The Llano News (Llano, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 46, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 29, 1983 Page: 1 of 19
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V
r
Horseshoe Bay JP given
raise; judge breaks tie
A split vote over equal pay for
Justices of the Peace produced the
livliest discussion between Llano
County Commissjfipers who also took
the lowest bid in purchasing the new
dump truck, and debated possible use
of 144 acres of Llano County School land
for a trap shoot.
The vote made it necessary for Llano
County Judge W.R. Miller to break a tie
in favor of the motion made by
commissioner Ross Bauman which
brought the pay of Justice of the Peace
John Demarest at Horseshoe Bay up to
that of Justices of the Pepce Lanny
Stephenson at Buohanan Dam and CL
(Clay) Claibourne at Kingsland. Judge
Miller presided over the meeting held
Friday, September 23 at the Llano
Courthouse.
“I think that our elected Justices of
the Peace should get the same salary,”
said Bauman in opening the discussion.
"The only exception being Dana
Saucier' who had the added load of
taking care of the vital statistics.”
Prior to the vote Demarest in Justice
Precinct 6 was receiving a $70 salary
and $300 in expenses. The new salary
will be $950 a month, the same for JPs
at Precinct 7 (Buchanan Dam) and
Precinct 3 (Kingsland). Saucier in
Precinct 1 draws $1,100 a month
because of added work.
Commissioner Pete Overstreet asked
how much tine collections Demarest
turned in each month to the county.
County Treasurer Margaret Hardin
replied in the $500 to $600 bracket as
compared to the $1,000 and more for
other JPs.
“If we do this then we will have to
consider counstables for the same
reason,” Overstreet said. “They are
elected officials too you know.”
Horseshoe Bay Property Owners
Association president Tom Sams joined
the conversation pointing out that
beginning October 1 the work load of
Justices of the Peace would be
increasing and regardless of the case
load. Justices of the Peace were always
on call, “the availability time is always
there.”
Commissioner Leonard Grenwelge,
while not emphatically opposed to the
principle of the motion was primarily
concerned that the commissioners were
going to break their budget.
"We said we were going to stay
within the budget,” Grenwelge said.
“This will blow it.”
Judge Miller called for a vote on the
motion that was seconded by commis-
sioner Rex King. Bauman and King
JOE HORLEN
Horlen resigns as
county attorney
Llano County Attorney Joe Horlen
has announced his resignation effective
October 7 according to a report by
County Judge W.R. Miller. A special
meeting of the Commissioners Court
has been set for 1 p.m. Tuesday,
October 4 to name a replacement.
"Due to a large increase in my
private practice in recent months I find I
just do not have enough time tp take
care of both jobs,” Horlen said Tuesday
afternoon. "1 just don’t believe in doing
my job halfway and so 1 had to make a
choice.”
Horlen was appointed to replace
Chris Mealy in March of 1982 year. He
subsequently won election to the job in
the May Primary defeating L.T. Des-
Champs.
A graduate of Llano High School he
returned to Llano in June of 1981 and
was associated with Oatman Law
Offices. He joined the firm of Hutto and
Lucksinger in June of this year and it is
now called Hutto, Lucksinger, Horlen
and Brownlee, a professional corpora-
tion.
Llano sales tax larger
State Comptroller Bob Bullock has
sent checks totaling $41.1 million in
local sales tax payments to the 974 cities
that levy the one percent city sales tax.
"Last September, we were reporting
the biggest allocation based on a single
month's tax collections in the history of
our state," Bullock said. “This month,
with sales tax receipts running about
one percent behind last year, shows us
just how fast things can change.”
While some cities in the area
recorded a higher percent of increase in
the total tax for the year, in the last
month, only the city of Llano shows an
increase over the same time period from
fast year.
I Llano has recorded a 6.74 percent
increase for the year and their last check
was $8,657.13 which was $1,490.42
more than the previous year at this
same time. Other communities had
higher percentage of increase for the
year but also recorded lower checks from
as much as $2,900 to $800 less.
San Saba marked the lowest percen-
tage increase, only 1.03 and received a
check for $5,184.96 which was $2,137.63
less than a year ago. Mason was next
with a 5.34 percent increase and
received a check for $3,580.10 which
was $1,166.34 less than last year.
