The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 18, Ed. 1 Tuesday, March 2, 2010 Page: 4 of 16
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PAGE 4
The BOERNE Star
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Star Editorial
Still time to vote!
If you were not among the more than 3,300 Kend-
all County voters who took advantage of the two-
week early voting period, there's still time to cast
your ballot.
Polls throughout the county are open from 7 a.m.
to 7 p.m. today for the Kendall County Republican
and Democratic primaries. A list of polling places
has been published twice in The Boerne Star and it
is available on www.boernestar.com.
In addition, the list can be accessed on the Kendall
County Web site, www.co.kendall.tx.us at the elec-
tions page, kendall.texaselections.us. In addition, if
you need directions, Elections Administrator Rosie
Reyes and her staff will help if you call them at
830-249-9343, ext. 390.
So if you're registered, you have little excuse for
not exercising your right to vote.
Many local races will be decided in today's pri-
maries. Others will be decided in November. The
local county positions up for election are important
and the people who are willing to run for election
deserve support for their dedication and desire to
serve the community. Show your support by going
to the polls.
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only and will not be published.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 publish anonymous letters. Priority will
be given to letters 300 words or less that concern local topics and
written by people who’ve not published a letter in the last 30
days.
The Boerne Star does not accept letters to the editor urging
voters to vote for or against candidates in local elections.
Endorsements should be displayed in political advertising. In
light of this policy, we reserve the right to reject or edit letters
for references to candidates and whether or not they should be
elected.
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
Worth Quoting
"We can’t all be heroes because
somebody has to sit on the curb
and clap as they go by.”
- Will Rogers
Bi le Verse
‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will
say it again: Rejoice!"
- Philippians 4:4 (NIV)
The BOERNE Star
www.boernestar.com
PUBLISHER & EDITOR
Brian Cartwright
EDITORIAL
Managing Editor
Sports Editor
Copy Editor
Staff Writers
BOOKKEEPING
Graphic Design
PRODUCTION
Candace E. Velvin
Kerry Barboza
Kit Brenner
Dave Pasley
Elena Tucker
Office Manager
Sandra Pfeiffer
CIRCULATION
Subscriptions Dana Smith
ADVERTISING
Kristyn Bergman
Marketing Director
Sales
Sales
Frank Shubert
Kolleen Roe
JT Maroney
DISTRIBUTION
Circulation Manager Stephen Bartell
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Chris Woerner, Chris Tilton, Anya Maltsberger
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS
Mary Alice Yelverton, Dr. John Kelly, Natalie Morgan, Jan Wrede, Ed Davis, Anita
Porterfield, Sharon Benedict, Paula White, Mary Alice Dell
Ken Nietenhoefer, Dr. James Dobson, Ellen Damstra,
Tom Harris, Tom Lanier. Kathy Senkbeil. Ron Warden, Krysta McDaniel,
Paul Barwick, Paula Horner, Bill Ward 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.
U.S.P.S.059-740
VIEW
POINTS
Sweep nabs nearly 300 individuals
AUSTIN - U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement and its
law enforcement partners arrested
284 foreign nationals with crimi-
nal records during a three-day
enforcement surge throughout
Texas, making it the biggest oper-
ation of its kind carried out by
ICE in the state.
The operation concluded Feb.
25. ICE officers and agents
worked in teams with the U.S.
Marshals Service, Department of
State’s Diplomatic Security Ser-
vice and local law enforcement
agencies.
Of those arrested, nearly 160
have violent criminal histories,
such as homicide, assault and
robbery, and more than 20 have
convictions for sexual offenses. Of
the total arrested, 18 already have
been removed from the country.
TEXAS STANDARDS
ALREADY HIGHER
Texas’ English and mathemat-
ics college and career readiness
standards meet and in some
cases exceed national standards,
according to an analysis released
Feb. 23.
CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS
| Ed Sterling
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Texas College and Career Readi-
ness Standards adopted in 2008
were compared with the national
Common Core College Readiness
Standards created by the Council
of Chief State School Officers
and the National Governors
Association.
