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5 Famous People From Eastern New Mexico

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No matter where you look across the United States, there have been people from every part of the country that have achieved fame. Eastern New Mexico is no exception, as there have been several notable people in the world of music, movies, and sports. Here’s a look at five of the most famous people who were either born or raised in the region.

5. Paul Brinegar

During the golden era of western films in Hollywood, there were many actors that got a ton of work. Among them was Paul Brinegar, who became a staple of long-running shows that included “Lancer”, “Rawhide” and “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp”. Brinegar was born in Tucumcari on December 19, 1917 where his father was a farmer.

Throughout his childhood, Brinegar would move all around New Mexico before eventually ended up in Santa Fe where he attended high school. Brinegar would start acting at this time and made his way to Pasadena where he would begin his professional career. Throughout his career, Brinegar appeared in more than 100 productions with his television work being the most prominent.

4. Colt McCoy

Turning to the world of sports, there are few names that were as big in 2000s college football as Colt McCoy. McCoy was the oldest of three children born in his family, and he was born on September 5, 1986 in Hobbs, New Mexico. By the time that he reached high school, the McCoys would move to Tuscola, Texas where McCoy became a standout quarterback.

He chose to attend the University of Texas where he became the starting quarterback and won the Walter Camp Award in back-to-back years. After nearly winning a national championship with the Longhorns, McCoy was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2010. He remained there for three seasons, and spent much of his career as a backup for Washington.

3. Brian Urlacher

Colt McCoy isn’t the only famous football player from Eastern New Mexico. The best player in football history to come from the region is Brian Urlacher, who was actually born in Pasco, Washington on May 25, 1978. At a young age, Urlacher’s parents separated and he made his way down to Loving, New Mexico with his siblings.

Urlacher became a star football player in Lovington and helped the team win a state championship while playing several different positions. Urlacher stayed in-state for college and attended the University of New Mexico where he became an All-American. Urlacher was then selected ninth overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played his entire NFL career with Chicago and became a five-time All-Pro and was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

2. John Denver

John Denver may be synonymous with West Virginia and Colorado thanks to songs like “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “Rocky Mountain High” (as well as his name), he Denver actually hails from New Mexico. Due to his father being in the U.S. Army Air Forces, the Deutschendorf (his real last name) family settled in Roswell during Denver’s childhood.

Denver wouldn’t remain in New Mexico for very long, however. His father’s military career took him to several bases around the United States prior to starting his music career. He would end up graduating high school in Texas then made his way to California to begin singing. Sadly, Denver would die in a plane crash while on his way to Santa Fe in 1989.

1. Demi Moore

John Denver may have been massively popular, but there’s someone even more famous from Roswell. Demi Moore was born as Demi Guynes in the city on November 11, 1962, and like Denver, had a father that was a member of the Air Force. Also like Denver, Moore had to move several times throughout her childhood. After leaving New Mexico, Moore would settle in Pennsylvania prior to her acting career.

Moore began her modeling career as a teenager and started to land acting roles in the early 1980s that included “General Hospital” and “St. Elmo’s Fire”. The early 1990s proved to be kind to Moore thanks to her starring roles in films including “Ghost” and “A Few Good Men”, becoming one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.

5 Things You Need to Do While Studying

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Studying is one of those things that nobody likes but is an absolute necessity due to needing to know the test you’re about to take. Whether you’re in grade school or getting ready to pass the bar exam, studying is one of those necessary evils of the academic world. Not only will it help you pass a test, but, it will fill you with the knowledge that you can use for the rest of your life.

That doesn’t mean that studying is easy, though, even if it is rewarding. The next time that you need to hunker down and study, there are some things that you should be doing in the meantime. Here are five tips showing you what you need to do when studying.

Tip 1: Take care of yourself 

First and foremost, taking care of your mental and physical health and well-being is the most important thing to take into account when studying. More often than not, if you’re not keeping your health a priority, your ability to study will diminish drastically. 

Keeping yourself hydrated, and well-fed, having a healthy sleep schedule, and making sure your social and emotional needs are met as well, will ensure an easier time studying without distraction. 

