serving anthony, vinton, canutillo, east montana, … · 3/21/2002 · letter to council with a...
TRANSCRIPT
SERVING ANTHONY, VINTON, CANUTILLO, EAST MONTANA, HORIZON, SOCORRO, CLINT, FABENS, SAN ELIZARIO AND TORNILLO
NEWSBRIEFS
We shouldn’t judge a modern girl by herclothes; there really isn’t enough evidence.
— Quips and Quotes
MARCH 21, 2002VOL. 29, No. 12
By Arleen Beard�Special to the Courier
HORIZON CITY — The City Council ofHorizon City is moving forward to frame a newcharter for the Town of Horizon City.
City Attorney Robert A. Duran presented aletter to Council with a recommendation on thenecessary steps to do so at the regularly sched-uled meeting on March 12.
His recommendation calls for the adoptionof an ordinance to call for an election. Votersare to be asked the question: “Shall a commis-sion be chosen to frame a new charter?”
Council instructed Duran to begin construct-ing an election ordinance, with the intent toapprove first reading at the regularly sched-uled meeting of April 9.
Duran’s letter included a timeline to be fol-lowed. The timeline is as follows:
April 9, 2002 - First Reading of Election
Horizon council approves timeline to draft new CharterVoters will be asked to approve process and select commissioners on Nov. 12
Ordinance.May 14, 2002 - Public Hearing and Second
Reading of Ordinance.Sept. 27, 2002 - Filing deadline for candi-
dates to serve on Charter Commission.Nov. 12, 2002 - Election Day to elect Char-
ter Commission members.Other details of his letter state the ballot
which is presented to the public “shall also pro-vide for the election from the municipality atlarge of a charter commission to draft a char-ter if a majority of the qualified voters votingon the question of choosing a charter commis-sion approve the question. The charter com-mission for the Town of Horizon City mustconsist of at least 15 members.
Once the new charter is formulated by thecommission, it also must be submitted to thequalified voters of the municipality for theirapproval.
In other business, City Council consideredand took action on seeking professional ser-
vices of a lobbyist. Alderman Walter Millerexplained to City Council that there is greatpotential for funding for street developmentthrough the federal government.
Miller said it would be advantageous for CityCouncil to pursue a direct appropriation andto contract with a lobbyist to attract federalfunds. Council approved the recommendation.
Mayor Pat Randleel announced details aboutthe Freedom Flag memorial being created bythe Socorro Independent School District to rec-ognize our veterans and all those who were lostin the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy.
The Socorro ISD is asking for contributionsand donors names will be placed on a brick. Thememorial is to be constructed at the StudentActivities Center located on Joe Battle Blvd.
The approval of a new contract with the OzGlaze Senior Association to manage the OzGlaze Senior Center was tabled in order tomake amendments to the contract as providedby City Attorney Duran.
SAN ELIZARIO — Fiscal is-sues dominated the March 13meeting of the board of trustees
of theS a nElizarioIndepen-d e n tS c h o o lDistrict.
C o n -c e r n e dtrusteesof theS a nElizarios c h o o lb o a r dsharp ly
questioned a proposed belt-tight-ening budget amendment by theadministration.
Board members also questioneddistrict purchase orders they feltlacked the necessary informationfor them to make an informedvote.
The budget amendment finallypassed, but only after close scrutiny.
Pointing out that children gen-erate revenue, finance directorLarry Worrell and SuperintendentMike Quatrini explained that a100-student decline in enrollment
Belt-tightening budgetin San Eli ISD drawsquestions from board
By Don Woodyard�Courier Staff Writer
meant a corresponding decline infunding to the district. The districtbudget was originally based onanticipated enrollment.
A savings of approximately$300,000 was made in proposeddepartmental budget cuts, but itwas em-phasizedby theadminis-t r a t i o nthat aca-d e m i cneeds ofthe stu-d e n t swere notb e i n gs a c r i -ficed inthe pro-cess.
“We want expenditures focusedon the kids,” Quatrini assured thetrustees. “We are not taking awayfrom kids. We are not losing any-thing we could live without. Thecampuses will not be deprived.”
Added Assistant Superinten-dent Maria Niestas, “If the needarises, the money is still there. Wedon’t feel it is lost.”
Board vice president RickRednour said the board wasconcerned that teachers and
CANUTILLO — The visionfor the new Canutillo High Schoolbecame clearer last Thursday atthe second of two open meetingsto get input from communitymembers as to what they want inthe new facility.
Attendance — as at the firstmeeting — was light. Only abouthalf a dozen residents came outfor the meeting held at JoseDamian Elementary. Also attend-ing and entering into the discus-sion were members of the schoolboard as well as members of thedistrict administration.
Leading the discussion wasSergio Martinez, principal in Di-mensions Architects International.His firm is drawing up the educa-tional specifications for the highschool based on ideas from thecommunity as well as district staffand teachers. The latter group, inthe third and final meeting, meetswith the architectural firm onApril 13 to let them know whattheir needs are.
With this feedback, Martinezsees the public meetings as en-abling his firm to better provide“architecture for learning.”
“We want to address your is-sues. We want to capture all of
Second public meetingheld on specs for newCanutillo High School
By Don Woodyard�Courier Staff Writer
your ideas. Your ideas are impor-tant,” Martinez said.
In his vision, Martinez suggestsbuilding a two-story high school— offering a savings of 10 per-cent — that slopes from east towest following the contour of theland. It would be a “landmark thatwe can be proud of…pleasing tothe eye and pleasing to the com-munity.” In going with a two-storystructure rather than one story, hepoints out the district would besaving other land for possible ex-pansion to handle projected en-rollment growth.
At the first meeting, Dr. JohnKessinger, assistant superinten-dent for operations and planning,recommended building the newhigh school have a capacity of2,200. There are 1,200 highschool students now. It is esti-mated that enrollment will jumpto as much as 1,400 before thebuilding is completed in 2005.
Sketching quickly on an easel,Martinez blocked in the newschool south of the NorthwestBranch of El Paso CommunityCollege. He emphasized a “beau-tiful” facade on the building thatwill give it appeal and draw theattention of motorists on I-10.
So as not to detract from theschool itself, he envisions the
Mike Quatrini Rick Rednour
See SEISD, Page 3See CANUTILLO, Page 3
The primary elections last week cleared thefield considerably, leaving El Paso County withthe answer as to who would be filling manyelected offices.
A heated race for the Texas gubernatorialDemocratic nominee slot and several high-in-terest races closer to home brought a higherthan normal number of El Paso County resi-dents to the polls, about 50,000 voters.
Tony Sanchez won 59 percent of the state-wide vote to become the Democratic nominee
Primary elections clear the field, set up general elections with few runoffsfor governor over Dan Morales who took 33.5percent. Other challengers were JohnWorldPeace, with 2.1 percent and Bill Lyon,who received 4.7.
Sanchez will face incumbent Gov. RickPerry, who ran unopposed on the Republicanticket, in the general election.
The U.S. Senate race will head for a runoffon the Democratic slate between Victor Mo-rales, who won 33.3 percent of the vote state-wide, and Ron Kirk who was narrowly behind
with 32.3 percent. The winner of that run-offwill face Republican nominee John Cornynwho swept the statewide vote of his party with76.9 percent and no close challengers.
Two State Representative seats were de-cided, with District 75 incumbent MannyNajera losing his bid to challenger “Chente”Quintanilla, 54 percent to 46. Quintanilla isexpected to step down in January from his seat
See ELECTIONS, Page 7
Principals namedTwo new school principals have been se-lected by the Clint school district but bothare not new to the district itself. JesseHerrera, former assistant principal of ClintHigh School, was officially selected asprincipal at the new Horizon MiddleSchool on Feb. 25. Josie Perez, who wasnamed at new principal at Carroll T. WelchMiddle School also on Feb. 25, is a formerassistant principal at Clint Jr. High. andcounselor at Mountain View High.
Excellence notedJose H. Damian Elementary School, inCanutillo Independent School District,was recognized recently by Texas Educa-tion Agency (TEA) for outstanding aca-demic performance. The school earned anHonored School rating for meeting theExemplary standards in 2000-2001 schoolyear and Recognized standards the previ-ous school year. Each year TEA recognizesschools that are designated as Title I cam-puses and have received Exemplary and/or Recognized accountability ratings fortwo consecutive years. Title I schools haveat least a 35 percent economically-disad-vantaged student population. Principal ofDamian ES is Max Padilla. Assistant Prin-cipal is David Parker.
