The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 140, No. 91, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 13, 1994 Page: 1 of 36
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Bastrop County Basketball
Smithville Girls 43 Elgin 47
Columbus 38 - Dime Box 51
Smithville 66
Columbus 63
Elgin Girls 36
Rockdale 69
'See Pace 13
5th M.L.K. Jr.
walk coming
See Page 6
txilstv
Texas' Oldest Weekly Newspaper
Since March l, 1853
500
Vol. 140, No. 91
Burglaries
stay ahead
of arrests
Bastrop County sheriffs
deputies charged one 16 year-
old this week for a recent bur-
glary, but, according to Captain
Charlie Littleton, arrests are not
matching the number of bur-
glaries.
He said there have been at
least 10 burglaries since Jan. 1.
"Although we've had several ar-
rests in the past few weeks,
(burglars) are still nipping us
pretty good," the captain said.
Littleton said, "People are
either forgetting to lock their
doors or just not doing it
They're making it too easy for
burglars." >
He asks that residents take
extra precaution when leaving
their homes and make sure to
lock their doors.
"This seems to be a prime
time for burglaries because the
crooks figure that everyone just
received new TVs, VCRs and
jewelry for Christmas: Chances
are that with new gifts the own-
See BURGLARIES, p. 2
Adams files
as candidate
Bastrop County Democratic
Party officials said this week
that Ed Adams, an upholsterer,
will be on the March 8 ballot as
the fourth candidate opposing
the reelection bid of Precinct 2
Commissioner Elaine Seidel.
Adams filed a petition with
voter signatures to back his can-
didacy rather than paying the
$600 filing fee coughed up by
other hopefuls.
In an announcement Sunday,
county chairman Mike Roach
said Barbara Brinkmeyer, the
county's voter registrar, certified
54 names on the petition as
valid. Adams needed 50 signa-
tures to qualify.
therefore have found that
Mr. Adams' application is valid
and will allow his name to be
placed on the ballot," said
Roach.
Others in the road commis-
sioner's race include former
Smithville city council member
Charlie McKeown, John
Yancey of Smithville and Au-
gust Fuchs of Paige.
Bastrop, Texas
Thursday, January 13,1994
m m i
City council
stiffens stance
on utility cost
By Davis McAuley
Editor
So far in the 1993-94 school year Bastrop Middle School has the largest student enrollment of
any Bastrop County school.
Enrollment —
Bastrop County schools show steady growth
By Janice Butler
Staff Writer
Student enrollment has con-
tinued to rise at three Bastrop
County school districts during
the 1993-94 school year.
On January 11 there were
375 more students attending
schools in Bastrop, Elgin and
Smithville than there were when
the schools opened in August
L Elgin has steadily increased
and now has 70 more, making
its total enrollment 2,332.
Bastrop is maintaining a
seven percent enrollment in-
crease and has added 235 new
students since school began in
August. BISD total enrollment
is at 4,754.
So far the most drastic in-
crease has been in Smithville
schools where enrollment has
increased by 71 students for a
total this week of 1,524.
Smithville Independent
School Superintendent Larry
Edwards said his district is a
"little above" its normal eight
percent growth rate.
"(Traditionally) we experi-
ence a continual growth
throughout the entire year, but
this year we started with 44 ad-
ditional students because we
added two pre-kindergarten
classes," Edwards explained.
The pre-kindergarten stu-
dents were registered in August
and are not a part of the 71 ad-
ditional students, he added.
"We've had a steady increase
of students during the past 10
years, and I expect that pattern
to continue as development
along Texas 71 increases," Ed-
wards said.
"People are attracted to the
quality of life here in Bastrop
County and the data shows
that," he said.
Still, Edwards said SISD
campuses are not too crowded
yet
"We are in compliance with
the 22 to 1 (student-teacher) ra-
tio at our lower grade levels, but
we will be studying facility
needs at the board meeting
Tuesday," he said.
Elgin and Bastrop schools are
also in compliance with the 22
students to one teacher ratio
mandated by the state, but there
are some marginal grades in
both school districts.
EISD Superintendent Ron
Bradford said, "We're all right
with 22 to 1, but in the fifth
grade, classes are larger than I
would like them to be."
"Our enrollment is always
creeping up, and I just keep
asking principals to keep me in-
formed as to how much. I want
the teachers to know that I'm
watching and paying attention,"
he explained.
'Tm concerned about any-
thing over 25 (students per
teacher) and some classes have
26 or 27 students," Bradford
added.
In Bastrop, Superintendent
Dr. Paul Fleming said the dis-
trict is shuttling students back
and forth.
"Some grade levels are full at
Cedar Creek and Emile Ele-
mentary so we have been send-
ing the extra students to Mina,"
he explained.
"Our enrollment is staying
flat, and we're actually down
from our numbers before
Christmas. Still at 4754, enroll-
ment is 302 students above last
year's numbers," said Fleming.
