The Galveston Daily News from Galveston, Texas • Page 1

HUTCHtNGS SEALY NATIONAL BANK IN GALVESTON A GREAT FISH STORY 39th 4 Closed Monday Texas' Oldest Newspaper, Established in 1842, Dedicated To The Growth and Progress of Galveston and All of Galveston County VOL. 139, No. 122 Member, United Press International GALVESTON, TEXAS, WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 9,1978 Tht County's Only 7-Dty Paper 25c Daily, 50c Sunday Property Tax Amendment OK'd By LINDA J. WESTERLAGE News Staff Writer Texas Legislature ended its special session- Tuesday night with House and Senate approval of a proposed constitutional amendment reforming the state property tax system, but final approval must be given by voters in the November general election. The conference committee report approved by the two houses in the final hours of the special session included provisions con- cerning: of all real property and tangible personal property with the legislature having the option to mandate taxation of intangibles.

of farm land and ranch land based on productivity with the legislature having the option to mandate taxation of timber land on productivity. a $5,000 homestead exemption on market value on school taxes with the legislature having the option to in- Cora Becomes Season 9 First Atlantic Storm MIAMI (UPI) Tropical Storm Cora became the season's first Atlantic hurricane Tuesday and headed west, packing 75- mph winds and picking up strength. It was reported three days away from the nearest land area. Hurricane Center Director Dr. Neil Frank said, "Cora is expected to continue to strengthen." The storm was out of the shipping lanes and beyond range of hurricane- hunter planes.

Forecasters said it was too early to tell what if "any land areas Cora might threaten. Satellite pictures showed at 6 p.m. EOT that Cora, which swiftly reached -hurricane force only a few after it became a storm, was cen- tered near latitude 14 north Chamber Report Says Pelican Bridge Work Could Hike Tax Revenues By LEE HERMAN News Staff Writer Improvements to or the rebuilding of the Pelican Island bridge could increase tax revenue for the city by as much as $473,000 a year, a committee of the Galveston Chamber of Commerce reported Tuesday. The committee made this claim in a report released Tuesday that supported the idea of an engineering study to determine the feasibility of proposals to improve rail access to Pelican Island. The chamber board of directors delayed action on the report until the September board meeting to allow members time to study the recommendation.

The inadequacy of the present bridge hampers the possiblity of further development on Pelican Island, according to testimony heard by the committee. Each committee proposal would cost between $2.5 million and $3 million, which could be financed by either the Galveston Wharves or Navigation District No. 1, the committee ''Increased rail availability to existing industry on the island would enhance their growth See PELICAN Page 2A Passing Parade By TERRY MacLEOD That great book reviewer, Mildred Dunn, will be doing her thing tonight when she reviews and conducts a guided discussion on Gail Sheehy's best seller, "Passages. Crises of Adult Life." Authoress Sheeny is a noted research journalist and writer. This will be at the meeting of the Single Adults Sunday School and Church Activities Club of Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church.

Following the book review and discussion there will be a teaching session on active listening techniques. All single groups from Galveston churches are invited to attend this session at 7:30 p.m. today in the fellowship hall of the church. and Mrs. A.

J. Andreason are mighty proud of their grandsons. Mark Alan Hardin was graduated sum ma cum laude from Southern Methodist University with a bachelor of arts degree in biology. He is a member of Phi Eta Sigma fraternity and has been elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He will enter Baylor College of Medicine was graduated this fall.

Brother, Paul Eric, with honors from Rich Central High School in Olympia Fields, 111., where he was elected to the National Honor Society and will enter SMU in the Ben and Beattie Clark are back from a fabulous cruise in the Caribbean. Joan Davis walked off with the money tree given away at the Knights of Columbus bazaar. and Mrs. Arthur Coins gave a farewell party for their daughter, Daphney. She has enlisted in the U.

S. Army and will leave shortly for Fort McCullen in Alabama where she will receive basic training. Mr. and Mrs. William Ludgate attended a square- See PASSING Page 2A crease that to $10,000 for disabled persons or those over 65 and providing a formula to be worked out to protect school districts against lost revenues.

in taxation" required by local governing bodies to explain and hold hearings on any proposed tax increases. proposing for uniform taxation on a county-wide basis. Members of the conference committee agreed late Tuesday afternoon, sending a proposed constitutional amendment to the House and the Senate after meeting Friday, Sunday and twice Monday, avoiding an expected deadlock and possibling causing a second special session to be called. Gov. Dolph Briscoe threatened to call lawmakers back into session if satisfactory legislation was not passed.

