Giddings Times & News (Giddings, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 43, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 14, 1994 Page: 1 of 20
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Giddings Area Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Giddings Public Library and Cultural Center.
- Highlighting
- Highlighting On/Off
- Color:
- Adjust Image
- Rotate Left
- Rotate Right
- Brightness, Contrast, etc. (Experimental)
- Cropping Tool
- Download Sizes
- Preview all sizes/dimensions or...
- Download Thumbnail
- Download Small
- Download Medium
- Download Large
- High Resolution Files
- IIIF Image JSON
- IIIF Image URL
- Accessibility
- View Extracted Text
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
GU3A
SERVING LEXINGTON, DIME BOX, LINCOLN, SERBIN, NORTHRUP, PAIGE, LEDBETTER, FEDOR & GIDDINGS
PUBLISHED AND EDITED BY A NATIVE LEE COUNTIAN
VOLUME 104
GIDDINGS, LEE COUNTY, TEXAS 78942-0947
THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1994
NUMBER 43
*p‘
1
%/2
4,
%
. —-d'
i
? •G
a
418
f
Kelly
Giddings School Board to seek bond election
i
I
$
Architects to work up plans
for new intermediate school
Giddings to seek state-supported
Main Street construction project
GHS Principal Leroy Lorenz
announces June retirement
Scientists plan to revisit, exhume
grave that might be Bill Longley's
Local farmers preparing fields for
early planting, possible dry weather
Hospital District wins civil
case over firing of employee
Taxpayers saved from paying over $1 million
Local Mountain Bike Race at Warda
sets state record with 704 entries
Area counties vent concerns
over rural trash dumping
WARDA BIKE RACE - A state
record was set Sunday at the
Bluff Creek Ranch in Warda
with 704 bikers competing in
the race. The "Biggest Little
Giddings business people and
governmental officials met in a
town meeting Monday night to
learn more about the State of
Texas Main Street Program for
revitilizing business structures.
Race in Texas" broke the lead-
ing state record in Tyler by 200
more competitors than that
race which was held on March
6. Riders are pictured above
Anice Read of the Texas Main
Street Program presented a slide
show and discussion about the
Main Street Program and its ben-
efits. The meeting was sponsored
by the Giddings Chamber of Com-
racing through the rustic moun-
tainous country of the ranch in
Warda Sunday at the competi-
tion.
•• Times & News Photo
So sometime in April the scien-
tists are reportedly planning to
dig up one of those skeletons for a
closer second look. And lab tests at
the Smithsonian in Washington,
D.C. will likely be done on that
skeleton.
The skull in question was ruled
out as a candidate for further ex-
amination and testing in the Big
Dig in March after a dentist from
Washington observed evidence of
advanced periodontal disease.
And he concluded that the peri-
odontal, or gum, disease was too
advanced for a man of Bill
Longley's 27 years.
The dentist had estimated that
the skull was that of a man per-
haps a decade older than William
Preston Longley. So they excluded
those remains.
However, one of the scientists
present at the digging, Suzanne
1
4
Lee County and several neigh-
boring counties are apparently
tired of illegal trash dumping
along roadways and private prop-
LL opening ceremonies
Friday; barbecue Sunday
The Lee County Little League
will hold opening ceremonies Fri-
day, April 15 at6 p.m. at the Little
League Fields at the Giddings
City Park.
Games will follow the opening
ceremonies on each field.
The annual Little League barbe-
cue will be held Sunday, April 17.
This year 700 players will com-
pete on 55 teams.
pus where student parking is now
located.
Costs for these plans are being
considered by the architect at the
present, but it is hoped that the
costs would be under $7 million
for the new school and improve-
ments to the other campuses. The
auditorium construction would
add additional money to the pro-
posed bond.
The school board hopes to call a
bond election this year and begin
construction in 1995.
Superintendent Gene Burton
said that this building program
would begin just after the present
bond program is paid off.
best time ever. This week the
Buffaloes will be competing in
the district track meet in Manor
Friday and Saturday.
months of June, July and August.
Farmers will try for an early first
hay cutting this year and then at-
tempt an earlier second cutting to
make up for the shortages last
year, said Mr. Gillum.
Cool weather last week caused
problems for farmers trying to
grow oat seed. The cool, frosty
mornings damaged the seed
heads of the crop. What we really
need at this point is some good
rains to put moisture back in the
soil," said Mr. Gillum.
City Clean-Up Week
meeting planned
Giddings Area Chamber of Com-
merce, in conjunction with the
City of Giddings, will hold a meet-
ing Thursday, April 21 at 6 p.m.
at the City Hall to discuss the
Clean-Up Week in Giddings
scheduled to be held April 25-30.
See CLEAN, page 15
Ellwood, wife of geophysicist
Brooks Ellwood, decided to con-
See LONGLEY, page 8
No one running for
May 7 hospital election
The Lee County Hospital Board
were scheduled to meet in regular
session Wednesday night at 6 p.m.
in the Hospital District No. 2 of-
fice to discuss the status of the
May 7 hospital trustee election.
