The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 126, No. 9, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 2, 1973 Page: 1 of 12
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Kicrci iln
P. 0. box
D'llvj, rex
ent. r.
'Round
TOWN
11c PER ISSUE
With
Roundabout
ONE OF THOSE DAYS-Did
you ever get "all dressed up"
and find yourself with no place
to go? That happened to
Roundabout Tuesday. Pre-
pared for a talk to the Kiwanis
Club at Jacksonville, and was
about ready to leave. Looked at
the desk calendar and saw that
we were only two days early.
So Roundabout went back to
work.
-o-
RESEARCH HAS BEEN DE-
FINED-That's chasing the
shadow of a ghost. At least
that's about the way it seems
some of the historical re-
searchers who end up feeling
more hysteric than historic...
looking for odd bits of
information can be interesting
and frustrating Mrs. Neeka
Rhodes has appealed to the
Cherokeean's readership for
help with a project she was
doing about New Birmingham
She is writing a book, so ol
course she wants her work to
be as accurate as possible.
Specifically, she is asking for
information about the Southern
Hotel
With a woman's usual
curiousity, she is interested in
knowing if the walls were
papered or paneled, what
type of floor covering and light
fixtures were used Such
minute details often escaped
the notice of the 1880's press
and unless Mrs Rhodes can
find a story that has been
"handed down" in 'some
family, she may never know
what the interior of the great
ballroom looked like
And she has more questions .
like, where did Mr Blevins go
when his great dream faded
and what happened to the
fascinating socialite, the red
haired wife of Gen Hammon
who put a curse on New
Birmingham why did fire
destroy the Tassie Belle was
it accidental of did some one
start it
Mrs Rhodes has raised some
interesting questions And
should she ever find the
answers and put them into a
book, we can imagine her book
sales would soar in Cherokee
County
If any or our readers recall
anv information, handed down
in the family, please write to
Mrs Neeka Rhodes. 204
Tanglewood Drive. Victoria.
Texas 77901 She has been to
Rusk earlier in the summer to
talk with a number of people
She has expressed a desire to
come back and visit others, if
she can just find out who might
have information to share
with her
Civil Cases
Set For Trial
Nine civil docket cases have
been set for pretrial and trial
by jury in the 2nd Judicial
District Court of Cherokee
County at 9 a m Monday, Sept
10.
Judge J W Summers issued
the civil docket call Friday
The nine cases include
Morgan Machine Co.. Inc. vs.
Vernon Grogan, Ind. and d-b-a
Grogan Company; Raymond
+ + See CIVIL CASES. Pg. II
The Cherokeean
Texas' Oldest Weekly Newspaper, Established As the Pioneer July 5, 1847
SERVING RUSK
WITH DISTINCTION
FOR 126 YEARS
Vol. 12(i
THURSDAY. AUGUST 2.
12 PAGES
NUMBER NINE
iEES
; fte,
■hx~
■ V H
REGISTERS FOB KINDERGARTEN-Five
year old Mike Murray is registering to attend
public kindergarten this year. Elementary
School Principal Dick McGaughey is taking
Public Kindergarten
pre-registration on all eligible five year olds
at his office Looking on is Mrs Sara Hood,
kindergarten teacher stall photo
Pre-Registratioo of Five Year Olds Now
In Progress At Rusk Elementary School
Pre-registration of five-year-
olds who will attend free public
kindergarten is underway now
at Rusk Elementary School
Dick McGaughey, elementary
school principal, urges parents
to pre-register their children
at his office as soon as possible
Children are eligible to enter
public kindergarten if they will
be at least five years old and
under six years old as of
September 1. says School
Superintendent ,1 M Boone
Attendance of eligible chil-
dren is entireh voluntary.
