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VIEWPOINTS
January 24, 2012 - The “Times”
to the Editor Letters 2011
Letters to the Editor do not necessarily reflect the views of the Freestone County Times
Dear Editor, The family of Jesse and
Vi Fox wish to publically express our appreciation to David Fox for his compassion and devotion to his work as he dealt with both their funerals during the last year and a half. His consideration for the
family and attention to detail made the ordeal so much easier to bear. Having Capps Funeral Home
take care of our loved ones’ funerals was much more than
a business deal. The nurses and aides at
Fairfield Nursing and Rehab were very kind and attentive during Jesse’s last days. Their concern for him was a comfort for us all. Thanks for doing more than just a job.
Thank you,
Linda and Willie Ward Barbara and Billy Dotson Lawis and Paul Wilson Fairfield, Texas
_____________________ FREESTONE
401 East Commerce St. Fairfield, Texas 75840 (903) 389-NEWS
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Any error or erroneous reflection upon the character, standing, or reputation of persons, firms, or corporations which may appear in Freestone County Times will be corrected in the next issue once the publisher is notified. The decision to print any photo and/or article is left to the editor’s discretion. Freestone County Times is not liable for, nor does it endorse any content in any advertisement. The views expressed in articles are not necessarily those held by Freestone County
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Freestone County Times encourages submission of letters to the Editor, articles and/or photographs from our readers. Letters to the Editor must be signed.
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HOTCOG Continued from Page 1-A
will be produced primarily by contractors with support from local staff and resources. An outer ring of planning primarily done by other entities – transportation, emergency preparedness, and water – will be integrated with the RPSD. Freestone County will receive GIS maps of water, sewer, and street systems, which will build on local efforts to assemble detailed maps for capital improvements planning. Street and housing condition will also be reviewed. In addition, Freestone County and its communities will receive tools to build entrepreneurship and support small businesses. “This is a wonderful project,”
said Kevin Benedict, Chairman of the Heart of Texas Economic Development
District,
businessman, and active Freestone County volunteer. “It will allow our region and Freestone County to grow more competitive and to achieve greater economic prosperity. This puts us on the cutting edge.” “We can use these tools,” agrees Fairfield City Administrator Jeff Looney. “We’ve been working for some time to compile more accurate and complete maps of our water system. This will enable us to work more efficiently and save taxpayer dollars over time.” Freestone County Commissioners
PLAYING A BIG ROLE IN SECURING A GRANT OF $660,000 for Heart of Texas Council of Governments (HOTCOG), which includes Freestone County, are (Left to right) Russell Devorsky, HOTCOG Executive Director and Kevin Benedict, Chairman of Heart of Texas Economic Development District. (Photo by Mary McDonald)
secured the benefits of the Sustainable
Communities
project for the entire county by pledging the cash and in-kind matching dollars required. In so doing they ensured that all citizens and communities would be served by the project. As Lead Agency, the Heart of
Texas Council of Governments will be administratively responsible for the program of work, but ultimate leadership will be in the hands of the Consortium as a whole. The Consortium will lead the planning and approve the results. Freestone County is a member of the Heart of Texas Healthy Region Consortium, which also includes 32 other regional, government, education, organization and individual partners. Members include the Heart of Texas Council of Governments; the Heart of Texas Economic Development District, Inc.; the Heart of Texas Regional Advisory Council (HOTRAC); the Heart of Texas Regional Planning Organization (HOTRPO); the Heart of Texas Workforce Development Board, Inc; Bosque County; Falls County; Freestone County; Hill County; Limestone County; Bosque County Emergency Management; Falls County Emergency Management ; Freestone County Emergency Management; Hill County Emergency Management; Limestone County Emergency Management; the City of Clifton; the City of Groesbeck; the City of Hubbard; the City of Meridian; the City of Marlin; the City of Mexia; the Texas Department of
Transportation (Tx-DOT)-Waco District Office; Hill College, McLennan Community College; Navarro College; Navarro College Small Business Development Center; the Texas Center for Rural Entrepreneurship; Heart of Texas Goodwill Industries, Inc.; NeighborWorks Waco; Goodall- Witcher Healthcare Foundation (Clifton, Texas); Prairie Hill Water Supply Corporation; Prairielands Ground Water Conservation District ; and Chris Evilia. The consortium brings together matching funds of $333,000 in cash and in-kind contributions from communities and entities throughout the region to make a total project of $963,000. Partners contributing matching funds include Heart of Texas Council of Governments, Heart of Texas Economic Development District, Inc., City of Clifton, City of Groesbeck, City of Marlin, City of Mexia, Bosque County, Falls County, Freestone County, Hill County, Limestone County, Chris Evilia, Hill College, NeighborWorks Waco, and Prairie Hill Water Supply Corporation. “This project is about local control,” said HOTCOG’s Megan Henderson, who worked with communities in developing the plan design. “Putting a plan together – and putting that plan in the hands of local leaders – is just the first step. When a community knows what it needs and has the tools to do the job, that community is ready to meet the future with both hands on the steering wheel.”
