Volume 64, Number 16
Azle News
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
THE
www.azlenews.net
Homecoming Court Page 3A
Azle ‘Takes the Lake’ Page 8A
Look to the skies! Page 1B
Blaze consumes EML vacant home Underground tire fire at site not to blame BY CARLA NOAH STUTSMAN Neighbors in the area have reported A raging fire consumed a vacant an odor similar to that of burning elechome on Samora Court Wednesday, trical wires for several months. The Sept. 23, and the resulting column of odor comes and goes, literally with the black smoke could be seen for miles direction of the wind, they said. around Eagle MounIronically, Tarrant tain Lake. County Deputy Fire The home – which Marshal Keith Ebel sits on a cliff high doesn’t believe the above the lake – has smoldering tire fire is stood vacant for sevwhat caused Wedneseral years and was reday’s blaze. cently purchased by a “The new owner of new owner. the property installed That individual had a sprinkler system plans to raze the house to try to suppress the Keith Ebel and dig up a large Tarrant Co. Dep. Fire Marshal underground fire, but cache of chopped-up someone stole the tires and fencing macopper wiring out of terials that neighbors it,” Ebel said. “At this believe were buried on the property in point, we think a grass fire ignited the the 1960s in an effort to prevent ero- house.” sion. Fire crews from Azle, Lake Worth, But the tires somehow caught fire Eagle Mountain, Briar-Reno, LaJunin June, and the Azle Fire Department ta, Silver Creek, and Parker County has responded to investigate smoke Emergency Services District 1 refrom the smoldering tires several sponded to fight the fire, an effort that times prior to the fire that destroyed lasted into the darkness. the home. Ebel said shuttling water by tanker “I know they’ve (AFD) been out truck up the narrow, winding roadway there at least three times,” said Azle was the biggest challenge in fighting Fire Marshal Kenny Wilson. “They’ve the fire. Firefighters from at least seven area departments worked to put out a blaze at a vacant home on applied water and foam in efforts to Samora Court. Photo by courtesy Dexter Waldrep suppress the burning tires.” PLEASE SEE FIRE, PAGE 2A.
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At this point, we think a grass fire ignited the house.
Hornet Field defaced before ‘Take the Lake’ game BY CARLA NOAH STUTSMAN and their athletic director has called An act of vandalism at Hornet Field Scott [Anderson], and they’ve offered early on the morning of the annual to send a crew over to clean up. They Battle for Eagle Mountain Lake will are apologetic, and they’re also invesresult in a donation to Azle’s Commu- tigating the incident from their side,” Smith said. nity Caring Center. He added the student council from The longtime, “friendly” rivalry between Azle High School and Boswell High School took an unfriendly turn Friday morning, Sept. 25, when AHS officials discovered blue spray Todd Smith paint on its year-old AISD Director of Operations turf field. According to AISD Director of Operations Todd Smith, the white areas of Azle has reached out to Boswell the Buzzy emblem at center field were High’s student council. Field maintenance personnel, AISD spray painted blue. The word “Boswell” was painted in maintenance crews, and Sheriff Power blue along the home field sideline, and Wash were working to scrub the mess inappropriate words were sprayed in from the field by 7:30 a.m. using power washers and lots of soap and water. blue along the visitor’s sideline. By 1 p.m., they were brushing and “I will say the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD superintendent has called “fluffing up” the turf in preparation Dr. Lea; its director of operations has for the game that very night, Smith called me; the Boswell High School said. “There may be a bluish cast left principal has called Sam [Robinson]; in some places, but for the most part,
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We still don’t know who did it...
we’ve gotten it cleaned up.” The incident was covered by local television stations. The Azle Police Department was notified and is also investigating; surveillance video from both Azle High School and Walnut Creek Elementary didn’t turn up any useful information, Smith said. Addressing rumors – some claiming an Azle freshman was the perpetrator, and others saying the Boswell senior class will be required to pay for damages – Smith said to his knowledge, those statements are not founded. “If any of that is true, I’ve not been notified of it, and we have not received any money” from Boswell, he said. “We still don’t know who did it – if it turns out it was an Azle student, we’ll have to deal with that.” A representative from Paragon Sports, who installed the turf at Hornet Field, was expected at the field Wednesday, Sept. 30, to bring a supply of rubber pellets to replenish the areas that had to be power washed and analyze the field for any additional re-
AISD maintenance employees work to scrub blue spray paint from
PLEASE SEE FIELD, PAGE 3A. the Buzzy emblem on Hornet Field.
Photo by courtesy Destiny Van Horn
So long to Sunday dine-in meals at Vance Godbey’s Landmark smorgasbord will continue catering BY CARLA NOAH STUTSMAN Vance Godbey’s, the Jacksboro Highway eatery famous for its gigantic buffet featuring salads, steaming hot vegetables, barbecue, filet mignon, and dessert offerings, will discontinue its Sunday-only dine-in experience on Oct. 11. At times teary-eyed, Carol Godbey – who purchased the restaurant and Carol Godbey will discontinue Sunday dine-in Oct. 11 at Vance catering business from the legendGodbey’s. The gift to herself for her 60th birthday will allow her to ary restaurateur she called “her best focus more on the catering business and offer expanded menu op- friend” in addition to “Dad” in 1993 tions to her customers. Photo by Carla Noah Stutsman – spoke of the difficult decision she
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recently made. “I’ve put a lot of thought into it, and it’s not a decision that was made lightly,” Godbey said. “I can’t begin to tell you how much our faithful Sunday customers mean to us, and we will miss them. “But I’m turning 60 this week, and I’ve decided to give myself this gift – it will free up some time and allow me to focus more on catering and offer expanded menu options for our customers.” Hearing-impaired since birth, God-
bey was still riding the high of greatly-improved hearing after receiving Cochlear Baha implants in both ears in 2013 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in the fall of 2014. Her 59th birthday was spent scheduling doctor appointments, tests and surgery. Now happy to say she’s a breast cancer survivor who can also hear the birds sing – something she couldn’t do until her late 50s – Godbey wants to PLEASE SEE GODBEY’S, PAGE 2A.
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10 Years Ago In October 2005, Azle police were on the hunt for someone who was shooting out auto windows with a pellet gun. Over 30 were shattered in a two-day span.
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