Pettit informed the audience that he did not serve on the battlefield, but that he has a place in his heart for the men and women who did.

“Thank the Lord for the United States military. And thank God for the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives for this country so that we might be free. No words can truly express the magnitude of what our veterans have done for us.”

In his speech, Pettit recounted a story of when he was younger and undisciplined. He climbed a tower that was hundreds of feet tall, putting his life at risk for the fun of it. This was one of the many things he did that made him realize that he needed discipline, and that the only place to find it, for him, would be in the U.S. military.

"When I got to the top of the tower, I hung my feet off of the side of it, essentially daring God to take me from this world. Imagining what it would be like if I fell. I wasn’t suicidal, I was just careless. Undisciplined. Not doing anything productive with my life. Not bringing honor by the way I was living. Not to my God, not to my family, and not to myself. When I made it back down, I prayed and God assured me that the military would be a good place for me to find the discipline that would save my life."

Pettit closed his speech by using the recurring symbol of the tower to drive his point home.

"Although the military isn’t for everyone, my advice to you is this: listen to the voice of God in your life. Climb the towers that God wants you to climb. And when life comes along and knocks your towers down, pick yourself up and begin climbing again–one rung at a time. " 

When you see a veteran, say, “Thank you for your service.” It's the least we can do, and while it doesn't do a whole lot for those who suffered on the battlefield, we can at least show them that we love and respect them for the sacrifices that they made on our behalf.

To listen to Mr. Pettit’s speech, check out the video link in this issue.

Jessica Pettit, algebra teacher and student council advisor, organized this year’s food drive, along with STUCO co-sponsor, Patty Rizo. 

Pettit says that their ultimate goal was to teach kids that there are many people who are not able to celebrate Thanksgiving, and to always give back.

“We wanted kids to understand that there are others in the community that are unfortunate, and won’t have a full Thanksgiving meal, so we wanted kids to bring food from their houses to give back to the community.”

Pettit states that all of the food donated will go to the community food bank at the Methodist Church here in Crane.

We asked a few high school students who participated in the food drive what their thoughts are on the canned food drive. 

Natalee Velasco, junior, brought 27+ cans to help out the CHS food drive. She states that she wanted to help out the community by donating food for the people in need because it's the small things that can change a person's day for the better.

“I felt like it would be the right thing to do. Not everyone has a family to celebrate with and enjoy these times with, so as little as giving some canned food can warm a person’s heart.

Velasco says that she feels good knowing that she is helping out the community and is giving back to those in need. 

“It feels really good knowing that I am helping the less fortunate that don’t have all the blessings that many of us, including me, take for granted. 

Junior, Alondra Campos, feels confident that the junior class will win the pizza party for collecting the most cans.

Campos says that she has always participated in the canned food drive because it is one way she is able to help out many.

"I have always participated in the canned food drive because I feel sad for others who are unable to celebrate with their families and can't enjoy the holiday, which revolves around food."

Giving back to the community is one way to make another person's day. Always give back to those who need it most, and remember to spread kindness. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

"I would love for us to reach our goal and make sure that every resident of the nursing home feels valued and comforted this Christmas."

The ladies at the Little Flower Shop have so far raised about 15 blankets, but their goal is to collect one for every resident. That would mean they would still need to raise more than 60.

Micha Bandy, Life Enrichment Director at Focused Care of Crane, said that she and the entire staff are thankful for what's being done for the residents.

"We are so very grateful to the Little Flower Shop for orchestrating this blanket drive for our residents. And we want to thank everyone who has donated blankets for them."

Bandy said that with the arrival of the holidays also comes mixed emotions for some of the residents.

"The holidays are hard for some of our residents, and these donations have the potential to make this holiday season special for them."

The Little Flower Shop is no stranger to helping people in need. In the wake of the awful tragedy in Uvalde, the employees of the Little Flower Shop, along with some teachers and staff of Crane ISD, delivered flowers to grieving Uvalde families.

Jessica Pettit, CHS math teacher, was there to witness the love and generosity of the Little Flower Shop employees first hand.

"My husband and I went down to help the ladies in whatever way we could," she said. "And the way they used their money, talents, love and time to help those in need was some of the most beautiful stuff we saw in the midst of that sadness and heartbreak. It doesn't surprise me at all that these ladies are helping people in another way."

One of the Focused Care residents who learned of the blankets to be donated said he was very happy about it.

