The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. [125], No. 32, Ed. 1 Monday, June 19, 1978 Page: 1 of 6
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7. 1 cr-.i' • a. Cantor .
Jul* J'i, :■ **
LCRA, Austin set wheels in motion for Camp Swift deposits
Court order favors lignite mining
A Federal district court
judge in Washington. D. C-
issued a court order Thurs-
day clearing the way for the
Lower Colorado River Au
thority to proceed with
application for a permit to
mine lignite at Camp Swift
in Bastrop County.
The order from Judge
John Pratt in Washington
specifically named the Camp
Swift lease proposal among
several ruled exempt from
an injunction forbidding the
Interior Department to
consider anv new lease
applications until the coal
leasing policy is rewritten.
U.S. Representative J. J.
"Jake" Pickle of Austin,
longtime advocate of the
LCRA's plight to secure
mining rights at Camp Swift
said Thursday. "All I can
say is. 'At last!'"
The Lower Colorado River
Authority and the City of
Austin have been trying
since 1973 to obtain per-
mission from the Federal
Government to mine the
lignite deposits known to
exist at Camp Swift, an
almost completely aban
doned World War II artillery
range and prison camp
located north of the City of
Bastrop.
In 1926, the Federal Coal
Leasing Act halted the
leasing of federally owned
land. Congressman Pickle
succeeded in obtaining an
amendment to the FCL Act
and plans began for utiliza
tion of the lignite by the
LCRA, according to Director
Charles Herring of the
LCRA's Austin headquar
ters.
The National Resources
Defense Council forced the
U.S. District Court in
Washington to ban new-
federal coal leases in
December last year, the
result of a lawsuit against
the Interior Department.
The NRDC said that strip
mining in western states
damages land, water, crops
and animals. This injunction
will remain in effect until the
Interior Department re
writes its leasing policy,
which can take up to two
years.
The LCRA's proposed
leasr concerns the mining of
nearly 500.000 tons of lignite
annually from Camp Swift.
Feasibility studies have
been prepared for the
possible conversion of one
electricity generating unit at
the Sim Gideon Steam Plant
to be coal-fired by lignite
mined from the Camp Swift
property.
Future Kright For
Bastrop County
LCRA Assistant General
Manager Bob Tintsman said
the conversion of one unit at
the Sim Gideon is "quite
possible." and this means a
boost tothe local economy.
Although permit process
ing and environmental im-
pact studies will most
probably delay any actual
mining activity for several
years. Tintsman noted that a
coal fired generator requires
at least twice as many
employees as a gas fired
plant. The possible conver-
sion of a unit at the Sim
Gideon plant will mean more
jobs.
Tintsman added that
conversion to lignite firing is
also being considered for a
unit at (he Fayette Power
Project near LaGrange.
I.CKA (Jen. Mgr.
Herring Comments
Upon being notified of the
court ruling, Charles Her
ring, general manager of the
LCRA Issued the following
statement:
"The decision by the
Federal district court in
Washington, DC, allowing
the LCRA to pursue low cost
lignite at Camp Swift near
Bastrop is the best news this
authority and its customers
have received in a long time.
"I am especially grateful
for the diligent effort by
Congressman J J. Pickle
and the dedicated members
of his staff, who have worked
tirelessly to represent the
interest of Central Texas in
the matter. Their efforts on
behalf of the LCRA and its
customers have resulted in
the court's specifically allow
ingthe authority to apply for
these v ital lignite leases.
See "Coal," page 3
15*
%
Bastrop (omity's Leading Newspaper - Since March /, 1.853
Since March 1,1853
Bastrop Advertiser
Monday, June 19, 1978
Number 32
Chief to keep job
with salary reduction
Banner
Jimmie Jones recently presented Pack 187 with their official flag on behalf of the First
National Bank. Present for the occasion were Marcus Jackson, representing Den I, far left,
Mrs. Larry Clark, Clifford Clark, representing Den 4, and Billy Compton of Den 8.
Staff Photo bv Jim Tisdalc
Fleming gets
second chance
FROM THE
ELGIN COURIER
In a called meeting on
Tuesday at 1 p.m., the Elgin
Hospital Authority met to
decide the fate of Fleming
Memorial Hospital. Since
announcing that the 40-year
old facility would be closed
on June 17, and with the po-
sitive community response
translated into monetary
pledges from, and since, the
June 9 town meeting, the
board had also been offered
the alternative solution of
selling the hospital. One such
offer had fallen through on
Friday, prior to the town
gathering, but another
round of talks began on
Monday with the attorneys
representing the interested
purchaser.
