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Glasscock County News
Funds Available for Emergency Preservation Work on Old Jail
State funding has been approved for emergency preservation work on the
Old Glasscock County Courthouse (locally known as the ‘Old Jail’). Alan
Dierschke reported on the funding at the Feb. 8 meeting of the Glasscock
County Commissioners’ Court. There were 44 applicants from across the state
for the funds, and 20 were approved.
The local court has three months to accept or reject the state grant,
and six months to begin work if the grant is accepted.
State funds of $72,646 are supposed to cover two-thirds of the project,
and the county will have to cover the additional one-third ($36,325) of the
$108,974 project.
Dierschke said if the historic building is to be preserved, something
must be done about the moisture, which is deteriorating it. He said the main
problems are due to old mortar and ground moisture. He pointed out that this
grant is for emergency preservation only, and is not for restoration. The
local historical commission has been trying to get restoration funding for
both the existing courthouse and the old jail for several years.
Work Intended to Stop Further Deterioration
The planned work, which is intended to prevent further deterioration of the
masonry walls and interior plaster wall surfaces, would include: excavating
around the perimeter of the building and installing below-grade drainage to
extend to the street curb; removing all existing mortar joints and repointing
with new mortar; replacing all windows to match original wood windows; priming
and painting windows and exterior steel bars, including use of sealants, etc.
as necessary, and repairing or replacing existing steel
doors into building.
Dierschke said a contractor would need to agree to do the job for the stated
price with no cost overruns. Commissioner Jimmy Strube suggested looking at
contractor data before accepting a bid or agreeing to accept state funding.
Dierschke said a project reviewer from the Texas Historical Commission will
meet with the local commissioners’ court soon to discuss the grant process.
Commissioners tabled until a later date the question of whether to accept the
state funding and to proceed with getting the work done.
School May Try Again for Bond
GCISD’s Board of Trustees is considering making another attempt at getting
bond monies for several projects and transportation vehicles. No dollar amount
has yet been discussed in their meetings. Voters defeated a $12 million bond
issue in May 2009.
The board took a walk through the school plant on Jan. 26 to see what progress
has been made in recent months as a result of school maintenance personnel’s
work on repairs, renovation and face-lifting, and to determine what other
needs remain.
As a result of that tour, the board came up with a list of “Possible Bond
Projects.” That list includes the following (in no particular order).
Gymnasium: possible air
conditioning, replacing exterior/interior doors as needed, and replacing tile
and adding a handrail in the middle of visitor’s side.
Cafeteria: replace flooring (too
slippery). Library: new printer, TV
stand/speakers. High School: new,
larger lockers, new siding in hallways, update wiring.
Elementary School: renovate bathrooms by auditorium, complete
science lab, reconfigure classrooms on west side of building, enlarge nurse’s
room, new siding in hallways, new carpeting, replace white boards as needed.
Auditorium: replace lighting and
sound system. Complex building: add
big door, repair insulation. Ag. shop:
add light in upstairs storage area, install larger sink, raise outside water
faucet. Miscellaneous: large travel
bus, two route buses, new Suburban/pickup, re-key all locks, renovate
playground, add golf green, replace tennis nets, add larger tennis storage
building, remodel football press box and add partitions, wash bay and new
doors to bus barn.
The school board will hold a special meeting Feb. 22 at 10 a.m. to further
discuss a possible bond election and will meet with financial representatives
at that time.
Principals Get Contracts; O & G Leasing Authorized
In a thirty-minute closed session, the board accepted evaluations for both
school principals and gave Elementary School Principal Randy Gartman a year’s
extension on his contract (making it two years) and a $2,000 raise, taking his
salary to $59,000.
The board also passed a resolution authorizing leasing school minerals for oil
and gas development. On the advice of its attorney, the school will put its
mineral interests up for bids, subject to its own lease form, and then will
accept or reject bids as it chooses.
Water District Approves ’09 Action Plan
At its regular meeting Jan 19, the Glasscock Groundwater Conservation
District Board approved both the district’s Action Plan and Management Plan
for fiscal 2009, which ran from January to December of that year.
The Action Plan, reviewed by District Manager Rick Harston, showed that
78 water analyses were performed. No water wells were measured during the
year. The district’s goal is to measure 55 of its 69 monitoring wells.
Harston reported that one well was permitted for the year and five were
registered. The report showed that all new wells drilled complied with
district spacing requirements, with drilling regulations and all were
constructed to district standards. No abandoned water wells were reported to
the district, and no wells were reported as plugged or capped. No wasteful
practices were identified.
