The Tulia Herald (Tulia, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 23, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 8, 2000 Page: 1 of 14
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Tocker Foundation Grant and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Swisher County Library.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Ul
H"
U3
5
a
a
SLL
H
>5
□i
* » »
i 1 i i
1. !jU •
l1II. 1' i ,,
I ^'
• '■J,J : Ml .'Hi
* 'i
National
The Tulih Herald
Serving The Finest People In The Richest Land
Month
VOL. 92 NO. 23
Two Sections
THE TULIA (Swisher County) HERALD
THURSDAY, JUNE 8,2000
The Rains Have Come Down,
And New Hopes Are Raised
by Patricia Gardner
Herald Assistant Editor
Swisher County was blessed with a
$1 million dollar plus rain this week
when amounts of 1.3 inches to 4.5
inches were recorded around the
county.
The rains could not have been more
timely for producers, as many were
not sure just what crop they would
plant in the next 30 days. Dry weather
combined with record high tempera-
tures and hot, gusty winds had made
planting conditions less than desir-
able in both irrigated and dryland
fields. The High Plains area is ex-
pected to plant between 3.75 and 4
million acres of cotton this year, and
those intentions were in jeopardy last
week.
Gusting winds had blown so much
soil across some of the early planted
cotton fields that it was becoming
difficult to see where the beds started
and if there were any plants in them
Seed companies reported slow in-
terest from producers where cane,
hay grazer and milo were concerned
this year, and so up until the rains,
very few producers or merchants had
any inkling what they wouldbe plant-
ing or selling. Milo can be planted as
late as July 4, but few producers are
found sowing that late.
Dealers now report Renewed inter-
est in seed, and most of the purchases
are for normal season seeds. Previ-
ously, what little grain seed had been
purchased was of the short-term va-
riety.
The rains have changed.the whole
picture for producers who arc 'enter-
ing that time of year when what
happens tomorrow is more important
than what happened yesterday or to-
day in tlie life of a crop.
Today cotton is about 90 percent
planted and up in the county, and
those dryland producers who were
dragging their feet last week are hap-
pily buying seed this week to add to
tlie acreage.
Rick Skinner ofBig Nsaid Roundup
ready cotton seed is the only kind
planted in this county anymore, and
especially on irrigated fields. Hesaid
he knows of at least 1000 to 1500
acres of dryland cotton in the county
so far.
He said the thrips do not seem to be
as bad on cotton at this time as they
were last year, perhaps due to the fact
that wheat fields dried up quicker
and left the thrips no place to survive
while cotton germinated and finally
pushed through the soil.
Cotton plants in irrigated fields are
showing four or five leaves, so the
rain will be most beneficial to them.
Those fields appear to be several
weeks ahead of the normal growth
pattern, so producers were struggling
to keep the plants alive under the
blistering heat. It is not normal to
water at this stage, but many were
having to in order to protect the ten-
der plants from the searing heat and
high, gusty winds.
The rains have come just in time
for corn producers, too. Their plants
were beginning to suffer from lack of
humidity and moisture, as irrigating
water just could not soak them well
enough inioO degree^enips arid dry,!
will cool off the plants and give them
the opportunity to root down deeper
and absorb water better.
The only producers who might be
complaining are those wanting to
• harvest their wheat. The rains will
most certainly bring forth weeds not
seen since last summer, and so the
quality will drop a littfie. However,
pre-plant moisture for the next crop
could prove to be more valuable now.
A negative aspect of the rains, too,
will be that the price of wheat will
drop now that midwest acreage is
saved from ruin by the hot, blowing
winds. Tuesday file LDP payment
had gone up a few cents, indicating
the price of wheat is on its way down
again.
The rains will also give the produc-
ers a chance to catch up on mainte-
nance of their machinery, as well as
cut their operation costs. With wheat
harvest back to back with planting
and haying, the producers are heavily
stressedatthistimeofyear. Arespite
of a few days can rejuvenate both
producer and plants and certainly
benefit machinery.
