September 5, 2008
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AUSTIN
— As of Monday, Labor Day, anyone building or remodeling a home must have the
fruits of his labor inspected at least three times if the project does not
require inspection by a city building official. Rural
and unincorporated areas have to date been able to escape the long arm of
code enforcement but the Texas Legislature has changed all that, at least for
home construction. House
Bill 1038, passed by the 2007 Legislature, created a county inspection
program for all homes built or remodeled if the work was performed in
unincorporated areas or in cities that do not offer municipal inspections. The
three new inspections include a foundation inspection before concrete is
poured, a framing and mechanical systems assessment before wallboard is
installed and a final inspection upon completion. The
inspections must be performed by a fee inspector that is either a licensed
engineer, a registered architect, a professional Texas Real Estate Commission
inspector or a third party inspector certified by the Texas Residential
Construction Commission. To
access a list of inspectors that have already registered with the commission,
visit cics.trcc.state.tx.us/login.aspx. Commission
Executive Director Duane Waddill said the new program works toward providing
quality construction for Texans by bridging an oversight gap that, until now,
existed for new homes or remodeling jobs where the home had no city inspector
to evaluate the work. “This
program will ensure that inspections are performed throughout the state of
Texas, leveling the playing field for consumers,” Waddill said. “These
inspections will provide homebuyers in unincorporated areas or in cities that
do not offer municipal inspections with the protection that their home was
constructed with the same standards as a home within city limits.” The
News Leader tried without success several times with questions for
Rep. Pete Gallego of Alpine but Sen. Carlos Uresti’s office responded
quickly. “For a district as large and diverse as mine, it is crucial that
legislation preserves local input and control,’ he said. “Our state is too
big to use cookie cutter approaches and HB 1038, as passed, should prevent
that. “I
will be monitoring its implementation to ensure that it strikes a balance
between regulation and economic growth,” he said. Uresti’s office said new construction begun after Labor Day is
subject to the law as does any renovation “that changes the overall square
foot of a structure” or costs $10,000 or more. The law does not affect construction that began before September
1. It only applies to construction or agreed contracts that become effective
after the effective date. We asked about the extra cost to rural communities far from a
potential licensed inspector. “There are a number of various certified
inspectors – both state employees and third-parties – located across the
state which can be found by visiting the Texas Residential Construction
Commission’s website,” a comment from Uresti’s office said. SANDERSON
– Project Graduation, the organization that puts together an all-night,
chemical-free party after high school graduation each year, has agreed to set
up an autonomous organization. The
News Leader said last week the “senior class parents” had “opted to
separate” from Terrell County School District. Susan
Brotherton, who was elected president of Project Graduation, said the parents
of graduating seniors each year will organize the event, keeping their own
books, letterhead and mailing address. Brotherton
said the group has its own by-laws and there had been no filing so far for
tax-exempt status. “We’re
still going to work very closely with the school board, Brotherton said. “We
are going to do it like it was originally set up.” In
the past, Project Graduation has used the school tax number, letterhead and
other facilities, she said. Brotherton
is the president. Vice president is Tammy Ramsey and
treasurer/secretary is Deanna Seager. County to OK budget, tax rate
SANDERSON
– Terrell County Commissioners will meet in regular meeting Monday and vote
on the budget for the new fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 and a “proposed” tax
rate of 32.43 cents per $100 valuation. The
action follows public hearings Friday, Aug. 29, and Tuesday, Sept. 2, in the
Commissioners Courtroom. If
approved, the 9.26 percent increase in the tax rate would bring in $2.874
million plus money raised from new properties, up from the $2.626 million
raised in the year just ending. The
rate is up from 27.95 cents in the current year, the increased blamed on a
decrease in the county’s tax base of more than $50 million. County
Judge Leo Smith said the tax base is figured on the preceding year and most
of the county’s tax base is in energy, primarily natural gas. Gas
was selling but about $4 per 1,000 cubic feet last year but has been selling
