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Glasscock County News
Public
Offers Input Regarding Courthouses More than twenty people attended a
public hearing May 2 to hear plans for the restoration of the two county
courthouses and to offer their memories and ideas. Architects Gary Vandergriff and
Stan Klein moderated the meeting, which focused on gathering historical
perspective from those in attendance. Their group will develop a Master Plan
which hopefully will meet Texas State Historical Commission criteria for
funding from the Texas Courthouse Preservation Fund. They said getting
information and perspective from local citizens is an integral part of that
planning process. After being asked to offer their
memories of the courthouse and its activities, several people remembered a
big murder trial held in the courthouse in the mid-1940’s (someone killed his
wife, but was not convicted). In addition, some remembered a major robbery
trial that took place in the 1940’s. Of that trial, County Judge Wilburn
Bednar recalled that a local man almost caused a mis-trial by exclaiming, of
the defendant, “Well, of course he’s guilty.” And the Steve Currie murder trial in 1971, which was moved on a
change of venue, was recalled by many. Several also remembered that a sizable
tree once had to be cut down from in front of the old jail door so that a
prisoner could be jailed. Mary Joyce Wilkerson said when she
came here in 1932, deer were fenced with net wire inside the courthouse lawn.
There are several pictures of the deer on the lawn being fed by various
people. At the time, Wilkerson said there were no deer native here nor in
Sterling County. She said Steve Currie
might have brought the deer here. Other interesting information
surrounding the courthouses is surfacing. Edward Holsburg, architect of the
1909 courthouse, was from Georgia, and this is the only courthouse he built
in Texas, though he built others in Georgia and Florida. The original
construction drawings and elevations for the local courthouse have been
found, as well as a photo that shows the building during the final stages of
construction. Intact, unused pressed metal shingles from the original roofing
have been found, along with pieces of the original horizontal cresting on the
roof. In addition, there are existing seats and lighting fixtures salvaged
from the courtroom before it was remodeled in 1970. Klein stressed the importance of
planning, so the renovated courthouses meet the county’s needs as they
evolve. He said spending must be prioritized, and things done properly, so
they need to be done only once. He said, as an example, enlarging the county
clerk’s office is a high priority. He also explained the need, not only to
preserve the original courthouse (the “old jail”), but also to find a
practical use for it so it is an asset, not a liability. The
architects are urging everyone to write letters to the Glasscock County Commissioners'
Court Supporting the renovation, and to mention any historical information
you have relating to the courthouses. They said these letters would be important in their
presentation to the Texas Historical Commission. If state funding is obtained, it
would pay for 85 percent of the “bricks and mortar” work, with the county
paying 15 percent. Last week, the Texas Historical
Commission approved $42 million in funding for courthouse preservation to 19
counties in Phase 1. Glasscock County was not part of that round, but plans
to be in Phase 2. The architects will meet with the
commissioners’ court May 22 at 9 a.m. The public is welcome. Schroyer,
County Still in Dispute Veronica Schroyer read a prepared
statement at the regular meeting of the Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court
May 8. In the statement, Schroyer said
she had met with the commissioners’ court in March and suggested the county
have Martin County answer Glasscock County’s 911 calls because they have
24-hour trained personnel. But, she said the commissioners wanted to place
blame, instead of find solutions. She said having Martin County answer the
911 calls would have allowed her the time to continue 911 mapping, addressing
and data base updating. Although the court voted April 10
to immediately terminate her employment as 911 coordinator, she said in her
statement that she received no notification of her termination until April
14, when she received a letter to that effect. She said she had continued to
work as usual in her 911 position until she received the letter, and would
not accept her final paycheck as issued by the county until five more days
salary for the period of April 10 through April 15 was paid. (The court later agreed to pay her the
five days salary.) Referring to the voucher she had
previously presented to the county for uncompensated overtime (in the amount of $78,599), Schroyer said,
based on the 122 and one-half hours weekly she was expected to work in the
911 coordinator’s job, her salary amounted to $1.99 per hour. She said since
the minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, the county is in violation of federal
minimum wage laws. Schroyer said she has researched the Fair Labor Standards
Act and has found no applicable exemptions by which the county could pay her
less than minimum wage. Having stated that she was fired
with no explanation, Schroyer told the court she wanted to know the reasons
for her termination. Commissioner Mark Halfmann answered by saying there had
been three or four times recently when the 911 phone was not answered,
causing serious liability for the county. Schroyer replied that there were
only two unanswered calls and one came during the noon hour, and she had
never been told that she was to work during that time. Schroyer said she would take
inaction by the court as a refusal to pay and she would hire a lawyer.
