Giddings Times & News (Giddings, Tex.), Vol. 105, No. 4, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 14, 1994 Page: 1 of 16
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M88663
GU3A
VOLUME 105
GIDDINGS, LEE COUNTY, TEXAS 78942-0947
THURSDAY, JULY 14, 1994
NUMBER 4
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Giddings School Board hires
new superintendent Friday
Audit suggests changes for
Giddings Police Department
Lee County Hospital District seeking
$295,000 in Medicare adjustments
Voluntary water rationing
asked by City of Giddings
Commissioners seek grant to
improve courthouse landscape
Lexington schools 'building
futures one student at a time'
Lee County Clerk providing
computerized birth certificates
Council considering strict mobile
home ordinance amendment
Peanut farmers take advantage of
scattered rains to plant last of crop
Price of hay rising as dry weather presists
loan taken out in March of 1986
to put a cover over the Lee
County Sheriffs Posse Rodeo
Arena. The covered arena has
attracted all kinds of events
since it was built. Pictured left
Results over past 3
years looks promising
Lexington School District, over
the past three years, has been able
to restructure, refocus and redi-
rect its educational process to in
chide the academic curriculum,
the career/technology curriculum,
and the co-current programs.
I exington ISD is dedicated to
building futures one student at a
time," said high school principal
Don Garrett. In order to educate
every student, our community is
committed to providing an educa-
tional environment where every-
tendent at Rotan ISD which has
500 students. And prior to that he
was superintendent at Woodson
ISD with an enrollment of 100.
Mr. Fields was also athletic di-
rector at Ralls High School from
1976 to 1979. He was a teacher-
coach at Canyon ISD from 1975-
1976. He was a teacher coach at
Dimmitt High School for a year,
and a teacher-coach at Lockney
for four years.
Mr. Field served in the U.S.
Army in Vietnam for two years.
Lexington trustees to
consider unemployment
compensation plan
The Lexington School Board will
consider renewal of the employees'
unemployment compensation
plan at their Monday, July 18,
meeting.
The board will review a request
from a student on early gradua-
tion. They will also consider revi-
sion of the discipline management
plan.
And the board will review the
student, parent, and teachers'
handbook for the elementary,
middle school and high school.
See TRUSTEES, page 14
FINAL NOTE PAYMENT -
Sheriff Joe Goodson presents a
check to Lee County National
Bank Vice President Doug
Westfall for the remainder of
the amount owed on a $225,000
scattered showers may be forced
to begin feeding hay to their
herds, or thinning down their
herds by carrying them to the auc-
tion.
Producers are facing another
problem with falling cattie prices
over the past several weeks.
Prices have dropped as much as
10 cents a pound from only 60
days ago.
Predictions are that the cattle
market will remain depressed for
up to a year.
Farmers and ranchers are hop-
ing for help from tropical storms
to being on significant moisture to
help their pastures and crops.
Some Lee County farmers took
advantage of scattered Saturday
to plant late peanuts in field that
had previously been too dry to
plant.
Fmrmers in the Fedor — Lexing-
ton area reported from anywhere
from two-tenths to an inch of rain,
with the highest amounts being in
the Fedor area.
Farmers were able to take ad-
vantage of the rain and continued
with their peanut planting.
Nearly 90% of the Lee County
peanut crop is now planted, it is
estimated.
Ranchers are reporting that hay
production is slowing down, and
Prior to that he was a teacher-
coach at Idalou High School.
Mr. Field graduated from Kress
High School. He received a B.S. in
physical education from West
Texas State University. He also
received his master of education
and professional administrative
certificate from West Texas State
University.
Mr. Field and his wife Janie
have one son, Chance, who will be
an eighth grader this year.
See HIRES, page 3
dit is nearing completion, and au-
ditors hope to have the audit com-
pleted soon. Cindy Jaeger was
See HOSPITAL, page 7
Optimists Flag Football
registration Saturday
Optimists Flag Football will
hold its registration on Saturday,
July 16 at City Hall from 9 a.m. to
1 p.m.
This is the only registration, so
everyone that wants to play needs
to register.
Rev. Ray Schkade
honored at Texas
District Convention
Rev. Ray Schkade of Austin, a
native of Giddings, was honored
at the recent Texas District Con-
vention of the Lutheran Church-
Missouri Synod with a dinner and
reception at the Moody Gardens in
Galveston, where the convention
was held. Rev. Schkade will be re-
tiring after 28 years of service to
the Texas District.
Rev. Schkade began preparing
for the ministry in September of
1942. He received his training for
the ministry at Concordia, Austin
See SCHKADE, page 11
E
improvements are being sought.
The court accepted the audit
statement of the B&M Ambulance
Service.
They tabled a discussion of the
personnel sick leave.
