Portland News (Portland, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 29, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 19, 1973 Page: 1 of 10
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Vandalism
Rash Of Incidents Hit City
A rash ol vandalism has hit
here in the past couple of
weeks, according to Police
Chief Homer J Bare Jr
He said that one of the main
targets have been street and
traffic signs
Bare pointed out that
mischievous defacing or
destruction of such signs
normally could carry a
misdemeanor charge with a
fine ranging from $2 to $2Mi
It was pointed out. though,
that in cases where signs are
stolen, the amount involved
could run high enough to place
the offense in the felony
category
Many times youngsters take
such signs and display them in
their rooms Bare stressed that
this is stolen property and
should be treated accordingly
by parents
Dale Savage, director of
public works said that other
acts of vandalism occured this
week at 13 Acre Park In an
inspection of the area Tuesday
evening Savage found the
boards stripped from an out
door screen at one of the rest
rooms The lumber was taken
close by and demolished On
another rest room, the Isiards
wen- partially losened from
their frame
liericneed similar vandalism
on their equipment and
vehicles They estimated that
some S.stoi worth of damage had
liecn done in ihe past few
weeks
f resh concrete defacing,
windshields breaking and the
Savage said that contractors stealing of small pieces of
working on construction equipment were the primary
protects within city had ex complaints
m
A •
r
Portland is growing
About this there is not much
debate
Growth was pointed up again
this month with the release by
the Portland banks of their
periodic report of condition
The reports show that during
thti period of one year. Por
Hand bank deposits had in-
creased by about 18 per cent
In July 1972. deposits at the
two banks totalled
*11.970,000 00 The report
released this month show that -
deposits are $14 109.327 00
Portland State Bank lists its
total assets at $12,247,764 28;
total liabilities. 111.152,751 55
total capital accounts.
$9B7,156.93, and total reserves.
$107,855 80
Security State Bank's total
assets are $3,748,246 00; total
liabilities. $3,250.335 08 total
capital $483,081 75, and total
reserves. $14,829 17
Portland State Bank was
founded in August 1958 with
capital of $200,000 Security
State Bank opened in January
1971 with a capital of $500,000
Texas House Speaker Price
Daniel Jr has authorized the
house committee on revenue
and taxation to form a standing
subcommittee to study current
methods of enforcement and
collection of state and local
taxes and make recom
mendations to the house
Representative Leroy
Wieting is the chairman
“In view of the fact that
recent studies have shown that
the state of Texas has not done
the best possible job of en
forcement and collection of
taxes owed the state," Daniel
said. "I am confident that this
subcommittee ran through
diligent work help us to further
increase state revenues from
existing taxes "
It is hoped that the new
' subcommittee pursues its task
with vigor There is much to be
done in this vital area Too long
have those who are oblivious to
moral codes taken advantage
of existing tax loopholes
It is pathetic that the federal
(See PDL. Page 2)
AH Star Girls
Play Tomorrow
The Gregory Portland All
Star girls play the Ingleside All
Star team at 8 p m Friday.
July 20, at Ingleside
POR TLAND
15
Dedicated To The Host Interests
Of Portland- The Fastest
Growing City In Texas
TEXAS. 78390, THURSDAY. 1ULY 19, 1973
VOLUME VHI-TEH RASES -NO. 29
NEWS
Hike Out?
Council Moves To Kill CPL Rate Increase
Police Thief Homer J Bare Jr. (left! and Director of Public
Works Dale Savage inspect vandalism damage at 13-Acre
Park (News Photo)
First Baptist
Youth Events Told
Vacation Bible School will
begin at First Baptist Church
at 9 a m Monday. July 30, and
will run through Aug 3, the
Library Has
Big Month
The Portland library had its
biggest month in history in
June with 5.083 books signed
out and 240 new library cards
issued. Dolores Timmerman,
librarian, reported to the
library board Tuesday noon at
its regular monthly meeting
Mrs Timmerman outlined to
the board rules governing use
of the library conference room
which is available to the public
The board unanimously ap
proved the proposals
The conference room is in-
tended for library programs;
however, when not needed for
this purpose, it is available to
public groups
An application form must lie
completed by a member of the
group In the case of reser
vations for children groups, an
adult must make the ap-
plication
Governmental, educational,
cultural, and civic groups may
use the facility. Also, com
(See LIBRARY, Page ■)
AWVyWMWWWWW
Chamber Sets
Tuesday Meet
The Chamber of Commerce
will hold a regular meeting at 12
noon Tuesday, July 24, at Rani*
art a Inn.
