Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 151, No. 47, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 11, 2001 Page: 1 of 12
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/Herald
Texas' Oldest, Continuously Published Weekly Newspaper - Established Feb. 27,1850 as the Cherokee Sentinel
Girl Scout
COOKI€ TlM€
Rusk Girl Scout troop* are
taking cookie order now
see page 8
Vol. 151, No. 47 - 12 Pages
Thursday, January 11, 2001
Rusk, Texas 75785
25 cents
District Attorney seeks budget changes
2 new commissioners cast 1st votes at Monday's meeting
.will
ilii
kte Commission i
Nov. 18, and the policy was ad
membership
asked that the rate hike
newspaper* more time to t
wars.
"The U.S. Postal Service Is a lit
about $800 million shy, and
per publishers for h«
not," said Miks Opx, a «F
Press Assodat
Please see POStAL, peg* 10
Newly elected District Attorney Elmer
Beckworth came before the Commissioners
Court Monday morning to make budget
change requests. Mr. Beckworth explained to com-
missioners that a part time position had been elimi-
nated in his office. He asked that money be allocated
to $2,475 salary adjustment for the criminal investi-
gator; $189.75 and $250 for benefits; $450 for equip-
ment and furniture; $1,125 for conference and train-
ing and $994.50 be returned to the county budget.
County Judge ond other members of the court
explained that they had decided several years ago
that no salary increases would be made during the
budget year. Of the $5,454.75 allowed for the remain-
der of the budget year for the part, time salary, $ 1,500
will go toward conferences and training for the dis-
trict attorney and his staff; $600 will go toward
furniture and equipment and the remainder will
remain in the district attorney's budget.
Two new commissioners Bob Johnson, Precinct 1,
and Moody Glass Jr., Precinct 3, attended their first,
meeting in their new position.
Sheriff James Campbell presented his monthly
report to commissioners. He was authorized to pur-
chase new phones for the sheriffs office. Cost of the
phone system will be paid for with revenue acquired
through the phone services purchased by inmates.
All phones in the sheriffs office will be replaced at a
cost of almost $9,000.
Linda Beard, county tax assessor-collector was
authorized to attend three certification seminars in
Austin. They are Feb. 12-15 with a registration fee of
$200; March 19-21, $190; and April 23-27, $220.
Ms. Beard was authorized to pay $6,109 in refunda
for taxes collected for airplanes, which she had been
notified are now not taxable items.
She presented her annual tax assessor's report to
thecommissioners. The county has $158,920.92 in ad
valorem taxes; $75,051.17 for lateral road tax; and
$21,448.71 for county l&S tax bring total county
taxes to $255.420,80. The supplemental tax roil
shows $30,470.23 in ad valorem taxes, $4,112.53,
county I&S Tax; $14.945.12 in lateral road tax,
bringing that total to $49,527.88. Errors in assess-
ments include $12,246.95 ad valorem tax; $1,053.01,
l&S tax; $0.510.71. lateral road tax. bringing that
total to $20,410.67.
"We handled more than $12 million last year in our
office." Ms. Beard said.
Action concerning the reopening of a mad in the
Earles Chapel, Pierces Chapel area was postponed
until the next meeting. Stacey Possey and former
Commissioner F. E. Hassell met with the court to
discuss the issue. Mr. Possey is asking that the road
be reopened so that his daughter can net to a site
where she plans to build a new home.
Names drawn by County Judge Harry Tilley to
serve on a county salary grievance committee are
Debra Oden Hagsdale of Jacksonville, Brittany Tilley
of Alto, Jerry Lee Knott of Alto, Kyle Hooper of Alto,
Mark Kahalanc of Jacksonville, Rodney Walker of
Jacksonville, J.C. Dover of Alto, Bob Stalling of
Rusk and Joe Lester Peacock of Jacksonville. They
will be notified and asked to serve on the committee
Those who resigned will be replaced by names of
persons drawn at a later meeting.
Holidays for 2001 approved at the meeting were
Martin Luther King birthday on Monday, Jan. 15:
President's Day on Monday. Feb. 19; Good Friday on
Friday. April 13; Memorial Day on Monday. May 'JS;
Independence Day on Wednesday, July I: l.abor l):n
on Monday, Sept. 3; Columbus Day on Monday. Oet
8; Veterans Day on Monday. Nov. 12: Thanksgiving
on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 22 and 23; Christmas
on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Dee. 2-1. 25
and 26; and New Years Day on Tuesday, Jan. 2.2002.
After several officials asked for an extra day for
Christmas, the Texas Independence Day holiday on
March 2 was eliminated and Dec. 26 was added to tlu-
Christmas holidays.
Commissioner Kevin Pierce was elected as Count \
Judge Pro-Tern to serve in the absence of Judge
Tilley.
A lease agreement with Stalker Radar for three
years was approved to replace the current radais
used by the highway patrol,
Commissioner (Uass was authorized to go on pi t
vate property to clean CR 3104.
Attending the meeting were County Judge Tilley;
Commissioners Johnson. Pierce, Glass and Billy
MeCutcheon; Count y Clerk !<a verne Lusk: and County
Auditor L.H. Crockett.
The law suit of plaintiffs Bill and Barbara Berryhill
who are suing Wendy Pope and the City of Rusk was
continued until Jan. 26 by District Judge Bascom
Bentley after one hour of testimony and 40 minutes
in private talks between the lawyers Wednesday
afternoon.
