The Dairy Queen horses

Joe Southern
joe.southern@amarillo.com
There once was a time when horses in downtown Amarillo were commonplace. But this is 2007, and horses have long since been replaced by automobiles.
Any horses seen in the city are either in a parade or painted works of art. Yet, on occasion, a group of horses can been seen standing patiently in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen as traffic whizzes by on Interstate 40 and Washington Street. Sometimes they're at the McDonald's on Soncy Road. Wherever they are, they're a curiosity in this old cow town.
On a recent Saturday, the riders sat in the Dairy Queen, eating lunch and cooling off with ice cream while people outside stopped to pet the hobbled horses and take their pictures. They belong to G.A. Gossett, a retired United Parcel Service driver. The riders are children from all walks of life in and around Amarillo.
"This is a lot of fun for me to see the kids do this," Gossett said over a cup of coffee in a booth at the Dairy Queen.
As much as he and the children enjoy it, there are other reasons Gossett takes the youngsters on free horse rides.
"If we can't use what we've got to tell someone about Jesus Christ, what good is it?" he said.
He also wants to teach the next generation the skills and love of riding horses.
"When my generation dies off, nobody will have any need for horses," he said. "People teach kids how to ride but they charge $30 or $40 an hour. The only people who will ride will be the rich kids."
Rich children are certainly welcome to come ride. But most of the children Gossett gets come from homes where riding lessons are not affordable.
"Most of these kids wouldn't get to do nothin' if he didn't have this deal for them," said Shaver Clark, a friend who helps Gossett with the program.
Gossett lets youngsters ride whenever it doesn't interfere with school. Riders meet at his place on the north side of town on Saturdays at 9 a.m. or Sundays at 1 p.m. They also ride on days when school is out and more frequently during the summer.
When the riders arrive, they're responsible for getting out the tack and saddling the horses. Once they're ready, they gather under a tree near the road. There, they are led through a devotional and a prayer. Quite often a minister from Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church will say a few words. Sometimes Gossett will do it. On this particular Saturday, the Rev. Landrum Medlock talked to the young riders about finding God in creation.
"As you look around and see things, you can see God in that," he said. After his short devotional and a closing prayer, the riders headed off on their cross-town trek. They crossed under U.S. Highway 287 at Central Avenue and worked their way south along the west side of Thompson Park. They then navigated their way down side roads and alleys until they reached South Crockett Street. They rode down Crockett and under Interstate 40. From there they took the I-40 Frontage Road back east to Washington Street and the Dairy Queen.
After dismounting, they hobbled the horses by tying their front legs together and then headed inside to eat.
"We get pretty busy when they come bring them horses. We get quite a bit of business off of them," manager Billie Balzer said.
Balzer said she hears a few complaints from people who think hobbling the horses is cruel. But she says she more often hears from people who want to know about the next trek.
"We really enjoy having them," she said.
During their lunch break, several of the youngsters talked about what the riding program meant to them. Cheri Moore was able to easily look past the cut on her chin she suffered when she was bucked off her steed earlier in the ride.
"I think its really good. I'm so glad to get to ride and stuff," said Cheri, 13. "It's really good for all the kids."
Other youngsters generally felt the ride taught them how to be responsible for animals.
"We have to be kind to the animals and take care of them," added Lyndsey Phipps, 17.
Kyle Phipps, 16, has been riding for more than four years.
"When I started riding I wanted to do better and stuff," he said. "It's motivation to keep my grades up. If I don't keep my grades up I don't get to ride."
"It's fun and it's a really good experience being with the horses and the kids," added 13-year-old Erica Brown. "I wanted to have a horse before, but I didn't know much about them."
After eating and then posing for pictures, the children mounted up and headed back to the farm. When they returned, they stowed the tack, watered the horses and returned them to their pens.
Gossett said making children do the work teaches them proper care for horses.
"If the industry doesn't start teaching kids to ride horses that's going to be the end of it," he said. "These kids are going to be the next buyers."  

Going for a ride 

G.A. Gossett offers free horse rides for children old enough and mature enough to properly handle the animals. Most are in their teens. He does expect the riders to show proper care and respect for the horses and their fellow riders. Those who do not follow the rules are not allowed back. Each ride begins with a Bible lesson and prayer. The rides, depending on the destination, take about five to six hours to complete. For more information, call Gossett at (806) 570-1309.

