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Kemp man dies in 4-wheeler
accident
Scholarship, fund accounts set up at First
National Bank of Kemp
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
KEMP–A collision between two 4-wheelers early Sunday morning took the
life of Kemp resident Jeremy Huston Doss, 24.
Doss and Glen Levescy were each riding a 4-wheeler on the eastbound
service road of U.S. 175, approaching Harvey’s Exxon in Kemp, when they
collided with each other.
“It was a freak, fluke accident,” Doss’ grandfather Clifton Smith Jr.
said.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation Kemp Police Chief
Richard Clemmo said.
The call came in at 2:17 a.m. and Kemp Officer Damon Smith arrived at
2:20 a.m.
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Trooper Timothy Phillips
assisted.
Doss was transported to Kaufman Presbyterian Hospital. Levescy was
transported to Parkland Memorial, Clemmo said.
Doss leaves behind his wife of two years, Kelly (Nabors) Doss and
19-month-old son Lane Huston Doss.
He is the son of Deborah Doss of Kemp and Doug Doss of Kaufman.
“We have sustained a terrible loss. He was a son to me,” Clifton Smith
Jr. said.
Doss trained as a welder and recently was employed by an oil company,
Flint Energy.
He was a 2003 Kemp High School graduate and the couple lived in the Cap
City area, Clifton Smith Jr. said.
Doss spent a lot of time with his grandparents, Clifton Smith Jr. and
his wife Jimmie Lou.
“He was a warm and caring young man and his word was his bond. I am so
proud of him. He has probably made more friends for a 24-year-old. He
had a bubbly personality,” Clifton Smith Jr. explained.
Doss was proud of his family, he added. “He was a wonderful father. He
really loved his boy.”
Doss was well-liked by both his classmates and his teachers,
career-technology coordinator Marietta Maxwell said.
She explained she had him in two of her classes when he was a student at
Kemp High School, the food science class and later a personal
development class.
“He was a big kid with a big heart. I don’t think he ever met a
stranger. He was always involved, a leader in his classes,” she said.
Those wishing to make a monetary contribution may do so at the First
National Bank of Kemp. Two accounts have been opened – one a Lane Doss
scholarship account for the 19-month old son, and the second the Jeremy
Doss Fund to help Doss’ widow and son with expenses.
Courtesy Photo
Jeremy Doss wearing his welder’s gloves, helmet and visor.
Sheriff Brownlow submits
resignation
Monitor Staff Reports
ATHENS–It’s official. Henderson County Sheriff Ronny Brownlow has
submitted his written resignation Friday, effective July 31.
Commissioners are expected to appoint an interim sheriff during a
special meeting slated for 10:30 a.m. tomorrow.
The resignation was not unexpected, Lt. Pat McWilliams said.
Brownlow began his law enforcement career nearly 45 years ago.
“I’ve done everything I’ve wanted to do in law enforcement, at all four
levels – city, county, state and federal. I’m really going to miss these
people here tremendously,” he told The Monitor in an interview late last
year.
Brownlow has requested Chief Deputy Mark Jordan assume the rest of his
term, County Judge David Holstein said.
Jordan has served the department for 24 years and is set to retire Dec.
31.
An interim sheriff would serve until the results of the November
election can be verified and the winner sworn in.
Republican Ray Nutt and Democrat Bill Casey are candidates for the post.
Brownlow and his wife are out of town on vacation for the next several
weeks, McWilliams said.
Brownlow is the son of the legendary J.W. Brownlow, who served as county
sheriff longer than any other from 1955-1980.
File photo
Ronny Brownlow
Ethanol good for cars,
not so good for boats
Ethanol tips for boaters
Monitor Staff Reports
CEDAR CREEK LAKE–More and more gas stations are serving up a blend of
ethanol and gasoline, nicknamed gasahol.
While most cars run reasonably well on the blend, infrequent gas
fill-ups for antique cars, power tools and older boats don’t work quite
as well.
A blended ratio of 10 percent ethanol with gasoline acts as a solvent in
older fiberglass and metal tanks .
As the dissolved resins in the fiberglass tank make their way through
the fuel line and working parts of the engine, it can foul up
carborators and bring motors to a standstill.
In metal tanks, it cleans out the gunk and varnish that’s accumulated
over the years and sends those downstream to clog parts. Ethanol also
weakens rubber parts such as hoses and gaskets.
Another issue for boaters is the fact that ethanol attracts water, from
condensation in the tank and from water vapor entering through the tank
vents.
When a fillup is not completely used and sits for periods of time, the
fuel can go into phase separation.
