El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 97, Ed. 1 Saturday, February 26, 1983 Page: 2 of 26
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Page2-A El Campo Leader News, El Campo, TX, Sat , Feb 26.19611
Truck Recovered In Fort Bend County; Dogs
The El Campo Police Depar-
tment reports a white 1972 pickup,
reported stolen last Saturday, has
been recovered by authorities in
Fort Bend County.
Police Chief Jim Elliott said the
Thirty-two men and seven
trucks from the El Campo
Volunteer Fire Department
responded to a fire which
reportedly started in an electrical
outlet at 112 W. Church St.
Wednesday at 5:24 p.m.
Firemen put out the blaze
swiftly in the home owned by
Roland J. "Swede” Carlson, and
were able to contain damage to
truck, reported stolen by Jacinto
Lopez, 11 Sunnyside Drive, was
found abandoned in a field.
Police also cleared up last
weekend’s burglary of Northside
Elementary School. Police
one room According to the fire
report, containment of the blaze
was made possible because the
door to the room which caught fire
was closed. Carlson is Wharton
County’s district clerk.
Mrs. Carlson was reportedly in
her kitchen downstairs when a
neighbor stopped to tell her that
smoke was coming from an up-
stair’s window.
arrested Konrad Renken, 401
Oscar, on Thursday and charged
him with burglary of a building.
Conrad paid $85 restitution, and
charges are expected to be
dropped Police also arrested
A space heater plugged into the
electrical outlet might have been
responsible for causing the fire
the report said, but Carlson said
Friday that the heater was not on.
Because the blaze was con-
tained within minutes of arrival,
firemen were able to roll up their
hoses within 30 minutes after their
arrival.
Kevin Judd, 401 A Bluebonnett, in
connection with the burglary.
Judd was released on a $500 bond.
The total damage figure reported
in the burglary was $170 Charges
on Judd may also be dropped
pending restitution according to
police.
In other police news, the
department is investigating the
theft of two dogs which together
are valued at $1,700. Gail Willis,
403 Hoskins Broadway, reported
the theft of two registered poin-
ters valued at $850 each.
The Tire Store, 211 S. Mechanic,
reported receiving a forged check
written on Jan 27. The $48 check
was written on the account of
Michael A Davis. Edna
Josephine Popp, Rt. 2, was ar-
rested for assault Thursday in
connection with a complaint filed
by George Vargas, 609 S. Liberty)
St., Feb 10.
Police arrested Pedro Ortega,
2807 Lindale Circle, and charged
him with enticing a minor. The
warrant for Ortega had been
issued in Bay City where the
reported incident occurred.
Ortega faces a $5,000 bond.
Emilio Rodriguez Jr., Ill Sun-
nyside Drive No. 82, was
charged with driving while in-
toxicated, refusal to take an in-
toxilyzer test, eluding arrest and
possession of paraphernalia.
Rodriguez paid a $56 fine and now
faces two $500 bondt.
Debra Brown, 1217 John St.,
reported she was assaulted at 100
Palacios on a public roadway late
Friday night. Brown refused
treatment.
Another assault was also
Missing
reported by Irene Castellanos,
1209 Vallejo, at the Ritz Food
Mart, 602. S. Mechanic Tuesday.
According to the police report,
Castellanos received no treat-
ment for injuries.
A third assault was reported by
Author C. Haller, Route 1,
Wharton. The reported incident
took place at a residence at 401
Forester Monday. Haller refused
treatment
Cheryle Porter reported the
theft of a $150 girl’s bicycle
Wednesday evening from her
residence at 509 Roth St.
Another bicycle theft was
reported by Theresa Shimek, 510
Lincoln. The bicycle, valued at
$130, was stolen sometime
Tuesday from Shimek’s
residence.
Fire Traced To Electrical Outlet
New Association Kicks Off
With Local Jump-A-Thon
The newly-formed El Campo
chapter of the American Heart
Association launched its business
fund-raising drive Wednesday
during a luncheon kick-off at the
Community Center.
The chapter has set a goal of
$3,000 to raise during its business
drive, which will conclude March
2, according to Tom Marrow,
development chairman. More
than 300 businesses are expected
to be contacted in the next week.
The business drive comes on the
heels of the residential drive in
which more than 800 local
families had been contacted by
phone.
Chapter President Sylvia Lamb
said memorial envelopes for
donations to the American Heart
Association are now available at
local funeral homes, the hospital
and banks.
The elementary school jump
roping team Blue Ridge Skippers
from Fort Bend County showed
their skills during the luncheon to
help promote the upcoming Jump
Rope for Heart-a-thon, which will
be held at school campuses and
the hospital.
