New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung from New Braunfels, Texas • Page 2

i OHerald-2eitung 0 Thursday, August 3,1995 Erin strengthens, bears down on Upper Gulf Coast CAPE SAN BLAS, Fla. (AP) Hurricane Erin, regaining strength from the warm waters Of the Gulf of Mexico, lashed the Florida Pan- fmndlc with heavy rains and blustery winds tfiis morning as it headed toward landfall in the Gulf states. Though forecasters predicted the hurricane Svould miss the western Panhandle, they warned Ihe area could be whipped by intense winds. At 3 a.m., winds higher than 74 mph reached 30 miles from Erin's center, located about 105 hiiles southeast of Pensacola in the Gulf of Jvlexico. Winds between 39 mph and 74 mph fextended 115 miles from the center.

southeastern Louisiana, site of a once-in- ajcentury flood three months ago, more than £,000 residents were ordered to evacuate. 'Alabama officials opened shelters and asked for Voluntary evacuation of Dauphin Island and low-lying areas of Mobile County. A tornado watch was in effect until 11 a.m. today for the Florida Panhandle, where Gov. Lawton Chiles declared a state of emergency.

A state of emergency also was declared in Louisiana; forecasters expected Erin to move inland across the Mississippi or southeastern Louisiana coast later today. On Wednesday, Erin blew ashore with 85 mph winds shortly after 1 a.m. near Vero Beach, on Florida's Atlantic Coast, and roared across the state. The hurricane sank two ships, killed two people and knocked out power to more than 1 million people. Five people were missing at sea.

It dwindled to a tropical storm inland, then soaked up strength from the warm Gulf waters and picked up hurricane-force winds of 75 mph again this morning. In the Apalachicola area of the Panhandle, only a few homes and businesses had been boarded up against the storm. "I'm not worried about it," said 70-year-old retiree Cecil Harrelson of Lanark Village, east of Apalachicola. "Probably the biggest worry is the tornadoes. I'm glad it's moving away from us." Many residents of the small resort community of Cape San Bias, a peninsula between Port St.

Joe and Apalachicola, decided to ride out the high winds instead of needing a voluntary evacuation order. "It's not going to be that bad," said Lyn Waymire. "There's never a dull moment. You kind of live on the edge when you live on the coast. I call it Russian roulette." Ms.

Waymire's neighbor Sonya Smith enjoyed watching Erin's effects. "You ought to go out to the beach when the storm gets going. The waves are really something," she said. Residents of Santa Rosa Island, Perdido Key and other low-lying areas were ordered to evacuate. In Franklin, Gulf and Wakulla counties, officials asked for voluntary evacuations.

Bay County asked only mobile home dwellers to leave. About 300 people were in shelters late Wednesday, said David Miller, the county's emergency manager. Officials in Okaloosa County, which includes Fort Walton Beach and Destin, urged mobile home residents in the coastal area to voluntarily evacuate. They asked other residents and tourists to remain in their homes, hotels and condominiums, but prepare to vacate ground floors in case of flooding. In anticipation of strong winds, Panhandle military bases evacuated about 300 aircraft to bases in Georgia, Kentucky, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio and Mississippi.

Coast Guard officials expected this morning to resume their search for a 44-year-old Georgia man and his 9-year-old daughter, who disappeared in the Gulf after leaving Port San Bias in an inflatable rubber raft with oars. The search was suspended after dark Wednesday. Gulf County Sheriff Frank McKeithen said neither of the rafters was wearing a life jacket. "I'm just sick about it," he said. A gambling ship captain and two crew members went down with a vessel Wednesday in seas off Cape Canaveral on the Atlantic Coast.

A tugboat also sank off Georgia during the storm. All five aboard were rescued. Math put schools on low-performing list AUSTIN (AP) State Education Commissioner Mike Moses says Texas schools deserve a grade of "a high based on new performance rankings. "That's up from the previous year, that means we still have a lot of jirrtproving to do. I would be very concerned if my fourth-grader and seventh-grader brought home C's this year," Moses said in releasing the rankings Wednesday.

