Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 123, No. 94, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 24, 2005 Page: 4 of 20
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EDITORIAL
THE FOLK COUNTY ENTERPM8E
DMUfM • POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24,2005
•(•(•Capital Highlights
Hurricane expenses adding up fast
By ED STERLING
Tern Press Association
AUSTIN — Costs of responding
to the. rain caused by hurricanes
Katrina and Rita are adding up fast
On Nov. 16, Texas’ purse-string
agency, the Legislative Budget
Beard, estimated $1.3 billion had
been spent by the state on hurricane
relief since the storms hit.
Coals to local governmental enti-
ties have been at least that much,
making the combined costs more
like $3 billion, so far.
Yet, while this amount of money
addresses the short-term impact, it
does not take into account such
long-term costs as housing, feed-
ing, schooling, health care and em-
ployment
For now though, it it easy to
guess how some pf the state’s S3
billion hudjpt suiplus over die next
biennium may be used.
The Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency is supposed to
'reimburse Texas for many costs
related to the hurricanes if all goes
according to design.
But FBMA observes certain lim-
its. The agency said that on March
1, 2006, Katrina evacuees’ apart-
ment leases co-signed by Texas
state or local governments must be
assumed.by the occupant, if the
occupant elects to remain in the
apartment. But Texas is negotiating
with FEMA to extend the period to
12 to 18 months.
The fate of evacuees who’ve
been staying in hotels and motels,
, however, is unknown. FEMA said
H won’t pay for the rooms past
Dec. 1, but the state of Texas is
appealing that deadline.
Meanwhile, FEMA said it would
reimburse the city of Austin $21.5
million for the cost of providing
housing to Katrina evacuees. This
covers rent for 4,500 units, plus
utilities, transportation and move-in
costs such as food, furniture and
housewares.
Tho city of Houston received a
similar reimbursement grant for
SI01 million.
Court ruling doesn’t material-
ize
Rumors of a Nov. 17 ruling
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Letter to the editor
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Gas gouge continues
To (he editor:
I’d like to give you an update on
the movement of gas prices in the
Livingston area as of the morning
of Nov, 18,2005. The good news is
Race Way lowered their price per
gallon from S2.35 to $2.16. Chev-
ron moved their gas price down
from $2.49 per gallon to $2.19. The
three reuwm. Fins and Shell are
high#,*) tl 19 per gallon. Conoco
moved So the same level as Race
Way, $2.16. I was almost ready to
shout kudos for Race Way and
Conoco until I drove south on 59.
Here are sdme of the prices per
gallon I saw on 59: Exxon, S2.16;
MobH, $2.16, another Mobil,
$2.13; Shell, $2.15; a small inde-
pendent station south of Shepherd,
$2.11; Exxon truck stop, $2.15;
Jacobs Food Mart, $2.09; Conoco’s
track stop on 59 and 242, $2.11.
Iasi out of curiosity, I went west on
I960 since I knew there is a Race
Way located about 200 yards east
of Interstate 45. The price at that
Race Way was $2.11 per gallon
(that seems to be 5 cents cheaper
than Livingston’s Race Way).
There is a 35-cent higher cost be-
tween our Exxon stations and the
ones south of us.
: My contact in Lindale reported
die following prices per gallon:
Undde’s Diamond Shamrock,
$1.93. In Tyler the following was
reported: Conoco, SI.4**; Exxon,
$2.05; Chevron, $2.02.
In the Polk County Enterprise
Sunday’s issue of Nov. 13, 2005
tfiere was a disconcerting article on
(be front page. The title of the arti-
cle was "Hurricanes affecting un-
employment rate.’’ The article re-
ported a rise in the unemployment
rate from 6.1 to 6.5 percent. Be-
yond the unemployment rate, we
have many people in Livingston
and the county that are retired and
on a fixed income. We also have a
lot of young adults in the commu-
nity‘who travel to universities in
HcWna County who cannot af-
frnd die prices of gas in Livingston.
The Livingston City Council can
help. There are many resources at
their disposal to strongly encourage
riieae places of business to be more
reasonable with their prices. Okla-
homa City gave incentives to Fire-
stone Tire and Rubber Co. to build
a major manufacturing facility in
tbeir city. They use high unem-
ployment as justification to give
concession to industry. Oklahoma
City is booming and the citizens
have employment. Perhaps our city
council could do the same to bring
a reasonable gas competitor into
this area. What is at stake here is
money being taken out^ of the
community at a higher rate than
cities with less unemployment. We
cannot afiord that kind of financial
drainage. The city council should
recognize that simple leap of eco-
nomics and should be doing some-
thing to reduce the outflow of dol-
lars from high priced gas.