Prior to the vote of the
board to sell the hospital to
Dr. Robert flay and Elgin
Community Hospital, Inc.,
the board pondered the
emotional and financial con-
sequences of the decision
which faced them. President
of the Elgin Hospital
Authority, Mark Sheffield,
said, "The only reason we're
here is to assure that Elgin
and the surrounding area
has a good hospital." He
appealed to his board, of
which all were in attendance,
to deliberate carefully.
Reporting on his conver-
sation with Dr. Ray, board
member Ray Arbuckle, Jr.
said that Dr. Ray appeared
to have the welfare of the
community as his utmost
concern. He felt that asking
people of Elgin to give this
money, only to have to raise
another $130 thousand next
year to pay off the note in its
entirety, was asking too
much. Board members Bud-
dy Meyer and Harvey
Condron agreed.
Wilbur Cottle, chairman of
the Hospital District Steer-
ing Committee, suggested
that the hospital district
committee remain active and
proceed as planned with
submitting the necessary bill
to the legislature in January
requesting creation of a
hospital district. This action
would be "on the books" for
five years, and no bonds nor
taxes would be involved,
unless needed. He saw the
district as a back-up for the
community, and would also
preclude the cities of Austin
or Bastrop from including
the Elgin area into their
hospital districts, should
that possibility arise.
Attorney Mark Owen,
counsel for the EH A,
brought the board a con-
tract, signed by Dr. Ray and
the purchasing corporation,
and noted that one con-
tingency remained before
finalization of the sale could
be realized. He said that a
marketable title must be
found which shows how the
hospital's ownership was
transferred from Fleming
Hospital Foundation. Owen
was confident that this
would resolve itself in the
next few days. The closing
date was suggested to be
Friday, June 16.
The instrument includes a
"good faith" statement
which states the new
owner's intention to continue
to operate a community
hospital. The present hospi-
tal administrator, Fred Nyc,
will be retained, if desired,
for at least one year.
See "Ray," page 3
Bill Nestoroff will keep his
job with the City of
Smithville, despite efforts by
three ex-city police officers
to have their chief removed
from the position on grounds
of "incompetency."
Following a heated ex-
change of accusations and
verhal assaults between the
chief of police and two
patrolmen who submitted
resignations to the City
Council meeting Monday,
Chief Nestoroff was sus
pended with pay until a
hearing could be held
Thursday.
At 11 a.m. Thursday
morning Mayor Bill Davison
called the hearing to order.
After announcing that Bill
Nestoroff had asked for a
closed hearing, and despite
the obvious displeasure of
the two-dozen citizens pre
sent, the hearing was moved
into the executive chambers.
After more than seven
hours the hearing was
adjourned for two hours,
until 9:30 p.m.. at which time
the council convened in
executive session to weigh
the statements of nearly a
dozen concerned citizens,
before deciding to keep
Nestoroff.
City Attorney Bob Per
man was to have represent-
ed Smithville at the hearing,
but had to decline because of
conflicting interests. Perman
has represented David Frie-
del, Ted Fajkus and Raliegh
Measom in the past.
Friedel and Fajkus re-
signed from the police force
last Monday night. Raliegh
Measom was dismissed from
the police force earlier this
year for improper use of a
radio.
Measom claims he was
dismissed because, "the chief
didn't like me." According to
Bastrop County Sheriff I. R.
Hoskins, Measom was fired
because "I told Mayor
Lawrence Skelley I didn't
want Measom on Channel
One," the county's primary
radio frequency. This was
after Measom accidentally
voiced expletives while the
microphont* was keyed.
David Friedel was hired at
the time of Measom's
dismissal. Ted Fajkus had
served with the Smithville
Police Department for a year
and a hall in the early
seventy's. He worked part
time until 1975, at which
See "Chief," page 3
Tractor not
cause of death
Grand Jury to weigh
charges here Tuesday
Two-dozen cases are on
the agenda for the considera
tion of the June term Grand
Jury, when it convenes for
the first time Tuesday, June
20.
Both Charles Ray Sim-
mons and Charles Ray Nolan
were recently arrested in
connection with a burglary
earlier this year in their
home town, Elgin.
Evidence in a forgery
charge against Tony Harrod
will be considered and Henry
Mack and brother Willie
Jack Milligan face similar
charges of forgery by
passing.
The case of Mike Allan
Hicks and Stephen Richter
Howard, arrested and
charged with possession of
marijuana, will be con
sidered by the Grand Jury,
as will the driving while
intoxicated charge against
Gary Allen Stevens.
