Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 109, No. 17, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 28, 1991 Page: 1 of 34
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.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
.............
Black History
Month observed
See Page IB
Polk County
ENTER
Southwest Micropublishing Inc S3
2627 E Yandell
El. Paso Tx 7990-
Comp
THURSDAY
Feb. 28,1991
Volume 109 Number 17
Filing off
to slow
beginning
LIVINGSTON - Filing for the May
4 city and school board elections has
gotten off to a slow start with eight
days of filing underway.
However, filing will continue
through March 20 at the respective
city and school offices.
As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, Joe E.
Pedigo had filed for one of the three
at-large seats on the Livingston City
Council. Those presently held by
Sandra Wood and Kenneth Parkhill
and the seat formerly held by Coun-
ty Judge John Thompson are open.
On the Livingston Independent
School District Board of Trustees,
terms due to expire are those cur-
rently held by Trustees Butch
Johnson and Benny Evans. Incum-
bent Johnson has filed, as have John
Keith Richardson and J.W. Ratcliff.
In Onalaska, city voters will cast
ballots for the three at-large pos-
tions, currently held by Jeanne Ann
Byrd, Tom Edwards and Jim Vail.
As of Wednesday, no one had filed
for election.
Onalaska ISD voters will fill Posi-
tion 3 on the school board, presently
held by Sonny Johnson, and Position
6, now held by George Allemang.
William H. Campbell has filed for
Position 3 and Linda Vincent has fil-
ed for Position 6.
On the Corrigan City Council,
terms about to expire are Places 1,3
and 5, those now held by John D.
Clifton, Jasper Cockrell and Alton
Burris. So far, Incumbent Clifton
has filed for re-election.
Two positions will be filled on the
Corrigan-Camden ISD school board:
Position 4, now held by Ann Stanley;
and Position 5, now held by Wayne
Yankie.
Incumbents Stanley and Yankie
have filed for their respective posi-
tions. In addition, Grimes Fortune
has filed for Position 5.
On the Goodrich City Council,
three seats will be filled through the
election. Council posts to be filled
are Position 1, now held by Curtis
Nichols; Position 2, now held by Joe
Kristek; and Position 3, now held by
Paul Ruiz.
See SCHOOL pg. 4A
Absentee
totals 305
LIVINGSTON - Through noon
Wednesday, 305 persons had cast
absentee ballots for the March 12
Livingston Independent School
District tax rollback election.
Absentee voting began Feb. 20 and
continues through Friday, March 8,
in the T-l board room on the Liv-
ingston Junior High School Campus.
Voters are being asked to vote
“for” or “against” a proposition
which would limit the ad valorem
tax rate in the LISD for the 1991-92
school year.
Voting on election day, Tuesday,
March 12, will be held in the Liv-
ingston City Hall Auditorium.
Only registered voters within the
Livingston Independent School
District are eligible to vote in the
election.
The Dominant News and Advertising Source In Polk Comity
UPSP 437-340 Price: 25 cento
Commissioners hire consultants
Personnel policies sought
ENTERPRISE PHOTO BY STEPHEN HENGST
SHOW OF SUPPORT - Peggy Stapleton lights a candle
honoring her cousin, Navy Lieutenant Corporal Bobby James
Chandler, during a somber candlelight prayer service held
Tuesday evening at Central Baptist Church. Employees of
Sam Houston Electric Cooperative held the service to show
their support for employees with family members involved in
the Persian Gulf War.
LIVINGSTON - Specific job
descriptions and performance
evaluation methods for employees
are considered an “insurance
policy” for businesses hoping to re-
main free of personnel lawsuits,
Katherine Ray of Ray and
Associates of Austin told Polk Coun-
ty commissioners Monday.
Commissioners decided to invest
in the “insurance” during Monday’s
regular commissioners’ court
meeting, voting to hire Ray and
Associates to help formulate county
personnel policies.
“Obviously, at this point, we don’t
have a policy or procedure,” County
Judge John Thompson told commis-
sioners. “It is something I feel we
need to do.”
Ray and Associates will begin by
meeting with county employees to
learn about their various jobs and
duties. “We get them involved up
front,” Ray said. Job description
questionnaires will be distributed,
reviewed, then jobs will be grouped
into categories. Ray called job
descriptions the “heart and soul” of
the personnel management process.
“Job descriptions are even more im-
portant now, with the American
Disabilities Act (ADA) coming into
play,” she said.
Called the most sweeping legisla-
tion of the decade and compared to
the Civil Rights Act of the 1980’s,
ADA is designed to eliminate
discrimination against individuals
with disabilities in the area of
employment, as well as in public
services, public accommodations
and services operated by private en-
tities and telecommunications.
