Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 75, No. 5, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 3, 1982 Page: 1 of 10
ten pages : ill. ; page 22 x 16 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:
Weather
date
JAN. 26
JAN;-27
JANr28
IANt29
JANr30
JANrSl
FEBrt
61
69
76
76
70
63
62
MIN.
PREC
41
.00
42
.00
61
TR
63
TR
57
.00
42
;0O
32
:00
The
Palacio
Sea
•v ?'
VOLUME 75, NO. 5
i; . .... :
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3,19rfz
PALACIOS. 1EXAS
TEN PAGES
For water, sewer, landfill projects
Council hires two
engineering firms
The Palacios City Cc*incil, after
having met in a lengthy executive
session Monday night, approved a
motion to hire two separate engi-
neering firms to handle the various
city projects.
Jones & Neuse Engineering
Consultants of Austin were named
to tackle the trouble-plagued grant
application process for a revamped
wastewater collection and treat-
ment project and also to coordinate
the water supply project.
The engineering firm of Charles
E. Haile, Associates Inc. of Corpus
Christi was hired to work on the
new landfill project. >
The hiring of thefwo firms came
about after a committee composed
Area Happenings
Chamber officers,
directors to be
elected Thursday
The election of new officers
and board of directors will be
the main item of business to
be conducted by the Palacios
Chamber of Commerce when
it convenes at 12 noon Thurs-
day at Petersen’s Restaurant.
Members will be voting for
a new' president, vice-
president, secretary and trea-
surer along with seven board
members.
Guests expected to. be on
hand will be county extension
agent Willie Younger and a
Harmonie Club representa-
tive.
AARP Chapter to
meet February 9
The Palacios Chapter of
Association of Retired Persons
(AARP) will meet Feb. 9 at
2:30 p.m. in the Episcopal
Hall, 3rd and Main.
Marilyn Faust Jones, a
writer and person of many
interests and experiences, will
be guest speaker. The new
assistant state director, Lynn
Brooks of Victoria, and his
wife will be visiting the
Palacios AARP to get ac-
quainted.
Visitors and members are
welcome to attend.
Bowers assumes
lead in balloting
for “Sweetheart”
With just 10 days remaining
in the balloting, Paula Bowers
holds the lead in the race for
the Harmonie Club Valentine
Sweetheart contest. Thus tar
Paula has received $219.98 in
the penny-a-vote balloting.
Second place is held by Kelly
Maynard with $159.00 with
Kim Corporon third with
$152.%.
County’s annual
BBQ cookoff set at
El Maton Saturday
The Sixth Annual Matagor-
da County BBQ Cookoff and
Dance will be held Saturday at
the El Maton National Hall
from 5-8 p.m.
The cookoff will begin at 9
a.m. and judging will start at 4
p.m. J.B. Flournoy & Co. will
entertain from 5-8 p.m. with a
dance featuring Jeff & Valerie
scheduled from 8 p.m.-mid-
night. Admission is $5 per
person.
All surrounding counties
may enter the cookoff. There
will be trophies for open
division winners. The Mata-
gorda County winner will
represent Matagorda County
at the World’s Championship
Cookoff in Houston.
Proceeds from the event
will go to the Matagorda
County Youth Scholarship
Fund. For entry forms and
more information call 245-
5585 or 972-2100.
of the city councilmen, George
Holst and Peggy Glass had inter-
viewed prospective companies for
the past week. The firms will be
taking on the projects formerly
hanlded by Lockwood, Andrews
and Newnam. The city had termi-
nated that outfit’? contract back in
December after several years citing
the lack of progress on the various
projects.
*‘I think the committee did ar>
excellent job of selecting engineers
on the basis of their proposals,”
Mayor Leonard Lamar commented
after the council meeting.
He noted that because Jones &
Nuese Engineers were located in
Austin and are familiar with the
grant application procedures, the
firm would be a big benefit to the
city in proceeding with the EPA 3
step application process on the
wastewater collection and treat-
ment project.
Lamar also pointed out that
Haile Associates had just recently
completed work on a landfill
project and thus have the back-
ground necessary for doing similar
work for Palacios.
The council also authorized the
auditing firm of G.C. Branum & Co.
to assist the city treasurer in
setting up a bookkeeping and
accounting syscem for the various
projects.
In other action, the council also
formed a committee to talk to city
judge Butch Bowers to determine
why no action has been taken
against owners of the property at
413 Matagorda which had been
cited by the county for health code
violations.
According to Lamar, residents
near the area had complained
about the problem at the property,
He said that county health officer
Clyde McKinney had investigated
and had requested that the owner
comply with county health require-
ments. When this was not done,
McKinney subsequently filed
charges on the owners with the city
judge.
According to residents, no action
was still forthcoming and they are
now requesting that the city council
take action.
