Category: Howe News Bulletin

It was May of 1983 and the City of Howe had just elected a new mayor named Jerry Kirby who ran on the platform of removing the position of city administrator. Kirby had defeated R.L. Cate on the April 2 election of that year and stated in the March 31, 1983 Howe Enterprise edition that he believed that the $19,000 per year salary of a city administrator was a luxury that he didn’t feel the Howe taxpayers needed and felt he, as mayor, along with the city council and city clerk could make up for the loss of the position.

Joe Fenton, who was the city administrator at the time immediately invited Kirby to city hall to show him the budget of half a million dollars that the city sent out and received. Fenton told him that if he took over, he would be accountable and responsible for every dollar of the million. That visit seemed to have changed the attitude and direction of his agenda.

Kirby’s first presiding city council meeting on April 21 became turbulent as then city council member Jack Berry had placed an executive session on the council agenda to help those new to the council to understand the “duties” of each of the 11 city employees. It became quite clear that the discussions were directed to Fenton and his position of city administrator. Fenton requested that any discussion of his position be done in open session.

Berry, who had many questions about street repair or the lack thereof, began to question Fenton and his abilities to manage a crew. That’s when Kirby stepped forward and said that he would take responsibility because he had Fenton on other jobs for the past 20 days.  Back in those days, the city crew were also gathering trash which took up a lot of time.

Kirby told the council, “If the council will give me authority to operate the street department, I’ll take the flack.” Councilman Sam Haigis responded, “You already have the authority.”

The city council called for a special meeting on May 5, 1983, to discuss the position of city administrator. In a shocking and surprising turn of events, Mayor Kirby turned over his mayor seat to Mayor Pro Tem Duward Mills so he could take part in the debate and vote on the matter before the council.

The meeting which was to discuss keeping the position of city administrator and or Fenton drew a crowd of 71 (which is roughly 70 more than currently attend council meetings). Due to the large turnout, the meeting was moved from City Hall to the Howe Community Center (former First Christian Church).

The mayor opened the meeting with some ground rules on questioning and then gave a reason for the action he was about to take and told the audience that he had no idea how the city would conduct business as usual without an administrator and said the council is not prepared to take on duties and he could not guess who would do it.

“This matter is too important to just leave to guess, so I will relinquish my chair to the mayor pro tem and take my place with the council so I can vote on the outcome,” said Kirby.

At that point, several members of the community spoke in support of Fenton including Mamie Watson, J.R.L. Hill, Ellan Cate, R.L. Cate, Virginia Baker, Buddy Baker, Glen Van Blaricom, Kenneth Ping, Fire Chief Jerry Parks, Walter Schulz, Tim Buchanon, Don Gilstrap, Leon Thornhill, Deanna Helms, Don Seeyle, Howe City Secretary Marilee Vaughan, and Joe Wallace, former president of Howe State Bank.

Wallace said, “As a banker, I feel like a business as large as the city needs a head.”

He said the good credit rating of the city was at stake and said that his experience with Fenton had shown him that he was quite capable of handling the job.

At this point, councilman Berry asked for clarification as to what rule would allow for a mayor to become part of the council. Mayor Kirby then quoted from the Roberts’ Rules of Order, article 10 (City Ordinance Book – Chapter 1, Section 15, which sets up procedures of council meetings to be in accordance with Roberts’ Rules).

Recently it has been discovered that Fenton masterminded the Roberts’ Rule insertion with help from Joe Wallace.

“I’d like to tell all these people that doing away with this position will save $19,000, but it’s not going to happen,” said Kirby.

He said he had checked into prices for part-time advisory help and the best price he could get was one day a month for $10,000 a year. “In my opinion, that’s not good money spent,” said Kirby.

Kirby said he ran for mayor saying the City of Howe did not need an administrator, but he admitted, “I had also not been down to city hall one single time to see what his job is worth and if we can operate without a city manager.”

More than likely coming to the realization that without an administrator all of the work he hadn’t accounted for would fall in his lap. With his sudden turn-a-bout, Kirby added, “I took an oath that I would look after the business of this town to the best of my ability.” He said he has plans to get the streets fixed and get the sewer project going. “We need to get busy and do the business of the city.”

Most of the citizens at the meeting loudly applauded the mayor’s statement.

