The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 299, Ed. 1 Sunday, October 2, 2005 Page: 4 of 24
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Baytown Sun and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Sterling Municipal Library.
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Sunday, October 2,2005
®r Saptoton ftun
4A
0
■t
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Cookies
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know that the so-called evacua-
standinkby to refill these tanks
certainly wasn’t doing it fast
and shelters for people in auto-
. *
ABOUT US
TODAY IN HISTORY
Unjust
firings
West. (A wave of unrest aimed at driving
Milosevic from power swept Yugoslavia, and the
strike leaders. )
Stephanie Juarez
Baytown
• Remarks made by Galveston"
Mayor LydaAnn Thomas on
Friday.
LydaAnn
Thomas
•I
. J
David Bloom,
Managing Editor
Our editorial board
Pie Baytown Sun's editorial board meets weekly at 2 p.m.
Wednesday. Individuals are encouraged to visit the editorial
board to discuss issues affecting the community. To make an
appointment, contact Managing Editor David Bloom by calling
281-422-8302.
Members of the editorial board include: Wanda Garner
• Cash, editor and publisher; David Bloom, managing editor;
Jim Finley, retirednSun managing editor; and Jane Howard
Lee, retired Sun reporter.
Better plans for
mass evacuation
V
k
I
®he j&wtoton S>un
Founded 1922
Wanda Gamer Cash,
Editor and.Publisher
Fred Hartman, Publisher Emeritus
1950-1974
........................................
I'M TWE .
Victim of a
VAST LEFT-WIM6
Gulf Coast and Houston area.
Als<| 1 would like to see the gov-
ernment take a better approach
to making sure there is emer-
urttil the following day, when it was announced
that Simpson had been acquitted.)
Five years ago: In his first public address since '
a disputed election, Yugoslav President Slobodan
They failed
me & they
failed you
I have lived in Baytown all
my life. Throughout the course
of my life here, hurricanes have
always been a way of life.
The evacuation of Baytown
during Hurricane Rita has led
me to two major conclusions.
The first is that the so-called
evacuation plan to move resi-
dents away from danger needs
ing themselves with the labor code.
The question about the workers’ designation
as “essential personnel” is the crux of the
matter.
Do city employees — from clerks to
mechanics to department heads — assume a
responsibility that requires them to basically
abandon their family, report to work and pro-
■ tect the community?
Clearly, most do not.
Of approximately 670 city employees,
roughly 300 — including police and fire
employees — worked through the storm.
Some 300 or more non-civil city workers,
meaning they are not emergency responders,
who evacuated will get paid for the time they
were gone. The five men fired for evacuating
were also'non-civil workers.
This double standard in times of emergency
and high anxiety is clearly unjust.
Remember, Hurricane Rita was hyped to
the hilt, whipping the citizenry into near
panic. TV weathermen howled day and night
about the 165-mph swirling monster bringing
destruction our way.
Needless to stay, most of Baytown evacuated
something the city said was a good thing.
This sorryepisode shines light on the hard
decision many of us faced last week: whether
to evacuate your home and your family in the
face of a dangerous hurricane.
Does ogc’s own personal needs take prece-
dence over the community needs?
In most cases, the answer is yes. That’s why
those who do stay are universally praised for
sacrificing in the line Of duty.
Perhaps there’s more to it than the city has
revealed. Perhaps performance issues that are
confidential personnel matters justified the fir-
■ ings. If so, the city administration should
explain why these employees were fired for
putting their family first.
Todays editorial was written by David Bloom,
managing editor of The Baytown Sun, on
behalf of the newspaper’s editorial board.
associate justite of the U.S. Supreme Court; he
was the first black appointed to the nation’s high-
est court.
In 1975, President Ford welcomed Japan’s
wl
read. Hurricanes Jerry and
Chantal in 1989 were both mere
Category 1 hurricanes and they
were a little more than nui-
sanc
both on Baytown and my mem-
ory in 1983.
What I do remember was
Anita, Allen and Gilbert. All I
remember about Anita in 1977
was f
at Wooster Baptist. I remember
Allen, the “sform of the centu-
ry,” in 1980. It was a Category
5 projected to come across the
upper Texas coast with a
vengeance. It prompted a mas-
sive evacuation but weakened
and veered southward. I remem-
ber Gilbert in 1988. It was ,
dubbed the worst Atlantic hurri-
cane ever as it reached Category
5 status and outranked Camille
in strength. Once thought to
strike Galveston head on, it also
weakened as it crossed the
Yucatan and struck Mexico.
See a pattern here?
Then here comes Rita. As it
When Galveston citizens left
the island of Galveston, we had
trouble. Since last spring, I, City
Manager Steve LeBlanc and oth-
ers have been meeting "ith the
State ofTexas Emergency
Management Commission.
And up until the time that I
called for a voluntary evacuation
of the island, we were assured
time and time and time again,
that we would leave the island
and we would travel to
Huntsville, and there we would
find shelter. That is not what
happened.
