Crappie fishing today may have more in common with Pacman than the cane pole and can of worms your grandfather used, according to one Lake O’ the Pines guide.

“It can be like a video game,” Drew Black said Wednesday.

Black uses a Garmin Livescope to not only find fish, but to watch them strike.

“There’s no guesswork,” Black said.With Lake O’ the Pines above normal level, the

Livescope, which can cost upwards of $4,000, comes in handy.

“The water is so high,” Black said. “These crappies are usually on brush piles, but water has completely covered trees that are usually visible.”

The 42-year-old guide says the crappie are “holding tight on the tops of these trees 50 feet down.”That’s when the Garmin Livescope comes in handy.“You can actually watch your jig fall and see them bite,” Black said. “The game has come a long way. You

can see how many fish are on the tree.”There is a drawback.“You get to watching the fish strike on the scope and forget to set the hook,” Black laughed.Still, the fish do have one advantage against modern technology.“You can’t make them bite, but you can see what they are wanting and not wanting,” Black said. “We’re

catching two pound average crappie on both black and white species. Pretty much guaranteed to catch at least a one-man limit every day.”

Black has offered his guide service for the last four years.“I’ve been fishing that lake (LOP) my whole life,” Black said. “I grew up on that lake bass fishing and

crappie fishing. My parents and grandparents brought me here.”Black recently moved to the area and started guiding five years ago and bought a lake house.“I have my own boat ramp,” Black said.Black knows what fish he prefers.“I’m primarily crappie man,” Black said. Although he has a bass fishing background, he prefers catfish and crappie. “It’s so much more rewarding when you bring a cooler of crappie home,” he said.Black prefers to use jigs and loves fishing with Perry Pippenger’s hand tied jigs.“I get a lot of customers who want to learn how to fish with jigs,” Black said.

Page 6 | Jefferson Jimplecute, Jefferson, Texas | July 4, 2019

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Jefferson Jimplecute

A criminal complaint by Jefferson City Administrator Kevin Huckabee against Mayor Bubba Haggard and former alderman Richard Turner now rests in the hands of District Attorney Angie Smoak.According to the offense

report obtained from the Jefferson Police Department by the Jimplecute through a Texas Freedom of Information Act request, Huckabee accuses the two city leaders of bribery.“An investigation has been

turned in and I have not reviewed it, yet,” Smoak said.The DA noted the complaint

was “in the review stack.”Smoak declined to speculate on whether the complaint would be referred to the Marion County Grand Jury.

Huckabee accuses Haggard of appointing Turner to the Jefferson Economic Development Corporation board in exchange for Turner’s support in the recent municipal election.

“I can’t comment anything right now on advice of counsel,” Haggard said.Huckabee’s complaint alleges

Haggard told Huckabee “he would be appointing former Alderman Richard Turner to the Jefferson Economic Development Corporation Committee (JEDCO) at that night’s meeting.”Huckabee complains the

appointment came as the fulfillment of an election promise.

“Haggard further explained to Huckabee early in the mayor’s campaign Richard Turner informed Haggard that he would not be seeking re-election to his alder seat but would support Haggard in the Mayor’s election if he (Haggard) would appoint him as his JEDCO appointment,” the police report states.“I outright supported Bubba

from the very beginning, way before we even started discussing the issue of JEDCO,” Turner said Friday. “When I did speak to Bubba concerning JEDCO, all I said I would like to be considered

Jefferson Economic Development

Corporation directors scrubbed their

scheduled meeting Tuesday, after incoming

Director Richard Turner objected to the

wording of the meeting notice.The notice and agenda posted for the

Tuesday session stated “that a Committee

Meeting of the Jefferson Economic

Development Corporation will be held on

July 24, 2018.“I contacted the AG [Texas Attorney

General’s office]’ today,” Turner told the

gathering. “The AG says the meeting is

incorrectly posted. He said if this was a

board meeting, then it had to state it was a

‘board meeting.’”Turner said the meeting had been referred

to as “committee meetings” since May 2017.

