Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 124, No. 58, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 20, 2006 Page: 3 of 18
eighteen pages : ill. ; page 22 x 14 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:
•From The
Archives
■ /"?
jl/Proucll
If T'storv\
,
By Wanda Bobinger, curator, Polk County Memorial Museum
www.livingston.net/museum
POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE, THURSDAY, JULY 20, 20o„ - PAGE 3A
FSA meeting Monday
Lake Livingston gets off to rocky start
On Oct. 30, 1958, the City of
Houston announced plans to pre-
sent immediately to the State Board
of Water Engineers a proposal for
two Trinity River projects with a
cost of $40 million.
The proposal would insure Hous-
ton of its water needs into the fu-
ture. It would construct one dam
three miles from the mouth of the
river and would be designed as a
salt water barrier. The second dam
would be 5 1/2 miles south of
Livingston and would be the main
reservoir. The proposal, if ap-
proved, Would construct both dams
so the locks could be added if navi-
gation of the Trinity was ever
deemed feasible.
Twenty percent of the water pro-
vided by the dam at Livingston
would be set aside for other areas
outside of Harris County, and
would be sold at cost.
The proposal led to a long and
bitter campaign with protests and
numerous lawsuits including land-
owners who said the Lake
Livingston project would mean a
great economic loss to those per-
sons owning rich improved bottom
land in the effected areas.
On Thursday, Jan. 8, 1959, the
Livingston City Auditorium was
the scene of an overflow crowd of
more than 300 persons. The three-
hour meeting was addressed by
Houston’s Mayor Lewis Cutrer and
Houston’s water attorney, Victor
Bouldin.
Alter seven years, Houston’s
quest for long-range water supplies
remained quagmired in problems
and the expenditure of $1.6 million
in legal fees. The delay cost the city
at least another $3 million from
increased land cost and construc-
tion cost boosts. Costly permits had
become null and void after five
years.
The final contract between the
Trinity River Authority and the
City of Houston was approved by a
huge turnout of Houston voters in a
bond election held June 27, 1964.
The issue passed by 85 percent of
those voting. Some called it Hous-
ton’s greatest stride forward since
the opening of the Ship Channel.
TRA’s president vowed, “We’ll
move dirt early in 1965.” However,
new lawsuits filed threatened to
delay Lake Livingston progress for
another two years and add another
$20 million to the cost. The lawsuit
contended, “It is a sincere effort to
prevent financial chaos for Hous-
ton, since it is believed the Trinity
River Project will cost more than
$200 million instead of the $67
million estimated.”
One column in the Polk County
Enterprise read, “This all seems so
far into the future that we of this
era might just as well tell our chil-
dren about the big dam and let
them look forward as we will
probably all be dead and gone.”
More than any other event or cir-
cumstance, except perhaps the
Civil War, the completion of the
Trinity River Dam and Lake
Livingston in 1969 brought about
the greatest social and economic
change to our community and the
entire area.
LIVINGSTON - A public meet-
ing to review and discuss the
USDA Farm Service Agency 2006
County Committee Elections will
be held at the Polk/San Jacinto
County FSA Office, 506 Pan
American Drive in Livingston on
Monday, July 24, from 3- 6 p.m.
Lloyd P. Ford, county executive
director, will review and discuss
the county committee election pro-
cedure and answer any questions
about the election process. All hur-
ricane programs will be discussed
as well.
The County Committee adminis-
ters all FSA programs. The County
Committee is a grassroots approach
to give farmers and ranchers a
much needed say in how federal
actions affect their communities
and individual operations. The
COC is a direct link between
the farm community and the U S.
Department of Agriculture.
The FSA office can be reached
by calling (936) 327-8911 Ext 2.
Find burial
treasure in
your garage.
;SAVINGS
). BONDS
Do you have old Savings Bonds?
Check out the Savings Bond Calculator
at www.savtngsbor>ds,gov to discover
their value. 1-80O-4US BOND
A public service of this newspaper •
Insect repellent best prevention
AUSTIN - With warm weather
here to stay, mosquitoes are multi-
plying across the state - some of
them carrying the West Nile virus.
But there is a simple way people
can bite back: insect repellent.
“Use a good insect repellent. Use
it every time you are outdoors.
That's the No. 1 thing people can
do to protect themselves from mos-
quito-borne illnesses,” said Jim
Schuermann with the Zoonosis
Control Group at the Texas De-
partment of State Health Services
(DSHS). “It's tough to tell people to
wear long sleeves and long pants in
the Texas heat.”
West Nile virus can cause serious
illness in humans. Mosquitoes get
the virus from feeding on infected
birds. West Nile virus cases usually
begin in late spring, peak in early
August and continue through the
fall. Last year, 128 human cases of
West Nile virus were reported in
Texas, including 11 deaths.
“West Nile virus is here. We
know it's not going away. Now is
the time people need to think about
prevention,” Schuermann said. “If
you go outside, wear repellent.”
Look for insect repellents that
contain DEET, picaridin or oil of
lemon eucalyptus. According to a
2005 DSHS analysis, 60 percent of
the people who got the most serious
forms of West Nile infection never
used repellent.
