LIFE AT THE LIBRARY: Genealogy at your library | News, Sports, Jobs
LIFE AT THE LIBRARY: Genealogy at your library, Living
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, 2022-05-07 01:03:13,
ON BOOKS: Indigenous novel merits rediscovery
, 2022-05-08 02:18:31,
Greg Sarris is a focused writer who has created a small cosmos, a fictional disestablished tribe of American Indians who live in Sonoma County, Calif.
That tribe is the Waterplace Pomo, and we might be forgiven for thinking them the fictional analog to the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, the California tribe for which Sarris worked to gain federally recognized status.
Sarris serves as tribal chairman of the tribe, which owns the Graton Resort & Casino near Rohnert Park, Calif. He handles the casino’s business affairs, which might be a more lucrative occupation than teaching classes at Sonoma State University, where he holds the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria Endowed Chair of Native American Studies, or writing books.
He’s a controversial figure in that opponents of the casino have disputed his claim to American Indian heritage.
Sarris’ unwed mother, a 17-year-old of German, Jewish and Irish descent, died shortly after giving birth to him, and he was adopted by a middle-class white couple who thought they were unable to have biological children. Shortly after they adopted him, they conceived, and eventually had three biological children. Sarris often found himself at odds with his abusive, alcoholic father.
To keep the peace, Sarris lived with several foster families. When he was 12 years old he met Pomo basket weaver Mabel McKay, who taught him the Pomos’ ways and customs. (Sarris would, in 1994, publish “Mabel McKay: Weaving the Dream,” a loving biography of his mentor.)
While no father was named on his birth certificate, Sarris says when he was in graduate school at Stanford he discovered his biological father was of Filipino, Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo descent. He began to work with members of the Miwok and Pomo tribes to regain federal recognition…
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Cheap Thrills celebrates 30 years today
, 2022-05-08 01:15:01,
May 8 (Sunday)
Sunday Reset — Family Friendly Yoga Flow, 10:30 a.m., Momentary Green in Bentonville. $5. themomentary.org.
Family Day — Take Sunday for a Spin, 1-4 p.m., North Forest at Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org.
Friends of the Library Mostly Fiction Used Book Sale — 1-5 p.m., Fort Smith Main Library. fortsmithlibrary.org.
Alumni Recital — With Opera in the Ozarks alumni Justin Burgess and Dawn Pierce, 2:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church in Eureka Springs. $20. 253-8595 or opera.org.
Thirtieth Birthday Celebration — With music, drag performances and a crochet installation by Gina Gallina, 3-6 p.m., Cheap Thrills, 120 S. East Ave. in Fayetteville. Free. 442-7735.
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May 9 (Monday)
Drop-In Tour: Collection Highlights — 11:30 a.m. Monday, Thursday & Sunday, 2 p.m. Saturday, Garrison Lobby at Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org.
Book Talk — “American Spy” by Lauren Wilkinson, 1 p.m., Fayetteville Public Library. Free. Register at faylib.org.
Drop-In Tour: Architecture — 1 p.m. Monday, Thursday, Sunday, Garrison Lobby at Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org.
CB to You Mobile Art Lab — Welcome Celebration, 3-6 p.m., Siloam Springs Public Library. Free; hosted by Crystal Bridges. 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org.
Not Your Mama’s Romance Book Club — “The Failed Audition” by Krista & Becca Ritchie, 5 p.m., Bella Vista Public Library. Free. bvpl.org.
Sugar Creek Astronomical Society — 5:30 p.m., Bella Vista Public Library. Free. bvpl.org.
Ypga at FPL — 6 p.m., Fayetteville Public Library. Free. Register at faylib.org.
Auditions — For Yasmina Reza’s “Art,” 7 p.m., Arkansas Public Theatre at the Victory in Rogers. arkansaspublictheatre.org/castingandvolunteering.
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May 10 (Tuesday)
Eureka…
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Extra Ordinary Food: Secret to perfect Swedish meatballs is the right spices
, 2022-05-06 07:00:00,
It is the spices that enliven minced meat and breadcrumbs into something heavenly — Swedish meatballs. (Joshua Tibbetts)
This month I’m going to tackle a comfort food that has been the unfortunate subject of good press. The humble meatball. So many cultures have a meatball tucked away in there somewhere. For good reason. There’s always a bit of scraps to use up, that don’t quite fill a spoon. For those little bits and pieces, most food traditions have come up with the same approach: chop or grind up all the little loose bits, then bind them together into something one can sink their teeth into.
You either end up with a loaf or a meatball. Our modern American references tend to make us think either of Italian meatballs or diner-style meatloaf. The basic idea and techniques are the same. How it fits on the plate and how it fits into a meal are quite different.
Italian and Chinese meatballs are meant to be tucked into a nest of noodles. A meatloaf, terrine or Salisbury steak is meant to behave like an intact slab of meat. Both versions tend to use binders and extenders, like bread or crumbs. The extenders draw the flavor out over more bites. They turn a few scraps of meat into a drawn out feast.
Meatballs with pasta, American meatloaf and hamburgers absolutely have dominated our collective sense of what to expect from this kind of food. Gyros pokes it’s head up every once in a while, as does the Mexican variation on gyros: al pastor taco meat.
And then we have Swedish meatballs. There’s definitely a fad for Swedish meatballs, pushed in no small part by a certain international…
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A Return To Pickett County | History
allen zachary, byrdstown, Creative works, dale hollow tacos, dickson county, dixie café, family researcher, films, food, gaye, genealogical society, general, howard, jackson, linotype, local newspaper, local sports team, marvin rector, new year, norman hill, pickett county, pickett county press, revolutionary war, richard pierce, roland flowers, southern highlands, Tennessee
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PICKETT COUNTY, TENN – My last visit to the county where my Flowers family line first came out of Virginia to Tennessee was in 2014 for a brief visit. Though the timing wasn’t planned, the visit last October was at the same time as the 2014 visit, it’s just that October is a great time to travel, avoiding the stifling summertime heat and the summer crowds.
Growing up, we would make the drive from Jackson to Byrdstown, the seat of Pickett County, two or three times a year. We would stay with my aunt and uncle, Gaye and Marvin Rector, on the “home place.” My dad and Gaye grew up in that house.
When we would sit on the porch, the conversations would always end up about family. Who had died since the last visit; who had a new kid; who had moved away to find a better job. It was genealogy of the greatest detail, and at the time, I thought it was boring.
Several years ago, after doing the story, “The Soldier Boy from Stearns Hall,” I was driven to learn more about my family, driven by a descendent of that “Soldier Boy” who took the time to show me what was available to the family researcher in the age of the internet.
I was keen to learn all I could about Roland Flowers, my six-times great-grandfather.
Roland grew up in Virginia. He served two tours in the Revolutionary War and was present when British General Cornwallis surrendered.
For all the family chatting, I can’t recall ever visiting Roland’s grave.
When I arrived at Byrdstown, I met with Richard Pierce, a cousin that I had never met before. Richard is a member of Pickett County Historical & Genealogical Society (PCHGS).
As Richard told the story, my dad was the only family member still around that knew where Roland was buried. The only marker was a field stone, a flat piece of rock that would have been driven into the ground to mark the grave. From dad, Richard learned the location, and a military headstone and a flagpole and flag were erected at Roland’s grave, all thanks to Richard, PCHGS and the Veterans of Pickett County, Tennessee.
The view from Edgefield Cemetery, where Roland lies, is a spectacular view of the rolling hills that are common in this part of the Tennessee. Other Flowers family are buried here, and there are still some field stones marking other plots, possibly more of my family.
The day that Richard and I went to Edgefield Cemetery there was a heavy and cold rain, but a day or two later I returned and spent a good portion of the afternoon checking out the other names and dates, and wondering what this spot looked like when Roland was put here.
I was raised 250 miles west of Pickett County, in Jackson, Tennessee. Jackson, though, is so changed from what it was when I was growing up that it no longer feels like “home,” except for the friends I have there.
Scrambled eggs with cheese sauce, country ham, bacon and eggs… Sunday morning breakfast buffet at the Bobcat Den.
I have the same feeling about Dickson County, Tennessee, which is halfway between Jackson and Byrdstown. When I was a kid, I would spend summers in Dickson, helping my maternal grandparents on their farm. It was my favorite place to visit when I was growing up.
But, like Jackson, Dickson isn’t the same.
Dickson, now, seems like an endless highway interchange with chain restaurants and cheap motels and traffic that stretches out of Nashville.
Byrdstown has changed, too.
But not the accent. I grew up with a Southern Highlands accent. Not quite the “deep” South, but my accent certainly isn’t shallow. In Pickett County, the accent is Appalachian, or as some of my family would say, “they speak like mountain-folk.”
Now, the narrow, winding two-lane roads we traveled when I was a kid have been replaced with easy to drive two-lane highways. Gone is the sulphury-tasting artesian well on the old road that we used to stop at on every trip, just to take a drink.
Now, on Highway 111, there’s a nice place to eat, the Bobcat Den, named for the local sports team, the Pickett County Bobcats. Bobcat Den, which has a great Sunday breakfast buffet, has walls covered with old photos of the Bobcats. (There’s an idea for Fairfield businesses!)
Photos of the Pickett County High School Bobcats line the walls of the Bobcat Den restaurant in Byrdstown, Tennessee.
Not far away is the Dixie Café, on Byrdstown’s court square. I have no idea how long that café has been there, but I can’t remember a time when it wasn’t there. Every time I stop in, I have breakfast. Yes, it’s that good. Country ham and scrambled eggs are tops on my list.
