The Monitor (Mabank, Tex.), Vol. 39, No. 69, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 11, 2013 Page: 4 of 20
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Page 4A • The Monitor - Thursday, April 11, 2013
Monitor Photo/Phyllis Watson
Parrot Head members Tate Cramm (left) and Marty
Mullins, along with Eddie Oehlers' widow, LeNell
officiate at the ribbon cutting for Oehlers Landing
Saturday at Tom Finley Park.
Monitor Photo/Phyllis Watson
Eddie Oehlers' widow, LeNell, says a few words of
thanks to the Parrot Heads for seeing the five-year
project through to completion.
proceedings.
After a brief ribbon cut-
ting ceremony, the public
was invited to use the fish-
ing pier.
The Parrot Heads lead
the five-year fundraising
campaign to complete the
construction of the pier to
honor the nation’s veter-
ans. They did this while
continuing to fund annual
scholarships to five area
high school seniors, total-
ing $5,000.
Constructed of 6,000
wooden planks, Martin
Marine, a major contribu-
tor, built the pier to accom-
modate wheelchair ac-
cess. Parrot Head Club
member Marty Mullins of
Texas Ability made sure the
pier met all Americans with
Disability Act require-
ments.
The entry to the pier is
flanked by two posts, one
supporting a plaque with a
short biography of Eddie
Oehlers, and the second
standing as a tribute to the
many contributors that
made the memorial to the
nation’s veterans possible.
Governor doubles reward
in McLelland murders
By David Webb
Contributing Writer
AUSTIN-The unprec-
edented murders of a dis-
trict attorney and his chief
prosecutor in a two-month
period in Kaufman County
is drawing an equally
unique response from law
enforcement agencies at
local, state and federal lev-
els.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry,
who attended a memorial
service for district attorney
Mike McLelland and his
wife, Cynthia, on April 4,
held a press conference at
the Kaufman County Law
Enforcement Center be-
fore the public service to
announce his office would
be doubling the reward for
information leading to the
indictment and conviction
of the killers to $200,000.
Crime Stoppers already
had offered a $100,000
reward for information
concerning the murder of
assistant district attorney
Mark Hasse on Jan. 31 in
the courthouse parking lot.
Perry made the an-
nouncement while standing
with repre-
sentatives of
the FBI,
Texas De-
partment of
Public
Safety and
Kaufman
County sheriff David
Byrnes, and he vowed that
the law would hunt down
the killers.
“We will not let this
cower us,” Perry said.
“Texas is alaw-and-order
state, and we will track
down and punish those
who have committed this
crime.”
To that end the FBI has
launched billboards
throughout Texas, Okla-
homa, Louisiana, Missis-
sippi and New Mexico
asking for tips, according
to the governor’s press of-
fice. The Outdoor Adver-
tising Association of Texas
donated the billboards,
and the reward money of-
fered by the governor is
funded through court fees
assigned to the Governor’s
Criminal Justice Division to
arrest fugitives.
In a further statement of
support for Kaufman
County’s estimated
107,000 residents, Perry
assured them the murders
of McLelland, 63, his wife,
65, and Hasse, 57, would
not go unavenged.
“ Words cannot describe
the shock and grief this
community has suffered
over the last several
months,” Perry said in the
press release.
“The criminals respon-
sible for these murders will
be caught, convicted and
will pay the price for these
horrific crimes. I have full
confidence that this inves-
Gov. Rick Perry
tigation will lead to the con-
viction of whoever perpe-
trated these insidious
crimes, and it is my hope
and expectation that these
rewards will help convince
those who may be holding
onto important information
to come forward,” Perry
said.
The governor’s words
likely provided some so-
lace for bewildered county
residents who are having
trouble making sense of
the crimes targeting the
District Attorney’s office.
“Why Kaufman?” said one
visitor to the courthouse
Monday. “Why are they
targeting Kaufman?”
Hasse was shot multiple
times in broad daylight in
downtown Kaufman.
McLelland was shot about
20 times and his wife once
the night of Good Friday.
The shootings may be con-
nected due to threats from
a white supremacist gang
known as the Aryan Broth-
erhood of Texas that
Kaufman County officials
helped prosecute.
The Kaufman County
District Attorney’s office
was one of about 20 agen-
cies threatened, according
to a Texas Department of
Public Safety report in De-
cember.
The Kaufman County
Sheriff’s Department,
which has distributed press
releases almost daily since
the McLellands were dis-
covered slain in their
Forney home on March
30, described the investi-
gation as a “collaborative
effort” between the Sher-
iff, Texas Rangers and
FBI. “The leadership of the
three agencies remains
committed to the current
structure and is working
together in all aspects of the
investigation,” according to
a statement, released this
week. “We are being as-
sisted by several other fed-
eral and state agencies in
a team effort to success-
fully investigate this case
and bring it to a resolu-
tion.”
The statement also con-
tradicted comments made
previously by a man who
identified himself as a
McLelland family friend
and spokesman for them.
Media reports quoted
Keller resident Chris
Heisler, founder of the
U. S. Honor Flag that now
has flown at the Kaufman
County Courthouse
twice, as saying the
McLelland family and
McLelland himself before
his death had character-
ized the investigation as
flawed.
Family members told
investigators the Keller
man’s comments were “in-
accurate
and unau-
thorized,”
according
to the
statement.
Late
Monday,
Heisler sent out a press
release of his own that in-
cluded copies of two e-
mails from Cynthia
McLelland’s side of the
family asking him to be a
family spokesman and
one from County Judge
Bruce Wood authorizing
him to handle all arrange-
ments for the McLellands
funeral.
