El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 53, Ed. 1 Saturday, September 25, 1982 Page: 1 of 28
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Magical Kingdom
To Open Doors
— Page 3-B
Yom Kippur Festivities
— Page 2-/4
Voters Register Today — Page 2-A
Spikers Rebound ^
Against Terry p
- Page 7 A
Leader-News
SVOBODA 1885
CITIZEN 1900
VOLUME 98 NUMBER 53
77437
El Campo, Texas, Saturday, September 25, 1982
25 CENTS
3 SECTIONS 36 PAGES
L-N Ph«U> b> i*rrmr4 P\ m
Dangerous Blaze
The El Campo Volunteer Fire Department responded to this Karate barn
fire Wednesday afternoon at Annie Kopecky’s farm. Although no injuries
were reported, the barn was totally destroyed. See story, page 2-A.
Trustees Deliberate
Budget Alternatives
By KAY KENNEDY RICE
After lengthy discussion
Wednesday night the Board of
Trustees of the El Campo
Independent School District
narrowed its options on the budget
dilemma and is now hoping for
some kind of public response
concerning its course of action.
The school district’s tax roll
released by the Central Appraisal
District last week was nearly $1
million short of what is required
to meet this year's $10 6 million
budget at the present tax rate of
$1 07.
While different combinations of
budget cuts were proposed, the
majority of board members
seemed to favor a recom-
mendation from Larry Throm,
ECISD business manager, which
would generate nearly $263,000 in
cuts.
Throm said he would then
certify another $227,000 in ad-
ditional revenues which would
reduce the deficit by $500,000. The
remaining $500,000 would come
from a local tax increase
Proposed cuts and the
estimated savings include:
canceling the planned purchase of
four new buses, $123,000;
eliminating the busing of students
within the two-mile limit, $50,000;
cuts from the maintenance
department’s five-year program,
$50,000; and energy conservation
(such as turning the air con-
ditioner off in April and May),
$50,000.
Trustee Gilbert Escamilla
objected to the basing policy
change, although the district is
not required by the state to bus
children within two miles.
Another board member, Dr.
Earl Erwin, believed half-day
kindergarten, which was
suggested earlier, would not be in
the best interest of education
The board did not vote on the
proposals, but scheduled a
meeting for 7 p.m., Wednesday,
Sept. 29. The agenda will include
amending the budget and
discussion of a proposed tax rate
On Monday administrators and
faculty went over the budgeted
amounts for instruction and
supplies and targeted nearly
$85,000 in possible cuts.
Throm was hesitant to
recommend those cuts to the
board because he felt teachers
made “terrific sacrifices’’ and
would have to play catch up the
next year. The $85,000 in cuts
would only mean a two cent
reduction in the tax rate
The salary increases approved
last May for teachers and other
district employees were not
immune from cuts as Richard
Manske, board president,
discussed a possible 3 to 5 percent
cut across the board which would
save approximately $200,000
Another alternative, Manske
suggested, was a 13 percent
cutback in personnel, saving an
estimated $195,000
The majority of the audience,
comprised mostly of district
employees, seemed opposed to
any severe cuts, especially in the
area of salaries
Bruce Ashcraft, El Campo High
School choir director, described
the school as “a community
business’’ and believed the people
would support what has to be done
to keep the district progressive.
“What I propose is hopefully not
going backwards,’’ Manske said
"If 10 percent of the community
decides to have a rollback...it
could have a serious impact on
education I’m trying to avoid
cutting the heart out of what we’re
trying to do."
Michael Plentl, board
secretary, said while the teachers
(See SCHOOL, Page 2)
County Requesting New Tax Roll
By CYNTHIA L. MILLER
Although all Wharton County
taxing entitles have received cer-
tified tax rolls from the Central
Appraisal District, at least one is
requesting a new roll.
Wharton County Tax
Assessor/Collector Frank Kon-
vicka is requesting a new tax roll
from the CAD because the
alphabetical roll is “too difficult
to compare” to the county’s files
Konvicka said that he has asked
CAD Chief Appraiser Vernon
Warren to prepare a new roll
listed geographically rather than
alphabetically “When our cards
are listed geographically and the
roll is listed alphabetically, you
can see the problem we have, ”
Konvicka said
Warren told Konvicka that the
new roll should be ready next
week. Although the county has us-
ed an alphabetical roll in the past,
this year it is more difficult
because of the volume of property
which must be reviewed, Kon-
vicka said.
“In the past we didn’t have to
compare each piece of property,”
Konvicka said. “This year we
have over 50,000 parcels to
check.”
Although he could not release
exact figures, Konvicka said that
the initial roll indicated that the
county’s total taxable value has
gone down from last year
All taxing entities in the CAD's
jurisdiction have received (heir
official tax rolls, and officials are
now going over them to ascertain
their accuracy
Warren said that most of the en-
tities “seem to be* satisfied" with
the rolls, though many had to
delay budget proceedings and tax
rate adoption this year until the
roll was published
Warren said that total ap-
praisals for the county went up,
and that the exact figures will be
out “in the near future.”
Some of the entities, such as the
Louise Independent School
District Board of Trustess, have
noticed that farm equipment did
not appear on the rolls
Warren said that this is because
he is expecting that a constitu-
tional amendment to exempt
farm equipment from taxation
will pass in the Nov. 2 election.
and so the equipment was left off
to save paperwork. If the amend-
ment does not pass, the farm
equipment figures will be added
to the rolls.