for $8 to $13 per MCF this year, he said. The
tax base next year is expected to be higher because of the higher price for
gas. SANDERSON – The Terrell County School Board will meet at 6:45 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 15, in the Sanderson High School Library to discuss a budget
for next year and set a tax rate. At
a special meeting last week, the board proposed a tax rate of $1.04 per $100
valuation for maintenance and operations and 15.7 cents for debt service. As
currently configured, the budget would be $9.9 million, down slightly from
$10.4 million in the year just ending. Debt
service will be down slightly from $1.38 million to $1.14 million in spite of
the sale of $9.5 million in bonds in August, 2007, to finance programs under
the successful $14 million bond issue in May, 2007. Business
Manager Blain Chriesman said the lower bond service was because the district
had made significant payments toward these bonds and an earlier issue during
the year. The
“recapture” payment, the amount the school has to send to other districts
under the state’s so-called “Robin Hood” finance scheme is down slightly in
the new year. Last
year, Terrell County “bought” $7.7 in “weighted average daily attendance”
figures from other districts, compared to an expected $7.17 next year. So-called
“property-rich” districts share the “wealth” with “property poor” districts
by buying WADA on a formula based on the county tax base and school
enrollment. Chriesman
said the recapture figure is down because the tax base is smaller and enrollment
higher. But
a serious reduction in enrollment during the year could severely impact the district
by greatly increasing the recapture payments, he said. In
any event, the recapture payment already exceeds 70 percent of the overall
budget. Dawson worker dies
FORT
STOCKTON – Edsel Garcia Acosta 30, an employee of Dawson Geophysical Company
and a resident of Fort Stockton, was found dead at the Pińon Gas Field 25
miles north of Marathon in southern Pecos County last week. Acosta
was working the night shift as a gate guard when his body was found. “There
are no signs of foul play,” Pecos County Sheriff Cliff Harris said. “Men came
through the gate and he was fine. They came back 30 minutes later and he was
dead.” An
autopsy was being performed in El Paso to determine the cause of death. ALPINE
– The Big Bend Balloon Bash got off to a slow start last weekend when winds
and low clouds kept the entrants on the ground Saturday and only a handful
took to the skies Sunday and Monday. About
17 balloonists showed up for flight at the 13th Annual Big Bend Balloon Bash
here but Mother Nature said no flying. But
that did not stop at least some of the crowd from having a good time anyway. On
Sunday, there was about a 20-minute window and four balloons took advantage
of the small chance to get airborne. Sunday
evening there was a “fire concert” at Buck Stadium where the balloons orchestrated
a concert, so to speak, with the propane burners. Pilot
Phil Bryant said the weather was “beautiful” on Monday and they enjoyed another
ride. At
the site at Sierra La Rana south of here, there was music provided by DJ
Jacob Stringer of Odessa. The
GFWC Woman’s Club in Alpine offered donuts and coffee for sale, local restaurant
Alpine City Limits had burritos and other delicacies for sale and there was
even a clown. David
Gish was on hand making animals for the younger crowd from small, rubber balloons. At
9 a.m. a couple was married in the balloon basket of the “Too Much Fun”
balloon club. They were supposed to take their vows in flight but were unable
to because of the weather. Balloon
burners provided a backdrop to the grounded wedding. Balloon
groupie Tara Wein of Odessa was on hand to help in any way she could. She
travels to different balloon shows and said she “absolutely loves it.” The
High School geometry teacher has attended about 20 or more balloon events
over the past five years and the self- proclaimed “balloon stalker” goes to
as many events as she can. “It
is not uncommon to cancel a flight, but for the whole weekend event to be
canceled is highly unlikely,” she told the News Leader. Bringing the music back home
By CANDACE COOKSEY FULTONBrownwood Bulletin Reprinted with
Permission The
1968 Sanderson Eagle Band earned “Sweepstakes,” an accomplishment very rare
and perhaps singular up to that point in the history of Sanderson High School
and not repeated too very often since. I
think I’ve mentioned before, I was a bad saxophone player in the band. In
fact, the band marched a nine-by-nine and I’m sure if it had been possible
for our young just-out-of-McMurry band director Kirke McKenzie to find an
82nd kid with any musical talent whatsoever, I’d have been relegated to the
sideline as an “alternate.” My
brother Eric Cooksey, however, was — without question — the best in the band.
