The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 105, No. 2, Ed. 1 Friday, January 11, 1980 Page: 1 of 6
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MlCROFIL’*’ CENTER INC
PO BOX 43435
DALLAS
TX 75^35
®Je Hopkins Comtig 2Wj#
(ABSORBED THE GAZETTE CIRCULATION BY PURCHASE MAY 12. 1928)
VOl. 105—NO. 2.
SULPHUR SPRINGS, TEXAS. FRIDAY, JANUARY 11,1980.
. S PAGES -10 CENTS PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
*
ft r , . „ J
Ag income hits record
By JOE WOOSLEY
News-Telegram Staff
Hopkins County’s agricultural income
soared to a new all-time record of
$167,075,515 in 1979, according to an
agricultural income evaluation report
compiled by the Texas Power & Light
Company for the 36 selected couflties it
serves in Northeast Texas.
The information for the report was
assembled by hundreds of volunteers,
including Extension Service personnel,
and others who had pertinent data for the
compilation.
The fnassive gain - more than 55 per-
cent above the $104,081,000 listed in 1978 -
reflects the importance of ideal weather
conditions and strong markets for
products, according to County Extension
Agent Ron Woolley.
He pointed out that weather-wise,
Hopkins County farmers had an ideal year
especially during the growing seasons.
While June had just a little over an inch of
rainfall, plentiful amounts of moisture
conveniently spaced in July, August and
September led to a bumper hay crop.
The income from feed, seed and forage
soared to a record $28,540,000 as compared
to only $7.5 million during the drought-
plagued 1978. The income from this sector
of agriculture was $13 million in 1977.
The No. 1 producer for agriculture in-
come in Hopkins County continued to be
the milk industry. The “white gold” added
$67 million to the county's economy, up
about $13 million over both 1977 and 1978.
The estimated 48,500 dairy animals
produced 534 million pounds of milk, or
roughly 6,285,838 gallons, during 1979. The
average price of milk per hundredweight
was figured at $12.53.
Woolley observed that there are fewer
milk cows in the county now but they are
producing more fluid and he expects
production to remain about steady during
1980.
While the last beef cattle census in-
dicated about 55,000 head in the county,
Woolley is confident that these numbers
have been trimmed by the severe
liquidation sales and as cattlemen took
advantage of substantial increases at the
market.
$ Cattle sales, including beef and dairy,
showed higher sales at substantially in-
Nasty start turns
into pleasant year
The weather in 1979 was unusual - to
say the least.
The year opened with a harsh winter
blast of bitterly cold temperatures,
freezing rain and drizzle that slowed the
northern section of the state to a crawl for
a couple of days.
The severity of the weather caused area
dairy fanners problems due to power
outages that shut down dairy bams. Many
local residents were without electricity for
several hours and some went without
power for a few days as TP&L and rural
power company employees worked around
the clock to reconnect power lines brought
down by the weight of ice on the lines.
Damage to roads, homes’, and farm lands
ran into the thousands of dollars.
But Mother Nature’s fury turned to
compassion and 1979 turned out to be one
of best years in recent history with plenty
of rain at the right time and mild summer
temperatures.
The good weather of spring and summer
allowed area farmers the opportunity to
produce record hay crops. Truck farmers
in the area, although there are not many,
also had a great year and produced
$256,000 worth of potatoes, $250,000 of
pecans, $113,000 of peanuts and $112,000 of
peas.
Hatley leads county
incumbents in filing
J. D. Hatley, appointed to serve the
unexpired term of County Commissioner
Allen Sanders following his death, Monday
became the first candidate in Hopkins
County to formally file for election. Hatley
filed for the Precinct One post with County
Democratic Chairman J. R. Ramey and
paid his $300 fee as he bids for a full four-
year term.
No other candidates for local offices had
filed at mid-morning Tuesday, although
several have inquired about costs and
filing procedures, Ramey noted. Monday
was the first day that filings were ac-
cepted. The deadline for filing is Feb. 4.
The filing expense is $300 for county
offices, with the fee dropping to $200 for
constables.
Local offices to be filled this year include
county attorney, county commissioners in
Precincts 1 and 3, sheriff, county tax
assessor-collector and constables.
