Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 147, No. 24, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 13, 1995 Page: 2 of 40
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Page Two—CHEROKEEAN/HERALD of Rusk, Texas—Thursday, July 13,1995
Emmett H. Whitehead
CIjerobeeaif/Herald
publisher
Marie Whitehead
editor
July 13,1995
Texas' oldest continuously
published weekly newspaper.
I
Established as the Cherokee
>i
Sentinel
)
Feb. 27,1850
The Book Nook
SlNGLETARY MEMORIAL LIBRARY
EDITORIAL
Sign of the Times
Do you remember $he old public service
announcement that aired just before the
late night news inHhe 1960s and 70s: A
commanding voice boomed, "It's 10
o'clock! Do you know where your
child is?"
It is a valid question, which demands
to be asked again in 1995.
Cherokee County Commissioner
Bob Gregg supplied some sad photo-
graphs to the Cherokeean/Herald re-
cently. They are snapshots of county
road signs which have been defaced,
presumably by young people who:
(a) Have too much gasoline in their
cars
(b) Free access to guns, ammuni-
tion and spray paint
(c) Not enough to do
Parents need to have conversations
with their children, and make certain
that they understand the consequences of their
actions.
The county is spending an estimated $8,000 -
10,000 per year to replace badly defaced traffic-
direction signs. And who ultimately pays for their
replacement? You do!
A stolen stop sign or "impassable during high
water" sign may look cool in a teenager's room, and
parents may be tempted to look the other way.
However, the consequences for removing signs
can be deadly.
What if someone runs through an intersection
where a sign has been stolen, and someone is
killed?
What if someone plows into an unmarked low-
water crossing during a rain storm and
drowns in a swollen torrent?
Government cannot legislate morals.
It is every parent's responsibility to teach
right and wrong, and instruct their chil-
dren when they step into gray areas.
If a young person is walking out the
door with a shotgun and shells, ques-
tions must be asked.
There are three good reasons for not
defacing highway signs:
(a) Damaged and stolen signs cost
taxpayers real dollars to replace, money
that could be spent more effectively
(b) Stealing or defacing signs may cost
lives
(c) It is against the law
Persons caught in the act may receive
a Class C misdemeanor offense, punishable by a
fine up to $200. If a stop sign is stolen and an
accident occurs, the penalty rises substantially, said
Cherokee County Sheriff James Campbell.
Parents must define moral standards... set a good
example through their own actions and ask lots of
questions. Then they can say with confidence, "I
know where my child is at 10 o'clock, and I am proud
of him."
Parents must not let this graffiti, defacement and
thievery become a "sign of the times."
by Ruth Mather
special to the cherokeean/herald
Summer is heating up and we
have some great Vending at Single-
tary Memorial Library that will keep
you in the house and out of the heat.
Sandra Brown's newest title 'The
Witness" tells the story of a wife
who discovers her husband and fa-
ther-in-law are members of a mur-
derous white supremacist group.
She decides to testify against them
and the group and that is when the
excitement starts.
Harry Combs has written 'The
Scout." a novel about being a scout
for the Army on the western fron-
tier in the years following the Civil
•War. The main character ends up
scouting for General Custer at the
time of the battle of the Little Big
Horn.
Anne McCaffrey has two new
titles, "Freedom's Landing " and
"Power Play." I'm a great McCaffrey
fan and thoroughly enjoyed both
titles.
We also have new books by Tho-
mas H. Cook, Breakheart Hill, ro-
mance writer Linda Lael Miller "Pi-
rates," Belva Plain'The Carousel,"
Eugenia Price "Beauty From
Ashes," Amanda Quick, "Mys-
tique," (she is another of my favor-
ite authors) and Nora Roberts 'True
Betrayals."
We also have John Saul's newest
hardcover title, Black Lighting.
Saul writes horror novels that rival
Stephen King and Dean Koontz at
their best. And we do have Stephen
King's newest, "Rose Madder^' as
well as Koontz's "Strange High-
ways."
