The Colony Courier-Leader (The Colony, Tex.), Vol. 25, No. 10, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 12, 2006 Page: 1 of 20
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469-633-7777
www.colonyleader.com
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Colony Courier-Leader
Inside
Helping
I hands
Area youth from Public
LDS church upamon x
■ TC parkpoeacesain 5 1
— See 68002 0)00).
VOLUME 25, NO. 10 The
uorary
5050
Sports
Basketball
signing
The Colony’s
Casie Adams signs
with Panola
— See Page 2B
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2006
AROUND Town
Lake fire rekindled
The Colony firefighters
fought April 4 a second blaze
in a lakeside area where they
fought a much larger blaze
April 2 evening.
At about 2:45 p.m. firefight-
ers returned to an area off of
South Colony and Lakeshore
boulevards to fight a blaze of
about one acre, said Van
Weese, assistant fire chief.
Firefighters extinguished the
fire in about a half-hour.
Weese said the blaze
appears to have been a rekin-
dling of the previous blaze,
likely sparked by a pair of
smoldering two-by-four pieces
of wood at the site
Weese said firefighters
have found no sign of arson at
either fire. A witness located
at a nearby restaurant did not
see any person in the vicinity
of Tuesday’s fire. — Kevin
Bowen
Swan killed
on local pond
The Colony police are look-
ing into the shooting of a sw an
at Lions Club Park Saturday,
police said.
At about 3:30 p.m., a report
came that two or three teen- |
agers in a dark-colored Ford
Crown Victoria were shooting
a pellet or BB gun at the w ater
fowl that congregates at the
lake, said Lt. Mike Fox, a
TCPD investigator.
A swan was hit and killed
by the shots, Fox said.
Neighbors chased the car and
obtained a license plate num-
ber.
A suspect has been devel-
oped and the investigation
continues, Fox said. The per-
petrator could be charged
with discharging a pellet gun
or BB gun within city limits, |
Fox said. Cruelty to animals |
would not apply because the j
animals were not domesticat- j
ed. Fox was not sure what
charges a perpetrator might
face from a game warden, who ,
was alerted to the situation.
The last such incident that
Fox could recall happened in
the late 1990s. — Kevin
Bowen
Library School
of the Month
Ethridge Elementary
School is The Colony Public
Library's “School of the
Month” for April.
During this month, any stu-
dent who is enrolled in
Ethridge Elementary School
and applies for a library card,
or who checks out library
materials on his or her exist-
ing card, will receive a free gift
from the library.
Please remember that to
apply for a library card, if you
are under 17 years of age, you
must bring your parent or
legal guardian. The parent or
legal guardian must bring his
or her current driver’s license,
as well as co-sign the applica-
tion. For information, call 972-
625-1900, Ext. 3.
IMGEx
Classifieds...
Education ...
Entertainment
Obituaries...
Opinion.....
Police Reports
Sports ......
6B
7A
6A
4A
6A
3A
1B
How to Contact Us:
Gen. Office: 972-424-6565
Classified Ads: 972-422-SELL
Circulation: 972-424-9504
64709 00010
4
r
Mother faces murder charge in baby’s death
BY KEVIN BOWEN
STAFF WRITER
Susan Jeannine Chiniewicz, a
mother from The Colony, was
arrested on Friday following an
investigation that the Brazos
County Sheriff described as trau-
matic.
Chiniewicz, 35, was charged
with murder in connection to the
death of a 6-pound newborn
baby found in a restroom trash
bag at a speedway in College
Station, according to a statement
from the Brazos County Office of
the Sheriff.
“When you see something like
that, it’s a shock.” Brazos County
Sheriff Christopher Kirk said.
Kirk said
he has not
heard any
reason given
for the
killing but
he and his
officers are
eager
know
to
the
motives
behind it. He
added that
Susan
Chiniewicz
Chiniewicz “did exhibit some
emotion,” at the time of her
arrest.
The murder charge came in
connection with the death of an
abandoned newborn who inves-
tigators dubbed “Baby Joseph,”
according to the statement.
The death, discovered Oct. 3,
2005, following a weekend
motorcycle event, was ruled a
homicide caused by suffocation
with environmental exposure
and neglect, the statement said.
A mailing conducted by inves-
tigators led to contact with
Chiniewicz, the statement said.
She said she had experienced a
stronger-than-usual period and
might have made a mess in the
women’s restroom.
In follow-up interviews with
investigators, Chiniewicz denied
giving birth at the speedway, the
statement said. She provided a
DNA sample that was sent to the
Department of Public Safety
Crime Lab. The DNA sample
pointed to Chiniewicz as the
mother of the child, the state-
ment said.
After being made aware of
that evidence, Chiniewicz pro-
duced a statement saying she
had given birth in a restroom
stall and placed the newborn in
the trash can, according to the
Office of the Sheriff.
The restroom, which was in a
pit area at the speedway, had
stalls that could be closed, Kirk
said. Participants camped inside
the speedway.
Someone could conceivably
give birth there without notice,
Kirk said. He said he was not
sure at what time the event
occurred.
Kirk said the investigation
continues. He said it’s “too early
to say” whether there will be any
other arrests.
