ourier august 12, 2004aug 12, 2004 · newsbriefs a hotel is a place where you pay seventy-five...

NEWSBRIEFS

A hotel is a place where you pay seventy-five dollars a day — and they call you a“guest.”

— Quips & Quotes

See BRIEFS, Page 9

SERVING ANTHONY, VINTON, CANUTILLO, EAST MONTANA, HORIZON, SOCORRO, CLINT, FABENS, SAN ELIZARIO AND TORNILLOVOL. 31, No. 33 AUGUST 12, 2004

nineteenseventythree

two th o u s a n d four

31YEARS

Security chiefSteven McCraw has been named by Gov.Rick Perry as the Texas Director of Home-land Security. He will be responsible fordirecting day-to-day homeland securityefforts that affect Texas through local, stateand federal agencies. A native of El Paso,McCraw began his career in law enforce-ment with the Texas Dept. of Public Safety.He most recently served as theage it. In-spection Division. He has also been assis-tant director of the FBI’s Office of Intelli-gence and special agent in charge of theSan Antonio office. He was selected inOctober of 2001 by U.S. Attorney Gen-eral John Ashcroft to serve as director ofthe Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force.He will work closely with Jay Kimbrough,who oversaw development of the state’sHomeland Security Strategic Plan, whichwas the first among state plans to be ap-proved by the federal Dept. of HomelandSecurity. Kimbrough will continue as se-nior advisor on Homeland security to Gov.Perry, who recently announced that some$1.4 million in federal 2004 Citizen Corpsfunds to prepare Texans for homeland se-curity duties will be provided to 57 localgovernments and regional organizations.Community Emergency Response Teams,Medical Reserve Corps, Volunteers inPolice Service and Neighborhood Watchare among programs to benefit. Informa-tion about the Texas Citizen Corps is athttp://www.texascitizencorps.org/.

Dangerous kissTexas Department of Health (TDH) offi-cials are alerting the public that visitors tothe Children’s Animal Center at the Fos-sil Rim Wildlife Center near Glen Rose inEast Texas may have been exposed to aBarbado sheep that later tested positive forrabies. TDH officials say that people whovisited the Children’s Animal Center at theFossil Rim Wildlife Center from July 10through July 30 should contact a doctoror the TDH zoonosis control office in Ar-lington at 817-264-4920 to determine ifpost-exposure treatment to prevent thedevelopment of rabies is needed. Rabiesis most often transmitted by bites, buttransmission can occur in other ways thatallow the saliva from an infected animalto enter a person’s bloodstream such asfrom a lick to a person’s face or to freshwounds or broken skin. Transmission alsocan occur if a person kisses the infectedanimal on its face or lips. A series of post-exposure shots, if given in time, can pre-vent rabies from developing. Once symp-toms develop, rabies is almost always fatal.

Soldier assistInjured soldiers returning from overseascombat often arrive back at Ft. Bliss withlittle more than the clothes they are wear-ing and their dog tags. Montwood High

EL PASO COUNTY — The El PasoCounty Commissioners Court approved ini-tiating the dissolution of the City CountyHealth and Environmental District during aspecial budget session on Tuesday, Aug. 3.

The Court authorized County JudgeDolores Briones to send a letter to El PasoMayor Joe Wardy advising him with an of-ficial six-month notice of its intentions. Thelongtime interlocal agreement between theCity of El Paso and the County of El Pasowhich created the City-County Health En-vironmental District expires Sept. 30.

The interlocal agreement was intended asa cost-saving move — because health andenvironmental related issues in the regionaffect both the county and city residentsequally, the concept of having one healthdistrict to provide services to the entirecounty was adopted. Smaller incorporatedmunicipalities in the county also have con-tracts with the health district to provideservices such as animal control and healthand environmental related inspections andenforcement.

Judge Briones described the Court’s ac-tions as stemming from several concerns, themain one being a $6 million shortfall in the2004-2005 budget which will have far-reach-ing implications; and secondly, a perceivedlack of accountability by the district to in-form the County.

“From the beginning, the district has beenout of compliance with the agreement,”Briones said. “We have paid our share everyyear without being advised of where or howthe money is spent.”

As an example, she cited a recent request,made repeatedly, to provide the County witha list of employee salaries. So far, as of Aug.4, she said the County has not received sucha list. Another is the recent funding providedfor litigation of a case the County was notinformed about in a timely manner. Amend-ments added to the budget at the last mo-ment are also a concern, Briones said.

“The Court, however, is ready to consultwith the City in exploring all options avail-able,” she added. “The Court does not planto take any other actions at this time.”

County moves todissolve City-Countyhealth district

SAN ELIZARIO — There’s more than justthe pounding of drums and the scattering ofmusical scales coming from the SanElizario High School band room thissummer. New band instructor SharonHittle and her assistant Carl Ortegaare making sure their band studentsare listening to their philosophiesabout trust and sacrifice, too.

“We’ve talked to the kids aboutwhat our expectations are and howwe want to evolve the program here,”said Hittle, who takes over for theretired Ken Boese. “We know thatwe have different ways of doing things. These

By Phillip CortezSpecial to the Courier

Philosophy of sacrifice, trust creating beautiful music in San Elikids are going to have to trust us.”

Only mere weeks into the job, Hittle andOrtega are knee-deep in band camp,preparing the band for a challengingschool year in which they will learnsongs with a Russian theme for this

year’s program.“When we pick a

theme, we try to buildcompletely around thattheme,” Hittle said. “Thisalso includes the flags.”

The flag team is a groupthat Hittle will be placingmore emphasis on, saying that thegroup will be taking on more of acontemporary role in the band. Thegroup of 14 girls has been practic-

ing for about two hours a day, led by part-time

coach Tina Chatman.“To us, the flags are a part of the band,” Hittle

said. “We feel we’re one big musi-cal entity.”

No matter which part of this mu-sical entity the student belongs to orwhich instrument that student plays,Hittle will be stressing educationabove everything else, saying that aweekly study hall will be imple-mented. And like a clock keeps time,so many different pieces to the band— the flags, the cadence and chore-ography, the new music — have to

be in perfect sync. It’s no wonder that both arepreaching sacrifice and trust.

“We’re also stressing that these kids make a

Carl Ortega

Sharon HittleSee BAND, Page 8

EAST EL PASO COUNTY — It’s the firstday of Socorro ISD’s school year July 26, 2004.

Socorro High School freshman BernieAlvarez says he was afraid of “getting pushedaround” once he en-tered the four-yearchallenge of highschool. Lots of newfaces to be seen and lotsof new locations, all ofthem found in the sevenshort minutes allowedbetween class changes.

But Alvarez isn’t asworried now. Alongwith an estimated 800other first-year stu-dents, he participated inthe Freshman Successprogram July 20 andcame away with a re-newed attitude.

This is the fourth yearof the program, part ofthe Freshman Success center directed by men-tor teacher Elizabeth Maldonado-Salinas.

“The program has come full circle now. Wehave been able to establish a culture that en-courages upperclassmen to help freshman stu-dents. And we’re very proud that the successof our program has created similar programsat Socorro’s other high schools.”

The students gathered for an all day sessionfeaturing motivational speaker ScottGreenberg, who used the tools of both astandup comedian and a cancer survivor topersuade students to get involved in schoolactivities, maintain high grades and work to-gether for their futures. Under the name Jump-Start Performance Programs, he’s taken his mes-sage of growing up in America to dozens of highschools and businesses across the U.S. He’sworked the SHS program each of its four years.

Meeting challenges is nothing new forGreenberg. Some years ago, he was diagnosedwith Stage II Hodgkin’s disease, which is can-cer of the lymphatic system. He beat the dis-ease, raising his health to the point where heran and finished the San Diego Marathon.

So how can a freshman student be more thanjust one in 800 other students?

Socorro HS freshman classadvised to ‘lay your claim’

PREPPED — Scott Greenberg talks to Socorro High freshmanstudents during the Freshman Success program July 20.

“I figure you have to lay your claim,”Greenberg says. “And there’s enough territoryfor everyone. That’s going to happen by figur-ing out what classes you’re interested in, what

activities you want to take, and meeting asmany people as possible. A lot of people wouldlook at being one of 800 as not being very im-portant. I look at ‘one of 800’ as having 799friends, more people to get your back, morepeople to help. The odds are in your favor thatyou’ll meet a boyfriend, a girlfriend, peoplewho can help you.”

Students met in the SHS Performing ArtsCenter for introductions, then split to find theirassigned classes or gathered in The Pit gym toform teams with Socorro High’s upperclass-men. The upperclassmen volunteered two daysof their intersession to work with the youngerBulldogs.

Senior Leslie Maxwell was one of those teamleaders.

“Our freshman year, we took this program,and it did help. You’re not lost, you know whereyour classes are the first day. You meet a lot ofpeople, and Scott Greenberg’s awesome.” Heradvice? “Give it all you’ve got.”

Her pal, junior Eddie Carrillo, Jr. also a TeamLeader said students have seven minutes be-tween classes on the sprawling campus, so

See SISD, Page 4

WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIER August 12, 2004

SERVING ANTHONY, VINTON, CANUTILLO, EAST MONTANA, HORIZON, SOCORRO, CLINT, FABENS, SAN ELIZARIO AND TORNILLO

PUBLISHED:Published each Thursday byHomesteader News, Inc. Appreciationto our many contributors. Office openMonday through Thursday.

COPYRIGHT:Entire contents © 2004 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 — $20 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 $35.Delivery via 1st class mail.

ADDRESS:15344 Werling CourtHorizon City, TX 79928

Phone: 852-3235Fax: 852-0123

E-mail: [email protected]: wtccourier.com

PublisherRick Shrum

Business ManagerFrancis D. Shrum

ContributorsDon WoodyardSteve EscajedaArleen Beard

�

Member Texas CommunityNewspaper Association News, Inc.

HomesteaderEst. 1973

nineteenseventythree

two th o u s a n d four

31YEARS

One perspectiveBy Francis Shrum

I’ve seenpeople wholook this wayon the TVnews any

given night. Hordes streaming out ofKosovo and Bosnia, Palestinians, Ira-qis, Afghans, boat people off thecoast of Cuba and Haiti. They arerefugees, fleeing from their war-tornand persecuted homelands. They arebringing with them only their mostprecious possessions. They don’tknow what lies ahead but they knowthey can never go back.

Now it’s me. I’m a refugee frompublic education. I’m carrying onlymy most prized possessions — mykids. I don’t know what lies aheadbut I know I will never go back towhere we’ve been. Education for ushas changed forever.

I’m sitting in the cafeteria of a Texascharter school with a huddled mass ofother refugees. The parents are search-ing the face of the orientation speakeras he lays out the school policies,searching for hope and assurance.

Many of the students have a mildlysullen, detached sort of look. Theirparents got them out before the bombsfell, before they actually bled, beforethey understood they were hungry.

A few, obvious casualties, stareblankly into space the way survivorsdo who have seen too much andgiven up.

Fewer still of the young people areactually alert, beginning to realize theimportance of where they are and theneed to pay attention to words of sur-vival. They look a little startled, likedeer in the headlights, realizing theyare in a fight for their very lives.

My family has been more fortunatethan some. Our circumstances haveallowed us to home school our twoyoungest for the last five years.We’ve been able to forage in themountains, providing for ourselves,while the battles raged in the schools.

RefugeesIt’s been a place of safety, so to speak.

I’m sure not your typical home-school mom. I never wanted to homeschool, never expected to. But by thetime the littlest ones came of schoolage, it was apparent the fighting inthe field was too fierce. I couldn’tmarch my kids through the mines tosee which educational experimentwould blow up in their faces, howmany limbs they must sacrifice in abattle to prove whether this programor that was an abject failure.

I just wanted them to learn to readand write. A little math on the sidewould be good, too.

So we bought a nice conservativecorrespondence course and got on withit. And it worked fine through theyounger years, but even I realized thatthey were going to have to learn somethings I am simply not equipped toteach them, survival skills they canlearn better as part of a group.

Besides, I was beginning to havenightmares about blowing up the ga-rage trying to learn chemistry.

So I set out to find a refugee campI can live with. Thankfully, we’ve gotbetter choices now — how much bet-ter remains to be seen. And there alsoremains in the back of my mind asurvivalist instinct — the knowledgethat if this proves to be a trap, we’llfind the nearest escape hatch.

I don’t mean to beat up on publicschool. Just on the system. Practicallyevery school teacher I’ve ever knownwas a well-intentioned person. Thefew incompetents were too few tomention. Most of the teachers I haveknown were at least competent, someof them downright exceptional. But thelonger I had kids in school the more Irealized that they were getting only afraction of the worth of their teacher.The rest of it was being wasted,stripped away by needless and sense-less changes in policy, time-wasting

Just a few years ago, as other stateswere implementing new, aggressivestrategies to foster economic devel-opment, Texas was resting on its lau-rels. We had the attitude that jobs willcome our way because of our busi-ness climate, while other states ag-gressively courted new employersand started attracting projects withthe right mixture of incentives. Wewere fighting with one hand tied be-cause we had a shortage of effectivetools to bring jobs and employers tothe state.

