The Galveston Daily News from Galveston, Texas • Page 6

Page 6-A Call Heber Taylor, 744-3611 or 986-7711, Ext. 245 I'm OUR COUNTY Tuesday January 30,1996 Hitchcock commission votes to limit mayor's power County The Bay Area Veterans and Associates will bring the Moving Wall, a half-size replica of the Washington, D.C., Vietnam Veterans Memorial, to Sylvan Beach Park in La Porte on March 13-19. The group needs volunteers as well as donations to cover the cost of the project. For information, contact Betty Stoumbaugh at (713) 4717174 or the La Porte American Legion Hall at (713) 470-8298. Galveston Rosenberg Library will present two videos, "Booker T.

Washington" and "Martin L. King" in honor of Black History Month. They will be shown at 4 p.m. Thursday in the Library's McCullough Room, 2310 Sealy Ave. Victor Lang will present the Maury Darst Memorial Lectures on the History of Galveston at Galveston College at 7 p.m.

beginning Feb. 7. This four-session series will cover the social history of Galveston Island. Tuition is $44, and students may register in the office of admissions. Call 763-6551, Ext.

116. The Rosenberg Library Children's Department will presents the Family Fun Night 'Whether the Weather?" at 7 p.m. tonight for children two years and older with their families. The 30- to 40-minute program includes activities. Pre-registration is required and limited.

For information and to register, call the Children's Department at 763-8854, Ext. 135. Galveston College's Small Business Development Center will offer a class called "Business Plan: The Road Map to Success" from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Students will learn techniques essential to increasing a company's chance for success. The fee is $20. To register, call 740-7380. The chairwoman of the Physician Payment Review Commission will lead a discussion on reforming Medicare and Medicaid at 5:30 p.m. tonight.

Dr. Gail R. Wilensky will kick off the third season of the Health Care-Health Policy Lecture Series in Levin Hall, 11th and Market streets, University of Texas Medical Branch. Wilensky will present a. lecture titled 'The Changing Health Care Environment and its Effects on Academic Health Care Centers." The lecture is open to the public and will be followed by a reception honoring Wilensky.

Seating is limited. Call 772-2618 to reserve a space. La Marque La Marque High School is offering a GED program. If you are between ages 17 and 21 and didn't graduate from high school, call 9384261. ft niaMers GALVESTON: Ethics Committee, 6 p.m.

City Hall, 823 Rosenberg. GALVESTON: Park Board of Trustees' Operations Committee, 8:40 a.m., Moody Civic Center Board Room, 2102 Seawall Blvd. GALVESTON: Seawall Committee, 12:15 p.m., City Hall, 823 Rosenberg. Hot Shots! Part Deux: Topper Harley (Charlie Sheen) is enlisted for a fescue mission and Lloyd Bridges is a zany president in this 1993 spoof, 7 p.m. on FOX.

By MARK HOLAN The Daily News city commission on Monday voted to reduce the authority of Mayor Harry W. Robinson and appoint individual commissioners to oversee city departments. The vote came prior to a closed-door, meeting about the firing of a police officer by the mayor. That dismissal prompted the vote by commissioners to curb the mayor's power. HfTCHCOCK The commissioners voted to reinstate the officer fired by Robinson after the four-Kour closed session.

Even though the commissioners voted to curb the mayor's power, hiring and firing of city employees would still be in the hands of the mayor under the city's charter. All four commissioners voted for the curb. Robinson, who voted against the measure, said the commission vote essen- tially was a moot point. "The mayor is still the chief executive based on the city charter and state law," Robinson said after the vote. Robinson said that he would review the request to appoint commissioners as department heads, but added it was not something he had done in the last seven years as mayor.

On Wednesday, Robinson fired police officer David Donaldson for refusing to give a statement in connection with a complaint filed by another police depart- ment employee. Donaldson was reinstated as a Hitchcock police officer and will be reimbursed for pay lost since his dismissal. Robinson, who fired the officer, was the lone vote against the re-instatement. The commission took no action on posted agenda items on police department operations and the investigation based on the complaint by the police department employee. Officials would not reveal the nature of the investigation.

Blazer rolls over after wreck Galveston police officer Tim Galvan helps investigate an accident at 46th Street and Avenue Monday. A Chevrolet Blazer driven by Leslie, Hannon of Galveston rolled over after it was hit in the intersection. No injuries were reported. Hannon was wearing a seat belt. (Photo by Kevin Bartram) Police issue warrant in shooting By STEVE MAYO The Daily News GALVESTON Police have a warrant for the arrest of a man suspected of being involved in a shooting at a night club Monday night.

A 31-year-old Galveston man was shot in the face at 1:58 p.m. while sitting at the end of the bar at the Paradise Club in the 3100 block of Market Street, a police report states. The isle man was taken by ambulance to a University of Texas Medical Branch hospital for treatment. According to the report, the suspect walked into the bar and shot the man in the lower left side of his mouth after an argument earlier. According to the report, the suspect might have used a Island police caliber pistol.

No information was available on the victim's condition, said a UTMB hospital spokesperson. tele man minded in foot with gunshot GALVESTON --A 22-year- old Galveston man walked into a University of Texas Medical Branch hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to his left foot. The shooting occurred at 1:30 a.m. Mbndfiy. at 20th Street and a police report states.

According to the report, two men, one carrying a gun, shot the island man in his foot. The man was treated and released, said a hospital spokesperson. No other details were available at press time Monday night. Car stolen from isle convenience store GALVESTON A 33-year- old Galveston man told police two men drove off in his Buick LeSabre Monday. According to a police report, the car was stolen while the man was going into a convenience store at 37th Street and Broadway.

