The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 71, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 17, 1992 Page: 4 of 20
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-4-A_THE BAYTOWN SUN_Thursday, December 17, 1992
OPINION
Sun editorial
Board action
encouraging
/^n Wednesday, the Texas prison board took
I I action which should be a source of encour-
agement for all law-abiding citizens.
The board agreed to create space for 10,000 more
inmates in the state prison system.
Hopefully, this will be a positive step toward re-
ducing or eliminating the practice of releasing pris-
oners after they have served only a fraction of their
sentences.
This practice has made a mockery of the criminal
justice system in Texas. Moreover, the early release
of prisoners has posed a threat to the law-abiding
residents of the state.
The plan is designed to relieve overcrowding in
county jails stemming from a backlog of state
prisoners.
As part of this plan, the state will lease the former
Chase Naval Air Station near Beeville to house
2,000 prisoners.
We encourage the state to look into the possibility
of leasing other former military installations to house
prisoners. This would create space for more law-
breakers and save taxpayers’ money by reducing the
need to build new prison facilities.
QK&dT /-lews. Sift!
From Sun files
Bill Shewell retires
from library in 1972
From the Baytown Sun files, this is the way it was:
In 1942
Roy Whaley is promoted to coiporal at Fort Sam Houston.
O.L. Chavers Jr. of the U.S. Navy is expected to arrive here
soon.
Pvt. Hcrshel B. Fulmer of the U.S. Marines is serving in the
radio training unit at San Diego, Calif.
Kent Rogan Jr., student at Shreiner Institute at Kcrrvillc,
will spend the holidays with his parents, Dr. and Mrs. V.K.
Rogan.
Hobart Enoch returns home from the University of Texas to
spend the holidays with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Enoch
In 1972
Mrs. C.T. “Bill” Shewell retires as the branch librarian for
the Harris County. Although she has been at the Wooster
Branch library for nearly a decade, she started to work at Bay-
town’s first library on Texas Avenue in 1942.
Belinda Bingham, deputy city clerk, is pictured as she ad-
justs a decoration on the Christmas tree in the lobby at city
hall.
Baytown reserve policemen get the green light from the city
council to operate a backup ambulance for the Baytown Police
Department, using the reserves’ station wagon for the
emergency vehicle.
Louie Bishop and A.L. Rieck, representing the Wooster
Emergency Corps, present a Goodfcllow donation. Each year
the Wooster volunteers help distribute the Goodfcllow baits
In 1982
Chambers County Commissioners Court reduces the tax rate
by five centers.
Lee College Board of Regents hires Robert E. Davis to
manage the new computer center.
The American Civil Liberties Union questions the constitu-
tionality of the nativity scenes in the lobby of the Family Law
Center and Criminal Courts Building. Precinct 2 Commis-
sioner Jim Fontcno opposes removing the scenes, saying, “I
don’t want to discriminate against any other faith and I don’t
want them to discriminate against mine.”
Former Baytonian Ann Hilbom’s first novel, “Personal Jus-
tice,” is published by Avon Books. A 1960 graduate of Robert
E. Lee High School, she teaches English in the Houston school
district.
Bible verse
Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall
strengthen thine heart.
Psalm 27:14
Paptoton g>un
........................................................Editor and Publisher
Wanda Orton.............................................................Managing editor
Bruce Guynn............................................Associate managing editor
LETTER POLICY
The Baytwm Sun welcomes letters concerning topics ol general interest. All letters must be signed and
include an address and telephone number lor verificalion purposes. Only the name and community ol
rwtdmce ^accompany the letter m print. No anonymous leners will be accepted. Length should be no
more than 300 words and tetters should be typed or hand-written legibly. The newspaper reserves the
fVT1' TPe28t,ers •»«"» «» property ol The Sun. SendtoTletters to the
Meroriafonve SUn’ B°* 9°‘ Bayt0wn Ts,as 77522 0f ixin9 ,he 191,9,5 10 Qur office al 1301
Strauss gives help to Yeltsin
Jack
Anderson
WASHINGTON — Nearly 8 million
visitors stream into the Smithsonian Institu-
tion’s Air and Space Museum each year, but
in 1989 Boris Yeltsin and his entourage had
trouble getting tickets because of national
security concerns.
One of Yeltsin’s traveling companions
phoned a friend, Washington superlawyer
Robert Strauss, for help. The message was
passed to Strauss that Yeltsin was insulted
and that America should be more respectful
of Yeltsin, then just a political maverick,
because he might be someone more impor-
tant in the future.
“The security people wouldn’t let him
visit the space center and that’s crazy in
itself because there are no secrets there,”
Strauss recalls. “Any spy in the world can
go walking in there. I called (White House
national security adviser) Brent Scowcroft
and said, ’Scowcroft, this is the craziest
thing in the world. Straighten it out.’”
