The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 288, Ed. 1 Tuesday, October 1, 1996 Page: 1 of 12
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Whafs Inside _______[Calendar, Page 2A I Police Bea^ Page 5-A[Opinion, Page 4-A [Sports, Page 1-B
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Bible Verse.
Calendar...
...,4A Police Beat.....5A
...2A Sports............1B
AARP meeting
Vehicle vandalism
capital Higniignts:
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The Four Horsemen
Classified.....
.Obituaries..
...458
...3A
Today hHfetory....4A
Corries...........38
George Lester to entertain at
Two cars damaged by toner
The latest news and views
Sterling water polo veterans
Opinion....
...4A
Television........28
monthly meeting of retirees
from copier cartridge
from the state capital
make their mark this season
_ Telephone Number 422-8302 , Tuesday, October 1,1996 , Baytown, Texas 77520________________________50 Cents Per Copy
Minimum wage hike impacts Baytown businesses
can’t compensate for the pay in-
crease,” Brooks said.
ByMAlKEvanWUK
The Baytown Sun
Workers across the country got a
raise today, as the Minimum Wage
Increase Act of 1996 went into ef-
fect, granting minimum wage earn-
ers an extra 50 cents per hour on
their paycheck.
However, while workers are
looking forward to the change, lo-
cal businesses are having to crunch
numbers to deal with the increase
in costs.
While some businesses absorb
the change without much effort,
nonprofit agencies in particular
have trouble adjusting to the
change.
“A number of our employees
work at minimum wage, which ob-
viously is going to be a negative
impact to our budget,” said Roger
Moon, executive director of the
YMCA. “Being nonprofit, we’ll
probably have to increase our fees.”
Moon said the dilemma he faces
is that the minimum wage increase
is not reflected in the 1996-97 bud-
get, which was created in early
spring.
With a workforce of more than
100 minimum wage workers, the
lack of funding could pose some
problems.
However, Moon looks on the
bright side. “We don’t anticipate
being devastated by it,” Moon said.
“I’m pleased to see minimum
wage go up because we have quali-
ty people who can definitely use an
increase in pay.”
One of those people is Maria
Gonzalez, a child care worker at
the YMCA Barney Gray Childcare
Center, who helps support her fa-
ther and mother with rent, food and
other living expenses. “I think it’ll
help me a lot I’ll have a little more
left than what I have now,” she said.
Jerri Brooks at Creative Learn-
ing Child Care Center said the
minimum wage law does not affect
her center directly, because she
hires people above minimum wage.
However, Brooks said her work-
ers expected a pay increase propor-
tional to the minimum wage in-
crease. “It does affect morale a lit-
tle. Unless I go up on my rates, I
The new wage structure will
strain the budget at the YMCA
Barney Gray Childcare Center,
said Director Karen Dudley — but
she added that her staff is happy
about the raise. “They feel like they
deserve it,” she said, “and they do.”
Tiffany Dickson, also a child
care provider at the Barney Gray
Center, said she likes the increase.
involved, but basically it’s going to
feel the same because prices will
increase also,” Dickson said.
One of the businesses which has
to raise prices is Domino’s Pizza.
“Due to the fact that minimum
wage is raised, we have to raise
prices, and that’s causing turmoil
between the customers and us,”
said Robert Kirkland, senior assis-
tant manager. “The plan was good.
It’s great to have a minimum wage,
but now people have to pay for it”
On Sept. 1,1997, the minimum
wage will increase again to $5.15.
Sunday
deadline
to register
to vote
As the races heat up for the Nov.
5 general elections, so too do the
drives to get citizens registered to
vote before the
Sunday dead-
line.
The Lee
College Stu-
dent Congress,
in conjunction
with the Bay-
town League
of Women
Voters, has
scheduled a registration drive from
10 am. to 3 p.m. Thursday on the
Moler Hall patio as part of the col-
lege’s Fall Fiesta.
Candidates from both parties are
expected to appear during the event
to meet potential constituents.
Margie Hartrick, voter service
chairwoman for the League of
Women Voters, urged those whot
have not registered to vote to do so.
“It’s for their future and their chil-
dren^ future to get out and vote and
to be an informed voter,” she said.
Voter registration will also be
held during normal business hours
this week at the county clerk’s of-
fice at the Harris County Court-
house Annex. 701W. Baker Road.
However, she does not foresee a
big change in her income. “I’m ex-
cited because there is more money
Fire destroys Market Street building
Blaze breaks out in
vacant structure on
West Bay town street
ByMAlKEvanWUK
The Baytown Sun
The Baytown. Fire Department re-
sponded to a structure fire Monday
morning that destroyed one building and
slightly damaged two Others.
