FRIDAY JULY 27, 2018 THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN VOL. 10, ISSUE 10 STAMFORD AMERICAN VOLUME 97, ISSUE 16 STAMFORD LEADER VOLUME 113, ISSUE 17
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How Did We Get Here? BY CALLIE METLER
The chairs are being installed! The Grand Theater made progress towards their projected October/ November opening with the installation of chairs. Over 300 chairs will be installed in the theater in the next week.
On July 9th at 5:00 pm, Stamford Hospital discontinued all inpatient and Emergency Room services. This has left a lot of people in Stamford community concerned about the future of Stamford and wondering how the hospital got to the point that it had to close. There isn’t a clear answer for this, but the short answer is that the health care model has changed across the country, and while the hospital adapted and changed with
it, many of the programs that had been in place to keep it running are no longer available. Here is a timeline of events over the last eight years that impacted the hospital. In October of 2010 the hospital was recognized as the Local Employer of Excellence Award for their CREATE Leadership Training (Courtesy, Respect, Engage, Attitude, Think, and Enjoy) program. Their purpose at that point was to provide the best possible experience for their patients, gain market
share, improve staff morale and retain employees, hospital administrators used a Workforce Investment Fund grant to provide the CREATE Leadership Training to all hospital staff and staff of Stamford Assisted Living Incorporated over a ten month period. Through this training program, 238 jobs were preserved or retained, directly affecting 112 individuals with measurable skill increases and ten new jobs were created. SEE HOSPITAL, PG 8
Museum Board President Meets with City Council During Special Meeting BY WILL MCCLURE The Stamford City Council held a special called session last Monday evening, July 23rd, to mainly review and discuss a proposed draft of the city budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Mayor James Decker called the meeting to order at 5:15 pm with all members except Councilmember Dennis Braden present and asked Councilmember Paul Wright to lead the invocation. After Wright also led the room in the Pledge of Allegiance, the meeting officially opened with citizen’s comments. With there being none, the meeting moved forward with the
second reading of Ordinance 908 concerning structural standards for the city. City Manager Alan Plumlee stated that there were no additions from the first reading which introduced the revision that would shift power to condemn a property from a special zoning board to the City Council itself where the city’s elected officials will have final say. With no additional discussion needed, the council voted to approve the second reading of the ordinance as presented. SEE COUNCIL, PG 7
Cowboy Country Museum Board President Robert Smith discussed the museum’s proposed budget with the Stamford City Council during its special session last Monday evening.
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THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN
THIS WEEK’S WEATHER FORECAST Callie Metler-Smith | Publisher callie@americannewspapers.net Will McClure | Editor editor@americannewspapers.net Callie Metler-Smith | Ad Manager ads@americannewspapers.net Gayle Lovvorn | Office Manager office@americannewspapers.net P.O. Box 870 102 S. Swenson Stamford TX 79553 325-773-5550 FAX: 325-773-5551 office@americannewspapers.net SUBSCRIPTION RATES Within Haskell, Jones, and Stonewall Counties: $30 Within Texas: $32 Within the United States: $35 DEADLINE The deadline to submit news and advertising is 5 p.m. on Fridays. Exceptions may be granted only by permission from the publisher. SUBMISSIONS POLICY The New Stamford American reserves the right to reject unsolicited submissions for any reason. Articles and news items submitted are subject to editing by staff. NOTICE Any erroneous reflection upon the character, reputation or standing of any individual, firm or corporation will be gladly corrected upon being brought to the attention of the publisher. The New Stamford American (USPS 025-332) is published weekly at 102 South Swenson, Stamford, Jones County, Texas by Clear Fork Media Group LLC. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stamford, Texas 79553. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The New Stamford American, P O BOX 870, Stamford, Texas 79553
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OBITUARIES
Gerald Wayne Clark
George Boring
Gerald Wayne Clark, 84, of Stamford, passed away July 17, 2018 in Abilene, Texas. A memorial service was held Thursday, July 19, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. at St. John’s United Methodist Church with Pastor John Erwin officiating. Private family inurnment was held at the Texas State Veteran’s Cemetery in Abilene. Gerald was born on March 6, 1934 in Stamford, Texas, the son of the late Ernest E. and Florene (Holden) Clark. He grew up in Stamford and graduated from Stamford High School in 1952. He then attended Texas Tech University, graduating in 1956 with a BBA Degree. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Gerald was a lieutenant in the United States Navy, serving on the aircraft carrier, USS Bennington. He was a licensed real estate agent and an artist who crafted boxes that displayed beautiful butterflies in flight. Gerald loved music, especially the Big Band orchestras. He was a kind and caring person and was loved by his family and many friends. Gerald married Celinda Coon and to this union were born two children, Patrick Lee and Celinda. On August 7, 1998, he married his high school sweetheart, Betty Upshaw. They lived in Stamford and are members of St. John’s United Methodist Church. Gerald was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Patrick Lee; and a brother Roy Clark. Loving family surviving Gerald are his wife Betty Clark; his daughter, Celinda; a granddaughter, Cara Husbands and husband Jesse; his great granddaughter, Emma; three nephews, Michael Clark, Mark Clark, and Kevin Clark and wife Velinda. Online guest entries may be given at www.kinneyunderwoodfuneralhome.com
George Boring, 83, of Wichita Falls, formerly of Stamford, passed away Friday, July 20, 2018 in Wichita Falls, Texas. Graveside services were held 10:00 a.m. Monday, July 23, 2018 at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Anson with Rev. Jimmy Tarvin officiating. Family and friends gathered for visitation at Kinney-Underwood Funeral Home at 9:00 a.m. Monday morning, July 23, 2018. George was born March 9, 1935 in Weinert, Texas, the son of the late George Lester and Lillie Lou (Adams) Boring. After graduating from Anson High School, George went to work as an oilfield salesman for 63 years. He married Jo Ann Boone in 1953 and he later married Ruby Joyce Brown. George lived in Stamford in the early 1980’s before moving to New Mexico. He was a member of the Loving Baptist Church in Loving, New Mexico. George enjoyed fishing in Colorado, square dancing, and playing the slot machines at the casinos and giving those winnings to his church. Preceding George in death were his parents; and wife Jo Ann. Loving family surviving George are three daughters, Shanna Zelner and husband Randy from Seminole, Cindy Land of Wichita Falls, Deanna Morales and husband Cesar of Abilene; one son, Ray Boring and wife Jackie of Lone Grove, Oklahoma; eleven grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; one brother, Kenneth Boring of Odessa; several nieces and nephews; and one special four-legged sidekick, Oscar. Serving as pallbearers were Randy Zelner, Justin Snow, Cesar Morales, Auggie Alvarado, Justin Pyeatt, Steve Clark and Sam Robertson. If desired, memorials may be sent to Beyond Faith Hospice, LLC, 1702 Kell Blvd, Wichita Falls, Texas, 76301. Online guest entries may be given at www.kinneyunderwoodfuneralhome.com
DEATH NOTICE Billie Michelle “Sissy” Stewart, 44, of Stamford, passed away Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at her home. At Sissy’s request, no services are planned. You are invited to share condolences at www.kinneyunderwoodfuneralhome.com
Oliver New Student Registration Oliver Elementary will have new student registration Thursday, Aug. 2nd 9:00 to 3:00 pm. This is for new students in the district. If you finished the year at Oliver last year or registered in April, you do not have to re-register. If you have any questions, please call the Oliver office 325773-5713
Community
THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN
JULY 27, 2018
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JONES COUNTY SHERIFF’S REPORT
Bethel Lutheran Church hosted Polar Blast VBS July 9-10, 2018. Over fifty children attended and learned how Jesus will always love you based on the key verse, Psalm 13:5, “I trust in your unfailing love.” An offering was given by the children and members at the closing picnic to support the local summer lunch ministry that is being led by Trinity Church and House of God.
MARK THE DATE... FUNDRAISER: Denise Dennis is still collecting aluminum cans for recycling to raise money to donate to West Texas Rehab Center. You can drop them off at her house on the corner of Reynolds & Vassar. You can also drop off cans or monetary donations for her here at the Stamford American or mail checks made out to Stamford American, P O BOX 870, Stamford, TX and note on the check it is for Denise Dennis. RENT: The TCR Old Timer’s Association rents the Bunkhouse and Roundup buildings. The new manager is Ann Heathington, and she can be reached at 325-773-8057. Please leave a message and she will return your call. The price for the Bunkhouse is $50 deposit and $250 for a one day rental. The price for the Roundup is $150 deposit and $325 for a one day rental.
