BREAKING NEWS
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Fort Worth firefighters are battling a two-alarm blaze at an apartment building in the 5700 block of Boca Raton Blvd.
News from the Lone Star State
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TexasStooge
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5 killed in mobile home fire near Longview
HARLETON, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) - A county fire marshal said foul play and lightning have been ruled out as possible causes of a deadly overnight mobile home fire in rural East Texas.
The fire north of the tiny East Texas community of Harleton in Harrison County killed a woman and four children, two of them her grandchildren.
Harrison County Fire Marshal Dennis Engdahl said Tuesday the fire apparently started in a living room couch, but no cause has been determined.
Justice of the Peace Melba Oney identified the dead as 75-year-old Laura Patton and two of her grandchildren, Demarcus King and Destiny Graham, both 11. Two other children died at hospitals a short time later, Te'Sherman Davidson, 12, and four-year-old Nathan Brown.
Oney said another child, three-year-old C.J. Brown, was taken to Longview Regional Medical Center and then airlifted to LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, La. A hospital spokeswoman said he was listed in stable condition Tuesday morning.
HARLETON, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) - A county fire marshal said foul play and lightning have been ruled out as possible causes of a deadly overnight mobile home fire in rural East Texas.
The fire north of the tiny East Texas community of Harleton in Harrison County killed a woman and four children, two of them her grandchildren.
Harrison County Fire Marshal Dennis Engdahl said Tuesday the fire apparently started in a living room couch, but no cause has been determined.
Justice of the Peace Melba Oney identified the dead as 75-year-old Laura Patton and two of her grandchildren, Demarcus King and Destiny Graham, both 11. Two other children died at hospitals a short time later, Te'Sherman Davidson, 12, and four-year-old Nathan Brown.
Oney said another child, three-year-old C.J. Brown, was taken to Longview Regional Medical Center and then airlifted to LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, La. A hospital spokeswoman said he was listed in stable condition Tuesday morning.
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Fire damages Fort Worth apartments
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Fort Worth firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze at the Huntington Apartments on the city's far east side Tuesday morning.
Flames and heavy smoke spread quickly through one building of the complex in the 5700 block of Boca Raton Blvd., near the intersection of Loop 820 and Interstate 30.
Firefighters went into a defensive mode to ensure their own safety and to protect nearby buildings from wayward sparks.
Investigators said a dozen apartments were involved in the fire; eight of them were occupied.
There were no reports of injuries.
Tax records show the Huntington Apartments were built in 1981.
Those in North Texas region, watch News 8 Midday at noon for a full report
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Fort Worth firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze at the Huntington Apartments on the city's far east side Tuesday morning.
Flames and heavy smoke spread quickly through one building of the complex in the 5700 block of Boca Raton Blvd., near the intersection of Loop 820 and Interstate 30.
Firefighters went into a defensive mode to ensure their own safety and to protect nearby buildings from wayward sparks.
Investigators said a dozen apartments were involved in the fire; eight of them were occupied.
There were no reports of injuries.
Tax records show the Huntington Apartments were built in 1981.
Those in North Texas region, watch News 8 Midday at noon for a full report
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Fire damages east Fort Worth apartments
By DEBRA DENNIS / The Dallas Morning News
FORT WORTH, Texas - A dozen units at the Huntington Apartments in east Fort Worth were destroyed by an early morning fire, officials said.
Fire broke out around 9:30 a.m. in an apartment in the 5700 block of Boca Raton Boulevard, said Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Lt. Kent Worley.
The fire quickly went to two alarms, officials said.
Ten people left homeless are being assisted by the aparmtent's managers and Red Cross, Lt. Worley said.
There were no injuries.
A cause has not been determined, officials said.
By DEBRA DENNIS / The Dallas Morning News
FORT WORTH, Texas - A dozen units at the Huntington Apartments in east Fort Worth were destroyed by an early morning fire, officials said.
Fire broke out around 9:30 a.m. in an apartment in the 5700 block of Boca Raton Boulevard, said Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Lt. Kent Worley.
The fire quickly went to two alarms, officials said.
Ten people left homeless are being assisted by the aparmtent's managers and Red Cross, Lt. Worley said.
There were no injuries.
A cause has not been determined, officials said.
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TexasStooge
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Making the switch: How to cut your electric bill
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
Electric bills used to take a break in winter from their summer highs—but not anymore.
TXU Energy's full 24 percent rate increase became effective this month for most North Texas electric users because they remain TXU customers.
But you may be able to pay less by switching to a different power company.
Lisa Humphrey of Coppell remembers when she realized she needed to change her provider. "It was a hot summer, and we just saw the bills mounting, and that was it. We've got to do something," she said."
Humphrey changed to Cirro Energy, another power company that competes with TXU Energy.
Most consumers can make that call to switch. But four years after electric deregulation started in Texas, 74 percent of residential customers remain with TXU Energy, a company that—by law—charges among the highest rates.
"Many people don't know that there are choices available to them," said Tim Morstad of Consumers Union.
One bit of confusion to clear up: Consumers don't need to worry about who brings them the power. TXU Electric Delivery, a separate state-regulated company, still maintains the power grid for all electric providers.
If the power goes out, call TXU Electric Delivery for repairs.
That was reassuring to Cathy Sanchez of Dallas, who now gets her electric power from Entergy. "I don't see any difference in service," she said. "If there's a blackout, my lights go on when the neighbor's go on."
The best place to compare rates is the state-run Texas Electric Choice Web site.
After punching in your zip code, check the prices based on kilowatt hours offered by electric companies in your area. All prices are compared to TXU Energy's "price to beat."
Currently, 12 of the 18 companies offering service are priced lower than TXU Energy. One of them, Reliant, is 11 percent lower.
Click on the "Facts Label" that breaks out any monthly base charge, contract terms or cancellation fees.
The "Terms of Service" link contains the fine print, including details of how often rates can change&sometimes monthly. Credit scores can have an impact.
"Some companies are excluding potential customers based on their credit score," CU's Morstad said. "We think that's a troubling development."
Check with companies for a comparison based on how much electricity you use.
Lisa Humphrey said changing providers was easy. "I filled out a form and we faxed it in and we were switched," she said.
Cathy Sanchez also said it was an easy move once she decided to make the switch. "I signed up the same day; 30 days later I have a new provider," she said. "Never a lapse in service; never any problems."
The savings are there, but—so far—most consumers have failed to take advantage of the power to choose.
Not all Texans can select an alternative electric provider. If your power comes from a cooperative utility like CoServ Electric in Denton County, or if your city provides electric service, you may not have an option. Check with the provider for additional information.
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
Electric bills used to take a break in winter from their summer highs—but not anymore.
TXU Energy's full 24 percent rate increase became effective this month for most North Texas electric users because they remain TXU customers.
But you may be able to pay less by switching to a different power company.
Lisa Humphrey of Coppell remembers when she realized she needed to change her provider. "It was a hot summer, and we just saw the bills mounting, and that was it. We've got to do something," she said."
Humphrey changed to Cirro Energy, another power company that competes with TXU Energy.
Most consumers can make that call to switch. But four years after electric deregulation started in Texas, 74 percent of residential customers remain with TXU Energy, a company that—by law—charges among the highest rates.
"Many people don't know that there are choices available to them," said Tim Morstad of Consumers Union.
One bit of confusion to clear up: Consumers don't need to worry about who brings them the power. TXU Electric Delivery, a separate state-regulated company, still maintains the power grid for all electric providers.
If the power goes out, call TXU Electric Delivery for repairs.
That was reassuring to Cathy Sanchez of Dallas, who now gets her electric power from Entergy. "I don't see any difference in service," she said. "If there's a blackout, my lights go on when the neighbor's go on."
The best place to compare rates is the state-run Texas Electric Choice Web site.
After punching in your zip code, check the prices based on kilowatt hours offered by electric companies in your area. All prices are compared to TXU Energy's "price to beat."
Currently, 12 of the 18 companies offering service are priced lower than TXU Energy. One of them, Reliant, is 11 percent lower.
Click on the "Facts Label" that breaks out any monthly base charge, contract terms or cancellation fees.
The "Terms of Service" link contains the fine print, including details of how often rates can change&sometimes monthly. Credit scores can have an impact.
"Some companies are excluding potential customers based on their credit score," CU's Morstad said. "We think that's a troubling development."
Check with companies for a comparison based on how much electricity you use.
Lisa Humphrey said changing providers was easy. "I filled out a form and we faxed it in and we were switched," she said.
Cathy Sanchez also said it was an easy move once she decided to make the switch. "I signed up the same day; 30 days later I have a new provider," she said. "Never a lapse in service; never any problems."
The savings are there, but—so far—most consumers have failed to take advantage of the power to choose.
Not all Texans can select an alternative electric provider. If your power comes from a cooperative utility like CoServ Electric in Denton County, or if your city provides electric service, you may not have an option. Check with the provider for additional information.
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St. Mark's student killed in wreck
DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - A high school senior at St. Mark's School of Texas has been killed in a one-vehicle accident on the Dallas North Tollway.
Brendan Court, 17, of Dallas died early Sunday of blunt force head injuries, according to the Dallas County medical examiner’s office.
Brendan was driving a 2001 Lexus north on the tollway about 12:30 a.m. near the Lovers Lane exit, according to a Department of Public Safety report.
He lost control of the vehicle, which struck the center median before overturning several times. Brendan, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene, the DPS said.
In a letter posted on the school Web site, headmaster Arnold Holtberg said St. Mark's families are mourning the loss of one of their most spirited students.
Holtberg describes Brendan as "a community service leader, an outstanding lacrosse and hockey player, and someone who was energetically involved in class and school activities."
DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - A high school senior at St. Mark's School of Texas has been killed in a one-vehicle accident on the Dallas North Tollway.
