Sports Pics - Gutierrez Shuts Out Three Rivers

Ricky Gutierrez starts the season off with a complete game shutout.

Bobcat pitcher Ricky Gutierrez dominated on the mound in Tuesdays 13-0 win over Three Rivers. The Bobcats' bats came alive as they racked up one run after another in their first District game of the season. The game was called on the "ten run rule" in the 5th inning. The Junior Varsity squad also came away with a 12-7 win earlier in the evening. Click here for more Three Rivers baseball photos at Shutterfly.com


Coach Gonzales gives Jeremy Johnson the stop sign at 3rd.

In Memoriam: Ronald C. Steinmeyer

Ronald C. Steinmeyer, died February 22, 2007 at age 57. Mr. Steinmeyer worked as a land surveyor. Survivors include his wife, Dehlia; a son, David Ronald Steinmeyer of Aransas Pass; his mother, Melba Steinmeyer of Skidmore; and a sister, Debbie Rackley of Pettus. Memorial services will be at 3 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Church of Christ, Mathis.

S-T ISD Trustees Approve May Bond Election

A Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Skidmore-Tynan ISD was held February 12, 2007, at 6:00 p.m. in the Skidmore-Tynan School District Event Center Board Room.

Action items on the meeting agenda included:

Consideration and Possible Adoption of 2007-2008 School Calender and Staff Development Waiver – Trustees approved the school calendar and waivers as recommended by administration.

Consideration and Possible Approval of Administrator Contract Recommendations – This item was approved by a 6-0 vote with board president Mr. Rick Olivares abstaining.

Consideration and Possible Approval of Proposed District Goals for January through December 2007 – Trustees approved the District Goals after discussion on the frequency of proposed Board "Team of 8" training sessions. The Board agreed to conduct training twice annually rather than quarterly as originally proposed.

Consideration and Possible Approval of an Order Calling a Bond Election, Making for the Conduct of the Election, and Resolving Other Matters Incident and Related to Such Election – Trustees approved calling a $3,900,000 Bond Election May 12, 2007 with early voting scheduled April 30 - May 8. The bond election, if successful, will fund a wide variety of campus improvements.

Consideration and Possible Approval of Competitive Sealed Proposals as the Construction Delivery Method for the Gymnasium Flooring and Renovation Project – This item was approved.

Consideration and Possible Action to Pay Miscellaneous and Legal Bills – This item was approved.

Consideration and Possible Approval of Contract for Architectural Services for Gymnasium Flooring and Renovation Projects – Trustees approved a contract with Ferrell/Brown & Associates, Inc. for repairs to the substructure of the old high school gymnasium.

The next Regular Meeting of of the S-T ISD Board of Trustees is scheduled Monday, March 26, 2007, at 6:00 p.m.

Signal Events Calendar

Sports Pics - Odem Baseball Tournament

Coach Gonzales greets Eric Boggus at 3rd base.

The Bobcat baseball team fell 3-8 to Aransas Pass in Day 1 of the 2nd Annual Odem Baseball Tournament. The Cats rebounded strongly with a 12-1 "ten run rule" win over Nixon Smiley in game 2. The Bobcats will play for the consolation trophy Saturday at 12:30 pm.

Click here for more game photos at Shutterfly.com

In Memoriam: Franklin D. Stautzenberger

Franklin Stautzenberger died unexpectedly February 20, 2007 at age 73. Mr. Stautzenberger was a Korean War veteran and a member of Tynan's Peace United Church of Christ.

He is survived by a son, Ron Stautzenberger of Iola; a daughter, Susan Gonzales of Andrews; a brother, Adolph Stautzenberger of Skidmore; and five grandchildren.

Visitation is scheduled from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Friday at Galloway & Sons Funeral Home in Beeville. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 pm Saturday, February 24th at the funeral home with interment to follow in Tynan's Waldheim Cemetery.

Sports Pics - Ladycat Softball vs Banquete

Kyala Martinez makes the toss to first -- photo by Rob's Digital Photography.

See more photos of Monday's 7-6 win over Banquet courtesy of Rob's Digital Photography.

In Memoriam: Jerri Kraft Whitcher

Former Skidmore resident Jerri Kraft Whitcher, of Corder Missouri, died February 18, 2007, at age 64.

