Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 40

Section 1 Page 28 ARLINGTON Fort Worth Star-Telegram Thursday AM September 28 1989 Episcopal bishops assail retired Fort Worth traditionalist By Jim Jones Fort Worth Sur-Tdegram PHILADELPHIA Bishops seeking to heal a rift over ordaining women clergy yesterday decried a public statement issued by retired Fort Worth Episcopal Bishop A Donald Davies Davies' statement came in a news release Tuesday in which he said it was imperative for conservative bishops opposed to women's ordination and who uphold "the historic Apostolic faith" to go to other Episcopal dioceses to minister "He's accusing people like myself of abandoning the historic Apostolic faith simply because we permit a woman to be a bishop" said the Right Rev John McNaughton of San Antonio bishop of West Texas McNaughton said Davies a retired bishop and executive officer of the Episcopal Synod of America seems to be taking a different position from the six active conservative bishops who led in founding the conservative synod in Fort Worth in June The synod was established by con servatives upset over the naming of the church's first woman bishop the Right Rev Barbara Harris of Massachusetts The active conservative bishops including Fort Worth Episcopal Bishop Clarence Pope president of the Episcopal Synod of America are at the annual House of Bishops meeting here which ends today The meeting reaches a climax today when bishops vote on a statement responding to the traditionalists who formed the Fort Worth synod Sources say the bishops will adopt a statement recognizing the synod's right to exist but warning traditionalist bishops to stay out of other dioceses without permission of the local bishop "I feel that a relatively conciliatory point of view (will be) coming from the conservative synod group here but there is nothing conciliatory about his (Davies') statement" McNaughton said "My question is: 'Who speaks for them? Who can you trust? What is their real McNaughton said "If this is their real feeling that they think they can go into another diocese to minister simply because the bishop of that diocese supports women's ordination then I'm against them" Davies' statement came in a news release announcing that the Episcopal Synod of America would establish a conference center and house of studies on donated land in Aiken SC Another bishop the Right Rev Orris Walker bishop co-adjuctor of Long Island said he was concerned over the "almost threatening" tone of Da vies statement Walker also said he was concerned about the announcement that the conservative synod would be creating a school of religous training for conservative laity and clergy Conservative bishops attending the meeting in Philadelphia said they had no role in issuing the statement "Bishop Davies can say what he wants to" Pope said "It came at an indelicate time when the bishops' statement (on the ordination controversy) is being finalized" 11 i TarrantBriefly Judges From Page 25 r'orTWorih s'SlyJJSJTTjLE NTllman speaks with Mayor Bob Bolen center and Jerry Bawcom president of East Fort Worth Downtown 3j 1 City Council Districts 4 and 5 Texas Wesleyan University Fort Worth Star-Telegram facilities better housing crime prevention and other important concerns need to be addressed he said But giving citizens a say in determining the program's goals is what makes the program unusual and what may guarantee its success "It's important that every section of the East Side have input in these various group meetings so that their concerns are represented in the plans and the goals" Davis said "But it's going to take time for everything to settle down and to find a way that it will best work It's going to take some time but we've got to start somewhere" Airport years in the welfare of east Fort Worth TWU which is nestled amid some East Side neighborhoods hit hardest by years of deterioration has responded with a growing commitment to helping improve the area Bawcom said "I believe the university bears responsibility for providing some leadership in the east Fort Worth community" Bawcom said "We look at this as a great opportunity to set goals and look to the future on the East Side" Davis meanwhile believes that the program has a chance to provide the entire East Side with improvements and a much-needed face lift Medical Museum EastSide goals Anyone interested in information on Goals for East Fort Worth is invited to kickoff reception from 5:30 to 7 tonight at the Plaza Hotel 2000 Beach St Fort Worth (Interstate 30 1 and Beach Street) Refreshments will be served Call 496-9477 munity-oriented goals A method and time frame for accomplishing the targets will then be set "It's strategic planning for a community" said Tom Kwentus another member of the program's steering committee and a downtown accountant who has been involved