SERVICE: Is your teenager bored this summer? Consider community service. If interested, please call Jewellee Kuenstler at the Cowboy Country Museum at 325/773-2500.
JULY 31
JONES COUNTY FAIR MEETING: Tuesday, 10:00 am; Anson Senior Activities Center, West side of the Courthouse Square.
AUG 2ND
REGISTRATION: Oliver Elementary will have new student registration Thurs Aug. 2nd 9:00 to 3:00 pm. This is for new students in the district. If you finished the year at Oliver last year or registered in April, you do not have to re-register. If you have any questions, please call the Oliver office 325-7735713. REGISTRATION: Paint Creek ISD
will hold registration for all students for the 2018-2019 school year on Thursday, August 2. Please come by the school office between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to complete needed paperwork. Parents need to bring their driver’s license. To attend Kindergarten, a child must be 5 years old on or before Sept 1, 2018. To attend Pre-K, a child must be 4 on or before Sept 1, 2018. For all new incoming students, parents need to bring their child’s immunization record, birth certificate, and social security card to registration. The first day of school will be August 16. If you have any questions, please call the school at 940-864-2868.
AUG 7
DANCE: Senior Citizen’s Dance Tuesday, August 7, from 7-10 p.m. Live band at 300 S Commercial, Hamlin. $5 per person. Pot Luck Snacks. No smoking. For more informa-
tion, contact 370-9514.
AUG 14
MEET THE TEACHER: Oliver Meet the Teacher will be Tuesday, Aug. 14th-5:30-6:30. You may bring your child’s school supplies and meet their teacher.
SEPT 21-22
BBQ COOK-OFF: Jones County Fair First Annual BBQ CookOff Sept. 21-22 located at the Jones County Fairgrounds, 802 23rd St, Anson, Texas. No hookups, self contained. **LSBS Sanctioned. Entries: Brisket, Pork Spareribs, Chicken-$100. Jackpot Beans & Open Chef’s Choice-$15 (Winner takes all). For more information, contact the Jones County Extension Office at 325-823-2432 or email: jones@ ag.tamu.edu
The Jones County Sheriff’s Office from July 15th to July 21st responded to 85 Calls for service. There were 9 Traffic Stops conducted. The following people were booked into the Jones County Jail during this period: Adreanna Flores, Warrant; Juan Merced Garcia, Warrants x2; James Robert Farmer, Warrants x6; Samuel Reyes, Warrant; Cassandra Villanueva Smith, Warrant; Randall Lee Wilson, Hold for Haskell County; Jessie Nestor Ramos, Resist Arrest, Search or Transport; Warrant; Joshua Raney, Bench Warrant; Jamaul Ramone Scarbrough, Possession of Marijuana < 2oz; Tamper Fabricate Physical Evidence w/Intent to Impair; Warrant; Mandy Reed, Warrant; Thomas Charles Barr Jr, Warrant; Anthony Bruce Charles, Hold for Haskell; Laura Marie Watson, Warrant; David Acosta, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; Manufacture/Delivery of Controlled Substance; Juliaann Maldanado, Hold for Lampasas; Tyler Douglas Clark, Prohibited Substance in Correctional Facility; Pedro Solis, Surety Withdrawal; JL Beasley, Fail to Maintain Financial Responsibility; Cecilia Aguilar, Issuance of Bad Check; Brittany Chavez, Possession of Marijuana < 2oz; James Michael Peters, Hold for Parole Summary of calls responded to: Abandoned Vehicle – 2, Agency Assist – 7, Alarm – 3, Animal Cruelty – 1, Assault – 1, Burglary – 1, Child Custody – 1, Civil Matter – 1, Civil Process – 3, Criminal Trespass – 1, Domestic Disturbance – 3, Fight – 1, Fire – 3, Investigations – 7, Livestock – 8, Missing Person – 1, Motor Vehicle Accident – 2, Public Service – 10, Reckless Driver – 6, Suspicious Activity – 9, Suicidal Subject – 1, Transport – 6, Warrant Service – 2, Welfare Check – 3, 911 Hang-up – 2 Calls Responded to: 07/15/2018 Deputy Zertuche responded to a burglary call. Calling party stated their door was standing wide open and items were missing. Deputy Zertuche checked the area for any possible evidence and a report was taken. 07/16/2018 Sergeant Alfaro responded to a domestic disturbance call. Calling party stated a male had harmed her. Sergeant Alfaro spoke to both parties involved and determined the disturbance was not physical. No report. 07/20/2018 Deputy Soliz responded to a residential alarm call. Calling party stated a glass sensor was activated. Deputy Soliz checked the area but was unable to locate any signs of forced entry. 07/21/2018 Deputy Lively responded to a suicidal subject call. Calling party stated that a male was in distress and threatening to harm himself. Deputy Lively located the individual and contacted MHMR. Male was transported to a facility for assistance. ESTRAYS: The Jones County Sheriff’s Office will post Estray notices on the Jones County Website. Please check the website for any Estrays and notify the Sheriff’s Office at 325-823-3201 if you have any information on an Estray.
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SMS Registration Dates
Parents are required to participate in the completion of registration forms. August 8th, 2018 (Wednesday) New Student Registration - Middle School Office from 8:30am - 3:30pm. August 9th, 2018 (Thursday) Returning Students - Middle School Office 7th Grade - 8:30am - 11:30am 8th Grade - 1:00pm - 3:30pm August 16th, 2018 (Thursday) Bulldog Camp for all incoming 6th Graders 9:30am - 1:00pm, in the MS/HS Cafeteria
SHS Registration Dates Parents are required to participate in the completion of registration forms August 8, 2018 (Wednesday) New Students-High School Office 8:30 am- 3:30 pm August 9, 2018 (Thursday) Returning Students – HS Cafeteria 10th & 11th Grade: 11:00 am -12:30 pm 12th Grade & Remaining students: 4:30 pm-6:00pm August 13, 2018 (Monday) Fish Camp- HS Cafeteria 9th Grade at 5:30 pm
Come see the new exhibits at the museum!
