County Hires Havlak for Maintenance
The Glasscock County Commissioners (Bednar absent) on May 10 hired Diane Havlak as the maintenance/janitorial person for the courthouse and community center. Her salary will be $19,000 plus full county benefits. There were 12 applicants for the job, according to Marilee Jost.
The commissioners also voted to purchase $18,000 worth of new equipment and pagers for the Garden City Volunteer Fire Department. Russell Halfmann and Galen Schwartz explained the need for a new jaws of life, an accompanying power unit and hoses to replace 1974 equipment which no longer works. The purchase will also include some new hoses for jaws of life units in the St. Lawrence VFD. Halfmann said the new equipment would make all the jaws of life in both fire departments completely interchangeable. Halfmann also reported that the Garden City VFD has only two working pagers, and needs at least five more, at a cost of $725 each. He said the last pagers purchased were for the Emergency Medical Service volunteers. A budget amendment(s) will be necessary to allow money for the equipment to be taken from the miscellaneous or continuance fund and/or the road crew equipment fund, since no money was budgeted specifically for this purpose.
Fire Units to Every Automobile Wreck
Halfmann also said the GCVFD is in very serious need of a rescue vehicle, which can carry the jaws of life equipment, other equipment and a water tank to auto wrecks. In order to reduce the time it takes to get the jaws of life to the site of a vehicular accident, he said the county’s two VFD departments have decided to send one of their units whenever county ambulances are dispatched to a wreck. Halfmann said the Garden City and St. Lawrence VFD units are making an effort to work closer together, trying to make the best use of resources and equipment.
Commissioners asked Halfmann and Schwartz to drive an existing county truck to see if it is powerful enough to meet their needs as a rescue vehicle. If so, outfitting it for their use would cost approximately $14,000. They are to meet with the court again next month regarding the vehicle.
Nine Apply for Ag Agent’s Job
County FCS Agent Charlene Belew reported that there are nine applicants for the county agriculture agent’s job. She said Michael Brooks from Howard County and Rebel Royal are the two applicants from within the extension system. The seven others include four who are currently vocational-agricultural teachers and three, including two women, who are graduating from college, two with bachelor’s degrees and one with a master’s degree. She said the district extension director is ready to meet with county commissioners to discuss the applicants.
Belew suggested the court go through the applications, select their top three candidates, then have an open meeting to give the community a chance to meet the three and to get community input before the commissioners’ court makes the final decision. The commissioners seemed in favor of that approach.
Belew Praises 4-H Youth for Hard Work, Dedication
Belew reported that the 4-H Extravaganza to benefit the Plagens family raised approximately $14,000 after expenses. She also said the recent rabies vaccination clinic was very successful, raising $300 for Dr. Sid Hanslik’s work, which he then donated to the 4-H’s Plagens benefit.
She said Glasscock County had 63 kids at the District 4-H Roundup in Ft. Stockton, impressing everyone with their numbers and the quality of their work. Calling the 4-H’ers “awesome kids”, she praised their accomplishments. (See more, District 4-H Roundup Results)
County Commissioners plan a special meeting soon to take road-paving bids, but no date was set.