Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 24, No. 92, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 16, 1989 Page: 1 of 16
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16 PAGES IN 1 SECTION
WEDNESDAY
EDITION
Vol. 24 No. 92
August 16, 1989
burleson^st;
PRESS
^OCI AT ION
COPYRIGHT* 1989 BURLESON STAR
jIAIAIIUN
For Mail Delivory
295-0486
FIFTY CENTS
Thefts up, but other crimes are down
By RAY PRICE
The same Federal Bureau of
Investigation crime report that
labeled Fort Worth as the second
most violent city in the nation
contained good news for Burleson. *
In almost every area the report
showed that the Burleson crime rule
had taken a downward trend, and in
some cases the reduction was
significant.
In 1988, according to the
report, there were fewer rapes,
aggravated assaults, robberies,
burglaries, and auto thefts than in
1987.
Burglaries dropped from 242 in
1987 to just 185 last year while
robberies fell from 14 to 10.
Auto thefts declined from 73 to
56, and aggravated assaults from 16
to 13.
Burleson Chief of Police
Roger Rountree said that in some
cases the statistics do not really
reflect a true representation of the
crime problem.
As an example, he said, the
national average reflects that only
one out of every 10 women who are
raped actually report the incident.
And, he added, the rape statistic
can change drastically without even
really affecting Burleson residents.
"You can have one guy driving
through town,” he said, "and he can
assault a woman at the roadside
park. That will increase the
"statistics. . . force the rate up 25*
percent"
Rountree said the crime rate
could also increase with just the
addition of one or two new residents
to the community.
"You can have one or two
people move into town, and if they
are able to pull several burglaries
before they're caught, that can really
drive the rate up.”
When Rountree discusses the
reason for the lower crime rate, he
doesn't point to one single issue
but several things that may have
had impact
One, he said, was the pay
referendum passed for pol ice * rl'ficei s
last year.
The year before the pay
increase the police department
suffered an 80 percent turnover rate.
That,dropped to less than 1 percent
last year.
Add to that Rountree said, the
fact that many of the patrol officers
are young and aggressive and you
may have another key to lowering
the rate.
Rountree said that officers
keeping a watchful eye on the
community has ulso helped.
* "Our officers stop a lot of'
suspicious persons. That sends a
real message. If a person who is
from out of town or in the wrong
area of town gets stopped, he
knows our officers are vigilant. . .
and so do his friends."
Even though the report was a
good one, not all the crimes were
down. Thefts rose from 454 in
1987 to 522 last year.
Rountree said the increase in
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BURGLARIES
THEFTS
AUTO THEFT
Special '89 is on the way
By DOTTIE PRICE \
It's a red-letter, banner ytar—
one filled with anniversaries and
birthdays. Even the theme for this
year's Homemakers School signifies
that something special's in the wind.
Thc Burleson Star celebrates its
25th anniversary as your community
newspaper this year, and it's also our
10th consecutive year to sponsor and
organize for the Corhmunity— free of
charge— a dynamite cooking dem-
onstration and home show, complete
with door prizes and special give-
aways.
On top of all that, which we were
excited about anyway, we learned
that it's the 40th birthday of the
Homemakers Schools, Inc., itself.
How’s that for special reasons to
Annualevent setforSept.25
present a very special show this year?
The 1989 presentation theme is,
appropriately, "Special, from Home-
makers Schools 1989," and we plan
to have some new and different offer-
ings this year—things we think you’ll
be excited about. Always planned in
the fall of the year, when families
start thinking about crisp autumn
evenings and delicious aromas com-
ing from the kitchen, this year's event
is scheduled for Sept. 25.
That’s a Monday night, folks.
We know it's early, but you'll need to
get this one on your fall calendar right
now. We're expecting a bumper crop
of area residents to show up and help
us celebrate all those birthdays. And
to accommodate the expanded
crowd, we're changing our show lo-
cation from the Jack Taylor Elemen-
tary School to the Huguley New
Image Fitness Center.
ALREADY equipped with a
cooking demonstration room, com-
plete with necessary appliances and
overhead minors, the facility has ad-
ditional bonuses for this type of event
tliat we've not been able to offer be-
fore. Like an amphitheatre for over-
flow seating, with a huge screen to
show by video the in- progress cook-
ing show going on in the adjacent
room.