Something new, for me, was Dale Hollow Tacos, on the other side of the courthouse. I’m a tough customer when it comes to Mexican food, and when I stopped in this tiny taco joint, I didn’t leave until I had enjoyed my second round.
A second helping at Dale Hollow Tacos in Byrdstown, Tennessee.
The old courthouse doesn’t seem to have changed any. In the old days, I remember there would always be a few old timers out front, whittling away at a stick of wood. I remember asking my dad what they were making, spending hour after hour working away at a stick. Dad just said, “dull knives.”
This was the longest visit I’ve had to Pickett County that I can recall. Still, there was not enough time. I was able to visit with one of my cousins, Galen Rector. There were three cousins: Howard, Galen and Dale. Howard passed away some years back. When I was a young-un, the “Rector boys,” along with my uncle, Allen Zachary, always had the hottest cars around. I think it was Dale who took me down by Debbie Carnett’s house, which was just down the road from where I grew up in Jackson. I was in tall cotton when Dale popped a wheelie in front of her house. Debbie, my first-grade “crush,” who passed away around New Year 2021, was not impressed.
The offices of Pickett County Press, located on the court square in Byrdstown, Tennessee.
Of course, I had to stop in at The Pickett County Press, the local newspaper, for a visit. There is an alley that runs down the hill on the right side of the building, and there is a large door there that opens the lower level of the Press building to the alley. Now, bear in mind that, when I was kid, we would visit every newspaper in every town we passed through, so at some point the memories start to get overwhelming, but I remember when dad and I would stop by and the door would be open and Mr. Norman Hill would be sitting in a chair typing away at a Linotype, putting out the next issue. In those days, a small newspaper was hard pressed to afford some of the fancier typefaces. Dad would have some special type made up at The Jackson Sun for Mr. Hill and he would bring up a few pounds of lead every once in a while. I think, in those days, dad got his paper for free.
While I was in town, I got a call one day from Judy Urbanski, a member of the Pickett County Historical & Genealogical Society. It was a chilly, rainy afternoon and she asked if I would like to take part in a ground-breaking for a circle of bricks that was to be laid in the small spot of grass in front of the Pickett County Press office around a post with a bell on top. (I’ll post that story in an upcoming issue.)
Judy Urbanski and Richard Pierce break ground in Byrdstown.
My initial reaction was, “in this weather?” but after a split second I realized this was quite an honor, so Richard, Judy and I met and got soaked posing for photos. It was my first groundbreaking, and I enjoyed the big event.
Cousin Richard Pierce keeps a watchful eye as your humble reporter does his first groundbreaking in Byrdstown, Tennessee.
The thing about Pickett County is that, yes, it has changed. The roads, the new places to eat… but it seems that, at the core, it hasn’t changed much.
Hometown Happenings: Sales, shows, more | Entertainment
cat food, citrus county, client, commerce, economics, fee, parks & recreation
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NEW THIS WEEK
Dunnellon Library holding summer book sale
The Friends of Dunnellon Library will be holding its Summer Book Sale on May 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the library, located at 20351 Robinson Road, Dunnellon.
One bag of books will cost $5 and three bags will cost $10. All different kinds of genres will be available. Proceeds go to benefit the Dunnellon Library.
VFW Post 7122 to host prime rib dinner
VFW Post 7122 in Floral City would like to invite the public to a Prime Rib Dinner from 5-8 p.m. on May 7.
The dinner will be prepared by Chef Paul and includes prime rib, caesar salad, baked potato and dessert. It is $15 per person and will feature entertainment by “The Dalton Gang.”
Open to the public. Tickets are on sale now at the Canteen and seating is limited.
Central Ridge Community Center to reopen
Citrus County Parks & Recreation is proud to announce the grand re-opening of the Central Ridge Community Center (CRCC), located at 77 Civic Circle, Beverly Hills.
The facility has been closed to the public since September 2021 due to a contract with NOMI Health. The CRCC will officially re-open on May 9.
As part of the grand re-opening, the CRCC’s monthly gym fee will be waived for citizens of Citrus County through June. The fee of $10 per user will resume on July 1.
The CRCC’s operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the gym closing at 4 p.m.
Citrus County Parks and Recreation is now booking events at the CRCC for the month of June and beyond.
For more information, call Parks & Recreation at 352-527-7540 or follow on Facebook at facebook.com/citruscountyparks.
Attend a presentation on navigating Medicare
Navigating Medicare can be difficult without help, but it can be hard to find a trustworthy guide. The Citrus County Library System has partnered with Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders (SHINE) to provide the public with an information presentation.
The upcoming presentation, Medicare Basics: Medicare 101, will be held at the Coastal Region branch in Crystal River on May 10 from 1-2:30 p.m.
SHINE, a program created by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, is the official, unbiased source of information on all parts of Medicare.
Library programs are free and open to the public. Additional information about SHINE can be found at floridashine.org.
For more information about this presentation, visit their online calendar at attend.citruslibraries.org/events or call the Coastal Region branch at 352-795-3716.
Nature Coast Lecture Series: “Mermaids and Manatees”
The Friends of Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Inc., is holding the next meeting of the Nature Coast Lecture Series at 6 p.m. on May 10 via Zoom.
The presentation will be “Mermaids and Manatees” given by Dr. James “Buddy” Powell, executive director of Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute and board member of Friends of the Crystal River NWR.
For more than 40 years, Dr. Powell has worked to conserve threatened and endangered species around the world and his efforts have resulted in coastal protected areas in Florida, West Africa, Central America and Cuba.
As the executive director of Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, he manages a marine research program which provides technical advice, conservation initiatives and scientific information to improve protection of marine species and habitats in the United States and internationally.
To join, visit the link tinyurl.com/2a33x46e. The meeting ID is 393 580 7027 and the passcode is 342957.
UPCOMING, ONGOING
Parks & Rec continues concert series
Citrus County Parks & Recreation will finish this year’s concert series May 20 with Anthem, a Whitney Houston tribute, at the Citrus Springs Community Center, 1570 W. Citrus Springs Blvd. Doors open at 6 p.m. and shows start at 7 p.m.
Tickets are available in advance for $15 each and convenience fees may apply for credit card transactions. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase from the Citrus Springs Civic Association.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call 352-527-7540. Purchase online at tinyurl.com/e5paww8w.
Nature Coast Community Band announces concerts
The Nature Coast Community Band has these remaining concerts scheduled for 2021-22, their 13th season.
Spring concerts
- 3 p.m. May 7, at the Citrus Springs Community Center.
- 3 p.m. May 8, location to be determined.
Independence Day concerts
- 3 p.m. July 2, at the Citrus Springs Community Center.
- 3 p.m. July 3, location to be determined.
Admission is free. For more information, visit naturecoastcommunityband.com, email nccommunityband@gmail.com or call 352-601-7394.
Empty the Shelters event coming up
As shelters across the country face overcrowding, BISSELL Pet Foundation is aiming to “Empty the Shelters” by sponsoring reduced adoption fees from May 2-15. This event will be hosted in more than 275 shelters in 40 states, including Citrus County Animal Services (CCAS).
CCAS, located at Airport Road, Inverness, will be open regular hours Thursday-Saturday, with special opening hours on Sunday and Monday for the “Empty the Shelters” event. All adoption fees will be waived during the event, county residents pay just $10 for pet license.
“Empty the Shelters,” BISSELL Pet Foundation’s largest program, has helped more than 83,000 pets find adoptive homes through this reduced-fee adoption event. BISSELL Pet Foundation and CCAS urge families to do their research about the pet they are interested in adopting, as well as adoption requirements. For more information, visit bissellpetfoundation.org/empty-the-shelters or citrusbocc.com or call 352-746-8400.
UF/IFAS Extension hosting “Cooking Under Pressure”
On May 5 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., UF/IFAS Extension Citrus County will host a “Cooking Under Pressure” pressure-cooking workshop. The event will be held at the Extension office, located at 3650 W. Sovereign Path, Lecanto.
This hands-on class will cover different models, appliance features, safety tips, additional equipment and tricks to make cooking a breeze. Participants will complete a recipe in an electric pressure cooker and enjoy a meal together.
The cost for the workshop is $15 per person. Pre-registration is required as class is limited to 12 participants.
For more information or to register, contact Stephanie at the UF/IFAS Extension Citrus County office at 352-527-5700.
Genealogical Society to have guest speaker
The Citrus County Genealogical Society will meet May 10 at 10 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, 3474 W. Southern St., Lecanto, and by Zoom.
Ann Staley will present “Shore to Shore: 20th Century Immigration Research.” She discusses emigration records, border crossings and repatriation. Guests are welcome.
For the Zoom link, contact Mary Ann Machonkin at himary@tampabay.rr.com.
Key Center Run for the Money fundraiser
The new 2022 American Landmaster L4 4×4 is ready to plow, haul, dump, transport, tow, trail ride and get a little mud on its tires. This American-built machine can travel over aggressive bumps, hills and uneven terrain without compromising the ride experience. With a single donation of $20, you could be the lucky winner of this commercial-grade UTV while supporting the Key Training Center’s annual Run for the Money fundraiser.
Tickets are available at Key Training Center Thrift Stores, Key Center Foundation office, Labels, Inverness Key Campus located off Highway 581, by texting “KEY4X4” to 41444 or calling 352-795-5541 ext. 238.
