|
Glasscock County News
County
Again Discusses 911 Problems The Glasscock County
Commissioners’ Court on March 13 again discussed problems with the county’s
911 telephone system, which, according to County Judge Wilburn Bednar, is
managed by the court. Six members of the county’s volunteer Emergency Medical
Services attended the meeting. Emergency Medical Technician
Mitchell Jansa described a recent incident when the EMS response time was at least
30 minutes because EMT’s weren’t paged, and were not easily reached by
telephone. He said the pagers themselves work great, and the problem is
elsewhere in the system. EMT Cecelia
Schwartz, detailing another incident, described
problems responding to a morning accident in the fog on Highway 158. She said
she received no page and her calls to the sheriff’s office were not
answered. EMT Mark Frysak said people
have called him to complain that 911 calls are sometimes unanswered. Everyone involved seemed to agree
that a 30-minute EMS response time is inadequate, that the 911 system is not
working as well as it should, and that it must be improved. Precisely what the problems are and
exactly how to fix them were less clear-cut. How the 911 System Works Currently, 911 phones are in three
locations: emergency management coordinator Veronica Schroyer’s house, the
sheriff’s office, and the sheriff’s house.
When 911 is called, each of the phones rings, and should be answered
at the location responsible at that particular time. Encoders, which send a
simultaneous signal to the pagers EMTs wear, are located in the sheriff’s
office and in Schroyer’s house. If the call is answered at the sheriff’s
house, which has no encoder, EMTs must be called by telephone. (Neither
Sheriff “Booger” Pruit nor his wife is paid for handling 911 calls from their
house.) Pruit said he had not yet been
able to get prices for additional encoders, but he would check into it
further. Schroyer suggested having Martin
County answer Glasscock County’s 911 calls, since their system is staffed
continuously. However, the commissioners were not receptive to that
idea. It was not clear whether Martin
County would be able to actually page Glasscock’s EMT’s, or if they would
just take the 911 call and then telephone a dispatcher in Glasscock County.
In addition, there was some question as to whether Martin County personnel
would be sufficiently familiar with accident locations in Glasscock County. What’s Being Done After lengthy discussion, the commissioners
decided to ask Jim and Diane Havlak to take 911 training and to station a
fourth 911 phone at their house (there is a line in their house from the days
when the Kingstons answered 911 calls from that location). There was no
discussion of what the Havlaks would be paid for the 911 duty. The court also decided to install
outside telephone signals at Schroyer’s house so she can hear the 911 phone
when she is outside, and to make the 911 phone inside her house ring with a
louder signal. Schwartz said she would compile an updated list of EMT’s home
and cell phone numbers for 911 dispatchers’ use. Schroyer says she tests the
911 lines daily to be sure they are working. Other measures to improve the
system are being discussed. In another matter involving the
EMS group, the commissioners said the county would pay the expenses for EMS
volunteers to attend a 4-day conference in Ruidoso where they can get the
hours necessary to keep their certifications current. Jansa said getting the
hours is increasingly difficult since Diane Melton, who was certified to
teach the needed courses, is no longer with the group. Steve
Long is New Superintendent On March 20, GCISD’s Board of
Trustees hired Steve Long as the district’s new superintendent at an annual
salary of $67,000. He was awarded a two-year contract, which will begin June
1. Long has been the superintendent
at Rule ISD since 1995, and before that, was Rule’s principal. His bachelor’s
degree is from Angelo State University, his master’s, in education and mid-management,
is from Abilene Christian University, and his superintendent’s certificate is
from Sul Ross. He has teaching fields in science and physical education, and
has been a science teacher and coach at both Roby and Water Valley. The board accepted the
resignations of Mike Wallace, first-year varsity girls’ basketball coach and
math teacher, and Annette Pool, elementary school teacher. All other teachers
were rehired. Linda Dusek presented the school
$1,000 from the Latzel-Watkins Memorial Fund. Superintendent Charles Zachry
suggested using the money to buy a large world globe for the library, along
with a plaque recognizing the donation. School Calendar Adopted After much discussion, the board
adopted the same school calendar for 2000 – 2001 as it has now, with the
