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SANDERSON –
The Terrell County School Board Monday approved a $10.7 million budget for
the 2009-10 school year and “proposed” a tax rate of $1.2185 per $100 assessed
valuation to support it. A public
hearing on the tax rate was scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, before
the next regular School Board meeting. School Board
President Ada Lee Robbins said the new budget is
down “right at $1 million” from the current year’s budget. Declining
values of oil and gas properties in the county reduced the tax base this
year. The tax rate
includes the state-mandated maximum of $1.04 for “maintenance and operations”
– essentially all costs except debt service – and 17.85 cents for debt
service. The total tax
rate for the year just ending was $1.157. Business
Manager Blain Chriesman said the debt service
should “stay level no matter what happens with a November bond issue.” The board has
discussed asking voter approval of a $1.6 million bond issue on the November
3 ballot as a measure to reduce “recapture,” the amount the district has to
send to other school districts under the state’s so-called “Robin Hood”
finance scheme. The current
recapture level for Terrell County ISD is 86.58 percent, though Chriesman said he expects a somewhat lower rate this
year. That means
that for every dollar the district collects in taxes, it has to send nearly
87 cents to another district. “Recapture” payments currently stand at more
than $1 million per month. State law
allows districts to exempt revenues from “voter approved” bonds from
recapture, allowing more money for the school district. A similar 2004
issue has been expended but school officials say it was a valuable tool for
keeping revenue at home. The
“recapture” issues are five-year bonds and can provide upwards of $200,000
per year for “capital” items, essentially anything that has a shelf life of
more than one year. It could
include sports, band and other uniforms, books and even vehicles. With a
recapture rate of 86.58 percent, if the district had to buy the items from
the regular operating budget, taxpayers would be out about $7.45 for every $1
it gets in buying power. Chriesman said the
17.85 cents for debt service was “right at” the amount projected when the $14
million construction bond issue was proposed in May, 2007. The
construction bonds are providing new high school classrooms south of the
existing junior high school building, a new vocational building, field house
at the football stadium and other improvements. Chriesman said the
budget is balanced but, depending on interest rates and other unforeseen
economic indicators, the district will “have to watch it closely.” He said some
districts around the state are showing serious fund balance deficits. In other
action Monday, the board approved a salary schedule that includes a
state-mandated $800 per year increase for teachers and a two percent boost
for professional and administrative personnel, including Superintendent Gary
Hamilton. The board
approved the handbook for cheerleaders, the last of the student handbooks to
get final approval, and agreed to advertise for a new kindergarten teacher. Board members’
training hours were also announced as required by state law. Others
included Cheryl Seidel with 110 hours, James Chapoy
with 44.75, Robbins said
she and Hamilton also recorded “at least” four more hours of construction
training that were not included in the total. The state
requires at least four hours of training per year. SANDERSON –
The Sanderson High School Spanish Club trip to Junior High
School Administrator and Assistant Coach Jerry Garza left yesterday, Sept. 3,
for Garza said it
is for teachers to be able to help their students with things such as
negotiating airports, dealing with lost luggage, check-in at hotels, tipping
strategies and other issues. He said it is
a four-day trip and he will return Monday night. He said he
struggled a bit about being gone for Homecoming. He said he expressed his
concern to his daughter, Jessica, a senior at “Go for it,
Dad,” he quoted her as saying. “It’s a chance in a lifetime.” Nine members
of the Spanish Club plan to take the trip to “Some of them
have since graduated but they were involved in the fundraising and plan to
go,” he said. Besides
Jessica, students on the trip will be Fabian Orozco, Valeria Orozco, Miriam Nuñez, Noemi Nuñez, Vicky
Busch, Travis Roberts, Chris Marquez and Monica Lozano. Garza said the
students have raised “about half of what we need.” He said car
washes, bake sales and other fundraising activities will be scheduled soon. at SRSU ALPINE – The Sul Ross Office of Enrollment Management and the
Education Department will facilitate arrangements for the meeting, scheduled
at 10 a.m. in the Region 18
Teachers of the Year – Committee
presentations and reports will be provided, a legislative update will be
given and a program on a comprehensive school support plan will be presented.
