The Big Lake Wildcat (Big Lake, Tex.), Vol. 56, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 8, 1981 Page: 6 of 8

PAGE SIX
Cbt Bi0 eikt QliUkal
OCTOBER 8,1981
Opinions
.ours, yours, theirs
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
An Open Letter to
The Citizens of Big Lake
Recently most of you read in the Big Lake Wildcat that Reagan County Commissioners'
Court discussed Senior Citizens and gave me the authority to research and present a plan to
the court.
In the past several days, I have done a lot of thinking and asked a lot of questions. I went to
Alpine and visited with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alpine's Senior Citizen
"Sunshine House*. I toured the facilities and had lunch with them there. As a result of that
trip, I find that I need a lot of help from the Citizens of Reagan County.
The following questions need to be answered.
1. Do we the citizens of Reagan County want a program for our Senior Ctizens?
2. Are we willing to do volunteer work in order to make a Senior Citizen Program successful?
3. What type of a program do we want - such as a van to take our Senior Citizens to the doctor,
grocery store, etc.?, a meals on wheels program?, a center for congregate meals, recrea-
tion, educational programs, etc.? How far do we want our program to go?
4. Are we willing to take our local tax dollar to fund a program of this nature?
5. I go back to #2. Again, are we willing to give of our time and talents to help ourselves and
others in our county?
There have been some Federal Funds available for this type of program for several years.
Each time the Court studied the possibility of using such funds, we decided that the red tape
involved and the strings attached to the funds were not worth the benefits. Also, these funds
will be depleted as the new administration plan goes into effect. This is as it should be. We
should not depend on the Federal and State Governments to take care of us. We in Reagan
County are blessed with natural resources, a good tax base, and a strong business economy.
I believe that if we want a program for our Senior Citizens, who have already paid their dues
to Reagan County for many years and are now retired, we can do it locally and not through
Federal and State Funds.
I am in the process of contacting each club, organization, and church in Reagan County in
order that 1 might be at their next meeting to talk and collect ideas from as many of
our citizens as possible. After this is done, if there is a lot of support toward a Senior Citizen
Program, we will set up a town meeting. The Chairman of the Board and the Manager of the
Alpine Sunshine House will come to Big Lake for this meeting and bring some of their Senior
Citizens to present to us the structure of their program and answer any questions that we
might have.
I have been your County Judge for three years, and this is the first time I have written this
type of letter to you the Citizens of Reagan County to ask for your help. Please give this a
lot of thought and prayer. We, the Reagan County Commissioners' Court, do not want to do
anything that you the Citizens of Reagan County do not want, so please help us in this
endeavor to serve you.
Please feel free to call me at my office 884-2665 or at my home 884-2285 to ask any questions
or relate any ideas to me. We need your input.
Sincerely,
Frank Sandel
Nerve Deafness CAN Be Helped
Texas State Hearing Aid Center
3421 S. Johnson San Angelo 949-8312
Mattie Smith hosted
the September meeting
of the Happy Home-
WE ARE ENJOYING
A WHOLE LOT
OF A GOOD THING
For many years now. most of us have taken
a plentiful supply of electricity for granted
We've found more and more uses for
electricity, because, as Reddy
Kilowatt kept telling us:
V
Electricity is Reliable
Electricity is Clean
Electricity is Efficient
Electricity Is Quiet
Electricity Is Flexible
and
Electricity is Low in Price
Electricity is still all of these
things ... even low in price
compared to other goods and
services. But there's no escaping
the fact that costs of supplying
it are constantly going up . . .
and so is usage.
81 m
People in WTU territory are using more electricity
than ever before (9.020 kilowatt-hours per residential
customer in 1980. compared to 5.856 in 1970).
With the demand for its product steadily
increasing. WTU can't stand still.
It must grow. too.
The growth is carefully planned, with the
customer's welfare foremost in mind. WTU is
considering only the necessities. But to keep
giving the kind of service you're used to.
we re going to be involved in some costly
updating of production, transmission and dis-
tribution facilities. And, of course, we must
maintain a staff of people qualified to
keep the system operating. You can
depend on WTU to continue pro-
viding a reliable supply of
electricity. But let's all
realize what it takes
to produce it. and
use it wisely.
It's too good
to take for
%.tu. granted.
CREDIT
A mirror
of your character.
Your local bureau!
[ can help you solve j
' many of your credit J
‘ problems-stop in.