Brendan Court, 17, of Dallas died early Sunday of blunt force head injuries, according to the Dallas County medical examiner’s office.
Brendan was driving a 2001 Lexus north on the tollway about 12:30 a.m. near the Lovers Lane exit, according to a Department of Public Safety report.
He lost control of the vehicle, which struck the center median before overturning several times. Brendan, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene, the DPS said.
In a letter posted on the school Web site, headmaster Arnold Holtberg said St. Mark's families are mourning the loss of one of their most spirited students.
Holtberg describes Brendan as "a community service leader, an outstanding lacrosse and hockey player, and someone who was energetically involved in class and school activities."
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Business owners seek alarm alternative
By DEBBIE DENMON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Some South Dallas business owners fear they are being put into an alarming situation.They don't want to verify false alarms before police respond.
The owners are seeking an alternate plan that won't put them in harm's way.
Black Jack Pizza has been serving food in South Dallas for 17 years, but its owner, Terry Jones, has yet to come up with a recipe to avoid becoming a crime target.
"Over 10 years, we have had eight break-ins," he said.
Jones, who manages his family's business, said Dallas police are increasing their visibility in the South Dallas Fair Park area, but he still worries because of the city's recently-adopted verified response system.
"Nobody wants to be in the line of fire if it is a real situation going on," he said.
South Dallas business owners will meet next week with city officials to talk about the possibility of funding a security firm that would monitor South Dallas business alarms.
"Once we get a support system, I think this area will grow beyond anyone's imagination," said Connie Davis Rosborough, whose uniform business is thriving—despite a few burglaries.
Rosborough has never personally responded to an alarm, and she won't start now.
"Several years ago, my neighbor, Mr. Rose, had a business in Lancaster," Rosborough said. "[He] was accidentally killed responding to his burglar alarm, and you can imagine the fear I would have leaving home that time of night."
South Dallas business owners hope that adding a security firm can give them the piece of mind needed to advance economic development in the area.
By DEBBIE DENMON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Some South Dallas business owners fear they are being put into an alarming situation.They don't want to verify false alarms before police respond.
The owners are seeking an alternate plan that won't put them in harm's way.
Black Jack Pizza has been serving food in South Dallas for 17 years, but its owner, Terry Jones, has yet to come up with a recipe to avoid becoming a crime target.
"Over 10 years, we have had eight break-ins," he said.
Jones, who manages his family's business, said Dallas police are increasing their visibility in the South Dallas Fair Park area, but he still worries because of the city's recently-adopted verified response system.
"Nobody wants to be in the line of fire if it is a real situation going on," he said.
South Dallas business owners will meet next week with city officials to talk about the possibility of funding a security firm that would monitor South Dallas business alarms.
"Once we get a support system, I think this area will grow beyond anyone's imagination," said Connie Davis Rosborough, whose uniform business is thriving—despite a few burglaries.
Rosborough has never personally responded to an alarm, and she won't start now.
"Several years ago, my neighbor, Mr. Rose, had a business in Lancaster," Rosborough said. "[He] was accidentally killed responding to his burglar alarm, and you can imagine the fear I would have leaving home that time of night."
South Dallas business owners hope that adding a security firm can give them the piece of mind needed to advance economic development in the area.
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Garland jeweler shoots at robbery suspect
By MARGARITA MARTÍN-HIDALGO / The Dallas Morning News
GARLAND, Texas - A Garland jewelry store owner thwarted a Tuesday morning robbery after shooting at the gunman.
No one was injured in the shooting at Nasr Brothers Jewelry in the 1200 block of Northwest Highway, but the suspect got away.
The incident occurred about 10:20 a.m., shortly after owner John Nasr opened the store.
Store manager Claude Rizk said when he approached the suspect near the display cases at the front of the store, the man pulled out a gun and pointed it at him.
Upon facing the gun, "all I could think of was my little girl," Mr. Rizk said.
Seconds later, Mr. Nasr, who is a trained marksman, fired three shots at the suspect through a glass window in the store's jewelry repair room. The man ran from the store and fled in a white 1990s-model Cadillac with paper dealer tags and a broken right taillight.
Mr. Nasr said he used a .40-caliber Glock pistol that his girlfriend gave him for Christmas.
As he swept shards of glass off the floor, Mr. Rizk, a Catholic, glanced at a crucifix hanging over a door frame.
"That's what really saved us," he said.
Tuesday's incident marked the first attempted robbery at the 26-year-old store since 1989.
A May 2005 robbery attempt at another Nasr Brothers Jewelry store in Rockwall also ended in gunfire. Owner Louis Nasr fired at two suspects during that incident, hitting one in the chest. Both men were caught, pleaded guilty and were sentenced to more than 30 years in prison.
Mr. Rizk said he has worked at the Garland store for 18 years and is also a trained gun owner.
"We're from Lebanon," he said. "We're used to firearms."
Garland police spokesman Joe Harn described the suspect as a black male in his early to mid-20s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and wearing blue jeans, a gray jacket and maroon stocking cap. Anyone with information is asked to call 972-272-8477.
By MARGARITA MARTÍN-HIDALGO / The Dallas Morning News
GARLAND, Texas - A Garland jewelry store owner thwarted a Tuesday morning robbery after shooting at the gunman.
No one was injured in the shooting at Nasr Brothers Jewelry in the 1200 block of Northwest Highway, but the suspect got away.
The incident occurred about 10:20 a.m., shortly after owner John Nasr opened the store.
Store manager Claude Rizk said when he approached the suspect near the display cases at the front of the store, the man pulled out a gun and pointed it at him.
Upon facing the gun, "all I could think of was my little girl," Mr. Rizk said.
Seconds later, Mr. Nasr, who is a trained marksman, fired three shots at the suspect through a glass window in the store's jewelry repair room. The man ran from the store and fled in a white 1990s-model Cadillac with paper dealer tags and a broken right taillight.
Mr. Nasr said he used a .40-caliber Glock pistol that his girlfriend gave him for Christmas.
As he swept shards of glass off the floor, Mr. Rizk, a Catholic, glanced at a crucifix hanging over a door frame.
"That's what really saved us," he said.
Tuesday's incident marked the first attempted robbery at the 26-year-old store since 1989.
A May 2005 robbery attempt at another Nasr Brothers Jewelry store in Rockwall also ended in gunfire. Owner Louis Nasr fired at two suspects during that incident, hitting one in the chest. Both men were caught, pleaded guilty and were sentenced to more than 30 years in prison.
Mr. Rizk said he has worked at the Garland store for 18 years and is also a trained gun owner.
"We're from Lebanon," he said. "We're used to firearms."
Garland police spokesman Joe Harn described the suspect as a black male in his early to mid-20s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and wearing blue jeans, a gray jacket and maroon stocking cap. Anyone with information is asked to call 972-272-8477.
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TexasStooge
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Dallas man sentenced after child stuff conviction
DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - A Dallas man was sentenced Tuesday to seven years and three months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to transporting and shipping child pornography.
Parker Hampton Childers, 41, was arrested in May 2005 after a 13-month investigation.
The office of U.S. Attorney Richard Roper said Mr. Childers began sending communications in April 2004 to a special agent who assumed an informant’s online identity. According to the affidavit filed with the criminal complaint, through instant messages Mr. Childers stated that he preferred boys, and he was afraid to keep child pornography at home or work so he "really missed the stuff."
In Feb. 2005, Mr. Childers sent the undercover agent seven images depicting minors engaged in sexual acts with adults, and sent the agent two phone numbers that the investigation confirmed belonged to Mr. Childers.
Mr. Roper’s office also said the IP address used in the online communications was traced to a downtown Dallas advertising agency where Mr. Childers was employed.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the California Department of Justice all participated in the investigation.
"This investigation, and many others like it, should put child pornographers on notice that they are not anonymous,” said John Chakwin, acting special agent-in-charge for the Dallas ICE office.
DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - A Dallas man was sentenced Tuesday to seven years and three months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to transporting and shipping child pornography.
Parker Hampton Childers, 41, was arrested in May 2005 after a 13-month investigation.
The office of U.S. Attorney Richard Roper said Mr. Childers began sending communications in April 2004 to a special agent who assumed an informant’s online identity. According to the affidavit filed with the criminal complaint, through instant messages Mr. Childers stated that he preferred boys, and he was afraid to keep child pornography at home or work so he "really missed the stuff."
In Feb. 2005, Mr. Childers sent the undercover agent seven images depicting minors engaged in sexual acts with adults, and sent the agent two phone numbers that the investigation confirmed belonged to Mr. Childers.
Mr. Roper’s office also said the IP address used in the online communications was traced to a downtown Dallas advertising agency where Mr. Childers was employed.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the California Department of Justice all participated in the investigation.
"This investigation, and many others like it, should put child pornographers on notice that they are not anonymous,” said John Chakwin, acting special agent-in-charge for the Dallas ICE office.
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rainstorm
TexasStooge wrote:Lancaster students suspended for not studying
By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News
LANCASTER, Texas - Lancaster schools Superintendent Larry Lewis said students should have opened more than presents during their holiday break.
He wanted them to open their books during the three-week break because he feared that some would forget things they had learned.
Between 750 and 1,000 students had not completed assigned holiday homework upon returning to school Monday, and hundreds of them were suspended. There are about 5,770 students in the Lancaster school district.
Phillip Randall, principal at Lancaster Elsie Robertson High School, said he suspended more than 200 of its approximately 1,700 students and told them not to come back until they had completed the assignment.
"We had few parent complaints," Mr. Randall said Monday afternoon. "We sent those students home with a written copy of the policy."
Suspensions and incomplete project results varied widely among campuses.
At Pleasant Run Elementary, about 36 percent, or about 154 of 428 students, didn't turn in their winter break assignment.
