The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 156, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 6, 2009 Page: 2 of 17
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Page A2 • Wat JBastrop Hdocrtiscr
Thursday, August 6, 2009
BISD BOARD NEWS
Recent resignation needs to be put in proper perspective
To the citizens of Bas-
trop Independent School
District:
I write to you because
there is too much misin-
formation being written
and discussed about the
recent events surrounding
the volunteer resignation
of our superintendent,
which needs to be put in
proper perspective.
The superintendent
has a personal situation
that requires his atten-
tion. The district has
developed and is in the
process of implementing
a strategic plan that will
require a great deal of in-
volvement of the superin-
tendent.
The superintendent
had a contract with the
district that could not be
altered for the remaining
two years by any action of
the board except to extend
the contract. That situ-
ation obligated the dis-
trict to maintain him as
JOHN
EATON
superintendent through
July 2011 at his current
compensation and bene-
fits. He could not be reas-
signed or terminated by a
vote of the board without
his explicit consent. These
terms were installed and
approved by a previous
board some years ago.
In view of the super-
ntendent's situation of
needing to deal with a fam-
:ly situation and providing
the guidance needed dur-
ng strategic plan imple-
mentation process there
were a couple of options
available to the superin-
tendent. He could remain
superintendent for the du-
ration of his contract and
take a leave of absence
and other time-off options
available under TEA pol-
cy that would afford him
the time necessary to deal
with his family situation.
However, that would not
provide the guidance to
the district needed during
this critical time.
The second option
was to resign as superin-
tendent. However, that
would leave him without
health insurance or in-
come at a critical time in
his personal life. Since
the district was obligated
to fulfill the superinten-
dent's contract for two
years, an arrangement on
a new contract could not
occur without his consent
unless the board kept his
total compensation the
same thereby allowing
him to voluntarily resign
as superintendent as he
wanted to do for the bene-
fit of the district. To facili-
tate the arrangement the
board elected to remove
the superintendent's car
allowance of $9000 per
year and add it to his sal-
ary, thereby keeping his
total compensation the
same, but removing a po-
tential problem in his new
position by maintaining
the district policy that
only a superintendent re-
ceives a car allowance.
Additionally, the dis-
trict had a need for a
director of employee re-
lations as it enters the
strategic plan implemen-
tation phase. The conver-
gence of this need with
the personal situation of
the superintendent coin-
cided nicely and the board
elected to merge the two
events for the benefit of
the district.
The superintendent
has held the position of
superintendent for seven
years. That if a period of
longevity that is rarely
found among superinten-
dents in Texas. He has
served the district with
great dedication and his
actions reflect that con-
tinued desire to do what
he believes is best for this
district. The Board com-
mends him for taking the
nitiative to ensure the
district has a superinten-
dent in place that has the
time to devote to the suc-
cessful implementation
of a strategic plan that
will in a matter of a few
years make BISD one of
the most sought after and
best performing districts
in all of Central Texas.
This decision by the
Board affects no one's tax-
es. The superintendent's
compensation is part of
the operating expenses
of the district and our
district taxes are capped
by the State of Texas at
$1.04/$ 100 property value
with the state supplement-
ng the other portion of
the district operating bud-
get. The other $.441/$100
property value of BISD
taxes are a result of the
bonds needed to build
the new high school, fine
arts building and the new
athletic stadium; funds
which cannot be used for
anything other than the
structures that voters ap-
proved to build.
This is a time of ex-
citement! The district
has a long-term vision, a
clear mission statement
and an implementation
plan that will generate
significant positive re-
sults for our students,
local businesses and
the community at large.
There will be more to
come about this plan, but
the district needs your
support now and in the
future for the betterment
of our students' educa-
tion. Remember, our
children are only 1/3 of
our population, but they
are 100% of our future.
HOMECOMING
Old BHS football
videos showcased
BY JACQUELINE DAVIS
Staff Writer
A spontaneous 35th class
reunion for the Bastrop High
School Class of1974was planned
for this Saturday after the recent
discovery of some old BHS foot-
ball videos from the 1960s and
'70s, said Buzzy Boone, a 1974
BHS graduate who now lives in
Amarillo.
Several 16-mm films were
apparently sitting in a trash
heap in the athletic department
when Coach James Gurka res-
cued them. BHS grads Stanley
Bird and Charlie Runkle, who
played footfall with Boone back
n the day, got the old films to
Boone, who converted them to
DVDs, adding subtitles and
background music, Boone said.
"I guess they knew I trans-
ferred this stuff as a hobby,"
Boone said. "I transferred them
all to DVD, and we started call-
ng all the teams from the Class
of1974. Everybody wanted to get
together and watch the films."
