Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 89, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 6, 1986 Page: 1 of 52
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Election results
page 6A
Polk County
ENTERPRISE
Volume 104 Number 89 The Dominant New» and Advertising Source in Polk County
Republicans, write-ins give strong challenge
Thursday,
Nov. 6, 1986
UP8P 437449 Price: ticca*
Baker, Harrell, Smith emerge as winners
LIVINGSTON - It wasn’t the
smoothest election in the county’s
history but it got the job done.
A total 8,279 voters - less than half
of the 16,781 Polk Countians
registered to vote - dodged rain
showers Tuesday to get to the polls
or voted absentee or by mail. The
majority favored Democrats in local
races.
Wayne Baker was returned to of-
fice to serve a fourth term as Polk
County judge, defeating Republican
challenger John Clark by a vote of
4,233 to 3,638.
Clark’s challenge was stronger
than many predicted. The
Republican candidate carried five of
the county’s 16 voting boxes, gaining
a majority of the votes in the Scenic
Loop, Onalaska, Dallardsville and
Schwab City polls and the large
north Livingston box.
Democratic incumbent Paul Har-
rell was returned to his post as
Precinct 4 commissioner, defeating
Republican challenger James L.
“Jim” Devenport by a vote of 1,108
to 666. Harrell carried all five boxes
in Precinct 4, although Devenport
missed winning the Dallardsville
box by only three votes.
A strong write-in effort on behalf
of incumbent Precinct 2 Commis-
sioner R.D. Cunningham was not
enough to win re-election. Bobby
Smith, who defeated Cunningham in
the May Democratic primary by an
86-vote margin, won Tuesday’s elec-
tion by gamering 1,491 votes to Cun-
ningham’s 979 write-in votes. Smith
carried three of the four voting
ingham winning in the Scenic Loop
area and gaining a five-vote advan-
tage in the absentee balloting.
There were two contested races
for justice of the peace, with voters
choosing to return the incumbents to
office.
Incumbent Precinct 1 Justice of
the Peace Mary Placker defeated
Republican T.C. Huff by a vote of
1,564 to 635, with the incumbent car-
rying all four of the precinct’s voting
boxes.
Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace
Harvey Stamper was returned to of-
fice, despite a challenge by write-in
candidate Jeff Westerman. Stamper
ENTERPRISE PHOTO BY SHERRY PETERSON
enterprbe photo by KENNscHMun THRILL OF VICTORY - Precinct 2 Commissioner-Elect
KEEPING UP THE TALLY - Republican tally of the votes as results from each box Bobby Smith gets hugs from supporters right after results
county judge candidate John Clark, joined by were posted. The candidate was defeated by from the Onalaska box were posted, giving Smith a wide lead
his son (right) and County Republican Party incumbent county judge Wayne Baker by a in his race.
Chairman Tom Klock (left), kept a running vote of 4,233 to 3,638.
Homeowner prepares for visit
Burglar calls ahead
LIVINGSTON - A telephone call,
apparently designed to get the occu-
pant out of a house that was about to
be burglarized, tipped off the intend-
ed target, according to Polk County
sheriffs reports.
Sheriff’s deputies are searching
for a 46-year-old Livingston man
suspected in the attempted burglary
of the Linda Worthy residence off US
190 East
Worthy told officers Oct. 28 that
she received a telephone call from a
man, identifying himself as a Dr.
Harris, who said Worthy's husband
had been in an accident, was in
Parkway Hospital in Houston and
that she needed to go to Houston to
sign some papers. Sheriff’s reports
indicated Worthy went to James
Turner's residence for help. Turner
returned with Worthy to her house,
called several hospitals and deter-
mined that her husband had not been
admitted. Worthy then called her
husband at work and found out he
was uninjured.
Suspecting a possible burglary,
Turner offered to stay in the house in
case of an attempted break-in. Later
a white, Oldsmobile station wagon,
reportedly with Louisiana license
plates, pulled into the driveway,
backing up under the carport. Of-
ficials said one of the suspects was
recognized before leaving the scene
as Robert Leo Carroll, 46, of Liv-
ingston.
Law enforcement officials have
been unable to locate the suspect.
Carroll and his wife had stayed at
the Worthy residence previously
and, after they left, about a week
before the attempted burglary, Wor-
thy discovered a handgun missing,
according to sheriff’s reports. The
cases have been linked by officers.
Missing is a Taurus four-inch blue
Model 66.357 magnum revolver with
a black leather rig which holds 20
shells. The theft was reported Oct.
10.
Lt. Dennis Clifton, and Deputies
Barbara Westerman and Paul Cain
investigated the cases.
