News Bulletin (Castroville, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 7, 2000 Page: 4 of 16
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Page 4 News Bulletin Thursday, December 7, 2000
Failed hospital election not tied to administrator’s resignation
Julie Dunnavant “This fell in my lap and I let
Staff Writer them know I was interested,” he
After two years at the helm, said. “I have no regrets here; this
MCH Administrator Buzz Currier has been an educational two
is going back to his former place years for me. I learn from each
of employment. one of these experiences.
Currier announced his resig- Medina Community Hospital
nation Nov. 30 and should has tremendous potential but I
vacate his office at MCH no later don’t think it will be realized
than an. 15. under me. Someone coming in
He is returning to Port fresh is in the best interest of
Lavaca, to work as Chief the hospital.”
Executive Officer for Memorial Currier, who purchased a
Medical, a job he held for nine home in Castroville last year,
months in 1992-1993. said he had enjoyed the area
Currier was earning $92,000 and would miss it.
as CEO of MCH. Currier and his wife will be
Currier said he had thought movng to Calhoun County.
about resigning in the past but He said the failure of a hospi-
was not actively looking for a tai district to pump revenue into
job. MCH for needed repairs and
upgrades was not a factor in his
decision.
“The most important thing
between a board and adminis-
tration is confidence,” Currier
said. “I’ve spent my credibility. I
have no hard feelings and I’m
grateful for the
opportunity
work here].”
[to
MCH directors
have several
options for hiring a
new administrator
including having a
search firm find the
candidates.
That was the
route taken last
time with the Texas
Organization of
Rural Hospitals conducting the Montgomery said he hadn’t had
search and putting an interim time to think about the resigna-
administrator in place. tion and he was surprised to
Currier said the search could hear it.
take six months. “Possibly it was because of
“I don’t know how it’s going the hospital district failing,”
to play out here,” he said. “We Montgomery said. “It is my
have people here opinion board members need to
that could handle be cautious about hiring some-
the [interim] posi- one else and not rush into any-
tion but it will be thing.”
up to the board to
decide.”
The owners of MCH, he said,
bers,” the judge said. “I told
[Chairman] Steve Hackebeil they
need to look very carefully and
maybe closer to home.”
Mayor Jim Barden said, in
hindsight, the resignation was-
n’t surprising at all.
“I didn’t expect it but looking ”
back he had a goal and it
failed,” Barden said. “Maybe he
felt like he lost something.”
When Currier was hired,
feel like now is the time to come ' Barden said he and
MCH is jointly together and address problems
owned by Hondo
and
Medina
County in a 25 per-
cent-75
split.
1
L
r
t
Currier
since the election is finished.
Any CEO hired by the MCH
board does not have to come
percent before commissioner’s court or
County Judge
Dav
Hondo city council for approval.
“The owners need to convey
i d their feelings to board mem-
Montgomery were invited to
interviews but had no. final vote.
“We appoint the board and
that’s about it,” Barden said.
“They are obligated to review
their budget with us but they’re
not necessarily seeking
approval.”
Animal control could become a countywide cooperative
Adelina Gonzales
Staff Writer
The county wants to tack-
le the animal control prob-
lem and Monday they got a
good look at just who wanted
to help them. County Judge
David Montgomery said the
animal control ordinance
that has been in the works
for a while will be finalized
after the first of the year.
A letter was sent to all
incorporated municipalities
of Medina County informing
[them of an animal control
[workshop and urging them
Ito attend or contact the
county to express interest,
b Devine, Hondo and
Natalia . representatives
showed up at the meeting.
[Although Castroville offi-
cials had previously
[expressed interest, they did
not attend. Many asked
Fabout the city’s CAPS shel-
ter and now that could affect
the ordinance.
r Montgomery said that
was something they were
still working on in
a
Castroville, but it wasn’t an
issue that would immediate-
ly pertain to the county’s
situation.
Representatives of the
nance. She began her pre- burden wouldn’t be placed Royce Hartmann asked how for. She asked for copies of
sentation by explaining how on any one person’s shoul- much extra space there was the ordinance to be provided
cities, along with the county the first thing a county ders.
commissioners and Texas would need to do is “assess
available in Hondo. They to
everyone,
and
The county’s stance right currently have eight cages, Montgomery quickly made
Department of Health repre- specific animal control now is to contract with
sentative Katherine Tull, needs in the county [and] incorporated cities to use
discussed how they could investigate potential part- their faciliities to shelter the
work together to make a nerships with other local animals.
county animal control ordi- governments.”
