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To say Big Spring resident Clarance Hartfield Jr. is community-minded might very well be the understatement of

the year, and according to the Army veteran, his love for volunteering comes from his years in the military.

“It comes from my service days, when I was stationed at Fort Rutger, Ala.,” said Hartfield. “General Creighton Abrams felt that most of us — especially the instructors — should be involved in the community. So we were. We did a lot in the community

there in Alabama.“When I came back to Big Spring in

1970, I got involved in the community in different ways. A lot of things had changed at that point. Jeff Morris, who was the plant manager at the refinery, was over the Chamber of Commerce, and they started a program to help with the tourist business. I felt like that was a pretty good idea, and I knew Big Spring. I knew the city, and Mamie Lee Dodds recruited us to help with the program. It was really interesting.

“The Chamber also had a leadership program, and although I missed the one I wanted to attend, I wound up

going through it. I’ve volunteered with the Chamber as an Ambassador, with Hangar 25 Air Museum, the Vietnam Memorial Committee and other organizations. I started volunteering through the program because I wanted to help improve the community. I wanted to do my part. I didn’t want to be one of these people who just complains about everything; I wanted to be part of the solution.”

Hartfield, who has been a member of the local Vietnam Memorial Committee for many years, said his part in the local organization began shortly after the Moving Wall — a

Clarance Hartfield Jr. helps take down the Moving Wall in Big Spring.

CommunityMinded

By Thomas Jenkins


scaled-down version of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. — made its way to Big Spring many years ago.

“I was in Mobile, Ala., doing research on African Americans in the Civil War when I heard the Moving Wall was going to be in Big Spring,” said Hartfield. “I told my dad and mom I was going to have to come back here for that. Most of us had contributed toward building the real Vietnam Memorial Wall. I had hoped I could do it all, but I had to clip my research short to get back here in time for the Moving Wall.

“I knew I had lost three people from my unit in 1965 in Vietnam, and we had been going back and forth to reunions since that time. So I really thought the Moving Wall was a good idea. I wasn’t originally a part of the Vietnam Memorial Committee, but when they got the Huey helicopter there, it was one that I had worked on. I’d just show up there from work when I wasn’t volunteering at the tourist center, or when I had a day off. Even though we (the members of the VMC) didn’t really know one another, I felt like being in Vietnam really tied us together. You could understand each other. So I just kept showing up and showing up.”

Anyone attending a community event — ranging from ribbon cuttings for the Big Spring Area Chamber of Commerce to activities at the Hangar 25 Air Museum and Big Spring Vietnam Memorial — will see Hartfield’s smiling face.

While his light-hearted demeanor can easily bring a smile to most people’s face, Hartfield said the importance of volunteerism in any city is no joking matter.

“I think the volunteers are what runs a community,” said Hartfield. “We lived in Ozark, Ala., and every time you would look around, the GIs would be doing something in the community. A lot of that came from Gen. Abrams’ way of thinking. You

had the Civil Rights Movement going on at that time, the peace and anti-war movements, as well. And, to our way of thinking, it was a good way to keep the soldiers out of trouble. Gen. Abrams was always doing something. He would invite families out to the

post and things like that.“Even though it’s been a long

time since I was in the service, I can still remember the people who showed respect. There are plenty of commanders I can’t remember, but I remember Gen. Abrams and others

Top: Clarance speaks to a group at the Hangar 25 Air Museum; Above: Working with the Moving Wall; Next Page: Serving in Viet-nam.


who would come up to you and talk to you like normal. I can remember those people and how they encouraged participation in the community, and that helped us avoid a lot of problems.

“You had a lot of blacks going down to Fort Rutger, right in the heart of these peace demonstrations, and I think it helped us keep from getting caught up in that. It was against Army regulations to be part of any civil rights organization. Just showing up at a demonstration and getting caught up in the movement wasn’t allowed.”

At first glance, it might seem like Hartfield has little or no time to himself thanks to his volunteering, but he’s found a way to balance everything out.

“I’m remodeling my house one room at a time,” said Hartfield. “That’s going really well, and when I’m not working on that I still do a lot of research. I also spend a good deal of time traveling. People say I don’t seem like I have a lot of time, but I have plenty of time for myself, my father and my brother. In a way, I just like to stay busy.”


TraditionBy Jonathan Hull

What comes to mind when you think about the small town of Coahoma?

For many, it’s the knowledge that the high school possesses great softball and baseball programs.

“When people think Coahoma, they think about softball and baseball. Our baseball team has been to state five times. It’s just been a while, so everyone talks about softball first,” Assistant Softball Coach Dicky Stone said. “But teams know we’re going to be good. Even when we play bigger 4A or 5A schools, they expect us to have a good team.”

Stone has been an assistant for the softball team for 13 of its 15 years. He helped out the baseball team in 2006 and 2007, but he made his way back to the softball program this year.

Stone’s family has a personal experience that proves the notoriety the softball program has around the state.

“My daughter went to a camp in Lubbock, and when some of the girls there found out her dad was a softball coach in Coahoma, they all stopped and went ‘Wow,’” recalled Stone. “The softball program has put Coahoma on the map.”

And why not? The Bulldogettes have produced 15 district

championships, losing just one district game in that span; 10 regional titles, buying the storied program a record 10 trips to the state tournament in Austin; and one state championship in 1998.

It’s hard to argue with that type of success. But how did the program get to this point? Where did it start?

In 1994, the Bulldogettes’ softball program began its inaugural season and earned its first district championship. Who knew at the time that district championships would become such a habit?

Coahoma has never finished a season where it wasn’t on top of its league. The program didn’t have to wait long for its first appearance at the state tournament in Austin, either.

Just three years in existence, the program found its niche and made what was then an improbable run to state, advancing to the finals after

beating Elkhart Slocum, 1-0, in the semifinals.

Unfortunately, Blooming Grove took down the Bulldogettes’ miracle run, edging them, 6-4.