No one filed for a position on the
hospital board, so the holding of
an election is up in the air.
In other business the board will
discuss the indigent care report,
the financial report, financial ap-
propriations, disposition of district
property, and resignations and or
appointment of board members.
The board will also discuss legal
matters relating to district/board
members.
No. 2 president Alan Turner.
"It's time to get back to business
as to what we need to do as a dis-
trict. We neet to get the bills paid,
this hospital district dissolved and
out of the taxing district," said Mr.
Turner.
After two weeks of testimony the
jury took one hour and nine min-
utes to make their decision Mon-
day evening in District Court in
Austin. They came back and an-
swered three questions saying
that Mrs. Stewart did not lose her
job because she reported the hos-
pital for infractions to Medicare.
Testifying for the plaintiff were
Mrs. Stewart, her husband and
hospital board member Jack
Stewart, Pat Yates, a former lab
technician at Lee Memorial, Dr.
Charles Burns, and a psycholo-
Com planting in Lee County is
complete and the sorghum farm-
ers are busy planting the remain-
der of their crop. Farmers have
been taking advantage of the dry
weather conditions to get into
their fields to prepare them for
planting.
"We are swing a lot of farmers
getting their fields ready for the
planting of peanuts. I feel that a
lot more peanut farmers will plant
early this year to get ahead be-
cause of the drought last sum-
gist representing Mrs. Stewart.
Testifying for the hospital dis-
trict were board president Alan
Turner, former board member
Syble Sell, former head of nursing
Jane James, Pauline Stevenson,
RN, Terry Buffington, LVN, Sue
Tanner, former interim adminis-
trator, former business depart-
ment employees Debbie Maass,
Marti Bible and Lori Chowning,
and Hospital Administrator Al
Perez. Mr. Perez said he gave a
total of six hours of testimony.
After final arguments, the attor-
ney for the hospital district, Bob
Grove, of Austin, slumped in his
chair, showing the strain the case
had on him.
When the verdict came in, no one
in the courtroom showed any emo
tion, it was reported.
merce and the Lee County Eco-
nomic Development Council.
Mrs. Read said Giddings applied
for the program twice back in the
1980's, but were not funded. She
said that the program was prob-
ably not funded back then because
there was not a great deal of sup-
port from the local business
people. She said it takes a lot of
interest and work to make the pre
gram successful.
The Main Street Program is a
See MAIN, page 19
He has been Giddings High
School principal for the past
twenty years.
Mr. Lorenz first coached in
Rockdale. He then coached at
A&M Consolidated and next
moved to Giddings as head bas-
ketball coach and middle school
teacher. For three years he was a
middle school teacher and then
became the high school principal
position when Clarence Buck
moved up to superintendent.
erty.
This was the message represen-
tatives delivered to State Rep.
Dan Kubiak during a meeting ear-
lier this month.
Representatives from Lee,
Burleson, Washington and Milam
counties met for a second time
with Kubiak and John Hall, com-
missioner of the Texas Natural
Resources Conservation Commis-
sion, to voice their concern about
illegal dumping along the roads
and creeks in the area.
Also attending the meeting were
representatives of the Lower Colo-
rado River Authority and Brazos
River Authority.
See TRASH, page 19
the Geburtstag set a state record
with 500 competitors.
Giddings competitor Sherry
Parten won first place in her divi-
sion. Paul Uhl of Smithville took
second in the beginner veteran di-
vision.
A 7-year-old and under bike race
was held Saturday at the ranch.
Taking part in the race were
Giddings twins Casey and Cary
See RACE, page 8
Giddings School Board accepted
the resignation of Giddings High
School principal Leroy Lorenz
Thursday night at a special called
board meeting.
Mr. Lorenz will resign at the end
of his contract this year in June,
said Superintendent Gene Bur-
ton.
Mr. Lorenz will retire from the
teaching field with 35 years of
teaching, coaching and adminis-
tration.
Mountain bike riders competed
in a local bike race at Bluff Creek
Ranch in Warda Sunday, setting
a state record with 704 competi-
tors.
The "Biggest Little Bike Race in
Texas," sponsored by the Giddings
Area Bicycle Assn, and Bicycle
Country, broke the leading race
which was held in Tyler March 6.
That race had 504 participants.
Last September, the bike race at
U,“
.gvf
'I
ran the race in 15.46, her
i
e
GIDDINGS
uray -
3«
,3*, -
5' "2-2
1
Hester defeats
Sherrill in runoff
In the only local Primary runoff
election in Lee County, incumbent
Prect. 3 Justice of the Peace B.B.
Sherrill was defeated by candi-
date Nick Hester, carrying two out
of three voting boxes.
Hester received a total of 393
votes to Sherrill's 250 votes.
Complete returns on page 16.
Grand Jury indicts
former employee of
County Clerk's office
A former employee in the Lee
County Clerk’s office was indicted
last week on charges of Tamper-
ing with a Government Record.
Carolyn Faye Wachsmann was
indicted by the Lee County Grand
Jury last week which met in spe-
cial session.
