Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 141, No. 12, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 27, 1989 Page: 1 of 40
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Texas State Railroad
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Cfyerokeeaif/Herald
Established Feb. 27, 1850 as the Cherokee Sentinel ~ Texas' Oldest, Continuously Published Weekly Newspaper
Historical Caddoan
Indian Mounds
Vol. 141, No. 12 - 16 Pages
Thursday, April 27, 1989
Rusk, Texas 75785 25cents
News Briefs ^ePresentatives negotiate with neighboring districts
Maydelle students to move
RSH Homecoming set
The annual homecoming for all
Rusk State Hospital retirees and ex-
employees will be held from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. April 29 at the First
Baptist Church fellowship hall.
All retirees and ex-employees are
invited to attend. Those who attend
are asked to take a covered dish
and enjoy the luncheon and
fellowship.
AISD board to meet
The Alto Independent School
Board of Trustees will be holding a
special meeting tonight (Thur-
sday), April 27 in the High School
Library to discuss the Temple In-
Land computer grant.
Award ceremony set
The annual Rusk High School
Awards Ceremonies will be held at
7 p.m. Thursday, May 4 at the
Junior High School cafeteria.
Alto PTA meet told
The Alto PTA will be holding its
regular meeting at 6:30 p.m., Thur-
sday, April 27 in the AHS Band Hall.
The sixth grade band, under the
direction of Jon Lawles, will be per-
forming. Mr. Lawles will give a
brief explanation of the 6th grade
program to the parents of 5th
graders.
Members of the PTA will be elec-
ting officers for the 1989-90 school
year, also during the meeting.
Ambulance Fund
The Alto Emergency Ambulance
Fund received donations from Jane
M. Baker and Lincrest Arborefarm,
Inc.
The Alto Ambulance Fund
received donations from the
following during the past week: The
Friendship Club of A. Frank Smith
United Methodist Church, John
Ramey and T. D. Little.
Apology made
for omission
of leader's name
Cherokee County Commissioner
Alton Hicks, Precinct 2, was among
those that made the trip April 6 to
Austin in support of the Texas State
Railroad.
Commissioner Hicks appeared
before the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Commission, with State Represen-
tative Dick Swift, County Judge
Emmett Whitehead, Rusk Mayor
James Long and Jerry Thompson,
Alice And Perry Bice, Stephanie
Caveness, Anita Ocker and
Margaret Perkins.
We apologize to Commissioner
Hicks for this error.
Maydelle ISD representatives
will meet with school officials of
neighboring districts to work out
details for transferring 45 high
school students.
The Maydelle school board voted
Monday evening to rescend former
board action to maintain a K-5
school at Maydelle and elected to
operate K-8 classes next year. The
board has notified by the state that
there will be no funding after next
year.
Ben Brandenburg, Texas
Educational Agency master
assigned to the school, Board
President John Padgett and
Superintendent Billy Edwards will
meet with school superintendents at
Slocum, Jacksonville and Rusk to
determine where Maydelle High
School students will go next year.
Brandenburg told board members
that they probably would not want
to consider Palestine as that
district charges $100 transfer fee
per student.
Edwards said he didn't think that
Slocum was interested in taking all
the students. "They want only those
that live across the river." He said
he had been told that "it would be a
headache to run buses to Maydelle
and try to handle the entire
district."
Jacksonville has said in the past
they would not be interested in
taking the Maydelle students, as
See 'MAYDELLE, Pg. 16
President Bush signs declaration Monday...
County to get disaster relief
President George Bush has
signed a declaration for federal
disaster relief for Cherokee and five
other East Texas counties.
Cherokee, Cass, Gregg, Harrison,
Marion and Rusk counties suffered
some $3.3 million in public damages
during flooding March 27 and 28.
Congressman Jim Chapman says
the President signed the
declaration Monday afternoon. It
will allow for the $3.3 million in
grants and will make the counties
eligible for other federal disaster
relief programs, grants and loans.
Cherokee County Judge Emmett
Whitehead says he and other mem-
bers of the Commissioners Court
appreciate the hard work of
Congressman Chapman and
Senators Lloyd Bentsen and Phil
Gramm as they made the assistan-
ce a reality.
State Senator Bill Haley
spearheaded the countys inclusion
of Gov. Bill Clement's recommen-
dation.
Jack White, Cherokee County
emergency Diaster Coordinator,
says the declaration will include
both individual and public assistan-
ce relief.
The individual package will help
private businesses and
homeowners. "In all likelihood it
will include family grants, and
economic injury loans through the
Small Business Administration,"
White said.
The public assistance package
will include help to counties and
cities for road, bridge and culvert
repairs.
Another survey team will be here
in about two weeks, White says.
They will meet with each county
commissioner and go to each site to
see if the site qualifies. Team
membrs will do their worksheets to
determine how much damage and
then write a check on the spot.
Federal payment on this portion
will by 75 percent with the county or
city paying the remainder 25 per-
cent.
