Bastrop Advertiser and Bastrop County News (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. [120], No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 5, 1973 Page: 1 of 12
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Pre-Cast Concrete Designs
Being Tried In New Jail
AND BASTRO P
COUNTY N EWS
ESTABLISHED MARCH 1, 1853
Musings
By J. Troy Hickman
paradoxesofthe
american character
I would not willingly trade
my identity with my two
hundred million fellow Ameri
cans for membership in any
other group on earth. Neither
do I believe that I or my fellow
countrymen are perfect. We all
have our flaws. Sometimes I
think that I can see certain
patterns in our conduct, pat
terns which group themselves
around nationality. Among the
typical American traits, I see
some interesting paradoxes.
One is that Americans are
both greedy and generous at
the same time. An American
will often share with you, but
he wants first to have the fun
of making it. preferably on his
own. Once he has it, he may
share with you quite gener
ously; but he will probably not
quit getting until he has got the
last available dime. He drives
himself, plans big monopolies,
fixes prices, and hogs every
thing in sight that he can get.
Once on top of the pile, and
having proven himself, he may
endow a hospital.
Another paradox in our
national nature is that we pay
lip service to honesty as a sort
of quaint tradition from our
past, and we admire it from
afar and recommend it by word
to our children; but we are not
really an honest people. In fact,
I think we are as a whole a
somewhat dishonest people.
There are lots of cant and
hipocrisy in our moral codes
and practices, a lot of insin
cerity in our social patterns and
customs, and hardly a one of us
is above cheating a little when
it pays. Most of us violate
traffic laws if we are in a hurry
and the cops are not around;
and most of us will cheat a bit
on our income tax when we can.
We don't seem to consider that
little dishonesties are real
dishonesties, so our kids get a
bit mixed up when they hear us
extol honesty as a policy, then
break it in practice. We pass
the double standard on from
generation to generation as a
national tradition.
We do not have a monopoly
on it; there is plenty of it all
over the world. St. Haul said
twenty centuries ago, "All men
are liars," and we have not
grown any less so with the
years. It seems to me that in
recent years we are slipping a
little faster toward dishonesty,
but maybe not.
In politics and public affairs
we see our dishonesty most
plainly spotlighted; but it
should be remembered that the
politicians come out of our own
ranks, and they are about what
we would be if we were in their
places.
We are a great people to
want to solve all of our
problems by passing new laws,
and yet we arenot a law
abiding people. We are a
law- breaking people. We want
the law to be written to get the
other guy. but fixed so that we
get through the net. No one is
outraged when his neighbor is
picked up by an officer for
breaking a traffic law, but just
let him get caught, and the fat
is in the fire. Theoretically, we
are all firmly on the side of the
law. Our Congress, the state
legislatures, and city councils
grind out laws by the hundreds
of thousands continually, all of
which we break when we feel
like it and can get away with it.
Another paradox about us is
that we are a forgiving people,
if an offender comes clean and
asks for forgiveness; otherwise,
we are not. Evidently Mr.
Nixon does not know this about
our national character, for he
has surely passed up some good
ehances to come clean about
Watergate. If soon after the
Watergate arrest, he had gone
on the air and simply told the
people the whole story, includ
ing his own part in it, he would
have been forgiven long before
(See Ml'SINGS back page)
BASTROP (TEXASi ADVERTISER, JULY 5, 1973
NUMBER 19
4-H Congress
Plans Told
The first Texas 4-H Con-
gress, July 10 12 at Houston's
Shamrock Hilton Hotel, will
attract a delegation of four
4 Hers from Bastrop County.
They will be among some 500
4 Hers registering for the
Congress.
Youth delegates will include
I)ebra Cronin and Erhard
Goerlitz, Jr. of the McDade 4 H
Club, Gina Ruth Barton of the
Elgin 4 H Club and Stephen
Seidel of String Prairie 4-H
Club, according to County
Extension Agent Ed Migura.
The delegates, who were
required to be 15 years of age
or older, have been active in
county 4-H programs, Migura
See 4-H CONGRESS Page 12
Retires From
Position In
Court House
Mrs. Jimmy Odell retired
Friday, June 29, 1973, from her
position in the Bastrop County
tax assessor-collector's office.
Mrs. Odell served 30 years
under five officials in that
office.
