The Alto Herald and The Wells News 'N Views (Alto, Tex.), Vol. 87, No. 5, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 10, 1982 Page: 1 of 10
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to’ Toxa* 75925
The Alto Herald
and
Established 1896
Vol. 87, No. 5
The Wells News 7V Views
Alto, Texas 75925 — Thursday, June 10. 1982
Horn*• of
15c Per Issue ~)ore\t lfill Plantation
10 Pages
l »
Council Fills Position In Monday Meeting
During Monday night's meeting of
the Alto City Council lasting more
than two hours, one council member
was replaced and a number of major
items of importance to Alto residents
were acted upon
Mrs. Margaret Bice was elected to
fill the one-year unexpired term of
Councilman Gerald Germany. Ger-
many resigned from the council (or
Homecoming
This Sunday
The Rev Phil Watson of Fort
Worth, former pastor of the First
Baptist Church of Alto, is scheduled to
bring the Sunday morning message
for a special two-day homecoming
being held at the church this weekend.
The homecoming this weekend is
the first homecoming to be held by the
church in 10 years according to chur-
ch pastor, the Rev. Gene Kendrick,
and Mrs Hubert Davis, publicity
chairman for the event.
The Rev Watson is currently a con-
sultant with Church Growth Designs
of Fort Worth. The former pastor left
the Alto church to accept a call to a
church in El Campo The Rev Ken-
drick recently celebrated his 10th an-
niversay with the church
Sunday School will be at the regular
time of 9:45 a m with morning wor-
ship at the regular time of 11 a m
followed by a covered dish dinner in
the fellowship hall
In addition to the Rev Watson's
message special music will be presen-
ted by Norris Cash, director of
missions for the Cherokee Association
and John Pearce, former church
music director Pearce is the
current director of the Baptist Student
Union at Kilgore Junior College.
Homecoming activities are
scheduled to commence at the church
at 1 p.m. Saturday, with a welcoming
of out-of-town guests. Exhibits of
church memorabilia including pic-
tures of past buildings and pastors
will be on display in the fellowship
hall
Church members are preparing for
a simple fellowship meal at 5:30 p m in
the fellowship hall Various members
have been assigned to bring cookies or
sandwiches and the public is invited,
Kendrick said
The Saturday evening program will
begin at 7 p m Mrs Guynell Kennedy
will present an update of the church
history froth the past 10 years Special
music has been planned by the church
choirs Out-of-town guests, former
pastors and former music directors
will be introduced ai inai iiine, Ken-
drick said
his son-in-law to accept employment
with the city. Germany was ran unop-
posed earlier this year to fill the one
year unexpired term of James
Grammer who had resigned to allow
his son’s employment with the city
Mrs. Bice was nominated by Coun
cilman Steve Logan with a second by
Jim Lindsey Logan noted Bice's past
service on the zoning board and active
role in civic affairs Lindsey, Logan
and Marshall Bynum voted for Mrs
Bice’s appointment to the council
while Mike Tullis abstained Major
Jack Mertz presided at the meeting
Leon Murphy and Mrs. E.C. Daniels
residents of Hatchett Street discussed
with the council conditions on Hat-
chett Street which they felt were
originating from the Johnny R Mon-
tgomery residence on the corner of
Hatchett Street and Highway 21 east
Mrs Daniels, primary spokesper-
son for the two said, "We have
exhausted our complaints we mean
for something to be done about it!
Mrs Daniels asked the council to in-
stall speed bumps on the street
similar to those at the school "We
will buy the asphalt and put it in our
selves,’’ she said
After much discussion and con-
sultation with city attorney Larry
Sinclair, the council voted
unanimously for the city to install two
speed bumps, one at each end of the
street, with a sign posted at each
bump indicating their presence. The
council also stipulated that the city be
provider; with the signatures of the
residents on the street indicating that
the area residents wanted the speed
bumps
At the council's recommendation
the mayor instructed Alto Police
Chief Billy Terry to "warn” Mon-
tgomery concerning future incidents.
