At least city council candidate Bobbie Enriquez has never shared fond memories
of her college graduation ceremony, as former Railroad Commissioner Lena
Guerrero did before word leaked out that she was sans sheepskin.
Enriquez last week acknowledged under Chronicle questioning that she
fudged a degree on a city employment application six years ago in order to
secure a post as a youth services coordinator. She says she was in the job
about four months when she `fessed up to her supervisor and resigned. She says
that she alone, and not anyone else, brought the matter to her boss’ attention.
Later, Enriquez went to work as an aide to Councilmember Gus Garcia. “I made a
mistake,” Enriquez said last week. The Place 5 candidate is completing
coursework toward a degree at St. Edwards University…
Austin Police Officer Randy Malone is back in the news again — this time over
his 15-day suspension last month for alleged defamatory articles published in
the Doughnut Free Press, a newsletter penned under his brother’s name.
The take-no-prisoners publication launches fairly regular attacks against the
department brass and Austin Police Association leaders. Malone landed in hot
water a few years back when he accused former Police Chief Elizabeth Watson of
interfering with his ability to enforce the law. That incident stemmed from
Malone’s running battle with a certain hot dog vendor on Sixth Street, whom
Malone claimed violated the city’s vending ordinance. Malone was told to back
off, and was transferred from foot patrol to desk work. He sued the city,
claiming retaliation. Malone lost the case in a jury trial in March 1996…
It’s a scary prospect to be sure, but censorship in cyberspace could take on
new meaning this year when state lawmakers consider legislation that could
limit Internet access. David Smith, president of the Electronic Frontier
Foundation (EFF) Austin, will discuss censorship’s ever-growing presence at
noon, March 28 at Furr’s Cafeteria, Northcross Mall. — A.S.
Muddy Waters
Last week, about 30 cubic yards of dirt were dumped into Barton Creek, a shortdistance downstream of the Barnes/Connally bridge that leads to the Barton
Creek Country Club. The dirt, which was spotted on March 13 by a group of
paddlers (including this reporter), is causing a huge increase in turbidity in
Barton Creek for several miles downstream.
Dumping dirt and other fill material into domestic waterways is, under most
circumstances, prohibited under the Clean Water Act, unless the owner of the
property or project obtains a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. No
permit exists in this instance and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
Commission is pursuing an investigation.
Jerry Broesche, who owns the tract on Barton Creek, said he put the dirt in
the creek to reduce the erosion affecting his property. “All I’m trying to do
on the thing is to keep the creek from eroding further,” said Broesche, the
real estate manager at Leif Johnson Ford. Broesche’s wife, Brook Ann Johnson
Broesche, is a member of the Leif Johnson family, which has owned the land on
Barton Creek for many years.
Broesche says that he and his wife bought the property a couple of months ago
from other members of the family, including Robert J. Johnson, the president
and owner of the dealership. After gaining title, Broesche began thinking of
ways to cut down the creek’s erosion on the 42.2-acre tract. The erosion is
being caused, in part, by an old concrete low-water dam that has been partially
washed away. “If there was a mistake made, it was on my part as an individual,”
said Broesche.
When told that he may have violated federal law and caused water-quality
problems in the creek, he said, “I understand on an interim basis it may cause
a few problems. We are not trying to do anything to damage the creek. If
anything it should be better.” Broesche later called back to say he had
contacted the Corps and was working to obtain the necessary permits to stop the
creek erosion.
On Tuesday, inspectors from the city’s drainage utility department and Travis
County both issued cease and desist orders on Broesche’s project. O.B. McKown,
an inspector for the drainage utility, said the dumping violated at least four
different aspects of the city’s municipal code. While he is unsure whether any
fines will be issued on the project, McKown said Broesche was cooperating with
the city. — R.B.
Red vs. Blue
The Austin Transportation Study last week gave the okay to a Capital Metrostudy on the light rail plan, although some ATS reps complained that the report
downplays the potential for regional commuter rail.
As laid out in Capitol Metro’s Major Investment Study, the agency wants to
begin its light rail endeavors with the “red line,” a 29-mile link between
Leander and downtown that runs through east Austin. However, some of ATS’ 21
metropolitan area members favor the “blue line,” a regional commuter link along
the Union Pacific corridor between Round Rock and San Antonio that would follow
the MoPac Freeway through Austin north of the Colorado River.
Proponents of the blue line include Round Rock and Hays County officials, and
State Sens. Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio) and Gonzalo Barrientos (D-Austin).
Union Pacific officials, peeved that Capitol Metro failed to seek their input,
noted that the study ignores a rail spur that would link the blue line to the
new airport at Bergstrom.
