Cenizo Journal Fall 2011 | Page 25

school. He drank and later drugged and at school learned, in his words, “nothing.” Continuing to Brookhaven Junior College, his drinking increased and his grades were straight Fs. The one significant exception to this downward spiral was a biology field trip in 1981 to Big Bend. The group camped out, and Clarence found that the beauty and immensity of the night sky had a calming effect on him. He was at peace with himself. The trip was a turning point, although his lifestyle had yet to improve. His paper on the trip earned him an “A.” In 1982 he joined the Army and thrived. Over 17 years, he served in Bosnia, Germany and the first Gulf War, ending as sergeant first class. He married Alissa Torres Jones just before the Gulf War, and they had a baby girl. The marriage ended five years later in divorce, and his Army career ended in a general discharge 1999. Today he sees this as a blessing in disguise. He got a job at Subway and enrolled at Dallas’ El Centro College, from which he graduated with a B.A. in general studies in 2006. He also joined Narcotics Anonymous. In 2006, remembering the uplifting Big Bend experience in 1981, he boarded a Grey hound bus and arrived in Alpine to enroll at Sul Ross State University. He describes this period as when he grew up. He joined the Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend as a volunteer counselor. The work of this vital agency, which deals with domestic violence and sexual assault, was a natural fit for someone who had always wanted to help others. He thrives in the job. He also allows that he sometimes acts as a troublemaker and is perhaps too loud. The director, Lovika de Koninck, describes him as someone who will always go the extra mile for clients, in an agency whose workload has almost doubled in recent years to 1,100 cases annually. Russeau is now employed at the Crisis Center as community educator. He also works with the Boy Scouts, ran for mayor and lost and was president of the board of the Alpine Community Center. He is currently on the board of the chamber of commerce. Nourished by the skies of Big Bend and small-town values of Alpine, Clarence Russeau has learned how to contribute to society. STERRY BUTCHER Sterry Butcher was born in San Marcos, Texas on Sept. 10, 1967, the second child of Allan and Sue Butcher. When she was 3, the family moved to Fort Worth. Her father taught political science at Texas State University (now the University of Texas at Arlington) as well as practicing as a criminal defense attorney. Childhood years in green, leafy Fort Worth are a pleasant memory today. From kindergarten through 12th grade she was enrolled at private Forth Worth Country Day School, taking riding lessons at age 5. At home she read voraciously. Her parents allowed her to choose her college, and she chose small, liberal arts Reed College in Portland, Ore. From 1985 to 1990 she followed the Reed College tutorial-type system, graduated with a B.A. in English (“was good at it”) and made some long-lasting friends. This challenging, independent place was right for her. She missed, however, the wildness and roughness of Texas. So in 1991 she went to Austin and took a job at the Dispute Resolution Center. She felt useful and stayed two years. But she still felt adrift. She sensed there was something else “out there” for her. The family went every Thanks - giving to Indian Lodge at Davis Mountains State Park. On one visit in 1992, the family visited the Chinati Foundation and were guided by a young man, Michael Roch. Sterry was attracted to barebones Marfa and to the tour guide. She took a room above the thrift store. She got a job with Marfa’s newspaper, the Big Bend Sentinel, staff of four. She also got engaged to Michael in 1993. The couple wanted a break and moved to Seattle. They married there in 1994, found jobs and stayed until 1996 before moving back to Texas for graduate study – Michael studying studio art at Texas Christian University, Sterry English at the University of North Texas. In 1996 they bought a shell of a house on West Texas Street in Marfa and rebuilt it. Sterry returned to the Big Bend Sentinel and over 14 years has become the paper’s senior reporter. In 2001 they adopted a Guatemalan boy whom they named Huck, today a curly haired 10-year-old who loves books and the outdoors. Mike sculpts and paints and teaches at Marfa Elementary School. In 2004, Sterry was awarded a Knight Fellowship at Stanford. This one-year course attracts internationally known journalists including Pulitzer Prize winners. Unusually, in Sterry’s case, the award went to a writer at a small-town newspaper, circulation 2,600. In 2007, Texas Monthly did a feature on her. Sterry Butcher contributes up to 3,000 words and eight articles weekly to the Big Bend Sentinel. While sometimes, as with her story on contentious local water issues, the material is groundbreaking, more often the topics are routine and local. Whatever the subject, her rule is: Getting facts wrong is not an option. This professionalism shows and is a big reason why the Big Bend Sentinel regularly wins Texas Press Association awards, including, in 2010, a first prize in feature writing. Radio for a Wide Range Serving Far West Texas at 93.5 FM Become a member at www.marfapublicradio.org or 1-800-903-KRTS CITY DRUG STORE R X NecTAR coMpuTeRS Servicing West Texas with comprehensive and experienced support since 2003 202 N 11th & Ave E, Alpine Texas • www.nectarcomputers.com 432 837 3021 • Support Cell: 432 386 7811 • Mark Hannan, Owner Alpine’s Country Drug Store Now a HealthMart ® Pharmacy Dale Dyda, R. PH. 432-837-2252 202 East Avenue E, Alpine FREE Delivery to Marfa and Fort Davis when you fill your prescriptions with us! PV DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OFFSET YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT 30% FEDERAL TAX CREDIT AEP REBATE SERVICE PROVIDER 30% FEDERAL TAX CREDIT AEP REBATE AVAILABLE www.finelinessolar.com NABCEP Certified Phone 432-386-8100 Cenizo Fourth Quarter 2011 25