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Glasscock County News
County Adopts Budget; Sets Tax Rate As expected, the Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court adopted a 2000-2001 budget Sept.21, projecting revenues of $2 million and expenditures of $2.4 million. Before the court voted on the budget, County Judge Wilburn Bednar recommended that commissioners and all sheriff’s department personnel be included in the county’s pay raise, but the commissioners neither discussed nor took action on the recommendation. Therefore, county commissioners and county law enforcement personnel are excluded from recent county pay raises. Also, the court removed funding for a third jailer from the budget after Commissioner Mark Halfmann reported that Deputy Sheriff Ken Zunker did not want to receive jailer’s pay. Having held a public hearing Sept. 25 at which no one from the public appeared, the court on Sept. 28 set a tax rate of 51 cents per $100 valuation. According to available figures, the rate will increase total tax revenues by 7.96 percent from the preceding year, while taxes on the average homestead would decrease by $40.20 (18.32 percent). The court also set a tax rate of 5 cents per $100 valuation on Sept. 28 to pay for bonds issued to finance construction of a community center. Budget Amendments Approved Fifty-eight budget amendments were approved by the court in closing out the county’s fiscal year, and an additional four amendments were approved for the community water supply system’s budget. County Treasurer Alan Dierschke reported the county had approximately $512,000 in its reserves at the end of the fiscal year. The court agreed to buy a $6,400 Jaws of Life power unit for the St. Lawrence Volunteer Fire Department; the SLVFD will use its own funds to purchase $4,300 worth of tools for the power unit. County Judge Wilburn Bednar reported that the county recently received an $11,000 grant from TNRCC through the Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission for the purchase of a tree shredder/chipper, which is to be delivered soon. Local Election Features One Write-in The local portion of the General Election Nov. 7 features incumbent Hugh Schafer facing write-in candidate Gary Jones in the race for County Commissioner Precinct Three. Other local candidates are unopposed. Applications for a ballot by mail are being received at this time at the County Clerk’s office. As a registered voter, you are eligible to vote by mail if you are over 65, disabled, or if you are going to be absent from the county. To obtain an application, come by or call the County Clerk's Office. The last day to receive applications for a ballot by mail will be Oct. 3l, 2000. Voting by personal appearance will open Oct. 23, 2000 and will end Nov. 3, 2000. If you have any questions, call the County Clerk's Office (354-237l) or Wanda Forbis (354-2352). Community Center Committee Meets The county’s community center building committee met with architects Oct. 5 to further discuss plans for the center. The committee decided to utilize two types of lighting in the community room/show ring, one type for livestock shows and another for general-purpose events. Other topics discussed were a sewer system, grading of the lot, soil calculations, exterior finish materials and a redesign of office space. Architect Gary Vangergriff plans to trim the building’s exterior with material that will blend with the courthouse and the old jail. Both natural limestone and concrete block with a limestone-look finish are being considered. According to Vandergriff, the project should be ready to let bids by mid-to-late January. Committee members in attendance Oct. 5 were Committee Chairman Eugene Hirt, Tommy Hoelscher, Wilburn Bednar, Paul Schwartz, and George Schwartz. Other committee members are Candy Jones, Maritha Blalock, Michael Hoch, Sammy Kellermeier, Larry Halfmann, Delia Pierson, and James Schwartz. The committee will meet again Nov. 2 at 8 a.m. in the courthouse. Meetings are open to the public. School Extends Closed Campus The GCISD School Board voted 5-2 to keep the school campus closed, at least until its meeting Nov. 13, at which time it will review the matter in light of construction on State Highway 158 through Garden City. Board members Cecilia Schwartz, Mike Hillger, Jimmy Eggemeyer, Brad Avery and Karla Hoelscher voted to keep the campus closed; Tibby Niehues and Tina Flores opposed. The board recognized four Students of the Month. The recipients of the new award were presented framed certificates for excellence in leadership, citizenship, academics and school spirit. The students honored were third-grader Adriana Ramirez, sixth-grader Marissa Schwartz, seventh-grader Tyler Bednar and sophomore Marianne Halfmann. Secondary Principal Faith Scott displayed a Certificate of Commendation the school received from the Migrant Education Conference for meeting or exceeding certain standards for migrant children taking the TASS test and an award from the director of the Region 18 Service Center for having a TEA Exemplary Campus. Scott called the recently instituted Report Card Night “Wonderful,” and said it enabled the school to have 