The winning ticket will be drawn at the Reach for the Stars Dinner Auction on July 15, although the winner does not have to be present to win.
With the support from Love Power Equipment, funds raised help provide scholarships to 40 individuals who receive little to no state government funding for services and are on the state’s waiting list for services.
For more information, call 352-795-5541 ext. 238.
Dulcimer Players to host music jam
The Nature Coast Dulcimer Players host an acoustic music jam most Mondays from 3-5 p.m. at the Central Ridge Library community room in Beverly Hills. A beginner group meets from 2-3 p.m. in the same location.
Adults of all levels are welcome to join their jams.
For more information, call the library at 352-746-6622.
Inverness Lions Club seeking new members
The Inverness Lions Club is seeking new members to help with their vision screening program which provides eye exams, glasses and cataract surgery for residents of Citrus County.
They are also looking for members to help with their used glasses collection program which provides critical vision assistance to residents of this county and beyond. They also provide financial assistance to nurses in all of the county schools for vision care of students and the youth.
The club consists of individuals who care about the health and welfare of Citrus County residents and have fun doing so. Those with a desire to have fun while giving back to the community are invited to join and see what the Lions are all about.
Anyone in Citrus County can join. For more information, call Lou at 260-705-7577.
Lions Club membership drive
The Beverly Hills Lions Club is seeking new members to join their nonprofit organization.
They help many other organizations, as well as provide seeing-eye dogs, eyeglasses and hearing aids for those who can’t afford them. They support the Boys and Girls club, hand out scholarships and more.
Lions Club International Foundation is helping the people of Ukraine with any needs they have during this time.
For more information, call 352-527-1556.
Citrus Springs Library invites new visitors
Citrus Springs Library would like to welcome all new families and visitors to the library at 1826 W. Country Club Blvd., Citrus Springs.
The library has books, audio books, DVDs, CDs, newspapers, puzzles and computers. Library cards are free. There is a Genealogy Room which has reference books from the states that can be used for research.
It is a private library, not county. Its main fundraisers are book sales and the Tricky Tray. There are books for sale inside the library continuously. It is also in the planning stage to become part of the Geocaching Adventure.
The library is staffed by volunteers. The hours are Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Anyone interested in volunteering can fill out an application and then interview with Donna.
For more information, call 352-489-2313 or follow the library on Facebook @citrusspringslibrary.
BH Fishing Club plans Military Card Party
Beverly Hills Fishing Club will have a Military Card Party July 13 at the Beverly Hills Community Church Hall.
Reservations are being accepted and payment of $15 must be made by July 1 to reserve a spot.
Call Karen Goelet, chairperson, at 352-228-0803 or email lenkar@tampabay.rr.com.
First time homebuyer course to be offered in May
Join UF/IFAS Extension Citrus County for the First Time Homebuyer’s virtual class from 6-8 p.m. on May 5-26.
The class is for anyone looking to purchase a home and has not owned a home for three years or more. This HUD approved 4-week homebuyer education class is designed to help you better understand the entire home buying process, including preparing your credit and finances, shopping for a home, home inspection, fair housing, financing and closing.
Successful completion of the 4-week class fulfills the required education requirement for Rural Development programs and federal down payment/closing cost assistance programs available.
Class size is limited and registration is required by April 21. Link to join the virtual class will be provided to registered participants via email.
To register online, go to cchomebuyers2022.eventbrite.com
For more information or to register, contact Stephanie at the UF/IFAS Extension Citrus County office at 352-527-5700 or sclamer@ufl.edu.
Baha’is to hold conference
The Baha’is of Citrus County and three adjacent counties are sponsoring a conference to be held on May 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and May 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the College of Central Florida, Webber Building, 3001 S.W. College Road., Ocala.
They are inviting all well-wishers of humanity to consult together in a hands-on endeavor to promote unity and to serve fellow citizens by addressing the issues that are specific to the community.
Their aim is not to superimpose their vision on others. It is a grassroots effort to enhance the potential of like-minded individuals, based on a spiritual framework and to bring together different perspectives by developing plans of action and strategies to fit the various needs of communities.
For registration, visit eventbrite.com/e/318506179557.
For more information, call Ann Jones at 703-593-9920.
Free gardening workshops scheduled in May
Citrus County Utilities’ Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program is offering two free gardening workshops in May. The first is on May 10 from 2-3:30 p.m. titled “Creating a Florida-Friendly Landscape.”
“Plan before you plant” is an important concept when developing sustainable garden ideas. Learn about basic principles of landscape design, including site evaluation and selection, placement of the “right plant” and establishment practices for newly installed sustainable gardens.
The second is on May 24 from 2-3:30 p.m. titled “9 Principles of Florida-Friendly Landscaping.”
The University of Florida developed nine basic principles to establish a set of gardening practices which aid gardeners in creating sustainable and successful ornamental gardens. These practices allow gardeners to create beautiful landscapes while generating little to no impact to our water resources. Selection of the right plant for the right location, efficient irrigation, appropriate fertilization and responsible pest management are some of the topics discussed during this workshop.
Classes are currently held online. Register at ccufflprogram.eventbrite.com to participate. For more information, contact program coordinator Steven Davis at 352-527-5708.
Woman’s club to hold Wacky Bingo
Join the GFWC Crystal River Woman’s Club for Wacky Bingo from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 4 at 320 N. Citrus Ave., Crystal River.
It is $15 to participate. Lunch will be provided. Bring a friend for a fun afternoon filled with gifts and surprises.
GFWC has been serving the community for over 100 years.
For more information and to reserve a spot, call 630-269-1096.
Local EAA chapter starting at Inverness Airport
A local EAA chapter is starting at Inverness Airport. An EAA chapter is a local group of aviation enthusiasts with interests including aircraft building, engaging youth, aviation safety, vintage aircraft, ultralights, warbirds, aerobatic flight, and everything in between.
Anyone interested in aviation, visit the website kinf.club/ for a brief overview and complete the form. For more information, visit eaa.org.
Woman’s Club holding annual garage sale
The Woman’s Club of Beverly Hills is holding their annual “Make Us An Offer” garage sale on May 13 beginning at 8 a.m. at 53 S. Columbus St., Beverly Hills.
All proceeds go to their charities. For more information, call 203-915-7407.
Join the Women of Sugarmill for lunch
Join the Women of Sugarmill Woods for the last official luncheon of the club’s calendar year at 11 a.m. May 23 at the Sugarmill Woods Country Club, 1 Douglas St. in Homosassa.
Attendees will enjoy a buffet lunch and community service awards. Lunch is $22 for members and $24 for nonmembers.
To reserve a spot, place your check in a small plastic bag and drop it in slot No. 2 at the WSW mailboxes. Boxes are located on the access road just before the light on U.S. 19 as you exit Cypress Village.
Checks must be dropped by 5 p.m. May 13. For more information, visit womenofsugarmillwoods.com.
Nature Coast Orchid Society to meet
The Nature Coast Orchid Society (NCOS) will meet at 1 p.m. May 21 at Northcliffe Church, 10515 Northcliffe Blvd. in Spring Hill. Doors open at noon.
NCOS will host the “Rhizome Cowboy,” better known as Bill Nunez. Nunez will discuss a favorite orchid genus, the Cattleya. Members’ show-off orchids will be displayed as well as a raffle for various items.
For more information, visit naturecoastorchidsociety.com.
Abuse shelter seeks donations
The Citrus County Abuse Shelter Association (CASA) is in need of liquid dish soap, butter, baby food and plant-based protein.
The next time you’re out shopping, pick up some extra supplies and drop them off at the CASA Outreach office between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, at 1100 E. Turner Camp Road, Inverness. Shelter needs can also be dropped off at their alternative drop off location, Carol’s Interiors and Floors, 6410 S. Suncoast Blvd. in Homosassa.
For information, email Kimberly Martini at kimberly@casafl.org.
If interested in volunteering, call 352-344-8111 or download the Volunteer Application at casafl.org. Completed applications can be emailed to marilynn@casafl.org.
PetMeals seeks donations
Citrus County’s PetMeals program is seeking help from pet lovers throughout Citrus County.
Each month, the PetMeals program provides dog and cat food to the companion pets of senior homebound clients who receive Meals on Wheels. The program is currently in need of unopened bags of dry dog and cat food, as well as cans of wet cat food.
The PetMeals Program is a donation-based, volunteer-driven program. Food donations can be dropped off at any Citrus County community center, while monetary donation can be mailed to: Citrus County BOCC, Citrus County PetMeals Program, 2804 W. Marc Knighton Court, Key #3, Lecanto, FL 34461
Any contributions are accepted and appreciated. For more information on how to help, or to find the nearest location to make a food or monetary donation, call 352-527-5975.
YMCA plans monthly ‘Coffee Club’ meetings
The YMCA asks the public to join them for their monthly “Wall Street Coffee Club” meetings held on the first Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at the YMCA, 4127 W. Norvell Bryant Hwy., Lecanto.
Participants can enjoy refreshments, guest speakers and roundtable discussions on the economy, investing and other financial planning topics.
RSVP by contacting Amy Barbieri at 352-220-6406 or 800-443-4368 toll free or by emailing amy.barbieri@raymondjames.com.
Volunteer opportunities available
Volunteer opportunities are now available at Herry’s Thrift & Gift Shoppe, 1581 W. Gulf-to-Lake Highway in Lecanto. Choose your days, hours and activities in an atmosphere of camaraderie and fulfillment.
