The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 30, Ed. 1 Friday, July 25, 1986 Page: 1 of 4
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• K
®Jje Hopki ns (Comtfg Ecljer
(ABSORBED THE GAZETTE CIRCULATION BY PURCHASE MAY 12, 1928)
-NO. 30.
SULPHUR SPRINGS, TEXAS, FRIDAY. JULY 25. 1986.
4 PAGES -25 CENTS PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
•motives
de at
crossing
Two railroad employees ap-
parently escaped serious injury when
two trains collided at the Texas Street
railroad crossing Thursday morning.
Jerry Turner, 37, and Glenn Wise,
4Q, both of Greenville and both
Kansas City Southern Railroad
employees sustained minor cuts and
abrasions and were treated and
released from the hospital.
The 71-car train they were in
collided with a local switching
locomotive at the Texas Street
railroad crossing at about 8:30 a.m.
Thursday
Turner and Wise were engineers on
the KCS train that was headed for
Shreveport from Greenville.
Lloyd Voss, the brakeman on the
local locomotive, said he didn't know
how the accident happened He said
there is no scheduled right of way on
that stretch of track
larrv Nation, conductor on the
KCS train, declined comment on the
incident.
Ao ording to Yen Grundei, con-
ductor on the\ local switcher
locomotive, the iV'ident was ex-
tremely unusual
I don't believe there's been an
accident around here like this one in
about 20 years or so," Grundei said.
He said the local locomotive was on
its way to the Associated Milk
Producers Inc. plant to pick Up some
t ars for a delivery The locomotive
was not pulling any cars at the time of
the collision
Grundei added that the local
switching office was not aware that
the KCS tram was on its way through
town
Train wreck
Fire Marshall Charles Bolding examines the damage to two
locomotives that collided at the Texas Street railroad
crossing Thursday morning where two railroad employees
escaped serious injury. The Kansas City Southern Railroad
Company locomotive to the left was pulling about 70 cars
from Greenville to Shreveport. The locomotive on the right
was a local switcher. The incident is under investigation.
—Staff Photo by Ann McAdams
G V Hughes has been elected as
the 1987 President of the Chamber of
Commerce Board of Directors, filling
the position vacated by president-
elect James Murray, who recently
retired as plant manager for Rock-
well International and moved to
Michigan
We've had excellent leadership
from Ike Harper, the current
* president, and his board members,"
Hughes told The News-Telegram
We have a strong foundation that
has been built in 85-86, and I'm
looking forward to a very successful
year in 86-87." he added
Hughes, who serves as a vice
president for Sulphur Springs State
Bank, will finish out the year as
president-elect and treasurer and w ill
take the office of president in
January 1987
The board appointed Cynthia Goff,
manager of General Telephone, to
complete Murray's unexpired term
on the board
In ether business at the Chamber
Board of Directors meeting Thursday
morning, a special presentation was
made by Jimmy Jones, who gave the
chamber a model wagon tram in
memory of his fathers James-Jongs.- ■■
GOP selects Ham
as sheriff hopeful
Hopkins County Republican Party
Chairman Marvjn Gregory has an-
nounced that the party executive
committee has selected Tom Ham as
its candidate for sheriff in the
November general election
"We are pleased and proud to have
chosen a man with such outstanding
qualifications and experience as Tom
Ham," Gregory said. "We’re honored
to have Tom on our ticket.”
Ham, 54, has a 32-year background
in law enforcement. He retired as a
senior special agent for the U.S.
Customs Service. While in Arizona,
he was in charge of the U.S. Customs'
internal affairs for the state.
He has experience as a border
-Tom Ham
patrolman and supervisor, and he has
served with the Drug Enforcement
Administration.
"All of these duties will fit in quite
well here," he said. "I believe I'm
very capable of performing the duties
and responsibilities of the position of
sheriff of Hopkins County."
Ham said he has no changes in
mind for the sheriffs department, as
yet.
"I’ll need to appraise the sheriff’s
office and make a statement later if I
think anything could be done dif-
ferently,” he said.
Gregory said the party executive
committee did not need to inform the
secretary of state about its selection
of Ham as candidate, and there was
no filing fee for the race.
"We feel, with Tom’s background,
we have an outstanding candidate to
offer the people of Hopkins County,"
Gregory added.
