The Odem-Edroy Times (Odem, Tex.), Vol. 91, No. 46, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 19, 1998 Page: 1 of 6
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Odem Area Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Odem Public Library.
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Cht (G^tiem-Ciittip Ctmeg
“Home Of The
Scrappin’ Owls!”
VOLUME 91 = THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1998 = ODEM, TEXAS 78370 * 6 PAGES - No. 46
400
Drainage Continues To
Be Problematic For Taft
it
Taft residents were in court once
again, to report on the drainage
problem in the Roosevelt Addition
area. Last week, Ash Street resident
Joe Hernandez addressed the court
about the problem, which is cen-
tered around an ongoing water util-
ity project there. The project, which
is being conducted by the city as it
can spare employees to work on it,
has placed piping along a county
utility easement in the area in
which the perturbed residents live.
One of the primary concerns raised
by the Taft citizens is the fact that
piping that will carry drinking
water in the future is lying open in
the utility easement, where it is
becoming contaminated. The city is
taking too much time to finish the
project, say the residents.
"We realize when this project is
complete, we will have better
[water] service," said Hernandez.
Judge Miller told the group that
the project really belongs to the City
of Taft, even though the area of con-
cern is a county-owned utility ease-
ment. She said that the lines will be
thoroughly flushed before being put
into service, and that the recent
spate of rainy weather has unavoid-
ably delayed the project.
Commissioners approved award-
ing a bid for the purchase of 13
police package vehicles to
Commercial Motors of Corpus
Christi--the only bid submitted after
the public call for bids. Before
approving the $200,000+ bid, how-
ever, audience member Robert
Holmes asked to be heard about the
subject. Holmes, who has partici-
pated in county bidding processes
for vehicle fleets in the past, voiced
his objection to being overlooked by
San Patricio County auditor's office
staff. "Any and all municipalities I
have worked with [keep me on] the
bidder's list," said Holmes, and
asked the court why his name had
been dropped from the list for two
years in a row. The reason, accord-
ing to County Auditor David
Wendel, is that county policy calls
for vendors/bidders' names to be
dropped from ongoing lists when
they do not submit bids. Since
Holmes had not submitted a bid last
year, his name was dropped.
According to Holmes, he had been
unaware that a call for bids had
been made until it was too late.
Although a re-bid was not grant-
ed at Holmes' request, County Judge
Josephine Miller promised him that
he would be put back on the list of
bidders automatically notified when
a call for bids is made.
Juvenile Probation unit Director
Orlando Torres presented informa-
tion to the court regarding a new
community outreach program, in
conjuction with his request for their
endorsement of an application for
funding. The program is run
through the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department, and local
juvenile probation officials found
out about the program just a few
weeks ago. At-risk youth and their
parents will be able to spend quali-
ty time together at various Parks
and Wildlife sites, participating in
such activities as fishing and camp-
ing. There will be no cost to the
county for its participation; com-
missioners approved the resolution
endoresement.
In other court business:
V Pete Cortez was in court along
with Sinton Chamber of Commerce
Director Dina Garcia, to request the
use of county courthouse grounds
and parking lot for the upcoming
"Old Fashioned Christmas" celebra-
See Commissioners, Page 5
Historical Site To
Host Reunion
Date
Hi
Lo
Total
11/18 Wednesday
78°
59°
.00”
11/17 Tuesday
76°
56°
.00”
11/16 Monday
74°
55°
.00”
11/15 Sunday
66°
58°
.06”
11/14 Saturday
65°
56°
1.59"
11/13 Friday
81°
60°
.80"
11/12 Thursday
72°
49°
.60”
Temp. Avg. to Date (Hi-Lo)....... 73° - 56°
Rain Total To Date.......
3.05”
The West Sinton Community
invites families that once lived here,
now live here, descendants of West
Sinton families, or friends to attend
a West Sinton reunion on Saturday,
November 28 from 11:00 a.m. to
3:00 p.m. at the West Sinton corner.
Registering, visiting, and viewing
displays begins at 11:00. From
l 11:30 to 1:00 a barbecue lunch will
be served. From 1:15 to 1:45 a pro-
gram, emceed by former West
Sintonite J.B. Owen of Waco, will
feature former Adams School pupils
and teachers, and families of West
Sinton, past and present. On the
site of the former Adams School-
now the home of James and Cheryl
Adams-a historical marker will be
(<$ dedicated at 1:45. In addition to
the marker, a monument consisting
of the cornerstone of Adams School,
65 names of West Sinton families,
and a picture of the Adams School
will also be dedicated. The applica-
tion submitted to the State
Historical Commission, various pic-
tures, new clippings and other items
of interest have been compiled into
a book.
