The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 132, No. 48, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 24, 2008 Page: 2 of 12
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2A Page
The Albany News
www.thealbanynews.net
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Moran balloting questioned
Mayor asks board
if site can be added
By Melinda L. Lucas
Moran mayor Lisa Clop-
ton asked members of the
Shackelford County Hospital
District board of directors if
it would still be possible to
place ballots in Moran for the
upcoming election on May 3.
The issue was addressed
during an emergency meet-
ing on April 9, just prior to
the deadline to order-election
machine programming, but
Clopton explained that she
had been unable to attend
that meeting because she
serves the county as a weath-
er spotter and there had been
storms that evening.
The directors had decided
at that time to limit the elec-
tion to one Albany site for both
early voting and the election
day because of costs.
"I understand it may be too
late, but I would like to know
if it's feasible to make chang-
es at this point," said Clopton.
"We do pay taxes to the hos-
pital district and we're trying
to promote more involvement
not only as a city and school,
but as county citizens."
Hospital business manager
Leslie Belcher explained that
the board felt that it wouldn't
be equitable to provide bal-
loting in Moran and not in
the Hamby and Lueders ar-
eas. Although it would cost a
minimum of only $405 to add
Moran to the voting machine
programming, the cost of add-
ing all three precincts, includ-
ing election judges and clerks,
would be at least $2,900 be-
cause additional program-
ming would be required.
"The hospital district has
always been concerned about
the Moran area, and has al-
most always had a Moran
representative on the board,"
commented director John Ay-
ers. "We're here to service all
of Shackelford County."
Clopton responded that
she had attended the meeting
"to build communication, not
to burn bridges."
County Clerk Cathey Lee,
who was present at the meet-
ing to answer any questions
about election costs, explained
that the hospital district could
have applied for a waiver to
use paper ballots instead of
the voting machines, but the
deadline for that application
was 90 days before the elec-
tion, and Belcher had appar-
ently not been notified by the
state of that option.
Lee also confirmed that
election officials cannot be
"volunteers," but must be
compensated for their time,
as required by the state.
The county clerk added
that ballots by mail can be re-
quested until May 2.
EMS Problems
EMS director Steven
Hobbs reported that a short-
age of ambulance employees
is causing more overtime
hours.
Hobbs has attempted to
recruit new EMTs and para-
medics, but has not had any
success.
The suggestion was made
to offer a "scholarship repay-
ment program" to graduating
seniors and others interested
in pursuing an ambulance
service career, as well as of-
fering sign-on bonuses.
Although the board mem-
bers agreed that both ideas
should be considered, no of-
ficial action was taken.
Other Business
• With the receipt of a
$20,000 donation from the
wind farm, a committee was
appointed to decide the de-
tails on the construction of
an awning and other building
improvements before adver-
tising for bids.
• Another committee was
appointed to review the dis-
trict's by-laws and suggest
changes.
• Ayers noted that the dis-
trict is currently out of debt,
with almost $640,000 in the
bank.
• Belcher reported that "to-
bacco money" in the amount
of $27,585 had recently been
received.
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Feats of engineering
'
Sheryl Spore / Albany News
Jesse Mendoza, an engineer with the Texas Department of Transportation,
shows several local Cub Scouts how to use surveying equipment as they work
to earn their engineering badges. Mendoza also explained how engineering
was used to design the new bridge currently being constructed on Hwy. 180.
Early voting to start Monday
Early voting by personal
appearance in the upcoming
Shackelford County, Albany
city council, Moran city coun-
cil, Albany school board and
Shackelford County Hospital
District elections will begin
next Monday, April 28 and
continue through Tuesday,
May 6.
The early voting process
will take place in the Albany
City Hall for both the city
and hospital elections, and
in the business office of the
Moran school for the MISD
trustee decision.
Election day for the three
entities is Saturday, May 10
from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Early Voting Details
With the exception of the
early voting only for the Mo-
ran school election, all the
voting will be conducted on
the county's electronic vot-
ing machines, according to
Shackelford County Clerk
Cathey Lee.
The school district's early
voting will take place on pa-
per-ballots, but on election
day itself, the ballot will be
programmed onto a machine,
said Moran's early voting
clerk, Nena Tabor.
Albany City Hall is open
from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
and the Moran school busi-
ness office is open from 8:00
a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Both are
closed during the noon hour.
There will be special ex-
tended hours for the City of
Albany and hospital board
elections on Tuesday, April
29 and again on Thursday,
May 1, when the City Hall
will remain open until 8:00
p.m.
The city is required by the
state to offer the extended
hours on two weekday# dur-
ing the early voting period,
and since the hospital elec-
tion is being conducted in
the same location, the deci-
sion was made to make that
ballot available as well.
