The Alto Herald and The Wells News 'N Views (Alto, Tex.), Vol. 88, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 12, 1984 Page: 1 of 10
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i.y 0. Singletary
' r; „ 7, Box 7 64
to. Trxp.q 7K09K
' » ✓ ✓
FIRST RATE
City Council votes to decrease
natural gas rate.
SEE STORY BELOW
★ MOUNDS PRO-SEEDING ★
Caddoan Indian Mounds are continuing as best as can be
expected with seed processing after losing
valuable equipment.
SEE STORY BELOW
NIGHT OF FRIGHT
For columnist evening of leisure
doesn't hold pleasure.
SEE COLUMN Pg. 2
Site of Texas'
The Alto Herald
Established is™ The Wells News TV Views ir,c Per Issue
Vol. 88, No. 36 Alto, Texas 73923 — Thursday, January 12. 1984 1® Pages
City Council Approves Rate Reduction In Area
The Alto City Council approved a
reduction in the gas rate to customers
in the Alto area served by natural gas.
Beginning Jan 11 the gas will be
reduced by .52 per l(XH) cubic feet of
gas consumed For a customer using
10,(KM) cubic feet their bill will be ap-
proximately $5.32 less.
The new rates will be effective in
the March first billing
In other business council members
voted to approve a Kural Fire Con
tract with Cherokee County. The
county will provide $6,000 in funds to
fight rural fires and to assist in post
fire investigations. The contract is
from October 1983 to September 1984
Another clause in the contract
allows the city the right to assess
property owners up to $100 per call to
put out fires in the rural areas It was
pointed out that most property owners
who experience a fire make a
donation to the Alto Volunteer Fire
Department without being asked
The City Hall renovation was
discussed by council members The
possibility of making a second story
room above the existing City Hall had
been suggested by the contractor. The
room would be used as a meeting
place for the volunteer fire depar-
tment personnel. Council members
asked that some dollar figures be ob-
tained from the contractor along with
specifications on the proposed ad-
dition.
The subject of maintenance of city
vehicles was on the council agenda
and it was decided that each city
vehicle keep a log of all maintenance
work carried out This would include
the city police car, the garbage truck
and three city trucks. It was agreed
that Sam Chapman work up a log book
with the pertinent information and
City Administrator Mary Clem
Williams said that she would make
duplicates of the log, one for each
vehicle. All council members agreed
to this proposal.
In reports from employees to the
council members, Police Chief Billy
Terry reported the following infor-
mation the persons responsible for
the breakin of Pearman Chevrolet
had been arrested. The stolen
Chevrolet was recovered. A theft of
fireworks in the amount of $600 has
CC Meet Monday;
’84 Holidays Set
Cherokee County Commissioners
approved 13 county holidays for 1984,
heard from members of the Cherokee
County Airport Advisory Committee
and approved a county salary
grievance committee at a meeting
Monday morning in the county cour
(room at
Holidays approved for the year in-
clude Washington’s birthday on Mon
day, Feb 20, Texas Independence
Day, Friday, March 2; Good Friday,
Friday, April 20, Memorial Day,
Monday, May 28; Independence Day,
Wednesday, July 4, Labor Day, Mon
day. Sept :t, Veterans Day, Monday,
Nov 12, Thanksgiving, Thursday and
Friday, Nov 22 and 23. Christmas.
Monday and Tuesday, Dec 24 and 25;
and New Year’s, Monday and
Tuesday, Dec 31 and Jan 1.1985.
Most offices in the county cour
(house will be closed on General Elec-
tion Day, Nov t>, wan staff members
manning the county clerk’s office and
the tax assessor-collector’s office to
assist voters.
In another matter, four members of
the Airport Advisory Committee,
George McKinney, Billy Powell, Joe
French and Morris Elliott, met with
commissioners to make recommen-
dations concerning several issues
Commissioners approved requests
from Harvey Meharry and Bobby
Bivens to construct hangars on air
port property The approval was
recommended by the airport advisory
committee.
