“For some reason, she’s really jazzed up about this,” says son Tony Swanke about his mother, Sarita Urias, after hearing about Barrio Fest in Fort Stockton.

If her name sounds familiar, that’s because Doña Sarita Urias was born in Fort Stockton and is an important figure to Mexican Americans in the area.

The Fort Stockton Film Society will host its last film of the summer with a showing of the 1939 film “Destry Rides Again” on Friday, Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The screening is another date night, with free popcorn and free admission, courtesy of Pecos County Feed and Supply. There will also be a classic Warner Brothers cartoon shown just before the main feature.

The joint Taco Bell/KFC restaurant, previously located on Highway 285 in Fort Stockton, burned to the ground back in October of 2020. The two restaurants under one roof were declared a total loss and the property has remained vacant until present day.

“They will be built as two different buildings at the same location,” revealed Development Lead Larry Rules. “We’re bringing in the latest Taco Bell design, which is called the Endeavor design. This model looks great. The whole thing is going to look nice, trust me.”

August has arrived. The summer has flown by so quickly, and it won’t be long until school starts. This month I will feature articles on school lunches, tips for preparing quick and easy meals, and some of our food celebration for the month.

I am going to start by celebrating National Baked Bean Month. I am not surprised since baked beans are a summer staple at picnics and cook outs.