East Bernard Express (East Bernard, Tex.), Vol. 70, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 10, 2013 Page: 3 of 8
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East Bernard Express
Thursday, January 10, 2013 Page 3
Kurtz takes office in new role as district attorney
By NATALIE BEDNORZ
news@journal-spectator.com
Wharton County residents have a
new district attorney.
Ross Kurtz was officially sworn
into office Jan. 2, replacing Josh Mc-
Cown who held the position since
1995.
Serving as the assistant district
attorney since 2006, Kurtz was cho-
sen by county voters during the Re-
publican runoff election against at-
torney John Roades in July.
The whole experience is hum-
bling, Kurtz said.
“It is important that I live up to
the expectations and uphold the
trust of Wharton County citizens,”
he said. “I’m excited and eager to
work long hours to see that every
case gets the consideration that it
deserves. I want to do as much as I
can to see that people who commit
crimes are held responsible .”
Kurtz was born in Syosset, N.Y.
He earned a bachelor’s in political
science from James Madison Uni-
versity in 1995 and a doctorate from
the University of Mississippi School
of Law in 2001.
Kurtz served in the U.S. Air Force
from 2002-06 as a captain and secu-
rity forces officer. He is an Operation
Iraqi Freedom veteran.
A career in criminal prosecution
was something that fitted his per-
sonality as well as the skills he gar-
nered in the military, he said.
“I think it prepared me for district
attorney because, as a young compa-
ny officer in the military, you have a
lot of responsibility put on your plate
and you have to learn to be a lead-
er,” Kurtz said. “I was in charge of
about 130 Army and Air Force per-
sonnel on my base and you have to
make tough decisions, look people in
the eye and give them that respect
while explaining why you are do-
ing what you are doing - sticking by
your guns. It put a lot of things into
perspective.”
Kurtz and his wife Jackie and
daughter Madelyne live in El Cam-
po. He said he plans to stick around
in the community for a long time.
“We absolutely love living in El
Campo,” he said. “The whole county
has been incredibly welcoming. It is
a great place to raise our daughter. If
I have my way, knock on wood, then
I will have spent the next 20 years
as district attorney, if the people will
have me, and I will retire here and
be the luckiest guy in the world.”
Kurtz said one of the strengths of
the DA’s office is the close relation-
ships and interaction with local law
enforcement agencies. Two new as-
sistant district attorneys, Nathan
Wood and Daniel LaBruyere, were
sworn into office Thursday as well.
“What I don’t want to have hap-
pen is, now that I’m district attorney
rather than assistant, that I don’t
want to pawn everything off on Na-
than and Daniel,” he said. “I want
them to be involved as I am because
with an office this small, we should
know everything that is going on.
When there is a narcotic raid or an
officer has a question on a search
warrant, I want to make sure I’m
still available.”
WHAT’S NEXT
■ Garden Club Meets
The Wharton Garden Club will
meet at 9 a.m. today at the Whar-
ton County Historical Museum. The
program speaker will be Jane Looper
Gray demonstrating how to build a
terrarium. The public is welcome to
attend.
■ Book Review Meeting
The Wharton Book Review Club
is ready to begin its new season. The
first meeting will be at 9:30 a.m.
Monday at the Wharton County His-
torical Museum with Jenna McEach-
ern, an author from Austin reviewing
her newest book DKR: The Royal
Scrapbook.
Season memberships will be
available at the door for $50 for five
programs plus May's lunch. Monthly
guests are welcome for a $10 guest
fee. All meetings are held at the
Wharton County Historical Museum
at 10 a.m. For more information, call
Sally Soderquist 5324936.
■ FFA Booster Fundraiser
The recently formed East Bernard
Future Farmers of America Booster
Club will hold its first fundraiser from
7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16. The
Breakfast Taco Bash will serve as the
kick off celebration for the East Ber-
nard FFA Booster Club.
The breakfast tacos will be sold at
First Baptist Church. There will be a
choice of bacon, egg and cheese or
sausage, egg and cheese; each taco
will be $2. Pre-sale tickets are avail-
able in the ag department at the high
school or email tpotts!991@yahoo.
com for tickets delivered.
■ IRS and Small Business
An IRS Small Business Tax Work-
shop will be held from 9 a.m. until
noon Saturday, Jan. 19, at 1944 N.
Fulton St. in Wharton. Call 979-320-
4085 to register. Presenter is David
Kolts, CPA, CITP.
■ Little League Registration
East Bernard Little League will
hold registration from 9 a.m. until
noon on Saturday and Saturday, Jan.
19, at First United Methodist Church;
from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan.
17, at the junior high school gym; or
register online at etearnz.com/east-
bemardlittieleague. Boys must be 4
by April 30. Girls must have turned 4
by Dec. 31, 2012. Registration fee is
$85. New players must bring a copy
of a birth certificate. There will be a
$15 late fee if registering after Jan.
19.
■ MLK Programs
The 27th annual Martin Luther
King Jr. Day Freedom March will
be held Saturday, Jan. 19, with the
theme of Working Together to Bridge
the Gap. The march lineup begins at
9:30 a.m. at the Wharton County
Courthouse. It begins at 10 a.m.
and continues to Just Do It Now at
the Dawson Resource Center, 1619
Martin Luther King Blvd. A program is
planned from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
with refreshments to follow from
12:30 to 2 p.m., both at Just Do It
Now. The guest speaker is Steve Wer-
necke, assistant principal at El Campo
High School. On Sunday, Jan. 15, all
churches in the county are asked to
make donations for the Martin Lu-
ther King Jr. Scholarship Fund, which
awarded its first scholarship in 1988.
