The Gilmer Mirror (Gilmer, Tex.), Vol. 120, No. 88, Ed. 1 Saturday, November 1, 1997 Page: 1 of 37
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11/02/991S85 PI
Ghe Glmer Mirror
MEMBER
TA
1997
1
Since 1877 - Upshur County's Oldest Business Institution
।
Civic Center dedication
to be Sunday afternoon
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See CIVIC CENTER, page 2A
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See MAIN STREET, page 5A
County to work on salary disparities
See SALARY, page 12A
Upshur trial dates set for 3
Amendments summarized
See TRIAL, page 2A
See HARMONY, page 2A
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briefly speaking
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fi
Harmony ISD board states
confidence in administration
Weekend
Edition
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
1
1
Commissioners okay
jail certificates
criteria is in their favor.”
Jeannie Glaze chaired the
committee that worked long
and hard on the Main Street
application, which included
more than 75 letters from
Gilmer citizens supportingthe
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on '
lecting payments.
According to Cone, there was
no link between the two charges
faced by Pritchett who was in-
dicted on Sept. 16 on the charges
he faces and complaints by
Upshur County commissioners
aired last spring and summer in
connection with payments re-
ceived by Pritchett for a 9-1-1
addressing system he submit-
ted to the commissioners court.
the building following the pro-
gram and reception.
We did it!
Gilmer gets ‘Main Street’ on first try
Austin State University.
The release from the THC
gave this summary:
“Gilmer represents the
quintessential Main Street city
in Texas. It has a courthouse
square, a good merchant base
already in place, and a com-
munity attitude that can suc-
reduced to $500," the letter
stated
The auditors stated that
their review of the matter de-
termined that “no violation of
the Texas State constitution
related to employee advances
existed during the period in-
volved We do feel that state
sales tax is owned on the tire
advances and have instructed
Harmony ISD business office
personnel to contact the State
Comptroller's Office to resolve
this matter. Any sales tax owed
by the district would be col-
lectible from the employees
involved
“We further understand that
Upshur County officials on
Wednesday began a process
that they hope will lead to
eliminating salary disparities.
At a workshop attended by
most elected officials and ap-
pointed department heads
Wednesday, it was informally
agreed to develop new job de-
scriptions for positions in each
department.
County Judge Charles Still
said that department heads
elected officials with “three,
four or five employees are paid
as much as some who have 37
employees.”
“There needs to be some ad-
justment made,” Cross said.
“Certainly everybody does
more than [what their job de-
scriptions say] Pay should be
adjusted according to what
they do or don’t do.”
Minor Photo
BEFORE THEIR rehearsal at Gilgal Baptist Church Wednesday evening, Upshur County Voices had a brief
devotional to get in the spirit fortheir part on the Upshur County Civic Center dedication Sunday. The Voices
have held benefit concerts that have raised $1,000 each year for the Civic Center building fund each year
since the fund drive began in 1985.
Upshur County District At-
torney Tim Cone noted Monday
that trial dates have been set for
three criminal actions.
Randall Raymond Pritchett,
53, of Dallas will stand trial set
for Dec 8 on two counts of hin-
dering a secured creditor. The
charge is one that arises when
agents who issue some type of
loan, whether cash or equipment
rental, are hindered from col-
Upshur County Commis-
sioners voted Friday to allow
issuance of up to a maximum
$3,309,000 in certificates of
obligation to expand the county
jail
That figure will be given to
financial consultant Ed Moore
of Longview's Southwest Se-
curities to use in preparing the
certificates, which are expected
to be approved Nov. 24
“That will be the time to fish
or cut bait,” Moore told com-
missioners Monday.
County Judge Charles Still
the actual amount could come
in as low as $2,881,000.
The maximum figure is to
allow enough money if the jail
cost is higher.
The court also approved hav-
ing Pct. 4 Comm. Kenny Th-
ompson, who was absent, pave
the parking lot at the Upshur
County Alternative School.
Dona Flippo, 9-1-1 mapping
coordinator, invited commis-
sioners to a 9-1-1 board meet-
ing at 9:30 a m. Tuesday to see
how much work has been done
on the mapping project.
Holiday recipe section deadline nears
Readers are reminded that Friday, Nov. 7, is the last day
recipes may be submitted for The Mirror’s annual holiday
recipe section to be published on Nov. 19
Bring your favorite holiday recipea by The Mirror office, or
mail them to: Holiday Recipes, P.O. Box 250, Gilmer, TX
75644. Recipes for main dishes are especially needed.
Buckeye Stars fundraiser
The Buckeye Stars Drill Team will sponsor a beef stew
dinner Friday, Nov. 7, from 5 to 7 p m. at the high school
cafeteria. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for children age 3-12,
and can be purchased from any booster club member or Star.
This will be the last home football game. Everyone is
encouraged to come out and eqjoy the stew and help support
the youth.
Hay show cancelled
The Upshur-Gregg Hay Show that was set for Tuesday,
Nov. 4, has been cancelled due to lack of interest.