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THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN
HELLO FROM COWBOY COUNTRY By Jewellee Kuenstler It’s Hot! Not just, it’s-summer-hot, but it is a your-brainwill-fry-if-you-stay-outsideafter-1pm HOT! I thank God every day that I work in a place with great air conditioning. (It is really the little things that make me happy.) If you are also trying to find a place to cool off on these hot afternoons, you should stop by the Museum and peruse our Research Room. This room houses a wealth of knowledge about Stamford’s past. Just last Friday, I spent an hour in there with three young men that really got a kick out of some of the items we have available in there. Amongst the items is a binder filled with essays from a Stamford High School English class. The theme of these essays was the early days of Stamford. The really interesting thing is that they were written between the years of 1921-1927, and the sources that they cite, were the actual founders and developers of the City of Stamford. I mean, how cool is that! Today, I would like to share one of these essays with you. The title is, “The Biography of Mr. P.P. Berthelot,” written by Paul Duncan in 1927. As you read, remember that this was a senior in high school, not a Ph. D. thesis. I have also condensed parts of the story and added vital information in order to tell the full story. But the information is fascinating. So, get comfy, and transport yourself back to the turn of the 20th century, when Stamford was just a wagon trail. “Mr. [Pierre Paul] Berthelot was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1869 [other sources report the date as 1870]. When he was a young boy, he spent his time skating and playing in the snow. When he was eleven years old, his father sent him to a boarding school. At the age of thirteen he was forced to drop out of school on account of his bad health. The next year he was permitted to re-enter as his health was somewhat improved. Just after he started back to school, he was handicapped by the death of his father, but was allowed to finish the term. As soon
as he had finished this term, he had to begin work. He accepted a position as a salesman for a wholesale dry goods company. He had much success with this company, but he had a desire to come to the P.P. Berthelot United States. When he began his business career, he was only fifteen years of age. He worked for this company for three years; then he came to the United States. He settled in New York, just fifty miles from where he had been reared. [He worked many different jobs in his early years, from working for a lumber company, to an auditor for a railroad, to a surveyor for a railroad, to opening his own business. However, his business ultimately failed due to lack of capital. Berthelot’s sister, Amelia, married E.P. Swenson on October 14, 1895. E.P. was the son of Svante Magnus Swenson.] It was then that he started to work for the firm of S.M. Swenson. [After working for the firm for a time] the Swenson brothers had found out that he was a good and dependable man and they decided to send him to Texas [as the manager of the Stamford Townsite Company]. He left for Texas at once. He arrived in Texas, October 18, 1899. He came to the spot that is known as Stamford. The Katy Railway Company was laying a track toward Stamford. The grading had all been done, but the track had only been laid to Bud Mathis Switch, which is thirty-five miles from Stamford. When he came to Stamford, there were no hotels or even a barn to sleep in, so he had to go to Eliser’s Ranch each night. [This is present day Ericksdahl.] This was a distance of twenty miles, and some days it took him two or three hours to make the trip. The old Hiway (sic) that runs from Haskell
to Abilene ran through [what is now Stamford]. Mr. Berthelot decided that a school house would help the growth of the town; he had just a small building in his mind; it would do for the start. A one room hut was built in the western part of town, but only a few pupils attended. The teacher of the school was Mr. Hicks and he had the school moved in closer to the city limits. The lots for the buildings were now being surveyed and laid off, and the streets had been laid off. As this was finished the buildings needed to house the business were begun in 1900. Mr. Berthelot then built him a small office so he might avoid the trip to the ranch each day, as he was having more work to do. The lumber he used to build his office had to be hauled from Lueders, a distance of twenty miles by the old wagon road. After he had completed his office, he shared it with a few of the railroad officials that were working near Stamford on the new railroad. The railroad was laid to Stamford one Sunday afternoon, and there was much rejoicing by the people as it as the first train most of the people had seen. The people then came together and elected Mr. Leavitt for their Postmaster. The selling of the lots was the next big question. The first one was sold to Mr. J.S. Morrow in 1900. [In 1901, Berthelot was elected as Stamford’s first mayor.] The Stamford Inn was completed and opened in 1901 and Mr. Berthelot and his mother moved into it. He then built him a home across the street from the Stamford Inn and lived there until 1904 when he sold his home to S.M. Swenson for Mr. [Frank] S. Hastings. He then moved back to the Stamford Inn and lived there with his mother until he
fell in love with Mrs. Lou Ella [Hall] Berry and was married to her in 1905. Then in 1906 he built a new home for his wife on Davenport Street. He was praised by the Swenson firm and by the people for the wonderful work that he was doing for the development of Stamford. In 1910 he went to New York to see [the Swenson Brothers] to get some new and better ideas for the development of Stamford… One thing he did was to help sell bonds to pave the streets [which was successful]. In 1924, Mr. Berthelot was in bad health and had to give up his work with the Swenson firm; this one thing hurt him very much. He had resigned his position after twenty-six years of faithful service… Since his health has been bad, [and his eyesight was failing] he spent his time weaving baskets…Mr. Berthelot will always be remembered as a great man, and the one that built the City of Stamford. His active work has ceased, but the influence and examples of a man of this type will live on forever.” The bibliography listed the source that Paul Duncan used to write this essay as a personal conversation with Mr. P.P. Berthelot himself! Wow! It is interesting to note that the original essay did not state that Mr. Berthelot was the city’s first mayor, nor that his sister’s marriage might have influenced his relationship with the Swenson firm. To me, this sounds like a humble man who really wanted to tell the story of early Stamford, without tooting his own horn. Remember, if you are tired of hearing your teenager complain that they are bored, please call me about setting up volunteer time at the Museum. We prefer students going into 8th grade and older. We offer community service hours forms. As always, we love for you to stop by, either to volunteer, or just to visit. If you have visitors from out of town, bring them by! Our email is cowboycountrymuseum@ yahoo.com or you can call us at 325/773-2500.
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THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN
Well, we won’t talk about the weather this week, since it doesn’t look like it’s going to change from hot, hot, hot, to hot, hot, hot. Just pray for rain. Don’t forget our monthly musical will be on Saturday, July 28 at the Old Glory Community Center. The concession stand will open at 5:30 P M and the program will began at 6 P M. Come join us for some good food at the concession stand, a great program and a cool place to have fellowship Look forward to seeing you there. On Monday I had a big birthday and it was a big one in more ways than one. I just wanted to give a big “Thank You” to everyone that sent me a beautiful card, the phone calls, the nice gifts, and the many ways I was greeted with birthday wishes. I truly appreciated everything and it really made my day a great one. God bless you all. Phyllis Letz was in Abilene on Thursday and visited with Sue Callicoatte. They spent some time shopping and enjoying a good visit. Later in the afternoon Phyllis and Danny attended the birthday party at Red Lobster honoring their grandson, Rylan Letz, on his 19th birthday. Others enjoying the party were his parents, Casey and Emery, granny Suzie McLellan, Mike Lefevre, and several of Rylan’s friends. The Hobby Club met at the Sagerton Community Center on Thursday afternoon for their monthly meeting. Attending were
cheese cake Tomzie and drinks Steele, Cheryl when the Hertel, Joyce ladies took a Lefevre, break. It was Nancy Grifa fun afterfin, Joann noon. DoroDoss, Vickie thy won the Wilhite, Peggy door prize. Tabor, VanRodney essa Griffith, OLD GLORY NEWS and Tracy Anita Dozier,, By Anita Dozier Dunham Skylar Steele, of Hamlin Dorothy visited with his parents, Toney and Paula Stegemoeller. Guests were Kaylee Pide and Mittie Dunham on Saturday. Pide’s cousin, and Addison Wilhite and Ruth Rushin, of Plainview Cindy Landreth. The group came to visit with Pide and welcomed a new member, Mittie on Sunday. Mittie Dunham of Old Danny Letz and his band Glory. Tomzie called the played at the VFW in Sweetmeeting to order and Cherwater on Saturday evening. yl read the minutes and The descendants of the Joyce gave the treasurer’s late August and Augusta report. The ladies talked Teichelman held their famabout their Bazaar coming ily reunion at the Old Glory up in November, about the Community Center on Satprogress on the quilt, getting Vendors for the Bazaar, urday with approximately 65 in attendance. Following and about a night out for a delicious meal the group the husbands in August. A held their meeting with date was set for August 28, Marvin Vahlenkamp the unless it has to be changed. emcee. Diane Smith read It was noted that a scholthe minutes. It was decided arship was given to Macy to give a donation to the Dancer who graduated this Old Glory Cemetery and to past May. the Sagerton Cemetery. AniFollowing the meeting ta Dozier was the oldest at Tomzie and Cheryl showed 92, and Brylan Teichelman the ladies some material of Amarillo was the youngand showed them how to est at 4. Brittany Lammert make a beautiful rock bouof San Antonio drove the quet in a flower pot. All the longest distance,, Jim and ladies got a pot, rocks and paint and painted the rocks. Judy Hale of Snyder were married the longest at 58 After painting the rocks years and Leo and Stormy and decorating them, they Sellers of Ira were married placed them in the flower the least number of years. pot and it was a beautiful Gary Mohel of Taylor won cactus pot plant. Each lady the Tractor Supply gift cerenjoyed the afternoon and tificate and Dax Teichelman having a cactus pot plant. of Anson won the Walmart Tomzie, Skylar and Joann gift certificate. It was decidfurnished sandwiches,
PC ISD Registration Paint Creek ISD will hold registration for all students for the 2018-2019 school year on Thursday, August 2. Please come by the school office between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to complete needed paperwork. Parents need to bring their driver’s license. To attend Kindergarten, a child must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2018. To attend Pre-K, a child must
be 4 on or before September 1, 2018. For all new incoming students, parents need to bring their child’s immunization record, birth certificate, and social security card to registration. The first day of school will be August 16. If you have any questions, please call the school at 940864-2868.
ed to continue the reunion next year and the family of Corene Lowack will be the host for the day. Following the meeting the group enjoyed an exciting auction. Marvin was auctioneer assisted by Doug Vahlenkamp and Mike Baldree. When all items were sold several enjoyed playing Bingo conducted by Doug Vahlankamp, Pam Massey and Keith Corzine. The Minnie (Teichelman) Vahlenkamp family was in charge of this year’s reunion. It was a fun filled day. Bernice Rhoads and friends, Joyce Turner and Roy and Fran Martindale of Rule were in Weatherford last weekend to attend the Festival. Thought for the week: “Inflation hasn’t ruined everything, a dime can still be used as a screwdriver”. Happy Birthday wishes go to Geraldine Grice, Jacob Manske, Sue Cervik, Joseph Vahlenkamp, George Abernathy, Melissa Worthington, Parker Smith, Rita Trammel, Sully Mae Dickson, Kay Hight, Tommy Robertson, Clota Jouett, Anna Elizabbeth Starks, Billie Ann McMorris, Mavalyn Goza, Lee Ann Hagen, Phyllis Thane, Kailyn Speed, Leslie Kainer, Lawton Kainer, Jan Y. Davis, Tracy Dunham and Elaine Glover. We wish you many more. Anniversary greetings go to Zachary and Rinnell Yoder,Brian and Nikki Gray, Marty and Megan Vahlenkamp, and Carl and Betty Thompson. Have a great day.
