People, Places & Events

City to hire legal beagle
Representation before Railroad Commission sought
Monitor Staff Reports
ENCHANTED OAKS–Enchanted Oaks board of aldermen directed Mayor Don Warner to seek legal representation before the Texas Railroad Commission to voice the city’s concerns over a weak contingency plan, should there be an incident at a proposed sour gas well in the area.
Aldermen backed it with an initial outlay of $10,000 during their regular meeting Tuesday.
The Texas Railroad Commission has sole jurisdiction in granting a permit for an oil and gas well San-Antonio based BlackBrush Gas & Oil hopes to install just outside Payne Springs, six-tenths of a mile from the only transportation artery in the area – State Highway 198.
“Most residents of Enchanted Oaks are not against drilling for much-needed oil and gas, Warner said. “They’re against it being done in a densely populated area backed up against a lake, with no adequate means of escape should something go wrong.”
Nearly 100 people attended the meeting, which promised to offer them a forum to express themselves and ask questions of BlackBrush representatives.
Wednesday, Warner drove the back roads leading away from Enchanted Oaks west and north through Leisure Land to rejoin SH 198 near Crawfish Ranch Road.
“These are all little one-lane roads,” he said. “I can’t see how 300 to 500 people could be moved efficiently along these and out of danger.”
And if an evacuation plan were initiated, he asked, how would people know? If warned by telephone, wouldn’t this block telecommunications needed by those dealing with the incident?
“There are still so many questions left unanswered. That’s why the city feels it needs someone to represent them before the commission,” Warner said.
When asked, he said he hasn’t picked a lawyer yet.
“I’ve only just started to consider who will be best for the job,” Warner said.

Investigation ongoing in fatal hit-and-run
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
KEMP–The Texas Highway Department did the on-the-scene determinations and the Dallas FBI office is studying the forensic information in the hit-and-run death of Kemp resident Connie Shaw.
Kemp Police Chief Richard Clemmo explained the state and federal agencies are looking into all evidence in the effort to find the driver of the vehicle that struck and killed Shaw Aug. 29.
“A tip led Kemp investigators to interview Rocky Rogers. But at this time, there is no evidence that Rogers is a viable suspect,” Clemmo said.
Another paper reported that a caller said an arrest had been made in this case, but Clemmo said that was not factual.
“The investigation is ongoing, and has led to a search warrant executed on a vehicle. At this time it is unknown if that search revealed any pertinent information,” he explained.
It could take several weeks before laboratory results are known, Clemmo pointed out.
“The investigation of the hit-and-run death of Connie Shaw is ongoing, and several tips have been followed up on,” he said. “We are not going to get tunnel vision and assume anything until we have all the evidence in hand.
“At this time, the investigation is still ongoing, and any other leads will be followed as fresh information,” he added.
The 57-year-old Shaw was employed as a clerk at Harvey’s Exxon.
Her body was found around 3:22 a.m. one mile west of The Store in the emergency lane (left shoulder) of U.S. Highway 175.
It is speculated that she had car trouble, and left her small white four-door compact on the westbound side of the highway.
Anyone with information related to this incident are asked to call the Kemp Police Department at (903) 498-8600.

Make a Difference Day is going green
Special to The Monitor
GUN BARREL CITY–Friday, Sept. 12, at Vetoni’s Italian Restaurant will be the meeting place for “Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things,” as the Rotary Club of Cedar Creek hosts its annual “Make a Difference Day.”
Saturday, Oct. 25, will be the seventh annual “Make a Difference Day” that the Rotary Club of Cedar Creek Lake has sponsored.
On this day someone will smile because of you.
Why? because you opened your heart and lent a hand to make a difference.
“This year, our event is Going Green,” co-chairperson of “Make a Difference” Jan Wood said.
“We know that all of us can be advocates for a greener world, even in the small things we do.
“We will be looking at the projects with a ‘Green Eye’ in an attempt to bring volunteers together to help our neighbors and rethink how we, as members of our community, can reduce, reuse, recycle and recover the resources we have at our disposal.
The entire community is encouraged to participate in this “neighbors helping neighbors” event.
Volunteers can work on projects such as home repair for disadvantaged residents, food drives, nursing home visitation, clothing collection drives, recycling drives and landscape spruce up.
Organizations, churches, scout groups, school groups, businesses and individuals are encouraged to develop projects that will culminate on this special day.
Choose your own way to make a difference! To find out how you can help or to let us know of your pressing need, contact Jan Wood at (903) 880-6539 or Andrea Pickens at (903) 887-2121.