Portland News (Portland, Tex.), Vol. 15, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 19, 1980 Page: 2 of 15
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PACE 2 PORTLAND NEWS. Thursday. June It. 1M0
(USPS 424 1*0)
MEMBER 1080
TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
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Published Every Thursday at 325 Green. Taft. Texas
Second-Class Postage Paid at Portland. Texas 78374
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For Instance
Eagle’s Talons Need Sharpening
— by pdl —
WHEN A person takes a look
at same of die police reports
and sees what "responsible
drivers" sit behind the wheel of
some of the vehicles you pass
in excess of 100 mph
'converging speed). It is a
cotton picking wonder there
aren't many more fatal
crashes
A couple incidents here this
week are enough lo set your
hair on end
In one. a nine-year-old boy
was the driver while a drunk
sat at his side, giving
directions no doubt
In another, the driver was
reported to police as an
unconscious person in a vehicle
on the side of 181 The bloke
was just coming to when the
officer approached. The
“driver" had trouble standing
on his feet
No doubt, if he had not been
reported he would have gone
along on his merry way after
coming to
The disgusting situation
surely isn't getting any better
It seems that it la about time
that our lawmakers in Austin
are given the word to get
hootch out of the autos in
Texas
IT WOULD surely seem that
with the fiscal walls of his rose
garden tumbling down around
his socks, the President would
lake a hard look at trying to
economize in keeping the bilb
of the White House in check
But. the first family tools
back and lorth to Camp David
just about every weekend in a
bunch of plus Marine choppers
Then, last week it was off on a
little 8,000- mile political jaunt
around the countryside in Air
Force One
First to Miami lo do a bit of
campaigning and then on to
Washington state for more of
the same
Just lo add a compassionate
touch, a stop at Grand Island.
Neb . was included
Regardless of what the press
releases said, or what Jody
Powell puls out, it was
campaigning
l'pon return, as a welcome
back home lo themselves, the
Carters laid on a little White
House bash for only a thousand
people, plus a band from
Austin
Who pays’
You know
Evidently, they plan to enjoy
the trappings of the office,
while they can. that Is.
WHERE HAVE the
American heroes gone’
For instance, it has been five
years since the last American
space flight buzzed ofl the pad
That was in July 1975 when
Apollo 18 linked up with a
Ruskie Soyuz capsule In a
spectacular show of good
relations between the two
space powers
Since then there have been
only short items in the press
about the dragging out of the
Shuttle program, which has
slipped badly because of
budgetary reasona and
because of some technology
difficulties
There are those individuals
who question any expenditure
for any space exploration
Hut. they should delve just a
little deeper into sound
reasoning for continued
accelerated, top-burner
programs These are going to
mean the difference in survival
in a few years, if not today
Those who say that funds
should not he expended for
defense purposes, or for space
projects, should tell that to the
opposition
The Russians forge ahead
relentlessly Should this
country just say, "We're the
good guys, we'll sit by and
watch until you are ready to
knock us off’"
And. it ii not only
Afghanistan, and air bases
within 80 miles of the Iranian
border
The space trip just Iasi week
by the Soviets, the second visit
in two weeks to comrades
manning the orbiting Red
space station. Salyut 6. was not
just a pleasure flight into the
heavens, even though it was
described as a test of a new
transport ship
They mean military
business They play awful hard
at the game while the United
States sits on its military and
space programs for the lack of
effective funding
Even now. the Soviets have,
in being, the capability to |
intercept and destroy
spacecraft operating at low to
medium-high orbits
The United States has no
anti satellite weapons, even
though the Air Force is
developing such systems But.
it has not been given the go
ahead to go beyond the
development stage
Everyone wonders where
this great country's clout has
gone Why do countries now
look down their noses at us?
Why?