Oliver New Student Registration Oliver Elementary will have new student registration Thursday, Aug. 2nd 9:00 to 3:00 pm. This is for new students in the district. If you finished the year at Oliver last year or registered in April, you do not have to reregister. If you have any questions, please call the Oliver office 325-773-5713
JULY 27, 2018
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A Community of Gifts As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. –1 Peter 4:10-11 As a Christian, I’ve found that spiritual gifts are a topic we need to discuss more, and discuss more often. A simple definition is that spiritual gifts are the specific abilities and gifts given to individual persons to use for the good of others and the world around them. If you’ve never thought too much about it, it’s very simple: different people have differing abilities and each should use their own ability accordingly. Some people have a gift for music. I am not that person. Others have a gift for service. Still others are well suited for teaching. Some are gifted at leadership, some at giving, and so on. In short, spiritual gifts are the individual tools that we use to make an impact. A proper discussion of spiritual gifts requires honest self-reflection and examination. What you *wish* to be your spiritual gift may not be the gift you actually possess. It is important to use what you have, rather than waste it wishing for something else. It’s also important to remember that no gift is better than the other. Each gift is very different, but vitally important. A church needs singers, but a church full of singers with no teachers and servants would be lacking. And so I wonder…have we ever considered the concept of community-oriented gifts? What specific abilities and gifts do we each possess, individually, that we can use for the good of the community around us and the people of the community? Have you ever thought about your own community-oriented gifts? Much like spiritual gifts,
ESSAYS FROM WEST OF 98 James M. Decker some have the gift of service within the community—the worker bee who stays behind the scenes but makes every event functional. Others are gifted with leadership, to seek elected office or other leadership roles and use that position to inspire and lead others. Some have the gift of giving through financial resources—they can donate to good causes or finance new businesses. Others have a gift and passion for culture—perhaps they want to see the community grow its arts and culture, so they take on a leadership role in spearheading new cultural offerings. A church with all servants and no leaders would not function very well. A town with all leaders and no servants won’t function well either. Much like all the cogs in a machine, a well-run church or community needs each cog doing the best for what it was designed to do. We were each designed to do something great in our community. What I’m designed for is different than what you’re designed for, but both are equally important cogs specifically designed for a purpose. Have we ever engaged in self-reflection to examine our community-oriented gifts? Have we talked with others to plan out how our individual gifts might come together for the betterment of the community at large? Perhaps we should. James Decker is a lawyer, farmer, and mayor in Stamford, and the creator of the forthcoming “West of 98” podcast and website. He may be contacted through Facebook at facebook.com/ james.decker.
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Bunkhouse Banter BY JEWELLEE KUENSTLER
Rodeo is over, always a bittersweet time. But activities at the Old Timers Association Bunkhouse were a great success. I wanted to take some time to let you know about all the events that were enjoyed this year, thanks to the community’s support and help that was so generously given in helping us prepare and host these events. On the first day of the rodeo, the Old Timers hosted a hamburger meal at lunch. This year we served about 257 people. The overwhelming help received from volunteers was greatly appreciated. The official meeting of the TCR Old Timers Association was held on Thursday morning. Points of interest included new officers that were elected and took office. New 2018-2019 officers are: Ann Heathington, President; Zane Wedeking, 1st Vice Presi-
dent; Jan Muehlstein, 2nd Vice President; and Carla Young, Secretary. Items discussed at the meeting included improvements made to the Bunkhouse and Round Up Hall over the past year, the purchase of a new PA system, and discussion about future plans for more improvements in the upcoming year. On Friday, the Old Timers hosted a memorial service to recognize the passing of members during the past year. Two members honored this year were John B. Ashburn of Plains, Texas, and Elbert W. Jones of Fort Worth, Texas. The service was accompanied by gospel singing. After lunch, Dr. Dawn Youngblood, author of the book, SMS Ranches, was introduced by Luci Wedeking. Youngblood gave a short presentation, then was available to sign copies of her book. (If you would like a signed copy of this
book, it is available at the Cowboy Country Museum.) Saturday was the last day of the Rodeo, and the Round Up Hall was buzzing! The Fiddler’s Contest was a great success. We had more sponsors this year than we have had in a long time. The winners of the contest were: in the Old Timer’s Category (60 years and up) – Bill Burns of Abilene; in the Adult Category (30-59 years) – Candy Ice of Abilene; and in the Youth Category - Bryson Davis of Albany. Candy Ice won the Overall for the event. Thank you to all the participants. And also, a big thank you to Nancy Griffith of Sagerton for judging the contest. Sponsors for this year’s fiddler’s contest included: Ag Crop Insurance, The Astin Family, Bearden Photography, Big Country Electric Cooperative, Big Country Crop Insurance, Capital Farm Credit, Connelly & Company LLP, Decker Capital Partners, Deluxe Inn, Ericksdahl Coop Gin, Farmer’s Coop Society of Stamford, Farmer’s Insurance, Haskell Feed Store, Jones County Farm Bureau, KP’s Welding, Quencher’s Liquor, Stamford Insurance Agency, Stamford Tire and Appliance, Tankersley Funeral Home, TCR Calcutta, The Drug Store in Haskell, and Walmart. Thank you so much for your support! We know you work hard for your money, and we appreciate your generosity in supporting this long-time TCR tradition. In the afternoon, the Round Up Hall hosted the Cowboy Symposium featuring John Erickson, the author of the Hank the Cow Dog series. This event was very well attended with about 150 people eager to meet this famous author. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the Old Timer’s hosted a Brisket lunch at the Bunkhouse, catered by the Hager Family. This is a great fundraiser for the Old Timers and this year we served approximately 338 meals! Thank you for everyone that came out and
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The Will Rogers’ Memorial Bunkhouse
Hosting TCR visitors since 1930 dined with us! The Old Timers Association has long been the social arm of the TCR. This was a fantastic year, but it was only through the participation of the community. Thank you again to all volunteers that helped clean the grounds and the buildings before the rodeo. Thank you to all the volunteers that worked during the events at the Bunkhouse and Round Up Hall during the rodeo week. Thank you to the generous
sponsors that help support us financially. And last, but certainly not least, thank you to everyone that took time to attend the activities. Through you, we keep the traditions alive and preserve a piece of our heritage and history! If you are interested in renting the Bunkhouse or Round Up Hall for an event, please call Anne Heathington at 325/773-8057. If you are interested in being a part of a great organization, one that has
been around for 88 years, talk to a member or you can call Ann Heathington at 325/773-8057. Times have changed, so there are no age limits (or proof that you were ever a working cowboy, thank goodness) so the Old Timer’s Association is always on the lookout for new members. It is a great organization that helps to preserve the heritage of the TCR as well as our community. Until next time…
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COUNCIL: Cont. From Page 1 The council then moved forward with the final item on the agenda for the evening, and it was to continue city budget discussions in a budget workshop. Plumlee began the workshop by presenting the council a draft of the budget, but stated that it was not 100% complete as he had not received the official tax appraisal from Haskell County, which would be expected later in the week. With the same tax rate as last year, Plumlee stated that the appraisal would possibly be between $117,000 and $120,000, which combined with the Jones County appraisal, could possibly be $813,000, but he was not certain at that time. With that said, the council had the opportunity to review the proposed budget. Mayor Decker asked Plumlee if he was seeing correctly that both the general and enterprise funds would show a proposed deficit, which Plumlee affirmed and added that the additional deficit for the enterprise fund, set at $15,000, was due to transfer over to help with payroll for the water department. Councilmember Ken Roberson voiced confusion on the transfers for payroll, which would be clarified as the transfers were needed to help pay for overtime for water leaks within the city while regular pay continued to come from the general fund. Later, Plumlee stated that he would be anticipating a little more revenue for the general fund with a final rough estimate of a $52,870 deficit. In addition to the proposed budget, Plumlee also presented a proposed budget from the Cowboy Country Museum Board, which in turn would increase the money needed in the city’s budget. Museum Board President Robert Smith was asked to step forward to discuss the museum’s proposed budget and the proposed future of the Cowboy Country Museum. Smith began by stating that since he started working on the board in 2015, he believed that
everything was balanced and under control, but discovered that the museum had actually been running on a $7,000 to $10,000 deficit for the last several years and that payroll was coming completely out of the museum’s checking account. For the future of the museum, Smith stated that changes needed to be made which included attempting to make the museum an accredited museum, whereby it would be eligible for grants and contributions to help with costs. Until that time, Smith stated that the revenue from the hotel/motel tax would be insufficient to help with upkeep and payroll, going on to request that Museum Director Luci Wedeking be paid for her time at the museum from the Carnegie Library budget instead of the museum checking account as well as request the city to assist the museum. Decker added that the board would like to create a community foundation that would be able to receive non-profit money and manage it which, combined with the hotel/ motel tax and assistance from the city, would help it become more sustainable. After a continued discussion, Decker suggested that the city look at a one year commitment to help support the museum for its proposed budget in order to help it eventually receive grants and donations, with the commitment lowering each year as contributions grow. After wrapping up museum discussion and with no other items to discuss on the presented budget, Plumlee stated that there would be a scheduled public hearing on the budget on August 6th followed by the first reading of the finalized budget on August 20th. Councilmember Roberson proposed meeting the week before the first reading to help finalize details on the budget, with the council agreeing for a tentative date of August 13th. With that said and no other business to conduct, the city council adjourned for the evening at 6:14 pm.
