Rains County Leader (Emory, Tex.), Vol. 108, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 7, 1995 Page: 2 of 18
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BAINS COUNTY LEADER
Thursday, lepiembwT, »W8">W»
■|V^ MEMBER 1995
TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
THE OLDEST BUSINESS IN RAINS COUNTY
Established June 10, 1887
RAINS COUNTY LEADER
(Publication Number USPS 454*560)
Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to:
RAINS COUNTY LEADER
P.O. Box 127, Emory, Texas 75440
TOM W. HILL
Editor & Publisher
1904-1937
EARL HILL, SR.
Editor & Publisher
1937-1960
Editor and Publisher
MRS. KATHLEEN HILL BECKNELL
Published Every Thursday Except last Thursday in Dec.
Entered at Post Office in Emory, Texas
as Second Class Mail Matter
Telephone: (903) 473-2653
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Inside Rains County, 1 year,
$12.00; Out of County, 1 year, $18.00; Out of State, 1 year,
$20.00. Rains County Senior Citizens age 60 and over will re-
ceive $1.00 discount. Prices effective January 1, 1995._
letters to the editor...
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mi
In response to Elaine Bay’s
letter to the editor in the
August 31st issue of the Rains
County Leader concerning
cemeteries in Rains County,
she made the statement,
“There appears to be no map
of any cemetery showing
where people are buried.”
The Emory City Cemetery
and the Forbis Cemetery do in-
deed have a map and it is kept
up to date. Any time anyone
wishes to see the map, all you
have to do is contact the
association president, Bud
Bryant, here in town.
There is one exception. We
have never found a record or
map of the very old part 6f the
Emory City Cemetery.
No offense to Mrs. Bay, we
just wanted the public to know
that these two cemeteries do
have a map.
City Cemetery Association
Box 175
Emory, TX 75440
*****
Dear Editor,
Please renew my Rains
County Leader for onej^ear.
Also for my son, Alvis E.
Gilbert, 2108 Southwest
Morland Rd., Red Oak, TX
75154, for a birthday remem-
brance.
Thank you,
Mrs. Eugene Gilbert
Rt 2 Box 79
Point, TX 75472
*******
Dear Editor,
Please renew my subscrip-
tion for another year. I enjoy
reading the paper. It keeps me
informed of where my friends
are located. Like me, so many
have moved away, but still like
to get news from our
hometown.
Enclosed find check for $18.
Sincerely,
Thelma (O’Rear) Alexander
3214 Colgate Ave.
Tyler, Tx. 75701
*******
Dear Leader,
Please renew our subscrip-
tion for another year. Enclosed
is our check for $12.00.
Thanks,
Mr. & Mrs. G.L. McDonald
Rt. 1, Box 110A-14
Point, TX 75472
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473-3142
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Wednesday is Men’s Day
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I0E INN
I
Commissioners Questioned
About Engle Fust Funds
SCHOOL BOARD - Continued
Shoe Inn Now Has Tuxedo
Rentals & Dyeable Shoes!
by Betty Adair
The Commissioners Court
of Rains County met in regular
session August 28th, at 10
a.m., with the following
members of the court present:
County Judge Diana Flem-
ing, commissioners, Jimmy
Roberts, William Potts, Gary
Bishop and Rayford Briggs.
Others attending were B.D.
Chism, Duane Travis, Edward
Toles, Doug McClister,
Delois Spence, Glenda FHtz,
Irene Pecina, Johnnie Holt,
Jett Armstrong, Ray Arm-
strong, Richard Wilson,
sheriff/tax assessor-collector,
Teresa Northcutt, county
treasurer, and Deborah
Traylor, deputy county/district
clerk.
In open forum Johnnie Holt
addressed the court regarding
sales tax, stating that it has
come to the attention of Rains
County tax payers that we are
being given back, from John
Sharp, comptroller’s office the
sales tax that we are paying at
the stores. This year we receiv-
ed 86,879.70 to date; last year
77,968.70. Mrs. Holt stated,
“What we are wondering is
where is this money going?”
Judge Fleming asked Teresa
if that was figured in under the
income part. Teresa answered
that it was figured in the in-
come revenue of the budget,
and is divided up.
Johnnie said, “I just thought
it might help lower the taxes.”
Comm. Potts stated, “It is
part of the taxes. It goes into
part of that"
Judge Fleming stated that it
helps to keep taxes down.
Duane Travis addressed the
court stating, “With the courts
permission, I would like to
present the proposed budget
from Eagle Fest Committee for
your consideration during your
budget work. Any questions at
this time I will try to answer.”
Judge Fleming asked if any-
one had any questions.
