Author: Howe Enterprise

The Howe Enterprise will print a Special Edition full color four-page tribute to the 12-members inducted into the Howe Area Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural class of the Howe Hall of Honor.  The printed publication will serve as the souvenir program of the induction ceremony on Friday, April 24 at 7 pm at the grand opening of the new Howe Area Chamber of Commerce/Howe Development Alliance/Keep Howe Beautiful office located at 101 E. Haning St.  Each person entering the building for the event will receive the printed publication.  Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at City Hall or Independent Bank in Howe.  County officials attending the Howe event include District Attorney Joe Brown, County Commissioner Jeff Whitlock, District Clerk Kelly Ashmore, and Justice of the Peace Rita Noel.

It is the first printed Enterprise since 2010 and the first entitled Howe Enterprise since 1997.  It will be the first printed publication by a Walker since August, 1974.  Special thanks to Independent Bank for sponsoring this special edition.

Copies left over from the event on Friday night will be for sale for $2 at Founders Day on Saturday, April 25.

What a week for senior Easton Ross, who yesterday was named Class 3A Hitter of the Week by txhighschoolbaseball.com and today wins the long jump competition at the district track meet.

Other known finishes:

Anthony Hawthorne, 4th in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.60

Anthony Hawthorne, tied for 3rd in the 200 meter dash with a time of 23.09

Dawson McDonald, 5th in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 17.59

Brandon Wall, 5th in the 400 yard meter with a time of 52.97

Michael Kehrer, 2nd in high jump

Independent Bank President Anna Anderson persuaded Howe citizen Jimmy Don McMillion to display his magnificent wooden works of art for the entire community to see.  Everything in the artwork is carved from wood by McMillion except for the tiny parts of metal on the motorcycle.  Even the tractor wheels are carved from wood.

Chase Allen Anderson of Sherman, TX has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

His Court of Honor was April 11, 2015 at Parkview Church of Christ. Chase is the son of Jarrod and Alida Anderson.

He is a member of Troop 66 in Sherman, Circle 10 Council. Chase has spent the last four years working for Camp James Ray during summer camp. He started as a volunteer for two years then a paid employee. During this time he spent many hours helping younger boy scouts learn the skills of scouting.

For his Eagle project, he replaced and moved the flag pole at Jefferson Elementary School. Not only did the school get a much needed flag pole, but it was moved so the information sign could be used on both sides.

Chase is a senior in Howe High School. He has been continually active with the youth at First Christian Church, Van Alstyne. His short term goals is assisting in Summer Camp at James Ray and going to. Philmont Scout Ranch, the Boy Scouts of America’s premier High Adventure™ base for the second time.

Retired Sherman Police Chief Tom Watt is not living the normal retired life of golf courses and rocking chairs. Not only is he currently serving as a city councilman for the City of Sherman, but Watt also decided to enter the race for Grayson County Sheriff in December which is coming open due to the retirement of longtime Sheriff Keith Gary. Watt, on his third stop of the day, had some information that he wanted to give to the voters of Grayson County for the election coming up in early 2016.

Watt retired as police chief in Sherman in March of 2013 and says that his strong passion for law enforcement is just in his blood and that several members in local law enforcement asked him to run for sheriff.

“To be quite honest, I was actually enjoying retirement, but I was called off of the sideline and told to get back in the game.” said Watt.

Watt and his wife of 33 years, Debbie were a part of the Howe community for around ten years. Watt even served as the president of the Howe Athletic Booster Club in 2001-02. Both of his children, Sarah and John, were graduates of Howe High School.

When the school was reworking the water lines at Bulldog Stadium, Watt came to realize after talking with Steve Simmons that the coaches were putting in 80 hours a week. That’s when Watt decided he and Debbie could give some of their time as well and combine to take on the role as president of the booster club.

“We were also involved in the band boosters because of Elmer Schenk.” said Watt. “That guy walked on water as far as the kids were concerned.”

Watt’s law enforcement career started in the military police corps while in the US Army for three years. He joined the Army in 1976 and was a corrections officer from 1976-79 in Fort Riley, Kansas 1st Infantry Division. Once leaving the Army, he came to Sherman, Texas and started his municipal law enforcement career.

Watt has spent most of his life in Grayson County. Born the son of an Air Force man, Watt spent his early childhood in Incirlik Air Force Base in Turkey before landing in Denison due to not enough housing on Perrin Air Force Base. He attended Central Elementary School in Denison. He then attended Sherman schools through high school with the exception of one year in New Mexico.

After high school and the three years in the Army, Watt went to Grayson College and obtained Associated Degree in Law Enforcement. Later, he received his Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice from Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Watt started a 31-year career with the Sherman Police Department. He was a patrol officer for 10 years before being promoted to sergeant.

“That’s where my career in law enforcement management and administration really began taking off.” said Watt.

During his time as sergeant, from 1991-95, Watt started the training office and then started the internal affairs office. After that office became fully functional, the opportunity came open for Watt to test for the rank of lieutenant. He obtained that rank and held that title for 11 months as a shift commander on afternoons. He then tested and obtained the rank of captain.

“In a city like Sherman, a civil service city, there are no political promotions.” said Watt. “No one touches you with a wand and says you were a sergeant and now you’re a lieutenant. You have to work your way through the ranks and earn it.”

Watt was a captain from October 1995 to September of 2004. “That was the point in my career that I began learning bout being an administrator.” said Watt. “I was mentored and trained by my chief (Jerry Caylor) at the time. He saw to it that I went to every management training, administration, leadership program that I could possible go to.”

In September of 2004, Watt was promoted to chief of police and held that position until retiring in 2013.

“I retired on my own.” said Watt. “I just felt like I had done what I could do to bring that organization to the next level of excellence beyond what Chief Caylor had done. When I decided to get into the race for the Sheriff’s office, that was my goal; to take some of the things Sheriff Gary has done and bring the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office to the next level of excellence.”

