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Glasscock County News
County Orders Bond Election On June 12, the Glasscock County
Commissioners’ Court ordered a bond election to determine whether a facility
to house a community center, agricultural extension offices, and a livestock
show barn is built in Garden City. Voters in the Aug. 12 election will be
asked to vote for or against the county issuing $825,000 in general
obligation bonds. (See separate article for specific language of the
proposition and the election ballot.) The county court will set the
specific rate for the bond tax, the percentage of interest to be paid on the
bonds and their duration when and if voters approve the bond issuance. The estimated construction cost
for the building is $685,000, plus a 10 percent contingency of $68,500 and a
7.5 percent architect’s fee of $56,500, for a total construction cost of
$810,000. Southwest Securities of Dallas will prepare for the bond election
and issue the bonds. Their costs, payable only if the bond issue passes, are
$36,000, making the total project cost $846,000. The difference of $21,000 between
the bond revenue and actual costs is to be provided by interest on the
$825,000 during time of construction. With the proposed building site
located immediately east of the courthouse on land provided by the county,
architects have planned the 220 x 80 ft. metal building to have some exterior
limestone trim to blend with buildings on the courthouse square. Planned offices, meeting rooms and
a kitchen occupy 4,800 sq. ft. and are estimated at $72 per sq. ft. A community room, which can also be used
as a livestock show ring, is 6,400 sq. ft. at $32 per sq. ft., and a
livestock holding area is 6,400 sq. ft. at $17 per sq. ft. Costs for land, paving, curbing and dirt
work, all to be provided by the county, are not included in construction
costs. By comparison, the size of the
school cafeteria’s seating area is about 3,300 sq. ft., while the planned
community room/livestock show area has approximately 4,600 sq. ft. of seating
area. Fundraising Efforts Inadequate At a May 22 meeting of the
commissioners’ court, Charles Zachry, representing the community center
building committee, had asked the court to call such a bond election to let
the voters decide whether the facility will be built. He said ten years of
fund raising and attempts to secure grants have not produced the results necessary
for a building, and said the committee feels all options other than a bond
election have been exhausted. Zachry said the $36,000 raised over the years
would be used for interior furnishings, or equipment as needed in the
building. The building committee estimates
that, using the county’s current taxable value of $252 million, an annual bond tax of 5 cents per $100 valuation
would raise approximately $125,000 per year for debt service. At that rate, the bonds could be paid off
in seven years. The same 5-cent rate and a higher valuation would bring in
more money per year. The committee pointed out that their projections are
based on the current tax value, which is the lowest in ten years. The
five-year average valuation is $313 million and the ten-year average
valuation is $324 million. The county’s actual tax valuation for the coming
fiscal year will not be available until July. Money raised by the bond tax could
be used only to pay the bond debt, and when the bond is paid off, the bond
tax would stop. The committee’s estimates of how a
5-cent bond tax would affect local real estate taxes: on a section of
pastureland with a tax value of $6,400, the bond tax would be approximately
$3.20 annually; a section of dry land crop with a tax value of $31,360 would
have a bond tax of about $15.68; for a section of irrigated cropland with a
tax value of $38,400, the tax would be about $19.20, and on a home with an
appraisal value of $50,000 (county average is $43,940), the annual bond tax
would be about $25. Figures provided by the committee
indicate that real estate provided approximately 8 percent of the county’s
tax monies in 1998 and 11 percent in 1999. Taxes on minerals brought in 76
percent of the taxes in 1998 and 66 percent in 1999. Industrial taxes paid 16
percent of the total in 1998 and 23 percent in 1999. The building committee said it
plans town meetings prior to the bond election, so that voters’ questions can
be answered. Architectural drawings of the proposed building may be picked up
now in the courthouse hallway. Early voting will be July 26 -
Aug. 8 for the Aug. 12 election. Applications for mail-in ballots must be
received on or before Aug. 4. Those
who want to vote by mail should request applications for ballots now, due to
the time required for mailing the various items back and forth. Mail-in
