The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 97, No. 38, Ed. 1 Friday, May 10, 2002 Page: 4 of 28
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Page 4A
The BOERNE Star
Friday, May 10, 2002
US exploring
space, new
i
oinl
i
images to see
Last week
marked the
third annual
INSIDE THE U.S. HOUSE water -
roe element
an
Special unit investigates fraud
and waste in state agencies
Global Science
and Techno-
logy Week.
Encouraging
educators and
parents to stim-
ulate student interest in math
and science studies is this year's
theme.
Math and science skills are
building blocks for success. If
we want to prepare the next gen-
eration with the knowledge they
need for our nation’s continued
scientific leadership, we must
arouse students' curiosity in the
ways scientists use their skills to
benefit their communities.
Anyone who has taught chil-
, - considered
Lamar Smith :
essential for
U.S. HOUSE *
sustaining
REPRESENTATIVE life
Throughout
_ the coming
decade, oth-
er landing craft and orbiting
craft will be sent to the red plan-
et to collect data.
Jupiter's moon, Europa, is also
a target for exploration. The
Europa Orbiter, set to launch in
2010, will search for a subsur-
face ocean.
Telescopes are also tools for
exploration. The Allen Tele-
scope Array will be activated in
California by 2005. By 2020, it
will have searched a million star
Texans become out-
raged when they read sto-
ries about fraud, waste
and abuse at Texas state
agencies, colleges or uni-
versities, and they should.
IN THE TEXAS SENATE
Jeff Wentworth
TEXAS SENATOR
dren will tell you that students systems to listen for intelligent
learn best when they are gen- life.
uinely interested in the subject. The Hubble Space Telescope,
And the subject that often cap- recently equipped with a new
tures the imagination more than camera, has again provided
any other is space. striking images. In one picture
Albert Einstein said, "The 6,000 galaxies at various stages
most incomprehensible thing of evolution stretching back 13
about the universe is that it is billion years in time were dis-
comprehensible." covered.
Today's schoolchildren are All these efforts suggest that
only a few generations removed within the span of a few
from a time before an astronaut decades, discovery of some
first stepped on the moon, much form of life in the Universe,
less traveled in a rocket to orbit simple or sophisticated, will
the earth. Once those feats happen.
seemed unimaginable; now they
are taken for granted.
Who knows what we will
accomplish in the future?
Where we will travel and what
we will discover? Perhaps we
will find evidence of life in
space?
The Odyssey spacecraft will
soon travel on a mission to
Mars. The Odyssey will search
for evidence of underground
Mathematics is a universal
language and science is a com-
mon ground for all countries.
Greater knowledge of both will
strengthen not only America,
but will also create a better
world.
Your hometown paper
since 1906...
The Boerne Star
Worth Quoting
How is it possible to expect
mankind to take advice when
they will not so much as take
warning?
C.K. Chesterton
Bible Verse
And they entered into the
covenant to seek the Lord
God of their fathers with all
their heart and soul.
2 Chronicles 15:12
The BOERNE Star
EDITOR I PUBLISHER
Edna Keasling
EDITORIAL
Interim Managing Editor
Staff Writer
Sports Editor
Typesetter
Typesetter
Don McAlister
Joni Simon
Kerry Barboza
Molly Meckel
Elaine Provenzano
Advertising Director
Account Executive
Account Executive
ADVERTISING
Brian Cartwright
Diana Busheme
Anita Anderson
PRODUCTION
Composing Manager Lynn Northup
Production Assistant Krysta McDaniel
CIRCULATION
Subscriptions Elaine Provenzano
Subscriptions Dana Smith
FRONT DESK
Receptionist Elaine Provenzano
Receptionist Dana Smith
BOOKKEEPING
Office Manager
DISTRIBUTION
Circulation Manager
Maria Huerta
Bob Clark
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Mary Alice Yelverton, Vera D’Spain, Regina Alexander, Dr. John P. Kelly, Tom Lanier, Peary Perry,
John Powell,The Doctor, Jan Wrede, Kathy Senkbeil, Jo-Ann Power, Margie Belles,
Ellen Damstra, Bill King, Greg Schafer, Paula White, Jim Pendley, Ron Warden, Tom Harris.