There were 265 campuses rated low-performing this year. That's up from 54 last year, when less stringent state standards were used in judging Texas' 6,229 campuses. But the number of schools with high ratings also increased: for example, 245 were found to be exemplary, up from 67. This year, the state looked at stu- still have a lot of improving to Mike Moses State education commissioner dent performance and dropout rates specifically by ethnic and economic group, not just at the student body as a whole. In addition, the state placed schools in the low-performing category based solely on high dropout rates, said Texas Education Agency spokesman Joey Lozano.

Of the low-performing campuses, 120 received the rating only because of failure rates on the math section of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills, particularly by black students, Moses said. TAAS also includes reading and writing. Another 113 campuses received the lowest rating only because of their dropout rate, he said, citing in particular Hispanic dropouts. Other campuses had a combination of problems. Eight campuses have been on the low-performing list for three years in a row: in San Antonio Independent School District, Wheatley Middle, Ppe Middle, M.L.

King Middle, J.T. Brackenridge Elementary and Washington Elementary; in Wilmer- Hutchins ISO, Kennedy-Curry Junior High; and in Houston ISO, Attucks Middle and Jackson Middle. The state also ranked its 1,045 school districts, each of which may contain several campuses. Among 38 low performers were Houston ISD, the state's largest, and San Antonio ISD, which is in the top 10 in school-district size. Houston received the ranking because of its overall and Hispanic dropout rates, and San Antonio because of its black and white dropout Obituaries Martha I.

Skelton Martha I. Skelton, of New Braunfels, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 1,1995 at McKenna Memorial Hospital at the age of 70. She was bom Oct. 7,1924 in Warner, to Pierce Markham and Carrie Dryden Markham.

She married Eddie Skelton on July 31,1942. Mrs. Skelton was a housewife and had been a resident of New Braunfels for 23 years. Survivors include her husband, Eddie Skelton, of New Braunfels; son and daughter-in-law, Joe M. and Li Skelton, of San Antonio, Texas; daughter, Jalma A.

Carey, of New Braunfels; and two grandchildren, Ian Markham Carey and Markham Luo Skelton. Funeral services will be held Fri- day, Aug. 4 at 9:15 a.m. at the Zoeller Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Fred Martin officiating.

Interment will follow in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. Visitation begins at 8 a.m. Friday and will continue until service time. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials be made to the American Lung Association of Texas. 'FUNEKfLHOMC Evelyn Peters Trager A memorial service will be held on Aug.

6, 1995 at the First Baptist Church Rice Hall in New Braunfels at 3 p.m. for Evelyn Peters Trager. All friends and relatives are invited to attend. Texas Today Request For Recusal Leads justice To Fault Lawmakers AUSTIN (AP) An 8-year-old I medical malpractice suit, from which four Texas Supreme Court justices were asked to remove themselves for political reasons, has led the court to lash out against the Legislature's inaction on judicial election reform. The reform issue was debated in this year's legislative session.

But despite I efforts led by Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock to change from the current system of par! tisan, contested elections, the reform vbilidred. Justice Craig Enoch took the opportunity in the opinion issued Tuesday to voice support for judicial election reform. "The vice in the Texas judicial selection system, which places intolerable tensions between the process by which judges are chosen and the obligations they must discharge once in office," Enoch wrote.

"This Court has unanimously supported efforts to reform judicial election in Texas. It is the Texas Legislature that has failed to respond, and judges in this state continue to be faced with partisan contested election campaigns," he said. Dean Misses Driest Parts of Texas HARLINGEN, Texas parts of Texas may be soggy from the remnants of Tropical Storm Dean, but the South Texas drought remains as serious as ever. "We've had some rain, but it certainly hasn't broken the drought," Richard Hagan, top meteorologist for the National Weather Service in "Brownsville, said Wednesday. Falcon Lake, the key reservoir for die Rio Grande Valley, is 42 feet below its optimum level and continues to drop.