“We thank and appreciate the Little Flower Shop for setting up a blanket drive for us," said Thomas Polach. "We are thankful to the people in the town that are getting involved and donating to their little town nursing home."

Another resident, Joseph Myles, echoed these sentiments.

“I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holidays from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate everyone who is thinking about us  enough to make sure we have things for Christmas.”

Juanita Lee, who also lives at Focused Care, said that blankets are one of her favorite gifts.

“God bless everyone who cares about us and is giving us blankets. They are one of my favorite gifts. Merry Christmas!”

If you would like to donate a blanket to a nursing home resident, please drop it off by mid-December at the Little Flower Shop in Crane at 1208 S. Gaston. 

Please consider doing your part to make this holiday season a special one for the elderly residents of Focused Care in Crane.

I was there to witness it first hand, and he after caught the ball and ran, it felt like everything was in slow motion. The crowd was ecstatic, cheering from every section of the stands. Players and coaches ran to the other side of the field to watch Martinez run it into the end-zone. 

It isn’t everyday that a linemen gets to intercept a ball and run it back 73 yards for a touchdown, but when it does happen, it’s certainly a sight to see.

Although we took the victory that night, there were many issues in the way. One of the biggest was the weather. It was below freezing, and with every snap of the ball, it felt as if it was getting low colder and colder.

Not only was this challenging physically, but also mentally, as it affected many of the players, including receiver, Manuel Aranda. 

“It’s something we don’t see a lot, and it just gets to you; especially when trying to catch a ball, it gets harder. Even for Keaton (Sena), when throwing the ball, it was just something we just had to overcome in the moment.”

Besides the hardships that occurred, there was a lot of thrilling game play. Our boys tried their best each play and never stopped until the whistle blew. 

One of the top plays of the night was made by junior linemen, Ivann Martinez, when he lived every lineman’s dream of scoring a touchdown. In a key moment of the game, Martinez intercepted the ball and ran 73 yards into the end-zone.

“When I first got the ball, I was surprised that I even caught it, and so I just held it tight and ran,” said Martinez.

But of course, as is the case with any team, we didn’t play flawlessly. As the game progressed, we lost some steam, allowing the Eagles to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter. This problem was noticed by the coaches, and they made sure that the Eagles stayed at 20 points for the rest of the game. This strategy played out well for the Cranes in the end. 

“I think for the most part we played pretty well,” said head coach and athletic director, Michael Pittman. “I think we could have played better, but I am happy with the win.” 

Overall, the team did very well that night, and as a trainer on the sidelines, it was a thrill to watch them play. And I am glad to have seen this team grow for my last year in highschool. 

Just like me, though, quarterback, Keaton Sena is ready for this week's game against the Idalou Wildcats.

“I think we stand a really good chance to win this Friday, and I think both teams are evenly matched.”

So good luck this Friday to our team and Go Cranes!

On Tuesday, the Crane Lady Birds took on Midland High and kept up with them until the start of the fourth quarter, when they eventually fell short, 47-35. 

Senior, Zithlalic Camacho, explained how this year’s basketball season is going.

“It’s been tough, but I’m excited to see where we are going this year. So far, we have been growing so much as a team!”

Camacho seemed motivated and pushed by her parents when asked what inspired her to play basketball. 

“My mom and dad have pushed me to always try something new, and if it wasn’t for them I probably would have never played basketball.”

Junior, Tatum Flores, explained why she started playing basketball in the first place. 

“I first started playing basketball because I wanted to get in shape for track season.”

Flores’ goals are to become on the court throughout the season. 

“My goals are to become a better player and have more confidence in myself.” 

Freshman, Shae Coates, seemed very excited about this year’s basketball season. 

“I feel very excited. Mostly because we have a new coach, Coach Tibbets. He is very determined to help us build a program and get something going. I’m excited to learn new things as a freshman.”

Coates explained that she started basketball because she enjoyed doing it for fun. 

“At first, basketball was just something I did for fun, seeing that I started in first grade. After that, it turned into something I really enjoyed and I think basketball has played a big part in the person I am today. It has helped me become a better athlete, mentally and physically, and helped me build relationships with people.” 

If you haven't had a chance to catch one of their games, make sure you watch the Lady Birds hoop it up at their next game!

Monday was a great day for Crane FFA! We have three teams advancing to Area in LDE’s: Ag Issues, Ag Advocacy and Senior Quiz!

