The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 71, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 5, 2002 Page: 3 of 20
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Tuesday, February 5,2002
The Baytown Sun 3
Committees take steps to subpoena former Enron chairman
By MARCY GORDON
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Congressional
committees took steps Monday to
subpoena Enron’s no-show former
chairman, while the Justice
Department rejected rf Democratic
call for a special prosecutor to investi-
gate the collapse of his energy-trading
company.
Former chairman Kenneth Lay was
to have been the star witness at con-
gressional hearings this week, but he
abruptly backed out Sunday night.
The Senate Commerce Committee
scheduled a vote today on a subpoena
to force Lay’s appearance. Rep
Michael Oaxley, R-Ohio, said the
House Financial Services Committee
would issue a subpoena to compel
Lay’s appearance “at the earliest prac-
tical date."
Lay, who resigned as chairman on
Jan. 23, quit his remaining position as
a director on Monday.
“It’s not possible to figure out what
caused this huge Enron ship to cap-
size if you can't hear from the cap-
tain,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
Signs
Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., chair-
man of the Senate Commerce
Committee, said a special prosecutor
was needed because the Bush Justice
Department could not be relied on to
investigate objectively.
The Justice Department said in a
statement that it sees no reason to
appoint a special counsel to investi-
gate Enron. "No person involved in
pursuing this investigation has any
conflict, or any ties that would require
a recusal,” the department'said.
Attorney General John Ashcroft
stepped aside from the investigation
last month because he had received
campaign donations from Enron m-
his failed 2000 Senate bid. The probe
is being led by Deputy Attorney
GeneralXarry Thompson. '
Continued from Page 1
“We’ll start with them because there’s more than
a 1,000 miles of them and we’ve got to get them out
of the way first. They are the biggest job.”
Wegmann said that every other type of road will
also be posted with the 55 mph signs during
February as well.
“We’ll work on the interstates last,” she said.
"There’s fewer miles of them.”
Quincy Allen, department area engineer, said
Monday that his crews were already out changing
signs.
“We will start and finish FM 1942 and Business
US 90 today,” Allen said.
Wegmann and Allen both said the new speed
limit is effective as soon as the new signs are on
display and that law enforcement agencies will be
ticketing accordingly.
Allen added, “If the current speed is lower than
55, it will remain that way. I’m thinking of sections
like Spur 55 and Business 146 in your (the
Baytown) area.”
In March, the Texas highway department will
begin posting 55 mph signs on major freeways.
All state highways must be posted by May 1,
with work expected to be completed on Highway
146 during March 11-15, highways 225, 288 and
290 during March 11-15, US 90 through the
Crosby area during March 18-22, and Interstate 10
during April 8-12.
Additional information concerning the new
speed limit is available at www.traffic.tamu.edu,
where a map and chart are provided for the public.
Each day, both the map and chart will change col
ors to indicate the current status and next day’s
locale for sign changing.
Wegmann said that the radio-advisory broad
casts will be part of the information program to
keep the public informed about the project.
The 70 mph signs had been in place since
President Clinton lifted the 55 mph nationwide
speed limit in 1995.
Continued from Page 1
10-year extension.
“A five-year initiative might have
been OK”’
“We have now to look at the budget
and what can be done," Alfaro said.
"Creating a new district may be a
option, but we’re looking at every-
thing.” >
According to state law, another elec-
tion related to the present crime district
cannot be held for three years, and
Alfaro says that should a new one be
created its tax revenues can not be used
to retire the 1998 $5,995 million bond
issue and its approximate annual
$750,000 funding and interest costs
which the crime district sales tax sub-
stantially underwrites.
City manager Monte Mercer said
Monday he is studying the problem and
assembling a presentation which he
believes will probably be presented to
the city council at its Feb. 28 meeting.
Mercer was tight-lipped about his
proposals, saying only that his presenta-
tion would be “a series of options (pre-
sented) to council first.
“I’m still working on it. There will be
a final pass, then there will be a direc-
tion and what can be done,” Mercer
said.
Asked if the 10 police officers hired
because of the CCPD revenues would
continue to be paid, Mercer answered,
“That’s one question we are looking at
in our review and with the CCPD
board,” adding later that “CCPD repre-
sented a higher service-level (for the
public).
“I’ll take to council a lower service-
level so the city can live within its bud-
get.”
Mercer said that the money for the
proposed Baytown police academy was
in hand but he didn’t know when it
would be built.
Alfaro, however, said Monday that
the academy was already in the “engi-
neering design stage” and would “defi-
nitely be built according to the original
schedule.”
Asked when this would be, he
answered that he didn’t know but that
the city already had purchased the land
for the academy. ' ________
Alfaro also said he did not know if
the 10 police officers would continue to
be paid but added that there are no
“CCPD cops" as such.
“We did reassignments and everyone
is now mixed together. It would become
a tenure thing,” Alfaro said.
In this, however, the city may have
some breathing room before the tax
ends in mid-2003. The estimated more
than $3 million in annual revenues cur-
rently generated by the tax will contin-
ue for another 17 months, although this
revenue is largely consumed by the
annual $750,000 cost of the 1998 bond
issue which is scheduled to be retired in
2008.
