The Facts (Newspaper) - February 10, 2003, Clute, Texas County commissioners to consider pay 2A MONDAY Vol 89 No 347 Copyright 2003 Covering Brazoria Where BEST AVAILABLE COPY FEBRUARY 10 2003 Clute Texas 77531 50C Began Freeport sees crime rate decline By VELDA HUNTER The Facts FREEPORT The year 2002 proved eventful for the Freeport Police Department as police worked to rid crime from streets By years end the police department had handled more than calls for service and the criminal investigations unit had been assigned 513 cases of which 371 were cleared by the end of the year Compared to 2001 the number of arrests dropped percent to last year When the final tally was pre sented to Freeport City Council last week figures showed the number of burglaries and unau use of motor vehicle cases were up compared to 2001 But the number of assaults and cases were down according to an annual crime report presented by Police Chief Henrietta Gonzalez Our main goal is still to con the quality of life for the city of Gonzalez said The crime report showed 142 burglaries reported in 2002 com pared to 110 the previous year The increase was attributed by See CRIME Page 2A Freeport crime statistics A comparison of the number of criminal cases investigated by Freeport Police Department officers each of the last three years by type of crime 1S7 forty Runway Kidnapping 142 48 IMt source Freeport Police Department Facts graphic Picked Pocket spurred 1st court By CARLOS ARMINTOR The Facts A naval clash between the United States and the Republic of Texas led to creation of Brazoria Countys first district court In March 1836 a Texas Navy ship named The Invincible captured a brig named the Pocket which was fly ing under the flag The Invincibles captain Jeremiah Brown and his crew boarded the Pocket a few miles off the Velasco coast now Freeport They seized the boat its crew and their Tales Brazos Stories from the rich history of Brazoria County Tales from the Brazos is a regular Monday feature in The Facts Suggestions for future stories can be emailed to news or faxed to 979 2659052 possessions This action by the Texas Navy set off a chain of events that land ed Brown in a New Orleans jail left The Invincible sold at an auc tion and spurred a treaty between the and Texas The crew of The Invincible seized the ship because the Pocket was supplying Mexican troops during the Texas fight for See POCKET Page 2A Facts photo Eric Lyle Kayne Michael J Bailey curator at the Brazoria County Historical Museum holds an 18 pound cannonball Thursday afternoon in Angleton The cannonball was similar to one used on the Texas Navy ship The Invincible LJ debris may be from shuttle By DANIELLE SMITH The Facts LAKE JACKSON A Lake Jackson man thinks he may have discovered a piece of the space shuttle Columbia on Sunday Henry Sablatura and his son Brad arrived at their fishing dock around to check on their boat located in Buffalo Camp Bayou near the 200 block of Fawn Trail when they came across something unusual lying on the ground I looked out the side of the vehicle and there it Sablatura said Sablatura does not live on the property but he goes fishing at the dock occasionally Sablatura said he thinks a spongy charred piece could be insulation from the shuttle Its looks like a piece of he said I dont know what else it would After discovering the piece Sablatura notified the Brazoria County Sheriffs Department and they recovered it Brazoria County Sheriffs Sgt Santos Martinez said they will notify NASA and they will send someone to come and recover the piece Residents can speak up about gas facility By MICHAEL BAKER The Facts FREEPORT Residents will have a chance Tuesday to pose questions to a partnership wanti ng to build a liquefied natural gas facility on the of Quintana The public hearing is part of the permitting process to build the million facility on the island The facility would receive liquefied natural gas store the product and vaporize it shipping it via pipeline to consumers and businesses mostly within a 100 mile radius Freeport LNG Development a partnership between Cheniere Energy Inc and a private investor have already made pre sentations about the facility to the port and Hearing Quintana resi natural dents During The Public hearing the presenta the proposed lions some resi dents ex pressed con Tuesday in the cems about the ports administra facility and tion building 1001 potential safety Navigation Blvd hazards it poses on their island Port Commissioner Tobey Davenport said representatives would likely go into greater detail at Tuesdays meeting Theyre going to bring a demonstration of LNG what it smells like what it looks Davenport said Theyll answer See HEARING Page 3A Chamber honors pair for service By VELDA HUNTER The Facts Just as some people predicted Doyle Swindell lowered his head as the words spoken revealed he was the recipient of an honor he has never claimed before Hearing the Area Chamber of Commerce president tell the crowd of 255 people about his squirrel Rocky was what grabbed Larry attention It wasnt a popularity contest nor was it about how well Swindell whistles or how well INDEX Akery raises peacocks doves and pigeons It was about their count less hours of service and their neverending willingness to seek the best for their communities That was what earned Swindell the chamber honor of Alvins Citizen of the Year and Akery as Citizen of the Year Neither Akery nor Swindell was expecting the honor as they dined and socialized at Saturdays chamber banquet Amid the Construction where guests dressed in over alls and hard hats in line with the nights theme the two emerged to 4B6B I I I Crossword I Editorial I I I I I Akery Swindell claim the prestigious award for jobs well done Im real Swindell said moments after receiving the award A lot more people were deserving he said I was totally His wife Rosemary said it was easy keeping the secret from him She said Phyllis Blankenburg the chamber president was well into See HONORS Page 2A SPORTS NBA SHOWS OFF STARS Jordan Yao in NBA AllStar game spotlight Page IB SECOND SEASON SET Girls playoff dates announced Local grad wife headed to war zone By CARLOS ARMINTOR The Facts A High School graduate and his wife are headed back into the breach The couple both of whom are in the Army are being deployed to the Middle East this month Sgt Thomas Gautreax a 1992 graduate has been deployed previously to Bosnia Kosovo and Albania His wife Sgt Greta Gautreaux wiil head to Kuwait sometime this week He will head to the Middle East sometime in the next month The couple met while stationed in Germany they married in 2000 and have a 7monthold daughter Lisa Ann Thomas Gautreaux is likely to see some See COUPLE Page 2A MORE INSIDE Courtesy photo Sgt Greta Gautreaux left and her hus band Sgt Thomas Gautreax pose with Thomas father Tommy Gautreaux of Brazoria The couple both serving in the Army will soon be deployed to the Middle East COLUMBIA IS LOST Search continues for debris answers MORE TIME PLEASE Top inspectors say Iraq cooperating WEATHER TODAY Mostly sunny High 61 TONIGHT Mostly clear Low 50 2A
