Coleman County Chronicle (Coleman, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 42, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 8, 1983 Page: 11 of 20
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I
Coleman, Texas, September 8,1983
COLEMAN COUNTY CHRONICLE
Page 11-A
FIRST MEETING FOR THE YEAR for Women's Civic League is scheduled for
Monday, September 12, at 7 p.m. at the home of Mrs. Karen Taylor, 600
Martin St. Pictured above, left to right, are Traci Hipp, Mrs. Taylor, and
Tonya Hipp, Mrs. Taylor will be presenting a program on her four different
hobbies for the league members.
liiianliii
THE COWTOWN COLISEUM, as it looked in 1920.
FW Coliseum Stirs Interest
The Cowtown Coliseum, a 1908
National Register structure located in
the Fort Worth Historic Stockyards
District, is currently the focus of atten-
tion for the Texas Antiquities Commit-
tee, the City of Fort Worth, and the
North Fort Worth Historical Society.
The mission style structure, also
known as the North Side Coliseum,
was constructed by the Fort Worth
Stock Yards Company to provide a
permanent home for the city’s an«ual
Fat Stock Show.' The coliseum was
used for the stock show until 1942 and
has housed numerous cultural, educa-
tional, civic, religious, and social events
since that time. The city has maintained
ownership of the building throughout
its existence, while leasing it to various
organizations and individuals.
The North Fort Worth Historical
Society, led by president Sue McCafferty,
is interested in preserving the historical
integrity of the coliseum. Concern for
the building’s future led the group to
approach the Fort Worth Historical and
Cultural Advisory Board earlier this year.
This board presents historical and cul-
tural zoning recommendations to the
Fort Worth City Council; the city’s
approval of such recommendations af-
fords limited protection to the buildings
involved. The board agreed that the
structure deserved zoning status and
matte this recommendation to the coun-
cil.
When the city was slow to act on the
advisory board’s proposal, the histori-
cal society sought another alternative
for protecting the coliseum. They
approached the Texas Antiquities Com-
mittee (TAC), seeking State Archeologi-
cal Landmark (SAL) designation for the
building. SAL status affords the building
protection by requiring a TAC permit
before alterations can be made on it.
(SALs are defined in the Antiquities
Code of Texas, Article 6145-9 Vernon’s
Civil Statutes.)
The TAC nominated the coliseum for
SAL designation at its last meeting, held
in February. The nomination officially
begins the designation process, and final
consideration is scheduled for the next
TAC meeting, to be held in late spring
or early summer.
The City of Fort Worth objects to
state involvement in the coliseum’s future
and is unhappy with the SAL designation.
The council wants developers, who are
working on plans for the entire stock-
yards area, to proceed without inter-
ference from the state.
In March, TAC architect Bob Mabry
addressed an open meeting sponsored
by the historical society to discuss the
coliseum and its historic importance.
Mabry also addressed a pre-council meet-
ing to explain to the city the intentions
of the TAC. At this same time, he spoke
with developer Bill Beuck, who expressed
willingness to abide by the SAL designa-
tion. Beuck and Billy Bob Barnett, a
Fort Worth nightclub owner, are working
on a $ 10-million project to convert the
entire 75-acre stockyards area, which
includes the coliseum, into a horse park
and tourist center.
In April, the city council passed a
resolution calling for the TAC to post-
pone action indefinitely on the coli-
seum’s SAL designation. They also
agreed to designate the building a land-
mark under local historical statutes,
hoping this concession will eliminate SAL
designation and return the permit process
to the local level.
Meanwhile, the TAC and North Fort
Worth Historical Society continue to
favor the SAL designation and expect its
passage. The society believes SAL
status will safeguard the coliseum from
alterations that might destroy its his-
torical character. And, TAC spokes-
man Mabry points out that the local
status is entirely separate from SAL
designation and in no way negates the
state’s nomination process.
Galveston Blends Old and New
A Galveston native is combining
restoration with new construction in a
project he hopes will help make his
hometown a top tourist attraction of
the Southwest.'
Oilman George Mitchell “got into the
restoration work because it’s something
we felt we had to do,” he told the Hous-
ton Chronicle. “You have to give some-
thing back to a^sity that has been good to
you.” Mitchell vtas talking about a nine-
building. $ 20-million project he began on
The Strand seven yean ago.
Mitchell has been so encouraged by
the development of Galveston’s historical
resources that he now is planning a new
$36 million beachfront hotel to lodge the
growing number of tourists to the island.
To be called the San Luis on Galveston
Isle, the hotel complex will be built on
the site of Fart Crockett, a historic mili-
tary installation active during the Span-
ish-American and First and Second World
Wan. The hotel construction plans in-
corporate the fort's remaining heavy
concrete bunkers as elements of the
landscaping.
