Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 141, No. 46, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 21, 1989 Page: 1 of 28

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Established Feb. 27, 1850 as the Cherokee Sentinel -- Texas' Oldest, Continuously Published Weekly Newspaper
Historical Caddnan
Indian Mounds
Vol. 141. No. 46 - 22 Pages
Thursday, December 21,1989
Rusk, Texas 75785 25 cents
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IT'S PAID FORI Joe Terrell, left, representing the Rusk State Hospital Volunteer Services Council
hands over the deed to the theatre building to members of the Cherokee Civic Theatre. The
last $ 1,000 payment on the theatre has been made and the deed turned over to the
Cherokee Civic Theatre membership. The building was purchased in the fall of 1978 for
$10,000 from the Rusk State Hospital Volunteer Sen/ices Council. Representing the theatre
group are from left Mary Holcomb, Flossie Nixson, Paul Cox, Marcelette Broussard, Billie
McVicker and Zelwanda Hendrick. staff photo
Rusk council accepts bank bid
A city depository bid from First
State Bank was accepted at the
Thursday evening meeting of the
Rusk City Council. The city had
advertised for bids and sent appli-
cations to Rusk banks and savings
and loan associations. Two re-
sponses were received, one from
Citizens Bank, the current deposi-
tory, and the other from First State
Bank.
The First State Bank bid gave the
highest percentage of interest on
Certificates of Deposit, along with a
6 percent interest on the city's check-
ing account. City accounts will be
transferred to First State Bank and
Certifications of Deposits will be
transferred upon expiration of cer-
tificates.
In other matters, the council
approved an increase from $35 to
$75 for zoning change requests. Cost
of advertisements and certified let-
ters to adjoining property owners
brings the cost of each application
up to at least $75 and sometimes
more, Pee Wee Drake, city manager
told the council at the meeting. "We
are currently goi ng in the hole every
time we handle a zoning change
request," he said. The charge was
adopted in the beginning to cover
the city's expenses incurred in
handling requests.
The council approved a special
use permit request from Danny
Berry to locate a mobile home on hi s
property on Second Street. The area
is zoned as business. No opposition
was received concerning Berry's
request.
Plans were made to go ahead with
paving of Marshall and Nelson
Streets at the meeti ng. Da vid White
submitted a bid of $22,240.32 ear-
lier in the year for the street work.
He says his bid will still be good in
April, when the street paving is
planned. No paving will begin until
all property owners have paid their
share ofthe cost. The city will pay V
3 of the cost of the project with
property owners on each side of the
street paying their 1/3 of the cost.
The council approved a resolu-
tion allowing the city to continue
with taxing of Freeport Goods.
A quarterly report from the Rusk
Volunteer Fire Department showed
that firemen responded to 19 city
incident calls, 28 county fire calls,
with firemen traveling 715 miles.
There were 548 responses by indi-
vidual firemen, with 11.7 firemen
answering each call.
Firemen attended 12 hours of
training including ladders, first aid,
arson and airpacks.
Other activities include routine
inspection of fire hydrants/busi-
nesses, fire drills at local schools,
fire safety training at local schools,
celebrated National Fire Preven-
tion Week and designed and coordi-
nated helipad development at the
county jail site.
City responses included four as-
sistances with Air I; one apartment
fire, one house fire in August; one
trash fire, one wreck, one truck fire,
♦See RUSK CITY...p. 12, Sec. 1
Bomer re-evaluates,
decides to run race
Former state representative El-
ton Bomer returned to the politi-
cial scene last week after earlier
withdrawing his name from the race.
Bomer filed with the secretary of
state office, Friday, as a Demo-
cratic candidate for the state rep
position.
Bomer says he has now gotten his
real estate business organized and
can devote his time to the office and
the people of Anderson, Cherokee
and Freestone counties.
He is a former two term state
representative. Bomer, a Montalba
rancher and businessman, says he
has heard from dozens of District
Meeting change
The Alto Band Boosters January
meeting will not (because of the
holiday) be the first Monday of the
month. It has been scheduled for 7
p.m. Monday, Jan. 8 at the school
band hall.
