COUNTY LIFE
Saint Jo newcomer, new mayor says his own agenda: ‘Make things better’
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
After 30 years of bouncing around with Army life, Kelly Williamson and his wife, Cathy, began searching for a place to put down roots after he retired.
That place happens to be the north Montague County city of Saint Jo, where he also took the oath of office as its new mayor just a few weeks ago.
While he knows people may view him as an outsider, Williamson says his only agenda is do what he can to “make things better.” It is a goal he feels confident the city council can pursue with success.
Williamson recently turned 64. He and Cathy have one son, Tristan, 24, who lives in Argyle. Their son followed in his father’s footstep, going into the army serving four years after which he got out and began firefighter school. After about a year and half, Tristan decided he missed the army and returned to the infantry.
The new mayor hails from Monroe, LA and just out of high school he joined the National Guard in October 1979 to help pay for his education. He would remain active in the guard, reserve and active army for 30 years.
He stayed with the guard for a while and in 1993 moved to Dallas to become a pilot, but he then went to work for a corporate company, putting a stop to the flying career. More change was coming.
When the war started in 2001, Williamson recalls feeling left out as the army moved out for battle.
“Cathy and I were watching TV and saw the news. Tristan was about a year old. Kathy asked me, ‘You’re going back?’ I told her yes, I missed it. I went back into the reserve and got called up shortly for active duty.
Read the full feature in your weekend Bowie News.
Top photo – New Saint Jo Mayor Kelly Williamson stands in front of the Stonewall Saloon Museum, one of the first places he ever visited when he drove through Saint Jo on a trip. (Photo by Barbara Green)
In recognition of National Adoption Awareness Month this November, Texas Community Counseling and the Heart Gallery of Northwest Texas are partnering to bring resources to Montague County families.
The two organizations will host an adoption, foster care and kinship care resource fair on Nov. 14 at the United Presbyterian Church of Montague County Fellowship Hall, located at 300 W. Nelson St. in Bowie.
The resource fair will run from 10 a.m. to noon, bringing together local agencies and service providers to answer questions and share information about support available within the county.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
Members of the Montague County Historical Commission invite the community to join them on Nov. 14 for a Rolling Bus Tour.
This tour will cover the cemeteries in the south west corner of Montague County. You will have the opportunity to stroll through some of the cemeteries, others the bus will stop and Commission member Calvin Durham will tell the history of the cemetery.
The bus tour will meet at the Old Jail in Montague at 9 a.m. and return at approximately 3 p.m. The tour will include a sack lunch, a brochure of each cemetery visited and a book “This Soil will Grow Grapes” written by Melvin Fenoglio.
The cost of the tour is $20 for adults. There is no charge for children under 12. The commission members strive to preserve the history of the county and to share as much of it as possible with our citizens. You can RSVP by calling 940-841-2674 or 940-872-1007. Please leave a message with your name if there is no answer.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System at 1:20 p.m. on Nov. 17.
FEMA’s emergency alert system is a national public warning system made up of thousands of radio, TV, cable and satellite and wireline video providers. Through the EAS, the President can address the American people or share life-saving information with the public during a national emergency.
FEMA is required by law to conduct a nationwide test of the public alert and warning system at least once every three years. These tests allow FEMA to identify technical or operational issues before the system is needed during an actual emergency.
FEMA and the FCC are sharing the test date in advance because it is important the public understands what to expect on the day of the test.
At approximately 1:20 p.m. (Central time), on Nov. 17, all the electronics providers will interrupt normal programming to relay a test message.
This message will state: This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency management Agency, covering the United States from 1:20 to 1:50 p.m. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
When the test is concluded, normal programming will resume.
FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with stakeholders, including participating communications providers as well as federal, state, tribal and territorial agencies to prepare for and conduct the test.
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