Tip 2: Create healthy study blocks

It’s easy to make the mistake of waiting until the very last minute to cram in all the studying you possibly can. In reality, it will leave you with little time to process all the information needed to pass exams. Not to mention the immense pressure and stress you’ll feel knowing you have to pile on a ton of topics all at once right before the exams you’re studying for. 

Creating healthy study blocks will help eliminate that stress. Find blocks of time throughout your days and week that will allow you to properly study ahead of time, without pushing you past your limits. 

Tip 3: Free yourself from distractions 

Studying in complete silence isn’t required unless that’s what works for you. Although freeing your study environment from all distracting noises, people, and tempting technology and activities will keep you focused on working toward your study goals. 

If you’re studying in a public area, be aware of the surrounding distractions to help you decide if it’s the right environment to focus on your studies. If you’re at home, be sure to make your housemates aware of your study blocks, reducing any in home distractions. If your phone, music, or television becomes a distraction, turn them off and put away any devices that are tempting to use. 

Tip 4: Find forms of studying that benefit you 

Everyone absorbs information in differing ways. There are many styles of learning you can use during the study blocks that will help you process what you’re studying with more ease. Spending your time confused about the subject matter won’t help you succeed, so find your learning style(s) and use them to your advantage. 

If you’re a visual learner, try drawing out diagrams and notes. If you’re more of a vocal learner, try finding someone to help read notes out loud to you, or read things out to yourself. Some people benefit from the use of fidget devices when studying, so you can try that too 

Tip 5: Give yourself background noise 

Like most students, focusing solely on studying with no background noise whatsoever can quickly become mind-numbing and detrimental to your study process. There’s a fine line between comforting background noises and distractions. Figure out what works for you and apply it to your study blocks. 

You can always switch it up if needed or if things get too distracting. Find the right music to listen to that won’t keep you from your studies. Lofi beats are usually the easiest listening for studying and can be found all over YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music. 

5 Favorite Comic Book Heroes For Young Girls

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When people think of comic book heroes, they tend to think of male heroes like Superman, Spider-Man, and Batman. It’s a pretty male-dominated form of entertainment, but in more recent years, we’ve seen a surge of strong female characters that have made their way to the forefront of the comic book world. This is great news for young girls that want to get into comic books as they’re now represented more than ever on the pages.

While some female superheroes have been around for decades, there are others that have come in more recently to help stir things up. If you have a young girl in your family that’s into comic books and want to give her some female characters to look up to, try one of these five favorites for readers.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is often the first crime-fighting heroine that young girls look up to. Wonder Woman’s iconic look, strength, and thirst for justice gives young girls an idol they can be proud of. Psychologist and writer William Marston created the magnificent superhero with inspiration from his wife and their shared partner. 

Wonder Woman made her first appearance in 1941 and since then has starred in her own television series, played by Lynda Carter, and the more recent Wonder Woman films where she’s portrayed by Gal Gadot. 

Supergirl

Supergirl, also known as Kara Zor-El, is best known as the magnificently powerful, nearly indestructible, flying, and costumed heroine that is closely related to the infamous Superman. She was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino, making her 1959 debut in Action Comics. 

Her powers are similar to those of Superman, ranging from super speed, immunity to all diseases, X-ray vision, freeze-breath, and many other superhuman abilities. Supergirl is the perfect specimen, despite her weakness to kryptonite like her superhero cousin. She’s a mentally and physically strong, yet responsible, a female idol for young girls everywhere to look up to. 

Batgirl

Batgirl originally started out as a character named Betty Kane, but in 1967 Gardner Fox reinvented Batgirl. She was given the name Barbara Gordon, written into the storyline as Gotham City’s police commissioner James Gordon. Batgirl is the female counterpart to the popular DC comic legend, Batman. 

Like Batman, Batgirl also lacks any superhuman powers but gets by with ease using her intelligence, cunning, and creativity to invent helpful tools to apprehend, or aid in Batman apprehending, Gotham’s slew of criminals. Batgirl’s smarts, inventive nature, and bravery make her a superhero idol for young girls everywhere. 

