The Galveston Daily News from Galveston, Texas • Page 1

Traded! Oilers deal Earl Campbell to Saints Pago IB Change Reagan alters stance on Social Security Page16A World Series Tigers top Pqdres for 1-0 series lead 2 NEW LOCATIONS' 4920 Seawall 22nd Market InterFirst Baffe Established in 1 B42. Dedicated to the growth and progress of Galveston and all of Galveston County FORD MAZDA net VOL. 142, No. 1O3 Member, Associated Press WEDNESDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 1 1 9B4 Texas' oldest newspaper .25 Daily. .75 Sunday Next Navy base move is up to the Corps i i A thai tho IQ frnm the CorDS 3HQ til 1 ByMAXRIZLEYJR.

News Staff Writer GALVESTON The next move in selecting a site to be proposed as the location of a U.S. Navy base here may he up to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Members of the Galveslon- Houston task force working on the proposal agreed Tuesday that Fort Point, on the isle's far eastern tip, would be the ideal Galveston loca- tion for a battleship base, considering its proximity to area ship channels and the open Gulf. However, the point itself, containing the U.S.

Coast Guard station and facilities for the Corps of Engineers and the Marine Corps Reserve, takes in only 75 acres of land, and John Folke, chairman of the Houston task force, said the Navy told him it would need "at the high end" of 150-20U acres. Folke said the Navy needs 65-100 acres for ttje first phase of the base, and like more for future expansion. Next door Fort Point, though, is old Fort San Jacinto the "east end GOO-acre tract behind the seawail the Corps of Engineers hos been using as a dredge spoil damp. The city been trying for several years to get this land valued at S35 million freed up for development and taxation. The Corps, however, has resisted the idea, because it needs someplace to dump silt and sand from dredging operations.

A 40- year-old contract with the Corps requires the city to provide spoil areas in exchange for Corps maintenance of Galveston's ship channel and harbor. Mayor Jan Coggeshal! told the committee that the city is proposing to the Corps that it trade those east end flats for tracts on Pelican Island either owned by the city or purchased from private owners by financier George Mitchell and made available for the Corps. Assistant City Manager Doug Matthews was to meet with Corps officials Tuesday after the naval base committee meeting. Tuesday night, Matthews told The News that although the Corps was "very helpful" at the 4 p.m. meeting, the officials said some of the proposed spoil dumps were unsatisfactory because they were in environmentally sensitive areas.

"What we were proposing needed time to be studied." Matthews said the Corps told him. The Corps has not shut the door on a trade, though, and "is looking to help us help ourselves." Matthews added. Matthews will report to City Council Thursday about his meeting with the Corps, and will probably go to Washington. D.C.. next week to meet with representatives from the Corps and the General Services Administration.

"If this deal works, we're going to have an almost perfect Folke commented. C.E. "Gene" Poe, a member of the Galveston task force, noted that the Fort Point site is the best, place for the base "with or without the flats," since roads and utilities have already been installed. City Manager Steve Huffman added that the majority of the 75 acres on Fort Point is unused, and the Navy has the authority to move the Marines out. Mayor JanCoggeshall noted that even if the flats are not available or suitable for housing adjacent to the Navy base, "you can get to- work in 10 to 15 minutes from 90 percent of the island." The Navy only requires that its personnel be able to find homes within an hour's commute from the base.

Nevertheless, a second: Galveston site, this one on Pelican- Island, is being studied as what See AVY BASE Page 2A Third suit filed in bus accident Staff Photo bv Robert. John Mihovil A firefighter directs a stream of water onto names shooting 'rooft oflhcSeilsi(ie Pointe Condominiums. Arson is blamed in fire By RANDY DAVIDSON News Staff Writer GALVESTON An early Tuesday morning blaze at the Seaside Pointe Condominiums, causing more than SI million damage, was the result of arson, according to an isle fire official. The fire was called in to the Galveston Fire Department at 12:49 a.m. and firefighters battled the raging blaze for several hours said Assistant Fire Marshal Rusty Kattner.

About 70 firefighter: used five pumpers and two aerial ladders to extinguish the fire, said. One firefighter received minor injuries, he said. The fire was set on the second floor, Kattner said, but quick spread to the top floor of the three-story complex, located at SeawaH.JBpulevard. The unit where the blaze began was the ou one on floor to be damaged by the fire. The rest of eleven units ied ere on the third floor, he said.

Units on the first and second loors SU er ed extensive water damage. was not wno started he fire or why it was set, Kattner said. He declined, ciescribe now it nad bee ignited. condominl are owned bv Att coastal Investments Inc. of a ung- one of two comprising Seaside Pointe.

had been but vi unoccu pj ed a lne time of the fire. The complex a stand safelv SV stem to ensure steady water pressure dousing tr- re Kat ln said instruction tne com pj ex which includes 108 units, was begun ul 1S83 £, Bill Harly Associates Inc. of Houston, project igner. coord' jnator and con actor for the condominiums. Nearly at! of the units 0rted i had been sold in advance of construction.

ByTERICROOK News Staff Writer GALVESTON A third lawsuit, seeking S6.2 million in damages in connection with a 1982 school bus accident, was filed in the district clerk's office late Monday. Two initial suits were filed Friday seeking S26 million in damages from several defendants. The school bus belonged to Galveston Independent School District and was driving on the southbound Interstate 45 causeway when a car. believed to be driving in excess of 90 miles per hour, slammed into it. Both the car and the bus crushed through the bridge railing.

driven by isle resident Elvis Montemayor. fell into Galveston Bay Montemayor was killed as a result. The bus. carrying members of Ball High's pep squad and chaperones from a Friday night football game, plummetted 25 feet and landed on the northbound side of the causeway. The third suit seeks damages for Bessie Caldwell.