“It seemed a good idea to
nance work.
Before the county final- Monday’s workshop.
ized its ordinance, commis-
That was the purpose of have a place to take the ani-
sioners wanted to carefully their resources,” Tull said.
examine other
ordinances
mals in the cities. I just
“A lot of communities pool wanted to get to see if there
counties’ She pointed out the con-
was a feeling from these
cities that they would be
but no extra space, and them for everyone.
would have to build to Precinct 4 Commissioner
accommodate the county’s Kelly Carroll asked how
needs. Devine has 10 ken- much space would be need-
nels according to City ed. Tull said she had sent a
Administrator Linda Gunn. report to the county previ-
Tull said Natalia was the ously telling them how to
only shelter she knew of determine that, based on the
that had vacancies, with a number of people in the
total of six cages. However, county. Montgomery said
first,
Montgomery said. Tull pro-
vided information on other
tracts between Boerne and interested,”
Kendall County as an exam- said.
ple of a system where two Hondo
Montgomery Natalia Mayor Ruby Vera they didn’t have those num-
said that whenever word
City Manager gets out that they have
counties of comparable size local governments work David Chavez also pointed
and the changes they have together, out that it would be more
made to their ordinances In that contract, the coun- considerate of the owners as
over time. ty uses the Boerne animal well. This way they would-
“It’s amazing some of control facility. She said n’t have to drive across the
them haven’t been sued,”
said Montgomery of the con-
space, there is generally an
bers available at the time.
However, Tull stressed a
more accurate judgment
increase in the number of could be obtained from the
dumped animals that end up cities’ animal control offi-
in the area. She was all for cers. They keep records of
the county coming up with how many people are turned
another option would be to county to pick up their pets, an ordinance so the dump- away because they are out-
use a bid system as in Comal
stantly changing ordi- County. There the county
nances. goes out for bids on shelter-
MedinaCounty officials ing impounded animals.
wanted to avoid such future Tull stressed animal con-
problems and make sure trol was not an 8 to 5 job.
they had a well-thought out “It’s a schedule that’s very
ordinance before they began taxing and it leads to
enforcing it. burnout,” she said. By pool-
Tull brought to the work- ing resources the county
shop copies of an action plan would be able to provide
draft for creating an ordi- backup assistance so the
Much discussion centered
on how much municipalities
would have to enlarge their
shelters to provide the nec-
essary assistance to the
county. Tull said the answer
ing in Natalia would end. side the city limits,
“If we have a county ordi- Chavez said the issue
nance, then folks will know wasn’t really all that compli-
they don’t have to go to cated. He advised pooling #
Natalia to dump. [They] can
go to Devine or somewhere
would probably be whatever else,” she said.
the county could budget. Gunn also said she didn’t
Montgomery pointed out it think that anyone could
would depend on how many commit to the contracts
facilities were contracted. until they knew what the
Precinct 1 Commissioner county is actually looking
resources to meet the needs
of the county. For instance,
the county has equipment
and Hondo has a City
Engineer and together they
could create whatever need-
ed to be done.
Police investigating theft of teachers’ credit cards and checkbooks
Adelina Gonzales
Staff Writer
Castroville police are inves-
tigating three thefts of credit
cards and checkbooks at the
St. Louis Catholic School and
Medina Valley Early Childhood
Center.
Police checked to see if
there are any shared employ-
ees between the two facilities,
but are not aware of any at
this time. ECC Principal
Deborah Queen confirmed
there are no shared employ-
ees.
“They could be just three
random acts. We don’t know,
but are looking into the possi-
bility that they’re related,”
Police Chief Lee McVay said.
The first theft took place at
the St. Louis School the week
of Thanksgiving. Two credit
cards and a checkbook were
stolen
The second theft took place
some time on Nov. 29, but this
time at the ECC. A teacher
reported her checkbook and
credit cards were taken from
her purse at the school.
However, they left everything
else, including cash.
The very next day, thieves
made off with two credit cards
from a teacher at the St. Louis
School. When she reached
home, she received a call from
the credit card company at
approximately 4:30 p.m. advis-
ing her of sudden, excessive
card use.
Police talked to custodians
and office staff at the schools,
but no one noticed anything
unusual. Police Chief Lee
McVay said both schools
require visitors to check in but and know to check the filing
office staff conceded someone cabinets where teachers nor-
could sneak in without doing mally leave their valuables.
so.