Spider-Gwen

Within the Marvel multiverse is the Spiderverse, alternate dimensions full of a variety of storylines for our favorite Marvel characters. In one of them, Earth-65, Gwen Stacy finds herself possessing similar spider-like superpowers, making her one of the few female counterparts to the classic Spiderman. 

They possess many of the same powers and find themselves infatuated with one another in this alternate universe. Spider Gwen, sometimes referred to as Spider-Woman, or Ghost Spider is a welcome female character that shows you don’t always need to be saved. She shows girls they can do the saving themselves and gives girls a long awaited female spiderman counterpart to admire. 

Captain Marvel  

Carol Danvers, most commonly known as Captain Marvel, is the ultimate female superhero. Though she’s known as Captain Marvel, she was first created as the male Captain Marvel’s female counterpart, originally named Ms. Marvel. Captain Marvel is one of the most recently relevant superhero idols young girls have the opportunity to adore. 

The Captain Marvel films, along with the Avengers films, showcase the bravery our tough heroine has in tense situations where the world depends on her actions. Her power and sense of responsibility, combined with her grace, make her a well-rounded role model for impressionable minds. 

5 Must-Read Comic Book Issues for Spider-Man Fans

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There are certain comic book superheroes that are universally beloved, and toward the top of the list, you’ll find Spider-Man. Not only is the wallcrawler one of the greatest classic comic heroes, but his movies have always been box office gold, showing how broad his appeal has been over the decades.

When you focus on just the comic books, though, there are certain issues that have really stood out as the best in the Spider-Man series. If you’ve been a fan of Spider-Man and all of his films over the years, there are some issues that you have to read. Here are our picks for five Spider-Man comic issues that are required reading for all fans.

5. To Have and To Hold

Anyone that’s in a relationship knows how important it can be to put everything in perspective and look back on what makes everything work. This happens beautifully for Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson in the 2007 issues of The Sensational Spider-Man titled “To Have and To Hold”.

After the events of “Civil War”, Spider-Man’s identity was revealed to the public and Mary Jane was being questioned by S.H.I.E.L.D. For readers, it was the perfect way to showcase the relationship between the two characters and why they meant so much to each other, and all of us.

4. Spider-Man: Blue

In another retrospective into Spider-Man’s love life, “Spider-Man: Blue” debuted in 2002 and shows how much the web slinger misses his lost love Gwen Stacy (more on that later). Recalling her death, Parker is depressed and scarred, still missing her long afterward. However, at this point, Parker has been married to Mary Jane Watson.

Spider-Man is recording an audio tape for Gwen to tell her how much he misses her, and Mary Jane takes notice. Instead of resulting in an argument, Mary Jane joins in the mourning in a very touching and poignant ending.

3. If This Be My Destiny

There have been some instances where Spider-Man has “leveled up” in a sense as he’s grown because of an obstacle in his way. The Amazing Spider-Man #33 was the culmination of Spider-Man’s needing to ascend to the next level of power to survive and allowed for one of the most iconic panels in comic book history.

Trapped under a pile of heavy machinery, Spider-Man thinks about his family when all things seemed lost. With his head spinning and the weight of the world literally on his shoulders, Spider-Man is able to lift an unfathomable amount and it moved Spidey up the power scale for superheroes. 

2. Spider-Man No More

For Spider-Man film fans, many consider the top movie featuring the character to be “Spider-Man 2” from the Tobey Maguire/Sam Raimi trilogy. In the film, Peter Parker throws his Spider-Man suit into the garbage and says that he’s “Spider-Man no more!” This is a callback to volume one of the Amazing Spider-Man series (#50).

Even the camera angle used in the film was taken directly from the famous comic book panel. There’s one big difference between this issue and the film, though, and it’s that Kingpin is the main villain in the comic books rather than Doctor Octopus.

