Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 93, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 17, 1983 Page: 1 of 48
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GOOD
MORNING!
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VOLUME 101 NUMBER 93
Polk County
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THURSDAY,
Nov. 17, 1983
The dominant news and advertfeing source in Polk County, since 1882
5 SECTIONS 48 PAGES USPS 437-340 PRICE: 25 CENTS
Planning for growth onslaught
Court considers road specifications
LIVINGSTON - The already long-
debated list of proposed road specifica-
tions will continue to be debated, but
Polk County commissioners seemed a
little closer to a final draft after discus-
sion of the matter again Monday.
Copies of specifications adopted by
Walker and San Jacinto counties as
well as a composite list of requirements
compiled through previous studies will
be reviewed by commissioners in-
dividually, with preparation of a final
draft tentatively scheduled for the next
court meeting, Nov. 28. At that time,
the court is also scheduled to set a date
for a public hearing on the issue.
In conjunction with road specifica-
tions, commissioners have also agreed
on the need to establish septic tank
regulations, which are included in
Walker County’s list of overall develop-
ment and construction specifications.
Walker County’s regulations also call
for issuance of building permits, per-
culation tests for septic systems, septic
tank permits and flood plain permits.
All lots within 2,000 feet of the Trinity
River or Lake Livingston are also sub-
ject to Trinity River Authority regula-
tions.
Although all of the commissioners
basically seemed to agree Walker
County’s system is a good one, the con-
sensus was that a county health depart-
ment, or inspector, would be required
to adequately enforce the regulations.
County Judge Wayne Baker
speculated it would cost at least $50,000
a year to employ an Inspector and
maintain an office. "The only way we
coaid make that up would be through
the issuance of permits," he said, ad-
ding he was not recommending such an
office be established, but was only ex-
plaining what enforcement could entail.
Issuing building permits, along with
septic tank permits, could be beneficial
in helping the tax office keep up with
improvements in the county, the judge
said, citing one of the beneficial aspects
of permits.
“The area is growing and the pro-
blems will grow,” Precinct 2 Commis-
sioner R.D. Cunningham said. He sug-
gested the court look into the alter-
natives, whether they include a permit
system or not.
Precinct 1 Commissioner H.N. “Red”
Denham said that, if the county adopts
septic tank regulations and wants to
keep up with enforcement, the issuance
of construction permits would be a
necessity because "it will be a
monster.”
Baker agreed that a substantial burst
of growth in imminent, adding, “Either
we’re going to need to start doing a
whole lot of planning ourselves or hire a
county planner.” The judge said there
are several types of grants available
for planning and that, if the commis-
sioners so desire, he can start looking
into exactly what types of funding could
be obtained.
Action on a resolution concerning the
addition of 1.8 miles of Old Groveton
Road into the State Department of
Highways and Public Transportation’s
farm-to-market road system was tabl-
ed until a representative from the
highway department could be present
to field questions from commissioners.
DALLARDSVILLE - Following an
executive session lasting over an hour,
the Big Sandy School Board voted to ac-
cept a $400 settlement from a Jasper
pulpwood contractor for trees cut from
school-owned land.
According to Board President
Clayton Lilley, the contractor was cut-
ting pulpwood on adjacent property and
crossed the school district’s property
line.
The $400 settlement includes pay-
ment for the trees and damages to
school land.
The contractor did not attend the
meeting.
The board voted to withhold final pay-
ment to Defee Construction Co. until a
canopy is installed and cleanup work is
finished.
Defee is the general contractor on the
new high school building.
Moore Chrysler of Livingston was the
low bidder for an eight-passenger van
at $10,069.80.
The board voted to sell the old home
economics building to Flynn and Sally
The court met with members of the
highway department recently to recom-
mend roads they would like to see con-
sidered for the farm-to-market pro-
gram. Although commissioners did not
deny the need for work on Old Groveton
Road, they indicated they would like to
see the program extended to other por-
tions of the county.
“At this point we represent a portion
of the county,” Precinct 4 Commis-
sioner Paul Harrell said. “It was in-
sinuated at the highway department
meeting the we would have a revolving
program,” with work alternated bet-
ween the four precincts. He said it had
been 22 years since the highway depart-
ment had included Precinct 4 in their
farm-to-market program, that being
the construction of FM 2500. The most
recent state work was in Precinct 2,
which also includes Old Groveton Road.
