Stephenville Empire-Tribune (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 108, No. 171, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 2, 1977 Page: 1 of 12
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Stephenuille Empire
Tribune
Wednesday. Marh 2, 1976
Stephenville, Texas 76401
11 Pages
Vol. 1M No. 171
One Section
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the safety and well-being of a city prisoner
to be delivered by Lone Star.
Permits take big jump
Gann tells good, bad news
Gibson’s issued during February for 1297,000, while
Texas insurance
repressive, rigid
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Band fans to meet
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WASHINGTON ( AP) — At the urging of
who said it would be referred to a the Carter administration, the Senate
6 • .
Retired teachers face rising inflation
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Empire-Tribune Newsline
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Dublin FTA chapter
wins top state awards
The report from city building inspector for 1151,800 while the February totals for
Hardy Lockhart for February showed 25 those types of permits amounted to
permits issued with a total valuation of $708,100. The latter figure includes the
over $1 million. January’s total valuation K-Mart and Gibson construction costs.
OPEN HOUSE- Mr. and Mrs. Joe Cutrera visited Mrs. Hollis son, Jamie, is in kindergarten. All the Stephenville schools had
Skillman’s room last night to see how their son was doing. Their open house last night. (Staff Photo)
son, Michael, is in Mrs. Skillman’s second grade and anqther
Social Security tax increase voted down
per day per person in 1971.
After giving that bit of good news and
S,.
ed
The Stephenville band fans club will
meet Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. in
the SHS band hall to discuss the
Galveston trip and the concession
stand for the UIL contest.
fee for the new camper sites in the city stating the water improvement program is
park as recommended by parks and proceeding on schedule, Gann let the
recreation director Ronnie Isham. The council in on the bad news.
the scrapbook rose out of the box to meet
the viewer. The book followed the theme
“Facing Tomorrow’s Adventures.”
Terry Cook of Dublin served as one of 200
representatives in the house of delegates,
which conducted the business affairs of the
state organization.
The group was accompanied by their
sponsor, and they enjoyed side trips,
including visits o the Enchanted Rock, The
Alamo, Breckenridge Park and Zoo, the
Tower of Americas, and a stroll on the
riverwalk.
i
water pressure.
He also recommended the city study the
sewer availabiltiy for residents living
along Highway 377 in the far northeast
part of Stephenville.
in January, 12 permits valued at $313,500
were approved.
Also during January, new business
construction and remodeling accounted
In addition, the franchise reduces the in the Erath Co. jail, and exactly what the
free footage of gas line the company will city's obligations are as far as the open
provide for customers from 300 to 50 feet, records act is concerned-specifically.
Mayor Don Jones pointed out there were regarding the daily police log.
ft
I
subcommittee.
Proponents of the bill continued to
testify late into the night.
State Insurance Chairman Joe Christie,
scheduled to testify against the bill, said
simply, “It is a deregulation bill.”
DUBLIN - Two top honors were brought
home from the state Future Teachers
Association convention by Dublin High
School. The Dublin chapter received a
trophy for having the best scrapbook and a
trophy for “top ten projects." Dublin was
the only small school in the state to receive
double honors.
The scrapbook, which was designed and
prepared under the direction of chairman
Bart Greenway, featured double doors on
the front of a natural wood box with the
inscription FTA. When the doors opened.
Other types of construction reflected in
the monthly report included residential
add-ons and remodeling, mobile homes,
miscellaneous, and demolition.
Building, electrical, plumbing, and
mechanical permits totaled $1920 for the
past month.
Total construction valuations to date in
1977 now equal over $1.5 million Lockhart
noted.
4-
Finance Committee abruptly reversed
itself tooday and voted against raising
Social Security taxes this year.
“We have no business assuming we are
going too raise Social Security taxes if the
administration is advocating against it,"
was for 25 permits also, but it equalled
t1
ik
ed
Council meets
The Stephenville City Council
decided it wanted to take a little
closer look at the Lone Star Gas
franchise last night (See story page
one).
Today filing deadline
Today at 5 p.m. is the filing
deadline for the Stephenville City
Council and Stephenville School
Board races. Four seats are up for
grabs on the council and two places
are open on the school board. The
elections for all area races is set for
April 2.
Open house has big turnout
Over 6000 visitors turned out for
Stephenville Public Schools open
house last night. “We are very well
pleased with the response," commen-
ted superintendent Ben Gilbert.
M
for $164,000 expansion for
Discount Center accounted
for new
BETTER THAN A REPORT CARD—A good report from the in the fifth grade get a favorable report from Shamwi Kelso a
teacher is much better than a report card anytime. Mrs. Dotty teacher in the Stephenville Middle School. Ms. Kelso teaches
Golenia and her daughter Shannon in the eighth grade and Kelly English and Spanish for the eighth grade. (Staff Photo)
The council then went into executive
session to discuss a specific personnel
problem, and spent the next hour and a
half in the closed meeting with Chief of
Police Mike Watkins and Chandler,
talking.