Schroyer asked, “Will we have to fight it out in federal court?” County Judge Wilburn Bednar refused
comment. At a commissioners’ court meeting
May 15, the court met in closed session with its attorney, James Kosub, to
discuss the situation regarding Schroyer, and afterward, Bednar said any
further discussions in the matter will be handled by Kosub. County-wide
Website Nears Reality A technology committee headed by
County Agent Steve Sturtz has been working toward a county web site, and on
May 15, the commissioners’ court approved $750 for its first year start-up
costs. Sturtz estimated lower costs in subsequent years. Sturtz said the site will provide
free links for the web pages of both public entities and private businesses
in the county, and will allow access to all of them from one place. He said
several web pages, both public and private, already exist in the county, and
more are sure to come. Each business or entity will be required to set up its
own web page, which would then be linked to the county site after approval by
the technology committee. The committee currently consists
of Rick Harston, John Kinnibrugh, Mary Jo Cope, Dean Munn, and Joe Calverley. Medical Insurance Plagues County Note: the following consists of
information from meetings of the Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court on May
8 and May 15. The county commissioners’ court is
attempting to determine how best to approach continuing problems with the
county’s medical insurance. West Texas Rural Counties, an insurance pool
which is the county’s primary insurer, is bordering on insolvency, and needs
additional capital to meet its overdue and current claims, according to
Glasscock County Treasurer Alan Dierschke, who is the county’s representative
on the WTRC board. Dierschke said WTRC wants the
county to pay $116,000 now, which would pay the county’s overdue and current
claims, plus advancing approximately three months of claims at an average of
$33,000 per month. He said the money would help keep WTRC afloat for awhile
as it tries to lower expenses and raise capital. He said the county court
will have to decide how much it wants to salvage the WTRC program. The county
has prepaid its premiums through September in an effort to provide capital
and to help with claims payments. According to Dierschke, WTRC has
said it will provide written assurance that the money paid into the pool now
would be assigned back to Glasscock County in July, when the pool’s reinsurer
is to make a sizeable payment. Glasscock County is responsible
for its own claims if WTRC goes bankrupt, Dierschke said. Regarding WTRC’s problems, Bednar
said hindsight shows the organization was never properly capitalized. In
addition, he said, “Our claims have been terrible.” And he said the county’s
current insurance deal for employees’ families has been “too wonderful.” Dierschke said some of the
insurance options include pulling high-risk folks out of the county group,
and insuring them through a statewide pool, while trying for another system
for other employees. He also pointed out that most counties provide employees
with coverage requiring $1,000
deductibles, rather than the $250 deductible here. Dierschke said he is
checking into other insurance possibilities, including Blue Cross through the
Texas Association of Counties, which was the county’s insurer prior to WTRC. Dierschke said WTRC now faces $2.2
million in outstanding claims. He said the expected $2 million from the
reinsurer would still leave WTRC $200,000 in the hole. He said Community
Hospital in San Angelo is suing WTRC for non-payment of claims. The court will again discuss the
insurance problems May 22. Regarding other matters, Bednar
said the county needs to advertise soon for bids on operating the county’s
landfill/dump. No action was taken. County Engineer Dan Glass
presented a revised estimated cost of $269,000 for the county’s 2000 paving
project, which includes $5,000 for repaving flood damaged areas on several county
roads. The new paving will consist of: County Road 130 from Garden City east
1.3 miles; County Road 415 from the south end of the existing pavement (2
miles south of the Martin County line) south 3 miles and County Road 110 from
State Highway 137 west 6 miles to RM Highway 1357. Bids will be taken in
June. Discussion of a possible bond
issue for a community center building was tabled until May 22, when the court
will again meet in special session at 9 a.m. in the courthouse. GCHS Announces Top Graduates Jared Eggemeyer, valedictorian of the Garden City High School Class of 2000, is the
son of Jimmy and Donna Eggemeyer. He is the president of the senior
class, the National Honor Society, and the student council. He is also
treasurer of the Beta Club and secretary of the 4-H Club. Jared has participated in
University Interscholastic League tennis, one act play, science, and computer
applications. He will attend Texas Tech University, where he will major in
business. Kyndra Lee Batla, salutatorian of the GCHS Class of 2000, is the daughter of Garry and
Darla Batla. She is the vice-president of both the National Honor Society and
the Beta Club, and has been the FHA president and student council secretary. A member of the varsity basketball
team for four years, she was selected Newcomer of the Year her sophomore
year, was placed on the first team all-district her junior and senior years,
and was a team captain her senior year. She is a member of the University
Interscholastic League Calculators team and the Small Schools Academic
Decathlon team, which advanced to the state level this year. Kyndra plans to
pursue a career in nursing. In The Spotlight •
Jason Wilde placed first in
computer applications and seventh in science – biology at the state UIL
competition in Austin. He brought home the gold medal in computer
applications with a near perfect paper, according to sponsor Reta Bell. Jason is the son of Leroy and Jeanie
Wilde, and a senior at Garden City High School. • M’Lynn Niehues won a
bronze medal, placing third in the 400 meter race with a time of 1:00.99, at
the state UIL track and field competition.
