The Bastrop County Times (Smithville, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 14, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 2, 1975 Page: 1 of 12
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SERVING: SMITHVILLE, BASTROP; ELGIN and ALL BASTROP COUNTY
VOLUME 84, NUMBER 14
The Bastrop County Times, Smithville, Texas
Wednesday, April 2, 1975
ON THE HOUSE FLOOR
County Times Photo
Mayor Albert Crawford and Councilman Robert Smith and Gus Novosad of Smithville sit in the
House Chambers March 25 for a hearing before the House Natural Resources Committee re-
garding House Mill #500 This bill, called the Lower Colorado River Authority Act, brought
lengthy testimony, both pro and con
Jamboree Kicks-off Thursday
Smithville Fun. Food, and
entertainment are available to
anyone wii<. attends Smithville's
annual Jamboree celebration,
April 3,4 and 5 kicking-off the
three day festival will be the
annual talent show and corona
tioit of the Wr> Jambor ee Queen
on Thursday evening, ApJil 3
Six young fetdies have been no
m mated to succeed the present
Queen Donna Glenn The girls
are Ruse Hemphii! Karla Wal
l„ce, Cory Konorden, Frankie
Mae Jones, Linda Seidel and
kathy Whitfield
Highlighting Friday's act
Ivttles will be the Jamboree
Youth Parade The Parade,
whose theme this year is based
on "Our American Heritage''
will march down Main Street ai 5
p m
The annual FFA show ami sale
wilt take place Saturday morn
log. April 5, to ! ■ followed that
afternoon by the Big Parade at
4pm
As in previous years,Chuck-
wagon Square will be the center
of Jamboree activity, with
various organization and
businesses providing an types
of refreshments from their in
di vidua Is booths
Providing entertainment for
the Chuck wagon Square area,
from the Jamboree Bandstand
held each night downtown,
Leroy Matocta will provide
music Thursday night, while
The Midnight Owls and The Tel -
stars will provide dance music
on Friday and Saturday
evenings The American Legion
will also offer dances of Thurs-
#iH be Tin- Wrvi« CanipsMnrHwt* Frtdav 3nd datUrtay ntgttl
Congregation and the Smithville
High School Stage Band
Free Street Dances will be
The popular Velvets will enter-
tain Thursday evening begin!ng
at 8 30 P M while Dennis Ivy
and The Wayrnan will set up at
the Legion Hall Friday evening.
Saturday night brining at 9p.m
The Midnight Owls will have the
stage
All in all this the 1975 Jam-
boree promises to have some
thing for everyone so come out
ami enjoy
Additional stories concerning
Jamboree activities may be
found in Section II pages 1 and2
Election Day Nears
Voters throughout Bastrop
County will go to the polls Sat
urday to fill seats on City
Councils and School Boards
In Smithville, three council
seats and two school board
places are up for grabs Five
candidates are vying for the
three at large council seats
Robert Winston, Gus Novo-
sad, Hal Wallace, Mike Bruner
and Bill Davison Novasad and
Davison are incumbents. Davi-
son seeking a second term and
Novosad seeking his loth term
on the Smithville council The
school board race pairs Dr J
D McBee and Carroll Rabel
in a contest for Place 1 and Ann
Bruner and incumbent Marie
Poole In the Place 2 race
In the Elgin city elections,
seven candidates are vying for
four places Bob Barker,
Representative John Wilson
Opposes 55 m.p.h. Limit
By Nancy Klauber
Governor Dolph Briscoe
signed emergency legislation
Thursday to extend the 55mile
per hour speed limit past the
April I, 1975 deadline On Wed-
nesday the Texas House and
Senate voted approval of House
Bill *1.19
This bill will expire when the
national maximum speed limit
of 55 mile per hour is repeal
>d or has expired The expira-
tion date for the federal act is
April I, 1977
Presently there is another
bill ir, iit House regarding high
waj speeds and related punish
men! s for violation the
maximum speed It is House
Bill #528 and was first read in
the House in February after
which it was referred to the
Transportation Committee
which reported favorably on It
back to the House
The bill which State Repre-
sentative John Wilson endorses
would establish a maximum fine
of $25 tor anyone speeding be-
tween 55 and 70 miles per hour
in the daytime and between 55
and 65 miles-pe! -hour at night
It would prohibit a speeding
conviction to be recorded or
charged against the driver's
record with the DPS It would
also prohibit any Increase in
an insurance premium for a
speeding conviction
Old speed limits on Texas
highways for passenger ve
hides were 70 in daytime and
65 at night until last year when
the federal government passed
a law requiring all states to
lower their speed limits or risk
loaing federal highway funds
Representative Wilson rea
sons that this law is necessary
because 55 miles an hour is
just too slow a maximum speed
for highways He says that he
has more highways running
