Plans for Trinity greenbelt taking shape
By MANUEL MENDOZA / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Standing in the middle of a notorious South Dallas landfill, renowned architect Antoine Predock imagines transforming the dump into a world-class nature center, finally bringing attention and access to one of the largest urban forests in North America.
It's not the biggest piece of the $1.2 billion Trinity River Corridor Project. But when the Trinity Interpretive Center opens in late 2007 or early 2008, it could be the first tangible benefit of the long-delayed plan to convert the river and its surroundings.
"These kinds of sites always interest me," Mr. Predock said during a bus ride Friday as he led city officials and Audubon Society executives through the 120-acre Deepwood landfill southeast of downtown Dallas. "In this country, they're dwindling."
In Dallas, they're ignored. Most residents don't even know the grand forest sits in their back yard.
The city, which earmarked $16 million of the $246 million bond issue that voters approved in 1998 for the 20,000-square-foot center, hired Mr. Predock to design it.
Local architect Craig Reynolds is overseeing the project, which is intended to restore native plants and trees, attract wildlife back to the area, educate children and adults about the river and forest, and serve as a link to other North Texas greenbelts, including the Katy Trail.
"It may in the long run have one of the more significant impacts on the city and the region," said Dallas City Council member Lois Finkelman, a former environmental consultant who took part in the tour.
"I think it'll be an eye-turner," Mr. Reynolds said.
About 100,000 schoolchildren live within two miles of the site, according to Anne Brown, deputy state director of the Audubon Society, which the city recently named to operate the center.
The society plans to raise a $10 million endowment to run the center, which is three miles east of Interstate 45 off Loop 12, and the city is applying for $3 million in grants for additional trails and other improvements. A $2 million equestrian center is also planned.
If successful, the center could change Dallas' image as a city that is unfriendly to the natural environment. "The whole resurrection of this place is a neat opportunity for us," said Terry Austin, Audubon's state director.
Ironically, because the potential of the Trinity Forest has been overlooked for so long, it now has a chance to be converted into usable green space. "Otherwise, it would've been mowed down" years ago by developers, Ms. Finkelman said.
Most of the 8,000-acre forest is in a 100-year floodplain so it can't be built on. The landfill – an illegal construction dump that burned for a month in a 1997 methane fire – was chosen because it's the closest site to the river outside the floodplain, allowing for easy access to the woods, wetlands and river that converge in the forest 100 yards away.
The city has spent more than a year cleaning up and capping the site. By June, all the trees will be planted.
Mr. Predock, an Albuquerque architect known for designing the Rio Grande Nature Center in his hometown as well as City Hall in Austin, the San Diego Padres' ballpark and the home of Dallas art collectors Deedie and Rusty Rose, has not yet come up with the design for the Trinity center or what materials he will use. But Friday, he gave hints.
The "enigmatic" building will "peer out" from a tall-grass prairie, "hunkering down" and "retreating from the site" with a "modest level of theatricality," he said. But "the building is not the star here. The site is."
Rather than a flashy front door, visitors will find the entrance at the end of a "trailhead in disguise" that leads from the parking area, "setting the stage to experience the site."
He also called the building a "viewing blind."
"Symbolically, the building wants to inflect toward what you're seeing," he said.
His most dramatic idea is to extend a wooden arm from the building to a treehouse observatory.
Decks and one or two small amphitheaters might also extend out from the center for views and lectures. Mr. Predock praised the sculptural qualities of the site, especially two debris-filled mounds on which prairie grass will be planted. "It's almost Mayan," he said.
Exhibits will be featured, but they will only serve to complete the picture. The focus will be on opportunities to view the landscape and experience nature. Glass will be used minimally and only at angles because the material is dangerous to birds, which can crash when disoriented by reflections.
The center is competing with the bridge over Woodall Rodgers freeway designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava to be the first major Trinity project to be completed. The bridge is also scheduled to open in late 2007.
News from the Lone Star State
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Truck crashes into building off I-30
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - An 18-wheeler crashed through the median of Interstate 30 and slammed into a building near the Dallas main post office on Sunday morning.
Police said the truck had been traveling eastbound when the driver apparently lost control around 8:45 a.m. The big rig then hit at least three other vehicles as it crossed into the westbound lanes of oncoming traffic and crashed into a limousine service business in the 200 block of Avery Street.
The driver of the truck was removed from the wreckage and hospitalized with unspecified injuries.
At least three people whose vehicles were hit by the truck were also treated at the scene.
Debris—including the motor from one of the vehicles involved in the crash—littered the highway.
Structural engineers were summoned to the scene to determine whether the building housing the limousine business was safe to remain occupied.
Traffic on I-30 between Sylvan Ave. and Beckley Ave. was slowed during the crash investigation and cleanup.
WFAA-TV photojournalist Gary Ultee and assignments editor Gerardo Lopez contributed to this report.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - An 18-wheeler crashed through the median of Interstate 30 and slammed into a building near the Dallas main post office on Sunday morning.
Police said the truck had been traveling eastbound when the driver apparently lost control around 8:45 a.m. The big rig then hit at least three other vehicles as it crossed into the westbound lanes of oncoming traffic and crashed into a limousine service business in the 200 block of Avery Street.
The driver of the truck was removed from the wreckage and hospitalized with unspecified injuries.
At least three people whose vehicles were hit by the truck were also treated at the scene.
Debris—including the motor from one of the vehicles involved in the crash—littered the highway.
Structural engineers were summoned to the scene to determine whether the building housing the limousine business was safe to remain occupied.
Traffic on I-30 between Sylvan Ave. and Beckley Ave. was slowed during the crash investigation and cleanup.
WFAA-TV photojournalist Gary Ultee and assignments editor Gerardo Lopez contributed to this report.
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Spotters go far, wide to find gas deals
By MICHAEL E. YOUNG / The Dallas Morning News
CARROLLTON, Texas – When Tom Washington pulls up to the gas pump, scribbles a few numbers and drives off, people wonder what the heck he's doing.
He's trying to save them a couple of bucks.
With gas prices soaring past $2 a gallon, and owners of large SUVs looking at $60 or more to fill tanks the size of hot water heaters, saving a few cents a gallon can add up.
So thousands of volunteers across the country – spotters, they're called – have made it their mission to find the best prices in a constantly changing marketplace.
They post the results on various Web sites, all for the satisfaction of knowing they've helped their neighbors. That's about their only reward.
Two popular sites – GasPriceWatch .com and GasBuddy.com, with its local links Dallasgasprices.com and Fortworth gasprices.com – give spotters "points" for each station added to the listings and each price update and for signing up to check prices.
One GasPriceWatch spotter has accumulated more than 9 million points. But all they bring are bragging rights.
"When we first started in 2000, we were giving away a computer every month," Brad Proctor of GasPriceWatch said, "and people were cheating like crazy. That's when we decided it was best not to give away prizes."
Still, people interested in the latest gas prices are really interested: GasBuddy's message forum contains tens of thousands of messages on hundreds of topics, most of them variations of "What is your local gas price today?"
GasPriceWatch closed its sounding board, Mr. Proctor said, because it was impossible to monitor.
"It's amazing how much chit-chat there is about gas prices," he said.
The Web traffic is amazing, too. GasPriceWatch gets about 1.6 million visits a day from people looking for the best prices, compiled by 117,778 spotters at 128,661 gas stations.
Mr. Washington, a Carrollton resident, doesn't worry about points and doesn't bother with the forums.
He posts his prices on GasPrice Watch and spends the rest of his Internet time talking high school football.
The route he created can take an hour to complete and covers about 15 miles – about a gallon of gas in his 1999 Ford Expedition – so he tries to be smart.
"I do it mostly when I'm running around doing other errands," he said.
He does it on Mondays.
"That's when the stations in this area tend to change their prices," Mr. Washington said. "What you see on Monday is pretty much what you'll see for the rest of the week."
He's a newcomer to the gas game, having discovered a price-charting Web site a month ago.
"I went and looked at it, and there were no Carrollton prices listed because there were no spotters up here," Mr. Washington said. "So I just started looking at the prices at the stations I pass by every day."
He quickly noticed some trends.
His loop takes him from Josey Lane and Rosemeade Parkway north to Hebron Parkway, east to the Dallas North Tollway, south to Rosemeade again, west to Denton Tap Road, back to Hebron and west to State Highway 121.
He's found that prices are consistently higher at stations near the tollway and usually lower at three stations at Rosemeade and Midway Road.
"So that's where I go," he said.
He stopped at a Philips 66 station there and began pumping, watching the numbers spin ever higher, stopping at $53.01.
"I wasn't quite on empty," he said. "I just needed 26 gallons."
With his gas gauge pegged on "F," Mr. Washington pulled back onto Rosemeade and found the lowest price in this week's compilation at the next intersection, Marsh Lane – $2.02 for a gallon of unleaded regular.
He could have saved a quarter. But then, he could have stopped at a station near the tollway and spent an extra $1.50.
If he can help others save a few cents, he's happy.
"I've always tried to be involved in public service," Mr. Washington said, "and that's all this is. It's a service."
By MICHAEL E. YOUNG / The Dallas Morning News
CARROLLTON, Texas – When Tom Washington pulls up to the gas pump, scribbles a few numbers and drives off, people wonder what the heck he's doing.
He's trying to save them a couple of bucks.
With gas prices soaring past $2 a gallon, and owners of large SUVs looking at $60 or more to fill tanks the size of hot water heaters, saving a few cents a gallon can add up.
So thousands of volunteers across the country – spotters, they're called – have made it their mission to find the best prices in a constantly changing marketplace.
They post the results on various Web sites, all for the satisfaction of knowing they've helped their neighbors. That's about their only reward.
Two popular sites – GasPriceWatch .com and GasBuddy.com, with its local links Dallasgasprices.com and Fortworth gasprices.com – give spotters "points" for each station added to the listings and each price update and for signing up to check prices.
One GasPriceWatch spotter has accumulated more than 9 million points. But all they bring are bragging rights.
"When we first started in 2000, we were giving away a computer every month," Brad Proctor of GasPriceWatch said, "and people were cheating like crazy. That's when we decided it was best not to give away prizes."
Still, people interested in the latest gas prices are really interested: GasBuddy's message forum contains tens of thousands of messages on hundreds of topics, most of them variations of "What is your local gas price today?"
GasPriceWatch closed its sounding board, Mr. Proctor said, because it was impossible to monitor.
"It's amazing how much chit-chat there is about gas prices," he said.
The Web traffic is amazing, too. GasPriceWatch gets about 1.6 million visits a day from people looking for the best prices, compiled by 117,778 spotters at 128,661 gas stations.
Mr. Washington, a Carrollton resident, doesn't worry about points and doesn't bother with the forums.
He posts his prices on GasPrice Watch and spends the rest of his Internet time talking high school football.
The route he created can take an hour to complete and covers about 15 miles – about a gallon of gas in his 1999 Ford Expedition – so he tries to be smart.
"I do it mostly when I'm running around doing other errands," he said.
He does it on Mondays.
"That's when the stations in this area tend to change their prices," Mr. Washington said. "What you see on Monday is pretty much what you'll see for the rest of the week."
He's a newcomer to the gas game, having discovered a price-charting Web site a month ago.
"I went and looked at it, and there were no Carrollton prices listed because there were no spotters up here," Mr. Washington said. "So I just started looking at the prices at the stations I pass by every day."
He quickly noticed some trends.