MEMBER OF Texas Press Association,
National Newspaper Association,
South Texas Press Association, Texas Gulf Coast Press Association
282 N. MAIN • (UPS 059-740)
P.O. Box 820 • 830-249-2441 FAX 830-249-4607
THE BOERNE STAR is published twice weekly for $28 per year in Kendall County, $35 else-
where 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.
Letters should not exceed 300 words. Addresses and telephone numbers are for verification
purposes 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. Call 830-249-2441 with questions.
What Texans may not
realize, however, is that
those stories are often the
result of a successful
effort by the Special Investigations Unit
(SIU) of the Texas State Auditor's Office
(SAO). Since September 1999, SIU's inves-
tigations have led to more than a dozen
indictments for fraud, theft and abuse.
In January, the Tom Green District
Attorney for the 119th Judicial District
obtained five indictments for theft against a
former superintendent of the San Angelo
Independent School District. The thefts
totaled more than $15,000.
SIU and the Texas Department of Public
Safety conducted the investigation leading
to these indictments. The district attorney
also obtained two indictments against the
Letters to the Editor
Response leaves
writer confused
Dear Editor,
Mr. Dashiell's rebuttal to my letter of April
26 has me thoroughly confused. I'm not sure
whether to be offended or amused. We obvi-
ously have very different definitions to the
words "liberal," and "conservative."
He quotes me as saying that "the people
who live around the lake should not be able
to keep their property" which I never said.
former executive director
of support services for the
San Angelo ISD.
An SIU investigation
in Travis County resulted
in the indictment of a for-
mer employee of the
Texas Department of
Housing and Community
Affairs and his wife, the
former General Counsel of the General
Services Commission. The Travis County
District Attorney's Office Public
Integrity Unit is prosecuting the couple
for tampering with a governmental record.
The couple is alleged to have falsified a
low-income housing tax credit rental appli-
cation.
Another SIU investigation led to the con-
viction of Susanne Burnett, a former admin-
istrative assistant to the Dean of Student
Services at Austin Community College's
Riverside Campus. Also in Travis County, a
former employee of the Texas School for the
Deaf was indicted for appropriating items of
furniture from the school.
SIU needs the help of Texans in its role 1
as guardian of tax dollars. To report fraud,
waste or abuse occurring at a Texas state
agency, college or university, call the SAO
Hotline at 800-TX-AUDIT (892-8348).
Reports also may be made by filling out
a form that is available on the Internet at
www.sao.state.tx.us/SIU/abuse.cfm.
Callers may remain anonymous.
The auditor's office is the independent
auditor for Texas state government. SAO
provides information about the operations
of state agencies and universities to legisla-
tors, agency management and citizens.
Other services provided by SAO include
designing and developing training for
agency internal auditors and staff members,
advising agencies on technological issues,
and reviewing fiscal and management con- *
trols.
With your help, SAO and its special
investigative unit will ensure that your tax
dollars are spent as effectively as possible.
Gov. Perry offered the board an election to complain were hung up on five times and
raise the cap to $1.45 to rectify the problem finally she took them in personally! Hmm...
of illegally collecting tax money in excess of
the $1.40 tax cap and avoiding refunds since
the district is close to the end of its fiscal year
and most of the money has been spent. The
school board wants to collect taxes at a $1.50
rate for the next fiscal year and all future
years, but does not want to ask the voters to
raise the rate 10 cents for fear of rejection.