Examples of standards for Texas
students that are not in the national
standards:
♦ Analyze works of literature for
what they suggest about the his-
torical period and cultural context
in which they were written;
• Use effective reading strategies
to determine a written work’s pur-
pose and intended audience;
• Identify and analyze the audi-
ence, purpose, and message of an
informative or persuasive text;
• Geometric reasoning that makes
connections between geometry,
statistics and probabilities;
• Connecting mathematics to the
study of other disciplines by using
appropriate mathematical models
in the natural, physical and social
sciences.
FORMER SECRETARY
OF STATE DIES
Myra McDaniel, Texas’ first
African American secretary of
state, died of lung cancer at her
home in Austin on Feb. 25. She
was buried in the Texas State
Cemetery on March 1.
McDaniel, 77, served as gen-
eral counsel to Gov. Mark White.
White named her secretary of state
in 1984 and she served until 1987.
She also was a former assistant
special counsel, Railroad Com-
mission of Texas and former chief,
Taxation Division, Office of the
Attorney General of Texas. Most
recently, she was an attorney for
the Austin law firm of Bickerstaff,
Heath, Delgado, Acosta L.L.P.
Gov. Rick Perry said McDaniel
“personified the Texas tradition
of dedication to her community,
from editing her church newslet-
ter all the way to serving as Texas
secretary of state.”
SNAPSHOT BEFORE
PRIMARIES
On the weekend before the
March 2 party primaries, poll-
ing information pointed toward a
likely runoff between incumbent
Republican Gov. Rick Perry and
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Debra Medina of Wharton was
running third.
In the Democratic primary, with
the two top polling candidates
for governor, Houston Mayor Bill
White and Houston businessman
Farouk Shami, showed White
with a double-digit lead.
ARRA MONEY
IS SPOKEN FOR
The Texas Department of
Transportation reported Feb.
25 that various transportation
authorities in the state have obli-
gated all of the $2.25 billion
Texas received for transporta-
tion projects through the federal
American Recovery and Rein-
vestment Act.
The money will be used for
highways, bridges, rail and trans-
portation enhancement projects.
The ACCELERATOR
STUCK, the BRAKE
HAVE FAILED, Wo S
WHEELS HAVE COME
Letters to the Editor
Psatot A ^^o^ai
WER—,
ALKING ABoU
DYOTA,
Praise for Animal League Artists can help HCAL
I recently had to take a stray cat to the Hill Country Animal League in My name is Leighann Foster. I am a Boerne artist and 1 think I have a
Boerne. I cannot tell you how much I was extremely impressed with the project that might interest animal lovers and artists.
professionalism, compassion and courtesy that everyone displayed. You I have donated one of my oil paintings to the Hill Country Animal
have heard about “Doing more with less?” Well, you know and I know, League to be raffled off with the proceeds going to the HCAL. The
these people are very underpaid, probably don’t get any health benefits painting will be on display at Gallery 605 March 1-20 and at Bergmann
but yet, the way they performed was extraordinary with what they had Lumber Co. March 21-31. The drawing will be on March 31.
to accomplish! These poor animals are somebody’s “children” and the Gallery 605 is located at 605 S. Main, Boerne and their hours are
service these young people provide is crucial to everyone. seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On March 13, the gallery will also
...I salute each and every one of you and God bless you for what you be open from 4-8 p.m. Bergmann’s Lumber Co. is located at 236 Main
do. Street and their hours are Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and
-Bob Ayers, Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Spring Branch
Where’s the Logic?
Re: Judy Kamen-McMillan’s opinion piece, “We Can’t Abandon
Health Care Reform,” (February 28)
Ms. Kamen-McMillan, you try to make the point that “Texas tops
the nation in percentage of residents who avoid physicians because
they can’t afford it,” but then you twist statistics in such a way that is
laughable. You state that the Texas Diabetes Council estimates that 1.7
million Texans have been “diagnosed with diabetes,” and then pose
the question - “do you think there could be some connection with lack
of access in health care in this state?” I’ll answer your question, Ms.
Kamen-McMillan, as you posed it. No, there is no connection, because
the 1.7 million Texans “diagnosed with diabetes” had to receive that
diagnosis from a health professional. That means they had access to
health care.
DUH. Next time you are looking for statistics to twist, why don’t you
check the latest polls. Most Americans want health care reform but
don’t want the abomination proposed by Obama and the Democrats.