Director Robin Moore noted at one time

sessions were posted as simply a meeting

of JEDCO.Jay Patrick, the outgoing president who

would have presided until new officers

were elected, reached a conclusion.“We don’t have a valid meeting,” Patrick

said. “Sorry for inconvenience, but that is

where we are.”Board members selected Friday at 6

p.m. for their next meeting with the same

agenda. The notice is to state it is a meeting

of the Board of Directors.Several board members were less than

pleased with the change.Ted Dikson had flown in to attend

Tuesday’s meeting. Bob Avery and Darrel

Gaither will have to reset travel and work

plans to accommodate the new time.

Acknowledging that Texans are "fiercely

jealous" of our property rights and that

there are likely not two communities more

different than El Paso and Jefferson, Rep.

Beto O'Rouke (D-TX), offered the 7,081-

acre Castner Range as an example of where

local property owners are working with the

federal government to preserve valuable

land.The Jimplecute was able to interview

Rep. O'Rouke by phone Wednesday

morning to gauge his reaction to winning

the Prize for Civility in Public Life award for

bipartianship among other topics.The Jimplecute asked the congressman

about Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) remarks in

Jefferson on July 5 about abolishing ICE,

impeaching President Trump, fundraising

reports as well as when he is returning to

Jefferson and what he is reading these days.

Polls show O'Rouke an average of 8.4

points behind Cruz in his campaign to

unseat the freshman senator from Texas.

Polls with samples over 1,000, however,

show O'Rouke only 3 - 5 points behind. In

2012, Cruz won election to the U.S. Senate

by a margin of 16 points.

Visit Jimplecute1848.com to listen and read the full transcript

of the Jimp’s interview with O’Rouke.

GOHMERT WON’T PURSUE CADDO HERITAGE AREA AFTER LA. BACKERS WITHDRAW

US Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-TX, announced late Tuesday he would no

longer pursue legislation to create Caddo

Lake National Heritage Area after Louisiana

sponsors of the resolution withdrew.“People living in the potential Heritage area

in Louisiana have been particularly vociferous

in opposition to the proposal, and it seems

they have not given fair consideration to the

possible benefits,” Gohmert said in a written

statement. “As a result, both Louisiana’s U.S.

Senator Bill Cassidy and U.S. Representative

Mike Johnson are pulling their effort to

examine further the possible benefits.”A leader of the opposition expressed

satisfaction with the results.“We’re very pleased with it,” Danny

McCormack said Wednesday morning.

“We’re pleased the people voiced their

opinion very loudly. We’re very pleased our

representatives listened to us. This is the way

the American system is supposed to work.”Gary Endsley, general manager of Collins

Academy, lead the effort to explain the

National Heritage Area.“Of course, we are disappointed,” Endsley

said in a prepared statement. “Richard Collins

and the staff of Collins Academy have worked

very hard to promote this region and try to

bring opportunities to our community to help

with economic and tourism development. It

benefits all of us.”Collins Academy participated in a 2006

feasibility study and helped spread the word

after Gohmert and US Rep. John Ratcliffe,

R-TX, announced H.R. 5957.“We held a series of public town hall type

meetings to inform the public of the potential

benefits of having an NHA designation in

the bi-state region and dispel a great deal

of misinformation put out on social media

regarding what the designation would and

could not do,” Endlsey said. “I think the

timing of the release of the bill was possibly

ill-conceived in that the public had little

or no information in advance of the bill

being rolled out, and frankly, as our public

meetings showed, there was a great deal of

governmental mistrust. “This is unfortunate. Due to the mistrust

of some very vocal individuals, we all have

lost out on an opportunity that would have

benefitted the region,” Endsley asserted. “No

one wins in a situation like this, and it is my

hope that if people will actually read the bill,

they will realize that the benefits far outweigh

the suspicion and that the elected officials

will bring it up again for consideration in a

timely manner, and in a manner that will

better address individual concerns.”Gohmert expressed similar regrets.

