Council Discusses Payment Plan for Water Utilities
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Vol. 143 | No. 29 Saturday, April 10, 2021 ssnewstelegram.com | Sulphur Springs | Event Council UPRA rodeo to showcase regional discusses contestants in fierce competition Doors open 6 p.m. payment April 16-17 By TODD KLEIBOER plan for [email protected] Rodeo contestants from all over the South will head to the Hopkins County water Civic Center April 16-17 to test their skills for cash during the spring rodeo put on by the Hopkins County Rodeo Commit- tee (HCRC) and the United Professional utilities Rodeo Association (UPRA). “It’s an event we’ve been having here since 1980, so we’re 41 years into it,” Tomlinson Street HCRC president Oscar Aguilar said. “We’ve actually had the [UPRA] finals parking since November 1979.” The books are open for contestants in bareback riding, barrel racing, breakaway restricted roping, bull riding, calf roping, ranch By ARIEL PHILLIPS bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling and team roping, and Agui- [email protected] lar said the committee is bringing in re- nowned trick roper Trevor Dreher from The Sulphur Springs city council Florida. Dreher has performed all over gathered Tuesday to discuss a payment that state, including some at Disneyland, plan for city residents owing water ar- and has earned world recognition. rearage to the city among other items. “He has a LED show now where he In announcements, council member has LED lights in his rope,” Aguilar said. Oscar Aguilar said the Hopkins Coun- “We’re very interested in seeing that.” ty Rodeo Committee is having their Aguilar said last year’s rodeo was at first postponed due to COVID-19 con- See Council, page 2 cerns, and the committee had been look- ing at rescheduling it later in the year. Eric Frazier, a contestant from the 2019 spring UPRA rodeo, hangs on as the bronco un- derneath him attempts to buck him off. See Rodeo, page 5 File Education | NHISD Lowe | Event Carden Circus coming to town April 21 selected ner will lead horses and camels A day in the through a dance in unison. Aeri- alists, acrobats and daredevils will life of a tiger also make an appearance. as finalist Doors open an hour before trainer showtime, and attendees will be able to greet performers, ride an- for head By TODD KLEIBOER imals or test their circus skills. todd.kleiboer Tickets are on sale at spectacu- @ssnewstelegram.com larcircus.com or one hour before showtime at the Civic Center. The position Audience members can expect first 100 adult tickets cost only bright costumes and impressive $9.99, and general admission is feats when the Carden Circus puts $10 for children 12 and under and on its performance April 21 with $20 for adults. Is secondary the doors opening at 5:30 p.m. at the Hopkins County Civic Center. TIGER TRAINER principal at “Thrills and excitement will ADAM BURCK fill three rings with acrobats, ae- Picking up what his father NHISD rialists, animals, daredevils and did before him, Burck has been clowns!” Carden Circus said in training tigers for circus per- By TODD KLEIBOER a press release. “No video games formances for 20 years after [email protected] - bring your entire family to he returned to the circus post- see real-life masters of gravity, college. After reviewing over 30 application jaw-dropping stunts, belly jiggling “I’ve been around animals my and interviewing six candidates, the hijinks and so much more.” whole life,’ Burck said. “He [his fa- North Hopkins ISD school board se- Animals acts will range from ther] has been working for almost lected current secondary principal Bri- Carden Circus tiger trainer Adam Burck has trained tigers performances from elephant 40 years now with circuses, so I an Lowe as the lone finalist for superin- for about 20 years. trainer Joey Frisco and tiger train- tendent during their Tuesday meeting. Courtesy/Carden International Circus er Adam Burck, and Yosa Gar- See Burck, page 3 "I am honored, thankful and grateful for this opportuni- ty,” Lowe said. “North Hopkins ISD is an out- standing district, and I cannot wait to be able to serve the district as its superintendent." Brian Lowe has served Lowe as the secondary prin- cipal at NHISD since Sulphur VFD to Eagle bats stay 2017 and has been in education for 24 years, teaching at Sonora ISD, Lake hold fundraiser hot —Page 2 —Page 6 See Lowe, page 5 TODAY’S WEATHER INDEX FOLLOW $1.25 For the Record ..........3 Sports .........................6 See the Community ...............4 Games ........................9 forecast, Sunny High: 70 °F page 4 Obituaries ..................5 Classifieds ................10 ssnewstelegram.com Page 2 Saturday, April 10, 2021 Sulphur Springs