm Trail Cafe earned a brief mention in the San Antonio Express News story Astros odyssey: If you go.

Adages, Aphorisms and Colloquialisms

Better late than never, comes Edwin Wallek Jr.'s article "Why'd They Say That?" – reprinted from the April 2005 issue of the Skidmore Signal and now posted online in Historical Notes.

Skidmore Head Start Registration

BCAA is currently taking applications for the 2005-06 Head Start center in Skidmore. Apply Mon-Fri from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Tyler Head Start, located at 815 N. Tyler in Beeville. Children must be at least 3 years old as of Sept.1, 2005 and family income must meet the 2005 HHS Poverty Guidelines. Call Gracie Botello at 358-0583, ext. 26 for more information.

Band Students Go High Tech

We're not sure if it can be called official just yet, but members of the Skidmore-Tynan Bobcat Band have created their very own website. If you thought all band kids were geeks, well, there's nothing to prove otherwise on this website! Check out skidmoreband.tripod.com for information about all things musical and other weirdness. -- (Just kidding about that geek stuff guys - ya'll really do rock!)

Apply Now for Water and Waste Services

The Skidmore Water Supply Corporation (SWSC) is busy connecting local residents into Skidmore’s new water and wastewater system. The SWSC has hooked up close to 100 residents and reminds those not yet connected to drop by the SWSC office and fill out an application for service. The office is located just to the left of Papa’s Market on Hwy 181 & Main Street and is open Mon-Wed-Fri from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Low income applicants qualifying under ORCA guidelines will pay a refundable $25 water and $25 waste deposit. All other members will pay a $100 membership fee for each service, a $25 refundable deposit for each service, and a $25 customer service inspection fee. Applications are available for download at www.skidmorewatersupply.com

Bobcat Little League Minors to Play at Hooks Field

Members of the two Bobcat Little League Minor Baseball teams will enjoy a rare treat Monday, August 1st, when they play each other at the special Little League field located adjacent to the Whataburger Field. The game will take place at 5:00 p.m. and promises to be lots of fun for players and spectators alike.

S-T ISD Board Recognizes Outstanding Students, Appoints New Trustee

Top Junior High cheerleader Carisa Whitehurst shakes hands with S-T ISD Trustee Alice Gonzales.

S-T ISD Trustees recognized the accomplishments of current and former students at their Tuesday, July 26th meeting. Allen Berthold was recognized for making the 2005 All-South Texas baseball team. Cindi Gonzales was named to the "High School Sports America Jennie Finch Softball All-American Student Athlete of the Year team. Becky Ramos was named Academic All-State in Basketball. Carisa Whitehurst received top honors at this summer's Junior High Cheerleading camp. Minor League All-Stars Lucas Glew and Brandon East accepted board recognition on behalf of the Bobcat Little League All-Star teams.

Cindi Gonzales accepts her certificate of recognition at Tuesday's board meeting.

S-T ISD Superintendent Dr. Brett Belmarez presented a verbal "walking tour" of recent improvements to the school campus including the campus-wide addition of new vinyl flooring and doors. Concrete pads have been laid beneath the softball and baseball field bleachers to allow mud-free viewing of games, and a layer of fresh paint is being applied to the Elementary, High School, and Junior High buildings.

Agenda items acted upon during Tuesday's meeting:

• Consideration and Possible Acceptance of Board Member's Resignation
The resignation of board member David Torres was accepted by unanimous vote.

• Consideration and Possible Action to Fill the Current Board Vacancy or to Select the Process for Filling the Board Vacancy
A motion was made to appoint Mr. Zeke Ortiz to the board position left by David Torres' resignation. The motion passed unanimously.

• Consideration and Possible Acceptance of the 2005 Certified Appraisal Roll with Taxable Value
This item was tabled.

• Consideration and Possible Approval of Date of Public Meeting for the Proposed Budget and Tax Rate
The meeting was scheduled for Monday, August 29, 2005.