The videos show high school
football footage from 1963,1966,
1967 and 1972-1976, Boone
said.
"Coach Larry Turner coached
all those teams, ncluding the
three best teams Coach Turner
ever had. He's in the sports hall
of fame now," Boone said.
Boone said it took him about
40 hours of personal work to edit
and convert the films to DVD.
The class reserved the sports
bar at Chestnut Square Enter-
tainment Center from noon to
6 p.m. Saturday for the 35th
class reunion and for everyone
to watch the videos on the big
screen TVs. The Class of 1974
will meet at Chestnut Square
after the Homecoming Parade
downtown is over, he said.
AWARDS
Hyatt Lost Pines wins Gold
Meetings and Con-
ventions magazine re-
cently announced the
2009 winners of its
prestigious Gold Key
Award. For the third
year in a row, Hyatt Re-
gency Lost Pines Resort
and Spa has received
this award of distinction
that is bestowed upon
the world's finest meet-
ing properties.
All winners of this
award of excellence
were nominated and
selected by the readers
of M&C, who base their
votes on the overall pro-
fessionalism and qual-
ity of the property. This
year, the readers hon-
ored 145 domestic and
14 international hotels
and resorts as Gold Key
winners. Meeting plan-
ners selected their win-
ning properties based
on strict industry crite-
ria including: staff atti-
tude; quality of meeting
rooms, quality of guest
services; food and bev-
erage service;
proficiency of
handling reser-
vations; avail-
ability of tech-
nical/support
equipment and
range of recre-
ational facilities.
'We are de-
lighted and proud
to receive this
distinguished
award for the
third year in a
row," said Steve
Dewire, gen-
eral manager of
Hyatt Lost Pines.
"Much of our business is
derived from meetings
and conferences, and to
be chosen by those cus-
tomers for this award is
a gratifying honor. We
strive to make every
meeting planner a hero
in the eyes of their cus-
tomers. And this recog-
nition is a sign that we
are accomplishing that
goal."
Garden Fresh Vegg: es
Ime to plant
your Fall Garden
NOW!
Tomatoes
and Peppers
now available
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ChoosingtherightfacilityforyourPhysical. Occupational,
or Speech Therapy and Rehabilitation can make the
difference between recovering and functioning well in
your home for years to come OR not learning the correct
skills and losing freedoms you have enjoyed all of your
adult life. Every decision on health care is important
and lasting. Deciding what to have for an afternoon
snack or how you feel about the proposed health
coverage plan will likely affect your physical, financial,
and emotional well being in the future.
Bastrop Nursing Center—Bastrop's original Skilled
Nursing and Rehabilitation facility is pleased to
announce that Greg Pittenger has joined our team
as Admissions Director. Greg has an academic
background in Geriatrics and has worked in the long-
term care, rehabilitation, and home-based care
settings. With professional certifications in Aging
In Place and in Elder Mediation, Greg brings a
comprehensive knowledge of the issues that affect
families in later life. Greg invites everyone to utilize
the Bastrop Nursing Center staff, who are steeped in
knowledge about Aging, to help you make educated
decisions for yourself and your family.
!We(come U
<Bastrop pursing Center
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'•■wed aired for and conicnt.
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137 Old Austin Hwy, Bastrop
(512) 321-2529
Metro: 512-303-0655
Administrator-Maria Caracheo
%ht Bastrop 2ldocrtiscr
Texas' Oldest Weekly Newspaper
Since March 1, 1853
Semi-Weekly Since Sept, 5, 1977
Devoted to the welfare of the people of Bastrop
County. Published 104 times a year on Thursdays
and Saturdays by Austin Community Newspapers,
a division of Cox Newspapers, at:
The Bastrop Advertiser (USPS045-020),
P.O. Box 459/908 Water St.,
Bastrop, TX 78602
Phone: 321-2557, Fax: 321-1680
Office hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
$52.00 per year or $37.44 per six months delivered in
county, $62.40 per year or $43.16 per six months deliv-
ered out of county, and $74.88 per year delivered out
of state (all are payable in advance). Periodic post-
age paid at Bastrop, Texas 78602.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
The Bastrop Advertiser, P.O. Box 459,
Bastrop, Texas 78602-0459
Payment is required in advance and can be made in person during
regular business hours, sent by mail or over the phone. All county
subscribers should receive their papers on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Copies of the newspaper are also on sale at locations around the
county. If you have any questions, call Ginny Pickering.