Information on
the Sul Ross GEAR UP program will be offered. The Sul Ross Office of Recruiting will provide university
information and tours will be offered by the Student Ambassadors. The session
will conclude with a lunch served by ARAMARK. The Teacher
Education Program Advisory Committee will meet at 1 p.m. in the for vets By
SUSAN COMBS Comptroller
of Public Accounts Veterans who
meet the highest threshold of qualifications will be exempt from paying any
property taxes on their homesteads. To qualify for
a full exemption, veterans must be classified by the US Department of
Veterans Affairs as being unemployable or having a 100-percent disability
rating. Veterans must
also have received 100-percent disability compensation from the VA. Veterans
wishing to claim the exemption can begin the process by contacting their
county appraisal districts. House Bill
3613 from the 81st Texas Legislature allows the complete property tax exemption,
which is effective for 2009 and onward. The law,
however, does not allow the surviving spouse of eligible veterans to receive
the homestead exemption. Surviving
spouses do remain eligible for the exemptions for people with disabilities
and for people age 65 and older. Another
exemption is also available for disabled veterans, including those classified
by the VA as less than 100 percent disabled and those qualified for the full
homestead property tax exemption. Beginning at a
10-percent VA disability rating, a veteran can get an exemption of $5,000 to
$12,000 for any one property he or she owns. For veterans
receiving the full homestead property tax exemption, the additional exemption
could be applied to non-homestead property. If you or
someone you know is a disabled veteran living in During these
uncertain economic times, it has true potential to help those who have made
tremendous sacrifices make ends meet. AUSTIN – The
Texas Department of Transportation unveiled new website tools this week,
which will enable the public to interactively examine lists of congested
roadways in the state, look up pavement condition ratings and see how the
maintenance funds spent in their area will impact their roadways. The tools,
which are linked to the department’s project tracker, were created at the
direction of the Texas Legislature. The idea of
sharing congestion data with the public is not new. The Texas Transportation
Institute at “Sharing the
information in such an interactive and state-focused manner is always an
appropriate exercise, especially in times of tight funding,” a TxDOT news release said. TxDOT said it will
work with Metropolitan Planning Organizations across the state to align
resources to meet the most pressing needs. TxDOT coordinated
with outside research institutions to ensure the accuracy and impartiality of
the methodology used in the new tools. While TxDOT tracks pavement quality scores, the Center for
Transportation Research, housed at the The list of
the top 100 most congested roadways was compiled using information from TTI,
which creates an annual list of most congested urban areas in the nation
based on their calculation of a Traffic Congestion Index. The new
website tools and the TxDOT project tracker are
available by visiting the site at http://www.txdot.gov/project_information/default.htm.
ALPINE – Roy
Cantu’s love of bells and admiration for a former teacher culminated in the
installation of a computer- based bell carillon at The 1974 Sul Ross graduate, now a funeral director at Turcotte-Piper Mortuary in Kingsville, dedicated the Sul Ross bells to his former history teacher, Metha Sprinkle, during a ceremony Saturday on the
University Mall. “I have
enjoyed listening to bells since I was seven or eight years old,” Cantu said,
recalling an incident at his Catholic school. He once rang
the bells without the priest’s permission, pushing aside the appointed altar
boy to pull the rope. “My actions
led to a good whipping from Mother Superior,” he said. “Since then, my love
of bells ceased until later in life.” The Sul Ross Bells are a computer-based church bell carillon
that offers During the
dedication ceremony, the bells sounded the National Anthem, the Sul Ross Alma Mater, Lobo Fight Song, “Amazing Grace” and
demonstrations of early Christian chimes, Russian Orthodox and wedding peals. Cantu’s
dedication address included a history of bells, beginning with the early
Christian church. “Today, we
celebrate the bells and the beautiful message they impart,” he said. “My
donation is but a small token of appreciation for the education I received
here.” He dedicated
the bells to Sprinkle, who taught in the Education Department from 1974 to
1984, retiring as an assistant professor. She also
briefly taught history at Sul Ross. She received
the Outstanding Teaching Award for 1982-83 and delivered the May, 1983,
commencement address. The dedication
also included a proclamation from Texas Gov. Rick Perry and the unveiling of
a photograph of Sprinkle and a plaque in the Vic and Mary Jane Morgan University
Center. Morgan, who
retired Aug. 31 after 19 years as Sul Ross
President, and State Rep. Pete P. Gallego, a Sul Ross graduate, also spoke at the dedication. “We are
pleased to dedicate and celebrate the addition of the Sul
Ross State University Campus Bells,” Morgan said. “We have had a lot of
positive comments from faculty, staff and students and we are grateful for
this generous gift from Roy Cantu.” Gallego spoke about
the attachment graduates often keep to Sul Ross,
and the subsequent gifts and contributions that Cantu and others have made.