Ray said the idea behind her
firm’s survey process is to come up
with a structured way to look at each
contracting with Ray and Associates
the county can assure objectivity in
formulating policies, she added.
“That is one of the reasons people go
outside for consultants.”
The firm will look at state and
federal laws as they relate to county
personnel policies. Representatives
will also meet with department
heads to help develop an employee
evaluation process, then train those
department heads to utilize that pro-
cess. County employment in relation
to the area’s general job market will
Wilson traveling district
LIVINGSTON - “Congress is not
doing anything but watching CNN
and passing National Bulldog Week
so I decided to spend two weeks in
the district with the constituents,”
U.S. Rep. Charles Wilson said.
Having spent the morning speak-
ing to the Liberty Rotary Club,
Wilson stopped in Livingston Tues-
day on his way to Lufkin.
He said-he has been speaking to a
lot of service clubs and the main
thing everyone wants to talk about is
the Persian Gulf War.
“We are not going to tolerate
either Sadam or his henchmen stay-
ing in power,” Wilson said. “But I
don’t believe there’s going to be a
march on Bagdad.
“However, the big question is
what to do with Sadam after we get
him out of Kuwait,” he said. “I im-
agine the president is thinking about
that very thing right now.
“Most of my constituents would
like to nuke him,” Wilson said.
“We’ll just have to determine the at-
titude of the allies and the United
Nations.
“I don’t think there’ll be many
casualties because the forces have
been so effective,” he said.
“I’ll support the president in
whatever he decides to A),” Wilson
said. “He’s handled this so well
thusfar.
What about redlstrictiiig?
“I anticipate there might be a
See BIG pg. 2A
also be examined.
Commissioner Dick Hubert asked
what would happen if recommended
salaries are higher than the county
budget allows. Ray said her firm
will make a recommendation to the
court and will work with commis-
sioners to implement the personnel
plan.
Thompson added that, although he
hopes to have information from the
study in hand by the time 1992
budget workshops begin this sum-
mer, the plan itself can be phased in
over several years if necessary.
Commissioner Bobby Smith
wondered what will happen if the
study recommends there are too
many employees within a depart-
ment. Ray indicated her company
will likely not attempt to make that
judgement. “If there is something
obvious we will pass it on to you,”
she said, adding that workloads fluc-
tuate and that company represen-
tatives would have to, literally, sit
by each employee’s side for months
in order to make such a judgement.
That is not something the company
will be doing.
Smith also asked if the personnel
study will include hospital
employees. Personnel management
at the hospital is part of the county’s
overall hospital management agree-
ment with Quorum Health Services,
Thompson said.
If the county entered into the
agreement independently, the study
would cost $28,566. Since the City of
Livingston has also contracted with
Ray and Associates for a personnel
management study and company
representatives will already be in
the area, the county will save $3,200,
for a total cost not to exceed $25,366.
Abandoned building
During the citizens’ forum portion
of Monday’s court meeting, Jim
Crownover of the Indian Hills Civic
Club asked for the county’s help in
getting rid of an abandoned house in
the subdivision which has allegedly
become a health and safety hazard.
The house is owned by a man who
is now in a nursing home and, while
a relative in Pasadena handles the
man’s mail, no one has performed
any maintenance at the house in the
seven years that Crownover has liv-
ed in the subdivision. Windows are -
broken, rats have taken up
residence, weeds have grown up, the
roof is gone, and area children are
playing in the house, he said.
He added that the civic club has
contacted the health department
and volunteer fire department, both
of which said they can do nothing,
and that there is also nothing in the
civic club bylaws which allows ac-
tion to be taken.
Thompson said he has contacted
the district attorney's office to see
what can be done, but said removal
of deteriorated structures involves a
long legal process. “Technically
anytime you go on private property,
thono is a Inna nrnposa tn nrntftrt tha
rights of the property owner,” the
county judge said.
Annex, vet officer
The fate of the Courthouse Annex,
also known as the Campbell-
Foreman Building, will be decided
within a year. Several years ago the
Polk County Heritage Society pndd to
have the structure stabilized.
Thompson said he has met with the
Heritage Society and a mutual deci-
sion was reached to make a diligent
effort during the next year to obtain
outside funds for renovation of the
building. At the end of the year, the
court will take “whatever steps
necessary,” the judge said.
Moody Jackson of the Heritage
Society said the annex is a
“remarkable building,” built to
house county clerk’s office records
prior to construction of the present
courthouse. Parts of the building are
fireproof, he said, adding he believes
the building, if renovated, would
become a valuable public building.
A resolution supporting the
Heritage Society’s efforts to secure
outside funds for renovation of the
building was approved by the court.
