The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 44, Ed. 1 Friday, November 4, 1977 Page: 1 of 12
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P.o. BOX 45435
DALLAS, TX. 75235
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(ABSORBED THE GAZETTE CIRCULATION BY PURCHASE MAY 12, 1928)
VOL. 102—NO. 44.
SULPHUR SPRINGS, TEXAS, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1977.
12 PAGES-PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
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“News briefs
Food-fiber
event set
Hopkins County’s annual food and
fiber banquet will be held in Sulphur
Springs on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Theme
for the banquet is “100 Years in
Hopkins County Agriculture.”
In keeping with this theme, the
Program Building Committee is
asking all Hopkins county farmers
whose families have owned and
operated their farm at least 100 years
to call the Extension office (885-3443)
and give the information to the staff
by Friday, Nov. 4.
County Extension Agent Ron
Woolley said a program is being
planned to honor these families plus
the financial institutions who are so
instrumental to Hopkins County
agriculture.
Planning the banquet are Billie Rose
Chapman, Tex Nowlin, Patsy Neal,
Ronny Glossup and Don Smith.
Tickets will be available soon.
The committee also is seeking
pictures of farms which date back 100
years or more. The pictures will be
photographed and returned im-
mediately.
James Felton
named
circulation manager
James Felton, who “grew, up” as a
long-time News-Telegram carrier,
Monday was named circulation
manager of the newspaper and its
related publications.
Felton replaces Tim Sullivan, who
is leaving the paper for another
position in Odessa.
The new circulation manager is a
student at East Texas State
University and will continue his
studies there. He is a 1977 graduate of
Sulphur Springs High School and is
the son of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Felton.
His father is production superin-
tendent for the newspapers.
In addition to the promotion for the
younger Felton, the circulation
department management will find
Stan Themeau, also an ETSU student,
with additional responsibilities in the
mail room.
Caraway resigns
R. E. (Bob) Caraway,
athletic director and head
football coach for the Sulphur
Springs Wildcats the past four
years, Monday resigned both
positions.
Caraway said he was taking ^
the action to allow the Sulphur
Springs Independent School
District the time to search and
find “the right man to come in
here and do a great job for the
kids, town and school district.”
“I want to thank the people
who have been so kind to me
and my family. We have had
nothing but the finest relations
with Sulphur Springs schools,
the people in the community
and the kids who have played
athletics, be it football or
whatever,” Caraway said. “I
just feel that since I have been
unable to bring a winner to the
varsity level in football, I
should step aside.”
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Candidate
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Former Aggie quarterback Harrf.
Ledbetter, now of Austin, brought his
campaign for the state treasurer's post
to Sulphur Springs Wednesday, pledg-
ing a "citizen's approach" to running
the state office. N
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Suit filed in center
seat selection issue
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Rusty greeting
Mrs. A. W. Melton of Sulphur Springs grins over the "mother-in-law day" gift sent by
son-in-law Jimmy Cross — a rusty bucket filled with discarded flower stems and
bedraggled ribbons. Mrs. Melton says Cross has always been "my favorite son-in-
law" — and the gift reflects the mutual admiration and sense of humor shared by
the pair.
—Staff Photo by JAN BLAKE
Road issue
tops election
By GLENN McCASLAND
Staff Writer
A Michigan-based seat manufacturing
company Friday filed suit against Hopkins
County to halt purchase of seats for the
civic center auditorium.
Heywood-Wakefield Company, a
Michigan corporation, is asking for a writ
of mandamus from District Court
directing the county commissioners to
withdraw all bids and award the seating
contract to Heywood-Wakefield based on
their orginial low bid offered July 12, 1977.
The suit could halt participation by the
Economic Development Administration in
federal matching funds for purchase of the
seats, but would not delay actual con-
struction of the dvic center, according to
David Mcllwain, deputy chief of the
EDA’s public works division in Austin.
“We will be unable to provide funds for
the seats should the county submit a
request for them,” Mcllwain said.
“However, unless there is something in
the suit other than a question concerning
seats, then I see no reason to delay money
for the construction project”
The suit was filed at 10 a.m. Friday by
Arlington attorney Layne H. Harwell with
District Clerk Ola Beckham, who said
service to the defendants would not be
made until late in the afemoon.
