The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 1, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 16, 1988 Page: 1 of 58
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The
BEST AVAILABLE COPY
Albany News
"Oldest Journalistic Venture West of the Brazos"
THURSDAY, JUNE 16. (988, ALBANY, TEXAS 76430
10 PAGES IN 1 SECTION
PLUS SPECIAL FANDANGLE SECTION
VOLUME NUMBER 113 NUMBER 1 PRICE 35<t PER COPY
Anniversary show opens tonight
Performances close to sell-out
By Donnie A. Lucas
Tickets for the 60th Anniver-
sary performances of the Fort
Griffin Fandangle have been sell-
ing fast, and according to the Fan-
dangle ticket office one show has
been sold out and others are very
close.
The opening night for the
special anniversary production of
the Fandangle is Thursday, June
16, with performances also on
June 17 and 18, and June 23 — 25.
Sales at the ticket office,
located in the Musselman Petro-
leum Building directly west of the
Shackelford County Courthouse,
have been brisk to say the least.
As of Tuesday, the Saturday,
June 18, performance was a com-
plete sell-out, and the Saturday,
■ ■ m "W ■ . .
It's a sell-out!...
Fandangle office workers LaHonda Rodriguez and Barbara Rippey (top
photo) mark the seating chart for the Saturday, June 18 performance as
sold out as the order is taken lor the few remaining tickets. The last seats
for the final show on Saturday, June 25 were sold by 10:00 a.m. Wednes-
day, with very few places available for the other tour nights. The possi-
bility exists that all performances could be complete sell-outs, a first in
Fandangle history. Even opening night, which normally draws the smallest
crowd of the six shows, was near capacity as of Tuesday afternoon Meon
while, the cast and crew of the community pageant, including director
Marge Bray (lower photo) continue to work diligently to polish the 50th an-
niversary production, with close to 300 cast members rehearsing daily
Various other activities have been planned to coincide with the Fandangle,
including several art shows, nightly organ recitals and the traditional Fan-
dangle parade, slated for Thursday, June 23. [Staff Photos|
June 25 was not far behind with
only a handful of bleacher seats
remaining.
"We still have a few tickets for
the two Thursday nights, and the
Friday nights are filling up fast,"
said Fandangle Secreatvy I,ouann
George.
The secretary stated that it
could be possible for all six perfor
mances to be sold out, which
would be an all-time record for
ticket sales for the association.
"If people haven't gotten their
tickets yet, they'd better hurry,"
said George. "If Albany people
still need tickets they'd better
come in person and pick them up
as soon as possible."
Ticket office employees report
that the "phones have been ring-
off the hook — just solid tele-
phone calls."
Persons still needing to pur-
chase the tickets, which range
from $3 to $10, should go by the
Fandangle office, or call 762-3642
or 762-2294.
George also reported that a
record amount of contributions
for members has hoen received by
the association this season. "We
have received over $23,000 in
memberships, which breaks last
year's record."
Funds from the membership
dues are used to make im
provements at the Fandangle's
Prairip Theater which is located
about one mile northwest of
Albany.
"It is just wonderful," said
George of the ticket sales. "There
is even the possibility that we
might sell out for all six nights —
wouldn't that be something on
our 50th anniversary."
The Fandangle's director,
Marge Bray, stated that progress
is also being made during the
nightly rehearsals of cast and
crew members.
"I always think that we need
more time, but everything seems
to be going along on schedule."
Mrs. Hray stated that she
hoped that the audience likes the
special edition of the Fandangle,
which will be a mixture of old and
new songs commemorating the
founding of the Fandangle in
1938.
"We have a big cast this year -
bigger than usual because there
have been a lot of out-of-town
relatives who have come back to
be in the 50th."
The Fandangle uses narration,
song, and dance to depict the set-
tling of the Clear Fork of Brazos
area. It was founded in 1938 by
the late Robert Nail, an Albany
native and playwright.
Nail first produced the show
under the name of "Dr.
Shackelford's Paradise" as a
Senior Class play. The perfor
mance was so well received that
the Albany Chamber of Com-
merce sponsored a community-
wide version of the outdoor play,
and the Fort Griffin Fandangle
was born.
"Remembering When" is the
theme of the 50t.h anniversary
show, with a number of former
Fandangle performers making
cameo appearances during the
performance.
Again, persons needing ticket
(See Tickets, pg. 10)
Memorial regiment to bring old fort to life
By Carol Lackey
Life at a frontier fort will be
dramatized with horses, drums,
guns, wagons and buffalo hunters
on Saturday and Sunday, June 18
and 19, at Fort Griffin State
Historical Site, located approx-
imately 15 miles north of Albany.
The park will be "overtaken"
by soldiers from the Fourth
Cavalry Memorial Regiment as
they live in the old fort for the
weekend. The soldiers will dress,
eat and live like the frontier
soldiers of the 1870s, bringing
back memories of soldiers, In-
diana and cowboys.
The memorial regiment, with
cavalry uniforms, glimmering
brass equipment, polished army
wagon, a real howitzer and 1874
period camp, will be on the parade
ground, recreating the life and at-
mosphere of the frontier soldier.
Events begin at 8:30 a.m. Satur-
day with a military flag cere-
mony, with classes following from
9:00 until 11:00 a.m., and again
from 2:00 until 4:00 p.m.
The classes will include typical
camp life at the for' proper
equipment for cavalry horse.",
description and demonstration of
the personal equipment of an
average trooper (sabers, fire
arms, etc.), a history of Army
mules and a history of Fort Grif
fin and the local community,
covering buffalo hunters and the
Indian Wars under Col. Macken
zie.