Cathy Smith (left) and Dottie Price (right) of The Star staff visit with
Event fs Gonna Be Susan Loftus, the 1989 Homemakers School home economist who will be
presenting this year's program Sept. 25. Always a well-received pro-
Special This Year Rram> the annual event is the 10th consecutive one sponsored by the
Like the huge gymnasium at the
fitness center giving lots more elbow
room for an expanded home show, to
begin even earlier this year. Like
space for a Beall's fashion show in
conjunction with the other features
of the program.
See what I mean? Texas is part
of the South, all right, but we weren't
just "whistling Dixie" When we said
new and improved. Preparing for our
second decade of Homemakers
School programs, and having all
those birthdays to celebrate makes
planning a lot more fun this year. We
want the program to be noticeably
better, mote comfortable and con-
venient for our guests, and we feel the
new facility offers that capability—
in spades.
There arc a couple of more
things to add to the "new and im-
proved" version of the cooking
school this year. We’ll have a new
home economist: pert and pretty
Susan Loftus with personality plus,
onstage and off. Susan visited with us
here in Burleson last week, making
the rounds of co-sponsoring busi-
nesses and taking her first tour of the
fitness center, where she'll be cook-
ing up a storm come Sept. 25.
She was impressed with the fa-
cility, too, and grateful that she won't
have to unload all of the overhead
mirrors from her car. She travels
throughout Kansas, Oklahoma,
Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona,
presenting cooking demonstrations
and representing her Wisconsin firm
which specializes in such programs
across the country. A traveling
kitchen accompanies her, compactly
packed away in special valises.
Susan has previous experience in
teaching, sales, counseling, and cus-
tomer service. Currently she resides
in Arlington, though she's an Arkan-
sas native.
Also new this year will be a dual
concept for handling mistress of
ceremonies duties. Star Managing
Editor Dottie Price and Advertising
Director Cathy Smith will be sharing
the "meeting, greeting, and prize
announcing" duties for the evening.
Some might sav that’s double trouble
Set GROCERIES, page 8
retail outlets in the community
played a role in that increase.
He said that the theft category
is the only area where misde-
meanors are recorded alongside
felonies. That means that this
statistic also includes all shop-
lifting and minor theft offenses.
While Rountree is pleased that
the report shows the overall crime
rate down, he warns that sometimes
statistics can be misleading.
"You have to look at these
statistics cautiously. Most cities
have crime perimeters—some years
are high, some years are low, but
they seldom go above their peak.”
The rare exception to that, he
said, is in an area experiencing real
growth.
A real indication of local
crime, the chief said, is what's
happening in other communities
around the Metroplex,
"We are truly a part of the
Metroplex. When trends in crime
go through the area, they usually
get us too."
MacLean plans to
leave district court
I
Judge John MacLean, the presiding judge in Johnson
County's 249th District Court, said Monday be will not
seek re-etecthm when his current term ends.
MacLean cited a need to spend more quality time with
his family as the primary reason for leaving his post on
Ja>m, 1991.
The judge has been active in the county courthouse
for more than 20 years, living served two terms as
county attorney and two terms as district attorney before
being elected to the beoch*-*;
Judge C.C. "Kit" Cooke, the presiding judge in
Johnson County's 18th District Court, expressed sorrow
at MacLean's announced departure from the bench.
"John has been an ease to work with," said Cooke.
"Records for the past year wOl be out soon and they wilt
reflect that we (Cooke, MacLean, and County Court at
Law Judge Tommy Attaras) disposed of the most cases
ever disposed of hi one year.
"Be is intellegeat, hard working, and kind," Cooke
continued. "He knows how to treat people with respect,
yet Still has the ability to send people to prison when
that's where they need to go.
"John is probably respected by more people than
anyone who has ever been hi politics for 20 years."
Akarss agreed that MacLean added stability to the
m mm*.
kept tilings cahl evehlh moments of crisis. He has
always taken his duties to heart and has always tried lo
make the right decision,* said Altaras. | If
w "He will be m toned."
Although MacLean will be leaving the bench of the
249th, he will remain in the judicial system. He plans to
continue in the former judge program that allows him to
serve as a visiting judge on a part-time basis.
3>x<
Burin.* Sur/DOTTIC PRICE
Queen Of The Reunion
This year's Reunion Queen Lori Williams of Burleson was crowned
Monday night at the Alvarado site of the Johnson County Pioneers and
Old Settlers Reunion. Twenty two lovely girls competed for the judges'
favor as the annual event kicked off at the pavilion.
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Moody, James. Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 24, No. 92, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 16, 1989, newspaper, August 16, 1989; Burleson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth760681/m1/1/: accessed June 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Burleson Public Library.