The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 131, No. 52, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 12, 1981 Page: 1 of 14
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MICROFILM CENTER, INC,
P.O. BOX 45436
DALLAS, TX 75235
15®
per Issue
The Cherokeean
Texas' Oldest Weekly Newspaper
Home of the
p Texas State Railroad
.
Vol. 131 No. 52 14 Pages
Established as the Cherokee Sentinel, February 27,1850
Rusk, Texas 75785—February 12,1981
Ambulance Service
Is Considered Here
Members of the Rusk City Council
will meet in special session within the
next two weeks to consider a proposal
presented to them Tuesday evening
by Ken Worley, administrator of Rusk
Memorial Hospital concerning the
operation of the city ambulance ser-
vice.
Worley appeared before the council
Tuesday night to report that the
hospital was no longer able to operate
the ambulance free of charge to the
city.
The system started 2Vi years ago as
a volunteer service with 18 volunteers
participating in the service. At
present, he said there are only two
volunteers working with the am-
bulance service.
Emergency Medical Technicians
are the least trained of all personnel
used on the ambulance runs, accor-
ding to Worley. Licensed Vocational
Nurses and Registered Nurses often
make the ambulance runs from the
hospital, he said. Patients are taken to
whatever hospital they request,
Worley told the council.
Worley asked at the Tuesday night
meeting that the city write off
delinquent payments from the
hospital to the city in the amount of
$5,600 and another $8,800 due the city
in 1981 to provide ambulance service
through Dec. 31, 1981. He stated that
he would provide the service through
Dec. 31, 1982 for an additional $9,600
Court Awards
Depositories
County commissioners awarded the
county depositories, oil and gasoline
supply bids and purchased pickup
trucks at a lengthy meeting which
covered two days.
The bid from First State Bank of
Rusk for maintaining the county's
general fund was accepted by the
commissioners Tuesday morning.
Also accepted Tuesday morning was
the bid from Citizens Bank of Rusk for
maintaining the trust funds of the
county and district clerk's offices.
The commissioners approved pur-
chasing fuel from Exxon Corp.
through dealer Hubert T. Treadwell of
Jacksonville Treadwell submitted a
bid of $1.20-2/10's for regular gasoline
and $1.12-1/10's for diesel fuel. Other
petroleum products, such as motor oil
and transmission fluid, will also be
purchased from Treadwell.
The county court approved pur-
chasing a supercab pickup truck from
Bill McRae Ford of Jacksonville for
$8,900. The supercab truck will be
used by Commissioner Joe Henderson
in Precinct 3. A pickup truck which
will be used by Precinct 1 by newly-
elected commissioner Robert J. Un-
derwood was also approved for pur-
chase from McRae for $7,610.
Other bids for road and bridge sup-
plies were approved by the court.
Aggregate will be purchased from
East Texas Stone, concrete pipe
culverts will be supplied by Cherokee
Feed Mill, Inc., of Jacksonville, metal
culverts will come from Texas Steel
Culverts, premix will be purchased
through Uvalde Rock Co., road
materials will come from Bryan and
Bryan, and lumber will be supplied by
Temple-Eastex, Inc., the com-
missioners decided.
Also purchased by the com-
missioners was a used motor grader
for Precinct 1 from Holman, Bennett
and Phillips for $10,901.
then to be «. w - d the city on the
hospital.
The monies owed the city by the
hospital are derived from the pur-
chase of the hospital from the city
several years ago.
In another matter, the council
agreed to pay whatever cost remains
due on the purchase of a $6,085 18
JAWS rescue equipment upon the
equipment's arrival to Rusk in about
two months. Clifford Harris, Rusk fire
chief appeared before the council
Tuesday night to report that $4,705 has
already beien raised for the purchase
of the equipment. He will continue the
fund raising drive for the equipment
purchase with the city providing any
additional funds needed when the
equipment is delivered.
Harris said he was to borrow
another $2,000 to be used to purchase a
cutter to be used with the equipment.
He said he would make the loan for
the $2,000 for a year and hopes that
donations will pay the loan off prior to
the due date.
The special equipment is designed
to be used in freeing trapped persons
in wrecked automobiles.
