Portland News (Portland, Tex.), Vol. 16, No. 1, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 1, 1981 Page: 1 of 13
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Portland News and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Bell/Whittington Public Library.
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* •> m ■
'
N#'ji Year's Observance
City office*, bank*, utility
office*. po*l office, Com-
munity Center. Bell Public
Library and mo*t businesses
Mill be closed New Year'*
Day.
The county tax office Mill
be closed Thursday and Fri-
day.
There Mil! be no garbage
collection Thursday.
Regular schedule Mill be
carried out Friday.
There Mill be no mail
delivery Thursday.
\
980
(.able Television, Busing, Dump Site, Drought Make Headlines
The (Mobility ol cable
television iqR’rtland was one
of the news terns that con-
UnuaV raised it* head during
most of 1980
During the eat v part of the
year, it was still iNjeved that
Stacey Conunun i a (fans Corp
of Houston Moult* bnnjMhe ser-
vice to the city.
In fact, in Jar.jary. ilftcom-
panv’s resident :nanage**erc
Jim Morris, tcid the iU#ar>
Club that 'the system .<*# be
completed in Pc rtland In #■!>
March.”
Then in February, SU
Communication* told the
cil that work on the sys
would begin March 1, that the
entire system would be finished
in about tOto 20 weeks, and that
some homes would be tied into
the system within 20 day s.
But, by mid March the story-
had changed
Bob Jones, head of Stacey
Communications, lold the coun-
cil that if given the go-ahead
and 90 additional days on the
y ear’s contract, he would have
the sy stem in operation by July
1. He admitted that because of
poor management the com-
pany fell behind in its commit-
ment to have the system com-
pleted in the specified 12-month
period
Girl Scout Cookie
Sale Starts Jan. 10
Girl Scouts here and
throughout 23 counties o th<
I’a is* no Council Mill knok.on
' door and take irders irHp
1981 cookie sale which b<Jft
Jan 10 and lasts through Jau
• 23
Co kies will jc deli ered
betw wn Feb 10 and Mo ch 7
The once this y ar w ill igirin
bell jO per par luge
• Cookie* arc sipplied bvjthe
Burn Co Vsr.eties in< .ink
Chocolate ckr>. thm ninl.
choerlate and vanilla (i eoru
[ . sandvacb. yeaiat AuM-r 8MF
wich, sugar, and two new items
- a crispy granola cookie called
Dutch 'N Such, and a r.ew
cracker made with real Ched-
dar cheese called Golden
Yangles
Funds earned by the Girl
Scouts will go to support in-
dividual troop projects and
tnps. Council-owned proper-
ties, the Council's resident
Camp - Green Hill located at
lake Mathis - and for general
support of the operation and
support services of the Girl
Seoul program In South Texas
At a April 1 meeting, city
council negated Ilu- franchise
with the Stacey company
In November, Mayor Bobby
Whittington, council members
and city staff personnel visited
a number of operating loca-
tions of cable television com-
panies that had made applica-
tions to build the Portland
system.
The city council and city staff
in December met with
representatives of five cable
television companies to discuss
further the Portland system
The awarding of a franchise
to one of the companies will be
an item at the next meeting of
the council Jan 6.
DUMP SITU PROPOSED
In June, a bomb was dropped
on the county when it was
learned that some 1.600 acres of
prime farmland west of
Portland could be buried under
20 fee! of contaminated dredge
out of the Corpus Christi ship
channel if one of the U.S, Army
Corps of Engineers plans would
be adopted
Early in July the Coastal
Bend Land Preservation
Association was formed in an
effort to preclude the use of the
land as a dumping site
The matter is still pending.
SCHOOL Bl SING
Tiie trial involving the G-P
ISD for alleged segregation
which waSYbhare HftartNI Aprd
28 before the U.S. District
Court at Tyler was postponed
until May 27.
