The Tyler Courier-Times du lieu suivant : Tyler, Texas • 6

Tyler Courier-Times WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1992 Sec.1 Longtime Channel 7 Air Personalities Move To Competing KETK Channel 56 Jn ADAMS MCDONALD grounds in television news reporting. McDonald's broadcast experience includes news anchor positions in Houston, Minneapolis, Shreveport, Tulsa, and Omaha, before joining KLTV-Channel 7 in 1987. McDonald is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University. Adams' professional experience prior to this 10-year tenure at KLTV-Channel 7 included broadcast meteorology service with KTW-TV' in Austin.

Adams is a Henderson native and a graduate of Texas Universi- ty. "These outstanding additions to the strong news organizations built here at KETK by Deborah York are specific examples of our continuing commitment to bring East Texas TV viewers the best and most comprehensive local news coverage in the market," Hurley said. "Once we made the move to Tyler last year, we were committed to building the best news department in East Texas he said. "We think these staff additions will help us do that." KETK-Channel 56 relocated its office and studios to a renovated building on WSE Loop 323 in Tyler in December 1991. The station had operated in a facility off U.S.

Highway 69 near Jacksonville since its inception in the late 1980s. By TONY FLOYD Business Editor Two longtime KLTV-Channel 7 on-air news personalities, news anchor Chuck McDonald and chief meteorologist John Adams, are moving across town to the competitor television station, KETK-Channel 56, The Tyler Courier-Times learned this morning. The two on-air additions to KETK-Channel 56's news department are immediately effective, said Deborah York, KETK-Channel 56 news director. While their on-air schedules and specific responsibilities at the NBC Network affiliate for the Tyler-Jack-sonville-Longview market have not yet been finalized, Ms. York said she expected those details to be worked out within the week.

No immediate changes are anticipated with present KETK-Channel 56 news staff members, although "one or two" staff members' contracts are nearing expiration, said Phil Hurley, the station's general manager and Lone Star Broadcast-Lone Star Broadcasting owns and operates KETK-Channel 56, as well as the new NBC affiliate for the Luf-kin-Nacogdoches market, KLSB-Channel 19. "We're in the process of determining everyne's role, not only of Chuck McDonald and John Adams, but of existing staff members as well," Hurley said this morning. No immediate changes, however, are expected in the KETK-Channel 56 news department, he said. In a brief telephone interview this morning, KLTV-Channel 7 News Director George Stephenson confirmed that McDonald and Adams had resigned He said Tyler-Longview's ABC Network affiliate would immediately begin its search to replace them, but no time frame was set for the interview and hiring process. "We're in the midst of planning our search right now," Stephenson said.

McDonald, a five-year news anchor for KLTV-Channel 7, and Adams, the station's longtime chief meteorologist, have extensive back Continued From Page 1 ny of the East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System, The public hearing did not resolve the conflict between Tyler's two major medical facilities over emergency patients, and no mention was made of a subsequent meeting on the subject. Mother Frances Hospital President J. Lindsey Bradley Jr. previously has contended the current contract is inefficient and unfair because taxpayers subsidize it, and his hospital does not receive a fair share of nonemergency patients who do not tell paramedics their preference between the two hospitals. Bradley presented his objections to the council and commissioners in a proposal for an unsubsidized ambulance contract last November and December, which, in part, prompted new discussions with ETMCEMS.

City Manager Ernie Clark said Tuesday after seven months of negotiations the draft "properly addresses the concerns of Mother Frances Hospital," and ETMCEMS Administrative Director John Self said, "the criticism of the past are gone." But Bradley told the city and county, "Our comments from November to today are consistent." Most of the discussion Tuesday centered around how to evenly divide patients that do not give a preference to EMS paramedics. "Our contract proposed daily runs be alternated," Mother Frances attorney Otis Carroll said. "But in this proposal, once again, we divide our city. Once again, somebody picks which part of the city they want. We are not going to play that game.

