The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 126, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 17, 1975 Page: 1 of 12
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Volume 126
Number 21
The Cherokeean
Texas' oldest weekly newspaper, established as the Cherokee Sentinel, Feb. 27, 1850
Rusk, Texas, Thursday, July 17, 1975
1 4' Per Issue
12 Pages
MH-MR Group Here Reviews
Round
own
Summer time is--busy-
just like any of the other
three seasons! Right?
Where is that longed-for,
space in time, to take the
deep breath we promised
ourselves last May...prob-
ably where it was last
May...right around the
corner where we keep
hoping to find it.
Busy yes, but summer
months are fun times, too.
Rusk has been the scene of
happy reunions for former
students of Rusk High
School and we have our
own particular style of
Joyous family reunions In
East Texas. These and the
continuing civic affairs,
along with keeping food
on the table occupy a lot
of time.
And have you ever heard
of so many gardeners?
Seems that everyone is
busy canning or preserving
foods of some type this
season. Obviously, the
current economy is having
its affect on our life style in
more ways than one.
Gasoline prices may tend
to shorten the distance of
some trips this year, but
others, a few, still have
far-away places in mind.
Should you require a
passport for your travels,
keep this thought in mind.
"If you look like your
passport photo, you prob-
ably need the trip!"
The young and restless
have a different point of
view regarding this season.
Perhaps some of you have
noticed the mark of next
year's senior students,
painted on an obviously
unresistable place of prom-
inence just east of Highway
69 on U.S. 84. The concrete
retaining wall left behind in
the wake of progress to
widen 84 intqi a four lane
highway, proved to be too
much temptation for some-
body's red paint!
Each summer for stu-
dents who have completed
their junior work, it must
be the same. A final
feathering out, like little
birds, short flights from the
nest, preparation for that
final, big fly-out when they
complete one last year of
study at Rusk High School.
For this group, Summer
'75 marks the end of a way
of life for them. They know
that when they have
reached May, 1976 a
chapter in their lives will
have ended and a new one
begins. That becomes their
time to move on out into
the world and assume the
role of young adults which
carries with it greater and
bigger responsibilities.
Turning to the lighter
side of life for our
generation, some of the
summer fun has been
punctuated by problems, a
bit unique. Wouldn't want
to call any names, but
there are some in our com-
munity who have been
struggling with minor
distractions such as a
kidney stone operation for
a cat and dental problems
for a dog which now has his
own supply of dental floss
and water-pick toothbrush.
But as long as we keep
laughing, we'll make it.
Somebody said that we
"laugh by the inch and cry
by the yard." That should
be in reverse!
A recent visitor to Las
Vegas, and we seem to
have more and more going
that way for a first time
view of the world renowned
tourist meca, came back
with this comment: "Out
there slot machines are
legal, roulette is legal,
craps is legal. I'm
beginning to think every-
thing's legal but winning!"
A Ruskite and his family
who are planning a trip
this month to the Rocky
Mountain areas of Colora-
do and other points of
interest, also plan to stop at
Vegas. But he says he
intends to bring back a
small fortun". and already
knows hov o do it. The
solution is, "take a big
fortune with you!"
Until later, here's a tip on
how to save energy: "Keep
smiling, because it takes
fewer muscles to smile
than to frown!"
Angler's Tourney
Set on RSH Lake
The first Angler's Tourn-
ament to be held on the
Rusk State Hospital Lake
will take place 4:30 a.m. to
8:30 p.m. Saturday, an-
nounced Dr. Robert B.
Sheldon, RSH superinten-
dent.
All state employees and
their dependents are eligi-
ble to participate. Identifi-
cation cards will be
checked at the gate upon
entrance to the lake
property.
Perpetual trophies will
be awarded for the adult
category and dependent
children ages 15 and under.
Four trophies will be given
for each category, includ-
ing largest bass, largest
catfish, target perch and
largest string of fish
(by weight). The plaque
will hang in a prominent
place with names of each
year's winner added
annually.
Entry fee is $2 for adults
and |l for dependents ages
15 and under or $3.50 per
family. All fish caught may
be kept by anglers or may
be given to the Recreation
Department for fish frys
lor the patients.
I.D. cards will be
checked at weigh-in times.
Schedule times for weig-
hing catches will be 8 a.m.,
1 p.m.-and 4 p.m. with the
final 1Égitah-in at 8:30 p.m.
Acce{jH|||é fishing gear
will be cáne poles and rods
and reels with artificial
lures or live bait.
Early registrants are
guaranteed entry. Partici-
pants will be limited due
the lake size. Only the big
lake will be fished, the
Campsite lake will not be
fished.
