Giddings Times & News (Giddings, Tex.), Vol. 105, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 28, 1994 Page: 1 of 16
sixteen pages : ill. ; page 22 x 13 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
U3A
VOLUME 105
GIDDINGS, LEE COUNTY, TEXAS 78942-0947
THURSDAY, JULY 28, 1994
NUMBER 6
srot
Ee_Tm
1
-
Azi
•4
-• Times & News Photo
■
Victor Armin Zoch
Ay
W
ha hdvplt
Police investigate five cases of
burglary of a vehicle in one week
Vandals knock over headstones
at private cemetery on FM 112
Commissioners approve reward
for damaging county property
Giddings Council to consider police
audit and mobile home ordinance
Record-breaking temperatures
parch pastures, stunt crops
Newly-hired GISD supt. shocks
trustees, changes mind to 'no'
Board offers job to Fayetteville head Robert French
ganized in the newly-built Lex-
ington ISD Primary building on
Fifth Street. This building will
serve the Pre-Kindergarten
CAMPING OUT - Youths from
the Tucson, Arizona-based Vi-
sion Quest project set up tee-
pees out at the Lee County
Sheriff's Posse Arena parking
area, where they camped from
Wednesday through Saturday.
The wagon train and camping is
The Giddings School Board ap-
proved the employment of twelve
people for new positions Thursday
at their regular school board meet-
ing. They approved the continued
employment of the bus drivers,
cafeteria workers, maintenance
workers, teacher aides/ secretarial
aides/principal secretaries, part-
time teachers, central office staff
and child care workers.
Trustees also approved the res-
ignations of nine people from the
district.
Those employed to new jobs
Thursday night include Sharon
Hedges, middle school science
teacher; Dianne Lude, elementary
teacher; Johnny Cole, high school
teacher/basketball coach; Kath-
leen Cole, high school English
teacher; Sandra Berry, PEP sub-
stitute; Linda Kauffman, high
school counselor; Grady Stueber,
high school cafeteria; Roberto
Loayza, Even Start parent educa-
tor; Gwen Finegan, middle school
P.E. /athletics teacher; Darrin
Stansberry, middle school Texas
history teacher/ football coach;
Chris Adams, high school math
teacher; and Belinda Kay, bus
driver.
The board accepted resignations
from Connie Robinson, middle
school science teacher; Lisa Blaha,
Giddings Police are investigat-
ing five cases of burglary of a ve-
hicle this past week.
The first occurred last Monday.
Troy Wittenbach reported that
someone had broken into his 1986
Chevrolet pickup between mid-
night and 5 a.m. last Monday and
had stolen his mobile phone, a re-
chargeable flashlight, and bow.
The stolen items were valued at
$1,650. The truck was parked in
The Giddings City Council will
meet in regular session Monday
night at 7 p.m. to consider a mo-
bile home ordinance amendment
and responses to the Giddings Po-
lice Department Audit.
Council has been discussing
amending the mobile home ordi-
nance for a number of meetings.
Monday the city attorney will
come back with some revisions to
the amendments for council to
front of Mr. Wittenbach's home at
260 South Johnson.
Mr. Wittenbach reported that he
had locked his keys in the truck,
and that the truck had been
relocked after it was burglarized.
Several things inside the vehicle
including a scientific calculator
and a rechargeable Makita drill
with bits were not stolen from the
truck.
A second burglary of a vehicle
$ GHS changes algebra and geometry
requirements to two years each
Record-breaking temperatures
along with dry conditions are tak-
ing a toll on the agricultural situ-
ation in the Lee County and Cen-
tral Texas area.
Parched pastures, uncertainty
about the prospects for another
hay cutting and stressed crops
have farmers and ranchers des-
perate for a soaking rain.
The Austin Weather Service on
Saturday recorded its hottest July
23 since records have been kept
and its hottest day of the year as
the temperature reached 103 de-
grees. The previous July 23 record
through second grade. School is
scheduled to start Monday, Aug.
15.
22
exception that seven migrant stu-
dents are still being taught.
About 300 people are being
served each day by the summer
lunch program.
The school district has agreed to
join with the Giddings State
See ALGEBRA, page 10
Giddings ISD Board fills 12 positions
Seven teachers, high school counselor hired
high school Spanish teacher; Tony
Quitta, high school English
See POSITIONS, page 15
Tackle Football tryouts,
registration Saturday
Tackle football tryouts for 11 and
12 year olds will be held at 10 a.m.