"We're giving them until ... [today] to turn it in," said Cindy Lunch, Pleasant Run principal. "It is recorded as a major grade."
All students at two schools – Houston Elementary and Lancaster Intermediate – completed the winter break homework.
In September, about 750 junior high and high school students were suspended for failing to complete a summer reading and writing assignment.
Dr. Lewis said he would continue to order the mandatory homework during breaks until Lancaster students are reading above grade level.
"We will continue to put pressure on our students until they're competitive globally," Dr. Lewis said. "We should have zero tolerance for poor academic performance. ... They'll face the consequences later in life when they can't read or write."
Some parents are questioning whether the district is simply pulling a power play with the students.
"It seems like overkill to me," said Brian Pulver, who has one child each in sixth and seventh grades. "It seems like every chance they get, they load the children with a big assignment during vacation."
Mr. Pulver said his sixth-grader had no problems with the reading assignment during the winter break. However, he said the school district didn't prepare his seventh-grader for the thorough research needed to complete that project.
"The seventh-grader had to look up sources, use the Internet, the library, things like that. I don't know what the district is trying to pull," Mr. Pulver said.
Elementary school students had to read from a list of books and complete a task related to that book. Secondary students had to read, research and perform some activities that were geared toward their science project topic.
Board President Nannette Vick said she supports the policy and doesn't understand why students to refuse to do the work.
Nick Moore, a 17-year-old senior, said he had plenty of time to complete the assignment. He said he believes the district is trying to "weed out" students who don't want to work.
Kenneth Farr, a 17-year-old senior, said he thinks the district is trying to keep students' minds stimulated during the long breaks.
"You can see a lot of kids slip back after a long break," he said.
Dr. Lewis said parents' complaints about the lack of communication surrounding the summer assignment might have been justified. However, the winter break homework was well-publicized and on the district's Web site for the last couple of months.
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It's times like this where I'm glad that I was educated in the right school district.
sounds like a good idea
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TexasStooge
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Critical air traffic transmitter left unsecured
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Texas - For weeks, News 8 monitored the entrance to an air traffic control transmitter that is critical to pilots, air traffic controllers and passengers at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and where gates were left open and unguarded.
The large radio tower on International Parkway is a critical piece of navigation equipment, but for the past month D/FW's powerful air traffic control transmitter was unprotected.
News 8 visited the VOR (very high omni frequency) transmitter called Maverick several times beginning in mid-December, however every visit the two security gates were still found wide open.
In over four years, the federal, state and local governments have spent billions of dollars to improve airport security and many found the two unguarded gates disturbing.
"We're still hassling 90-year-old grandmothers as if they are terrorists and we're leaving gates open on navigation equipment for the FAA," said John Nance, an ABC news aviation consultant. "Something is wrong with this picture."
To ensure the gate being open was not a one time occurrence, News 8 visited the airport ten times, including seven visits in December and three in January. However, with each visit the gates were still open.
"If the gates are unlocked and open, it really doesn't prevent anyone from attempting to disable the facility," said Rick Charles, a professor at Utah State University and expert in aviation security.
Even more disturbing to some, a Federal Aviation Administration's sign at the gate reads "loss of human life may result from service interruption."
The FAA, not D/FW, is responsible for the transmitter's security.
"We strongly urge the FAA to follow all security procedures wherever they are in charge," airport officials said.
The FAA said it is increasing surveillance at the transmitter and it is also investigating why the gates were left open.
The Maverick VOR allows planes that fly into and out of D/FW to tune to 113.10 megahertz from about 150 miles from the airport, just above FM radio stations.
Controllers assign planes a route and using the signal, they fly it using a compass heading.
While VORs are not the only guidance system, there are others including global positioning satellites, the Maverick VOR has other responsibilities.
The VOR's signal is used in more than a dozen instrument approaches when planes land with reduced visibility or poor weather.
Other transmitters in North Texas are secure, including one near Interstate 35, which serves Love Field behind a high fence with razor wire and locked gates.
"I would expect in this post 9/11 environment, any VOR ground station would be well protected," Charles said.
"We really cannot dispense with them, no matter how much fancy satellite equipment we have," Nance said.
VORs are going to be needed for some decades to come.
Several days ago, News 8 informed the FAA about the story and Tuesday the aviation agency said new security procedures will be put in place and the important radio transmitter will get the protection it deserves.
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Texas - For weeks, News 8 monitored the entrance to an air traffic control transmitter that is critical to pilots, air traffic controllers and passengers at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and where gates were left open and unguarded.
The large radio tower on International Parkway is a critical piece of navigation equipment, but for the past month D/FW's powerful air traffic control transmitter was unprotected.
News 8 visited the VOR (very high omni frequency) transmitter called Maverick several times beginning in mid-December, however every visit the two security gates were still found wide open.
In over four years, the federal, state and local governments have spent billions of dollars to improve airport security and many found the two unguarded gates disturbing.
"We're still hassling 90-year-old grandmothers as if they are terrorists and we're leaving gates open on navigation equipment for the FAA," said John Nance, an ABC news aviation consultant. "Something is wrong with this picture."
To ensure the gate being open was not a one time occurrence, News 8 visited the airport ten times, including seven visits in December and three in January. However, with each visit the gates were still open.
"If the gates are unlocked and open, it really doesn't prevent anyone from attempting to disable the facility," said Rick Charles, a professor at Utah State University and expert in aviation security.
Even more disturbing to some, a Federal Aviation Administration's sign at the gate reads "loss of human life may result from service interruption."
The FAA, not D/FW, is responsible for the transmitter's security.
"We strongly urge the FAA to follow all security procedures wherever they are in charge," airport officials said.
The FAA said it is increasing surveillance at the transmitter and it is also investigating why the gates were left open.
The Maverick VOR allows planes that fly into and out of D/FW to tune to 113.10 megahertz from about 150 miles from the airport, just above FM radio stations.
Controllers assign planes a route and using the signal, they fly it using a compass heading.
While VORs are not the only guidance system, there are others including global positioning satellites, the Maverick VOR has other responsibilities.
The VOR's signal is used in more than a dozen instrument approaches when planes land with reduced visibility or poor weather.
Other transmitters in North Texas are secure, including one near Interstate 35, which serves Love Field behind a high fence with razor wire and locked gates.
"I would expect in this post 9/11 environment, any VOR ground station would be well protected," Charles said.
"We really cannot dispense with them, no matter how much fancy satellite equipment we have," Nance said.
VORs are going to be needed for some decades to come.
Several days ago, News 8 informed the FAA about the story and Tuesday the aviation agency said new security procedures will be put in place and the important radio transmitter will get the protection it deserves.
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TexasStooge
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Plano family talks after daughter's heroin death
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8
PLANO, Texas - A young woman in Plano became the third Collin County teenager to die of a heroin overdose in the last year.
To some, the deaths are a painful reminder of the heroin epidemic that claimed 24 North Texas lives in the late '90s, which included 16 with ties to Plano.
While Nicole Wise's death has many looking back, her family said they are still in shock.
"She was not the type of person that I ever thought would do heroin or anything like that," said Barbara Pierce, Wise's grandmother.
But toxicology results from an autopsy showed Wise died from the toxic effects of heroin and cocaine.
"I had no clue that she was doing heroin, whatsoever," said mother Darlene Wise.
Wise said her daughter was intelligent, athletic and fun loving, but something began to change. She said she saw her lose weight, skipping school and spending less time at home, but her family said they didn't think illegal drugs were the cause.
"I never thought I would have to worry about that with her," Wise said.
"I buried her on the 22, and that was the day she was supposed to go into drug rehab at the Imagine Program," she said.
Pierce said she fears her granddaughter and the other deaths may be sign of another heroin epidemic.
"I believe that it could escalate to that number or higher if parents aren't aware or kids are not aware," she said.
The family said they hope their story may help prevent other deaths.
"When kids get into drugs, you can no longer talk to them about stopping drugs because you are talking to the drug, and the drug doesn't listen," Pierce said.
"I don't want it to happen to somebody else," Wise said.
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8
PLANO, Texas - A young woman in Plano became the third Collin County teenager to die of a heroin overdose in the last year.
To some, the deaths are a painful reminder of the heroin epidemic that claimed 24 North Texas lives in the late '90s, which included 16 with ties to Plano.
While Nicole Wise's death has many looking back, her family said they are still in shock.
"She was not the type of person that I ever thought would do heroin or anything like that," said Barbara Pierce, Wise's grandmother.
But toxicology results from an autopsy showed Wise died from the toxic effects of heroin and cocaine.
"I had no clue that she was doing heroin, whatsoever," said mother Darlene Wise.
Wise said her daughter was intelligent, athletic and fun loving, but something began to change. She said she saw her lose weight, skipping school and spending less time at home, but her family said they didn't think illegal drugs were the cause.
"I never thought I would have to worry about that with her," Wise said.
"I buried her on the 22, and that was the day she was supposed to go into drug rehab at the Imagine Program," she said.
Pierce said she fears her granddaughter and the other deaths may be sign of another heroin epidemic.
"I believe that it could escalate to that number or higher if parents aren't aware or kids are not aware," she said.
The family said they hope their story may help prevent other deaths.
"When kids get into drugs, you can no longer talk to them about stopping drugs because you are talking to the drug, and the drug doesn't listen," Pierce said.
"I don't want it to happen to somebody else," Wise said.
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TexasStooge
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Desoto child claims teacher's remark racial
By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8
DESOTO, Texas - A father of a 12-year-old DeSoto boy who claimed his teacher at his school made a racial remark has taken his fight to the school.
The teacher and school superintendent claimed the remark was innocent, but the child and his parents want the teacher removed from the classroom at the Meadows Intermediate School he attends.