“There are several times I thought we should’ve won it all,” Stone said. “1996 sticks out. That was only our third year in existence and for us to go down to Austin surprised a lot of

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people. That’s what really started it all. There was probably better camaraderie on the team than ever before. It was probably the most exciting year because we weren’t expecting to go that far.”

It took Coahoma two years to get back to the state tournament as Hawley’s Lady Bearcats, who had just dropped down from Class 3A to

2A, defeated the Bulldogettes in the 1997 regional finals.

Every great team needs a great adversary, and for Coahoma, that rival has been Hawley. The Lady Bearcats’ last appearance at the state tournament came in 1997, where they won the championship, and the biggest obstacle in Hawley’s way for a return to Austin has come from the

presence of the Bulldogettes.Hawley has fallen one game short

of the state tournament for the pass three seasons, losing to Coahoma in the Region I finals each time.

“I think the rivalry is respectfully nasty,” Stone said. “The sportsmanship has gotten better over the years. Starting out, Hawley was the team that we had to get by and now it’s flipped, and they can’t seem to get by us to get to state. I hope they never figure us out.”

The Bulldogettes got their first major victory over the Lady Bearcats in 1998, when they beat Hawley in the regional finals, securing their second trip to the state tournament. However, this time, the results in Austin turned out much sweeter.

After defeating Grand Saline 7-4 in extra innings in the semifinals, the

The 2008 Coahoma softball team was the fourth in school history to advance to the state championship game. It came up one game short of bringing home the program’s second state title, losing to East Bernard, 1-0. The team was (back row): Coach Tadlock, Laci Sterling, Berkely Iden, Joanna Gonzales, Christie Rich, Aricka Hart, Jan-ice Gonzales, Alex Moore, Coach Deana Clark; (front row): Breanna Conner, Shelbie Paige, Katie Dunn, Krista Kerby, Heather Newton, Reagan Rupard and Kaysea Spiller.


Bulldogettes met up with Blooming Grove again in the finals.

It appeared early that it still wasn’t Coahoma’s time, as the Bulldogettes trailed 2-0 heading into their half of the third inning. However, a three-run rally in the third gave Coahoma a lead it never relinquished.

Tara Sterling started the rally with a one-out triple and later scored as she beat out a throw to home on a bunt by Cassie Tindol, who advanced to second on the throw. Tindol scored on a single by Shana Earnest, who eventually scored the go-ahead run courtesy of a two-out single by Kelli Buchanan.

Earnest knocked in Coahoma’s final run of the game in the bottom of the fourth, bringing in Misty Baker with a single and helping provide Coahoma with a 4-2 win and a state championship.

“That team had more of a winning sport and more heart than the other teams,” Stone said. “We weren’t going to be denied. There’s nothing like winning a state title. Nothing can ever touch that feeling. I don’t think winning a second title can touch winning the first.”

Clutch pitching was a huge part of the monumental victory. Freshman Kenni Kay Buchanan started the state championship game and picked up the win. Buchanan came close to losing the lead in the fifth inning, having to pitch her way out of a bases-loaded situation.

Freshman Amber Bingham, who picked up the win in the semifinals game against Grand Saline, earned a save in the finals, but had to immediately pitch her way out of a bases loaded situation in the sixth inning after relieving Buchanan in the pitcher’s circle.

Unfortunately, despite advancing to the state tournament eight more times, the Bulldogettes haven’t been able to replicate the success of the 1998 season. They’ve actually only advanced to the finals three more

times since then, losing in the semis every other time.

In 1999, it appeared the Bulldogettes could win back-to-back state titles — they would have been the first team in any classification to ever accomplish that feat — but Alto cut that dream short, upsetting Coahoma, 5-3.

The Bulldogettes once again found a second championship just out of reach in 2003. After shutting out Prosper —which had lost just one game to that point in the season — in the semifinals, 2-0, Coahoma got

blanked by Weimar in the finals, 6-0.If there had ever been a sign that the

storied program might be slipping it was in 2004, when the Bulldogettes was ousted in the third round of the playoffs, winning only an area championship. It was Coahoma’s earliest exit from the playoffs since 1995.

However, anyone betting against the Bulldogettes lost their fair share of money because they made return trips to the state tournament for the next four years from 2005 to 2008. Only once did the Bulldogettes

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advance past the semifinals, though, losing to Elysian Fields in 2005 and 2006 and to Troy in 2007.

In May, Coahoma made its fourth appearance in the state finals, but fell short once again. East Bernard’s Braharettes scored one unearned run in the first inning on a wild pitch by Coahoma ace Heather Newton. The lone score proved to be enough for the Brahmarettes’ ace Courtney Repka as she held the Coahoma offense to one hit in a 1-0 victory.

Still, Stone warns against thinking that Coahoma’s window for a second state title has closed.

“I thought after 2005 when we lost a lot of seniors that the end of the run was near,” Stone admitted, “but we’ve gone back to state the last three years since then. We always seem to run into teams with great pitchers at state now. I thought we were better than East Bernard, but their pitcher was just a little more dominant than ours was.

“It’s hard for us,” he continued. “A lot of other schools get to play softball year round, but most of our girls are in basketball, too. We had eight starters on the basketball team this year and they went fairly deep into the playoffs. It took a while before we could get them all on the field.”

Regardless, Stone notes that the girls always seem ready to play softball.

“We’ve always got a lot of great athletes, and a lot of the girls have gone on to play basketball in college. Not too many actually play softball at the next level,” noted Stone. “Our girls do a good job of getting in some good summer leagues and just work really hard on their defense and other parts of their game.

“I think maybe there’s a pride factor to it as well,” he continued. “We’ve been so good for so long that the girls coming up want to be the best they can to continue our tradition of excellence. That pride also means we’re going to get everyone else’s

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best, too. Even when we play 4As and 5As, we get their best game. They don’t go to sleep on us.”