Thrift shop volunteers will inspect donated merchandise, sort clothing, price items, check appliances and electronics, stage merchandise and set up displays, restock shelves and racks, assist customers in finding what they need and serve as cashiers.
Proceeds from the thrift shops help fund the community grief support programs provided by Friends of Citrus and the Nature Coast.
For information, call 352-249-1470 or stop by the shop. New volunteers are also welcome at the shop at 8471 W. Periwinkle Lane in Homosassa Springs. Both locations are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Dementia conference will have guest speaker
Certified Dementia Practitioner, author and national speaker Diana Waugh will open Citrus County’s eighth annual Coping with Dementia Care Partner Conference on May 12.
For more than 30 years, Waugh has worked to eliminate physical, psychological and chemical restraint use for individuals living with dementia. As a national speaker, a consultant, a researcher and a writer she strives to share simple, practical techniques that can make both family members and professionals more successful care partners.
The conference, which is free and open to the public, will take place at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, 6 Roosevelt Blvd., Beverly Hills. It will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and include lunch.
While the conference is free, seating will be limited and reservations will be required. To reserve seats, call 352-422-3663 or email deb@coping.today.
Comedy show to benefit foster association
The Citrus County Foster Parent Association will have a comedy fundraiser, Fostering Laughs for Children, at 7 p.m. May 28 at the Valerie Theatre, 207 Courthouse Square in Inverness. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Attendees may bring their own snacks and beverages. There will be raffle baskets, 50/50 drawing and silent auction.
Tickets are $20. This is an 18-plus event. For tickets, to donate or sponsor, visit funny4funds.com/events.
For more information, call Scott at 352-419-4554 or email office@citruscountyfosterparents.org.
Register for annual Black Diamond Show
The eighth Black Diamond Invitational Car Show will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 22 at Black Diamond Ranch, 3125 W. Black Diamond Circle in Lecanto. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the public is welcome at 10 a.m.
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Central Citrus, this car show will generate funds for local charities. Expect to see fine examples of antiques, classics and modern vehicles gracing the fairways on the first holes of the Highlands Golf Course.
Several food vendors will be on hand, along with adult beverages and entertainment.
The show is limited to the best qualified accepted entries. All entries in the car show must be pre-registered. To register by Oct. 15, visit blackdiamondinvitationalcarshow.com. Registrants will receive a confirmation message.
If you do not receive a confirmation within three days, call Roger Carlson at 352-464-0324.
Birdwatch at Fort Cooper State Park
Birdwatch with the Trekking on Thursdays group at 9 a.m. May 5 at Fort Cooper State Park, 3100 S. Old Floral City Road in Inverness.
The walk is led by naturalist Dee Bolton. Attendees will try their hand at identifying bird species and calls. Birders often bring a notebook to record their sightings or add to their Life List.
The park surroundings are old Florida at its finest and the trek along the trails are easy-going. Some trails are paved.
Bring a pair of binoculars (extras available), closed-toed shoes and a bit of patience, as spring birds can be elusive. Entrance to the park is $3 per vehicle (up to eight people), payable at the honor box located at the ranger station or back gate. Exact cash only.
For more information, call 352-726-0315 or email Penny.Wilson@FloridaDEP.gov.
Register for the Citrus Kids Triathlon
The Citrus County Education Foundation (CCEF) will host the ninth annual Citrus Kids Triathlon on May 14 at Whispering Pines Park, 1700 Forest Drive in Inverness. There will be a mandatory packet pickup and bike check-in from 4 to 7 p.m. May 13.
The triathlon features three divisions: junior (born 2012-17), senior (2007-11) and Tri4fun (all ages). Senior check-in opens at 7 a.m., junior check-in opens at 9 a.m. and Tri4fun begins at 10:45 a.m. May 14.
Entry fees are $30 up until May 11. All proceeds benefit CCEF. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
For more information or to register, visit tinyurl.com/ccef-triathlon-2022.
German/American club holding monthly meetings
The German/American Social Club of West Central Florida meets at 4 p.m. every second Monday of the month, excluding June, July, and August, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 2389 W. Norvell Bryant Highway, Lecanto.
The club is open to anyone interested in German heritage and learning more about German culture.
There is a $35 fee to join the club. They hold several events throughout the year including Oktoberfest, Spring Dance, Anniversary Dinner Dance, and Christmas Dinner Dance.
Community center adds new classes
The East Citrus Community Center, 9907 E. Gulf-to-Lake Highway in Inverness, announced two new additions to their community class schedule.
Tai Chi will be offered from 9 to 10 a.m. Tuesdays. From 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, certified Silver Sneakers Flex instructor Kathy Johnson will lead “Kathy’s Crazy Cardio Class.”
The cost for each class is $3 per person or $1 for Silver Sneakers members. For those who wish to participate in both classes, there is a reduced cost of $5 per person. For more information, call 352-344-9666.
Amateur Radio Club has monthly meetings
The Citrus County Amateur Radio Club covers topics including electronics, meeting with ham radio operators, getting an amateur radio license, how signals taking less energy than a light bulb can travel thousands of miles, and others related to amateur radio operation.
Interested parties can attend next month’s meeting at The Citrus County Emergency Operations Center, 3549 Saunders Way, Lecanto.
For more information, contact John Bescher at n4dxi@aol.com or 352-220-8530.
Buy a bag to support the Key Training Center
The Key Training Center will participate in the Giving Tag Program, which is designed to make it easy for customers of Winn-Dixie stores to contribute to their local community while supporting the environment.
This ongoing opportunity can be taken advantage of at any Winn-Dixie store. Purchase a $2.50 reusable community bag, follow the instructions on the attached Giving Tag and the Key Training Center will receive a $1 donation.
To learn more about this program, visit seg.bags4mycause.com. Visit the Key Training Center’s Facebook page for posts to share on social media.
Inverness Bridge Club offers free membership
A limited number of players can join Inverness Bridge Club free to play either duplicate or party/rubber bridge at noon, Mondays and Fridays. The club plays a friendly game that is not sanctioned by the ACBL that normally lasts between 2.5 and 3 hours. For information, email pepperpothead@gmail.com. Provide your name, preferred times and ways to reach you.
Dunnellon quilters meet weekly
The Dunnellon Country Quilters meet at 12:30 p.m. Mondays at the First United Methodist Church on West State Road 40. They conduct their business meetings on the third Monday monthly.
The group makes patriotic quilts for the Citrus County Resource Center and pillowcases for the Shands Children’s Cancer Center.
Members teach classes on different projects throughout the year and go on road trips to quilt shops. All who are interested are welcome to join.
For information, call Dianne Takahashi at 352-209-4900.
Play shuffleboard in Inverness
Open shuffleboard is played at 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Wallace Brooks Park, Inverness. All equipment is provided. For information, call 440-983-9169.
Join the Floral City Crafters
The Floral City Crafters meet from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays at the Floral City Baptist Church, 8545 Magnolia St.
The crafters are a group of knitters, crocheters, quilters, jewelry makers and more who share their love of crafts and spend time together. Attendees can bring their crafts or learn a new one.
There is a $2 fee for each weekly meeting. For information, call 352-637-5423 or 352-726-5658.
Motorcycle club hosts weekly breakfasts
The Nature Coast Retreads Motorcycle Club meets at 8 a.m. every Saturday for breakfast at the Riviera Mexican Cantina, 1935 SE U.S. 19 in Crystal River.
After a brief meeting, members take a ride (weather permitting). All bikes, trikes and scooters are welcome.
For more information, call 352-400-9999.
Meet with the Sunshine Poets
Join the Sunshine Poets’ monthly meeting and poetry reading at 10 a.m. on the last Thursday of each month at the Central Ridge Library in Beverly Hills.
Attendees are welcome to bring poems to share, or just listen. If you would like the members to critique your poems, bring several copies on which they can write suggestions. Attendees are also welcome to join the group afterward for lunch at a local restaurant.
Additional details are available on the Sunshine Poets Facebook page. For questions, email Cheri Herald, Sunshine Poets president, at sunshinepoets@gmail.com.
Two Barmaids, Five Alligators, and the Butcher of Elmendorf – Texas Monthly
“The squawling [sic] kitten flopped into the pool. A big alligator lifted its jaws, closed like a vice, and the screaming cat was bitten in half. ‘There’s more to come, my pets!’ Big Joe Ball shouted, as the drunk-crazed crowd roared in appreciation. And he next tossed a puppy into the bloody pool!!”
—from a vertical file in the San Antonio Public Library
In the photograph Joe Ball pauses on a beach, wearing one of those old-fashioned bathing suits. His right hand grips an open whiskey bottle at his belly, as if between sips, and his left holds what appears to be a pair of binoculars. He’s standing barefoot in white sand next to weedy brush, like the kind that grows in the dunes along the Texas coast. He’s handsome in a roguish way and looks at the camera with either a squint or a sneer—it’s hard to tell which. If you didn’t know Joe Ball’s history, you might think he was just another old-time party boy, a genteel William Faulkner look-alike whooping it up. If, however, you’ve heard the legend of Joe Ball, his close-cropped hair and cramped face make him appear sordid, murderous. He looks like, on this day or one like it, he could get his girlfriend drunk, entice her to look off into the distance, shoot her in the head, bury her in the sand, and then return home to his bar, his waitresses, and his alligators. And that is just what Joe Ball did.