100 percent success in getting parents to meet with teachers over a two-day period. She said all parental comments she heard regarding the event were positive. Scott also mentioned parent/student surveys, which gave ideas for use in campus planning and future parent workshops. Board member Karla Hoelscher said she is hearing very positive things about the school being said in the community, and she complimented all the teachers and administrators for that. Next month’s rollback election was briefly discussed, and School Superintendent Steve Long said he would have a letter out during the week of Oct. 16 which would contain figures pertinent to the issue. Board member Tibby Niehues said with the proposed rate of $1.30 per $100 valuation, down from $1.45 per $100 last year, “Homeowners get a break, and the oil companies --- well, who cares?” Board Hears Audit Report Tracy Tarter, CPA, presented his report on the school’s annual audit, and said everything checked out okay. Among the things he pointed out: the school was not over budget in any item, and no budget amendments were necessary; the State National Bank had kept the schools assets adequately secured; the school cafeteria loses $98,000 annually; $125,000 are owed the school in back taxes, and the school will have a fund balance (reserves) Nov. 1 of approximately $1.2 million. Tarter said that according to TEA, a school needs a maximum of six to nine months operating expenses in reserves ($300,000 per month here). Larger reserves can be held, he said, if they are “designated” for specific uses, which he said do not have to be for construction projects. Designated funds are those for which the board has said, “We plan to do these things with these monies.” He cautioned the board that any fund designations must be realistic. Tarter said the state looks at education for all kids in the state, and tries to balance the monies available. Board President Jimmy Eggemeyer asked Long to go over the school’s fund balance and discuss it with the board in the next month or two. In his monthly Superintendent’s Report, Long reported that Clifton Roofing had looked at all the school’s roofs and found only minor damage to three houses and to some trees. Eggemeyer suggested that metal roofs installed over one-quarter inch insulation be considered when any roofs had to be replaced. Long said general housing repairs are continuing, and there have been no complaints about rent increases. Commissioners
Agree to New County Road The Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court agreed Oct. 10 to build a new county road that will begin at State Highway 33 one mile north of Chris Hirt’s house and extend southeast two and one-half or three miles to the Reagan County Line. A group of approximately nine men attended the meeting to show support for the road, which they believe is necessary to access newly acquired land in that area. Randall Sherrod, who recently sold some of the land, said he would give the county additional right-of-way to total 60 feet or more for the road, and several farmers, whose land is in the area, said they would donate water for use in road construction. Commissioners said that while some minor road work might be done soon, it will be some time before actual construction of a permanent road can begin, citing prior commitments to other projects and extreme dry conditions which don’t allow soil to compact. Martin County Compensated for 911 The court voted to pay Martin County $500 per month for answering Glasscock County’s 911 calls. Their hope is that the money will be split among the five dispatchers, but that will be determined by Martin County officials. The court also agreed to allow Met Life to offer whole life insurance to county employees and to make a payroll deduction available if an employee chooses to buy it. The insurance would be paid for by the employee, and he would take it with him if his employment with the county ends or if he retires. Currently, the county pays for $25,000 term life insurance for each employee at a cost of $392 per month (total for all employees). This insurance ends if employment is terminated or the person retires. County Judge Wilburn Bednar suggested the
county give awards to the school kids who clean up a stretch of Highway 158
west of Garden City. The court agreed, and Bednar is to handle details. School Tax Rollback
Election Nears The GCISD’s tax rollback election will take place at the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The rollback election was automatically triggered when the school board set the tax rate for the next fiscal year at $1.30 per $100 valuation. The effective tax rate (the rate necessary to raise the same revenue as last year) was $1.13 per $100 valuation, and the highest rate without a rollback election was $1.19. Last year’s tax rate was $1.45 per $100 on valuations which were $69 million less than the current year’s $329 million. If the $1.30 rate is rejected by voters, the school’s tax rate will automatically be set at $1.19 per $100 valuation. At the school board meeting Oct. 9, board members reported no comments or questions to them about the proposed tax rate. School Superintendent