And while no one seemed to no-tice this shortfall during the techboom of the 1990’s, it became readilyapparent during the tough economictimes that soon followed.

That’s why last year I worked withLt. Gov. David Dewhurst and HouseSpeaker Tom Craddick to create theTexas Enterprise Fund, a job creationinitiative that is bringing thousandsof new jobs to communities acrossthe state.

With the one-year anniversary ofthis fund approaching, I want Tex-ans to know it has been a stunningsuccess leading to the creation of15,000 jobs and investments totalingmore than $6 billion by employersrelocating to, or expanding in, ourstate. And all of this was made pos-sible because we were wise enough

to invest $295 million in this job cre-ation fund that has begun distribut-ing nearly $172 million in grants.

A 3,500 percent return on thestate’s investment sounds pretty goodin my book. And we still have $123million available to continue to at-tract employers and create jobs.

The Texas Enterprise Fund is hav-ing an impact all across the state,from our largest metropolitan areasto smaller and mid-sized towns aswell.

In Austin and New Braunfels,Home Depot is creating over 800new jobs for Texas families and in-vesting more than $800 million in oureconomy. In Houston and CorpusChristi, Citgo Petroleum has an-nounced a new investment of $828million and a commitment to hire 820new employees. In the Dallas area,Texas Instruments and Vought Air-craft combined will create 4,000 newjobs while pumping more than $3.5billion into the state’s economy.Grants from the Enterprise Fund havealso helped seal deals in smaller cit-ies like Ennis, Buda and Brownwood.

The Texas Enterprise Fund playsa key role in our job creation suc-cesses, but there are other factorscited by employers as reasons thatcontribute to their decision to relo-cate or expand. Low taxes, a skilled

workforce, good schools, a reason-able regulatory climate and historiclawsuit abuse reform all send a mes-sage to the world that Texas is wideopen for business and job creation.

Texas has experienced ninestraight months of job gains, with112,000 new net jobs since Septem-ber. Last year, Texas landed nine ofthe top 20 business investments andsix of the top 15 job creation projectsnationwide. And while the number ofjob creation announcements declinedin all other states in 2003, Texas’nearly doubled.

In Texas, we have made economicdevelopment a top priority becausewe recognize that creating jobsmeans more people have the oppor-tunity to work hard, provide for theirfamilies and live the Americandream. And we also understand thateconomic growth is about more thanpaychecks. An expanding job climatehas the additional benefit of provid-ing more resources for education,health care, transportation, clean airinitiatives and other important priori-ties.

As for the detractors who loudlycomplained about the Fund’s cre-ation, we haven’t heard too muchfrom them lately. Of course, successhas a way of silencing the critics.

“Time will tell whether the fundwas a wise investment and whetherthe governor uses it wisely,” wroteone opinion columnist in 2003.

Indeed, the past year proves thatthe Texas Enterprise Fund was asmart investment that will benefit allTexans for years to come.

My daughter has been learning re-cently about reality. Specifically, howimportant it is not to shade it if youexpect to be taken seriously. The sto-ries of the little boy who cried wolfand Chicken Little have been told adnauseam.

Maybe adults need to be readingthose, as well.

Popular political rhetoric wouldhave us believe America is teeteringon the brink of a second Dark Age.The signs seemingly abound: fromhealth care to education, these aredreadful times, we’re told, to be alive.

But are they?A recent article at

TechCentralStation.com by econo-mist Arnold Kling offers a stunningreminder that things have never beenso good. Even a modest comparisonof life today to life in 1970 demon-strates the advances our culture hasmade — often despite the meddlingof politicians convinced of their ownomniscience.

In 1970, 17 percent of the popula-tion didn’t have a refrigerator. Ac-cording to the US Census in 2000 andother federal government data, todayless than 1 percent of the populationlacks one. In 2000, less than 5 per-cent of teenagers owned cell phones.Three years later, 56 percent havethem. No one but the super-richowned one before about 1990.

In 1970, no one owned a micro-wave. But today, 75 percent of thepoor households have one. Samething for VCRs.

Could it be our phenomenal cul-tural prosperity has bred something

akin to survivors’ guilt? We collec-tively look back at the struggles ofhistory, subconsciously realize we’veinherited a system of liberty andwealth beyond imagination, and cre-ated a form of doomsday panic tojustify our existence.

With too many politicians willingto capitalize on this collective guilt,rhetorical fuel is added to emotionalfires. With meaningless smoke ob-scuring reality, the politico is posi-tioned as the heroic savior.

The truth of the matter is we don’tneed them to save us.

Kling, citing work by Nobel lau-reate Robert Fogel, examines thesheer amount of leisure time avail-able to us. Assuming a 365-day workyear, American males worked 8.5hours a day in 1880. Today, the aver-age American works something like4.7 hours a day — again, assuming a365-day work-year. Our leisure timehas increased from less than twohours a day in 1880, to almost sixhours a day now.

Statistics compiled for a UC-Berkley course in the “Physiology ofthe Aging Process” notes that in1900, American men lived to 45,women to 48. Just 90 years later, menwere living to 73 and women to 78.

Political busybodies — includingmyself, at times — too often see theoverflowing cup of American waters,noting only tiny imperfections in theglass. Why? Because the threat of animpending crisis fuels passions, mo-tivates voters and drives donations.

At the same time, legions of bu-reaucrats further the crisis myths in

rational attempts to justify their em-ployment. If there is no crisis, thenthere is no need for their service.

This explains, for example, whybureaucrats cry the loudest againstdemands for strict accounting of gov-ernment health care programs. Whenpeople who can provide for their ownneeds are required to, the bureaucratis endangered.

The free market has given us pros-perity unequaled in the annuals ofhistory; we are so wealthy our poor-est children’s health problems are notthe plague, measles or pneumonia,but obesity and depression.

It’s okay to worry about childrenlacking health insurance, but must weby default seek government solu-tions? Doing so requires we set asidethe reality that government policycreated the insurance problem in thefirst place through the misguided taxpolicies of the 1940s, and has beencomplicit in the escalating cost ofmedicine ever since.

We are so accustomed to govern-ment “solutions” we cannot compre-hend a world where families are freedfrom government welfare programs.

My daughter knows “cryingwolf” only paves the way for thereal wolf to attack unnoticed. Sheknows efforts to hold up a fallingsky means great effort is wasted inuseless tasks.

There is certainly much work to bedone, for the landscape of economicand political liberty has infinite roomfor development. Instead of feelingguilty about our prosperity, let’s en-gage in behaviors proven to promoteand preserve it for generations tocome. The glass isn’t half-empty, it’soverflowing.______________________________________________________Michael Quinn Sullivan is vice presi-dent of the Texas Public Policy Foun-dation, based in Austin.

Count your blessings,the sky really isn’t falling

One year later, job creationinitiative showing results

View from here By Michael Quinn Sullivan

View from here By Gov. Rick Perry

See REFUGEES, Page 9

August 12, 2004 WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIER

Reyes Reports By U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes

Por la Gente By State Rep. Chente Quintanilla

Late lastmonth, afteralmost twoyears of closestudy andscrutiny of

the circumstances surrounding theSept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, thebipartisan 9/11 Commission issuedits final report. This 500-plus pageaccount presents a narrative of the at-tacks, as well as the Commission’srecommendations for protecting thecountry against future terroristthreats.

As a member of the House ArmedServices Committee and the HouseIntelligence Committee, I have spentcountless hours focusing on the at-tacks, the threats our country cur-rently faces and how we can best pro-tect our nation and citizens. As a re-sult, my Democratic colleagues andI on the Intelligence Committee in-troduced legislation that would insti-tute major reforms within the U.S.intelligence community to ensure thatour nation is better-equipped and bet-ter-prepared to fight terrorism. Infact, a number of the 9/11Commission’s recommendations

Congress debates intelligence reformclosely resemble the changes we pro-pose in our legislation, including:

• The creation of an intelligencedirector who will serve as the prin-ciple intelligence advisor to the Presi-dent, separate from the Director ofthe Central Intelligence Agency.

• A dual position for the UnderSecretary of Defense for Intelligence,who will also serve as the intelligencedirector’s deputy.

• Intelligence collection and analy-sis that will be modeled after the suc-cessful Goldwater-Nichols Act of1986, which reformed the Depart-ment of Defense following a seriesof operational failures.

• Comprehensive reforms that willaddress information-sharing and fo-cus on moving the intelligence com-munity from a “need to know” cul-ture to a “need to share” culture.

• The establishment of a commu-nications system that allows data tobe shared by intelligence personnel,defense officials and homeland secu-rity officials, including state and lo-cal departments.

• Emphasis on the importance ofhorizontal integration and joint man-agement across all 15 intelligence

organizations.• The establishment, by the Presi-

dent, of procedures for the use ofdomestic and commercial databasesby the intelligence community forcounter-terrorism purposes.

Last week, numerous committeesin the House and Senate, includingthe House Intelligence Committeeand the House Armed Services Com-mittee, began holding hearings toconsider the commission’s recom-mendations. These hearings, whichwill stretch through August and pos-sibly beyond, will give the Congressand the country as a whole the op-portunity to hear different viewpointsand perspectives on possible reforms.

It is not surprising that my Demo-cratic colleagues and I on the Intel-ligence Committee came to similarconclusions as the 9/11 Commissionabout how we should improve ournation’s intelligence capabilities.These recommendations are the re-sult of countless hours of hearingsand hard work on both our part andthe Commission’s part. For thesafety of El Paso and the nation, Ilook forward to swift enactment ofthese proposals.

cent of the migrants returned for thehearing.

“The ‘capture and release’ programwas bad policy. Allowing immigrantsto roam freely through the streets ofAmerica is a security threat that ournation cannot afford to take,” saidBonilla.

Bonilla is co-chair of the Congres-sional Border Caucus. His congres-sional district includes more than 800miles of the Texas/Mexico border.

Hola, migente, ChenteQuintanilla,here to re-mind you thatwhen politi-

cal leaders work hand in hand withtheir constituents, dynamic thingshappen. I’m referring to the recentbattle we had against InvestmentBuilders/Cedar Oak home projectwho is seeking state tax credits fromthe Texas Department of Housingand Community Affairs (TDHCA).Please do not misinterpret me, be-cause I strongly believe in affordableand public housing unless it createsapartment clustering and slum livingconditions.

The clustering of apartment hous-ing in the eastside of El Paso has al-ways been a problem for those goodfolks who live in what is known asthe George Dieter corridor, an areathat encompasses Cedar Oak Dr.,Pendale Rd., Pellicano Dr., andGeorge Dieter Dr. Quite frankly, thepeople are quite fed up with effortsto build what became known as theCedar Oaks Townhomes project.

This was a case of developers try-ing to up-end a community merelyfor financial gain, without even con-sidering how the development would

Eastside residents unite, defeat projectaffect neighborhoods and the peoplewho live in them. This time, however,we didn’t let them get away with it.For this, we must thank State Rep.Joe Pickett, State Rep. NormaChavez, and City Rep. Vivian Rojas.

And, of course, a heart-felt thankyou goes out to the people to whomthis matters the most — mainly, theresidents who fought tooth and nailto prevent the building of the project.Opposition came fast and furious, asresidents of the area expressed theirconcern via petitions, letters, phonecalls, and e-mail messages. Due tous all fighting for the common cause,we were able to defeat theTownhomes project.

This is a perfect example of de-mocracy in action. This proves thatwhen public officials unite with theirconstituents to tackle a difficult sub-ject, positive things happen. Not onlywere we successful in putting a stopto this project, but we were able toconvince the TDHCA that clusteringin a community is not a good thing.

In the first place, there are already338 units of low income housing inzip code 79936 — which is the areain question. Not only this, but withinone mile of the proposed develop-ment, there are already 111 low-in-come housing units, plus 236 units

of Section 8 subsidized housing.This clearly demonstrates an over-

abundance of low income housingand public housing in the immediatearea of the proposed Cedar OaksTownhomes Development Project.Fortunately, TDHCA saw it our way,and denied the developers a permitto continue with their plans.

Another positive result from thisbattle was that we convincedTDHCA that it needs to look at itsprocess for awarding these types ofpermits. TDHCA needs to develop afairer process and allow for inputfrom the people who will becomeaffected by their actions.

But, we’re not quite finished yet. Iwill recommend, in the very near fu-ture, that the City of El Paso reviewand consider rezoning the GeorgeDieter Corridor so that we don’t runinto this problem again. What wewant and need is for the city to con-sider the strong possibility of re-zon-ing C-4 to exclude apartment con-struction. I believe that this will helpalleviate any future concerns thatresidents might have.

Remember that it’s not true whenpeople say that you can’t fight cityhall. Yes, you can. Because, you areCity Hall. I remain your friend andpublic servant, Chente for la gente.

Capture and release policy revised by Dept. of Homeland SecurityWASHINGTON, DC — Less than

a week after being calling on to fixthe flawed ‘capture and re-lease’ program, Depart-ment of Homeland Secu-rity (DHS) has respondedto Congressman HenryBonilla with a new pro-posal for illegal immi-grants on the Texas/Mexico border.