“It disappoints me that I didn’t know
anything about it (the decision to add
Old Groveton Road to the state system)
until it was all said and done,” he said.
Harrell’s sentiment was echoed by
Precinct 1 Commissioner Denham, who
also said he was “disappointed.”
Precinct 3 Commissioner James J.
“Buddy” Purvis said was “envious” of
Precinct 2. “I won’t try to block it, but I
don’t like it at all.” It was Purvis who
made the motion to table action until a
representative from the highway
department could be present.
“It was not my decision,” Judge
Baker said, adding he regretted not get-
ting a copy of the highway department
letter irtformlng the county of their
decision to all of the commissioners. He
said he had ordered a copy of the letter,
dated Oct. 31, sent to all four commis-
sioners, but Cunningham was the only
one who reported receiving the notice.
The highway department resolution
scheduled for approval Monday called
for the county and City of Onalaska to
acquire right-of-way for the project at
no cost to the state.
Baker said the county, in the past,
has been able to secure right-of-way for
similar projects through land donations
from property owners. He also in-
dicated most if not all the necessary
right-of-way for the proposed paving of
1.8 miles of Old Groveton Road has
already been obtained, although
records would have to be checked
before any work could actually begin.
Onalaska Mayor Robert Goodson,
prior to discussion of the resolution,
said the city will largely be dependent
on the commissioners' court for support
in obtaining right-of-way and pledged
the city’s cooperation. He said the city
is “anxious” for the road and will do
anything within it’s authority to see
that it gets built.
Following the court’s discussion,
Goodson said he understood the com-
missioners' feelings toward having the
road work take place in Precinct 2. “If
the situation was reversed, I would pro-
bably feel the same way," he said.
In other road topics, several
residents of Wiggins Village No. 2,
represented by James Ward, re-
questing help in road maintenance. The
group has come before the court
previously and has continually been
met with the same answer - the sub-
Hendricks for $1,500. The buyers must
move the building and cleanup the con-
crete porch and brick footings.
All bids received on ceiling fans and
typewriters removed from the old
school building were rejected as too
low. The high bid received on the ceil-
ing fans was $15.25 and the high bid on
the manual typewriters was $25.
Superintendent Ed Holder was
authorized to place two more school
buses on the waiting list for repairs at
the Texas Department of Corrections.
The district recently had a bus com-
pletely rebuilt by TDC at a cost of
$12,962.23 and has one more being work-
ed on.
The board voted to cast its 182.5 votes
in the Polk County Tax Appraisal
District election for Onalaska School
Board Member Joe Hans.
In other business the board decided to
keep admission prices to basketball
games at the current level and pur-
chase concrete markers for the new
parking lot.
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division roads belong to the developer
and not the county, therefore the county
can perform no maintenance other than
on designated school bus routes.
“The law says (county) equipment
can’t be used off county right-of-ways,
except to aid cemeteries, schools and
churches,” Baker said. He added pro-
perty owners need to work with the
developer, Wiggins I,and Co., and if the
roads are brought up to county
specifications they can then be con-
sidered for county maintenance.
Denham, whose precinct includes
Wiggins Village No. 2, said he would be
willing to work with the residents and
that, if the residents purchased the
necessary road materials, he would
spread them.
Tax matters
The county opted to cast its 1,601
votes on the Polk County Tax Appraisal
District Board of Directors for can-
didates Robert C. “Bob” Willis and
Robert Smiley, both nominated by the
county, and for Grimes Fortune. Com-
missioners cast enough votes toward
Willis and Smiley to give them the 814
votes required for election and cast the
remainder toward Fortune, who had
775Vi votes coming into Monday’s
meeting.
Fortune received a portion of the
county’s votes following an explanation
from Corrigan School Superintendent
Jasper Cockrell. He said the cqunty
nominated a member of the Corrigan
City Council (Smiley) and that wherwt
came time for the Corrigan council to
cast their ballots, Cockrell told them
the C-CISD candidate, Fortune did not
need their votes in order to reach the
834 mark. “I neglected to tell Leggett
(ISD),“ Cockrell said. “They thought
Fortune had the city's vote,” meaning
Fortune did not end up with the re-
quired 834 until the county cast their
ballot Monday.