ballots must be in on or before Aug. 12. Bond Election Proposition and Ballot On June 12, the Glasscock County
Commissioners’ Court passed the following proposition: “An election…shall be held for and
within the County on August 12, 2000… at which Election the following
proposition shall be submitted in accordance with law: ‘Shall the Commissioners Court of
the County of Glasscock, Texas, be authorized to issue bonds of the County
under the authority of Article VIII, Section 9, of the Texas Constitution, in
one or more series or issues, in the aggregate principal amount of $825,000
for the purpose of providing funds for construction of a county community
center to house offices for county and other governmental employees, meeting
rooms, and the county’s livestock show; said bonds of each series or issues,
respectively, to mature over a period of not to exceed thirty (30) years from
their date, to be issued in such installments and sold at such price or prices
and to bear interest at such rate or rates as shall be determined within the
discretion of the Commissioners Court at the time of issuance; and to provide
for the payment of the principal of and interest on said bonds by levying and
collecting a tax sufficient to pay the annual interest on said bonds and to
provide a sinking fund sufficient to pay said bonds as they become due?’ “ The official ballots for the bond
election will permit voters to vote FOR or AGAINST the proposition, which
will be stated on the ballots in the following form: “THE ISSUANCE OF $825,000 IN BONDS FOR THE
CONSTRUCTION OF A COUNTY COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE COUNTY AND THE LEVY OF A TAX
IN PAYMENT THEREOF.” Board Hires New Principal, Coaches GCISD’s Board of Trustees hired Brad
Jones to be the new elementary school principal at a salary of $50,000. Jones
was the junior high principal at Coahoma from 1999-2000, and the assistant
elementary principal there the previous year. From 1994 to 1998, he was a
principal intern and social studies teacher at Lakeview High School. Jones
and his wife, Stacy, have one-month-old twins, a boy and a girl, named Allie
and Ethan. The board hired Brent Kirkland as
head girls’ basketball coach and teacher. From 1997-2000, Brent was the head
girls’ basketball coach at Lubbock Cooper High School, from 1994 to 1997 was
head girls’ basketball coach at Anton, during 1993-1994 was head girls’
basketball coach at Rotan, and during 1992-1993 was varsity assistant at
Calallen ISD. He was voted Coach of the Year in Lubbock 2000, and was voted
3-A All-South Plains Coach of the Year. He has a degree in biology and
physical education from Texas Tech University. Shana Kirkland was also hired as a
coach and math teacher. She was the assistant girls’ basketball coach and
track coach at Lubbock Cooper High School from 1998-2000 and assistant girls’
basketball coach at Roosevelt High School in 1997-1998. She has a degree in
math and physical education from Texas Tech University. The Kirklands have a
son, Kellan, who is 4 years old. Bearkat Reunion Set for
July An all-school Bearkat Reunion 2000 will be held July 22
from 1 to 10 p.m. at the school. Pre-purchased tickets are $12 for adults and
$8 for kids under 12. At the door, tickets are $17 for adults and $8 for kids.
Ticket prices include a photo of your class, an alumni directory/history,
door prizes, refreshments, dinner (catered by Al’s Bar-B-Q), and a dance.
Send money for tickets to: Brenda Dobbs Staton, 3212 Preston Hill Circle,
Prosper, TX 75078. Her phone number is 972/347-3135. For you to be included in the alumni directory, Staton
needs your information by June 30. Send your name, address, phone number,
e-mail address, your classes’ graduation year, names of spouse, children and
grandchildren. Please note: this reunion does not replace the traditional
fall Homecoming gathering, which features lunch and visiting on Saturday,
Sept. 16, after the Homecoming game on Sept. 15. This fall’s event will honor
the Class of 1940 on their 60th anniversary and the Class of 1950 will
celebrate their 50th anniversary. All
Bearkat alumni and their families are encouraged to attend both events. Courthouse Plans, Costs Approved The Glasscock County
Commissioners’ Court voted June 12 to proceed with submitting a Master Plan
to the Texas Historical Commission, the first step in the process of trying
to get state grant money to fund the restoration of the courthouse and old
jail. The total project cost is
estimated at $1.3 million, and architects have prioritized the work, so that
the most important things can be done first, since funding may come in
various amounts spread over several years. The county will be obligated for
15 percent of any state funds authorized for the project. The Master Plan will be submitted
July 3 and if it is approved, grant applications will be submitted by Sept.