“I’m thrilled that the De-partment of Homeland Se-curity has taken actionagainst this flawed pro-gram,” said Bonilla. “The Texas/Mexico border is a hot-bed for ille-gal immigration. Ignoring the prob-lem is like ignoring the war against

terrorism.”Undersecretary of the Department

of Homeland Security AsaHutchinson today an-nounced that the Depart-ment will implement Ex-pedited Removal for landborders between ports ofentry along the Texas/Mexico border. The pro-gram had originally beenin effect for all ports ofentry, including airports.

Under the ExpeditedRemoval program, when a

migrant is apprehended and placedin expedited removal proceedings bya Border Patrol agent, he or she gen-erally will be detained and removed

to his or her country of origin as soonas circumstances allow. The migrantwill no longer be released into thecommunity and will no longer be pro-vided a hearing before an Immigra-tion Judge.

“This new policy will send a sig-nal to our friends on the Texas/Mexico border: you can no longer usethe ‘capture and release’ loophole asa free ticket to America,” saidBonilla.

Bonilla recently sent letters to bothPresident George W. Bush and Depart-ment of Homeland Security SecretaryTom Ridge. In the letters, Bonillacalled for action against the flawed‘capture and release’ program whereillegal immigrants were detained for ashort period of time before being re-leased into the community. Althoughthe illegal immigrants were told toappear for a court hearing scheduledweeks in the future, less than 30 per-

Henry Bonilla


NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSSBUDGET AND PROPOSED TAX RATE

The Tornillo Independent School District will hold a public meeting at 6:00 p.m.,Wednesday, August 25, 2004 in the TISD Administration Building, 19200 Cobb Street,Tornillo, Texas. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the school district’s budget thatwill determine the tax rate that will be adopted. Public participation in the discussion is invited.

The tax rate that is ultimately adopted at this meeting or at a separate meeting at a later date may not exceedthe proposed tax rate shown below unless the district publishes a revised notice containing the same informa-tion and comparisons set out below and holds another public meeting to discuss the revised notice.

Comparison of Proposed Rates with last Year’s RatesInterest Local State

Maintenance & Sinking Revenue Revenue& Operation Fund* Total Per Student Per Student

Last Year’s Rate $ 1.500000 $ 0.015000* $ 1.515000 $ 540 $6,744Rate to Maintain SameLevel of Maintenance &Operations Revenue &Pay Debt Service $ 1.488975 $ 0.208202* $ 1.697177 $ 538 $7,696Proposed Rate $ 1.500000 $ 0.208202* $ 1.708202 $ 542 $7,696

*The Interest & Sinking Fund tax revenue is used to pay for bonded indebtedness on construction, equipment, or both.

The bonds, and the tax rate necessary to pay those bonds, were approved by the voters of this district.

Comparison of Proposed Levy with Last Year’s Levy on Average ResidenceLast Year This Year

Average Market Value of Residences $ 30,034 $30,701Average Taxable Value of Residences $ 15,034 $15,668Last Year’s Rate VersusProposed Rate per $100 Value $ 1.515000 $ 1.708000Taxes Due on Average Residence $ 227.77 $ 267.61Increase (Decrease) in Taxes $ 39.84

Under state law, the dollar amount of school taxes imposed on the residence homestead of aperson 65 years of age or older or of the surviving spouse of such a person, if the survivingspouse was 55 years of age or older when the person died, may not be increased above theamount paid in the first year after the person turned 65, regardless of changes in the tax rateor property value.

Notice of Rollback Rate: The highest tax rate the district can adopt before requiring voterapproval at an election is 1.750000. This election will be automatically held if the districtadopts a rate in excess of the rollback rate of 1.750000.

Fund BalancesThe following estimated balances will remain at the end of the current fiscal year and are notencumbered with or by a corresponding debt obligation, less estimated funds necessary for operat-ing the district before receipt of the first state aid payment:

Maintenance and Operations Fund Balance(s) $ 2,864,633Interest & Sinking Fund Balance(s) $ -0-

IT’S LIKE THIS, KID — Socorro High School freshman Bernie Alvarezis welcomed to the school by senior Leslie Maxwell, center, and EddieCarrillo, Jr. during the Freshman Success program.

SISDFrom Page 1______________________

scouting the distance and the route isa good thing to do before the first dayof school. Say, Carrillo — can yougo from one end of the campus to theother in seven minutes? “Most of thetime you can.”

“The problems have neverchanged, not since I was in highschool,” Greenberg says. “Eventhough there’s a lot more MTV to-day and other things we adults deeminappropriate, peer pressure is (still)way up there. Lack of self-esteem,loneliness, feeling like ‘I don’t be-long.’ I get a tremendous amount of e-mails from kids telling me they aresuicidal, kids who are abused. Itdoesn’t matter whether it’s high schoolor cancer that gets you, it’s what wedo about it, what our choices are.”

And Greenberg, who presents pro-grams to students from all walks oflife, says Socorro kids “are a lot moresimilar to kids around the country.

People ask me that a lot because Iam around kids from different eco-nomic groups, different nationalities,and you find little cultural differ-ences. What the kids here are talkin’about in Spanish are the same thingskids are talkin’ about in Maryland —still wanting to fit in, still wantingfriends, still wanting to be importantand be somebody.”

Greenberg says his work inSocorro has shown him a lot of fam-ily loyalty. “It’s inspiring. I don’t seethat in a lot of other places.”

The lessons Greenberg teachesapparently stay with Socorro’s stu-dents. “I had a team leader come tome yesterday, and he told me he hadbeen a group leader last year, and thathe had changed three lives — a gangmember, who still is, but who willtalk to him; a girl who he talked outof slitting her wrists; and another se-riously troubled student. He told mehe knew he had made a difference forthree people, and what a differencethat has made for him. And he saidto me, ‘Tomorrow, I’m going tochange three more lives.’”

EL PASO COUNTY — TheChamizal National Memorial, ElPaso’s National Park, is exhibitingselected works from the Joy andArthur Addis collection of Twenti-eth Century Mexican Art. The ex-hibit is currently on display in theMemorial’s Los Paisanos Gallerythrough Aug. 28.

Comprised of works by majorMexican artists such as RafaelCoronel, Feliciano Bejar, FranciscoDosAmantes and Francisco Corzas,the Addis Collection contains manydifferent styles of art.

Representational works like thestone lithographs by DosAmantespresent three girls from behind inblack and white, accentuating thebraids in their hair and its length.

Works by Feliciano Bejar incor-porate gouache, watercolor, pen andink to create complex images like“Los Actores” (The Actors). In thiswork, the faces and bodies of actorsappear from within the different tex-tures to create a dream-like imageof melancholy.

These two artists represent a smallportion of the diversity of art work

Chamizal featuring the Addis collection of 20th Century Mexican artthat is present within the Addis Col-lection, which features figurativepaintings and a sculpture from thelate 1940s to the early 1970s Mexico.

Donated in 1979 to the ChamizalNational Memorial by Joy and ArthurAddis, the collection has gained invalue as many of the artists, such asRafael Coronel and Francisco Corzashave found broad international rec-ognition and renown.

“That we have such substantiveworks here in El Paso should be asource of great pride to our com-munity,” Isabel Montes, Superin-tendent of the Memorial, said.

“Approximately 30 works are ondisplay right now in our LosPaisanos Gallery. There is no chargefor admission and through Aug. 28visitors can come as often as theywish to see the work,” she added.

The Addis Collection is not newto praise. In first describing the ex-hibition in 1979, then-director of theNational Park Service William J.Whelan, noted that “by utilizing thegraphic and performing arts as amedium of interchange, Chamizalserves as an open door to help

people better understand not onlyother cultures but their own culturalroots as well.”

“We now can substantiate that thearts really are at the core of learning,”Montes said. “Exhibits, such as this,when coupled with education supportthe supposition by John I. Goodlad inhis A Place Called School where henoted that ‘The arts are not an educa-tional option; they are basic.’

“Standing alone, the exhibitionholds great value for the region andthe community. On a regional levelit would be difficult to find so manydiverse works by so many notedMexican artists in one place,” Mon-tes explained. “But used concur-rently by educators who care to ex-plore the collection with their stu-dents, the exhibition is simply in-valuable,” she concluded.

The Chamizal National Memorialis located at 800 South San Marcialbetween Bowie High School and theBridge of the Americas. The LosPaisanos Gallery is open during theweek from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. andby request on weekends. Admissionis free. Information: 532-7273.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — TheU.S. Department of Health and Hu-man Services (HHS) has awardedtwo grants to organizations in El Pasoto provide mentors to children withat least one incarcerated parent.These grants are the first installmentof three-year grants for each organi-zation.

Community Solutions of El Paso,Inc. was granted $114,000; $100,000was earmarked for Big Brothers BigSisters of El Paso, Inc.

“All children need positive rolemodels in their lives,” said Congress-man Silvestre Reyes. “However,those who have a parent in jail canespecially benefit from the guidanceof a responsible, caring friend ormentor. Through these federal grants,both Community Solutions and BigBrothers Big Sisters will have theopportunity to enrich the lives of ElPaso children by providing commit-ted, caring mentors at a time when

Grants to help childrenwho have a parent in jail

they need stability and companion-ship. I applaud the Department ofHealth and Human Services for pro-viding these grants,” said Reyes.

“We are thrilled to have this op-portunity to expand our services toan additional 75 youth in El Paso whohave a parent in prison,” said BethShaw, Executive Director of BigBrothers Big Sisters of El Paso.“Thirty percent of our enrolled youthhave had this experience and weknow that the guidance of a friendand mentor has made an impact. Ihope the parents and caregivers ofthose kids will call to find out howto enroll their children (544-4203).We also look forward to workingwith Community Solutions to findout how our programs can comple-ment one another — we know thatthe non-profit community in El Pasocan accomplish so much more forthese youth, and the entire city,through collaboration,” said Shaw.

Miss an issue?Log on to:

www.wtccourier.com


NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSSBUDGET AND PROPOSED TAX RATE

The Canutillo Independent School District will hold a public meeting at 6:00 p.m., Monday,August 23, 2004 in the Canutillo ISD Administration Facility, 7965 Artcraft Road, El Paso,Texas. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the school district’s budget that will deter-mine the tax rate that will be adopted. Public participation in the discussion is invited.

The tax rate that is ultimately adopted at this meeting or at a separate meeting at a later date may not exceedthe proposed tax rate shown below unless the district publishes a revised notice containing the same informa-tion and comparisons set out below and holds another public meeting to discuss the revised notice.

Comparison of Proposed Rates with last Year’s RatesInterest Local State

Maintenance & Sinking Revenue Revenue& Operation Fund* Total Per Student Per Student

Last Year’s Rate $ 1.500000 $ 0.200000* $ 1.700000 $2,171 $5,080Rate to Maintain SameLevel of Maintenance &Operations Revenue &Pay Debt Service $ 1.508239 $ 0.247800* $ 1.756039 $2,377 $4,854Proposed Rate $ 1.500000 $ 0.241537* $ 1.741537 $2,232 $4,883

*The Interest & Sinking Fund tax revenue is used to pay for bonded indebtedness on construction, equipment, or both.

The bonds, and the tax rate necessary to pay those bonds, were approved by the voters of this district.

Comparison of Proposed Levy with Last Year’s Levy on Average ResidenceLast Year This Year

Average Market Value of Residences $ 58,963 $67,864Average Taxable Value of Residences $ 43,811 $52,285Last Year’s Rate VersusProposed Rate per $100 Value $ 1.700000 $ 1.741537Taxes Due on Average Residence $ 744.78 $ 910.56Increase (Decrease) in Taxes $ 165.78

Under state law, the dollar amount of school taxes imposed on the residence homestead of aperson 65 years of age or older or of the surviving spouse of such a person, if the survivingspouse was 55 years of age or older when the person died, may not be increased above theamount paid in the first year after the person turned 65, regardless of changes in the tax rateor property value.

Notice of Rollback Rate: The highest tax rate the district can adopt before requiring voterapproval at an election is 1.809776. This election will be automatically held if the districtadopts a rate in excess of the rollback rate of 1.809776.

Fund BalancesThe following estimated balances will remain at the end of the current fiscal year and are notencumbered with or by a corresponding debt obligation, less estimated funds necessary for operat-ing the district before receipt of the first state aid payment:

Maintenance and Operations Fund Balance(s) $ 755,125Interest & Sinking Fund Balance(s) $ 521,773

PUBLIC NOTICEFabens Independent School DistrictProvision II Feeding Program 2004-2005The Fabens Independent School District is pleased toannounce that all children in the district will be receivingmeals at no charge through the National School LunchProgram for the academic school year of 2004-2005. Beassured that all children will receive a free lunch and a freebreakfast regardless of your income or family size.

Adult PricesBreakfast ............ $1.75

Lunch ............ $2.60

In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department ofAgriculture policy, this institution is prohibited fromdiscriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin,sex, age or disability. To file a complaint, write USDA,Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, WhittenBuilding, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington,D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD).USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

WTCC: 08/12/04

EL PASO COUNTY — Moneymatters are the focus of two upcom-ing meetings in the Canutillo ISD.