The results of the school
district trial held at Tyler in
May and Hurricane Allen hit
Portland at just about the same
time in August
Hurricane Allen did about $4
million worth of damage, and
the District Court ruled the im-
mediate reassignment of
elementary children in G-P's
four elementary schools.
The school district went to
work to bus the 1,300 elemen-
tary students beginning with
the start of the school year
WATER SHORTAGE
By July, the drought that had
started back in April, was mak-
ing its problems felt.
"There arc cracks in the
ground that you can stick your
leg in up to your knee,” was the
way Mayor Bobby Whittington
explained the troubles.
The city passed an emergen-
cy water conservation or-
dinance July 15 which went into
effect immediately. Watering
of lawns and car washing was
halted.
On Sept 2, the emergency or-
dinance was repealed The new
one-million-galion water tank
was full and weather conditior s
had assisted in alleviating the
drought conditions
RECREATIONAL LAND
On Jan. 2,1980, a city council
workshop was held to discuss
acquisition of additional land
for recreational purposes.
One proposal was to pur-
chase some wetlands at the tip
of Indian Point between the
causeway and where the Indian
Point pier formerly stood.
Originally, the city was
negotiating for 40 acres in that
vicinity, but the land owners
then trimmed that down to 22
acres and just recently they
were reluctant to discuss even
this sale.
So little progress was made
over the period of a year
JANUARY
The p. ice of gasoline at a con-
venience store was 98.9 a
gallon The only problem, there
was no fuel.
In a city council meeting, a
discussion was continued on ac-
quiring additional land for
recreational purposes
G-P's Tommy Robison was
named to Parade Magazine's
high school All-American Foot-
ball Team
A temporary school bus ser-
vice from the East Cliff area to
the Junior high school began
Monday, Jan. 14, and will last
through the period of
reconstruction of Wildcat
Drive,
Following a public hearing
by the city council, the body
voted unanunously to have the
first reading of an ordinance
which will go along with a S65
See 138b. page 6
POR TLAND
Dedicated To The Best Interests
Ol Portland .
"Gem Citv Of The Gulf1"
Portland. Texas 78374, Thursday. January. 1, 1981
Volume XVI - Fourteen Pages- No. 1
NEWC
-u.
v,
fBabsoti Report
’81 To Be Economy Regrouping Period
BARMIN’ BUSINESS
AmD FNAN4TAL
HIRE! AST FOR
Ml
By Babson Reports. Inc.,
Wellesley lills. Mass.,
December 24, 980 A year ago.
our forecast Ir 198f predicted
that the Am rlean economy
would experloee a recession,
the main thru: of which would
gbe felt earl in the year
Technical) speaking,
however, thi generally ac-
cepted deflation of an
economic reission was not
fulfilled That is, the "real”
gross national product i the
GNP stripped of inflation i did
not experience two consecutive
calendar quarters of negative
readings However, the
massive second-qauarter 1980
stump I down nearly 10% l, suf-
fered by the gross national pro-
duct in terms of 1972 dollars,
and the minuscule growth rates
of the year's remaining
quarterly spans, surely must
be regarded as ample indica-
tion that a recession did indeed
While the severity of Un-
economic contraction during
the spring weeks of 1980 ex-
ceeded the expectations of
most economists, the letdown's
brevity underscored the intrin-
sic resilience of the nation's
economy. Had it not been for
the drastic credit curbs which
the Carter Administration and
the Federal Reserve employed
in the bold bid to curb burgeon-
ing inflationary forces, the
economy might not have been
subjected to such a pronounced
buffeting in the spring and ear-
ly summer of 1980 But even if
the reins had not been pulled
back so radically, it is doubtful
that a business slowdown could
have been averted completely.
After all, the growth of the
nation's money supply remain-
ed consistently higher than the
targets tiiat had been projected
ty the monetary authorities,
and the federal government
was unable to cope with the
ever-increasing budget deficit
for fiscal 1980 which ended
September 30 Hence, there
was an exceedingly fertile
breeding ground for inflation,
and the brief, sharp downturn
in short-term interest rates was
supplanted by another spell of
oppressively high inflation and
interest rates in the setond half
of 1980. As these adverse fac-
tors resurfaced, the promising
pickups in residential building
and industrial output sputtered
as the year worked to its ter-
minus
-19*1-
A PERIOD OF
REGROUPING
The staff of Bahson's Report*
now foresees an extension of
the logy econonuc climate dur-
ing much of 1981 's first half.
