El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 68, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 12, 1986 Page: 1 of 48
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VOLUME 101 NUMBER 68
77437
El Campo, Texas, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 1986
35* (includes tax)
8 SECTIONS 54 PAGES
Drozd Requests Vote Recount
By MICHAEL ALEXIEFF
John Drozd, who lost a
narrow election to C.F,
“Doc” Drapela for Precinct 4
County Commissioner,
formally asked for a recount
of the votes Monday at the
close of the Wharton County
Commissioners Court
meeting.
In a letter to County Judge
I.J. Irvin Jr., Drozd wrote: “I
wish to request a recount of
all boxes in the Precinct 4
general election as regards
the position of County
Commissioner. Due to the
closeness of this race, only
1.23 percent difference and
some voter registration
errors, I choose to make this
request.”
Drozd, a Democrat, lost his
race to Drapela, the in-
cumbent Republican, by 25
votes, 1,031 to 1,006 Nov. 4.
Drozd, who said the night of
the election that he would
check for irregularities in the
voter registration list, said
Monday that he found 61
discrepancies in the list. The
two most common were peo-
ple who voted in Precinct 4
but have an address in some
other precinct and people
voting who were not on the
list.
Irvin said he would act as
the recount coordinator and
that the recount would be
done Wednesday.
Drozd made his recount
request after the com-
missioners court had finished
canvassing the votes. The
canvas was approved
unanimously, subject to
contest.
In other action during the
meeting, the court heard a
year-end report from Merle
Hudgins, chairwoman of the
Wharton County Historical
Commission
Hudgins, who is completing
her second and last year as
chairwoman of the WCHC,
(See WCHC. Page3)
Franke To Lead
Guard Battalion
Maj. Kenneth M.
“Mike” Franke of El Cam-
po will assume command
of the 6th Battalion, 112th
Armor, 49th Armored
Division effective Dec. 7.
On that day at 9 a.m. the
public will be invited to at-
tend a change of command
ceremony at the Roy P.
Benavidez National Guard
Armory.
The announcement was
made by Col. Kenneth
Holt, commander of the
1st Brigade, 49th Armored
Division, San Antonio.
Holt said Franke will
replace Lt. Col. Alan J.
Bryan, who is a National
Guard tour officer. Bryan
will be assigned to the U.S.
Army’s National Training
Center at Fort Irwin,
Calif.
The Franke name has
long been synonymous
with the 6th Battalion.
Maj. Franke’s father, Lt.
Col. T.K. “Ken” Franke.
organized the head-
quarters and head-
quarters company in 1947
and served as its first com-
mander.
Franke is presently
assigned to the 1st Brigade
as operations officer. He
MAJ. MIKE FRANKE
evaluates and makes
recommendations to the
commander on how to
deploy ground units. In
peace time he’s the senior
training officer, with the
responsibility of develop-
ing and implementing
training procedures at the
brigade level. The 1st
Brigade has three bat-
talions — a mechanized in-
fantry in Corpus Chnsti, a
mechanized infantry in
San Antonio and the tank
battalion in El Campo.
As battalion commander
he will become the train-
ing manager. “We are
presently preparing for a
(See FRANKE. Page 3)
City Building Fees
Attract Attention
By CHRIS BARBEE
El Campo City Council,
after discussing city permit
fees Oct. 28 and last night,
voted to leave rates alone
with only a few minor ex-
ceptions.
Changes include raising the
moving (of structures)
permit fee from $10 to $50,
and the deposit requirement
was dropped on obtaining a
demolition permit while the
$10 fee was left intact.
As a penalty for starting
work for which a permit is
required under the city
building code, the stated fees
applicable to the project will
be doubled.
A plan checking fee will
also be charged when
proposed construction ex-
ceeds $10,000. The plan
checking fee will be equal to
one-half of the building
permit fee as set forth in the
city code.