Here is an astounding conserva-
tive line of assumptions on how
much the community is losing in
cash: There is basically a 14-cent
higher cost per gallon of gas be-
tween Livingston and the Ty-
ler/Lindale areas.
Fourteen x 100 cars per day x 15
gallons per car x 365 days a year =
$76,650. That is a conservative loss
of revenue from one gas station.
$76,650 x the eight Livingston gas
stations mentioned above =
$613,200. Yearly estimated dollar
loss through, in my opinion, over-
pricing.
The community can also do
something. If you travel anywhere
outside of Livingston, till up your
car and/or gas containers at a gas
station that has a reasonable price.
Ask these local gas operators why
iheir prices are so high. If nothing
else, their answer will put you in a
floating state of wonderment. If
you must stop at these gas stations,
I would recornn.^nd you pick the
ones with the lower prices. I would
recommend that you don’t buy
items from their grocery area. Why
take an additional hit on the other
items in their stores? Some of the
independent stores outside of
Livingston lower their price of
gas... in the hopes you’ll stop, buy
gas and the marked up, in-store
merchandise. From what I observe,
locally we are getting hit on the gas
as well as the in-store merchan-
dise....
BLOOD,
EXCUSES
L
MOCijOUCWtj.
I hr FVIihhJ < cun r • ■ I
I K lev* ; ■’}•(,
proved false.
So court watchers are still wait-
ing for the Texas Supreme Court to
rale on the state’s appeal of a lower
court ruling saying the current
method of funding public education
benefits wealthier school districts
and hurts poorer school districts to
the point of being unconstitutional.
If the high court upholds the
lower court ruling, the abiding
question will be how the tax system
can be re-engineered to give prop-
erty owners tax relief and improve
public education to an acceptable
level in all schools.
The governor’s recently created
Texas Tax Reform Commission,
chaired by former Comptroller
John Sharp, will formally contem-
plate the question.
The commission met for the first
time on NoV. 21 and took testi-
mony from staff and others by invi-
tation.
DeLay, Earle haggling contin-
ues
The latest in the state’s highest-
profile ethics story is that Travis
County District Attorney Ronnie
Earle, also known as chief enforcer
of state ethics laws, is fighting mo-
tions by DcLay’s defense attorney
Dick DeGuerin.
One defense motion seeks to get
the congresMilan’s trial moved to
his home county (Fort Bend).
A second defense motion seeks
permission to cross-examine grand
jurors to determine if they were
coerced into indicting DeLay.
Earlier this fall, DeLay was in-
dicted on charges of money laun-
dering and conspiracy to violate
Texas election laws prohibiting
corporations from directly contrib-
uting campaign funds to candi-
dates. The alleged infractions took
place in 2002.
Vital document costs to go up
Fees for Texas birth and death
certificates will increase Dec. I, to
$22 from $11 for a birth certificate
and to $20 from'$9 forii death Cer-
tificate.
The Mate’health department said
the increases are needed to pay the
cost of transferring some 48 million
paper and microfilm birth, death
and marriage records and other
vital documents to electronic files.
Heflin seeks lottery chicfdom
Former state Rep. Talmadge Hef-
lin, R-Houston, applied for the po-
sition of director of the Texas Lot-
tery Commission. After 22 years in
the House, Heflin was narrowly
defeated in his 2004 reelection bid
by Democrat and political novice
Hubert Vo.
Polk County
ENTERPRISE
ALVIN HOLLEY, PUBLISHER
Telephone Number 936-327-4357
(USPS 437-340)
WEBSITE: www.EastTexasNews.Com
E-MAIL: polknews@livingston.net
Texas 77351 under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1987. Entered as
Periodical Matter at the Post Office at Livingston, TX.
Himwiil. nEPABTMFNT
Barbara While...............................Editor ...............................................................Ext. 102
Emily Banks..................................News Editor.....................................................Ext. 103
VanThoinas ..................................Sports Editor....................................................Ext. 107
Greg Peak.....................................Area News Editor ............................................Exl. 106
Vicki Coker..................................Living Section'Editor................................ Exl. 104
Vanesa Hrashier.............................Special feature Editor......................................Ext III.