The incoming Reagan Ad-
ministration faces the
monumental task of lowering
inflation and interest rates We
doubt that sufficiently signifi-
cant and rapid inroads can be
made on these problems to
boost the economy into a swift
upthrust early in the year In-
deed. vitality and forward
momentum will be slow in
developing Hence, economic
activity will do well to edge up-
ward during the winter and
early spring weeks.
Thereafter, however, the
business tempo will quicken
and, the second half of 1981
could enjoy enough of an uplift
See BABSON. P--'. 13
Officers Make
Marijuana Bust
Commissioners Award Contracts
7 /Vian PMrtciu ounty Coinmis-
J Jtoners, meeng in a day-
before-Chrisiias session
Wednesday, "nt through a
lengthy agend in near record
time, award;.- contracts fer
the purchase 28 new voting
maclunes; • tick for Precinct
“» 1; a pickup f» Precinct 2; six
cars for the «riff's depart-
ment; a n*w idio tower and
i v antenna for the sheriff's
department, t be located at
i the ra w ( ountyail; and two fil-
y ing labinets .r the district
clerk s office each case, the
contract* mrnwarded lo the
low bidders.
In other action, the commis-
sioners also approved several
requests for right of way; tabl-
ed a couple of items for a Jan
8th workshop: as well as handl-
ing several other routine mat-
ters.
The commissioners did get
into the Yule spirit when set-
ting holidays for 1981, granting
an extra day, Dec 24, for
Christmas, which wilt fall on
Friday Other holidays, which
are the same as those granted
In 1980, are: Jan 1, 2, New
Year's, Apr 3, Good Friday;
May 25, Memorial Day; July 3,
Independence Day; Sept 7,
labor Day; Nov. 11, Veterans
Day; Nov 26 , 27, Thanksgiv-
ing; and Dec 24,25, Christmas
The court approved the cost
of adjustment of facilities own-
ed by the Permian Corporation,
U.S Highway 77 from 2.9 miles
NE of Sinton to the Refugio
County line, on actual cost
basis, estimated to be approx-
imately $3,030. Also approved
and accepted a road in the l^ost
Creek sulxlivison; appointed
Helen McCullough as presiding
election judge, precinct 15,
replacing Mary Heath, who
resigned, and appointed Betty
Becker as alternate presiding
judge for that precinct.
The commissioners confirm-
ed action restoring travel pay
for the county’s print shop
operator, but made no change
in the pay in the courthouse
snack bar. following a request
from hourly to monthly basis A
resolution of Mobile Producing
Texas and New Mexico, Inc. for
a pipe-lme crossing. County
Hoad 69, Pet. 2, received the
courts approval; and a pay-
ment of $15,465.25 to the County
Appraisal District was
authorized Also authorized
was payment of $19,500 to Sin-
ton I .ease Service for utility ad-
justment costs on US Highway
77, said work having been
authorized and completed
some time ago
The resignation of Karen
Rodney in the Marine Exten-
sion Office was accepted and
approved, as was the new
employment of Carolyn Bryan
Richards to replace Karen
Rodney
Approval was voted for pay-
ment request 47, for $136,384 20,
•to the contractor on the county
jail project Also architect's
supervision fee of $1,827.55 oi^
the same project.
Two persons, one male and
one lemate, were arrested at an
apartment complex on Iamg
Road for the possession of jusl
less than one pound of mari-
juana. They were booked,
taken to county Jail and releas-
ed on bond.
An eight-point buck that had
been killed in Webb County and
left in a pickup overnight at a
Pecan Street address was
stolen during the night
A battery was stolen from a
vehicle parked in the back of
the post office.
