The Tulia Herald (Tulia, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 12, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 25, 1999 Page: 1 of 18
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Lost Arts Foond
Pictures
Pages 6B A 7B
The Tulizi Herald
Serving The Finest People In The Richest Land
VOL. 90 NO. 12 TWO SECTIONS THE TULIA (Swisher County) HERALD THURSDAY. MARCH 25,1999
50c
Farming In 1999 Is Like
Pulling Rabbitt Out Of Hat
by Patricia Gardner
Herald Staff Writer
Uncertainty has left local fanners
feeling like the rabbit in Alice and
Wonderland when he muttered:
“What to do, what to do?”
Like everyone else, farmers are
searching for the ever-elusivc profit-
ability in this era of Freedom to Farm
and in the face of distressingly low
grain prices and fiercely fluctuating
cattle sales. One expert stated that
this is the year fanners had betterput
their plans to the pencil before mak-
ing the same production mistakes
that were made last year when prof-
itability went out the window, re-
gardless of what the producer did.
In a tight marketing situation, a
wrong move can be devastating to the
farm. Decisions can be like pulling a
rabbit out of a hat; it could be the
wrong thing. Counties like Swisher
that arc dependent on agricultural
income are balancing on the tips of
those farmers’ pencils and so have a
deep interest in seeing what will be-
come of their enterprises. Local bank-
ing institutions are certainly at risk if
the agricultural industry does not
survive. Their very existence, as well
as those of other businesses depends
on the farmer realizing a profit
Don Glenn, vice-president of
Norwcst Bank said,“There havebeen
rumors we are cutting off funding to
some of our producers who suffered
losses due to drought. That is just not
true. We arc an agricultural based
lending institution, and depend on
that income to survive in Swisher
County. We feel that should a pro-
ducer incur multiple year losses we
will encourage and even assist them
with inquiring into other sources of
possible financing.”
This year one of those sources has
been wheat-pasture cattle. Tradition-
ally wheat farmers purchase cattle to
graze out the wheat. Those calves
then go into feedlots or on to summer
grass. Futures are showing a shaky
summer ahead, which could cut
deeply into those farmers’ already
narrow margin of profit for this year.
Wheat crops are beginning to grow
fast enough that cattle are not keep-
ing ahead of the supply, and so some
farmers are leaning toward the idea
of cutting grain off that wheat this
summer. With wheat prices predicted
to remain at or below $3 a bushel,
those prospects are mighty dim for
any profitable harvesting, so some
producers will likely turn to haying
their wheat for profit.
Bob Bartram of Bartram Equip-
ment and Sales, said, “I think there
will be a market for wheat hay this
year, especially if it turns out dry and
swathers can get into the fields on
time. Wheat hay is a good commod-
ity. Feedlots in the area like to use it
and dairies really like it for their
drylot cows. B y putting up wheat hay
this summer, our local producers
would be able to run more wheat
pasture cattle next fall.”
Getting that wheat hay into round
bales costs between $40 and $60 an
acre if it makes three to four bales per
acre. If those bales weigh 1500
pounds, that will allow the fanner to
realize $135 an acre profit
“There is certainly no probability
of that kind of profit coming from
combining wheat this year,” said
Bartram.
An answer to planting intentions is
right on the tips of the tongues for
some area farmers these days. Cotton
has been the only saving crop for its
producers the past few years, and so
those who plantcotton intend to do so
again this year. Water has been
cotton’s only limiting factor for area
farmers.
In a 1999 pre-plant soil survey,
USDA-NRCS officials say it will be
important for the farmer to maximize
the precipitation that falls across the
area this spring for their cotton crop.
Gerald Crenweige, USDA-NRCS
soil scientist, said “We highly rec-
ommend that producers check soil
moisture conditions in their indi-
vidual fields to determine if pre-plant
irrigation is needed to bring the five-
foot zone soil profile to field capac-
ity.” This monitoring could be a fac-
tor in the decision to pltpit cotton.
Most irrigation systems in use in
the area do not have the capacity to
provide the amount of water crops
need at their peak performance pe-
riod. Compensation can be made by
storing moisture during pre-plant ir-
rigation and during rainy periods. If a
field is at or near its capacity prior to
planting, average to above-average
crop yields are more likely to occur.
Please see RABBIT on page 7A
Catholics Prepare For Holy Year
by Patricia Gardner
Herald Staff Writer
While the rest of the world has been
worrying about the Y2K problems at
the turn of the century, the Catholic
population is preparing a great cel-
ebration in the year 2000. That year
will be the2,000th anniversary of the
birth of Christ. It will be the firstHoly
Year to mark the turn of a millen-
nium.
OPEN WIDE
THE DOORS
TO CHRIST
Church of the
Lll
“A Holy Year, or Jubilee, is a great
religious event in the Roman Catho-
lic tradition. It is a year of hope,
forgiveness of sins, reconciliation
between adversaries, and joining
brothers and sisters in a commitment
to serve God in joy and in peace,”
said the Rev. John Salazar- Jimenez,
pastor of the Church of the Holy
SpiritinTuliaandSLPaul the Apostle
in Kress.