Newt-si member of the or*
gantzatton Is BIU Rawl’s Motors
of 912 Auslui St. The firm Is In
the location for nierly occupied
by K-N Root Imer.
Hex W D Broadway, pastor
has announced
On Monday, July 23,
Broadway will take boys,
four through age 17, to boys'
camp at Zephyer Kncampment
on l.ake Mathis
Those who want to attend
should call the church office or
see the pastor
The boys will leave Monday
morning and will return Friday
afternoon
It will be a great week for
every boy who can go,
Broadway said
The city council Tuesday
night passed a motion to
reverse its derision of last
October and voted to repeul the
ordinance which gave a six per
cent rate increase to Central
Power and I,ight Company
effective in April
A special council meeting
has been called for 8:30 a m
Saturday. July 21. at which
time consideration will be
given to the new ordinance
reestablishing the rates in
effect before (he rate increase
A possible first reading of the
ordinance may be heard
City Attorney Bryant Ficken
was not at the meeting when
the motion was made to advise
on the legality of the action
Some altering of wording or
change in procedure may be
necessary
The motion carried by a 4 to I
vote Councilman Harry .
Sherman, who made the
motion, Adan Rangel and
Wayne Walters along with
Mayor William B Brow voted
to throw the rate hike out
Mayor Pro Tern Charles Tothill
voted against. Councllmen
Carl Duncan and James Dugat
PYDT Completes
Survival Course
The Portland Youth Disaster
Team completed a water sur*
vlval course Tuesday evening
that was conducted at the
H. E, B. swimming pool under
the Instruction of Mike Henry,
safety director for the Nueces
County Chapter of The Amerl*
can Red Cross._
Leash Law
Is Enforced
Numerous complaints have
been received by the police,
city manager and council mem*
bers concerning dogs running
lose In the city.
This Is In violation of the
city's leash law. Police Chief
Homer J. Baze Jr. said.
He commented that the city
oidinance concerning dogs Is
being enforced and that animals
found running lose will be pick*
ert up. He suggested that owners
make an effort to keep their dogs
In a fenced yard or on a leash
at all times to avoid cost and
Inconvenience of getting them
returned.
The course consisted of var*
ious ways to help someone who
needs assistance in the water
and how to help yourself In
times of danger.
This and many other courses
are taken by the members of
the PYDT to expand their use-
(See PYDT, Page 2)
were absent. (Dugat had been
present earlier in the evening
however, left the meeting when
learning of the death of Bettie
Stock.)
The motion culminated
several hours of debate during
Ihe public hearing on the
matter Presenting the case for
CPL were Attorney William r
Brown of Houston and V A
McElfresh of H Zuider and
Associates, a utilities con
suiting firm
Several citizens in the
audience including Attorney
Yancy While, Bryan Powers
and James Hamilton were
adamant about the un
warranted necessity of the six
per cent rate increase and
argued vigorously in favor of
council action to amend it
They were expressedly op
posed to the residents having to
pay the higher increase while
Corpus Christi so far has only
consented to a two per cent
increase.
White contended that ('PL, a
wholely own subsidiary of
Central and Southwest (a
holding company), if not the
highest, is one of the top mo-1
ncy making utility companies
in Ihe country.