Named in the suit are County Com-
missioners J. L. Courson, L. T. (Son)
Martin, Judge L. E. Goldsmith and Ad-
ministrative Assistant Billy Wayne Harry.
Two former commissioners T. M. Chester
and Octave Woods, were listed for service
as defendants, but Mrs. Beckham said
only the present commissioners and Judge
Goldsmith would be served along with
Harry.
Sheriff Frank Jobe said he had not been
handed the papers by noon although he
expected them for service during the
course of the day.
The commissioners were meeting with
Harry and Civic Center committee of-
ficials Walter Helm and David Jackson,
executive vice-president of the Chamber
of Commerce, when the suit was filed.
Goldsmith, speaking for the com-
missioners, said the county would have no
statement to make concerning the suits
until “we have had time to receive copies
of the suit and study it with our lawyers.”
The commissioners adjourned after
completing a routine business meeting
which involved some civic center actions.
County Attorney John Perry, who was
notified last Friday that a suit might be
pending, said he would defend the county
in fighting the petition for writ of man-
damus.
“I will be assisted by two local law
firms—Smith, Johnson and McDowell,
and Ramey and Allison in this case. The
two firms have agreed to enter the case at
no cost to the county because of their
Council okays
flood plan
By JOE W00SLEY
Executive Editor
Hopkins County voters Tuesday will
decide on one local issue and voice their
opinions on seven proposed amendments
to the Texas Constitution.
Polls will be maintained at all regular
voting places in Hopkins County.
In Sulphur Springs the polls include: 1.
Wesley United Methodist Church, 1-*A. St.
James Catholic Church parish hall; 2.
Bowie Elementary School, 3. Peoples
National Bank, 4. Sulphur Springs State
Bank.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Presiding judges have asked voters to
bring their registration certificates to
speed up the process.
The local issue is: The Optional County
Road Law of 1947. It is the last item on the
ballot.
The state wide issues include:
1. The constitutional amendment in-
creasing the size of the Court of Criminal
Appeals to nine judges, and permitting the
court to sit in panels of three judges.
2. The constitutional amendment to
provide for an additional $200 million in
bonds or obligations to the State of Texas
for the Veterans’ Land Fund and to allow
surviving widows of veterans to purchase
tracts under certain circumstances.
3. The constitutional amendment per-
mitting denial of bail to a person charged
with a felony offense who has been
theretofore twice convicted of a felony
offense, or charged with a felony offense
committed while that person was ad-
mitted to bail on a prior felony indictment,
or charged with a crime involving the use
of a deadly weapon where there is
evidence such person has been convicted
of a prior felony offense; providing for a
60-day limit to that person’s incarceration
without trial; and providing for that
person’s right of appeal.
4. The constitutional amendment
authorizing tax relief to preserve certain
cultural, historical, or natural history
resources.
5. The constitutional amendment
authorizing the formation of agricultural
or marine associations which may
mandate the collection of refundable
assessments for improvement of
production, marketing, or use of their
products.
6. The constitutional amendment to give
the legislature the power to authorize state
and national banks to exercise banking
and discounting privileges by use of
electronic devices or machines.
7. The constitutional amendment
changing the name of the State Judicial
Qualifications Commissions to the State
Commission on Judicial conduct, and
relating to the commission and the powers
and proceeding of the commission, a
master, and the Supreme Court, or Court
of Civil Appeals justices serving in place
of the Supreme Court, for the suspension,
censure, removal, or involuntary
retirement of a justice, judge, or justice of
the peace under certain circumstances.
The ballots also carry the issues in
Spanish.
By Wednesday morning, 17 people had
voted in person via absentee ballots. Two
others had been returned by mail. Ab-
sentee voting in person ends Friday in
County Clerk Mary Attlesey’s office in the
courthouse.
Presiding judges may pick up their
election materials at Mrs. Attlesey’s office
Monday.
By FRANK SHERROD
Staff Writer
An ordinance limiting construction in
flood-prone areas was approved on first
reading by the City Commission Tuesday
night during a session bogged down by
consideration of bids for new equipment
The flood ordinance, prepared to meet
state regulations designed to minimize
flood losses, sets special requirements for
building in flood zones as identified by the
Federal Insurance Administration.
A development permit would be
required before any new construction or
substantial improvements to existing
structure could commence.