The water and dissolved solids in the tank sink to the same level as the
fuel intake and when the motor is finally restarted this accumulation
can wreck havoc with an outboard engine, explains outdoor writer Angus
Phillips in a November, 2007, article.
“When you crank up the motor, the crud is sucked into the carburetor or
injectors and plugs things up,” he writes.
BoatU.S. warns boaters that once phase separation has occured in E10
gasoline, additives and water separators can’t help. The only remedy is
to have the gas and ethanol/water professionally removed from the tank.
Scott Cook of the Boat Owners Association of the United States confirms
ethanol’s solvent properties in older boats.
“We have plenty of evidence of fuel tanks degrading on older vessels to
the point that they can totally destroy an engine with sludge,” he said.
“Usually, by the time it degrades to the point of a leak, the engine has
conked out or is dead, and someone has realized that something is
seriously going on,” Cook said.
While advice from boat mechanics vary on how to compensate for the use
of E10 in older boats, using the regular unblended gas seems the best
preventative measure.
That’s a measure Lynn’s Marine and Supply recommends to its customers
sending them to Causeway Marina on State Highway 334 in Seven Points.
The Monitor has confirmed that Causeway Marina and Don’s Port Marina are
serving up regular gas for boats.
“Ethanol is just not good for them,” Christy Bynum of Lynn’s Marine told
The Monitor.
“We’ve had two motors we’ve had to replace the tanks on. It’s just
better to use gasoline without the ethanol,” she said.
While legislation mandates distribution of the ethanol blend in some
states and cities falling under the 1990 Clean Air Act, boats, power
tools and planes are not included in this mandate.
Boats and outboard motors engineered after 1986 anticipated the ethanol
blend coming into wider use, and are having less trouble making the
transition.
Victoria Shirocky of Sevema Park, Md., says her transition was seamless.
“We followed the proper procedures when we made the fuel switch. The
tanks were inspected for water, cleaned and ethanol-compatible filters
were installed,” Shirocky said.
What to Do?
While advice on what to do varies, here’s what the folks at www.driving
ethanol.org/ethanol_vehicles/boating.aspx say about changing to the E10
ethanol blend for boats.
Before switching from regular gas to E10 for the first time, check for
the presence of water in the fuel tank. If any is found, dry the tank
completely.
Fill your tank as full as possible to limit the flow of air into and out
of the vent, thus reducing the chance of adding water to the tank
through condensation.
It is critical to minimize water in the gas tank. If too much water is
present, it will cause ethanol to separate from the gasoline (phase
separation), which can cause stalling and even engine damage.
The Transom Newsletter put out by iBoats.com adds boats with metal tanks
should be inspected for signs of corrosion. These and older fiberglass
fuel tanks should consider replacement with a new plastic tank.
Polyethylene fuel tanks are not affected by ethanol, age well and are
incredibly durable. Any boat with a fiberglass gas tank that was not
specifically designed for ethanol, especially ones built before the mid
1980s, are particularly suceptable.
Short of replacement, older fuel tanks should be professionally cleaned
beforehand.
Inspect the fuel filter frequently. Stock your boat with extra filters
and place the old filter in a metal container to prevent spillage on the
deck. Know how to replace the filter in case it clogs while you are on
the water.
Replace fuel filters regularly when burning the first several tanks of
E10. A 10 micron filter is recommended.
Inspect fuel lines and gaskets throughout the fuel system. The Transon
newsletter also recommends tinkering with the idle adjustment screws,
high-speed air/fuel adjustments as rough running may occur on
switch-over to the newer fuel.
During winter storage or extended storage, boaters from Minnesota (the
land of lakes, boasting one boat for every six people) recommend topping
off a boat’s fuel tank to 95 percent full to leave room for expansion
and to cut down on water accumulation during periods of inactivity.
Also, use a fuel stabilizer. Add it at the time of fill up, anytime the
fuel may sit for more than a month.
While this organization recognizes that older boats may “experience
significant difficulties with E10 ethanol,” it says these difficulties
“affect less than 1 percent of the 13 million registered boat owners in
this country.”
Technical advisor for BoatU.S. Bob Adriance says, “We found that once
the transition to E10 ethanol is complete and the first few tanks of
ethanol-enhanced fuel are run through the system, the issues with E10
are mangeable.
“We’ve also seen that owners who use their boats frequently and cycle
through fuel have fewer problems than those whose boats are only
accasionally used,” he added.
Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
This sleek high-speed motorboat most likely runs on something with a
little
more kick than what ethanol can provide. |