Karnes Co. TX - NEWS - December 2004 This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Kimm Antell Copyright. All rights reserved. http://files.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************ December 1, 2004 Mayor of Karnes City resigns KARNES CITY - Karnes City has a mayor who's both old and new. Donald Tymrak, 51, accepted appointment to the post in a special meeting Monday after Johnathan Schulz II resigned for health reasons. Tymrak served as mayor from 1989 to 2000 and was serving his second term on the city council when nominated to take Schulz's place. Tymrak, who retired from SBC in 2000 and now works as parttime letter carrier in Floresville, said he welcomes the opportunity to serve again. He said the other council members believe his experience in the job would serve the city well at this time. Karnes City has undergone several personnel changes in recent months. Former City Administrator David Carrouthers left for a new position in Dublin, and former City Secretary Amelia Martinez declined an offer to serve as interim administrator. That left the mayor in charge of administrative and supervisory duties, Tymrak said. At present, four candidates are on the short list to replace Carrouthers, Tymrak said. The Karnes City City Council hopes to interview the candidates next week, he said. Also Monday, the city council learned that plans to extend and re- route a sewer main will be able to provide a new connection to the home of Alger Kendall, who is suing the city in District Court for damages caused by sewage backing up on his property. In other action Monday, the city council: Adopted a policy to restrict personal use of city-owned vehicles in the administrative departments, excluding the police department. Authorized Israel Hernandez of Veolia Water, contractor for the city's utilities, to obtain bids from electric service providers. Voted to borrow $75,000 for repairs to the city library building. Adopted the same procedure used by the school and the county for tax sales. Agreed to pay Carrouthers for vacation time he earned but did not use while employed by the city for one year only in accordance with city policy. ************************************************ Recount doesn't end District 35 challenge ROBIN M. FOSTER Victoria Advocate KARNES CITY - The state House of Representatives will determine who receives the District 35 seat next year or send the question back to voters in a special election. Alice lawyer Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles retained a 849-vote lead in the general election results after manual recounts were conducted in three counties on Monday. The recounts, however, do little but provide fuel for the election challenge filed with the state by her opponent, Karnes City lawyer and rancher Eric Opiela. Opiela said the recounts conducted in Bee, Jim Wells and Karnes counties were handled professionally but do not serve to throw out what he considers "illegal ballots." "That's what the challenge is about," Opiela said. The challenge asks the state House of Representatives to determine the true winner of the election in District 35 or, if it cannot determine the winner, to call a special election. Monday's recounts gave both Opiela and Toureilles a net gain. Opiela received four additional votes, and Toureilles received six. The new results for each county are as follows: Bee County - Opiela, 4,338; Toureilles, 4,832 Jim Wells County - Opiela, 3,655; Toureilles, 8,625 Karnes County - Opiela, 2,826; Toureilles, 1,731 Added to vote totals from the other counties in the district - Atascosa, Goliad, Live Oak and McMullen - the results of the Nov. 2 election are: Opiela, 22,319; Toureilles, 23,168. "Now we have access to the records we need through these recounts, and it is painfully obvious that a large number of fraudulent mail-in ballots were cast," Opiela said. More troubling, he said, is evidence that Toureilles' campaign paid individuals whose signatures also appear on envelopes as having assisted voters who cast their ballots by mail. Toureilles denied Opiela's claims last week, saying her campaign paid the Democratic Party in several counties for get-out-the-vote initiatives. Opiela believes his campaign can challenge the legality of more than 800 ballots cast in Jim Wells and Bee counties, ballots he said should have been thrown out by the early ballot boards in those counties because of defective applications or other irregularities. "That's what clued us into it, was the unusually large number of mail-in ballots," he said. Atascosa County has the largest population in the district, with more than 90,000 registered voters. That county counted about 300 ballots that had been mailed in, he said. Bee County, however, has 16,000 registered voters and counted more than 1,300 mail-in ballots, he said. Opiela said Toureilles has until today to file an answer to his challenge. At that point, he will be required to