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Commissioners support extended trail proposal
By Bill Hankins
The Paris News
Published September 15, 2009
Lamar County Commissioners voiced their support Monday for the proposed 130-mile park extending from Farmersville through Lamar County to New Boston.
Eric Erickson told commissioners if the $19 million grant applied for to build the park is approved, it will be the longest trail in Texas and the fourth longest in the nation.
“The trail will be administered by the Texas Department of Transportation and will be a multi-purpose park,” Erickson said.
Mindy Moree of the Lamar County Chamber of Commerce told commissioners it would be an economic boon to Lamar County and could be used for everything from bikers riding in the Tour de Paris to horseback riding.
Jill Drake of the Lamar County district attorney’s office told commissioners: “I can’t wait to take my family out for a walk on the trail or a long bike ride on the trail.
Erickson said he is optimistic the grant will be approved and if so the project will have to be completed by February 2012.
“This is a fast track project and it is shovel ready with no land to buy,” he said.
The park was one of two items on the commissioners’ agenda that will bring tourists to Lamar County.
Juanita and Richard Miller told the court of the plans for an “automobile performance rally” planned for late November that would bring tourists to road races in and around Roxton.
The Millers said the races that were held at Camp Maxey near Powderly last year are being moved this year to a more community-oriented location.
The races will for the most part be run on county roads 26400 and 26720 near Roxton, and an awards event will be staged in Roxton to award the winners after the races on Nov. 28.
Commissioners also approved, at the request of Lamar County Sheriff B.J. McCoy, a plan to pay sheriff’s deputies overtime instead of comp time if they are called out on their days off to help with demonstration rallies.
Under the present plan, deputies were given comp time, but McCoy said that is not fair for officers being called in on their days off.
Commissioners also approved, at the request of Lamar County Elections Coordinator Russ Towers, increasing pay for election judges and clerks from $7 per hour to $8.50 per hour.
The court voted to approve a plan to upgrade County Road 12600 using donated materials from the planned Daisy Farm. The road leads into the dairy site.
Commissioners voted to allow Precinct 2 Commissioner Lonnie Layton to complete the upgrade on the road and bill Daisy Farm for the cost.
A “letter of understanding” with Daisy Farm spelling out details of the upgrade will be drawn up by Layton.
A spokesman for Daisy Farm said the work is expected to begin in October, with construction continuing through the winter and construction on the dairy to begin in the spring 2010.
The county’s pharmaceutical agreement with Kroger Pharmacy will be amended in what County Treasurer Shirley Fults said “will save the county lots of money.”
“The savings will come through a different method of computing the cost of drugs, taking the Red Book value of the drugs less 40 percent or the AWP manual less 13 percent.
Commissioners voted to have County Judge Chuck Superville authorize a document showing no change in the Texas County District Retirement System plan for the year 2010.
A plan to sell county equipment to Delta County was approved, with the county accepting $20,000 for a used motor grader and $6,000 for a brush cutter.
The county adopted the holiday schedule for 2010, including 10 holidays, with the Christmas holiday spreading from Friday, Dec. 24, 2010, through Monday, Dec. 27.
Commissioners received signed orders from 62nd District Court Judge Scott McDowell and 6th District Court Judge Eric Clifford regarding the salary of the official shorthand reporter of 6th District Court and the salary of Lamar County Auditor Kevin Parsons.
They set 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, for training class on Lamar County’s new Automated External Defibrillator donated by Cardiac Science Corporation.
That training will take place on the third floor in the Grand Jury Room.
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