Flu shots available
Flu shots are available for adults and children. Contact the Texas Department of State Health Services at (972) 932-2038 for an appointment. Medicare/Medicaid accepted, sliding fee scale or $20 for adults. The clinic is located at 3001 S. Washington, Kaufman.

EHS pancake supper
The Eustace High School Student Council is sponsoring a fund-raiser pancake supper from 5 to 7:45 p.m. Thursday (tonight) in the Middle School cafeteria. The menu is pancakes, sausage and drinks. Your donation benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Roland Bailey’s team for the MDA Muscle Walk.

Alzheimer’s support
The Greater Cedar Creek Alzheimer’s Support Group meets at 2 p.m. Thursday (today and each third Thursday), at 256 Harbor Drive, GBC. For information call Bill Shaw at (903) 887-4789 or (214) 952-8347.

AL stew benefit
The American Legion Auxiliary in GBC is hosting a homemade stew, cornbread and desserts from 5 p.m. until the stew is gone Friday, Jan. 21. Proceeds will benefit sending a local 11th grade girl to the Auxiliary Girls State meeting.

St. James dedication
St. James on the Lake Episcopal church cordially invites the public to be a part of the celebration and dedication of its new sanctuary at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, with a reception to follow. For information or directions contact www.stjamesonthelake.org.

CC singles restart
The Cedar Creek singles is set to start meeting again at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, at Main Street Grill, GBC. For information call Peggy at (903) 451-9975.

Free Christian concert
The River of Life World Outreach in Kemp is hosting a free Christian rock concert at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22. Food and cold drinks supplied. For information call (903) 880-7048.

Kemp Cowboy Church
The first meeting of the new Kemp Cowboy Church, a non-denominational church, is set for 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 23, in the council chambers, Kemp City Hall, located at 304 North Main, Kemp. Pastor Gary Hooper welcomes all. For information call Wendy at (903) 498-4315.

Kemp senior center
The Kemp Senior Citizens Center is hosting a chili luncheon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan 23. For a small fee there will be chili and all the trimmings and dessert. For information call (903) 498-4046.

Civic League meeting
The Cedar Creek Civic League meets at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 24, at Tri-County Library, Mabank. Program is by Marilyn May of the Environmental Co-op. Guests are welcome. For information call (903) 451-3229.

CCL Women’s Club
The Cedar Creek Lake Women’s Club meets at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25, at the Cedar Creek Country Club. Sharon Lucky will present “Divas of the Desert.” Doors open at 10:15 a.m. For information call (903) 451-2619.

Harbor Point POA
The Harbor Point POA Crime Watch group will meet at noon Tuesday, Jan. 25, at the Ranch House Restaurant in GBC for a dutch treat luncheon. Henderson County District Attorney Scott McKee will speak on “Identity Theft and Other Public Scams.” Other Crime Watch groups are invited to come and hear McKee. For info, call (903) 887-1630.

Styx gospel singing
The Styx Baptist Church is hosting a gospel singing starting at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, at the church, located at 31800 FM 85, west of Seven Points. Everyone is welcome. If you play and instrument or can sing, bring your music, friends and family. For information call (214) 616-4659. Everyone is welcome every fourth Friday.

Masonic chili lunch
The Malakoff Masonic Lodge No. 759 is hosting a chili lunch with all the fixins’ from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, at the Masonic Hall, 110 Jackson Street. Donation requested.

Cowboy church race
The Rope, Catch & Ride for Christ Cowboy Church Arena Team is sponsoring a 5D Barrel Race starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, at the church located north of Mabank, SH 198, right on CR 2807. Church is on the right and looks like a red barn. For information call Mitzi Pyle at (903) 880-8280.

Baked potato lunch
A baked potato lunch is set for noon Sunday, Jan. 30, at the church, benefitting the children’s summer camp for First Methodist Church, Kemp. For information call (903) 498-3827.

