The Gilmer Mirror (Gilmer, Tex.), Vol. 136, No. 70, Ed. 1 Saturday, August 31, 2013 Page: 1 of 12
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GILMER’S JOSH WALKER
is about to sack Atlanta’s
Chase Musgrove during the
Buckeyes’ dominating 57-7
win Thursday night over the
Rabbits to open the 2013
regular season at Buckeye
Stadium. See Wednesday’s
Mirror for more about this
game and the upcoming
game here against Preston-
wood. Also check out
gilmermirror.com for more
on the Buckeyes.
Schools report smooth start Constable Dolle gets
new car through grant
said that all kids were in Their numbers are dc
[ay, and that the . ending of the last a
* A — with 690 1
fchtfjf
By MAC OVERTON
If the first few days are any indication, it’s
going to be a great year for public schools in
Upshur County.
The new school year got off to a fine an
enthusiast start at all Upshur County schools
whose superintendents The Mirror was able
to reach this week.
Supt. Rick Albritton at Gilmer ISD said that
“things have gone very well.”
He helped, as has become his tradition, with
traffic direction at the Elementary campus the
first three days. He said that all kids were in
class by 9 a.m. each day, and that the
last car of parents
picking up kids left
by 3:45 p.m.
(During the first
week, school let
out about 3:15-3:20.
After the Monday
holiday, it will go to the normal 3:30 p.m. re-
lease, and he expects that traffic flow will be
complete by 4 p.m.)
“We got everybody home” safely, “That’s
always a concern,” with new students, etc.,
he said. “There were a few children that got
on the wrong bus, but we quickly fixed that
problem.”
He said that the enrollment the first week is
up significantly from the end of the 2012-2013
school year, at 2,397 total. Last year ended
with 2,305 total.
By campus, Elementary was at 999, In-
termediate (grades 5 and 6) was 376, Bruce
Junior High (grades 6, 7 and 8) was 333, and
High School was 685, a whopping 50 over last
year.
“We are expecting a very good school year, ”
Albritton said.
Harmony ISD Supt. Jed Whitaker said
Wednesday that 1,043 were enrolled, down
about 20 overall from last year.
He attributed that to graduating a large
senior class in May, with the incoming Kin-
dergarten down some.
Brian Gray, superintendent at Union Grove
ISD, said that 759 were enrolled, up 12 from
the 747 they finished the last school year with.
This includes 434 in pre-K through 6th grade,
120 in grades 7 and 8, and 204 in high school,
9 through 12.
Big Sandy ISD Supt. Scott Beene said that
the first few days of school have gone so well
that “it’s scary, sometimes. It’s been really,
really smooth.’
Their numbers are down a hair from the
ending of the last academic year in May,
total. They ended
with 693, he said.
By campuses, the
breakdown is 325 in
Elementary, 175 in
Junior High (grades
6-8), and 190 in High
School.
“It looks very well for this school year,”
said Union Hill ISD Supt. Sharon Richardson.
She said that she didn’t have exact numbers
yet, but enrollment was up slightly in the 1A
district, with most of that in the elementary
campus.
She said they are still excited on their
recent high rating on the STAARS (State of
Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness)
accountability results.
“It’s a tribute to our very dedicated faculty
and staff,” she said.
Supt. Lynn Heflin said enrollment the first
week at Ore City ISD is up 30 over last year,
at 855 on Tuesday.
They stay as the smallest school in their
2A UIL district, he said.
The enrollment includes 438 at the El-
ementary, 200 in Middle School, and 217 in
High School.
New Diana ISD’s administrative office could
not be reached by press time.
By PHILLIP WILLIAMS
Upshur County Pet. 1
Constable Gene Dolle said
Thursday he has received a
$40,565 state grant for a 2014
Ford Explorer to use as a
patrol vehicle.
The Explorer will “abso-
lutely” improve his ability
to perform his duties, said
Dolle.
