The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 103, No. 19, Ed. 1 Friday, March 6, 2009 Page: 4 of 28
twenty eight pages : ill. ; page 23 x 13 in. Scanned from physical pages.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Page 4A
The BOERNE Star
FRIDAY, March 6, 2009
VIEWPOINTS
Separating the
Pork from the Bull
Texas Independence Day: From tyrant grip now free
TEXAS TIMES Felipe was ordered to print 1,0001
copies in handbill form. ,
Every year on March 2, Texans
celebrate a holiday that is entirely
nessmen attracted the Convention
of 1836 to Washington by offer-
Did you hear that Nancy Pelosi
put $30 million in the stimu-
lus bill to protect mice in her
district? It was on Fox News
and in the Washington Times.
How about the $200,000 for tat-
too removal in the $410 billion
Omnibus Spending Bill that the
House just passed? “Pure pork,”
said Fox News. “Outrageous,”
shouted Sean Hannity.
There’s just one problem: there
is no earmark in the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(aka: the stimulus bill) to protect
mice or their habitats. You can
check it yourself: go to Recovery,
gov and search for “mouse” or
“mice.” No results will be forth-
coming. Likewise if you search
for “wetland recovery,” where the
mice in question were alleged to
live.
The story got its start when
a Republican Congressional
staffer e-mailed the story to other
Republicans and to sympathetic
news agencies for their use in
slamming the stimulus package
and Nancy Pelosi.
When asked to explain himself,
the staffer said that an unnamed
federal agency had said that if
it got sufficient funds from the
stimulus bill, it would restore
federal wetlands in the San Fran-
cisco Bay area (Pelosi’s district),
which would result in protecting
the habitat of the Salt Marsh
Harvest Mouse, among other-
animals.
The true story doesn’t make for
a good sound bite, so the cock
and bull story was invented.
As for those tattoos, that is
in the Omnibus spending bill
as a tiny part of an anti-crime
program. Sean Hannity didn’t
mention that because the truth
would have spoiled his righteous
indignation.
The tattoos to be removed are
from the bodies of reformed gang
members who want to leave that
life, get honest jobs and avoid
further gang violence. According
to Los Angeles law enforcement
officers involved in the program,
removing gang tattoos saves lives
and reduces violent crime. “Pure
pork?” No, just more bull.
The truth of the stimulus bill
Worth Quoting ...
ing a large assembly hall free of
charge to the delegates. The hall
accommodated the delegates for
the Convention, but the town had
only one inn at the time, so many
delegates could not find lodging.
Even more pressing than the lack
of lodging was the hot pursuit by
Mexi'can President Antonio Lopez
de Santa Anna and his army, who
marched toward Washington after
the Alamo fell on March 6.
History largely credits George
Campbell Childress, a lawyer and
native of Tennessee, with author-
ing the Texas Declaration of
Independence. Childress moved to
Texas permanently in 1835, set-
tling at Robertson’s colony, which
had been organized by his uncle,
Sterling C. Robertson.
Childress and Robertson were
elected to represent Milam Munic-
ipality at the Convention of 1836.
Childress called the Convention to
order on March 1 and on the same
day was appointed by Convention
President Richard Ellis to serve
with four other delegates on a
committee to draft a declaration of
independence.
Childress was named the chair-
man and it is generally accepted
that he wrote most of the declara-
and uniquely Texan - Texas Inde-
pendence Day. The day marks the
signing of the Texas Declaration
of Independence at the Convention
of 1836 at Washington-on-the-
Brazos.
Unlike the deliberations that
occur today in the U.S. Congress,
the Texas Declaration of Indepen-
dence was approved swiftly. The
and the Omnibus Spending Bill committee to draft the declaration
is complicated. It is much simpler was appointed on March 1, and
for opponents to seize on tiny the declaration was presented to
pieces of the whole that can be the Convention and adopted the
twisted out of context to sound ncxt day.
like wasteful spending. Some accounts say that Sam
It is an easy - if unscrupu- Houston asked for the declaration
lous - way to incite an emotional to be signed on March 2 because it
response from their political base; was his birthday. Before March 17,
and it makes for much better TV delegates had also written the Con-
than does a rational discussion of stitution of the Republic of Texas
complex policy, and established the ad-mtenm gov-
What is so disturbing about this ernment of the Republic.
tactic is that it corrodes the demo- Some say one of the real reasons
cratic process. We citizens have for the convention s swift action
to rely on news outlets for the was not just a desne for efficiency,
information necessary to form but a lack of adequate lodging,
opinions on the topics of the day. Prior to hosting the Convention,
That leaves us vulnerable to the town ,of Washington served
manipulation by partisan com- as a supply point because of its
mentators who embellish on or location next to the Biazos River
twist any story to get the result and proximity to major roads. But
they want to report, it was only home to about 100
This is not a new phenomenon, residents. . • . u r .
