The Odem-Edroy Times (Odem, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 18, 1999 Page: 1 of 10
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Community
Living With Children In
Special Education Programs
- Page 4
SPORTS
Owls In Three-Way Tie
For Play-Off Spot
- Page
Copyright 1999 • San Patricio Publishing Co., Inc.
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Community
Rylander Delivers Tax
Rebates To Texas Cities
Page 3
7
Volume 92
—
No. 7
■mi
10 Pages
Home of the Mighty Owls
Thursday, February 18,1999
Veteran Remembers World War II
by Darcy McMichael
Ebitor Obem-Ebroy Times
Looking down at his hands
Frank Chapa slowly said, "I remem-
ber one Sunday, I looked between
two buildings at the sunshine and
thought 'this sunshine is in Texas.'"
He looked up again as he recounted
his memory of World War II.
The year was 1942 and Chapa
along with the rest of the 833 bat-
talion had just landed in a small vil-
lage north of London after spending
several months at Camp Claiborn,
Louisiana and Camp Hood (Ft.
Hood) in Kileen, Texas training for
the second largest war among
major nations.
Coming from the sunny days of
Texas, the group set out to clean up
the small cold village before contin-
uing training on tanks. Chapa
stepped into the role of anti-tank
gunner 610.
"I'm very proud of the outfit
because they trained you to survive
no matter where ydu were," Chapa
said.
After a two and a half month
stay, the battalion headed towards a
place in the woods where they
waterproofed all the connections on
the tanks to prevent rust.
"One day my lieutenant of the
platoon said, 'Chapa, we're mov-
ing, we don't know where, but we're
moving. Be sure that everyone has
all their equipment," he said.
"They never told us where we
were going," he continued. "At that
time they couldn't tell us anything,
just to be ready."
Later that day, the troop moved
out and drove till 4:30 a.m. before
stopping to have breakfast.
"They took us to an underground
mess hall," he said. "When I saw
the place I knew that something
serious was going on. There were
thousands of troops going in and
out."
We continued our journey until
we got to the English Channel.
"We saw a lot of troops going
through the channel," Chapa
recounted. "When we got on the
ship a priest came and told us that
this was not going to be training, we
would be fronting the enemy. Then
he explained all of the agreements
between the enemy and us in case
either one surrendered."
Around 7 p.m. that night Chapa
and the rest of the battalion saw
their first glimpse of combat as they
took part in the invasion of Omaha
Beach.
"It came to my mind that I was-
n't going to make it," Chapa said.
"I even thought of shooting myself
in the leg , but then I would think
that I had spent months traininq for
this."
"God brought me here," Chapa
said. "I will go back."
On June 27, 1944 while in St. Lo
one of Chapa's friends, Sgt.
McMillian, told Chapa that his wife
was expecting. "We got mail
around 3 p.m. the next day and
McMillian came to tell me that his
wife had a little girl," Chapa said.
"He was so happy and then he
asked me if I thought we would
make it."
See Chapa, Page 10
Frank Chapa displays a book sent by the military, which tells about his division in WWII,
on the left and on the right he shows off the silver medallion which can be credited to sav-
ing his life after he was sprayed with shrapnel. (Photo - Darcy McMichael)
Survivors After Suicide
Survivors After Suicide is a sup-
port group for anyone whose family
member or friend has died through
suicide. The group is meeting at
Family Counseling Service, 3833
South Staples, Suite 34 at 6:30 p.m.
on the first Monday of each month.
Seminar For Cattle
Ranchers
< A special management seminar
for beef cattle ranchers in south
Texas is slated for March 25, 1999 at
Texas A&M University—Kingsville.
* Titled "Managing Pasture Cattle for
Maximum Profit," the program will
begin at 11a.m. and should con-
clude by 4:30 p.m.
Ranchers wishing to register for
the free program should call 1-800-
303-3513 by March 23, 1999. A
complementary luncheon will be
provided.
Poetry Contest
The Bards of Burbank is sponsor-
ing a free poetry contest for all
those interested. To enter send one
poem on any subject, using any
w style, 21 lines or less to: Free Poetry
Contest, 2219 W. Olive Ave., Suite
250, Burbank, CA 91506, or enter
online at www.freecontest.com.
The deadline to enter is March 22,
> 1999.
Shiner Art & Hobby Show
The Shiner Rotary club Art &
Hobby Show, February 28, will be
held at the Shiner American Legion
Hall's indoor facility. Over 50 craft
booths will offer hard to find gift
items for everyone's taste.
The show will be open from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. and a chicken bbq
lunch will be served starting at 11
a.m. (pick-up or dine in). For more
information, contact Earl Parker, Rt.
3, Box 329, Shiner, Texas 77984 or
call him at (512) 594-4261
Date Hi Lo
02/17 Wednesday 75° 55°
02/16 Tuesday 73° 57°
02/15 Monday 67° 43°
02/14 Sunday 65° 36°
02/13 Saturday 59° 35°
02/12 Friday 77° 41°
02/11 Thursday 78° 71°
Temp. Avg. to Date (Hi-Lo).......70c
Rain Total To Date*.*,.*.*.,*.**..»..*«.*«.*• *3
Courtesy Glenn Drachenberg
and F.S.A. Office Staff
Official County Weather Observer
OBSERVATION TEMP. RAIN
It’s A Va/LetvtLub’s Vay PaArty...