General standards require buildings to
be anchored to prevent flotation, collapse
or lateral movement; that construction be
designed to minimize flood damage, and
that water and sewer systems be designed
to minimize or eliminate infiltration by
flood waters.
Specific provisions forbid placing
mobile homes in a floodway, except in
existing trailer parks, and require
residential buildings to have the lowest
floor elevated to or above the base flood
level.
Non-residential buildings may have
floors below flood level, but walls must be
watertight An architect or engineer must
certify the walls can withstand
hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and
effects of buoyancy.
City Manager Olen Petty assured
Commissioner Larry Gee the ordinance
would not cost the city as the inspections
would be conducted along with the
presently required building inspections.
“In effect it won’t cost the city anything,
but if we don’t pass it it could cost some of
our citizens a great deal,” Petty said,
noting that the ordinance is necessary in
order for homeowners to obtain flood
insurance.
“If we don’t pass it, some of our citizens
won’t be able to get flood insurance when
they need it” Mayor Raymond Johnson
said before the unanimous vote.
A public hearing and final reading of the
ordinance will be held at the first council
session in December.
In other action, commissioners ap-
proved on final reading ordinances in-
creasing water and sanitation rates. No
members of the public spoke during the
public hearings.
The charge for garbage collection was
increased $1 to 3.25 a month and the or-
dinance includes new rates for apartment
complexes. Now each apartment unit will
be charged the $3.25 rate.
The base water rate of $3.25 for the first
1,000 gallons was unchanged but each
classification above the base was increased
10 cents for each 1,000 gallons.
concern for the completion of the dvic
center project,” Perry said.
Perry said the defendant usually has 20-
30 days to file an answer in a case such as
this, but he could not say if this would be
followed in the dvic center adion.
“I will have to read the suit and confer
with the commissioners, Mr. Harry and all
concerned,” he said.
The petition asks the court to: ^
Require the defendant, Hopkins County,
to accept the qualified bid of the Plaintiff
company and award a purchase order in
the amount of the low bid and per the
specifications and-or tests approved by
the archited.
Require the defendant administrative
assistant (Harry) to withdraw his findings
that all the bids be rejected on the grounds
that they failed to meet the specifications
and-or tests in the absence erf concurrence
of the architect.
Require the defendant Hopkins County
to nullify and void its order of Aug. 30,
1977, which rejeded all the bids and or-
dered the auditorium seating to be pur-
chased through the prime contrador.
Judge Lanny Ramsay, who normally
handles criminal actions, is sitting in a
series of jury trials at this time. District
Judge Jim Thompson is normally involved
in civil actions, but is not scheduled to be
in Sulphur Springs before the middle of
next week.
Ramsay told newsmen he had no in-
formation about the sujt-nor would he
say which of the two district judges would
be assigned the case.
The suit stems from an action by the
commissioners in July at which time they
accepted a bid of $71,779.20 from
American Seating Company for the dvic
center seats.
The bid was some $10,000 higher than
that of Heywood-Wakefield, which bid
$62,658.36 and was low bid in the four firms
(adding on the contract
Shortly after the action taking the high
bid. the court was notified by Mohns
Thorton, project coordinator at EDA, that
EDA would be unable to partidpate in the
seat purchase unless low bid was awar-
ded.
A meeting between EDA officials and
members of the Hopkins County Civic
Center dtizens committee resulted in
EDA changing its position and telling the
county to reject all bids and have David
Hunt Construction Co., contractor for the
project, seek bids for purchase of the seats
using a $72,000 cash fund for such bids.
Those bids were opened this week by
Gordon Wilson, architect for the project,
with Ideal Seating and American Seating
the only firms to bid. Ideal Seating was
low bid.
As of Friday morning, the seat contract
had not yet been publicly awarded,
although Wilson had indicated he would go
with the low bid.
Sam B. Hall Jr:
1Sectionalism' energy problem
Burglary suspects caught
Bail was set Monday morning at $10,000
each for two men arrested Sunday mor-
ning after a police officer discovered a
burglary in progress at the Veterans of
Foreign Wars post.
Michael William Periman, 25, of
Garland and Lem R. Sprague, 45, of Dallas
were charged with burglary after
patrolman Robert Skeen, while on routine
patrolat2:44 am., noticed a padlock pried
off a post building door.