Another option for coun-
ty voters is early voting by
mail. Requests for ballots
by mail can be sent to Mo-
ran ISD, c/o Early Voting
Clerk Nena Tabor, Moran TX
76464; Shackelford Co. Hos-
pital District, c/o Early Vot-
ing Clerk Leslie Belcher, PO
Box 1507, Albany TX 76430;
or City of Albany, c/o Early
Voting Clerk Cindy New, PO
Box 595, Albany TX 76430.
The last day that a re-
quest for a ballot by mail can
be honored is May 2, but vot-
ers have until May 10 to have
the ballots back in the hands
of the election officials.
Co-chairs Melinda and
Henry Musselman urge polo
fans and M. D. Anderson
Cancer Center supporters to
reserve tickets by May 1 for
the 22nd annual Polo on the
Prairie, May 3 at the Mussel-
man Brothers' Lazy 3 Ranch
near Albany.
Tickets to the fundraiser
are available by calling 1-
866-262-9029 or 713-563-
4071; they won't be available
for purchase at the event.
Polo on the Prairie is
a springtime tradition for
amateur and world-ranked
professional players who
travel each year to a pasture-
turned-polo-field for a U.S.
Polo Association-sanctioned
tournament. Spectators come
to socialize on the sidelines
and, after the championship
match, enjoy a down-home
barbecue dinner and dance
under a tent as long as a foot-
ball field. The finale is a spec-
tacular fireworks show.
Amarillo native Kevin
Fowler will provide the eve-
ning's entertainment with
his "Southern country" mix
of rock and country music,
including favorites such as
"Best Mistake I Ever Made,"
am
PLEASE VOTE MAY 10
FOR CITY COUNCIL
My name is Mary Beth Jones and I am running for City
Council. I have lived in Albany for eight and a half years. I
am married to Lesley and have two wonderful, young sons,
Bryan and Brodey. I grew up in Woodson before attending
Tarleton State University. I achieved a BS in education and
a M. Ed in guidance and counseling. I have worked for public
schools for 21 years. I currently work for Windham School
District as a Literacy II III GED teacher at the Walker Sayle
Unit.
I want to encourage everyone to go vote on May 10. I
feel it takes the voice of the voters to elect people who they
feel will push for the betterment of Albany. I feel Albany is a
wonderful place to Hve, but I also know it can be better than
p. is now. If elected, I Wilt 5)0 my best to voice concerns and
yy to find solutions. V\
As a council member, x^ould like to see the city work
with the county to rid our community of drugi And crime. As
a mom, I do not want my kids to be exposed^ drugs and
crime e^^ir streets or in our schools. I know this it, by,far,
only problem our community needs to address but
Is one I feel strongly about. If elected, I will do my be&to
on all the probl
not the
blem our community needs
voice concerns on
ones that v /ill arts*
problems we have now, as well as
arise Jfrtfie future. Please vote May 10.
Mary Jone*
for City Council
I. Adv.
Auth by Mary
T««a> 76430
The County
Clerk's Office
will be conducting a
Public Logic &
Accuracy Test of
the automatic
tabulating equipment,
Friday, April 25, to
be used during the
early voting period
for the city & hospital
elections on
Saturday, May
10. The first day of
early voting will be
Monday, April 28.
Election Day
The actual election date
for the board and council
elections has been set for Sat-
urday, May 10 from 7:00 a.m.
to 7:00 p.m.
Ballots for the state
amendment election, the Al-
bany city council and hospital
races will be cast on Election
Day at the Albany City Hall,
while the Moran school board
election will be located at the
Moran School Auditorium.
Local Candidates
Three Albany city council
seats will be on the ballot,
with four candidates. The
full two-year terms are being
sought by incumbents Don
Koch and Terry Moberley, as
well as challengers Bobbie
Cauble and Mary Beth Jones.
There are five candidates
for the four two-year terms
available on the Shackelford
County Hospital District's
board of directors, including
incumbents John Ayers, Alma
Godfrey-Neese and Stephen
Kayga, as well as Mona Hart
and Gay Tabor.
In Moran, school board
candidates seeking one of the
two seats include incumbent
Lanham Martin, along with
John Cottle and Dona Tingle.
The at-large positions are for
three-year terms.
Polo tickets should be reserved
which earlier this year hit
No. 1 on the Texas Music
Chart, from his CD "Bring It
On" (Equity Music Group).
Polo on the Prairie has
raised more than $3 million
for key research and patient
care programs at M. D. An-
derson.
Albany native Henry Mus-
selman, an M. D. Anderson
Board of Visitors member
and polo enthusiast, and wife
Melinda thanked the players,
volunteers and spectators
who support the event year
after year.
"Through their dedicated
commitment over more than
two decades, funds raised by
Polo on the Prairie are mak-
ing a difference in the lives of
the patients at M. D. Ander-
son and their families," said
Henry Musselman.
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Lucas, Melinda L. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 132, No. 48, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 24, 2008, newspaper, April 24, 2008; Albany, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth393449/m1/2/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.