"I am surprised that we did
not get more students after the
holiday, but if enrollment con-
tinues as it has the rest of the
year, we could reach 5,000 by
the end of this school year."
Tuesday the Bastrop City
Council signaled commercial
developers they will be ex-
pected to bear the cost of utility
service extensions and adhere to
other development standards as
part of the price of doing busi-
ness in Bastrop.
The council also adopted new
rules to govern new develop-
ments which, for whatever rea-
son, don't fall under the city's
subdivision regulations.
Both stances Were urged by
City Manager Michael Talbot as
crucial ;n guiding growth along
the rapidly developing Texas 71
highway corridor, especially
west of Bastrop.
On the utility extension pol-
icy, inconsistently applied by
the city in die past, council
comments on plans by Don
Stewart for a new auto lube
shop suggested their stance.
There was no formal vote.
According to Talbot, Stewart
agreed to seek annexation,
properly subdivide the lube
shop site and address drainage
and related concerns. But he
baulked at spending an esti-
mated $35,000 to extend water
and sewer lines to the property.
If Stewart wants city water
and sewer service, he should
seek annexation and pay for the
extensions, said Mayor David
I i*M*| Prnipril Jimmy
Mathison agreed.
Council Member Tommy
Goode asked Talbot why the
city paid for water and sewer
See DEVELOPMENT, p. 2
Underground water plan
heading for fresh debate
Bastrop County Judge Randy
Fritz urged commissioners
Monday to attend, ask questions
and listen Jan. 20 when the
Bastrop County Water Council,
an appointed advisory panel,
will debate recommending cre-
ation of an underground water
conservation district, possibly
with taxing powers.
For the past year the council
has been studying the idea at the
judge's request Still, Fritz
voiced surprise that the council
appears poised to recommend
that the county take steps to-
ward creating such a district 1
How best to protect Bastrop
County's substantial reserves of
underground water from poten-
tial pollution and depletion has
been the subject of controversy
for more than 10 years.
As recently as 1986 county
commissioners appeared poised
to ask legislative representatives
to carry a local bill creating an
agency to regulate and protect
the county's underground water
sources. But elections that year
changed the composition of the
county's governing body and the
idea appeared dead.
A subsequent effort by
environmental activists to per-
suade tiie Texas Water
Commission, now called the
Texas Natural Resources Con-
servation Commission, to create
a district for Bastrop County
stalled after running into heavy
opposition from officials at Al-
coa's Rockdale operations
See WATER, p. 2
Business p. 11
Classified p. 18
Deaths p. 18
Letters p. 4
People p. 9
Sports p. 12
Christmas Bird Count spots more birds this year
By Ellen Moore
Staff Writer
The 17th annual Bastrop-
Buescher State Parks Christmas
Bird Count was held January 1
and while some 99,000 individ-
ual birds were seen, and 114
species spotted, not one single
Bobwhite was seen for the third
straight year.
Bastrop birders are concerned
about the absence and note that
the once common bird hasn't
been seen in large numbers for
years. For example, 83 were
spotted in 1979, 79 in 1980, 68
in 1981, 40 in 1982 and 53 in
1982. Then only 15 were seen in
1984; 16 in 1985; two in 1986;
and three in 1987. Not one was
seen in 1985. One was seen in
1986 and that was the last one
spotted in the annual bird count
"We haven't seen them in
some time and I'm afraid they're
gone," reported David and Judy
Nichols, who were two of the 33
birders who went out on New
Year's Day and surveyed a 15-
mile diameter circle, centered
close to the Bastrop State Park
entrance. "They're gone. It is
probably the fire ants, but
something has done them in,"
David added.
One hundred seventy-three House Sparrows were reported at
the annual Audubon count held Jan. 1.
The birders, who divided into
11 groups, went out at 7 a.m.
and watched birds until 5 or
5:30 p.m. TTie 114 species
counted was a little on the low
side this year. For example, 121
species were recorded last year
and 114 species or more have
been consistently recorded since
1983.
However, more individual
birds were seen this year than
ever before. Yet among the
99,000 birds, compared to
20,000 last year, there were no-
table absences, in addition to the
Bobwhite. No bald eagles were
seen and they've been seen
during 10 of the previous 16
counts. Also, and more strange
to the birders, no Pine Siskin
was seen. Last year 218 were
seen and as many as 707 were
spotted in 1983, yet not a one
was seen on this clear and sunny
New Year's Day. They have
been seen in 14 of the last 16
counts.
Compared to last year, when
the weather was cold, damp and
foggy, it was a beautiful day for
being out in both state parks, on
Lake Bastrop, out the Upton
Road, and on part of 304, which
See BIRD COUNT, p. 10
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McAuley, Davis. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 140, No. 91, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 13, 1994, newspaper, January 13, 1994; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth409785/m1/1/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bastrop Public Library.