He also praised Sprinkle. “She stepped
in and took a leading role in educating so many people,” Gallego
said. “She has had a huge influence on so many people here at Sul Ross and this is a fitting tribute.” |
LENORAH – The
opening game of the Six Man Football season is known as “week zero” and it
was just that for the Sanderson Eagles last week – a big goose egg on their
side of the scoreboard. The Grady
Wildcats, which always give the Eagles a hard time, “45d” the visitors for
the second time in a row here. We just didn’t
give ourselves a chance to give Grady a game,” Sanderson Head Coach and
Athletic Director Mark Dominguez said. “Our intensity just wasn’t up. “It was kind
of the same thing as we did [in the scrimmage] with Imperial [ The blood
letting began here last week with less than a minute gone in the first period
when Wildcat senior Dylan Cox threw for 38 yards to Tyler Matthews. The point
after failed but the Eagles were already looking at a six-point deficit. Five minutes
later, with 4:06 on the first quarter clock, Dylan threw for 34 yards to
Jacob Rodriguez. Anibal Medina booted
the points after and it was 14-0 with the Eagles second best. And there the
first quarter ended. But with only
six second gone in the second stanza, Anibal ran
for 15 yards and another Wildcat score, then turned around and booted the PAT
and it was 22 to zip. Two minutes
later, with 7:35 to go in the half, Dylan completed another toss to Jacob for
six yards and six points. Anibal booted for two
more and it was 30-0 Wildcats. With 5:11 left
in the half, Dylan threw a 31 yard strike to Dominguez said
the Eagles saw some life early in the second half but at that point they were
already down by 38 points. “We saw we
could move the ball but it’s kind of hard to make a game when you are down by
38 points,” he said. “We can’t afford to spot points to any team.” Both sides
held the offense off for half of the third period but with 4:19 on the
third-quarter clock, John Ramirez ran for 16 yards and Anibal
added two more. It was enough
for a “mercy killing” at 46-0 Wildcats. “Dylan Cox
looked good,” Wildcat Head Coach Joe Helms told the News Leader. “Our defense
played well. In six-man [football], any time you can hold the other side
scoreless, you are doing something right.” He said the
Wildcat offense was “pretty balanced,” rushing for 120 yards and passing for
153. Dominguez said
the Eagles will have a chance to redeem themselves tonight when they host the
Grandfalls-Royalty Cowboys at the Homecoming game. “If we can’t
get fired up for Homecoming, that will tell us something,” Dominguez said.