To reserve lunch tickets and a
copy of the book-West Sinton In The
20th Century, please call Kelly
Adams at 368-2079; Cheryl Ermis at
364-4658; or Ida Hansen at 364-
2511.
From reports, this event has gen-
erated a great deal of interest.
Please come and be a part of this
memorable day!
Courtesy Glenn Drachenberg
and F.S.A. Office Staff
Official County Weather Observer
Search Is
On For
Minister Of
The Year
Minister of the Year applica-
tions are now available in the San
Patricio County Extension Office
at 219 North Vineyard in Sinton.
Ministers may be nominated if
they have served a church located
in the open country or in commu-
nity close to a larger town or city
for at least two years.
Nominations must be post-
marked on or before December
31, 1998.
VM
LITERACY AWARD MONEY
The San Patricio County Adult Literacy Council announced that it has received a $15,000 grant from the
John G. and Marie Stella Kenedy Foundation. This grant will enable the organization to continue pro-
viding services for the adults in the areas served by seven county libraries. The Adult Literacy Council is
composed of representatives from Aransas Pass, Ingleside, Mathis, Odem, Portland, Sinton and Taft. The
funds received from the Foundation will be used to purchase office supplies, educational materials and
coordinate the matching of students with tutors. Pictured are: (left to right) Juan Zamarron-a student
in the program; Pat Voss-Treasurer and a tutor of the program; and Laura Diaz-Program Coordinator.
(Sally Barnes-Soliz Photo)
Coastal Bend To Receive
New Area Code In 1999
IMS?*- £2&
■&***?"
'...... "
Sllitei 1!
These tank cars are a frequent sight in San Patricio County; many of them contain hazardous chemicals.
Chemical Emergency Response
Topic Of Luncheon
Mr. Bob Blaschke of Dupont Fluoroproducts, Ingleside, addressed the gathering that attended November's
Sinton Chamber of Commerce luncheon last week. Blaschke, Environmental Manager for his company, dis-
cussed the recently-completed Risk Management Program put together by several entities in this and sur-
rounding counties.
Individual corporate members of* the Port of Corpus Christi, as well as various public utilities in Kleberg,
Nueces, and San Patricio Counties have worked together to organize the plan, which is required under
Environmental Protection Agency regulations. All industrial sites which store or utilize certain hazardous
materials—chemicals—in certain quantities, must communicate to the surrounding communities the proper
manner in which to respond to any type of release or other threatening incident that may occur.
In a letter enclosed inside the packets of information provided to the group on Friday, County Judge
Josephine Miller states, "Chemicals and the chemical industry are a day-to-day part of our community. The
industry has provided our locality with many benefits, but on occasion emergencies occur." The report dis-
cusses the "serious seven" most dangerous chemicals that pose a risk to our area: Ammonia, chlorine, hydro-
gen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, and LP gas. These materials are trans-
ported in very high quantities through our communities by truck and rail.
The three counties combined resources through each of their Local Emergency Planning Committees
(LEPCs) in order to prepare the report, which is available to and intended for the general public. The goal
of the report is to increase awareness for citizens and to provide planning guidelines for emergency respon-
One of the areas in which emphasis is given is whether, during a chemical release, residents should evac-
uate or "shelter in place."
"We are so trained in South Texas to evacuate," commented Judge Miller. "This isn't necessarily the cor-
rect response to a chemical emergency...It's probably the worse thing you can do." According to historical
release experiences, as well as chemical emergency modeling, survival rates in the areas proximal to a toxic
chemical vapor release increase if residents take shelter in their homes, and seal doors and windows with
tape, among other precautions.
Against the wishes of San Patricio
County officials, the Texas Public
Utility Commission voted last Friday
to modify the telephone industry's
plan to split the "512" area code,
giving this county and the entire
Coastal Bend region a new area
code for the first time since 1947.
In a decision the PUC called,
"choosing between several bad
options," it attempted to minimize
inconvenience to Coastal Bend cus-
tomers by postponing the imple-
mentation of the new area code.