1. Architect Stan Klein discussed in
detail the changes to be made to the two buildings if and when there is grant
money. Drawings of the courthouse and old
jail interiors and proposed changes may be picked up now in the courthouse
hallway. In other action June 12, the court
accepted a bid of $21,000 per year from Charles Pechacek for the contract
operation of the county landfill and dump. There were no other bids. Two
years ago, Pechacek got the contract for a bid of $14,000. The court accepted the low bid of
$244,000 from the Van Zant company for paving 10 miles of county roads. The
other bid was for $251,419 from Jones Paving. The court also voted to apply for
a grant for a tree shredder, decided not to enact a fireworks ban, and tabled
discussions of both a 911 fee and compensation for Jim and Diane Havlak. County
Web Site Up and Running Glasscock County’s official,
countywide web site is up at, http://glasscockcountytx.com
though it is still under construction.
The county commissioners’ court on May 22 delegated to the Glasscock
County Technology Committee the authority to create, monitor and maintain the
web site. A wide variety of information is
already available at the site, including a brief introduction to the county,
directories of county churches and other organizations, names and addresses
of local, state and national elected officials, and a local weather forecast. The site also provides links to
community organizations and businesses which have their own web pages. So far, those include GCISD, The Glasscock
County News, the Texas Agricultural Extension Agency, Glasscock County
Underground Water Conservation District and Hillman Saddlery. Any public entity or private
business in the county that wants its web page linked to the county site
should complete the on-line submission form at the site. There is no charge
for linking to the site, but the county technology committee must approve
applications. Businesses without a web page can
have a brief, box-type advertisement posted on the county site at no charge.
Send the proposed ad content to Steve Sturtz at P.O. Box 239, Garden City. The county web site was
constructed and is maintained by Scott Cope. GCHS Student Handbook Revised After the GCISD school board
decided to allow administrative revisions to the student handbook with only
board review rather than a board vote, several changes for the new secondary
school student handbook were enacted. Language is now in place which
indicates that Student Code of Conduct violations are handled by the school
and statute law does not necessarily apply. Penal code violations are
separate and handled by law enforcement. There are new guidelines for
advanced placement and dual credit courses. There are also changes to the
exam exemption policy, grade points for class ranking (for graduates after
2001), physical education attire, and how twirlers are chosen. Dress and
grooming rules now prohibit beach-type footwear, and the ban on athletic
shorts and nylon wind shorts remains in place. Some of the handbook changes
tightened disciplinary rules. Students who violate attendance rules will now
be assigned to Saturday school to make up the absences and will pay a fee of
$25. Next-day after-school detention will also be used, with a possibility of
before-school suspension as needed. No school transportation will be provided
for those in detention. Second and third gum chewing
offenses will now be punishable by after-school detention, and a fourth
offense warrants a day of in-school suspension. Note: handbook changes are too lengthy to be dealt with in full here.
Parents and students should read the new handbook carefully. Secondary Principal Faith Scott
reported the high school is adding concurrent physics and government classes.
