Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 20, No. 61, Ed. 1 Monday, May 13, 1985 Page: 1 of 36
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MONDAY
EDITION
Vol.20No.61
May 13,1985
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COPYRIGHT* IMS BURLESON STAR
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For Mail Delivery
295-0486
Buritm Star'DOTHE WILSON
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Pat Stmondi showed the original booklet where he Inserted short
university libraries. He is now working
The hutch cabinet pictured In the background and many other un-
usual pieces In the home were hand-crafted by the multi-
talented author. ^ ,
•we*—.--. *'.<*• *’*’•«»> -- iV>
Book almost wasn’t
As of May 1,
rity tops 15,000
•jijiKrt County has topped a Governments (COG), Burleson The latest COG bulletin lists over
miUioo; Jbhnson County sets its now has a population of 14,800 as 130 cities with populations over
sights on attaining a tenth of that of Jan. 1 of this year. Cleburne’s 1,000 in those 16 counties,
number within the next three latest population estimate is Another 86 cities within these
years and Burleson passed a mile- 20,950. Following the 1980 census, counties have populations of
stone on the first day of May. It’s Burleson was listed with a popula- under 1,000.
all there in a small 12-page tion of 11,734 while Cleburne ABOUT 10 PERCENT of Burle-
booklet-everything you’d ever had 19,218. son residents live in the Tarrant
want to know about the popula- The big story, however, is rate of County portion of the city. COG
tion estimates of the cities and growth and Burleson continues to estimates that 1,506 Thrrant
counties within that vast area be a county leader in that area County residents reside within the
known as the Metroplex with a compound annual growth city limits of Burleson. They’re
Wrong, slum-breath (as Johnny rate of 4.75 percent since 1980. part of a population that now tops
Qarson might say). It doesn’t have Among Johnson County cities, a million, 1,101,300 to be exact,
anything in it about cities under only Joshua had a higher growth Actually, Tarrant County eased
1,000, it doesn’t count dogs and rate and significantly smaller’over that magical figure last year,
cats, and nary a word is men- figures were involved. That city but with over 100,000 inhabitants
tioned about the fire ant popula- had a compound annual growth to spare this year there’s no room
tion which by now must reach into rate of 5.27 percent, picking up for doubt. The county has picked
the billions and billions. Other 430 new residents in the past five up almost a quarter million of
than that, though, it's pretty much years. Its population is now es- those people within the past five
as billed, a concise and thorough timated at 1,900. Cleburne has an years and is growing at a com-
guide to Who’s Where in the Met- annual compound growth rate of pound annual growth rate of
roplex. Naturally most of them are 1.74 percent. 5.05 percent,
in Fort Worth or Dallas, but Carrying out the compound an- Another noteworthy statistic
Burleson is continuing to sizzle as nual growth rate for the first four concerning Burleson’s growth is
one pf the growth hot spots (or at months of this year would give that the citv is maintaining the
lea« very warm spots) of the Burleson a population of 15,036 same growth rate despite the fact
Mefroplex. on May 1, a milestone of sorts for that the figures are getting larger.
