Wreck Near Talpa Seriously Injuries One
4/30/2007
It was a wreck so bad that the F350 Ford pickup was
removed in pieces. It happened around 10:15am Monday
approximately 18 miles west of Coleman on U.S.
Highway 67 near Talpa.
The driver of the pickup was Hector Reyes, 36, of
Eldorado, Texas. He was flown by helicopter to
Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene in unknown
condition.
According to DPS troopers Pat Salas and Chris
Delgado, Reyes was driving west on 67 when, for an
unknown reason, he drifted off the south side of the
road into the ditch, went air born across a ditch
near a railroad tressel and hit an earthen
embankment with the front of the pickup, causing the
truck to flip over upside down. The impact left
Reyes trapped. Coleman firemen had to cut off the
top of the cab to rescue Reyes, Salas and Delgado
said. Terry's Towing was called to the scene and
hauled the cab, motor and transmission away on the
first trip then returned to get the remaining
wreckage which you see in the picture.
ELECTION TIME
Early Voting Begins Monday
4/29/2007
Local politics is always a topic of conversation but
between Monday, April 30 and Tuesday, May 8, you can
have a say in matters by voting for your favorite
candidates in the following contested races:
City of Coleman
* West Ward City Council - Bill Casselberry
(Incumbent) and Harold Skelton
* East Ward City Council - Rodney Cole (Incumbent)
and Billie Mercer
* Mayor - Nick Poldrack (incumbent) unopposed
Early voting will take place at Coleman City Hall, 200
West Liveoak, from 8:00am until 12:00 noon and from
1:00pm until 5:00pm on April 30, May 1, 2, 3 and 4. On
May 7 and 8, early voting will be from 7:00am until
7:00pm. The election is Saturday, May 12, polls
open 7:00am until 7:00pm.
Coleman residents are
reminded that no matter where you live within the
city (south, east, north or west wards)
you may vote for the candidates of your choice.
Coleman ISD
- Election cancelled, no contested races
City of Santa Anna
* City Council - Four people are running for two
at-large seats - Jim Spillman (Incumbent), Curtis
Fellers (Incumbent), Harold Fahrlender and Cindy Pelton
* Mayor - Russ Fisher, John Pearce and Ross
Bradley
Santa Anna ISD
- Four people are running for three at-large seats -
Paul Martin (Incumbent), Lois Harper (Incumbent), Roger
Guerrero Jr. and Grady McIver
Early voting for city and school will take place at the
Santa Anna ISD Administration Office at 701 Bowie Street
at the following hours.
8:00am until 8:00pm Monday, April 30 and Tuesday May 1
8:00am until 4:00pm May 2, 3, 4, 7, 8
Novice
- No Contested Races
Panther Creek CISD
- Election in the Fall
Hospital District
- No Contested Races
One
Proposition To Vote On
One proposition is on the ballot and it reads as
follows: "The constitutional amendment authorizing
the legislature to provide for a reduction of the
limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes
that may be imposed for public school purposes on
the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled
to reflect any reduction in the rate of those taxes
for the 2006 and 2007 tax years."
You can vote early on the proposition at the Coleman
County Courthouse. Early voting begins Monday, April
30, and continues through Tuesday, May 8.
On election day, Saturday May 12, polling places for
the Proposition Election will be as follows:
* Precinct 1 - East Wing of the Courthouse
* Precinct 2 & 2E - Santa Anna Community Center at
the High Rise downtown
* Precinct 3 - Concho Baptist Church Fellowship Hall
* Precinct 4 - West Wing of the Courthouse
Impressive Art Show in Coleman
Through May 2
4/29/2007 by Randy Turner
Coleman's first Juried
Art Show, "Flight of the Dragonflies" is underway at the
Bill Franklin Center at the Rodeo Grounds. I recommend
you see it before it ends Wednesday, May 2, it is
something special for our community.
The Fine Arts League of Coleman County has worked for
about two years to make the show possible. It attracted
entries mainly from Texas but New Mexico, California and
Connecticut are also represented. Texas towns
include Bryan, Del Rio, Abilene, Coleman,
Ballinger, Fredericksburg, Winters, Austin, Novice,
Odessa and others.
Among the winners in the show was Bill Shields of
Novice who received a prize from the Fine Arts League of
Coleman County. This is the first time
Bill has entered a juried art show and he is one of
seven winners.
Judged "Best of Show" was
an entry called Sanibel Afternoon by Marian DeBerry of
Abilene. Other winners were Pam Bunch of Del Rio, B
Lancton of Fredericksburg, Barbara Larimore of Olney,
Susan Mansell of Ballinger and Kit Timmin of Brownwood.The Bill Franklin Center is filled with beautiful art
through Wednesday. Over 500 Coleman County school
children are going to have a chance to see it early this
week, please make the effort to stop by and enjoy it
yourself. It is free of charge. We tip our hat to the
hard work done by the members of the Fine Arts League of
Coleman County.
The Student of the Month of
May for Novice Elementary is Scott McCoy, a
Pre-Kindergarten student. He is the son of Adam and
Tammy McCoy of Winters.
The
Student of the Month of May for Novice Junior
High is Raymie Wylie. Raymie Wylie is an 8th grader
at Novice Junior High School. She is the daughter of Don
Wylie of Cisco and Cheryl Thompson of Novice.
CCMC
Board Holds Short Meeting
4/27/2007 (by Sue Titsworth, CCMC)
The Board
of Directors of Coleman County Medical Center met
for their regular meeting on Thursday evening at 5
o’clock with a short agenda, which was taken care of
in short order.
CEO/Administrator Douglas Langley presented the
financial report to board members, stating that
finances are in good shape for this time of year.
The hospital recently received approximately
$200,000 from back money from Medicare which is
relieving the current cash flow shortage.
The board reviewed the EMS revenue and expenses for
the prior fiscal year. At the next meeting the board
will make an ambulance subsidy request to the City
and County of Coleman for the coming year.
Langley also advised the board that the new ER doors
are in and are working well. Funds to pay for the
doors were provided through the Bioterrorism
program.
In other business, board members approved renewal of
insurance policies covering vehicles, General
Liability and Boiler and Machinery.
The next meeting of the Coleman County Medical
Center is scheduled for Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 5
P.M. in the CCMC Board Conference Room.
Domestic
Violence - A Problem in Coleman County
4/27/2007 by Randy Turner
Every
week, an average of one or more cases of domestic
violence are investigated by Coleman County law
enforcement officers. For a variety of reasons,
intimate partners are fighting, and some are hurt.
Coleman County took a positive step forward Thursday
night in fighting domestic violence by holding a
town hall meeting to discuss the issues. Organized
by Heath Hemphill, County Attorney
and his staff, the meeting brought together
around 25 people including city and county
officials, law enforcement from Coleman and Santa
Anna, and a few interested citizens.
The numbers -
* There have been over 10 assault cases in Coleman
County in the last two to three weeks
* The Coleman Police Department investigated 72
cases of domestic violence last year - stats given
by Michelle Sheedy, Coleman PD
* The Coleman County Sheriff's Department saw over
50 cases of domestic violence last year
* In Texas - 187,811 reported cases of domestic
violence in 2005, a large number of cases go
unreported
There
is help for victims -
* The County Attorney and District Attorney can help
victims, if they'll just ask. These offices have
helped victims seek shelter, can provide some
medical and court accompaniment so that victims
aren't alone and can provide protective orders at no
charge to the victims. Left
- Hemphill and DA Joe Lee Rose discuss the problem.
Zero Tolerance Approach -
* This week has been proclaimed Domestic Violence
Awareness Week in Coleman County. It is the hope of
those who battle this problem on a daily basis that
all walks of life will recognize this problem and
support efforts to stop it.
Local
Man Arrested for Assault Family Violence and
Possession of Marijuana
4/26/2007
A Coleman
man was arrested Wednesday, April 25, after being
charged with Assault Family Violence arising out of
a domestic disturbance.
Anthony Thomas posted a $2,000 bond and was released
from the Coleman County Jail. Less than 24 hours
later, Thomas was again arrested pursuant to a
traffic stop by Coleman Police. Thomas was then
found to be in possession of marijuana, a Class B
Misdemeanor. Thomas faces up to a year in jail in
the Assault case and up to six months in jail on the
possession of marijuana case. Additionally, the
Coleman County Attorney's office obtained a
Protective Order against Thomas on behalf of the
victim involved in the assault.
