VOLUME 125 • NO. 46 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2019 1 SECTION • 12 PAGES • $1 Your Hometown Newspaper Since 1894 Thank a Veteran and a Serviceman Every Day 936-348-3927 texaslegends.net 115 South Madison St. • On the square • Madisonville Elementary book fair comes alive as Cat in the Hat, Clifford the the event to a new level this Big Red Dog, The Grinch, Pete year to attract more families the Cat, Dog Man and Sam I and increase interest in reading Am . And it was a grand slam, by bringing the books to life . ma’am . “The more they read, the “We wanted to have the smarter they are,” said Single- storybook characters come to tary . “We want our children to life,” said Madisonville Ele- read everyday .” ‘Round Town mentary Librarian Liz Stover . “It is so important for the “Every November we have students to find that series Gala Nettles a book fair in our school li- they love,” said Stover . “If they CAMPBELL ATKINS braries,” said MCISD Librarian can find that magical series or New additions in our Joyce Singletary . “We decided book, reading will just take off . town! Myka Fontenot has her photo taken with classic Dr. Seuss characters ‘The Cat in the Hat’ and ‘Sam I Am’ during the Madisonville to open it up to more people You want them to enjoy it and Congratulations to Will and have a community, family not do it because it is class- and Felicia Bankhead on Elementary’s book fair on Nov. 5. event .” work .” the birth of Anna Elizabeth, By Campbell Atkins guests of the cartoon variety at Twenty percent of the book The event was appropriately born Nov . 5 . She was wel- campbell.atkins@ comed home by big brother their annual school book fair fair profits will go toward book- decorated and made possible madisonvillemeteor.com Silas and her Madisonville on Nov . 4 . ing a storyteller, author or illus- through the work of Singletary, grandparents, John and Among the countless selec- trator to come to the school in Stover and other elementary Sindy Bankhead . Send your The Madisonville Elemen- tions of books roamed individ- January . personnel . The characters were congratulations to them at tary campus hosted families uals dressed as characters from The district has held a book played by teachers and older P .O . Box 1839, Madisonville, as well as a number of special popular children’s books such fair for over 40 years but took students in the district . Texas 77864 . Stacy Pierce Also congratulations to Cannon and Macee Ca- hill, who added LouCasee Lane Cahill to the family . LouCasee was also born Valley of fire Nov . 5 weighing 7 pounds 13 ounces, 20 inches . Send Flames reduce House of Hope facility to ash, but recovery work continues your congrats to them at 1606 Wildwood Lane Madi- By Campbell Atkins The Madisonville Police We set up protective lines sonville, Texas 77864 . campbell.atkins@ Department arrived on scene between the dorms and the How about some birth- madisonvillemeteor.com following the call, along with gym to protect the dorms, days? On our birthday list, a the volunteer fire depart- and on the backside, we set very special happy birthday House of Hope, a faith- ments of Madisonville, Mid- up lines to protect the church to Melvin Spillars, better based recovery facility in way and North Zulch . The behind it .” known as Mutt . Mr . Spillers, Madisonville, saw a large fire spread through the lower The Valley dorms still who now lives in Kemah, is dormitory housing of men of two House of Hope housing stand, but included in the celebrating his 91st birthday largely devastated by a fire in units, known by residents as damage were the brand new this month . Mr . Spillars was the early hours of Saturday the “Valley .” classrooms, washing ma- one of eight children . Now morning . The blaze left the “We were notified at 12:57 chines, dryers, showers, the he and Betty Spillars Gil- bert are the only two living location in shambles but re- a .m . of heavy smoke and fire at storage area, a walk-in cooler siblings . I wrote about the sulted in no one hurt . the House of Hope,” said Mad- and a hard freezer . The other Spillar siblings several years “It was a miracle there were isonville Volunteer Fire De- facility, known as the “Hill,” ago when several of them not injuries,” said owner and partment Chief Thom Jones . will house all residents for the visited Mrs . Betty . Ran into operator Brad Brock . “The “We responded with two en- time being . them at the Dairy Queen . smoke was in the dorms and “The police got out there gines and upon our arrival, the The House of Hope had 45 That was a special day . the men were sound asleep . and started knocking on the gym area was fully engulfed in residents at the