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COUNTY LIFE

Strickler brings trips of wool to life – Rug hooking, color dying passions for textile artist

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This is the final story in a three-part summer feature series on unique Montague County artists.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Betsy Strickler wants the colors she creates to “sing” and the brighter the better.
While she shares her dyed fabrics through her company The Ringgold Kid Wool Fabric and Patterns, she also takes those colorful strands to create hook rug art. Her rural home is cozy with her artwork from geometric patterns to people, animals and landscapes.
Strickler, 56, and her husband Frank, both retired commercial airline pilots moved to the Ringgold area in 2012 from Decatur. They found themselves moving further away from the Metroplex so they could enjoy being in the country. Frank spends his time working around the property while his wife cultivates her growing business.
Her interest in rug hooking may have been stimulated by her mother who had been a quilter, and after she and her other daughter took an afternoon class on hook rugs they“got into it whole hog.”
“I picked up a hook and started it, but eight years ago I started my business selling fabrics and dying them. My sister also got me interested in dying and I read a lot of books to learn about it. Many dyers are proprietary about their recipe and others publish it all,” explains Strickler.
Read the full feature in the weekend Bowie News.

Betsy Strickler works on a hook rug piece featuring a colorful pet that she hopes to offer for sale benefitting the Rocky Road Animal Refuge. She has done rug hooking for many years, but she has created a unique business offering material she has dyed and hook patterns. (Photo by Barbara Green0
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COUNTY LIFE

Storms causing major damage to city streets

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Spring storms have been creating dangerous conditions for the past two weeks, and Mother Nature continues to douse North Texas with rain this week.
For January through April the City of Bowie water plant staff recorded 14.56 inches of rain, including a whopping 11.76 inches in April alone. For the first six days of May the rain has totaled 1.55 inches.
Nocona received a bit more rain for this period, a total of 19.28 inches according to Texas Mesonet. In April it recorded 9.89 inches and in March 3.25 inches. For the first six days of May 4.36 inches was recorded.
Lake Amon G. Carter is still more than 100% full and threatening to go

over the emergency spillway when it reaches 927 msl. The lake is considered full at 920 msl and as of May 6 it was 924.47 msl.
Last week, the city sent out flood warnings for those downstream in the path of water that could flow out of the lake across this spillway. One month ago the lake was full at 920.06
City Emergency Management Coordinator Kirk Higgins said Monday as of now no water has come out of the spillway, but he does not expect that to continue if the rain does not stop. The lake continues to be closed due to flooding.
Lake Nocona was at 828.44 msl on May 6 and is considered full at 827.5 msl. Just one month ago the lake was 88.4% full at 825.60 msl. Its boat ramps were closed briefly last week due to flooding, but have since reopened.
Last week’s heavy rainfall continues to plague city streets and low-lying areas. While not unexpected the creek that flows in the Nelson Street area east toward Pillar was raging full of storm water last week topping the creek bed going into the streets and under nearby houses.
Public Works Director Stony Lowrance said a section of Rock near Pillar has been closed, although Pillar remains open. A section of the curb and road on the creekside has broken away and fallen into the ditch creating hazardous road conditions. A small part of the street had been coned off as a small section had caved in last month.
Lowrance said they are keeping a close eye on this area as rains continue, noting this is not an unexpected problem as the Rock and Pillar Street has been debated in the city council as being the next major capital project for the city. Nearby Nelson Street drainage was completed in late 2024 and while it alleviated flooding issues in that area, it also is sending more water down to an intersection where the culverts are in the same deteriorated and eroded conditions as those were under Nelson Street that were replaced.

Top photo: A section of the curb and street near Pillar and Rock has collapsed into the creek bed following last week’s rains. (Photo by Rosie Cole)

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COUNTY LIFE

Chisholm Trail Rodeo gears up for 73rd year

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Nocona is saddling up for the 73rd annual Chisholm Trail Rodeo May 9-10 at the rodeo grounds in Nocona.
The rodeo will be nightly at 7:30 p.m. with a parade on Saturday at 3 p.m. Rodeo gates open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance.
Along with the traditional rodeo events including bareback riding, saddle bronc, ranch bronc, bulls, ladies barrels, tie-down roping, ladies breakaway roping, steer wrestlers and team roping, there will be a calf scramble nightly for ages 8 and under and 9-12. Winners receive buckles. Friday night there will be an FFA calf scramble benefiting participating FFA chapters.
Mutton bustin’ will be conducted for those age eight and under at 7 p.m. nightly. The top five are back to performance. Enter onsite by 6:30 p.m. each night. Entry fee is $20 with buckles to the winners.

Read the full story and meet the rodeo queen and princess candidates in the Thursday Bowie News.

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COUNTY LIFE

Commissioner’s to meet May 12

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The Montague County Commissioner’s Court will meet at 9 a.m. on May 12.
A brief agenda of business awaits the court in its regular session.
The court will consider approving the Law Enforcement Support Office application.
Consider applying to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for a scrap tire facility permit.
Discuss precinct one removing excess dirt and debris from bar ditches and giving it to Gary Brewer, Rickey Joyce and David Steadham.

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