She was honored with a
retirement party held in the
court house, hosted by county
officials and employees. Mr.
Odell was also a guest. Reid
Sharp presented her with a
corsage, and her retirement
gift from the court house was a
large money tree. The refresh-
ment table was centered with
an arrangement of day lilies,
and lighted with tall tapers.
Coffee, punch, chips and dips,
cake, salted nuts, sandwiches
and mints were served.
MRS. JIMMY ODELL
Homecoming Plans
To Include Barbecue
You can rest assured that
they're taking care of first
things first in preparing for
Homecoming. The announce-
ments today concern food,
women and song.
In the dining department,
according to the report, Jim
Hancock, erstwhile owner of
the Basco Bar HQ, has agreed
to operate the American Legion
pit for all three days of the Aug.
2 4 program.
"We're real glad that Jim will
be able to provide food for
sale," said Doyle Tuck, general
chairman for Homecoming.
"This is one thing that has been
missing from our Homecoming
for the past few years an open
place for people to stop for a
bite after events and before the
dances and rodeos. Those
barbecue plates are always a
big part of this kind of festival."
Har.rock is a veteran hand at
cooking. He operated the Basco
pit several years until an early
morning fire raged through his
place and the Odiorne Electric
Co. earlier this month, destroy-
ing both.
Another word on repast and
refreshments: The Will Rogers
Arena concessions will again be
turned over to youth organiza-
tions ' for those beef-and-
broncho games. This has been
the custom of the Legion for
years, so that the Scouts, etc.,
can earn operating money.
There'll be two, perhaps
three, beauty and talent
revues, Tuck announced. The
Homecoming committee aims
to revive the Tiny Tot pageant
to go along with the Miss
Bastrop contest and the Junior
Miss Pageant, which have run
continuously.
The winner of the Miss
Bastrop title will represent the
city in the state Miss Universe
contest.
Heading up the Miss Bastrop
revue will be Mrs. Virginia
Geltmeier and Mrs. Barbara
Turner.
Mrs. Kay Cottle will be in
charge of the Junior Miss
Pageant.
Meanwhile, Bill Olsen, dance
chairman, has arranged for the
dance bands, one of them new.
Coming in for the first time will
be Travis and the Western
Gentlemen and this group will
have the floor Friday, August
the 3rd, from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30.
Olsen noted that the Gentle-
men worked under Leon
Hemphill until recently, then
joined Travis Crooks of Austin
in a new partnership.
Like the Homecoming vets,
the Rockne Playboys, who will
perform on the Legion Terrace
Saturday night, the 4th, the
Gentlemen are mighty strong
on country and western stuff,
guitars, fiddles, string ties and
the like.
The all-around Velvets will
play the first night of
Homecoming.
Sewage Grant
Made To Gty
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U. S.
Representative Jake Pickle
Friday announced that the City
of Bastrop has been awarded a
grant in the amount of $186,300
to significantly upgrade the
City's sewage treatment plant.
The grant is being made
possible through the Environ-
mental Protection Agency, and
represents 75% of the cost of
renovation.
Pickle said, "with the
approval of this grant, we have
moved another step closer to
total upgrading of Bastrop's
utilities."
Pickle went on to state that
he was continuing to work with
the Department of Housing and
Urban Development to secure
approval for necessary monies
to expand and upgrade the
water distribution system
within Bastrop. That project
would also include construction
of a new ground storage facility
to give better back-up service
in the event of an emergency.
Pickle said, "we are also
pursuing the request to the
General Services Administra
tion to allow the City to drill for
new water wells on the Camp
Swift property to increase the
City's source of water."
visits relatives
Mr. and Mrs. Milton
Kimbrough have returned to
their home in Midwest City,
Oklahoma following a visit here
with their mother, Mrs. T. H.
Kimbrough and other relatives.
Mrs. W. B. Burleson of Mart
spent a few days in Bastrop
while her husband was a
patient in Veteran's Hospital at
Temple. Friends will be happy
to know that he is now at home.
Urges Change
To Aid Poultry
Farmers
Washington, D.C. ■ Imme-
diate action should he taken by
the President to alleviate an
economic situation that is
forcing poultry farmers out of
business. Congressman J. J.
(Jake) Pickle said this week.