m-
VISA
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STAFF
Editor: Cyndi Wright, ext. 16
(cwright@bastropadvertiser.com)
Advertising: Debbie Denny, ext. 15
(ddenny@bastropadvertiser.com)
Assistant Editor: Terry Hagerty, ext. 22
(thagerty@bastropadvertiser.com)
Sports Editor: Michael Adams, ext. 19
(sports@bastropadvertiser.com)
Staff Writer: Jackie Davis, ext. 21
(jdavis@bastropadvertiser.com)
Office Manager: Shirley Gibbons, ext. 10
Classifieds, Subscriptions:
Ginny Pickering, ext. 11
(classitieds@bastropadvertiser.com)
Production: Alicia Svetlik
and Angel Rosa
News:
ADVERTISING ACCEPTABILITY: The Bastrop Advertiser reserves
the right to reject or edit any advertisement submitted for
publication, in its sole discretion. We will not knowingly accept
any advertisement that we consider potentially misleading,
deceptive, offensive, discriminatory, that may infringe the rights
(including trademark and copyright) of any person or entity,
or that otherwise may be inappropriate for general circulation
publication. We will not knowingly accept, regardless of ad
content, any advertising for any product or service that itself
may be unlawful, harmful, or inappropriate for inclusion in a
general circulation publication. We do not warrant the accu-
racy or completeness of any published advertisement, and
urge readers to contact the advertiser directly if they have any
issue with either the content of the advertising or the product
or service advertised. The Bastrop Advertiser is not responsible
for errors or omissions in advertisements, for failure to publish in
a timely manner, or for any damages caused thereby. The sole
remedy for failure to publish in a timely manner shall be refund
of any monies actually paid by the advertiser for the desired
publication. The sole remedy for errors or omissions shall be
refund of monies actually paid by the advertiser for the space
in which the error or omission occurred, which may be less than
ihe cost of the entire advertisement. We reserve the right to cor-
rect or republish an advertisement in lieu of any refund.
RECYCLING: The Bastrop Advertiser isrecyclable, and we encourage
you to recycle your newspaper when you are finished with it. The city
of Bastrop has curbside recycling (321-3941), and Recycling Options
is located at 21 7 Pershing Blvd., around the corner from the former
County Recycling Station. For information, call 303-6665.
Advertising Deadlines for Thursday:
news@bastropadvertiser.com 4:30 p.m. Fridays for the following Thursday
Retail Advertising" Advertising Deadlines for Saturday:
ads@bastropadvertiser.com
4:30 p.m. Wednesdays for the following Saturday
Deadlines subject to change for designated holidays
SUBMITTING A NEWS OR SPORTS STORY: Submit information by email or in writing
and delivered in person or sent by mail. Be as concise as possible. Please include
a contact name and telephone number. Photos may be submitted by email or in
person. If you have any questions, call editor Cyndi Wright or assistant editor Terry
Hagerty for news items or sports editor Michael Adams for sports items.
CORRECTIONS: The Bastrop Advertiser makes every effort to provide fair and accu-
rate information. Should we make an error, please contact the news department
It is our policy to correct significant errors of fact.
OBITUARIES: Obituary announcements are published free of charge but are sub-
ject to editing (for "as is" obituary announcements, contact the ads department)
Photos may also be submitted. Obituary announcements are usually provided by
the funeral home or family. For questions, call editor Cyndi Wright or assistant editor
Terry Hagerty.
WEDDINGS, ENGAGEMENTS, ANNIVERSARIES, AND BIRTHS: Wedding, anniversary,
engagement and birth announcements are paid and have a set format. Contact
Ginny Pickering in the classifieds department for rates.
HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED OR DISPLAY AD: The best way to place a classified
or display ad is in person during regular business hours or by telephone. You may
also use the classified ad form in the classified section, and you may also send ad
copy by fax. Rates and special offers for classified ads are listed in the clqssified ads
section of each issue. Media kits are available for advertisers, which also include
information about our other Austin-area newspapers. If you have any questions,
call Ginny Pickering for classified ads or Debbie Denny for retail ads.
BACK ISSUES: Back issues of The Bastrop Advertiser are kept for about a year
and are available at our office while supplies last. There are also bound copies
of certain years at our office and copies available on microfilm at the Bastrop
Public Library. If you are looking for a specific article or advertisement, you are
welcome to browse through our back issues during regular business hours.
Member: Bastrop Chamber of Commerce,
National Newspaper Association, South Texas Press
Association, Texas Press Association
The entire content of The Bastrop Advertiser is protected under Federal Copyright Act. Reproduction of any portion of any issue will not be permitted without express
permission of The Bastrop Advertiser.
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Wright, Cyndi. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 156, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 6, 2009, newspaper, August 6, 2009; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth252602/m1/2/?rotate=270: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bastrop Public Library.