In other news■ The community wide Easter celebra-tion in Horizon City is now in its 27th year,sponsored by the Horizon City KiwanisClub. About 200 people attend the eventyearly at the Emerald Springs Golf Club.The event is at 7 a.m. on Sunday, March31. Pastors and priests from Horizon’s fourchurches will participate, and special mu-sic will be presented. The Club will servean Easter buffet for which reservationsare required at 852-9550. Information:852-2841.
■ State Rep. Joe C. Pickett has hundredsof campaign signs posted throughout ElPaso’s northeast and eastside areas, and isasking citizens for help. He pledges todonate one dollar for each sign picked upto the Advocacy Center for the Childrenof El Paso. The drop-off sites are in North-east at Safari Homes, 10100 Dyer orEastside at 3606 Wooster, which intersectsMontana Ave. between Lee Trevino andGeorge Dieter. This is the eighth timePickett has held a “campaign sign collec-tion for a donation” drive.
■ State Rep. Manny Najera said this weekthat two teams of students from Tornilloand Fabens High Schools have now beentrained by the El Paso Police Dept. andare ready to help educate younger studentson how to avoid encounters with sex of-fenders and what to do if it happens. In-formation: 592-7757.
■ Borrego Elementary School in SanElizario will host a Diabetes Walk-a-Thonand a Healthy Snack Fair on March 26 and27. For more information, contact LauraRodriguez, Borrego Elementary Nurse, at872-3910.
See BRIEFS, Page 4
WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIER March 21, 2002Page 2
One perspectiveBy Francis Shrum
★
Member Texas CommunityNewspaper Association
SERVING ANTHONY, VINTON, CANUTILLO, EAST MONTANA, HORIZON, SOCORRO, CLINT, FABENS, SAN ELIZARIO AND TORNILLO
News, Inc.
HomesteaderEst. 1973
PUBLISHED:Published each Thursday byHomesteader News, Inc. Appreciationto our many contributors. Office openMonday through Thursday.
COPYRIGHT:Entire contents © 2002 HomesteaderNews, Inc. Individual authors retain allrights. Pictures, drawings and writtenmaterial appearing in the West TexasCounty Courier may not be used orreproduced without written permissionof Homesteader News, Inc.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:Letter must not be more than 250words in length. They should bedated, must be signed and have anaddress and daytime phone number.Only the name and city will be printedwith the letter. The Courier reservesthe right not to print letters to theeditor or other submitted materials itconsiders inappropriate.
AD DEADLINE:Monday 4 p.m. for Thursdaypublication.
CLASSIFIED RATES$5 for 15 words, $10 for 35 words. Admust be in writing and pre-paid. TheCourier reserves the right not to printclassified advertising it considersinappropriate.
DISPLAY RATES:Open rate — $16 per column inch.Call for more information or to set anappointment. The Courier reservesthe right not to print advertising itconsiders inappropriate.
MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS:52 issues for $30.Delivery via 1st class mail.
ADDRESS:13899 Horizon Blvd., Ste. 2Horizon City, TX 79928
Phone: 852-3235Fax: 852-0123
E-mail: [email protected]
PublisherRick Shrum
Business ManagerFrancis D. Shrum
ContributorsMarjorie F. Graham
Don WoodyardSteve EscajedaArleen Beard
Eye on D.C. By U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla
Not too long ago there was a coun-try song entitled “Here’s Your Sign.”
The general premise of the song isthat when people do something re-ally dumb they are handed a sign thatconfirms it in writing. I’ve been hum-ming this tune recently.
The city of El Paso is in the throesof deciding how to regulate bill-boards and otherwise modify theirsign ordinance. The rest of theCounty has a similar problem. Weseem to have a split personality whenit comes to the placement, removaland general regulation of signagealong our roadways.
Everybody knows they are messy,ugly and a dangerous distraction.Nobody wants to say no.
Some signs are necessary. We needto know how fast we may go, whichroad we’re on, how far it is to the nexttown and where the hospital is.
We don’t need the neck-breakingdistraction of some really astonish-ing female images in a larger-than-life depiction of the good times go-ing on down at old Club So-and-So.
Frankly, some billboards showthings I’d just as soon my kids neverknew about, let alone at a tender, cu-rious age.
I once had a conversation with mylittlest daughter that went somethinglike this.
“Mama, why does that word onthat sign with the lady have an owlon it?”
“That’s no lady, dear, and the signis there to tell you that this is an es-tablishment where you will never beemployed.”
El Paso proper has about 2,000authorized billboards which featureeverything from a plea to not beatyour children to the rotating faces oflocal news people. I don’t knowabout you, but I don’t think a bill-board is going to teach people howto raise kids and I don’t pick myevening news channel based on howmany times I saw the anchor leering
Here’syour sign
at me over the freeway.Advertising is an elusive and in-
exact science so this society, as a pro-ponent of free enterprise, simply al-lows businesses to do anything andeverything to get their message out,no matter how intrusive, inappropri-ate or downright stupid that form ofadvertising may be.
The proliferation of signs alongroadways, particularly in heavilypopulated areas, defeats the purposeof the sign in the first place. Even ifyou are trying to find a particular signit is hard to distinguish one from an-other in the mass of color and printswimming before your eyes. I’ve comeclose to being involved in an accidentattempting to locate a directional signlost among a sea of advertisements.
Even when a community has anordinance to regulate signage, wedon’t enforce it. I live in HorizonCity. I know.
We don’t do anything as sensibleas actually holding people respon-sible for the signs they left behind,no matter how long ago that mayhave been. And it isn’t a question ofnot knowing whose sign that is lean-ing pitifully into the wind or lyingface down on the street corner. Theowner’s name is emblazoned acrossit in huge letters.
I’ve heard many an elected officialshrug off the need to enforce ordi-nances, saying they don’t want to an-tagonize the public. The Horizon andSocorro Police Departments don’twant to issue too many “nuisance”tickets and the Sheriff’s Departmentsure doesn’t intend to step in.
El Paso’s city council hopes to findmiddle ground with half-way mea-sures like reducing the size of thesigns and enlarging the number offeet between them.
So we wishy-wash along our lit-tered roadways cluttered with inap-propriate advertising and abandonedsignage and all I can think is: “Here’syour sign!”
As you arereading thisc o l u m n ,March 11 willhave alreadypassed but its
significance is not forgotten. Thisdate is the six month anniversary ofthe treacherous attacks on our nativesoil. Of all the traumatic events in thehistory of the United States ofAmerica, none may be rememberedso vividly as those that occurred onSept. 11, 2001.
On that dreadful day, we witnesseda remarkable display of courage. Therescue workers who saved thousandsof lives set an example for heroism.Our nation was inspired by the he-roic passengers on Flight 93. Andtoday, we praise and support thebrave men and women of our mili-tary as they defend the very freedomsthat were attacked last September.
As we move ahead past the darktimes of Sept. 11, we will rememberour fallen. We will continue the spiritof unity that was born out of this trag-edy. And we will continue to honorthe heroes of our nation as we fightthe War on Terror.
I’d like to leave you with a mes-sage given to the crew of the USSJohn F. Kennedy. This announcementwas given by Captain Ron Howard,
September 11 rememberedwill “pay any price, bear any burden,meet any hardship, support any friendor oppose any foe to assure the sur-vival and success of liberty.”
…Millions of Americans wish theycould be here tonight with us. Theysaw the Twin Towers fall, andwatched helplessly, wanting to dosomething to defend America and ourway of life. For us tonight, that waitand that helplessness are over. Wehave reached the point where we areall part of something so much greaterthan ourselves. For the rest of ourlives, no matter whether we stay inthe Navy or move on to civilian life,no matter what we do or where wego, we will remember that on 10March 2002, we came together andstruck a blow for freedom.
…Tonight and in the nights to fol-low we are given the opportunity ofa lifetime, a chance to truly make adifference in the world. Our name-sake, John F. Kennedy, wrote that “asingle person can make a difference,and every person should try.” To-night, we can make a difference!
We represent America in all itspower and diversity. We are men andwomen, rich and poor, black andwhite, and all colors of the humanrainbow. We are Christian, Jew, and
shortly before the USS Kennedylaunched her first strikes on Afghani-stan on March 10. This message isan important reminder to those of usat home. It speaks to the amazingsacrifices that members of our ArmedForces make on a daily basis to pre-serve our freedom. May God blessand protect them, and may God con-tinue to bless America!
• • •Good evening onboard John F.
Kennedy and Carrier Air WingSeven.
We are currently preceding at bestspeed to our launch point fortonight’s…first blows of OperationEnduring Freedom, the war on terror-ism. For us this is a culminating pointin space, a culminating point in time,and a culminating point in history.
Our enemy is a group of religiousfanatics, who pervert the peace ofIslam and twist its meaning to jus-tify the murder of thousands of inno-cents at the Twin Towers of NewYork, at the Pentagon, and in a fieldin Pennsylvania.