So, too, are the rains good for live-
stock producers. The summer grass
prospects were not looking good this
year, and so many producers had
begun to send lighter, thinner calves
and cows to the sales.
Charles Sturgess, co-ownerofTulia
Livestock Auction, said the rains will
stop the influx of light or thin calves
that producers were having to sell to
take some of the stress off the already
short grass supply..
windy air. The lower temperatures Please see RAINS on page 4A
Tulia Scouts Plan Fun Safety
Day For All Swisher Youths
by Chris Russett
Herald Publisher
Swisher County Safe Kids Day is
for all youth bicycle riders, and also
will cover many other causes of acci-
dental childhood injuries. The spe-
cial program is sponsored by Tulia
Cub Scouts and will be Saturday at
Conner Park at Broadway and SW
Second St., Tulia, from 10 a.m. until
3 p.m. All Swisher County children
are invited, according to Scoutmaster
Greg Perkins.
Registration begins at 10 a.m. and
is an important part of file program
because helmets will be given to the
first 100 who sign up. Registration
includes entry in the drawing for two
mountain-racing bikes.
Guests who are professionals in
their fields will make safety related
presentations.
Plainview Police Department's bi-
cycle patrol officer will give a presen-
tation on bicycle safely. There will be
an obstacle course and a training
class, with assistance from Tulia po-
liceofficcrs. GregPerkinsoftheTulia
Police Department has run this course
in the past through the schools, but is
bringing in outside help this year
because he is co-ordinator for the
entire program.
Part of their program will be a fun
bicycle rodeo with timed events
through an obstacle course.
"The obstacle course teaches proper
' If! "
turning techniques, hand signals and
safe handling of bicycles," Perkins
said. "Bikes are just like vehicles
because they follow the same laws
and regulations for traffic control."
Tule Creek EMS and Wayside
Emergency Team will present first
aid safety awareness training for
youngsters and their parents.
Tulia Volunteer Fire Department
will bring in the Panhandle smoke
house. It is a portable house that can
be filled with smoke that simulates a
fire. Firefighters will train children
how to respond when they are endan-
gered and visibility is low.
Swisher Electric will bring their
"electric city," a table top training
device that helps people understand
the hazards of electricity, and how to
avoid injury through understanding
of the elements of the electrical distri-
bution system.
Swisher Extension service and its
4-H'ers will present a portion of the
program in their fields of safety ex-
pertise.
The entire group of youngsters and
adults will take a lunch break for free
hot dogs, chips and drinks provided
by Tulia Cub Scouts. Then theyoung-
sters and theirparenlswillbreak back
into separate groups and continue
with the programs.
About 3 p.m., when all the pro-
*’r:
grams are finished, Tulia Cub Scouts
will draw for the
two racing bicyc-
les. Winners must
be present to win.
"The Cub Scouts
have asked that §2
these experts come
outtopre-sentthis j
important safety
information to the |
kids and to the G pERKINS
parents as well,"
Perkins said. "We take for granted
that our kids will be aware of the
safety issues commonly around them.
As a police officer I see the results of
ignorance by kids and parents alike.
Many of the accident victimsl seejust
were not aware of the dangers of the
road or the home."
Perkins said that bicycle safety is a
concern for kids because the more a
human body is exposed the more se-
rious injuries can be. Bicycles attain,
speeds of up to 40 mph, and we all
have seen what the damage is in
vehicle accidents at that speed.
"Just think what that can be like for
an exposed body," he said. "I never
want to see that in our community.
We want to make sure our kids have
the information and understanding
of what can happen to them in a
bicycle accident."
"Please come join us for a free, fun
filled day for everyone," Perkins said.
r . ■■■ J-fVl
BandHasFun
Time On Trip
Director Harold Scarbrough and
the Tulia High School band re-
turned Sunday from a trip to Colo-
rado where they performed on the
steps of the capitol building.
The trip plan arose from a desire
by the students to have fun and
Scarbrough's desire to find a place
for them to perform rather than
have to compete in a contest, as
they have done all year.