possibility that spring break might be changed to coincide with other area
schools if a distance-learning program can be implemented. A school trustee election was
ordered for May 6, and the board appointed Deanie Craft, Ruth Cook, Wanda
Forbis, and Becky Halfmann election judges. The board adopted the textbooks
recommended by the school textbook committee. Student council and FHA groups
requested additional funding for some students to attend state events, but
the board took no action on the requests. In discussing the matters, the
board found it hard to deny the money, but agreed that school groups need to
stay within their budgets, or to raise funds for extra activities. In his district report, Zachry
said he has bids of $2,700 each for new septic systems for two school houses
(Cox and Bradford). He said combining some bus routes might be considered in
the summer since enrollment is down, and reported that a WADA payment of
$151,000 is due April 30. Community
Center Grant Proposal Fails; Bond
Feasibility Study Begins Although final, official word has
not been received, Eugene Hirt said Rep. Robert Junell’s office has notified
Glasscock County that its application for a Texas Department of
Transportation grant has not been funded. The grant was to be used in
building a community center which would have housed a rural transportation
museum. Members of the Glasscock County
Lions Community Center and Historical Foundation’s Board of Directors met
March 14 to discuss what direction the community center effort should now
take. Warren Multer said this group has
done what was asked of it when the Foundation was formed, which was to look
at various ways to find funding for the project, “But the money hasn’t
happened.” Multer said he thinks the
time has come to ask the county’s commissioner’s court to call a bond
election to fund the community center project, “Then see what the people
want.” Charles Zachry agreed, and said
the commissioner’s court doesn’t necessarily have to endorse the project,
they just have to call the bond election. He said a committee of citizens,
which would function outside the Foundation, is needed to put information
together and go to the commissioners’ court, since the Foundation can’t
request a bond election. He said the project could be trimmed back to the
earlier plans (prior to adding a museum). Bond Feasibility Study Begins The board voted unanimously to
proceed with a feasibility study on tax rates, usage of building and support
of a bond election for a community center. A committee was appointed to
handle the study: Zachry and Multer are to work on gathering the tax
information; Tommy Hoelscher, Steve Sturtz, Candy Jones and Delia Pierson
will work on the building plans. Other people may be added to this committee. The Community Center Foundation
was formed in October, 1991 in an effort to find a way to finance a community
center in Garden City. The plans included meeting rooms, a large kitchen,
offices for county extension personnel, and a facility for livestock shows.
According to Foundation Board Secretary-Treasurer Maritha Blalock, almost
$38,000 has been raised, including $26,000 from five Glasscock County Galas,
$2,000 from the local Lion’s Club, $3,500 from the county’s senior citizens
group, and $5,000 in total donations
or pledges from 119 individuals in the community. Numerous attempts at getting foundation or grant monies have
failed. Water District to Hire Secretary/Bookkeeper Glasscock County’s Underground
Water Conservation District’s Board of Directors accepted Linda Cypert’s
resignation March 21. Cypert, with the water district 12 years, has taken a
job in the Big Spring State Hospital’s Human Resources Department. The water district will take
applications for the job of secretary/bookkeeper through April 7. Typing skills and working
knowledge of computers (Windows), word processing (Word and WordPerfect),
databases (Access and Excel), and bookkeeping (Quickbooks) are essential. The job is full-time, with hours
of 8 – 12 and 1 – 4, M – F. It provides insurance, retirement benefits, and
one week’s personal leave plus one week’s vacation and holidays the first
year, then two weeks leave and two weeks vacation plus holidays in subsequent
years. The first year’s employment is probationary. District Manager Rick Harston will
narrow the applicants to three, and the board of directors will make the
final choice. Call for an application or send
résumé to GCUWCD, P.O. Box 41, Garden City 79739; 915/354-2430; Fax 354-2322. County Hires Restoration Architects Glasscock County’s Commissioners
voted March 13 to hire the Vandergriff Group in Midland (who will work
jointly with Wagner & Klein of Fredericksburg) to begin planning the
historical restoration of both the old courthouse (commonly known as the old
jail) and the present courthouse.