Mirror Photo / Jimmy Brown
JUBILANT OVER the news that Gilmer was designated a Texas Main Street City on the first try, which
almost never happens, are these backers, gathered at City Hall for the announcement Friday. From left are
Sara Dumas, Sue Marsh, Bridget Fowler, Mayor Everett Dean, State Rep. Bob Glaze, Chamber of
Commerce President Dick Fromm, Joan Small, Kathy Langford and H. M. (Butch) Ragland.
$
According to a letter from
Brown, Bronstad, Habenicht
& Rosson, P.C., the school’s
auditors, “during the fiscal
year ended Aug. 31, Harmony
Independent School District
advanced one teacher $700 at
the employee’s request. Also,
Harmony ISD purchased from
its vendors one set of tires each
for two other Harmony ISD
employees to be used on their
personal vehicles The cost to
the district was $248.80 and
$337.40.
“As of the date of our letter,
amounts advanced for the two
sets of tires had been repaid to
the district by the employees.
The cash advance had been
2627 • Yandel1.HE—-a
■1 Pasq TX 199033244
had expressed displeasure
with current job descriptions,
which he said needed to be re-
evaluated.
All the 13 officials present
agreed by a show of hands to
Still’s suggestion that they
write new job descriptions.
The county has been using
job descriptions which were
written by a private consult-
ing in 1983 and 1984.
Sheriff R.D. “Buck” Cross
The Upshur County Civic
Center will be formally dedi-
cated Sunday afternoon
The Upshur County Civic
Improvement Foundation, fi-
nancial arm of the Civic Cen-
ter, will host the dedication
service and an open house
starting at 2 p m.
“Everyone is invited to come
and share in the dedication and
celebration of this beautiful
new building,” said Richard
Stolle, president of the Civic
Improvement Foundation.
Musical entertainment will
A constitutional amendment election will be held Tues-
day.
Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
A summary of the amendments which the state legisla-
ture is submitting to the voters follows:
1. Municipal Court Judges—This amendment would
allow a person to serve as a municipal judge for more than
one city
2. Limits on property appraisal increases—This would
allow the legislature to place a limit on the annual in-
creases in the appraised value of residence homesteads. It
See AMENDMENT, page 2A
By SARAH GREENE
“We did it!”
That was the cry, almost a
war whoop, that rang out when
Gilmer Main Street commit-
tee members learned that
Gilmer was one of five small
cities recommended as the
1998 Official Texas Main
Street Cities.
State Rep. Bob Glaze
brought the news to City Hall
Friday morning after the an-
nouncement was made at the
Texas Historical Commission’s
Contrary to a report pub-
lished in a Longview newspa-
per Wednesday, the Harmony
School Board did not repri-
mand Superintendent Ray
Thompson, the school’s attor-
ney said.
John Hardy of Tyler, the
school’s attorney, said that,
instead, the board issued a
statement of “confidence in the
administration and school
staff,” and that no disciplinary
action would be taken.
The statement was issued
after the board discussed cash
and noncash advances made
to three school employees dur-
ing the fiscal year which ended
Aug 31
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fall quarterly meeting in Kil- cessfully take them through
gore. the downtown revitalization
Gilmer was ranked second process. We have not had a
on the list of five, after high- city in this part of Northeast
est-priority Nacogdoches, his- Texas in a number of years, so
toric home town of Stephen F. the geographic distribution
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dpip
The court was displeased with
Pritchett’s system.
Pritchett submitted bills to
Upshur County totaling
$149,000 for software that was
to contain location of every ad-
dress in Upshur County to allow
emergency response teams ex-
act addresses and locations.
Both sides exchanged letters
3
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be provided by a Community Special guest will be Bar-
Choir under the direction of bara Wendland of Temple, di-
Lora Robison and the singing rector of the Cook Foundation,
group, the Voices of Upshur which provided $350,000 for
County. the fund to build the Civic Cen-
The Civic Center will also ter. The foundation was estab-
recognize individuals, groups, lished by her father, the late
organizations and foundations Joe Cook, a Gilmer native, and
which have made possible the his wife.
completion of the $3 million, The beautiful new center
25,000-square-foot multi-pur- helped make the recent 60th
pose facility. annual Yamboree a total suc-
Center officials and board cess by being the site for three
members will conduct tours of performances of the queen’s
said that he had found “a lot of than a lieutenant in his de-
discrepancies” in a list of partment, and a sergeant who
county employees he exam- was making the same as people
ined. He said that it appeared he supervised.
that employees in different He also said that he had
departments who were doing investigators in his depart-
comparable work were mak- ment with 10 years seniority
ing different salaries. “Then I who earn less than investiga-
look at job descriptions and tors who had worked in other
wondered who made these job offices for two years.
descriptions.” “I think there’s a gross dif-
He said that he had a cap- ference in the pay among em-
tain who was being paid less ployees,” he said He said some
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Overton, Mac. The Gilmer Mirror (Gilmer, Tex.), Vol. 120, No. 88, Ed. 1 Saturday, November 1, 1997, newspaper, November 1, 1997; Gilmer, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1479147/m1/1/: accessed July 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Upshur County Library.