By Michelle Leigh Smith Citizen Staff Reprinted by permission

Mayor Johnny Isbell swore in Sherry D. Tavel, the first woman associate judge in the city's history Tuesday, joining six businessmen who will hear dockets in Municipal Court. Andy Helms, Ed Wheeler, J.L. Jay, Jose Cantu, Roy Mease and Robert Barfield were also sworn in after council approved the mayor's appointments. "I'm very excited that Mayor Isbell is heading up such a progressive program, and that he had the faith and trust in me to be the first woman appointed," said Sherry Tavel. "I thank him and city council for that trust." During the meeting, the council approved funding for a new asphalt patching machine, designed to be the workhorse of road repair. The city is buying the truck from Hi-way Equipment Company, Inc for $101,859.00. The self-contained unit on a freight-line chassis can fill large holes and take on the big jobs. "The City of Houston has 11 on order," said E.C. Summers, director of maintenance. "We've come a long way from the smaller unit with the guy with the shovel filling in the holes behind it." Councilman Phil Cayten asked Summers if anyone had seen the machine operate, Councilman Bruce Walters wanted to inspect the patch for quality. "We've been in desperate need of a truck and this looks like the one that will do the job well," Cayten said. "I'm proud to be a part of this decision." Council approved the appointment of assistant city engineer Erwin Burden. E. Bert Simmons introduced Burden during pre-council as a specialist in hydraulics. On the subject of law enforcement, the city initiated the first resident officer program in the state. Many other cities have followed that lead. Councilman Leon Searcy said that he had many questions about its success when he was on the city business in Philadelphia. "I saw Searcy talking to the police officer," Councilman John Manlove joked. "He was trying to convince him not to take him to jail." Council approved funding for the purchase of a second resident officer location, in the high crime neighborhood of Red Bluff Terrace. The first program began in the Pasadena neighborhood north of Harris, east of Main and west of Tatar in August 1996. "If the new one works half as well as our first one in organizing the community and deterring crime, then I'll be extremely pleased with it," Chief Tommy Shane said. "I expect the officer to do more than just crime fighting in that he helps the neighborhood in organizing a strong association," Shane said. "The officer helps the residents in combating eyesores such as abandoned cars, abandoned homes needing to be torn down, accumulated trash, weeds that need to be mowed on vacant lots, etc.," Shane said. "We're looking at revitalizing these communities, and the officer is key in promoting an active interest. Certainly, the program is working in the areas of controlling gangs and crime fighting, but also in making the neighborhood look well-cared for." "We've learned over the years that if you go into a neighborhood with weeds and broken windows, that just invites trouble," Shane explained. "Appearance of a neighborhood says a lot about the people who live there and the pride they take in the neighborhood. People who are proud of their neighborhood will not allow criminals to take over," Shane said. Pasadena's resident officer program is a great source of pride for the mayor and council. "Officer Manny Pizano did a fantastic job working that neighborhood in the early years of the program," Councilman Bruce Walters said, referring to the first resident officer program. Pizano is now on a peace keeping mission in Bosnia and Officer Randy Merritt is serving as the officer in residence at the north Pasadena location.

Call Today For An Appointment
Interoffice Consultations Only

Although our intention with this web page is to provide you with current and valuable legal information, none of the information provided on this site should be construed as legal advice. Professional advice should be sought before any action is taken.