El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 99B, No. 83, Ed. 1 Saturday, January 5, 1985 Page: 1 of 26
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United Way
Drive Begins
Seasonal Contrast
For the first time in more than a decade, Ei
Campoans woke up to see snow on the ground
Thursday. Below-freezing temperatures
L-N Photo by Cynthia Miller
Wednesday evening caused the snow to light on
grass and plants, but sunshine melted most all of
the white stuff by noon.
Schools Planning New Facilities
(Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two-part series on
what El Campo and Wharton County officials believe are the
priorities facing the area in 1985. Ibis week, the Leader-News
speaks to officials of El Campo Independent School District,
Wharton County Junior College and the City of El Campo.)
ROBERT LUNDY
City Manager
A new water tower is the top priority for the city in 1985. City
Manager Robert Lundy said that the city has recently receiv-
ed the contract, and construction will begin soon. The tower
cduld be operating as soon as August or September of this
year.
The new tower will facilitate more sewer and water lines,
especially along the loop, Lundy said, but funds to build those
lines are another matter. A growing business community in
that area has asked for lines, but City Council will have to
decide on the funding for those facilities.
Lundy does not anticipate a year of tremendous growth in
Waiting Game . . .
By JERRY AULDS
Anyone who has ever hit the vacation trail with a wife,
dog, two kids, a parakeet and an out-of-date travel guide
knows that the travel game is the first line of defense
against insanity.
“Herman, let go of your sister and let’s play license tag
poker ... No we’re not going to play for money. ... I do
not cheat!”
I don’t believe our pioneering ancestors could have sur-
vived the long trek westward without some pastime to fill
the long stretches of empty prairie.
“Herman, let go of your sister — we’re going to play
recognize the Indian. . . . No, you don’t get your sister's
hair if you win.”
Nowadays with supersonic 707 passenger aircraft the
trips are short; it's the long wait in the airport that re-
quires the services of the travel game.
El Campo stockbroker Diane Olson whiles away the
airport blahs speculating about the occupations of her
fellow travelers, but she admits the game is double tough
if the other passengers react as she does “When I’m
traveling I never admit I'm a stockbroker Who wants to
travel 2.000 miles discussing puts and calls',“ she
queried
When she is questioned about her occupation Olson
responds with comedian George Carlin's ploy “I tell
them that I'm a mortician.” she admitted
But she lives in constant fear of that dreadful moment
when her seatmate says cheerfully. “Why. so am I!”
"When that happens I'm either going to come up with
something on embalming fluids or fake a heart attack,”
Olson laughed
There is a variation of the airport waiting game that
Olson and her son play which is not dependent on either
the coopeiation or truthfulness of their fellow sufferers
“We scan the waiting room and try to guess who is
waiting for whom like that lady in the red dress is here
waiting for her husband the rock singer ’ ’’
Olson wouldn't hazard a guess as to their success ratio
with the game, hut she said they d»dn ; have any trouble
recognizing Herman “He was the one who kept grabbing
his staler.'' said (Mann
industry, but he pointed out that City Council and the In-
dustrial Development Corporation have made the area an at-
tractive place to move.
“Industry itself is having problems,” Lundy said. “They’re
finding it hard to relocate. However, cities and counties can
help by offering small-interest revenue bonds.
“The Industrial Development Corporation has land in In-
dustrial Park No. 2,” Lundy added “And anyone that locates
an industry here gets a tax break.”
As in years past, paving will again be a priority in 1985. Lun-
dy cited Avenue C from Norris Street to Mechanic (Highway
59) as a top item. “There will be some improvement on that
street by the end of the year,” he said. Avenue F from Pecan
Street to Del Norte Drive, now a dirt road, will also be con-
sidered for paving.
BILL DOWDEN
ECISD Superintendent
El Campo Independent School District, along with other
districts across the state, saw tremendous changes in 1984
(SeeOFFICIALS, Page3)
By MONICA R1IOR
The El Campo United Way
is going ahead with plans for
a 1984 fund-raising drive,
despite a late start caused by
organizational problems.
