Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 110, No. 69, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 27, 1992 Page: 1 of 24
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Volume 110 Number 69
The Dominant News and Advertising Source in Polk County
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Hundreds take refuge here
Andrew breezes by
NEW TOOL — Polk County Emergency
Management Coordinator John McDowell
tracks Hurricane Andrew on new computer
equipment recently purchased by the county.
ENTERPRISE PIIOTO BY STEPHEN HEN GST
The advanced weather radar system is a
great tool for the Department of Emerges rv
Management in times of weather-related
emergencies.
Court tackles '93 budget
LIVINGSTON - Polk County
commissioners got their first real
look at the county’s proposed new
budget during a workshop session
Monday afternoon.
It was not a pretty sight.
Impacting proposed revenues are
a $200,000-plus overrun in the cost
of indigent care and a loss of over
$100,000 in tax revenue from a
drop in agricultural values. "Before
we really get started, it puts us
about $300,000 short in new
revenue," County Judge John
Thompson told the commissioners’
court. In addition there will be
some unavoidable cost increases
next year, including the extra cost
of operating a county jail that will
soon be doubled in capacity.
• As county judge, Thompson
serves as the budget officer. He has
been working with County Auditor
reviewing past expenditures and
revenue, projecting new expendi-
tures and review and talking with
department heads and elected offi-
cials. "We’re not at all close to
being through," Thompson said,
adding he has now gotten to the
point where he can go no further on
the budget without the commis-
sioners’ input
One of the things he needs to
know is if commissioners will be
willing to hold their road and
bridge budgets at the present level.
Even if the budgets are held to the
same level, the county is still look-
ing at a $400,000 to $500,000
budget shortfall, Thompson said.
"In other words, put it all off on
the road and bridge," Precinct 3
Commissioner James J. "Buddy"
Purvis said.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Dick
Hubert asked if the road and bridge
departments hold their budgets
down, if other departments will do
the same.
"The responsibility lies with the
five of us,” Thompson said, but he
does not expect anyone will
"volunteer" to give up anything.
The estimated half million shortfall
their spending to this year’s levels,
except the jail and indigent care, he
said.
"It doesn’t look like we have
much choice other than to hold our
own," Precinct 2 Commissioner
Bobby Smith said.
Purvis, whose precinct grew
tremendously through redistricting,
said holding the budget at the
present rate may be fine for the
other precincts, but may not work
in Precinct 3. "If I were in your
shoes, I’d say we can hold our own.
I’ve got about 4714 percent of the
county to take care of." life said
redistricting added some 65 miles
of dirt roads and about 4 1/2 miles
of blacktopped roads to his
precinct
Hubert reiterated that he would
be willing to live with the same
road and bridge budget but only if
everyone else, not just the road and
bridge departments, does the same.
"I want to do what’s best for
everybody," Hubert said.
Precinct 1 Commissioner
Clarence Ellis did not seek re-
election, so will not have to face
complaints about roads next year,
but he still feels that road and
LIVINGSTON -- As evacuees
from along the Texas coast and
parts of Louisianna were enroute
home, Hurricane Andrew was
downgraded to a tropical storm
around noon Wednesday after
going ashore at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday
at Morgan City, La.
Officially becoming a hurricane
Saturday morning about 200 miles
northeast of the Bahamas, Andrew
steadily gained momentum the past
few days as it moved northwest, at
times looking like it was headed
straight for the Texas coast
Hurricane Andrew reached its
highest speed at approximately 5
p.m. Sunday, when it got up to 150
miles per hour just before hitting
Florida.
Polk County’s Emergency
Management Coordinator, John
McDowell, met with representa-
tives of the various agencies Tues-
day, as the group made contingency
plans, expecting in excess of
10,000 people coming through.'
Six sites were lined up to serve
as shelters, although only two were
put to use. Local Red Cross
workers and other volunteers
opened the first shelter at the
Livingston Printary School and af-
ter processing 182 evacuees,
opened a second shelter at
Livingston Elementary School,
where 164 evacuees spent Tuesday
night.
Local officials received "the all-
clear" from DPS officials at 7 a.m.
Wednesday, McDowell said, and
both shelters were closed shortly
thereafter.
"We’ve got a front coming in
from the north-with some rain in it,
but I don't think we’II get anything
from’this," McDowell said, noting
that the areas that will receive the
worst of the after-effects will be
further east, around eastern
Louisiana and Mississippi.
"The local economy sure got a
shot in the arm," McDowell said
Wednesday morning, referring to
the booming business local con-
venience stores and gasoline sta-
tions did. Every motel in town was
full and word was the nearest ones
with vacancies were in Dallas and
San Antonio.
A special meeting was held
Wednesday in which the perfor-
with special needs or medical con-
ditions. Although several local
citizens contributed extra bedding,
cots, blankets and pillows, there
was a constant need for more.
"Other than that, it was pretty
quiet,” McDowell said. "We had
everything fueled and ready to go.
We had shelters and all the equip-
ment, but just didn’t have beds.
"Everyone did a wonderful job,"
he said. "It just went super.”
ENTERPRISE PHOTO BY EMILY BANKS
WHAT A FIELD TRIP - Five-week-old Sarah Davis looks
as if she’s contemplating Hurricane Andrew as she rests in her
daddy’s lap at the Red Cross shelter at the Livingston Primary
School Tuesday night. The day’s events resulted in quite an
outing for the infant, as she fled her home in Beaumont along
with her parents Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Davis.
