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Glasscock County News
Final Construction Plans Near
GCISD’s board of trustees (Tibby Niehues absent) met Nov. 13 with representatives from DSA, the company that will oversee the school’s construction projects, and approved their plans. The much-discussed vocational /ag building is to be 80 ft. x 110 ft. with 14 to 20 ft. walls and a 20 x 14 ft. overhead door which will allow trucks to pull in and be unloaded by an overhead hoist. The building is to be located where the vocational shop is now, and will include a classroom, office, two bathrooms, two clothes-changing rooms, a woodworking area, a 22 x 12 ft. paint room, ventilated paint storage, and a 56 x 110 ft. open area, which includes welding stations. Board President Karla Hoelscher again expressed concern about the size and scope of the building. She said shop classes are no longer weighted, and enrollment in them may decline. She recalled how the school built a first-class home economics area several years ago, and now that program doesn’t even exist. The construction representatives had planned to include air conditioning the gymnasium in the construction project, but were told that the board has not approved that. Nevertheless, they will work up cost estimates for board consideration. School Superintendent Steve Long reported that the school recently received a check for $17,000 as part of a fitness grant, which was to pay for exercise equipment at the school. He said he has gotten a letter saying that the school will be paid a total of $173,000. School secretary Kathy Wheat said that amount, along with four payments much earlier, should pay for the equipment. The board approved purchase of an 18-passenger travel bus for $45,000. It will be a gasoline-powered Chevrolet with travel seats and belts like the Bearkat bus. It will have an equipment cage in the back, will be white with colored trim, and doesn’t require a commercial licensed person to drive. If the bus works out well, the board may buy a second one in the future. Trustees also approved purchase of a 2007 Ford F-250 gasoline-powered, 4/2 Crew Cab pickup from White Motor for $24,900. It will be in the school’s pool, and can be checked out to use like other vehicles. The board was in closed session for 25 minutes to discuss “security devices.” No action was taken.
County Changes Retiree Insurance
At a special meeting Oct. 30 (Commissioner Marck Schafer absent), Glasscock County commissioners voted to make a change in county retiree supplemental insurance. The county will now use the Texas Association of Counties’ Silver Choice plan, which is administered by Aetna. County Treasurer Alan Dierschke said the change would save the county $280 per month, lowering the county’s total cost to $1420 per month. The county currently provides Medicare supplemental insurance for eight retirees. Under the new plan, Dierschke said a retiree could have up to $2,500 out-of-pocket expenses. Dierschke also briefed commissioners on the county’s retirement figures. Currently, the employee contributes seven percent of his salary, and when he retires, the county matches 125 percent of the money in his fund. If an employee dies, his beneficiary gets a payment equal to one year’s salary. If a retiree dies, his beneficiary gets a payment of $5,000. Commissioners also changed the policy for renting space in the community center. In the future, any applicable security deposit will be payable at the time of booking space. Security deposits are required if alcohol is to be available at the event. County Declines Fence-building The county took no action on a second request from John Mills regarding one mile of County Road 220 in Section 20, Block 33, T-4-S, T&P Survey. A letter from Mills dated Oct. 10 states that no right-of-way or damages have been paid on the road. He requests that he trade right-of-way and damages for a fence on the east side of the county road from the north cattle guard (at State Highway 158) to the cattle guard one mile south, or that the county close this section of the road. He noted that CR 220 is paved from this south cattle guard to the Big Lake highway and that closing the unpaved section would save the county maintenance. Dodie Mills and Ronnie Hirt, appearing on John Mills’ behalf, mentioned problems with teenagers partying along the road, and Hirt said there is little county traffic on it. Mills said they would be willing to meet the county halfway, suggesting the Mills provide materials, and the county build the fence. She said the family wants to put cattle on the property. Commissioners Michael Hoch and Mark Halfmann said the county has cleared the right-of-way, but would set a poor precedent by building fence. They said if the county accommodates one landowner in this way, it would have to be willing to do it for any other who asked. [The court stated this same opinion in the matter at a meeting Sept.11.] Commissioners also said they do not want the road closed, citing school bus routes and resident traffic.