When actual work begins, it will be done in stages, as grant money
from the state is available, and will likely span several years, according to
Mary Jo Cope of the county’s historical committee. The historical committee
had previously met with and reviewed the credentials and experience of three
architectural firms, then recommended Vandergriff The firm will produce a master
plan and grant applications to be presented to the Texas Historical Commission
in early July at a cost of $37,000, plus costs for a site survey and possibly
a hazardous materials study. Helen Wilkerson, county historical committee
chairman, said the county’s cost for the entire project should ultimately be
15 percent of the total restoration, with grants from the state paying for 85
percent. No estimates for the total cost have been made. Historical committee member Alan
Dierschke said public input will be very important in deciding exactly what
work is to be done, and that the architects will hold public meetings as part
of the master plan process. He said one of the main priorities is to provide
more room for the county clerk’s office. In other matters, the court agreed
that 8 or 10-inch sleeves should be put under Highway 158 while it is under
construction, for the county’s possible use in the future; agreed to have
used road surfacing taken off Highway 158 stockpiled at the county barn for
the county’s future use and asked the volunteer fire department to explore
options for replacing an engine on a fire truck. Health Insurance Problems Continue County Treasurer Alan Dierschke
reported on continuing problems with the county’s health insurance. The insurance carrier is a pool
composed of nineteen rural counties in West Texas, and it has had problems
paying its claims. However, Dierschke said,
“Steps have been taken which will hopefully correct the
problems.” He said Glasscock County
has collected approximately three times more in claims than it has paid in
premiums and is one of the heaviest claimants in the pool. He said the county can expect a premium
increase soon. Dierschke said he would like to explore other insurance
carriers in the next few months, but didn’t know if another carrier would
insure the county’s group, due to its heavy claims history. Dierschke reported that, as of the
end of December, the county had $236,000 in its operating account at 1.76
percent interest, $137,000 in TexPool at 5.5 percent and $330,000 in three
certificates of deposit ranging from 3.6 to 4.85 percent. The commissioners decided to hire
Mike Hurlbert to raise the height of the west sidewalk at the courthouse,
which gets too much water on it when it rains, and is slick. Custodian Susie
Hillger said two people fell on the sidewalk recently. She said the extra
water is due to the grading done a few months ago to divert water from the
old jail’s foundation. Only one bid was received on a
used computer desk: $20 from Keith Batla. Low-cost
Children’s Insurance Available Applications for affordable
insurance for children of low-income families should be available in March,
with coverage to begin in May, 2000.
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was passed by the last
session of the Texas Legislature. Bob Deavenport of the Martin County
Community Fund briefed Glasscock County commissioners on the CHIP program at
their meeting March 13. To be eligible for CHIP, a child’s
family’s net income must be 200 percent or less of the Federal Poverty Level
and must otherwise not be Medicaid-eligible. However, the program
accommodates families who have children eligible for multiple programs (e.g.,
one child may be eligible for Medicaid and another for CHIP). The Martin County Community Fund
has been designated by the Texas Department of Health as the Community Based
CHIP Organization for Glasscock, Borden and Martin counties. They will
provide outreach services for publicizing the CHIP program and will assist in
completing applications. Funding for the program is limited and will be on a
first-come, first-served basis. For more information, or to obtain
applications, contact the Martin County Community Fund at 400 N. St. Theresa
St., Stanton, TX 79782, 915/756-3254 or 270-4526, or call the statewide CHIP
phone, 1/800-647-6558. Incumbents
Win Local Primary Elections Glasscock County Election Judge
Wanda Forbis reports that Precinct One Commissioner Jimmy Strube and
Commissioner Hugh Schafer in Precinct Three each won his race in the
Republican Primary election March 14. Strube won by a margin of 73 to 34 over
opponent Shirley Braden, while Schafer edged by Rufus Fowler 43-41. In uncontested races, Royce “Booger” Pruit
got 239 votes for sheriff and Leroy Hoelscher got 214 votes for constable. Forbis says the winners will run unopposed
in the November General Election, unless others file as write-in candidates. Glasscock County voted heavily for
Governor George W. Bush in the Republican Presidential Primary. Bush got 281
votes, John McCain 7, Alan Keyes 6, Charles Urban 1 and Uncommitted 2. In the
Democratic Presidential Primary, there were 8 votes for Vice-President Al
Gore, and 4 for Bill Bradley. The school prayer initiative was
approved by Glasscock County voters by a margin of 283 to 3. Forbis reports that 304 people
voted in the Republican primary and 14 in the Democratic primary, with the
combined vote representing 42 percent of the county’s registered voters (as
compared to only 30 percent in Midland County). Sheriff’s
Office Report The following activities were reported
by the sheriff’s office for the month of February: two advise complainant of
rights; four ambulance calls, five transported; one animal control request;
two felony arrests; one misdemeanor arrest; eight assist motorist calls;
thirty-one civil documents served; two disturbance calls; eight fire
department calls, five controlled, one vehicle, unable to locate two; eight
loose livestock reports; two major motor vehicle accidents; one minor motor
vehicle accident; two property crimes; four severe weather reports; five
suspicious person/vehicle investigations; seventeen traffic citations, eight
warnings. In The Spotlight • Christie Brown, who graduated from GCHS in 1999
and is the daughter of Dean and Claudia Brown, was named a Distinguished
Student by Tarleton State University for the fall semester. • Kina Lankford, a freshman at Abilene Christian
University, was named to the Dean’s List for the fall semester. She is the daughter of Terry and Susan
Lankford of Abilene. • Erin Hirt placed third in the 10-year-old
division in the state Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest in Austin March
11, competing against fourteen girls from around the state. Erin is the daughter of Mary Ann and Duane
Hirt. • Jason Wilde, competing in the district UIL Solo-ensemble
contest, received a 1 on a Class 1 trumpet solo. Jason advances to the state
UIL Solo-ensemble contest May 27 in San Marcos. He is the son of Leroy and
Jeanie Wilde, and a senior at GCHS. • Dana Wilde recently competed in the district
UIL Solo-ensemble contest and received a 1 on a Class 2 bari-saxophone solo.
