QTgler (Sourieimeeltpph Sunday TYLE RE AST TEX AS Section 2 JANUARY 26, 1 992 tm Law Officers Say Crime Reflects Down Economy nected with violent crimes such as assault, criminal mischief and threatsharassments all of which wereupaswell. Twenty sexual assaults were reported in 1991 compared to nine in 1990, 115 simple assaults occurred last year compared to 86 the year before, 186 incidents of criminal mischief surpassed the 153 incidents the year before and 116 threatsharassments were made, compared to the previous figure of 89. 1 Despite the success of a recent drug raid, narcotics cases continued to climb but leveled off somewhat. Compared to an upward explosion of 100 cases in 1990 from 22 cases in 1989, 122 drug cases were handled in 1991. "What we've done so far has helped some, but it'll spring back up, West said.
"It's not as rampant as it was two years ago, but I don't look for it to decrease. And when drugs are your problem, it causes 90 percent of your crime. "We're fighting a battle which should have Deen fought a long time ago. The last (sheriffs) administra- tion neglected it, and we've just started a couple of years ago, so it's going to take us a little longer to catchup." Dropping considerably under West's patrols last year were burglaries of homes and businesses (207 homes in 1991, 224 in 1990; 124 buildings in 1991, 153 in 1990), ag- fravated assault (31 in 1991, 36 in. 990), criminal trespassing (14 in 1991, 33 in 1990), most categories of theft and total incidents reported (496 in 1991, in 1990).
West credits the success to deputies being more visible in the community. "That's a direct result of more positive patrol procedures," West more visibility and more frequent patrols, we were able to CRIME Page 3, Section 2 one thing, such as alcohol-related incidents, lead to something else," West said. "If the economy ever gets -better, crime should go down somewhat. That's a trend that's really pretty easy to predict." "Prior to the recession, there really wasn't that much of a crime problem in the city," Freeman said. "When society got to the point where it acknowledged a serious drug problem, there was a crime problem to go along with it." In the sheriffs department, the largest crime increases involved alcohol.
Compared to four arrests in 1989 and one arrest in 1990 for public intoxication, 53 such apprehensions were made by deputies in 199 1. The same number of intoxicated drivers were arrested last year, compared to nine in 1990 and five, in 1989. West says the alcohol numbers should not be too alarming considering most of the incidents were con By BILL HORNADAY Staff Writer HENDERSON To hear Rusk County law enforcement officals explain it, heed not the broadcast anchormen, financial gurus, congressional leaders or sophisticated surveys to know the shape of an area's economy. Just consult your local police department's yearly report. Both Sheriff Cecil West and Henderson Police Chief Randy Freeman say the signs of the times can be found in their year-end crime summaries.
Regardless of what the numbers indicate, both men agree that as long as the economy continues to struggle, so will deputies and officers in the war against crime. "With assaults and related crimes of the sort up (compared to 1990 figures), that' 8 just a reminder the economy's in bad shape. You can tell the economy's down when you see 2h JJECILWEST -Rusk County Sheriff Record-Breaking Bass Presents Parks Officials With Survival Problems Alba-Golden School Superintendent Ready To Enjoy Retirement i I I By CHERYEL WILSON Staff Writer ALBA James L. Golden says it's time to sit back and enjoy the simpler things life has to offer. He wants to enjoy the sunrises and sunsets, raise a few cattle and perfect his skill as a welder at his Van Zandt County ranch home near Edom.
i Golden, 58, announced recently his plans to discard the suit and tie after 33 years and retire as Alba-Golden school district's superintendent. His last day will be June 15. "The kids have all graduated college and are doing mom and I figured if time to smell the roses," he said last week. Golden ha! spent the last three years of his career as Alba-Golden's superintendent. Before that he was a principal at Alba-Golden High School and served 25 years with the Van Independent School District.
