More than 450 students – including 51 from Wise County – were named to the Weatherford College Dean’s List for the fall 2013 semester.

To be eligible for the Dean’s List, a student must be enrolled for 12 or more semester hours, have no grade lower than a C and meet the minimum grade- point average. The GPA system is based on a one-to-four rating.

Earning the honor from Wise County were:

Alvord: Trevor Hardee; Shelbi Harmon and Alexandria Talamantes.

Aurora: Victor Ramirez and Bertie Sellers.

Boyd: Derek Martin and Carolina McDowell.

Bridgeport: Ana Caldera; Torie Carter; Sharlyn Fagan; Taylor Hulsey; Danielle Mindieta and Autumn Pickett.

Chico: Hannah Avants; Karla Deamicis; Damian Delgado; Callie Fuller; Luke Plummer; James Redwine; Vanessa Saxon; Molli Umphress; Tiffany Vislosky and Kaylee Wriston.

Decatur: Rosaura Aldape; Victoria Aldape; Monica Bernard; Carissa Byrd; Steven Cao; Araceli Cruz; Sarrah Ennis; Elda Garcia; Brittany Hargrave; Sara Harris; Kasidi Heiens; Victoria Myers; Christina Overton; Brandon Pelton; Venancio Rodriguez; Liliana Torres and Omar Torres.

Sunset: Austin Gaskins and Brittani Martin.

Newark: Savannah Brooks.

Paradise: Lacy Jackson; Sara Kelly; Amber Kirkland; Carol McCutchen and William Ngetich.

Rhome: Haley McGuire, Bethlyn Prentice and Lisa Shearer.

Proper governance, in a land of rule by law and constitution, is the life-blood of living in freedom.

Political leadership, in my view, should arise from qualified citizens who govern for a period of time, then turn to other occupations. I do not support the idea that political leaders should be life-long occupants of leadership positions. The just turnover of political leadership should, among other things, occur with reasonable frequency and result in the development of new leadership from the younger ranks as they grow in maturity and in community value.

Looking at the race for Wise County Judge for the 2014 elections, there are four who have qualified and are filed officially as candidates. I want to highlight and endorse one particular candidate for that esteemed office.

Chico Mayor J.D. Clark is a young (only age 28) political leader in Wise County who has been recognized, not only by our citizens, but from outside Texas. He was a recent guest student at Harvard University, at a seminar especially designed for local political leadership from all across the United States. We all have reason to be proud of Mayor Clark’s accomplishments on the Chico City Council, as well as in his professional career as a public school teacher.

Join me in voting for him, both in the March 4 Republican Primary Election and the General Election Nov. 4.

D.A. Sharpe
Aurora

Milton D. Travis Sr.

Milton D. Travis Sr., 83, of Aurora, a retired Greyhound bus driver, died Monday, Nov. 25, 2013, in Fort Worth.

Funeral is 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, at Coker-Hawkins Funeral Home in Decatur with the Rev. Jerry Hood officiating. Burial will follow at Aurora Cemetery.

Pallbearers are Milton Dewell Travis Jr., Danny Lee Travis, Kenneth Travis Sr., Milton Dewell Travis III, Kenneth Travis Jr. and Jason Dewell Wilson.

Milton was born April 3, 1930, in Brandon to Chalmus Leper and Hetty (West) Travis. He married Correne Layne on Oct. 10, 1953. Milton served in the United States Army and was a member of Renewal Fellowship Church in Boyd.

He was a loving husband and his wife’s sweetheart. He and Correne recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Milton was a loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He loved his dog Cocoa and was an avid sports fan. Milton loved to work in the garden, but his biggest love is Jesus.

He is survived by his wife, Correne Travis of Aurora; sons Milton Dewell Travis Jr. and wife, Sherry, of Fort Worth, Danny Lee Travis and wife, Leticia, of Grand Prairie and Kenneth Layne Travis Sr. and wife, Cindy, of Aurora; daughter Teresia Allen and husband, Gary Len, of Whitesboro; 18 grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren; brothers Melvin Travis and Larry Travis; and sisters Frances Barrett and Jean Badget.

Robert J. “Bob” Phinney

Robert J. “Bob” Phinney, 80, a retired road construction superintendent, died Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013, at his home in Aurora.

Graveside service is 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16, at Aurora Cemetery with Father Reehan Antony officiating.

Bob was born April 20, 1933, in Black River, N.Y., to Monty and Jennie (Gracey) Phinney, and he served his country in the U.S. Air Force. He married Donna Sabourin July 4, 1957, in Clayton, N.Y. He was a member of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Francis, George and Joe Phinney.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Donna Phinney of Aurora; sons Robert J. Phinney Jr. of Aurora and Daniel Phinney and wife, Gail, of Rochester, N.Y.; granddaughters Jennifer Rasbury, Sabrina Spurrier, Katrina Phinney and Jennifer Pittsley; grandson John Allred; great-grandsons Corey and Jared; brother Richard Phinney and wife, Hope, of Burlington, N.C.; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

A 14-year-old horseback rider was injured when he was hit by a minivan about 8 p.m. Friday on Texas 114 near Old Base Road in Aurora.

