The Front Page
The Risk is Real - Serving our Country
Remembering those that have served and those that are serving our country.
You know sometimes it doesn't hit you until it is personal.
Please remember these Santa Anna folks that are serving our country in military combat, training, or support: Maricela (Marty) Siller, Clay Stewardson, Eddie Dawson, Ike Garza, James Watson, Austin Voss, Randy Casey, Mike Montgomery II, Mark Rutherford, Allen Tucker, James Culpepper, Shane Watson, Brandon Beloat, Glen Donham, and Jeffrey Watson.
Twice in the last year the number below has actually gone down and I am happy to lower it from 1883 to 1882.
1882 American soldiers or sailors have died in Operation Enduring Freedom as reported by the
Department of Defense and the
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count. Pray for our country, its' leaders, and our soldiers and sailors.
Please remember the many serving as volunteers for various groups and those that may be working for the media or one of the many Department of Defense contractors that have employees in support roles in Iraq including Santa Anna's Jason Dane. These folks are serving an important part in the rebuilding of Iraq and the danger is just as great if not more for them as it is for soldiers.
The
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count has also tracked the deaths of 91 American contractors working in Iraq so the risk is real.
Many service men and women return home safely. Operation Tribute to Freedom Homecoming Photographs.
We must never forget the sacrifices of men and women serving our country from all generations. Tex Wright recently sent me this information:
The Coleman County Historical Commission has started work on a new project.
Since this year is the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII, we (Texas Historical Commission statewide) have started a project to honor the ones who served.
We (I) have set up a Web Page to keep people posted on what is being done and to ask for their help in remembering those Men and Women.
The Web Page is:Coleman County Historical Comm.
WW2 Commemorative Activities
Hurricane Katrina
As I watched CNN, NBC, and CBS after the volleyball games Tuesday night I was thinking about how to be able to afford gasoline to be able to make it to work during the next few weeks.
Seeing the people without homes, cars, or places to work made the 15 to 25 cent jump in gas prices today seem like nothing at all.
ABC News Anchor, Charlie Gibson, put it something like this.. imagine yourself, not counting any storm wind or water damage, without electricity, water, sewer, or gasoline..
One news woman stopped a man holding a little boy's hand wandering around the streets of Biloxi Mississippi, I think, and asked him how he was doing? The man told a tragic story about how his family had climbed on the roof of their home and all of the sudden the house broke in two from the rising flood waters. His wife apparently fell into the water and he could no longer hold her hand. She said for him to take care of the kids as she was carried away.
The damage to South Louisiana and Mississippi was devastating. Please pray for those that are affected by the hurricane.
Hurricane Katrina - Part II
As I came home from work Thursday, I anticipated with some regret having to mow the grass when I got there. I finished mowing and watering some and decided to go for a spin on my motorcycle. As I was going through downtown some of my outlaws.. Robinett girls, Jean and Gail, were working their husbands, Ray Findley and Dickie Horner pretty hard. I try not to talk too much about family unless they are doing some good and well these guys needed some help!
I got on the horn and rounded up my ace son in law, Jason Titsworth, as he was mowing his grass earlier too. He had just got out of the shower and... well when we got finished, two trailer loads later.. he needed another one!
I got home right at ten and realized I hadn't eaten any supper yet and was feeling kind of sorry for myself when as I walked through the front door Cindy was sitting on the couch watching CNN and the "State of Emergency" in New Orleans. She NEVER watches CNN but I had hooked her the night before I guess.
Needless to say it did not take me very long to realize how lucky I was to have my family around, to have grass to mow, to have fresh clean water to water the grass with and to later take a shower in, to have lights and TV, to have food in the refrigerator and pantry, a stove and microwave to cook it on, air conditioning, and a bed to lay down and sleep in.
Count your blessings and then say a prayer for those that are without today.
