The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 19, Ed. 1 Friday, March 5, 2004 Page: 4 of 30
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PAGE 4A
The BOERNE Star
Friday, March 5, 2004
Boerne Star Editorials
ewp oinlts
Words of praise for all
who seek to win election
What is it about the democratic process that would make
someone want to run for office?
Public scrutiny. Harsh, sometimes scathing, verbal attacks.
Having your ideas, philosophies and values questioned. Heck,
sometimes even skeletons in the old closet or personal attacks
against the family get dragged into the fray.
Then, if you win the election, it just gets worse.
So, again, what would make someone run for office?
For each person, the answer is different, but thank God that
there are plenty of people who come up with an answer.
On Tuesday, Kendall County will go to the polls for pri-
maries and a host of local races, some of which are contested.
Regardless of who you will cast your vote for, one thing is
certain, every single man and woman who stands up to the
scrutiny, sacrifices money, time away from family, sleep and
even their “day” jobs, deserves a pat on the back.
Running for public office is not easy. Serving after winning
is even more difficult. And it is something the majority of us
will never experience.
You violate no party line by going up to a candidate and say-
ing what we are going to say.
To all candidates, win or lose Tuesday, we all appreciate you
running for office.
Comfort ISD decision
one that favors children
The Comfort ISD faced what was for them a difficult choice
during their special meeting Monday night.
The board, in a split 4-3 vote, decided to allow five boys, all
teachers’ children, to stay in a daycare program at Comfort
Elementary School. A few days prior, the CISD Board of
Trustees decided to not allow the children to continue, since
the principal at the time the program was started did not ask
permission of the board.
Whether they vote for or against, the board members should
be commended for addressing an issue the second time and
for voting their conscience.
And as a whole, the board should be applauded for making
a decision that adheres to its motto of Comfort ISD...“Always
for Children.”
Let freedom ring in Haiti
In 1991 and 1992 I spent the
greater part of my time in and
around Haiti. I was in the U.S.
Coast Guard and my duties in law
enforcement were quickly shifted
from drug enforcement to immi-
gration when the Haitian army
overthrew President Jean Bertrand
Aristide.
Now, while I was a judo com-
petitor, I had the opportunity to
meet, and talk to, many people
from all over the world. This in-
cluded men and women from Iran,
Iraq, China, Syria, Russia and a
host of other nations.
There was one indelible com-
monality I learned while sitting
around sharing a few beers with
these folks. No matter where they
were from, no matter what their
nation’s system of government,
they had a profound respect for
the form of government we enjoy
in the United States. They had a
profound respect for our freedoms
and our way of life.
That did not mean they want it
for themselves, though. I remem-
ber talking to a Bulgarian before
the fall of communism. He said
that he loved the American form
of government, but didn’t think it
would work in his nation. Nor did
he want it for his nation.
However, the Haitians are differ-
ent.
Never in all my life have I met a
people who want more than any-
thing to essentially be Americans.
They view our lives, our govern-
Letters to the Editor
ment, our soci- YOU DIDN'T ASK BUT...
ety as some-
thing to strive
for, something .
to achieve.
The hundreds
of Haitians I
talked to in the
early 90s had a
hope for their
country...the kind of hope I can
imagine the founding fathers of
this great land having.
A land where the people choose
their leaders. A land where you
can speak your mind, where the
press, has real power free of gov-
ernment coiruption and influence.
A land where you can five safely,
pursue your dreams and see your
children achieve so much more
than you could for yourself.
Let freedom ring baby. That is
the Haitian dream.
Aristide, the same man over-
thrown by the army in 1991 and
returned to power with the aid of
the Clinton administration, was
the democratically elected leader
of that nation. No doubt he was
corrupt. No doubt he needed to go
at some point.
The United States, under the
leadership of President George W.
Bush, has essentially declared
democracy for all.
When I saw that Aristide fled his
nation; when I saw that this great
nation fail to aid a democratically
elected president — one we’d as-
sisted before — I realized the idea
Clay Morgan
MANAGING
EDITOR
of freedom
for all is just a
myth, a politi-
cal grand-
stand de-
signed to gar-
ner votes and
applause. A
great sound
bite with no
real bite.
It may be that Haiti has a
smoother-than-normal transition
for that nation. But for the United
States to sit by while the nation’s
president — the only elected pres-
ident in a nation that gained its
freedom as the result of an 1803
slave revolt — falls, is a sad state-
ment on our commitment to free-
dom for others.
We have been in and out of that
nation for years. *
By now, the Haitian people
should have learned they need to
look elsewhere for guidance on
how to set up a free government.
Yet their dream lives — their
version of the American dream. I
guarantee you they look to the
United States and want what we
have. Let’s not let them down this
time.
Let freedom ring in Haiti.
poll. However, occasionally, we’ll
get a phone call or an e-mail that
takes us to task for the questions
we pose on the poll.
First, it isn’t scientific! It is not
conducted by a polling firm. It is
very informal.