George Dodd told the council that
within the last 90 days the equipment
could have been used twice in Rusk
and once at Reklaw in removing vic-
tims from wrecked vehicles.
The equipment will be the only one
of its kind between Tyler and Lufkin,
according to Dodd.
RISD Board
Meets Monday
The Board of Education, Rusk In-
dependent School District is expected
to call an election for two board mem-
bers Monday. Terms of Bruce Stovall
and Dr. James A. Hunter expire.
The meeting is set for 5:15 p.m. in
the Administrative Building, accor-
ding to Tony Murray, superintendent.
He said that the agenda also calls
for a review of all personnel in the
school district. The board will also
open bids for the sale of a surplus
school bus.
"IT WAS LIKE THIS-Offlcer," this goose at the Texas State Railroad State Historical Park might be saying if he
could speak. "You see, I was strolling home from church-the old Catholic Church over there you see in the
background, the one the Chamber of Commerce moved out here as a sanctuary for visitors to the park-when all
of a sudden..." (you fill in the blank). -photo by kay sudduth
Ruling is Requested
#
GETON* HER READY-Repalrs and maintenance to the engines and equipment at the Texas State Railroad are
occupying the Ume of employees In the work shop now with the beginning of the tourist season at the park slated
for March II. Plans are for two M-mlle round trip rides beginning and ending ut the depots at Rusk and Palestine.
The ride from Rush will feature an SO-or-so-year-old turntable. Weekend trip* only are scheduled through June I
The reiular sumrtter schedule, with rides every day except Tuesday and Wednesda> will begin then.
" «photo b> ka> sudduth
Rusk city councilmen adopted a
resolution at a Tuesday evening
meeting authorizing State Rep. Jim
Turner to seek an attorney general's
ruling to determine if the city could
sell timber on a 294-acre tract owned
by the city an# if so the procedure for
the sale and what could be done with
the funds derived from the timber
sale.
The 294-acre tract is a piece of
property that had been obtained in a
land swap for property given to
the city in 1971 by an act of the 62nd
state legislature granting the proper-
ty to the city for recreational pur-
poses.
In another related matter, the
council heard a report from Bill
Carroll, of Center, who has been em-
ployed by the city to cruise the 294-
acre tract to determine the value of
of the timber stand.
The council is also considering the
employment of Carroll as a manager
for the timber tract at a cost of 10 per-
cent of the gross sale provided the
timber is sold. He has suggested a
$300 price per 1,000 board foot for the
timber on the tract.
Timber is to be sold on a selective
basis to insure future cuttings and re-
seeding. He suggested one cutt' ig
within the next few months and then
to wait several months for a second
cutting. After the two thinning cut-
tings, he recommends controlled bur-
ning and, in four or five years,
another cutting.
Maple
Joins
TSR
The Texas State Railroad State
Historical Park has a new employee,
just fresh on the job, and has he ever
got a backlog of work waiting for him!
Charlie Maple, the new Park
Superintendent II at TSK. is respon-
sible for the public relations and
promotion of the park as well as for
the day-to-day operation of the train
for the public.
Maple, who was one of a large field
of candidates vying for the position
from all over the United States, star-
ted working last week at a job that has
been waiting for "someone" since last
year, so the work has been piling up
Included on his list of "things to do"
are the creation of interpretive
exhibits at the park including infor-
mation in the stations mostly, but also
on the rides themselves,
"We hope to set up a public address
system on the trains so that one of the
hostesses can give short and infor
mative talks on the train ride-the
history of the train, the flora and
tauna of the area and some of the
histor> of the area," the new super
said
In light ol this goal. Maple says, he
needs help from some of the local
historical buffs in developing the in-
formation for the exhibits and talks
The nature trail will be left in its
same position and the cutting will not
damage it, according to Carroll.
In the event the timber is to be
sold,Carroll will ask for bids for the
sale, then after bids are received and
one accepted, he will oversee the cut-
ting and then later the controlled bur-
nings.
He recommended that 400,000 board
feet be removed in the first two cut-
tings. The entire 400,000 board footage
can be grown back within seven to 10
years, according to Carroll.
In other matters to come before the
council, members approved the
change over of billing for electrical
service to the Rusk Riders Club arena
from the riders club to city billing.