When a program has the continued success like Coahoma’s, there’s often the belief that it has more to do with the players being brought up through the system rather than the coaches in charge of it. Stone is quick to dismiss those assumptions, though.

“We’ve only had four head coaches in the history of this program. We’ve definitely had some great athletes. We’ve had a lot of them, but we also had four coaches that cared a lot about the girls,” explained Stone. “That’s the biggest thing. The coaches that have come in have worked the girls hard and just showed them that they care about what they do on and off the field. That drives the girls to be better players.”

The program was started by Danny Randolph, who led the Bulldogettes to three district titles and their first appearance at the state tournament in 1996.

Robby Dickinson then took over the program in 1997 and 1998, winning a state title in his second season. Dickinson then left the Bulldogettes in the hands of Robert Royer for two years.

However, Dickinson returned to Coahoma in 2001 and stayed with the program up until 2006. During that time, he took the Bulldogettes to the state tournament in four out of six seasons, advancing to the finals twice, but never claiming that elusive second state championship.

Dickinson left to take over the softball program at Wolfforth Frenship in 2007, opening the door for Tracy Tadlock.

Tadlock picked up where Dickinson left off, taking the Bulldogettes back to Austin in his first two seasons at the helm.

Another consistency with the softball program has been the presence of a dominant pitcher.

“We’ve always had good pitching starting with Audra Bingham in 1994,” noted Stone. “She might have been the least talented of the group of starting pitchers we’ve had, but no one fought like Audra did when she had the ball.”

Bingham was the staff ace up until 1996 and pitched in Coahoma’s first state title game. Bingham would be the last name of the Bulldogettes’ ace for most of the program’s history. In 1998, Audra’s younger sister Amber took over alongside Kenni Kay Buchanan. Those two held down the position through 2001.

In 2002, Erin Stovall took over in the pitcher’s circle for a season before Sarah Dunn came in 2003. From 2004 to 2006, Kali Roberts — daughter of current Forsan Head Softball Coach Shanna Roberts — was the staff’s ace.

Now, the responsibility lies firmly in the hands of Heather Newton, who has been the Bulldogettes’ top pitcher for two seasons, taking over the duties as a freshman in 2007.

Newton’s presence is one of the reasons Stone can’t see the program slipping any in the near future.

“As long as we’ve got a strong pitcher, then we’re going to have a chance to win it all,” Stone said. “Heather’s as good as any we’ve ever had. We’re losing some key players from this year’s team. They’re going to be hard to replace, but with what we return behind Heather, we’re going to have a shot at returning to state.”

The path to the state tournament is about to receive a few more bumps, though. Clyde — a perennizl contender for a regional title in Class 3A — moves down a classification into 2A, giving Coahoma a new contender for their dominance of Region I.

And while Hawley moves out of Coahoma’s district, the Lady Bearcats will remain within the region always hoping to knock the Bulldogettes out of the playoffs.

“Clyde’s a tough team. We split with them in two games earlier this season, but they’re always good,” confessed Stone. “Hawley is always going to be a contender and Early should be really good next year, too. Our path to state definitely isn’t getting any easier. We’re going to have our work cut out for us. We’ve got the ability, though.

“I don’t think we’re done going to state by any means.”

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In a village somewhere near Matagalpa, Nicaragua, Dr. John Myers cradles a suffering child into his lap and gently opens the boy’s mouth. He sees the problem,

an abscessed tooth. With the simplest of tools – there is no electricity here – the dentist carefully begins removing the tooth. It’s the ninth extraction he’s made today, but he’s far from being finished. The waiting line is long. It’s just as long for his colleagues, Dr. John and Cynthia Marshall, who, nearby, are fitting a woman with a pair of eyeglasses.

They are part of a missionary team sponsored by the First United Methodist Church in Big Spring and Western Hill UMC in El Paso.

The group – 22 individuals from all walks of life – is in Nicaragua on a weeklong expedition to perform educational, construction and medical work.

Before the day is done, Dr. Myers will see 30 to 40 patients who need his help. Tomorrow, he’ll do it again in another village just like this one where poverty is high. Forget shopping malls, movie theaters and restaurants. There is no public transportation. There are no PlayStations, no computers and no telephones. The people live in shacks of planked wood and tin roofs. The annual income is about $600 a year, mostly earned by picking coffee beans.

John’s sister, Beth Johnson, joined him from Arkansas for the trip and helps with anesthetics and sterilization while he does the extractions. Without

electricity and running water, there is little else that can be done.

Still, this is not a mission of sorrow, but of expectation, anticipation and optimism.

“The good Lord had His hand on us the whole time because we did stuff that I didn’t think would be

possible,” said John. “I had a plastic chair or I’d kind of lean them back in my lap and remove the teeth and my sister would clean the instruments.”

They arrive at a village early in the morning and anesthetize three patients at a time, then begin extracting teeth. The process continues all day.

“Most of the people really had pretty good teeth. Most of the problems were caused by tooth decay. That was probably due to other missionaries bringing them candy, thinking they were helping. So, “he cautioned future mission trips “don’t bring them candy. They really don’t need sugar. They don’t need that.

“John and Cynthia were right next to me, and he would set his stuff up and do eye exams and get them glasses. It was just amazing,” John remarked. “We helped a lot of people, and they were very appreciative and grateful.”

The villagers impress John.“These people are just like us. The

difference is they have no hope. They have no education,” said John, a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Baylor Dental School. “They really don’t have a good educational system there for them. If they were given the same opportunities we have here in the United States, they

Thehelper

By Bill McClellan


would flourish. Their wants are the same wants, and their needs are the same needs as ours. I just can’t say enough about the people.”

The main staple of food is rice and black beans. The missionaries eat what the villagers eat.

“We had rice and black beans for every meal,” said John. “Maybe every now and then there would be some chicken with it, but it was always rice and black beans.”

While John, his sister and the Marshalls perform medical services, others in the group are helping with education and construction – working on a foundation and footings for a new Christian pre-school.

