March 2014 - Henderson County Now

HCPAC Spring Fundraiser Honors the Gilmores

Henderson County Performing Arts Center press release

The 2014 Spring Fundraiser set for Friday, April 11, at the Athens Country Club will be a once-in-a-lifetime event. It will also be bitter sweet as we honor Dennis and Karen Gilmore for their 25 years of service to the theatre and then say our last good-byes as they leave us to pursue the next chapter in their lives in Palm Springs, Cali.

Twenty-five years in the making, the evening will be filled with fond memories and funny happenings of the past, as well as the finest entertainment HCPAC has to offer. You will be serenaded by the likes of David Young, Danny Servetnick, Maria Ogburn and many others, including the TVCC Encore Choir. The Line, our very own tap-dancing divas, will also be on hand (or should I say foot!) to add their talents to the festivities.

While we have offered you delicious buffets in the past, this year you will be served a very special delectable dinner by the able staff of The Athens Country Club. As usual, there will be a cash bar for your enjoyment of libations.

Because this is such a special occasion we are dispensing with the Silent and Live Auctions, as well as the Raffle Ticket Sales. These endeavors were designed to help raise money for the Theatre, and, while raising money continues to be a top priority, we don’t want these activities to interfere with the other real focus of the night which is to give our heart-felt thanks to two extraordinary people who have made this Theatre what it is today. To that end, your ticket price includes a tax-deductible donation to the Theatre.

When you receive your invitation, you will note the designation of Black Tie Optional. We truly mean ‘optional’. You guys don’t have to panic and drag your tuxedo out of mothballs even though you look so dapper when you don your formal attire. We do, however, want to give all our Theatre Fashionistas the opportunity to dress to the nines for this celebration. Complimentary Valet Parking will be available.

Tickets are $100 apiece. You may designate with whom you wish to be seated and we will do our best to comply. Tables seat eight. Sponsor Tables are $1,000 and are given priority in the table arrangement. We hope each and every one of you will join us for this unique evening. Please call 903-675-3908 for more of the details of the event or to make reservations.

TVCC Inducts 31 Members into Phi Theta Kappa

Just as it did in the fall, Trinity Valley Community College inducted 31 new members into the Iota Alpha Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa during a ceremony Sunday, March 23, at the Student Union Ballroom.

Membership in the Iota Alpha Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, a national honors society for two-year colleges, requires a student to achieve a 3.5 GPA, have completed any required developmental courses and have accumulated at least 12 semester hours of college credit. Membership in Phi Theta Kappa entitles TVCC students to have this honor noted on their official transcripts and to wear the PTK golden stole, tassel and/or medallion at graduation.

Inductees are: Savanna Abendroth of LaRue; Jennifer Acero of Houston; Alison Alibrando of Arp; Anita Lizette Arnold of Athens; Amber Barker of Centerville; Matthew Jacob Barnes of Poynor; Dena Beard of Frankston; Alexis Bongiorno of Point; Briana Booth of Star Harbor; Patti Renae Brigham of Poynor; Megan Anne DaSilva of Rowlett; Carissa Kylene Dickerson of Mabank; Stacie Lynn Ethridge of Wills Point; Karissa SuAnn Gant of Blum; William Hatfield of Wills Point; Abbey Hudson of Canton; Prosper Kaseke of Athens; Amber Lindsey of Athens; Tyler Maldonado of Gun Barrel City; Michael Pait of Combine; Nelly Pedroza of Athens; Rex Printz of Kingsland; Juan Antonio Rojas of Brownsboro; Karina Rojas Gomez of Murchison; Bryan Ruiz of Athens; Shelley Karnes Sparks of Mabank; Amber Lynn Spence of Athens; Tara Sulc of Combine, Tenn.; Taylor Brianne Valles of Copperas Cove; Cynthia L. Woodall of Mabank; and Kathryn Wright of Tyler.

TVCC Students on All-Texas Academic Team

Trinity Valley Community College recently had four students named to the All-Texas Academic Team during a ceremony in Austin. The students were Viktoria Tableva, Jackie Latko and Jessica Schaefer. Allyson Braggs (not pictured) was also named to the team. The Texas scholars were welcomed by the executive vice chancellor of the University of Texas at Austin and addressed and awarded by The Honorable Donna Howard, Texas House of Representatives. A reception followed the awards at the LBJ Library in Austin. (COURTESY PHOTO)

City of Athens v. AMWA Public Forum

By Michael V. Hannigan

Saturday night, the Lake Athens Property Owners Association organized a public forum between the City of Athens and the Athens Municipal Water Authority (AMWA) regarding the current controversy and upcoming election.

If you have no idea what that sentence means, you should probably start reading here.

The two-hour forum was held at the First Baptist Church of Athens ROC and drew a crowd of about 200. The event was moderated by FBC pastor Kyle Henderson.

AMWA was represented by general manager Wylie Pirkle while the City of Athens was represented by City Councilman Aubrey Jones.

Like most events of this type, the forum included short openings and conclusions from both sides, and questions from the audience.

This forum, however, also featured questions from each side directed toward the other. Each side received its questions before the event and had an opportunity to prepare answers.

The challenge for a journalist covering an event like this is in trying to distill two hours of discussion and the answers to maybe 25 questions into a 500-word article. So, considering the importance of the issue, we didn’t try. Instead, we recorded the forum and have uploaded it like a podcast. We invite you to listen on your computer or your phone and draw your own conclusions.

If you have trouble playing the embeded audio above, you can go directly to the podcast site here.

There are some changes in volume through the recording because of equipment difficulties Saturday night. This is a raw recording taken from the audience.

In the coming weeks, as we draw closer to a vote on the future of AMWA, I am sure there will be plenty more on this issue, but I don’t know how many more times the two sides will be as open as they were Saturday night. Please listen to the forum.

((More background on this story can be found here.))

Participants in the forum included Wylie Pirkle for AMWA (left) and Aubrey Jones for the City (right). FBC Athens pastor Kyle Henderson was the moderator (center). Todd Garrett, president of the Lake Athens Property Owners Association, which organized the forum, stands in the background.

TxDOT Update

Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue resurfacing operations on US 175 between FM 804 east of Athens and FM 315 in Poynor.

Elsewhere, TxDOT maintenance crews are scheduled to perform fog seal operations on FM 1615 south of Athens, FM 2636 south of Malakoff, and FM 3062 between Malakoff and Star Harbor.

Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

Looking ahead to the week of April 14, construction crews are scheduled to begin work to add shoulders to FM 317 between FM 314 south of Brownsboro and FM 315 south of Chandler.