Department of Public Safety Trooper Zeb Siebeneck said Joshua Long of Newark and three other youths were crossing 114 on horseback and misjudged the speed and distance of oncoming traffic. The riders were crossing from the north side to the south side of the highway.

A minivan, driven by Larry Bratcher of Seymour, was traveling westbound and struck the left hindquarter of the last horse in the group.

“The second-to-last rider heeled his horse and got across just in time,” said Siebeneck. “The [injured] rider was complaining of hip, arm and leg pain, but he didn’t have any obvious compound fractures.”

Long was transported to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth by Wise County EMS. Bratcher and his passenger, wife Pattie, were not injured.

The horse’s injuries required that it be euthanized at the scene.

A redesigned, renovated and reinvented MD Resort celebrated the grand opening of a new complex called The Oaks late last month.

RIBBON CUTTING – A large crowd attended the Decatur Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting Aug. 24 for MD Resort in Aurora. Messenger photo by Joe Duty

New owner Bill Benedick of Decatur, his wife, Susie, his brother Ben and an architectural and design firm have given the resort in Aurora a sleek, modern look that still captures the rural essence of Wise County.

“We tried to put a soft touch on it,” Benedick said. “We gave it a country flair but not too much because we didn’t want to scare city people from coming out here.”

NEW SPACE – As part of the reinvented resort, owners Bill and Susie Benedick built a banquet hall. Messenger photo by Joe Duty

The brand-new meeting hall and the banquet hall, known as The Oaks, measure 8,000 and 12,000 square feet, respectively, and combine modern design with the approachability of a country setting. The buildings can host weddings, corporate retreats, banquets, family reunions, holiday parties, proms or anything else a client could conceive.

They’ve also added a catering service and a bus and limo service to the list of amenities.

Since the closure of Garrett Creek Ranch near Paradise, Benedick has known there is a shortage of places to host corporate getaways or similar events. The only comparable facility is the Civic Center in Decatur – and its offerings are very different.

“We knew there was a need for this type of facility,” he said. “I also like the location. It’s only 25 miles from Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth.”

Once you get beyond The Oaks, the rest of the resort opens up on 30 acres of land starting with a large, corrugated tin Party Barn. Behind that is an organic garden and barnyards housing a variety of animals including horses, buffalo, donkeys and an area for a chicken coop to supply the bed and breakfast and caterers with farm-fresh eggs.

Thick, sprawling live oaks are found throughout the property and lead visitors to the bed and breakfast. Half a dozen two-bedroom, two-bath cabins are being installed on the grounds across from a large, established pecan grove where a covered bridge crosses a creek and pond to a tranquil setting for an outdoor wedding.

A building near the bed and breakfast, that now holds several suites, is being transformed into a full-service spa.

“We hope to bring a lot of clients out for day packages at the spa,” Benedick said.

While Benedick, his family and staff have helped reinvent the 12-year-old resort, Benedick has also reinvented his professional life. Benedick bought the place late last year and began work in January after spending most of his career in the oil field.

“After 35 years in the oil field service industry, it’s a nice change to do something so different,” Benedick said.

For more information, go to www.mdresort.com.

Sally Hurley Hall

Sally Hurley Hall of Aurora died Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013.

Service will be 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Greenwood Chapel in Fort Worth. Interment will follow in Greenwood Memorial Park. Visitation is 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Greenwood Funeral Home.

Sally was born in Ada, Okla., to the late Alexander Hurley and Emma Pearson Hurley.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert Hall Sr.; son Belvin Hall and grandson Robert Gregory.

Survivors include her daughters, Sylvia Gregory, Brenda Graves and husband, Bobby, and Leane Hall; son Herbert Hall Jr. and wife, Tiara; 19 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and 11 great-great-grandchildren.

Curtis and Genna Jennings of Brady announce the birth of twin sons, Jack Halla and Jett Samuel, May 13, 2013, at San Angelo Community Medical Center.

Jack weighed 5 pounds, 13 ounces and was 18 3/4 inches long. Jett weighed 6 pounds and was 18 1/2 inches long.

They have two brothers: Jace, 7, and Joel, 4; and one sister: Joy, 2.

Grandparents are Doyle and Sandra Jennings of Aurora and Kenneth and Mary Ann Wilton of Brady.

A pastor in Aurora is going homeless.

Starting Friday, Pastor Scott Griffin plans to spend 48 hours in a fold-out lawn chair beneath the shade of an old tree in front of Faith Baptist Church, located at 505 Bennett Drive, off Old Base Road in Aurora.