in efforts to rejuvenate parts of the East Side "It'll bring us East Siders together for common concerns and goals" One of the primary issues organizers will have to overcome is trying to meld the myriad of concerns of a large and diverse population into a unified game plan for the entire East Side However community leaders do not believe that will be a problem Bawcom believes that the community concerns are more focused and uniform than they may appear "I think we're going to all be surprised by the commonness of thought and commonness of needs expressed by the citizens" he said Bawcom and the university have been increasingly involved in recent Page 25 east of the field Some urged delay until noise restrictions and legal questions could be resolved "Why can't we have both a vibrant healthy Love Field and a vibrant healthy city?" asked zoning lawyer Susan Mead Noise restriction actions sought by the council include: A congressional directive that the Federal Aviation Administration expand to 24 hours' use a departure route over the sparsely populated Trinity River area City ordinances establishing higher fees for late-night landings by noisier jets and requiring newer quieter jets on flights to and from beyond Texas and its contiguous states ARLINGTON 23-year-old arrested in car fire case Fire investigators have arrested a 23-year-old Arlington man who they suspect of arson in the burning of a car in the early morning hours of Sept 18 Fire Department Lt Gary Pipes said the car burned in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 800 block of North Center Street "A combination of physical evidence and eyewitness reports led us to this guy" Pipes said "I don't know that we know the reason for (burning the car) and to us it doesn't matter" The man is being held in the Arlington City Jail under a $25000 bail bond Charges haven't been filed by the Tarrant County district attorney's office RegionBriefly SHERMAN Execution date set for man who killed 4 An Oct 30 execution date has been set for Lester Leroy Bower 42 of Arlington convicted by Grayson County jury of killing four men in an ultralight airplane hangar in 1983 State District Judge William Fry of Sherman who set the execution date has allowed Bower's lawyers until Sunday to file a writ appealing the execution A team of lawyers is attempting to postpone Bower's execution and overturn the verdict Bower was sentenced to death five years ago for the murders of Phillip Good Jerry Mac Brown Ronald MayesandBobGTateonOct8 1983 MINERAL WELLS Man in serious condition after chemicals ignite A small chemical explosion and fire Tuesday morning at a residence on Southeast Seventh Street sent a 21-year-old man to the burn unit at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas where he was in serious condition yesterday Joe Zavala of Mineral Wells suffered burns on his face hands and body He was initially taken to Palo Pinto General Hospital and then transferred to the burn unit at Parkland Zavala was cleaning his work clothes in a bucket of chemicals about 10:30 am when a nearby candle ignited the fumes resulting in an explosion and small fire said Mineral Wells Fire Marshal ZA Calhoun The fire in the duplex was not serious and did only minor damage Calhoun said TexasBriefly DALLAS Gunman still sought in bus shooting Tips to police so far have not identified a gunman who fired into a Dallas Area Rapid Transit bus Tuesday afternoon seriously wounding a 12-year-old schoolgirl in the head a department spokesman said yesterday The victim seventh-grader LaToya Battee remained in critical condition but was alert and responding after 2Vi hours of surgery to remove bone and bullet fragments from her left temple Tuesday night said Barry Pound spokesman for Methodist Medical Center MISSION Bodyguards hired for truck driver Asoft drink company hired guardsto protect a company driver who was threatened after an accident that killed 20children last week the company said vestcrday Valley Coca-Cola hired the guards while Ruben Perez 25 was hospitalized after the Sept 21 accident manager Dan Fairley said "The family said he had received some threats" Fairley said He would not say what the threats entailed The company owns the Dr Pepper truck that knocked a school bus into a water-filled pit at an intersection in Alton The accident also injured 60 students the bus driver and the truck driver's assistant elected "If we can get this passed in November then the people of Arlington could have a choice this spring when we put it on the ballot" Greene said If the law is not repealed in November council members can establish a court of record with elected judges or wait until the issue can be addressed when the Legislature meets in 1992 Rep Chris Harris R-Arlington said there's a chance the measure would make it through a special session of the Legislature