His loop takes him from Josey Lane and Rosemeade Parkway north to Hebron Parkway, east to the Dallas North Tollway, south to Rosemeade again, west to Denton Tap Road, back to Hebron and west to State Highway 121.
He's found that prices are consistently higher at stations near the tollway and usually lower at three stations at Rosemeade and Midway Road.
"So that's where I go," he said.
He stopped at a Philips 66 station there and began pumping, watching the numbers spin ever higher, stopping at $53.01.
"I wasn't quite on empty," he said. "I just needed 26 gallons."
With his gas gauge pegged on "F," Mr. Washington pulled back onto Rosemeade and found the lowest price in this week's compilation at the next intersection, Marsh Lane – $2.02 for a gallon of unleaded regular.
He could have saved a quarter. But then, he could have stopped at a station near the tollway and spent an extra $1.50.
If he can help others save a few cents, he's happy.
"I've always tried to be involved in public service," Mr. Washington said, "and that's all this is. It's a service."
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TexasStooge
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Bar fight jury hears interview
Jury hears recording that could tie defendant to skinhead group
By MATT STILES / The Dallas Morning News
LAKEWOOD, Texas - The trial of a man charged with beating a Lakewood contractor last year turned tense Saturday as his defense attorney vehemently sought a mistrial over the admission of potentially damaging evidence against his client.
Defense attorney Phillip Hayes made repeated objections to the playing of a 2003 Internet radio interview involving an associate of defendant Jesse Chaddock, calling the recording irrelevant and inflammatory.
"This has nothing to do with the case," said Mr. Hayes, in one of several edgy exchanges with prosecutors and a key Dallas police witness Saturday.
But visiting Judge Ron Chapman denied the mistrial motion and allowed jurors to hear the profanity-laced recording at the request of prosecutors, who said it disputed the defense's contention that Mr. Chaddock's associate, Sean Tarrant, is no longer with a racist skinhead group.
Mr. Chaddock has said he hit David Cunniff, who is white, after a July concert at Gypsy Tea Room in self-defense during a simple "bar fight." But prosecutors are seeking to prove not just an assault, but also that the incident fit a pattern in which the skinhead group's members collectively engage in aggressive behavior and fights.
Whether Mr. Chaddock and his friends with him that night are still members of the Confederate Hammerskins group, which Mr. Tarrant helped found in the 1980s, has been a key point of disagreement in the week-old trial. It could ultimately help jurors decide the case.
Mr. Chaddock, 28, faces five to 99 years in prison if convicted in the attack, which left Mr. Cunniff partially paralyzed.
Witnesses have offered varying accounts of the fight. Some have painted Mr. Chaddock as an aggressor who pummeled a defenseless Mr. Cunniff. Others support Mr. Chaddock's account that he punched Mr. Cunniff, and that the pair then grabbed each other and fell hard to the concrete floor.
Before Saturday's bitter exchange over the recording, jurors heard from two more defense witnesses who testified that Mr. Chaddock left the group years ago.
Mr. Chaddock's ex-girlfriend, Vanessa Carlson, accused authorities of "trying to paint their own picture of what happened."
She said Mr. Chaddock told her, as he told jurors earlier, that the fight started when he tried to defend a smaller friend who got into a verbal altercation with Mr. Cunniff. Like other friends, she said he had left the skinhead group, had minority friends and even sought to get rid of tattoos showing an affiliation.
"He was getting a lot of them covered up," she said, as her parents, who support Mr. Chaddock, looked on in the packed courtroom.
Earlier, another friend, concert promoter Scott Beggs, told the jury that he had "no doubt" that Mr. Chaddock stopped espousing racist beliefs that are Hammerskins hallmarks.
Late Saturday, Mr. Hayes repeatedly clashed with Dallas police Detective Truly Holmes, who has said Mr. Chaddock is a member of the group.
Mr. Hayes pointed to what he called contradictory statements in a previous hearing about his work investigating the group. Detective Holmes said he misspoke.
Mr. Holmes also changed his answer on whether the recording had anything to do with Mr. Chaddock's involvement with the Confederate Hammerskins. The detective first said "no" but later said the tape helped form his opinion about Mr. Chaddock's involvement.
Closing arguments will probably be Monday.
Jury hears recording that could tie defendant to skinhead group
By MATT STILES / The Dallas Morning News
LAKEWOOD, Texas - The trial of a man charged with beating a Lakewood contractor last year turned tense Saturday as his defense attorney vehemently sought a mistrial over the admission of potentially damaging evidence against his client.
Defense attorney Phillip Hayes made repeated objections to the playing of a 2003 Internet radio interview involving an associate of defendant Jesse Chaddock, calling the recording irrelevant and inflammatory.
"This has nothing to do with the case," said Mr. Hayes, in one of several edgy exchanges with prosecutors and a key Dallas police witness Saturday.
But visiting Judge Ron Chapman denied the mistrial motion and allowed jurors to hear the profanity-laced recording at the request of prosecutors, who said it disputed the defense's contention that Mr. Chaddock's associate, Sean Tarrant, is no longer with a racist skinhead group.
Mr. Chaddock has said he hit David Cunniff, who is white, after a July concert at Gypsy Tea Room in self-defense during a simple "bar fight." But prosecutors are seeking to prove not just an assault, but also that the incident fit a pattern in which the skinhead group's members collectively engage in aggressive behavior and fights.
Whether Mr. Chaddock and his friends with him that night are still members of the Confederate Hammerskins group, which Mr. Tarrant helped found in the 1980s, has been a key point of disagreement in the week-old trial. It could ultimately help jurors decide the case.
Mr. Chaddock, 28, faces five to 99 years in prison if convicted in the attack, which left Mr. Cunniff partially paralyzed.
Witnesses have offered varying accounts of the fight. Some have painted Mr. Chaddock as an aggressor who pummeled a defenseless Mr. Cunniff. Others support Mr. Chaddock's account that he punched Mr. Cunniff, and that the pair then grabbed each other and fell hard to the concrete floor.
Before Saturday's bitter exchange over the recording, jurors heard from two more defense witnesses who testified that Mr. Chaddock left the group years ago.
Mr. Chaddock's ex-girlfriend, Vanessa Carlson, accused authorities of "trying to paint their own picture of what happened."
She said Mr. Chaddock told her, as he told jurors earlier, that the fight started when he tried to defend a smaller friend who got into a verbal altercation with Mr. Cunniff. Like other friends, she said he had left the skinhead group, had minority friends and even sought to get rid of tattoos showing an affiliation.
"He was getting a lot of them covered up," she said, as her parents, who support Mr. Chaddock, looked on in the packed courtroom.
Earlier, another friend, concert promoter Scott Beggs, told the jury that he had "no doubt" that Mr. Chaddock stopped espousing racist beliefs that are Hammerskins hallmarks.
Late Saturday, Mr. Hayes repeatedly clashed with Dallas police Detective Truly Holmes, who has said Mr. Chaddock is a member of the group.
Mr. Hayes pointed to what he called contradictory statements in a previous hearing about his work investigating the group. Detective Holmes said he misspoke.
Mr. Holmes also changed his answer on whether the recording had anything to do with Mr. Chaddock's involvement with the Confederate Hammerskins. The detective first said "no" but later said the tape helped form his opinion about Mr. Chaddock's involvement.
Closing arguments will probably be Monday.
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McKinney may change way it hires, fires
May ballot proposition could create a civil service system
By TIARA M. ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
McKINNEY, Texas – The way police officers and firefighters here are hired, fired and promoted could change in May depending on the will of the voters.
A measure on the May 7 ballot calls for a state-regulated "civil service" system that uses standardized tests to guide many management decisions within the departments.
Supporters say the setup protects recruits and officers from cronyism and favoritism. Opponents say the initiative would take away local control and strip leaders of the power to run their departments as they see best.
McKinney firefighters and police officers petitioned to get the proposition on the ballot. Voters have considered civil service twice before in the 1970s and '80s and rejected the issue.
"Whatever the result, we'll do our best with it," McKinney Fire Chief Mark Wallace said. "It's not the job of the fire chief or police chief to decide. It's not an issue between the firefighter association or police association and management. It's up to the voters to step forward and determine what's best."
McKinney's present system puts the power of hiring, firing, promoting and regulating fire and police employees in the hands of the supervising officers with appeals going through the chief and ending with the city manager.
Police applicants go before an assessment panel and go through testing and exercises. All are tabulated into an overall score from which the chief chooses new hires. Fire applicants take a written test, go before two review boards and undergo background checks, a polygraph test and a medical examination.
A civil service system would include:
•A standardized written test of basics, such as spelling, reading and analytical situations. The test can be contoured to fit each individual city. A city-appointed civil service commission decides what is included in the test, which is generally used in conjunction with other skill requirements.
•Hires and promotions made according to the highest scores on standardized tests created by the civil service commission. However, deficiencies in other tests administered by the department, such as background checks or poor performance on physical tests, could disqualify candidates that do well on the written test.
•A third party to hear officer appeals related to disciplinary actions in the department.
Opponents of the state civil service system say it's costly, full of bureaucracy and puts an unnecessary burden on management.
Supporters of civil service say the system creates an environment for hiring, firing and promoting that is immune to the discretionary power of local leaders and political influence that can occur in municipalities.
McKinney City Manager Larry Robinson said the current checks and balances and existing appeals process are plenty to prevent favoritism and politics.
The police and fire chiefs report to the city manager and can be fired at will. And the City Council has the power to fire the city manager if members are unhappy with his or her work. Also, charter provisions prevent the council from interfering with police duties, he said.
"My experience has been negative with civil service. It's a local loss of control. In other words, both of my departments would be run by a state system in Austin instead of right here," said Mr. Robinson, who is also a former police chief.
But Chris Heaton, the executive director for the Texas Municipal Police Association and a strong supporter of state civil service, disagrees.
Because city managers are hired and fired by the council, they are beholden to that council and what they want accomplished, he said. A bad chief could be the result of a bad manager or a corrupt council. State civil service brings an impartial system in to correct that.
"There has to be a breaking point between the political influences that would corrupt law enforcement officers. Civil service is that firewall that protects police officers from the political influences that could corrupt their duties," Mr. Heaton said.
Chief Wallace said that if firefighters have any issues with the current system, an appeals process is available.
"We try to give our employees every opportunity to state their case," he said. "If somebody has a problem with something they can grieve a decision to their supervisor ... to a captain, battalion chief, assistant chief. And if they are not satisfied, they can go to the city manager."
Carrollton police Sgt. Doug Mitchell said he prefers working for a civil service department because officials are held accountable. Carrollton's police and fire departments use civil service.
More than a decade ago while working with the Gainesville Police Department, which isn't under civil service rule, Sgt. Mitchell applied for a corporal position. He ranked third after testing for three open positions, but he said the chief chose the people who were first, second and sixth on the list with no explanation.
"I was passed over and not told why. It's the chief's choice to pass over who he wants. I just wanted to know why. Was it something I could have corrected?" Sgt. Mitchell said.
Although he prefers civil service, he admits, "No system is perfect. I'll be the first to admit that."
May ballot proposition could create a civil service system
By TIARA M. ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
McKINNEY, Texas – The way police officers and firefighters here are hired, fired and promoted could change in May depending on the will of the voters.
A measure on the May 7 ballot calls for a state-regulated "civil service" system that uses standardized tests to guide many management decisions within the departments.