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Stamford Healthcare System Updates Stamford Healthcare System has made some drastic changes to its overall design recently, and understands the community has some concerns, which we would like to address here. First, the decision to close Stamford Memorial Hospital was reluctantly developed over a period of years. The board considered closing the hospital first in 2014, then in 2015, and again as recently as January 2018. Each time, however, the board steadfastly held the course, insisting that every possible alternative be investigated. But the cost to provide inpatient and Emergency Room (ER) services 24/7 compared to the amount paid for these healthcare services, created a growing operating deficit; one that, if it continued, would not be financially responsible. The board recognized this fact and had to act in the best interest of the district and taxpayers, thus reluctantly chose to discontinue these services. Next, most of the services that are most often utilized by the community are still available. They include: Stamford Health Clinic, Stamford Walk-in Clinic, Country Elegance
Assisted Living, Stamford Health Club, Physical Therapy, X-ray, CT, Ultrasound and Laboratory services. The two clinics will be combined in the coming months, at a central location within the existing hospital building with expanded hours and will be called Stamford Family Health Center. Nurse practitioners Jamie Benham, FNP and Jennie Rhymes, FNP are still available to meet your healthcare needs by appointment or walk-in. Finally, property tax revenue makes up a portion of the hospital district’s operating budget, and this along with the closing of the hospital, has some taxpayers concerned. The hospital district’s tax rate, currently 43.49 cents per every $100 valuation, has been unchanged for the last three tax years. The boundaries of the district include Stamford, Lueders, Avoca, Nugent, Funston and Lake Fort Phantom area. Healthcare in these areas is still the responsibility of the hospital district, and providing primary healthcare services through Stamford Family Health Center will continue to meet most of that need, thus allowing for the continued levy of property taxes. Indigent care for
those who cannot afford medical care otherwise will still be available and financial assistance will continue to be provided on an income based sliding scale. In the immediate area around Abilene, Baird, Cisco, Albany, and now Stamford have closed their hospitals. In Texas, 18 hospitals have closed in the last 5 years; most of those the only hospital in a rural community, just like Stamford. We are not alone, nor unique. The board of the Stamford hospital has done a great job to keep our hospital operating during these incredibly challenging times. The continuation of primary healthcare services in our area is our priority and our responsibility and by implementing these changes, we will be able to continue to provide this essential service to our community in a financially responsible manner. The Stamford Hospital District board meets the third Tuesday of each month. The next scheduled meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 21 at 7:30 a.m. in the board room. As always, this meeting is open to the public and anyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.
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HOSPITAL: Continued From Page 1 In a 2010 board meeting the hospital also reported that they had seen a 28% increase in admissions at the hospital. In 2012, Stamford Memorial Hospital was recognized as a Meaningful Use Vanguard by the West Texas Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (WTxHITREC) for its leadership in the national electronic health record (EHR) transition. As part of participation in the meaningful use program, Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments were available to eligible professionals and hospitals when they adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use of a certified EHR. The payments meant physicians and other eligible professionals qualified for as much as $44,000 through Medicare or $63,750 through Medicaid. Hospitals qualified for payments of $2 million or more. The hospital received payments from this program that was paid out over a 5 year period. Beginning January 1, 2013, the Jones County Regional Healthcare System began to operate the Hospital. This was a newly-formed non-profit corporation set up to run the hospital. The Stamford Hospital District approved an agreement to lease the hospital, clinic, and assisted living facility operations to the newly-formed nonprofit corporation Jones County Regional Healthcare System at a Board meeting
in November of 2012. At the time, it was stated that this change was to take advantage of the Texas 1115 Waiver, which would help ensure the financial stability of the hospital, and maintain the current tax rate. The hospital was able to get this money until the end of 2015. The Jones County Regional Healthcare System board has continued to oversee the day to day operations of the hospital. In July of 2015, the hospital released a statement stating at that time that the Texas 1115 Waiver would be lost in late September 2015 and with this loss of funds, the hospital was facing an estimated $1 million deficit for 2015 and an estimated $2.5 million deficit in 2016. The hospital had reduced the hospital expenses by twenty percent in July 2014 with a reduction in force and salaries, but the hospital has continued to operate with a deficit. At that time, loss of funding, government pressures to reduce hospitalizations, and a continued decline in patient volumes made it extremely difficult to continue full operations. In 2015, the board directed DeFoore to develop a plan to keep as many medical services as possible operating into the future. Specifically the board stated that because the Stamford Health Clinic provides care to thousands of patients each year, this service must be continued. Additionally, since Country Elegance was currently full
and operating at a breakeven status that assisted living services should also continue uninterrupted. In a press release in July of 2015, Defoore stated “We regret to report the financial difficulties of Stamford Memorial Hospital, but due to the loss of our primary funding source and a continued decline in patient volumes we are faced with difficult choices in the near future. We are still exploring all options to continue to provide as many healthcare services to Stamford and Jones County residents as possible, which may involve partnering with other hospitals in our area.” The hospital employed a consulting company to search for ways to bring income into the hospital and as a result of that measure, the hospital took on acting as a lab for doctor’s offices all over the state of Texas. This helped bring revenue and jobs into the hospital for a short time, but insurance companies began rejecting the billing and not paying on claims. This caused a shortfall. Stamford Hospital is currently in litigation against these companies. At this point, if money is recovered from this law suit, it will go to pay off any debts the Jones County Regional Healthcare System. On February 3, 2017, a meeting was held in Haskell between Boards from Stamford Hospital District, Haskell Hospital District, and Stonewall Hospital District. This meeting was a part of a two year plan
to get input and advice to help combine the efforts of the three hospitals to help them continue to service their areas and operate to the best of their abilities. At this meeting, numerous governance issues and options were discussed including the size and composition of the TMHN Board. One option that was described included a new board to be created under the name Texas Midwest Healthcare Network that would consist of nine members. Two board members from each hospital board and one board member from each community at large. TMHN’s CEO hired by the TMHN Board and TMHN’s Medical Director would oversee the Network operations. After that presentation, the suggestion was made that each hospital board take the issue back to their individual board meetings in February to further study the possibility of this collaboration agreement. Stamford Hospital District approved this measure at their February 21, 2017 meeting supporting the formation of the TMHN, Haskell and Stonewall didn’t vote to join it, therefore it was never formed. On Tuesday, June 19, 2018, the hospital laid off twenty-nine employees when they discontinued the regional lab program that had been recommended by the consulting company hired 2015. On July 2, 2018 the hospital announced plans to discontinue the hospital inpatient care and emergency room services. This resulted in an additional 54 people being laid off,
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which made the Warn Act come into effect. This labor law helps communities by requiring an employer with 100 or more employees that lay off more than 50 employees to provide 60 calendar-day notice. The hospital is paying all employees laid off during this period a 60 day severance package. They will not receive their total severance if they gain employment somewhere else before the 60 days is up. In a press release on July 2, 2018, the hospital stated that “Recent Medicare laws require an average of two inpatients per day to continue Medicare funding for the hospital. The decision was made to discontinue the hospital inpatient services due to a steady decline in hospital inpatients over the past ten years. The average inpatient number for the hospital was 2.6 in 2007 declining steadily to .48 for the first half of 2018, well below the Medicare requirement of 2 patients. Inpatient hospital services cannot continue without Medicare funds.” The Stamford hospital Inpatient and ER services were closed on July 9, 2018. Going forward, the Stamford Hospital District plans to continue Stamford Health Clinic, Stamford Walk-in Clinic, Country Elegance Assisted Living, Stamford Health Club, Physical Therapy, X-ray, CT, Ultrasound and Laboratory services. The two clinics will be combined in the coming months, at a central location within the existing hospital building with expanded hours and will be called Stamford Family Health Center.