Capitol Metro argues that the red line is ready to be built now because the
transit agency already owns the entire rail corridor. They also say it presents
few conflicts between rail and street traffic. The projected $180 million price
tag would be financed 50-50 by the federal government and Capitol Metro’s
current sales tax revenue, without issuing new bonded debt.
The blue line, on the other hand, is part of a billion-dollar package that
includes building the SH130 (MoKan) bypass to I-35 east of Austin, and shifting
Union Pacific’s freight operations there, so as to free up the MoPac corridor
for commuter rail. Funding is not available for the SH130 project, and
construction could be 10 years away.
But Union Pacific says that some passenger operations could begin on the MoPac
corridor even before freight is shifted to the MoKan corridor. Meanwhile,
fast-growing Round Rock and Hays County complain that the red line will do
nothing to link them to downtown and the airport. Nevertheless, blue line
supporters approved the red line plan after ATS added the conditions that the
transit agency reassess the blue line and study the red line’s weak points.
Councilmember Ronney Reynolds cast the lone vote against the rail plan, citing
his mistrust of Capitol Metro’s ability to do the job. — N.E.
Love Fest Sours
Last month’s reported spirit of cooperation between neighborhoods andpotential developers of a tract of land known as the “Triangle” seems to have
hit a snag. Shortly after the Chronicle reported on the conciliatory
efforts involving development of the “Triangle” (“Patching Things Up,” Feb.
14), some residents of the area in question — a grassy patch bordered by
Guadalupe, Lamar, and 45th Street — decided they disagree with their
neighborhood associations and want neither the developers nor the proposed
Randalls supermarket on the property, period.
Opponents of the development will hold a public meeting at 6:30pm Monday,
March 24, at the North Loop Branch Library, 2210 Hancock. Many area residents
have also taken to calling the MHMR-owned property “Triangle Park,” and have
been meeting there from
4-6pm each Friday. — L.N.
Salamander Update
Senior U.S. District Court Judge Lucius Bunton may make a final decision onthe Barton Springs Salamander within the next few weeks. On Monday, the U.S.
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied Attorney General Dan Morales’ motion to
stay the case, thereby freeing Bunton to rule on whether or not the salamander
should be added to the Endangered Species List. The S.O.S. Alliance and Mark
Kirkpatrick filed the lawsuit last year against Interior Secretary Bruce
Babbitt.
Bunton had previously denied Morales’ request to intervene in the case, and
Morales in turn appealed to the Fifth Circuit. Meanwhile, Morales had also
sought to delay any action Bunton takes on the case pending the higher court’s
ruling on the appeal. The Fifth Circuit’s denial of Morales’ motion to stay the
proceedings clears the way for Bunton’s ruling. “It’s a good step because it
means the judge can rule,” said Amy Johnson, a lawyer with Henry Lowerre
Johnson Hess & Frederick, who is working with S.O.S. Alliance on the case.
“The distinction in this case is that the state has sat on their rights. They
have not been diligent in pursuing their interests in this case.” —
R.B.
Conduct Unbecoming
Not to belabor Eric Mitchell’s verbal fag-bashing tirade, but theStatesman‘s curious editorial on the matter last week simply begs for
more discourse. The daily called on the city councilmember to personally
apologize to gays and lesbians, as well as to Robin Cravey, for the barrage of
threats and slurs made against him. Then, the paper launched into a mini tirade
of its own against Cravey’s boss, Councilmember Daryl Slusher. The daily noted
that because Mitchell uttered ugly, hateful words in private, Slusher and
Cravey were wrong to bring the matter to the public fore. “That’s an
interesting position for a newspaper to take because I think threats of
violence do need to come out publicly,” Slusher later observed.
“Whether it was public or private shouldn’t matter. Words like that reflect
your state of mind,” said Allan Baker, chairman of the Austin Lesbian/Gay
Political Caucus. Added Eugene Sepulveda, national board member of the Human
Rights Campaign: “The bigger issue here is that words like faggot incite hate
and they provide rationalization for hate crimes.”
The editorial went on to make one excuse after another for Mitchell’s
behavior, noting that the councilmember is often insulted by “disrespectful
political opponents who frequent council meetings.” (It should be noted,
however, that Mitchell’s council groupies are not exactly silent saints
either.)
Additionally, the Statesman editorial writer dredged up some of the
name-calling Slusher did during his political-writing heyday at the
Chronicle, calling public officials things like Neanderthal idiot, jerk,
and vulture. “It’s interesting that they spent half of the editorial attacking
me for things I wrote five to seven years ago,” says Slusher. “But they
couldn’t find any breach of decorum since I’ve been on the council.” —
A.S.
This article appears in March 21 • 1997 and March 21 • 1997 (Cover).