Flo Water Elections

In a signed column the writer is allowed to give opinions, but I don’t want to tell you how to vote in the upcoming water board election, just to vote. It is the American Way to have two or more candidates running and for the voter to have a choice. Democracy makes us stronger, not weaker. The Flo Community Water Supply Corporation belongs to you, the member and you are the one to decide who should run it.

All of the candidates are our neighbors and members of Flo Community Water Supply Corp. Each of them wants the best water at the lowest cost to their fellow members. There is an interview in today’s Buffalo Press with the eight candidates who are still running. They were each given the same form to fill out, and their answers were unedited, although the right to edit was there, but they were all polite.

They differ on some issues and are remarkably similar on others. It is your job as a member and voter to read and listen and find out what those issues are and to cast your vote accordingly.

You can read the stories from previous meetings of Flo Water, by permission of The Buffalo Press at; theflonewsonline.blogspot.com

Please don’t pay any attention to the rumors and myths that seem to accompany any election. No candidate has said that they want to raise rates, or do an assessment, but some in each group have admitted that it may become a necessity if there is another well failure. While some attendees at meetings and letter writers have made what may be hasty or unfounded remarks, this writer has not heard that from any candidate.

Please hold our friend and neighbor, Mr. Claude Moore in your thoughts and prayers as he is in the Mother Francis Hospital in Tyler struggling with pneumonia. Mr. Claude is a Flo institution on his motorized mule riding down to the church at the Flo Crossroads to visit with the pastor there, Brother Ken Stone. Reports on Monday morning said that he was doing some better. We will all be hoping for a full and quick recovery.

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Two Candidates show up for Lone Star meeting

By Mac Shadix

Forty-five people showed up to hear two of the candidates for Flo Community Water Supply Corporation answer questions on Tuesday night February 27. At the Lone Star Community Center. The group included several past directors, current employees and family members of Board President Gary Bell. Bells wife Pat said that Bell did not attend because it would have made a quorum which is not allowed under the Texas Open Meetings Act.

Presumably Directors Ann Boykin and Richard Moran were absent for the same reason. Candidates Ron Carmichael, and Richard Blanchard were absent because they were ill, Candidate and moderator Hollis Bradshaw told the group. Candidate Ken Jones was traveling, and the other two candidates possibly did not want to attend a forum with one of the opposition candidates as moderator where they had no previous notice of the rules, or program.

Both Nancy Spivey and Bradshaw spoke about their qualifications and their hopes for Flo CWSC. Both these candidates, and Blanchard and Carmichael are opposing the candidates of the group calling itself The Flo Water Reform Committee.

Several questioned the mailer that the Reform Committee had sent out, with Mrs. Bell saying that she thought that they were trying to make it seem that they represented the Corporation and were telling people how to vote.

Flo WSC member Stan Stevens who had earlier in the meeting been critical of some of the letters in the newspapers about the issues seemed to disagree, asking the group.

“Did you’all get the same one I got?”

“Who gave them permission to form this Committee? Bell also asked.

“They didn’t need permission.” Bradshaw told her.

Interviews and photos of all the candidates for the Flo Water Corporation Board are in this weeks Buffalo Press.

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Billy Copeland Auctions a Texas Star
At the Lone Star Community Center

Isn't it good?

Isn’t it good that in America people can differ on issues without acting like they do in Iraq and other foreign places? As Flo folk differ in the upcoming water board election I hope that they remember that we all have a lot more in common with each other than we have differences.

That high, dry wind pulled about four inches of water out of my pond in three days. Did you notice that after pretty good rains that night and in the morning it was blowing dust by afternoon. Then we had and old fashioned dust storm that must have been like it was back in the depression years. Can you remember ever seeing such a dust storm here in Leon County?

Flo Firefighters Ron and Margo Carmichael answered the alarm and helped extinguish a car fire on FM 831 down about Buffalo Creek.

About forty five people attended the Auction at the Lone Star Community Center and Auctioneer Billy Copeland had them rolling in the aisles. It looked like it was worth the cost of whatever you bought just to listen to him work the crowd.

Flo WSC now has a slot in the door for those who need to drop in a ballot, or a payment after hours.

Flo Water Candidate Withdraws

By Mac Shadix

One candidate on the ballot for the Flo Community Water Corp. Board of Directors no longer wishes to run. Wayne Bennett gave the following statement to the Buffalo Press this weekend; “I Wayne Bennett remove my name for nomination to the Board of Directors for Flo Community Water Supply Corporation.”

Bennett’s name will still appear on the Ballots because they are already printed and should have been mailed on Feb. 26.

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Flo Boil Water Notice Rescinded

The boil water notice for those areas west of Highway 75 that were experiencing low or no water pressure has been lifted following water tests, according to Flo Water General Manager Jim Martin. As several directors were preparing to help Martin search for the source of the leak, Director Richard Moran found it while walking the eight inch line that runs down the power line right of way.

Flo Water Reform Committee Meets

By Mac Shadix

The Flo Water Reform Committee met on Monday night, February 19^th to introduce their consolidated slate of candidates to the committee and to the public. Ninety people attended the meeting in the Buffalo Civic Center to meet the four candidates. Each candidate spoke briefly about their qualifications and about their hopes for Flo Community Water Supply System.

The Reform Committee was formed in January as a result of concerned citizens meeting to discuss recent problems with Flo Water Supply Corporation including; bankruptcy, brown water in a part of the system, multiple line breaks and boil water notices, strained relations with neighboring water systems and concerns about the way meetings were managed and the denial of invoices and records to members and directors and other issues.

The candidates chosen are opposing two of the three appointed current directors who are up for election. Director Richard Moran who has been butting heads with the current administration by seeking change is a member of the Reform Committee. The other three Reform Committee candidates are; Jimmy Davis, Ken Jones and Bob Boettcher. These candidates have agreed to seek new officers for Flo Water, to replace President Gary Bell, Vice President Bobby Pittman who is not seeking reelection, and Secretary-Treasurer Ann Boykin if the Reform Committee achieves a majority on the new Board.

See the Buffalo Press interviews and photos of all the candidates in today’s paper.

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