Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 52, Ed. 1 Monday, October 10, 1977 Page: 2 of 14
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2A--Biirleson Star, Monday, October 10, 1977
★ Proposal
★ Trustees
Star Gazing
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
By Wayne Hutson
A popular phrase these days, “consumer rippoff”. But let’s take a look
at the other side just for fun.
Ever notice when you go into your favorite local store that the
manager or the owner seems always there? If he’s not behind the
counter, he’s at least around the place doing something. If he’s not you
wonder about him.
It’s not a thing you give a lot of thought to, but you notice things like
that, perhaps subconsciously.
The reason he or she is there-no matter if you go in early or late--is
because of concern for running a business the right way. They’re willing
to put in long hours to keep you happy as a customer.
Of course, they have a selfish motive: No customers, no business.
A couple of times in the last few days, different merchants have
casually mentioned to this writer a problem that seems fairly common.
Some customers are difficult to deal with. They never satisfied.
The shopper we’re talking about is the one who comes in with a smirk
on his face and you can read in his eyes that he thinks the merchant is a
crook from the word go. “He’ll beat you if he can,” the shopper seems to
be saying,” “so I might as well beat him first.”
The local merchant then gets blamed for selling inferior merchandise,
for opening too late or closing too early to meet the shopper’s schedule,
and for hiring sales clerks that tend to refuse to take back a shirt or a
package of shoelaces (stuff that the customer obviously damaged after
opening).
Clerks sometimes forget-in the heat of discussion with a disgruntled
sort-the old rule, “the cumstomer is always right, even when he isn’t”.
Nobody would argue-least of all a serious merchant who intends to
stay in business-that consumers must be treated fairly. Honesty is the
best policy. That’s a valid philosophy for more reasons than one.
Still, all of us can remember at least one or two occasions when we
were ripped off by a dishonest character who sold us a bill of goods and
then either ignored our complaints entirely or left town so that we
couldn’t get to him.
Then we often get the runaround by the store which notes that they,
too, have had trouble with the salesman, and they have no record of your
transaction.
And what about that used car you bought a few years ago? You were
told that the motor was in excellent shape, you paid your money, and
then the transmission fell out.
You took the car back only to find out that the salesman went to work
peddling encyclopedias in Hakensak, N.J., and nobody’s seen him since
he gave the hot check at the drive-in grocery.
BUT HOW MANY TIMES has that happened at a local store? How
many times has a local business actually short-changed you in some way
and failed to make it good?
We’d be willing to bet that such an occurence is rare. If you bought
from a local person who has been in business a good while, and he’s still
in business today, you probably got treated right 99 times out of 100.
Right?
A service station operator told us recently about a customer who
claims the station damaged a tire while repairing a flat. There’s not too
many ways a station can hurt a tire after it’s off your car.
But running it on the pavement after all the air is gone sure will.
Wonder how many service stations have been blamed for tire failure
when it really was the driver’s fault?
This station owner made the tire good after the customer raised such a
stink that it was getting embarrassing. Besides, the owner figured, it
would be better to go ahead and pay the small claim than put up with the
complaining.
He told us, however, that he invited the customer not to come back.
Too much trouble. The merchant’s time would be better spent trying to
give good service to the customers who rarely complain anyway.
Besides, no amount of money that might be made in a sale is worth the
abuse that some people give their merchant.
Other stores have told us that some customers are quick to bring back
-'a package- of stuff that-carnet up srWjft on the county but that it’s ip-rare
bird who will admit to getting more than he paid for.
Merchants expect a customer to complain if a clerk doesn’t return the
right amount of change. Perhaps it’s asking too much, but they also
expect the customer to return any money that he might have gotten by
the same kind of error.
That sort of thing does happen.
Some patrons are honest.
In fact, the biggest majority are--especially in small towns where you
know most of the people you’re dealing with.
But there are enough dishonest consumers, that most merchants are
wary of “gettin’ took” themselves.
A retailer has to watch out for bogus money, for bad checks, for
shoplifting, for petty theft (sometimes from his own employees) and for
abusive language from one customer that might bother another patron.
If that weren’t enough, he also has to be concerned with burglaries,
vandalism and the real threat of armed robbery.
More often than not, it’s the shoplifting that really hurts. Most retail
stores don’t really worry about the robber. It’s the shoplifter who gets
away. It’s the shoplifter that has to be figured into budgets. It’s the
shoplifter who causes everyone else to pay more.