"Many of our employees
and their children have
asked for permission to fish
on the hospital lake. We
feel this is the best means
of opening fishing to
everyone of them since at
all other times, fishing is
restricted to patients,"
said Dr. Sheldon.
Boats will be acceptable
since some areas of the
lake are unreachable by
any other means. Rules for
boat safety and courtesy
are to be observed includ-
ing the wearing of life
jackets and maintaining
low speeds.
"There are some good
sized fish in that lake and
we will be pleased to have
some of those 35-pound cats
caught," Dr. Sheldon
added.
Commitment of MSU Patients
A task force of represen-
tatives from the Texas
Department of Mental
Health-Mental Retardation
and various state hospitals
met here Monday and
Tuesday to adopt recom-
mendations for implement-
ing revisions of the Texas
Code of Criminal Proce-
dure.
Recent changes in the
state criminal code called
for the changes. Dr.Robert
Sheldon, Rusk State Hospi-
tal superintendent, served
as chairman of the group
which met here to discuss
alterations in the criminal
code and to suggest ways of
implementing the changes
to Dr. Kenneth Gaver,
state MH-MR commission
er and the state board.
Recent federal court
decisions regarding per-
sons imcompetent to stand
trial (criminally insane)
call for a report to the court
on progress at RSH Max-
imum Security Unit every
90 days. At the end of
instas
TICKETS CHANGE HANDS-Four Rusk civic leaders, Jim
Perkins, Morris Hassell. Joe Terrell and Dr. Robert
Sheldon have for sale tickets to an appreciation dinner at 7
p.m., Tuesday in the Fellowship Hall of First United
Methodist Church. The dinner will honor House Speaker
Billy Clayton, State Senator Don Adams and
Representative Emmett H.Whitehead. Tickets to the dinner
are on sale throughout the county. staff photo
To Fete Clayton, Adams, Whitehead
Appreciation Dinner
To Honor Legislators
An appreciation dinner
honoring Speaker of the
House of Representatives
Billy Clayton of Spring
Lake, State Senator Don
Adams of Jasper and State
Representative Emmett H.
Whitehead of Rusk will be
held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
in Fellowship Hall of First
United Methodist Church in
Rusk.
Morris Hassell. Rusk
mayor and local attorney,
is spearheading a county-
wide committee in plan-
ning the dinner.
"East Texas has benefit-
ed greatly from the
leadership of these three
honorees." says Mayor
Hassell. "Legislation pass-
ed with the assistance of
Senator Adams and Reps.
Clayton and Whitehead in
the 64th session will have
far-reaching effects on the
lives of many people,
notably patients served by
Rusk State Hospital."
Rusk State Hospital
fared well in the last
session with new construc-
tion: salary increases for
all state employees and an
increase in the patient per
day cost for care which
means better treatment
and quicker releases. State
highway funding and edu-
cation fared well in the
session.
Rep. Whitehead was
chairman of a sub-
committee which wrote the
basic bill for Mental
Health-Mental Retarda-
tion, Health and Welfare in
the House of Representa-
tives. This bill was accept-
ed by both governing
bodies and increased the
RSH budget to $27 million
for the biennium, in
addition to the $3 million
set up for construction at
the local facility. Rep
Whitehead was also a
member of the committee
which was successful in
securing salary increases
for all state employees.
"These men have served
their districts and state in a
manner which we feel
deserves our gratitude and
appreciation," says the
Mayor. "This dinner will
be the opportunity by
which everyone can join in
expressing their thanks for
a job well^ione to our state
officials."
State officials scheduled
to attend the fete include
Dr. Kenneth Gaver, com-
missioner of the depart-
ment of Mental Health-
Mental Retardation, Clay-
ton Garrison, executive
director of the Texas
Department of Parks and
Wildlife and Randy Pendle-
ton, deputy commissioner
with the State Department
-t-See DINNER p. 12
twelve months, if the
patient is still regarded as
incompetent to stand trial,
he is committed back to
RSH by a Civil commit-
ment through County
Court. Within 30 days of his
new commitment, a deter-
mination of manifest dan-
gerousness must be made.
If he is determined
dangerous, he remains in
MSU. If he is not
determined dangerous, he
is sent for treatment to the
MH-MR facility nearest
his home.
The task force headed by
Dr. Sheldon established
recommended criteria for
determining manifest dan-
gerousness of a patient.
Their recommendations
included consideration of:
1) the nature of the
alleged act such as crimes
of violence, use of force or
threat to use force and
crimes against property
which are likely to result in
harm to others (arson,
robbery, etc.)