Berryhill, a Houston area lawyer, seeks to prevent
Me. Pope Orpin placing apew. double^de, manufac-
tured house on land she owns at Guinn Place Street
and U. S. Hwy. 64 East. Ms. Pope, a single woman, is
rearing her young nephew who has Downe's Syn-
drome. This action stems from a cone change request
after Ms. Pope's frame house burned recently. Berry-
hill owns the old Guinn home near the end of Guinn
Place Street. He has said he plans to use it as a Bed
and Breakfast facilty at some future date.
An apparent effort by Judge Bentley to reach a
compromise between the parties failed after a 40
minute conference in private.
'This is a case that needs to be settled," he said.
"Some accommodation on everyone's part is needed,"
he noted.
Ms. Pope was the only witness called and she
explained that she is making payments on a manu-
factured home, still in Nacogdoches.
When Ms. Pope's attorney attempted to have her
testify concerning the value of houses within 200 feet
of her property, BerryhilTs lawyer, Steve Guy, strongly
objected with the argument that she was not an
expert on property values. When told that she had
y
-•«sÉÉak
Please see WENDY POPE, page 10
Wendy Pope and her newphew Joseph stand in front of the bumed remains of her home. A lawsuit
waa filed agalnat Mlaa Pope and the City of Ruak to prevent her from placing a manufactured home
«n the property.
H Funds established to help
Wendy Pope's legal defense
Accounts to benefit legal expenses of Wendy Pope
have been established at three Rusk financial insti
tul ions. Rusk citizen. Melba Hermes, became con
corned about the growing expanses of Ms. Pope and
established funds at Austin Bank. Citizens 1st Bank
and Southern Cherokee Federal Credit Union.
"I was in Kngland with a small child when try first
husband died," she said. "If it hadn't been lor the love,
concern and help of strangers 1 would never have
made it," she said. "People were kind to me and
helped me get back to the United States," she said
"Wendy is young and is trying to make it for herself
and her nephew. She needs all the help she can get ."
Mrs. Hermes said. She and her husband have al
ready contributed to the fund. Contributions, no
matter how small or large or welcomed, she said.
Ms. I 'ope is employed as a switchboard operator al
Rusk State Hospital. She plans to be married it*
April, but will continue to live in Husk to be near hei
work. She has five years of service at RSH Her
fiance. Blaine McNatt, is employed in Tyler, but Un-
couple will make their home in Rusk to be close to her
work.
Persons wishing to contribute tot he fund may dose
by depositing the funds in an account established in
Ms. Pope's name. Funds may also be mailed to any o
Please see DEFENSE FUND, page 10
'To Stay Stiii Is To Die'
Argentenian now in 7th year of bicycle odyssey around the world
By Rick McClain
CmfKK€B*N/HERAL O WfílTEH
A slightly disheveled young
man, attired in bicycle
pgnts. windbreaker. and
backpacks that had seen better
days, cruised through East Texas
recently. Wearing a National Geo-
graphic i.d. badge, he stopped by
the Cherokeean/Herald office hop-
ing to borrow a computer
and check his e-mail. ' m
Gustavo Rivara, moves ™
too fast for the post office to find
him. The Argentenian ia now in
his seventh year of a bicycle odys-
sey which began in South America.
Each day moves him a few miles
further down the road as he ex-
plores South, Central and North
America on a hefty steel bike with
coaster brakes snd s single gear.
The frame on his bicycle has bro-
ken three times and he has re-
paired hundreds of fist tires, no
problsm for Gustavo, just oppor-
tunities to meet new people.
After about seven years on the
roed Mr. Rivara gave no sign of
slowing down ashepsssed through
Rusk on his wsy south. Rivsra
spoke nonchalantly of a hemi-
spheric journey that has made him
a hardened adventurer.
'To sts^k still is to die* he ssid in
Spsnish. <Hé spesks very little
English. "I don't like to be shut in.
T-rer
AlfcflM VI A
iu—a i ' ——as
ei
ttBia^T3Ea3K<JlCiaht'S8Ba ^W'l*aUMLM3BSK
ory^v
neVfer. I move and I enjoy life.
When I'm old, then I'll slow down."
He is also a high-tech voyager,
taking digital photos and keeping
a travel 'journal on a tiny com-
puter. Ever so often, when he finds
free internet access, he hooks up
his hand held devices and trans-
fers his latest diary entries to Ar-
gentine acquaintances.
There, the material is added to a
Web site that brims with Mr.
Rivara's travel pictures, stories,
press clips add random musings.
The site, which can be found at
www.ftigaa.giga.com.ar/, is fes-
tooned with daisies which in Span-,
ish means margaritas, in honor of
Mr. Rivara's mother, Margarita,
who died of cancer in the early
1980s.
That soul-scarring event, he said.
is what prompted him to seise an
old bike and leave Buenos Aires
with little more than the clothes
he wore.
"I wanted to isolate myself from
others," he recalled,
He cursed his decision during
his first fearfUl days huddled by
the sides of the road, wondering
why he wasn't snuggled in his
warm bed at home. But after that,
as he crisscrossed South America
for about four years, he never
looked back/
Three years ago he launched the
second phase of a• planned world
tour by aiming his bike northward
and traversing the U.S. and
Canada then back South to Argen-
tina. He then plans to go to Aus-
tralia and onward until he has
traveled around the world.
*
§m¡ MTM
mot ■ w1'*.% -
Gustavo Rivara ahown here with his bicycle during a short stopover
In hla seven-year odyeeey of travel.
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 151, No. 47, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 11, 2001, newspaper, January 11, 2001; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth168678/m1/1/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.