But the merchant can deal with the criminals.
It’s the so-called “public” that makes business life sometimes less
than perfect. It’s the occasional guy that comes in half drunk, or mad at
his wife, or both, and demands service far above the norm.
He wants immediate attention; he wants the best merchandise, and he
wants to pay half price,
“They sell it a lot cheaper over on the north side of Fort Worth,” he
says.
ALL WE’RE TRYING TO SAY is that empathize with the “friendly
merchant” who has to put up with the bad guys and then keep smiling so
that his regular customers won’t know anything is wrong.
So, the next time you see your store’s manager or owner still behind
the counter at 6 p.m. and you know he’s proably been there for 10 to 12
hours already, say a kind word or two.
He probably needs your friendly, understanding smile a lot more than
he needs your money.
Good Job, Volunteers
Guest Column i
• •- ’■ i *
Nursing Home- One View
He told the Star late last week that
Hurry, Hurry, Right This Way
Sale merchandise was coming in at a
fast clip, but the Burleson Chamber of
Commerce was shooting for “thous-
ands” instead of “hundreds” of items to
have on hand for its “Giant, Countyline
Tent Sale and Auction next Friday and
Saturday.
ton to succeed Dr. Walter H. Fischer of Temple. He re-
appointed Dr. Sterling H. Pruitt Sr. of Fort Worth.
Donald W. Ator of Austin replaced Heino Staffel Jr. of
Austin on the State Seed and Plant Board.
Nancy O’Bryant Puentes is Atty. Gen. John Hill’s new
assistant for information.
AUSTIN—A legislative committee has launched an in-
vestigation of complaints that patients in Texas mental
hospitals and schools for the retarded are being abused.
Rep. DeWitt Hale of Corpus Christi, chairman of the
House General Investigating Committee, said the inquiry
will be “neither a witch hunt nor a white wash.”
Hale scheduled a two-day hearing here to evaluate the
complaints.
Texas Association for Retarded Citizens urged the hear-
ing, but the organization’s director said many parents of
retarded children feared reprisals if they testified.
A Waco mother said she had been informed her severely-
retarded son had been homosexually abused at Mexia State
School.
An Austin mother told the committee her retarded son
had lost two teeth and suffered a smashed finger and
broken arm at Travis State School, and no one could tell
her how the injuries occurred.
Witnesses before the committee complained of lack of
adequate staff in schools for the retarded, and one strong-
ly urged bringing in outside professional help.
■?RY. SUBSCRIBE NOW
IKd beat the price
INCREASE.
Under The C-C Big Tent
laugh with her over funny memories,
and hold her hand when she is
depressed because “no one has time for
an old lady.”
I am your substitute for her family.
But, maybe you are the exception
and often come to see your mother.
You seek me out to tell me how good
she is looking and ask if there might be
something she needs or that you could
do for her. I bless you many times.
Your words of appreciation are so
encouraging.
You know, I love my job. I am here
by choice and not by chance. I really
don’t need you to get any satisfaction
from my work. I receive thatwfr&i I' '
tuck your mother in at night and she
gives me a kiss. Her smile is all I need.
But, the next time you visit the
Nursing Home where your loved one
resides, look closer.....see me.
The chamber has obtained more than
$20,000 for direct gifts the past three
months and still needs about $12,00 to
buy the land on which it has an option
to buy.
The Chamber will gladly pick up any
item donated for the sale, said Key.
The sale will be held on the building
site, behind Wilshire Cinema off Hwy.
174.
(Editor’s Note: Following “letter to
the family” was prepared by Dale
"Walker, administrator at the Silver
Haven Care Center in Burleson, in an
effort to show “the other side” of the
story-the staff which cares for patients
in nursing homes. The view entitled
“Recognition”, is appropriate to air,
especially in light of statewide criticism
the past few months of some convales-
cent facilities which have not provided
proper care for their residents.)
Dear Family:
When I came in last night to see your
mother, did you see me?
I’m sure you knew someone was
there to look after everyone, but did
you really look to see who? Did you
speak to me, or just nod and go straight
to Grandma’s room? Sometimes I don’t
even get that.
You sit down, pat Grandmother’s
hand straighten her shawl or lap
robe, ask how she is and get a report on
her activities.
She might tell you she feels terrible,
never gets to go anywhere, and
someone turned off the TV and she
missed her favorite program. Also,
someone stole her glasses, she can’t
remember what she had for dinner, so
it must not have been anything very
great.