Eric,
a senior in 1968, played cornet. Actually, he still does. I
don’t write about Eric often. He’s shy and, though he grew up to be a nice,
fairly patient individual, I remember too well my amazing ability for ticking
him off. I
was at the peak of my “irritating Eric” skills in 1965-’66 when I was an
eighth-grader and Eric was a sophomore. We
had our share of problems anyway that year. Our dad, the Terrell County sheriff,
had been shot and critically wounded and was in the hospital for months. Our
mother and baby sister were with him and our grandmother was trying to ride
herd over the four older Cooksey children, age 2 to 15. You
all know the code of the west — that a West Texas boy, a sheriff’s kid,
should probably have been playing football. But for numerous reasons, that
wasn’t the scenario. I
don’t know how much of all of that Kirke McKenzie realized. He
might have just figured if he was going to be band director, he was going to
need a strong cornet player and, since one wasn’t right there, he’d take a
120-pound sophomore with an attitude and teach him to play the cornet well. Being
in band isn’t just about playing an instrument well. It’s learning to stand
straight and polish brass buttons on a band uniform. It’s
learning to have pride, and working hard to be good enough at something you
can be proud of. It’s
about being a part of something bigger than yourself. I
remember our Veterans Day halftime show in 1967 when they darkened the field
and Kirke McKenzie read “In Flanders’ Fields” over the loudspeaker. Then
they spotlighted the center of the field where each band member had planted a
small white cross and stepped away so the field replicated the World War I
graveyard. As
a finale, Eric played “Taps” from one bank of the field and, from the
opposite bank, Vernon Munson played the echo. We
learned lots of good-to-know-in-life kinds of things in band. My brother
learned a life skill. Eric
became a musician and played in bands in lots of po’ dunk and some fairly
impressive places, managed a music store for a long while and about 11 years
ago started teaching music at Bel Air High School in El Paso. This
fall, he’ll be the director of music education at Sanderson, a program that
has dwindled to about 25 students, too few for an impressive halftime show. Eric
agonized over for the decision for weeks. We, his siblings weren’t altogether
encouraging with our, “You can’t go home again” warnings. Our
younger brother cautioned, “Remember, Sanderson doesn’t have fancy
restaurants, concerts or anything else to do besides the Fourth of July.” But
he also remembered, “Oh wait, you don’t go to fancy restaurants or concerts
and, every Fourth of July, you go to Sanderson.” The
rumor was Terrell County schools would have to discontinue its music program
unless they could find someone to fill the position. That, more than
anything, sealed his decision. “I
couldn’t let that happen on my watch,” Eric said. “I couldn’t let the place
where I began my musical education go without a musical program.” I
didn’t write this column just to say how proud I am of my brother. The
message is between the lines and it is for teachers everywhere who wonder if
they make a difference. Sometimes,
a small encouragement and a suggestion of need are a difference that blooms
some 40 years later. Please
believe it. Candace
Cooksey Fulton is a staff writer and columnist for the Brownwood Bulletin,
where this column originally appeared on July 27. She is a 1970 graduate of
Sanderson High School, and a former editor of “The Claw.” |
Uresti’s office said new construction begun after Labor Day is
subject to the law as does any renovation “that changes the overall square
foot of a structure” or costs $10,000 or more. The law does not affect construction that began before September
1. It only applies to construction or agreed contracts that become effective
after the effective date. We asked about the extra cost to
rural communities far from a potential licensed inspector. Eagles hold Wildcats close
SANDERSON
– Some dare not call a narrow loss a victory but, compared with the opening
game last year, the Sanderson Eagles had nothing to hang their heads about in
the 34-30 loss to the Grady Wildcats on opening night at Eagle Stadium last
week. It
was a year ago, almost to the day, that it was all over early in the third
quarter when Wildcats “45d” the Eagles 58-8 on Grady‘s home turf. In
six-man football, the game is over any time after halftime if the score
differential is 45 or more points. The
difference became clear early in the game Friday as the Eagles took the
opening kickoff and steadily marched down the field. The
Wildcats took over with the quarter half gone when Jacob Rodriguez intercepted
a pass at the Wildcat 18. But
the orange and black of Sanderson held the game scoreless for most of the
first quarter until Joseph Cook punched it in from the two-yard line with
4:17 left in the period. Joseph
turned around and split the uprights for the two-point conversion and it was
8-0 in favor of the visitors. And
there it stood as the first stanza came to an end. But
with a little over a minute gone in the second period, Jacob Benavidez found