Agustin Ypina leads Bible study. Murray and Diane Murphy are team leaders for the entire

effort, which is through El Ayudante, a mission project in Central America. El Ayudante means “The Helper.”

Others from Big Spring include Betty Kelly, Jane Jones, Ron Logback and Ray Russell. From El Paso are Andi Simmons-Wallace, Jerry Wallace, Ron Chwojdak, Larry Rothman, Ann Rothman, Becky Martin, the Rev. Bill Case and Lyle Fraka. Also helping are Abe Undersood and Becky Garrison from California and Ann Simmons of Mississippi.

Each does his or her part to help those who haven’t had the same advantages as they have. They teach, they preach, they build and they feed. They bring sight to those with blurry vision, and they replace pain with unforgettable smiles.

Like the others on this mission, John, who has been practicing dentistry in Big Spring since 1980, is awed by the experience.

“I’m going back,” he said. “I was grateful I could do what I did. These people were a very gracious, thankful, very proud people. And the people who went on this trip were all very dedicated. It was all rewarding. Very rewarding.”

Photos: Above, clockwise from top left, John and Cynthia Marshall; a young girl waits for treat-ment; villagers gather ouside the makeshift treat-ment room; Dr. John Myers. Preceding page, Dr. Myers extracts a tooth; a typical village home.


Many creative people, be they of the visual or the performance arts, have a common condition known as creative block. The silence can be deafening when faced with this almost inevitable occurrence.

Creative block can last a few minutes, hours, days or longer. A confrontation with this dreaded event can be quite a struggle when you’re faced with no ideas and a canvas as blank as your mind.

A change of pace or scenery might do the trick. Making small changes to your usual routine can also be worthwhile. In today’s world, we are so bombarded with constant information, deadlines and demands on our time that we seldom have any left for ourselves. What I hear most often is the lament, “When I retire, I’m going to learn how to paint.”

Savoring silence during downtime works for me. Moments of peace and quiet offer a balm for the soul and a creativity boost to the artist. Turning off the television, radio and the computer can let you realize valuable

periods of rest and let you recharge your batteries. Great ideas can be born of such reflection.

Creative refueling is not as expensive as filling up your car’s gas tank. Expand on the theory that quiet is key and try meditating. Our brains multi-task like computers: too much input equals overloading, and like computers freeze or slow down, so do our brains while they experience creative block.

To crush this blank emptiness, try these creativity boosters that can jump-start stalled ideas or spur new ones.

Keep a journal dedicated to magazine clippings. You may not get to these ideas for new works for a while, but once stuck in a rut, review its content for inspiration.

Use self-rewarding incentives for projects you aren’t enjoying and don’t want to finish. Work one-half hour and then spend half an hour thinking of a new exciting endeavor. (We all love to get commissions, but they’re someone else’s ideas). If this time division doesn’t work, I put the project out of sight a few days and give myself

permission to ignore it. I’m always amazed at how much better my work is afterwards.

Be prepared. We plan our meals, vacations and other activities, so set up your art materials ahead of time. If you’re lucky to have your own room or designated studio space, it is easier to leave supplies out. Being creative without having to think about setting it all up makes it easier.

Carry a camera, small sketchpad, or notes with you when leaving home. Many wonderful photo opportunities have literally gone by the wayside due to forgetting the digital camera. Whether you write, draw, or shoot photos, you’ll always need these tools to sustain or maintain your creative self.

Arrange a paint-out or paint-in with other artists and/or photographers.Because art is solitary activity, we can get into a slump or a block just by being isolated. Sharing ideas with other like-minded people helps develop additional ideas while having fun.

Creative Blockand How To deal With It By Kay Smith


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WELL MAINTAINED 3 bedroom, 2 bath on 12.3 acres. Pretty back yard with fruit trees, above ground pool, hot tub, wood deck, storage shed, workshop and 2 car carport. Coahoma ISD.

PRICED TO SELL! Excellent, updated 3 bedroom with central heat/ref. air, pretty hardwood floors, storage shed, 2 car garage plus 3 car carport. Close to college and elementary school.

NEW

NEW


NEWYOU'LL GET THE BEST BUY in this pretty, updated 3 bedroom, 2 bath brick home with central heat/ref. air. Manicured yard, open patio, wood fence, 2 storage buildings with storage in carport. Very affordably priced!!

REMODELED 3 bedroom, 1 bath with 2 living areas, 2 hot water heaters, wood fence, recent windows, carpet and tile. Extra nice!

NEAT AND TIDY 2 bedroom with pretty kitchen & counter tops, central heat/ref. air, 2 car garage. Located on .50 ac., Coahoma ISD. $40's.

NEW

GREAT BUY on this 3 bedroom, 2 bath with updated central heat/air in 2007, garden/sunroom, covered screened-in patio, storage shed, 2 car garage and completely fenced corner yard. $40'S.

YOU CAN AFFORD this great 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in Forsan ISD. Gorgeous kitchen with tile counter tops, sequestered master bedroom with pretty bath, central heat/ref. air, separate formal dining, covered patio, wood deck, storage shed and 2 car garage. $60's.

SUPER BARGAIN! Could be 3 or 4 bedroom, central heat/ ref. air, located on .175 ac. $41,500.

GOOD RENTAL OR INVESTMENT PROPERTY - Neat 2 bedroom with central heat/ref. air, inside laundry, carport. $20's.

GOOD INVESTMENT PROPERTY - Quaint older home with approx. 1,400 sq.ft., 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, garage. $20's.

Home Realtors 432.263.1284 - 800.295.8938 - www.home-realtors.net

HOME IS BEING UPDATED with fresh paint and carpet. Nice 3 bedroom brick with central heat/ref. air, inside utility, masonry fence and carport. Price to sell! $50's.