Roofing work
is main topic
A progress report on a new roof for
the Hopkins County Civic Center will
be given during a regular meeting at
7 p.m Thursday of the Civic Center’s
board of directors
The County Commissioners Court
has advertised for bids for three
different types of roots in an effort to
find u material which best meets the
Civic Center's needs
Lee announces
major cutback
By MICHAEL PELRINE
Hughes wins Chamber post
The wagon will be displayed in the
chamber office until the board can
decide whether or not it will be
donated to the Hopkins County-
Museum. Harper said.
The chamber will host a special
reception for Karol Ann Kelty. Miss
Sulphur Springs and 1986 Miss Texas
Top 10 Finalist, on Thursday. July 24,
from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m in the Com-
munity Rooifi of Sulphur Springs
State Bank.
The board accepted the following
new members: Sheriff Mark
.Bassham. Jackie Boles, Hopkins
County Republican:j^artpLiecL Jones
Insulating Co. Inc., lake Fork
Estates, Pet Palace, Sulphur Springs
Law Enforcement Association,
Wendy's, A Command Performance,
Playschool & Kindergarten Inc.,
Grace Baptist Church, Paradise Do-
Nuts, Rapid Sign & Decal Co. and
Merchants Gift Check Book.
The board heard reports from
County Extension Agent Janie Crump
on Dairy Month activities and the
committee currently searching for a
rural beauty spot to be the recipient
of the Shannon Carpenter Award at
the January bdhquet.
Reports were also heard con-
cerning the recent hearing on East
Texas State University, the Cooper
I-ake celebration and the progress of
a chamber-produced economic
development film.
It's Kenley's
final meeting
Hopkins County Memorial Hospital
Administrator Glenn Kenley will
participate in his last hospital board
meeting Thursday night, and the
board is expected to discuss in
executive session a possible 'suc-
cessor to Kenley.
Kenley submitted his resignation in
May, effective July 31. Kenley said
Wednesday the board will "probably
go into executive session to discuss
applicants for the administrative
position," at their 7:30 p.m. session.
In other action, the board is ex-
pected to act on an application from
Dr. James Longino, pediatrician, and
requests from two Quitman doctors
who have been recommended by the
medical staff for privileges in
assisting in surgery, Kenley said
A review of financial statements,
bills and uncollected debts is also
scheduled by the hospital board
Corporate representatives of the
H.D. Lee Company, blaming over-
production in a shrinking denim
market, has announced the layoff of
200 employees and the closing of
16,000 square feet of factory space at
its Sulphur Springs operation.
"This will be a permanent layoff,
as opposed to a seasonal ad-
justment,”' Lee’s Vice President for
Industrial Relations A.F. Ahnemann
told The News-Telegram.
Ahnemann said the decision to
layoff about 200 employees and close
down a portion of the plant was made
last Wednesday, July 16. Layoffs are
expected to take place around August
8.
"We’re downsizing the production
capabilities of Iae Manufacturing,”
Ahnemann said. "The denim market
as a whole is down. So we’re down-
sizing to match the demand for
denim."
Ahnemann claimed some of Lee's
competitors, like Iavi Strauss & Co.,
are taking similar measures.
He said the Lee plant in Huntsville,
Ala., was completely closed down
July 3.
Employees here were notified
Monday of Lee’s intentions.
Ahnemann said corporate
representatives met with employees
and local representatives of the
United Garment Workers of America
most of Monday morning to negotiate
some of the terms of the layoff.
The national headquarters of
UGWA was also notified. Ahnemann
said. "They were saddened,”
Ahnemann said of the UGWA’s
reaction. "This has been happening
all over the nation.”
I-aid off employees will receive no
severence pay or any other benefits,
but they do have recall rights,
Ahnemann said. If someone who is
still working at the plant quits, then
the company will recall someone who
had been laid off
Ahnemann said the company is
willing to help laid off employees
relocate if any are interested in doing
so, but he added he doesn't expect
many to relocate.
Iiocal UGWA chapter President
Mary Skelton said she and the rest of
the chapter's eight-member
executive committee negotiated
primarily to preserve the jobs of the
most senior employees.
There’s not a whole lot you can
ask for in a lavoff," Skelton said, "If
this was a shutdown it would be
different."
She added that a representative of
UGWA International is prepared to
negotiate further if the international
headquarters gives the go-ahead.
Skelton, a 20-year Lee employee,
said the local union chapter has about
188 members, but "we negotiate for
all employees, since all of us have the
same benefits."
Local Lee plant general manager
Rex Hargrave said the layoffs will be
across the board and will be based
solely on seniority. Layoffs will in-
clude proportionate numbers from
general labor and from management.