2) the behavior of the
patient since being hospita-
lized (aggressiveor assaul-
tive behavior, psychologi-
cal test date indicative or
predicting dangerousness,
verbal or written threats to
harm others, withdrawn,
sullen, uncooperative, si-
lent behavior), medical
psychiatric or neurological
findings that are indicative
or may result in decreased
impulse control; and evi-
dence of overt psychotic
processes with some dan-
gerous content (delusions,
hallucinations.)
3) the behavior of the"
patient prior to hos-
pitalization or arrest (his
previous offense record
and social, historical data
(family history, school
record and work record)
and prior hospitalizations.
4) the situation into
which the patient will be
placed or referred (his
home community, location
of hospital, Community
Mental Health Center and
schools for the Mentally
Retarded).
The task force also re-
commended criteria for
judging competency to
stand trial. Criteria adop-
ted include an ability to
cooperate with one's attor-
ney in one's own de-
fense, an awareness and
understanding of the
nature and object of the
proceedings and an under-
standing of the consquen-
ces of the proceedings. Also
to be considered is
"whether an accused per-
son should stand trial
without undue delay or
whether the trial should be
deferred until such time as
the accused shall meet a
minamal standard based
on these criteria."
Since Rusk State Hospi-
tal is the only state institu-
tion with provisions for
maximum security of per-
sons considered dangerous,
the task force recommen-
ded that any programs
requiring maximum secur-
ity added by the depart-
ment in the future be
installed at the Rusk
facility. Providing for max-
imum security of cer-
tain mental retardates has
been discussed.
In federal court action
following the suit Reynolds
vs. Neill, later changed to
Reynolds vs. Sheldon,
higher courts placed res-
ponsibility for release of
MSU patients with the
institution's superinten-
dent. A Review Board
composed of members ap-
pointed by the MH-MR
commissioner, .ias been set
up to assist the superinten-
dent in making decisions
regarding the manifest
dangerousness of patients.
The Board will meet at
least monthly to review
cases. However, legal res-
ponsibility for the release
of patients remains with
the superintendent.
According to Dr. Shel-
don, Rusk State Hospital
will have four types of
patients if the recommen-
dations of the task force
are approved by the com-
missioner. The institutions
will care for those who are
judged mentally incompe-
tent to stand trial, the
largest group; those pa-
tients standing pretrial
evaluations, "a lot more
than we've had in the
+ See MSU p. 12
County Bar Urges
Courthouse Upgrade
/
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é.
Speaker Clayton Sen. Adams
Ííí
Rep. Whitehead
The Cherokee County Com-
missioners Court received
recommendations from the
County Bar Association
Monday concerning needed
improvements in the Court-
house.
A delegation of lawyers,
headed by District Judge J.
W. Summers made the
presentation.
In other action, Commis-
sioners accepted a bid from
J. A. Staton and Company
for $41,595, materials and
labor for Courthouse reno-
vations as suggested by
Grayson Gill, architect.
Hill-McCain contractors
bid $45,750 and Big State
Waterproofing Co. submit-
ted a bid for $48,927.
Low bid of Cherokee
County Abstract Title Co.
was accepted in the
amount of $9,250 for
microfilming of County
Clerk's records. Precinct 2
Commissioner Tobv Sar-
tain accepted low bid from
Coleman-Phillips for a
used Ferguson 12-ton,
9-wheel pneumatic roller
for $4,500.
Commissioners okayed
realignment of precincts to
provide convenience in
voting for Maydelle resi-
dents. The voters will be
able to utilize Voting
Precinct 10, Maydelle as
requested.
A tax rate of $1.25 per
$100 evaluation was main-
tained for the coming
year by the Court.
Sartain and Terry Per-
kins, precinct 4 commis-
sioner, both accepted a bid
by Peai man Motor Co. for
new pickups in the amount
of $6,688.71. The amount of
Perkin's vehicle will be
less $800 trade-in for a 1969
truck, plus some $42 for a
longer wheel base on the
new truck. Sartain also
accepted a bid Tuesday
morning for $988.50 on a
used Precinct 2 truck
without a bed.
A representative of East
Texas Council of Govern-
ments met with the Court
Tuesday morning to ex-
plain the status of Chero-
kee County's request for a
$100,000 grant for jail
facilities. The County's
request is 39th on a list of 42
projects. ETCOG is to
receive funds for only 38 of
these. If other requests are
withdrawn, or if more
funds become available,
the county may still be able
to secure aid. The possibil-
ity is "remote" according
to the representative.
Sheriff J. B. Slover
issued an invitation Mon-
day to Commissiorysrs to
tour new jail facilitas in
Crockett. Jail renovations
and some discussion- con-
cerning the construction of
-«-See COURTHOUSE p.U
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The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 126, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 17, 1975, newspaper, July 17, 1975; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151132/m1/1/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.