The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 86, No. 163, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 9, 2007 Page: 4 of 10
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Baytown Sun and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Sterling Municipal Library.
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OPINION
THE BAYTOW N SUN
4
Wednesday, May 9,2007
/T
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w».
Baytown’s burning issue
down of America. I didn’t think it was possi-
Vote against Baytown Prop 1
f
_
I
Recognizing teachers
whose dedication too
often goes unheralded
Editorial written by Keith Magee,
assistant managing editor of the Baytown Sun,
on behalf of the newspaper's editorial board.
Mike Wilson
Baytown
David Bloom
Managing Editor
Jane Howard Lee
retired Reporter
Keith Magee
Asst. Managing Editor
HOW TO REACH US
Clifton E. “Cliff” Clements,
Publisher
cliff.clements@baytownsun.com
Sandy Denson, Business Mgr.
sandy.denson@baytownsun.com
Emmett McKinley,
Advertising Director
emmett.mckinley@baytownsun.com
Joshua Hart, Circulation Manager
joshua.hart@baytownsun.com
NEWSROOM
David Bloom, Managing Editor
david.bloom@baytownsun.com
Keith Magee, Asst. Managing Editor
keith.magee@baytownsun.com
Doyle Barlow, Sports Editor
doyle.barlow@baytownsun.com
Actually, i voted tor
THE WAR RESOLUTION,
Bob Crunk
Baytown
Re-elect Burg
I am a retired Goose Creek
Consolidated Independent School
202-224-2934
713-572-3337
Fax: 202-228-2856
Fax: 713-572-3777
cornyn.senate.gov/
contact/index.html
Ted Poe,
Dist. 2 Rep.
866-425-6565
866-447-0242
www.house.gov/
poe
Ron Paul,
Dist. 14 Rep.
202-225-2831
979-230-0000
www.house.gov/
paul
Gene Green,
Dist. 29 Rep.
202-225-1688
713-330-0761
www.house.gov/
green
Wptoton
1301 Memorial Drive, P.O. Box 90
Baytown, Texas 77522
Main: (281) 422-8302
Newsroom: (281) 425-8016
Retail: (281) 425-8036
Classified: (281) 425-8008
Circulation: (281) 425-8048
Fax: (281)427-1880
E-mail: sunnews@baytownsun.com
Web site: www.baytownsun.com
receive your paper on time,
call (281) 425-8048 by 10 a.m.
and the Sun reserves the right
to refuse to publish any sub-
mission.
Send signed letters to:
David Bloom, The Baytown
Sun, P.O. Box 90, Baytown,
77522; fax them to (281) 427-
1880 or send an e-mail to
sunnews@baytownsun.com.
Items featured on this page
are the views of the persons
identified with each submission
and do not necessarily reflect
the views of The Baytown Sun
or its advertisers.
MISS YOUR PAPER?
You should receive your
I RED HARTMAN
Publislicr Emeritus
1950-1974
AND I CONTINUE TO
STAND BY THAT VOTE.
4)
Teaching
Excellence
Don’t need more control?
Don’t be taken in by the highly organized
liberal groups attempting to take us down the
path of total control and a form of
Communist government. 1 believe in individ-
ual freedom, property ownership, and the
right to choose the way I personally wish to
live. We really don’t need more control, what
we really need is a citizaniary that assumes
responsibility for his or her own actions.
1 remember in the 1960s there was a phrase
that blew my mind, it was, “The dumbing
bearing the writer’s signature. Monday through Saturday and
An address and phone number by 8 a.m. Sunday. If you do not
not for publication should be
included. All letters and guest
right to breathe smoke-free air in our restau-
rants and other public places and it would
once again force employees to be exposed to
the dangerous chemicals in second hand
smoke. It would bring smoke back into our
restaurants and take us backward to an
unhealthier time.
Secondhand smoke is not just annoying, it
is deadly. This proposition ignores the fact
that designated smoking areas do not ade-
quately protect customers and employees
from exposure to the carcinogens and chemi-
cals in second hand smoke. There is no risk-
free level of exposure to second hand smoke.
1 strongly urge all Baytownians to protect
and preserve your right to breathe smoke-free
air that you won last November by voting
against Proposition 1.
up to 300 words and guest
columns of up to 500 words.
Guest columns should include
a photo of the writer. We pub-
lish only original material _________________
addressed to The Baytown Sun Baytown Sun by 6 a.m.