1. The Night Gwen Stacy Died

This one might be cheating since it’s technically a two-parter, but “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” (a.k.a. “The Amazing Spider-Man #121-122) is the one that Spidey fans always come back to. Originally released in the summer of 1973, the story follows Spider-Man after his identity is discovered by the Green Goblin. Using this information, he goes after Peter Parker’s loved ones, namely his girlfriend Gwen Stacy.

This was a pivotal moment for not just Spider-Man, but for comic books in general. It showed higher stakes than had been seen before and was the start of the Bronze Age of comics. Those that are more familiar with Mary Jane Watson thanks to the Spider-Man films have this issue to thank as she became a more prominent character following Stacy’s death. It also set a new standard of evil for the Green Goblin.

5 Biggest Point Spreads in NFL History

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When it comes to betting on point spreads in the NFL, a lot of people tend to only bet the favorites when the numbers are closer to 0. Very rarely do people place big money on teams that are favored to win by three or more touchdowns, and for good reason. 

Those types of spreads are insanely hard to cover, but they do still pop up from time to time. Throughout NFL history, here are the five largest point spreads that looked more like ones you’d see in college games.

5. Dallas Cowboys (-23 vs. Tampa Bay)

Things were incredibly difficult for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their first couple of seasons in the NFL, and they were still searching for the franchise’s first win in Week 3 of the 1977 NFL season. However, they ran into a buzzsaw in the form of the Dallas Cowboys, who came into the matchup as a 23-point favorite.

The game got out of hand rather quickly as the Cowboys jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. The Bucs tried to battle back in the second to make it a 20-7 game at halftime, but the Cowboys controlled the ball and showed mercy, winning by a final of 23-7 to improve to 3-0 on the season.

4. San Francisco 49ers (-24, Twice)

The San Francisco 49ers of the 1980s and 1990s were obviously incredible, and they were often heavy favorites for their games, especially against weak opponents. There were two occasions in which they were 24-point favorites, with the first coming in 1987 against the Atlanta Falcons, and the other in 1993 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The 49ers would actually cover in the first of those two games, defeating the Falcons 35-7 in Candlestick Park. As for their game against the Bengals, the 49ers would win comfortably at 21-8 (despite trailing at halftime), but came nowhere close to covering the massive point spread. Coming into those games, the Bengals and Falcons had a combined record of 4-20.

3. New England Patriots (-25 vs. Philadelphia)

The 2007 New England Patriots are considered to be among the best teams of all time and were on their way to a perfect regular season when they were hosting the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12. The Patriots were 10-0 at the time while the Eagles were still a respectable 5-5, but the oddsmakers figured it was going to be a blowout and made the Patriots a 25-point favorite.

The Eagles gave the Patriots everything they could handle, though. At halftime, the Patriots led 24-21, but lost the lead and went into the fourth quarter trailing 28-24. With 7:20 left, the Patriots scored a four-yard touchdown from Laurence Maroney and never lost the lead, winning 31-28 but coming nowhere close to covering the spread.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers (-27 vs. Tampa Bay)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers played their first NFL season in 1976 and, well, they didn’t perform quite the way that they wanted to, to put it nicely. The team was 0-12 heading into Pittsburgh to play a Steelers team destined for the playoffs. Oddsmakers gave the Steelers a 27-point advantage coming into the ballgame as nobody knew if the Bucs would even be able to score on the Steel Curtain.

Unlike the Cowboys from the year before, the Steelers didn’t show much mercy toward the 0-12 Buccaneers. Pittsburgh scored four touchdowns in the second half, and it wasn’t until they took a 42-0 lead into the fourth that they would slow down. That would end up being the final score, with the Steelers easily covering the massive spread.

1. Denver Broncos (-28 vs. Jacksonville)

The largest line in NFL history opened up at 28 points when the 5-0 Denver Broncos hosted the 0-5 Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6 of the 2013 NFL season. The Broncos were riding high and Peyton Manning was having one of the greatest quarterback seasons in NFL history while the Jaguars were going nowhere fast. 

In the first quarter, it appeared as if the Broncos were going to cover, hopping out to a 14-0 lead. However, the Jaguars scored all 12 points in the second quarter to dash the hopes of anyone that bet on Denver. The Broncos would end up outscoring the Jags 21-7 in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to cover as they walked away with a 35-19 win.

