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Battling the weeds
City Inspector Larry Player’s job isn’t easy, especially
when it comes to owners who don’t take care of their properties.
Player said he sees the same properties “over and over” that
are not cared for. In too many cases, the property owner is absent.
In some cases, the city pays someone to mow the lots/lawns and the
cost of doing so is attached as a lien against the property. If it
is ever sold, the city may get its money back, but in the past seven
years Player said he can only remember being reimbursed three or four
times. If the property is eventually sold because of delinquent taxes,
the city is usually at the bottom of the list for payoffs, which can
be a fraction of the value of the property. “Still, it’s
nice if they sell and someone starts taking care of them and paying
taxes,” the inspector said.
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CITY ORDINANCE 92.03: WEEDS DECLARED UNLAWFUL. It shall be unlawful
for any person owning, claiming, occupying, or having supervision or
control of any real property to permit weeds, brush, or any objectionable
or unsightly matter to grow to a greater height than 12 inches upon
any such real property…It shall be the duty of such person to
keep the area from the line of his property to the curb line adjacent
to it free and clear…” The city will notify the property
owner and, if necessary, will clear the property of weeds and put a
lien on the property but the best and least expensive course is to
take care of your property! Brenda Brown/Mirror photos
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CITY CURBS SUCH AS THIS ONE SHOULD “REAPPEAR” once B&Z
Sons, based in Powderly, comes to town for a major street-sweeping. The
city council voted Thursday night to pay $4,000 to clean approximately
45 “curb miles” within the city limits. The one-time service,
which will utilize a powerful (and expensive) street-sweeping machine,
will “pave the way” for Veolia Water’s smaller, older
street sweeper to, hopefully, keep curbs free of unsightly grass and
weeds. City Manager Jay Stokes said this week that the sweeper will start
work here in mid- to late-August, at which time a schedule will be published
so that residents will not park on the streets to be cleaned. Brenda
Brown/Mirror photo |
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Lee Public Library’s parking lot is being resurfaced, thanks
to a state grant. The $150,000 project—which also includes a new
sidewalk and handicapped entrance to the East Texas Museum at Gladewater,
as well as purchasing a few more red bricks for downtown streets—is
scheduled to be completed by mid-September. Meanwhile, the library is
open and book lovers are asked to park on nearby streets. Brenda Brown/Mirror
photo |
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Police continue investigation after child’s death
By Brenda Brown
Mirror Editor
The investigation is continuing in the death of a 17-month-old toddler
who drowned in a family swimming pool last week.
Abby Shirley Leann Howard was pronounced dead at 6:41 p.m. Tuesday, July
15, by a physician at Good Shepherd Medical Center. Precinct 1 Justice of
the Peace B.H. Jameson ordered an autopsy of the body.
Graveside services for the child were held Monday at Gladewater Memorial
Park under the direction of Croley Funeral Home, which donated the funeral
because the family could not afford to bury the baby.
GPD Lt. Fred Ellis, lead investigator in the case, said his office received
an emergency call at 5:56 p.m. from the child’s mother, Vicky Howard.
The drowning occurred in the family’s pool, located in the back yard
of 1111 Sanders Street. The pool was 8 feet across by 30 inches deep, Ellis
said.
ETMC paramedics gave CPR to the child and then rushed her to the Longview
ER. Ellis said the preliminary autopsy report shows the cause of death was
drowning.
“The pool area was not fenced but there was a fenced play area nearby,” Lt.
Ellis said. The children were supposed to be playing inside the fence but
when the mother went to check on them, she told police her 3-year-old daughter
was standing near the pool and the younger child was floating in the pool.
“Ms. Howard said the gate to the play area was still latched but
not locked when she located the children,” Lt. Ellis said.
The older child, who will be 3 in September, was removed from the home
by Child Protective Services and remains with a foster family. Anytime a
child is injured or dies, CPS will investigate and often will remove other
children from the home until the investigation is complete and the home is
proven safe, Ellis explained.
According to information received by Lt. Ellis, Ms. Howard, 42, has in
the past had five other children permanently removed from her custody by
CPS. The father of some of the children, including the two living at home,
is Doug Howard, 43.
