The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 218, Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 1, 2003 Page: 1 of 17
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Serving all of Baytown, Lynchburg, Ljighlands, McNair, Barrett Station, Crosby, Mont Belvieu, Anahuac and West Chambers County
Volume 81, No. 218
Telephone: 281-422-8302
July 1, 2003
www.baytownsun.com
50 cents
Report requested by Garcia cited in Bayport Terminal case
By BETH6ULLE1T
The Baytown Sun
An assessment of an alternative site
for the proposed Bayport Container
Cruise Terminal by Harris Cpunty
Precinct 2 Commissioner Sylvia
Garcia is a main argument in the law-
suit filed in a federal court in
Galveston County by several cities and
preservation groups last week against
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
After five years of fighting against
the proposed $1.3 billion Bayport
Container Cruise Terminal cities along
the coast like Shoreacres and Taylor
Lake Village elected to join in a lawsuit
against the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers in an effort to halt plans for
the terminal, but Baytown has taken no
standing in the lawsuit.
While the Port of Hoiston Authority
is not named in the lawsuit, the group’s
aim is to keep the Corps of Engineers
from granting a permit for the pro-
posed Bayport site.
Baytown residents largely voted
against the $387 million in bonds for
the proposed Bayport Terminal four
years ago. The result of the 1999 bond
election ended with property taxes
increasing 66 cents for Harris County
homeowners. The Port of Houston
Authority claims they can generate the
funds for the remaining cost of the ter-
minal.
Lawyer for the plaintiffs Jim
Blackburn asked several cities, along
the coast to join the lawsuit Blackburn
said he did not, specifically ask
Baytown, but they are invited to join.
The City of Baytown has never
taken a position on the proposed
Bayport Container Terminal, but an
assessment of Spilmains Island, an
Sm BAYPORT on Pag* 2A
Reps prep for session
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■ Associatal Press photo/Hanry Cabluck
TEXAS HOUSE DEMOCRATS hold a news conference outside the Capitol before a special session of the legislature Monday in Austin.
Lawmakers were ordered back to the Capitol by Republican Gov. Rick Perry to consider a GOP-backed redrawing of congressional dis-
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Dems denounce redistricting as GOP ‘power grab’
By NATALIE GOTT
The Associated Press
AUSTIN—Texas lawmakers returned
to the Capitol Monday for a special ses-
sion on congressional redistricting, the
bitterly partisan issue that prompted a
Democratic walkout in the House in
Msy.
Both fhambers met briefly, discussing
procedural matters before adj ourning for
the day. ' , *3
Before the House session began, more
than two dozen Democrats gathered to
again denounce the Republican effort,
calling it a “power grab" fy U.SL House
Majority Leader Tom DeLay. ®
“This week is independence week, and
we’re going to find out this week whether
the Texas Legislature is still independent
from the partisans in Washington, D.C.,”
said Rep. Jim Dunnam, House
Democratic Caucus leader.
Meanwhile, a grand jury found no evi-
dence of wrongdoing' in its probe of
destruction of records by the state
Department of Public Safety during the
search for the Democrats who had left
the state, Travis County District Attorney
Ronald Earle said Monday. *
The issue arose from an e-mail in
which a police official ordered docu-_
ments destroyed from the department's
search.
DPS officials said the department was
required to destroy the records under a
federal rule prohibiting police from
retaining Intelligence gathered on indi-
viduals who are not suspected of a crime.
: Earlier this month, GOP Gov. Rick
l Perry called lawmakers back for another
30 days, to handle the redrawing of con-
gressional districts, a topic that remained
unresolved whfen lawmakers adjourned
June 2.
Dunnam said earlier that he expected
that enough Democratic state senators
would oppose a redistricting bill to block
It from debate.
. ' -fen
See SESSION tin Page 2A
BARBERS HILL ISD
Board OKs
$30M budget
By MATTHEW COOK **
The Baytown Sun ;;
MONT BELVIEU - The
Barbers Hill School Board gave
their approval to the 2003-04
budget, which will decrease by
lgss than 1 patent from the cur- tkm; $1.14 tidllfon on general
administration; $769,000 on
approximately $12,000.
The district wifi spend $12.2
million on instruction, includ-
ing supplies and salaries;
$359,000 on curriculum and
Instructional development; $1.2
million on school admlnlstni-
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;*1f
rent budget.
The 2003-04 general fund
budget was approved at $30.26
million, down slightly from last
year’s budget of $30.34 million.
*d>added ohe stipula-
tion; all pay raises would bp
capped at $1,000.
School Business Manager
John Koonce said major
changes In the budget came
from a 2 percent salary
increase, an increase in supplies
and travel, and a decrease In the
amount of money paid to the
state. Koonce said the $1,000
cap would save the district
transportation; $767,000 :on
extracurricular activities; and
$2.97 million on maintenance
and operation. The district will
pay $9.26 minion to foe state of
Tavan
Revenues are projected at
$30.64 mlllimi, which includes
$27.3 million in property taxes,
$1.62 million in state revenue
and $30,000 In federal funds.
Koonce said that due to the
$31.2 mUllon in bonds
approved by voters in October,
Sa» BUDGET on Page 3A
*>]
Mont Belvieu JEMS
requests more staff
By BETH GULLETT
The Baytown Sun <
MONT BELVIEU -
Members of Mont Belvieu city
council listened to a plea from
the city’s EMS department for
councU members to consider
giving the EMS more funding
for next year’s budget during a
workshop meeting Monday.
Director of Emeigency
Services Bruce Oliphant is ask-
ing for six paramedics, one full-
time duty crewman for the fire
department and a paid fire
chief. The cost would be
$456,836 annually to provide
those positions. In order to gen-
erate that revenue, homeowners
in Mont Belvieu would have a
7.57 percent increase in proper-
ty tax. The increase would add
$45 in property taxes to a
$150,000 home in Mont
8m EMS on Page 2A
Storm slams SE Louisiana
■ Bill causes tornadoes,
■flooding in New Orleans
* JANET McCONNAUGHEY
The Associated P<ess J:
NEW ORLEANS - Tropical
Storm Bill pounded the Gulf Coast on
Monday, spinning off a tornado that
injured four people, forcing evacua-
tions and swamping the streets of New
Orleans' French Quarter.
Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster
declared a statewide emeigency and
Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove
declared an emeigency In three south-
ern counties.
One person was seriously hurt and
three suffered minor injuries when the
tornado tore up a trailer home in
Reserve, 38 miles from New Orleans.
Ttoenty other trailer homes and a pri-
vate school gym also were damaged,
said Van Gilmore, assistant director of
civil defense In St. John the Baptist
Parish. ,
Three fishing vessels in Cat Island
Sm STORM on Page 2A
The Hmesfieayune/Susan Po«g
TOMMY BERTHELOT WADES back toward the levee through
storm surge from Tropical Storm Bill after visiting his 32-foot
Lafttte Skiff Monday in Bures, La. Berthelot had been out
Sunday nitfit looking for a friend who was out on the water in
his boat He was unsuccessful in his search.
Local officials: Bill a good
example of quick threat
By MATTHEW COOK
f The Baytown Sun
BAYTOWN — As Tropical Storm Bill Inundates
Louisiana and Mississippi with water, local officials
. said the storm served as a reminder of Just how quick-
ly the outlook In the Gulf of Mexico can change.
\, - “This ought to be a wake up call that these things can
pop up quickly. Allison did the same thing to us,” said
\ Baytown Emergency Management Coordinator
Bernard Olive.
In 2001, Tropical Storm Allison hammered foe
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Cash, Wanda Garner. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 218, Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 1, 2003, newspaper, July 1, 2003; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1052440/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.