Mrs. Whitcher was born Nov 23, 1942 to Lola Marie Priour and William A. Kraft in Beeville, Texas. She was a real estate secretary in Houston, Texas for a number of years before retiring in 1988.

Mrs. Whitcher was preceded in death by her parents; a brother William A. Kraft Jr. and a son James B. Miller. Survivors include her husband Robert Whitcher, three sons, Charles Miller Jr. of Austin, Texas, Leslie Miller of Houston, Texas, and Benjamin Miller of Hempstead, Texas, step mother Gloria Kraft of Lexington, Missouri and Mikeal Kraft of Richmond, Missouri and Kevin Kraft of Lexington, Missouri, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Rosary will be recited 1 p.m. Saturday by Father Tom Hawkins at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Higginsville, Missouri. Burial will take place at Skidmore's Evergreen Cemetery on a date to be announced.

Family of Cancer Stricken Toddler Needs Financial Assistance

Listeners to KFTX "Real Country" radio out of Corpus Christi will recognize "Big Josh" Sandoval as the station's former Remote Events representative. I met Josh through my work on the KFTX website and he's just as friendly and likable in person as he sounds over the airwaves.

Unfortunately, the Sandoval family's lives have recently been turned upside down. Two weeks ago, Josh's son Jace was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. Medical bills are rapidly overwhelming the family and they desperately need the support of the South Texas community. Corpus Christi's KIII TV3 was the first to report on little Jace's plight in their story Cancerous Brain Tumor Pains Family of 21-Month-Old.

Donations to the Jace Michael Sandoval Medical Fund may be deposited at any Bank of America location. "Thank you again to everyone for showing all the love and support that my son and family need right now!" said Mr. Sandoval. "God bless each and every one of you."

Ladycats Fall to Poth in Area Playoffs

Coach Flores consoles senior Ladycat Emily Mengers during Friday's playoff-ending loss.

The Ladycats winning season came to a close Friday, February 17, as the Poth "Pirettes" emerged victorious in the Area Playoffs. Our Ladycats made us proud - fighting to the end against a formidable "2nd ranked in State" opponent. Sure, there were a few questionable calls by the referees, but in the end the Ladycats simply fell to a worthy opponent. The Ladycats ended the season with an impressive 23 and 11 record. Good luck to Poth in their quest for another State title.

Click here for more Area Playoff photos at Shutterfly.com
UPDATE: 17 more photos have been added to this album since first posted (found the 2nd camera memory card).

Herzog Completes Air Force Training

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports 2005 S-T ISD graduate Henry C. Herzog successfully completed basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Henry is the son of Henry and Rebekah Herzog of Skidmore. Read the full story in the Caller-Times Military Notes.

Press 1 if You are Annoyed

Don't you hate navigating through the endless menu items in some mega-corporation's automated phone system only to find YOUR problem is not among those listed? Wouldn't you like to talk to a real human being? Don't you hate it when the automated system asks you to enter a bunch of information and, when you finally reach a real person, they ask for the information AGAIN! Wasn't the computer listening to you the first time?

The folks at GetHuman.com help you cut through all the automated garbage and speak to a "sentient being" at hundreds of companies through their list of direct-to-human numbers, tips, and tricks.

My personal method of defeating an automated answering system is simply to act like an idiot. When the computer asks for your zip code, answer "Cheese Sandwich." The computer will usually try a few more times with "I'm sorry, I didn't understand your reply." Keep feeding it nonsensical answers and it will finally give up and route you to an operator. Happy dialing!

Sports Pics - Baseball vs Bishop

John Arrisola slides into home plate during Thursday's scrimmage versus Bishop.

Click here for more scrimmage photos at Shutterfly.com

Area Playoff Game Moved to Poth

UPDATE: The Ladycats' Area Playoff game against Poth has been moved to Friday, February 16, at 7:00 p.m. in Poth (not Cuero as previously reported).

Pena, Carabajal, Zambrano Place in "Visionarios" Art Contest

Congratulations to S-T ISD student artists who were among 50 area youth recognized in the "Visionarios" youth art contest. Placing first in "Art I-II, Dry media" was S-T's Adrian Pena. Placing 2nd and 3rd respectively in "Art III-IV, Dry media" were Brian Carabajal and Ashley Zambrano."

