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Eagle Relays Thurs. Track teams from eight area schools will field hundreds of kids Thursday for the Eagle Relays at the Track & Field Stadium next to the GISD Elementary Campus. Field events will begin at 3:30 pm. The 3200 meter run will begin at 4:30 pm. The rest of the running finals will begin around 6:30 pm and run late into the night. Full schedule is located on page 3B of this week’s Eagle. The public is invited free of charge to cheer on the kids as they run, jump and throw Thursday.
75
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& the Mullin Enterprise
GoldthwaiteEagle.com • 325-648-2244 • Wednesday, March 27, 2013 • Volume 119, Number 35
From Dream to Reality Legacy Plaza Ground Breaking
By Tammarrah Pledger Eagle Asst. Editor “A lot of unselfish efforts have gotten us to this point.” Those were the opening words of Legacy Plaza Board Member Tommy Head during the ground-breaking ceremony for the Texas Botanical Gardens & Native American Interpretive Center Tuesday afternoon in Goldthwaite. Board member Earl Wall
gave the invocation, and Head then turned the audience of about 150 people over to Goldthwaite City Manager Rob Lindsey. “The real movers and shakers are all of you,” Lindsey said, lauding the efforts of all those involved in the process of making Legacy Plaza a reality — a process that really got underway in 2004. Lindsey attributed much
Bad Weather Holiday Goldthwaite ISD will have school at regular time on Friday, March 29th (Good Friday) and Monday, April 1st. We will have a BAD WEATHER HOLIDAY on Monday, April 8th.
Run for Compassion Set to Go Saturday By Tammarrah Pledger Eagle Asst. Editor The fourth annual CenTex Run for Compassion has been set for the morning of Saturday, March 30. CenTex Run for Compassion is a special 5k race to support Compassion International’s extensive work around the globe. Three years ago, four Goldthwaite High School students decided to make a difference after the earthquake in Haiti and put on a 5K race. Ten race sponsors gave monetary donations and other businesses contributed to the race day goodie bags. The turn out was incredible in 2010, according to organizers, with more than 115 people participating. “The $4,200 raised through CenTex Run for Compassion was used by Compassion International, a world-wide Christian humanitarian organization, to help Haitians rebuild their homes, families, and lives,” according to the CenTex Run For Compassion Web site (www.centexrunforcompassion.com). The next year (2011), the race was put on for a second time by three local high school students after landslides destroyed homes all over Colombia. With more than 130 people participating, and 16 sponsors, $4,800 was raised and sent directly to Compassion International and their work in Columbia. Last year, CenTex Run for Compassion was held a third time — this time to raise funds for Compassion’s “Water of Life.” With 100 people participating and 32 sponsors, more than $8,000 was given to Compassion International to build clean water wells in developing countries. “Glory to God!” the Web site exclaims. Organizers Lauren Plagens and Rachel Farrell told The Eagle this year, everyone is invited to join them on March 30 to raise funds for the Child Survival Program through Compassion International. They said this program helps with nutritional needs, vaccinations, supplements, etc., for the needy. “Millions of children around the world die before their fifth birthday because of preventable causes such as malnutrition, malaria, and pneumonia,” their site says. “Compassion’s Child Survival Program is there to help these children survive and thrive. Working through local church partners, Compassion provides nutrition, medical assistance, parental education and social support for mothers and caregivers to help the world’s most impoverished children survive the first few years of life. The program serves children up through age three when they can hopefully be registered into the Child Sponsorship Program.” This year’s financial goal is $6,000, Plagens said. The race will begin in front of Mills County State Bank in Goldthwaite. The Kiddie-K will get underway at 8:30 a.m., and the 5k at 9 a.m. For more information, visit their Web site, or http://www. compassion.com/how-we-work/child-survival-program.htm. Anyone with questions about this year’s race can also call Plagens at 325-451-4050.