Northside Elementary students
will be jumping rope on Monday
from 9:30 a m. to 11 a m. and 1
p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Both Hutchins
Elementary and El Campo Junior
High schools will hold their
contest on March 4 The hospital
will hold its jump-a-thon on March
17.
Each jump rope team is
composed of at least six members
who will take turns jumping rope
for a maximum of 30 minutes. The
jumpers have secured pledges
which will go to the American
Heart Association
The American Heart
Association's emphasis this year
is on youth, said Glen Meyers, a
regional representative. "Adults
have bad habits that are hard to
change. We are trying to teach
jump rope as a cardiovascular
exercise.”
Heart disease and stroke are
the number one cause of death in
the United States. Of the one
million cardiovascular-related
deaths each year, more than
200,000 occur before age 65.
The goal of the American Heart
Association is to reduce early
death and disability from heart
disease and stroke. It does this by
directing its voluntary con-
tributions to cardiovascular
research and puts that knowledge
into use via professional and
public education and community
service programs.
The amount of money com-
mitted to research by the Texas
affiliate has tripled in the last
three years. The Texas affiliate
will spend more than 30 percent of
its income this year to support
research.
For information on the local
business drive, contact Grady
Wadsworth, chairman.
L-N Photo by Cynthia Miller
More than just chilli's /day, jumping rope in a skill which is fun and good for the heart.
Short Stories —
(Continued From Page 1)
Tuesday In Wednesday’s edition.
St. John's Catholic Church In
llungerford will have Its annual
festival Sunday, March •
beginning at 11 a.m. It will Include
an auction at 1 p.m. the fourth
annual spring festival wl)l he held
at llungerford Hall. Activities for
the whole family will be provided.
Wharton County Veteran’s
Service Officer Marvin Henry will
be in his office each Tuesday and
Wednesday during March from 8
a.m. until S p.m., except during
the noon hour. He Is located In
Wharton In the General Services
Building at the corner of East
Burleson and Rusk Streets.
The Support Our Schools
organisation will he holding Its
second public meeting Thursday.
March 3. at 7:38 p.m. In the
Hutchins Elementary School
Gymnasium. Speaker will he J.F.
Holt, superintendent of the Trinity
school district, which recently
approved a rollback referendum.
Also. Bill Dewden. acting
superintendent of El Campo
Independent School District, will
be addressing the cutback
measures expected to he adopted
by the board of trustees during
Tuesday's special meeting.
The Council of Retarded
Citizens will be meeting at 7 p.m..
Monday, In the Opportunity
Center. New officers for the
Judicial —
(Continued From Page II
county attorney and involvement
with the Texas Democratic Party,
and Morgan becauae of his active
involvement with Mark White's
successful bid for governor
Roades said that In the majority
.»( rases, district judgeships are
initially filled by appointment
rather than by election.
Morgan said he would like to be
district attorney becauae ”tfs
what I've wanted to do since the
first day of law ochool I wanted to
be a proaocutor in my home
munty I feel criminals get off too
easy, and as a defense lawyer I
can say that "
council include: Mrs. Charles
Frederlckson, president: Charles
Merta, vice president; Joyce
Jnnlk, secretary: and Elmer
Newman, treasurer.
If you are unable to attend the
performance of Joe and Linda
Parr at El Campo's First Church
of God Sunday morning, you will
have another chance to hear their
“Musical Message of Life" at the
Round Mott Church of God
tomorrow evening at 6:30. The
couple will also present music and
worship al Feb. 28-March 2 at the
Round Mott church, at 7:30 each
evening.
El Campo Police Chief Jim
Elliott tells us that local
authorities will be beefing up their
patrol lo target drunk drivers this
weekend. Elliott said drunk
drivers are usually identified by
excess speeding and other
hazardous driving violations. This
Is the first task force im-
plemented by the authorities. If
successful, more weekend task
forces are planned. Elliott said.
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Council To Discuss Fluoridation
The installation of a drinking
water fluoridation program and a
request for a 20-year cable
franchise will be two major issues
addressed at Monday's meeting of
the El Campo City Council.
Action on the fluoridation
program was tabled from the Jan.
24 meeting when council heard a
presentation by Linda Crossett,
administrator for the Texas
Department of Health's state
fluoridation program. Also ap-
pearing were several local den-
tists and nurses who endorsed the
program, which would be funded
100percent by a state grant.
Mid Coast Cable TV is
requesting a 20-year franchise
from the city. According to City
Manager Robert Lundy, the cable
company has six years left on its
present contract with the city.
The company has reportedly
made $600,000 in improvements
and has added more channels.
In other action, council will
consider certifying the 1982 tax
roll and approve the purchase of
Webb Street property, currently
owned by J.C. Henderson and Ben
Gerberman.
