People, Places & Events

Local Lions bring free
mobile eye clinic to Mabank
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
MABANK–The Cedar Creek Area Lions Club gave the gift of better sight to local residents Friday.
It sponsored a visit by the Lions Club Sight & Tissue Foundation mobile vision clinic to the Mabank Junior High band hall parking lot.
“We provide help with glasses, mostly for kids in the Eustace, Mabank and Kemp schools,” Lion member Edna Beltz said.
The club also collects used eyeglasses to be repaired and recycled for those who need them, she explained.
“We have collected more than 1,000 pairs of glasses this year,” Beltz said.
The mobile unit was staffed by volunteers Dr. Jaime Hall and two of her fellow Vision Center workers.
To donate to the Lions Club, send to P.O. Box 178, Mabank, TX 75147.


Monitor Photo/Barbara Gartman
Lions Club members line up in front of the Mobile Sight & Tissue unit,
sponsored by the Cedar Creek Area Lions Club, Friday at Mabank Junior
High. Pictured are (from left) Phil Rogers, Finis Burk, Edna Beltz, Cathy
Fletcher, bus driver Dick Burns and Danny Fletcher.

County buys long list or road material
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
KAUFMAN–Approximately 60 varieties of road materials were selected for all four precincts to use in upcoming road repairs.
Kaufman County purchasing agent Jack Sabastion went over the list he had already reduced down for commissioners Nov. 24.
Location, as well as low bids, figured in to the selections to be approved.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Deller explained while the low bid was good, it wouldn’t save him any money if he had to send a truck 120 miles to pick it up.
In other business, commissioners:
• agreed to advertise for bids on standard pickup trucks for various departments, including the fire marshal.
• appointed Cathy Prestridge as wellness coordinator and Judge Wayne Gent as executive sponsor for the “Healthy County” statewide wellness initiative.
• accepted a list of roads in Precinct 2 for maintenance program.
The list includes Glenn Cove, Cimarron Trial, Country View Lane, Grayson Drive, Fox Chase Drive, Terra Circle, Hunters Chase Drive, and Glenview Drive.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Ray Clark said the streets were in several additions.
• approved the payment for repair of County Road 313 in Precinct 3.
• approved budget transfers as presented by county auditor Hal D. Jones.
• paid bills totaling $217,776.02.

HC joins ‘Healthy County’ push
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
ATHENS–Henderson County is preparing to support its employees and officials in keeping those health and wellness resolutions they’re sure to make for 2009.
Commissioners signed up the county to join in the The Texas Association of Counties’ “Healthy County” initiative Nov. 25.
The initiative includes two 10-week programs to make regular exercise (in this case, walking) a part of daily life, and make skills in weight management common knowledge.
Two county employees, Amiee Freeman and Leigh Baker, have volunteered to fill the roles of wellness coordinater and a wellness executive sponsor to go for training in the initiative come Feb. 5-6 in San Antonio, with all costs covered by TAC, for a program start date of March 1.
Each county employee and official who completes a program will earn a $25 incentive. Employees may complete both and get $50. A matching amount is also available to the county to help support future wellness programs.
TAC’s Employee Benefit Pool is also supplying all literature and posters to promote the wellness initiative.
TAC anticipates results in lower health care costs.
“Elected officials and employees of county government represent one of our state’s most valuable assets – public servants to all Texas citizens,”a TAC press release stated.
“More than 70 percent of health care costs are attributable to preventable and lifestyle-related conditions,” TACs program administrator Jennifer Hall stated. “A good wellness program can effectively reduce health-risk factors, improve health and add years of quality living.
“Employers also benefit because a healthy worker is more productive, less likely to be injured on the job and spend less on health care,” Hall added.
The program also includes a variety of resources including a Blue Cross Blue Shield 24-hour nurse line, disease-management programs for members with chronic illnesses, an online personal health manager, telephone coaching ahnd discounts on Jenny Craig, massage therapy and alternative medicine.
Commissioners were glad elected officials could participate and set an example.