Christopher Clark is well known in Texas for reciting the speeches of Martin Luther King since the age of 3, but now at his school he is leading a personal protest because a comment from his band teacher.
"While I was playing the keys, my teacher told me a monkey could play better," Clark said.
Clark said he felt the comment was a racial slur.
"When African Americans were enslaved, there were a number of evil words used to describe them," he said.
He protested to the teacher and the principal and told his parents.
The DeSoto district responded to News 8 with a written statement from Superintendent Alton Frailey that said. "I'm absolutely convinced there was no harm or racism intended.
But the 12-year-old said he cried after he was teased several times after the incident.
"When I walk in the classroom, they yell monkey boy at me," he said. "Then some of the kids make sounds like monkeys."
His father said he is not comfortable with the teacher teaching his child.
"I don't think he needs to be working around these kids," said father Ray Clark. "I mean, what they do with him is their judgment but I think they need to take action."
News 8 was unable to reach the teacher in question. But in the superintendent's statement he said the district is very sorry about the incident.
However, the student and his parents said they are still waiting for the teacher to apologize.
By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8
DESOTO, Texas - A father of a 12-year-old DeSoto boy who claimed his teacher at his school made a racial remark has taken his fight to the school.
The teacher and school superintendent claimed the remark was innocent, but the child and his parents want the teacher removed from the classroom at the Meadows Intermediate School he attends.
Christopher Clark is well known in Texas for reciting the speeches of Martin Luther King since the age of 3, but now at his school he is leading a personal protest because a comment from his band teacher.
"While I was playing the keys, my teacher told me a monkey could play better," Clark said.
Clark said he felt the comment was a racial slur.
"When African Americans were enslaved, there were a number of evil words used to describe them," he said.
He protested to the teacher and the principal and told his parents.
The DeSoto district responded to News 8 with a written statement from Superintendent Alton Frailey that said. "I'm absolutely convinced there was no harm or racism intended.
But the 12-year-old said he cried after he was teased several times after the incident.
"When I walk in the classroom, they yell monkey boy at me," he said. "Then some of the kids make sounds like monkeys."
His father said he is not comfortable with the teacher teaching his child.
"I don't think he needs to be working around these kids," said father Ray Clark. "I mean, what they do with him is their judgment but I think they need to take action."
News 8 was unable to reach the teacher in question. But in the superintendent's statement he said the district is very sorry about the incident.
However, the student and his parents said they are still waiting for the teacher to apologize.
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TexasStooge
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Texas emergency medicine scores C in report
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
Despite record numbers of patients with successful outcomes, Texas emergency medicine overall is ailing and scored a C according to the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Texas emergency medicine ranked in at number 21 in the nation, which was boosted considerably by the A-plus from laws that cap medical malpractice lawsuit awards.
However, the Lone Star State also earned a D-plus in access to emergency care and another D-plus for quality and patient safety.
Texas' standing as the state with the highest rate of uninsured residents in the nation causes a serious domino effect of complications in ERs.
"Generally, we're seeing 100 to 200 patients at any given time in the emergency department here, and we're not the only place," said Dr. Paul Pepe, Director of Emergency Medicine at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
Velma Edwards and David Luckett, who both waited to be seen in the ER Tuesday, are contributing reasons to the ER problem because neither have an emergency nor health insurance.
"Well, I was feeling woozy today in my head," Edwards said.
Luckett said waiting in the ER is his only way to get relief.
"Just to come in here to get a pain pill or a refill I have to go through the whole process, which is a four or a six hour wait sometimes just to be seen," he said. "But I have to have it."
But with more people in the ER, wait times skyrocket, staff becomes overwhelmed and billing becomes a battle to fund the vicious cycle.
Dr. Pepe called it a crisis that should be a wake-up call for all Texans.
"The problem comes in that so many more people are hitting the door, that we need more people to take care of them, more doctors [and] more nurses," he said. "One way or another it's going to impact us. When you have to come in for your emergency will you have enough doctors and nurses to take care of you?"
Emergency Physicians said low vaccination rates and poor injury prevention programs contribute to the problem and earned a D in Texas.
California, Massachusetts and Connecticut scored at the top of the emergency report card, while Utah, Idaho and Arkansas got the lowest grades.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALSO ONLINE:
American College of Emergency Physicians' Report
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
Despite record numbers of patients with successful outcomes, Texas emergency medicine overall is ailing and scored a C according to the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Texas emergency medicine ranked in at number 21 in the nation, which was boosted considerably by the A-plus from laws that cap medical malpractice lawsuit awards.
However, the Lone Star State also earned a D-plus in access to emergency care and another D-plus for quality and patient safety.
Texas' standing as the state with the highest rate of uninsured residents in the nation causes a serious domino effect of complications in ERs.
"Generally, we're seeing 100 to 200 patients at any given time in the emergency department here, and we're not the only place," said Dr. Paul Pepe, Director of Emergency Medicine at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
Velma Edwards and David Luckett, who both waited to be seen in the ER Tuesday, are contributing reasons to the ER problem because neither have an emergency nor health insurance.
"Well, I was feeling woozy today in my head," Edwards said.
Luckett said waiting in the ER is his only way to get relief.
"Just to come in here to get a pain pill or a refill I have to go through the whole process, which is a four or a six hour wait sometimes just to be seen," he said. "But I have to have it."
But with more people in the ER, wait times skyrocket, staff becomes overwhelmed and billing becomes a battle to fund the vicious cycle.
Dr. Pepe called it a crisis that should be a wake-up call for all Texans.
"The problem comes in that so many more people are hitting the door, that we need more people to take care of them, more doctors [and] more nurses," he said. "One way or another it's going to impact us. When you have to come in for your emergency will you have enough doctors and nurses to take care of you?"
Emergency Physicians said low vaccination rates and poor injury prevention programs contribute to the problem and earned a D in Texas.
California, Massachusetts and Connecticut scored at the top of the emergency report card, while Utah, Idaho and Arkansas got the lowest grades.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALSO ONLINE:
American College of Emergency Physicians' Report
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
11 CCART buses vandalized in Collin County
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
MCKINNEY, Texas - Employees at the Collin County Area Regional Transit discovered shattered bus windows and stripped electronics when they arrived to work early Tuesday morning.
Up to 800 people, including many low income and disabled citizens, rely on CCART everyday.
However, 11 damaged public transportation buses forced workers to juggle routes to make sure riders like Gonzolo Vasquez made important appointments.
Because of financial constraints, Vasquez depends on the service to get him to dialysis three days a week.
"He said it is life threatening and dialysis is very important to him, so he depends on CCART," said a translator for Vasquez.
CCART said they made sure people with medical needs got to their appointments despite the vandalism.
"My kidneys are failing, and if I didn't take them my kidneys would probably literally quit," said Mary Jane Smith, a CCART rider.
Other riders who use the service to get to work or get around faced some delays as reserve vehicles were brought in.
"The issue of course is not necessarily about the money, but the inconvenience to people who don't have any other means of transportation except us," said Pat Greever, CCART.
Repair crews spent the day fixing roughly $6,000 in damage to the busses where in-dash radios and CD players were ripped out.
Vasquez said he was outraged that someone's greed could have endangered his health.
"He feels very bad, very angry," said his translator.
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
MCKINNEY, Texas - Employees at the Collin County Area Regional Transit discovered shattered bus windows and stripped electronics when they arrived to work early Tuesday morning.
Up to 800 people, including many low income and disabled citizens, rely on CCART everyday.
However, 11 damaged public transportation buses forced workers to juggle routes to make sure riders like Gonzolo Vasquez made important appointments.
Because of financial constraints, Vasquez depends on the service to get him to dialysis three days a week.
"He said it is life threatening and dialysis is very important to him, so he depends on CCART," said a translator for Vasquez.
CCART said they made sure people with medical needs got to their appointments despite the vandalism.
"My kidneys are failing, and if I didn't take them my kidneys would probably literally quit," said Mary Jane Smith, a CCART rider.
Other riders who use the service to get to work or get around faced some delays as reserve vehicles were brought in.
"The issue of course is not necessarily about the money, but the inconvenience to people who don't have any other means of transportation except us," said Pat Greever, CCART.
Repair crews spent the day fixing roughly $6,000 in damage to the busses where in-dash radios and CD players were ripped out.
Vasquez said he was outraged that someone's greed could have endangered his health.
"He feels very bad, very angry," said his translator.
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Replace Parkland, panel says
Dallas County: Hospital to devise options; partial reuse of facility possible
By SHERRY JACOBSON / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - An advisory panel agreed Tuesday that Parkland Memorial Hospital – overcrowded and aging – needs to be replaced with new medical facilities.
Following the unanimous vote, Parkland officials were asked to come up with replacement options that the 13-member group could consider. The panel, which was appointed by the Dallas County Commissioners Court, will make recommendations to Parkland's board of managers later this year.
Such plans could include a proposal for a new 800- to 1,000-bed inpatient facility as well as one for a smaller central hospital with satellite inpatient facilities to handle trauma care and obstetric patients.
Another possible plan could call for reusing a portion of the old hospital building for specialized medicine such as rehabilitation or long-term care.
Any hospital replacement plan would have to be approved by Parkland's board, the county commissioners and, probably, Dallas County residents, who would be asked to approve a bond sale to cover the costs.
Previous estimates have priced a new hospital at $1 billion or more.
Dr. Ron Anderson, Parkland's president and chief executive officer, called the vote an important first step in the lengthy process of replacing the 51-year-old county hospital.
"They took the big step, indicating they see a need for a new system," he said, following the meeting. "The next few meetings will look at the scope of services the system would provide."
The advisory committee stressed, however, that it had not endorsed any specific plan to replace Parkland.
"We just decided that we're not going to pour more money into the old facility," said Wendy Lopez, the group's chairwoman. "We're looking for a proposal for a new health care system."