Mitchell’s Woodlands Group, the man-
aging partner in the hotel project, expects
the 15-stoty hotel to operi by next spring.
Mitchell said the complex will help make
Galveston a year-round tourist mecca.
Galveston Historical Foundation Di-
rector Peter Brink gives Mr. and Mrs.
Mitchell much credit foT inspiring the
rehabilitation of The Strand. Mitchell
himself acknowledges the economic in-
centives for renovation-tax-free bonds
and accelerated depreciation for restora-
tion work in a National Register Historic
District.
STATE CAPITAL
HKHUSHTS
By Lyndell Williams
TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
AUSTIN—Tty6 hubbub
stirred by a grand jury’s in-
vestigation of Texas Attor-
ney General Jim Mattox’s
campaign finance practices
has died down while the
probe continues behind
closed doors. j
Mattox, himself, voluntari-
ly appeared before the grand
jury last week clutching an
armload of documents he
says will convince jurors
he correctly reported some
questionable campaign loans.
The effect of Mattox’s
testimony on jurors will re-
main unknown until the jury
decides whether to indict
him. \
Following his courtroom
appearance, Mattox put the
final touches on a controver-
sial statc-Exxon oil lease set-
tlement.
Mattox said South Texas
multimillionaire Clinton
Manges’- firm should get
$1.3 million of a $4 million
settlement that Exxon will
pay the state. Th’c dispute in-
volves South Texas acreage
where the state has con-
tended Exxon has operated
for over 50 years without a
valid lease.
Exxon had fought Manges,
who owns the land, in the
case. Ironically, the grand
jury is probing whether
some of Mattox's loans were
arranged by Manges, who
also contributed several thou-
sand dollars to Mattox. The
question is not whether the
loans were illegal, but wheth-
er Mattox reported them
correctly.
New Slate Laws
Meanwhile, more than
800 new state laws went into
effect last week as passed by
the Legislature last spring
Among them are a $200 fine
for cussing in class and a
$1,000 fine and year in jail
for knowingly passing vene-
real disease.
Eliminated is the tradi-
tional blood test for newly-
weds, which the law:s advo-
cates say was ineffective in
tracing the diseases.
The Texas Parks & Wild-
life Commission now has
regulatory powers over all
Texas counties. Until now,
over 70 counties had veto
power over commission reg-
ulations.
The Railroad Commission
can now impose fines of up
to $10,000 a day for oil and
gas drilling violations and
pollutions. |he Commission
now also charges a special
$100 fee lor drilling permits
whiv.h goes into a special
fund to plug the many aban-
doned wells in Texas.
Lemon Law
I c» as nCw "lemon law" is
in effect and allows the Tex-
as Moto. Vehicle Commis-
sion to order car manufac-
turers to pay the consumer
lor a "lemon" car or replace
it
The former 18 percent
minimum and 24 percent
maximum interest rate on
hank credit card purchases
was lowered to 14 percent
and 22 percent in July.
The iiansportation of sev-
eral agricultural commodi-
ties is deregulated. Products
being tiansportcd from farms
and ranches to the point of
first manufacture are exempt
from Railroad Commission
regulations.
Direct Grain Sale*
Texas Agriculture Com-
missioner Jim Hightower
suggested last week that
Texas farmers and the Mex-
ican govcrnqient would both
benefit from direct grain
sales between one another.
lexas farmers could side-
step the major international
grain traders who have a
monopoly on the business
and make more money sell-
ing the grain themselves di-
rcfctly to Mexico. Mexico
could benefit from cheaper
grain prices.
Returning from a visit to
Mexico last week, Hightow-
er said officials there are
interested.
New MAI) Chair
The hat(le was serious
enough to cause some mem-
bers to speculate if the rift
could ever heal, but last week
Texas Mex lean - A mcrican
Democrats elected a former
farmworker as new chair-
man.
• | Juan Maldonado, now a
Rio Grande Valley school
counselor, survived a creden-
tials committee battle to top-
ple long-time activist Rich-
ard Moya ot Austin, a cdunty
commissioner.
The group is now intent
on healing inner wounds
which might hamper the po-
litical muscle it has acquired.
Galveston Shoreline
Shoreline erosion from
Hurricane Alicia is up to
100 feet in some places on
Galveston Island, and dozens
of houses are now in the
water or the middle of the
beach, causing legal compli-
cations for their owners and
the state.
Texas law savs the state
owns land which is covered
by high tide.
Thus, the erosion and
newly formed beaches have
confused property lines in
many areas.
"Secret Code"
A Houston legislator, Rep.
