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Glasscock County News
Rakowitz is New County Ag Agent
Glasscock County Commissioners voted July 12 to hire Randall Rakowitz as the county’s agricultural extension agent. The county’s share of his salary will be $11,500, and he will have use of a recently purchased pickup. The commissioners adopted a resolution proposed by the Texas State Employees Union opposing House Bill 2292. The bill, signed by Governor Rick Perry June 10, would close 217 of 318 local Health and Human Services Commission offices statewide and eliminate approximately 7,500 state employees. The offices would be replaced with three privately contracted telephone call centers, according to TSEU. Commissioners voted to provide $2,500 for a new computer and laser printer to replace1997 models in the county tax office. Valeria Hoelscher reported that the annual service fee for the office’s tax software would soon be going from $6,000 to $10,000. Election judges and alternates were appointed as follows: Pct. 1, Anne Hoelscher, judge, Barbara Fuchs, alternate; Pct. 2, Doris Schwartz, judge, Joann Turner, alternate; Pct. 3, Helen Glass, judge, Helen Wilkerson, alternate; Pct. 4, Maritha Blalock, judge, Diane Havlak, alternate. For early voting, Betty Pate is the judge for all precincts and Kathleen Schniers is the alternate. Commissioners made tentative plans for a September appreciation dinner for county emergency medical service and fire department volunteers. No date was set. Action on a proposed budget for the county extension office was postponed. Commissioners said they would deal with it later, along with those of other county departments. Planning for next year’s budget is to begin at the next regular court meeting Aug. 9.
Briefly
• Garden City’s Basketball Camp will be July 26 – 29. Girls entering grades 4 – 8 will meet from 8 a.m. – noon and the cost is $40. Boys and girls entering grades 1 – 3 will meet from 1 – 3 p.m. and the cost is $30. Registration deadline is July 20. Brochures may be picked up in the administration office or the high school office. Call Brent Kirkland, 354-2331 or 231-3618, for more information.
• Glasscock County Senior Citizens will meet July 20 -- bring snack food. Sandwiches and watermelon will be served at the Aug. 3 meeting -- choose what you want to bring. Everyone is invited to join us for good food and dominoes.
• GCHS Varsity Cheerleaders will hold a Mini-Cheer Camp for students who will be entering grades K – 6. The camp will be Aug. 9–11 from 6–8 p.m. in the Complex and costs $20. The mini-cheerleaders will receive a Bearkat Cheerleader T-shirt and get to do a cheer at the first home football game. Contact Jan Holland at 354-2244 or Amanda Hirt at 397-2436 if your child is interested.
• Current contact information (i.e. address and e-mail if available) is needed for members of GCHS's Class of 1995 for its upcoming 10-year reunion. Please send information to: Shana Schraeder-Maldonado; 445 Sunset St.; Santa Fe, NM 87501, e-mail to bearkat1995@yahoo.com, or call 505-955-8596.
• Allen Jansa will be riding in the MS 150 bike ride the weekend of July 17 to help raise money for Multiple Sclerosis research and local assistance. Last year, his biking raised $600 and he hopes to top that amount this year. To contribute to his effort, send checks payable to the MS Society, c/o Allen Jansa, 5301 FM 2401, Garden City, TX 79739.
• Glasscock County purchased town lots immediately east of the post office at a Sheriff’s sale July 6 for a total of $3,500. The county will realize $935 in court costs and back taxes, with the remainder going to a state unclaimed money fund where it will be held for unlocated heirs to the property. Galen Schwartz was the other bidder for the property.
• School Dates to Remember: July 29, Parent Roundup (football) in cafeteria at 7 p.m.; Aug. 2, two-a-day football workouts begin at 7 a.m.; Intra-squad scrimmage and ice cream, 7 p.m.; Aug. 9, teachers report to work; Aug. 16, first day for students.
In The Spotlight
• Jessica Hoch was recently awarded $14,000 from the Welch Foundation. Jessica, who was coached by Reta Bell, qualified for the scholarship because of her success in state-level UIL activities.
• Noemi Guerrero was awarded $7,000 by the Abell-Hanger Foundation because of her success in state-level UIL activities. Noemi was coached by Jerry Cannon and Shea Gartman.
• Jason Wilde graduated Magna Cum Laude in Honors Studies from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. He was also awarded by engineering honor societies Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu for his accomplishments. Currently, Wilde is pursuing a Master's degree in electrical engineering from Texas Tech under the program for semiconductor product engineering and plans to graduate in December 2005. He is the son of Leroy and Jeanie Wilde and a 2000 graduate of GCHS.