“And we are playing at home. “It’s still a
work in progress but we can’t use that as an excuse,” he said. The game
starts at 7:30 p.m. today after homecoming festivities at 6:45 p.m. There will be
a pep rally at 2:15 p.m. in the main gym and a homecoming barbecue from 4:30
to 6 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. SANDERSON –
Washtub Jerry and Glenn Moreland of A&E President
Terry Tex Toler said there were 60 people in the audience at the Bicentennial
Park Pavilion. Crowds in the past have numbered 25 to 30. Included in
the audience was a They included
Edward Lopez, Rob, Gina and Sherry McDowell, Elmo DeGruy
and Minga Moran. Washtub Jerry,
who said he does not want his surname used, performs on an instrument of his
own making. Just like the
name implies, it is a metal washtub with a cable attached to a lever which he
uses to provide a bass sound. He said the
lever came from a lumberman’s tool and the cable is a clutch cable for a Porsche
914 sports car. He said he
started out on the ukulele as a child but his mother later suggested he
borrow an idea from Lee Bruce Carter and create the washtub instrument. “I dismissed
the idea,” he said. “But of course. I was 17 at the time.” Later, he
adopted it but it took him 12 years of practice “in the closet” until he
could master the makeshift instrument. He has now been at it for 45 years, he
said. He changes the
pitch on the notes it plays by using the lever to increase tension on the
cable. The more tension he applies, the higher the note. He accompanies
Moreland who sings and strums an acoustic guitar. Later, Moreland picks up a
fiddle – not a violin, a fiddle. Jerry picks up
a ukulele and plays both the washtub and the uke,
plucking the tub for the downbeat and the uke for
upbeat. Washtub was
named “1999 Instrumentalist of the Year” by the Western Music Association and
a Western Music Instrumentalist of the year for 1998, 2000, 2005 and
2007 and this year. In “real
life,” Jerry is an engineer with the McDonald Observatory near He was among
the first to aim a laser at the Moon after the NASA Apollo program, hitting a
mirror which sent the laser back to Earth to measure the exact distance. Moreland and
his wife Patty own and operate Texas Cowboy Outfitters in He has a BA in
Agriculture from While working
as a cowboy in He has been
nominated by his peers as a performing musician to the Next week,
Rick and Jimmy of Alpine will play American pop and mariachi favorites at 7
p.m. Tuesday in the Bicentennial Park Pavilion. Concerts are free. Balloons over
Alpine and lights near Marfa will mark the Labor Day weekend starting
tomorrow, Sept. 5. The 14th
Annual Big Bend Balloon Bash will send hot-air balloons into the air, weather
permitting, around Alpine and the annual Marfa Lights Festival 26 miles
further west at the Presidio County Courthouse grounds observes the
mysterious lights spotted over the years south of town. The Balloon
Bash last year was mostly grounded because of the weather. Try again this
year. It starts
tomorrow at Sierra La Rana, a gated community two
miles south of Alpine on State Highway 118. Since 1987,
the Big Bend Balloon Bash has provided an opportunity for sport hot-air
balloon pilots, sponsors, vendors, and families to practice their art. Hot air
balloonists hope to take to the air all three days, starting at 7:30 a.m. A
“fire concert” will be at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6. At Marfa, the
Blackwell School Alliance in partnership with the Marfa Chamber of Commerce
will present the 2009 Marfa Lights Festival at the Courthouse. The festival
starts at 5 p.m. today, Sept. 4, with DJ music and dancing at the courthouse.
At 8 p.m., Los
Pinche Gringos from Terlingua
will take the stage for a four-hour dance party. On Saturday,
there will be a 10-kilometer run and five KM walk starting at 6:30 a.m. and
the Marfa Lights Festival parade at 10 a.m. Booths will
open after the parade and afternoon events include the Miley
Franco Band, the Alpine Belly Dancers and the The Saturday
night concert at Booths will be
open again at noon Sunday and events the program includes Folklorico
Dancers, Raw Deal, Mariachi Santa Cruz and the Presidio band The Resonators. Cortinas, 19,
graduated from boot camp in May after enlisting in March. He is a 2008
graduate of By
MELISSA PERNER Editor,
Ozona Stockman OZONA – Local
and area firefighters spent the weekend battling a massive grass fire located
20 miles south of here on The fire,
which started on Saturday, covered 2,445 acres and destroyed ten RVs, three
ATVs, two cabins, two generators and one utility trailer. Another RV, vehicle
and ATV were reported damaged. Texas Forest
Service officials said Tuesday morning that the fire was contained. Cause of the
fire is a possible lightning strike, Ozona Fire Chief Bob Falkner said. Firefighters
have been able to save two ranch headquarters, 15 RVs, a cabin and three
vehicles. No injuries or fatalities occurred in the fire. The fire
covered the Clayton Friend, the Ozona had nine
units with 14 fire fighters responding to the blaze. Area fire departments
responding also included Barnhart with two units and four firefighters, The Texas
Department of Transportation provided fuel and water transports, as well as Crockett County
Citizens Emergency Response Team provided food. The above was reprinted with permission of the
Ozona Stockman. Watkins is a
dressage rider and trainer and owner of Sunrise Stable here. Through
decades of dedicated training and competitive success, she has built the
strong foundation and competitive credentials necessary for her push to the
Olympics. In order to
compete in the Soon, Watkins
and her horse will travel to Dressage and
Olympic pursuit are inherently expensive, the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce
said. Watkins has
the talent, training, and medals of a champion – but she will need support to
represent the In an effort
to share her passion for the sport of dressage with the public and build her
fan base, Watkins will perform a demonstration at 3 p.m. Sunday, September
13. Watkins will
ride her horse, Cipriani – nicknamed Charles -- for
the public at Sunrise Stable on State Highway 118, 8.5 miles northwest of
here. Sponsored by Dressage,
sometimes referred to as “horse ballet” for its elegance, is one of the
oldest and most revered equestrian sports.