Christians need to step out

Joe Southern
joe.southern@amarillo.com
Pastor Rick Warren's message Monday to the more than 2,000 people gathered at the Amarillo Civic Center was a simple one.
"If you want God's blessing in your life, you must care about what God cares about most," he told the crowd assembled in Amarillo for the annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
In an impassioned, hour-long talk, Warren implored BGCT members to engage in his PEACE Plan, a missions-oriented strategy to bring people out of church pews and into action. He hoped doing so would help tackle what he called the "five Goliaths" facing the world today - spiritual emptiness, self-centered leadership, poverty, pandemic disease and illiteracy.
"These five problems are so big it's depressing," he said.
The PEACE Plan is acronym for ideals he hopes Christians would embrace - to Promote reconciliation, Equip servant leaders, Assist the poor, Care for the sick and Educate the next generation.
Warren said he prioritized these problems by looking at conditions through his travels around the world. He found the answers in the Bible, which he claims is the only book to outsell his own "A Purpose-Driven Life" in American history.
Jesus tackled those five Goliaths throughout his ministry, Warren said.
"The five things Jesus did are the antidote to the five biggest problems," he said.
Speaking with a hoarse voice damaged by smoke from the Southern California fires, Warren seemed to light a fire at the conference, where missions were the theme. He said most churches have the model of missions backwards. Churches study an area and train missionaries before sending them out. Warren said the victory is in the harvest and recommended that people go on missions first, then pray and learn.
"We need to release the latent, pent-up power that's sitting in our pews today," he said.
He urged people to get out of their comfortable pews and get involved in the world around them.
"Every member is a minister and every member is a missionary," he said.

And a woman shall lead them

Joe Southern
joe.southern@amarillo.com
Joy Fenner of Garland was elected Monday as president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, becoming the first woman to lead the convention that represents 5,600 congregations and 2.3 million people.
Fenner, 72, was elected over David Lowrie, 47, pastor of First Baptist Church in Canyon. The vote, held at the Amarillo Civic Center, was 900 to 840. Her 60-vote victory was closer than many had predicted and puts her in a position to unite Texas Baptists who showed signs Monday of being split over the direction of leadership.
In a news conference after the vote was taken, Fenner and Lowrie spoke about the importance of communication and the need to unite rather than divide.
"I don't think it's a very strong division at all," said Fenner, who is a lay leader from Gaston Oaks Baptist Church in Dallas.
Lowrie said his candidacy was more about moving the leadership back to the political center and having all voices heard than it was to take the convention in another direction. His concern was primarily for the large number of Southern Baptists in the BGCT and the low representation they have in leadership positions.
"I'm going to support her to the best of my ability," said Lowrie, who leads a Southern Baptist congregation.
He joked that they both actually won, because "I got my point across and I don't have to serve as president."
Fenner said she is open to working with Lowrie and other new leaders during her one-year term.
"For sure he will be involved. He's a gifted leader and we need his vision and his capabilities," she said.
BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade, who is retiring in three months, said he thinks the convention will come away from the two-day annual meeting a lot stronger than it was.
"There were a lot of conversations about what would happen here today," he said. "I am very pleased to see the spirit of unity that was going on. David's comments are deeply appreciated. ... Most of our churches give through the BGCT to support the missions programs of the Southern Baptists."
As for the historic nature of the vote, Fenner said it was always a secondary issue for her.
"It's gratifying because women have been so involved in Baptist work," she said. "I hope it would honor some of our women who have leadership abilities."
Fenner is the executive director emeritus for the Woman's Missionary Union of Texas. Between sessions, several people commented about the vote.
"We would have voted for Joy Fenner because of her background in missions," said J.W. Tomes of Amarillo, who was not a voting member. "She would have been very much our choice. She's done a lot of good work in the state of Texas."
"I'm very pleased, happy," said Sue Andrews of Hereford. "I didn't get to vote, but that's who I would have voted for."
"I think it's great myself. I think she'll do the job that she's supposed to do. She's got a lot of experience as a leader," said Kelsie Nowell of Vernon.
Shirley Whitley of El Paso said she was also pleased with the outcome.
"I think she has a great background and I trust her to bring us together like we need to be," she said.

Who was that other masked man?

