The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 78, No. 108, Ed. 1 Sunday, March 5, 2000 Page: 4 of 16
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Baytown Sun and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Sterling Municipal Library.
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Page 4A*> Sunday, March 5,2000
PAT ON THE BACK
... to St. Joseph School students Shianne May, Angelita Garcia,
Amanda Graham, Jasmine LaMark, Lauren Mattox and Aaron Alvarez.
They recently were named students of the month at the school.
FEDBACK: To comment on this page, write us ore-mail us atsunnews@baytownsun.com.
®j)ie Paptoton £mn
The Baytown Sun is published Monday through Friday and Sunday at
1301 Memorial Drive in Baytown.
Wanda Garner Cash Taylor B. Camp Richard Nelson
Editor and Publisher Managing Editor Asst. Managing Editor
Questions remain after
purchase of building
H t’s surprising taxpayers didn’t object to Goose Creek school
I trustees paying $2,145,480 cash for the former Lone Star Bank
■ Building. The money, taken from the district’s fund balance, allows
the district to purchase the building without increasing the tax rate. That
sounds like good fiscal management. But it raises questions in light of
the the district’s recent voter approval for $92 million in new bonds.
Selling bonds is an accepted way for school districts and other public
bodies to borrow money for construction projects. Goose Creek’s bond
issue will pay for new facilities and repairs to existing buildings. In
effect, much of what the district is financing should have been routine
maintenance as well as purchases of short-lived items such as carpeting.
The result will have taxpayers footing interest on the bond debt for
years to come, undoubtedly longer than the useful life of some bond-
funded projects. But what voters should understand is the district’s long
history of forsaking maintenance spending to use that money for
instructional programs. The cash purchase versus bond spending
approach is easier to reconcile, considering this bond issue was a major
fix for long-standing problems.
In buying the former bank building, the district paid cash for a'long-
term real estate investment. The building may be worth the price. Con-
sidering the condition of the current administration building, it ’s clear
the school district needs new administrative offices. Furthermore, the
district is growing and long-range plans call for additional personnel
relocating to the new administration building. However, a 47,185-square
foot building for roughly 50 staff members seems excessive. It averages
943 square feet of office space per person. That’s more square footage
than many of the homes in the school district. We would hope the dis-
trict is planning for the future and thus will use the additional space to
maximum potential.
The efforts to find suitable office space began in September 1998, dur-
ing the same period the district blgan working on its first effort to pass a
school bond issue. ;
Although the district didn’t hide its conversations about purchasing
office space, voters should have been made fully aware that a cash pur-
chase was likely.
Is it fair to wonder whether the building purchase probability was kept
low profile or off the table completely because the bond committee
feared taxpayers would not pass the bond issue if the $2 million office
building was included?
Two other questions remain:
First, what will happen to the current administration building that
needs extensive structural, roof, ffVAC, electrical and plumbing repairs?
And second given the school district’s history of poor maintenance, do
trustees plan to buy a good homeowner’s warranty on the new building?
this editorial was written by Eric Bauer, marketing director for the ’’
Baytown Sun, on behalf of The Sun’s editorial board.
Today in histoiy
Today is Sunday, March 5, the 65th
day of 2000. There are 301 days left
intheyear. A
Today’s Highlight in History:
On March 5,1770, the Boston Mas-
sacre took place as British soldiers,
taunted by a crowd of colonists,
opened fire, killing five people.:
On this date:
In 1933, in German parliamentary
elections, the Nazi Party won 44 per-
' cent of the vote, enabling it to join
with the Nationalists to gain a slender
majority in the Reichstag.
Today's birthdays: Actor James
Noble is 78. Acta Dean Stockwell is
64. Acta Fred Williamson is 62.
Actress-comedian Marsha Warfield is
46. Magician Penn Jillette is 45. Rock
singer Craig Reid is 38. Singer Rome is
30. Acta Kevin Connolly is 26. Model
Niki Taybr is 25. Acta Jake Lloyd is 11.
— The Associated Press
Sun Files
From The Baytown Sun files, here
are the headlines from...
10 years ago:
Baytown officials issued 47 build-
ing permits for new construction val-
ued at $514,821 — an increase over
previous months.
25 years ago:
President Fad proposed a federal
school food program cut-back that
would eliminate about a quarter of the
$1 million the Goose Creek Consoli-
dated Independent School District
receives.
50 years ago:
Eleven candidates filed for the
three City Council seats vacated in
April.
Thought for today
"If you don't have enemies, you
don’t have character." '
—Paul Newman, American acta
Bible verse
And I thank Jesus Christ our Lord
who has enabled me ...
— 1 Timothy 1:12
m.
P&OIN&IN WTtmMO
Different names mean the same thing
I’m confused! First some mobile
homes were reported stolen from a
mobile home sales lo,t in Mont Belvieu.
Then I guess A.G. Pack is also confused.
Some mobile homes were rolled on to the
property in the 1000 block of East James.
The Baytown city attorney claims they
are manufactured homes, not mobile
homes, and are not subject to city code
enforcement. ;
Then, this week a Baytown woman
reported to the police that her trailer was
repossessed and her dog was stolen at the
-Same time!
