The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), No. 14, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 17, 1980 Page: 1 of 18
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Since March 1, 1853
Thursday, April 17,1980
Number 14
BISD told market for school bonds improved
The market for school
construction bonds appears
to be “backing away" from
an “extremely high" peak,
the bond advisor for Bastrop
school trustees told a crowd
of about 50 Monday night.
Since there is no fixed
date for sale of the proposed
$1.6 million BISD bond issue
“we hope the interest rates
will decline" by the time the
bonds are ready for sale in
about two months, said
Curtis Adrian, Senior Vice
President of First Southwest
Co. Investment Bankers.
Bastrop school district
residents will vote on the
bond issue April 26.
Absentee voting has be-
gun and will continue
through April 22.
Adrian appeared along
with board members and
project architect Joe Stoelt
je at a public meeting called
by the board to push for
passage of the bond issue
and to answer questions
about it.
Board members have
worried about record inter-
est rates asked at recent
bond sales. Some bids have
come in above the 10 per
cent usury limit in Texas.
But Adrian tried to
reassure those in attendance
that"from all indication...we
feel we're on the downhill
side” of the recent bond-inte-
rest roller coaster.
Continued on Page 10
Hollomon given 40-year sentence
By DAVIS McAULEY
A term of 40 years in the
Texas Department of Cor-
rections is the punishment
assessed Monday against
Edward S. Hollomon for the
"Roadside Rest" death near
Elgin June 24 of Robert T.
Carter of Brownwood.
Following testimony from
neighborhood friends and
Hollomon’s former high
school principal during the
punishment phase of the
trial in 21st District Court,
jurors deliberated for two
hours before returning with
the 40 year term at 1:45 p.m.
District Judge John I,.
Placke said he would
formally sentence Hollo-
mon next week.
Hollomon a 28 year old
Houston dry cleaning shop
owner, is also under indict-
ment for capital murder in
Travis County, charged with
the alleged rape and murder
of Carter’s girlfriend, 18
year old Merlina Shippey,
whose body was found near
Manor.
After a three week trial on
the capital charge in Travis
County last month, the jury
in the case could not reach a
verdict. Travis County As
sistant District Attorney
Tom Autrey, who assisted
the prosecution here, said no
decision has been made
about retrying Hollomon
there.
“A SATISFACTION”
Merlin Shippey, father of
the dead girl, said the guilty
verdict returned Saturday
and the punishment was "a
satisfaction" to him but
added, "I’m not satisfied."
District Attorney Neal
Pfeiffer asked for a 99-year
sentence.
While thanking one of the
jurors, Shippey said the
verdict “restores my faith in
human nature."
The defendant, dressed in
a light blue suit, stood with
his head bowed slightly as he
received the jury decision.
His mother, seated behind
him in the courtroom, visibly
struggled to retain her
composure after the appa-
rent strain of the two week
trial.
Outside the courtroom,
several jurors indicated that
the 40 year term reflected
their opinion that a life-sen-
tence was too much for a
“boy" with no previous
record of trouble with police
or in school.
They also indicated, how-
ever, that as they began
deliberating on punishment,
they immediately ruled out
probation or a prison term of
ten years or less.
By agreement among the
jurors, however, none would
identify the single person
who was stili holding out for
acquittal Friday evening
during deliberations on
Hollomons guilt or inno-
cence. One jury member said
the first vote taken during
the deliberation was 10-2 for
conviction.
On another ballot about
7:15 p.m. Friday, the jury
split 11-1.
Only after hearing testi-
mony read from the trial
transcript Saturday morning
did the hold out vote for
conviction, jurors said.
Defense Attorney Frank
Maloney said the conviction
will be appealed.
City finds tough go on budget
During a grinding budget
session Monday, the Bastrop
city council stayed until
almost midnight going over
the city manager's salary
calculations and seeking
ways to keep tabs on
spending bv city department
heads.
They scheduled another
closed door meeting at 1
p.m. Wednesday to re con-
sider pay rates for city
employees.
They indicated they will
not adopt a budget for fiscal
1980 until pay questions are
settled.
But they did authorize city
manager C.W. Patek to work
up a "rough" application for
a Farmers Home Admini
stration loan to cover the
estimated $30,000 cost for
the city's share of a new
bridge at Main Street and
Piney Creek. There was no
discussion on how the loan
would be repaid.
At the suggestion of
Mayor J. P. Sharp, Patek
also agreed to check on the
possibility of borrowing
FmHA money to work on the
old iron bridge over Gill’s
Branch at the south end of
Pecan Street.
