Girl Scout cookie program kicks off Jan. 8 Nearly 7,800 Girls Scouts will descend en masse on

neighborhood streets in Colorado County Saturday, Jan. 8, for the annual Girl Scout Cookie program.

This is the 64th year for America's favorite cookies — Girl Scout cookies. Girl Scouts will take cookie orders through Jan. and deliver the cookies in Feb.

Cookie enthusiast can choose from eight traditional Girls Scout favorites, including Thin Mints, Samoas

(caramel and toasted coconut), Tagalongs (layered peanut butter and chocolate), Do-si-dos (oatmeal pea- nut butter cremes), Striped Chocolate Chip (a choco- late chip and pecan cookie with chocolate stripes and bottom layer), Trefoils (classic shortbread), Low-Fat Apple Cinnamon and Lemon Drops (cookie with creamy lemon chips). This year, cookie lovers will

(See Cookies, Page 8)

Jan. 6, 2000 (USPS 163-760)

Volume 96, No. 42 8 Pages Plus 3 Inserts Eagle Publishing, inc.

P.O. Box 67 — 220 E. Main St. Eagle Lake, Texas 77434-0067

409-234-5521

35* PER COPY

Colorado County wildlife - a century of progress By Rollin H. Baker

As the 1800s waned, the good citi- zens of Colorado County were cele- brating the New Year and the start of the 20th Century with gusto. They looked forward to more and better amounts of the good life! And they sure as shooting got it!

A the same time, however, the local wildlife, such as it was, cowered in grassy tussocks or leafy copses. Its future looked anything but bright. In fact, a diverse assortment of spectacu- lar Texas Coastal prairie/woodland birds and mammals were mostly just barely surviving.

Why? Because saturation settle- ment by. people anxious to divvy up the real estate and use and abuse its resources for agribusiness purposes began in earnest in the 1820s and 30s.

Wildlife was a super loser in this operation - disenfranchised in its for- mer very personal domain by the in- truding and expanding action of the human newcomers. Creatures large

and small, as well as their living places, were trashed night and day, summer and winter, rain or shine. There was no escape!

For the 70 or more years prior to 1900, native plants and animals that were endowed with settler-valued at- tributes or were economically pestif- erous felt the uninhibited brunt of the unregulated gun, trap, axe, plow, torch, and competition, the latter by introduced livestock taking a major share of the limited standing crop of nutrients.

Consequently, gone or going from habitats within county boundaries were such spectaculars as bison, red wolf, black bear, mountain lion, probably spotted cats, migratory pas- senger pigeons, beaver and turkey, although restocking has restored the latter two.

Most prime white-tailed deer habitat stood vacant, with only a mere pittance of these majestic animals skulking in brush in an effort to avoid

11EWSBRIEFS E.H. Henry Corp. meeting is tonight

The E.H. Henry Historical Corporation monthly meeting will be held at the White Cloud Baptist Church, 316 Old Altair Road, Thursday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m.

Vine of the Lord bake sale is Friday The Vine of the Lord Church will hold a bake sale on Friday, Jan. 7, starting

at 9 a.m. outside of Eagle Lake Supermarket and B&B Foods. Proceeds will go to the youth activity fund.

Senior Citizens' Dance is Friday The public is invited to a Senior Citizens' Dance, a place to meet old and

new friends, Friday, Jan. 7, from 7:30 to 11 p.m. at the Eagle Lake Community Center. Music will be provided by the Bohemian Cowboys from Bay City. Admission is $5 per person. For more information, call 234-3745.

Thrift Shop is open Saturday The Prairie Edge Museum Thrift Shop will be open Saturday, Jan. 8, from

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For sale will be two twin bed mattress and box spring, a built- in oven, lots of sweaters, coats, clothes, shoes and much more.

ELMS PTO meeting set for Jan. 11 The Eagle Lake Middle School (ELMS) PTO meeting is scheduled for

Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m. The program, "Reading Tips and Tricks for Parents with Kindergarten-5th Grade Children", will be presented by Dr. Tina Herring- ton from the University of Houston-Victoria. She will present this entertaining and educational 45-minute session on working with your elementary age child. All parents are welcome. Babysitting will be available.

Study Club meeting is Jan. 12 The Eagle Lake Study Club will hold their monthly meeting Wednesday,

Jan. 12, at 2 p.m. at the Wintermann Library. Special guest speaker will be entrepreneur John Thomas. Everyone is asked to bring a guest or friend. Refreshments will be served.

