El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 79, Ed. 1 Saturday, December 25, 1982 Page: 2 of 29
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Page 2 A
El Campo l^eader-Newa. Kl Campo. TX, Sat.. Dec. 25. I9H2
Community Resource Council Dedicated To Others
By GERARD PYM
Suppose you are desperate, need help and
don’t know where to find it during the holidays.
What are your options? The Community
Resource Council, a countywide referral service,
is one answer.
To make the Christmas holidays a little
brighter, the organization has conducted a holi
day food drive. The idea started withui volunteer
who regularly donated food to the Texa s Depart
ment of Human Resources
After the volunteer stopped donating food,
Nelda Arrendondo, council secretary, thought it
would be a good idea to institute a Christmas
food drive
Because of layoffs and a depressed economy,
some families are having difficulty obtaining
food stamps. The secretary said that the holiday
food drive is designed to help those who are
desperate and cannot afford food.
“We have such a long line of people applying
for food stamps at the Department of Human
Resources and we can’t see them all right away
so we instituted the drive to help,” she said.
The Department of Human Resources has also
organized a separate food basket drive for the
elderly and disabled Arredondo said that Z5 foot!
baskets have already been distributed
throughout Wharton and El Campo to the elder-
ly-
The council is extremely active in referring
citizens to the department. The Child Welfare
Unit is a popular service which dedicates time to
protecting and caring for abused children.
The unit, which specializes in the placement ot
neglected and abused children into foster care or
other adoption facilities, has also received public
donations which will be used to purchase
Christmas toys for abused children
The organization was established in August ot
1980 to increase communication and cooperation
among local groups and agencies in order to pro-
vide maximum services to the citizens of Whar-
ton County.
The service started when a girl involved with
drugs, approached Susan Lundy of Wharton
County Junior College's Continuing Education
Department, asked where to go for help.
Lundy didn’t know where to send the girl and
consequently decided, with other department
members, to contact local agencies and establish
better communication channels throughout the
county.
The idea resulted in the release of a coun-
tywide directory, complete with names and
telephone numbers of local organizations rang-
ing from emergency services to the Red Cross.
Donna Greenlee-Klaus, R.N. with the Visiting
Nurses Association of Wharton County, is cur-
rently president of the organization. Meetings
are conducted twice a year in April and
November.
Some other organizations which the council
refers citizens to include: Red Cross, Juvenile
Probation Department, Social Security Ad-
ministration, Texas Department of Health,
Salvation Army, El Campo Opportunity Center
and El Campo Housing Authority.
L-N Pholo by Kay Rice
Nelda Arredondo and donated food.
SW Bell To Stop Leasing, Selling Of Phone Equipment
Beginning Jan. 1, Southwestern
Bell will be restricted to providing
residential and business
telephone instruments and equip-
ment from its inventories only,
said Paul Johnson, SW Bell’s com-
munity relations manager.
Customers who will notice the
changes the most will be those
establishing service for the first
time, or revising current service.
Customers will still receive
local phone service, access to long
distance lines and a monthly bill
from SW Bell, just as they do to-
day, Johnson said.
SW Bell’s new policy is a result
tit an FCC order deregulating
telephone equipment located on
customers’ premises and of
enhanced services like data pro-
cessing. The FCC ruled that the
Bell System can compete in these
deregulated areas only through a
fully separated subsidiary.
American Bell will provide Bell
System products not available
from SW Bell inventories.
“Despite the restriction to ex-
isting inventory, we'll continue to
sell or lease new phone equipment
for as long as our supply lasts,”
Johnson said. “We’ll also continue
to offer refurbished sets for some
time. It may take several months
before we run out. How long will
depend on the demand we have
for telephones. If Southwestern
Bell does not have equipment re-
quested by a customer, the
customer will have to get it from
another vendor.”
Once SW Bell’s equipment in-
ventory is depleted, which is ex-
pected to be in late 1983 or early
1984, the agency cannot refer
customers to American Bell for
their telephone instruments.
“This would give another ven-
dor grounds for suit,” Johnson ex-
plained. “We have to tell
customers to check their
telephone book for vendors.”
