The Big Lake Wildcat (Big Lake, Tex.), Vol. 56, No. 48, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 25, 1981 Page: 1 of 8
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“A Strong Voice Jbor Big Lake And Reagan County”
(U$PS 055-860)
V
%
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to All-District team
Big Lake
- .... -business report-
The City of Big Lake continues to show growth in local busi-
ness as reflected by the city's share of the one percent sales tax
rebate issued monthly by the State Comptroller's office. The
city received $44,272 this reporting period. Last year at this
time, the city received a check for $24,933. The 1981 sales tax
rebate payments to date have been $198,179 for a 37.84% in-
crease over last year.
Some figures for other area towns are: Brady, $25,963;
Coahoma, $5,767; Crane $19,746; Eldorado, $12,349; lraan,
$8,670; Junction, $16,612; Mason, $9,592; McCamey, $23,549;
Menard, $5,505; Mertzon, $3,955; Rankin, $4,721; Sonora,
$29,014; Stanton. $6,876; and Sterling City, $5,315.
Figures for some larger area towns are: Midland, $1.3 milli-
on; Odessa. $1.3 million; Lubbock $1.3 million; and San Angelo,
$550,361.
The State Comptroller sent checks totaling $96.4 million to
948 Texas cities as their share of the one percent city sales tax
for November. Statewide, there has been a 16.6 percent in-
crease over payments for the same 11 month period in 1980.
The optional one percent city sales tax is collected along with
the state four percent sales tax by merchants and businesses
and is rebated each month by the comptroller to the cities where
the tax is levied.
The comptroller's office has also reported gross sales for the
states 254 counties for the second quarter of 1981 which in-
cludes the months of April. May. and June.
Reagan County had 103 reporting outlets that reported gross
sales of $12,445,320. Other area counties of about the same
population included: Crane, 102 outlets, $17,259,415; Crockett,
103 outlets, $10,837,147; Glasscock, 11 outlets $163,501; Irion
County, 29 outlets $2,721,630; Martin, 61 outlets $13,334,306;
Mason, 83 outlets $4,377,624; Menard, 53 outlets $3,527,499;
Schleicher 63 outlets $8,322,731; Sutton. 162 outlets
$21,005,414; and Upton, 136 outlets $12,490,162.
Statew ide on gross sales for the second quarter, Texas had
77.3 billion. Second quarter sales this year passed 1980 second
quarter sales by $12.6 billion.
Baker, Fisher named
WTU requests rate increase
West Texas Utilities Company
has filed for a general increase in
its retail rates, citing inflation,
high interest rates and an essen-
tial major construction program as
the reasons for the action.
The official filing was made
Wednesday in Big Lake by Gary
Vickers, local manager.
Vickers said the application is a
systemwide request for higher
rates. Stimultaneous filings were
made in other incorporated towns
for retail customers within their
jurisdiction and with the Public
Utility Commission of Texas for
an increase to retail customers
outside incorporated towns. The
filing with the PUC also includes
customers in eight incorporated
towns which have ceded jurisdic-
tion to the PUC.
WTU filed October 15 with the
Federal Energy Regulatory Com-
mission for a rate increase to
wholesale cooperative and munici-
pal customers.
The proposed rates would pro-
duce an increase in total revenue
of $32,256,983. This amounts to
15.4 per cent based on adjusted
revenues of $209,402,398 for a
12-month test period ending Sep-
tember 30. 1981.
WTU requested that the new
rates become effective January 1,
1981. Vickers said that a rate in-
crease granted WTU last year 'did
not get the job done.' That in-
crease was for an average of 8.3
per cent and was only the second
in the Company's entire history.
"The relief you granted us has
been overrun by inflation and hig
interest rates and the need to build
additional facilities,* Vickers said.
Growth in demand for electric
energy, caused by a steady in-
crease in new customers and high-
er usage by old customers, is forc-
ing WTU to expand its facilities.
WTU's newest power plant
was completed in 1977, and since
then the summer peak demand
has grown to a point termed 'un-
comfortably close' to the system
generating capacity.
The current construction pro-
gram includes a coal-fired power
station at Oklaunion, near Vern-
on. Although ownership of this
plant will be shared by two sister
companies in the Central and
South West Corporation, Oklauni-
on will be the most costly project
ever undertaken by WTU.
So far, WTU has lagged well
behind most of the industry in in-
creasing its rates. A recent report
from the Public Utility Commis-
sion shows WTU's rates to be sec-
ond lowest in the state among in-
vestor-owned companies and fifth
lowest among all utilities.
Under the proposed rates, an
average bill for basic residential
service would be increased by 19.1
per cent. For example, a residen-
tial customer using 600 kilowatt-
hours per month would pay
$40.95, compared to $34.39 under
the present rates—a difference of
$6.56. This would include fuel
costs.
The city has several options in
responding to WTU's request. It
may deny the increase, suspend
the increase for a certain period of
time, or approve the increase. The
city also has the option of denying
the request and ceding future jur-
isdiction to the Public Utility Com-
mission. Eight municipalities in
the WTU service area chose to
cede jurisdiction last year.
David Armstrong, lifelong Reagan County re- with 8 points and a 21% Inch spread. The buck was
sident, and perinnial, successful deer hunter, got off killed in Reagan County. Chad Armstrong is pictur-
to another good start this deer season. Armstrong ed with his dad.
reports this buck to be an unusually large white tail
Thomas Baker and Gregg Fish-
er, two outstanding Reagan Coun-
ty Owls this football aseason, were
named to places on the first team
All-District 9AA honor unit. Ba-
ker, a 200-lb. senior was a unani-
mous choice on both offense and
defense. He was chosen as a line-
man on offense and a linebacker
on defense. Fisher, a 160-lb. jun-
ior, was a unanimous choice as a
running back on offense.
