Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 145, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 16, 1993 Page: 1 of 20
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1635 C0MP9
SOUTHWEST MICR0FUBLI5HIN3
2627 E YANOELL DR
EL F ASO,
fit. 79903 ♦
Home of the
Cqddoan Mounds
Státe Historic Site
Cfyerokeeaq/ilerald
Texas' Oldest, Continuously Published Weekly Newspaper -- Established Feb. 27,1850 as the Cherokee Sentinel
Rusk:
Home of the
Texas State Railroad
State Historical Park
Vol. 145. No. 33 - 14 Paces
Thursday, September 16, 1993
Rusk, Texas 75785 25 cents
Court votes to put
Unit System on ballot
RUSK 1993 HOMECOMING QUEEN Lisa MitcheU, right, was named at the annual
Rusk High School Homecoming activities Friday night at Eagle Stadium. Miss
Mitchell, daughter of Margaret Garner and Charles Mitchell was escorted by Chris
White, son of Patti and Jack White. Miss Mitchell was crowned by the 1992 Queen
Brandy Davis, daughter of Vicki and Bill Davis. Her escort was Michael Nelson, son
of Gay and Bill Nelson. From left are Nelson, Miss Davis, White and gueen
Mitchell. -staff photo
Cherokee County Commissioners
Court met Monday morning to vote
to put a proposed Unit System for
Cherokee County on the Nov. 2
Special Election Ballot.
Petitions, which were circulated
last year by several citizens in the
county, were declared to be invalid
after County Tax Assessor Collec-
tor Linda Beard checked with the
Secretary of State. The addresses of
most of the signers did not include
zip codes and the Secretary of State
had instructed Mrs. Beard were not
valid signatures.
Two Cherokee County residents
filed suit against the county asking
that the court declare the signa-
tures valid. Visiting District Judge
Joe Bob Golden of Jasper ruled in
the 365th District Court that the
signatures were invalid. However,
last week the 12th Court of Appeals
in Tyler ruled that the signatures
were valid. The 12th Court of Ap-
peals did not authorize the ruling to
be placed in law books as a refer-
ence case.
Area News
Briefs
Rusk City Council hires manager,
adopts new budget, sets tax rate
Trust fund set
A trust fvind has been set up at the
Alto Continental State Bank in be-
half of Tommy and Kim Nesmith,
whose house burned recently.
Additional donations can be made
by calling (409) 858-3810, or Karen
Montgomery at 858-3695, or Linda
Yarbrough at 858-4821. Mr. and
Mrs. Nesmith have two children, a
four-year-old and an eight-year-old.
CHAMBER DIRECTORS
WILL MEÉT-Rusk Chamber of
Commerce directors will meet at
noon Monday, Sept. 20, at the
Rusk Civic Center. The noon meal
will be catered by Courthouse Caf-
eteria. All directors are encouraged
to attend, according to President
Wayne Pianta. Visitors are always
welcomed, he said.
WANT TO BE A FRIEND?
September is Friends Month at
Singletary Memorial Library, ac-
cording to Peggy McArthur, librar-
ian/Mrs. McArthur asks "What is a
Friend?" She 'says a person inter-
ested in the welfare of Singletary
Memorial Library and who cares
about cultura} education growth
through library development can
be a Friend of the Library. Notices
are being sent out in statements
and are availáble at the library.
Interested perfeons can call 903/
683-5916 for more information.
CLASS REUNION SET-The
Alto High School class of 1974 will
hold its 20th year class reunion Oct.
1 and 2. For more information con-
tact Dwayne King at (409) 858-3918,
Peggy Green at (409) 858-2158, or
Vicki Wallace Lucas (903) 683-6114.
All class members are urged to at-
tend. i
OPEN HOUSE-Rusk Elemen-
tary PTO will be hosting Open House
at the school beginning at 6:30 p.m.,
Tuesday, September 28. Parents
may take this opportunity to meet
the faculty and become familiar with
their school. At this time the PTO
will also be holding a membership
drive and will be, taking orders for
school pride T-shirts.
HAMBURGER SUPPER-The
Alpha Alpha Gamma chapter of Beta
Sigma Phi will sponsor a hamburger
supper prior to the home football
game from 5 to 7:d0 p.m. on Sept. 24
at the Rusk High School cafeteria.
The meal will include hamburger,
baked beans, potato chips, tea and
cake. Tickets are now available from
any member or at the door for $3.50.
TAMALES: First United Pente-
costal Church of Rusk will sell Ctyun
Tunales Friday majrning until noon,
Sept. 17. A dozen (hot or mile) ta-
males is $4 and delivery is avail-
bR Call (903)688-2186 to place
advance orders.