Following Llano was Fredericksburg
with a 7.21 percent increase and a check
for $19,051.81 which was $2,940.76 less
than last year. Burnet had a 11.98
percent increase receiving $10,850.34
which was $2,162.21 less than last year.
Marble Falls had a 15.53 percent
increase going with a check for
$26,759.93 which was $835.35 less.
Bertram did not receive a check but
has recorded a 22.44 percent increase so
far this year. Last year they had
received a check for $861.85 Granite
Shoals did not receive a check either as
did Sunrise Beach. Granite Shoals
reported a loss of .52 percent while
Sunrise Beach was a minus 59.79
percent. Last month Sunrise Beach
Mayor Ed Houy said the report from the
comptrollers office didn't match what
the city had already deposited.
Going by counties. Llano's increase
was 4.14 percent and Burnet County
14.13.
Weather
SEPTEMBER
DAY
MAX
MIN
RAIN
22
76
39
.00
23
81
40
.00
24
83
49
.00
25
84
49
.00
26
87
62
.00
27
90
64
.00
28 .
89
65
(X)
Rain this week .00
This month .32
1983 rain to date 23.05
1982 year to date 15.84
voted for the motion. Overstreet and
Grenwelge opposed.
‘T vote in favor of the motion,” said
Judge Miller.
Two bids were received for a new
dump truck. Ratliff Motor Co. had a bid
of $16,736.96 with no optional diesel
bid. Don Mabry Ford bid $16,375.00
with the optional bid of $20,525 for a
diesel truck. The vote was unanimous
for the low bid.
Don Mobley, who currently leases the
Llano County School land at San
Angelo, had notified commissioners
that a gun club was interested in using
144 acres of land for a trap shoot and
they wanted a lease with a five year
extension. The land, according to
Mobley, is not being used in his
operation of the 17,000-acre ranch.
Bauman indicated he would be in
favor of the use if they didn’t bulldoze
the land to make drastic changes in the
layout. All commissioners agreed they
could not grant an extension of the lease
past the current agreement with Mobley
because there was no way to insure the
continued provisions of the present
lease. The final decision was left in
Mobley’s hands since in effect he is
already leasing the 144 acres.
Another point of discussion was over
(Continued on Page 12)
Calendar
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Kingsland Lions Club, noon, Barrow
Hall. 'u
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1
Deer Management Seminar 3 p.m.
Sandstone Mountain Ranch.
SWCD election, 5:30 p.m. Sandstone
Mountain Ranch.
Board Branch Cemetery work day,
8:30 a.m. Lone Grove.
Cub Scout Movie Matinee, 2 p.m.
Peoples Savings and Loan.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3
Llano Fine Arts Guild, 1:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4
Llano Lions Club, noon, Inman's
Kitchen.
TOPS, 6:30 p.m. Pittsburg Ave.
Church.
LHS football, 7 p.m. Cafeteria
4-H Awards Banquet, 6 p.m. Com-
munity Center.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5
Drug interaction Seminar, 1 p.m.
Cendera Room.
HLGem and Mineral Society, 2 p.m.
Red Barn.
P-T Head Start, 7 p.m. Head Start
School
Llano Chamber of Commerce, 6 p.m.
office.
SURVIVOR-William Tuttle, 45, of Alvarado is resting at
the right following the head-on collision that killed one
and injured four others. The accident
about 5:15 p.m. Thursday, 10.8 miles north of Llano an
Texas 16. Dead was Larry Dale Rogers, 25, also of
Alvarado.
Alvarado man dies in wreck
A grinding pickup-car collision north
of Llano resulted in the death of one
man and severe injuries to several
others Thursday about 5:15 p.m. One
was not expected to live.
Dead was Larry Dale Rogers. 25, of
Alvarado, driver of the 1971 Cadillac.
He was traveling north on Texas 16
about 10.8 miles north of Llano.
Passengers with Rogers, who was
employed as a roofer, were his uncle
Tommy Dennison Tuttle, 45, and his
nephew William Tuttle, 5, also of
Alvarado.
According to a report by lexas
Department of Public Safety Trooper
Bill Shipp Jr., a 1974 Chevrolet pickup
driven by Juanita Elizabeth Bishop. 18.
of the Cherokee Home apparently
crossed the center line and hit the
Cadillac almost head-on. Riding with
Bishop was George Kenny Alexander.