TEA Party Tea Leaves
Offering better care in breast care
The benefits of the ETMC Breast Center Tyler, now in Fairfield. The ETMC Breast Center at ETMC Fairfield is part of a new regional approach in women’s healthcare. It is one of eight ETMC community facilities that include: • The latest full-field digital mammography equipment
• The advantage of all mammograms being read by fellowship-trained breast radiologist Michael Klouda, MD, in Tyler
• The convenience of centralized scheduling • Access to the specialists and technologies of the ETMC Cancer Institute
Peace of mind that only experts can provide. Dr. Klouda is a respected authority in the field of breast cancer detection. In addition to reviewing all mammograms in a timely manner, he will work directly with your physician regarding the results.
One in eight women will face breast cancer. For those who become part of this unfortunate statistic, there’s peace of mind in knowing
that your case will be discussed in a weekly breast tumor conference where specialists in all areas of cancer treatment meet to review each case. These conferences act as second and third opinions for patients, which saves valuable time in the treatment process.
Scheduling your appointment is easy. A doctor’s order is not required to obtain a screening mammogram. Call 1-800-648-8141 and press 3 to make an appointment or receive more information about mammography.
The advantages of digital mammography are clear.
Digital mammograms are clearer, show more detail than traditional film and can be enhanced with computers, making early detection easier. And early detection can make a big difference in the fight against breast cancer. Experts recommend a baseline mammogram at age 35 followed by yearly exams after age 40. Medicare and most insurance plans provide coverage for yearly mammograms.
Monday evening’s meeting was opened by prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance and the Pledge to the Texas Flag. We were quite blessed with a number of candidates
for various offices. Introductions and a brief talk about themselves and why they are running for office were given by: Freestone County Sheriff candidates - Tommy Page and Don Anderson; County Commissioner Precinct #1 - Luke Ward Sr.; County Commissioner Precinct #3 - Czar Perry Jr., Bodie Emmons, Marcus Pfeifer, Keith Brackens, and Michael Daniels; Constable Precinct #1 - Buck Bonner; Constable Precinct #3 - Diana Smart Willis, Pam Brackens, and Aaron Reed; and Democratic County Chair - Opal Oliver. The Freestone County TEA Party does not endorse candidates, but provides an opportunity for our volunteers to meet and talk to each candidate to help them make a decision for the person best suited for the job. We will be hosting another candidate forum at the February
20 meeting. All Freestone County candidates are welcome, and we hope will attend so they may introduce themselves, even those that were at the January meeting. Starting in March, we hope to have candidates on the
State and Federal level. If you believe in a smaller, fiscally responsible government,
Michael Klouda, MD Fellowship-trained breast radiologist
the Constitution and the strong Judeo-Christian principles of our founders, please join us! Please do your homework and vote! All elections,
Medicaid, Medicare and commercial insurance plans are accepted.
especially this year are important, not only to us but future generations! God bless America! Thank you for donations! FCTP PO
A not-for-profit organization committed to improving the quality of life in East Texas communities. |
www.etmc.org One with East Texas.
Box 1281, Fairfield, TX 75840. freestonecountyteaparty@
gmail.com
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