As it turned out, talking was all they did,
for they took no action upon reconvening
and promptly adjourned the night's
session.
In addition to those items, they acted on,
the council did not have an opportunity to
consider the final plat of the River North
subdivision as had been anticipated
because the developer was not ready to
present their final plans.
The huge tract of land is being developed
by the Stephenville Savings and Loan
Assn, and Annex, Inc.
Weather gloomy
Gusty winds and a light, misting
rain started in Stephenville this
morning as a new Pacific front swept
into the west part of Texas today.
Despite the forecast of thunder-
storms and fierce south winds,
temperatures are expected to remain
relatively mild considering the time
of year.
Official observers looked for winds
velocities to top 60 miles per hour in
the mountain passes of West Texas,
while gusts of 30 to 40 m.p.h. were
predicted elsewhere in the state.
WINNERS-Members of the Dublin Future Teachers of America chapter returned from
the state convention to San Antonio with trophies for “Best Scrapbook” and “Top Ten
Projects.” Dublin was the only small school to the state to receive double honors.
Pictured, left to right, Linda Arthur, Mrs. Jayne Ledbetter, sponsor, Bart Greenway,
Terry Cook, Debbie Arthur and Ginger Bryant (Staff Photo)
AUSTIN, Tex. AP - Texas has “the most
repressive, rigid system” of insurance in
the country, an insurance industry
spokesman told a House committee
Tuesday night.
Forrest Roan, legislative counsel for the
American Insurance Association spoke in
support of a bill that would allow
companies to file new rates on car and
casulty policies with the state insurance
board without prior approval.
“It is ironic that Texas - the state that
preaches to the rest of the nation about the
threat of big government - binds the one
industry it completely regulates into a
rigid system of price control,” Roan said.
Twenty other states have competitive
rating systems and seem to be doing a
good job, he said.
“California has had excellent results for
20 years and doesn’t even require filing,"
he said.
This would not be a case of “the fox
guarding the hen house,” Roan told the
House Insurance Committee. “The state
board of insurance would still be guarding
the hen house.”
Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston, asked
Roan if there was a refund provision in the
bill, which would allow policyholders to get
back increases in their premium if the
state board determines the new rate is
excessive or discriminatory. Roan said no.
The bill is sponsored by the chairman of
the committee, Rep. Bob Davis, R-Dallas,
An Atlanta, Ga., based construction
company has received a City of
Stephenville permit for construction of a
building which, from all indications, may
be leased on a long-term basis by K-Mart, a
nationally known department store chain.
Estimated cost of the building is $530,000
and local real estate developers are
expecting a formal announcement within
the next couple of days.
The addition of a major store to the
Stephenville business community has been
several noticeable differences between the
Lone Star Gas franchise and a franchise
written for the city by Don Bird, an Austin
attorney who handled the city's rate
compromise with Lone Star.
According to Jones, some of the
differences included the term of the
franchise, the commencement date, the
gross receipts tax, and several other
minor points.
In the Lone Star Gas proposal, the length
of the franchise would be for 25 years and
the gross receipts tax to be paid to the city
would be two percent of only commercial
and residential customers bills.
Bird's franchise stated a length of 10
years for the franchise and a gross
receipts tax of three percent to be paid to
the city with all customers, including
industrial consumers, included.
Jones put off any action on the franchise
until each councilmember had an
opportunity to review both drafts.
The mayor did say, however, that the
franchise might require action prior to the
April meeting, and a called meeting could
be necessary within the next week.
The council also approved a $3 per night
construction costs in Stephenville to more
than double over the January total
valuation.
BY LEE JONES
Associated Press Writer
AUSTIN, Tex. AP - Things got so bad for
a retired teacher in his district that she
had to sell her house and “live in a
project,” Rep. Ron Coleman says.
Her retirement income didn’t keep pace
with inflation, and finally she couldn't pay
the taxes on her house, he said. Now,
medical bills are beyond her means, he
added
The point, Coleman told the House
Public Education Committee Tuesday, is
that retired teachers need help from the
legislature.
Coleman is sponsor of a bill similar to
one pushed by the Texas State Teachers
Association and deferred to TSTA
witnesses
Grace Grimes of Marshall, TSTA
f
Sen. Russell B Long, chairman of the earlier today expressing concern that
Finance Committee, told his colleagues higher Social Security taxes would thwart
He asked the committee to rescind the economicstimulus purposes of the in-
action taken Tuesday that indicated come tax cut proposed by Carter and
support for higher payroll taxes The com- apparently supported by a majority of
mittee agreed unanimously. Congress
Long said.Joseph Califano, secretary of There is growing concern that the Social
health, education and welfare, had called Security system will go bankrupt
long rumored. only $488,300.
