The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 145, No. 73, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 12, 1998 Page: 1 of 35
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THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 12, 1993
BOR
SOUTHWEST MICROPUBLISHING
2627 E YANDELL DR
EL PASO TX 79903-3724
ADC 780
Volume 145, Number 73
Bastrop, Texas
22 pages in two sections plus inserts
i^istrop gfotoerttscr
Texas* Oldest Weekly Newspaper Since March 1, 1853 Semi-Weekly Since Sept. 5, 1977
First contract set for historic drainage work
By Davis McAuley
Edfor
By early December residents
In Bastrop should see the start
of the most ambitious construc-
tion effort ever undertaken by
the city, a project which will af-
fect the lives of almost every
citizen for years to come and
take at least five years to com-
plete.
Tuesday the city council
awarded contracts for' almost
$1.5 million to Austin based
Ryan-0 Excavating, Inc. for in-
stalling a new storm water
drainage system through Bas-
trop's historic core and rebuild-
ing streets destroyed in the pro-
cess.
The job should be completed
by next summer. The first seg-
ment of the new drainage sys-
tem will begin at Gills Branch
and end at the intersection of
Water and Buttonwood.
A second phase of foe work,
to be awarded next year, will
extend the drainage system to
the northwest across town.
But acting on the recommen-
dation of City Manager Randall
Holly and consulting engineer
Joel Wilkinson, the council also
approved as part of the current
contract, drainage work in the
Riverview Heights subdivision.
The favorable bid price suggests
the work should be done now
rather than later, said Wilkin-
son.
At the same time Holly con-
ceded that the total contract
price is higher than anticipated.
That could cause a shortfall later
when remaining segments of the
work are ready to begin, he said.
At that time the council can
decided to scale back the project
or find another way to pay for it,
Holly suggested.
Sm DRAIN, Pago 2
Smithville
to issue
bonds for
street work
County suicide
rates are higher
than state average
Smithville
See Page 2
Tiger Football Fever
See SUICIDES, Page 2
8m SMITHVILLE, Page 2
See TIGERS, Page 2
The excitement has spread
everywhere, from supporters
congratulating the coaches in
grocery stores and on the streets
Warning signs were evident to
family, friends and neighbors.
On October 28, it finally hap-
By Keith Magee
Assistant Editor
By Keith Magee
Assistant Editor
By Kitty Kent
Staff Writer
Bruce John Luscin, 54, of
Bastrop shot himself to death.
The man’s five year old son
found the body, according to a
family friend.
The friend, who asked not to
be identified, expressed help-
lessness and frustration with the
system she feels contributed to
this tragedy.
According to this friend, over
the last three years, the police
and Child Protective Services
had been summoned to the
Luscin residence several times
for incidents of gunshots being
tired and threats made by Luscin.
“Pat (Luscin’s wife) was
frightened. Bruce had been in jail
to the mayor at City Hall.
“We’re all thrilled to death,
■ KNOWING WARNING
SIGNS may help prevent a
tragedy.
Bastrop County Commis-
sioner on Monday approved a
resolution to issue an estimated
$1.75 million in bonds to repair
roads and bridges damaged by
the recent floods.
County Judge Peggy Walicek
estimated that four or five
bridges were completely washed
out during the storms, mostly in
the southern portion of the coun-
ty-
. Work has already begun to
repair the damages. County Au-
ditor Jim Whither said about
$65,000 had been spent as of
Tuesday.
The cost will be covered by
the county’s general fund bal-
ance, but certificate of obligation
bonds will be issued early next
year, Whither said.
In other action, commission-
ers signed an agreement with the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to
develop a regional plan to protect
local habitat of the endangered
Houston Toad.
Although authorities have
been working on a similar plan
for several years, the recent is-
sues of loggers cutting pine trees
on designated Houston Toad
habitat helped push the issue
through, Walicek said.
Earlier this year, environ-
mental activists vigorously
protested when logging compa-
nies from east Texas were cutting
trees near Ponderosa Estates.
The.county will donate $5,000
in services to help develop the
regional plan.
The agreement was also
signed by the Lower Colorado
River Authority, the City of
Bastrop, Bastrop County Envi-
ronmental Network, Bastrop
County Realtors and Champion
International Paper.
SMITHVILLE — It’s been a
little more than a decade since
Smithville Tiger fans have been
able to follow their football team
into the state high school play-
offs, but that will change Friday.
