The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 126, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 26, 1973 Page: 1 of 12
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'Round
TOWN
11c PER ISSUE
The Cherokeean
Mcrv-. <,
5' :ex-
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•" -1 7"'.
SERVING RUSK
WITH DISTINCTION
FOR 126 YEARS
With
Roundabout
Roundabout received good
news for state employees this
week. Finance officials do not
believe the state will be
prevented from granting sub-
stantial pay raises, passed by
the 63rd Legislature, under the
federal wage freeze.
Possibility of our hard
working, underpaid state em-
ployees not receiving their full
pay raises caused Roundabout
great concern.
Roundabout has been "on the
run" the past several days.
We've made visits to several
schools in District 15. We have
a complete account of our visit
to the Dyer School in Leon
County. We are going to devote
a great deal of time in an effort
to have this type of facility
"upgraded".
In addition to our Legislative
work, Roundabout has been
involved in TV Cable Company
improvements... We hope
things will settle down later
this summer and we'll have
more lime to enjoy being back
home.
We've received word that the
Te*as Highway Department
will grant Cherokee County
Commissioners Court a 90 day
time extension to decide
whether they will buy right of
way for the proposed new
highway to connect U. S 84 to
loop 343, near the high school.
Judge Orvan Jones tells us
that he believes the Commis-
sioners will agree to purchase
the ROW, but are concerned
that the project may curtail
future FM roads in our county
We are going to do our best to
get some "surplus" money for
the project.
Work on our Excursion Train
between Rusk and Palestine is
going along We see progress
everv time we visit the area
In Maydelle
School Appeal
Continues; To
Vote Aug.4
Representatives of the May-
delle school district took the
next step Wednesday in their
appeal to regain accreditation
when they met in Austin with
Dr. J.W. Edgar, Commissioner
of Education.
Meeting informally following
their loss of appeal to the State
Board of Accreditation last
week, the local citizens com-
mittee decided to carry the
appeal all the way to the State
Board of Education if neces-
sary, reports Robert P Bailey,
committee chairman.
Dr. Edgar, who has the
authority to return accredi-
tation to the district, granted a
special appointment at 11 a m.
Wednesday for the Maydelle
representatives, Bail y says.
At press time, th Chero-
keean had heard no report on
the results of the n eeting.
If their request for a
one-year extension on accredi-
tation is turned down, Bailey
says, the district will carry its
final appeal to the state board
which meets Sept. 3.
Should the final appeal be
denied, options open to the
district include operation with-
out accreditation and without
state funding, co nsolidation,
or annexation.
Maydelle representa-
tives making the trip to Austin
Wednesday included Bailey,
School Superintendent Granvil
Hobson, School Board Presi-
dent Oliver Bell and Board
Member J.W. Clark.
In other community action,
the voters of Maydelle will go
to the poll Saturday, Aug. 4, to
+ 8ee MAYDELLE, Page 10
Texas' Oldest Weekly Newspaper, Established As the Pioneer July 5, 1847
Vol. 126
THL'RSII.W. Jl'LY 28. I!>73
12 PAGES
NUMBER 8
\
i
Whitehead Proposes Licensing Changes
Following Visit to School for Retarded
Rep Emmett H. Whitehead
of Rusk has announced that he
will recommend the state
remove responsibility for li-
censing private homes for
mentally retarded or emotion-
ally disturbed children from
the State Department of Public
Welfare.
Whitehead made the an-
nouncement in a letter dated
Tuesday to Rep. Carlos Truan,
chairman of the House Human
Resources Committee.
The Rusk legislator said he
would recommend at the next
meeting of the committee that
the state transfer responsi-
bility for such institutions to
the Department of Mental
Health and Mental Retardation
(MHMR) in cooperation with
TICKETS ON SALE-Paul Cox. president of
the Cherokee Civic Theatre group, shows an
attractive poster publizing the group's first
production to Mrs Charles Long who will be
in charge of tickets at the door during the two
performances of "Barefoot in the Park." The
play will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday and
Saturday nights. Tickets are on sale now at $2
for adults and $1 for students from any
member of the newly organized group.
Neil Simon Play Opens Friday;
Cast Shows Talent, Experience
"Barefoot in the Park." a
play by the noted playwright
Neil Simon, will be presented
here at 8 p m Friday and
Saturday in the Kusk Junior
High School auditorium The
play, a Broadway hit. movie
and television series, is the
first production of the recently
formed Cherokee Civic Thea
tre group
The play revolves around a
newly married couple, Paul
and Corie Bratter, and Cone's
attempts to interest her
mother in their eccentric
neighbor. Victor Valasco.
