[Clipping: Selling a stake in assassination lore] Part: 2 of 4

                                
. Page 2A Friday, May 13, 2005 _
Grassy knoll’s
FROM THE FRONT PAGE
DallasNews.com
g|)c Dallas Botring yews
stockade fence to be auctioned
Continued from Page 1A
fence when it was torn down in
January 2000 — some question
how much of this fence stood
when the president’s motorcade
passed Nov. 22,1963.
Lelands says that while many
of the pickets were replaced over
the years to patch holes left by
souvenir-seeking visitors, “the
wooden cross members that
make up the main frame and the
metal [fence] posts are original
and predate 1963.”
Gary Mack, curator at the
Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey
Plaza, isn’t so sure.
“The posts themselves are
metal and may very well be the
originals,” he said Thursday. “But
the wood has been replaced many
times, going back to the ’70s.”
The museum’s archives con-
tain hundreds of hours of TV
footage shot in» Dealey Plaza. A
quick review shows “that the
fence has been taken down and
replaced many times.”
“There are some shots [of the
fence] where there’s no wood at
all,” Mr. Mack said.
Lelands has certified letters of
authenticity from Ronald D. Rice,
the Dealey Plaza tour guide; the
contractor who dismantled the
fence in 2000; and Richard Ve-
lasquez, a Dallas parks employee
who works at Dealey Plaza.
WILLIAM ALLEN/Dallas Times Herald Collection, The Sixth Floor- Museum at Dealey Plaza
In his letter, Mr. Velasquez
said the 23 feet of fencing up for
auction is the fence he main-
tained and repaired for 21 years.
But that still leaves a long gap
between the assassination and
Mr. Velasquez’s first day on the
job.
The fence went up in 1960 or
’61, Mr. Mack said, and some
years later, with the wood break-
ing down in the Texas heat, the
city ordered white cedar from
Michigan to replace it. Over the
years, wood was routinely re-
placed until the whole fence had
to be torn down.
“Only the metal posts have a
possibility of being original,” Mr.
Mack said, “and there’s no way to
know that for sure.”
Still, there’s no disputing the
importance of the grassy knoll
fence, no matter how much of the
original remains.
For years, investigators have
studied the often-blurry amateur
photos and film taken before and
after the assassination, searching
for clues to prove or debunk vari-
The stockade
fence can be
seen at the
top of the
grassy knoll
on Nov. 22,
1963, just
after the
assassination
of President
JohnF.
Kennedy.
While the
fence being
sold came
from Dealey
Plaza, the
fence’s slats
were
replaced
over the
years.
ous theories.
Some show people rushing to-
ward the fence, in pursuit of a
second gunman, one theory
states. Several witnesses recalled
seeing a “puff of smoke” rising
from beyond the fence.
In the years since, the fence
has been a key part of the Dealey
Plaza setting, with visitors paus-
ing to jot down a message or
thought or carve it into the wood.
“Oswald Was Framed,” one
says. “Blame the Government,”
another adds. Names, dates and
heartfelt tributes became a part
of the fence, “the most interesting
part,” Mr. Lipman said.
Lelands first learned about
the fence late last year, when
owner Daniel Moses of Duncan-
ville, the fence’s second owner,
approached the auction compa-
ny-
“At first, I was skeptical,” Mr.
Lipman said. “But Mr. Moses
showed me the documentation,
and then you see all the graffiti. It
has the right amount of age on it,
and you wouldn’t be able to repli-
cate this. And why would you
try?”
Mr. Moses, who bought the
fence in November 2004 when it
was sold at auction by a commer-
cial storage company, admitted to
some skepticism himself.
“There were about 20 people
at the auction, and no one be-
lieved it was what it was,” Mr.
Moses said. “I didn’t believe it. I
figured if that fence existed, it
was in a museum somewhere.
. “But I liked the story, so I
bought it and took it home, and
then I noticed all the graffiti and
the remarks about JFK.”
Mr. Moses declined to say how
much he paid for the fence.
Now in three sections with the
missing pickets providing a gap-
toothed look, the fence carries an
opening price of $5,000. As for a
selling price, no one knows.
“Obviously, there’s no prece-
dent for this sort of thing,” Mr.
Lipman said. “But this is more
than just your average fence.”
And he has little doubt it will
sell before the auction closes on
June 16.
“You can’t predict what people
will buy,” he said, “but with an
opening bid of $5,000, there are
a lot of people who would buy it, I
think.
“It’s quirky.”
E-mail myoung@dallasnews.com
NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM
ties to Taser
Continued from Page 1A
the Navy for 10 years, managing
SOURCES: TEA; Dallas Morning News research
E-mailjbenton@dallasnews.com
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“How much longer is this going
to go on?” asked Wilmer Mayor
Don Hudson. “We have that Wil-
mer-Hutchins stigma. How can
you turn it around? I think getting
rid of the district is the way to do
it.”
