Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 115, No. 96, Ed. 1 Sunday, November 30, 1997 Page: 1 of 80
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Southwest Micropuhnshing Inc75 ~
2627 East Yandel1
El Paso Tx 79903
Polk County
Comp
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ENTERPRISE
Sunday,
Nov. 30,1997
life ■
115 Number 96
Tk* Dominant New* and Advertising Source in Polk County
USPS 437-340 Price: 50 cent*
Several wide-open races on ballot
Filing begins Wednesday
iNTnram photo by Gordon ubarron
FLASH FLOOD - Keith, Karen and Kiara Wyatt had to flee their mobile home off Edmonds
Road in Goodrich due to the heavy rain that fell during a thunderstorm Friday afternoon. A little
over four inches of rain was recorded m the area. Neighbors report that the storm also led to the
collapse of a roof in the Goodrich area. Several streets in Livingston had over a foot of standing
water, but the rains stopped before the water encroached into houses.
LIVINGSTON -- With 12 local
races on the ballot, plus numerous
regional and state offices to be
filled, what promises to be an inter-
esting election season will offi-
cially begin this week.
Filing for candidacy in the March
10 Democratic and Republican pri-
mary elections begins Wednesday.
Winners of their respective party
primaries will face-off in the
November, 1998 General Election.
Local -offices on the ballot in-
clude county judge, presently held
by John Thompson; Polk County
district attorney, now held by John
Holleman and county court at law
judge, now held by Stephen
Phillips. All three have indicated
they will seek re-election.
Other terms that will expire at
the end of 1998 are those now held
by District Clerk Nell Lowe and
County Cleric Barbara Middleton,
both of whom are expected to seek
re-election.
Local voters will also be select-
ing a county treasurer, a position
now held by Nola Reneau, who was
appointed to the position following
the resignation of Cheryl Tamez on
Oct. 1.
The terms of Precinct 2
Commissioner Bobby Smith and
Precinct 4 Commissioner Dick
Hubert will also expire at the end of
1998. Both have indicated they will
run for re-election.
All four justice of the peace posi-
tions will also be on the ballot.
Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace
Mary Placker and Precinct 3 Justice
of the Peace Harvey Stamper have
indicated they will not seek re-elec-
tion. Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace
David Johnson and Precinct 4
Justice of the Peace Howard Lilley
have indicated they will file for re-
election to their positions.
Filing will also be open for-
District 18 state representative, a
position held since 1983 by Allen
Hightower. Hightower has an-
nounced that he will not seek re-
election. Potential candidates for
Hightower's seat in the legislature
are Democrat Dan Ellis of
Livingston and Republican Ben
Bius of Huntsville.
The term of 258th Judicial
Weird weather makes case for NOAA tower
LIVINGSTON - "If past history
is any indication of what is in store
for Southeast Texas this winter, we
should be prepared for a wet, yet
relatively mild, winter," Gene
Hafele, warning coordination mete-
orologist for the
Houston/Galvestpn National
Weather Service Office, said.
"We are observing one of the
strongest El Ninos in history de-
velop in the eastern tropical Pacific
Ocean," Hafele said.
El Nino, derived from the
Spanish word for boychild, is the
cyclical wanning of sea surface
temperatures in the eastern equato-
rial Pacific waters.
"The effects of varying warmer
water temperatures in the Pacific
have significant impacts on short-
term global climate, including
weather patterns across North
America," Hafele said. "Mid and
upper level westerly shearing winds
increase over the tropical Atlantic
as a result of El Nino, thus inhibit-
ing tropical cyclone development
across the Atlantic hurricane basin."
Hafele said August and
September of this year have been
the least active since the 1929 sea-
son when only one storm formed
during the two months. He said an
enhanced southern branch of the jet
stream often results in increased
precipitation across the southern
tier of the U.S.
"This is all the more reason we
need NOAA Weather Radio,” John
McDowell, Polk County's emer-
gency management' coordinator,
said.
A service of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) of the U.S. Department of
Commerce - and the voice of the
National Weather Service (NWS) -
NOAA Weather Radio provides
See FUNDS pg. 4A
District Judge Joe Ned Dean will
also expire at the end of 1998.
Although 16 state senators will
be chosen next year, District 3 Sen.
Drew Nixon is not among them.
His term runs through the year
2000.
Texas voters will fill seven seats
on the State Board of Education, in-
cluding that of Grace Shore of
Longview, who was recently ap-
pointed to serve District 8 follow-
ing the resignation of Donna
Ballard.
Filing will also begin Wednesday
for 10 statewide offices, including:
governor, lieutenant governor, at-
torney general, state comptroller,
land commissioner, agriculture
commissioner, one railroad com-
missioner, and three Texas Supreme
Court justices.
Local candidates wishing to file
for a place on the Democratic
Primary ballot may do so by con-
tacting Polk County Democratic
Chairman Richard Gilbert, 810 W.
Church, Livingston.
Those wishing to file for the
Republican Primary should contact
Polk County Republican Party
Chairman Benny Fogleman, 401 N.