Kemp senior center
The Kemp Senior Citizens Center, 300 North Dallas Street, Kemp, serves lunch for a small donation at noon weekdays. Seniors can enjoy games, quilting, puzzles, exercise class, Bible study and a lot more from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For information call Lisa Smith at (903) 498-4046.

Free tax help
Free tax help is available at Tri-County Library, Mabank, with Peggy Rogers, VITA. Rogers worked for the IRS for many years and keeps up with current changes. Call the library at (903) 887-9622, leaving name, local phone number (calls from cells with long distance numbers will not be returned), and the best time for her to return your call to set up an appointment.

AARP free tax help
AARP free tax services will be available from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Feb. 2, through Wednesday, April 13, at the following locations: Fridays at the Henderson County Senior Center, Athens; Mondays at The Library at Cedar Creek Lake, Seven Points, and Wednesdays at the Senior Citizens Center, Malakoff. For information call (903) 778-2423.

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Council refuses to share in the repair of CR 4006 with Mabank
City seeks solution to drainage issue in Tamarack Addition
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
GUN BARREL CITY–The Gun Barrel City Council agreed to see what could be done to help residents of the Tamarack Addition with a drainage issue, but resolved to cease any future repairs of CR 4006 connecting Harbor Point Road with U.S. 175, a road commonly used as a school bus route and by Harbor Point residents.

Monitor Photo/Pearl Cantrell
AT LEFT: A sign recently posted delineates the half of the roadway Mabank agreed to keep in repair during a 2009 mayor’s agreement. Heavy equipment entering The 505 Ranch on the alleged Gun Barrel City half of the roadway is pitting the roadway with potholes. Mabank utility director Ronnie Tuttle said he’s ordered a load of gravel to help fill in potholes at the 505’s back gate (below).

City manager Gerry Boren and street superintendent Mike Horton were directed to work with TxDOT on finding an inexpensive, workable solution to increased runoff washing away property on Longleaf Street.
A report from Gary Burton Engineering concluded the small drainage channel there “serves a large area of the city, including Lowe’s and other commercial parking,” it noted until the city possessed a drainage easement for the channel, the responsibility for its maintenance was that of the property owner.
The engineer recommended property owners armor the banks of the channel and remove debris. A majority of the council agreed with the problem presented by area homeowner Jack Woodrum.
They noted State Highway 198 was already at water-carrying capacity. Perhaps a holding tank for excess water might be one solution and granting a drainage easement to the city might pave the way for other solutions.
The placement of signs on CR 4006 by Mabank delineating the section of the roadway it would be responsible for, with the rest falling to Gun Barrel City seemed to prompt councilman Marty Goss to want the matter clarified at the city’s Jan. 11 meeting.
Goss argued CR 4006 is not in the city limits, and is therefore not the city’s responsibility, no matter what the signs read.
He warned when a serious accident occurred on that road, the City of Mabank would be responsible. The road’s center line has long been regarded as the boundary separating Mabank from Gun Barrel City’s ETJ, he said.
Horton reported he spent about $6,000 just in materials to keep potholes filled on half the road – time and materials he could have used on roads inside the city limits.
Other council members agreed with Goss, while councilman Dennis Baade and mayor Dennis Wood pointed out that a good many city residents use the road, and so do school buses that deliver children who live in the city.
“This (road repair) issue has come up over the last two months, and I want it resolved that the city is not responsible for the repairs of that road,” Goss said.
Previously, Boren offered a suggestion that both cities might cooperate in rebuilding the much-used roadway, which would cost about $100,000 each.
Mabank utility director Ronnie Tuttle got a bid of $160,000 to redo the entire road nearing the end of summer, and asked Gun Barrel City to split the cost. However, GBC officials couldn’t believe a quality road reconstruction could be done for that price and disregarded the offer.
“Had they let me, I would have had that road fixed by the time school started,” Tuttle told The Monitor. He said Monday he could now get it redone for around $180,000, or about $90,000 for each city.
Since then, Tuttle said Mabank has kept the handshake agreement facilitated by Mabank ISD superintendent Dr. Russell Marshall at the start of school in 2009.
Former Mayor Paul Eaton recalls the agreement as a temporary arrangement.
“When Mabank annexed the 505 (Ranch), our street department considered the road now Mabank’s, since their city limits now extended to the roadway,” he said.
It was clearly the will of the majority of the council Jan. 11 to no longer entertain a cooperative proposal with Mabank to rebuild or repair the road.
Since then, discussions have been ongoing between the mayors of both cities. Perhaps a lasting solution will be forthcoming.
In other business, council members:
• approved a performance and loan agreement between the Economic Development Corporation and Anytime Fitness, providing the business secured primary financing it is seeking from the Small Business Administration. The loan amount is $25,000. Should conditions be met, the business may borrow up to that amount at a favorable rate with a payback schedule that begins one year after it opens for business.
• selected SLI as the city’s design-build team for the construction of the new city hall at the former Prosperity Bank Building site at the corner of Harbor Point and Main streets.
Boren has the authority to negotiate on the price and design, with the input from the city’s project committee, up to $1.5 million for the entire project. Final plans and negotiations are to be reviewed by council at the next meeting.
• amended ordinances to limit construction work between the hours of dawn and dusk, as stipulated by the Texas almanac, and provide for a landscape and tree preservation requirement for commercial and residential properties.
• set a budget of $30,000 for the July Fest Concert set for Saturday, July 2, and approved a policy allowing beverage coolers to be brought in to the concert for a set fee.
• awarded contracts with vendors for various road building and repair materials.

