El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 97, No. 18, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 23, 1981 Page: 2 of 10
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Page 2
El Campo Leader News, El Campo, TX, Sat , May 23, 1981
Broom, Anyone? ^
David Wendt, El Campo Lions Club vice presi-
dent, unloads brooms, mops and other houshold
items Friday morning for the club’s annual
broom and mop sale, which continues today in
front of the IIEB Food Store. Proceeds will go the
the Texas Lighthouse For The Blind, local
scholarships, eye care and for sending children
to the Texas Lions Camp for Crippled and
Diabetic Children.
Auto Accident Injures
Two High School Girls
Details are still sketchy on the
Wednesday accident that sent two
El Campo High School girls to
Houston's Hermann Hospital with
multiple injuries after their late
model two-door coupe left High-
way 71 and hit a culvert a bout one-
quarter of a mile south of Gar-
wood.
Listed in improving, but serious
condition with two broken legs
and a severed aorta is Lois Bunge,
15, Garwood Her sister, Alexis
Bunge, 16, sustained a broken
arm, leg and a fractured jaw
Alexis Bunge reportedly was
driving a 1961 Camaro northbound
on 71 at the time of the accident,
approximately 6:30 p.m
Her car reportedly was forced
onto the northbound shoulder by a
southbound truck driven by Greg
Kggemeyer, El Campo
Eggemeyer, a driver for Home
Lumber Co., El Campo. repor-
tedly was passing a southbound
vehicle that had slowed down to
turn into a driveway
The southbound vehicle,
believed to be a truck, did not
stop, informed sources said
The Home Lumber truck
reportedly sustained minor
damages in the accident
No charges have been filed and
the accident is still under in-
vestigation by Department of
Public Safety trooper Raymond
Munsell, Colorado County
Augat To Expand Plant
Augat, Inc., manufacturers of electronic hardware for the
computer industry, announced Thursday a major expansion pro-
ject at the El Campo plant which will increase the number of
employees by 50 percent.
“We’ve started feeling the effects of a rejuvenated economy.
This is the beginning of a long and continuing growth pattern,’’
Charles Bentley, plant manager, said.
Augat opened its El Campo facility, located at 614 N.
Mechanic, in September 1978 The plant currently employs ap-
proximately 40 people.
WCJC Trustees Accept Donation
Wharton County Junior
College’s board of trustees filled
the last vacancy in the in-
structional staff of the associate
degree of nursing program, and
accepted a donation of $52,000 in
medical laboratory equipment
from the Gulf Coast Medical
Foundation at Wednesday’s board
meeting in Wharton
Mrs Gerald Boyle, who has
previous teaching experience at
Texas Woman's University in
Houston and Alvin Junior College,
was hired as an instructor in the
nursing program, which will
complete the faculty roster in that
department
Boyle has a master's degree
from the University of California
at San Francisco.
El Campo's Guy Stovall Jr was
“instrumental” in securing the
equipment donation from the
Medical Foundation, Dr. Ted
Nicksick Jr., WCJC president,
said.
Nicksick said the equipment
eventually will be incorporated
into the college’s medical lab
technology program.
Implementation of the program
was postponed Wednesday night
until the 1982 school year,
Nicksick reported
Trustees made the decision to
postpone because the college was
"not in any position to determine
what kind of furniture and
equipment” is needed for the
program,” Nicksick said
Nicksick explained that the
college received three different
recommendations from furniture
and equipment suppliers on the
program’s needs
In other business, trustees
established a public hearing date
for the 1981-82 operating budget.
The hearing will take place at the
board’s regular meeting date in
August, Wednesday the 19th
Trustees also accepted a bid of
$47,955 from Cannell Engineering
Inc., El Campo, for the in-
stallation of six air conditioning
units in the Pioneer Learning
Center.
Trustees also accepted a
donation of computer equipment
valued at approximately $30,000
from Baker Sand Control,
Houston.
The equipment will be used for
instructional purposes in the
physics, chemistry and
mathematics departments,
Nicksick said.
Trustees authorized Nicksick to
continue studying the feasibility
of switching the college’s busses
to propane powered engines
Nicksick reported that he is
awaiting results of a similar
experiment with two busses in the
l^amar Consolidated Independent
School District
Nicksick also reported on a
walkout of custodial personnel
that occurred Friday, May 8.