in November "If the worker's compensation is passed early in the session then the governor might have an open call on a few matters" Harris said But Rep Bill McFarland R-Arlington who also attended the meeting said the likelihood of getting such a measure passed this year is slim and suggested deferred adjudication as an alternative to establishing a court of record Deferred adjudication allows traffic offenders to pay their fines and have tickets removed from their records if they do not commit other offenses within six months "Deferred adjudication cut down on the number of appeals in other cities such as Hurst Euless and North Richland Hills by 90 percent" McFarland said City attorney Jay Doegey said deferred adjudication is being offered in Arlington and has not dramatically relieved the revenue drain that occurs when traffic offenders appeal their Fines in county court Deferred adjudication has been offered since December 1987 but appeals to the county court have dropped by only 2 percent said municipal court prosecutor Sarah Wiegand In 1988 5 percent of traffic offenders chose deferred adjudication over appealing their tickets Wiegand said This year 12 percent opted for deferred adjudication "Deferred adjudication has just started picking up recently" Wiegand said "Ours may increase more as people become aware of the program" Council member Bill McFadin who has brought up the issue frequently during the council's informal sessions said he is optimistic that Arlington will establish a court of record next year "I feel like this time it is going to go through" he said "Finally my effort is going to pay off" Council members have said they prefer that judges be appointed rather than elected but they want the voters to make the choice "I will encourage the appointment of judges because it gives the city more control over the municipal court" Greene said "But we want to let the people decide" Green's brother given 30-year prison sentence By Martha Deller Fort Worth Star-Telegram FORT WORTH The older brother of multiple-slaying suspect Ricky Lee Green was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in prison 10 years less than what prosecutors offered him when he pleaded guilty three weeks ago to drug charges Prosecutor Brent Carr declined to explain why he reduced the 40-year plea bargain offered to Perry Jefferson Green 29 of Lake Worth But courthouse sources say the reduced plea offer to Perry Green is linked to information he gave prosecutors about his younger brother Ricky who is awaiting trial in four slayings in Tarrant and Wise counties Ricky Green 28 has been held in Tarrant County Jail in lieu of $125 million bail since his April 27 arrest in the 1 986 rape-slaying of a TV advertising executive and the 1985 stabbing death of a 16-year-old boy He also is charged in Wise County in the 1985 rape-stabbings of two women Carr and Perry Green's attorney Michael Payne declined to say whether Perry Green would testify against his brother as part of the plea agreement "Any plea bargain is usually part of a broader prosecutorial scheme" Payne said Perry Green had pleaded guilty to two charges of aggravated possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance From Page 25 Councilwoman Kay Granger East From Page 25 and what the East Side is and Goals for East Fort Worth is a way to overcome that" he said The East Side is large enough that it emcompasses two council districts Granger and Councilman Eugene McCray who represent the area have been instrumental in forming the program Granger says the East Side's diversity the region is home to large black and white neighborhoods and a few racially mixed enclaves has left it without a cohesive communitywide plan for improvements The need for a more comprehensive approach to problem-solving led Granger to establish the program Organizers hope that Goals for East Fort Worth which was adapted from a similar program begun in Dallas in the 1 960s will become a lasting vehicle for community involvement and that such programs will eventually be used throughout the entire city Initially the program calls for trained representatives from the program to organize 50 small community meetings in the coming months Participants from those work sessions will generate a list of 10 achievable com- Airport From in 1979 as a way to boost the development of DFW and Bartos described the perimeter rule as a way to maintain support of the larger regional facility Homeowners around Love Field however saw the Wright Amendment as a way of limiting noise and that sentiment was voiced repeatedly by many of the more than 50 people who signed up to speak Many said they bought into neighborhoods around the airport as much as 20 years ago with the assurance of little or no commercial activity there "A vote to repeal the Wright Amendment is a vote to trash the