Once the GPD investigation is complete it will be forwarded to Upshur County
District Attorney Billy Byrd’s office. Ellis said he hopes to be through
with his work by the end of this week or early next week.
The child’s grandmother, Johnnie Williamson of Gladewater, said she
learned of Abby’s death the following morning and she was devastated.
“My daughter said Abby and Angel (her sister) were playing outside
but when it became quiet, she went outside and found Abby in the pool,” Ms.
Williamson said, adding that Mr. Howard started CPR before the EMTs arrived.
Recent drowning raises pool concerns
These safety rules are from the American Red Cross Web site,
www.redcross.org.
• Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a course to learn or improve your ability to swim, contact your local Red Cross chapter.
• Never leave a child unobserved around water. Your eyes must be on the child at all times. Adult supervision is recommended.
• Install a phone by the pool or keep a cordless phone nearby so that you can call 9-1-1 in an emergency.
• Learn Red Cross CPR and insist that babysitters, grandparents, and others who care for your child know CPR.
• Post CPR instructions and 9-1-1 or your local emergency number in the pool area.
• Enclose the pool completely with a self-locking, self-closing fence with vertical bars. Openings in the fence should be no more than four inches wide. The house should not be included as a part of the barrier.
• The gate should be constructed so that it is self-latching and self-closing.
• Never leave furniture near the fence that would enable a child to climb over the fence.
• Always keep basic lifesaving equipment by the pool and know how to use it. Pole, rope, and personal flotation devices (PFDs) are recommended.
• Keep toys away from the pool when it is not in use. Toys can attract young children into the pool.
• Pool covers should always be completely removed prior to pool use. If a child is missing, check the pool first. Go to the edge of the pool and scan the entire pool, bottom, and surface, as well as the surrounding pool area.
Keeping Children Safe In, On, and Around the Water
• Maintain constant supervision. Watch children around any water environment (pool, stream, lake, tub, toilet, bucket of water), no matter what skills your child has acquired and no matter how shallow the water. For younger children, practice "Reach Supervision" by staying within an arm's length reach.
• Don't rely on substitutes. The use of flotation devices and inflatable toys cannot replace parental supervision. Such devices could suddenly shift position, lose air, or slip out from underneath, leaving the child in a dangerous situation.
• Enroll children in a water safety course or Learn-to-Swim classes. Your decision to provide your child with an early aquatic experience is a gift that will have infinite rewards. These courses encourage safe practices. You can also purchase a Water Safety Handbook at the Red Cross Store.
• Parents should take a CPR course. Knowing these skills can be important around the water and you will expand your capabilities in providing care for your child. You can contact your local Red Cross to enroll in a CPR course.
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Local pool regulations
By Brenda Brown
Mirror Editor
In light of the drowning last week in Gladewater of a 17-month-old toddler, the building inspector advises that the city has ordinances regarding home swimming pools.
Any pool, whether above ground or below, with a depth of two feet or greater must be fenced.
“That includes the $200 to $500 pools that you can buy at stores,” said City Inspector Larry Player.
When Player sees or is notified of a pool that is not fenced, he will contact the property owner or occupant, either in person or by letter, and warn them that the pool must be fenced within a certain time period.
If the problem is not corrected, Player is authorized to ticket the owner/occupant. The amount of the fine is up to the municipal judge.
In insurance and legal circles, swimming pools, outdoor spas and hot tubs and trampolines are known as “attractive nuisances” because they are inherently dangerous and likely to attract a curious child. As such, the owner has a duty to take reasonable steps to protect the child from danger. (Other nuisances include “farm equipment” and old refrigerators.)
Per city code “154.091 Swimming Pools,” the yard where the pool is located must have a wall or fence that is at least 4 feet high, with self-latching gates at all entrances. The fence must completely enclose the pool area or the surrounding yard area. Whether it is constructed of chain link, wood or stone, there are various requirements, the details of which are available at the building inspector’s office at City Hall.