Where should the Baytown Police look
for this dog — at a manufactured home
or a mobile home or a trailer?
P.S. If it looks like a duck and walks
like a duck, it may be a duck.
Sammy Mahan
Baytown
LETTERS
Finley should begin
writing for paper again
I recently read in The Sun that Jim Fin-
ley has once again “retired.” I hope that
this will mean he will once again be con-
tributing his column to The Sun.
It would be especially great to have his
column to read in this election year. I
hope The Sufc management realizes we
do need to be able to read all types of
informed opinions, not only those of the
liberal media!
Monte G’Sell
Baytown
wants of the few.
One-hundred-fifty words are not
enough to express my opinion.
Mack Jones
Cove
Thanks to those who
support firefighters
Who should be believed
in ABC-cable dispute?
Brown could help solve
education problems
As an educator for 38 years, I’ve had a
great deal of experience with school
boards as well as the State Bbard of Edu-
cation.
To represent District 7 on the state
board for the coming term, l urge you to
vote for Harvey Brown of Groves.
I’ve known Harvey for 30 years, 26 of
which he has Served as a trustee on the
board of our local district.
A proven community leader, his prima-
ry concern has been for the education and
welfare of our children, a concern vali-
dated by seven of our district’s nine
schools receiving exemplary ratings.
Harvey is a down-to-earth man who
worked hard and diligently to raise a fine
family that practices Christian values and
believes in American ideals.
He realizes the problems parents and
children face today in education. He can
help solve them.
Both Harvey and his wife, Barbara, are
longtime members of the First United
Methodist Church of Port Neches.
Kent Conwell
Port Neches
I can not believe that I am at the mercy
of a mouse.
Who am I supposed to believe — ABC
or Time Warner. I am the one that is
caught in the middle.
P.S. I hope that mouse doesn’t spread
anymore droppings.
Guadalupe Salazar Sr.
Baytown
Existing areas
should be improved
How deep is deep, W.E. “Buddy” Irby
and Bill Wallace?
Old River Lake isn’t that deep. How
about a ramp at FM 1409 and the Old
River bridge in Old River or the Old and
Lost River bridge on Interstate 10? Peo-
ple already use these places to launch
their boats. Improve these areas. There
are boat ramps on Trinity River (they are
on the West side of the Trinity, Mr. Wal-
lace), it’s deep water.
The latter three places are away from
populated areas. Who will reap the bene-
fits from the proposed new road? The
marsh will not benefit from increased,
bigger boat traffic. Deeper water means
bigger boats. What tests were done?
The needs or wants of the many
don’t always outweigh the needs or
On behalf of the Baytown Professional
Firefighters Association, I would like to
take this opportunity to thank you for
your Sunday editorial by Richard Nelson.
First, we would like to express our
appreciation for your words of recogni-
tion and helping to raise the awareness of
our purpose to the citizens of Baytown, to
save lives and property. The recent
tragedy in Houston serves to remind us of
the dangers in our job and the nature of
those who perform these duties. The fire-
fighters from Baytown, who filled in at
fire stations in Houston and those who
attended the services for our fallen broth-
er and sister, considered that opportunity
an honor and a privilege. Firefighters
have a special unity that brings out the
best in all of us.
Second, we would like, to thank the
many citizens of Baytown-who have
extended personal thanks to us. Public
support helps each of us perform these
duties with the highest levels of profes-
sionalism and pride. Again, we appreciate
the support in past and future endeavors.
Baytown Professional Firefighters
Association
I.A.FF Local 1173
How was Baytown
affected by hurricane?
I have read three versions of the 1900
hurricane, all having to do with Galve-
ston.
Question: What happened to Baytown,
Sept. 8, 1900 or Houston or Friendswood,
or La Marque, or Alvin, or Highlands?
How was the outer reaches being
affected?
I would very much like to know, Are
there any books or editorials from Sept.
9,1900?
Stanley Sherman Jr.
Highlands
Editorial board
The Baytown Sun's editorial board meets
weekly at 2 p.m. Tuesday. Individuals are
encouraged to visit the editorial board to dis-
cuss issues affecting the community To make
an appointment, contact Managing Editor Tay-
lor B. Camp, 281-422-8302.
Members of the editorial board include:
Wanda Garner Cash, editor and publisher;
Taylor B. Camp, managing editor; Eric Bauer,
marketing director; Dee Anne Robbins, busi-
ness manager; and Richard Nelson, assistant
managing edita.
Send us a letter
The Baytown Sufi welcomes letters of up to 150 words and guest
columns of up to 500 words on any item of public interest. Guest
columns should include a photograph of the writer. _• /
We publish only original material addressed to The Baytown Sun
bedring the writer's signature. An address and phone number riot
for publication should be included.
We ask that submissions be limited to one per month.
All letters and guest columns subject to editing. The Sun
reserves the right to refuse to publish any submission.
Please send signed letters to: Wanda Garner Cash or Taylor
B.Camp, The Baytown Sun, P.O. Box 90, Baytown TX 77522.
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Cash, Wanda Garner. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 78, No. 108, Ed. 1 Sunday, March 5, 2000, newspaper, March 5, 2000; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1020028/m1/4/?q=%22%22~1: accessed June 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.