Coleman County Attorney Heath Hemphill had no
comment other than he thought that there appeared to
be sufficient evidence in both cases. At the time of
this writing, Thomas was in custody in the Coleman
County Jail.
Aggie Moms Award Scholarships
to Dobbins, Faubion, Thompson
4/25/2007
Renea
McMillan, President of the Coleman County Aggie Moms,
announced the recipients of the 2007 scholarships at Aggie
Muster on April 21st.
* Laura Thompson,
daughter of Dr. Larry and Patsy Thompson of Coleman, is a
member of the Class of 2008. She is studying Industrial
Distribution, a program in the College of Engineering. The
degree will allow her to enter the industrial field with a
strong foundation to specialize in logistics, marketing,
sales and management.
* Courtney Faubion is
the daughter of Cliff and Melissa Faubion of Ballinger. She
is a member of the Class of 2009, majoring in Chemistry. Her
grandparents are Aubrey and Patsy Faubion of Ballinger and
Allen and Nan Turner of Voss. She plans to attend
professional school in the medical field, pursuing a career
in Occupational Therapy or Optometry.
* Aaron Dobbins is the
son of Les and Diana Dobbins of Coleman. His grandparents
are Mrs. Leslie Dobbins, Sr. and John and Nell Walthall, all
of Coleman. Aaron is scheduled to graduate in December of
this year with a double major in Sociology and History. This
past summer, Aaron served as an intern in the Federal Bureau
of Investigation. After graduation, he plans to pursue a
Master's Degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology at
George Bush School of Government and Public Service. His
goal is to serve in the F.B.I.
Novice High Student of the Month
Named
4/25/2007
Tiffany Gibbons is a Junior
at Novice High School and the student of the month for May.
She is the daughter of Gina North and sister of Mac Gibbons
of Winters.
It
Pays to be Present at Coleman Junior High
4/25/2007
Winner of the
“It Pays to be Present” drawing held this
week at Coleman Junior High School is eighth
grader Jorge Jimenez. A drawing for $25.00
is held each six weeks period. To be
eligible for the drawing, a student must not
miss a single day of school during this
period. The $25.00 is provided by the
Student Council at Coleman Junior High. A
grand prize drawing for $100.00 is held at
the end of the school year. This amount is
also provided by the Student Council.
Bus / Car Collide in Valera
4/24/2007
A charter-type bus
carrying a San Angelo ISD baseball team collided with a
Buick in Valera Monday night but fortunately there were no
injuries.
The wreck happened at 8:30pm at the intersection of U.S.
Highway 67 and FM 503, in front of Big O's. According to
information from Runnels County DPS Trooper Kyle Cook, the
Buick was occupied by Maranda and James Stidham of Coleman
and two small children. They were attempting to turn left on
FM 503. The bus was going west on Highway 67, driven by
Terry Powell of San Angelo. The impact was to the left rear
quarter panel of the car causing it to spin coming to a stop
facing north, partially on the shoulder of the road and
partially on private property. The bus came to a stop on the
right hand shoulder of the road.
No one was taken to the hospital, the car was hauled away by
Terry's Towing, the bus and occupants resumed their trip to
San Angelo.
This
Week is Domestic Violence Awareness Week
4/24/2007
Coleman Mayor Nick Poldrack has proclaimed April
22-28 as Domestic Violence Awareness Week. In a
recent City Council meeting, Mayor Poldrack
presented the proclamation to Becky Watson who
represented the County Attorney's Office. Mrs.
Watson invited the Council to attend the Town
Hall meeting on domestic violence at
7:00pm Thursday, April 26,
in the County Courthouse.
Humane Society Expresses Its Thanks
4/24/2007 (contributed)
Now
that Jackie Smith has picked up his new Designer
Char-Broil stainless steel gas grill, the Humane
Society of Coleman County is calling it a wrap
for its third annual County-Wide Garage Sale and
Flea Market. We want to thank everyone that
helped us with this event. The list is long and
there is always a chance that someone will be
left out when we start trying to name everyone!
The Society has cleared close to $3,000 during
the weekend, thanks to the success of the Dog
Mayor campaign, our garage sale and barbecue,
and raffle receipts. Our fundraising efforts are
largely for our spay/neuter program. We are in a
constant drive to encourage people to spay or
neuter their pets. It’s the only way to reduce
the number of homeless animals—both cats and
dogs—in our County.
The Humane Society sponsors the annual garage
sale in an effort to bring visitors to Coleman
County while at the same time raising funds
through the raffle and the garage sale it holds
at Block One Flea Market. Linda Herring, our
garage sale coordinator, said she had heard some
folks thought they were supposed to give their
garage sale profits to the Humane Society if
they put their address on our map. “We hope
everyone realizes that we don’t want their
garage sale proceeds, we just offer the
opportunity to get a sale address on the map
that we print and give to visitors!” Herring
said.
Many local businesses help offset the area-wide
advertising the Humane Society does. The Humane
Society gives a special “thank you” to those
advertisers, and to KSTA, ColemanIndependent.net
and ColemanNews.com for their enthusiastic
coverage of the weekend as well. The weather
wasn’t too cooperative, but we could not have
asked for better support from our media,
including the Chronicle-DV.
And another special thanks to the folks at
Cooper Supply who were so helpful in providing
the gas grill at such a generous cut in cost.
Member volunteers (you know who you are!) are
always indispensable in providing help for all
the work that goes into these fundraisers, and a
special nod goes to Anita Calk for lining
everyone up! Plus, Sue Frizzell at Block One
Flea Market has her own crew of indispensable
helpers at the flea market. Sue McFarlane,
Justin Bain, Richard Pearce, Charles Wallace,
Jewel Brown and Frances Barkemeyer make every
effort to ensure everything goes smoothly with
the Humane Society’s flea market sale. This year
McFarlane and her friend Ken Murphy provided the
outstanding jalapeño poppers and barbecue
brisket.
Again, thank you all for your support. Please
take advantage of the Humane Society’s
spay/neuter program. We are still signing up
large dogs for a FREE voucher. If your dog
weighs 40 lbs. or more, call us today at
625-4724 for a voucher!
City
Employees Receive Service Pins
4/23/2007
At the
City Council meeting held Thursday, April 19,
2007, two City employees received award pins for
fifteen years of service to the City. Mayor Nick
Poldrack presented the awards to Matthew
“Chipper” Anderson and Arlon “Chris”
Christopherson.
Matthew
“Chipper” Anderson began working for the city
March 2, 1992 as a maintenance worker in the
Inspection Department. In 2000, he became
Supervisor of the Park Department, in charge of
the City parks and pool, in addition to being
responsible for building maintenance and
inspections. He also performs duties as the
Hazardous Materials Officer. Chipper has
completed the following training: certification
as operator of aquatic facilities by the
National Swimming Pool Foundation, Municipal
Inspectors Training, certified applicator
license for the Structural Pest Control Board,
flood loss reduction, 40 hours in backflow
prevention device testing, and six hours of
continuing education for the Texas State Board
of Plumbing Examiners. Chipper is a versatile
and valuable asset to the City of Coleman.
Arlon “Chris” Christopherson came to work for
the City of Coleman on March 25, 1992 in the
Street Department as a driver. On November 15,
1998, his position changed to that of heavy equipment
operator. Chris currently operates the street
sweeper, working to keep our City streets neat.
He continues to be a valuable and dependable
employee for the City of Coleman.
Notes From Recent City Council Meeting
4/23/2007
The
Coleman City Council met Thursday, April 19 and
took the following action:
* Voted 4-0 to accept a bid from Coleman County
State Bank to serve as the City Depository bank.
* Voted 4-0 to approve two ordinances -
Ordinance 1074 amending the use of revenue from
the hotel/motel occupancy tax and establishing a
penalty for non-collection for the City of
Coleman Code of Ordinances.
Council also approved Ordinance 1075 allowing
and authorizing the amending of Chapter 8
(offenses and nuisances and juvenile curfew).