Map for Road Maintenance Considered
The Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court intends to adopt a county road map that will include each road in which the county claims the continued existence of a public interest and a right of access and egress for maintenance. This map will be available for public inspection at the county judge’s office in the courthouse during business hours beginning Dec. 1. The commissioners’ court will hold a public hearing Jan. 24 at 10 a.m. in the courtroom of the courthouse. At this time, any person asserting a private right, title or interest in a road may appear before the court to object or protest the county’s claim of its right to continue maintenance of the public roads depicted on this map. A person may also file a written protest with the county judge at any time before the hearing. By way of this procedure, the county makes no claim affecting title, acreage, or ownership of the land, but only asserts a maintenance easement upon the surface of the land. Editor’s Note: the material above was taken from a Public Notice, which was recently mailed with 2006 tax statements. Approximately 91 roads and streets were listed in the notice.
Commissioners Discuss Mold Removal
The Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court, meeting in regular session Nov. 13, heard a report concerning removal of mold from the courthouse basement and from the clerk’s office and records rooms. The basement room, which is approximately 10 X 12 feet in size and 9 feet tall, is directly under the southeast portion of the records room and is accessed through a small door in the records room floor. County/District Clerk Becky Batla says it is the only below-ground-level room in the courthouse. Batla says the basement room has been damp and moldy as long as she has been in office, but the odor of mold has gotten much worse in the records room lately. She said out-of-town people who periodically work in the courthouse are complaining about it, and of becoming ill after several hours in the records room. She said there is nothing of historical value in the basement room, mentioning some never-used records books, and lots of old receipts. Tony Strong, a project engineer for Texas Consulting Services in Midland, told the court the problem was caused by water from outside running down the wall over time. He said the basement room looks like there has been a heavy snowfall in it, with everything covered in white. He said the level of contamination in the records room and clerk’s office is significant and could pose a health concern to people who are elderly, ill, or very young. Basement Contents to be Removed He said remediation will include removing all paper products from the basement room and disposing of them, cleaning the room, the records room, and clerk’s office so that all are mold-free and “hospital-room clean.” He said the work will be done in a manner approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, with workers in hazardous material suits and oxygen-equipped masks when they clear the basement. Strong said immediately after cleaning, the basement room itself would either have to be filled with concrete, filled with sand and capped with cement, or air-conditioned to prevent future growth of mold. He said an architect with the Texas Historical Commission was opposed to filling with concrete, and said filling with sand would be okay as a last resort, preferring air conditioning/ventilating the room. But commissioners said that was too expensive for a room that would never be used. Strong gave a cost of $27,200 for his consulting and for the firm (Advanced Environmental Services) who will do the cleaning. Costs for replacing the carpet in the clerk’s office and records room and for filling the basement room with sand or concrete were not included in his price. County commissioners and Deputy Keith Burnett discussed the possibility of filling the room with sand after it is cleaned and safe. The sand might be put through the room’s ground-level window, using jail inmate labor and county equipment. The court will discuss the matter again at a called meeting Nov. 16 at 8:30 a.m.
Sherrod Road Speed Limit Lowered
At its Nov. 13 meeting, the county commissioners’ court lowered the speed limit on Sherrod Road to 55 mph at Commissioner Marck Schafer’s request. The court agreed to pay Triple T Plumbing $8,400 to connect three septic tanks which serve the tax office, jail and deputy’s apartment to the community center drain field. The present drain field (located under the south courthouse lawn west of the apartment) is inadequate, and the tanks have to be pumped out weekly at a cost of between $600 and $700. Daniel Kujawski reported that construction on the north landfill office is complete, and he will begin work on the west dump ground office in a couple of weeks. The court tabled two agenda items until a Nov. 16 meeting: a letter from John Mills proposing speed bumps and a 20 mph speed limit on CR 220, and appointing two members to the county tax appraisal board. Deputy Keith Burnet said the county collected $11,000 from Howard County in October for housing jail inmates, for a total so far this year nearing $30,000. The court agreed to enter into a seven-month fixed-rate contract with TXU Energy that will reduce the county’s electrical costs 9.7 percent. At the end of the seven months, the county will decide whether to continue, discontinue, or lengthen the contract. At an earlier meeting, County Treasurer Alan Dierschke was asked to research Charlene Belew’s salary increases. He reported Nov. 13 that the county paid her $11,500 when she began work here in January 2003. He said she got a $600 increase, along with all county employees, in October of ’03, and a $2,400 increase in March of 2004 when there was no ag agent on staff. [County monies are supplements to the salaries extension agents are paid by the state.]
