COUNTY LIFE
By DANI BLACKBURN
When life gets tough, the tough get going, and no one proves that more than Bowie High School graduate Shelby Avara.
The high school senior has traveled an obstacle-ridden road on her journey to receiving a high school diploma, something not many in her family have done.
The adversity she faced began when she was just six-years-old as a first grader in Iowa, when her mother was killed in a car crash. The tragic accident catapulted her into a life of instability and independence.
Avara, along with her sister and father, a rancher, moved to multiple states in the years that followed, including Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma before settling in Bowie. The family lived in multiple homes in each state, in Bowie alone the teenager is in her fourth home.
Along the way, her father began driving a semi-truck hauling cattle which took him on the road quite a bit. Avara became acquainted with being alone and faced some scary situations, including a family that held the young teenager captive.
“When my dad and sister moved to Texas, I was stuck in Oklahoma,” recalled Avara. “We had been staying with my sister’s best friend’s parents. They made me sign these papers and told me that my dad had signed papers giving up his rights to me.”
They cut off all communication between the young teenager and her father and took away all her electronic devices, forcing her to do many things like take part in religious studies every night while verbally abusing the young girl.
“They told me we would never amount to anything, and that my dad never loved my mom. They told us all kinds of crazy things, including what horrible people we were,” recalled Avara.
Fortunately, the young teenager eventually made contact with her father using an old Nokia phone, and her dad hit the road to pick up his teenage daughter and brought her to Bowie where the family lived with Avara’s aunt and uncle. It was the middle of her eighth-grade year. Bowie Junior High became the fourth middle school she would attend.
While Avara remained in Bowie, her struggles were far from over but she continued to persevere.
This week she looks toward the future as she graduates Bowie High School and looks back at overcoming a series of obstacles thanks to friends. Read her full story in the weekend News.
After practice and try-outs, the inaugural team of Bowie High School Steppers was selected this past week and the squad will get to work with a car wash fundraiser on May 4.
All donations will go toward the drill team uniforms. Come get a wash from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 4 at Central Baptist Church. Email [email protected] with questions.
Coach Lauren Dosch announced the 2024-25 Steppers: Julie Berry, Reegan Ferguson, Elise Fitch, Rebecca Fitch, Peyton Howson, Hayden Lea, Lillie Posey, Jade Shoefstall, Katie Smith, Shelby Vannucci, Chazlyn Webb and Lilli Willett.
Pictured the new Bowie High School Steppers. (Courtesy photo)
Bowie High Steppers: (Back) Reegan Ferguson, Chazlyn Webb, Hayden Lea, Katie Smith, Lillie Posey, Peyton Howson and Director Lauren Dosch. (Front) Elise Fitch, Rebecca Fitch, Juliet Berry, Lilli Willett, Jade Shoefstall and Shelby Vannucci.
Spring has sprung and it is time to nominate top yards from your neighborhood to be considered for The Bowie News Yard of the Month.
The first award will be made for April and nominations may be submitted through April 26. The winner will be announced in the May 1 edition of The Bowie News.
Call the Bowie News office at 940-872-2247 or email it to [email protected]. Please include the address and name of the resident if you know it or a contact phone number for the nominee.
Sponsored by The Bowie News and Beautify Our Bowie, the contest winner gets to show off the brightly colored Yard of the Month sign in their yard during the month. A winner will be named for April, May and June.
The names of nominees may be submitted more than once throughout the contest if they are not a winner. Winners from last season will not be considered to allow for others to have an opportunity to participate.
A group of experienced gardeners volunteer their time to visit all the nominees and select a winner.
This contest will recognize a beautiful yard which is not necessarily the most fancy or elaborate, but one that shows care and upkeep in their neighborhood. The goal is to encourage all Bowie residents to keep their properties clean and looking nice for everyone to enjoy.
Criteria for judging will include ongoing maintenance of the yard and landscaping. The yard needs to be clean and free of trash, junk or other unsightly objects. Grass and shrubs need to maintained at reasonable levels.
Landscaping also will be considered, but are encouraged to include not only annuals for the season, but permanent items such as shrubs, vines or hardscape, as well as decorative structures like a gazebo or benches
Enjoy a free comic book day mini-convention 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 4 at the Bowie Public Library in conjunction with Freakz & Geeks of Bowie.
There will be arts and crafts, comics, a costume contest, special guests, BTXFG exclusive swag give-aways, a video game high-score tournament, vendors and more.
Whether you’re a cosplayer ready to break out your costume, a gaming fanatic looking to throw down, or simply looking for a day of family-friendly fun and entertainment, there’s something for everyone at the Mini Con.
Don’t miss out – come join the festivities and support your local Freaky Geeky community.
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