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Glasscock County News
School Declines O & G Lease
At its May 12 meeting, the GCISD board (Kevin Hirt absent) decided not to sign
an oil and gas lease with Laredo Energy at this time. The lease had been in
negotiations for several months, but the company and the board could not agree
on specific terms.
The board agreed to let the county tax appraisal district keep $14,450 in
funds that had accumulated since 2000. Tax Appraiser Nancy Hillger said the
money would be used to help fund a state-mandated mapping system. In the
future, she said resolutions regarding excess funds would be presented
annually to the county’s three taxing entities.
School Nurse Christy Seidenberger reported on the school’s health services for
the 2009 – 2010 school year. Her report documented 1497 elementary student
visits to the nurse’s clinic and 368 secondary student visits; 268 vision
screenings and collaboration with the local Lions Club to provide two students
with free eye glasses. There were 268 hearing screenings with four referrals;
41 spinal screenings with one referral; 268 Acanthosis Nigricans [a skin
disorder] screenings with four referrals; 281 doses of medications were
administered. Elementary pediculosis [lice] screenings were done monthly; two
blood drives were conducted which collected in excess of 60 pints of blood.
Four automated external defibrillators located around the school campus were
maintained; a flu shot clinic was arranged, with more than 400 immunizations
given. Other activities included
School nursing care has afforded 54 students with major medical diagnosis the
ability to participate as fully as possible in the school environment. Not all
these health problems are dealt with daily, but during the course of the year,
the nurse has addressed and dealt with allergies, ADHD, asthma, cardiac
arrhythmias, diabetes, seizures, gastrointestinal problems, hearing deficits,
hypertension, skin disorders, migraines, orthopedic complaints, gynecology
concerns and vision deficits. Specialized nursing procedures include: asthma
monitoring daily, nebulizer treatments as needed, glucose monitoring for
diabetics daily and as needed, pulse oximetry daily and as needed and cardiac
monitoring as needed. Less serious problems addressed by the nurse included:
abrasions, lacerations, dental complaints, fractures, eye injuries and skin
infections.
Patching
Whether to start requiring permits for overweight loads on county roads
will be on the agenda for discussion and possible action at the July 12
meeting. Hoch said the county can’t issue tickets for overweight loads unless
permits are required.
The court approved the monthly treasurer’s report and the quarterly
investment report, both presented by Alan Dierschke, county
treasurer/investment officer. In March 2010, the operating accounts for the
county and Garden City water system combined had an average daily balance of
$31,669. Those funds, on deposit at First National Bank of
The county’s investment accounts at FNBSC were earning .10 percent in
March 2010. The monthly average balance for those six accounts totaled
$3,139,489.
County funds invested in TexPool were earning .1577 percent in March
2010. The six funds there totaled $1,334,222.
Editor’s Note:
According to its website, “TexPool is a local government investment pool
created on behalf of
Low Interest Rates Bother Commissioners
The low interest rates being paid on county funds by the local bank prompted a
discussion among commissioners regarding other options. Dierschke said state
law states that if there is only one bank in the county, it must be the
county’s official depository. Commissioner Jimmy Strube said some area banks
are paying more, and the county should be able to take advantage of higher
rates for some of its funds, even if the local bank is the official
depository. Commissioners agreed they like to do business locally, but maybe
not so much if interest rates elsewhere are substantially higher. Strube said
maybe a bare minimum required by law should be in the local bank, and the
other funds invested elsewhere.
Dierschke said the commissioners will take bids and vote on the depository
again in May 2011. In May 2009, FNBSC was the only bidder for the
two-year contract.
K. Halfmann reported that a county fire truck is now listed on
www.auctioneerexpress.com.
Interested parties can place bids at that site.
GCISD Hires Three Teachers
At a June 7 meeting, the GCISD Board of Trustees voted to hire James Barfield
as a math teacher for grades 7 – 12, Traci Odom as an elementary school
teacher and Matt Odom as a secondary school English teacher and coach.
The board also voted to hire Kyle Plumlee as the technology director,
but Plumlee declined the offer.
Barfield, who has a BS in elementary education with a secondary mathematics
certification from
Matt Odom has a BS in exercise and sports science with secondary English
certification from
Traci Odom has varied elementary teaching experience, including teaching
language arts for grades 3 – 5.
Her BS degree from
The board approved 25 students transferring into the district, up three from
last year.
School Superintendent Steve Long said decisions will be made at a later time
on whether kindergarten and second grades will need to be split due to
enrollment.
Long reported that it will be the end of July before the school has access to
the bond money approved in the recent election, but he is getting bids now on
some of the projects to be done. He said the elementary school remodel would
not begin until school ends in May 2011, but plans are in progress. He said
work on the cafeteria and the lighting and sound system in the auditorium
might be done this summer.