of the project’s success to Legacy Plaza Executive Director Jan Fischer, calling her a “strong leader,” and the board members who he said “would not take ‘no’ for an answer.” Lindsey said the Lord has tremendously blessed our community, and that Legacy Plaza is the most recent example. Representatives from the
City of Goldthwaite, Mills County, the LCRA, Legacy Plaza board members, volunteers, project officials, landowners and supporters — those still here, and those who have moved away — were all in attendance. After the actual groundbreaking, which was done with tools fashioned in Native American themes, Fischer offered thanks to a list of
supporters and visionaries. Attendees were invited to enjoy refreshments and visit in the Mills County State Bank Community Room afterward, and a business meeting for Legacy Plaza was held there at 6 p.m. Pictured above (L to R) are Mark Madeley, Executive Director Jan Fischer, Fred and Jeannie Pyles, Board Member Grayson
Wetzel, Tab Ledbetter (design), Board Members Tom and Carol Graves, Board Members Margaret and Forest Madeley, Board Member Tommy Head, Robert Jackson (architect), LCRA Board Member Jett Johnson, City Manager Rob Lindsey, Mills County Judge Kirk Fulk, and Mayor Mike McMahan.
Priddy FFA Wins Houston Priddy FFA Ag Mechanics Team Wins Overall Grand Champion at Houston Livestock Show By Jaycie Del Bosque Breaking a school record and following their win at San Antonio, the Priddy Ag Mechanics team won their second title as Overall Grand Champion with their portable buffalo chute at the Houston stock show, one of the largest shows in the world. In addition to the title, the team placed 3rd in class with their goat box and was also rewarded with many valuable prizes. “We won a really nice Miller Fabricating welding table with cut-outs and clamps to hold items in the middle of the table,” Ag teacher Barry Randolph said. “We also received an Aluminum TIG welder for welding aluminum, wire welders, and a Snap-On Toolbox. All the prizes are estimated to be worth about $20,000.” Out of over 400 projects at the show, the buffalo chute was chosen best. “There were so many great projects at the show,” parent and teacher Lisa Hood said. “There were entry gates, 32 ft. cattle trailers, an antique tractor restoration, a 52 ft.
Pictured above are the 2013 Houston Grand Champion Priddy FFA Ag Mechanics team — Gatlin Peters, Tanna Cupps, Walker Peters, Lena Hood, Logan Randolph, Caitlyn Cagle, Landon Hood, and Barry Randolph. plow, and so on, but what set the chute apart from all others was not only its enormity and hydraulics, but its complexity and excellent mechanics, all without any glitches.” Team members were seniors Logan Randolph and Landon Hood, juniors Walker Peters, Caitlyn Cagle, and Lena Hood, and sophomores Gatlin Peters and Tanna Cupps. “I was happy that we earned the ultimate awards in both San Antonio and Houston,” Caitlyn Cagle said. “I was really impressed
with the buffalo chute winning Houston,” Gatlin Peters said. “I was glad because we worked really hard on it. But also, at the same time, we had fun building it because we learned new skills. The long road trip paid off.” Up against schools from all over the state, the team worked their way through its class and division to be eligible to win overall champion, and it came out on top in their final show of the year. “That’s how we do it at Priddy: Go big or go home!” Lena Hood said. Ag teacher Barry Randolph
shared the double wins with his son Logan in his senior year. “Winning Houston was a great way to end the year,” Logan Randolph said, “and getting to eat at Ragin’ Cajun twice just topped it off!” “I’m glad we got to end the year with a bang!” Walker Peters said. “It was fantastic to win grand champion of a major stock show a second time in my high school career,” Landon Hood said. “I worked long hours and was very dedicated to this project. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome, es-
See Priddy FFA, Page 8A
Easter Egg Hunt at City Park Saturday Spring Turkey Season The annual Easter Egg hunt sponsored by the Mills County Chamber of Commerce is set for Saturday, March 30th at 10:00 a.m. at the Goldthwaite City Park. The event will feature Family Fun, Cool Prizes, and Girl Scout Troop 197 will be selling 50¢ Confetti Eggs and $1 Drinks. Prizes will be awarded to Lucky Egg Finders! Children 2 and under will be allowed one chaperone to help child. No chaperones allowed for ages 3 thru 9 years old. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held at the Civic Center.
Begins This Saturday
One of the most under utilized hunting seasons in Mills County is Spring Turkey Season. Rio Grande Turkey Spring Open Season runs March 30May 12, 2013 (gobblers and bearded hens). The annual bag limit for turkey, in the aggregate for all counties, is four (4). See Page 10B in this week’s Eagle for more on the 2013 Turkey Season Preview.