Levelland and Hockley County News-Press (Levelland, Tex.), Vol. 9, No. 6, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 15, 1987 Page: 2 of 39
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-LEVELLAND & HOCKLEY COUNTY NEWS-PRESS, Wednesday, April 15, 1967-
Just
Rambling
Texas prisons are again in
the news as the governor signed
a bill which will allow private
businesses to build prisons, the
prison system is again accepting
prisoners and the federal courts
are studying whether the state
is doing enough to improve its
prisons.
Prisons will continue to be in
the news until the state satisfies
federal judge William Justice.
State representative Chip Stan-
iswalis of Amarillo explains it
best “Prison sentences in
Texas are nearly twice what
they are in other states and with
the early releases being man-
dated by the courts, prisoners
are now serving about the same
sentences as those in other
states.”
Staniswalis says that in 1981
the average sentence was eight
ye are in the penitentiary and the
person served an average of 28
months, hi 1986 the ave:
sentence was five years
Woman misses Social Security blanket
- nursing home. frien<
‘ ‘ Ifeel good about it (taking Then
care of her), but it was dumb if seem
By MARLENE ELLIS
News-Press Staff Writer
friends come out and dip it out
Then we built the floor, and it
seemed more like a house.
■ making money is smart We When we’d have sand storms,
Being a pioneer may be good waived away about $600 to 9700 I’d find my children covered
for the spirit but it can also be a month. She’s 88 now, so that with sand in their beds,” she
costly, as County Judge Don would have been 23 years that said.
Avery has come to recognize 77] > ""j
over a* y»«. / don t know
Hie mother, Elsie, 88, '
bTSi that's not on Social Security
retirement benefits because she ■ . » i ,,
nor her husband paid into the beSIOeS H60
federal system during the time ' _ .
they farmed and worked as DotI AV&ty
barber and beauty operator in ____________________ _______________________________
Whitharral.
Don said he remembers
watching vinegamms (a type of
scorpion) swimming in the wat-
er. He also remembers using a
______ grain scoop to remove sand from
ter Ninth Street the dugout after a sand storm.
Robert also barbered in Whit- much trouble to light the lamp,
harral and Rl«i« gave perman- 80 she struck a match to look in
ents and operated a laundry. the closet. She has visions of it
“We didn't have any fun. It not 8oing out and blames her-
was all work and no play. I did for burning the house
all my sewing. Even did little down.”
boys’ britches,” she said. “I Tb® Averys bought a redi-
didn’t want to come to town. I built bouse in Lubbock and later
“I don’t know anyone that’s she could have been collecting
not on Social Security besides Social Security,” he said,
her,” Don said. He said when Even without the added
his father died 30 years ago, financial security blanket of
Don and his brother Robert Social Security, Elsie lives com-
t
average
and the
prisoner served an average of 26
months, or three months less
than just five years ago. Early
release programs are cutting
that even more this year and
some prosecutors expect con-
victed felons to do as little as ten
percent of their sentence before
being paroled.
Prisons are big business in
Texas since the state maintains
and operates 27 such facilities,
serves 150,000 meals daily and
does laundry for 40,000 in-
mates. It maintains a school
district for 13,000 prisoners and
has helped 30,000 inmates earn
high school diplomas. Tbe
Texas Department of Correct-
ions has 13,000 employees, a
budget of $600 million and can’t
accomodate all the prisoners
sent to them.
Building more prisons is
such a hot potato that the
Texas Legislature is> probably
going to toss it to the voters
themselves to decide. Indicat-
ions are that you and I will have
a chance to approve a dedicated
tax just for prisons. That will be
a case of put up or shut up since
it will be a tax increase. It’ll be
interesting to see what we, the
taxpayers, will do when faced
with that decision.
Construction costs for new
prisons, which must meet fed-
eral requirements, are pegged
at $27,000 per bed with main-
tenance and operation running
$12,000 per inmate per year.
’ The prison problem is a
complex one that won’t go
away. It is going to continue to
cost us more and more but the
option is to allow lawbreakers
back on the streets with shorter
and shorter terms of imprison-
ment
-r LEVELLAND/
Z-£°y*
By Pat Reed
Manager
Chamber of Commerce
Many accolades go to South
Plains College, Dr. Marvin Ba-
ker, and his staff for the great
job the did in organizing Tom T.
Hall Day. The college is always
very efficient in promoting Lbv-
elland in a positive manner.
