Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 118, No. 99, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 14, 2000 Page: 1 of 24
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Polk County Newspapers and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Livingston Municipal Library.
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I
Proposed
bill to help
students
See pege 3A
Polk County
ENTER
Thursday
Dec. 14,2000
Volum
e 118 Number 99
The Dominant News and Advertising Source in Polk County
UPS 437-340 Price: 50 cents
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Electric customers
to soon see lower rates
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■ LIVINGSTON - City of Living-
ston residential and small commer-
cial electric customers will see
lower bills in the near future.
1 Determining how to pass along a
7 percent reduction in the cost of
wholesale power approved by the
Sam Rayburn Municipal Power
Agency (SRMPA) earlier this
month was among the items on the
agenda for Tuesday's regular meet-
ing of the Livingston City Coun-
cil. Residential and small commer-
cial customers were targeted for the
decreaae since they did not get in on
a rate reduction given to large
commercial customers last year.
The decrease will amount to 8
percent for residential customers and
5 percent for small commercial cus-
tomers and comes at a time when
many other electric companies are
increasing rates, in pan because of
the soaring price of the natural gas
often used in producing electricity.
In actual dollars, the rate decrease
approved by the city will amount to
a savings of $8 a month for a resi-
dential customer using 1,000 kilo-
watts a month, $16 for one using
2,000 kw and $24 for 3,000 kw.
The decrease will be effective Jan.
1 but, because of the billing cycle,
it will first be reflected on bills
mailed out March 1.
In other business, the council
agreed to work with the Livingston
Youth Baseball Association toward
construction of a new concession
stand/restroom building at the base-
ball complex on Hwy. 146 South,
although exactly whet the city*
role will be is yet to be determined.
Kyle Kuntt, one of several peo-
ple at Tuesday's meeting represent-
ing the baseball association, ex-
plained that the group would like to
convert Its two existing concession
standi Into much-needed storage ar-
eas and construct a new concession
stand/reitroom and sidewalks for
approximately $123,000. They
hope to finance the project and pay
off the debt at a rate of $10,000 a
year with money earned through
fund-raisers and donations. The as-
sociation asked for the city's help in
obtaining the financing. The city.
does not have funds budgeted for the
project and is legally prohibited
from co-signing a note for a private
entity, but the council indicated it
would like to help the group, which
serves some 400 children ages 7-14.
Councilmen agreed to try to find a
funding mechanism to help the or-
ganization.
The council granted a request
from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
to use Pedigo Park as the site of its
annual bazaar, to be held April 28-
29, with the stipulation that the
church not include its usual Bingo
games as part of the festivities.
Some "games of chance," such as
dart-throwing and a bean bag toss,
will be allowed since the games
will be run by church members and
every participant will receive a
prize. The sale of raffle tickets will
also be allowed. Other activities
during the bazaar, which generated
$26,000 for the church last year,
include the saje of the BBQ dinners ■
which have given the annual event
the name Feastex.
Although the bazaar is tradition-
ally held on church property, a con-
struction/expansion project under-
way at the church has limited space,
which prompted the request to use
Pedigo Park.
190 project, holidays
The council agreed to contribute
$2,936 as its one-year share of
funding to participate in jhs U.$.
190 Coalition. The coalition,
formed about four years ago to
promote Improvement and widening
of U.S. 190 from the Louisiana
border to College Station, consists
of the counties and cities along the
route, as well as the Alabama-
Coushatta Indian Reservation,
Texaa Department of Transporta-
tion studies have indicated that the
traffic count along most sections of
the highway does not warrant major
See U.S. 190 pg. 10A
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‘W-nniL
NEAR MISS - Livingston Texas Deparanenl of Transponafion
ter Dixon checks the rock spreaders on one of three tracks. each loaded with 12 tons of crushed
rock that were standing by for Wednesday's expected icing conditions, Thanks to temperatures
’nat hovered just above freezing, this area escaped the ice the plagued areas to the near north and
Waiver approved for bridge work
Leggett to hire auditor
LEGGETT -- The Board of Trus-
tees of the Leggett Independent
School District will hire an auditor
for the 2000-2001 school year dur-
ing its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m.
today (Thursday).
The board will discuss a request
for use of the school trailer space,
lighting fixtures in the classrooms
and other areas and repair of the
gym roof.
