The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 130, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 27, 2005 Page: 1 of 12
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I
Slow start
%
Only S1,025 has been given so far in the
2005 Albany Chest campaign, with only six
weeks to go before the donation deadline
in mid-December.
See story, pg. 2
Down to the wire
The Lions and Lady Lions both have
"make or break" games this week as
they face Haskell in Friday night football
and Woodson in volleyball on Saturday.
See story, pgs. 7-8
The
Albany Nev.
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"Oldest Journalistic Venture West of the Brazos"
Thursday, October 27, 2005, Albany, Texas 76430
12 Pages in 1 Section
Volume Number 1 30 Number 22 Price 75l
City manager contract proposal studied
Council considers
'no cost' increase
By Melinda L. Lucas
A short agenda turned into a
fairly lengthy meeting as Albany
city council members met on
Wednesday, October 19 to dis-
cuss City Manager Bobby Rus-
sell's proposed contract, discuss
a rate increase request from
Atmos Energy and review bud-
get figures.
Only four of the six council
members were present at the
session, which was conducted
by Mayor Pro Tem Buford Salt-
ers in the absence of Mayor
Harold Cox.
Manager's Contract
The council members contin-
ued consideration of changing
Russell's employment status
from that of salaried personnel
to a contract employee.
Councilman Don Koch ex-
plained that Russell has not re-
ceived a raise since he was first
employed as city manager 12
years ago at a salary of $46,000.
"He asked us to consider a raise
during the budget process when
we were looking at raises for
other employees, but we didn't
feel that the city could afford it.
"After giving it some thought,
we decided that we could give
Bobby the equivalent of a raise
without costing the city any ex-
tra if we changed the way we
paid him."
Because Russell is retired
from a career in the U.S. Air
Force, he already has full medi-
cal benefits from the govern-
ment, Koch continued. Cur-
rently, the city also pays for
Russell and his wife to receive
health insurance, as well as re-
tirement, workers compensation
and life insurance, as is done for
all city employees. However,
Russell receives no benefit from
these expenditures because of
his duplicate military benefits.
"If we employ Bobby on a con-
tract basis, we aren't required to
provide these benefits, and we
can pass along the difference in
what the city pays in unneeded
benefits by including it in what
we pay him," Koch stated.
The city pays about $6,000
for Russell's benefits.
There was discussion during
the meeting about reimburse-
ment for vehicle expenses, but
Koch said Tuesday that Russell
had agreed to provide his own
vehicle and fuel unless an out-
of-town job-related trip was re-
quired.
At Wednesday's meeting,
Russell related that he wishes
to continue his duties as city
manager for at least two more
years. "I would really like to see
the water plant finished before I
retire," he stated.
"Would you consider a con-
tract after that time on a con-
sulting basis to supervise some
of the projects that might be
underway," asked Salters.
"I would absolutely consider
it," Russell responded, but he
added that the council "would
need someone in place" to take
the manager's position.
Council members then briefly
discussed the new position of
Public Works Director, which
was included for the first time in
the current budget. Two indi-
viduals have been informally
interviewed for the job, but there
are no candidates at the present
time.
The city fathers discussed
several other details within the
contract, including vacation and
sick time, severance pay and
maintaining Russell's Class C
water and sewer licenses.
Koch volunteered to go over
the proposed contract with at-
torney Colton Johnson, with the
possibility of a special meeting
in the next two weeks.
The council hopes to have the
two-year contract in place by
January 1, 2006.
Atmos Request
Atmos Energy representative
Mike Greenwood appeared be-
fore the council to present a re-
quest for an adjustment in the
company's gas rate.
He cited rising delivery costs
as the reason for the request,
which would mean a 29-cent in-
crease per month for each cus-
tomer.
Greenwood explained that the
council members had three op-
tions: to deny the request, sus-
pend or delay the request for 45
(See City council, pg. 2)
17 ii 17 17
rail rest run
■ n " ; •
Annual event slated this Saturday
Anyone in the vicinity of the elementary
school this weekend is likely to run into some
strange characters, as local residents gather
for the annual PTO Fall Fest set Saturday
night, October 29 on the campus of Nancy
Smith Elementary School.
The Fall Fest is sponsored each October by
the Albany Parent-Teacher Organization,
with proceeds funneled right back into the
school system in a variety of ways.
Game booths and other activities will start
at 5:30 p.m. and continue until 9:00 p.m.
The cafeteria will start serving earlier, at
5:00 p.m., for those who wish to dine before it
gets crowded. The food line will remain open
until 9:00 p.m. or "until the food runs out,"
whichever comes first.
A meal at the Fall Fest will cost visitors a
reasonable $1.25 per serving. Foods include
chili, beans, stew, baked potatoes and hot
dogs, as well as cold drinks, coffee, tea, milk
and a variety of desserts.
Caramel apples and popcorn balls will be
sold at one of the outside booths near the
wagon ride, along with soft drinks and pop-
corn at the "coke wagon." The coke wagon
will be coordinated by the Albany Task Force.
Red Ribbons and bracelets can be redeemed
for drinks at that site.
PTO president Tammy Brown and Fall
Fest chair Jennie Bailey are the primary
organizers of the event, with help from par-
ents and cafeteria coordinator Lillian Wheeler.
Costume Contest
One of the annual highlights of the Fall
Fest is the costume contest, starting at 6:30
p.m. on the stage in the cafeteria.
