The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 135, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 3, 2011 Page: 1 of 16
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Their own brand of realism
The art of county students, following a
theme of 'realism/ will be on display at the
Old jail starting with a Sunday reception.
See story; pg. 8A
Area champions!
After winning an intense area bout last
Friday, the Albany Lions have a chance
to advance to the regional tourney.
See story pg. IB
Albany News
The
Oldest Journalistic Venture West of the Brazos"
Thursday, March 3, 2011, Albany, Texas 76430
16 Pages in 2 Sections
www.thealbanynews.net
Volume Number 135 Number 41 Price 75<£
Blood drive
set March 3
Albany’s regular bi-
monthly blood drive, once
again sponsored by the
Albany Kiwanis Club, is
set this Thursday, March
3, starting at 2:00 p.m.
The Meek Blood Cen-
ter’s mobile unit will be
located on the parking lot
of the First Baptist Church
from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., and
local citizens are urged to
spend less than an hour
to give a single gift that
can save as many as three
lives.
The donors who gave
blood on Dec. 29 are eligible
to give again this month.
There is not an upper
age restriction on donat-
ing blood. As long as a
person is at least 17 years
of age, (age 16 with signed
parental consent), weigh a
minimum of 120 pounds
and in general good health,
he or she may donate blood.
Prospective donors
should bring a driver’s
license or other photo ID.
Chamber
names 2011
directors
The Albany Chamber
of Commerce elected of-
ficers for the upcoming
year, as well as naming
one new board members
and reelecting three others
during the annual meeting
held Friday, Feb. 25.
The officers were elected
during a directors’meeting
immediately following the
general session.
Diana Nail was re-elect-
ed to serve as president of
the local Chamber during
2011. Pam Farmer was
named as vice president,
while Lester Galbreath
accepted the title of vice
president of heritage tour-
ism. Randall Palmore
was selected executive
secretary-treasurer.
Lauren Jo Edwards was
appointed to replace direc-
tor Robert Snyder, who
recently resigned.
Other directors include:
Lisa Barton, R.P. Mitch-
ell, Steve Waller, Tammy
Brown, Jim Law, Gayle
Mikeska and Doyleen
Terrell.
Also Brent Clegg, Jess
Phillips, Lester Galbreath,
andTrecaEdington. Chuck
Senter serves as executive
director.
Weather Week
DATE
Feb. 22 - 28
HIGH LOW PREC.
2-22
N/A
N/A
2-23
77
46 T
2-24
75
27
2-25
53
27
2-26
83
37
2-27
90
39
2-28
63
29
Feb. total
0:55
Year-to-date- total 0.87
New jail proposal on the table
♦ Hart offers land
adjacent to PI yard
By Melinda L. Lucas
With a new proposal on the
table for the jail facility and
several other important issues
on the agenda, the Shackelford
County commissioners faced a
full morning of action items at
their regular meeting on Mon-
day, Feb. 28.
The most significant piece
of information came from the
landowner just west of the
county’s Precinct 1 yard, half
of which commissioner David
Everett had offered last week
as a building site for the law
enforcement center.
Tom Hart notified sheriff
Ed Miller and county judge
Ross Montgomery just prior to
Monday’s session that he and
his wife Mona are willing to
sell their two-acre lot adjacent
to the county’s four-acre yard.
Because the three-month
property search has not yielded
any suitable sites, the commis-
sioners had tentatively decided
at a meeting last week to use
the front half of the county-
owned property for the jail and
construct a new Precinct 1 barn
on the back portion.
However, several county of-
ficials had expressed concern
that only half of the yard would
not be adequate for precinct
operations, and they intended
in the next 30 days to look at
possibilities of relocating the
Precinct 1 yard entirely.
With Hart’s proposal, the
combination of the two proper-
ties, equalling just under six
acres, should accommodate
the new jail building and the
existing precinct building, as
well as a new county weighing
station, said Montgomery.
“Tom said he would sell
the house and property for
$150,000 and would need ap-
proximately 30 to 45 days to
vacate,” Montgomery told the
court.
“We would have an extra
two acres, and if we move the
jail back to the west, it should
be out of the flood plane totally
and we could leave the Precinct
1 barn where it is,” the judge
continued.
The estimated expense of
building a new precinct barn
is also $150,000, and with the
offsetting costs, Montgomery
said Tuesday evening that he
felt the proposal was a very
practical option.