Rusk City Council met Wednes-
day, Sept. 8, to appoint a city man-
ager, adopt a $1,593,156 City Bud-
get and set a 41.2? city tax rate.
Appointed asCity Manager James
Campbell as the new City Manager.
Campbell, 49, will assume duties of
the office around Nov. 1. Currently
he is employed as a State Trooper
and will officially retire from that
position on Jan. 31, 1994.
Until he retires he will work at
City Hall approximately two days
per week. He told members of the
council Wednesday evening that he
has accumulative vacation time and
time for holidays and regular days
off to allow him to actually leave the
state before Nov. 1.
Campbell has been employed for
the Texas Department of Public
Safety since 1966. He has been sta-
tioned in Rusk since 1973. He has
served as a member of the Rusk ISD
Board of Trustees for 11 years, of
which he has been president for the
past seven years. He is a member of
the Rusk Volunteer Fire Depart-
ment for 15 years and has been
assistant chief twice. He has been a
member of the Rusk Lions Club for
15 years.
Campbell was recommended to
the council by Mayor Mike Crysup
and was employed on a motion by
Councilmember Ken Smith, which
was seconded by Walter Session.
Councilman Dean Evans did not
vote. Campbell is president of the
Rusk School Board and Evans serves
Alto City discusses program, budget
The Alto City Council met Mon-
day and conducted two public hear-
ings; one for the discussion of the
1993 Texas Community Develop-
ment Program Application, and
another concerning the City Bud-
get for Fiscal year 1993-94.
Mayor James Grammer said the
council members would assume that
sewer upgrading is the foremost
need for city development.
Some of the other functions of the
development program will be the
construction of houses for low or
moderate income persons, attain-
ing rental property for the use of
Texas Community Development
Program functions, and code en-
forcement when carried out in asso-
ciation with other public or private
improvements, clearance, and
demolition activities.
Council members later unani-
mously approved a resolution that
permits an application of the Texas
Community Development Program
to be given to the Texas Depart-
ment of Housing and Community
Affairs.
Following the public hearing on
the 1993/94 budget, council mem-
bers accepted the modification of a
TEA says some TAAS scores
of minority students unacceptable
Rusk Texas Assessment of Aca-
demic Scores for African Americans
and the Economically Disadvan-
taged have been declared unaccept-
able by the Texas Educational
Agency. Members of the Rusk ISD
Board of Trustees heard reports on
Texas Assessment of Academic
Skills scores and recommendations
from the Texas Education Agency
(TEA), as well as a review of Aca-
demic Excellence Indicator System
report for the district for the previ-
ous year.
Joy Jones, Junior High School
counselor, presented the Academic
Excellence Indicator System report.
She said attendance rate for the
district was 95.8 percent, compared
to 95.1 percent statewide; drop-oüt
wte was 3.2 percent, compared to
3.8 percent statewide; advanced
courses offered were 2.8 percent,
compared to 3.7 percent statewide
and graduation rate for Rusk was
92.0 percent, compared to 92.2 per-
cent. Some 41 percent of the stu-
dents graduated with an advanced
seal on their transcripts, compared
to 38.4 percent, statewide.
A letter read during a public hear-
ing concerning test scores Monday
evening revealed that if the district
did not bring these scores up with
spring testing, the district could be
placed on Accredited Warned Sta-
tus with the agency.
On the fourth grade level, results
showed that African Americans
showed 53 percent mastering the
writing test; 11 percent, reading
and 26 math. Hispanic showed 100
percent mastering the writing, 33
percent the reading and 33 percent,
math. Whites mastery totaled 93
percent in writing, 69 percent in
reading and 61 percent in math.
The Economic Disadvantaged
scored 74 percent in writing, 30
percent in reading and 27 percent
in math.
On the eighth grade level, Afri-
can Americans showed mastery by
53 percent in writing; 32 percent in
reading and 21 percent in math;
Hispanics showed 25 percent in
writing; 0 percent in reading and 25
percent in math. Whites showed
mastery with 70 percent in writing;
63 percent in reading and 41 per-
Conimissioner Bob Gregg, Pre-
cinct 1, who was not present at a
special commissioners' meeting last
week made the motion to place the
mater on the Nov. 2 ballot, which
will give citizens an opportunity to
vote on the matter, without addi-
tional expense to taxpayers. He said
that he never opposed putting the
issue on the ballot, but feels strongly
about the idea of "pickingand choos-
ing what laws to obey."
In another matter, commission-
ers agreed to settle with Vanguard
for $15,000 in connection with a
lawsuit filed against the county.
The suit involved the cancellation
of a contract with the computer com-
pany. Ricky Richards was the
county's attorney, as well as coun-
sel in Illinois where the suit was
filed.
