The Ennis Daily News (Ennis, Tex.), Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 14, 2013 Page: 4 of 10
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Opinion
Page 4
Wednesday, August 14,2013
Ennis Daily News
here is no
shame in
our needs
Marty Nelson, the director of Give A
Kid A Chance here in Ennis, is rightfully
still concerned about one of the often un-
spoken stigmas assigned to those who
use public or charitable assistance.
The loop of negative feedback is so
strong that even the most needy will re-
fuse aid in some circumstances because
of how harshly they feel the sting of crit-
icism over needing help.
The most unfortunate part of that is a
significant number of those who refuse
such aid are the working poor, who want
to find more lucrative work or are al-
ready working solid jobs but whose ex-
penses are sky high for any number of
understandable reasons. The Ennis Inde-
pendent School District, from individual
teachers in classrooms up to program di-
rectors, has been a big resource for the
GAKAC leadership in helping identify
such students whose families are finan-
cially strapped and who need the assis-
tance the organization brings. So has the
city’s faith community
The negative imagery associated with
being in need is still stubbornly strong,
and it motivates an untold number of
those to stay away who could certainly
benefit from school supplies, an oil
change, a before-the-school-year haircut
or any of the other services the group of-
fers. Instead of preaching of what needs
to be done or how you need to think, we
would instead look to the tenets of char-
ity and gracious giving that underpin
much of this community Those values
teach that part of having means is giving
back, and being able to ask for help when
it’s needed is the flip side of that.
There is no shame in need. There is
powerful fulfillment in giving when it’s
possible. One day, with the continued
success and charitable support that
makes Give A Kid A Chance possible in
our community, we’ll break down the
feelings of shame or judgment that come
with such programs. Until then, we hope
to see GAKAC continue to make the ef-
forts it has made up to this point to pro-
vide a place for the exchange to take
place.
Write to us!
The Ennis Daily News encourages readers to submit let-
ters to the editor about local issues that interest them.
All submissions should include the writer’s name, city
of residence and daytime phone number for verification.
Anonymous letters will not be published and the editor
reserves the right to edit or refuse publication of any letter.
You can mail your letter to The Ennis Daily News, PO
Box 100, Ennis, 75120; fax it to us at 972-875-9747; email us
at editor@ennisdailynews.com or you can bring it by the of-
fice located at 213 N. Dallas St.
The opinions expressed by our readers may not neces-
sarily reflect the position of the Ennis Daily News.
© Contents copyright 2013 and cannot be reproduced
without the written permission of the publisher.
Tre Bischof ■ Publisher Tammy Fry ■ Advertising Manager
Nick Todaro ■ Editor Teresa Watson ■ Office Manager
Jared Massey ■ Production Manager
Nikki Cohan - Circulation Manager
Melissa Honza - Composition Manager
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Downtown needs our help
Downtown Ennis could look the salon building and the others and be a key part of the commu-
quite different in the coming touched by the tornado in May is a
months and years, and barring the
intervention of those who have the
capital to revitalize the structures
damaged by the May 16
tornado, it seems ever
the more likely out-
come.
Buildings may very
well have to come
down. That will mean
significant changes for
the skyline, such that it
is, of our community’s
homey downtown
main drag. That is
surely a disappoint-
ment to more than j ust
myself.
When Buddy
Markham and wife Leann realized
Salon 207 was among the struc-
tures stricken by wind damage
after the tornado waltzed down
Ennis Avenue, they moved fast to
relocate and keep a business pres-
ence going.
The building, however, is out-
side of their price range for re-
pairs. They are modest people
living with the same financial con-
siderations as the rest of us, and
the burden of such repairs would
be prohibitive to most of us, I’m
sure. It can cost a number of times
the property value of a building in
downtown to rebuild to existing
specifications.
What Ennis would need to save
significant investment in down-
town. The structures are historic
and worth saving, but at what cost?
I admit getting frus-
trated and upset as I
read and commiser-
ated with the disap-
pointment of the Ennis
Historical Society —
almost palpable
through appeals for aid
on Facebook and dis-
cussions of reinvigo-
rating the aging
downtown.
We’ve seen some
neat things happening
in downtown Ennis
since the beginning of
this year, with a big renovation
project on the north side of the Av-
enue reworking a swath of offices
and even the opening of Yoga Na-
tion Ennis, the community’s first
yoga studio.
The Avenue has a cool feel to it.
Well, it did. The barricades hurt
the ambiance, you might say
Even before the tornado, the
area has seemed to need anchors
that can keep foot traffic high and
help ensure the downtown’s devel-
opment viability in the long term.
More popular storefronts and
more key services are needed, but
the money is the rub.
There is no shortage of people
interested in seeing the area thrive
nity’s business in the future, but
any one individual has a hard time
making a difference in develop-
ment efforts on the scale of a
downtown like ours. Maybe it will
take a group of Ennisites to band
together to reinvest in the commu-
nity that has helped them prosper,
developing the stricken area into a
more active and lucrative draw for
the city
Maybe there is room for the city
to take action, given the right con-
ditions. Leadership has taken a
hands-off approach, in large de-
gree, since the safety considera-
tions for the Avenue were handled,
with the idea to not put any pres-
sure on business owners facing
tough decisions about their shops.
Maybe there is a more active
stance that the city can adopt. It
would truly be a shame to lose
some of the structures we’re see-
ing teeter on the edge of demoli-
tion. It’s a thought, anyway even if
it’s perhaps a dream.
Whatever happens, Ennis will
undoubtedly go on. It may look a
little different. There may be a few
more empty lots that could be con-
verted to parking along the Av-
enue. There could be big positives,
like new development and reinvig-
orated business.
Nick is the editor of the Ennis
Daily News. He can be reached at
nick@ennisdailynews. com.