Watt says that he wants to create an environment where employees love coming to work and feel respected and valued to the organization. He says that the Sherman Police Department was a family environment and wants to bring that same approach to the Sheriff’s Office.

Grayson County will experience issues with population growth that it has never experienced before according to Watt.

“I think we’re going to have a lot more diversity in that population.” said Watt. “That growing population will have a tremendous impact on the population in the jail. If you’re not a good strong business person and understand the business of law enforcement and how to properly administrate and manage the resources that you have, I think you’ll be in trouble. It’s kind of cliche to say, but, (I’ve) been-there-done-that in law enforcement.”

Watt says that he was in charge of the budget for the Sherman Police Department and is experienced with large budgets. The Sherman Police Department budget was around $7.5 million annually. The Grayson County Sheriff’s budget is $10 million.

Watt says that the Grayson County Jail commands 65 percent of the Sheriff’s budget. He says that the jail will be the most challenging issue over the next 10 years. Sheriff Gary asked Watt to sit on the committee implemented in 2004 to determine whether or not the county needed a new jail. The results of the committee were that they needed more space, but they also came up with programs to keep people out of the jail such as the drug court, which is a successful program that allows an individual with a minor drug violation to “graduate” from a program instead of tax payers spending dollars on them to sit in jail.

Watt says that he doesn’t see the jail moving from the downtown area. He was given a personal guided tour of the jail by Sheriff Gary when entering the race in December.

“He convinced me that there is no other place for the jail other than where it’s at.” said Watt. “They built that new pod and there is room in the current setting for another pod just like the one they just built.”

Emergency Management is something that Watt says he has a strong background in. For the nine years he was a captain, he was also operations commander and emergency management coordinator for the City of Sherman.

“When disasters are going on, you respond. But when no disasters are going on, you’re planning every single day.” said Watt. “You’re reaching out to people who can help you during disasters. You’re getting equipment set up or you need 50,000 gallons of water from a store. I created the Emergency Management Plan for the city (Sherman) and because of that, I have connections all over Grayson County and can walk in to most government agencies and they will at least recall my name or face. Yes, I’m a law and order guy, but there’s a whole lot more to community standing and holding the rank of sheriff than just being a lawman.”

Watt, 57, says he’s old enough to have been there and done that but young enough to keep doing it. He says that he wants the voters to know that he brings to the office an ability to recruit and retain deputies and civilian employees, train them and hold people accountable to the training he provides and then determine how to best make them successful.

“If they’re successful, than I’m going to come across as successful. That skill set that I was so blessed to have been given by Chief Caylor now comes in to play. It is the perfect skill set for this organization to help them meet the challenges that are coming.” said Watt.

You can learn more about Tom Watt’s candidacy for Sheriff of Grayson County at http://tomwattforsheriff.com/. We will continue next week with our interviews of each candidate for Grayson County Sheriff.

The City of Howe itself is only 21 years older than the building that was formerly the First Christian Church that rests on the southeast corner of O’Connell and Denny Streets. Opened in 1893, the church was disbanded in 1982 and was given to The City of Howe to maintain. For a period of time, the city used it as the Community Center and later the Historical Society used it as a museum, but even the enormous efforts of the community leaders such as Jean Norman, JC and Carrie Waller, Norma Wallace couldn’t raise enough of the costly resources to renovate the old structure.

After the Historical Society folded, the city was left with the old structure that sits in its current state of decay.

In 2010, the city contracted Oak Hill Contractors to provide a detailed estimate to renovate the asbestos-filled structure. That estimate came to a total of $693,200 of which $56,000 was profit from the renovation.

City Administrator Joe Shephard says that the city does not have the amount required to restore the facility and that even the grants that are available from different state agencies normally require a substantial amount of matching funds that would seriously tie up cash flow for the city.

Per the gift requirements, the city cannot sell the property or give it away. It is the same type of agreement that was made for Ferguson Field.

The church is the only one left of the four Howe Protestant churches that were similarly built in the same period of time. Each of the other similar structures were eventually torn down for newer sanctuaries.  However, the First Christian Church dwindled and a new sanctuary was never realized.

According to an article written by Hazel Bearden Rutherford The First Christian of Howe was founded by early Texans including George Miller, J.A. Hughes, Henry Stevens and others.

As stated, the church was erected in 1893. The lot was purchased from J.T. and Minnie B. Simpson for $350, and the building was erected soon after the land was purchased. The ground was leveled by Tas Gee and the building was constructed by Charlie Hanna, J.W. Bearden, John Grigg and his son Frank I. Grigg.

The pulpit, which was recently restored and is now at the Howe Community Center, was given to the church by the Governor of Texas, Charles A. Culberson, who was a friend of J.A. Hugues, one of the church members.

During the church’s many years of existence, numerous revivals were held in the church yard beneath some beautiful silver maple trees.

The church celebrated its 75th anniversary before the church closed in 1982 because of a decline in membership.

The third annual Bulldog 5K and Fun Run saw just over 100 runners come out and run for a great cause. The Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC), partnered with the American Heart Association on the event.

Early in the week, the school was worried about the weather, but Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day and perfect for the runner.

Ritchie Bowling, Howe Assistant Superintendent, said that he was happy with the turnout because of so many other things going on locally.

“We appreciate all the volunteers. We had the Howe Police, HHS Students, athletic department, and many Howe ISD staff and parents ensuring everything went well.” Bowling, who coordinates the event says that they reached their goal of raising $1,000. The 4th annual run will have a new coordinator due to Bowling accepting the superintendent position at Maypearl ISD.

The final results and each runner’s times will be posted early this week on the school’s website at www.howeisd.net