At 7:41 a.m., three crews arrived at
3411 Market Street, where heavy smoke
was coming from the vacant building.
Fire crews from Station 2 attempted to
control the fire inside the building.
Firefighters from Station 1 moved,
onto the roof in an attempt to reduce
- the interior heat by opening the roof,
while crews from Station 5 provided a
water supply.
At 7:52 a.m., crews from Station 4
were also called, and the La Porte Fire
Department was called for back-up
aid.
By that time, the fire had intensified,
and the firefighters were removed from
the building.
The four crews fought the blaze from
outside the building until the fire was
contained at 8:47 a.m.
The building’s interior was completely
destroyed and some cars behind the prop-
erty were damaged.
The two neighboring buildings at 3409
and 3415 Market Street received smoke
and slight fire damage.
The cause of the fire is still under in-
vestigation.
On Saturday afternoon, the Baytown
Fire Department put out a warehouse fire
at Seapac.
The Baytown firefighters were as-
sisted by crews from Barbers Hill and
the Beach City volunteer fire depart-
ments.
The fire at 3411
Market Street left
one building de-
stroyed and two
others damaged.
Firefighters are still
trying to determine
the cause of the
Monday morning
blaze.
Photos by John Adkins and Mark
Medrano
Highlands Chamber of Commerce plans Jamboree
By CHRISTIAN MESSA
The Baytown Sun
Highlands Chamber of Commerce members
are hoping the recent fall-like weather will last
through this weekend for the Chamber’s 40th
annual Highlands Jamboree.
The public is invited to a street dance sched-
uled from 8 p.m. to midnight Friday at the
Battleground Speedway, 10700 FM 2100, to
kick off the fun and festivities.
The entry fee to the dance is $3 for adults
and free for children 12 and under.
Joggers will line up at 8 a.m. Saturday in
the parking lot of the Gerland’s grocery store,
302 N. Main St., for the Jamboree’s 5K fun
run.
A parade will begin at 10 a.m. at St. JudeTs
Catholic Church, 800 S. Main St., and travel
Vome out and support
your community.'
-Pam White
Highlands Chamber
to the Battleground Speedway to officially
start the day’s festivities.
Visitors will get to sample from mouth-
watering entries submitted in the brisket,
bean, pork rib and chili cookoffs, and a
face-painting booth, grab bags and a pet-
ting zoo will be available for the young-
sters.
There will be a dunking booth featuring lo-
cal celebrities and a motorcycle display at the
jamboree, and an all-day silent auction and
live auction at 2 p.m. have been scheduled as
well.
Chamber Executive Director Pam White
thanked Battleground Speedway owners
Royce and Carolyn Rogers for donating their
property as the site of the Jamboree.
She invited the surrounding area to enjoy
the food and fun at the Jamboree, which is ex-
pected to last until 5 p.m Saturday.
The proceeds raised go to Chamber com-
munity projects.
“Come out and support your community —
this is the only way we get funds in the Cham-
ber at all,” she said. “We have our dues, but
this is really our only fund-raiser.”
For more information about the Jamboree,
call the Highlands Chamber of Commerce at
426-7227.
Weath
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Lows
in the upper 60s.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy
and warm. Highs near 80.
Art by Stacy Hypolite.
MB Council OKs new budget
The Mont Belvieu City Council
Monday night approved a 1996-97
budget of $5.57 million — a $1.13
million increase over last year’s
spending.
The new budget would require a
tax rate of 23.967 cents per $100
property valuation. That would be an
increase of 3.067 cents — an in-
crease that could subject the city to a
rollback election.
Councilmembers have not yet set
the tax rate for the new fiscal year.
A public hearing concerning the
proposed tax increase will be held at
a future date.
100%
United Way
1996-97 Goal: $1,560,000
Funds raised as of Sept. 27: $506.639
The United Way of the Baytown Area has
raised $506,639, or about 32.5 percent, of
its-$1.56 miffion goal for this year.
Ninety-three cents of each dollar will support
agencies and programs that provide services in
Baytown, Highlands, McNair, Mont Belvieu and
West Chambers County. More than 99 percent of
the money raised will remain in the area.
Below is a profile of one of the 25 service agen-
cies that receive funding from the United Way of
Baytown. For information on contributing, call 424-
5922 or 424-5831.
90%
80%
70%
60%
Now? .f*|» f ajt / H.IO2
tor hottie rielivory, call 422-11302
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Dobbs, Gary. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 288, Ed. 1 Tuesday, October 1, 1996, newspaper, October 1, 1996; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1176707/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.