May 9
Ortiz Elementary "Western Days"
Sponsored by Communities in Schools of the Big Country
May 9
NOTICE OF MEETING
Notice is hereby given
that the Taylor County Commissioners’ Court will meet in regular session at
10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 13, 2008, in the Commissioners’ Courtroom, Taylor
County Courthouse (2nd floor) 300 Oak Street, Abilene, Texas, to consider
the following items:
1.
Call meeting to order
2.
Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation
3.
Consider approval of minutes of previous meetings and adopt agenda
4.
Consider budget adjustments and transfers, if any
5.
Consider bills for payment
6.
Presentation of Employee Service Awards
7.
Consider ratification of appointment of Taylor County/Abilene
Health Department
8.
Consider accepting bids and awarding ITB 2008-107, Bell Plains
Road Rehabilitation
9.
Consider accepting specifications and advertising for ITB
2008-108, Jail Pharmaceuticals supplier
10.
Consider accepting specifications and advertising for ITB
2008-109, Gasoline and Diesel for the Precincts
11.
Receive report of progress for Taylor County Juvenile Justice
Department
12.
Adjourn
NOTE:
Enumerated agenda items are assigned numbers for ease of reference only, and
will not necessarily be considered by the Commissioners’ Court in that
particular order.
____________________________ _
GEORGE A. NEWMAN, TAYLOR COUNTY JUDGE
This is to certify that the above Notice of Meeting
was posted on the Taylor County website and on the bulletin at the Taylor
County Courthouse, Abilene, TX on the May 9, 2008, at 3:00 p.m., within such
time as required by law.
_________________________________________
LARRY G.
BEVILL, TAYLOR COUNTY CLERK
May 9
Connecting Caring Communities unveils
the W. Craig Turner Award
 On
Friday, May 9, the board of directors of Connecting Caring Communities
unveiled the W. Craig Turner Award in honor of Hardin-Simmons University
president Craig Turner.
The W. Craig Turner
Award is in recognition of Dr. Craig Turner's vision for a community of
neighbors helping neighbors and his willingness to lend his leadership and
support for the development of a community renewal program in Abilene,
Texas. The establishment of Connecting Caring Communities (CCC) is a direct
result of Dr. Turner's generosity in sharing the success of the pilot
program at Hardin-Simmons University with the entire Abilene community. CCC
now exists to further develop the renewal of neighbors helping neighbors and
mutually enhancing relationships as the foundation for a sustainable
community.
The award will be
given to an outstanding person, family, or partner who exemplifies the
practice of this vision in a remarkable way. The recipient will be
determined by the board of directors from nominations made by staff or
others directly involved with one of the three Connecting Caring Communities
strategies: Caring Team, Haven Houses, or Internal Care Unit (Friendship
House) neighborhoods.
The CCC board of
directors chose to honor Turner as he takes a new role outside of Abilene.
Turner has been an invaluable resource, supporter, partner and encourager
for CCC since its inception. Dr. Turner said he was humbled by the honor and
grateful for the great work Connecting Caring Communities is doing in
Abilene.
Picture:
Craig Turner receives a commemorative
award at the establishment of the W. Craig Turner Award from CCC board
president Odis Dolton, Craig Turner, CCC board member Linda Carleton, CCC
board vice president Bob Friberg. (Courtesy of CCC)
May 9
Crime Report
5-9-08
Good morning! At
approximately 5:30 yesterday evening, Officer Marc Valentine was called to
the 1700 block of
State Street for a
burglary. The reporting party stated that between 2:00-5:30 in the
afternoon, an unknown suspect entered her residence by removing a window
air conditioning unit. Once inside they stole a TV, a computer monitor,
Dish network box, and a DVD player. She estimates the loss at over
$1000.00.
Then at 2:00 this morning,
Officers Tracy Harris and Rusty Antilley were called to the 2400 block of
Beech Street for a
disturbance. Officer Antilley arrived and identified himself as a Police
Officer to the group having a party. A 20 year old female ran and hide in
the neighbor’s backyard. She was located and arrested for evading
arrest.
For the Abilene Police Department this is Jennifer Stuckey.
May 8
Western Heritage Parade, Downtown Abilene
May 8
May 8
City Council makes appointments to Red Light Camera Citizens Advisory
Committee
ABILENE, Texas – During the Thursday, May 8 City Council meeting, City
Council members each appointed an individual to serve on the Red Light
Camera Citizens Advisory Committee. The appointees are: Mark Bottila, Don
Bridges, Kevin Roberts, Larry Gill, Jim Potts, Hester Wood and Duane Donaway.
Currently, City staff is researching ways to reduce red light running in
Abilene. These methods include public education, traffic engineering, police
enforcement and lastly, the installation of red light cameras. When the
results of a traffic engineering study are complete, the Red Light Camera
Citizens Advisory Committee will review the results as well as the
effectiveness of efforts currently underway to improve intersection safety.
Among other items, the traffic engineering study will review the frequency
of red light running in intersections with the highest number of accidents.
No decision has been made yet whether the study will be conducted by City
staff or a company that specializes in traffic studies.The study is expected
to get underway early this summer.