“Tom said that he and Mona
had been talking about down-
sizing, and that this would be
a good opportunity for them.”
The county scales, which
commissioners had intended
to build as part of the original
plan, could also be re-incorpo-
rated into the law enforcement
center instead of being located
at an alternate site.
Although the only action
taken was to have architect Jeff
Heffelfinger “look into” the new
site options, the commission-
(See County, pg. 8A)
Jody Patterson / Albany News
Albany water plant supervisor David Bales scans a water sample with equipment in the
high tech lab at the new water plant. Although there are still a few details to finish at the
$5.1 million facility, the plant is now producing water for Albany customers.
Water flows
at new plant
By Kathryn Stapp
Fine tuning on the new $5.1
million Albany water plant is
going very well, according to
the city project manager.
“There are some things that
will be tweaked, and we still
have to do the punch list soon,”
said Bobby Russell, former city
manager and water plant con-
sultant, “but Albany has been
drinking water produced there
for several weeks.”
The water has flowed from
the new facility to the old water
treatment plant where it was
distributed to city residents.
“I was involved in numerous
projects in my Air Force years
and so forth, but I’ve never seen
a major project go so smoothly
as this one has,” Russell said.
Accordingto Russell, a plant
of this nature is expected to last,
with proper maintenance and
repairs, at least “75 or so years.”
Wall construction at the
plant features 26 concrete wall
panels, each weighing 70,000
pounds.
(See Water plant, pg. 8A)
Park project granted 60-day extension
♦ Committee still
seeking $384,750
to satisfy match
By Kathryn Stapp
The bad news is that the
clock ran out on the Albany
Park committee’s efforts to
raise $1.5 million in cash and
like kind donations by the Feb.
28 deadline.
Fortunately, the Abilene
foundation that had promised
a $500,000 donation to the
project if the Albany community
could raise the additional $1.5,
believes in the park project so
strongly that they have granted
an extension. Albany has until
the end of April to bring in an
additional $384,750.
“We are so close, and the
foundation recognizes that, and
has agreed to a one time 60 day
extension to bring in the $1.5
million,” said park committee
member Gaye Davis. “This is a
now or never deal for Albany.
We stand to lose a huge oppor-
tunity if we let this slip away.”
Davis indicated that there
are other grants that may
become available to the com-
munity if the city is able to pull
off the three to one challenge
with the Abilene foundation.
The total estimated park
project is $2 million. The
Abilene foundation, with Al-
bany ties, proposed that if
supporters raise $1.5 million in
cash and like kind donations,
the city will be given $500,000
from the foundation. Commit-
tee members are encouraging
everyone to make whatever
contribution fits their budget.
The preliminary plan for
the total park project, which
is roughly estimated to cost $2
million, was approved by the city
council in September.
Since that time, committee
members Amy Kelly, KimNeece
and Davis have been visiting
potential individual donors and
organizations to help boost local
understanding and support of
the project.
They are aware that the
total amount of the project
intimidates some potential
contributors, but the organizers
encourage current and former
Albany residents, as well as
those with local ties, to give
what they can.
Proposed Project
Predictably, the pool and
bathhouse are the most expen-
sive items in the plan, estimated
at a cost of about $1.2 million.
According to Davis, the com-
mittee approached the design
of the pool with the needs of
the whole community in mind.
There is a shallow area for tod-
dlers, a swim area for water
aerobics, swim lanes, a dive area
and a slide.
. “The reality is that we can
patch the existing pool for maybe
one more summer before it will
be unusable. We feel that every
member of our community could
benefit from this facility,” Davis
continued. “According to our
research, the cost of the pool
and bathhouse is comparable
to other area communities who
have also renovated their pools.”
Also proposed for the park
complex is a six-foot wide con-
crete lighted walking trail, a
skateboard ramp, a revamped
baseball/softball field with
lighting and bleachers, a fitness
station, basketball court, four
soccerfields, a covered multi-use
pavillion, improvements to the
playground and sand volleyball
court, picnic tables and grills, a
horseshoe pit, tetherball pole,
benches, water fountains and
two paved parking areas.
Donations of any size may be
mailed to: Park Project, City of
Albany, PO Box 3248, Albany,
TX 76430.
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Lucas, Melinda L. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 135, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 3, 2011, newspaper, March 3, 2011; Albany, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth601112/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.