Boone points out No child will
be required to attend the
kindergarten
The new program, signed
into law by Governor Briscoe
earlier this summer, will
provide full-day kinergarten
for one semester for a¡¡ pupils
who register "The oldest of all
pupils registered will attend
the firsi semester <Aug
27 Jan 111 and the youngest of
those registered will attend the
second semester Jan 15 May
24 i ' savs Boone
Rusk School Board Opens
Bank Bid; Studies Budget
The Rusk School hoard
meeting in called session
Monday evening opened the
sole bid for district depository,
entered by Fust State Bank,
and discussed a tentative
budget for the upcoming school
year
The bank bid. signed by
First State president Joe T
Terrell, offered 51 -j per cent
annual interest on time de
posits of less than 90 days
Since the board's agenda
called only for opening of bids
Monday, no action can be
taken on the matter until the
board meets again on Aug. 20
School Superintendent J M
Boone informed the board that
Citizens State Bank was not
intending to bid for the
depository this year but
expected to enter a bid in 1975
First State Bank is the
current depository for the
period from Sept 1. 1973 to
Aug 31. 1975
The board studied a tentative
budget for the 1973-74 school
year prepared by Boone, and
board president Tom Sartain
reported that a budget would
have to be approved at the
Aug 20 meeting
Funding of athletics and the
need for newer buses were two
areas discussed
We're way behind in athle
tics now." Boone told the
board "Until we get more
money in the local fund so we
can bail this out and get it
current and bail transporation
(buses* out we're never going
to have a realistic budget
Boone also commented on
the district's rising electricity
bills
"Electricity is killing us.' he
said 'Tve got a note out—if it's
+ + See SCHOOL, Pg. II
$125 Million Proposed County Budget
Filed Tuesday,Pay Raise Recommended
A proposed Cherokee County Judge Orvan B Jones. Tues- One expense item in the ap- county officials and em-
budget in the amount of more day was the deadline for filing proximately $1,253,000 budget ployees
than $1 25 million was filed the proposed document w ith was the recommendation of a 5 Judge Jones says a special
Tuesday afternoon by County the County Clerk per cent salary increase for all public hearing on the budget
_ will be at a later date.
$3 Million In Highway Construction
Underway Now in Cherokee County
A booklet entitled "A Guide
For the Education of Five
Year-Old Children in Texas",
published by the Texas Educa-
tion Agency, defines the
program as "highly indi vid
ualized to provide for the
development of each child at
his own pace."
The program, in a planned
environment, is designed to
help children learn during an
optimum time for educational
development The educational
program will provide for a
schedule ol learning activities
-sing challenging materials
and experiences It should
satisfy the intellectual, psycho-
logical. physical and social
needs of young children," says
Principal McGaughey
McGaughey stresses the
point that "The "the preschool
program shall be uniquely
adapted to the needs and
interest of the five-year-old
child rather th;>n represent a
downward extension of the
first grade "
Learning areas covered in
the kindergarten program are
language arts, science, mathe
malíes, block building, music,
art. housekeeping, social
studies, health and safety,
physical education and nutri-
tion
McGaughey points out that
the students attending the first
semester will register again
Aug 22 when other students
re(x>rt for register "Supply
sheets for kindergarten stu-
dents are available in my
office nowsays McGaughey
Public kindergarten funds
are allocated under the Mini-
mum Foundation School Pro-
gram
More than 3 million dollars
in highway construction is
underway in Cherokee County,
according to Forest Mathews,
resident engineer with the
Texas Highway Depart
ment "The exact figure.
$3.486,885.26, represents six
highway construction jobs,"
says Mathews
The total cost of projects now-
underway is considerably-
more than funds spent in the
entire year of 1972. In 1972
highway construction cost
Cherokee County totaled
$1.445,227.
The highway department is
also advertising for bids on
another project of FM 3198
north of Cuney at Lake
Palestine. Bids for this con-
struction will be let on August
21.
Mathews reports that the
construction of a four-lane
highway on US 84 East in Rusk
is now 25 per cent complete.