The ordinance also states that if the pool is lighted, the light(s) must be face away from the adjoining residences, meaning the owner can’t spotlight his neighbors’ homes.
Also, no “broadcasting system” can be used to advertise the operation of the pool or for the attraction of persons to the premises.
All of the city’s codes are published online at www.cityofgladewater.com. For printed versions, please visit city hall.
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Teen jailed after hijacking vehicle
By Brenda Brown
Mirror Editor
A Longview teen remains in the Gregg County Jail facing a robbery charge
after she hijacked a local man’s truck on July 14.
The first notice of a problem occurred when a passerby notified police
that a man was running down Pacific Street with a fence post in his hand.
When officers arrived, Ronnie Slusser reported his truck had been stolen
while he worked in the Cotton Street area, behind the Bearly Worn consignment
store on West Upshur.
Lt. Fred Ellis explained Slusser was unloading fence posts when he was
approached by two black females shortly before 1 p.m.
“Mr. Slusser said one of the girls jumped in his truck and took off,” Lt.
Ellis said.
Slusser tried to stop the vehicle and was dragged 8 to 10 feet before falling
to the pavement. He then ran after the truck, which headed south on Cotton
and then east on Pacific before he lost sight of it.
He told police the other girl ran south to the Pacific Gardens housing
project.
Later that afternoon the truck, a white 2005 Dodge 4-door Dakota pickup,
was found in the lot behind B&C Furniture. Around the same time, the
two suspects were spotted by a witness who reported they were walking along
Pacific at Ferry Street...
...Continued in this week's edition of The Gladewater Mirror.
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Jackson receives 40 years
Former pastor, 55,
sentenced by jury after guilty plea
By Brenda Brown
Mirror Editor
LONGVIEW—A former Gladewater pastor pleaded guilty last week to molesting
two girls in the 1990s and was sentenced to 40 years in the Texas Department
of Corrections.
Larry Jackson, 55, of Kilgore, will serve at least 20 years before he is
eligible for parole, said Assistant DA Jenny Huckle, who prosecuted the case
in the 124th District Court.
Ms. Huckle said this week that Jackson admitted molesting two sisters and
that he opted for a jury to decide his punishment instead of Judge Alvin
Khoury.
Jackson was sentenced to two 40-year prison terms for aggravated sexual
assault, which were ruled to be “concurrent” sentences, meaning
they will “run together,” Ms. Huckle said. At any rate, if subsequent
appeals are filed and should fail, Jackson will be 75 years old before he
is eligible for parole. He remains in the Gregg County Jail pending transfer
to a TDC facility.
Ms. Huckle said Jackson had been pastor of the South Main Church of Christ
since 1994. He was arrested in October 2007 after the two young women came
forward with stories of molestation when they were both younger than 14.
The sisters, who live in Virginia now, are grown up; the oldest is a sophomore
in college and the younger will be a college freshman.
At the time the offenses occurred, the girls’ father was stationed
with the U.S. Navy in Florida and their mother was working and going to school
in East Texas.
Ironically, the DA’s office was already investigating the preacher...
...Continued in this week's edition of The Gladewater Mirror.
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‘The Whole World is Crashing Down’
Family pushes on during
string of recent tragedies
By Brenda Brown
Mirror Editor
What was supposed to be a joyous occasion following the loss of a son
in a boating accident turned into another tragedy for a Gladewater family
last week.
Temple “Tem” Carpenter III, his wife Sandra, mother-in-law
and two grandchildren were on their way to Baytown to see the Carpenters’ new
home when a two-car accident claimed the life of Bertress “Nanny” Allen,
75, of Gladewater.
Her death is another huge blow to the family, still reeling from the
deaths of their twin sons in freak accidents that have occurred with the
past 2-1/2 years.
“It’s been an unbelievable chain of events,” Carpenter
said this week. “I told one of my friends in Houston that I’m
ready for the black cloud to move away from my family.”
Ms. Allen, beloved matriarch and the “rock” of her family,
died from injuries received in a two-car accident in Lufkin last Wednesday,
July 16. Her death follows the deaths of her twin grandsons, Chris Carpenter,
a Gilmer firefighter who was killed in a boating accident on Lake Cherokee
on June 21, and Corey Carpenter, who was killed in a freak accident in
a pasture near Gladewater 2-1/2 years ago.
