“I’ve known of this church for a long time,” said Rich Jones, who knew the former lead pastor. When he was asked to consider coming to Lubbock, he said he and his wife, Kimberly, prayed over it.

“We knew deeply that God was leading us here,” said Jones. “It was just a deep sense that God was saying, ‘This is what I have for you: Go here.’ And so, we came.”

Jones was the lead pastor of Saint Stephen United Methodist Church West Campus in Amarillo before coming to Wolfforth. He was there for seven years, and led a church in Rotan for two years before that.

Jones said in the month since he arrived in Wolfforth, he has seen that Wolfforth UMC is “an amazing church.”

“It’s multi-generational, which is unusual these days,” he said.

While the church offers contemporary music, it also has some traditional elements. People have been warm and friendly, and have a desire to go deeper with God, something else that Jones said is unusual.

The church’s biggest asset is its wonderful people with a heart for God and a willingness to do whatever it takes to build his kingdom, Jones said.

After listing the church’s best qualities, Jones said he had no desire to make immediate changes.

“I’m not one to jump to change,” he said, noting the church has changed in recent years with a move to its current location on Donald Preston Drive and a change in musical styles.

Jones, who tried college for a while before becoming a Marine for four years, went on to attend and graduate from West Texas A&M in 1997. He followed his bachelor’s in English with his studies at the Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky.

Outside of work, he is interested in college sports, particularly basketball, as well as reading, writing, traveling and anything to do with technology. He describes himself as a “technogeek.”

Jones and his wife, an occupational therapist, have one son, Eli, 3, and another child due in December.

Police arrested Dereck Rolando Garcia, 25, on an aggravated assault charge Saturday night.

Police say the man fired a shot from a handgun at Frenship Board President Brad Draper and his wife about 9:30 p.m. near the intersection of 82nd Street and Quaker Avenue — the halfway point of the four-mile chase.

In Garcia’s SUV, police also found his 9-year-old brother, a 9mm handgun and narcotics, according to Lubbock police.

Police and the couple pursued by Garcia said the case of road rage seemed unprovoked.

Draper, 44, of Lubbock said he and his wife were driving home after eating dinner when Garcia started tailgating their car around 82nd Street and University Avenue.

Garcia allegedly pulled up beside Draper and pointed a handgun at Draper’s car. Draper said he drove the remaining two miles weaving between other vehicles and never going more than about 50 mph.

As his wife talked on her cell phone with a police dispatcher, Draper said, his Corvette never was more than a few car lengths ahead of the SUV. He preferred, instead, to keep the pursuing vehicle within his sight.

“I wanted to make sure he got caught,” he said. “But there wasn’t any way I was going to let him get up near us.”

Draper turned south on Frankford Avenue and saw a police cruiser waiting near the intersection. Draper said he used his Corvette to trap the still-pursuing SUV between his car and the following police cruiser. They pulled into the nearby CVS Pharmacy parking lot and, within one minute, six police cruisers had surrounded the SUV.

Draper and his wife spent much of Sunday recalling their ordeal, trying to make sense of what happened.

In her third stint at Bennett Elementary School, Michelle Elliott returned just four days before school started to take over the top job as principal.

Elliott picked up a staff T-shirt the night before being introduced as the new principal to Bennett teachers. She said Superintendent David Vroonland made her wait in the hall so it was a surprise to the staffers, 90 percent of whom Elliott said she had worked with before.

They greeted her with a standing ovation.

“I cried; they were crying,” she said. “It was the most amazing welcome.”

Elliott served three years as a fifth-grade teacher at Bennett when it was an elementary school. When Casey Elementary closed and Bennett became an elementary school, she spent a year as a fourth-grade teacher at Willow Bend. The next year, she was back as an assistant principal at Bennett, but later moved back to Willow Bend, where she has spent recent years as an assistant principal.

The new principal said she did not expect to become a principal this year.

“I have been plugging away and planning for Willow Bend,” she said. The vacancy at Bennett was opened when former Bennett Principal Rhonda Dillard was promoted to head of Frenship’s human resources in the weeks before school started.

“It was a surprise, actually,” she said. “I’m excited about it though.”

Although this is her first year to start as the lead administrator of a school, Elliott said in some ways, it’s just the same for her as it is for every principal.
“It’s the beginning of the year at every campus,” she said.

Elliott said her educational philosophy is that it’s important that all kids learn at a high level, and that educators must know where their students are and meet them there.

“I’m really in this to build relationships with staff, students and parents,” she said. “I really hope to do all that and have fun while we’re doing it.”
Elliott said she didn’t become a teacher until she was 30. She decided to become a teacher after reflecting on who had the biggest impact on her as she was growing up, and she said she wanted to have that same impact on others.