M’Lynn, a junior, is the daughter of Cary and Rene Niehues. •
Several local women recently completed programs at Howard College in
Big Spring. Darla Batla and Martha
Johnson received Associate Degrees in Applied Science, Nursing. Denice
Batla and Jamie Bradford
received Associate Degrees in Applied Science, Dental Hygiene. Dana
Henrichs and Maria Perez
completed certificate programs. •
The team of Jill Hoelscher,
Ryan Batla, Keith Batla and Drew
Plagens won first place in livestock judging at the district roundup in
Odessa. The team will represent
Glasscock County and District 6 at the state roundup June 15. Water
District Calls Election The Glasscock County Underground
Water Conservation District’s Board of Directors ordered an election Aug. 12
for Precincts 3 and 4 at its regular meeting May 16. Incumbent directors are
Larry Wheat in Precinct 3, and Zane Eoff in Precinct 4. Filing for the
positions will be from June 1 through June 28 at the water district office. District manager Rick Harston
reported that the weather modification group of which Glasscock County is a
part may soon change its operational rules so it can seed clouds at night and
when there are thunderstorm warnings. Board member Dennis Seidenberger
asked if it’s possible to get the Natural Resource Conservation Service to do
more work in Glasscock County. He said, “They should be doing the [Topcon
mapping] work we’re having to do,” and added, “We need their expertise.” Harston said the NRCS people
rarely come here anymore, but he said Alan Jansa, a member of the Soil and
Water Conservation District board, is concerned and trying to do something
about the situation. Seidenberger also mentioned that
there are people who are evading water district rules by using a clause,
which exempts wells, equipped to produce less than 18 gallons per minute from
the district’s spacing rules. Correction
Last month, we mistakenly stated
that Mike Meek had previously been relieved of his duties as coach and
athletic director prior to resigning as math teacher in April. In fact, Meek had
resigned as coach and athletic director in February. We regret the error. GCISD Hires New Athletic Director The GCISD school board hired Wade
Wesley as the new athletic director and head football coach at its regular
meeting May 15. The board also hired his wife Mickie as an elementary
teacher. Wesley is a 1989 graduate of Texas
Tech University with a degree in physical education and math. He is now the
defensive coordinator at Pampa High School where he also assists with track. After lengthy discussion, the
board voted to go along with incoming superintendent Steve Long’s suggestion
to keep the $6,000 stipend it pays above state base. There had been
discussion of reducing the stipend for newly hired teachers. Long said the
stipend will help to attract good teachers at a time when the state faces a
huge teacher shortage. He said the district has a very good thing going with
its teachers, and he would like to leave the stipend issue alone for now. The board accepted the
resignations of Sylvia McEntire, first grade, and Jamie Walker, elementary
physical education. Newly elected board members Tina
Flores, Cecilia Schwartz and Brad Avery were sworn in, and the board
reorganized itself by electing Jimmy Eggemeyer president, Mike Hillger
vice-president and Tina Flores secretary. The board held preliminary
discussions regarding student handbook revisions to be decided at the June
board meeting. Several items are to be discussed, including weighted academic
averages, and looking at the way valedictorian and salutatorian are chosen,
with weighting in mind. How to time and organize the
school day was a major topic of discussion. Board member Mike Hillger said we
have no chance for distance learning if we can’t coordinate our spring break
with other schools in the area. (Zachry says we are the only school in the
district to plan our spring break around the Houston Livestock Show.) After listening to a broad array
of scheduling problems, board member Karla Hoelscher said, “I may start World
War III, but could we consider starting school 15 to 30 minutes
earlier?” She suggested polling the
community. Hoelscher said lots of kids are at school by 8 a.m. anyway, and
that kids learn better in the morning. Her idea brought immediate support
from Elementary School Principal Dean Munn, who said, “ We could use the
extra time in many ways, like UIL training, which now has to come from class
time.” Secondary School Principal Faith
Scott agreed that her people also needed the extra time. She said, “Most of our kids are here by 8 a.m.