He said they planned the removal'
of the board even then.
Dr. Neeley said scrapping the
board was the strongest medicine
she could give the district. But
some said anything that keeps
Wilmer-Hutchins alive — even for
a few months — is not strong
enough.
Winners
4
31
1,023
652
4,165
6,465
Thursday when a bank filed a law-
suit to recover a $2.8 million loan.
“Are you all ready to walk on
water?” Mr. Young asked a crowd
at district headquarters. “If you are
ready, I ask you to engage in a little
water walking and step out of the
boat and step out into the storm
with me.”
Dr. Neeley had first proposed
the housecleaning in March, when
a Texas Education Agency investi-
gation found that 22 of the dis-
trict’s elementary7 school teachers
were helping students improperly
on the state’s TAKS test. That in-
vestigation was prompted by sto-
ries in The Dallas Morning News
that alleged widespread cheating
in the district.
“This is inexcusable, illegal, un-
professional, unethical and unac-
ceptable behavior,” Dr. Neeley
said.
Throwing out an elected school
board requires approval from the
Justice Department, which had to
determine whether such a move
improperly violated the voting
rights of district residents.
When Dr. Neeley arrived at dis-
trict headquarters Monday morn-
ing, she said she was hopeful that
approval could come by the
month’s end. Instead, it came via
fax just after 1 p.m.
The old seven-member board
will be replaced with a five-mem-
ber board of managers, all ap-
pointed by Dr. Neeley. Two are fa-
miliar faces: Dallas businessman
Albert Black Jr. and former TEA
administrator Michelle Willhelm.
Both have been working in the dis-
trict since November as a state-ap-
pointed management team.
The other three board mem-
bers are fresh to district politics:
Sandra Donato, an educator who
works with recent immigrants in
Dallas schools; Donnie Foxx, a
technical support specialist with
Exxon Mobil; and Saundra King, a
financial analyst and portfolio
manager.
While Mr. Foxx has spoken at
school board meetings before,
none of the three has been major
players in the factional tug-of-war
that has defined the district’s poli-
tics in recent years.
Finding people willing to sign
up for duty wasn’t easy. The agency
contacted dozens of people start-
ing in March, and many weren’t
willing to get involved. “Some peo-
ple hung up on us,” said Ron Row-
ell, the agency’s senior director of
school governance.
The job is likely to be a stressful
one. TEA officials have advised the
three new board members not to
give their phone numbers to the
public until special phone lines
can be arranged. But the appoin-
tees say there’s hope for the dis-
trict.
“I’m optimistic we can make
some changes,” Ms. Donato said.
The three new board members
will not be paid. But Mr. Black and
Ms. Willhelm will continue to
draw their previous salaries of
$480 a day. Mr. Young’s annual
salary will be $125,000 — assum-
ing the district is still in existence a
year from now.
Tuesday
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The Dallas MomingNews welcomes your comments about published
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■ A front-page article Wednesday incorrectly referred to Michael Cas-
serly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, as
Charles Casserly.
Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. — A Wiscon-
sin researcher has removed Taser
International’s medical director
as an adviser to a study of the safe-
ty of stun guns after critics said his
involvement with the manufac-
turer tainted the research.
University of Wisconsin-Mad-
ison professor John Webster had
described his two-year, $500,000
study funded by the U.S. Depart-
ment of Justice as the first to look
at the safety of stun guns indepen-
dent of Taser, the Arizona-based
company that makes the weap-
ons.
But documents uncovered this
week show Dr. Robert Stratbuck-
er, an Omaha, Neb., physician
who is Taser’s top medical officer,
is one of four consultants to the
study, which will look at how pigs’
hearts react to electric shocks
from the devices.
Reacting to the connection on
Thursday, Dr. Webster told The
Associated Press: “In view of this
potential conflict of interest, I can
make the statement that I have
not received advice or paid Strat-
bucker and I will not use him in
the future.”
Dr. Stratbucker’s studies are
often cited by the company as evi-
dence the weapons are a safe way
to subdue unruly suspects. He has
acknowledged receiving cash and
stock options from Taser.
USA Today first reported Dr.
Stratbucker’s link to Taser and the
research Thursday. Dr. Stratbuck-
er did not immediately return a
phone call from the AP.
Mr. Young, a former Dallas
principal and teacher, faces an im-
mediate fiscal crisis. The district
does not have the money to repay
the $2.8 million loan from Wells
Fargo. It also doesn’t have the
money to meet payroll this sum-
mer. In all, the district will need to
find $5.7 million by August to
meet its obligations.
Even if it does, Wilmer-Hutch-
ins will have 40 percent less per-
student funding this fall than
nearly every other district in the
state. That’s because the district
has been setting its tax rate illegal-
ly since the 1970s, and voters over-
whelmingly rejected a chance last
Saturday to allow a higher tax rate.
