Uncategorized-Henderson County Now

Color of Ideas Begins Leather Tooling Class

Color of Ideas press release

The Color of Ideas Community Arts Center, located just off the Square at 207 E. Tyler Street, announced the addition of a new Saturday Class specifically geared to children: Leather bracelets, braided leather bookmarks, leather stamping! $10 a project – Each project will last for years! Weekly class begins this Saturday, July 26, at 10 a.m.

Leather Tooling Class continues on Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. ($20 for 90 min. class). Class teacher, Larry Sherrod, is an artist with leather, truly a gift to the community. Don’t miss this chance to learn from a master!

Weekly Origami and Tangram Clubs are also up and running for Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. Origami is Japanese paper folding (Paper is provided.) – an art form in itself! Tangrams are a 7 piece logic puzzle. Using just 7 pieces (Tangrams provided.), hundreds of figures can be formed with tangrams. The fun part is figuring out how to use the 7 pieces to make the silhouette of each figure — which can easily take 15 minutes or more!

Both of these clubs are open to all ages and make a great family activity. Be “warned,” however, that for most people origami and tangrams are not easy! If you like logic and thinking you will love tangrams. If you are good with your hands and enjoy paper crafts then Origami is for you! While there are no charges for club meetings, donations are accepted. Come and see!

Commissioners Deny Petition for FWSD

TRWD attorney Hal Ray hands out maps to Henderson County Commissioners' Court Tuesday morning. — TRWD attorney Hal Ray hands out maps to Henderson County Commissioners’ Court Tuesday morning.

By Michael V. Hannigan

The proposed Wilson Ranch Fresh Water Supply District (FWSD) is dead … for now.

On a 4-1 vote, Henderson County Commissioners’ Court denied a petition to form the FWSD Tuesday following a public hearing which saw attorneys from both sides present their case.

An attorney for the FWSD said that the commissioners’ decision can be appealed to the District Court or resubmitted to the county.

Even though the district was not created, commissioners were sympathetic to the reason the petition was filed: As a defense against a 9-foot-in-diameter water pipeline one commissioner said would cause “devastation” across the county.

WHAT IS IT

An FWSD is a political subdivision of the state — a government entity — meaning it has the power to levy and collect a tax, hold bond elections, build infrastructure, and is run by an elected board.

The proposed district is about 1,090 acres completely inside Henderson County, with no part in the City of Athens extraterritorial jurisdiction, according to the petition. The proposed district is made up of four tracts of land and includes the East Texas Ranch LP, but commissioners noted Tuesday that they have never actually seen a map of the proposed FWSD.

According to the petition, “An adequate waterworks system, capable of delivering fresh water throughout the district, does not currently exist in the district. Consequently, the construction, maintenance and operations of an adequate waterworks system is necessary to assure the health and welfare
Continue reading “Commissioners Deny Petition for FWSD”

Commissioners to Decide Fate of Proposed Water District

By Michael V. Hannigan

Henderson County Commissioners’ Court has a public hearing scheduled for 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, July 15, to discuss a proposed Fresh Water Supply District in Pct. 4 off FM 1615.

Afterward, commissioners will decide whether to allow creation of the proposed district.

A Fresh Water Supply District (FWSD) is a political subdivision of the state — a government entity — meaning it has the power to levy and collect taxes, hold bond elections, build infrastructure, and is run by an elected board.

The proposed water district would be the Wilson Ranch Fresh Water Supply District No. 1. The proposed district is about 1,090 acres completely inside Henderson County, with no part in the City of Athens extraterritorial jurisdiction, according to the petition. The proposed district is made up of Continue reading “Commissioners to Decide Fate of Proposed Water District”

Athens Troop 343 Boy Scouts Trek Through Wilderness

Athens Boy Scout Troop 343, June 2014 trek at Philmont NM. Pictured L to R, Ian Collins, Will Perryman, Nathan Johnson, and Temple Hendrickson.

Boy Scout Troop 343 press release

An Athens crew of teenage Scouts and their leaders armed with hiking poles went on a June 2014 life changing trek through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. Philmont covers 137,000 acres of vast wilderness with trails that climb from 6,500 feet to as high as 12,441 feet. Philmont Scout Ranch is the Boy Scouts of America’s premier high adventure camp and the largest youth camp in the world, serving nearly one million participants since it was gifted to the Boy Scouts by Oklahoma oilman and philanthropist Waite Phillips in 1938.

The crew made what amounts to a Scouting pilgrimage with their trip to Philmont. During their trek, Boy Scout Troop 343 hiked 74 miles over 12 days, including 22,916 feet of vertical ascents up and over a number of mountains and ridges. The group of Scouts and their advisors carried 50-60 pound backpacks with everything they needed to survive during the trek while hiking from camp to camp. Along with their tents, sleeping bags and gear, sometimes this also included a 4-day supply of food and 2-days of water. While on the trek, the Scouts endured tough challenges including backpacking in bear and mountain lion territory, pitching a new camp every evening with a hot meal while implementing strict bear procedures, near freezing temperatures at night, drinking safe water from mountain streams, steep climbs, and driving rain with threatening lightning. Continue reading “Athens Troop 343 Boy Scouts Trek Through Wilderness”

Candlelight Vigil Friday for Harry Smith

A candlelight memorial for Harry Smith has been scheduled for 8:30 p.m. tonight, June 27, at Jake’s Skate Park in Malakoff.

Harry is the 15-year-old Malakoff teen who was hit by a train while crossing the railroad tracks yesterday. He passed away at the scene.

Organizers say the event will include candles and a balloon release.

For more information, contact Mandy Monroe Burkhalter, Tanya Estes Norris, Geneva Kay Downey, Sherri Jarrett or Lisa Moore.