The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 119, No. 3, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 23, 1994 Page: 1 of 18
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The
Albany News
"Oldest journalistic Venture West of the Brazos
//
THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1994, ALBANY, TEXAS 76430
10 PAGES IN 1 SECTION
VOLUME NUMBER 119 NUMBER 3 PRICE 50c PER COPY
'
All extra-curricular activities to be studied
By Donnie A, Lucas
The Albany school board dis-
cussed adding girls softball to the
list ofU.lt. sports the district of-
fers during the regular monthly
meeting held Monday night, but
the matter was referred to a com-
mittee for further study along with
all other extra-curricular activities.
The board also interviewed two
applicants for the principal's posi-
tion at Nancy Smith Elementary
during the 1994-95 school year. A
special meeting was set for Tues-
day, .June 28 to interview the re-
maining finalists for the position.
The board met in closed session
for almost three hours interviewing
the two applicants present at
Monday's meeting, as well as dis-
cussing salariesfor administrators
and 12-month support staff.
Softball Issue Prompts
Review of Extra-fcurricular
Programs
Superintendent Ronnie Kincaid
began the discussion on adding a
girls softball program. Several
visitors were present to represent
both sides of the issue.
The board was first approached
last fall about adding the soflball
No decision made on girls softball issue
program, but deferred any action .
until the budget process was well
-underway this summer.
Kincaid told the board at the
beginning of the discussion that he
had estimated a budget of $4,000
for the first year of the program,
not including transportation ex-
penses. He said that the annual
cost to maintain the program afler
the initial year would be $3,000 to
$3,500.
"When you are looking at a $2.8
million budget, that is not a sig-
nificant amount of money. How
ever, it is a new expense and it
should be looked at.7'
The board discussed the i:«ue
with the parents presei. hu
ferred any. decision until later in
the meeting. It was first thought
that the matter could be hashi.d
out in closed session, but'closer
inspection of the uiws -regulating
public meeting revea <-J that all
discussion would have to be in oj...n
session since the district's attorney
was not present. The law does have
a provision for a board to discuss
"pending or contemplated litiga-
tion" with legal council present.
Kincaid stated prior to the de-
babe over the . soflball issue that
"from a gender equity stand point I
don't see a reason not to add it - if
someone pushed the equity issue
we would have to do it."
Board member Jeff Jones stated
that he was not in favor of adding
the soflball program for the up-
coming school year, but did feel
that the gender equity issue should
be addressed.
Pari of the alleged gender ineq-
uity is simply based on the fact
Lh at tht re is currently one less girls'
{•■I'jrts'pr-jgralr, than theboyshave.
I Jov.« , r, there'is also an inequity
in ti e amount of money spent on
«>yt' program compared to the
girls. The boys athletic program .
requires about $12,000 more than
the girls.
Board member Herb Hawkins
pointedout that differenceis caused
by the cost of the football program
and the safety equipment required
to play the: sport.
While football is open to both
boys and girls, the inequity evi-
dently still exists, according to in-
formation the board has received
because there is not a girl partici-
pating in the sport.
Jones made a motion to not
implement softball for the coming
school year and set up two com-
mittees one to evaluate the en-
tire athletic program and another
to address' the gender equity
problem.
While several board members
spoke favorably about one portion
of the motion or another, the mea-
ire died for lack of a second.
Jones stated to the visitors that
he was "not again st softball, but we
need to consider our dwindling tax
base." He said that "addingsoflbaj 1
will not .solve the gender equity
issue - it is very complicated and I
would hate to see.us do something
that the district might suffer from
in the future."
Nancy Anthony said that she
attended a board meeting about a
year ago during which two sports
program - ppwerlifling and. cross
country .had funding eliminated
due to budget cuts. She said that
teacher workbooks.were al - o cut at
the same time
"I have trouble dealing with the
board cutting two programs one
y< arand then addingone the next,"
said Anthony. "I support sports,
but the primary reason for having
a school is to educate our children
for a lifetime."
Wanda Waters, who supports
the addition of soflball, stated that
the sport would provide some girls
with a better chance of getting a
scholarship to college. "We just
want it to be fair for all the girls."
Residentand parent Carol Cates
reported that s'ne had./ • 'acted
U.I L to obtain a list of ne five
Texas umver ities or colleges with
the best softball programs and as a
result called Stephen F Austin
University to. determine how
scholarship recipients are.
selected: She sa,id that having a
UIL program in the school was one
of three equally rated channels
of attractthe attention of uni-
versity coaches. The other two were
summer league and personal con-
tact, both of which are already
available to local soflball players.
Waters asked :f girls would be
allowed to try out for baseball this
school year if soflball is not offered.
"I don't think that we can deny
them that opportunity to try out,'
said Betsy Parsons.
Hawkins agreed provide i th-.r
it is not against U.I.I, - 'gv!
the board is unaware cfconc<, ;..-;g.
gi rib, pi aying ba seball.
Much later in the evening the
board continued discussion of the
soflball issue afler coming out of
J See School board, pg, 10) .
i
li
Tickets left for last 3 performances
Hang 7m...
Fandangle cast members Gary Fambro (I) and Jim Law (r) get ready
to "string up" Professor Lightningstreak (Eddie Edington) when he
fails to produce the promised rain during the Hot Summer Night
sequence of the 1994 show. Special effects using a mylar cloud
with "lightning," accompanied by "rain," save the professor's neck.
Several hundred tickets are still
.left for the .final weekend of per-
formances of the Fort Griffin Fan-
dangle, although 'the Saturday
night show was expected to sell out
before the end of the week.
The last three performances, of
the 1994 version of the Fandangle
will be presented on Thursday
through Saturday, June 23-25, at
the Prairie Theater just northwest
of the Albany city limits.
