The Llano News (Llano, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 15, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 21, 1999 Page: 4 of 20
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EDITORIAL
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(iThe vital measure of a newspaper is not its size, but its spirit." — Arthur Hays Sulzberger
By Ace Reid
COW POKES
http://www.cowpokes.com
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Letters to the Editor
KEN WESNER, Publisher
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The Llano News
P.O. Box 187
Llano, Texas 78643
Sincerely,
Hugh Dawson
POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO LLANO NEWS.
BOX 187, LLANO, TEXAS 78643
COLUMNISTS: Marilyn Hale and Joe Dan Tarter
NEWS CORRESPONDENTS: Shirley Muery, Vera
Honig, Bernice Schuyler, D. Crockett, Avenette, Ron
Downing, Mary Rhodes and Hope Causey.
"A man offered me a job one time, sellin’
cigars in Florida, but I was too smart for that.
I had to stay up here and be the
Cow's Best Friend!"
Editor
Ad makeup and printing
Advertising Manager
Typesetter
Office Manager
Receptionist/classified
Mall Room
teers in the outlying communities
to collect materials for recycling
and bring it to Llano on a regular
basis. All you need is a truck or
van; a few spare hours each week
and the desire to make our world a
little better place.
Llano Recycling Opportunities is
a non-profit organization serving
two basic purposes. It provides the
area citizens a place to bring their
materials for recycling and it pro-
vides meaningful employment for
the students from the Llano County
Special Opportunities School. The
school trains mentally and physi-
‘cmes,
Subscription Rates: Lien and Bumet Counties: 1 year $19,
2 yoars $35, 3 yoar SS0. Eleewher in Texas: 1 yoar $26, 2 yoars $48, 3 years $65.
Out-ol-State: 1 yeur$0, 2 yoar 370,3 yoars |N. All payabl in advance.
Overeas -call or wilt for quote.
The Lleno Nowe sollcits letters totho editor concemingiesues of local Interost. Letters
muat ba olgned and no longer than two standard pages, double-epaced and typed.
If posslbie. A day-time phone number muet alo bo includod. Wo will not accopt,
political lotter ondoraing or oppoeing a particular candidate.
The staf neorvaa the "ght to odk all totter* according to accepted standards.
For further information call The Uano Nawa at (915) 247-4433.
More tests are needed
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. The Llano News
(USP8 316-700)
Serving Llano, Uano County and the Highland Lakes area
Since 1889
Published weekly at 813 Berry Street, Uano, Texas 78643
Entered in the Uano Poet Office as periodical postage
paid at Uano, Texas, under the Act of Congress of 1878.
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JIMMY STEPHENSON
A.C. KINCHELOE
LINDA WISE
RUTH PENCE
BANDY WESNER
RAECHEL COOKE
, RAY SUMRALL
LCRA should stay
I
!
By Dr. Mike Moses
State of Texas
Commissioner of Education
. Texas students and teachers are
making impressive annual gains on
the Texas Assessment of Academic
; Skills ( TAAS) tests, and Texas is
one of two states realizing the
largest average gains on reading and
mathematics tests administered by
the National Assessment of Educa-
. tional Progress (NAEP), known as
"the nation's report card." Even
though we are succeeding, we must
not become complacent. We can
: expect even more of our schools,
and our schools can expect more of
.their students.
: On December 4,1 announced my
‘.proposal for expanding our state's
zstudent assessment program to raise
•the bar of academic achievement for
Texas students. My proposal calls
for expanding the assessment pro-
-grain at both the elementary and
secondary levels to provide a more
comprehensive picture of the aca-
demic achievement of Texas stu-
dents. I have recommended moving
dhe exit-level test to the 11th grade
Aand expanding the exit-level test to
include science and social studies in
addition to reading, writing and
/mathematics.
2 Additionally, I propose eliminat-
ing the four end-of-course exams
-(algebra, biology, history and En-
: glish) and incorporating the content
of those exams into the 11th grade
Jexit-level test. My plan calls for
‘testing in all five-core subject areas
fat 10th grade and assessing reading
and mathematics at ninth grade.
This expanded assessment at the
^secondary level will provide Texans
with a much broader panorama of
student performance in high school.
jAs I travel throughout the state,
‘many business leaders and parents
’ Thursday, Lower Colorado River Authority
/ General Manager Mark Rose will be con-
{ ducting a public meeting concerning the fu-
ture of a 1,016 acre tract of land west of
- Llano bordering the north side of the Llano
River.