The district’s Topcon mapping equipment was not used, and the laser
plane leveling equipment was used four times.
No investigations were conducted for complaints from possible
contamination from oil and gas production and no complaints were filed with
the Texas Railroad Commission.
Oil Companies Apparently Have Free Rein
The board discussed state regulations that seem to exempt oil companies
from compliance with most water district rules. Harston gave the board members
copies of material from Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code, which he said
allows oil companies to do pretty much whatever they choose.
Copies of this material, and more information on the topic, are
available at the water district office.
The board voted to hire attorney Bob Turner as a consultant/lobbyist in
GCCD board members are: Kenneth Braden, Larry Wheat, John Phillips,
Allen Fuchs and Kent McMillan.
New
At its regular meeting Feb. 8,
Commissioners decided to take the freezer in the community center to Hardison
Appliance in
There was no word on the oil and gas lease that Attorney Rick Hamby is working
on for the county.
Both Tim Yeats and Mike Thomas spoke briefly at the court meeting to ask for
support in their respective bids for District Judge.
Due to poor pecan crops for the second straight year, the Annual
Glasscock County Pecan Show, which is set for March 9, will be for cooked
items only, with no pecan contest.
Entry recipes must be in the local Extension office by noon March 1 and
pecans must be used in each. Do not submit any recipes that have peanut
products included, since the school is a peanut-free zone. There is no limit
on the number of entries per person, and items requiring refrigeration will
not be accepted.
Age categories are Adult, Youth (grades 3-12) and Peewee (pre-K-grade
2). Food categories are cake, pie, cookies & bars, candy, bread and
miscellaneous.
Enter food at the community center March 9 between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m.
Place food on disposable dishes (dishes will not be returned) and cover with
clear plastic wrap. All entries become the property of the pecan show.
In the evening, food items and recipe books will be for sale in the
school cafeteria during Open House from 4 – 7 p.m.
Proceeds will go toward a scholarship
for which GCHS seniors may apply through the school counselor.
For more information, contact the Extension office at 354-2381.
UIL Announces District Realignments
The University Interscholastic League recently announced
football/basketball district realignments for 2010-2011 and 2011-2012.
In football, Garden City is in Conference 1A 6-Man Division 1, Region
2, District 7. Other schools in
District 7 are
In the basketball alignment, Garden City falls in Conference 1A
Division 2, Region 2, District 12.
This district is made up of eight schools - Blackwell, Bronte, Garden City,
Paint Rock, Robert Lee,
Schools classified 1A have 199 or below secondary school enrollment.
There are 382 basketball schools, 167 eleven-man football schools and
130 six-man football schools.
In the Spotlight
• Junior High Basketball:
The A-Girls team won the
District Tournament Championship, after placing 2nd in the regular season with
a record of 12 – 2. The
A-Boys team placed 2nd at the District Tournament, finishing the regular
season as District co-champs with a record of 12 – 2.
The B-Girls team finished the season 3 – 1, and the B-Boys finished 4 –
3.
Briefly
•
Glasscock Co. Senior Citizens will have only one meeting in March,
and it will be March 9 since the first
Tuesday of the month is Election Day.
Potluck will be the fare. The regular meeting schedule will resume in
April.
All are invited
for an evening of good food and dominos.
•
Early voting for the March 2 Primary Election is Feb. 16 – 26.
Candidates in a contested local race for Justice of the Peace are Kay
Donna Machicek and Linda F. Frysak.
Locals running unopposed for offices are Kimberley T. Halfmann, County
Judge; Rebecca (Becky) Batla, District and County Clerk; Alan J. Dierschke,
County Treasurer; Mark L. Halfmann, County Commissioner, Precinct #2.
•
Spring Open House
at the school is March 9, 4 – 7 p.m. From 5 – 6:30 p.m., there will be a beef
stew meal, including corn bread, dessert and a drink, with proceeds
benefitting the 4-H Leadership Tour Team.
•
A very heartfelt thank you
to everyone for your kind expressions of sympathy during our time of loss.
It was greatly appreciated, and it helped so much to feel the support of such
a wonderful, loving community. Thanks again.
The Family of Duane Cox
•
Applications for emergency farm loans
for losses caused by hail and high winds are being accepted at the Farm
Service Agency (FSA) office in
•
The
• Attention all Garden City graduates.
There are West Texas Alumni Football player games going on. There will be a
team meeting at the Garden City football field March 7 for all who are
interested. The game Garden City is scheduled to play will be in
From the Schoolhouse
BPA News
GCISD students competed at the Regional
Business Professionals of America meet comprised of 1A – 5A schools.
