The Bastrop Advertiser and County News (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. [127], No. 95, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 29, 1981 Page: 1 of 16
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Hicrofilm Center, Inc.
Box ^36
Dallas, Texas 75235
v
hangeover to computer still
ing city
DAVIS McAULEY
Computers—which have
Drmed the nation in the
st 20 years—have finally
Bastrop in a serious way.
llesmen promise the fancy
ctronic hardware heralds
bw speed and efficiency for
any ordinary transactions,
pnich as keeping up with
""barges and payments for
Ity utilities.
But the transition from a
aanual" to an "automated"
accounting system for the
city's utility office, begun in
confusion, continues to be
plagued with recurrent pro-
blems. —
Better days may be a-co-
ming. But in the meantime,
it hurts.
"The city i$ losing credibil-
ity with the citizens. They've
got to understand that not
all the problems are caused
by the city," says City Mana
ger Jerry McFadden.
CATCH THE DEVIL
Every time a "run" of
computer-generated utility
bills hits the mailboxes in
town-bills which are too of-
ten erroneous or outrageous
on their face-"the girls in
the utility office catch the
devil" from irate customers,
he noted. -
Often blamed for boo-bods
not of their making, "they're
at the end of their rope,"
said McFadden. ^
"Something's' got to be
done" to ease the situation,
declared City Secretary Art
ie McLaurin.
DUE DATE
McFadden noted he's ord-
ered a change in the" due1
date of utility bills to reduce
confusion caused when the
bills are late getting into the
mails. Bills are now due 12
days from the date of the
bill's postmark, he said.
Previously, bills were due
on the 10th, 20th or 30th of
each month, depending on
which billing "cycle" the cus-
tomer was in.
Computer"' "downtime,"
coupled with other "equip-
ment trouble" and a continu-
ing necessity for some utility
meters to be "re-read" has
kept the bills from going out
on schedule, according to
McFadden.
This week the utility office
was struggling with a cycle
of bills in which an estimated
80 percent or more were
"wrong" in some way. Many
showed unpaid "arrears"
which in fact had been paid.
And for some reason, the
computer simply didn't print
bills for some 50-odd custo-
mers in the cycle, noted
Utility office supervisor Bar
bara KesselL
A few residents came in
to inquire why they didn't
get a bill
On top of that, the utility
staff was struggling to "bre-
ak down" by hand some
$45,000 in "miscellaneous
funds" so the money could
be deposited in the proper
bank funds.
RECHECKING
And because so many bills
have been erroneous in re-
cent months, the staff has
been "going through the
bills to see if they're right"
after they are printed and
before they are mailed, said (J[
McFadden.
That amounts to a "dupl*
cation of work" which shou-
ldn't have been necessary,
he contends.
Still, McFadden remains
hopeful that the problems
can be worked out, that
marked improvement will
come soon and that custo-
mers will be tolerant in the
meantime.
Continued on Page 3
And County News
TEXAS' OLDEST WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
15*
THURSDAY EDITION
Established March 1,1853
Thursday, January 29, 1981
Number 95
PA wants more info on Swift lignite mining
The U.S. Environmental
rotection Agency has "res-
ervations" and wants more
lformation about the pro-
ssed lease of Camp Swift
or strip mining lignite coal.
In a formal review of the
draft environmental impact
statement (DEIS) on Camp
Swift leasing, the EPA has
► called for more precise infor-
' mation about:
♦increased stream flow
and erosion from pressure
relief wells discharging into
streams such as Big Sandy
Creek.
♦anticipated "drawdown"
from pressure relief pump-
ing on the Elgin and Bastrop
municipal water well fields.
♦the physical and chemical
characteristics of Camp
Swift lignite to help under-
stand the impact of radioac-
tive particles which would
be released by burning the
soft coal for electric genera-
tion.
♦safety hazards, including
spontaneous combustion,
connected with transporta-
tion of the lignite.
The EPA comments call
for the DEIS to be "streng-
thened" with the additional
information in a final envi-
ronmental statement due to
be issued in April.
Other agencies, including
the Interior Department's
Fish and Wildlife Service
and the Agriculture Depart-
ment's Soil Conservation
Service (SCS) have also sub-
mitted formal comments on
the Camp Swift DEIS.