5 Biggest Point Spreads in Super Bowl History

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The Super Bowl is supposed to be the annual contest where the two greatest teams in the NFL that season square off. However, not all Super Bowl teams are built the same. Some tend to sneak in through weak conferences and pure luck, getting pitted against a juggernaut team that’s expected to pound them.

This has led to some very large point spreads throughout Super Bowl history, but not all of them have gone the way of the favorite. You’ll find that the underdog actually wins straight up when point spreads get high enough. Let’s take a look at the five biggest point spreads in NFL history and see how the underdogs and favorites fared in those games.

5. Three Super Bowls (-12)

While there have been many double-digit point spreads in Super Bowl history, it had to have been at least 12 points to make this list. There were three Super Bowls that did just that, starting with the Minnesota Vikings as the 12-point favorite against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV. The next came 20 years later with the San Francisco 49ers favored over the Denver Broncos.

Finally, the New England Patriots were a 12-point favorite to cap off their perfect season in Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants. The Patriots and Vikings would lose straight-up, including the Chiefs handily beating Minnesota. As for the 49ers, they easily covered against Denver, winning 55-10 in a route.

4. Two Super Bowls (-13.5)

The second-ever Super Bowl featured a massive point spread with the Green Bay Packers favored to win by 13.5 over the Raiders. Despite the gigantic odds, the Packers would still cover quite easily, defeating the Raiders 33-14 to win each of the first two Super Bowls in convincing fashion.

The only other time a Super Bowl spread was 13.5 points was when the Dallas Cowboys were favored against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 30th edition of the Super Bowl. The game was tight throughout, and the Cowboys pulled off a double-digit win, but it was only 10 points on the dot. So in the end, the Steelers would cover.

3. Three Super Bowls (-14)

We mentioned the first Super Bowl a moment ago, and it included a massive 14-point spread in favor of the Green Bay Packers. They took on the Kansas City Chiefs to determine the first Super Bowl winner, with the Packers easily covering their high expectations with a 35-10 victory. Exactly 30 years later, the Packers were favored by 14 again, this time against the New England Patriots.

The game ended up being a push as the Packers won by 14 points on the dot, 35-21, for their third Super Bowl title. The final 14-point spread was one of the biggest upsets in NFL history as a then-unknown Tom Brady knocked off the St. Louis Rams led by Kurt Warner in Super Bowl XXXVI, 20-17, starting the New England Patriots dynasty.

2. Super Bowl III (-18)

The first game that was officially called the Super Bowl as it was happening was the third matchup, this time between the NFL champion Baltimore Colts and the AFL-champion New York Jets. Led by Joe Namath, the Jets weren’t given a chance by any expert, though Namath would go on to guarantee that his Jets would win the game.

The Jets’ defense held the Colts down, allowing them to score just seven points throughout the entire game. The Jets not only covered the spread, but pulled off a nine-point victory, defeating Baltimore 16-7. To this day, many consider it the greatest upset in NFL history and ushered in a new era of pro football

1. Super Bowl XXIX  (-18.5)

Typically, massive point spreads have led to big upsets, but that wasn’t the case at Super Bowl XXIX. Everyone knew that it was the 49ers’ championship to lose as Steve Young was in search of his big moment. The 49ers walked into the game as 18.5-point favorites over the San Diego Chargers, and the offense more than did its part.

The 49ers walked away with a 49-26 win, meaning that they were able to cover the largest spread in Super Bowl history while also nearly hitting the points total of 53.5 all by themselves. For Young, it was his Hall of Fame moment that got the proverbial monkey off of his back.

5 Best Jobs For People Who Like Working With Their Hands

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While almost every job requires you to use your hands, a lot of them only involve a lot of typing up emails and other documents. Then, there are jobs where you have to get your hands dirty or continuously active. For those that want to have a job like that in which you’re more involved and have to concentrate on what you’re doing, there’s a long list of jobs just for you.