The first is a special school boardmeeting scheduled Aug. 19 to dis-cuss options and alternatives for re-tiring its existing indebtedness. Thesecond meeting is an Aug. 23 pub-lic hearing in which the board willdiscuss the options and get inputfrom area residents.

Both will begin at 6 p.m. They willbe held at the district’s administra-tive offices, 7965 Artcraft Road.

The meetings are scheduledagainst a background of concern bythe district’s comptroller Tony Rezawho finds the state suddenly sing-ing a different financial tune in re-gards to servicing its EDA (Exist-ing Debt Allotment). Based on a for-mula that factors in elements suchas average daily attendance and taxrates, the state helps financially-strapped districts in retiring its ex-isting bonded indebtedness.

By Don WoodyardCourier Staff Writer

Canutillo ISD to receive less state assistance than anticipatedThe state tune has some sour notes

as far as Reza is concerned. He saysthe state claims, after checking backfive years, that it has overpaid thedistrict in years past and is thereforereducing considerably the amount ofmoney it will be giving the districtthis year. He said this funding shiftby the state was “unanticipated.”

Reza is not voicing a message offinancial doom for the district. Heassures residents that the district isin sound financial shape with a bal-ance of $900,000 in a fund estab-lished for debt service retirement.However, he is under the financialgun, having to adjust plans to ac-commodate the new dollar-sign sig-nals from Austin.

The adjustment will come to about$400,000. Reza was expecting $1.5million. The district will receiveabout $1.1 million instead.

Other school districts in the stateface financial problems similar tothose of Canutillo.

A district financial consultant, whoasked not to be identified, said thereare not sufficient funds in the systemto help school districts. “Statewide

they are feeling the budget crunch.There has to be something done forthem,” the individual said.

Because of the unanticipatedchanges from the state, Reza saysestablishing the new tax rate is“more critical.” The tax rate is com-prised of two separate elements. Thefirst is for M&O, for maintenanceand operation; the second is I&S, theinterest and sinking fund. Moneycoming from the latter fund goes toretire bonded indebtedness.

Canutillo residents are looking atan M&O of $1.50 per $100 of prop-erty valuation. This is the maximumthat can be levied. The present I&Sis 20 cents per $100.

“The Texas Education Agency ad-justment to our EDA funding forcesus to re-evaluate our tax rate for nextyear. With the help of our financialadvisor, we are looking at ways tokeep the debt service rate the sameas last year; however, just to be pru-dent, we are publishing the highertax rate with the hope that we canpresent options to the School Boardthat will allow for a lower tax rate,”Reza said.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — West Texas employees suffering from depres-sion may benefit from a new free internet-based “Depression Calculator”that shows employers the benefits of treating employees both with medica-tions and counseling.

According to National Institute of Mental Health statistics, approximately18.8 million adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 andolder in a given year have a depressive disorder.

The new calculator, which gives employers the whole picture on the eco-nomics of bringing patients with depression into needed medical care, isavailable at http://www.depressioncalculator.org. or http://www.phrma.org.

The calculator was developed by The HSM Group, Ltd., a health careconsulting firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona, with support from the Phar-maceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

Employees suffering from depression are affected, on average, about 30to 50 workdays per year by absenteeism or low productivity, and they sus-tain average annual medical costs that are $2,000 to $3,000 higher thanthose of other employees. The combination of missed days, lower produc-tivity when on the job, and other associated issues costs the U.S. economyapproximately $80 billion annually. Yet a high percentage of those withdepression never receive treatment.

“Employers and employees both come out ahead when employees withdepression receive the right medical treatment, with both counseling andmedicines. Employers see improved work productivity and decreased ab-senteeism,” said Alan F. Holmer, President and CEO, PhRMA.

The calculator estimates the incidence of depression and its impact on acompany’s work force, based on the company’s size, type of industry, loca-tion, and the age/gender breakdown of employees. It computes the expectednumber of days each year employees will be absent or suffer low productiv-ity due to their depression and calculates the associated costs to a business.Finally, it projects the net savings the company can expect, after accountingfor the cost of treatment, if employees obtain treatment. An employer canchange the key assumptions so that the calculation best reflects the charac-teristics of that particular work force.

“This calculator integrates extensive research findings from peer-reviewedliterature and turns them into usable results for employers. It’s an importantresearch-based management tool that lets employers and others see the wholepicture on the economics of bringing patients with depression into neededmedical care,” said Sheryl Bronkesh, president of The HSM Group, Ltd.

Even a small company can experience significant costs from depression. Acompany with 500 employees, for example, can expect about 25 employees tobe suffering from depression at some time during a 12-month period. Thisamounts to 750 to 1,250 days lost each year to absenteeism and low productivity.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)represents the country’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and biotech-nology companies, which have the stated purpose of inventing medicinesthat allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. Theindustry invested an estimated $32 billion in 2002 in discovering and de-veloping new medicines.

— Contributed by Claude M. Gruener

Companies can lose big moneydue to depressed employees,calculator determines show much

Pepperoni’s Pizza & Deli852-2544Limited Delivery Area

Chinese Food

Burgers & Subs


NOTICE OF EFFECTIVE TAX RATE2004 Property Tax Rates in

El Paso County Emergency Services District #2

This notice concerns 2004 property tax rates for the El Paso CountyEmergency Services District #2. It presents information about three taxrates. Last year’s tax rate is the actual rate the taxing unit used to deter-mine property taxes last year. This year’s effective tax rate would imposethe same total taxes as last year if you compare properties taxed in bothyears. This year’s rollback tax rate is the highest tax rate the taxing unit canset before taxpayers can start tax rollback procedures. In each case theserates are found by dividing the total amount of taxes by the tax base (thetotal value of taxable property) with adjustments as required by state law.The rates are given per $100 of property value.

Last year’s tax rate:Last year’s operating taxes __________________________ $1,637,593Last year’s debt taxes _____________________________________ -0-Last year’s total taxes _______________________________ 1,637,593Last year’s tax base ____________________________ 1,637,593,000Last year’s total tax rate __________________________ .100000/$100

This year’s effective tax rate:Last year’s adjusted taxes(after subtracting taxes on lost property) _______________ $1,635,991 ÷This year’s adjusted tax base(after subtracting value of new property) ____________ 1,605,898,845=This year’s effective tax rate _____________________ .101873/$100x1.03 = maximum rate unless unitpublishes notices and holds hearings ________________ .104929/$100

This year’s rollback tax rate:Last year’s adjusted operating taxes(after subtracting taxes on lost propertyand adjusting for transferred function,tax increment financing, and/or enhancedindigent health care expenditures) ___________________ $1,635,991÷This year’s adjusted tax base ____________________ 1,605,898,845=This year’s effective operating rate ________________ .101873/$100x1.08 = this year’s maximum operating rate ___________ .110022/$100+This year’s debt rate ____________________________ .000000/$100=This year’s rollback rate _________________________ .110022/$100

Statement of Increase/DecreaseIf the El Paso County Emergency Services District #2 adopts a 2004 taxrate equal to the effective rate of $0.101873 per $100 of value, taxes wouldincrease compared to 2003 taxes by $108,299.

SCHEDULE AUnencumbered Fund Balances

The following estimated balances will be left in the unit’s property tax ac-counts at the end of the fiscal year. These balances are not encumbered bya corresponding debt obligation.Type of Property Tax Fund BalanceMaintenance & Operation (M&O) $-0-

Debt Service (I&S) -0-

SCHEDULE B2004 Debt Service

The unit plans to pay the following amounts for long-term debts that aresecured by property taxes. These amounts will be paid from property taxrevenues (or additional sales tax revenues, if applicable).

Principal or Interest toContract Payment be Paid

to be from OtherDescription Paid from Property Amounts Totalof Debt Property Taxes Taxes to be Paid Payment

None $-0- $-0- $-0- $-0-

Total required for 2004 debt service ________________________ $-0--Amount (if any) paid from funds listed in Schedule A __________ -0--Amount (if any) paid from other resources ___________________ -0--Excess collections last year _______________________________ -0-=Total to be paid from taxes in 2004 _________________________ -0-+Amount added in anticipation that the unit will collectonly 100% of its taxes in 2004 _____________________________ -0-=Total Debt Levy _______________________________________ -0-

This notice contains a summary of actual effective and rollback tax ratecalculations. You can inspect a copy of the full calculations at the City of ElPaso Tax Office located at the intersection of Durango and Franklin streets.Name of person preparing this notice: Juan F. SandovalTitle: Tax Assessor/CollectorDate prepared: August 5, 2004


the City of Socorro

This notice concerns 2004 property tax rates for the City of Socorro. Itpresents information about three tax rates. Last year’s tax rate is the actualrate the taxing unit used to determine property taxes last year. This year’seffective tax rate would impose the same total taxes as last year if youcompare properties taxed in both years. This year’s rollback tax rate is thehighest tax rate the taxing unit can set before taxpayers can start tax roll-back procedures. In each case these rates are found by dividing the totalamount of taxes by the tax base (the total value of taxable property) withadjustments as required by state law. The rates are given per $100 of prop-erty value.

Last year’s tax rate:Last year’s operating taxes __________________________ $1,965,397Last year’s debt taxes ________________________________ 257,723Last year’s total taxes _______________________________ 2,223,120Last year’s tax base ______________________________ 467,100,895Last year’s total tax rate __________________________ .475940/$100

This year’s effective tax rate:Last year’s adjusted taxes(after subtracting taxes on lost property) _______________ $2,221,504 ÷This year’s adjusted tax base(after subtracting value of new property) ______________ 459,999,231=This year’s effective tax rate _____________________ .482936/$100x 1.03=maximum rate unless unitpublishes notices and holds hearings ________________ .497424/$100

This year’s rollback tax rate:Last year’s adjusted operating taxes(after subtracting taxes on lost propertyand adjusting for transferred function,tax increment financing, and/or enhancedindigent health care expenditures) ___________________ $1,963,968÷This year’s adjusted tax base ______________________ 459,999,231=This year’s effective operating rate ________________ .426950/$100x1.08 = this year’s maximum operating rate ___________ .461106/$100+This year’s debt rate ____________________________ .101100/$100=This year’s rollback rate _________________________ .562206/$100

Statement of Increase/DecreaseIf the City of Socorro adopts a 2004 tax rate equal to the effective rate of$0.482936 per $100 of value, taxes would increase compared to 2003taxes by $186,422.


The following estimated balances will be left in the unit’s property tax ac-counts at the end of the fiscal year. These balances are not encumbered bya corresponding debt obligation.Type of Property Tax Fund BalanceMaintenance & Operation (M&O) $1,600,746

Debt Service (I&S) $16,781





1999 Certificatesof Obligation _______ $ 95,000 $ 44,827 $ -0- $ 139,827

2001 Certificatesof Obligation ________ 15,200 26,145 -0- 41,345

First NationalBank - PoliceVehicles ___________ 23,138 3,664 -0- 26,802

First NationalBank - PotholePatcher ____________ 18,135 2,437 -0- 20,572

Interlease _____________ -0- -0- 1,581 1,581

First NationalBank - Firehouse/Vineyard ___________ 12,192 3,640 -0- 15,832

StateInfrastructure ________ 80,394 14,745 -0- 95,139

SIB #2 _____________ 12,103 12,103 -0- 24,206

Park & Ride __________ 6,000 -0- 2,000 8,000

2004 Certificatesof Obligation ________ 23,000 108,114 -0- 131,114

Public Service ___________ 10 -0- -0- 10

Total required for 2004 debt service ___________________ $504,428-Amount (if any) paid from funds listed in Schedule A __________ -0--Amount (if any) paid from other resources ___________________ -0--Excess collections last year _______________________________ -0-=Total to be paid from taxes in 2004 ____________________ 504,428+Amount added in anticipation that the unit will collectonly 100% of its taxes in 2004 _____________________________ -0-=Total Debt Levy __________________________________ $504,428

This notice contains a summary of actual effective and rollback tax ratecalculations. You can inspect a copy of the full calculations at the City of ElPaso Tax Office located at the intersection of Durango and Franklin streets.Name of person preparing this notice: Juan F. SandovalTitle: Tax Assessor/CollectorDate prepared: July 30, 2004

EL PASO COUNTY — NewMexican Retablo artist VivianaDuran-Prelo will demonstrate andshow her traditional art at theChamizal Festival in El Paso. Herdaughter, traditional New Mexicantinworker Cynthia Prelo-Riedlingerwill join Viviana on Oct. 9-10.

A self-taught artist, Viviana Duran-Prelo embraces the true significanceof this early art form. Her traditionalNew Mexican retablos encompassthe history of her early New Mexi-can pioneer family. Viviana is thedescendent of Cesario Duran whowas the first alcalde of Tularosa in1860. She began her painting legacy

Mother and daughter artists to show at Chamizal Festivalin oil landscape, but a new found in-terest and talent as a retablo painterled her to a restoration project at thehistoric San Jose Mission church nearSafford, Arizona, in 1977 where shewas commissioned to paint the alterscreen or reredo and the stations ofthe cross at the newly restoredchurch. An avid story teller andwriter, Viviana’s short story “TiaMama” will be featured in the fallissue of La Herencia.