“The plan is to raise awareness for needy people in Wise County,” Griffin, 50, said. “I am going to be collecting cans for the WARM organization.”

Wise Area Relief Mission (WARM) offers a food bank for Wise County families. The Decatur-based non-profit also helps people who are struggling financially pay their electric bills – and in the Texas summer heat, having electricity can mean the difference between life and death for some.

“A lot of times people think to donate around Christmas and Thanksgiving,” Griffin said. “But there is need for help all year, especially in the summertime. A lot of kids who depend on free or reduced lunches during the school year don’t get that during the summer.”

The campout starts 7 a.m. Friday, July 5, where Griffin will be posted in a chair by day and trying to rest in a sleeping bag at night. His hope is that people will stop by during his campout and drop off enough cans to fill his church van. All the cans will be donated to WARM.

The campout ends 7 a.m. Sunday, July 7. Griffin said he plans to go home, clean up and be in his familiar spot in the pulpit when his congregation comes together later than morning.

More than 400 students, a handful from Wise County, were named to the Weatherford College dean’s list for the spring 2013 semester. For the honor, a student must be enrolled in 12 or more semester hours, have no grade lower than a C and meet the minimum grade-point average, which is based on a one-to-four rating.

Earning the distinctive honor are the following students, listed by their hometowns:

Alvord – Taylor Gray, Trevor Hardee, Shelbi Harmon, McKynzee Sherman, Shonda Stroud and Alexandria Talamantes;

Aurora – Deanne Powell and Victor Ramirez;

Bridgeport – Alexander Burkhart, Olivia Burson, Jessica Elliott, Maegan Flavin, Taylor Henson, Daniel Murray, Taylor Oates, Payton Salazar, Martha Sanders, Jennifer Torbet and Alicia Torres;

Chico – Justin Creswell, Tracie Davis, Jesse McLean, Vanessa Saxon and Jayme Staley;

Decatur – Brooklyn Allen, James Baker, Amanda Byrum, Halston Delgado, Kari Gage, Sarah Gibbs, Kristy Harnsberger, Sara Harris, Danielle Hill, Samuel McGregor, Melissa Ralls, Amber Rodriguez and Efrain Ruiz;

Paradise – Wendell Johnson, Shane Lindsey, Cari McBride, Carol McCutchen, William Ngetich, Chad Snodgrass and Catherine Stockard; and

Rhome – Kaylee Cooper, Christopher Metts, Kristine Nukala, Bethlyn Prentice, Lisa Shearer and Santosh Yogi.

Abel Lopez and Julia Vasquez of Aurora announce the birth of a son, Jeriah Adam Lopez, on May 13, 2013, at Wise Regional Health System in Decatur. He weighed 8 pounds, 7 ounces and was 19 inches long.

He has two brothers: Abel Julian Lopez Jr., 8, and Miguel Angel Lopez, 5.

Grandparents are Demencio and Juanita G. Lopez and Maria Vasquez.

Great-grandparents are Estella Vasquez Luna, Roman Vasquez, Victor and Juanita Mata, and Aurora Lopez and Demencio Lopez Talamantes.

Matt and Sherri Naugle of Aurora announce the birth of a son, Landyn, on May 6, 2013, at Wise Regional Health System in Decatur. He weighed 10 pounds and was 21 inches long.

He has two sisters: Raychel, 5; and Sarah, 3.

Grandparents are Bud and Cindy Smith of Boyd, Larry and T’Ann Naugle of Aurora and Jim and Jana Hunt of Fort Worth.

Great-grandparents are Milton Andress and Dolores Cooper, both of Boyd, Shirley and Lynn Hunt of Gilmer and Geraldine Graves of Fort Worth.

Great-great-grandmother is Edith Brownlee of DeLeon.

Dan and Brandy Kelly of Aurora announce the birth of a son, Nathaniel Isaac, on April 13, 2013, at Wise Regional Health System in Decatur. He weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces and was 18 3/4 inches long.

He has three brothers: Zachary, 13, Nicholas, 9, and William, 8; and five sisters: Lauren, 17, Catherine, 12, Lillian, 6, Emma, 5, and Madelyn, 2.

Grandparents are Sharlene Sims of Decatur, Kenny Worlow of Paradise and Danny and Tresia Kelly of Aurora.

Great-grandparents are Nellie Worlow of Bridgeport and Geneva Galloway of Boyd.

Bob Buckel’s opinion article April 13 about respect for authority was right on! His eloquence and precision at dissecting the problem brought into vivid focus an infection that afflicts our modern society. As he refreshes a thought with Biblical underpinnings, we are reminded that we do reap what we sow.

Until leadership in our society is restored to high levels of integrity and ethics, the necessary respect for our government needed for a free and democratic society to survive and succeed cannot be established as intended, I believe, by those who founded this nation.