“We had continued to work on language

that would have further ensured that the

federal government could never use the

Heritage Area designation to do anything the

actual landowners, private and public, did

not want done,” Gohmert said. “We also were

going to cut the size of the proposed area

significantly and only include land that the

owners wanted in the Heritage Area. “However, Sen. Cassidy and Rep. Johnson’s

withdrawal from any effort to pursue financial

benefits to what would have been the Caddo

Lake National Heritage Area occludes any

further inquiry into this matter,” Gohmert

stated. “Since Louisiana had more land that

would have been included in the potential

Heritage Area and they are withdrawing, it

does not make sense for us to pursue it.”Although Endsley said at the Collins

Academy informational meetings the effort

to develop tourism and other benefits of the

NHA would continue even if the proposed bill

failed, Gohmert left only a small door open.

NEWSbriefs

Jefferson JimplecuteThursday, July 26, 2018

WWW.JIMPLECUTE1848.COM

$1

See more on CADDO on page 6

See more on BRIBERY on page 6

5th Oldest Newspaper in Texas

Volume 171, Number 301 Section, 8 Pages

INSIDEOpinion .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 2Obituaries .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 3Food & Entertainment .. .... .... .... .... 4

Art & Flowers .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 5 Shop Jefferson.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 6Classifieds .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 7

120 North Vale St • Jefferson, TX 75657

PHONE 903.665.2462 FAX 903.705.4326Jimplecute1848@gmail.com

THE GOOD NEWS MESSENGERS GOSPEL

singers will be presenting a full concert at

Woodlawn Baptist on July 29th from 6-7

PM. Everyone is welcome. Please come out

and join us for a musical message service.

There will be fellowship with refreshments

following the concert. Contact Georgia 903-

471-9996 or the pastor 903-407-0586 for

more information.2018 MARION COUNTY FARMERS

MARKET continues each Saturday through

Oct. 27 as long as produce is available. They

will again be using the park in front of the

First National Bank in downtown Jefferson.

There will be a single membership or

vendors for the entire season. Dues are $20.

For questions contact Doug Weir at 903-

665-2421 or Myra Smith at 903-639-2910.FRIENDS OF JEFFERSON CARNEGIE

LIBRARY is hosting A Book Event on

Monday, August 6 at 6:00 pm. The event will

feature the anthology, “Her Texas – Story,

Image, Poem & Song” and Rachel Crawford,

one of its writers and editors. She will talk

about how the book came into being, about

the press that published it, about women in

Texas literature in general, and about some

of the notable authors and artists included

in the book.GRIEFSHARE, a special help seminar

and support group for people experiencing

grief and loss, will be held on Wednesday

afternoons from 1 pm to 3 pm, at Harleton

United Methodist Church beginning August

8, 2018. GriefShare features nationally

recognized experts on grief recovery

topics. Seminar sessions include “Is This

Normal?” “The Challenges of Grief,” “Grief

and Your Relationships,” “Why?” and “Guilt

and Anger.” Meetings will be held at 13370

FM 450N in Harleton, Texas. For more

information, call the program director at

903-601-1394.SAVE THE DATE FOR VBS AT SAVANNAH

BAPTIST CHURCH, 740 Highway 43,

Jefferson, Texas, August 6-10, 2018 from

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.. Preschool through

6th grade. Dinner will be served every

evening.HICKORY HILL BAPTIST CHURCH will be

having a revival August 5-10 with Danny

Ray Biddy preaching. Come early for special

singing and prayer meeting.

By BOB PALMER,Jimplecute Editor

DA Weighs huckAbee’s bribery complAint AgAinst mAyor hAggArD, richArD turner

JEDCO BOARD CANCELS MEETING

BETO O'ROUKE IDENTIFIES WITH TEXANS 'FIERCELY JEALOUS' OF

PROPERTY RIGHTS offers el pAso’s cAstner rAnge As exAmple for cADDo

By BOB PALMER, Jimplecute Editor

From Staff Reports

Rep. Beto O'Rouke (TX-16) accepts the Prize

for Civility in Public Life Tuesday

Concern for creeping government regulation and Caddo Lake’s natural beauty voiced by opponents

of the Caddo Lake National Heritage Act (HR 5957) led Congressmen to withdraw their support.