; There are some who have voiced a rather
. J strong wish that the LCRA simply sell the
: property and “get out of Llano.” Others are
r proponents of doing something worthwhile
; with the land, such as building a natural
’ science laboratory.
: Over the course of the last three and a half
• years, the LCRA-owned property has sat
: dormant. More recently, the authority has
/ solicited ideas and proposals for what ex-
;> actly should be done with the tract.
' By it’s own board of directors’ orders, the
LCRA has said that it will not become a
• park with public access.
• The idea Rose will be discussing is to de-
y velop a natural science facility in the up-
stream region of LCRA’s jurisdiction com-
$ parable to the Cooper Farm Natural Science
; Lab in Fayette County and the McKinney
? Roughs Environmental Learning Center in
i Bastrop County.
• LCRA currently has earmarked about
• $1 million to develop the Llano property.
In listening to the bulk of citizens who at-
* tended a similar public meeting in Novem-
„ber of last year, some would think that
‘most cf the citizens of Llano County would
f rather the LCRA sell the property and leave
a Llano alone. It’s the leave Llano alone part,
/that should be of concern.
In the past five years, including what has
been pledged in the near future, the LCRA
has committed almost $1 million to local
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of high school students have ad- crease the number of tests that
vised me that it's time to raise the some students have to take., but I
performance bar to ensure that believe that this increase is worth
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yotmg Texas adults of the 21st the price both in terms of the
century are prepared academically higher standards we will establish
for further education and for the and the greater academic "bang for
world of work. our buck" that we will receive. I
My recommendations also call believe that my proposal for an ex-
ToahEttxsgongtou, wayerivsmeygafrcstamninasround aatyyashssnsadtporsomscsouehan
grade, and a writing test at sixth unattainable standards .. 2.4 . e C.m 1:1 d.In . . P.M P“
5.01.’ W. .1 X.A.:. A.. “ sauoA.. the citizens of Llano County, if we Seems like the bottom line on everyday activities including earn-
& ta th P OVid ou Some critics may balk at the fact want to host a Natural Science saying yes or not to LCRA boils ing a paycheck while providing a
younger x wi i u that my plan increases the number Laboratory. While the proposal has down to a matter of trust. No, they worthwhile service to the commu-
dation in reading, writing, math, of state administered tests. How- stirred up a lively emotional debate, don't have the best public relations nity.
sience..andsocia isstudi16supon ever, We have suggested eliminating what rve been hearing is generally in this area. But we trusted them Why do we need volunteers? We
whic they. Ul ug the four high school end-of-course long on opinion and short on-facts. enough to accept over $119,500 in are still struggling to become a vi-
their academic careers. tests, which will streamline as- MoSt folks, myself included, were the past three years alone for the able operation for the long run. One
s you can see, e propo a sessment at the high school level not quite clear on exactly what a Llano Museum, Special Opportu- thing we need is more volume of
I have outlined increases the and will actually reduce the number Natural Science Laboratory would nity Center, Volunteer Fire De- materials for recycling and that's
amount of state tesung. We must of tests that some of our tenth offer. parment, county jail, FFA, base- where come in. Yu can bri
remember that TAAS increased the graders take currently. Criticsi may Well, after a little research start- ball fields... and the list goes on. materials from your area and with
amoun ° esting ovr. ' S asser that this new proposal will ing with the dictionary I came up Maybe its time for those who many volunteers participating, a
predecessor exam, the Texas Educa- be more costly than the current as- with this: The natural sciences benefited directly from these pro- boost in volume can be achieved,
tional Assessment of Minimum sessment program. Though the study geology, botany, physics, jects to stand up-and be counted. Part of your mission will be to
Skills (TEAMS), and our students costs will increase, we must re- chemistry and zoology. What does Future commitments from educate your neighbors in the ways
and teachers rose to the challenge. member that the testing program in that have to do with Llano? Well, LCRA total $1.8 million: $1 mil- of recycling and encourage them to
With TAAS we have seen double- Texas constitutes substantially less wc are in the heart of the Central lion for development of the Llano participate. There are many of our
digit gains in the performance of than one percent of all of our Mineral Region of Texas and there Natural Science Laboratory, friends who don't know about the
students of all ethnic groups and spending on public education. Most is not one single exhibit featuring $600,000 for Llano's Badu Park and recycling facility or who can’t bring
economic backgrounds. I must aSuredy, " a wealth of all of the minerals of the area, fur- $200,000 for the Llano Kingsland in their materials for one reason or
point out that the states of Texas in ormaton about the performance thermore we still aren't sure how Railroad. Now that ain’t chump another.