Supporters say the setup protects recruits and officers from cronyism and favoritism. Opponents say the initiative would take away local control and strip leaders of the power to run their departments as they see best.
McKinney firefighters and police officers petitioned to get the proposition on the ballot. Voters have considered civil service twice before in the 1970s and '80s and rejected the issue.
"Whatever the result, we'll do our best with it," McKinney Fire Chief Mark Wallace said. "It's not the job of the fire chief or police chief to decide. It's not an issue between the firefighter association or police association and management. It's up to the voters to step forward and determine what's best."
McKinney's present system puts the power of hiring, firing, promoting and regulating fire and police employees in the hands of the supervising officers with appeals going through the chief and ending with the city manager.
Police applicants go before an assessment panel and go through testing and exercises. All are tabulated into an overall score from which the chief chooses new hires. Fire applicants take a written test, go before two review boards and undergo background checks, a polygraph test and a medical examination.
A civil service system would include:
•A standardized written test of basics, such as spelling, reading and analytical situations. The test can be contoured to fit each individual city. A city-appointed civil service commission decides what is included in the test, which is generally used in conjunction with other skill requirements.
•Hires and promotions made according to the highest scores on standardized tests created by the civil service commission. However, deficiencies in other tests administered by the department, such as background checks or poor performance on physical tests, could disqualify candidates that do well on the written test.
•A third party to hear officer appeals related to disciplinary actions in the department.
Opponents of the state civil service system say it's costly, full of bureaucracy and puts an unnecessary burden on management.
Supporters of civil service say the system creates an environment for hiring, firing and promoting that is immune to the discretionary power of local leaders and political influence that can occur in municipalities.
McKinney City Manager Larry Robinson said the current checks and balances and existing appeals process are plenty to prevent favoritism and politics.
The police and fire chiefs report to the city manager and can be fired at will. And the City Council has the power to fire the city manager if members are unhappy with his or her work. Also, charter provisions prevent the council from interfering with police duties, he said.
"My experience has been negative with civil service. It's a local loss of control. In other words, both of my departments would be run by a state system in Austin instead of right here," said Mr. Robinson, who is also a former police chief.
But Chris Heaton, the executive director for the Texas Municipal Police Association and a strong supporter of state civil service, disagrees.
Because city managers are hired and fired by the council, they are beholden to that council and what they want accomplished, he said. A bad chief could be the result of a bad manager or a corrupt council. State civil service brings an impartial system in to correct that.
"There has to be a breaking point between the political influences that would corrupt law enforcement officers. Civil service is that firewall that protects police officers from the political influences that could corrupt their duties," Mr. Heaton said.
Chief Wallace said that if firefighters have any issues with the current system, an appeals process is available.
"We try to give our employees every opportunity to state their case," he said. "If somebody has a problem with something they can grieve a decision to their supervisor ... to a captain, battalion chief, assistant chief. And if they are not satisfied, they can go to the city manager."
Carrollton police Sgt. Doug Mitchell said he prefers working for a civil service department because officials are held accountable. Carrollton's police and fire departments use civil service.
More than a decade ago while working with the Gainesville Police Department, which isn't under civil service rule, Sgt. Mitchell applied for a corporal position. He ranked third after testing for three open positions, but he said the chief chose the people who were first, second and sixth on the list with no explanation.
"I was passed over and not told why. It's the chief's choice to pass over who he wants. I just wanted to know why. Was it something I could have corrected?" Sgt. Mitchell said.
Although he prefers civil service, he admits, "No system is perfect. I'll be the first to admit that."
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Panel: Retain mental facilities
Task force opposes closing schools, urges long-term policy
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas should not close any of its psychiatric hospitals or schools for those with mental retardation, a state commission recommended.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission issued a report Friday after 18 months of heated hearings, emotional pleas and number crunching.
"Is it feasible to close one?" asked Tom Valentine, the commission's senior policy adviser. "Yes. Is it advisable? That becomes a more difficult question to answer."
A commission report said closing a state facility would not save the state money for at least five years. In some cases, the savings would not come for at least 20 years.
The report also advised the state to develop a long-term policy that would look at the whole system of services available to people with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities when considering closing state facilities.
Ruth Snyder, who has an adult daughter at Austin State School, was pleased by the report. Ms. Snyder said her daughter, Freda, is happy at the school.
"We'd certainly be devastated if they decided to close the school," said Ms. Snyder, who lives about 10 miles from the school.
But critics said that the report did not give the state a blueprint for addressing closures over the long term. The study also lacked a human perspective, said Susan Murphree of Advocacy Inc., which supports rights of the disabled.
The commission did not talk to hospital or school clients. It also did not study how services would change for those people in the case of a closure.
"They have just watered this thing down to where it's meaningless," Ms. Murphree said. "It's a big disappointment."
The fate of state schools and psychiatric hospitals has been the target of highly emotional studies over the years. But while both types of institutions have been targeted, it's the school issue that sparks the most passionate debate.
The number of people using state schools has declined over the years, as more families choose to raise their disabled children in the community rather than state schools. But there's a long waiting list for many neighborhood services – such as group home placements or attendant care – because of a lack of funding.
For that reason, some parents and advocacy groups are pushing politicians to close some schools and use that money to provide more community-based care.
In 2003, the Legislature asked the Health and Human Services Commission to study the feasibility of closing and consolidating a state school or hospital. The commission held nine public hearings across Texas, with about 2,700 people attending.
More than 700 people spoke at those meetings or wrote letters to the commission.
Task force opposes closing schools, urges long-term policy
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas should not close any of its psychiatric hospitals or schools for those with mental retardation, a state commission recommended.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission issued a report Friday after 18 months of heated hearings, emotional pleas and number crunching.
"Is it feasible to close one?" asked Tom Valentine, the commission's senior policy adviser. "Yes. Is it advisable? That becomes a more difficult question to answer."
A commission report said closing a state facility would not save the state money for at least five years. In some cases, the savings would not come for at least 20 years.
The report also advised the state to develop a long-term policy that would look at the whole system of services available to people with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities when considering closing state facilities.
Ruth Snyder, who has an adult daughter at Austin State School, was pleased by the report. Ms. Snyder said her daughter, Freda, is happy at the school.
"We'd certainly be devastated if they decided to close the school," said Ms. Snyder, who lives about 10 miles from the school.
But critics said that the report did not give the state a blueprint for addressing closures over the long term. The study also lacked a human perspective, said Susan Murphree of Advocacy Inc., which supports rights of the disabled.
The commission did not talk to hospital or school clients. It also did not study how services would change for those people in the case of a closure.
"They have just watered this thing down to where it's meaningless," Ms. Murphree said. "It's a big disappointment."
The fate of state schools and psychiatric hospitals has been the target of highly emotional studies over the years. But while both types of institutions have been targeted, it's the school issue that sparks the most passionate debate.
The number of people using state schools has declined over the years, as more families choose to raise their disabled children in the community rather than state schools. But there's a long waiting list for many neighborhood services – such as group home placements or attendant care – because of a lack of funding.
For that reason, some parents and advocacy groups are pushing politicians to close some schools and use that money to provide more community-based care.
In 2003, the Legislature asked the Health and Human Services Commission to study the feasibility of closing and consolidating a state school or hospital. The commission held nine public hearings across Texas, with about 2,700 people attending.
More than 700 people spoke at those meetings or wrote letters to the commission.
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TexasStooge
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School calendar down to 2 choices
Officials are expected to decide this month on 2005-06 schedule
By RUSSELL RIAN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Trustees have narrowed the 2005-06 school calendar to two options.
The most popular among trustees offers the Thanksgiving week off, two full weeks for winter break, an Aug. 23 start and a June 1 ending.
The other also gives Thanksgiving week off but has students attending a Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 19 and 20, before winter break, rather than giving them the whole week off. That school year would begin Aug. 24 and end June 1, a Thursday.
Both allow students off Jan. 2, the Monday after winter break, and set spring break from March 13-17. Students would also have off Sept. 5 for Labor Day, Jan. 16 and 17, and Good Friday.
Fair Day would be Sunday, Oct. 2. Semester exams would be Jan. 12-13.
Details are available at the district's Web site: http://www.irving%20isd.net/districtweekly/calendar%202005-2006.htm.
Comments on calendars should be addressed to Ralph Diaz, administrative assistant to the superintendent, at rdiaz@irving isd.net or 972-215-5005. Final approval is likely this month.
Trustees have approved a four-day workweek for this summer, closing the administration and most campus buildings on Fridays. The 38-hour schedule runs 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch break from June 13 to Aug. 5.
The district has also approved summer school schedules, also available at the district's Web site.
Officials are expected to decide this month on 2005-06 schedule
By RUSSELL RIAN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Trustees have narrowed the 2005-06 school calendar to two options.
The most popular among trustees offers the Thanksgiving week off, two full weeks for winter break, an Aug. 23 start and a June 1 ending.
The other also gives Thanksgiving week off but has students attending a Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 19 and 20, before winter break, rather than giving them the whole week off. That school year would begin Aug. 24 and end June 1, a Thursday.
Both allow students off Jan. 2, the Monday after winter break, and set spring break from March 13-17. Students would also have off Sept. 5 for Labor Day, Jan. 16 and 17, and Good Friday.
Fair Day would be Sunday, Oct. 2. Semester exams would be Jan. 12-13.
Details are available at the district's Web site: http://www.irving%20isd.net/districtweekly/calendar%202005-2006.htm.
Comments on calendars should be addressed to Ralph Diaz, administrative assistant to the superintendent, at rdiaz@irving isd.net or 972-215-5005. Final approval is likely this month.
Trustees have approved a four-day workweek for this summer, closing the administration and most campus buildings on Fridays. The 38-hour schedule runs 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch break from June 13 to Aug. 5.
The district has also approved summer school schedules, also available at the district's Web site.
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TexasStooge
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Memories of sacrifice
School remembers Marine's passion, service at ceremony
By RUSSELL RIAN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Against a solemn background of more than 2,000 students, educators and community members gathered last week to honor Lance Cpl. Nazario Serrano came the gurgling of the son he never had a chance to meet.
Six-month-old Landon Heath wasn't old enough to be aware of the tributes, proclamations and memorials offered in honor of his father, killed in January during a mortar attack while serving in Iraq. But the boy's grinning face and adventurous spirit reflect his father's personality, said the child's mother.
"He does remind me of him a lot," said Amanda Story.
Tributes to the 2003 Irving High graduate, killed Jan. 30 during a mortar attack in Iraq, recalled a jovial and adventurous man, reflected in his decision to volunteer for duty in Iraq. Cpl. Serrano died at 20, just two weeks before he was scheduled to return home to his newborn baby and marry his high school sweetheart.
But he only got the chance to see his newborn son through pictures e-mailed to him in Iraq.
Landon, decked out last week in camouflage pants and a white T-shirt, has attended his father's funeral and has already felt the ramifications of his father's loss, Ms. Story said.
"I recently got a job, and he's not taking it very well," she said.
Friends said that was among the greatest sorrows.
"He was such a great guy, I know he would have been a great father," said 16-year-old Shelby Carpenter, an Irving High sophomore and friend.
Brother Daniel Serrano said he is handling his brother's loss with memories such as fishing.
"I just try to think of the good moments," he said.
His other brother, Javier, recalled a picture of him at age 5 with a python around his neck and times he refused to get on his brother's motorcycle, which he loved to ride.