anyway.” Zachry agreed, and noted
that an earlier starting time might require extra bus runs on some routes. Scott said additional academic
requirements need to be in place for taking Advanced Placement courses. She
said students need to work up to taking the AP courses, with things like
summer reading programs which, among other things, build vocabulary. Regarding cheerleading and
twirling issues, Zachry said the number of cheerleaders was set years ago,
and the student handbook is very specific regarding the selection process.
Scott said the number of twirlers is a percentage of the number of band
members, and this year, outside band directors ranked applicants, then
selected the top three. The board will consider handbook
revisions and scheduling changes at its regular meeting June 19. The board agreed there is no
problem with high school summer league basketball using the gym, as long as
there is adult supervision and they work around the 3 or so weeks in June
necessary for the annual floor refinishing. Briefly •
Senior Church will be
Sunday, May 21, at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Lawrence Catholic Church. Graduation is May 25 at 7 p.m. •
Jamie Walker will give swimming
lessons May 30 -- June 2 and June 6 -- June 9 at the home of Dennis and Barbara
Fuchs. The hour-long lessons cost $45 for eight sessions and the minimum age
is three years. Call Walker at 398-5430 to register and to get a time for the
lessons. • If you have a quality photograph of any individual or team from
Garden City High School who has ever won a first place in any academic or athletic event at the state level,
contact the school superintendent’s office at 354-2230. • Rainfall data
dating back to 1912 is available at the Glasscock County Underground Water District’s web site (http://www.angelfire.com/tx/gcuwd/). Other information includes the district’s
rules, management plan and action plan. The site is also linked to the
Glasscock County News at http://wscope.com/glasscock/links.htm. •
Southwestern Bell estimates
equipment will be ready for the changeover to 911 calls being answered by
Martin County personnel at the end of May, according to County Judge Wilburn
Bednar. He says an updated list of 911 physical addresses has been taken to
the Stanton office. •
A German-Czech Heritage Night,
sponsored by Summer in the City, will be held June 8 at the Midland
Centennial Plaza from 7 – 9 p.m. The
Havlak/Batla Polka Band will perform.
There will be a raffle for a weekend getaway in Fredericksburg, and
tickets are $1 each. Other activities
include a children’s area, a baking contest, a battle of the beers, a beard
contest and a German dinner prepared by the Wild Scallion Restaurant. The celebration is free to the public, but
food, drink and raffle tickets must be purchased. For more information, or to purchase raffle tickets, call Becky
Halfmann, 397-2533. • Senior Citizens will meet Tuesday, June 6 at 6:30
p.m. Sandwiches and chips will be
provided, so bring something to go with sandwiches, like fruit or
dessert. Line dancing is on the
entertainment agenda. • County Constable Leroy Hoelscher wants to remind farmers about the
on-going problem with farm equipment being turned on county roads and causing
damage. He says all equipment
operators should be made aware of the problem so it can be stopped. •
A reception honoring School
Superintendent Charles Zachry,
who is retiring June 1, was held May 1 in the school cafeteria. Zachry was presented with a mantle clock
for his 16 years service with the Glasscock County school system. Zachry’s career in education has spanned
30 years. • The local Livestock Association and 4-H Club are having a sausage-making fundraiser June 24-25
to replace the Glasscock County Gala. Orders for the homemade sausage are now
being taken. Contact the extension office for more information. GCISD
Scores on TAAS Look Good Preliminary testing information from
the 1999 TAAS testing looks exceptionally good for the GCISD schools,
according to principals Faith Scott and Dean Munn. Although the entire report
won’t be available until October, the school has received test results which
the principals find exciting. In the elementary school, those
meeting minimum standards in fourth grade were: reading 95 percent; math 82
percent and writing 96 percent. In fifth grade: reading 96 percent and math
100 percent. In sixth grade: reading 93 percent, math 100 percent. Elementary School Principal Dean
Munn said of the test results, “Students and teachers have done a great job!