The conference committee was apparently at an impasse Monday and committee member Rep. Wayne Peveto called for te governor to provide essential leadership to break the deadlock. Briscoe met Tuesday with the conference committee and later joined Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby at the podium while the Senate debated the issue.

It passed the Senate by a 28-2 vote. State Sen A. R. Schwartz voted for the report. Schwartz said he felt about the session much as he did when it started.

He said, "The good things we accomplished would have been better in a regular session and could have saved $500,000 for the taxpayers." Schwartz said before voting for the bill he felt it had been demagoguery for 30 days "because the people think the legislator is here to pass a tax relief bill and the people should have a chance to vote on the issues." After considerable debate, the measure passed the House by a vote of 107-22 at 10:25 p.m., an hour and 35 minutes before the end of the special session. Galveston Representatives Andy Baker and Doug McLeod voted for the proposals in the House. Baker, however, said he voted for it to give the electorate a choice, but he would encourage the people to vote against it in the November election. At press time Tuesday night, the House was winding up with votes on routine business and the governor was expected to make a statement. The only tax relief legislation passed by both houses and sent to the governor would increase the inheritance tax exemption and repeal the state sales tax on gas and electricity for residential use.

and longitude 44 west, midway between the Cape Verde Islands and the Virgin Islands. It was moving west at 15 miles an hour. Hurricane Forecaster Joe Pelissier said in Miami the storm was at least three days away from reaching the nearest land mass, some 1,200 miles away. He said it was much too soon to predict its path. Pelissier said Cora's current location was so remote that "we haven't even gotten any ship reports about the storm.

It is south of the main shipping lanes." It was out of range of the Air Force hurricane-hunter planes based in Puerto Rico, 1,500 miles to the west, and at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. Oil-Gas Plan Vote Saturday SARAH LITTLEJOHN'S home at 3722 Ave. OV 2 probably looked much the same in 1900 as it did in this photograph taken in 1920. Sarah's experiences, waiting out the 1900 hurricane in the house when she was only 8 years old, are the subject of an essay published on Page 9B of today's Galveston Daily News. Pictures of the house as it looks today, along with a footnote about Sarah's life after the storm, accompany the essay.

(Photo Submitted by The Galveston Historical Foundation) ByMIKESNYDER News Staff Writer Galveston residents will vote Saturday on a series of policies which would place new restrictions on onshore oil and gas facilities while opening the door for increased offshore drilling, which has been banned since 1977. It is the offshore drilling the tax revenues such drilling would have 2 Killed In County Two persons were killed in the county in separate incidents Tuesday. A man was shot in the left temple and killed at 4:06 p.m. in the 200 block of Grand Avenue in Bacliff, according to the Galveston County Sheriff's Department. Stephen R.

Hymel, 24, was shot in his grandfather's house, a spokesman in the sheriff's office said. Deputies are continuing to investigate the killing. Another person was killed and two remained trapped for approximately an hour inside their car after a head-on collision on east beach Tuesday night. A fire truck responded to the 10 p.m. accident and hosed down the vehicle while officers attempted to rescue the trapped persons.

No further information was available at press time. been the main selling points used by Galveston City Council members and other proponents of the oil and gas master plan. But no one, including a panel of speakers at a public forum Tuesday night, has been willing to speculate on how much those revenues might be. Mitchell Energy and Development Corp. drilled three natural gas wells in Galveston waters before concern over the environmental dangers of offshore drilling led to a charter amendment election April 2, 1977.

In that election, voters See OIL-GAS Page 2A Check THE FIRST August snowfall in half a century hits the Alps. See story, Page 12A. FOUR YEARS from the day Nixon left White House, two of his most trusted aides will try again to shorten their prison terms. See story, PageSA. Other Amusements 10B Bridge 17A Comics 8B Crossword 17A Deaths 2A Horoscope 10B Markets 5A Official Records People, Family Sports 1-4B TV Listings 10B Viewpoints 16A Want Ads 11-17B Weather 12A Bacliff Lounge Owner Testifies In Murder Trial By RICHARD FOGALEY News Staff Writer A Bacliff lounge owner told a jury in 122nd District Court Tuesday that Harold Teal Tarter returned to the lounge on a December night after shots were fired outside and told witnesses," "I told you I was going to kill him and you wouldn't stop me." Classified Ads Get FAST Results') "I had wonderful results.