The Christian Jubilee originated in
Bible times. The Law of Moses fore-
told of a special year for the people;
a year of jubilation to be shared with
family. The people were called to-
gether with a goat’s hom called Yobel
in Hebrew; and thus the origin of the
word Jubilee. A Jubilee can last from
a few days to a year.
In 1300 Pope Boniface VII pro-
claimed the first Jubilee. Wars and
plague had taken its toll on the local
populace. Wanting to return to a ho-
lier way of life, pilgrims traveled on
foot by the thousands to Rome to
celebrate Christmas, 1299. Awed by
such strong professions of faith, the
Pope declared a year of forgiveness
of sins and vowed to continue such a
celebration every 100 years.
The next Jubilee was held in 1350,
instead of 1400 as it was scheduled.
At that time, Pope Clement VI set
future celebrations to be held every
50 years. His predecessor. Pope Ur-
ban VI decided to celebrate Jubilee
every 30 years in honor of Christ’s
Earthly life. Each following Pope
declared Jubilees whenever the need
for reconciliation or strengthening of
Christian values was deemed neces-
sary. The last Jubilee was in 1983,
under Pope Paul EL
Preparation for Jubilee2000began
three years ago with an agenda reach-
ing to the end of the century. Special
themes and events were assigned to
each year that would honor Christ
and humanity’s future with Him.
In 1997, the theme was a reflection
on Christ andhis cffecton the world’s
past, present and future. Emphasis on
faith and Christian unity prevailed
throughout the year.
In 1998, the theme was a reflection
on the spirit of Christ in winch hope
and rediscovery became uppermost.
Unity within the Catholic church and
extended evangelism became strong
goals for all involved in preparation
of Jubilee year 2000.
1999 is declared the year of God
the Father, and charity and penance
are the ultimate goals to carry to the
end of the century. Catholics all over
the world will wok toward a deepen-
ing commitment to justice and con-
cern for the poor. Inter-religious dia-
logue between all churches and faiths
will also be a goal for 1999.
In the year2000, there will be great
celebrations inRome, the Holy Lands,
and all over the world for Catholics.
The millennium mission will be to
call people everywhere to worship
God, with particular emphasis on the
young people of the world.
Salazar-Jimenez is leading his par-
ish towards emphasis on youth and
their Christian future this year. He
said that the year 2000 is the begin-
ning and the end of an era for Chris-
tianity. Today’s children will have
passed through one century into an-
other, and that passage into the new
millenniums could give them a sense
of invincibility.
‘They will experience no fear of
death or hell or repercussions be-
cause they have passed through the
millennium. They feel they will live
forever,” said Salazar.
■“These children are the product of
the 1960s and 70s baby boomers and
have a whole different set of values.
For them, sin has always been around.
We talk about it all the time. They are
exposed to it on television, in music,
magazines and in schools and
churches. The youngsters think they
are supposed to disregard our values
of life.”
“For this reason, we are seeing the
highest rate ever of aids, sexual dis-
eases, teenage pregnancy and drug
use. There is so much media hype;
and yet these kids are not responding.
While they arc being bombarded with
the knowledge of the problems, no
one is talking to them seriously about
their responsibility in relation to these
problems,” said Salazar.
“The youths of today face lots of
challenges ahead of them. They must
get their priorities straight. They m ust
learn that life has pain and they can’t
just focus on materialistic pleasures.
Just as it was with Christ, resurrec-
tion cannot come without crucifix-
ion,” said Salazar.
“The children of today seem to be
grasping for the future in believing
Please see JUBILEE on page 7A
Miss Tlulia To Be
Named Saturday
"Sugar and Spice and Everything
Nice" is the thane of the 1999 Miss
Tulia Pageant.
The program will begin at 6:30
p.m. Saturday in the Tulia High
School auditorium. Winners will
be selected in five categories.
Little Miss Tulia is for girls four
years to Kindergarten; Young Miss
Tulia is first through second grade;
Junior Miss Tulia is third through
fifth grade; Senior Miss Tulia is
junior high school; and Miss Tulia
is high school age.
The 1998 pageant theme was
"Thank Heavens For Little Girls."
The 1998 Miss Tulia is Lindsey
Love. She will crown the 1999
Miss Tulia.
New Awards Will
Be Given At Tulia
Chamber Banquet
The Chamber of Commerce will
include several new awards at this
year's Chamber Banquet along with
the Man and Woman of the Year
awards.
The new awards are Pioneer Spirit
Award,a lifetimeachievementaward
to longtimeresidcnts who have given
selflessly to our community in nu-
merous ways.
Business of the Year Award recog-
nizes a business that has taken part in
a variety of city-wide activities and
has given of its time and resources to
help make Tulia a better place. The
business must be a current Chamber
of Commerce member to be eligible.
Community Service Awardrecog-
■ niies an individual's work in chari-
table and civic organizations, pro-
moting community spirit and good
works.
Educator of the Year Award: past
andpresentstudentsandthecommu-
nity at large may send letters recom-
mending their favorite Tulia ISD
teacher. Letters should explain why
they think the teacher should receive
the award.