A hospital-funded study in November showed it would cost as much as $139 million in basic improvements to keep the aging facility operational for 25 to 30 more years. Such an investment would not bring the building into code compliance, it was noted.
Such compliance with state and federal codes would cost Parkland about 30 percent of its capacity, or 225 beds, Dr. Anderson said. Once renovated, most of Parkland's patient rooms would accommodate only one bed, instead of two, because of their small size.
More time, data sought
The committee, formally known as the Blue Ribbon Master Capital Plan Advisory Committee, began meeting in October. On Tuesday, members asked for more information and time to consider how large a medical facility the county would need in the future.
Currently, Parkland has 748 adult beds in its main building.
"Looking at demographic trends and the limitations of the existing space, we have to consider other options for Parkland," said Ann Margolin, a vice chairwoman of the panel and a former chairwoman of the Parkland board.
The advisory group was shown population trends that suggest Dallas County would need from 946 to 1,338 hospital beds by 2020. The numbers were based on the estimated growth of the indigent population, the number of out-of-county users at Parkland and a greater shift of uninsured patients to the hospital.
Bill Vanaskie, the hospital's chief operating officer, said Parkland could reduce the need for a larger facility by improving operations and decreasing the amount of time that patients are hospitalized.
Most of the discussion Tuesday was centered on the county providing one or more inpatient facilities with a total of 800 to 1,000 beds.
"That doesn't mean we're going to tear down the existing facility," Ms. Margolin stressed. "If possible, retrofitting the current facility could fulfill a portion of that need."
The main hospital building opened in 1954.
Hospital administrators attempted to show Tuesday that the cost of a new hospital probably would be covered by reduced personnel costs. New hospital buildings typically have afforded 15 percent savings in maintenance and housekeeping costs, it was noted.
However, Parkland's purported $60 million annual savings – or $1.8 billion over 30 years – was based on anecdotal information from professionals who had designed other new hospitals. No formal documentation was available to verify such an optimistic financial outcome.
"It will save money from current operations," Dr. Anderson insisted, "although energy costs may go up."
UT Southwestern plans
In a related discussion, the head of the UT Southwestern Medical Center informed the advisory panel of long-range plans to build a new 600-bed hospital near Parkland.
Dr. Kern Wildenthal, UT Southwestern's president, said the medical center's new facility would not affect Parkland's development plans.
However, he urged the advisory panel to consider how multiple sites for a new county hospital would complicate future staffing. UT Southwestern doctors supervise Parkland's resident physicians, who provide the majority of medical care at the county hospital.
"I think it would be dangerous to residents to have to go to multiple sites and dangerous to patient care," Dr. Wildenthal warned.
Dallas County: Hospital to devise options; partial reuse of facility possible
By SHERRY JACOBSON / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - An advisory panel agreed Tuesday that Parkland Memorial Hospital – overcrowded and aging – needs to be replaced with new medical facilities.
Following the unanimous vote, Parkland officials were asked to come up with replacement options that the 13-member group could consider. The panel, which was appointed by the Dallas County Commissioners Court, will make recommendations to Parkland's board of managers later this year.
Such plans could include a proposal for a new 800- to 1,000-bed inpatient facility as well as one for a smaller central hospital with satellite inpatient facilities to handle trauma care and obstetric patients.
Another possible plan could call for reusing a portion of the old hospital building for specialized medicine such as rehabilitation or long-term care.
Any hospital replacement plan would have to be approved by Parkland's board, the county commissioners and, probably, Dallas County residents, who would be asked to approve a bond sale to cover the costs.
Previous estimates have priced a new hospital at $1 billion or more.
Dr. Ron Anderson, Parkland's president and chief executive officer, called the vote an important first step in the lengthy process of replacing the 51-year-old county hospital.
"They took the big step, indicating they see a need for a new system," he said, following the meeting. "The next few meetings will look at the scope of services the system would provide."
The advisory committee stressed, however, that it had not endorsed any specific plan to replace Parkland.
"We just decided that we're not going to pour more money into the old facility," said Wendy Lopez, the group's chairwoman. "We're looking for a proposal for a new health care system."
A hospital-funded study in November showed it would cost as much as $139 million in basic improvements to keep the aging facility operational for 25 to 30 more years. Such an investment would not bring the building into code compliance, it was noted.
Such compliance with state and federal codes would cost Parkland about 30 percent of its capacity, or 225 beds, Dr. Anderson said. Once renovated, most of Parkland's patient rooms would accommodate only one bed, instead of two, because of their small size.
More time, data sought
The committee, formally known as the Blue Ribbon Master Capital Plan Advisory Committee, began meeting in October. On Tuesday, members asked for more information and time to consider how large a medical facility the county would need in the future.
Currently, Parkland has 748 adult beds in its main building.
"Looking at demographic trends and the limitations of the existing space, we have to consider other options for Parkland," said Ann Margolin, a vice chairwoman of the panel and a former chairwoman of the Parkland board.
The advisory group was shown population trends that suggest Dallas County would need from 946 to 1,338 hospital beds by 2020. The numbers were based on the estimated growth of the indigent population, the number of out-of-county users at Parkland and a greater shift of uninsured patients to the hospital.
Bill Vanaskie, the hospital's chief operating officer, said Parkland could reduce the need for a larger facility by improving operations and decreasing the amount of time that patients are hospitalized.
Most of the discussion Tuesday was centered on the county providing one or more inpatient facilities with a total of 800 to 1,000 beds.
"That doesn't mean we're going to tear down the existing facility," Ms. Margolin stressed. "If possible, retrofitting the current facility could fulfill a portion of that need."
The main hospital building opened in 1954.
Hospital administrators attempted to show Tuesday that the cost of a new hospital probably would be covered by reduced personnel costs. New hospital buildings typically have afforded 15 percent savings in maintenance and housekeeping costs, it was noted.
However, Parkland's purported $60 million annual savings – or $1.8 billion over 30 years – was based on anecdotal information from professionals who had designed other new hospitals. No formal documentation was available to verify such an optimistic financial outcome.
"It will save money from current operations," Dr. Anderson insisted, "although energy costs may go up."
UT Southwestern plans
In a related discussion, the head of the UT Southwestern Medical Center informed the advisory panel of long-range plans to build a new 600-bed hospital near Parkland.
Dr. Kern Wildenthal, UT Southwestern's president, said the medical center's new facility would not affect Parkland's development plans.
However, he urged the advisory panel to consider how multiple sites for a new county hospital would complicate future staffing. UT Southwestern doctors supervise Parkland's resident physicians, who provide the majority of medical care at the county hospital.
"I think it would be dangerous to residents to have to go to multiple sites and dangerous to patient care," Dr. Wildenthal warned.
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TexasStooge
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Council divided about discretionary funds
Dallas: But council differs on when to use discretionary funds
By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - When Dallas City Council members and the mayor received a combined $70 million in 2003 bond funds to spend as they wished, they had similar ideas.
By late 2004, 44 percent of the discretionary funds had been earmarked for specific street, alley and sidewalk improvements, 34 percent for individual parks. Nine percent went to flood and erosion control, the city's land bank, and recreation centers and libraries.
The remaining 13 percent – $8.9 million tagged by Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill and council members Maxine Thornton-Reese and Leo Chaney for unspecified redevelopment and public/private partnerships in the city's southern sector – is still unused, as first reported by The Dallas Morning News on Tuesday.
Most City Council members made detailed wish lists for their discretionary funds well before they became available. Council member James Fantroy wanted, among other projects, $443,000 for Danieldale Park; former City Council member Veletta Forsythe Lill wanted $480,000 to dredge Turtle Creek.
But Mr. Hill and Mr. Chaney said Monday that they weren't ready to be tied to specific projects. Making smart economic development decisions for Dallas' southern sector takes patience and careful consideration, they said, and shouldn't be rushed. They're waiting for the right projects and intend to spend the money before their terms expire.
But some of their colleagues say the waiting game has gone on too long. How hard is it to find a home for these funds, they ask, when they're aimed at three of the city's neediest districts? And what motivation would voters have to endorse a record-setting 2006 bond program when there is money left over from 2003?
The 2003 discretionary funds, which included $4 million for each district representative and $15 million for the mayor, were first-time perks that some council members are lobbying to keep in the 2006 bond program. The City Council will take up that package – which some estimate could reach $1 billion – for the first time next week.
But federal subpoenas served in the City Hall corruption investigation have cast a spotlight on the by-district funds. And Mayor Laura Miller and City Manager Mary Suhm have said they don't think discretionary funds are the best use of city dollars.
Ms. Miller's top priorities for the 2006 bond? Replacing out-of-date fire stations and bolstering Mill Creek flood control. She'd also like to bury power lines adjacent to future Trinity River bridges. But she wants the council to allocate money based on the city's $7 billion needs inventory, not pet projects.
"We raise property taxes every single year. We have a desperate need for more police officers," Ms. Miller said. "I'm hoping the majority of the council will look at this" and reject discretionary funds.
An early poll shows a council divided on the issue of discretionary funds. They like the flexibility. They like the autonomy. And they firmly believe they're the best qualified to determine what projects need funding in their districts.
"A council member knows what those things are that – with some guidance and criteria – will truly make a difference," Mr. Hill said. "And not all of those things are high up on a needs list."
But the revelations about unused discretionary funds have left some council members on the fence. If the council chooses to go forward with discretionary funds, council member Gary Griffith said, he will promote strict guidelines for the money's use.
"I've got some real concerns. A deadline for allocation would need to be set – say 12 months or less from a bond election," he said. "But from my standpoint, we need to look and see what the benefits have been."
Dallas: But council differs on when to use discretionary funds
By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - When Dallas City Council members and the mayor received a combined $70 million in 2003 bond funds to spend as they wished, they had similar ideas.