DURING THE PAST five year a city which only had about 2,000 Between 1970 and 1980, the city’s
period, one of every 6.5 new people in the 1960 census. The population increased by 52.1 per-
Johnson County residents moved latest figure is just about double cent, a figure hard to maintain
into—you guessed it—Burleson, the 1970 population when the city with an expanding population. Yet
Just by way of comparison, during boasted of being "the 19th fastest Burleson has slightly exceeded
that same period, about one in 12 growing city in Texas ’’ With the even that figure for the first five
new county residents moved into rapid growth of many Dallas and years of the 80s, growing by 26.1
Cleburne. The population gap Houston suburbs, Burleson no percent during that time,
separating the two cities shrunk by longer has that distinction, but it is Johnson County is also un-
1,334 people in that half decade, now the 34th largest cjty in the 16- dergoing an almost phenomenal
.•^Aftording to the latest popula- county area making ftp the Fort growth rate. The population of the
tW^, estimates released by the Worth/OaUa*. .Standard Met- county increased by 21,880 be-
North Central Texas Council of ropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA). See Census, Page 13
BY DOTTIE WILSON
didn't think too much about it from those years to this, primarily
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Though Burleson resident Pat being gone for several months— with humorous prose and poetry,
Simonds is a man of multiple just figured the kids would bring it and now nearing completion of
talents, his first love—writing—has back eventually," he said another book, entitled “Splendid
resulted in a published book about ONE DAY HE received a let- Clowns.” Written in a humorous
the Texas Hill Country and praise tergram from a publishing com- style, the book is about the cowboy
and recognition from such notable pany, asking him to meet with during the time when he had no
people as President Lyndon them in Austin to sign a contract more Indians to fight—after the
Johnson, Texas Ranger Homer for publishing his writings in book more widely written-about time of
Garrison, and author J. Frank form. "That was quite a sur- the gunfighlers. A lot of it is based
Dobie. prise.” on true incidents in West Texas,
Following the publication o! About 2500 copies of the book where Simonds spent some grow-
SimondVThe Inanimate Land"— were sold during the brief six ing up years with his parents
which was almost an act of fate months it was on the market, but and brothers,
itself—he began receiving letters during that time it enjoyed wide More interested in capturing a
from others who shared his fas- circulation, judging from letters lesser-known era of Americana or
cination for that part of Texas, received by Simonds. He was pare Texana for future generations,
During the 20 years he and his ticularlv pleased bv the com- Simonds hopes it too, Tike his first
wife Eloise lived there, they never munication from J. Frank Dobie, book, will become part of univere
tired of the beauty and intrigue of who praised his wor k and wrote sity collections of Texas’ past."The
the cedar covered hills of central that he was glad to see someone Inanimate Land” enjoys a place in
Texas. “The whole country changes carrying on writing about the TCU library collections and at
with every change of the season, old West. Georgetown, Texas. That book also
It’s a beautiful thing to see,” he Much of what has happened in won him a nomination for “Writer
said. Simond’s life did so by chance. “I of the Year,” during its brief
The couple, formerly Fort Worth really got my first break pro- shelf life,
residents, were transferred to Aus- fessionally because of my writing,” FOLLOWING HIS YEARS for
tin when Simonds did construe- he explained. His father had been the oil company, which merged
tion engineering work for the a journeyman painter by trade and later with Atlantic-Richfield to
Sinclair Oil Refining Company, had little money for formal educa- form Arco, Simonds and Eloise
They later were sent to San An- tion for his son, though Simonds lived in east Texas, where he
tonio, and his territory was had incentive to do more than worked for the state with the Texas
doubled. His job description be- carry on the painting trade. “Sin- Parks and Wildlife Department. "I
tween 1956 and 1975 included a clair had a little company newspa- was district supervisor over design
great deal of travel. During those per, and 1 was asked to contribute and construction for all of north
years, the book began to form in to it,” he said. “I wrote a poem Texas,” he said. Health reason
the author’s mind as he traveled called ‘Guess Where I Am?’ for the necessitated his retirement in
the winding back country roads, monthly newspaper. Those were 1980, after they had made
VBRY UNLIKE THE man him- Eloisc’s first words when she Burleson their home for the latter
self and most of his more recent would call me at work just at the years with the state,
writings, the stories told in the time when she was supposed to be “I’ve written a lot of poetry,” While members of the Burleson fective, and people needn’t be con- ticular interest to Gibson’s aud-
book have a quality of sadness, picking me up. And where she was said Simonds, who thinks it’s an Senior Resource Center heard of cemed about formality. ience. The former contains wording
“The reader must remember,” was usually clear across town,” important form of literature which several pieces of legislation, the in- "People shouldn’t feel like they that could permit second mortga-
he explains in the foreword, "that he laughed. expands the vocabulary. Young formation a representative from a have to write a formal letter with ges and could expose unsuspect-
these stories belong to a land that A company executive in the en- people need to write poetry more,” state senator’s office wanted most everything perfect and typed,” Gib- ing seniors and any other citizens
was harsh, a time that was grim, gineering department read the he mused. ‘Too many of the songs to give them was how they and son said. “We got a letter once that to people who could first take ad-
and a way of life in which there poem and looked Simonds up. It today just repeat one or two lines others can best communicate with was written on a paper towel, vantage of their naivety, then take
was little humor.” seems he had the same problem over and over. Vocabulary is very public servants. While that was a little too infor- away their homes through loan-
Lonely, forgotten places of the with his wife on the days she kept important and should be develop- Jamie Gibson, district represent- mal, it was still taken seriously.” fault schemes. Homestead laws
hills of Central Texas were sub- the car. Thai man soon put ed." ative for Bob Glasgow’s office, Gibson said that around 6,000 presently protect Texas residents
jects of stories which portrayed Simonds in his office as a design- And on the subject of young spoke with area people in the bills have been introduced in the from such situations. The latter
them as they were at utat time, ing draftsman and eventually sent people, the couple are really par- Renfro-Clark home Monday and last 90 days and reminded the law establishes a task force to
I
ffpn r;n „ PawLa iam,e Gib*°? hea” Burleson Parks and Recreation Director Doug
MMCttIMMMg 1 UM AS Evans complain about proposed reductions In federal and state
And Recreation
as a representative of Senator Bob Glasgow, D-Stephenvflle.