"My outlook and appreciation of life has changed. Nazario was always a symbol of courage in my mind," Javier wrote in a tribute. "These things were a part of Nazario and probably the reason he chose to involve himself with the war in Iraq without concern for his personal safety. Maybe it was the successful adventures with the snake and that motorcycle that allowed my brother to forget his mortality. ... No one ever expects to be the next casualty."
His mother, Maria, said she will remember his passion for the Marines.
"He loved being a Marine, and I think that is the most important thing," Maria Serrano said. "We're so proud."
For Irving students, it was the second time in less than a year they have gathered to reflect on former classmates. Spc. Josiah Vandertulip, a 2002 graduate, was honored in similar ceremonies last year.
U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, who was also on hand in November for Spc. Vandertulip, lauded the sacrifices.
"Today, the chills once again run down our arms and legs and down our back and once again we weep for another fallen soldier," he said. "We recognize today the events of the world can strike close to home. It should also remind each and every one of us how important this campus is in the life of this nation and in the life of the world."
School remembers Marine's passion, service at ceremony
By RUSSELL RIAN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Against a solemn background of more than 2,000 students, educators and community members gathered last week to honor Lance Cpl. Nazario Serrano came the gurgling of the son he never had a chance to meet.
Six-month-old Landon Heath wasn't old enough to be aware of the tributes, proclamations and memorials offered in honor of his father, killed in January during a mortar attack while serving in Iraq. But the boy's grinning face and adventurous spirit reflect his father's personality, said the child's mother.
"He does remind me of him a lot," said Amanda Story.
Tributes to the 2003 Irving High graduate, killed Jan. 30 during a mortar attack in Iraq, recalled a jovial and adventurous man, reflected in his decision to volunteer for duty in Iraq. Cpl. Serrano died at 20, just two weeks before he was scheduled to return home to his newborn baby and marry his high school sweetheart.
But he only got the chance to see his newborn son through pictures e-mailed to him in Iraq.
Landon, decked out last week in camouflage pants and a white T-shirt, has attended his father's funeral and has already felt the ramifications of his father's loss, Ms. Story said.
"I recently got a job, and he's not taking it very well," she said.
Friends said that was among the greatest sorrows.
"He was such a great guy, I know he would have been a great father," said 16-year-old Shelby Carpenter, an Irving High sophomore and friend.
Brother Daniel Serrano said he is handling his brother's loss with memories such as fishing.
"I just try to think of the good moments," he said.
His other brother, Javier, recalled a picture of him at age 5 with a python around his neck and times he refused to get on his brother's motorcycle, which he loved to ride.
"My outlook and appreciation of life has changed. Nazario was always a symbol of courage in my mind," Javier wrote in a tribute. "These things were a part of Nazario and probably the reason he chose to involve himself with the war in Iraq without concern for his personal safety. Maybe it was the successful adventures with the snake and that motorcycle that allowed my brother to forget his mortality. ... No one ever expects to be the next casualty."
His mother, Maria, said she will remember his passion for the Marines.
"He loved being a Marine, and I think that is the most important thing," Maria Serrano said. "We're so proud."
For Irving students, it was the second time in less than a year they have gathered to reflect on former classmates. Spc. Josiah Vandertulip, a 2002 graduate, was honored in similar ceremonies last year.
U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, who was also on hand in November for Spc. Vandertulip, lauded the sacrifices.
"Today, the chills once again run down our arms and legs and down our back and once again we weep for another fallen soldier," he said. "We recognize today the events of the world can strike close to home. It should also remind each and every one of us how important this campus is in the life of this nation and in the life of the world."
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TexasStooge
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City wants minority-, women-owned businesses to get involved
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - The city will have a meeting next week to give businesses owned by women and minorities a better idea of how to bid for city projects.
City officials will explain the bidding process at 7 p.m. April 11 at City Hall, 825 W. Irving Blvd.
The meeting will help motivate businesses to get more involved in city affairs, city officials said.
"We're mainly trying to encourage the minority- and women-owned businesses that don't feel like they have an opportunity to bid on city projects," said Bobby Haas, the city's purchasing manager. "[We want to] make them aware of the different bidding opportunities that are available."
The city releases about 150 bids each year on a variety of matters, ranging from construction projects to janitorial supplies, Mr. Haas said. Other bids can cover engineering services, consultants and office supplies.
The session is long overdue, says Anthony Bond, a community activist who helped city officials organize the forum.
"The whole reason we're doing this is to state ... if you are qualified and you've got a good product and you can deliver a quality service and if you're a minority- or woman-owned business, you should be allowed to come to the starting line," Mr. Bond said.
The meeting may spark more competition, he said, which could help the city's bottom line.
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - The city will have a meeting next week to give businesses owned by women and minorities a better idea of how to bid for city projects.
City officials will explain the bidding process at 7 p.m. April 11 at City Hall, 825 W. Irving Blvd.
The meeting will help motivate businesses to get more involved in city affairs, city officials said.
"We're mainly trying to encourage the minority- and women-owned businesses that don't feel like they have an opportunity to bid on city projects," said Bobby Haas, the city's purchasing manager. "[We want to] make them aware of the different bidding opportunities that are available."
The city releases about 150 bids each year on a variety of matters, ranging from construction projects to janitorial supplies, Mr. Haas said. Other bids can cover engineering services, consultants and office supplies.
The session is long overdue, says Anthony Bond, a community activist who helped city officials organize the forum.
"The whole reason we're doing this is to state ... if you are qualified and you've got a good product and you can deliver a quality service and if you're a minority- or woman-owned business, you should be allowed to come to the starting line," Mr. Bond said.
The meeting may spark more competition, he said, which could help the city's bottom line.
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TexasStooge
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Teacher arrested in attack
Woman dragged, hit instructor at her child's school, police say
By MARGARITA MARTÍN-HIDALGO / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A North Dallas High School teacher was arrested and placed on paid administrative leave after an attack last week on a middle school teacher in front of students.
Paulette Baines was charged with assault with bodily injury in connection with the beating Friday, Dallas County Jail records show. Ms. Baines, 45, was released from jail early Saturday after posting $2,500 bail, a jail official said.
She could not be reached for comment. A man who answered the telephone at her home and said he was her husband said they had no comment.
Mary Oliver, a teacher at William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Talented and Gifted, said she suffered several injuries, including bruises to her face, a concussion and two broken ribs. Ms. Oliver, 45, who teaches seventh-grade science, was recovering from her injuries at home Sunday.
"Obviously, this is not something we take lightly," said Dallas Independent School District spokesman Donald Claxton. "We will not tolerate it. We're very disappointed by the behavior displayed by the [high school] teacher."
Mr. Claxton added, "There is nothing that would have warranted one educator assaulting another educator in a classroom full of kids."
The incident occurred Friday morning, after Ms. Oliver told several students who were at their lockers to go to class. One of the students, an eighth-grader, is Ms. Baines' daughter. Ms. Oliver said she didn't single out "any particular person. I said, 'Y'all' " need to get to class.
Students aren't supposed to be at their lockers during class time, and those students were, Mr. Claxton said. Upset, the girl went to the school counselor, who called Ms. Baines to tell her what had happened, the spokesman said.
Ms. Oliver said Ms. Baines arrived at the middle school, which is in Oak Lawn near the high school, and confronted her during class. Ms. Oliver said Ms. Baines was yelling at her as she walked across her classroom.
"I repeatedly told her 'I would be glad to talk to you after class,' " said Ms. Oliver, who said she taught Ms. Baines' daughter in the fifth and seventh grades.
According to the police report, Ms. Baines grabbed Ms. Oliver's hair, yanked her out of her chair and dragged her across the floor, punching her in the face several times. She also kicked her repeatedly, the report said.
"I was absolutely shocked. I was completely taken off guard," said Ms. Oliver, who said a police officer told her some of her students came to her aid while others ran for help.
"I want you to know I didn't raise a finger. I didn't raise my voice. I didn't do anything to aggravate the situation," Ms. Oliver said. "I did everything possible to defuse the situation."
Staff writer Toya Lynn Stewart contributed to this report.
Woman dragged, hit instructor at her child's school, police say
By MARGARITA MARTÍN-HIDALGO / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A North Dallas High School teacher was arrested and placed on paid administrative leave after an attack last week on a middle school teacher in front of students.
Paulette Baines was charged with assault with bodily injury in connection with the beating Friday, Dallas County Jail records show. Ms. Baines, 45, was released from jail early Saturday after posting $2,500 bail, a jail official said.
She could not be reached for comment. A man who answered the telephone at her home and said he was her husband said they had no comment.
Mary Oliver, a teacher at William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Talented and Gifted, said she suffered several injuries, including bruises to her face, a concussion and two broken ribs. Ms. Oliver, 45, who teaches seventh-grade science, was recovering from her injuries at home Sunday.
"Obviously, this is not something we take lightly," said Dallas Independent School District spokesman Donald Claxton. "We will not tolerate it. We're very disappointed by the behavior displayed by the [high school] teacher."
Mr. Claxton added, "There is nothing that would have warranted one educator assaulting another educator in a classroom full of kids."
The incident occurred Friday morning, after Ms. Oliver told several students who were at their lockers to go to class. One of the students, an eighth-grader, is Ms. Baines' daughter. Ms. Oliver said she didn't single out "any particular person. I said, 'Y'all' " need to get to class.
Students aren't supposed to be at their lockers during class time, and those students were, Mr. Claxton said. Upset, the girl went to the school counselor, who called Ms. Baines to tell her what had happened, the spokesman said.
Ms. Oliver said Ms. Baines arrived at the middle school, which is in Oak Lawn near the high school, and confronted her during class. Ms. Oliver said Ms. Baines was yelling at her as she walked across her classroom.
"I repeatedly told her 'I would be glad to talk to you after class,' " said Ms. Oliver, who said she taught Ms. Baines' daughter in the fifth and seventh grades.
According to the police report, Ms. Baines grabbed Ms. Oliver's hair, yanked her out of her chair and dragged her across the floor, punching her in the face several times. She also kicked her repeatedly, the report said.
"I was absolutely shocked. I was completely taken off guard," said Ms. Oliver, who said a police officer told her some of her students came to her aid while others ran for help.
"I want you to know I didn't raise a finger. I didn't raise my voice. I didn't do anything to aggravate the situation," Ms. Oliver said. "I did everything possible to defuse the situation."
Staff writer Toya Lynn Stewart contributed to this report.
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TexasStooge
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Texas native to receive Medal of Honor
WASHINGTON D.C. (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - Outnumbered and exposed, Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith stayed at his gun, beating back an advancing Iraqi force until a bullet took his life.
The El Paso, Texas, native is credited with protecting the lives of scores of lightly armed American soldiers who were beyond his position in the battle, on April 4, 2003, near the gates of Baghdad International Airport.
On Monday, exactly two years after Smith's death, President Bush is awarding Smith the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor. His widow, Birgit, decided that the couple's 11-year-old son, David, will accept the medal on his father's behalf.
"It was a very easy decision for me because, after all, he's the man of the house now," she said Monday. She said she often hears from the men her husband saved, as well as their families. "They're so grateful for what Paul did that day," she said on ABC's "Good Morning America."
It is only the third Medal of Honor given for actions since the Vietnam War, and the first from the Iraq war.
Smith, 33, was the senior sergeant in a platoon of engineers during the 3rd Infantry Division's northward sprint toward Baghdad.
By the morning of April 4, elements of the division had reached Baghdad and captured Baghdad International Airport, a key objective. Encircled Iraqi militiamen and Special Republican Guard forces inside launched counterattacks.
