Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 152, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 25, 2001 Page: 1 of 18
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Texas' Oldest Weekly Newspaper - Established Feb. 27, 1850 as the Cherokee Sentinel
Vol. 152, No. 36-18 Pages Thursday, October 25, 2001
Fall Back
Don't forget to set your
clocks back one hour at
2 a.m. on Oct. 28 for the
end of Daylight Savings!
Rusk, TX 75785
25 cents
TPEA
chapter
honors state
legislators
The Texas Public Employees
Association, Chapter 19, will host
a fish fry appreciation dinner for
State Rep. Chuck Hopson and
Sen. Todd Staples at 6:30 p.m. on
Tuesday, Oct. 30 .
The event will be held at
the Norman Activity Center,
located at 526 East Commerce in
Jacksonville.
Both Rep. Hopson and Sen.
Staples were strong supporters
for across-the-board pay raises
for state employees and key
advocates for improved career
ladders for TDCJ correctional
officers.
Senator Staples also played a
critical role in increasing retire-
ment benefits for state workers.
Tickets for the fish fry are
$8.50, which will help cover the
costs.
Thos interested in attending
should contact Ed Bruce at
903-586-5045 or at
glened@flash.net.
All state employees-whether
TPEAmembers or not—are invited
to attend.
Alto Homecoming Queen
Alto High School senior Amy Johnson became the 2001
Homecoming Queen Friday night. The Yellowjackets wiped
out Troup with a final score of 66-3. See Randall Birdsong's
sports wrap-up on page 12, and Chris Davis's report of the
Homecoming Parade on page 2.
Texas Forest Service
recommends tree
removal at Hogg Park
Council meets at
park, tours forest
Members of the Rusk City Council
toured the Jim Hogg City Park
Monday evening with representatives
of the Texas Forest Service and Jim
Houser, city timber consultant.
Bill Rose, assistant chief regional
fire coordinator, formerly district
forester with the Texas Forest Service,
and Mr. Houser discussed marked
trees with the council and the health
of the various trees. Another meeting
will be posted for next week.
The two had met with members
of the Rusk City Council Oct. 15 at
city hall to discuss harvesting of a
portion of the timber at Jim Hogg
City Park.
Mr. Rose said he wrote a timber
study report for the Hogg park in
1991.
In 1993-94 Parks and Wildlife
recommended selected trimming and
sale of the timber. The project was
bid out and the Attorney General
said he could not sign a deed until
some technicalities are resolved.
At that time the state could not
deed property without a vote of the
legislature.
"That place has not been managed
since 1981. Poor management is no
management. You need to reduce the
amount of trees on the site. The tract
is a prime Southern Beetle habitat.
The average age of the trees there is
67 years. Trees start declining at age
60. Some can live up to age 80 but
most die before then. I recommend
that you open it up and put some
space between the trees," he said.
"Fairchild National Forest had
Southern Pine Beetles and we recom-
mended they open it up and put space
between the trees that would shift
the moisture to grow better trees and
make them healthier."
Charles Horton, Thomas Parsons
and Buz Parrish all voiced their
opinion that Mr. Houser had too
many trees marked. "When you put
big blobs of blue paint on trees it
looks like it is more than it really is,"
Mr. Rose said.
Mr. Houser told the council that
some hardwood is marked because
Please see CITY OF RUSK, page 6
Animals are topic
of county discussions
Animals headed the agenda for
discussion at the Monday morning
meeting of the Cherokee County
Commissioners Court.
Jacksonville Police Chief Mark
Johnson met with members of the
court to discuss expenditures at the
Cherokee County Animal Shelter.
The city's budget includes $85,762 for
operation of the shelter. The shelter
can only handle a maximum of 22
animals at one time. Monthly they
get an average of 72 animals from
the City of Jacksonville and 127
from out in the county. He noted
that Jacksonville will probably fail
its next inspection if something is
not done about the over population
at the shelter.
"We want to work something out
with you," he said. They discussed
the possibility of a larger shelter. "We
don't charge for taking animals from
the county," he said.
The Jacksonville City Council
discussed the problem at the last
meeting. There is property behind the
shelter so the city could increase the
shelter size, Chief Johnson said.
He said there are grants available
to help with the construction of a
new shelter. "We are also trying to
keep the adoption rate up. We hope
to be able to house a larger number
of animals."