Also under investigation by
sheriff’s deputies is the theft of a
blue 1965 Chevrolet Z-28, belonging
to Dorothy Wright of Goodrich.
Wright’s (laughter drove the car to
church last Sunday and returned
about 12:30 p.m. to find the car miss-
ing, according to Staton. A warrant
has been issued for a suspect but no
arrest had been made at presstime.
Burglary cases
Burglary cases under investiga-
tion by county officers include a
break-in at Ware’s Boat Storage. So-
meone removed a lock off a storage
building and took a 50-hp Suzuki boat
motor and a 50-hp Mercury boat
motor belonging to Howard Robins-
tan of Memorial Point, according to
the report filed by Deputy Quentin
Purvis. The burglary was reported
Tuesday.
M.G. Fabriguze of Livingston
reported last Thursday that so-
meone had taken a Garcia road and
reel and a Sears battery charger
from a boat storage building off FM
2457 in Blanchard. Deputy Mike Net-
tles was the investigating officer.
About $1,685 worth of merchandise
was reported missing Oct 28 from
the William E. Babbs residence off
FM 942 West. Someone pried a door
lock with a knife and took a Marlin
.22 rifle, Remington 30.06 rifle,
Busnell scope, two jewelry boxes
and contents, an Underwood
typewriter, a 35-mm Minolta
camera and a disc camera, accor-
ding to the report filed by Sgt. J.C.
Robbins.
A Sharp VCR, eight video tapes
and liquor were reported missing
Oct. 27 following a burglary at the
weekend residence of E.G. Bond of
Houston, off FM 3126. Deputy Quen-
tin Purvis was the investigating of-
ficer.
A .22 caliber Magnum rifle,
reported missing Oct. 21 from a
truck belonging to Robert Duram of
Lufkin which was parked in Reily
Village, was later found and taken to
the Corrigan Police Department
three days after the theft was
reported. A juvenile was implicated
in the theft, according to sheriffs
reports.
Lillie Kitchen of Pasadena
reported Oct 26 the burglary of
mobile homes in Pine Hollow Sub-
division in Moscow. Air-conditioning
units were taken from the windows
of three unoccupied trailers, accor-
ding to the report filed by Sgt.
Swilley.
A microwave oven, Quasar 19-inch
color TV, Panasonic VCR, wall mir-
ror and electric weedeater were
reported missing Oct. 24 from the
Jean Williams residence at the In-
dian Reservation, according to the
report filed by Sgt. Ricky Davis and
Deputy Quentin Purvis.
Also reported Oct 24 was the theft
of a 34-hip Briggs and Stratton push
mower belonging to Benita Saylor,
reported missing Oct. 25 from the
rear of pickup truck parked at
Harold’s Exxon on US 190 West, ac-
cording to the report filed by Purvis.
Lynn Kennedy reported Oct. 22 the
theft of $1,072 worth of stereo equip-
ment from his 1965 Chevrolet pickup
truck, parked off Stryker Road. Bob-
by Williamson and Lt. Jeff Wester-
man were the investigating officers.
See BURGLARS pg. 5A
Forest practices investigated
Four Notch work halted
By MARTHA CHARREY
Contributing Editor
State Attorney General Jim Mat-
tox has halted tree crushing and
aerial burning in the Four Notch
area of the Sam Houston National
Forest for one week while conduc-
ting an investigation into activities
there by the U.S. Forest Service.
The moratorium, enacted last Fri-
day, was a “complete surprise” to
U.S. Forest Service officials in
Lufkin, according to District Ranger
Mike Lannon.
Lannon said Tuesday that Mattox,
“Requested one weeks cessation
while his office looked into allega-
tions made by environmental agen-
cies against the Forest Service.”
Environmental agencies, such as
Earth First, have been protesting
clearcutting and napaiming ac-
tivities in the national forests by the
U.S. Forest Service.
During a recent protest in the
Four Notch area of the Sam Houston
National Forest, 12 miles southeast
of Huntsville, environmentalists
charged the Forest Service with
“destroying wildlife habitat and
biological diversity in their attempt
to manage the forest.”
Investigating the Four Notch area
Monday was Nancy Lynch, head of
Environmental Protection Division
of the Attorney General’s Office and
her assistant, Renea Hicks; Tom
Hayes with Texas Parks and
Wildlife, Austin; and Bruce Miles,
Texas Forest Service, Bryan.
Lynch said they collected a
“tremendous amount of informa-
tion” during their tour of the forest
which was led by George Russell, a
member of Huntsville Sierra Club’s
Lone Star Chapter.
“Both sides (environmentalists
and Forest Service) are real sincere
in their beliefs in that their
philosophy is best,” Lynch said.