* Approved on a 4-0 vote the third quarter
occupancy tax report from the Chamber of
Commerce
* City Manager Larry Weise informed the Council
that about three weeks ago City crews were
working at the corner of Neches and Liveoak,
hammering out a sign pedestal and discovered two
underground storage tanks at the old bus station
location, one possibly in the City right-of-way.
The State of Texas was notified and describes
them as "ghost tanks" as they have been there
many years and not certified. According to
Weise, there is not an emergency to remove them
but a certified contractor has been contacted to
remove them.
Golden Trowel Award Presented to James Honea
4/21/2007
A
Coleman businessman on Saturday received the
highest honor given to an individual member of
the Masonic Lodge. The Golden Trowel Award was
given to James Honea during ceremonies held at
noon at Coleman Masonic Lodge. Only one of the
awards is given annually to local Masonic Lodge
members as a way to recognize them for their
dedication to community service. Honea
received the award and plaque from Orville L.
O'Neill, Grand Junior Warden of the Grand Lodge
of Texas. Honea's wife, Brenda, joined her
husband for the special occasion as did their
children, grandchildren and many friends.
James and Brenda have owned and operated City
Cleaners in Coleman since the early 1990's.
James has been affiliated with the Coleman
Masonic Lodge since 1993. Prior to the dry
cleaning business, James was a law enforcement
officer in McKinney, Texas.
Hill
Country, Here We Come!
4/21/2007
A
large group of motorcycle enthusiasts gathered
in Coleman Saturday morning for a trip to the
Texas Hill Country. The ride is an annual event
but this year the group was missing a friend.
Ronnie Kading passed away last year but his
memory lives in the hearts of the group who
dedicated their ride Saturday to him. Around 20
motorcycles, many with two riders, left town
around 8:00am Saturday with stops planned in
Llano, Fredericksburg, Luckenbach and other Hill
Country towns.
Shilo Harris Continues to Make Progress
Being Released from the Hospital
4/20/2007
A
family member shares the following update on
Shilo Harris:
"Yesterday, Shilo walked from the hospital to
the Guest House and back. It's not a real long
walk, but for him, it was. He didn't have any
trouble doing it, to our surprise. Shilo
is being released from the hospital today, he
will move to the Guest House. He will be
starting his therapy everyday now. He still has
a long way to go but we are confident he will
make it fine now."
The family appreciates the prayers and support
given through the past few months. Shilo was
seriously injured by an explosion while on
military patrol in Iraq.
Sheltons to Demonstrate in Acrylics
4/20/2007 (by Marian Johnson)
Brownwood artistic "duo", Ted and Martha
Shelton, will provide plenty of wit and talent
in their demonstrations on Tuesday, May
1, 10-4 at
Coleman’s first Juried Art Show. The Franklin
Center will be the place to be for acrylic
painting instruction - Ted paints on everything
including pottery, fabric (great on denim),
ceramics, china (bells are delicious with wild
flowers), canister sets, and silk ties. Plain
old art canvases comes alive with the
brilliantly painted Texas wild flowers under
Ted’s skillful brush. Martha will wear some of
the fabric items painted by her talented husband
. Martha paints jewelry with quite a flair.
The Sheltons are one of the thirteen
demonstrators to GIVE their time and talent to
this endeavor from April 29 through May 1. These
13 artists are people from San Angelo,
Brownwood, Blanket, Winters, Ballinger, Abilene,
Novice, Anson, Leaday and Coleman who are
providing the opportunity to view the creation
of their art FREE TO THE PUBLIC. Some of the
demonstrators’ works will be for sale - don’t
miss it.
Ken
Mulanax Wins Mandolin
4/20/2007 (contributed)
The
Coleman County First Responders organization had
a full house on hand for the monthly Country
Western Musical held this past Friday the 13th
at the Coleman Senior Citizens Center.
For Kenneth Mulanax, Friday the 13th was his
lucky day. The drawing for the mandolin, donated
by Rick and Jan Sikes, was held and Ken was the
winner. He is a very faithful supporter of
the musical and of the First Responders.
The CCFRO appreciates each and every person who
purchased tickets, donates baked goods and
supports our snack bar.
The CCFRO also presented a check to the Coleby
Chambers family to help defray his medical
expenses. We wish Coleby and his family well
with his continued healing process.
The monthly event is free and is scheduled for
the second Friday of each month at Coleman
Senior Citizens Center, 916 S. Concho, Coleman,
Texas. Musical entertainment begins at 5:00 P.M.
There is no admission charge to the smoke and
alcohol free event, so come and help kick it
off. Musicians are welcome. For a spot on
the musical program, call Gene Christian at
625-4901.
A snack bar provided by Coleman County First
Responders Organization, is always available
with good food, soft drinks, tea, coffee, etc.
Cake raffles are set up to help with expenses.
Donated pies, cakes or cookies are greatly
appreciated.
County Farm Bureau Releases Statement on Eminent
Domain
4/19/2007
Attention - Citizens of Coleman County
The Eminent Domain Bill, HB 2006 by
Representative Beverly Woolley, could be
considered in the Texas House next week. This
bill assures property owners receive fair
treatment when their land is taken through the
eminent domain process. It requires good faith
negotiations by condemning entities, and it
helps property owners receive adequate
compensation.
The eminent domain process is broken and tilted
in favor of the condemning entities and against
property owners. HB2006 will repair the process
for property owners who face the taking of their
land. This problem will only get worse with the
dramatic population increases in Texas.
HB 2006 includes the following provisions to
help property owners who face condemnation of
their property:
• Governmental entities must authorize
condemnation proceedings at a public meeting by
a record vote.
• Entities must make a Good Faith effort
to voluntarily acquire the property.
• Entities that do not make a good faith
effort can be ordered to pay attorney’s fees.
• Any factor that a property owner would
consider in valuing their property in a private
negotiation can now be admitted as evidence in
court.
A strong grass roots effort is needed to counter
the efforts of these condemning entities. Please
contact your State Representative in support of
HB 2006 by Representative Beverly Woolley. Dist
53 State Representative, Harvey Hilderbran Ph:
512-463-0536
harvey.hilderbran@house.state.tx.us.
Thank you for your support - Coleman
County Farm Bureau Board of Directors
Letter to the Editor
4/19/2007
The
community response to a friend’s need was
overwhelming this past Friday evening in
downtown Coleman. Coleman County residents held
a fish fry and live auction for Coleby Chambers
and his family to help defray some of their
medical expenses, the result of an auto accident
one month ago this past Saturday. I have never
seen such a coming together for the good of
others in all of my life. Maybe this is just
what the community needed to participate in to
see what each other is truly made of.
Before, have we possibly looked past one
another, not seeing the true heart that lies
within? If we can pull together in a time of
crisis, then let’s use the same energy to pull
together for the betterment of our community.
Let’s continue to feel the connections we were
feeling last Friday evening and use those
positive feelings to make Coleman County an even
better place to live.
Plans are currently being discussed to have a
monthly community get together of some sort. You
know, the community like it used to be when we
were all neighborly. We need to slow our lives
down and enjoy our town. We could possibly have
a farmers market with country music or poetry
reciting. What do you travel to other towns to
enjoy? We would like to hear your ideas? Coleman
County has some very enthusiastic and energetic
individuals wanting to get something started. We
can accomplish anything “together”. Let’s
continue to feel the connections we were feeling
last Friday evening.
Darla Wise
PO Box 671
Coleman, TX 76834
dwise@centenniallodge.com
City
Tire Disposal Event Successful
4/19/2007
The
Tire Disposal Event held Saturday, April 14th at
the City’s Convenience Center turned out to be
well-received, despite windy and cold
conditions. The event was a free service
provided by the City of Coleman in an effort to
aid the community in removing unwanted tires.
The maximum disposal trailer capacity of 1,000
tires was reached quickly, as a steady stream of
residents from across the city and county
brought loads of tires to the Convenience
Center.
The Tire Disposal Event was successful due to a
number of individuals. Rodney Ivy of Williams
Tire Store made arrangements for the disposal
truck from Synergy Tire Disposal of Stamford in
which the tires will be loaded. The City of
Coleman Street Department employees spent
several days loading tires from around town,
most of which had been dumped in various
locations across the city, and hauling them to
the disposal trailer. Jordan Jewell of Coleman
volunteered her time and energy, spending
Saturday morning at the Convenience Center
directing vehicles, and helping to unload and
stack tires. Richard Morgan, City of Coleman
employee, also worked in the wind and cold to
direct vehicles and to unload and stack tires.
