Retired CPS worker outlines responsibilities
Monitor Staff Reports
GUN BARREL CITY–Child Protective Services investigators see everything from hoarding to child custody battles to excessive – sometimes horrific – punishment during the course of responding to citizen concerns.
While sometimes there is no problem, at other times, abuse and neglect can be shocking, retired CPS worker and new Kiwanis member Richard Siemens told his fellow Kiwanis members during Wednesday’s weekly luncheon.
State law requires a person who suspects another individual – child or adult – is being abused, neglected or exploited, to report that situation to authorities.
“You are not supposed to go out and check for yourself whether it’s true or not,” Siemens said. “The law says, if you suspect abuse, you have to call.
“If you do not report (the abuse), it’s a Class C Misdemeanor,” he added.
Many reports are generated by concerned teachers, but sometimes the chain of command kicks in, and the child ends up having to answer the same questions from the teacher, then the school nurse, then the principal, which does not help, he said.
Probably about a quarter of all reports are unfounded, but there are more than enough true reports to keep chronically overworked state investigators and caseworkers running from incident to incident, he said.
While there is no excuse for not calling, if someone calls the CPS toll-free 800 number (all calls go to Austin), the reporting person may have to put up with being on hold for an hour until a caseworker can get to them, Siemens said.
Online reports are always done last, so it may be two or three days before those reports are viewed and evaluated, he added.
In 15 years with CPS, Siemens said he has seen a wide range of behaviors.
“Have you seen (the television show) ‘Hoarders?’” he asked. “I’ve seen those situations.”
He recalled one household where the parents and two children all slept together in the same bed and stayed in one room, “because the rest of the house was stacked floor to ceiling with (full) trash bags – they never threw away anything.”
“You have to be really sensitive to cultural issues,” Siemens noted.
For example, he recalled a situation where the parents and two children (a boy age 7 and a girl age 9) all showered together.
“Their culture permitted that,” he said. “You try to counsel them or provide them with counseling services to help them understand our culture, and understand how that behavior is not accepted here.”
Many CPS complaints involve excessive punishment, such as one daycare operation where a hyperactive 2-year-old was duct-taped to the wall to keep them quiet and still, he recalled.
Occasionally, during custody battles, one parent will call to report the same type of behavior over and over again. At some point, investigators simply do not continue their investigation, if no evidenced of abuse has been found, he said.
If the parent continues to persist in lodging false accusations, the state will file suit, but that rarely happens, Siemens added.
“It’s very difficult to tell at times,” he said. “You have to watch the child’s behavior closely to see if they’re really afraid.”
When a child is injured, those medical records are sometimes forwarded to a forensic physician, who can tell if an injury, such as a broken bone, actually was the result of a fall – as the parents say – or is the result of abuse, he explained.
If children are removed from the home, that requires court action, and the CPS attorney (in Henderson County, an assistant District Attorney) makes that determination, usually within three or four hours.
“You can do an immediate removal, if you believe the family might run with the child,” he said.

Graham named Miss Rodeo Texas
Monitor Staff Reports
SAN ANTONIO–Lauren Graham was crowned as the 52nd Miss Rodeo Texas during pageant ceremonies in San Antonio June 24.
Graham, 21, is a 2008 Mabank High School graduate. She is the daughter of DeeAnn and Kevin Graham of Kemp.
“It is truly an honor to serve as the “First Lady of Rodeo” in Texas,” Graham said. “To be named the 52nd Miss Rodeo Texas means I will have more than a half a century’s worth of boots to fill, but having this opportunity is life-changing!”
Graham entered the statewide pageant as Miss West Texas Fair and Rodeo.
She is a senior at Texas A&M University in College Station, majoring in Agricultural Communications and Journalism.
“Thanks so much to the Miss Rodeo Texas Pageant, its leadership and ambassadors for this fabulous and prestigious privilege! I can’t wait for my year to start as the newest Miss Rodeo Texas!” she said.
Along with winning the coveted statewide title, Lauren earned a $15,000 scholarship, a trophy saddle and trophy buckle, a fur jacket and many additional prizes.