The history of the traditional artdeeply connects to Viviana’s reli-gious heritage, and because Spainoccupied New Mexico, the Catholicreligion was predominant. The

newfound New Mexicans’ churchesand home chapels needed accessoriesand religious objects.

While large baroque paintingswere conveyed in from Mexico fornoble families, the typical NewMexican was left to sustain art forhimself. New Mexico became part ofthe Republic of Mexico in 1821 butthe outside world was still inacces-sible for most New Mexicans, and bynecessity families became self-reli-ant. New Mexican families began toproduce their own form of religiousartwork. Local individuals wholacked recognized educational train-ing in art created home made imagesof saints. The religious art producedby New Mexicans between the1700’s and the later 1800’s are knownas “santos.” There were two types ofsantos, retablos and bultos.

Retablos are santos painted on pinewood panels. Subject matter tradi-tionally reflects God, the Virgin Maryand various saints. Because outwardappearance is much a part of the artform, traditional artists like Vivianacontinue to center on meaning andhistory of the art as well as the ap-pearance.

The tradition of creating these re-ligious images strongly carries onand many New Mexican familiesmaintain a devotion to the creationof these objects of tradition and faith.Retablos painted by Viviana reflecther strong ties to the heritage andstrength of her early New Mexicanancestors.

Tin artist Cynthia Prelo-Riedlingerwas introduced to the craft of NewMexico tin while a student at NewMexico Highlands University in LasVegas, New Mexico. A teaching ca-reer led Riedlinger into another di-rection. She was re-introduced to theart form in 1996 and studied withmaster tin artist Richard Gabriel fromQuesta, New Mexico.

The early Spanish explorers firstbrought the craft of metalworkinginto Mexico, and due to the lack ofmetals New Mexican metal work waslimited during colonial times, Tincrafting appeared much later as alltin had to be transported from Mexicoand Europe. British tin plate waspopular during this time. Onceknown as “poor man’s silver” tin artdeclined in the 1850’s and NewMexico’s Bishop Lamy’s appoint-ment to some extent eliminated earlyforms of native religious art. Localhand crafted religious artwork in-cluding retablos and tinwork weredestroyed during this period.

Mexican and New Mexicantinwork was used as décor for thehome and church. Mirror frames, pic-ture frames, boxes, candleholders andcrosses were often made of tin. Theserviceable items were affordableand more accessible because theywere being fashioned locally. Theopening of the Santa Fe Trail in 1821,followed by the railroad in 1880made tin more available to NewMexican artisans, but the craft de-clined with the introduction of com-mercial frames and the use of coaland gas for lighting. In 1930 the artform, primarily in religious motif,revived. The dedication of tin artistslike Cynthia has contributed to thecontinued renaissance and stabiliza-tion of this traditional art.



Town of Anthony

This notice concerns 2004 property tax rates for the Town of Anthony. Itpresents information about three tax rates. Last year’s tax rate is the actualrate the taxing unit used to determine property taxes last year. This year’seffective tax rate would impose the same total taxes as last year if youcompare properties taxed in both years. This year’s rollback tax rate is thehighest tax rate the taxing unit can set before taxpayers can start tax roll-back procedures. In each case these rates are found by dividing the totalamount of taxes by the tax base (the total value of taxable property) withadjustments as required by state law. The rates are given per $100 ofproperty value.

Last year’s tax rate:Last year’s operating taxes ___________________________ $174,152Last year’s debt taxes ________________________________ 197,318Last year’s total taxes ________________________________ 371,470Last year’s tax base _______________________________ 81,158,907Last year’s total tax rate __________________________ .457707/$100

This year’s effective tax rate:Last year’s adjusted taxes(after subtracting taxes on lost property) ________________ $371,418 ÷This year’s adjusted tax base(after subtracting value of new property) _______________ 81,290,762=This year’s effective tax rate _____________________ .456900/$100Maximum rate unless unitpublishes notices and holds hearings ________________ .458397/$100

This year’s rollback tax rate:Last year’s adjusted operating taxes(after subtracting taxes on lost propertyand adjusting for transferred function,tax increment financing, and/or enhancedindigent health care expenditures) _____________________ $174,128÷This year’s adjusted tax base _______________________ 81,290,762=This year’s effective operating rate ________________ .214204/$100x1.08 = this year’s maximum operating rate ___________ .231340/$100+This year’s debt rate ____________________________ .227057/$100=This year’s rollback rate _________________________ .458397/$100

Statement of Increase/DecreaseIf the Town of Anthony adopts a 2004 tax rate equal to the effective rate of$0.456900 per $100 of value, taxes would increase compared to 2003taxes by $13,867.


The following estimated balances will be left in the unit’s property tax ac-counts at the end of the fiscal year. These balances are not encumbered bya corresponding debt obligation.Type of Property Tax Fund BalanceMaintenance & Operation (M&O) $234,753

Debt Service (I&S) $21,000





1974Bonds DS $7,000 $ 3,656 $-0- $10,656

SIB Loan #2 33,482 14,173 -0- 47,655

2002Bonds DS 90,000 18,427 -0- 108,427

2002 Certificateof Obligation 13,000 11,756 -0- 24,756

Total required for 2004 debt service ___________________ $191,494-Amount (if any) paid from funds listed in Schedule A __________ -0--Amount (if any) paid from other resources ___________________ -0--Excess collections last year _______________________________ -0-=Total to be paid from taxes in 2004 ____________________ 191,494+Amount added in anticipation that the unit will collectonly 100% of its taxes in 2004 _____________________________ -0-=Total Debt Levy __________________________________ $191,494



Town of Horizon City

This notice concerns 2004 property tax rates for the Town of Horizon City. Itpresents information about three tax rates. Last year’s tax rate is the actualrate the taxing unit used to determine property taxes last year. This year’seffective tax rate would impose the same total taxes as last year if youcompare properties taxed in both years. This year’s rollback tax rate is thehighest tax rate the taxing unit can set before taxpayers can start tax roll-back procedures. In each case these rates are found by dividing the totalamount of taxes by the tax base (the total value of taxable property) withadjustments as required by state law. The rates are given per $100 of prop-erty value.

Last year’s tax rate:Last year’s operating taxes ___________________________ $582,145Last year’s debt taxes _________________________________ 83,213Last year’s total taxes ________________________________ 665,358Last year’s tax base ______________________________ 231,428,870Last year’s total tax rate __________________________ .287500/$100

This year’s effective tax rate:Last year’s adjusted taxes(after subtracting taxes on lost property) ________________ $664,956 ÷This year’s adjusted tax base(after subtracting value of new property) ______________ 238,979,642=This year’s effective tax rate _____________________ .278247/$100Maximum rate unless unitpublishes notices and holds hearings ________________ .231957/$100

This year’s rollback tax rate:Last year’s adjusted operating taxes(after subtracting taxes on lost propertyand adjusting for transferred function,tax increment financing, and/or enhancedindigent health care expenditures) _____________________ $581,794÷This year’s adjusted tax base ______________________ 238,979,642=This year’s effective operating rate ________________ .243449/$100x1.08 = this year’s maximum operating rate ___________ .262924/$100+This year’s debt rate ____________________________ .034578/$100=This year’s rollback rate _________________________ .297502/$100-Sales tax adjustment rate ________________________ .065545/$100=Rollback tax rate _______________________________ .231957/$100

Statement of Increase/DecreaseIf the Town of Horizon City adopts a 2004 tax rate equal to the effectiverate of $0.278247 per $100 of value, taxes would increase compared to2003 taxes by $60,630.


The following estimated balances will be left in the unit’s property tax ac-counts at the end of the fiscal year. These balances are not encumbered bya corresponding debt obligation.Type of Property Tax Fund BalanceMaintenance & Operation (M&O) $576,376

Debt Service (I&S) -0-





Infrastructure $25,052 $9,233 $-0- $34,285

Equipment 46,489 9,446 -0- 55,935

Total required for 2004 debt service ____________________ $90,220-Amount (if any) paid from funds listed in Schedule A __________ -0--Amount (if any) paid from other resources ___________________ -0--Excess collections last year _______________________________ -0-=Total to be paid from taxes in 2004 _____________________ 90,220+Amount added in anticipation that the unit will collectonly 100% of its taxes in 2004 _____________________________ -0-=Total Debt Levy ___________________________________ $90,220


EL PASO COUNTY — Familieswho depend on ground water for theirhousehold water supply often knowlittle about the people who servicetheir wells, but they should, accord-ing to the National Ground WaterAssociation (NGWA). As with anyservice provider, it is a good idea toobtain information about several con-tractors in the area before making achoice. NGWA offers the followingconsumer tips about hiring a waterwell contractor.

First, ask questions. For instance,is the contractor licensed by or reg-istered with the state? Is the contrac-tor certified through the NationalGround Water Association? Contrac-tors must pass exams testing theirprofessional expertise to earn NGWAcertification. What is the contractor’sreputation with previous customers(references)?

Second, it is important to get awri t ten contract . Unless youknow what each contractor willdo for his specified price, youcannot compare offers and decidewhich one to hire. NGWA makesavailable a standard contractform to its members.

If having a well drilled, a goodcontract might include: Detailsabout liability insurance coverageheld by both the well owner and thecontractor; a statement that allwork is to comply with local andstate regulations and codes; the di-ameter and thickness of the wellcasing to be used; the type of screento be installed, where needed; thetype of well cap or seal to be pro-vided; the disinfection procedure;the cleanup after drilling, whichincludes all material abandonedwithout authorization at a drill siteexcept drill cuttings and waste wa-ter; an anticipated date for start ofdrilling; a guarantee of materialsand workmanship. The contractshould specify that the contractorwill return to do or to correct theinitial work if necessary.

An itemized list of charges is bet-ter than a lump sum. The list couldinclude the cost of drilling per foot;casing per foot; other materials suchas the drive shoe, grout and well cap;other operations such as grouting,“developing” the well, test pumpingand disinfection; drilling deeper and/or a second well, if required to en-sure an adequate water supply; costof abandonment should it prove nec-essary (for instance, if salt water isencountered and another site is se-lected). You also should ask whatcosts are not included in the specifi-cations.

After the well has been built andbefore the contractor removes hisequipment from the site, you shouldinspect the well. Here is a list of itemsto check:

Well Depth — This is easily doneby tying a weight on a tape. Verifythe measurement against the wellconstruction report made out by thecontractor.

Well Yield — Ask the contractorat how many gallons per minute(gpm) the well was tested, what dis-tance the water level dropped duringthe test, and how quickly the water

Understand the details ifyou depend on a water well

level recovered after the test.Well Cap — Ensure that the well

is capped and secure, and that the capis at least six inches above the groundor at whatever height your state mightrequire.

Disinfection — Ask the contractorif the well was disinfected.

Well Construction Record -Make sure that you received yourcopy of the well record. The con-

tractor is required to deliver cop-ies of the record to the owner. Itwould be advisable to keep yourwell record with your house deedso that the information is passedalong to future owners.

To learn more about water wells,visit www.wellowner.org. You canfind an NGWA-member contractornear you at this web site by clickingon “Contractor Lookup.”


Fabens Independent School DistrictSPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICESFabens Independent School District provides the follow-ing education program/services to identified children withdisabilities who reside within the district beginning onthe third birthday through age twenty-one.

Instructional Program: including Early Childhood (be-ginning on the third birthday through age five), 1) Re-source (grades K-12) and Self-Contained (grades K-12);2) Diagnostic Services; 3) Transportation Services; 4)Speech Therapy; 5) Counseling Services; 6)AdaptiveEquipment Services; 7) Physical Therapy; 8) OccupationalTherapy; 9) School Health Services; and 10) HomeboundServices.

Services are provided to identified auditorial and visuallyimpaired children who reside within the district from birththrough age twenty-one.

In compliance with the Family Educational Rights andPrivacy Act of 1974 and Public Law 105-17, parents andadult students have the right to inspect educational records.District policies FL and FL-E provide for record access,confidentiality, and complaint procedures.

If you would like more information or know of a childwith disabilities who is not receiving educational services,please contact: Richard Ortega, Special Education Direc-tor, P.O. Box 697, Fabens, Texas 79838, (915) 764-3816.

El Distrito Escolar de FabensSERVICIOS DE EDUCACION

ESPECIALEl distrito escolar de Fabens provee los siguientes programas/servicios educacionales a niños que son identificados comodesabilitados que viven dentro del distrito comenzando conel tercer cumpleaños hasta los 21 años.

Programa de instrucción: infancia temprana (comenzandocon el tercer cumpleaños hasta la edad de cinco años), 1)cuarto de recurso (K-12), y clases contenidas (K-12); 2)servicios diagnósticos; 3) servicios de transportación; 4) terapiade habla; 5) servicios de consejo; 6) servicios de equipajeadaptivo; 7) terapia fisica; 8) terapia ocupacional; 9) serviciosde salud escolar; y 10) servicios de clases en el hogar.

Se provee servicios a niños identificados como desabilitadosaudible y visualmente que viven dentro del distrito desdenacimiento hasta la edad de 21 años.