By Joe Southern
For one season, in 1952, Clayton Moore was replaced as the Lone Ranger on the popular television series.
For 52 episodes, John Hart dashed across the television screen as the man behind the mask. John Hart played the part from 1952 to 1954 on 52 episodes when Moore held out in a contact dispute.
Although Hart has done numerous television and film projects, he is often most remembered as the "other" Lone Ranger.
"I've dined out on it forever," Hart said in a telephone interview. "It's never bothered me at all."
At the time, it was just another job.
"I went on and did 'Hawkeye' and did other things."
His counterpart, however, took to the mask and played the role to the hilt.
"He (Moore) decided to be the Lone Ranger and he made it his job and he did it very well," Hart said.
Prior to temporarily replacing Moore, Hart made two guest appearances on the show as one of the heavies opposite the masked man. After the show ended in 1957, he made two cameo appearances as the Lone Ranger on television, once on an episode of "Happy Days" in the 1970s and later in 1981 on "The Greatest American Hero."
Hart's last connection to the legendary masked rider of the plains came in 1981 in "The Legend of the Lone Ranger."
"I worked on 'The Legend of the Lone Ranger.' I played an old editor of a Western country paper," he said.
Although his character was hanged by the bad guys early in the film, Hart's involvement lasted well beyond the bit part.
"The guy who played the Lone Ranger was such a disaster," he recalled. "Having been the Lone Ranger they got me into doing all his press conferences and stuff."
Working in the lead role on the television series was enjoyable for Hart. He said he made a lot of friends through it and forged a close relationship with Jay Silverheels, who played the faithful Indian companion, Tonto, throughout the series and the two theatrical releases that followed. He was with Silverheels shortly before he died in 1980 following a series of strokes.
"He was a sweetheart of a person," Hart said.
Work on the television series was challenging. The 52 episodes Hart did were all shot in a matter of weeks.
"We worked six days a week, every other week. We worked Monday through Saturday. The scripts ran 30-some pages ... We shot every (episode) in two days. I'd have anywhere from 15, 16, 17 pages of dialog to memorize. I'd get up at 5 a.m. with a cup of coffee to start memorizing my lines," he said.
Being a real cowboy in his younger days, Hart was able to do things that Moore and others couldn't do, especially with the great, white horse Silver.
"I was very attracted to the horse, Silver. He was half Arabian and half American saddle bred," he said.
He said Silver was very jumpy and difficult to ride.
"Clayton wouldn't ride him, the radio guy (Brace Beemer) wouldn't ride him ... I took him when I knew I had the part. I took him out and rode him for a few days ... When we started shooting he was very friendly. I wore spurs, but I didn't have to spur him," he said.
In revealing another little-known tidbit about the show, he said Silver and Tonto's horse, Scout, didn't get along.
"They hated each other, it was really funny. We'd pull up and have some dialog and the horses would start nipping at each other and dancing around," he said.
To compensate for that, the saddles were placed on sawhorses for close-up scenes. "Then, they'd bring in the real horses and we'd ride out," Hart said.
One of the biggest mysteries of the old '50s television show is why Hart replaced Moore in the middle of the series. Some sources say George W. Trendle, who created the character, fired Moore because he was becoming too closely associated with the Lone Ranger. But Hart subscribes to the more widely held belief that Moore, in a dispute with producer Jack Chertok, held out for more money.
"I have no idea (why Moore came back)," he said. "I had long been gone and happy doing other things. Clayton was bound and determined to be the Lone Ranger. I'm sure it was over money ... He (Chertok) was the cheapest guy I ever worked for."
In addition to "The Lone Ranger," Hart has appeared or starred in many movies and television shows. He wore the hero's mask in "The Adventures of Captain Africa" and had lead roles in "Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans" and "Jack Armstrong, the All American Boy." He made numerous appearances in "Rawhide" and also showed up on such programs as "Sky King," "Sgt. Preston," "Dallas," "The Addams Family," "Leave it to Beaver," "Perry Mason," "Bat Masterson" and "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin," to name a few.
His first film appearance was in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Buccaneer." He went on and did several projects with DeMille.
"He took a liking to me and kept me on the show," Hart said.
He has worked with several old Hollywood greats, including Lon Chaney Jr., who was his sidekick in "Hawkeye," and Olympian/actor Buster Crabbe.
"Buster and I were old friends. I knew him before the '32 Olympics," he said.
He also recalled the time he had a "nice scene with Elizabeth Taylor." He said he considers his work as Hawkeye to be his favorite part.
"The stories were good, the thing was a wonderful show," he said.
But only 39 episodes were made, despite the show's popularity, because of a dispute between the producer and the advertisers.
In more recent years he wrote a cookbook called "Cowboys in the Kitchen."