Commissioners approved the pur-
chase of four portable equipment
for breath tests for the Texas De-
partment of Public Safety to be used
in the county. Cost is $2,760. The
equipment will be used in the
trooper vehicles and will operate by
battery. Mouthpieces are included
in the price.
The county approved a contract
with the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice for housingof cer-
tain inmates. Commissioners
agreed not to raise fees charged by
the sheriff, justices of the peace
and constables. A contract with
LETN for in-house deputy sheriff
training was approved.
Software rental bid for the Chero-
kee County Tax Assessor-
Collector's office from Net Data was
approved for $2,250 per month for
12 months.
J.C. Henderson was appointed
as county administrator of on-site
sewage facilities.
Election clerks for each box were
approved at the meeting.
Support was given for East Texas
Council of Government obtaining a
grant to develop used oil collection/
recycling program from the Texas
Water Commission.
Continuation of the Cherokee
County Wildlife Advisory Commit-
tee was approved with members
Frances Hendley, Charles Broad-
way, Larry W. Bailey, Jim Tarrant
Jr. and other committee members
to be appointed later.
the district as prinicpal of the high
school.
He and his wife, Marilyn are par-
ents of two children, Melonie, a se-
nior (at SFA and a son, Jamie, a
Jacksonville Police officer. Mrs.
Campbell is a secretary at the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice
Skyview Unit.
Prior to the appointment of
Campbell, the council met in execu-
tive session. All applications were
reviewed by the council.
Crysup said the council thought
that Campbell was the best suited
for the job. Some 12 persons ' made
application for the job.
'See Rusk City p. 14
three percent raise for city employ-
ees.
The raise issue had been tabled
from an earlier meeting. The coun-
cil adopted the budget with another
modification of $3,500 to be set aside
for repairs of two patrol cars.
Moving on to other subjects coun-
cil members discussed the effective
tax rate, the discounts and tax no-
tices. They voted to leave the present
discounts on tax notices as they are,
although the notices will be going
out late this year. Council members
•See Alto City p. 14
CHEERLEADER BEAU David Crysup is presented
by his cousin, Jessica Crysup at Friday's Rusk
High School Homecoming Pep Rally, -staff photo
Hospital administrator
speaks at N.Y. conference
cent in math. Economic Disadvan-
taged showed 60 percent mastery
in writing; 45 percent in reading;
and 19 percent in math.
Tenth graders showed African
American mastery of 53 percent
for writing, 32 percent for reading
and 21 percent for math. Hispanics
showed 60 percent for writing; 40
percent for reading and 20 percent
for math. Whites mastered 84 per-
cent in writing, 82 percent in read-
ing and 67 percent in math. The
Economic Disadvantaged showed
43 percent in writing, 38 percent in
reading and 19 percent in math.
Any group showing mastery per-
centages lower than 20 percent is
termed as having clearly unac-
ceptable status with the agency.
A district plan to upgrade the
scores must be prepared and sent
to the agency by the end of October.
The plan will be presented for board
approval at the October board meet-
ing.
The board voted its intent to set
a tax rate of $1.26 at a meeting at
5:16 on Sept. 27.
Donna Gunter
Donna Curry Gunter, adminis-
trator of East Texas Medical Cen-
ter-Rusk has been selected as a
speaker at the National Association
of Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) in
New York City. Estimated atten-
dance expected for the conference is
2,000 to 3,000 quality profession-
als. Mrs. Gunter has been an active
member of the NAHQ for the past
tnree years. In the past year, she
was one of ten nurses in the U.S.
who served on a National Commit-
tee for Nursing Quality.
She and her husband, Davalin,
and their two children, Stephanie,
16, and Jonathan, 13, live in the
Atoy community. Prior to accepting
the administration position for the
Rusk hospital, she was employed at
the Shriners Burn Institute in
Galveston.
Mrs. Gunter is a Jacksonville High
School graduate. She is the daugh-
ter of Joe and LaDean Curry
Johnston of Jacksonville. Mrs.
Gunter graduated from Tyler Jun-
ior College with an Associate in
Science, Texas Eastern School of
Nursing with a Diploma in Nurisng
and the University of Texas at Tyler
with a Bachelor of Science in Nurs-
ing. She has been a Registered
Nurse for 17 years. She received
her certification as Nurse Adminis-
trator (RNCNA) from the National
Nurses Association in 1989 and her
certification as a Professional in
Healthcare Quality(CPHQ) in 1991.
Mrs. Gunter is a member of the
Texas Society for Healthcare Qual-
ity, Texas Hospital Association and
National Association for Healthcare
Quality. She has been named in
Who's Who in American Nurses for
the past six years and Who's Who in
Business Women for the past three
years.
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Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 145, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 16, 1993, newspaper, September 16, 1993; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152129/m1/1/?rotate=270: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.