It has five more inches of
ground clearance than his
current “high-maintenance”
2009 Dodge Charger patrol
car, thus allowing him great-
er access to illegal dumps in
wooded areas, he said.
In addition, the Explorer
has all-wheel drive to avoid
getting stuck, Dolle noted.
The grant, for which the
constable applied, comes
from the Governor’s Office
through the Kilgore-based
East Texas Council of Gov-
ernments, he said. It will pro-
vide a “full rigged-out (sport
utility) vehicle that is street
ready, ” including a computer
with print cartridges, and he
will transfer his radar unit to
the Explorer from his current
vehicle, Dolle said.
Dolle said he should re-
ceive the vehicle about Oct.
1 from a Nederland auto
dealer who was awarded the
state bid on providing it. The
constable said his current
vehicle will become a spare
car for the county’s four
PCT. 1 CONSTABLE
GENE DOLLE
constables.
The county pays nothing
toward the new vehicle’s cost,
and will be reimbursed for its
purchase, said Dolle, who has
been Pet. 1 constable since
Jan. 1. Elected in 2012, he
has won public praise from
several precinct residents for
his full-time work.
The precinct includes
southeast Gilmer, south Di-
ana, Glenwood Acres, East
Mountain and Union Grove.
Dolle highly praised An-
gela Norton, a former ETCOG
employee and onetime Up-
shur County Assistant Dis-
trict Attorney, for helping
him apply to the Kilgore-
based agency for the grant.
He also noted he had to take
a class to qualify to apply.
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Briefly
Speaking
Holiday closings
announced
The Labor Day Holiday Mon-
day, which many think officially
ends Summer (which officially
ends Sept. 21), will be a day off
for many.
Many retail businesses will
havebehavingsaLes. but schools,
theU.S. Postal Service and banks
will be closed. (Banks will be
open their regular hours on
Saturday.)
Federal, stateandlocalofficess
will bebe closed . Many businesses
will also be closed, as will The
Gilmer Mirror.
Have a safe and happy holiday.
Locust Grove BC
sets Homecoming
Locust Grove Baptist
Church will hold Homecom-
ing Services on Sunday, Sept,
1, with Sunday School at 10 and
worship service at 11 a.m.
Acovereddishlunchwillfol-
low at noon, outside on picnic
tables, if weather permits.
Locust Grove is located on
Almond Rd. between Gladewa-
ter and Big Sandy.
Everyone is invited to come
and worship and enjoy fellow-
ship.
For more information call
903-790-1278 or 903-845-5462.
Church pastor is Bro. James
Thompson.
4-H Shotgunners
set bake sale
The Upshur County 4-H
ShotgunnersSaturday August
31,2013, willbe sellingrifle raffle
tickets and holding a bake sale
in the parking lot at Bealls, off
U.S. 271N. in Gilmer, from 9 a.m.
to3p.m. on Sunday, andMonday
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., they will
be at Walmart selling rifle raffle
tickets and bake sale.
TheRiflewillbeanew-in-the-
box Ruger American .243.
Allproceeds ^willgo to support
the Upshur 4-H Shotgunners to
purchase practice ammo, entry
and range fees. All support is
greatly appreciated. For more
information, contact club
manager Michelle Painter at
903-797-0405.
Stars to sponsor
spaghetti supper
Gilmer High School Stars
will sponsor a spaghetti sup-
per Friday, Sept. 6, before the
Gilmer Buckeye-Prestonwood
game.
It will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
at the Gilmer High School Caf-
eteria. Tickets are $6 for those
over 12, $3 for children ages
3-12, and under 3 is free.
Tickets may be purchased
in advance from any Stars drill
team member or at the door
the night of the supper.
Churches to step up
to fill Halloween gap
8AIF: Fantastic
Thursday, October 31st, 5:30 - 8:00
Yamboree Grounds
Entry Fee: Non Perishable food item to
be donated to Upshur County Shares.