Phillip Lascano for a 30-yard pass play for six points. David
Shoemaker booted the points after and it was knotted at eight per side. The
two teams battled back and forth for the balance of the half and it was still
8-8 when they headed to the locker room. The
struggle continued into the third quarter for more than three minutes before
Lascano galloped 38 yards for pay dirt. “Shoe” again found the mark and it
was 16-8 in favor of the home team. A
couple of minutes later, the Wildcats wound up with a first and goal at the
Eagle one-yard line. But
a procedure call, an incomplete pass and a failed run kept the visitors out
of the end zone until third down when Jacob Rodriguez hauled in a six-yard
pass. But
the point after failed and the Eagles held a 16-14 lead with 4:30 on the
third quarter clock. As it turned out, it was the end of the scoring for that
period. Rodriguez
scored again for the Wildcats with 8:38 on the game clock, running it in from
the 15. The point after again failed but the visitors regained the lead at
20-16. Eagle
quarterback Jacob Benavidez turned an ankle and tried to come back in but
gave it up and Travis Roberts took over QB duties. Shortly
thereafter, Travis downed a Ryan Rosas punt at the Wildcat two and the visitors
were staring at 78 yards to pay dirt. But
Casey Shands made quick work of the effort, galloping 68 of those yards to a
touchdown a couple of plays later. After another failed PAT, the Wildcats
took a ten-point edge, the largest of the night, at 26-16. But
a little over a minute later, Ryan Rosas threw to J.D. Brotherton for 43
yards, “Shoe” used his shoe again to split the uprights and the lead narrowed
to two points at 26-24. The
lead went back to ten when Shands hauled in a pass for 38 yards and Rodriguez
booted the extra points. It was 34-24 with 2:05 left in the game. But
the Eagles were not done. At 1:54, Ryan and J.D. teamed up again on an almost
identical 44-yard pass play. The point after failed and the buzzer sounded
with the scoreboard reading Wildcats 34, Eagles 30. It
was a loss but it wasn’t really a loss. While we have written mostly about
offensive plays, the defense should be given a lot of credit, for both sides. A
34-30 score in six-man football is more common at halftime than it is at the
end of the game. Head
Coach and Athletic Director Mark Dominguez said he purposely selects tough opponents
for the early games to prepare the Eagles for district games that come later. The
difference between last year’s opener and this one indicates the Eagles are
making progress towards a successful season. Tonight,
the Eagles travel to Grandfalls-Royalty to meet the Cowboys. Kickoff is 7:30
p.m. The
official send-off will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday on the Courthouse Lawn. Cheerleaders,
the band and fans will gather to wish their Eagles well in the contest. While
the Eagles were battling the Wildcats last week, Balmorhea bested our
opponents for tonight, Grandfalls-Royalty, 38-32. Elsewhere,
Dell City shut out El Paso Faith Christian 50-0, Fort Davis blanketed Midland
Trinity 45-0, Sierra Blanca edged Rankin 49-45 and Veribest beat Buena Vista
70-44. Put
‘ICE’ on cell phones
An e-mail making the rounds suggests
that people enter an “ICE” number, for “In Case of Emergency,” on their cell
phones. The number could be for a spouse, a
friend or just someone to call if the person is in an accident and cannot
speak for himself. The e-mail says the ICE was the idea
of a paramedic who found that, when he went to the scenes of accidents, there
were always cell phones with patients but the EMTs didn't know which number
to call. He said an “ICE” message could save
valuable time or even a life. The “ICE” contact should know things
about the person including medications, allergies and the like along with
next of kin. For more than one contact, the
messages suggested they be listed as ICE1, ICE2 and so on. By
KIM RAPP News Leader Production Manager “Connect: Speak, for your servant is listening”(1
Samuel 3:10) is the theme for See You at the Pole this year. The
event is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 24, at schools throughout the United
States and in many other countries. In
2007, more than 2 million teenagers met for See You at the Pole in all 50
states. SYATP
is a student initiated student led event. It is a nation wide event that
began in 1990 in Burleson. Since
1991, it has grown tremendously around the world. Eighteen
years after the birth of SYATP it is now observed in all 50 states and around
the world, including places like Korea, Canada and Guam. It
is observed on the fourth Wednesday in September, and the numbers are up to
two million youth praying simultaneously in the US alone. Here
in Sanderson we have had as few as three and as many as 11 unite in prayer
around the junior high flag pole. Adults
are welcome to participate, but SYATP is a student initiated, student led
event. In
the past, this has been a great opportunity for our youth to share their
faith. “Other
students see us gathered around the pole, curiosity drives them crazy and
they ask what’s going on, thus opening the door to share,” said one attendee