Big Bend District Results:

Greenhand Creed 

6th--Holt Carlton

9th--Paiton Woods

11th--JJ Rodriguez 

7th--Nick Pettit

11th--Hope Heredia 

3rd--Gentry Barraza 

3rd--Hayden De Leon, Victoria Tavarez, Paiton Woods 

5th--Genie Gonzales, Genesis Villasana, Nayelly Sanchez 

2nd--Chris Lewis, JJ Jimenez, Bryan Tinajero, Xzaiver Porras

4th--Dayami Rocha, Holt Carlton, Carter White, 

7th--JJ Rodriguez, Gracin Huertas, Victoria Tavarez, Izayah Saucedo 

2nd--Crane #2: Chris Lewis, JJ Jimenez, Bryan Tinajero, Alberto 

5th--Crane #1: Karyme Rocha, Nataly Reyes, Amy Lewis, Jacqueline Bernard 

1st--Nick Pettit, Nataly Reyes, Jacqueline Bernard, Karyme Rocha, Dayami Rocha, Amy Lewis, Alberto Cordova

I am very proud of of these kids and their hard work!

How long have you been in education: I have complete 15 years in education; this year is 16.

Where were you at before Crane: I coached and taught in Monahans.

What do you do for fun: Follow my kids to all their sporting events and workouts.

What do you like most about working in education: I love being around my kids.

How many siblings do you have: I have one sister, Regan Crump, who lives in Idalou.

Children/Grand Children: I have two daughters: Berkley, 13, and Tenley, 10.

What is your dream vacation: A month in Europe studying and visiting historical places.

What are your “trapped on a desert island” books or movies: Any book by Emily Giffin.

If you won the lottery and decided to give up working in education, what would you do instead: I would move out and work on a ranch.

What would the students be surprised to find out about you: I grew up on a ranch my whole life, working in the sheep pens and riding horses.

What inspires you: My children.

This past Thursday, the Blackout pep was phenomenal, just like every other year. The theme was “Working through the Playoffs.”

The cheerleaders play a big role in this pep rally. Not only because they have to set up and take everything down afterwards, but because everything stays in order thanks to Varsity and JV cheer coaches, Terra Willis and Jessica Pettit. 

Cheerleader, Mayson Brown, a sophomore, explained how they put it in the work in order to make this happen.

“I put in a lot of work, as well as all the other cheerleaders. We decorate and practice for hours to make sure we don’t blow it. Decorating takes a while because we have to make sure every black light works.”

Brown shared how the percussion performance is the part she enjoys the most about the whole pep rally. 

“My favorite part of the pep rally is watching the percussion do their cadences.”

Every year, the percussion section does a few cadences back-to-back. To the audience, it looks like they have some type of glow liquid on the drums that is flying in the air each time a drum stick collides with it. However, it’s actually hole punches illuminated by the black lights. It looks amazing! 

Senior, Andrew Rodriguez, discussed how he and the other percussionists have to put in extra work to make sure they didn’t mess up. 

“We put in a lot of work to get the cadences down. Compared to last year, we did a little more cadences. So we had to perfect them and learn the transitions from one to the next.”

Rodriquez agrees with Brown that the percussion part is the best part of the Blackout pep rally. 

“My favorite part of the pep rally is the percussion part, and this year is especially memorable because it was my last time getting to do something cool like that. I hope people enjoyed it as much as I did.”

Another great moment of the pep rally was when guest speaker, Mike “Doc” Hailey, took the mic. He had great things to say about our Golden Cranes and Ladybirds. 

“I really enjoyed speaking in front of everyone at the pep rally! I was happy to be there and felt thrilled.”

Everyone seemed to love the drum line because Doc himself proceeded to add great feedback on how the percussion was his favorite part! 

“The pep rally was overall great, but I’d have to say my favorite part was the drum line. It looked so cool.” 

Every part of the Blackout pep rally was stupendous and a huge success. Crane Nation definitely knows how to have fun! The excitement taken from this pep rally helped the Golden Cranes win their football game the next day against the TLCA Eagles in Lamesa. 

In a town that's had two blackouts in the past few weeks, it’s pretty cool that the third was super fun and done intentionally! 

The division between Americans and politicians has never been greater, and the result has been nothing short of a boorish pandemonium. 

For the Republicans, they believed that there would be a “red wave” due to the belief that there would be a lack of the younger generation’s vote. However, this was far from what was originally predicted. 