Scores of 82 to 85 percent cause most districts to celebrate.” In the secondary school, those
meeting minimum standards in seventh grade were: reading 100 percent; math
100 percent. In eighth grade, reading 100 percent, math 100 percent, social
studies 92 percent and science 100 percent. In tenth grade: reading 96
percent, math 85 percent and writing 93 percent. Secondary School Principal Faith
Scott said that two dropouts last year would hurt us on the final score in
October. School Superintendent Charles
Zachry said, “These scores don’t just accidentally happen – it takes lots of
good work from both kids and teachers.” A Few
Parting Words By Dean Munn, elementary school principal Children of Glasscock County
Elementary School, thank you for making it so easy to go to work every day
for the past three years. Each of you has touched my life in some way. I’ve
enjoyed the high fives, the hugs, and watching you grow and learn. I will not
soon forget the celebrations of success that we have shared. I have a wish
for each and every one of you; that you are healthy, that you set your goals
high and reach them, that you always treat one another with kindness, that
you reach out to those who need a hand, and that you always strive to be the
best person you can possibly be. I will miss you greatly. To the staff, thank you for making
me look good. You are the most dedicated, hard working people that I have ever
had the pleasure of working with. From day one, you accepted me and gave me
room to grow and learn my role. You have been a great team to work with and I
will miss you all very much. My wish for you is that you maintain the high
expectations, continue to work well together, and remain positive,
enthusiastic, and energetic. To the parents and community,
thank you for the support and for accepting me and my family. We have been
blessed to call Garden City our home, even if for a brief period. The friendships
that have been established, and in some cases renewed, will without a doubt,
stand the test of time. Thank you all once again and may
God bless you and your family. Sincerely, Dean Munn Seniors
Officially Open New Building By Jo Ann Turner A ribbon cutting ceremony was held
Sunday April 30, officially presenting the Glasscock County Senior Citizens
Building to the community. The program was opened with an
invocation by Rev. Al Stiefer, pastor of First Baptist Church. The pledge of allegiance was led by Cub
Scout pack #113 and leaders Jim Havlak, Veronica Schroyer and Jennifer
Jansa. Brenda Davis gave a short
speech stating that she and her family were glad to be a part of this by
donating the land and this was home. Mrs. Davis and County Judge
Wilburn Bednar cut the ribbon and senior citizens served refreshments. A drawing for the raffle was held,
and a picnic stool table, made and donated by Cecil Halfmann, was won by
Diann Schwertner. A quilt, made and
donated by Jonnie Cypert was won by Brenda Davis. A western throw, donated by
Doris Schwartz, was won by Chris Halfmann. The senior citizens would like to
thank everyone in the community for their help and support. They want the community to know that the
building is for community use. There
is a rental charge for private parties such as showers, birthdays, etc. Tax-free entities, such as 4-H and Lions
Club may use it without cost.
Everyone needs to schedule their meetings with Jo Ann Turner,
354-2383. She has the calendar and a
key. Thank
you again, Glasscock County folks, for your support. . From the
Schoolhouse •
At the Region 1-A Track and Field Meet April 28 –29 in Levelland, the
1600 meter relay team of Roger
Alvarado, Anthony Hoelscher, Kendall Goodwin and Justin Hillger placed ninth. Team alternates were Josh Schmitz and Brian
Hillger. In the triple jump, Kendall Goodwin placed eighth, and Justin Hillger placed fourth in the
300 hurdles. Goodwin
set a new school record in the triple jump with a jump of 42 ft. 4 in. J. Hillger
set a new school record in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles with a time of
40.14. • Cory Batla was named to
the basketball all–district second team.
Honorable mention went to Erik
Halfmann and Justin Hillger. Sheriff’s
Office Report The following activities were
reported by the sheriff’s office for the month of April: one non-traffic
accident (oilfield); two advise complainant of rights; two alarms answered;
two ambulance calls, one transported; one animal control request; two felony arrests;
three misdemeanor arrests; six assist motorist calls; six assist public
calls; two civil documents served; one disturbance call; two DWI’s; one
over-sized load escort; three fire department calls, one controlled, one
grass, one unable to locate; fifteen loose livestock reports; one missing
livestock report; one found livestock report; one missing property call; one
found property report; two major motor vehicle accidents, two injured; one
minor motor vehicle accident; one
person crime; two property crimes; five road hazards other than livestock
reported; three suspicious vehicle investigations; one suspicious person
investigation; thirteen traffic citations, six warnings. About This Publication The next issue will be June 21. The deadline for that issue is June 19. 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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