Chiniewicz was a proprietor
of an editorial services business,
and an active member of The
Turn to MOTHER, Page 4A
Little League season under way
JIM DONOVAN/STAFF PHOTO
Rangers Captain, the mascot for the Texas Rangers, welcomes The Colony little leaguers to the Five-Star athletic com-
plex during Saturday’s season-opening festivities. See Page 3B for more event photos.
Fifth-grade camp
task force a go
BY MOLLY MCCULLOUGH
STAFF WRITER
The Lewisville ISD fifth-grade
camp task force kicked off its
efforts April 4 to find the best
solution for fifth-graders’ regular
outdoor learning experience.
The task force is comprised of
five USD principles, five teach-
ers and 10 parent volunteers.
During their first meeting, mem-
bers were divided into four sub-
committees, said Jeff Wagner,
LISD elementary curriculum
executive director.
These subcommittees are
facilities, curriculum and instruc-
tion, health and safety and
finance and costs.
The facility committee, head-
ed by parent volunteer Alisa
Green, will examine issues such
as availability of the location for
fall dates and accessibility for
special needs students. District
officials decided to limit fifth-
graders camp experience to the
fall in order to avoid TAKS test-
ing and preparation dates.
The curriculum and instruc-
tion committee, led by parent
volunteer Curt Elieson, will look
at the district’s various concerns
and what the facilities have to
offer in learning experiences.
Wagner expects these members
to visit the sites as well.
Wagner said one of the dis-
trict’s nurses will serve on the
health and safety committee and
will help determine the options
for the student’s medical needs,
transportation, emergency pro-
cedures and communication.
Parent volunteer Connie Ken-
will chair this group.
The finance and cost commit-
tee will determine the best camp
for the best price. Bridlewood
Elementary principal Mike
Rogers chose to serve on this
committee. He said he chose to
volunteer for the task force
because he would like to help
find a viable option for not only
his students, but all of USD fifth-
grade students.
“We need to first find out if
camp is still viable,” Rogers said.
“The district has changed an
awful lot since they started it in
1974. We all feel that some sort of
program needs to be in place. We
just need to find one that will be
great for the kids and safe.”
Turn to CAMP, Page 4A
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Local
volunteer
arrested
BY KEVIN BOWEN
STAFF WRITER
A man who became prominent locally
during Hurricane Katrina relief efforts was
arrested April 7 on at least one warrant for
fraud from another state.
Denton County warrant officers arrest-
ed Michael Christopher Oestreicher, 58, of
The Colony on a warrant from the
Massachusetts State Police, according to
Sheriff’s Department spokesman Tom
Reedy.
Oestreicher served voluntarily with The
Colony Chamber of Commerce as a volun-
teer coordinator during efforts to help
evacuees flowing into the city from areas
hit by Hurricane Katrina.
Oestreicher later started a business,
INet Marketing, and conducted business in
office space located in the chamber’s build-
ing. He has been part of the effort to revive
the Sail Fair event.
Oestreicher was arrested by two war-
rant officers who staked out his house,
Reedy said. He was arrested and the offi-
cers gained consent to search. Reedy said.
The officers seized a computer and
material on how to steal people’s identi-
ties, Reedy said.
The Sheriffs Office received a call from
Turn to ARREST, Page 4A
Voters make runoff choice
Republican primary features JoP candidates
BY KEVIN BOWEN
STAFF WRITER
Voters in The Colony, Frisco, and Little Elm
went to the polls Tuesday to choose the likely
new Justice of the Peace for for Denton
County, Precinct 2.
The race features the two leading vote-get-
ters in that race — James R. DePiazza, a coun-
selor from The Colony, and Clif Holliefield, of
Little Elm, a deputy with the Constable’s Office
for Denton County, Precinct 2.
Results from early voting prior to Tuesday’s
election place DePiazza in the lead with 286
votes, or 66.5 percent of the vote.
Holliefield received 144 votes, 33.5 percent
of the total in early voting. Those totals do not
include the votes made on the day of the pri-
mary.
The winner of the race is likely to take the
position. There are no Democratic candidates
in place for the November general election,
meaning Tuesday’s winner will run unopposed
for the position unless an independent files to
run.
Polls were open from 7 am. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday at The Colony High School, The
Colony Government Center, the Little Elm
Community Center and Griffin Middle School
in Frisco.
DePiazza was
the leading vote-
getter in the pri-
mary. While
promising to be
tough when
needed, he has
run a campaign
in which he has
promised to use
people skills to
work
with
defendants who
come before his
court.
Holliefield has run a campaign based on his
familiarity with the position from having
appeared in the court in his official capacity
and undergoing similar training to that which a
new justice will need.
The original Republican primary took place
March 7. Attorney Art Maldonado and consul-
tant Carlos Gallardo were eliminated after that
vote.
In other races within the county, County
Commissioner Jim Carter is in a runoff for his
District 4 seat against Andy Eads. After early
voting, Eads leads the race with 769 votes, or
56 percent of the vote. Carter has 604 votes for
44 percent of the vote.
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Crimmins, Blaine. The Colony Courier-Leader (The Colony, Tex.), Vol. 25, No. 10, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 12, 2006, newspaper, April 12, 2006; The Colony, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1621914/m1/1/: accessed July 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Colony Public Library.