Near the eastern edge of the airport, Smith, a veteran of the first Gulf War, had been put in charge of his unit -- 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 11th Engineer Battalion -- while his lieutenant went on a scouting mission.
Smith's mission was mundane enough -- turn a courtyard into a holding pen for Iraqi prisoners of war. The courtyard, just north of the main road between Baghdad and the airport, was near an Iraqi military compound.
Soon after Smith and some of his platoon began work, records show, one trooper spotted dozens of armed Iraqis approaching from beyond the gated walls of the courtyard. Another group of Iraqis occupied a nearby tower.
Smith summoned a Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and he and his troops gathered near the courtyard gate to fight the counterattack. An M113 armored personnel carrier joined the fray.
The Iraqis, perhaps as many as 100, attacked with rifles, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, or RPGs. Smith threw a grenade over a wall to drive back some of the Iraqis, then fired a rocket.
Incoming RPGs battered the Bradley, which retreated. Then a mortar struck the M113, wounding the three soldiers inside and leaving its heavy machine gun unmanned. After directing another soldier to pull the wounded M113 crewmen to safety, Smith climbed into the machine gun position and began firing at the tower and at the Iraqis trying to rush the compound.
His upper torso and head were exposed as he manned the gun.
"This wasn't a John Wayne move," said Command Sgt. Maj. Gary J. Coker, the top enlisted man in the 11th Battalion, who was near the battle. "He was very methodical. He knew he had the gate and he wasn't going to leave it and nobody was going to make him leave it."
Still, Coker said, "it was absolutely amazing to stand up in that volume of fire."
During a stretch of 15 minutes or longer, Smith fired more than 300 rounds as Pvt. Michael Seaman, protected inside the M113, passed him ammunition.
Then he was struck by enemy fire and mortally wounded. At almost the same time, 1st Sgt. Timothy Campbell ended the threat from the tower with a grenade, and the surviving Iraqis withdrew. Medics tried to save Smith, and he died about 30 minutes later.
He and his comrades are credited with killing between 20 and 50 Iraqi soldiers.
Beyond his position were American medics, scouts, a mortar unit and a command post -- all lightly armed and vulnerable.
"Sgt. 1st Class Smith's actions saved the lives of at least 100 soldiers," according to an Army narrative.
Born in El Paso, Smith moved to Tampa, Fla., when he was 9. He enlisted in the Army in 1989.
He was known for being tough on the men under his command, Coker, who has returned to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division, said in a weekend telephone interview.
But Smith held himself to the same standard, Coker said, and he took care of his young soldiers when they needed it. Back in the United States, when one private's wife fell seriously ill, Smith drove four hours to bring toys to their children.
The other two post-Vietnam Medals of Honor went to Army Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon and Army Sgt. 1st Class Randall D. Shughart, two Delta Force troopers who died defending the crew of a helicopter that was shot down in Mogadishu, Somalia, in events depicted in the book and movie "Black Hawk Down."
More than 3,400 Medals of Honor have been awarded since the decoration was created in 1861, of which more than 600 have been given posthumously.
Military officials rigorously review any nomination for the medal in a process that can last 18 months or more. Only about 840 have been given since World War II, when the requirements were made more stringent.
WASHINGTON D.C. (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - Outnumbered and exposed, Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith stayed at his gun, beating back an advancing Iraqi force until a bullet took his life.
The El Paso, Texas, native is credited with protecting the lives of scores of lightly armed American soldiers who were beyond his position in the battle, on April 4, 2003, near the gates of Baghdad International Airport.
On Monday, exactly two years after Smith's death, President Bush is awarding Smith the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor. His widow, Birgit, decided that the couple's 11-year-old son, David, will accept the medal on his father's behalf.
"It was a very easy decision for me because, after all, he's the man of the house now," she said Monday. She said she often hears from the men her husband saved, as well as their families. "They're so grateful for what Paul did that day," she said on ABC's "Good Morning America."
It is only the third Medal of Honor given for actions since the Vietnam War, and the first from the Iraq war.
Smith, 33, was the senior sergeant in a platoon of engineers during the 3rd Infantry Division's northward sprint toward Baghdad.
By the morning of April 4, elements of the division had reached Baghdad and captured Baghdad International Airport, a key objective. Encircled Iraqi militiamen and Special Republican Guard forces inside launched counterattacks.
Near the eastern edge of the airport, Smith, a veteran of the first Gulf War, had been put in charge of his unit -- 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 11th Engineer Battalion -- while his lieutenant went on a scouting mission.
Smith's mission was mundane enough -- turn a courtyard into a holding pen for Iraqi prisoners of war. The courtyard, just north of the main road between Baghdad and the airport, was near an Iraqi military compound.
Soon after Smith and some of his platoon began work, records show, one trooper spotted dozens of armed Iraqis approaching from beyond the gated walls of the courtyard. Another group of Iraqis occupied a nearby tower.
Smith summoned a Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and he and his troops gathered near the courtyard gate to fight the counterattack. An M113 armored personnel carrier joined the fray.
The Iraqis, perhaps as many as 100, attacked with rifles, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, or RPGs. Smith threw a grenade over a wall to drive back some of the Iraqis, then fired a rocket.
Incoming RPGs battered the Bradley, which retreated. Then a mortar struck the M113, wounding the three soldiers inside and leaving its heavy machine gun unmanned. After directing another soldier to pull the wounded M113 crewmen to safety, Smith climbed into the machine gun position and began firing at the tower and at the Iraqis trying to rush the compound.
His upper torso and head were exposed as he manned the gun.
"This wasn't a John Wayne move," said Command Sgt. Maj. Gary J. Coker, the top enlisted man in the 11th Battalion, who was near the battle. "He was very methodical. He knew he had the gate and he wasn't going to leave it and nobody was going to make him leave it."
Still, Coker said, "it was absolutely amazing to stand up in that volume of fire."
During a stretch of 15 minutes or longer, Smith fired more than 300 rounds as Pvt. Michael Seaman, protected inside the M113, passed him ammunition.
Then he was struck by enemy fire and mortally wounded. At almost the same time, 1st Sgt. Timothy Campbell ended the threat from the tower with a grenade, and the surviving Iraqis withdrew. Medics tried to save Smith, and he died about 30 minutes later.
He and his comrades are credited with killing between 20 and 50 Iraqi soldiers.
Beyond his position were American medics, scouts, a mortar unit and a command post -- all lightly armed and vulnerable.
"Sgt. 1st Class Smith's actions saved the lives of at least 100 soldiers," according to an Army narrative.
Born in El Paso, Smith moved to Tampa, Fla., when he was 9. He enlisted in the Army in 1989.
He was known for being tough on the men under his command, Coker, who has returned to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division, said in a weekend telephone interview.
But Smith held himself to the same standard, Coker said, and he took care of his young soldiers when they needed it. Back in the United States, when one private's wife fell seriously ill, Smith drove four hours to bring toys to their children.
The other two post-Vietnam Medals of Honor went to Army Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon and Army Sgt. 1st Class Randall D. Shughart, two Delta Force troopers who died defending the crew of a helicopter that was shot down in Mogadishu, Somalia, in events depicted in the book and movie "Black Hawk Down."
More than 3,400 Medals of Honor have been awarded since the decoration was created in 1861, of which more than 600 have been given posthumously.
Military officials rigorously review any nomination for the medal in a process that can last 18 months or more. Only about 840 have been given since World War II, when the requirements were made more stringent.
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TexasStooge
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Missing man, 84, found safe
ARLINGTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - An 84-year-old Dalworthington Gardens man was found safe Sunday after he was missing for over 24 hours.
John James Hays, 84, left his granddaughter's home in Arlington just before 6:00 Saturday night and was not seen or heard from after that until he was found Sunday night in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Authorities said family members were worried because Hays had been in need of medication.
Family members were on their way to Shreveport late Sunday to pick up Hays.
ARLINGTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - An 84-year-old Dalworthington Gardens man was found safe Sunday after he was missing for over 24 hours.
John James Hays, 84, left his granddaughter's home in Arlington just before 6:00 Saturday night and was not seen or heard from after that until he was found Sunday night in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Authorities said family members were worried because Hays had been in need of medication.
Family members were on their way to Shreveport late Sunday to pick up Hays.
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TexasStooge
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Neighbors help rebuild widower's home
By KATIE MENZER / The Dallas Morning News
LITTLE FOREST HILLS, Texas - Bill Walker nearly lost his home, but he found a community.
About 800 Little Forest Hills residents and others have volunteered to help rebuild the 74-year-old widower's home, which was almost destroyed by fire last month.
Although they cannot replace the 40 years of memories that burned in the blaze, the volunteers – electricians, landscapers, architects, painters, firefighters and others – are making fresh ones with their longtime neighbor and new friend.
"All of this isn't a real tragedy," said the 74-year-old, standing inside his charred and smoky house, now mostly just a wood frame. "It happens all the time. House fires aren't unusual.
"What is unusual is the people who have made so many offers of help."
Mr. Walker, a retired warehouse manager and former U.S. Navy seaman, has lived in his White Rock home since 1965. He was working on his lawn around 3 p.m. March 22 when he smelled something burning. He thought a neighbor was having a cookout until he realized the odor – growing stronger by the second – was coming from his own back door.
"I grabbed the garden hose to put it out, but it was too late. The fire was too big," said Mr. Walker, who could not afford homeowner's insurance after his wife developed a brain tumor in the mid-1990s and her health care bills zapped their savings.
Five fire trucks and countless police cars later, the blaze – sparked by a faulty gas furnace – was out, but Mr. Walker's four-room house was gutted.
As he stood on the sidewalk and looked at his formerly bright yellow home darkened by soot and ash, he said an amazing thing started to happen. His neighbors – some of whom he'd never seen before – started "coming out of the woodwork, literally."
Connie Powell and John Lohrengel were two of the first.
Ms. Powell, now the unofficial volunteer coordinator of the project, set up a booth on Mr. Walker's front lawn and started collecting donations, fielding phone calls and organizing manpower. She typed up a flier explaining Mr. Walker's plight and dropped it on all of her neighbor's doorsteps.
"I've been bombarded by calls from people wanting to donate items or come and help," she said.
Mr. Lohrengel, a Dallas firefighter who heard about Mr. Walker's insurance woes from co-workers who fought the blaze, has taken over as the project's general contractor of sorts.
Calling in favors
He's gathering firefighting friends and calling in favors from acquaintances in the construction business to dig up the supplies and hands that will be needed to rebuild.
Although firefighters can't rebuild all homes destroyed by fire, Mr. Lohrengel said they're going to make an exception for Mr. Walker.
"He's a neighbor of mine," Mr. Lohrengel said. "My heart went out to him."
A nearby apartment complex has given Mr. Walker a month's free rent, and volunteers have already begun reconstruction.
They've removed most of the damaged drywall, carpet, ceiling and windows, and one group spent much of a weekend shoveling ash onto the lawn through the burned house's windows. They then combed through the dusty mountains like archaeologists as they tried to salvage some of Mr. Walker's possessions.
A treasure in the rubble
Their hard work paid off. They found what Mr. Walker was most concerned about losing: his wife's wedding rings.
"I didn't have the opportunity to bury the rings with my wife, so I thought if I hold on to the rings until I die, whoever buries me can bury the rings with me," he said.