He was a bootlegger and a gambler, a scion of the richest family in tiny Elmendorf, about fifteen miles southeast of downtown San Antonio. He was, they say, a ladies’ man who had his way with the waitresses at his bar, and when they got pregnant, he got rid of them. Sometimes by alligator. When deputy sheriffs finally caught up with him, in September 1938, they dug up the dismembered corpse of one of his barmaids, dug up the girlfriend in the sand, and hauled away the gators. Ball became known as the Bluebeard of Texas, the Butcher of Elmendorf, and Alligator Man, and his story—told and retold in various newspapers, true-crime magazines, and books—caught the fancy of anyone who was ever fascinated by how low people could go, how much deeper the pit of human infamy could be dug. It was impossible to figure the final death count, so many women had come and gone through Ball’s doors over the years, but the total was at least five. Seven or eight. Twelve. Twenty. Twenty-five. This, it would seem, makes Joe Ball one of the first modern serial killers.
The facts in Ball’s story vary wildly with the source, from the number of victims to the names of the principals to what the witnesses saw. This is especially so online, where Web sites like the Wacky World of Murder and Homicidal Heroes treat Ball as if he were an early rock star, the Chuck Berry of serial killers. It’s almost as if they are rooting him on. Indeed, Ball is often hailed as mythic kin to Ed Gein, the Wisconsin weirdo who, in the fifties, killed people and dug up and flailed corpses and wore their skin—the guy on whom Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre were based. (It should come as no surprise that Hooper’s second movie, Eaten Alive, concerned a deranged Texas hotelier who fed his guests, including a pretty prostitute he hacked to death with a rake, to an alligator he kept in his yard.) Was Ball truly, as one site insisted, “one of the U.S.’s greatest nutcases”? Or was he, as other modern maniacs have defended themselves, merely misunderstood?
In San Antonio I found shades of the truth. Because the men from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office who cornered Ball are dead, I asked their successors in an e-mail if any kind of written history of the department had survived from the thirties. No, replied a corporal there, but his great-grandfather had been the sheriff of neighboring Wilson County. “I heard Joe Ball was a black man,” he wrote, “and he would kill the waitresses and throw their bodies in a pond behind his place.” I went to the San Antonio Public Library and asked a librarian in the Texana-genealogy department if she had any files on the Ball family. She drew a blank until I said that the best-known member was a reputed serial killer. “Oh,” she said cheerfully, “this is the guy with the alligator farm?”
Well, not exactly, but close enough for a legend like Joe Ball’s. His tale is proof, once again, that people see what they want to see. Especially when it involves flesh-eating alligators.
Blink and you’ll miss Elmendorf, especially if you’re heading south on U.S. 181 and thinking about the beaches at Port Aransas or Corpus Christi. Most people speed right by the small town (population: 664) just outside the San Antonio city limits sign. If you turn west toward Elmendorf, you’ll drive through a couple of miles of scrubby fields, wide-open pastures, mobile homes, and mobile-home subdivisions. Many of the double-wides are nice, with tailored yards and pretty gardens. Their mailboxes reveal the town’s makeup: Garcia, Ramos, Guerrero. Elmendorf is about two thirds Hispanic, and it is pretty poor. Nobody ever photographed it for a tourist brochure. Many of the roads in town are gravel. The main intersection, at FM 327 and Third Avenue, has a stop sign and a hair salon. Just behind the intersection is a hand-drawn sign; on one side it advertises Tony’s Bar and Grill and on the other it shows a caricature of an alligator in a baseball cap with a bat on his shoulder that reads “Gators.” Nearby are Roy’s Place and DeLeon’s Grocery, which have been in business for seventy years. The Elmendorf Lounge used to be here, but now it’s out on 181.
The town was incorporated in 1963, and its first mayor was Raymond Ball, Joe’s brother. But it has had a troubled history of late. Elmendorf developed a reputation as a speed trap in the seventies, and in 1983 the mayor resigned, as did two successive police chiefs who were accused of submitting false documents to a state agency. In 1987 the mayor and a council member walked out of a meeting because of a disagreement; they resigned and later tried to come back, but the council wouldn’t let them. In 2000 the mayor and four council members, including Richard “Bucky” Ball Jr. (Joe’s nephew), were indicted for violating the Texas Open Meetings Act (a misdemeanor). The town got water lines laid only three years ago, and sewer lines are still in the works. Most of the commerce—restaurants, gas stations, antiques stores—is carried out on U.S. 181, which leads the rest of the world to pass Elmendorf by.
There’s plenty of action, though, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, the largest and oldest church in town. Inside the parish hall on any weekday morning you’ll find a crowd of elderly people from the area, there to hang out with friends and eat a free lunch provided by the Texas Department on Aging and the City of San Antonio. On a good morning there are eighty, about half Mexican American, half Anglo. Some of the women start playing Mexican-train dominoes at ten-thirty; others spend their time visiting at the five lines of tables strung together cafeteria-style. The program has been going on since 1973. The first manager was a Mrs. Michael Ball.
I sat there for several mornings in the spring, pretending to understand Mexican-train dominoes and asking the seniors about Joe Ball. Everyone here knows the name; some actually remember the man. Lawrence Liedecke was fourteen in 1938. He used to sneak into Ball’s yard to see the gators. He said Ball was a good shot and that he could shoot a bullet through the mouth of a beer bottle or hit a coin in the air. But he was mean. “We were afraid of him,” remembered Pollie Merian, who is 88 years old. “He’d get mad and kill you.” Townspeople were suspicious of Ball even before his death, she said. “He was a dirty rat. He had some black people there; he treated them so mean.”
Locals take a certain hushed pleasure in talking about the town’s most infamous son, even if they don’t always get the facts right. “They found two bodies on the beach somewhere,” said Jesse Bayer, who lives in nearby Floresville. “But they never found any other bodies. He fed them to the alligators, what I hear. I don’t know how many.” I asked Alex Saucedo, who also grew up in Floresville, if he thought Ball had fed his waitresses to his gators. “Oh, yeah!” he said brightly. Someone at the table said it was a matter of the women all being whores, disappearing, moving on like whores do. I nodded, pretending to understand. Ultimately, Liedecke is skeptical about the bloody body count. “Too many liars,” he said. “I think there really were two.” But nobody knows for sure? He shrugged. “Oh, yeah.”
I walked outside to the large graveyard, where most of the headstones were decorated with colorful flowers. I thought Joe Ball’s grave would be off in some corner, hidden by neglect. But his is the first grave you see when you walk in the gate from the church: “Joseph D. Ball, Jan. 7, 1896–Sept. 24, 1938.” He’s next to his father, Frank X. Ball. Balls lie all over this cemetery.
Left: The bar in 1938. Courtesy of The Institute of Texan Cultures
Top: Ball stands on the beach not far from where he killed Big Minnie. Courtesy of The Institute of Texan Cultures
Frank X. Ball built Elmendorf, which had been established in 1885 by Henry Elmendorf, who would later become the mayor of San Antonio. This was cotton country, and Ball borrowed some money and built a gin to process the crop. The railroad put a depot in town, and Elmendorf cotton—as well as pottery, bricks, and tile made at a local factory—was exported to the rest of the world. A school opened in 1902. By the late twenties the town was thriving, with general stores, a hotel, a doctor’s office, meat markets, a confectionery, and a couple of cotton gins. “My daddy said there’d be cotton wagons two miles up the old highway,” remembered Bucky, whose father, Richard, was Joe’s brother. “Elmendorf was a jumping town way back then.”
And Frank Ball was rich. He began buying and selling farms, especially when they got cheap during the Depression. He opened a general store, from which he sold everything from caskets to shoes. He built the first stone home in the area, and he and his wife, Elizabeth, had eight children, many of whom became pillars of the community. Frank Junior became a school trustee in 1914. Raymond opened a new grocery store, which also held the post office; his wife, Jane, would become the postmaster.
Their second child, Joe, was no politician. He was, however, good with guns. “My uncle could shoot a bird off a telephone line with a pistol from the bumper of his Model A Ford,” Bucky said. Ball joined the Army in 1917 to fight in the Great War. In his official Army photo he looks pale and innocent, as a lot of Americans did who went off to fight for democracy. Ball saw action in Europe, according to Bucky, received his honorable discharge in 1919, and returned to Elmendorf.
Joe may not have followed in his father’s footsteps, but he learned something from him about business. Just as people needed a gin to process their cotton, they needed, well, gin. And whiskey and beer. As Prohibition settled in during the twenties, Ball became a bootlegger. “He drove all around the area,” said Liedecke, “selling whiskey to people out of a big fifty-gallon barrel.” Ball was about six feet tall and 160 pounds, according to Elton Cude Jr., whose father, a Bexar County deputy sheriff, helped investigate Ball and later wrote about him in a book titled The Wild and Free Dukedom of Bexar. “He wasn’t near as good-looking as they describe in those detective magazines,” said Cude Jr. “He could be dangerous.” In the mid-twenties Ball began hiring, off and on, a young black man named Clifton Wheeler to help around the house and the business. Wheeler was a handyman, but he did a lot of Ball’s manual labor and dirty work. According to many, Wheeler lived in fear of Ball. Liedecke says that Ball would shoot at Wheeler’s feet to make him dance the jitterbug. As expected, Ball’s nephew has a different image of Joe based on the stories his father told him. “He was always kindhearted,” Bucky told me, remembering a tale about his uncle paying for a poor Mexican American couple to go to the doctor to have their baby. “He did things like that a lot of times.”