Last week, Golden recalled his younger days iii the business, his first teaching job in 1959 in Paint Rock Independent School District in West Texas. He remembered the salary $3,204 a year and the yearly bonus of $104 whether he needed it or not. ET Schools By STEVE KNIGHT Outdoor Writer The spring big bass season on "Lake Fork came early and In dramatic fashion when crappie fisherman Barry St. Clair of Klondike caught an 18.18-pound bassfor a new state record. Fishing with minnows on a two-4iook crappie rig and 14-pound test Jine just off the oottom in 42-feet of water, the Delta County rancher Friday erased the 6-year-old mark of set by Lake Fork guide Mark Like Stevenson, the first partici-: pant in the Operation Share a Lone-Star Lunker program, St.
Clair donated his bass to the Texas Parks Wildlife Department program. The fish, if it survives, will oe kept at the Tyler State Fish Hatchery where hatchery officials will attempt Jto spawn. Coming from extremely deep water, the bass presents a unique set of problems which haven't been dealt with before, said David Campbell, hatchery manager. The changed the crappie limit on Lake Fork this winter be-cause of the high rate of mortality on tundersized fish caught from the, same area St. Clair got his fish.
Studies have shown that fish -being moved quickly out of water 32-feet (one atmosphere) or deeper will get over inflated air bladders, a condition which can lead to immediate death or can cause death after a delayed amount of time. "The only thing we have done is 5 i i. ft: A Stuff Photo By Trmcy Varnell DAVLD CAMPBELL HOLDS BIG FISH Hatchery Manager Has Hands Full Learning Methods puncture the air bladder to let some air out and treat it with salt," said Campbell. Using a four-inch syringe, he drained the air from the fish's bladder before leaving Oakridge Marina, where the fish was officially weighed, Friday night. "The fact the fish was swimming at 4 this morning (Saturday), I am pretty pleased," said Campbell.
Campbell said it would take at least 72 hours for the fish to stabilize if it does. He added he is most concerned about the fish's eyes which both appear foggy. "We will just have to watch it. That is all we can do until we figure but what is wrong with it," said Campbell. Barry Lyons, biologist from Tyler, said he believes the bass may have been mixed in with the crappie while searching for shad or other forage fish.
"There nave been thousands and thousands of minnows down there since November, why it hit this one I don't know. I imagine it was down there following shad," said Lyons. The. biologist said crappie fishermen often catch bass this time of year, but typically they are smaller fish. "I figure Friday it just decided it wanted to bite a minnow down there.
He (St. Clair) was in the right place at the right time," said Lyons. News of the state record travelled quickly. Campbell said fishermen were lined up at the hatchery to view it by 7:30 a.m. The fish is currently being Those plans include traveling.
Bryant, a Wood County native, re- -tired from the Dallas Police Depart- ment as a deputy chief before accept-ingthe job in Palestine. The chief cited good community relations, a pay increase for plice officers and the community's increased efforts in illegal drug prey vention as accomplishments of the department under nis leadership. We work very hard to develop good, strong public relations between the police and the citizens," he said. "We feel that we dtf have a department that is responsive to the public needs, and in turn the public is supportive of he police department, which is an ideal situation." Another accomplishment, Bryant said, was to obtain council approval of a 25 percent salary increase two years ago, enabling the department to be'' competitive with other East Texas departments in hiring and retaining good employees. The department has hired about 10 people since the new salaries went into effect, the chief said, and it has cut down on training costs and.
overtime. "Since they (council) provided the raises, we've almost eliminated at-. Palestine Police Chief To Hit The Road RANDY FREEMAN Henderson Police Chief Golden was a teacher and coach. He taught five English classes his first year. "I thought I was the best teacher in the school," he said.
