Mineral Wells Index (Mineral Wells, Tex.), Vol. 82, No. 66, Ed. 1 Wednesday, July 21, 1982 Page: 1 of 20
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Mineral Wells Index
82nd Year Volume No. 66
Two Sections 20 Pages
A Newspaper Dedicated To The People It Serves
Wtdnatday July 21, 1982
Twenty Five-Cents
Mineral Wells, Texas
Council split
over Chamber
funds budget
(Index Photo by Thelma Doss)
Millsap election hearings set
the
Real cries for
help ignored
as 4 drown
PPGH
approves ER contract
Inside
INDEX
Weather
(Continued on Page 2)
absentee balloting
trustee election are
8-10A
.3-4 A
. 11A
.. 2B
. 11A
.. 2B
. HA
. 1-8B
. HA
.. 2A
Physicians
hospital
this
to
we
In the past the $10,000 share
received by the chamber was not
formally budgeted. Roy told the council
that a formal budget for the full amount
would make the fund accountable and
expenditures more effective.
Sherry Wright and Vicki Slaton. Seated are (1 to r) Lottie Eubanks, Joyce Sarver,
Patsy Schneider and Jake Varnell. Members not pictured include Lois Cohen, Jim
Stiff, Ellis White, Dorothy Stevens, Tom Roy and Jimmy Clary of Millsap.
Classified......
Sports........
Comics.......
Dear Abby ....
Bridge........
Crossword Puzzle
Astrograph ....
Lifestyles .....
TV Log.......
Obituaries.....
said the physicians will be
by the Wylie firm and will
Mineral Wells after the board
their applications. The firm
physicians an hourly rate
hospital will pay a
And the suit challenges the official
certification of 839 votes in the
election, contending that records
indicate only 838 votes were cast.
The group also sought a Texas
Board President Jim Holub said he
felt the matter “is out of our hands,”
and board member Clarence Holliman
said he feels a board stand is
inappropriate for the district since
County Tax Assessor - Collector John,
Winters collects the hospital’s taxes.
But Holliman said he feels “the
appraisal district needs an opportunity
to work under norma) circumstances”
so district residents and taxing agencies
can make a cost comparison and
determine if such" a consolidation is
beneficial to the taxpayers.
He said the appraisal district, set up
under new state property tax code is
“too new” and has not had a chance to
operate as outlined under the law. And
while Holliman said he did not want to
contribute to the division already
existent in the community over the
issue, he said he would be “opposed to
somebody telling us we have to go with
Mr. Winters (for tax collection).”
In other action, Slaton told the board
that the certificate of need application
for construction of the third floor
addition to the hospital had been
accepted and said a pre * hearing
conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. on
July 30.
C.M. McCulloh, Dorothy
Homer Youngblood, and Bill
The program will replace the current
emergency room coverage program in
which emergency room physicians now
staff the facility on nights, weekends
and holidays through a local
corporation. Medical Emergency, Inc.,
which contracts with Emergency
Medical Management Systems.
MEI was originally composed of local
physicians who made • monthly
donations to the corporation to help
pay the emergency room physicians in
lieu of having to provide the emergency
room coverage themselves.
However, the hospital staff indicated
that they were disillusioned with the
program, which was costing them about
$6,000 apiece annually to maintain, and
the board agreed to assume the MEI
corporation after the staff voted to turn
its interests over to hospital directors.
permanent injunction that would
prevent further court action against the
district in regard to the issuance and
deliverance of the bonds, the validity of
the bond election or other issues that
may be raised in relation to the bond
issue.
Connors granted a request Monday to
consolidate the petition with the suit
filed against the board by Millsap ISD
residents
Stevens,
Bates.
had indicated he would
for the court of inquiry
renewed allegations of
irregularities and official
gymnasium complex in the Millsap ISD,
was hotly contested by a group of
citizens calling themselves the
Committee for Quality Education.
That group opposed the high school -
gymnasium complex, stating that a new
and less costly elementary school was
the immediate need for the district.
The bond issue had been defeated in
two previous bond elections and became
the central issue in the April 3 trustee
election in which the two board
incumbents, Goen and Byrd, were re -
elected over the opposition candidates.
Barker said his office was “besieged”
by citizens alleging everything from
nepotism to open records act violations
and election irregularities.