Photo by Hollis Shadden.

By BOB PALMER, Jimplecute Editor

NEWSbriefs

Jefferson JimplecuteThursday, August 2, 2018WWW.JIMPLECUTE1848.COM

$1

See more on OHTP on page 10

See more on JISD on page 6

See more on CITY COUNCIL on page 8

5th Oldest Newspaper in Texas

Volume 171, Number 311 Section, 10 Pages

INSIDEOpinion .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 2Community .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 3Food & Entertainment .. .... .... .... .... 4

Art & Flowers .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 5 Shop Jefferson.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 8Classifieds .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 9

120 North Vale St • Jefferson, TX 75657

PHONE 903.665.2462 FAX 903.705.4326Jimplecute1848@gmail.com

COMMUNITY SERVICES OF NORTHEAST

TEXAS will be assisting low income families

in Marion County, with school supplies for

the 2018/2019 school year. If you would

like to apply for this assistance, please pick

up and fill out an application and return it to

us along with the required documentation,

to our office by August 3, 2018. 510 E

Bonham, Jefferson, TX 75657.2018 MARION COUNTY FARMERS

MARKET continues each Saturday through

Oct. 27 as long as produce is available. They

will again be using the park in front of the

First National Bank in downtown Jefferson.

There will be a single membership for

vendors for the entire season. Dues are $20.

For questions contact Doug Weir at 903-

665-2421 or Myra Smith at 903-639-2910.FRIENDS OF JEFFERSON CARNEGIE

LIBRARY is hosting A Book Event on

Monday, August 6 at 6:00 pm. The event will

feature the anthology, “Her Texas – Story,

Image, Poem & Song” and Rachel Crawford,

one of its writers and editors. She will talk

about how the book came into being, about

the press that published it, about women in

Texas literature in general, and about some

of the notable authors and artists included

in the book.GRIEFSHARE, a special help seminar

and support group for people experiencing

grief and loss, will be held on Wednesday

afternoons from 1 pm to 3 pm, at Harleton

United Methodist Church beginning August

8, 2018. GriefShare features nationally

recognized experts on grief recovery topics.

Seminar sessions include “Is This Normal?”

“The Challenges of Grief,” “Grief and Your

Relationships,” “Why?” and “Guilt and Anger.”

Meetings will be held at 13370 FM 450N in

Harleton, Texas. For more information, call

the program director at 903-601-1394.SAVE THE DATE FOR VBS AT SAVANNAH

BAPTIST CHURCH, 740 Highway 43,

Jefferson, Texas, August 6-10, 2018 from

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.. Preschool through

6th grade. Dinner will be served every

evening.HICKORY HILL BAPTIST CHURCH will be

having a revival August 5-10 with Danny

Ray Biddy preaching. Come early for special

singing and prayer meeting.BACK TO SCHOOL BASH will be Saturday,

August, 11, 2018 at Cass County Cowboy

Church 7701 US Hwy 59 Atlanta TX. for

Grades: 3-12, 10am - 3pm, lunch will be

provided.CASS COUNTY COWBOY CHURCH will

also be hosting a Buckle Roping contest on

Sat, Aug 4 starting at 7pm. Call Robert for

questions: 903.799.0368.The Marion County Genealogical Society

will hold its August meeting at 10 AM

August 4th in the First Methodist Church

Fellowship Hall. This month’s program will

be presented by Amye and John Kelsey. Their

topic will be “What Was Life in Jefferson Like

In Its’ Earliest Days?” The public is invited

to hear this presentation.JEFFERSON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY is

registering students online for the first day

of school, August 20, 2018.