Conforme al Acto de Derechos y Confidencia Educacionalesde Familia de 1974 y Ley publica 105-17, padres y alumnosadultos tienen el derechos de ver los archivos educativos.Polizas FL y FL-E explica los derechos, la confidencialidad, yel proceso para quejarse.

Si usted desea mas información o sabe de un niño/niñadesabilitado que vive en el distrito escolar de Fabens que noesta recibiendo servicios educacionales, favor de comunicarsecon: Richard Ortega, Director de Educación Especial, P.O.Box 697, Fabens, Texas 79838, (915) 764-3816.WTCC: 08/21/03

Fabens Independent School District

PUBLIC NOTICEOF NON-DISCRIMINATION

It is the policy of the Fabens Independent School Dis-trict to prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color,national origin, gender or any person who has a disabilityin the admission or access to programs, delivery of ser-vices or employment.

The Fabens Independent School District is fully com-mitted to meeting its responsibilities as specified by TitleVI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IXof the Education Amendments of 1972; prohibiting sexdiscrimination, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of1973, as amended; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975,as amended; and the Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA).

Inquiries concerning your rights may be referred to As-sistant Superintendent Charles Hopp, P.O. Box 697,Fabens, TX 79838. Phone: (915) 764-2025. Fax: (915)764-3115.

NOTIFICACION PUBLICAEs la norma de conducta de el distrito escolar de Fabens

prohibir la discriminación a base de raza, color, origennacional, sexo o deshabilidad en la admisión o el acceso aprogramas, entrega de servicios o empleo.

El distrito escolar de Fabens esta comprometido a cumplircon las responsabilidades específicadas por el Título VI delActa de Derechos Civiles de 1964, como enmendado, el TítuloIX de la Enmienda de Educación de 1972, como enmendado,que prohibe la discriminación sexual, la Sección 504 del Actade Rehabilitación de 1973, como enmendado, la Ley deDiscriminación por Edad de 1975 como enmendado, y elActa de Americanos con Deshabilidades.

Para información tocanta a sus derechos comuniquese conAsistente Superintiendente Charles Hopp, P.O. Box 697,Fabens, TX 79838. Phone: (915) 764-2025. Fax: (915)764-3115.WTCC: 08/12/04

EAST EL PASO COUNTY— Socorro ISD’s Health Ser-vices Department, in coopera-tion with the El Paso City-County Health and Environmen-tal District is again sponsoring aseries of immunization clinicsduring the 2004-2005 schoolyear. Parents should bringchildren’s shot records. Medicalpersonnel will assess the child’simmunization needs. Injectionsare $5 for one shot or $10 fortwo or more per child; Medic-aid and CHIP insurance plansare accepted. No one will be de-nied services because of theirinability to pay. The clinics arescheduled at two SISD cam-puses on the following dates:

• Escontrias ElementarySchool, 205 Buford Road

Saturdays, 9 a.m. - noonSeptember 4October 2November 6December 4February 5, 2005March 5April 2May 7June 4• O’Shea Keleher Elementary

School, 1800 Leroy Bonse DriveSaturdays, 9 a.m. - noonAugust 21September 18October 16November 20January 15, 2005February 19March 19April 16 — Clinic at the an-

nual Lower Valley Health Fair,Socorro High School campus

May 21June 18

Shot clinicsscheduled

commitment,” Hittle said. “They’vereally matured in the past fewweeks.”

Ortega agrees. “We’ve workedthem pretty hard,” he said.

Both stress that being in the bandis an athletic event, and judging fromthe sweat dripping from the members

BandFrom Page 1______________________

— Photos by Phillip Cortez

Carl Ortega barks out marching orders to the SEHS band.

Sharon Hittle gives an uniden-tified band member some indi-vidual instruction.

of the band as they march severaltimes along the track under a scorch-ing sun, both Hittle and Ortega areright. It’s a common sight to see stu-dents douse each other with waterduring breaks; the sound of music isquickly replaced by the sounds oflaughter. One gets the sense that theteam is coming together in moreways than just quality sound and per-fectly timed marching.

As much as Hittle and Ortega preachtrust and commitment, the students

need to look no further than the rela-tionship Hittle has with the MiddleSchool band director, who just happensto be her husband, Leslie Hittle.

“We’ve been married for 10 years,we went to the same high school to-gether,” Sharon Hittle said. “We hadthe same band instructor and we bothhave the same philosophy.”

This philosophy will undoubtedlyhelp the evolution of the San Elizarioband program, and that’ll be musicto the ears of everyone.

www.wtccourier.com

IRVING, TX — Texas Gov.Rick Perry made an announce-ment here late last month that an$80 million grant has been autho-rized through the Texas EmissionsReduction Plan to reduce nitrogenoxide emissions.

The emissions are commonlyproduced by heavy constructionequipment, large trucks, locomo-tives, tugboats and pushboats.

Grants intended tohelp clean up the air

Several private sector companiesin areas of the state designatedout-of-compliance with clean airstandards have applied for assis-tance to replace or retrofit dirtierengines with cleaner-burning ver-sions.

Perry said this grant program is“a novel approach to clean air thatis not driven by mandates, but part-nerships with the private sector.”


Public Notification of Nondiscriminationin Career and Technology Programs at Fabens ISD

1) Fabens Independent School District offers career and technology education programsin Home Economics, Business Education, Drafting, Graphic Arts, and AutomotiveTechnology. Admission to these programs is based on courses offered, age appropriateness,class space available, and individual graduation plans.

2) It is the policy of Fabens Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis ofrace, color, national origin, sex or handicap in its vocational programs, services, or activities asrequired by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the EducationAmendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

3) It is the policy of Fabens Independent School District not to discriminate on the basisof race, color, national origin, sex, handicap or age in its employment practices as requiredby Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amend-ments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended; and Section 504 of theRehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

4) Fabens Independent School District will take steps to ensure that lack of English lan-guage skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in all educational andvocational programs.

5) For information about your rights or grievance procedures, contact the Title IX Coor-dinator and/or Section 504 Coordinator: Charles Hopp, P.O. Box 697, Fabens, Texas 79838,(915) 764-4353.

Notificacion Publica de no Discriminaren los Programas de Carrera y Tecnoligia de Fabens ISD

1) El Distrito Escolar Independiente de Fabens ofrece programas programas vocacionales enCarrera y Tecnoligía en Economia Domestica, Educación de Negocios, y Mecánica. La admisióna estos programas se basa en registrado en la escuela de Fabens y completar los requisitios necesarios.

2) Es norma de El Distrito Escolar Independiente de Fabens no discriminar por motivos deraza, color, origen nacional, sexo, o impedimento, en sus programas, servicios, o actividadesvocacionales, tal como lo requieren el Título VI del Acta de Derechos Civiles de 1964, que fueenmendada, Título IX de las Enmiendas Educativas de 1972, y la Sección 504 de la Acta deRehabilitación de 1973, como enmendada.

3) Es norma de El Distrito Escolar Independiente de Fabens no discriminar por motivos raza,color, origen nacional, sexo, impedimento o edad en sus procedimientos de empleo, tal comorequieren el Título VI del Acta de Derechos Civiles de 1964, según enmienda, Título IX de lasEnmiendas Educativas de 1972, la Ley de Discriminación por Edad de 1975, según enmienda,y la Sección 504 de la Acta de Rehabilitación de 1973, según enmienda.

4) El Distrito Escolar Independiente de Fabens tomará las medidas necesarias para asegurarque la falta de habilidad en el uso de la lengua inglés no sea obstáculo para la admisión yparticipación en todos los programas vocacionales y educativos.

5) Para más información sobre sus derechos y procedimiento para quejas, comuniquese con elCoordinador del Título IX: Charles Hopp, P.O. Box 697, Fabens, Texas 79838, (915) 764-4353WTCC: 08/12/04

School wants to do something toease this transition by collectingpersonal toiletry items such astoothbrushes and paste, soap,shampoo, combs and other items.Packaged snack food items suchas popcorn are also needed.“When soldiers come back fromIraq or Afghanistan, they’re usu-ally sent to ‘holding areas’ until adecision can be made about theirhealth and future,” said LauraPrice, Student Activities Director.“We’ve discovered their needsand with the help of Ron Quiett,one of our teachers in the ArmyReserves, we though we couldprovide these items to our sol-diers.” Supplies should be deliv-ered to Montwood High StudentActivities office, 12000Montwood Drive, by Aug. 20 fordelivery to Ft. Bliss. Information:937-2465.

In other news� Volunteers and nominationsfor open positions on theCanutillo ISD District and Cam-puses Site-Based ManagementCommittees are now being takenfor the 2004-2005 school year.Canutillo ISD welcomes indi-viduals who are parents of en-rolled students, persons who re-side in the community, and busi-ness persons who have an inter-est in the Canutillo school districtto be on these committees. If youwould be willing to serve, or youwould like to nominate someone,please contact Letty Gonzalez,secretary for the assistant super-intendent for Student Perfor-mance, at 877-7440.

� Football season is just aroundthe corner and the Clint HighSchool Athletic Booster Club in-vites all Lion parents and fans to“Meet the Lions” on Thursday,Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Lion Sta-dium. Watermelon donated byS&S Food Stores will be servedand the Booster Club membershipdrive will continue with “BlueCrew” T-shirts available.

� Socorro High School is seekingnominations for Outstanding ExStudent to be honored in 2004.Nominations must include com-plete name and phone number andshould be turned in on or beforeAug. 13 to Student Activities Di-rector Carmen Lucero at SHS,10150 Alameda. Nominations byphone are accepted, call 937-2134.

� Socorro ISD Community Ser-vices is offering an adult begin-

ning Computer Class with regis-tration from Aug. 11 to Aug. 20.Classes will be offered in Introduc-tion to Microsoft Office, internet,e-mail, and keyboarding. Classeswill be held at 313 S. Rio Vistabeginning Friday, Aug. 20 at 1:30p.m. from 1:30 to 2:45 pm eachFriday. The classes are open to allcommunity members 18 years andolder. For further information, call937-1700 or 937-1704.

� Agents with the U.S. Customsand Border Protection made sig-nificant seizures of illegal drugsrecently. Agents at the TrafficCheckpoint on U.S. 54, confis-cated over a ton of marijuana overa four-day period. The drugs wereconcealed among cargo in tractor-trailer rigs and in a false compart-ment in a passenger vehicle. Threepersons were arrested as a result.On Aug. 5, agents seized 670pounds of marijuana in a 1995Chevy Suburban eight miles eastof the Fabens Port of Entry. Whenapproached by agents, the driverof the vehicle abandoned it andescaped on foot across the border

oped by the Clint ISD Board ofTrustees and Dr. Smith at theBoard retreat in June.

� A special meeting of the El PasoCounty Democratic Party Execu-tive Committee will be held onTuesday, Aug. 17 at the ElksLodge, 1211 Cliff beginning at 6p.m. This meeting is called for thespecific purpose of electing pre-cinct chairs for vacant positions.No other business will be con-ducted. For more information call533-2141 or 474-1081.

� Becky Quiett, principal ofEscontrias Elementary in Socorro,was named District 19 Presidentfor the Texas Elementary Princi-pals and Supervisors Associationduring the Leadership Conferencein San Luis/Galveston. “TEPSAhas people working to help us un-derstand the education budget,teacher retirement, pay raises andother challenges Texas faces. If wedon’t stand up for our teachers, ourstudents and ourselves, we have noone else to blame,” Quiett said. Shewas selected as TEPSA’s 2001-

2002 Assistant Principal of theYear for District 19, and has servedas a district officer since 2000.

� ACT, best known for the col-lege entrance exam, has launcheda website, www.actstudent.org, forstudents preparing to take thisexam. It features information thatchanges according to the needs ofthe student during the school year,and includes online registration fortesting; early scores and reporting;information about ACT test dates,deadlines, etc.; free test prep; col-lege search and online applica-tions; and financial need estimator.

� The Texas Farm ServiceAgency (FSA) has allocated a por-tion of its farm loan program tospecifically benefit socially disad-vantaged applicants including mi-nority and women producers. TheFSA serves a 14-county area, in-cluding El Paso and HudspethCounties. Located at 2306 WestDickinson, Suite 1 in Ft. Stockton,Texas, 79735, 915-336-5206, Ext.2, The FSA contact is William H.McAnally. Qualified loan candi-

dates are provided informationand assistance to develop soundmanagement practices. Informa-tion about these loans is alsoavailable at the U.S. Dept. of Ag-riculture website, http://www.usda.gov.

� Socorro ISD’s Board of Trust-ees approved the appointment offour assistant principals duringthe regular meeting on July 20.Cynthia Stone will move from herposition with the District’s Mathand Science enhancement pro-gram to assistant principal atElfida P. Chavez Elementary.James Vasquez, currently curricu-lum coordinator at Loma VerdeElementary, will be assistant prin-cipal at H.D. Hilley Elementary.Ray River, a counselor withKEYS elementary guidance andcounseling program, will becomeassistant principal at Helen BallElementary. Jaime Hernandez,reading and ESL teacher at SocorroMiddle was approved to becomeassistant principal of Lujan-Chavez Elementary. SISD stu-dents went back to school July 26.