Also to be commended are those individuals who
took the time and effort to bring their tires
out to the event, rather than allowing them to
remain on properties around town.
Spending the Day With a President
4/18/2007
Rarely
will any of us get to meet the President of the
United States, let alone spend the day with him.
Unfortunate circumstances made this unlikely
occurrence reality recently for a Coleman man.
The funeral of David Edwards of Wichita Falls
left a family in mourning, cancer had claimed
another victim. Among the family members was
Baker Rudolph of Coleman, a cousin of Edwards.
Edwards went to college at Oxford with Bill
Clinton, yes, the Bill Clinton, former President
of the United States. The two remained very
close friends until the end. President Clinton
was asked by the family to give the eulogy at
the funeral, held at the end of March in Wichita
Falls.
Given the choice
to be seated with the ministers at the pulpit,
President Clinton chose, instead, to sit with
the family. "It was a moving thing to be with
him," Rudolph said.
Thank You
4/18/2007
“A
thousand words will not leave so deep an
impression as one deed”
– Henrik Ibsen.
We could express a thousand words and never
explain the complete, true meaning of how we
feel about the deed done for us by our friends
and family with the fish fry Friday night and
the bake sale on Saturday morning. We are just
overwhelmed by the outpouring of concern for
Coleby and our family. We cannot begin to list
all the people we want to thank for their part
in these events. We know there was a lot of
effort on the part of a lot of people. We
appreciate you all more than we can ever
express.
To those of you we didn’t get a chance to speak
to personally, thank you for whatever part you
played, whether it was helping with the events
or just being there to support us.
We are so fortunate to live in a community like
ours. Coleman County has such good hearted,
caring, capable people.
Thanks to everyone who has called, visited, sent
cards, made a donation or sent up prayers on our
behalf. Coleby is improving but please continue
to keep us in your prayers.
Cliff, Jerri Ann, Chris and Coleby
Chambers and Wilma "Sissie" Saunders
Angel Food May Menu Available
4/18/2007
Menus
for the May Angel Food Order are now available.
Anyone interested in ordering for the May 26th
delivery may do so during regular operating
hours of the Loaves & Fishes Food Ministries.
Regular scheduled ordering hours do not begin
until April 28th, at the time of delivery of the
April order. However, anyone, especially food
stamp users, are invited to come by Loaves &
Fishes during the time before April 28th, to
place their orders for May.
Regular operation hours for the Loaves and
Fishes Food Ministries are as follows:
Mondays - 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. (With the exception
of any 5th Monday in the month)
Tuesdays & Thursdays - 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
If these hours are not convenient for placing
orders, please feel free to call 325 / 625-2060
(leave a and message and your call will be
returned) or, in case of emergency or need for
immediate contact, call 325 / 636-3733.
Angel Food is available for ANYONE, regardless
of race, creed, religious affiliation, financial
status, etc. This is a ministry to serve all the
people, and can benefit anyone by helping to
spread their funds available to feed their
families. This is not designed to be in
competition with any retail grocer, but to help
to supplement (at a reasonable cost) the items
that are purchased in the grocery store.
For more information concerning this program,
please call the above number (s).
Storms Bring Rain, Hail, Wind
4/18/2007
Coleman County was placed under a Severe
Thunderstorm Warning for a while Tuesday
afternoon as a line of storms moved through the
area. There were a couple of storms in the line
which produced some pea size hail and gusty
wind. Rainfall was heavy in spots but didn't
last long.
Tex Wright at the foot of the Santa Anna
mountain said it got a little noisy under his
steel roof with lots of pea size hail but only
2/10 of an inch of rain. He said the hail didn't
seem to have caused much damage.
White Bluebonnets, Continued
4/18/2007
A
couple of days ago we ran a story about some
white bluebonnets showing up in the county. One
of our readers, Linda Wright, shared a picture
of white bluebonnets found on their property
near Glen Cove in 2005. She said she marked each
plant with a yellow twist tie so that seed could
be collected later. Not one flower that came
from those seed was white. Linda said this group
of plants gets checked each year for white
flowers but she hasn't seen anymore.
CHS
Student Advances to State in Math / Science
4/17/2007
Yue
Yu is bound for the State Academic Meet to be
held in Austin May 4 and 5. Yue advanced to
State after doing well at the Regional
competition held in Abilene this past weekend.
Yue placed 3rd overall in Science and was top in
Physics and 1st in Mathematics.
CHS
Students Receive Honors
4/17/2007
Coleman High School Family, Career and Community
Leaders of America attended the State Conference
in Dallas April 12-14.
STAR Events (Students Taking Action with
Recognition) are competitive events which allow
members to showcase their skills in different
areas of competition.
Winning 2nd Place in STAR events was
Vanessa Clark with her Chapter Service Project
which was a No Bullying Project for Coleman
Elementary SchoolColeman FCCLA
members also won recognition in Leadership
Enhancement Opportunities.
Receiving gold certificates were Cala Norris
and Jay Delgadillo
Receiving silver certificates were Krystal
Dunn, Zoe Paul, Greg Brannon and Carina Landaverde
Sharon Watson from Coleman was recognized
as a State Honorary FCCLA Member, the highest
honor given an individual from FCCLA. Mrs.
Watson works at CHS and has contributed many
hours behind the scenes helping the
organization.
Jane
Padgitt, Potter, at Juried Art Show
4/17/2007 (by Marian Johnson)
Jane Padgitt,
Coleman County potter, will demonstrate her
skill in pottery, hand building as well as wheel
thrown techniques, at the Juried Fine Art Show
sponsored by the Fine Arts League of Coleman on
Tuesday, May 1, 10-4pm.
A fifth generation Texas rancher, Jane Padgitt
loved clay from the beginning, squishing mud
between her toes in the Colorado River near
Leaday, Texas, which led her into a lifelong
career in pottery and love of the land. For
twenty-six years Jane has managed her family
ranch in Southwest Coleman County.
Jane received a BFA in Ceramics and Education
from the University of Texas, Austin.
Recently, Jane has had guest craftsmen sharing
her studio, making and glazing pottery and
firing kilns. She says this sense of community,
coupled with nature walks through Paint Rock’s
pictographs and up through Rattlesnake Bluff on
the Padgitt Ranch, have brought her renewed
creative energies. (Some of which you will see
at the Franklin Center, during the
"Flight of the Dragonflies" Art Show April 28 -
May 2.)
Coleman School Board Cancels
May Election
4/17/2007
With no
contested races for Coleman School Board, the Board
voted Monday night to cancel the May election in the
school district. In other action:
* There were no resignations and no one hired
* The board received an update on the TIP Grant for the
Junior High Campus. The grant, in its third year, pays
for a major upgrade in technology, including providing
laptop computers for each of next year's 8th graders.
Parents of 8th graders will be hearing more about this
in the near future.
* The board greeted three members of the Coleman High
FCCLA organization who recently won recognition at the
state conference.
* The original dishwasher used in the K-8 cafeteria is
on its last leg. A new industrial type washer will cost
around $20,000.
* Superintendent Royce Young polled board members to see
if they would be interested in selling two or three
portable buildings which the district no longer uses.
This item will likely be placed on the May agenda for
board consideration.
White Bluebonnets?
4/16/2007
One of our
Colemannews.com readers, Terrie Eldred, sent us a couple
interesting pictures of bluebonnets and white
bluebonnets. Terrie says the picture was taken two miles
southeast of town toward Santa Anna on CR 110. "This is
the first time I have ever seen white (albino)
bluebonnets," Terrie said.
Texas A&M Freshman Earns Honors
4/16/2007
Jennifer Hubbard of Coleman and
her family were invited to the Texas A&M Department of
Communication's Student Recognition Reception this past
Friday, April 13th. Opening remarks were by Dr. Richard
Street Jr. (pictured at right in photo). Jennifer
was one of only eleven freshmen in this department that
made the Honors List. "Quite an honor!" exclaimed her
mother, Barbara Hubbard. Mrs. Hubbard went on to say,
"Even Jennifer did not realized beforehand what she had
accomplished as this put her among the top
undergraduates majoring in the Department of
Communication." There to see her receive her certificate
and membership pin from Lambda Pi Eta, the National
Honor Society, were her parents, Drew and Barbara, and
her brother, Cole.