Ray Armstrong stated that
he had been reading all these
things about Eagle Fest that
have been going on. “Appar-
ently somebody from the Eagle
Fest Committee has got some
poltycians in Austin, and I
can’t.find any data that sup-
ports that they’ve had the coun-
ty declared the Eagle capital of
the world. To me, if this is
Eagle Capital of Texas, we’ve
got more eagles than any other
county in Texas. As far as I’m
concerned, we are perpetrating
a lie with the taxpayers money.
Not only that, we are teaching
our kids the same thing, that
we are Eagle Capital of Texas.
To me this is wrong.”
Comm. Potts interrupted,
stating that the governor signed
it in.
Mr. Armstrong replied,
“Well do you have any data? 1
haven’t seen any data. I’ve
found six eagles with the
Wildlife Commission in a
year’s time. Now if you go
down to Possum Kingdom
Lake you can see six eagles
any day of the week. Earlier
another situation on August 17,
it was announced in the Rains
County Leader by Mayor
Rubye McKeown that the In-
dustrial Commission had
leased 25 acres of land foe, a
park in Rains County. I looked
back through the commis-
sioners records and I have
found no time that the In-
dustrial Commission has come
up here and asked permission
to lease land for the county.
We’ve got somebody some-
where spending the taxpayer’s
money. Something needs to be
done.”
At this point Mr. Travis
replied, “If you like, Judge,
I’ll respond to that, or do you
want to take that as a response
of the citizens. I have some in-
formation that will discount
those statements.”
Two commissioners re-
marked that they would like to
hear it.
Mr. Travis continued, “The
official count last year, eagles
counted here on Lake Fork last
year, was 56. That’s in the of-
ficial records which is the
highest number of eagles any-
where in the State of Texas. On
the eagle count last year, there
were 77, and the year before
85. That was part of the of-
ficial record when the leg-
islature in Austin declared
Rains County as the Eagle
Capital of Texas, because it
was based on the actual count
that was made; the official
count.”
When asked if those eagles
were in Rains County or Wood
County, he replied that he did
not know, but that, “Rains
County is part of the Lake, and
the lake, as far as statistics go
is as much Rains County as it is
anywhere else. The state leg-
islature and the governor have
approved this, so, as far as I’m
concerned, that’s pretty sound
reasoning.” He continued,
“And in addition to, as far as
the land, the Industrial Com-
mission has leased no land. We
are discussing with SRA the
acquiring of that land, which is
public access land, and it is
about 25 acres. But there is no
agreement, to this point. We
are in agreement pretty much
that they will work with us, but
this is something that the final
word has to go through this
body right here.”
Jett Armstrong addressed
the court saying, “I’m not
prepared, I don’t know who
this gentleman here in the front
row is.”
Judge Fleming introduced
Mr. Travis, chairman of the
Industrial Commission.
Jett Armstrong then asked,
“Why have we never got a
budget for the Industrial Com-
mission. We’ve had it longer
than Eagle Fest, and I’ve never
been able to see a budget. I
don’t know where all this
money is coming from for
Eagle Fest to do all this to buy
these T-shirts, to advertise all
this stuff. And yet, they got a
budget and the Industrial Com-
mission don’t have a budget,
so something is being reversed
here. Industrial Commission
has been taken over by Eagle
Fest. I thought the Industrial
Commission was to help out
our county, or at least when
Judge Dougherty was here,
was to bring in people here.
That’s right. But, are we sup-
posed to take money from
there to start something. I’m
just mixed up. If I had a budget
to look at, where the money
goes... How much do we have
still in the Industrial Commis-
sion. It’s hard to pull up
anything, and I haven’t ap-
proached the treasurers office
to do so, but the public hasn’t
gotten anything. I’ve not read
anything.about a budget.”
Judge Fleming informed
Mrs. Armstrong that a budget
had not been turned in.
Delois Spence addressed the
court, “I just want you to
know we got the first $600
from commissioners court, and
from that we made T-shirts and
sold them, and we’ve gotten
sponsors. We’ve brought in
quite a bit of money, just to get
started on. We’ve been work-
ing very hard. We just want to
see what you all will do with
us. To help us turn this county
around, when it’s needed so
badly.”
The court approved the
minutes of the previous
meeting.
The court authorized pay-
ment of accounts as presented
to court.
Meeting adjourned at 10:16
a.m.
Tyler Computer
Club
Club: Tyler Computer Club
- supporting IBM compatible
computers.
When: Tuesday, Sept. 12,
1995, 7-9 p.m.
Where: Robert E. Lee High
School, ESE Loop 323, Room
D118, Tyler, Texas. Parking is
available at east lot.
What: Focus will be on
Multimedia. Bring your ideas
and questions.
Comments: For information
contact Georgia Taylor at
903/8394582.
Reporter’s name & phone:
Georgia Taylor, 903/-
8394582.
