The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, April 18, 1986 Page: 1 of 4
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Herd buyout cost set near $10 million
By BOBBY BURNEY
.'.Y.
$50,000 a year per former dairyman.
Under the terms of the federal
contract, the dairymen are required
to sell off their entire female herd for
Almost $10 million will be paid out slH1Jghter or export.
?e bids were accebted in ^ so ^ m nex* ^ months to
with those regulations. Under
was about 621 million pounds of milk. The government received more
Bfds from 376 Texas dairy farmers than 105,700 bids from dairy farmers
were accepted, which means nearly across the country with the price per
55,000 Texas cows, producing more hundredweight ranging from $3.40 to
than 16 percent of the state’s milk, more than $1,000.
mination Program^
to Jerry Epting,
ector of the local ASCS,
the five-year period will
3.75 to the 40 dairymen
not to engage in corn-
production during that
flvpraf,p« nut to about
the most current census, Hopkins
County had 58,000 to 60,000 head of
dairy cattle.
The contract base for the bids
accepted was for 57.69 million pounds
of Hopkins County-produced milk that
will be taken off the market for each
of the next five years. Last year’s
production for Hopkins County cows
will be slaughtered or exported in the
next year and a half as part of the $1.8
billion dollar federal program.
The average bid price by Texas
farmers was slightly above national
average at $14.93 per hundredweight
and payments to farmers in the state
are expected to total $95.86 million.
According to Secretary of
Agriculture Richard E. Lyng, the
total number of cows to be
slaughtered nationwide is more than
951,600.
The government Accepted 13,988
bids from farmers producing roughly
8.7 percent of the nation’s milk with
maximum price of $22.50 per hun-
dredweight. The average cost
nationwide will be $14.88.
In exchange for selling their cows to
the government, the dairy farmers
taking part in the program will be
required to stay out of the dairy
business for the next five years.
The program is designed to reduce
production in the country by 12.12
billion pounds over the next 18
months. —
To offset the impact on the beef
market due to the increased slaughter
of dairy cattle, Lyng also said the
USDA will begin purchasing 400
million pounds of red meat.
These purchases will be in addition
to quantities of red meat normally
purchased for distribution to the
school lunch program and other
domestic feeding programs.
“Of the 400 million pounds to be
purchased,” Lyng said, “200 million
pounds will be donated to domestic
non-profit charitable institutions for
camps for children and to other child
nutrition programs including the
school lunch program. The remaining
200 million pounds will be exported.”
Lyng said that in deciding which
buyout bids to accept, consideration
was given to maintaining a cost basis
equivalent to what it would cost to
purchase, store and handle the sur-
plus dairy products from 100 pounds
of milk for one year in the absense of
such a program.
Milk production across the country
reached an all-time high in 1985 with
143.1 billion pounds being produced.
The government *currently buys
the needy, to nutrition programs for roughly 10 percent of that total in
the elderly, to non-profit summer surplus to maintain milk prices.
Sfje Hopkins titatntfg SrJjar
(ABSORBED THE GAZETTE CIRCULATION BY PURCHASE MAY 12, 1928)
VOl. Ill—NO. It.
SULPHUR SPRINGS, TEXAS, FRIDAY, APRIL 18, T986.“*
4 PAGES - 25 CENTS PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
4!
'-'pi * r
Ld\1
« —
New zoning plan
gains council OK
-r ......._
Dairy Festival contestants
cTi ,
Ten high school juniors are scheduled to
compete for this year's title of Dairy
Festival Queen 1986 at the pageant which is
set for Saturday, May 10, at 7 p.m. in the
Civic Center. Contestants this year include,
seated left, Penni Rowell, Kim Blount, Eva
Bain and Gina Sidebottom; back left, Jimmi
Bell, Suzanne Glover, Meredith Jennings,
Jennifer Fuhrmann, Sandy Woodard and
Leta Boles.
Staff Photo by Ann McAdams
By MICHAEL PELRINE
After months of public debate,
years of planning and tens of
thousands of dollars in consulting
fees, the City Council Tuesday night
approved a new, semi-restrictive-
zoning ordinance, the first zoning law
since 1956.
“More hours have been put into this
issue than any other single issue in
the history of this city on the Planning
and Zoning Commission," Mayor
David Baucom said. “I think for the
first Li nr vt he Planning and Zoning
Commission will become not just a
zomng'hearing body but will actually
be part of the planning function
“To the people who have come
down here ... and have stated their
positions ... we are appreciative, too.
We had to offer combat pay several
times to people on the commission
but we never had to offer any purple
hearts.
"I think we finally have an or-
dinance here for this city that for
many years to come we will see good
things come from it.”