After Prohibition, Ball opened a tavern. In the back were two bedrooms and up front was a bar, a player piano, and a room with tables, where the men drank and played cards. Sometimes Ball hosted cockfights. At some point he went to one of the nearby low-water areas where alligators were occasionally seen, caught some, and put them in a concrete pool behind the tavern. He strung wire ten feet high around the pool. Perhaps he loved alligators, or perhaps he just knew how to bring in customers. “It was common knowledge that every Saturday night a drunken orgy occurred. . . .” wrote Cude in his book. “Any wild animal, possum, cat, dog, or any other animal without an owner helped make the show a little better. Get drunk, throw an animal in and watch the alligators.” Ball hired women, dance-hall girls, to wait tables. It was the Depression, hard times, and women came through Elmendorf, looking for work. Some stayed, and some just seemed to disappear.
Left: Buddy, who lost her left arm, added to the legend. Courtesy of The Institute of Texan Cultures
Top: Schatzie caught Bill’s eye, then vanished. Courtesy of The Institute of Texan Cultures
Hazel Brown stares straight into your eyes. She is all confidence and dangerous beauty and looks like one of those hard-bitten starlets in Hollywood in the forties, like Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, whose gruesome 1947 murder was never solved. Maybe it’s just the age of the photo or the era in which it was shot. It’s easy to see how Joe Ball fell in love with her.
Before her, Ball had fallen for other waitresses. In 1934 or so he met a woman from Seguin named Minnie Gotthardt, also known as Big Minnie. Big Minnie was, according to Cude, “a bossy, displeasing, and obnoxious person.” But Ball liked her—she ran the bar with him and Wheeler and had no fear of the drunks. At some point, though, Ball began seeing barmaid Dolores “Buddy” Goodwin, who was fifteen years his junior. She fell in love with him, even after one night in the spring of 1937 when he threw a bottle and hit her in the face, giving her a scar that ran from her eye to her neck. By then Brown, who was from McDade and known as Schatzie, was working at Ball’s. She was also young, only 22, and popular with the customers. She and Buddy became friends. Big Minnie, though, didn’t like Buddy one bit and wasn’t afraid to show it.
That summer, Big Minnie disappeared. Ball told people that she was pregnant in a Corpus Christi hospital; Wheeler heard Ball tell someone she was going to have a “nigger” baby. She must have skipped town in a big hurry, though, because she left all of her clothes behind. In September Ball married Buddy, and he revealed to her his secret, that he had taken Minnie to the beach and killed her. She wouldn’t make any more trouble for them. Buddy told Schatzie about Minnie’s demise. She told her a couple of times. In January 1938 Buddy’s left arm was cut off and stories flew around Elmendorf that Ball’s crazed alligators had torn it off or that Ball had cut it off and fed it to them. (In fact Buddy had lost the arm in a car wreck.) In April Buddy disappeared. By then Joe was seeing Schatzie. And then she disappeared too.
On September 23, 1938, an old Mexican American man approached Bexar County deputy sheriff John Gray, who was dove hunting in Elmendorf, and told him about a foul-smelling barrel covered in flies that Joe Ball had left behind his sister’s barn. It smelled, he said, like something dead was inside. Enough women in Ball’s world had disappeared that the next day Gray and deputy John Klevenhagen drove out to talk to him. Klevenhagen, who would later become a Texas Ranger, was a hunting buddy of Ball’s; he was as good a shot too. They went to the barn, but the stinky barrel was gone. They drove to the bar about noon and talked to Ball, who denied knowing anything about it. But when they all returned to the barn, his sister corroborated the old man’s story. That was enough for the deputies, who told Ball they were taking him to San Antonio for questioning. Ball asked if he could first be allowed to have a beer and close down his place. The sheriffs agreed, and the trio returned to the bar. Ball got a beer, took a few sips, went to his register, opened it, and then pulled out a .45 from under the counter. He waved it at Gray and Klevenhagen, who yelled, “Don’t!” and went for his own pistol just as Ball turned his and pointed it at his heart. He pulled the trigger and fell dead on the barroom floor.
Four other deputies, including Cude, descended on the tavern. They checked the five gators (one large and four small) in their pond, which was surrounded by rotting meat. They found an ax matted with blood and hair. Their first theory was an obvious one, that the fearsome drunk had killed and mutilated his wife and other victims and fed them to the alligators. The cops talked about other disappearances, including two missing barmaids and a sixteen-year-old boy who hung out at Joe’s. Perhaps the Saturday night feeding frenzies had just been a cover for Sunday night murders. Maybe the old bootlegging barrels now held alligator food.
But then Wheeler, who had been taken by sheriffs to San Antonio, spilled the beans. Schatzie had fallen for someone else, he said, one of the bar’s customers, a guy with a home and a good job. She wanted out, but Ball wouldn’t hear of it. When she threatened to tell the police about Big Minnie, he killed her. And now the handyman knew exactly where Schatzie was. He took the sheriffs back to Elmendorf, about three miles from town, on a bluff some three hundred feet from the San Antonio River. By the light of a campfire, he began to dig. Blood bubbled up in the dirt, and the odor became unbearable. Wheeler pulled up two arms and two legs and finally a torso. The sight and smell were so bad, wrote Cude, “the sightseers ran in all directions and started heaving and up-chuking [sic].” Wheeler was asked where the head was, and he pointed to the remains of another campfire. After careful sifting, cops found a jawbone, some teeth, and finally some pieces of the skull that had once held the pretty face of Hazel Brown.
Wheeler told how, after a night of heavy drinking, Ball had asked him to load up the car with blankets and beer; Joe had a saw, an ax, and a posthole digger with him, as well as his pistol. They went to his sister’s barn, stopping along the way to drink, and then picked up the fetid 55-gallon iron barrel, which they took to the river. Ball forced Wheeler at gunpoint to dig a grave, and they opened the barrel. Out came Brown’s body. Wheeler refused to help Ball dismember the corpse, so he tried to do it himself. But he got so enraged when one of her hands got in the way of sawing off her head that Wheeler reached over and held Brown’s hand, and then helped further, holding her arms and legs while his boss sawed. They each got sick to their stomachs, so they drank some more beer and then buried the corpse, though they threw the head, as well as her clothes, on a campfire. As dawn broke, they sat around and drank beer and then drove back to the bar.
Wheeler also solved the mystery of Big Minnie. The previous June, Ball told Wheeler to pack the Model A Coupe and be sure to stow plenty of whiskey and beer. Then he took Minnie and Wheeler to Ingleside, near Corpus Christi. Ball found a secluded area and, after a little swimming and a lot of drinking, asked the doomed Minnie to take her clothes off. Wheeler made himself scarce, but when Ball called for more whiskey, Wheeler noticed that his boss had his pistol by his side. Ball pointed off in the distance, and when Minnie turned her head to look, he shot her in the temple. Wheeler was shocked, but Ball told him he had no choice—she was pregnant and he was seeing Buddy. The two buried her in the sand and drove back to Elmendorf.
Police officers questioned Wheeler about other women, and they found a packet of letters as well as a scrapbook with photos of dozens of women. This, said chief deputy sheriff J. W. Davis, “might lead to the discovery of one or a dozen more murders.” The San Antonio papers wrote of the disappearance of more than a dozen barmaids, including “Stella,” who had had a fight with Ball about Big Minnie. The sheriffs also had a theory that Ball was dealing narcotics and that it would have been a “simple matter” to put the dope in bottles and store it in the gators’ lair. They drained the pool but found no drugs.
Three days after Ball’s suicide, the police began digging in the sand four miles southeast of Ingleside. They took heavy machinery and hired local laborers, and people with nothing better to do—sometimes hundreds of them—came and watched. A local merchant set up a stand and began selling cold drinks. The crowds swelled. “Excitement and rumors ran high,” reported the San Antonio Light: Other dunes looked suspiciously like burial mounds and mysterious shapes were seen walking around at night. Finally, on October 14, they found the remains of Big Minnie, well-preserved in the deep, cold sand.
Meanwhile, the police had located Buddy in San Diego, where she had fled from her husband and gone to be with her sister. Two weeks later Klevenhagen and Gray brought her to San Antonio. On the way they stopped in Phoenix and found one of the women listed as “missing” from the tavern. Buddy later said that Wheeler told her that on her last night on earth, Schatzie, who didn’t know Buddy was in San Diego, had accused Ball of killing her, just as he had killed Big Minnie. Schatzie badgered Ball until he flew into a rage. “After a while,” said Buddy, “Joe hit her with his pistol, and I reckon that killed her.” He shot her too, just to make sure.
In the aftermath, the alligators went to the San Antonio Zoo, and Wheeler received two years in jail as an accessory. He got out and opened his own bar in town but soon left and was never heard from again. And Joe Ball’s legend bloomed. The pulp press had a lot to do with it. True Detective, the monthly bible of sordid true crime, found his story irresistible and wouldn’t let it go, returning often to the sensational tale of the murderous ladies’ man, dozens of hapless ladies, unborn children, mutilation, kitties and puppies, and of course, alligators starved for human flesh. Hungry gators sold magazines, just as Ball had used them to sell beer, but the facts in the stories sometimes came from the writer’s imagination. Elton Cude Jr. said, “My father called them once and asked, ‘Where’d you get those stories?’ According to one story, my dad was the roughest, toughest manhandling deputy sheriff in Bexar County history. Well, he wasn’t like that, though he did throw some drunks out of a bar occasionally.” Bucky told me about his aunt Madeline, Joe’s sister, who sued True Detective several times for their imaginative versions of Uncle Joe. “I don’t know if she ever collected,” he said. “She didn’t need the money.”