• Consideration and Vote of Record for the Proposed Tax Rate to be placed on the Public Notice for the Proposed Budget and Tax Rate.
This item passed.

• Consideration and Possible Action to Amend the S-T ISD Board of Trustees Operating Procedures. (Item requested by Mr. Rick Olivares)
There was considerable discussion among trustees as to the exact purpose of this agenda item and, as near as we can tell, it remains a mystery. The item was tabled.

• Consideration and Possible Approval of Personnel Recommendations
After briefly adjourning to executive session, the board approved the hiring of Ramond Cheney, Jr. and Jennifer Gonzales.

• Consideration and Possible Approval of Second Reading and Adoption of Policy Update (Local) 75
This item was approved with exception.

• Consideration and Possible Approval of an Agreement with Bee County for the Collection of Taxes
This item was approved.

• Consideration and Possible Action to Direct the Superintendent of Schools to Contact School District Legal Counsel to Review Action taken at the June 2005 Regular Board Meeting Regarding the Limited Distribution of Board Agenda Packets (Item requested by Mr. Rick Olivares).
After much discussion, Dr. Belmarez was instructed to contact the District's attorney as to the legality of last month's board decision to restrict the distribution of Board Meeting information packets. The question at hand was whether the board acted in violation of the Public Information Act.

• Consideration and Possible Approval of Agreement with Texas Correctional Industries for the Replacement of Wooden Athletic Bleachers.
This item passed.

• Consideration and Possible Action to Appoint an Individual to the Bee County Coliseum Board.
A motion to appoint Trustee Daniel Gonzales to the Bee County Coliseum Board was made and approved.

The next meeting of the S-T ISD Board is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Monday, August 29, 2005.

Texas Baptist Men Provide Hurricane Relief

The South Texas Unit of the “Texas Baptist Men” traveled to Mexico Sunday. The group of 20 area volunteers will set up a relief center in Tamaulipas, Mexico where they expect to serve up to 20,000 meals to victims of Hurricane Emily. The group will be joined by the East Texas Unit and will serve about a week before being relieved by other volunteers.

Texas Baptist Men receive special training in relief services. The South Texas unit is comprised of men from Alice, Rockport, Skidmore, George West, and beyond. The organization was founded in 1967 and performed its first disaster relief services in the aftermath of Hurricane Beulah in 1968. Since then, the group has offered comfort to victims of tornados, earthquakes, disease, and most recently served victims of the Asian tsunami.

For more information about the important work performed by the Texas Baptist Men, visit their website online at:
www.baptistmen.org

The Texas Baptist Men were the subject of a KRISTV.COM story back in January of 2005: Texas Baptist Men to Help with Tsunami Relief

Strong Finish for Slezinsky at CC Motor Speedway

Bob Slezinsky continues to represent Skidmore well in the Texas Asphalt Modified Series racing. Saturday, July 23rd, he placed 5th at Corpus Christi Motor Speedway. Race details can be found at Texas Speed Zone. Note: For some reason, Bob is listed as a resident of Beeville in the rankings, but we know better.

Pigeon Racer Segelkin Breeds Winning Bird

Dick Segelkin and a member of his flock.

"A homing pigeon comes home - racing pigeons come home quickly." So says Dick Segelkin, local breeder and racer of thoroughbred pigeons. Mr. Segelkin recently took 1st place in one of six "lofts" that raced during a Corpus Christi Breeders Convention. Mr. Segelkin entered birds in four of the lofts and counts himself fortunate to have won against some of the top breeders and racers in the world. "I was very lucky, and I would rather be lucky than good" he stated.

Segelkin has been racing pigeons for 23 years and recalls how he fell in love with the sport. "Years ago when I was a youngster, I live in New York city and my father had a friend in another borough in New York who raced pigeons. We'd go over there to visit and he'd give us a box of pigeons and I would go home and sit out on the fire escape of our apartment and we'd turn these pigeons loose. Since then, I always wanted to raise pigeons, but I was in the Navy and I was never in an area where I could do it. I was driving around Beeville on a service call and here's this house with pigeons everywhere. The house belonged to a man named Bruce Ross. So I stopped in an asked 'Do you fly pigeons?' He said 'Yeah' and I said 'I'm interested in that' and boy, after that they wouldn't let me go!"

