The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 122, No. 47, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 23, 1998 Page: 1 of 16
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High school celebrities
Mr. and Miss AHS will be
crowned from a field of
eight nominees during
the Jr.-Sr. prom Saturday
See photo, pg. 2A
Rising young Texas stars
Several local elementary
students will travel to
Austin Friday to attend
an awards conference ,
See story, pg. 3A
District success stories
Albany High School
qualified 11 athletes for
the regional track meet,
with the girls earning first
/ •
See story, pg. IB
Albany News
"Oldest Journalistic Venture West of the Brazos"
Thursday, April 23,1998, Albany, Texas ^430
16 Pages in 2 Sections
Volume Number 122 - Number 47 Price 50#
Board selects candidate for principal
By Donnie A. Lucas
TheAtbanyschOol board voted
to offer a contract to a Stamford
grade school principal to fill the
Albany Junior/Senior High
principal's post for the 1998-99
school year.
A group of supporters of bam
director Jason Sarten were also
on hand at the meeting to ask
the board to reconsider its deci-
sion last month to not renew his
probationary contract.
Candidates Interviewed
The board interviewed the top
two finalists Monday night to
end its search for a new princi-
pal for the high school/junior
high campus.
Steve Gill, principal of
Reynolds Elementary in Stam-
ford, was offered a one-year con-
tract at $50,000 on a 6-1, split
vote. Board member Betsy Par-
sons voted against the motion.
The action was taken after
the board came out of closed
session after two and a half hours
at 11:30 p.m. A applicant from
Lubbock was also interviewed
during closed session.
Supt. John Trice stated Tues-
day that Gill had not accepted
the position yet, but he expected
an answer by Thursday.
Gill, who was selected from a
field of over 30 applicants, re-
ceived his bachelor's degree from
McMurry University in Abilene
in 1990 and a Masters of Educa-
tion in Administration from
Abilene Christian University in
Top 2 remaining finalists interviewed
1995.
The 30-year-old Abilene na-
tive taught two years at
Jefferson Middle School and
three years at Austin Elemen-
tary both in Abilene before ac-
cepting the assistant high school
principal's job at Stamford. He
was promoted to principal at
Reynolds'Elementary in 1996.
The board also reviewed ap-
plications for band director and
athletic director during closed
session, according to tfuragenda.
Sarten Supporters
A group of students and par-
ents attended the meeting to
speak in support of Sarten and
asked the board to renew his
contract as band director.
A petition with 138 signatures
was presented during the meet-
ing asking the board to recon-
sider its decision. ,
•Drum major John Hendley
reviewed the success that he said
the band has had since Sarten
became director at the begin-
ning of the 1996-97 school year .
"We (band members) really
don't want him to go," said
Hendley. "We have a better atti-
tude toward band and he bar
taught us more than just notes
on a page."
Parent Lorna Avers also
spoke on behalf of Sarten, prais-
ing him for the appreciation of
music he has instilled in her
children. She added that she was
concerned that Sarten's termi-
nation as band director would
harm the band program.
"We are going after the very
best band director we can find,"
stated Trice. "I have a son too
who loves band and we are very
aggressively looking at appli-
cants. This in no way means
that we are backing off our com-
mitment to a quality band pro-
gram.'"
Some of those who spoke to
the board asked for a reason
why Sarten's contract was not
renewed. However, no response
was given by the board concern-
ing the personnel decision.
When asked if the board
would reconsider their decision
made last month, board presi-
dent Don Fitzgibbons said that
a motion by a board member
would be required to consider
the matter again. No such mo-
tion was made.
The board also acted on sev-
eral other items of business.
• A letter of ''reasonable as-
surance" was approved for the
30 members ofthe district's sup-
port staff that they would be
(See Sc hool board, pg. 8A)
A day
downtown
Members ofthe lot al-4-H
Club (top photo) help pet-
ting zo6 visitors learn about
baby rabbits, chickens, kit-
tens and goats during Dis-
cover At bany festi vities Sat-
urday. Entertainment includ
ed a brass trio (bottom photo)
that wandered throughout
the downtown area.
Computer company to locate here
Local civic leaders have re-
ceived a commitment from an
Austin resident to start a nyw
computer information process-
ing center in Albany that will
create about 20 high tech jobs.
The City of Albany is request-
ing a grant of up to $750,000
from the Texas Capital Fund,
■ CITY COUNCIL
according to a legal notice in this
week's edition of the News, to
support Action Systems, Inc.
A public hearing is set for
Tuesday, April 28 at 5:01 p.m. to
discuss the grant application.
The Chamber of Commerce
and its economic development
committee, along with other lo-
cal leaders have been working
on attracting the new company
to Albany for several months.
Reportedly the company
plans to refurbish the old Welco
building to bouse its operation.
More information about the,
company and its plans will be
npa
published next week.