Kids who are reading for the Sum-
mer Rending Club need to turn
their book logs in the week of July
17th so we can have their certifi-
cates ready by July 26th. We'll
have a party that day to celebrate
the end of the Reading Club. We'll
award the prizes to the boy and girl
who read the most books in the two
age groups, preschool through kin-
dergarten and first through sixth
grades.
And on Wednesday, July 19th
our program will be a presentation
from some of the kids in the cast of
Oh, Tammit. The program will start
at 10 AM and will be a real treat.
dierokeeaq/Herald
USPS 102-520
Texas' Oldest Continuously*
Published Weekly Newspa-i
per
Established as th« Cherokee
Sentinel,
Feb. 27,1850
Consolidation of The Cherokeean,
The Alto Herald and
the Wells News & Views
8«cond Class Postsgs Prfd at Rusk, T«xm
78786
Published waskty on Thursday by
E.H. WNtahsad Entatprissa
SIS N. Main • Rusk, Tax. *'7^788
(803) 883-2287 • (803) 5S#-777t • (40 ) I
4141
FAX (803) 8834104
Subscription rates payable In advarca:
Charokaa County .$13 per yaar
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Outside Texas .$20 per yaar
POSTMASTER: MNO ADORSSS CHAMOIS TO:
cherokeean/herald, p.O. SOX 4TS • RUSK, Tlx
Wit & Wisdom
Gadgets
By Everett McCollum
Special to the Cherokeean/Herald
TU
MEMBER
1095
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
i rr
Since my great deer hunting ad-
venture, Lorene has been enjoying
her new car. She is quite possessive
of it as a matter of fact. However,
she will let me sit in it in the garage
and play like I'm driving. While
amusing myself play driving the
otl. r day, I had the key on and was
listening to the radio when an alarm
went off. " Oh my gracious," I
thought, " I've broken something."
These new cars have so many bells
and whistles and lights and even
voices that tell you something is
amiss. Well, this bell was just a
clanging away and I spied a red
warning light that pictured some-
thing that looks a lot like a sawhorse
with a badly bent up leg. " What in
the world have I done to Lorene's
car," was my puzzled thought. Then
I caught sight of the car's complaint.
Pictured there in the outside mirror.
The neighbor's doghas just extended
his territory to include Lorene's new
car.
As smart as cars are these days,
one would think that more of them
could find their way to church. I
think I will invent a gadget that will
make the horn start blowing 10 min-
utes before Sunday School time, and
the only way to quiet it is to drive it
to the church where a secret mag-
netic field will disarm it for a couple
of hours. Until I get my invention
working, we will have to rely on your
wanting to be in Sunday School and
Worship.
Dear Everett McCollum:
I read with interest your column
in the Cherokeean/Herald about a
puzzle you were trying to solve. Since
I am a crossword puzzle fan, I set my
mind to work on your puzzle.
To me, the key phrases were; "chil-
dren should have a dose of it" and
"located in the heart of God with no
equal." I came up with CHURCH
first, then took the broader meaning
of RELIGION. It seems to fit the
categories listed. What do you think?
I lived in Alto for 13 years, so I take
an interest in things happening
around there. I eiyoy your column,
keep it up!
Sincerely,
Doris E. De Spain
1172 Keowee Ave. H-7
Knoxville, TN 37919-7726
Letters to the Editor
A death row inmate's view oHkJb- Busby case
SHI'* 1*4 O V
'4
UUf
Having grown up in Cherokee Co., and having been
condemned by the Texas criminal j ustice system, I have
been watching the proceedings in the Jason Busby
murder case with interest. Two things come to mind
which I think the people of Cherokee Co., should con-
sider as this case progresses.
First, I note that the county commissioners are balk-
ing, at paying Busby's legal fees, especially in the event
of a capital murder trial. One excuse for keeping costs
down is that they've found another county which sets
legál fees even lower than Cherokee co. If anyone would
investigate this they would find that most lawyers and
judges have declared that other
county's pay scale unworkable. In-
stead, the commissioners should look
atTexasasawhole. They'd find that
Busby's attorneys' requests are not
only reasonable, but are actually a
bargain compared to other counties.