Yellow journalism is credited with To generate growth, local busi- tion without help from the other
stirring public opinion in support
of the Spanish-American War.
It does seem to be getting worse,
however, with the proliferation
of sources of “information” on
cable TV, radio talk shows and,
of course, the Internet. More
and more of us are choosing to
get our “news” from sources
whose political view mimics our
own. Those news sources are
happy to dispense with journal-
istic ethics and. full disclosure
in order to cater to our political
leanings.
If one wants fun anecdotes that
re-enforce one’s political views,
.he talking and blogging heads
will offer them up. However,
remember this caveat: repeat
them at your own risk, they might
not be true.
Our instincts will lead us to
trustworthy sources of informa-
tion if that is what we want.
PROGRESSIVE VIEWS
Claire Oxley Gluck
KENDALL COUNTY
DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Claire Oxley Gluck served as an
American diplomat for 20 years
and has retired to Boerne.
“Real happiness is cheap
enough, yet how dearly
we pay for its counterfeit.”
- Hosea Ballou
le Verse...
“If any of you lacks wisdom,
he should ask God, who,gives
generously to all without finding
fault, and it will be given to him.”
- James 1:5 (NIV)
The BOERNE Star
www.boernestar.com
PUBLISHER & EDITOR
Brian Cartwright
HEADQUARTERS
SIR, THE
MEDIA ARE HAVING
A FIELD PAYi QUESTIONS
ABOUND REGARDING W
HONESTY SOME ARE
CALLING FOR You To
TO SUBMIT TO A
LIE-DETECTOR
TEST
Letters
John Cornyn
U.S.
SENATOR
committee members. Because the
first draft of the declaration was
submitted the very next day, some
reports suggest that Childress came
to Washington with a draft already
prepared.
The structure of the Texas dec-
laration was similar to the U.S.
Declaration of Independence. It
listed Texas’ grievances against
Mexico. It stated that the political
connection between Texas and the
Mexican nation was officially over,
and that Texas was a free and inde-
pendent republic.
It also laid out the functions of
the new government. The original
declaration, the Unanimous Dec-
laration of Independence by the
Delegates of the People of Texas,
was signed by 59 delegates and
five copies were sent to the towns
of Bexar, Goliad, Nacogdoches,
Brazoria and San Felipe. Because
there was not a printing press in
Washington, the printer at San
The original copy was sent to
the U.S. Department of State in
Washington, D.C. It would not
make its return to Texas until after
June 1896.
Following the signing of the dec-
laration, the delegates proceeded
to write the constitution and elect
leaders of the ad-interim govern-
ment. As President, they chose
David Gouverneur Burnet, who
quickly moved the capital of the '
new state from Washington to Har-
risburg to escape Santa Anna’s
men. Burnet carried the declaration
on horseback in his saddlebags to
the new capital.
7
Weeks later, on April 21, 1836,
Texans achieved their indepen-
dence when nearly 900 soldiers
of the Texas Army took down
the larger Mexican army in a
surprise attack at the Battle of San
Jacinto.
Today, we pay tribute to Texas’
founding fathers and the thousands
who took a stand to defend the
land and liberties we cherish today, o
I am proud of our rich history of
independence and success.
And as our state song says, “God 1.
bless you Texas! And keep you 1
brave and strong, That you may
grow in power and worth, Thro’out 3
the ages long.”