The ordinance is a compromise of
one proposed in the city's Develop-
ment Management Manual passed in
June 1985 and the one that has existed
in the city since 1956. The former
ordinance, passage of which was
delayed last year awaiting com-
pletion of accompanying zoning
maps, was restrictive to extent that
no uses in a given district would be
allowed in another district. It differed
from the existing ordinance in that
the latter allowed lower density uses,
such as single family homes, in
higher density districts, such as
commercial or industrial properties.
City officials, when the plan was
first proposed, explained that a
restrictive plan was needed to an-
ticipate and prepare for growth, in
terms of the cost of providing ser-
vices such as water and sewer and in
terms of making the most effective
use of land for drainage.
Opposition to the plan began to
stiffen last fall, after the city sent
notices to property owners informing
It's time to plan ways to move Cooper water
Br CLARKE KEYS
Engineering studies should begin
this sunimer on how best to utilize the
allocation of water for the Sulphur
River Municipal Water District in
Cooper Reservoir, that agency's
president said Friday.
"There is so much that has to be
thought about and done before the
water is' actually used," Walter
Helm, one of two Sulphur Springs
representatives on the SRMWD
board, told The News-Telegram.
The district — which is a state-
authorized agency representing the
cities of Sulphur Springs, Cooper and
Commerce — is the official con-
tracting unit for 71,750 acre feet of
water storage in Cooper Reservoir
That represents about 26.3 percent of
the water earmarked in the project
for municipal and industrial use.
Other contract holders are the
North Texas Municipal Water
District and the City of Irving.
"The time has come to see what it's
going to take to be able to use this
water," Helm said in an interview,
noting that clearing on the dam site
across the South Sulphur River will
begin this summer, likely in June
Construction on a segment of the dam
itself could begin in January, \1987.
“We will have a joint meeting with
all participants within the next 30
days," he added. “I think we should
hire an engineer to advise us on the
most economical way to handle our
water needs."
Helm said that the district itself
and its member cities must weigh a
number of possibilities.”
Robert Ardis concedes,-
. I ' n' ' v ,
Bill McCool is winner
Bill McCool will be sworn in as a
member of the City Council May 6
after Robert Ardis conceded the
election Thursday.
McCool and Ardis, the incumbent,
were slated for the runoff after each
failed to win a majority in Saturday's
city elections.
Ardis issued a withdrawal
statement to the City Council during
the canvassing of election returns
Thursday morning, making a runoff
election unnecessary, City Secretary
Sharon Ricketson said.
Ardis received 316 votes while
McCool garnered 615. The third man
in the race, Billy Burney, received
308vote6.
The statement issued by”Ardis cited
several reasons for his withdrawal:
— Plans to move out of the city
limits soon, making it unfair to the
voters if he resigned before com-
pleting another term.
— Need for more time to devote to a
demanding law practice.
— Currently serves as board
president for Northeast Texas In-
dustries Sheltered Workshop, which
is growing rapidly, and feels an
obligation to spend more time with
the facility;
Ardis stated: “I considered the
consequences of my not being on the
council and what the results would be
if Bill McCool took my council seat. I ’
cannot see any bad consequences.... 1
know (McCool) to be smart and. a
hard worker and expect that he will
be a good city councilman and work
to provide the best for all of the
citizens of Sulphur Springs. ’ ’
Ardis stated that he had entered the
recent city election with "a great deal
of uncertainty,” and that he was
“certain” he needed to withdraw.
The current City Council, which
consists of David Baucom, J.O.
Walker, Stephen Bonner, Norman
Bedford, Robert Ardis, Robert Cook
and Margin Latham, will meet for its
final session Tuesday, April 15.
Ronald Lununus, who won election
to the council in Saturday's election,
and McCool will be sworn into City-
Council seats at the May 6 meeting
Lunimas will be replacing Baucom.
Ricketson also reported that the
election canvass confirmed the initial
results reported in the Monday, April
7, issue of The News-Telegram.
McCool and Ardis were unavailable
for comment at presstime. „
He said he doubted that the district
itself would be large enough to
process and distribute treated water.
“I don't know who we would ship all
-the water to,” he said. But he added
that should be one of the alternatives
examined.
“I would like*to see about getting
the water out of the lake in
cooperatflon with the other agencies
(NTMWD and Irving)," Helm added.
“They will have to have a huge
pumping plant at the lake and it may-
be we could work with them to get the
raw water out and it would
cheaper than if we did it ourselves.
In such a case each of the district's
cities might take its share of raw-
water from that central pumping
station, he noted.
Helm added that while there has
been some talk that Cooper might no
longer be interested in its participant
share, he hopes that Delta County-
community will remain involved.