JEFFERSON ISDRECEIVES PASSING GRADE, TEA REPORTS INDICATE

CLASSICCOUNTRY

By BOB PALMER, Jimplecute Editor

From Staff Reports

CITIZENS CALL FOR HUCKABEE’S REMOVAL, LECTURE COUNCIL

JEDCO PLEDGES MONEY FOR NEW TRUCK STOP ON 59

Jefferson Economic Development

Corporation directors promised operators of

a proposed truck stop on US 59 at Jefferson

Street $50,000 per year for six years at a

called meeting last week.The grant will reimburse CEFCO for

necessary water and sewer upgrades in

exchange for constructing and operating the

establishment similar to the current plan,

retaining at least 30 full time equivalent jobs

and other provisions that may be added by

JEDCO attorney. Once the agreement is prepared, JEDCO

will need to approve the draft, have the two

public readings and then forward it to the

City Council for final approval.Backers of the CEFCO proposal said the

facility will resemble the truck stop at the

intersection of US 271 and I-20.Prior to discussion of the truck stop

request, directors elected Bob Avery

president. Ted Dikson was named vice-

president, Robin Moore secretary and Doug

Thompson treasurer.Avery’s election came on a 3-2 vote

with Avery, Dikson, Thompson and Darrel

Gaither voting for Avery. Richard Turner was

supported by Moore and Matt Whitfield.A request by Jefferson Tourism Director

Kevin Godfrey for JEDCO to fund new

welcome signs on US 59 and possibly make

the abandoned railroad trestle pedestrian

friendly met a mixed reaction.“We can’t rely on the old tricks and get

new people,” Godfrey told the board.The entrance signs would cost $18,750

each with the Rotary Club expected to pick

up the cost of flag poles.Godfrey estimated the cost of the trestle

project and additional improvements at

$80,000.Turner questioned whether this was a

wise use of JEDCO funds.“At this point, this is not something I

want to see,” Turner said. The former city

alderman and mayor said he preferred

projects with a more direct impact creating

jobs.Thompson suggested Godfrey needed

to refine and prioritize his proposal which

included items like loaner bikes for visitors.

Godfrey indicated he would return with

more information.

A petition calling for the firing of Jefferson

City Administrator Kevin Huckabee and an

ethics lecture highlighted public comments

at the City Council’s called meeting Tuesday.Aldermen also voted to push ahead with

the summer paving project without a block

that some questioned was a city street.Jeff Taylor told the council he had a

petition calling for the removal of Huckabee

with more than 140 names.Since the petition was not on the agenda

and the council could take no action on it,

It’s that day parents dread.Their oldest child begins school on Aug. 15.You purchased the backpack, 12 #2

wooden pencils, four boxes of 24-count

Crayola crayons, a ring binder, pencil box,

four large boxes of facial tissues and the rest

of the list published in today’s Jimplecute.You know exactly which new jeans Johnny

will wear for his first day of class. He will get

a fresh haircut next week and a new pair of

Nike tennis shoes.But what do you know about the school?According to the Texas Education Agency,

you can expect your child to receive an

education at Jefferson ISD comparable to

most other schools in Texas.TEA will not begin issuing letter grades

for each campus until next year. For the

moment, districts are found to have “Met

Standards” or “Did Not Meet Standards.”Jefferson High School and Jefferson Junior

High have been found to have met standards

in four critical areas, along with 92.5 percent

of the schools in Texas.With a target score of 60 for student

achievement, JISD scored a 65.In the category of student progress, the

state expectation was 22 and JISD scored 30.Jefferson also exceeded the target for

closing performance gaps with a 36 rating.

The goal was 28.JISD showed strongest in postsecondary

readiness with a 76 score. The target was 60.Jefferson’s graduation rate helped boost

its score.The district’s 100 percent participation

rate also contributed to a 79 percent score

for system safeguards.Recent STARR test results, however, show

JISD lagging behind the state average.In the “approaches grade level or above”

category, the state norm was 75 percent as

opposed to Jefferson’s 65.Thirty percent of Jefferson students met

grade level in two or more subjects while the

Texas average was 48 percent.Only 10 percent of the students mastered

the grade level test. Students across the state

doubled that number.Almost half of Jefferson High School

and Junior High students met or exceeded

progress.Test results indicated challenges with

mathematics where only 25 percent met

grade level. The average across the state is

48 percent.In reading the JISD “met grade level” score

was 39 percent. For writing the number was

29 percent, science 32 percent and social

studies 34 percent.The student population of Jefferson ISD

faces socio-economic hurdles.The TEA report shows 69.9 percent of the

students are economically disadvantaged.