This year's production is dedi-
cated to the memory of Marge Bray,
who directed the show for almost
20 years. Bray died in January
after being ill for several months
with cancer.
As of Tuesday, Marilyn Vletas
at the Fan danglie office estimated
that there were less than 150 tickets
- left for Saturday night, all of them
in the $5 sections and the $3
bleacher seats.
There were still $8 center section
seats for both Parade Day on
Thursday and Friday night, along
with the two lower priced tickets.
Vletas felt that there were about
200 tickets left, for each of the two
shows.
Although none of last week's
performances were sold out, there
were only about 150 seats left for
the Saturday night show.
Fandangle secretary Holly
Caldwell reported that ticket sales
had been fairly brisk during the
past few days, and the staff was
hopeful that all three of the re-
maining performances would sell
out.
She stated that as of Tuesday,
ticket proceeds werealmost $8,000
behind last year's ending total, in
addition to the $2,000 shortage in
membership dues.
"I have no explanation for why
we are behind this year, except
that in talking to people in other
towns, tourism seems to be down
all over Texas this, summer,
Caldwell commented. "That's the
only thing I can attribute it to.
"We've had -u number of nice
notes and phone calls telling us
thatlast week's shows were terrific,
so we feel that we are giving our
visitors a good product. There just
aren't as many tourist groups
coming in," she continued.
Overall, however, Caldwell is
fairly optimistic about the outcome
for the 1994 season. "It's turning
outa whole lot better than 1 thought
it would be three weeks ago."
Should any of the three remain-
ing performances sell out, stand-
ing-room-only tickets are made
available at the gate for $3 per
person. The general admission
tickets will not provide the holders
with assigned seats, but they can
bring lawn chairs of blankets to sit
on the hill overlooking the theater.
The Fandangle does not offer
refunds, but if a performance is
completely sold out of tickets, the
office will attempt to resell the
tickets and issue refunds for those
tickets that can be resold.
The second weekend of the
Fandangle performances will be
kicked off with the traditional
Fandangle parade at 6:00 p.m. on
Thursday.
Persons wanting to attend the
Fandangle who still do not have
tickets need to contact the ticket
office oh Main Street immediately
to see if tickets are still available,
The ticket office in town will be
open from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
on Thursday and Friday and from
10:00a.m. to5:00p.m. onSaturday
The ticket office re-opens at 7:00
p.m. at the theater each perfor-
mance day.
Phone orders are also welcomed,
but payment has to be received
before tickets are actually pulled
and reserved. Orders can be paid
. (See Fandangle, pg. 2)
Parade to begin final week of Fandangle
Fifty-year-old airplanes will fly
parallel to Albany's Main Street
and then, minutes later, the un-
mistakable call of the calliope will
once again herald the beginning of
the annual Fort Griffin Fandangle
Parade, slated to wind its way from
the elementary school, down Main
Street, around the courthouse and
back north on Thursday afternoon,
June 23.
The parade traditionally marks
the start of the second weekend of
performances of the local outdoor
musical drama that retells the story
of the settling of this area of the
Texas frontier.
The parade will begin at 6:00
p.m. from the vicinity of Nancy
Smith Elementary School, travel
south down Main Street, circle the
courthouse, then reverse the route
before dispersing, giving spectators
lining the streets two chances to
see {.he entries.
According to parade chairman
John Ayers, this year's caravan of
cowboys, Indians, floats, wagons,
antique cars and other special at-
tractions is shaping up well.
"We've had quite a few entries
come in this week, and I think it
will be a good-sized parade," he
commented. TThere seems to be a
good variety of riders, floats and
antique cars."
Ayers emphasized that partici-
pants need to contact his office by
noon on Thursday if they haven't
already signed up for the parade.
There are always a few who just
show up at parade time, but it
makes it hard to find a place' for
them, assign them a number and
get a description of their entries to
the judges stand on such short
notice," he explained. "We really
prefer that people sign up ahead of
time so we can be prepared for
them."
This year especially, Ayers is
anxious to do as much footwork as
possible ahead of time, as he and
his wife Lorna had their third child
Tuesday, and he may be bringing
them home on Parade Day.
All entries should be in place by
5:00 p.m. on Thursday.
"Everyone will be liningup along
Griffin Road and on the side
streets," said Ayers. "If you have
trouble finding your spot, look for
me or someone else with a clip-
board."
For information about entering
the parade, contact Ayers at 762-
2639 or 762-2516, or leave a mes-
sage for him at the Fandangle of-
fice, 762-3642 or 762-3838.
Parade Personalities
C A. (Hawk) Bales, an easily-
recognized and faithful member of
the Fandangle cast, has been cho-
sen to serve as parade marshal for
this year's event.
He will guide his mule-drawn
wagon along Main Street behind
the Fandangle calliope and
Shackelford County Sheriff Larry
Bonner.
Albany resident Pam Davis will
serve as mistress of ceremonies for
the traditional parade, announcing
each entry from the judges stand in
front of the First National Bank.
The parade will pass the re-
viewing stand twice so the panel of
judges can have a good look at each
entry before selecting the winners.
Ayers said that the list of judges
features the current Miss Texas,
television personalities Downing
Bolls Jr. of KRBC and Gary
Strickland of KTXS in Abilene,
Lawrence and Sonja Clayton, and
Dr. Klaus L. Auriscn of the German
consulate in Houston.
Plaques will be given to the first
place winners in each category, and
ribbons will be given to the second
(See Parade, pg. 10)
. ■' ' :>■ ' ■ " vr ' n" - *
u
The Texas Central will again make its way down Main Street during Thursday afternoon's parade
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Lucas, Donnie A. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 119, No. 3, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 23, 1994, newspaper, June 23, 1994; Albany, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth413733/m1/1/: accessed July 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.