You nod, pat her hand again, soothe
,her feelings and quitely leave. Then
later you are loud and clear to the rest
.of the family about how terribly she is
treated, and how you never see the
::purple sweater you gave her for
Christmas and just maybe the nurse’s
daughter has a new sweater.
If you had come and asked me I could
explain that she is really in good health
considering her age and arthritis. That
she refused to go on the bus ride and
sat in her chair in front of the TV and
slept through Lawrence Welk. As for
dinner today, we had beef Stroganoff
over noodles, carrots, cole slaw, and
cantaloupe. She ate everything on her
tray. Her glasses are in her pocket, and
she wears the purple sweater a lot. It
must be washed occasionally and if she
doesn’t have it on it could be hanging in.
her closet. Did you look?
Did you ever wonder who keeps her
clothes clean, buttons sewn on: her hair
shampooed and set; her false teeth
brushed; her bed neat and clean; her
dresser drawers free from the seeds,
peelings, and wrappings of goodies you
bring her; keeps the rug clean where
she spits and drips and waits on her as
much as time or demand will allow?
I Do! I love your mother as I do my
own. 1 cry with her when you don’t
come in for days or weeks at a time. I
listen to her reminisce of the past,
lawnmowers, furniture, appliances, an-
tiques, brand new equipment and tools,
’ toys, clothing...and a lot of just plain ol’
junk that ought to be fun to rummage
through.
“We’d like to see everybody get
behind this thing and help us raise the
money we need.”
Persons wishing to donate any item
may contact the chamber officer at
295-2412.
“We’ve had a lot of help on this
project from various clubs and organi-
zations which we appreciate very
much,” said Darnell. “We expect their
work to result in a really successful
sale and help push the fund drive to
completion.”
pluarality of votes for election. For
example, if 500 votes were scattered
among six candidates, it could be
conceivable that the winner could have
only about 100 votes.
Under the system proposed by
Putnam, the two top vote getters
would meet again in a runoff election so
that all voters would have a chance to
choose between them. In this way, the
winner would be elected by a majority
of school district voters who cast
ballots in the election. Runoffs are
conducted in City Council elections as
well as county and state elections.
The main problem appears to be that
runoff elections do not generally re-
ceive a tremendous response from
voters. Another is the extra loss to
candidates, most of whom do not accept
or solicit contributions. And of all the
cities in this immediate area surveyed
by Finance Director Marion McCarroll,
only Fort Worth uses runoff elections
to decide school board posts.
i Two other districts did not even
elect members by place, McCarroll
said, but rather took the top vote
getters in an at-large election.
Main reason given for not going to
runoff elections, said McCarroll, was
that elections had always been done
the way they are now.
Each individual school board is
allowed by the state to make that
decision for itself, but the matter must
be settled at least 90 days before an
election.
Burleson trustees want to settle it
long enough before the next election so
that no personalities will be involved in
the decision. The December date
chosen by trustees is prior to the date
that candidates may file for places in
the 1978 trustee election.
According to Putnam, the most
democratic way to conduct an election
is for each board member to be chosen
by a majority of voters. He pointed out
that in the last election only Board
President Jimmie Coontz received a
majority of the votes cast. Coontz was
unopposed in his bid for re-election.
★ Officer
CONTINUED FROM PAGE
Road Plan Approved
A $33 million program to improve Texas Farm to Mar-
ket Roads and roads not on the state-maintained network
has State Highway and Public Transportation Commission
approval.
The 1977 program includes work on 378.1 miles of roads
in all sections of the state—297.7 miles of FM roads and
80.4 miles of roads on local systems. Off-system road im-
provements are selected cooperatively by local and state
governments and are developed with aid of partial federal
financing.
Meanwhile, the commission also approved a 1978 state-
wide highway safety improvement program consisting of
194 projects costing more than $2.88 million in 16 districts.
Most of the work involves improvement or installation
of new traffic signals, signing, lane delineation, left turn
lanes or other traffic control devices. Other work will
widen or replace three bridges where eight persons died.
Appointments Announced
Gov. Dolph Briscoe named Lynn Coker of Conroe ninth
district judge, succeeding his father on the Polk, San Ja-
cinto, Montgomery and Waller counties bench. Briscoe ap-
pointed Dr. Richard Brassard of Beaumont to replace Dr.