Pressure will be strong to dis-
solve the district quickly and
merge it with one or more neigh-
boring districts: enormous Dallas
or smaller Lancaster or Ferris. A
merger would solve the tax rate
problem immediately.
“If need be, I feel we would be
willing to help out the children of
Wilmer-Hutchins,” said Dallas
trustee Lew Blackburn. Dr. Black-
burn is also human resources di-
rector in Wilmer-Hutchins, which
means a merger with Dallas prob-
ably would leave him without a
job. ,
It’s been a very long school year
for Wilmer-Hutchins. Its former
Superintendent, Charles Mat-
thews, has been indicted twice for
fraud and document tampering.
Its schools are literally falling
apart. A suddenly vaporized fund
balance led to the layoffs of nearly
20 percent of the district’s staff.
And the cheating scandal has
put the district into academic free-
fall. For this year’s spring TAKS
testing, more than 80 monitors
oversaw the process to prevent
cheating. It worked. The district’s
passing rate on the fifth-grade
reading test, for example, dropped
from 89 percent last year to just 39
percent with monitors in place.
It’s unlikely the debate over
who’s running Wilmer-Hutchins
is permanently closed. At Tues-
day’s news conference, Brenda
Duff and Cedric Davis both object-
ed to the takeover. Both were elect-
ed to posts on the school board
Saturday, but neither now will be
able to take their seat.
Ms. Duff argued that she and
Mr. Davis, who is her son, are actu-
ally now members of the new
board of managers. Dr. Neeley
firmly rejected that notion.
“I’m going to protect my
rights,” said Ms. Duff, who said she
>
PICK 3
Thursday afternoon: 548
Wednesday night: 160
Study drops
doctor with
Saundra King, a
former
Wilmer-Hutchins
student. She is
an investor
reporting analyst
at ORIX Capital
Markets and lives
in Hutchins. She
reports on commercial loan
activity and manages portfolios.
Albert Black Jr., a Dallas
9 entrepreneur Who
started On-Target
Supplies &
Logistics, which
provides major
corporations with
outsourced
supply chain
management services. He is a
former chairman of the Greater
Dallas Chamber of Commerce.
Michelle Willhelm, a former
superintendent df the Alief
’ Independent School District and
member of the current
management team. She served as
an administrator of personnel
departments in the Round Rock,
Alvin, Alief and Lamar
Consolidated school districts in
Texas. In addition, the San Antonio
resident is a former chief of
operations for the Texas Education
Agency and has served as a
teacher and principal.
On Thursday, a new
superintendent and board of
managers for the Wilmer-Hutchins
Independent School District was
named and' later approved by the
Department of Justice. Here are
the people who will be running the
district:
SUPERINTENDENT
Eugene Young, 55, an assistant
superintendent for Lancaster
schools since August 2003, spent
more than two decades in the
Dallas school district as a teacher,
coach and principal.
BOARD OF MANAGERS
Sandra Donato, a parent and
— educator who
works with
W immigrant
■             students at the
r I Margaret and
K ji Gilbert Herrera
Student Intake
Br.........—2jI Center in Dallas
ISD. Before that, she taught
bilingual education and English as
a Second Language in Dallas
schools. She lives in Hutchins.
Donnie Foxx, a Wilmer-Hutchins
graduate with
children enrolled
in the district and
a computer
technical support
specialist with
Exxon Mobil. He
also served in
CASH 5
Wednesday: 3 614 3133
Eugene Young (left)
4     RON BASELICE/Staff Photographer
named to lead Wilmer-Hutchins
www.belo.com
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Today's edition: Vol. 156, No. 225,10 sections
State names new W-H school
chief, replaces trustee board
LOTTO TEXAS
Wednesday’s results
would start having her own school
board meetings withput the state
appointees.
Ms. Duff and Mr. Davis said
they are considering taking legal
action to be seated on the board.
Mr. Davis said he is seeking advice
from representatives of Jesse
Jackson and Al Sharpton.
But the outgoing board presi-
dent, Luther Edwards, says he
won’t be trying to cling to power.
“This is like a burden lifted off my
shoulders,” he said.
He has argued repeatedly that
he and the board should not be
blamed for the district’s myriad
problems. Instead, he said, the
culprits are an array of powerful
state and business interests who
want to see the all-black school
board pushed aside to increase the
value of the district’s land.
Mr. Edwards said he knew this
takeover was coming because, in
January, he asked an undercover
plainclothes officer to watch over
Mr. Black and the other state-ap-
proved leadership in the d'^trict.
CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS
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Winners Prize
Winners
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.3 $525,000
0
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23 $15,000
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1,176 $450
28
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996 $450
23
2of5 + Mega
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2,951
Wednesday’s results
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5 of 5
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1
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93
3 of 5
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3,320
2 of 5
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34,903