MA WERLHERND
News Editor
Sports Editor
Copy Editor
Typesetter
Staff Writers
EDITORIAL
Mark J. Armstrong
Kerry Barboza
Kit Brenner
Molly Meckel
Dave Pasley
Elena Tucker
PRODUCTION
BOOKKEEPING
Office Manager
Sandra Pfeiffer
CIRCULATION
Subscriptions Dana Smith
ADVERTISING
Graphic Design
Rebecca Kirsch
Kristyn Bergman
Marketing Director
Sales
Sales
Sales
Frank Shubert
Kolleen Roe
Karen Raye Brown
JT Maroney
DISTRIBUTION
Circulation Manager Stephen Bartell
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Chris Woemer, Chris Tilton, Anya Maltsberger
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS
Mary' Alice Yelverton, Dr. John Kelly, Natalie Morgan, Jan Wrede, Ed Davis, Anita
Porterfield, Vera D’Spain, Sharon Benedict, Paula White, Mary Alice Dell
Ken Nietenhoefer, Dr. James Dobson, Ellen Damstra,
Tom Harris, Tom Lanier, Lynn Pendley, Kathy Senkbeil, Ron Warden,
Krysta McDaniel. Bill Ward, Peary Perry and Oscar Garcia.
MEMBER OF Texas Press Association, National Newspaper Association,
South Texas Press Association, Texas Gulf Coast Press Association
941 N. School Street • Boerne, TX (UPS 059-740)
830-249-2441 FAX 830-249-4607
THE BOERNE STAR is published twice weekly for $49 per year in Kendall County, $57
elsewhere in Texas and $65 per year outside of Texas by The Boerne Star. 941 N. School St..
Boerne. Kendall County, TX. 78006. Periodical postage paid at Boerne, TX. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to THE BOERNE STAR. 941 N. School St., Boerne, TX 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.
AND THE
BLOGGERS
ARE GOING CRAZY
AGKIN6 ABOUT YOUR
GEXUAL ORIENTATION
AND WONDERING IF
YOU’RE DEPRESSED
AND THE BEARD
HAS TO COmIN
FACT, WE’VE HIRED
AN IMAGE
CONSULTANT #
OR WORSEIE
IF OVREA
RACIST
A FEW REASONS WHY WELL NEVER SEE ANOTHER LIKE HIM
Leave Main Street alone
The fortunes of this little Texas Hill Country town of Boerne have
waxed and waned through the years. Settlers came and built homes
and businesses in town while other bought farms and ranches close by
and brought their trade to Boerne. The Civil War came and stopped
progress. Then the terrible reconstruction period dealt more of a blow
to progress. From the 1880s to World War I, five hotels were built,
a railroad arrived and Boerne became known as a health center and
thrived. All the small farmers prospered by raising cotton as a money
crop until the boll weevil and the drought wiped them out. Then Angora
goats and sheep became the money crop - for a while. The great depres-
sion and the dust bowl drought in the 1930s next took its toll. World
War II arrived in the 1940s and the young men left for the service while
everyone else who needed a job found work at the military installations.
After the War roads into the Hill Country were improved and driving an
auto into San Antonio to purchase goods became the normal thing to do.
The drought of the 1950s again hurt the Texas Hill Country and Boerne
alike. Boerne’s Main Street again got clobbered in the 1980s with the
savings and loan disaster that resulted with 40 percent of the storefronts
empty and that took the building owners several years to recover from.
The railroad was taken up in 1972, but the Interstate Highway was
being built and that again put Boerne on the map. People decided they
could live in the Boerne area and drive to work in San Antonio. How-
ever, Main Street declined as a mercantile center while gift and antique
shops slowly rented the old storefronts. The residence population had
learned to do their basic shopping elsewhere. Boerne then started
acquiring the big box stores off Main Street and commerce started the
move away from Main Street.
If you drive through Texas today you will find hundreds of small
towns like Boerne that have quaint old Main Streets, town squares, etc.
with beautiful old stone and brick buildings. Many of these storefronts
are now dusty and empty.
Lately antique and gift shops have waxed and waned with the whims
of the people who have the funds and enjoy being in that kind of
business. When you take away the old homes, professional offices,
hardware stores, lumber yards, real estate offices, pharmacies, cloth-
ing stores, grocery stores, newspapers, cafes, liquor stores, beauty and
barber shops, auto dealerships, parts stores, florists, gas stations, banks,
savings and loan, clinics, doctors, bakeries, jewelry stores, delicates-
sens, etc. from Main Street what do you have left that is viable? Then
add too many municipal restrictions, enlarge the Historic District and
excessive property taxes you will finally end up like all these other
small towns with downtown deserted. Everything will be out on the
Interstate Highway or gone forever.
It is best to leave well enough alone - think about how much damage
has already been done to Boerne.
