Portland News (Portland, Tex.), Vol. 9, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 15, 1974 Page: 1 of 14
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SUPT. OF
3CH00L3
P
GREGORY.
TEXAS 78359
AUG
The Portland Kittens will
embark at 5:30 am today
(Thursday i on the biggest
venture ofthe collective young
lives They will enter a national
contest sponsored by the
United States Twirling
Association in San Francisco
on Friday
The Portland Kittens, under
the guidance of Mrs Donna
Garbe. have been working as a
unit for over two and one half
years and have won a number
of honors Last year they en
tered the USTA state contest
and won first place and this
year they repeated as state
champions, receiving an even
higher rating, making them
eligible to consider entering
the national competition
Competition in this class of
twirling event is limited to girls
up to 12 years of age The
Portland group is currently
made up of 19 girls
Since the group decided to
make the trip to the national
contest the mothers in the
organization have been busy
with all sorts of fund raising
projects such as cake sales,
garage sales and bottle
Workshop Sessions
G-P Teachers
Start Monday
Gregory-Portland school
children have one more week
of their summer vacation left,
but for the 200 plus teachers,
aides and other professional
workers the 1974-75 school year
will begin next Monday,
August 19 The teacher
workshop will last all week
The week's activities will get
underway at 8 30 a m Monday
when the G-P chapter of the
Texas Teachers Association
Phil Peterson gave a con
vincing talk to the Rotary Club
on Monday about the merits of
the Portland Volunteer Fire
Department In the question
and answer period that
followed someone asked him
how long it took for the Por
Hand Volunteer Firemen to get
equipment moving once the
alarm was sounded
“I don't have any figures."
the fireman answered, "but by
the time the big siren runs
down in three minutes we
always have a couple of pieces
of equipment rolling ”
See EDITOR, Page M
has a reception for the new
teachers in the system Coffee
and donuts will be served in the
High School Cafeteria This
will be followed at 9 a m with a
meeting of all of the new facul-
ty members at which time they
will be briefed on all local
district policies and be given
other information about the
school system
All of the faculty will gather
at 10 am, also in the High
School Cafeteria, for a session
that will last the remainder ol
Time Table
For High Schottl
Studenta Set
T M McDonald, Gregory
Portland Senior High School
Principal announced that 11th
and 12th grade students can
pick up their registration
forms on Wenesday, Aug 21,
from 8 30 a m to 3:30 p m 9th
and 10th grade students may
pick up their registration
forms on Thursday, Aug 22,
from 8 30 a m to 3 30 p m
Orientation for 9th graders
and students new' to the high
school will be held on Thur
sday. Aug 22. from 8 30 a m to
11:30 a m and from 1 30 p m
to 3 00 p.m
Annuals will be delivered on
Thursday. Aug. 22. from 3:30
p m to 5:00 p m
the morning Supt W C. An
drews will preside at the
meeting and make faculty
introductions Asst Supt Joe
F Sebesta, Jr., will talk on
general information and Bus
Mgr A Bates will bring the
teachers up to date on all
business information
In the afternoon the meeting
will continue with comments
by Supt Andrews followed by
a talk by Delores Timmerman,
librarian for the Portland
Public Library. Glendy Huene,
county librarian for children
See TEACHERS, Page 14
Awards
Program
Scheduled
A summer recreation
awards program has been
scheduled for 7 p m Friday,
Aug 16. in the Community
Center Mayor Charles Tothill
will give out awards and
trophies for the library reading
program. the summer
recreation program and to the
winners of a cheerleading
contest scheduled for Friday
night
'Hie public is invited to at-
tend Refreshments will be
served
POR TLAND
15
Dedicated To The Heat Intereata
Of Portland - The Faateat
(i rowing City In Texaa
PORTLAND. TEXAS 78374. THURSDAY. AUGUST 15. 1974
VOLUME IX - FOURTEEN PAGES - NO. 33
PORTLAND KITTENS: This group of youngsters will be competing for national honors this
Friday in San Francisco when they take part in the United States Twirling Association
contest. They will leave today (Thursday and return on Sunday). The girts are: left row,
front to back. Lori Claunch, Lt. Melanie Pyatte. Jan Graeber. Mirta Goniales and Dolores
Cortinas. Second row. Denise Hoffman. Lt. Linda Daughtry. Sharon Edwards and Staci
Love. Third row: Marianne King. Kim Bridger. Lt. Kim Owen. Blayne Counter, and Connie
Massey. Fourth row Susan Cook. Laura Vanlandingham. Co captain Miriam DeGaish.