Churches, Businesses, & Community
Clubs encouraged to participate in
sponsorship.
Get ready for a “Fall-tastic”
time this Halloween, Thursday,
Oct. 31.
The event will be held at
the Yamboree Grounds, just
north of Walmart and east of
U.S. 271N.
“Since Treats on the Square
ended last year, the Gilmer Area
Ministerial Fellowship (GAME)
would like to sponsor a replace-
ment event,” said Andy Plunk,
pastor of Grace Baptist Church.
“We are asking local church-
es, businesses, clubs and organi-
zations to join with us in being
involved in this community
event,’’Plunk said. “Eachgroup
is asked to set up a table or booth
to hand out candy and treats to
children who attend.”
“Our desire is to continue to
provide a safer environment for
our kids, while also coming to-
gether in our community spiritto
minister to families,” he said.
“Our plans are to have ev-
eryone who attends donate an
‘entry gift’ of a nonperishable
item, such as canned food.”
Plunk said. “All the nonper-
ishable items collected on this
night will be donated to the
Upshur County Shares Food
Pantry.”
If your church, business, or
community organization would
like to be involved, please con-
tact Ricky or Carolyn Rigsby
at 903-843-2572 (First Baptist
Church), or Pastor Andy Plunk
at 903-680-2263.
“We would like to have all
our booths signed up by Sept.
27,” Plunk said.
He said they plan to have a
bannerthankingeveryorganiza-
tion that contributes and donates
time and resources to the event.
The Gilmer Police Depart-
ment had sponsored Treats
on the Square for years, but
announced last year that they
weren’t able to do it any more.
Declining participation by
exhibitors and the fact that it
comes soon after Yamboree,
one of the most intensive times
of the year for the department,
were cited as among reasons.
District Clerk won’t seek another term
By PHILLIP WILLIAMS
Upshur County District
Clerk Carolyn Parrott an-
nounced Wednesday she will
not seek reelection to a fourth
term in 2014, and endorsed one
of her deputy clerks, Karen
Bunn, to succeed her.
Mrs. Bunn and Kathryn J.
Wilson have filed so far for the
post to succeed Mrs. Parrott, a
Republican who will complete
her 11th year in office at year’s
end. Her current 4-year term
ends Dec. 31, 2014.
Mrs. Parrott said she will
not run again because she had
married a man who lives in
another county (Dave Parrott),
who “travels with his job, and
I’m going to travel with him.”
She said “It’s more convenient”
to do that if she is no longer
clerk.
She noted she has worked
for Upshur County 25 years,
including as a secretary in
the District Attorney’s Office
and as a Deputy District Clerk
before being first elected in
DISTRICT CLERK
CAROLYN PARROTT
2002.
During her tenure, she said,
she purchased an “imager”
with a public terminal which
allows such members of the
public as landmen and re-
searchers to see images of doc-
uments on a computer without
having to pull the file.
Mrs. Parrott was first elect-
ed District Clerk as a Democrat
in 2002, and switched to the
Republican Party, along with
several other Upshur County
office holders, for the 2010
election, when she was unop-
posed.
In endorsing Mrs. Bunn,
who has been a deputy in the
office for seven years, Mrs.
Parrott said, “I think she’ll be a
great clerk and a great asset to
the county.” Mrs. Bunn’s lone
opponent to date, Mrs. Wilson,
has a background in law en-
forcement and real estate.
“I’ve enjoyed being the
clerk,” Mrs. Parrott told The
Mirror. “It’s been a challeng-
ing and rewarding job for me.
I’ve made lots of good friends,”
who will be “friends for life,”
she said.
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Overton, Mac. The Gilmer Mirror (Gilmer, Tex.), Vol. 136, No. 70, Ed. 1 Saturday, August 31, 2013, newspaper, August 31, 2013; Gilmer, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth650668/m1/1/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Upshur County Library.