507 E. 4th - NICE COMMERCIALBUILDING with approx. 7,953 sq ft.Display and customer service area,storage area, two offices and rest room,warehouse with skylights and overheaddoor. Good location.

115 & 118 E. 18th - ENJOY STEADY INCOME! Very nice brick duplex. Each unit features 2 bedrooms, 1 bath,laundry room, living area, kitchen, attached garage.

307 W. 4th - GOOD COMMERCIAL BUILDING SITE - Property has 3 lots, concrete building, the two houses on property will be moved.

1901 W. 16th - NICE PROPERTY with approx. 9,900 sq. ft. plus additional metal building with approx. 2,000 sq. ft., paved parking, 5 acres included.

502 E. FM 700 - PRIME LOCATION for any commercial business, for sale or lease. Approx. 11,242 sq.ft., fenced, 2.52 acres.

710 S. GREGG - GOOD INVESTMENT PROPERTY - Nice brick office building, recent updating and landscaping, large parking area, high traffic location.

1701 & 1703 GREGG -SPACIOUS PROPERTY in high traffic location.Could be used for variety of businesses. Also includes 2 bedroom, 1 bath house behind property at 207 W. 17th.

900 & 902 SCURRY - NICE 4 PLEX built in 1999. Two DUPLX buildings built in 2000. Total of eight apartments, each featuring 3 bdrms., 2 baths, W/D connections, carport. Total electric.

1613 E. HWY. 350 E. - GREAT OFFICE BUILDING with reception area, 5 offices, break room, 2 restrooms, insulated and heated workshop, completely fenced parking yard with small storage building.

308 SCURRY - OFFICE OR RETAIL use, good downtown location, central heat and air, approx. 3,164 sq. ft.

Specializing in Residential,Commercial, Farm and Ranch,

HUD or VA acquired properties.

105 SPRING CREEK - BRICK CHURCH BUILDING with pews, 9 class rooms, large front lot, fellowship hall, approx. 2 acres. Sand Springs.

Commercial Properties


COMMERCIAL LOTS AND ACREAGE916 Lamesa Hwy. - 6 lots, great commercial site.Marcy & Runnels - Good commercial location, $65,000.Thorpe/Wasson - Commercial lots-frontage, $80,000.Wasson/Avondale - 3.40 acs., zoned neighborhood services.FM 700 - 3.9 acres, good commercial location.S. Service Rd & FM 700 - Good building site, 1.08 acre.N. Hwy. 87 - 49.143 acs. I-20 frontage, will sell 10 ac. tracts or all.500 E. FM 700 - 1.8 acre, corner lot.1208 E 4th - 50 x 140 on corner lot, $12,000.1210 E. 4th - Corner lot, $12,000. 1900 Wasson - 150 x 150 corner lot, $20,000.1901 Wasson - 150 x 150 corner lot, $20,000.1210 E. 5th - Corner lot, $6,000.1611 E. 4th - Corner lot, $65,000.S. Inter. 20 - 29.8 acres, S. I-20 & Snyder Hwy.1101 Scurry - Nice retail property, $75,000.1201 Scurry - Good retail location, $20,000.1202 Scurry - Nice retail lots, $7,000.907 E. I-20 - 127.32 acres, great commercial location.2800 Lamesa Hwy - 3.9 acre, $55,000.

RESIDENTIAL ACREAGEKentwood -5.08 acres, South of Merrily St.Kentwood - 89.10 acres, East of Kentwood.Stanton - 7.10 acres, beautiful building site. $35,000.Driver Rd. - 10 acs., new home building site. $30,000.Hearn - 3.86 ac., undeveloped land, $11,500.Baylor Blvd. - Morgan Ranch Estates, 5 and 10 acre tracts.Driver Rd. - Country Club Estates, fantastic building sites.S. Goliad - 9.681 ac., prime acreage, beautiful building site.Campestre Estates - 5ac. tracts - $12,500. (32 tracts available).1106 Todd Rd. - 38.48 acres, 2 wells, windmill, storage barn.Driver Rd. - 2.307 ac., great building site, $29,500.South Mt. - 140 acs., entrance from Highland South or 25th & Virginia.

RESIDENTIAL or COMMERCIALN. Birdwell Lane - 2 lots, residential or commercial, $12,500.

RESIDENTIAL LOTSBaylor St. - 18 residential lots, $6,500 each.Parkland Estates - Thorpe / Wasson, $35,000 each.Fenn Ave. - Residential lots available, $7,500 ea.Kentwood - 17 lots west of Rebecca. Forsan - Warren St., nice building lot, $4,500.Connally - 7 lots, $11,500.Parkway Rd. - 70 lots, great building opportunity, $250,000.Coronado Hills - 6 residential lots. $80,000.Scott Drive - $18,000.804 Highland - $12,000.712 Craigmont - $17,000.720 Craigmont - $17,500.3802 Dixon - $8,000.3800 Dixon - $8,000.3802 Parkway - $4,000.3800 Parkway - $4,000.4031 Vicky - $15,000.4000 Vicky - $8,000.2513 E. 25th - $10,000.600 Goliad - $3,000.605 Goliad - $5,000.1308 E. 6th - $8,000.2507 E. 25th - $3,500.712 Colgate - $7,250.

Lots and Acreage

Home Realtors 432.263.1284 - 800.295.8938 - www.home-realtors.net22 l www.bigspringliving.com l July 2008

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Charles Smith432.263.1713

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www.home-realtors.net - 110 West Marcy - Big Spring, TX 79720 - 432.263.1284 - [email protected] July 2008 l www.bigspringliving.com l 23

In my first article, we covered a lot of basic information that you would need if you were just starting photography. Some things we covered were whether to “go digital” or film. We also discussed the type of camera to get; a point and shoot or a Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera.

We also touched on the different resources you have available to study and learn more about the art of photography. With the Internet, seminars, magazines, books, and your fellow photographers, you have a wealth of information at your disposal. Which reminds me! OK now, be honest. Everyone who found their camera’s manual and actually read through it raise your right hand. Just as I thought! Did you check in the back of the junk drawer? If you can’t find your manual, you can usually find the information that you need on the manufacturer’s Web site.