In addition to the overall title, Graham also won awards in the performance categories – Speech, Photogenic, Personality, Appearance and Horsemanship.
Graham is a member of the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow, Masters of Beef Advocacy, Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority, Aggie Angels, ZTA Stompfest Team, American Quarter Horse Association, National Cutting Horse Association and Texas CattleWomen, Inc. Lauren also competes in breakaway roping, cutting and reining and has been a volunteer in numerous charity events.
A Texas tradition for more than five decades, with the Miss Rodeo Texas inaugural crowning in 1959, the Miss Rodeo Texas Pageant has produced seven Miss Rodeo Americas.
Since the inception of the Miss Rodeo Texas Pageant, Miss Rodeo Texas has served as a vibrant, colorful goodwill ambassador of rodeo, the official sport of Texas, working closely with professional rodeos, rodeo associations and community organizations to preserve our western heritage and keep the western industry alive and flourishing in today’s society.
Contestants from all over the state participate in the Miss Rodeo Texas program competing for thousands of dollars in scholarship awards and other prizes among three age groups vying for their respective crowns.
The Miss Rodeo Texas contest consists of pageant winners from 19 to 24 years old. The Miss Rodeo Texas Teen consists of winners from 14 to 18 years old and the Miss Rodeo Texas Princess competition consists of 9- to 13-year-old contestants.
The selection of each of the rodeo queens is based on horsemanship, appearance and personality competitions. As the reigning Miss Rodeo Texas, Graham will be competing in the Miss Rodeo America pageant in Las Vegas, Nev., in conjunction with the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (PRCA). The coronation of Miss Rodeo America 2011 will be in early December.
“I could have never made it this far without the support from my family and friends,” Graham said. “I have such a huge backing and I know they will all be there cheering me in the Miss Rodeo America Pageant in December in Las Vegas!”

Rotarians observe 25th anniversary
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
GUN BARREL CITY– The Rotary Club of Cedar Creek Lake marked its 25th year with a very special luncheon June 25.
Local businessmen founded the Cedar Creek lake chapter with encouragement from the Athens Rotary Club.
Charter member Damon Stephen recalled some of the club’s “firsts” during the anniversary celebration at Vetoni’s Italian Restaurant.
• The first unofficial meeting was held May 23, 1986, to set the details.
• The first official meeting was June 25, 1986.
• The first program was on the hospital district and was presented by Andrea Gibbs.
• The first project was picking up trash on State Highway 198.
“We learned to hate people who threw out cigarette butts,” Stephen laughingly said.
• The first woman to join the local club was Janet Adams (1989), then manager of Cedar Creek Country Club.
Several past presidents highlighted the club’s accomplishments during their term in office.
Gibbs recounted that during her term, the club first participated in “Make a Difference Day.”
During Bruce Easley’s presidency Rotary marked its centennial in the United States.
Easley said since the first internal project provided public restrooms for citizens in Chicago, he felt it fitting to follow the example.
So the club built the restroom facilities at the Mabank Pavilion.
Barbara Turner retold what the club did to mark its 20th anniversary.
During Lee Montgomery’s leadership, the club provided a fun day for handicapped kids at the Whatz’ Up Family Fun Park.
The club’s international chairman, Ted Ingersol, said he is bringing a very international item for the auction during the annual Celebrity Waiters’ fundraiser – French chef to prepare a dinner for 20 people.
Robert Blaase’s presidency achieved the highest netting year for fundraisers; the golf tournament and Celebrity Waiters Dinner.
Liz Smith said during her year, the club bestowed the second highest number of Paul Harris Fellows in the district.
District governor Jim Archer highlighted what the international Rotary Club accomplished with the combined aid and support of all the individual clubs.
“When this club was formed, almost one million children were struck with polio. This year, there were only four reported cases. In India, with approximately one billion people, there was only one reported case,” he said.
The Rotary International has been instrumental in involving business (Bill Gates) and other celebrities to eradicate the dread disease from the earth.
The local club is proud to present 30 scholarships, annually to graduating seniors from Eustace, Mabank and Kemp high schools.