GUBC Love Musical is Feb. 12 Greater Union Baptist Church (GUBC) will present a "Love Musical" on

Saturday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. All surrounding churches and their music departments are invited to sing in this love musical, uplifting the name of Jesus. There will be two rehearsals, Saturday, Jan. 22, at 7:30p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 5, at 7:30 p.m., both at GUBC. Musicians will be Bro. Ricky Cunningham, GUBC; and Sis. Gwen Knight, Providence Baptist Church. Directress will be Sis. Linda Robertson, GUBC. Praying to see you there. Rev. Lawrence Robertson, pastor. For more information, call Rosalyn Edwards at 234-5033 or Gennial Allen at 234-3345.

Senior Friends meeting set for Jan. 12 The monthly Senior Friends meeting and lunch will be held Jan. 12 at 11:30

a.m. at McDonald's. Cost is $2 per person for a Texas Style Burger, small fries and small drink. Please RSVP by Jan. 10.

Triglyceride/cholesterol screening is Jan. 12 The monthly triglyceride/cholesterol screenings will be done from 7 to 9

a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, at the Gulf Coast Medical Center Lab. Schedule your appointment by calling 409-532-2500, ext. 1300.

Eagle Lake KC dinner is Jan. 16 The Eagle Lake Knights of Columbus Council #4843 will be serving a fried

chicken dinner Sunday, Jan. 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 710 E. Main. Tickets for the to-go plates are S5.50 each and may be purchased from any KC member or in the serving line. The Catholic Daughters will be selling dessert plates.

THC seeking nominations The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is accepting award nominations

for individuals, groups or organizations who merit recognition for outstanding contributions to historic preservation. Awards are divided into a number of program areas and will be presented at the statewide historic preservation conference in San Antonio May 4-6. If you know of a deserving person or organization, request an awards packet from the THC History Programs Division, P.O. Box 12276, Austin, TX 78711-2276 or call 512-463-5853.

Citizens reminded of A&M donations Steve Balas, member of the U.T. Ex-Student Association of Colorado

County, would like to remind everyone about the account at Columbus State Bank for the "Texas Exes A&M Memorial Fund". You may send contributions to the bank at P.O. Box 249, Columbus, Texas 78934; or drop them off at Eagle Lake Drugstore. This is not limited to Texas Exes, anyone wishing to remember the students who lost their lives in the bonfire collapse are welcome to donate. The funds will be turned over to the Colorado County A&M Exes for a scholarship in memory of those students. If you have any questions, contact Balas in Eagle Lake or Dr. Tom Hancher in Columbus.

eager gunners and their trail hounds. Sure, the early settlers toiling long

and hard in the wilderness needed "brush-protein" to supplement the ingredients in their personal diets produced by farming and ranching. But to make matters worse, such wild- life as bear, deer, and turkey were also salable.

As a result, skilled market hunters vigorously plied their trade rail-ship- ping felled game to butcher shops in Houston and Galveston - that is, until easily-obtained supplies were ex- hausted in the late 1880s.

Consequently, at the turn of the century, the most desirable and com- mercial kinds of resident wildlife were depleted. Left were such denizens in woodlands as tree squirrels and rab- bits and in open-lands as Attwater's prairie chickens, mourning doves and bobwhite quail.

However, it was a different story with wetlands wildlife. Most were migratory and exposed to local har- vest only seasonally.

In summer, marsh birds and other waders provided tasty viands for the settler; in spring-autumn, fly-by ploves, curlews, sandpipers, and other shorebirds offered delicious menu variety; and in fall/winter/spring im- pressive gatherings of duck and geese contributed favored delicacies.

Besides, supplies of the wetland species, especially the waterfowl, never seemed to give out in those good old days.

Why? Because they nested far afield - some, chiefly ducks, on north- ern prairies, yet to have nesting pot- holes drained to make way for wheat fields.

After the turn of the century, however, wildlife slowly began to re- gain some of its community respecta- bility. Although regulations had been enacted earlier to protect the likes of the Colorado County deer herd, these statues were not enforced.

But a change in citizen attitude toward wildlife began to unfold, espe- cially when federal laws, with teeth in them, were enacted to make it unlaw- ful (a) to transport illegally-taken wildlife or their products across state lines and (b) to harvest non-game, migratory bird life flying across state lines and, by treaty, between the United States, Canada and Mexico. The states got further into the business by enforcing similar local laws.

These legal actions were beauti- fully timed to correspond with the early-century expansion of rice in Colorado County. While irrigation farming produced wetlands galore, its super important by-product was to provide fast-food service for hoards of wintering waterfowl, with Eagle Lake ultimately gaining fame with the so- briquet, Goose Hunting Capital of the World.

While market hunting was out- lawed and migratory bird life gained survival status, the Colorado County non-migratory resident wildlife lan- guished in obscure scarcity.