Murphy and Daniels reported what
they called drunken parties spilling
over into the street in late night and
» rly morning hours, allegedly
irunken driers racing in a
wreckless manner ” Daniels ex
pressed her concern for children on
the street playing in their own yards
Terry said after council meeting
that Montgomery had been officially
notified of the agenda item
The council discussed the request of
Billy R Johnson to have water
pressure increased in the city water
line to the property he was developing
on the Shiloh Road The city is
providing water to the area at double
the regular rate as the property is
outside the city. The council noted
that die problem resulted from the
fact that Johnson had failed to con-
nect onto the city water line in the spot
designated by the city and had instead
connected onto a smaller city line
The council discussed the status of
cable T V Service with city attorney
Sinclair Councilman Tullis noted that
Terry Barton of Barkins Cablevision
had told him that his company had
never applied for the FFC license as
per the contract his company had with
Alto. Tullis also noted that the
Barkins' telephone had again been
disconnected Sinclair advised the
council that the contract was not ex
elusive
The council heard a presentation
from Jimmie Ellison of Centerville,
owner and Technician of Quality
Cable Systems, inquiring about and
offering his services for Cable TV in
Alto After Ellison’s speech to the
council and a period of questions and
answers the council provided Ellison
with a copy of Barkins contract and
requested that Ellison study the con-
tract and make a feasibility study
and report back to the next council
meeting on July 12
•See ALTO CITY, p. 2
Dig Scheduled
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THE WALDS of the new office for the Indian Mound Nursery's Texas Forest Service, were beginning to take
shape last Friday as the new pine seedlings in the foreground received a welcome drink. The foundation on the
new superintendent’s residence has been poured and work is progressing on the new grading and packing shed
Specifications arc also being drawn up for a new nursery irrigation system. ...photo by vivian toole
Judge Jones Calls County Budget Hearing
Cherokee County Judge Orvan B
Jones has called a county budget
hearing for 2 p.m. Monday, July 12 in
the county courtroom at Rusk
A copy of the $3,969,546 proposed
budget is on file in the county clerk's
office and is open to the public for in
speciion, examination and copying
during regular office hours, according
♦« In/jrfn tonne
IU U UU|kV. %J .
The budget will include Revenue
Sharing Trust Funds on hand and an
ticipated for the fiscal year of 1962-83
totaling $400,000 and expenditures of
the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund
proposed are budgeted for recreation
(Tourism), $10,000; financial ad-
ministration. $4,000. environment
protection, $296,000, courthouse and
jail r#»nairw CIO fVWi nnr] HmblilsnC*?
services. $60,ooo
A hearing for proposed use of
Revenue Sharing Funds will precede
the budget hearing at 1 p.m.
It is anticipated that the sum of
$100,000 of Revenue Sharing Funds
will be on hand at the beginning of the
year Receipt of Revenue Sharing
Vuricjc rmti/>»rvotor( Hiifirxfl tKp
4 uiiu.i umicipuiLu V4utii*g v«*c j ■ *.. »
should be around $275,000 plus an ad-
ditional $25 000 depository interest.
Jones says
Visitors this summer to the Cad-
doan Indian Mounds State Historic
Site west of Alto will be privileged to
see an actual archaeological dig in
progress
An archaeological field school is
being conducted at the site by Dr Dee
Ann Story, a professor in the Depar
tment of Anthropology at The Univer
s.ty of Texas in Austin
Dr. Story and her group moved onto
the site Friday afternoon Similar
field schools were conducted by Dr
Story at the site in 1979 and 1980.
During those years the group stayed
at Forest Hill courtesy of O K Win
free This summer the group will be
camping in tents on the site and using
the old superintendent’s residence as
headquarters for keeping pictures,
field notes, eating, recreation and
class discussions
Students are paying to take part in
the digging and will be working
towards earning six hours credit as a
result of having taken the supervised
field experience.
