Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 19, No. 45, Ed. 1 Monday, March 19, 1984 Page: 1 of 20
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MICROFILM CENTER
PO K3X 45436
LALLAS tx 75245
25*
For Mail Delivery
295-0486
12 PAGES IN 1 SECTION!
MONDAY
EDITION
Vol. 19, No. 45
Monday, March 19, 1984
A Pair Of
Spring Beauties
The Ides of March are come and they bring with them beautiful blooms and the
rebirth of Spring's loveliness. Debbie David's beauty is accentuated by the blooms
of a pear tree in a Burleson lawn. Photo by Terry M. Era on
Sales tax receipts show big
increase in March check
Sales ta:< receipts came in like a lion
this month as the March rebate check
has propelled what had been a so-so
year into a 15 percent lead over the first
quarter figures of 1983.
March is t.ypically not one of your
basic good months when it comes to
sales tax rebat e checks, but the $41,702
the City of Burleson received this
month set a new record for March and
was 78 percent above the $23,379 the
; city received last year.
For the first quarter, the city has now
received checks totaling $147,892. Last
year’s total through three months was
$129,005.
Statewide, State Comptroller Bob
Bullock has sent chocks totaling $53.5
million in local sales tax payments to
the 985 cities that levy the one-percent
: city sales tax.
I “Texas is pulling out strongly from
the trough we were .in last year,”
'Bullock said. “Along the border, Jan-
uary sales were well above last year in
Larklo, Brownsville, and El Paso. A-
mong the 20 biggest sales tax cities,
only Midland and Odessa are still
running behind last year and a big gain
by Odessa in the March check has
brought that city near last year’s level.
Overall, sales tax receipts are up more
than 12 percent.”
March checks reflect sales made in
January and reported to the Comptrol-
ler in late February.
Houston received the largest check—
for $9.7 million—which brings that
city’s 1984 total to $37.2 million, up 5
percent over what it had received by
this time last year.
Dallas’ check for $6.7 million brought
year-to-date payments to $24.8 million,
up more than 15 percent over last year.
San Antonio’s payment was $2.9 mil-
lion, up more than 36 percent over the
same period last year. Austin’s March
check for $2.3 million brought the city’s
yearly total to $8.4 million, or nearly 22
percent ahead of 1983 totals.
Fort Worth received $2 million, bring-
ing the 1984 total to $7.4 million, up
more than 7 percent over 1983. El Paso
received $1.2 million, with 1984’s year-
to-date total now running nearly 20
percent ahead of 1983.
Bullock also sent checks to the state’s
three Metropolitan Transit Authorities,
Series of auto thefts probed
Burleson police are working with the
Port Worth Police Department on sev-
ral leads after a series of auto thefts in
urleson the past two weeks. Four
hefts of automobiles occurred in the
city between March 5 and 12, two at Bob
sby Chevrolet, one at Southtown
Pord, and a fourth stolen near Robert’s
ut-Rate on Burleson Boulevard.
A 1983 red Jeep with Texas No.
0-CHN was stolen from Southtown
ord, 850 N. Burleson Blvd., sometime
arly Monday morfling, March 3. A
ate to the lot was found open that
doming by employees.
I A 1984 maroon Monte Carlo was
stolen the next day from Bob Cosby
Chevrolet, 1601 S.W. Wllshire. The car
had Texas plate PII-433. Several sales-
men saw a brown Cadillac with several
black males near the area of the stolen
vehicle which had been serviced and
parked in front of the business.
Bob Cosby was again hit on Wednes-
day, March 7, when a 1982 red Camaro
with Texas plate ZSQ-546 was taken. >
The vehicle had been serviced and wasl
parked in front when it was reported
missing at 5:13 p.m.
A1981 Cadillac Seville with Texas No.1
UTL-648 was stolen from the south side
of Robert’s Cut-Rate on Burleson
BISD teacher
will get raise
including a first-ever check for $4 9
million to DART, the new Dallas transit
authority. The Houston MTA received
$11 million and the San Antonio MTA
got a check for $1.6 million.
Area cities and the amount each
received in the March sales tax rebate
check were (amounts rounded to near
est dollar):
Hillsboro, $25,148; Itasca, $1,486;
Granbury, $31,932; Alvarado, $3,261;
Cleburne, $79,953; Grandview; $722;
Joshua, $4,280; Keene, $5,853; Ben-
brook, $22,167; Crowley, $7,809; Ever-
man $13,055; Forest Hill, $28,638; Fort
Worth, $2,091,062; Kennedale, $9,276;
and Mansfield, $34,027.
Briaroaks, Godley, Rio Vista, and
Venus did not receive March checks
since checks of under $500 are mailed
out only once each quarter by the
comptroller’s office.