Councilman James
DeBaun suggested the city
might be able to borrow
from FmHA to purchase
equipment for the city they
believe is needed.
At the same time, Patek
confirmed that the latest
draft budget for 1980
includes money for the
equipment, chiefly a back-
hoe, a tractor, a pick-up and
police cars.
Councilmen voted to bud
get up to $30,000 from
Revenue Sharing funds to
pay their share of the Piney
Bridge if the loan proposal
hits a snag.
Patek said there is about
$18,000 in Revenue Sharing
funds unspent from last year
and that the city should get
at least $12,000 more this
year, even if the U.S.
Congress cuts off direct aid
to cities.
DISCUSS FIRST
In a move designed “to get
a handle on"spending for
equipment and supplies by
city department heads, the
council urged the officials to
discuss upcoming major
purchases with them before
they are made.
At the urging of DeBaun,
the council also agreed to
require that if “emergency"
purchases of more than $500
are necessary, council mem
bers should be informed.
DeBaun first suggested a
$200 limit on spending
without informing members,
but Patek objected to the
"extra burden" the require-
ment would impose on
employees.
In other money-related
actions Monday the council:
♦Authorized payment of
about $14,000 in bills for the
month. City Secretary Artie
McLaurin said if she pays
those bills now, the city
general fund will be about
$18,000 overdrawn.
Patek said funds can be
transferred from the light
and water department to
keep the general govern-
Continued on Page 3
The power and the glory
Two old political foes
exchanged the seat of power
at Smithville City Hall this
week and more than one
observer had to wonder if
there will be a rematch in
the future.
W.R. Bill Davison relin
quished the mayor’s job to
Lawrence Skelley. The two
had vied four years ago
when Skelley defeated Davi-
son. Then Davison two years
ago ousted Skelley who has
been patiently waiting ever
since to regain the office.
Monday night Davison,
who decided not to run again
this year but backed a losing
candidate, swore in Skelley
as his successor.
The two men offer the
town markedly different
personal styles.
A retired geologist, the
new Mayor Skelley is a
precise, formal man who
usually wears suit and tie.
He is active, in UT alumni
affairs and serves as
chairman of a critical
CAPCO (Capital Area Plan-
ning Council) committee that
has to pass on most federal
money awarded to local
cities.
Davison in contrast hardly
ever wears a tie, enjoys quail
shooting and outings with
friends in his motor home.
He retired in 1969 to his
boyhood home of Smithville
after 29 years as an Air
Force man, many of them as
a chief warrant officer,
serving all over the world.
Today he operates a real
estate and accounting firm.
THREE JOBS
Both share one attribute
well regarded here- they are
both bluff and approachable
and don’t mind getting calls
at home. That’s fortunate
because Smithville is one
town whose citizens demand
that their mayor be on call.
Bill Davison
In Smithville, tfye mayor is
also the city manager and
municipal judge.
Skelley, who is 62, spent
his first day on the job
Tuesday looking through
reports, studying the new
city budget drawn up by
Davison and analyzing the
annual audit report. “For
the next few weeks, I will be
making a complete study of
each city department to see
where we’re long or short on
labor and supplies...We can’t
do a good job unless we
know exactly where we’re
going."
Skelley says he will watch
the spending of all city
monies and is opposed to any
bonds or city debt at this
time.
LOOKING BACK
Looking back on his two
years in office, Davison said
he sometimes felt frustrated
in the job.
“Tve always been a doer in
the service. I was used to
getting goals accomplished.
In the mayor’s job you’ve got
to sell it first to the Council,
then listen to the criticism.
By then it may be too late to
take effective action. I found
that frustrating.”
Davison said he also had to
act as police chief for nine
months during turmoil when
ex-chief Bill Nestoroff was
fired. “People said I paid too
much attention to the police
department and built it up
too much but I guess that
was only natural since I was
with the Office of Special
Investigations while in the
Air Force and the military
police.” he adds “It’s a big
problem in a little town to
have an adequate polic?
department."
Davison, who went back to
college and got a business
degree in accounting
after he retired
from the Air Force, said
he also was surprised to find
out the city had to pay so
much in legal fees to acquire
land for the Highway 71
by-pass.
“I’ve gone to highway
buying school but it's been
too late," to have learned
what could have gotten the
Lawrence Skelley
city the best deal, he added.
As to the future, Davison
warned the city in his last
speech as Mayor Monday
night:
1. "Within the next two
years, you’re going to have
to get active” on buying a
new cemetery site. "We’re
about to run out of single
spaces.."
