El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 79, Ed. 1 Saturday, December 25, 1982 Page: 1 of 29
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Isabel Garcia
Mary Mrnustik
Mrs. R.B. Shatc
Mary Orsak
LEADERS E WS
SVOBODA 1885 CITIZEN 1900
from the personnel of your El (lampo Leader-News
Fred Barbee
Chris Barbee
Dorothy Smith
Wilfred Socha
James Hradecky
Weldon Martin
Eugene Shimek
Gerard Pym
Kay Rice
Jonathan Feigen
Kathy Gerla
Dorothy Riha
Cynthia Miller
Rena ’ Hlavaty
Dontthy Richards
Mary Workman
Sherry Roddy
Donna Machala
Ann Arnold
Ginger Burger
Kelly Porterfield
Sheri Tenant
Jerry Aulds
Felipa Hernandez
Diane Hernandez
Josie Hernandez
Doming* Ramos
Abelina Quinonez
Bertha Garcia
VOLUME 98 NUMBER 79
77437
El Campo, Texas, Saturday, December 25, 1982
25 CENTS i 3 SECTIONS 38 PAGES
New Firm To Take Control At ECMH Jan. 1
CAD Building To Expand
For Collection Services
Hancock said Wednesday af-
ternoon after learning that the
Memorial Regional Care Services
Board had signed the contract
that he is “really looking forward
to working with them.”
“I think it is a good move for the
hospital. Memorial is a good sized
organization. They are big enough
to take care of our problems and
close enough to pay attention to
us,” he said.
Hancock said El Campo’s
physicians and nurses should also
enjoy the new relationship
because of the ongoing training
programs which will be available
to ECMH.
“The board of Memorial
Regional Care Services and I are
enthusiastic about the
management contract between
our hospital system and the board
of the El Campo Hospital
Authority,’’ R William Warren,
president of Memorial, said.
“El Campo Memorial Hospital
is an excellent medical facility
directed by a very knowledgeable
board of directors and supported
by a dedicated medical staff. We
foresee the El Campo hospital as
the most important health care
center in that region of the state.
We of the Memorial Hospital
System will bring to El Campo
Memorial Hospital vital
resources to further enhance its
present care.
“As one of the largest health
providers in Texas, the Memorial
System can offer remarkable
savings to the El Campo hospital
through combined purchasing
power, through expert hospital
management skills and through
the close relationship between our
(See ECMH. Page 2)
By CYNTHIA L. MILLER
The Wharton County Central
Appraisal District (CAD) voted
Thursday in a special called
meeting to expand the proposed
building plan for a new CAD office
from 4,000 sq ft. to 6,000 sq. ft. to
provide room for collection ser-
vices.
Board Chairman Dan Gertson
said, “We need to start thinking
about a 6,000 sq. ft. building. Until
we start collecting (taxes), we’re
wasting money.”
The board also discussed the
possibility of the state legislature
passing a law requiring CADs to
collect taxes as well as appraise
property.
Both building plans were pro-
posed by the building committee,
and the board had approved the
smaller building at an earlier
meeting. Board member Edward
Wuthrich, who is on the building
committee, said. “With the 6,000
square feet, we will have a larger
meeting room, which has been re-
quested, and a larger vault, which
has been requested, and a drive-
through window.” In addition, the
larger building will have more
storage space and “will make
working conditions a little
better,” Wuthrich said.
Wuthrich also recommended
hiring an attorney to advise the
board on legal matters. Wuthrich
and board member Richard Man-
ske have advised the board on
these matters in the past, but
Wuthrich said that he felt that
there is a conflict of interest in-
volved in continuing that practice.
Manske was not present.
Wuthrich recommended Whar-
ton attorney Bill Cline to take over
the position. The board
unanimously approved a motion
to have the building committee
hire Cline or another attorney.
Doris Wilson, personal property
appraiser, reported that she has
contacted the CAD office in
Houston about hiring another
clerk. Gertson said that the
Houston office has laid off
employees, and since the Wharton
County CAD is understaffed, it
has posted a notice in the Houston
office.
In addition, the board has been
advertising for a new chief ap-
praiser. They will advertise in the
monthly journal of the Texas
Association of Assessing Officers
and in local newspapers.