Directing the plav is Mrs
Geraldine Struhall. a Rusk
High School teacher Mrs
Struhall has her degree in
drama education and English
from the University of Texas
She has directed two one-act
plays at Rusk High School,
both winning in district comp-
etition She gave an outstand-
ing performance last year in
the delightful supper theatre
presentation of "Three for the
Show", directed by Mrs. Zula
Pearson. She also had a part in
a drama directed by Mrs
Pearson at First Methodist
Church
Miss Janet Hill, a May
graduate of Rusk High School,
plays the part of Corie Bratter
Miss Hill was named Best
Actress in the high school's
district for her part in a one-act
play, "Infancy." which was
directed by Mrs Struhall Miss
Hill was also named to the all
star case for her performance
at regional competition.
The most experienced mem-
ber of the cast. Larry Wright,
portrays the part of Paul
Bratter Wright is a graduate
of Stephen F. Austin State
University with a major in
English, speech and theatre
His most recent role was that
of Thomas Jefferson in the
SFA spring musical, "1776."
Wright tuught high school for
three years at Texas City
returning to SFA as a graduate
student. While living in Texas
City he was active with the
Community Theatre and had
parts in such productions as
"The (ilass Menagerie," "Two
For The See-Saw,'' "Star
Spangled Girl," "Butterflies
Are Free" and "You Know I
Can't Hear You When the
Water's Running." Wright also
worked with the Pasadena
Little Theatre where he acted
in "The Wizard of Oz" and
"Swe-t Charity." His roles
with the Galveston Little
Theatre include parts in
"Charlie Brown" and "The.
Subject Was Roses." Wright is
a graduate of Rusk High
School.
The part of Corie's mother,
Mrs. Banks, is protrayed by
Mrs Marcelette Broussard, a
first grade teacher at Rusk
Elementary School, She re-
ceived her Bachelor's Degree
from the University of Houston
and her Masters Degree in
Elementay Education from
Stephen F. Austin State
University. She played the part
of Tildy, a pioneer woman, in
the supper theatre presenta-
tion of "Three For The Show",
during the 1972 Regional Arts
and Crafts Fair here
R.G Willis, a Rusk attorney,
is playing the role of Victor
Valasco. Willis is a former
member of the National
Thespian Society and had parts
in several college plays. He is a
graduate of the University of
Arkansas.
The only other part in the
play is the telephone repair-
man. a fine character part,
played by Robert Watson
Advance tickets to the play
are on sale now from members
of the theatre group. Prices are
$2 for adults and $1 for
students.
£ INSIDE THIS ISSUE: !;!;
>:• Women's News I'ageH
:$ Farm News I'ageS
Classifieds Page 11
¡ State Sees No Problem ]
¡ Giving Full Pay Raises j
:j:j State finance officials do not forsee any problems in j
jj: awarding pay raises to state employees under the current j
>i wage freeze, Rep. Emmett Whitehead reports.
Í Whitehead says he was told Wednesday by Bill Wells, chief j
* examiner of the Legislative Budget Board that the state ■
expects to be able to pay the full raises passed by the ;
$ Legislature.
"If we use the (federal wage) guidelines to the fullest, we
can stay within the limitations of the freeze" and still give the
>•: raises, Wells said.
Whitehead says he was told that state employees in the
j: lowest salary groups are not covered by the freeze because
they do not make the minimum salary under the guidelines.
Pay raises for state employees in Groups 8-21, when spread
over the two-year period, 1974-75, should not exceed the
•j; limitation on wage increases, he adds.
Whitehead says Wells warned that "there may be some
problems" but said the governor's office and the
>:• comptroller's office will proceed on the assumption that
federal guidelines will be met.
the Department of Health.
Welfare department li-
censing practices have come
under scrutiny recently as a
result of the controversies
arising over Artesia Hall, a
school for emotionally dis-
turbed teenagers in Liberty
County, and the East Texas
Guidance and Achievement
Center near Tyler.
Commissioners
Are To Apply
For Jail Grant
In a special meeting Tuesday
the Cherokee County Commis-
sioners Court agreed unani-
mously to make application to
the State Criminal Justice
Council for a grant to finance
repairs and renovations to the
county jail and courthouse in
the amount of $22.506.
The county body is seeking 75
percent of the total cost of the
renovations and repairs. Coun-
ty Judge Orvan B Jones stated
that the court had agreed
earlier to put up $3,000 in cash
and $4,510 in "service in kind."