The Carpenters have been trying to put their lives back together in South
Texas and Ms. Allen and their grandchildren, 3-year-old Gage and 5-year-old
Garrett Bussey, were traveling from Gladewater to Baytown for a quick trip
so that Nanny could see their new house.
As the Carpenters were southbound on US Hwy. 59 in Lufkin, a 70-year-old
man made an illegal left turn from the right lane and struck the Carpenters’ 2003
Ford Focus station wagon, causing it to flip five times. Ms. Allen and
Garrett were thrown from the car. She died at a Lufkin hospital that afternoon
but her great-grandson was lucky—he suffered a broken wrist but is
basically okay. All of the family members suffered abrasions, cuts and
contusions, and were treated and released on the same evening.
The accident occurred at about 12:25 p.m. and the other driver, Isaac
Milstid of Houston, was driving a white 1996 Ford pickup and towing an
empty U-Haul car dolly. Police performed sobriety tests at the scene and
determined Milstid was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He
was initially ticketed but since Ms. Allen was killed, he will automatically
be charged with vehicular manslaughter...
If desired, memorial contributions may be made to the Clarksville City
Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 568, White Oak, Texas 75693.
...Continued in this week's edition of The Gladewater Mirror.
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City feels the pinch, crunches numbers
By Brenda Brown
Mirror Editor
Just as individuals are dealing with the soaring costs of gasoline (though
there was a drop in the price of crude oil last week), governments are also
feeling the pain. Gladewater is no exception.
According to City Manager Jay Stokes, the cost of gas and other ever-soaring
prices are at the forefront of Gladewater’s various city department
budget talks.
Whether that will translate into higher taxes is still up in the air.
Department heads have been working on their 2008-09 budgets for weeks and
they will all come together before the council during a budget workshop set
for 10 a.m. Thursday, July 24, at the Gladewater Center for Community Education,
located on Gay Avenue in front of the high school. The public is cordially
invited to attend.
“We’ve all been working on budgets since May,” said Stokes.
Thursday he will present a proposed general fund budget, which last year
was $4.4 million. The general fund budget includes fire and police, administration,
municipal court, code enforcement/building inspection, and debt service (money
borrowed for various projects including matching grants for the Main Street
renovations).
That budget doesn’t include “enterprise funds” such as
water and sewer, the airport and the cemetery. They are separate and generally
considered self-funded as they are supposed to pay for themselves.
With fuel hovering around $4 per gallon for unleaded and $5 per gallon
for diesel, Stokes said the police and fire departments have been hurt the
most by the rising prices.
“On average, their fuel budgets are up 55 percent, especially the
police department,” Stokes said.
The new budget year begins Oct. 1...
...Continued in this week's edition of The Gladewater Mirror.
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Around the Town
Library awards today
Lee Public Library’s Summer Reading Program awards party begins
at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 23, in the meeting room at the library.
Pizza will be served to all of the kids who took part in the summer program.
Bucky T Clown will be on hand to entertain.
Friendship meeting set
The Friendship Cemetery Association will hold its annual business meeting
at 6 p.m. Friday, July 25, at the Friendship Community Building.
For more information call 845-2969.
‘70s reunion will be a blast
Dig out your platform shoes and bellbottom jeans and plan to attend the
GHS All ’70s Reunion, set for Saturday, July 26, from 7 p.m. to midnight
at the Gladewater Former Students Building.
Cost is $10 per person and includes dining on finger foods and ‘70s-era
music will be provided by a deejay.
The GHS Class of 1978 will host this year’s get-together. Anybody
who went to school here in the 1970s is invited, said Todd Clifton.
For more information call Clifton at 845-5643.
Next Recycle Day is Aug. 9
The next Gladewater Recycle Day is set for Saturday, Aug. 9, at City
Hall. Recyclable items can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to noon.