Councilman Alan Sheffield, also
the council’s representative on
the Wharton County Central
Appraisal District Board of
Directors, will seek council’s vote
on a new CAD building.
Council will also:
• discuss a fence erected by
Michael Smaistrla without a
permit on his property on 811 Ave.
C. The fence extends beyond his
property line.
• consider Kenneth Martin to
replace F.N. Stubbs, who
resigned from the city ’s electrical
board.
• consider an ordinance
abandoning and closing an alley
on Block 7, north of Jackson
Street between the Travel Store
and Credit Bureau.
Commissioners To Act On Funds
Wharton County Com-
missioners Court will meet
Monday at 9:30 am at the county
courthouse
If all contracts are in, the court
will act on accepting county
depository contracts from four
banks — Commercial State Bank,
Wharton Bank and Trust,
Security Bank and Trust and
Union State Bank.
County funds will be divided
among the banks based on their
Bentsen
capital and surplus
At 10 a.m. commissioners will
consider bids for county road
construction projects for 1983
A date will be verified and a
time set for auctioning county
equipment. The auction will in-
clude used sheriff's department
cars and other items the precincts
and sheriff’s department may
want to dispose of A tentative
date of March 27 was set at the
court’s last meeting on Feb 14
Precinct 4 Commissioner C.F.
Drapela will ask that he be
allowed to advertise for bids on a
dump truck, and Precinct 3
Commissioner Arvid Schoeneberg
will ask for a budget amendment.
Precincts 3 and 4 will also enter
into a contract with the City of El
Campo to do work on several
bridges.
Mrs. H.O. Kieth of Louise has
been submitted for membership
in the Wharton County Historical
Commission. Commissioners will
vote on the appointment.
County Judge Dan Sklar will
discuss with commissioners the
possibility of giving county
personnel an indemnity insurance
program. This would provide
liability coverage for county
personnel if legal action was
taken against them as a result of
performing their duty.
Wants Stricter Enforcement
By LLOYD BENTSEN
Federal drug law enforcement in Texas has fallen to dangerously
low levels
Even more alarming are reports that, as the number of federal drug
agents in Texas has decreased, drug smuggling along our border with
Mexico is on the rise
The U S Customs Service advises me that in recent weeks it has ap-
prehended more smugglers at border crossing points The Customs
Patrol, which enforce* smuggling laws between ports of entry, advises
me that its seizures of marijuana and cocaine also have increased.
This is especially disturbing in regard to cocaine Enforcement of
ficers tell me that cocaine seizures as large as a pound are being taken,
where in the past only small amounts of cocaine have been in evidence
along the iiorder
Even as drug seizures have risen, the number of Customs Patrol of
ficers m the lairedo and El Paso Districts has fallen from IMi lo 105
over the past four years
From November (HI to November I M2, the Drug Enforcement Ad
ministration also derroosed its Toxas agents by 14 percent, from 183 to
I Ml Yri in IMI. I was assured by Peter Bensmger. then acting ad
minislrator of DKA. I hat he was ordering a freeze and that no addi
linnal agents would be sent out of Texas
I Hug agents in Texas a be are plagued by oqwpmrni shortages and
failures Customs Patrol officers at Aimotad and Falcon laikes on Hie
Rio Grande used to have 12 patrol boats They now have only one
An incident in Starr County further illustrates the problem In
November, two Customs Patrol officers encountered 15 smugglers,
each carrying 44 pounds of marijuana and a 380 caliber Beret La ban
dgun A gunbattle ensued in which one officer was wounded and
mother severely beaten.
The officers had no bulletproof vests The pump shotgun earned by
one officer jammed after being fired twice. It was one of the Army
castoffs, some 20 years old, that these federal officers are provided
In order to guide in ambulances and reinforcements with his ban
dheld radio, one patrolman had to climb a tree because the radio
repeater in nearby Roma had been taken out
The radio repeater has been replaced, but these officers still have no
bulletproof veals and their shotguns are still 20 years old
I have written the president’s cabinet members in charge of the DEA
and U S Customs urging them to take immediate steps to remedy the
situation in Texas The Customs Patrol needs more officers and equip
ment. and the number of DEA agents in our state should be bra^ht up
to at least 183 here at the end at 1M1.
The praaidenl has made a strong commitment to bring the full
weight of federal law enforcement into the fight against illegal dn*
trafficking
Those problems in Texas should not have developed and I intend to
see that they are corrected
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Barbee, Chris. El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 97, Ed. 1 Saturday, February 26, 1983, newspaper, February 26, 1983; El Campo, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1007209/m1/2/?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.