Powers told the council it
could set any rate it wished He
said that it was time to “let
CPL sweat a while instead of
us " He advocated that through
the hiring of a tax expert
Portland may lie able to get
further rate reductions
McElfresh presented various
exhibits of substantiating
figures and facts to show how
CPL arrived at asking for the
six per cent rate increase His
presentation also showed that
the company's rate of return on
Farmers Receive
Support Checks
The ASCS has mailed price
support checks to all producers
who entered the program and
were eligible this year in San
Patricio and AK.nsas counties
The checks were mailed
Monday, according to Director
Glenn Drachenberg The total
amount of payment to farmers
handled by the local ASCS
office this year is $4.277,d7:> Ofi
More than R.fiOO checks were
mailed
Payments were held up this
year said Drachenberg. when
his office discovered that
approximately half of the
checks sent back from the
main office in Kansas City,
Kansas were incorrect in the
amounts shown
The ASCS here had to review
100 por cent of the checks that
came back Normally, only a
spot check is run on the checks
before they are mailed to the
farmers
Drachenberg said his office
has been manually correcting
the checks that are wrong in
their amounts He said it is
possible that his office may
have made mistakes in
preparing and correcting the
check* so if anyone hasn’t
received a check and thinks
they are entitled to. one,
Drachenberg urge* them to
contact the ASCS
County Spending
Expenditures Far Under Budget 2 T
investment is 5 81 per cent as
compared to almost eight per
cent which is normally con
sidered by regulatory Ixidies as
being within a reasonable
range
It was pointed out that in 1972
Ihe average national cost of a
kilowatt hour was 2 42 cents
and thal Ihe average rate
charged by CPL was 2.26 cents
Brown explained that in 1972
the national average electric
bill was $179 39 and in the CPL
system it was $167 S3 based on
a set number of kilowatt
hours “This is a savings of $12
to CPL residential customers
over the national
average. "Brown said
Brown completed his
Bettie Stock
Has Fatal
Heart Attack
Bettie Slock. 35, who had
been city attorney here since
1966 was found dead in her
apartment early Tuesday
night
She apparently had suffered
a heart attack Justice of the
Peace John B Outlaw ruled the
death to he from natural
causes
Miss Slock was found by the
manager of the Driftwood
Apartments about 8:45 pm
She was found in a chair with
the telephone receiver in her
hand. Outlaw said She had
been dead several hours
Miss Stock, a native of San
Antonio, had been in law
practice here since 1965 Last
month at her request she went
on a leave of absence from the
city posilion until September
due to health reasons
Miss Slock had a law degree
from The University of Texas
Previous to attending UT she
had majored in government at
Texas AAI University at
Kingsville She took her bar
examination in 1962
As a new lawyer she was
briefing attorney for Judge
James it Norvell of the Texas
Supreme Court. She had also
worked for law firms at San
Antonio and Devine
Funeral services will be held
at 10 a m Friday at the Hurley
Funeral Home at Devine
Burial will be at Devine.
She was a member of the
Stale Bar of Texas. American
Bar Association and Nueies
County Bar Association She
was a member of the First
United Methodist Church
Survivors include three
brothers, Roger Stock of San
Antonio, James Stock of Bryan
and Alvin Stock of Kagle Puss
Expenditures for the first six
months of 1973 are almost$150
thousand under the budget for
county operating expenses ac-
cording to a statement re leased
by the county auditors office.
Expenses In some major cat-
egories, however, are running
more than the budget allotment.
The operating funds budget
for the first six months Is
*1,370,773.84. Actual expendi-
tures have been *1,223,723.20.
The general fund for the coun-
ty and the revenue sharing gen-
eral fund are suffering com*
blned expenditures of more than
*14,000 murathan the budget al-
location for the two departments
for the first six months of the
year.
The amount over the budget
to date in the general fund was
caused largely by the purchase
last month by the county of 10
radios for the sheriff, game
wardens and park ranger. The
radios cost *7,265, according
to county Auditor Ray Harris.
The amount over the budget
In the general fund Is *8,688.07.
The road and bridge fund and
revenue sharing fund In precinct
four are also running up ex-
penses more than the budget.
But those same categories In
the other three precincts In the
county plus the general road and
bridge fund are experiencing
expenditures well under the
budget allocations.
The total balance at the end of
June was *1794,730.32. The
total fund balance was *1,156,
131.32.
The fund balance for the coun-
ty for the first six months of
1972 was *477,521.68.
According to the statement,
the total county wide debt as of
June 30 was $1,198,000. This
Includes debts on bonds and
certificates of obligation.
Of the total balance for the
county which amounted to
*1,794,730.32, more the *306
thousand was put on demand de-
posit. The rest is Invested In
time deposits and according to
Harris, draws morethan
*10,000 a month In Interest.
Scout Jamboree-West, East Set
For the first time in the
history of the Boy Scouts of
America, the 1973 National Boy
Jamboree will be held In two
locations in order to provide a
choice
Jamboree West will be held
at Farragul State Park, Idaho.
