Athens Review by Chad Wilson

ADR_10-30-11_A1:Layout 1

10/28/11

6:29 PM

Page 1

SUNDAY, October 30, 2011

$1.25

Serving Henderson County

‘Whose road is it, anyway’ Mabank, Gun Barrel City continue talks on Farm-to-Market Road 4006 By Art Lawler STAFF WRITER

The never-ending controversy of "whose road is it, anyway," continues unsolved in a bumpy area between Gun Barrel City

and Mabank. The issue came up last summer when longtime Mabank Mayor Larry Teague told his city council that it might be best to shut down the Mabank portion of

the road entirely, due to the danger of large pot holes that remained unattended to for long periods of time. Mabank had reached a handshake agreement with Gun

Barrel City officials that, in effect, amended another court agreement dividing the road between the two communities. The road in question is FM 4006 (Harbor Point Road), a con-

Fall Hunter’s

Rendezvous RICH FLOWERS/ATHENS REVIEW

Top Shot champion Dustin Ellerman, left, meets with fans at the 2011 Fall Hunter’s Rendezvous at Wulf Outdoors Thursday. The event was deemed a success by attendees and organizers.

Top Shot winner among crowd favorites By Rich Flowers NEWS EDITOR

The crowd at the Henderson County Hunter’s Rendezvous Thursday night had a lot to see, spread out over the spacious Wulf Outdoor Sports building. Visits from TV celebrities and a live demonstration of field dressing a deer were highlights of the annual event. Dustin Ellerman, recently crowned champion of the “Top Shot” competition on the History Channel met with dozens of fans of the show, many of whom had

watched each week of the competition as the Zavalla, Texas native humbled the competition. Ellerman said he became aware of his groundswell of popularity via the social media. “Facebook does a lot,” Ellerman said. “I was number one this season with 4,000 fans. Second place was behind me with a little over 1,000, so finding out I was the favorite was kind of fun.” Ellerman said he had no idea walking into the competition how he would fare against marksmen from around the country.

“I’d never competed, so I didn’t know what I was getting into,” Ellerman said. “I’d seen seasons one and two and said ‘that sounds like fun.”’ One he got the competition winning each week became important because it kept him around for another week. “I wanted to stay around because I just wanted to play more,” Ellerman said. “Getting all the way to the finale, I said win or lose I get to keep playing. If it was an amuse-

See TOP SHOT, Page 11A

venient, but narrow and bumpy artery allowing Dallas commuters from GBC to get to U.S. 175 more quickly than going all the

See ROAD, Page 11A

Friends make a difference By Chad Wilson STAFF WRITER

Several agencies supported by the Henderson County United Way are big, well-known organizations like the Salvation Army, CASA and the American Red Cross. While support is vital to any non-profit organization, the funds received by the smaller 501c3's go a long way in helping agencies like The Friends of the Library continue their efforts in Henderson County. The Friends of the Library is a non-profit organization that helps the Henderson County Clint W. Murchison Memorial Library by raising funds to help supplement the li-

Part of a series highlighting the 26 agencies supported by the United Way.

brary budget each year. They hold fundraisers like the annual book sale and the Friends mail out in February. The funds they raise go to help pay bills for things like supplies, books and new furniture. The Friends also support the Children's Programs by paying for special guests

See LIBRARY, Page 11A

FEMA: Check out contractors first By Rich Flowers NEWS EDITOR

Federal Emergency Management officials stopped in Athens this week to talk to Henderson County and area citizens who have been hit by wildfire damage and remind citizens to check out contractors who offer to help them with rebuilding and repairs. FEMA Public Information Officer Margaret Broadbent, visited the Athens Review Office to help warn the public that there are those who would not hesitate to take advantage of property owners

who’ve been hit hard by fire losses. It’s common for opportunists to be on the prowl for people, especially the elderly, that they can bilk out of grant money they’ve obtained to recover from disaster. “Checking a contractor’s credentials before signing any paperwork will start your rebuilding project off on the right foot,” FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Kevin L. Hannes said. The state of Texas doesn’t license home builders,

See FEMA, Page 11A

Athens resident publishes vampire-based book By Chad Wilson STAFF WRITER

Long-time Athens resident Wilma Sheltman has released her latest book just in time for Halloween. “Seawater Vampires” was released earlier this week and is available on AuthorHouse.com and Amazon.com in both paperback and E-Edition. “I went to Walmart one day and noticed a lot of books on vampires. So I wrote this book to grab the attention of our young people as it ends with an unexpected twist that most vampire-like books do not have,” Sheltman said. Evolving from the entity viral bite which is delivered by its host named Ladrakeula. A seawater army of vampire is developed. Once metamorphosed they begin

Wilma Sheltman, right, recently published her latest book, “Seawater Vampires.” She is a 30year Athens resident. coming from the deep only when necessary cravings of human blood, feeding comes upon them, becoming overpowering. Nagging at

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their subconscious resembling an addiction. Ladrakeula, the master vampire, commands them to feed., each with an inner hunch too powerful to shake off they infect many. Inspector Padgett chases after answers for the community of victims looking for the missing individuals. As the book turns the vampires face a time of judgement they never expected. The release of “Seawater Vampires” comes after much success in her first book, “Skeleton Island, Fountain of Youth: Captain Kismias Journeys.” With several copies already sold online and locally, Skeleton Island is about an American cowboy trained to captain a ship in the mid

See BOOKS, Page 11A

Inside this issue

Bible Verse

Social Security plays a big role in the Henderson County economy. How big? A little more than 10 percent of the county’s income comes from those who receive Social Security benefits. Page 12A

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” — 1 Peter 1:6

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