Participants will be judged in the same
categories as in previous years, and ribbons
will be awarded to everyone.
Age divisions will include newborn through
age two; three and four year olds; five year
olds and kindergarten; first grade; second
grade, third grade; fourth and fifth grades,
sixth grade and older students; and an adult
division. A team contest for brothers and
sisters, cousins, friends, etc. will conclude
the competition.
Game Booths
Numerous booths sponsored by different
classes will be featured at the Fall Fest again
this year. Tickets will be used to play all of the
games, and can be purchased for 50 cents each.
All booths will require only one ticket to play.
The majority of the games will hopefully be
set up as usual on the teachers' parking lot,
with the wagon ride making use of the bus lane.
The bingo tables will be located in the
band room at the old kindergarten complex,
operating from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Fourth grade
(See Fall Fest, pg. 2)
Sheryl Spore / Albany News
Pre-school teacher Mindy Skelton (r) and J.W.
Eppler (I) get a head start on Fall Fest fun by
decorating a "scary" tree in the hallway with
student handprints made to look like fall leaves.
The PTO Fall Fest is slated this Saturday night.
Early voting starts
on 9 amendments
The first day to vote early by personal appear-
ance for the November 8 amendment election was
Monday, October 24, with the period ending next
week on Friday, November 4.
County Clerk Cheri Hawkins stated that the
ballot includes nine constitutional amendment
proposals, ranging from the controversial Proposi-
tion 2 concerning same-sex marriages to changes
in land titles in two Texas counties.
A list and summary of the amendments is
available in the County Clerk's office in the Shack-
elford County Courthouse, where early voting is
taking place.
Hawkins said at press time that there had been
six voters in the day and a half since the early
voting period had begun. "We don't anticipate a
large turnout, but there may be more than usual
for an amendment election because of Proposition
2," she commented.
Because amendment elections typically draw a
small percentage of voters, counties with small
populations are allowed to consolidate voting boxes.
The four voting precincts that are normally lo-
cated in the Courthouse on Election Day will still
be there, but will be consolidated under the super-
vision of a single election judge rather than four
separate judges, the county clerk explained.
Voters in the outlying precincts at Moran,
Hamby and Lueders will be able to cast ballots at
the voting boxes in those locations. "We could
legally require all county voters to come to the
Courthouse on November 8, but with gas prices
the way they are, we felt it would be better to offer
those three voting sites as usual."
Hawkins stated that applications for early vot-
ing by mail are currently being accepted and
processed, with November 1 set as the final day to
apply for the mail-in ballot.
Red Ribbon activities continue
With the 2005 "Red Ribbon"
campaign nearing an end, orga-
nizers still have quite a bit in
store for local students and other
residents.
Red Ribbon Week in Albany
began locally last Sunday, Octo-
ber 23. The annual campaign is
recognized not only locally but
across the state and nation.
Sponsored by the Albany Task
Force on Drug and Alcohol
Abuse, this is the 17th year that
the campaign has been con-
ducted in Shackelford County.
Ribbons and bracelets were
distributed all over town earlier
this week by local churches, or-
ganizations and schools. Lapel
ribbons will be available
throughout the week at First
National Bank.
Students at the elementary
school are participating in the
annual drug-free poster compe-
tition, with a good number of
entries received. Winners of the
contest will be formally an-
nounced next week.
A special flag-raising
ceremony was ob
served at Nancy
Smith on Mon
day morning,
and all stu-
dents were
given brace-
lets desig-
nating this
as Red Rib-
bon Week.
Students
are also partici-
pating in a week-
long series to punc-
tuate the drug-free
theme. Five different empha-
ses, one for each weekday,
point out the importance of
preventing drug abuse. Today,
Dtf,
P
r
on Thursday, students are be-
ing allowed to wear pajamas at
the elementary school and
houseshoes at the secondary
level in deference to the
theme "You Snooze,
You Lose." On Fri-
day, older stu-
dents will
"Team Up
Against
Drugs" by
wearing Al-
bany Lion jer-
seys, t-shirts,
etc., while the
younger stu-
dents in Head
Start, Pre-K
and kinder-
garten classes
will wear costumes to
go along with a "Drugs are
Scary" emphasis.
Participants wore camo on
Monday to "Fight the War on
Drugs," wore patriotic apparel
on Tuesday to "Be True to You,"
and donned "blings" on Wednes-
day to "Bling Out Drugs."
Local citizens and students
wearing their drug-free ribbons
during the Fall Fest will be
treated to a free soft drink at the
outdoor "coke wagon."
Anyone who needs a ribbon or
bracelet can pick one up at ei-
ther campus or the bank, ac-
cording to Donna Schkade, who
is serving as campaign chair-
man for Red Ribbon Week.
Red Ribbon Week was begun
in 1985 by a group of parents in
Illinois and Virginia following
the brutal murder of DEA agent
Enrique Camerena by drug traf-
fickers. It has since spread across
the country and is now one of the
most visible efforts to combat
substance abuse.
Melinda Lucas / Albany News
AHS student council members Rachel Scarbrough (I) and Jayton Bailey
(r) hang a red bow in front of a downtown business in the community-
wide drug awareness program known as Red Ribbon Week.
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Lucas, Melinda L. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 130, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 27, 2005, newspaper, October 27, 2005; Albany, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth414401/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.