The Atlanta firm’s permit and a permit Eleven new residential permits were
J AC IM* a ]
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ADVHNTURNsS
Stephenville's City Council spent an council also placed a maximum length ot
equal amount of time in open session and stay of seven days on the camper sites,
closed session, but accomplished little in The camping sites, which should be
their regular monthly meeting held last completed by the first part of April
night in city hall. according to Isham, have access to water
During the open portion of the meeting, and electricity.
the council discussed the proposed Lone Jones also appointed a committee, to be
Star Gas Co. franchise as presented by chaired bv Bettv Heath, of Jim Chambers,
J.W Beck, local manager of the gas Charles Riggins. and himself to
company investigate the possibility of assisting
Council members Bill Irwin and Betty Erath County in the hiring of a jailer.
Heath expressed concern with the fact the Mrs. Heath asked the city's attorney,
franchise did not spell out certain Randy Chandler, for an explanation of the
requirements regarding the quality of gas law regarding who would be held liable for
I ‘T Aa K
president, advocated an across-the-board teacher's contribution to the retirement begging for another bill,” he said.
14.5 per cent increases in retirement system from 6 to 7 percent and the state's Nugent has been critical of the
benefits. from 6 to 8 percent, retirement system, and questioned its
Rep. Jim Nugent, D-Kerrville, recom- It would cost $287 million over the next actuary and vice-chairman.
mended using $104.7 million of the state two years. “Does it bother you that there has been a
surplus to raise benefits according to need. “Nothing is fair about society,” Mrs. $500 million increase in the unfunded
A teacher who retired in 1955 after 40 years Grimes said, but added that she doesn't liability?" he asked.
of service would get a $36.75 monthly believe in equalizing benefits or incomes. “No, sir," replied Henry Bell, system
increase of benefits, for example, while “Applying the same percentage factor to vice-chairman and board chairman of
one who retired last year would get $26.24. all seemed reasonable t us," she said. Citizens First National Bank of Tyler.
Both Nugent’s bill and the TSTA's were Burnham Robinson of Austin, president “Not when you consider the changed
sent to a subcommittee that will have of the Texas Classroom Teachers actuarial assumptions. People are living
about three weeks to finish its work. ‘ Association, endorsed the TSTA bill as “a longer."
Nugent said the TSTA bill would give a fair compromise" with those who wanted Clark Beaird, vice-president of The
retiree who now gets $21,000 “a gift from even more. Wyatt Co., actuary for the system,
the people of Texas of $3,045, which "We didn’t want our retired teachers to 'reported that it is “actuarially sound.” ’
exceeds what some retired teachers come to the legislature every session, He attributed the increase in the amount
receive from the system at the present begging...If you fund the $104 million in the of obligations not covered by rontrihntimw
time. Is that resonable?" Nugent asked, other Nugent bill, you can rest assured the to “a rather abrupt adjustment in
The TSTA bill would raise the individual retired teachers will be back in two vears mortality rates” that was made last year.
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nuuus Tx 75235
City council reviews
Lone Star franchise,
uesgchamr s
“ I
h,
Stephenville’s water situation is well in Mechanical problems with the city-
hand-getting better all the time as a owned bulldozer used at the landfill are
matter of fact-but the city is going to have becoming a regularity Gann noted,
to spend some money in the near future for adding, “We might as well face up to it,
some necessary equipment purchases we're going to have to have another one at
according to a report giuen fast night bv some point in the future.
R.Y. Gann, director of public works, to the c.. a ..... .....
city council Coat of a new dozer could run as high as
Gann told the council the new water well $75,000. The, present machine, whichris
now being drilled on the Alexander used daily to cover the refuse at the
nW u dued. on the Alexander landfill as required by state law, cost
Highway has a potential of up to one around $50,000 when it was purchased in
million gallons per day, which will give 1971 •
Stephenville a production potential of five
million gallons of water per day. Gann also made several recommenda-
With an estimated population of 10,000, tions for the council’s consideration,
this mans the city will be able to provide including extension of water lines north on
about 500 gallons of water per day per Bleknap and across the Lngleville
person. Gann told the council that in 1961, Highway on Paddock St. in order to
the city was able to provide only 186 provide adequate fire protection for
gallons per day per person and 470 gallons citizens in those areas and to increase
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Nichols, Skip. Stephenville Empire-Tribune (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 108, No. 171, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 2, 1977, newspaper, March 2, 1977; Stephenville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1500826/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dublin Public Library.