People, Places & Events

 Henderson County Realtors
install ’09 officers
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
GUN BARREL CITY–The Henderson County Board of Realtors inducted officers for 2009 at a Dec. 10 luncheon at Vetoni’s Italian Restaurant.
Incoming president Gary McClaskey said he was looking forward to the new year and thanked the membership for supporting him.
“We will be doing some new things this coming year, such as recognizing our affiliates more,” McClaskey said.
Several speakers made presentations to the members.
East Texas Realtor field representative Pete Craig spoke on the effects of the Presidential election and the economy.
“You need to stay informed,” he said.
Cody Robertson, a Henderson County appraiser based in Athens, discussed changes in appraisal requirements.
“Federal Housing Authority (FHA) lending is up by 20 percent,” he said.
Henderson County appraiser Calvin Jones talked about the field having more problems in the rural areas.
“It is more challenging to appraise in our area as there are fewer ‘cookie cutter’ residences,” he said.
“For instance, in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, developers go in and build homes as close together as possible, using a basic design and size,” Jones explained.
In rural areas, individuals build to suit themselves on larger tracts of land, with nothing close by with which to compare values, he explained.


Monitor Photo/Barbara Gartman
Newly elected 2009 officers for the Henderson County Board of Realtors are
(from left) president Gary McClaskey, vice president Brad Rummel, secretary
Marsha Bourne, treasurer Sandra Ayers, new directors Ralph Monroe and Donna
Sadler, TAR director Mary McClaskey and director Robert Blaase.

WCR installs new officers
By Barbara Gartman
Monitor Staff Writer
KEMP–The Henderson County Women’s Council of Realtors enjoyed an installation banquet for 2009 officers at the Cedar Creek Country Club Dec. 5.
Members were decked out in their holiday colors for the evening of business and pleasure.
Newly elected officers installed were president Carrie Jones, president-elect Lajean Fenske, vice president of membership Lora Tomlinson, treasurer Jerry Scott and secretary Janice Haney.
David Yanna of the Glass Inspections was presented the “Affiliate of the Year” award.
Jones, of Coldwell Banker American Dream Realty, was named “Member of the Year.”
In her final speech, outgoing president Dianne Medlyn listed a few of the club’s accomplishments for the year, including the Gold Excellence Award and the Small Club of the Year Award.
Medlyn also listed a couple of trips she took representing the club, one to Chicago and one to attend the national convention in Orlando, Fla.
The Women’s Council of Realtors provides real estate agents with opportunities to expand their education in the field and related fields through course work and monthly breakfast meetings at the Cedar Creek Country Club.
The organization is open to both men and women in real estate and welcomes affiliate members from businesses supportive of the real estate field.
Those interested in joining WCR may call membership vice president Lora Tomlinson at Century 21 Tumlison, (903) 675-5701 or any of the current members.


Monitor Photo/Barbara Gartman
Incoming Henderson County Women’s Council of Realtors officers for 2009
are (from left) treasurer Jerry Scott, secretary Janice Haney, vice president
of membership Lora Tomlinson, president elect Lajean Fenske and president
Carrie Jones.

Miller to oversee groundwork
on new Wills Point building
By Terry Britt
Monitor Staff Writer
CANTON–Van Zandt County Commissioners agreed to hire outgoing Precinct 3 Commissioner Kelles Miller over the groundwork of the county building project in downtown Wills Point.
His contract with the county will last about two months for which he will be compensated $2,400 and have the use of a county vehicle.
Miller abstained from voting on the matter following a closed session.
Duane Harvey will be sworn in as the new Precinct 3 commissioner in January. He defeated Miller in the November General Election.
Present at the Dec. 9 meeting, Harvey indicated he had no problem working with Miller as the first phase of the new building project gets under way.
The county is constructing a $328,141 one-story building on North Fifth Street in Wills Point to become the new home of the Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace and to include a courtroom, as well as a county tax assessor/collector substation. These offices have been in rented spaces in Wills Point.
Commissioners also decided to leave the county’s matching rate for its employee retirement plan through Texas County and District Retirement System (TCDRS) the same.
Initially, commissioners considered raising the current matching rate of 1.75 percent to 1.90. However, information obtained by assistant county auditor Cristie Martin led to a change of strategy.
Speaking after the court went back into open session, Martin said a TCDRS representative advised the county look at protecting its cost over the next year.
“They feel the way the market is right now, it would be better not to go up (on the employee contribution match) this year,” she said.
Martin said if economic conditions remain poor (as expected next year), the county could see a raise in its required payment to the fund.
Hoping to cushion some of that effect on the county budget, commissioners opted to take about $50,000 in projected group insurance savings and put that toward the county’s obligation on the retirement plan.
TCDRS will determine the exact percentage needed to increase that amount by no more than $50,000, according to the action taken.
In other business, commissioners:
• granted right-of-way use to the Carroll Water Supply Corporation on Van Zandt County roads 1515 and 1514, for installation of water pipelines.
• amended the Texas Department of Transportation Landscape Cost Sharing Program agreement for the Van Zandt County Veterans Memorial. County Judge Rhita Koches said funds for the state share of the project had increased to $261,000, almost half of the $523,000 for the project.
• approved bonds for deputy district clerks Mary Barker and Kelly Townsend, and for Van Zandt County Precinct 1 Constable Mickey Henson.
• accepted a $92,575 grant from the Homeland Security Administration for digital communication equipment for the sheriff’s department.
• named county treasurer Detra Janzen, as county executive sponsor, and Glonda Mooney, as county wellness coordinator, for the Texas Association of Counties Health and Employee Benefits pool health program.