Action concerning a request from
Buddy Kidgley was postponed A
report from the committee, given by
McKinney said that Kidgley had met
with the board and with Carl Car-
michael. airport engineer to revise his
request to meet requirements dic-
tated bv the FFA and consistant with
Axley-Rode
Chosen For
City Audit
Wells City Council met Monday
night for its regular meeting and
voted to accept the Lufkin firm of
Axley-Rode to do the city audit
City fathers also passed a motion to
accept a $350 bid from L.C. Johnson to
purchase the old city ambulance
minus the top light bar They also
awarded the vinyl siding job on the
Hinson house to Angelina Builders for
$4,110. The bid also includes some in-
sulation work.
Also discussed was the running of a
city water line to the Hinson house
because the pump was recently stolen
from that house’s well house
the policies of the commissioners
regarding the airport
Kidgley wants to construct a hangar
on property adjacent to the airport
that he owns.
However, no airport policies have
been outlined for use of space not
owned by the airport and the airport
advisory committee members felt
that the county should not take any
action concerning the matter until a
policy has been formulated. The FFA
requests that airports have firm
policies concerning “through the fen-
ce" operations. McKinney said the
Kidgley hangars would be of benefit to
the airport after everything is worked
out
The FFA wants polices worked out
to make sure everyone pays their fair
share in the operation of the airport,
McKinney suiti
Those constructing hangars on air
port property pay 3 cents per square
foot annually to have their hangar on
the airport property What to charge
those with hangar operations outside
the airport property was discussed,
but no exact figure w as decided
McKinney reminded com
missioners that those using the air
port purchase gasoline and pay a
gasoline tax to the airport Funds are
also collected for those planes that are
tied down on the airport land
French reported that last weekend
he counted 24 planes there one night
and 27 another night Of course, this
MRS. JOAN LANDRUM is pictured outside the fire-gutted Seed Ex-
traction Building at the Indian Mounds Nursery. The fire last Novem-
ber caused an estimated $561.000 in damages Please see related story.
photo by betty spaulding
RSH Receives $ 13,000
In Holiday Contributions
As a result of the generosity of area
residents, Rusk State Hospital Volun-
tppr Services Council's 1983 < iperation
Santa received more than $13,000 in
cash to purchase Christmas gilts, par
ty supplies and decorations, 47
Christmas parties were sponsored by
42 organizations with more than 855
volunteers participating in Christmas
activities and numerous choirs and
groups presented Christmas musical
programs and brought special
Christmas gifts.
Thanks to the volunteers' gifts of
money, time and talents, every
patient at Rusk State Hospital en
joyed more than six individual
Christmas gifts, heard Christmas
carols, enjoyed Christmas parties and
had many volunteers say “Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year,'
Council President Mary Buchanan
Nine Persons File For Election
With Democratic Chairman
doesn’t include those planes that were
Nine persons have lib
■d with
Commis
siont
■r and ,L
oe Henderson,
closed up in the hangars, he said
Cherokee County Democrat;
c Chair
Precinct
'ommissit
>ner. are both
Elliott said the airport is much
man John Robert Adamson h
a places
asking h
or re
election
Constable Billy
bigger than most people ever an
on the May 5 Democratic
1 Timary
L Lovel
a dy.
Precinct 1
is also seeking
ticipated when the airport was taken
elect ion
re-elect i
on
over by the county It certainly isn't
Tuesday afternoon Adam
SOUS of-
just an airstrip now, he noted, “It is a
lice said that 1 .eland I) Si
tton had
()ther
cant
iidates till
ng Monday are
substantial business that employes
filed .is a candidate to the c<
lunty at
Herbert
Bell
. Commis
sioner Precinct
several people. Since there isn't must
torney position. Sheriff Alin
n Horton
1 candu
late
Chris R
Parsons, Con-
level ground there, you should set
has filed as a candidate
tor the
stable F
'recu
net 2 earn!
idate and F E
policies on through the fence'
sheriff's nomination and inc
umbents
Hassell
and
Bennie lit
)od. candidates
operations and set fees," he said
Robert J Underwood Pi
ecinct 1
lor the (
’oust
able Preci
met 3 position
Commissioners authorized County
Judge Robert McNatt to employ a
surveyor to put up markers in the
clear zone to allow the county to clear
out existing trees in the area.
In another matter, nine former
grand jury members were appointed
to the county salary grievance com-
mittee. A new law allows com-
missioners to appoint the full commit-
tee from grand jurors who served the
previous year, as the commissioners
court desires Formally, the commit-
tee was required by law to consist of
the six elected county officials and
three former grand jury members
Named to the committee to hear
grievances from county employees
and officials are Foster Brewer Jr of
Troup, Valentine Waddleton of Alto;
Rick Turner, James Thompson,
Robert W Bingham and Craig Bar
ber, all of Jacksonville; and Frank
Howell and H L Bell, both of Rusk
Rusk Banquet Tonight
Attenders for the annual Rusk
Chamber of Commerce Banquet
Thursday evening are certainly in for
a treat Banquet speaker Jack
Dillard, a "Jack of all Trades,' will
delight his audience at the 7 p m
gathering tonigtn with his wit and
good humor
Dillard, a well known radio per
sonality, is also a farmer writer and
auctioneer
He was born and reared in rural
Oklahoma at Marietta He received
his degree in agriculture from
Oklahoma A&M 'Oklahoma State
University) After that, he spent two
years in the military
1 alter coining to Texas. Dillard ser
ved with the Texas Extension Service
in Cooke and Greop counties He then
joined Radio KWKH in Shreveport as
farm director He served in that
position from 1959 to 1978 He now
does a radio broadcast through Jack
Dillar. AG Communications for KR
MD AM FM Shreveport, La and
KOOI FM and KEBF, AM Jackson-
ville
In addition to all this, he wutes a
Farm Tips and Trips weekly
agriculture column for the Shreveport
Times and has done so since 1959 He
has been an auctioneer since 1965
making approximately 150 sales each
year He is co-owner of the Double D
Auction Service and owns the Rober
tson’s Hams in Waskom
Tickets are still on sale from board
members for $5 If purchased at the
door the price will be $6
resulted in the arrest of the guilty par
ty and the recovery of the fireworks
Police Chief Terry reported that a
rash of burglaries has oecured in the
Alto area recently, especially in the
Linwood community. He said that an
increase in neighbor to neighbor help
fulness and awareness would cut back
on the burglaries Terry said that no
one should hesitate to report
suspicious activities around his
neighbor’s house A call to the Rusk
dispatcher '214-683-2271) would have
someone out to check on the situation
in a short time He urged that the
Neighborhood Crime Watch
suggestions be put into action in Alto
and surrounding areas
There being no further business the
council adjourned All council mem-
bers and the Mayor Jack Mertz were
in attendance Members included
Margaret Bice, Steve Logan, Jim
Lindsey, Mike Tullis and Sam Chap-
man
Mounds Nursery Fire;
Damages Less ihan Feared
By BETTY SPAULDING
I>ast Nov 17 an early morning fire
destroyed the Seed Extraction
Storage Building at the Indian Mom.