last year. Fans need split personality
GRANDFALLS – It will be brother versus brother and coach versus former coach when the Sanderson Eagles take the field here tonight, Sept. 5, against the Grandfalls-Royalty Cowboys. On
the hometown sidelines will be new Cowboy defensive coordinator John
Benavidez, staring across the field at little brother Jacob wearing orange
and black as the Eagle’s starting quarterback. Beside
the older Benavidez on the Cowboy sidelines will be former Sanderson Coach
Art Rodriguez, now the head coach of the Cowboys. Eddie
and Dora Benavidez of Sanderson will need split personalities. Not
only are they the parents of the Benavides brothers but Eddie is vice
president of the Terrell County School Board and Dora the librarian aide at
Sanderson Elementary School. Both
teams are going for their first win of the new season. Sanderson
lost to Grady 34-30 last week while Balmorhea downed the Cowboys by a similar
score of 38-32. Go,
Eagles, er, Cowboys. Gas
leak hits Alpine
ALPINE – Open valves on three Union Pacific tanker train cars bled
argon gas in Brewster County Saturday, causing more than 500 people to be
evacuated from eastern Alpine. “We
evacuated homes, stores, motels and the dorms at Sul Ross,” Brewster County
Emergency Manager Tom Santry said. “The wind was blowing from the southeast
and we couldn’t take a chance.” Clyde
Curry of Marathon, who was in route to Alpine Saturday morning, noticed a
large white cloud of gas escaping from the top of the tanker as the train
chugged west between Marathon and Alpine. “I
drove down a ranch road about seven miles west of Marathon and parked my
truck about 50 yards from the tracks and waved down the train,” Curry said.
“I flashed my headlights and they acknowledged me. They slowed down but they
didn’t stop. “I
didn’t have a cell phone so I raced into Alpine and called 911 from McCoy’s,”
Curry said. “Why they continued on to Alpine with a leaking tanker, I don’t
know.” Sheriff
Ronny Dodson and local police stopped the train near the eastern city limits. They
quickly shut down Old Marathon Road and the Cemetery Road before determining
that evacuation was necessary. “Two
State Troopers came into the store about 12:15 and said we needed to evacuate,”
Holly Kelling, a sales associate at Johnson’s Feed Store said. Argon
gas is an asphyxiate. It quickly absorbs oxygen and will take your breath
away but it is also inert. The
gas is used in refrigeration and direct contact can also cause frostbite. “We
were afraid the leaking gas could cause a torpedo effect and rupture the tanks,”
Dodson said. “There were other rail cars on that train with toxic chemicals. “The
Alpine Volunteer Fire Department sprayed down the leaking tanks,” he said.
“Then after some negotiation we got Union Pacific to back up the train. Their
Haz-mat team came out from El Paso to investigate.” “They
[Union Pacific] said we were stopping commerce,’” Santry said. “But we didn’t
want them to take that train through town.” The
6,200-foot-long train with 91 cars loaded the three tanker cars with argon
gas in Houston. It was destined for West Coltan, CA. Union
Pacific spokesperson Raquel Espinoza said the gas leaked from valves on the
tanker cars because “they were not secured properly at loading.” She
said the argon leak “began as the train approached Alpine.” But
she said she didn’t know why the reaction was as great as it was. “Argon
is a harmless gas and something we breathe everyday,” Espinoza said. “Local
officials erred on the side of caution.” Dodson
planned an “after-action meeting” Tuesday at noon. “We want to determine why
the train made it into town,” he said. The
Union Pacific also plans to review the incident. “It’s
a learning opportunity for everyone involved. We plan to set-up a review,”
Espinoza said. “Its an opportunity to critique the Union Pacific and tell us
what we can do better in the future.” The
real danger was not so much the Argon gas but the petroleum product tanker
cars behind it. “Why
they continued on to Alpine with a leaking tanker, I don’t know,” Curry said. Argon
gas is an asphyxiate. It quickly absorbs oxygen and will take your breath
away, but it is also inert. |
“There
are a number of various certified inspectors – both state employees and
third-parties – located across the state which can be found by visiting the
Texas Residential Construction Commission’s website,” a comment from Uresti’s
office said Director for EMS selected
SANDERSON
– Terrell County has a new director and a new medical director for the county
emergency medical service but there was serious disagreement this week over
how it all came about. Terrell County Commissioners Friday appointed J.P. Schwartz, DO,
medical director of Cactus Health Service, Inc., as the new EMT medical director,
to succeed Dr. Cecil George of Fort Stockton. In another meeting Tuesday, commissioners appointed Butch Maldonado
EMT director, succeeding Susan Pendleton. The
EMS needs a director for day-to-day activities and a medical director to
oversee the medical services provided. County
Judge Leo Smith said Dr. George resigned because Pendleton told his office