(Concurrent classes allow the student to get both high school and college
credit for the same course.) The physics course will be taught on campus, and
the concurrent government will be taught by Howard College via television in
a “distance learning” arrangement. Superintendent Steve Long presented a tentative high school class schedule which would be a dramatic change from the way classes have been offered in the past. Long and Scott said it would offer greater flexibility and more time, not only for classes, but for various extracurricular activities such as class meetings, UIL tutorials, faculty conferences, etc. Long commented that he is not concerned with what other area schools are doing, but rather with what best meets the needs of GCHS kids. While the board reacted favorably, Long said details of the schedule still need to be worked out, and it will be presented again at the July board meeting. Golden Bearkat Pass Long suggested, and the board
approved, a Golden Bearkat Pass that will allow senior citizens to attend
home athletic games free of charge. He said, “That group deserves something;
they are great fans.” The passes will
be available at the school administration offices before the first fall
games. The board authorized Duane Cox to
apply for a Texas Infrastructure Fund grant of $75,000 for technology
equipment and pledged $7,500 in district money to be spent in that area if
the grant is approved. Cox said he has professional help in writing the grant
and feels confident it will be approved. If so, Cox said 20 new units would
be placed in the high school computer lab, each high school teacher would get
a new computer in his/her classroom, and other technology equipment would be
upgraded. A TIF grant for $82,000 was obtained in 1998. Board members reported on the
recent Texas Association of School Boards Convention in San Antonio, where
they won a drawing for $1,000, which will probably be used for scholarships. The board postponed action on a
possible policy change that would allow the school to employ spouses of the
superintendent, the two principals and the counselor after the practice was
banned several years ago. A uniform employee pay period was
enacted, with checks to be issued the 20th of each month. The board also set
up a district travel policy, approved Duncan Disposal for garbage service for
$7,800 annually, and moved the time for regular board meetings to 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each
month, beginning with the August meeting. In other action, the board
accepted the resignations of Jason Crenshaw, Rob Robinson and Lindy Robinson. Briefly
•
Lance Armstrong will conduct
tennis lessons in Garden City July 3 – 7. Sessions for children age 4 – 8 years are 9 to 11 a.m. for a
fee of $50. Sessions for 9 – 18 year olds are 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for a fee of
$85. The fee includes instruction, T-shirt, and group photo. Equipment
needed: tennis racquet, appropriate tennis shoes, towel, water jug and
sunscreen. Call 687- 4046 for more information or to make reservations. •
The Garden City High School
Class of 2000 says “Thank You” for your support over the years and for
helping to make PROJECT GRADUATION a big success and a lot of fun. Without
your contributions it would not have been possible. • Two cookbooks are available from the local
extension office. The 2000 District Six 4-H Food Show Cookbook is $5, and Chow Time in West Texas, the cookbook
of the Texas Association of FCS, is $7. • A car wash fundraiser will be June 23 at the courthouse
with monies going to the local 4-H group. • A county 4-H camp will be held July 11 & 12 at
the St. Lawrence Hall. The camp is an overnight affair, the fee is $20 per
person and all 4-H’ers are invited. The junior age group will be doing six
different projects, and the senior group will help with the activities. • The Senior Citizens
will meet July 4 at 3 p.m. at the Senior Citizens’ Center. It’s pot luck, and
everyone is invited. • Filing for directors in
Precincts 3 and 4 on the Glasscock County Underground Water Conservation
District’s Board of Directors runs through June 28. Incumbents are Larry
Wheat in Precinct 3 and Zane Eoff in Precinct 4. The election will be Aug.