ds Nursery. 64 miles w'est of Alto on
Highway 21 It was feared at the time
that in addition to the loss of the 28-
year old building. $30,(XX) in equip-
ment, $369,000 worth of seeds, in
storage inside the building and
another $638,(XX) worth of seeds stored
inside a freezer, may have also been
destroyed which would have brough
the total loss to $1,199.(XX)
The seeds stored within the well-
constructed freezer have been
thoroughly tested and determined to
be in good condition According to
Mrs Joan Landrum, secretary to
Nursery Supervisor Harold Lovell,
the testing of the seeds was carried
out by Eastern Tree Lab at no charge
to the nursery
The loss of the building, which was
uninsured and must wait until the
next session of the Texas State
Legislature for funds to rebuild, has
caused some problems to the tun
etiomng of the Indian Mounds Nur-
sery, Mrs Landrum said Everyone
has been extremely helpful though,
she said, in keeping the nursery ac-
tivities on schedule
At the time of the fire there were
2,(XX) bushels of pine cones left which
would have been processed in the
building These had to be sent to In
ternational Paper Co in spring Hill,
La , for completion of the seed extrac-
tion process which normally would
have been done in the building that
was destroyed by fire The Douglass
plant of International Paper Co has
assisted in testing of the seeds
According to Mrs Landrum the
paper work is being done now in order
to rebuild as soon as funds are
available from the state Under a five-
year plan for the nursery, a new
maintenance shop will be in operation
this spring The 2.(XX) square foot shop
will facilitate the total operation of the
nursery, said Mrs Landrum, which is
now coming into its busiest season
Shipping of the pine trees and har
dwoods grown at the Indian Mounds
Nursery is carried out from Decem-
ber through February Due to the ex-
treme cold weather the last two weeks
of December, the nursery shipments
are running about tw< weeks behm
d, according to Nursery Foreman
Randy Dowling Last Wednesday a
large Central Freight truck was busy
loading 800,0(X) pine seedlings and
3,000 hardwood seedlings to be ship-
ped to various parts of Texas
In anticipation of Arbor Day on Jan
20, John Haislet of Texas A&M,
College Station, will be at the nursery
on Jan 12 to supervise the pulling hf
ting and grading of pines and har-
dwoods to be shipped for Arbor Day
activities around the state
Wells School Board Meets;
Plumbing and Burglary Topic
A report on plumbing damage on
the campus and a holiday burglary at
the elementary school were among
the topics discussed when the Wells
School board met Monday night
Superintendent Cole Pugh reported
that there was some pipe damage in
the cafeteria area of the elementary
wing Water leaks were being
repaired when students returned for
the first school day of 1984 He said
that all plumbing repairs were now
completed
The burglary occured in the prin
Country Fair Committee
Sets Meet Wednesday
The Planning Committee of the Alto
Country Fair will hold a meeting on
Wednesday, Jan 18 at 1 30 p m at the
Southwestern Electric Co office The
purpose of the meeting is to elect of
ficers for 1984, to present final
assessment of the fair held last Oe
tober and to give area business people
an opportunity for suggestions and
comments on the past year's fair and
upcoming Country Fair in Alto
Committee Chairman, Margaret
Bice extends an invitation to all area
businesses to send a representative to
'he meeting to present their ideas in
order to help the Planning Committee
to put together the best possible fair in
1984
In all aspects the Country Fair last
October was the most successful ever,
according to fair officials and this
year's fair is expected to he equally as
good
copals office of the elementary school
where a window had been opened
File and desk drawers were found
opened when school secretary
Jeanine Creekmore went to the office
on the morning of Dec 24 Missing
from the office was a roll of stamps
and some cash Authorities are
working on tne case
In business items, trustees heard an
audit report for the 1982-83 school year
by CPA Jesse Austin They approved
a contract to provide the Head Start
program, now housed in a building
adjacent to the campus, with food
service through May 1984
Also approved was a request to use
the gymnasium for practice by Cen-
tralN Little Dribblers program
Area
Briets
Meet Slated Tonight
The Alto ISD trustees will meet
tonight at 7 30 p m in the high school
library The meeting is open to the
public
Booster Club Plans Meet
The Alto High School Athletic
Booster Club will meet at 7 30 p ir.
Monday . Jan 16, at the Field
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The Alto Herald and The Wells News 'N Views (Alto, Tex.), Vol. 88, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 12, 1984, newspaper, January 12, 1984; Alto, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth846760/m1/1/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Stella Hill Memorial Library.