efforts of good people of good will who want and need to live in the inner city" said LeGene Cook who said she is a 27-year resident of a mobile-home park just Suspects ed incidents but no abductions in the last two days near the north Arlington school Letters were sent home with Speer students and school officials attempted to call all the parents yesterday said Dr Carolyn Hudspeth assistant principal "Many students' parents were contacted but we are uncertain as to how many we have actually reached since so many of them work during the day" Hudspeth said Yesterday morning a student on his way to school walked past a parked white van when the man in the van asked the boy to approach the van police said The boy ran to school and police were called Anderson said police can't establish a link between that incident and two reports Tuesday from Specr students Five children were walking to Speer Tuesday morning when they were ap From Page 25 for two months between August and September 1988 as a pharmacy technician with Eckerd's Drugs in Dallas said a spokesman with the drugstore chain's headquarters in Clearwater Fla Throughout his employment history Poynor apparently sometimes used an-othername Steven Lester Poyner and at least three different Social Security numbers employers said Although his jobs generally required little training Poynor apparently was able to provide himself with a comfortable lifestyle Before he entered the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service he was living in an Irving apartment complex where rent for two-bedroom apartments ranged from $500 to $635 a month And about two weeks ago Poynor paid $1125 for his first term at the Dallas institute dean of students Ken Whittaker said Poynor began living and workingasa custodian at Dalton Sons Funeral Home in Lewisville a week ago Police arrested him at the institute on Tuesday morning They had been looking for Poynor since Burton saw a man grab a ledger book from the debris and take off running tossing the ledger into bushes near the museum Dear said Dear has a copy of a ledger but said Tuesday that he is unsure whether it is the same ledger tossed aside on the night of the theft Arlington Sgt Jay Gustafson who also has been working on the wax museum case said he is interested in the final determination on Poynor's link to the wax museum saga "I knew of this person's existence and the warrant for his arrest and how that came about" he said "As far as the link to Patsy Wright's death and my investigation of this case I have nothing concrete" strychnine poisoning of museum co-owner Patsy Wright in October 1987 and the death of secretary Lori Williams in September 1984 Earlier this week Tarrant County Medical Examiner Nizam Peerwani changed the ruling on Wright's death to homicide from undetermined cause Grand Prairie Police Sgt Steve Burton said he was unable to draw a conclusion yesterday about Poynor's possible involvement with the deaths and the fire "I can tell you there's evidence to link him to the wax museum" he said "That's all I can say right now" Burton would not comment on why Poynor wanted the ledger or on the book's significance Bob Phillips marketing director for the recently rebuilt wax museum also would not comment on Poynor's arrest or the ledger yesterday at the request of Dear who was hired by Wright's family to work on the case Dear said yesterday that Poynor is being questioned about all of the events surrounding the museum "He's being interviewed concerning anything concerning this case the burglary the deaths of Patsy Wright and Lori Williams and the fire at the wax museum" Dear said Former employers weren't able to provide much information about Poynor other than a work history that indicates he did not hold down a job more than several months at a time He worked as a Tom Thumb checker between January 1988 and July 1988 Sept 12-15 1988 and April 1989 and July 1989 losing each job when he failed to show up for work Adamcik said "Most of the people you talked to at the stores wouldn't even remember him" Adamcik said During the same period he worked proached by a man near Millwood Hospital on the north side of Randol Mill Road Anderson said Thechildren ran Anderson said and the man headed for a white van on the east side of Cooper Police were called back to the school Tuesday afternoon when the children saw a white van on Randol Mill as they were crossing the Arlington Memorial Hospital parking lot on their way home from school Anderson said Last Wednesday a 7-year-old girl escaped after being abducted on her way to Goodman Elementary School in southeast Arlington On Friday a 27-year-old cafeteria worker at Roquemore Elementary School was accosted as she walked to work Police have said it's unlikely the two incidents were linked but in both cases the suspects were reported driving gray cars.