• Chelsea Schwartz is one of two students chosen to represent West Texas A & M University at a national conference on social norms in Chicago later this month. She has been elected secretary for PULSE (peer, understanding, listening, speaking and educating) for the coming year and will also be featured on the inside cover of the 2004-2005 WTAMU information brochure.
School Hires Three Teachers
Meeting in regular session July 12, the Glasscock County ISD School Board hired three teachers for the 2004-2005 school year. Actually, two of the three are rehires, as Jimmy Fine and Reta Bell were rehired after retiring just last month. In addition, Perla Garcia was hired to teach Spanish and to sponsor the yearbook. Garcia is a first year teacher who will be fully certified after one year’s experience. She has completed a year’s internship in the Spanish Department at Lakeview High School in San Angelo, and is also a certified nurse’s aide with four years experience. Bell and Fine were rehired under the state’s “Retire–Rehire” program, which allows teachers to have most retirement benefits and still be able to teach. School Superintendent Steve Long said the program’s benefits for the school are in getting to keep experienced personnel without paying health insurance or teacher retirement. Bell, with 30 years experience, has a degree in business administration and a Master’s in counseling, a track record of successful UIL competition and the ability to teach concurrent enrollment classes. Fine, who has 27 years experience, has a degree in health and physical education with certifications in history/social studies, a record of successful athletic programs and experience as coordinator of awards programs. The board also hired Lisa Gonzales as a cafeteria employee, and accepted the resignation of Maribel Reyes, who had been teaching Spanish and sponsoring the yearbook.
New Student Handbooks Approved The board approved 2004-2005 student handbooks for the elementary and secondary schools with minor changes to each. Board member Carl Hoelscher said he attended a tax hearing regarding recent increases in local valuations on farmland. He said the state had found Glasscock County’s agricultural valuations to be among the lowest in the state, and would place an oversight board over the county appraisal district if valuations were not brought closer in line with the state averages. Long presented comparisons of bids from 2003-04 and 2004-05 for property insurance, fuels, and various supplies and services. Most were the same or at a savings from last year, with the largest savings being in property/casualty insurance, which will cost $10,000 less than last year. Long credited the savings to the physical plant being in better shape overall, and operating fewer vehicles. He said he hopes employees using the exercise equipment will ultimately result in a reduction of health insurance premiums.
Housing Rental Reviewed The board reviewed the rental agreement for school houses, and a listing of rents charged for various houses. After improvements to most school housing units, rents have gone up from lows of $70 and highs of $100 monthly in 1999-2000 to present lows of $70 and highs of $150 monthly. Total rental income in ’99-’00 was $1,520 per month and is now $2,130. Board member Karla Hoelscher said rent should be more if houses are rented to the public rather than to school employees, and Carl Hoelscher said it’s not good to rent to the public if there are people with private houses for rent. Elementary Principal Ken Hoskins said summer school was a success, and had good attendance. As their end-of-school field, the students were taken to Lubbock for a meal at Furr’s, a tour of the Science Spectrum and an IMAX movie, “Forces of Nature.” The school board will review the school’s proposed new budget at their Aug. 9 meeting. Long said tax evaluations should be “way up,” but he won’t have figures until late July.
SWCD to Hold Director Election
The Glasscock County Soil and Water Conservation District will hold an election Oct. 12 to elect a board member for Subdivision Four. The seat is currently held by Hubert Frerich. To be eligible to run for the position, one must: 1) reside in Glasscock County 2) own agricultural land in Subdivision Four 3) be actively engaged in the business of farming or animal husbandry and 4) be 18 years of age or older. Those interested in running for the seat must complete a form, available at the county extension office, between Aug. 1 and Aug. 30. For more information call Shirley Braden, GCSWCD bookkeeper, at 397-2401.
Obituary
Samuel Nuell Oakes, 56, formerly of Coahoma and Garden City, died July 1 in Austin and was buried in Waldron, Arizona. He was born Sept. 8, l947, in Hope, Ark., and graduated from Coahoma High School. He was employed by the United States Post Office and received the Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam. He was preceded in death by a brother, David Oakes, and a sister, Sarah Elaine Turner. He is survived by his parents, Gerald and Gwen Oakes of Waldron , Arizona.
Next Issue Date and Deadline
The next issue of the Glasscock County News will be Aug. 11. The deadline for that issue is Aug. 9, 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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