Steve Long said he would mail information regarding the rollback issue during the week of Oct. 16. School to Implement CEI Lab Materials from Creative Education Institute will be used to set up a CEI Lab at the school. Selected students from both elementary and high school will use eight computers with earphones and special software to work in areas of individual weakness. The GCISD School Board approved purchase of the program at a cost of approximately $20,000 at their meeting Oct. 9. School Superintendent Steve Long says his experience with the CEI program has been very positive. He says it helps a wide variety of kids, such as those who are dyslexic, have attention deficit disorder, are in English as a second language classes, or are in special education programs, plus those who are just behind in some parts of their schoolwork. Local teachers have targeted 60 students in elementary school and 15 in secondary school who are likely to benefit from the CEI instruction. Specialized testing is also used to select students for the program. Long says the students will spend one or more daily periods of 45 minutes each in the lab doing intensive work. The program, he says, is multi-sensory, and reinforces skills taught in the classroom, with emphasis on reading and math. Elementary School Principal Brad Jones said teacher response to the program is very positive. He said it supplements classroom work and focuses on skills where the kid is weak. The program also generates printed reports for teachers and parents. The software is in English, Spanish or German, depending on which the student needs. Long says adults must consider how they would function if suddenly placed in a situation where they didn’t understand the language. He said his pet peeve is a kid being held back because of language problems. Long said a CEI consultant will train local teachers to be lab facilitators, so the site can be licensed by CEI. Currently, Mrs. Long is trained in CEI use. Airport Announces Website Midland International Airport’s new Internet website is now available at www.midlandinternational.com. Passenger information shows scheduled arrivals and departures. Soon the site will be directly linked to the airport flight information screens, which will show any flight delays. The site is linked to an Internet flight flowing service, showing the physical location of each flight and the estimated time of arrival. Links are also available to each airline’s website for flight scheduling, pricing and ticket purchase. This allows the convenience of using one site for complete trip planning and ticket purchase. The website also provides maps showing the airport location and access to the various parking areas. Parking rates are shown to help travelers decide which lot they want to use. Maps of both Midland and Odessa are shown to help people unfamiliar with the area find restaurants, hotels and other destinations. Links provide actual driving directions to an address. Major attractions in the Midland/Odessa area are listed and current events are posted, and there are direct links to local weather radar. Discount coupons, which will change each month, provide various discounts at the airport. Apply Now for Military Academies Congressman Lamar Smith invites area high school seniors interested in attending one of the United States’ military service academies to apply for nominations through his office. The application deadline is Nov. 10. Applicants must be United States citizens and residents of the 21st Congressional District. Selection is based on SAT or ACT test scores, class ranking, grade point average, school records, extracurricular activities, leadership potential and motivation. Briefly • The annual Lions Club Halloween Carnival will be Saturday, Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. in the school bus barn. Activities will include the popular costume contest, and a drawing will be held for a weekend at the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Ruidoso. Tickets for the drawing are $1 each or six for $5, available at several places around the county and from Lions members. • Senior Night will be Oct. 20 when the Bearkats host Sterling City. The activities, which honor the senior class, begin at 7 p.m. • The Bearkat Band will participate in the UIL Marching Band Contest Oct. 21 at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa. • The Crisis Closet helps needy people in area with groceries and clothes. If you have clothes or canned goods you would like to donate, please call Wanda Forbis, 354-2352 or Jo Ann Turner, 354-2383. The Crisis Closet is located at 1200 W. 4th in Big Spring. Waste Water Reminder Issued Glasscock County Underground Water District Manager Rick Harston has issued the following reminder to area residents regarding the definition of waste water. According to Harston, “Waste” means any one or more of the following: 1) withdrawal of groundwater from a groundwater reservoir at a rate and in an amount that causes or threatens to cause intrusion into the reservoir of water unsuitable for agricultural, gardening, domestic, or stock raising purposes; 2) the flowing or producing of wells from a