REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
By: Lawrence Olsen
(August 26, 2003)

GOVERNOR PERRY TAPS TGR LEADERS, MEMBERS

Recently Gov. Rick Perry named TGR executive committee member Johnny Weisman, president of Hunter Industries, to a special advisory committee on environmental. Perry named his long time close friend, Senator Troy Fraser of Burnet County, to chair the committee named the Advisory Committee on Rock Crushers and Quarries. During the 78th session, Senator Fraser introduced legislation which would have severely limited future quarrying operations in his home county of Burnet. The bill did not pass, but Governor Perry announced near the end of the session he would name an interim committee to study this issue.

Joining Mr. Weisman as one of the governor's three public appointees is TGR member Vic Lattimore of Collin. Mr. Lattimore is prsident and CEO of Lattimore Properties,Inc., in McKinney and has been in public and civic affairs in the North Texas area. Burnet County Commissioner James Oakley of Spicewood is the third public member chosen by Governor Perry. Joining Chairman Fraser are fellow senators Ken Armbrister, who chaired the Environmental Affairs Committee and Frank Madla of San Antonio. Armbrister lives in Victoria. House members selected are Dennis Bonnen of Angleton, chairman of the House Environmental Affairs Committee; Edmund Kuempel of Seguin and Byron Cook of Corsicana. Mr. Cook lives in Navarro County but his 12th district also includes aggregate heavy Limestone and Freestone counties.

The committee is charged with studying the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)'s authority to adequately address citizen concerns about the construction and operation of rock crushers, including rock crushers operating in association with quarries. The committee is to submit its report to the governor and the Legislature by December 31, 2004.

AND THEN THERE WERE SEVEN

San Antonio district engineer John P. Kelly is the latest edition to those who will hear the strains of Auld Lang Syne as he has announced his retirement after 35 years with the Department. John spent many of his formative years with the department in the Dallas district and took the helm in the Alamo City in 1993. Best of luck to this fine native of Arkansas. He joins previously announced retirees: Bill Garbade of Austin; Walter Crook of Beaumont; Jay Nelson of Dallas; Lonny Traweek of Bryan; Bruce Bayless of Yoakum and Jim Freeman of Paris.

Bob Daigh, a key player in the Texas Turnpike Division for the last several years, has been named as the replacement for Bill Garbade in Austin. Daigh is a UT-Austin grad and has about 16 years with the Department.

Carol Davis has been chosen to replaced the departing Lawrance Smith, head of the Motor Carrier Division.

And we also bid a fond adieu to the Ragin Cajun, David Soileau, lead "fed" in the legislative affairs office. The Louisiana-bred lawyer has spent 23 years with the Department and we salute him and the many other valiant public servants who have well served Texas for a cumulative hundreds of years.

TGR LOSES FRIENDS

Two of key TGR personalities recently lost their mothers. TGR President Bennie Bock's mom died in New Braunfels last month and Houston district Engineer Gary Trietsch also lost his mother who died in Fort Worth in early August. Long-time Highway Department employee R.S."Bubba" Williamson, a TGR member, died recently. Our condolences to the families and friends of the outstanding citizens.

REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
By: Lawrence Olsen
(August 11, 2003)

NICHOLS FETED AT TGR DINNER

Tyler--About 40 TGR members and friends recognized newly reappointed Transportation Commissioner Robert Nichols here August 6. The Kiepersol Estates Bed & Breakfast was the site of the dinner. Those providing praise of Nichols' effort included Tyler Mayor Joey Seeber, former Tyler Mayor Kevin Eltife and State Representative Chuck Hopson. Former AGC presidents Jack Traylor of Jackonsville (along with wife Mary Lou) and Gene Shull of Tyler were also part of the appreciative crowd. TGR executive committee member Jeff Austin III served as emcee and other attendees included Road Hands Marie Whitehead of Rusk, Randy Brogoitti of Kilgore and Oscar Sjerven of Tyler.

The next morning U.S. Representative Ralph Hall of Rockwall led a group of dignitaries in the ribbon cutting for Loop 49 at ceremonies at the Noonday TxDOT office. Mayor Seeber and County Judge Becky Dempsey read proclamations from their respective entities honoring Texas Road Hand Oscar Sjerven for his tireless work in pushing for the loop. It was declared "Oscar Sjerven Day" by the city of Tyler and Smith County. Among those enjoying the festivities were F.M Young of Waco, contractor on the project, and former Tyler highway department officials, Bobby Evans, Richard Skopik and Randy Hopmann. Evans retired as Tyler district engineer now lives in San Angelo and works for Arcadis. Skopik is the Waco district engineer and Hopmann holds the same post in Lubbock.