Water, park facilities studied
By Melinda L. Lucas
Albany city council members
discussed the community's fu-
ture water resources at length
with West Central Texas Mu-
nicipal Water District local
board member A.V. Jones .Jr.
and also committed up to $5,000
matching funds for rcstroom
facilities and playground equip-
ment at the city park.
A current financial report was
presented for the city's A & B
tax boards during the regular
meeting held Wednesday, April
15.
The council will also meet in
special session next Tuesday,
April 28 to review a grant appli-
cation for up to $750,000 to help
with the development of a new
computer business here. The
meeting and public hearing will
begin at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall.
Water Resources
Jones, who has been a board
member of the West Central
Texas Municipal Water District
(WCTMWD) almost 40 years,
presented information about
Texas Senate Bill 1, which in-
volves the distribution and de-
velopment of water and water
resources within the State of
Texas. The longtime local hoard
member is also one of four Big
County appointees to the Water
Development Planning Board
for Region Gcoveringthe Brazos
River Basin
"Albany is in an
enviable position as far
as water resources go,
which is unusual for a
town this size."
A V. )One$ Jr.
"Albany is in an enviable po-
sition as far as water resources
go, which is unusual for a town
this size," remarked Jones.
"Right now, we are in a position
to supply water for heavy indus-
trial use and be able to attract
other .businesses that need wa-
ter resources'."
lie acknowledged the fore-
sight of local civip leaders who
"got in on the ground level" when
WCTMWD was formed in the
mid-1950s and Lake Hubbard
built a few years later. "There
are several area communities
that refused to join the water
district then who are virtually
out of water now."
Jones tol d t h e co u nci 1," 11. may
not be during my lifetime, but
you can bet that there will he a
real location of water in the State
of Texas at some point. Most of
the population lives in the
Golden Triangle, and they'll be
the ones that will make the
rules...You might look at Sen-
ate Bill 1 as the first step to the
State taking over water rights.
Some of the water we consider
ours because we've been paying
taxes on it for '10 years may be
diverted toSouth Texas or other
areas."
Jones also told the council
that "Bobby (Russell) under-
stands what's going On at the
water district better than any
city manager I've ever worked
with, and I've been working for
you (as a board member) for as
long as some of you are old. lie
was active in the whole forma-
tion of this regional board and
he needs to stay tied into it. And
(See ( ity count il; pg. 8A)
Reenactment set this weekend
More than 200 reenactors and
thousands of spectators are ex-
pected at Fort Griffin State Park
this weekend as the park hosts
living history demonstrations
that will include two Civil War
battles.
The site of the reenactmint
has been moved from, the old
fort site to a new location on the
east side of Hwy. 283 near the
park's campgrounds, according
to FGSP manager Lester
Galbreath.
He explained that the reen-
actment organizers felt that a
change was needed and they
had cleared an area located in a
"horseshoe bend of Mill Creek."
Visitors to the park this week-
end will have the opportunity to '
experience first-hand the real-
ity of cavalry maneuvers with
horses, infantry drills, the sound
of gunfire and the roar of can-
nons.
From 8:00 a.m. on Saturday,
April 25 to mid-afternoon on
Sunday, reenactors at the park
will bring the pages of history
books to life with all sorts of
characters from the Old West
and the Civil War years, includ-
ing cavalrymen, cannoneers,
cowboys, gunfighters, buffalo
hunters frontier ladies, gam-
blers and sutlers.
The highlights ofthe two-day
living history activities will be
the historical representation of
the events of February 20 and
March 26, 1862.
The Battle of Valverde will
start Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at
the base of Griffin Hill. "After
some heavy skirmishing, a di-
sastrous but glorious lancer
charge should add a real touch
of excitement on the battlefield
before the Rebels finally over-
run McRae's Battery and win
the day for the Texas," explained
Galbreath.
In Sunday's Battle of Apache
Canyon, the Rebels will once
a|gain be pinned ctown in a tight
canyon by Federal riflemen first
from the canyon walls until the
Union cavalry "makes a daring
race through the canyon, leap-
ing among the Rebel artillery
before they can get limbered up."
"We intend to portray com-
pany-sized detachments from
each branch of the service as
was the case then," explained
event coordinator Ed Haggins.
"Confederate Infantry, artillery
and dismounted troops will rep-
resent the Texane just as they
were, a bunch of rough-hewn
frontiersmen who came to be
'without horstV and who fought
on foot With little regard for
infantry procedure and forma-
tion.
''Federal units will portray
the U-S- Regulars, New Mexico
Thousands of visitors are expected at Fort Cir
(See Reenactment, pg. 8A) this weekepd for the spring reen^ tment. ^
iffin State Parki
I File Photo]
. '2
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Lucas, Donnie A. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 122, No. 47, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 23, 1998, newspaper, April 23, 1998; Albany, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth414087/m1/1/: accessed June 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.