Nineteen of 20 custodians left
their jobs over a dispute about job
responsibilities. All but one
returned to work the following
Monday, Nicksick said.
CAC Supports Proposed Ordinance
Community Action Committee
members met Thursday night at
City Hall and reaffirmed their
support of the proposed drinking
ordinance to Ik* considered by city
council Tuesday night
The committee drafted a letter
to be sent to all councilpersons
outlining the committee’s reasons
for bringing the need for the or-
dinance to the council’s attention
In brief, the letter states that in
certain areas of the city, persons
consuming alcoholic beverages in
roadways constitutes a safety
hazard to motorists and
pedestrians
In addition, the discarding of
empty beer and wine bottles
constitutes a “persistent” lit-
tering problem in certain areas of
the city.
The ordinance is intended to
have a significant impact on the
public consumption of alcoholic
beverages on Palacios Street,
which is lined with a number of
beer lounges, and in other public
places as well, such as business
parking lots and public school
campuses
Committee member Clarence
McKnight said Thursday that
lounge owners on Palacios Street
have indicated that they would
favor passage of such an or-
dinance.
“It’s a shame that you have to
have a city ordinance to deter
this. You would hope that people
would have enough self respect to
keep from drinking in the streets,
but they don’t. You have to have
laws to give them the initiative to
comply,” McKnight said
Committee members also
stressed that the ordinance is not
intended to infringe on an in-
dividual’s right to consume
alcoholic beverages on private
property.
In other business, committee
members discussed ways to
improve their ties with city
council and reviewed a list of
priority projects drafted by
Mayor A. G “Red” Miller.
Committee members renewed
their pledge to attend council
meetings and further decided to
have a representative attend
public school board meetings.
In other discussions, committee
members reviewed the guidelines
for initiative and referendum in
the El Campo City Charter
Members attending included
Rayford Simon, chairman; R. L.
Carter, McKnight, Mary Bell,
Lupe Garcia and Isabel Rivera,
grievance committee chair- v
person.
UN Phu h> M Zarlu
AMMociiite piiHtor I'im kinder conduct* St. Philip'* commencement exerci*e*.
EC Museum
Announces
New Members
Willis Vickery and Mrs. Verner
Petersen were welcomed as new
members to the El Campo
Museum Society board of
directors during a May 14
meeting.
Mrs. Petersen is filling the one-
year unexpired term of Dr. Earl
Erwin, while Vickery will fill two
years of Ted Hajovsky Jr.’s
unexpired term.
Carolina Vitera, museum
curator, reported that 187
memberships have been paid this
year, while 59 are unpaid. She also
said museum visitation remains
good as 375 school children visited
the museum last week.
Vitera also reported that Dr.
and Mrs. E. A. Weinheimer
donated $1,000 to be museum
society.
The board voted to spend ap-
proximately $375 for souvenir
pencils for the museum gift shop.
short stories — short stories
Burglaries Highlight List Of Crimes
Parent* should be on the lookout
for a questionnaire on facilities
Improvements in the El Campo
Independent School District. The
survey is the second phase of an
effort by the district to solicit
opinions from throughout the
community on needs in the school
system, and suggestions for
making the district better
We’ve been having a tough time
keeping up with El Campo Medal
of Honor winner Roy Benavides
since the prestigious military
honor was bestowed on him in
February. Renavidei has
maintained a rigorous schedule of
public appearances and speaking
engagements across the state,
and in some Instances, out of
state.
Benavides returned Thursday
from Virginia where he delivered
a commencement address at
Virginia Tech University and
spoke at several high schools in
Roanoke, Virginia Thursday
night, he received an honorary
degree during commencement
exercises at Wharton County
Junior College, and Friday night
he spoke to a gathering at the
First Baptist Church of louise.
Saturday (today) he hi scheduled
to make an appearance at the
commissioning ceremony for
ROTC cadets at the University of
Texas at Austin, and he will
return la Austin Monday for a
Memorial Day observance. Ilow’s
thatlar an itinerary?
It alee deserves mentioning that
everywhere Benavides goes.
newspaper reporters and
photographers are close behind.
