First Fayette Power Plant Site Condemnation Suit Settled
March 18-21, 1975
Charles W. Harlfinger, the owner of 47.47 acres of land in the footprint of the electric generating plant project near Fayetteville, was awarded $995 per acre in the first condemnation suit settlement. The price was decided upon by District Judge Paul Huser’s three-member commission comprised of Joe Grieve of Flatonia, C.W. Meyer of Freyburg and Will C. Moore of La Grange. The second condemnation suit was set for Thursday, March 20, against Ed Sarrazin of Fayetteville. The third was to follow on Tuesday, March 25, against Charles Polasek Jr. The Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of Austin were building the coal-fired facility.
The old La Grange Compress Co. building on Lafayette St. was the new home of a small industry engaged in oil industry fabricating metal scaffolding and catwalks. Mid-State Fabricators, Inc. employed 14 people in two shifts. Franklin Brandt, the coowner of Brandt Bros. Equipment Co. in La Grange, was supervising work in the plant. His partners were Houstonians Troy Oats and Aubrey Golson.
In an outstanding performance Wednesday, the La Grange High School Leopard Band won the coveted University Interscholastic League Sweepstakes trophy at the concert and sight-reading contest at Taylor. The Leopard Band received unanimous Division I ratings from the panel of concert judges, as well as unanimous Division I ratings from the sight-reading judging panel.
The goal for 1975 Fayette County savings bond sales was $295,000.
La Grange High School students Rick Crow, Ted Harbers and Jeffrey Lindemann were chosen as delegates to the annual American Legion Boys State in Austin.
Eileen Muras, a sixth grader at Hermes Elementary School, won the Houston Chronicle Spelling Bee for Fayette County. She would next compete in the East Texas Spelling Bee in Houston on Saturday, April 12. Eileen was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Muras. Mrs. Josephine Mueller was Eileen’s school sponsor.
Well-known Schulenburg banker J.J. Bucek retired from Farmers State Bank with nearly 51 years of service. Since joining the bank in 1924, he had held various positions ranging from assistant cashier to president. In retirement, Mr. Bucek would continue to serve as a bank director.
Amelia Mary Janssen Dopson, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Delvin A. Janssen, received her master’s degree from the University of Texas Graduate School.
Funeral services were held for Mrs. Amelia Miller, 83, of La Grange and Paul P. Mrnustik, 89, a former Fayette County resident.
Sam Houston State University named 11 students from the La Grange area to its fall semester dean’s list. They were: Kathy J. Fischer, Charles W. Faldyn, James W. Lehmann, Charles Henry Kana, Nancy Diane Zigal, Carol Ann Zimmermann, Harvey Wayne Roensch and David Elzie Elmore, all from La Grange; Patricia Ann Bush of West Point, and Barnell R. Coufal and Nancy Ann Wasut from Fayetteville.
The Flatonia Bulldogs, racing five runs across in the second inning and coming up with pairs in the fifth and sixth, defeated Fayetteville’s Lions by a 9-6 score at Flatonia. Craig and Farek socked homers for the Bulldogs to lead Flatonia’s six base knocks permitted by Lion chunker Gene Jester. Velazquez, the first of three Flatonia hillmen, was credited with the mound victory. He was followed by Florus and Segura, who recorded a save. The trio gave up four bingles between them.
George Keith of La Grange was elected president of the Fayette County Fair Association, succeeding R.J. (Dick) Smith. Edwards was named to the newly created post of executive vice president and manager. William (Bill) Jones of Fayetteville was elected vice president and Aubrey D. (Red) Voelkel of La Grange was reelected secretary and treasurer.
Shirley Giles, Myra Albers and Verlene Supak of Fayette Memorial Hospital were among the vocational nurses who received their caps at a Blinn College ceremony in Brenham.
The KVLG Aces of La Grange copped the Rosenberg Slowpitch Softball Tournament, winning five out of six games. The Aces, skippered by pitcher Lloyd Kolbe, downed Texas Instruments of Houston, 16-12; Rosenberg Peace American, 23-0; Rosenberg Reds, 11-6; and Sperry-Sun, 19-3 and 15-2. In two games, Kolbe was the winning chunker, while Melvin Melcher notched three tourney victories.
Dr. W.T. Gary from Southwest Texas State University presented Hermes Elementary School intermediate science teacher Mrs. Shirley Bennetsen with a citation for outstanding achievement in teaching conservation.
The annual meeting of Carmine Lumber Company, Inc. stockholders was held at Carmine Hall with 37 members in attendance. President E.P. Jacob Sr. was assisted by Secretary Emil Albers. The existing officer slate was reelected: E.P. Jacob Jr., Emil Albers, Walter Fuchs, Fred Dallmeyer, Arnold Peters, Nelson Krause and Noland Havemann. At the meeting, a dividend was approved of $1.25 per share to be paid to stockholders.
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