Lynch said she and her staff would
“spend a few days investigating to
see if the Forest Service is in viola-
tion of the law,” regarding their
management of the forest.
“We will try to take action as fast
as we can,” Lynch said, adding,
"There is still another 1,000 acres
scheduled for this kind of destruc-
tion.”
“Hopefully we will finish within the
next 10 days. The longer we put off a
decision toe more damage will be
made,” she said.
See ATTORNEY pg. 5A
ENTERPRISE PHOTO BY SKERRY PETERSON
REASON TO WORRY - Incumbent Commissioner R.D. Cun-
ningham (left) watches the tally board as the results show
him losing his position despite a strong write-in campaign.
carried all three voting boxes in the
precinct, running up a total HI votes
to Westerman’s 198.
Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace
Calvin Wells, Democratic incum-
bent, and Howard Lilley, who
emerged as the winner in a crowded
Precinct 4 justice of the peace race
in the Democratic primary, won
their positions without oppoeittaa
Tuesday.
Other unopposed local candidates
who will take the oath of office Jan. 1
are Joe Ned Dean, 2SMh district
judge; Peter C. Speers, 9th District
district attorney; Stephen Phillips,
county court at law judge; Philip
See VOTE pg. 3A
Clements
carries
local vote
LIVINGSTON - Traditionally
Democratic Polk County followed
the rest of the state in supporting
Republican Bill Clements tar gover-
nor, helping elect the former gover-
nor by casting 4,223 votes to White’s
3,439.
White, who won a hard-fought bat-
tle to oust Clements from the gover-
nor’s office four years ago, conceded
to Clements shortly after 11 p.m.
Tuesday after unofficial returns
showed Clements carrying 98.1 per-
cent of the vote to White’s 4$ per-
cent, with 64 percent of the precincts
counted.
White carried Pok County in 1W,
getting nearly three tinea mere
votes locally than the then-
incumbent Republican governor.
Charles Wilson will return as UJL
representative from District 1
Local voters cast 4,737 votes for
Wilson, 2J$3 for Republican Julian
Gordon, and 325 votes for Indepen-
dent Sam 1. Para dice. Wilson’s land
carried throughout the district.
Unofficial results, with nearly II
percent of the precincts reporting,
showed Wilson with 67.2 parent of
the vote, followed by Gordon’s 2L3
percent and Paradice's 3.5 percent
Polk County also followed the
state trend in the races for lieute-
nant governor, choosing incumbent
Bill Hobby by a wide margin; at-
torney general, where Jim Mattes
had topped 51 percent to RepnbScaa
Roy Barrera Jr.’s 47.2 percent with
57.9 percent of the precincts
counted; and state comptroller,
where incumbent Democrat Bob
Bullock held a healthy lead over
Libertarian candidate George
Meeks.
State Treasurer Ann Richards
won re-election easily, as did Land
Commissioner Garry Mauro and
Agriculture Commissioner Jim
Hightower, all carrying Pok County
as well as the state.
Democratic State Senator John
Sharp defeated Republican Milton
Fox for a seat on the Texas Railroad
Commission, carrying Pok County
by more than a two-to-one margin.
Local voters also followed
statewide trends in electing
Democrats to the Texas Supreme
Court, choosing Oscar Malay lor
Place 1; Robert Campbell, Place 8;
Jim Wallace, Place 3; and Raul Gon-
zales, Place 4.
Unofficial results showed all four
proposed amendments to the Texas
Constitution passing by wide
margins, with Pok County voters
also supporting the proposals.
Argument leads
to gunshot wound
LIVINGSTON - Shots fired during
an argument over money has left a
Moscow man in serious but stable
condition in a Lufkin hospital
Herman Graham was shot at
about 5:20 p.m. Sunday during an
argument with Clarence Colquitt at
the Thelma Colquitt residence in
Moscow, according to Capt. Chuck
Staton.
The men had been arguing about
money when Graham said he was
going to go home. He drove a short
distance away from the house, stop-
ped and got out of the car, got a gun
and returned to the scene of the
argument, officials report Clarence
Colquitt 31, had gotten a shotgun out
of his car and when Graham return-
ed shots were exchanged, Staten
said.
Graham was struck numerous
times with number four squirrel
shot He was taken to the Corrigan
Police Department by Highway
Patrol Trooper Mike Encr and then
transported by ambulance to
Woodland Heights Hospital in
Lufkin, where he underwent
surgery.
No charges have been filed. The
case will be referred to the grand
jury. Officers had been unable to in-
terview Graham as of late Tuesday
due to Ms serious condition.
Staton and Sgt Ckbume Swilley
are the investigating officers.
4
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 89, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 6, 1986, newspaper, November 6, 1986; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth782140/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.