JISD recently announced breakfast and

lunch are now free for all students. The state

average is 59 percent.More than 10 percent of the students are

enrolled in special education.The ethnic breakdown of the student

population is 54.4 percent white, 35.5

percent African American, 5.8 percent

Hispanic.JISD does boast smaller than state average

class sizes where English classes have 12

students, foreign language classes have 18,

math 12, science 13 and social studies 14.The mobility rate is lower than the state

average at 18 percent.Jefferson ISD spends $10,143 per

student against a state average of $9,373.

Instructional expense is $5,375 per student

in Jefferson. Districts around the state spend

$5,317.

Local musicians (left to right), Tom Moss, Danny Collins, Buddy Bell, Charlie Gilbert,

Dusty and David Axe, serenade downtown Jefferson after a rain shower Monday

evening with the Merle Haggard classic, “Swinging Doors.” Winter, a 3-year old

Bell rescued, enjoys the show. Visit Jimplecute1848.com to take a listen.

The shows will go on.Although the complete lineup for the

Opera House Theatre Players’ upcoming

30th anniversary season has not been set in

stone, Vice President Marcia Thomas says

they are fine-tuning the details, including

securing a venue.“The brochure will be out by Sept. 1,” she

says, adding that they have selected dates

but all productions have not been decided.

OHTP CELEBRATES30 YEARS, NEW SEASON

By BOB PALMER, Jimplecute Editor

By DARLA HIGGINS, Contributing Writer

The late Dorothy (Dot) Craver, former President

of the Opera House Theatre Players

Sewer Project Workers rip out a traffic island that was rebuilt last year as part of a $340,000 sewer project at the intersection of Broadway and Polk Streets. The Jefferson City Council approved the measure when area business complained of sewer gas in their buildings.

NEWSbriefs

Jefferson JimplecuteThursday, August 9, 2018 WWW.JIMPLECUTE1848.COM

$1

See more on CHARLIE on page 6

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5th Oldest Newspaper in TexasVolume 171, Number 32

1 Section, 10 Pages

INSIDEOpinion .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 2

Community .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 3

Food & Entertainment .. .... .... .... .... 4

Art & Flowers .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 5

Shop Jefferson.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 6

Classifieds .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 7

120 North Vale St • Jefferson, TX 75657

PHONE 903.665.2462 FAX 903.705.4326

Jimplecute1848@gmail.com

MARION COUNTY AARP CHAPTER #3694 is offering the "Smart Drivers Course"

on Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at Kelleyville Park Center (130 Kelley Park Road,

Jefferson, Tex.), 8:30am - 11:30am. The course fee is $15 for members, $20 for non-

members. For more information, please contact John T. Cooper at (903) 624-9047.

2018 MARION COUNTY FARMERS MARKET continues each Saturday through

October 27 as long as produce is available. They will again be using the park in

front of the First National Bank in downtown Jefferson. There will be a single

membership for vendors for the entire season. Dues are $20. For questions contact

Doug Weir at (903) 665-2421 or Myra Smith at (903) 639-2910.

GRIEFSHARE, a special help seminar and support group for people experiencing

grief and loss, will be held on Wednesday afternoons from 1 pm to 3 pm, at Harleton

United Methodist Church beginning August 8, 2018. GriefShare features nationally

recognized experts on grief recovery topics. Seminar sessions include “Is This

Normal?” “The Challenges of Grief,” “Grief and Your Relationships,” “Why?” and

“Guilt and Anger.” Meetings will be held at 13370 FM 450N in Harleton, Texas. For

more information, call the program director at (903) 601-1394.