Racing pigeon hatchlings are carefully selected at four to five weeks old and sent to live with handlers whose job is to train the birds. When race time arrives, the birds are banded with GPS tracking chips and released at locations many miles away. Some birds are lost along the way to bad weather, hawks, and power lines. The remainder, traveling at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, often arrive virtually simultaneously in what Mr. Selgelkin described as a "photo finish."

The sport of pigeon racing is not for everyone. Breeders race 6 to 8 weekends in spring and again in the fall. It requires patience and a willingness to spend lots of time training and evaluating breeding stock. However, if you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the "poor man's racehorse," Mr. Segelkin is ready and willing to offer advice.

Selgelkin's winning flight was recorded in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. And while we're on the subject, another racing pigeon made news from all the way across the Atlantic: Pigeon is home nine days late.

2005 Adam Arroyo Football Camp Awards

Coach Arroyo announces the recipients of special awards from the 2005 Adam Arroyo Football Camp. The camp was conducted from July 18th to 21st for boys from 3rd to 9th grades. Up and coming student athletes were trained in both offensive and defensive skills. Awards are as follows:

Camper of the Day:
Monday – Brandon East and Jared Wilkerson
Tuesday – Brandon East and Kevin Shumake
Wednesday – Jason Gay and Sal Soto
Thursday – Zachery Mengers and Donato Salinas

Camper of the Week:
Brandon East

Punt Pass and Kick:
Champion Division I – Woodrow Herrera
Champion Division II – Alex Gonzales

Pass Champion:
Division I – Zachary Mengers
Division II – Cody Chambers

Kick Champion:
Division I – Donato Salinas
Division II – Bernie Garcia

Punt Champion:
DivisionI - Derick Boggus
Division II – Adam Perez

Other campers:
Eloy Hernandez, Conner McCarn, Tony Olivares, and Taten Stroman.

Bobcat Band Receives Marching Orders

Members of the Skidmore-Tynan Battling Bobcat Band will meet Monday July 25th, at 9:00 a.m. to discuss the upcoming year. Topics include music, goals, strengths, weaknesses, and the 2005/06 calendar of events.

Marching basics and practice on fundamentals will follow on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 26th and 27th, at 8:30 a.m. Official practice on the 2005/06 Marching Half Time Show will begin Monday, August 1st. This year's musical selections will include Guns and Roses' "Sweet Child of Mine," Donna Summers' "Hot Stuff," and "If" by Bread.

The S-T High School Band is comprised of students from 8th to 12th grades and is led by instructor Florencio Lara.

Local Team Roper Places in Marble Falls Rodeo

Matt Petrus of Skidmore and partner Dee Rampey of Liberty Hill placed third in Team Roping with a time of 5.92. The Highlander News reports full rodeo results: Marble Falls Rodeo is huge success.

Tornado Spotted Near Tynan

Just before noon today, the national weather service issued a Tornado Warning for portions of Bee, Live Oak, and San Patricio counties after a tornado was spotted near Tynan. The funnel cloud was reported by local law enforcement to be located about 6 miles south of Skidmore, traveling in a northwesterly direction.

Update: An hour or so after the first Tornado Warning, a second warning was issued when a tornado was spotted near Woodsboro heading towards Skidmore! We can only assume the tornado dissipated as the storm fueling it passed to the north. Further scattered NWS reports came in over the course of the afternoon of tornados developing west of Beeville, near Berclair, and in the vicinity of George West and Three Rivers. As of yet, we've heard no reports of significant damage by these storms.

The National Weather Service offers the following advice if you find yourself in the path of a tornado.

Do not use highway overpasses for shelter. Overpasses do not provide protection from tornadic winds. Vehicles stopped under bridges block traffic and prevent people from getting out of the storm's path and to shelter. If you cannot drive away from the tornado, get out of your vehicle and lie flat in a ditch as a last resort.

