COUNTY LIFE
Retirement looking ‘sweet’ for music teacher
By BARBARA GREEN
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When teacher Melissa Zamzow came to Bowie Independent School District in 2018 she saw it as an opportunity to work across the spectrum of music and creativity she loves.
It has been all of those things fulfilling many of her own passions for music and performing, however, with 31 years behind her as a certified teacher she has decided to retire. She hopes to substitute teach, expand her baking business and add more time to what she considers “the most important job of grandmother” to a beautiful one-year-old girl.
The veteran teacher, age 56, was honored with a reception Thursday afternoon and her family is planning a celebration for later in June when they can all get together.
Melissa and her husband, Randy, also a teacher at the high school, came to BISD in 2018 where she was hired to direct high school and junior high choirs, seventh-grade band, direct the high school color guard and assist with the sixth and eighth-grade bands. She is the third director of a three-person team that all works together during marching season.
She says the long hours of doing multiple jobs has become tougher and Zamzow felt it was time slow down some of those demands. The teacher had to give up color guard this year after having surgery on her thumb, which does not allow her to spin the flagpoles. She helped build the program up as they began to compete and win accolades.
Read the full feature in the mid-week Bowie News.
Musicians from around the area attended the New Year’s Eve jam for Jammin’ at the Justin. There was a variety of musicians and singers to entertain the big crowd, that also enjoyed lots of great good-luck foods served up by guests and the jam organizers. Along with the music groups played games and a few folks danced. (Photos by Barbara Green)
The new year opens with the first county-wide event this week, the 2025 Montague County Youth Fair, Jan. 8-11 at various locations.
It should be a strong show with 1,160 entries across all the categories and 333 students represented. Here is the basic schedule of activities.
Leadership Day
This year’s contests will be at the Montague County Cowboy Church.
Competition day starts with check-in between 7-8 a.m. for speaking events and the robotics contest. Categories will include junior and senior prepared speaking, plus junior and senior Montague County ag. advocacy speaking. Robotics contest also takes place that morning.
Contestants sign in for the skill-a-thons from 12:30 to 1 p.m., followed by the beef and horse skill-a-thons. Sign-in for the barbecue cooking contests is from 1-2:30 p.m. with the contest starting at 3 p.m. Judging follows at 4 p.m. Awards will be given to the top two individuals for each division of the contest.
Home economics
Home economics entries can be dropped off at the Nocona Community Center from 4 to 6 p.m. on Jan. 7 and 7-9 a.m. on Jan. 8.
Judging will be from 10 a.m. to noon with results posted by 6 p.m. Public viewing is 8 a.m. to noon on Jan. 9. Home economics is a massive competition covering food, fabric and artworks.
Read the full schedule in your weekend Bowie News.
Top photo:A Nocona student works on a welding project for the 2025 youth fair. (Courtesy photo)
Gus Clark and the Least of his Problems Band entertained at the Bowie Community Center New Year’s Dance this past week. Guests enjoyed black-eyed peas, cornbread, dancing and music to welcome the year.
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