BriefsFrom Page 1______________________

into Mexico. A seizure of about17 pounds of methamphetamine,valued at about $544,000, wasfound in the dashboard of a GrandMarquis sedan on Sunday, Aug.8, north of Truth or Conse-quences. The driver and passen-ger were detained for Drug En-forcement Agency officials.

� The Clint Independent SchoolDistrict Leadership Team wentinto retreat in July for two daysin Ruidoso, New Mexico, led bySuperintendent Dr. Donna Smith.The team includes assistant super-intendents, directors, principals,coordinators, supervisors andother administrators in the dis-trict. The goal and theme of theretreat, “I Heard It Through theGrapevine,” was to improve com-munication while fostering team-work. The leadership team ad-dressed problem areas in theDistrict’s internal communicationnetwork, including cell phoneuse, email utilization, phone/voice mail use, and the schedul-ing of meetings. About 1,200employees of the district congre-gated in Horizon City earlier thisweek for the Annual District Con-vocation, with School BoardPresident James Pendell welcom-ing everyone back for the newschool year. The keynote addresswas given by Dr. Ann White, ofLaugh and Learn. Dr. Smith alsoshared the new mission and goalsfor the 2004 and 2005. “The dis-trict will be a model of high stan-dards for student academic excel-lence,” she said. This will be thefocus for the school year, devel-

“meetings,” questionable educational“improvements,” lack of disciplinar-ian support, lack of school-room fundsand lack of opportunity to develop intoa well-rounded person who could ac-tually teach a kid something.

The kids, meanwhile, are left with-out an educational compass and a massof rules that no one enforces. They aretaught a philosophy of competitionwithout the supporting curriculum of

RefugeesFrom Page 2______________________

moral responsibility — told to reachfor the stars without a road map on howto actually get there; to produce Godlyresults without God.

An army of green recruits expectedto wage a purposeless war withoutorders or battle plan.

I’m not the only refugee from pub-lic schools. Across this nation thereare hundreds and thousands of us.Some of us fled because we decidedto, some have been forced to, and stillthe battle rages on, the years pass,another generation is formed.

Scary thing is, we won’t know ifthe war is won or lost until it’s over.


King Super Crossword

By Steve EscajedaSpecial to the Courier

SPECTACLEACROSS

1 Related 5 Speedometerabbr. 8 Jaffe of “BenCasey” 11 Implored 15 Married Mlle. 18 TV’s “What’s My_?” 19 Snobbery 21 Exist 22 Mare’s morsel 23 Doris Day refrain 24 Start of a remark 27 Exhausted 29 Move like mad 30 Discernment 31 Hosp. area 32 Acclaim 35 Like wormwood 36 Part 2 of remark 42 Stance 43 Khartoum’s river 44 Herber of football 45 Carnivorous plant 48 Euclid’s home 52 Liverwurst orfruitcake 53 Emulate Aladdin 55 Present for pop 56 Must-haves 57 Underneath 59 City nearMontpelier 61 Beardless dwarf 62 Heiss on the ice

63 Heraldic garment 64 Scavulloapparatus 67 Psychic Geller 68 Cruel treatment 69 Lacking principles 70 Savalas role 72 Fad 74 Mettle 75 “The Chosen”author 76 With 61 Down,“Jurassic Park” star 77 Swab 80 High rails 81 Obligation 82 California city 84 It’s hardlyaesthetic 87 Opportunity toovereat 89 One of theOsmonds 90 Summer stinger 91 Part 3 of remark 95 Dwell 98 Pansy part 99 Actress Munson100 Modify101 Part of MP102 Uneven108 End of remark113 CartoonistGoldberg114 Menu phrase115 Go down116 Ruin117 Tennis pro

Nastase118 _ Aviv119 Curtis of“Spartacus”120 Oyster’s home121 Tofu base122 Litigated

DOWN 1 To boot 2 Chicken _ 3 Memo start 4 Within view 5 Dennis, for one 6 Solar _ 7 Bee flat? 8 “_ Duke” (’77song) 9 Deciduous tree 10 2001, to Tiberius 11 Braid 12 Like a wet noodle 13 Diva Marton 14 He’s got a lot ofpull 15 Dewy 16 Dull 17 A great composer? 20 Cassidy or Koppel 25 Coal carrier 26 Restaurant freebie 28 “_ the season …” 32 Sicilian smoker 33 Tai _ (martial art) 34 Emulate Pinocchio 35 William of“Hopalong Cassidy” 36 Petite pest

37 “_ Marleen” (’81film) 38 Away from thewind 39 Gender 40 “Jude theObscure” author 41 Spring flower 42 Deere thing 45 “_ #1” (’61 hit) 46 Pianist Claudio 47 Acts catty? 49 Arctic jacket 50 Sherpa site 51 Singer Kiki 52 “Alice” spin_off 54 Eliot’s “Adam _” 57 Ehud of Israel 58 Estrada or Satie 59 “Le Pere Goriot”author 60 Competent 61 See 76 Across 62 King canine 63 Pageant prop 64 Poirot’s concern 65 Plentiful 66 Timid 70 Japanese port 71 Baseball’s “MasterMelvin” 72 Bel _ 73 Furrow 75 Cop’s target, forshort 76 Glasgow girl 77 Saharan nation 78 Algerian seaport

79 Sudden pain 81 Health measure? 82 Comic Mort 83 _ -di-dah 85 Basketball’sPatrick 86 Most melancholy 87 Suitable 88 LAX letters 91 Put the metal tothe metal 92 Rita of “The Kingand I” 93 Vigor 94 Playground game 95 Morocco’s capital 96 Boxer Griffith 97 George of “JustShoot Me” 98 Loony Lee101 Flutist Herbie102 Nobelist Andric103 Journalist Jacob104 “Armageddon”author105 Berg opera106 Rose lover?107 Oliver of“Gladiator”109 “Blame It on _”(’84 film)110 Wheel part111 Chemical ending112 Find the sum

Answer Page 11

Things are finally getting back to normal inthe world of the National Football League.

There are a lot of good franchises out therebut there is only one that demands the mostinterest of fans around the country. And theinterest right now is focused right where itshould be — on the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys are slowly but surely stock-ing up on better talent for their run at the NFCtitle this season. But even the Cowboysshocked the sports world last week when thetop power tandem in football, Jerry Jones andBill Parcells, held a news conference announc-ing the release of starting quarterback QuincyCarter.

This move hit us square in the forehead with-out a hint, without a warning, without anyoneyelling “DUCK!”

Now don’t get me wrong — I’ve been aCowboys fan since I wore my little DallasCowboys PJs to bed with the little flap thatcovered my — well, any way, I am a longtimeDallas fan and I applaud the move.

You hate to see anyone lose their job, butlet’s face it, Carter was probably the worst start-ing QB in the league.

And for all those self-proclaimed football

Union and Cowboys far from united in Carter’s dismissalexperts who suggest Carter led the Cowboysto the playoffs last season — no, no, no. TheCowboys’ defense led the team to the playoffs.

Under Quincy Carter, the Cowboys scored17 points or less in a game seven times. That’salmost half the games of the entire season. Plusthey were shut out twice.

So I knew as long as Carter remained thestarter, the Cowboys were destined to strugglethrough narrow 14-10 and 13-7 victories andthe occasional 14-0 defeats.

Now, I thought the Cowboys cut Carter be-cause of his performance on the field. It ap-pears, however, that he was let go because hewas having a little too much action off the field.

Seems Carter failed a team drug test justbefore he got the heave-ho. According to me-dia sources, it appears his substance de jourwas cocaine.

And lest we forget, this is his second bustfor cocaine. Let’s see, since this is his secondstrike at cocaine, the NFL’s usual punishmentwould be something like making Carter eatliver and onions and then send him to bed with-out a playbook.

Or maybe the NFL would order a manda-tory trip to a local elementary school to talk toimpressionable kids about the dangers of ille-gal substances.

Well, to make matters worse, the NFLplayer’s union, who could care less about

Carter’s health or well being, appears to be onthe way to filing a lawsuit against the Cow-boys for wrongful termination.

Seems the union feels the Cowboys con-ducted an illegal test.

Funny, I always thought the whole idea be-hind the union was to help keep NFL playersclean and away from potential life-threateningdrugs. No, all the player’s union cares about ismaking excuse after excuse for the players’ badbehavior just to keep receiving that green.

Apparently, the union believes the questionis not whether you are doing drugs, it’s whetheryou were tested at the right time and withoutsurprise.

I wonder if my boss would be that under-standing if I failed a second drug test at workdue to my addiction to cocaine? How aboutyour boss?

So the Cowboys will now depend on the armand fragile legs of 40-year Vinny Testaverdeto lead the team. If Testaverde’s age gets thebest of him, new second-stringer Drew Hensonhas shown great improvement in scrimmages.

Are the Cowboys in trouble offensively? No.With the addition of Keyshawn Johnson aswide receiver and Eddie George as runningback, the ’Boys now have a little depth at theskill positions and that will go a long way to-ward keeping the team fresh as the season goesalong.

Now, will Quincy Carter get picked up byanother team? Of course he will. In fact, about10 teams have already inquired about him.

But let’s be honest, Carter has bigger prob-lems right now. He obviously has a problemwith drugs and until he wins that war, he’llcontinue to lose the important little battles thatface him everyday.

The decision by Parcells and Jones does onevery positive thing for the Cowboys — it makescrystal clear to the rest of the team that noth-ing of this magnitude will be tolerated. Andthat’s good.

Players have to learn that selfish acts likeworking and practicing under the influence ofdrugs hurts everyone involved. Like I’ve taughtmy kids since they were very small, the morefreedom you get, the more responsible youhave to be.

These players are treated like little gods withthe ridiculous amount of money they receive,the perks they get and the celebrity status theyenjoy. Is it too much, really, to ask them to atleast follow the rules?

The Cowboys are within their right to let goof a player if they feel his conduct is a detri-ment to the team. Remember how Americamade fun of the Cowboys years ago for hav-ing the most drug-related player incidents?

They should be applauded now and the NFLplayer’s union should be scorned.

EL PASO COUNTY — I was there — atSpeaking Rock’s newest venue: boxing. ElPasoan Jorge Garcia, local manager andtrainer. did a great job setting up a second

round of semiprofessional and professional boxing last Saturday evening,Aug. 7.

The crowd was exceptional considering this was the second time the mainevent contestants faced each other within a three month period. The six-boutcard was very entertaining with most of the boxers coming from El Paso andJuarez.

One of two fights that stood out was the Carlos Tapia of El Paso vs. FidelAvila of Harrington, TX bout. It was a very evenly matched fight with Tapiaearning a unanimous decision from the judges, Jake Martinez, Rocky Burkeand an out of town judge.

The final — and main event — was outstanding. Bobby Joe Valdez came outslugging. To his credit Fray Sierra tried to keep up the pace but was unsuccess-ful. He conceded in the fourth round when he failed to answer the bell. Thecrown of approximately 1000 was clearly for Valdez and rightly so. This writerbelieves El Paso could have another Ernie “Juan” Lozano in their midst!

I was there…

Valdez, Tapia take care of business at Speaking RockBy Jan Engels

Special to the Courier

— Photo by Betti Flores

Jan Engels, right, thinks Bobby Joe Valdezhas the potential to make it big. Valdezstopped Fray Sierra after three rounds.

— Photo by Jan Engels

El Paso’s Carlos Tapia’s right hand earned him a unanimousdecision against Fidel Avila. County Commissioner and some-times Courier photographer Betti Flores offered her congratu-lations on his victory.


ComixOUT ON A LIMB By Gary Kopervas

AMBER WAVES By Dave T. Phipps

THE SPATS By Jeff Pickering

R.F.D. By Mike Marland

Classified Ads

• Mail Boxes• Mail Boxes • Copies• Copies • Faxes• FaxesHorizon Contract Post Office • 14200 Ashford, Ste. C • Open 9 AM to 3PM, Monday - Friday

By Don FloodRegular readers of this column

were no doubt surprised and dis-turbed to see that I was not chosento be John Kerry’s running mate.

I had offered my services afterseeing a consultant recommendthat Kerry pick a vice-presidentialcandidate who brought to the ticketa critical balance, or, as she put it,“less hair.”

Adding insult to injury, the manwho was chosen, John Edwards,boasts a head of hair almost asluxurious as Kerry’s, if not as spec-tacularly well-coiffed.

In trying to console me, my wifepointed out — and this is abso-lutely true — that after the an-nouncement, Kerry said, “We’vegot better vision, better ideas, realplans. We’ve got a better sense ofwhat’s happening in America —and we’ve got better hair.”

So it is possible, contrary to theother consultant’s suggestion, thatKerry’s own strategists had de-cided to run a campaign based onoverall hair superiority.

But, fortunately, a recent trip toBoston steered my mind awayfrom my own personal disappoint-ment to the riches of our nation’sheritage.

Walking around Boston, an old,almost European city, steeped inhistory and tradition, I found ithard not to occasionally pause andwonder: How could Spider-Manoperate in such a city?