Though he had investigated several of
the complaints, of which he said some
were unfounded and others appeared to
have some substance, Barker said the
court of inquiry, in which the parties
would be called to testify under oath,
would be the best means of sorting
through the information to determine
whether there is any basis for criminal
charges.
The court of inquiry will be open to
the public, Barker said.
In addition to seeking criminal action
against the school officials, several
members of the Committee for Quality
Education also filed a civil suit seeking
to overturn the results of the May 22
bond election based on allegations of
voting irregularities.
That suit, filed in June, contends that
at least 13 persons were allowed to vote
who were not eligible to vote. It also
challenges the legality of board
secretary Royce Littlefield serving as
absentee voting clerk.
Director Frank Meyers Jr. said he felt
the issue was a moot question for the
hospital district, whose tax structure is
tied to the county tax office by law.
Stiff submitted the resolution to the
16 taxing agencies after the Mineral
Weils City Council authorized him to
conduct a private campaign to oppose
the consolidation, which will be decided
in an Aug. 14 referendum in the Palo
Pinto Appraisal District.
The referendum was mandated when
dinctois of the appraisal district
validated the signatures of more than
1,100 county voters on a potion
requesting that an election be called to
decide the issue.
Education Agency audit of school
district records and are awaiting a report
from that agency of the audit
conducted last week.
The school board, meanwhile, filed a
petition Monday in 43rd District Court
asking for a declaratory judgment as to
the legality of the election proceedings
and the validity of the results and the
authority of the district to issue the
bonds.
At a special board meeting on July
15, the board approved a resolution to
proceed as quickly as possible with the
sale and deliverance of the $995,000 in
Millsap Independent School District
unlimited tax school building bonds.
That order and sale have been held up
pending settlement of tHe court suit,
and school officials, obviously fearful
that the delay will cause higher interest
rates and construction costs, have
requested the declaratory judgment.
In addition, the district is asking that
any party opposing the action or
seeking to intervene be required to post
bond sufficient to cover payment of all
damages and costs including the change
in the interest rates and increase in
construction costs.
If bond is not posted within 10 days,
the petition asks that the intervenor be
dismissed from the suit and that any
opponents pay the costs of the suit.
The district is also seeking a
monies accumulated by the
Development Corporation, he said those
monies could be used later if new
investment opportunities present
themselves.
meaning the hospital would turn over
83 percent of the proceeds from
emergency room operations, while
retaining 17 percent.
Hie Wylie firm, he said, agreed to a
70 - 30 split, which he said is a
substantial difference.
He said the firm offers basically the
same program that the other companies
had offered.
Attorney asks the
court to take judicial cognizance of the
lack of resources to conduct an
investigation of the massive allegations
of misconduct without court assistance
by a court of inquiry and that
persons so accused should, if innocent,
be publically discharged of the
accusations and, if guilty, are not
entitled to secret inquiry,” the petition
states.
Barker
petition
following
election
misconduct during the May 22 bond
election in which the bond issue was
approved by seven votes.
The bond election, to finance
construction of a new high school -
MINERAL wells AREA
- Mostly fair through
Thursday with low tonight
mid 70s. High Thursday
upper 90s.
Friday through Sunday the
forecast calls for hot days and
fair warm nigh to. Lows in mid
70s. Highs mid 90s to near
100.
determination.”
Among the allegations of nepotism to
be investigated are charges that relatives
of several members of the school board
were employed as district employees by
the board.
The petition also states that there is
“good reason to believe” that the
Citizens for Better Schools, a group
formed to work for passage of the
$995,000 bond issue approved by voters
in May, acted as a political group but -
did not follow provisions of the election
code in specifying a treasurer or filing
campaign expenditure statements.
Other allegations include the
withholding of information and
financial records from the public and
purchase of items for the district and
with district funds from firms operated
by school board members under a form
of “coverup.”
Failure to follow election code
provisions in prohibiting election
campaigning within 100 feet of the polls
and failure to observe hours and
requirements for
during the April 3
also alleged.
“The County
The MEI program will continue until
the new program is in place, Slaton said.
An amendment to the hospital’s
articles of incorporation was approved
by the board Tuesday night reflecting
the change in directorship of the
corporation.
Directors refused to take action on a
resolution submitted by Mineral Wells
City Manager Jim Stiff requesting the
board take a stand opposing the
consolidation of all tax collection
services for 16 agencies in the
county tax office.
