Volume 63, Number 48
Azle News
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
THE
www.azlenews.net
Softball ladies advance Page 15A
Monarchs need help
Azle a top Metroplex suburb?! Page 2B
The ‘I’s’ have it:
Page 1B Full At Last! Full At Last!
Incumbents win all area elections including Azle and Reno mayors BY CARLA NOAH STUTSMAN The old adage that says “don’t fix what ain’t broke” appears to apply in local politics. Following the General Election Saturday, May 9, every incumbent in the municipal races in the cities of Azle, Pelican Bay, and Reno, as well as for the Tarrant Regional Water District board, every incumbent will retain their respective seat.
posed and retain their seats, as well.
City of Pelican Bay Incumbent Alderman in Place 4 Glen Oberg easily defeated opponent Carroll French to retain his seat. Oberg received 23 early votes and 47 votes more on Election Day for a total of 70 votes or 90.91 percent. French received 2 early votes and 5 more on May 9 or 9.09 percent. Incumbent Alderman in Place 3 Sabra Swain was unopposed and retains City of Azle Mayor Alan Brundrett defeated her seat, while newcomer Ruth Burch, challenger Laurel Mosier in Azle’s who ran unopposed for Alderman Mayoral race in what could be termed Place 5, won that seat by default. a landslide. Brundrett received 417 votes dur- City of Reno Mayor Lynda Stokes will retain ing the early voting period and 190 on Election Day for a total of 607 votes her seat after facing two challengers, Gilbert Morrow and former council or 71 percent. Mosier received 152 early votes and member David Andrews. Stokes garnered 6 absentee votes, 81 more on May 9 for a total of 233 17 early votes and 134 Election Day votes or 27 percent. Council members Bill Jones in votes for a total of 157 votes or 61.33 Place 3, Paul Crabtree in Place 4, and PLEASE SEE AZLE, PAGE 7A. Lee Barrett in Place 6 were each unop-
Recent rains, with help from a pipeline that brings water from East Texas, have brought Eagle Mountain Lake from 10.5 feet low March 1 to conservation pool level at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 12. Shady Grove Park had several visitors Tuesday morning, including a few people who fished from rocks at the shoreline that were 100 feet from water a few short weeks ago. See Page 3B for a comparsion on how quickly the lake rose in just a month. Photo by Carla Noah Stutsman
APD’s Martinez leaps into lake to save man BY CARLA NOAH STUTSMAN His first assignment as an Azle police officer put him under cover to investigate drug activity at Azle High School in 1989. On May 24, 1995, he and fellow officer Lee Blaisdell ran into a burning home and tried to rescue several disabled children. An infant and two adults survived that fire; three children and a young adult did not. On Friday, May 8 – two weeks shy of the 20th anniversary of that fire – Officer Richard Martinez found himself facing another possible life or death situation. So he jumped in the lake.
for help. I told dispatch to hurry Lake Patrol up.” Martinez said nearly any time he patrols in that area, he can see a boat. That day, there was not one, probably due to high winds. “I stood at the edge of the water watching him, and at first I felt a little helpless – I’m not that great a swimmer,” Martinez said. “I heard [Fire Marshal] Kenny Wilson tell dispatch to get the fire department en route with a rescue team. I knew Lake Patrol was too far away.” At that moment, Martinez said he thought about the fire. Then he made his decision.
A struggling swimmer Martinez had been on duty about three hours that afternoon when dispatchers asked him to go to Roesser Park at the end of Park Street to check on a swimmer that might be in trouble. Eagle Mountain Lake Patrol officers happened to be in downtown Fort Worth when the call came in and asked for assistance from Azle PD until they could arrive. “When I pulled up, I could see him, and at first he looked okay. But I decided to get closer and make sure,” Azle police officer Richard Martinez (standing, holding shirt) watches intently as Azle FD firefighters Martinez said. “I climbed through and medics tend to a fatigued swimmer Martinez had just fished out of Eagle Mountain Lake. Martinez a barbed-wire fence, and when I got rescued the struggling man who later refused treatment. Photo by Carla Noah Stutman about halfway to the shore, he yelled
Into the lake He took off his belt, vest, shoes, socks, and shirt and entered the water. As the water got deeper, Martinez admits he got a little scared – what if he wasn’t strong enough to pull the man to safety? “I thought about my family, and I just asked God to help me get this guy out,” Martinez said. “Right then, I saw this board.” A simple piece of lumber, six to eight feet long. He grabbed it – thankful that it floated – and extended it to the man. PLEASE SEE COP, PAGE 7A.
Multi-agency nocturnal water rescue a success BY CARLA NOAH STUTSMAN A Kenny Chesney anthem pays homage to the sometimes reckless days of youth, proclaiming: “Had no excuses for the things that we’d done, We were brave, we were crazy, we were mostly young.” That may be the case for six young people ages 18 to 22 who were rescued from the banks of Walnut Creek near Reno in the wee hours of Monday morning, May 11. The six young people – three men and three women – were cold, wet and had a few minor scratches but all refused medical transport after a rescue operation that involved multiple fire departments and police agencies.
people, with help from some Reno citizens. After a couple of hours with no luck, they realized they needed help. Briar-Reno VFD Chief Shannon Smithers called for the activation of the newly- formed Northwest Emergency Response Organization (NERO). NERO is made up of fire departments in Tarrant County north of Interstate 30 and west of Interstate 35, excluding the Fort Worth Fire Department. Each department has pledged its help to the others as needed in emergency rescue situations, hazardous materials, and any other situation that requires a technical response. By 11 p.m. Sunday night, the Reno After their mission was successfully completed, AFD Lt. Steve The rescue The Briar-Reno Volunteer Fire DeWhat fun? Lemming conducted a de-briefing of the operation with firefighters The six adventurers decided it partment began searching for the six PLEASE SEE SIX, PAGE 2A. who helped out. Photo by Carla Noah Stutman would be fun to take advantage of the raging waters of Walnut Creek to go “tubing.” They put in Sunday evening around 7:30 p.m. at what is commonly called the “old swinging bridge” – even though the swinging bridge was replaced decades ago with a modern one – on Jay Bird Lane (FM 2257). Arrangements had been made with friends to pick them up at their destination: the Reno Road Bridge over Walnut Creek near Walnut Creek Baptist Church. Some two hours later, the would-be whitewater rafters had not made it to that meeting place, and friends and family became worried.
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25 Years Ago The city collected $1,962 from the two-percent tax on local bingo games for the first quarter of 1990.
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