! CREDIT BUREAU
of Big lake
311 Second St.
Phone 884-2662
STATE CAPITAL
HIGHLIGHTS
By Lyndell Williams
TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
race to avoid splitting the
conservative vote.
Lt. Governor
AUSTIN — Two Univer-
sal Studio trucks pulled up
behind the State Capitol
last week, causing quite a
stir among office staff ex-
periencing a lull in political
gales.
Scheduled for filming this
week is the scene where the
villain pounds on the Gov-
ernor’s office door, de-
manding to know why the
brothel remains open for
business.
The filming comes at an
appropriate time when most
legislators arc back home
making a living and many
slate officials are out pound-
ing the bushes for future
political races.
Except for the motion
picture commotion, Capitol
halls are strangely quiet as
officials seek to renew
their ties with "the people."
Comptroller
in Big Lake
‘Homemakers’ have meeting
makers Thursday, Sept.
24, at her home. Four-
teen members answered
roll call with "where to
safely put personal
records*.
A brief business meet-
ing included things we
would make for the flea
market. The club decid-
ed not to make place
mats and napkins. Pre-
sident Frances White-
head was in charge of
the business meeting
with Mattie Smith read-
ing the minutes and
Adelia Calley giving the
treasurer's report.
State Comptroller Bob
Bullock will have a re-
presentative from his
San Angelo office in Big
Lake on October 15 to
assist local taxpayers
and answer questions
about state taxes.
Bullock said Enforce-
ment Officer Steve
Mercer will meet with
local taxpayers in the
Commissioner's Court-
room at the County
Courthouse from 9:30
to 10:30 a.m.
"If Big Lake area mer-
chants, or anyone else
for that matter, have any
questions about state
taxes or need help
in preparing state tax
forms, Mr. Mercer will
be there to assist them,"
Bullock said.
"We're trying to cut
the red tape in this
office, and we believe
these face to face
sessions with taxpayres
help do just that,"
Bullock added.
The San Angelo office,
headed by Bill Teaver,
serves San Angelo and
surrounding counties.
Members present had
a real good time making
pillows to sell at the flea
market. Each member
brought a salad for
lunch.
Members attending
were Adelia Calley, Judy
Clayton, Sharon Farmer,
Rebecca Galloway,
Alyce Gooch, Rosie
Martinez, Penni Owens,
Mattie Smith, Joy
Skelton, Mae Avis
Wright, Madge Wea-
therby, Frances White-
head, Audrey Fox and
Mary Ann Meroney.
lhe October meeting
will be in the home of
Madge Weatherby, Oct.
22, at 9:30 a.m.
Drive menay the nsae way
Are YOU
Insured?
Check your home
coverage before
a theft occurs.
It may be time
for an update!
Low Ratos
George Tucker
Insurance
Agency
OFFICE M4-3311
300 2ND ST.
BIQ LAKE.
TEXAS
Political Races
The trucks carried equip-
ment for shooting a se-
quence of “The Best Little
Whorehouse in Texas,” a
play about former Gov.
Dolph Briscoe's closing of
the famed La Grange insti-
tution.
For elected officials,
these autumn months are
crucial because the political
soundings and readings pro-
vide a basic shape of next
year's general election and
primary ballots.
In the governor's race,
incumbent Republican Bill
Clements has indicated he
will seek re-election and
will formally announce in
the near future.
Jockeying to win
Democratic primary
Briscoe, Tyler State
Peyton McKnight,
Land Commissioner
Armstrong. Briscoe is
to he still making up
the
are
Sen.
and
Bob
said
his
mind, while McKnight is
out beating the bushes
across the state for support.
Armstrong said last week
he fully expects to get in the
race and may make his an-
nouncement this month. Af-
ter asking around and find-
ing no "negative" feedback,
he will file this week so he
can raise money.
His moderate candidacy
may well force either Bris-
coe or McKnight out of the
Texas Secretary of State
George Strake was expect-
ed to announce sometime
this week he would seek the
post of lieutenant governor,
now held by Bill Hobby.
Hobby sat quiet about his
intentions during the regu-
lar and special sessions, but
now he is out mustering
support among Democrats.
No primary opponent is
forecast now.
As a state official, Hobby
is said to be hardworking,
but dull. A recent hunting
story now going around,
and which Hobby some-
times tells on himself, cer-
tainly changes that image
somewhat.