Captain Kim Lucey and Beth Vanlandingham Mrs Donna Garbe. director, it in the back
Portland Kittens Set To
Try For National Title
collections The project* will
continue right up until the time
that the girls leave and if they
fail to reach their goal they will
continue after returning on
their money raising projects
The cost per girl has been
set at $225 which includes
transportation on the charter
bus from Portland to the air-
port in San Antonio, the flight
to San Francisco and return as
well as food and lodging while
they are in San Francisco
The Kittens will meet at the
T M Clark School for their bus
See KITTENS, Page 14
LISA KELSEY
sets state record
Lisa Kelsey Has Eyes
Set On Olympic Team
Lisa Kelsey is a shy 16-year
old teenager who has great
plans for the future Her
biggest ambition is to be an
Olympic swimmer, and if the
young lady keeps on setting
records she just might end up
wearing the colors of the
United States instead of the
North Shore Club
Lisa has been swimming
ever since she can remember
and competing for about II
years in all types of swim
meets and has a "whole house
full” of ribbons, trophies, cups,
etc. to attest to her winning
ways
The latest feather in her
swimming cap came recently
at the Texas-Oklahoma senior
swimming meet in Dallas when
she set a new state record in
the 200 meter freestyle with a
time of 2:10.28 I.ast year Lisa
held the record in the I(I0 meter
School Bun Houtes
Will Slay Same
There will be no change in
the school bus routes for the
1974-75 school year The routes
and time schedules will be the
same as last year
If anyone needs further in
formation contact their
building principal at his office
or Vernon Sessions at 643-6566
Against Prosecution
Portland Favors
Nixon Quitting
The people of Portland are
almost united in approval of
President Richard Nixon's
resignation, but the same
group of people were two to one
in favor of dropping all further
action against the former
president
The Portland News con
ducted a telephone poll last
Friday and It seemed to be that
the bulk of the people favored
the resignation as the only
means left open to the
president and in the best in
terests of the nation Only two
in the entire [mil thought the
president should not have
resigned
Opinions varied a great deal
about continuing the inves
tigation into the "Watergate
Affair" but two-thirds of those
polled felt in one way or
another that Nixon had tieen
through enough and that it was
time to put the entire mess
behind us as a nation "It is
over and done - let it end
here " This was the way Ed
Whitney expressed himself and
at the same time he approved
of the resignation
A number of people pul it
like Jim Odom, owner of Odom
Meats. "I believe it was the
only thing he could do, but let's
drop it now cause he is gonna
get away
Mrs Benjamin Greathouse,
of 102 Park Place, had just a bit
different idea on the whole
affair "I shed a bucket of
tears If I could have had my
druthers I would have had him
tough it out and then thumb his
noae in their faces He should
have burned those tapes long
ago If he resigned he must
have felt it was the only thing
he could do I believe that
Sae NIXON, Page 4
Board Holds
Line On Taxes
freestyle but this record has
since been broken
To lop her awards she was
notified this week that she had
been selected as the out-
standing swimmer by the
South Texas A A.U She
received a silver plate
engraved with her name and
“Outstanding Athlete"
Lisa works hard at per-
fecting her swimming skills
and while she is in training for
meets she puts in about 5-6
hours per day in either the
11 E B Pool in Portland or the
pool at Texas A&I at Corpus
Christ!. When she has a bit of
spare time the chances are that
she II stick to water sports,
with water skiing being one of
her favorites She is also a
horse enthusiast
To further her ambition to
make the Olympic swim team
Lisa has plans to enroll at the
University of Texas which
boasts a strong swim team She
has already been contacted by
the Texas swimming coach and
no doubt she will attend TU on
an athletic scholarship She is a
junior at Ingleside High this
year
Swimming doesn't keep Lisa
from being a good student in
school and her report card at
Ingleside usually shows up
with "A s’’ and "B's”. She is
the daughter of Mr and Mrs
James Kelsey of Ingleside
/Vase Speaks
To C of C
Zeph Pease spoke to the
Portland Chamber of Com
merce at noon Tuesday about
the goals of the Texas
Beautification Council He
pointed out to the members
that the primary objective of
the organization was to help
keep Texas beautiful by
reducing the amount of litter
on our highways and other
public places
Mr Pease urged the
Chamber of Commerce,
collectively and individually,
to consider sponsoring the
principles of the Beautification
Council in Portland lt was
decided to invite someone from
the Council to speak to the
Chamber to fully explain the
workings of the group
The Gregory-Portland
School Board gave tacit ap-
proval Tuesday night to a
record $3 94 million budget
that held inflationary in-
creases to such a low level that
it is not anticipated the current
tax rate of $1 60 will have to be
raised
In making the final rough
draft presentation of the bud-
get to the board, Supt W C.