Water District Adopts Budget
The Glasscock Underwater Conservation District met in regular session Oct. 17 (Mike Hughes absent) and approved leaving its certificates of deposit at First Bank of West Texas at an interest rate of 3.70, with three-month maturities. At the Sept. 14 meeting (Mike Hughes absent), the board adopted a balanced 2007 budget of $150,000 and set the tax rate at 0.021459 per $100 valuation. Major budget items include: $60,000 in salaries, $27,000 for weather modification and $15,000 for insurance. District Manager Rick Harston reported little activity from the West Texas Weather Modification Association. He said most recent clouds have not been candidates for seeding, due to low ceilings.
In The Spotlight
• Tyler Bednar, Katie Gully and Megan Niehues, GCHS graduates who are attending Texas Tech, are recipients of Texas Interscholastic League Foundation scholarships for their achievements in advanced levels of UIL competitions during high school.
• Chelsea Schwartz, a senior broadcasting major at West Texas A & M University in Canyon, was named Miss West Texas 2007 in a recent Lubbock pageant. She also won the swimsuit competition and the best interview, from a field of nine contestants. She will now advance to the Miss Texas pageant in July. Chelsea is a 2003 graduate of GCHS and the daughter of Floyd and Martha Schwartz.
• Sports spotlights. Cross-Country: The varsity girls’ cross country team placed fourth at the regional meet in Arlington, missing a trip to state by one point. The team, made up of Whitney Kellermeier, Morgan Schwartz, Vicki Garza, Paige Niehues, Lauren Wheeler, Amber Halfmann and Britton Avery, was the District 9 1-A champions. The varsity boys’ team advanced to Regionals placing third in District. Team members are Jason Flores, Marcus Dalton, Israel Ocon, Adrian Arriozola, Luis Zuniga and Poncho Zuniga.
Football: The number one-ranked Bearkats finished the regular season 10 – 0, beating No. 7 Ft. Davis 64 – 46 to claim the District 1 six-man title. In the first round of post-season play, Garden City received a bye.
Briefly
• A Thanksgiving meal will be served to the public in the school cafeteria Nov. 16 from 11:15 to 12:30. All plates are $6 and the deadline for to-go orders is Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. Pickup time for to-go orders is 11 a.m.
• Glasscock County’s senior citizens will meet Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. in the Senior Citizen’s Building; bring snacks and finger food. The seniors’ Christmas party will be Dec. 5 at 6 p.m.; ham will be furnished, so bring something to go with it. The group will not exchange Christmas gifts, having opted instead to bring canned goods for the local 4-H club’s effort to provide food for those who need it.
• A Christmas party with catered dinner for Glasscock County employees and their guests will be Dec. 6 in the community center.
• The school band concert will be Dec. 18 from 5:45 to 7:30 p.m. in the Ruth Cook Auditorium.
• The Bearkat Booster Club Basketball Tournament (varsity girls and boys) is Nov. 30 – Dec. 2.
• The 70th Annual Glasscock County Jr. Livestock Show is scheduled for Jan. 4 – 6, 2007.
• Jeremy and M’Lynn (Niehues) Taylor returned from China in mid-summer after ten months with the ELIC program, teaching college students who know English how to use their English words and make conversation. They now live in Midland where M'Lynn is a staff accountant for Warren Cat Corp and Jeremy commutes to Texas Tech University to get his Masters of Science in exercise and sport science.
• Victor Yanez, his wife Rhetta Alvarado Yanez, and their son, Lee Alexander are living in Germany where Victor is on active duty in the United States Army with the 412 Alpha Company. Rhetta, daughter of Jaime and Cecilia Alvarado, is a 2003 GCHS graduate.
• Glasscock County 4-H Club and Adult Leader Association thank everyone who helped make the Halloween Carnival a success. Winners in the costume contest were: Kindergarten and Under - Tatum Kinnibrugh 1st, Peyton Royall 2nd, Zoe Granzin 3rd; Grades 1 – 3 - Hope Halfmann 1st, Carlie Hollingsworth 2nd, Brooklyn Batla 3rd; Grades 4 – 6 - Hannah Halfmann 1st, Brandon Gartman 2nd, Brylie Schaefer 3rd; Groups - Brody and Ty Halfmann 1st, Reed and Owen Seidenberger 2nd, Avery and Weston Jost 2nd, Kamie and Holly Halfmann 3rd.
