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EXCLUSIVE: Coffee City Chaos PART 1
16 Comments
POSTED: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 - 10:42pm
UPDATED: Sunday, July 15, 2012 - 2:12pm
Members of the group "Concerned Citizens of Coffee City" speak with KETK
COFFEE CITY — Last night, KETK went to the Coffee City City Council meeting to hear what was happening with the fishing ordinance.
The ordinance banning fishing from the bridge ended up passing.
But later on in the meeting, Mayor Pro-Tem John Graham called out the webmaster of this website...it says it's the Official website of Coffee City but it's actually a lampoon.
Council members Darlene Jordan and Pam Drost walked out when it was talked about...Drost came back...and then later...walked out again.
On Tuesday, KETK spoke with Lauren Savage. He's a member of the Concerned Citizens of Coffee City and maintains their website...but he also maintains the parody site.
He says it's his constitutional right to have it.
"We are redneck East Texas, we all know it...and we make fun of ourselves for it. They don't like that and why...it doesn't make any sense," Savage said.
KETK also spoke with Pam Drost.
She's with the Concerned Citizens group and also a council alderman.
She says even though Savage operates the Concerned Citizens website, the parody site doesn't have anything to do with them.
"It was not sanctioned by our group. The people that run it...they are Concerned Citizens...I don't condone everything that is on that site, but I certainly condone his right to have that website," Drost said.
Drost tells KETK, the person who shouted "fallacious your a***" last night, was her husband Carl.
He's a disabled Vet also with the Concerned Citizens...recently when he went to city hall to pick up an open records request and the information wasn't all there, Mayor Tony Moore came out of his office.
"He's very...gruff. He's been up in my face before...so I know exactly what happened to Carl. And apparently, fingers started getting pointed. And the Mayor just got a little too close and jabbed him in the nose with his fingernail," Drost said.
Carl Drost filed assault charges on Mayor Moore that were ultimately dropped due to a mistrial.
Remember this story is just Part 1...it's one side of the story...
Tomorrow KETK plans to speak with Council aldermann John Graham to get his side of the story on the whole thing.
So stay tuned for that tomorrow night on KETK.
Comments News Comments
Coffee City offers 2 things, Liquor Stores & Fishing Lake Palestine. If Tyler votes wet Coffee City will not have Liquor sales. The only places left in Coffee City to fish are pay to enter - the fishing is terrible. Thanks to City Council members who voted for the ban & a SPECIAL Thanks to Donna Freeman for buying the Fishing BAN with EDC funds so she doesn't have to look at folks fishing under the bridge by her house now. You folks have killed the best tourism in Coffee City!
So to satisfy Ms Freeman 3 of the city council, Mike Aubuchon, Lee Faris and John Graham all voted for the fishing ban. Council members voting against the fishing ban were Pan Drost and Darlene Jordon. The Mayor refused to vote and so Ms Freeman with her $25,000 donation from the EDC effectively purchased the Fishing Ban from under the bridges on Hwy 155.
I would like to add that the Freemans knew before they built that house what the conditions were there. They did it anyway!
Donna Freeman is the Vice President of the EDC and evidently holds the purse strings to all the EDC monies and she promised to give the City of Coffee City $25,000 to go toward the Community Center that is so mismanaged it does not have the funds to complete the center by the due date or lose the Grant for the center and will have to pay back $250,000.
This is why the Mayor did not vote against the fishing ban. HE NEEDS THAT MONEY TOO BAD !!!
I would also like to point out in this string that the only reason that the fishing ban was even brought up and considered is that the Vice President of the EDC (Economic Development Corp) of Coffee City has built a house at the corner of Hwy 155 Bridge across 155 from Fat Dogs and it backs up to Kilo Land. She does not like to see folks fishing under the bridge there and has for over a year been trying to get it banned. Continued in next comment:
Let us not forget the donuts Mayor Pro Tem did on one citizen's lawn while flipping the bird. This city of out of hand! It is the stuff satire is made for!
This newscast barely scratches the corruption in this tiny city. The annexation of several areas around the town with no votes, the appointed city officials, mandated trash pick up from certain companies, costing more than other companies, physical and verbal assaults on the elderly citizens of Coffee City, the lack of support from a city strictly built as a fiscal opportunity for the few self proclaimed big wigs,disrespect from a repeatedly tardy mayor and verbal abuse to all who oppose.
The website www.concernedcitizensOFcoffeecity.com is the site showing the public how crazy the "watchdog group" is. All stray dogs need to be kept inline and that's what this site s attempting to do. There is no vulgarity and it fills in the half truths the radical racist group posts on their site.
Azzmador July 12, 2012
at 7:18pm
Gosh, Johnnycakes, I can't figure why in the world you didn't point your little site out to the reporter.
Azzmador July 12, 2012
at 7:14pm
You mean half truths like the statute listed below, or the fact that you admitted, in great detail, more than once, to having a two-way mirror in your downstairs bathroom you use to watch and record people using the bathroom and bathing. Mr. Graham, you are a sexual predator who deserves to be on the sex offender list. All your attempts to slam others will not change these facts to which you proudly admit!
I believe the reporter meant fishing under or around SH 155 bridges was what the ordinance as passed banned not from bridges. Alderman Mike Aubuchon, John Graham and Lee Farrirs cast the approving and deciding votes. Alderman Pam Drost and Darlene Jordon both cast unapproving votes.
May stand to be corrected but doesn't the Texas Constitution say public access to Texas rivers and freshwater areas is a right granted to individuals under the Constitution and is a violation to deny such access?
Azzmador July 11, 2012
at 4:53pm
Texas Water Code - Section 222.023. Public Access
§ 222.023. PUBLIC ACCESS. (a) The authority may not
prevent the public use of its lands for recreational purposes and
fishing except at such points where, in the opinion of the board,
the use would interfere with the proper conduct of the business of
the authority or would interfere with the lawful use of the
property. A lease of authority lands, except one expressly
permitted by Section 222.022, is not lawful unless it provides for
free
Azzmador July 11, 2012
at 4:59pm
public use of the lands for recreational purposes and fishing.
(b) All public rights-of-way traversing the areas flooded
or to be flooded by the impounded waters shall remain open as a way
of free public passage to and from the lakes created, and a charge
may not be made to the public for the right to engage in fishing or
boating on or swimming in those lakes. (c) If any citizen of this state or of the United States
advises the attorney general that this section has not been
complied
Azzmador July 11, 2012
at 5:00pm
(c) If any citizen of this state or of the United States
advises the attorney general that this section has not been
complied with, the attorney general may, after investigation of the
complaint and notice to the authority, institute the proper legal
proceedings, if any are required, to require the authority or its
successor to comply with this section.
Azzmador July 11, 2012
at 5:01pm
(d) If any of the authority's land bordering the lakes to be
created under this chapter is sold by the authority, the authority
shall retain in each tract a strip 20 feet wide abutting the
high-water line of the lake for the purpose of passage and use by
the public for public sports and amusements; provided, however,
that this subsection does not apply to any sales of land by the
authority to any state or federal agency to be used for game or fish
sanctuaries or preserves or for game or
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