I think there might be violations of criminal antitrust laws We are not going to get into the business of selecting areas we are going to serve; it's against our philosophy." hi the proposal, one hospital, selected by a drawing, would divide Tyler into two service areas. The hospital that did not draw, the line would select the first service area. Jack Stout, a Washington-based ambulance management consultant hired by ETMCEMS, criticized the opin ion that drawing a line constituted antitrust. "Rotations are cumbersome and prone to foul ups," Stout said. "You say, 'OK, you take Tuesdays, and you've got but you've got paramedics out there trying to perform their job; they really don't need to be think; ng about what day it is.

"And let me say this," Stout continued, "Whether you use a map to divide the market, or you use a calendar to divide the market, it really doesn't make any difference in the method, there is still some antitrust risk. If you want to minimize that risk, leave it at nearest hospital." Stout said he proposed dividing the city into two halves because, "I was trying to be fair to Mother Frances." He said most cities route patients to the nearest hospital, but said, "In Tyler, tne nearest hospital isn't a real good indicator." The hospitals are next door to each other on South Beckham Avenue. Stout said Mother Frances is north of Medical Center, and the north part of Tyler has more non-paying indigent patients. Bradley said he opposed drawing a line, and Stout asked him if he would settle for taking undeclared patients to the nearest hospital. "Well, I think there are problems with that, too," THEATERS- Continued From Page 1 ies 6 near the intersection of Fifth Street and ESE Loop 323, was reopened last Friday under the ownership of lYans-Texas Amusements Inc.

of Dallas. Efforts to reach local management representatives fur Cineplex Odeon were unsuccessful. Further, officials at Cineplex Odeon corporate headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, declined comment on the sale of the company's Tyler properties. Howevef, published reports indicate the Cineplex Odeon chain has been strapped for cash in recent months, following an tenacious North American expansion and purchase program that extended throughout the mid-to-late 1980s. The company has been aggressively selling off mar- -ginal properties nationwide to raise capital, according to the reports.

Carmike, which has been in the movie theater management business for some 30 years, began as Martin Theaters, and later was sold the Fuqua chain. Former Fuqua executive Carl Patrick and his son Michael, purchased the theater division when Fuqua opted to sell its theater properties. A publicly-owned company with national headquarters in Columbus, Carmike is traded on the NAS-DAC (over-the-counter) exchange. Its common shares were valued at $15.50 at the close of business Tuesday. Bradley said.

Stout responded, "I've never worked so hard to satisfy someone I'm not working for as I have for you the last year and a half." He reiterated problems with day-rotation schedules, saying it could be confusing if an ambulance call was received at 11:59 p.m. and paramedics weren't dispatched until a few minutes after midnight. Paramedics would then have to decide what day it was' and what hospital would receive the patient, he said Stout said the call-rotation system "intrudes on the practice of medicine." "We are arguing, in my judgment, over nothing when we should be concentrating on what is fair for the patient," he said Bradley said rotation systems do work and cited a successful system in Waco. Mayor Smith Reynolds Jr. said only 7-12 percent of the patients do not state a preference, and suggested the county and city try to settle the issue without the hospitals' influence.

Patients with life-threatening conditions would be taken to the nearest, most suitable medical facility. SUBSIDY AMOUNTS In other aspects of the proposal, Stout said Tyler's current subsidy is about $1.70 per capita. That compares with $13 in Dallas, which is not as efficient a system as Tyler's, he said, and $4 per capita in Fort Worth, which Stout said was one of the top 10 systems in the country. Currently, emergency medical transport rates are $200 in Tyler and Smith County, ana the city and county give ETMCEMS $135,000 each to keep the rate at that level. Without a subsidy, the rate wou Id be $370 per call, he said.

Under the new plan, ambulance service would be open to about 11 counties and 90 communities. The base rate would be $428 if cities paid no per capita subsidy, or free if cities paid a $15.50 per capita subsidy. Stout said every dollar of subsidy would reduce the base rate $23.80. In other provisions, Stout said an ETMCEMS Medical Control Board composed of physicians with different specialties from member hospitals would set parameters for paramedic certification standards. Response time liabilities would be established and ETMCEMS would be subject to a $10 fine for every minute an ambulance i3 late in a response.