Harvey H. Kennedy of Longview on the State Board of
Chiropractic Examiners and Dr. Jay H. Perreten of Hous-
Smoke and cinders rose from the
south recently and swept over most of
the city.
Automobiles, pickups and motor-
cycles began to gravitate toward the
scene which appeared near to the
Norwood Elementary School.
“Grass Fire!’, came the word over
our police monitor. “All volunteer
firemen, please respond.”
It was the second alarm in a matter
of a few hours after high winds had
whipped a few smoldering embers back
to life. Volunteers who thought their
work was completed earlier had to
leave their homes and businesses
again.
Then came the word over one of our
citizen band radios. “Those guys don’t
know what they’re doin’. They should
have put it out the first time. If I were
runnin’ the fire station...”
Some unthinking soul had criticized
his own neighbors and friends without
understanding the situation at all.
Fortunately, the volunteer firemen
didn’t respond to the criticism by
quitting. They simply went back out
and risked their own safety to put the
fire out again.
Fire Prevention Week is observed
Oct. 9-15 every year. And, as we hope
you noted in our Thursday edition,
Volunteer Fire Department Week was
Oct. 3-9.
The timing gives us a chance to put
in another good word for the people to
whom we trust our livris arid ^rbpbiKy.’
Fire Prevention Week got its timing
in October as a result of the Great
Goods were being stored in a
borrowed warehouse and chamber
officials hoped to have it filled up at
least the day before the sale begins,
said chamber executive vice president
Dennis Key.
“Clean out your garage and help the
community at the same time,” urged
first vice president Jay Darnell who is
in charge of the big event. “We still
need about $10,000 to buy the land for
our planned new office arid civic
facilities and we hope this sale will put
us over the top.”
To help bring out the crowd, the
chamber also will serve Polish sausage
and beans all day Friday and Saturday.
“It a great opportunity for Burleson
area residents to save money on a lot of
different things,” said Darnell. “We
have bicycles, animal feed, house paint,
* COUNTY BUDGET
(continued from page one)
board and others interested in the
library have talked with commissioners
and County Judge Tommy Altaras and
the possibility of restoring funds to the
Burleson Library is expected to be
discussed Tuesday.
The county tax rate is expected to
remain $.98 per $100 valuation and is
also expected to be broken down the
same way as last year. That would be
$.04 for Jury; $.38 for General Fund;
$.46 for Road and Bridge; $.02 for
Right of Way; $.05 for Interest and
Sinking; and $.03 for the Fire District.
Revenue from the fire district tax is
estimated by Wylie at $32,300. Anoth-
er $21,000 from revenue sharing funds
is earmarked for rural fire protection.
Last year, fire protection for resi-
dents outside city limits was an issue
brought up by several county fire
departments and the Cleburne Fire
Department stopped fighting rural
fires for awhile until an agreement
could lie worked out with commission-
ers
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION will
also come in for a portion of revenue
sharing funds. According to Wylie,
$132,691 in revenue sharing money will
be divide among the four precincts in
the county-
Other highlights of the proposed
1977-78 county budget are a $35,000
increase in the budget of the sheriffs
department--to $230,856; a budget of
$47,800 for child welfare; and $12,927
for the juvenile department.
A big increase in the jury fund has
also been necessitated by the addition
of a second district court for Johnson
I and Somervell Counties, said Wylie.
and entering the high school building in
July. They were recently taken into
custody by Burleson Patrolman Demp-
sey Eakin and turned over to county
juvenile authorities in Cleburne.
This item is not planned as a formal
hearing before the board, said Burleson
School Superintendent Bill Stribling,
who added that “I have asked Mr. Kerr
(BHS Principal A.A. Kerr) to be
present to discuss discipline of the
students relative to this office.”
COMMUNITY EDUCATION Direc
tor Paul Gilbert is also due to be
present at the meeting to discuss
suggested ways of utilizing Nola Dunn
gym.
A renovation project at the gym is
slated to be completed around Nov. 1.
The gym is expected to be used
primarily for community education
purposes and by physical education
classes at Nola Dunn, but may also be
available at other times to interested
groups of individuals.
The building was used primarily as a
boys club several years ago, but was
condemned by City Health Officer Dr.
Donald Paxston. Since that time, .its
use has been limited. A.
The school district turned down an
offer on behalf of the Burleson Boys
Club to renovate the building, deciding
instead to do the job themselves and
use the facilities as an expansion area
for Community Ed.