Scarbrough said the band had
competed in a park in Colorado
Springs a few years ago, and he
thought it would be fun to perform
in Colorado again.
"Besides," hesaid, "thestudents
wanted to go river rafting and see
Pikes Peak and other sights, so it
was just natural to find a gig for
them in Colorado."
"River rafting was really cool,"
said Curtis Carter, senior band
graduate. "This was my last trip
with the band, and I wanted it to be
fun and memorable, which it was."
Scarbrough said he wanted to
spend the day in Denver, so he
found this opportuni ty for the band
to just perform for fun, and they all
enjoyed it. Passersby stopped for a
few minutes to hear the marching
tunes the band played while dressed
in their uniforms.
"They really looked professional
and sounded good," said
Scarbrough.
"Playing in Denver was really
neat," said junior Jeremy Gardner.
The band left Tulia Thursday
morning and traveled to the Royal
Gorge, where those who wanted to
could try river rafting. They trav-
eled on to Colorado Springs by
nightfall. . , ^ _
■ Friday the band drove on to Den-
ver; where they performed in a fun
concert on the steps of the capitol
building. After the concert, the stu-
dents went to Six Flags Elitch Gar-
dens amusement park.
Then Saturday, the students rode
the Cog Train up to Pikes Peak,
over 11,000 feet above sea level.
That afternoon, members of the
band toured the U.S. Air Force
Academy and Seven Falls. Sunday
the band traveled back to Tulia
from Denver.
"Some of the passersby that lis-
tened to us were students from
otherschools in tour groups, so our
kids out-performed themselves for
them," said Scarbrough.
* s*
feW:;;:!1
^ \ ■
INING THE TULIA FLEET is a 1,250 gallon per minute pumper with eight water discharges including
ligh pressure, high volume deck gun similar to the one that saved Ed Harris Lumber last year. The
xt step is to unpack the truck and install radio, then test all hoses and pumping gear. —Staff photo
NATHAN CULWELL had a dream since he
was just a young boy, and this week his
dream came true. Courtesy photo
Culwell’s Dream Comes
True InThe Big League
Appraisal Letters i
Are Sent To All
Property Owners
Swisher County Appraisal District
has notified property owners about
changes in their property's value by
sending out letters to property own-
ers.
Rose Lee Powell, chief appraiser
for* the district, reminds property
owners that the letter of appraised
value is not a tax bilh The 6,863
letters show the 2000 proposed ap-
praised value.
"Please do not pay — this is not a
tax bill," Powell said.
Powell emphasized the importance
of the letter and the key information
that it contains.
"A property owner has the right to
appeal to the Swisher County Ap-
praisal Review Board on any dis-
agreement with the property's value,
exemptions, ownership and other ar-
eas," she said.
The notice includes instructions on
how and when to file a protest and
protest form.
Those whose property values were
increased will find "estimated" taxes
included in their letters. Those are
based on the new taxable value and
tax rates designed to raise the same
amount of revenue as last year. Tax-
ing units in Swisher County will set
final tax rates during August and
September.
Powell reminds property owners
that any incorrect information in the
letter should be brought to her atten-
tion.
She said that the total tax roll is
likely to be about the same as last
• year. Agricultural land taxable val-
ues will be somewhat lower because
Please see VALUES on page 2A
by Patricia Gardner .
Herald Assistant Editor
Nathan Drew Culwell put Vigo
-Parkand Swisher County on die face
of the baseball map of the United
States this week when he signed with
the Cincinnati Reds professional base-
ball team.
"I have been looking for tills oppor-
tunity all my life," said Culwell.
Culwell is the son of Mike and
Sharon Culwell, mighty proud par-
ents. He is married to high school
sweetheart, Brandi Turner, and they
currently live in Plainview, where he
plays baseball- for Wayland Baptist
University and she' is a student.
Culwell has always dreamed of
playing in the big leagues, and now
his dream has come true. No one
could be prouder than his father,
Mike.