The road will run from the
intersection of US 69 and 84 to
Daniels Street on US 84. "The
contractor is presently at-
tempting to construct store
sewer in'ets before the gravel
work is completed on the first
22 feet of the new roadway,"
County Tax Suit
Hearing Set
Here August 20
Judge J.W. Summers. 2nd
Judicial District Court, has set
a lax suit hearing involving
Cherokee County for 9 a m
August 20.
Plaintiffs in the suit, which
was filed initially on August 3,
1971. are Temple Industries,
Inc ; Southland Paper Com-
pany . International Paper
Company and Owens-Illinois.
Inc Listed as defendants in the
case are Cherokee County:
Cherokee County Board of
Equalization, which includes
the County Commissioners and
County Judge and the Chero-
kee County Tax Assessor-
Collector
A new plea was entered
recently in the case The
plaintiff's describe the
county's present scheme of
taxation as being "illegal,
capricious and fraudulent "
+ +See TAXSITT, Pg. II
Mathews reports. Reynolds-
Land Construction Company-
has the contract at a state cost
of $337,435.13
The construction of Farm
Road 2972 is 82 per cent
complete Mathews reports
The road runs from Highway
69 North through to the
Dialville road. "The gravel is
being processed to pave the
road and if the weather holds
out the asphalt will be poured
in about two weeks," Mathews
says. The contract is held by
Revnolds Land at a cost of
$186,035.98.
Other construction in the
county includes a 665 mile
overpass in the city Jackson-
ville which is 66 per cent
complete. The overpass is
being constructed by Central
Construction Company of
Longview with a bid of
$708.141.75. A 61 mile con-
struction job is also underway
on US 79 at New Summerfield
The project includes a new
two-lane road with paved
shoulders The project is 40 per
cent completed with a state
cost of $997,040 48 Reynolds
Land Construction Company
has the contract
A 2'j mile stretch is also
under construction on Highway
69 in Jacksonville. The project
begins north of the Jackson-
ville city limits. The four land
project will include one mile
with four lanes and a 16 foot
medium and curb and gutter
and an addition one and one
half mile four land highway
without curb and gutter E.W.
Hable and Sons, Inc. has the
project at a state cost of
$524.048.04. Only 4 per cent of
the work has been completed
A bid was let June 13 for the
construction of two bridges to
replace the present structures
on Highway 84 just outside
Reklaw State cost of this new
project is $734,183.88. The
project calls for 1,000 feet of
bridge and approaches over
Mud Creek and Rutherford
Slew "The bridges are narrow
concrete structures on timber
piling The new concrete
bridges will be 50 feet wide,"
says Mathews.
Expected income in the
proposed budget includes taxes
on an assessed tax value of all
county property at $63.5
million "In actual taxes this
amounts to $603.250 of that
figure."
Other items of expected
income include $17,600, delin-
quent taxes; $3,400, voter
registration (state funds);
$1.200, rental of property to
Federal agencies in the
courthouse annex. $147,400,
fees of office; approximately
$62,000 fines; $4.700, state
appropriation; approximately
$20,000, interest on cash
deposits $175,000. automobile
registration $200, jury fees and
$48,000 state lateral road gas
tax refund
Not included in the proposed
budget figure is an additional
$265,000 in revenue sharing
funds "This figure represents
revenue sharing funds on hand
and those we expect to
receive," says Jones.
Proposed expenditures of
revenue sharing funds include
$100,000 for road equipment.
$50.000, right of way purchase;
$15,000, airport improvements;
$150,000. repair of jail and
courthouse and $50,000 for
miscellaneous
The county budget for 1973
was in the amount of $1.153,946.
\
Jl ST A TUKKN-Mrs. Donna Shelton, right.
passes out tokens to members of a Rusk State
Hospital Adolescent Unit special education
class The youngsters receive tokens each
time they perform an assignment well and
may later redeem them for candy, cigarettes
or other items. Mrs Shelton is coordinator of
special education for the unit. Three other
teachers and tour aides are under her
supervision -staff photo
Helping Youngsters Adjust to School Routine is Goal of RSH Adolescent Unit
Part one of a two-part story.