She decided to become an administrator because she realized she was good at collaborating with other teachers — and she also enjoyed it.

“That’s my favorite part of the job,” said Elliott.

Still, she said she misses being in the classroom.

“Any time I have a stressful day, that’s my first line of defense: getting in a classroom,” she said.

Elliott is originally from Abilene, but is a big fan of living in Lubbock, which she said has a bit more to do. Her husband, Kyle, works for United Supermarkets, and they have two children.

In her spare time, she said she enjoys sporting events, decorating, painting and music, but mostly enjoys time with her husband and kids.

City Secretary Debbie Youngblood told the council that Royce Wittie would be able to handle cases if Judge Donald Preston is out sick.

“In order for him to go to school, he has to be appointed,” said Youngblood.

Wittie will be paid when he serves, she said.

The council approved his appointment by a 5-0 vote and watched as Youngblood swore him into office.

The council also approved the use of the Qualls Baseball Complex in Patterson Park for a birthday party.

City Manager Darrell Newsom said officials wanted to talk to the council before setting a precedence of using the baseball park for birthday parties.

Newsom said the family making the request would also like to use the restrooms in the center of the complex, which are normally locked outside of the time the Frenship baseball league uses them.

“It’s a public park,” said Youngblood.

But she said that although people frequently play in the baseball parks, the city does not open the bathrooms — nor does it stock them with toilet paper and paper towels.

But Public Works Director Doug Hutcheson came up with a possible solution to the city’s concern about opening the restrooms.

He recommended that the city require a $100-$200 fully refundable deposit before allowing the parents holding the party to have the key to the restrooms. The parents could get the key back if the bathrooms are clean and the key is returned.

Councilman Charles Addington said he liked the idea of a $100 deposit.

“I’m personally glad somebody wants to use it. That’s what it’s there for,” said Addington.

The council unanimously approved the use of the baseball complex for a birthday party with the condition of a $100 deposit being placed for use of the restroom.

Council members also approved:

The first of this fall’s activities is the South Plains Balloon Roundup, which will be held Sept. 11-12.

Activities in the hot air ballooning event will actually start with two tethered balloons being shown at Bennett Elementary School on Sept. 10.

Steve Komarek, one of the event organizers, said students will learn abou the history, science and future of ballooning.

“We need to get kids involved because most of our pilots are getting old,” said Komarek.

Tony Poteet, a member of the Southwest Regional Balloon Club, said balloons from Remax and the Texas Propane Education Association will be at Bennett.

Pilots will check in and register at the Holiday Inn Express in Wolfforth next Friday night.

Ballooning is not for people who sleep in on weekends: the balloon launches are scheduled for sunrise on both Sept. 11 and 12, weather permitting. Those interested in crewing should plan on arriving by 6:30 a.m.

“If they want to crew, they should wear sturdy shoes, and if they have a pair of gloves, bring them,” said Poteet. He said flip-flops would be an unwise choice because those chasing the balloons may have to scramble through fields to help them land safely.

Poteet said the Southwest Regional Balloon Club hopes to have close to 20 pilots and balloons from Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico for this year’s event. He said the Amarillo Balloon Club is also highly involved in this event.

The balloonists are hoping to do something special on Sept. 11 to mark the anniversary of terrorist attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. He said pilot Jerry Hooper and his crew from Corpus Christi will bring the S.S. America balloon. Poteet said that balloon will launch first and carry a large flag.

On Saturday evening, Wolfforth Mayor L.C. Childers will host a reception for the pilots.

On both mornings, Komarek said some balloons will come back and offer tethered balloon rides for donations to benefit the Wolfforth Meals on Wheels.

Although in recent years the balloon launch has been prevented by poor weather at Patterson Park, there is twice the chance to see the balloons take to the skies over Wolfforth this year. In the past, one launch day was in Wolfforth and another in another location, such as Buffalo Springs Lake last year. But this year, the launch is scheduled to take part in Wolfforth both days.

The next fall events to hit Frenship are the combined celebration of Frenship Independent School District’s 75th anniversary and the Wolfforth Harvest Festival.

The celebration of Frenship’s anniversary will start at 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 8 at the Shadow Hills Golf Course.

A pep rally at Frenship High School at 9:45 a.m. will be open to the public, while tailgate festivities for the FHS Tigers’ football game against Canyon High School will start at 4 p.m.

The Homecoming king and queen will be crowned at 7 p.m. at Tiger Stadium, and the game will start at 7:30 p.m.

Komarek said a balloon glow will likely be held outside of the stadium near the south end zone around sunset, but he said the location may change.

After the game is over, Komarek and other Wolfforth Fire Department volunteers will shoot off a fireworks display. Some of the fireworks from the Fourth of July display that was rained out this summer will be used.