Although (the last I heard) no final
decision had been reached about
seeking a death penalty, I'm certain
this is the primary goal of the D.A.
and police. The truth is that the
death penalty is unbelievably expensive, with most
convictions usually costing Texas an average of over $2
million by the time someone is finally executed. "Capi-
tal Life" (35 years before parole eligibility) costs about
$800,000, less than half the cost of an execution.
Of course, most of that comes from state coffers,
although the county will still bear an enormous burden.
Judge Adams (sic) estimate of $50,000-$100,000 is not
at all absurd when you know the typical costs. If he's
guilty, getting Busby off" the streets should be the
primary goal. However, beyond that, the citizens of
Cherokee Co. should decidé if they are willing to foot the
bill for the extra costs a death penalty will require.
Simply forgoing (sic) the death penalty cuts costs in
more than half and eliminates the automatic require-
ment of an extended appeals. Contrary to the claims
made by proponents of dqath penalty appeal and ha-
beas reform, the changes \o take place in September
will neither shorten appeare or cut costs of executions in
Texas.
A second consideration could automatically double
the cost of Busby's trail. For some time now the District
Attorney's office has been refusing to turn over tapes of
investigation interviews with witnesses.
While it may be a valid "gut response" to say that the
Ü.A.'s office should do nothing to help the defendant, it
is not good law and the D.A. knows this.
The "Rules of Discovery" are well established, and
any attorney can tell you that Busby's attorneys have a
legal right to the tapes. You might not like it, but it's
well established law.
If the D.A.'s office does not turn over those tapes in a
timely manner Busby's conviction will certainly be
reversed and he'll be back for a new trial later, doubling
the cost of whatever was spent to convict him the first
time. This isn't opinion-it's fact. Keep in mind that the
appeals courts in Tyler and Austin who've refused to
intervene have refused because of jurisdiction con-
cerns, not because they think the D.A. is correct. Trial
courts are perfectly entitled to make mistakes, which
will cost them retrials later.
Why would the D.A. do something to
risk a second trial? Obviously, he per-
ceives some advantage. Perhaps there is
something on the tapes which might
mitigate against seeking a death pen-
alty, or perhaps there is information
which might question the roles of the
victims or witnesses in the crime. Who
knows?
Whatever the case, there is something
he doesn't want the defense to know
about, something which gives the D.A. an advantage in
pretrial and trial proceedings. If the D.A. succeeds in
keeping the tapes from the defense, Cherokee Co., will
be liable for a new trial in a year or two. If, as many
people predict, he gives the defense the tapes at the last
minute, the issue of timeliness comes into question and
you're still looking at a 50 percent change for a retrial.
If Cromwell wins the trial, especially if he wins a
death penalty, he and the police involved will look like
heroes. And if the case is reversed later to be retried,
they can always blame it on the "liberal appeal court
judges" and still come out looking like heroes - even if
they knowingly made mistakes which guaranteed that
reversal and retrial.
It's a common (and expensive) practice in most coun-
ties. It's why appeals take so long and the courts are so
burdened.
I mean no disrespect for the families of Tenille Th-
ompson and Brandy Gray, but it's the "people versus
Jason Busby," and it's the people of Cherokee Co. jvho
need to know the facts and to decide whether to seek a
clean And certain conviction in this case, or spend a
fortune to handle the case in a way which will only
prolong the suffering of the victims' families.
James L. Beathard
T.D.C.J. Ellis Unit, Death Row
Huntsville, Tex.
•Plugging Water Leaks
I am back on my soap box again!
After having read the accounts of the recent snaffu
over our Mayor's having had city workers and equip-
ment out to repair a water line on private property, and
the subsequent actions of the city manager re-
garding those repairs, it is my opinion and the
opinion of dozens of others that the M ayor was
absolutely right!
As to Mrs. Williams' actions, I do not know j
if they were unethical, but they were cer- '
tainly unprofessional and unbecoming to a
person who is supposed to be a professional,
and smacks of a deliberate attempt to embarrass
and/or discredit our Mayor.