"Because of the price freeze,
the cost of producing eggs and
chickens is more than the
selling price," Pickle said. "If
some adjustment is not made in
price controls, a shortage of
these foods will develop, and
See POULTRY Page 12
Piney Creek Philosopher Gets
All Tangled Up Attempting To
Figure Out Summit Meetings
Editor's note: The Piney
Creek Philosopher on his
Johnson grass farm on Piney
gets off into international
affairs this week, we suppose.
Dear editar:
I guess at the top of a loi.g
list of things I don't understand
and never expect to is inter
national relations, especially
summit meetings.
As I recall the events of the
past few- years, President
Nixon first went to Red China.
Then, to keep things in balance,
he went to Communist Russia.
Russia and China are nervous
about each other and you can't
visit one without visiting the
other.
Last week Chairman
Brezhnev visited the U. S., and
as soon as he left. Washington
announced Kissinger would go
to China to reassure that
country everything is still all
right.
When he left here. Brezhnev
went to Paris to assure Presi
dent Pompidou that Russia
wasn't making any deals with
the U. S. at France's expense.
Now won't he have to come
back over here to assure us he
didn't make any deals with
France?
This thing could go on
forever, with leaders circling
from summit to summit
reassuring each other every
thing is like it was the last time
around.
As a sidelight I have been
keeping score on the gifts
exchanged at these summit
meetings and so far I believe
Brezhnev is ahead. That is,
when Mr. Nixon went to
Moscow he brought Mr.
Brezhnev a two-toned Cadillac.
Mr. Brezhnev gave him a small
27 foot boat. In China Mr.
Nixon gave those folks some
porcelain birds, four redwood
trees and two muskoxen. When
Mr. Brezhnev visited the U. S.
last week President Nixon gave
him a Lincoln Continental and a
$12,000 hand-made rifle. If Mr.
Kissinger on his trip of reas-
surance to China takes say a
box of Christmas cards, a few-
firecrackers and a calendar, the
Chinese may start scratching
their heads. When Mr.
Brezhnev visited France, Mr.
Pompidou gave him two cars, a
Citroen Ma/erati and a Renault
16. whatever those are.
As I say. I have no idea what
the summit meetings have
resulted in, especially if one
country or the other loses the
papers they've been signing,
but so far the score is: Mr.
Brezhnev, four automobiles;
Mr. Nixon, a small boat; the
Chinese, four trees and two
muskoxen; and France, a pat on
the back. The tenser you are
the more you get.
Yours faithfully.
J.A.
Marijuana
Found In
Smithville
SMITHVILLE - Combined
efforts of the Smithville Police
Department, the County
Sheriff's office, and D. P. S.
Narcotics Division last Thurs-
day night, June 21, nipped in
the bud an apparent attempt by
a local resident to establish a
mraijuana nursery within the
city limits of Smithville.
Armed with a search warrant
obtained at 9 P.M., officers
found and confiscated two
half grown marijuana plants,
numerous small clay pots, two
match boxes full of marijuana
seeds, a heat lamp, cigarette
papers, a pipe, a straight razor,
•r .38 pistol, and a sawed off
shotgun.
Several small pots had been
planted and the seedlings
sprouted, but most of the
smaller plants had failed to
thrive. The two half-grown
plants were found just outside
the back door of the residence.
See SMITHVILLE Page 12
An experimental structure
that could become an important
influence in the design of future
county jails is due to be tested
soon in Bastrop.
The new county jail will be
the first in the country to be
built with pre cast concrete
modules ■ a method of con
struction that may prove
quicker, cheaper and more
versatile than conventional
techniques.
In addition, the modular
design should prove readily
adaptable to new jail standards
emerging from recent court
decisions that call for improved
living conditions and expanded
rehabilitative programs.
Architect for Bastrop jail is
R. Lamar Youngblood, a part-
ner in the Austin firm of
Barnes, Landes, Goodman and
Youngblood. He suggested in a
recent interview that if the
Bastrop experiment proves
successful, the modular design
may provide a solution to the
problem facing many Texas
counties with out dated, worn
out jails.
"The courts are saying these
jails must meet minimum
standards for habitation," he
said. "Unfortunately, there are
few counties that can do that
without building completely
new facilities."
If the modular cell blocks
John Rueker
Dies Here On
June 24th
Funeral services for John
Rucker, 79, were held at
Newby Funeral Chapel Monday
afternoon, June 25, with the
Rev. J. W. Griffin officiating.
