Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 157, No. 30, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 13, 2006 Page: 1 of 16
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500
ÜD
Rusk, TX 75785
Vol. 157, No. 30-16 pgs.
TEXAS
PARKS
WEBSITE LAUNCHED
New organization petitions
Legislative Budget Board to fund the
Texas State Railroad. See pg. 6A.
WEDNESDAY
September 13, 2006
Texas' Oldest Weekly Newspaper
VAN OUTRUNS RUSK
STURNS SHARES THE LOAD
Rusk's 5 runningbacks rushed for 206 yards, and
Sturns threw for 166 yards to 5 receivers,
but Rusk still fell short 42-28. See pg. 3B
v,
Alto rolls back gas hikes
deposits returned to $350
Residents who paid $500 deposit on city utilities to receive refunds
By Leland Acker
Staff Writer
Relief is on the way for Alto
area residents who have been
affected by recent increases in
city utility rates. The city council
voted unanimously Monday to roll
back increases to the gas usage
rate that applied to out-of-town
customer s and to return the water
and gas deposit back to $350 until
a credit-based depositsystem can
be set up.
The council voted to increase
the gas base rate by $1 to all owl -
of-Alto customers.
City Administrator Ashley
Judd proposed the gas base rate
increase to cover the cost of read-
ing meters in Wells, Pollok and
other outlying areas hooked up to
Alto's gas system. She suggested
the council should roll back the
increased rate on gas usage so the
increase in gas bills would not be
so dramatic.
Mayor Debbie White agreed,
citing Alto residents are facing
higher cost-of-living expenses
without increases in income,
"It is like going to the gas pump.
Gas prices go up, utilities go up,
but we haven't gotten a raise in
our salaries or retirement. It's
tough," Mayor White said.
On Aug. 21, the council voted
to increase the gas usage rates
Please see ALTO UTILITY, pg. 6A
Jan Michael Pate
INSIDE
Rusk Chamber of
Commerce sponsors golf
tournament Sept. 16
The Rusk Chamber of Com-
merce is sponsoring a golf tour-
nament Sept. 16 at Birmingham
Golf course.
Four-person scrambles begin
at 9 a.m. with a first prize award
of $400.
see page 7B for more
Tip from letter carrier
leads to grim discovery
of man's death
Acting on a call from a local
postman, Rusk Police found the
body of a man whom they say
had been dead in his home for
approximately two weeks.
Joe Earle Lanier, 62 of Rusk,
died of a heart attack in his home,
said RuskAssistantChief of Police
Roy Cavazoz.
"We received a call from the
postman who told us that Mr.
Lanier had not picked up his mail
for over a week," Mr. Cavazoz
said. "We gained entrance to his
residence and found him."
Mr. Lanier's cause of death was
confirmed by a pathologist.
Weather Outlook
V V
"V
A
THURSDAY
scattered t-storms
20% chance of rain
High: 90
Low: 65
OLDIES RADIO
KWRW - F(Vs and KTi.U - AM
911 addressin
Darci Dotson,
911 address-
ing employee,
assigns new
addresses to
pieces of prop-
erty shown on
the computer
map. The new
addresses are
being coor-
dinated by
the Cherokee
County
Appraisal
District and will
help emergency
responders
locate homes
quicker.
Many residents will be assigned a new address
By Gloria Jennings
Staff Writer
all it a marriage of convenience. A new
911 addressing system will be in place
soon in Cherokee County that will enable
emergency responders to quickly find every
distress call in a matter of seconds.
The bad news is that many who have had the
same mailing address for halfa century or more
are being assigned new postal addresses.
The process of finishing 911 addressing is
almost complete in Cherokee County.
Cherokee County Appraisal District Chief
Appraiser Lee Flowers said, "Rural address-
ing began here in 1991 with Jack White
and personnel from the Cherokee County
Electric Cooperative began preparing maps.
The appraisal (list riel took over the project in
2003, Various entities contracted with them
to do the work.
"Since assuming addressing duties from the
Please see 911 ADDRESSING, pg. 6A
Privatization vs. State Ownership
Oct. 21 fundraiser
for train still being
discussed
By Marie Whitehead
Editor
Options for the continued opera-
tion of Texas State Railroad were
reviewed during a meeting of the
TSR Preservation Ta sk Force Com -
mittee at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the
TSR Depot at Rusk.
"Theresbeen a lot of information
since our last meeting, ' said Steve
Presley, chairman. "In fact, we've
hada flash flood, Alot of water has
gone under the bridge,
Dale Brown ofPalestine notedthe
arrival of the Texas A&M economic
impact study late Wednesday. "It
is a cumulative report of numbers
with no conclusions. I have asked
for moré detailed totals.'' This
report will be presented to Stone
Consultants for review.