Mildred Calk's Big Day
4/16/2007 (by Anita Calk)
Editor's Note:
World War II era bombers were in Abilene last week,
including a B-24. Mildred Calk of Coleman has an
interesting history with B-24's, detailed in the
following story by Anita Calk.
April 10th was
a big day for Mildred Calk! She went to Abilene and
visited with KTAB TV at the station, and then later on
at the Abilene Airport. The reason for all the
excitement was the arrival of the B-17, B-24 and B-25
Bombers at the Abilene Airport.
In
1941, she and her husband, Oliver Calk, and young
daughter Patsy, made the trip to San Diego, California
to get a job at an aircraft plant. Soon, both her
parents moved out there, and Mildred went to work at the
plant with her husband and father, while her mother kept
Patsy at home. They worked at Consolidated Aircraft. It
was a huge facility that had 72,000 workers. The plant
turned out a B-24 every hour. They also built PBY’s
there.
Mildred
worked in the sub-assembly plant as an inspector. It was
her job to make sure that each and every component that
she was in charge of had the right rivets and was 100%,
or she sent it back. Oliver worked as a riveter in the
wing area. He lost a lot of his hearing because of the
constant noise of the rivet guns.
They lived and worked there when Pearl Harbor was
bombed, and then things really got hopping. Her brother,
Willis, joined the Navy, and went to basic in San Diego,
so he got to visit them after basic, and then, as he was
on a supply boat, making trips back and forth to the
Philippines. Her brother, Norman, was a master machinist
in Houston, but the military sent him to Pearl Harbor as
a civilian to help in repairing ships and airplanes.
Mildred really got a bang
out of seeing the airplanes. Some went on rides in them,
but she was content to climb up inside and inspect them
closely. She was hoping to find her inspection stamp #39
somewhere, indicating that the aircraft, named
“Witchcraft”, might have been one that she had a hand in
building, but we found out that the Witchcraft had been
built in a factory in Fort Worth, Texas. Nevertheless,
it was a fantastic day, but very long.
We all owe a huge debt to this, the greatest generation,
and we need to remember that. Mildred and Oliver Calk
didn’t fight in the war, but millions of people just
like them still made the monumental sacrifice to support
it. Many of you endured food and gas shortages,
rationing, and generally doing without to win that war.
I wonder, if we were in the same situation now, would we
as Americans in 2007 be as willing to sacrifice,
support, fight, and die for our country.
Thanks, to the American Veterans of all conflicts. We
owe you a debt of gratitude!!
A Thank You, From Duke
4/16/2007
Duke would
like to thank everyone who voted for him in the Dog
Mayor race. "We know that all the monies raised are going
to the spay and neuter program of the Coleman County
Humane Society and I think this year was a big success.
Thanks again to everyone who voted." DUKE
Thanks for Helping Camp Quality
4/15/2007 (by Amanda Straach)
Camp Quality
Texas is a camp for kids with cancer. The camp is held
each summer in Tyler. The estimated cost per child for
the week is $1100. So far this year, Coleman and
surrounding towns have donated over $3000. That means
that together, we will be able to sponsor three
children.
Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for this
year's camp. Remember all of us as we prepare the
activities and our travels. Please pray that our hands
will offer comfort for the children and their parents.
Please pray that someday, we will find a cure for this
deadly disease.
If you are interested in helping you can contact me:
Amanda Straach
3005 Southpark Drive
Coleman, Tx 76834
325-625-2825
ajsminis@verizon.net
"Duke" is New Dog Mayor of
Coleman
4/14/2007
The votes have
been counted and Duke Ransberger is the new Dog Mayor of
Coleman. The announcement was made Saturday afternoon by
the Coleman County Humane Society at Block One Flea
Market. Duke was accompanied by his campaign manager,
Bruce Ransberger. Bruce said Duke was rescued from the
Abilene animal shelter and will turn 14 months old Sunday,
April 15th. Chosen Dog Mayor Pro-Tem was
Kaiser Vasquez who was accompanied by campaign manager Adria Vasquez.
Jo Ann Eddleman, Coleman County Humane Society
President, announced that the dog mayor campaign raised
$1,563. The only cat in the contest drew
considerable support too.
Wind Clean Expansion Project
Underway
4/14/2007
A few months
back, Colemannews.com reported that Wind Clean
Corporation would be expanding their facility to
increase capacity by about 40%.
The project is well underway and is due to be complete
in July of this year. Wind Clean is located near the
Coleman Airport and is a major employer in our
community. They sand blast, paint and install
electronics in the large sections of towers used in wind
farms.
Coleman FFA Horse Judging Team
State Bound
4/14/2007 (by Cindy Dockter)
The Coleman
FFA Horse Judging Team qualified for the State Judging
Contest to be held at Texas Tech University in Lubbock
on April 21. The team had to be in the top 15% of their
area to qualify. The area contest was held on April 4 at
Tarleton State in Stephenville.
New Security Doors Installed in
CCMC Emergency Room
4/14/2007 (by Sue Titsworth, CCMC)
Thanks to
Bioterrorism funds from the Department of Homeland
Security, Coleman County Medical Center was able to
replace the doors to the Emergency Room with doors which
can only be opened or closed by putting the correct code
into the keypad.
These doors will provide security and privacy for both
the medical staff and the patients receiving treatment.
In addition, foot traffic in and out of the Emergency
Room will be reduced considerably, which will also aid
the nurses and doctors as they take care of the patient.
In order to keep congestion away from the Emergency Room
doors, everyone will be asked to wait in the back or
front lobby. This will allow the lab techs, x-ray techs,
and other medical personnel to go into the ER without
having to go through a crowd of people. Family members
will be kept informed of their loved one’s condition.
Bluecat Band Competes in Llano
4/14/2007
The Coleman
Bluecat Band competed Wednesday in the annual UIL
Concert and Sight Reading Contests held in Llano.
They received a Division II rating in Concert and a
Division III rating in Sight Reading. The band this year
is made up of nine seniors, 12 juniors, 20 sophomores
and 31 freshmen.
Great Turnout for Chambers
Family Benefit
4/13/2007
Over 400
tickets were sold in advance and many more were sold
Friday evening at a benefit fish fry, shrimp boil and
live auction held for the family of Cliff and Jerri Ann
Chambers. Their son, Coleby, was seriously injured in an
automobile accident in March and remains hospitalized at
Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo.
The gathering was held at Tootsie's Texaco at the corner
of Concho and Walnut to help defray medical expenses.
The live auction featured many items donated by Coleman
County merchants which helped raise even more money.
On behalf of the organizers, thanks to everyone who
attended and made the fundraiser a huge success.
Santa Anna Students Advance in
Academics
4/12/2007
Advancing to
Regional on Friday and Saturday, April 13th and 14th in UIL Academics are:
Tyler Randle and Garrey Guthrie - LD Debate; Molly
Pritchard - Prose Reading; Tyler Randle, Adelaida Dean
and Peyton Morris - Spelling
The UIL Conference 1
District 12 Literary meet was held at Santa Anna ISD on
Saturday, March 31st. Local results follow:
Accounting - 4th Jennifer Cavanaugh, 5th Cheyenne Elkin,
6th Elizabeth Tapia, all of Panther Creek
Computer Applications - 4th Clayton VanPelt, 5th
Cheyenne Elkin - both of Panther Creek
Editorial Writing - 3rd Jennifer Cavanaugh, 4th Cheyenne
Elkin - both of Panther Creek
Feature Writing - 6th Jessica Rameriz - Santa Anna
Headline Writing - 5th Nancy Meyer of Panther Creek, 6th
Peyton Kuykendall of Santa Anna
Informative Speaking - 1st Tiffany Gibbons of Novice,
6th Becca Fellers of Santa Anna
Lincoln Douglas Debate - 1st Garrey Guthrie, 2nd Tyler
Randle both of Santa Anna
Literary Criticism - 5th Cassie Philpot of Panther Creek
Mathematics - 5th Clayton VanPelt of Panther Creek
Number Sense - 4th Priscilla Guerrero of Santa Anna
News Writing - 3rd Tiffany Gibbons of Novice
Poetry Interpretation - 1st Elizabeth Tapia of Panther
Creek, 4th JeLisa Kirven of Santa Anna
Prose Interpretation - 2nd Molly Pritchard of Santa
Anna, 3rd Danee Machuta of Panther Creek, 4th Adelaida
Dean of Santa Anna, 5th Julie Hafner of Panther Creek
Ready Writing - 3rd Tiffany Gibbons of Novice, 5th
Caylie Robinett of Santa Anna
Social Studies - 6th Jonathan Holland of Santa Anna
Spelling and Vocabulary - 3rd Tyler Randle of Santa
Anna, 4th Amanda Scruggs of Novice, 5th Adelaida Dean of
Santa Anna
TEAMS
Accounting - 2nd Panther Creek Team 1
Cross Examination Debate - 1st Novice Team 1, 2nd Santa
Anna Team 3, 3rd Santa Anna Team 2, 4th Santa Anna Team
1
Mathematics - 2nd Panther Creek Team 1
One-Act Play - 1st Santa Anna
Speech - 1st Santa Anna Team 1, 3rd Novice Team 1
Spelling and Vocabulary - 1st Santa Anna Team 1
Something Special Antique Store
Opens for Business
4/11/2007
A ribbon
cutting ceremony was held Wednesday morning at a new
antique store. Something Special End of the Trail
Antiques is located on Santa Anna Avenue, across the
street from Mahan Tractor.