Page Designs

More Photography

Pointing fingers and naming names

By Joe Southern
WALLER – Sidney Johnson didn’t pull any punches as he called out people by name and accused them of dirty politics during a candidate’s forum Thursday night hosted by the Waller Area Chamber of Commerce.
Johnson, who is one of three candidates running for two at-large seats on the city council in the May 8 municipal election, let loose a barrage of accusations during his 12-minute speech.
“As some of you know, some of my signs were destroyed two weeks ago … They was run over,” he said.
Noting that police had video of the incident, he pointed to a man in the crowd and said, “Brenda Bundick’s brother did it, didn’t you David Wilson?”
He claimed that Wilson and Bundick’s husband, Ronney Bundick sabotaged the signs. No one spoke up to deny it. Brenda Bundick is an incumbent and is competing against Johnson and Rick Dalton Sr. for the two council seats.
“I just want to run a nice, clean little election … I thought I was going to be proud to be one of the first minorities to run for council,” Johnson said.
Then he turned his sights on Councilman Roger Frey.
“Roger Frey sent my tax information to the Waller County News (Citizen),” he said.
He said his tax delinquency was a private matter being litigated in court and said he didn’t feel he owed the property taxes because his grandfather, who passed away at 103, was “exempt” from paying property taxes after he turned 65. He also accused mayoral candidate Maurice Hart Jr. of snubbing him while campaigning and for giving campaign T-shirts to children who aren’t old enough to vote.
“Mr. Hart … that hurt my feelings,” he said.
Johnson said he was not looking for a fight but came prepared to defend himself.
“I will attack you if you attack me. I didn’t come up here to snowball nobody. I came up here to try to do something for Waller,” he said.
He said he was interested in seeing weeds mowed down, condemned houses torn down and everyone treated fairly.
“This town needs to grow with black folks, and white folks and Hispanics,” he said.
Johnson was the fourth of the five candidates to give his spiel at the forum. Up first were mayoral candidates Hart and Danny Marburger, followed by Brenda Bundick. Dalton was the last to go.
Maurice Hart Jr. 
 Hart has spent the last 39 years on council, the past 13 as mayor pro-tem. He is a past member of the Waller Volunteer Fire Department and a co-creator of the Waller Ambulance Service and the Waller County Sub-Regional Planning Commission. Among his accomplishments, he listed the city’s 200,000 gallon water storage tank, the expansion of the extra jurisdictional territory, creation of the 20-year comprehensive plan and the development of the Livable City Plan.
“I led the fight for the city against the Trans Texas Corridor,” he said.
He said that there were many things he wanted to do as mayor, including solving the city’s drainage problem, improving communication between city hall, city staff and citizens, working closer with other local governments, bringing light rail to Waller, and preparing for the growth that is coming from Houston.
Danny Marburger
Marburger was mayor of Waller for 32 years before taking the last term off to tend to business needs. In that time Paul Wood was elected in his place, but did not run again. Marburger said he wants to see more community involvement in city government. He proposes having citizen committees make recommendations for important projects such as drainage, parks, events and more. He wants to see more frequent trash pick-up, better collection of delinquent taxes, and better cooperation with the economic development commission to recruit new businesses to Waller.
“If I am elected mayor, the buck stops here. If I am elected, I will not take the money. I will give the $25,000 a year salary the council voted for the position and give it back to the community,” he said.
Brenda Bundick
Bundick has lived in Waller for 36 years and has worked for the city for 16 years. She said she was the city’s first tax assessor/collector, served on the WVFD, served eight years with the ambulance service, was the city’s emergency management coordinator (overseeing recovery from three disasters), helped the county with its emergency management plan, worked in the school district tax office and, in 2006, became the first woman elected to serve on the council.
“I have a lot of firsts for our city but I hope those are the stepping stones that the city will follow,” she said.
Among the things she would like to get done in office is better tree trimming and street repair, and to help decrease crime.
Rick Dalton Sr.
Dalton moved to the area in 1980 and then to Waller in 1985. He has made a career out of managing auto parts stores. He is currently the president of the Waller Volunteer Fire Department and has helped orchestrate agreements with the emergency medical service. He is a sponsor of Cub Scout Pack 195. He is a former city alderman who helped tackle issues such as the water tank, drainage problems and annexations.
He chose not to run in 2007 to focus on a change in job duties. He said that is now under control and he is once again able to serve. He talked about his experience helping run a shelter during Hurricane Ike and how proud he was at the way the city came together in a crisis. Dalton said he wants to see Waller network better with other cities and to be prepared for the growth to come.
“We need strong leadership to guide us through that transition,” he said.

