Rains County Leader (Emory, Tex.), Vol. 116, No. 26, Ed. 1 Tuesday, December 2, 2003 Page: 1 of 24
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Vol. 116, Issue 26 - 1 section, 16 pages, 2 inserts EMORY, TEXAS - TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2003
PRICE 500
NEWS BRIEFS
County jail now earning money
Point Christmas tree lighting
The Point Christmas tree lighting will be this Tuesday night,
Dec. 2. There will be treats and singing, and Santa Claus will make
his appearance. Don’t miss this exciting event in Point at the Point
Community Center at 7:00 p.m.
Wood-Rains USDA open house
On Thursday, December 4, from 10:00 a m. to 3:00 p.m. the
Wood-Rains County Farm Serv ice Agency, Natural Resources Con-
servation Service and Soil Conservation District will hold their
annual open house at the Wood-Rains USDA Service Center, locat-
ed at 1022 E. Goode St. in Quitman We invite everyone to come
enjoy the holiday festivities and leam more about the things avail-
able through our office
Tawakoni AARP to meet Dec. 4
The Greater Lake Tawakoni AAKP Chapter 4522 will hold its
monthly meeting on December 4 at Bedwell’s Catfish Inn in West
Tawakoni at 7:00 p.m. The annual < hnstmas party with exchange of
gifts will be held, plus the installation of officers for the coming
year Call 903-356-3468 or 903-447-4029 for details
B> CAROLYN HILI.
Rains C ounty I cjuicrutatT
What a change!
Last year Rains County was
paying other counties to house
its overflow prisoners This year
the expanded Rains County Jail
is making money by housing
prisoners from another county.
Van Zandt County Sheriff R
P. “Pat" Barnett reported to his
commissioners court about a
month ago that the Texas Com-
mission on Jail Standards had
cited the jail for overcrowding
and that some twenty prisoners
would have to be boarded out
Rains County Sheri IT Richard
Wilson presented a contract to
the Rains County Commis-
sioners Court for approval at its
meeting November 24 to house
Van Zandt County inmates at the
rate of $40 00 per day
Sheriff Wilson reported Mon-
day morning. December I, that
the county jail population was at
42 prisoners with I4 being from
Van Zandt County.
At $40.00 per day times 14
prisoners, Wilson quickly fig-
ured the jail had earned $560
Monday . I hat computes to
almost $4,000 per week
If the number of prisoners
boarded averages only I0 per
day by the end of this fiscal
year, September 30. 2004. it
could mean over $121,000 in
revenue for the county
In the fourteen months from
October 1. 2001, to December
2002, when the new jail expan-
sion opened, Rains County spent
over $79,000 housing prisoners
The drawback, if there is one,
to boarding the prisoners is that
none of the money paid by Van
Zandt County can be spent this
fiscal year and all the expenses
associated with the additional
prisoners, such as food and sup-
plies, must be paid this fiscal
year
Since no funds from out-of-
county pnsoner boarding were
budgeted as revenue for FY
2003-2004, no funds collected
for that service can be spent this
fiscal year The money paid by
Van Zandt County will go into
the general fund to be budgeted
during FY 2004-2005
Sheriff Wilson has made the
Rains County Commissioners
Court aware that Ins budget will
most likely be overspent and
additional funds will need to be
transferred before the end of the
fiscal year
At this time the Van Zandt
County Commissioners Court
has taken no formal action on
plans to expand the current jail
facility or build a new facility
With an additional ten prison-
ers from I DC’s Johnson Unit in
Winnsboro in the county Mon-
day working on and remodeling
various countv buildings, Wil-
son expected to feed s2 inmates
at the noon meal
Local named Ag Extension Agent
Family pictures for the holidays
Family pictures for the holidays will be taken on Saturday,
Dec. 6, from 10:00 a m to 6:00 p m at Southwest Rains Volunteer
Fire Department, located on I’M 47 one mile from the Tawakoni
dam. Sittings will be $30 with as many people as you want plus a
free 11x14. There will be a special visit from Santa Come join the
fun. For more information, call 903-560-9334 or 903-598-2302
Lone Oak Christmas Bazaar
On December 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m the Women's
Auxiliary Ministry of Lone Oak Assembly of God Church will host
its first Christmas Bazaar. There will be gifts, food and fellowship
Come out and see the Christmas items at Hwy 69 North in Lone
Oak. For mote information, call 903-662-5533.