A public official briefing was to
be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday in
Longview. Judge Whitehead, Rusk
Mayor James Long and White were
to lead a delegation of leaders there.
White says a 800 telephone num-
ber will be set up for individuals to
call in and report their damages.
The telephone number will be
released as soon as it is obtained.
I WANT TO BE AN EAGLE SOMEDAY! Sixth grader Brandon
Knight admires the stuffed eagle in the trophy case at Rusk
Junior High School. He anticipates entering the seventh grade
when he will be given an opportunity to begin participating in
school sports. He is the son of Mickey and Barbara Singletary.
-staff photo
Athletes' honor slated;
tickets are available now
Absentee balloting in local races told
Roger Carr, coach at Northeast
Louisiana State University, will be
guest speaker for the 7 p.m. May 6
Rusk Quarterback Club All-Sports
Banquet. All students who have
participated in athletics during the
1988-89 school year will be honored
at the event to be held in the junior
high school cafeteria. Tickets are
available for $6 from Quarterback
Club directors, Citizens Bank and
First State Bank.
Coach Carr is a former All-Pro
football player and was with NELS
when they won the NCAA Divison II
National Championship in 1987.
Banquet awards will be presented
to this year's outstanding athletes.
Awards given will be the E. H
Whitehead Ail-Around Sports
Award to a male athlete; the J. L.
Hassell Award to a girl athlete; M.
R. Philbrick Fighting Heart Award,
Doug and Sally Jordan Sports
Award to a basketball player and
the Francis Townsend Award to an
adult who has made significant con-
tribution to youth athletics.
Absentee balloting continues
through May 2 for area city and
school May 6 elections.
At Alto, a total of 55 persons had
voted by mid-morning Tuesday in
the city election. Mayor R A
Wallace is being challenged by
Garwin Baugh. Terms of Sandra
Wallace and Bobby Holcomb expire
with the May 6 election. Candidates
filing for the two positions are Mrs.
Wallace, Sally Mertz, Terry Black
and Verna Lee Arnold.
Some 66 persons have voted in the
Alto ISD election. Candidates for
the two at-large seats on the board
are incumbents Freddy Johnson
and Charles Dean Davis and
challengers Mike Low, Kenneth
Hicks and Odis Bryan. For the
unexpired term now held by J. D.
Pearman are candidates Pearman
and Douglas M. Smith.
At Rusk 15 persons have voted in
the city election. Mayor James
Long is challenged by Maurice
Higgins. Incumbents Jane Scallon,
District 1 and Walter Session,
District 2 are unopposed.
A total of 14 persons had voted by
mid-morning Tuesday for the Rusk
school election. Four persons are
seeking election to the three at-
large positions. Candidates are in-
cumbents James Campbell, Billy
Joyce and Mike Ross and
challenger Dennis Mclntyre.
No one had voted by noon
Tuesday at Maydelle. Candidates
for the three seats on the board are
incumbents Roger Graham and
Mike Dover and challengers Saun-
dra Pryor, J. D. Mims, Melba
Darrow, Martha Swearingen, San-
dra Straney, Kent Gulivin and
Travis Halbert. Incumbent Jerry
Berry is not seeking re-election.
Some 16 persons have voted in the
Wells city election. Candidates are
Hank Bloom and Robert English for
mayor and Homer Gibson, Tom Ed
Doss, Floyd Cartwright, Joe Met-
tlen and David Seymore for two
council seats.
Four persons have voted in the
Wells school election. Candidates
are incumbent Jerry Rogers and
challengers Rickey Williamson,
Terry Wallace and Charles
Hamilton. Three persons will be
elected.
See ♦ABSENTEE, Pg. 16
'Charlie Brown' is slated
Young people of Cherokee County
will present "You're A Good
Man Charlie Brown" at the
Cherokee Civic Theatre this
weekend. Tickets are $5 each and
reservations can be made by
calling Cissy Crysup at 214-683-5966.
Curtain time is 8 p.m. Friday and
Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Marcelette Broussard is director
for the show. Music is under the
direction of Gloria Dotson and Jill
Swink is choreographer for the
production.
Susan Porter plays the Little Red
Headed Girl; Katie Crysup is Lucy;
Chris Brown, Linus; P.O. Ford,
Snoopy; R.P. Kelley, Charlie
Brown; Chad Wootton, Schroeder
and Erin Kotheimer, Patty.
Nikki Pate's prognosis is considered 'good'
••••
| 'Roundabout...
I with Marie Whitehead
"Your life ia the only Bible tome
folks will ever read." Now...you've
heard or read this in so many words
before, haven't you? And you have
probably read or heard also, "a lit-
tle child shall lead them."
These statements are a kind of in-
troduction to a quiet short witness
of one person's faith. Nikki Pate,
four years old, Injured seriously in
a lawn mower accident Friday,
April 14, was carried to Cherokee
Medical Center for treatment.
Hopefully, you read the report of
her brother Joey's act of heroism in
this publication last week.
