Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 122, No. 83, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 14, 2004 Page: 1 of 34
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w^Onalaska
celebrating
100th anniversary
8pMial Mction kwid*
Volume 122 Number 83
Polk Counf"
ENTERPRISE
The Dominant News and Advertising Source in Polk County_
Thursday
Oct. 14,2004
UPS 437-340 Price: 50 cents
By EMILY BANKS
News Editor
LIVINGSTON - A videotape in
which the defendant appeared to
confess was played for jurors in the
capital murder trial of Donnie L ee
Roberts Jr., 33, of Livingston,
Tuesday
Roberts was charged last fall
with capital murder for the Oct 15,
2003 death of Vickie Ann Bowen.
44, of Livingston, who was killed
by a gunshot wound during the
commission of a robbery
“I don’t know why I did it
There’s no reason in the world why
I had to shoot Vickie," Roberts said
in the videotape in which he was
being questioned by Captain Den-
nis Allen of the Polk County Sher
iff s Department following his Oct.
16 arrest.
Allen testified Tuesday, identify-
ing photographs from the crime
scene for jurors. He pointed out the
areas where blood droplets and
transfer blood were found on a cof-
fee table, end table and sofa.
He also identified, in photo-
graphs. a spent 22-caliber cartridge
on the floor near the coffee table
and an unspent 22-caliber cartridge
that was found underneath a cush-
ion on a loveseat
Allen testified that investigators
determined that a large television
had been taken from the entertain-
ment center in the living room of
the residence
Other testimony Tuesday re-
vealed that Bowen occasionally
arrived late for her job as a dental
hygienist at a Livingston dental
clinic, but always called if she was
going to be late
"This was the one time she didn't
call That was unusual," Brenda
Bland, one of Bowen’s co-workers,
testified about the morning of Oct
16.
Bland testified that she drove to
Bowen’s residence in Lake
Livingston Village and entered the
mobile home through a cracked
door where she saw Bowen on the
floor, covered with a blanket
Bland said her cell phone was not
See MISTRIAL pg. 2A
KSTF.RPKIsr PHOTO BY CORDON UHXKRON
VANDALISM AT HIE JONAS DAVIS CABIN - Recent vandalism at the historic Jonas
Davis Cabin was di^overed Tuesday by a member of the Polk County Heritage Society.
VandaD allegedI\ htoke into the cabin, picked up the ax that was used to build the cabin and
used the tool to ransack everything in it, including furniture, dishes and jars of canned
vegetables. To report information regarding the crime, contact the Livingston Police
Department at 0)36)327-31 17 or Polk County Crime Stoppers at (936)327-STOP.
City facing changes as manager announces retirement
LIVINGSTON - The Livingston
City Council seat left vacant by the
death of Dr. Kenneth Parkhill last
month will remain empty until the
next regular city election, May 1.
Prior to that date there will be an-
other major change in the line up of
city officials.
Just prior to adjournment of
Tuesday’s regular meeting of the
Livingston City Council, City
Manager Sam Gordon distributed
letters to council members an
nouncing he will retire effective
March 31,2005.
Long-time City Secretary and
Assistant City Manager Marilyn
Sutton has expressed interest in the
manager’s position. Gordon, who
has served as manager for ap-
proximately 20 years, said his deci-
sion to retire was a “tough one,”
made with mixed emotions. He
added there is “no doubt” Sutton is
a good administrator and would
make a good city manager.
The matter will be further dis-
cussed in executive session, likely
during next month’s regular council
meeting.
In the meantime, Parkhill’s death
left another void on the council,
that of mayor pro-tern. Councilman
Bill Watson was the sole nominee
to the position and was elected
mayor pro-tem by a unanimous
council vote.
Detention facility proposal,
grant activity
Although still in preliminary
stages, the city may be gaining a
major new water and sewer service
customer.
Corplan Corrections/CiviGenics
has contracted with the county to
Party planned
ONALASKA - Several events
are on tap to celebrate the 100th
birthday of the City of Onalaska
from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and
Saturday around the Onalaska Fire
Station.
In addition to a carnival, there
will be arts and crafts booths and
numerous food booths.
Local singer Jody Booth will
play from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and
Michael Quentin will perform from
2-4:30 p.m.
The Onalaska Lioness Club will
host-a cake walk and the Onalaska
Lions Club will hold live and silent
auctions at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Carnival tickets may be pur-
chased in advance at the Onalaska
locations of the First National Bank
and the First State Bank and at
Onalas.ta City Hall.
build and operate a detention facil-
ity. The facility would house up to
500 inmates for U.S. Immigration
and Customs, formerly known as
the U.S. Immigration and Naturali-
zation Service. The company ini-
tially proposed to construct the
facility in Goodrich, but has en
countered “capacity issues" with
existing water and sewer service in
that area, James Parkey of Corplan
told the city council.