As of May 28, according to Principal Ken Hoskins, 14 GCHS seniors had received
63 scholarships totaling $124,000. Hoskins said more scholarships are pending.
Briefly
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Glasscock Co. Senior Citizens
will not have a second meeting in June.
The fare of the next meeting on July 6 will be an ice cream supper with
sandwiches.
•
A
tennis camp,
conducted by Lance Armstrong, will be July 5 - 8 beginning at 9 a. m. in
Garden City. To register, call
Lance at 432-349-8920 or 687-4046. For more information, call Tammy Halfmann
at 354-2367 or 213-1661. This is Lance's 17th year to offer a camp in Garden
City.
•
The
•
Ervin and I thank everyone for their
prayers and cards during Ervin's hospital stay and for all the help everyone
gave us. We are going to miss the people in GC but it’s nice to be just a few
minutes from the doctors and stores in
•
Thanks from Theresa Eoff.
My sincere thanks for the many cards, gifts, and kind words you shared
with me as I ended my 27 years at Glasscock Co. ISD. I feel fortunate to have
taught there and to have had my four daughters go through elementary, junior
high, and high school there also. I leave with many fond memories and
sincerely wish the school the best throughout the coming years.
•
All-you-can-eat crawfish boil and bounce house party benefitting The Redneck Rack Pack and Susan G. Komen 3-day Breast Cancer
Walk, Aug. 7, from 5 – 9 p.m. at the
•
The Royce ‘Booger’ Pruit family will be
honored as the 2010 Glasscock County Pioneer of the Year at
the 86th Annual Howard-Glasscock Old Settlers Reunion June 19 from 9 a.m. – 2
p.m. at the
•
The family of Nita Cypert would like to
express a very heartfelt thank you to everyone in the Garden City and St.
•
County landfill hours are
10 a.m.
– 5:30 p.m. The west facility, on County Road 110, is open Wednesday and
Friday; the north landfill, on
NOTE:
Only trash in bags or barrels
is
allowed at the west dump. The following
are not allowed at either facility: shingles, Freon containers, oil,
chemicals of any kind, batteries, tires or dead animals.
•
Summer school at GCISD
will be June 7 – July 2. Thirty students are expected to attend.
•
School Calendar for 2010 – 2011
is available at
http://www.gckats.net/district_calender_2010-11.htm.
•
Sheriff’s Office Monthly Report:
May 1 - 31: Wrecks – 4, Loose Livestock Calls – 1, Medical Calls – 3, Fires –
1, Other – 19, Arrests – 3, Total Citations – 170.
In the Spotlight
•
Paige Niehues was named valedictorian and Kate Halfmann salutatorian
of the 2010 graduating class at GCHS.
Niehues, the daughter of Rory and Tibby Niehues, will attend
•
Amber Halfmann, Lane Halfmann, Kelsey Jones and Lauren Schwartz,
Glasscock County 4-H members, were each awarded $15,000 four-year scholarships
by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at the Texas 4-H Roundup in June.
Laura
Halfmann received the $10,000 Richard Wallrath Educational Fund
Scholarship and Marcus Cook was
awarded a total of $7,000 in three scholarships.
TIPS FOR CONSERVING
WATER
From
the Glasscock Groundwater Conservation District
• If
you have a lawn, chances are it is your biggest water consumer. Typically, at
least 50% of water used by households is outdoors. Inside the house, bathrooms
claim nearly 75% of the water used.
•
Evaporative coolers require a seasonal maintenance check-up. For more water
efficient cooling, check your evaporative coolers
annually.
• Use
soap and water from a bucket for washing the car. Use a hose with a shut-off
nozzle for the final rinse.
• Use a
broom for cleaning your driveway, not the water hose.
•
Adjust sprinklers so only the lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or
street. Do not water on windy days. Check and maintain your sprinkler system
regularly. A heavy rain means you don’t have to water at all. Teach the family
how to turn off an automatic sprinkler system in case a storm comes up during
the sprinkling cycle.
• Water
your lawn every third day and do so during the cool time of the day to
minimize evaporation. Early morning is best.
•
Minimize grass areas in your yard because less grass means less water demand.
Replace grass with low-water-use landscaping.
•
Adjust your irrigation schedule to accommodate changes in seasonal water
demand. Install an automatic timer.
• Buy a
rain gauge to determine how much rain or irrigation your yard has received.
• Raise
the blade on your lawn mower to at least three inches high, or to its highest
level. Close-cut grass makes the roots work harder, requiring more water.
• For
landscaping, use native or other low-water-use plants. Check with your local
nursery for the best native or low-water-use trees, shrubs and plants.
• A
layer of mulch around plants reduces evaporation and promotes plant growth.
Water retaining basins also allow water to be concentrated around the plants.
• Use
Xeriscape (pronounced ZERE-AH-SCAPE). This landscaping method uses native and
drought-tolerant plants, mulch to hold in moisture, and grouping plants
according to water and light needs.
