Portland News (Portland, Tex.), Vol. 22, No. [38], Ed. 1 Thursday, September 22, 1988 Page: 1 of 10
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Portland News and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Bell/Whittington Public Library.
- Highlighting
- Highlighting On/Off
- Color:
- Adjust Image
- Rotate Left
- Rotate Right
- Brightness, Contrast, etc. (Experimental)
- Cropping Tool
- Download Sizes
- Preview all sizes/dimensions or...
- Download Thumbnail
- Download Small
- Download Medium
- Download Large
- High Resolution Files
- IIIF Image JSON
- IIIF Image URL
- Accessibility
- View Extracted Text
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Volume XXII -
Portland, Tex
Dedicated To The Best Interests Of Portland
"Gem City Of The Gulf"
Phone Quarrel Continues
Mayor Wants Investigation Of
9 Unauthorized Use Of Records
The question over the phone bill Avenll Carr addressed the Council
'Jetan at the last Council meeting on and said, "It u disgusting arid sad to
Sept 6 when Truesdell questioned see this conflict happen Things do
whether Whittington was moving move smoothly here and it would
bai simoan office on city property have to be a serious amount ot
/kt that time, Truesdeli pointed out money in order to bring it before the
Uu t the between the years of 19046. citizens I wish this issue would di-
tto pbme number used by Whit In other action the Couiki
tington for his private business, 60- discussed the continued use
2310, was transferred to his office on Falcon Cabie broadcast services for
cily property and was also listed various city meetings
under si and gas production in the Norma Icx-khart, acting uty
yellow pages with900 Ebn as the ad- manager, said. We have receivedla
Jress number of complainls about the
That is the same address as the Ci- quabty of the broadcast f am not
ty Hal Anne* and the City was pay- recommending stopping them, but 1
ing the base rate charges on the would like to pursue alternatives to
Dlione improving it."
TvmudeU than said that he She said that equipment used in an
tiiought the mayor took services permanent loan to the City and she
from the city to the advantage of his doesn't know how much it can be up-
busimus and that he should reim- dated
birse the city There things we can look into.
specifically the audio portion
Tuesday. Whittington was again aiiiens say they can t hear some of
q uestioned by a citizen and said. “I yIMi so it is possible that the mikes or
stil! think it is a two-bit phone- bill damaged,” said Lockhart
and it two-bit situation. Some ac- she also added that with only a fix-
cuaalions were made and a lot of ^ camera and no studio situation
things were said. I thought it was an tyal u* picture won’t get -any beftei
i lote'haniied situation.'' But. sir>et the meetings have built
When asked the amount of money qulte a following, she would like to
involved, Whittington said he did not work on the audio portion
lino* and that Truesdell should in executive session, the Council
answer discussed litigation concerning the
Truesdell said. "I have only seen dupwution of the Bluffs Coo-
jne i,-ear's phone bills and don’t feel dominium Project,
the actual number should be said. I Whittington said. We are trying
sent the mayor a copy of the bill so gel straight what the liens are on
he would know how much his bills ^ MAy(JR ^
were.
A charge of violating the City
Charter was filed Wednesday with
the city's Ethics Committee against
Councilman Norm Tsiesdell by
Portland Mayor Bobby 'Vhittington
The Mayor said Truesdell
unlawfully questioned city
employees and will anpear before
the board Tom Bridges is clieirman
of that committee ami will set a
hearing date
In turn, Truesdell is taking infor-
mation concerning the mayor's use
ot his physical office to the District
Attorney today
Related to this action, an lie
veatigation of unautliorized use of ci-
ty record* was approved Tuesday by
the Council.
Whittington said lie has reason to
believe that records have been taken
out of City Hail that did not go
through the city secretary
The proper procedure for obtain-
ing public information is to make a
request through the secretary and
pay lor the coat of tlie copies.
Whittington called for the in-
vestigation and said they would turn
tt over to CID and the Police Depart
meet
The records in question are copies
of phone bill* that Whittington
claims Truesdell took without
foOosnng proper proredure
Truesdell said he did make a re-
quest through the city secretory. but
cancelled it end obtained the infor-
mation elaewhere He did not
disclose how or where he got the in-
formation
# unty Cities'
Sales; Tax Rebates Climb 37.42%
^For Month ; Year Is Up 2.86%
‘ 4.50 percent Taft dropped 15.38%
and Gregory was down 19.26 per
cent.
