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HURRICANE SEASON JUNE 1 - NOVEMBER 30
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click the logo to "listen live"
HURRICANE SEASON JUNE 1 - NOVEMBER 30
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NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010
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THE DANGERS LOCAL NEWS DATE: 06 16 10 WE TOLD YOU ABOUT THE MISSIONS WORK OF FORMER DAYTON PASTOR RANDY PIATT IN THE COUNTRY OF MYANMAR, FORMERLY BURMA. WHILE THAT STORY OF BEING HELD AT GUN POINT BY THE JUNTA, OR MILITARY LEADERS, IS A FRIGHTENING REMINDER OF THE DANGERS OF BEING A CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY, RANDY PIATT ALSO TELLS A STORY OF TRUE SACRIFICE ON THE PART OF THE LOCALS, WHO DAILY PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE IN SUCH COUNTRIES IF THEY CHOSE TO WORSHIP IN A WAY OTHER THAN THE STATE SANCTIONED RELIGION. WHILE IN MYANMAR, FORMERLY KNOWN AS BURMA, LONG TIME DAYTON BAPTIST MINISTER PASTOR, RANDY PIATT TEACHES LOCAL’S HOW TO PREACH THE CHRISTIAN GOSPEL. SUCH MINISTRY IS ALWAYS A THREAT TO THE SAFETY OF THESE NATIVES WHO SEEK TO WORSHIP THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. AUDIO: PASTOR RANDY PIATT SAID THE TRAINING OF THE LOCAL RESIDENTS IS DONE IN SECRET, WITH THE HOMES WHERE THE MINISTERS ARE TRAINED ARE NECESSARILY MOVED FROM TIME TO TIME. HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT OFTEN INVESTIGATE HOMES WHERE "TWO MANY" PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SEEN COMING AND GOING. CATCHING THE MOISTURE LOCAL NEWS DATE: WITH THE DRIEST PART OF THE YEAR STILL AHEAD, LEARNING MORE ABOUT CAPTURING THE MOISTURE AVAILABLE ALL AROUND MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE. EVERYTHING FROM HARVESTING WHAT RAIN WE GET TO CATCHING THE CONDENSATION FROM CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM CAN HELP LOWER DEPENDENCE ON GROUND WATER. SANDY GAMMON WITH THE COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICE SAID WATER COLLECTED IN THESE RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEMS CAN BE USED IN MANY WAYS. AUDIO; ALSO WATER COLLECTED IN RAIN WATER CATCH SYSTEMS CAN BE USED IN MANY WAYS, FROM WATERING GARDENS AND LAWNS, TO CARING FOR PETS, LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE. THERE IS A DEMONSTRATION MODEL AT THE AGRI-LIFE OFFICE IN LIBERTY. THAT OFFICE IS IN THE COURTHOUSE ANNEX IN LIBERTY. FOR INFORMATION, CALL 936-336-4558 EXT. 221. SAND DUNE BRIDGE LOCAL NEWS DATE: IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL YEARS SINCE LIBERTY COUNTY SHUT DOWN THE BRIDGE ON LIBERTY’S SAND DUNE ROAD STATING THE STRUCTURE WAS UNSAFE FOR MOTOR TRAFFIC. NOW, ACCORDING TO CORY TAYLOR LIBERTY AREA ENGINEER WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, WORK WILL BEGIN ON REPLACING THE OLD BRIDGE THAT ALLOWS TRAVELERS ON SAND DUNE ROAD TO GO FROM HIGHWAY 146 TO FM 1011. AUDIO: IT SHOULD NOT TAKE MORE THAN ABOUT A MONTH, WEATHER COOPERATING, FOR THE REBUILD OF THE SAND DUNE ROAD BRIDGE TO BE COMPLETED. THE CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO FORDE CONSTRUCTION, WITH A REGIONAL OFFICE IN HOUSTON. THE COST OF THE PROJECT IS $265,000. AGAIN, LIBERTY AREA ENGINEER FOR THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAID THE CONTRACT TO REBUILD THE SAND DUNE ROAD BRIDGE, THAT HAS BEEN CLOSED TO TRAFFIC FOR MANY YEARS NOW, HAS ALREADY BEEN AWARDED AND WORK SHOULD BEGIN LATE JULY, WITH WORK EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN ABOUT 30 DAYS FROM START. community garden news story 06.17.10 kshn has previously reported on efforts to ORGANIZE a liberty community garden on the grounds of the old san jacinto ELEMENTARY school at the corner of texas and grand avenue. now, those behind this project will hold an organizational meeting next THURSDAY, june 24, at 5:30 p.m. in the liberty county annex on cos street. this meeting is open to anyone interested in participating in the community garden. the idea of the community garden is being pushed hard by local state farm agent tracy williams. she is the incoming liberty rotary club president. it has grown to include texas agrilife extension service, the liberty county master gardeners, also the liberty garden club, liberty isd and other local groups. plans for the garden call for numerous plots that individuals or groups could rent, for a small fee, to grow vegetables, flowers and other plants. tracy williams said the community garden also could be a great LEARNING experience for local kids since each school could have its own plot. once more, there will be an organizing meeting for the liberty community garden next thursday, june 24, at 5:30 p.m. at the liberty county annex, 2013 cos street in liberty. anyone interested in PARTICIPATING is invited. for information, call the extension office at 936-336-4558, ext. 221. liberty isd BUDGET woes news story 06.17.10 liberty INDEPENDENT school district trustees expect deficit spending of $1.2 million for this current fiscal year after they approved more than 25 budget amendments tuesday night. that comes on the heels of what was already a $600,000 budget deficit for the previous 2008-2009 fiscal year. as a result of the two years of deficit spending, the liberty school district’s fund balance has decreased from $5.4 million at the end of the 2007-2008 budget cycle to an expected $3.5 million when the current fiscal year concludes on august 31. that is a two-year decrease in the fund balance of $1.9 million or about 35 percent. the texas education agency recommends a fund balance to cover three months of total EXPENSES. based on projected expenditures of about 18.6 million for the 2009-2010 budget, the state suggested fund balance then should be $4.65 million. that is well above lisd’s expected fund balance of $3.5 million come this august. one area where the district went over budget this year is for substitute teacher pay. interestingly, the district adopted an incentive plan at the beginning of the current budget year to encourage teachers to miss no more than three instructional days. that plan pays an extra $640 for teachers with 100 percent attendance and $145 for those who missed just three days of class. however, fewer than 20 percent of liberty school teachers took advantage of that plan. the school district had budgeted $142,178 to pay for substitute teachers but now projects actual EXPENDITURES of $241,477. of note, that is a 7.5 percent increase over last year’s substitute teacher pay when no incentive plan was in place. part of that is ATTRIBUTABLE to a higher DAILY pay for substitutes; however, lisd ADMINISTRATORS are looking into the matter to understand why the incentive plan wasn’t EFFECTIVE. the liberty school district has also had some unexpected CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS expenses this year in addition to the other areas where the adopted budget didn’t cover actual EXPENDITURES. As ORIGINALLY adopted, the 2009-2010 budget projected expenditures of $18.027 million. even that included DEFICIT spending of $729,000. some earlier budget amendments reduced that deficit projection to about $600,000 – but now liberty school officials expect to end the current fiscal year with deficit spending of $1.2 million. looking ahead to the 2010-2011 school year, SUPERINTENDENT CYNTHIA lusignolo said they are working toward reducing budget EXPENDITURES to about $17 million. among the items cut out of the pending budget so far are 11 ½ teaching positions, which will OCCUR through attrition. cynthia lusignolo said on a recent party line program that no layoffs are planned. |
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