Hobby reportedly was
down in Mexico recently on
a dove hunting trip provid-
ed by the Texas Chemical
Council for 30 legislators.
He was standing in a
field when he felt a stinging
sensation in his legs and
looked down to find a huge
bed of red ants.
“There was nothing to do
but drop my pants and
run," he said, a sight which
cracked up his colleagues
for days.
Another anecdote told
about that junket is on
State Rep. Bill Haley. D-
Center. Haley was lifting his
12-gauge to shoot and pre-
maturely pulled the trigger,
blasting away the toe of his
boot. Thinking he had just
shot off his toes, Haley said
he could only stare for
minutes at the ripped leath-
er, finally realizing he had
luckily missed his foot.
Other legislators on the
trip awarded him the "Mike
Martin Marksmanship
Award” after the incident.
Haley shoots much bet-
ter on the floor of the
House, where he is a staunch
defender of public educa-
tion.
Perot Medicaid
Dallas multi-millionaire
H. Ross Perot is thought to
be retaining the state's lu-
crative Medicaid contract
after the Board of Human
Resources last week ap-
proved new guidelines.
No bids will be taken un-
til February, but potential
competitor companies say
it is now almost impossible,
to take the contract away
from Perot-owned National
Heritage Insurance Com-
pany.
Singing Treasurer
State Treasurer Warren
G. Harding, until now only
a shower singer, has cut a
country and western single
featuring Texas patriotic
songs.
Harding denies he is go-
ing to run for governor a la
"Pappy" O'Daniel, who
composed "Beautiful Tex-
as" to launch his 1940 cam-
paign.
He cut the disc for sale
as a favor to his friends in
a Dallas Lions Club, trying
to raise money for charity.
Wildcat Editorial
For the past few years, local com-
munity leaders, business men and
town residents have observed that the
City of Big Lake and Reagan County
have been getting along, with only a
few exceptions, pretty harmoniously.
The city and county have cooperated
in numerous fitojects, namely with the
Volunteer Fire Department and other
special community projects.
One area that has come into the
spotlight is the possibility that there
has been some friction between the
City Police Department and the Rea-
gan County Sheriff's Department. If
this is a fact, then the people of Big
Lake and Reagan County are big,
big losers.
In smaller counties and communi-
ties such as Big Lake and Reagan
County, governmental agencies and
their actions are a genunine concern to
the citizens who live here. From the
conversations I have been hearing
around town, the people, including the
business community, are concerned
about any friction involving law en-
forcement agencies.
If the city police are being hamp-
ered in enforcing city ordinances in
the legal discourse of their duties, then
we do indeed have a problem. The ci-
ty police are charged with the respon-
sibility of an ever increasing popula-
tion and an ever increasing transient
population. 1 do not personally have
any answers to the alleged friction be-
tween the city police department and
the sheriff's department, but the
problems have been out in the public
in conversation for several weeks now
and the sooner the problems are re-
solved the better.
$100 or more you can earn
12.14%
TAX FREE
All SaverCD's from
Heart O* Texas
SAVINGS ASSOCIATION
With these benefits:
Up to $2,000 tax-free interest on "joint" returns, $1,000 "single"
returns.
Your interest rate is assured for one full year.
Existing Money Market CD's and Security Repurchase Agreements
can be converted to All Savers without penalty.
FSLIC insured up to $100,000.
Available October 1, 1981 through December 31, 1982.
* Rate effective October 1 through 3, 1981.
H0ME0FFICE-SAN SABA
200 East Wallace Street
San Saba, Texas 76877
Phone 915/372-5121
SAN ANGELO
337 W. Twohig
San Angelo, Texas 76901
Phone 915/653-6778
SAN A8LGEL0
4112 College Hills Blvd.
San Angelo, Texes 76901
Phone 915/944-0545
BALLINGER
718 Hutchings Ave.
Bellinger, Texes 76821
Phone 915/365-5164
RICHLAND SPRINGS
P. 0. Box 8
Richland, Texas 76871
Phone 915/452-3470
SONORA
409 Hwy. 277 North
Sonora, Texas 76950
Phone 915/387-2179
BIG LAKE
606 2nd Street
Big Lake, Texas 78932
Phone 915/884-3696
ROBERT LEE
403 West 10th
Robert Lee, Texes 76945
Phone 915/453-2346
WINTERS
102 S. Mein St.
Winters, Texas 79567
Phone 915/7544513