Heisler said he hoped
the information would
“bring clarity“ to the con-
troversy that erupted.
“If comments made
anyone uneasy, please
accept our apology,”
Heisler said in the press
release.
Texas Crime Stoppers’
programs utilize the pub-
lic, law enforcement agen-
cies and the media to help
solve crimes. The pro-
gram accepts anonymous
tips, and rewards are paid
if the tip leads to arrests
or indictments.
Anyone with informa-
tion about the murders in
Kaufman County should
call Kaufman County
Crime Stoppers at 1-
877-TIPSKCC (1-877-
847-7522).
“We will not let this cower us,” Perry said. “Texas
is a law-and-order state, and we will track down
and punish those who have committed this crime.”
- Gov. Rick Perry
Continued from Page 1A
u
EHLERS LANDING
Creek lake parrot Head Club project
This Handicap Accessible Pishing Pier
is dedicated to the memory of
EDDIE OEHLERS
Jufy 12, 193ft tQlMLUary 26, 2668
ijMLuan
tttKjfit
^filers wan a man of conviction, character
tic spent his entire life helping improve his community «n<
idg those in need. He was a Navy Veteran,* PaUiot, and
muni tv Activist helping Veterans, the Disabled, and thus
in his community that needed help.
f .1.. ruat 1 >iL't> Pair
Monitor Photo/Phyllis Watson
Harrison Vaughan, 15,
cast out the first fishing
line following the
dedication of Oehlers
Landing at Tom Finley
Park Saturday. The
fishing pier is dedicated
to U.S. Veterans and is
wheelchair accessible.
On each side of the en-
trance a memorial concrete
platform is able to hold
bricks engraved with the
name of a veteran. The
Parrot Head Club of Ce-
dar Creek Lake is still of-
fering dedication bricks for
$50 each.
Sign
Continued from Page 1A
“I’ve talked with cities
that he does business with,
and they are happy with
him,” Boren said.
Boren said the agree-
ment he plans to negotiate
with the kiosk sign com-
pany would be a five-year
contract. The company,
which would be respon-
sible for all of the market-
ing, would propose a lo-
cation for one of the signs,
and city officials would de-
termine if it should be ap-
proved, he said.
In other business,
council members:
• approved the pur-
chase of two $1,000
sponsorships for the
Denim & Diamonds ben-
efit April 27 at the Cedar
Creek Country Club. The
event raises funds for the
Library at Cedar Creek.
Boren said the city has
participated in the past, it
is affordable and it is a
way for the city to support
the library.
• appointed Gary
Mabank wins three
DSM nominations
Monitor Staff Reports
MABANK-The Music
and Drama departments at
Mabank High School cel-
ebrated the recognition
won at this weekend’s sec-
ond annual Dallas Summer
Musicals awards compe-
tition.
Mabank ISD entered its
production of The Music
Man, along with 48 other
schools throughout 10
North Texas counties and
didn’t return empty-
handed.
Mabank High School’s
Will Beck won a nomina-
tion for best supporting
actor with his performance
of River City Mayor,
George Shinn. It’s anon-
singing role of a blustery,
self-important, yet savvy
politician, who never falls
for a con.
Nominations were also
won for Best Costume
design and Best Lighting
design.
Though the final
nomineeds for best actress,
actor and best musical was
announced MOnday on
Daybreak on WFAA-T V
(Channel 8), the winners
won’t be revealed until
May 7. The Tony Award-
style red-carpet ceremony
will take place at Fair Park
Music Flail with nominees
arriving in vintage cars.
Winners will receive a
five-day, all-expenses-
paid trip to New York City
this summer to study with
professional thespians and
compete in the National
High School Musical The-
ater Awards, also known
as the Jimmy Awards.
Others will win scholar-
ships totaling more than
$25,000. During the
awards program nominees
will be featured in a med-
ley of performances.
Last year, 29 north
Texas high schools partici-
pated in the program, in-
creasing to 49 this year.
Performances were
judged by a three-judge
panel of working profes-
sionals in entertainment,
arts or theater education,
evaluating each perfor-
mance and submitting bal-
lots that were tabulated by
an accourting firm for top
scoring teens and produc-
tions in each category
nominated as finalists.
Finalists for best musi-
cal included:
Damiano to the Economic
Development Corporation
(EDC) Board, Place 2, for
a six-month term to fill an
unexpired term. Mayor
Paul Eaton noted that
Damiano’s nomination
came with good recom-
mendations.
• heard a request from
the EDC board that indi-
vidual council members
take turns attending board
meetings so the two groups
could enjoy stronger com-
munication.
Monitor File Photo
Will Beck, as Mayor
George Shinn of River
City, wins nominee for
Best Supporting Actor at
the second annual Dallas
Summer Musicals
competition.
• Aledo HS for "Fiddler
on the Roof,"
• Denton HS for "Jeckyl
&Hyde,"
• Flower Mound HS
for "Crazy for You"
• JohnH. GuyerHS for
"Chicago"
• J.J. Pearce HS for
"Phantom of the Opera"
• Plano East HS for
"Hairspray"
• Richrdson HS for
"Anything Goes"
• Waxahachie HS for
"Hairspray"
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Cantrell, Pearl. The Monitor (Mabank, Tex.), Vol. 39, No. 69, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 11, 2013, newspaper, April 11, 2013; Mabank, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth627458/m1/4/: accessed June 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .