NEWSBRIEFS

We an abundance of freedom in thiscountry, even the freedom to make foolsof ourselves.

— Quips & Quotes

SERVING ANTHONY, VINTON, CANUTILLO, EAST MONTANA, HORIZON, SOCORRO, CLINT, FABENS, SAN ELIZARIO AND TORNILLO

30yearsnineteenseventythree

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VOL. 30, No. 16 APRIL 17, 2003

See BRIEFS, Page 6

CorrectionThe date for an economic and businessinformational workshop in last week’sCourier was incorrect. The event, to behosted by the Town of Horizon City, willbe held Wednesday, April 23 at the OzGlaze Senior Citizens’ Center at 6 p.m.The workshop is an initiative arising fromthe recent Horizon economic developmentsummit and will acquaint local businesseswith a proposal to create a local economicdevelopment council. Marketing consult-ants Scott Goodwin and Geronimo Garciawill make presentations regarding use ofstandard graphics in signage, advertisingand promotional material to strengthenlocal economic identity. The meeting isopen to all businesses in the wider Horizonarea. The Horizon marketing study wasfunded by the Horizon Communities Im-provement Association (HCIA) and furtherinformation is available at 852-1811.

Clint street lightsThe Town of Clint will be getting streetlights along FM 1110, Texas 20 and NorthLoop thanks to the Texas Department ofTransportation and the El Paso Metropoli-tan Planning Organization (MPO). Twentystreet lights will be installed beginningOctober 2003 with the project completiondate of November 2004. The lightingproject is being designed and constructedthrough TxDoT funds for safety projectsalong state highways. The request forstreet lights was made in November of2001 by the Town of Clint and was ap-proved in December 2002 by the ProjectSelection Committee of the MPO. The ElPaso MPO is made up of representativesfrom various El Paso County elected bod-ies and determines which transportationprojects requested by area municipalitiesare funded by TxDoT funds. The expectedcost of this project is $ 317,217.90.

Sidewalk safetyThe death of a seven-year-old riding a bi-cycle in Fabens in January of last year wasa clear signal that traffic and children don’tmix. The communities of Fabens and SanElizario will see some relief soon follow-ing notification to the County of El Pasolate last week that a grant of $243,834 hasbeen approved by the Texas Departmentof Transportation Safe Routes to Schoolprogram to finance the construction ofsidewalks and paths to make the trek toschool safer for their children. The Countywill provide $60,958 in matching funds.Borrego Elementary in San Elizario, andFabens Primary, Middle and High Schools,as well as O’Donnell Elementary will seeroad-side improvements as a result of thefunding. County Transportation PlannerBob Geyer said he expects constructionto begin early in 2004.

In other news■ Noted artist, educator, humanitarian,

UPPER VALLEY — Canutillo IndependentSchool District voters passed a $12.3 millionbond issue that will enhance the design of thenew high schooland bring neededr e n o v a t i o nprojects to thedistrict’s six exist-ing campuses.

The final tallyreported Saturdaynight by HelenJamison, El PasoCounty electionssupervisor, was226 votes for thebond issue and 52votes against it,for an 81 percentpassing rate.

According toschool officials,$7.3 million ofthe bond issue isearmarked to help CISD build a comprehen-sive, state-of-the-art high school campus thatwill accommodate the projected student popu-lation growth. The new high school is sched-

Canutillo ISD voters pass bond issueBy Alfredo Vasquez�Special to the Courier

By Don Woodyard�Courier Staff Writer

By Arleen Beard�Special to the Courier

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE — These CanutilloISD administrators, shown from left, Assistant Su-perintendent for Operations and Planning Dr. JohnKessinger and Comptroller Tony Reza discuss plansfor the new high school.

uled to open during the 2005-2006 school year.In 1999, Canutillo ISD voters passed a $23

million bond issue to build the new high school.Subsequently, Canutillo applied for and re-ceived Instructional Facilities Allotment assis-tance from the state. The state is reimbursingthe district 74 percent of the initial construc-

tion cost. Afterpurchasing the 50acres of land forthe new highschool, paying forlegal permits, ar-chitects fees, andother expenses,the Canutillo dis-trict still has $20million remainingof the original$23 million forconstruction.

The remaining$5 million of therecently passedbond issue will beused to renovateand/or add to ex-isting campuses

including: building three 10-classroom wingswith restrooms at Childress Elementary School,

HORIZON CITY — For the past couple ofmonths, Horizon City Attorney Robert Duranhas been preparing a school zone ordinance forthe Town of Horizon City. During the regu-larly scheduled City Council meeting on April8, 2003, a public hearing regarding the SchoolZone Ordinance No. 0105 was held.

There was no public input, therefore, MayorPat Randleel closed the hearing and councilproceeded to take action on the ordinance. At-torney Duran stated the reason for the schoolzone ordinance was due to Horizon City neverbefore having one. He said council felt one

Horizon passes ordinance regulatingschool zones within its jurisdiction

See BONDS, Page 5

should be adopted. Council unanimously ap-proved the second reading on School ZoneOrdinance No. 0105.

There are five school included in the schoolordinance. These schools are: Colonel JohnEnsor Middle School, Horizon Heights El-ementary School, Carroll T. Welch Intermedi-ate School, Frank Macias Elementary Schooland Desert Hills Elementary School. Speedlimit for most of the school zones is 15 milesper hour except for 30 miles per hour on Hori-zon Blvd. and 20 miles per hour on Eastlakefor Desert Hills Elementary School.

Whenever signs indicate that the regulationsare in force, no vehicle shall pass any other

SAN ELIZARIO—The board of trusteesof the San Elizario Independent School Dis-trict got good news about the recent TAKS(Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills)testing for third-graders and considered howto fill a new vacancy.

The board approved a resolution cancel-ing the May 3 election because incumbentboard members Vicente Delgadillo and An-tonio Araujo had no opponents. They willbe certified as re-elected to office.

With one election canceled, the board mayschedule another to find a replacement forboard member Lorenza Zuniga who resignedbecause she had moved outside the districtboundaries. Board president Araujo saidthere are three choices, and he will be poll-ing members to see what course of action totake. One is to appoint someone to fill theremaining year of her term.

Second, the board can hold an election fora replacement or, three, take no action. Withthe latter, he sees a problem. With only sixon the board there is the risk of a 3-3 tie voteand no tie-breaker.

Cynthia Martinez, at-risk coordinator forthe district, told trustees at the April 9 boardmeeting that the students “did very well” inthe new, more arduous reading test.

Combining and averaging test results inthe English and Spanish tests, SEISD tiedfor second among Region 19 districts withthe Canutillo ISD. SEISD students scored91 in English and 87 in Spanish, accordingto test results provided by the district.

Canutillo was 94 in English and 84 inSpanish. First place went to the Anthonyschool district, the report showed, with a 95in the English portion and 89 in the Spanish.

Superintendent Mike Quatrini com-mended the efforts of principals, teachers andstaff for preparing the students for the test.

Quatrini later said the results all boileddown to equity — equity in funding fromthe state that has enabled Region 19 to do sowell compared to other parts of the state.

The more equitable funding process, hesays, provides for a more level academicplaying field. Smaller school districts likeSan Elizario can offer the same facilities andcompete with any other district throughoutthe state and attract the same high qualityteachers and provide the necessary resourcesto meet the educational needs of the students.

In other action, the board approved dis-continuing two non-qualified bus routes, 27and 34 for Borrego and Sambrano respec-tively. The administration recommended fol-lowing the state guidelines regarding stu-dents eligible for transportation. They allowfor transporting only those students outsideof a two-mile radius of the school.

Quatrini said most school districts in thestate follow the two-mile rule. The changewill not affect pre-K and kinder students andthose along hazardous routes.

Velia Duran, community in schools coor-dinator at the middle school, was namedEmployee of the Month. Leticia Monsivais,a high school math teacher, was namedTeacher of the Month.

San Elizario ISDboard positions gounchallenged, butZuniga resigns

See HORIZON, Page 3

EL PASO COUNTY — Birds and poultrymovement from five counties in Texas and NewMexico is being prohibited after laboratorytests completed late Wednesday, April 9, con-firmed Exotic Newcastle Disease (END) hadinfected a backyard flock of chickens last weekin East El Paso County.

As a preemptive measure, state and federalanimal health regulatory officials earlier thisweek destroyed the flock, but are concernedthat END, a highly contagious foreign-originvirus, may have spread to other poultry andbirds in the area.

The flock in which END was confirmed wasin the Socorro area, and was reported to beabout 100 game fowl raised for cockfights inNew Mexico.

Devastating poultry disease confirmed inEl Paso County, five counties quarantined

El Paso County has been quarantined by theTexas Animal Health Commission (TAHC),and the New Mexico Livestock Board has quar-antined Luna, Dona Ana and Otero Countiesin New Mexico.

By mid-afternoon Thursday, April 10, theU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hadplaced a federal quarantine on these counties,in addition to Hudspeth County in Texas.

“As of Wednesday evening, infection hasbeen confirmed only in El Paso County,” ex-plained Dr. Bob Hillman, Texas state veteri-narian and executive director for the TAHC.“However, the five counties quarantined inTexas and New Mexico are considered to be a

See END, Page 5

WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIERPage 2 April 17, 2003

SERVING ANTHONY, VINTON, CANUTILLO, EAST MONTANA, HORIZON, SOCORRO, CLINT, FABENS, SAN ELIZARIO AND TORNILLO

30yearsnineteenseventythree

twothousandthree

PUBLISHED:Published each Thursday byHomesteader News, Inc. Appreciationto our many contributors. Office openMonday through Thursday.

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ADDRESS:15344 Werling CourtHorizon City, TX 79928

Phone: 852-3235Fax: 852-0123

E-mail: wtxcc@wtccourier.com

PublisherRick Shrum

Business ManagerFrancis D. Shrum

ContributorsDon WoodyardSteve EscajedaArleen Beard

★

Member Texas CommunityNewspaper Association News, Inc.

HomesteaderEst. 1973

Reyes Reports By U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes

One perspectiveBy Francis Shrum

It used toget me in

plenty of trouble. My mother calledit “getting too big for my britches.”

I always knew when it was hap-pening. I would start behaving in away that was inappropriate for asprout my size. It usually involved agood bit of talking back, sticking mynose in where it didn’t belong — justgenerally involving myself in busi-ness a little above and outside my

A problemwith pants

realm of authority.I hope the good ol’ USA under-

stands what size of pants this nationwears.

My perspective on this armed con-flict with Iraq has been influenced,as it often is, by discussions withpeople I admire and respect, peoplewho have been there, done that, andwho fit in their pants with consider-able comfort.

I had just such a conversation on

This weekend in El Paso we asa community experienced firsthand the extremes of sorrow and

joy. On Friday we gathered together to pay our respectsto the nine brave members of the 507th MaintenanceCompany who lost their lives in Iraq. Early Sunday morn-ing, while still grieving the loss of these nine amazingsoldiers, we received the news that we’ve all hoped andprayed for: our five prisoners of war were recovered.They are safe, able to walk on their own, and are now ontheir way back to their families.

Our men and women in uniform are prepared to makethe ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation’s liberty.In El Paso and across the nation, the reality of this self-less patriotism hits home now more than ever. As wecope with our sorrows and celebrate the return of ourPOWs, we continue to keep the troops, their families,and loved ones in our thoughts and prayers. It is my sin-cere hope that the conflict in Iraq will end as quickly aspossible, and with a minimal amount of military and ci-vilian deaths.

Nine brave members of Fort Bliss’s 507th MaintenanceCompany were killed in action in Iraq. Private RubenEstrella-Soto, 18, of El Paso, Chief Warrant OfficerJohnny Villareal Mata, 35, of Pecos, Texas, SpecialistJames Kiehl, 22, of Comfort, Texas, Private First ClassLori Piestewa, 22, of Tuba City, Arizona, Private Bran-

Through thick and thin, we standby our troops and their families

don Sloan, 19, of Bedford Heights, Ohio, SergeantDonald Walters, 33, of Salem, Oregon, Master Sgt. Rob-ert J. Dowdy, 38, of Cleveland, Ohio, Specialist JamaalAddison of Roswell, Georgia and Private First Class,and Howard Johnson of Mobile, Alabama, selflessly sac-rificed their lives in defense of our nation and the greatfreedoms that make us who we are. Our community re-mains united behind our troops, and our thoughts andprayers are with the families and loved ones of thesecourageous soldiers.

Thirty-six years ago, I served my country proudly.I was fortunate enough to be one of those who re-turned. I will not even begin today to compare myexperiences with those of the courageous men andwomen currently serving in Iraq, but I do know whatit feels like to leave behind friends and family for adestination unknown. It’s one of the hardest thingsI’ve ever done, and I strongly commend these troopsfor their unwavering bravery.

Amidst signs of progress in Iraq, there is still muchwork to be done. Our troops are committed to com-pleting their mission, and we want our troops to knowthat we are committed to them. They give us pride inour country, and they can count on us to support themin the days, weeks, and years ahead, as they continueto be shining examples of what it means to be a greatpatriot.

Sunday with a man that sits right atthe top of my list when it comes towisdom. He’s worried that our armedexcursion over into the sands of Iraqmay have created more problemsthan it solved. He believes that ourassault on Iraq was undertaken for allthe wrong reasons.

Maybe so.I can’t say that I was a big fan of

George W. Bush before he took of-fice and in many respects I’m stillnot. But I do respect the fact that atleast he believes what he says. And Irespect the fact that he has kept housewith the same beautiful, honest andprincipled woman for many yearsand she is still satisfied to walk acouple of steps behind and hold hishand.

Maybe this is because he wasraised by a woman like that.

I also respect the fact that he re-

spects his soldiers and his generals,and I believe that respect is honestand sincere.

At any rate, I agree with my men-tor that our President would be welladvised to watch his pants size. Yousee, we are in a very tenuous posi-tion where, if we are not careful, wecould be perceived as being a littletoo big for our britches.

Some people say that is the Ameri-can Way. That go-for-it attitude iswhat made us great, they say. One ofour most popular “country” musicsingers these days has set that senti-ment to music and he’s getting quitea bit of press for it. He stands bra-zenly on stage, a little on the heavy,soft side with half-unbuttoned shirthanging over ragged jeans, with longstringy hair and unshaven face, blar-ing out his defiance at forces hedoesn’t even begin to understand, let

alone frighten.I disagree with him. I think that it

has been the humility and cool judg-ment of quiet men in key places thathas pulled our fat out of the fire onmore occasions than we care to thinkabout.

When men who have led other mento their deaths step up and speak intothe microphone they don’t threaten,bluster and puff out their chests. Firstoff, they would just as soon not bethere, and secondly, their words carrya kind of measured caution that ournation would do well to heed.

Iraq is a plum and a prize. Iraq sitssmack dab on top of a simmering potof wealth that has kept men in highplaces drooling in their bibs the worldover. Until now, Saddam Hussein hasbeen the great equalizer. He has beenso universally despised that every-body was glad enough to pretend tomaintain “sanctions” against himwhile most of them — even U.S. in-terests in some instances — were stillmaking undercover deals with thedevil to access the opium of this gen-eration, oil.

Our nation has upset that delicatebalance of world power and we sitpoised on the cusp of history. Wehave chosen to stand up in the faceof world opinion and say that weknow better than everyone else whatthe “Iraqi people” want and need.We’ve sent our sons — and finally,our daughters — into the bloody pathof armed conflict to back up that as-sumption.

For what? To take out a fool and adespot? Maybe, but they exist theworld over and we’ve done nothinglike this before. No, Iraq and SaddamHussein are unique — Hussein hasstood as a defiant symbol of our fail-ure to do finish the job during Op-eration Desert Storm, and he hasdone so while sitting on top of thebiggest pot of black gold the worldknows about.

So what will our nation do? Willwe march forward with an in-your-face attitude, defiant, greedy anddeadly?

Or will we, as we’ve been so qui-etly and earnestly advised, check ourpants size and proceed with the ut-most caution.

April 17, 2003 WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIER Page 3

Eye on D.C. By U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla

Por la Gente By State Rep. Chente Quintanilla

Hola migente —Little by

little, Texas State property taxpayershave felt the fiscal pain regardingPublic School Finance. During this78th Legislature, we are facing a bud-get crunch. That is why I authoredHouse Bill 2013 — a bill that wouldprevent out-of-state students who areliving apart from their parents, guard-ians, or other persons who have law-ful control, from enrolling in ourschools for the sole purpose of avoid-ing enrollment in a school outside ofthe State of Texas.

HB 2013 would prevent any youngperson from attending our publicschools if that person does not livewith people who are legitimately re-lated to him or her.

Thanks to my personal experienceas an administrator for the SocorroIndependent School District (SISD),I was able to witness the flow of stu-dents who enrolled in the district forthe sole purpose of avoiding enroll-ment in a school outside of this state.

Bill aims to prevent falseenrollment in Texas schools

Problems begin occurring when youhave a growing school district tryingto adjust rapidly to its population, andthe state has mandated that the schooldistrict must have a classroom ratioof twenty-two students per oneteacher (22:1) K- 4th grade.

Unfortunately, one end result of notabiding by the rules is that many par-ents who do live within the SISD soonfind that due to crowded classrooms,their children must attend anotherschool, often located far from theirplace of residence. Is this fair for theparents, or the legal guardians of thatchild? Is it fair to the student? Is it fairto our taxpayers to burden them withthe necessity of building more schools,or to lease/purchase portable class-rooms? No. This is not fair.

With the introduction of HB 2013,the bill will provide a Board of Trust-ees the option to deny a student’sadmission if they find that theperson’s sole purpose is to avoid en-rollment in a school outside of thisstate. Too often, a student will enrollin a Texas school, even though that

student may have access to institu-tions of higher learning in his/herstate or country.

Since the belief is that Texas schoolsare better than schools outside of thisstate, the parents often make arrange-ments for their children to attend Texasschools. They may even pay moneyto a person who is not an immediaterelative, so that the child may live withthat person, and then claim that theperson in question is a relative when,in reality, the person is not related inany way, shape, or form to the studentin question.

In this case, HB 2013 will help toremedy the situation. I feel verystrongly that the cost of allowing suchstudents to attend Texas schools maybe prohibitive, impacting heavily onthe Texas taxpayer. In these days oftight budgets and crowded schools,and with Texas facing a shortfall thatwill dramatically impact on the state’sability to educate our children, a strongremedy is imperative.

Let me make clear that the bill doesnot punish those students who are

from out of state, or out of country,but who want to attend our schools,and will reside with their parents orguardian. Such a student, in order toattend our schools, must live with hismother, father, or both — or with aguardian or guardians who have alegitimate Texas address. As you mayknow, Federal Law insists that weeducate every child, whether thatchild is here legally, or illegally. WhatI am attempting to cure in our schoolsystem is youngsters who enroll inour schools under false pretenses. Ifa student has a legitimate address,and lives with a legitimate parent(s),or guardian(s), then, by all means —

we should allow that student to at-tend our schools.

Remember, we are facing a verytight budget. Our schools arecrowded as it is, and there is no re-lief in sight. I truly believe that HB2013 is the way to go in order to se-cure cost measure opportunities forour taxpayers. I trust that you, myconstituents, will agree with me thatwe must preserve our taxpayer dol-lars. That’s it for now, my fellow ElPasoans. Rest assured that I will con-tinue to keep you informed of any andall legislation that may impact on you.Until then, I remain your friend andfellow El Pasoan, Chente for la gente

The week is finally upon us. Bythe time you read this column, youwill have finished filing your taxesor filing for an extension. As we doveinto the pamphlets, filled out theforms and contacted our accountants,many of us were wondering, “howmuch worse can it get?” The answer:much, much worse.

Would you believe that somemembers of Congress would like todo away with the tax relief that isputting money back in the hands ofthe American people and growing theeconomy. It’s hard to believe, but it’strue.

Under the previous administration,taxes reached an unprecedented high.The average family in America paidmore in taxes than on food, clothingand shelter combined. But the tidehas turned under President Bush. Lastyear, conservative members of Con-gress enacted the largest tax reliefpackage in 20 years.

Spring should be the time of yearwhen we take stock and focus ourattention on the year ahead. But formost of us, spring is the season ofheadaches and frustration as wecrunch and re-crunch numbers whilefilling out those dreaded IRS formsbefore the April 15 deadline. Insteadof spending time with our families,we are stuck trying to figure out thefederal tax code.

Here are some facts to help put inperspective the amount of time andmoney that is taken from us each year

A taxingtime of year

to pay ourtaxes.

• Americans pay more in taxes thanfor food, clothing and shelter com-bined.

• The IRS sends out eight billionpages of forms and instructions ev-ery year. Laid end to end, they wouldcircle the globe 28 times.

• Taxes eat up over 38 percent ofthe average family’s income.

• The average American workeduntil May 7 last year just to pay hisor her share of federal, state and lo-cal taxes. That’s the first 128 days ofyour year.

• This year nearly 60 percent ofAmericans will be forced to pay a taxprofessional to help them with theirtaxes.

• Almost the entire second incomeof a two-income family goes to paytaxes.

• Instructions for the 1040EZ, theeasiest personal income tax form, are33 pages long.

These are just a few reasons whythis Congress is working hard to re-duce your tax burden. We made greatstrides last year, but we still have along way to go.

Families in Texas should not haveto pay so much of their hard earnedmoney in taxes or be hassled by aburdensome tax code. You deserve tokeep more of what you earn so youcan do more for your families,churches and communities.

After all, it is your money.

www.wtccourier.com

Dear Editor:I would like to express my views

in reference to (a letter) released April3 concerning Socorro City Counciland Mayor Irma Sanchez. I will dis-agree with the comment from one ofyour readers that Socorro City Coun-cil is out to “sabotage the mayor’swork.” I believe that Socorro CityCouncil is out to work for the com-munity, not compete or impair whatone person does.

I can give a good example: the rec-ommendation of the Socorro Munici-pal Judge came directly from MayorSanchez and was voted/passed by themajority of Socorro City Council. Ididn’t see any “sabotage” there. Yes,only council voted.

Perhaps the (letter) is only one-sided, after all, I couldn’t see howfive individual people, meaningSocorro City Council, would be outto sabotage one person, MayorSanchez, which leads me to believethat perhaps your reader reallydoesn’t know Socorro city represen-tatives or holds some type of grudgetowards them.

I can appreciate and support thatRep. Gloria Rodriguez is informingSocorro citizens the service that thecouncil should provide the constitu-ents with, after all, that is why theyare elected. Nor do I see a crime thatRep. Rodriguez speaks up at anycouncil meeting. I applaud her voice.

Maybe in the future if a reader feelsthe need to glorify an individual orcommission they should write (a let-ter) about them and not belittle an-other representative.

Laura RizoSocorro

Dear Editor:In last weeks issue there was a com-

ment from Johnny Gauna in referenceto Carl Frietze running for board oftrustee of the Canutillo I.S.D. WhatMr. Gauna failed to mention is thatthroughout the time that Mr. Frietzewas no longer a member of the schoolboard, he was still present at the boardmeetings as a parent and communitymember. This was no longer an obli-gation on Mr. Frietze’s part, but it wasan issue of personal interest. Personalinterest as a concerned parent and com-munity member, which is more than Ican say for other individuals runningin this election that are not presentlyon the board. Mr. Frietze has provenhis dedication to Canutillo I.S.D. notonly as a board member, but also as acompetent parent and communitymember. There is no personal gainhere, but rather sincere concern for theentire student body population of thisdistrict. I, too, attend these meetingsand pay close attention to the facts andto the educational decisions beingmade. I suggest Mr. Gauna do thesame. Carl Frietze has my support andvote for school board of trustee.

Lilia P. MaldonadoCanutillo

Dear Editor:The best choice for mayor of Ho-

rizon City is the current incumbent,Pat Randleel. Pat has lived in Hori-zon City since 1982. She is an activemember of the Horizon City Com-munity Chapel, attending regularlyand having served as financial sec-retary for many years. Pat has been amember of the Horizon City KiwanisClub since 1988. Name any Clubproject and you will find Pat work-ing hard to help keep it going. Shehas served ably in various Club po-sitions, including president, and iscurrently serving as secretary. Pat isone of those many city volunteerswho place American flags along ourstreets each year.

Pat is a long time employee of ElPaso Electric, serving as supervisorof financial forecasting. From 1988to 1995 she was elected to serve onour City Council. She also served anunexpired term from 1996 to 1997.During these terms her commitmentto the citizens of Horizon City in-creased while her understanding ofHorizon City needs deepened. Notonly does she spend many hours eachweek at City Hall taking care of citybusiness, she has developed goodworking relationships with many lo-cal and state government officials.Those who have worked alongsidePat will agree that she is a person ofintegrity and good character. She hasserved us well for many years and ishighly qualified to serve another termas our mayor. We all want to makeHorizon City a better place to live.Stay with a proven leader, reelect Patand keep our city on the right track.

Ben NarbuthHorizon City

Dear Editor:I was very happy to know that the

tax payers passed the bond electionto better our schools and educationof our children in the community.

The only sad thing is that we haveover 4,000 registered voters and only278 voters decided for the wholecommunity. Those that did not votewill be the ones complaining abouttheir taxes.

We have an election coming upMay 3, 2003 for board members’seats. We need more voters to go outand vote. Remember those who areelected will make decisions for ourchildren and schools and employeesof the district and community.

We need board members that arewilling to work for the district andnot for personal gain.

Johnny GaunaCanutillo

Write stuff

vehicle proceeding in the same direc-tion between the signs designatingthe school zones. Further details re-garding the ordinance are available

HorizonFrom Page 1______________________

at Town Hall.In other business, council tabled

the approval of a gift of 45 acres toallow further investigation of the areaand any possible hazards it may have.The acreage is located in Section 7,block 77 near the Horizon Lake. Es-timated value of the land is $10,000.

The item is expected to be addressedat the next council meeting.

Council also approved JohnHamilton as an additional InvestmentBroker for Horizon City, and approvedthe rezoning of Lots 1, 2 and 3 atEastlake Commercial Unit II from R-2 residential to C-1 commercial.

WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIERPage 4 April 17, 2003

NOTICE OF ELECTIONTO THE DULY QUALIFIED RESIDENT VOTERS OF EL PASO COUNTYWATER AUTHORITY:Notice is hereby given that a bond election will be held for and within El PasoCounty Water Authority (the “District”), pursuant to an Order of the Board ofDirectors of said District passed on March 13, 2003. Said Order is on file at theoffice of the District located at 1539 Pawling Drive, El Paso, Texas 79928,where any interested person may refer to it for all purposes.

1. The election will be held between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday,May 3, 2003, at the following locations:Precinct Nos. 147 and 166:Horizon Heights School, 13601 Ryderwood, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas;Precinct Nos. 157, 167 and 168:Desert Hills Elementary School, 300 Eastlake Drive,, El Paso, El Paso County,TexasPrecinct No. 148:Sparks Community Center, 12899 Sparks Drive, El Paso, El Paso County,Texas

which are all public places, and shall conform to all the requirements of Chap-ters 49 and 54 of the Texas Water Code and of the Texas Election Code, so faras applicable.

2. All duly qualified resident electors of the District may vote at the bondelection.

3. The proposition to be voted on in the election is as follows:Shall the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of El Paso County Water Authority(the “District”) be authorized to issue the bonds of the District, maturing seri-ally or otherwise over a period not to exceed forty (40) years from their date ordates, and to be issued and sold at any price or prices and to bear interest atany rate or rates as shall be determined within the discretion of the Board ofDirectors of the District at the time of issuance as authorized by law as nowenacted or hereafter amended, for the purposes of (a) purchasing, construct-ing, acquiring, owning, operating, repairing, improving and extending a waterand sanitary sewer system, including reclaimed water facilities, water plantsand a sewage disposal plant for the District in the maximum amount not toexceed $45,000,000, and/or (b) the refunding of any bonds or other evidencesof indebtedness of the District which may be outstanding from time to time inthe maximum amount not to exceed one and one-half times the amount ofbonds or indebtedness issued for any lawful purpose of the District; and toprovide for the payment of principal of and interest on such bonds by the levyand collection of a sufficient ad valorem tax authorized by Chapter 54 of theTexas Water Code, upon all taxable property within the District, all as autho-rized by the Constitution and laws of the State of Texas.

4. The District’s Engineer and the District’s Board of Directors estimatethe following costs:Water Improvements: $8,629,080Wastewater Improvements: $20,756,910Reclaimed Water Improvements: $2,788,000System Rehabilitation: $1,562,400Subtotal of Construction Costs: $33,736,390Miscellaneous Non-Construction Costs: $11,263,610Total Non-Construction Costs: $11,263,610TOTAL COST OF BONDS: $45,000,000

The report fully explaining the above costs is on file in the District’s office andopen to inspection by the public.

5. The officers of such election shall be as follows:Presiding Judge: Precinct Nos. 147 and 166: Joan TruesdalePrecinct Nos. 157, 167 and 168: Annie PeasePrecinct No. 148: Venesa Cordero

Early Voting Clerk: Howard Mowad

6. Early votingEarly voting by personal appearance shall be conducted at The Oz GlazeSenior Center, 13969 Veny Webb, El Paso County, Texas, a public place withinthe boundaries of the District. Early voting ballots for voting by mail may beobtained from and mailed to the Early Voting Clerk, County of El Paso Elec-tions Department, 500 East San Antonio, Suite 402, El Paso, Texas 77909.The Early Voting Clerk shall keep the office for early voting by personal ap-pearance open for such purposes from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on each daywhich is not a Saturday, Sunday, or official State holiday, beginning on theseventeenth (17th) day and continuing through the fourth day preceding thedate of such election. Beginning on the seventeenth day preceding electionday, the Early Voting Clerk shall mail an absentee ballot to be voted by mail toeach voter whose request therefore has been duly received by 5:00 p.m. onthe fourth day preceding election day. Absentee ballots shall be received bymail through the election day for ballots mailed within the United States orthrough the second day following the election day for ballots mailed outsidethe United States.

Early voting by personal appearance will also be conducted at all locationswithin El Paso County, at which Early Voting is conducted by the County Elec-tions Department beginning on April 16, 2003 and ending on April 29, 2003.

7. Any persons desiring assistance with American Indian language(Pueblo) translation may contact the Election Judge at the County of ElPaso Elections Department, 500 East San Antonio, Suite 402, El Paso,Texas 77909, telephone number (915) 547-2154.

AVISO DE ELECCIONA LOS VOTANTES DEBIDAMENTE CALIFICADOS DE EL PASO COUNTYWATER AUTHORITY:Por este medio se notifica que se llevará a cabo una elección de bonos paray dentro de El Paso County Water Authority (el “Distrito”), de acuerdo a unaOrden del Consejo de Administración de dicha Autoridad, emitida el 13 demarzo de 2003. Dicha Orden se encuentra en los archivos en la oficina delDistrito, ubicada en 1539 Pawling Drive, El Paso, Texas, 79928, donde todapersona interesada puede consultarla para cualquier fin.

1. La elección se llevará a cabo entre las 7:00 AM y las 7:00 PM el sábado3 de mayo de 2003, en los siguientes lugares:

Delegaciones 147 y 166:Horizon Heights School, 13601 Ryderwood, El Paso, El Paso County, Texas;

Delegaciones 157, 167 y 168:Desert Hills Elementary School, 300 Eastlake Drive, El Paso, El Paso County,Texas

Delegación No. 148:Sparks Community Center, 12899 Sparks Drive, El Paso, El Paso County,Texas

Los cuales todos son lugares públicos y cumplirán con los requisitos de losCapítulos 49 y 54 del Código de Agua de Texas y el Código Electoral deTexas, en lo aplicable.

2. Todos los electores residentes debidamente calificados del Distritopueden votar en la elección de bonos.

3. Las propuestas sujetas a votación en la elección son como siguen:¿Se autoriza al Consejo de Administración (el “Consejo”) de El Paso CountyWater Authority (el “Distrito”) a emitir bonos del Distrito, que madurarán enserie o de otra forma abarcando un período que no excederá de cuarenta (40)años a partir de su fecha o fechas, y se emitirán y venderán a cualquier precioo precios y generarán intereses a cualquier tasa o tasas según se determinarána discreción del Consejo de Administración del Distrito al momento de laemisión según autorice la ley ahora vigente o sus enmiendas sucesivas, parael propósito de (a) comprar, construir, adquirir, poseer, operar, reparar, mejorary extender un sistema de agua y drenaje sanitario, incluyendo plantas deagua y una planta de desecho de aguas negras para el Distrito, en la cantidadmáxima que no excederá $45,000,000, y/o (b) el reembolso de cualquier bonou otra evidencia de deuda del Distrito que pudiera permanecer sin saldar detiempo en tiempo en la cantidad máxima que no excederá de una vez y mediala cantidad de bonos o de deuda emitida para cualquier propósito legal delDistrito; y proveer para el pago del capital y de los intereses de dichos bonosmediante la imposición y recolección de un impuesto suficiente al valorautorizado por el Capítulo 54 del Código de Agua de Texas, en todas laspropiedades gravables dentro del Distrito, todo según se autoriza por laConstitución y las leyes de Texas?

4. El Ingeniero de Distrito y el Consejo de Administración del Distritoestiman los costos como sigue:Mejoras al sistema de agua: $8,629,080Mejoras al drenaje: $20,756,910Mejoras a reclamación de aguas: $2,788,000Rehabilitación del sistema: $1,562,400Subtotal de costos de construcción: $33,736,390Costos diversos no relacionados a la construcción: $11,263,610Total de costos no relacionados a la construcción: $11,263,610COSTO TOTAL DE LOS BONOS: $45,000,000

El informe que explica completamente los costos anteriores se encuentraarchivado en la oficina del Distrito y abierto a la inspección por parte del público.

5. Los funcionarios para dicha elección serán como sigue:

Juez Presidente: Precinct Nos. 147 and 166: Joan TruesdalePrecinct Nos. 157, 167 and 168: Annie PeasePrecinct No. 148: Venesa Cordero

Secretario de Votación Anticipada: Howard Mowad

6. La votaciónLa votación anticipada por presentación personal se llevará a cabo en el OzGlaze Senior Center, 13969 Veny Webb, Condado de El Paso, Texas, unlugar público dentro de los límites del Distrito. Las boletas para la votaciónanticipada por correo pueden obtenerse de, y devolverse por correo, alSecretario de Votación Anticipada, Condado de El Paso, Departamento deElecciones, 500 East San Antonio, Suite 402, El Paso, Texas 77909. ElSecretario de Votación Anticipada mantendrá abierta la oficina para votaciónanticipada por presentación personal para dichos fines, de las 8:00 AM a las5:00 PM durante cada día que no sea Sábado, Domingo o día festivo estatal,comenzando el decimoséptimo (17) día y continuando hasta el cuarto díaanterior a la fecha de dicha elección. Comenzando el decimoséptimo día an-terior al día de la elección, el Secretario de Votación Anticipada enviará porcorreo una boleta para votar en ausencia, para ser devuelta por correo, acada votante cuya solicitud se reciba antes de las 5:00 PM del cuarto díaanterior al día de la elección. Las boletas en ausencia se recibirán por correohasta el día de la elección para las boletas que se envíen por correo dentrode los Estados Unidos, o hasta el segundo día después del día de la elección,para las boletas que se envíen por correo desde fuera de los Estados Unidos.

La votacion anticipo en persona se llevará a cabo en todos locaciones en elCondado de El Paso, en donde se lleva a cabo votaciones tempranasmanejadas por el Departmento de Elecciones del condado empezando el 16de abril de 2003 y terminando el 29 de abril de 2003.

7. Toda persona que desee asistencia con traducción al idioma indígenaamericano (Pueblo) puede ponerse en contacto con el Juez de la Elecciónen el Departamento de Elecciones del Condado de El Paso, 500 EastSan Antonio, Suite 402, El Paso, Texas 77909, teléfono (915) 547-2154.

WTCC: 04/17/03

EL PASO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY

/s/ Kenneth W. OsmondPresident, Board of Directors/Presidente, Consejo de Administración

April 17, 2003 WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIER Page 5

TORNILLO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTNOTICE OF ELECTIONOn February 17, 2003, at their regular meeting, the Boardof Trustees of the Tornillo ISD ordered an election to beheld on Saturday May 3, 2003, between the hours of 7:00A.M. and 7:00 P.M., at the Tornillo ISD Central Office,19200 Cobb Street, Tornillo, Texas, for the purpose ofelecting two (2) trustees. One for Place 6, and one forPlace 7. All places are for full, three year terms.

Absentee voting by personal appearance will be conductedat the Tornillo ISD Central Office, 19200 Cobb Street,Tornilllo, Texas, beginning April 16, 2003 through April29, 2003, each weekday from 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.Applications for ballot by mail shall be mailed to the Pre-siding Judge, Emma Davis, C/O P.O. Box 170, Tornillo,Texas, 79853. Applications for ballots by mail may be re-ceived beginning March 4, 2003 and must be received nolater than 4:00 P.M. on April 25, 2003. Ballots by mailwill be mailed by the presiding judge beginning March19, 2003 and must be received by the presiding judge, by9:00 A.M. on May 2, 2003.

Only duly qualified, registered voters of the Tornillo In-dependent School District and Precinct 161 shall be per-mitted to vote at such election.

DISTRITO DE LA ESCUELA DE TORNILLOAVIS0 DE ELECCIONEl dia 17 de Febrero, 2003, en la junta de la mesa directivadel distrito escolar de Tornillo dio aviso que se llevara acabo una eleccion de regentes para la mesa directiva elsabado , 3 de Mayo, 2003, de 7:00 A.M. a 7:00 P.M. en laoficina centrales de Tornillo ISD, 19200 Cobb St., Tor-nillo, Texas, con el proposito de elegir dos (2) directores .Uno para puesto 6, y uno para puesto 7. Todos los puestosson de un termino de tres anos completos.

Votacion de ausencia en persona empieza el 16 de Abril, 2003hasta el 29 de Abril, 2003 de las 2:00 P.M. a las 6:00 P.M., delunes a viernes, en la oficina centrales de Tornillo ISD, P.M.,19200 Cobb Street, Tornillo, Texas . Boletos para votar enausencia por correo se pueden consequir con el juez que pre-side, ser enviadas a Emma Davis, C/O P.O. Box 170, Tor-nillo, Texas 79853. Applicaciones para boletos por correo sedeberan recibirse comenzando 4, de Marzo 2003, y recibirsepara el fin de 25 de Abril, 2003 antes de las 4:00 P.M. Boletospor correo se comenzaran enviar por el juez que preside,comenzando el 19 de Marzo, 2003 y recibirse antes de las9:00 A.M. el dia 2 de May, 2003.

Unicamente votantes registrados del distrito de la escuela deTornillo y de Precinct 161 se permiten votar en esta eleccion.WTCC: 4/10/03 & 4/17/03

City of Horizon CityPUBLIC NOTICE

FAIR HOUSINGA Fundamental Entitlement

for all Americans

As we observe the 35th anniversary of the National FairHousing Law, Horizon City joins others in El Paso Countyurging all citizens to become aware of and support theFair Housing Law. Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of1968, as amended, prohibits discrimination in housingand calls for a national policy for fair housing. This na-tional policy can only be successful with the cooperationof all Americans. This policy prohibits discriminationagainst any person on the basis of race, color, religion,sex, age, handicap, familial status or national origin in thesale or rental of units in the housing market. The CityCouncil of Horizon City proclaims April as Fair HousingMonth.

For more information on Fair Housing or to reportpossible Fair Housing discrimination, call the U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Developmentat 1-800-669-9777.

Sandra SierraCity Clerk

WTCC: 04/17/03

Town of Horizon CityPUBLIC NOTICEDuring the regular council meeting on April 8, 2003, theTown of Horizon City approved the following:

1) Ordinance No. 0105 - Pursuant to Sections51.001 and 51.012 of the Texas Local Govern-ment Code, the City Council of the Town ofHorizon City hereby enacted and adopted theordinance to regulate school zones and the speedlimits within the territorial limits of the Town ofHorizon City. Furthermore, whenever traffic en-gineering investigation discloses a need for safetyprecautions for schoolchildren, the street depart-ment is authorized to mark such locations as“school zones.” Once school zones are established,traffic control signs or devices, will be marked toindicate that school is in session, and the primafacie speed limit within the said school zone.

Ordinances are available for viewing or copying upon re-quest from the City Clerk at Town Hall, 14999 DarringtonRoad, Horizon City, Texas, Monday through Friday from8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sandra SierraCity Clerk

WTCC: 04/17/03

BondsFrom Page 1______________________

Public NoticeClint Independent School DistrictOrder of CancellationThe Clint Independent School District Board of Trusteeshereby cancels the election scheduled to be held on May3, 2003, in accordance with Section 2.053(a) of the TexasElection Code. The following candidates have been certi-fied as unopposed and are hereby elected as follows:

Orden de CancelaciónLa Mesa Directiva del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Clintpor la presente cancela la elección que, de lo contrario, sehubiera celebrado el dia tres (3) de mayo de conformidad,con la Sección 2.053(a) del Código de Elecciones de Texas.Los siguientes candidatos han sido certificados comocandidatos únicos y por la presente quedan elegidos como sehaya indicado a continuacíon:

Candidates (Candidatos)Alfred Phillip Gonzalez and Roberto Lara

Office Sought (Cargo a que presenta candidatura)Trustee (At-Large)

A copy of this order will be posted on Election Day at eachpolling place that would have been used in the election.El día de las Elecciones se exhibirá una copia de esta orden entodas las mesas electorales que se hubieran utilizado en laelección.

James R. PendellPresiding Officer / Oficial que Preside

April 14, 2003Date of Adoption (Fecha de adopción)

Damian Elementary School, andCanutillo Middle School; completingroof repair projects district-wide; in-stalling new playground equipmentat Childress Elementary School,Davenport Elementary School,Damian Elementary School, andCanutillo Middle School; makingelectrical and mechanical upgrades toCanutillo Elementary School,Canutillo Middle School, and thepresent Canutillo High School.

An additional benefit of the bond

ENDFrom Page 1______________________

trade area in which there is signifi-cant movement of birds and poultry.State and federal authority is beingimposed so that disease surveillance,testing and diagnosis can be con-ducted. It is customary for the USDAto quarantine additional counties, inorder to create a ‘buffer zone’ aroundan infected county. The END out-break must be stopped before itspreads to other backyard, hobbyistor exhibition flocks, or to the com-mercial poultry industry.”

Dr. Hillman explained that theUSDA is providing fair market pay-ment for birds that must be destroyedduring this disease outbreak. Hestressed that END does not affect hu-man health, nor does it affect poul-try products or eggs.

“We are depending on bird andpoultry owners to assist us in eradi-cating this disease outbreak,” said Dr.Steven England, state veterinarian forthe New Mexico Livestock Board.“Please report illness or unexpecteddeath losses to your private veteri-nary practitioner or to the TAHC orNew Mexico Livestock Board.” TheTAHC has a 24-hour hotline that canbe reached at 1-800-550-8242, andthe New Mexico Livestock Boardcan be called at (505) 841-6161.

END usually has a two to 15-dayincubation period, and infected birdsor poultry may exhibit signs of res-piratory distress, including gaspingor coughing. The virus also affectsthe central nervous system, causinginfected birds to become paralyzed,develop muscle tremors or twist theirnecks. In some flocks, disease maystrike quickly, and the only sign isdeath loss.

“We are asking for full coopera-tion from bird and poultry owners.Do not move birds from the quaran-tine area. Do not move birds withinthe area, either,” he said. “If at allpossible, keep birds in isolation onyour premise, and ensure that nobirds are introduced onto your prop-erty during the quarantine period.”

Dr. Hillman said that the quaran-tines will last until state and federalanimal health officials are certain alldisease has been eradicated and thatit is safe to resume normal movementand activities.

“Take precautions,” said Dr.Hillman. “Clean your boots prior toentering bird pens. You could pick upcontaminated manure on your foot-wear at the feed store, at the coffeeshop, or at your neighbor’s place. Usebleach and water or a commercialdisinfectant to spray or dip yourboots. Wear clean clothes whenworking with the birds. Clothing, too,can pick up viruses that can be trans-mitted to your birds.”

“We can stop the spread of this dis-ease, but only if we all work togetherquickly and cooperatively.”

issue is that Canutillo ISD will nowbe able to provide a Pre-Kinder pro-gram at each elementary school foreligible children.

Canutillo ISD will again apply forstate assistance through the Instruc-tional Facilities Allotment (IFA) pro-gram. Should the Legislature appro-priate funds and if CISD qualifies forIFA, the state would reimburse theDistrict up to 66 percent of the con-struction cost. If the Legislature doesnot appropriate funds for the IFA pro-

gram or if the district does notqualify, it is still the Board’s intentto sell the bonds, explained TonyReza, CISD Comptroller.

“With IFA, the monthly tax in-crease would be $1.77 or $21.24 ayear for taxpayers with a home val-ued at $55,000 less a Homestead ex-emption of $15,000. Without IFA, themonthly tax increase would be $3.46or $41.52 a year for taxpayers with ahome valued at $55,000 less theHomestead exemption,” Reza said.

WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIERPage 6 April 17, 2003

King Super Crossword

By Steve Escajeda�Special to the Courier

GREEN PIECEACROSS

1 Exchange 5 “_ on Entebbe” (’77film) 9 TV’s “_ Bridges” 13 Canadian penin-sula 18 It may be bitter 19 _ Spumante 20 Director Kazan 21 Chaos 22 “Green Card” ac-tress 25 Put the match to 26 Big kid? 27 Lofty 28 Ford of football 30 Hightailed it 31 One of a bunch 34 Green Bay Packersstadium 39 Dieter’s snack 41 Streep of “TheHours” 42 Act like a stallion 43 Loathe 44 Bucks beginning 46 Mine car 48 Coronet 51 Gray matter? 52 Occult 54 The _ Brothers 56 Depart 58 Stiller’s partner 60 He gave us a lift 62 Carve a canyon 64 Illuminated

65 Nick of “CanneryRow” 68 To _ (perfectly) 70 Alum 71 Arafat’s grp. 72 Gulf state 74 “Green Acres” actor 77 Jackie of “The Tux-edo” 78 Brooks or Ott 79 _-dieu (kneeler) 80 Galaxy glitterer 81 Neighbor of 72Across 83 “_ of You” (’84 hit) 84 Annoys 86 Budge 88 Eye opener? 91 Shortstop Pee Wee 93 German river 95 Bright inventor? 98 _ es Salaam 99 Come in101 Job opening103 Vegetate104 Impudent105 “_ Leaf” (’71 film)107 One of theOsmonds109 Blazing111 “The Green Man”author115 “Don Giovanni” set-ting116 Year, in Yucatan117 Nabokov novel118 Raindrop sound120 Leaf part

123 Polly-syllabic one?126 “Green Tambou-rine” group132 Dubious133 Joyce’s land134 Part of HOMES135 Den136 Abounds (with)137 Risked a ticket138 Coming up139 Org. founded in1844

DOWN 1 Bath, e.g. 2 Flicker feature 3 Actor Ray 4 Supple 5 Aries animal 6 Fit _ fiddle 7 Like a mosquito bite 8 Actress Conn 9 Inn-based sitcom 10 Bristol brew 11 “_ vous plait” 12 Berry of “Monster’sBall” 13 Silence 14 Writer Rand 15 British county 16 Pansy part 17 Correct 21 Stately dance 23 Raison d’_ 24 Inspect too closely? 29 Corn portion 32 Bilko’s employer 33 Colors

35 Pianist Hess 36 Criticize 37 Went down in his-tory? 38 “Dies _” 39 Ablative or dative 40 Green MountainBoys leader 41 Cocktail choice 43 Actor’s lunch? 45 Pontiac model 47 Consolidate 49 Green Party candi-date 50 Saint Theresa’shome 52 “_ de mer” 53 Quotes an expert 55 “My fault!” 57 007’s school 59 Baseball’s Guidry 61 Throne and pew 63 See socially 66 Austin of “KnotsLanding” 67 Roman magistrate 69 Gladden 72 Poet Khayyam 73 Donnybrook 75 Exploits 76 It has a bit part 77 “Fantasia” frame 79 Fusses with feath-ers 82 Guy 85 Alabama city 87 _ Grande 89 Seldom seen

90 “The A-Team” actor 92 Forest father 94 Wander 96 Clout a cad 97 “Eugene Onegin”character100 Tell tales102 Increased by 200%104 Full array106 Tie the knot108 Land in the sea110 Ferrer musical111 Done for112 Cockamamie113 Scandinavian114 Early Eastwood role115 Fern feature119 Harbinger121 Put on a happy face122 Lexicographer Par-tridge124 41 Down ingredient125 Hosp. areas127 Cool128 Poetic preposition129 Veto130 Cosset a corgi131 Mexican Mrs.

Answer Page 7

international folklorico dancer and histo-rian Rosa Guerrero will be at the FabensHigh School Careers in Education Fair onMay 3, 10 a.m., as the keynote speaker. Theevent is an effort to promote education as acareer to meet demands being placed oneducators because of the current account-ability system under the No Child Left Be-hind (NCLB) initiatives. The event will alsofeature entertainment by the Fabens MiddleSchool Guitar Class, the O’Donnell BalletFolklorico Dance Group, and more. CallIleana Ayala at 764-3711, ext. 200 or 892-6173.

■ The El Paso County Water Authority(EPCWA) which serves the greater Hori-zon area has been notified that it is autho-rized to display the “Superior Public WaterSystem” signage on highways entering thedistrict. The rating was given by the TexasCommission on Environmental Qualitybased on a recent sanitary survey and re-

view of EPCWA records.

■ Canutillo Independent School will holdearly registration for four and five year oldsfor the 2003-2004 school year from 2:30 p.m.to 6:00 p.m. on the following dates and lo-cations:• Monday, May 5 at Childress ElementarySchool (877-7700), 7700 Cap Carter Rd.;• Tuesday, May 6 at Damian ElementarySchool (877-7655), 6300 Strahan;• Wednesday, May 7 at Canutillo Elemen-tary School (877-7600), 651 Canutillo Ave.;• Thursday, May 9, at Davenport Elemen-tary School (886-6400), 8401 Remington.To register a child, parent or guardian mustbring the child’s birth certificate, shot record,child’s social security card, proof of resi-dence, income verification, and parent orguardian identification.Classes for 2003-2004 school year are sched-uled to start Monday, August 18. Three-year-old children may register at Headstart at 877-1095. For more information, call 877-7440.

■ Socorro High School will send five studentsto the national Health Occupations Student of

America leadership conference in Atlanta,Georgia, June 18-21, after they finished in theupper levels of state competition. Saul Anaya,Sam Le, Ubaldo Fernandez, and AdrianPassdar-Shirazi will compete as a debate teamaddressing biomedical issues and Melissa Polin health career poster competition. VictoriaCastellanos was elected a state officer and willmake the trip as well.

■ Fabens ISD will conduct a Pre-K and Kin-dergarten “Round-Up” registration on Fri-day and Saturday, May 2-3, at Risinger Pri-mary for children ages four and five on orbefore Sept. 1 of this year. Registration dateand time is based on the month of the child’sbirth — contact Risinger for specific dateand hour of registration. Parents or guard-ians registering children should bring birthcertificate, health and immunization record,Social Security card, proof of residence andfor Pre-K, proof of income. Immunizationswill be offered on Saturday for $10.

■ Horizon City will conduct its annual CityCleanup Days on April 25-26, 8 a.m. to noon.Volunteers who have not already registered

may call Town Hall at 852-1046 to join theeffort.

■ American Legion Post 598 will host apancake breakfast on Easter Sunday, April20, from 9 a.m. to noon. The event will beat the Veterans Hall, 13000 Horizon Blvd.,and breakfast will be all-you-can-eat for $4.

■ “The boys of summer need the men inblue,” said Fred Villalobos of the LowerValley Umpire Association, which is seek-ing baseball officials to serve during thesoftball and Little League season of 2003.Persons interested in serving in this mostimportant way can contact Villalobos at851-6542 or 663-4009 gets his digital pager.

■ There will be roses on the Rio Grandeas the El Paso Rose Society and the El PasoParks and Recreation Department presentthe 47th Annual Rose Show at Bassett Cen-ter in El Paso on April 27. Public entries ofnamed roses are welcome from 7:30 to 10a.m., and public viewing begins at noon.An awards ceremony will be held at 5:30p.m. Information: 751-3631.

I’ve seen many outstanding athletes havetheir numbers retired at the end of their illus-trious careers.

Heck, even the highly touted high schoolbasketball player, LeBron James, had his num-ber retired.

Some teams like the Boston Celtics and theNew York Yankees enjoy the ritual so muchthat they are literally running out of numbersto retire.

But just when you thought you’d seen it all,something new happened in the retired-num-bers’ game last weekend.

Having a team retire your number is onething, but when another team retires your num-ber that’s quite something else…and, in thewords of Star Trek’s Mr. Spock, “highly illogi-cal captain.”

But that’s exactly what happened when theMiami Heat, a team that the great Michael Jor-dan has never had any association with what-soever, retired his number 23.

We all like Mike but…Why would the Heat retire the number of a

player that’s never played for them? Don’t getme wrong, it’s a nice gesture, but kind of Twi-light Zonish.

A banner was actually raised in Miami’sarena that had the number 23 on it in half theChicago Bulls’ uniform and half the Washing-ton Wizards’ uniform.

Miami coach Pat Riley told the Miami crowdthat no other Heat player will ever wear thenumber 23 again.

Again, a nice gesture but believe it or not,no Miami Heat player has ever had his num-ber retired. Should a player on another teambe the first player in franchise history to berecognized in that way?

Michael Jordan, in my opinion, is the bestathlete to ever play basketball — though I be-lieve the most valuable player ever to put on apair of NBA sneakers was the great BillRussell.

But I still don’t know about the psyche of ateam that hangs the banner of an opposingplayer in the rafters of its own arena.

What are the Heat going to do next, hang a“Lakers” banner in the rafters? Hey, how about

a “Tampa Bay rules” banner for all the Miamifans to admire?

This sounds familiarGuess who’s back in the news? Our old pal

Darryl Strawberry.You remember Darryl Strawberry. He’s the

guy that has made a habit of beating up women,driving his car like a hyper 17-year-old, phi-landering with women who don’t happen tobe his wife, going on binges of drugs and alco-hol, making threats with deadly weapons, for-getting that he has to pay Uncle Sam a portionof his income every year in the form of taxes,failing to make spousal and child supportpayments…oh yeah, and he also played pro-fessional baseball for the New York Mets andYankees, among other teams.

Well, Strawberry was released from prisonlast weekend and he says that his stint therewas the best thing for him.

Serving 11 of his 18-month sentence, Straw-berry says that now he finally gets it. He sayshe now knows that he was doing wrong andthat he has learned from his mistakes.

I don’t know about you but all this soundsvaguely familiar. Hasn’t Strawberry sworn upand down through the years that he had learnedhis lesson and he was a new and improvedhuman being?

And he expects us to believe him now.For his sake, I hope Strawberry has finally

put his life in order but just like my father-in-law always says — “I was born at night…butnot last night.”

Double troubleThere must have been something out of

alignment in the universe last Sunday becausesomething happened that I never thoughtwould.

How often have you seen, when they need itthe most, Tiger Woods or Serena Williams notbe able to summon up all their athletic re-sources and come through with an outstand-ing performance to claim victory?

The chances are slim but they have falteredon occasion.

Now when was the last time they failed tocome through on the same day? I’ll tell youwhen — last Sunday.

Last Sunday, Serena Williams was beaten inthe finals of the Family Circle Cup tournamentin Charleston, S.C. for the first time this sea-son. And Tiger Woods shot a final round 75 inthe Masters and was never in contention aftera double-bogey on the third hole.

Last Sunday was very unique watching Wil-liams and Woods fail on the same day.

Truth is, we’ll probably never see it again.

BriefsFrom Page 1______________________

April 17, 2003 WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIER Page 7

ComixOUT ON A LIMB By Gary Kopervas

AMBER WAVES By Dave T. Phipps

THE SPATS By Jeff Pickering

R.F.D. By Mike Marland

Classified Ads

By Don FloodMore than ever, today’s CEO

needs vision, energy — and a darngood thesaurus.

This occurred to me after a re-cent announcement from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

No big thing, really.The company was just announc-

ing a teensy-weensy overstatementof its sales for the past three years:$2.5 billion.

That’s right, $2.5 billion, whichto most people sounds like a tonof money.

But not to the folks at Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Judging by their announcement,you’d think two and half billiondollars was small change.

Their word to describe a $2.5billion accounting overstatement?

“Inappropriate.”Isn’t that a nice word? The com-

pany seems to take some respon-sibility, but not too much, lestsomeone suspect there was finan-cial hanky-panky going on.

(Discussion question: Where theheck did the phrase “hanky-panky”come from?)

According to the American Heri-tage Dictionary of the English Lan-guage, “inappropriate” means “notsuitable for a particular occasion.”

It even includes a helpful ex-ample: “inappropriate shoes for awalk on the beach.”

That’s probably what they hadin mind in the Bristol-MyersSquibb accounting and legal de-partments.

Misstating $2.5 billion in saleswas sort of like wearing “inappro-priate” shoes to a barbecue orshowing up for a golf match wear-ing a T-shirt.

I imagine the conversation be-tween the CEO and PR went some-thing like this:

CEO: Today’s the day you’re go-ing to earn your pay. We need agood way to describe a $2.5 bil-lion overstatement of sales.

PR: How about “criminal”?CEO: No, I don’t think we’re on

the same page here. I’m talking

When is ‘inappropriate’ appropriate?about our company.

PR: Our company overstatedsales by $2.5 billion?

CEO: Yes. We need a good wayto describe it.

PR: Outrageous?CEO: I don’t think so.PR: Shameful?CEO: Nope.PR: Disgraceful?CEO: Not quite what we’re

looking for.PR: Scandalous?CEO: I think the board wants

something that sounds more …innocent.

PR: Virtuous?CEO: No, but I like the direc-

tion you’re going.PR: I was kidding!CEO: Oh. I was really counting

on you to help with this.PR: I’m sorry, sir, but I’m afraid

this whole conversation is becom-ing inappropriate.

CEO: Inappropriate! Yes, ofcourse!

PR: You agree this conversationis inappropriate?

CEO: No, silly! Inappropriate isthe perfect word.

PR: Excuse me, sir. You’re say-ing “inappropriate” is the perfectway to describe a $2.5 billion over-statement?

CEO: Yes, and I’m putting youdown for a raise!

PR: Oh, well, that would cer-tainly be … appropriate.

But what does this mean to regu-lar guys like you and me?

Take taxes, for instance.If a company overstating its

sales by $2.5 billion is “inappro-priate,” then a taxpayer overstat-ing charitable contributions by afew bucks is at worst negligibleand at best pretty doggone honor-able and upright.

I mean, it’s not like making up awhopper, like $10,000 in donations.

That, of course, would be “in-appropriate.”

Special note to IRS officials:I’M JUST KIDDING!______________________________________________________(c) 2003 King Features Synd., Inc.

LEGALS

HORIZONCOMMUNITIESIMPROVEMENTASSOCIATIONInvitation to Bid

Sale of 46 acres,Section 31

Prime residentialland. 46.196 acresof vacant land,north of EastlakeTwo Subdivisionand oppositeDesert Hills El-ementary School.Call (915) 852-1811for a copy of the bidrequirements orwrite to HCIA,14200 Ashford, Ho-rizon City, TX79928. Closingdate is May 7,2003.WTCC-4/17/03________________________

SOCORROINDEPENDENT

SCHOOLDISTRICT

Invitation toBid/Respond:

Sealed bids/pro-posals/CSP to fur-nish the District withthe following prod-

ucts and/or ser-vices will be ac-cepted at the fol-lowing times:

CAFETERIASUPPLIESCSP NO.

199-0429-0364TUESDAY,

APRIL 29, 2003,2 P.M.

Proposals will bereceived at Busi-ness ServicesDept., 12300Eastlake Drive, ElPaso, Texas 79928until the specifiedtimes. Detailedspecifications areavailable from theabove office be-tween 8 a.m. and 4p.m. Mondaysthrough Fridays.WTCC-4/17/03________________________

SOCORROINDEPENDENT

SCHOOLDISTRICT

Invitation toBid/Respond:

Sealed bids/pro-posals/CSP to fur-nish the District with

the following prod-ucts and/or ser-vices will be ac-cepted at the fol-lowing times:

BAKERYPRODUCTS

CSP NO.199-0422-0358

ACCEPTEDUNTIL

APRIL 22, 2003,2 P.M.

MEXICAN FOODPRODUCTS

CSP NO.199-0422-0359

ACCEPTEDUNTIL

APRIL 22, 2003,2:30 P.M.

DAIRYPRODUCTS

CSP NO.199-0422-0360

ACCEPTEDUNTIL

APRIL 22, 2003,3 P.M.

BEVERAGESAND SNACKSCSP NO.199-

0422-0361ACCEPTED

UNTILAPRIL 22, 2003,

3:30 P.M.

Proposals will bereceived at Busi-ness ServicesDept., 12300Eastlake Drive, ElPaso, Texas 79928until the specifiedtimes. Detailedspecifications areavailable from theabove office be-tween 8 a.m. and 4p.m. Mondaysthrough Fridays.WTCC-4/17/03________________________

SOCORROINDEPENDENT

SCHOOLDISTRICT

Invitation toBid/Respond:

Sealed bids/pro-posals/CSP to fur-nish the District withthe following prod-ucts and/or ser-vices will be ac-cepted at the fol-lowing times:

KINDERFURNITURE

CSP NO.199-0423-0350

ACCEPTED

UNTILAPRIL 23, 2003,

3 P.M.

CLASSROOMFURNITURE

CSP NO.199-0423-0351

ACCEPTEDUNTIL

APRIL 23, 2003,3:30 P.M.

Proposals will bereceived at Busi-ness ServicesDept., 12300Eastlake Drive, ElPaso, Texas 79928until the specifiedtimes. Detailedspecifications areavailable from theabove office be-tween 8 a.m. and 4p.m. Mondaysthrough Fridays.WTCC-4/17/03________________________

BARGAINS

2002 Honda AccordDX, A/C, 5-speed,4-cylinder. 23,000miles. Asking$14,000. 505-546-4286.________________________

RENTALS

QUALITY OFFICESPACE: 620 sq. ft.Available April 22.HCIA building,Ashford Drive, Ho-rizon City. Call(915) 852-1811.________________________

REALESTATE

MOBILE HOMEFOR SALE: 1995Fleetwood Festival,16x80, 3 bedroom,2 bath, fireplace,washroom anddeck. Chris orRudy, 598-9178.4/17________________________

FOR SALE: 760Agua Pesada -One-third acre cul-de-sac lot with wa-ter and septic tank.Mobile home orhouse okay.$16,000. Owner fi-nance 12 years.Tres Amigos Realty,855-3355.4/17________________________

FOR SALE by

OWNER - 7.1 acresin Socorro SchoolDistrict, establishedyard, outbuildings,older home. 406-557-2400.4/24/03________________________

Residential lot, cul-de-sac, 15311Woodhill, HorizonCity. Owner fi-nance. 633-6684.5/8/03________________________

SELF-HELP

Alcoholics Anony-mous Group PasoDel Norte meets at8501 Kingsway inWestway, Monday-Saturday, 8 p.m.Call 886-4948 forinformation.