The annual contest is sponsored by Flint Hills Resources. Artwork from the competition is on display at Corpus Christi's Art Museum of South Texas through February 25th.

Support Lions Club Easter Raffle

Tickets are now available for the annual Skidmore-Tynan Lions Club Easter Basket raffle. Each year, the Lions collect a variety of donated items ensuring the basket contains something for young and old. Tickets are just a $1 each. Pick up yours at the Old Chisholm Trail Cafe – just ask your waitress. The drawing will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 7th. As always, proceeds go to support Lions Club charities.

Ladycats Take Bi-District Title!

Ladycat Alex Gonzales leads the way on a fast break.

The Skidmore-Tynan Ladycats defeated Bishop 76-59 Tuesday, February 13, to take the Bi-District basketball title. Emily Mengers led the team with 25 points and 11 rebounds, followed by Rachel Mengers with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Also adding points to the board were Alexis Schmidt with 10, Ashley Scott 9, Devon Wilder 7, Alex Gonzales 5, Courtney Vandever 3, and Kathy Mireles 1. The win brings the Ladycats' record to 23 and 10 for the season.

The Ladycats now advance to Area competition against Poth. The game is scheduled Friday, February 16, at 7:00 p.m. in Poth. Click here to view Bi-District game photos.

Eliseo Garcia Turns 101

Long time Skidmore resident Eliseo Garcia celebrated his 101st birthday on February 8, 2007. Mr. Garcia was honored with a mass, a reception and a dance on Feb.10 at the Chick-a-Saw, where he celebrated with family and friends. Mr. Garcia also received a letter from President George W. Bush wishing him a Happy Birthday. "We hope you have a great year grandpa," said granddaughter Terri Gonzales.

S-T ISD Junior High Goes High Tech

For the past three years, S-TJH has worked on implementation of the Technology Immersion Program (TIP). The goal of the program is to purchase enough computers to accommodate the entire Junior High and use the technology to enhance the education of students.

To that end, S-TJH announces the addition of a computer cart with twenty five lap top computers for student use. In addition, students and teachers are taking classes given by instructors from the Corpus Christi Service Center to enhance their computer skills.

Soon, S-TJH will send faculty members to schools that have successfully incorporated the TIP program into their curriculum. This will provide S-TJH with direction, hands on training, and an effective outline for implementation of the program in 2007-08.

S-TJH will hold an open house May 16, allowing parents an opportunity to see the work their children have accomplished through this grant.

Next year, the program will begin with 7th grade students who will each receive a laptop to use for school work. Both teachers and students will have on-going computer training as required by the TIP Grant

"We will keep you informed as more information and goals have been met," said S-TJH Principal Dan Garza. "We hope to see you at our open house May 16th."

Introducing Gravatars

Wondering why all the little yellow "bobcats" have been showing up in the Comments windows? The Signal is adding a new feature called "Gravatars" - short for "Globaly Recognized Avatar." A gravatar is a tiny (80 x 80 pixel) photo or icon that will make your comments stand out among the others.

Get your Gravatar at gravatar.com. You can upload any photo or graphic from your computer and use Gravatar's cropping assistant to size it just right. It's a good idea to zoom in tight since the icons are relatively small. Note: Gravatar only allows one image in their "free" plan so be sure to choose an image you can live with a while.

Ladycats Face Bishop in Round One of Basketball Playoffs

Coach Joseph Grimes informs the Signal that the Ladycats' first playoff basketball game vs. Bishop will be played at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 13, 2007 at the Sinton High School. Go Ladycats!

Sports Pics - Baseball Scrimmage vs. Mathis

Ricky Gutierrez takes the mound in Friday's scrimmage.

The Skidmore-Tynan baseball season commenced Friday with a scrimmage against Mathis. While fans huddled in 50 degree (minus wind-chill) temperatures, the Bobcat baseball squad, led by coaches Jason Gonzales and Keith Morgan, geared up for the 2007 season and hopes for a chance at the playoffs. The Bobcats will hold a second scrimmage in Bishop February 15 in preparation for the February 22-24 Odem Tournament. The Cat's will face Three Rivers February 27 in their first District game. Click here for more scrimmage photos at Shutterfly.com

Pick Up a Copy of the Latest Skidmore Signal

The February issue of the Skidmore Signal is finally out. Purchase your copy in Skidmore at the Old Chisholm Trail Cafe, Dalias Cafe, Papa's Market, and Lucky Horseshoe, or Beeville's Taqueria Vallarta.