Indictment: Charleston orchestrated bribes

By Joe Southern
The unsealed federal indictment against Waller County Justice of the Peace DeWayne Charleston points to him as the organizer in a growing bribery scandal that has resulted in four convictions so far.
Charleston, 46, was arrested July 7 at his Hempstead home without incident and is out on a $100,000 bond. The indictment accuses Charleston of “conspiring to solicit, demand and accept bribe money or kickbacks” from a Waller demolition contractor in exchange for obtaining approved vendor status resulting in the awarding of City of Hempstead contracts.
The indictment accuses Charleston of conspiring with former Hempstead Mayor Pro-Tem Larry Wilson, and former City Alderman Paris Kincade to extort bribes from Sidney Johnson of Sid’s Recycling and Demolition – who is identified in the indictment as a “cooperating witness” or “CW” – in exchange for city contracts.
The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by special agents of the Houston FBI Office. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Wright is prosecuting the case. Wilson and Kincade pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges this year and are scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 13. Former Brookshire mayor Keith Allen Woods and former public works director Henry Cheney both pleaded guilty last year to corruption charges. They are serving 37-month and two-year sentences respectively.
When contacted Monday for comment about the indictment, Charleston declined, referring instead to his attorney, Paul Nugent of Houston. A call to Nugent has not yet been returned.
The indictment against Charleston reads a lot like the indictments against Wilson and Kincade. Many of the points in the indictment come from secret recordings allegedly made between July 18, 2005, and July 26, 2008.
On July 18, 2005, Charleston is alleged to have arranged a meeting with Johnson and Woods, the Brookshire mayor, to discuss demolition contracts in Waller County. At that time Charleston reportedly told Johnson that he wanted his “pockets coated” just like he was “coating the pockets” of the mayor.
On April 28, 2006, Johnson met with Charleston after a civil court proceeding at which Charleston is recorded telling Johnson, “You know I took care of your a—, don’t you?” Three days later, Johnson went to Charleston’s home and asked, “How much is this trial gonna cost me?” Charleston then allegedly took a $1,000 bribe.
On Nov. 5, 2006, Johnson and Charleston are recorded discussing the possible election of a black district attorney. “I think that Negro get in, I think he will take a (racial epithet) down a whole lot quicker, we can’t scream racism against him, so the thing is, you … (have to) just put up, make an investment,” Charleston allegedly said.
On Nov. 22, Charleston is recorded talking to Johnson on the phone and telling him, “I can’t get no movement … I think we need to try go on and get with the City of Hempstead.”
Earlier in the year Hempstead received a $350,000 federal Community Development Block Grant to rehabilitate or demolish buildings in the city. On that same November day, Charleston introduced Johnson to Mayor Michael Wolfe. After the meeting, Charleston told Johnson he would have the necessary votes to become a preferred vendor with the city.
“Larry (Wilson) … with you, you ain’t got to worry about Larry … you got Paris Kincade … Paris is gonna be with you.” Charleston later tells Johnson, “I’m gonna tell Larry that … you’ll be willing to make a nice contribution … if he run for Commissioner.”
Later in the conversation, Johnson suggests to Charleston that he (Johnson) offer Wolfe “five, six, seven thousand in your pocket, do what you want with it.”
Charleston replied, “That’ll … scare him (Wolfe) off doc, Larry Wilson the one you want to go to with that.”
On Dec. 28, 2006, Johnson met with Charleston, Wolfe and Wilson in Wolfe’s office to discuss potential demolition contracts. After the meeting, Wilson discussed with Johnson how to inflate contracts in order to make more money from the city.
On Jan. 10, 2007, Johnson and Wilson agreed to a $10,000 bribe in exchange for up to $160,000 in city contracts. On Jan. 18, Johnson tried to give a pre-arranged $5,000 bribe payment to Wilson, who instructed him to give it to Charleston.
“Tell you what, you get that to the judge. You give that to the judge. Tell Judge to come see me.” A few days later, Wilson arranged to have an unnamed accomplice accept the money. On Jan. 30, Charleston is alleged to have made a surprise visit to Johnson’s office and tell Johnson he was aware of the bribe payment and his attempts to get the Hempstead contracts.