Fine revenues would be deposited into a fund for training. Bradley criticized the control board, saying it would diminish local control. Carroll said Mother Frances would have no greater influence over emergency medi-. cal protocol than hospitals in small remote cities. ETMC's proposal also included stated commitments to patient care, upgrading paramedic training and assisting first responders, such as fire department personnel, with training, equipment, and fund raising.

Self said the ETMCEMS will not conduct phone-call screening of customers, hand off patients to other ser-, vices, refuse to transport a patient, will honor the patients' hospital requests, and will not discuss fee collections at the scene. PARAMEDIC GUIDELINES Paramedics would receive additional training, such as advanced pediatric training and other education and capabilities that could prevent more expensive subsequent hospital treatment. By 1996, all paramedics will be required to pass the national registry, the highest qualification in tne field. AH dispatch control personnel also will receive addition training, Self said. The service also is committed to upgrading the response time, enhancing communications with the public and conducting customer surveys, he said.

will not reduce our quality one iota to get this contract." Self said. In addition to base rates or subsidies from member cities, another source revenue would be membership subscriptions available for $48 per household in lieu of a charge for ambulance service. The new ETMCEMS agency would be housed in a new facility, with a fleet maintenance garage and a dispatch center that Self described as an extensive capital investment. Computer-aided drafting and geo-mapping capabilities would be utilized. Stout said the proposed system could not be topped by any other contractor.

He said it was worth the $58 increase over the current system, which he said was "very good, but not great." He said considering 45 percent of all patients don't pay, the effective increase is really closer to $40. "You could literally be a world class system by raising costs 17 percent. At the end of five years, 300-400 more people will survive who probably would have died," Stout said. "If it's my life, I say don't save the $40, let me live." The case pending in federal court was not among the complaints brought to the police department during the live-year period examiniea by the newspaper. The case involves an alleged violation of civil rights by the excessive use of force when an officer shot a suspect who allegedly charged the officer with a bayonet.

Earlier this year, Robinson implemented a full-time internal affairs office under the direction of a sergeant who is to standardize internal affairs investigation procedures. San Antonio, enters the list with the highest ranking by a Texas police agency at No. 4, a rating, police officials found dubious. "Until such time that we see the document, we are not going to comment," said Sgt. Paul Buske, director of public information for the agency.

"We'd like to know where they got the numbers from are these actual or reported. It makes a difference." The department averaged 21 reports of brutality annually, according to the study, conducted after the Rodney King brutality incident in Los Aneeles. POLICE Continued From Page 1 more complaints about police in Texas than any other state in the nation, according to a ranking released Tuesday. The city of Tyler has one allegation of excessive force by a police officer pending in federal court from an incident that occurred June 25, 1990. Although New Orleans police lead the nation in brutality complaints to the federal government 35 a year on average six Texas police agencies made it to the worst 25 list, according to a U.S.

Department of Justice study, released Tuesday. In Tyler, 17 charges of excessive force were reported to the police department from 1986-91, an average of 3.4 complaints a year. Of those, four were sustained, or an average of 0.8 a year that resulted in disciplinary action by Police Chief Larry Robinson. Robinson was in a meeting this morning and unavailable for comment, however the chief shared internal investigations records with The Tyler Courier-Times for a comprehensive report on the subject pub- lished last year. SCHOOL Continued From Page! dren's class programs or special events, Boshears said.

Regarding the cost, most of the savings would be seen in the elimination of the extended-year summer program offered for six weeks at the school. The program required $26,315 for salaries, $23,568 for transforation and $3,028 for building operation for a $43,742 total. The extended summer program was required by TEA if the school could prove some students were regressing during the summer months. Although the majority of St. Louis students did not show substantial regression, the requirement placed staff in a very "subjective" position of trying to evaluate the students without the testing procedures used at other TISD campuses, Boshears sadi.