2. Smithville also has to
find another garbage dump.
“We don’t have room for
more trenches, possibly
three or four at most.”
3. The city needs to
change its fiscal year so that
it runs the same time money
is coming in.
4. “Quite close to $500,000
is needed to fix streets and
alleys, but if we had a bond
issue I doubt very seriously
if we could afford to sell the
bonds” even if voters gave
approval.
NO RESERVE
5. With a $421,000 budget,
"the city has no reserve
fund. The fund people talk
about is actually in the light
and water departmenf’and
is needed there.
6. The city utilities
department is subsidizing
the rest of the city already,
he said. The city takes in
$76,000 in property taxes. It
should be higher than that"
to do the work needed.
With all these problems,
why would anyone want to
be mayor of Smithville?
"I’m elated," said Skelley
on election night. “I look
forward to serving the city
again. The only reason I do it
is I care about my town."
I'll still be around," said
Davison. I love Smithville,
enjoy it and the people who
live here. I’ll still live here
until they take me to Oak
Hill Cemetery.”
Tammy Smith, a freshman at Bastrop High School and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard
Smith, was named Sweetheart of the Centex District of the Future Farmers of America, at
Taylor last week. She’ll now compete with other area sweethearts at the area FFA
convention in Seguin May 16-17. Tammy is president of her class and competes in
basketball and track.
Indictment sought
against suspect
The Bastrop County
Grand Jury will meet.
Th ursday : IIP consider an
l'rfffi’diment for murder a^ain '
st'Mike’Prove, 32, charged in
the March 29 shooting death
of Maggie Cougot of Bastrop.
There are "a lot of cases”
waiting for grand jury
consideration, and District
Attorney Neal Pfeiffer said
he could not say how many
would be taken up Thursday.
In addition to police, at
least one witness will be on
hand to testify concerning
the death of Mrs. Cougot, 19,
mother of two children
under two y^ars of age, said
Pfeiffer. •”*
, .Sheriffs deputies say they
hafve’ interviewed a number
of witnesses to the shooting
which occurred as Mrs.
Cougot sat in a car next to
Chestnut with her sister and
two children about 9 p.m.
Since his arrest, Prove has
given a statement to
officers, said Deputy Rusty
Edwards.
According to investiga-
tors, a single pistol shot
shattered the car's right
front window and a bullet
struck her in the throat
lodging on the left side of her.
neck.
Prove, brother-in-law of
the dead woman, was
arrested at the scene only
moments after the shooting.
Officers were on the way
to Prove’s address on
Chestnut to investigate a
charge originating in Fay-
ette County when the
shooting took place.
Prove is being held in
Bastrop County Jail under
$100,000 bond, set by Justice
of the Peace Herman
Bartsch.
Youth answers call
Little League rescued
A high school senior has
come to the rescue of
Bastrop Little League so
that small boys can have
baseball competition this
year.
When no adults stepped
forward to act as president
of the league, a time
consuming and sometimes
thankless job, Benton Eskew
offered to do it. “I’m
planning on getting some
help from friends also," he
said.
"They needed somebody,"
he said Monday. Eskew, the
son of Mr. and Mrs. C.A.
Eskew, was asked to take on
the job by adults who had
watched him assume respon
sibilities in sports, school
and at Calvary Baptist
Church.
The president’s job
involves acting as an umpire
each night of play or making
sure someone else does.
"You settle any disputes that
come up,” Eskew said. The
job takes about four nights a
week and most adults said
they couldn't find that much
time.
He was elected last week.
Four teams will compete
in the major league part of
the league and four minor
teams, according to Eskew.
Play should start around
Justice of the Peace O.B.
Warnke has ordered an
autopsy as part of an inquiry
into the death of 25 year old
Gloria Jean Minton in Upton.
Warnke said Tuesday he
knew “very little" about the
circumstances surrounding
the death Friday night or
Saturday morning.
A friend of the woman
April 28, he said, and last
around eight weeks.
Eskew played in the Little
League and Babe Ruth
Leagues here. At Bastrop
High School, where he has
been student body presi-
dent, he played on the
varsity football and golf
teams. He plans to attend
Baylor University next year.
reported he found her “dead
in the bed" when he woke up
Saturday morning, Warnke
said.
The autopsy is being
performed by the Travis
County Medical Examiner's
office and Warnke said he
expected a report Wednes-
Mystery death
at Upton probed
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McAuley, Davis. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), No. 14, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 17, 1980, newspaper, April 17, 1980; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth735942/m1/1/: accessed June 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bastrop Public Library.