"I found put later I was the fall guy. They took advantage of my inexperience. He spent four years there and decided to move on and settled near home in East Texas, where the city's basic interest is dairy, potato and cattle farming. Fortunately, times have changed for the better, he said. Teachers earn more money, are better trained and better qualified, he said.
jokes he was named after the town know for its golden sweet potatoes. He said the district, which includes 42 teachers, provides the necessities for education to about 600 students; not a lot of frills. "Fm sure, I'll be back," he said. "Fve had an exciting career and feel I've made a difference in the lives I've taught and the students I've associated with. It's been great!" Applications for superintendent are being accepted at Alba-Golden's administration building in Alba.
Deadline is April 1. Try New Texas Education Agency selected 82 public schools to participate in Part nership Schools Initiative. Winnsboro, Nacogdoches ISD, Pittsburg ISD, Marshall ISD and Pleasant ISD were among 82 schools selected. Over the next three to five years, the schools will work with regional education service centers and TEA on ways to improve student learning, said Texas Education Commissioner Lionel "Skip" Meno. "These 82 schools will be pioneers in an effort to achieve excellence and equity in student performance through reduced regulation and increased flexibility," he said.
The first step is developing a student achievement plan by July 1. Winnsboro High School, located about 35 miles northwest of Tyler in Wood County, is months ahead of the deadline. Principal Phil Hart said they've proposea a plan which will not only better prepare the students for the real world, but reduce an increasing drop-out rate. Hart said the district proposes raising grade requirements for students and increasing graduation requirements. Each student will be required to pass algebra chemistry and Spanish.
Currently, they are required to pass" any level of math and science, but are exempt from foreign SCHOOLS Page 4, Section 2 forcement Administration. entering into a revised service contract with Tyler-Smith County Children's Services State of Texas notice of intention to extend lease agreement for office space in the Smith County Office Building. first one-year option to renew insurance coverage with Anthem Co. effective April 1, 1992, through March 31, 1993. awarding contract for electrical wiring for Smith County Cotton Belt Building.
awarding contract for photographic film and processing. ELECTION Page 4, Section 2 i ft, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday Saturday. Lake Fork's two other famous sow bass, Ethel and Gerty, currently reside at Bass Pro Shops headquarters BASS Page 3, Section 2 it's nearly impossible when they get to their late teens or early 20s," ne said. D-FY-IT and the the first offender program are examples of what communities can do without help from the federal government, Bryant said.
"I'm a great believer that great problems can be solved at community levels," he said, "Programs such as this can be done on a city level or a countylevel." When asked why he resigned, Bryant said, 'Tve accomplished all the goals I came here to accomplish, with exception of first-offender program, which is on its way." Councilman Jimmie Cummings Sr. on Saturday said Bryant set a good example for youths, especially in drug prevention. "That (Bryant's resignation) is going to be a great loss to the city," Cummings said "That gentleman has been a great shining light to our youth." The councilman said Bryant demonstrated great "finesse" when dealing with city officials and with the public. "He is a good User of the English language. Anybody on the street can CHIEF Page 4, Section 2 quarantined, but if it survives it could be put on display by next weekend.
There are currently two other LSL fish on display at the hatchery. Visiting hours at the hatchery are trition and got a more competent po-. lice department and actually saved money by increasing salaries," he said. The department has also seen the Drug Free Youth In Texas (D-FY-IT) program expand county wide. "It's become a very important factor in the reduction of drug demand," Bryant said, adding he believes the only way to eliminate drugs is to diminish the demand for them The department is in the process of selling the idea of a first offender program to the community.
Bryant said the program is a preventive measure to straighten out the lives of young people early. In this program, if a person arrested for a first offense exhibits antisocial or criminal behavior, authorities talk to that person and his or her parents to determine what is causing the behavior and to offer counseling to help lead away from a potential life of crime. Bryant said he is a strong believer in such a program because it helps those with problems at an early age, when it is easier to rehabilitate them. "It (successful rehabilitation) is a possibility at the age of 12, whereas ByGREGJUNEK Staff Writer PALESTINE Police Chief J.D. Bryant will take to the highway, but not in his patrol car.