Dr Story said that teaching is the
most important aspect of the project
While supervised field experience is
not required for graduation, such ex
perience is required for professional
certification in archaeology
Senior students on the project are
Bill Bryant of Temple, Lynn Bacon of
Austin, Abbie Treece of Austin and
Charles Suhler of San Antonio
Teaching assistants are Susan Lisk of
Austin and Jan Guey of Austin
Graduate student Joe Woodring of
Austin is back for the second time,
having taken part in the 1979 dig as an
undergraduate Ms. Jerri McLorran
is cook for the group
Dr Story expects the dig to continue
until the end of July or early August
The professor expressed great expec
tations for the dig “We hope to have
an open nouse at the Mounds as we aid
in 1986 at the conclusion of Lhe dig,’’
she said
“While the museum at the site is not
officially open, we welcome visitors to
come and see what we are doing. One
student will be assigned each day to
show visitors what we are doing This
is a part of their training and a part of
w hat they may be doing when they are
employ ed in the field,’ she said.
Voting
Results
Given
Cherokee County Commissioner
Terry K Perkins Precinct 4 of Ponta,
lost his bid for re-election to a fourth
term in Saturday's Second
Democratic Primary Election
Frank Ross of Mixon defeated the
long-time commissioner by a vote of
907 to 623
In the Justice of the Peace, Precinct
2 race, Incumbent Jack Phillips cf
Alto won election to a second term
over Alto resident James Holcomb
Vote talley showed Phillips. 450 and
Holcomb, 295
Cherokee County voters gave 1.958
votes to John Ibnnah for attorney
general Jim Mattox polled 924
Pete Snelson polled 1 658 votes to
Gary Mauro s 1.136 votes in the
commissioner of General Land Office
Candidates for court of criminal
appeals, Place 1 Charles F Chuck
Campbell Jr drew 1,361. compared to
1,137 for John F. Humphreys
In the judge court of criminal ap-
peals, Place 2 Chuck Miller drew
1.445 votes compared to 1,053 for Bill
Biack
Reverend Says Wells ISD Guilty Of Racial Discrimination
"We feel the school administration
has not bargained in good faith."
Saying this, the Rev Sylvester Mc-
Clain, president of the Wells NAACP,
began his rebuttal of a Statement of
Position issued by the Wells Indepen
dent School District through their
superintendent, John Fuller, in last
week’s Alto Herald.
McClain. Rev Charles Horton, vice
president of the Wells NAACP and
Charles Preston, executive chairman
of the Wells NAACP, offered several
incidents as proof that Wells ISD
practices racial discrimination
When the Sweet Union school was
integrated in 1965 with the Wells
school, there were four black teachers
at Sweet Union Only one of these was
hired -Oliver Bradley, who still
McClain also said that he has the
testimony of a black woman who ap
plied at Wells for a teaching position
in 1974 She had her bachelor's and
master's degree and had one year of
teaching experience She was turned
down and, according to McClain, she
felt it was because she was black
McClain indicated that there has not
been another black teacher hired in
the 17 years since the school has been
integrated He said that, “This is
proof that racial discrimination has
existed in the Wells Independent
School District.’’
He cited as further proof the fact
that a coaching position had come
open at the school in May He said that
Fuller, in the presence of himself and
Horton, made the statement that one
of the school board members made
teaches at Wells High School
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Hot Out Of The Kitchen
BY ERMA BOMBOUT
There's one thing certain about a
newspaper You don’t always read
what you want to read. By that, I
mean that it’s not always the nice
things like who is marrying whom, or
whose son or daughter got what honor
or recognition There are a lot of
things that a newspaper publishes
because it is seeking to be the voice of
all people in that community.
Now, when you think about it, that is
a pretty awesome responsibility.
“How can a paper possibly do that”
you ask
Well it’s not as difficult as it stems
You simply have to keep your eyes
and ears open to what is going on
around you. You, personally, as a
reporter, may agree or disagree with
what is going on, but do you get to say
what you think? Not on your life! Ob-
jective is what you have to be! Oh. the
hours of tossing and turning and won-
dering if you have said it the way it
should be said to protect how you feel
about a situation It would really be
great to just once let out all the stops
and yell from the rooftop that, ”1
think...” But it’s not to be You have to
retreat from the rooftop to the kit
chen, and if the kitchen’s too hot, then
you'd best get out!