The board wants to take advantage of a bad
situation and blame Gov. Perry for the
board's failure to properly raise the tax cap in
Then he says something about "if the people previous years and for not hiding the fact that
had built and paid for it themselves"...which the school board wants to raise taxes for the
is my point! If they HAD built and paid for next school year without asking the voters,
it themselves, they could float their houses in when Gov Perry said no, the board chose
the middle of the lake for all I care. to huff and puff at the Governor. Attorney
However, the government (you and me, Radtke states "they have no statutory author-
John Q. Public) condemned and paid for the ity to tell the district they can't go over acer-
land the water would be sitting on, then spent tain tax rate. While this may be true, the
untold millions to construct the dam that cre- Attorney General, the State Comptroller and
ates the lake. Since the price of the land the Texas Education Agency do have that
adjoining the lake jumps from, say, $5,000 an authority and responsibility Board president
acre (pre-construction) to $100,000 or more Jones stated "We need the election to decide
for a quarter-acre lot upon completion, public now, not the future." What he did not say is:
a) the board is afraid of lawsuits requiring
refunds or that the State Comptroller or the
Texas Education Agency will withhold funds
next school year for this year; b) the board
does not want to use funds from the contin-
gency fund for next year’s projected budget
(the "emergency" since the cap is not at
$1.50); and c) the school district staff is
responsible for the situation the board finds
itself in.
The board has chosen to gamble that the
Governor will allow the district to correct a
mistake and raise the cap to $1.45 and also
allow a tax increase by raising the cap to
$1.50. Should the Governor say yes, I am
sure the board will not hesitate to blame him
for the tax increase should the taxpayers
complain of high taxes. I suppose the board
will be really perplexed if the Governor now
opts to now allow the special election to raise
the cap to $1.45.
Jerry Perkins
Boerne
Post office woes
Dear Editor,
Do you want to take a cheap vacation this
year? Just pack yourself in an envelope, stick
a 34 cent stamp on and address it to yourself!
Drop into the post office and enjoy! You
could be traveling for a week, a month or
even six months before you actually reach
your home. I have been collecting Boerne
post office/mail stories for a year. Can you
imagine the book I could write if I thorough-
ly researched this? Here is a small example of
our very own post office.
1. A lady mailed two letters at two different
times to a friend in the Kendall County Jail -
three days after she mails them at the local
post office - the letters (mailed one week
apart) were delivered to her return address
(that was written on back of the envelope)
though that's where it was mailed to - no
explanation - her calls to the post office to
access should be 100 feet from the water’s
edge, or the flood plain, whichever is greater,
condemned and paid for at the lower price.
Landowners would still have access to the
lake, and a great view through a park. It
would also put an end to the line of out-
stretched palms at the FEMA office where us
taxpayers are expected to rebuild their homes
after each flood.
Since he made no comment about the sub-
division "stub-out" rules, I assume he agrees
with me. I would like to point out that Mr.
Wes Burke's letter of April 30 entitled "One
Way in: one way out" substantiates the need
for such a law. Just imagine if there HAD
been such a rule in existence, and another
subdivision had been built adjoining their
subdivision, there would already be a public
road that could be utilized, not necessarily on
a daily basis because it could be very much
out of the way. But it would be there in case
of emergency. Like now, while the bridge is
being built, or later, if the bridge should get
washed out, as it did a few years ago.
Thanks,
Lydia Schaefer
Board perplexed
because election
rejected
Dear Editor,
The Boerne ISD Board of Trustees is per-
plexed at Governor Perry for not allowing a
special election to raise taxes. What should
be perplexing is why the staff, specifically
the district's Chief Financial Officer, did not
inform the board that the tax cap is set at
$1.40. Why did the district's legal consul
and/or bond consul not inform the board that
the tax cap is set at $1.40 when the district
last sold bonds? That is these people's
responsibility.
2. A Christmas card mailed from Boerne
Nov. 26, 2001 to a Kerrville address was
delivered on April 29, 2002 to the correct
address - only had two postmarks on it -
Boerne on Nov. 30 and Boerne April 15th.
Hmmm...
3. A utility bill from Boerne city mailed
Dec. 1 to an in-town Boerne address was
received by customer on Dec. 20 with five
postmarks on it - two Boerne, one Uvalde,
one San Antonio and one Hondo. Hmmrnm...