The Marigolds and Gold-
4£gts opened two new busines-
ses. Lanelle Smith invites you to
visit her beautiful floral shop,
Lanelle’s at 702 Ave. B. If you
like silk arrangements, see Lan-
elle’s. She is located at the east
end of the Cheetah Plumbing
building. Our other new busi-
ness is Accuracy Tax and Re-
cordkeeping located in Nock’s
building at 708 Ave. H. See
Nikki Beard if you need help
with your taxes or records.
Most important meetings
coming up are: Early Settler’s
meeting, April 16, 2 p.m. at the
chamber; National little Drib-
blers tournament, April 17-19,
SPC Texan Dome; and annual
Easter egg hunt for area child-
ren, April 18, 10 a.m. at SPC
Texan Dome.
The Marigolds and Gold-
coats have been asked to help
with the National Little Drib-
blers tournament for the three
days April 17-19. ff you can
work, please call the chamber at
894-3167.
The annual Easter egg hunt
for all area chilren 12 and under
will meet in the Texan Dome
parking lot at 10 a.m. Saturday.
April 18. Anyone wishing to
individually wrapped
vt money to defrey
the eggs will be
wffl be the Law
PIaim CnlluffA
of ^
began caring for Elsie by establ- fortably m
ishing a trust for her mom rent home,
money paid on his form.
The brothers discussed putt- her
ing Elsie on the payroll of the the household chores and wat-
trust as a secretary so she could ching television,
pay into the Society Security and She considers it an easy and
qualify for some benefits later, enjoyable life«after her earlier
let my husband do all my
shopping.”
After 12 years in the dugout,
Elsie said her husband agreed
to build a house. But when the
Japanese attacked Pearl Har-
bour, Robert told Elsie that
wood would be too hard to come
by and too expensive with the
country at war and the house
would have to wait
“I told him,‘I can’t live in
this house another year,’ and
the next week, the house burned
down. ” Elsie said.
On Dec. 14, everything was
added on to it for more room.
When her husband died, the
family owned three irrigated
farms in Texas, a 2,000 acre
ranch in New Mexico and sev-
eral rent houses in Levelland. ;
Elsie said she never knew
anything about business and her
husband took care of every-
thing. When her husband died,
her sons became overseers of
her business affaire.
She said she’s not sure
exactly why she doesn’t receive
Social Security.
Maybe the latent pioneer
tued the
oe. "My daddy sard he would iost We were at church when it ®Pinto &oae who settled tt
Most of her day is spent with have left this country if he could burned,” Don said. “When we ^ West 116X88 P^ins rui
companion who helps with have left in a storm. But you started to leave, she had gone deeper 111811 federal gove
but they decided against it
“It just seemed like a lot of
trouble (because of paperwork),
and we could take care of her.
At that time, she could live well
on $200 a month. Then, if she
years in Texas.
rouidn’t go anywhere in a back inside to g^t~her
storm. We d hang wet blankets bad oil lamps and it was too 8ecunt*
over the baby’s crib so the sand - ■
woudn’t scar its lungs. Of
course, adults could take care of
nments long arm
runs
gover-
of social
"I guess we did it for the themselves. They’d breath th- Dear Editor:
adventure. We lived in a dug- rough handkerchiefs. Then after
out You’d dig down four feet in tbe storm, you know how calm it and their sponsors
naa ou tamps ana it was too_------J
Letter to the editor
the ground and put boards
higher on up. Three of my
needed to go into a nursing children were bom in the dug-
home, it wouldn’t have been out We lived there 12 years,
that much. Now, we’re compet- “We’d have a big rain, and
ing against Medicare and it it would run in the kitchen. It
would take $1,200 a month for a would fill up, and we’d have
is and pretty, then my daddy
wouldn’t want to leave,” Don
said.
The Avery family propsper-
ed, Elsie said, by doing without
The family farmed, with Don
plowing by the time he was 9.
State Capital Highlights
The science fair participants
from Level-
land Middle School would like to
take this opportunity to extend
special thanks to certain busi-
nesses that donated special
awards to make our science fair
a success. These businesses
are: Howdy’s, Sonic, Burger
Kitchen, Taco Villa, Take 6
Yogurt Mr. Gatti’s and Mc-
Donalds.
Thank you for your support
and interest in these students
and their study of science.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Debbie Moore
Mrs. Anita Stegall
Mrs. Ranae Ellington
Mrs. Betty Yeary
by Lyndell Williams
The Texas Senate is poised
to challenge the veto powers of
Gov. Bill Clements with a
controversial budget that is $3.5
billion over the new taxes
ceiling he set.