Students who placed 1 – 3 advance to the state competition in
Individual qualifiers were:
Paige Niehues, Amber Halfmann, Austin Hoelscher, Paige Sturtz, Lauren
Schwartz, Morgan Schwartz, Kelsey Jones, Kate Halfmann, Brittany Schniers,
Laura Halfmann, Aaron Long, Katy Multer, Katelyn Hoelscher, Samantha
Kellermeier. Team qualifiers were
Kate Halfmann, Brittany Schniers, Lauren Schwartz and Katelyn Hoelscher;
alternate team Paige Niehues, Laura Halfmann, Samantha Kellermeier and Rachel
Hirt.
UIL Academic Meet
Garden City high school students
competed with 26 teams from schools classified 1A – 3A at the UIL Texas Tech
Invitational Meet recently.
Results from the meet are:
Paige Niehues – 1st Science, 4th Computer Applications, 4th Computer
Science; Laura Halfmann – 3rd Science; Brian Hirt – 4th Calculators; Hayden
Halfmann – 5th Calculators, 4th Math, 2nd Computer Science, 5th Number Sense;
Brittany Schniers – Top Biology, 3rd Science; Craig Wheeler – 5th Ready
Writing; Calculator Team - 3rd,
Hayden Halfmann, Brian Hirt, Adriana Ramirez; Computer Science Team – 1st,
Hayden Halfmann, Paige Niehues, Adriana Ramirez; Math Team – 3rd, Hayden
Halfmann, Brittany Schniers, Ian Schaefer; Number Sense Team – 4th, Hayden
Halfmann, Brian Hirt, Ian Schaefer; Science Team – 1st, Paige Niehues, Laura
Halfmann, Brittany Schniers; Spelling Team – 3rd, Ian Schaefer, Reggie
Halfmann, Craig Wheeler.
TWFCTM
Tournament
Garden City students took second place in the Sweepstakes at the TWFCTM
Tournament in
Scheduled Events:
Check the school website at: http://www.gckats.net for a
schedule of current events.
Dates to Note:
Basketball: Feb. 12 – Robert Lee @GC,
JVB, 5 p.m., VB, 6:30 p.m.
Basketball games start times:
JVG – 4 p.m., JVB – 5 p.m., VG – 6:30 p.m., VB – 8 p.m.
Regional Basketball Tournaments:
VG – Feb. 26-27 at ACU in
Tennis: March 2 – Forsan
Dual, JV/V @ GC; Mar. 8 JV @
Reminder – dates and times for events are subject to change!
Obituary
•
John Alton Mills, Sr.,
of
He was born on Feb. 23, 1932, in
He married Frances Cox on Dec. 27, 1951 and started his career in crude oil
purchasing and sales with the Texas Company in
He was a member First Presbyterian Church, where he served as a deacon and an
elder. As an active member of the community, he served as president of the
Midland High Bulldog Booster Club, Chairman of the Young Life Committee, vice
president of Texas Tech Ex Students Association, Midland Chair of the
Chancellor's Council at Texas Tech, trustee and member of the Board of
Governors of the Museum of the Southwest, member of the Board of Trustees of
Midland Community Theatre, board member of the Midland Council on Alcoholism,
president of the Permian Basin Crude Oil Association, president of The Racquet
Club and a member of the Board of Directors of The Petroleum Club.
He is survived by his wife and children, John Mills, Jr. and wife Tammy of
Houston and their children, Morgan Mills and Dillon Mills; Melinda Williamson
of Midland and children, Claire Williamson and George Williamson; and Steve
Mills and wife Dodie of Midland and their children, Talia Mills, Micah Mills
and Kalin Harvard. He is also survived by a sister, Marion Lutkins of
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to First
Presbyterian Church, 800 W. Texas, Midland, TX 79701; Hospice Inpatient Unit
at Midland Memorial Hospital, 911 W. Texas, Midland, TX 79701; the Vangie
Lindsey Art Scholarship at Midland College, 3600 N. Garfield, Midland, TX
79705; or Hillcrest School, 3510 North A Street, Midland, TX 79705.
Next Issue Date and Deadline
The next issue of the Glasscock County News will be March 10, 2010. The deadline for that issue is March 8, but earlier material is helpful. Send information to: P.O. Box 98, Garden City, TX 79739; phone or fax: 432/354-2221; 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: 432/354-2221; e-mail: gcnews201@aol.com; web site: glasscockcountynews.com
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