The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 154, No. 84, Ed. 1 Saturday, December 15, 2007 Page: 1 of 12
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2007
500
"Che jBastrop 3docrtiscr
Texas' Oldest Weekly Newspaper Since March 1, 1853 Semi-Weekly Since Sept. 5, 1977
Volume 154, Number 84
Bastrop, Texas
18 pages in two sections
Heavy work in 2 8 set for city
By Davis McAuiey
Editor
This week the Bastrop City Council
pushed ahead with a number of major
projects which suggest that 2008 will be
busy with construction in various parts of
town.
First, the council approved a low bid
of some $93,000 for additional landscap-
ing work along Chestnut Street near the
Texas 95 intersection. The work is part of
the city's responsibility as part of a Texas
Department of Transportation project to
reshape the intersection.
The council also approved a bid of
$1.8 million for reconstruction and utility
improvements on Pecan Street between
Chestnut and Texas 71. Because Smith
Contracting's base bid was lower than
expected, some additional sewer work
near the project area can be added to the
contract, said City Manager Mike Talbot.
The Pecan Street work will begin early
next year, said Talbot.
At the same time the council gave its
blessing to move ahead with plans for
refurbishing Chestnut Street between the
railroad and Water Street. They authorized
BEFCO Engineering to complete final
plans and specifications, and took initial
steps to sell bonds to finance the work.
The Bastrop Economic Development
Corp. board, which will ultimately cover
the cost of the work, also approved the
same steps.
Part of Tuesday's meeting was a joint
session of the BEDC board and the city
council.
On a separate topic, the council agreed
to pay BEFCO Engineering some $27,000
for a detailed survey of Main Street from
Spring Street to City Hall and Pine Street
from Main to Water Street.
The survey is required to plan properly
for possible street lighting improvements
and related electric infrastructure in the
Main Street business district, said Talbot.
For one thing, adding new holiday lighting
See PROJECTS, Page 3A
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The Bastrop Advertiser photo/Terry Hagerty
Singing in the holidays
Kayja Thomas (from left front), Marissa Langham and Lilo Molina sing with the Cedar Creek Elementary
School third and fourth grade choir during a Thursday night presentation of holiday music at the school.
See page 12A for story and photos.
3 in Smithvil le arrested for burglary
Elgin economic
chief goes to work
Trades Caribbean for Main Street
By Terry Hagerty
Staff Writer
Dennis Sheehan traded in the
lush white beaches and emerald
colored waters of the Caribbean
island of Anguilla for a desk job
at Elgin city hall.
But he says he was ready for
a change.
Elgin's newly appointed
Economic Development Director
started Dec. 1.
"I enjoyed reading on the
beach and long walks with my
wife, but it was time to come
home," Sheehan said Friday.
"My wife's parents were not
getting any younger, plus I have
a daughter in Houston and a son
who is graduating from Texas
A&Y1."
And anyway, Sheehan said,
he "never really retired" during
his seven years on the Anguilla,
which is a British territory in the
Caribbean islands of the Lesser
Antilles.
An attorney who special-
ized in commercial litigation,
Sheehan said on Anguilla he
See DIRECTOR, Page 2A
Not guilty verdict
in LBA robbery
By Davis McAuiey
Editor
By Jacqueline Davis
Staff Writer
The Smithville Police
Department made three
arrests in the same week
in burglary and theft cases,
according to police reports.
On Nov 30 Marvin
Deshay Oliver, 28, of
Smithville was arrested on
a warrant and charged with
burglary of a habitation and
theft. Oliver's bond was set
at $40,000 and he was taken
to the Bastrop County Jail,
where he was released the
same day.
Oliver's arrest was
the result of an investiga-
tion that began in August,
said Lieutenant Lonny
Richardson with the SPD.
Richardson said the bur-
glary involved more than
$2,000 in property and theft
of a vehicle with an esti-
mated value of $2,000. The
case will go to a grand jury,
Richardson said.