JEFFERSON ISD INITIATES PLAN TO RAISE STATETEST SCORES

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

JIMPLECUTE'S OWN WINS JAKE TRUSSELL AWARD AS

LONE STAR CONFERENCE SPORTSCASTER OF THE YEAR

Scientists say 50 million years

before dinosaurs left their footprints

outside Glen Rose paddlefish swam

the waters of the earth. American

paddlefish populations have declined

dramatically, however, primarily because

of overfishing, habitat destruction, and

pollution.A small crowd gathered at the Jefferson

turning basin and boat ramp recently

to watch the first step in a campaign to

repopulate the species.

“More than 6,400 American paddlefish

were stocked by the Texas Parks and

Wildlife Department (TPWD) last week

into Big Cypress Bayou and Caddo Lake,”

Tim Bister with TPWD said.

This stocking was a cooperative effort

between TPWD and the United States

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

The fish were raised by USFWS at the

Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery in

Tishomingo, Oklahoma. A total of 14,000

fish are planned to be stocked in 2018.

“This is the first year in a 10-year

restocking effort to reestablish a self-

sustaining population of the American

paddlefish in the Big Cypress Bayou and

Caddo Lake,” Bister explained.

Collins Academy has also played a

role in the feasibility study prior to the

restocking effort.

“The Paddlefish Reintroduction Project

has gone from an experimental posture

where scientists were determining

whether the species would stay and

thrive in the Caddo Lake system to a

restocking effort,” Collins Academy

GM Gary Endlsey said. “Studies have

determined that American Paddlefish

love the conditions presented. A robust

stocking program is now underway.”

Prior to any paddlefish stocking, a

plan was developed to establish a more

naturalized water flow for Big Cypress

Bayou and Caddo Lake.

“These flow recommendations have

been met using water releases from

Lake O’ the Pines,” Bister explained.

“Once paddlefish mature to spawning

age, these natural flows will provide

important environmental and biological

cues for fish during the spring spawning

season.”In 2008, USACE completed a project

that installed a gravel shoal in Big Cypress

Bayou, just upstream of Jefferson. Gravel

areas in the river are important for

successful paddlefish spawning. The

USFWS has also identified other potential

gravel spawning areas downstream of

Lake O’ the Pines that can be monitored

in the future for paddlefish spawning.

Although Jefferson schools received a “met

standards” in 2017-2018 from the Texas Education

Agency, state test results like only 30 percent of

Jefferson students met grade level in two or more

subjects while the Texas average was 48 percent

have caught the attention of the district staff.

“Many of our STAAR scores are concerning,” JISD

Superintendent Rob Barnwell told the Jimplecute,

“but we are committed to improving in all areas.”

The JISD program is wide ranging.

“We are just beginning to implement new

expectations/systems concerning student progress,

particularly related to Response to Intervention

(RTI) and Professional Learning Communities

(PLC),” Barnwell said. “These basically require

our principals and teachers to assess and review

student data in a more detailed way.”

In reading the JISD “met grade level” score was

39 percent. For writing the number was 29 percent,

science 32 percent and social studies 34 percent.

The JISD plan “also requires our teachers to meet

and communicate as a group more, which helps to

determine strategies and/or manipulatives that

work for some students and may not work for

others,” Barnwell continued. “Anyway, it's basically

a way for teachers to ‘share’ ideas and communicate

with each other about specific students and

strategies related to the essential knowledge and

skills that are being taught/learned.”

Barnwell wants to ensure Marion County

residents understand one group is not to blame.

“Low state test scores sometimes tend to make

folks think that teachers are not teaching, which is

not the case most of the time,” Barnwell said. “Our

teachers are teaching, and students are learning,

but we may have to tweak ‘how’ we are teaching

something, or perhaps the ‘depth’ of a concept

through various questioning techniques in order to

induce a higher level of critical thinking. It's almost

like the old adage of "don't work harder, just work

smarter.”A higher degree of buy-in is part of the effort.

“We have a renewed commitment to increase

reading comprehension at the lower grades, which

we've recognized as being an issue,” Barnwell said.

“Poor reading/comprehension skills affect all areas

of education, including math, science, and social

studies, so that is an area of focus for us.”

These efforts have engendered renewed

optimism.“We are absolutely hopeful that scores will

improve,” Barnwell said. “However, we are mainly

concerned about individual, student progress.....

learning more, improving individually, and

expanding in all areas....every day, every year.”