Dana, who is a junior at GCHS, is the daughter of Richard and Janet Wilde. • Kyndra Batla, a senior guard, and junior post M’Lynn Niehues were recently named to
the all-district first team in District 4-1A basketball. Junior Summer Eoff made the second squad,
while Jill Hoelscher, Lora Braden and Deidra Hirt were named for the honorable mention team. • Michelle Fuchs won six awards at the San Angelo
Junior Rabbit Show, including Grand Champion Commercial Rabbit. Michelle is
the daughter of Barbara and Dennis Fuchs and a junior at GCHS. • Chelsea Schwartz, a freshman at GCHS, who was recently named Miss Teen Abilene,
will compete at the Miss Teen Texas pageant in Ft. Worth in July. Her father, Floyd Schwartz, presented
Chelsea as a Freshman Belle in the Midland Symphony Guild. • J’Layne Niehues had the lead role in Howard
College’s spring semester production of “And They Dance Real Slow in
Jackson.” The play was taken to the Junior College Theatre Festival in
Weatherford, where Niehues received an “Excellent in Acting” award for her
performance. She thanks the community for their support, and hopes they
enjoyed the play. • Justin Hillger set a new school record in the 300-meter
hurdles at the Bearkat Relays recently.
In the same meet, the junior
high girl’s team won first
place, the varsity girls took fourth place, and the varsity boys placed fifth. • The GCHS Varsity Girls Tennis Team recently won the team trophy at
the Garden City tennis meet. Water District Proposes Rules Changes The Board of Directors of the
Glasscock County Underground Water Conservation District voted March 21 to
conduct a public hearing to amend the district’s rules and bylaws. The
hearing will probably be held within the next two or three months. Possibly the most important of the
proposed changes will replace the current water transportation rule with a
new one that requires an environmental impact study and a drought contingency
plan before transporting water out of the district. Copies of the proposed changes are
available at the water district office. The board discussed some personnel
changes which have recently taken place within the West Texas Weather
Modification Association. Director Dennis Seidenberger was optimistic about
the organization, saying, “The weather modification program is in better
shape now than ever. It’s coming together now.” The board changed the district’s
office hours to 8-12 and 1- 4, Monday through Friday. District Manager Rick
Harston had requested the change, saying that most of the office’s business
comes early in the morning, and there is little business after 4 p.m. Darren Hillger and Keith Batla
attended the meeting to thank the board for sending them to a water camp last
summer. They reviewed their camp experiences for the board and showed photos
of some of their activities. Register for G.C. News
Online Forty-six people have registered
to receive the Glasscock County News
online. Thirty-five of those were
already on our mailing list of 430, and 11 are new. We appreciate the
enthusiasm of those who have registered so far and anticipate that more will
sign-up in the future. To register, go to the web site
at: http://wscope.com/glasscock (or directly to the form)
and follow the
instructions. Registration provides us with your e-mail address so we can
notify you each month when the newsletter is posted on the site. You will be able to read the
newsletter online and to print it. You will be able to view the entire
newsletter, or only the parts of your choice, and will be able to see back
issues, as well. In addition, you can access other county links from our
site. We already have the county underground water district’s web page
linked, so you can easily view their information along with ours, and hope to
add links to other public sites as they are available. If you elect to receive the
newsletter online, you will no longer get a mailed copy. We will, of course,
continue to mail the newsletter to those who do not register online. If you have comments, suggestions
or problems, please contact us at 354-2221 or via e-mail at gcnews201@aol.com. Scott Cope designed, constructed
and is maintaining the web site. Project Graduation News By Karla Hoelscher Project Graduation 2000 thanks
everyone for their support of the Super Bowl chicken dinner. We apologize to those of you whose chickens
weren’t quite done. We got really large chickens to ensure that you got your