The "services in kind" means
service of time of the County
Judge, County Sheriff, County
+ See COUNTY, Page 10
Free %-Year Kindergarten Begins Soon;
Private Day School Available Full Time
Rusk parents who want to
enter their children in kinder-'
garten this year have two
options open-public or private.
Below are articles explaining
each.
Parents of five-year-olds
who want to enter their
children in free public school
kindergarten during the up
'.•oming school year should go
by the elementary school
principal's office and register
the child, announces J M.
Boone, Rusk school superin-
tnedent
"This will take only a few
minutes of their time," Boone
says.
Elementary School Principal
Dick McGaughey has set aside
Thursday and Friday, August
2-3 as kindergarten registra-
tion days. "I will be in my
office from 8 a.m. until noon
and from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. for
the purpose of registering the
students," says McGaughey.
Children are eligible to enter
public kindergarten if they will
be at least five years old and
under six years old as of
September 1. 1973, the superin-
tendent reports.
Attendance of eligible chil-
dren is entirely voluntary,
Boone points out. No child will
be required to attend kinder-
garten.
"Our program will offer
full-day kindergarten for one
semester for all of those pupils
who register," Boone says.
"The oldest of all pupils
registered will attend first
semester (Aug. 27-Jan. 11) and
the youngest of those regis-
tered will attend second
semester (Jan. 15-May 24."
Public kindergarten funds
are allocated under the Mini-
+ See SCHOOLS, Page 11
Whitehead said the welfare
department has "neither the
personnel nor the expertise" to
properly investigate and reg-
ulate these types of insitutions.
Welfare officials report they
have 136 staff members with
responsibility over 6,353 li-
censed child-caring facilities
across the state, Whitehead
said. These include 6,294 day
care centers and boarding
homes, 27 schools for the
retarded and 32 schools for
emotionally disturbed chil-
dren.
"These people simply do not
have the time nor the training
to properly investigate and
ascertain the special needs of
these schools for the retarded
or emotionally disturbed,"
Whitehead stated.
The East Texas legislator
said he came to his conclusions
on this matter after making an
unannounced visit earlier this
month to a private school for
retarded children in his district
and then speaking last week to
Welfare Commissioner Ray-
mond W'. Voweil.
Whitehead said he was
accompanied on his surprise
visit to the Dyer Vocational
Training Center in the com-
munity of Leona in Leon
County by Rep. John Whitmire
of Houston. Both are members
of the House Human Resources
Committee.
The center houses 98 re-
tarded children, ranging in age
according to school officials
from 3 to 21 All are from
Louisiana, referred by Louisi-
ana welfare workers.
On arriving. Whitehead re-
ported. the legislators found
two boys tied to their beds by
the wrists with lengths of
sheet
Living facilities for the
children. Whitehead said, were
hot and crowded while nearly
one-third of the facility was
taken up by "plush, air-
conditioned offices."
The rear third of the facility,
he said, was an old sheet-metal
gymansium.
Although he said the children
showed no signs of being
physically abused. Whitehead
did condemn what he called the
"warehousing of children" for
profit.
+ See WHITEHEAD. Page 11
as
Preliminary Work Begins
At Wilderness Campsite
Land has been cleared and
lines are being laid this week to
the Frederick M Hedge
Wilderness Campsite at Rusk
State Hospital Harry's Build
ing Materials of Rusk was
awarded the contract for the
$67,625 project and foundations
are to be laid early next week,
according to hospital spokes-
man, Dr. Charles Hall.
Power lines were installed
last week and personnel from
Wisenbaker, Fix and Associ-
ates of Tyler are laying the
lines to the facilities this week.
Land was cleared earlier from
the construction of the five
cottages or cabins
The project, sponsored by
the Volunteer Service Council,
includes seven buildings; five
cottages or cafcins. a large
dining and therapy building
and a bath-restroom facility.
The campsite will be located
on the upper or second lake on
land across from the hospital
campus. It will be used by
patients at Rusk State Hospital
and Lufkin State School.
The campsite will feature a
rustic theme and be situated on
a hillside overlooking the lake.
The volunteer council has
previous constructed a fishing
pier, bathroom facilities, pic-
nic tables and provided a
sandy beach area for swim-
ming at the first lake. A barge
was secured and has been
renovated and a brick pavillion
is now under construction.
£
v
Architect's Drawing of Therapy and Wilderness Campsite
Project of Rusk State Hospital Volunteer Service Council
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The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 126, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 26, 1973, newspaper, July 26, 1973; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151028/m1/1/?q=cherokeean: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.