January_9_2014_The_Springtown_Epigraph

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Thursday, January 9, 2014

The

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Ladies even up district ledger in River Oaks

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New Year, new laws

Volume 50, Number 38

2013 Year in review

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Springtown, Texas 76082

2014 to be busy for Springtown BY NATALIE GENTRY The City of Springtown has a busy year ahead as several projects will get underway. Since the city’s fi scal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, these projects are slated for the next nine months.

the effl uent leaving the plant meeting or exceeding the requirements mandated by the state.” In addition, the city will complete changes to the water treatment plant operations which will cut water loss by approximately 21 percent.

Splashpad Construction of the Springtown Splashpad will begin in mid-March near the playground off Walnut Creek Drive. “The grand opening is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend,” said Mark Krey, city administrator.

Widening of Walnut Creek The city will continue working to widen Walnut Creek near the intersection of State Highway 199 and FM 51. With the 30 percent complete plans due at the end of February, the city hopes to begin this project by late spring or early summer.

Optimist Park Water treatment The city took ownership of Optimist “The improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment plant will be Park in late 2013 with the plan to upcompleted in late May or early June grade the playground. Once the widening of the creek is with the plant going operational at that time,” Krey said. “This will result in PLEASE SEE BUSY, PAGE 2A. The city, now owners of Optimist Park, plan on replacing this old-time playground equipment with newer options like those found in Springtown Park. Photo by Natalie Gentry

Reconnecting at the Army/Navy game

Rumble grumbles Railroad Commission hosts raucous meeting then…earthquakes stop?

Springtown High School graduates Montana Marsh (left) and Matthew Rowe had a chance to reconnect at the annual Army/Navy football game last Dec. 14 where the Navy Midshipmen beat the Army’s Black Knights 34-7. Both men are currently attending Service Academies: Marsh is a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy and Rowe is a cadet at West Point. Photo courtesy of the Marsh family

BY CARLA NOAH STUTSMAN Local residents gave a political panel earfuls when an earthquake Town Hall was conducted by the Texas Railroad Commission Jan. 2 at Azle High School. Jim Lasater was the fi rst citizen to speak at the jam-packed meeting hosted by Railroad Commissioner David Porter. He told Porter and the assembled panel on stage how a spate of earthquakes has affected their lives that he’d “just as soon the earthquakes somehow stop, if that’s possible.” Strangely, it’s almost as if the Commission has granted Lasater’s wish. So far, 25-plus earthquakes have occurred in the Azle/Reno/Springtown area since Nov. 5, 2013, with the latest two – both registering magnitudes of

Just the facts, ma’am 3.3 – occurring Dec. 22 and 23. But the folks were not happy when As of press time Wednesday, Jan. 8, they learned there would be no “Q & there have been none since. A” at the meeting beOf course, no one cause members of the knows when or if the panel strictly wanted to tremors will resume, hear the experiences of so the AHS auditoriarea residents and how um was full in anticithe earthquakes have pation of what Porter affected them. had to say. The panel consisted Which wasn’t of Porter, Milton Rismuch. ter, executive director To his credit, Porof the Texas Railroad ter had earlier anCommission; Gil Bunounced he was Voice of the crowd jano, director of the hosting the Town Commission’s oil and Hall meeting for the purpose of listening to residents’ con- gas division; State Representative cerns and outlining what he plans to Charlie Geren; and Parker County Judge Mark Riley. do as Texas Railroad Commissioner.

You’ll get this done quicker if you just pretend you live right here.”

PLEASE SEE RAILROAD, PAGE 3A.

Year in Review, Part 2 BY MARK K. CAMPBELL Things did not slow down in Spring- August Elusive fugitive Jeremy Paul Schtown as the second part of 2013 came laepfer, of Springtown, was fi nally and went. captured in Azle by Parker County Sheriff’s deputies. July Firefi ghters with Emergency Ser- Area residents got to sound off as vice District No. 1 responded to 25 to more than 100 showed up to voice 30 calls over the Independence Day concerns about the funky smell caused by trucked-in biosolids. The Texas weekend. The city council offi cially named Commission on Environmental Qualthe disc golf course The Walnut Creek ity heard from some Wise County resDisc Golf Course at Springtown Park. idents who came down to the SpringA woman was killed and a six-year- town Senior Center for the gathering. Thirty-two new hires began careers old child seriously injured in a July 11 with the Springtown ISD. wreck on Highway 199 east of MidThe Lady Porcupine volleyball team way Road. began the season state-ranked in 3A. The burn ban was lifted thanks to a The SISD school budget of freakishly cool month $32,507,151 was apthat included a July 15 proved; every teacher that recorded the lowgot a pay raise. est high temperature DPS offi cers shot ever for that date, 74 out the tires of fl eeing degrees. The old reSpringtown resident The 2013 Homecoming royalty were Kolym Waldrop and Erin Cameron. cord of 79 was 113 Chad E. Ervin to stop SHS students a notifi cation about per- called a success by organizers. a huge rainstorm the day before. years old. him after he had driven through much tussis, aka whooping cough, because a Springtown gained some notoriety Local author Juliet George assemThe Springtown High School 7-on- of Wise County. nationally when a local man, Brice Albled a photo book, Camp Bowie Boucase was reported. 7 football team advanced to the Sweet The varsity football season opened exaxon Johnson, was charged with a A program that teamed up Brook- levard. Sixteen at the state competition in Le- with a loss at Argyle Liberty ChrisThe Porcupines won their football hate crime in the assault of a gay man, shire’s Grocery and Gatorade resulted ander. tian, 44-41. home opener 53-0 over Fort Worth Arron Keahty, also from Springtown. in local fi re departments receiving Springtown resident Brandi Marie An anonymous person built a bus Johnson was indicted in December. Trimble Tech. around 2,000 units of the replacement White aided a fl eeing wanted man and stop for children awaiting SISD transHayden Moss, who hails from Improvements to the Square and beverage. was arrested on multiple counts. portation. A second “drive thru clinic” – “Say Tabernacle were completed in time for Springtown, joined the cast of the latWWII veteran M.L. Dunlap took his Shoo to the fl u” – at the SISD bus barn the annual Wild West Festival which est Survivor TV show; he already had fi rst-ever airplane trip to fl y to Wash- September ington, D.C. to visit war memorials. As a precaution, SISD sent out to all offering mass immunizations was went off without any problems despite PLEASE SEE 2013, PAGE 6A.

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