Barnwell resents attempts to compare JISD to any

other district or non-educational parallel.

“I don't think public education can be legitimately

compared to any other entity,” the superintendent

said. “There's nothing else like it. Even comparing

one public school to another is absurd in most

cases.”Differences between districts make comparisons

pointless.“There are too many variables that are not taken

into consideration, but should be,” Barnwell said.

“For example, one could ask the question, ‘How

did School A stack up against School B regarding

state test scores? They both have about the same

breakdown regarding student population. So,

wouldn't that be a legitimate comparison?’”

Barnwell’s answer is "No.”

“School A may have a higher tax rate that

enables them to hire extra personnel to serve

as interventionists - folks to help the struggling

students in a small-group setting, or perhaps

even a 1-on-1 setting. Therefore, School A has an

advantage over School B in that scenario,” Barnwell

explained. “However, it is a fact that even districts

across the state which have the exact same tax rates

receive varying amounts of funding per student,

which is not fair.”One district may receive about 8-10,000 thousand

dollars per student, while a seemingly analogous

district receives 5,000 per student, even with the

same tax rates.

By BOB PALMER, Jimplecute Editor

Charlie Chitwood poses ahead of the NCAA

Division II National Championship Game in

Kansas City, KS.

Texas A&M University-Commerce play-

by-play announcer Charlie Chitwood

has been named the winner of the

Jake Trussell Award for the Lone Star

Conference's Sportscaster of the Year, as

announced Tuesday at the LSC's annual

football media day.A Jefferson resident, Chitwood is also

the sports columnist for the Jimplecute.

Chitwood was the play-by-play voice of

the Lions for the 2017 football National

Championship, as well as a basketball

playoff run not seen in Commerce for 13

years. He recently completed his sixth

season as the play-by-play broadcaster for

A&M-Commerce, joining 88.9 KETR-FM

and the Lion Sports Network in 2012.

Chitwood called all 15 Lion football

games in the National Championship

season, including the weather-delayed

opener at North Alabama and three

consecutive playoff road games in

Minnesota, Washington, and a return to

Minnesota.

Chitwood is also a regular fixture in the press box at W.F. Lockett Stadium.

“Covering the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs is a touchstone for me and has kept ink

circulating in my blood since I left the newsroom in Paris to move here in 1993,”

Chitwood said.The Trussell Award and the 2017 season remain important to Chitwood.

“I don’t know about 'prominent' – I’ve never heard of anyone holding up a game

because the radio guy wasn’t there – but it’s a real privilege to be considered a part of

the teams and university family in Commerce,” Chitwood said. “That 'Ol’ ET' crowd up

there is special - they’ll talk about last-year’s national championship run forever – just

like they have about their NAIA 'Natty' in 1972.”

“I’ve had it pointed out to me by some of my colleagues that there are now three

active college football play-by-play guys in Texas with National Championships rings,”

a smiling Chitwood recalled. “Jon Wallin at Mary Hardin-Baylor (NCAA Division III) got

his ring two years ago and of course Craig Way down at UT picked up his “Natty” back

in 2005 with Vince Young. It’s crazy to be in such a small circle.”

Prehistoric Fish Gets Fresh Start in Caddo Lake

By BOB PALMER, Jimplecute Editor

Jefferson ISD technology director Jay Patrick and Curriculum Director Dr. Lynn Phillips provide

orientation information to teachers joining the district this year. “This is a great place to live,”

Patrick said. “This is a great place to work.”

See more on NEWSBRIEFS on page 7 See more on PADDLEFISH on page 6

From Staff Reports

Tim Bister with Texas Parks and Wildlife

holds one 3,000 of the paddlefish released at

the Jefferson boat ramp last week as part of

a 10-year program to reintroduce the species

into Caddo Lake.

JimplecuteJefferson

SPECIAL PRICING GOOD JULY 1-12!

Pines Guide Uses Technology, Skill to Catch Crappie

By BOB PALMER