The aggressive Russian bear
continues to sharpen its
military claws, while the proud
American eagle continues to
fold its wings
Those watching from the
high grass in between must be ‘
very careful
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mm
In Portland
This Week
THURSDAY, JUNE 18
TOPS 638 - 7 p.m, First Presbyterian Church
Portland Singles Club - 9 p.m.. Western Palms. 4449
Ayers, Corpus Christ!
SUNDAY, JUNE 22
Singles Club - 8 p.m , lands End apartments social room
MONDAY. JUNE U
Rotary Club -12 noon, Community Center
Isons Club - 7 p.m., Shep's Chicken Shack
G-PCommunity Chorus -7:29 pm, First Baptist Church
Overeaters Anonymous - 8 p.m., First Presbyterian
Church
TUESDAY, JUNE 24
Volunteer Jure department 7.30 p.m., fire station
Masonic 1 xjdge-7:30p.m., Masonic lodgeb-aiding
WEDNESDAY, JUNE »
Kiwams Club -12 noon. Shep's Chicken Shack
Chapter 2901. AARP - 6:30 pm. First Presbyterian
Church
Portland Sea Gulls Square Dance Club - 8 p.m., Com-
munity Center
THURSDAY, JUNE M
Story Tune - 10 a.m.. Bell Public Library
TOPS 638 - 7 p.m., First Presbyterian Church
Jaycees - 7.30 p.m.. Community Center
Portland Singles Club - 9 pm. Western Palms, 4449
Ayers, Corpus Christ!
BK.LI. PUBLIC LIBRARY HOURS
Monday. Tuesday, Thursday - 9 a.m. to6p.m.; Wednes-
day -9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday -9 a.m. to & p.m.: Saturday -10
a.m to 2p m
Portland’s
Past
14 YEARS AGO
1966
Mrs Herschel Brooks was
honored with a stork shower at
the home of Mrs. Mort
Handleman
Mr and Mrs Bob Holloway
are new residents of Portland
and live at 102 Seventh
Richard Kush, son of Mr and
Mrs R. F. Ruah, left for Camp
Pendleton, Calif., for boot
training with the Marines
10 YEARS AGO
1970
Emmett Hubbard Sherman
has been hired by the Gregory-
Portland school district as head
basket ball coach and assistant
freshman football coach, ac-
cording to Superintendent W
C. Andrews
Mrs Thomas Dial was
honored with a baby shower at
the home of Mrs. G. A.
Broughton of Gregory
The yard of Mr and Mrs
Connie Morrison of 229 Pecos
was chosen by the Jaycees as
the Yard of the Month
iYEARSAGO
ins
Sister Dons Broerman and
Sister Barbara Blunter were
honored with a farewell
oovered-dish supper and recep-
tion at Our lady of Mt. Carmel
Catholic Church parish hall.
Sue and Bob Wright, owners
of Merle Norman Studios,
received a makeup achieve-
ment award for Bob Dressier,
vice president of the nation-
wide cosmetic firm
Kin. Bndger, 11. daughter of
Mr and Mrs Bill Bridger, won
the first place trophy for 11
year olds in beginners state
open solo twirling at the USTA
Texas State Championship held
in Houston
1 YEAR AGO
1979
Larry WiUis. vice president
of the Portland Lions,
presented a check for 1100 in
behalf of the Lions to the
Jaycees to assist in defraying
costs of the fireworks display
the Jaycees and the Portland
Volunteer Fire Department
will put on the Fourth of July
A miscellaneous bridal
shower was given for Terri
Rawalt, bride-elect of David
Wend Land Jr., at the home of
Mrs Kicky Manuel
Editor 8 Quote Book
I hr fir»t great gift wr
can bfitoM on othfn it a
good example
1 homat Morel!
Weekly Portfolio
by Max Hottell
Account f cecuhue Bat he HMwy. Stuart A Shield, Inc
solid gains on world money
markets while gold ran into
selling for the second straight
day Fixed income markets
were a mixed bag today as
traders assimilated the sour
economic news - which is
favorable for fixed uicome
prices - while digesting recent
sharp gains.