Fifty minutes into the meeting, Berry made a motion to convene into executive session. The council went to city hall for their deliberation, leaving the citizens who wished to wait at the Community Center.

At 9:23 the meeting reconvened with Kirby sitting as a member of the council. He made a motion that Fenton’s work record and his public relations record will be evaluated by the council and he will be held accountable for those actions as laid out in his instruction. The motion carried as three voted in favor: Kirby, Jim Huckaby, and Haigis.

Jack Berry later gave his reason for the no vote. “I voted my conviction at that time,” said Berry, who spoke with the Howe Enterprise soon afterward. “Once the council makes a decision we need to forget the past and pull together to get this town going.”

William “Sonny” Burns who also voted no on the motion said afterward that he hasn’t changed his mind since the election. In his statement in the Enterprise on March 31, “I can’t see why a city the size of Howe needs an administrator…”

Needless to say, things that were that heated led to turbulent relationships with city leaders. In January of 1984, Kirby left a note on Fenton’s desk telling him to fire the Electrical Inspector Ken Nicholas due to “being hard to get along with” and accusations of Nicholas being in trouble with the law in Southmayd. He then reportedly told the inspector that he “Ought to fire Fenton for showing you that letter.”

At a council meeting, Kirby denied the statements, stood up and removed his jacket and had to be calmed by councilmembers. He then told Nicholas, “What could interest you in a job that pays $5.00 and you have to drive 20 miles for?

After several members of the community spoke favorably for Nicholas, Kirby said he would retract the order to fire him.

“If we do have a personality conflict or whatever. Never have I questioned his work…I will yield to the witnesses of this man and retract that order,” said Kirby.

After calming words from the council, Mayor Kirby apologized and the two men shook hands.

In February of 1984, Kirby again became upset with Fenton over an electrical inspection issue and within two weeks, Fenton left Howe for a better opportunity with Whitesboro. Cannon George was hired to replace him in March, but after only two months, he turned in his resignation citing pressures contributing to health problems. He was replaced with Ray Houston in July of 1984 who resigned in October of the same year. He was replaced the same month by Dick Britton.

In July of 1986, Kirby resigned as mayor for “personal business reasons” and it was reported that the council reluctantly voted to accept the resignation. Marion Allison, mayor pro tem took over until Ray Bledsoe eventually took over as Mayor of Howe for the next 13 years during which Howe was sued by the City of Sherman for breach of sewer contract. During those years, Ray Houston returned as city administrator and “The Two Rays” were credited and blamed for much of the collapsing local economy.

Kirby still resides in Howe and can be found at Quick Check frequently. He is the brother of Howe’s legendary serviceman L.B. Kirby.

Fenton now lives in Muenster but is seen in Howe from time to time. He helped initiate the format of the Save the Church auction back in 2016 that raised over $25,000. It was modeled after a fundraiser annually held by the Fire Department of Muenster.

It’s been 35 years since this interesting era of Howe politics took place. Today, Howe’s current mayor, Jeff Stanley has been in office for nearly ten years, Howe’s City Administrator Joe Shephard has been here for eight years, and the city council works together for the best interest of the city. The current administration financially saved the city and its credit rating through the most difficult time. It’s a good time to live in Howe. When they look back at our era of city politics, it should be a shining example of how to get things moving in the right direction without the drama that can sometimes hamper a city. The only thing that is the same is that people will still complain about streets. That will never change.

This story was made possible by the outstanding journalism of Lana Rideout who captured the entire era flawlessly with deep passion, accuracy, and concern. Her accounts now forever capture and give reflection to the history of Howe.

It’s the time of year again that runners show up to the Howe Middle School to participate in the Bulldog Run & Health Fair.

New this year for 5K participants in addition to the traditional registration method is that 5K participants may register online through active.com

Participants may pre-register however onsite registration will be available.

Vendors may also sign up with the forms below:

Easter. It’s the one Sunday of the year when anyone who has ever colored a picture of Jesus, sung Amazing Grace or put on a fancy hat might come to church. Easter Sunday is usually the highest attended worship service of the year for most churches.