A man pumped $10 worth of
gasoline into Ins car at a conve-
nience store and then departed
without paying for the fuel.
A home on Sutherland was
entered and an undetermined
number of item* possibly
stolen. Owners are out of the ci-
ty
A Barcelona Street home was
entered with all rooms being
ransacked. Attempt was made
to open some Christmas
packages. Some vandalism
was accomplished and some
coins were taken
A vehicle was stopped on
Moore Avenue for having the
license plate obstructed.
Driver did not have a drivers
license Computer readback
noted that the driver was
wanted at Port laivaca on pro-
bation violation on a felony
warrant.
Upon stopping a weaving
vehicle, officers found u pistol
behind the driver's seat A
plastic bag containing a white
substance also was found
Woix On Forest
Is Aypreciated
“Wtili laku off the paper
cup uels, r> construction
paper j.int. clothes-pin
.drillrnl<4 boys.nd tinsel from
tlie treetm our. venth annual
ChnstAs I rei orcst It gave
me IM to fleet on the
gen' imy <* II people in this
coni*ityi” Mary Ann
Earl® Ity |. real ion direc-
tor,!_
Jeven i'ars we have
had ■ is tin* Tree display,
and Byear ve need trees,
> sitteMd Saints, and each
yea- RUr dime forth and
. givyBifvto when time is
J n'°f II Rihe noted
‘ f u \
"I want to thank each person
who helped decorate the trees
and worked so hard in making
the decorations, the sitters,
Kiwanis, Outwork,
Newcomers, and Rotary for
donating trees and of course
Santa for coming each evening
to talk to the children." Earley
commented
"I don’t know how it’s dime
but each year It gets better
than the year before Thank
you all for making this
Christmas Tree Forest one tiiat
will be remembered for a long
time,” she concluded
Home For The Holidays
<4
Shown Irom lell are Chan Floyd. Jack McCarty and Clay Massey (NEWS Photo)
Three young men represen-
ting the three military
academies were home in
Portland during the holidays.
Clay Massey , son of Mr. and
Mrs. C.E. Massey, 1117 Polaris,
is a sophomore at the U S.
Military Academy, West Point,
N.Y.
Jack McCarty, son of Mr and
Mrs John R McCarty, 117
Grace, attends the U S Naval
Academy at Annapolis. Md ,
and is a junior.
Chan Floyd, son of Mr and
Mrs. Houston Floyd, 203
PoasUi. is in his junior year at
the U. S Air Force Academy at
Colorado Springs, Colo
The three arc G-PHS
graduates
Floyd, who Is majoring in
nulitary history, has his sights
set on going on to pilot training
and at this time contemplates a
career in the Air Force,
He said he gets in some bowl-
ing, is on his squadron's bowl-
ing team, but for the most part
it is "a lot of studying."
He was graduated from G-P
in 1978 and will complete the
Academy in 1982.
McCarty, who will be
remembered here for his runn-
ing marks at G-P continues as a
long distance runner at An-
napolis Just to keep in trim he
puts in about a 45-inile week in
addition to doing some speed
work
So far Ihis year he has par-
ticipated in two kidoor meets
and has hit his best lime in the
half mile with a 1 56 3
McCarty looks forward to a
career as a U. S. Marine Corps
pilot. He Is majoring in
aerospace engineering.
Massey has his major in
mechanical engineering and
looks forward to duty with the
Corps of Engineers or in tlie Or-
dinance Department
He has been lo New York City-
two or three times and said that
he gets In a good deal of skiing
inasmuch as there is skiing on
campus at West Point
And, he admitted that I
wasn't ai all enchanted with Hie
cold weather of New York
slate
l
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Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Leveen, Paul D. Portland News (Portland, Tex.), Vol. 16, No. 1, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 1, 1981, newspaper, January 1, 1981; Taft, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth871881/m1/1/?q=food+rule+for+unt+students: accessed June 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bell/Whittington Public Library.