His wife, Thelma, died in 1996, although Mr. Walker speaks of her constantly. She was an avid collector of many things – including bottles, Asian artifacts and cats, "both live and artificial" – and Mr. Walker said he could never bring himself to throw out her collections. Most, however, were destroyed in the fire.
"I'm glad she isn't here to see all the devastation," Mr. Walker said. "But in a way, I wish she could have been here to see the community support we've received."
Mr. Lohrengel said he hopes to have the house close to completion in about a month. They're still looking for donations – especially furniture, major kitchen appliances and cash.
But Mr. Walker, who calls himself blessed to live in such a thoughtful and open-handed community – said he really doesn't need much.
"If I've got a kitchen and a living room where I can do my crossword puzzles," he said, "then I'm happy."
By KATIE MENZER / The Dallas Morning News
LITTLE FOREST HILLS, Texas - Bill Walker nearly lost his home, but he found a community.
About 800 Little Forest Hills residents and others have volunteered to help rebuild the 74-year-old widower's home, which was almost destroyed by fire last month.
Although they cannot replace the 40 years of memories that burned in the blaze, the volunteers – electricians, landscapers, architects, painters, firefighters and others – are making fresh ones with their longtime neighbor and new friend.
"All of this isn't a real tragedy," said the 74-year-old, standing inside his charred and smoky house, now mostly just a wood frame. "It happens all the time. House fires aren't unusual.
"What is unusual is the people who have made so many offers of help."
Mr. Walker, a retired warehouse manager and former U.S. Navy seaman, has lived in his White Rock home since 1965. He was working on his lawn around 3 p.m. March 22 when he smelled something burning. He thought a neighbor was having a cookout until he realized the odor – growing stronger by the second – was coming from his own back door.
"I grabbed the garden hose to put it out, but it was too late. The fire was too big," said Mr. Walker, who could not afford homeowner's insurance after his wife developed a brain tumor in the mid-1990s and her health care bills zapped their savings.
Five fire trucks and countless police cars later, the blaze – sparked by a faulty gas furnace – was out, but Mr. Walker's four-room house was gutted.
As he stood on the sidewalk and looked at his formerly bright yellow home darkened by soot and ash, he said an amazing thing started to happen. His neighbors – some of whom he'd never seen before – started "coming out of the woodwork, literally."
Connie Powell and John Lohrengel were two of the first.
Ms. Powell, now the unofficial volunteer coordinator of the project, set up a booth on Mr. Walker's front lawn and started collecting donations, fielding phone calls and organizing manpower. She typed up a flier explaining Mr. Walker's plight and dropped it on all of her neighbor's doorsteps.
"I've been bombarded by calls from people wanting to donate items or come and help," she said.
Mr. Lohrengel, a Dallas firefighter who heard about Mr. Walker's insurance woes from co-workers who fought the blaze, has taken over as the project's general contractor of sorts.
Calling in favors
He's gathering firefighting friends and calling in favors from acquaintances in the construction business to dig up the supplies and hands that will be needed to rebuild.
Although firefighters can't rebuild all homes destroyed by fire, Mr. Lohrengel said they're going to make an exception for Mr. Walker.
"He's a neighbor of mine," Mr. Lohrengel said. "My heart went out to him."
A nearby apartment complex has given Mr. Walker a month's free rent, and volunteers have already begun reconstruction.
They've removed most of the damaged drywall, carpet, ceiling and windows, and one group spent much of a weekend shoveling ash onto the lawn through the burned house's windows. They then combed through the dusty mountains like archaeologists as they tried to salvage some of Mr. Walker's possessions.
A treasure in the rubble
Their hard work paid off. They found what Mr. Walker was most concerned about losing: his wife's wedding rings.
"I didn't have the opportunity to bury the rings with my wife, so I thought if I hold on to the rings until I die, whoever buries me can bury the rings with me," he said.
His wife, Thelma, died in 1996, although Mr. Walker speaks of her constantly. She was an avid collector of many things – including bottles, Asian artifacts and cats, "both live and artificial" – and Mr. Walker said he could never bring himself to throw out her collections. Most, however, were destroyed in the fire.
"I'm glad she isn't here to see all the devastation," Mr. Walker said. "But in a way, I wish she could have been here to see the community support we've received."
Mr. Lohrengel said he hopes to have the house close to completion in about a month. They're still looking for donations – especially furniture, major kitchen appliances and cash.
But Mr. Walker, who calls himself blessed to live in such a thoughtful and open-handed community – said he really doesn't need much.
"If I've got a kitchen and a living room where I can do my crossword puzzles," he said, "then I'm happy."
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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City of Dallas lauded for delving into past
By JOE SIMNACHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - often criticized for slighting its past – has been recognized for preserving history.
The city won the Texas Historical Commission's 2004 Award of Excellence In Preserving History – the culmination of two years of record preservation that began with an inventory of architectural jewels in the Dallas park system.
The award-winning documents archived are a treasure to both historians and people interested in restoration or additions to city parks, said Dallas restorative architect Jay Firsching.
Mr. Firsching helped start the preservation effort while researching an inventory of park structures for a project with city of Dallas archivist John Slate.
"We discovered that they had a really large number of important documents and drawings," Mr. Firsching said.
Mr. Slate obtained grants to fund the document preservation, which included the assistance of the Dallas Historical Society, the Dallas Public Library, the State Fair of Texas and the park department.
A sample of the preservation work has been made into an exhibit, "Fair Park: 100 Years," on display at the Science Place. On April 11, the exhibit will move to the Fair Park Music Hall, where it will be on display through October.
The exhibit features original maps, documents, photos, scale models of Fair Park's art deco buildings and tidbits of Fair Park history, including the wonder of the Woofus statue.
The citywide collection includes early park department documents including original plans for Dealey Plaza, Fair Park and White Rock Lake.
By JOE SIMNACHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - often criticized for slighting its past – has been recognized for preserving history.
The city won the Texas Historical Commission's 2004 Award of Excellence In Preserving History – the culmination of two years of record preservation that began with an inventory of architectural jewels in the Dallas park system.
The award-winning documents archived are a treasure to both historians and people interested in restoration or additions to city parks, said Dallas restorative architect Jay Firsching.
Mr. Firsching helped start the preservation effort while researching an inventory of park structures for a project with city of Dallas archivist John Slate.
"We discovered that they had a really large number of important documents and drawings," Mr. Firsching said.
Mr. Slate obtained grants to fund the document preservation, which included the assistance of the Dallas Historical Society, the Dallas Public Library, the State Fair of Texas and the park department.
A sample of the preservation work has been made into an exhibit, "Fair Park: 100 Years," on display at the Science Place. On April 11, the exhibit will move to the Fair Park Music Hall, where it will be on display through October.
The exhibit features original maps, documents, photos, scale models of Fair Park's art deco buildings and tidbits of Fair Park history, including the wonder of the Woofus statue.
The citywide collection includes early park department documents including original plans for Dealey Plaza, Fair Park and White Rock Lake.
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TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Weighing the risks of Rimadyl for dogs
Drug gives quality of life back to some arthritic dogs; others lose what they had
By MICHAEL PRECKER / The Dallas Morning News
HIGHLAND PARK, Texas - When the weather gets cold, Max, a 12-year-old black Labrador retriever, knows right away.
"He cries, and he can't even get up," says Celia Boisfontaine, Max's devoted owner. "When it first happened last year, we thought he was dying."
She took the dog to Colleen Murray, a North Dallas veterinarian, who tried the nutritional supplement glucosamine and homeopathic medicines used to treat arthritis. They didn't help, so Dr. Murray prescribed a drug called Rimadyl.
"Just like that, he was fine," says Ms. Boisfontaine, who lives with her family in Highland Park. "He was bouncing around almost like a puppy."
That image – a nearly crippled dog suddenly recapturing his youth – gave Rimadyl the reputation of a miracle drug when it was introduced in 1997.
But since then, Rimadyl has been tarnished by revelations that it can harm or even kill some dogs.
The anti-inflammatory drug's side effects can include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as damage to the liver or kidneys. The Food and Drug Administration has logged thousands of complaints of illness and death attributed to Rimadyl, and the drug now comes with much more prominent warnings.
"I still feel comfortable sending Rimadyl home, but we do blood work and we tell people if there are any problems to let us know right away," Dr. Murray says. "We've had a handful of problems, but they're reversible."
Pfizer, which makes Rimadyl, has compensated some people over the years for the loss of their pets, without admitting any wrongdoing. Bob Fauteux, a Pfizer spokesman, says that the deaths are regrettable, but the overall picture is far more positive.
In 2003, the last year for which figures are available, the FDA received 1,745 reports of adverse reactions to Rimadyl, including 328 deaths. Mr. Fauteux notes that the reports are not independently verified; critics say many more incidents may go unreported.
"This is a terrific drug," Mr. Fauteux says. "Over 10 million dogs have taken Rimadyl over eight years, and fewer than 1 percent have had any side effects. And serious side effects are very rare."
In early clinical tests, he says, the company noted gastrointestinal side effects, but no deaths.
Miracle drug
When Rimadyl hit the market, veterinarians and owners were enthusiastic about how it helped rejuvenate older dogs with arthritis and other problems that damaged their quality of life.
But then reports began rolling in that dogs taking Rimadyl were dying or became so sick they had to be euthanized.
After the Food and Drug Administration insisted that radio and TV ads include the word "death" among possible side effects, Pfizer limited advertising to print media.
"We felt it was reasonable in print ads" to put the warning in perspective, Mr. Fauteux says. "But in an ad that short, on television, it wasn't feasible."
Pfizer began putting tougher warning labels on packages, telling veterinarians to watch out for side effects and posting information about Rimadyl on its Web site.
Mr. Fauteux says the company works hard to educate customers and veterinarians about the risks and benefits of Rimadyl, and to monitor dogs closely.
"We clearly state the risks," he says. "The Rimadyl experience is a perfect illustration that the system works."
Well, not quite ...
Some dog lovers disagree.
Seven years later, Jean Townsend still feels guilty about giving Rimadyl to George, her 12-year-old chocolate Lab, for his arthritis.
"I was actually killing my dog without realizing it," says Ms. Townsend, who lives in Johns Island, S.C.
"I've spent my time ever since trying to warn others."
Ms. Townsend, who says George died within a month from Rimadyl's side effects, blames Pfizer for not providing adequate warnings and her veterinarian for dispensing the drug without taking precautions.
She established a Web site – BARKS, for Be Aware of Rimadyl's Known Side effects – part of an online network that collects stories of dogs harmed by the drug and warns owners who are considering it.
She doesn't think Rimadyl should be banned, "because it has helped a lot of dogs. The main problem now is that some vets are not doing their job."
That job, Ms. Townsend says, is to do what Dr. Murray did for Max: use Rimadyl only when necessary, follow it up with blood tests and teach owners to be on guard for bad reactions.
"Every day I get e-mails from people saying, 'The vet just gave this to us and I had no idea there were adverse effects,' " Ms. Townsend says. "We'll just keep plugging along. If we have to contact one dog owner at a time, we will."
No position
Bonnie Beaver, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, says the organization does not take positions on individual drugs but encourages veterinarians and pet owners to discuss all medications.
"Every drug has potential side effects," says Dr. Beaver, a professor at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine. "Not every human can take aspirin, yet we think of that as one of the safest medications around.
"We're always concerned that any drug is used appropriately," she says. "The vet and the owner have to work together for the health of the animal."
Steve Dale, a nationally syndicated pet columnist, says the problems with Rimadyl prompted better warnings and more awareness for all veterinary drugs.