But while city officials scramble to
shore up their programs after the unex-
pected defeat of an important city ini-
tiative, mayoral candidates David
Evans, a former Baytown city council-
man, and Charles Shaffer, the immedi-
ately past Baytown police chief, listed
their criticisms of the defeat and the
city's predicament.
“I was very disappointed in the elec-
tion outcome (with) so few voting,”
Evans said Monday.
“Those for it were not open enough.
Ten years is too long for a blank check
to spend money. Poor tactics for the
election and for the program's future
life,” Evans said.
Evans returned to his past criticisms
of the new city jail.
“I have mixed emotions about the
election but we owe a lot on the jail and
I thought we were told four years ago it
was taken care of. It just wasn’t true,”
Evans said. “This city is in the top 10
Texas cities for taxes and that's not a
good place to be.”
Shaffer also was critical of the elec-
tion’s handling even though he is com-
mitted to the wisdom of creating the
CCPD and says that it was his idea
from the beginning.
Serving as Baytown police chief for
nearly 10 years and holding 41 years
total service in Baytown law enforce-
ment, Shaffer says the district was cre-
ated when Bobby Rountree was city
manager.
“It was defeated the first time we
tried it because Bobby tried to peg it to
a mass transit tax. Defeated over-
whelmingly,” Shaffer said.
“I went back to him in '97 and said
‘We have new issues,' There was an ^our Years' *,e sa'd
■ , . - / A lf^irrv r/ii if" tLn
initial five years),” Shaffer said; “That's
one big reason why it .went down.
“When I asked the voters to support
it. I said the 73.703 rate per $100
appraised property value could be cut
to 73.0-flat. That wasn’t offered."
Shaffer says that the .city has plenty
of money to pay all police salaries and
continue with projects already on the
boards.
“There are transition funds set aside1
for just this sort of thing," he said.
"There was.$200,000 set aside the first
year, $600,000 this year and another
$600,000 next year.
“There's enough to run things for
overcrowded courtroom, jail over-
capacity, vehicle replacement costs
skyrocketing and we were in real/need
of office space." /
Shaffer said that CCPD and its tax
were presented to voters fri January
1998 at a time when tax cuts were the
national rage. i_______ ■
“We were surprised at how well it
passed," he said. “But part of the deal
was that property tax cuts would come
with the extension elections, like the
Saturday one:
“There were no property tax cuts
offered in exchange for the voters vot-
ing to extend the life of CCPD (from its
Alfaro says the offer in January
1998 to cut property taxes up to $1 per
one-hundred if CCPD extensions
were offered in future elections was
conditional.
“I'm having to reach back in my
memory but I think we told the voters
that we would try to cuf taxes if the city
budget permitted It. There wasn't a firm
promise, though," Alfaro said. -
Considering Shaffer's belief that
there are four years of CCPD operating
.funds- available to the city, Alfaro
implied, “I want to look at that. We do
have transition money, .but we re going
to have to get back to the basics.”
Obituaries
William Jefferson
Frazier
William Jefferson Frazier, 94,
passed away, Sunday, February
3, 2002.
He was a resident of St.
James House, He was born
January 23, 1908 in Coolidge,
Tx. He was preceded in death
by his loving wife of 67 years,
Ruby, his parents, Leila and
Presley Frazier, sisters, Alma
Boettcher and Vemetta Ellis and
brother, Wesley Frazier.
He is survived by his daugh-
ter and son-in law, Sue and E.L.
(Buddy) Dean of Baytown;
grandsons, Larry and Loyd
Dean of Baytown; four great-
grandsons, Christopher and
Jonathan Dean of Baytown;
Robert and Jefferson Dean of
Friendswood; sister, Dorothy
Ammons of Baytown; brother,
Edwin Frazier of Baytown; four
nephews and two nieces.
Jeff was 17 when his family
moved to Baytown in 1925. He
went to work for Humble Oil &
Refining Co. at the age of 18 in
August of 1926. He retired
from the Machinist Department-
after 45 years of service. After
his retirement from Humble
(Exxon), he worked with Bill
Brinkly Air Conditioning busi-
ness for several years.
Jeff and his wife, Ruby, along
with their parents and families,
where charter members of the
First Baptist Church of
Baytown when it was founded
in 1926. Interestingly enough
Jeff’s maternal grandparents,
Mr. and Mrs. J. D. McElrqy, Sr.,
were charter members of the
First Baptist Church of
Coolidge. Jeff devoted many
years of service to First Baptist
Church. He served on the
money counting committee, the
building and maintenance com-
mittee and the vistial aids com-
mittee. He was involved with
much of the building of the old
First Baptist Church oh
Kentucky St. back during the
1930’s and later during several
remodeling projects. He was
instrumental in maintaining the
church air conditioning equip-
ment until the church moved to
it's present location on
Rollingbrook. Even after the
new location was built he con-
tinued to hejp maintain the
equipment at the old location
which became a Spanish
Mission of First Baptist. He was
given an honorary membership
to Igesia Bautista Betel for his
hours of service to the-church.