12. Thank You, Volunteers! Note: The following is a letter we
received from Lorene & Jim McBride of Houston. We are happy to print it
in its entirety. Tuesday night, 7 June 2000, the
Glasscock County Emergency Medical Service in the St. Lawrence area was
directly responsible for saving the life of Lorene McBride, sister of Delmer
Batla. Lorene suffered from a respiratory
distress, which was correctly diagnosed by Paramedic Kenny Batla. He put out
a call for assistance and four of your volunteer EMT’s responded in one of
the most professional manners I have ever witnessed. Lorene was then
transferred to Midland Memorial Hospital where she began the road to full
recovery. Consequently, we wish to offer our
most profound thanks to Kenny, Mark Frysak, Harold Hoelscher, Tommy Hoelscher
and Mitchell Jansa. We feel that the people of Glasscock County are in very
capable and professional hands, should an emergency develop. In fact, the
next time you see one of these gentlemen, or any of your EMS personnel, shake
their hand and give them a pat on the back to let them know how much you
appreciate their selflessness. Again,
from the depths of our hearts we thank you for Lorene’s life. County Antes Up Insurance $’s The Glasscock County
Commissioners’ Court voted May 22 to pay approximately $176,000 to West Texas
Rural Counties, the county’s insurer, to bring its medical insurance claims
up to date as of May 17. The money is to be reimbursed by an assignment from
reinsurer funds to be paid to WTRC in July. According to County Treasurer Alan
Dierschke and Judge Wilburn Bednar, continuing problems with WTRC’s inability
to pay claims are due to the insurance pool being under-funded from its beginning
and unable to consistently meet high claims from a few member counties,
including Glasscock. As a result, county employees’ insurance is being
refused by some area hospitals and clinics. The county is considering several
options for remedying its health insurance woes. One is to stay with the
rural counties insurance pool, which, after a change in administration, would
be reorganized and recapitalized. Higher deductibles for employees are
likely, and the court discussed putting $100 per month per employee into a
Medical Savings Account to help with those. Another option is to look for insurance from independent
carriers, but according to Bednar, the number of high-risk employees may be a
problem, unless they could be insured separately by a state-sponsored pool. The court tentatively agreed June
12 to remain part of the WTRC pool, but nevertheless asked Dierschke to get
bids from other carriers by the next court meeting July 10. In other matters, Dierschke
reported on federal regulations regarding wage laws and record-keeping of
time worked. He said among smaller area counties, only Glasscock and Coke do
not keep detailed time sheets for employees. He said to satisfy legalities,
time sheets should be required of all county employees who are not elected
officials, not just road crew personnel, as is the current practice. He said before each pay period, the time
sheets should be signed by the employee and his/her supervisor, certifying to
the accuracy of time worked. At the direction of the commissioners’ court,
Dierschke subsequently designed a time sheet, which the court approved June
12 for immediate use. Water District Adopts New Rules After a public hearing at which no
one appeared, the Glasscock County Underground Water Conservation District
Board of Directors on June 20 voted to change some of its rules and bylaws. There are several changes to Rule
21. One requires a transfer permit for a well capable of producing more than
25,000 gallons per day of water that will be transported outside the
district. Also, all wells drilled within the district will be permitted or
registered and the district has the right to inspect wells, locations and
distances. There is an application processing fee, and there are criteria for
the district’s board of directors to limit the amount of water that may be
transported outside the district. Other changes: drilling logs must
be turned in to the district office by the person having the well drilled
and/or by water well drillers within 60 days of completion and an operator
must comply with plugging or capping requirements within 30 days. All changes to the district’s
rules and by-laws are available in the GCUWCD office in Garden City. Abuses of spacing exemptions for
water wells under 18 gallons per minute are a concern to the district
directors, who are contemplating eliminating those exemptions at some point
in the future. GCUWCD Manager Rick Harston
cautions that new oil and gas leases should guard against unrestricted use of
groundwater. Local 4-H’ers Excel at District Roundup Several Glasscock County 4-H’ers
won first place honors at the District Roundup. The first place senior
livestock judging team was made up of Ryan
Batla, Keith Batla, Jill Hoelscher and Drew Plagens. Jill Hoelscher placed first overall in livestock judging. Spencer
Plagens won a first place in junior swine judging. The senior “share-the-fun” dance
team of Keith Batla, Ryan Batla, Alicia Frysak, Lori
Hoelscher, Chasity Jansa, M’Lynn Niehues, Angela Schraeder, Anthony
Wheat and Dana Wilde won first
place in their competition. Angela Schraeder won first place in the senior fashion show consumer specialty buying,
and M’Lynn Niehues won first place
in senior fashion design. Kevin Hillger and Jason Flores’ result demonstration
won first place in gardening / horticulture. The team of Deidra Hirt, Ashley Hirt, Lora Braden, Tracey Machicek, Lisa
Hoelscher, Erik Halfmann, Justin Hillger, Brian Hillger and Tanner Donica
won the stage design contest, which is state competition only. They will
decorate the stage for the State Roundup Fashion Show. This is the second
year in a row that Glasscock County has won the stage design contest. In The Spotlight
•
Bonnie Braden, Kerri Fine, and
Kimberly Harp have made the spring Dean’s List at Angelo State
University. Braden, a 1998 graduate of GCHS and the daughter of Kenneth and
Shirley Braden, is a pre-pharmacy major. Fine is the daughter of Jimmy and
Joyce Fine, a special education major, and a 1996 graduate of GCHS. Harp, who is majoring in math and science,
is the daughter of Beverly Harp and a 1997 graduate of GCHS. •
Chase Burks, Chance Burks, Alex Halfmann and Cory
Multer were selected for the Big Spring National League 11 and
12-year-old all-star team. They will
play in the area-wide all-star tournament in Midland beginning July 5. • Jacob Schmitz was selected to the Eastern
all-star team for 9 and 10-year-olds.