Saturday, July 30 at the Giddings
Optimist Club soccer field in the
Giddings City Park.
The 5th and 6th grade teams will
be playing against leagues in Cen-
tral Texas.
For more information call Vince
Nunes, 542-2795 after 6 p.m., or
Mark Jaehne, 542-3605.
occurred Tuesday night or early
Wednesday morning at 126
Larabie Cove. Jerry Dale Rhodes,
the owner of a 1993 Chevrolet
pickup, reported that someone
had broken out the side pop open
window and had removed two 12
See BURGLARY, page 13
August 15 is deadline
for SBA disaster loans
Businesses in Lee, Bell, Bur-
leson, Falls, Milam, Robertson
and Williamson Counties have
until Aug. 15, 1994 to file applica-
tions for low-interest disaster
loans from the U.S. Small Busi-
ness Administration (SBA).
The SBA's Economic Injury Di-
See LOANS, page 15
ing ban in Lee County during the
drought.
They also passed a proclamation
supporting the Shots Across Texas
Immunization and Family Health
Fair Day in Lee County, which is
Thursday.
Al Brooks demonstrated a ma-
chine to replace the wording on
county road signs.
Don Grey also spoke with the
county concerning management of
the county insurance policies.
And the court considered person-
nel policy changes regarding sick
leave. They are considering estab-
lishing a sick leave pool with Rose
Fritsche as the administrator of
the pool. Guidelines for the pool
will be established at the August
8 commissioners meeting.
had been set in 1980 at 102 de-
See RECORD, page 3
Out & About column
makes debut today
A new local column entitled "Out
and About" is making its debut
this week in the Times & News.
Written by Times & News staffer
Sam Preuss, it will be appearing
regularly, according to news edi-
tor David True.
"We like to add new local col-
umns when time and space al-
lows," said Mr. True.
Qsae
Thirteen headstones were de-
stroyed at a private cemetery on
FM 112 Saturday.
The Lee County Sheriffs De-
partment was called out to the
cemetery, which is located 6.5
miles west of Lexington.
Deputy Bobby Rogers investi-
gated and discovered that some
2 -
/526
A
Near-normal water
level at Somerville
Despite the dry weather over
much of the area, Lake Somerville
is at near-normal levels.
The lake level is at 237.22 feet,
which is only three-quarters of a
See LEVEL, page 7
Health insurance policy for the
group health insurance for the dis-
trict for the 1994-95 school year.
They also approved a Sterling Dis-
count Card to be paid for employ-
ees from the insurance fund if
money is available.
Summer school is over, with the
9a
:R2:.g.
The Giddings School Board ap-
proved requiring two years of al-
gebra and two years of geometry
for all high school students Thurs-
day at their regular monthly
meeting.
Trustees did away with Pre-Al-
gebra and Informal Geometry.
They will still offer Calculus as the
final math course at high school.
The board approved the 1994-95
County Appraisal District budget.
GISD's share will be $168,550 for
the upcoming fiscal year. This is
an increase of $4,034 over last
year.
Trustees approved two students
transfers for the upcoming year.
They also reviewed the end-of-
course examinations on Algebra I
and Biology I.
Trustees approved the Ryron
Giddings School trustee presi-
dent Kenneth Gersch announced
at the Thursday night board meet-
ing that Alton Fields turned down
the job offer for Giddings ISD su-
perintendent, shocking board
members and sending them
scrambling to try to find a replace-
ment.
The board met in special session
on Monday night to discuss the
employment of superintendent for
45 minutes in executive session.
When they returned to open meet-
ing Harvey Fischer moved to offer
to negotiate a contract with Rob-
ert French for superintendent of
Giddings Public Schools.
The board voted 5-2 to extend
Mr French a contract, with Ken-
neth Gersch and Robert Gaeke
voting against the motion.
Mr. French was Giddings El-
ementary School principal before
he took the position of Fayetteville
superintendent three years ago.
A member of the board will ex-
tend the offer to Mr. French at the
earliest possible time.
Before the board went into ex-
ecutive session, former board
* ( ./
•e
GETTING ORGANIZED -
Lexington Kindergarten tea-
cher Lois Marburger is pictured
getting school supplies or-
E
l
l
part of the project's rehabilita-
tion program that lasts three
months.
- Times A News Photo
consider.