11 citizens urging him to reconsider
and make the race.
"Ordinarily, when I make a deci-
sion, it stays made; but I find I can't
turn my back on something as im-
portant as this. I also value the good
opinion of my friends and I want
very badly to represent Dist. 11 in
the Texas Legislature," he said.
Bomer says he is in the race to
stay and plans to work as hard as he
has ever in his life to win and repre-
sent the district.
Bomer is the second Democrat to
file for the position now held by
Dick Swift of Palestine. Swift says
he is not going to seek re-election.
Buck Bonner, a former justice of the
peace and constable from Fairfield,
also will be running for the Demo-
cratic nomination.
Anderson County Republican
Party Chairwoman Frances Ann
Dear and Christian Reagan, of
Anderson County are seeking the
Republician nomination.
Cherokee County residents
join in holiday celebrations
Cherokee County residents will
join citizens throughout the world
this week in observance of Christ-
mas Day.
Youth ofthe Footbridge 4-H Club
will sponsor a Drug-Free Christ-
mas Dance on Saturday, Dec. 23 at
the Rusk Civic Center (the old
armory building) from 7 to 11 p.m.
Admission will be $1 and proceeds
will go toward support of Melisia
Lankfordthe 1990Junior Livestock
Show Queen contestant.
Services at area churches will vary
somewhat from the normal week-
end services. However members of
the Rusk Seventh Day Adventist
Church will meet as usual Saturday
with Sabbath School at 9:30 and
worship at 11 a.m.
Members of the Rusk First Bap-
tist Church will attend regular serv-
ices Sunday, Christmas Eve morn-
ing. There will be a Christmas Eve
candlelight service from 6 to 7 p.m.
Sunday evening.
Hilltop Baptist Church, Alto, will
only have morning services on
Christmas Eve.
Eastside Baptist Church, Rusk,
will have Sunday school at 9:45
a.m. and worship at 11 a.m. There
will be no evening service.
Grace Fellowship Church mem-
bers will attend Sunday school at
9:30 a.m. and worship at 10:30 a.m.
There will be no evening service
Christmas Eve. A special New
Year's Watch Night Service is set to
begin with a covered dish supper at
7 p.m. and singing, preaching,
prayer and fellowship until past
midnight.
Members ofthe Rusk FirstUnited
MethodistChurch will observe Holy
Communion at 10:45 a.m. Christ-
mas Day. Sunday school will begin
at 9:45 a.m.
Members of the A. Frank Smith
United MethodistChurch will have
a Christmas Eve candlelight serv-
ice.
Members of the Cold Springs
United Methodist Church will con-
tinue its lighted Christmas tree from
5:30 to 9 p.m. through Christmas
Day evening.
Falvey United Methodist Church
at Wells will have a come and go
family communion service from
5:30 to 7 p.m. Christmas Eve.
Members of the Rusk Church of
Christ will have regular morning
services Christmas Eve and then
meet at 4 p.m. for the Sunday eve-
ning service.
Services at the Rusk United
Pentecostal Church will begin at
Groundbreaking
for sewer plant
is cancelled
The groundbreaking that was
scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, Dec.
18 for improvements at the Sewer
Plant in Alto was cancelled until
further notice due to bad weather.
9:45 a.m. Sunday morning. There
will be no evening services. Mi-week
services will be held as usual and
the fifth Sunday singing will begin
at 2 p.m. Dec. 31.
An organ recital is planned for 5
p.m. Christmas Eve at the Rusk
First Presbyterian Church. The re-
cital will be presented by Laura
Wilson ofTyler. The annual candle-
light communion service will follow
at 5:30 p.m.
Services at Our Lady of Sorrows
Catholic Church, Jacksonville,
which serves Catholics of Cherokee
County, include Christmas Eve
English massat7 p.m. and Spanish
mass at 9 p.m. Christmas Day mass
begins at 9 a.m.
Many of the area churches pre-
sented cantatas and musicals ear-
lier in the month, which will be
replayed over the facilities ofKTLU-
AM, 1580, KWRW-FM, 97.2 and
Channel 9 Galaxy Cablevision.