19, also of Cherokee Home and member
of the Cherokee Indians football team. It
was believed both were going to work at
the Llano Pizza Hut.
All four were taken to Llano County
Memorial Hospital and then transferred
to Brackenridge Hospital in Austin. As
of Tuesday. Bishop and William Tuttle
were said to be in serious condition and
Tommy Tuttle was listed as stable.
I uesday morning Llano Sheriff Gale
Ligon reported that a decision was,
expected possibly that day on whether
to keep Alexander on a life-supporting
system.
"It doesn’t sound too good for him,”
Ligon said.
Officers at the scene of the accident
reported Alexander as having suffered
severe head injuries.
The LLANO
NEWS
Llano, Llano County. Taxat 78643
Volume 92 No. 46
Thursday, September 29 1983
25c Deer Capital
of Texas
Lone Star Gas opposes program
The announcement last week of a $2
surcharge to be added to the October
Lone Star bills to help pay for the
expense of home energy audits man-
dated by the federal government,
prompted quite a few phone calls to the
Llano office by citizens who protested
the charge and even some who thought
it would become a regular part of their
gas bill.
Lone Star Gas Company officials not
only went on record as disclaiming any
responibility for the program but let it
be known they were and still are
opposed to the plan all together.
"Neither Lone Star nor your state and
local regulators have any choice in this
matter," says a printed notice sent to all
Lone Star users entitled “We hope you
will understand.” It goes on to say, "All
of us are complying with a very complex
and detailed federal law. Our promise to
you is to continue to meet the legal
requirements of the National Energy
Conservation Policy Act at the lowest
prudent cost while continuing to
represent your interest in Washington
to the best of ability.
"Quite a few people are upset with
the surcharge,” said Llano Lone Star
rflanager Marilyn Talley. “It is not a
raise in rates and the next surcharge
due in April will be much less than this
one.”
The Residential Conservation Service
program required by Congress and the
companion Commercial and Apartment
Conservation Service program soon to
go into effect are both being opposed in
Washington by Lone Star Gas as being
ineffective and should be discontinued.
Since the inception of the first
program, which is to provide energy
audits for homeowners who want it, the
cost has risen to $2.1 million. It was in
1978 when President Carter signed the
act (PL95-619) which required all major
gas and electric utilities to offer energy
audits to all eligible residential cus-
tomers. The intent of the audit was to
show the homeowner where he could
conserve energy in his or her home and
subsequently conserve energy.
"What is really bad about the
situation is that only three present of
the public took advantage of the energy
audits," Talley said. "Unfortunately
everyone will have to share in the cost
even though they did not receive the
service.”
Recently, Lone Star vice president
Neal Hall testified before the House
Energy Conservation and Power Sub-
committee and told the group that
neither of the programs merited conti-
nuation.
“Neither program can ever be
cost-effective, and. as a consequence,
places an unnecessary cost burden on
Lone Star's customers," Hall said.
f'Lone Star urges repeal of both of these
programs to the benefit of its more than
1.2 million customers who must con-
tinue to pav needlessly higher utility
bills."
Lone Star went on to claim the RCS
audits produced only minute results
claiming the program achieved conser-
vation at the cost of more than $82 per
thousand cubic feet of gas conserved.
The $2.1 million was incurred from
January 1, 1981 through August 31.
1983 and all ratepayers, whether
eligible or not to receive an audit, had to
share in the recovery of the money
spent. The April surcharge will cover
the time period from September 1. 1983
through March 1. 1984, and should be
less.
"As you can see. Lone Star is not in
favor of the surcharge at all," Talley
said. "If you are unhappy aboui the
surcharge then write your congress-
man, not Lone Star."
Railroading in miniature
THE MASTER AND THE MODEL--Ned Hut4bm of
Kingsland looks over the Industrial area of his Mdd
railroad. In the foreground Is the lumber mill while la the
background sad at the right are
operations. Net
HO Gnage and
Note the tunnel and bridge. Everything la I
By Fred Taylor
KINGSLAND--"Chug. Chug. Chug,
Puff, Puff, Puff: Ding Dong, Ding-
Dong-I think 1 can, I think I can. I think
1 can; 1 thought 1 could, 1 thought I
could, 1 thought 1 could."