and North Carolina - both of which ° ours 00 s and students for this many minerals actually exist here, change, and without their financial By outlying communities we
have comprehensive assessment ependitur on assessment. Also we are in one of the most di- assistance we'd be hard pressed to mean everything in the area from
programs - surpassed all other states uring my tenure as commis- verse botanical areas in the United maintain current projects, let alone Llano suburbs to Horseshoe Bay,
in performance gains on NAEP, as sioner,, haye U comprehended states. It is here where the desert follow through on any future plans. Castell, Tow, Kingsland and the
noted in a report entitle Exploring that what gets tests gets taught, and wetland species meet. Since I'm not suggesting we accept any numerous other towns, villages and
Rapid Achievement Gains in North Testing is an integral part of the nearly half of the pharmaceuticals LCRA project. In fact, back around communities in the area. Persons
Carolina and Texas that was re- earning process. All of us are on the market are derived from 1987 I received a first place award not living in Llano County are also
leased recently by the National tested every day at work and at plants we might want to discover from the National Newspaper welcome to participate.
Education Goals Panel. home. The state tests what 9ur stu- what resources we have. Association for a series of articles Please consider participation in
In addition, the Goals Panel as- dents take in school mirror the cur- What about physics? Well, that's opposing the development of this worthwhile endeavor. It will
serted that 'gains in academic riculum that they must learn. When a weighty subject, but it may sur- LCRA property on Lake Buchanan, only take a few hours each week
achievement in both states are sig- students are learning their daily prise some folks that a few short „ 1 M . and you will be making a worth-
nificant and sustained." Currently lessons, they are preparing for tests. years ago Kenneth Shoulders, Eo"eevndo.suPPor , vatu while contribution to our commu-
Texas' state testing program re- Teachers are not expected to just nominated for the Nobel Prize for . : : ■. ,K1 nity. We will have an organiza-
quires, on average, two or three teach the test. However, teaching physics, lived in Llano County. 1 . K6 . ? °Pportuny0I an tional meeting at the recycling fa-
days of testing per year, and we as- children the objectives over which heard a suggestion recently which 11 Pai cility on Friday, January 22 at 10
sess in the five core areas only at they will be tested is fair and ap- falls into this category. One aspect sS • a.m. Please call or fax me with the
grade eight. My proposal will in- propriate. of the laboratory could research in- ngk-2 good news that you will attend the
Lnan - meeting wherein we will discuss
the volunteer program and talk
about recycling. If you don't reach
me just show up for the meeting on
Dear Editor Highway 16 just four blocks north
Llano Recycling Opportunities of Highway 29.
needs your help. We need volun-
Newa. Thursday. January 21.1999
z V.
projects in the City of Llano and Llano
County.
Almost $75,000 was given to the city in
the form of lights at the new Moore Re-
creational Facility and $25,000 was granted
to the Llano Volunteer Fire Department for
a north side fire station. Numerous other
grants and gifts have been awarded.
The LCRA has pledged $200,000 to the
Kingsland to Llano Railroad restoration
project and $500,000 has been pledged to
the Badu Park project, which should get un-
derway this year. All this is on top of the
$1 million to be spent,,shquld a natural
science lab be constructed?
One thing to remember here Is, no privately
held company is going to spend Its revenue
on such projects. That revenue is called
profit and is reserved for owners and share-
holders.
Also, selling the property to a private land
developer means the end of public meetings
to determine the use of the land. If a devel-
oper wants to put in a park with public ac-
cess to the river or camping sites, he will.
It’s important for the LCRA to hear from
those who would like to see something
done with the property and who would also
like to see the LCRA continue to be part of
this community. Up and down the Lower
Colorado River, communities continually
K $
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have their hands out to the LCRA — it
would be a shame if this community points
a finger to the LCRA directing it out of
town.
The meeting is Thursday, January 21 at the
high school auditorium at 6:30 p.m.
Jimmy Stephenson
O
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Stephenson, Jimmy. The Llano News (Llano, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 15, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 21, 1999, newspaper, January 21, 1999; Llano, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1603332/m1/4/?q=%22~1~1~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Llano County Public Library.