East Tawakoni Christmas Parade
The East Tawakoni Christmas Parade will be Saturday. Dec 6
Line-up will be at 4:00 p.m at the East Tawakoni Civic Center The
theme for this year is “The Night Before Christmas ’’ Anyone wish-
ing to participate can contact Tammy Ross at 903-598-2058 or Dal-
las Patterson at 903-447-5125. All entries are welcome
Lone Oak Parade of Homes
The third annual Lone Oak Area Public Library’s Parade of
Homes will be held December 7 from 2:00 to 5:00 p m Tickets are
$5 and may be purchased from any board member or at the door of
each home The homes on tour are Linton and Robbie Moseley,
Dustin and LeAnn Oliver, Scott and Phyllis Mahand, Robert “Bo"
and Ethel Sexton and Norma Hodge Refreshments will he served at
the new library oft' Hwy. 69 on Jones St. Make plans to attend and
support the library
Rains County LAN Board meeting
A meeting of the Rains County LAN Board will he held Mon-
day, December 8. at 3:30 p.m. at the Rains County Public Library
Emory Christmas Parade Dec. 8
Christmas will be here before you know it. and that means it’s
time for the Rains County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Christ-
mas parade on December 8 Line-up begins at 6 00 at Green Acres
Nursing Home, and the parade starts at 7:00 p.m. Cash prizes ot
$75, $50 and $25 will be awarded to the top floats, so plan now to
have an entry in this year’s parade Afterwards. Santa will be on the
courthouse square to take requests from the kids. I lie annual tree-
lighting ceremony will also take place on the courthouse square fol-
lowing the parade
Christmas Around the Square
It’s that time of the year again Christmas Around the Square
will be held on December 8 Set-up time will be at 8:00 am. and
sales will continue until parade time A booth will be set up to drop
off canned goods for the Good Samaritans pantry Vendors should
call the Texas Cooperative Extension office at 903-473-2412 to
reserv e a site Each site will cost $10. Also, if you need electricity,
please let them know when you call Last year Christmas Around
the Square was rained out. so if it rains this year, Christmas Around
the Square w ill be held at the Rains County Fairgrounds. If you need
additional information, you may call the Extension office
Rains Family Christmas Dec. 13
Booths are now being reserved for the Rains Family Christmas,
which will be held Saturday, Dec I3, from 9:00 a m to 12:00 noon
The cost to rent a booth is SI0 Booth applications are available at
all Rains school offices You mav also call Addv Johnson at 903-
473-9548
Lake Country holiday luncheon
The Lake Country Neighbors invites everyone to a holiday
luncheon at Donna Smith's house on Thursday. December II. at
11:30. Bring a wrapped Christmas item, no mote than $5 in value,
for a fun gift exchange Please bring a potluck dish, drinks, and
dessert will be provided This month we are contributing new socks
in ail sizes for those students in need at Lone Oak Schools Addi-
tionally. we are supporting the Angel Tree for the residents at Green
Acres Nursing Home The Angel Tree is set up at Emory City Hall,
stop by and pick out your Angel The w rapped gifts can be delivered
back to City Hall by December 15 before 4 30 p.m. or bnng them to
Donna's house at 1708 RSCR '503 Directions to Donna's house
are as follows Take Hwv. 19 N from Emory Go 5-12 miles and
cross over Lake Fork to top of hill Turn nght on CR 3325 Take the
right fork toward North Shores on CR 3500. Go half a mile till you
see a second fork in the road and veer left onto CR 3503 You’ll end
up at a cul de sac and the house is on the nght with 1708 on the
mailbox Please RSVP to Donna at 903-473-5124
see NEWS BRIEFS pafie 2
STEPHEN GOWIN
llv < AROIAN till I
K,tuts ('ounty I i .itlcr al.ill
He may be new to the job. but
make no mistake. Stephen
Gowin is no stranger to Rains
County
Gowin, who was horn and
reared in Rains County, was
recently approved by the com-
missioners court as the new
le\a> Cooperative Extension
Agent Agricultural Division
for Rams County He still lives
here, m Emory, with his wife.
Ken Wallace Gowin, and iwo
young daughters, Aubrey, 3, and
Av ery, I
following Ins graduation
from Rains High School in
1991. (iowiii earned his bache-
lor's degree at East Texas Stale
University (now Texas A&M-
Commerce) in 1995 and his
master’s degree from Texas
AAiM-Commerce in 2001 His
first assignment with the Exten-
sion Service was as an assistant
agent i„ Bowie County. In 1998
he took his present job in Hum
County as ( ounty Agent m
charge of 4-H and new develop-
ments
lie will assume his duties in
Rains County on Monday. De
eemher 15
While in Hunt County.