Strauss’ intervention forged a bond
between him and Yeltsin that later paid
hefty dividends. But at the time, neither man
had an inkling that two years later they
would have a rendezvous with history —
Yeltsin the unlikely hero and Strauss the
unlikely diplomat. “It’s interesting how
’ relationships develop,” Strauss said. “He
and I liked each other and he related well to
me.”
Strauss shared some of the out-takes of
his 16-month-odyssey as U.S.-Ambassador
to Russia during a recent interview with us.
With Russia’s revolution unfolding by the
day, Strauss’ job often resembled a diplo-
matic survive course with instinct and
improvisation serving as his best weapons.
There was no manual to explain how to
handle a superpower coming apart at the
seams.
Ambassador Strauss’ real portfolio, the
one mattering most to Yeltsin, was his
proximity to power — Strauss’ ability to
interrupt a meeting with Yeltsin and get
President Bush or Secretary of State James
Baker on the line almost instantly.
It was also the more intangible personal
chemistry that allowed both men to tease
one other, especially when the topic of
conversation turned to the American pres-
idential election. Yeltsin was a strong Bush
man.
“He never thought Bush was going to
lose,” Strauss told us. “He never believed
me. When I told him there was a chance
George Bush could lose, and when I felt
pretty certain George Bush was going to
lose, I didn’t say I (was) absolutely con-
vinced. I just said, ‘you have to be ready for
this.’ ”
Though Strauss says that “the jury is still
out on whether Russia and the reforms make
it or not,” he departed Russia revering
Yeltsin as a man who has “the guts of a
skydiver.” In fact, Strauss says that only one
thing ever outwardly spooked Yeltsin — his
appearance before a joint session of Con-
gress this past June during the first official
Russian American summit.
The Russian president prepared for the
summit like it was an audition for the
opening of a Broadway play. During several
long sessions, Strauss and Yeltsin choreo-
graphed the visit down to the last detail, and
Yeltsin was always eager to rehearse.
Yeltsin “almost had a fit” when Strauss
told him that his speech to Congress would
be consecutive, not simultaneous, transla-
tion. “He kept saying to me, ‘How do you
put umph in the speech?”’ said Strauss, who
imitated Yeltsin by punching the air. “He
felt about this joint session like most people
feel about things they don’t understand and
know nothing about.”
During the final tutorial, Yeltsin inquired
about one more part of the joint session.
“What about the question and answer per-
iod?” Yeltsin asked.
Strauss regretfully informed Yeltsin that
they “had a lot more work to do,” and
invited himself out to Yeltsin’s dacha for
one more session. This time he brought
videotapes of speeches before joint sessions
delivered by President Bush and Vaclav
Havel, president of Czechoslovakia.
“When Yeltsin saw those two tapes, all of
a sudden his eyes opened and he under-
stood,” recalls Strauss. “Now of all the
things I told him about this trip — how you
handle th press, what do you expect from
Congress, what Bush is going to say about
this and what you can say about that — none
of that impressed him as much as those
tapes.”
United Feature Syndicate
READERS' VIEWS
U.S. should help its own people
Let me sec if I can accurately describe the justification of Opera-
tion Restore Hope through the eyes of the American government
There are people in this cruel world of ours who are in desperate
need of care and attention in a land far away called Somalia. These
people are to be given the basic human right to life and a fair shake
from nature to aid them along their way. These unlucky souls did not
bring this horrid misery upon themselves. Rather, they were destined
huTer l° SUffer and CndUre thCSC hardshiPs ful1 of P°verty and
Is this description only of Somalia, or does it paint a familiar
picture of the thousands of homeless people here in the United
Stales? I fail to see any justifiable excuse for spending millions of
dollars, and risking the lives of our servicemen, when there are too
many people here who already seek food and shelter. . . i.e. the
basic needs for survival.
The United Slates has decided to help these people. It’s the
Christmas season ... I can see we’re spreading the Christmas
spirit. Fine. What happens when this food supply runs out? This is
m a temporary Band-Aid that will mean nothing in the long run.
What happens when the next generations die of starvation just like
the preceding ones have? When will we draw the line?
These Somalis do not vote here. These Somalis do not repeat the
Pledge of Allegiance. They do not sing The Star Spangled Banner
and they do not place their hand over their heart while honoring this
great country of ours.
1 am not as cold and as heartless as one might think. I care about
the well-being of people in need, and I am very grateful for every-
thing 1 have. I feel sympathy for these people and wish that this
world was a bit more perfect. However, I view the world realistically
and I think the U.S. should take care of its own inhabitants before
tending to others.
A baby must walk before it can run. We must help ourselves
before we can help them. This scenario is somewhat akin to the
instructions one receives after boarding a major airline. For those of
us who arc experienced travelers, we are already aware that mothers
should apply the emergency oxygen mask to themselves, then apply
it to their children.