She needs to be aware that, no matter how long she
serves in her present capacity, she will never be able to
match Mr. Whitehead's record in accomplishing good
things for Rusk and Cherokee county.
Isn't it a shame the City Council didn't have the good
sense to accept her resignation when it was tendered?
By their failure to do so, they have virtually given her
Carte Blance (sic) and made her dictator, rather than
someone who is only an employee hired to look out for
the best interest of our tax-paying citizens.
e n V s ic- f
Water Mt-tei
As to the repair to the water line in question, per-
haps Mrs. Williams doesn't realize that water is pre-
cious and does not need to be wasted. Evidently, there
are a number of people at city hall who don't know this.
It took three months of reporting and reminders to
get a leak repaired at the corner of Hospital and
Cherokee Streets. Not only were there thou-
sands of gallons of water wasted, but the
pavement was undermined and created holes
that a person could ruin a tire in.
j I am enclosing a small check, payable to Mr.
Whitehead* to help defray the cost of those
"illegal" repairs he has agreed to pay for out of his
pocket. I hope everyone who feels he is right will do
the same. After all, we elected him because we knew
what he has to offer to Rusk, so we need to stand
behind him.
I have not always agreed with Mr. Whitehead, he
has not always agreed with me. I still call him "friend"
-are not the differences of opinion what make life
interesting?
Sincerely,
Fern G. Elliott
Rusk, Tex.
Read the
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Many of your readers may not be
aware that there are two Dianne
Sinclairs who live in Rusk, Chero-
kee County, Texas.
There is Dianne
Sparkman Sinclair
(Mrs.David Sinclair),
who wrote a letter to
the editor which was
published in the July
6 edition of the
Cherokeean/Herald,
and there is Dianne
Nielsen Sinclair
(Mrs. Larry Sinclair)
who did not write
that above-men-
tioned letter to the
editor.
It is remarkable that there should
be two people living in a small town
like Rusk with the same, somewhat
fiUBual name, who spell that name
For Clarification
exactly alike. Not surprisingly, we
sometimes get each other's mail or
telephone calls.
Without intending
to imply there was
anythingwrongwith
the opinions ex-
pressed in the other
Dianne Sinclair's let-
ter to the editor pub-
lished July 6th, I felt
it was a good time to
make this clarifica-
tion.
Perhaps we can
each include addi-
tional identification
in the future.
Will Mrs. Sinclair
please stand?
Thanks,
Dianne Nielson (Mrs. Larry)
Sinclair
Rusk, Tex. 75785
Damaged Road Signs Pose Problems
Cherokee
County spends
up to $10,000
annuslly to
replace
damaged road
and traffic
aigns.
-photo byCherokee County Commlssloenr Bob Gregg
Bad Signs
A very serious problem has once again reared its
ugly head. The problem has existed for many years,
but has become even worse this summer.
I am referring to vandalism, destruction, and out-
right theft of road signs on county roads. Our
primary concern is directed at the safety factor
involved. Serious problems arise when emergency
vehicles are delayed because the County Road Num-
bers are not there. Warning signs are also being
removed or destroyed which, of course, creates all
sorts of safety problems. We have seen a huge
increase in the use of spray paint, which renders a
sign totally useless.
"I re
really cannot comprehend what a low mentality
it takes to perform such acts.
Our second concern is the flagrant abuse of taxpay-
ers money involved in having to replace the signs. It
has been estimated that it takes between 50 and 60
dollars to replace a sign; In some signs more is
involved. This is taking into account the cost of the
signs, the post, and the labor to put them up.
I hope that everyone will become aware of the
problem, and start reportingsuch acts to the Sheriffs
Department, or to the Commissioner of the Precinct
involved. This will not only get more rapid replace-
ment of the signs, but hopehilly help us catch some
of the criminals involved.
Very truly yours,
Bob Gregg, Commissioner
Precinct 1
Cherokee County
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Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 147, No. 24, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 13, 1995, newspaper, July 13, 1995; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152224/m1/2/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.