Making a young patient's
hospital environment as much
like the outside society as
possible is one of the primary
educational goals of the Rusk
State Hospital Adolescent Unit.
Gene Rhoton, the young
psychologist who heads the
unit, says the idea is to make
hospital life "as similar as we
can to what the kid will have to
go back to."
The children get up in the
morning, get dressed, and
walk to school. They attend
regular classes half a day and
vocational classes the other
half.
The youngsters even engage
in occasional athletic events
with children from other state
institutions.
"Our school program is not
only academic but behav-
ioral," Rhoton explains
"These are kids that the
community has kicked out for
one reason or another."
The hospital, he says,
attempts to prepare them to
return to the community and
better adjust to the home and
school environment.
From the standpoint of
behavior modification,
structure and consistency are
fundamental to the academic
program, Rhoton says.
"The kids have to know
what's expected of them and
know the consequences...," he
explains, "just like we know
the consequences if we go out
and run a stop sign."
Mrs. Donna Shelton is
coordinator of special educa-
tion and along with three other
teachers and four aides, she
handles the academic classes
which the children ages 9-21
(unless they are high school
graduates) attend half a day.
Classes held in the morning
are for those youngsters
performing on a level of
pre-school through the seventh
grade, she says.
Each class of students,
averaging under 10 per class,
is taught by one teacher and
one aide.
The emphasis in these
classes is on structure and
individual attention. Mrs
Shelton explains
The teachers concentrate on
rewarding the children for
good work, she says. The idea
is to establish a school
atmosphere where the student
is not threatened by the
possibility failure •
With this objective, the
program began utilizing about
two years ago what is known as
a "token economy system "
Under this system, which is
based on learning theory, a
student is given a tangible
reward, in this case a token,
each time he performs his
assignment well
The tokens can then be
traded for candy, cigarettes or
other items Those acquiring
enough tokens by the end of the
day are allowed a trip to the
hospital canteen
The use of tokens. Mrs.
Shelton says, allows the
student to know where he
stands, know when he is
getting approval and have
something tangible to show for
it.
The youngsters seem to be
progressing much better under
the token system, she says
Tests taken before the token
system went into effect found
average student attention to be
85 per cent while 97 per cent
attention was found with the
tokens.
Classes are held in the
afternoon for younsters per-
forming on the junior high or
high school level.
They attend three classes of
53 minutes each which include
English. mathematics and an
elective-type class
These elective-type classes,
more individualized, include
preparation for a General
Equivalency Diploma examin-
ation. typing, social studies or
health (now being set up) and
have even included braille for
one blind youngster
Mrs Shelton explains that a
child will ususally remain at
the hospital for 60-90 days
Some, of course, remain much
longer
"Every day they're here we
try to have them working
toward a goal," she says. "We
try to have something in mind
for each child. It's a concen-
trated effort to do what we can
with the time we have "
Whatever the intentions of
the child, whether it is to
return home and go back to
school, try for a GED diploma,
or get a job, the staff at the
adoiescent unit attempt to
prepare an individualized pro
gram to meet the needs of each
child
"This has been the most
challenging teaching I've ever
done," Mrs Shelton says
She notes that the program
even includes some of the
criminally insane patients in
the Maximum Securiy Unit.
Bill Turner, one of the
Adolescent Unit teachers,
holds classes inside the MSU
for some 17 patients under 21.
Other teachers in the special
education section of the
Adolescent Unit are Barbara
McClure and Betty Walker.
+ + -f + + + + -t--f-!-
This two-part story on the
Adolescent I nit at Rusk State
Hospital will conclude next
week with an article on the
Vocational Education program
and new facilities.
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The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 126, No. 9, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 2, 1973, newspaper, August 2, 1973; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151029/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.