People, Places & Events

A little work will make the park beautiful
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
KEMP–No matter the age, residents are banding together to make Kemp City Park beautiful and productive.
Betty Atherton is looking for some sturdy citizens to help her plant flowers, do needed trimming and in general tend to the aesthetic needs of the park.
Several volunteers had promised to help her, but other pressing needs kept them from their duties, so Atherton recruited children playing in the park to help with some of the small chores.
The children pulled weeds and spread the hay in the flowerbed to be used as mulch, which was donated by Clemmo Feed & Tack.
They also picked up and carried branches of the crepe myrtle trees that were trimmed off earlier to a trash site.
The city residents have had their first experience with the new pavilion.
Kemp High School band members recently treated citizens to a concert in the park event.
Other benefits are planned, such as a new hiking trail in the distant future.
Residents have been urged to teach their children pride in the park and to talk to them about late-night vandalism escapades.
The Kemp Police Department has stepped up its patrols of the city at night and are writing a lot of tickets on curfew violators, which results in fines and/or community service, municipal Judge Regina Kiser explained.


Monitor Photo/Barbara Gartman
Children who enjoy Kemp City Park pitched in to help with the gardening and
cleaning up Tuesday. Pictured are (not in order) Joey Taylor, Kenny Holloway,
Patrick Payne, Trent Morgan, Tyler Pritchett and Alyssa Taylor.


Monitor Photo/Barbara Gartman
Betty Atherton sees a future of blooming flowers and
a lot of color in Kemp City Park, once the grubby work is completed.

Arrest indictments not making it
says HC Sheriff candidate
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
GUN BARREL CITY–Rotarians were given a short look at some of the statistics concerning the drug problems in Henderson County by candidate for Sheriff Bill Casey.
The Rotary Club of Cedar Creek Lake met for its weekly lunch Friday at Vetoni’s Italian Restaurant.
Casey presented some of the reasons why he wants to be sheriff.
Speaking of Henderson County and its prosecution record, Casey said simply, “It’s not making it. There is a drug problem in Henderson County.”
To prove his point, Casey listed some county numbers on drug prosecution.
“Since August of last year, there were 51 drug indictments; 85 percent of those were for less than four grams,” he said, explaining four grams is only a tiny bit in a small plastic bag.
“The other 15 percent were four to 200 grams. That was four cases,” he said.
Since August of last year only one case over 50 grams has led to a grand jury indictment, Casey said.
“I believe the task force is doing the best they can. I want to bring in a true undercover task force. I want to bring in the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration),” he said.
Fiscal responsibility is also a goal, he said.
“When going to pick up someone arrested in Dallas, Fort Worth and other nearby counties, instead of making daily trips, I would make one a week to all of them,” he said.
Not only would the county save on deputy pay but on gasoline and the use of the vehicle, he added.
“It would be an honor to me to serve the men and women in the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department,” Casey said.
Casey is an Air Force veteran, having served five years with the presidential unit, for which he was hand selected.
Later, he served as a first sergeant and was nominated to go to the First Sergeant Academy.
In other business:
• club president Lee Montgomery reminded members this was his last official meeting as the presiding officer over.
The installation of officers for the coming year will take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday (tonight) at the Ranch House.
• Rotarians were reminded to bring an auction item and wine auction items for the celebrity waiter dinner fund-raiser in August.

Citizens suggest ways to make Tool more attractive
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
TOOL–Citing examples such as Denison and Killeen, Certified Master Gardener Jack Busby asked Tool City Council members to appoint a committee to help make Tool a more attractive place.
“We could consider a ‘Yard of the Month’ and a ‘Business of the Month,’” Busby suggested at the council’s June 19 regular session.
Councilwoman Fran Sonka pointed out there had been a Beautification Committee in the past, adding she wasn’t sure what they were currently involved in.
“Some of the POAs are currently meeting to formulate plans for beautifying their subdivisions,” Sonka said.
Busby also suggested residents could initiate a plant exchange, adding he has received some nice plants in the past that have dressed up his own property.
Also, the Dallas Morning News has taken pictures of some of his plants and plans to publish them, he said.
In other business, council members:
• agreed to purchase another tractor for $7,000 cash.
Maintenance supervisor Frank Martin said the tractor is heavier and more capable of handling the city’s tree-cutting and bar ditch workload.
• agreed to establish an account for funds paid the city for seizures following criminal activities.
The account will be established with a check for $25,000 and a second check for the same amount resulting from raids on gaming halls.
The money can only be used by law enforcement, and only for state-specified items, council members heard.
The police department does not have to bring the matter before the city council when they decide to spend the money.
• heard the work on Will White Road was set to begin Monday, June 23.
• took no action on a request from Gary and Marcia Woods to purchase an island in front of their property.
The item was acted on in a former meeting. Some council members recalled they denied the Woods’ request then, and were not going to revisit it.