The commissioners voted to
leave the Mental Health and Men-
tal Retardation Center on East
Industry. The state was seeking to
have the center moved to La
Grange, but the commissioners
want to leave it with a local office.
See GRANT, page 7
X
The number of requests for cer-
tified birth certificates is growing
at the Lee County Clerk's office.
With the installation of the Re-
mote Birth Certificate computer
hookup with the State of Texas
Bureau of Statistics, the office has
been supplying a growing number
of certificates, said County Clerk
Carol Dismukes. Last month she
had requests for 42 certificates,
and is beginning to issue birth cer-
tificates from requests from all
over the state. She noted that
northwest Harris County is fre-
district's attorney.
Trustees approved the resigna-
tion of Citndy Jaeger from the
board and the appointment of
Cindy Schmidt as her replace-
ment. A request from Jim Stanley
to resign from the board was
tabled.
Trustees learned that the dis-
trict has sent in all requests to the
insurance company for money for
legal fees stemming from the
Carol Stewart law suit against the
district.
The 1991-92 hospital district au-
The Lee County Commissioners
Court approved an agreement
with R.G.S. Associates to try to
obtain a state grant from the De-
partment of Transportation for
landscaping improvements to the
exterior of the Lee County Court-
house.
The commissioners appointed a
committee to oversee the grant.
Members include Otto Becker, Jr.,
Maurice Pitts, Rose Fritsche,
James Walker, Sue Placke, and
Steve Keng. They will decide what
are the lowest he has seen in his
experience.
Even though Giddings has low
salaries, they have a large num-
See AUDIT, page 13
$2,500 donation helping
Fedor VFD buy new truck
The Fedor Volunteer Fire
Department's effort to replace a
20-year-old fire truck moved
closer to reality recently when the
organization received a $2,500 do-
nation from the Alcoa Foundation.
The 21-member fire department
has been raising funds for over a
year to purchase a new one-ton
truck, and has $6,000 in the bank,
said Ronnie Schubert, president.
The new four-by-four fire truck
costs $21,000.
Between the Alcoa Foundation
grant and Fedor's annual August
fish fry fundraiser, Schubert pre-
dicted their cause will be bolstered
substantially.
"The new truck is badly needed,"
he said. "We fight all fires in the
Fedor area and readily assist the
See FEDOR, page 3
City agrees to water
tank paint contract
The City of Giddings gave formal
approval to the repainting of the
city water tanks with A Way Tank
Contractor.
City Manager James Dover ne-
gotiated a contract with the com-
pany to re-sand and repaint the
city water tanks. The company
had done the original painting
contract over a year ago, but some
of that work failed due to the
See PAINT, page 7
Windows shot out at
church; horse killed as well
The Lee County Sheriff s De-
partment investigated some shots
fired at the Globe Hill Baptist
Church. Officers reported that the
windows of the church were shot
out with what appeared to be a
large caliber pistol.
Also, a horse pastured behind
the church was found dead shot in
the stomach.
Deputies reported that the
shooting apparently took place
sometime Saturday.
one is treated with dignity and re-
spect," he said.
LISD is measured against aca-
demic excellence standards along
with other districts in the state.
Standards developed in Lexington
and the concept of building fu-
tures one student at a time
through the education process
have brought positive results to
Lexington. The TASP test re-
quired by colleges and universities
was taken by 22 Lexington seniors
this past year, with all 22 receiv-
ing passing marks.
Mr. Garrett said they are ad-
See FUTURE, page 13
Dr. Souryal said he saw nothing
flagrant in the police department,
but they have no up-to-date
manual for operation which can
leave the city open for litigation.
He said the manual should be con-
tinuously updated.
Another problem within the po-
lice department, said Dr. Souryal
is lack of cohesiveness, which has
led to a low morale. Nearly every
officer is concerned with the man-
agement. He noted that the man-
agement is "militaristic" and that
needs to lie re-examined.
Dr. Souryal recommends the po-
lice department budget be ex-
panded to hire an additional 2 to 3
officers and to raise the salaries of
the officers. He noted that salaries
the prices of hay is going up. Nor-
mal price for round bales is
around $35 per bale, but it was
reported Monday that some
people are getting as much as $50
per bale.
Continued temperatures of 95 to
100 degrees for the past several
weeks has caused pastures to be-
gin drying up and hay production
to slow down. It is estimated that
the hay production is about 60-
70% of the annual production,
with little prospects for rain to
change this picture in the near fu-
ture.
If rains don't come soon, some
cattlemen who haven't received
sn, n.
GISD SUPERINTENDENT -
I he Giddings School Board has
hired Alton Fields as the new
superintendent Mr. Fields was
unanimously extended a con-
tract at a special called meeting
Friday evening.