The second Saturday of each month has been set aside to accept recyclable
items—cardboard, newspaper and magazines, aluminum cans, tin/steel
cans and plastic bottles. Non-recyclables include waxed or plastic-coated
boxes, plastic grocery bags, toys, motor oil containers, glass, pie pans
and foil.
Siddiki to minister here
Dr. Nasir Siddiki of Wisdom Ministries will speak here Sunday through
Tuesday, Aug. 10-12, at the Gladewater High School Auditorium. Sunday service
times are 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday services will begin
at 7.
The event is sponsored by New Life Fellowship Church and hosted by Pastor
Billy Teague. For more information call 845-6412 or 241-2322.
Dr. Siddiki teaches “wisdom success principles” at the Wisdom
Center in Tulsa, Okla. He is heard daily on radio and appears on television
in several countries. As seen recently during the Trinity Broadcasting
Network Praise-a-thon, he hosts and teaches regularly on TBN.
Dr. Siddiki has ministered for Dr. Kenneth Copeland, Dr. Jerry Savelle,
Dr. Myles Munroe, Bishop Keith Butler, Pastor Bob Yandian, Dr. Dennis Burke,
Pastor Rod Parsley, Benny Hinn, Paula White and many others. Segments as
guest speaker were shown on TCT TV, Daystar TV, Lesea TV, the Inspiration
Network and TBN. He has been featured in publications like Kenneth Hagin's
Word of Faith, Kenneth Copeland's Believers Voice of Victory and the Charisma
Magazine. His books and tapes are currently distributed to 30 countries.
Library open on Saturdays
Lee Public Library will be open to patrons on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to
1 p.m., thanks to a grant received by the City of Gladewater. The summer
hours will last through August.
The library’s weekday hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through
Friday.
UGHS band rehearsals set
The Union Grove High School Band will begin rehearsing on Aug. 4.
The schedule on Mondays, Tuesday and Thursdays is: 1-2:30 p.m., brass
and percussion; 2:30-4 p.m., woodwinds; and 7-9 p.m., full band. On Wednesdays
and Fridays, the full band will rehearse from 1 to 3 p.m.
School will begin for all students on Aug. 25.
GHS Band headed to Hawaii
The Gladewater High School Sweepstakes Band has been invited to perform
in Hawaii next year, but first members must raise about $160,000 to get
there and they are asking for the community’s help. The band will
make the trip during Spring Break, March 16-20, 2009, and spend five days
in Honolulu performing “Texas-style” concerts at Pearl Harbor
and the state capitol.
Local musicians will represent the State of Texas in the celebration
commemorating the 50th year of Hawaii’s statehood. The Bear Band
will join performing groups from all 50 states to commemorate the past
and celebrate the future of Hawaii, said Band Director Nathan Templeton.
GHS Band Boosters are raising money in their traditional venues (rodeo
and football concessions, golf tournament, etc.) and band students will
continue to sponsor two fundraisers each year, the director said.
“Specifically, the band boosters are asking businesses, civic clubs,
alumni/alumnae, and civic-minded individuals to raise approximately half
of the total cost, or $80,000. The band students will raise or pay about
$30,000, with the band boosters accounting for the remaining balance of
$50,000,” he said. “These are huge numbers but can certainly
be attained,” Templeton said.
The cost for each student is $1,600. Community members, businesses or
civic groups may elect to help in a number of ways, Templeton said. First,
a business or individual may “adopt” a student to help pay
her/his cost. Secondly, money may be donated to the full group, allowing
the band director to divide money as necessary.
For more information, please contact the band office at 844-3828.
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What's Happening
AKC Dog Show planned
LONGVIEW—A Conformation Dog Show and an All Breed Obedience Trial
and Rally are planned at the Maude Cobb Activity Center Saturday and Sunday,
July 26-27. Show times are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. Sunday. For more information call 903-984-5042.
4-H Youth Safety Fair set
LONGVIEW—The Gregg County 4-H & Youth Development program invites
youngsters to learn more about 4-H through a Youth Safety Fair beginning
at 9 a.m. Thursday, July 24.