Now let’s talk about some terms that you will need to understand if you want to improve your photography skills. If you don’t know the meaning of some of the common terminology, it’s like listening to someone speaking a foreign language. I have come to recognize the “look.” The “look” manifests itself when I start mentioning such phrases as f-stop or aperture to someone that asks a question about their camera. I see the pleasant, smiling features on their face slowly disappear. It is soon replaced by a frown, glassy eyes, and I sometimes hear a very faint whimpering sound. It is not a pretty sight. So as a public service, I will attempt to explain the vernacular that every photographer worth his or her salt should know.

Let’s start with f-stop. What does this mean? Does some wobulator inside your camera actually stop f’s? Who in their right mind would want to stop f’s anyway? OK! OK! An f-stop is a setting on the lens that indicates how large the

lens opening or the aperture is. There is a very complicated formula that is used to determine f-stop values, but we really don’t need to memorize it. There are two things you need to know. The first is that the larger the f-stop number, the smaller the lens opening (can you say aperture?). The second is that the smaller the lens opening (aperture), the less light that will hit the sensor. Remember this. There will be a test later. By the way, if you look for an f-stop number on most point and shoot cameras you will not find them. Well, you may find one such as f8. Most P&S cameras have fixed apertures or they are set automatically. Some lenses for DSLR’s will not have f-stop numbers on the lens barrel, because they are controlled by the camera settings. Listen! I think I can hear someone rummaging through that junk drawer for that long lost manual.

Before I forget, changing your f-stop (aperture) also affects what is called depth-of-field. OK, Bruce. Now you’re bringing farming into the picture. Talk about corn-fused. I won’t go too deep (make it stop) into the explanation of depth-of-field, except to say that DOF is the distance in front of and behind the subject that is in focus. The larger the aperture (lens opening) the shallower the depth of field will be. This concept can be very hard to grasp, so why don’t you go take a nap. I can see your eyes glossing over and the whimpering noise level is increasing. Go ahead, I’ll wait. ………

Welcome back. You look much better! The next term we’ll discuss is ISO. No, that’s not what a redneck says when his back hurts. This actually stands for International Organization for Standardization. This term refers to film. It is a rating of how sensitive film is to light. Do you remember buying film? You could get ISO 100, ISO 400, or ISO 800 film and higher. The higher the number (here we go again) the more sensitive the film would be to light. If you were shooting outdoors with bright sunlight you

and that whimpering sound

F-stops...


would select ISO 100 film. If you were shooting a football game at night you would use ISO 800 or higher to stop the action. But Bruce, we are “going digital,” remember? Yes, I remember.

The great thing about digital is that they decided to use the same terminology to measure the light sensitivity of the sensor. Is that cool or what? That is one less thing to have to learn when changing from film to digital. The great thing about digital is that you can take an image outside at ISO 100 and then walk inside the gym to take a shot of a basketball game by just changing your ISO to 1600 or even 3200. In the old days you had to change the film in your camera to do that. Isn’t technology grand?

By the way, this is the most asked

question I get from folks. Why are my pictures of Bubba blurred when I try to take a picture of him playing basketball? When I ask them what they have the ISO set at, I get the “look.” I start hearing the whimpering sounds and their eyes glaze over. After they recover, I ask to look at their camera. When I look at their camera ISO setting, it is usually set at 50 or 100. No wonder! At that setting a picture of Fluffy the Cat purring would be blurry. Some P&S cameras only go up to ISO 800 so it is very difficult to take good action shots with them. The newer DSLR’s can go up to 6400 ISO and higher. So Bruce, why don’t we just leave it on a higher setting like 800 or 6400? The reason is simple. If you are in bright sunlight and you can’t adjust your aperture small enough (higher f-stop), the image will be grossly overexposed. Another negative aspect of using a high ISO is the noise level. No, not the whimpering! I mean the noise you will see in your image. It will look like tiny specs of color and it will usually show up in the blacks and dark areas of your photo.

The last thing we are going to discuss is shutter speed. This is probably the easiest term to understand, but I’ll do my best to make it clear as mud. The component that controls how long the light shines on the sensor is the shutter. The shutter can be mechanical or electronic. When you push the button to take the picture, the shutter is actuated and will stay open a certain length of time, depending on how your aperture and ISO are set.

Some DSLR’s have shutter speeds ranging from 30 seconds to 1/8000 of a second. Most P&S cameras have a much smaller range of shutter speeds.

Now, lets wrap this up. What if my P&S camera doesn’t have a manual setting? How can I control all these things that you just taught me? If you are like most people, you leave your camera set to P all the time. Some camera manufacturers use a different name other than P for the Auto setting. I keep telling everyone that P does not stand for Professional. P stands for program mode. That means you are letting your camera make all the decisions. Most of the time under normal shooting conditions, you will get very good, well-exposed photos. But what about taking sports shots? Most P&S cameras have a setting for sports pictures. It’s usually a small icon of a little bitty guy running. There are also other icons on the controls for portraits, scenery, and others. Did I mention your manual would have all this information on how to set your camera to capture great images?

Now you all know some of the terms used by photographers world wide. You can now boldly go forth and have a conversation about your camera without making those annoying whimpering sounds.

If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail me at [email protected]. Our Web site is Theredbarnstudios.com.