Politically, it’s not pretty,
but the Senate Finance Commit-
tee last week approved a $39.4
billion budget that is either too
fat or too lean, depending on
who’s talking, and sent it to the
floor for debate.
In the House, leaders said
the Senate bill is too expansive,
but members expect to report
out a bill only $1 billion less, still
over the governor’s ceiling.
Some senators doubted their
version contains enough money
for education and the prison
system, but agreed it was the
only way to get a bill out of
committee.
The debate is expected to be
tough and tedious as senators
try to refashion the bill on the
floor.
Crisis Plan Sought
State Treasurer Ann Rich-
ards, meanwhile, wants legisla-
tors to establish a priority
system for paying bills in case
the state runs out of money in
the fall.
Richards says key questions
concerning how much law en-
forcement to keep, or which
life-supporting hospitals to
maintain, may have to be decid-
ed by legislation.
Certainly, her sobering re-
minder to lawmakers had an
effect on their actions.
Public Works Bonds
Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Bill
Hobby aadwoihars met with
Clements to discuss a $1.1:
billion publftf" works idea to
spread costs of expensive water
and facilities projects. I
“Texas is in an absolutely
classic situation for an accele-
rated public works program,”
Hobby said, comparing the pro-
gram to the federal Works
Progress Administration (WPA)
created during the Depression.
Hobby will appear before the
Senate State Affaire Committee
this week to endorse resolutions
permitting the state to issue
$300 million in general obliga-
tion bonds for prison construc-
tion, $400 million for water
department projects and $400
million in a state loan program
for local public facilities, n
“The aim is job creation,!’
said an official in Hobby’s
office. “The state will have 3
million more people, 20 million
people, by 1990.”
The package, called the
“Build Texas Program,” con-
tains three separate proposed
constitutional amendments. The
three senators sponsoring those
amendments are Bob McFar-
land, R-Arlington, John Mont-
ford, JX-Lubbock, and Hugh Par-
mer, D-Fort Worth.
-
AT&T Deregulation
Senators approved by one
vote a plan to deregulate AT&T,
the only one of Texas’ 166 long
distance carriers that is regulat-
ed by the state, but only after
adding an amendment that the
sponsor called ‘ ‘schizophrenic.
Currently, AT&T can raise
or lower its rates within a
narrow range without asking
permission from the Public uti-
lities Commission. The new bill
allows AT&T to lower rates
without PUC approval, but if
commissioners suspect an anti-
competition situation, the PUC
can investigate and invalidate
the rates.
The House
The House passed a package
of economic development bills,
including three proposed consti-
tutional amendments to end the
state ban on investing tax
money and state credit in pri-
vate businesses.
One bill creates a Texas
Department of Commerce to
make business loans.
The House also approved
legislation to allow the State
Board of Insurance to , watch
more closely the job-safety pro-
grams of insurance companies.
Also approved was a mea-
sure allowing judges to order
the installation of Breathalizer
equipment on car ignitions of
persons convicted of DWI.
Other Highlights
•A West Texas judge ruled
in favor of the state in a dispute
over millions in royalties from
the Yates Field, and the Texas
General Land Office could col-
lect up to $13 million.
•Out-of-state businesses
have been buying troubled Tex-
as businesses at record rates.
Last year, 114 Texas - based
companies were acquired by
non-Texas interests, compared
to 71 in 1986.
•Meanwhile, farmland
prices in Texas dropped an
average 11 percent last year,
compared to a 17 percent de-
cline in 1985.
•The Texas House heard a
plan to give property tax exemp-
tions to mothballed offshore
drilling rigs, which are usually
moved to non-Texas waters to
avoid such taxes. Owners spend
$500 to $2,500 daily to maintain
mothballed rigs which could
mean more jobs in Texas.
COLLIDER
Continued from page 1
Conservationists honor
three during banquet
The Hockley County Soil and sion on his sloping land. Future
Water Conservation District re- plans include an underground
cognized Royce May as the piped waterway for one terrace
Outstanding Conservation Far- system. His irrigation sprinkler
mer, Paula Wade as the Out- systems were evaluated by Soil
standing Conservation Teacher Conservation Service personnel
and KLVT and Gene Stanley for for efficiency and were updated
the Media Award during its to improve his irrigation water
annual awards banquet Friday, management.”
Conservation essay and pos- It was also noted that he has
ter winners were also recogniz- planted 180 trees for windbreak
ed during the banquet. and an old ahelterbelt on his
A $100 savings bond was farm has furnished seed for the
presented to district poster win- Texas Forest Service windbreak
ner Justin Alexander of Level- program for several years. He
land’s Cactus Elementary. Pla- has been a cooperator with the
ques were presented to Kenna Hockley County Soil and Water
Kiser of Anton, Leisa Fugate of Conservation District since
Levelland ’ s Capitol Elementary; 1985.
