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Homecoming 2006 - Part II

I know I have gone all week now without mentioning that the Mountaineers played what was a little too exciting game last Friday. It was so exciting they are going to wait until Saturday to play this week's game. It will be Saturday afternoon at 2:00 and they will play Duncanville Christway in Lancaster. I am afraid that I can't afford to go so I will just have to wish them a safe trip and good luck.

Now back to last Friday... the Mountaineers and Mustangs from Brookesmith put on quite a six man show for the Homecoming crowd. It was a little too close for comfort but the Mountaineers held the Mustangs and won the game by a score of 78-67. I took so many pictures of the game and the rest of the Homecoming activities that I ran down all of my batteries towards the end of the game. Most of mine are not all that good.. one of these days I am going to a good action camera. I have them all in album on the Sports Page if you want to check them out.

I can't say enough about how good the Mountaineer Band is doing under the direction of Mr. Mitchell. They just keep getting better and better each week.

What an Ex Students' Association Meeting we had on Saturday too! Four of this year's scholarship recipients, including Ryan Guerrero, Kevin Sanderson, Colt Martin, and Patrick Kerr, spoke to the Exes and Jesse Hensley wrote a letter and they all thanked the Association for their scholarships.

The Association also received over ten thousand dollars in donations to the Scholarship Fund including an anonymous donation of $5000, approximately $3200 from the Class of 1966 fundraiser, and $1756 from the Class of 1946. The Association also voted to deposit the Scholarship Fund with the Santa Anna Foundation to maximize the return and to provide for 501 3c tax exemption status for donations.

I can't say how much fun I had at the Homecoming Dance but it was worth all the hard work. Rus Wristen did a great job playing the music we wanted to hear and dance to. We also had another guy from Abilene hanging around the Dance and that was Victor Cristales, a photographer for the Abilene Reporter News. Victor works with Celinda Emmison at the newspaper and they were in town doing one of a series of stories about what people do in a small town on Saturday night. Be sure and check out this Saturday's edition of the Abilene Reporter News for the feature on Santa Anna.

There are a couple more folks I should thank for helping out at the dance and they are, Mike Hartman, Bodie Stark, and Curtis Fellers for helping me set up chairs and tables, Tom and Briana Guthrie for helping me take them down, Jo and Eddie Jones for keeping the peace, and Charlotte Tucker, Deborah Stanton, and the Classes of the 80's gang for providing us with the sandwich trays.

These girls had a lot of fun all weekend...

SAHS Class of 1966 - 40th Reunion

The SAHS Class of 1966 held their 40th Reunion this past weekend at the Santa Anna Lions Club.

Homecoming 2006

Well I have almost caught up on all the Homecoming photos. I wasn't really sure how I wanted to do all the photos since I took almost 500 pictures with Cindy's help on the parade photos. She also helped me decorate a car for the Coming Home Queen to ride in, did the Exes' meeting programs for me, helped me work the door at the Homecoming Dance and generally kept me going all weekend. I guess I should thank her again but I think I might already have... come to think of it she probably owes me somewhere down the line!

I enjoyed going around to all the class reunions Saturday afternoon visiting with exes and taking photos of their classes for the Coleman paper, SantaAnnaNews.com, and the Santa Anna Ex Students' Association website I started last week SantaAnnaMountaineers.org. Most of the class photos are below except for the ones I am waiting on for identification.

It was especially fun seeing all those at Charlotte and Deborah's Classes of the 80's Reunion and then working the door at the Homecoming Dance where I got to see everybody. Charlotte and Deborah did a great job rounding everyone up. See Charlotte's 1980-1990 Class Reunion website for all their photos and memories.

Here are the 2006 Ex Student's Association Homecoming Honorees:

SAHS Class of 1956 - 50th Reunion

The SAHS Class of 1956 held their 50th Reunion this past weekend at the Santa Anna VFD Annex. The Class rode together on a float during the Homecoming Parade on Friday. The Ex Student of the Year, Carolyn Woods Stone, was selected from the Class and honored during pregame ceremonies and also spoke during the Ex Student Association meeting on Saturday morning.

SAHS Class of 1976 - 30th Reunion

The SAHS Class of 1976 had their 30 year class reunion this past Saturday afternoon at the Santa Anna ISD Library. The class members and their families enjoyed a special tour of the school renovations led by SAHS Principal and classmate David Robinett.

SAHS Class of 1946 - 60th Reunion

The Santa Anna High School Class of 1946 held their 60th Class Reunion at the First Presbyterian Church this past Saturday afternoon. The Class also presented the Santa Anna Ex Student's Association Scholarship Fund with a donation of $1746.00.

