January is School Board Appreciation Month in Texas.

PATTY WILLIS

Board Secretary
Occupation: Business Owner
Term Expires: 2016

JOE BALLARD

Board President
Occupation: Retired
Term Expires: 2017

KIRK POPE

Board Vice-President
Occupation: Insurance Agent
Term Expires: 2018

BRENT CLARK

Board Member

Occupation:  Agriculture Sales Manager

Term Expires: 2018

JOE RAMMAGE

Board Member

Occupation: Electrical Engineer with Valero

Term Expires: 2016

BRANDON SKIPWORTH

Board Member
Term Expires: 2018

KEVIN WEATHERFORD

Board Member
Occupation: Business Owner
Term Expires: 2017

Dumas City Commissioners Asked And Received Input On Dumas Avenue

County Commissioner Lynn Cartrite, Charles Skipworth owner of  Bob Self Shoes,
County Commissioner Milton Pax, Hotel owner Pritesh Bhakta all spoke on the subject of Dumas Avenue and a Relief Route.

Part of the crowd that came to speak and hear what others had to say.

City officials

Map of Dumas Avenue

The Dumas City Commissioners ask the public to come and express their views on Dumas Avenue.  The public had questions and comments.  The meeting lasted for two and a half hours.  The public was informed that whether the road was repaired with asphalt or concrete the utilities in Dumas Ave would have to be moved.  Mayor Pat Sims explained to those in attendance how research showed that TxDot owns the utilities.  The City Commissioners signed an affidavit concerning relocating city utility lines that hopefully will put the burden of the cost on TxDot to move the utilities.

Several citizens spoke of their concerns about Dumas Avenue being repaired and how it would affect their businesses.  Those that spoke were very concerned about how their customers will be able to get to their place of business.  Mayor Pat Sims tried to explain that repair of Dumas Avenue would happen but the citizens can have input about how it could happen.  Mayor Sims said the city is looking into how they can help customers get to the businesses.  Sims said that golf carts could be used to help.

There were a lot of debate of which was the least invasive method of repair to the businesses on Dumas Avenue.    Concrete vs. Asphalt.  The City Commissioners have been told that concrete could be a lot quicker but some of the citizens think asphalt would be.  The City Commissioners have been told that asphalt is seasonal and concrete could be poured most of the year.  Regardless, Mayor Pat Sims said the Commissioners wanted to hear what the citizens wanted.

The discussion did include talk of a relief route around Dumas.  If Dumas wants one the city can have a say in where it starts and ends.  TxDot in the past has said they would try to do what we want but no guarantee that it would be exactly where the City of Dumas would like it.  TxDot has to consider cost of any location we choose.

City Commissioner David Bonner stated today "Public Forum last night was very good. We heard input from so many citizens in our community and from some of our County Commissioners. Very useful. Thanks to all that attended and participated."

Pictures of the Livestock show of 2016

 Kyle Stroebel with his Steer

Eric Mendoza with his Southdown Sheep

Cayman Ivins with her Breed Champion Landrace

Jessie Jones and her Berkshire 

Haley Montgomery and Faith Porras with their rabbits

Sign Greets Christmas Travelers

3rd Meeting with the Architects From Tom Lavin Architect Firm

The Chamber's Convention Center study committee met and looked at the architect's new configurations on Tuesday. Tom Lavin of Lavin Architect began by telling the feasibility committee how they took what the committee said they wanted and made a configuration of what they heard.  The Lavin Architect realize that there has to be a master plan that can be built in stages.  The completed plan would be around 300,000 sq.ft.  It is a little larger than first discussed.  Tom Lavin said when they got into the details of it with the committee this could be refined to suit the communities needs.

Lavin Architect took this gaming piece from September's meeting and came up with a grand design.

Architects from Tom Lavin Architect Firm

View of Convention Center showing the Arena on the left.  Building the Arena would be Phase one. 

The indoor arena can be used for equestrian events, rodeos, car shows and sports events such as volleyball or basketball events.  The Indoor Arena would be 155' x 250' which would include seating for 1,250 to 1,400, a warm up area, return alley, dressing room with restrooms only and storage.  The arena will be a metal commercial building that is heated and cooled.

December or January will bring another meeting with the architects to discuss the cost of the Convention Center which would be more like an event center.

Valero Has Annual Cook-Off To End Their Successful United Way Campaign But This Year It Ends With Valero Employees Mourning Two Members of the Valero Family

Lauren Bird, VP and General Manager

Normally at the end of their annual BBQ Cook-off that marks the end of their United Way campaign there is a celebration atmosphere with prizes and giveaways.  Not so this year.  The McKee Valero employees did enjoy a feast of meats fit for a king but with sadness.

Lauren Bird, VP and General Manager of McKee Valero Refinery took this opportunity to speak the crowd gathered.  Lauren began by informing everyone gathered for this event that this BBQ cook-off is going to be different.  Mr. Bird said there would be no judging this year, no winners would be picked. Lauren Bird also said that random prizes for those who gave to the United Way campaign would be done separately and at another time.

Lauren spoke of the loss that the McKee Refinery has had this past week when they lost two employees on two separate days.  He said this as he tried to hold back his own tears.

This is what Lauren Bird had to say to his employees at the McKee Refinery.

"To everything there is a season
 A time to be born
 and a time to die
 a time to plant
 and a time to pluck that which is planted
 a time to mourn and a time to dance,
 a time for every purpose under Heaven
 a time to weep and a time to laugh."

"Now is not the time to laugh or to dance

 Now is the time to weep and to morn

 For those who have left."

"We are arranging for Grief counseling to be at the refinery on Monday morning.

Meanwhile each of us is processing through our grief as best as we can."

"So for now let us mourn those who mourn, give comfort to those who stand in need of comfort.

We pray for the families of the deceased.  And we seek to support each other in our grief."

Let us now remember and ponder the lives of Geraldo Hernandez and Jimmy Eads

Valero Employee's Cook-Off.  Great ending to a great United Way Campaign.

Valero employees enjoying the feast of meats.

Ben Maples of Valero and Ken Braun, Grocery Manager with United Supermarket.

Special guests at the Cook-Off  for Valero's United Way Campaign.

Some are board members of United Way, sine are agencies that receive 

United Way funding and others are County and City dignitaries.

The Dumas Office of The Bridge Host Chamber's Business After Hours

The Bridge hosted this month's Business After Hours for the Dumas/Moore County Chamber of Commerce.  Below are pictures of Chamber members visiting at the Bridge office in Dumas.

April Tucker, Brenda Elzner, Amy Rhoades and Sam Cartwright at the Chambers Business After Hours

Edye Cunningham of CASA 69 visiting with Amy Rhoades Board Member of The Bridge

 The Bridge proactively engages community partners, implements impartial investigative techniques, coordinates case tracking, makes counseling referrals and educates victims and non-offending family members on victims’ rights, resources and options.  These steps reduce duplication of efforts between agencies involved in the investigation, expedites prosecution, increases conviction rates of offenders, and helps victims onto the path of recovery.

The collaborative efforts of a multi-disciplinary team, the core element of a children’s advocacy center, has resulted in a program that holds offenders accountable, enhances accuracy of information gathered during investigations, increases convictions and decreases the stress placed on a child caught in the judicial system.

With the broad continuum of specialized services The Bridge provides, the cycle of abuse is being broken. Every child deserves the chance to enjoy their childhood and the opportunity to become a healthy, productive adult.