post a $5,000 bond with the state House of Representatives, which will convene a special election committee and appoint a special master to hear evidence in the case in the first or second week after the legislative session begins Jan. 11. The committee's recommendation will be presented to the full House for a vote, he said. Robin M. Foster is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at 361- 275-6319 or cueroadv@vicad.com. ************************************************ December 5, 2004 Panna Maria will close 150th anniversary celebration Saturday KARNES CITY - Karnes County and Panna Maria will close their 150th anniversary celebration with a final day-long event from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday in Panna Maria. Opening ceremonies precede the procession and Mass, which will include Bishop Jan Wiecorek of Poland, Monsignor Frank Kurzaj and Cardinal Adam Maida. A barbecue luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. and is $7 per plate. Robert Thonhoff will serve as master of ceremonies for the program at 1:30, which will officially close the countywide sesquicentennial observance. Speakers will include State Senator Judith Zaffirini and Karnes County Judge Alger Kendall Jr. A fashion show of 1800s-era attire will be at 2:30 p.m., followed by the Polish Highlanders and the raffle drawing for a handmade quilt bordered with wildflowers and embroidery denoting the original Polish colonies of Texas and other cities, a diamond pendant and a painting of Pope John Paul II in the mountains of Poland. Exhibits will be on display all day long, covering topics on genealogy, quilt making, the Karnes County Sesquicentennial, yarn spinning, soap making, cowboy cooking, kettle popcorn and pork skins, Polish music and antique tractors. The community of Panna Maria, located on Farm-to-Market Road 81 north of Karnes City, is the oldest permanent Polish settlement in the United States. It was established in 1854, when about 100 families came to America from Silesia, Poland. The families sold their farms and embarked on a journey that included a nine-week voyage on the sailing ship Weser, which landed at Galveston on Dec. 3, 1854. The group walked to San Antonio and then to the junction of the San Antonio River and Cibolo Creek in Karnes County. Upon their arrival, they offered their first Christmas Mass under an oak tree and named their settlement Panna Maria, which is Polish for Virgin Mary. ************************************************ Newman's shot gives Cougars tournament title RUNGE - Casey Newman hit a shot at the buzzer to lift the Faith Academy Cougars to a 57-55 win over George West Saturday in the championship game of the Runge Tournament. The unbeaten Cougars, now 12-0, set up for the last shot but put up an airball. However, Newman grabbed the ball and put up a hook shot over two defenders that bounced around the rim and fell in at the buzzer. "We found a way to do it," said an excited Faith Academy coach Randy Reed. "We beat a good basketball team and we're still undefeated." Kyle Wyatt scored 15 points for the Cougars and Jacob De La Garza added 11 and James Ford chipped in nine points. Wyatt and Ford made the all-tournament team and Dusty Lemke was the MVP. Vipers lose twice GEORGETOWN - The Memorial Vipers lost twice in the Georgetown Tournament and fell to 4-3. The Vipers were beaten by Temple 61-53 for third place as Ronnie Martinez scored 18 points, Russ Permenter added 16 and Johnny Davis had 11. The Vipers got 15 points from Jeremy Barnett, who hit a 3- pointer, and 12 from Brandon Friedel, who made two 3-pointers. In the semifinals, a late rally by Memorial fell short and Fort Bend Elkins escaped with a 60-59 win. Barnett hit four 3-pointers and had 29 points and Friedel hit three treys and finished with 13 points. Elkins got 11 points from Dauntae Williams and 10 from Jeff Crocker. Memorial will host Corpus Christi Calallen on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. CHEC takes third place RUNGE - Linda Bagnall's 14 points helped lead the Crossroads Home Educated Children Lady Cobras to a 39-37 victory over the Faith Academy Lady Cougars in the third-place game of the Runge Tournament. Maegan Thomas led the Lady Cougars with 14 points and Elizabeth Cox had 12. Compiled from Advocate Wire Reports ************************************************ December 6, 2004 Karnes County to put building back in service KARNES CITY - Karnes County officials expect to advertise for bids in January or February to renovate the former agriculture building adjacent to the courthouse, County Judge Alger Kendall Jr. said last week. The county received a $322,250 loan and grant from the USDA Office of Rural Community Affairs for the project, Kendall said. A San Antonio architectural firm is designing the renovation plan, he said. Built by the WPA in the 1930s, the building was vacated in 2000 due to mold and has since been deteriorating. Kendall