In a recent trip to Austin on an
invite from the ROTC school, for
instance, Benavidez’ photo ac-
companied a Page I story in The
Daily Texan, the student paper at
the University of Texas. We’ve
been told that this is the first time
the newspaper has devoted front
page coverage to the ROTC
program there. Benavidez also
received prominent coverage of
his high school visits from the
Roanoke Times A World-News.
Getting back to local hap-
penings. the liouise Altar Society
is accepting donations on behalf of
Agnes Poncik. a Louise widow
who is facing large medical bills
following a recent series of
Despite strong opposition from
all cotton producer groups, there
continues to be a serious threat
posed to the Smith Doxey cotton
classing program, the South
Texas Cotton and Grain
Association reported in its May
newsletter
Should the program be term
mated, cotton producers will be
required to pay $1 per bale for
official cotton classing, if the
service is desired
In correspondence to
Association officials. Secretary of
Agriculture John Block stated
that the USDA submitted earlier
this year a draft bill to Congress
to recover costs associated with
operations. Donations are being
collected at the First State Bank
of Louise. Appling Lumber Co.
and BAB Gulf Service Station.
El Campo postal employee
Leroy Krauskopf has accepted the
duties of postmaster in East
Bernard until a permanent
replacement ran he assigned.
East Bernard's regular post-
master recently died of a heart
attack.
The West Wharton County Unit
of the American Cancer Society
reminds us that only one week
remains in the 1980 fundraising
drive. Send your contributions to
the local unit at P. O. Box 1285. El
Campo. 77437.
cotton classing and standards
“This proposed legislation
would provide authority for the
Secretary of Agriculture to collect
fees for cotton classing under the
Smith-Doxey Act and for the sale
of cotton standards After taking
into considernt ion net proceeds
from the sale of samples, these
fees and charges would cover all
costs incident to providing
classing services and standards,”
Block stated
Total cost of last year's classing
service approached $14 million
Critics of the USDA proposal said
it could cost the agency that much
or more in order to collect the fee
and maintain accurate records
In a busy last-half of the week,
the El Campo Police Department
has recorded one arrest and
added three burglaries, one
burglary of a motor vehicle, two
thefts, one forgery and one
assault to their list of active in-
vestigations.
Joe Rivera Jr., 17, 610 E West
Street, was arrested for theft
Wednesday night Rivera
reportedly was attempting to
leave a North Mechanic Street
store without paying for some
items He was released after
paying a $53.50 fine and entering a
plea of guilty.
The burglaries were reported
by Gilbert Vela, Shropshire
Street. I^wana W'ollam. Michael
Street, and Leon Rodriguez.
Center Street
Vela reported the Monday night
burglary of three flutes from the
high school band hall. 600 W
Norris St Estimated value of the
missing instruments is $t .000
Wollam reported stolen from a
residence Tuesday night a purse
with assorted contents, including
approximately $240 in cash
Rodriguez reported stolen five
cases of beer, valued a! $45. from
a South Washington Street
business
Rick Schmidt. Raun Street,
reported the burglary of a $75
pocket camera from a motor
vehicle that was parked at his
residence
The thefts were reported by-
Roger Benavidez. Heights Street,
and John T Parker. West Jackson
Street
Benav idez reported stolen a
boy's bicycle from his residence
Wednesday night
Parker reported stolen from K
mart an assortment of items that
included record albums, birthday
card, batteries and a baby doll
with a combined total value
estimated at $•«:,.
Cecilia Castellanos, Business
Street, reported the forgery of a
check drawn on a local bank and
passed to a North Mechanic Street
merchant for $350
Deborah Moreno, Muncy Street,
reported an assault Tuesday
while she was working at an in-
dustry located on Blue Creek
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been notified and reportedly will
appear in court at a later date.
ECPD also cleared three
burglary cases. The complaints
filed by James Pilgreen involving
60 pounds of meat and a pistol,
and the complaint filed by Sch-
midt involving a camera, were
cleared when a juvenile, repor-
tedly responsible for these
complaints, was taken into
custody
Police attribute the clearing of
these cases to a citizen becoming
involved and being aware of
“suspicious circumstances.”
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Barbee, Chris. El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 97, No. 18, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 23, 1981, newspaper, May 23, 1981; El Campo, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth987175/m1/2/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Wharton County Library.