The one percent city sales tax is
collected along with the state four
percent sales tax by businesses and
rebated to the cities in which it is
collected on a monthly basis by the
comptroller.
Boulevard. A witness said he saw two
black males around the car at 11:45
a.m. and later saw one of them driving
the Cadillac eastbound on Boone Road
and the other man driving a 1981 black
and brown Datsun.
The witness told Burleson police that
the first man was tall and slender with
black hair and wearing a satin jacket,
between the ages of 19 and 30. The
second suspect was described as being
shorter with slicked-down hair, light-
colored slacks, and a pull-over light-
colored shirt. The second man was
described as being between 19 and 30
years of age.
The eyes of Texas teachers are still
directed toward Austin, where they
hope a special session of the legislature
this summer will provide them with the
raise they didn’t get this year. For
Burleson teachers, though, some salary
relief will be forthcoming at the local
level. Burleson School trustees unani-
mously voted Monday night to approve
a new local increment schedule for
teachers which will result in a total Cost
of $120,000 to the school district.
Raises will vary among teachers,
depending on experience and type of
degree but will probably average out
$200-$300 more per year. Those teach-
ers with a bachelor’s degree and from
0-4 years of experience will now receive
$1,700 above the state minimum, those
with five to nine years experience will
receive $1,900 above state pay; teach-
ers with 10-14 years experience will get
$2,100 above the state schedule; those
with 15-19 years will get $2,300 more
than their state salary; teachers with
20-24 years experience are slated to
receive an additional $2,500 above the
state level; and those with 25 years and
above will now get $2,700 more than the
state minimum.
THAT SCHEDULE does not compare
exactly with the previous one which is
now in effect. Under that schedule,
beginning teachers with a bachelor’s
degree receive $1,200 above state mini-
mum; those with one year, $1,300; two
years, $1,400; three years, $1,500; four
years, $1,600; five to nine years, $1,700;
10 to 14 years, $1,800; 15 to 19 years,
$1,900; and 20 years and up, $2,000.
The largest possible annual increase
under those two schedules would be
$700 per year for a teacher with 25 or
more years of experience and the
smallest amount would be $100 per year
for a teacher with four years experi-
ence.
The salary schedule for teachers with
master’s degrees was generally $200-
$300 more under the newly approved
schedule which will go into effect in
September. The new plan will make a
larger differential between increment
pay for teachers that do and do not have
a master’s degree in order to encourage
teachers to extend their education.
Under the new schedule, local incre-
ment for teachers with master's
degrees will be $2,000 for 0-4 years
experience; $2,300 for 5-9 years experi-
ence; $2,600 for 10-14 years experience;
$2,900for 15-19 years experience; $3,200
for 20-24 years experience; and $3,500
for 25 years experience and above.
THE INCREASE will bring Burleson
closer to the amount of local increment
paid by area school districts, according
to Superintendent of Schools Gordon
Cockerham, who recommended the in-
creases after working on the proposed
schedule with the Communications
Committee made up of teachers from
every campus.
“Some of our neighboring school
districts are doing more,” Cockerham
said, “but based on our resources, this
was all 1 could recommend.” He said
the new schedule was weighted toward
the more experienced teachers because
he believed that any raise teachers
might get from Austin would be primar-
ily for the benefit of beginning teachers.
The effect of the salary increases on
the tax rate can’t accurately be calcu-
lated since no one knows exactly what
the amount of next year’s tax roll will
be. Based on the current tax roll, it
would amount to about five cents on the
tdx rstc
FOLLOWING ON the heels of a
record year for construction in Burle-
son and an extremely active year in
building outside the city as well, the
local increment increase won’t have
quite as much effect on next year’s tax
rate. More than 500 homes have been
added to the school district’s tax rolls
since last year's roll was completed.
Trustees also approved changes in
the amounts paid for extra duty com-
pensation for teachers, but those im-
provements should have a negligible
effect on the tax rate. Many of them
extend the range of payment both
downward and upward. Cockerham
said he preferred a wider range so a
teacher could be paid more for an extra
duty job as she gained experience.
School Board President Byron Black
disagreed with that contention, saying
extra duty was extra duty whether it
was performed by a first year teacher
or a teacher with 20 years experience.
All the trustees agreed that extra
duty compensation was more a good-
will gesture than anything else in many
instances since teachers are paid only a
fraction of what the duty is worth.
"We’re grateful we have a dedicated
group of teachers who are willing to
work extra hours with the students,” „
Cockerham said.