Republicans suffered greatly at the ballot box in large part because of their support for the overturning of Roe V. Wade. The seeming lack of empathy for those who might be forced to carry a pregnancy to term, regardless of the circumstance for the pregnancy in some states, placed the votes right before the Democrats feet. 

However, this wasn’t the half of it. Many people believed that the Democrats were at fault for the rise of inflation and saw this as their primary motivation to give their votes to the Republican Party. Currently, there is lots of discourse in the media on what the results of the midterm elections might mean for this country. 

On one hand, Democrats are being accused of being made up of a majority of ignorant young individuals who know very little regarding political issues. On the other hand, Republicans are viewed by many as cynical and bigoted folks who lack empathy. No matter how you view others, or your own party, no one wins when a double-edged sword is being plunged into the heart of this country. I believe that we can do better.

Along with the midterm elections, former President Donald Trump has announced that he is planning to run again in 2024. This could hurt the Republicans, considering the former president’s time in the office was nothing short of disastrous for both parties. Some Republicans have also mixed feelings on Donald Trump’s announcement, so it’s not just the Democrats who are looking at the possibility of a second Trump term with a sideways glance.

The end result of the midterm elections is somewhat of a shock to many. Democrats lost control of the U.S. House of Representatives and now face two years of gridlock. Republicans won’t be so quick to celebrate their control over the U.S. House considering that the likelihood of getting major legislation passed is rather limited because Democrats held the Senate and President Biden still has veto power. 

Whether you are a Republican, Democrat or somewhere outside of that, it’s always a good idea to do research and to vote, even if you feel like it doesn’t affect you. Even if it feels like politics isn’t your thing, it may be a good idea to form an opinion on your own terms and vote via your own research. 

Voting is one of the best freedoms we have in this country, and it’s up to all of us to cast a vote based on information rather than ignorance and hatred.

This movie follows Cody, played by Reign Edwards, still moving on from her mother leaving her and her family. Many years later her father, Shane, played by Kerr Smith, remarries to Anna, played by Courtney Henggeler. Cody never really gets along with Anna and feels detached from Shane, I fly feeling close to her half-brother, Tate, played by Antonio Raul Corbo. 

During dinner, Anna mentions how she wants to bring the family together with quality time. Anna mentions plans for a HOA harvest festival. This doesn't sit well with Cody, stirring an argument with Anna. Shane decides to break the tension with a wishbone between Tate and Cody. Before breaking the wishbone in half, Cody wishes that Anna's plan backfires on her. After breaking this wishbone, Cody gets her wish not knowing what's to come. 

During this HOA party, Anna mentions hiring a couple of pilgrim reenactors to show them the way of the old way of life. As the party goes on, the doorbell rings, and standing there are Ethan, played by Peter Giles, and Patience, played by Elyse Levesque. These are the so called “pilgrim reenactors.” But when Anna called them this, they look confused, not knowing what she’s talking about. As the party goes on, Ethan mentions where he and Patience would be staying, not knowing what's to come in the following days. 

After a few days of staying, more and more pilgrims show up. These pilgrims start to take over the house and build their own settlements. But when Thanksgiving Day arrives, still refusing to break character, Ethan and Patience realize the family aren’t truly thankful for what they have. 

They start to take final measures as a last act to bring this family together. 

This film is pretty solid. I’d give it three out of five Golden Cranes.

My name is Rodrigo Alonso Perero, and I am a foreign student from Spain. I've recently come to Texas, and next week something awesome happens for me: Thanksgiving. 

I know about the existence of Thanksgiving primarily because of the movies. If you're confused by that, it's because we don't have anything similar to Thanksgiving in Spain. To us, November is just another month. 

My host family celebrates Thanksgiving by preparing turkey and ham in the traditional way. Then, the rest of the members prepare something of their choice, which might be desserts, stuffing, or whatever else they desire to make and eat.

The ironic and interesting fact about Thanksgiving is that Columbus came to America by way of Spain. His explorations were funded by Spanish monarchs, and after the conquests the Native Americans began celebrating this distinctly American holiday with the Europeans who came over on the Mayflower and subsequent ships. Even so, this tradition never made its way back to Spain and greater Europe.

I am very excited about next week. I am going to learn a lot of things about the U.S. while I am here, and Thanksgiving is part of that. 

If I can, I will also add a traditional Spanish dish to the Thanksgiving meal this year.

Hope you all enjoy this celebration as much as me. Have a great Thanksgiving!