City Building Inspector Jim
Cook presented the council
with fees recommended in
the 1977 Standard Building
Code, fees which are still in
effect in the 1985 code The
fees El Campo is charging
now are below the standards
set in 1977
City Manager Robert
Lundy told council the city’s
fee schedule was set Dec 11,
1978 and has remained un-
changed Cook said the city
looses about 35 percent each
year compared to what could
be charged. He also noted
that both Wharton and Bay
City are using the 1977 code
recommendation.
Concerning building permit
fees, Cook compared El
Campo to Wharton and Bay
City. El Campo trails by 35
percent or more in almost
every area. For example, a
$75,000 home in El Campo
would require fees of $196.50.
That same home in Wharton
would get $274.50 and in Bay
City $292.50.
In addition, El Campo has a
water and sewer tap fee of
$490, Wharton’s is $600 and
Bay City’s is $440. Bay City,
however, has a plumbing
fixture flat fee surcharge of
$480, compared to no sur-
charge by Wharton and a $10
per fixture surcharge by El
Campo.
Mayor Cecil Davis said he
would hate to raise rates on
fees just to be in line with
Wharton and Bay City. “I
think not raising them is an
advantage for El Campo,” he
said.
3Ps
Veterans Honored ' N b> T,<
County Judge I.J. Irvin spoke at a brief Veterans
Day ceremony Tuesday near the unfinished
Wharton County War Veterans Memorial on the
courthouse lawn. Irvin read the names of all
Wharton County soldiers who died during the
Vietnam War.
4f/i, 5th Grades Get Vcic School
Teachers Get Early Christmas
CROP Trot
I.-N PSotm bt Tad ller»horn
A group of determined CROP walkers raising funds Saturday against
world hunger make their way down Ave. 1 near Highway 5*. The walk,
which began at 9 a m. at El Campo High School, took participants across
six miles of the city to make their statement and earn dollars for blisters.
By MICHAEL ALEXIEFF
Christmas arrived early for
teachers in the El Campo
Independent School District
Tuesday night when trustees
approved a $200,000 academic
improvement program.
After surveying the faculty,
the ECISD administration
drew up a list of five items
from each campus most
frequently mentioned by
teachers as being needed for
academic improvement —
and the board approved all 30
items
High priorities for teachers
included copy machines,
computers, curriculum
materials and the hiring of
another full-time nurse.
Top requests from each
campus were: Myatt
Elementary, additional
curriculum materials and
classroom supplies: Hutchins
Elementary, additional
curriculum materials and
classroom supplies; Nor-
thside Elementary, a copy
machine: the middle school,
a clerical aide, the high
school, two copy machines;
and Meadow Lane, more field
trips
“I believe it will have a
positive impact on academic
improvement.” said Pat
Rogers, assistant superin-
tendent for instruction. “All
of these things will help the
teachers ”
The $200,000 set aside for
academic improvement was
included in the budget in
September while the board
was considering a multi-
million dollar facilities im-
provement plan. The board
felt that not all of the
district’s surplus funds
should go to buildings.
Superintendent Joe
Thedford. Ph i) . said the cost
in the future to maintain the
plan will be approximately
$90,000 per year
In other action, the board
voted to move the fourth and
fifth grades into the new
school being planned The
board was undecided on
w hether to put the second and
third grades in the new school
and move the fourth and fifth
to Hutchins Elementary or
leave Hutchins alone and
move the fourth and fifth
grade
A survey of the faculties at
Hutchins and Northside
showed that the great
majority of the teachers at
both campuses were in favor
of moving the fourth and fifth
grade
Thedford said he would
contact the architect. Robert
Webster, who also designed
Myatt. and have him begin
draw ing up plans
The board also decided to
proceed with renovation of
the high school auditorium at
a projected cost of $165,000
The renovation will include v 1
new ceilings and walls, an \J
orchestral shell, new
restrooms and lobby im-
provements and refur-
bishment of the seats
Thedford said that bids for
the auditorium work would
probably go out after the
December meeting with
construction beginning
sometime in January
1
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Barbee, Chris. El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 68, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 12, 1986, newspaper, November 12, 1986; El Campo, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1018541/m1/1/: accessed June 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Wharton County Library.