Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 29, No. 5, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 28, 1993 Page: 1 of 20
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Only one objection voiced at
SehooVs tax rate hearing |
f. ' 9*. SALLYELLERTSON fe a \>*
4 Only one person object to the School District’s pro-
posed taxrafoatthe public hearing Monday night. v;
^Ihave two concerns on the tax hilt*. One is the school district is
the only taxing entity in the county that doesn't have a handicapped
exemption. The taxes are quite high her**»d it puts a Strain On those
»*o are on Social Security disability" Glen Griffin said. His wife is
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W hen you set the clocks back, it’s also
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Single Copy 50^
Burleson, Texas • For The Good Life
® 1993 Burleson Publishing, Inc.
Volume 29. Number 5
20 Pages in 2 Sections
LESO
Iad
Thursday
October 28, 1993
Dressed for Halloween
The children went dressed for Halloween at Tuesday's Storytime at the
Burleson Public Library. The two in the top photo were fascinated by
ghosts decorating the walls while the little clown in the middle photo was
content to sit and eat a cookie. The tiniest one—Logan Littlejohn, bottom
photo—and the toughest one (a lion) was all smiles as her mother re-
corded the moment on a videocamera. Trick or treating will take place
Saturday night.
Cruelty case
may be filed
in dog death
A ■
A Burleson animal control offi-
cer had to euthanize a buff-colored
cocker spaniel last week after the dog
was found neglected in the yard of a
Burleson residence.
On a tip, Burleson Animal Con-
trol Officer Bob Adams went to a
home in the 400 block of Berkshire
on Oct 22 to check on a dog that was
reportedly neglected. He found what
appeared to be a cocker spaniel who
only had his head and front legs stick-
ing out of an empty dog food bag.
The gate was open on the backyard
that that dog was left in.
Adams requested help from the
Burleson Police Department to re-
trieve the dog. According to Cpl.
Wolf Ploofs report, the dog didn't
appear to have any muscles, just
bones. He whimpered and moved his
head slightly when the officers ap-
proached but could not move his hind
quarters. The cocker spaniel was
covered with bugs and almost all of
his fur was matted together. His toe-
nails were also almost completely
grown around into the pads of the
dog's feet.
The officers took the animal to
Dr. MacKay Rice, who reportedly
recommended that the animal be put
to sleep because he didn't think it
would recover, even with special care.
The police corporal took several pho-
tos of the dog before it was euthanized.
Ploof said the veterinarian de-
scribed the dog as being extremely
dehydrated, undernourished, and ne-
glected. Fly eggs had attached in and
around the dog's mouth and the ani-
mal was infested with fleas and ticks.
According to the report, the sus-
pect in the cruelty to animals case is
a 32-year-old woman, a resident of
the house the dog was taken from.
She reportedly said the dog had died
the day before animal control arrived
so she put it in the bag to prepare it for
burial.
Cruelty to animals is classified
as a Class A misdemeanor. If the case
goes to court and the suspect is con-
victed, the maximum sentence would
be one year in jail and an optional fine
of no more thqn $2,000.
Much ado...
Parents> trustees, administrators, and
travel agents discuss show choir trip
BY SALLY ELLERTSON
As predicted in Monday's Burle-
son Star, much was said in the 94
minutes it took for show choir par-
ents, school board members, travel
agents, and school administrates to
hash out the problems with the Burle-
son High School Show Choir's trip to
Germany last year.
The parents said the trip went so
badly, as far as preparation, that near
the end of the trip, the tour guide the
agency sent with the group was asked
"by the agency to no longer accom-
pany the families."
According to the parents, there
was no advance publicity of the show
choir's trip to the places they were
supposed to perform so they per-
formed to just walk-ins. The group
also missed a reception with a mayor
and a tour of a European city.
The parents also had a problem
with the selection process for the
travel agency. The parents picked an
agency to arrange the trip but after a
bidding process, that agency was not
ased.
"A rather tack-handed method
was used to implement the agency
selection process. The director (Deb-
bie Pesnell) was on a no-win playing
Held with policy confusion and an
agency easily became a loose can-
non," Jerry Myers, one of the parents,
said.
A local travel agent, Ginna
Blackwell, said the problem with the
travel agencies began before the
bidding process.
"The problems with this trip
sorted because the trip was set up—
they (agency) knew all the details—
before it ever came before the board
and before the (bid) proposals ever
came out," Blackwell said. "I know
who set the trip up. It may not have
been paid for, but it was still set up,
which blocked anyone else from
going in and setting up space (on an
airline). There was trouble with the
air travel before you got it and I know
most of you are aware of that’’
One of the parents, Barbara
Baugh, said that couldn't have hap-
pened.
"Debbie [contacted the agency]
solely to get a quote on how much a
trip like that would cost and then
came to the parents and said, 'I got a
quote and it's going to cost approxi-
mately this much money.' Now that
travel agency did everything else on
its own. She didn't say 'book us.' If
she had done that we would have had
to put money up. They did that be-
cause they had used them before and
probably took it for granted. They
probably didn't know about the bid-
ding."
"Somebody did know about it
before the bids went out and they had
a head start on everyone else and
that's how the whole thing got on the
wrong track. Whether anyone wants
to admit it or not, that's how it hap-
pened," Blackwell said.
At the end of the over hour and a
half session, the owner of the agency
used on the trip stood up to defend his
business.