Republican candidates for local offices
will be required to file with their party
chairman.
Candidates for such district offices as
district judges, district attorney and state
representative file with the State
Executive Committee in Austin.
Observers of the political scene in
Hopkins County contacted Tuesday said
they knew of no other candidates than
incumbents. However, they opined that
others probably would surface before the
deadline for filing.
Local Young Farmers
chapter due top honor
The Sulphur Springs chapter will be
honored Jan. 18 as the 1979 Area VI
Outstanding Chapter of the State
Association of Young Farmers of
Texas.
A trophy will be presented during
the 26th annual conventioiKof the
association at the San Antonio Con-
vention Center. The Production Credit
Association sponsors the chapter
awards.
Ten outstanding area chapters were
selected in Texas, and one will be
named the Outstanding Chapter for
the state. Outstanding area chapters
are selected on the basis of
educational activities, community
services, and leadership and
recreational activities.
The Sulphur Springs Young Far-
mers chapter conducted programs for
its 123 members during 1978-79 on a
variety of educational topics.
The 1978-79 officers of the Sulphur
Springs Young Farmers were Pat
Penn, president; Richard Watson,
vice president; Randy Stewart,
secretary; Larry Maroney,
treasurer; Herb Flora Q, reporter;
and Richard Benson, Keith Park and
Mike Bullock, advisors.
creased prices in 1979. Cattle sales
produced an estimated $62 million in in-
come in 1979. This compares to $21 million
in 1977 and $37 million in 1978.
Government payments to farmers
reached a new high point of $3,140,700 in
1979:'These payments included all types of
assistance, with emergency situations
helping to bolster the total.
While not a big figure, the sale of furs
added a tidy sum to income of farmers in
1979. The fur-bearing animals brought
farmers about $90,000.
Other field crops adding to the overall
income included cotton, $82,340; grains,
$1,168,575; foods, fruits and vegetables,
$3,062,400; and horticultural, $450,000.
Timber sales were vauled at $2 million.
»
“We had one of poorest years (in 1978) —
at least since I’ve been here — and then
one of the best,” Woolley opined. “We just
can’t expect the weather to co-operate this
well every year.”
Woolley says he is cautiously optimistic
for 1980, but he believes that weather
conditions again will play an important
role in determining the final figures.
According to records maintained by The
News-Telegram, 197S^%as a cool year
weatherwise. Therp werie 19 new record
lows set and the mercury dropped belowv
the freezing mark on 76 days during the
year.
The summer was mild for this area as
well. The temperature rose to the 100
degree mark only-tece during the summer
months and that was on June 29. The rest
of the summer was pleasantly mild.
August, which is traditionally a scorcher
of a month, remained pleasant with an
average daily high temperature of 87
degrees.
The one element of weather that made
the real difference in 1979 was rain. It
rained 77 days during the year. According
to the official weather observation in
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County received
57.06 inches of moisture during the year,
making 1979 the second wettest year of the
decade. According to the Texas Almanac
the average yearly rainfall in Hopkins
County is 44 inches.
September was the wettest month of the
year with 6.54 inches of rain. The month of
July finished second with 6.03 inches of
rainfall and December was third with 5.70
inches of moisture.
Permits top
$7 million
Sulphur Springs’ building boom
suffered a mild setback in December
with only four permits issued for the
entire month. These four permits
totaled only $55,600 as compared to
$533,725 during December of 1978.
In spite of the construction tur-
nabout in December, Sulphur Springs
marked up another $7 million-plus
year in 1979. The total was $7,165,730,
or about $122,700 less than the
$7,288,473 for 1978.
The December permits were the
smallest in years in Sulphur Springs,
according to Joe Cerretani, building
inspector.
The biggest permit of the month
went for a new home for Ronald W.
Charles at 1607 Raintree Circle, listed
at $50,000.
The other permits were for an
addition at the Mamie DeFord home,
618 College St., estimated at 85,200; a
patio valued at $300 at the Theo Evans
home, 1106 McGrede Drive; and a
sign at the JAR Tire Co., 121 Dabbs
St., estimated at $100.
Ramsay files
for new term
Lanny Ramsay of Mount Vernon,*
who is serving his first four-year term
as judge of the Eighth Judicial
District, reported Monday that he had
filed for re-election for a second term.