The owner is Sue Frizzell, the manager is Peggy
Crawford. You may know Sue from the Block One Flea
Market. She will have some of her finished ceramic
products in the store but Peggy also has a nice
selection of antiques. They both hope you will stop by
the Quonset hut building and see them.
City Council Opens Bids for
Roof Repair
Approves Employee Health Insurance
4/11/2007
During their
recent meeting, the Coleman City Council received four
bids from roofers interested in repairing hail-damaged
roofs on hangars at the airport, the Recycle Warehouse,
City Shop and old museum building at the City Park. Bids
were received from JMJ Roofing and Contracting, Wood
Roofing, R.D. Maynard Roofing and D & R Construction.
The low bid of $52, 201 came from D & R Construction.
The Council voted to accept the bid, contingent on the
City Manager verifying that D & R has met specifications
and guidelines requested. If they fail to do so, the
second lowest bid from JMJ Roofing will be accepted.
Another big ticket item was health insurance for City
employees. The Council voted to accept the renewal rate
from Legacy Insurance at an annual cost of $295,427 for
employee health insurance.
Other Council action:
* Voted 4-0 to accept the consent agenda which included
two ordinances - Second and final reading of Ordinance
1072 providing for the regulation of land uses within
the city and Ordinance 1073 amending the offenses and
nuisances section of the charter
* Voted 4-0 to allow Loaves and Fishes to use the City
Park for their Hunger Walk on Saturday, April 21st
* Voted 4-0 to approved on first reading Ordinance 1075
amending the Juvenile Curfew
* Voted 4-0 to accept Ordinance 1074 on first reading
allowing and authorizing the amending of Chapter 11 -
use of revenue (hotel/motel occupancy tax) and
establishing a penalty for non-collection for the City
of Coleman Code of Ordinances and establishing an
effective date
* Voted 4-0 to request proposals to contract with the
City of Coleman for solid waste collection. The City's
contract with Allied Waste expires in October 2007. It
is required that the City give Allied Waste 60 day
notice to end the contract. The city will look at other
options.
General Election Notice Given
by City of Coleman
4/11/2007
The City of
Coleman has posted notice of the general election to be
held on Saturday, May 12th. City residents will elect a
Mayor, West Ward and East Ward council members.
Early voting begins on Monday, April 30th and ends
Tuesday, May 8th.
Mayor Recognizes April as Child
Abuse Prevention Month
4/11/2007
Coleman Mayor
Nick Poldrack has signed a proclamation urging all
citizens to work together to help reduce child abuse and
neglect in Coleman County. April is Child Abuse
Prevention Month.
Students to Cycle 4,500 Miles
to Alaska for Cancer
Will Travel
Through Coleman June 3rd
4/10/2007
AUSTIN, Texas—A team of
50 University of Texas at Austin students have once
again united to participate in the world’s longest
annual charity bike ride—Texas 4000 For Cancer presented
by Sense Corp. Texas 4000 riders cycle 4,500 miles from
Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska in hopes of raising
more than $300,000 for the American Cancer Society.
After just three years, Texas 4000 has raised nearly
$700,000.
The riders, many of whom have been personally affected
by cancer, will divide into two groups—one to ride along
the West Coast, the other through the Rocky Mountains.
The teams will begin their 70-day journey in Austin on
June 2, 2007, and rendezvous in Canada to finish the
voyage to Anchorage together. The challenges faced
during the trek will mirror the difficult battles waged
by cancer patients each day.
“The ride is a metaphor for the battle against cancer,”
said Chris Condit, founder of Texas 4000. “In a way you
want the ride to be hard—you want it to be a
struggle—because that’s what cancer represents.”
Inspired by his personal battle with cancer, Condit, a
UT engineering graduate, founded Texas 4000 in 2004. A
childhood survivor of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Condit
combined his love of cycling with his desire to help
those fighting cancer. Now in its fourth year, Texas
4000 is an official partner of the MD Anderson Cancer
Center and seeks to achieve the same standard of
service.
Sense Corp joined forces with Texas 4000 in 2006 and is
proud to be the presenting sponsor for Texas 4000.
Founded in 1996, Sense Corp serves clients from various
industries across the broad spectrum of Fortune 500
companies by providing experts who bridge the gap
between business and technology.
Texas 4000 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization and all donations are fully tax deductible.
Donations to help fund the charity bike ride can be
mailed to PO Box 7806, Austin, TX, 78713. For more
information on the riders and the organization, please
visit
www.texas4000.org.
Santa Anna Council Accepts EDC
Offer on Buildings
Municipal Court Judge Resigns
4/10/2007
The Santa Anna City
Council voted unanimously Monday evening to sell to the
EDC two
buildings and a vacant lot in the downtown area. One building was
priced at $4,500, the other building at $7,500, the
vacant lot at $3,500. The properties are part of the
Downtown Reinvestment Zone.
* The Council accepted the resignation of George Frasier
as Municipal Court Judge effective April 11th. Frasier
addressed the meeting and said he got tired of "faction
fighting" and urged the citizens to start supporting the
city and start pulling in the same direction. One
citizen observed that Santa Anna is growing and changing
and that everyone needs to "work together and stick
together". The Council voted unanimously to advertise
for a part-time Municipal Court Judge.
* No action was taken on a timeline to solicit and
advertise for the purpose of filling the future position
of City Administrator.
* The Council voted unanimously to contribute $1,500 to
the Chamber of Commerce to help advertise Funtier Days
in May.
* The Council voted unanimously to increase compensation
by $3.00 per hour for Financial Secretary Wanda Campbell
who works 20 hours per week.
* A motion to purchase two new computers for Municipal
Court was tabled pending obtaining more information on
prices.
* The Council voted unanimously to approve a contract
with Burl D. Lowery, CPA, for audit services for the
year ending March 31, 2007.
* Concerning the Publisher of Record, the Council will
have an ordinance at the next meeting to consider on
this matter.
* The Council affirmed Santa Anna National Bank as the
City's Depository.
* The Council passed a motion to advertise for office
help.
* Three citizens addressed the Council. One man, upset
over a decision made at a previous meeting, became
unruly and was removed by police. A woman questioned
salaries and funding for various city employees while
another woman had questions and concerns over street
paving.
Callahan County Wreck Claims
One Life
4/10/2007
A fatal
two-vehicle crash happened at 8:30pm Monday in Callahan
County at the intersection of Highway 36 and Farm Road
1750.
Killed was Ray Ann Gloyna, 58, of Abilene. Her
occupation is listed as a teacher. She lived in the
Saddle Creek area near Potosi.
Gloyna was going east on FM 1750 and apparently failed
to stop at an intersection. The 2001 Toyota she was
driving ran under the trailer of an 18-wheeler driven by
David Allen Hargrove of Anson.
Santa Anna UIL One-Act Play
Does It Again!
Bound for Regional
4/9/2007
The District
1A, Area 2 One-Act Play was held Saturday, April 7, at
Santa Anna High School. Competing schools were Irion
County, Winters, Eden, DeLeon, Miles and Santa Anna.