They hate us and attack us becausethey oppose all that is good aboutAmerica. They hate us because weare prosperous. They hate us becausewe are tolerant. They hate us becausewe are happy. Mostly, they hate usbecause we are free and because we See BONILLA, Page 4
WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIERMarch 21, 2002 Page 3
Political advertising paid for by Ruben Lujan, Treasurer. Campaign to Elect Ruben Lujan for Justice of the Peace, Pct. 6.
Judge Ruben Lujan
Thank You!I will keep working hard on behalf of the
citizens I am honored to serve. School truanciesand environmental issues will continue to be top
priorities for my Court. I will continue thesemuch needed programs — they are already
having a positive impact on our communities.Thank you for keeping me as Justice of the
Peace, Precinct #6, in Clint, TX.
Quatrini then asked if there weresome concerns the board had that hewas not aware of. Armando Martinezthen made the motion and it was sec-onded by Robert Garcia. Motionpassed.
“We want to know what we are vot-ing on,” said Martinez in reference tothe second fiscal issue. Board mem-bers objected to a lack of complete-ness in financial reports routinely ap-proved. Rednour was concerned aboutnot knowing what exactly was beingpurchased. The lengthy purchase or-der, he pointed out, showed amountsspent, but not what they were spent for.
CanutilloFrom Page 1____________________
parking lot behind the main buildingwith various athletic fields beyondthat toward the back of the 50-acreparcel of land on which it will bebuilt. The planned extension of Loop375, he said, will swing west andsouth from Talbot behind the com-munity college and the high school,intersecting with Doniphan.
Superintendent Charles Hart sug-gested that non-core — and perhapsnoisier — classes like band, speechand agriculture, in which students areup and around much of the time,should be in a separate area from coreclasses like math, English and sci-
ence where students might be study-ing for TAAS.
Adding to what Hart said, audiencemembers felt it wasimportant to have suf-ficient space for allprograms, such asrooms for wrestlingand practice areas forROTC marksmen.
As in the first publicmeeting, Martinez em-phasized the need toprovide a proper“learning environ-ment,” a high schoolthat not only meets theacademic needs of thestudents but where par-ents can come as well for various ac-tivities and events after school hours.
This would mean that the communitywould, for instance, have access tothe school library and computers.
The definition of aproper learning environ-ment would include onethat is “comfortable” forstudents and would incor-porate outdoor courtyardspaces to “change themood and atmosphere forstudents.”
According toMartinez’ plan, the up-coming design phase,would take 12-14months. Actual construc-tion of the high school isexpected to begin around
mid-year 2003. He estimates a con-struction time of 18-20 months.
administrators can live with the pro-posed cutbacks. He added that he wasworried the matter may come backto the board from the communityif it resulted in students losing outacademically.
At one point, after lengthy discus-sion, no motion was made and it ap-peared that the future of budgetamendment six was in jeopardy andwould die for lack of board action.
Worrell assured Rednour he wouldprovide him and other board memberswith the requested detailed informa-tion on the purchase order in question.
In other action:• Landscaping, furniture and au-
dio-visual materials bids were ap-proved for the new administrationbuilding.
• Board approved adoption of text-books as recommended by the ad-ministration.
• The district school calendar wasapproved for 2002-03. There will be180 days with Aug. 19 as the first dayof school.
SEISDFrom Page 1____________________
Charles Hart
EL PASO COUNTY — Funeralservices have been scheduled forThelma Mendoza, AndreaHernandez and Alexis Garcia.They died as a result of a tragicone-car accident on Interstate 10near Tornillo on Monday.
Thelma Mendoza, 48; her daugh-ter Andrea Hernandez, 31; and hergrandson, Alexis Garcia, 7, were killedwhen their vehicle left the roadwayand rolled in the early morning hoursas the family returned from a spring-break trip to Oklahoma.
Funeral services set for three killed in accidentAndrea Hernandez was an em-
ployee at the Escontrias EarlyChildhood Center and Alexis wentto school there.
Family visitation will be 4-9 p.m.with a prayer service at 7 p.m onThursday, March 21 at the Mt.Carmel Funeral Home at 1755 N.Zaragosa.
Funeral services will be Friday,March 22 at 2 p.m. in St. Rafael’sParish, 2301 Zanzibar, followed byburial at Mt. Carmel Cemetery, 401S. Zaragosa.
School districts to share dataUPPER VALLEY — The board of
trustees of the Canutillo ISD has ap-proved sharing of its student datasystem with two Lower Valley schooldistricts.
At its March 12 meeting, theCanutillo ISD board gave the go-ahead for legal counsel to enter intoan interlocal agreement with the SanElizario and Fabens school districtsfor use of the system developed bythe Student Services Department.
In other board actions:• It approved a request for con-
struction manager at risk as the stan-
dard construction method for newconstruction/and or renovations ofmore than $500,000.
• It also approved advertising RFPs(Request for Proposals) for construc-tion manager at risk as the construc-tion delivery method for the new highschool.
• It approved a shift of surplusfunds from Phase 2 Canutillo El-ementary construction for use in five-year plan projects.
• It also approved the 180-day2002-03 school calendar.
— By Don Woodyard
WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIER March 21, 2002Page 4
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGCOUNTY OF EL PASO
TEXAS COMMUNITYDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
SMALL TOWNS ENVIRONMENTPROGRAM — #720016 PANORAMA
The County of El Paso is considering a proposed amend-ment to its approved 2001 Texas Community Develop-ment Program (TCDP) contract with the Office of RuralCommunity Affairs/Texas Department of Housing andCommunity Affairs to extend additional self-help waterconstruction activities on Gallo, Cruz and Robin Road inthe San Elizario Grant area.
A public hearing concerning the proposed amendment isscheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, 2002, atthe El Paso County Courthouse, 500 E. San Antonio, Suite303, El Paso, Texas. The purpose of this public hearingwill be to discuss the proposed amendment and solicitcitizen input on the proposed change.
All citizens are encouraged to attend this public hearingand present their views to the County. The County Court-house is accessible to the disabled; individuals should con-tact Rodrigo Mercado to arrange for special assistance ora translator. If you cannot attend in person, written com-ments may be submitted and will be accepted by theCounty until this public hearing is concluded.
A copy of the proposed amendment is available for re-view during normal business hours at the El Paso CountyCourthouse, 500 E. San Antonio, Suite 313, El Paso, Texas79901. For further information concerning the County’sTCDP project and/or this proposed contract amendment,please contact Rodrigo Mercado at (915) 543-3845.
WTCC: 03/21/02
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGCOUNTY OF EL PASO
TEXAS COMMUNITYDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED AREASPROGRAM — #719205 SAN ELIZARIO
The County of El Paso is considering a proposed amend-ment to its approved 2000 Texas Community Develop-ment Program (TCDP) contract with the Office of RuralCommunity Affairs/Texas Department of Housing andCommunity Affairs to extend the contract period for sixmonths to construct additional water and sewer connec-tions. These improvements will be in the Canutillo areawhere similar improvements were constructed under aprevious TCDP contract.
A public hearing concerning the proposed amendment isscheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, 2002, atthe El Paso County Courthouse, 500 E. San Antonio, Suite303, El Paso, Texas. The purpose of this public hearingwill be to discuss the proposed amendment and solicitcitizen input on the proposed change.
All citizens are encouraged to attend this public hearingand present their views to the County. The County Court-house is accessible to the disabled; individuals should con-tact Rodrigo Mercado to arrange for special assistance ora translator. If you cannot attend in person, written com-ments may be submitted and will be accepted by theCounty until this public hearing is concluded.
A copy of the proposed amendment is available for re-view during normal business hours at the El Paso CountyCourthouse, 500 E. San Antonio, Suite 313, El Paso, Texas79901. For further information concerning the County’sTCDP project and/or this proposed contract amendment,please contact Rodrigo Mercado at (915) 543-3845.
WTCC: 03/21/02
AUSTIN — The US Departmentof Agriculture (USDA) is expectedto cancel Texas’ “free” status forcattle tuberculosis eradication nextmonth because two of the state’s es-timated 153,000 cattle herds havebeen diagnosed with the disease sincesummer 2001.
Texas had gained TB-free status inNovember 2000, with the exception ofportions of El Paso and HudspethCounties, which had been “zoned out,”due to recurring infection cases of thebacterial infection that can cause cattleto develop internal lesions.
“Our first infected beef cattle herdwas found and depopulated inFayette County this past summer,”said Dr. Linda Logan, Texas’ stateveterinarian and executive director ofthe Texas Animal Health Commis-sion (TAHC). “We have just com-pleted depopulating an infected beefand dairy operation headquartered inPecos County.