Paul Colbert, says the state
laws and regulations on pub-
lic education contains terms
which must sound like a
secret code to the layman.
■ The former Senate Edu-
cation committee clerk has
compiled a ‘’glossary" of
school finance terms which
is 10 pages long, typewritten
singlespaced.
Older Vines, Ideal Weather
Produce Good ’83 Vintage
GRAPE HARVEST AT TEXAS VINEYARDS haf
ended, producing optimistic predictions from several
winemakers who see this season's crop as one of the best so
far in the lifespan of the youthful agricultural industry.
Older vines and excellent growing weather were expected
to add to the quality of 1983 wines.
DID YOU KNOW?
STONE MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA
has Been estimated as containing iH. billion
QJ0C F&T Of GRANITE THE SCULPTURE OT LEE,
JACKSON AND CAWS IS 300'LONG, 190'HIGH. WORK
ON IT MAS BEGUN IN 1923 BY GUTZON BORGLUAl IT
SUSPENDED IN '29 BECAUSE Of THE DEPRESSION,
AND RESUMED IN i960. IT WAS DEDICATED IN I9TO.
AUSTIN-ldeal weather
and maturing vineyards
produced an excellent grape
harvest in Texas this summer,
yields and quality that, in the
words of one winemaker,
“will make some dandy wine.”
Harvest, which began in
July, had ended by August 31.
Tonnage wa« up at several of
the state's 13 commercial
wineries. A new industry in
Texas, winemaking is.
expected to yield 120,000
gallons or more in 1983-84.
more than double Iasi year’s
press.
Steve Smith, the enologist
or winemaker at La Buena
Vida Winery in Springtown.
said he expects to bottle about
15.000 gallons of red. white
and rose from this year’s
crush. 5.000 more than a year
ago. La Buena Vida harvested
about 50 tons of grapes from
its own vineyards, and bought
another 40 from contract
growers.
“Our vines have reached a
stage where they are produc-
ing more grapes," said Smith.
“Some of them are 10 years
old. Our (contract) growers
get a few more grapes each
year too. As their vines reach
maturity, our production
should steadily increase."
Quality, tike quantity, is
also influeqged by age.
according to. La Buena Vida
owner Bobby Smith. “The
vines are getting older, and
they're like people." he said
“They don't develop character
right away. It takes age and
maturity to do that" Smith
said ideal weather had added
to the quality of the grapes.
At Llano Estacado near
Lubbock a dry summer with
very little hail boosted
tonnage and produced grapes
with’a high acid content and
low pH or hydrogen ion
concentration. “This year is
better than most." said
enologist Kim McPherson,
who pressed 175 tons of
grapes grown at the Universi-
ty of Texas vineyard in West
Texas and another 120-150
tons from contract growers.
McPherson expects to pro-
duce around 50.000 gallons of
wine from this season’s
harvest.
He explained that pH is
critical to the quality of a
wine. "High pH wines taste
fishy,” he said. “They have
their own funky ‘noses.’ You
can take out acid or add acid,
but you can rarely change the
pH."
Another good harvest look
place at Fall Creek Vineyards.
Tow. where a cool spring and
older vines had owner Ed
Auler anticipating "our best
year” since the winery was
bonded in 1979. Auler pressed
80.000 gallons of juice from
vines that averaged as high as
8 1/ 2 tons of grapes per acre.
These same vines produced
about five tons three or four
years ago. Auler said.
Texas wineries produce a
variety of wines with
emphasis on light whites such
as Chenin blanc and
Johannesburg Riesling and
fruity French Colombards.
These and a few light reds and
roses from the '83 harvest will
reach the market toward the
end of the year.
More robust red wines,
requiring long aging in wood,
will not be available for about
two years La Buena Vida
Chambourcin. made from
1981 grapes, is being sold
now, and 1982 Llano
Estacado Zinfandel will not
reach customers until, fall of
1984
Reds, said i d Auler. get id
market "whenever they're
ready. You can't hurry that It
may be a good while "
HICCUPS MAT
BE STOPPED
W
TNEROCFOF
THE MOUTH
MB8SW
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LARGEST IS
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WHICH WAS
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Lay-Awoy
Christmas tale
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JUST ARRIVED-Naw
Mexican Presses
$14.00
S«e Our LITTLE GIRLS DRESSES
lifffeJMexfoo
imports
210 E. Pecan
111
All Day Saturday,
Sept. 10
20% Off
On All Silk Arrangement
and ChriotmaH Items
Caskey-Coleman
Floral
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Coleman County Chronicle (Coleman, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 42, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 8, 1983, newspaper, September 8, 1983; Coleman, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth731518/m1/11/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Coleman Public Library.