A follow-up visit was made
Queen believes they might to the St. Louis School Monday,
be thieves purposely seeking but no new information was
out the schools as easy targets, found. Extra patrols have been
“I’ve been in the school requested for the locations in
business before and I’ve seen light of the problem.
people target schools,” she
said, adding that a profession-
al would be able to blend in
Miranda expects smooth transition into county clerk’s office
Adelina Gonzales
Staff Writer
A little before 9 a.m. on
Monday, Elva Miranda was
sworn in to an unexpired
term as County Clerk,
replacing Kathy Wilkins
who gave notice of resigna-
tion two days after being
elected to the post.
Wilkins’ resignation was
accepted at last week’s ses-
sion of commissioners court,
and Miranda was unani-
mously appointed to finish
out the term. Wilkins
remained in the position
through Friday, Dec. 2, and
Miranda began working
Monday, Dec. 4.
“Things will keep going
on here as they have been,”
said Miranda. “There are
going to be a few changes
that I’m planning, but noth-
ing major.”
Miranda said the changes
would be implemented to
help administration run
more smoothly, but she
declined to reveal what
those changes would be
exactly until she spoke to
her employees about them.
When asked if she felt
securing the office through
an appointment instead of
an election would impede
her work, Miranda said she
didn’t think it would.
handle the stress of the new
She did spend some time position without problem.
here and there with Wilkins
“I feel fine, not once have
learning the ins and outs of . I ever had any doubts,” she
the position, she said. On said.
Friday, the two were in the*
office going over the month-
ly reports. All in all,
Miranda said she spent
about a day with Wilkins
preparing for the job.
She says she is excited
about the job, and expects to
Miranda also expects the
transition to run smoothly
in the office. “We’re all
going to work fine,” she said
of the staff. “We’ll be all
right.”
Elva Miranda
Police Blotter
Raw knuckles lead
to assault arrest
After assaulting his girl-
friend and calling her a les-
bian, a Castroville resident fled
their shared apartment half-
dressed and possibly carrying
a knife
police were called to Hollow
Drive on Dec. 2 at 5:50 a.m. to
find a woman cowering out-
side her apartment building,
bloody and leaving a trail of it
on the stairs. She had a cut on
the bridge of her nose.
The woman said she and
Adam Pena were arguing in
their kitchen when he accused
her of being a lesbian. She
responded and he began to
punch her with his fists,
according to the police report.
She fled the apartment and
ran to a neighbor’s home
where she called 911 and wait-
ed for police.
In the meantime, Pena
locked up their apartment and
was seen fleeing down the
street in jeans and carrying a
black bag. He had on no shirt
and was possibly barefoot.
EMS arrived to care for the
woman and transported her to
the hospital.
Pena was picked up on Hwy.
90 with raw knuckles, was
arrested on charges of assault
and booked into the Medina
County Jail.
Other calls to the Castroville
police:
Disturbance
Nov. 26, 10:42 p.m.: A man
sawing on Vienna irritated his
neighbors, who called police.
He agreed to let up on the
woodwork for the night.
Criminal Mischief
Nov. 27, 4 p.m.: A broken
beer bottle is thought to have
caused $300 damage to the
windshield of a Toyota truck
parked at Sammy’s for several
hours. The vehicle’s owner said
the truck was fine when he left
it parked but was damaged
when he returned hours later.
The bottle was taken into evi-
dence for prints.
Traffic
Nov. 29, 7:09 p.m.: A man
driving a red Porsche was
stopped for reckless driving,
only to have police discover
the vehicle wasn’t his. He told
police he was a mechanic and
the car belonged to a cus-
tomer. The vehicle owner was
contacted and told Officer
Ronnie Ray he wanted to come
get the car-his mechanic was-
n’t supposed to be driving it on
personal business. The car left
with the owner; the mechanic
left on foot.
Nov. 28,10:43 a.m.: A driver
who smashed into a deer on
Hwy. 90 got a blue form from
police because he was driving
his company vehicle. There
was minor damage to the
truck.
Driving While Intoxicated
Nov. 28, 5:25 p.m.: Officer
Ronnie Ray was dispatched to
look for a drunk driver but
once he found the vehicle it
was out of city jurisdiction and
the driver appeared to have
everything under control.
d
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Barnes, Thomas. News Bulletin (Castroville, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 7, 2000, newspaper, December 7, 2000; Castroville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1689382/m1/4/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Castroville Public Library.