A request from Polk County Tax
Assessor-Collector Robert Willis that a
part-time employee be hired to help in
voter registration was approved by
LIVINGSTON - “God so loved the
world he did not send committees,”
reads a plaque on State Rep. Bill
Haley’s desk. Haley, chairman of the
House Public Education Committee,
hopes to change the image the sign sug-
gests.
The representative was guest
speaker Tuesday night before a gather-
ing of school board members and ad-
ministrators from all six Polk County
school districts at a dinner hosted by
the Livingston Independent School
District.
Haley was joined at the head table by
State Representative Allen Hightower;
State Senator Roy Blake; Carol Griffin,
director of instructional services for the
Region VI Education Service Center
(ESC); F. Don Jennings, who serves on
the board of directors of the Region VI
ESC and E.F. Lewis, assistant
superintendent for administration and
personnel for the Livingston Indepen-
dent School District.
Appointed chairman of the Public
Education Committee at the beginning
of his third two-year term in the House
Jan. 11, Haley also serves cm the Select
Committee on Education. It was on that
committee he focused much of his
speech.
The Select Committee on Education
was formed in order to come up with a
list of priorities in education so that, as
funds became available, the legislature
will know how those funds can be best
used without having to start the ex-
amination of needs from scratch each
session. Haley said one of the priorities
of the committee is to determine how
best to prepare students for the future
regardless of the site, location and
financial wealth of the school district.
The committee has toured 10 school
districts and has heard testimony from
a number of administrators and school
board members, he said. He added
that, regardless of what one may hear
and read regarding plans to do away
with extracurricular activities and
other allegations, the committee has
not, as yet, made any specific recom-
mendations.
fat addition to addressing equalization
in education, the committee is also ex-
amining teachers salaries. Also con-
trary to some reports, the committee is
commissioners.
Willis said his office received a check
from the state for $1,382 for their voter
registration efforts.. An opinion from
the Secretary of State indicates the
funds can only be used for matters af-
fecting voter registration. Since the
county is required to send out new voter
registration cards every two years, and
is scheduled to do so again in January,
1984, the money can be used to fund a
part-time employee who can go through
the records deleting the deceased and
those who have moved from the voter
list before new cards are mailed, thus
not leaning toward a merit pay system,
Haley said, adding the committee is
considering a type of “career ladder”
for teachers. The “career ladder” ap-
proach is designed to allow teachers to
stay in the classroom yet still advance
economically. Haley said the present
system encourages a teacher to leave
the classroom - for example, turn to
coaching - in order to make more
money.
The "career ladder” approach would
also include a certification program,
similar to those now required for prin-
cipals and superintendents. One pro-
posal calls for teachers to be reviewed
by a “committee” of teachers who will
decide if, after three years of employ-
ment, a teacher should advance to the
next level of certification. .
“Many feel the teachers are no
good,” he said. “That’s not true.”
Some of the funding proposals which
have been suggested as being highly
beneficial to education may not be as
effective as supporters have suggested,
Haley said. Of the proposed 5-cent-per-
LIVINGSTON - There will be a com-
pletely new board when directors of the
Polk County Tax Appraisal District
take office in January, f
Grimes Fortune, Robert Willis,
Robert Smiley, Henry Ager and Joe
Hans have apparently been elected to
the five seats by the taxing entities in
the county.
Fortune, a member of the Corrigan-
Camden School Board, was supported
by his board, the Leggett School Board
and Polk County Commissioners Court.
Polk County Tax Assessor-Collector
Robert Willis gathered his votes from
the commissioners, the Livingston City
Council and the Leggett School Board,
Smiley, a Corrigan City Councilman,
was supported by Corrigan and the
commissioners.
saving the county money.
Commissioners also approved the
hiring of Sherry Duncan, to replace
Theresa Mattox as an employee in the
tax office and agreed to raise the salary
of an employee who has been with the
tax office three months.