COST OF 10 MONTHS The cost of the 10-month schedule compared to the 12-month schedule was virtually the same with $857,365 for salaries, $153,000 for transportation and $2.35 per meal for food service. Boshears estimates a $1,900 savings in the 12-month schedule for building operation. In transforation, five of the 16 buses serving St. Louis School carry only St. Louis students, Boshears said.

When St. Louis is on break those five buses would not have to run and could result nearly $7,000 in savings, projections show. If routes for the other 11 buses can be consolidated during the summer, $14,399 could be saved. If no consolidation is possible, transportation costs could increase by $14,280. Boshears said the plan has the potential to prevent burnout among staff and students by providing the more frequent breaks.

"There are positive effects for our staff in that it should help us in our renewal of energy, in our mental and physical feeling where we can regroup and recoup," he said. Boshears said he does not know of any research on how handicapped students respond to year-round edu- cation. He said the St. Louis specialized population should especially benefit from the greater continuity in the year-round program. TISD Continued From Page 1 A native of Brownwood, she received a bachelor's degree from Howard Payne University, a master's degree from Texas Tech University and a doctorate in education from the University of Georgia at Athens.

Dr. Grooms also completed post-doctoral work in administration, supervision ana curriculum development from the University of Georgia. Smith County GOP Unanimously OKs Kay Smith Tyler's City Manager Turns Trainer' As Council Undergoes Study Session sioners to succeed Oswalt, said she was "ready to go to work" for the people of Smith County. "I'm ready and I want to go to work. I appreciate your support," Mrs.

Smith said in accepting her party's nomination. Mrs. Smith, 40, an administrative assistant under Oswalt, was appointed by commissioners to finish Oswalt's second term, which expires Dec. 31. As the Republican nominee, she will run unopposed in November's general election.

"She's a very qualified person. Kay Smith is certainly my choice to replace Harris Oswalt on the November ballot," Smith County Judge Larry Craig said in urging the Smith County Republican Executive Committee to put aside their agenda to name Mrs. Smith as the party's candidate for the fall elections. "Kay was the person we needed to appoint," Precinct 1 Smith County Commissioner Bill Wallis said, citing Mrs. Smith's qualifications and work experience.

Tyler businessman Richard Harvey made a motion that the Executive Committee name Mrs. Smith as the party's nominee on the November ballot, with a second by John Zoller. The committee's votes to put aside the agenda and place Mrs. Smith's name on the November ballot were unanimous. "You've done a wonderful job in the way you've handled this," Smith County GOP Chairman Bill Lust said in lauding Craig and Wallis" efforts in naming Oswalt's successor.

Oswalt, 60, died earlier this month in a Dallas hospital following a two-year battle against leukemia. He was appointed Smith County treasurer in 1983, was elected tax assessorcollector in 1984 and was reelected to office in 1988. Mrs. Smith had served as Oswalt's administrative assistant since 1988 and worked as an assistant auditor for Smith County from 1980-85. In 1990, she was certified as a Registered Texas Assessor III and has completed her course work for certification as a Registered Texas Assessor IV.

The examination for the latter certificate is scheduled in September. She is affiliated with the Texas Association of Assessing Officers, Texas Association of Appraisal Districts and Tax AssessorCollector's Association. She is a member of the Smith County Republican Club, the Republican Women's Club, the Chapel Hill Parents-Teacher Association and Tyler Morning Toastmasters. She and her husband, Gordon, have three children. Lust reminded executive committee members that Smith County Democrats still have the right to nominate a candidate for the November election, according to state laws.

Democrats at this time, however, will not consider nominating a candidate because the election process already was in progress at the time of Oswalt's death. Smith County Democratic Party Chairman Martin Heines said. Oswalt had no opponent in the general election. By TOM PRATT Staff Writer Smith County Republican Party Executive Committee members, in an unanimous vote, Tuesday named interim Smith County Tax Assessor Collector Kay McKenzie Smith the party's nominee on the November general election ballot to replace the late Harris Oswalt, who died earlier this month. Mrs.