He was also a devoted hus-
band, father and son-in-law. He
devoted several years to helping
his wife to take care of her bed-
ridden mother. He was a mem-
ber and president of the
Baytown Camera Club. He and
his wife were members of a
national camping club and
enjoyed many trips together. His
hobby was photography and he
left behind a vast amount of
slides taken during their trips, as
well as of church events and
family members.
Jeff will be remembered by
many church members and for-
mer church members and staff
of First Baptist Church,
Baytown, for the help that he
gave them during difficult
times, such as Hurricane Carla.
He was always ready to go help
someone with any problem they
might be having with their
homes.
The family would like to
thank Jan Martin and all the
staff of St. James House, espe-
t—
cially the nurses and aides of
Station 3, for his care there dur-
ing the past 17 months. A spe-
cial thank you to his caregivers,
Faye Wade, Myra Traylor,
Gertrude Henry, Patsy Thomas
and others for the special care
they gave him.
& Family'visitation will be from
6 - 9 p.m. Wednesday, February
6, 2002 at Navarre Funeral
Home.
Funeral services will be at 10
a.m. Thursday, February 7,
2002 at Igesia Bautista Betel,
2728 Kentucky (the former
location of First Baptist
Church) with the Rev. Bill
Ingram and Dr. David Bowman
officiating.
Interment will be at Forest
Park Lawndale in Houston.
Honorary pallbearers will the
deacons of First Baptist Church.
Instead of flowers the family
suggests that memorials be
made to the building fund of
First Baptist Church of
Baytown, or to St. James House
of Baytown.
Arrangements are under the
direction of Navarre Funeral
Home, 2444 Rollingbrook Dr.,
Baytown, 281-422-8111.
Mrs. Laveme
Rayburn Campbell
Mrs.Laverne Rayburn
Campbell, 81, of Livingston,
passed awry, Sunday, February
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She was born February 6,
1920 in Verda, La. to Marshall
and Ellen Jane McCaskell. Mrs.
Campbell has been a resident of
Livingston for a short time pre-
viously having lived in Baytown
for 50 years. She was a home-
maker and a member of First
Baptist Church of Highlands.
She was preceded in death by
her husband, James E.
Campbell, Sr.
She is survived by her sons
and daughters-in-law, James E.
Campbell, Jr. and Shirley of
Dry Creek,; La.; Gary L.
Campbell and Donna of
Livingston; brother, Berry
Rayburn of Houston; sister,
Myrtice Wilson of
Nacogdoches; four grandchil-
dren and three great-grandchil-
dren.
Visitation will be from 5-7
p.m. today, February 5, 2002 at
Cason Monk-Metcalf Funeral
Directors.
Funeral services will be at 2
p.m. Wednesday, February 6,
2002 at Cason Monk-Metcalf
Sunset Chapel with Rev. M.A.
Ervin, Pastor of Bethel Baptist
Church officiating.
Interment will be at Shady
Grove Cemetery.
Pallbearers are, Tim
Campbell, Jeff Campbell,
David Marcontell, Cecil
Wilson, David Wilson and Don
Shoemaker. 7
Arrangements are under the
direction of Cason-Monk-
Metcalf Funeral Directors,
5400 North Street,
Nacogdoches, 936-564-7333.
Billie Murrel Walding
Billie Murrel Walding, 71, of
Baytown, was called home by
his Lord on Saturday, February
2, 2002.
He was born in Baytown on
August 18, 1930 to Roy Elmer
and Falma Lee Waliding. Billie
lived in Baytown for a number
of years of career as a motel
manager for La Quinta Motor
Lnns in Laredo He was a mem-
ber of Baker Road Baptist
Church. He is also a 1950 grad-
uate of Crosby High School.
Billie enjoyed scuba Diving and
graduated from the Coastal
School of Marine Diving is
Oakland, Calif. He enjoyed
spending time with his family
and friends but especially
enjoyed spending time with his
grandchildren. »
Billie is proceeded in death
by his father, Roy Walding.
Billie is survived by his wife,
Juanita Martinez of Baytown;
daughter, Sharon Hock and hus-
band Bart of Houston; mother,
Falma Lee Walding of Conroe;
brothers, Lee Ellis and wife
Trudel of Conroe; James
Harold Walding and wife
Carolyn of Denton; sister, Doris
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dren, Bridget Butzen of Fond
du Lac; Jacob Butzen of Fond
du Lac; Nicolea Hock of
Southgate, Ky.; former wife
Nancy Walding of Baytown;
many nieces, nephews, other
relatives and friends.
Visitation will be from 6-9
p.m. today, February 5, 2002 at
Sterling White Chapel in
Highlands.
Funeral services wilLbe atiiL-
a.m. Wednesday, February 6,
2002 at Sterling White Chapel
in Highlands. Burial will follow
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Cash, Wanda Garner. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 80, No. 71, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 5, 2002, newspaper, February 5, 2002; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1028469/m1/3/?q=%22%22~1: accessed June 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.