However, the newly-organized Texas State Game, Fish & Oyster Commission (now Texas Parks and Wildlife Department), made a bril-

liant local appointment in 1925. The Commission hired a dedicated, per- suasive, courageous, hard-boiled, out- door savvy and well-informed hunter/ conservationist as state game warden with headquarters in Eagle Lake. His name was Tom Waddell (1889-1982).

When Waddell began his long tenure, he estimated that there were only about 25 white-tailed deer in Colorado County.

To upgrade the resident wildlife, he relied on four programs:

(1) favorable wildlife publicity: urging, through press releases and public speaking, the importance of regulating hunting whereby sufficient breeding stock is protected to provide for the next year's shootable surplus;

(2) education: working with school and scout groups to instill into several generations of young people the concepts of wise natural resource conservation;

(3) tough law enforcement de- claring vigorous "war" on poachers until illegal hunting was noticeably squelched; and,

(See Wildlife, Page 8)

Santa visits Heritage House One of the places Santa was found during the recent Christmas season was the Heritage House in Eagle Lake. Members of the Vine of the Lord Church, along with Santa, aka Rev. Paul Aguilar, visited the residents, who were presented with handmade stockings stuffed with socks to keep their feet warm. Pictured with Santa is M.L. Kelley, a resident in the Alzheimer's Unit. Headlight Photo by Carol Nelson

A look back over 1999 continues APRIL

The 5th annual Eagle Lake Attwa- ter Prairie Chicken Festival is set for April 9-11.

Johnny Meitzen, a local competi- tive sports clay shooter, has won a spot on the 1999 Team USA and will rep- rfsJrif 'he U.S. in a shoot in France this Jiily.

John C. Gertson was chosen to serve on the board of directors of the First National Bank.

The Eagle Lake High School Class of 1939 scheduled its 60th graduation anniversary on Saturday, April 10, at The Farris Hotel.

Lori Grigar, daughter of Mike and Melody Grigar of Eagle Lake, claimed the 3A State Championship and fourth place overall at the Texas High School Women's Powerlifting Association State Meet

Dustin Krenek was the big winner in the 5th annual KIDFISH held April 10.

Coy Sunderman, son of Glen and Stephanie Sunderman of Eagle Lake, qualified for the Region V Golf Tour- nament by taking second place in the district 24-3A golf tournament.

At the Colorado County Law En- forcement Association' s banquet held April 25 at Schobels' Restaurant in Columbus, slain officer Tobin Tho- mas was named "Officer of the Year".

MAY Miss Jenna Kate (Katie) Grigar,

was named to the North All-Star Soc- cer team by the Texas High School Soccer Coaches Association.

Evangeline Loessin Whorton re- ceived two significant Sierra Club awards as chairman of Scenic Gal- veston.

Amy Fearing was selected as a member of the Honor Crew to work at theU.I.L. One-Act Play State Compe- tition in Austin, May 5-8.

Matt Milentz and Barrett Thomas were on their way to State in boys' doubles tennis.

Norman J. "Skip" Sirnic and his wife, Karen, were found beaten to death in their home in Weimar.

Rice seniors Lori Grigar and Warren Scott were named the 1999 outstanding athletes at Rice High School.

Valedictorian of the 1999 class of Rice High School was Amalie Kuch- erka. Salutatorian was Angie Leo- pold.

"Woody" and Edna Russells home at 776 Heritage Lane was awarded the May "Yard of the Month" by the Garden Club.

Evangeline Loessin Whorton was chosen for a 1999 National Oceanic & Atmospheric Adm. (NOAA) Envi- ronmental Hero Award by the federal NOAA.

Chosen as Outstanding Older Tex- an Woman was Lillian Gohlke of Sheridan. Chosen Outstanding Older Texan Man was Frank Staff of Nada.

Eunice Frnka was chosen by Xi Pi Psi and Alpha Delta Phi Chapters of Beta Sigma Phi as their 1999 "Lady of the Year".

Colorado County Commissioners voted unanimously to deny the request by Jasper County authorities to hold the trial of Lawrence Russell Brewer, one of three white men charged in the racial death of James Byrd Jr.

Newly-elected Rice CISD Board members Betty Schiurring and Joe Lee Perez are sworn in.

Newly-elected and re-elected members of the Eagle Lake City Council were sworn in May 11 by Mayor Michael Cooper. Taking their oath of office were Councilman Wayne Bowenandre-elected Council Members Bill Kell and Ren6 Cooper- Scott.

Police working on murders in Weimar and West University Place believe one man is responsible... Rafael Resendez-Ramirez.