On Dec. 5 Tammy Terrell
Williams, 30, of Smithville
was arrested on outstand-
ing warrants. Williams was
charged with burglary of a
habitation and criminal tres-
passing, and bond was set at
$11,000. As of Friday morn-
ing, Williams remained in
county jail.
Richardson said the arrest
was the result of an ongo-
ing investigation that started
in mid-November, and that
money, estimated less than
$100, was taken. The case
was referred to a grand jury,
Richardson said.
On Dec. 6 SPD officers
responded to a burglary in
progress call and arrested
Xavier Edward Martin,
17, of Smithville. Officer
Jennifer Hampton located
Martin in the area after a
description of the suspect
was broadcast.
An eyewitness, the
sister of the homeowner,
identified Martin as the
person who attempted to
break into the residence,
Richardson said. The wit-
ness was able to identify
the suspect as a former
friend of the homeowner's
daughter, Richardson said.
Martin was charged with
burglary and transported
to the Bastrop County Jail,
where he remained as of
Friday morning. Bond is set
at $20,000.
"Lt. (Mike) Maguire
found him and scooped him
up," Richardson said. " He
was a few blocks away. He
didn't take anything. He got
scared off, I reckon."
A jury in Bastrop took about
two hours Wednesday to find
a man not guilty in an alleged
armed robbery at a Lake Bastrop
Acres residence more than a
year ago.
The seven men and five
women of the jury heard sharply
different testimony both from
Michael Tarvcr. accused in the
case, and the victim. Stonnie
Lotf, an exotic dancer. Both
Tarver and Lotf have prior con-
victions for drug offenses.
Tarver's account of events at
the Lotf residence on Sept. 20,
2006 had few points in common
with Lotf's earlier account.
There were no guns involved,
Tarver said, and no robbery. He
went to Lotf's residence at her
invitation to collect some $470
he was owed by Lotf's husband,
Josh Sanders, from a $900 drag
loan, said Tarver. "She said I
could come collect my money,"
he testified.
Tarver said he got his money,
but he and Sanders fought after
Sanders threw the money on the
floor and called him an insult-
ing name. "He was upset," said
Tarver.
He also denied, his voice
choked with emotion, threaten-
ing a child in the house with a
pistol. *5 don't have a gun," said
Tarver, "I would never hurt a
kid. I've got three of my own."
Tarver also acknowledged
that he was released from prison
in May last year but was jailed
again in November and has been
in jail since then awaiting trial.
Both Tarver and Lotf still
face various criminal charges,
See TRIAL, Page 2A
INSIDE
Bastrop runs past Westlake.
Page 8A
Holiday safety tips from local law
enforcement. Page 3A
WEATHER! INDEX
■ Saturday's forecast:
Cloudy
High: 61°
Low: 48°
Rain: 50%
■ Last week:
High Low Prec.
Wed. 63 42 .33
Thursday 59 42 none
Friday 59 47 NA
■ Provided by weather.com.
Classified ads 2B
Community 5A
Deaths 9A
Opinions 4A
Sports 8A
65668 78602 3
AUSTIN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
This newspaper
is recyclable
King of Hearts: A ministry on two wheels
Local biking groups unite to get gifts to needy kids
By Jacqueline Davis
Staff Writer
A local motorcycle
group that has been active
for a year now has decided
to try something new for
the Christmas season.
King of Hearts
Motorcycle Ministry has
joined forces with other
local bikers in the Bastrop
community to ride for a
cause. For the first time
this year, this group of
about 10 bikers joined up
with a handful of other
biker groups to hold a
Christmas Toy Run and
Drive, gathering nearly 70
toys for children in fami-
lies that have fallen
on
Courtesy Photo
The King of Hearts Motorcycle Ministry gathers in the Wal-Mart parking lot to purchase toys for
needy children for Christmas. Joining the group here are other fellow bikers, such as the Bastrop
branches of the Christian Motorcycle Association, Chariots of Light Motorcycle Association and
See HEARTS, Page 2A Sorgy's Scooter Supply.
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McAuley, Davis. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 154, No. 84, Ed. 1 Saturday, December 15, 2007, newspaper, December 15, 2007; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth252447/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bastrop Public Library.