MOST COMMUNITY education pro-
grams will still continue at other
campuses, Gilbert told the Star pre-
viously, but the community ed office
could be operated from the building.
Also, there will be space for several
arts and crafts rooms and, of course,
the gym floor itself which will lend
itself to a number of actiities.
Since the condition of the building
would have made it difficult for a
contractor to give a firm bid on thv
project, the school district acted as its
own contractor on the project. A local
man was hired to oversee the project
and, according to school district archi-
tect Charles Welch of Mineral Wells, a
substantial savings was possible by the
district doing the work itself.
OTHER ITEMS DUE to come before
the board include.
-a request from an individual for the
school bus to stop in front of his house.
Several stops have been combined on
all routes in order to save time and
gasoline, said Stribling, although the' he had also worked in a security
position guarding five different presi-
dents, including John F. Kennedy the
day before he was killed in Dallas. He
also worked security for Astronaunt
Alan Bean.
Spinks said that he did a lot of work
with juveniles when he worked in the
fingerprint section and also while he
was in warrants.
“I’ve always enjoyed working with
■Kger people and I intend to perform
■b to the best of my ability,” he
Chicago Fire of 1871. Toll of that great
disaster: 250 lives lost, 17,430 buildings
destroyed, and an estimated $168
million in property damage.
Fires continue to kill an average 32
people a day in the U.S., adding up to
more than 10,000 a year. About 30
percent of the victims, or, 3,500, are
youngsters under 15.
Fires cost the country $4.4 billion in
property loss annually. Figuring that
out per person it comes to $20.40 for
every man, woman and child.
Estimates by the National Commis-
sion on Fire Prevention and Control
place the total cost of fires-including
lost wages, sales and production as well
as buildings and contents destroyed-at
$12 billion.
We are fortunate to have a well
trained volunteer force-one of the best
in the state-which will give its time
day or night-sometimes both-to keep
fire losses here at a minimum. While
they deserve our salute, they’d apprec-
iate our prevention efforts even more.
Perhaps in a few years, Burleson
may have a paid department. But it will
cost a lot of money that must come
from taxpayers. When the time comes,
we’ll probably appreciate the volunteer
days even more.
And, the odds are that we won’t have
any better fire protection than we
have now.
We appreciate the volunteers. We
don’t appreciate hearing unkind re-
Midrks about them-even if such talk
comes from only one or two people.
--W.H.
Supreme Court Decisions
The State Supreme Court agreed with an intermediate
court ruling disbarring an attorney for conspiracy to bribe
former Treasury Secretary John Connally.
In other recent cases, the high court:
Set oral arguments in a $250,000 damage suit over the
loss of a boy’s arm in a washing machine accident.
bus still makes these extra stops in the
event of rain.
-consideration of a policy reference
manual available from the Texas
Association of School Boards. Cost for
the first year would be $500. The
service would contain model policies
that are clearly written and legally
valid.
-open bids on a 1978-pickup truck fo^
the maintenance department.
-hear a report from Maurice SiK
herd on the joint convention oijf
i&iAi s ^d Adminjgtyatf^-Jb
24-2b'm*San A hl o
-Consider in executive'sessiB
employment of a special edt^B
teacher at J.W. Norwood Elemei^BB
-Consider, also in executive session!
a request for maternity leave. ’
Legislative Committee To Review
Charges of State School Abuses
fliqhliqMs
Sidelights
by Lyndell Williams
BURLESON STAR
Second Class Postage Paid at
Burleson, Texas
Subscription Price $7.95 Per Year in
Johnson and Tarrant Counties.
Other areas of Texas $10.95
Outside, $11.95
Wayne Hutson Editor and Publisher
Janies Moody News Editor
Mary Cowley Society Editor
Chuck Hutson Advertising Manager
The Burleson Star is an indepen-
dent newspaper published twice
weekly on Monday and Thursday in
the interest of Burleson and adja-
cent areas by Burleson Publishing
Co., 319 N. Burleson Blvd., Burle-
son, Texas 76028. Any erroneous
reflection upon the integrity and
reputation of any individual or firm
will be corrected if brought to the
attention of the editor.
Address all correspondence to the
Editor, Burleson Star, P.O. Box 383,
Burleson, Texas 76028. Phone
295-5278.
EDITORIALS
TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
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Hutson, Wayne & Moody, James. Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 52, Ed. 1 Monday, October 10, 1977, newspaper, October 10, 1977; Burleson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1211954/m1/2/: accessed July 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Burleson Public Library.