Other pulp magazines picked up the distorted story and so did books like The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers and America’s Most Vicious Criminals. Eventually the tale made its way to Web sites, where anyone can write history. So the hype kept building and the mistakes repeating: how Ball shot himself in the head, how his handyman was named Wilfred Sneed, how Sneed said that he had cut up twenty women, how chunks of human flesh were found in the pool. In retrospect, it’s hard to tell whom to trust. For example, according to a 1938 article in something called the Sheriff’s Association Magazine, that mysterious packet of letters found by the police contained one from Big Minnie telling Ball, “I am still willing to break up you and Buddy, if it is the last thing I do . . . Uncle Henry and I are going to take you to jail as soon as he gets here. I am going to testify as to what I know . . .” About what? Bodies? Gators?
There were plenty of other tales too, including the oft-told one of an old man who, in 1932, had stumbled onto Ball pitching a woman’s body into the pool. According to local lore, Ball threatened the man into leaving town; he fled to California and returned only after Ball was dead. Others claimed to have seen Ball throwing pieces of human flesh into the pit. Ultimately, of course, it’s impossible to prove he didn’t. Even though most of the “missing” women were accounted for (usually in San Antonio), some never were. And even though no human remains were found in the alligator pond, that didn’t mean Ball didn’t clean them up. And even though Wheeler, the only eyewitness to Ball’s crimes, never said anything about the alligators, that didn’t mean he didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut when he had to. With Ball, it was easy to believe the worst. It still is. Take one violent, sadistic drunk known for throwing stray pets to his alligators, add a one-armed missing wife, one hacked-up girlfriend and another buried in the sand, who knows how many stray women coming and going—you do the math. Six, ten, a dozen, two dozen barmaids hacked up. Gator food.
Buddy tried to set the record straight in a 1957 interview. “Joe never put no people in that alligator tank,” she said. “Joe wouldn’t do a thing like that. He wasn’t no horrible monster . . . Joe was a sweet, kind, good man, and he never hurt nobody unless he was driven to it.” Referring to the scar on her face, she said, “He didn’t even mean to cut me. He was throwing the bottle at another guy.” There were just two murders, she said. Elton Cude Jr. agrees, as did his father, who in a 1988 interview said, “I don’t think those alligators ate a human body of any kind.”
Bucky, of course, agrees too. Contrary to expectations, he has a sense of humor about the tale that has blackened his family name. Truthfully, he has no choice. When Bucky was training with the Green Berets in North Carolina in 1959, a friend’s mother, who lived in New Jersey and knew his last name, sent her son a comic book that told the horrifying tale of Joe Ball and the alligators. Bucky, who at seventy wears a jet-black pompadour and looks like an old rockabilly, chuckled as he remembered their shock when he said, “That was my uncle.” In April Bucky and his wife, who barrel race in their spare time, were in Giddings. “This friend of mine saw me and said, ‘Hey, Ball, did you bring your alligator with you?’ ” In truth, alligators aren’t that unusual in this part of South Texas, said Bucky, who remembers a stuffed one in the Floresville courthouse when he was a kid. “They get in the San Antonio River,” he told me. “I saw four over in Braunig Lake recently. They like that still water.” Bucky said his uncle probably got his from around Graytown, about three miles from Elmendorf, in the lowlands, where they go to lay eggs.
Bucky has his uncle’s World War I portrait and a 48-star flag given to the family after his death. He keeps them in a glass case in his living room. The 24-year veteran goes to counseling at Brook Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston and thinks his uncle’s experience in the war had something to do with his actions afterward. “My dad told me that after my uncle came back from the war, he was different. I guess what you see and do comes back to you. My counselor tells me your brain’s like a tape, and this stuff is on your brain. It’ll never go away.”
There wasn’t much Army counseling during the Depression, and Joe Ball probably wouldn’t have taken it anyway. He didn’t seem to be the type to talk about his feelings. Or maybe that’s just the myth talking.
What’s in a name? Charles Vail scrapbooks now cataloged, available to researchers at Denver Public Library
John LaConte/Vail Daily
The word “Vail” was spoken throughout Colorado for decades before the chairlifts started running in 1962, and was commonly seen in newspapers for more than 15 years before Vail Pass opened in 1940.
That’s because Charles Davis Vail, the governor-appointed state highway engineer, was “a politically astute bureaucrat and a vibrant personality who carried a vest pocket full of cigars to hand out,” writes “Dr. Colorado” Tom Noel.
Noel published a biography of Charles Davis Vail in 2020, and while the book is already becoming hard to find, Vail’s grandson Charles Daniel Vail still has copies for sale and can be reached at cdvm1@yahoo.com.
Noel wrote the book with the help of Shelby Carr, a genealogical researcher with a graduate degree in history from the University of Colorado. Noel and Carr traced the Vail family line back to 1640, when Thomas Vail sailed to America with his wife, Sarah. The Vails would eventually settle Green Brook, New Jersey, where “no family is more continuously associated with the community than that of the Vails,” according to the Green Brook historical society, which Noel and Carr contacted for their Vail biography.
John LaConte/Vail Daily
The publication of the biography has helped the Vail area of Colorado become more familiar with its namesake, says Dr. Rudi Hartmann, a colleague of Noel’s at the University of Colorado Denver.
In a presentation to the Colorado Snowsports Museum in March, Hartman, who is now retired, said he’s enjoying the fact that locals in recent years have been learning more about Charles Davis Vail.
“He’s not so known here in the village, but he’s getting better known, I think,” Hartmann said.
John LaConte/Vail Daily
On CDOT’s desk
In October, as CDOT Transportation Director Shoshana Lew visited EagleVail to help cut the ribbon on a new section of the Eagle Valley Trail along Highway 6, Lew mentioned Charles Vail as the namesake of not just Vail, but EagleVail, as well.
“(The EagleVail section of Highway 6) was completed in 1940, as was the original Vail Pass, named after one of our original engineers, Charles Vail,” Lew said. “We have his biography on our desk at headquarters.”
To create the biography, Noel and Carr relied heavily on the scrapbooks of Charles Vail’s daughter, Vera Vail Winslow, a CU-educated historian.
Courtesy image
“Vera’s education paid off for the family as she turned into the family historian,” Noel and Carr wrote. “She assembled two extensive scrapbooks rich in newspaper clippings, letters and other materials. The scrapbooks focus exclusively on the career of her father, Charles Davis Vail, and the many newspaper clippings include negative as well as positive press.”
The scrapbooks were donated to the Western History and Genealogy Department of the Denver Public Library, the place where, as author Jack Roberts once wrote, “All trails in Western History lead.”
In recent weeks, the Vera Vail Winslow scrapbooks have been cataloged by the library and are now available to researchers. Noel helped assemble the collection, which was donated by Vail’s granddaughter Nancy W. Keyes.
“The scrapbooks contain extensive newspaper clippings about (Vail’s) work in Colorado, some photographs and correspondence,” according to the library catalog. “The collection also includes some research materials about Vail’s life and family history (Vail family genealogy) as well as portrait photographs of Charles Vail and some family photographs of his siblings, children, and grandchildren.”
John LaConte/Vail Daily
‘The more important pass’
One of the scrapbooks begins with a humorous story about Vail, titled “Engineer Vail Cuts His Cigar Smoking Down to 15 a Day,” estimating that Vail smoked an estimated 5,375 cigars per year.
Noel and Carr’s biography contains some astounding tales, as well – of Vail’s run-in with Mexican Revolutionary Pancho Villa; of Vail’s decades long feud with Governor Edwin Johnson and The Denver Post; and of the first Vail Pass in Colorado, Monarch Pass, which “passed the ultimate test,” Noel and Carr write, when a bus full of Western State College football players experienced brake-and-gear failure and was forced to negotiate the pass at speeds in excess of 100 mph.
“The driver negotiated the 4,262 drop only by using the wide, banked curves that engineer Vail had designed,” Noel and Carr write.
Noel and Carr’s biography also contains the interesting story of how Monarch Pass lost its “Vail Pass” moniker, despite the fact that commissioners of 14 southern Colorado counties passed a resolution that Monarch Pass be renamed in honor of Vail.
But, as Hartmann pointed out in his presentation to the Colorado Snowsports Museum in March, “Vail Pass has become the more important pass, compared to Monarch, and maybe one of the best-known, most used passes not only in Colorado, but in the American West.”
Noel and Carr said they could not have written the biography without Vera Vail Winslow’s scrapbooks.
“These materials were invaluable,” the authors wrote.
East Timor votes for president in runoff amid political feud | Ap
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DILI, East Timor (AP) — Voters in East Timor are choosing a president in a runoff Tuesday between former independence fighters who’ve blamed each other for years of political paralysis.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta had a commanding lead in the first round of voting last month, but failed to secure more than 50% of the vote and avoid the runoff. Ramos-Horta received 46.6%, incumbent President Francisco “Lu Olo” Guterres won 22.1% and the other votes were divided among 14 other candidates in the March 19 election.
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NCWLIFE Evening News April 19th, 2022
Good evening, and welcome to the NCWLIFE Evening News. I’m Grant Olson. Before we get to tonight’s top stories, let’s take a quick look outside our weather window.
Now, A few of the news stories we’re following for you tonight, The man whose body was found last Fourth of July in the Columbia River has been identified as a 76-year-old homeless man. Officials still have been unable to identify a pedestrian who was killed in a hit-and-run accident early Sunday morning on Highway 28 outside East Wenatchee and A pickup burst into flames after striking an elk on Interstate 90 Sunday night.
