The Facts from Clute, Texas • Page 6

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WHOUSAU PRICES IBM COMPATMU CoHnjnm LOWMT Pwei COUNTY Order radar. fKkap Tomorrow 133-7112 Fax Identity released on victim of fatal collision with tugboat By STEVE SCHEIBAL The Facts FREEPORT Police have identified the victim of a fatal boating accident as Joe David Nabors, a 69-year-old Siirfside Beach resident. Nabors died about a quarter- mile north of the Surfside Bridge Sunday morning after his 16-foot fishing boat was hit by a tug boat that was pushing three barges. Freeport Police Sgt. Richard Miller said Monday that the Galveston County medical examiner has not yet determined the cause of Nabors' death, though the police investigation into the accident is almost complete.

Miller said Freeport police still have to trade notes with the U.S. Coast Guard, which is investigating potential marine violations stemming from the accident. Miller added that the case will probably be turned over to the Brazoria County grand jury next month, which will decide whether to file criminal charges. "Some loose ends need to be tied up," he said of the investigation. Miller declined to release the name of the tug boat operator or the company that owned the vessel Monday, saying the department probably won't disclose those names before the case goes to the grand jury.

'There's no criminal charges on these people right now," Miller said. He added that police believe Nabors was going crabbing when the accident occurred between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Sunday. He said a father and son in a nearby fishing boat tried to get Nabors out of the tug boat's way until the accident occurred.

The two men, aged 21 and 43, even threw Nabors a line and tried to pull his boat out of the tugboat's path, Miler said. While most of Nabors' family lives in Alabama, the victim had "several very close friends" in the area, Miller said. Traffic stop leads to arrost on marijuana charges CLUTE A man was arrested during a traffic stop early Monday morning after police allegedly found him carrying marijuana. Police said the man, 37, was stopped in the 100 block of Dixie Drive around 4 a.m. Monday.

He was charged with possession of marijuana, a Class misdemeanor, though police did not say how much marijuana the man was allegedly carrying. Police discover warrants during family violence call FREEPORT Police arrested a 39-year-old Freeport man Sunday night after he allegedly hit his wife in the nose. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. Sunday in the 1200 block of West 10th Street after the man allegedly got into an argument with his wife. The woman was treated for her injury at the scene.

The man was charged with assault family violence, a Class A misdemeanor. As they booked the man into custody, police said they discovered 13 outstanding city warrants on the suspect. Teens detained during burglary attempt R1CHWOOD Police arrested two Angleton teen-agers early Monday morning after they were caught allegedly trying to break into a car. The alleged attempted burglary occurred around 12:30 a.m. Monday in at the 1900 block of Highway 288B.

One suspect was caught at the scene, the other at a nearby gas station, police said. The men, aged 17 and 18, were apparently trying to steal a car radio, police said. They were charged with burglary of a motor vehicle, a Class A misdemeanor. Off-duty officer nabs burglary suspect SWEENY A 38-year man was arrested on an outstanding burglary warrant Saturday after a Sweeny police officer on his way back from the fair parade spotted the man. Roger Dale Luker, had been walking down FM 1459 near Highway 35 when he was arrested without incident.

Sweeny police department officials said the burglary charge stems from a Sept. 15 break-in on Old Ocean Avenue where a checkbook was stolen and three checks were later passed in Bay City and Brazoria County. Officials said Luker is a suspect in two other residential burglaries and charges are pending on those cases. Property taken in one of the burglaries has been recovered. Luker is held in the Brazoria County Detention Center with bond set at $25,000.

Man arrested after taking vehicle SWEENY Erik Villarreal, 18, was arrested at his residence in the 100 block of N. Orange in Sweeny Friday and charged with robbery, a second-degree felony. Police department officials said the arrest stemmed from an incident where Villarreal took a relative's vehicle by threat after being refused use of the vehicle. Villarreal was placed in West Columbia jail and transferred to the Brazoria County Detention Center. His bond was set at $35,000.

Juveniles charged with series of burglaries SWEENY A 14- and 15-year-old juvenile were detained charges are pending for a series of vehicle burglaries and criminal mischief cases which occurred on the Sweeny Community Hospital parking lot and surrounding residences. The incidents were reported on Oct. 19 and Oct. 23. Police department officials said items were taken from one vehicle which also was damaged and hubcaps, hood ornaments and vehicle emblems were taken from three other vehicles.

The missing items were recovered from the juveniles. Steve Stathopoulos was misidentified in two photo captions in Monday's edition of The Facts. actually helps manage the Red Snapper Inn restaurant in Surfside Beach and is the head chef. Feline paradise Facts photo: Todd Yates Merle Walline the owner of Cat's at Play stand outside his shop were his company makes several types of cat trees. Playgrounds for pampered pets By YVONNE A.

GUERRERO The Facts WEST COLUMBIA What started with some scraps of carpet and wood left over from a home improvement job turned into a growing business with Internet sales across the country. Based in West Columbia. Cats at Play is a feline paradise. Merle Walline, founder and owner of Cats at Play, designs and builds cat condos from the basic 30-inch scratching post to the deluxe 6-foot tall cat tree. His wares sell at wholesale prices from $3 to $329.

Now in leased space at 402 West Brazos, Walline started his business in the Houston area while doing odd jobs after his 20-year stint in the U.S. Navy. "Once you get out of the Navy, you kind of want to do something for yourself," Walline said. In 1989, with help from his daughter Gwen and son Rodney, Walline built a few cat condos and sold them to a pet store in Houston's Galleria. They sold quickly, the store ordered more and a business was born.