Torin Burleson, the Owls' 180-
lb. senior fullback, was named as a
back on the second team offense
and received honorable mention
as a linebacker on defense. Jack
Blakely, 155-lb. junior end for the
Owls, was named a wide receiver
on the second team offense. Dan-
ny Schwertner, a 190-lb. junior
lineman for the Owls, was named
on the second team defense as a
lineman.
Owls receiving honorable men-
tion on offense were Michael Or-
tiz, 140-lb. senior, at quarterback;
Mitch Dorsey, 170-lb. senior at
tight end; Scott Britton, 170-lb.
junior, at center; and Joe Arm-
strong, 158-lb. senior as a line-
man.
Receiving honorable mention on
defense were Owls Scott Britton
as a lineman; Bradley Armstrong,
160-lb. junior, as a lineman; and
Torin Burleson as a linebacker.
□
Glancing around........
by david werst
According to the business report
above, the economy in Big Lake is
very good and it seems like every-
body is working as fast and as hard
as they can. The sales tax figures
and gross sales figures tell one
story about Big Lake but 1 think I
know another story.
The people of Big Lake are
among the most generous of any
group of people I have ever
known. All through the year local
merchants give to one fund raising
cause after another plus they buy
” tickets for rifles, shotguns, beef
and almost everything else
imaginable.
The proof of anything is in the
action and the people in this area
have donated to recent benefits,
cookoffs, telethons, and radio-
thons to the tune of over $10,000.
The recent Jerry Lewis telethon
had about $2,500 in pledges and
<3 donations from Big Lake individ-
uals and businesses. I think the
Jerry Lewis telethon is a fine
thing and obviously so do a lot of
local people.
The more recent 2nd annual
Chili Cookoff raised about the
same amount of money, ten per-
cent of which went out of town to
help St. Jude's Children's hos-
pital and the rest which will stay
here in Big Lake to help a local
child should the need arise.
The most recent event was the
Lions Club-KWGH radiothon
which raised over $6,000. The re-
sponse the local Lions club has had
since the inception of the radio-
thon has been tremendous. The
event this year was a success be-
cause the people of Big Lake and
the surrounding area responded to
the message and because of the
volunteer work of the local Lions
Club and the management of radio
(Continued on Page 8)
RCHS freshmen girls win tournament
The Reagan County High School
Freshman Girls came home from
the Fort Stockton Freshman
Tournament with 3 big wins and
the first place trophy. The Owls
defeated McCamey in a really
tough game in their opener by a
score of 56-55. Marla Morgette
lead the Owls with a big scoring
spree of 29 points. She was assist-
ed in scoring by Laura Schwertner
with 8; Sheila Sellman with 7;
Marla Dolan with 6; Ann Ashcraft
with 4; and Tami Short with 2.
Sheila Sellman was the leading
rebounder with 14 rebounds. As-
sisting Sheila on the boards was
Laura Schwertner with 11 re-
bounds. Twelve turnovers caused
by Marla Morgette, which includ-
ed taking the ball from McCamey
several times, gave her the best
hustler title for this game.
In the second round of the
tournament, the Owls defeated the
host team of Ft. Stockton by a
score of 46 to 39. Laura Schwert-
ner lead the Owls in scoring hon-
ors with 16 points. She was assist-
ed by Tami Short with 11, Sheila
Sellman with 9, Marla Morgette
7, Patty Mitchell 7, and Marla
Dolan 1. Tami Short proved to be
the best defensive player with 5
recoveries, 4 assists, and 7 jump
balls. Laura Schwertner led the
rebounding department with 11.
She was assisted by Sheila Sell-
man with 7, while Marla Morgette
and Tami Short each had 6 re-
bounds.
Playing in the Championship
Game Saturday night, the Owls
took on the Monahans Freshman
in the finals. The Owls came on
strong in the first quarter with 19
big points and a full court press.
Continuing the press the Owls
found themselves with a com-
manding lead of 32 to 18 at the
half. Even with a cold shooting
third quarter, the Owls hung on to
their lead and came back to out-
shoot Monahans in the fourth
quarter.
The Owls Freshmen were nev-
er behind in the final game. Mar-
la Dolan was high point as she led
the scoring with 12 points. Marla
Morgette and Tami Short put in 8
points each and Laura Schwertner
and Sheila Sellman had 6 points
each.
Other Owls scoring were Patty
Mitchell with 3, Sheri Tucker with
2, and Ann Ashcraft with 1 point.
Forty-three rebounds fell into the
hands of the Owls. Leading re-
bounders were Laura Schwertner
with 11, and Sheila Sellman and
Marla Morgette each had 7. On
the floor all the way leading in de-
fense was the quickness of Tami
Short with 17 turnovers.
The Freshman Owls will have
this week to rest but will be travel-
ing to Crane on Nov. 30th for a
game before they participate in
their own Reagan County Basket-
ball Tournament. The Freshman
Owls will be playing in the Junior
Varsity Division of the annual
tournament.
Members of the 1981-82 RCHS freshmen girls Short, Tina Milisap, and Crystal Qninney. Bottom
basketball team are: top row L—R Laurie Bray, Sissy row L—R Angie Freeman, Sheri Tucker, Donna
Everett, Shawna VanDeman, Ann Ashcraft, Maria Furr, Marla Dolan, Patty Mitchell, Suzanne Smith,
Morgette, Shelia Sellman, Laura Schwertner, Tami and D"Ann Adams.
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Werst, David. The Big Lake Wildcat (Big Lake, Tex.), Vol. 56, No. 48, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 25, 1981, newspaper, November 25, 1981; Big Lake, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth660082/m1/1/: accessed July 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Reagan County Library.