Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 39, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 18, 1986 Page: 1 of 32
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Volume 104 Number 40
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The Dominant News and Advertising Source in Polk County
Sunday,
May 18, 1986
UPSP 437-340 Price: 25 cento
USD tackles maintenance, repairs
Summer projects planned
ONE HORSE TOWN? - At least downtown Livingston was a
one-horse town Thursday, because only one horse was seen.
This one, named Ruth, was “parked” outside a drug store,
while Ruth’s owner, Andy, was transacting business. Andy
wouldn’t tell the photographer his last name. And neither
would Ruth.
Board trying to cut costs
LIVINGSTON - While students
are getting a break for summer
vacation beginning next month,
employees and board members for
the Livingston Independent School
District will be busy getting ready
for the 'tart of the 1986-67 school
year.
Summer maintenance and repair
programs, along with a preliminary
glance of what may be included in
the district’s 1986-87 budget, were
among the topics discussed by
school board members during a
regular meeting Thursday night.
The board agreed to advertise for
bids on a long list of maintenance
and repair items which they hope to
complete this summer. The number
of projects which will actually be
completed will depend on the
amount of the bids received.
USD Superintendent David Mon-
tgomery said the district has about
$300,000 to spend on major repairs,
funds which come from this year’s
budget as well as carryover from the
1984-86 budget.
The junior high school is targeted
for a number of repairs, including
flooring work at the old school
building and annex, painting,
renovation of restrooms, replace-
ment of water fountains, basement
drainage improvements, replace-
ment of exit doors, some classroom
furniture and chalkboard replace-
ment
Trustees also hope to do some
work on the stadium this summer,
including work on the visitor’s side
G/SD discusses spending
By DAWN Al.RKIGH 1
(enterprise Staff
GOODRICH - School board
member- made decisions Thursday
night reflecting difficult financial
times facing the Goodrich Indepen-
dent School District.
In one case, the board v oted to pay
for a trip made last month by a
teacher to West Texas with the
stipulation that the teacher get prior
approval from the* board for trips of
great distance in the future
A letter to the board from the
teacher explained that the trip in-
volved not only personal business
and fun, but also looking at calves
for the livestock show, and that he
did not charge the school for the en-
tire trip
Board member Nila Gokey said,
’ We're going to have to cut funds
somew here. Instead of going to West
Texas, we need to look a little closer
to home for these things. I'd rather
cut this than an academic area ”
She stressed she was not question-
ing the teacher’s honesty, but only
the practicality of making long trips
in light of the present economic
situation.
During over an hour of discussion
of the bills for the month, board
members questioned the necessity
and amount of several bills, and pro-
posed areas to cut spending.
Board member Jimmy Baugh
questioned the $442 electric bill for
the football field from Sam Houston
Electric Cooperative.
Superintendent Ray Elam ex-
plained how the rate was arrived at
and why the school pays that amount
even though the stadium is not
heavily used in the spring. He said
he thought the school district was
under a 10-year contract on power
for the stadium.
Several board members express-
ed wishes to find a way to lower that
electric bill.
Board member Q.R. "Cooter”
Duff questioned a $240 bill for coffee,
which Elam said was the amount it
takes to supply coffee for the
elementary school, high school and
administration buildings.
Gokey suggested that next year,
school employees pay for their own
coffee.
Board member Donna Longino
said perhaps a coffee kitty could be
arranged. In this situation, coffee
drinkers would deposit a certain
amount of money in a container for
each cup of coffee they drink.
When two transfer requests came
up for a vote, three board members
voted against waiving tuition for out
of district students whose parents
arc employees of the Goodrich
sc hool system *
Gokey said since two other
transfer students pay tuition, it
would be unfair to waive the
payments for others
Board member Rufus I bison said
he agreed with Gokey.
Baugh said he favored waiving tui-
tion for employee’s children because
a teacher getting a job at Goodrich
school might not be able to find hous-
ing m Goodrich but would end up
paying for their kids to go to school
at Goodrich.
On a motion to approve the
transfer request of two students
whose parents are school employees
without the tuition waiver, Gokey,
Ibtson and Duff voted for Baugh,
Johnnie Kolojacko and Ixmgino
voted against.
Then on a vote to approve the
traasfer requests, all six members
present voted for.
Elam reported to the board that
they are having trouble finding new
liability insurance coverage He ex-
plained that liability insurance is
generally difficult to come by now,
and that Goodrich also had an ex-
pensive lawsuit in the last several
years relating to former superinten-
dent Jerry Easley.
stands, and construction of men’s
and women’s restrooms on the
stadium’s west side. Location of the
restrooms on the west side will
facilitate tying in with existing
water and sewer lines and will also
help curb crowd congestion on the
east side where the concession
stands are located, Montgomery
said.