4. Wedding invitations mailed from a
Boerne address to a Boerne address on Johns
Road (when mailed envelope was tucked in,
not sealed shut). The two invitations were
mailed on January 3 were returned to the
sender on February 16 with three pieces of
mail that were from a Fair Oaks address
tucked inside the wedding invitation and the
flap tucked back in! Beware - if you mailed
your FOR homeowner's fees and they were
very late - or a credit card bill - rest assured
they had a lovely six-week vacation and
eventually arrived (we hope) well-rested!
Hmmm! Only had Boerne and San Antonio
postmarks on invitations. Inside mail was
unmarked. Not cancelled.
5. A local mailman writes ugly notes to a
customer on her mail threatening to not
deliver her mail if her mailbox is blocked one
more time - she told him that she didn't even
know the people who blocked her box - they
are teachers at Fabra Elementary! He says it's
not his problem, it’s hers! Hmmm!
6. Mail continually left in wrong mail box-
es. Hmmm...
7. Stock check delivered to an address three
streets over from the actual address - house
number, nor names were same or even simi-
lar. Hmm.
8. Mail just plain lost and never reappears!
Hmmm!
Well - the list goes on - but paper and ink
don't!
The old post office motto used to be - "rain,
snow, sleet or hail!" Now I truly believe the
motto is - "snowball's chance in hell!"
Oh, I know the first excuse will be that they
handle so much mail - but that is no excuse -
that is their job! Banks handle millions of
dollars everyday and don't lose it! Daycares
handle lots of children everyday and don't
lose them!
Boerne Post Office - either get your act
together and handle our mail like you should,
or fire the incompetent workers and hire
someone who can do the job correctly!
Mishandling our mail is a federal offense!
Oh and by the way, soon it will cost 37 cents
to send your mail on vacation. Justify that!
Sincerely,
Sharon Blaines
P.S. This was mailed at the local post office
on May 1 -1 wonder when the Star got it?
WRITE ’EM’
KENDALL COUNTY
JUDGE BILL GOODEN
204 E. San Antonio
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-9343
Commissioners
JOHN KIGHT
L.M. HOLMAN
DARRELL LUX
DUANE DUBOSE
204 E. San Antonio
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-9343 .
BOERNE ISD
School
Superintendent
JOHN KELLY
123 W. Johns Rd.
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-5000
COMFORT ISD
School Superintendent
MARLIN MARCUM
232 High
Comfort, Texas 78013
995-3664
CITY OF BOERNE
MAYOR PATRICK HEATH
402 E. Blanco
Boerne, Texas 78006
249-9511
STATE REP
HARVEY HILDERBRAN
District 53
125 Lehmann Dr.
Kerrville, Texas 78028
(830) 257-2333
STATE SENATOR
JEFF WENTWORTH
District 25
1250 N.E. Loop 410 St 720
San Antonio, Tx 78209
(210) 826-7800
U.S.
REPRESENTATIVE
LAMAR SMITH
District 21
2231 Sam Rayburn Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 225-4236
Smith - Locally
1006 Junction Hwy.
Kerrville, Texas 78028
(830) 895-1414
1100 N.E. Loop 410,
Suite 640
San Antonio, Texas
78209
(210) 821-5024
U.S. SENATOR
PHIL GRAMM
Russell Building Rm. 179
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2934
KAY BAILEY
HUTCHISON
703 Hart Senate Office
Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-5922
GOVERNOR
RICK PERRY
State Capital
Room 200
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 463-2000
STATE BOARD
OF EDUCATION
District 5
205 W. Travis
Fredericksburg, Tx, 78624
(830) 997-9759
PRESIDENT
GEORGE W. BUSH
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C.
20000
BOERNE
CITY COUNCIL
7:30 p.m.
second and fourth Tuesday
of the month, City Hall
402 E. Blanco
KENDALL
COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS
9 a.m.
second and fourth
Monday of the month,
Kendall County
Courthouse,
204 E. San Antonio
BISD
Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
second and fourth Monday
of the month BISD board
room
COMFORT ISD
7 p.m. second and fourth
Wednesday of the month
at the board offices
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Keasling, Edna. The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 97, No. 38, Ed. 1 Friday, May 10, 2002, newspaper, May 10, 2002; Boerne, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1650506/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Patrick Heath Public Library.