“According to the USDA’s Codeof Federal Regulations for tubercu-losis, any state will lose its ‘free’ sta-tus when two infected herds are de-tected within a 48-month period.”
TAHC and USDA staff tested morethan 60 herds and traced five yearsof cattle movement into and out ofthe Fayette County herd in their ef-fort to pinpoint the origin of the TBinfection. Epidemiology tracing andtesting is still underway for the PecosCounty herd.
“We anticipate that the USDA ruleto downgrade Texas’ TB
status…sometime in April,” said Dr.Richard Ferris, area veterinarian-in-charge for the USDA’s Animal andPlant Health Inspection Service, Vet-erinary Services (USDA-APHIS-VS) in Texas.
He noted that the spe-cific regulation changeswill affect all of Texas, ex-cept El Paso and HudspethCounties, which will re-main separate, due to high-risk herds awaiting federaldepopulation.
“Upon publication of therule, Texas breeding cattlethat are being moved out ofstate will have to be testedfor TB and be identifiedwith an official ear tag,” said Dr.Ferris.
Imports fromMexico risky
“We know Texas has been at par-ticular risk for TB, because Texaslivestock brokers import nearly amillion Mexican feeder cattle eachyear. Cattle TB continues to be aproblem in many Mexican states.Many of these Mexican feeder ani-mals are placed on pastures acrossthe state until they’re heavy enoughfor the feedyard. Potential exposurebetween these cattle and domesticcow-calf operations spreads our riskacross the state,” said Dr. Logan.
She noted that, in fiscal year 2001,64 TB-positive cases were detectedin U.S. slaughter plants. Of the 50
cases investigations that have beencompleted, 48 involved Mexican-ori-gin cattle.
Since October 2001, Mexican-ori-gin cattle have been involved in
seven of nine TB cases infeedlot animals.
“We’ve worked closelywith Mexico on TB eradi-cation since l988, when theUSDA began offeringtraining and technical sup-port,” she said. “Since l994,Mexican cattle have beenimported under a ‘consen-sus agreement.’ New fed-eral regulations will beimplemented for Mexicanimports this April, which
will provide more disease protectionnot only for Texas, but also for theother states that receive Mexican-ori-gin feeder animals.”
Mexican-origin roping steers alsomay place domestic cattle at risk, saidDr. Logan, pointing out that two TB-infected Mexican roping steers weredetected in fiscal year 2001.
“We will be checking these ani-mals at events and practice pens toensure that these animals have hadtheir required post-entry TB tests,”she said. “The TAHC requires thatthese animals be tested every 12months for TB. We can’t have in-fected imported stock mixing withvaluable animals at events. We urgeTexas producers to do their part bymaking sure these roping steers aretested on an annual basis.”
New regulationson imports
Beginning April 1, 2002, feedercattle from Mexico — steers andspayed heifers — will enter the U.S.under health regulations publishedmore than a year ago in the FederalCode of Regulations by the USDA’sVeterinary Services.
By 2003, the USDA will tightenregulations again, when internationalrules will require exporting countriesto fully meet US-equivalent stan-dards for cattle TB eradication.
Dr. Logan pointed out that in April2001, the USDA’s Veterinary Ser-vices published an interim rule re-quiring Mexican feeder steers tooriginate from herds that had recentlybeen tested for TB. The USDA thenagreed to grant waivers to the whole-herd test, if Mexican states coulddemonstrate sufficient progress ineradicating TB prior to April 2002.
During the past five months,USDA-sponsored teams have con-ducted in-depth TB status reviews in16 Mexican states with active TBeradication programs.
The teams, comprised by state andfederal regulatory veterinarians, tradeassociation representatives and labo-ratory specialists, determined that onlyone Mexican state and portions of fiveother states could be granted a waiverof the whole-herd test requirement.
Feeder cattle from most otherMexican states will have to originatefrom tested herds and then also un-dergo an individual animal test. Somestates will be prohibited from ship-ping feeder cattle to the U.S. due toinadequate TB eradication programs.
“Feeder cattle from some Mexicanstates or portions of states will be al-lowed to enter the U.S. only directlyto slaughter. These animals are fromareas that have not made sufficientTB eradication progress or met pro-gram review criteria for inspection,testing, or surveillance,” said Dr.Ferris. “Prior to entry for slaughter,the animals must have a negative TBtest and must be accompanied by theproper paperwork, including an im-port permit and official ear tags.”
Texas stands to lose TB-free status after infectedcattle found in Fayette and Pecos countiesNew regulations to restrict imports of Mexican cattle
Linda Logan
■ Star Fireworks, Inc. announcesits second-annual essay contestfor graduating seniors at Clint,Fabens, San Elizario and Socorrohigh schools. One finalist will bechosen from each school, and thewinning student will receive a$500 scholarship to a four-yearuniversity. Each finalist will re-ceive a $25 gift certificate. StarFireworks awarded the first schol-arship to Hugo Cordova from SanElizario last year. He is currentlymajoring in Mechanical Engi-neering at UT-El Paso. The essaysmay cover any subject and mustbe 500 words or less, and typed.Officials at Star Fireworks willjudge the works based upon theirthoughtfulness and creativity.Deadline for submissions is April15. The winner will be announcedMay 1. Star Fireworks, Inc. wasfounded in 1995 by Navin and
Wes Navidomskis and RaySanchez, all graduates of ClintHigh School. It operates fire-works stands in the Mission Val-ley area. For more information,contact Navin Navidomskis at857-1095.
■ More than 20 individuals fromL.G. Alarcón Elementary 5thgrade will be going to Washing-ton, D.C. to study the workingsof the U.S. government. Magno-lia Coca-Cola, a Partner in Edu-cation with the San Elizario ISD,has teamed up to help these stu-dents sell cases of their product for$10 in a fund-raiser on March 27in the school’s parking lot from 3-6 p.m. For more information con-tact Rudy Valdez at 872-3930.
■ The El Paso Community Men-tal Health and Mental RetardationCenter Board of Trustees willmeet Wednesday, March 27 at 7p.m. at Ysleta ISD Cultural ArtsCenter, 9600 Sims in the MissionRoom. Information: 887-3410.
BriefsFrom Page 1____________________
yes, Muslim. We are America.This war will not be short, pleas-
ant, or easy. It has already requiredthe sacrifice of our firefighters, ourpolicemen, our soldiers, our Sailors,our airmen, and our Marines. Moresacrifices will be made. In the endwe will win, precisely because weare those things that the terrorists
hate — prosperous, happy, tolerant,and most of all, free.
Those Americans who wish theycould be here with us are, in fact, herewith us in spirit…We will not letthem down. We are, and will be, menand women of honor, courage, andcommitment…
…Stay sharp. Stay focused. Staysafe. Use the training that has madeyou the best Sailors in the world. Trustin your faith, and in your shipmates.God bless us all, and God blessAmerica.
BonillaFrom Page 2____________________
WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIERMarch 21, 2002 Page 5
PUBLIC MEETINGThe Transportation Policy Board (TPB) of the El PasoMetropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will hold aPUBLIC MEETING on FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2002,at 9:00 A.M., at The El Paso MPO Office, c/oThe Gateway Business Center, 10767 GatewayBlvd. West, Suite 605, El Paso, Texas 79935, todiscuss the following agenda:
1. Approval of Minutes.
2. Discussion and Action to Amend the FY 2002 Unified Planning Work Program:
a. Subtask 5.6 Camino Real Corridor — Border Improvement Plan by Adding the Rail Alternative Analysis and Identifying Local Matching Funds.
3. Discussion to Amend the 2025 Metropolitan Transportation Plan and the FY 2002-2006 Transportation Improvement Program with the following items:
a. Add to FY 2002, Zaragoza Temporary Border Safety Inspection Facility (BSIF);
b. Add to FY 2004, Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) Interim Border Safety Inspection Facility (BSIF);
c. Move to FY 2004, Zaragoza Permanent Border Safety Inspection Facility (BSIF), MPO Project ID #C008X.
4. Discussion and Action to Amend the Transportation Improvement Program 2002-2006:
a. Add $25,000 of New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Planning Funds;
b. Change Funding Amounts to Project No. C007X Border Improvement Plan as follows BORCOR Funding $449,519; Local Match $112,370 Total $561,898;
c. To Use $27,000 of Surface Transportation Program 4C funds (Texas) from Project No. M0266X (Supplemental Funding for the MPO Office) for the Camino Real Corridor — Border Improvement Plan.
5. Request Authorization to Spend Approximately $30,000 of Transportation Planning Funds to Purchase Software, Servers, Cables, and Firewall to Expand the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Computer Network and Enhance the MPO’s Web Page.
