Category: Athens

World Series Fun Fest – Kickball Fundraiser

baseball 2WORLD SERIES FUN FEST FUNDRAISER – JULY 26, 9 A.M. – COLEMAN PARK

Kickball Tournament

This will be coed, you need at least 3 women on your team and there is no age requirement but just know there will be adults playing as well. The tournament is really more about having fun than a fierce competition. You will need a minimum of 8 players. We will play 5 inning games or 45 min time limits and go with a 7-run rule per inning. The cost is $150 per team and they will be charging a gate fee as well. Everyone is $5 per person. There will also be food and drinks available for purchase, plus we will have a bounce house, dunking booth and a homerun derby, and to cap it off we will watch a movie on the field. So come on out and support our 12 u Texas State Champs and send them to the World Series in South Carolina.

Athens to Hire Headhunter to Help Find New City Administrator

Website sidebarBy Michael V. Hannigan

The Athens City Council Monday night directed staff to advertise for Requests for Proposals (ROPs) from employment recruitment agencies to find a city administrator.

Current City Administrator Pam Burton has handed in her resignation and will be leaving at the end of the year.

The council voted 3-2 with the three council members who were elected in May – Tres Winn, Joe Whatley and Charles Elliott – voting to hire a rfp consultant, commonly called a headhunter.

“(Headhunters) have a broader range of choices,” said Whatley.

Elliott said he and Whatley went to visit the Tyler City Administrator and were told hiring a company to lead the search would be the best move.

Mayor Jerry Don Vaught and Monte Montgomery voted against hiring an outside company.

“I’ve had a very bad experience with a headhunter,” said Montgomery.

Vaught echoed Montgomery’s sentiments and said he thought the city could handle the hiring in-house with the help of the Texas Municipal League (TML). He said that would also save the cost of an outside company which officials said, depending on the specific contract, could run between $20,000 to $30,000.

Winn said he liked the idea of an outside company going through the search and the background checks and then presenting three or four candidates to the council. He said the council will still get to make the decision and didn’t have to just accept anyone presented by a head hunter.

“(Hiring a consultant) doesn’t take us out of the decision,” he said.

Athens City Council Moves Toward Banning Fertilizer Plants

CITY OF ATHENS - 4 Color LogoBy Michael V. Hannigan

The Athens City Council heard an update from City Attorney Connor Bateman Monday, July 14, about “options regarding additional zoning regulations concerning the manufacturing and/or storage of fertilizer/hazardous materials.”

The move comes six weeks after a fire at East Texas Ag Services caused fire officials to evacuate the area for five blocks around the building. The building is used as a storage area for fertilizer, including ammonium nitrate, which is the chemical compound that exploded at the West Fertilizer Company on April 17, 2013, killing 15 and injuring more than 160.

Bateman said he has done a lot of research into options and wanted direction from the council on how to continue. Due to the dangerousness of stored chemicals, in an effort to prevent events such as this tragedy from happening again, safety storage regulations and protocols may need to be followed – visit this website to learn more.

He told council members he was surprised to find that “most cities don’t cover fertilizer (in their zoning ordinance), even after the tragedy in West.”

Options included zoning ammonium Continue reading “Athens City Council Moves Toward Banning Fertilizer Plants”

Animals Ready For ‘Party For The Paws’ in Athens

Dog partyBeckham, the border collie, is partying at the Henderson County Humane Society in Athens for two reasons! First, he has been adopted to a wonderful new home, and second, he’s hoping that the upcoming fundraiser for the Humane Society will help provide more funding to help care for and find homes for all his animal friends he’s leaving behind at the shelter!

Party for the Paws will be the largest fundraiser of the year for the HendersonCounty Humane Society in Athens. The date is July 19, from 7-11 p.m. at Boogie’s Party House, 412 N. Prairieville, Athens! This will be a wonderful night including a barbeque buffet dinner, live auction, silent auction, and listening to or dancing to the fabulous Randy Southpaw and the Saxman Band! This will be a BYOB event with set ups provided! Tickets are $30 a person. To buy tickets or purchase with a credit card, call 903-677-7387 or 903-570-4546. Tickets are also being sold at Chandler Drugs in Chandler and at the shelter in Athens.

Boogie’s in the Alley is a very unique venue, perfect for an enjoyable evening with friends! Its history in Athens is extensive and goes back many years to the days of the “Coca Cola” bottling plant, the old Ice House, City Park and Clark’s Feed Store. It is a fact that Willy and Waylon, in their younger days, did a little picking at this special little section of Athens! Continue reading “Animals Ready For ‘Party For The Paws’ in Athens”