JUNE Navy Fireman Rafael "Pete"

Rangel earned distinction as a Distin- guished Military Graduate upon com- pletion of Engineman Class A Course in Great Lake, 111.

Erica Watson, a volunteer parent at Eagle Lake Head Start, was one of three women in the area honored by Cen-Tex Family Services. She was presented with a plaque designating her a "Volunteer of the Year".

The Memorial Day weekend claimed 37 lives.

Fingerprints found outside the Jo- sephine Konvicka home matched those taken from the home of the Rev. "Skip" and Karen Sirnic of Weimar who were murdered May 2, as well as those in a car stolen from Dr. Claudia Benton of West University Place who was bludgeoned to death in Dec. 1998. Konvicka was murdered June 4.

Rev. Paul A. Lynn replaced Rev. Barry Bauerschlag at the Eagle Lake United Methodist Church and Lehrer Memorial United Methodist Church in Garwood.

On June 13, Eagle Lake resident Monnie Noska lost her life in a train- pedestrian accident near the Beaks Street crossing.

A ribbon cutting was held Thurs- day, June 10, for the new location of Duddleston Welding, now located at 951 FM 3013 west.

The Garwood Bluejays finished up their season with a perfect 16-0 record.

Eagle Lake Primary School third graders Daniel Goodwin, Alex Mor- gan and Eddie Losoya made perfect scores on the 1999 TAAS test.

(See 1999, Page 6)

f EAGLE LAKE POLICE REPORT

^

=j The Eagle Lake Police Depart-

ment reported the following calls and cases for the week ending Jan. 3

On Dec. 29, at 12:31 p.m., Officer Stephen Nelson was dispatched to Pendleton St. in reference to fireworks being popped. Nelson was unable to find anyone with fireworks.

On Dec. 30, at 12:31 a.m., Officer LaWanda Alley was dispatched to W. Main St. in reference to suspicious activity. Alley checked the area, but was unable to locate any suspicious activity.

At 2:45 a.m., while on patrol on East Main St, Officer Alley located a male walking down E. Main St The subject was taken to the police depart- ment, where it was later learned that the subject was a missing person out of Houston. Relatives were located and later picked the subject up from the police department.

At 11:41 a.m., Officer Nelson met

with subjects in reference to criminal mischief to a vehicle. Information was gathered and a report filed.

At 3:43 p.m., Lt. Clem Johnson and Det. Randy Schlauch responded to a report of a smoke bomb thrown at a vehicle at 500 E. Main St. Informa- tion was gathered. The subject was later located and issued a citation for violation of city ordinance-possession of fireworks.

Sgt. Tim Crume conducted a traf- fic stop in the 400 block of FM 3013 west at 4:20 p.m. that resulted in the arrest of Hipolito Diaz Rodriguez for driving while license suspended. Af- ter processing, Rodriguez was trans- ported to the County Detention Center (CDC) for confinement.

At 10:15 p.m., Officer Alley and Sgt. Crume were dispatched to a dis- turbance on Waverly St. The matter was later resolved at the scene.

On Dec. 31, at 12:33 p.m., Officer Nelson was dispatched to Scott St. in

reference to a stolen purse. Upon arri- val, Nelson was advised the purse had been located.

At 5:20 p.m., Officer Nelson was flagged down by a complainant in reference to criminal trespass. The suspects were later located and issued written warnings for criminal tres- pass.

On Jan. 1, at 12 a.m., Sgt. Crume was dispatched to a fight in progress. Upon his arrival, Crume was advised by the bartender that there was no fight.

At 3:45 p.m., Officer Brian Lasley met with a complainant on N. Lake Ave. in reference to the burglary of a motor vehicle. Information was gath- ered and a report filed.

At 10:04 p.m., Officer Michael Krenek was dispatched to 400 Beaks Ave. in reference to loud music. The DJ was asked to turn the music down and he complied.

On Jan. 2, at 12:26 a.m., officers

were dispatched to Stephen St. in ref- erence to an assault. Information was gathered and the suspect, Marvin Sims, later turned himself in. Sims was processed and transported to the CDC for confinement.

At 11:55 a.m., Officer Lasley as- sisted the ambulance in picking up a patient from Seaholm St. and again at Rice Medical Center.

Officers were dispatched to Glen Lake Court at 11:37 p.m. in reference to an out of control juvenile.

On Jan. 3,at4:30 p.m., SgtCrume served warrants on Edward Demont Holloway at the CDC.

At 6:51 p.m., Officer Krenek served warrants on Guadalupe Marti- nez Sr., David Perez, Jacqueline Smith and Miguel Cano.

Martinez, Smith and Cano paid their fines and were released.

Perez was processed and trans- ported to the CDC for confinement.