said the loan and grant will allow the county to put it back in service and provide office space for the Department of Public Safety, the adult probation department and the juvenile probation office. ************************************************ December 10, 2004 Unique Kenedy homes open for tour KENEDY - Two of Kenedy's oldest homes will be featured in the Progressive Study Club's Christmas Tour of Homes from 6 until 9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13. The Avant-Kauffmann home, 326 S. Fifth Street, is a two-story, white Colonial with large white columns and green shutters at the windows. Built in 1912, it was purchased in 1924 by Adolph and Nannette Rudisill Kauffmann. Nannette loved this home because of its similarity to her childhood home in North Carolina. The Kauffmann's daughter, Nancy, has always lived in this home. In 1950 she married James Avant and they raised their two children here. Nannette continued to live on Fifth Street with the couple until her death at the age of 100. The tour will include a visit to the "Hide Away," a bed and breakfast Mrs. Avant has created in the garage apartment located next to the home. Also featured will be the two-story home of Tim and Melanie Ferguson and their daughters, Halli and MacKenzie, at 420 Nichols St. Built in 1929 in the mission style, the home features four fireplaces - two downstairs and two upstairs. An interesting aspect of the home is that the original owners, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Courson, used an attic room for Mrs. Courson's hat-making. Another unusual feature of the Courson home was its bare yard. Mr. Courson did not like grass, and salted the yard to keep it from growing. The present owners have renovated the interior and exterior of the home, including restoring the hardwood floors, and landscaped the yard. Four other homes, ranging in style from California contemporary to country classic, and "Annie's Cottage," a bed and breakfast at 409 S. Seventh St., are included on the tour. The other homes on the tour are those of Weldon and Jan Anderson at 418 Cottonwood St., Ron and Pat Hyde at 805 Farm-to-Market Road 2102, Gaylon and Kathy Oehlke at 504 Cottonwood St., and Jo Ellen Schuenemann at 703 S. Sixth St. Information regarding the tour is available by calling 830-583-3441 from 8-5 p.m. daily, or 830-583-3312, evenings. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased in advance or at the home sites on the day of the tour. Ticket sales will benefit the Senior Book Scholarships Project of the Progressive Study Club. ************************************************ December 22, 2004 Kenedy schools pick new superintendent KENEDY - The Kenedy school board selected Richard Irizarry as sole finalist for the position of superintendent at its regular meeting Monday night. Originally from New York City, Irizarry works as assistant superintendent at Rio Grande City public school district where he has worked for the past 12 years. School board member Kim Olson said the board will act on hiring Irizarry at its regular meeting in January. The Kenedy school board employed the Texas Association of School Boards in its search for a new superintendent after Carolyn Kaspryk announced her resignation last spring. Eli Casey has served as interim superintendent since June and will continue until Irizarry is able to relocate to Kenedy. Irizarry was among 30 applicants for the position, Olson said. With assistance from TASB, the school board narrowed the list to five candidates, who were interviewed by the board. Irizarry was among the top three finalists, and school board members traveled to Rio Grande City for the final interview, she said. Olson said, by law, the school board must wait 21 days before it can hire its finalist. She said it will be January before the board determines when Irizarry can take over administration of the school district. ************************************************ December 23, 2004 Karnes City swears in officials ROBIN M. FOSTER Victoria Advocate KARNES CITY - The Karnes City City Council welcomed two new faces Tuesday night. Chad Smith was hired as the new city administrator/secretary, and Jimmy Loya was named to fill the unexpired term of Don Tymrak, who became mayor last month when Johnathan Schulz II resigned. Smith and Loya were sworn in after the meeting by former city secretary Amelia Martinez, who now works part time. Smith will take over the top administrative post on Jan. 1. Smith has served as Coryell County treasurer for the past two years. He previously worked as a building official for the city of Hamilton and as a sergeant for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He and his wife, Kasey, a teacher, will move from Gatesville with their two children. Smith has a bachelor's degree in political science from Tarleton State University at Stephenville and received a masters in public administration from Angelo State University