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Bigger, better Arts and Crafts fair this weekend

By LAURA KESTNER, Editor

It’s been 20 years since the Women’s Division of the DeLeon Chamber of Commerce staged their first annual Arts and Crafts Show -- and they decided to make this year’s anniversary show the biggest and best of them all.

“And we wanted to bring something new and different to DeLeon,” said Carla Landreth, Women’s Division president.

New and different it is. Along with the first ever “Winter Princess” pageant, there will also be a Christmas parade, a bake show, photo opportunities with the Grinch, performances by singer John Otte, songs by the Fair Haven Baptist Church choir, a silent auction, a stage production of “Pinochio, the Radio Show” by the Purple Lily Theater Troupe and more. The pageant will kick things off this Friday night at City Hall, and the other events will take place Saturday. According to Landreth, Otte is an opera singer from Italy who is currently attending Tarleton. “He is so good,” she said. “Everybody needs to come and listen, he’s going to sing three songs.”

Landreth is also excited about the grand marshal for the parade -- Mary Pacheco.

“She was recently named the Tropical Tan Girl,” Landreth said, “and she’s also a Coors Light girl. She’s the daughter of one of the Women’s Division members, Elsa Pacheco. She’ll be here all day for the people to visit with. And Santa Claus will be riding in at the end of the parade, on a fire truck. And we’ll have our Winter Princess winner on a float, and Mrs. Comanche County Tracy Pierce, and the others, like our Peach and Melon pageant winners.”

According to Landreth, there’s no need to officially enter the parade, if you wish to participate, all you have to do is show up at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at one of four locations near the north end of Texas St.

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Thanksgiving ‘Sharing and Caring’ Thursday

First United Methodist Church of DeLeon is hosting a “Sharing and Caring Holiday Kitchen” Thanksgiving day at City Hall.

Anyone who is alone for the holiday, or who is in need of food, is invited for lunch, games, and making cards for the soldiers who are currently deployed. Warm clothes, coats, and blankets will also be available on a first come, first served, basis.

A free lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at City Hall. The menu includes soup, chili, sandwiches, chips, and a variety of desserts and beverages.

“We are accepting any donations of warm clothes and blankets to be given out to those in need that day,” said Tracy Coan. For more information or to volunteer you may contact Coan at (254) 979-0601.
A similar event will take place Christmas Day at FUMC.

Court gets little cash for dams

By JON AWBREY, Publisher

Comanche County Commissioners Court saw a slight crowd at Monday’s meeting, with county officials and staff representing the vast majority of the audience of 14.

Commissioner Kenneth Feist was uncharacteristically absent from the court, due, it was reported, to an adventure in the great outdoors.

The crowd grew slightly fifteen minutes into the meeting, as four soil conservation dam experts appeared before the court.

“These are the last of the dam men,” reported an anonymous voice from the crowd.

“Well, they’re ‘dam’ late,” said County Judge James Arthur, to a hoot of laughter.

After the reading and approval of last meeting’s minutes, 45-year veteran Comanche librarian Margaret Waring presented a Comanche Public Library Annual Report for the last fiscal year.

Waring reported that the library’s schedule is 37 hours a week, with the funding partly covered by grant money.

“The staff is capable and talented,” said Waring “and we are lucky, you are lucky to have them.”

Waring reported that the Comanche Public Library collections are well recognized in the state, and that circulation was up 9 percent from last year, along with a similar increase in visitation and internet usage. Waring also noted that the library added over 600 new volumes to the collection of 27,000 available items last year, and that patrons of the library have additional access to millions of volumes through interlibrary loan under the Big Country Library System.

Waring said that the Special Collections usage was down, probably due to the poor economy as the library reported fewer travelers than normal. However, one researcher visited from Hawaii, twice.

Waring also touted superb technology services from the Big Country Library System, but that the library is subject to at least one difficult requirement – an increased financial support for Big Country Library System every year.

Waring informed the court of some upcoming needs that the library is facing, including a change in the cataloguing system that will require “a lot of hours and personnel time – we’re not looking forward to it, but it is something that will benefit us.”

“The Summer Reading program was successful,” said Waring, “but would not be without volunteers from the Study Club.”