money’s worth, but didn’t allow enough extra time to prepare them. Please give us a second
chance! We are sponsoring another
chicken dinner March 26. Prices are: chickens, $6 each; a pint of sauce, $2,
a pint of slaw, $2, and a quart of beans, $2. If you have not been called for
an order and would like to place one, call Lana Hirt, 397-2317 or Shirley
Braden, 397-2401. Project Graduation 2000 is also
having a raffle. First prize is a heavy,
all-metal yard swing, which can be
seen on the south lawn of the Glasscock County Bank Building. The swing was
built by Jimmy Bednar and the supplies were donated by Hirschfield Steel in
San Angelo, Southwest Tool, Harris Lumber, and the Metal Mart in Big Spring. A Millennium Duvet cover with sham, donated
by Wilma Halfmann and Kay Donna Machicek, is second prize. Third prize is a concrete birdbath donated by McMahon
Concrete of Big Spring. The drawing will be held on
graduation night, and you do not have to be present to win. Tickets are $1
each or six for $5, and can be purchased at the Glasscock County Bank or from
any GCHS Senior Class member. Thank you for your support. Briefly • The Senior Citizens will host an open house at their new center April 30 from 2 – 5
p.m. A drawing will be held for
several donated items. Raffle tickets
may be purchased from senior citizens, and you don’t have to be present to
win. The group urges the community to join them at the open house. • The new Senior Citizens’ Center may be rented for various events
such as meetings, reunions, showers, etc. There is no rental fee to
non-profit organizations. Other fees are: 1 – 3 hours, $25 plus a refundable
$25 deposit; all day rentals, $100 plus a refundable $100 deposit. Any renter must adhere to the senior
group’s rules and regulations that are posted inside the building. For details and scheduling, call Jo Ann
Turner at 354-2383. • A Family Literacy Night
will be held March 30 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. in the school library. Parents of
kindergartners, preschoolers or toddlers should attend this meeting.
Information will include strategies for building a foundation for reading
before a child starts school. In addition, there will be information about
the Accelerated Reader Program and the new Reading Achievement Program, and
the materials used in these programs will be available for review. Childcare,
interpreters and refreshments will be available. • Old photos of the courthouse and old jail are still needed, according to
Helen Wilkerson of the county’s historical committee. They will be used to
help with the master plan for restoration of the two buildings. Call
Wilkerson, Mary Jo Cope or Alan Dierschke if you have such photographs. • The Senior Citizens’ monthly meeting has been changed from April 4 to Tuesday,
April 11 at 6 p.m. A fish fry is
planned and everyone is asked to bring a dish to compliment the fish. • The Bearkat Booster Club
will meet April 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria to discuss and plan
the UIL banquet scheduled for May 16. Bearkat boosters are urged to attend.
Your ideas and help will be greatly appreciated. •
No one has yet volunteered
to be officers of the local Parent-Teacher Organization or to head the Volunteers in Public Schools group,
Karen Halfmann reports. The leaders of those groups for several years are
retiring, and replacements are needed. Call Halfmann (535-2236), Lisa Jansa
(397-2495) or Charlotte Kellermeier (397-2667) for information or to
volunteer. •
The election for three at-large school board positions will be
May 6. As of 9 a.m. March 22, Incumbent Tina Flores, Doug Schaefer, Paul
Schwartz and Randy Schmitz had filed to run. Filing continued through 5 p.m.
March 22. • New office hours for the county underground water district are
8 – 12 and 1 – 4, Monday through Friday. Previously, the office was open
9 –12 and 1 – 5, Monday through Friday. • The Census Bureau is
still hiring people for temporary part-time jobs. For information, call toll-free 1/888/325-7733. • I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all those in
Precinct 3 who supported me in the Primary Election. I hope to keep your
support in the General Election. Thank you again. Hugh Schafer, Commissioner
Precinct 3 About This Publication The next issue will be April 19. The deadline for that issue is April 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. |
|
|