4-H Shooting Sports - Pistol Practice

Monday, October 9th, Bill Franklin Center

Steve Hinds, Certified 4-H Shooting Sports Pistol Leader, has announced that practices will begin next week on Monday, October 9th at 6:00 p.m. All 4-Hers as well as parents are welcome to attend. 4-Hers involved in this program will receive training in SAFETY FIRST, along with skills and knowledge for this particular discipline. If you are interested in the 4-H Shooting Sports Pistol program, please come to this meeting/practice on Monday, October 9, 2006 at 6:00 p.m. at the Bill Franklin Center (Coleman Rodeo Grounds).

For more information you may contact Steve Hinds at 325-636-7144 or the County Extension Office at 325-625-4519.

Down at the Pumpkin Patch to benefit Ethan Mendoza

Submitted by Stephanie Dane

The First Baptist Church Santa Anna Girls in Action (GA's) group will be hosting a community wide fall festival entitled "Down at the Pumpkin Patch" on Saturday, October 28, 2006 from 5pm-8pm in the First Baptist Church CLC/gym. All proceeds of the festival will be to benefit Ethan Mendoza and his family. Ethan is an 8 year old student of Santa Anna, Texas which contracted encephalitis in early June and has been hospitalized in Cook Children’s Medical Center. He is scheduled to be released in mid October and will require continuing medical attention which can be very expensive.

The tickets for the games are only .25 cents a piece with each game ranging from one to four tickets to play. Nothing will cost more than a dollar to play. We will also have arm bracelets available for $10.00 per person for unlimited play without keeping up with tickets. A concession stand will have great food to feed your whole family.

Activities will include games, a hay ride, FREE door prizes, a live auction and fun for the whole family. The Santa Anna Volunteer Fire Department will be showing off their new quick response truck and answering questions you may have. SAVFD was able to purchase the truck in 2005 with the help of the community and are looking forward to allowing the community an opportunity to see their funds at work first hand.

We still have a few booths open and if any individual or organization would like to help support Ethan and his family, we would love to have your help. The First Baptist Church is proving all prizes and whatever you need to run your booth. Please call Stephanie Dane at 325-280-1729 or Leann Donham at 325-642-0062 with any questions or to volunteer.

There will be a pumpkin carving contest which is FREE to enter. If you would like to enter your jack-o-lantern, you can drop it off at the CLC no later than 6:00pm during the festival. The prizes will be awarded at 7:30pm.

Special Thanks!

I would like to thank all those that participated in Santa Anna's Homecoming Parade, Curtis Fellers and Nancy Wylie for helping organize, the Santa Anna Volunteer Fire Department for blocking traffic and the fire trucks for the football team to ride on, to the Santa Anna ISD, Mr. Walker, and Mr. Robinett for letting school out early, Mr. Mitchell for the doing such a great job with the Mountaineer Band, to the City of Santa Anna and TXDOT for letting us have it, to all those that helped with floats and decorated cars, and especially to the following Santa Anna Homecoming Parade Sponsors:

• Coleman County Telephone Cooperative
• Coleman County Telecommunications LTD
• Santa Anna National Bank
• Cen-Tex Land Co
• Traveler's Treasures
• Quilter's Patch
• Coleman County Woodshop
• That Santa Anna Store
• Leather and Lace
• Sunnie's
• Dub's Opera House
• Santa Anna Grocery
• Simmon's Feed and Seed

Thanks!

James Pelton

President

Santa Anna Ex Student's Association

Benefit Raises Money for Ethan Mendoza

Santa Anna Yearbook Staff Selling Poinsettias

The Santa Anna Yearbook Staff will be selling poinsettias again this year starting around the middle of October. They will be the same price as last year ($12.50) with foiled covers and a bow. This money is used to help fund our yearbook and purchase photography equipment when needed. Yearbook staff members will be coming around to check and see if you would like to order or you may send an e-mail to becky.martin@netxv to order. They appreciate your support in the activities that they do.

Santa Anna City Council Meets

After the Santa Anna City Council meeting last Wednesday was canceled due to a 72 hour posting requirement, the Council met at City Hall on Monday night to discuss replacing the Mayor, Director of Public Works, City Secretary, the water and sewer plant operators, and one maintenance position which were all vacated after resignations in hte last two weeks.

Mayor Pro Tem Curtis Fellers began and presided over the meeting after it was determined that Councilman Tom Bell who had been named Mayor in last Monday's meeting was not eligible since he was already on the Council. Fellers explained that the Council consulted the Attorney General's Office, and their legal counsel and had three legal options for filling the Mayor position: for the Mayor Pro Tem to serve in absence of the Mayor until the next election which is not until May, for the Council to appoint a registered voter who is not already a member of the Council, or for the selection of the Mayor to be tabled.

After some discussion it was decided to table the action indefinitly which leaves the Mayor Pro Tem Fellers serving in the Mayor's absence and still eligible to vote in Council matters.

