The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 123, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 23, 1970 Page: 1 of 12
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90
'Round
Town
With
Roundabout
Roundabout and staff enjoyed
a short visit with Don Bu-'
chanan and family last week.
He's still in Baton Rouge, I.a.,
but like everyone who has
lived in this good Hast Texas
town, he still likes to come
back and renew acquaint-
ances. Those who move to
cities from small towns miss
the friendly atmosphere which
can only exist in small units
of people--where you know
most everybody, and most
everybody knows you. Didn't
somebody else say that al-
ready? Maybe Brer Rabbit...
Roundabout is on his knees
this week to the Girls Soft-
ball Cricket team members
and their coaches. Right after
last week's issue was circu-
lated, the Crickets were buz-
zing with indignation! And
rightfully so. The Cherokee-
an had erroneously reported
their defeat by the Grass-
hoppers. It was only a one
point margin, but the fact
remained...the Crickets were
publicly credited with a loss,
and just the opposite had re-
ally happened I Roundabout
hereby stands corrected; The
Crickets put down the Grass
hoppers...18 to 17. (It had
to be one of tfie greatest
games for the sea'on!)
Well, the rains came, not
too much, but it restored Jo-
hnute McKay's confidence in
himself. He declared Tues-
day, "Whitehead, 1 want you
to look outside at that rain...
and just remember, I didn't
have to leave town for that to
happen." (He might just as
well have left town...he was
asleep anyway when the rain
came...)
10< PER ISSUE
The Cherokeean
Texas* Oldest Weekly Newspaper, Established As T he Pioneer July 5, 1847
SERVING RUSK
WITH DISTINCTION
FOR 123 YEARS
VOL. 123
RUSK, TEXAS
THURSDAY, JULY 23. 1970
12 PAGES
NUMBER 7
INVESTIGATE ESCAPE-Sheriff John B. Slover
and Texas Ranger E. G. Albers utilized the
facilities of the Texas Department of I^ublic
Safety's heliocopter to seek out and search
for clues to the whereabouts of five escaped
patients from Maximum Security Unit at
Rusk State Hospital early Sunday morning.
■ staff photo
Studies MSU
Don't ever think you can go
to the city and lose yourself!
Ask Capt. and Mrs. Bol) lli-
ckerson (she's the daughter
of School Stipt. and Mrs. |a
ck Martin^ The Hickersons
had been to a meeting in
Washington, DC where the
Captain was discussing safety
devices for the I'4 plane he
flies, and not wanting to miss
an opportunity for sightsee
lng, they did just that. Their
tour included a stop at the
National Gallery of Arts in
tfie nation's capítol,..and
would you like to guess who
they bumped into??? No other
than the neighbors-across,
the-street from the Jack Mar-
tins in Rusk! That would
be Rusk Banker I loyd Pipes
and his Mrs,, who were doing
the travel trip with Dick and
Margie Dickerson, also of
Rusk. (Did somebody say,
"small world"?) The Hick-
ersons also reported having
seen Prince Phillip and Prin-
cess Anne of England, while
on their trip. Roundabout will
wait for tiie others to get
back to Rusk, to find out who
else they may have seen from
this area.,.Judy and Bob, by
the way, live at Beau fort, Sou ■.
th Carolina, where he is sta-
tioned.
Interim Committee Comes To RSH
Rusk State Hospital's Max-
imum Security Unit will be
visited by the State Interim
Committee Thursday morn-
ing.
The Committee will study
conditions at Rusk State I los
pital Maximum Security Unit
and then make recommenda -
tions to the Legislature.
Earlier statements by chair-
man Joe Allen and others on
the committee have not been
favorable to the unit in Rusk.
"Present facilities for
treatment of the criminally
insane in Texas are serious.
These facilities are over
crowded and understaffed,"
Allen was quoted as saying.
Allen commented that if a
new facility for Maximum Se-
curity was established, Rusk,
would continue to serve as a
hospital for mental patients
from East Texas.
State Senator Charles Wil-
son told the Cherokeean Wed-
nesday morning that prior
commitments in Austin pre
vented him from coming to
Rusk to meet with this com
mit ee.
"I will continue to stay in
close contact with develop
ments. We will continue to
work to improve conditions
at Rusk State Hospital and
the Maximum Security Unit.
It is my firm conviction that
the best interests of the pa.
tients and people of Texas
will be to improve and en
large the facilities at Rusk,"
said the State Senator.
State Representative Ray
ford Price plans to be in Rusk
and meet with the committee.
Price is one of the mostpow
erful Representatives inAus
tin.
"I believe that the committee
will be impressed with the
fine job being done at Rusk,
and will agree that it wi^be
better to adequately staff and
enlarge our facilities in
Rusk," said Representative
Price.