Nurse practitioners Jamie Benham, FNP, and Jennie Rhymes, FNP, will continue to serve the community at this clinic. The clinic has currently been moved into the main hospital building and patients can be seen by appointment or walk-in. Anyone within the hospital district will continue to pay hospital taxes which are currently 43.49 cents per every $100 valuation. The hospital currently employees 38 full time employees. A request was put in for information for who serves on the board of the Jones County Regional Healthcare System, but the request was denied stating that is not considered public record. On the hospital’s website, however, it states that the current board members are Erick Richards, President; Cary Davis, VP; Susan Mueller, Secretary; Jeff Robertson; and John Bill Oman. At the July 17, 2018, meeting of the Stamford Hospital District Board, it was announced that the Jones County Regional Healthcare System board was holding a meeting in the near future to discuss disbanding. Current Stamford Hospital District Board Members are Kevin McCright, Cary Davis, Chuck Muehlstein, Wyatt Oakley, Sutton Page, Kevin Corzine, and Erick Richards. The Stamford Hospital District board meets the third Tuesday of each month. The next scheduled meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 21 at 7:30 a.m. in the board room. As always, this meeting is open to the public and anyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Friend, The tradition of honoring our West Texas heritage continued earlier this month as cowboys and cowgirls across the country traveled from miles away to attend the historic Texas Cowboy Reunion (TCR) in Stamford, Texas. The TCR is the world’s largest amateur rodeo and a true representation of the cowboy legacy that helped shape the development of West Texas.
This year, I was honored to kick off the rodeo festivities on the Fourth of July with a prayer for our nation and the values we hold dear. My family and I enjoyed the rodeo performance, and we look forward to this event every year. Congratulations to the contestants who participated, and thank you to the many who had a hand in putting on yet another successful rodeo! Events like these reaffirm how proud I am to
be from West Texas. Please know, it is an honor to be your Representative. Feel free to reach out to my office if you are ever in need of assistance, and please sign up for my newsletter here for updates on what’s going on in Washington and across West Texas. Your friend and fellow West Texan, Jodey C. Arrington Member of Congress
Opinion
THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN
Dial 0 for No Scams There has been a recent trend that I have noticed, and even personally experienced lately and that is the rise of telephone scams. We know the classic e-mail scam of that poor Nigerian prince that needs collateral money from you to unlock his millions that are stashed away, and he will give you a million dollars. I know there are other scams, but we all know the classic one. Eventually it’s grown to take over our social media with hackers getting into our accounts and sending fake messages to our Will McClure friends, but recently I think there has been more of a double-down on actually calling us. What makes this growth scary is how real the calls seem until you are able to see all of the red flags. Luckily, the vast majority of us have seen through these scams and have not indulged in the “threatening” calls. I actually read a story about a person that received a call from what they thought was a process server with instructions that they will have papers to sign for unless they call a certain number. The person naturally was concerned, but soon saw through the façade and did not call the indicated number. The end result? No papers were ever served. It is just ridiculous that we still live in a world where these types of scams are still thriving because out of every 100 attempts, these scammers may get just a few that bite and not realize the mistake until it is too late. However, like I said before the scammers are upping their game to make it seem legitimate. Granted, some legitimate places such as a server may call to try to avoid a confrontation, but the vast majority will scream scam. So, as these phone scams continue to grow, it is important to understand the warning signs. Before I go any further, I will say that I am no expert in this matter as this is research that I have done; however, I do urge each and every one of you to be vigilant when it comes to answering the phone. I’m not saying that you need to avoid answering any unknown call (you never know after all), but it is always good to be aware of these scammers. If you answer a call and it is a scam such as this, the idea is to not give any information until you know it is legitimate. Real callers, including servers and law enforcement, are required to identify themselves and who they are representing. Many scammers now just give a name, whether it is real or not, but nothing else. Others will give a company name, but a quick Google search will take care of legitimacy along with a search for the number. Real numbers will always come back and if you feel like it has been spoofed by the scammers, just call the real number and ask about the call. If the person tries to verify your social security number, your address, or any other personal piece of information, especially if the call seems threatening, you can always ask what is on file and that will throw off any potential scammer. Real companies will already have this information and, even if it seems odd, will gladly verify the information they have on hand. In this day and age, real companies are just as sick and tired of scammers as the rest of us and will do anything to assure their customers that they are the real thing to avoid any real consequences. All in all, just be careful when answering a call you do not recognize, and we will all do our best to try and reduce these calls as much as we can. They will not go away anytime soon, but we should not give any reason to keep these calls coming. Until next time, dear reader, my cap’s off to you!
THOUGHTS FROM UNDER THE CAP
JULY 27, 2018
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BLANCHE THE MOVIE Some years ago a man in a pickup was traveling on a ranch road south of Alpine. The man’s dog riding in the bed of the pickup saw a chicken and decided to jump out and chase it. The chicken outsmarted the dog and flew into a nearby tree. That chicken flying incident was the inspiration for the new movie, BLANCHE, which will have its premiere at the State Theater in Austin on July 28. The man behind the movie is Sam Pfiester of Georgetown. He and his friend Steve Davis started talking about chickens and Sam recalled an incident that occurred in Fort Stockton during the 1950’s. Few homes had televisions and the Fort Stockton movie house had burned down, so entertainment depended a lot on people’s imagination. Beer joints were cultural centers where men gathered to discuss things. They often made bets with each other, sometimes involving ridiculous things. One ignited the community’s interest. “It was between two fellows on whose chicken could fly the furthest,” says Sam, who used to live in Fort Stockton. “They enlisted a pilot who had an air service. Ranchers hired him to do predator control by shooting coyotes from his old Piper Cub. They made a deal with him to take the chickens to one thousand feet and throw them out of the plane. The one that stayed up the longest
TUMBLEWEED SMITH won the bet. “A whole lot of people got involved and a lot of money was on the line. Unbeknownst to the owners of the chickens, the pilot had bet on one of the chickens. So as he was taking the chickens up he put the one he was betting against behind the pilot’s seat and plucked a few feathers. When he reached a thousand feet he threw out the chickens. One glided back to earth making large beautiful spirals, landed safely and walked away. The other one dropped like a rock and didn’t survive. Legend says the pilot had roast chicken that night. There were shouts of foul play.” Sam and Steve wrote a screenplay about the bet. “It took a
month to write, but much longer to convince people we were going to make a movie.” This is a movie made by amateurs, the first film most of the participants had ever done. The only people paid were the videographer and editor. Sam’s brother Ed is a personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles and in the movie he has filed a suit at the courthouse in Fort Davis on behalf of the lady whose chicken was chased by the dog in the pickup. “The suit, brought about by an animal rights group, alleges the dog caused a great deal of anxiety to the chicken, named Blanche.” The movie trailer is on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and includes interviews with the actors. Twelve days after the trailer was available for viewing 200,000 people all over the world looked at it. Sam is trying to get the movie in other theaters. BLANCHE THE MOVIE was shot in two weeks around Alpine and Marfa by people with the West Texas can-do why-not attitude. “It’s a heartwarming and uplifting movie, rated PG, and is really about old friendships and caring about others,” says Sam.