Gordon LeBarron.........................Photographer
putmiimnN department
Paul Holley...................................Cameras/PlaSemaking.......................................Ext 119
Don Holrman...............................Cameras/Platemaking .....................................Ext 119
Adrian Dunn.................................Pressman...........................................................Ext 120
lee Torres.
..Mailroom/Circulation .....................................Ext 120
composition niTiimarNT
Jennifer Kingsbury........................Supervisor........................................................Ext 118
Nancy Hatchett..............................Graphic/Typeset...............................................Ext 118
ahvfbtisiw: nmimmrvr
Linda Holley ............. Ad. Manager....................................................Ext 117
Kay Loy Schrimsher.....................Ad. Rep.............................................................Ext 112
J.R. Shoe make...............................Ad. Rep............................................................Ext 110
russinrn nrPAUTMrvr
Linda Jacobs.................................Manager..........................................................Ext 109
Pally Hankcrd...............................Ad. Rep....................................................... Ext 108
PUINTINfS IffPtllTMSNT
Willis Woods ..........................Pressman
Jennifer Birdwdl..............._..........Supervisor ..
Jessica Marlin.................................. ...'..........
M1SIMTSS nFPABTMFVr
Ext 114
Ext 121
Georgia Bailey .............................Manager...........................
Barbara Wilson.............................Accounts Receivable .......
Dana Wiggins................................Circulation! Subscriptions
Ext IIS
.Ext 116
. Ext 105
I" Klimt’ .» tiimj; iti (Tr>*infc j ; • *• .
• ,t Lt I • H \t Dtlmi hint tail. e\t. III?
John Becker
Livingston
SUBSCRIPTION RATES - $20 00 per yew tax included in county; $22.00 per year out
of county: $24.00 per yew out of stale. FSiMished semi-weekly. Sunday and Thursday al 100
Calhoun in Livingston. Texas by the Polk Comity Publishing Co.
Any erroneous reflection upon the character, standing or reputation of any person, firm or
corporation which may appear in this newspaper wilt be gladly corrected upon being brought
to the attention of the publisher.
Opinions expressed in columns are those of the writer and not neccessarily those of this
Opinions expressed in editorial arc those of die Enterprise.
POSTMASTER: Periodical postage paid At Livingston, TX. Please Send Address Changes
ToPO Box 1276 Ijvingstoo. Texas 77351.
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itfadu
Work rewa
from page 1
was initially established - is now
based on student/teacher ratios and
special needs programs. TASB will
be asked to change the wording to
reflect USD’s policy.
Two student overnight trip re-
quests gained board approval. High
school drama students will attend
the annual Bay City Speech and
Drama Tournament Dec. 2-3 and
high school athletes traveled to a
state cross country meet in Round
Rock Nov. 11-12.
No action was taken on accepting
bids received for the sale of delin-
quent tax properties in Natasha
Heights and Forester’s Retreat No.
1.
Three people were recognized as
this month’s Apple Corps award
recipients: Michelle Creech, inter-1u-
mediate school teacher; Naomi ?
Kinnison, junior high custodian and
Superintendent Bonds. ,
In other business, district and^ ^
campus improvement plans were . v
approved as presented, the bopid, ,
accepted the donation of four risen
from the Pine Ridge Elrmrnlsry
School PTO, a waives for TAKS
testing dales was approved and tax,
campus police and ; intervention
officer's reports were presented. * » ^
in personnel matters, the. hoard
was notified of the hiring' of Sara
Tiner as high schodj principal’s
secretary, Betty Burks si dispatcher
in the transportation department, , L
Kristie Dorman, DeAnp Best and ,t
Grady Tinker as bus drivers, and j
Regina Bullock as bus dide. , . ,
Wreck injures fopr
.....v-
M
from page 1
Livingston, was traveling
northbound on South Houston.
According to the accident report
filed by Livingston Police Officer
Caran Coward, Berryhill’s vehicle
was turning left into the Diamond
Shamrock at the same time Smith’s
vehicle was passing and the two
vehicles collided.