Mr. Rucker died at Retama
Nursing Home Sunday
morning, June 24. He was a
member of Watterson Meth-
odist Church and a life long
resident of Bastrop County.
He is survived by one son,
Richard Rucker of Bastrop; one
brother, Ben Rucker of High
Island; three sisters, Mrs.
Emma Flores of Yucaipa,
California; Mrs. Martha
Navarro of Beaumont, and Mrs.
Ida May Wolf of Bastrop.
Pallbearers were Garland
Hefner, Verlin Hemphill, Wal-
lace Hefner, Ira Rucker, Frank
Wolfenberger and Jake Voight.
prove feasible, Youngblood said
they may be mass produced at
costs low enough to make fhem
attractive to county budgets.
Construction estimates for
the Bastrop jail indicated that
although the 20 modules will be
the first prtxiuced. costs should
run at $256,000 or no more
than the price tag for the same
sized facility built using con
ventional methods.
Within the next few months,
trailer trucks should be
rumbling into town, each
hauling a 13 foot by 33 foot
concrete block nine feet high.
Cranes will position the 10
modules on concrete pads on
the courthouse square.
According to the floor plan,
five of the modules will contain
four cells each. The other five
will provide exercise and
activity space.
Money For
New Jail Is
Approved
A new concept in jail con-
struction being undertaken in
Bastrop and Kinney counties
received word last week from
U. S. Rep. Jake Pickle of final
approval of federal monies for
the pilot project.
The amount awarded is
$250,000 under the Omnibus
Crime Control and Safe Streets
Act of 1968 from the Law
Enforcement Assistance Ad
ministration of the Department
of Justice.
Pickle said, "I am greatly
intrigued by this modular
approach to construction of
correctional facilities. If things
go according to plan, then we
will have developed a new
method of less expensive
facilities that -neet much higher
standards, as well as giving the
counties greater flexibility."
The Texas Criminal Justice
Council had previously
awarded funds necessary for
planning and designs. The
grant will be used for actual
construction purposes by the
two counties.
The county judge in Bastrop
is Jack Greisenbeck who also
serves as chairman of the
executive committee of the
Capitol Area Planning Council.
Youngblood pointed out the
modular approach easily lends
itself to segregation of prison
ers according to seriousness of
offense, age and sex. This
avoids a major criticism of
existing jails where large cells
group felons with misdemean
ors and juveniles.
By contrast, each prisoner
will have a private cell in the
Bastrop jail. The cells will have
floor length windows five
inches wide.Instead of bars,
each window will have special
glass that will sound an alarm if
cracked.
At the huh of the jail complex
will be a visitation room, offices
for the sheriff, his supporting
staff and a control desk to
monitor the corridors con
necting the modules.
The architect admits that his
design has been criticized for
attempting to "coddle" those in
jail, hut says providing humane
facilities is still quite distant
from pampering prisoners.
The idea is to provide living
conditions that accomplish the
needs of incarceration and
security without stripping the
prisoner of his dignity."
Youngblood pointed out that
a large proportion of those held
in county jails are not serving
sentences for convictions, but
are persons who have been
arrested and are awaiting trial.
Most of the funding for the
project is expected to be
supplied by the Texas Criminal
Justice Council, the state
agency that first suggested the
modular concept be attempted.
Cooperating in and endorsing
the effort is the National
Clearinghouse for Criminal
Justice Planning and Archi
lecture at the University of
Illinois.
returns home
Master Phil Hendrix recently
spent a week in Fort Worth as
guest of his uncle and aunt, Mr.
and Mrs. Tony Jackson. He was
accompanied home by his three-
year old cousin. Marc Jackson,
who spent a week in the homes
of his uncle and aunt, Mr. and
Mrs. Tommy Dean Hendrix and
his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs.
Jack Claiborne. The Hendrixes
with daughter, Tina, and the
Jacksons, visited Six Flags
while they were in Fort Worth.
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FLOOR PI-AN FOR NEW BASTROP COUNTY MODULAR JAIL
One-storv, 90 by 100-foot structure to be first of its kind
*
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Standifer, Amy S. Bastrop Advertiser and Bastrop County News (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. [120], No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 5, 1973, newspaper, July 5, 1973; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth238420/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bastrop Public Library.