Advancing to Regional at Abilene High School,
Saturday April 14,
was the Santa Anna play entitled “The Women of
Lockerbie”. The DeLeon play also advanced.
Becca Fellers and
Terrence Jackson were named to the Honorable Mention
cast while Leeanda Bennett and Jarod Jones were name to
the All-Star Cast.
Juried Art Show Numbers Are In!
4/9/2007
Some 2-3 years
ago an idea took root to have a "Juried Art Show" in
addition to the Fiesta Open Art Show. Since then things
have come together for the Fine Arts League of Coleman
County to sponsor such an event.
Last year the Call was sent out for artists to enter art
work into the "Flight of the Dragonflies Juried Art Show
2007". Close to 200 responded with a final entry count
of 115 works submitted. The works were then juried by
digital images by 3 prominent artists: Tom Lockhart,
Colorado, George Boutwell and Doug Prine, Texas. When
the results were tallied, we had 70 pieces of art from
37 artists juried in! Their works were as varied as the
places they came from: Connecticut, California , New
Mexico and Texas. The art chosen for the exhibit will be
judged for the Awards by New Mexico artist, Ann
Templeton.
The Show opens Saturday, April 28, 10am at the Franklin
Center. Many things will be going on during the week
including:
April 23-24 - receive shipped paintings & hand
delivered; Hang the exhibit
April 25-27 - Workshop led by Ann Templeton, New Mexico
April 28 - Show Officially opens to Public- Marian
Johnson, Co- Chair
April 29 - Demonstrations 2-6pm Ginger Test, Donna
Lewis, Tammy Jo Turner, and sculptor, John Queen
April 30 - Demonstrations 10-4 Hugh Campbell, Paul
Friske, Kay Mitchell, Kit Timmins, Becky Tubbs
May 1 - Demonstrations 10-4 Jean Hensley, Minzenmayer,
Padgitt, Ted and Martha Shelton
During demonstration days Monday and Tuesday, some 400
school children and their teachers will tour the exhibit
and watch the demonstrations.
May 2 12noon - Awards Reception and Closing of Exhibit
For further information contact Marian Johnson mljdj@web-access.net
or Virginia Bethke 325-625-2291 fineartsleague@yahoo.com.
The Art League web-site:
www.fineartsleaguecolemantx.com.
Hunter Wise Wins Skeet
Championships in San Antonio
Eyes on The 2008 Olympics
4/8/2007
Hunter Wise,
son of Hank and Darla Wise of Coleman County, won the
Collegiate National / International Skeet Championships
in San Antonio, Texas Saturday.
Almost 200 shooters from various universities around the
nation are competing at Association of College Unions
International (ACUI) Shotgun Competitions. Hunter was
the lone individual shooting for Blinn College in Bryan,
Texas and trains with the Texas A & M Trap and Skeet
Team. In winning this competition, Hunter was placed on
the National Development Team with USA Shooting for the
3rd time this shooting year. USA Shooting is the
organization that will select two men to represent the
United States at the 2008 Olympics in International
Skeet in Beijing, China. The selection process for the
2008 Olympics will consist of 2 shooting competitions.
The first will take place this fall and the last will be
in the spring of 2008. The top two men with the highest
scores from the combined 2 competitions will represent
the US in Beijing. Hunter is transferring to Texas Tech
in the fall and hopes to start a shooting program at
Tech.
Three Coleman Residents Injured in Wreck
4/7/2007
One person was flown to an Abilene hospital by
helicopter, two others were taken by ambulance to
Coleman County Medical Center following a wreck reported
at 6:24pm Friday. It happened about four miles east of
Coleman on State Highway 206 (Burkett Highway).
According to DPS Trooper Pat Salas, a 1989 Dodge pickup,
pulling a pickup bed trailer, was traveling toward
Coleman. The driver of the pickup was Judy Kemp, 53, of
Coleman. "The driver fell asleep, drove off the side of
the roadway, overcorrected, the trailer started whipping
and she overturned, coming to rest upside down in the
road," Salas said. Kemp was taken by ambulance to
Coleman County Medical Center and admitted. One of her
passengers, Eddy Courtney, 28 of Coleman, was also taken
to Coleman County Medical Center for treatment.
The third passenger was Sabrina Miller, 21, of Coleman
who was flown by Air Evac helicopter to Hendrick Medical
Center in Abilene. Pictured above is the
helicopter lifting off from the scene, photo provided by
James Winstead.
The Coleman Fire Department had to rescue the occupants
from the vehicle. Fireman John Gregg said this was one
of the hardest extrications he has done in his 33 years
as a fireman. The fire department used nearly all of
their rescue resources to free Miller from the pickup.
Trooper Salas was assisted at the scene by the Coleman
Fire Department, Coleman County EMS, Coleman Police
Department, Terry's Towing and a Parks and Wildlife Game
Warden.
Update on Shilo Harris
Now Out of ICU
4/6/2007
According to a
family member, Shilo Harris has been moved out of ICU.
The stomach tube has been removed and he is now eating a
little. He sat up for four hours and walked 40 feet
earlier this week. He will have at least two more
surgeries. The nurses say he has gotten out of ICU
faster than anyone, considering the condition he was in
when he arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center in San
Antonio.
The family wishes to thank everyone for their continued
prayers. Shilo was injured when an IED detonated near
his unit in Iraq in February.
Spring in Full Bloom
aka Tex Wright's Travels
4/6/2007
Plentiful rain
and warm weather have caused flowers to flourish this
spring. From Bluebonnets to wildflowers, color is
everywhere.
Tex Wright from Santa Anna does a lot of traveling
around the area and has taken some notes on where he has
seen some pretty sights:
* Highway 84 toward Abilene - several places well
covered in Bluebonnets, lot of small yellow flowers,
Paint Brushes also plentiful
* 84 South of Coleman (near the roadside park) -
beautiful stand of Bluebonnets and other wildflowers
* South of Santa Anna on FM 1176 - large stand of Paint
Brushes near Trickham, small groups of Bluebonnets
blooming all along FM 1176
* FM 568 toward Brookesmith - many flowers in bloom
* Highway 84 near Brownwood (especially on the Brownwood
hill) - Bluebonnets in abundance, Paint Brushes also
plentiful
* South on US 283 and US 87, many wildflowers are
beginning to strut their stuff
* South of Brady, all the way to Fredericksburg along US
87, Bluebonnets everywhere, wildflowers and wildflower
enthusiasts are in abundance. Watch for people on the
side of the road as you travel.
* Texas Highway 16 south of Goldthwaite, another
Bluebonnet chaser's paradise
* Closer to home - South Lee Street in Santa Anna has
three beautiful and well-maintained patches of
wildflowers.
City And Rural Rides Driver
takes 2nd at State Roadeo
4/5/2007
Felix Vitandi,
Driver for City And Rural Rides participated in the
Texas Transit Association 2007 Van Roadeo which was held
in Austin, Texas on Sunday, April 1, 2007.
According to J.R. Salazar, General Manager of City And
Rural Rides, Felix competed against drivers from Transit
Systems located throughout the State. "We are extremely
proud of him for his 2nd place finish.”
Felix earned the right to represent the State of Texas
at the National Van Roadeo, sponsored by the Community
Transportation Association to be held in Reno, Nevada on
May 19, 2007.
Coleman Junior High
Cheerleaders Chosen
4/05/2007
The following young ladies were selected to cheer for
the Junior High Bluecats for the 2007-2008 school year.
Tiara Rosalez,
Chanie Barker, Sarah Casselberry, Sarah Wickson, Ashton West, Leanna Roberts, Laiken Barnett, Ashley Grissom
NJHS Ceremony Held Recently
4/4/2007 (contributed)
Coleman Junior
High recently held their National Junior Honor Society
Induction Ceremony in the Coleman High School
Auditorium.
Inducted were Brody
Tibbetts, Erik Villeda, Robbie Cowden, Brooks Jones, Chanie Barker, Taylor Armstrong, Kassidy Dean.
Hunter Johnson, Landon
Brown, Laiken Barnett, Marcus Hurtado, Lisa Dees, Alice
McKinney, Katelynn McKinnon, Cheyenne Casey, Reid
Needham, Skyler Halsel, Dalton Faries, Nnehkai Agbor,
Leanna Roberts, Bethany Stovall, Gabby Roberts.