Sabrina Laurel and Marissa Garcia dance show off their moves at the elementary school's Valentine’s Party Friday.
(Photo - Darcy McMichael)
Commissioner's Court
New '911 Addressing'
Topic Of Discussion
Prompt emergency response for
San Patricio County residents was
once again a premiere topic of dis-
cussion during Monday's San
Patricio County Commissioners
Court meeting.
Environmental Health Director
Marilyn Torno introduced a check-
list form to the court, intended to
assist anyone moving into the coun-
ty with proper compliance. Torno's
responsibility in the overall process
is to inspect septic system installa-
tions at new building sites in the
county--which usually takes place
toward the end of a home building
project. At that stage, the health
department inspector can check to
make sure the residence has a "911
address" as well.
The address is a number that cor-
responds to the specific site of the
residence-down to latitude and
longitude. County officials have
had a difficult time ensuring that all
home sites in rural areas are
accounted for, and new building
projects in the area have been diffi-
cult to track.
Individuals moving into the
county must apply for a building
permit (even when moving a pre-
built factory home in), septic system
permit, and be assigned a 911-com-
pliant address.
Out-of-county individuals, who
may be given pads of the forms,
include realtors, mobile home sales
companies, local industry, the mili-
tary, and anyone else assisting indi-
viduals with their move into San
Patricio County.
Officials here are hoping that
such a form, distributed widely, will
help ensure timely emergency
response.
In other county business:
V County Grant Consultant
Walter Hill requested and received
approval for a change order relat-
ing to the Mathis Rehabilitation
Program. The work required to
rehabilitate one of the homes in the
Mathis area proved more extensive
than was originally thought; the
Combs Will Be Keynote Speaker At Annual Event
The San Patricio County
Economic Development
Corporation will host its annual
membership meeting on Thursday,
February 25, at North Shore
Country Club in Portland. The
keynote speaker will be Texas
Agriculture Commissioner Susan
Combs, a fourth-generation ranch-
er, who was sworn into office in
1999 as the state's 10th commission-
er of agriculture and the first
woman to hold this position in the
state's history.
Commissioner Combs received
her law degree from the University
of Texas School of Law and is a for-
mer assistant district attorney in
Dallas. She served
in the Texas
Legislature from
1993- 1996, writing
the state's major
private property
rights legislation
and was a member
of the House
Committees on
Natural Resources
and Criminal
jurisprudence.
In 1996, she
joined the staff of
U.S. Senator Kay
Bailey Hutchison
and worked as the
Senator's state director.
Susan Combs
Commissioner
Combs currently
serves on the
boards of the Texas
and Southwestern
Cattle Raisers
Association and
the Texas Wildlife
Association. She
has also served on
the board of direc-
tors of the Texas
Beef Council and
the Texas
Production Credit
Association, and is
a member of the
Texas Farm Bureau
and the Independent Cattlemen's
Association of Texas.
Commissioner Combs has a cow-
calf operation on her family's 100-
year-old ranch in Brewster County.
The meeting will feature a recep-
tion and an awards presentation
beginning at 5:30 p.m. Also, outgo-
ing chairman Terry Webster will
pass the gavel to his successor Frank
Newchurch, plant manager of
Reynolds Metals Company.
The SPCEDC was formed in 1992
to create and stimulate responsible
economic growth in San Patricio
County. Reservations for the meet-
ing can be made by calling 643-
4744.
increase in costs totaled $6,206.
V Internet access requests were
made and approved for: Hugh
Wayne, Printing Department;
Dolores Hinojosa, Right of Way
Department; and Kay Whatley,
County Judge's Office.
V Commissioners discussed a
request for action designating a
"60-foot right of way west of County
Road 95." County Attorney David
Aken was in court, and stressed to
commissioners that the property in
question was not a road, but an
easement; and as such, the issue
should be treated as abandoning an
easement rather than a redesigna-
tion. The area will eventually be
utilized as a drainage easement.
V The county Employee Benefits
Committee, represented by Marilyn
Torno, proposed service awards for
15-year employees in the form of
either a Swiss knife and Cross pen,
or a medallion. During this discus-
sion, Precinct 2 Commissioner Fred
Nardini voiced his opinion that a
pen/knife gift didn't seem to reach
the level of quality that 15 years of
service rated. A popular jacket has
been awarded to 10-year employees
in the recent past, and other county
workers have expressed their wish
to have one as well. Finally, it was
decided that the county jacket
would be offered as a service award
to anyone with ten or more years on
the job; and that 15-year service
awards should equal or succeed
those given for ten years of service.
V Commissioners approved a
request from GTE to place a buried
cable on CR 73 beginning at the
intersection of FM 188 and CR 73;
and extending south, five feet inside
the east right-of-way of CR 73 for a
distance of 970 feet.
Don't Forget...
The New 361
Area Code
Officially Went
Into Affect Last
Saturday For
Coastal Bend
Residents
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McMichael, Darcy. The Odem-Edroy Times (Odem, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 18, 1999, newspaper, February 18, 1999; Sinton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1052176/m1/1/: accessed July 10, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Odem Public Library.