We wanted to focus on a wide range of jobs, from the blue-collar to the more hands-off types of jobs in which you’re actively using those digits. With that in mind, here are five of the best jobs for people who really like working with their hands.

Baker

If you have a love for the culinary arts and working with your hands, training to become a pastry chef would be a great opportunity for you. Oftentimes in the pastry, baking, and decorating world you’re left to work with the most important tools in any kitchen, your hands. 

Sculpting modeling chocolate, using fondant, creating sugar art, and putting together the most delicate and scrumptious work of culinary perfection all require a hands-on approach. You can hone your pastry skills all while working with your hands and getting a little messy.  

Sign Language Interpreter

As far as working with your hands goes, there are not many professions that are as hands-on as ones that involve sign language. Whether you’re teaching sign language classes, or you’re a professional sign language interpreter, it’s a job that’s both rewarding and requires a pretty much sole hands-on approach. 

Working in education, or working as an interpreter is interesting, and fun, and provides you and those around you with the skills and convenience of understanding sign language. Not to mention you’ll be learning an entirely different language, a skill that can help you communicate with others you previously couldn’t, making others feel included. 

Plumber 

When you think about plumbing, you probably don’t picture a life of luxury. However, plumbing is an incredibly well-paid skill and allows those interested in getting down and dirty the ability to work with their hands. 

It takes brains, focus, and an interest in the grimy and gross to excel in a career like plumbing. Just think, when something in your home needs fixing, you won’t need to pay another person tons of money to come out and fix it. It’s a very eventful career, surely full of interesting and funny stories. You get to work with your hands and possess a skill that will come in handy. 

Musician

Besides vocalists, the majority of musicians spend a large amount of their time working with their hands. From brass instruments, woodwind instruments, piano, drums, and guitar, there’s a whole bunch of amazing categories of instruments you can try out. 

Along with the notoriety, fun, and creative outlet being a musician provides, you’ll be doing what you love and showcasing your talents for so many others to enjoy. Music makes the world go round and is an experience like no other. It’s a hands-on career where you can really reap the rewards and have the time of your life doing it. 

Mechanic 

Mechanics are some of the most treasured professionals on the planet. Car troubles are often highly inconvenient and interrupt the daily flow of our busy lifestyles. If it weren’t for the lovely people who study to identify and repair our vehicle’s issues, one small mishap would be a much bigger problem. 

It’s a career that’s not only vital but allows you to work with your hands a whole lot. You’ll be greasy, dirty, and working hands-on like the rugged handyman you aspire to be. While helping people in need of services and making a comfortable living off of your hard work. 

5 Must-See Landmarks in Wise County, Texas

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Wise County, Texas isn’t among the largest in terms of population in the state with under 70,000 people, but it does have a rich history. Sitting outside of the Dallas metro area, Wise County has several cities and towns and has grown considerably over the past few decades. Everyone that moves to Wise County is introduced to its history through several notable landmarks, with these five being the most must-see that Wise County has to offer.

5. Wise County Heritage Museum

When it was first opened, the Wise County Heritage Museum was the home of Decatur Baptist College, which was the oldest junior college in the world. The hall was constructed in 1892 and finalized for $20,000, serving as a prep academy for Baylor University. However, the school moved to Dallas in 1965, leaving the building vacant.

Thankfully, Wise County didn’t take long to turn the building into the Heritage Museum after a quick restoration. Several new additions were made to the Wise County Heritage Museum which includes exhibits like a funeral coach from the 1890s, fossils, a machinery room, and much more. The museum is open to the public and costs just $5 to visit.

4. World’s Largest Bowie Knife

The Bowie knife was introduced in Arkansas in 1830, but Arkansas isn’t home to the largest one in the world. That honor belongs to Wise County, with Bob Hadley coming up with the idea to promote the town of Bowie, Texas, the namesake of the knife itself. The original Bowie knife was 9.5 inches long and a quarter-inch thick, and the large monument is more than 20 feet tall.

