New Power Plant Here To Employ Up To 100
The proposed City of Austin-Lower Colorado River Authority electric generating plant on Cedar Creek east of La Grange would employ approximately 500 people during construction and as many as 100 full-time employees when the facility reached full production. Following a study of 22 possible locations in central and southeast Texas, Austin city council members and LCRA directors unanimously approved a Fayette County site 8.5 miles east of La Grange, a tract involving approximately 6,400 acres of land. The plant, which was expected to cost about $400 million, was needed for generation by 1976 and would be the first ever built by Austin or the LCRA with coal as a fuel source.
Despite the warning from the groundhog in early February, winter bowed out on March 19, with the hottest temperature recorded on that day since 1952. In La Grange, the mercury officially topped 91 degrees, although there were some 92s reported. A mild front that night brought thunder rumblings and lightning but no wanted rain.
The freak windstorm that blew through the area early Tuesday morning played havoc at Guenther Airport in La Grange. The entire east wall of the hangar, constructed of reinforced concrete block tile, blew down. Two planes berthed in the building were undamaged, although one was moved several feet. Airport owner/manager Frank Guenther said Hurricane Carla blew out the same wall in 1961.
The Housing Authority for the City of La Grange accepted the bid for the La Grange housing project submitted by Southern Erection Company, Inc., of Bossier City, La. HUD approved 6.1 acres on Eblin St. on the northeast corner of the Brown property for the project.
Thomas Matocha and Bruce Williams from Troop No. 203 were named Eagle Scouts, the organization’s highest honor. Thomas, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Matocha Jr., was a freshman at La Grange High School and a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Bruce, the son of Mrs. Marjorie Williams was a La Grange High School fresh-man and a St. James Episcopal Church member. Both Thomas and Bruce were the second boys in their families to earn the award.
South Central Texas Amateur League representatives elected Flatonia attorney Dan Beck its 1974 president. Play was to begin on April 21 and finish on July 14, with a two-week break for the NBC tournament in La Grange. Because of the power shortage, all games were to be played on Sunday afternoons, with the exception of two on Saturdays to make the deadline.
Mr.andMrs.RalphE.Martin celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Sunday, March 17 at the Travis Street United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall. Ralph E. Martin and Elva Brown were married on March 19, 1914, in Scotch Ridge, Iowa. They had four children: Mrs. Ellen E. Battelle of Bryan, Samuel Martin of Atwater, Calif., Mrs. A.J. Seargeant of Brackettville and Mrs. Raymond Tribby of New Oxford, Pa.
Local delegates representing Fayette County at the District 10 spring meeting of the Texas Home Demonstration Association were: Mrs. V.G. Frenzel of the Wallhalla HD Club, Mrs. Emily Blume of the Rutersville HD Club and Mrs. Florian Kana of the St. Paul HD Club.
Funeral services were held for: Mrs. Lucy Michalik, 76, a native of La Grange; Mrs. Dorothy Eilers, 40, a native of Fayetteville; Mrs. Frances Hruska, 77, of Park; Walter Schulze, 90, of Round Top; Ernest Hackemack, 69, a native of Round Top; Gus W. Albrecht, 85, of La Grange; Mrs. Joe Osina of Ammannsville; Freiderich (Fritz) Hoermann, 89, of Carmine; Mrs. Hulda Pavelka, 80, a native of La Grange; Mrs. Tennie Alma Foster of Ellinger; and Rudolph Mechura, 76, a native of Ellinger.
Robert Herbrich of the La Grange FFA sold his grand champion 868-pound Charolais fat calf at the 1974 Fayette County Junior Livestock Show to Schindler Brothers for $1.70 a pound. Glendale Krebs of the Fayetteville FFA sold his reserve champion 883-pound Charolais to Fayetteville Bank for $1.35 a pound.
La Grange eighth graders who ranked among the top competitors in the annual junior high replays were: Ricky Dippel, shot; Douglas Richter, shot; Mike Miller, pole vault; Douglas Bippert, pole vault; Arthur Roberson, 100 low hurdles; Alfredie Scott, high jump; James Fields, 220 dash; Randy Kovar, 60 intermediate hurdles and Arthur Roberson, James Fields, Alfredie Scott and Douglas Richter, 440 relay.
Mr. and Mrs. L.L. Petrich were honored on their 25th wedding anniversary with a party at the home demonstration building hosted by the Walhalla Home Demonstration Club. Leonard Petrich and Marilyn Christenson married in Addicks Methodist Church on March 17, 1949 and had operated a dairy farm in the Walhalla community for 24 years. They had two daughters, Jesse, a home economics teacher in Madisonville and Donna, a freshman at La Grange High School, and one son, Alfred of Brenham.
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