that Cactus was “taking over” as medical director of the service. “That
is out and out sabotage and a lie,” Smith said. He
said Pendleton put the county and all who travel through it at risk because
the county ambulance service could not legally respond to a call without
having a medical director. But
Pendleton said she only told George’s office that her job as director would
end on Aug. 31 and George told her if she were leaving, he would too. She
said if Cactus were taking over the medical director chores, she hadn’t been
told that. George
told the News Leader he did not want to serve if Pendleton didn’t
continue. “If
Susie is not going to be involved, I don’t want to be either,” he said. “I
would not be comfortable doing it unless Susie were involved.” He
said the EMT orders medicines and performs other medical procedures and he
would not be comfortable working with anyone else. Child ID system announced
SANDERSON
– If a child goes missing, is abducted – or worse – it may soon be possible
to quickly identify the child under a new program by the Sheriff’s Office,
4-H Club and the school district in Terrell County. The
announcement was made Tuesday night by Sanderson sixth graders Grace Jahn and
Abby Carrasco during open house at Sanderson Elementary School. The
two represented the Terrell County 4-H Club. They
said the program is beginning in the elementary school but could be expanded
to include junior high and high school students. “This
is a program set up by the Sheriff’s Association of Texas,” Sheriff Clint
McDonald said. “Parents can set up a date and we
hope to get as may as we can to fill out packets. “Then if a child goes missing, we will have some DNA, fingerprints
or photos,” he said. The Sheriff’s Office will take the child’s fingerprints and a
cotton swab for DNA testing. He said AgriLife Extension Agent Mark Carroll will take pictures
of the children. “Then if they are lost or abducted, we will have photos and
other information to track them,” McDonald said. No actual DNA testing will be done because that is an expensive,
time-consuming exercise. But, by having the sealed swabs in the packet,
getting the child’s DNA will help toward identifying him once he goes missing. “It will be a valuable piece of information,” he said. “Parents
will keep all of those but if they want give it to the Sheriff’s Office, we
will keep it on file.” “The Terrell County Youth Advisory Board, in conjunction with
the Terrell County Extension Office and Terrell County Sheriff's Office, will
host a child identification program at Sanderson elementary,” Carroll said.
“The program will involve photographing every elementary student and making
an identification card for each child with parent consent.” For more information on the program,
contact the Extension office at 432/345-2291. Boosters approve
new by-laws
SANDERSON
– The Band Boosters now have a set of by-laws and a membership form. The
eight members present Tuesday approved the by-laws and membership form.
Members will pay annual dues of $5 and only members can vote on issues,
though all are welcome at regular meetings. The
boosters also will file for a 501(C) (3) tax-exempt status from the US
Internal Revenue Service. Band
Director Eric Cooksey reported that the band was already making progress.
When they learn a few more songs, he said, they plan to travel to the Eagle
away games. Cooksey
said the band hopes to attend the game in Rankin on September 26. The
band currently practices on Tuesday nights. In
Tune Music in Odessa is in the process of repairing broken instruments. The
boosters voted to order 25 hoodies for members on the chilly Friday nights
that will soon be here. The
boosters will offer scholarships to seniors to further their education, the
amount to be determined by the amount of funds available and the number of
applicants. The
next meeting will be on Monday, October 6. Parents offered apology
SANDERSON – Terrell County ISD Superintendent Gary Hamilton took full
responsibility Tuesday for a lack of communication about changes in class
hours. He
spoke Tuesday night during open house at Sanderson Elementary School. Some
parents had expressed concern over the length of time for very young children
between lunch as early as 10:50 a.m. and end of school at 3:50 p.m. on Monday
through Wednesday. Hamilton
said the hours were needed to allow an early end of the day on Thursday and
Friday to accommodate for school activities like football for higher grades. Elementary
students had to be affected because of bus routes and other resources that have
to be shared between the campuses. “I
apologize for not getting the word out,” he said. “I’m sorry some of you
found out about it the first day” of school. Hamilton
said he learned there were at least seven parents concerned about the issue
but only one contacted him directly. The
concerns were mentioned to other staff members or in “talk about town.” Heritage Tourism 101 set for Pecos Trail meeting
MONAHANS
– The Texas Pecos Trail Region will hear a presentation on “Heritage Tourism
101” at its fifth meeting of the year beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept.