PRIME LAND
Old Bastrop Hospital has been remodeled into 10 new apartments, most already rented.
Developer Stanley P. Smith says it was his "most enjoyable project" Staff Photos by
Davis McAuley _
Fire truck needs home
City help was asked Mon-
ay night for a building
Jdition to house Smithville's
hew $45,000 fire truck.
Jim Gifford, chief of the
Smith ville Volunteer Fire
epartment, asked for a
irt of some $28,221 in
deral revenue sharing
inds the city will get for
|981. Gifford said firemen
have already installed a ce-
dent parking place for the
ew truck at the side of the
re house. The firemen are
rilling to donate the labor to
rect a garage ... "now we
some help on buying
the materials," he said.
The fire department
would like to put up a 20 by
25 foot metal. building, he
said. It will bd\fl«cded to
protect hoses an<Noftber e-
quipment put on the truck,
Gifford said.
"Come back and give us
some figures," said Alder
man Pat Starns. Starns said
he agreed with Alderman
Robert Smith the city should
help. Alderman Charles Mc-
Keown said, "you're probab-
ly talking $4,000 to $5,000.
JCAB SERVICE
At a public hearing on the
revenue sharing funds, Ste-
ve Quitta, executive director
of the Combined Comjpunity
Action anti-proverty agency
asked the city to again pro-
vide $3,000, the same a-
mount as last year, to help
operate a CCA taxi service
for the poor in Smithville.
The taxi takes residents to
doctor's offices and other
stops. ^
J.
Mrs. Billie Gifford asked
for revenue funds so addi-
tional bandaging and splin-
tering supplies can be bou-
ght for her emergency medi-
cal assistance training cour-
ses.
No action was taken until
a further budget session. .
Mayor Lawrence Skelley
called a budget workshop
for Feb. 2 at 6 PM. The
Council will be discussing
budget items of around
$450,000. This compares to a
final budget of $413,000 for
last year but Skelley pointed
out the budget making pro-
cess is just starting with
many additiona and dele-
tions to come. He said he
hopes to have a budget
passed by the Council in
Feb. so it could go to a
March public hearing.
Fire danger on rise
Forest and grass fire
inger is rising.
Forest fuels, particularly
s, are drying out rap-
|ly, according to a state
stry spokesman.
"Wildfire danger in this
ii moderate at present
nt wiD rise significantly
continued dry
ither," said James Wat-
I
son, District Forester with
the Texas forest Service in
LaGrange.
"Fortunately, winds have
been fairly low and min-
imum relative humidities
have stayed moderate," he
declared. "We would be in a
high Jfire danger situation,
otherwise."
Even with the moderate
weather, however, Texas
Forest Service crews fought
233 fires which burned 2169
acres through the first 13
days of this year. \
The TFS forester noted
that many wildfires are
caused ' by careless brush
and trash burning, and he
listed several precautions
persons who burn outdoors
should observe.
Burn in the morning when
The SCS urged that
"strong consideration should
be given to maintaining the
productivity" of 298 acres of
"Sayers fine sandy loam"
whjch the SCS classifies as
"prime farmland."
"To maintain the produc-
tivity of these soils after
mining will normally require
stockpiling more than 1/2 to
1 and 1/2 feet of top soil,"
according to SCS.
Under an "administrative
decision" of the federal of-
fice of Surface Mining, the
soil in question - 4.4% of the
proposed lease area - is not
classed as "prime farmland"
because it has not been in
production for more than
five years.
SCS also recommends
that in planning reclamation
of the land "perennial grass-
es that do not require con-
tinuous heavy fertilization be
considered." The draft EIS
mentions only Coastal Ber-
muda grass as a possible
perennial grass cover after
mining.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service commented that the
draft EIS, "in general" is
adequate, but it "incorrectly
assumed that impacts to ve-
getation and wildlife will be
non-significiant Additional,
detailed qualitative and
quantative data on these
resources will be required in
order to make such a deter-
mination."