But life in the big city became tiring and since a man who worked for Walline was from West Columbia, he decided to relocate his business here last November. Walline employs two part-time salesmen, one full-time worker and two high school co-op students, one from Sweeny and one from Needville. From College Station, his son maintains the Internet website, at www.catsatplay.com, where orders come in mostly for the high-priced, deluxe items, Walline said. His daughter may soon rejoin the business when she finishes her Navy duty in Saudi Arabia. Currently, Cats At Play resembles a warehouse with scraps of carpet and wood and cat trees in various stages of completion scattered around the building.

But a showroom is under construction. Walk-up customers are welcome and plentiful and they buy items at wholesale prices, before the 75 to 80 percent retail markup, Walline said. "We're just gradually moving our market in such a way that we can grow employee-wise," Walline said. If unchecked, sales could easily outpace production, he said. Still, Walline attends major wholesale conferences where large pet stores make yearly purchases.

Out-of-state travelers, including a Tennessee salesman, who have missed Hwy. 35's sharp turn, have stumbled upon Cats At Play. Also, West Columbia residents have stopped in to welcome Walline and his operation. Visitors stop in out of curiosity and often leave with a cat tree, he said. "I felt welcomed here right away," Walline said.

"I think I've been well accepted by the community here." As a carpenter, he has taken on special projects for new friends in the area, including rabbit cages, chicken houses, dog houses and children's playhouses, Walline said. Cats At Play is one of about four or five new businesses that have opened in West Columbia recently. City Manager Roger Mumby said. And promoting growth has been a hot topic among city leaders recently. "We look forward to more new businesses," Mumby said.

The possibility of applying for West Columbia's tax abatement program helped Walline decide to buy the building he is leasing and expand, he said. The area also provides creative inspiration for Walline. A large oak tree across the street from Cats At Play became the model for a still-unfinished project a cat tree larger than any other in the workshop. "I'd never seen a Live Oak tree until I got here," Walline said. TEACHER APPRECIATION The Lady Buc Volleyball teams will be honoring BISD teachers during their annual Teacher Appreciation Night.

All BISD teachers are invited to attend the games free. Game times are freshmen at 5 p.m., junior varsity at 6 p.m.. and varsity at 7 p.m. All games will be held in the Brazoswood Gyms. COUGAR BAND MEETING The 1998 All Clute Cougar Band parents will meet at 7 p.m.in the band hall (officers will meet at 6:30 p.m.).

The group will kick off its cheesecake fund-raiser. For more information, call Cynthia Sutton at 265-9241. FLEMING OPEN HOUSE Fleming Elementary will host an Open House at 6:30 p.m. Parents and others are invited to meet in the auditorium to meet the teachers and staff and have a P.T.O. meeting.

Meet teachers from 7 to 8 p.m. in their rooms. GREEK FESTIVAL The Brown Bag Bunch of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church will attend the Greek Festival in Galveston at the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church. Cost for entry and dinner is $10.

The group will meet at St. Timothy's Parish Hall at 9 a.m. and there will be an additional $3 passenger fee. Call Anita Brown at 2972592 to register. In addition, the group will host an Antique Show Monday, Oct.

12. The speaker will be Frances Jeter. Participants are asked to bring handheld size antiques or collectible treasures to show for dating and possible appraisal. For more information, call Betty Corbett at 297-0964 or Ann Swain at 233-5855. FEMA recovery center opens Staff fields questions about disaster assistance YVONNE A.

GUERRERO The Facts ANGLETON On its first day of operation, the Angleton Federal Emergency Management Administration disaster recovery center helped about 10 people with questions about aid for damages incurred during Tropical Storm Frances. People seeking assistance with damage from Tropical Storm Frances should first register by telephone at 1-800-4629029 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. seven days a week. "It's been a little slow our first day," said center manager Orlin Braddy.

"We're just trying to get the word out to everybody that we're here." The center, located at the Precinct Two Maintenance Barn on CR 171, will remain open until the number of people needing it builds and then drops off, Braddy said. Tropical Storm Frances hit the Gulf Coast last month, dropping large amounts of rain and bringing tidal flooding that damaged some coastal homes and businesses. The Angleton Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster recovery center was the fourth opened in the four-county area declared a federal disaster area Sept. 23. Representatives from a variety of state and federal programs, including the U.S.

Small Business Administration, disaster unemployment and insurance services, are housed at the center and ready to answer questions and assist with applications. People coming to the disaster center for assistance should first register by telephone at 1-800-462-9029 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. seven days a week, FEMA officials have said. Since Hurricane Georges, tornadoes and flooding in Florida prompted other federal disaster declarations recently, the volume of calls has meant many busy lines and frustrated callers, FEMA officials said.

But Wood encouraged callers to be patient since more personnel is being hired and trained. "We are working diligently to better assist disaster victims calling to report their losses," said Federal Coordinating Officer Jim LeGrotte. "We have up to 450 telereg- istration personnel taking calls at any one time and are increasing that staff to better handle the 10,000 calls per day we are receiving. "It's simply going to take time and we are asking people to be patient while we upgrade our capacity," LeGrotte said. The first step to disaster assistance for business owners and homeowners is the U.S.

Small Business Administration, FEMA spokesman Lew Wood said. The Small Business Administration is the primary source of federally funded disaster assistance loans to homeowners, renters and businesses for long-term recovery. Even if flood victims do not want a loan or think they will qualify for one, they must complete and return their SBA disaster application as a prerequisite for other assistance, Wood said. If the person does not qualify for a loan, referrals to other forms of assistance or grant programs may be made. As of the close of business Friday, more than $546,064 had been disbursed to 245 individuals who suffered property losses or damage from Tropical Storm Frances, according to numbers released by FEMA.

In Brazoria County, 476 people had applied for assistance by calling the toll-free number to register. Harris County had the most applicants with 1,373 and Galveston was second with 662. "We urge people to tell their neighbors and friends, if you've had flood damage, be sure to call that number," Braddy said..