Karen Meinardus,
president of the El Campo
chapter, said the campaign is
due to begin later this month
and should be wrapped up by
the end of February. The
United Way usually starts its
fund-raising drives in the late
fall.
The campaign will be
handled on a mail-out basis,
with brochures and letters
requesting donations sent to
local businesses. The
businesses may contribute in
several ways, by giving one
lump sum or by approaching
their employees for in-
dividual donations.
Meinardus said in-
formation for this year’s
brochures has already been
sent to the printers. She said
a meeting of the board of
directors will be called as
soon as the brochures are
printed.
The 1984 campaign was
partially delayed because of
vacancies on the 30-member
board. Each member has a
three-year term, which
results in an average of 10
empty seats per year.
Meinardus said she finished
filling the empty spots on the
board last week.
The United Way distributes
funding to several social
service organizations in the
Wharton County area, in-
cluding the Visiting Nurse
Association, the El Campo
Boy Scouts and the Senior
Citizens Program at Wharton
County Junior College.
Many of these
organizations, however, have
been forced to find other
sources of funding this year
to compensate for United
Way ’s late start.
Walt Mehnert, district
executive of the Brahman
District Boy Scouts, said his
group had not received
funding from the El Campo
United Way during 1984.
“Last year, we got $1,950 but
this year, we’ve had to look to
private contributions.
“We’re trying to raise
money through our annual
Friends of Scouting Cam-
paign, which is directed
towards the families of scouts
and ex-scouts,” Mehnert
added. “We give our alumni
an opportunity to support
us.”
Mehnert said the scouts
had raised $4,200 through the
Friends of Scouting cam-
paign last year. “But this
year, we’ll have to raise more
to make up for the loss of
United Way money .”
The Boys Scouts normally
use United Way funds to
support the Sam Houston
Area Council, which serves 13
counties in the Houston area.
The Council operates the
district offices, three camps
and Explorer posts utilized
by area Scouts.
The Brahman District,
which encompasses
Colorado, Matagorda and
Wharton counties, did receive
$14,500 from the Matagorda
County United Way.
“Hopefully, the El Campo
United Way will get
organized and come through
too, “Mehnert said.
Marilyn Goerig, director of
the Visiting Nurse
Association (VNA), said her
organization is ready to help
the United Way go ahead with
its drive. “We’ll help address,
stuff and mail envelopes,
because their funding is very
important to us.
“We’re one of the biggest
beneficiaries,” Goerig said,
“and we don't want to have to
turn anyone down because of
(SeeUW. Page 2)
Complete Home Care Offered
Hospital, Visiting Nurses Form New Service
By CHRIS BARBEE
El Campo Memorial
Hospital and the Visiting
Nurse Association of Wharton
County have joined together
to offer a complete home
health care program for El
Campo and area residents.
According to Howard
Pinnell, administrator of
ECMH, and Marilyn Goerig,
director of the VNA of
Wharton County, the joint
venture went into effect Jan
1.
Basically, the program
works like this As soon as a
patient is admitted, if there is
a potential need for home
health care after discharge,
ECMH and VNA personnel
will go to work on a discharge
program as ordered by the
physician
The whole program
depends on the physician
since he must order the
program and the course of
treatment at home This
course of treatm<>nt will fa*
established while the patient
is in the hospital, and will t»e
carried nut upon discharge
“Nearly an> patient can
hrnefit from a young
person with an orthofiedu
problem to people with
stroke had dialiHes and
' hee MtfMPfTAL. Page !»
Wanning Home Care
I S l»W« lit (IkI* HkWi
Home Health « are is now planned lor some Kl < ampo Memorial Hospital
patients pi tot to their discharge Renewing the program outlined lot
I < Mil patient Manual Ritas are «lr» He< kt huh ah M Mil discharge
planning inordmalor . Sammie Knehel H Mil M shill coordinator . and
Mariltn Goerig. director of the Visiting Nurse Vtsoriation of Mharton
tounlv
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Barbee, Chris. El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 99B, No. 83, Ed. 1 Saturday, January 5, 1985, newspaper, January 5, 1985; El Campo, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1006801/m1/1/?q=Lamar+University: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Wharton County Library.