The council agreed that a
committee would talk to the city
judge to find out why the papers
were not served on the property
owners and attempt to get some
type of action taken. The council
agreed that if that step failed, the
matter would be placed on the next :
agenda where the council would •
meet with Bowers and take further
action.
The council, on a motion by
Terry Oglesby, approved the final :■
subdivision plat for M&M Builders
for the property to be developed
along Hwy. 35.
John Howarth reported that the j:
senior citizens center is close to
starting construction with over :j
$108,000 collected. He said that an
individual had offered to donate fill
which would raise the elevation at
the site on 8th and Commerce by
three feet.
(See COUNCIL, Page 9|
WITH THEIR gas masks strapped
at their sides as a safety pre-
caution, members of the Army unit
handling the removal of 139
phosgene gas cylinders at the
former site of Hu-Mar Chemicals next few days and transported to
begin to load a truck for shipment. New York. The phosgene cylinders
The cylinders, each containing had been left lying In the open at
1,200 pounds of the poisonous gas, the Hu-Mar plant since It closed
will be loaded 12-per truck over the down last year. Barring any delays
due to weatherrthe removal project
Is expepted to be completed late
this week. IBeacon Photo by Nick
West)
Poisonous gas containers'
being removed at Hu-Mar
BY NICK WEST
A total of 139 one-ton cylinders,
each containing 1,200 pounds of
the toxic phosgene chemical, are
being removed this week by the
U.S. Army from the closed down
Hum-Mar Chemical Plant just
north of Palacios.
The gas find the cylinders had
been left lying openly at the plant
site since Hu-Mar closed down its
operation in the wake of a district
court’s ruling in December 1980.
I he ruling porhibited Hu-Mar from
the manufacture of chlorothiol-
formate (ECTF) in which the
phosgene was used.
Phosgene, a colorless and poi-
sonous gas which was formerly
used as an Army war gas, is also
called carbonyl chloride and used
,ijs a chemical in some plastic
fSiafiutaStUre
A ten-man Army team, headed
by the Army Toxic and Hazardous
Material Aeencv. is conducting the
removal of the chemical. According
to George Baker, one of the
persons in charge of the removal
operation, the canisters are being
loaded in trailers to be trucked out
as commercial shipment. He sa||
that the 166,800 pounds of chemi-
cals are to be taken to New York
state.
A meeting was held ‘ Sunday "
evening with area law enforcement
officials to inform them of the
removal of the hazardous material.
Baker also pointed out that every
state in which the chemical would
be shipped through had been
notified.
The crew consists of a technical
escort group from Maryland,
chemical handling experts in
charge of the paperwork from
Rocky Mountain Arsenal in New
Jersey; forkVift-wpevetors-
Cities Services shutdown deals
another blow to area workers
■y-.-y
v.w,
Citing an oversupply of
polyethylene resins and a
reduction in prices, Cities
Services (CITCO) officially
announced last week that it
was permanently closing
down its Matagorda County
operation.
CITCO, which had begun
construction work on the
multi-million dollar petro-
chemical plant between Bay
City and Palacios last year,
said the project was nearly 20
percent completed when it
was decided to halt further
work. The plant had been
under construction by Daniel
Construction and the closing
affected several hundred
workers in the area.
Once completed, the plant
would have been used to
produce high-density poly-
ethylene. a type of plastic
substance used in a variety of
items.
In a prepared statement
from CITCO executive project
director David P. Thaler, it
was noted that the site would
be up for sale, which Thaler
said was ideally suited for any
oil or chemical company.
Several millions of dollars
worth of construction had
already been spent by CITCO
at the construction site.
Thaler also commented that
efforts would be made to
relocate the affected CITCO
employees to other company
projects.
Last year, according to
Thaler, the company lost
nearly $45-million in its plastic
operations.
Noting that it came down to
the bottom line of negative
numbers. Thaler said that
"evidence of over supply is
widespread and the potential
return is insufficient to war-
rant continuing in the busi-
ness.”
The Crisis Referral Office in
Paiacios, which was initiated
late last year to help locate
jobs for workers laid off after
the termination of Brown and
Root and subsequent shut-
down of the South Texas
Nuclear Project, said they
have noticed a big increased
in the number of applicants
coming to their office.
Colleen Claybourn, one of
the administrators of the
Crisis Referral Program, said
she wasn’t sure that the
CITCO shutdown was the
reason, but that an increase
did occur in the last two
weeks. She noted that on
Monday, 10 people had come
in to check on job offering lists
before 10 a.m. Many she said,
have picked up Bechtel appli-
cation forms.
i
?
.v.v
«
m
v.v.
m
I
M
ASi
I
M
m
Xv!;
'!•!'!■!
v.v.
m
m
m
v.v.
m
m
v.v.
v.v.
v.v.
i:
m
M
Bid expected to be let this month
Sr. Center details planned
The Friends of Elder Citizens.
Inc. general membership. Advisory
and Board of Directors met on
Friday at the First Presbyterian
Church Library.