Council passes bullying ordinance
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
KEMP–Kemp City Council members expressed complete support of a new anti-bullying ordinance with unanimous approval at the council’s Jan. 11 meeting.
The vote left no doubt council members were “fed up” with excuses from kids, parents and others involved in the bullying issue.
Councilwoman Barbara McFaul told of students threatening teachers, and of teachers and principals in other areas who were threatened or injured.
“This has got to stop,” she said.
The council agreed bullying is an action that shouldn’t be tolerated, regardless of the perpetrator’s age, and approved Ordinance 11-01, which makes it unlawful for any person to engage in bullying.
Individuals who are convicted of bullying can be faced with fines or other penalties, ranging from misdemeanor to possible felony charges, depending upon the act.
In other business, council members:
• heard the monthly reports for December, including public works, which listed a total of 13,422 miles driven on four public works vehicles.
The Kemp Police Department listed six properties (two auto, one structure, two other) as reported damaged, destroyed or stolen, of which two were recovered, and seized property valued at $140.
• approved an interlocal cooperation agreement with Kaufman County without discussing specifics.
• agreed to contract with Kaufman County for election services.
• heard comments from Diana Clemmo concerning the Business and Civic League’s upcoming plans.
“We’re planning at least three events, but the dates are not set yet,” she said.
Plans will involve the school district, she said.
“Somehow we have lost touch with the school, and we need the school,” Clemmo explained. “Also, we would like to incorporate the city logo on the stationary and other materials used by the League.”

Fleeing felon caught
Monitor Staff Reports
ATHENS–A long-sought drug dealer on the run was finally tracked down and arrested near Cleburne Jan. 12.
Ronald Reagan Adair, 34, had been sought by Henderson County authorities for five months on active felony warrants alleging arson while manufacturing drugs and manufacturing dangerous drugs in the county.
“Adair has eluded officers by hiding and running, and was finally captured in Johnson County near Cleburne at a suspected ‘safe house’ for gang members,” Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt reported in a press release.
County warrant deputy Billy Jack Valentine had gathered information on Adair’s possible whereabouts.
Valentine and investigator Kalon Rollins, with aid from the U.S. Marshal’s Service, converged on the house and were able to take Adair into custody without incident, Nutt reported.
Adair was returned to Henderson County and arraigned by 392nd District Judge Carter Tarrance Jan. 13.
Tarrance set bonds totaling $800,000 on the two charges, and as of late Tuesday, Adair remained in custody at the Henderson County Jail.