I really do appreciate you very much!" says VERGDE SHARP of 1206 2nd Ave. South in Texas City, after selling a 20 cu.ft. Sears upright freezer advertised for $225. Almost half of all Texas City residents looking for used ap- ipliances or furniture turn to The Galveston Daily News classified ads, according to a survey of 500 Galveston County residents. Call one of our Ad-Visors today at 744-3G11 to start your ad.

Tarter is on trial for the shooting death in December of Lowell Edward Hopkins outside Raymond's Beacon Inn. Raymond Bates, a part owner of the lounge, was the second person to give testimony to the six man, six woman jury. Bates said Tarter was sitting at a table in the rear of the lounge when Hopkins left the bar and walked toward the table. "I heard Harold say, 'Don't I turned around and Harold was standing at the table with a gun in his hand. Hopkins said nothing and started to turn away.

Harold told him not to move again." Bates said Tarter fired a shot at the ceiling and Hopkins walked out the side door. Tarter followed and was stopped at the door by Bill Bond, a customer at the lounge. Tarter stuck the gun in Bond's stomach and Bond moved, Bates said. Tarter went outside and Bates said he heard bumping noises agairist the side of the building. Two shots were heard, then Tarter came inside and asked for help to take Hopkins to the hospital, Bates told the jury.

Bates said it was then that Tarter told the people in the lounge that they had not stopped him from killing Hopkins. There were no threats from Hopkins, Bates testified, and no signs of bruises or scratches on Tarter. As Bates left the stand, he turned toward Tarter and muttered, "Good luck." Richard Lee the lounge manager, was the first to take the witness stand Tuesday morning. He said Tarter returned to the lounge after the shots were fired and began putting on a fresh shirt, the previous one having been nearly torn from his back. Shaw said Tarter asked another person in the bar to wait 15 minutes before calling the sheriff's department about the shooting.

As he started to leave, Tarter said; "I asked you to help, asked you to stop me. I told you I would do it, you See BACLIFF Page 2A In Kidnapping Trial Officer Describes Events Leading Up To Being Shot Weather GALVESTON area cloudy and warm through Thursday. Chance of late morning and early evening thundershowers. Probability of rain 30 percent this morning. High today andThursday upper 80s.

Low tonight low 80s. BOATING and recreation winds 6 to 12 mph through tonight. Bay waters Isightly choppy. FISHlNG-Spotty. BEACH water degrees.

In the second day of testimony, the jury in the aggravated kidnapping and assault trial of Eddie Galvan heard Officer John Mitchell describe the events leading up to his being shot April 20. Galvan, the estranged son of Galveston Police Chief Ernest Galvan, is being tried in Judge Hugh Gibson's 56th District Court. Mitchell, who had been on the Galveston Police Department less than a year when the. incident occurred, testified he was finishing lunch at home when he heard commotion over his police radio and drove to the scene of an alleged assault. The officer attempted to talk to Galvan, he testified, but Galvan began to flee.

Mitchell caught up with Galvan near a unit of Magnolia Homes and the two men scuffled, he said. He said Galvan removed Mitchell's gun from its holster, then jerked away. Galvan fired two shots, the jury was told, and Officer John Carstarphen, who also had responded to the disturbance, fell to the ground. At least two more shots were fired, with one striking Mitchell in the shoulder. Mitchell said he was thrown to the ground by the momentum of the bullet.

He recovered and began pursuit of Galvan, following directions given by residents of the area, he said under questioning by District Attorney James Hury. When asked by GaJvan's attorney, Thomas Douvry, why he had not drawn his revolver when he attempted to stop Galvan, Mitchell said, "I never unstrap my weapon unless I intend to use it. At that time Mr. Galvan had not committed a felony." During Mitchell's testimony, Galvan remained with his hands folded in front of him staring at a piece of paper. Blue and white han- See POLICE Page 2A.