[Marlin Democrat] -- City council votes to raise permit fees

City council votes to raise permit fees

By Denise Schoppe
Staff Writer

The Marlin Democrat
September 22, 2004

A proposed rate increase on city permits was unanimously passed at the Sept. 14 regular session of the Marlin City Council.

The current rates were effectively doubled with the exception of garage sale permits, which will now go to $7 from the current $5. Other specific permits discussed were moving, which goes from $100 to $200, rezoning goes from $50 to $100, and building, electrical and plumbing permits now become $52 for the first $2000 worth of work, with $4 for each addition $1000.

The rates were changed to aid in the 2005 budget.

In other action the council:

- discussed a proposed additional surcharge of $6.50 to be added to resident's water bills to combat the $180,000 deficit in the 2005 budget. Use of the city's rehab fund to decrease that surcharge to $4 was also discussed, but decisions on left until the following council meeting. Interim City Manager Miles Shaunfield was asked to meet with all department heads to look for more ways to decrease the budget further before decisions on the surcharge were made.

- unanimously approved joining the HGAC Electric purchasing aggregate.

- unanimously approved the City of Marlin fair housing resolution which guarantees fair housing within the city. In conjunction with the resolution, the council approved designating a fair housing officer, who will be named at a later time, as well as the grievance procedure regarding fair housing.

[Marlin Democrat] -- Kennedy brings walls to life

Kennedy brings walls to life

By Denise Schoppe
Staff Writer

The Marlin Democrat
September 22, 2004

Citizens of Marlin have seen her work countless times driving through the streets of town, and now students at Chilton Elementary School will see it every day when going to class.

Sondra Kennedy is the artist behind the murals on the walls of businesses in downtown Marlin, and some of her art can be seen within the walls of Marlin schools. Her newest canvas is the halls of Chilton Elementary School.

Sponsored by the Chilton PTA, Kennedy was contacted by Candace Hall about bringing her art to the walls of the school, and over the span of a week she gave a new life to four walls in the building.

"I don't know how she does it," Gladys Graves, Chilton Elementary School principal, said. "She is so talented. Her work is priceless."

Each wall has its own theme. Messages of "Learning is Fun", "Welcome to our school" and "We make this world a better place to live" inspire and entertain the students.

"The kids are excited," Graves said. "This is really special."

The kids are part of what inspired the images Kennedy has painted. She said she came up with her ideas from things she heard someone say and from the faces of the children, many of whom have made their way into the murals.

"The kids do it," Kennedy said. "They are so sweet and I want to personalize it for them. The ideas just come."

Kennedy said she has enjoyed every minute of the project.

"This is a great school," Kennedy said. "The staff is a great team. The kids are so fun to watch going down the hall in single file. They are so well behaved."

Graves said it's been a pleasure having Kennedy doing the work and said that the walls seem to come to life as the paintings progress.

Kennedy started painting originally out of a need to work. She'd started selling Mary Kay, when she volunteered to decorate windows at Christmas for Joyce Reese.

"She needed an elephant for Christmas, and I hadn't painted in years," Kennedy said. "But I got it done and delivered it on Christmas Eve."

Kennedy eventually went from decorating windows at Christmas to painting murals on buildings. She said she'd never painted a mural like that before, but took on the task anyway.

"I started out of having to," Kennedy said. "I never said I couldn't do anything. If you try, you can. I kept trying."

An artist at heart, Kennedy's creations move past painting. She also makes pineneedle baskets and sculpts with clay for fun.

"You have to love what you do," she said. "That applies any job and everyone."

[Marlin Democrat] Column -- The battle between personal and professional

The battle between personal and professional
Nise Note's
By Denise Schoppe

The Marlin Democrat
September 22, 2004

Growing up, I set my sights on a strong professional persona. My focus was on my schooling so that when I reached the point of leaping into my career, I would do so with a solid work ethic and a nothing-can-stop me attitude.

I passed on doing many things to ensure that my focus remained on that career goal. The top of top was where I was headed. I'd quickly move from small town Texas to big cities, other states, travel to other countries, and anywhere else my climb to the top took me.

As I get older, though, my focus has shifted. I still want to do the best I can in anything I do, and I definitely want to go far in my career field. However, as I look around, I have started finding my interest have come to focus more in the personal side of things. Cultivating the relationships in my life have grown more and more important. I find my mind is on those closest to me more often that what my next career move should be. It's quite the opposite of what it once was.

Don't get me wrong, my family and friends have always been important to me. They've always been very important. However, I was fully prepared to let them take a backseat to my career as it was what was what my focus was on; it was what would take me far.

Now, even as my career still takes a top spot in my list of priorities, it's begun to slip a bit. I now find myself hesitating as I look at how much sacrificing I have to do to get to the top of this career field.

So the question comes to mind: which is more important in the end?

I've always said that I'd rather be happy than be rich, because money doesn't buy you happiness. It makes things a lot easier, yes, but as the saying says, you can't take it with you when you go.

My family and friends make me happy. When I feel even the slightest of discord somewhere in a relationship, it throws everything off. These people encourage me. They support me. They inspire me.

My career will always be important to me. Ask me where I see myself in five to ten years, and the first thing I'll say is, "Solidly settled in my career". I am proud of all I've done to get to this point, and I regret nothing.

However, let me finish the statement of where I see myself in the future and you'll find it ends with, "settled with a family of my own." And in the the end, I think that is what is most important.

Success is sweet, but its sweetest when you have people with which to share it.