Gregg County 4-H members will help to conduct the Safety Fair. Participants
will have the opportunity to learn about bicycle safety, sun safety, food
safety, ATV safety as well as storm safety and emergency preparedness.
The three-hour program will be conducted at the Gregg County Extension
Office, 405 E. Marshall, in the Gregg County Services Center. This program
is free and open to all Gregg County youth. For more information or to
register call 903-236-8428.
DAV plans meeting July 25
GILMER—Members of Chapter 204 of the Disabled American Veterans
will have their monthly meeting on Friday, July 25, in the chapter building,
1115 U.S. Hwy. 271 (across from WalMart).
The meeting begins at 11 a.m. The ladies auxiliary will serve a potluck
lunch afterward. All interested persons are invited to attend.
‘Sons’ to gather in Tyler
TYLER—The Capt. William Barron Chapter will host the Texas Society,
Sons of the American Revolution annual Board of Managers Meeting August
1-3, at the Holiday Inn Select on South Broadway.
The Sons of the American Revolution is made up of men who have proven
their linage back to an ancestor who either fought in the American Revolution
or contributed to the cause of the Colonies in another way.
One of the primary goals of the Sons of the American Revolution is to
insure that America’s history of the Revolutionary War and the Constitution
stay before the public. The organization does that by recognizing those
in the community who stand above their peers such as Law Enforcement, Fire
Safety, Heroism, ROTC Essay, Oration, and Eagle Scouts. In addition an
award is given to a history teacher each year that has done something truly
outstanding to advance America’s heritage.
Any male citizen who knows he has a Revolutionary War Patriot in one
of his ancestral lines and is interested in membership in this patriotic
organization may drop by the registration table in the hotel lobby, pick
up an applicant packet, and talk to one of the SAR members present. The
registration table will be open from 12 noon to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1,
and from 7 a.m. until noon Saturday, Aug. 2.
Car show planned Aug. 9
LONGVIEW—The 4th annual Show N’ Shine Car Show will be held
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at Maude Cobb Activity Center. Competition
includes 40 categories of cars, musical sound competition, bands and children’s
activities. Admission is $10; kids 10 and under enter free. For information
call 903-455-9977.
Scleroderma group to meet
LONGVIEW—The Longview/PineyWoods Support Group for scleroderma
patients will meet 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, at the Senior Circle Center,
3000 N. Fourth Street. The meeting is open to all scleroderma patients,
their families and caregivers.
Dr. Stephen Cohen, rheumatologist at Trinity Clinic in Tyler, will be
keynote speaker to educate and answer questions. He has 20-plus years experience
and he has done extensive research on scleroderma, a chronic connective
tissue disease generally classified as one of the auto-immune rheumatic
diseases.
For more information about the support group meetings, please contact
Alice Mitchell at 903-808-1607, mimicntry@yahoo.com; or Shirley Sawyer
at 903-987-1822, bgsr7105@aol.com.
‘Aladdin’ playing at ArtsView
LONGVIEW—Arts View Children’s Theatre will present favorite
characters from Disney’s musical “Aladdin, Jr.” on Friday,
Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15-17, at 313 W. Tyler St.
Tickets are $8 per person. Show times are 7 p.m. Friday; 2 and 7 p.m.
Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday. For information call 903-236-7535.
ETWFS schedules job fair
LONGVIEW—East Texas Workforce Solutions will host a job fair from
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, at Maude Cobb Activity Center. The
fair features 100 employers from a 150-mile radius of Longview.
Admission is free. For more information call 903-758-1783.
Sharon Shriners plan circus
LONGVIEW—The Sharon Shriners’ Circus promises fun for the
entire family with aerialists, acrobats, clowns and animals on Friday,
Aug. 29, at the Longview Fairgrounds Rodeo Arena.
Performances are set for 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. For information call 903-237-1230.
Free addiction booklet
Narconon’s goal is recovering the loved one you lost to drugs or
alcohol addiction. Call 800-468-6933 or log on to www.stopaddiction.com to receive your free copy of Guide to Addiction Recovery for a Lifetime
or to speak to a counselor immediately for free counseling, assessments
and referrals.
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