The Panola Watchman (Carthage, Tex.), Vol. 4, No. 25, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 1, 1977 Page: 1 of 28
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Panola Watchman and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Sammy Brown Library.
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SAMPLE•
IIICROriLM OFN
P.O. BOX 45L.3
DALLAS, T' . 7
; FANOUT
I COUNTY
TEXAS
^ have a good day!
Carthage, Panola County, Texas 75633
28 Pages, 4 Sections
Sunday, May I, 1977
Price 10 Cents
Fire Guts Joe’s Kitchen; Closes Cafe
by Jim Stfvfni
Editor
Fire gutted the kitchen of Joe s Cafe
•nd caused heavy smoke damage to the
real of the building shortly after midnight
Wednesday
The restaurant, an East Texas
landmark and meeting place of moat
civic organisations in town, will be dosed
for an undetermined length of time,
according to Joe Williams, owner
"1 just don’t know yet.” Williams
commented Friday afternoon "We
haven't settled with the insurance people
yet It'll be 90 days at least. I think,”
The blaze, according to Carthage Fire
Marshall Cecil Sistrunk, is believed to
out electrically in the northeast comer of
the kitchen
Carthage firemen quickly knocked
down flames that filled the kitchen and
had the fire under control in a matter of
minutes following the midnight alarm.
“It didn't take but a minute to contain
it (the fire) but it took a long time to get it
was, Sistrunk commented
Firemen were at the scene until about 3
a m Thursday
Sistrunk said an automatic sprinkler
system over the kitchen grill had .'ailed to
turn on, but said it failed to operate
because the fire burned around it initially
and deactivated the unit It was 8-10 feet
area in which the sprinkler system s
activating mechanism was located
The fire marshal said fire damage had
been contained primarily to the kitchen
area, but smoke damage was extensive
to the entire building The kitchen was a
total loss. Sistrunk said
The blaze, reported by a Carthage
was
only the second major fire in 25 years,
according to Williams
The cafe owner said he has no exact
estimate of loss so far, but says it will be
more than the $22,000 insurance he
carried He also said that the building
sustained more than the $35,000
insurance carried by its owner, Reed
Forsyth
Williams is considering several
possibilities, including complete renno-
vation and moving to a new location No
definite plan has been developed yet.
Williams said Wednesday night that
the fire must have started between 11:25
p m and midnight He had been inside
the building, getting two pounds of
coffee, only about 35 minutes before the
alarm was sounded He smelled no
smoke at that time, he said
Two pumper units and more than 20
firemen answered the alarm and
Carthage police units quickly blocked off
traffic in the area
The highway construction work being
done in front of the cafe by the
Department of Highways and Public
Transportation helped the situation,
according to Sistrunk. "It kept traffic off
us," he said.
Firemen remained at the scene for
three hours clearing smoke from the
building and poking into the ceiling to
Find small pockets of smoldering fire. A
hole had to be chopped in the rcof of the
building to help rid the building of the
thick, acrid smoke that hampered
firefighting operations
Civic clubs that have met at Joe s for
thei: noon meetings have announced
plans to temporarily meet at the
Carthage Country Chib.
have started when a deep freezer shorted
out of the corners and cracks where it
from the spot the fire broke out and the
Police officer making his rounds,
Carthage Volunteer Firemen
swarm over Joe’s Cafe shortly after
a fire was reported in the local
restaurant at about midnight
Wednesday The kitchen was gutted
by fire and smoke heavily damaged
the rest of the building, leaving
Carthage without one of its major
cafes for at least 90 days The fire is
believed to have started from an
electrical short in a deep freeze.
Watchman Photo
Jail Standards Aren’t So Tough
Sheriff Says Won’t Create A ‘Country Club9
Fire Ant Bait
Panola County has requested
Mi rex poison from the agriculture
department for use in its fight
against the fire ant, according to
County Judge Danny Buck David-
Spring Concert
The Pipers, the modern musical
ensemble of the Panola Junior
College Music Department, will be
featured in their final concert
performance of the school year at
7:30 p m Tuesday. May 3
The concert will take place in the
Q M Martin Auditorium on the
Panola Junior College campus in
Carthage
The popular musical group has
recently toured the Ark La Tex area
presenting approximately 35 musi
cal concerts and programs to high
schools, hospitals, nursing homes,
churches, banquets, service clubs,
and a university
Dr Roger V Foss, director of the
Panola Pipers, cordially invites the
public to attend this final concert of
the year No admission fee will be
charged for the program
Members of the Panola Pipers
include Paula Cain. Sherilyn Em
berton, Larry Fields. Debbie
Fowler, Jesse Fugler. James
Gentry. Kristi Hook. LeAnn Jimer
son. Beck Krutza. Scott Reeies.
Jerry Ross. Randal Thames. Obie
Thompson. LuAnn Townsend. Joan
ic Verhalen. John Ben Williams.
Chnstys Craig. Don Fallin. lames
Taylor. Randy Morgan. Tony Davis,
and Laura Simon
Panola County’s jail falls far below
new state standards, according to Panola
County Sheriff David Clabaugh, but
correcting most of the deficiencies
shouldn't be too costly
Ak* Clabaugh attended a meeting on jail
standards in Huntsville last week and
returned with a long list of things to be
changed
“I found lots of things we have to do
and I am going to immediately put into
effect a number of changes that will
require a minimum of expenditures right
now.” the sheriff commented
He also said that jail standards set
forth by the Texas Commission on Jail
Standards are not unreasonable, adding
that he didn't think implementation of
those standards would turn the local jail
into a "country club."