Dean washed ashore east of Galve- Ston early this week. Wet weather in 'its wake was predicted for parts of northern and central Texas into the weekend. the dry fields of the Valley have received only a few scattered showers, ifanything. Gramm's Senate Fund-raising Proceeding Slowly WASHINGTON (AP) A quick look at Republican Sen. Phil Gramm's campaign finance reports will tell you exactly where he's putting his emphasis.

The Texan, who is running side-by- side campaigns for the GOP presidential nomination and re-election to a third six-year Senate term, has raised more than $17 million for his White House him the top fund-raiser to date in either party. By contrast, for the first six months of the year, he's raised his Senate re-election effort, according to a filing this week with the Federal Election Commission. That boosts his Senate war chest to $3.2 million. During just the months of April, May and June, Gramm raised $3,471,793 for his presidential campaign, bringing his campaign coffers to nearly $7.3 million. Archer Jumps Into Immigration Fray With Own Bill WASHINGTON (AP) House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer is entering the immigration fray, introducing what he calls the toughest legislation to date addressing legal and illegal entries into the United States.

A plethora of bills already have been introduced this year, including a sweeping immigration reform package drafted by a fellow Texan, House immigration subcommittee Chairman Lamar Smith of San Antonio. Smith's legislation "is a good bill. There are just some features that are in my bill that I think are tougher than his, particularly on asylum," Archer, a Republican from Houston, said Wednesday. Archer said his measure, introduced Wednesday, would cut back on excessive legal entries and help curtail the growing numbers of illegal immigrants. Immigration experts estimate that at least 4 million people are in the country illegally, with another 300,000 enter- by Paul Rudnlck Performed by The San Marcos Players at Gordo's on the Square in San Marcos on August 8, 9, and 10 at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are $5 In advance or $7 at the door NOW OPEN TH-County Veterinary Hospital FM 3009 Tri-County Parkway mile west of IH-35) Convenient hours with nice drop-off pick-up facilities Vaccinations Medical Dental Boarding Surgery X-Ray Lee R. Ward, D.V.M M-F7am-9pm 26 years practice experience PH 651-4236 Sat 8am-2pm Schertz, TX 78154 FAX 651-4238 European Facials 620-0615 Youth Soccer Registration Register Today to avoid LATE FEES Call 629-4700 or 606-4080 Cleated Soccer Shoes Soccer Shin Guards Soccer Socks $24.95: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church BAZAAR August 4 5,1995 Church Grounds New Braunfels, Texas FREE DANCE ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY Friday, August 4,1995 Saturday, August 5,1995 Folklorico Dancers 6:30 7:30 pm Food Games start at 6 p.m. Live Auction 7 p.m. in air conditioned hall Tex Farnsworth auctioneer Dance-8 p.m. a.m.

Music by Alegria Band Raffle during Intermission Folklorico Dancers 6:30 7:30 pm Mary Paniagua Campania De Danza Folklorico Food Games start at 6 p.m. Horseshoe Tournament 7 p.m. sign up at 6 p.m. Dance 8 p.m. -12 a.m.

Music by Menchaca DJ Mexican Plate Tamale Sale Start Saturday at 11 a.m Raffle Tickets Available at Church Grounds Enjoy ths romance of our classical guitarist. Thursday evening, August 3rd you dine outelde on cur upper deck Friday Evening WINE TASTING Featuring a selection of the finest Texas Wines FRIDAY, AUGUST 4TH The Gruene Mansion Restaurant Dine Inside, In our beautiful dining area adorned by a massive fireplace and two 20 foot Wooden Bookcases. Or Dine on one of our two decks under giant oak trees in the Hill Country over looking the beautiful Guadalupe River. Moderate Family Value Liwich SsurtJug Af i Rtoijfic Pull your chain. When outdoor temperatures soar, summer cooling bills mqv not be far behind.

This summer, PEC reminds you to jl the chqin on your ceiling fans. Circulated air from ceiling fans can make a room feel four to six degrees cooler, Mr thermostat to a higher temperature and still remain cool now and when your bills grrjye. PMernoles Electnc Cooperative, Inc..