Gowin’s interests have centered
around youth activ ities and cur
riculum-enrichment programs
such as a mobile dairy class-
room. tabletop miniature cotton
gin. and fishing programs, pro-
grams which he hopes to en
hance in Rams County He has
already done enough research to
know that there are about 1.400
youths m Rams County that .ire
4-H Club age
Gowin will pick up where
long-time former County Agent
Kenneth Neinasi left elfin serv-
ing the ranchers ami farmers m
the county “T here are several
programs offered through A AM
University that we would like to
offer," (lowm said "We need
adult education in beef cattle
We have a lot of people moving
in who are on five to twenty
acres that would be interested in
a small farm program "
In addition, he sees a growing
need for adult programs hi horti-
culture "I his area has grown up
with a lot of houses and homes
and the needs of the community
are changing." he said He
would like to see seminars and
workshops m landscaping and
gardening for homeowners
He explained the process of
creating a program of local
interest comes from volunteer
committees that suggest topics
The topics might be landscape,
landscape design, forages or
many others
However, (iow in believes that
the main thing is to get the 4-H
youth structure in the countv
built up and active He would
like to see more participation in
livestock judging and othet
judging contests, demonstration
contests, gardening, and horti-
culture
He would also like to see
some hunting and fishing pro-
grams for the youth Gowin is an
avid angler and hunter He is a
certified 4-H sport fishing
see l (H Al./»agi t
Christmas
food drive
needs more
donations
With inst a tew weeks remain-
ing m tlu* Spirit of Christina*
Food Drive, more donations are
needed to help tlu- I2,(K)U fam-
ilies targeted to receive assis-
tance ihi' year I he food drive
ends December 21
"Donations have been coming
in steadily, but we need more
help to reach all those in need,"
said Mark Brookshire, presi-
dent-marketing group for
Brookshire Grocery Co
All food collected within the
Emory area is distributed to
families in the Emory area
Brookshire Grocery Co will
donate at least one roasting hen
to each family assisted through
the food drive Last year the
company provided more than
I4,(M)() hens
I lie drive, sponsored by
Brookshire's Footl Store .is well
as service organizations, includ-
ing Helping Hands Ministry of
Emory, helps families in lexas,
I ouisiana, Arkansas and Mis-
sissippi who otherwise would
not have enough to eat during
the holiday season
‘•Statistically, more people go
hungry the week after ('hnstmas
than any other time," Brookshire
said "We are trying to provide
enough food to gel them through
that week "
Donations may be made by
placing non perishable food
items m (lie designated contain-
ers at the tront of participating
Brookshire’s food Store Items
in glass jars and homemade
goods are not accepted Bulk
items, such as Hour and com
meal, should be donated in
smaller quantities
Members of the Helping
Hands Ministry of Emory will
collect, sort, package and deliv-
er the food to the recipients
before Christmas
Deuell chosen for senate
select committee on water
I photo by F ARt HI l
A REDUCTION IN THE SPEED LIMIT from 60 mph to 50 mph took
place Wednesday Nov 24. on State Highway 69 m Emory Driver
who now approach the FM 515/Hwy 69 intersection, traveling from
east to west should take note of the speed reduction Emory TxDOT
employees Dean Gatlin (left) and Jason Dale replaced the new
speed limit sign
AUST IN State Senator Bob
Deuell. R-(ireenville. has been
named to the Senate Select
Committee on Water Policy.
Lieutenant Governor David
Dew hurst announced today The
newiy formed committee will
study issues regarding Texas’
management and policy con-
cerning ground and surface
water resources
"I know of no issue more
important to the future of Eaa
Texas than water." Deuell said
“It has been a pnonty for me
both as a candidate and since I
took office in January
“I appreciate the Lieutenant
Governor placing this confi-
dence in me and allowing me to
be a voice for Fast Texas on this
comm 11 tee "
Among the select commit-
tee's specific charges as they
relate to the management and
policy concerning ground and
surface water are the role of
federal, state, regional, and local
governments in setting consis-
tent water policies, the authority
of the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality over
water contracts, the role of the
Edwards Aquifer Authority; the
role of groundwater conserva-
tion districts, the regional water
planning process, the conjunc-
tive use of both ground and sur-
face witter resources, the rule of
capture, histone use standards,
water infrastructure and financ-
ing, interbasin transfers, junior
water nghts, conservation, water
quality siandards, drought pre-
paredness and water marketir^ ■'
In an effon to ensure an abun-
see DH FI I page 3
i
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Hill, Earl Clyde, Jr. Rains County Leader (Emory, Tex.), Vol. 116, No. 26, Ed. 1 Tuesday, December 2, 2003, newspaper, December 2, 2003; Emory, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth765946/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rains County Library.