On Feb. 5, 2007, Kincade is recorded telling Johnson he would like the same type of relationship with him that Wilson has. He later accepts $3,000 from Johnson. In a city council meeting on Feb. 8, Wilson makes a motion to accept Johnson’s business as a vendor and Kincade seconds the motion. The next day, Johnson deposited $5,000 in the trunk of Wilson’s car while Wilson tells him “You got … the contract (it’s) yours.”
The next day Johnson went to Charleston’s home where he allegedly gave Charleston a $1,500 bribe payment. During that visit, Johnson expressed some of his fears to Charleston, including his concern of Wilson being a law enforcement officer at Prairie View A&M University. Charleston told him “he’s just a security guard.”
Charleston is also recorded allaying Johnson’s fears about getting caught bribing officials.
“Let me just tell you the law. You can give a Negro a bribe … the public official who receives it is the one who goes down … not the one who gives it,” Charleston is quoted as saying.
He goes on to say, “You (Johnson) the only one that can bust him (Wilson) … he probably was trying to find out was that (racial epithet referring to Johnson) setting me up … I know my boy Wilson.”
Should the bribes be discovered, Charleston advised Johnson to call them campaign contributions.
“Remember this, you gave that to him as a campaign contribution. Now, it’s his fault if he didn’t record it and file it as such … and I can vouch for you. Do you follow me?”
Charleston told Johnson the bribes, “they call that the cost of doin’ business, when business man pays somebody some money. It’s the public official who … can’t do it, and that’s all you got to worry about.”
Another comment attributed to Charleston from the same conversation includes, “… we can own Waller County if we pay these Negroes right, the mayors …”
The conversation ends with Johnson allegedly giving Charleston a $1,500 bribe payment which Charleston counts out. On Feb. 27, Charleston informed Johnson that the city contract Johnson pursued with an “unindicted co-conspirator” in Prairie View fell through because the unindicted co-conspirator pushed too hard with the local officials, as well as for Johnson to pay the bribe money to him up front.
“On or about Feb. 27, 2007, in a recorded conversation, Charleston and the cooperating witness (Johnson) discussed how the unindicted co-conspirator in Prairie View failed to obtain a contract after receiving a bribe payment, in which Charleston stated, ‘… you give a (racial epithet) their money up front, and they don’t do no real plannin’ … somebody like me, I could just play politics … I’m not no elected official … for (the) city or Prairie View (A&M), but hey listen, one thing them (racial epithet) is always gonna need, and you know what that is … they gonna always need the judge,’” the indictment says.
In August of 2007, Johnson received three payments from Hempstead for the demolition of buildings. The $19,650 paid by the city came from Community Development Block Grant funds, which are federal dollars, thus making this a federal offense rather than a local one. The investigation wound down on Jan. 24, 2008, when Johnson asked Charleston about the status of a speeding ticket he received on Feb. 16, 2006.
“Charleston stated the ticket was on his desk, had not been adjudicated, the cooperating witness (Johnson) had nothing to worry about, and nothing would be on the cooperating witness’ record,” the indictment says.
In a recorded telephone conversation, Johnson asked Charleston about the status of the $1,000 bribe to resolve the ticket. “When you start talkin’ about stuff, you limit that stuff to when we in person, though,” Charleston said.
Later that day, FBI agents ask Charleston about fixing a speeding ticket for Johnson in return for $1,000. “What … no he never gave me $1,000 … I never got anything from him. Not to fix no ticket,” Charleston said.
On Jan 30, Kincade went to Johnson to ask if he would be turning him in to law enforcement. Wilson and Kincade are not charged in Charleston’s case. They are scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 13. If convicted of conspiring to commit Federal Programs Fraud, Charleston could face a penalty of imprisonment of not more than five years and/or a fine not to exceed $250,000. A conviction for violating any of the remaining substantive counts of Federal Programs Fraud carries a penalty of imprisonment of not more than 10 years and/or a fine not to exceed $250,000.
Three days after he was indicted, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct suspended Charleston with pay from the office of justice of the peace, Precinct 3. County Judge Owen Ralston said the suspension will remain in effect until further orders of the commission. Justices of the peace Ted Krenek, Charles Karisch and Delores Hargrave each volunteered to pick up part of Charleston’s load.
Ralston said Charleston has up to 30 days to request a hearing. The commission has 30 days after that to conduct a hearing. It then has up to 60 days to render its decision.

Archeologists unearth Bernardo Plantation

By JOE SOUTHERN
 HEMPSTEAD — Archeologists have discovered and are excavating the site of Bernardo Plantation, the place where Gen. Sam Houston took possession of the Twin Sisters cannons and marshaled his troops for the battle of San Jacinto.
Located just a few miles south of Hempstead on property owned by Houston media mogul Greg Brown, teams of professional and volunteer archeologists have unearthed two of the four fireplaces of the 1822 plantation home and are recovering a treasure trove of artifacts.
“This is one of the lost plantation sites of Texas that we’ve found,” said Jim Bruseth, director of the archeology division for the Texas Historical Commission.
Bernardo Plantation was built in 1822 by Jared Ellison Groce II and is believed to be the largest plantation in the Republic of Texas and the western-most cotton plantation in the South.
“Some have argued that the first cotton crop grown in Texas was grown here,” Bruseth said.
The plantation is built near a rock crossing in the Brazos River and served as a crossroads for travel in the old republic. The steamboat Yellow Stone used to tie up at the ferry landing at the site.
“The Twin Sister cannons were delivered to Sam Houston here from Cincinnati, Ohio,” Bruseth said.
The site is being excavated in cooperation with the Texas Historical Commission, the Community Archaeology Research Institute of Houston and the Houston Archeological Society. In addition to the brick and sandstone fireplaces, the workers have found nails, glass and ceramic shards, pieces of bone, coins, bullets, buttons, parts of lanterns, hoes, horse tack, parts of a cast iron fence and more.
Gregg Dimmick, a pediatrician from Wharton, with the assistance of avocational archeologist Jim Woodrick, discovered the site last spring. In August, teams using a magnetometer and then ground-penetrating radar verified the exact location of the main house. On Wednesday, Dec. 9, teams arrived to begin the dig.
“We could go on for years with this,” Bruseth said.
Displayed on a table with some of the newly-uncovered artifacts at the site were some items found just across the river in 1915 from the spot where Houston’s troops camped. Bruseth said this is a major find for Texas history.
“If you’ve read any of the early documents about the fight for Texas independence, this plantation site figured prominently in that,” he said. “Anybody of any importance came through here.”
The house had four rooms, each 20 feet by 20 feet. Each room had its own fireplace. There was a 12-foot wide dogtrot down the center of the building.
“The house was dismantled in 1865,” Brueth said. He said there is evidence the house was built in stages, with the first two fireplaces being made of sandstone quarried by slaves from the river. The second two fireplaces were made of red brick, also constructed by slave labor.
According to a press release issued by the Texas Historical Commission, Bernardo provided the facilities, services and a strategic location for Sam Houston and his Texian soldiers to prepare for the Mexican army 10 days before the Battle of San Jacinto.
The Twin Sisters cannons arrived from Ohio sympathizers and nearby, the steamboat Yellow Stone waited to ferry soldiers across the Brazos River. Large groups of people fleeing the approaching Gen. Santa Anna and his troops passed through as part of what became known as the Runaway Scrape.
The collection of structures including the main house, stand-alone kitchen, slaves’ quarters, traveler’s hostel and cabin for the resident doctor was where more than 100 people once lived and worked along the banks of the Brazos River. Bernardo, believed to be named after the Mexican governor of Texas at the time, is considered the South’s last major cotton plantation as well as the nation’s farthest westward cotton plantation.
“With regards to Texas early history, its location in the Brazos Valley is where the South became the West,” said Texas State Historian Light Cummins. “Bernardo was where plantation history began in our state with the planting of the first cotton crop in the Austin colony, and in terms of slave numbers remained the largest plantation in the Republic of Texas.”
Previous investigations in the summer and early fall yielded portions of hand-held tools, wagon and harness pieces, fragments of ceramic vessels and other household items.
“As we began to recover artifacts we were presented with some of the most poignant experiences an archeologist can have,” said Robert Marcom, a principal investigator with the Houston-based nonprofit Community Archaeology Research Institute, Inc. (CARI). “For instance, finding a heavy hoe blade that’s more than 170 years old is a reminder of both the economic possibilities that the early settlers hoped to exploit as well as the terrible human cost that enslavement exacted on those who were forced to labor under the hot Texas sun.”
CARI will continue to manage the Bernardo Plantation Archeology Project with the assistance of the THC and volunteers from the Texas, Houston, Fort Bend and Brazosport archeological societies. Long term plans include partial excavation of the site, leaving some areas for future experts to explore with techniques not yet available.
The goal is to eventually use the site as a learning tool for archeology classes and field schools. Researchers also hope to learn more about descendents of the slaves who once worked the plantation, many of whom are believed to live in and around the Hempstead area.
For more information about the Bernardo Plantation contact the THC’s Archeology Division at 512-463-6096 or visit www.thc.state.tx.us.

Houston-area wounded warrior has her sacrifice honored with new home

By Joe Southern
Army Sgt. Kendra Coleman (retired) knows what it’s like to have an emotionally life altering experience, having lost her left leg to a bomb in Afghanistan.
The emotions and a change in fortunes came in torrents again Monday morning when a host of politicians and other local dignitaries welcomed her and her husband into their new home in Cinco Ranch, a gift from the Helping a Hero organization and many local donors.
Instead of fighting enemy combatants, she fought back tears – often a losing battle – during the ceremony in her driveway where hundreds of people watched as Texas entrepreneur and former presidential candidate H. Ross Perot Sr. presented her with the keys to her home and led the crowd of more than 100 in a hero’s welcome.
“People ask me if I could go back in time and do it again, would I? Yes, I would go back and lose both of my legs to make sure America’s safe,” she said during her brief remarks.
Among the many thanks she offered, three were most important to her: God, Perot and her brother, Troy, who gave up two years of his life to help her recover from her wounds. She very tearfully hugged him amid loud applause.
Perot, who has a long history of supporting America’s veterans, took a special interest in Coleman after she was targeted by the Taliban because she was a female soldier. She said he called her frequently to check on her recovery and to offer encouragement following the May 11, 2010, explosion of an improvised explosive device (IED) that changed her life forever.
According to Meridith Iler, chair of HelpingaHero.org, Perot funded a special prosthetic leg that “enables her to walk with high heels.”
In his keynote address, Perot recounted her story, telling how she was on a mission when she stepped near a pile of tires.
“I could feel the evil in the air,” she had told him.
After the blast she reached for the tourniquet in her left pocket. “All she could find were pieces of what had been her leg,” he said.
Commending Coleman’s strength and stamina, Perot said she has a bright future ahead of her. “She’s going to lead a rich, full life,” he said.
He said that “she’s going to be a Texas Aggie here pretty soon,” noting her decision to attend Texas A&M to study communications.
“She wants to have a career in helping people who have lost limbs,” he said.
Earlier in the presentation, U.S. Rep Michael McCaul gave a few remarks and then presented her with a U.S. flag that was flown over the Capitol in her honor.
“We’re going to win this fight against the Taliban and win the war in Afghanistan,” he said.
Noting the generations of military heroes that have gone on before, McCaul said, “today we have a new Great Generation of heroes and they’re coming home.”
The furnished home for Coleman and her new husband, Anthony Garza, was provided by Newland Communities, Chesmar Homes and a host of other donors. Spark Energy donated their first year of electricity, and furnishings were provided by Gallery Furniture, Tista’s Fine Furniture and Star Furniture.