2006-2007 NJHS officers are – Historian – Edgar
Barrios, Secretary – Kelby McCorkle, Vice-President –
Ross Jackson, President – Victoria Cruz.
Novice Students of the Month
Chosen for April
4/3/2007
Paige Madison is a
Kindergarten student at Novice Elementary School. She is
the daughter of Daniel and Mandy Parker, and Jess and
Toni Madison of Abilene.
Garrett Strickland is a seventh grade student at Novice
Junior High. He is the son of Drew and Faye Childress of
Oplin.
Cynthia Dennis is a Junior at Novice High School. She is
the daughter of Albert and Nicole Dennis of Silver
Valley.
Sher Dunaway's Art Accepted
into Vernon Show
4/3/2007
Fine
Arts League member, Sher Dunaway, has had artwork
entitled, "Tuxedo" and "And Not a Drop to Drink"
(photography) accepted in the Red River Valley
Exhibition held at the Red River Valley Museum in
Vernon, Texas. This is the fifth exhibition to be held
at the Museum.
The opening of the current exhibition will be May 4,
2007 and will continue through June 29, 2007. The Red
River Valley Museum promotes and supports excellence and
diversity in arts education. The museum is open free to
the public, Tuesdays through Sundays 1-5 pm.
The sixth annual exhibit will be held in May and June of
2008 with entry slides due February 5, 2008. Any artist
interested in entering the show should send an SASE to:
Red River Valley National Juried Art Exhibition, Red
River Valley Museum, 4600 College Drive, PO Box 2004,
Vernon, Texas. 76385.
Congratulations to Sher and her award- winning
photography. (Photo is "Tuxedo")
Novice Students Place in
Academic Competition
4/3/2007
Here are
Novice ISD’s results from UIL academic competition at
Santa Anna on March 31st, 2007.
1st- Informative Speaking – Tiffany Gibbons;
3rd- Ready Writing – Tiffany Gibbons;
3rd- News Writing – Tiffany Gibbons;
4th- Spelling and Vocabulary – Amanda Scruggs
2nd- Speech – Novice’s Team
Tiffany Gibbons and Amanda Scruggs will advance to UIL
Regional competition in Abilene at Hardin Simmons on
April 13th and 14th.
1st- Cross Examination Debate- Tiffany Gibbons & Walker
Shapland (on 03-22-07)
CHS Class of 2010 Workers
Needed!
4/3/2007 (contributed)
The parents of
the Coleman class of 2010 will be working the concession
stand during baseball and softball games. There will be
games at least 3 nights a week during the months of
April and May.
Please contact Tammy Swening at 625-3709 or
mswening@web-access.net to schedule your work
slot. We need help from everyone!
A Message From The Coleman
County Child Welfare Board
4/3/2007
April is Child
Abuse Prevention Month in Texas and across the nation.
It is a time to focus on ways to not only protect
children from abusive environments, but more importantly
to prevent abuse from ever occurring.
Unfortunately, child abuse and neglect exists in our
state and will not go away by simply ignoring it. It’s
up to each of us to arm ourselves with the facts, learn
the warning signs and watch out for our most innocent
Texans. It’s up to all of us to prevent a child from
becoming another heartbreaking statistic.
Story of the Blue
Ribbon
The Blue Ribbon Child Abuse Prevention Campaign had its
early beginnings following the death of a very young
child. In the spring of 1989, Bonnie Finney, a Virginia
grandmother received the devastating news that her
beloved grandson had died of injuries inflicted by his
parents. In an expression of her grief and outrage, this
grandmother did something that has given us a symbol,
around which we rally for the cause of child abuse
prevention. She tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her
van as a way to remember “the bruised and battered body
of her grandson” and to alert her community to the
tragedy of child abuse. In Bonnie’s own words: The blue
ribbon serves as a constant reminder to fight for
protection of our children. Please wear a blue ribbon.
Put one on your car. Give one to your friends. Tell them
what it means. You may save a child’s life!
Her simple idea, to wear or display a blue ribbon to
show support for her child abuse prevention was picked
up by grassroots organizations across the country. The
act of one grandmother thousands of miles away leads us
to this day. Just think what could happen if each one of
us helped to spread the word to a few of the people that
we come in contact with each day. The groundswell of
support that would follow just might be enough to move
us towards the day when our homes and communities are
completely safe.
During April, we ask that you wear a blue ribbon to show
your support of child abuse prevention.
Coleman County Child
Welfare Board
Phil Chambers Wins Replica of
the Texas
Declaration of Independence
4/2/2007
We've
all done it before. We stop at a booth to put our name
in a drawing for something being given away, then we
don't think another thing about it because we probably
won't win anyway.
Phil Chambers of Coleman attended a Texas birthday
celebration on March 3rd at Washington-on-the-Brazos
State Park in southeast Texas. Visitors by the thousands
stopped by that weekend and many of them registered to
win a framed replica of the Texas Declaration of
Independence.
On the morning of Thursday, March 22nd, the telephone
rang at Phil's house. The local police sergeant had
worked the night shift so a call at 10 in the morning
woke him from a deep slumber. But, when the lady on the
other end of the conversation said she was calling to
let him know he had won the replica, he didn't sleep
anymore that day.
It is "print 2 of 2" as indicated on the back of the
replica. The state park association gave away one last
year, Phil won this year. It is signed by Texas Governor
Rick Perry and Lt. Governor David Dewhurst.
Phil said he would enjoy sharing the replica with school
children in the county. Any teachers or other members of
the community who are interested can contact Phil at the
Coleman Police Department. The replica will also
be on display for a while at the PD.
Coleman Library Receives Major
Grant
4/2/2007
The Coleman Public
Library is pleased to announce that it is the recipient
of the Tocker Grant. The Tocker Foundation has a goal of
promoting Texas public libraries in communities of
12,000 or less. As part of that commitment, over 40
library projects were reviewed by the grant committee
for the benefits to be provided to the community.
The Tocker Foundation Grant awarded to Coleman is in the
amount of $50,000 and will be used for improvements
throughout the library. The library improvements are
welcome additions and include many functional and
aesthetic components. New chairs and workstations will
be added to the Young Adult section, providing comfort
and ergonomic benefits. Shelving will be installed in
the Youth Area and Children’s Room, creating room for
additional books and materials. Finally, furniture
upgrades are in store for the Woodward Texas History
Room, the Children’s Section in the Annex Room, the
Young Adult’s Section, and the Community Room.
Thanks to this grant, the library will now have a new
and improved Young Adult Section, Children’s Library /
Easy Reader Section, Dr. Mac Woodward Texas History
Section, and Community Room.
Please stop in and visit the Coleman Public Library, one
of the best small town libraries in Texas.
Library Recognizes Recent
Donations
4/2/2007
The Coleman Public
Library would like to thank the following for their
donations:
Jim Caldwell / Owl Drug (In honor of Joe Caldwell), Joe
Lee & Sandra Rose, Mr. & Mrs. Thad Sansing, Eileen
Kendrick, Big O’s Restaurant/Lynn & Trisha Owen (In
honor of Paul & Billie Puckett), Marvin & Mary Jo Dozier
(In honor of Sue Dossey), Lee Konkel (In memory of
Gladys Connelley), Terry & Carol Scott (In honor of Bill
Laws), Virginia Jamison (In honor of Eugenia Pittard),
Ms. Lee Konkel (In memory of Gladys Connelley), Dokie
Bledsoe, First Coleman National Bank, Curves of
Coleman/Linda Hyde, Wanda Ragsdale, Sarah Beal &
Elizabeth Edington (In honor of the Coleman Retired
Teachers for presenting books to Pre-K students, The
Hodges Foundation (In honor of Joanne Kenner Allensworth
M.D.), Mr. & Mrs. Clyde Allen, Best Fried Chicken, D & R
Automotive, Bill Case.
If you would like to donate money to the library you can
send it to: The Coleman Public Library, 402 Commercial
Ave., Coleman, Texas 76834.
How did you spend your
Sunday afternoon? Hopefully, you got some rest, like
this little baby calf, lying in a field on a beautiful,
sunny and warm afternoon.