ROTARY CLUB NEWS Stamford has undertaken a $20 million water project upgrade with new water lines from the lake to the city, an upgrade of the pumps, a new treatment plant and a new overhead water storage facility. Rotarian Ken Roberson, an engineer overseeing the work with Enprotec/Hibbs & Todd, gave details about the actual work and how efficient the system will be when it is completed. The first phase should be completed soon-about two months ahead of schedule. Bids for the new water treatment plant and the new over-
head water storage facility will be let soon with construction to begin shortly after the bids are received. Once everything is completed, Stamford will have a state of the art facility with excellent water. -----------------------------Sandy Finley is the Chief Administrative Officer that oversees all of the hospital’s departments including Rural Health Care and Walk-In Clinic. With the announcement of the closing of the hospital, she was asked to bring a program to the Club so we could know what
was happening. Medicare had a new regulation that came into effect January 1, stating that in order to qualify as a hospital you must maintain an average of 2 patients per day or you will lose your designation and this could jeopardize our hospital. Another factor realized was that It costs $1.7 million a year to operate an ER and with Obama Care, reimbursements would not cover the costs for the service that must be provided, so the hospital was forced to close the ER. The hospital is still able to offer health care through the Walk-In
Clinic and Regular Clinic and still able to maintain a radiology department, offer physical therapy, and maintain a lab. They were forced to close their outreach lab serving 200 clinics because some other facilities were making fraudulent claims and Medicare refused to reimburse the legal ones for services rendered. Over 100 jobs have been affected, and it is sad because the future does not look good for our hospital and many other rural hospitals around the nation.
Health
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VIP MENU July 30-August 3
Monday Orange Chicken, Oriental Rice, Egg Rolls, Fortune Cookie, Mandarin Oranges Tuesday Chicken Salad, Broccoli Salad, Black-Eyed Pea Salad, Crackers, Melon Wednesday Chicken Enchilada Bake, Beans, Mexican Corn, Ice Cream Thursday Oven Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Green Beans, Peaches Friday Cod Fish, Corn Salad, Cole Slaw, Hush Puppies, Jell-O With Fruit
LOCAL CHURCHES Avoca Baptist Church Rev. Les Mims 773-3531 AM Worship: 11:00 Avoca United Methodist Church Dennis Huffaker 773-3909 AM Worship: 9:45 Bethel Church of God in Christ Pastor Session 407 W Handlan 325-773-5730 Bethel (Christ) Lutheran Church Rev. Richard Strait 1024 E. Vanderbilt 325-773-5949 AM Worship: 9:00 Bethel Lutheran Church Rev. Richard Strait 10707 N. FM 600 325-773-5949 AM Worship: 11:00 Central Baptist Church Pastor Bud Akins 301 E Moran 773-2577 Worship: 11:00 Central Presbyterian Rev. Dr. Kelly Pigott 601 Rowland 325-773-3381 AM Worship: 11:00 Common Ground Youth Ministry Paul Wright 219 S Swenson 325-773-3604 Faith Chapel Gerald Spalding 501 W. McHarg 325-773-2866 AM Worship: 10:00 Faith Lutheran Church Sagerton, Texas 940-200-0723 AM Worship: 10:30
First Assembly of God Family Worship Center Pastor Randy Rawls 1214 Compton 325-773-2435 Am Worship: 10:45 First Baptist Church John Ward, Interim 214 N Swenson 325-773-2781 AM Worship: 11:00 House of God Pastor Bobby Acosta 802 Ferguson St Sundays 11:00am
Orient Street Church of Christ Wes Horn 510 S Orient 773-3419 Worship: 10:30 Paint Creek Baptist Church Pastor Tony Grand 940-864-3358 AM Worship: 11:00 St Ann’s Catholic Church Father Angelo Consemino 1001 S Swenson 325-773-2659 AM Mass: 11:00
Lueders First Baptist Church Roscoe McCoy 228-4622 AM Worship: 11:00
St. John’s United Methodist Church Pastor John Erwin 201 S Ferguson 325-773-2561 AM Worship: 10:50
MacKenzie Trail Cowboy Church Greg Taylor 325-513-2505 AM worship 11:00
Solomon Temple Baptist Church Rev. Donnie Massey 315 N. Haskell St. 325-773-2213 AM Worship 9:30
Heart of God Church 114 E Campbell Joanne Ochoa AM Worship 10:30 Nugent Baptist Church Craig Thames 228-4457 Worship: 11:00 Nugent Church of Christ Nugent, Texas Ron Ballard, Preacher Sun. 10 Bible Classes 11 Morning Assembly
Temple Baptist Church Jesse Morton 309 E Campbell 325-773-2550 AM Service: 11:00 Trinity Church Dr. Robert Wingrove 220 E. McHarg
THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN
Low Iron Level Indicates Iron Loss Or Lack Of Absorption
DEAR DR. ROACH: My daughter’s iron level has been dangerously low for several years. One measurement was as low as 5, but mostly it is between 9 and 15. She took iron pills, which affected her in many other ways. She was given one iron injection, which affected her negatively. She refused the second one. She has been on an antidepressant and an antipsychotic med for bipolar disorder for 10 years. She is 45. They cannot figure out why her iron stores are so low. She had an endometrial ablation done two years ago, and her menstruation stopped. Her iron stores are still low. She is taking iron pills to keep her functioning. What causes a person to NOT store iron? -- M.S. ANSWER: I don’t think the issue is her being unable to store iron; rather, the issue probably is that she isn’t absorbing it. Whatever endometrial problem she had that required ablation probably caused her to bleed, and the bleeding caused her to reduce her iron stores. Over time, her bone marrow and liver ran out of iron almost completely. (The blood levels of 5-15 indicate very little iron in the blood. A low ferritin level would confirm low iron stores.) Iron by injection is an effective way of replacing iron. There are several formulations available, some of them quite new (with fewer side effects than older preparations), so it may be worth trying a different preparation from the one she did not react well to. If she is not replenishing her iron stores despite adequate oral iron, then either she is not absorbing it or she is losing it elsewhere. Both are possible. Common causes of poor iron absorption include celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, pernicious anemia and tropical sprue. Many people simply do not take oral iron because it can cause stomach upset, constipation and other problems, so it is critical to make sure people are actually taking it. Ongoing blood loss can confuse the issue. Hidden inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s, may produce blood loss with no symptoms. Given how long your daughter’s problem has been going on, I think it’s time for a fresh evaluation and rethinking of her issue. DEAR DR. ROACH: Are synthetic pain medications more addictive than natural opiates? I feel they are. I face going back on pain medications. Is there any new research on new non-opioid pain medications? -- A.F.
TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH By Dr Keith Roach, M.D. ANSWER: An opiate is a drug derived from the opium poppy. These include opium, heroin, morphine and codeine. An opioid includes opiates, but also synthetic drugs that work on the same receptor in the brain. Synthetic opioids include oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl. All the natural and synthetic opioid drugs have not only the ability to help relieve pain in the short term, but also can be accidentally or deliberately misused, with the possibility of serious consequences, including death -- more than 42,000 deaths per year in the U.S. alone. These are dangerous drugs that need to be used with extreme caution and only after considering other options. New evidence shows that opioids are not effective for chronic non-cancer pain for most people (although a few people do well). Although NSAID drugs and acetaminophen (Tylenol) are pain relievers, they are not very effective for severe pain. Often, pain specialists use combinations of medications, also using medications approved for other conditions but which may help relieve pain. Anti-depression and anti-seizure medicines frequently are used. There are ongoing trials on new medications. Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or request an order form of available health newsletters at 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803. Health newsletters may be ordered from www.rbmamall.com. (c) 2018 North America Syndicate Inc. All Rights Reserved
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THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN
PASTOR’S PEN
By Dalton Mathis
A New Way to Yahweh The people of Israel and Judah greatly disobeyed the LORD and the terms of Mosaic covenant or later known as the “Old Covenant.” This covenant was given at Mt. Sinai to Moses and later reaffirmed on the plains of Moab in the book of Deuteronomy. The disobedience and continue rebellion by the covenant people led to a complete disaster and eventually a completely broken covenant. The idolatry and the love of the wicked ways of the neighboring nations led the people of Israel and Judah away from following the original terms stated in their covenant relationship with the LORD. Because of the continued failure for one to completely obey the Old Covenant, the New Covenant was put into place. The New Covenant would once again restore the covenant people, but also would introduce all nations and give all people the opportunity of being one with their Creator. The prophet Jeremiah prophesies of this very thing in chapter 31 of his book. This section of Scripture specifically focuses on the answer that is found in Yahweh’s New Covenant that He will make in the future. Although the covenant will come in the future, the anticipated expectation would encourage the people during the harsh times in which they were facing. God’s law could not be completely followed and because of this all people were subject to sin and therefore separated from God. The terms of the New Covenant would enforce a way for reconciliation through the substitutionary death of the Messiah. Within this New Covenant we find that
God would write his law on their hearts rather than on tablets of stone (Jer. 31:33). The Old Covenant could not be obeyed in full, so Christ had to come down and replace the Old with the New in order for all of humanity to receive the wonderful Grace of God. This change of heart in the book of Jeremiah seemed to describe the same change of heart and birth that is found in the New Testament. We who are born again by accepting the terms of the New Covenant are given the privilege of new life and a new nature (2 Cor. 5:17). God takes the initiative in the terms of the New Covenant and it is through His own blood that He brings restoration to His Creation. When we turn our lives over to God, He, by the power of His Spirit brings a desire within us that wants to obey and please Him. The foundation of the New Covenant is found in Christ and Him alone (Heb. 8:6). It is revolutionary, involving not only Israel and Judah but also the outside Gentile nations of the world. This covenant offers a unique individual relationship with Yahweh himself. The Word of the LORD says, “The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves” (Heb. 10:1). The good things were still to come and through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the New Covenant has been established for the rest of history. Jesus said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of
Jesus Christ, once for all time” (Heb. 10:9-10). We as Christians today are blessed to have received the great blessings that come with the New Covenant. We live in a time where each of us is a beneficiary of the greatest act of God’s Grace. Because of Christ we have all the blessings we could ever ask for (Eph. 1:3). We are truly blessed and privileged to be a part of such a time as this. We are heirs of the New Covenant that was affirmed by the blood of God’s One and only Son (Luke 22:20). We have been given the Holy Spirit as conformation of this Covenant and through the Spirit each of us can connect to the Father. Christ Jesus created a new way to the throne room of Yahweh! All of us as Christians are called to be ministers of this glorious New Covenant (2 Cor. 3:6). We all have a story to tell and there are people out there that need to hear it. May we never forget how truly blessed we are to be a part of this glorious New Covenant. Give praise to the King and the Blood that confirms the New Covenant! Have a blessed week! Respect the Blood, Dalton Mathis
JULY 27, 2018
Classifieds
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Classified ads: $6 minimum first 20 words
HELP WANTED
Stamford Residence & Rehab is looking to hire a Weekend RN Supervisor & PRN CNA’S, LVN’S, & RN’S. Please call for more info. (325)773-3671 Big Country Electric Coop is looking for a lineman to work out of the Stamford office. Applications can be completed online at www. bigcountry.coop under “Careers” tab. Deadline for applications is Monday, August 6, 2018 at 8:00 am. Weekend Baylor nurse 32/40 and a night shift nurse; Weekend shift differential of $2 hr for nurses and $1 hr for C N A.; $1000 sign on bonus for the two open FT nurse positions. Contact: Marsha Mickler, Director of Nursing; Stamford Residence & Rehab Center, 1003 Columbia St., Stamford, Texas 79533, (325) 773-3671
Drivers Needed--Class ACDL w/Tanker Endorsement. Must be 25+ years old; Requires DOT Drug Screen & Background Check. Apply at Lonesome Dove Transport, 1270 State HWY 222W, Knox City, TX 79529. 111 E Campbell 3 stories, 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and 6 fireplaces!.Reduced $217,900
1503 E Wells brick 2± acres by Country Club. 3 br, 3 bath, 2 garage..Reduced....$199,000
14022 PR 201 brick w/ 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1,500 sq ft barn 1± acre....$179,900
712 Vanderbilt Victorian 2 story 3 bd, 2 bath w/ shop!..................Reduced $111,500
515 Dodson Drive Nice 2 story, 4 br, 2 bath family home!.............................In Contract 1217 Compton Gorgeous Stone home w/ 2 bedrooms, 1 bath....... Reduced.$69,900 1310 Hudson 3 Bd, 2 bath w/carport close to country club.............Reduced $56,500 916 Wesleyan G2 Bd 1 Bath Brick Home w/ CH/A and 2 Car Garage...In Contract 412 E Handlan Clean 2 br, 1 bath with storage and EXTRA lot Reduced .$29,900 1609 Swenson new 1,200 sq ft metal building...................... Reduced $29,500 717 E Campbell great 3/2 on corner lot! Needs TLC!...........Reduced $21,900 HAMLIN 48 AVE B Great family home 3/2/2 on corner lot!....Reduced $79,900 RULE 1501 Union nice Brick home w/ 3bd, 1.5 bath and shop!.....Reduced $42,000
FARM & RANCH
Jones County 704± Ac Clear Fork, Cult. & Pasture 165± Ac Combo livestock/hunting place! 152± Ac N of Trent Cultivation 155± Ac LIVE WATER! SOLD 38± Cultivation near Noodle SOLD
Haskell County 620± Ac Mule Creek Ranch Great Hunting w Nice Cabin! 545± Ac Pasture, Cultivation BIG Water! 520± Ac cultivation & pasture 160± Ac North of Rule, CRP 48± Ac Great Homesite & Stock farm! Shackelford County 248± Ac All pasture, Great Hunting 181± Ac quail buffer & fishing! SOLD
Stonewall County 4,743± Ac Patterson N Ranch 925 ± Ac Pasture, Cul. Great Hunting w/ cabin 548 ± Ac Pasture, Cul. Great Hunting 483± Ac Half Cultivation 118± Ac N of Aspermont Fisher County 1,561± Ac Hunters Paradise! 631± Ac All Pasture! Rough Creek Area 178 ± Ac Shinnery, Fantastic Hunting Kent Co 789± Ac Improvements w Hunting! SOLD
Advanced Custom Cabinetry is looking for skilled carpenters to join our team. We offer competitive pay, paid major holidays off and paid vacation. Please call 325-201-0733 or stop by 320 S. Central Ave. in Hamlin to apply. Rock Creek Environmental is looking for CDL drivers with tanker endorsement. Hiring drivers for the Clinton, OK, area. We furnish a place to live. Six days on, two days off, 60 to 70 hrs a week. If interested, call David at 580-323-8160 or 830-480-9944. Sagebrush Living Center has openings for Direct Care staff for all shifts. Pick up applications at Sagebrush Living Center, 1101 Columbia St, Stamford, 325-773-2791.
SERVICE Buying Junk Vehicles. Must have title. Call or text 325-5140427
12 JULY 27, 2018
news@americannewspapers.net
Join Us For an Evening of Food, Worship, Testimonials, and a Movie Under the Stars Sunday July 29th
Food at 6:00 p.m. Worship at 7:00 p.m. Movie at “I Can Only Imagine” (sunset) Common Ground Youth Ministries 219 S Swenson St., Stamford TX Back up your pickups and sit in the back of your truck and let’s enjoy a great family evening together! Looking forward to seeing everyone!
Everyone is invited!!! A parent must accompany kids younger than 6th grade! For further details call Pastor Paul Wright: 325-370-6378
THE NEW STAMFORD AMERICAN