The comments also worry
about adverse impacts on
the creek bottoms along Big
Continued on Page 3
Equipment stolen
at shop center
Theives made off with a
welding rig and goose-neck
trailer ; over the weekend,
from the site where the
Colorado Center construc-
tion is under way across
Loop 150 from Bastrop
Memorial Hospital, police re-
ported.
During the time a crane
was the work site, Nelson
Construction Co. employees
secured the welder and its
trailer from pilferers simply
by suspending it high in the
air from the crane, noted
Police Chief Adell PowelL
But since the crane's de-
parture last week, new - and
apparently less effective -
security precautions had to
be devised.
The welder and trailer
were last seen at the site
Saturday evening and were
reported stolen Monday
morning, said PowelL
Law firm hired
to hunt taxes
Cut glass in door is a novel touch at Bastrop's newest
apartment house. — - - -'
County Commissioners
Tuesday agreed to hire the
Austin legal firm of Calame,
Linebarger and Graham to
collect 40-odd years worth of
unpaid back taxes
"It's important to get
started" collecting delinquent
taxes soon, urged Tax As-
sessor-Collector Jill Turner
Monday. At the end of 1981,
she said, "the law changes"
and . .taxes assessed before
1962 will no longer be collec-
tible.
"We need to get started,"
agreed County Judge Jack
A. Griesenbeck. "The longer
we wait, the more likely we
are to lose" accounts more
than 20 years old.
. Attorney Russell Graham
noted that "a lot of prelimi-
nary work will have to be
done" before collections can
begin, since the county has
not filed state-required De-
linquent Tax Rolls since
1972.
Continued on Page 3
45 years on Main St.
She's spent 45 years on
Main Street and she still
doesn't want to go home.
Gladys Hoffman Sawyer
went to work at Elkins 5
and 10 cent store in the fall
of 1935 just to help Mrs.
Earl Denson out during the
Christmas season.
"We got paid a dollar a
day - actually 99 cents be-
cause they took out a penny
for Social Security," the
evercheerful Gladys Sawyer
humidity is highest Don't
burn on windy days. Clear a
line around your fire, and
stay with it until it is comple-
tely out f
"Public cooperation is
essential" he stated. "People
can help themselves - and
us - by burning debris safely
and by reporting ati suspect
ed wildfires.
Gladys Sawyer
recalls.
Through depression, war
and social upheaval, Gladys
stayed on at the store. To-
day, looking 10 years young-
er than her age, she still
enters the store each morn-
ing with spring in her step.
"I'm afraid I wouldn't like
it staying at home after all
these years," she says. "I
. always enjoyed working
there, in fact it always felt
like home,"
In the 1930s the Elkins
store "depended on cotton
fanners and people who
came to town. We sold an
awful lot of dry goods,
socks, underwear, hoisery
and materials to make cloth-
es," she recalls.
"World War II was hectic
on Main Street" ahe said.
SEA OF KHAKI
Streets downtown looked
like "a sea of khaki" from
Camp Swift she said. "We
stayed open from 8 AM to
10 PM, six days a week. We
sold a lot of toots and curtain
materials when Camp
Swift's barracks were going
up. Then during the war, we
sold stationery, souvenirs,
greeting cards, candy
we've always had that same
candy case in front of the
stonfc.
"We had girls working
there from all over the
country. Their husbands
were at Camp Swift I heard
from a lot of them over the
years - this is the first year I
haven't heard from one,"
Mrs. Sawyer said.
Cecil Long managed the
store, then bought^! in 1967
before moving on to become
President of First National
Bank. David Smith purchas-
ed what's not The Old Dime
in 1973.
SHORTAGES?
"It was hard to get suppli-
es during the war but Cecil
always had a way of joking
with the salesmen and talk-
ing and spending time with
them. We could get candy
and fabrics when no one
else could," she laughed.
During the war "we didn't
have much trouble with the
GIs in the store" though the
town was crowded, had
three or four picture shows
and people were living in
shacks ak>ng the highway,
she remembers.
Contiiaed oa Pag* 5.,
:
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McAuley, Davis. The Bastrop Advertiser and County News (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. [127], No. 95, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 29, 1981, newspaper, January 29, 1981; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth390971/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bastrop Public Library.