The safest place to be during a tornado is in a basement. Get under a workbench or other piece of sturdy furniture. If no basement is available, seek shelter on the lowest floor of the building in an interior hallway or room such as a closet. Use blankets or pillows to cover your body and always stay away from windows.

If in mobile homes or vehicles, evacuate them and get inside a substantial shelter. If no shelter is available, lie flat in the nearest ditch or other low spot and cover your head with your hands.

South Texas Braces for Effects of Hurricane Emily

At around 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, the northernmost arm of hurricane Emily pushed into Bee County.

If all goes according to forecast, Bee County will end up on the wet side of hurricane Emily, currently expected to make landfall in northeastern Mexico late Tuesday night. Check the lastest storm track at Intellicast.com. To view the current Intellicast animated radar loop click here.

S-T Class of 1975 Reunites

Back Row: Steve Seidel, Janice Seidel, Keith Winsauer, Vanessa Odom, Velma Odom, Elizabeth Winsauer, Kenneth Orrell, Jay Bauman, and Eric Kosmin. Seated: Wayne DuBose, and David Ross. Front Row: Bernard Ross, Logan Ross, Landen Ross, Lisa Ross, Jane Orrell, Angie Bownds, and Jacque Kosmin. Present but not pictured: Mavournee Dubose (photographer), Jill Seidel, and Ricky & Valerie Haws.-- Mathis Lake, Saturday, July 9th, 2005.

S-TISD Early Registration Begins in August

Early Registration for the Skidmore-Tynan I.S.D. Elementary, Junior High, and High School campuses will begin August 9th through 11th, 2005. Contact your campus office at (361) 287-3426 for more information.

Storm Teases but Delivers Little Moisture

"Step back non believers!" As storm clouds gather, a light rain begins to fall over Skidmore.

You could almost hear a collective sigh of relief from Skidmore residents Monday afternoon as the sound of crackling thunder announced the arrival of much needed rainfall. After weeks of sun and frequent 100 plus degree "Heat Advisories," the promise of rain proved to good to be true. While the rain fell hard it fell only briefly, failing to budge the float in the official Skidmore Signal rain gauge and providing little relief to Skidmore's dehydrated lawns and gardens.

County Judge Files for Bankruptcy

County Judge Jimmy Martinez recently released an open letter addressed to the citizens of Bee County. In the letter, he declares his intention to file for personal business bankruptcy and vows to keep his personal affairs separate from his duties as County Judge. Click Here to read the full text of the announcement.

The Legend of the Famous Corrigan Pool

By special request, we present excerpts from The Legend of the Famous Corrigan Pool by Charles L. Blaschke.

Area Youth Participate in Summer Baseball Leagues

Skidmore's Ricky Gutierrez beats the pickoff throw to Josh Petrus.

The High School baseball season may have come and gone but you can still catch a local youth league game. The Bobcat Major Little League team will play its first All-Star game Wednesday, July 6th at 8:00 p.m. at the North Bee County field.

Several older local boys have joined George West and Three Rivers FLAX teams. Ted Christensen, Jacob Gomez, Alex Longoria, and Marcos Aleman of Beeville are playing on the George West Stampede team along with Zach Petrus of Skidmore. Ricky Gutierrez and Joshua Petrus are playing for the Three Rivers FLAX team and will scrimmage members of Beeville's High School team Thursday, July 7th, at Joe Hunter field. The FLAX leagues are gearing up for the State Tournament to be held July 15-17 in Del Rio (13-14 year olds) and Eagle Pass (15 year olds).

Berthold Earns Spot on All-South Texas Baseball Team

Allen Berthold tags out a Taft baserunner during a regular season game.

Bobcat catcher Allen Berthold was recently named to the 2005 All-South Texas Baseball Team. Berthold, a senior and now a graduate of Skidmore-Tynan High School, shares Third Team honors with players from schools of all sizes across South Texas.