The Bellaire Texan (Bellaire, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 7, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 17, 1982 Page: 1 of 24
twenty four pages : ill. ; page 14 x 9 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
• *
• I
Vol.26, No.7_ P.O. Box 1011 • Bellaire, Texas 77401 • (713) 660-7112 February 17,1982
Bellaire election falls victim to county's failure
4
J
1
II
0
11
Sl>.
By Arlene Battista
Staff Writer
Bellaire officials learned Monday that it
will be virtually impossible for this city to
hold an election of city officers on April 3,
This city, as well as every other small
city in Harris County, is actually a victim of
the county’s redistricting problems.
Harris County voting lines, redrawn to
reflect the 1980 census, were recently
rejected by the Justice Department for not
adequately representing minorities. Con-
gressional voting lines, and State Board of
Education lines are also being challenged
in two separate federal suits.
In a sharp deviation from the past, the
Bellaire Chamber of Commerce named not
one, but two “Mr. Bellaires” to highlight
the Chamber’s annual banquet Tuesday
night at the Brae Burn Country Club.
The two? They are Lou Stolz, retired
personnel manager of General Analyne &
Film Corp. (GAF), and Roger Westrup,
executive Vice President and general
manager of the Greater Bellaire Chamber
of Commerce.
A roar of appl-
ause greeted the
announcements
once the confusion
was cleared up as
to who had won
the honor. For the
two, one a native
of Sweden and the
other of Germany,
have been so
closely allied not
only in friendship
but in work for both the Chamber and
Bellaire that they have been called “The
Gold Dust Twins.’’
This is the first time the Chamber has
ever named two “Mr. Bellaires’’, but the
selection committee decided that their long
friendship and close working relationship
over the years in the interests of Bellaire
and the Chamber warranted such a move.
They succeed
the late Bill Rouse
as Mr. Bellaire.
Rouse’s wife Leila
(the Rouses are
one of two couples
who have wound
up as “Mr. and
Mrs. Bellaire’’ ov-
er the years -- the
other couple is
Gladys and Gary
Summers) pres-
ented plaques and flowers.
Stolz was eight when his family moved
to Racine, Wis. Over the years he learned
fluent English, was a house-to-house
magazine salesman, window washer,
potato sacker for an A&P store, and was
a Kraft cheese salesman.
During World War II he worked for
Wright Manufacturing, a plant that made
The chances of Bellaire’s voting lines
being changed are near zero. But the
county is responsible for mailing out all
voter registration cards and until lines are
drawn to meet with court approval, these
cards cannot be mailed and voter
registration lists cannot be processed -- not
even for Bellaire.
“There is no mandate to restrict our
having the election,” says Bellaire City
Clerk Roena Loftin, one of the first city
officials to hear the county’s news. “But
without a voter registration list it is
impossible for this city to hold an
election.”
war material. When the company moved to
Houston in 1949, Stolz came along as
personnel manarer. The company went
through several names winding up as
GAF, and Stolz served as personnel
manager. Four years ago, when the plant
was sold, Stolz retired.
He has served as a director and
vice-president of the Chamber, worked on
many, many committees; he is a past
president and secretary of the Bellaire
Crime
tally sheet
Criminal arrests in Bellaire [Feb. 3-9]
Drunk in a public place........................8
Simple drunk....................................5
Auto theft.........................................2
Simple theft......................................3
Burglary of a residence........................3
Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.......1
Bellaire warrants..............................41
Possession controlled substance............2
Carrying prohibited weapon.................2
Driving while intoxicated.....................1
Total..............................................68
Reported offenses in Bellaire [Feb. 1-9]
Burglary of a business..............1
Burglary of a residence..............3
(forced entry .... 3)
(no forced entry ... 0)
Rape............................0
Robbery of a business...............0
Robbery of an individual.............1
Theft. .................. 10
West University offense report [Feb. 3-10]
Business burglary..................1
Residential burglary................2
(forced entry .... 1)
(no forced entry . . 1)
Business robbery..................0
Individual robbery.................0
Thefts...........................3
Rapes...........................0
Since the 1981 list expires on Feb. 28,
1982, it would be illegal to use the list for
the upcoming election, she says.
Even if the Justice Department were to
approve county voting lines tomorrow,
which is impossible because of pending
litigation, the election would still have to
be delayed. It would be physically
impossible, Loftin says, to have cards
mailed and have registration lists ready by
April 3.
The next regular election is scheduled
for Aug. 28, according to Bellaire City
Attorney Larry Schenk. Whether or not the
city could hold a special election before
Kiwanis club.
Westrup. a native of Sweden, immigrat-
ed to the United States in 1949, studied
agriculture in Wisconsin, worked in the
import-export business in New York, and
as a retail executive in Houston and
Bellaire with the old Meyer Bros. White
House Stores. He served as a member of
the Bellaire Volunteer Police Force,
became interested in the Bellaire Chamber
SEE “Mr. Bellaire11 Page 10
then is not known, he says.
“There is indeed litigation statewide.”
Schenk says. “The court order coming out
of this litigation could impact whatever we
(Bellaire officials) want to do.”
Schenk, therefore, suggests that city
officials merely sit tight until the court
cases are resolved.
He did suggest, however, that council
follow the formal procedure of calling an
election for April 3 and that they select
election judges. Other voting preparations
cannot legally be completed unless such
action is taken, he says. The election date
can later be amended as need ;d.
Section five of the voting rights act
mandates Justice Department approval of
voting lines in counties where more than
five percent of the population has a
Spanish surname. According to Tony
Sevello, attorney in the Harris County
elections department, this is the first year
Harris county has exceeded this percent-
age.
On Friday, Feb. 19, county attorneys
will meet with the Dallas federal court to
receive suggestions on how the lines
should be redrawn.
If the state can not come up with an
acceptable solution by March 1, the federal
court and the Justice Department are
expected to step in and dictate how the
lines will be drawn.
No place
WATCHDOG- It may take a trained eye to spot certain
kinds of criminal activity, but it can't hurt to be on the
lookout - just in case
Bellaire police issue warning
The Bellaire Police Department warns residents on foot to
beware of approaching drivers asking for directions or other
assistance. This is a common ploy used by rapist and
robbers to trap victims.
The Houston area has seen an increase in robberies of
pedestrians, and frequently the offenders approach in
vehicles, police say.
seems safe
from crime
Across the street from the
police station might seem to
be one location a robber
would shy away from. As
was proven last Monday
evening in West University
Place, however, there is no
haven from crime.
Sitting behind the wheel
of her car. a 40-year-old
housewife waited near the
Auden and University inter-
section for her husband and
son to join her. Instead of
her family, however, a
strange man climbed in and
took his place in the pass-
enger’s seat.
Described as a 6-feet-2-
inch, black male with a
moustache, goatee, and
semi-afro haircut, the intru-
der ordered the West Uni-
versity resident to hand over
her money.
Seeing no weapon on the
man, she grabbed her purse,
scrambled out of the car and
ran away, screaming for
help, until she tripped and
fell in a mud puddle.
According to officer Paul
Self, the would-be robber
took off running, empty-
handed, in the opposite
direction.
A pair of 'Mr. Bellaires'
Roger Westrup and Lou Stolz share annual Chamber of Commerce award
Westrup
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Nedland-Peterson. The Bellaire Texan (Bellaire, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 7, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 17, 1982, newspaper, February 17, 1982; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth644117/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bellaire Friends Library & Historical Society.