There are several options in Howe for your visiting pleasure. Visiting a church for the first time can be intimidating. You often don’t know what to expect. You’d love to ask, but you’re not sure who to ask or even if your question sounds silly. It’s not. Probably others have the same question as you. Often times, people have key factors on choosing a home church when visiting a church for the first time on Easter. These questions are:

1. What will we do? What can I expect? 2. Will you embarrass me? 3. How long will the service last? 4. What time should I arrive? 5. Do you have something for children? 6. Can I only come one time? Really, for what am I signing up when I come Easter Sunday?

The Howe church of Christ will be celebrating their 85th year with a homecoming anniversary celebration on April 29. But it is business as usual on Easter Sunday for the church at 1205 N. Collins Freeway. There will be an Easter Egg Hunt, however, on March 17.

The First United Methodist Church of Howe at 810 N. Denny St. will hold a Good Friday Service on Friday, March 30 at 7 pm. On Saturday, March 31, the customary Community Easter Egg Hunt at Howe High School will take place from 11 am – 1 pm. Traditional Easter Sunday worship will be held on Sunday, April 1 at 10 am.

The First Baptist Church of Howe at 100 W. Davis St. will once again have their Easter service at Howe High School located at 200 Ponderosa Rd. The service will begin at 10 am Sunday, April 1 with coffee and donuts being served starting at 9 am.

Community Bible Fellowship’s calendar says they will have their Easter service starting at 10:30 am. CBF is located at 415 S. Collins Freeway.

New Beginning Fellowship will have Easter worship service starting at 10:30 am at the church followed by a brisket lunch and an egg hunt located at 910 S. Denny Street.

Bethel Baptist Church will have Easter service on April 1 at 11 am. The church has been in Howe since 1966 located at 905 E. FM 902.

In 2017, the City of Howe’s economic development arm put forth a survey to citizens to gain an idea of what their opinions were to the next five to ten years. The City of Howe’s Comprehensive Plan was last completed in 2010 and a few things have changed since then. The survey initiated the same questions to citizens to see if anything had dramatically changed since the answers of 2010.

The first question was: What would you like Howe to be like in the next five to 10 years?

In 2010, the answers were: “Growing town with small-town feel; Expanded downtown which maintains “old” character. Something to be proud of; A proactive city which uses consistent application of codes to improve quality growth and development; a middle class bedroom community; more industrial, more employed, better roads; a city government more supportive of local businesses; clean; excellent schools; new homes and improved older homes; self-sustaining – groceries, other services, more housing, better utilities.”

In general, back in 2010 Howe residents appreciated the small town feel associated with Howe. They desired a certain degree of self-sufficiency in regards to jobs, services, and amenities. A major recurring desire among those surveyed was to continue to improve the school system while keeping Howe a safe and small community.

In 2017, the general response was one that said,” Strong residential community with added amenities but with preservation of the current small town atmosphere.” Others were: “Still Howe. Not a hodgepodge of development; Conservative small town, no traffic problems, better streets, good neighborhoods, no drugs, more employers, new school, taxes same, housing standard code enforced, grocery store, satellite school for Grayson or Southeastern in Oklahoma; A small town still but able to grow as more people move into the area, but still be the quiet town it is; Not too small, but not too big. I love the small town life, but it would be nice to have more grocery, restaurant choices than we currently have; Significant residential/commercial growth Improvements in infrastructure, Fire Department, and city services; A diverse community that supports equality but has the facilities and retail to spend our money in our own city instead of driving somewhere else to do so; A small town with better roads and no more sardine can subdivisions. Minimum lot sizes, please! Don’t let us turn into Frisco or McKinney in the name of growth; a Classic small town with enough employment for most of the residents; a few restaurants, stores, and other services; and a pleasant place for families to live.”

Question #2 was aimed at discovering what residents found attractive about the City of Howe. In understanding what draws all ranges of residents, the plan can more thoroughly address the needs of the city with regards to development and maintaining its appeal. In general, most residents surveyed enjoyed the small town feel of Howe, but appreciated its location near the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex as well as the cities of Sherman and Denison. The affordability of housing, as well as the sense of community also serve as attractive characteristics of the city.

The 2010 responses were: “Hometown atmosphere/small town feel (multiple responses); safe, police protection; easy accessibility to other larger cities; strong values; affordable housing; friendly people; emphasis on school events; churches; good post office; good water; process of reestablishing civic pride.” In 2017, the same question brought a common sense of direction. The results could be wrapped up by this answer, “Conservative, quiet, excellent schools, safety, small “town-ness”, neighborly, reasonable taxes, good leadership, sports-minded, community support.”

