Big Counry Faith Lines & Fire Lines: Diversity of Faith & Compassion crosses all "Man Made" Lines !

More than $94,000 donated to Cross Plains
People all over U.S. sent money after fire

By Celinda Emison / Reporter-News Staff Writer
January 6, 2006

Donations have been pouring in from all over the U.S. to help victims of the Cross Plains fire, in which hundreds of residents lost everything.
Fire relief donations deposited at Texas Heritage Bank of Cross Plains had reached more than $94,000 by Thursday, according to President David Estes.
City officials estimated a total of $4.1 million in damages. The majority of the damage was to the homes of uninsured residents. Rebuilding and repairing could cost more than $10 million.
Estes explained that all donations go into the city's United Fund and are designated for fire relief. The United Fund was set up in 1961 to assist Cross Plains residents who are in need.
''It has been a very humbling experience to see the generosity of people,'' Estes said. ''It's overwhelming.''
On Wednesday night, the Cross Plains city council approved a slate of names to serve on a committee to oversee the distribution of the donations. The committee will consist of seven to nine members.
Estes said he plans on having the committee formed by next week. Once the committee is in place, members will begin the needs assessments.
''We are working with the Red Cross and the city on the process victims will go through to get the funds,'' said Estes, who will serve on the committee. ''We want to do this as expeditiously as possible.''
Estes said his bank also is helping customers affected by the fire by giving small no-interest loans, deferring payments or restructuring an existing loan.
''We're trying to step up to the plate and help any way we can,'' he said.

Contact Brownwood staff writer Celinda Emison at (325) 641-8804 or emisonc@reporternews.com.
source: http://www.reporter-news.com/abil/nw_local/article/0,1874,ABIL_7959_4367433,00.html
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Buddhist group to give money to fire victims in Cross Plains

The Dallas branch of a Buddhist relief foundation is distributing $ 300.00 Friday to each Cross Plains household lost in the December 27 wildfires. Nearly 120 homes were lost.
The money will be given in the form od debit cards from 4 to 7 pm at the Cross Plains Community Center, 108 N. Beech Street.
Fire victims will receive their debit cards after a letter of support is read from Master Cheng Yen, founder of the Taiwan Buddhist Tzu-Chi Foundation. The foundation has helped with other disasters, including the recent hurricanes.
So far 36 Cross Plains fire victims have returned application forms for the money, but more are expected to apply said Hank Tzeng. who is with the foundation.

Abilene Reporter News Friday January 6,2006 page 2aa
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Maybe the Dallas Buddhist read the story (below) in the Dallas Morning News and responded to show their support in the rebuilding effort of Cross Plains !

Fire out, ire rising in Cross Plains
Dallas paper takes heat over disaster coverage

By Sidney Levesque / Reporter-News Staff Writer
January 6, 2006

Residents say the reports of Cross Plains' death are greatly exaggerated, but they have the town smoldering all over again.
The burned Callahan County town is fuming after numerous Dallas Morning News articles mentioned Cross Plains in an expiring state.
The newspaper has reported that half the buildings in Cross Plains are gone, that the city's future is in doubt, and that it might end up dying like other small towns because of the Dec. 27 wildfires that burned 7,665 acres and killed two people.
''I don't know where they are getting it from. It's not coming from anybody at the school or anybody in town,'' said Jimmie Cearley, principal of the Cross Plains High School.
Even the Baptist preacher referred to the coverage in his Sunday sermon, vowing to prove the Dallas Morning News wrong and bounce back strong, said Mayor Ray Purvis.
A Dallas Morning News editor defended the coverage of the fires.
''We're just reporting what happened there, and what people said about that,'' said Mike Drago, the newspaper's Texas & Southwest editor.
Since the beginning of the wildfires, residents have asserted they will rebuild.
The city of 1,068 people 47 miles southeast of Abilene lost 116 homes in the blaze. City leaders say that represents 20 percent of the 580 or so structures in Cross Plains, not half as the Dallas Morning News reported Saturday.
Drago investigated the discrepancy and agreed to run a correction today.
''They need to get the facts straight on it, or as straight as they can get it,'' said Mayor Purvis.
Saturday's story caused ire in Cross Plains for other reasons. For one, the headline read, ''Cross Plains' future in doubt after deadly fire.'' The article went on to say the city was ''lost'' after the fire spread.
Drago said the word ''lost'' was used figuratively.
The article neglected to say that the school and nearly every business in town were saved.
The story quoted Jim Compton, director of the West Central Texas Council of Governments in Abilene, as saying many people may relocate.
''Something like this could destroy the town, absolutely,'' the newspaper quoted Compton.
Compton said this week his quotes were correct, but he has a positive outlook for Cross Plains, and the Dallas Morning News painted a negative one. He said he is considering complaining to the newspaper.
Cearley, the high school principal, said several residents have called the Dallas Morning News to complain about recent stories.
Drago said he was not aware of any complaints about the coverage and that the newspaper had handled the fire ''compassionately.''
An article Tuesday said the fires ''destroyed much of Cross Plains,'' but it was Thursday's editorial about small towns dying that was the last straw for many residents.
The opinion piece lumped Cross Plains with two tiny communities that suffered from recent wildfires.
''The Talmud teaches that to destroy a single life is to destroy a universe,'' the editorial said. ''You might say the same thing about the death of the small Texas towns of Cross Plains, Ringgold and Kokomo, all of which were either badly damaged or wiped off the map by the vast lakes of fire blowing this winter across the tinderbox prairie.''
Cross Plains residents bristled at the idea their town will die from the fire.
''It totally won't wipe out the town,'' Cearley said firmly.
Contact Sidney Levesque at levesques@reporternews.com or 676-6721.
source: http://www.reporter-news.com/abil/nw_local/article/0,1874,ABIL_7959_4367109,00.html