When our buses left the island
between 6 a.m. and 10:30 am.
on Sept. 21, it was smooth sail-
ing. As things progressed on
Wednesday, things began to hap-
pen in the Houston area that
; caused our good citizens to stay
jaNjuses 12 hours, 16 hours and
two
The plan called for a three- to
four-hour mp from Galveston to
Huntsville with stops along the
way. It didn't happen.
As I asked our citizens to leave
Galveston Island in order to get
out of harm’s way, I am very dis-
tressed to say that I put them in
harm’s way. That was never
meant'to be and I apologize to
the citizens of Galveston who got
- f on the highways based on my
decision to take them out of
harms way.
I will not accept the respohsi-
bility or the blame for what hap-
pened when our citizens hit . the
Houston area and 1 would urge
those of you who had such a
miserable trip to let the governor
of the State ofTexas and our rep-
resentatives know how you feel
and what happened to you. I will
not shoulder that responsibility.
Our buses were not prepared
for long trips. And after all, the
state assured me, as your mayor,
that it would take three to four
hours to get to Huntsville and all
would be well. Our citizens suf-
fered indignities that no one
should have to suffer. The buses
had to pull over to the side of the
road so that our citizens could
get off the buses and relieve
themselves. That works well if
you’re a man — you picture it.
Women had to be held in order
to relieve themselves. People
were dehydrated. Children with-o
out diapers and without food, it'
should not have happened, and I
assure you that it will not happen
' again if I have anything to do
with another evacuation. I
Instead of taking you out of |
harm’s way, you went into harm’s
way. Lives were threatened and
people died on that trip, and dogs
died and cats died. People
arrived in towns who needed
dialysis and thank God there
were some kind people along the
way who helped our people go to
a local hospital and receive the
medical care that they needed.
So, your lives were threatened.
Your lives were threatened by a
catastrophic hurricane coming in
off the gulf and one of the
biggest transportation foul-ups
that I’ve ever witnessed, and I
look forward to the governor of
this state to correct what hap-
pened to our citizens and many
others as they fled from the
storm and ended up in life threat-
ening situations along our Texas
highways.
I think that the be^t way for me
See THOMAS on Page 5A
over an hour to get to Dayton.
My ride to Cleveland was held
up by one traffic light in down-
town. By the time I took my
seven hour ride to Livingston I 'Cross make better plans next
was about to have a serious t-.:: tli::: L
meltdown. If this was supposed of people by bus. There should
to get me out of harms way, it- be shelters set aside for buses
The first Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances.
enough. Local and state level
officials could have done some-
thing to get us moving.
By the time I finally made it
to Dallas 23 hours after 1 left,
the storm had weakened and
was now heading toward Sabine send hw
Pass. People can argue we did- '______________________t
■ n’t know how strong it would be in and feeding us and being
and where it would hit. And yes, nica to all of us from all over the
work. The second conclusion is that’s true. But we also didn’t
that I will neverleave again. 1.......
Tracing back my memory it’s tion routes were going to slow
easy to recall the actual number down to a standstill.
There is an old saying when it gencwgas stations open 24
Reader vows to ‘never leave again
mobiles. This I think would
eliminate confusion of buses
showing up at shelters already
full and eliminate long and frus-
trating bus rides looking for
shelters next tipe/i want to
tanks to the people
of KyiCaiid Austin for taking Us
; so
City workers should not be fired
for putting family before jobs
F ■ lhe firing of five Baytown city workers
I solely because they evacuated ahead of
JL Hurricane Rita shows a woeful lapse in
judgment.
Even in a state where employers can legally
fire workers for just about any reason, state
law forbids employers from firing workers
who “participate in a general public evacua-
tion ordered under an emergency evacuation
order.”
Such was the case last week when some
Baytown city workers evacuated the city, as
the mayor ordered. In such emergencies, how-
ever, a few special employees — such as .
police officers and firefighters — can be
( ■ required to remain on the job. But none of the
men terminated specialized in emergency
response. They were mechanics and street
workers.
The mayor and city manager say they con-
sider “job abandonment” by essential person-
nel in an emergency a serious matter. If that’s
I the case, we suggest they start by familiariz-
home in Beverly Hills, Calif, at age 59 after bat-
tling AIDS.
On this date:
In 1835, the first battle of the Texas Revolution
took place as American settlers defeated a
Today is Sunday, Oct. 2, the 275th day of 2005. Emperor Hirohito to the United States.