County Sets 2007 Employee Holidays
On Nov. 13, Glasscock County commissioners set the following 2007 holidays for its employees: Jan. 1 (New Years Day) road crew and courthouse; Jan. 15 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) courthouse; Feb. 19 (Presidents’ Day) courthouse; April 6 (Good Friday) road crew and courthouse; May 28 (Memorial Day) road crew and courthouse; July 4 (Independence Day) road crew and courthouse; Sept. 3 (Labor Day) road crew and courthouse; Oct. 8 (Columbus Day) courthouse; Nov 22-23 (Thanksgiving) road crew and courthouse; Dec. 24, 25, 26 (Christmas) courthouse; Dec 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 (Christmas) road crew. County employees also get two weeks paid vacation each year.
Varmint-Calling Contest Set for January
The high school FFA is sponsoring a varmint-calling contest between 4 p.m. Jan. 20 and 9 a.m. Jan. 21. The entry fee is $120 per team of two to four people, who must hunt out of one vehicle. There will be a 75 percent payout and 60/30/10 additional jackpots are available. Hunting can be in Glasscock County or any bordering county. Entrants should meet in Garden City at the white building west of Halfmann’s General Store between 4 and 6 p.m. Jan. 20. Hunters are responsible for all applicable licenses and game laws. Call Rusty Hollingsworth, 432/354-2244 or 354-2250.
December Deadline for EQIP Sign-up
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas has set Dec. 15 as the sign-up deadline for the 2007 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The program provides cost-share and incentive payments to producers applying approved conservation measures that help solve natural resource problems. These problems are established in each county by local work groups, who identify the most important natural resource issues in the area. Through EQIP, NRCS also funds projects that address special statewide resource concerns recommended by the Texas State Technical Committee. The 2007 statewide resource concerns are animal waste, invasive species, plant condition, water quality, water quantity, and wildlife emphasis areas. For additional information, call the Sterling City NRCS field office (325/378-3971, or go to the Texas NRCS web site at www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/
Reeves County Gets Weather Radio
A NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio station was recently brought on the air in Reeves County. In addition to weather information, NWR-All Hazards broadcasts warning and post-event information for all types of hazards, including natural hazards such as earthquakes, environmental hazards such as chemical releases and oil spills, and public safety information such as AMBER alerts 24 hours a day, every day. The radio station will provide residents of Pecos, Saragosa and Toyah an additional way to receive critical information, and the 40-45 mile range of the transmitter signal will also allow Wickett, Grandfalls, Wink and Fort Stockton to receive the NWR-All Hazard signal. An $80,000 RUS NWR Grant obtained with the help of USDA Rural Development provided project funds.
From the Schoolhouse FFA News:
Local students participated in the El Rancho District FFA leadership contest recently and those placing first or second advance to area competition. Those receiving awards were: Jr. Skills – Marcus Cook, Lane Halfmann, and Kelsey Jones, 1st; Sr. Skills – Cole Schwartz, Travis Gully and Levi Schaefer, 1st; Radio – Britton Avery, Macy Schwartz and Kelsey Jones, 2nd; Cayla Schwartz, Jake Schwartz and Jason Flores, 3rd; Sr. Quiz – Britton Avery, Cayla Schwartz, Macy Schwartz and Marissa Schwartz, 2nd; Jr. Quiz – Lane Halfmann, Dylan Jansa, Quinton Havlak, and Marcus Cook, 3rd; Sr. Creed – Cayla Schwartz, 4th, Marissa Schwartz, 5th; Jr. Creed – Dylan Jansa, 4th; Job Interview – Jake Schwartz, 4th.
Obituary
• W.B. “Tilley” Tilley, 76, of Big Spring, died Oct. 23, 2006 at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Big Spring and was buried with military honors at St. Lawrence Cemetery. He was born Jan. 26, 1930 to Rutha and Steve Tilley. He married Melba Jo Corley in 1953 in Tahoka. She preceded him in death in 1999. He later married Cynthia Boadle in 2000. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving during WW II. He was a Baptist and a 32nd Degree Mason. He had lived in Big Spring for the past six years. Previously, he farmed in Lynn and Glasscock counties, operated St. Lawrence Trading and was in the construction business as Tilley & George Construction for 20 years. He is survived by his wife, Cynthia Boadle of Big Spring; one daughter, Dana Henrichs of Garden City; one son, Danny Tilley and wife Ramona of Forsan, and many others.
Next Issue Date and Deadline
The next issue of the Glasscock County News will be Dec.13. The deadline for that issue is Dec.11, 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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