While the Goodrich site has not
been excluded - the final decision
will be the county’s - the company
is looking at an alternate site on
FM 350 South at Mangum Road,
adjacent to the Texas Department
of Criminal Justice Polunsky Unit.
The alternate site is outside the
city’s designated service area, but
the city already provides water and
sewer service to the prison unit
through an interagency agreement.
An agreement to serve the deten-
tion facility would be similar. For
all practical purposes, the city
would be entering into an inter-
agency agreement with the county.
Parkey said.
The city has ample capacity to
serve the proposed detention facil-
ity, but future growth could some-
day necessitate expansion of the
city’s water treatment capacity -
something which should be taken
into account, Gordon said.
The council voted to continue
negotiations, clearing the way for
Corplan/Civi.(icnics in continue its
site evaluation
Fielding quoti'iis concerning
the economic impact ot the deten-
tion facility. Paikev said the deten-
tion lactlilv will employ 125-L50
people, only ilnee of lorn ot whom
will be existing ( oiplan employ-
ees. and that those employees will
have medical and retirement bene-
fits. In addition, the company will
attempt to use local vendors and
contractors when possible, he
added.
The facility itself, which will be
subject to state jail inspections, will
be designed to maximum security
standards but will be operated at a
medium security level, he said.
One advantage of the FM 350
site would be its proximity to
Livingston Municipal Airport. Al-
though unrelated to the detention
facility proposal, improvements are
ahead for the city airport.
The city council approved appli-
cation for a Texas Department of
Transportation (TxDOT) Division
of Aviation grant.
The grant is a continuation of an
airport improvement master plan
adopted by the city in 2002. "We’re
in TxDOT’s | grant) rotation,”
Gordon said. Through the grant, the
state would provide 90 percent of
funding for renovations to the run-
ways, parking area and access road,
as well as landing and approach
instrumentation improvements.
Eventually, the project will total
approximately $1 million
In the first phase, the city's 10
percent share will total $IUMK).
primarily for engineering costs.
The remaining $89,000 of the city’s
share will not be due until 2000,
the construction phase is scheduled
for 2005-2006.
Also approved was participation
in TxDOT’s Routine Airport Main-
tenance Program (RAMP).
Through RAMP, the city and
TxDOT will evenly divide costs, up
to $60,000, for ongoing airport
maintenance.
In other grant activity, the coun-
cil approved application to the Ot
fice of Rural Community Affairs
for a Texas Community Develop-
ment Program grant tor sewer re-
placement
The city applied lor a similar
grant last year, missing a grant
award by only a lew points. "We
think this one has a real chance,”
said Grant Consultant David Wax-
man.
If approved, the grant would
cover the cost of sewer line re-
placement from a point near the
intersection of Old Israel Road and
North Houston, extending south
approximately 5,(XX) feet to near
the south end of North Meece Ave-
nue and then west to a point about
3(X) feet south of the intersection of
Abbey and North Houston. The
See CITY pg. 5A
By EMILY BANKS
News Editor
LIVINGSTON - Effective Mon-
day, Mary Jean "MJ" Payne will be
the new executive director of the
Livingston Polk County Chamber
of Commerce
Currently with the Tyler County
Chamber of Commerce in Wood-
ville. Payne will till the position
that has been vacant since the July
resignation of former executive
director Beverly Whitten
A search committee made up of
I I chamber directors conducted a
series of meetings and interviews
prior to offering the position to
Payne, according to Chamber
President Rod Zeigler
"MJ will be bringing lots of en-
ergy and excitement, so make sure
you are ready," Zeigler said
Payne has been with the Tyler
County Chamber ot Commerce for
a year and during that time has
spearheaded aunprencnsive eco-
nomic development practices that
have attracted numerous commer-
cial interests to the area. Addition-
ally. during that time she has more
than doubled the membership of
the chamber.
She has 20 years experience in
marketing, real estate sales and
management and corporate reloca-
tion and was recently nominated to
Leadership Southeast Texas.
“I’d previously worked on a tri-
county marketing campaign that
involved Tyler. Polk and San Ja-
cinto counties I’m really looking
forward to the opportunity to ex-
pand on some of the marketing
from that campaign and follow
through with that effort in a for-
ward-thinking community,” Payne
said
Having received 18 applications
for the position, the search commit-
tee conducted a series of pre-
interviews by telephone and culled
the number down to five individu-
als who were interviewed in person
by the committee.
