Ashdown Home of Miss TC, 13 Others That Commute 50 Miles Each Day

THE ASHDOWN CLAN – The 50 miles a day commuters from Ashdown, Ark. are from the left Ronald Jewel, Gayla Needham, Sue Sehon, Rita Hawthorne (Miss TC), Jeri Jo Carver, and Sharon Waren.

by Sarah Heath

Not only is Ashdown, Ark., the home of a sizeable number of TCC students, it is also the home of the current Miss TC, Rita Hawthorne.

Rita, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James A. Hawthorne and sister to three older brothers, won the Miss TC title in November. She said the only drawback in being a TCC student is the 25-mile trip to and from Ashdown each day.

Other students from Ashdown are Sharon Warren, Jerri Jo Carver, Karen Crawford, Kenneth Piggee, Vickie Measmore, Jerry Ward, Ronnie Clay, David Ward, Lynn Conley, Von Castleman, Ronald Jewell, Judy Needham and Sue Sehon.

One student with a hectic schedule is Sharon Warren. She does double duty at TCC since, by day, she serves as secretary to the chairman of the Humanities division; by night, she is a student. Part of the load will be lifted in February, however, because “I’m moving into Texarkana to cut out those before-dark trips becoming in and the after-dark trips going home,” she said.

According to Miss TC, Ashdown’s population is somewhere around 5000. “Our population sign is about ten years old and it says we have 3500 citizens. Since the time that sign was erected, Nekoosa Papers, Inc., has moved into our area and that has really caused our town to grow,” she said.

Rita should be an authority on Ashdown: She was Miss Ashdown last year. She was also a cheerleader at Ashdown High.

Having already taken part as Miss TC in the Texarkana Christmas parade, Rita is currently preparing for the Miss Arkansas Universe pageant. “The Miss TC first runner-up, Gail Patterson, and I will both be in that pageant and we have really been working hard getting ready for it,” she added. The upcoming pageant will be held here in Texarkana at the college auditorium.

Even with all this going on, Rita still devotes time to an endless list of hobbies. Swimming, horseback riding, decoupage, knitting, and talking to her plants are among her favorite past times, “but dating and football,” in that order, top the list,” she said.

Not only is Ashdown, Ark., the home of a sizeable number of TCC students, it is also the home of the current Miss TC, Rita Hawthorne.

Rita, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James A. Hawthorne and sister to three older brothers, won the Miss TC title in November. She said the only drawback in being a TCC student is the 25-mile trip to and from Ashdown each day.

Other students from Ashdown are Sharon Warren, Jerri Jo Carver, Karen Crawford, Kenneth Piggee, Vickie Measmore, Jerry Ward, Ronnie Clay, David Ward, Lynn Conley, Von Castleman, Ronald Jewell, Judy Needham and Sue Sehon.

One student with a hectic schedule is Sharon Warren. She does double duty at TCC since, by day, she serves as secretary to the chairman of the Humanities division; by night, she is a student. Part of the load will be lifted in February, however, because “I’m moving into Texarkana to cut out those before-dark trips becoming in and the after-dark trips going home,” she said.

According to Miss TC, Ashdown’s population is somewhere around 5000. “Our population sign is about ten years old and it says we have 3500 citizens. Since the time that sign was erected, Nekoosa Papers, Inc., has moved into our area and that has really caused our town to grow,” she said.

Rita should be an authority on Ashdown: She was Miss Ashdown last year. She was also a cheerleader at Ashdown High.

Having already taken part as Miss TC in the Texarkana Christmas parade, Rita is currently preparing for the Miss Arkansas Universe pageant. “The Miss TC first runner-up, Gail Patterson, and I will both be in that pageant and we have really been working hard getting ready for it,” she added. The upcoming pageant will be held here in Texarkana at the college auditorium.

Even with all this going on, Rita still devotes time to an endless list of hobbies. Swimming, horseback riding, decoupage, knitting, and talking to her plants are among her favorite past times, “but dating and football,” in that order, top the list,” she said.