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Keep up the good work. We
really enjoy your paper. I have
enclosed my check to renew
my subscription for another
year.
David Fleming
100 Old Mill Circle
Lewisville, TX 75057
out that the enrollment is 1327,
the highest it has ever been. He
noted that property values
dropped another $27 million
this year, but the good news is
they can’t drop much more
since there are nearly no min-
erals left on the rolls. How-
ever, the district is having to
absorb a $160,000 state-man-
dated teacher raise, and the
state is also mandating that the
district provide an alternative
campus for students with be-
havior/discipline problems,
which is also unfunded by the
state. Harrison pointed out that
last year’s tax rate of $1.50 had
$1.27 for M&O and 23c for
I&S. With the drop in property
values, the I&S will have to be
raised to 33% which will make
a $1.60 tax rate.
The board discussed several
items in the budget, including
$90,000 to purchase one bus
and two vans. A van is needed
to carry small groups of stu-
dents, such as the basketball
team, volleyball team or cheer-
leaders that are presently being
carried on a 70-passenger bus.
Dr. Harrison noted that the
state pays a portion of teacher
retirement and recently cut
their portion from 7.3% to 6%,
which caused a great outcry
from the teachers. Now the
state is requiring school
districts to include in their
budgets money that isn’t there
and never will be. The money
is transferred directly from the
state to the teacher retirement
fund, but the state is making
Rains show $259,983 in their
budget, listed as “TRS On-
Behalf’-nothing but “smoke
and mirrors,” according to Dr.
Harrison.
When questioning the ath-
letic budget, it was pointed out
that more football uniforms
had to be bought since there
are 78 football boys instead of
50, and $7,000 was spent on a
new commercial washer and
dryer-the cheapest they could
find.
After taking out the state’s
nonexistant money, the dis-
trict’s $6,288,849 budget is ac-
tually $11,944 (or about 1%)
less than last year’s.
Following the budget hear-
ing, the board went into execu-
tive session at 8:04 and recon-
vened in open session at 9:10,
at which time the following
personnel items were voted on:
Accepted the resignation of
Michael Enckhausen, bus
driver, effective 8-22-95, with
board member Frank Hedrick
abstaining on this vote.
•Approved the leave of ab-
sence of Staci Oswalt effective
8-18-95.
•Approved employment of
new teacher/coach position for
girls’ athletics.
•Changed Lisa Holman
from part-time to full-time ed-
ucational aide effective at the
beginning of the 95-96 school
year.
•Approved Anthony Porter
as substitute teacher and Deb-
bie Rickets as substitute bus
driver.
Following the executive ses-
sion, the board approved the
payment of current bills, ac-
cepted the bid of Copy Prod-
ucts for copier service, and ap-
proved the 1995-96 budget as
presented, but to get a break-
down of what Dr. Harrison
sees at a $1.50 tax rate and a
$1.55 tax rate, how much of a
shortfall, before the board sets
the tax rate.
Rick Ellison thanked the
board for approving a teacher-
coach for girls’ athletics. He
pointed out that the girls and
the parents would prefer a fe-
male coach. When he asked
who all would be involved in
this decision, he was told the
high school and junior high
principals, the athletic director
and girls’ coach, Dr. Harrison
and die board.
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CALL 473-2211 FOR ALL
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EDDIE IONES'
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The Rains County Tax Ap-
praisal District 95-96 budget
was reviewed. It was noted that
their collection budget had
dropped from $85,828 to
$17,315. Harrison pointed out
that it never did really cost
$85,000 to collect for the enti-
ties-now the RCTAD is offer-
ing to collect for everyone for a
total of $17,000. The RCTAD
budget hearing will be Sept.
14th. No action taken.
Dr. Harrison informed the
board that the block scheduling
is causing problems for some
students. He explained that the
district needs to use state re-
quirements for UIL eligibility
but use the local district’s re-
quirements for grade place-
ment.
Meeting adjourned.
******
Mrs. Catherine Bussell was
a visitor in the Leader office
last week to subscribe to the
Rains County Leader. She also
subscribed for her daughter
Tina McCoy of Hawaii.
Wee Ml** Says Farewell
Kaci Roberts is the four-year-old daughter of Kevin & Kim
Roberts of Emory. She is the reigning Wee Miss Rains County
for 1994-95. Kaci will be handing over her title Tuesday, Sept.
12, to one lucky little Rains County girl. She would like to say
thank you to Rains County for allowing her to be your “queen.”
She would also like to say Good Luck to the nearly 20 girls com-
peting for the title of Wee Miss this year. Photo contributed
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Becknell, Kathleen Hill. Rains County Leader (Emory, Tex.), Vol. 108, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 7, 1995, newspaper, September 7, 1995; Emory, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth764991/m1/2/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rains County Library.