The superintendent also recom-
mended the Redirect building near
the stadium’s west side be relocated,
possibly to the kindergarten campus
on Jackson Street. In addition to
making more room on the junior
high campus, relocation of the
Redirect building to another campus
may aid in the disciplinary facet of
the Redirect program, a program
designed for students with
disciplinary problems as an alter-
native to suspension.
Other projects the district would
like to pursue include paving work at
the elementary school front drive
and bus entrance, the high school
driveway, the junior high parking lot
near the cafeteria, and creation of a
junior high parking area on the east
side of the campus hear the tennis
courts.
The board will also look into the
possibility of adding more portable
classroom buildings and consider
future use of the old junior high
cafeteria
LHS Coach Van Nelson discussed
proposed construction of additional
athletic dressing room facilities. He
said he secured a verbal bid on con-
struction of a 60x60 ’tilt wall” struc-
ture for $98,400 but was unable to get
a bid on a metal building, which he
believed might be less expensive,
prior to Thursday’s board meeting.
The informal bid price was for a
turn-key” project, which includes
installation of showers, lockers, mir-
rors and other fixtures.
The dressing facility was not
among the items on which the board
agreed to take bids Thursday night,
but the board will continue to study
the matter. Montgomery stressed
that thorough specifications will be
needed “so everyone will be bidding
on the same thing.” He added, ‘‘I
think the coach understands, it’s
something we’ll work toward. We
may not get it this summer.... We’re
not going to emphasize one program
over another.”
Bids on other summer projects
will be due May 30 and a special
board meeting has tentatively been
set for 11:30 a.m. June 3 to review
the bids and decide priority projects
which the district will pursue.
Budget may decline
No firm figures concerning
district tax values have been receiv-
ed and it is still early to begin detail-
ed work on next year’s budget, but
Montgomery predicted the 1986-87
budget may be slightly lower than
this year’s.
Although the salary, insurance,
and utility portions of the budget will
likely increase next year, he said he
See LISD pg. 2A
Odds took good
for new surgeon
County, city burglaries linked
Burglary charged
1JVINGSTON - Two suspects are
in custody in connection with several
area burglaries.
Ronnie Delano Sumner, 22, and
Jessie William Boone, 17, both of
Livingston, were arrested by Polk
County Sheriffs officers in connec-
tion with a burglary in Putnam's
landing.
Uvingston police, investigating a
burglar> Wednesdav at the Mrs.
Elderly to have
legislative input
1JVINGSTON - Ballot boxes were
prepared and poll managers briefed
for the May 30 Silver Haired
legislature (SHU election during a
meeting Thursday morning.
Created by the state legislature in
1985, the SHL is to provide older Tex-
ans an opportunity to become more
knowledgeable about the legislative
process by being involved.
It will consist of 112 people age 60
or over, elected by people at least 60
years old. •
Molly Ix)cke, who manages the
senior activity center in Corrigan,
explained to the election judges how
the election would work.
The 12-county Deep East Texas
region will elect four represen-
tatives to go to the SHL in October.
The region is divided into four
districts. Polk County is in District 2
along with Jasper and Tyler coun-
ties.
Robert Doolittle is the only can-
didate from Polk County. Other
district 2 candidates are Jane
Reynolds, Columbus Butler, Arthur
Pettijohn and Francis Hill.
Some of the issues to be disussed
during the SHL this fall include
utilities for people on fixed incomes,
health care and housing, Locke said.
The greatest increase in popula-
tion in the last 10 years has been in
the age 80 and over group, Locke
said.
‘‘Their needs have probably not
been addressed and certainly not
met,” she said. “We pay $60 a day to
take care pf prisoners that have
violated laws but they don’t spend
anything like that on elderly people
that haven’t violated the law.”
‘‘When I’m 60, I hope they don’t
have a very high fence. I may want
to climb over into the prison because
they (convicts) live better than the
elderly,” Locke said.
The SHL, scheduled for Sept. 28
through Oct. 1, will closely resemble
a session of the Texas Legislature,
although no laws will be passed.
At the end of the session, the
members will select several issues
they find to be priority concerns for
the elderly. These issues will be
presented to the Texas Legislature.
Where to vote
Registered voters at least 60 years
of age who live in Polk County are
eligible to vote in the Silver Haired
Legislature election Friday, May 30.
Polls will be open at all senior
citizen centers from 9 a.m. until 2
p.m. that day. Absentee voting will
take place May 19 through 23 at
senior citizen centers. Times for
absentee voting will be normal
center hours.
Nursing homes will have a
designated day for absentee voting.