He filed the necessary declaration
with the executive committee of the
Texas Democratic Party in Austin.
TheEighth District serves Hopkins,
Franklin, Delta and Rains counties.
Ramsay was county judge in
Franklin County prior to winning
election to the district post. Earlier,
he had served as a prosecuting at-
torney on Dallas County District
Attorney Henry Wade’s staff.
Violent death
stakes higher
claim in 79
Violent deaths staked a higher claim in
Hopkins County in 1979, soaring to 25 as
compared to 16 in 1978.
Traffic-related accidents claimed 14
lives in 1979, well up from the eight lost in
1978.
Drownings followed traffic in claiming
the most victims in Hopkins County. Three
drowning deaths were recorded, with two
children in Sulphur Springs and an adult in
rural Hopkins County losing their lives in
this manner.
There were two fire deaths and two
suicides, along with one murder, during
1979. A farm accident claimed another life,
while one death was blamed on wasp
stings.
According to unofficial records kept by
The News-Telegram, 1973 holds the record
for violent deaths in Hopkins County, when
26 were listed. Both 19(4 and 1976 equalled
the 25 violent deaths recorded in 1979.
The 14 traffic-related deaths in 1979
equalled the record high of the same
number in 1964.
The unofficial records on violent deaths
cover the period from 1955 through 1979.
Winzen plant growing
Roofing and siding work is expected to begin this week on the
new manufacturing facility for Winzen International, Inc., in the
Sulphur Springs industrial park. The new plant will add nearly
80,000 square feet of manufacturing space for the firm. The
taller portion of the structure at the right will house bulk
material tanks for the plastic film extrusion proce'ft. Com-
pletion is scheduled lor April.
—St*H Photo
City skyline growing up
Construction was listed as on schedule
this week for the newest “high rise”
structure in Sulphur Springs — new
facilities for Winzen International, Inc., in
the Sulphur Springs Industrial Park.
Superstructure for a new plastic film
extrusion plant for Winzen is looming as
the tallest building in the community
(although not as tall as the opal storage
silo near Thermo) as worknfen for H. E.
Wright and Company, Inc., of Texarkana,
general contractor on the job, push for
scheduled completion in late spring.
While most of .the/pew Winzen plant will
be a two-story MIRK a portion of the
facility that wUl Muse bulk-material tanks
towers more than four stories hi^h at the
Elm Street location.
The new building will house most of the
offices for the expanding operations of
Winzen International, but will not replace
the present manufacturing facility on
Shannon Road near the Jefferson Street
overpass. High altitude balloons will
continue to be manufactured at the present
location, where fitting rooms more than
600 feet long are available for manufac-
turing of the world’s largest balloons.
The plastics material firm began an
active expansion of business early in 1979
after employees purchased the company
from its then owner, the late Otto Winzen.
An additional manufacturing facility in
Indiana was purchased last year and the
name of the firm was changed from
Winzen Research to Winzen International.
Expansion in Sulphur Springs began
first with the construction of a one-story
machine shop in the industrial park '
fronting Elm Street. With that project
completed, work on the extrusion plant
began.
A Winzen spokesman said that a
minimum of 50 new employees will be
added to the local workforce when the new
facility is completed. Some hiring of ad-
ditional workers already has been ac-
complished.
The plastic film to be produced at the
new plant will be used in a wide number of
applications in addition to balloon con-
struction.
Gibson's caught in reorganization
Local store locks doors
A 10-year-old Sulphur Springs firm
closed its doors for the last time Thursday. *
“The size of the store just doesn’t fit into
our future plans,” Edward Kiser, general
merchandising manager for Gibson’s
Discount Centers, Inc. told The News-
Telegram Friday morning.
“We’re attempting to reorganize our
whole structure and the Sulphur Springs
store only has 32,000 square feet,” he said.
As a comparison, the Greenville store
has 52,000 square feet and almost all of the
stores that will remain open will have 50-
60,000 square feet.
^ The change is part of a new
management plan brought about by new
company president John Lundegard, who
is the first president of the firm not a
member of the G.C. Gibson family.