Second, I’m going to put ques-
tions on there that pertain to real
issues in the community.
Why? Questions like "have you
ever fed the ducks at River Road
Park" are stupid and will illicit
about five responses.
So, please vote. But when you
do, and your blood starts boiling
because you don’t like the way the
results are going,- remember that it
is unscientific.
At best, it gives a pulse of what
our readers our thinking — but a
complete physical it isn’t.
THE BOERNE Star
Online Poll
VI Illi Its “Uli
If the election were today, who would you
vote for for Kendall County Sheriff
■ Sheriff Henry Hodge
■ Chuck Brantley
■ Roger Duncan
Visit www.boernestar.com
and cast your vote today.
Worth Quoting ..
“Perpetual optimism is a force
multiplier.”
Colin Powell
Bible Verse ...
Search the scriptures; for in
them ye think ye have eternal
life: and they are they which tes-
tify of me.
John 5:39
THE BOERNE Star
WWW. boernestar.com
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Brian Cartwright
EDITORIAL
Managing Editor
Editor’s Assistant
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Sports Editor
Editorial Intern
Typesetter
Clay Morgan
Krysta McDaniel
Christianne Young
Theresa Lucio
Kerry Barboza
Bethany Schulze
Molly Meckel
Marketing Director
Sales
Sales
ADVERTISING
Subscriptions
CIRCULATION
Frank Shubert
Anita Anderson
Ellen Bankston
Dana Smith
PRODUCTION
Graphic Design Rachel Wiseman
BOOKKEEPING
Office Manager Sandra Pfeiffer
DISTRIBUTION
Circulation Manager Stephen Bartell
MEMBER OF Texas Press Association, National Newspaper Association, South Texas Press
Association, Texas Gulf Coast Press Association
TX:
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ASSOCIATION
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P.O. Box 820 • 830-249-2441 FAX 830-249-4607
•THE BOERNE STAR is published twice weekly for $35 per year in Kendall
County, $42 elsewhere in Texas and $50 per year outside of Texas by The Boerne Star, 282 N. Main,
Boerne, Kendall County, TX. 78006. Periodical postage paid at Boerne, TX. POSTMASTER: Send
changes of address to THE BOERNE STAR, P.O. Box 820. Boerne, Texas 78006-0820.
The Boerne'Star welcomes letters on any public issue. Letters may be mailed, faxed, e-
mailed or hand-delivered but must contain the writer's name, address and phone number. Let-
ters should not exceed 300 words. Addresses and telephone numbers are for verification pur-
poses only and will not be published. Names and city of residence will be published. We reserve
the right to edit all letters for style and content.
BexarMet
responds
to article
Dear editor:
This is a response to the article
regarding water for Fair Oaks
Ranch (FOR) and their recent de-
cision to join a lawsuit against the
Bexar Metropolitan Water Dis-
trict (BexarMet).
My first reaction when reading
this is that of disappointment. I
believe that BexarMet should
have been provided with an op-
portunity to discuss this issue
with Ms. Lucio of your staff in an
effort to provide a more balanced
report. This situation is complex
and as is usually the case, has at
least two sides.
Let me clarify some confusion.
1. BexarMet has not "recently"
begun to provide water in Bul-
verde. We have been operating
since 1998 and have taken extra-
ordinary measures to provide the
best service possible given the
limitations of the ground water
source for the area. We have a
contract to purchase four addi-
tional systems that equal approx-
imately 2000 connections. These
systems are NOT "managed by
the Canyon Lake Water Compa-
ny". They are privately owned by
local and Houston area investors.
2. The water that we are going
to begin to provide to our existing
customers in Bulverde through a
pipeline is NOT the water that the
Guadalupe Blanco River Author-
ity (GBRA) has set aside for the
Western Comal Project. This
water is coming from the Canyon
Lake Water Supply Corporation
via a contract with BexarMet. We
have contracted with CLWSC to
provide us with 500,000 gallons
of water per day. This is water
that they already have a separate
permit for, NOT from the water
GBRA has set aside for the West-
ern Comal Project. This is impor-
tant because this appears to be
the decision point that FOR used
to decide to join the lawsuit
against BexarMet.
3. BexarMet does not think
"they had unlimited rights to the
Canyon Lake surface water".
BexarMet has been operating a
surface water facility on the
Medina River since December
1999 and is very aware of the
permitting process and the limita-
tions that it provides.
4. BexarMet declined participa-
tion in the Western Comal Project
due to the cost involved and the
additional time to deliver the
water to our customers. We con-
tinue to haul water to some areas
in Bulverde and want to get addi-
tional water as soon as possible.
5. None of the above issues will
in anyway delay the Western
Comal Project.
Water is a complex and impor-
tant issue and will likely continue
to provide opportunities for con-
fusion in the future.
I hope that you will provide
BexarMet with an opportunity to
Online Polls
We perpetually feature an online
poll at our web site at
www.boemestar.com.