Waring also reported that the library ended 2009 in the black.

“We appreciate our funding for 2010,” Waring told the court. “That’s some of the best money you guys spend.” She then informed the court of minor repair work that needed to be done, including re-sealing leaking windows and repairing termite damage. The only repairs in 37 years, Waring said, have been to the roof, the climate control systems, resealing windows.

Terry Bean, Jerry Bowen, and Charlie Upchurch, Natural Resources Conservation Service, discussed soil conservation dams in Comanche County. Upchurch reported that the state would, for the first time, provide 90 percent of the costs of cleaning up dams, and had allocated over $14,000 for the Upper Leon, with the county matching at 10 percent, a little over $1,500. In-kind matching would include county services such as fencing and brush work.

“A lot of counties are doing in-kind matching,” said Bowen, “because they didn’t have the money set aside, and didn’t know this was coming up. The best bang for the buck would be in fence removal.”

“Since [the dams] have been built, nobody’s helped you do anything with them,” said Upchurch. “It’s going to hurt somebody down the road [if they break].”

Commissioner Sherman Sides asked how much was the cost of clean up per dam site on average. It was reported that $18,000 was spent on one site.

“We don’t have any money set aside, and don’t know where to get any more,” said Sides. “That money’s only enough to do one dam,” he continued, referring to the state funds.

Bowen said the county would get an additional $14,000 next year.

“How many dams do you all have?” asked Arthur.

“Nineteen,” said Sides.

“That [money] is not going to cover anything,” said Arthur.

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For full article, subscribe to the DeLeon Free Press. E-mail edition is only $20/year.

DeLeon ISD signs over old Desdemona firehouse

By Dr. Randy Mohundro

Special to the Free Press

The DeLeon ISD Board of Trustees handled a short agenda during their regular monthly meeting, held on November 16. The Board reviewed the regular monthly reports presented by the administration.

Enrollment for the district is above 700, with 309 students at elementary, 194 in the intermediate/middle school, and 200 at the high school.

The Board was also briefed on the progress of the high school construction progress. All property for the project has now been transferred to the district. Plan documents are being finalized and the project is expected to go to bid this week, (the project is now out for bid with bid documents now available through Waldrop Construction of Brownwood and CADCO Architects & Engineers of Abilene).

The scheduled date to open bids will be December 10 at 2:00 in the offices of Waldrop Construction in Brownwood. The Board will review and consider the bids at their December meeting, which is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 16. Once bids are accepted and all necessary contract and bond work is completed, actual work on the site should begin in January.

Ex-ST2EAL progress was also reviewed. All computers for student use have been ordered and received.

The district is currently working with Apple to install the server that will support the machines, with that installation occurring immediately after Thanksgiving.

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For full article, subscribe to the DeLeon Free Press. E-mail edition is only $20/year.

Coming Events

Call 254-893-6868 if you have an event to list

Sharing and Caring Holiday Kitchen

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, City Hall will be open for a free soup and sandwich lunch, featuring soups, chili, sandwiches, desserts and beverages, courtesy of the First United Methodist Church. The church goal is to make sure no one in DeLeon will be cold, hungry or alone for Thanksgiving.

DeLeon Arts and Crafts Fair

The DeLeon Arts and Crafts Fair is scheduled for Saturday, November 28, 2009, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the City Hall auditorium. This year’s event will include vendors, food, silent auction, chili supper, a Winter Princess pageant (Friday night), a parade, a stew lunch, and much more.

Peanut Pecan Walk of Fame Bingo

Peanut Pecan Walk of Fame Bingo is scheduled for Friday, December 4, 2009 at the City Hall. See “Chamber News”, on page 2 of the printed newspaper. for more details.

House and Business Decorating Contest

Women’s Division Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a Christmas house and business decorating contest which will be judged on December 19, 2009. You can nominate yourself, or someone else. Categories include: Most Original, Most Beautiful, Most Religious and Town Favorite.

Danny Owen, the Mayor of De Leon, has a personal website.

Open Danny's website by Clicking Here

Scott Hall has creating an Internet website with history & photos of our town.

Click Here to visit his website

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