In other business, commissioners
voted to employ Roger Dousay of
Onalaska as the county’s veterans
service officer. The position, deleted
following the ltto tax rollback, was
funded In the 1991 budget. Thompson
said three persons applied for the
position and that those applications
were reviewed with representatives
of veterans’ service organizations in
Livingston and Corrigan.
See COURT pg.4A
Banquet
tonight
LIVINGSTON - “In my opinion,
ticket sales have been very slow,”
Bill Chadwick, executive director of
the Polk County Chamber of Com-
merce said, referring to tonight’s
(Thursday) banquet.
Financial Economist M. Ray Per-
ryman of Baylor University is slated
to speak at the 56th annual event,-
scheduled for 7 p.m. at Livingston
High School.
Tickets will be available at the
door for $12.50. They are also
available at the chamber office to-
day.
A full program will follow the
steak and potato dinner.
The Polk Countian of the Year
Award will be presented, as will
other awards in the areas of educa-
tion and youth, civic affairs,
agriculture, beautification, law en-
forcement, economic development,
tourism and senior citizens.
Other highlights will include the
passing of the gavel from outgoing
president John Slocomb to incoming
Dresident Rover Wieereffe.
Sales growth continues
LIVINGSTON - The net payment
this month for Polk County’s sales
and use tax was $78,169 which is up
2.64 percent from $78-,157, the pay-
ment for this time last year.
Polk County’s payments to date
for 1991 are $130,441, a 7.07 percent
increase over last year’s payments
to date which were $121,830.
The net payment this month for ci-
ty sales and use tax for the five cities
in Polk County was $183,308, which is
up 2.58 percent from $178,691, the
payment for this time last year.
The net payment of Livingston’s
city sales tax decreased 1.22 per-
cent, from $146,854 to $145,057;
Onalaska’s increased 10.78 percent,
from $11,477 to $12,714; Corrigan’s
increased 18.32 percent, from $18,498
to $21,887; Seven Oaks’ increased
295.29 percent from $354 to $1,399;
and Goodrich’s increased 49.28 per-
cent, from $1,508 to $2,251.
Livingston’s payments to date for
1991 are $238,845, a 1.87 percent in-
crease over last year’s payments to
date which were $234,459;
Onalaska’s payments to date for the
year are $21,147, an 11.98 percent in-
crease over last year’s payments to
date which were $18,886; Corrigan's
increased 13.93 percent, from $25,133
to $28,633; Seven Oaks’ increased
65.47 percent, from $1,611 to $2,665;
and Goodrich’s increased 8.77 per-
cent, from $2,069 to $2,251.
The five cities’ payments to date
for 1991 are $293,541, a 4.03 percent
increase over last year’s payments
to date which were $282,158.
“Texas cities and counties will en-
Of lake-area burglary
joy a tidy post-Christmas bonus,
because this month’s total local
sales tax rebates are the largest in
the state’s history,” State Comp-
troller John Sharp said.
The comptroller’s office mailed
checks totaling $177.4 million to
See SALES pg. 4A
Tip beats report
LIVINGSTON - Polk County
Crimestoppers received a tip con-
cerning a burglary on the morning of
Feb. 22, nearly two hours before the
actual crime was reported.
“We received a tip about 8:30 a.m.
on Feb. 22 that a burglary had been
committed in Lake Livingston
Estates No. 1,” Polk County
Sheriff’s Lieutenant Darrell Longino
said. “They even gave the name of
the suspect.”
The department received a call at
10:15 a.m. Feb. 22 from a man whose
home in Lake Livingston Estates
No. 1 had been burglarized during
the night while he slept. He also gave
the name of a suspect.
“About $200 cash and assorted
beer and liquor was stolen,” Longino
said. “The person calling in the tip
had seen the suspect in possession of
money and a lot of beer and liquor.
Further investigation led to
enough evidence to result in the ar-
rest and formal charging of John
Mark Whatley, 28, of Livingston,
with burglary of a habitation.
Whatley was already in custody in
the Polk County Jail following his ar-
rest by the Livingston Police
Department for attempted burglary
from a Feb. 22 in-
lock of Preston.
WHAT A FIND - Polk County Sheriff’s
Reserve Deputy Tim Harkness, Ben the drug
dog and Deputies Robert Alston and John
Sanders are shown with marijuana that was
recovered on a routine traffic stop on the
south end of the Hwy. 59 bypass Friday at 11
p.m. The officers estimate the marijuana has
a street value of approximately $2,501.
James Luben, 27, of Baytown, was arrested
and charged with possession of marijuana
with the intent to distribute, which is a
felony.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 109, No. 17, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 28, 1991, newspaper, February 28, 1991; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth820196/m1/1/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.