through his district than any
other representative The pro-
blem of enforcement in his dis-
trict. he says, is more acute
than in any other area of the
state Mainly he is just tired
of being asked nearly everyday
to fix" speeding tickets
Wilson was quick to add that
he has never "fixed" any tick
ets and does not intend to. He
feels passage of House Bill
#139 would minimize the re-
quests he is forever receiving
He is well aware, as is any
one who travels Texas high-
ways, that few drivers observe
the 55 mile-per-hour limit He
believes that compromise must
be struck as long as the current
limit must be maintained
Wilson is convinced that the
"place to regulate the speed
limit is not with the insurance
companies " and current claims
by that industry are invalid
The Insurance industry states
that passage of the bill would
cause higher speeds, more
accidents, and resultant higher
premiums for everyone
Finding it personally insult
iiir that the federal government
takes more from Ti'xas in taxes
than the 5300 million it gives
back and then threatens to hold
out on the money to assure bill
passage, Wilson has voted twice
against establishing a maximum
speed limit of 55 miles per
hour
As far as the lower speed
limit savu,K lives in the last
year, Wilson feels that in-
creased safety standards might
account for this instead of the
speed limit "The average
driver wantstodrivebetween60
and 70. " he continues," and so
do I "
LCRA Addresses House
Austin House Bill #500,
which redefines the powers and
limitations of the Lower Colo-
rado River Authority, was
discussed by the House Natural
Resources Committee and area
representatives the evening of
March 25 in the State Legisla-
ture, afterwhich the bill was
sent to subcommittee for
further study
Some 23 amendments were
also submitted for study and
this, reasoned committee
chairperson Tom Craddick,
made the LCRA request of im-
mediate committee approval
impossible Charles Herring,
general manager of the LCRA,
told the committee that this
emergency legislation needed to
be approved by House vote no
later thau April J5 in order that
revenue bonds could be sold
enabling the Authority to total-
ly finance the proposed Cedar
Creek coal-powered plant In
Fayette County
At the present time, the LCRA
is limited to a debt ceiling of
$300 million They say they will
need an increased ceiling to
properly finance their building
endeavors. House Bill #500
would totally eliminate a debt
ceiling for the Authority and
would permit them to incur any
debt as long as the LCRA
deemed it necessary and af-
BCCA Bus
To Provide
Voter Shuttle
Smithville . The Bastrop
County Community Action bus
will be utilised April 5 as an
Election bus, to convey voters
from the Chuckwagon Square
area to the voting booths and
back to the Jamboree act ivities
Discussion among citizens
'concerning the fear that voters
might not think to vote before at-
tending Jamboree activities
Saturday, and then'be reluctant
to move their parked autos in
order to go to the high school to
vote, prompted a request for the
BCCA vehicle to be used to aid
voters in expressing their pre-
ferences at the polls BCCA
Director Steve Quitta agreed
readily to the request, and two
drivers have volunteered their
time in this civic effort
The bus will start running at
approximately 10:00 A M and
will probably operate continual-
ly from that time until about
2:00 P.M At that time, it will
be readied for the parade at
4 00 after which the shuttle
trips will recommenceuntil the
polls close at 7 00 p.m.
Downtown bus static* will be
in front of City Hall
....About Our
Name Change
Today's edition marks the beginning of the fourth year of
publication of The Times under ownership of Tex-Print
Corp. - a wholly-owned subsidiary of Todd Publications, Inc.
And, we think this is an appropriate occasion to change our
nameplate.
Today, The Times officially becomes The Bastrop County
Times
Our new nametruly reflects thedirectionGeneral Manager
Don Catherman. Managing Editor Nancy Todd Catherman and
our whole Times staff lias moved The Times these past three
years.
When we acquired The Times on April 1, 1972, it was
apparent to us that Smithville. Bastrop and Elgin each had
good quality "hometown" newspapers. But. none served
Bastrop County in total.
We set out. to fill this void. We believe we have done so.
Today. The Times serves not only its loyal Smithville
readers, but has expanded circulation-wise and advertising-
wise to serve all Bastrop County residents withcommunity,
local government and civic news from every corner of the
county
Today, our expansion program brings Bastrop County
advertisers - want ad users as well as retailers - a county-
wide market,
And, finally, we believe that our expansion will enable us
to more effectively help the cultural and economic growth of
Bastrop County.