Rusk Chamber ofCommerce
Judicial Committee, headed
by Judge J. W, Summers and
Rusk State Hospital Commit-
tee, Rex Nichols, chairman,
met for luncheon Monday noon
to map plans to meet with the
committee.
Dr. Arch Connolly, Superin
tendent of Rusk State llospi
tal, told the joint committees
that the state interim commit
tee had indicated they did not
want any type of formal meet
lng.
"We will meet them on an
informal basis, and offer our
services. We want tlietu to
know that Rusk State Hospi-
tal is important to our city,
and we are most anxious to
work with them to improve
conditions," commented Rus'k
Chamber of Commerce Pres
ident Pat Neill.
INTERIM COMMITTEE
The Interim Committee Is
composed of five civilian
members appointed by Gov-
ernor Preston Smith, and
three state representatives.
They include Dan C, Williams,
chairman of the Executive
Committee of the Southland
Life Insurance Company; Dr.
George Beto, Director ofTex
as Department of Correc-
tions; Ear 1 Scott, Acting Com -
missioner of the Texas De
partment of Mental Health
and Mental Retardation; Dr.
Joseph C. Scholar, Assistant
Director of the Texas Re-
search Institute of Mental
Science in Houston; Raymond
W, Vowell, vice chancellor for
Public Affairs, University of
Texas; and Representative1
Allen of Baytown, Ralph
Wayne of Plainview and R. C.
McAllester of Lubbock.
Budget Hearing Held Rusk Hospital
The Texas Department of
Mental Health and Mental Re-
tardation's $314 million bud
get request for the 1972-1973
biennittm will be reviewed
and explained at eleven pub-
lic hearings between July 21
September 16.
the orrlMHtr* pit, • distance ef
tit. The front -eats «III I meeert
it the rtMr tf th* audt ertum te acremaslete
A total of $148.1 million is
requested for the 1972 fiscal
year and $165.7 million is
being sought for the 1973 fis -
cal period.
Of this amount, $16,113,239
has been allocated for the
two year period at the Rusk
State Hospital. Budget re-
quest for RSH during 1972
Is $7,817,335 and the follow
ing year's request is
$8,295,904.
Estimates for construction
at Rusk State Hospital dur-
ing this biennium period in-
clude $1,634,350' for a new
medical-surgical building;
$787,500 fora new ward build-
ing; and $387,450 to reno-
vate and air condition one
ward building.
The request was given In-
itial approval July 11 by the
Texas Board of Mental Health
and Mental Retardation,
Board chairman Ward R,
Burke noted that the budget
proposal had been subjected
to an Intensive tin week re-
view and revision by board
members and Department ad.
mlnlstrarors. "As a result,
the'e budget request* are the
be«t we have ever prepared,"
he «awl.
The ewe year teeal* Include
$133 militan for operation of
state mental hospital* am!
renters, til" militen for state
Low Rent Housig Gets Green Lght
••••*••••«•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••#•••••••s
Issue Given M0K" Tues.
In Vote Of 171 To 143
The City's qualified elec-
torate made the decision Tu
esday--Rusk will have low
rent, public housing. A ref-
erendum vote of the city's
residents indicated approval
of the project by a margin
of 171 votes for, 143 against.
Three Of 5
Patients
At Large
Three of the five patients
who escaped Maximum Se
curity Unit at Rusk State 1 los
pital are still at large today,
according to Cherokee County
Sheriff John H. Slover.
two patients gave themsel
ves up to policemen at San
Antonio Monday, alter catch
lng a,bus at Shreveport, and
traveling te distance to their
home county. They are Char-
les Mayberry, negro, age "2,
and 1 Perfect o (laballero, latin,
age IK, both from Bexar Coun-
ty and facingrmmtercharges.
The three still at large are
Wesley Leon Colbert, white,
age 56 from Harris County;
Herman Harold Thomas, ne-
gro, age :i2, from Midland
County; and Albert K. Cagle,
white, age '<4 from Wilbarger
County.
All of the five escapees were
facing murder charges, ex
cept Cagle, who was most re
• See MSU Escape page 10
According to Mayor I''.. II,
Whitehead Wednesday, the
Council will now move for
ward with plans that have
been in the blueprint stage
for nearly a year, lie sta
te s, "Our community is join
ing the other major towns of
Cherokee County, to offer bet
ter housing facllltie- through
federally financed construct
Ion."
Wells, Alio and Jacksonville
already have such facilities.
Rusk was approved earlier
by the Housing authorities for
up to 200 units. Initial plans
call for erection of only 100
units.
"Such tin need exist, how
ever, we will certainly go
ahead with the extra 100 units
at a later date," explained
the Mayor.
