Hometown media sidestepped EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a commentary, not an objective news report. By Mike Elswick Terrell Tribune Publisher A 36-acre tract of pasture land east of FM 148 and between the split of Interstate 20 and U.S. 80 south of the main part of town is scheduled to become home to what has become an icon in the Texas business world – a Buc-ee’s. Terrell city and economic development officials have been working to finalize the deal for months. According to Danny Booth, president of Terrell Economic Development Corp. and the Terrell Chamber of Commerce, an official announcement of the travel center’s plans to locate in Terrell were scheduled to be officially announced at a 7 p.m. Tuesday Terrell City Council meeting. Booth had asked The Terrell Tribune to hold off announcing the plans until Tuesday when the official announcement was planned. As publisher, I reluctantly agreed thinking it would be in the city’s best interest to make a big splash with the announcement. I was wrong. On Monday evening, evidently with information provided by the city and chamber of commerce, a Dallas television station aired the city of Terrell’s plans to make their big announcement. To the readers of The Terrell Tribune, who hopefully rely on us to be an objective news source, we have let you down. As recently as earlier Monday I was contacted by a Terrell city official attempting to make plans for a 6 p.m. interview prior to the official announcement at the Tuesday Terrell City Council meeting so that the hometown newspaper would have a heads-up on what was about to be announced. I feel the Tribune staff has been lied to and misled by local officials in an effort to make a big splash in the Dallas media with their announcement. That is unfortunate. While I have attempted to work with local officials, this is a real slap in the face to both the hometown news source and the people of Terrell. I was told releasing information on the arrival of Buc-ee’s early might jeopardize the development. Evidently that only holds up if the people of Terrell know about it – not the viewers of a major Dallas television station to who details were released. On Monday a city official did tell The Tribune that, weather permitting, the founder and owner of the privately held Buc-ee’s chain of travel centers, Arch “Beaver” Aplin, was scheduled to be in Terrell for the announcement. His appearance is in conjunction with nine agenda items on the city council meeting tied to the Terrell Market Place development. Officials have said the plan is for Buc-ee’s to begin construction in early 2014 with a scheduled opening in late 2014. Buc-ee’s operates several convenience stores along the Texas coast and in Central Texas, including New Braunfels and Madisonville. According to published reports, the 60-gas pump, 68,000-square-foot New Braunfels location represented a $7.4 million investment. That store opened in mid-2012. The chain was won national recognition as having among the cleanest restrooms of any commercial venture. Buc-ees has gained regional and nation media attention both for the size of the locations and the chains restrooms. There are many unanswered questions tied to the development. Hopefully, those questions surrounding the behind the scenes dealings will be answered at Tuesday’s media event at Terrell City Hall.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 07:23:59 +0000
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