Aug l-7,and Jamboree East at
Moraine Stale Park, Pa Aug .
3-9
The Gulf Coast Council will
have 216 Scouts and leaders at
the two sites Ninety-six will
attend Jamboree West and 120
Jamboree East There are
over 70,(MM) participants ex
peeled at Ihe jamboree
The jamboree program at
each site includes several
innovations such as com
petition by individuals, and
troops In addition to
traditional Scouting skills,
events will include baseball,
basketball, swimming, golf,
track, log sawing and target
shooting
Special activities will include
a merit badge midway, fine
arts program, fishing, boating,
canoeing, spectacular arena
shows and a jamboree forum
so Scouts may share their
concerns and ideas about the
agruments by saying that CPL
is in dire need of the increase in
the face of mounting costs
across Ihe board and he felt the
increase requested was a
reasonable one
The CPL rate increase has
been a heavily discussed
item for the council since April
when exception was taken to
Portland users having to pay
the six per cent increase and
Corpus Christ i approved the
two per cent increase At that
time Crow said that the council
had acted in good faith in
passing the rate increase with
a "gentlemen's agreement"
that the increase was con
tmgent upon a similar six per
cent rate increase going into
effect for Corpus Christi users
and for all area communities
In other business, the
council:
Heard Ihe first reading of
an ordinance which would
change the traffic advisory
Isiard composition from five to
seven members and would
limit members to two con-
(See CfTY, Page 2)
Red Cross Holds
Annual Meeting
The Red Cross annual meet-
ing was held at the community
Room of Slnton Savings on Mon-
day evening, July 16th.
A budget of local and national
needs In amount of $11,154.00
was approved.
Officers that were elected
were Tom Arnold of Portland
re-elected chairman and Pearl
Thames of Slnton, treasurer.
North Shore
Swim Team
Hosts Meet
The North Shore Swim Team
will host the South Texas
Commission Meet Friday and
Saturday. July 27 and 28, at the
II E B swimming pool here
All area teams from Victoria
south to the valley are invited
to participate and are expected
to come in full learn strength
for the meet, a team
spokesman said
The puDlie is urged to attend
Ihe meet and to cheer the
Portland swimmers to a
Commission championship, the
spokesman said
New board members elected
for the three year term were
Robert Pavlow, Gladys Duggan
and Jolene Cable all of Port-
land, Gene Eaton, Bob Watson
and Floyd Jones of Aransas
Pass, Becky Weise, Ophelia
Deleon and Bobby Lend of Sln-
ton.
Russell Owen of Portland,
first aid multi-media Instruc-
tor, demonstrated one phase of
first aid. The chapter purchas-
ed the film required for teach-
ing, about one year ago and
more than 250 people have been
Instructed by this course.
Jolene Cable will serve as the
San Patricio County Red Cross
nurse. Floyd Jones will serve
as county Water Safety Chair-
man.
Robert Pavlow, captain of the
Portland Youth Disaster Teanj
presented Blackie Schultz of
Aransas Pass an emblem mak-
ing him an honorary member of
the team
Others present were Mr .. A.
Z. Fulllck, Mildred Wise and
Ruby Koclan of Slnton, Joe
Sheridan, manager of the
Coastal Bend Texas Chapter
of Corpus christi, Troy Kizer
of Inglestde, Carol Arnold and
Tim did Roxanna Cooper all
of Portland.
H
i?
V.
their
problems lacing
generation.
Members of the jamboree
slaff from this area are Al
Marsdeti Jr commissioner:
Homer F Elliot. Perry Stock
man. Dennis E Garza, and
Oscar II Fogle all com-
missioner stuff Handy
Knupple and Mike DeLacruz,
program aide, commissioner
slaff
Final preparations and pro
training for Hie jamboree are
under way The troops and
jamboree slaff will depart at
Ihe end of this month
Netv Area
Somr new street signs have made Ihelr appearance here
They are in the Twin Fount Minn subdivision which now is
being developed between Lung Bond and Wildcat Drive.
Street construction and sidewalk and utility installation are
complete in the first section of the development (news
photo)
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Leveen, Paul D. Portland News (Portland, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 29, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 19, 1973, newspaper, July 19, 1973; Taft, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth864282/m1/1/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bell/Whittington Public Library.