Well, she had that on her side. His
quick thinking. More on her side
was the fact that her grandmother,
Glendale Pate, R.N., was on duty in
the emergency room. Nikki was not
exactly among strangers, with a
loving grandparent present.
And then in further words of
assurance Grandmother advised,
"This is Dr. Meharry (Leroy) and
he's going to take care of you."
With no hesitation, the small voice
spoke from her shattered and torn
body, "Dr. Meharry, God' gonna
take care of me."
Clearly, this youngster has been
reading the "lives" of others in her
family including her father and
grandfather. They are co-pastors of
Rusk's First United Penetecostal
Church. And just as clearly, she is
emulating an understanding of her
family. To the rest of us she is
already submitting a beautiful
Bible for us to read.
With such an early beginning, we
can believe that God surely has
great plans for this little child for
whom a recovery Is in-
dicated...against incredible odds.
But then, who not? For, "With God,
all things are possible."
Until Next week? mw
P.S. Friends of the Pate family
have established a special fund at
Cltliens Bank and First State Rank
to help with Nikkl's expenses. You
are Invited to participate. First
State's address is P.O. Box 289, and
the Cltliens Bank Is P.O. Box 227.
Zip Is 75785. No, you're right. The
family did not have Insurance.
By SUSAN PATE
"Nikki, this is Dr. Meharry, and
he's going to take care of you.",
Mrs. Pate spoke reassuringly in-
troducing the doctor to her
critically injured granddaughter.
"Dr. Meharry, God's gonna take
care of me.", Nikki spoke confiden-
tly though her words came amidst
tears of pain and fear, and her voice
was broken by her snubbing. Jesus
said, "lest you become as a little
child..."
Very shortly after Dr. Lee Roy
Meharry was introduced to little
Nikki Pate, he determined that her
injuries were such that she should
immediately be transferred via Air
1 to Tyler Medical Center Hospital.
At this time, his prognosis was very
grim, and his words to the mother,
Donna Pate, were, "The left foot is
turning dark and dying. She needs a
vascular surgeon to try to save the
foot. You have faith in God, so trust
him to take care of her."
Upon notifying Nikki's father,
Thomas Pate, Jr. who was about
three hours from Rusk, he called
Dr. Meharry and the doctor related
to him, "She is injured severly, and
most likely two limbs will be
disfunctional." This diagnosis was
confirmed by the doctors at Tyler
Medical Center, shortly after her
arrival there, and it was explained
to the famiy how serious the threat
of bone infection was.
The lawnmower blade had ac-
tually contacted and broken the
bones, and imbedded dirt, grass
and debris into the bone tissue it-
self. The probability of her
developing a bone infection was
prevalent, and an infection of this
type is very hard to fight and many
times life threatening. The second
toe on the left foot was badly cut
and the orthopedist didn't see that
he could even try to save it, because
her other injuries were so exten-
sive, and would take priority over
the toe.
After thorough physical
examinations, x-rays, and ar-
teriograms, Nikki was taken into
surgery until approximately 4:45
Saturday morning. By this time,
many friends had been contacted
and prayers of people in our com-
munity were being offered up in the
child's behalf, and many calls of
reassurance of prayers were
coming in.
Later on Saturday, the surgeon
said that the left arm was much
worse that the physical exam and
x-rays had shown, and that he could
offer no real hope of saving it, but
more surgery would be necessary
to find out.
After her second surgery early
Sunday morning, the doctor reaf-
firmed his doubt of saving her arm,
and said the toe was cold and black,
and did not appear to be alive. Her
CPK count was elevated to 1850
(normal range being around 200).
This indicated that muscle and skin
tissue were dying. The only way to
lower this count is to remove dead
Nikki Pate at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital
for Crippled Children in Dallas
or dying tissue. To allow it to
remain elevated, would cause liver
and/or kidney damage. By this
time, every church in Rusk, and the
surrounding areas were offering
their faith in God's ability to take
care of the baby, and praying ear-
nestly.
Her third surgery was scheduled
for Tuesday morning at 7:30. All
dead tissue would have to be
removed for the sake of Nikki's
vital organs. The family was feeling
the precariousness of these circum-
stances, and the reality of the
decision that would have to be made
was weighing heavily upon their
emotions. This could be a turn for
the better or worse-more probably
the latter according to the evidence
at hand; however, our creator is not
confined to a physician's ability,
and he is not limited by our in-
telligence, nor prognosis, and as the
orthopedic surgeon soberly came
from this third surgery, amidst
tears with the parents, he stated, "I
have no scientific, medical ex-
planation for the change that has
taken place in Nikki's body, but it is
obvious to me that some higher
source of power is watching over
this child and your family. I have
never seen anything like this hap-
pen. She has already begun to heal."
No limb was removed, and only a
small amount of tissue was taken
away.
It was then determined that she
should be transferred via ambulan-
ce to Texas Scottish Rites Hospital
for Crippled Children in Dallas,
See •NIKKI, Pg. 2
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Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 141, No. 12, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 27, 1989, newspaper, April 27, 1989; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151901/m1/1/: accessed May 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.