at San Angelo. "I want to thank you, mayor and council, and the rest of Karnes City for welcoming me and my family," he said. Loya was among two residents of Karnes City's District 5 to be considered to fill the remaining 1 1/2 years of Tymrak's term. Dutch Neiswender also expressed interest in the post and was interviewed by the council earlier this month. Loya's appointment was unanimous, although council member Mary F. Kruciak said she liked Neiswender's ideas to help the city grow. In his interview, Loya, who is postmaster of the Three Rivers Post Office, said he moved to Karnes City in 1981 and has always worked to improve it. He is a long-time director of the Benito Juarez Association, served five years on the Karnes County Economic Development Corp. and 24 years with the Karnes City Volunteer Fire Department, for which he now serves as captain. Loya said he recognizes that the city's financial position is poor but would try to help the city move forward by reducing expenses and finding ways to raise revenue. "We need to discuss what it's going to take to get us back in the black," Loya said. He said he would favor a property tax increase over an increase in fees for city services, if needed, because tax increases do not have to be permanent when tied to a specific purpose. Tymrak inquired if anyone else attending the meeting Tuesday, including former Mayor E.R. "Sonny" Prasek and Karnes County Attorney Robert Busselman, would be interested in filling the vacancy on the city council. No one responded, but Busselman did comment that he is continuing to research a recall of the entire city council. He advised Smith, "If I were you, I'd find the biggest, widest highway and get out of Karnes City as fast as you can." Busselman said he warned the city not to drill a water well, and it is now paying the price. The city has contracted out management of water and wastewater services to save $400,000, but it still has no money, he said. Busselman then left the meeting and could not be reached on Wednesday. Tymrak acknowledged that the city is facing some costly situations that stem from past choices it has made. Among them is an enforcement order from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality stemming from violations of its wastewater permit. Karnes City uses lagoons to filter its wastewater before discharging it into an unnamed tributary to the Lower San Antonio River. The system failed more than a decade ago, and the city was allowed to add sand filters to correct the problem and bring the city back into compliance, Tymrak said. The system is no longer effective, and Karnes City is looking at ways to finance a $4.2 million sewer treatment plant, he said. Tymrak said the city qualifies for funding assistance for the project from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is pursuing a grant-loan. At best, the city could receive a grant for 75 percent of the project, but 50 percent is more likely, he said. Repaying a $2.1 million loan could mean a $7.50 per month increase in sewer rates, he estimated. In addition, Tymrak is unsure how much the city will be fined by TCEQ as a result of the enforcement action. Tymrak also is working to resolve a lawsuit the city lost to County Judge Alger Kendall after his home was damaged by a sewer back-up. The city plans to extend and re-route a sewer main to serve Kendall and nearby residents. The old line will be abandoned. Also Tuesday, the council asked Smith to contact A-Lert of San Antonio to begin repairs to the roof on the city library building as soon as possible. The project is estimated to cost more than $70,000. Financing for the repairs was approved last month, and Tymrak reported that Southwest Securities had mixed up the dates for repayment of the notes. City council members agreed to stick with their original repayment schedule, forcing the securities firm to amend the bonds at its expense. In other action Tuesday, the city council: Approved an amended curfew for minors between the ages of 9 and 17 at the request of Karnes City Police Chief Nolan Jonas. The curfew, designed to prevent loitering or cruising of public places, now applies to school hours from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday as well as nights from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Approved use of the city maintenance area for the South Texas Trail Riders luncheon on Friday, Jan. 28. Denied the Karnes City Chamber of Commerce's request for a donation to repair Christmas lights on two city-owned buildings in the downtown area. The chamber is asking for $35 per building from merchants and others in the lighted area. Tymrak recommended the council deny the motion since the city pays for electricity for decorations on utility poles in the city. Added Smith and Tymrak as signatories on the city's bank accounts. Robin M. Foster is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at 361- 275-6319 or cueroadv@vicad.com.