For the year rebates total
$1,113,226 49, compared to
$1,062,303 11, an increase of
$30,925 38. Portland show an in-
crease of $23,534.81; Sinton,
$14,756.25; Mathis, $$,3*4 32; In-
gleside, $5.734 54; Gregory,
$4,862 73; and (idem, 647t> 14 Taft is
down $2.680 96 for the year, and
Aransas Pass is trailing 19*7 by
$24,141.45
Percentagewise, for the year,
Gregory is up 17.37%,. with Sir,ton
showing an increase of 9 16%,
followed by Matins. 8 32%; In-
gieside. 8 05%, Portland. 7 07% ; and
Odem. 1 49% with Taft trailing last
year by 4 72% and Aransas I’ass
swon 8 05 percent.
Portland received the largest
rebate for the month, 118,793 07
compared to $25,340 56 a year ago
Aransas Pass received $28.612 13.
READY TO RIDE A windsurfing anthu vasts from Corpus Christi gets set to sail sod ergoy the a tier et
feels ot Hurricane Gilbert Sunday afternoon at Sunset Lake The winds were reported to be aboot 2S
mph.
Syr Iiithly sales tax rebates receiv- cities are running 2 86% ahead of
ed by San Patricio county cities last ia5[ year, while the statewide
week showed a 32.42 percent in- relates are 12.18% ahead of 1967. Six
crease over the corresponding qf u* eight county cities are show-
month last year, according to uq; inceasej over 1987
figures released by the state comp- Overall for the month, the county
trotlers office The rebates were rc|-Ul totaled 8114,765 94, com-
highter than the statewide increase pared to $86,664 97 last year
of JO.9* percent Rebates were for Showing increase were Portland,
sales made in July and reported by with tn m,.reaSe of $13,452.51; Sin-
August 22. and were sent to cities l0(v *4,541 69, Mathis, $4,384 61; In-
that collect local sales tax at either 4,2*9 35; Aransas Pass,
one or one and a half percent $2,475 02; and Odem. $141,97. while
Six of the eight county cities Gregory dropped $473 16 and Taft
receiving rebates posted an increase w;u down $691 08
last month, with the increases rang- Percentagewise for the month. In-
ing from 4.50% to 93 90%. with the gleside jumped a whoping 96-90%.
decreases registering 15 30% and f c I lowed by Mathis, 62 28%,
Vojg. Portland, 53 89% Sinton. 33 89%,
Portland Damage Free
From Wrath Of Gilbert
try it caused serious flouding in
Monterrey. Mexico that overturned
lour huso-, killing approximately 200
people
Gilbert also caused 26 deaths in
Jamaica. 30 in Haiti five in the
Dominican Republic and eight in
Honduras
In addition high winds, rains and
tornadoes were caused as far north
as l-ousiana Corpus Chnsti receiv-
ed about 10 inches of rain and had
winds up to50 mph
Presently, the National Weather
Service e, keeping a ckuse eye on
Tropical Storm Helene in the
Eastern Atlantic It has winds up to
85 mph and shows the potential tc
stregthen into a hurricane witlun tto
next four days.
Helene is the eighth storm named
in the 1986 Atlantic hurnram!