Tomorrow, the Market may
attempt to recapture the flagg-
ing bullish spirit, but eight
weeks is still a long haul
without a correction. Rather
than spring from a pullback,
we would be alert to buying op-
portunities since we believe the
upturned will revive once the
overbought condition is
neutralized We're reasonable
We will take a few months and
give the opposition a few days.
Highlights And Sidelights
The Market completed the
eighth week of its spring rally,
but the bull was noticeably
gasping by the final bell
A mild pullback at this junc-
ture would not be surprising
Indeed, it would serve to revive
the uptrend It is one thing to ig-
nore the recession It is
something else again to ignore
the laws of gravity.
The Dow Industries I Average
managed to retain two points
out of a six-point earlier nse
while advances maintained a
small bias over declines, after
showing a morning variance of
2-1 on the upside The Blue Chip
Index, up 120 points in two mon-
ths. seemed to find difficulty
with the resistance zone that
lies between 880 and 900. Tak-
ing a few steps back and charg-
ing forward is more likely to
get the Dow through overhead
supply than trying to make it,
cold turkey, on top of a two-
month drive.
In the news, the government
reported that personal income
in May showed almost no gain
over the prior month, the se-
cond straight month of flat in-
come trends. On the other
hand, consumer saving flows
tended to improve Also, out to-
day were the housing figures
for May. with the annual rate
below one million units and
down 11 percent from the prior
month Both figures were
within the character of the
other May numbers and not
unexpected
Meanwhile, the dollar made
by Lyndell Williams
AUSTIN — The other
shoe in the Brilab investiga-
tion dropped with commo-
tion Thursday when a Hous-
ton federal grand jury
indicted Texas House Speak-
er Bill Clayton on six charges
including fraud, racketeering
and conspiracy lo commil
extortion
Also indicted were Deer
Park labor official L. G
Moore, and Austin law part-
ners Donald Kay and Ran-
dall Wood
The defendenls were ac-
cused of plotting lo use cash
payments to Clayton and
fraud lo obtain a lucrative
slate insurance contract for a
l-os Angeles insurance firm,
which aclually was an FBI
dummy firm and did not
exist
Clayton allegedly received
$5,000 from Moore in his
Capitol office. Present dur-
ing lhal transaction was Jo-
seph Hauser, a iwice-con-
victed California insurance
man who was aclually co-
operating with the FBI
Clayton has said Ihc mon-
ey was offered as a cam-
paign contribution which he
accepted lo avoid embarrass-
ing Moore The money was
kepi several months m a cre-
denza in Clayton's offices
until the Brilah scam broke
into headlines Clayton told
reporters then he kepi ihe
money lo return lo Moore
when he returned lo the
Capilol
Hoi Speaker's Race
The indictmcnl came as
no surprise to Clayton and
other legislators the cam-
paign to replace Clayton
healed up considerably Ihc
day before Ihe grand fury's
decision
In a flurry ol morning
press conferences, the two
leading Speaker candidates.
Kep Gib Lewis of Fori
Worth and Rep John Bryani
of Dallas, claimed Ihe ad-
vantage
l.cwis released a list of 92
names which he claims arc
pledged to vole for him in
Ihe event Clayton is nol a
candidate in January. 1981
(A majority of 76 votes is
needed to win Ihe speaker's
platform.) Lewis claimed
victory.
Bryani disputed Lewis'
claim, saying several on
l ewis' list were persons yet
to he re-elected Bryani kepi
the names ol his supporters
a secret, saying lhal lo ex-
pose them would leave them
vulnerable to election defeat
al ihe hands of his political
foes
I hrrals of Interference
Bryant's reference to dan-
ger for any legislator who
publicly commits to a speak
ers candidate is well-
founded bill both sides are
guilty of applying lhal same
political pressure. Bryani as
well as l.cwis A rule of
thumb passing around Ihc
Capitol halls is lhal any leg
islalor who pledges for Lew-
is can expect Bryani lo med-
dle in his district elections,
and vice versa.