6. Status Report on the Northeast Parkway.
7. Status Report on the I-10 East Corridor Study.
8. Status Report on the Regional Mobility Authorities.
Under federal legislation, the MPO, through the TPB has anexpanded role in transportation project selection and pro-gramming in El Paso County and the City of Sunland Park,New Mexico. For more information call the MPO Office at(915) 591-9735.
WTCC: 03/21/02
NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUESTRELEASE OF FUNDS
County of El Paso West Texas County Courier500 E. San Antonio, Suite #313 March 21, 2002El Paso, Texas 79901
TO: All Interested Agencies, Groups and Persons:Nine (9) days after this publication, the County of El Paso, Texas intends to request theOffice of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA), formerly the Texas Department of Housingand Community Affairs (TDHCA), to release Federal funds under Title I of the Housingand Community Development Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-383) for Contract No.720215
Exempt Activities Categorically Excluded Activities Description/LocationAdministration Housing Rehabilitation Countywide
An Environmental Review Record for the proposed project has been made by the Countyof El Paso, which documents the environmental review of the project. The EnvironmentalReview Record is on file at the Office of Community Development, El Paso County Court-house, 500 E. San Antonio, Suite #313, El Paso, Texas 79901, and is available for publicexamination and copying upon request between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,Monday through Friday.
Public Comments on FindingsAll interested agencies, groups and persons disagreeing with this decision are invited tosubmit written comments for consideration by the County to the address as set forth above.Such written comments must be received at the address specified within eight (8) days afterthis publication. All such comments so received will be considered and the County will notrequest the release of funds or take administrative action on the project prior to the datespecified in the proceeding sentence.
Release of FundsThe County of El Paso will undertake the activities described above with CommunityDevelopment Block Grant funds under Title I from its Program Year 2001 under grantnumbered 720215 from the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. TheCounty of El Paso is certifying to ORCA that The Honorable Dolores Briones, in herofficial capacity as County Judge, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courtsif an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to environmental reviews, deci-sion-making and action; and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. The legal effectof the certification is that upon its approval, the County of El Paso may use the Block Grantfunds and it will have satisfied its responsibilities under the National Environmental PolicyAct of 1969. ORCA will accept an objection to its approval only on one or more of thebases and the procedures described in 24 CFR Part 58.75. Objections are to be addressed tothe Office of Rural Community Affairs/Texas Department of Housing and CommunityAffairs, P. O. Box 13941, Austin, Texas 78711.
Objections to the release of funds on bases other than those stated above will not be consid-ered by the ORCA. No objections received later than twenty-five (25) days after this pub-lication will be considered by ORCA.
Pepperoni’s Pizza & Deli852-2544Limited Delivery Area
Chinese Food
Burgers & Subs
TEXAS — As this historical serieson Texas public lands continue, thecurtain closes on Mexican rule andthe new Republic had to figure outhow to govern itself. With no moneyin the treasury, land became Texas’greatest asset.
In 1835, a provisional governmentset up by the Anglo inhabitants ofTexas ordered all the land officeswithin Texas closed, and all landcommissioners, empresarios and sur-veyors to cease operations. Landtitles issued after Nov. 13, 1835would be invalid; there would be nomore Mexican land grants in Texas.The Convention of 1836 met inMarch to declare Texas independenceand write a constitution for the Re-public of Texas. The Constitutionsuspended the land grant system un-til soldiers could have an equalchance to locate their homes. It alsocalled for the creation of a generalland office to collect all land recordsand determine which lands were va-cant and had valid titles issued bySpain and Mexico.
After Texas gained independence,the first Congress of the Republic metat Columbia and, in December 1836,passed an act defining the boundariesof the Republic. With this act, Texasclaimed 216,000,000 acres (about350,000 square miles) of unappropri-ated land-much of which was actu-ally part of Mexico. The westernboundary of the claim followed theRio Grande to its source and duenorth to the 42nd parallel, so that itincluded eastern New Mexico andparts of Colorado and Wyoming. Al-though neither Spain nor Mexico hadconsidered any land below theNueces River as part of Texas, theRepublic claimed its southern bound-ary extended to the Rio Grande.
On Dec. 22, 1836, the Congress ofthe Republic passed an act establish-ing a general land office under thedirection of a land commissioner whowas to take charge of all land records.In June 1837, the Congress passedan act consolidating previous landlegislation. It called for the first Gen-eral Land Office to open on Oct. 1.
The Texas Republic replaces empresarios with the GLOHistory of Texas Public Lands - Part Ten All vacant land was the property of
the Republic, and all land titles, sur-veys and documents were now pub-lic property and were to be given tothe Land Commissioner.
The Republic of Texas had neithermoney nor population enough to de-fend itself against the Mexicans andthe Indians. When the governmentwas organized in 1836, it had only$55.68 in the treasury. Land was theonly resource Texas had, and it wasused to reward soldiers, to promotesettlement and to finance the opera-tion of the government.
Following the example of othercountries such as the United States,the Republic encouraged and re-warded military service. However,because Texas lacked the funds toprovide pensions, it resorted to itspublic land.
Bounty grants were issued to sol-diers according to the length of theirservice in the Army of the Republic.The first bounty act was passed bythe provisional government of Texasin November 1835; it promised 640acres to those who served in the regu-lar army for two years or throughoutthe war. In December the amount was
increased by 160 acres, for a total of800 acres. A volunteer corps was alsoorganized in December, and 640acres was promised to men whoserved for the course of the war, and320 acres to those who served onlythree months. If the volunteer diedin service, the land would be givento his heirs, as would an additional640 acres. In December 1837, Con-gress passed a new bounty act pro-viding soldiers with 320 acres forevery three months of service (up toone year), for a limit of 1,280 acresper person.
After winning independence,Texas still needed defense againstIndians. A bounty act was passed in1840 to give men who served in afrontier regiment 160 acres of landto be located near military posts onthe frontier. Because there wasn’tenough vacant land available near theforts, the men were instead granted240 acres of vacant public domainanywhere within the Republic.
While a bounty as a recruitingdevice promised land as compen-sation for service, granting land toveterans as a reward for militaryservice rendered was a donation. In
1837, donation grants of 640 acreswere issued to soldiers (or theirheirs) who had fought at theAlamo, Goliad, San Jacinto or theSiege of Bexar, or who had guardedthe baggage train at Harrisburg.Men who participated in more thanone of these engagements wereentitled to only one allotment of640 acres. Recipients of the dona-tions were prohibited from sellingthe land (a provision which waslater repealed).
Bounty warrants and donation cer-tificates were issued by the Secretaryof War. Fraudulent grants were notuncommon under this system. Some-times, after receiving one bountywarrant, individuals applied for andwere given another one. Duplicatecertificates were occasionally issuedfor “lost” warrants; then, both origi-nals and duplicates were used to ob-tain patents.__________________________________________(Part XI will continue next week. Theinformation contained in this histori-cal series can be accessed atwww.glo.state.tx.us, and is reprintedwith permission of the Texas GeneralLand Office.)
WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIER March 21, 2002Page 6
By Steve Escajeda�Special to the Courier
King Super CrosswordP R E S I D E N T I A LTRIVIAACROSS 1 Ruth’s husband 5 Approximately 9 Analyze a sentence 14 Postal abbr. 17 Tennis pro Nastase 18 Sri _ 20 Humpback’s home 21 Geometric figure 22 President who wasa male model 24 Electrical inventor 25 Shortly 26 European capital 27 Part of Indonesia 29 Flat hat 30 It’s good in a pinch 31 Adequate 34 “Picnic” playwright 37 ’68 Tom Jones hit 39 President whosefirst language wasn’tEnglish 45 Alight 46 Out _ limb 47 Debut recording 48 Shake _ (hurry) 50 Trunk 53 Black and whitedelight 56 Petrarch product 59 Cleanse 61 Musical sensitivity 62 Inventor Whitney 64 Climb 65 Art deco designer
66 Writer Rand 67 Bug barriers 71 Vein contents 72 TV’s “_ Search” 73 Actress Scala 74 Couple 75 First president bornin a hospital 79 Gasp 80 Business abbr. 81 Crooner Vallee 82 Adjust an ascot 83 Settle a score 85 Super Bowl sound 86 “Mila 18” author 87 Biblical city 89 Aachen article 90 Drillers’ org. 91 Conveyed 92 Machine tool 94 Annual award 98 Coniferous tree100 “Bhagavad _”102 Aphrodite’s son104 Mellow105 Comic Carey107 President born onJuly 4th112 Apple variety115 Smile116 “Entre _”117 In the thick of118 Insert dialogue120 “Shane” star123 Binchy’s “_ Road”126 Prepare to fly127 Sheer fear130 President who was
a fighter pilot134 Jogger’s gait135 Rent136 Tropical tree137 Singer Brickell138 Offense139 A la King?140 Soho streetcar141 “_ on Me” (’72 hit)
DOWN 1 Giant 2 Bread spread 3 Pretension 4 Fanatic 5 Word with hat orhand 6 Brit. fliers 7 Social climber 8 Creole veggie 9 Ample abdomen 10 “Stroker _” (’83 film) 11 Take five 12 Tuna concoction 13 Pottery protection 14 President whoworked as a lifeguard 15 “_ Gay” 16 Fractional amount 19 Improvise 21 Vegas place 23 Valhalla villain 28 Shiba _ (Japanesedog) 32 Link letters? 33 Monsieur Montand 35 Prepare theParmesan
36 Sushi candidate 38 Foam 39 Lave the linoleum 40 Santa _, CA 41 Hightailed it 42 Grandpa McCoy 43 Sarge, e.g. 44 Most recent 49 Elastic band 51 Adage 52 Elaborate 54 Forest beauty 55 Kensington quaff 57 Not any 58 College member 60 Rubbernecked 63 Harm 67 Pasta shape 68 London’s location 69 President portrayedin an opera 70 It’s on the house 76 Occult 77 _ -de-camp 78 Start again 79 Uruguayan cur-rency 81 Running plays 84 Delivery truck 87 Trite 88 Artist Chagall 93 High time? 95 Spoiled 96 Quiche ingredient 97 Poe’s “Annabel -” 99 Recognition101 Zipper part103 Jack of “Barney
Miller”106 Act like a duck108 Kilmer or Bisoglio109 Persona110 Serenade accom-paniment111 Actress Sanford112 The Rolling Stones’Charlie113 Japanese porcelain114 Blender setting119 Grumpy guy121 Obligation122 “Stage _” (’37 film)124 Impolite125 Kuwait’s continent128 “_ live and breathe!”129 Singer Joey131 Genetic letters132 Room for improve-ment?133 Female fowl
Answer Page 7
REALESTATE
LOTS WITH UTILITIESHorizon area. Close toschools. Five minutes togrocery, bank, gas, bak-ery, deli and otheramenities. One-quarterto one acre. Financingavailable. 852-30692/28-4/18
THREE BEDROOM, 2bath, 2-car garage,15344 Northport Crt. inHorizon City. Fully reno-vated, has appliances.Call 590-2975.TFN
RENTALRESIDENTIAL
TWO BEDROOMtownhomes for rent ongolf course in HorizonCity. $550 and $595. Call852-3396 after 5 p.m3/21
SELF-HELPOPPORTUNITIES
Alcoholics AnonymousGroup Paso Del Nortemeets at 8501 Kingswayin Westway, Monday-Saturday, 8 p.m. Call886-4948 for informa-tion.
Alcohólicos AnónimosGrupo Paso Del Nortesesiones lunes asabado, a 8-9 de latarde, 8501 Kingsway,Westway. 886-4948para informacion.
Persons who have aproblem with alcohol areoffered a free source ofhelp locally. AlcoholicsAnonymous Group 8 deEnero meets at 15360Horizon Blvd. in HorizonCity on Mondaysthrough Saturdays at 8p.m. Call 859-0484 forinformation.
Tiene problemas con elalcohol? Hay una
solucíon. Visitemos.Alcohólicos Anónimos,Grupo 8 de Enero, 15360Horizon Blvd., HorizonCity, sesiones lunes asábado a 8 de la tarde.Informacion: 859-0484.
SERVICES
“Windshield Ding —Gimme a Ring”JIFFY GLASS
REPAIRWindshield Repair
SpecialistsBy appt. at your home
or office:R.V. Dick Harshberger
915-852-9082
BERT’S AUTOMOTIVEREPAIR
Domestic and Foreign852-3523
1558 Oxbow,Horizon City
HORIZON CITYPLUMBING852-1079
• Electric rooter servicefor sewers and drains
• Appliance installation• Many other plumbingservicesLicensed, bonded and
insured for yourprotection.
AL’S PLACE, INC.Household or Commer-
cial Storageand Yard Space
Fenced and LightedSecurity System
No Deposit418 Kenazo, Horizon
City852-3949
Y&MAIRCONDITIONING
852-1516 or 726-3768Licensed & Insured
Commercial/ResidentialHealting & Cooling
Refrigerated AirHeat PumpsDuct WorkAppliances
VISA & MasterCardTX
Lic.#TACLA021147EFree Estimates onNew Installations
Classified Ads
What the heck is all this talk about collegebasketball office pools? I’ve heard that theyare illegal, no…stop laughing…I’m serious,it’s actually illegal to have an office pool.
Honestly, officer, there was no money involved…none…everThat’s hilarious! Let’s be honest for just a
second, please. The way that basketball fanspass those brackets around the office you wouldalmost think that it’s illegal not to have them.
By the way how are you doing on yours sofar? Oh, come on, you can tell me…don’tworry, I won’t rat on you. Hmmm, that bad,huh? Me too.
Let’s take a look at my bracket. Wow…whatthe heck was I thinking? Mississippi overUCLA, Miami over Missouri, Hawaii overXavier, Murray St. over Georgia, Western Ken-tucky over Stanford, Pepperdine over WakeForest and Gonzaga over Wyoming.
I must have under a lot of stress or didn’thave my bran or was out of touch with my in-ner Chi when I made those picks.
Let’s see, there are 16 teams left to go at itthis weekend and I still have nine teams alive.Not too bad and not too good. How does thatcompare to what you prognosticated?
I still have Duke of course, and Pitt and Okla-homa and Maryland and U. Conn and Kansasand Illinois and Oregon. Pretty standard picksbut here’s my upset special, I still have South-ern Illinois. Everybody has to have an upset
special — you just have to be a little lucky.So the obvious question now is who is go-
ing to win this weekend and go on to the finalfour? Well, let’s just take a look at my bracket.
In the South I’ve got Duke advancing with awin over Pitt. In the East, Maryland’sathleticism will be too much for U. Conn. Inthe Midwest region I have Illinois advancingto the final four while the West will be repre-sented by the Oklahoma Sooners.
Hey, at least I still have the last four teamsin my bracket. How many of you picked Cin-cinnati in the final four? Sorry.
Yes, I admit it. I have completed an NCAATournament bracket. Is it really illegal? Arethere undercover cops walking around busi-nesses all over the country just waiting topounce on some poor dude downloading a copyof a bracket?
Again, I admit it…I completed an NCAATournament bracket — but strictly for enter-tainment purposes, of course.
Unhappy HardawayI’ve seen many crazy things happen on a
basketball court.I’ve seen a guy break a backboard on a dunk,
I’ve seen a cheerleader take a tumble fromabout 20 feet above the ground — why, I evenonce saw a coach throw a chair across the court.But I’d never seen what I saw last week.
And the weirdest thing about it is that he wasone of ours. Did you catch Tim Hardaway theother night?
In a game against the Orlando Magic,
Hardaway got tossed after receiving his sec-ond technical foul. Hardaway was a bit upsetto put it mildly.
In fact, he was so upset that on his way outhe stopped to pick up one of the TV monitorsat courtside and threw it on the court.
Bobby Knight must have been proud.Hardaway was fined $10,000 and suspended
for two games without pay for his tantrum.I don’t know why Tim chose to do that but it
now puts him in the same company with someof the other mental infants in the world of sports.
Too bad, Tim, you were once seen with re-spect around the country. Now you are becom-ing just another basketball bonehead and that’stoo bad.
We play who?I know the Miners had a tough football sea-
son last year but is this really the way to putfans back in the stands?
UTEP released its new schedule recently andthe Miners have a home opener that dulls thesenses.
Who do we pack the Sun Bowl for in the biggame? Sacramento State. Ouch, it hurts just sayingit. Sacramento State, Sacramento State, Sac…
Did it hurt hearing it as much as it hurt say-ing it? UTEP has a total of just five home gamesnext year. Well, four, if you don’t count Sacra-mento State, Sacramento State…no better thistime around either.
There’s only one thing worse than play-ing Sacramento State — that’s losing to Sac-ramento State.
AUSTIN — Young people taking perfor-mance-enhancing drugs may get strongerand faster, but they may also kill themselves,Texas Medicine magazine reports in its Feb-ruary issue.
Adolescent athletes, often those participatingin power sports such as football and wrestling,are most likely to experiment with performance-enhancing drugs. Young athletes are not the onlykids being lured, however. Adolescents whonever “pump iron” or run wind sprints turn todrugs like anabolic steroids, creatine, and andros-tenedione, Texas Medicine reports.