"I am so proud of him, and so glad
for him to finally realize his dream,"
said Mike. "Of course, I thought the
Reds finally got the best player when
they picked Nate in the 32nd round."
Culwell's mother said he was bom
with abat and ball in his hand, and in
fact, a mitt and ball were the first toys
he received from his father.
"I started playing ball before I could
walk," said Culwell. "I outgrew the
nerf ball and bat real soon, and then
when I was two and began to break up
things around the house with my
baseball and bat, I was moved outside
where I could really get wild."
Culwell’s father has continued to
buy replacement balls and gloves
throughout his son’s amazing career.
Mike and Sharon and grandparents,
DaleandZula Culwell havefollowed
Nathan to every game he has played
since he began T-ball.
Even at that young age, spectators
could already tell there was some-
thing special about the youngster. He
had the ability to play any position,
and in fact tried out for all of them. It
was a real blessing to his coaches to
have a player they could put any-
where and he would still hold up the
game. Culwell rarely missed a fly
ball or even let a ball get past him, so
intently did he concentrate on his
game.
As he continued through little
league ball, it soon became apparent
that Culwell had special talent, and
he advanced to bigger and better
teams, where many times he helped
them win their league.
In high school, Culwell played both
basketball and baseball. His senior
year, the Tulia Hornets went to state
competition in basketball, and that
opened up doors for scholarship of-
fers from several colleges.
Those offers were tempting, but
baseball was still his love of life, so
Culwell opted to go to Wayland Bap-
tist University in Plainview to play
for them on a scholarship. At that
time he chose to change his shirt
number to 33 in honor of his late
friend, Sonny Ayers. Culwell had
played short stop until his senior year
at THS, when-hechangcd to catcher,
a position he has maintained at
Wayland.
As a freshman catcher at Wayland
in May, 1998, Culwell was named to
the All-Sooner Athletic Conference,
the only freshman or sophomore ever
named to the 16 member team.
"My dad is just crazy about sports,
and when he realized I loved base-
ball, he supported me wholeheart-
edly," said Culwell. "As a matter of
fact, he was there when I got bored
and wanted to quit in the middle of a
season or when I was unhappy with
myself and my abilities. Sometimes I
resented his pushing, like any rebel-
lious teenager, but he always had my
best interests at heart, and today I am
so glad he made me stay with my
goal."
Fromthebeginning, Culwell’s par-
ents played baseball with him and Ills
siblings and made sure he had tire
latest and best equipment. When he
needed special shoes to stretch his
calf muscles, they were gotten. When
he needed a new bat, special glove or
practice net, they were gotten. Mike
showed Nathan how to keep his arm
warm and in shape, and even built a
gym for him to work out in so that he
could strengthen his muscles. A hot
tub was installed forafter-game soak-
ing to soothe a sore arm, and his
parents continually improved and
monitored his diet to keep Nathan at
the peak of health.
While playing at THS, Culwell
maintained impressive statistics. As
a freshman, his average was .425,
and in his sophomore year, he aver-
aged .382. Then his senior year,
Culwell averaged .627. Scouts from
many major schools and the minor
leagues began watching him play
and talking to him about a future in
baseball. This year at Wayland,
Cuhvell’s average was .335 in a 40 to
19 season.
In May, Culwell was invited to
Dallas to pitch for the Reds, and he
said he felt then that they would pick
him because they had bccmwatching
him and knew just what they ex-
pected he could do for them.
Culwell will officially sign with
the Reds Thursday, then leave for
Billings, Mont. Friday where he will
be enrolled in Rookie Ball. His wife
will join him at a later date.
Once he goes tb the farm club,
Culwell will be watched by the Reds
and minor league teams who may
choose to play him. If he is not chosen
to go to a minor league team, Culwell
said he will stay there and practice for
spring training camp in March with
the Reds.
Please see DREAM on page -1A
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Tulia Herald (Tulia, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 23, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 8, 2000, newspaper, June 8, 2000; Tulia, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth635608/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Swisher County Library.