groundwater reservoir if the water produced is not used for a beneficial purpose; 3) escape of groundwater from a groundwater reservoir to any other reservoir or geologic strata not containing groundwater; 4) pollution or harmful alteration of groundwater in a groundwater reservoir by saltwater or by other deleterious matter admitted from another stratum or from the surface of the ground; 5) willfully or negligently causing, suffering, or allowing groundwater to escape into any river, creek, natural watercourse, depression, lake, reservoir, drain, sewer, street, highway, road, or road ditch, or onto any land other than that of the owner of the well unless such discharge is authorized by permit, rule or order issued by the commission under Chapter 26, Texas Water Code; 6) ground water pumped for irrigation that escapes as irrigation tailwater onto land other than that of the owner of the well unless permission has been granted by the occupant of the land receiving the discharge; or 7) for water produced from an artesian well, “waste” has the meaning assigned by Section 11.205, Texas Water Code. If you witness any of the actions cited above, contact the water district office. The water district also inspects possible oil
and gas contamination problems. If you suspect such a problem on your
property, please notify their office. In The Spotlight • Adriana Ramirez, Marissa Schwartz, Tyler Bednar and Marianne Halfmann were each honored as Student of the Month and recognized at the Oct. 9 GCISD School Board meeting. The awards were given for excelling in leadership, citizenship, academics and school spirit. Adriana is the third-grade daughter of Elsa and Tony Ramirez; Marissa is the sixth-grade daughter of Tara and Paul Schwartz; Tyler is the seventh-grade son of Sandy and Jimmy Bednar and Marianne is the sophomore daughter of Tammy and Butch Halfmann. Sheriff’s
Office Report The following is a
compilation of activities recently reported by the sheriff’s office for the
months of July, August and September: one non-traffic accident; two advise
complainant of rights; two alarms answered; eight ambulance calls answered,
one transported; five animal control requests; one felony arrest; five
misdemeanor arrests; thirty assist motorist calls; seven assist public
requests; five civil documents served; one domestic disturbance report; one
other disturbance call; four DWI’s; escort provided for one oversized load and
four persons; six fire department calls, 1 vehicle, 1 controlled, 3 grass,
and 1 oil well blowout; five hazardous material responses; twenty loose
livestock calls; two major motor vehicle accidents; five minor motor vehicle
accidents; two property crimes; seven road hazard reports; two severe weather
observations; four suspicious person investigations; seven suspicious vehicle
investigations; fifty traffic citations, twenty-seven warnings; one
non-criminal unattended death; three welfare concerns. From the Schoolhouse Student Council News The Student Council encourages all eligible voters to vote in the General Election Nov. 7. The council will hold a mock Presidential Election to encourage students to vote in real elections when they are old enough. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and Oct. 20 is National Mammogram day. The council reminds everyone to keep themselves healthy and take necessary precautions. The District 8 Student Council Fall Forum is Oct. 21,and Garden City’s group will present a program on pride and patriotism. The council is helping promote good sportsmanship by exchanging gifts with the other school’s student council at football games, and will participate in Red Ribbon Week (Drug Awareness Week) with some activities. Start saving your old clothes for the December clothing drive! The council thanks everyone who helped with Homecoming activities. To help keep up school spirit, the council sponsored games at lunch, such as “Pass the Orange,” and “Egg in the Spoon” plus the hall decorations contest. The sophomore class won the weeklong contest! The council also sponsored the Homecoming dance, snake dance to the bonfire, and sold Homecoming mums. Flashing buttons, spirit towels and seat cushions are still for sale. Cross Country Meets The Lady Bearkats earned a fourth-place team
finish in the 49-team field in the small school division of the Lubbock
Invitational cross-country meet Sept. 30. The team was paced by Michelle
Fuchs, who finished sixth individually.
M’Lynn Niehues was 35th,
while Jessica Hoch was 37th and Allison Jansa was 44th. Neomi Guerrero was 107th, Anna Flores was
111th, and Leslie Jansa finished 157th. Garden City’s boys were 25th in the 28-team field. The Bearkat’s top finish came from Cornelius Koethler at
118th. Samuel Sanchez was 131st, Anthony Hoelscher was 180th, Brandon Bednar
was 182nd and Roger Alvarado was 183rd. The District cross-country meet is scheduled for Oct. 18 at Iraan. Partial High School Football Schedule:
*District Games Partial Jr. High Football Schedule:
About This Publication The next issue will be Nov. 15. The deadline for
that issue is Nov. 13. 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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