“Use a good repellent on bare
skin and follow the directions on
the label," Schuermann said.
“DEET is the standby - long-last-
ing and effective. Picaridin-based
repellents are new, tend to smell
better and are less oily. Lemon
eucalyptus-based repellents are
ideal for people who are sensitive
to - or just don't like using -
chemical repellents.”
DSHS offers these recommenda-
tions:
• Store insect repellent at the
front and back doors of your home
and apply when you go outside.
Keep extra repellent in outdoor
areas such as patios and decks.
• Mosquito-proof your house.
Make sure door seals are secure
and window screens are intact.
• Drain standing water from
around your home. Empty cans,
buckets, tires, rain gutters and sau-
cers under potted plants regularly.
Change the water in pet bowls, bird
baths and wading pools several
times a week.
• Limit the amount of time you
spend outdoors from dusk to dawn.
These are times when those mos- *
quitoes likely to carry infections
are most active.
The risk of exposure to West
Nile virus is relatively small. Not
all mosquito species can transmit
the virus. Of the species that can,
only about one in 100 mosquitoes
will carry the virus. Eighty percent
of people infected with West Nile
virus have no symptoms and re-
cover on their own. But the virus
can cause serious illness.
Symptoms of the milder forms of
West Nile illness include fever,
severe headache, muscle and bone
aches, nausea and drowsiness.
Symptoms of more serious forms
of West Nile illness include a stiff
neck, visual problems, altered taste,
body tremors, mental confusion,
memory loss and seizures. Symp-
toms usually appear from three to
14 days after a person is bitten.
People most at risk of developing
symptoms include those older than
50 and those with compromised
immune systems. If West Nile ill-
ness is suspected, people should
contact their local health care pro-
vider. A blood test can confirm
West Nile infection. There is no
specific treatment for West Nile
infections.
West Nile virus was first identi-
fied in Texas in 2002 and has since
been found throughout the state.
DSHS conducts surveillance testing
on mosquitoes in many areas of the
state. DSHS also provides kits to
local health departments, animal
control facilities, veterinarians,
county extension offices and other
local entities for testing birds for
West Nile virus.
People should not handle dead
birds with their bare hands. Instead,
Use a shovel, protective gloves or
plastic bags. Throw birds away in
an outdoor garbage can. Most bird
deaths pose no threat to human
health, but if West Nile virus is
suspected contact your local health
department.
Other mosquito-borne illnesses
include St. Louis encephalitis, east-
ern equine encephalitis, western
equine encephalitis and dengue
fever.
Rural Community Development
Initiative Program funds available
TEMPLE - More than $6.2 mil-
lion in Rural Community Devel-
opment Initiative Program (RCDI)
grant funds are available, according
to USDA Rural Development State
Director Bryan Daniel. The RCDI
Program provides technical assis-
tance and training funds to quali-
fied intermediary organizations to
develop their capacity to undertake
housing, community facilities, and
community and economic devel-
opment projects in rural areas.
“USDA Rural Development in
Texas is dedicated to ensuring that
local community leaders have the
resources they need to assist their
community in creating new eco-
nomic opportunities and improving
their quality of life,” said
Daniel. “The Rural Community
Development Initiative Program is
one of the instruments we can util-
ize to provide them with this ser-
vice.”
The $6,286,500 in RCDI grant
funds are available to intermediar-
ies and have a dollar for dollar
matching fund requirement, in-
tended to double the impact of the
grants. Qualified organizations can
be public or private that have been
legally organized for at least three
years and have experience working
with eligible recipients. Recipients
of the funds from the intermediary
can be non-profit organizations,
low-income communities, or feder-
ally recognized tribes.
Complete information about the
program is available in the July 12,
2006 edition of the Federal Regis-
ter or by going to:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/rcd
i/. Information is also available by
contacting Connie Petru, USDA
Rural Development State Office, at
254-742-9793. Applications must
be received by USDA Rural De-
velopment within 90 days of the
Federal Register publication
date. Late applications will not be
considered for funding.
X,
Are Vou Expressing Love In a
Language Your Child Understands?
Central
baptist (ShtAtch
Benefits of Attending
. •> ■
; :
Dteewerj
Words oh
primary love language. Is it Quality Time,
j Gifts, Acts of Service or is it Physical Touch?
. | ^
• team to speak your child's primary love language -fluently.
' ’X Fa/ 4 . a -.
• Learn what you can do to effectively convey your unconditional
affection, respect and commitment.
• Discover something to enhance your relationship with your child and
adults in your life plus learn something about yourself in the process.
■'
. 'CM
«>*•'**'
Come and Join Us for the Six-Session
"The ^3® Love
Languages of Children"
When: Sundays beginning August 6 at 5:00 P.M.
Where: Children’s Center (2-story building)
Cost: $10.00 per person
Sign-Up: Church Office
506 N. Houston • Livingston
936-327-5614 • Making God Known
.
yu
_m!
V
I
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.
White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 124, No. 58, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 20, 2006, newspaper, July 20, 2006; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth788900/m1/3/: accessed July 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.