"It started a little snowball effect," Mr. Dale says.
"People are paying a lot more attention to their animals' medicine. We have an aging pet population in this country, and there's a great need for that."
He, too, still gets sad stories from readers about Rimadyl's side effects.
"There's nothing more heartbreaking than having an animal that didn't have to die," Mr. Dale says.
"But for every one of those there are many more who might have been euthanized, and now they're living a life filled with quality. They've gained years back, and they're having a good time."
That's the case for Max, who probably won't need Rimadyl once the weather warms up – until next winter.
"It probably prolonged his life," Ms. Boisfontaine says. "It's so great he can have something to feel better. There's nothing worse than watching a pet in pain."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learn more about Rimadyl
Here are some resources to learn more about Rimadyl and other treatments for animals with arthritis and related ailments:
The Pet Arthritis Center discusses pros and cons of Rimadyl, but leans toward treating arthritis with glucosamine and chondroitin where possible: http://www.glucosamine-arthritis.org/arthritis-pets/
Pfizer, which makes Rimadyl, has an extensive Web site touting its benefits, but also includes warnings: http://www.rimadyl.com
A Web site called Dog Logic has a page with many links about Rimadyl: http://www.doglogic.com/rimadyl.htm
Drug gives quality of life back to some arthritic dogs; others lose what they had
By MICHAEL PRECKER / The Dallas Morning News
HIGHLAND PARK, Texas - When the weather gets cold, Max, a 12-year-old black Labrador retriever, knows right away.
"He cries, and he can't even get up," says Celia Boisfontaine, Max's devoted owner. "When it first happened last year, we thought he was dying."
She took the dog to Colleen Murray, a North Dallas veterinarian, who tried the nutritional supplement glucosamine and homeopathic medicines used to treat arthritis. They didn't help, so Dr. Murray prescribed a drug called Rimadyl.
"Just like that, he was fine," says Ms. Boisfontaine, who lives with her family in Highland Park. "He was bouncing around almost like a puppy."
That image – a nearly crippled dog suddenly recapturing his youth – gave Rimadyl the reputation of a miracle drug when it was introduced in 1997.
But since then, Rimadyl has been tarnished by revelations that it can harm or even kill some dogs.
The anti-inflammatory drug's side effects can include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as damage to the liver or kidneys. The Food and Drug Administration has logged thousands of complaints of illness and death attributed to Rimadyl, and the drug now comes with much more prominent warnings.
"I still feel comfortable sending Rimadyl home, but we do blood work and we tell people if there are any problems to let us know right away," Dr. Murray says. "We've had a handful of problems, but they're reversible."
Pfizer, which makes Rimadyl, has compensated some people over the years for the loss of their pets, without admitting any wrongdoing. Bob Fauteux, a Pfizer spokesman, says that the deaths are regrettable, but the overall picture is far more positive.
In 2003, the last year for which figures are available, the FDA received 1,745 reports of adverse reactions to Rimadyl, including 328 deaths. Mr. Fauteux notes that the reports are not independently verified; critics say many more incidents may go unreported.
"This is a terrific drug," Mr. Fauteux says. "Over 10 million dogs have taken Rimadyl over eight years, and fewer than 1 percent have had any side effects. And serious side effects are very rare."
In early clinical tests, he says, the company noted gastrointestinal side effects, but no deaths.
Miracle drug
When Rimadyl hit the market, veterinarians and owners were enthusiastic about how it helped rejuvenate older dogs with arthritis and other problems that damaged their quality of life.
But then reports began rolling in that dogs taking Rimadyl were dying or became so sick they had to be euthanized.
After the Food and Drug Administration insisted that radio and TV ads include the word "death" among possible side effects, Pfizer limited advertising to print media.
"We felt it was reasonable in print ads" to put the warning in perspective, Mr. Fauteux says. "But in an ad that short, on television, it wasn't feasible."
Pfizer began putting tougher warning labels on packages, telling veterinarians to watch out for side effects and posting information about Rimadyl on its Web site.
Mr. Fauteux says the company works hard to educate customers and veterinarians about the risks and benefits of Rimadyl, and to monitor dogs closely.
"We clearly state the risks," he says. "The Rimadyl experience is a perfect illustration that the system works."
Well, not quite ...
Some dog lovers disagree.
Seven years later, Jean Townsend still feels guilty about giving Rimadyl to George, her 12-year-old chocolate Lab, for his arthritis.
"I was actually killing my dog without realizing it," says Ms. Townsend, who lives in Johns Island, S.C.
"I've spent my time ever since trying to warn others."
Ms. Townsend, who says George died within a month from Rimadyl's side effects, blames Pfizer for not providing adequate warnings and her veterinarian for dispensing the drug without taking precautions.
She established a Web site – BARKS, for Be Aware of Rimadyl's Known Side effects – part of an online network that collects stories of dogs harmed by the drug and warns owners who are considering it.
She doesn't think Rimadyl should be banned, "because it has helped a lot of dogs. The main problem now is that some vets are not doing their job."
That job, Ms. Townsend says, is to do what Dr. Murray did for Max: use Rimadyl only when necessary, follow it up with blood tests and teach owners to be on guard for bad reactions.
"Every day I get e-mails from people saying, 'The vet just gave this to us and I had no idea there were adverse effects,' " Ms. Townsend says. "We'll just keep plugging along. If we have to contact one dog owner at a time, we will."
No position
Bonnie Beaver, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, says the organization does not take positions on individual drugs but encourages veterinarians and pet owners to discuss all medications.
"Every drug has potential side effects," says Dr. Beaver, a professor at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine. "Not every human can take aspirin, yet we think of that as one of the safest medications around.
"We're always concerned that any drug is used appropriately," she says. "The vet and the owner have to work together for the health of the animal."
Steve Dale, a nationally syndicated pet columnist, says the problems with Rimadyl prompted better warnings and more awareness for all veterinary drugs.
"It started a little snowball effect," Mr. Dale says.
"People are paying a lot more attention to their animals' medicine. We have an aging pet population in this country, and there's a great need for that."
He, too, still gets sad stories from readers about Rimadyl's side effects.
"There's nothing more heartbreaking than having an animal that didn't have to die," Mr. Dale says.
"But for every one of those there are many more who might have been euthanized, and now they're living a life filled with quality. They've gained years back, and they're having a good time."
That's the case for Max, who probably won't need Rimadyl once the weather warms up – until next winter.
"It probably prolonged his life," Ms. Boisfontaine says. "It's so great he can have something to feel better. There's nothing worse than watching a pet in pain."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learn more about Rimadyl
Here are some resources to learn more about Rimadyl and other treatments for animals with arthritis and related ailments:
The Pet Arthritis Center discusses pros and cons of Rimadyl, but leans toward treating arthritis with glucosamine and chondroitin where possible: http://www.glucosamine-arthritis.org/arthritis-pets/
Pfizer, which makes Rimadyl, has an extensive Web site touting its benefits, but also includes warnings: http://www.rimadyl.com
A Web site called Dog Logic has a page with many links about Rimadyl: http://www.doglogic.com/rimadyl.htm
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TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Truck crash spills produce on I-35E
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - The high-profile intersection of Interstate 35E at LBJ Freeway in Northwest Dallas was partially shut down for the Tuesday morning rush hour after an Oklahoma-bound truck crashed while trying to negotiate an exit ramp.
Police said the 18-wheeler hauling a big load of produce was just going too fast as it rounded the sharp turn from westbound LBJ Freeway to northbound I-35 around 2 a.m.
The big rig overturned, spilling hundreds of pounds of produce onto the highway.
The driver was not hurt, but the accident left a big mess on the highway.
Cleanup crews used front loaders to scrape the fruits and vegetables off the highway and out of the toppled trailer and into waiting dump trucks.
The 18-wheeler could not immediately be righted because there were fears that its unstable cargo could split it in half.
The cleanup continued at 8:30 a.m. as rush hour traffic was diverted.
All northbound lanes of Interstate 35E were shut down, with motorists diverted to eastbound LBJ. Traffic was backed up to Loop 12.
The exit from westbound LBJ to Interstate 35 north was also closed.
It was not clear if the mess could be cleared up in time to open up the lanes in time for morning commuters.
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - The high-profile intersection of Interstate 35E at LBJ Freeway in Northwest Dallas was partially shut down for the Tuesday morning rush hour after an Oklahoma-bound truck crashed while trying to negotiate an exit ramp.
Police said the 18-wheeler hauling a big load of produce was just going too fast as it rounded the sharp turn from westbound LBJ Freeway to northbound I-35 around 2 a.m.
The big rig overturned, spilling hundreds of pounds of produce onto the highway.
The driver was not hurt, but the accident left a big mess on the highway.
Cleanup crews used front loaders to scrape the fruits and vegetables off the highway and out of the toppled trailer and into waiting dump trucks.
The 18-wheeler could not immediately be righted because there were fears that its unstable cargo could split it in half.
The cleanup continued at 8:30 a.m. as rush hour traffic was diverted.
All northbound lanes of Interstate 35E were shut down, with motorists diverted to eastbound LBJ. Traffic was backed up to Loop 12.
The exit from westbound LBJ to Interstate 35 north was also closed.
It was not clear if the mess could be cleared up in time to open up the lanes in time for morning commuters.
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TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
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Dallas towing program kicks off
Wrecker companies came up with plan now getting 30-day trial
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - It's a nasty way to start or end the day: bumper-to-bumper traffic.
But Monday marked the first day of a trial program to reduce freeway traffic in Dallas, and officials said aside from a few glitches things went as planned.
The key to success is getting tow trucks to respond in half the time - and the pilot program aims to use that to help clear gridlock a lot faster.
The plan starts with police dispatch. If a wrecked or broken-down vehicle blocks lanes on Dallas freeways, dispatchers alert a towing firm and the wrecker has 15 minutes to get there.
"If we can be out there in 15 minutes, we can be loaded in five minutes and be out of there in 20 minutes," said Steve Smith of the Greater Dallas Emergency Wrecker Association.
A little time can make a large difference.
"When traffic backs up even once the freeway is cleared, there's a certain amount of time that it takes for the traffic to unwind and clear, so 15 minutes can actually make a pretty big impact," said Dallas Police Lt. John Branton.
Under the previous rules, the wreckers had 30 minutes to respond to a call. But police dispatch rotated those calls, so the wrecking companies never knew if they'd get five calls a day or 25.
Sometimes, towing companies ignored calls while traffic got worse. Now, they rotate the job for a 24-hour period.
"I have trucks staged out there now," Smith said. "I would never stage them in the regular rotation system because they may sit there for several days and never got a tow."
The new plan does not affect the Dallas North Tollway, but does apply to major freeways and access roads within the city.
The wrecking companies created the plan themselves, and now they've got 30 days to convince the city it will work.
Wrecker companies came up with plan now getting 30-day trial
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - It's a nasty way to start or end the day: bumper-to-bumper traffic.
But Monday marked the first day of a trial program to reduce freeway traffic in Dallas, and officials said aside from a few glitches things went as planned.
The key to success is getting tow trucks to respond in half the time - and the pilot program aims to use that to help clear gridlock a lot faster.
The plan starts with police dispatch. If a wrecked or broken-down vehicle blocks lanes on Dallas freeways, dispatchers alert a towing firm and the wrecker has 15 minutes to get there.