By Sue Sterling
Staff Writer
A contract to provide 24 - hour
emergency room coverage at Palo Pinto
General Hospital has been finalized with
Emergency Medicine
Associated of Wylie,
Administrator Mike Slaton announced
Tuesday night.
Slaton told hospital directors the
contract had been signed last week and
said the program will go into operation
within 30 to 45 days as soon as three
full • time physicians are recruited and
approved.
Slaton
provided
move to
approves
will pay
while the
percentage of the proceeds from the
revenues.
While administrators had been
negotiating with three companies,
including a Chicago * based firm,
Emergency Physicians Group, Ltd.,
Slaton said the Wylie firm had offered a
better percentage figure.
He said the best figure the Chicago
flrm offered was an 83 • 17 split,
proposed that a committee of
councilman and chamber officers be
appointed to “interweave” the interests
of both parties and investigate the .
feasibility of restoring the Student
Activity Building.
The councilman ■ at • large also
mentioned the possible purchase of a
“courtesy vehicle,” to be used to
transport conventioneers and other
visitors from the Mineral Wells
Municipal Airport to hotels and
facilities.
_ On the subject of the Student Activity
Building, Roy said he needed to meet
with Weatherford College officials to
check their plans concerning the
building and obtain assurance that the
city can continue to lease the facility on
a yearly basis.
Concerning the courtesy vehicle, he
added that he would look into
different options of buying or leasing
“so we can get the best for the money.”
The lack of rental cars in Mineral Wells
has created a need for the vehicle, Roy
said.
The discussion then shifted to the
budgeting of $5000 for expenses in
working with the owners of the Baker
Hotel toward its anticipated re-opening.
Harklerode expressed skepticism about
the future of the project.
“We’ve spent money on bad leads on
the Baker before,” he said. “I think it’s
essential to make a decision on''the
Student Activity Building and budget
around that. I’ve talked to people, and
they told me it’s desperately needed.”
However, Roy replied, “The owner of
the Baker has given us every reason to
believe he’s serious, and this is going to
mean a lot of work. We’re looking at
industrial .revenue bonds for
project. If $8 million is spent
rennovate the Baker, the $5000
spend will pale in comparison.”
He added that architects on
project are currently working under a
deadline. “We’ve got to let them know
we’re serious,” Roy continued. “We
hope to know by late August or early
September if it will fly, and we may
have to spend money on this for a while
until we know.”
(Continued on Page 2)
By Sue Sterling
Staff Writer
Dates for hearings in two separate
courts in Parker County to consider
issues related to the Millsap ISD bond
and trustee election controversies have
been scheduled, county officials said
today. ‘
A suit filed against the Millsap ISD in
43rd District Court in Weatherford
alleging election irregularities has been
consolidated with an ex parte suit filed
Monday by the school district seeking a
declaratory judgment in the case.
District Judge Earl Conner Jr. of
Eastland set Aug. 30 as the date to hear
both suits.
And a preliminary hearing in a court
of inquiry to be held in Parker County
Court has been set for 10 a.m. Thursday
in that court by County Judge Gerald
Birdwell.
The petition requesting the court of
inquiry to investigate allegations of
nepotism, election irregularities and
official misconduct by school officials
and trustees was filed by County
Attorney Fred Barker on Tuesday.
Birdwell said the initial hearing will
be to subpoena evidence and records
critical to the investigation and said a
number of persons having possession of
those records will be subpoenaed to
appear at the hearing. A list of those
parties was unavailable this morning.
Birdwell said the records will be
copied and returned to the parties after
which a date will be set for the actual
inquiry.
The petition for the court of inquiry,
a unique proceeding conducted
somewhat like a grand jury investigation
to examine allegations and information
about the issues, was styled, “The State
of Texas vs (school board members)
Jimmy Clary, Royce Littlefield, Bobby
Goen, Johnny Smethers, Andrew
Young, Lowell Byrd, Joe Crosslin,
(superintendent) Thomas E. Pritchard,
Citizens for Better Schools and persons
unknown, whose identities need
^Staff Writer™ <The f,rst year wil1 ** a *earnin<
Divided over proposed use of the P^h0?.11 ^lus’”.J<’y ’,U*L.