He said that until the school district
expanded its tax base in some form or
fashion, it would be difficult for Burle-
son to be competitive with area school
districts. “We still have to keep trying,
though, if we’re even going to stay in
the running,” he added
In other action, the board
—Authorized the sale and display of
advertising on the fence of the baseball
field. The Big Red Booster Club will
coordinate the advertising effort Pro-
ceeds will go toward improvements in
the athletic department
—Changed the date of the May 14
meeting to Tuesday, May 15, because of
a conflict with a band concert Richard
Crummell, director of bands, said that
Channel 5 weather man Harold Taft
had agreed to perform with the band on
May 14.
Approved teacher contracts
—Approved decisions of the high
school and middle school discipline
boards.
Adopted updated policies that requir-
ed changes because of actions of the
past legislative session
—Approved school bus routes and
tentatively approved the routes for next
year.
Adopted the report of the textbook
committee
—Cast ballots in the elections for
directors of the Region XI Education
Service Center
—Approved reports from the tax
office and the business office
—Heard a presentation from
students and teachers at A E Frazier
Elementary on science fair participa-
tion and projects
Joshua fireman
buried Friday
Citizens of Joshua and surrounding
areas paid their final respects Friday to
Larry Dale Stephens, a loved and
respected member of their community.
The 38-year-old volunteer fireman
and Joshua businessman died Tuesday
night at Parkland Hospital in Dallas
He had been treated in the hospital burn
center since sustaining serious injury
Feb. 25 as he fought a large grassfire
swept by 40 m.p.h. winds
Joshua Masonic Lodge members
served as active pallbearers and con-
ducted graveside services at Laurel
Land Memorial Park following the
funeral service at noon. March 16
Members of the Joshua VFD served as
honorary pallbearers Rev Mike
McKee and Rev Thomas E Sifford
officiated.
He was born in Pampa Texas. July
12, 1945, the son of Joe B and Lois
Stephens. Formerly a Fort Worth resi-
dent, Stephens, his wife Carol, and son
Corey Alan had resided near Egan
since 1970.
THE FAMILY SUGGESTED that
expressions of sympathy be made in the
form of donations to Bum Concern.
Surgical Patient Care Center. Parkland
Memorial Hospital, 5201 Harrv Hines.
Dallas, Texas 75235.
For a little more than a year. Steph-
ens had been owner of the Joshua Feed
and Veterinary Supply The opening of
the feed store had meant a great deal to
him. according to a close friend Harlan
Clark. Putting down roots in Joshua
was particularly special to Stephens,
since he had traveled extensively for
many years in sales work before buying
the store, noted Clark
Stephens became very involved with
the community, joining the volunteer
fire department and devoting time to
the youth of the area "He was the type
of man who enjoyed everything he got
involved with," said Clark He was a
friend to many. It's hard to explain that
kind of friendship in words .”
Stephens was a member of the Alva
rado Episcopal Church, the Nolan
River Kennel Club, the Moslah Shrine
of Fort Worth, and the Joshua Masonic
Lodge He had been a member of the
United States Marine Corps, and^erved
as a reserve deputy sheriff for Johnson
County five years ago Mansfield police
officer Jim Owens had served alongside
Stephens in the county law enforcement
volunteer position
OWENS AND CLARK ARE two of
the many friends of the family who
have combined efforts to keep the feed
store open during the weeks Stephens
was being treated at Parkland Collec-
tively his many friends organized their
time schedules to ensure that the feed
store, which meant so much to Steph-
ens, would not have to close its doors
while its owner was in the hospital.
Stephens gave much of himself and
his time to his community The re-
sponse during his time of need, and that
of two other Joshua firemen injured in
the same fire, was tremendous A blood
drive was sponsored by the fire depart-
ment. and 400 people responded. Nu-
merous fund raising events in Joshua.
Cleburne, and Burleson have resulted
in a growing financial assistance fund
for the three firefighters
• Owens said Stephens epitomized the
respohsd of the people to the blood drive
and the fund raising efforts Larry
Stephens would have been the first
person in line to give a blood donation
had the situation been reversed—if a
fellow firefighter had been the one
injured instead of himself, said Owens.
"If anybody needed anything, he was
always there "
HE IS SURVIVED BY his wife Carol
Stephens and son Corey Alan Stephens
of the home, his mother. Mrs Joe B
Stephens of Breckenridge. and a broth-
er Joe B Stephens, Jr of Statesville.
\ C
In a larger sense. Larry Stephens is
survived by many more A vast number
of people whose lives have been touched
by the Joshua fireman arw«ware of the
principles by which he lived and died
They will remember
Larry Dale Stephens
Photo Courleiy
Jotthua Tribune
l
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Moody, James. Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 19, No. 45, Ed. 1 Monday, March 19, 1984, newspaper, March 19, 1984; Burleson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth760742/m1/1/: accessed July 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Burleson Public Library.