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Glasscock County News
Technology Grant Approved
GCISD Superintendent Steve Long has announced that the county has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the state's Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund to be used for providing a wireless community internet network. He had applied for the TIF grant last year, but the application was not funded. Never one to give up, Long said at that time, "I'll keep applying for it [the grant]” and his perseverance has paid off. He will accept the award at a conference in Austin July 29. GCISD will provide $25,000 in matching funds required for the grant, but Long is hopeful that a grant from the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission will reimburse the school for that money. GCISD will also serve as the financial agent for the grant's administration, their personnel will maintain the system, and the GCISD Board will be the final authority on grant-related activities. Long says the TIF grant will, among other things, provide funds for building a community-wide internet access network, connecting public-use computers to be located at the school, the community center, and the St. Lawrence gin office. Such stations will enable those without personal computers to access the resources of the worldwide web, and in addition, provide equipment for various computer-training classes to be conducted by volunteers from the school and the county at large. Long says the funds can also provide equipment such as video cameras, printers and scanners for public use. Ultimately, the goal of area TIF grants seems to be for all Permian Basin counties to be connected to a large computer network served through the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission, making costs more affordable for each county in the service area. Long says local plans will be refined, and may change after more specific community needs are identified.
County to Reconfigure Courthouse Interior
The Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court decided July 8 to temporarily reconfigure the county courthouse interior to provide more efficient use of workspace. The changes will involve removing some walls and doors while adding others. The county/district clerk’s office will be enlarged, and what was the extension service office will be partitioned to provide space for a combination break room / work area for abstract office personnel and separate space for the county treasurer’s office. The county judge will move into what is now the treasurer’s office and an old door will be reopened between it and the present office of the judge and the justice of the peace. The office that was Warren Multer’s is being used by Kenny Batla, the county’s emergency management coordinator. County Treasurer Alan Dierschke said none of the changes are permanent, and will not interfere with a historical restoration of the courthouse at a later date. Daniel Kujawski will do the work, which will cost approximately $3,800. Dierschke said he has been told that a historical restoration of the courthouse will probably be funded in four years. But before that time, the courthouse badly needs a new roof. Dierschke said the state historical commission has agreed that if the county puts an historically correct roof on now, the approximately $53,000 it will cost will ultimately count toward the $200,000 (20 percent) of matching funds the county is obligated to pay in the eventual restoration. The court took no action regarding the roof, but will consider it in the budgeting process for the next fiscal year. The court agreed to name the various rooms in the community center, and to spend about $400 for nameplates which will include Braille signage for each. Apparently, the names may be those that the architecture firm placed on the building drawings: Community Room, Conference Room, and Vocational Room. At an earlier meeting, the court hired Curtis Palmer to oversee the county’s dump ground and landfill. He will be paid $10 per hour for 28 hours weekly, and like other part-time employees, receives no county benefits. The court set other part-time salaries at $7 per hour for summer help, $9.50 for road crew, $9.50 for office help and $5.15 for telephone answering only. Commissioner Mark Halfmann reported that the National Forest Service wants the county to either get the fire-fighting equipment they have given the county up and running, or return it to the Service. Halfmann said two trucks stationed in Garden City and one tanker truck at the Drumright station are okay, but two trucks in St. Lawrence need repairs that Fire Chief Cookie Machicek says are too expensive. Commissioners were to talk with members of the volunteer fire departments about returning some of the equipment. In other action, the court: 1) appointed Ann Hoelscher, Doris Schwartz, Kim Hillman and Maritha Blalock as election precinct judges; Mary Barfield, JoAnn Turner, Helen Glass and Diane Havlak are alternates, 2) voted to continue the policy of not charging additional fees for vehicle registration.
Filing Period Open for Water Board
At its June 18 meeting, the Glasscock Underground Water Conservation District's Board of Directors (Mike Hughes and Dennis Seidenberger absent) ordered an election to be held Sept. 14 to fill directors seats in precincts three and four. Current directors whose terms are expiring are Larry Wheat in Precinct 3, and Zane Eoff in Precinct 4. Filing for the positions is open now and will continue through July. GUWCD Manager Rick Harston reported that a recent groundwater study done for San Angelo lists Glasscock County among the possible water sources for that city. He also said that Midland has a well field in Sterling County, north of Sterling City, along Highway 87, and that Big Spring has owned water rights in Glasscock County for years, but has never used them. "We need to be aware that cities around us are starting to look for water," Harston said. Harston presented a report for the month ending June 11 showing the number of hours flown by the West Texas Weather Modification's cloud-seeding planes. The Midland-based plane flew 13 hours; one in San Angelo logged 9 hours, the Ozona plane flew 13 hours, and two planes were down for repairs. Harston reported that a state audit of the GUWCD showed no problems.
Landfill and Dump Ground Hours
The county’s dump ground and landfill are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The west dump ground is open on Wednesdays and Fridays; the north landfill is open on Thursdays and Saturdays. Both facilities are closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. They are also closed on county holidays: New Years Eve, New Years Day, Good Friday, July 4, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The phone number is 270-3711.