Larry Solensky was approved to
replace David Street as the CAD’s
computer programmer. Gertson
said that both had done a good job
in the past, but Street cannot pro-
gram for the CAD during regular
business hours
Gertson reported that the CAD
is looking for a new copier The
current machine, rented from AB-
DICK Inc., is not adequate for the
CAD workload, and maintenance
has not been satisfactory, Gertson
explained. Wilson will be looking
at copiers from Minolta, Xerox
and IBM, she said
Gertson also reported that the
chief appraiser's office will be
moved upstairs, and the
secretaries downstairs will be
trained to answer questions from
taxpayers
The board went into executive
session to discuss personnel
L-N Photo by Kay Rice
Sweet Baby Jesus
Becky Emerson gently rocks the basket holding a replica of the Christ
child Monday night during a live nativity scene performance at the First
Baptist Church from «:30 to 8:341 p.m. This is the second year the church
has staged the event, which will include more than 30 to to youths from
the high school Sunday school classes. The nativity scene was completed
with Joseph, angels, the three wise men. shepherds and a sheep.
By CHRIS BARBEE
It’s official. Due to the
unanimous vote Wednesday
morning by the Memorial
Hospital Regional Care Services
Board, and a like vote on Dec. 15
by the El Campo Hospital
Authority, El Campo Memorial
Hospital will fall under new
managment, and take on a new
administrator, effective Jan. 1.
The new administrator is David
Morgan, who presently serves as
regional administrator of regional
operations for the Memorial
Hospital System. He comes to El
Campo with more than 20 years of
hospital administrative ex-
perience.
“The Memorial board met at
7:30 a m. and with much pleasure
DAVID MORGAN
New ECMH Administrator
signed the contract (with El
Campo Memorial),” Diane
Peterson, director of marketing
for the Memorial System, said.
El Campo Memorial Hospital
has been managed by Hospital
Affiliates International, and then
Hospital Corporation of America
which purchased HAI earlier this
year, since it opened on March 31,
1979
HCA, which normally manages
hospitals with a minimum of 100
beds, did not actively attempt to
renew its three-year contract with
the 60-bed hospital here, but
according to John Hancock Jr.
president of ECHA, ‘‘The;
weren’t going to kick us out if wt
faile to contract with another
management group.”
Payday...
By JERRY AULDS
‘Tis the season for both gifts and awards, this month
Herschel Walker’s Heismann trophy has to share top billing
wuh Uncle Joe's hand Dam ted tie
And while there is nothing wrong with presents and honors oc-
cupying the same bed. I would hope we could stretch the
awards' blanket a bit wider
Along about the same time we salute the last halfback,
maybe we could also strike a metal for faithful Sunday School
teachers and steady den mothers
The recent pro football strike cost owners and players a little
money and the fans a little faith we will get both hack
But If little league coaches Lake a walk, and hospital
volunteers take a powder, we will have lost our way
You can’t hire out society’s tough jobs those tasks require
folks willing to pay the dues
They pay as Lions Rotarians church members Scouts,
school board members, jurors and as good neighbors
In the film The Bridges at Toko Hi a general awed by the
courage at men who continually risked their lives in combat
asked the question, “Where do we get such men"*'
A fair question
Second question Having found them how do we keep them’
Answer Become them*
Entex Contributes To Energy Fund
By KAY KENNEDY RICE
Entex Inc will be contributing
S 100,000 to establish a voluntary
program to help the elderly and
disadvantaged pay their natural
gas heating bills this winter, ac
cording to Jackson (’ Hinds,
chairman of the hoard
Entex not only services tioth El
Campo and Wharton hut most of
the Gulf Coast area with more
than one million customers
The der ision by Entex comes on
the heels at a directive by Texas
Railroad Commissioner Mack
Wallace asking all gas utilities in
the state to initiate an energy
assistance program
Hinds said Wednesday the pur
pose at I hi- program will be to
“help avoid crisis situations by
providing direct financial
assistance to those recipients
determined by independent a gen
cies to he eligible
The gas company's plan is to
supplement an already existing
energy assistance program, ad
ministered through the Texas
Department of Human
Res/Ajrie* By its a* turns Entex
hopes to era'so age others to
voluntarily donate to maintain the
program
The TDHR receives federal
assistance which is then given
directly to residents, who cannot
pay their utility bills According
to the TDHR office in Wharton
the energy program is currently
administered by various com
munity organizations Caroline
Osborne, director of the senior
citizens program at Wharton
County Junior College, is oversee
ing the program for Wharton
County
The Entex program la designed
for those 65 or older on fixed in
comes, the blind or disabled, the
handicapped or anyone in a hard
ship situation. Hinds said
It was an appropriate time for
the gas utilities to act. Hinds said,
because more crisis situations are
expected this winter due to in
creased unemployment and rising
fuel costs
An independent a gene v is need
•*d lo determine eligibility, Hinds
continued be< a use the gas com-
panies cannot discriminate
against its customers" bv rharg
l See FM EX I'agr 21
9
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Barbee, Chris. El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 79, Ed. 1 Saturday, December 25, 1982, newspaper, December 25, 1982; El Campo, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1006622/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1&rotate=270: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Wharton County Library.