COUNTY LIFE
‘Mr. V’ excited to see little kid’s excitement in coming to school
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By BARBARA GREEN
For Steven Valkenaar his career in the classroom almost became a career in an operating room as he was on the path to medical school.
“Mr. V,” as the students call him is the new Bowie Elementary School principal.
Valkenaar, 32, hails from Chicago, IL, but he grew up in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford area after his father was transferred to Dallas working for Santa Fe Railroad. They spent the first year in Texas at Arlington, but then moved to Hurst, where his parents still reside. He is a graduate of L.D. Bell High School in 2002.
The young man was considering a medical career either as an orthopedic surgeon or anesthesiologist. He earned his bachelor of science degree in exercise science from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2007.
Valkenaar and his wife, Britini, who were married in 2006, learned they were going to have a baby, so they decided years of medical school and education loans was not what they wanted.
Read the full story on the new principal in your weekend News.
COUNTY LIFE
May 8 deadline to honor your graduation in the Bowie News senior section
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May 8 is the deadline to honor your graduate in the 2024 Keepsake Graduation section. It is the only section where you will see senior photos of every high school in Montague County and Bellevue.
If you want to honor your graduate with a special ad call 872-2247 or print a copy of the submission form at bowienewsonline.com. The section will publish on May 22.
COUNTY LIFE
Cruisin’ Nocona kicks off on Friday
![](https://bowienewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-cruise-leaves-for-web.jpg)
From a road trip around North Texas to a colorful car show, Nocona is gearing up for its 11th annual springtime festival Cruisin’ Nocona on May 3-4 with lots of family fun activities.
Enjoy the popular Poker Cruise on May 3 as drivers travel a 120-mile trek through the countryside of Montague County enjoying several stops along the way before looping back to Nocona for lunch.
Early-bird registration is $50. Forms are available at the Nocona Chamber of Commerce office at 304 Clay St. #3 or go online to Nocona.org/events to get a form. After April 25 the cost goes up to $65.
There will be on-site registration from 9 – 10:30 a.m. that day at 915 E. U.S. Highway 82, where the cruise starts at 11 a.m. Each driver gets a goodie bag with a Cruisin’ Nocona T-shirt and ticket for the cruise lunch. Additional lunch tickets may be purchased for $20.
First-third place prizes will be awarded to the best poker hands. There will be a big truck light show at 8:30 p.m. at The V at 8:30 p.m. Friday night.
A pancake breakfast served from 8-10 a.m. at The V opens Saturday morning followed by downtown Nocona being filled with classic cars and big trucks for Cruisin’ Car Show. This is the second year to include the big trucks set up along Clay and West Walnut Streets.
Prizes will be awarded to the top 10 cars and pickups, top five motorcycles, Big Truck People’s Choice and Big Truck that traveled the farthest to the show. All makes and models welcomed to enter. Forms are available on the chamber’s website.
The car show will have registration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Clay and W. Walnut with judging from 1-3 p.m. Awards will be presented at 4 p.m. at the H.J. Justin Building, 100 Clay.
There will be a power wheel car show from 3-4 p.m. in the Justin building. Cecil Allen Moore will entertain at the same location starting at 5 p.m.
COUNTY LIFE
3 Bowie seniors ‘sign’ for their future education
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Bowie High School staff and students celebrated its first “Signing Day” on April 25 looking on as three seniors signed their letters of intent to pursue different paths to higher education.
Principal Joanne Keeler said she was excited to present this program and show students the success they can have if they work hard and they also could be signing up for their future. She hopes to see the program expand adding more students who are planning their futures.
Jacobi McGregor signed his letter of intent to attend Ottawa University in Kansas on a powerflifting scholarship. He plans to study sports administration.
Iron Atkinson will be joining the United States Army. His grandmother Sherri Waldrop, looked on as he signed the paperwork.
Traycee Stewart, daughter of Susan and James Stewart, will attending West Texas State A&M University on a music education scholarship.
Read the full story on signing day in the mid-week Bowie News.
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