"I came to the school and asked
to be put on a bidders list True, I put
my trust in a tour company that was,
to say the least... I don't know what
you would say. Horrible is too kind.
I did my homework and I did check
their references. I did check some of
the people that had went (sic) on
tours and their recommendations were
very fine. I'm sorry this trip went this
way. I made the big mistake of send-
ing a tour director on it. That was the
biggest mistake I ever made in my
life." the owner said.
Please see PARENTS, Page 2B
Health hazard may
exist at county jail
By RANDY SCOGGIN
A potential hazardous health
time bomb was presented to commis-
sioners at the regular monthly meet-
ing, Monday, OcL 25.
Dr. Arthur Raines, Johnson
County Medical Officer, reported to
commissioners on a potential!) dan-
gerous situation at the Johnson
County Law Enforcement Center
(JCLEC) concerning an inmate who
was diagnosed with active tubercu-
lous (TB).
The inmate, an alleged homo-
sexual, male prostitute, intravenous
drug user, had been in and out of jails
numerous times, and upon being
booked into the JCLEC it was dis-
covered that he was a TB bacteria
carrier. The dangerous situation
What's happening for Halloween?
The only Burleson Halloween event submitted to the Burleson Star is
Operation Safe Haven, which will lake place between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30
p.m. in the front parking lot of Burleson Baptist Temple on Wilshire
Boulevard.
The church is the main sponsor this year of the event There will be
a Just Say No safe haven and a carnival for younger children. Candy and
coupons will also be given out. The entire program is free to the public.
Three other events in the Metroplex were also submitted for inclusion
in the Halloween Roundup. They include the Hangman's House of Honors
in Fort Worth, Reaper's Inn in Fort Worth, and the Phantom Asylum in
Arlington.
The Hangman's House of Horrors will be in the old car dealership at
the northeast corner of 1-30 and Forest Park. It's open Friday and Saturday
with doors opening 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weeknights and until midnight on
the weekend. The house includes 27 scenes. The proceeds will benefit the
Tarrant County Multiple Schlerosis Assocaition.
The Reaper's Inn benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association and is
located at 6216 Hulen Bend. It is open through Oct. 31 with hours on
Thursday being 7 p.m.-lO p.m.; and Friday, Saturday, and Halloween
from 7 p.m.-midnighL Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for kids under 13.
And last but not least, the Phantom Aslym benefits the March of
Dimes. It's open 7 p.m.-10 p.m. on Oct. 28 and 7 p.m.-midnight, OcL 29-
31. It's located at the Fun Sphere next to Wet 'nWild in Arlington. The cost
is $5 with all proceeds going to the March of Dimes.
The Burleson fire marshal's office and the crime prevention division
of the police department offered several hints for a safe Halloween.
—Instead of a candle to light a pumpkin, use a small flashlight or one
of the liquid lights that glow for hours.
—Purchase only flame retardant or flame proof costumes. Be sure
they fit properly to prevent trippingand make sure that you have full vision
from your made.
—Wear something reflective on your costume when trick or treating.
Carry a flashlight and travel in groups with an adult for safety. It's more fun
to go with a parent, friend, or brother and sister.
—Try to stay off the roadway and always remove your mask before
crossing the street.
—Kids, don't eat any of the candy until your parents can check them.
—Trick or treat in your own neighborhood where you know the
people. Only travel on well-lighted streets. r
—As with any other time, beware of someone you don't know. Don't
accept ridgy from strangers. _
arose when Raines was made aware
of a situation where, a person with
the criteria associated with being
HIV infected, could transmit un-
treatable TB.
Raines explained that because a
person has HIV or AIDS they have
a lowered immune system, and can
contract TB easier. The TB bacteria
becomes immune to several of the
drugs that can treat it "HTV can only
be transmitted by the exchange of
blood or body fluids, but TB can be
transmitted by breathing contami-
nated air. In a person who has HIV
or AIDS then TB becomes immune
to treatment, and when a normal
person contracts this type of TB it
cannot be treated, and becomes fatal
in a normal person,” Raines said
"Although we don't know that this
person has AIDS, we do know that
he fits all the criteria for having it
We also know that the is on multiple
drug therapy for TB.”
Raines requested that the com-
missioners find a way to re-engineer
certain areas of JCLEC to be isolated
including the air conditioning sys-
tem. Raines also indicated that a
HEPA filter be installed in the jails
current air conditioning system. The
HEPA filter is capable Of filtering out
airborne virus and germs.
Another concern expressed by
Raines was not only did the inmate
come in contact with other inmates,
he also came in contact with jailers,
law enforcement officers, persons in
booking, and the courtroom.
Two years ago, Raines put into
effect at the JCLEC a TB dun test
program for inmates who were go-
ing to be incarcerated for more than
five days.
He reported that only one case
ofTB had been discovered in the two
year period
An advisory group has been
scheduled to come the JCLEC in
November to make recommendttions
for the re-engineering of the county
facility for inmates who may pose a
health hazard
According to Raines, in some
cases. TB bacteria can remain active
out of the body for three years.
"It doesn't do well in ultraviolet
light (sun light), but there isn't much
sun in the jail dr the air condition-
ing ducts," Raines said
Also according to Raines, as
long as a person diagonsed with the
TB bacteria is receiving treatment he
Please see RESOLUTION, Pg. 5B
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Ellertson, Sally. Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 29, No. 5, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 28, 1993, newspaper, October 28, 1993; Burleson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth762301/m1/1/: accessed July 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Burleson Public Library.