Bull comes through for Soccer Bulls b
Boerne Soccer Club’s spring season kicked off last Saturday. As coach
of my 5-year-old son’s team, I allowed him to choose our team’s mas-"
cot before the season began. He chose “The Bulls.” Shortly thereafter, 2
we received our team jerseys. They were green. Hmm ... Green Bulls,
I thought. Our team had no sponsor, so I approached Jerry Gowen at 0
- where else? - Green Bull Jewelry on Main Street. Without batting an d
eye, he agreed to sponsor the team. It couldn’t have come at a better
time for the Boerne Soccer Club, which turns away no child because 2
of inability to pay. The club has received more than 70 scholarship
requests this season.
- Kevin Thompson 2
Boerne D
Letters to the Editor Policy
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. Addresses and
telephone numbers are for verification purposes only and will not be
published. Names and city of residence will be published. Letters
should be short and concise, long enough only to make your point. 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 pub-
lish anonymous letters. Priority will be given to letters 300 words or
less that concern local topics and written by people who’ve not pub-
lished a letter in the last 30 days. Call 249-2441 with questions
regarding the submission of letters to the editor for publication.
Letter to the Editor
PO Box 820 Boerne, TX 78006
news@boernestar.com
THE BOERNE Star Online Poll
Should the first floor of Boerne’s downtown
buildings be limited for retail?
■ Yes
■ No
■ No Opinion
29%
68%
3 %
WRITE "EM!
KENDALL COUNTY
JUDGE GAYLAN
SCHROEDER
204 E. San Antonio
Boerne, Texas 78006
830-249-9343
Commissioners
ANN REISSIG
GENE MIERTSCHIN
DARRELL LUX
KENNETH RUSCH
204 E. San Antonio
830-249-9343
BOERNEISD
Superintendent
JOHN KELLY
123 W. Johns Rd.
Boerne, Texas 78006
830-357-2000
COMFORT ISD
Superintendent
JOHN CHAPMAN
232 High St., Comfort
830-995-3664
- Ed Mergele
Boerne
STATE BOARD
OF EDUCATION
District 5 - 205 W. Travis
Fredericksburg, TX, 78624
830-997-9759
STATE SENATOR, DIST 25
JEFF WENTWORTH
1250 NE Loop 410 St. 925
San Antonio, Tx 78209
210-826-7800
Results of 68 votes cast as of noon Thursday. Visit
www.boernestar.com and cast your vote today.
CITY OF BOERNE
MAYOR DAN HECKLER
• 402 E. Blanco
830-249-9511
STATE LEVEL
GOVERNOR RICK PERRY
State Capital, Room 200
Austin, Texas 78701
512-463-2000
STATE REP., DIST 73
DOUG MILLER
Room E1.216, Capitol Ext.
Austin, TX 78701
512-463-0325
FEDERAL LEVEL
PRESIDENT
BARACK OBAMA
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 20000
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON
703 Hart Senate
Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-5922
San Antonio Office
U.S. SENATOR
JOHN CORNYN
Russell Bldg. Rm. 179
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2934
REP. LAMAR SMITH
Congressman Lamar Smith
2409 Rayburn House Office
Bldg. | Washington, D.C.
202-225-4236
San Antonio Office
Guaranty Bank Building
. MEETING TIMES
BOERNE
CITY COUNCIL
7:30 p.m. second and fourth
Tuesdays, City Hall, 402 E.
Blanco, Boerne.
BOERNE ISD TRUSTEES
6:30 p.m. third Monday,
BISD boardroom
COMFORT ISD TRUSTEES
7 p.m. second Monday in the
board offices
145 Duncan Dr., .Suite 120 1100 NE Loop 410, Ste. 640
San Antonio, TX 78226
210-340-2885
210-349-6753 (FAX)
San Antonio, TX 78209
210-821-5024
210-821-5947 fax
lamarsmith.house.gov
KENDALL COUNTY'
COMMISSIONERS
9 a.m. second and fourth
Monday, Kendall County
Courthouse, 204 E. San
Antonio, Boerne
COW CREEK
GROUNDWATER
CONSERVATION DISTRICT
second Monday at the
District Office. 216 Market
Ave., Ste. 105 Boerne
’ A
3
I
3
b
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Cartwright, Brian. The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 103, No. 19, Ed. 1 Friday, March 6, 2009, newspaper, March 6, 2009; Boerne, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1667385/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.