The riders club wil reimburse the
city for the cost of the electrical ser-
vice. This will enable the riders club
to be able to obtain electrical power at
the arena for a much lower rate
members said. Sidney Thrash,
president of the riders club, said that
activities at the arena were somewhat
curtailed because the club could not
afford to pay the electricity for many
youth activities when no admission
was charged
A 40 by 60 feet concrete slab has
been poured in the area and Thrash
said the club hopes to have a new
building for group meetings construc-
ted within the near future.
In another matter, the council
refused a water bill adjustment for
Townley's 5* to $1 Store. The store bill
•had been increased from $3 in
December to $21.10 in January.
Mayor James Fisher expressed his
sympathy to Mrs. Ruby Townley for
the increased bill, but said the city
had no control over the water after it
ran through the meter. Mrs Townley
maintained that there was no water
leak.
Members of the council, in another
matter, agreed to allow the use ol city
equipment and personnel to the Bir-
mingham Golf Club for two days of
work in making improvements at the
golf course. Waymon Daniels,
president of the golf club, had asked
that the city allow the club some
$2,000 for the rennovation work at the
course, which was not approved by
the council.
Orville Johnson, director of public
**See C ITY... page N
'Round Town
with Mrs. Roundabout
i Sometimes I feel so tired, so
weighted down by the problems of the
world, that this column is written
more to cheer me than you. And this
may be one of those.
It seems that about the time we get
to thinking ourselves absolutely in-
dispensable, fate has a way of inter-
vening to show us just how easily the
world continues to "roll around
heaven all day" with no help from us!
Last week an urgent call from
Daughter No, 1 had me on her way in
a very brief time. Son-in-law was in El
Paso on business and she had the flu.
Her plea, "can you come take care of
fne?" is probably reminiscent of some
you have received.
Well, she staged a rally, the Gran-
dson didn't get It, and you'd think that
all ended well. And it did, except for
the emotional trauma it handed me
when it was time to come home.
Leaving a child, my first-born, not
totally well. That had never happened
before. And at my age, hardly
anything happens anymore that
hasn't happened before! It was dis-
comfiting!
Driving up to their home at Grand
Prairie was during a very welcomed,
rainy period. The windshield wipers
had to be run continually. But coming
home there were no windshield wipers
for my eyes. •
And drowning In my own tears, I
frantically sought relief through
music on the radio. Dallas has a
station that plays classical music and
I tuned In to the strains of the Nut-
cracker Suite. I suddenly remem-
bered a young dancing girl who
shared In a ballet presentation for
that music a number of years ago.
Her hlrth dale placed her between our
two daughters and now she is gone,
thanked God for the gift of radio and
music, a song that was needed at that
moment to remind me how very much
I had for which to be thankful.
I thought also of others just across
our yard fence, or across the street,
who had better reason to feel badly
than I did. One is Wallace Gard who is
recovering from an accident in which
both legs were broken. Another, Ruby
Woodward, is receiving almost con-
stant transfusions because of
leukemia And still another is another
mother, our neighbor Mrs. Guy
Chapman, who still has months to
wait before she can see her new gran-
dbaby born in Belgium. Yet one more,
the Jack Fitts, were in Houston even
as I drove home, to be with their little
grandson, Jonathan, who had brain
surgery at Hermann Hospital Mon-
day.
Well, Mr. Gard will recover from
his accident, Terry Lynn will even-
tually visit the Chapmans and little
Jonathan's prognosis is very good.
De«.r Ruby has a long way to go vet
becasue she now has pneumonia. And
all of these stressful problems within
shouting distance of my house!
I dried my tears and felt guilty
about feeling badly! In fact the office
work had gone exceedingly well
without me and my helping hands had
not been missed from all appearan-
ces. (I am dispensable!) Guess it just
goes to show that no matter what hap
pens, rain, shine, freezing tem
peratures, illness or sadness, the
world will go on spinning in its fixed
orbit, but we'll still cry a little in the
proceas.
Until next week. keep
smiling...even If It Is occasionally
through your tears! mw
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The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 131, No. 52, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 12, 1981, newspaper, February 12, 1981; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151475/m1/1/?rotate=90: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.