Washington, Livingston.
Prior to filing, candidates first
must go to the Polk County
Clerk's Office and designate a cam-
paign treasurer.
Early voting for the primary elec-
tions will run from Feb. 23, 1998
through March 6. Should runoff
elections be needed following the
primaries, they will be held on
April 14.
JP tb leave office with lots of memories
LIVINGSTON - She has per-
formed weddings on boats, and in
jail; has performed inquests on
some 1,250 deaths; and seen Polk
Countians at their best and worst.
After 19 years as a justice of the
peace, Judge Mary Placker has de-
cided not to seek another term.
"It is said there is a time and sea-
son for all things," Placker said.
"After much thought, I feel like it's
time for me to move on. Therefore,
I will not seek re-election to the of-
fice of justice of the peace next
year. I will finish my term and re-
tire on Dec. 31,1997."
The judge finds it hard to believe
that almost 19 years have passed
since she was first elected in 1978.
"Many changes have occurred in
Polk County. It amazes me how
much our county has grow a"
Her caseload has tripled within
the past two to three years and fines
have grown along with the
caseload. The maximum fine for
public intoxication, $17 when she
took office, is now $500. Offenders
were allowed $5 per day for jail
time back in 1978; now it's $50.
"I have been most fortunate in
having the assistance, cooperation
and friendship of the Livingston,
Corrigan and Onalaska police de-
partments, the sheriffs department,
the EMTs and all of the municipal
judges." die sail
"One of the greatest thrills I will
ever have was the day voters of
Precinct 1 elected me as their jus-
tice of the peace. It is impossible to
describe the gratitude I feel for all of
those who worked so hard in my
campaigns. Most of all, I want to
thank my family for their hard work
and support over the past 19 years.
"I have strived to be as fair as
possible on the cases that came be-
Jm
IVTOPR*! PHOTO RY OORDON UBARRON
JUDGE TO RETIRE - Judge Mary Placker, who hu an-
nounced that she will not seek re-election, will have saved 20
years as justice of the peace when she steps down at the end of
her term; Dec. 31,1998.
fore me," Placker said.
"I have met many people, made
lots of friends, lost a few, have
grown older and, hopefully, a little
wiser. I have seen people at their
very worst, their saddest and at their
best."
Land family
giving thanks
LIVINGSTON - Coming up
with things for which they're
thankful wasn't difficult for the
Land family this Thanksgiving,
with daughter Haley, 15, having
successfully undergone surgery
Nov. 19 to install a defibrillator in
her heart
"She's got some swelling, but so
far she's doing good," Haley’s
mother, Kerry Land, said Friday.
"We went back Wednesday and the
doctors told us to watch the
swelling for signs pf infection."
Kerry said Thanksgiving was "a
big day" for Haley because she got
to see both her grandmothers--Ann
Watson and Mona Cassity, both of
Livingston - as well as her
boyfriend Josh, a Big Sandy ISD
student.
Kerry said that although Haley
"gets tired easily," they're spending
the weekend "putting up the tree
and getting the house decorated" for
Christmas.
Bom April 14, 1982, Haley was
diagnosed at three months with
hyperthropic cardiomyopathy. She
received a pacemaker at the age of
13 months.
However, a January 1988 biopsy
revealed revere deterioration of her
heart and the decision was made to
transplant the organ.
Haley became known as "Polk
County's Sweetheart" when the
community rallied aroufcl her as she
received her heart transplant int988
at the age of 5.
A decade later she is back on the
donor list, in need of a new heart.
Doctors decided to install the
defibrillator to sustain her until a
suitable donor heart can be located.
Serving as justice of the peace is
often a seven-days-a-week, 24-
hours-a-day job, and the interrup-
tions during holidays and family
time are one thing Placker said she
will not miss when she retires.
"My family will be glad to be able
to sit down to a Thanksgiving or
Christmas dinner without being in-
terrupted."
See WEDDINGS pg. 4A
Santa's making his list
Once again, Santa Claus has
designated the Polk County
Enterprise as his official collec-
tion site for children's letters to
Santa.
Santa's mailbox is in front of
the Enterprise office on Tyler
Street and Santa will be checking
be checking his mail periodically.
It's obviously a busy, time of
year for Santa, so he's asking
children to get .their letters in
early.
Through a special agreement, Santa will allow the Enterprise to print
any letters to Santa received by 5 p.m. Dec. 15 in a special Letters to
Santa section which will be published on Dec. 21.
tNTCRrRMK PHOTO BY OORDON UBARRON
FALL CLEAN-UP -.A late-October frost brought some brilliantly-colored autumn leaves this
year, but the leaves lost their grip on their tree branches during the warm winds of Thanksgiving
and Friday's thunderstorms. Josiah and Joshua Gentry tackle the clean-up in their yard on South
Washington Street.
.11
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 115, No. 96, Ed. 1 Sunday, November 30, 1997, newspaper, November 30, 1997; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth798275/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1&rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.