The equestrian
events are unique among Olympic competitions as the only sport in which women
and men compete head-to-head as equals. And unlike
most Olympians who focus on individual performance, equestrian athletes have
a larger role, assuring their own fitness and training as well as that of
their animals. “Dressage is
about the horse and rider being completely in synchrony – becoming one and
working together as partners,” Watkins said. “The horse works totally from
the cues given through the body language of the rider. We are a team, working with each other’s
strengths and skills.” The
demonstration ride will kick off Watkins’ fall schedule, including one more
local competition in Christmas
quilt raffle offered SANDERSON – It
may not be Christmas in September but the Sanderson Lions Club has agreed to
be part of a district raffle of a homemade Christmas quilt. Dist. Gov.
Garland Tiner appeared at the monthly Lions Club
meeting this week to offer the quilt. Chances are $5
or three for $10. The drawing will be Dec. 17 in Tiner said his wife
Neta sewed the quilt by hand. Pictures of the quilt
and a flyer are being distributed in Sanderson. The club plans
its annual “Community Meet Greet” event Saturday, Sept. 26. “Everybody is
welcome to attend, not just newcomers,” Club President Clint McDonald said. The club also
plans its annual broom and mop sale on Oct. 10. The event
raises funds for scholarships. |
SANDERSON –
For those who saw an orange glow over the southeast part of town last night,
yes, it was a big fire but it was planned. And it happens every year. It was the It followed
the Homecoming parade down The game
starts at 7:30 p.m. at Eagle Stadium as the Eagles host the Grandfalls-Royalty Cowboys. But the
weeklong Home-coming festivities will culminate at a 6:45 p.m. ceremony that
will include the crowning of the 2009 Homecoming king and queen. Four
candidates for each
were chosen last week and the winner was selected yesterday, Sept. 3, after
press time for the News Leader. The queen will
be selected from among Blakeney Chriesman,
Vicky Busch, Jessica Garza and Elise Boyd. The king
candidates are Ryan Rosas, Jacob Benavidez, Darren Seidel and Jake Hall. Class
princesses are freshman Danielle Fisher, sophomore Ashley Hagelgans
and junior Noemi Nuñez. This week was
spirit week with separate themes for each day, including Tie & Shade Day
Monday, Crazy Hair and Fashion Disaster Day Tuesday, Dress Like a Baby Day
Wednesday, Twin/Multiplicity Day Thursday and Spirit Day today, Sept. 4. There will be
a pep rally in the main gym at 2:15 p.m. today to get folks “in the spirit”
for the game. Then the
junior class will host the Homecoming Barbecue from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the
High School Cafeteria. After the
action, the “Fifth Quarter”
will be at the SANDERSON –
Tonight is Homecoming in Sanderson with the Eagles football team hosting the Grandfalls-Royalty Cowboys at 7:30 p.m. at Eagle Stadium.