Harrj' Collins residence on West
Polk Street, interviewed the
suspects and obtained a confession
from Boone admitting to the Collins
burglary as well as the burglary of
the Frankie B. Johnson residence on
North Willis Street, according to
Livingston Police Chief Larry
Macomber
The two suspects have also been
linked to a burglary last Monday at
the Guadalupe Cuevas residence on
Noblitt Street, property from which
was recovered with the arrests.
Macomber said a third suspect
has been implicated in the
burglaries, but no arrest had been
made as of late Friday.
A 21-year-old Livingston man has
been charged in connection with the
burglary of a vehicle belonging to
See POLICE pg. 2A
iiii
UVINGSTON - While the final
details concerning equipment have
not yet been finalized, Livingston
Memorial Hospital officials are now
”99 percent” certain that an or-
thopedic surgeon will relocate his
medical practice in Livingston this
summer.
Hospital Administrator Tom
Gilbert informed the hospital
district's board of managers Thurs-
day that Dr. James Scheiner, will
again visit Livingston around June
14 to finalize the arrangements for
his relocation.
“The board decided to do
whatever it takes (in the way of
equipment purchases) to get Dr.
Scheiner here,” Gilbert said.
"Basically, the attitude is 'let’s do it’
so I’m now 99 percent sure that he’s
coming.”
The hospital official said that he
now expects the orthopedic surgeon
to open his practice at the Livingston
hospital sometime between the first
part of July and late August.
The 49-year-old surgeon currently
resides in Elkton, Md. and is the
head of the orthopedic department
at the Veterans Administration
Hospital in Wilmington, Del. A
former resident of Texas, Dr.
Scheiner received his medical
degree from Baylor College of
Medicine in Houston.
Because the Livingston hospital
has not had the services of an or-
thopedic surgeon in the past, it will
have to start almost from scratch in
obtaining the necessary equipment
to allow the bone specialist to prac-
tice.
During the March hospital board
meeting, Gilbert indicated that
while Scheiner is being ‘‘very
cooperative about equipment”, the
initial investment for items - rang-
ing from a special operating room
table equiped with traction equip-
ment to a special X-ray device
known as a C-Arm image intensifier
- could be around $290,000.
New urologist
Dunng Thursday's hospital board
meeting, Gilbert also announced
that Dr. Michael Deberardinis of
Huntsville also plans to relocate his
medical practice in Livingston.
The urologist will initially practice
one day a week in Livingston but
Gilbert said that as his local practice
grows, he plans to gradually spend
more time here until he is working in
Livingston full time.
“Right now he has a house in
Huntsville and one in Onalaska so he
plans to build up his practice here
and eventually become a full time
resident of the area,” Gilbert said.
The urologist will begin his one-
day-a-week practice in Livingston
within the next 30 to 45 days, Gilbert
said.
Like Scheiner, Deberardinis was
granted medical staff previleges by
the hospital board Thursday night.
Finances
In his report concerning hospital
finances, Gilbert informed the board
that during April, the hospital ex-
perienced a net income loss of $9,134.
Revenue for the month totaled
$435,727 while revenue deductions -
including medicare adjustments and
bad debts - totaled $151,370. Ex-
penses for the month were $303,164.
The income loss during April br-
ings the year to date deficit to
$69,489.
Other business
During Thursday’s meeting, the
hospital board also:
c Approved a bid from Fred
Hagemeier of Livingston to install
special fire doors in the hospital. The
bid of $17,000 will cover the cost of in-
stalling the doors in hospital cor-
ridors as well as the entrances to the
kitchen, laboratory, gift shop and
boiler room. The purchase of the
doors was required to comply with
the Medicare Life Safety Code.
* Approved the purchase of a new
copy machine at a cost of $7,118. The
board voted to purchase the Savin
machine from Copy Products of
Houston although a 3M machine
dealer submitted the low bid of
$6,814. Gilbert explained that the
hospital used the 3M machine on a
trial basis and experienced
numerous mechanical problems.
“Although it was the low bid, the
board decided to reject it and go
with the next lowest bidder because
of the problems we encountered with
the 3M machine,” Gilbert said.
' Learned that Gilbert has been
unable to find an insurance company
willing to issue the hospital a liabili-
ty policy covering officers and direc-
tors. “The whole country is having
problems fining this type of in-
surance, so its not something that is
unique to this hospital,” Gilbert
said.
tu-
rn
Hi
m.:
BI-PARTISAN COOPERATION
Chairman J.A. McMahon work together
together
Republican candidate for Polk County judge preparing ballots for the Silver Haired
John Clark and Polk county Democratic Legislature election.
1
r;:-
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 39, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 18, 1986, newspaper, May 18, 1986; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth782023/m1/1/?q=war: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.