People, Places & Events

Rotary Club members hear arts update
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
GUN BARREL CITY–The Henderson County Performing Arts Center has been around for about 40 years.
“It’s a good place for children who are looking for a place to belong,” Marcia Colbert, HCPAC representative said.
“We have changed the life of many kids,” she added
Colbert addressed the Rotary Club of Cedar Creek Lake Friday at the weekly luncheon, listing the many benefits of the theater group.
“This year we will have put more than 250 performers on our stage ranging in age from six to 70 and older,” she said.
HCPAC ticket sales provide only about 20 percent of funds needed to continue bringing quality entertainment, Colbert said.
“And as a non-profit organization, we are shamelessly begging all the time,” she added.
“It costs the theater $700 per year, per actor to survive,” Colbert said.
The new theater space opened in February and although it is not much larger, the theater expanded from 88 to 126 seats.
“We also now have ‘wings’ a larger stage and ‘fly space,’ “ she explained.
The theater is located on Gibson Road in Athens.
In other business, following the meeting, several Rotarians went to Kemp Primary for the RIF (Reading is Fundamental) Book Give-Away. Each student was allowed to choose a book of their own to take home.
Rotarians helped write the children’s names in the books they had chosen.


Monitor Photo/Barbara Gartman
Members of the Rotary Club of Cedar Creek Lake enjoy writing the children’s
names in their book to take home. The club, through the RIF (Reading is Fundamental)
program, donates hundreds of books each year to elementary students. Pictured are
(from left, seated) Rotarians Debra Davis, Bob Burns, Father John Brennan and
Charlene Jacobs. Present but not in the picture is Glenda Holbrook and Barbara Turner.


Monitor Photo/Barbara Gartman
Students first circle the table to see what choices there are and then they go
around again to pick out the book they want. The books are theirs to keep and
take home. The Rotary Club of Cedar Lake presents students with a new book of
their own as a means to encourage a love of reading.

Ewing re-appointed as Kaufman County fire marshal
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
KAUFMAN–Larry Ewing will serve two more years as the Kaufman County Fire Marshal.
Monday, county commissioners approved Ewing’s re-appointment to the position.
Ewing thanked the commissioners and stressed that he was proud to serve in the position.
Ewing’s next step was to give his yearly report, which included an update on the 2008 fire code inspections.
He said his office has inspected 67 project locations, renewing permits and locating fire hazards.
One building included an assisted living facility with 26 occupants, which had not been inspected by the state in several years. It was in bad need of being brought up to code, he said.
Another problem was a Halloween haunted house that had so many fire code violations, Ewing described it as “a nightmare.”
The county fire marshal’s office answered 650 service calls, he said.
“The fire marshal’s office currently has 12 ongoing arson-related or suspicious fires being investigated,” Ewing said.
Crandall Mayor Joe Baker was present to request an inspection agreement between the city and the county, using Ewing’s department to inspect projects in Crandall.
Ewing said he figured the inspections would cost the city approximately $13,120.
“We have already inspected two schools,” Ewing said.
Commissioners approved the request.
In other business, commissioners:
• adopted an order delegating authority to the county purchasing agent to extend bid closing dates as needed.
• approved an interlocal agreement with Morris County regarding a contract the county clerk’s office currently has with Safe Guard.
The agreement was described as a sort of “piggyback” agreement.
• approved an on-line auction set for Thursday, Jan. 29, to dispose of county surplus, abandoned and seized property.
• approved the deputation of Lisa D. Fox for the Sheriff’s Department.
• approved a budget transfer as presented by auditor Hal D. Jones.
• paid bills totaling $413,135.05.
• heard fire safety suggestions from Ewing for a safe holiday.
The tips included how to select and care for a live Christmas tree, disposing of the tree after the holidays, caring for lights, avoiding the use of candles and never putting candles on a tree.

Eustace ends year looking strong
Employees get incentive bonuses
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
EUSTACE–After a lengthy review of the city’s financial statements and cash flow outlook, the Eustace City Council authorized funds to remodel the entry of the Community Center and pay end-of-year bonuses to employees at its regular meeting Dec. 4.
The renovation of the Community Center into a new home for the police department was authorized last month, pending a check by Police Chief Robert Walker and Mayor Laura Ward of costs for raw materials and available funds.
Walker and Ward crunched the numbers, getting the cost to replace the front door and doorjamb, and remove and replace the awning, down to $3,500, Ward reported.
The work is to be done with volunteer labor from police officers, she added. The police department hopes to move into the community center early in the new year.
Council members tried to forecast actual operating costs for the city, once the police department is working in the former Community Center, but could only hazard a guess.
With the building vacant, the city is still picking up minimum utility service costs, city secretary Drucilla Haynes said.
“The important thing is the city, (utility and police departments) are now going in the right direction (financially),” councilman Chuck Powers said.
December is usually a strong month for the city with holiday sales and property tax income, and January is expected to be robust, as well, Haynes said.
Another topic of discussion was a report on road repair work.
Ward said the last of the FEMA funds are being used up on the last flood-damaged road.
There are at least two more streets that need repair, Melton and the south end of Cockerell, utility supervisor Tom Acker reported, and estimated it would cost between $2,500 and $3,500 for road materials.
“Some of the work can be done during the cold months,” Acker added.
This discussion was recalled when council members discussed incentive bonuses for the city’s 12 employees. Also noted was the fact employees went without pay raises this past fiscal year.
Upon close examination of account balances and any anticipated expenditures, members determined a $250 pre-Christmas bonus could be included in the next paycheck for the 10 full-time employees and two part-time workers.
A decision to sign a new contract for electric services had to be postponed until a called meeting set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10.
The city had already given Ed Adair of LPB Energy the go-ahead to lock the city into a fixed rate of 7.78 cents per kilowatt hour, Haynes said.
Further discussion on implementing an economic development corporation ended with a consensus that the city could not afford to establish a formal entity at this time, due to the prohibitive cost involved.
A lawyer would have to draw up the papers, including the by-laws. Also, liability insurance would be necessary, Powers pointed out.
Councilwoman Lisa Roberts agreed.
“I agree, the city needs more business and the tax revenue that would bring in, but I can’t see that the benefits at this time will even out with the costs,” Powers said.
Ward encouraged council members to continue to recommend Eustace and its available business properties as sites for business owners to set up on.
Council members agreed to have the handicap parking staff properly striped per direction from the USDA Rural Development and to declare the restroom at city hall as a private restroom and not open to the public.
If the 1920s-vintage city hall’s restroom was considered a public restroom, “the public” might include customers who benefit from agency funding, and therefore would require the facility to meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements.