Yoakum Herald-Times (Yoakum, Tex.), Vol. 93, No. 15, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 21, 1985 Page: 1 of 24

                                
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93rd Year, No. 15
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Churches Hit Hardest In New Electric Rates
Some Users To Get Big Rate Jump
1
Another
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(See CITY, Page 3A)
3
Candidates Still Few
In City-School Races
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World Day
Of Prayer
Is March 1
(Herald-Times Photo)
Couple Leave Big City Life
To Have Their Own Business
Last Little League Sign-Up
Session From 4-6 Thursday
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“One of the most tragic, senseless blunders of World War II"
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before he was inducted into the
Army in May of 1944. He had
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The AP article quotes Cussler as
saying the Leopoldville is "a ship
most nations would like to forget"
and that its sinking was "one of the
most tragic and senseless blunders
originally tried to enlist in the Air
Force, but was rejected because of
color blindness
Following his Army basic train-
ing. he shipped out of New York for
BY TOMMY ANDERSON
Herald-Times Editor
This afternoon (Thursday) is the
last call for Yoakum boys and girls
to sign up for this year’s Little
League baseball program. The last
period of registration will be held in
the civic room of the First State
Bank, from 4-6 p.m.
All boys and girls with birthdates
between Aug. 1, 1972 and July 31,
1979 are eligible to participate in
either Little League, Minor League
or T Ball
Alan and Shirley Sommer have
surrendered their big city life and
lucrative jobs for which they were
well highly trained to come to
Yoakum and take over the active
ownership of a convenient store
business that has been in Shirley’s
family for some 13 years.
When the opportunity to move to
Yoakum arose, there really wasn't
too much hesitancy.
"Houston is too congested.
The City of Yoakum took the first
formal step in enacting a 10.3
percent increase in electricity rates
at a special session of the City
Commission held at 5 p.m. Monday
at the Yoakum City Hall.
The passage of a new electric rate
ordinance on the first of two
required readings was the culminat-
Leonard and Shirley Zila. started
Handy Stop in 1972 and when they
retired in 1977, her brother, Gary,
bought the business.
In a way, Yoakum is like home to
Alan, too. He’s from the Seguin
area, but is no stranger to Yoakum.
He and Shirley were married in the
local United Methodist Church in
September of 1982.
"I really love this town," he says.
They have accounting degrees
n year at
chitecture.
England in November of 1944
The Associated Press article
about Cussler's finding of the
Leopoldville and circumstances
surrounding its sinking continued as
TOMOWS:
Using sonar echos from their
surface vessel, Cussler and his crew
found the ship July 1, about 5.5
miles from the French port of
Cherbserg in ISO feet of water. It
completed his fresl
A&M, majoring in
Although there is one challenge
on the books, half of the positions
on the upcoming Yoakum city and
school board elections remain minus
takers with less than two weeks to
a
E
program and is reportedly using
over 20 percent less energy this year
that was being used during the test
period. This could actually wipe out
an increase there if it is true.
Churches will be the hardest hit
as a group, receiving a 62.2 percent
increase.
ed her degree at the University of
Texas, from which she graduated
with high honors. Alan did the
same, including high honors, but
from Southwest Texas State Univer-
sity.
Shirley went to work for the
Price-Waterhouse accounting firm
in Houston, where she met Alan,
who was senior accountant with the
firm. After the two were married,
Shirley joined another Houston firm,
then Alan also joined another firm.
(See COUPLE, 3A)
Yoakum, Texas 77995 THURSDAY* February 21, 1985
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3002-3060-2*65:*2-233333-2-32822323*3339393339393939909830233333333899853-3933323339333333333333333333333233333239333332*3*2*0389839299*9332233335333:33339380998823332222289933383933080222*833333223*3*0-8*2*2*3*3*3*38-**33*83M2*2*2*MM2*2*33*3833333339333338932939392333333393-23333233*3*39323233*3222*****922-3-3-2333**-*******2*23222322323332222222:
Sunken Troop Ship On Which Yoakum Soldier Died, Is Found
and each are Certified Public
A***************** Accountants (CPA’s). Shirley receiv-
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ion of several months of studies by
energy rate consultants and review
by the City staff and the members of
the Commission.
In addition to generating an
additional 10.3 percent in new
revenue, the new ordinance also
takes a giant step in equalizing
rates, which had become unbalane-
tr iwnBff31 sbI12*1
INDUSTMIALLEADER/
View
—
48g
Youth Charged
in Cash Theft
An 18-year-old Yoakum youth.
Steven Keith Stary, has been
charged with theft, following a Feb
16 incident involving the theft of
cash from a money bag at a Yoakum
service station.
Stary* was released under $800
bond, with his case to be heard in
DeWitt County Court.
In other weekend activities, police
were investigating an attempted
burglary at the old Asberry School
section of the Intermediate School.
Although some wallboards had been
knocked loose, there was no entry to
the school building
The incident is believed to have
occurred sometime between Friday
night and Sundav afternoon
LEATHEm CAPITAL
The troop ship on which an
18-year-old Yoakum soldier was
among more than 800 Americans
who died in what has been called a
tragic World War II blunder, has
been found in the English Channel,
nearly 40 years after its sinking.
Shipwreck hunter Clive Cussler
and his crew found the ship, the
‘ Leopoldville, last July, according to
an Associated Press news account
given to The Herald Times by Mrs
Lydia "Dolly" Koehler of Yoakum.
Her son, Herbert O. Koehler, Jr.,
was among some 2,200 troops of the
66th Infantry Qivision aboard the
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Besides, we want to give our son the
same type of upbringing we
enjoyed, and not in the Houston
atmosphere," say both Shirley and
Alan.
The couple are the new owners of
Handy Stop, a combination grocery
store and nursery at 425 East
Morris.
It's homecoming for Shirley, who
graduated from Yoakum High
School in 1976. Her parents.
disaster the night it sank
The ' ship left Southampton,
England, with 2,200 troops of the
66th Infantry Division, reinforce- --
rhents for use in the Battle of the
Bulge
According to survivors, there
were no fire drills or abandon ship
drills for the troops, and no
instruction in the use of lifeboats or
life preservers
Just after the lights of Cherbourg
came into view, the ship was hit by
a torpedo from a German U-boat.
Three escort vessels chased the
sub. and a British destroyer stayed
behind to take on about 1,200
troops Some who had to leap from
(See SHIP. Page 3A)
military heroes as the cemeteries of
France, the Philippines and Arling-
ton-only there are no white
crosses...to mark their graves.”
The Leopoldville was a Belgian
Line luxury passenger ship pressed
into service as an Allied troop ship
during the war. But Cussler, as well
as several survivors of the sinking
who attended his news conference
said the ship was ill-prepared for
Yoakum Herald-T
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SERVING LAVACAANbDeWITT COUNTIES
■ s.
Registration fees are $6 per
player or $10 for two or more
youngsters in the same family.
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: 282 { ■
Trumpet Quartet Rated Superior -
THIS TRUMPET QUARTET from the Yoakum High left are RusoeD Garrett, Meliaan Sleko, Donna Baroo
School Band earned a Superior Rating at the UIL and Kim Tolbert.
was sitting upright "in one piece"
on the ocean floor, he said.
Cussler said the hull of
the Leopoldville "is as important a
resting place for our nations's dead
..
. HOCHHEMM Prahrie news..
Pige s
SUNDAY SCHOOL Cnos of
M yam ago. Pege 4A
BULMDOG Baseball satis ik
..Page 10A
CANCER, the good news..
Page 7B
AREA News briefs..Page
BACKWARD Glances..
Page 10B
MOST WANTED Texas
fugitive..Page 5A
ed due to neglegance on the City’s systems (the Yoakum LSD. and St
part of increasing demand rate Joseph School) and eight are
charges. As a result of this commercial establishments.
equalization step, which still leaves However, these projected in
the demand charge below actual creases are based on a test year of
City cost, some 30 City customers from July 1983 through June 1984
will receive increases in excess of 20 and do not take into account the fact
percent. Of that number, 20 are that the Yoakum LS D has gone
churches, two are the local school through an energy management
24PagesA401PerCopa
5 ah APPEcaDe i aies AncuOe
of World War II.” Cussler is author
of "Raise The Titantic" and "deep
Six”.
Young Koehler was a 1943
graduate of Yoakum High School
and had immediatley eurotied at
Texas AAM after graduation. He
gae-vx:
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Church Women United of Yoakum
invite the public to take part in the
annual program recognizing the
World Day of Prayer on March 1.
, . The program yillbe, hosted at the
First Presbyterian Church at 10a.m.
Those involved wish to reach out to
individuals to add their voice in this
worldwide chain of prayer for peace.
The program will include musical
selections by the talented Cin y
Gasch and Jessica Fabriguez of
Yoakum. Organist will be Mrs.
Mary Sue Ferrel.
World Day of Prayer is celebrated
on March 1 in churches across the
United States and in 170 countries
and regions of the world.
The 1985 service takes as its
theme "Peace Through Prayer and
Action.” Written by the Christian
women of India, it calls people the
(See PRAYER, Page 3A)
YES, FOLKS, Yoakum does have
a leash law for dogs.
No, folks, it isn’t being enforced
to the letter of the law.
Reason for the law not being
totally enforced is two fold, I
understand. Reason No. 1 is that
there just isn’t enough personnel to
do the job and secondly the City’s
facilities for holding and disposing
of picked up dogs are not adequate.
So, like most other City
regulations, the leash law is being
enforced when and where a
complaint is filed. You know, the
squeeking wheel gets the grease.
One elected City official reminds
citizens that since there is such a
law on the books, they can call the
Police Department and the matter
will be attached to.
I can't say that I totally agree with
this way of dealing with a problem,
but it is one which has been used
here for many a year and it works to
some extent, so, why not use it.
Got a dog problem, call 293-5234
and ask for help. If you don’t get
results don’t blame me. That’s what
I was told to tell you folks.
•••••
NO DOUBT about it, we do have
some problem with roving dogs, but
getting to be a bigger problem is the
huge cat population which is
building up in these parts.
And, there is no leash law
covering cats, the cat lobby saw to
that when all the stir about a leash
law was raised a few years back.
I agree to an extent that it is hard
to control cats. They don't exactly
flourish on chains and fences don't
hold them too well.
In fact, within reason I can't say I
disagree with letting cats roam free,
but in certain areas huge numbers
of cats are building up and in many
cases they are not claimed or cared
for by anyone in particular
It is these really homeless cats
which are not tended, which roam
where they please and reproduce at
will, not to mention the fact that
they are not vaccinated for diseases,
which cause me concern. And it
should cause concern for any cat
lover also, for it is this type of cat
(See VIEW, Page 3A)
The used clothing outlet manned
by the St. Vincent De Paul Society
at 303 Price. will be open from 2-6
p.m. this Friday. then will be closed
until dates to be announced in
March. Yoakum schools are gear-
ing up for visitations, special
programs, etc., planned for the
March 4-8 Public Schools Week
Basil Blaine has received a 4 by 5
American Flag that has flown over
the U.S. capitol in Washington,
from former Congressman Bill
Patman
■ ' *
57,
ople
the candidate filing deadline
March 6 not only is the zero hour
for prospective candidates to either
get on the ballot or stay off, but that
is also the deadline for eligible but
non-registered voters to register in
order to vote in either or both of the
April 6 elections.
Three two-year terms are up for
voter verdicts in the Yoakum City
Commission and a trio of three-year
terms on the Yoakum School Board
await the same type of decisions.
So far. Place 3 incumbent Judy
Boone is the only person to step
forward for the school board, she
is announcing for her second full
term Place 4 incumbent James
Leist, appointed last year to
complete the final year of Charles
Soehnge’s term; and Place 5 trustee
Melvin Hairell, completing his
initial term, have not announced
their plans.
In the city commission picture.
Mitchell Harbus has filed for his
10th term as the Place 1
representative. Harbus also serves
as mayor, a position filled by a vote
of the five-member commission
after each year’s citywide election
in addition. John O'Neill, Jr and
Mrs. Mary Ann Menning have
assured there will be at least one
contested race on April 6 Both have
filed as bidders for the Place 2 seat
(See ELECTION, Page 3A)
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the Battle of the Bulge, when it was
H sunk by a German submarine on
Christmias Eve of 1944.