Hurricane Katrina - Part III
I received the following from Stephanie Dane Thursday:
Hurricane Katrina has been a devastating storm for so many people. But, as your website says, sometimes it doesn't hit you until it is personal. That keeps going through my mind while I sit and watch news reports and comb through Internet stories and pictures looking for any shred of information I can find. I do this because we have 10 family members who lived in Pass Christian and Gulfport Mississippi until Katrina hit this past week. As of yet, we have no word on any of them. We do not know if they chose to wait out the storm or if they evacuated before it hit.
You may remember my brother, Kelvin Connolly, who lived in Santa Anna with my step-dad and mother, Bud and Sandra Connolly. Kelvin graduated from CAPS in 2003. He moved to Pass Christian, Mississippi after graduation and this is where he was living when Katrina hit. The others are Bud Jr and his family, his wife Kim and their children Morgan, 6yrs old, and Mason, who is 7 months old. Then their is Glen and his family, his wife Jennifer is 4-5 months pregnant, and their daughter, Hailey, is 6 yrs old. The last is the boys' mother, Barbara, who also resides in Pass Christian.
I am asking Santa Anna to pray for the safe return of our family. I am also asking for us all to pray together for the families who now have no homes and who are going through such an unimaginably impossible time right now. This may sound silly to some, but I have also prayed daily all this week for the communications to be returned so that the families there can contact their families around the country and let them know they are safe. And now the news says their is another hurricane headed inland. Please pray this dissipates before it hits land.
I am; however, unable to just sit and watch and wait. I am not a patient person. I cannot leave and go there since I have two very young children, but I have to do something. So, the 5th and 6th grade Team Kids class will be collecting money to donate to the American Red Cross to aid in the Hurricane Katrina Relief fund. We will be contacting local businesses to ask permission t o place hand decorated jars to collect change. I would like to ask anyone who is interested in making a donation to contact me at 348-3340 and I will be happy to come and pick it up. Also, if anyone would like to give permission to place a jar at their place of business, please contact me. The class has volunteered to make the jars and took them home Wednesday night to work on them. There are two kids in my class that also had family members who were in Mississippi. One has heard from their family member just before church on Wednesday, the other had not heard at that time. I was so proud of my class and there willingness to get involved and help with the relief efforts.
I will be personally driving to Abilene to deliver the funds we collect periodically. (probably only once a month due to the gas prices) We have not set a goal or a cut-off date as of yet, but will keep everyone posted via santaannanews.com. I would like to thank the Community in advance for all of your support and prayers. It is times like these that remind me why I wanted to move back home. I am so proud to be a part if a community that pulls together to help their neighbors in times of need as much as Santa Anna does.
God Bless,
Stephanie Dane on behalf of the Connolly family and 5th and 6th grade Teamkids class.
Thanks Stephanie and good luck to you and the 5th and 6th grade Teamkids class. We hope that you hear from your family members soon.
Hurricane Katrina - Update
I received the following from Stephanie Dane Late Friday:
We received excellent news today! Kelvin called and he and ALL 9 other family members are alive and well. They received minimal damage comparatively. No one was injured. Kelvin was actually in Missouri at a graduation when the hurricane hit. The other family members went to an aunt's house there is Mississippi and they had generators and have been fine.
Thanks so much for all your prayers and support. We have had a long hard week that was made easier by the support of our community.
On another good note, Jason will be coming home from Baghdad tomorrow, Saturday September 3 for good. He has been there for 8 months and felt it was time to come home. HE cannot wait to see all his family and friends here in the big SA! Another thank you for all everyone has done to support the kids and I while he was gone. I know it made it easier for him to be there knowing I was here surrounded by loved ones.
Off to College
Brittany Mach is enrolled at Blinn Junior College at Bryan-College Station. She is studying fashion merchandising and textile design. She graduated from Midlothian High School this past May. Her parents are Robin & Terry Mach, and she has a younger brother Jordan.
Bryan Fellers, a 2005 Graduate of SAHS and son of Curtis and Janice Fellers, will be attending Tarleton State University at Stephenville. He started class on Monday, August 29. Good Luck Bryan!
Please send your "Off to College" and other news about Santa Anna folks to news@santaannanews.com.
I wonder whatever happened to...
