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Residents Challenge Court Plans

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  • Article Image Alt Text
    84 year-old Chambers County resident Beth Newton emotionally asks the court not to relocate LL Nelson Road.
  • Article Image Alt Text
    Lifetime county resident Janet Lagow asks the court not to demolish the former Pine Island School.
  • Article Image Alt Text
    The former Pine Island School building which Lagow contends is to be reverted back to her family.

ANAHUAC – Two lifetime residents of Chambers County came before Commissioners Court Jan. 14 to challenge two separate plans considered by the officials. 

Smith Point resident Beth Newton spoke to the court regarding the agenda item “Consider and approve the relocation of LL Nelson Road to the new right-of-way.” 

Newton, who lives on land adjoining LL Nelson Road, spoke of prior discussions with county officials over the years regarding the road. She said at court that neither the adjoining landowner or the county has maintained the road and she questioned the court’s plans now to re-locate the rural road. 

“I’m not sure why the county wants to move the right-of-way at the taxpayers’ expense to a lower point of land where there’s a slew that floods when there is a heavy rain. Not to mention having to move the Entergy power lines also at the taxpayers’ expense. 

“This will put a 50-foot highway through our neighborhood to a dead-end road,” Newton said. 

She also spoke of a document that was supposedly signed by her father in 1984 conveying a small amount of land for the right-of-way. Newton contended that her father was dying of cancer and was not in his right mind at the time of the signature. 

“He would never have signed this because it contained his beloved pecan trees and not to mention that this land had been in my family since before the turn of the century,” said the 84 year-old. 

She expressed her frustration at the failure for officials to respond to her inquiries regarding the county’s plans for the road. 

“I also find it very disrespectful that no one will reasons to my inquiries,” she said. 

Newton asked that the court table the item until a further investigation can be completed. 

When the agenda item came up, County Judge Jimmy Sylvia said that he was asked that the agenda be taken into closed session for consultation with attorney. No more open discussion was given by the court on the matter. Ultimately, the court did not take action back in open session while Judge Sylvia noted the court had already previously taken action on the matter. 

Longtime County Engineer Bobby Hall told The Progress the road relocation was approved way back in the 1980’s when Sid Desormeaux was commissioner over that area. 

It was not discussed why the agenda item came back up for discussion or when the relocation will take place. 

The next lifetime resident to challenge the court was Janet Lagow who first prayed about her situation. She then asked the court to reconsider demolition of the former Pine Island School south of Anahuac. 

Lagow gave the history of how her family put up the land to be used to build a school long ago when it was just a wooden structure before the brick structure was built in 1954. When the schools consolidated with Anahuac ISD, the building was taken over to use as mostly storage. 

Anahuac Independent School District later released the building back to her father, Joe Lagow, she continued. 

Her father let the county use the building as a Justice of the Peace office and also for precinct voting with the understanding that if at any time the building wasn’t being used for educational purposes, it was to come back to her family. 

Lagow spoke of the documentation outlining that provision with copies given to Judge Sylvia as proof of the Lagow ownership. 

“Why take down a building that could be used for the community – preserve the building,” Lagow urged. 

The court did not comment or take action because the issue was not on the agenda to address. The court, in November, voted to advertise for bids to demolish the building that had stood vacant for a number of years.