But first, our top story tonight. . .
Shooting & Pursuit -After a shooting yesterday on Methow Street that left one victim seriously wounded, two suspects led police on a chase into East Wenatchee. One of them allegedly broke into a house and stole clothing and bicycle to avoid arrest, while the other waded into the Columbia River, and had to be helped to shore by arresting officers. Court documents identify the two suspects as 23-year-old Benito Eduardo Licea (Lee-SAY-yah), and 25-year-old Andrew Francis Morrow, both of Wenatchee. The 21-year-old male victim was found shot in the driver’s seat of a red Honda Accord in the 800 block of Methow Street, about 2:58 p.m.. Wenatchee Police Captain Edgar Reinfeld had this to say at the scene. . .
Police said the victim suffered a head wound in the attack. Directors at Central Washington Hospital did not respond to a request from NCWLIFE to learn the man’s medical condition. Licea was previously convicted of burglary in Snohomish County in 2020, and sentenced to 21 months in prison. Morrow was sentenced that year to 15 months prison time for a vehicular assault in Chelan County. Both are now in the Chelan County jail as the investigation continues.
Body in River ID -The man whose body was found last Fourth of July in the Columbia River has been identified as 76-year-old homeless man Robert A. Jones. Chelan County Coroner Wayne Harris had released sketches of the man made by a forensic artist in January. Harris said he sent the sketches to the Chelan County PUD security department and some of their officers recognized Jones based on multiple contacts with him on PUD property. Harris said based on the name they provided him he obtained medical records for Jones. On April 8th, an anthropologist positively identified Jones, who was known to have lived in his car. Harris said he then contacted genealogy researchers and was able to locate Jones’ sister in Colorado.
Pedestrian Update -Officials still have been unable to identify a pedestrian who was killed in a hit-and-run accident early Sunday morning on Highway 28 outside East Wenatchee. The Washington State Patrol is looking for witnesses to the collision on Highway 28 and South Tyee Avenue or anyone with information about the man who was killed. 28-year-old Thomas A. O’Connell of Leavenworth was arrested about 50 minutes after the hit-and-run when the State Patrol says his 2003 BMW became disabled six miles away on Cascade Avenue near the Odabashian Bridge. O’Connell was arrested for felony hit-and-run. The unidentified pedestrian died at the scene. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Brian Mulvaney at 509-682-8141.
Elk Truck Fire -A pickup burst into flames after striking an elk on Interstate 90 Sunday night. Washington State Patrol Trooper John Bryant said the 2001 GMC pickup was traveling east near Cle Elum just after 9 p.m. when it struck and killed the elk. Nobody in the pickup was injured but by the time firefighters arrived the pickup was destroyed. Bryant said the elk was salvaged.
TEASE – When we come back, Chelan County PUD Commissioners reviewed the results of a survey Monday on the impact of Wenatchee’s proposed Confluence Parkway project. State insurance commissioner Mike Kreidler apologizes for prejudicial language. Fishing season will open Saturday but not for some of the Wenatchee Heights-area lakes, and, Mushroom harvesting permits for the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest go on sale May 2nd. I’m Grant Olson and you’re watching the NCWLIFE Evening News.
Welcome back, and in other news. . .
PUD Parkway -Chelan County PUD Commissioners reviewed the results of a survey Monday on the impact of Wenatchee’s proposed Confluence Parkway project, which would add a bridge over the Wenatchee River and require some reconfiguration of the Apple Capital Loop Trail. The PUD survey received almost 1,000 responses. PUD board President Steve McKenna said noise from the parkway as it runs adjacent to the Horan Natural Area and Confluence State Park appears to be the biggest concern. . .
Insurance Commissioner -Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is apologizing for offensive language he’s used in the presence of his staff. Employees and former workers in the Office of the Insurance Commissioner say the six-term Democrat has behaved abusively to people working for him, and that he’s used slurs to describe people of Chinese, Italian and Mexican descent, as well as people who are transgender. In a set of public statements, Kreidler apologized for his behavior, and said he’s undertaking sensitivity training. He said QUOTE, “It pains me deeply to think that the careless words I have used in the past — even if infrequent — could have hurt someone.”
Lake Fishing Delayed -Fishing season will open Saturday but not for some of the Wenatchee Heights-area lakes. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said Monday that because of recent snowstorms, roads to Clear and Lily lakes and Beehive Reservoir are impassible to hatchery trucks. When the lakes will be stocked will depend on the weather. Other lakes in the area, including H&H Reservoir, Springhill Reservoir and Upper Wheeler Reservoir are scheduled to be stocked in May or June. Eventually, Beehive Reservoir will be one of the lakes in the state that will have Trout Derby fish in it this year. Anyone with a valid fishing license who catches a tagged fish can win a prize.
Mushroom Permits -Mushroom harvesting permits for the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest go on sale May 2nd. Up to five gallons of the morel mushrooms can be harvested for personal use without a permit but individuals must obtain and carry a copy of the Forest Service’s Free Incidental Use Mushroom Information Sheet. The sheets can be printed off the Forest Service website or picked up at a Forest Service office. Naches District Ranger Aaron Stockton said they’re expecting to see a large number of people harvesting mushrooms on land burned during the 2021 fire season. Commercial harvesters must purchase either a $30-dollar, 2-day permit, an $80-dollar, 30-day permit or a $100-dollar seasonal permit good May 2nd through July 31st.
TEASE -You’re watching the NCWLIFE Evening News. Coming up next, tonight’s feature story and your complete local weather forecast. That and much more still to come on the NCWLIFE Evening News, please stay with us.
Welcome back to the NCWLIFE Evening News.
Health District -COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are seeing a slight rise, thanks to the BA.2 variant of the disease. But how does the Wenatchee Valley measure up in the fight against the pandemic? In tonight’s feature story, Dr. James Wallace with the Chelan-Douglas Health District reports the two-county area is doing well with its rates of vaccination, and health officials are trying to stay vigilant for future outbreaks. . .
TEASE – And that is a look at your local weather forecast, coming up next, tonight’s sports report with Eric Granstrom and more as the NCWLIFE Evening News continues right after this.
NCWLIFE Channel Sports
It was a unique day in Seattle Kraken history Monday…
Rap artist Macklemore and former Seahawk running back Marshawn Lynch were announced as new minority owners of the NHL franchise in Seattle. So what did they do? Put Beast Mode on a Zamboni!!!
Possibly inspired by their new ownership, Seattle raced out to an early lead and went on for a 4-2 win over Ottawa last night. Matty Beniers scored his second goal and has three points in all three of his NHL games so far…
Coach Dave Hakstol says when Seattle takes care of the puck, good things happen…
The Kraken will try to win three-straight for the first time in franchise history tomorrow night against Colorado at 7 o’clock at Climate Pledge Arena. The game will be broadcast on ROOT Sports Northwest.
The Mariners are back in action tonight at T-Mobile Park against Texas…
The Rangers are off to a slow start at 2-and-7 and are coming in on a 3-game losing streak after dropping 3-of-4 to the Angels. Seattle is 5-and-5 after taking two of three from Houston and will send Robbie Ray to the mound to face John Gray.
First pitch is at 6:40 and will be broadcast on ROOT Sports Northwest.
The prep baseball schedule for today in North Central Washington is a busy one…
It begins with Waterville-Mansfield hosting Ephrata at 4:30 while Cascade visits Quincy; Cashmere hosts Omak; Brewster travels to Liberty Bell; and Pateros hosts Moses Lake Christian. At 5 it’s Okanogan at Lake Roosevelt; West Valley hosts Eastmont; and Moses Lake visits Wenatchee at Rec. Park.
In makeup softball action Monday, Liberty Bell swept a doubleheader from Bridgeport 16-1 and 26-3. Oroville shut out Pateros 15-nothing.
Lake Roosevelt hosts Almira-Coulee/Hartline in a doubleheader today starting at 3 o’clock. Quincy hosts Cascade for a twin bill at 3:30. At 4, it’s Tonasket at Soap Lake; Eastmont hosts West Valley; and Omak visits Cashmere.
On the Les Schwab Prep Soccer Scoreboard from Monday, Cashmere beat Omak 5-1. Liberty Bell bounced Pateros 3-1. Bridgeport and Manson played to a 1-all tie.
There are three games starting at 4:30 today with Manson at Okanogan; Tonasket takes on Brewster; and Bridgeport travels to Oroville. Tonight at 6 it’s Ephrata at East Valley of Yakima and Chelan traveling to Quincy. Then at 7 it’s Moses Lake at Eastmont and Wenatchee hosts Eisenhower.
Speaking of Eastmont and Moses Lake, we’ll have that game here LIVE on the NCWLIFE Channel from Wildcat Stadium. Sebastian Moraga and Neil Oysten will call the action starting at 7 o’clock here on your LOCAL TV station.
Thanks Eric.
Now let’s check in with Dan Kuntz for a look at what’s coming up tomorrow morning on Wake-Up Wenatchee Valley, Dan. . .
And that’s going to do it for our newscast tonight. For more on these stories and other news from around North Central Washington, you can find us on Facebook or our website at ncwlife.com. And, remember, if you see news happening we’d like to hear from you. You can send us an email at news@ncwlife.com, or give us a call 888-NCWL (6295). I’m Grant Olson, thanks for joining us and have a great night.