MYERS & SMITHFUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL

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An often overlooked shrub for Howard County is the Oleander. They come in several colors and sizes and are the kind of tough, no nonsense evergreen plants we need for the framework of a beautiful, no-care garden. Oleanders originated in

the Mediterranean and are generally hardy down to 10 degrees F. Double-flowered and yellow flowered varieties are not as hardy as the single reds and pinks but would do well as container plants, or if you can accept that, they probably would die back to the ground each winter.They are drought tolerant

and require little care once established. Oleander can be trained as

a small tree, but as there are so many small trees already available, it is not generally considered worth the effort. Most varieties will grow to about 8 to 12 feet high and almost as wide. In a protected spot with ideal soil, 20 feet tall is possible. For those with smaller landscape needs, there are dwarf varieties that stay as low as 3 to 5 feet. Oleanders grow at a medium rate, producing 1 to 2 feet of

growth each year.Oleanders usually grow as

rather large, mounded shrubs that take considerable space in the landscape. They grow best in full sun but may tolerate partial shade. They are very heat tolerant and will thrive in the reflected heat of a south or west wall. They are also very tolerant of salt, which is why there are so many of them in the Galveston and Corpus Christi areas. Since oleanders bloom in

summer on new growth, prune them in late winter or early spring. After the blooming period, cutting back the tips of the stems will encourage branching for a fuller shrub and more stems for future flower production. Avoid cutting too late in the fall, however, as the new growth may not have enough time to harden before frost. Dead-heading spent flower

clusters will prolong the bloom period. The single-flowered varieties drop their spent blooms cleanly, but the double-flowered types may hold the spent blooms and acquire an unsightly appearance.Oleanders may be found

at Johansen’s Landscape and Nursery off South Highway 87 in Big Spring. They carry only hardy varieties, but can special order tender types for those who wish. Oleanders should be planted

in spring or fall. Space plants 8 to 12 feet apart depending on variety. Dig a hole only as deep as the root-ball and at least twice as wide. It is not necessary to amend the soil at all. Carefully remove the plant from the container and set it in the hole. Fill the hole half full with soil then water it well to settle the soil and eliminate air pockets. Let the water drain, then fill the remainder of the hole with soil and water thoroughly. Top dress the planting with 1 inch of compost and cover with 4 to 6 inches of loose mulch. Compost and mulch may be obtained from area garden centers or the Big Spring Compost Facility located at 3201 Perimeter Road.Oleanders, in common with

many other ordinary plants, are very poisonous. Eating even small amounts of any part of the plant can kill. Some people are even sensitive to contact with the plant and may experience skin irritation. Smoke from burning cuttings can cause severe reactions. These cautionary statements

should not frighten you away from oleanders, however, as there are many common house and garden plants that are just as toxic and have been in your lives for years without you even being aware of their toxicity. Use common sense and the oleander will reward you with summer bloom and winter green.


Bridge may not be life, but to many of its advocates, it’s a nice reflection of life.

It can be very simple, or it can be devilishly difficult.

It can be played for fun, or it can be taken very seriously.

And, for sure, if you want to be any good at it, you have to put in the work.

For the past several decades, a group of local bridge aficionados have gathered twice weekly at the Big Spring Country Club to meet and visit with their friends and — in the nicest possible sense, of course — figuratively beat each other’s brains

out.Welcome to the Duplicate Bridge

Club. To the uninitiated, bridge is a stuffy

parlor game that’s about as fun as mowing the lawn.

Sandra Rhodes-Bartlett understands that sentiment.

She once shared it.“My mother played duplicate bridge

when I was growing up, and I thought it was the dumbest thing I’d ever seen,” Rhodes-Bartlett said. “And I said I’d never, ever play it.”

Needless to say, she eventually changed her mind.

“I eventually married and moved to

Big Spring,” the Abilene native said. “Back then, if you wanted a social life, you played bridge, so I took some lessons and began playing socially ... and in 1971, I joined the club here.”

Over the years, Rhodes-Bartlett has become a Gold Life Master in the American Contract Bridge League, has become a certified bridge instructor, has served as the club’s director and has taught the game at such varied locations as Howard College and on cruise ships.

The game’s attraction, she said, is simple: You can play the game for fun, or you can take it very seriously — or you can do both at the same time.

“It’s fun, but we do play to win,” she said. “It’s a game, but we don’t just socialize. We try to play our very best.”

At its core, bridge is easy to understand. Players bid (contract) on how many tricks they will win in a particular hand. Those who most consistently fulfill their contracts win.

Of course, the game isn’t quite that simple — Rhodes-Bartlett conceded the bidding process itself can get complicated. It’s been said that bridge is a game that takes a few minutes to learn and a lifetime to master, and most of the local club members would probably agree heartily with that sentiment.

Rhodes-Bartlett said that bridge is a very mental game, which is one of the major attractions to her.

“As we get older, the more we can do to stimulate our brain cells, the better,”

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nobody gets out of order. During games, someone will get tickled at something, but nobody gets angry or mad.”

The club is open to anyone, although Rhodes-Bartlett adds a word of caution.

“I think a rank beginner might be a little uncomfortable with this group,” she said. “We do have a novice group that meets out here on Thursdays, and they play a little more relaxed game than we do.”

But Rhodes-Bartlett concedes that bridge needs to attract younger players and overcome its image as an “old person’s game.”

“ACBL-wide, that’s becoming a problem, because our membership is getting older,” she said. “That’s why we’re working to to start lessons for elementary students and college students in an effort to attract younger players.”

And once you start playing, you’ll get hooked, she warned.

“My mother played until she couldn’t see,” she said. “I plan to keep playing as long as I can sit up at the table and see the cards.”

For more information on the local DBC, contact Stripling at 267-6810.

she said. “I play bridge because I enjoy it, but I also do it because it’s good for me.”

The DBC, coming up on its 50th anniversary, was formed in July 1959 and is one of the few clubs chartered by the ACBL to be in continuous operation for such a length of time, officials said. It first held games at the old country club in the Coronado section of Big Spring, moved for a time to Webb Air Force Base and then to its current location on Driver Road.

Most of the original club members are gone now, but most of the current club roster can claim at least two decades of membership. Dorothy Stripling, who estimates she’s been playing bridge in the club for 20 years, admits she’s one of the newest members of the group.

“Some of them in there have been playing forever,” she said.

