People, Places & Events

Steel rises on new Kemp High School
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
KEMP–Despite the slow down caused by heavy August rains, construction crews are hard trying to make up for lost time.
“Construction has picked up considerably with enough (concrete) slab poured to keep the steel crews ahead,” Blair Williams of Baird Williams Construction told Kemp trustees Tuesday.
Roofing crews will be showing up after Thanksgiving, and masonry workers are scheduled.
“The last slab will be poured sometime around the first week of December,” he said.
Included in the list of units still to be framed are the auditorium, library and agricultural building.
“We need to get the steel up, so we can get the other crews in,” he explained.
“We’re 30 days behind, but we hope to be back on schedule by Jan. 15,” he said.
In other business, trustees:
• approved a certified payment of $870,841 for work completed on the new high school.
• approved an out-of-state band trip to Hermit Basin Lodge, Westcliffe Co., from Wednesday through Sunday, March 18-22, during spring break.
• heard a request from maintenance director Dewey Haley to consider the purchase or lease of a backhoe for the district.
All trustees agreed the machine was needed and asked him to seek out the best deal.
The huge machine could be used for cleaning the brush from the creek behind the bus barn and high school, prepare an area for a small 100-yard practice field and other planned projects.
• reviewed the maintenance calendar.
• made application to modify the schedule for Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills testing day attendance.
The district is asking that high school students who are not required to take the TAKS test delay their arrival to classes.
The previous waiver for the 10-day FLEX schedule was denied.
The FLEX application was to provide tutoring for students at risk of failing some portion of the TAKS test.
• approved a property tax resale request.
• heard the portable buildings will be gone by Saturday, Nov. 29.
Superintendent Dr. Peter Running also reported the property adjacent to the new high school is being cleaned up, and all old cars removed.
• discussed the color scheme at the high school.
The trustees were trying to imagine the effect of as much orange as possible without going overboard.
“The big thing is you don’t want to build a giant pumpkin,” Running explained.

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ coming to Mabank
Special to The Monitor
MABANK–Rehearsals for the Monday, Nov. 24 performance of “Fiddler on the Roof,” are heating up, as the Mabank Intermediate fifth grade music department prepares to present its first ever Broadway, Junior musical.
“Fiddler on the Roof” is based on the beloved original Broadway production of the same name, which has enjoyed much acclaim since its debut.
The cast and crew includes nearly 50 fifth-grade students from Mabank ISD, who have dedicated themselves to putting on the show of their lives.
Full cast singing, large scale choreography and from the gut acting are on the menu for this heartfelt portrayal of the lives of the 1905 citizens of Anatevka, Russia.
A matinee is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. Monday, Nov. 24, followed by an evening performance at 7 p.m.
Both performances will be held at the Mabank High School auditorium and admission is free to the public.

Gun Barrel City employees complete supervisory training
Special to The Monitor
GUN BARREL CITY– City Manager Gerry Boren is a strong advocate for training in the workplace, from the entry level to the administrative level.
Four city employees completed the “Management Skills for First Time Supervisors” training in October.
The employees are Christy Evans, communications supervisor for Gun Barrel City Police Department; Jacqui Callaway, code enforcement supervisor; Don Akins, street department supervisor; and David Morrow, laborer for the street department.
The performance of a person in their position as a supervisor is critical to their professional future.
In order to become an effective leader, a supervisor must be knowledgeable in the skills they will need to operate effectively in their role and fulfill their positions.
Christy Evans, a city employee for 4½ years, states “To be a good leader, you must learn to delegate work; praise employees when they do a good job; boost employees’ morale by getting them involved; and have regular staff meetings once a month for team input and to discuss ways to improve productivity.
“I also learned that in order to manage my employees I need to be able to manage myself,” Evans said.
Supervisors need to possess the skills in team-building and dealing effectively with their employees.
“The training I attended will enable me to communicate in a more effective manner with my co-workers,” three-year supervisor Don Atkins said.
This training provided building blocks for supervisory excellence.
“The training educated me on skills regarding handling conflicts more effectively; proper time management in the workplace; and building a more effective working relationship with my co-workers,” three-year employee David Morrow said.
Effective leaders have a clear vision of their objectives and how to get there.
Continuous training for employees, in house and other training organizations, promotes better service to the citizens of Gun Barrel.
“I am a great believer in training. Training adds quality to all personne,” five-year employer officer Jacqui Callaway summed up.