o-ason
Open House Planned
For High School
Due to Hurricane Gilbert the
Open House for Gregory Portland
High School, which wait planned fle
last Thursday night has been
rffldNHluied
It will be field Thursday, Sept
from 7 30 to 9 p m
The Texas Gulf Coast breathed a Thursday she said
si#h of relief Friday when Hurricane lailly Saldivar. Gregory city
Gilbert did not take an expected nor- secretary, also nave a Rood report
them turn and entered into Mexico She said there was no damage or
about 100 miles south of Brownsville flooding reported in the city, but that
Although no major damage was Highway 138 between Gregory and
reported in Portland or San Patricio Kefugio was partially underwater
County. Gilbert was still a serious near Bay side
storm that caused squalls up to After tracking the movement of
Galveston and hurled dozens of Gilbert, which was downgraded
twisters through Central Texas from category 5 to category 3 when
Norma Lockhart, acting city in moved into the Gulf of Mexico, a
manager for Portland, said there hurricane warning was issued for
was no real damage of any kind in the ( orpus Christi area Thursday
the city morning causing evacuation to start
Indian Point did take some tidal with bumper-to-bumper traffic on
surge and there is still some water Interstate 37
standing there We are looking into
what, if any. damage was done there
and will make a report on what we
find." she said
I ap khart said the city came out of
the storm beautifully and she was
glad it was over with
It was a long boring weekend, but
you never know when one could be
deadly As far as the city, school and
utility companies are concerned,
everyone did a beautiful job and tin*
city was secure by 2 pm
According to reports issued by the
Department of Public Safety , traffic
was backed up approximately seven
miles on 1-37 and was heavy, but
moving well on Highway 181 through
Sinton
Because of the potential danger of
the storm. G-P1SD closed school
both Thursday and Friday banks
closed at noon, and must other
businesses were boarded up and
closed by Thursday afternoon
Although expected to roach land
fall by mam Friday, Gilbert actually
hit around 4 35 p m in a sparslev
populated area of Mexico However
as it moved west through tlie Coun
181 Right-Of-Way Map
To Be Ready Next Week
Councilman Arrested
On Mischief Charge
The appraised values will then be
approved by the local staff ap-
praisers and the Austin office and
negotiations with the property
owners will begin
The Highway Department will be
purchasing 80-100 feet of right-of
way down the east side of 181 from
the area between Wildcat Drive and
the Bluffs
The City of Portland has to pay 10
percent of the total cost of aiquisi-
tion which will be approximately
$500,000
According to the Department, it is
a long process and as the project
progresses, a target date for pur
chasing land and beginning con-
struction will be set
For more information or
brochures on relocation assistant or
right-of-way acquisition, contact the
Highway Department at 855-8281
The nght-of-way map for the ex-
pansion of Highway 181 through
Portland is proceeding as scheduled
and should be complete by the end (if
the month said an official at the
State Department of Highways and
Public T ransportation
Butch Jackson. Right-of Way
supervisor for the department, said
although the map will be finished
next week, appraisals will not begin
immediately
Before appraisals begin, the map
has to be reviewed and approved by
district personnel and by personnel
m the state office in Austin." he said
After the map is approved, in-
dependent appraisers will be hired
and a value will be placed on the pro-
perty Property owners will be given
the opportunity to accompany the
appraiser during the inspection to
insure that nothing is overlooked
did not intend to steal because
nothing was taken
According to Mrs Rodriguez,
there were two key witnesses at
the scene and Aleman was ar-
rested based on their testimony
When questioned. Aleman said
he would rather not comment on
the matter until he consulted with
an attorney and had a chance to
review tin* report that was filed
against him.
Aleman was also p
the Sheriff s Depai
Saturday night, f
Gregory on a DW1
intoxicated i charge
A Gregory Councilman was ar
rested last week in nonet tion
With an act of vandalism at a
local business
Arturo Aleman was picked up
by the San Patncio County
Sheriff's Department last
Wednesday and ( barged with
c nminal mischief He was releas-
ed that day on bond
The vandalized business was
I .a I lendita. which is owned by
former Gregory Councilmember
(Vita Rodriguez
She said. On Sept 10 at 1 a m
the front windows and the door
were broken out as well as the
(MiLside lights Apparently, ttry
PREPARED FOR GILBERT CPL alonfl with other businesses and
residents in town prepare lor tto »»nds <* Gilbert b, bo.rd.ng up*.«
dows and doors or taping than. when boards weren't available 1 be Ci
ty ot Portland was secure bv 2 C m Thursday and by Sunday the
boards were coming oil again as < ituens breathed a sigh a r.iiet that
the storm passed them by
ring while
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.
Neill, Lee Ann. Portland News (Portland, Tex.), Vol. 22, No. [38], Ed. 1 Thursday, September 22, 1988, newspaper, September 22, 1988; Portland, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth871044/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1: accessed June 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bell/Whittington Public Library.