A retreat and flag lowering will
begin at 5:00 p.m.
Soldiers participating in the
event plan to attend a 50th "an
niversary performance of the
Fort Griffin Fandangle Saturday
evening.
Nondenominational Sunday
services will be held at 9:45 a.m.
Sunday by the Fourth Cavalry
Chaplain, and abbreviated classes
will be held from 10:30 a.m. until
12:00 noon.
The classes have been devel
oped for Cisco Junior College
students, but are open to the
public, and are free of charge.
Reservations are currently be
ing taken for campsites at Fort
Griffin State Park.
"This is the first time some
thing like this has come to' Fori
Griffin," stated Lester Galbraith,
park superintendent. "We are
expecting lots of people, because
this will really be something to
see."
The entrance fee to Fort Griffin
is $2 per car. However, if a pas-
senger in the car is 65 years of
age or older, or is a disabled
veteran, the car is admitted free.
The picnic area adjacent to the
historical park is available free of
charge for dav use visitors. Sites
may be rented, with or without
electricity, for overnight camp-
ing.
The Fourth Cavalry, a non-
profit unit, was organized in 1985
for the purpose of contributing to
the education of the people of this
area on the Indian Wars period of
history (1869 1876).
"We are a re-enactment group
(See Regiment, pg. 10)
Standing ready...
First Sergeant Ray Thomas of the 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment (Memorial)
from Lubbock, waits for the order to mount up during one of the many
functions the unit participates in The Cavalry will camp at the Fort Griffin
State Park this weekend, with drills and other activities planned.
Commissioners study dump site, tax reappraisal
By Carol Lackey
Shackelford County Commis
sioners agreed to clean up a trash
dump located near the old Pre-
cinct 4 barn during their regular
monthly meeting Monday, June
13.
Jeff Bertl, representing the
Lubbock office of the Texas
Water Commission, met with the
commissioners in response to a
complaint from the Big Country
Baptist Assembly, which has an
encampment near Lueders.
According to Bertl, a camp of-
ficial was concerned that
55-gallon drums and five gallon
containers with hazardous
materials were being buried in a
trash pit near the old barn, which
is located on land belonging to the
Baptist association.
"There is no evidence of
material being buried, but some
dirt has been disturbed," Bertl
told the commissioners. "We have
no proof that anything has been
buried. However, there is some
spillage of unknown material
around the barn that does need to
be cleaned up."
After meeting in executive ses-
sion with Joe Thigpen of Haskell,
who was representing District
Attorney Jack Willingham, the
commissioners agreed to clean up
the area on a motion by Precinct 2
Commissioner James Balliew.
"I think you made a very wise
decision," Bertl told the commis-
sioners.
Following the meeting, Shack-
elford County Judge Marie Smith
explained that the commissioners
decided the safest thing to do
would be to clean up the area.
"Those trash pits have been
there for years — much longer
than Commissioner W.O.
McKeever has even been in
office," she said. "We don't really
know if anything hazardous is
buried there or not."
Bertl will return on Monday,
June 27, to oversee the excava
tion operation.
Reappraisal of Property
Commissioners tabled a decision
concerning the reappraisal of pro-
perty damaged during the March
Big Country Fire.
Chief Appraiser Betty Viertel
met with the commissioners to ex-
plain about the reappraisal pro-
cedures.
"Shackelford County will lose
approximately $9,965 in tax levy
if you vote to allow the reap-
praisal of property," she said.
The Property Tax Code allows
the reappraisal of property
following a natural disaster. How-
ever, the taxing jurisdictions
must approve the reappraisal.
Viertel explained that the acres
burned in the fire were deter
mined from aerial slides taken by
the local Agricultural Stabiliza
tion and Conservation Service
within one week following the
fire. The area included in the pro-
perty allowed to be reappraised
does not include controlled burns
or previous wildfires.
"The $9,965 loss is not exact,
but it is very close," she said.
"I don't feel that the pasture
loss from the fire has been that
great," commented McKeever.
"The fencing has been the main
loss."
"There is no tax break for a
drought," added Commissioner
Jane Connally.
Travis McClure with the First
National Bank of Abilene was pre
sent, representing the Newell
Ranch and Merrick Davis Ranch,
who suffered losses in the range
fire.
"On the interests I represent,
we lost two and one half months
of grazing, but the biggest imparl
was the loss of fencing," McClure
said. "Some of the land is just now
to the point where we can go back
on with cattle."
"There will be some long range
benefits from the fire," he con-
tinued. "There is no question that
we will be better off in five to 10
years. However, we are exper
iencing a severe impact of loss of
money in 1988."
"It's true that landowners can't
run near the capacity of livestock
on the pasture right now," Viertel
said.
"I know of one individual who
has spent $150,000 on fencing, and
hopes to be reimbursed for
$50,000 by government funds,"
Viertel commented. "There is no
assistance available to land-
owners for cross fences or pens.
The financial impact on land
owners has very
significant."
"To approve the reappraisal
would be very good for 'public
relations' too," she added. "Peo-
ple feel that their local govern-
ment really does care about
them."
McKeever made a motion to
deny the reappraisal consider
ation, and was seconded by Con-
nally. However, Balliew and Com-
missioner Fred Coulter abstained
from voting, which would have
allowed the motion to pass.
"I care about this problem, I
just don't know what the best
deal would be," said Coulter.
Viertel then explained to the
commissioners that they could
wait a while longer to consider
the reappraisal. The matter was
(See Commissioners, pg. 10)
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Lucas, Donnie A. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 1, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 16, 1988, newspaper, June 16, 1988; Albany, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth402848/m1/1/: accessed June 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.