The 200 people to be laid off
represent a payroll of about $2.4
million annually, Hargrave said, and
their absence will pare down the work
force from about 510 to 310 employees
by August 8.
Production at the Sulphur Springs
plant will be cut back by about 50
percent, Hargrave said, from 13,800
units daily to 7,000: but Ahnemann
said production cutbacks company-
wide will not be nearly that
significant.
Skelton said, “We’re going by how-
many people we’ll need to meet the
7,000 unit quota. That could be less
than 310 people.”
Asked whether she knew of the
layoffs before Monday, Skelton said,
“We had heard rumors for quite some
time. We’ve been watching the
economy, and we knew something
was going to happen.”
Ahnemann estimated 16,000 square
feet of factory space will be closed
down, and that space may be used by
the VF (Vanity Fair) Factory Outlet
store that currently occupies space
in the rear of the plant. VF Factory
Outlet and Lee Manufacturing are
separate subsidiary companies of the
VF Corporation headquartered in
Reading, Pa.
On a break outside the Lee plant on
Radio Road Monday, Lee Co. em-
ployee Wanda Lindley said, “I guess
I’ll sit and wait and see what hap-
pens. I sure don’t want to lose my job.
Unemployment (compensation)
these days isn’t worth two cents.”
HON construction
is on schedule'
By CLARKE KEYS
A presence of The HON Company in
Sulphur Springs is already in a
promotional! stage and will begin to
increase in the coming weeks,
company officials noted here Wed-
nesday.
Dennis Boyle, manager of the new
Sulphur SpYings facility, and Gordon
Marshall, HON Southwest Region
Manager, briefed Chamber of
Commerce, industrial and financial
representatives on progress of the
HON development at a luncheon
meeting.
"We have a time frame to begin
shipments from the distribution
portion of our facility Oct. 15," Boyle
said. "Some things have to fall in line
and some are getting tight, but we are
on schedule."
Actual production at the local plant
is scheduled to begin next March, and
thus far that forecast point appears in
order as well, Boyle added.
Construction on the new facility for
the office furniture manufacturing
firm, located on Loop 301 opposite the
municipal airport, is on schedule,
according to the general contractor,
Joe Moore.
""'’SdarshSffp#h© directs comp&j^-
operations in Texas.-Oklahorna and
Louisiana," ' said that the firm is
already making its customers aware
of the Sulphur Springs addition to the
supply and production facilities.
"For example, we > are already
pricinf’freight rates as if the Sulphur
Springs plant is in operation,” he
said.
Marshall said that part of the
promotion by the company will be
that the firm not only is locating in
Sulphur Springs, but that Sulphur
Springs offers a labor market with
the work ethic for which the company
has come to be known.
"You did a good job of selling your
community to us, but we also did a lot
of work in selecting Sulphur Springs
for our location in the Southwest,” he
said. "We our proud of our people and
know that we can be proud of our
Sulphur Springs force as well.”
Both Boyle and Marshall noted that
Sulphur Springs will be a focal point
for HON customers throughout the
region. Customers will be invited to
visit the production facilities and
there will be an extensive showroom
located here.
“In fact," Marshall noted, “this
will be the major showroom for the
region. There won’t be a showroom in
Dallas."
Boyle told the guests that the
welcome to the company from
Sulphur Springs has been exceptional
and that HON intends to be equally as
contributory to the community.
Boyle said that some limited in-
terviewing has begun for positions in
the customer service area of the HON
operation here. Major hiring for the
production operation likely will not
begin until later in the fall, he said.
While production is not expected to
begin until March, installatfon of
equipment and followed by test
production will be under way starting
in October, he said.
Also attending the briefing were
Jeff Schmitt, manager of customer
support and marketing com-
munications for The HON Company:
Don Davis, personnel manager for
Sulphur Springs; and Randy Russo,
central Texas sales representative.
Pitstop
A U.S. Air Force aircrew refuels a CH-53
helicopter (Super Jolly Green Giant) at the
Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport Wed
nesday afternoon. The crew from Eglin Air
Force Base in Florida made the pitstop to
service the craft en route to New Mexico.
—St«H Photo by Richard Hall
fi
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Keys, Clarke & Hillsamer, Dave. The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 30, Ed. 1 Friday, July 25, 1986, newspaper, July 25, 1986; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth776017/m1/1/: accessed June 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.