Mrs. Wachsmann, of Lincoln,
was a longtime employee at the
County Clerk's office at the court-
house. She is charged with alleg-
edly making a false entry on No-
vember 10, 1992. The case con-
cerns money which was allegedly
handled at the clerk's office.
This ongoing case is being
handled by the Lee County
Sheriff's Department. Sheriff Joe
Goodson called in the Texas Rang-
ers to aid in the investigation and
then the State Auditors to make a
study of the paperwork at the
county clerk's office during this
time period.
Giddings sales tax
posts healthy gain
Giddings sales tax rebate figures
for the most recent month posted
a very strong 25.46 percent in-
crease over the same month a year
ago, rising from $38,098 to
$47,798.
For the year to date, Giddings is
also showing a very healthy 16.23
percent increase, jumping from
$188,055 from the same month in
1993 to $218,589 for the same pe
riod this year.
Giddings continues to lead most
other area towns in the percent-
age of increase for 1994, indicat-
ing a strengthening economy lo-
cally.
Lexington showed a healthy
10.39 percent increase for the
See SALES, page 15
1.
— :'
", -
The Lee County Hospital Dis-
trict won a civil case against
former employee Carole Stewart
Monday evening after a two week
trial.
Mrs. Stewart, a former respitory
therapist at Lee Memorial Hospi-
tal, sued the district under the
whistle blowers act after she was
fired from her job last year.
In the case Mrs. Stewart had
agreed to a $750,000 cap for dam-
ages and was also seeking exem-
plary damages and another 33%
for her lawyers. She was also seek-
ing $16,800 in lost wages, due to
her being fired. The plaintiffs at-
torney was awarded 33% of what
the jury awarded Mrs. Stewart,
which was nothing.
We figure by winning the case
it saved the district over
$1,000,000," said Hospital District
One skull unearthed,
then ruled out, could
turn out to be badman
Scientists and researchers who
dug up about 20 graves at the
Giddings City Cemetery nearly a
month ago in search of Giddings
outlaw Bill Longley’s grave, ap-
parently without success, are now
having second thoughts.
Even though each of the 10 skel-
etons exhumed seemed to be the
wrong size, sex, age or race, and
were promptly reburied, now
these scientists are having second
thoughts. And they are asking
each other if one of those skeletons
might after all have been that of
the famous badman who was
hanged in Giddings in 1878 after
gunning down at least a half
dozen men.
. 0 -S
; Hr
& * bc-.-3
[ ” 2
12-42
if •
The Giddings School Board has
authorized Austin architect Brad
Pfluger to begin work on
determing the costs of building a
new intermediate school and
plans to call a bond election to fi-
nance it, along with improve-
ments at other campuses and the
posible addition of an auditorium.
The Giddings School Board and
a 34 person community committee
have been working on a plan for
upgrading the facility needs of the
district since last fall. The commit-
tee made a recommendation for
the upgrade and new campus and
presented it to the school board.
Mr. Pfluger it being asked to de-
termine the costs for constructing
4
a 500 student intermediate school
to be located on new property next
to the primary school building.
The new school would be built to
allow expansion of up to 700 stu-
dents for grades four to six.
Also included in the plans are
the upgrading of both the primary
campus and the middle school
campus and to build additional
classrooms at the high school cam-
pus. Also a new roof and air condi-
tioning for the high school are in-
cluded in the plan.
An alternate plan is to include
the construction of a school audi
torium to be built on the north-
east part of the high school cam
, I v
23
\ F
44 - .
Y
30 J” ' aaf61
,,%-0‘ • 31
e, ,, 2-
6.433%
• 'V ,5*2, er-g • g-
' -dgeg
mer," said County Agent Billy
Gillum. He said farmers will try to
use what early moisture is in the
ground. Of course, if heavy rains
do fall in April and May, it could
delay the peanut planting.
Ranchers are busy putting out
lots of fertilizer early to get addi-
tional cuttings of hay. Last year
the drought put a stop to hay
growth in the summer and many
ranchers had a shortage of
hay.Last year there was less than
an inch of rainfall during the
ln a • ■ •
343.. 7* , e, a s*
c.j- o.ress #-t-e -deni L -
PREUSS PRINTING CO., INC.
BUFFALO RELAYS
Giddings sophomore Kelly Ray
places second in the 100 yard
hurdles in varsity girls action
Friday at the Buffalo Relays.
#
j (e
v2, i-
ke39 3 ’
?8- 9
g 18 828 *,2 M
ce: 2}.*“ Ld i
55
Miv3X
1
• 7 1
I ’ 1
"usces &
Neri
FgA~ --gg•
/8bpg0 V .
72. xjdq ■ 2
a2g2s*2 -nd
a22e02e ■
dga,i,3a a8p '
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Preuss, L. M., III & True, David G. Giddings Times & News (Giddings, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 43, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 14, 1994, newspaper, April 14, 1994; Giddings, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1598724/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Giddings Public Library and Cultural Center.