News-Telegram were approved with little ery LLC was granted an | County VFDs discussion. easement at Coleman Park. Council D&D Pipeline from Oncor is seeking to add a Continued from page 1 Longview, Texas was award- second metered pole with a Sulphur Bluff VFD to ed the bid and contract for guide wire to accommodate annual UPRA rodeo April the sewer line bore for the the expansion of Grocery 16 and 17, with a special Saputo Project. They were Supply. appearance by trick roper the lowest bidder out of five The city utilities depart- hold fish fry fundraiser Trevor Dreher from Florida. bids and have done work for ment was granted approval Doors open at 6 p.m. and Saputo in the past. They will for the purchase of a used the show starts at 7:30 p.m. be responsible for 320 feet of dump truck from Kingston, to rebuild after fire Tickets will be available for sewer main under the inter- Okla. state and installing a man- purchase at the Circle E Sulphur Springs has western store or at the box hole cover. 1,100 street lights that are Building, all equipment, office the day of the rodeo. The council approved maintained by Oncor Elec- (See related story, page 1) a request to name the alley tric Company, but the city 3 trucks lost in blaze Aguilar also mentioned behind the Connally Corner that a Cinco De Mayo festi- development Patricia Lane has never had an audit done val is also in the works with after Patrick Chase’s wife. to make sure they are being lots of food, vendors and Lesa Smith proposed maintained properly. Evie loud music. submitting a Texas Commu- Solar has proposed an audit After some complaints nity Block Grant application service where they will go from local businesses that to the Texas Department out to check the street lights trash was not being picked of Agriculture and autho- and check for discrepancies up, parking will be restricted rizing the city manager to in billing. They will make in the 200 block of Tomlin- act as the city’s authorized sure the city has not been son Street by a newly passed representative. paying more or less and that ordinance. More than once, In January the city chose there are functional street cars have parked in front KSBR as the grant adminis- lights actually present at of the dumpster or the gar- trator for the project. After each location. Maxwell said bage trucks have been un- consulting with Kate Sellers, Mount Pleasant had success able to navigate the narrow a few others and looking in their street light audit. street due to cars blocking at the census data, the city The council accepted the the entrance, according to staff believed that Randolph audit proposal. city manager Marc Max- Street is the best candidate The council then consid- well There will be no park- for this project and gives ered a set of rules proposed ing allowed on the south the best chance for receiving by the city staff for the ac- side and limited parking on this grant. The grant will be ceptance of electronic bids the north side of the street. used to replace water and and proposals. Lesa Smith Businesses with designated sewer lines, a concrete street shared with the council that pull in parking will not be and correcting some drain- the city has received mul- affected. age issues. tiple inquiries about elec- The primary objective of UTILITY PAYMENT PLAN the Community Develop- tronic bids. The council is City finance director ment Block Grant program required by the state to es- Lesa Smith proposed a res- is to develop viable commu- tablish rules for accepting olution to the council for nities by providing decent these bids through a third a payment plan to be set housing and suitable living party software that seals up for utility customers environments and expand- the documents until they’re that have been affected by ing economic opportunities unsealed by a city employ- COVID-19. The proposal is principally for persons of ee. Talks are still happening for citizens to pay off their low to moderate-income. between the city and these overdue bill by breaking The council then ap- software companies to de- up the payments over a pe- proved four resolutions for cide which one is the best riod of 12 or 24 months. A 380 agreements on proper- option. No action was taken. The Sulphur Bluff Volunteer Fire Department and Community Center was destroyed letter has been sent out to ties located at 207 West Ross Smith states she believes in a fire last week, and the VFD is a holding a May 1 fundraiser for rebuilding. all customers with overdue Street, 209 West Ross Street, this to be “a good idea mov- Courtesy/Chris Bassham via Facebook balances allowing them to 613 Lamar Street and 202 ing forward to reach out to come in to the office and West Beckham Street.