Nick Todaro
From the editor
Remember: Doors locked, windows up
The Ellis County Sheriffs Of-
fice wants to remind people to
keep an eye on their property
and keep their possessions se-
cure. It’s summer time and a lot
of people are out and
about, especially now
when the kids aren’t
in school.
We continue to see
several theft and bur-
glary reports filed
each week — and
many of these could
have been prevented.
Remember to keep
your doors and win-
dows locked on your
house and any out-
buildings when
you’re not around.
And keep your
garage doors closed. Don’t leave
yard equipment and items like
four-wheelers out in view if
you’re not around using them.
Why advertise what you have to
any no-gooders driving by?
Lock your vehicles and secure
your valuables in the trunk.
Don’t leave purses on the seat,
even if you’re only running into
the house for a mo-
ment. It only takes a
few seconds for
someone to open a
car door and take off
with your items.
Be a good neigh-
bor and get to know
your neighbors. That
way all of you can
help keep an eye out
for any strange or
unusual occurrences
in your area. If you
see something suspi-
cious going on, call
911 if it’s an emer-
gency or call our non-emergency
dispatch number at 972-937-6060.
The Sheriffs Office’s Crime
Prevention Division is here to as-
sist people who want to join to-
gether and form a Neighborhood
Crime Watch. Contact our
deputies at 972-825-4901.
As part of our crime preven-
tion efforts, we release informa-
tion such as the areas where
burglaries are being committed
and scam alerts on our Ellis
County Sheriffs Office Facebook
page. We invite you to “like” our
page and also check out our
agency’s website, located online
at www.elliscountysheriff.com,
for additional information about
the Ellis County Sheriffs Office.
Johnny Brown has served as
Sheriff of Ellis County since Jan.
1, 2009, and is a graduate of the
National Sheriffs Institute. He
has been in law enforcement for
20 years and holds a Master's
Peace Officer's Certificate with
the Texas Commission on Law
Enforcement Officer Standards
and Education.
Johnny Brown
Sheriff
Should you be someone s executor?
One of the most important de-
cisions you’ll make when writing
your will is determining who
should be named executor of
your estate. Even if you’re just
leaving behind house-
hold goods and a
small savings ac-
count, someone —
whether appointed by
you or the state court
— must settle your af-
fairs.
Some people con-
sider it an honor — or
duty — to take re-
sponsibility for en-
suring that their
loved one’s final
wishes are carried
out. But serving as an executor
can be onerous and time-consum-
ing, even for those with a strong
financial or legal background. In
a worst-case scenario, executors
who act imprudently or in viola-
tion of their duties can be sued
by beneficiaries and creditors.
Plus, you’ll likely have to deal
with the dreaded probate, a court-
supervised process of locating
and determining the value of the
deceased’s assets, paying final
bills and taxes, and distributing
what’s left to the heirs.
Before you agree to serve as an
estate’s executor, make sure you
understand what will be required
of you. Major responsibilities
often include:
• Manage paperwork on behalf
of the estate, including the will,
trusts, insurance policies, bank,
investment and retirement ac-
count statements, birth and death
certificates, marriage, prenuptial
agreement or divorce papers, mil-
itary service records, real estate
deeds, tax records, etc.
• If the estate is complicated or
likely to be contentious, you may
want to hire a lawyer
and/or accountant to
help navigate the
maze of paperwork.
• File a certified
copy of the will with
the local probate
court, which will de-
termine if probate is
necessary
• If the probate
court confirms you
as executor, you’ll be
issued a document
called “letters testa-
mentary,” which gives you legal
authority to act on the estate’s be-
half, including opening a bank ac-
count in the name of the estate to
pay outstanding debts (loans, util-
ities, medical bills, credit card
balances, etc.)
• Notify all interested parties
of the death. These might in-
clude: government agencies (So-
cial Security, Veterans
Administration, Medicare, U.S.
Post Office, DMV); financial in-
stitutions; creditors; current and
former employers; retirement
plan administrators; investment
firms; insurance companies; doc-
tors and other professionals;
landlord or tenants; utilities, etc.
• You’ll often need to send a
copy of the death certificate to
close out accounts, claim insur-
ance benefits, change ownership
of assets or accounts to the estate
or a beneficiary, so order ample
copies through the funeral home
or county health department.
• Locate assets, including per-
sonal property, bank accounts
and safe deposit box contents,
and ensure that they are pro-
tected until sold or distributed to
inheritors. This may involve up-
dating home and car insurance,
changing locks, overseeing ap-
praisals of property that must be
sold, etc.
• Collect money owed to the es-
tate, such as outstanding wages,
insurance benefits, retirement
plan benefits and rents.
• Notify heirs about their be-
quest.
• File the deceased’s final fed-
eral, state and local tax returns,
as well as federal and state estate
tax returns, if applicable.
• Once probate has closed, you
will distribute the remaining as-
sets to named beneficiaries.
• Because acting as an execu-
tor can be very time-consuming
(often taking months or years),
you are allowed to charge the es-
tate a fee for your time — usually
a percentage of the estate’s value,
as dictated by state law.
In short, both parties should
thoroughly understand what’s re-
quired of an estate’s executor to
make sure it’s a good fit. There’s
no shame in saying no if it’s be-
yond your abilities, and plenty of
professional help is available —
and advisable — if you do need
assistance.
Jason Alderman directs Visa's
financial education programs. To
Follow Jason Alderman on Twit-
ter: www.twitter.com/Practical-
Money.
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Todaro, Nick. The Ennis Daily News (Ennis, Tex.), Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 14, 2013, newspaper, August 14, 2013; Ennis, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth771245/m1/4/?q=green+energy: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Ennis Public Library.