There are 90 days left in the year. , In 1980, U.S. Rep. Michaef“Ozzie” Myers, D-
Today’s Highlight in History: ’ Pa., convicted of accepting a bribe in the FBI’s
On Oct. 2,1985, actor Rock Hudson died at his ABSCAM sting operation, was expelled from’the
n----r.ur — cn House, becoming the first congressman ousted
by his colleagues since the outbreak of the Civil
War. o
Ten years ago: O.J. Simpson’s jurors stunned
the courtroom and the nation by reaching verdicts
Mexican cavalry near the Guadalupe River. in the sensational eight-month murder trial in less
In 1919, President Wilson suffered a stroke that than four hours. (The decision was kept secret
left hjm partially paralyzed.
In 1944, Nazi troops crushed the 2-month-old
Warsaw Uprising, during which a quarter of a
million people were killed.
In 1950, the comic strip “Peanuts,” created by Kfilosevic branded his opponents puppets of the
Charles M. Schulz, was first published in nine West. (A wave of unrest aimed at driving
newspapers. . 1* " . ' " . . '
In 1967, Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as an government responded by arresting dozens of
-----strike leaders.)
One year ago: Suspected separatist rebels
began four days of attacks in India’s Nagaland
and Assam states that killed 73 people.
rnanj
outside the Houston area.
We ended up in Austin, but
not before we had a long bus
j! 1 : 1 1 ' /' l l- 1
foil before our bus got there.
’.. ' t<i i. ?•. : i a it ’t '■ ■"
strengthened and moved steadi- very generous in opening up
ly towards the upper Texas t"“ t: ± ht:
coast, I heeded the evacuation Saturday night after^ye had
orders and got out. Only to be f------‘
sitting in stand still traffic from looking for shelter.
Let us hear from you
The Baytown Sun welcomes letters of up to 300 words and
guest columns of up to 500 words on any item of public inter-
est. Guest columns should include a photograph of the writer.
We publish only original material addressed to The Baytown
Sun bearing the writer's signature. An address and phone
number not for publication should be included. Wfe ask that
submissions be limited to one per month. All lettere and
guest columns are subject to editing. The Suh reserves the
right to refuse to publish any submission.
Please send signed letters to: Wanda Garner Cash or
David Bloom, The Baytown Sun, P.O. Box 90, Baytown,
77522. Or, fax them to: 281427-1880. Or send us an e-
mail at sunnews@baytownsun.com.
Run from the water and hide
if you are not in a storm surge eliminate people running out of
issue is the wind stay put. eliminate looking for gas before
I say this now on the heels of a running out.
Category 1 hurricanes and they very frustrating and stressful Tony Bryan.
were a little more than nui- evacuation. Perhaps if another Baytown
sances. Alicia made an impact Category 5 does head this way I
KntK nn Ravtnxxm nnrt mu menu i___
the powers that be see that the
evacuation system is flawed and
needs some serious revamping.
If that revamping does not
the Red Cross shelter set up occur before the next hurricane
heads this way then I will watch
it from my windows and not on
the news in Dallas,
Janies Kingsmill
Baytown
of hurricanes that hit or at least There is an old saying when it gencw gas stations open 24
made an impact here. I was only comes to hurricane evacuations, hours and have tank trucks
2 when Fem deluged the Texas Run from the water and hide _ T?
coast from Galveston to Corpus from the wind. In simple terms, in time or mass evacuation to
Christi in 1971 so I can’t recall ------—*-----.
much of her except what I have penetration zone and the only gas on the side of roads and
I say this now on the heels of a running out.
evacuation. Perhaps if anoths
--------------“ --j •
ould leave. However, I hope that tf|6r6 W3S light!
: nowers that be see that the ®
I just wanted to publicly thank
Councilman Brandon Capetillo,
Kevin Powell with the City of
Baytown, and Valerie Johnson
with CenterPoint Energy for
their part in restoring the powdr
to those of us on Peppermill-
Street. x.
Monday upon returning home
to Baytown from Waco it was
these three people who helped
make 'sure my lights were turned
back on. There had been con-
struction on’ a sinkhole contain-
I and my wife were two of the ing our uti lities the week before
the cause of our lack of power,
once everyone else in Ginger
Creek had regained power.
After numerous calls and
emails from many of us without
power on Peppermill, the City of
Baytown and CenterPoint met
us late Monday to determine
who was responsible for the
problem. The situation is
resolved for the moment with
the utilities to be properly buried
in the near future.
1 want to>tbank Brandon,
patience and understanding and
their quick response to resolve
this matter.
struction ort a sinkhole contain-
ty evacuees sent to shelters Rita hit. This construction was
once everyone else in Ginger
ride looking for shelters already
The kind folks of Kyle were
two schools to take us in late
- V
gone north of Austin to Belton
u, 3Uu looking for shelter.
Baytown to Lufkin. It took me We then ended up in Austin at power restored and promises of
x_ Fulmore Junior High and the
Austin Convention Center for
special need evacuees. _
1 would like to see the Red Kevin, and Valerie for their
time there is a mass evacuation
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Cash, Wanda Garner. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 299, Ed. 1 Sunday, October 2, 2005, newspaper, October 2, 2005; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1191802/m1/4/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.