Smith, who was appointed Monday by Smith County commis- Woman's Death Probed Tyler police are investigating the death of a 23-year-old woman who apparently died in her sleep Tuesday morning at the apartment of a friend in the Brookhollow complex, 202 Thigpen Drive, Detective Beverly Grage said. Detective Grage said the body of Angela Erown, Flint, was found on a couch at the apartment about 5:25 a.m. and paramedics were summoned to the scene. An autopsy was performed several hours later at Pathology Associates of Tyler, but cause of death has yet to be determined, Detective Grage said. Foul play is not suspected.

"Right now we don know the reason for her death," Detective Grage said. She said a ruling on the death will not be made until toxicology studies are returned by the pathology lab. Smith County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Bill Lemmert performed inquest at the apartment, Detective Grage said. ByJOHNFUQUAY Staff Writer Tyler City Council members concluded a full day of meetings Tuesday with a training session on how to operate more productively under the council-manager form of government. City Manager Ernie Clark told the council he has conducted several similar training sessions with other city councils during the past 10 years.

He has made the presentations along with former College Sta- tion mayor and current Texas University professor Dr. Gary Halter. Earlier Tuesday, council members conducted a regular 9 a.m. monthly meeting before holding a three-hour joint public hearing with Smith County Commissioners on a proposed emergency medical service contract. The training session began at 6 p.m.

and lasted about three hours. "Try not to think of me as your city manager but as a trainer," Clark said to open the meeting. "My goal is to help you improve your decisionmaking capacity and the quality of your decisions." Specific city business was not discussed, and no votes were taken. Councilmen M. Keith Mast and Kevin Eltdfe were absent.

Discussions centered around council protocol, general policy and constructive criticism. Council members said they appreciated the opportunity to ask questions about now they could improve. "If you keep doing today what you did yesterday, you will get the same tomorrow," Clark said. "A lot of people tell me the reason they do things a certain way is because that's the way we've always done them. A lot of times it's not the most productive approach." Clark presented names of stereotypical kinds of council members and asked the council to which categories they belonged.

Stereotypes included "trivial pursuiter," "selective listener," "exploders," "negatives," "super-agreeables," and others. Council members admitted they all fell into different categories at times. Clark asked them what kind of image they perceive to reflect to each other and the public. "You may not realize what it's like when you come to one council meeting; you go to all of them, but some people just come one time," Clark said. "You need to be aware when they see you milling around or you talk to each other when someone is addressing the council what kind of impression it makes to that person." Clark also cautioned council members not to take criticism or differences of opinions personally.

"You should have set rules on how you behave to each other, people are always going to have a different opinion. Try to think for a minute before you speak. For example, it's a lot easier to say, 'I don't agree with your than to say, 'I don't agree with Clark said when council members take disagreements personally, they are inclined to "attack back person-' ally." Mayor Smith Reynolds Jr. asked council members what he could do to improve the conduct of council meetings. "You are a gentleman, but you've got to remember, you chair that meeting," Councilman Rodney Kamel said.

"You've got that gavel there and you've got to lay down the law." Council members Gus Ramirez and Gladys Square said the council should outline specific objectives and methods of procedure. Clark asked the council, "Do you have an agenda? Is your agenda limited? Is it personal? be surprised at how many council mem- bers ran for office on a zoning issue." He asked whether council members concentrate on their single member districts or the city as a whole. Clark said his goal was to develop a mission statement for the City Council. Another training session will likely be held next week, he said, as the council begins delibera- tions on specific budget items for the 1992-93 budget. 50 of all illnesses are either caused or aggravated by polluted Indoor air, (ACA) E.D.

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593-7C02 I and AM by Appointment Telephone: (903) 581-9992 FACTS Indoor air is found to bo up to 70 times moro polluted than outdoor air, (EPA) Si.