The ruling restricting SW Bell’s
equipment offerings has no direct
link with the recent settlement of
the government’s antitrust suit
against the Bell System, Johnson
said But the equipment ruling is
“the first visible step” in a series
of changes leading up to SW Bell’s
divestiture from AT&T in 1984.
According to the settlement, SW
Bell could begin selling telephone
equipment after 1984, but Johnson
said the company has not made a
decision. SW Bell could sell any
company's equipment at that
time.
Although it’s too early to tell,
Johnson said SW Bell will be los-
ing revenue once its inventory
gets low and it can no longer lease
or sell the equipment
“The FCC action will not direct
ly affect rates for local or long
distance service,” Johnson said.
“However, factors such as past
inflationary periods, high interest
rates and competition will con
tinue to push rates upward "
Alan Sheffield, co-owner of
Sheffield-Hoffman Security and
Investigations based in El Campo,
believes Bell has gone
“backwards” in this area.
If SW Bell’s action has any af-
fect on his company, Sheffield
thinks it will be to increase his
phone sales. “The main thing we
have going for us is that we are
local and Bell is not.”
Customers who are currently
leasing their equipment from SW
Bell may be offered the opportuni-
ty to buy that equipment
sometime next year, Johnson
said. “But it would not be com-
pulsory from what I understand.”
Anyone buying phones from
vendors should make sure an FCC
certification number is on the bot-
tom of the phone. Johnson said all
new phones are required to have
the number — which means that
the phones have met standards
set by the FCC and can be hooked
up to any telephone service.
SW Bell will continue to provide
repair or maintenance service on
instruments leased from the com-
pany. Customers who purchase
instruments from other vendors
will handle any maintenance
through a warranty
SW Bell will also continue to be
responsible for repairs if a service
problem is in SW Bell’s central of
fice, in the cable leading to a
customer’s home or business or
inside wiring provided by the
telephone company.
For new connects, or changes in
premise telephone arrangements,
customers still will be able to
have SW Bell wire their homes for
phone service or hire someone
else to do the wiring or do it
themselves.
Any questions about these or
any other changes in the
telephone business should call the
company's “Let’s Talk” toll-free
information number 800-555-5000.
Any questions concerning in-
dividual customer accounts
should be directed to SW Bell
business offices.
ECMH Gets New Leader —
ministrator in accessing these
services. However, David
(Morgan) has been with
Memorial for years so he
shouldn’t have any difficulties
knowing who to call on. ”
Morgan said Memorial will
have no official status at ECMH
before Jan 1, but he is already in
the process of setting up meetings
in the hospital beginning Monday,
Jan. 3. He said he will meet
initially with medical, hospital
and volunteer staffs. During the
month he will also meet with
individual department directors
and then employees to determine
their needs
Shaw said Memorial wants to
involve the community leaders in
the decisions made at ECMH
“We had a survey team study
ECMH. but the administrator will
go back and review and verify the
information We ll also talk to
community leaders about their
wants.
"We see ECMH as a community
resource, so we want to determine
its needs by gathering as much
information as possible," he said.
Shaw was also complimentary
of the El Campo Hospital
Authority Board. “The board of
El Campo and the community
really care about their hospital,
and want it to be a community
resource. I feel that we share the
same philosophies as your board
concerning patient care," he said
He also said outgoing ad
ministrator Gary Kendrick and
other HCA personnel have
assured ECMH that they can be
contacted at any time for in-
formation which may help with
the transition
Entex Contribution —
(Continued From I’age I)
ing certain customers less for
their gas
Entex is affiliated with the
American Gas Association in its
efforts to keep this type of federal
energy assistance programs
alive
Another move under considcra
tion by Entex is to ask its
wealthier customers to make tax
deductible contributions to help
those who cannot pay their hills
Hinds said a pn*gram of this
type would lie easier to implement
in Houston rather than El Campo
because of a different billing pro
cess
Entex may also ask olber com
panics who work with utilities,
such as pipeline suppliers, to also
make donations lo the energ>
assistance progiauis
Commissioner Wallace M*nt mi
Idlers lo lit 11 it v child cxctulivex
urging them In consider serious
l\ iIm merits nt inipiernenling
iM-aling Is'lp pn>i'i.<iMs in h as
Itsw in lawD'iana Ieuni*s*ee and
rl«« |l mi sis h
prevents any one illness or saves
any one life, its benefits to both
the person, the company and
society as a whole will be im-
measurable.”