From childhood you must likely
remember the story of the "Little
Engine that could." It’s color was blue
and only it was willing to help out
another train that stalled. The “Shiny
New Engine" wouldn't because he was
a passenger carrier; the "Big Engine."
wouldn’t because it hauled freight and
the "Rusty Engine" couldn't because
he was too tired.
Whether the story was ever a key
factor in the life of Ned Harrison in
Kingsland is not known. Regardless.
Ned has long enjoyed trains and the job
they do. In fact, half of his two-car
garage is one massive model train
layout. For the HO Gauge model
enthusiast it is a dream world.
"It is something I always wanted to
do,” Harrison said. "There is no telling
how many hours of work is represented
here. 1 work at it whenever 1 can.”
Harrison is a retired professional
engineer, not the train driving kind. In
World War II he piloted one of -those
one-way flying machines called a
“glider.” He was one of those daring
pilots that carried a full load of troops in
a glider towed across the English
Channel on that fateful “D-Day" when
he was cut loose and glided into enemy
territory. But that is another story in
itself.
"My railroad is called "The Midland-
Colorado-Western Over The Hill Line,”
said Harrison. “It's based on times and
places in Colorado and New Mexico
where I have visited and worked.”
It wasn’t until 1960 that Ned began
his first layout. In fact he has the
original board that was the base of the
plan which was started in Abilene.
What is even more remarkable is the
fact that many of the buildings and
miniature people that were constructed
were of his own design.
"I took a basic plan and fashioned my
own building,” explained Harrison.
"Unfortunately my hands are not as
steady as they were many years ago
when I first started."
Many of his homemade structures
have removeable roofs. The elevated
switching station in the switchyard has
miniature stairs climbing up the tower.
A couch, chair, table and the man that
operates the switches arc all included
and every detail is to true scale.
The model train hobby fan can either
purchase ready-made equipment which
includes cars and track or he can
purchase it in kit form and make it all
from scratch.
"I prefer making it all," Ned said.
"For example, I have built all of the
track and put in most of the ballast. This
means setting the railroad ties and
New emergency
phone in service
Buchanan Dam residents in the
512 telephone area code, a new
emergency number is in service.
• For an Ambulance or Sheriff, call
793-2100. In case of fire call
793-2000.
The new number, 793-2100
rings in the sheriff dispatcher's
office in Llano where there is
someone on duty at all times.
For Buchanan residents in the
915 telephone area code the
emergency number in the same
office is 247-5767.
driving the spikes."
The ties arc like extra fat toothpics
and the spikes are smaller than straight
pins. In tact he has one gold spike yet to
be driven.
"That's the tradition of the railroad."
Ned said. "When you finish the line you
are supposed to use the gold spike As
you can see l( haven't finished."
There are not any ot .thg. modern
diesel engines so imagine, if you can
climbing into one of the old-time
western trains of the traditional cowboy
days. You travel through the hills and
valleys and come to your first stop,
C hania. New Mexico. After a brief stop
you head for Rico, Colorado. On the way
you pass a livestock sales.barn and
corral complete with livestock and other
projects.
There is one special "industrial" area
where a complete mining operation is
underway. There is also a saw mill with
a trainload of logs coming in and
finished lumber on the other side. There
is a coal tippler, factory area, round
house and switching yard. You ride
through Lizard Head Pass, travel
through and around mountains; cross
ancient trestles with miniature water
barrells on the side in case of fire.
The first engine he ever built is not
much more than a boiler and cab now.
"1 built it in 1953 but back there at
that time it was mostly made of lead,”
Ned said. “Lead gradually deterioates
and this is all that is left."
From Abilene he moved to Midland
and then finally to Kingsland. From the
days of his early childhood where he
and his friends played "trains" with the
use of tin cans to now. things have
changed quite a bit but the Midland-
Colorado-Westem Over the Hill Line is
still chugging and puffing along and
Ned Harrison thought he could do it and
he did.
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Buckner, Walter L. The Llano News (Llano, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 46, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 29, 1983, newspaper, September 29, 1983; Llano, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1053211/m1/1/: accessed June 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Llano County Public Library.