The tax collection report and
monthly financial statement will be
reviewed.
Maintenance needs will be dis-
cussed, as well as the status of gym
seating.
The principal will present his
monthly report and review the cal-
endar of upcoming events.
An executive session is on the
agenda at which time the board will
discuss personnel.
Other items on the agenda include
approval of the minutes and pay-
ment of outstanding bills.
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LIVINGSTON - During its regu-
lar meeting Monday, the Polk
County Commissioners’ Court
approved requests for waiver of
matching funds for participation in
the Texas Department of Transpor-
tation's dfr-systatn bridge projects.
Through the program, Nine
Bridges Road and Upper Leggett
Road, both in Precinct 3, will be
rehabilitated.
A resolution supporting applica-
tion for a juvenile accountability
Incentive block grant for fiscal year
2000 was approved. According to
Jean LeBlanc, juvenile' probation
administrator, $9,569 (s being
sought to be used to pay for juve-
nile detention costs.
Commissioners awarded a bid for
the oil and gas lease on 635 acres of
Polk County school lands in
Throckmorton County to Banner
Oil Ltd. for $12,751 with 20 per-
cent royalty.
Also approved was the county
holiday schedule for calendar year
2001, which includes 14 scheduled
days. Those include Martin Luther
King Jr. Day on Jan. 15, Presi-
dent’s Day on Feb. 19, Good Friday
on April 13, Memorial Day on
May 28, Independence Day on July
4, Labor Day on Sept. 3, Colum-
. bus Day on Oct. 8, Veterans Day
on Nov. 12, Thanksgiving on Nov.
22-23, Christmas on Dec. 24-26
and New Year’s Day on Jan. 1.
Commissioners approved a
county mileage rate of .345, or 34
and a half cents a mile, based on the
Internal Revenue Service approved
rate.
Commissioners also rescheduled
the Dec. 21 meeting from 10 a.m.
to 9 a m. and the Jan. 9 meeting to
Jan, 2 at 10 a.m.
Rev Frank Hood of Soda Baptist
Church opened the meeting with
prayer
Other business included approval
of the budget amendments, person-
nel action forms, schedule* of bills
and minutes of the Nov. 27 and
Dot 4 meetings
Audit on GISD agenda
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OOODRICH - The school dis-
trict annual audit for the year ending
Aug. 31, 2000 will be considered
for action by the Board of Trustees
of the Goodrich Independent School
District during its regular meeting
at 7 p.m. today (Thursday).
Action will also be considered on
the auditor engagement letter
The school district technology
plan will be considered for possible
action, as will the textbook com-
mittee and Polk County school land
in Throckmorton.
The board will also consider a
resolution from the Better Texas
Courts
profiled
(Editor's note: This is the
second story in a series that
will examine the individual
departments that comprise
the inner workings of Polk
County. The information
was compiled from profiles
completed by all county
elected officials and depart-
ment heads that detail the
department's primary pur-
pose and main function,
number of employees, serv-
ices provided anc number of
citizens served.)
By EMILY BANKS
News Editor
Coalition to encourage enactment
of a suue-financed health care plan
for all retired and public school
employees.
In policy matters, the board will
consider approval of Update No. 64
and a policy regarding blood bom
pathogens.
An executive session is on the
agenda at which time the board
will discuss personnel.
The superintendent will report on
the school van, the school holiday
and early dismissal, the band con-
cert the elementary holiday pro-
gram and the superintendent's
evaluation form and due dates.
In communication items, the
board will review a letter from the
Texas Education Agency notifying
the district of recognized perform-
ance on TAAS for middle and high
school for the 1999-2000 school
year and congratulating the district
for meeting the state’s standard on
the dropout rate for 1998-99
The hoard will also review a let-
ter from the Polk County Office of
Emergency Management regarding a
change in the school address for
911
Other items on the agenda include
approval of the financial reports and
minutes of the Oct. 19 and Nov. 16
meetings.
Driver
still not
identified
LIVINGSTON - The identity of
the driver of a car that bunted off
FM 942 early Sunday had not been
posiuvely confirmed at preu time
The Polk County Sheriff's Depart-
ment is awaiting pathology results
A 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Si-
ena was westbound on FM 942 at
Sanders Road. 11.8 miles northeast
of Livingston, when it entered an
eaatbound ditch in a curve and
struck a fence, according to Texas
Highway Patrol Trooper David
Morris The car burned with it* un-
known dnver inside
The incident, which is being in-
vestigated by the shenffs depart-
ment as a possible homicide, oc-
curred at approximately 4:IS a.m.