SWCD Board Approves Fact Sheet
Glasscock County's Soil and Water Conservation District's Board, meeting in regular session June 18 (Jerlene Frysak and Allan Jansa absent) approved a Fact Sheet for use by the State Soil and Water Conservation Board. According to information in that document, there are 95 landowners and/or operators in the District, 429,000 acres of rangeland, 140,000 acres of cropland (26,000 irrigated, 114,000 dryland) and 4,500 acres of pastureland. According to the report, a total of 67,000 acres in the GCSWCD are in approved conservation plans. There are six EQIP contracts totaling 37,000 acres, three CRP contracts with a total of 299 acres, and 22 brush control contracts totaling100,000 acres. The District lists a UCRA map digitizing grant ($13,000) and a Water Development Board grant ($36,000). The report shows the North Concho Watershed Project and farmers converting to trickle irrigation as water levels decrease as District success stories. The board heard reports from Ron Crumley, NRCS Designated Conservationist, and Tuffy Wood, GCSWCD Conservation Planner Two. The GCSWCD Board of Directors is composed of elected members Jerlene Frysak, chairman, Lawrence Jost, vice-chairman, Allan Jansa, secretary, Wendell Halfmann and Hubert Frerich. Shirley Braden is employed as the District's bookkeeper.
In The Spotlight
• Suzanne Gilstrap has been asked to join Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society in education. A senior at Howard Payne University, she is a 1998 graduate of GCHS and the daughter of Kay and Stephen Gilstrap of Midland.
• Bearkat Varsity Mascot Marianne Halfmann was named Varsity All-Star Mascot and received a "Superior" trophy at the UCA camp which the GCHS varsity cheerleading squad attended in June. Cheerleaders earning spots on the Varsity All-Star Squad were: Bonnie Pelzel, Chelsea Schwartz, Brecklyn Hughes and Allison Jansa. Morgan Kight and Amanda Hirt received "Excellent" ratings.
• The Texas Cooperative Extension office recently announced that Lori Hoelscher was awarded a $10,000 Houston Livestock Show Scholarship and Darren Hillger received a $4,000 Texas Farm Bureau Scholarship. Tiffany Wheat received a $1,000Texas Family and Consumer Science Texas Professional Teachers Scholarship. Both Hoelscher and Hillger plan to attend Texas A & M University; Wheat attends Tarleton State University.
• Chelsea Schwartz, representing GCHS, recently competed with 49 other juniors statewide in the Miss Texas High School Pageant in San Antonio. She was named first runner-up and was awarded a $1000 scholarship. Chelsea will appear on the 2003 program book cover, make an appearance at the High School Football Classic at San Antonio's Alamodome and be featured in the Texas State Fair Parade.
• Jacob Schmitz, a sixth grader at Garden City Elementary, recently played in the 11-and-under State Baseball Tournament in San Angelo. His team placed third overall, and will play in the World Series in Kansas later this month. Jacob, the son of Melissa and Randy Schmitz, thanks those who supported him and the team.
Young Appointed Methodist Pastor
Karan Young has been appointed pastor at Garden City United Methodist Church. She graduated from Texas Tech University with a BS in Secondary Education. She also attended the University of Texas in Austin for a year of graduate work in Library Science. Young is an English teacher at Midland's Excel High School. She and her husband, Jimmy, live in Midland where they share their home with a Cocker Spaniel, Chewie, and a cat, Miss Kitty. Young is excited about serving in Garden City and hopes to take an active part in the community.
Briefly
• The GCHS cheerleaders will hold a "Mini-Cheerleading" camp Aug. 12-15 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Garden City "Complex." Kids in grades K through six are eligible, and the cost is $25. Registration forms are available at Halfmann's General Store, and must be in by July 15. For more information, contact Micki Wesley, 354-2679 or Brecklyn Hughes, 354-2694.
• Paving equipment recently damaged a community center column and water meter. The company is to pay for repairs.
• The GCHS Class of 1992 is seeking addresses of classmates. Please send to Caryl Wilde Beimer, 207 River Rd., Miles, TX, 76861 or to cmwilde2@yahoo.com. Watch for information on a 10-year reunion soon.
• The Glasscock County ISD board meeting has been moved to July 15, and will be covered in the August issue of the GC News.
Obituaries
• Gwendowlyn Jean Sullivan, 80, died July 8 in a Big Spring nursing home and was buried at Trinity Memorial Park. She was born in 1922 in Ralls and married C.J. ‘Red’ Sullivan in 1942 in Big Spring. He preceded her in death in 1998. She retired after 30 years service as a nurse’s aide at the Big Spring State Hospital. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Garden City. Survivors include four sons, Bo Sullivan of Garden City, C. Josh Sullivan, Jr. of San Angelo, Tommy Sullivan and William ‘Pepper’ Sullivan, both of Big Spring; three daughters, Claudia Turner of Tyler, Lou Pardy of Yorktown Heights, NY, and Gwen Ray of Big Spring, and others.
Next Issue Date and Deadline
The next issue of the Glasscock County News will be Aug. 14. The deadline for that issue is Aug. 12, but earlier material is helpful. Send information to: P.O. Box 98, Garden City, TX 79739; phone or fax: 915/354-2221; e-mail: gcnews201@aol.com. 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; web site: http://wscope.com/glasscock/ |
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