By late 2004, 44 percent of the discretionary funds had been earmarked for specific street, alley and sidewalk improvements, 34 percent for individual parks. Nine percent went to flood and erosion control, the city's land bank, and recreation centers and libraries.
The remaining 13 percent – $8.9 million tagged by Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill and council members Maxine Thornton-Reese and Leo Chaney for unspecified redevelopment and public/private partnerships in the city's southern sector – is still unused, as first reported by The Dallas Morning News on Tuesday.
Most City Council members made detailed wish lists for their discretionary funds well before they became available. Council member James Fantroy wanted, among other projects, $443,000 for Danieldale Park; former City Council member Veletta Forsythe Lill wanted $480,000 to dredge Turtle Creek.
But Mr. Hill and Mr. Chaney said Monday that they weren't ready to be tied to specific projects. Making smart economic development decisions for Dallas' southern sector takes patience and careful consideration, they said, and shouldn't be rushed. They're waiting for the right projects and intend to spend the money before their terms expire.
But some of their colleagues say the waiting game has gone on too long. How hard is it to find a home for these funds, they ask, when they're aimed at three of the city's neediest districts? And what motivation would voters have to endorse a record-setting 2006 bond program when there is money left over from 2003?
The 2003 discretionary funds, which included $4 million for each district representative and $15 million for the mayor, were first-time perks that some council members are lobbying to keep in the 2006 bond program. The City Council will take up that package – which some estimate could reach $1 billion – for the first time next week.
But federal subpoenas served in the City Hall corruption investigation have cast a spotlight on the by-district funds. And Mayor Laura Miller and City Manager Mary Suhm have said they don't think discretionary funds are the best use of city dollars.
Ms. Miller's top priorities for the 2006 bond? Replacing out-of-date fire stations and bolstering Mill Creek flood control. She'd also like to bury power lines adjacent to future Trinity River bridges. But she wants the council to allocate money based on the city's $7 billion needs inventory, not pet projects.
"We raise property taxes every single year. We have a desperate need for more police officers," Ms. Miller said. "I'm hoping the majority of the council will look at this" and reject discretionary funds.
An early poll shows a council divided on the issue of discretionary funds. They like the flexibility. They like the autonomy. And they firmly believe they're the best qualified to determine what projects need funding in their districts.
"A council member knows what those things are that – with some guidance and criteria – will truly make a difference," Mr. Hill said. "And not all of those things are high up on a needs list."
But the revelations about unused discretionary funds have left some council members on the fence. If the council chooses to go forward with discretionary funds, council member Gary Griffith said, he will promote strict guidelines for the money's use.
"I've got some real concerns. A deadline for allocation would need to be set – say 12 months or less from a bond election," he said. "But from my standpoint, we need to look and see what the benefits have been."
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TexasStooge
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Candidacy challenges send some to sidelines
By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – Several incumbents and veteran candidates have seized on flaws in their primary opponents' ballot applications, using lawsuits and challenges brought before the state parties to eliminate their opponents before the campaign begins.
Political consultants and election officials said they're seeing more challenges this year. Many have occurred in judicial races, in which candidates typically have less money to mount a statewide campaign and are looking for any advantage.
"One of the first things you do before you spend your campaign money is try to find something to challenge, so you don't have to spend your campaign money," said Jim Boynton, primary director for the Texas Democratic Party.
The Democratic Party is researching challenges made in two races for the appellate courts and one for a state House district. Several Republican contenders have already scored early knockouts with ballot challenges.
Some candidates bringing the challenges offered no apologies for holding opponents to the letter of the law. But the losing candidates and advocates of more political participation said the punishment was too harsh for what amounted to political misdemeanors and robs voters of choices.
State Rep. Terry Keel got two opponents off the ballot because of problems with their petitions and will now sail to a seat on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals with only minor-party opposition. State Rep. David Swinford, R-Dumas, won't face an opponent because the state GOP kicked Anette Carlisle off the ballot.
Mr. Keel, an Austin Republican, found duplicate signatures on the ballot application of the incumbent, Charles Holcomb. Mr. Keel also found that his other opponent, state District Judge Robert Francis of Dallas, failed to write "Place 8" on some pages of his petitions as required by state law.
Long applications
Some candidates complained that ballot applications for Texas' judicial races have become so long and unwieldy that the possibilities for error are endless. On each page is a litany of blank spaces and boxes that require signatures, office names and numbers, dates and notarized stamps. Candidates must gather signatures from at least 50 voters in each of the state's 14 appellate court districts.
The ballot application submitted by Texas Supreme Court Justice Don R. Willett was 373 pages. Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson's ran 204 pages.
Mr. Keel said Monday that he was holding his opponent to a legal standard that any judge would enforce. State District Judge John Dietz, who ordered Judge Francis off the ballot Tuesday, said he felt sorry for his colleague but couldn't fault Mr. Keel for looking for flaws on the applications.
"That is not something that is dirty or vile," Judge Dietz said. "That is just politics."
Judge Francis said his error was too minor to merit disqualification. Fred Lewis, chairman of the reform-minded Campaigns for People, agreed, saying voters are the ones who suffer.
Let voters decide
"I don't want to make light of the requirements, but it's better the voters decide these sorts of things," Mr. Lewis said. "It depends on what your attitude is. I want to encourage more candidates."
Ed Shack, an attorney for Mr. Keel, said voters deserve a choice between eligible candidates – and Judge Francis did not qualify as eligible.
Buck Wood, Judge Francis' lawyer, said the number of ballot challenges was "just leapfrogging." He said several candidates had called him in recent days seeking legal representation.
"This is going on all over the state," he said. "It's just a trap for the unwary. It's gamesmanship."
Kelly Fero, a Democratic consultant, said candidates in competitive districts are increasingly using ballot challenges. Two years ago, several state House races were decided by fewer than several hundred votes.
"With such narrow margins becoming the norm, it leads candidates to try to knock their opponents off the ballot through a legal technicality," Mr. Fero said.
Seizing on Mr. Keel's example, Rep. Richard Raymond complained Tuesday that his opponent should be removed from the ballot. Mr. Raymond said Mercurio Martinez Jr. failed to write "District 42" after "state representative" on his application.
The Webb County Democratic Party will decide whether to approve Mr. Raymond's complaint. Roberto Balli, the party chairman there, said Mr. Raymond's challenge appears serious. And he expects one of the candidates to take the fight to the courts no matter his decision.
In the case of Ms. Carlisle, Mr. Swinford's opponent, the Republican Party ruled her ineligible because her membership on the Amarillo school board prohibits her from campaigning for another office. The state Constitution doesn't allow a candidate to seek a legislative office while holding an office for which for they are paid.
Ms. Carlisle and the party are feuding over whether her per-diem payments for meals should qualify as compensation. A political adviser to Ms. Carlisle said she would probably sue the party over its decision.
Mr. Swinford did not return calls seeking comment.
Six other current school board members are running for House seats. Asked why they were allowed to run, Jeff Fisher, executive director of the Republican Party, said his staff hadn't looked into their service if an opponent didn't complain about it. But he said his staff would look into the issue.
Staff writer Pete Slover contributed to this report.
By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – Several incumbents and veteran candidates have seized on flaws in their primary opponents' ballot applications, using lawsuits and challenges brought before the state parties to eliminate their opponents before the campaign begins.
Political consultants and election officials said they're seeing more challenges this year. Many have occurred in judicial races, in which candidates typically have less money to mount a statewide campaign and are looking for any advantage.
"One of the first things you do before you spend your campaign money is try to find something to challenge, so you don't have to spend your campaign money," said Jim Boynton, primary director for the Texas Democratic Party.
The Democratic Party is researching challenges made in two races for the appellate courts and one for a state House district. Several Republican contenders have already scored early knockouts with ballot challenges.
Some candidates bringing the challenges offered no apologies for holding opponents to the letter of the law. But the losing candidates and advocates of more political participation said the punishment was too harsh for what amounted to political misdemeanors and robs voters of choices.
State Rep. Terry Keel got two opponents off the ballot because of problems with their petitions and will now sail to a seat on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals with only minor-party opposition. State Rep. David Swinford, R-Dumas, won't face an opponent because the state GOP kicked Anette Carlisle off the ballot.
Mr. Keel, an Austin Republican, found duplicate signatures on the ballot application of the incumbent, Charles Holcomb. Mr. Keel also found that his other opponent, state District Judge Robert Francis of Dallas, failed to write "Place 8" on some pages of his petitions as required by state law.
Long applications
Some candidates complained that ballot applications for Texas' judicial races have become so long and unwieldy that the possibilities for error are endless. On each page is a litany of blank spaces and boxes that require signatures, office names and numbers, dates and notarized stamps. Candidates must gather signatures from at least 50 voters in each of the state's 14 appellate court districts.
The ballot application submitted by Texas Supreme Court Justice Don R. Willett was 373 pages. Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson's ran 204 pages.
Mr. Keel said Monday that he was holding his opponent to a legal standard that any judge would enforce. State District Judge John Dietz, who ordered Judge Francis off the ballot Tuesday, said he felt sorry for his colleague but couldn't fault Mr. Keel for looking for flaws on the applications.
"That is not something that is dirty or vile," Judge Dietz said. "That is just politics."
Judge Francis said his error was too minor to merit disqualification. Fred Lewis, chairman of the reform-minded Campaigns for People, agreed, saying voters are the ones who suffer.
Let voters decide
"I don't want to make light of the requirements, but it's better the voters decide these sorts of things," Mr. Lewis said. "It depends on what your attitude is. I want to encourage more candidates."
Ed Shack, an attorney for Mr. Keel, said voters deserve a choice between eligible candidates – and Judge Francis did not qualify as eligible.