Activities conclude with another pro-
gram at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20,
at East Gate-New Prosperity Mission-
ary Baptist Church, 5531 FM 102 in
the Sorrell community. Special guest
speaker is Elder Eric Mosley of Roy
Memorial Church of God in Christ in
Wharton. Anyone interested in mak-
ing a tax-deductable donation to the
scholarship fund can send it to the
Martin Luther King Scholarship Fund,
P.O. Box 84, Glen Flora, TX 77443.
Anyone needing information on
any of the events can call organizer
Mozelle Stephens at 532-0659 or Viv-
ian Wyatt at 532-3872.
■ Washer Fest
The Washers announce the third
annual Washfest festivities will be
held beginning at 10 a.m. on Satur-
day, Jan. 19, at Hungerford Hall, 235
Cypress St. in Hungerford. All event
proceeds will benefit the Snowdrop
Foundation (snowdropfoundation.
org), an organization dedicated to
funding continued research to elimi-
nate childhood cancer and providing
scholarships for college bound pediat-
ric cancer patients and survivors. The
event is a two-man/women team
washer tournament. Cash prizes will
be awarded for first and second plac-
es. Entry fee is $25 per person and in-
cludes a pass for the concert planned
that evening. Food will be served by
the Hungerford Volunteer Fire De-
partment. There will be door prizes,
and the event also includes a concert
following the tournament featuring
live performances by Whiskey Myers,
The Washers and The Texas Sound
Czech Band. Music will be from 6
p.m. until midnight.
The concert is open to the public,
and all ages are welcome. Concert
tickets are $8 per person before 5
p.m. the day of the event. After 5
p.m., tickets are $15 each. For more
information, call Trish Kline at 713-
232-9051.
■ EB Booster Gala
The East Bernard Athletic Booster
Club presents the 2013 Traditions
of Excellence Gala on Saturday, Jan.
19, at the American Legion Hall. It
will feature a dinner, dance and auc-
tion. Social hour is a 6 p.m. followed
by dinner at 7 p.m. and then a live
band for dancing and an auction.
Tickets are $50 per person. For tickets
call 979-398-9766 or stop by Savon
Drugs.
■ Pilot Club Chili Supper
Pilot Club of Wharton will host
its 30th annual Chili Supper from
5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, at the
Knights of Columbus Hall, 2820 N.
Fulton in Wharton. It is a dine-in or
to-go event. Chili, rice, beans and des-
serts will be served. Meal tickets are
$8 each.
There will also be a raffle drawing
along with live and silent auctions.
Tickets for the raffle are $10 each
or three for $25. For tickets and in-
formation, call Kim at the chamber,
532-2381.
■ Free Throw Contest
The annual East Bernard Knights
of Columbus Free Throw Contest will
be held at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday,
Jan. 26, at the new East Bernard High
School Gym. Registration begins at 9
a.m.
The contest is open to all boys and
girls, ages 10-14 as of Jan. 1. A birth
certificate and parental signature is all
that is required to sign up.
All first place winners will receive
plaques. Winners in each age group
will advance to the next level of com-
petition the following weekend in
East Bernard on Feb. 2, then Halletts-
ville on Feb. 17 and the state cham-
pionship will be in San Antonio on
March 2, if successful.
The first 50 students to sign up
will receive a free KC T-shirt.
■ Noodle Soup Supper
Catholic Daughters of the Ameri-
cas, Saint Bernadette No. 1108 in East
Bernard will hold its annual Chicken
Noodle Soup and Sandwich Supper
and Raffle on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at
the American Legion Hall on Hwy. 60
in East Bernard. Serving begins at 5
p.m. until sold out. Soup is $2.50 a
bowl and chicken salad sandwiches
are $2.50 each.
Eat in or bring containers for take
home. A large variety of pastries will
be available.
Entertainment will be by Keller
Academy of Performing Arts. There
will be a raffle drawing for 74 prizes
will begins at 7 p.m.
■ KC Dance
The Knights of Columbus No.
2500 in East Bernard will host A
Blast from Your Past featuring The
Triumphs from 8 p.m. until midnight
Saturday, Feb. 2, at Riverside Hall in
East Bernard. Advance tickets are $15
or $20 at the door. Burgers and fin-
ger foods will be served at the event.
1,000 raffle tickets will sold for 20
prizes drawn during the dance.
For tickets, table reservations and
more information call 335-6301. The
public is invited and this is a no-smok-
ing event.
What's Next is a free listing in the
East Bernard Express for nonprofit
events and fundraisers open to the
public. Listings will publish in up to
two issues and can be e-mailed to
bparsons@journal-spectator. com
or mailed to 115 W. Burleson St.,
Wharton, TX 77488. Please include
contact information.
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Wallace, Bill. East Bernard Express (East Bernard, Tex.), Vol. 70, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 10, 2013, newspaper, January 10, 2013; East Bernard, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth787569/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Wharton County Library.