star gazer

May 17th, 2012

Cosmic baseball region

By PAUL DERRICK

With the baseball season now underway, it’s fitting that the Cosmic Baseball region is prominent in the early evening sky.  It doesn’t take much imagination to hear the fans cheering as the players round the bases – but perhaps your imagination needs a little help finding the bases.

Baseball …

The Idle American

May 17th, 2012

Behold the hail

By Dr. Don Newbury

Jesus assures in St. Matthew that the gates of hell will never prevail against the church, but the Good Book is silent on protection from hail damage.

Lubbock minister David L. Wilson figures he’s got hail to deal with on this side of the River Jordan. Dr. and Mrs. Wilson built …

Here’s to your health

May 17th, 2012

The healing power of music

By KEITH WOMMACK

Henry Garza, guitarist and vocalist with Los Lonely Boys, wrote the lyrics to their song, Heaven. It was a prayer; a prayer motivated by his families financial and emotional hardships, combined with the death of his first-born son from sudden infant death syndrome. The prayer expressed his deep desire for …

Nuestra Vida

May 10th, 2012

Moving on, with God’s help

By ROXANN CHAVEZ

Is it your time?  Time to shine, time to sing, time to be glad or time to move on.  Life carries on and somehow I feel like I stayed behind with my thoughts and emotions for my grandmother who passed away in March. I know that she is gone …

Star Gazer

May 10th, 2012

Solar eclipse May 20, transit of Venus June 5

By PAUL DERRICK

Come May 20 we will be treated to a relatively rare solar eclipse – a partial eclipse over much of the western half of the U.S. and an even more spectacular annular eclipse for the lucky ones in a 200-mile wide band stretching from …

The Idle American

May 10th, 2012

When pigs fly

By Dr. DON NEWBURY

Once a track coach, always a track coach. Some retirees still have stop watches close at hand—maybe even looped around their neck—and their daily life continues to be framed with references to time, height and distance.

They still dream, but they’re mostly “re-runs” (pun intended).

One such retiree is David Noble, who …

Here’s to your health

May 10th, 2012

What can fear do to you?

By KEITH WOMMACK

Recently, when asked, “What can fear do to you?” I was reminded of two experiences.

The first started with me asking a Sunday School class of first graders, “What would you say if someone wanted you to pray for them?”

A visitor to the class, a young girl, spoke up …

Nuestra vida

April 12th, 2012

Getting organized, cinco de mayo, missing mi abuela

By ROXANN CHAVEZ

Getting organized is quite a job.  I am on the Cinco de Mayo Association committee and we have been meeting regularly trying to get things in order for the people of Alpine and the surrounding area but we are a small group of six people.  …

Star Gazer

April 12th, 2012

Solar eclipse coming our way

By PAUL DERRICK

The May 20 new Moon will produce a solar eclipse visible over the western half of the U.S. Those in a narrow band from the Texas panhandle to northern California will see a rather rare annular eclipse while the rest of us will see an impressive sunset partial …

The idle American

April 12th, 2012

A hitch in Uncle Mort’s ‘git-along”

By Dr. DON NEWBURY

Uncle Mort, my beloved kin, urges family and friends to avoid “putting big pots in little ones” as his 100th birthday on July 4 approaches. He’d rather do it himself. (Keep in mind his notice several months ago to “save the date.”)

Now, he’s scurrying around to schedule …