If red light cameras are recommended, the committee would also advise the
City Council on the installation and operation of a photographic traffic
signal enforcement system. As per state law, fines collected through red
light camera violations are used to pay for the installation, operation,
administration and maintenance of the system. 50% of the revenue that is
over and above these costs is required to go to the state of Texas for a
regional trauma fund and the remaining 50% to the city’s public safety
programs
May 8
Abilene High School JrROTC cadet receives award
Abilene High School Air Force Junior ROTC Texas 81st Cadet Justin Hill (r) received
the Military Order of the Purple Heart Merit Leadership award during the Pass and
Review ceremonies at Abilene High School, May 8, 2007. Presenting the award was
MOPH Chapter 1937 commander Mike Hernandez (l). Cadet Hill was also presented
the Outstanding Cadet for his freshman class by Col. Al Dunlap.
May 8
Frontier
Texas!–625 N. 1st–437-2800–Influences-Women’s
Art: Women’s Vision in West Texas – Open Daily
Center for Contemporary Arts – 220 Cypress
St.-325.677.8389
Breed Gallery--“Mad
Syndrome” by Adam Luther
Gallery II--“ABILENE
TXtures” by Burgess Thomas
Gallery III--National Arts Program
Annual Exhibit
Gallery IV--“New Work” by
Kaleta Doolin
ACU-Cockerell
Art Gallery-1133
N. 2nd-674-2085-Through Jun. 6: "The Beat Goes On: Art of the Boomer
Generation" Area high school art competition
The Grace Museum-102
Cypress-673-4587-Through June 26: Dan Burkholder’s photographic “Images of
Katrina: Shadows of Lives and Loss.”Through June 28: “Made
in America”.
National Center for Children's
Illustrated Literature -102
Cypress St.-673-4586 -Through 26--David Macaulay Presents: The Way We Work
May 8
Antique & Collectible Appraisal Fair
It’s
time once again for Abilene Public Library’s own version of “The Antiques
Roadshow®.” Dust off those treasures from the back corners of your attic or
garage and bring them to this year’s fair on Tuesday, May 20 in the main
library’s second floor auditorium. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and again at 7:30, in
an effort to reduce waiting times and lines. Attendees may bring up to three items per
person.
This popular
annual event features a wide range of expertise from a number of antique and collectible
dealers from the area who will provide a free estimate of value, not a certified
appraisal.
New to the
fair this year are Judy Godfrey and Debbie Glandon. Both are members of the
International Society of Appraisers. Godfrey specializes in fine art, while Glandon
has wide experience with all types of antiques and collectibles.
Returning
dealers include B. J. Naranjo-Smith of Antique and Almost, 141-A Clyde Street, who is also
a member of the International Society of Appraisers, and Tom Craig, owner of the Antique
Station at 703 North 3rd Street, who specializes in 20th century
glassware, oak furniture and advertising memorabilia.
Joe Riney and
Phil Johnson of Merkel, each with over 50 years experience in the antique business, will
be on hand once again. Riney specializes in statuary, bronze, marble, silver,
glassware, military items and clocks. Johnson’s specialty is china, porcelain,
oriental, crockery, pottery, lamps, wooden items and primitives.
Frank Chafey
of Yesterdaze Antique Mall, 2626 East Highway 80, specializes in clocks and watches.
Gary Miller of Aardvark Brothers Music and Recording, 1558 S. 14th St., knows
about musical instruments.
Vonceil
Robertson, owner of The Elmwood Antique Centre, 3910 S. 7th St., is one of the
area’s foremost authorities on collectible books and manuscripts.
For
more information, call Dennis Miller at 325-676-6025.
May 8
Safety City expands safety lessons, thanks to
Atmos Energy
ABILENE, Texas – Safety City is adding to its safety messages,
thanks to a recent donation by Atmos Energy Corporation. The natural gas utility company
recently installed a display of various gas equipment at Safety City, located on South 7th
Street. Safety City instructors will use the equipment to help children understand the
dangers of playing on and around real natural gas apparatus located near their homes and
schools.
Safety City provides a safe environment for school children to apply
the lessons of bicycle, pedestrian and general traffic safety that they learned in the
classroom. The kids also learn about fire safety, stranger danger and school bus safety.
For more information about this donation,
contact Safety Education Instructor Jennifer Stuckey at 325-676-6096 or Mike Schweikhard
with ATMOS Energy at 325-734-3191
This news release is posted
online at www.abilenetx.com.
May 8
CRIME REPORT; 05-08-08
Good morning! Did you know that RACING on the public
streets is illegal? Most everyone knows that it is, but two young men found out the hard
way. Last night at approximately 11:15 p.m. Officers Tyson Kropp and Randy
Farmer observed a 1983 Chevy Pick-up racing a 1997 GMC Pick-up in 5500 block of Highway
277. Both drivers were stopped and admitted that they were racing one another. You
might ask, well who won? Neither driver won, they both went to jail and are looking
at a hefty fine and potentially 6 months in jail. In all reality the officers won,
as they prevented a potential tragedy, good job guys!