Homecoming festivities will get under way at 6:45 p.m. But fans need
to be prepared to walk a bit further this year than at least some of them
have in the past. Because of the
upcoming construction of a new field house on the east side of the field,
parking inside the stadium property will be limited to handicap patrons with
proper identification on the west side only. The east-side
parking lot used in the past by some senior citizens and the lot behind the
concession stand will be closed except for vehicles servicing the concession
stand. in schools SANDERSON –
Terrell County ISD, like other districts and elsewhere, has decided to opt
out of a Presidential Internet message next week. The Obama administration said yesterday, Sept. 3, it was
“rethinking” its course recom-mendations for
students ahead of President Obama's address to the
nation's schoolchildren next week by Internet, rewriting its suggestions to
teachers for student assignments on how to “help the president.” School
districts around the country and “We are not
carrying it,” a TCISD spokesman said. She said the district had received
numerous calls yesterday morning. “White House
aides said the language was supposed to be a
inspirational, pro-education me-ssage to Among the
activities initially suggested for pre-K to sixth grade students was to
"write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the
president." Another
assignment for stu-dents after hearing the speech
was to discuss what “the President wants us to do.” White House
spokesman Tommy Vietor said the changes to the
language are intended to make the lesson plans clearer. He added that
the speech is not a policy speech but is intended to encourage kids to work
hard and commit to school. at Convocation ALPINE – Nearly 500 new
students, joined by faculty and staff, attended the 11th annual new student
convocation in Marshall Auditorium. The yearly
event is designed to introduce students to the traditions of Sul Ross and encourage commitment and participation in
the university community. President R.
Vic Morgan, who retired Aug. 31, addressed his final convocation, welcoming
the Class of 2013 by urging them to become a part of the Sul
Ross tradition and serious investors in their education. “You made the
right choice in choosing Sul Ross,” Morgan said. “I
hope you choose to set as a goal a degree in four years and truly be a member
of the Class of 2013.” Student
Government Association president Christian Celis of Marfa also
addressed the new students, urging them to make the most of their university
experience. Enrolling in
college “represents a new beginning and the opportunity to show what you have
to offer,” Celis said. “You will be
responsible for your own actions, successes and failures,” he said. “You will
experience some of the best moments of your life and you will also be faced
with difficult decisions.” He urged the
Class of 2013 to learn from their mistakes, move forward and to be involved
in college life. “Push to the
limit; keep challenging yourselves and reaching higher,” Celis
said. “Keep in mind anything worth having won’t come easy. Ultimately, it
will be up to you to make a difference.” Morgan
emphasized the importance of Sul Ross traditions
and academic traditions in general as a means to build continuity,
cohesiveness and pride in the culture and heritage of university life. He referred to
the new student convocation, painting and lighting the Bar-SR-Bar at
Homecoming, singing the “Alma Mater,” the We’re on Our Way banquet, enjoying
the Meal on the Mall and hiking to the desk at the top of “Traditions
are and should be a vital part of an institution and the traditional part of
your experience should become a vital part of your memories in the years to
come,” he said. “Get involved
in campus life. Be a part of the Bar-SR-Bar tradition, and start your own
traditions, too,” Morgan said. “Start things that are worthwhile.” He closed his
remarks to the Class of 2013 with questions. “Will this be
the best year of your life? Will you achieve the goals you set?” he asked.