I wonder how many figurative turnings in the grave have happened among the 104 patriots who were involved in producing the Declaration of Independence (56) or the United States Constitution (55)? Did you know that only eight signers of the Declaration were delegates to the Constitution Convention and only six of them actually signed the Constitution? They were an admirable set of people who represented a broad spectrum of leadership.

D.A. Sharpe
Aurora

Ten East Central University students were recently awarded Noyce Teaching Scholarships for mathematics, including Cady Murphy of Aurora.

Each recipient is given $10,000 for up to three years while they work toward bachelor’s degrees in mathematics with a secondary teacher certification option.

Noyce Scholars are selected by faculty members in ECU’s Mathematics and Education Departments from students with a strong academic background in mathematics who otherwise would not consider teaching K-12 mathematics as a career. In exchange, scholarship recipients commit to teach mathematics for six years at any secondary school in the United States.

Wendie Rachelle Scheets, daughter of Wesley R. and Amy Scheets, all of Jack County, will marry Robert Aaron Bodkin IV, son of Gaylynn and Robert Aaron Bodkin III, all of Aurora, March 16, 2013, in Springtown.

The bride-elect graduated from Springtown High School and is employed by Horsemen’s Supply in Weatherford.

The prospective groom graduated from Northwest High School and earned his EMT certification from Weatherford College. He works for POCO Graphite in Decatur.

Wendie Rachelle Scheets and Robert Allen Bodkin IV

Patricia Moody and Dennys Argandona of Aurora announce the birth of a son, Kai Oswaldo Argandona, on Dec. 20, 2012, at Wise Regional Health System in Decatur. He weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long.

He has a brother, Keanu Argandona, 22 months.

Grandparents are Ray G. Moody Jr. and Lisa Moody of Cottondale, and Audrey Hamby and Ronnie Hamby of Aurora.

Great-grandparents are Ray and Lois Moody of Cottondale.

The Connecticut tragedy of children and school teachers killed has become the political rallying point for gun control advocates to renew cries for narrowing the gap for possible firearm ownership.

The deaths did not occur because of a gun ownership issue or lack of legislation. It happened, apparently, because of our society’s lack of provision for mentally limited citizens and their families. That seems to be a government budget problem.

What institutions in our society are best to deal with those issues? Private, or government? The easy answer for so many is government, but I conjecture the success rate to fall behind what generously supported private efforts could do.

Another issue is made clear again in the recent tragedy. The establishment of gun-free zones merely act as a magnet for the deranged and criminally motivated people. They know they can go to a gun-free zone, and citizens legitimately licensed for carrying firearms will not be present with any defense capability.

Would not somebody in the administration of that school, who was properly trained and licensed for a firearm, have been able at least to cause the death toll to have been much less than over two dozen?

D.A. Sharpe
Aurora

Berry and La Rue Hawkins of Aurora will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary Saturday, Dec. 8, with an open house hosted by their daughter and son-in-law.

Berry and La Rue Hawkins

They have three children, who they view as precious gifts of God: Glenn Hawkins and wife, Sonia, Berry Hawkins III and Dr. Lisa Fraga and husband, Dr. Mark Fraga; and five grandchildren who are the icing on their “cake of life”: Cheyenne and Cody Hawkins and Emma, John Mark and Lily Fraga.

Earlier this fall, the couple began their anniversary celebration with a luxury cruise to Alaska, where they spent a week touring the state’s scenic gold country.

They feel they have been uniquely blessed and privileged to have shared life’s adventure together.

Bob Buckel’s column (Messenger, Saturday, Nov. 24) about public photography, especially among youth, is right on with my thinking. As one who enjoys the “art” of taking photographs, I have sensed the real attitude of our society about people thinking their photograph should not be taken or appear in any public venue. It is a sad condition that our society has fallen into that general position.

In my growing-up days and in most of my adult life, just about all the photograph publicity you could attract was good! We all cherished the rare opportunity to appear in anyone’s newspaper or magazine, even when it wasn’t our best pose.

There seems to be another element affecting people being willing to be photographed. If the picture does not look like they are a candidate to be a model, their self-esteem is reluctant to let any public venue see them as they are (even though everybody does see them as they are and usually still likes them).

I enjoy the “art” of studies on the faces of people. Many of my amateur photographs are people studies, and the characteristics that can be exhibited are just wonderful aspects of what is in God’s creation among people. I like that. It is evident in many of the photographs I take and post on Facebook. My account has almost 11,000 pictures in it, among 214 albums, many of them focused upon particular community and political events that have crossed my path.

It is my hope and expectation that the freedom to photograph people in public circumstances ultimately will not be muted by a well-intended society that may invite legislation to limit severely what photographers can do, just because some weird people do bad things to children. The ever-protective government does what it believes is good at the cost of more and more freedoms.

D.A. Sharpe
Aurora