Schedule of services Christmas
Day include 9 a.m. Rusk State Hos-
pital service; 10 a.m. Rusk Sixth
Grade, Junior High and High School
choir concerts; 11 a.m. Eastside
Baptist Church; 12 p.m. (noon)rusk
First United Methodist Church; 1
p.m. Rusk First Baptist Church; 2
p.m. A. Frank Smith United Meth-
odist at Alto; 3 p.m. Alto Hilltop
Baptist Church; 5 p.m. Jacksonville
First United Methodist Church; 6
p.m. Central Baptist Church from
Jacksonville; and 7 p.m. Rusk First
Presbyterian Church.
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MAYBE HE left part of his reindeer at home for this trial run. This attractive Santa and reindeer
scene is only one of the holiday decorations seen in the Rusk area. staff photo
Plaque presented to Mr., Mrs. Biggs
for their donation to AISD library
National Geographic magazines,
94 special editions ofthe magazine
and 43 individual books, all pub-
lished by the National Geographic
Society since 1933 were presented
to the Alto ISD library Thursday
evening by Norma and John Biggs
of Alto. Appraised value ofthe gift is
$8,624. Biggs said only eight maga-
zines are needed to make the collec-
tion complete since 1926. He says
he plans to attempt to secure those
extra editions and give them to the
school.
The Biggs will donate upcoming
editions ofthe magazine, as well as
the special editions and books to
the school. The donation measures
30 feet of books lining the book
shelves and filling a special cart at
the Alto school library.
Donna Cook, librarian, presented
a plaque of appreciation to the Biggs
at the Thursday evening school
board meeting.
Members of the board discussed
use of the school gyms by outside
organization. Superintendent John
Cook said the biggest problem with
groups other than school groups
using the facilities was the lack of
supervision and security. Some pro-
fessional school personnel have
taken care of this in the past. "We
tried it with school custodians, but
that didn't work," Cook said. He
noted that several years ago a win-
dow was broken and another time
someone came into the gym with a
gun.
Achurch group met with the board
Monday evening to state that they
were planning a church tournament
with proceeds to finance sending
junior high and senior high young-
sters to a basketball camp at
ALMOST $9,000appraised valued National Geographic magazines and books were donated
to the Alto School library by Norma and John Biggs. From left are Donna Cook, librarian; John
Cook, school superintendent; Mrs. Biggs; Biggs; and Freddy Johnson. Alto ISD board
chairman. staff photo
Yes Virginia, there will be
a paper next week!
This publication's office will be closed Monday, Dec. 25 in observance
of Christmas. We urge persons with news and advertising to submit
their information to us TTiursday, Dec. 21 and Friday, Dec. 22. This will
make it possible for us to stay on schedule when we do a never-before
task of publishing this paper in one day!
With our deepest gratitude for your cooperation in allowing us to
celebrate Christmas too, we wish you happy holidays.
Stephen F. Austin University. The
same group has taken 10 girls to
Grapeland to participate in a league
there. The board was assured that
this is a group of young men, who
don't allow drinking and are up-
standing persons, either minister,
deacons or dedicated church mem-
bers.
Cook said the problem is with
persons from the outside. The group
agreed that they would lock them-
selves in the gym during practice
sessions and would obtain security
during the tournament hours.
Cook announced at the board
that the school administrative of-
fices will be closed duri ng the school
holidays. Offices and classes will
open again on Jan. 2, 1990. Band
and choir concerts held on Dec. 7
were well enjoyed by families and
friends of the students. A good
crowd attended the P-TA program
on Tuesday night, which was pre-
sented by students in the fourth and
fifth grades.
Alto students won their first dis-
trict basketball game at Groveton
last week. The boys now boast a 11-
2 season record. One of the losses
was to state fourth place Oakwood
team.
Some 40 D-FY-IT students were
taken to the Rusk game. They all
wore their D-FY-IT shirts to the
•See AISD...p. 12, Sec. 1
i.