“If you compete in athletics or perform on stage, will you strive to do the
best you can in any endeavor? Can you accomplish all your goals? Can you make
a difference? “As students,
you have the opportunity to succeed or fail. As former Secretary of Education
[Richard] Riley said, it is also ‘to insist that you become a serious
investor in your own education,’” Morgan said. “You made the right choice and
you’re about to become part of the tradition and culture that is Sul Ross. “You made the
right choice and should set your goal to get a degree in four years,” Morgan
said. Provost and
Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. David Cockrum
gave a brief history of Sul Ross and its namesake,
Lawrence Sullivan Ross, who was a Texas Ranger, Civil War hero, governor and Gregory
Schwab, associate vice president of Enrollment Management, welcomed new
students to the campus and presented the class to Dr. Morgan. The
convocation included a charge to the entering class and the passing of the
spirit stick from Amber Rodriguez of The
convocation concluded with singing the “Alma Mater,” led by Associate
Professor of Music Dr. Donald Freed. Carol Wallace, visiting lecturer in
Music, played the Processional and Recessional. The annual
Student Organization Recruitment Fair, formerly Fall on the Mall, followed on
the During the
second week of September, designated statewide as Fire Ant Awareness Week, AgriLife Extension experts will spread the word – along
with lots of ant bait – to help control this perpetual "Fire Ant
Awareness Week was made official statewide more than ten years ago and fire
ant awareness efforts are still going strong," said Molly Keck, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management specialist
for Bexar County. Keck said the
week was established as a means of helping "Most
people only think about treating for fire ants in the spring but its equally important to treat for them in the fall to
keep them from returning the following spring," she said. The Texas
Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project said the impact of red
imported fire ants in the state of The project’s
Web site notes that red imported fire ants can pose a serious health threat
to plants and animals and that the project's goal is "to find effective
methods to eliminate this invasive species as a major economic and medical pest." One of the
most effective large-scale fire ant management methods identified by the project
and AgriLife Extension integrated pest management
specialists statewide has been coordinated community fire ant management
efforts. "Integrated
pest management specialists in urban counties work with homeowners
associations, property management companies and others to coordinate pest
control activities in various subdivisions," said Elizabeth "Wizzie" Brown, AgriLife
Extension integrated pest management specialist for Travis County. Fire ant
control is more effective when homeowners commit to treat their yards at the
same time so fire ants can’t relocate and build fresh mounds in a neighbor’s
yard, she said. "While
people in South and South Central Texas in particular haven’t seen as many
fire ant mounds or as much fire ant activity lately due to the drought, just
because they're out of sight doesn't mean they've disappeared," Brown
said. She said while
fire ants have gone underground during the drought to escape the heat and
find moisture, they will return to the surface and build mounds as soon as
the area receives enough rain. "Along
with helping reduce fire ant population during the next spring, fall
treatment more immediately reduces fire ant numbers, which is important
because fire ants in Another
recommendation of the fire and research and management project is the use of
the "Texas Two-Step" approach to fire ant control, said Dr. Bart Drees, AgriLife Extension
statewide fire ant specialist. The first step
involves broadcasting fire ant bait over an entire yard using a hand-held
seed spreader or a larger spreader for more spacious yards and landscapes. The technique
is most useful when there are five or more ant mounds per one-quarter acre or
the equivalent of more than 20 mounds per acre, Drees
said. "Broadcasting
will typically take care of 80 to 90 percent of the mounds,” he said. “Then
you need to treat the remaining mounds.”
The second
step of the two-step process involves applying bait to individual mounds, particularly
those next to building foundations and high-traffic areas. "But
remember to read labels carefully before buying bait," Drees said. "This will help you determine if the
product is effective against fire ants and will guide you on where to use it
and how much to use." He said it is
best to apply ant bait during temperatures between 65 degrees to 95 degrees
as this is the range when fire ants typically come out to forage. Drees said the
project uses other methods of fire ant control, including the use of phorid flies. "The phorid fly is a biological control and we have been
establishing colonies of them throughout the state," he said. "They
have been growing and spreading and, over time, we expect there to be
populations all over ALPINE - .Fall
semester enrollment at Student head count
reached 2,062, compared to 1,859 in v 2008, a 10.92 percent increase. Freshman
numbers were the major factor, up 32.97 percent, from 549 to 730. Semester
credit hours showed an 11.88 percent rise, from 20,369 to 22,789.
Sophomore and
junior enrollment showed respective increases of 6.33 percent and 16.08
percent. Senior numbers dipped from 257 in 2008 to 233, while
post-baccalaureate/graduate totals were exactly even at 633. "The dip
in the senior class is likely due to the reduction in semester credit hours -
from 130 to 120 - required for the record high number of graduates at spring
commencement." The present
head count is the highest since Fall, 2003, when 2,110 were enrolled. Gregory
Schwab, associate vice president for Enrollment Management, credited several
factors for the sharp increase, including enhanced university-wide
recruitment efforts, active outreach programs and the economy. "Increased
faculty and staff involvement in direct recruiting efforts are producing
positive results," he said. "Outreach programs that bring students
to campus in the summer help them to become familiar with a collegiate
setting and especially familiar with Sul Ross. "Historically,
whenever the economy is bad, enrollment goes up as going back to college remains
a viable option," he said. Final
enrollment figures will be tabulated after the 12th day of classes. |
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