11, here. The
Monahans Chamber of Commerce and Monahans Main Street will host the meeting
in the Section House of the Monahans Sandhills State Park, six miles east of
here. The meeting will start with the Pecos Trail Board of Director’s
meeting at 10 a.m. A “network” luncheon will be served at noon, prepared by local
Monahans personal chef service Behind
the Scenes for $10. “Immediately after lunch, Teresa Caldwell from the Texas
Historic Commission Heritage Tourism office will provide a presentation
entitled ‘Heritage Tourism 101.’ This informative presentation will give the
basic concept of Heritage Tourism and the values of it,” Regional Coordinator
Paula Walker said. “Visitors
should plan to come early or stay later to take advantage of the opportunity
to browse the shops in downtown Monahans, see the unique historic sites and
get to know our Monahans friends,” Walker said. “The meeting is open to any
person or organization interested in promoting tourism, historic preservation
or economic development.” The
Texas Heritage Trails Program is a regional tourism initiative of the Texas
Historical Commission. The
program helps Texas communities promote tourism, revitalize local economies
and foster community leadership through historic preservation. For
more information on the Texas Pecos Trail Region programs and to make
reservations for the luncheon, contact Walker at 325/387-2927, or texaspecostrail@hotmail.com. Or
contact Monahans Main Street at 432/943-3418. FORT WORTH – Texas New Mexico Power company has
filed with the Public Utility Commission for its first rate increase in more
than five years. The company said the increase is needed to offset the
rising costs of doing business and position the company to continue to invest
in electric reliability. TNMP is a transmission and distribution service provider
that delivers power to about 226,000 customers on behalf of 59 retail
electric providers in Texas including First Choice Power. Its rates primarily cover the use of the transmission
and distribution wires and meter reading services, which represent about 18.6
percent of a typical electric bill. If approved, the new rates would increase the average
monthly transmission and distribution portion of the bill to $35.31 from
$30.36, for a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month. Small commercial customers, defined as those who have
electric demand of less than five kilowatts, would see an increase to $34,
from $20, for 400 kilowatt hours per month average usage. These rates would more accurately reflect the costs associated
with serving each of these different rate classes, TNMP said. “We believe this is a fair and reasonable request of
state regulators and our customers, considering the rising cost of fuel,
poles, wire and other basic construction materials,” said Neal Walker, vice
president for Texas Operations. “We continue to be committed to running our
business as efficiently as possible.” TNMP’s current rates largely are based on costs from
more than five years ago and have actually decreased by an average of 9.3 percent
since that time, the company said. The rate reduction was the result of the sale of TNMP
to Albuquerque-based PNM Resources in 2005. Meanwhile, the costs of typical TNMP construction and
other items increased by an average of 15 percent during 2007 alone, Walker
said. In addition, international demand for raw materials and
finished transmission and distribution systems continue to inflate these
costs beyond budgeted amounts, he said. Many projects also are affected by an increase in costs
related to permits and inspections, traffic control and environmental compliance. Walker said TNMP expects to invest $243.6 million
through 2011 on new and upgraded transmission and distribution systems,
including $54 million in 2008, to maintain a high level of electric
reliability. TNMP has maintained a consistent level of reliability
over the past five years, falling well below the state's average for the frequency
and length of power outages, the company said. In its request to the PUC, TNMP also is asking for
permission to implement a catastrophe reserve fund similar to those approved
for AEP and CenterPoint. Walker said a catastrophe
reserve will provide for reasonable and necessary reconstruction costs associated
with natural catastrophes such as hurricanes, tropical storms and acts of
terrorism. “In order to provide reliable service and maintain a
safe environment for customers, we must have the ability to respond quickly
to these disasters in a cost-effective manner,” he said. The
PUC is expected to make a decision on the rate increase by next August. |