- Times & News Photo
The Giddings City Council
tabled an amendment to the mo-
bile home ordinance last Tuesday
at their regular scheduled meet-
ing-
Council will bring the ordinance
back up for a vote at their next
council meeting.
The council is considering a
much more restrictive mobile
home ordinance, which would not
allow mobile homes to be placed in
the city except in mobile home
parks. This means that people
with city lots would not be allowed
to place mobile homes on those
lots.
However, under the amend-
ment, if a mobile home owner
wants to replace a mobile home
on the lot, the owner has 30 days
to fill out an application to put an-
other mobile home on that prop-
erty.
The council is considering
grandfathering existing mobile
home parks so that they do not
A
The City of Giddings is asking its
residents to voluntarily cut back
on their outdoor watering due to a
combination of hot, dry summer
weather, along with the tempo-
rary loss of one water storage tank
that has reduced water pressure
considerably.
"We’re asking our citizens to wa-
ter only twice a week due to low
water pressure," said Public
Works Director Serapio Garza.
In order to split the days up
when outdoor watering is done,
Mr. Garza is asking citizens with
to right are Alan Lindner, presi-
dent; Doug Westfall, Sheriff
Goodson, Dorothy Falke, secre-
tary-treasurer; and Clyde
Maass, vice president.
- Times & News Photo
have to spend a lot of money to
bring those parks up to new stan-
dards. However, mobile home
See AMEND, page 10
Giddings youth critically
injured In auto accident
An 11-year-old Giddings boy,
Michael Hays, was critically in-
jured in an auto accident in South
Texas Monday.
Michael, the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Chris Hays of Giddings was re-
portedly injured in a Jeep accident
while riding around a ranch with
relatives.
The Lee County Sheriffs De-
partment was contacted Monday
afternoon and were told that the
youth was airlifted to a hospital in
San Antonio and placed on life
support systems. He suffered a se-
vere head injury, broken shoulder
and was unconscious.
Deputies reported Tuesday that
the youth was taken off life sup-
port.
The Lee County Hospital Dis-
trict has applied for $295,000 in
volume adjustments in Medicare
funds, it was reported Tuesday
night at their monthly meeting.
The auditing firm which handles
the Medicare audit reported to the
board that they have applied for
the money on behalf of the district,
and that the district may have a
good chance of getting the funds.
Trustees transferred $10,000
from the tax account. Of that
money, $7,500 will be paid to the
auditors and $2,500 to the
\
V
Dr. Sam Souryal, Dean of the
College of Criminal Justice at
Sam Houston University, pre-
-ented a report on an audit of t he
Giddings Police Department at
the Giddings City Council meet-
ing last Tuesday night.
Dr Souryal said in his report,
There are some challenges which
n< rd to lx- faced with the police
department and the city council."
He noted there is an unusual
split between the city government
and the police department which
needs to be stopped. He said the
police services the city and the city
serves the community. Dr.
Souryal said the police depart
meat must modify to adjust to the
citv.
SERVING LEXINGTON, DIME BOX, LINCOLN, SERBIN, NORTHRUP, PAIGE, LEDBETTER, FEDOR & GIDDINGS
PUBLISHED AND EDITED BY A NATIVE LEE COUNTIAN - - PREUSS PRINTING CO., INC.
quently using her service. Mrs.
Dismukes put the service in two
years ago, and it allows her to get
certified birth certificates over-
night.
"We are really getting a lot of
calls from Little League players,
and from people in the area who
want certificates for passports,”
she said. Lee County is the only
county in the area which has this
service.
"We're really happy to be able to
provide our residents with this
service," she said.
even-numbered addresses to wa-
ter their yards and gardens on
Mondays and Thursdays.
And those with odd-numbered
addresses, their watering should
be done on Tuesdays and Fridays.
"This will hopefully help owr wa-
ter pressure problems so everyone
can benefit in the long run," said
Mr. Garza.
The main cause of the low water
pressure is that one of the el-
evated water towers in east
Giddings had to be drained in re-
See WATER, page 3
1 he Giddings School Board
unanimously voted Friday even-
ing to give a contract to Alton
Fields as Giddings Superinten-
dent of Schools.
The district offered Mr. Fields a
three-year contract at an annual
alary of $62,500. He will also re-
ceive 10 days vacation, 100 per-
' ent health care and five days sick
leave. And they district will pay
reasonable moving expenses.
Mr. Fields is 48 years old and
has served as superintendent
since 1981. Since 1990 he has
been superintendent at Sanford
School District in the Panhandle.
Sanford has an enrollment of
1300 students.
From 1985-1990 he was superin-
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Preuss, L. M., III & True, David G. Giddings Times & News (Giddings, Tex.), Vol. 105, No. 4, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 14, 1994, newspaper, July 14, 1994; Giddings, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1598737/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Giddings Public Library and Cultural Center.