They begin play in Odessa July 5. •
Niki Schwartz recently
received a Bachelor of Business degree in Management from West Texas A &
M University. While at WTAMU, she performed with the college dance ensemble
and the Lone Star Ballet of Amarillo, was secretary of Chi Omega, a member of
the Young Republicans and Greeks for Christ, a finalist for University Queen
and was Miss Amarillo Area USA 1996. Schwartz will work for American
Insurance Group in Dallas. A 1995 graduate of Garden City High School, she is
the daughter of Floyd and Martha Schwartz. •
Kami Schwartz, a junior
management major at West Texas A & M University, was recently commended
at the University Honors Banquet. Schwartz, who is president of Chi Omega
sorority and a SI instructor for political science, was awarded the Charles
B. and Mary Townsend scholarship. She is a 1998 graduate of Garden City High
School and the daughter of Floyd and Martha Schwartz. • Chelsea Schwartz, 15,
was named the “Grand Supreme Talent” winner at the Texas State Our Diamond
Miss Pageant in Abilene and will compete at the national finals in Oklahoma
City. Chelsea is a sophomore at GCHS. From the Schoolhouse
Students Honored at UIL
Banquet for Outstanding Performances: Cross-Country: boy, Roger
Alvarado; girl, Michelle Fuchs. Football: offensive player, Justin
Hillger; defensive player, Eric Halfmann. Basketball: girls,
offensive player, M’Lynn Niehues; defensive player, Jill Hoelscher;
boys, offensive player, Cory Batla; defensive player, Justin
Hillger. Tennis: girls singles, Collene Cox; doubles, Summer
Eoff and Lora Braden; boys singles, Cory Batla; doubles, Max
Batla and Jason Smith. Track: girls, field events, Collene Cox,
running events, M’Lynn Niehues; boys, field events, Kendall Goodwin,
running events, mile relay team – Roger Alvarado, Anthony Hoelscher,
Kendall Goodwin, Justin Hillger.
Fighting heart award: Jill Hoelscher and Anthony Hoelscher. Kats Paw Award: Jason Wilde and M’Lynn
Niehues. Cheerleaders Excel at Camp Six GCHS cheerleaders, Lori
Hoelscher, Bonnie Pelzel, Dendra Maxie, Allison Jansa, Brecklyn
Hughes, Morgan Kight, and mascot Marianne Halfmann attended
the UCA cheerleading camp at TWU in Denton June 1 – 4. The cheerleading team received one
red excellent ribbon, four blue superior ribbons, four gold superior ribbons
and a gold superior trophy, and Brecklyn was selected to the all-star
squad. In the mascot sessions,
Marianne received one red ribbon, three blues, three golds and a trophy for
most improved mascot. Sponsor Melissa Schmitz received a coaching
safety award ribbon. The girls want to thank everyone for their support of
“Top of Texas” and for the donations, which helped them go to camp. About This Publication The next issue will be July 19. The deadline for that issue is July 17. The Glasscock County News is published by
Joe Melanie Calverley, P. O. Box 98, Garden City, TX, 79739. Phone or Fax: 915/354-2221; e-mail: gcnews201@aol.com. Website: http://wscope.com/glasscock/ |
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