"We will talk about all these,
things," he said. "EJach participant
should share the expense of
engineering on the basis of the water
allotment ”
The district contractually will
likely have to begin making
payments on its initial water allot-
ment some 30 days after "deliberate
impoundment," that point when the
dam is closed. The district has rights
to 17,750 acre feet of "initial ^use”
water, with the additional 54,000 acre
feet earmarked for use — and
payment — beginning 10 years after
impoundment begins.
“It’s going to take money,” Helm
said.
"That's why I think the city should
start setting up reserves for water
lines, easements and whatever it
takes to bring water into-Sulphur
Springs so we will not have to come
up with the money in one year.
“And the county should start set-
ting up reserves for expenses for
roads into the lake area," Helm
added.
“But the first thing that must be
done is to plan the outlet works in the
reservoir. The time is going to be
shorter than many people think ” (
them of changes in the, city’s zoning
structure.•
Many of those opposed to a
restrictive form of zoning said such a
plan would lower property values or
would limit what someone could do
with his(her) property.
The City Council extended
deliberation on the ordinance in
December 1985 to allow the Planning
and Zoning Commission to in-
corporate provisions into the or-
dinance that would alleviate some of
the concerns expressed by property
owners.
Among the compromises was a
change from the severely restrictive
plan, as originally proposed, to a
semi-restrictive plan that broke
property down into three basic use
catagories — residential, com-
mercial and industrial. Within those
catagories were several districts of
different densities, and cumulative
uses were allowed among the
districts. Also, a limited amount of
"cross-over” was allowed between
catagories (i.e. some residential uses
in commercial districts and some
commercial uses in industrial
districts).
The names of the districts were
changed from the old ordinance, and
four so-called future districts were
included that will not be applied
unless land is annexed that would
most appropriately be zoned in one of
the new districts or a property owner
requests one of those districts.
Councilman-elect Bill McCool, who
in the past has been one of the most
out-spoken opponents of a restrictive
zonng plan, said at the meeting he felt
Comfortable with the zoning or-
dinance. However, he pointed out a
potential problem with one of the
future districts — Neighborhood
Retail, a district that provides for
certain types of commercial activity
(mostly the so-called convenience -o
store) in or near residential areas. He
said, because the ordinance has no
guidelines for the application of the
district, it would be difficult to deny
other uses within that district.
McCool was assured by the council
and by members of the Planning and
Zoning Commission, Larry Willmann
and Joe Dan Kennedy, who were at
the meeting, that the NR district
would be confined to the uses
enumerated for that district only.
iomo-Pickton trustees
iame new baseball field
The new baseball field in Como-
Pickton will be named “Eagle Field”
following action Tuesday night by the
school district’s board of trustees.
A special opening ceremony is
scheduled at 6 p.m. Friday, April 25.
In other business, the board ap-
proved a summer library program
which calls for the library to be open
from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Tuesdays,
Wednesdays and Thursdays for 10
weeks of the summer. The library
will be open to the public under the
direction of Carolyn McCain,
librarian, and Debbie Thomas,
library aid.
Superintendent Gary Minter an-
nounced to the board members the
district winners of the school's golf
and tennis teams.
In tennis, Scott Moss and Ricky
Bennett placed third in the varsity
division of boys doubles, while Dave
Mowat and Greg McCain placed third
in boys doubles in the junior varsity
division. Kim Andress and Janue
Harris placed third in the junior
varsity division of girl's doubles.
In golf, the boys team placed
second while the girls team captured
first, enabling both teams to advance
to the regional level.
Human chain may still
stretch through city
\
The plan to have an office in Sulphur Springs for the Hands Across
America Project seems to be fading away, but the human chain is still
expected to go through the city, according to local project organizer
Cathy Hague.
“I'm still waiting for the final word from Dallas,” Hague said. “It
seems they have decided to coordinate all of the organizers in Northeast
Texas into one office in Mount Pleasant.”
A man, who wished to remain anonymous, claiming to have been the
person who offered to donate Yiffice space and telephone lines in Sulphur
Springs, contacted The News-Telegram Sunday and said that the
national office of Hands Across 'America would not approve an office
here.
Hague said the decision was based on a need to cut costs as much as
possible and led to a tenative decision to have a central office in Mount
Pleasant.
She said she is still uncertain what the final plans of the main office
are. In the meantime, she is continuing to operate out of her home.
Hands Across America is a project of USA (United Support of Artits)
for Africa, and is designed to raise money in a effort to eradicate hunger
and homelessness in America. Donations of $10. $25 and $35 will secure a
place in the 4.000-riiile chain that will stretch from Los Angeles to New
York City. Anyone interested in getting p place in line or volunteering
time to the project, may contact Hague at 945-2398
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Keys, Clarke & Hillsamer, Dave. The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, April 18, 1986, newspaper, April 18, 1986; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth775679/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.