The incident occurred at 12:45 a.m., the report states. According to the report, the man walked home and called police. Man gets 16 years in Houston man guilty of plotting grocery store holdup By CHRiS WILLIAMS The Daily News GALVESTON A Galveston County jury sentenced a 40-year-old Houston man years in prison Monday for plotting the robbery of a grocery store owned by his former in-laws, prosecutors said. The jury convicted Conrad Lopez Jr. of aggravated robbery in the July 1995 shooting of an 65-year-old Galveston woman during the robbery of a Galveston grocery store, prosecutors said.

The woman was shot in the She was in intensive care several times after the shooting and lost part of her tongue, said Assistant District Attorney Larry Drosnes. He said witnesses testified that Lopez drove the getaway truck after a pair of Houston teens shot the woman. Witnesses testified it was a Courts robbery gone awry, he said. La Marque police arrested the trio later that 'night. Police recovered the gun used in the shooting, Drosnes said.

One of the two 15-year-old Houston boys was convicted and sent to the Texas Youth Commission. The other youth is awaiting said. Drosnes both, youths testified that Lopez drove them to finoni Houston and gave themlfite gun to rob the store. Lopez will be 1 eligible for parole in eight'years, Drosnes said. This was his first felony conviction, he said.

League Cttyfanilyfites wrongful death suit fami- ly of a League City woman who was shot to death two years ago filed a wrongful death suit against a man who had a large insurance policy out on the woman, court records state. The four children of Delores Joan JefFeries filed suit against Samir Patel, 30, of League City in the 122nd District Court in Galveston Friday, court records state. The suit alleges that "intentional negligent acts" by Patel caused Jefferies' death. No criminal charges were filed. JefFeries was Patel's clerk in a business called CAE Link Corp.

Patel held a $250,000 insurance policy on Jefferies. Jefferies was last seen alive Nov. 29, 1994, eating dinner with Patel in League City. The next day she was found dead in her car with two gunshot wounds to the head. Voters meet to discuss school bond election By ALICIA C.

SIMMONS The Daily News DICKINSON Margaret McKeever is undecided about how she will vote in the Feb. 10 bond election. McKeever would like to see the school district pay the debt to Houston Light Power at a faster rate. "If I felt there was a strong commitment to pay it off early, either way they went, that would make me feel more comfortable voting for the bonds," McKeever said, who voted against the last bond proposals. While McKeever would like to see the debt paid off sooner than the 16 years in a court order, the district proposes to pay smaller yearly amounts to 'You are swapping one person for another you are just paying a different person less money, but you are still paying the same broad dollars over the time frame." She was one of fewer than 100 residents who asked the school district for answers at a town meeting Monday night on the upcoming judgment bond election.

"One of the parameters that we put on our discussion from the beginning was that if the bond issue passes, we do not want to pay back more by stretching it out over an extended period of time," said Superintendent Leland Williams. After a decade-long squabble, the district is under court order to pay more than $14 mil Hem over 16 years for property overtaxing from 1981 through 1989. The judgment allows the DICKINSON power company to recoup property tax overcharges for its Robinson generating plant in Bacliff. Residents rejected a bond proposal in August requiring voter approval to allow the district to raise the state-mandated tax cap above the $1.50 per $100 valuation. But a recent ruling from the state attorney general's office said the district could sell bonds without exceeding the $1.50 tax cap.

"The benefit of this bond issue is that it will pay off the debt at a lower interest rate, thus freeing up those dollars to use in the district," said board president Richard Alexander. If the bond issue passes, the district can pay $8.5 million at an interest rate of 5.5 percent based on market conditions at the time bonds are sold, saving taxpayers $100,000 $200,000 annually in interest, said Jim Shaw, the district financial advisor. Dickinson Alliance for Education opposed the last proposals because of discrepancies and mismformation, said Al Khalili, a member of the organization. "We have always supported the school district and will continue to support them because our kids are in their hands," Khalili said. "But we hold them to a higher standard we expect them to be honest, we expect them to be open." "We feel if you can save tax dollars, you should support it," he said.

We feel that with this proposal, the way it has been presented and written, it will accomplish just that." Ball cosmetology students will receive all their credits By ALICIA C. SIMMONS The Daily News GALVESTON The Galveston Independent School District has 100 days to bring the new Ball High School cosmetology lab up to state specifications. School officials also learned over the weekend that cosmetology students would not lose credits, as was feared. The students were told earlier that they might have to make up 33 credit hours from Jan. 2-11 because their new lab at the newly renovated Ball High South was 100 square feet too small.

But Saturday, Superintendent Henry Boening traveled to Austin to appeal the state cosmetology board's decision. The board granted the school district two waivers: an extension to make the necessary changes to the lab and credit for the cosmetology students during the question- able period. "It was a very fruitful trip," said Sheila Lidstone, district communications coordinator. "We are certain that we can make the modifications in 100 days. Students will remain at the Ball North facility until the modifications are made." Texas Cosmetology Commission requires a lab to be at least 2,200 square feet.

BaU 's lab is 2,100 square feet. Representatives of BAY Architects said more space could be added without constructing a new classroom. The miscalculations could have happened last year when the senior maintenance officer for the district signed off on the blueprints, Boening said. Officials also contend confusion on the project could have occurred as a result of changes in district personnel and architects who initially worked on the project..