The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 156, No. 83, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 17, 2009 Page: 1 of 18
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SEE ALL THE LATEST BASKETBALL NEWS FROM AROUND BASTROP COUNTY • SPORTS, B1
'Che Bastrop 2Woertiser
Volume 156, Number 83
Texas' Oldest Weekly Newspaper Since March 1, 1853 Semi-Weekly Since Sept. 5, 1977
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2009
500
INSIDE
U.S. ARMY
4-
t
SOLDIERS
WELCOMED
American Legion Post 533 hosts
Camp Swift soldiers and their
families.
—Page A14
WHAT KEN SAID
The story of the historic Delgado
vs. BISD federal court ruling as
told by Ken Kesselus.
—Page A10
FAST AND FURIOUS
A local father and son racing duo
is tearing up the tracks in dragster
racing.
—Page All
POLICE BLOTTER
■ On Dec, 2 at 11:30 a.m., Officer
Kevin Rogers responded for a re-
quest for service at the police depart-
ment lobby for a report of a prior hit
and run episode. The case was under
nvestigation.
■ On Dec, 9 at 2:50 p.m., Officer
Dale Hamilton was dispatched to
a disturbance in progress at a local
business. Store staff had detained
the individual. Alfred Don Kel-
lough. 69, of Bastrop was arrested
and charged with assault causing
bodily injury and theft of greater than
$50, less than $500, according to the
police report.
■ On Dec. 9 at 6 p.m., Sgt. Ken
Yarbrough and accompanying of-
ficers were dispatched to the 200
block of Pheasant Trail for a report
of a possible burglary in progress.
Dispatch advised that the homeown-
ers had a suspect cornered inside the
residence, A subsequent report had
the suspect fleeing the residence,
leaving in a Ford pickup with license
plate noted. Responding officers lo-
cated the suspect near the original
scene. An investigation revealed that
the suspect had entered the residence
through an unlocked garage door,
but no property was taken. Ralph
Ben Hubert, 52, of Bastrop, was
arrested and charged with criminal
trespass and possession of a con-
trolled substance, cocaine, greater
than one but less than four grams,
according to the police report.
WEATHER
THURSDAY FORECAST
HI: 59
LO: 40
AM SHOWERS
INDEX
Classifieds
Community
fafle
.Pass M
Obits
Sports
Page A14
Page B1
24 pages, two sections
Newsroom
(512) 321-2557
©The Bastrop Advertiser
We Recycle
AUSTIN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
65668 78602
NATURAL RESOURCES
Searching for well of options
City seeks grant to fund study exploring long-term water supplies
BY ANDY ROSS
Staff Writer
Eyeing the long-term
availability of Bastrop
County's water, the city
of Bastrop - along with fi-
nancial support from other
local entities - is seeking
a $75,000 matching grant
from the Texas Water De-
velopment Board to fund
a new study on regional
water supplies.
The study, which
would cost approximate-
ly $150,000 and be per-
formed by an Austin engi-
neering firm, is expected to
examine long-term water
supply options in the area
other than alluvial wells,
according to Bastrop City
Manager Mike Talbot.
"I think it is incum-
bent upon the city to
begin doing as much ex-
ploratory work as pos-
sible regarding water,"
Talbot said on Tuesday.
"With this (study) the city
is doing its due diligence
in looking for alternative
sources as well as ways to
better use water."
Talbot says he began
pushing for the city to ap-
ply for the TWDB grant
about six weeks ago after
he attended a conference
in Fort Worth discuss-
ng water issues. As he
listened to the informa-
tion offered by statewide
elected officials and ex-
perts at the conference
- especially population
projections for Texas
Talbot said he was struck
by the necessity of taking
proactive measures.
"At some point, our
groundwater is not going
to be available," Talbot
said. "I don't know what
that time is but I do know
that by 2060 the popula-
tion in Texas is projected
to double and the major-
See WATER, page A7
CfTristmas [ arade
a
m
Staff photo by
Terry Hagerty
Students from
Lost Pines El-
ementary School
PALS (Peer As-
sistance Lead-
ership Service)
ride the float that
won Overall Best
Theme Entry dur-
ing last Saturday's
annual Bastrop
Holiday Lighted
Parade. See
pages 4-6 for
more photos.
CITY COUNCIL
ood pantry
gets a boost
BY TERRY HAGERTY
Assistant Editor
The Bastrop County
Emergency Food Pantry
is on its way to replac-
ing its vintage wooden
buildings after action by
the Bastrop City Council
at its regular meeting on
Dec S.
The council unani-
mously approved waiving
a value of up to $20,000
for such items as utility
UTILITIES
fees, permits and other
n-kind services for the
first phase of a pantry
construction project - a
building of 1,740 square
feet that could be finished
by March.
Tresha Silva, execu-
tive director of the pantry,
told the council its current
buildings are in "poor,
poor shape." The buildings
date back to World War II
and were used at one time
See PANTRY, page A7
A holiday bonus
comes just in time
BY TERRY HAGERTY
Assistant Editor
Just in time for Christ-
mas, some utility custom-
ers of the city of Bastrop
are about to get some extra
spending money.
On Wednesday, the city
began cutting checks to
refund utility deposits for
customers in "good stand-
ing."
The money will be re-
turned to those customers
who paid their bills late no
more than twice in the past
12 months, according to
City Manager Mike Talbot.
The action was ap-
proved by the Bastrop
City Council at its Dec.
8 meeting, after hav-
ing studied the matter
with Talbot over several
months.
Council member Julie
Hart, who worked on the
refunding project with
Talbot, said on Tuesday
the city "will be issuing
1,874 checks for a total of
$343,380. Finally, we'll
be returning your money,
back to you."
Both residential and
commercial customers will
be seeing some refunds.
CRIME
Man arrested in
McDade robbery
BY ANDY ROSS
Staff Writer
An investigation into
a violent robbery that
occured in McDade last
month has resulted in
the arrest of a 30-year-
old Giddings man.
On Thursday, Dec. 10,
Jim Wesley Farris was ar-
rested at his home in Lee
County by deputies from
both the Bastrop and Lee
counties' sheriffs offices
and charged with 2nd
degree
felony
robbery.
Farris is
charged
with
attack-
ing a
58-year-
old Mc-
D a d e
JIM FARRIS
a
man on
Nov. 18 and taking ap-
proximately $6,000 in
cash, according to the
sheriffs report.
The victim, who had
been walking between
his home and vehicle
in McDade when the
robbery occurred, was
reportedly choked and
punched in the face
several times by his at-
tacker.
The robbery inves-
tigation led to a search
warrant being issued for
Farris at his home. He
was then arrested with-
out incident, according
See ROBBERY, pageA7
Scrumptious house
Staff photo by Terry Hagerty
Sarah Belcher, a community education specialist with the Bastrop Independent School District, shows
the detailed gingerbread house she made for a friendly competition among employees at the BISD Ser-
vice Center building. Judging was expected to finish Thursday.
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Wright, Cyndi. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 156, No. 83, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 17, 2009, newspaper, December 17, 2009; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth252640/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1: accessed June 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bastrop Public Library.