Buck Wood, Judge Francis' lawyer, said the number of ballot challenges was "just leapfrogging." He said several candidates had called him in recent days seeking legal representation.
"This is going on all over the state," he said. "It's just a trap for the unwary. It's gamesmanship."
Kelly Fero, a Democratic consultant, said candidates in competitive districts are increasingly using ballot challenges. Two years ago, several state House races were decided by fewer than several hundred votes.
"With such narrow margins becoming the norm, it leads candidates to try to knock their opponents off the ballot through a legal technicality," Mr. Fero said.
Seizing on Mr. Keel's example, Rep. Richard Raymond complained Tuesday that his opponent should be removed from the ballot. Mr. Raymond said Mercurio Martinez Jr. failed to write "District 42" after "state representative" on his application.
The Webb County Democratic Party will decide whether to approve Mr. Raymond's complaint. Roberto Balli, the party chairman there, said Mr. Raymond's challenge appears serious. And he expects one of the candidates to take the fight to the courts no matter his decision.
In the case of Ms. Carlisle, Mr. Swinford's opponent, the Republican Party ruled her ineligible because her membership on the Amarillo school board prohibits her from campaigning for another office. The state Constitution doesn't allow a candidate to seek a legislative office while holding an office for which for they are paid.
Ms. Carlisle and the party are feuding over whether her per-diem payments for meals should qualify as compensation. A political adviser to Ms. Carlisle said she would probably sue the party over its decision.
Mr. Swinford did not return calls seeking comment.
Six other current school board members are running for House seats. Asked why they were allowed to run, Jeff Fisher, executive director of the Republican Party, said his staff hadn't looked into their service if an opponent didn't complain about it. But he said his staff would look into the issue.
Staff writer Pete Slover contributed to this report.
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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Results are in: People are tired of taking surveys
Industry says it needs more participation to see what public thinks
By PAULA LAVIGNE / The Dallas Morning News
If you want an opinion on toilet paper, soda, driving habits or politics, please don't call Rashidah Madyun.
She's not interested.
Random telephone surveys annoy the 40-something Duncanville woman.
"It's a gross invasion of my privacy," she said, adding that she requested an unlisted number so she wouldn't be bothered.
Ms. Madyun is part of a growing number of Americans who refuse to answer survey questions over the phone.
They're too busy. They don't care. Or they're skeptical, wondering if the survey is legitimate or an attempt to peddle something or steal their identities.
Yet surveys can shape policy from City Hall to the White House.
While there are no hard numbers, survey firms agree that response rates have steadily declined over 20 years, and some say they've fallen even faster in the last few.
"Ten years from now, you won't have any phone surveys, not a single one," said Ravi Venkitaraman, a senior vice president in the Dallas office of Burke Inc.
The Cincinnati firm conducts market research for such private companies as banks, food suppliers and cellphone businesses. About 10 years ago, 70 percent of people would respond to its phone surveys, and that figure has dropped to 40 percent or 50 percent, he said.
In another example, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey about politics and lifestyle in 1997 in which 36 percent of the people responded; the same survey in 2003 garnered only 25 percent.
Though prying responses over the telephone is tougher, the business of surveying continues to grow. In 2002, market research and public opinion gathering was a $12.5 billion industry employing more than 130,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That's an increase in revenues of 60 percent since 1997.
Finding better ways to contact people, and keep them talking, is going to be a big topic at this week's Second International Conference on Telephone Survey Methodology in Miami.
The first conference was in 1987, long before people switched en masse to cellphones. That, along with the rise of caller ID, answering machines and call blocking, have changed the landscape for telephone surveyors.
For Yvonne Marshall, those calls usually come around 8 p.m., when she's putting her two children, ages 3 and 8, to bed.
"I'll just say, 'I'm sorry I can't help you,' " said the 38-year-old Garland mother. "I just don't like giving out information over the phone."
Geneva Osborn, a Tipton, Okla., child care worker in her 60s, said she doesn't have time to share her opinions on pets or politics. Plus, she said, she doesn't believe political surveys are useful because they don't reach enough people to represent the general public.
That's exactly why she should answer the questions, say pollsters and survey firms.
Wielding influence
A public health survey on immunization shots can tell the federal government where to locate its next immunization clinic, said Tom W. Smith, director of the General Social Survey with the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.
Whereas a research survey for an automaker could give it a clue as to what type of cars it should build, he said.
"It won't tell them how to get more gas mileage, but it could tell them to put more emphasis on better gas mileage instead of more cup holders," he said.
Whether an informal survey of opinion or scientific poll, people are hanging up more often.
If certain types of people always refuse to answer, then the opinions of that population won't be represented in the survey results, said David Roe, a survey methodologist with RTI International, a nonprofit corporation in Research Triangle Park, N.C., specializing in medical research.
As a result, "policy-makers may make a decision on certain policies that leave these groups out," he said.
If you're not interested in what the caller's asking about, such as a political survey, you shouldn't assume your opinion isn't worthy, said Scott Keeter, director of survey research with the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C.
"In politics, if we only talked to people who were knowledgeable, our polls would be very skewed in terms of the picture they painted of public opinion," he said.
Ms. Osborn's refusal is actually an anomaly, because older women in smaller towns are generally the most responsive, experts say.
Some of the more reluctant groups include people in big cities, young people, immigrants and people who don't speak English, even though most survey firms can ask questions in multiple languages. Men are also less likely to participate in a survey than women.
"They're just not around," Mr. Smith said. "Men still work longer hours than women. Second, they are simply less cooperative than women."
Young people with cellphones are among the most difficult. They illustrate the challenge of a busy, mobile lifestyle, said Jeff Jones, managing editor of the Gallup Poll in Princeton, N.J.
But some of the signs of a wired generation bode well for the survey industry. Message boards, chat rooms and blogs prove that people like to share their opinions, Mr. Jones said.
Evolving techniques
Even Nielsen Media Research, the New York company that tracks TV viewing habits nationwide, has been forced to work harder to get people to play along.
The company still sends people door to door to recruit families to participate in its ratings survey, but instead of having them fill out a paper diary, it might ask them to put an electronic meter on their television.
It also does an advertising survey where it used to ask people to write down all the places they visited during a day to determine which billboards and other public advertisements they passed. Now, the company gives the volunteer a GPS device that measures where the person travels, said Paul Donato, chief research officer for Nielsen.
"We overlay that with a database of every billboard in the country," he said.
Evolving technology has gone hand in hand with surveying since the industry took off in the 1920s and 1930s with political surveys and the beginnings of the Gallup Poll in 1935.
Door-to-door, in-person surveys gave way to telephones, and technology allowed automatic random dialing. Gallup, the last major firm to switch to phone surveys, did so in the mid '80s, Mr. Jones said.
Now survey firms are embracing the Internet, but with a bit of trepidation. Most Internet surveys, including the popular Harris Poll by Harris Interactive, rely on people to opt into an online panel.
While it's an easier and cheaper way to get people's opinion, it's also limited to people who are Web savvy and interested in the topics – not necessarily a slice of the general public.
Bryan and Wendy Prater from Rowlett have signed up for Internet surveys. The 30-year-old Praters have two young children, so Mrs. Prater often takes surveys on what type of diapers, baby formula and groceries she buys. For each survey, she accumulates points that she later redeems for cash.
"I just figure it's nice to get $10 in the mail," she said.
Offering money or gift certificates has become more common among several companies for in-person, telephone and online surveys. Some survey firms have tried sending letters in advance of phone calls or visits to prove legitimacy, whereas others, especially easily recognizable firms such as Gallup and Nielsen, will make sure their company names appear on a caller ID.
The National Do Not Call Registry, which prevents telemarketers from calling people who've added their numbers to the list, has also helped research and survey organizations that are exempt from the registry rules, said Mr. Jones of Gallup.
He said, "Now people know when they're being called by somebody they're not familiar with that it's a legitimate call."
Industry says it needs more participation to see what public thinks
By PAULA LAVIGNE / The Dallas Morning News
If you want an opinion on toilet paper, soda, driving habits or politics, please don't call Rashidah Madyun.
She's not interested.
Random telephone surveys annoy the 40-something Duncanville woman.
"It's a gross invasion of my privacy," she said, adding that she requested an unlisted number so she wouldn't be bothered.
Ms. Madyun is part of a growing number of Americans who refuse to answer survey questions over the phone.
They're too busy. They don't care. Or they're skeptical, wondering if the survey is legitimate or an attempt to peddle something or steal their identities.
Yet surveys can shape policy from City Hall to the White House.
While there are no hard numbers, survey firms agree that response rates have steadily declined over 20 years, and some say they've fallen even faster in the last few.
"Ten years from now, you won't have any phone surveys, not a single one," said Ravi Venkitaraman, a senior vice president in the Dallas office of Burke Inc.
The Cincinnati firm conducts market research for such private companies as banks, food suppliers and cellphone businesses. About 10 years ago, 70 percent of people would respond to its phone surveys, and that figure has dropped to 40 percent or 50 percent, he said.
In another example, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey about politics and lifestyle in 1997 in which 36 percent of the people responded; the same survey in 2003 garnered only 25 percent.
Though prying responses over the telephone is tougher, the business of surveying continues to grow. In 2002, market research and public opinion gathering was a $12.5 billion industry employing more than 130,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That's an increase in revenues of 60 percent since 1997.
Finding better ways to contact people, and keep them talking, is going to be a big topic at this week's Second International Conference on Telephone Survey Methodology in Miami.
The first conference was in 1987, long before people switched en masse to cellphones. That, along with the rise of caller ID, answering machines and call blocking, have changed the landscape for telephone surveyors.
For Yvonne Marshall, those calls usually come around 8 p.m., when she's putting her two children, ages 3 and 8, to bed.