Sports Pics - JV Basketball vs George West

Cody Chambers shoots for two in Tuesday's JV basketball game.

Click here for more game photos at Shutterfly.com

S-T ISD Trustees to Consider Call for Bond Election

A Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Skidmore-Tynan ISD will be held February 12, 2007, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Skidmore-Tynan School District Event Center Board Room.

Action items on the meeting agenda include:

• Consideration and Possible Adoption of 2007-2008 School Calender and Staff Development Waiver
  
• Consideration and Possible Approval of Administrator Contract Recommendations
  
• Consideration and Possible Approval of Proposed District Goals for January through December 2007
  
• Consideration and Possible Approval of an Order Calling a Bond Election, Making for the Conduct of the Election, and Resolving Other Matters Incident and Related to Such Election
  
• Consideration and Possible Approval of Competitive Sealed Proposals as the Construction Delivery Method for the Gymnasium Flooring and Renovation Project
  
• Consideration and Possible Action to Pay Miscellaneous and Legal Bills
  
• Consideration and Possible Approval of Contract for Architectural Services for Gymnasium Flooring and Renovation Projects

All About S-T Coach Anthony Ray

The Victoria Advocate has a great story and interview with Skidmore-Tynan's own coach Anthony Ray, who in 1987 was considered among the top 10 running backs in the nation. Read "Injuries shattered Ray's dream, but not his spirit" by Advocate Associate Sports Editor, Coy Slavik.

February Signal Delayed

For those of you who may be looking for the latest print edition of the Signal, we have delayed publication due to lots of late-breaking news and photo opportunities. We hope to publish by Thursday February 8th at the latest. Thank you for your patience and for continuing to support the Signal.

Ladycats Make The Playoffs

Emily Mengers drives past an Odem opponent.

Friday night's narrow victory over Odem secured the Ladycat's place in the postseason playoffs. The Ladycats will face off against George West in their final District game, Tuesday, February 6th, before heading to the Bi-District playoffs February, 12-13. Click here for more game photos at Shutterfly.com

S-T Grad Honored During Catholic Schools Week

If you happened to visit Fort Worth during Catholic Schools Week, you may have spotted a familiar face. Melissa Ann Ross Gallagher, daughter of David and Rose Ross of Skidmore was featured in banners hung throughout the downtown area.

Melissa is a 1977 graduate of Skidmore-Tynan High School and currently serves as Assistant Principal at the Holy Rosary School in Arlington, Texas. She earned her Bachelors Degree at Sam Houston State University and a Masters Degree at Texas Wesleyan University. Melissa is married to State District Judge George Gallagher and has two sons, Will and Ross, who attend Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth.

Harmless Wasps Invade Skidmore

Now THAT's a big wasp nest.

Another Mexican Honey Wasp nest was recently spotted in Skidmore. Butch Owen and Ray Burris informed the Signal of the nest, which appears to be at least 3 feet long and is located high in a tree at the corner of Refugio and 1st Street near the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. A similar nest was found a few months ago, about 3 blocks south, on the property of Orlando Olivares.

Here's what the Texas Cooperative Extension Office has to say about the wasps in their October 6, 2006 newsletter:

MEXICAN HONEY WASP INFORMATION REQUESTS
There must be an increase in the number of Mexican honey wasp nests observed based on the number of calls received recently about their presence. The species, Bachygastra Mellifica, stores honey similar to honey bees. Specimens are much smaller than honey bees and are wasp-like in appearance. They are yellow and black, much smaller than other wasps generally encountered, construct enclosed paper nests generally shaped like a football or basketball, and the nest is usually entwined around several branches in shrubs and trees. The honey wasp is a very docile species, and there is no need to remove its nest unless it is in a very sensitive area.

Skidmore Weather Station Online

Ron Burgess informs the Signal of his new home weather station. Data from the station is sent to The Weather Underground where detailed statistics may be accessed via the internet. "This is just a hobby of mine and I thought it would be cool to share the info," said Mr. Burgess. "If my station goes down, the system shows the weather from the Argenta Community near Mathis." The Signal now features a link to Mr. Burgess' weather data in the right sidebar beneath the Intellicast Radar.