With sixteen members present,
an open discussion was held on
landfill, building plans, van, work-
ing capitol problems, and the need
for many volunteers in fund raising
and paper work. The fact that the
Friends group encompassed all
eider needs in whatever setting
was emphasized. There was excell-
ent feedback from the group.
County Commissioner George
Harrison told the group he was
ready to officially start bringing in
fill to build up the site. Volunteer
help will be used with the dirt fill
being donated by George Walker of
Clemsville who recently bought the
Estelle Alley land.
The Board members approved
the immediate start of this endeav-
or and approved the purchase of
lime from the building fund to be
mixed with the fill. The donation ot
service and dirt till will considerab-
ly cut the cost of the total
construction of the senior center.
The hope of the Board is to have
final building plans approved and
out for bids by the end of February.
Don Naiser of Drymalla Construc-
tion is preparing the necessary
blueprints for bidding now.
Treasurer Lorcnc Trant explain-
ed the two accounts the Friends
have - the checking and the savings
building account. Mrs. Trant spoke
of the heavy load on the checking
the need to have clarification of this
account. It' was approved by the
Board that the checking be official-
ly called the "general fund ac-
count” and the treasurer be
authorized to write checks for
whatever was necessary in accor-
dance with the total purpose of the
Friends of Elder Citizens, Inc.
It was.explained to the group
that the Friends had several
responsibilities with heavy post-
age, telephone, van insurance,
sales tax and sign, Leisure Lodge
continuing committments, and oth-
er expenditures necessary to keep-
ing the senior project moving.
It was pointed out that many
small donations from church
groups and organizations coming
in as a committment from time to
time as well as memorials not
specifically labeled "building
fund” are placed in this “general
purpose" account.
The Ruth Class of the First
Baptist Church has committed
itself to periodic donations to this
account. The Friends express
gratitude to the National Honor
Society and Student Countil for the
bake sale held to benefit the
Friends' work. The Tres Palacios
Garden Club donated to this
purpose also.
Plans were also discussed on the
necessity of preparing to submit
now proposals to funding areas for
federal money for nutrition, etc.
that rightfully belong to the elder
citizens of Palacios under the Older
American Act of 1965.The Friends,
as the official sponsoring agency
and advocate for the Palacios
Senior Site, are qualified to receive
these funds from other areas as
well.
Recent donors to either the
"general fund” or building fund
whose names will appear on the
permanent listings to be hung in
the new senior center are: Hayes
and Brookings: PAF matching
funds of $40,000; Elmer and Ethel
Abraham; Mr. and Mrs. Arthur
Lang; Mr. and Mrs. R.E. Cotpor-
on; U.A. Lecbtenbero: Alice Rarr:
[See FRIENDS, Page 9]
penters from Corpus Christi army
depot and escort and safety people
from the trucking line. Safety
precautions call for each worker to
carry a gas mask inside the piani.
Baker downplayed any danger
with either removing or shipping
the chemical agent, saying that it is
shipped "across country on the
highways all the time”. He added,
however, that because of the
Army's involvement in the ship-
ment they are "using extra pre-
cautions. In fact, we are going
overboard as far as safety is
concerned.”
The phosgene is being shipped
in 139 one-ton containers which
Baker said were specially con-
structed, fire proof and drop
tested. He added that each cylinder
is checked several times a day.
Each flatbed truck will be
carrying 12 cylinders. The first two
trucks were scheduled to depart
the Hu-Mar site Monday and three
[See PHOSGENE, Page 91
Child killed
when vehicle
rolls loose
A I'/j-year old boy died Sunday
from injuries after a tragic accident
when a vehicle left in neutral
pinned him against a wall.
Leroy Rojas, Jr., son of Leroy
and Anita Ann Ester Rojas of
Longview, was rushed to Wagner
General Hospital where he died of
internal injuries a short time later.
According to police reports, the
youngster was preparing to go to
church with his grandparents and
was standing near the vehicle.
The vehicle had been started and
put in neutral and the driver had
gotten out to help others into the
car. The vehicle reportedly started
rolling and pinned the youngster
against a wall.
The boy had been staying with
his grandparents while his parents
remained in Longview expecting
their second child. The parents
were at the hospital concerning
Mrs. Rojas’ pregnancy at the time
of the accident.
Funeral services will be held
today (Wednesday) at 10 a.m. at
the Palacios Funeral Home Chapel
with Rev. Eddie Cude officiating.
Burial will follow in Palacios
Cemetery.
Rojas was born May 5, 1980 in
Palacios.
Survivors include his parents;
paternal grandparents, Tony and
Delia Rojas of Palacios; maternal
grandparents Kenneth and Carolyn
Ester of Mount Pleasant.
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.
Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 75, No. 5, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 3, 1982, newspaper, February 3, 1982; Palacios, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth724866/m1/1/: accessed June 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Palacios Library.