Speaking of Robin (Hartman) Mach, I wonder whatever happened to her?
Robin's parents Stanley and Judy Hartman, sister Stephanie, and grand parents Ed and Ruby Hartman still live in Santa Anna of course.
I got this message from Robin Wednesday updating us on what she is doing these days:
I live in Midlothian, which is about 30 miles south of Dallas, with my husband Terry, and our son Jordon -- who is 17 and a Senior. As you wrote, our daughter Brittany, just graduated from Midlothian High School in May. She is off to college, and is getting a taste of the real world! I am employed by Midlothian ISD -- where I have been for 13 years -- as an assistant principal at one of the five elementary schools. My campus has 700 students; Kinder - 5th grade. Sometimes I am just in awe of having so many students in one building! People here laugh when I say I had 16 in my graduating class!
I stay busy now being "Jordon's mom". He is in the band -- playing percussion -- like all the Hartman boys did.
We don't make it to Santa Anna like I would like to because of responsibilities here, but when we do make it home, it is so nice to relax and enjoy the slow pace. My parents and my sister keep me up to date with happenings, as well as this web-site. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to devote to this site. It is obvious there are many hours put into it. When I start thinking about "home", this site is the place to go. Even though things are not what they used to be, progress is good. Santa Anna has been, and always will be, home to me.
Robin
Thanks for coming by SantaAnnaNews.com, Robin and thanks for the update!
I wonder whatever happened to... Robin - Part II
I sort of anonymously received this photo of Robin and some other Santa Anna Cheerleaders (I am not sure what year it was taken but it is probably around 1983-84 I think). My legal counsel has advised me to not reveal that he is the source, I mean not reveal my source!
I am not sure of all the names but I think it is Left to Right: Janice Weathers, Jeanene Jones, Jackie Weathers, Robin Hartman, and Melissa Buse. Hmm.. I wonder whatever happened to Melissa Buse?
And I think that is my attorney riding in the front... It was probably the only way he ever got any girls to ride with him!
Lady Mountaineers Volleyball
Speaking of volleyball, the Lady Mountaineers beat the Ladies from Bangs Tuesday night, while the JV team lost to the Bangs JV.
The athleticism of these girls amazes me every time I see these photos.
Tasha Zarate sends one back
Jesse Hensley goes for the shot block
Mayra Dean on a slam
Jalesa Kirven puts a whack on the ball
Kendra Coleman on the sendoff
Jessica Pelton lets one have it
Lady Mountaineers Have See-saw Week
Submitted by Coach Bob Libby
On Tuesday the Lady Mountaineers played host to a three way match with Mullin and Moran. Santa Anna split the teams with a mixed lot of seniors and underclassmen. The group of Jessica Pelton, Bianca Dean, Jelisa Kirven, Kendra Coleman, Kristle DeLeon Raelee Watson and Chelsea Guerrero played Mullin in the first match. Santa Anna looked extremely sharp and with precision passing, setting and hitting controlled the entire match defeating Mullin 25-14, 25-4, and 25-20.
The other team of Jesse Hensley, Mayra Dean, Tasha Zarate, Jessica Moreno, Chelsea Guerrero, and Sierra Herrod played Moran in the final match and defeated them 25-9, 25-15, and 25-18 . This group also displayed excellent teamwork and was sharp with their passing, setting and hitting and controlling this match making the game of volleyball look easy.
On Saturday the Lady SAM’s took their game to Abilene Christian to play in a round robin pool play tournament. In pool play the first team to score 15 points and lead by two at points at that time wins the game. Santa Anna played Albany and came out playing extremely well. With a 10-2 lead, the game was looking promising for the Lady Mountaineers. Albany was able to regain their poise and come out on top with a 15-13 victory. The second game ended in a 15-8 victory for Albany as Santa Anna played very tentatively losing 15-8.