After calling for a backup, Skeen ap-
proached the building and heard voices
within. He waited until six officers from
the police department and the sheriff’s
office arrived to assist.
One of the suspects ran outside of the
building as officers drew near, according
to police reports.
The cost of life comes high...
The public is invited to contribute to a
fund started by city employees to help a
fellow worker pay medical expenses for
his five-year-old daughter, City Manager
Olen Petty announced Wednesday.
Kimberly Swenson, daughter of water
distribution department worker Lenoy
Swenson, is recovering from neurosurgery
at the Children’s Medical Center of Baylor
Hospital in Dallas and is preparing to
undergo open heart surgery in about 30
days, Petty said. 1
The girl is expected to be hospitalized
for at least three more months, adding to
the “tremendous burden” on the Swenson
family, he added.
The hospital requires a relative to be
With young patients at all times, so Mrs.
Swenson lives at the hospital during the
week and Swenson, after working here on
weekdays, stays there on weekends. The
family’s other children have been sent to
relatives while Kimberly is ill.
So far the employees have donated $504
and “it’s been suggested that some
citizens would tike to help a needy family
like this and so we are giving them this
opportunity," Petty continued, adding
that “Lenoy has not asked for any help.
The fund was started at (an employee’s)
suggestion.”
Those wishing to give can deliver cash
or checks in person to Jerry Richey at city
hall or mail them to either Mrs. Richey or
Petty. Checks can be made out to either
Swenson or to the city, Petty added.
By FRANK SHERROD
Staff Writer
Lashing out at eastern states and en-
vironmentalists, Congressman Sam B.
Hall Jr. said here Saturday passage of an
effective energy bill is threatened by
congressional “sectionalism.”
Speaking before about 100 persons at the
Hopkins County Farm Bureau convention,
the First Congressional District
representative contended non-producing
states want a bill that will set oil and gas at
“prices that would help them and hurt
us."
“Keep in mind you have more con-
suming states than you have producing
states. Those consuming states. . .don’t
produce a dime’s worth of gas” despite oil
and gas deposits off their coasts, Hall
contended.
“But they don’t want any production in
their states and off their coasts for the
reason it might in some way mess up^lhe
environment," he said. “One of the
biggest problems we have in Congress
today is sectionalism.”
Arguing that President Carter’s energy
plan based on increased taxes on energy
“won’t float,” Hall joined the producing
states’ argument for production in-
centives.
“They want a man to go out and produce
oil and gas at a price that is not favorable
to him. Forget the world price. Forget
supply and demand.”
Congress is expected to adjourn
Saturday not to return until the energy
conference committee reaches a com-
promise on the energy (till, Hall said.
“Hopefully they will come back with a
bill we can live with, or they won’t have a
bill at all,” the congressman said, adding
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that compromise was discussed at a
meeting of Texas representatives where
Hall “told people there that afternoon
‘let’s don’t sacrifice our principles’.”
Asked while shaking the hands of the
enthusiastic crowd if his views did not
leave him open to the same sectionalism
charges, Hall contended no.
“I don’t want northern and eastern
states dictating (energy policy). It should
be equal from everybody’s Standpoint,”
Wright Patman’s successor said. “At this
point it’s completely balled up. We’re
poles apart”
In his talk that jumped from oil to
saccharin, Hall also argued against the
Panama Canal treaty and arms limit talks
with the Soviet Union.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to take
the people of this country to wake up to the
fact that you can’t trust Russia,’ ’ Hall
said. “In the face of what we know about
that country ... we will bold over back-
wards. It’s just not sound to do it”
Noting the Sulphur Springs Rockwell
plant, Hall defended the company’s
bomber project saying “I vote for the B1
bomber every time it comes up”
Moving to south of the border, HaU said
there is “no justification” for the Panama
Canal treaty. ,
“I have gotten more mail protesting the
giveaway of the Panama Canal and I think
they are exactly correct in the position
they t|re taking," he said, decrying
government talk that the United States
could not militarily defend the canaL
“I don’t like to hear our leaders talk that
way. .l.We bought that place and we paid
for it in 1903.. .We’ve been using it every
day since.”
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Keys, Clarke & Woosley, Joe. The Hopkins County Echo (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 44, Ed. 1 Friday, November 4, 1977, newspaper, November 4, 1977; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth779994/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.