COUNTY LIFE
Build the dream – Bowie graduate creating custom truck for SEMA sho
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Conner Earp will be heading off to automotive tech college in just a few weeks, but this recent Bowie High School graduate also is putting the finishing touches on his $30,000-plus custom-built pickup he plans to show in one of the world’s largest auto shows this fall in Las Vegas.
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) hosts its trade-only event Oct. 31-Nov. 3 drawing more than 70,000 quality domestic and international buyers each year bringing together manufacturers and buyers in every segment of the automotive industry. It’s a pretty big leap for this young man, but when this dream of building custom trucks was sparked he took the initiative to find out how he could get going.
The son of Bradley and Misty Earp, the family lives outside Vashti in an old farmhouse complete with chickens, dogs, turkeys and ducks, plus a large shop for Conner to bring his vision to life. His little brothers Nathan, nine, and River, seven, also are running around to help out and cheer on their big brother.
Born in Decatur, the 18-year-old grew up in Bowie where he attended school playing baseball and taking part in ag projects. He graduated in May and mid-summer he and the family visited Laramie, WY where he will be attending WYO Tech this year. WyoTech, formerly known as Wyoming Technical Institute, is a for-profit, technical college founded in 1966. It provides training programs that prepare students for careers as technicians in the automotive and diesel industry.
Earp says the visit and tour to the school only confirmed his desire to specialize in fabrication and welding. He leaves for school on Sept. 28 to begin a six-month core program. Earp is looking at performance, suspension and chasis fabrication. The full program can be up to two and a half years.
Read the full story in your weekend Bowie News.
In your mid-week Bowie News see information on the importance of breast cancer screenings for women. Breast cancer is the number one killer of women, but caught early prognosis can be good. See this story in the Wednesday Bowie News.
The Chicken and Bread Days Heritage Festival marks its 28th year with an expanded week of fun activities for the entire family.
Beginning with Sip & Stroll on Friday night followed by festival day on Saturday and the new bass tournament on Sunday, the Bowie Community Development Board and all its volunteers have set up a jam-packed weekend.
Sip & Stroll
Chicken Scratch Sip & Stroll with Me opens the festival from 5-8 p.m. on Oct. 6. Downtown locations will be decorated with fall colors as they try to win best decorated. In addition, fiddlers will be jamming in downtown and there will be horse-drawn carriage rides available.
Sip and Stroll will feature 35 downtown participating locations. Guests may purchase an armband for $10 and receive a souvenir glass, which gets you a tasting at the location. You are welcome to use a previous glass, but you must have an armband.
Festival day
Chicken and Bread Days harkens back to the days of the trains chugging into Bowie. Young men would sell them fried chicken and bread at the station as they made a stop. It was the focus of the heritage festival to remember these young entrepreneurs. It has grown into one of the largest festivals in the region.
Starting at 10 a.m. on Oct. 7 the Heritage Market opens with vendors offering everything from handmade wooden crafts to cookies, fresh jellies and jams. Of course, some freshly fried chicken and bread also will be for sale.
Registration for the fiddling competition opens at 9 a.m. at the Bowie Fire Hall, 203 Walnut Street. Awards will go to the fiddlers by age category, plus an accompanist and overall champion award. Festival-goers are invited to watch the contest and enjoy the music.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
The staff and students of Gold-Burg Independent School District will have a blood drive from 1-6 p.m. on Oct. 11 at the Carter Bloodcare Bus.
The sign-up link is: https://223.greatpartners.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/144730.
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