Sheriff's requests
Several requests from Sheriff Ted
Everitt also received court approval.
Commissioners agreed to advertise
for bids on the purchase of a new vehi-
cle for the department. The depart-
ment, which has two new vehicles in-
cluded in next year's budget, has
gallon gasoline tax, for example, less
than 2 cents of each nickel would go
toward education, he said. Haley add-
ed, the effectiveness of the proposed
“sin tax” on cigarettes and alcohol
would probably soon be diminished by
“bootleggers.”
Haley expressed mixed comments
concerning Select Committee on
Education Chairman H. Ross Perot,
whose much-publicized comments
reflect more his personal opinion than
that of the committee, according to
Haley. “I get there 30 minutes late just
to miss that,” he said of Perot's com-
ments.
On the other hand, he said Perot has
succeeded in stirring public interest in
education, something he feels is im-
perative to examining present pro-
blems and determining a future course.
Input from the public and school
district personnel is encouraged.
Concerning allegations that reading
and writing skills among students have
declined dramatically in recent years,
Ager, a member of the Livingston
School Board, was elected by the school
board.
Hans, a member of the Onalaska
School Board, was the candidate of the
smaller school districts in the county
and gathered his votes from the
Onalaska School Board, the Onalaska
City Council, the Goodrich School
Board, the Big Sandy School Board and
the Leggett School Board.
The final vote totals, as reported to
County Clerk Aline Stephenson, were
Fortune 634, Willis 957.25, Smiley
829.75, Ager 884 and Hans 833. Kenny
Hoisberry received 711 votes from the
Livingston School Board and Jasper
Cockrell received one vote from the
Goodrich City Council.
Cockrell, a member of die outgoing
already received bids on one car. As the
second vehicle, Everitt said he would
like to purchase an enclosed truck-type
vehicle to be used by investigators.
Everitt also received the go-ahead to
spend an estimated $3,250 of his 1984
radio budget toward the purchase of a
“scrambler” device for the depart-
ment’s radio system. The “scrambler”
would allow officers to communicate
without persons with scanners being
able to decifer what is being said.
See SHERIFF pg. 3A
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Educators addressed
State Rep. Bill Haley of Center has high hopes for the Select President Richard Gilbert, Haley, Livingston ISD Assistant
Committee on Public Education, on which he serves. He ad- Superintendent for Administration and Personnel E.F. Lewis,
dressed representatives from Livingston, Leggett, Big Sandy, Region VI Director of Instruction Services Carol Griffith and
Goodrich, Onalaska and Corrigan school districts at a dinner Region VI Education Service Center Board of Directors
Tuesday night. Seated at the head table were (l-r) State Rep. member F. Don Jennings.
Allen Hightower, Sen. Roy Blake, Livingston School Board
Education committee goals high
New board to be installed
Tax votes tallied
he said he did not feel that was
necessarily true, at least in Texas. He
also said the value of mathematics and
science has been underplayed.
“Science and math have been said to be
‘terrible.’ They don’t mention that we
have sent men into space, twice to
return with rock samples.” He also
cited the nation’s recent sweep of the
Nobel prize for science. “Reading and
writing? We put out more literature
than all the other nations combined.”
Fielding questions from school
district representatives in attendance,
Haley said he assumes the tax burden
in the future will shift more toward the
state than toward the local leveL “The
state has several sources of taxes. On
the local level there’s only one source -
property taxes, and they’re already
rebelling.”
Concerning talk of year-round school,
Haley said it is “just talk” and
predicted it would go no further.
See CAREER pg. 12A
board, had not sought re-election but
was nominated by Goodrich.
Each taxing entity in the county is
allocated a portion of the 5,000 total
votes based on the percentage of total
taxes levied by the entity.
The two largest taxing bodies are
Polk County, which includes the two
hospital districts and Polk County
Fresh Water District No. 2 and the Liv-
ingston School District
The tax board wfll receive the results
at its next regular meeting on Dec. 12.
The newly elected members will be
invited to attaad the meeting fer a brief-
Big Sandy accepts
timber settlement
t
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 93, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 17, 1983, newspaper, November 17, 1983; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth790860/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.