Wt> appreciate your patronage, and your encouragement
In response we will continue to give our best effort to
serve you
William K
Publisher
Todd
Damon Doss, and Rev R G
Westbrook are seeking Place
1; Robert Dumbeck is unopposed
in his re-election bid for Place
3. incumbent Betty Lynn Meyer
is running for re-election in
Place 4, incumbent Rudy Her-
nandez is running against
Donnie Shumaker for the Place
5 post
Two places are being contes-
ted in the Elgin School Board
race Incumbent Kay Hicks.
Norris McCartber and Johnny
Sutton are all seeking Place I
incumbent Charlene Shoulder,
Joaquin Hernandez and Russell
Middaugh are running against
one another for Place 2
Bastrop City Council candi-
dates are O.E Glenn, Henry
Schuyler, Wade Wallace, and
Patrick Gordon The four men
are vying for two open council
seats. B l.S.D candidates are:
Oscar A Cassell and Michael
Continued on page 2
LCRA Bill Examined
County Times Photo
PRESENTING A BILL
Representative John Wilson, the sponsor of House Bill #500,
presents the bill to the House Natural Resources Committee
with his recommendation for passage at the March 25 meeting
of the committee The bill was subsequently sent to a sub
committee
By Nancy Klauber
House Bill #500, referred to
as the Lower Colorado River
Authority Act, was presented
to the House Natural Resources
Committee or. March 25 Later
that evening it was sent to sub-
committee The evening of
April 1 the subcommittee will
report Its opinions of the bill and
23 amendments also submitted
March 25back tothe committee.
Representative John Wilson,
in an interview with the Times,
said he Relieved the subcommit-
tee's opinions will be favorable
and the committee will refer the
bill to the House floor for vote.
Wilson is sponsoring House Bill
#500
This bill replaces the Lower
Colorado River Authority Act of
1934. Qhsrles Herring, LCRA
general manager, testified Au-
gust 23 that the 1934 act was out-
Area Rural
Fire Units
Organizing
All persons living in the Bate
man, High Grove, Watterson,
Red Rock, and Rockne Commu-
nities, interested in protecting
their families, homes, andpos-
essions from tire, are invited to
attend a meeting Monday
evening. April 7, at 7 30 p.m
to be held in the Rockne School
Mack Helford of Red Rock will
be i« charge of the meeting, and
will explain the purpose and
means of organizing a Fire
Fighting Unit for the five com
munities. Mr Helford will also
present a proposed set of bi -
laws for the membership's
approval One director for each
community wi'il be elected at
this meeting
The Communities of Bate
man, High Grove. Watterson.
Red Rock, and Rockne are
presently without fire protec
tloit, and the help and support of
each resident in the five
communities is urgently needed
to establish a workahle plan w ith
adequate protection
dated in many major areas, and
the Authority had to have a dif-
ferent set of guidelines in order
to continue providing its
customers with reasonably
priced electricity.
Following is a listing of the
major changes to the 1934 act
contained in the 1975 act.
The LCRA will have the
authority to develop parks on the
land it owns, charge admissiou
($1 per day or $10 per annum),
and maintain a police force on
this land.
Authority lands and the use,
distribution and sale of same
would also be under the
Authority's jurisdiction Her
t ing's reasoning for this is "to
give the (Authority) some jar is
diction over improper uses of
lands :iwned by it to the detn
ment of public use,.','
Originally the Authority was
allowed to relocate mads and
highways This bill would also
allow them to relocate pipe
lines, transmission lines, rail-
roads, and cemeteries.
The Authority would be limit-
ed io borrowing money on
notes or other written evidence
of indebtedness for a period not
to exceed five years." Any
loans made for emergency pur
poses would be repaid out of the
Smithville Police
next bond issue of the Authority
There wtll also be no limit to
the amount of debt incurred by
the LCRA The 19.34 bill limited
dsbts to a total of $300 million.
The 1975 bill will permit the
Authority to pay principal and
interest on any legal debt from
the collection of "rates and
other charges from thv sale
and interest on any legal debt
the sale or use of water, water
connections power, electric
energy or other services
The Authority will be able to
construct steam generating
plants in any of the 10 counties
under its jurisdiction rather
than ui only 8 as pertheoldact
l imitations on generali«ij? capa-
city will be increased from 1.500
to 5,000 megawatts.