El Campo City Manager Robert
Lundy said that the city has sent
corrections to the CAD and is ex-
pecting to get a response by Mon-
day.
“There were a lot of different
types of corrections.” Lundy said
"There were names and some
figures which were different than
on our roll, and we just asked for
an explanation of those dif-
ferences. There was nothing of
any magnitude."
Tiie city’s tax roll will be set “as
soon as we get the final informa
tion.” Lundy said
West Columbia Shocks ’Birds, 27-0
Eight Turnovers Doom El Campo
By JONATHAN FEIGE.N
The El Campo Ricebirds com
mitted eight turnovers last night
to help the inspired West Col urn
bia Roughnecks to a 27-0 victory
at Grigg s Field in West Colum
bia
The ioss dropped El Campo s
record to 2 2. 0-1 in the district
Went Columbia is now 13
The Ricebirds never got un
tracked in the contest as the
Roughneck defense was commit
ted to stopping the run The
Knecks were very successful in
that strategy as they held El Cam
pn to just M yards rushing
Sis El Campo fumbles were
recovered fry the Roughnecks in
eluding a Greg Sw<4«oda fumble in
(he end arm* on the Iasi play of the
game Vtesl I otumtaa drove to lb*
El Campo six yard line before the
Ricebirds took over on downs The
fumble and touchdown recovery
by Corwan Davis put an ap
propriate capper on a
frustarating night lor El Campo
Donald I>aw. who had two in
terception*. kicked the point
after touchdown
El Campo s greatest offensive
march, to the \Sest Columbia six
yard line, also ended in a fumble
covered by Davis Tim Parma
carried the ball twice on that
drive for 18 yards and caught two
Swobnda (Misses for 22 more yard*
before he coughed up the ball
West Columbia look a Jb«
halftime lead as their wing T of
fens* kept the Ricebirds off
ttalarwe while Ijtrry l*mkr**v
William Bryant and Randy Me* k
ran effectively Mack and
Pickney relied on speed and
strength while Bryant showed ex
cellent quickness and agility
Bryant put the first points on
the hoard when he dashed 43
yards around right end with R 27
left to play in the first quarter
The play capped an II play.
Rfl yard drive after a 44 yard Par
ma punt The point after
touchdown failed
The Ruebirds were forced to
punt on their next possossion t«ut
the center snap sailed o\er Par
ma s head to set the Koughnei ks
up on the Kl t ampo eight yard
line Three plays later West Col
umbia upped their lead to 120on a
one yard dive h> Andre Roberson
A two piant ivimerston pass was
incomplete
Mack scored on a five-yaru
sweep with 111 left m the first
half to cap a six play, 50yard
drive after the first of Ixiw's two
interceptions Mack ran for 28
yards on the first play of that
drive before Pickney rumbled for
15 yards on three carries Pickney
also had the only West Columbia
pass reception of the game an
eight yard gain, on that drive
Pickney led all rushers with 81
yards on 15 carries Bryant had f*5
yards on 12 carries Swotaida
completed 10 of l<> passes (or 7t,
yarda Parma also completed a
(MSS a 14 yard toss to Clyde Gary
The Hwefards will return fiomc
ne*t »**-k to lent Santa 1* at
Kmefard Stadium
Low-Bridged...
By JERRY AUEDS
I’ve been blindsided in football, sandbagged at poker and
sandwiched playing basketball, but for insult plus injury,
nothing equals the exchange between bridge partners following
a missed contract.
The icy, venom-ladened voice that asked, “Why did you go to
four hearts with only six high card points?’’ Well, that’s the
same lady who only a few minutes before was telling me about
her prize daffodils and fat grandbabies
My mumbled explanation, “The hand looked like one 1 read
about in the ‘Sheinwold’ book,” did not get me off the hook, she
already had me fingered for an idiot who was put on this earth
for the express purpose of torturing her
In short, I was a bridge novice and that's a form of life lower
than Navy ensigns and Army second lieutenants
Beginners at duplicate bridge are part of a Darwinian selec-
tion process From my first encounter and others that followed,
I’ve worked out “Aulds' Ixiw of Survival At Duplicate Bridge ’’
Those that survive are the ones who, after a misplayed or
misbid hand, immediately yell at their partner
Sometimes Ixith partners yell at the same time, proving that
both know about (be law
My involvement with bridge t>egan with a column written by
bridge expert Oswald Jacoby
From the first chance reading. I was hooked into the world of
finesses, end plays and standard American bidding
But what began as a simple curiosity soon became a vicious,
expensive obsession I subscribed to five newspapers, each
with a different bridge expert I wore out my wife's patience
and several hundred dr- ks of cards dealing practice hands on
the kitchen table
At one point my library card was revoked I had tried to
build up a bridge library at the city's expense
But during this time. 1 had not actually tasted the fire and
thrill of competition I got my kicks vicariously through the
bridge columns
But like the fledgling gunfighter there came a day when I
had to try out my secret skill*
Disaster' After six weeks at the local bridge club, the only
people who would play with me were masochists sadists or just
plain stupid
I finally slop|ied going to Oh* club lor health reasons some
of my (irevious partners suggested that overbidding was a
capita! crime
I have tried leaching my wile and children (tie game ImjI they
r aught on loo quM l KHof* lit* h.md wa over my daughter
asked her graodmottier if I was adopted
Reprinted fr«*m I Ms W Wi'ti
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Barbee, Chris. El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 53, Ed. 1 Saturday, September 25, 1982, newspaper, September 25, 1982; El Campo, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1006914/m1/1/?rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Wharton County Library.