When producing a word cloud, the most often words used were town, people, friendly, feel, and small.

The third question was aimed at getting an understanding of what the citizens would like to see improved, added or removed from the city. This question of “What would make Howe a better place?” enables the comprehensive plan to be shaped in a way that improves the unattractive or undesirable aspects of the town creating a more vibrant and desirable community. Answers to this question in 2010 were wide-ranging, but in general, citizens seemed to want more economic opportunities within the town, as well as an overall facelift making Howe a more beautiful and appealing city. Results from the question ended with these responses: “Growth: grocery store, more businesses, increased affordable housing; more small restaurants, more restaurant choices; video store; grocery store (multiple responses); more chamber of commerce interest; consistent enforcement of codes; better street and utility maintenance; street scaping; sign ordinance to reduce small signage; beautification program; tree trimming; no alcohol sales; “Welcome to Howe” sign; stronger leadership; better utilities with own sewer plant; less strict building codes; doctor’s office, general medical; more community-wide activities like Fall Festival; getting rid of eye sores, i.e. burned down grocery store on west side of town; revitalized downtown while preserving historic charm.

This is the area that has been much of the wishes have been checked off from 2010. Howe has experienced growth and more businesses. The chamber of commerce has re-emerged, a beautification program has been created,. Two separate Welcome to Howe signs have been put in place, stronger leadership is in place, a sewer plant is in the works, and more activities have been added, such as an improved Founders Day, Howe-lloween, chamber mixers, and more. Also, a downtown revitalization has taken place since this last survey.

Although much has been accomplished in this area, the question was still put forth to the citizens in 2017 because one glaring object still missing is a grocery store. The results were not surprising as the citizens responded with: “Addition of small amenities – neighborhood grocery store/pharmacy, local restaurants, resident-owned businesses; a place where community celebrations can be held. Maybe a community park with a large pavilion and several small ones that can be reserved through the city; more in town shopping, groceries, pharmacy, restaurants. More entertainment for the kids, pool, park; we need to be more attractive from 75; keep the parks better landscaped (mowed), roads in better condition (not a bunch of temporary fixes), hold occasional family events (more events like the ones held in downtown).

Question four was a ranking of what businesses were needed in Howe. In 2010, they were 1. Grocery Store, 2. Specialty Store/Small Shops, 3. Restaurants. In 2017, the order was 1. Grocery Store, 2. Restaurants, 3. Retail Shopping.

Question five was what type of housing Howe needed more of. In 2010, they were 1. Single-family – large lot (1+ acre), 2. Single-family – small lot, 3. Townhouses. In 2017, they were 1. Single-family – large lot (1+ acre), 2. Single-family – small lot, 3. Tied with Townhouses and Large Apartment Complexes.

Question six dealt with the ratings of the streets and while most think they need improvement, the results were that citizens were more satisfied with the streets in 2017 than in 2010.

Question seven was the rating of the water and sewer utilities available. While the majority is the same from both surveys that have the vast majority saying the utilities are satisfactory, more people in 2017 said they need improvement. Most of the respondents were speaking about the cost of utilities in the improvement area.

Question eight was the ranking of parks, recreation and open space needed for Howe. In 2010, the results were 1. Athletic fields, 2. Large community parks, 3. Neighborhood Parks. In 2017, the results were Large Community Parks, 2. Athletic Fields, 3. Neighborhood Parks.

Overall, the questionnaire was set forth to give city leaders a direction from where the current citizens would like to see the Howe over the next few years as the opportunity will present itself to improve certain things about Howe. Citizens have said that they want to remain a small town, with the small town feel with good schools and charm. Things to improve on are parks and retail opportunities for local shopping. The people of Howe are not interested so much in developments with homes nearly touching each other. They want large lot spacious places to live.

The people have spoken.

Howe ISD usually is in charge of handing out grades, however, they were the recipient of federal standards recently. The good news is that the local district met or exceeded the standard at all campuses in the majority of the tested areas.

“Our first goal is to see student growth from one year to the next. Our second goal is to be 10 percent or higher than the state averages,” said Superintendent Kevin Wilson. “While scores on the state assessments are important, we also strive to provide a well-rounded education and prepare students for either the workforce, military, or higher education.”