While Capitol veterans are
accepting Ihis pressure as a
political fact of life, many
legislators are growing fed
up with Ihc threats of blood-
letting and so arc voters
hack home as (hey become
aware of it.
Texas Nuclear Waste
The House Commillec on
Environmental Affairs Iasi
week heard testimony lhal
disposal sues for low-level
nuclear waste materials from
research labs and hospitals in
Texas must he provided
Much nuclear waste in
Texas comes from research
in medicine, and lack of dis-
posal facilities will seriously
compromise patient care in
this stale, according to one
witness
Currently, there are only
three waste dumps in the
U S and Ihc Legislature was
under pressure last session to
create a Texas dump That
issue will undoublahly un-
dergo hot debate when the
l egislature convenes in the
spring
See HIGHLIGHTS, Page 8
Country Crossroads
Try One, You’ll Like It!
A Family Reunion, That Is
by Keith Guthrie
If you don't have one, get
one! A family reunion, that is.
My mother was raised on the
ManahutUa Creek in Goliad
County, the oldest girl in a
family of eight, whose mother
died at age 37. The tales that
she told about helping raise six
brothers and one sister in the
country endeared me to the
Simmons clan, and for years
I’ve nurtured the idea of having
a reunion. This was the year
and they came from alt over
the United States to retell the
tales that they had heard hand-
ed down to them: just like me.
Probably the tale that I liked
to hear u couple of my uncles
tell best was how they used to
go down to a water hole on the
creek, that was known to have
several alligators, and entice
one of the old bulls onto shore,
jump on and ride him back into
the water using com stalks to
stir him into action. It never
once dawned on me to doubt the
storirt, especially since both
uncles were excellent spell
binders, and when they would
bring their hands together in a
mock imitation of a gator's
jaws snapping shut it would
make my heroism grow
Since her mother died at an
early age, my mother was
something of a mother to her
brothers and sisters Another
favorite tale of mine was listen-
ing to one of the younger uncles
tell how Mama sewed a shirt to
his back. "I didn’t have time to
take the shirt off. so Frank (my
mother) got the needle and
thread and just sewed it up on
my back. 1 kept telling her that
she was sewing it to me but she
didn't pay any attention, that
Is, until she had to cut it off me
that night. ”
The brothers were evidently
great hunters and fishers, pro-
viding a substantial protion of
the family diet from the woods
and creeks Mama could make
turtle soup sound pretty good.
Her only admonishment to the
hunters: “I’ll cook anything you
bring home cleaned ” Another
brother liked to tell about the
time they kilted some crows
down on the river and brought
them home cleaned. Mama
cooked them and the brothers
swear that the "rest” of the
family ate the crow stew and
"asked for more".
No doubt there were lots of
emergencies in a family that
size. One that they liked to tell
about was when a brother
jumped out of the hay loft and
stuck the pitch fork into his
knee cap Mama couldn't pull il
out and so she had to load the
wounded brother onto a reluc-
tant horse, with the pitchfork
still embedded, for a trip of
several miles to get a
neighbor's help
And then there was the say-
ing that Mama used to taunt us
with when we came home
hungry "There's corn bread on
the stove and currants on the
bushes ' It seems that the
older brother married and left
home, setting near Crystal Ci-
ty. The younger brothers would
drift out to work for their
brother, and the aunt, evidently
not liking to cook an evening
meal, would make enough com
bread at dinner time to have
plenty left over. So, when
the 'hired hand" came looking
for supper. Aunt Bell would
great him with:' 'Com bread on *
the stove and currants on the
bushes..."
Over 100 Simmons showed up
at Goliad State Park for the ,
reunion, some coming from
California and Colorado. The
Texas branch of the Simmons
family got its start in 1853 when
Noah Simmons and his wife
Lucy pulled their wagon into
Goliad in 1853. Of course, all of
the first generation, consisting
of 10 children, are dead. One
wife who married a second
generation Simmons was pre-
sent. Her memories brought *
lots of laughs "I thought Knox
Simmons was the handsomess •
man I’d ever seen, but of
course I was 10 and he was 30.