The Council then went into executive session for discussion and when the Council reconvened Sam Oswood of Brownwood was named as the Director of Public Works, former Director of Public Works, Doug Watson, was rehired temporarily as a contractor to operate the City's water treatment plant, Lori Beal will continue to serve as the temporary City Secretary, and Justin Watson was also rehired.

2006 SAHS Homecoming

Kristle Deleon was crowned the 2006 Homecoming Queen during halftime ceremonies at last Friday's football game.

Rattlesnakes!

I have heard several reports of rattlesnakes on the move. From the East side of town one school employee was bitten near the school bus barns this past week. On the West end Bobby Morgan told me of a couple around Morgan Time Machines. From the school there have been several around the South end of the football field and track all Summer so all you track walkers keep your eyes open and avoid walking after dark!

Ray Jones killed one in a fierce battle in front of First Baptist a couple of Sundays ago.

The latest comes from the Northside Baptist Church where one was spotted near the front steps after church Wednesday night after Prayer Meeting.

Better watch out for those serpents around the church!

Coleman 4H Club to Sell Poinsettias

The Coleman 4H club will be selling poinsettias from now through October 10th. The cost will be $10.00 per plant. The colors that will be available are red, pink or white. The profits that are made will be used to purchase toys for Coleman’s Citywide Toy Drive. What a beautiful way to decorate for Christmas!

You may purchase poinsettias from any Coleman 4Her or call the Coleman County Agriculture Extension office at 625-4519. The plants will be delivered to the Bill Franklin Center (at the rodeo grounds) on December 2nd. You may pick them up there or make arrangements with the 4Her you bought them from to deliver them. Payment is due when the plants are picked up.

Cooking Well with Diabetes

Classes offered to help people with diabetes plan healthful meals

For people with diabetes, maintaining healthy blood glucose levels is a matter of life and death. One way for people to better control their glucose levels is to eat healthful meals and snacks at regular times each day. To help local residents learn how to plan and prepare meals that can be enjoyed by people with and without diabetes, Texas Cooperative Extension is planning a four-part series of cooking classes called Cooking Well with Diabetes. The classes will be held at 5:30, September 25, October 3, 10, and 17, at the Senior Center, 916 S. Concho St. in Coleman.

The series will include cooking demonstrations as well as discussions of research findings on diabetes. For instance, recent research has shown that people with diabetes can enjoy a wide range of foods - including sugars - in moderation.

Years ago, the term "sugar diabetes" was in common usage because it was thought that eating too much sugar caused diabetes. In those days, people with diabetes were advised to avoid sugar all together.

Those days are gone, said Mary K. Bielamowicz, an Extension nutrition specialist. Research has shown that moderate consumption of sugars and fats can still be part of a healthful diet for people with diabetes, as long as they keep their blood glucose at healthy levels. Carbohydrates are found in grains, pasta, cereals, dairy products and vegetables, particularly starchy vegetables such as beans, corn, peas, potatoes and winter squash.

Protein foods such as meat, fish and poultry do not contain carbohydrates, unless other ingredients such as breading are added to those dishes. Many carbohydrate foods also contain fiber, which can help reduce blood cholesterol and blood glucose levels. Carbohydrate foods that contain high levels of dietary fiber include whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Because the body quickly absorbs the glucose from sugary and high-starch foods, eating large amounts of them can cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket. People with diabetes should consume some starchy or sugary foods including breads, potatoes, desserts and fruit juices only in moderation, experts say. Instead of abstaining from sugars and starches altogether, they should consume a balance of different kinds of carbohydrates, such as more whole grains, nonstarchy vegetables and whole fruits, and less starchy and sugary foods.

One way to keep a check on the amount of sugars in the foods you buy and eat is to read the nutrition labels on food packages carefully. Sugar is sometimes listed as sucrose, glucose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, honey, lactose, maltose, dextrose and sugar alcohols such as sorbitol or mannitol. Another way to reduce your sugar intake is to modify your recipes, Bielamowicz said. For example:
* When baking, reduce the amount of sugar by one-quarter to one-third.
* In cookies, bars or cakes, replace one-quarter of the sugar with nonfat dry milk. This cuts calories while increasing the calcium and protein in the finished product.
* Add extra flavorings or spices.
* Use unsweetened frozen fruit juice or fruit canned in its own juice instead of fruit canned in syrup.
* Replace some of the sugar in a recipe with fruit juices or purees.

Bielamowicz added that because diabetes is a problem of carbohydrate metabolism (how the body uses carbohydrates), eating about the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal will help maintain blood glucose levels throughout the day.

There will be a one-time Registration Fee of $15.00 for the series of classes, or $25.00 for a couple from the same household. This fee will be used for notebooks and hand-outs, and food to be prepared and served at each class. For more information on cooking with diabetes or on the Cooking Well with Diabetes series, contact Extension Agent Debbie Hailey, at 325-625-4519.

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