The new area code could be
announced within the next few
weeks and will go into effect
February 13, 1999. To accommo-
date the local tourism industry,
callers can use either the new or the
old area code until September 18,
1999. Between September 18 and
October 16, 1999, a message will
Blaschke concurred with the
judge that San Patricio's biggest
potential risk is posed by railroad
tank cars, which are highly preva-
lent here. The tank cars are pres-
surized, and an accident may cre-
ate a dangerous release. He noted
that, although rail companies are
more responsive to questions,
requests for information, or emer-
gency response than in the past,
they are still rather slow by today's
standards-as corporate offices and
trained emergency responders are
frequently a long distance away.
Blaschke emphasized that it is
incumbent upon all county resi-
dents to educate themselves
regarding the risk management
plan, and to make their own per-
sonal safety plan. Anyone who
wishes to obtain a copy of the RMP
for themselves, as well as other
valuable chemical emergency
information, may contact Wallace
Kirby, Emergency Management
Coordinator for San Patricio
County, at 364-6144.
alert customers that the 512 area
code has changed and they must
dial the new area code. Even
though Coastal Bend telephone
users will get a new area code, they
will keep their existing 7-digit tele-
phone numbers.
The decision means Austin will
not receive a new area code before
October, 2001. At that time, the
new area code will be a "concen-
trated growth overlay," rather than
a geographic split, and make 10-
digit dialing necessary for local
calls.
"I continue to decry the wasteful
manner in which the industry allo-
cates phone numbers making deci-
sions like area code relief neces-
sary," Commissioner Judy Walsh
said. The PUC will continue to work
with the industry to implement
number conservation methods to
curb the need for new area codes.
"As the son of a small business
owner, I regret the inconvenience
this change will cause for small
businesses," said PUC Chairman Pat
Wood, III. "However, were it not for
Texas' robust economic develop-
ment, these changes wouldn't be
necessary."
The Austin area has more than
twice the number of residential lines
and approximately two-and-a-half
times as many business lines as the
Coastal Bend. Commissioners
agreed that by assigning the new
area code to the southern, rather
than the northern, portion of the
current 512 area, fewer people
be inconvenienced by the change
and the cost to Texans will be lower.
Under this plan, the industry
expects the new area code in the
Coastal Bend to last until 2011.
In March 1998, the PUC, frustrat-
ed by the industry's pace at imple-
menting number conservation tech-
niques and prolonging the life of
existing area codes, asked the
industry to develop recommenda-
tions for area code relief in the
state's major cities.
In June, the industry recom-
mended splitting the 512 area code,
and also recommended adding new
area codes in Dallas and Houston.
The PUC invited public comment on
the industry proposal to split the
512 area code and held a hearing
October 5 in San Antonio to receive
input from interested parties,
including the cities of Austin and
See Area Code, Page 5
Offices To
Close
The offices of the Odem-Edroy
Times will be closed next Thursday
and Friday, in order to recognize
the Thanksgiving Holiday. Ads
and information intended for the
newspaper next week should be
brought or called in by nbon on
Tuesday.
San Patricio County
Now Eligible For Aid
Bob Blaschke
The Federal Emergency
Management Agency today advised
Congressman Ruben Hinojosa that
families and individuals in San
Patricio County have been designat-
ed to receive disaster assistance as a
result of the severe storms, flooding,
and tornadoes that occurred
October 17-31, 1998 in the State of
Texas. This is an amended declara-
tion to the action taken by President
Clinton on October 21 triggering the
release of federal funds to help peo-
ple recover from the extensive dam-
age inflicted.
"The more aid we can provide
those who have been impacted by
the devastation, the better," said
Congressman Hinojosa. "Every little
bit helps, and I'm pleased to see
that the assistance being received
by the Counties of De Witt, Goliad,
Karnes, Jim Wells, Kleberg, and now
San Patricio is substantial as well as
timely."
Additional designations may be
made at a later date after further
evaluation. In the meantime, the
following toll-free numbers may be
helpful to those wanting to telereg-
ister: 1-800-462-9029, TTD 1-800-
462-7585; or for those who already
have and have questions about their
application: 1-800-525-0321.
Notice!
The City of Odem will be
closed for the Thanksgiving
Holiday on Thursday and Friday,
November 26 and 27. Garbc
pickup will be conductec
Monday and Tuesday c
and on Wednesday the rest of
v town will be servic
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The Odem-Edroy Times (Odem, Tex.), Vol. 91, No. 46, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 19, 1998, newspaper, November 19, 1998; Sinton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1044790/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Odem Public Library.