I . It, Muslck, Jr. is lie.^l
ol the board which will ad
minister the program. lie
and lour others were appoint
ed by the Mayor and Cou
ncll for th 1 • administrative
work. Including Muslck, they
are Jack Eitts, I loyd lien •
drlck, Irvin Conley and Do
yle Bagley.
-"While It would htiV'e het>fi
desirable to have a larger
turn out ol voters, we are
satisfied with the total res
ponse of .114 ballots cast,"
said Mayor Whitehead.
"We can only believe that
the remainder ol the qual
Hied voters gave silent app
roval with their absence from
rlie polls."
Immediate action is expected
to be taken to "get the "ball
rolling" for housing In Rusk,
SS■
"NOT QUITE ONE HUNDRED, but mill a century plant,"
says Mrs. Marvin Roten. She estimates this plant tobe
about fifteen years old. The noted authority of Bowers
also stated thai this type plant only blooms once and then
dies. Legend has it that century plants only bloom once
every one hundred years. This particular plant Is owned
by Mrs. T.A. Mclver, a resident of a Kusk nursing home,
and sister-In law to Mrs. Roten. staff photo
School Budget Hearing Set
Notice of Budget Hearing for
the Rusk Independent School
District has been made by
school superintendent Jack
Martin.
The hearing is to be con
ducted in conjunction with the
regular August meeting of
the Hoard of Education on the
6th at 7 p.m. In the board
room ol the Administration
Volunteers Develop Plans For
Recreational Facility- At RSH
$68,128 was the estimated
cost of projects proposed for
recreational facilities at Rusk
State Hospital during Friday's
meeting of the Volunteer Co
uncil In the Da/ Treatment
Center.
Hospital superintendent. Dr.
Arch Connolly, was Introduc-
ed by Coordinator of Rehab
illtatlve Services, Dr. Char
les Hall, Dr. Connolly wel
comed Stare Mental Health and
Mental Retardation Board
Member, Ed Van Zandt of
Beaumont; Senator Charles
Wilson; Representatives Ray
ford Price of Palestine and
Steve Burgess ofNacogdoch
es, among some 30 other*
present,
Connolly set the theme for
the meeting, stating; "The
real need In psychiatry today
Is rehabilitation not so much
from professionals, but there
needs to be Involved, a tre-
mendous array of lay people,
offering warmth, sympathy,
understanding and charisma
which gets through to the
patient "
He added, 'There are still
many areas of exploration o-
pen In the treatment of ment.
al Illness, though we've made
tremendous advancements o.
ver the pa*t years."
Royce Wlsenbaker, Council
Chairman, presided at the
meeting, and asked Dr. Hall
to explain the proposed dev-
elopment of the two upper
lakes, across Highway 69 at
the hospital; also the lake by
(he side of the DTC Building,
Water color painting by
Wayne Morros were submit,
teg, shewing the posstbtlibtt
les for cans*ruction of cab-
in , barges, pier •«, restroems
ptcMf lefctos, sta *, facilities
Dr. Hall estimated an exp
endlture of $33,358 on the
upper lake, $34,240 on the
low;r lake, and $530 for the
lake by the DTC.
Other speakers In behalf of
the proposed projects were
A. W, Coker who suggested
that some assistance might
be obtained in the form of
labor, from the Texas Depart
ment of Corrections; and Jim
Carlisle of Troup reported on
work done comparable to this,
for the Department of Parks
and Wildlife.
Chairman Wlsenbaker re
ported progress on plans for
securing safe passage across
Highway 69. lie related con.
versatlons with District l ng
Ineer W, W, Potter, and Indl
cated the matter was one for
the Highway Department.
Profiles for both underpass
and overpass routes were
presented.
Jay Donohue, staff member
In Rehabilitation, exhibited
some of the products pro-
• See RSH Volunteers page 9
Building.
Martin reports a total Inidget
of $795,000.00 for the 1970-
71 school year.
"Evaluation within the dis-
trict Is placed at near-
ly $14,000,000 for rax purpos -
es," he explained. This Is
based on about 25 percent
of the actual value.
lie added, "It Is hoped that
the value and tax rate can
remain the same for one more
year."
Present tax rate Is $1,95
per $100 of valuation.
The total budget for the scho-
ol Is up considerably from lust
year, due largely to an In-
crease In salaries andexpan
slon In services, explained the
Rusk school official. 'The
State takes a large part of
the Increase—however, the
local portion Is up also," he
said.
It Is estlmuted that the State
pays 83 percent of the oper-
ating costs and the local dis-
tricts absorbs some 17 per-
cent, plus all building costs.
These figures Include none
of the Federal funds, because
they are contained In other
budgets not yet firmed up,
was the superintendent's con-
cluding comment.
* See School Budget page 9
late Prfct* far e
ef me
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The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 123, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 23, 1970, newspaper, July 23, 1970; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth150871/m1/1/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.