Three men
charged with
felony theft
ON ALASKA - Three men were
arrested and charged with felony
theft in connection with a burglary
at Quality Marine in Onalaska Sat-
urday.
Charged with felony theft ox)
placed in the Polk County Jail were
Robert Christopher Helweg, 22, of
Houston, Heath Eric Herring, 21,
of Katy; and Roland Thomas Glass,
21, of Livingston.
Onalaska Police Officer Wade
Ryan waa (hegmrlmd to a poatlhle
drunk driver on U.S. 190 ai (be
Kicks poo Bridge at 12:13 a.m. Sat-
urday.
Upon arrival, Ryan found a four-
wheeler In the westbound lane of
U.S. 190 nd noticed that a pickup
truck further up the highway had hit
the four-wheeler and that there was
an additional four-wheeler about 30
yards up the road, Onalaska Police
Chief J R Jones said, adding that
Ryan examined the four-wheelers
and noticed that they were new nd
had never been used
Deputy Kevin Allen of the Polk
County Sheriffs Department ar-
rived on the scene and as be stayed
at the scene. Ryan went to Quality
Marine to see if the business had
been burglarized, Jones said
Finding that the building had not
been entered. Ryan began walking
around the fence to see if it had
been cut, Jones said As Ryan ap-
proached the north side of the fenced
storage lot, she found two addi-
tional four-wheelers that had been
removed from the business and left
outside the fence to be picked up
later
Ryan notified other units.
Leaving an unrelated crime scene
on Scenic Loop, Lieutenant Phillip
Waller heard the broadcast and spot-
ted a truck pulling a trailer with no
lights, Jones said, adding that when
Waller stopped the truck he noticed
there were fresh four-whcelcr tracks
on the trailer
Waller brought the truck and
three suspects hack to the scene
where arrests were made,
According to Jones, the recovered
property was valued at $27,096.
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LIVINGSTON - In operation
since 1985, the County Court at
Law is a statutory court created by
die state legislature at the request of
Polk County.
It has concurrent jurisdiction with
the constitutional county court aid
with the district courts in many
matters
Judge Stephen Phillips presides
over the county court at law and has
two employees - a court coordina-
tor, who schedules and maintains
the court dockets, and a court re-
porter, who makes stenographic
records of all court proceedings aid
prepares official transcripts when
needed. All three people have been
___ rntunum photo ay ootooN LrtARio* with the court since its Inception.
CITY SPIRIT - The spirit of Christmas is alive and well at Livingston City Hall, where there jbe court hears misdemeanor
are over 5,000 lights and 14 figures and where the building's columns have been turned into gi* criminal matters, probate matters
ant candy canes. An 18-foot-tall Christmas tree completes the package. See COURT pg. 3A
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Christmas events continue
LIVINGSTON - The Christmas season is in full swing and the slate of
activities - sure to please all tastes and ages - Is well underway.
•A recaption for all participants in the City of Livingston's
Tour of Lights Christmas Decorating Contest is slated tor
today (Thuredey). Winners will receive award plaques and yard signs.
•The Tour of Lights Bui Tours are slated for Friday. Toun will
begin at 6:15 p m., 7 p.m., 7:45 p.m.. 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. The fee is a
donation of canned food or money for the Polk County Mission Center.
Due to limited seating, tickets must be picked up in advance at the Tnafc
Days Office at Pedigo Parte on the U.S. 39 Bypass
•The Pint United Methodist Church of Livingston will present "The
Wonder of Christmas" at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
•The First United Methodist Church of Onalaska will present "A
Musical Celebration of Hie Coming" at 6 p.m Friday and
Saturday.
•The City of Onalaska la holding its annual Christmas Decorating
Contest with two categories - residential and business exterior. The
registration deadline is 5 p.m. Friday Additional information can be
obtained at the Onalaska City Hall at (936)646-5000. Entries will be
judged from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Dec. 18.
•Enchanted Forest subdivision on Business 59 South will be lit up
with luminaries cm Sunday beginning at 5:30 p.m.
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 118, No. 99, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 14, 2000, newspaper, December 14, 2000; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth789641/m1/1/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.