Wallace added that over the last
eight years, the average residen
tial price per 1.000 cu ft of gas
has increased from $1 16 to $4 06
or 350 percent
Wallace placed much of the
blame for the increases with the
Natural Gas Policy Act passed by
Congress in 1978 and vowed to do
’ all in my power to seek the
repeal of this act which keeps the
price ot natural gas high at a time
when the laws of supply ami de
mand dictate that the price should
fall “
■ Mil «lt,
S% I'HI'II I f**j
utet ieia
Ml i Mm M
II tmmtfm I* ruir
Ml Ml MU
City Council Faces Routine Agenda
New Fire Marshal* Inspector To Be Named
El Campo City Council will face
mostly routine items on its
Moods v lgenda. including an
nouncei < i of a new fire marshal
and a city health inspector
City Manager Robert Lundy
will advise Council that he has
named Garland Myers to the dual
position following resignation of
CF Doc" Drape I a as City
health inspector Drapeia'•
r* gnat ion will be officially
opted at the same meeting
Drapeia is the newly elected
county commissioner of Precinct
4
Myers has been filling the fire
marshal post in an interim
capacity and assuming that post
will be only a formality. Lundy
said
Newly elected Precinct 4
Justice of the Peace Frank
Bubela will also be named official
City registrar, another position
now held by Drapeia
Council will hear a report from
the City Manager on possibility of
flouridation of the local water
supply An official nf the Tex a*.
Health Department will meet with
Council at their Jan 34 meeting to
answer questions on state money
available to finance the
f foundation
Ron Hovd with Heliona
Molecular Techniques, Inc . will
he present to discuss repairing the
ground storage water tank on
Ave F that has been leaking for
several years
l,undy will also introduce a new
water and sewer superintendent.
W' E 'Bill” Windham, who leaves
a post as general manager of the
Cairoil I tonne Water District in
not hem Arkansas
The superintendent's position
has been open since November
twit
Council will also consider a
request from property owners lo
pave two long block* on Ave K
and ( enter Street adjacent to the
First United Methodist Church
Council will also hear a report
from the Charter Review Com
mission Commission member
Elmer Neumann will make the
report in absence of the chair
man. James Bouligny
In final action Council will
again consider the letter of
resignation of I aimer Hester as
the City representative to the
hoard of the Wharton County
Central Appraisal District It was
tabled at last meeting to give
counrilmen the oppnrtumtv to try
and talk Hester min reron
»tdr ring
Pound pup* huddle together for a ( hriaimn* photo. L N Sherry Roddy
(Continued From Page l>
medical staffs," Warren said.
El Campo Memorial becomes
the fourth hospital managed
under the Memorial Regional
Care Services as an affiliate
Memorial's agreement with
ECMH is for one year, with two
one-year options available After
a year, however. Memorial may
enter into a lease agreement with
ECMH
Other affiliates are Memorial
Hospital of Waller County in
Hempstead, Bastrop Memorial
Hospital and Polly Ryon
Memorial Hospital in Richmond
Bob Shaw, vice president of
regional operations, expressed his
pleasure at the opportunity to
work with ECMH
"We’re just as pleased as we
can be that the El Campo board
chose to work with us. I feel
we’ll be able to deliver services
better and quicker due to our
proximity,” he said
Shaw said his duty is to assist in
interfacing system services in the
organization “We have about 400
people in various areas of ex-
pertise I will assist the ad
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Barbee, Chris. El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 79, Ed. 1 Saturday, December 25, 1982, newspaper, December 25, 1982; El Campo, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1006622/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1&rotate=270: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Wharton County Library.