The next time you hear a request to pray for Somalia, maybe you
should include a prayer for America, too!
S. Wade Wallace Jr.
Preston Pendergrass remembered
Our city has lost, in the words of Jim Finley, “A Great Man.” The
loss of Preston Pendergrass will be felt by many in our community.
Not only was he a noted journalist, he was a true Samaritan. Even
pryor to his retirement and especially after his retirement he devoted
his life to helping people. My dear mother, who has no dividend
checks coming in every quarter, had a severe back injury she sus-
tained as a postal employee. She was having problems with the
workman’s comp bureaucracy. Preston stepped in and results were
the order of the day.
Not only did he help my mother, he helped many others. His heart
was as big as anyone I have ever known.
What saddens me the most is that we have not just lost a great
helper I have lost a dear friend.
There is no doubt in my mind that our friend Preston is at home
with God. May peace in his rest be with him for eternity.
Phil Prater
Article appreciated
In regards to the Veterans Day story on Michael Circlli.
We thank you for the way my dad’s story was run in its entirety.
Jane Howard did a great job. Only one mistake. When the ships
went through the Norwegian Sea between Bear Island and Spitz-
bergen, it was with their lights on. They wanted to appear as a
friendly ally of the Germans and it worked — well, at least for
Dad’s ship. It was one of many stories we have heard since we were
kids. Now everyone in Baytown knows how special Dad is (even
though we don’t tell him that often). Thank you again for Dad’s
Veterans Day glory.
Maria Circlli
PRESS COMMENTARY
San Antonio Light on new world order:
Someone once observed of the Holy Roman Empire that it was
ncuhcr holy nor Roman nor an empire. George Bush’s vaunted New
»Vorld Order could be deconstructed along similar lines.
New? Not when one traces the centuries-old origins of so many
current conflicts. Order? Hardly. The collapse of the Cold War has
seen dozens of hot spots erupt, leaving the international community
lurching chaotically from one crisis to the next.
As seen from Washington, the world these days is a confusing and
confounding place — and this is the moment of America’s triumph.
The long, twilight struggle against communism is over, but the
world remains a dangerous place. And the United States has been
left holding the bag as the Russians and Chinese focus on their
domestic problems.
America, the global police officer, is back on the beat, rescuing
Kuwait, protecting food shipments to Somalia, contemplating action
in Bosnia.
George Bush, for all his foreign-policy successes, left no Bush
Doctrine as a comprehensive blueprint to guide future policy mak-
ers. Bush proclaimed the New World Order; it’s now up to Bill
Clinton to make it a reality. If he can.
Today in history
Fort Worth Stur-Telegram on poverty:
Poverty in the world’s richest country is like some forms of
cancer. There’s no permanent cure, just treatments to halt its growth
and send it into remission.
As a new administration prepares to take on the trappings and
challenges of national leadership, one of its highest priorities will be
to presenbe and administer a different treatment for the recurring
malignancy. With one-fifth of the children in the United States now
living in poverty, the Clinton administration must move beyond the
halfhearted diffidence that has characterized anti-poverty efforts dur-
ing past dozen years.
Welfare reform, of course, must be one of the main ingredients of
that anti-poverty medicine. Liberals and conservatives alike agree
that the system should be structured in such a way as to encourage
recipients to disengage from it and go to work.
The poverty cancer will not go into remission on its own, even
when there is a generalized improvement in the nation’s economy
In the absence of focused anti-poverty treatment, its malignant ef-
fects will spread and weaken the economic, social, political and
moral sinews of the nation.
1892: ‘The Nutcracker Suite’ staged
Rv ThA A CCrw>Iofn/l Dxnon _ .
w£“cfi.iB po,icy of
By The Associated Press
One hundred years_ago — on Dec. 17, 1892 (New Style)
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public when it premiered the following night.)
In 1777, France recognized American independence.
In 1830, South American patriot Simon Bolivar died in Colombia
In 1903, the Wright Brothers — Orville and Wilbur — staged the
first successful powered-aiiplane flights near Kitty Hawk, N.C.
In 1925, Col. William “Billy” Mitchell was convicted at his court-
martial of insubordination.
In 1939, the German pocket battleship Graf Spec was scuttled by
its crew, ending the World "7~' 11 n~"'- -r ™-
Uruguay.
uiwv, wfli uu cviuente
thousands of UFO sightings.
Yeltsin and Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev agreed to dis-
solve the Soviet Union by the new year. 8
.1 uaiuwmj, uim opce was scumea Dy Today’s Birthdays: Newspaper columnist William Safin* k m
War II Battle of the River Plate off Penthouse publisher Robert Gwcione is 62. Sing^-actor Tommv
Steele is 56. Comedian Eugene Levy is 46. 7
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Dobbs, Gary. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 71, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 17, 1992, newspaper, December 17, 1992; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1020505/m1/4/: accessed July 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.