Howe ISD also met their goal of being 10 percent ahead of the state average with all grade levels reaching 85 percent of STAAR levels above the state average of 75 percent and well ahead of Region 10 average of 77 percent.

But Wilson says that while the testing levels are very important, Howe ISD has a goal of teaching their students more than just the ability to pass a test.

“Academic achievement is supplemented by encouraging our students to participate and excel in extracurricular activities, such as the arts, athletics, and vocational programs,” said Wilson. “We feel that experience in these fields helps foster leadership and soft skills that help prepare our students for success in future endeavors. I applaud our teachers, support staff and students for working together toward these common goals.”

Upon all grade levels, Howe was 13 percent above the state average in Reading, nine percent above in Mathematics, nine percent above in Writing, 10 percent above in Science, and four percent above in Social Studies.

Some of the testing highlights were in the fifth grade (now sixth graders) where Mathematics scored 97 percent of grade level readiness, Reading was 95 percent, and Science was 92 percent. The eighth grade (now freshmen) scored 95 percent in Reading.

The City of Howe contacted the Howe Police Department this morning to file a report on vandalism to a $4,000 concrete slab that was poured yesterday.  The slab is intended for the use of the recycling container located at the City Public Works Department on S. Hughes Street.

The vandalism is reported to have taken place between 3 pm and 9 pm last evening, Thursday, March 8, 2018.  The City of Howe is asking anyone that has information on this to please contact the Howe Police Department.

Photos below show a name and profanity that has been partially blacked out.

The Texoma Patriots are meeting Monday at 7 pm at Buck Snort BBQ in Downtown Van Alstyne. The speaker is the founder of Free Market Warrior, Loren Spivack.

In Spivack’s talk on “Is Capitalism Pro-Life?,” he will discuss the benefits of Limited Government and Free Market Capitalism.

Spivack founded the “Free Market Warrior” in 2009 in an effort to make a positive difference in American politics and economics. He is the author of “The New Democrat,” a parody history of the Obama administration. It transforms the political personalities of our times into cartoon characters in a conservative morality play. His 2nd book “The Gorax” is a parody starring Al Gore. He also teaches study groups on classical economic theory.

The Texoma Patriots area asking you to come early and enjoy Jim Smith’s tasty barbecue buffet which will be open at 5 pm. On meeting nights he gives the Patriots a special price – it includes the buffet, a drink, and dessert. Of course, chocolate chip cookies are a “must.”

Their second meeting this month will be Tuesday, March 27 at 7 p.m. again at Buck Snort BBQ.

They will show the film “In Search of Liberty,” a patriotic film that combines humor with history to educate viewers of all ages on the Constitution in a visual, straightforward, fun, and empowering way. Check out the trailer at https://youtu.be/qPezdZJfXVY.

A statesman from America’s past shows a modern-day family how to protect the future. It’s entertaining as well as profound. Come and learn a little more about our US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

LOCAL ELECTIONS for your town’s – mayor, city council, school board will be held May 5th. The last day to register to vote in this election is April 5th. Early voting starts April 23rd Early voting ends May 1st

Jesse Owens of Sherman, Texas passed away Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Plano Medical Center in Plano, Texas. Jesse was born August 6, 1958, in Van Alstyne, Texas to Jesse L. Owen and Velma Marie Murphy Owen.

Jesse was a professional truck driver for many years. He enjoyed seeing all of the beauty of the U.S. and talked about it often. He loved fishing, playing pool, Foosball and spending time with family and friends. He was always willing to help others. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

He is survived by brothers, Jerry Owen, Danny Owen, Rick Owens and wife Nelda, Robert Owen and wife Wanda. Sisters, Karen Spence and husband Bill, Marilyn Vest and husband Steve. Numerous nieces and nephews who loved him dearly.

Proceeded in death by parents, sister: Sharon Walker, brother: David Owens, brother: Ronnie Owen and nephew Tony Owens

Services will be held at 5 pm Friday, March 9, 2018, at Scoggins Funeral Home Chapel. Rick Owens and Dave Eenigenburg will officiate. The family will receive friends on Thursday, March 8, 2018, from 6 pm to 8 pm at Scoggins Funeral Home and Crematory.