"If we can be out there in 15 minutes, we can be loaded in five minutes and be out of there in 20 minutes," said Steve Smith of the Greater Dallas Emergency Wrecker Association.
A little time can make a large difference.
"When traffic backs up even once the freeway is cleared, there's a certain amount of time that it takes for the traffic to unwind and clear, so 15 minutes can actually make a pretty big impact," said Dallas Police Lt. John Branton.
Under the previous rules, the wreckers had 30 minutes to respond to a call. But police dispatch rotated those calls, so the wrecking companies never knew if they'd get five calls a day or 25.
Sometimes, towing companies ignored calls while traffic got worse. Now, they rotate the job for a 24-hour period.
"I have trucks staged out there now," Smith said. "I would never stage them in the regular rotation system because they may sit there for several days and never got a tow."
The new plan does not affect the Dallas North Tollway, but does apply to major freeways and access roads within the city.
The wrecking companies created the plan themselves, and now they've got 30 days to convince the city it will work.
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TexasStooge
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- Contact:
Deep Ellum case ends in guilty verdict
He apologizes for incident; jury to decide sentence today
By MATT STILES and ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Moments after jurors found him guilty Monday for a July beating at a Deep Ellum nightclub, Jesse Chaddock tearfully apologized to the Lakewood contractor left partially paralyzed by the incident.
David Cunniff, who can now walk with the help of crutches, sat stoically in the back of the Dallas courtroom as Mr. Chaddock testified in the punishment phase of the trial.
"I'm extremely sorry, Mr. Cunniff," said Mr. Chaddock, breaking down in tears for the second time in front of the jury. "I never meant for you to get hurt like that."
Mr. Chaddock, 28, who prosecutors say was part of a skinhead group, faces up to 99 years in prison for engaging in organized criminal activity in relation to the incident after an Old 97s concert at the Gypsy Tea Room.
Mr. Cunniff's mother and friends sobbed after the jury's verdict was announced. Mr. Chaddock wept as his mother took the stand, asking for the jury's mercy.
"He's got an awfully big heart," said his mother, Laury McCullough of Austin, after telling jurors about verbal abuse Mr. Chaddock endured as a child. "He's a good man, basically. He got led astray."
After Monday's events, Mr. Cunniff said he was "glad" about the jury's verdict, and he questioned the sincerity of Mr. Chaddock's apology. But he also acknowledged feeling sorry for the man who fought him in front of his two daughters.
"This whole situation is unfortunate," he said. "It's hurt a lot of people."
Monday's verdict ended a weeklong trial in which jurors had to decide not only whether Mr. Chaddock assaulted Mr. Cunniff, but also the more serious charge of whether the incident was related to what prosecutors said was his affiliation with a local skinhead organization called the Confederate Hammerskins.
Mr. Chaddock's attorney, Phillip Hayes, declined to comment. But his supporters – who say he cut ties with the group years ago, even covering up racist tattoos – criticized the prosecutors' decision to connect the case to his past.
"It's ridiculous to convict someone of mistakes they've made in the past," said Mr. Chaddock's girlfriend, Amelia Brooks, 27. "Jesse is not claiming that he's perfect."
But jurors apparently sided with prosecutors, whose witnesses described several incidents in which Mr. Chaddock, sometimes with fellow skinheads, assaulted others.
"The only way these people can be stopped is to hold them accountable for their actions," prosecutor Toby Shook told jurors in his closing argument.
Mr. Shook defended his use of the organized criminal activity charge, saying it's been used effectively in other cities to fight gang activity.
Throughout the trial, witnesses offered different accounts of the fight. Prosecutors said Mr. Chaddock savagely beat a defenseless Mr. Cunniff.
"The attack is unprovoked, and it continued when they hit on the ground, over and over again," Mr. Shook argued.
Others supported Mr. Chaddock's account that he punched Mr. Cunniff to defend a friend. Testifying in his own defense, Mr. Chaddock said he and the larger Mr. Cunniff grabbed each other and fell after the fight began. The pair fell hard to the concrete floor, perhaps causing Mr. Cunniff's serious injuries, he said.
The jury, which took just less than three hours to convict Mr. Chaddock, was to begin deciding his punishment today.
He apologizes for incident; jury to decide sentence today
By MATT STILES and ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Moments after jurors found him guilty Monday for a July beating at a Deep Ellum nightclub, Jesse Chaddock tearfully apologized to the Lakewood contractor left partially paralyzed by the incident.
David Cunniff, who can now walk with the help of crutches, sat stoically in the back of the Dallas courtroom as Mr. Chaddock testified in the punishment phase of the trial.
"I'm extremely sorry, Mr. Cunniff," said Mr. Chaddock, breaking down in tears for the second time in front of the jury. "I never meant for you to get hurt like that."
Mr. Chaddock, 28, who prosecutors say was part of a skinhead group, faces up to 99 years in prison for engaging in organized criminal activity in relation to the incident after an Old 97s concert at the Gypsy Tea Room.
Mr. Cunniff's mother and friends sobbed after the jury's verdict was announced. Mr. Chaddock wept as his mother took the stand, asking for the jury's mercy.
"He's got an awfully big heart," said his mother, Laury McCullough of Austin, after telling jurors about verbal abuse Mr. Chaddock endured as a child. "He's a good man, basically. He got led astray."
After Monday's events, Mr. Cunniff said he was "glad" about the jury's verdict, and he questioned the sincerity of Mr. Chaddock's apology. But he also acknowledged feeling sorry for the man who fought him in front of his two daughters.
"This whole situation is unfortunate," he said. "It's hurt a lot of people."
Monday's verdict ended a weeklong trial in which jurors had to decide not only whether Mr. Chaddock assaulted Mr. Cunniff, but also the more serious charge of whether the incident was related to what prosecutors said was his affiliation with a local skinhead organization called the Confederate Hammerskins.
Mr. Chaddock's attorney, Phillip Hayes, declined to comment. But his supporters – who say he cut ties with the group years ago, even covering up racist tattoos – criticized the prosecutors' decision to connect the case to his past.
"It's ridiculous to convict someone of mistakes they've made in the past," said Mr. Chaddock's girlfriend, Amelia Brooks, 27. "Jesse is not claiming that he's perfect."
But jurors apparently sided with prosecutors, whose witnesses described several incidents in which Mr. Chaddock, sometimes with fellow skinheads, assaulted others.
"The only way these people can be stopped is to hold them accountable for their actions," prosecutor Toby Shook told jurors in his closing argument.
Mr. Shook defended his use of the organized criminal activity charge, saying it's been used effectively in other cities to fight gang activity.
Throughout the trial, witnesses offered different accounts of the fight. Prosecutors said Mr. Chaddock savagely beat a defenseless Mr. Cunniff.
"The attack is unprovoked, and it continued when they hit on the ground, over and over again," Mr. Shook argued.
Others supported Mr. Chaddock's account that he punched Mr. Cunniff to defend a friend. Testifying in his own defense, Mr. Chaddock said he and the larger Mr. Cunniff grabbed each other and fell after the fight began. The pair fell hard to the concrete floor, perhaps causing Mr. Cunniff's serious injuries, he said.
The jury, which took just less than three hours to convict Mr. Chaddock, was to begin deciding his punishment today.
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TexasStooge
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Man dies after Fort Worth police use Taser
By DON WALL / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - A man in Fort Worth police custody died Sunday night after being stunned with a Taser weapon.
Eric Hammock, 43, of Midland died in the hospital after being shocked twice by officers.
"The subject turns around and actively comes towards the officer, waving his arms, (and) tries to hit the officer in the head," said Fort Worth Police Lt. Dean Sullivan. "So the officer backs away and uses his city-issue Taser."
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner is now trying to determine if the Taser had anything to do with the death of the 6-foot 2-inch, 250-pound man, who ran from police after trespassing at a Waste Management truck facility.
The incident marks the second time someone has died after Fort Worth police used Tasers. Last November, a man trying to steal electricity was hiding in a closet when he was stunned with a Taser. Toxicology reports revealed he died from cocaine intoxication.
"So one ultimate question is how safe is this?"
Nationwide since 1999, authorities have investigated some 80 deaths involving police Tasers, but ruled Tasers contributed to only three deaths.
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit in Houston, alleging the use of a Taser constituted excessive force.
"I realize it's necessary to arrest people for committing crimes, but we want to be sure we are not executing people at that moment," said ACLU attorney Frank Colosi.
In Fort Worth, authorities will review this most recent case and refer it to a grand jury.
Tasers have been used in the city 180 times in four years. By using them that frequently, police said that marks many they did not have to draw their gun and possibly shoot somebody.
"We're trying to find other things to do other than shoot them," Sullivan said.
By DON WALL / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - A man in Fort Worth police custody died Sunday night after being stunned with a Taser weapon.
Eric Hammock, 43, of Midland died in the hospital after being shocked twice by officers.
"The subject turns around and actively comes towards the officer, waving his arms, (and) tries to hit the officer in the head," said Fort Worth Police Lt. Dean Sullivan. "So the officer backs away and uses his city-issue Taser."
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner is now trying to determine if the Taser had anything to do with the death of the 6-foot 2-inch, 250-pound man, who ran from police after trespassing at a Waste Management truck facility.
The incident marks the second time someone has died after Fort Worth police used Tasers. Last November, a man trying to steal electricity was hiding in a closet when he was stunned with a Taser. Toxicology reports revealed he died from cocaine intoxication.
"So one ultimate question is how safe is this?"
Nationwide since 1999, authorities have investigated some 80 deaths involving police Tasers, but ruled Tasers contributed to only three deaths.
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit in Houston, alleging the use of a Taser constituted excessive force.
"I realize it's necessary to arrest people for committing crimes, but we want to be sure we are not executing people at that moment," said ACLU attorney Frank Colosi.
In Fort Worth, authorities will review this most recent case and refer it to a grand jury.
Tasers have been used in the city 180 times in four years. By using them that frequently, police said that marks many they did not have to draw their gun and possibly shoot somebody.
"We're trying to find other things to do other than shoot them," Sullivan said.
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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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Judge found shot to death in home
WESLACO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A South Texas judge whose chambers and home were the target of an FBI search was found shot to death Monday.
The body of State District Judge Ed Aparicio was located in his Weslaco home shortly after a news release announced he was resigning from the bench. A gun and a spent shell casing were located nearby.
Hidalgo County district attorney Rene Guerra said officials believe the judge took his own life, adding authorities have no reason to think otherwise.
Authorities who found the judge were checking on his well-being. Courthouse staff said Aparicio hadn't shown up for work.
FBI agents from an anti-corruption task force seized dozens of paintings, photos and documents during the January 2004 raid. Federal prosecutors declined to release details of the search or say what prompted it.
Aparicio was a former Houston attorney who became a judge in Hidalgo County in 1997.
WESLACO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A South Texas judge whose chambers and home were the target of an FBI search was found shot to death Monday.
The body of State District Judge Ed Aparicio was located in his Weslaco home shortly after a news release announced he was resigning from the bench. A gun and a spent shell casing were located nearby.
Hidalgo County district attorney Rene Guerra said officials believe the judge took his own life, adding authorities have no reason to think otherwise.
Authorities who found the judge were checking on his well-being. Courthouse staff said Aparicio hadn't shown up for work.
FBI agents from an anti-corruption task force seized dozens of paintings, photos and documents during the January 2004 raid. Federal prosecutors declined to release details of the search or say what prompted it.
Aparicio was a former Houston attorney who became a judge in Hidalgo County in 1997.
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