“It’s
Everyone’s Business”
May was Adult Abuse Prevention month in
“Protecting vulnerable adults is everyone’s business,” said Beth Engelking,
DFPS assistant commissioner for Adult Protective Services.
“So please, get involved. If you suspect an elderly or disabled person
is being abuse or neglected, report it immediately."
Law Requires Reporting
State law requires anyone who suspects abuse, neglect, or exploitation to
report it to the DFPS hotline at 1-800-252-5400 or online at
www.txabusehotline.org.
APS urges civic groups, hospitals, home-health agencies, libraries,
congregations, and anyone interested in protecting the elderly to download and
share the Adult Abuse Prevention Kit, a 30-page resource in English and
Spanish. The kit and other resources are available online at
www.everyonesbusiness.org.
A public service announcement, in English and Spanish, is also available to
view and share on the campaign website and on YouTube.
There is an old Spanish proverb that illustrates why we all should care
about stopping elder abuse: “As you see yourself, I once saw myself; as you
see me now, you will be seen.”
Facts and Figures
The mission of APS is to protect the elderly and adults with disabilities from
abuse, neglect, and exploitation by investigating, and providing or arranging
for services necessary to alleviate or prevent further maltreatment.
Last year, APS completed 72,265 investigations and confirmed that 50,936
people were abused, neglected, or exploited while living at home. Half of
those victims were elderly and half were people with disabilities. In 2009,
APS completed 9,730 investigations in residential programs and confirmed 1,329
victims.
4-H News
•
The Glasscock and Upton bi-county 4-H
summer camp will be July 1 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the
For more information, contact the Glasscock County AgriLife Extension
Service at 432-354-2381.
•
4-H Scholarships awarded to
•
Livestock judging team took 2nd place overall and qualified for the
National Western Livestock Show and Rodeo 4-H Livestock Judging Contest in
From the Schoolhouse
Spring Meet Result totals for
all schools in District 12-A:
Numbers in parenthesis – academics, OAP, sports composite:
Water Valley 477 (398.5, 0, 78.5), Garden City 473 (268, 8, 197),
Highland 226 (139, 44, 43), Sterling City 199 (110, 27, 62), Blackwell 182
(134.5, 40, 8), Roby 167 (137, 0, 30), Robert Lee 95 (0, 0, 95), Westbrook 81
(53, 0, 28), Lueders-Avoca 57 (53, 0, 4), Trent 42 (29, 0, 13), Hermleigh 19
(12, 0, 7), Midland Charter 14 (14, 0, 0), Loraine 7.5 (0, 0, 7.5).
Tennis
STATE TENNIS RESULTS:
Girls Singles
– Taylor Hughes earned a bronze medal placing 3rd after losing in a
semifinal match 6-1, 6-1. Hughes won a quarterfinal match 1-6, 6-4, 6-3;
Mixed Doubles – Aaron Long/Paige Niehues received a bronze metal after
losing in the semifinal round 6-2, 6-3. They won their quarterfinal match 6-1,
6-3.
Golf
STATE GOLF RESULTS:
Girls’ team finished placed 3rd earning a bronze medal with a two-day
total of 749. Individual scores
were Britni Cook (79, 84), Kate Halfmann (83, 87), Laura Halfmann (100, 100),
Katelyn Hoelscher (100, 110), Rachel Hirt (116, 103).
Scheduled
Events:
Check the school website at: http://www.gckats.net for a
schedule of current events.
NOTE: Football schedules for 2010
for Varsity, JV, and Jr. High are available on the school website.
Dates to Note:
June 7 – July 2 Summer school;
July 7 – 10
Reminder – dates and times for events are subject
to change!
Obituary
• Nita "Nanny" Cypert,
74, of Garden City, died Thursday, June 3, 2010, in a
Nita was born on Feb. 25, 1936, in
Survivors include her husband, James of Garden City; two sons &
daughters-in-law, Darrell and Pat Cypert and Donald and Donna Cypert all of
Garden City; two brothers, Marvin Neal Graves of Gilmer and Glenn Dale Graves
of Florida; five sisters, Kathryn Walker of Hallsville, Sue Williams of
Junction, Jeannette Tiger of Mt. Holly, New Jersey, Virginia Gill of Amarillo
and Norma Donnell of Seymour; four grandchildren, Bryan Cypert of Garden City,
Randy Cypert and Brandi Jones both of Big Spring and Melissa Wiehl of
Leicester, England; six great grandchildren; and numerous nieces & nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Marvin and Willie Mae Graves; one
sister, Juanice Brashear; and a granddaughter, Jennifer Darlene Cypert.
The family suggests memorials be made to
Next Issue Date and Deadline
The next issue of the Glasscock County News will be July 14, 2010. The deadline for that issue is July 12, 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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