School

Canadian ISD officials closed schools here last week in response to growing concerns over the spread of the coronavirus. In a rare emergency meeting last Saturday afternoon, school trustees unanimously approved a resolution delegating specific authority to Superintendent Lynn Pulliam to govern and oversee management of this community’s schools during the COVID -19 emergency.

“Stay at home” is not as easy as it sounds. Social distancing and self-isolation during a pandemic has created problems. The virus rebels; people who can’t stay home are venturing out to buy groceries, gas up their cars, or just wander around to see what’s happening. Then there are those who are unaware of what’s going on. A young man on our street threw a big party last Saturday night. Avoiding people who are not practicing good behavior during the pandemic is easy. Staying at home is not. Those of us who are following best practices by not going out have problems, including boredom and restlessness. Here are a few suggestions for killing time while you hunker down:

The Canadian High School Wildcat Band earned its 40th sweepstakes on Tuesday, March 10. The band competed in the Region 1 UIL Concert and Sightreading Contest held at Panhandle High School, receiving straight 1’s in concert and sightreading. Those scores, coupled with their ratings at the UIL Marching Contest in the fall, earned the band the Class A Sweepstakes Award. The band is led by co-directors Daisy and James Edwards.

Members of Canadian High School’s One-Act Play cast and crew earned honors at the district competition held last Tuesday at Bushland ISD. The play, August: Osage County, advanced to the bi-district round of competition, which was slated to be held March 26 in Shallowater before UIL officials suspended all UIL-sanctioned contests this week due to the COVID-19 outbreak [see related story].

No tuna. No paper towels. No Purell. No toilet paper. The shelves of every supermarket in the country have been picked clean. I’ve made three trips to the H.E.B. in San Angelo with no luck. Friends in California, New York, Virginia, and Tennessee report the same experience. It’s as if the apocalypse was announced, and we were all told to hoard tuna, paper towels, Purell, and toilet paper, and we would be spared. My supermarket had the usual amount of perishable items, but canned goods, and frozen fruits and vegetables were cleaned out. I’ve started checking on friends, and here are some of their stories ...

We’re OK. No panic here yet over the COVID -19 virus. It’s spring break for small towns, San Angelo, and Angelo State University. All is quiet on the western fringe of the state. We have had more rain than usual and warmer than average temperatures. The trees are still bare, but iris, yellow jasmine, and the first wildflowers are in bloom. It’s not that we are skeptical about the spread of the corona virus. We’re serious about preventing the spread of the virus. In fact, we are some of the bestprepared Americans for a pandemic. Here’s why ...

Higgins ISD’s One-Act Play advanced to the bi-district competition following its March 5 performance of Lauren Gunderson’s Silent Sky.

Coy, Colt, and Cambree Pittman recently attended the National Western and Fort Worth Stock Show in January. They returned with several first-, second-, and third-place ribbons from both shows. Colt was also named Grand Champion Braunvieh Junior Showman at the National Western Stock Show. In photo above, Colt Pittman poses with sister, Cambree, and the judge after receiving his showmanship award.

Applications are currently being accepted from area students for two $2,000 Bob Craig Memorial Scholarships awarded through the West Texas Press Association and the Texas Press Association.