Well, my journalism professor
never said it was going to be easy to
be a reporter
the suggestion to keep the coaching
position open during the summer in
order to find a qualified black fill
the position and to show that we are
bargaining in good faith
"Mr Fuller made a statement that
he recommended that the position be
filled immediately and yet he told us
that, But. oh, if there would have
been a qualified black there we would
have hired him or her ’
“I say this practice of immediately
filling this position without adequate
consultation with us and without for-
mal advice of the school board is sun
ply an attempt to maintain the status
quo being there are 19 white
teachers and one black teacher
He concluded, “We, the black folk,
have waited 17 years How much
longer must we wait0'
More Proof
McClain also stated that the
organization has proof that there was
discrimination in selection of
Homecoming nominees and that this
discrimination did exist in January
of 1982
Preston stated that. 1 do have four
girls as witness who, when they asked
to run for Homecoming queen, were
told that they could not run They are
prepared to testify at any time 1
During Homecoming
preparations, “There was a threat
against the life of Miss Susan White,"
according to McClain It was made by
persons unknown < White was a black
candidate for Homecoming queen )
There was also a threat against
the life of Rev Horton, also by per
sons unknown
“The Wells NAACP recommended
the formation of a committee to aid
and to monitor setting tip an nffir
mative action program in the Weils
School District," McClain said. "This
committee would report at various
times during the year on the progress
in trying to obtain ‘more minority
teachers We recommended setting
up the committee but we were not
consulted on setting up the commit-
tee " The school board asked Superin-
tendent John Fuller to set up the
committee and report his recom-
mendations
"It was their attempt to name who
w ould serve on the committee. For in-
stance, we had chosen our vice
president, Rev Charles Horton, w..o
is head of our education committee, to
be on that committee They went
behind our back and tried to sign one
of our vice presidents, Rev (Newt)
Hughes, who would not go along with
them They also tried to sign my
executive chairman, Mr Charles
Preston, who would not go along with
them
"They wanted to say how many
times the committee would meet,
which in their view one time a year
was enough They also wanted to dic-
tate what would be the duties of this
committee
"Now I say, if we had the intelligen
ce to come up with the idea then we
should have been intelligent enough to
know who we wanted for ourselves to
represent us on the committee and
what the committee should do "
Death Threat
Both Horton and Preston gave
statements indicating that McClain is
not seeking self-recognition as
suggested by Fuller in last week s
story, but was asked by a group of
concerned black citizens to head a
Wells NAACP
McClain stated. "What man seeking
vain glory would lay his life on the
line As recently as this past week
(June 2) my life was threatened by-
means of a phone call to my house My
wife answered the phone The
statement which came Wednesday
•See DISCRIMINATION, p 2
House In ffay Of Parking Lot
Alto To Lose Landmark
mm
Alto is in the process of losing an old
historic landmark according to in-
formation received Tuesday morning
A deacon from the First Baptist
Church of Alto placed an adver
tisemert in both the Alto Herald and
The Cherokeean asking for sealed
bids for the Old Mitchell House to be
moved within sixty days of closing
Bids to be opened June 27,
The old Mitchell property adjoining
the church on the west side was pur
chased last fall from the Alto Thur-
sday Study Club for a reported price
of $20.000. Indications are that the
church plans to use the property for a
parking lot
The source said that the deacons
voted to have the ad vet liscitiritt*
placed in area newspapers at their
meeting Sunday, night. June 6 The
sale of the house was to have been
presented to the regular business
meeting of the church on June 9, the
source said
The Thursday Study Club had pur
chased the house a number of years
ago with plans for restoration and use
as a museum for the Alto area
The house was built on its present
site by Colonel Robert F Mitchell,
who opened a store near the site about
1851 The settlement around the store
became what is the city of Alto today
The advertisement describes the
house as a six room, great revival
style house with a stairway and an en
rifl'd
i
CHARLES PRESTON JR.. *-» of Mr
and Mrs. Charles PrettMl Bi of W«Hk
has received a $2,700 Presidential
scholarship from Dallas Baptist
college. Charles plans to begin his
schooling in the fail
«n«|4kr
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The Alto Herald and The Wells News 'N Views (Alto, Tex.), Vol. 87, No. 5, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 10, 1982, newspaper, June 10, 1982; Alto, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth843995/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Stella Hill Memorial Library.