The state standards, he added, provide
for the minimum basic requirements for
health and safety of prisoners
"Certainly he's not due all the comforts
that you have at home.' Clabaugh said of
prisoners, "but he's not going to get them
even if I meet the standards You
wouldn't want to be here "
Overall, he said, the jail standards
don't coddle prisoners
"What if you or I were here in a
pre-trial status and couldn't raise band,
the sheriff asked "I’d want you to have
basic life-safety protection "
In addition, the sheriff said, he believes
in a certain amount of rehabilitation,
education and recreation for prisoners
who might be jailed here for longer
periods of time
"Maybe we should try to change his < a
prisoner s) attitude instead of embitter
ing him," Clabaugh commented.
The sheriff said Friday morning that
he has a long list of changes in jail
procedures and requirements to submit
Monday morning to county commis
sloners, but declined to release that list
prior to the meeting
"I am not recommending any major
rennovation right now,” Clabaugh did
say
He also said he has a list of 12 specific
items that he plans to implement
immediately That list, he hinted,
contains such things as providing three
meals a day for prisoners and equipping
and stocking the jail more completely
Other areas to be changed immediately
involve checking prisoners in the jail and
plans for emergencies and fire pro-
tection
One possibly costly change Clabaugh
said he thought might be considered was
a second escape route in case of fire. If
there were a fire in the jail s hallway, he
said, prisoners would be trapped in their
cells
The local sheriff said a representative
from the Commission on Jail Standards
is due to inspect the local facility by June
16
"He'll have a list of 600 questions that
have to be answered." Clabaugh sighed
"After his visit, he will grant any
variances he might determine and will
give us a letter on what has to be updated
or changed
But Clabaugh said, the county will
have a year in which to comply
"By the time he ithe state inspector)
gets here we're going to be trying."
Clabaugh commented "I think that will
be a point in our favor ’
After the inspection, he admitted, "we
might get the bad news" concerning
improvements to the jail
The greatest concern Clabaugh has
concerning jail standards here is the
possibility of a law suit
"I heard some stories that you
wouldn't believe. Clabai«h said of other
states where the federal government has
stepped in to correct jail standards
"There are more than 20 suits concerning
jail facilities pending in Texas right
now
He also said that he feels the Texas
Commission of Jail Standards, and the
state's efforts to upgrade its penal
facilities, is a step toward keeping the
federal government out of the picture.
The "country dub jails" that have
gotten publicity, he suggested, were
probably those that drew federal
intervention
But, he assured, meeting Texas
standards won't turn jails into country
dubs
Davidson said he does not know
when the poison will arrive, but
added that he does not expect to get
much
“Were looking for about 5,000
pounds We used to get 20,000 or
40.000 pounds of it
"They (the agriculture depart-
ment ) will let us know when we can
get it I'm sure it will be distributed
on a first come, first serve basis." he
said
Band Trip
Carthage High School Band
who returned from
members
University Interscholastic League
competition last week With a first in
sight reading and second in concert,
will leave Wednesday for a five-day
trip to Atlanta. Ga
Funds for the trip, which will
include participation in a concert
contest and visits to Six Flags Over
Georgia, were raised by the Band
Booster Club and band students,
according to Raymond Thomas,
director
Thomas said students will also
take a number of sight seeing tours
while in Atlanta
School Board
The Panola Con ity .School Hoard
will meet a( 1 JO p m Monday. May
2. in tin county ourtroom in the
Panola County Courthouse
Included on the board's agenda
will be the swearing in of
newly-elected members, approval of
school bus routes for next year,
election of officers and approval of
the ex officio county school supenn
tendent's office and travel expenses
as well as county board members
compensation
Sports Banquet
Gary Junior High athletes will be
recognized Airing a banquet Friday
May 13. and high school athletes in
Gary will be recognized the next
night when their athletic banquet is
scheduled
Awards will be presented during
both banquets to be held in the high
school cafeteria
Tickets will be $2 SO each with
athletes being admitted at no
charge_
County Meets
Reginald Alexander
Rites Held Friday
Panola County Sheriff David
(Tabaugh will meet with county
commissioners Monday morning to
discuss jail standards and "various
miscellaneous items, according to
an agenda for the regular court
meeting
Hahaugh attended a meeting in
Huntsville on Monday and Tuesday
to learn about standards set forth for
jails by the state
Other items on the agenda
include
Acceptance of bids on a IIS
maintainer as advertised for sale
Canvass of the Beefcville County
School Board election returns
Approval of the first quarterly
report of the county treasurer,
Request for a Xerox machine for
the district clerk's office.
And payment of bills
Reginald Lewis Alexander Sr , first
president of the Panola County Chamber
of Commerce and former operator of the
Carthage Basket Factory dwd Thmday
at his home
Mr Alexander was a member of the
First United Methodist Church of
Carthage, and was a member and past
prescient of the Carthage Noon Lions
Club He was also a member of the
Masonic Lodge and Shnne Club, the 4$ A
« Legionnaires and was a veteran of
World War I
Funeral services for Mr Alexander
•ere held Friday. April B. at the
Hawthorn Funeral Home Oapri with the
Rev Jun Rhodes officiating
Park
Swvivors include his widow Mrs June
Alexander of Carthage two sons.
Reginald Lewis Alexander Jr of Jonqma
and Mel D Alexander of Houston a
foster son Bev F. Brown Jr o'
Carthage, one daughter Mrs Dorothy
Brentson of Dallas two sisters Mrs
Mrs Bernice Chikh of Shreveport four
grandchildren and two great grand
chikhen
TV family requested that m hew of
Bowers donations V made to a favorite
$:. ife?!
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Stevens, Jim. The Panola Watchman (Carthage, Tex.), Vol. 4, No. 25, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 1, 1977, newspaper, May 1, 1977; Carthage, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1055008/m1/1/?q=%22Places+-+United+States+-+Texas+-+Panola+County%22: accessed July 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sammy Brown Library.