Why?Sex appeal. As many as one-third of teenage
steroid users in one study turned to drugs to arti-ficially bulk up to be more physically attractive.The price of sex appeal, speed, and strength in apill can be quite high, however: How sexy are
increased acne, depression, rage, or diarrhea?These are known side effects of steroids and cre-atine, as are liver failure and heart disease, whichcould lead to premature death.
According to Texas Medicine, a monthlypublication of Texas Medical Association, kidswho take these drugs put themselves at risk ofmaladies ranging from shrinking sex organs tosudden weight gain, all in the name of makingthe team or making out on a date. Moreover,researchers question whether educating youngpeople about the risks of taking performance-enhancing drugs would make them think twiceabout popping the pills.
(Texas Medicine is the official news maga-zine of the Texas Medical Association, the larg-est state medical society in the nation, repre-senting more than 37,000 physician and medi-cal student members.)
Drugs kids take to improve sex appeal may have opposite effect
WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIERMarch 21, 2002 Page 7
OUT ON A LIMB By Gary Kopervas
GOT A LIFE By Terri Davis
THE SPATS By Jeff Pickering
R.F.D. By Mike Marland
Comix
Put us towork for you.
852-3235
Newspapers work!
By Don FloodAt age 44, I’m on the downward slope, as it were,
when it comes to skiing.Generally, my goal for my once-a-year ski trip is
quite modest: I hope to ski better than the year before.But this year — no doubt inspired by the Olympian
dudes (and dudettes) with all their twisting, turning,somersaulting, etc. — I declared another goal: not tobreak any bones.
Yeah, that’s how it is when you get ready to ski downthe south side of 40-something.
It was a small mountain, a baby mountain, the kindof mountain that almost anyone, even a beginner, couldgo out and break a few legs on.
(Maybe I watched too much of the Olympics, butremember that skier in the commercial who tauntedthe mountain? Talked about how this mountain he wasabout to ski down got pushed around by other moun-tains when it was in mountain school? What was thatabout? Should we have more extensive drug testing?)
One trail, though, was a little more challenging. Ithad something called “terrain” skiing, which I hadn’theard of.
But what it really meant was that this trail had ob-stacles, a special “value-added” service that made fall-ing down easier.
For my part, I’ve always been pretty well satisfiedwith the service I received in that regard from gravity,which has helped make it possible for me to fall ev-erywhere from the chairlift to the cafeteria line.
But my 12-year-old son wanted to try terrain ski-ing, and I had said I would ski with him, and so …yes, I’m writing this from a hospital bed.
Just kidding!Really, I caught some “big air.”OK, I didn’t exactly catch “big air” — maybe “little
air” — but I did catch some “big ground” and latersome “big soreness” and a “big bruise.”
(Finally, I was living large!)Fortunately, you can ease the pain in the taproom,
where you can catch “big beer” at “big prices.”Also, there’s a big window where you can watch
the other skiers wipe out.First up on the terrain trail was a big jump, though
in my case it might be more accurately called a bigkerplop.
I’ll admit it wasn’t graceful, and the judges seemedto agree. (It’s supposed to be shown on ESPN85 at 3a.m. on July 12. Check it out.)
Next there was a smaller jump, which I made with-out wiping out!
It wasn’t exactly “big air,” but there was definitelyair. At least a little. I’m sure of it.
I was all ready to get on the podium and accept mymedal, but apparently the judges weren’t as impressed.
Then it was time for that favorite destination of skiand snowboard dudes: the half pipe.
It looked a little forbidding, but as ski poet DylanThomas said,
Do not ski gentle into that good nightEven if it means wiping out in the half pipe.(Or something like that.)I was so successful in the half pipe that next year
I’m setting a new goal: a week in Florida._______________________________________________________
(c) 2002 King Features Synd., Inc.
40-something skier on the downward slope
Horizon Plumbing �852-1079
• Master Licensed Plumber� #M18624�• Bonded and Insured�• Senior Citizens Discount
• Sewer and Drain Cleaning�• Faucet and Sprinkler Repair�• Appliance Installation�• Mobile Home Repair
�
on the El Paso Community CollegeBoard of Trustees, and resign as anemployee of the Socorro school dis-trict where he has been a longtimeadministrator.
Longtime legislator Paul Morenoretained his seat with 70 percent ofthe vote over challenger Tony SanRoman’s 30 percent.
District 79 incumbent Joe Pickett,however, topped challenger DanChavez with 66 percent of the voteover 34 percent, despite significantbad-mouthing from fellow legislatorsState Rep. 76 Norma Chavez andState Sen. Eliot Shapleigh. Manyobservers agree the mud-slingingbackfired. Chavez and Shapleighboth ran unopposed, as did State Rep.for District 78, Republican
County Judge Dolores Briones eas-ily topped the field of three challeng-ers and faces no GOP opponent in thegeneral election. She took 62 percentof the vote over Jerome Tilghman andRay Gilbert Jr. who both garnered 16percent each, and Anita Blair whowon six percent though she droppedout prior to the election.
Results were not so clear, however,for County Commissioner CarlosAguilar III, who faces a run-off withchallenger Betti Flores. Aguilar won45 percent over Flores’ 36 percent,not enough to avoid a run-off. Thirdcontender was Richard Telles Sr. whowon 20 percent.
In an even more startling upset ina high-profile contest, lawyer andformer prosecutor Luis Aguilartopped longtime Judge RobertDinsmoor to claim the 120th DistrictCourt bench. Aguilar won 53 percentof the vote over Dinsmoor’s 47 per-cent, even though he was underfelony indictment for allegedly ac-cepting a $150 illegal campaign con-tribution. He reportedly sent the do-nation back as soon as he becameaware, but he was indicted after hisopponent, Dinsmoor, turned him in.The matter is set for hearing July 5.
The office of County Clerk will seea run-off between Waldo Alarcon,who garnered 38 percent and Patricia
Siqueiros, who won 34. A third chal-lenger, Robbie Myrick Villalobostook 27 percent.
Filling the job for district clerk willalso see a run off between GilbertSanchez who won 26 percent of thevote out of a field of six, and his near-est challenger Sara Garcia.
The 210 District Court bench willbe filled by Gonsalo Garcia, whowon 51 percent of the vote over Ri-chard Contreras who won 49 percent.
The contest for 327th DistrictCourt Judge was won easily by LindaYee Chew with 74 percent over chal-lenger Mario Gonzalez, 26 percent.
County Criminal Court contestswere as follows: Court 1, Alma Trejoover Joe Edd Boaz, 70 percent to 30;Court 6, Sue Kurita over James D.Lucas, 71 percent to 29; and in Court7 there will be a run-off between topvote-getters Jose Jesus Baca, 48 per-cent, and Antonio Franco Jr. who had32 percent — third contender LuisCesar Labrado received 20 percent.
Max Higgs will continue asCounty Probate Judge, topping chal-lenger Jesus Manuel Olivas, 51 per-cent to 49.
Several County Justice of thePeace offices were contested. In Pct.1, Steven E. Anderson won 66 per-cent over Jerry Jarvis, 34; Pct. 3,Lupe Aponte with 73 percent overGeorge Ruiz, 27; Pct. 5, Fred Chavezover Alex Hernandez, 59 percent to41; in Pct. 6, appointed incumbentRuben Lujan maintained his officewith 60 percent over his former Con-stable Dora Aguirre, who garnered 28percent; and Paul Lettunich who won12 percent; in Pct. 7 Tony KosturakisOaxaca won 55 percent over DionDorado, 45 percent.
ElectionsFrom Page 1____________________
WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIER March 21, 2002Page 8
THURSDAY
Sunny and breezy.
76°▲ ▼
THUR. NIGHT
Clear and verywindy.
FRIDAY
Mostly sunny; quitewindy early.
78°▲ 46°▼
SATURDAY
Partly sunny andbreezy.
80°▲ 50°▼
SUNDAY
Some sun, thenmostly cloudy with
a few showers.
76°▲ 46°▼
MONDAY
Partly sunny andbreezy.
72°▲ 42°▼
TUESDAY
Partly sunny,breezy and a bit
cooler.
66°▲ 36°▼
WEDNESDAY
Partly sunny.
70°▲ 40°▼
WEATHER AccuWeather .com
SEVEN-DAY FORECAST FOR EL PASO
TEXAS WEATHER TRAVELERS CITIESUV INDEX
REAL FEEL TEMP™
AGRICULTURE
Statistics for noon.
Thursday ............ 9 ............Very HighFriday ................ 8 ....................HighSaturday ............ 7 ....................HighSunday .............. 6 ............ModerateMonday .............. 7 ....................HighTuesday .............. 7 ....................HighWednesday ........ 8 ....................High
The higher the UV Index, the greaterthe need for eye and skin protection.