Getting to know legislator
of him to Texas Christian University tial to them, though theyhave no explained how they can get their group that there are less than 140 write and enforce higher stan-
iy local, state, and days in a regular congressional dards for nursing homes.
ient of BHS has even federal office holders. The session. She alluded that more Other bills briefly discussed
another time, another people, for engineering courses. And from children of theirown. The cos- voices heard b;
metology departm
"adopts!” them
grandma and gran
as its official worst way to go about it is through serious consideration would be were directed at sick leave ac-
a petition, she said. The best is given to pieces of legislation that cumulation and health insurance
with a letter or a phone call. were obviously of interest to for teachers and legislation aimed
recalling “rusty memories
another time, another people, torengim
another way of life.” there his career took off.
But the writing of those tales THE PUBLISHER died not long
was mostly for the author’s own after the book had been on the grandma and grandpa, and the ad-
pleasure, and they were published market, and his widow decided to miration is mutual. Eloise Si-
only because a friend and limit publishing to school tex- mond’s profession before her
neighbor “swiped” them from tbooks. “I was getting discouraged marriage was the be
Simond’s house and submitted anyway because they kept telling so the young people who .
them to a publishing company, me to be a successful writer I through the BHS department' are because people frequently sign
“When we would see something needed to go to autograph parties kind of special to both she and her them without reading what is writ-
that impressed us, I would write and make speeches for groups— husband. ten. Also, die said, the names are
about it and slip it into a loose leaf be more visible. 1 had worked with* “We just love Burleson. Ij was a frequently so poorly written that amount to cn
binder at the house with a picture construction men for too many friendly place from the time we they are unreadable. Not only do held by Texas residents through
sketched In pencil. It would sit years and sure wasn’t a public first came here, and we’ve met so the petitions lack credibility, banks outside Texas. The charge hanging
s also no way for banks attach to credit card service
out-of-stat*' banks
Gibson* laid that politicians most constituents,
d” them from tbooks. “I was getting discouraged marriage was the beauty business, often put very little faith in the Bills mentioned
and submitted anyway because they kept telling so the young people who pass numbers of names on petitions being among the top of con
• - m at
Bills mentioned by Gibson as
cleaning
games-such
facilities
stituents’ lists included House Bill fringe, 24 hours a
1353, which may someday attach a ing the legislation
surcharge of an as-yet-unknown the organizations be
to credit card accounts Gibson touched
ies operating at the legal
i, 24 hours a day, circumvebt-
te legislation that demands
tganizations gg
around on the coffee table, and speaker. That just wasn’t my na- many fine people here,” said the
some of the kkls who were always ture,” he said. author. TheyYe here to
pencil. It would sit years and sure wasn’t a public first came here, and we’ve met so the
said the therefore, there is
stay, and the public servant to answer so is
the darkest
the senate,
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by the Ttexa* House 11J
Representatives repealed the j j f
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Moody, James. Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 20, No. 61, Ed. 1 Monday, May 13, 1985, newspaper, May 13, 1985; Burleson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth761398/m1/1/: accessed June 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Burleson Public Library.