Commissioner Moody Glass, Pre-
cinct 3, remarked that he had found
dumped trash on roads that had
names on letters of persons living
within the city limits. "It is on these
same roads that we have a problem
with dumping animals. It makes
you think that people living in town
are doing it."
Joe Hipp of Reklaw discussed a
situation involving the impoundment
of a 2,000 pound bull belonging to
him. He said he had been out-of-town
during the illness and death of his
Please see COUNTY, page 6
Marching to Victory
The Rusk High School
band earned a rating
of "one" at the annual
UIL Marching contest,
held at Stephen F.
Austin State Univer-
sity in Nacogdoches.
The band is directed
by Gary Robbins.
I
m
Tricks and Treats
Three-year-old Lily Raiborn stands in front of the
festive Halloween decorations of Terry and Donna
Perkins of Rusk. Mr. Perkins made his own decorations
and is planning to add even more to his front lawn.
Lily is the daughter of Mark and Angela Raiborn
of Rusk.
-Q-
Early voting continues through Nov. 2
Proposition 8 allows
state to sell bonds
Texas voters will go to the polls on
Nov. 6 to consider 20 constitutional
amendments. Early voting is Oct. 22
through Nov. 2 Monday through Friday
from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Cherokee
County Clerk's office in Rusk; the Senior
Citizens Building in Jacksonville; and A.
Frank Smith United Methodist Church
fellowship hall in Jacksonville.
Cherokee County voters will be asked
to approve a three-county water district
which will include Cherokee, Anderson
and Henderson counties.
If approved the three-counties will be
authorized to establish a water control
board that would govern the area's
ground water. Without the water district
other areas can come in and transport
any amount of Cherokee County water
elsewhere. When the water district is
created, limits will be set to govern the
use of the three-county's ground waters.
It is Number 20 on the ballot.
Proposition 8 is of interest to all
citizens of this area as it involves several
state agencies located in the county.
The proposition, if approved, will amend
the constitution to allow the legislature
to authorize the Texas Public Finance
Authority to issue and sell up to $850
million of general obligation bonds. Of this
amount, $180 million will be earmarked
for MHMR construction. Included in
that amount will $1.61 million to Rusk
State Hospital to be used for fire safety
improvements and replacement of build-
ing roofs. Rusk State Hospital occupies
396 acres owned by the State of Texas
since 1875. It was formerly prison land.
The prison closed in 1917 and the Texas
Legislature converted it to a "State
Lunatic Asylum." The hospital received
its first patient in 1919. Today, 326
individuals receive treatment and the
hospital employs 950 persons.
Lufkin State School will receive $850,000
to replace roofs on building and repair
Please see EARLY VOTING, page 6
Volunteer Council hosts state meeting
The Volunteer Council for
the Rusk State Hospital, Inc.
recently hosted the Volunteer
Services State Council Region
III Fall Meeting.
Volunteer Council members
and Community Relations
staff from Richmond State
School, Rusk State Hospital,
Texana Community MHMR
Center,Wharton and
TDMHMR Central Office
Austin attended the daylong
conference.
Diane Faucher, Superinten-
dent of Rusk State Hospital
hosted a dinner reception
at her home Friday and on
Saturday attendees met at the
Frederick M. Hedge Therapy
& Wilderness Campsite to
conduct Volunteer Services
State Council (VSSC) busi-
ness including reports from
attendees, hospital tour and a
video about the VSSC annual
meeting planned for Abilene.
Martha Neely, VSSC board
member presented information
from the VSSC.
Training for the afternoon
program was presented by Ms.
C M Y K
Faucher.
The Volunteer Services State
Council was founded in 1958
and is a volunteer based chari-
table organization that part-
ners with the Texas Depart-
ment of Mental Health and
Mental Retardation to improve
the quality and efficiency of
programs and services.
The Council assists local
councils like the Volunteer
Council for the Rusk State
Hospital, Inc. to accomplish its
mission by providing programs,
services and resources to mem-
*4"
bers, recognizing outstanding
services by the volunteers and
staff throughout the state,
providing education and train-
ing to volunteers, and promot-
ing the spirit of volunteerism
in Texas.
Local Volunteer Council
members attending the meet-
ing included Volunteer Council
Chairman Frank Madden,
Flossie Nixson, Mary Madden
and Ginney Penny; also board
members Sarah Summers,
Please see RSH, page 6
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 152, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 25, 2001, newspaper, October 25, 2001; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152488/m1/1/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.