There’s an entire storyboard for visitors to look at that shows information about the invention of the knife, as well as the monument. With a length of more than 14 feet and a weight of over 3,000 pounds, the Bowie knife was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as being the largest Bowie knife in the world after construction in 2016.

3. Texas Tourist Camp

At the intersection of US 287 and US 380, you’ll find a few monuments of the past, with the Texas Tourist Camp and Petrified Wood Gas Station welcoming travelers from near and far. The Tourist Camp was established in the 1920s by E.F. Boydston, and its popularity peaked throughout the post-war era of the United States.

The Texas Tourist Camp was certainly a product of its time, and some of the facilities started to close in the 1960s. Eventually, the Petrified Wood Gas Station followed suit, shutting down the pumps at the end of the 1980s. Just a few years later, the property was purchased and remodeled, making it an attraction for locals and tourists to visit.

2. J.T. Brown Hotel

Chico, Texas is certainly not among the largest towns in Texas or even Wise County. However, it does have one of the most notable landmarks throughout the county in the form of the J.T. Brown Hotel. The hotel is named after the colonel that founded the town in 1876, with the hotel being built just over a decade later.

R. Lee Morris owned the hotel from the early 20th century until 1965, and it has since become a landmark for Wise County. The Brown Hotel started to show its age during the 2000s but was purchased once more and underwent renovations to bring it into the 21st century and introduce a new generation to its rich history.

1. Waggoner’s Mansion

There aren’t too many mansions in Wise County, which makes the Waggoner Mansion stand out so much in Decatur. Also known as El Castile, the WWaggoner Mansion sits on more than 13 acres of land and has 16 rooms in total. It was constructed in 1883 by Daniel Waggoner, who owned a nearby ranch.

Waggoner also owned multiple banks, oil mills, and a coal company, so owning such a large property isn’t a surprise. The home was purchased during World War II by the Luker family and has since become a nationally recognized historic building. It was added to the NRHP in 1974, though the inside is closed to the public.

5 Famous People From Clarion County, Pennsylvania

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With such a small overall population, the odds of being from Clarion County, Pennsylvania are small, but they aren’t zero. Over the long history of the small county, there have been several people that have gone on to national or even global fame. Out of the many residents that have been born and/or raised in Clarion County, these five stand out as the most well-known thus far.

5. Ernest M. Skinner

There was a time when pipe organs were a must-have in the music world, and Ernest M. Skinner was one of the most, well, instrumental people around. Skinner was born in Clarion with his parents being singers at the time. Skinner headed to Massachusetts at a young age and began developing his own organs at the turn of the 20th century.

The Skinner Organ Company would end up being a big success in its first few years, but had waned in popularity during the late 1920s. By 1936, Skinner had sold his company and went into writing, maintaining his position as a prominent name in music for years. Skinner lived well into his 90s, passing away in November 1960.

4. Ossee Schreckengost

The early days of Major League Baseball had some truly great names, and among those was Ossee Schreckengost, with a lot of people simply referring to him as Shreck, long before the animated ogre came around. Schreckengost began his professional career in 1897 with the Louisville Colonels and played for seven different franchises between then and 1908.

Schreckengost wasn’t a power hitter, hitting just nine home runs throughout his career. However, he was able to have a solid .271 batting average and knocked in 338 runs. Sadly, Schreckengost was just 39 years old when he passed away in Philadelphia on July 9, 1914 due to uremia.

3. Jane Wolfe

There aren’t too many actors that have come from Clarion County, but among them is Jane Wolfe, who was also known for being one of the most important figures in the magick movement in the United States. Wolfe was born in St. Petersburg and moved to New York City to pursue theater, eventually becoming a silent film actress.

Wolfe appeared in films that include “The Wild Goose Chase”, “The Plow Girl” and “Less Than Kin”, with dozens of credits in total. She was also a friend of Aleister Crowley and helped to found the Agape Lodge in California as part of the Ordo Templi Orientis. Wolfe lived to be 83 years old, passing away in March 1958.