COMMISSION MEETS IN THE PERMIAN BASIN; TGR HOST BREAKFAST

Odessa---West Texas community leaders joined TGR members July 31 for a convivial breakfast here this morning. Chairman Johnny W. Johnson of Houston claimed the Permian Basin area as his second home in Texas because of the location of one of his oil-related businesses here and the fact that he has family in the area. He was joined in singing the praises of the hospitality of the West Texans by Commissioner Robert Nichols. Both gentlemen had words of praise for TGR's efforts to aid the Dept. during the recently completed 78th legislative session. They also lauded the work of former Highway Commission chairman Ray Stoker. Stoker received a memento for his recently completed service as the TGR chairman, a post he held since 1993. John R. Butler, Jr., of Houston, also a former Highway Commission member, was elected to replace Stoker.

INTERVIEWS, INTERVIEWS-----

TxDOT executive director Mike Behrens and his team will be spending many hours in the next few weeks and months filling slots vacated by department retirees. Six veteran district engineers have given notice that they will be leaving the premises by the end of the fiscal year (August 31). In many instances, these retirements were instigated by the 78th legislature in passing a statute that would provide strong incentives for veteran state employees to move out.

Those who have announcement retirement plans are district engineers Bill Garbade of Austin; Bruce Bayless of Yoakum; Walter Crook of Beaumont; James Freeman of Paris; Jay Nelson of Dallas and Lonny Traweek of Bryan. Amadeo Saenz, Asst. Executive Director for Engineering Operations, has indicated that the Austin slot is likely to be the first filled and that there have been 33 applicants for the post. Division directors who have stepped down are Lawrance Smith, of the Motor Carrier division and Larry Zatopek of the General Services Division.

REPORT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
By: Lawrence Olsen
(July 14, 2003)

GOVERNOR PERRY REAPPOINTS COMMISSIONER NICHOLS

If you ever were superstitious about Friday the 13th, don't be anymore. Because it was on Friday June 13 that Governor Perry officially reappointed Commissioner Robert Nichols to another six-year term on the Texas Transportation Commission. Commissioner Nichols, first named to the Commission by Governor George W. Bush in 1997, is the fourth Texan to be named to the Commission by more than one governor. Herbert Petry of Carrizo Springs (in far south Texas Dimmit County, about ten miles from the Mexican border) was appointed to the Commission in 1955 by Governor Allan Shivers, reappointed in 1961 by Governor Price Daniel and named a third time by Governor John Connally in 1967. He left the Commission in 1973 and died in 1998. Dewitt C. Greer, who served as the State Highway Engineer from 1940 until his retirement from that post in 1968, was named to the Commission by Governor Preston Smith in 1969 and reappointed by Governor Dolph Briscoe in 1975. Mr. Greer, raised in Pittsburg, died in 1982. Odessan Ray Stoker was tabbed by former Baylor law classmate Mark W. White in 1985 to join the Commission. In the fall of 1991, when the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation became the Texas Department of Transportation, Mr. Stoker was the only holdover named to the new body by Governor Ann Richards. All three appointees served stints chairing the commission.

There is little doubt that any previous member of the Commission has covered more of the state and met with more individual TxDOT employees than Commissioner Nichols, a former Mayor of Jacksonville. A graduate of Lamar University in Beaumont, Mr. Nichols was a successful manufacturer who operated several different companies all of which have been in sold in recent years. Texas Good Roads is very pleased that Governor Perry has sought fit to reappoint this great Texan to six more years on the Commission. He will rejoin Commissioner of Transportation Johnny Johnson of Houston and Ric Williamson of Weatherford. With the enactment of Senate Bill 409 by Lucio, Governor Perry will be able to make two additional appointments to the Commission after September 1, and the name of the presiding officer of the Commission will revert to the title prior to 1991, chairman.

TGR TO HOST BREAKFAST HONORING COMMISSION IN THE PERMIAN BASIN

The Transportation Commission will meet in the Odessa District Thursday, July 31. That morning, TGR will host a breakfast in the Commission's honor at the MCM Elegante Hotel in Odessa, TX.

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