Jennifer Withrow, Levelland May and his wife, Marilyn
Middle School; Leslie Borland of live west of Levelland and have
Ropesville; Stephanie Allison of three daughters, Jenni, Kelli
Smyer; Star la Hempel of Level- and Lorri. He attended school at
land’s South Elementary; Jenni- Whiteface and graduated from
for Barry of Sundown; Amy South Plains College with a
Nelson of Levelland’• West computer science degree. He is
Elementary and John Ramirez on the^Hoddey OcmntyjCommit-
Withrow’s poster also won third member of the Whiteface
at the Region I contest. ■ Church of Christ.
In recognizing the outstand- The Conservation District
ing conservation former it was Teacher for this rear, Paula
noted that May forms 1,400 Wade, is a fifth grade teacher at
acres of which 1,000 are irrigat- Whitharral Elementary School,
ed with 200 acres of alfalfa and In making the presentation it
860 acres of wheat. He rotates was noted that she is a graduate
his cotton with these high of Whitharral High School and a
residue crops plus haygrazer graduate of West Texas State
and mik>. His terrace and water- University. She has taught
way systems “are well main- school for six years and teaches
tained and prevent water ero- conservation in her social stud-
ies classes and asks the Soil
Conservation Service to give her
classes slide presentations each
year.
She was raised on a farm and
knows the importance of soil
and water conservation. She and
her husband, Larry, and their
two children, Chris and Stacy,
live on the Wade homeplace
northwest of Whitharral. She
helps with the spraying and
other formwork each summer as
well as raising a garden and
canning and freezing produce
each year.
In recognizing KLVT and
Gene Stanley for the Media
Award it was noted, “Gene is a
supporter of soil and water
conservation in Hockley County.
His station has aired over 300
spots in the last year promoting
the Tree Windbreak Program,
Field Days and other Soil and
Water Conservation District and
Soil Conservation Service activ-
ities.
Stanley was raised in Cle-
burne. He was in the Air Force,
stationed in Florida and Alaska,
where he started his communi-
cations career. He came to
Levelland in 1961 and is co-
owner and manager of KLVT.
Gene and his wife, Fredda, who
is secretary for the station, have
four children. They are mem-
bers of the First Baptist Church
and he is a Sunday School
Teacher.
at about $4.4 billion, Combest
said variations of the project
range from expenditures of $2
to $10 billion.
President Regan’s recent
offer to support the project also
provides encouragement of its
funding, Combest said.
In other DOE reports, the
1988 funding request for the
super collider budget is $35
million, $10 million for const-
ruction and $25 million for
research and development.
The funding request peaks
at $709 million in 1994.
Contracts will also be soli-
cited with local, state and
foreign nations for research
space at the facility.
ITS MISSION
The aim of research at the
facility will be to uncover secrets
about matter with the ultimate
goal of unveiling the origin of
the universe, according to DOE
documents.
Specific applications of the
project, DOE reports indicate,
are “impossible to predict,’’ but
they cite advancements in nu-
clear power and medicine, ad-
vanced electronics, computer
chips and radiation processing
of food and materials as some of
the discoveries that evolved
from experiments and research
into the so-called high energy
physics field.
Reports also indicate that
the powerful magnets develop- v
ed to hurl protons at near light
speeds on collision courses with
other protons eventually lead to
the newest form of medical
imaging devices. The magnetic
resonance imaging machine,
currently in use by hospitals
nationwide, is a spinoff from the
magnet technology.
State and federal officials
indicate that the site produces
low-level nuclear wastes, simi-
lar to those produced by hospit-
als and that Texas will not have
to accept a nuclear waste reposi-
tory before it can be considered
for the super collider facility.
“There’s absolutely no con-
nection between the nuclear
waste site and this (super
collider),” Combest said.
Bingler said it’s unlikely that
any radiation would ever escape
from the tubular chambers, but
he said the 30-foot burial dept is
sufficient to obsorb errant radia-
tion. He also said the materials
used produce radiation mole-
cules with very short half-lives.
“This isn’t anything like a
nuclear power plant,” Bingler
said.
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News'Press
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Smith, Billy. Levelland and Hockley County News-Press (Levelland, Tex.), Vol. 9, No. 6, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 15, 1987, newspaper, April 15, 1987; Levelland, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1147768/m1/2/: accessed June 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting South Plains College.