The Grand Jury will
review the evidence in
burglary with intent to rape
against David Nelson Elkins.
Cordell Barnett's charge
of unauthorized use of a
motor vehicle will come up
as will the attempted
murder charges against
Enoch Lee Ridge.
Ridge told arresting of-
ficers he shot a second
Paige-area resident, Charlie
See "Jury," page 3
A Rosanky farmer died
Thursday morning after
apparently suffering a heart
attack while operating a
tractor.
Berry Sandlin, 61, a
retired Shell Chemical Com
pany worker, moved to the
Rosanky community about
three years ago, according to
friends of the family.
Justice of the Peace A. W.
Buck Bonorden ruled that
Sandlin died of natural
causes. Smithville ambu
lance driver Jim Gilford said
the man apparently died of a
heart attack, and although
he fell from the tractor, it
continued to run until it
came to rest against a tree.
Sandlin was not run over.
Dr. Jerry Morris pro
nounced Sandlin dead on
arrival at Smithville Hospi-
tal at 10:45a.m.
Sandlin is survived by his
wife, Rowena and three
daughters, one son, three
brothers, three sisters, and
two grand sons.
mm
Smithville leads in
1978 sales, use tax
i
Hit Mumrii'i Hull had I .eagu* is n l forming tit M« ir«| I uuni In (til* phwiti. Ka liup
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State Comptroller Bob
Bullock said Thursday that
city sales tax allocations for
the first half of 1978 are
running a healthy 17.5
percent ahead of last year.
Bullock announced that his
office has sent checks
totaling $60.9 million to 900
Texas cities as their June
share of the local option one
percent tax.
For the period, Smithville,
with a 26 percent change
over last year, showed the
greatest increase of the
three major cities in the
county, though Bastrop's net
payments for the year top
both Elgin and Smithville.
Bastrop has received net
payments in 1978 totaling
$35,457.47 (Sales and use tax
allocations). Elgin has re
ceived a net of $32,075.23
this year while Smithville
has received $30,965.92.
Elgin showed the second
greatest increase, twenty
percent, while Bastrop's
increase over last year was
but eleven percent.
The largest checks raise
the cities' share to date this
year to $186.5 milium,
compared U> $167.2 million
for the first h ff of last year,
That's a 17.6 percent
increase.
<K ihe stale's larger riliea,
Houston loniMtUed in ihalk
yjii I he biggest pet t *.<*t«g
>iu*e*a* iff illj S#ie* MM
collections.
The city received a check
for $12,356,904, bringing its
total for the year to $40.8
million, a twenty percent
increase over the same
period last year.
City sales tax allocations
for the year are up eleven
percent in Dallas, fifteen
percent in Fort Worth, ten
percent in San Antonio and
seventeen percent in Austin.
The tax is collected by
local merchants along with
the state sales tax and is
rebated to the cities monthly
by the Comptoller's Office.
In Bastrop County
Nine injured,
two dead in May
The Texas Highway
Patrol investigated 27 rural
traffic accidents in Bastrop
County during May 1978
according to Sergeant Fife,
supervisor for this Highway
Patrol Sergeant Area. These
accidents resulted in two
deaths and nine injuries.
'Hie total rural traffic
accidents for Bastrop County
for this year is 120, which
have resulted in six deaths
and 41 injuries.
1> e twenty-four counties
which comprise Highway
Patrol District 6 B have had
a i<>i<«I of 2813 rural traffic
accidents this year which
ha v* resulted ill V4 deaths
ami l.'in injuries This
tumiiares u* iIXH'/ *i t ideois
Wi fcailis sn4 injuries
dtttifeg Mm* as tM-
pe riod last year.
P&WD
sets July
review
"Hie State Parks and
Wildlife Commission will be
preparing their budget when
they meet this week,
according to Paul Schlimper,
P&WD representative.
Schlimper told the AD-
VERTISER that plans to
review projjoSwd future
developments in both Baa
Irop and Buescher State
Parks, originally scheduled
|ii he covered Mi a May
meeting, will lie covered
11*41 lite <«iiimission in*t Is
in July a* their Austin
ItiMMPtiPi'
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Harold l<r«l ol Austin slarea into the la>r til wlisl «a
rated lite biggest fish «ser caught In l ain llakii up," Gesl
tauglti lit* 44 pound telle** isiluh Mini mist turn inns una jug
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Griffin, Clyde. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. [125], No. 32, Ed. 1 Monday, June 19, 1978, newspaper, June 19, 1978; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth334992/m1/1/: accessed June 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bastrop Public Library.