Then last night at approximately 1:00 a.m. Officer Chance
Wideman observed a vehicle at South 14th and Danville as the vehicle turned on
to South 14th the driver peeled out spinning his tires, sliding sideways.
If you’re wanting to get stopped, this is a pretty effective way to do it, spinning
out right in front of the Police. The driver, a 20 year old White Male was found to
be driving under the influence and he had an open can of beer in the vehicle. He was
found to be driving on a suspended drivers license and he was arrested and charged with
Disturbance With a Motor Vehicle, Driving Under the Influence, and Driving While License
Invalid.
For the Abilene Police Department this is Sgt. Joe Tauer.
To play the crime report in an mp3 format, click
on this link: http://www.abilenetx.com/policecommunityservices/current.mp3
May 7
Hot
Off the Press - Abilene Landmarks, An Illustrated Tour
A
Preserve America Project
 The Abilene
Landmarks, An Illustrated Tour by Donald S. Frazier and Robert F Pace; photographs
by Steve Butman, captures architectural expressions and stories of Abilene.
For the first time, one hundred of Abilene’s landmark buildings tell the history,
hopes and humanity of the City in a beautiful scripted and photographic keepsake.
The Abilene Landmarks is available at Texas Star Trading, Frontier Texas!,
T&P Depot – Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau and Buffalo Gap Historic
Village for $49.95.
In
collaboration with State House Press, McMurry University and Preserve America, Abilene
Landmarks students researched and wrote about the histories of the buildings that
surround them in Abilene. “The McMurry students did a great job, but producing
their important work in such a beautiful format was not going to be a possibility until
funding arrived in the form of a grant from Preserve America” explained Dr. Frazier.
Abilene’s
Cultural & Heritage Tourism Initiative was a collaborative effort of the Abilene
Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, affiliates of
the Abilene Chamber of Commerce.
Other
helpful information:
n The
grant application was prepared by the Cultural & Heritage Tourism program and
officially submitted through the Mayor’s office in December 2005.
n Grants
were capped at $150,000 per year and required matching funds.
n Funds
were be used over a 2-year period.
n To
earn funds, the grant application had to be approved by a federal grants administration
committee, as well as by the offices of the Secretary of Interior and President Bush.
n All
projects were completed on or before April 30, 2008 and final reports have been submitted.
May 7
E-Mail is for Everybody
If you don’t know how e-mail works, let your Abilene Public Library help! On
Wednesday, May 21 at 3 p.m. in the Main Library computer lab, 202 Cedar, our free E-mail
basics class will get you started. We’ll show you how to find a free e-mail
provider, how e-mail programs work in general, and much more.
You do not have to be a computer expert for this beginning level class, but we do ask that
you know how to use a mouse. This class is limited to 10 people, so please call
676-6025 to register today.
May 7
Cooper High School JrROTC cadet receives award
Cooper High School Air Force Junior ROTC TX-794th Cadet First
Lieutenant Fabian Gallegos (r) received
the Military Order of the Purple Heart Merit Leadership award during the Pass and Review
ceremonies at
Cooper HS, May 7, 2007. Presenting the award was MOPH Chapter 1937 commander Mike
Hernandez (l).
May 7
Abilene
to kick off National Tourism Week with full hotels, robust restaurants
May, in Abilene, is always a month when many out-of-towners enjoy
the city’s hospitality. The city’s tourism infrastructure bursts at the seams as
people pour into to town for university graduations and the long-running Western Heritage
Classic.
So, with Governor Perry’s proclamation of May 10-18 as
“Texas Tourism Week,” a time to celebrate the economic impact of tourism,
Abilene is ahead of the curve.
“This is a great weekend for Abilene, as we celebrate our
heritage, salute the American Cowboy and host thousands of families,” says Nanci
Liles, Executive Director of the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Abilene can
really feel the $350 million economic impact of tourism in our city during this time of
the year.”
The summer will bring good fortune to the city, as groups ranging
from competitive athletes, teen-age rodeo champions, sports officials and military
reunions convene in Abilene.
For information about Tourism Week and fun events throughout the
state, visit www.traveltex.com
An up-to-date events calendar from Abilene always can be found at www.abilenevisitors.com
Mat 7
CRIME REPORT; 05-07-08
Good morning! Last night at approximately 1:10 a.m.
Officers Rusty Antilley and Boyd Burns responded to a family disturbance in the 1900 block
of Fannin Street. One of the individuals involved in the disturbance, a 23 year old
Hispanic Male, was determined to have two outstanding traffic warrants for his arrest.
While officers were at the residence investigating the disturbance a vehicle drove up to
the residence, driven by an 18 year old Hispanic Male. There was a strong odor of
marijuana and a clear plastic bag containing marijuana was laying in plain-view on the
center console of his vehicle. He was arrested for Class “B” Possession of
Marijuana.
Then at approximately 1:20 a.m. Officer Santos Perez
responded to a call of an aggravated robbery in the 1900 block of Hickory where it was
reported by two White Female victims that an unknown Hispanic Male threatened them with a
screw driver and took their jewelry and other personal items. This aggravated
robbery investigation will continue.
For the Abilene Police Department this is Sgt. Joe Tauer. | 