On Saturday, Oct. 9, the Harvest Festival will kick off with a five-kilometer run for adults.

At 9 a.m., the Harvest Festival Parade will start at the FHS parking lot and go south along FM 179 (known in Wolfforth as Dowden Road), turn on Fifth Street, and turn left on the U.S. 62/82 access road. The parade will go backward up the access road and will end in Patterson Park.

The Harvest Festival will commence immediately after the parade is over, probably around 9:45, said Wolfforth Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture President Cindy Stephens.

The festival is known for having the five-kilometer run for adults, a one-mile Fun Run for Frenship elementary students, various vendors, a classic car show and entertainment throughout the day.

Stephens said those interested in participating can print a registration form from the city of Wolfforth’s website at www.wolfforthtx.us. Additionally, senior girls at FHS can obtain an application for Harvest Queen at the FHS counselors’ office. All Harvest Queen applicants will ride in the parade, but the winner will receive a $500 scholarship from the chamber, Stephens said, and will be invited to come to an awards banquet in the spring and next year’s Harvest Festival Parade. The queen will be crowned at noon.

The Harvest Festival ends by 2 p.m., Stephens said.

This year, it’s likely many Harvest Festival participants will welcome the chance to take a siesta before the next activity of the weekend begins. A 75th Anniversary Celebration is scheduled for 7-11 p.m. at the Lubbock Civic Center.

“This is what you would compare to an all-class reunion. Everyone is invited: alumni, faculty, supporters of the district,” said Andy Penney, director of public relations for FISD.

Tickets are $30 and are now available at all Frenship schools, the Casey Administration Building and the Homecoming football game.

PRE-NEED – Meeting your family’s needs at Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers are Santos Moreno, owner; LeeAnn Malone, funeral director; and Melissa Roberts (seated), Planning Specialist.

As part of their commitment to caring for the families they serve, Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers offers a pre-arrangement program designed to protect your family from unnecessary pain and stress during a time of loss.

When a death in the family occurs, there are numerous decisions that must be made in a very short amount of time. Often, the person who was closest to the deceased is the one who shoulders this heavy burden. To make matters worse, an immediate financial strain is placed on surviving family members.

“Pre-arrangement is perhaps one of the most meaningful gifts of love you can provide for your family,” says Santos Moreno, Owner of Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers. “Because we have witnessed the difficulties that many families encounter during a time of loss, we are dedicated to doing everything we can to help ease the burdens that usually fall on the loved ones. Our pre-need planning program give us a means to accomplish that goal and be of added assistance to families.”

Lake Ridge Chapel’s pre-need planning program guides you through the process of funeral planning. You will be able to put your wishes in writing and file them with the funeral home. This is a free service and can be invaluable in helping you and your family make informed choices and sensible, practical decisions, free from the stress of sudden grief.

“Important decisions about your funeral service and final memorial should not be left until a last-minute, hurried trip to the funeral home,” says Melissa Roberts, pre-need counselor at Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers. “Pre-need planning is a way to ease what can be a painful process and give you the time to discuss your wishes with your loved ones. Not only does pre-need planning alleviate the burden of planning which would fall on your survivors, it gives you a voice in deciding the details of your final memorial.”

Funeral pre-arrangement also gives you the ability to relieve your family’s financial burden when a loss occurs. You can decide whether paying for services in advance is right for you. With Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designer’s pre-need program, it is possible to pay for your anticipated funeral expenses in advanced. The plan can be customized to fit your current budget. Plans can also come with insurance protection, meaning that if an unexpected loss occurs before the balance is paid, your contract is still covered.

“Call us. Better yet, come by and tour our beautiful facility. Discover how you can have the peace of mind that comes from pre-arrangement,” invites Santos. “We are here to help each family make these important decisions – we’re here to help.”

Whether as part of pre-need planning or at a time of loss, Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers can help you personalize a funeral or memorial service within a budget you are comfortable with and in the way you want yourself or your loved one to be remembered. A personalized service is a fitting celebration of the life that has been lived, and Lake Ridge Chapel is pleased to personalize services in many ways, such as catered family gathering visitations, webcasting for funeral or memorial services, and Life Tributes which combine photos and music. For a more complete look at the options available, please visit Lake Ridge Chapel’s website, www.memorialdesigners.net. You are also welcome to call and arrange a visit.

“Our focus is designing a service that is right for the family and a fitting remembrance,” explains Santos. “We take pride in providing the personal attention and service to help families through this emotional time.”

Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers, a family-owned funeral home, is located at 6025 82nd St., telephone (806) 698-8085. In addition to a bright, open building with a large Chapel and a peaceful courtyard for services or quiet reflection, Lake Ridge is the only independently owned funeral home that has a crematory and ceremonial room on site