- Nancy Minor,
Bergheim
Anyone who has been in Bergmann Lumber Co. knows they are fond
of Cocker Spaniels and have owned many generations of this breed.
One day I was in the store looking for new material to paint I took a
photo of Pixie and Sadie as they slept on the stair. There was a small
sign on the step between the dogs that said “Employees Only.” Their
job, aside from being the cute company dogs, is to bark if a customer
tries to go up the stair. I caught the moment and named the painting
“Employees Only.” It is oil on canvas board, framed.
Gallery 605 has agreed to display one artist, one work of art repre-
senting an animal each month. If you are interested in donating a work
of art to help support the Hill Country Animal League please contact
me, Leighann Foster, foster3 @ gvtc.com, with a digital image, a phone
number and some information about yourself. I will forward your work
to Gallery owner Dan Harris and he will make the final decision for the
Monthly-Featured Animal Artist. He is looking for high quality artwork
of any animal in drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, or pastel.
This is a chance to help support a worthy cause and get your work
shown. The next artist will be featured in the month of April.
I am a retired art teacher having taught for 27 years. I now paint full
time. I work mainly in painting and drawing and I am the founding
artist/-teacher of Artists Who Teach, www.artistswhoteach.org.
- Leighann Foster,
Boerne
New Driver Education Course for 18 to 24-year-olds
Most laws passed during a Texas
legislative session become effec-
tive either on Sept. 1 of the year
they were passed or Jan. 1 of the
following year; however, there are
exceptions.
One of those exceptions is a new
law that impacts 18- to 24-year-old
driver’s license applicants. The law
is effective as of March 1.
To become a licensed driver
in Texas, first-time applicants
between die ages of 18 and 24
are now required to complete an
approved driver education course
and a driving skills test.
The new law is a result of Senate
Bill 1317, which the Texas Leg-
islature passed during last year’s
regular legislative session.
I authored this bill after learn-
ing that in fiscal year 2007, Texas
issued 170,000 driver’s licenses
to first-time applicants who were
between 18 and 24 years of age.
Applicants younger than 18 are
required to complete compre-
hensive driver education courses
consisting of nearly 50 hours of
classroom and in-car instruction.
Prior to March 1, applicants older
than age 18 were required to pass
a basic knowledge examination
and a minimal skills behind-the-
wheel driving test. These minimal
requirements provided a substan-
tial incentive for many Texans to
wait until they were 18 to apply for
a driver’s license.
At first glance, it would seem that
Texans who waited until they were
between the ages of 18 and 25 to
obtain a driver’s license would be
less likely to be involved in traffic
crashes than younger drivers.
Surprisingly, a second glance
reveals that drivers between the
ages of 19 and 24 have been dying
in traffic crashes at a higher rate
than 16- and 17-year-old drivers.
These statistics convinced me
that drivers under the age of 25
IN THE TEXAS SENATE
Jeff
Wentworth
TEXAS STATE
SENATOR
who were getting a driver’s license
for the first time need to take
a comprehensive driver education
course based on research that has
identified issues most commonly
associated with motor vehicle acci-
dents involving new drivers, such
as risk-taking, impaired driving,
speed, driving at night and using
a wireless communications device
while operating a vehicle.
Senate Bill 1317 creates a six-
hour required driver education
course for applicants who are
younger than 25 years of age who
do not have an appropriate driver
education certificate showing that
the applicant has passed a driver
education course approved by the
Texas Education Agency.
A list of approved courses may
be found on the Internet at ritter.
tea.state.tx.us/drive/activede.html
or www.tea.state.tx.us .
A driving safety course or drug
and alcohol driving awareness pro-
gram are not acceptable as driver
education courses for this new
law.
Applicants who present proof
of successful completion of an
approved course will not be
required to take the written high-
way signs and traffic laws test
required by the Texas Transporta-
tion Code; however, they still must
pass the driving skills examination
to receive a driver’s license.
The new law does not impact
applicants ages 15 to 17, who are
still required to complete a driver
education course to become a
licensed driver in Texas.
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Cartwright, Brian & Velvin, Candace E. The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 18, Ed. 1 Tuesday, March 2, 2010, newspaper, March 2, 2010; Boerne, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1667487/m1/4/: accessed July 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Patrick Heath Public Library.