He went off to war and came
back in six years and I'd chang-
ed. He took one look at me and
came courting, and that suited
me fine."
So, like 1 say, if you've never
had a family reunion, you don’t
know what you're missing. Try
one, you’ll like it.
Bookshelf
Mr. Sermon - As Funny As Dickens
BY LYRA SPARKS
Just when I think that I have
read all of R L Delderfield's
books, (he is one of my moat
favonte authors' another one
pops up I do think that some of
his earlier works, published in
England. have been
posthumously printed in
America esjiecially since his
"Horseman Riding By” and
"The Green Gauntlet" were
such smashing hits here
Anyhow he varies in his
themes and characters and my
latest discovery, “Mr
Sermon" is hilarious The
supporting cast of characters
are as funny as Dickens at his
best
One day Mr Sermon, a
middle-aged school teacher,
settled in his way. a little
stuffy, dominated by his wife, a
do-gooder who has inherited
the money for the family — this
seemingly resigned man with a
career in a second rate school
and a placid and unexciting
marriage — breaks out of his
shell
After a tiff with a
recalcitrant and unattractive
student, he walks out on the
headmaster and goes home to
see his wife’s usual gathering
of featherbrained followers all
over the place He retreats to
his own room, but that evening
he emerges as a dominant
male and when Sybil, his wife,
retreats to a locked door
bathroom, he gives her so
much time to come out and
shouts that if she doesn't he
will leave After the allotted
time, this lie dues, with his
knapsack and a small amount
of money
Susequently. he wanders all
over England, the adventures
he encounters and the loves he
finds lead him to discover his
own strength as a man He
discovers he has a knack for
buying and selling antiques, for
bidding at auctions He finds a
place to stay with a moat
intriguing lady, meets Rachel
who loves animals and is
something of a rebel against
the establishment Most
important Rachel has a father
See B(X)K5HL1.F, Page
Letters To The Editor
letters to the editor are published in the Portland NEWS
with or without the writer's signature. However, in
submitting material, (hr signature of the writer, address and
telephone number must be included along with a statement
nol to publish the name, if that la desired, letters will be
verified with the sender prior to publication. The editor
reserves the right to reject any letter.
To the financial, material and labor donors for the
Portland Memorial Pavilion, we say Thank You! Thank you
many times over for working with us on this four-year
Bicentennial project! A dedication and presentation
ceremony is set for 8 p.m. Friday July 4, with the newly form-
ed Gregory-Portland Community Chorus participating with
its first public appearance Many of you may not be able to
participate, so please accept this gratutude from we who
have been directly responsible for the project.
For those concerned with trends of abuse and vandalism
to all public properties, please be reminded of our effort to
support the park and recreation board and police department
with our “Citizens Interest Reward" of $50 This is for testify-
ing witness in the successful arrest and conviction of adults
and/or parents of minors vandalizing or abusing the P.M.P.
complex. A more positive action ta our continued prayer for a
more law abiding and responsible citizenry. It could become
part of a renewed conviction in our national motto which is
inscribed on Portland Memorial Pavilion: "In God We
Trust”.
Portland Foundation for Performing Arts was chartered
as a legal entity and successor to the Portland Memorial
Pavilion Committee two years ago The purpse ' ‘To support,
encourage, and provide opportunities for educational and
cultural growth in the community of Portland. " In continua-
tion of our committment to serve the community and assist
the park and recreation department in the use and care of
Portland Memorial Pavilion we extend an invitation to in-
dividuals and groups to investigate a membership in
P.F.P.A.
Herb Janecek,
President
f
I
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Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Leveen, Paul D. Portland News (Portland, Tex.), Vol. 15, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 19, 1980, newspaper, June 19, 1980; Taft, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth871979/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bell/Whittington Public Library.