Yes, Boston has some tall build-ings, even skyscrapers, but no-where does it have the steel andconcrete canyons so essential toSpidey’s predilection for swingingfrom building to building.

And just imagine if Spider-Manwere from Kansas? He’d be thisweird geek shooting gunk out of

Hair superiorityhis wrists and doing what? Round-ing up stalks of corn?

On the other hand, Superman,this trip taught me, could operateeffectively anywhere. To a lesserextent, so could Batman, since he’sgot the Batmobile. But Spider-Man? If he couldn’t swing frombuilding to building, he’d be stuckwalking.

No superhero looks cool walking:“Oh, there’s an emergency?

Well, let’s see, you’re about a mileand a half away. If I hurry I mightbe able to get there in 15 minutesor so.”

Sorry, Spidey, it’s not the stuffof which major motion pictures aremade.

While in Boston, we walked theFreedom Trail, a historical path-way, a guide told us, of about 2miles, for a total of 4 miles thereand back.

Oddly, this estimate was off,conservatively, by about 75 miles.

It was much the same path ourforefathers took before the Battleof Bunker Hill, though in their casethey didn’t have to fend off tour-ists, nor did they have to climb theBunker Hill Monument when theyarrived.

Over the years, there has beenmuch controversy about whetherit should be properly called theBattle of Bunker Hill or the Battleof Breed’s Hill.

After visiting the site and read-ing various documents, I can nowstate with confidence that: IDON’T KNOW.

I just know the British wouldhave given up a lot sooner if theyhad had to climb that blastedmonument, especially while carry-ing a bag of souvenirs.______________________________________________________(c) 2004 King Features Synd., Inc.

LEGAL

FabensIndependent

School District

NOTICE TOBIDDERS

Notice is herebygiven that sealedbids for providing alllabor and materialsfor:

FabensIndependent

School DistrictO’Donnell

ElementaryFire AlarmSystem and

Public AddressSystem

will be received atthe Office of GilbertAlarcon, AssistantSuperintendent forFinance and Sup-port Services,Fabens Indepen-

dent School Dis-trict, 821 N.E. G St.,P.O. Box 697,Fabens, Texas79838 until 2:00p.m. local timeon Sept. 10,2004. All bids willthen be opened andpublicly read aloudat 2:30 p.m.

The successful bid-der will be requiredto complete theproject within thetime limits set forthin the Instructions toBidders and Gen-eral Specifications,and liquidated dam-ages will be as-sessed for eachcalendar day in ex-cess of the date re-quired by the suc-cessful bidder tocomplete theproject to the satis-faction of theOwner in accor-dance with the Con-tract Documents.

Bid documents maybe obtained fromthe Owner.

A pre-bid meetingand site visit isscheduled for Aug.20, 2004 at 9:00a.m. at the FabensI n d e p e n d e n tSchool District Cen-tral Office BoardRoom, 821 N.E. GSt. in Fabens,Texas.

Note that Davis-Ba-con Wage Rates,insurance, andbonds will be re-quired as set forthin the Instructions toBidders.

The Fabens Inde-pendent SchoolDistrict reserves theright to reject any orall bids and to waiveany technicalities.

Board of Trusteesof the

Fabens Indepen-dent School

DistrictWTCC-8/12/04________________________

BARGAINS

FOR SALE: HPComputer, 2 drives,CD burner, $750.Bunkbeds, whitemetal frame, $75.Sofa with oak trim,green and browntones, $100. Oilpainting (Fabian’sDecor) 4’X5’ South-west design, $125.241-3861, 857-2557.________________________

HELPWANTED

yan Supply is seek-ing applicants forseveral positions.ALL APPLICANTSMUST be 18, like tohelp people, be bi-

lingual, have goodmath skills, be ableto lift and stockshelves, and enjoythe challenge of afast-paced workenvironment.Part-time cashier:Must have com-puter skills and bea problem solver.Loader/Stocker:Must have valid TXdriver’s license withgood driving recordand be able to lift 94lbs.Customer Service:Must like to helppeople. Knowledge& experience in anyor all of the follow-ing areas a plus, butnot necessary:electrical, plumb-ing, paint, lawn andgarden.Applications: Avail-able at Ryan Sup-ply, Inc./Ace Hard-ware. 117 N.Fabens St.,

Fabens, TX 79838.________________________

SELF-HELP

Persons who havea problem with al-cohol are offered afree source of helplocally. AlcoholicsAnonymous - call562-4081 for infor-mation.

Tiene problemascon el alcohol? Hayuna solucíon.Informacion: 838-6264.________________________

SERVICES

ALTERATIONSEMBROIDERYTees & More14010 Horizon

Blvd.852-8956

________________________

AV

CONSTRUCTIONAdditions &RemodelingKitchen &

BathroomsGarage Conver-

sionsExtend Any Room

of Your HouseDeck & Porches

for Mobile HomesReplace Existing

WindowsFREE

ESTIMATES:(915) 433-4102_______________________

“Windshield Ding—

Gimme a Ring”JIFFY GLASS

REPAIRWindshield Repair

SpecialistsBy appt. at yourhome or office:

(No repairs withinHorizon City)

R.V. DickHarshberger

915-852-9082________________________

BERT’SAUTOMOTIVE

REPAIRDomestic and

Foreign852-3523

1558 Oxbow,Horizon City

________________________

HORIZON CITYPLUMBING852-1079

•Electric rooterservice for sewers

and drains•Applianceinstallation

•Many otherplumbing servicesLicensed, bonded

and insured foryour protection.

________________________

West TexasCounty Courier

Community NewsAdvertising

852-3235


Social Security Q&A By Ray Vigil

New for 2004. Cub Cadet Series1000 lawn tractors provide a precision cut at an exceptionalvalue. These long-lasting, reliable tractors are constructed with pre-mium features, including: easy-to-operate hydrostatic transmissions,automotive-style lug nuts andlarger mowing decks. Visit yourlocal family-owned dealer todayfor a test-drive.

DON’TCOMPROMISE,GETACUBCADET.

Introducing the all-premium

Series 1000 tractors.

STARTING AT $1,599 *

NEWSERIES 1000 HIGHLY

RATEDBY A LEADING INDEPENDENT CONSUMER PUBLICATION

MODEL LT 1018

*Product price–Actual retail prices are set by dealer and may vary. Taxes, freight, setupand handling charges may be additional and may vary. Models subject to limited

availability. C11137-01-55080-2

Hurry! Special financing available!

To find a Cub Cadet retailer near you, visit www.cubcadet.com, or call 1-877-CUB-TOUGH.

Q: I am constantly running acrossinformation on identity theft. What isSocial Security doing to protect oursocial security numbers?

A: People who apply for a new So-cial Security number must furnish atleast two documents to establish age,identity, and U.S. citizenship or law-ful non citizen status. And now So-cial Security must verify the birthrecord for all U.S.-born applicantsage one and older. We do this by con-tacting the custodian of the record,

usually the local bureau of vital sta-tistics, before assigning a Social Se-curity number. An in-person inter-view must be conducted if the appli-cant is age 12 or older and is apply-ing for an original SSN. In addition,U.S.-born applicants age 12 or oldermust explain why they do not alreadyhave a Social Security number.

Q: My birthday will be coming up ina couple of months and I recently re-ceived my Social Security Statementof Earnings. I noticed that my earn-

ings for the last 3 years are not re-flected on my record. How can Imake certain that all my earnings areproperly credited to my earningsrecord?

A: It’s critical that your name andSocial Security number (SSN) asshown on your Social Security cardmatch your employer’s payrollrecords and year-end Form W-2(Wage and Tax Statement). Each yearyour employer(s) send to Social Se-curity Copy A of Forms W-2. SocialSecurity matches your name and SSNon Form W-2 against its database ofall SSNs issued. When a match is

found, the earnings information fromthe W-2 is recorded in your lifelongearnings history. If your employer’srecords do not match your name asreported by social security, you needto have your employer correct hisrecords.

Q: I was surprised to learn that So-cial Security charges a fee for arecord of one’s work history. Howtrue is this?

A: There is no charge for a record ofyour earnings information which liststhe years and amounts you earned butif you are requesting a detailed earn-

ings and employer history, there is acharge. The fee is based on the num-ber of years you need to have re-searched. You can request detailedinformation by obtaining form SSA-7050, Request for Social SecurityEarnings Information.

______________________________________________________For more information visit your lo-cal Security office, see www.ssa.govor call us at 1-800-772-1213. If youhave any questions that you wouldlike to have answered, please mailthem to the Social Security Office,11111 Gateway West, Attn: Ray Vigil,El Paso, Texas 79935.

THURSDAY

Partly sunny.

94°� �

THUR. NIGHT

Partly to mostlycloudy.

FRIDAY

Partly sunny;chance of a late

day thunderstorm.

92°� 71°�

SATURDAY

Clouds and sun, ap.m. thunderstorm

possible.

92°� 70°�

SUNDAY

Partly sunny.

92°� 71°�

MONDAY

Partial sun; maybea late-day

thunderstorm.

90°� 68°�

TUESDAY

Mostly sunny.

92°� 69°�

WEDNESDAY

Partly sunny.

93°� 68°�

WEATHER AccuWeather.com

SEVEN-DAY FORECAST FOR EL PASO

TEXAS WEATHER TRAVELERS CITIESUV INDEX

REAL FEEL TEMP™

AGRICULTURE

Statistics for noon.

Thursday .......... 10 ..........Very HighFriday ................ 9 ............Very HighSaturday ............ 7 ....................HighSunday .............. 7 ....................HighMonday .............. 9 ............Very HighTuesday ............ 10 ..........Very HighWednesday ...... 10 ..........Very High

The higher the UV Index, the greaterthe need for eye and skin protection.

Albuquerque 86/66/t 84/63/t 84/64/t 85/65/c 85/60/tAtlanta 84/65/t 82/63/pc 82/65/s 86/67/s 86/67/sAtlantic City 80/67/t 76/64/r 78/61/pc 81/61/s 82/62/pcAustin/San Antonio 89/64/t 88/65/t 89/69/pc 92/72/s 94/68/cBaltimore 80/66/t 78/62/r 80/60/pc 82/62/s 82/62/pcBoston 78/67/t 76/65/r 78/65/pc 80/65/s 78/63/pcChicago 70/54/pc 74/56/pc 76/56/pc 80/60/pc 80/61/pcDallas/Ft. Worth 86/66/pc 89/68/pc 91/70/pc 92/72/s 93/69/cDenver 78/52/t 78/56/pc 82/58/pc 88/59/t 86/55/sFlagstaff 82/56/t 77/52/t 75/52/t 74/49/t 73/49/cHouston 88/68/t 88/68/pc 90/69/pc 92/72/s 94/72/pcKansas City 76/56/pc 77/56/pc 80/60/pc 83/65/pc 87/68/cLas Vegas 107/84/s 102/80/pc 100/80/t 101/78/s 101/78/sMiami 91/79/t 90/78/t 89/78/t 90/78/t 89/76/tMinneapolis 72/54/pc 74/58/pc 78/60/pc 80/62/sh 82/63/shNew Orleans 88/70/t 86/70/pc 89/72/s 90/74/pc 90/73/tNew York City 76/68/t 74/68/r 81/66/pc 82/66/s 81/67/pcPhiladelphia 82/68/t 78/66/r 82/64/pc 84/66/s 82/66/pcPhoenix 107/84/s 103/82/t 103/82/t 102/82/s 102/79/sPortland 94/62/s 94/60/s 82/60/s 80/59/pc 82/54/rSan Francisco 72/58/pc 70/56/pc 70/56/pc 71/56/s 72/54/sSeattle 86/58/s 86/58/s 80/56/s 78/56/pc 73/52/rTucson 99/74/t 94/72/t 94/72/t 96/72/t 96/72/tWashington, DC 82/68/t 80/66/r 80/64/pc 82/66/s 82/66/s

City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/WThur. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon.

A fairly typical pattern for this time of year with partial sunshine and highs in the low to mid-90s. There will be a couple of thunder-storms around the area each day with the most numerous coverage Thursday through Saturday as more moisture creeps into thearea. Activity should taper a bit toward next week. Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms,

r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

Thursday .................................... 94°Friday .......................................... 93°Saturday ...................................... 92°Sunday ........................................ 90°Monday ........................................ 92°Tuesday ...................................... 94°Wednesday ................................ 94°

The exclusive AccuWeather composite of theeffects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine,precipitation, and elevation on the human body.

Shown is Thursday’sweather.Temperatures areThursday’s highs andThursday night’s lows.

All forecasts and maps provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2004

Anthony 95 71

Canutillo 95 71

Fabens 94 70

Clint 94 70

E. Montana 94 72

Socorro 94 71

Horizon 96 72

San Elizario 93 70

Tornillo 94 70

Vinton 95 71El Paso94/72

Santa Fe83/58

Albuquerque86/66

Alamogordo92/66

Las Cruces93/70

Deming96/66 Carlsbad

89/67

Amarillo80/57

Lubbock82/60

Alpine86/62

Odessa85/66

Lajitas97/67

Ruidoso80/55

Cloudcroft74/51

CiudadJuárez95/71

72°

Mexico