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GBC marks 40 years with celebration
Monitor Staff Reports
GUN BARREL CITY–Gun Barrel City marked its 40th anniversary of its
founding with a celebration that included many activities throughout the
day Saturday.
The city staff worked hard to collect photos and stories to create a
booklet and DVD highlighting the city’s milestones and offering
vignettes from memories of citizens and their own stories and photos.
“The video is an hour long, including some photos from when the lake was
just being started,” GBC historian Mickey Rainey said. Rainey showed the
video at the fire station Saturday.
The book includes the names of all the council members who have served
the city, and the years that they served, a copy of the petition to the
county to become a city and the articles of incorporation, Rainey said.
“Both have lots of interesting stuff.”
A T-shirt was also designed for the event. These items are available for
purchase at city hall ranging in price from $10-$20.
The city council gave the celebration its go-ahead and voted to provide
about $15,000 from the Hotel Motel Fund to pay for the closing fireworks
display.
Most of the activities took place between 5 and 10 p.m., including a
softball tournament between the city’s fire and police departments, live
musical performances, bounce houses for the kids and vendor booths set
up around the bandstand on the 40 acres the city owns adjacent to the
city park.
However, some activities took place earlier, such as the crowning of two
Gun Barrel City princesses at the Road House on State Highway 198 at 9
a.m. and a 42 domino tournament at the fire station, which got underway
at 1 p.m.
One of the highlights of the festival was the presentation of a golden
key to Gun Barrel’s eldest citizen.
Mayor Paul Eaton introduced John W. Knight, who is 101 years young.
Knight has lived in the area before the city was incorporated and said
he enjoyed watching the city grow.
Guns and Hoses team members gather for a group photo
at the start of the softball
tournament between the Gun Barrel City police and fire departments.
Hoses won
the day with a score of 11-7.
Remembering those who ‘serve
and protect’
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
ATHENS –The Henderson County Police Officer Association held its annual
memorial service Thursday to honor those who have served the county as
law enforcement officers and who have died as members of the
association.
Association president Deputy Junnell Dunnington introduced the name of
Tom Billy Goodell to the stone Peace Officer’s Memorial monument
standing on the west side of the county courthouse.
“It has been said that when a bad guy heard Tom Billy Goodell was
looking for him, he would turn himself in,” Dunnington said.
“Goodell had what all officers should strive for: respect from all he
served,” she said.
Goodell served the county from 1965 until 1980 under J.W. Brownlow.
Before that he worked for another famed sheriff, Dallas County’s Bill
Decker, from 1958 to 1965, while living in Mesquite.
A Eustace native, Goodell answered Brownlow’s call to return and
patrolled the west side of the county, where he developed a reputation
for being tough, yet fair.
His son, Sgt. Thomas Goodell placed the wreath during the memorial
service and the list of names of those who have served were read,
including those of Paul Habelt and Tony Ogburn, who were killed in the
line of duty two years ago near Payne Springs. Other officers who were
also killed in the line of duty are Charlie Fields Sr., K.C. Winn, Larry
Hopson and Bennie Everett.
Guest speaker County Judge David Holstein called county residents to
follow the example left by those whose names are etched on the memorial
by “making a positive difference in someone else’s life.”
“While not all of us can be peace officers, we can all do something to
help one another. We can work to improve our community and make it a
better place for our children,” Holstein said. “Let us recommit
ourselves to help one another like never before. Because by doing so, we
will honor these officers here named on this memorial.”
Goodell’s name stands beside the names of Habelt, Ogburn, Fields Sr.,
Winn, Hopson, Everett, George Corn, Dr. Nolan Geddie, W.C. Perryman,
Leon Cain, Dale Bryce, W.C. Fladd, Don Bettencourt, Jack Terrell, Bill
Bearden, Ralph M. Reaves, Bennie C. Krueger, Tommy Smith, Herman Kite
Jr., Kipper Hartline, Don W. McCord, J.W. Brownlow, Jack Sims, Frank E.
LaRue Jr., Stephen L. Combs, Mack Wallace, Thomas C. Underhill, Janey M.
Reed, T.E. Williams, Jim Billings, Don Johnson, L.D. Brookshire, David
Harris and Daner Stanberry.
Monitor Photo/Pearl Canrell
A Rifle Drill Team fires a 21-gun salute during the annual Peace
Officers
Memorial service.
Tax protest deadline is June 1
Monitor Staff Reports
CEDAR CREEK LAKE–If you were going to file a protest against the
valuation of your property, the deadline is fast approaching.
Property assessment notices went out the beginning of May to property
owners whose property valuation changed significantly.
Monday, June 1, is the deadline to file a written protest with your
county.
The deadline is usually May 31, but since that is a Sunday, it extends
to the next business day, according to the protest form.
Van Zandt County prints a protest form on the back of the assessment
change notice, but if you need a form, you can print one off the
Internet at www.myswdata.com.
Once there select a county (such as Henderson or Van Zandt) then the tab
across the top that says “Forms.”
A long list comes up, so select the third one from the top which says
“ARB–Appraisal Review Board forms” and then choose the first in the list
– “Notice of Protest.” And print it out.
The form is standard and used by all counties in the state of Texas.
Be sure to fill in your telephone number, as the appraisal district
office will call to see what can be worked out over the phone, which may
save you a date before the review board, though a date with the board is
automatically assigned when your protest is received.
Those protesting valuations of commercial property have 30 days from the
date of the notice to file a protest. Again, much can be done over the
phone.
The website can also locate properties and report valuation and other
basic public information.
However, Kaufman County is not one of the counties subscribing to this
service.
Kaufman County property owners may consult www.kaufman-cad.org for that
kind of information.
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