The Tigers will make their
first trip to the Class 3A state
playoffs since 1987 when they
face a familiar foe, the Rockdale
Tigers, in a bi-district playoff at
7:30 p.m. Friday at Brenham
High School.
Smithville’s successful season
has been the talk of the town.
“People like to win,”
Smithville Supt. Dr. Steven Tom
said. “Everywhere I go, people
are talking about it. The whole
town’s excited.”
for threatening her with a gun
before. Last summer, he was fir-
ing the gun and threatening her
because she wouldn’t go buy
beer for him.”
Suicide rates in Bastrop
County are higher than rates
statewide according to 1997 fig-
ures compiled by the Bureau of
Vital Statistics in Austin.
The state total rate per
100,000 of population was 11.4
in 1997, as compared with the
Bastrop County total of 18.1 per
100,000. And, “a lot of deaths by
suicide go unreported,” accord-
ing to JoAnn Fries, Director of
Bluebonnet Trails Commu-
mfke foe improvements. City
officials said the process has
already gone farther than in
1991. r
“We have taken the steps nec-
essary to see this come to
fruition,” Smithville City
Manager Bob Miller said. “We’re
serious about this. We’re going to
see that it’s done.”
Seventh Street resident Ron
Strong, speaking for the group,
presented a five-page report to
foe council, which also included
maps of the problem area.
Strong said according to
reports from neighbors, any-
where from eight to 12 of the 24
homes along the street were
flooded during the recent storm.
“We want to be assured we
can get our drainage fixed,”
Strong said. “We’ll help fix it.
We all have sizable investments
in our homes.”
The city has set up a meeting
with the residents and the city
engineer for 7 p.m. Wednesday,
Dec. 9 at City Hall.
“We talked about it at our
emergency meeting,” council
member Mike Kahanek said.
“We want our engineer to take a
playoff trip
in 11 years
SMITHVILLE
City Council members, after
hearing from Seventh Street resi-
dents who had problems with
flooding during the recent storm,
passed a resolution to get the
process started for issuing $2.4
million in certificates of obliga-
tion bonds for street and drainage
repairs.
The resolution calls for publi-
cation of notices of foe intent to
“ issue flie certificates. If all goes
as planned, the city should have
the bond money ready by Jan. 12,
1999 to begin work.
Some of the audience mem-
bers were concerned that a simi-
lar plan was considered in 1991,
bqt nothing was ever done to
City backing
team’s first
County issues bonds
for road, bridge repairs
Neighborhood commercial area to
be considered on north end of Main
a
Bastrop’s planning and zoning commission will
debate creating a new neighborhood commercial
area on the north end of Main Street when it meets
Thursday.
If approved, would become the only commercial
area north of Tracy’s Drive-In Grocery at Main and
Cedar Street.
But the issue has surfaced because a local social
service agency, CenTex Family Services, wants to
build an office building beside the existing Head
Start Center in Bastrop.
CenTex, which administers Head Start programs
in Bastrop and adjoining counties, currently rents
office space for its administrative functions.
City Planning Director Edlyn Vatthauer is rec-
ommending that the CenTex site as well as two
other parcels at the comer of Main and Mesquite be
zoned for limited office use and neighborhood
commercial use because one of the property own-
ers has expressed interest in developing limited
retail projects, possibly including a convenience
store on the comer. In addition to CenTex, proper-
ty owners include Council Member Dock Jackson
and Barbara Fowler.
See P&Z, Page 2
INSIDE'
■ Bastrop Nursing
Center conducting
a food drive.
See Page 4
■ BHS theatre arts
students to present
“A Toby Show.”
Lost Pines Guide
Thia newspaper
la recyclable \s<
WEATHER
■ Thursday's forecast:
A 20 percent chance of thun-
derstorms with a high of 69
degrees and a low of 49.
■ Last week:
High Low Prec.
Saturday 60 53 0.19
Sunday 64 55 none
Monday 82 59 none
Tuesday 75 62 0.13
■ Provided by CHELSIE WOODALL
third-grader at Mina Elementary and
the KXAN School Weather Network
INDEX
■ MAIN SECTION
Births...............................5
Classified ads..................15
Community.........................4
Deaths.................................3
Education............................6
Lifestyles.............................5
Religion.............................12
Sports................................10
■ LOST PINES GUIDE
Entertainment.....................1
Horoscopes........................4
Looking Ahead...................4
Television............................2
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McAuley, Davis. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 145, No. 73, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 12, 1998, newspaper, November 12, 1998; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1177391/m1/1/: accessed May 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bastrop Public Library.