Palestine City Council members learned of Bryant's resignation after five years during a city manager's briefing Thursday. Bryant, 60, said he would remember "the wonderful people here. There are some really special people-, in this community. In fact, the police department would have accomplished very little if we didn't have help from the citizens." Advertising for the chiefs position begin immediately, City Manager Richard Rockenbaugh said Sat-' urday. Bryant said Saturday he plans to leave when a new chief is hired and he will participate in the selection process.
After 35 years of police work, five "of them in Palestine, Bryant said he is ready to do things he and his wife have not been able to do. "I promised my wife when we came here, we'd stay here approximately five years and then do the things we always wanted to do," the chiefsaid. SFA Board By CHERYEL WILSON Staff Writer WINNSBORO Some East Texas school districts want to make sure their students' march across the graduation stage is not their final accomplishment. The Winnsboro Independent School District along with five public schools in East Texas selected to participate in Partnership Schools Initi-tative want students to have more than just a diploma, and their communities support that concept. Over the past three years.
Winnsboro community members nave offered their recommendations to improve student achievement to better prepare students for life beyond graduation, and school district officials have listened. Four other East Texas districts with similar concepts have joined Winnsboro in -its quest to improve student achievement and together have established one common goal: to restructure curriculums so that students learn better. In order to accomplish the goal, the districts have demanded more flexibility from Texas Education Agency rules and regulations. The districts want more control; they want to get back to the basic responsibility of educating students. The five East Texas school districts last week were given approval to proceed with that goal when the The only other change commissioners will consider during their 9:30 a.m.
meeting is to eliminate voting box 61, said County Judge Larry Craig. Other agenda items to be discussed include: appointing members to Smith County Sesquicentennial Commit-tee acknowledge a record of surplus property sold by Sheriff J.B. Smith by public auction. entering into interpreter services contract with East Texas Deaf Hearing Association, Inc. ratify agreement with the U.S.
Department of Justice, Drug En To Discuss Aareement Smith County Commissioners May Amend Election Precincts Brophy said the academic programs were divided into schools in 1969, with each school headed by a dean. "Since that time the size, complexity and maturity of the institution has greatly increased, and the diversity of operations among the several schools has also grown," Brophy said. The name changes will require approval of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board although the changes carry no substantive programmatic changes, he said. Other agenda items will be: Consideration of proposed improvements and renovations to the air-handling systems in the Birdwell Building ($200,00 estimated cost) and art building ($250,000 estimated cost). Authorization to begin repairing the outdoor swimming pool at an estimated cost of $298,000.
The regents are expected to inspect the Old Stone Fort Museum and University Center Cafeteria, which have recently undergone restoration and renovation. NACOGDOCHES The recommendation of a severance package and release and settlement agreement with former university president Dr. Donald E. Bowen is on the agenda for the Stephen F. Austin State board of regents' quarterly meeting Monday and Tuesday.
Dr. William Brophy was named interim president after the board relieved Bowen of his duties on Dec. 14, 1991. The meeting will be held in the third floor conference room in the SFA Austin Building in Nacogdoches. Committee meetings will begin at 1:30 p.m.
Monday and board Chairman Kelly Jones will preside over the the business meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday In other action, the regents will consider a tobacco use policy. Brophy said the proposal resulted from a recommendation of a university faculty and staff public health committee appointed by the administration. The regents will consider changing the name for the division of university academic programs from "schools" to "colleges," effective in the fall semester. County Commissioners Monday will consider amending the number of Smith County election precincts and polling places in what they hope will be the last revisions in their redisricting efforts.
The latest revisions brought about by changes in state senatorial boundaries foreed negotations between county and city officials over a city ward line in east-central Tyler. Without any changes in that line, Smith County could have been required to increase the number of election districts from two to five. However, under a plan approved Friday by the City Council, commissioners will have to add only one..