Berryhill, Smith and two passen-
.
gers in Smith's vehicle - Kaitfytv ,
Smith, 4, and Tyler Smith, 2, both *
of Livingston - reportedly sus-
tained “possible" • injuries. They
were all transported to Memorial
Medical Center-Livingston by Gold
Star EMS.
Berryhill was cited for failure to
yield right of way turning left and
Smith was cited for driving while
license invalid. > 1 v,
7 <;lb't
. ■ •.dr
Parade among events
from page 1
“Clear Creek” and “Heaven
Bound” will perform from 2-4 p.m.
and a kids’ sing-along is slated for
5-5:30 p.m.
A lighted parade is slated for
5:30 p.m., followed by an appear-
ance by Santa, who will distribute
gifts to the children.
“Agape Child,” a guitar-intensive
rock group with a Christian mes- >
sage, will perform from 6-9 p.m. ,(l ,■
There wilt also be numerous arts
and crafts booths and food booths.
For additional information, visit
the “Christmas in Our Town" web-
site M "
www.christmasinourtown.com. S
1 '(■> >rt
aojitnfiyn .■
OISD honors teams
.‘.3
from page 1
report for the 2004-2005 school
year and the board approved it as
presented.
The board approved the position
of district shipping and receiving
clerk.
Also approved was a ground ser-
vices contract with G&M Land-
scaping.
Superinlendenf Kerry Cowart
presented a review of cost projec-
tions for the district band program
for the 2Q06-2007 school year.
He also reported on the annual
progress of the district in meeting
Highly Quality Teacher Objectives
as required by No Child Left Be-
hind. .....*"v
The board turned in tbeir selP
evaluations of the Team of Eight
Team Building Assessment. Once
compiled by the superintendent,
they will be reviewed at a later
data?’ -j • .$«••**• ■- v -M-r.
Following The ‘ first reading of
EIE (Local) policy, the board au-
thorized the superintendent to find
some sample policies.
In other policy-related business,
the board ha*' >« second reading of
Localized f tey Manual Update
No. 76 and proved it.
Although the board entered into
an executive session to deliberate
personnel and hold a private con-
sultation with its attorney, no action
was taken upon return to open ses-
sion. ■ „
Cowart reported on enrollment
for this time last year; Texas Asso-
ciation of School Boards (TASB)
materials that have been ordered;
the Thanksgiving holidays; the fact
that the December board meeting
has been moved to Dec. 12; the I
p.m. early release on Dec. 16; the
Christmas holiday dates; the report
from the Deep East Texas Self-
Insurance Fund regarding adminis-
trative charges and claims due to
injuries to employees; and TASB
Board Briefs.
Junior/Senior High School Prin-
cipal Charles Hebert reported en-
rollment of 404 and an attendance
rate of 94 percent. He reported that
the boy’s basketball team won the
Leggett tournament and the girls
won consolation. He also reported
on information regarding junior
rings and senior invitations.
Elementary School Principal d
Keith Smith reported enrollment of I
506 and an attendance rate of 94.8 T
percent He reported that he cur-
rently has 92 students in tutorials
on Tuesdays and Thursdays each'
week until the TAKS test. J'’’ ■ ■ id
The board recognized the varsity 1 1
girl’s volleyball team and the cross' '*
country teams.
During the opeb forum, Jilt) Ryati
■ a a'. 'l
•rij-
addressed the bated regarding ho*
pleased he is with the dress coSe"
requirements for the student
letes. >y. ... »
Other business included arardrft ■%
of the tax report, budget amend-
ments, a facility use form, state-
ment of accounts and paynfent of
monthly bills and minutes of the
Oct. 17 regular meeting and Nov. 3
and Nov. 7 special called meetings.
Sptcul meeting called
The board will enter into an ex-
ecutive session to deliberate per-
sonnel during a special called meet-
ing at 6 p.m. Monday.
Any action, however,
taken upon return to open session.
Offices to dose
for Thanksgiving
Banks, post offices and ill
government offices will be
closed Thursday for Thanksgiv-
ing.
Polk County and Cify of
Livingston offices will be closed
both Thursday and Friday. There
will be no curbside garbage cdl-
lection for city of Livingston
residents on Thursday; the regu-
lar trash collection schedule will
resume on Friday.
The Polk County Enterprise
office will be closed on Thurs-
day.
■am
' V
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 123, No. 94, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 24, 2005, newspaper, November 24, 2005; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth820835/m1/4/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.