Albuquerque 74/42/s 74/42/s 72/40/s 68/38/pc 64/34/cAtlanta 66/40/c 56/36/s 58/40/s 64/48/s 67/48/cAtlantic City 58/28/pc 40/25/pc 44/32/s 52/36/s 56/42/pcAustin/San Antonio 70/42/s 64/44/s 70/54/pc 76/60/pc 72/54/tBaltimore 60/28/pc 40/22/s 46/26/s 54/36/s 60/42/pcBoston 52/27/pc 38/24/s 40/28/pc 46/36/s 50/45/cChicago 32/14/sf 36/22/pc 46/34/pc 52/40/c 48/40/rDallas/Ft. Worth 66/40/s 60/44/s 68/54/pc 74/56/pc 70/52/tDenver 52/27/pc 68/35/s 68/35/s 58/31/pc 46/25/pcFlagstaff 65/26/s 60/27/s 51/26/pc 48/26/pc 52/13/sHouston 72/44/s 66/44/s 72/56/pc 78/60/pc 79/58/rKansas City 38/18/s 36/30/s 52/40/s 58/38/sh 48/42/shLas Vegas 80/54/s 78/54/pc 74/48/pc 70/50/s 72/36/sMiami 84/66/pc 78/62/pc 78/64/s 80/68/s 82/66/sMinneapolis 24/8/c 30/14/pc 38/22/pc 40/26/sn 42/24/cNew Orleans 68/48/pc 62/44/s 66/50/s 73/58/pc 76/60/pcNew York City 58/32/pc 40/26/pc 42/30/s 50/36/s 54/44/pcPhiladelphia 58/28/pc 40/24/pc 44/30/s 52/36/s 56/42/pcPhoenix 92/62/s 92/62/s 85/57/s 80/53/pc 76/51/cPortland 60/42/c 60/42/sh 58/40/c 56/42/pc 56/42/pcSan Francisco 66/48/pc 60/50/c 58/48/sh 58/44/pc 62/46/sSeattle 56/40/c 56/40/sh 54/40/c 54/40/c 56/42/pcTucson 86/52/s 88/52/s 84/50/s 80/46/s 74/44/pcWashington, DC 60/30/pc 42/28/s 46/30/s 54/38/s 62/46/pc
City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/WThur. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon.
Sunshine will be featured the entire day Thursday with breezy conditions and an upper-level ridge over the area. It may be quitewindy Thursday night and Friday due to a large area of high pressure moving southward and slightly east from Montana Thursdaymorning to Kansas Friday morning. Weather (W): s -sunny, pc -partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh -showers, t-thunderstorms,
r-rain, sf -snow flurries, sn -snow, i-ice.
Thursday .................................... 79°Friday .......................................... 69°Saturday ...................................... 73°Sunday ........................................ 72°Monday ........................................ 67°Tuesday ...................................... 60°Wednesday ................................ 61°
A composite of the effects of temperature, wind,humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precip-itation, and elevation on the human body.
Shown is Thursday’sweather.Temperatures areThursday’s highs andThursday night’s lows.
All maps, forecasts and data provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2002
Anthony 76 42
Canutillo 77 43
Fabens 74 43
Clint 74 43
E. Montana 76 42
Socorro 75 41
Horizon 77 43
San Elizario 73 40
Tornillo 74 43
Vinton 77 43El Paso76/42
Santa Fe67/29
Albuquerque74/42
Alamogordo74/36
Las Cruces75/39
Deming72/39 Carlsbad
71/39
Amarillo58/34
Lubbock66/36
Alpine70/36
Odessa72/42
Lajitas74/39
Ruidoso63/34
Cloudcroft59/19
CiudadJuárez75/42
42°
Mexico
100%MONEY-BACK
GUARANTEE,
CALL NOW!
POWEREDBY THEPEPPER
IT’S SO EASY! You can sign-up online, 24 hours a day! Plus, get FREE “chili” tech support!
Join today at www.chilitech.comor call toll-free 866-392-4454
$995per month*
with a 12 monthpurchase!
for only
UnlimitedInternet
Access
gives you...
TM
WE ARE SO CONFIDENT THAT YOU’LL LOVE US,WE ARE OFFERING THIS RISK-FREE TRIAL!
Yes, that’s our great 30-day money back guarantee! If, for anyreason, within 30 days you’re not happy with our Internet servicewe’ll refund 100% of your money... no questions asked, noexplanation needed. We will issue a full refund of your entirepurchase price! Call us today and you’ll see why thousands of peoplehave joined ChiliTech, America’s Hometown Internet Company!
100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!
Great “chili” tech support, every time!
Source CodeACU-C1X
866.392.4454 • www.chilitech.com • [email protected], so here goes the fine print. You know, the stuff that some people don't really want you to read, because it might make the initial offer not seem so great, but at ChiliTech we have great offers every time. So, go ahead, read on. Thank you for choosing ChiliTech Internet Solutions, America’sHometown Internet company. *Yearly membership is available at $9.95/month when you purchase a full year of Unlimited Internet Service for a total of $119.40! Not a bad price! Low monthly payments are also available at $15.95 per month. Shop online, do research, play games, downloadMp3 music, and chat with friends. These are just a few examples of what you can do on the Internet. The $119.40 fee paid yearly is not a gimmick, that’s our price, no hidden fees, no extra charges. Remember, never fear change...we’re here to help you. Visit us anytime online, day or night,at www.chilitech.com. The purpose of the little, white box on the right hand side of this disclaimer is so we can track our advertising campaign. Thanks again for being a part of ChiliTech, America’s Hometown Internet Company! For your payment convenience we accept MasterCard, Visa,American Express, Discover, and E. Checks. If you have any questions about ChiliTech visit our website at www.chilitech.com. Our 30-day money-back guarantee is just that. If you are not happy with any of our Internet services within the first 30 days we will refund 100% of your purchaseprice. That means, if you’ve joined for one year and within 30 days are unhappy for any reason, all you have to do to receive a full $119.40 refund is notify us by phone that you are dissatisfied. Problem solved. That’s our 100% money-back guarantee. Remember you must notify us within30 days of your initial account activation or there is no refund.
DownloadMp3 Files
Email Familyand Friends
Chat withFriends Play Games
HERE ARE JUST A FEW THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH CHILITECH!
Shop Online
ChiliTech! Hot, Fast, Dependable, Personal and Secure. Let our Advisor Navigators show you how!
Do Research
Q. In light of the recent events, I’mconcerned about our national mail-ing system. Will my check arrive ontime and be safe?
A. If you are concerned about get-ting your check in the mail, the bestthing to do is sign up for direct de-posit. Your payment is deposited di-rectly into your account. If you can’tget an account, you can open an Elec-tronic Transfer Account.
Q. I’m retired and the only income Ihave is a monthly withdrawal from
Social Security: Q & A By Ray Vigil
an Individual Retirement Account(IRA). I pay income tax on theamount I withdraw. I plan to applyfor Social Security benefits in the fu-ture. Will the money I’ve withdrawnfrom my IRA reduce my monthly So-cial Security benefits?
A. No. In calculating your retire-ment benefits, we count only thewages you earn from a job, or yournet profit if you’re self-employed.Non-work income such as pen-sions, annuities, investment in-come, interest and capital gains are
not counted and will not affect yourSocial Security benefits.
Q. I am 53 and had a stroke recently.I applied for Social Security disabil-ity benefits. How much will I receivemonthly?
A. If you are eligible for disabilitybenefits, they will be based on youraverage earnings. Although we can-not tell you the exact amount with-out knowing your earnings history,the average monthly disability ben-efit in 2002 is $815. If you have aspouse and one or more children, theaverage family benefit is $1,360.
Q. Do you automatically get Medi-
care benefits if you’re eligible forSocial Security disability benefits?
A. If you receive Social Security dis-ability benefits for 24 months, youautomatically will be eligible forMedicare benefits.
Q. Is it possible to receive both So-cial Security and SSI? Which is bet-ter? Can you be selective about SSIand Social Security?
Social Security is a retirement, dis-ability and survivor insurance pro-gram financed from social securitytaxes withheld from an individual’searnings. These benefits are based onthe average lifetime earnings on
which taxes were paid. Supplemen-tal Security Income is a need baseprogram for individuals 65 years ofage or older and blind or disabledindividuals with limited income andresources. The maximum SSI benefitfor an individual is $545 and for acouple $817. If their income wereabove the SSI level, individualswould not qualify for SSI.____________________________________For more information visit your lo-cal Security office, see http://www.ssa:gov, or call us at 1-800-772-1213. If you have any questionsthat you would like to have answered,please mail them to the Social Secu-rity Office, 11111 Gateway West, Attn:Ray Vigil, El Paso, Texas 79935.