time of the in- Happy birthday to Ro- A concerned citizen called doors, waking our men up, fire . It was too big to put out, cident, but the organization berta Murphy whose when they saw the smoke and and that is how they got out so our basic goal was to stop birthday is Thursday . Gus the fire . alive .” any further damage . SEE HOPE PAGE 10 Wehmeyer and Robbie Brown celebrate their birth- day Friday while Debbie Holland does the same Sat- urday . It’s birthday time for Jan County caps max salaries for employees Ward Sunday and birthday By Roy R. Reynolds meeting held a day later employees . According With the cap on the missioners to release time for Jason Plumlee Mon- publisher@madisonville than normal because of to County Auditor Toni upper salary range, $7,500 in contingency day . Winding out this week’s meteor.com the Veterans Day holi- Joyner, one or two se- Joyner told commission- funds to hire a full-time list is Frieda Michael with day on Monday . nior employees would ers, they would have to replacement for retir- her birthday Tuesday . Commissioners voted exceed the maximum make decisions on those ing deputy treasurer On to what’s going on County employee to cap the maximum sal- range for their positions people’s salaries or titles Mike Bishop in time for ‘round town . compensation, on both ary range for county po- if they receive the 4% after more information a two-month period of It’s happening this Sat- a macro and micro level, sitions, rather than the increase agreed upon, was gathered . training . urday! From 9 a m. until dominated the regular automatic adjustment of though contentiously, Meanwhile, Trea- 4 p m. our MHS Band will meeting Tuesday of the prior years to match the during the 2020 budget- surer Judi Delasandri host their annual Market Madison County Com- pay increase for county ing process . pleaded with com- SEE COUNTY PAGE 10 Day fundraiser . This year’s missioners Court, a goal is to march in the Fi- esta Flambeau parade . scheduled for March 2020 in San Antonio . MCISD principals present plans to school board This is the fourth year for Market Day and with more By Campbell Atkins English and math areas . Last year, the high a number of certifi- than 22 vendors selling their campbell.atkins@ “Last year, our pro- school saw an eight cate-based courses for ,, wares, it’s guaranteed to be a madisonvillemeteor.com jection was a ‘C’ and we point jump in English their students and will festival within itself . Should . - ~'ml~- - . ( were successful in get- and 10 point jump in continue to add new • '-.._-...., .- • •--,_.,; - 1t-l you get hungry, that’s cov- The four Madison- ting that bumped up to a mathematics . speciality classes . ~-' 1;;ti [g;:~>~. ~, ered too . ville Consolidated Inde- ‘B’, or 86,” said Madison- The challenge will “We are very similar ·.... \ The band members will pendent School District ville High School Princi- now be more than sim- to the high school with CAMPBELL ATKINS have grilled hamburger (MCISD) principals pal Heath Brown . “We ply passing the STAR the exception of CCMR, bagged lunches, complete Madisonville CISD each presented brief still have to continue to test . The high school, Students of the Month with chips, cookie and drink . and that is what changes campus improvement focus on the same thing like most campuses, for us,” said Junior High (from left) Tyrenzo Garrett The MHS jazz band will even that I talk about year will focus on maintain- plans to the board Mon- Principal Rhonda Mor- (Elementary), Azul Avila be performing on the square day during the monthly after year . That goes back ing their high grade by (Intermediate), Jaydee gan . “We still have to at noon and since its sup- meeting for November . to our English/language having students reach Torres (Junior High) focus on math and En- posed to be a sunny day with Much of the presen- arts and math . Those are the Meets Grade Level and Harmony Schmidt highs in the 60s, a jacket and tations had to do with the two areas that will category . glish/language arts . In (High School) pose with a bagged lunch might just campus accountability . require improvement if The high school also that area, I feel like the Superintendent Keith Smith (left) and MCISD be the perfect partner for While the schools re- we want to continue to improved immensely in changes we have made listening to great music . have really helped .” Board Member Bo ceived high grades, they boost our overall score . the College Career Mili- Williams at the monthly all acknowledged possi- Last year, we were able tary Readiness (CCMR) meeting for November SEE NETTLES PAGE 10 ble improvements in the to do that .” category by adding SEE MCISD PAGE 10 on Monday.