Man and Woman of the Year Award
is a Tulia tradition, recognizing an
outstanding achievement for this past
year.
All awards are given on the basis
of letters of recommendation sub-
mitted by friends, family and fellow
Tulians who wish to see good works
recognized by the community.
Former Man and Woman of the Year
Award winners will be eligible for all
awards except Man and Woman of
the Year. Deadline for submitting
letters of recommendation is AJjril
16.
Aphid Control Is
Easier For 1999
The Environmental Protection
Agency approved section 18 for
Furadan 4F to control aphids on
cotton March 22, 1999.
In a letter to Texas Department of
Agriculture dated March 15, EPA
granted Section 18 approval for use
of Furadan 4F (flowable carbo-
furan) to control aphids on cotton in
Texas during 1999.
The letter from EPA granting ap-
proval specifies the terms and re-
strictions of the Section 18 specific
exemption._
REP. MACTHORNBERRY
Thornberry Will
Hear Citizens
U.S.Rep.MacThombeny,Re-
publican representing Swisher
County in the U.S. House of Rep-
resentatives, will host a town hall
meeting in Tulia.
"There are a lot of plans being
talked about in Washington as to
how we go about strengthening
Social Security and ensuring the
retirement security of each and
every American," Thornberry
said- "I think it’s important to
hearwhat people in our area have
to say as well."
The meeting will be in the
Swisher County Courthouse An-
nexmeetingroom, 310 W. Broad-
way at 5 pjn. Tuesday, March
30.
MARY WOMACK of Happy showed this fossilized squid at
Swisher County Museum's Lost Arts Found, which is in its ninth
year and runs until March 31. The fossil is400to450 million years
old and is from the Atlas Mountains near Morocco. —Staff photo
Tulia Livestock Auction
Setting Sales Records
by Patricia Gardner
Herald Staff Writer
Joe Bell, manager of Tulia Live-
stock Auction, said earlier this year
that his goal for the business was to
make it.the largest feeder sales bam
in Texas. TLA is well on its way to
achieving that goal in 1999 with
record sales averaging3,836per week
for the first 12 weeks of the year, for
a total of46,042 head. Some changes
have taken place at the auction bam
in the form of earlier hours and pen
re-building to facilitate handling those
numbers.
The sale now starts at 9:30 a.m.
Monday morning. In the past, the
large sales lasted into the early hours
of the next morning. With the extra
morning hours, it is now possible to
finish large sales well before mid-
night Workers and buyers alike are
glad for this improvement.
Previously as many as 300 head
have been penned in some center
lots. They have since been broken
down into smaller, 50 head pens,
making it easier to sort and load out.
Another improvement resulting
from the earlier hours is the relief
from the need to load trucks all night
Monday and even into Tuesday. The
earlier time Monday allows trucks to
get on the road sooner and shortens
late night loading for the yard crew.
One might wonder if there will be
enough cattle around to keep those
record sales going in 1999. Never
fear, for as Charles Sturgess, TLA
co-owner states, Joe Bell will beat
the bushes for cattle to fill the needs
of their customers. Meanwhile, the
whole staff is keeping tally on the
numbers this year not only to in-
crease sales 10 percent like Bell
wants, but also to become the largest
feeder sales bam in Texas.
Kress Fire Department
Comes Back On Line
by Patricia Gardner
Herald Staff Writer
Dale Harris, chief of the Kress Vol-
unteer Fire Department, said this
week things are looking up for the
department. They have gone from
four volunteers to eight and soon
nine. The best part of the new volun-
teers is that most of them are young
and strong, a real boon to the force.
Harris works in Plain view with the
fire department and was asked by the
city of Kress to re-organize their vol-
unteer fire department in 1997. At
that time, there were no volunteers
and equipment was in sad disarray.
Since then, several grass-fire units,
tank trucks and a rescue unit have
been refurbished and re-supplied to
meet the needs of the community.
For a while Harris was the only
volunteer to go out with the truck, but
lately that has changed. He is excited
about the new interest and the young
men who arc volunteering their time
for the city of Kress and the surround-
ing area. One young volunteer is an
EMT in Plainvicw, a real boon to the
fire department because of his ad-
vanced training.
The new volunteers are taking
classes in fire safety and emergency
health care to qualify for status as
full-fledged volunteers. The classes
are the same urban firefighters are
required to take, and could lead to
full time employment on such a fire
department.
Recently, whenFostcrgin exploded
at Clayton ville, Kress Volunteer Fire
Department was there to assist the
Tulia Volunteer Fire Department.
Harris said this made him feel proud
that the new volunteer program had
drawn enough men to finally put out
afire.
Residents of Kress, Plainvicw and
surrounding areas may volunteer to
serve on the Kress fire department by
calling 684-2285.
Thank You. Firefighters!
You Make Our Community
A Better Place To Live
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The Tulia Herald (Tulia, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 12, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 25, 1999, newspaper, March 25, 1999; Tulia, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth635708/m1/1/?rotate=90: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Swisher County Library.