KILGOROUND

WHEN you commence planning for your retirement, you might want to consult with someone besides Chuck Overbeck.

OVERBECK was for years in charge of getting good, clean drinking water to the homes and businesses in Kilgore.

A COUPLE of months ago, he retired. Rather than taking up a rod and reel, Chuck has taken a new job. He’s gone to wortk for Halliburton and is working in Iraq.

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YES, that really is a popcorn machine on the check-out counter in the Kilgore Public Library.

LIBRARY assistant Pat Applewhite plans to present movies for the area’s older citizens and suggested that the Friends of the Library might want to help buy a popcorn machine. They did.

POPCORN is available to ordinary, non-senior citizens, as well. But, please, wipe your fingers on your britches and not on the pages of your book.

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REPORTER Brenda Allums is, as some of you know, some kind of kingpin – mugwump, in political terms – in the Kiwanis Club and News Herald staffers Valerie Larsen and Jessica Williams are members.

SO, it’s fun to point out that the new Kiwanis chapter here has the longest name of any civic club, maybe ever.

THEIR new club is the Oil Patch Breakfast Kiwanis Club of Kilgore. They meet on Friday mornings, which gives them the weekend to rest up from having to say the club’s name at breakfast.

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YOU likely noticed the recent news story about the legislature approving pay raises for the state’s judges.

REP. Chuck Hopson, your state representative if you like in Rusk County, points out that he voted against the bill. He said he’d like to see judges get a raise but, under Texas law, retirement benefits for elected state officials go up every time a judicial pay raise is approved.

HE swears he’d like to see the judges get a pay increase — it passed, they did — but that he wouldn’t vote for an increase in his own retirement benefits until Texas teachers get a raise.

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THAT concert in the park Thursday night? The one to raise money for East Texas Children’s Advocacy? The one that was to feature entertainers Kelly Kerby, Terry Myers and Allison Clark? The one with Warren Bradley as master of ceremonies?

IT WAS rained out.

ORGANIZERS have rescheduled for 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 30.

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WE’RE told that Pat McCrory is doing well after his heart attack this week. Reportedly the attack left no major damage and he is expected to begin an at-home convalescence this weekend.

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HAPPY birthday today (Sunday) to Terri (Tarnawa) Gilmore, Tom Kinkaid, Keith Watson, Martel Peace, Bob Schleier, Billy Edward Brandy, Dorothy Chelette, Janelle Furgueron, Elizabeth Andrews, Marcus Ryan Dickey, Teresa Caldwell, Steven Reeves, Gary Huffman, Jo Ann Burnett, Frances Poage, Roy Lunsford, Peggy Owens, Ola Mae Fields, Jody Furgueron, Kathy Armstrong, Jesse Deen, Brandi Davis

HAPPY birthday Monday to Syndi Madden, Morgan Deziral Jordan, Craig McAlister, Clay Little, Jason Ament, Linda Williams, Carrie Jo Reeves, Lou Emma Clayton, Bertha Woods, Tammy Kirkland, Bunny Jean Sanders, Mrs. Norma Pace, Whitney Shardia Adams, Betty Caskey, Myra Holland, Lala Guttry, Lisa Foster, Ruby Myers, Mary Hearn, Reginald Bell, Deanna Lacy, Juanita LeLora Jimenez, Connie Rosen, Travion Oliver, Sarah Pennington, Juanita Jimenez and Lynn Austin.

AND celebrating wedding anniversaries Monday are Mr. and Mrs. Wade Pipkin and Mike and Gina Joseph.

BILL WOODALL