December 2021

Arna McCorkle, executive of the Fort Stockton Chamber of Commerce, was awarded the 2021 UPRA Rodeo Committee Person of the Year on Nov. 30. McCorkle has long been involved with helping put on the rodeo behind the scenes and brining the event back to Fort Stockton. Courtesy Photo

YOUR GUIDE TO LOCAL PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO If you have an event for our Do Something! listing, please e-mail nathan.heuer fortstocktonpioneer.com. DEC.

The average traveler stops in Fort Stockton for the duration of topping off a gas tank. However, Thanksgiving weekend always brings in a crowd of travelers who stay for days at a time. Driving in to see family, couple Cyndi and Mark of East Texas arrived Wednesday night and stayed until Sunday morning.

COVID-19 confirmed active cases in Pecos County have stabilized in the past week. For the past six days, confirmed case numbers have stayed in the 20’s – the longest streak of active cases below 30 since the end of October.

December 1964 issue: GONZALEZ DINNER – Alex R. Gonzalez, right, former Peace Justice of Precinct 1, was honored by family and friends at a farewell dinner Saturday night in Ramada Inn. Gonzalez is moving to Washington shortly to join staff of Congressman-elect Richard White. Pictured with him above at the dinner are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. M.R. Gonzalez, at left, and his wife, Mrs. Alex Gonzalez.

Dear Neil: Do acorns on a lawn hurt it? We have so many that it’s like walking on a bed of marbles. Converting our blower to a vacuum didn’t do much, and I can’t blow them out from beneath the runners. Should I worry?

Until a few years ago my knowledge of pierogis only extended to the Men In Black film, where the jeweler is sitting down eating with his friend, and the bad guy, aka the bug, is after the galaxy that just so happens to be on the collar of the pet cat. I mean I’m a southwest Texan. What do I know of pierogi except they’re not really a staple in our diet. Tacos and tamales I’m familiar with, but pierogis not so much, until one day I was browsing the internet for something different to make. The photos looked good, I was hungry, and I had all the ingredients on hand, so I decided to try my hand at making these dumplings.

Fort Stockton native Mike Lujan, right, shot a monster 6x7 elk on Lea Ranch, owned by Daggett Family, on Nov. 20.

The First United Methodist Church in Fort Stockton will have their annual March to the Manger during their 11 a.m. service on Sunday, Dec. 12. The church invites the public to join them for the event. Pictured is Ray Griffith and Chel Duarte, who are dressed as kings that will be a part of the pageant. Courtesy Photos

Thanksgiving is almost here and Christmas is just around the corner. With the pandemic slowing down, families will be traveling by car and airplane to visit with relatives and friends. Sadly, the risk of being in a crash is even higher this year than last with vehicle fatalities in the first six months of 2021 up more than 18% from the same time period in 2020. This is a good time to stop and think about having your child in the proper car seat before planning your trip. Although parents always want to protect their children, studies show that nationally, two out of three car seats are not used correctly. For a car seat to best protect your child, it must be the right seat for your child’s age, weight, height and developmental stage, and must fit properly in your vehicle while being installed correctly and securely.