#8 Mayra Dean, #4 Jesse Hensley, and #24 Bianca Dean on the setup versus Albany Saturday at the Abilene Christian High School Tournament
Santa Anna’s second game was against a very strong 3A Breckenridge team. Breckenridge was stunned early on as the Lady Mountaineers played extremely well and were on the verge of winning the game with a 14-10 lead. However, Breckenridge came back to win the game 16-14. Game two was a classic. Both teams demonstrated outstanding plays with rallies, hits and digs throughout the game. It looked as if the Lady Mountaineers were going to pull this one out but Santa Anna became too cautious and lost in an exciting game 15-13.
#4 Jesse Hensley blocking the spike from a tough Breckenridge team as #24 Bianca Dean and #14 Tasha Zarate back her up Saturday at the Abilene Christian High School Tournament
In game three the Lady Mountaineers played Mullin once again and came out playing flatter than a pancake. The Lady SAM’s were unable to maintain any rally points and in probably the biggest upset of the tournament, lost to Mullin 15-13 and 15-13. Even though the Lady Mountaineers did not advance in the tournament, they displayed what they are capable of doing. Things really look promising if Santa Anna will play as they did against Breckenridge. Santa Anna will play host to Bangs on Tuesday with the junior varsity playing at 5:00.
See the Sports Page for more photos in this week's photo albums.
Weather sort of.
We had about an inch and half of rain in the gauge after the storms early Sunday morning. I mowed and watered the grass Saturday so you can thank me for the rain by sending your checks to the City of Santa Anna c/o James Pelton help pay the bill fund! I think we had about ten inches of wind and a foot of storm to go with it!
Speaking of weather, I am still a little under it. I guess it is mostly sinus allergy kind of stuff that happens this time of year especially a few days after it rains. So the news is a little light for a Monday but stay with me and have a good week!
Mountaineer Football
The Mountaineers traveled to Abilene Friday night to take on the Abilene Christian High School Panthers and came up a little short as they lost 61-20.
Attention Mountaineer Football Fans
I have recruited a couple of family members to help with photo taking, at least of the Varsity football games. I am still looking for someone to do JV and JR. High games.
I am also going to take a shot at seeking sponsorship of the Sports Page. I am not real sure what I want to do yet, but let me know if you are interested and we can discuss kind of what I have in mind and what you might be wanting.
Please give me a call or e-mail to news@santaannanews.com if you are interested.
New Feature
I added a new feature Last Wednesday that will let you use Yahoo Messenger service to chat with me if I am logged in.
If the graphic in the upper left hand corner says "I'm Online send me a message" then you can click on it to initiate a conversation with me.
You don't have to have Yahoo Messenger or a Yahoo ID to chat but it will open it up if you already have it on your computer.
I am usually online Sunday through Thursday from about dark until 11 or 12.
We can talk about me, you, Santa Anna, Mountaineers, or whatever you like.
Saint Willow Baptist Church Fundraisers
Saint Willow Baptist Church in Santa Anna, Tx located on the Brady Highway is trying to raise money to fix electrical wiring, new doors, and install New air conditioner units. There has been fundraisers set up for a few weeks now every Saturday to help raise the money.
Our goal is approximately $5000 and should help take care of everything needed to be done to the church. Last Saturday there was a snow cone/refreshments stand and the church also sold chili dogs and frito pie and raised about $200. This Saturday there will be a barbecue where they will be selling plate lunches for $5.00 a plate. Including barbecue, potato salad, and beans.
We would appreciate all the help we can get in trying to raise this money for our church. There is an account at the Santa Anna National Bank for St.Willow Baptist Church. Any donations of any kind would be gladly accepted. If you have any questions or concerns you can call Judy Jackson @ (325)-348-9129 or email at shantebj@hotmail.com, Roeanna Barton @ (325)-348-3223 or Gail Kirven @ (325)-348-3247
Want your own dot com?
This is a great time to get it whether you just want it for an e-mail address of your own, like james@yourlastname.com, or for putting some family pictures on the web, or getting your business on the web
1 and 1 is by far your best bet!
Any questions just send me an e-mail and I will be happy to help you get started, or just click the 1 and 1 ad on the left, or any of the links in this article.