"I'll just say, 'I'm sorry I can't help you,' " said the 38-year-old Garland mother. "I just don't like giving out information over the phone."
Geneva Osborn, a Tipton, Okla., child care worker in her 60s, said she doesn't have time to share her opinions on pets or politics. Plus, she said, she doesn't believe political surveys are useful because they don't reach enough people to represent the general public.
That's exactly why she should answer the questions, say pollsters and survey firms.
Wielding influence
A public health survey on immunization shots can tell the federal government where to locate its next immunization clinic, said Tom W. Smith, director of the General Social Survey with the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.
Whereas a research survey for an automaker could give it a clue as to what type of cars it should build, he said.
"It won't tell them how to get more gas mileage, but it could tell them to put more emphasis on better gas mileage instead of more cup holders," he said.
Whether an informal survey of opinion or scientific poll, people are hanging up more often.
If certain types of people always refuse to answer, then the opinions of that population won't be represented in the survey results, said David Roe, a survey methodologist with RTI International, a nonprofit corporation in Research Triangle Park, N.C., specializing in medical research.
As a result, "policy-makers may make a decision on certain policies that leave these groups out," he said.
If you're not interested in what the caller's asking about, such as a political survey, you shouldn't assume your opinion isn't worthy, said Scott Keeter, director of survey research with the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C.
"In politics, if we only talked to people who were knowledgeable, our polls would be very skewed in terms of the picture they painted of public opinion," he said.
Ms. Osborn's refusal is actually an anomaly, because older women in smaller towns are generally the most responsive, experts say.
Some of the more reluctant groups include people in big cities, young people, immigrants and people who don't speak English, even though most survey firms can ask questions in multiple languages. Men are also less likely to participate in a survey than women.
"They're just not around," Mr. Smith said. "Men still work longer hours than women. Second, they are simply less cooperative than women."
Young people with cellphones are among the most difficult. They illustrate the challenge of a busy, mobile lifestyle, said Jeff Jones, managing editor of the Gallup Poll in Princeton, N.J.
But some of the signs of a wired generation bode well for the survey industry. Message boards, chat rooms and blogs prove that people like to share their opinions, Mr. Jones said.
Evolving techniques
Even Nielsen Media Research, the New York company that tracks TV viewing habits nationwide, has been forced to work harder to get people to play along.
The company still sends people door to door to recruit families to participate in its ratings survey, but instead of having them fill out a paper diary, it might ask them to put an electronic meter on their television.
It also does an advertising survey where it used to ask people to write down all the places they visited during a day to determine which billboards and other public advertisements they passed. Now, the company gives the volunteer a GPS device that measures where the person travels, said Paul Donato, chief research officer for Nielsen.
"We overlay that with a database of every billboard in the country," he said.
Evolving technology has gone hand in hand with surveying since the industry took off in the 1920s and 1930s with political surveys and the beginnings of the Gallup Poll in 1935.
Door-to-door, in-person surveys gave way to telephones, and technology allowed automatic random dialing. Gallup, the last major firm to switch to phone surveys, did so in the mid '80s, Mr. Jones said.
Now survey firms are embracing the Internet, but with a bit of trepidation. Most Internet surveys, including the popular Harris Poll by Harris Interactive, rely on people to opt into an online panel.
While it's an easier and cheaper way to get people's opinion, it's also limited to people who are Web savvy and interested in the topics – not necessarily a slice of the general public.
Bryan and Wendy Prater from Rowlett have signed up for Internet surveys. The 30-year-old Praters have two young children, so Mrs. Prater often takes surveys on what type of diapers, baby formula and groceries she buys. For each survey, she accumulates points that she later redeems for cash.
"I just figure it's nice to get $10 in the mail," she said.
Offering money or gift certificates has become more common among several companies for in-person, telephone and online surveys. Some survey firms have tried sending letters in advance of phone calls or visits to prove legitimacy, whereas others, especially easily recognizable firms such as Gallup and Nielsen, will make sure their company names appear on a caller ID.
The National Do Not Call Registry, which prevents telemarketers from calling people who've added their numbers to the list, has also helped research and survey organizations that are exempt from the registry rules, said Mr. Jones of Gallup.
He said, "Now people know when they're being called by somebody they're not familiar with that it's a legitimate call."
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TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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Librarians won't fight book's permission requirement
Irving: Middle schoolers must have parent OK to check out title
By KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Eight Irving school librarians dropped their challenge to a policy requiring middle school students to get written permission from their parents to check out a book about a teenage boy's recovery after being kidnapped and sexually abused by a man.
Irving school trustees had received copies of the award-winning When Jeff Comes Home and were planning to hear an appeal of the policy set by Superintendent Jack Singley at a public hearing Jan. 23.
But the board agreed at its Monday meeting to cancel the hearing and uphold the policy after the librarians decided to support Mr. Singley's ruling.
"After we did all of our research, we just decided it was better for right now to withdraw the appeal," said Heather Lamb, de Zavala Middle School library media specialist. "We're still going to fight for First Amendment rights, just not this battle."
Dana Foster filed a complaint about the book in September after her 11-year-old daughter checked it out from the Travis Middle School library. Ms. Foster said she was disturbed by the cover and took it from her daughter before the girl could read it.
"I read the book and had concerns about the age appropriateness," said Ms. Foster, who teaches third grade at Lee Elementary in Irving. "I support the superintendent's decision. It allows for parents to be involved in their child's education and make those decisions."
After the district received her complaint, a committee of school administrators and librarians met and decided in October to keep the book in middle schools. Ms. Foster appealed again, and the superintendent created the consent policy, which was implemented in December.
The librarians appealed and contacted author Catherine Atkins, requesting she prepare a statement in defense of the book that was published in 1999.
Ms. Atkins, an alternative education teacher in California, said she was disappointed the librarians dropped their appeal.
"As a school employee myself, I understand the pressures, but I regret the loss of open access to When Jeff Comes Home in the Irving district," she said in an e-mail Tuesday. "When Jeff Comes Home could be the right book for the right person at the right time, but without open access to it, a chance may be lost that it will reach the person who needs it."
In the book, 16-year-old Jeff is set free after 2 ½ years of sexual abuse from a man who kidnapped him from a rest stop. The book includes flashbacks to sexual encounters and graphic language. Most of the story is about how the boy heals after returning to his parents and his struggle to talk about the abuse.
Publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons recommends the book for readers 13 and older, while the School Library Journal suggested it for readers in grades 10 and above. When Jeff Comes Home was also named a best book for young adults by the American Library Association in 2000. It defines young adult literature as targeting readers 12 to 18 years old.
Sam Houston State University library science professor Teri Lesesne said restricting access to one book makes it easier to do so to others.
"I hate to see one parent exercise this type of pressure," she said. "It's one parent who objected, and now it's restricted. Boy, that's scary to me. I'm a parent. What I would say is take it back to the library."
The Irving school district has six copies of the book available at Austin, Crockett, de Zavala and Travis middle schools. The book had been checked out 42 times in the last three years from those schools. The parent consent rule does not apply to the seven copies at the district's high schools.
Irving: Middle schoolers must have parent OK to check out title
By KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Eight Irving school librarians dropped their challenge to a policy requiring middle school students to get written permission from their parents to check out a book about a teenage boy's recovery after being kidnapped and sexually abused by a man.
Irving school trustees had received copies of the award-winning When Jeff Comes Home and were planning to hear an appeal of the policy set by Superintendent Jack Singley at a public hearing Jan. 23.
But the board agreed at its Monday meeting to cancel the hearing and uphold the policy after the librarians decided to support Mr. Singley's ruling.
"After we did all of our research, we just decided it was better for right now to withdraw the appeal," said Heather Lamb, de Zavala Middle School library media specialist. "We're still going to fight for First Amendment rights, just not this battle."
Dana Foster filed a complaint about the book in September after her 11-year-old daughter checked it out from the Travis Middle School library. Ms. Foster said she was disturbed by the cover and took it from her daughter before the girl could read it.
"I read the book and had concerns about the age appropriateness," said Ms. Foster, who teaches third grade at Lee Elementary in Irving. "I support the superintendent's decision. It allows for parents to be involved in their child's education and make those decisions."
After the district received her complaint, a committee of school administrators and librarians met and decided in October to keep the book in middle schools. Ms. Foster appealed again, and the superintendent created the consent policy, which was implemented in December.
The librarians appealed and contacted author Catherine Atkins, requesting she prepare a statement in defense of the book that was published in 1999.
Ms. Atkins, an alternative education teacher in California, said she was disappointed the librarians dropped their appeal.
"As a school employee myself, I understand the pressures, but I regret the loss of open access to When Jeff Comes Home in the Irving district," she said in an e-mail Tuesday. "When Jeff Comes Home could be the right book for the right person at the right time, but without open access to it, a chance may be lost that it will reach the person who needs it."
In the book, 16-year-old Jeff is set free after 2 ½ years of sexual abuse from a man who kidnapped him from a rest stop. The book includes flashbacks to sexual encounters and graphic language. Most of the story is about how the boy heals after returning to his parents and his struggle to talk about the abuse.
Publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons recommends the book for readers 13 and older, while the School Library Journal suggested it for readers in grades 10 and above. When Jeff Comes Home was also named a best book for young adults by the American Library Association in 2000. It defines young adult literature as targeting readers 12 to 18 years old.
Sam Houston State University library science professor Teri Lesesne said restricting access to one book makes it easier to do so to others.
"I hate to see one parent exercise this type of pressure," she said. "It's one parent who objected, and now it's restricted. Boy, that's scary to me. I'm a parent. What I would say is take it back to the library."
The Irving school district has six copies of the book available at Austin, Crockett, de Zavala and Travis middle schools. The book had been checked out 42 times in the last three years from those schools. The parent consent rule does not apply to the seven copies at the district's high schools.
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