Clarence Calciwell. Wannell Caldwell. Tessie Howard and Dr. Milton Howard. Cited as defendants in the suit are GISD.

State Department of Highways and Public Transportation. Carpenter Body Works International Harvester the county of Galveston and the estate oi El vis Montemayor GISD superintendent Jim Picket! had no comment about the suit. County Judge Ray Holbrook said the plaintiffs" are in "error" by including Galveston County as a defendant in the suit. have no reponsibility on that highway. It's strictly the highway department's." Holbrook said.

The suit, as in one previous to it. claims that the highway department and county were negligent in the maintenance and design of the causeway's guardrail. The body of the bus separated from its chassis, the suit claims, prior to landing on the northbound side of the causeway The plaintiffs claim that Carpenter Body Works Inc and International Harvester Corp. negligently built a bus of "general dangerousness and unsafeness." Weather Five file for navigation district elections By JOEL KIRKPATRICK News Staff Writer GALVESTON When the filing deadline passed Monday, five candidates had entered the political ring to succeed Herbert E. Schmidt on the board of commissioners of Galveston County Navigation District No.

l. Candidates will draw for places on the ballot in the Nov. 6 election at 10 a.m. today at the navigation district offices at 622 22nd St Schmidt, who has been navigation district board years and has been chairr general manager in recent will retire when his term Nov. Schmidt was appointed missioner of the district Pelican Island bridge pleted in 1956.

Commissioners of the on i i. tlv- technically Navi a tion and 'anal CoHrtmisj. ioners atui paid a 0 1ono rarium for working day lhey give lne ''strict. This amount fo about ,600 per month cornm ss joner. Present comi nissioncrSi jn ad to Schmuj, are Wimam Leopold and an Anderson Schmidt is chairman the ooard and genciv, manager of the district.

Leopold js secre tarv and Anderson is treasurer. In alphabetic order, the candidates to succeed Schmidt are: i Brown of Galveston. special projects director of In Between Magazine and former assistant manager of the Galveston Chamber of Commerce; Fletcher Harris a retired Galveston insurance and real estate man; AREA FORECAST Mostly cloudy today with a 60 percent chance of thundershowers High today near 80. Low tonight near 70. with a 30 percent chance of thundershowers.

High Thursday in the Dickinson creates ou 1 iw kills another By ROBERTSTANTON News Staff Writer DICKINSON City aldermen unanimously approved the final reading of an ordinance calling for the appointment of a chief of police, and repealed an ordinance that established the office of marshal and provided for his or her election. The action came at Tuesday night'snneeting. On Dec. 14, 1982, Dickinson became a general-law city, with a police chief rather than a marshal. Aldermen at the time said the change was made so that the city could control the established police depa However, in April elected aldermen EC Doug Simburger anrl endorsed an ordinano.

Dickinson to a vi establishing the mar. and dissolving the off police. But Texas Attorney Mattox ruled in JI.L Dickinson is a city revert lo village statt. Mayor Joe Molloy that passage of the "was not necessary, m. Ale i Ed tl-at not Am tnces but desira- ble." adding tha he cUy could have retained an app()in ted mai-shal if it had des ed in other business aldormcn: approved the final reading of ordinance restricting placcnu of OS ters.

signs and emenls wUnin city limits. Under terms ot ho posting, nailing or iaslint o( such materials on telcp. wnc ulUUy poles on the public Ight of wav illegal, and result in penalties of up to S2y, violators. ntaHon of a noise ordinance within city limits. City Attorney Robert McConnell recommended that the city pass a general, rather than specific ordinance, since it would be "easier to enforce." Local nightclub owner Kevin O'Brian urged aldermen to "come up with one ordinance) that's fair." He suggested that such an ordinance clearly stipulate decibel levels that are illegal.

Aldermen instructed McConnell to draft an ordinance to be discussed at an upcoming meeting. implementation of See DICKINSON Page 2A Janek. member of the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees, and local businessman; G. Unbehagen, Galveston businessman and former mayor; S. Ward, former Galveston City Councilman and airport and parks board member, local restaurateur and businessman.

Galveston County Navigation District No 1 was created to operate and maintain the Pelican Island Bridge and to pay off the bonds sold to finance the construction of the bridge. The navigation district is bounded by 103rd Street and the Galveston Jetty Channel, includes Pelican Island and extends 12 miles into the Gulf. The district is financed by a tax of 4' cents per $100 of assessed value. The Galveston County Central Appraisal District appraises property for the district, and the city of Galveston collects its taxes. Navigation commissioners serve staggered six- year terms.

One is elected every two years. The district's election will be on the general election ballot Nov. 6. GALVESTON BAY Southeast winds 10-15 knots through tonight. Bay waters slightly choppy to choppy.

Winds and waves higher near thunderstorms. BEACH WATER 74 degrees Weather Index Amusements 7B Bridge 6B Briefs 4A Bulletin Board 8B Business News 5B Classified 10-17B Comics 6B Court Beat 6A Crossword 6B Dear Abby 12A Education Beat 16A Horoscope 6B Obituaries 4 A Police Beat 2A Sports 1-3B TV Listings 6B Viewpoints 10A Passing Parade A Hometown fair will be held at the Galvez Mall Oct. 19 and 20. For information, call Debbie Ricicar at 744-5241. Oscar and Madeline Molina See PASSING Page 2A.