Leggett budget rises
LEGGETT - Following a public
hearing that no one attended, the
site-based decision making plan for
the next five years, which was also
Recycling center bid
close to estimates
bridge has not gotten a fair shake, mance ofThe DepMJHenroTEmCT- "
He noted that the road and bridge gency Management was critiqued
department is the only department arK* feedback was given,
which has yet to return to full "All in all, things were pretty
strength following the 1989 tax rol- positive^ There^were^some little
department agrees to maintain their next time, but nothing major,"
budgets at the same rate, or cuts McDowell said.
back, he will too. "The biggest problem was not
having enough beds for special care
See BUDGET pg. 6A people," he said, referring to people
school year was approved by the
Board of Trustees of the Leggett
Independent School District during
its regular meeting Monday.
The projected budget, at ap-
poximately $1,180,000, is an in-
crease over last year’s budget,
which was approximately
$1,097,000.
The board had a public hearing,
also unattended, on the district’s
LIVINGSTON — The lowest bid
received on construction of the first
of what will eventually be eight
citizens' solid waste collec-
tion/recycling stations came in
close to initial cost estimates.
Bids were opened on Aug. 18
and turned over to Binkley and
Barfield, consulting engineers on
the project, for review. The en-
gineers had initially projected the
stations would cost about $35,000
each. Polk County commissioners,
during their regular meeting Mon-
day, took the engineers' advise to
accept the lowest of the four bids
received — a $34,950 bid from
Lake Area Construction. The bid
was accepted pending receipt of re-
quired insurance forms within 10
days.
The first collection/recycling
center is to be constructed on the
present compactor site near Onalas-
ka in Precinct 2.
Precinct 3 Commissioner James
J. "Buddy" Purvis, acknowledging
that $100,000 in leftover funds
from the certificate of obligation
issue approved last year is being
used to fund the solid waste im-
provement projects, asked about
other precincts’ chances of getting
one of the collection/recycling sta-
tions in the near future.
County Judge John Thompson
said the $100,000 was earmarked
just to start the project and that
other stations will be added as
funds become available.
Purvis also questioned whether
some of the features of the sites,
such as gutters, are really neces-
sary.
Thompson admitted the centers
are expensive, but attributed much
of the cost to Environmental
Protection Agency rules with which
the centers must comply. Those
rules include containing runoff
from the sites; hence the gutters.
"It is expensive," he said, "but,
again, when we went into it, we es-
timated they would be $35,000."
There is also a chance that, once
the first collection station is built,
that the county will find ways to
cut costs.
The county is now spending "a
lot of money" to transport trash
from the present 32 collection sites
so, as the sites are consolidated, the
See PRISONER pg. 2A ’
More budget
work ahead
ONALASKA -• A budget
workshop will be conducted by the
Onalaska City Council in a special
called meeting at 6 p.m. tonight
(Thursday).
SON OF CONFEDERATE - Jim McNabb
of the Texas Grays, a Confederate re-
enactment group from Dallas, directs a mus-
ket and marching drill during the Ike Turner
Camp No. 1275, Sons of Confederate
ENTERFBttE PIIOTO BY STtrtltN IIENGBT
Veterans of Livingston’s encampment, held
Saturday and Sunday at Pedigo Park. A liv-
ing history of Confederate camp life
demonstrated weapons, drill, equipment and
southern heritage.
Following a lengthy discussion
regarding the school’s dress code
for students arid lack of a dress
code for faculty, the board adopted
amended versions of the student
and teacher handbooks.
The 1992-93 Texas Teacher Ap-
praisal System schedule was ap-
proved by the board, as was an at-
tendance committee for the 1992-
93 school year, consisting of Vicki
Jones, Carolyn Wilson, Patsy
Baines, Sharon Anderson and Prin-
cipal Walter McAlpin.
The board approved a loan for a
computer lab and software and the
bid from Story-Wright of Lufkin
for a 15-computer lab. The board
also approved a proposal from
ProTech for an intercom system.
In addition, the purchase of a 72-
passenger school bus from Blue
Bird was approved by the board.
The bus, which will be delivered
around the first of December, will
have strobe lights, a tow hook, a
public address system and air con-
ditioner.
Principal Walter McAlpin
reported that enrollment was 201 as
of Monday and reminded the board
of the Labor Day holiday on Sept. 7
and staff development and early
dismissal on Sept 9. In addition,
McAlpin said the first field trip of
the year is scheduled for Sept 10,
at which lime the student* will take
part in the Texas Beach Clean-Up
in Galveston.
Following an executive session,
the board approved Jenarie Alexan-
der as the third appraiser for the
Texas Teacher Appraisal System.
The board approved payment of
$1,800 to Walsworth Publishing
Company for debt incurred by the
school annual
Also approved was a $1,000
above base raise for teachers, a 7
patent raise for auxiliary person-
nel and a Si vr utLe for the super-
intendent and principal
Other business included approval
of the 1991-92 amended budget,
the minutes, monthly
report and payment of bills.
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 110, No. 69, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 27, 1992, newspaper, August 27, 1992; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth781285/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.