Kiser said that the closure is only part of
an overall plaato eliminate smaller stores
that do not raVe enough room for the;
current merchandising plans.
“It’s one of a series of steps,” Kiser said,
“we’re making changes in the cleanliness
of the stores, lighting and our new mer-
chandising programs.”
* He said that two such stores are being
closed in San Antonio, one at Shreveport,
La., one in Albany, Ga., one in Waxahachie
arid the Sulphur Springs facility.
“We’re closing stores so that we can
cluster in areas,” Kiser said, “our new
management plan calls for more central
authority and less local autonomy.”
Kiser said that competition from the
other Sulphur Springs discount stores was
not in any way part of the reason for
closing the local store. “When competition
comes in, we’re not going to close the doors
and leave - we’re going to fight com-
petition, it’s good for all of us.”
The Sulphur Springs Gibson’s store has
an inventory of approximately $550,000"
that will be transferred to other Gibson’s
stores.
Cecil Sellers, local manager for Gib-
son’s, said that some of the 21 employees
will be given an opportunity to transfer to
other stores. “They’re (Gibson’s officials)
supposed to be here tomorrow and discuss
transfers and I might be transferred to
somewhere like Dallas,” he said.
“All of the Sulphur Springs employees
have a great deal of pride in the ac-
complishments we’ve made in serving the
community better. We’ve cleaned up the
store and tried to make it better for the
customers.
“It was past history that we’ve had to
overcome and the store was on the verge of
becoming a profitable operation,” said*
Sellers Friday morning.
“It’s all based on past history, not
potential,” he explained.
Plans for the building are not complete
according to Gibson’s officials. “We have
plans for the use of the building, but they
don’t involve Qibson’s,” said Kiser.
Local sources indicate that at least two
bids have been made for the purchase or
lease of the building but no details have
been confirmed by Gibson’s officials or
any other firms. J
“Gibson’s is revamping and remodeling
all of the stores," the, local manager said.
“The comply is headed for success.”
“I want to express myatocere ap-
preciation to all of the people Of Sulphur
Springs for their friendship apd their
patronage,” Sellers said.
As to the future of another Gibson’s
Discount Center in Sulphur Springs, Kiser
said, “If we get to the point we can see a
profitable future there, we might go into it
-you never can tell.”
Superintendent gets contract
Superintendent Ed Stevens, who
assumed duties after school opened this
fall, has been given a contract extension
by the Sulphur Springs Independent School
District. The new contract will conform to
accepted standards of running from July 1
through June 30. His new contract, with
the extension, will now expire on June 30,
1983.
The vote on the extension followed an
executive session of the trustees. Chair-
man Tim Kelty said there was no change
in the base pay of the superintendent,
which was set at$34,000 annually under the
terms of the original contract.
During the opening period of the
meeting, several of the award-winning
student organizations were recognized and
congratulated.
Drill team director Edna Mabe with
captain Debbie Osborn showed awards
received at the Gulf Coast Drill Team
Contest in Houston. The drill team won
three first places and a sweepstakes
trophy.
Marynell Bryant was accompanied by
Bonnie Booker and Butch Burney as they
displayed journalism awards for the
student yearbook and newspaper.
Joyce Barrow, tax assessor-collector,
submitted a report on delinquent tax
collections from September 1978 to
December 1979. Mrs. Barrow’s exhibits
show total delinquent taxes of $171,006.02.
She said 293 tax suits were in the process to
be filed for collection of delinquent ac-
counts. She said that delinquent collections
to date were progressing before the filing
of suits by attorneys representing the
district.
After a review St the school bos status,
the trustees authorized a call for bids for
three 59-passenger vehicles. Kenneth
Brem, assistant superintendent-business,
estimated that the buses would coed about
$10,000 each. \ .
The board approved a tuberculosis
policy for district personnel Basically, it
requires an examination upon initial
employment and documentation of an
examination every three years.
The board approved a request from
director Rex Wilemon to sponsor a band
trip to San Antonio April 24-27, where the
members will march in the Flambeau
Parade. The students are raising funds for
the trip.
. i
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Keys, Clarke & Woosley, Joe. The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 105, No. 2, Ed. 1 Friday, January 11, 1980, newspaper, January 11, 1980; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth780722/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.