2. Chris Kirkpatrick

If you were around during the boy band craze of the late 1990s and early 2000s, you definitely know the name Chris Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick was born in Clarion and spent time in several different towns around the United States without much money. It wasn’t until Kirkpatrick and his family moved to Orlando, Florida that he found big-time success and was performing in a local group when he caught wind of producer Lou Pearlman forming a boy band.

The boy band would become known as NSYNC, and Kirkpatrick was actually the first member. He was the one that recruited Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass. The quintet would become one of the hottest groups in the world, churning out smash hits during their brief run.

1. Jim Kelly

Perhaps the most famous person from Clarion County made their fame by playing football. Jim Kelly played quarterback at East Brady, which holds a population of just around 800 people. He went to the University of Miami down in Florida where he became a highly touted NFL prospect and was selected 14th overall lin the 1983 Draft by the Buffalo Bills.

After starting off his professional career with the Houston Gamblers of the USFL, Kelly finally joined the Bills and played his entire NFL career in Buffalo. Kelly was a two-time All-Pro and was considered among the best of his generation. He finished with 35,467 passing yards and 237 touchdowns and was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

5 Greatest Filipino Basketball Players

Posted on by scatty

When people think about basketball outside of the United States, many think of countries like Spain, Australia, or Argentina. However, there are some countries that are sneaky good at basketball, and that includes the Philippines. The country has produced a lot of great basketball players, and several Filipinos have even reached the NBA. Here are the five greatest Filipino basketball players of all time.

5. Robert Jaworski

Robert Jaworski was born in Baguio and helped put basketball on the map in the Philippines, starting his amateur career in 1967 with YCO Painters. After his short stint there, Jaworski would spend a couple of years with Meralco before playing the bulk of his career with Toyota and Ginebra San Miguel as an icon in the PBA.

Jaworski would even act as the coach of Ginebra San Miguel for almost all of his playing career with the franchise, while also representing the Philippines in international play. This includes two gold medals at the FIBA Asia Championship, as well as a silver and bronze medal. As head coach, he won another silver at the 1990 Beijing Asian Games.

4. Raymond Townsend

The first of the players on our list to make it to the NBA, Raymond Townsend was born in San Jose, California, and was the first Filipino-American player to reach the highest level of pro basketball. Townsend attended UCLA and played for the legendary coach John Wooden, and was selected at the very end of the 1978 NBA Draft.

Townsend played for the Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers for a couple of years, while also playing in Canada, Brazil, and Italy. He would finish with an average of 4.8 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game in the NBA and won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in 1984. Meanwhile, his brother Kurtis became a coach in the NCAA ranks.

3. Johnny Abarrientos

Johnny Abarrientos proved that you don’t have to be tall to be a great basketball player. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Abarrientos dominated as a player, winning a dozen PBA Championships, and was a one-time Most Valuable Player in 1996. He was selected to the PBA All-Star team eight times while also making five All-Defensive Teams.

It wasn’t just his play on the court that makes Abarrientos a legend in Philippines basketball, either. He would become an assistant coach following the end of his career (and even during the end of it), and joined the staff of the Far East University Tamaraws. At the same time, Abarrientos joined the coaching staff of the Magnolia Hotshots and has won six more PBA Championships.

2. Jalen Green

The youngest player on the list is also one of the best already. Jalen Green was born in Merced, California, and was named the top shooting guard in high school. Green would end up skipping a college career and entered the NBA Draft in 2021 out of the G League. The Houston Rockets used the second overall pick on Green in the draft, and he would be named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Though he represents the United States in international play, Green is the third player in NBA  history to be of Filipino descent. Green quickly proved that he has a chance to be the best ever thanks to his rookie campaign which saw him average 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.

1. Jordan Clarkson

Jordan Clarkson’s mother came from the Philippines while his father served in the United States Air Force. Clarkson would exceed in basketball at Wagner High School in San Antonio, Texas, and played college basketball at both Tulsa and Missouri. Clarkson would end up being the 46th overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, though he started his career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Clarkson has played for multiple teams during his career and has won several accolades. This includes making the All-Rookie First Team and winning the 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year. In that award-winning campaign, Clarkson put up 18.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.