The LCRA will-also be p«r-
mltted to sell any property
which it deems not to be neces-
sary. convenient, or of benefi-
cial use Heretofore, theAuth*
ority had been limited to selling
not more than $50. 000 worth ol
property in any one year.
The 1934 bill gave the Auth-
ority the right "to acquire by
purchase lease, gilt or in any
other manner provided by la*
(otherwise than bv condemna-
tion)" . The new bill will five
the power of condemnation to
the LCRA
fordable
Without a revision of the cur-
rent debt ceiling, Herring said
the Authority will be unable to
finance its Fayette County
project other than by raising its
electric rates considerably.
Bond sales, Herring continued,
is the only means by which ade
quate interim financing can be
obtained during the five years it
will take to build the plant.
Herring's opinion is "If we
can sell bonds, they will be paid
off in 25 years by the people
using the electricity over a 25-
year period, instead of those
using it now."
The bill would also raise the
generating limit of the LCRA
and would permit the Authority
to build power plants in any of
the district's ten counties
Presently, it is limited to build-
ing within eight counties
Representative John Wilson,
who is sponsoring the bill at the
request of the LCRA, is in favor
of the bill feeling that coal power
is a cheaper source of energy
than gas or oil, and plants must
be started soon in order that
Texas have sufficient energy in
the future.
Wilson spoke in favor ofH B
500 Tuesday night as did LCRA
representatives and a spokes-
man for a mayors' committee
Smithville Mayor Albert
Crawford and Councilmen Rob-
ert Smith and Gus Novosad
attended the meeting In inter-
views with The Times, all three
expressed approval of the bill
Mayor Crawford and the
couacilmen were furnished with
a rough-draft of the bill five
months ago In spite of the
changes wtoeh have been made
in the bill since that time and the
23 amendments submitted
Tuesday night all of which were
not read to the public, Crawford
and Novosad are thoroughly in
favor of the bill, in essence,
so is Smith Smith said that
tie would prefer elimination of
the passage stating that all
passages in the bill should be
liberally interpreted in favor
of the LCRA If that were left
out he said the bill would be
"aii right".
Smith was pleased that the bill
was sent to subcommittee
rather than being immediately
approved by the committee. He
"sels that nothing should be
passed without time to think
3feotrt it " As far as the objec-
tions expressed by the six or so
persons speaking in opposition
to the bill. Smith felt there
really were't "any legitimate
objections" He believes that
the LCRA is trying to be honest
and has the best interest of its
consumers at heart
Novosad said "there's not one
part I'd takeout of the bill
Both he and Mayor Crawford
feel swift passage of the bill is
essential to the future of ready
fuel and the saving of money
Crawford said he was some-
what surprised by the raising of
personal objections" by Fayette
County landowners at the House
meeting He feels the elimin-
ation of a debt ceiling is a
necessity in these inflated
times as is the removal of a
generating capacity limit for the
Authority. As far as the land
owners' objections to the
"policing authority which the
bill would give the LCRA,
Crawford figures these to be
"greatly exaggerated"
Trap Disaster Seekers
Smithville Last Tuesday-
evening just before dark, to the
surprise, embarrassment, and
anger of quite a few local Citi
sens. Smithville** Fire ami
Police Dept's officially went on
record as meaning what thev
said about people chasing Fire
trucks
A simulated fire of oily rags
ami old tires was ignited at the
rear of Keilberg Park by fire
officials At a pre-arranged
signal, the alarms blasted and
standing by firemen raced to
the scene, red lights and sirens
walling Police rapidly directed
individual firemen cars one way
and citisen traffic .mother, then
seated off (he t-oad behind them
The humiliated motorists were
then handed copfts ol State and
City laws outlining the viola-
tions they had committed
Some shook their heads,
sheepishly grinned and vowed
thev had learned a lesson
Others became tight-lipped,
gave cold stares to firemen and
turned away A few became
angry, muttered curses and
prepared to leave A still
smaller group found themselves
in the hands of the police for
various offenses that might have
gone un noticed except for their
appearance at the scene Fire-
men learned shortly before the
"mock-blase" of a security
leak that kept many would be
fire chasers at home At any
rate, Fire ami Police officials
consider the event successful
in that it served notice to the
public that no further warnings
will be issM'ri
Any pe.aon not having a valid
reason for beins; at the scene a#
a future fire will be it> violation
of the law ami Issued a citation
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Catherman, Nancy Todd. The Bastrop County Times (Smithville, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 14, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 2, 1975, newspaper, April 2, 1975; Smithville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth290776/m1/1/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bastrop Public Library.