See MANAGER pg. 2A
Election judges appointed
ENTERPRISE PHOTO H> (JORDON I.ebAKKON
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS - Onalaska Mayor Lew Vail
and Greater Onalaska Chamber of Commerce Director Patti
Johnson place a sign advertising this Saturday’s 100th anniver-
sary celebration for the City or Onalaska. Games, food, music
ana crafts are on the agenda for the celebration. A special sec-
tion commemorating the anniversary is included in today’s edi-
tion of the Enterprise.
LIVINGSTON - The appoint-
ment of election judges and alter-
nates for a two-year election cycle
beginning November 2(X)4, as
submitted by the county clerk, was
approved by the Polk County
Commissioners’ Court during its
regular meeting Tuesday.
A request from the Precinct 2
constable to approve the appoint-
ment and bond of Mitch Newman
as a reserve deputy constable for
Precinct 2 was approved
Commissioners approved bids
for the annual purchases of oil, gas
and diesel; road materials; tires and
tubes; and the bulk purchase of
limestone road base.
An update to the master street
address guide was approved
In conjunction with the reor-
ganization of the aging department,
commissioners approved reinstat-
ing county job descriptions for
kitchen helper and head cook, as
amended.
The following offers to pur-
chase county tax foreclosure prop-
erty were approved: $750 from the
City of Corrigan for Lot 1A of
Block 3 of Corrigan Original
Townsite in Precinct 3; $857.50
from Sharon Williams for Lots 11,
12 and 13 of Holly Hills No. 7 in
Precinct 4; and $1,500 from Mr.
and Mrs. Giacomo Reginato for Lot
25 of Sunset Shadows No. 2 in
Precinct 1.
Commissioners approved
budget revisions as presented by
the county auditor and budget
amendments as submitted and re-
viewed by the court-appointed
committee.
Other business included ap-
proval of the personnel action
forms, schedule of bills and min-
utes of the Sept. 28 meeting.
During informational reports
from elected officials and depart-
ment heads. Emergency Manage-
ment Coordinator Kenneth Ham-
brick reported that there will proba-
bly be no tlu shots available this
year, but that he was able to obtain
100 from the Angelina County and
Cities Health District to inoculate
the caregivers at the hospital
County Clerk Barbara Middle-
ton reminded everyone that early
voting for the Nov. 2 General Elec-
tion begins Monday and will con-
tinue through Oct. 29.
Precinct 2 Commissioner
Bobby Smith reminded everyone of
the City of Onalaska’s Centennial
Celebration slated for Friday and
Saturday.
Precinct I Commissioner Bob
W'illis mentioned that several
months ago the Board of Directors
of the Polk County Committee on
Aging was asked to amend its by-
laws to get the court out of its deci-
sion-making process and that to his
knowledge it has not yet been done.
W'illis requested the item be placed
on the agenda for the next court
meeting and a report presented.
Rev. Harold Isaacs of Beacon
Bay Baptist Church opened the
meeting with prayer
Fee variance tabled
ONALASKA - The Onalaska
City Council tabled action on a
request from Lewis and Monica
Landsman, owners of Lake Living
Mobile Home Park, for a variance
of inspection fees during its regular
meeting Tuesday.
The city currently charges a per-
mit fee of 25 cents a square foot.
The Landsmans asked that the fee
be either waived or reduced as they
said they feel it will discourage
people from mow g into the mo-
bile home park.
Action on severa. personnel is-
sues was taken by council, includ-
ing approval of the termination of
Onalaska Police Officer Jarni Johns
and the resignation of Onalaska
Police Officer Mitchell Newman
Additionally, council accepted
the resignation of Mona Statue
from the board of the City of Ona-
laska Public I ibr.iry and approved
the appointment of JoAnn Miller to
fill the vacancy on the board.
The issuance of a permit for the
Nov. 27 Christmas parade was ap-
proved. In related activity, council
approved closing FM 356 from
U.S. Hwy. 190 South from 6-9 p.m.
on that day and Old Trinity Road
from FM 356 West to Magnolia
from 2-9 p.m
Although council entered into an
executive session to consult with an
attorney regarding contemplated or
pending litigation and to deliberate
the purchase of real property, no
action was taken upon return to
open session.
Reports were presented on behalf
of the police department, fire de-
partment, building inspector, li-
brary and Centennial committee.
Other business included approval
of the minutes, financial reports
and pavment of vouchers.
In capital murder trial
Testimony underway
Director
hired
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 122, No. 83, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 14, 2004, newspaper, October 14, 2004; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth790857/m1/1/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.