A l c o h ó l i c o sAnónimos GrupoPaso Del Nortesesiones lunes asabado, a 8-9 de latarde, 8501K i n g s w a y ,Westway. 886-4948para informacion.________________________

Persons who have

a problem with al-cohol are offered afree source of helplocally. AlcoholicsAnonymous Group8 de Enero meetsat 15360 HorizonBlvd. in HorizonCity on Mondaysthrough Saturdaysat 8 p.m. Call 859-0484 for informa-tion.

Tiene problemascon el alcohol? Hayuna solucíon.V i s i t e m o s .A l c o h ó l i c o sAnónimos, Grupo 8de Enero, 15360Horizon Blvd., Hori-zon City, sesioneslunes a sábado a 8de la tarde.Informacion: 859-0484.________________________

SERVICES

“WindshieldDing —

Gimme a Ring”

JIFFYGLASSREPAIR

Windshield RepairSpecialists

By appt. at yourhome or office:

R.V. DickHarshberger

915-852-9082________________________

BERT’SAUTOMOTIVE

REPAIRDomestic and

Foreign852-3523

1558 Oxbow,Horizon City

________________________

HORIZON CITYPLUMBING

852-1079• Electric rooter ser-vice for sewers anddrains• Appliance installa-tion• Many otherplumbing servicesLicensed, bonded

and insured foryour protection.

________________________

• Current Issue •• Back Issues •

www.wtccourier.com

WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIERPage 8 April 17, 2003

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THURSDAY

Partly sunny andbreezy.

78°▲ ▼

THUR. NIGHT

Mostly clear andwindy.

FRIDAY

Mostly sunny,windy and cooler.

72°▲ 48°▼

SATURDAY

Partly sunny.

74°▲ 44°▼

SUNDAY

A good deal ofsun.

76°▲ 48°▼

MONDAY

Sunny and warm.

82°▲ 54°▼

TUESDAY

A good deal ofsun.

78°▲ 50°▼

WEDNESDAY

Mostly sunny.

76°▲ 48°▼

WEATHER AccuWeather .com

SEVEN-DAY FORECAST FOR EL PASO

TEXAS WEATHER TRAVELERS CITIESUV INDEX

REAL FEEL TEMP™

AGRICULTURE

Statistics for noon.

Thursday ............ 8 ....................HighFriday ................ 10 ..........Very HighSaturday ............ 9 ............Very HighSunday .............. 10 ..........Very HighMonday .............. 10 ..........Very HighTuesday ............ 10 ..........Very HighWednesday ...... 10 ..........Very High

The higher the UV Index, the greaterthe need for eye and skin protection.

Albuquerque 72/40/pc 62/39/c 61/39/c 66/43/pc 71/44/sAtlanta 78/56/pc 72/59/c 76/59/pc 76/59/pc 72/53/cAtlantic City 51/44/c 51/48/r 58/48/pc 65/47/pc 65/48/pcAustin/San Antonio 82/63/pc 81/65/pc 82/66/c 79/53/pc 81/61/sBaltimore 58/46/c 54/46/r 68/48/pc 70/50/pc 70/53/cBoston 40/32/c 40/36/r 54/42/pc 58/44/pc 56/39/cChicago 44/34/r 52/40/pc 58/42/pc 57/43/r 58/33/cDallas/Ft. Worth 78/62/pc 77/61/c 77/62/c 75/52/c 75/56/sDenver 64/34/pc 56/31/c 51/34/c 58/37/pc 63/38/cFlagstaff 46/28/pc 44/22/c 45/22/pc 55/27/pc 58/21/pcHouston 86/66/s 82/66/pc 82/68/c 82/62/c 79/61/pcKansas City 67/40/pc 61/47/pc 63/48/pc 60/46/r 65/34/cLas Vegas 66/48/c 68/48/c 70/50/s 78/54/s 80/54/sMiami 86/70/pc 86/71/pc 87/72/s 85/73/pc 85/69/sMinneapolis 48/30/c 54/35/pc 54/39/c 58/37/c 57/27/cNew Orleans 84/65/s 81/66/pc 83/66/pc 81/65/pc 81/62/sNew York City 40/38/c 45/44/r 60/49/pc 62/48/pc 63/51/cPhiladelphia 52/44/c 52/46/r 64/48/pc 68/50/pc 66/51/cPhoenix 74/53/s 72/52/pc 70/57/pc 82/60/s 86/44/sPortland 55/46/c 62/44/pc 60/42/pc 59/42/c 60/33/pcSan Francisco 64/50/pc 64/50/pc 66/50/s 64/50/pc 62/34/pcSeattle 54/44/sh 60/42/pc 58/42/c 56/41/c 57/36/pcTucson 76/48/s 72/44/pc 70/46/pc 79/50/s 83/50/sWashington, DC 58/48/c 58/48/r 70/52/pc 72/54/pc 71/56/c

City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/WThur. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon.

There will be 8-10 hours of sunshine Thursday and Friday with a gusty wind at times. There can be areas of blowing dust each day.Still breezy Saturday with sunshine for the most part, then less wind Sunday and Monday as weak ridging builds overhead. No mean-ingful rainfall is expected over the next 5-7 days. Weather (W): s -sunny, pc -partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh -showers, t-thunderstorms,

r-rain, sf -snow flurries, sn -snow, i-ice.

Thursday .................................... 75°Friday .......................................... 64°Saturday ...................................... 64°Sunday ........................................ 63°Monday ........................................ 75°Tuesday ...................................... 72°Wednesday ................................ 69°

The exclusive AccuWeather composite of theeffects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine,precipitation, and elevation on the human body.

Shown is Thursday’sweather.Temperatures areThursday’s highs andThursday night’s lows.

All forecasts and maps provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2003

Anthony 78 51

Canutillo 79 52

Fabens 79 51

Clint 79 51

E. Montana 78 52

Socorro 77 51

Horizon 79 52

San Elizario 75 49

Tornillo 79 51

Vinton 79 52El Paso78/52

Santa Fe69/32

Albuquerque72/40

Alamogordo78/44

Las Cruces78/48

Deming75/46 Carlsbad

82/51

Amarillo67/43

Lubbock78/50

Alpine77/47

Odessa85/52

Lajitas80/50

Ruidoso66/42

Cloudcroft57/25

CiudadJuárez78/53

52°

Mexico

By now, most of you have saidgoodbye to a neighbor, a brother, sis-ter, husband or wife who serves inthe military and who is now in theMiddle East.

We’ve read names on prayer listsand heard stories in the lines at gro-cery stores about the concern for thesafety and speedy return of lovedones fighting in Iraq.

When my kids learned of theiruncle’s orders to leave for the con-flict, they cried. They can’t fathomwhat it must be like for their cousins

to send their dad off to war. They onlyknow they never want to do so fortheir own father.

We’ve been fielding such ques-tions from our kids as: “Do chil-dren die in war?” “Does God wantwar?” “Will we ever fight in theUnited States?” “When will it beover?” And, “Why do Americanjournalists broadcast all our warplans? Don’t they know the en-emies have televisions?” (Out ofthe mouths of babes.)

No doubt you are answering some

Brave and Courageous Parents

of these same questions in your ownhomes.

When we received the news aboutour relative, my son pulled out of hiscloset boxes of army men and hassince processed everything that mustbe going through his head by play-ing out battles on our den coffeetable.

And this was fine, until yesterdaywhen he said to me: “Mom, I’vemade up my mind; I’m going to be asoldier when I grow up.”

This coming from a 7-year-oldwho in one day has wanted to be ev-erything from a carpenter to a pro-fessional baseball player. But on thisday, a day when we had severalAmerican casualties, my heart didflip-flops.

And I began to look at this warnot only through the eyes of mychildren, but through the eyes ofmothers and fathers — parents whotaught their sons and daughtershow to tidy their bedrooms andcomb their hair. Parents who putBand-Aids on boo-boos and madesure the tooth fairy never forgot tolook under their pillows. Parentswho helped grow their childreninto adults who made a commit-ment to protect their fellow man —even those who don’t support themin the very effort they find them-selves in today.

What does it take to be the parentof a soldier?

I watched an interview with onemother who perhaps summed it up

best when talking about her son:“You feel proud and scared in thesame breath. When I look at him Istill see the little boy I raised, but Iknow that he is really now a braveman.”

It takes some courage to go intoparenting, knowing that our childrenare only on loan to us from God —and that every day our job is to helpshape them into the men and womenthey will be when they leave ourhomes to start their own families,build their own businesses or evendefend our country.

I suspect that behind every braveand courageous soldier is a brave andcourageous family.______________________________________________________(c) 2003 King Features Synd., Inc.