$40,000 per year hotel, motel tax fund, »ut Harklerode sa>d that he believed
the Mineral Wells City Council voted 3-2 a£“ J" ‘f fo?Z°^tte^” He
late Tuesday to accept s budget for that cou,<’ ** cnan*?<* ror better «•
hind after heated discussion.
Leading the dissent was Councilman
Jack Harklerode, who said that between
$5000 and $6000 of the budget should
be allocated for maintenance of the
Student Activity Building near the
Weatherford College West Campus.
He added that another $12,000 or
$13,000 of the $77,000 reserve fund
from hotel ■ motel taxes would be
needed to refurbish the former Army
building to usable status.
Disagreeing with Harklerode and
Councilman Charles Poole were Mayor
Ellis White and Councilmen B.H.
“Tiny” Gilstrap and Oscar Choate, who
voted to accept the budget as presented
by Chamber of Commerce Manager
Tom Roy.
Roy and the councilmen who voted
for the budget said that while the
Student Activity Building is a matter of
interest to them, there would be ample
monies in the reserve fund to finance
the building’s restoration if such action
is deemed feasible.
Harklerode, in turn, argued that the
vacant facility should be a priority item
with an annual budget allowance for
maintenance. He made a substitute
motion to table the budget proposal,
but it was rejected 3-2, with White,'
Gilstrap and Choate voting against the
tabling and Harklerode and Poole voting
for it.
Abstaining from both votes was
Councilman Bill Harrington, and Mayor
Pro Tern Ken Davis was absent from the
meeting.
, “I think this council moves too fast,”
commented Harklerode. “We don’t give
these matters enough thought, then
later we have to go back and admit that
we were wrong.”
Presenting the budget to the council,
Roy stressed its tenative and
experimental nature. “This is the best
guess we can come up with,” he said. *
“Since this is the first time for us, there
may be some variances, and since we
have to report on the budget every
month, it can be amended.”
The budget for annual hotel • motel
tax revenues was prepared by Roy after
the council voted June 15 to transfer
full responsibility for the fund to the
chamber for promotion of tourism and
conventions. The $40,000 a year fund
was formerly split into a three - quarters
share for the Mineral Wells Development
Corporation, with the remainder going
to the chamber.
DUNCAN, Okla. (AP) - A woman,
her two children and a nephew drowned
in a lake when nearby campers,
accustomed to hearing the youngsters’
playful shouts of “help,” apparently
Also pointing to $77,000 in reserve ignored their earnest cries for aid, police
said. A niece, however, was rescued.
“The kids had been yelling ‘help,
help’ all day, like kids will do, and the
campers said they were getting kind Of
.upset the mother didn't stop them,”
said Highway Patrol investigator Joe
Henson.
“Then somebody yelled help and
they glanced over and saw it.”
Police said Thyra Webb, 28, of
Duncan, her son Tony, 4, daughter
Tinet, 12, and nephew, David Curry, 1,
drowned Tuesday afternoon in Clear
Creek Lake about 60 miles southwest of
Oklahoma City.
The four apparently drowned when
David Curry slipped through a plastic
floatation tube and the other three tried
to save him, Henson said.
None of the victims knew how to
swim, he added.
He said one of the campers went to
the site, saw an arm raised above the
water and waded into the lake. He
bumped into 2 - year * old Deshelia
Curry, the niece of Mrs. Webb, and
pulled the child out of the lake, Henson
said.
The child was revived on shore and
was later taken to a Duncan hospital,
where she wu treated and released/
The campers, who asked not to be
identified, pulled the other three bodies
from the lake, Henson said.
Delores Webb, the mother of the
Curry children and sister in-law of
Thyra Webb, also was at the lake.
“We couldn’t get anything out of her,
she was in shock," Henson said.
“Everybody was trying to save
everybody, and nobody knows exactly
what happened. We’re still putting the
pieces together."
Making Plans
A homecoming committee met this week to formulate plans for the Sunday,
August 15 homecoming reception for Miss Texas - Gloria Gilbert. The event will be
held at Holiday Hills Country Club from 7 • 9 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
Committee members standing (from left) are Roberta Brown, Jenny Tarkenton,
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Bennie, Bill. Mineral Wells Index (Mineral Wells, Tex.), Vol. 82, No. 66, Ed. 1 Wednesday, July 21, 1982, newspaper, July 21, 1982; Mineral Wells, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1171905/m1/1/: accessed May 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boyce Ditto Public Library.