And Police Chief Dennis
Oltmann will respond to a police
audit done by Sam Houston Uni-
versity. The audit was presented
at an earlier council meeting and
chief Oltmann will respond to the
audit at the Monday meeting.
Council is expected to review the
printed audit and then make rec-
ommendations for changes in the
department at a later date.
Funeral services held
for Victor Zoch, GISD
Community Ed. Director
Funeral services for Victor
Armin Zoch, 61, of Winchester,
who just retired as GISD
commnity education director,
were held Monday, July 25, 1994
at 2 p.m. at St. Michaels Lutheran
See ZOCH, page 3
The Lee County Commissioners
Court approved a reward for infor-
mation leading to a conviction of
anyone involved in damaging
county property Monday at their
regular meeting. The reward of
$50 to $500 will be determined by
the sheriff and county attorney,
based on the offense.
It was learned in the past week
that someone has been removing
signs and lights from in front of
work done on replacing a bridge
on the Airport Road. The signs
were removed which could have
ended up with someone driving off
in a hole where the bridge had
been removed, said a county em-
ployee.
In other business the commis-
sioners approved a monthly burn-
SERVING LEXINGTON, DIME BOX, LINCOLN, SERBIN, NORTHRUP, PAIGE, LEDBETTER, FEDOR & GIDDINGS
PUBLISHED AND EDITED BY A NATIVE LEE COUNTIAN - - PREUSS PRINTING CO., INC.
J N
1- 1
•*" "aA"n‘w-"
.0, - >/*, ••
mm® , .
I
member Marshall Francis asked
to speak on behalf of Mr. French.
After the board voted to allow Mr.
Marshall to speak he said he
served on the board for seven
years and is partial to Mr. French
because he worked with him. He
said Mr. French is professional,
honest and is a Christian man.
Morality is at the top of his list
and he is more than qualified",
said Mr. Marshall.
"I have spoken with a cross sec-
tion of the citizens of Giddings and
most everyone has come to me to
speak on behalf of Mr. French.
What I would like for the board to
do is to give Mr. French the oppor-
tunity to say no. He is an indi-
vidual we can be proud of," said
Mr. Marshall. He described Mr.
French as an administrator who
has the ability to reach out and
touch kids.
Alton Fields, presently superin-
tendent of Sanford ISd, had been
offered the position of GISD su-
perintendent at a board meeting
in early July. He had negotiated
an annual salary of $62,500 with
the board as well as moving ex-
penses, and had given a verba)
commitment for the job.
However, after he went back
home to Sanford in the Pan-
handle, he never sent back his
signed contract.
Last week He spoke with Ken-
neth Gersch, president of the
Giddings School Board, and re-
ported that he was not going to
take the job.
Mr. Gersch announced that Mr.
Fields would not take the position
at the beginning of Thursday
night's meeting. The board then
decided to hold a special meeting
See GISD, page 7
Warda Postmaster
to be Installed Friday
Laura Davis, officer-in-charge
since October, 1992, was recently
appointed postmaster of the
Warda Post Office.
Swearing-in ceremonies will be
held at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 29
in the Parish Hall of Holy Cross
Lutheran Church in Warda.
The public is invited and refresh-
ments will be served.
Serbin woman gored
by cow Tuesday
A Serbin woman, Mrs. Ehbert
Becker, was injured Tuesday
morning when she was gored by a
cow she was attempting to sepa-
rate from its calf.
Mr. and Mrs. Becker were trying
to pen some cattle for the auction
when the cow jumped a fence and
rushed Mrs. Becker and gored her
on the right side of the stomach.
See GORED, page 3
_________
I33
Ak L uM
M ‘ A
E222 . «-■
UIMMI “ EMMEM
A
d,
one had entered the cemetery
with a vehicle and damaged the
antique headstones. He said then
the people left the gate open allow-
ing cattle in the cemetery.
The sheriff's department re-
ported that desecration to a cem-
etery is a felony crime.
.r4
-elanin
■ c,-oa
, r
.ue -- * * '• x., •drk
auucaein s0in 36" F, 0
5,2 2adbk Ponr "(
1
s
\eor
I.P
I—-1
—45
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Preuss, L. M., III & True, David G. Giddings Times & News (Giddings, Tex.), Vol. 105, No. 6, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 28, 1994, newspaper, July 28, 1994; Giddings, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1598739/m1/1/: accessed July 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Giddings Public Library and Cultural Center.