American Heritage.operators of
the well known train at Durango,
Please see TASK FORCE, pg. 6A
American Heritage representative meets with
'Friends,' discusses ridership ideas
By Leland Acker
Staff Writer
A representative of American
Heritage Railways met with the
Friends of the Texas State Rail-
road Thursday and discussed
ideas to increase ridership.
"The best way to preserve his-
tory is to make it exciting for
people to come out and partici-
pate," Paul Schranck, of American
Heritage said.
Mr. Schranck said American
Heritage uses that philosophy
with the narrow gage railway
that runs between Silverton and
Durango, Colo.
"We'll have speci ;i I events,
such as the running of the Polar
Express," Mr. Schranck said. "Kids
and parents w i l l come out dressed
in their pajamas, which I am not
sure how smart that is seeing how
it is at night in Colorado.
"We'll give them a 30 minute
train ride, which isjust about right
for small children, and they have
a lot of fun.''
Chamber loses
city donation
Rusk's tight budget prompts 3-2 vote
to withhold $25,000 from chamber
By Gloria Jennings
Staff Writer
A $25,000 donation to the Rusk Chamber of
Commerce will not be included in the 2006-07 city
budget,
A motion to contribute the money to the chamber
through a grant failed by a vote of 2-3 at a called
session Monday evening.
Voting to give the money to the chamber were
Councilmembers Donald Woodard and Don Jones.
Voting against the contribution were Mayor Suzann
.McCariy and Councilmembers Walter Session and
Sam Florian.
For the past two years the city has contributed the
funds to the chamber. However, city personnel have
learned that the funds cannot be given to the chamber
with no stipulations attached,
The chamber also receives all the city hotel/motel
tax money and a $25,000 donation from the Economic
Develop men I Corporation.
City Attorney Forrest Phifer met with the council
Please see RUSK CITY COUNCIL, pg. 8A
Commissioners
stay within budget
No tax hike required in Cherokee
County's $16 million budget
Cherokee County Commissioners will meet at 9
a.m. Friday to set the county tax rate at 62 cents
per $100 valuation. This is the same rate used last
year, although most property owners will pay more
in ad valorem taxes because of increased property
values.
Commissioner s met Monday morning in the county
courtroom to approve a $16,738,600 county budget.
The budget is expected to be financed with the 62
cent tax rate,
The new budget includes a five percent salary
increase for all county employees and officials; and
increased funding for gasoline and utilities.
Public hearings were held on the budget and pro-
posed tax rate, County Judge Chris Davis explained
that the commissioners had to wait three days after
the pubhc hearing on the tax rate prior to adopting
the rate.
The tax rate: includes 42.7 cents for the general
fund; 1. 35 cent for indigent health fund; 3.45 cents for
contractual obligations; and 14.5 cents for the lateral
Please see COUNTY BUDGET, pg. 6A
Other ideas Mr. Schranck
shared were using Thomas the
Tank Engine to make a run, and
doing a "Little Engine that Could'
theme ride.
"The 'Little Engine that Could
seems to be the story of the Texas
State Railroad,'' Mr. Schranck
said. "We like to do children's
events, because that is building
interest for the future. If they have
a good time riding a s children, they
will return and ride as adults."
Mr. Schranck said American
Heritage was evaluating the best
ways to use the equipment, and
ways to use volunteer labor for
the special events.
Mr. Schrank also addressed
concerns that American Heritage
would raise ticket prices,
"I don't believe in jacking up
prices and pricing people out of
the opportunity to participate in
the railroad,'' he said. "We would
have our base rate, that would
Please see FRIENDS, pg. 6A
Clerk candidate
drops out of race
Kimberly M. Ramsey, Republican candidate
for county clerk, has withdrawn from the Nov.
7 general election.
Ms. Ramsey told Cherokee County Repubhcan
Chairman Jerry Ayers last week that she did
not want to continue with the election. In her
letter to him as Republican Party chairman, Ms.
Ramsey said, "I want to withdraw for personal
reasons."
" She did not state why she wanted to withdraw,
except for personal reasons," Mr. Ayers said.
"We are working on whether or not her name
will appear on the Nov. 7 general election ballot
or not," he said.. The old law said if a candidate
withdraws within 60 days of the election, that
person s name will not appear on the ballot.
However, the new law says a candidate's name
will appear on the ballot unless the candidate
withdraws prior to 74 days before the election.
"We are working on a special exception where
everyone agrees that Ms. Ramsey's name may
be left off the ballot," Mr. Ayers said. "She does
not want her name on the ballot and hopefully
it will not appear there," he said.
Ms. Ramsey is the Republican nominee for the
Please see COUNTY CLERK, pg. 6A
CM K
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 157, No. 30, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 13, 2006, newspaper, September 13, 2006; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152748/m1/1/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.