Under current director Joyce Weaver, the club boasts about 30 full-time members who show up for the twice-weekly (Wednesdays and Fridays) games. The atmosphere, Stripling said, is always cordial.

“We have a very, very congenial group here,” she said. “You can’t say that about some of the other bridge clubs I’ve been to. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards behavior;

Pastor & Mrs. R.T. Havener

4th & Lancaster 267-7971

First Assembly of God


I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this bag! I love this bag. Ladies, I introduce you to the L.A.M.B. Handbag collection by Gwen Stefani. This bag would look great with any casual work outfit. The patent deep red trim looks litrim looks like a sweet red candied apple! (Price range $400-$440) If you’re looking for bold, this is it.

Take a look at my little party purse in this picture.You can make a great statement with this one!!! Who knew a cigar box could make such a great handbag? Another great feature is the leopard lining! This is a fun purse if you are planning a casual dinner or a night on the town.(Price (Price range $18-$20)

Evening bags and clutches are wonderful. Most of the time they are small in size but can make an enormous statement. This clutch is little black dress approved. It’s the perfect sisize to carry your lipstick or lip balm in. (Price range $60)

As for the Coach Satchel, I believe all you ladies need no introduction. I love the different unique shape, denim fabric and leather trim. A cute summer dress would go great with this handbag. (Price range $400)

Ladies, have fun with your handbags. Let your handbag express your personality. For example, if you have a solid pink top, simply add a black clutch with plenty of sparkle. Trust me! This will make your outfit stand out. Like I mentioned earlieearlier, invest in your handbags. This is an item we use every day so make it a good one! Always remember that every day is worth looking your best!!!

By Dr. James Riley, D.C.1318 East 4 St. Big Spring

If you have experienced back pain in the past, you are far from alone, as most people will experience one or more episodes of low back pain in their lifetime. For most people, low back pain is due to acute sprain/strain injuries from lifting or other activities that overload the low back muscles and ligaments.

When a person overloads the muscles,tendons and ligaments, these tissues are torn but it is not a complete tear. The tissues experience micro-tears similar to the fraying of a nylon rope. The tendons and ligaments are stretched and become loose, allowing the vertebra to move out of its proper alignment.

If the injured individual has their chiropractor manipulate their misaligned vertebra back into proper alignment as soon as possible, the spine can heal in its proper alignment. This is important, because the spine is mechanical in nature, and proper alignment results in normal wear and tear. A misaligned spine will have abnormal stresses placed on it which will create premature wear and tear, also known as osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease.

If an injured person does not have his or her spine realigned through chiropractic manipulation, the vertebra will remain misaligned due to the fibrosis or scar tissue that is formed around the injured area during the inflammatory stage of the injury. This fibrotic material is necessary for healing. It acts like glue by solidifying the injured area, thereby protecting the injured vertebra from moving further out of alignment.

Once the acute phase is over, the spinal vertebra needs to be rid of restrictions and returned to proper alignment. This can only happen by freeing the vertebra from the restrictive scar tissue with chiropractic manipulation. If the vertebra is left out of its proper alignment, the restrictions in movement and misalignment of the vertebra will leave the

spine weaker in that area and more vulnerable to re-injury to the spine.

Sometimes the patient might not experience back pain again for decades after the initial injury. In these cases, the patient’s spine has usually developed a dysfunctional vertebral segment, osteoarthritis and, or degenerative disc disease, which gives the patient back pain. People who keep re-injuring their spine and not treating the injured area can develop chronic low back pain which is much more difficult to treat. Injuries to the low back can occur at any age, but for most people, the majority of spinal injuries occur between the ages of 25 to 50, due to a higher level of physical activity.

Barring any extreme accident which requires emergency medical attention, a low back pain patient should seek his or her chiropractor for evaluation and treatment to alleviate the pain. Once a complete history and evaluation is performed, he or she can prescribe a treatment plan specific for your individual condition. An x-ray might be warranted if your condition, examination, or history signals to your doctor that other conditions might need to be ruled in or out. However, most cases do not require an x-ray for proper treatment to be performed.

The main treatment for the low back pain caused by a misaligned vertebra or dysfunctional vertebral segment is the chiropractic manipulation. The chiropractic manipulation is a Manuel technique that will break up adhesions around the vertebra, allowing for the return of proper vertebral alignment and

function. Therapeutic modalities, such as

interferential current, electrical muscle stimulation and mechanical traction, can be utilized as a supplemental treatment to the chiropractic manipulation. These modalities will usually be used before the manipulation of the spine to reduce pain, inflammation and muscle spasm. Massage therapy can also be utilized in conjunction with the manipulation to reduce muscle spasms and increase blood flow to the area.

The massage is especially helpful with muscle contractions associated with chronic cases. Your chiropractor will provide you with any work and, or home activity restriction based on your case. Home stretching exercises and an ice or heat regimen should be prescribed as needed. Lumbar stabilization braces can be used in more severe cases but usually for a short period of time only.

When a patient has sustained a severe low back injury, a therapeutic exercise program will likely have to be implemented in the sub-acute stage to increase muscle strength, to increase range of motion/flexibility, and to increase muscle endurance. If your chiropractor does not have the ability to perform the rehab, he or she can refer you to a physical therapist for this part of the treatment.

Low back pain patients should expect results, such as a decrease in pain levels, a decrease in the frequency of the pain and, or an increase in your ability to perform daily activities. In the less severe cases, results should be seen within a few treatments. With a more severe case, results should be seen within 2 to 4 weeks. Some factors that can influence how fast a person heals are age, diabetes and a lowered immune system, to name a few.

Overall, if you, the patient, have not responded at all or have gotten worse with no extenuating circumstances then further diagnostic imaging should be ordered.

As always, the sooner you seek treatment the easier it is for your chiropractor to achieve the goals you both want: a happy, healthy and pain-free patient.

Down in your back ?


july living 2008

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