Astronaut encourages new Eagle Scouts to seek more mountain top experiences

By Joe Southern
KATY – Eagle Scouts from across the Sam Houston Area Council gathered at the Merrell Center Wednesday night to celebrate their “mountain top” experience and to view the horizon with one of their own who has been there.
Astronaut Michael Fossum, who recently returned to Houston after serving as the commander of Expedition 29 aboard the International Space Station, was the keynote speaker at the New Eagle Scout Reception and Gathering of Eagles event to honor the boys who achieved the highest rank in Boy Scouts in 2011.
Fossum, who is an Eagle Scout and active Scout leader, told the hundreds of boys to enjoy their mountain top experience but not to stop there.
“You are on a mountain top but keep your eyes looking forward and you’ll see new mountain tops … new adventures and new goals,” he said.
He also encouraged the young men to become trailblazers on their quest for the next mountain top.
“At times you’re going to be cutting a new path for others to follow,” he said.
Fossum said he was “driven by a love of adventure and a spirit of service” to achieve Eagle Scout and to go on to much greater heights. He recalled climbing Mount Baldy at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico only to see yet a higher peak on the horizon. After climbing that one, he looked on and saw even higher peaks in Colorado.
“You’ve shown you have the perseverance and perspiration to get to the top,” he said. “Now, take a look back down from this mountain top and appreciate what it took to get here.”
Becoming an Eagle Scout is a distinction that will stay with the Scouts the rest of their lives. What they do with it, Fossum said, is up to them.
“What’s really important is not the badge. What’s really important is what you’ve become on the trail,” he said.
Master of Ceremonies Michael Garfield, an Eagle Scout known as “The High-Tech Texan” on KPRC-AM, noted that this year marks 100 years since the first Eagle Scout rank was awarded. The first Eagle Scout was Arthur Eldred of New York.
In addition to honoring the more than 950 boys who became Eagles last year in the Sam Houston Area Council, several special recognitions were given out. The 2011 class was named after the Rev. William A. Lawson, who was presented a gift and thanked for his efforts to not only help lead Houston toward desegregation in the 1960s, but for helping produce more than 100 Eagle Scouts at the church he pastors, Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church.
Frank Tsuru, president and CEO of Momentum Energy Group/M3 Midstream LLC and an Eagle Scout from the class of 1977, said one of the most important skills he learned on the trail to Eagle was leadership.
“In the future, you will see how incredible the dividends will pay when you are an Eagle Scout,” he said.
The Eagle Scout Project of the Year award went to Tyler Schild of College Station. His project was to redevelop the front yard area of Holleman Elementary School in Waller and turn it into a garden and outdoor science habitat.
Honoring Eagle Scouts who have gone on to accomplish great things, the Outstanding Eagle Scout Award was presented to seven men.
They are: Lex Frieden (1964), professor of biomedical informatics, physical medicine and rehabilitation at the UT Health Science Center in Houston; Stewart Gagnon (1965), senior partner at the law firm of Fulbright and Jaworski, LLP; Raymond Garcia (1957), president of R.T. Garcia and Co., Inc., a petroleum engineering and management consulting firm; Dabney Kennedy (1952), retired from DOW Chemical and currently presient of the Westbury Area Improvement Corp.; Eric Mullins (1976), co-CEO of Lime Rock Resources and LRR Energy, L.P.; Scott Parazynski (1977), former astronaut and current chief technology officer and chief medical officer at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute; and J. Steve Taylor (1964), senior operations manager for Kellogg, Brown and Root.

Photography