Now, I appreciate the fact that a
large number of people use the
Election Coverage
Tuesday is election day, and I am
committed to our readers getting
results as quickly as possible.
Tuesday night, our staff will be
burning the midnight oil and will
be posting details results of local
elections online Tuesday night.
Results Will be posted as soon as
the final votes are tabulated.
You can check out the coverage
at www.boemestar.com and in
next Friday’s print edition.
You may contact Clay Morgan
by calling 249-2441 (office), 249-
3110 (home), or via e-mail at
news@boernestar.com.
PctVinVR wNoTmes Dr*T*
NO WAY
THE CHEESE
ISN'T BIG
ENOUGH!
a tetto 01 ot
comment on these and other is-
sues so that everyone can make
decisions based on all the infor-
mation.
BexarMet will continue to
strive to provide our customers
with the most cost effective water
in the shortest timeframe possi-
ble. BexarMet, through our coop-
erative effort with the Canyon
Lake Water Supply Corporation,
will open the valve that will bring
more than adequate water to our
customers in Bulverde sometime
in March. This is the good news
that results when agencies coop-
erate for the benefit of the cus-
tomers that we serve.
Charles E. Ahrens
Deputy General Manger
BexarMet Water District
Kudos for
Boerne lady
Greyhounds
Dear editor:
I used to teach at Boerne Mid-
dle School and at Boerne High
School. I sponsored the Pep
Squad so I have been around a lot
of teenagers. It troubles me great-
ly to read headlines in the paper
and to see headline news telling
about horrific things that teens
do. I rarely see anything uplifting
and encouraging about teenagers.
I felt prompted to write to you
after seeing some of your
teenagers on Saturday night.
When my husband and I drove
into Mamacita’s for dinner about
five, I noticed a Boerne School
Bus. After being seated, I noticed
a table next to us with a group of
girls. My husband and I com-
mented on how much fun they
were having but in a quiet way,
not disturbing anyone or drawing
attention to themselves. I counted
and there were eighteen girls,
most of whom were in gray T-
shirts...
After observing them for
awhile, my husband commented
that they must be Christians.
They were very polite to the wait
staff; waited until everyone was
served; and then held hands and in life this past Saturday as our
prayed. Throughout the meal young ladies, tears in their eyes,
they were having fun and yet had seen their goal disappear.
were respectful of other people. Disappointments, while bitter to
There were no adults at the table swallow at the moment, are
but I sensed they were across the temporary. The effort, dedica-
room as occasionally a girl or tion, good sportsmanship and
two would go to a table nearby teamwork that these young
for a minute. ladies have shown will forever
As we left I asked two of them be a benefit to each of them,
where they were from, they The unfulfilled goal of a trip to
replied politely, "Boerne High Austin will be just one of many
School". When I asked which memories that they will learn to
group, they replied, "The basket- cherish and more importantly
ball team". I want to commend use as a cornerstone in their
your basketball girls for their ex- lives.
emplary behavior. We hope we Thanks for the memories.
will sit by them again! Joe A. Salkeld
I told the girls that I would write Boerne
to you so please let them know
that I did tell you. You ought to be
very proud of them.
Liz Page
San Antonio
Thanks
for the ride
Greyhounds
Dear editor:
As a father (Coach Bradley’s)
and a fan, I have only positive
thoughts and wonderful memo-
ries from watching the young
ladies on this team. For the past
three years, watching the se-
niors’ improvements; melding
in with their younger teammates
and coming together as a team
has been rewarding and, yes, at
times mentally draining - a
coach I could never be. Certain-
ly as a team, these young ladies
had their sights set high for a
trip to Austin and the honor of
being in the "final four".
As I watched their goal disap-
pear on Saturday in the regional
finals for the second straight
year, I had a flashback to a trip
to Austin when I had the good
fortune to participate in the
class AA football championship
in 1961. I felt this same disap-
pointment when we lost to
Donna. At the time of these dis-
appointments. life is tough.
Many of us saw a tough lesson
Write us
a letter ...
The Boerne Star welcomes
letters on any public issue.
Letters may be mailed,
faxed, e-mailed or hand-de-
livered but must contain the
writer’s name, address and
phone number.
Addresses and telephone
numbers are for verification
purposes only and will not
be published.
Names and city of resi-
dence will be published.
We reserve the right to
edit all letters for style and
content and refuse letters
that would be objectionable
to readers. We also will not
publish anonymous letters.
Priority will be given to
letters concerning local
topics and written by peo-
ple who’ve not published a
letter in the last 30 days.
Call 249-2441 with ques-
tions regarding the submis-
sion of letters to the editor
for publication.
Letter to the Editor
PO Box 820
Boerne, TX 78006
news@boernestar.com
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Cartwright, Brian & Morgan, Clay. The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 19, Ed. 1 Friday, March 5, 2004, newspaper, March 5, 2004; Boerne, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1632999/m1/4/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Patrick Heath Public Library.