Andrews told the board "We
have cut almost every request
for funds submitted and have
reviewed each and every
department to make every
economy possible in order to
get the budget down to this
figure "
Actually the tentative budget
calls for an expenditure of
$3,594,330, which is $320,513
above the current budget. The
bulk of the increase is reflected
in higher salaries and in
flationary prices
George Cook, board mem-
ber, told Supt Andrews after
the budget presentation: "I
feel that the administration
has done an ouLstanding job not
only in keeping the overall
budget figure down but in the
manner in which it has been
presented and explained to the
board " President Dean
Drieling said that he felt that
this expressed the feeling of
the entire board
In making his final
presentation of the budget
figures to the board Supt
Andrews included an ad-
ditional $21,000 with $14,000 to
go to a 17-18 per cent salary
increase for ancillary per-
sonnel "Our regular across-
the-board pay raise for all
personnel in the district has
just not been enough for these
people." Supt Andrews told
the board
He pointed out that under
minimum wage guidelines
these employees would be
entitled to a raise on January 1
and the proposed increase
would put them above this
mark
Other additional funds
requested by the superin-
tendent included $1,500 to put
girls track in at the High
School and basketball at the
junior high level Also $2,100
was provided for uniforms
for female ancillary em
ployees. Men custodians
already receive uniforms
$2,700 was also asked to
provide local dollars for
matching federal money for
the purchase of certain types of
equipment.
After giving their approval
to the overall tentative budget,
the board then set Tuesday.
Aug 20. as the date for the
public hearing on the budget It
will be formally adopted at this
meeting, which is open to the
See TAXES, Page 14
Board Reviews Changes
In Policy, Takes Bids
The Gregory-Portland
School Board took care of a
number of items of business at
their regular meeting Tuesday
night, in addition to a review of
the 1974-75 budget, which is
discussed in another story
All of the principals and the
athletic director were present
to review policy changes an-
ticipated for the coming year
Prin T M McDonald told
the board that very few
changes were anticipated in
the High School The “No
smoking" section of the
student handbook will be
enlarged to prohibit the use of
other tobacco products like
chewing tobacco and snuff The
principal told the board that
tobacco juice in the fountains
and on the walls and sidewalks
had reached a point he felt that
it had to be banned No changes
were suggested in the dress
codes
R C. Nolle, Junior High
principal, reported only a few
minor changes
Ray Akins, athletic director,
gave the board a thorough
interpretation of the dress code
and discipline as applied to
athletics No changes are
anticipated in the present hair
and dress code set up for
athletes
Supt W. C. Andrews told the
board that in an effort to save
on paper publication of student
hand books, and other policy
rules, would be held to a
minimum
Resignations were approved
for the following teachers
Santitos Estrada, Sandra
Bridges. Aida Gutierrez,
Estella Gonzales, Gai Lynn
Marshall and Fred Taggs
Leave of absence was granted
to Harietl Schloss for the 1974-
75 school year and a leave for
temporary disability was
granted to Mercedes Guerra
New teachers employed will be
found in another story
The Borden Milk Company
was the low bidder on milk and
milk products for the coming
year They submitted a bid of
1080 cents for 1-2 pint homo
Business Manager A Bates
pointed out that the school
district will use over 500.000 1-2
pints of milk during the school
year
See SCHOOL, Page 14
Barrier Contract Let;
Completion In 1975
A contract for making the
pre-cast concrete barriers
sections to be used to divide
Highway 181 from the bluff to
the causeway has been
awarded by the Highway
Department with pouring work
due to begin by the contactor
by August 15
The John Whitley Concrete
Co. of 1220 S Navigation,
received the contract to cast
the beams at a cost of $1145.500
and he expects it will take
about four months to cast the
330 sections needed to do the
job
Once the beams are cast the
work of installing them will be
done by the Highway Depart-
ment under the direction of
Marshall Stobb. maintenance
construction This work should
get underway sometime
around the first of the year
and, depending on the weather,
be completed in about 30
working days
Each of the beams will be 31'
3" wide at the bottom and 2’ 9"
tall and will weigh 15.400
pounds They will be 21 :i'i"
wide at the bottom and 8' wide
at the top This is similar to the
barrier on the high bridge and
designed to keep a car from
being able to jump from one
lane to another The beams will
lie free standing but will be
bolted together, end to end
They will be designed so that a
pedestrian fence, or headlight
screen tsimilar to the fence on
top of the median through
Portland l, can be installed at a
later date
This will be the first use of
pre-cast concrete beams for a
median in the Corpus Christi
Highway District.
The concrete barrier will tie
onto the existing barrier at the
underpass and go all the way to
the area of the existing
crossover at Gunderlands
where It will tie into a flexible
metal barrier that will carry on
to the causeway There will not
be a break in the barrier from
the underpass to the causeway
Work started last week on a
turn-around under the north
end of the causeway to enable
south hound traffic to swing
down under the bridge and turn
back north to Sunset Lake
Traffic on this turn-around will
be two way in order to enable
traffic from Sunset Lake to get
See BARRIFS, Page 14
jr~-
H ar
y
I
iSS?
- *-. * ■ . -s* • ta'
TURN AROUND Work started this woek on a turn-around
at the north end ot the causeway that will be completed when
the concrete median is ready to be installed on lit sometime
after the first ol the year The turn around will enable south
bound motorists to go under the causeway and have access to
the Sunset Lake The traffic on the turn around will be twoi
1
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Leveen, Paul D. Portland News (Portland, Tex.), Vol. 9, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 15, 1974, newspaper, August 15, 1974; Taft, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth864202/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bell/Whittington Public Library.