..._:x------------- Monday through Saturday and
EDITORIAL BOARD
Clifton E. “CHIT’ Clements • ' •
Editor/Publisher 'v
Jim Finley
retired Managing Editor
Doyle Barlow
Sports Editor
Jay Eschbach
Political letter
deadline Thursday
Just a reminder: The Baytown
Sun does not publish any letters
ONLY NOW 1 AM
INTRODUCING A BILL
environment. It’s control stupid, nothing more
or less, these people are Socialist. Nothing
will ever change their opinions or beliefs.
Our society is overtaken with the ignorance
of the teachings of a very liberal (AKA,
Communist) Utopian control freaks that seem
to be to stupid to learn the lessons of history.
In 1933 no one had any idea that a little
It’s not about ‘rights’
OK. Let’s assume that the issue is about
“rights” and not about public health.
Then the question is: Do some people have
the right to endanger the Ifees of others so
that they may do as they please?
Mr. Haarmeyer says yes. Bert Marshall says
yes.
_____________________ ______________ But they are wrong because no one has a
known Austrian could take over Germany and right to do as they please when it endangers
lead it to total oblivion in 10 or 12 years. Just ----------
as the holocaust, it did happen. I see no differ-
ence between then and now.
In summary,! will be voting for both
propositions Saturday, I sincerely hope that
you are not taken in by the smooth talking
people who are trying to get control of your
every action or move. If in fact they were sin-
cere in their actions they would go after the
sources of tons of the same chemicals that are
emitted every day by smokestacks and not the
lowly cigarette by the gram. Incidentally 1
don’t smoke. Hate the smell!
Jacinto Mall, San Jacinto Methodist Hospital,
Service League of Baytown, Texas First Bank,
Amegy Bank and The Baytown Sun.
So as the school year comes to an end, we’d
again like to say thanks to all the teachers for
their hard work in helping to educate our chil-
dren, and congratulations to this year’s winners
of the Teaching Excellence Awards.
ble, however I now think our Utopian society
has been quite successfill in doing just that.
Our government has become a total sham
and cover up for the establishment and to
heck with the folks that elected them.
I am so thankful that I’m not the only one
to see through this stupidity, I think Bert and
Calvin “get it.” If you think the issue is smok-
ing or not smoking, you are really quite stu-
pid. If not saving the children, it’s saving the
American Cancer Society’s Baytown Unit, I
have been involved in efforts that I feel will
either help in the search for a cure or that will
directly effect the health of my fellow citizens.
The recent Relay for Life event was a mag-
nificent community effort that raised almost
$800,000 for the cause and I was proud to
have played a part in its success. Opr group’s
current energies are focused on the adverse
health effects of second hand smoke and the
need to Keep Baytown Smoke-Free.
Make no mistake about it, Proposition 1 is
bad for Baytown. It would take away your
"■""lor many of us, when we think of the time
we spent going to school, we remember
A that one teacher who had an impact on
our lives.
Indeed, there are many special teachers out
there, and tonight, Amegy Bank of Texas and
this newspaper honor 32 teachers in the area in
the annual Teaching Excellence Awards.
Teachers will be honored from each campus in
the Goose Creek and Barbers Hill school dis-
tricts, as well as Baytown Christian Academy,
St. Joseph School and The Chinquapin School.
The Teaching Excellence Awards, co-spon-
sored by Amegy Bank and The Baytown Sun,
are just one way we say thank you and congrat-
ulations for a job well done. Teachers have
always had a challenging job, but in today’s
society, that job is even more challenging. Too
often, we tend to overlook these outstanding
educators who have dedicated their careers to
the exceptional quality of life we enjoy in this
county.
Recognizing these outstanding teachers is
one small way the bank and this newspaper
hope to thank the teachers whose good work
and dedication too often goes unheralded.
Tonight’s winners were nominated by the
public, including school district employees,
teachers, parents, students and others in the
community who submitted applications. A
group of educators from outside the Baytown
area judged the submissions on four overall
areas — student interest and participation, stu-
dent achievement and performance, exemplary
teaching practices and teacher commitment
and leadership.
While the area boasts many fine schools and
teachers, the awards are designed to honor
individual teaching excellence.
Those teachers honored at a dinner reception
tonight will receive a certificate and $1,000
donated by Amegy Bank.
The event was also made possible by table
sponsors, including ABC Nitrogen, aha!
Process Inc., Amegy Mortgage, Anahuac
National Bank, Awards & Engraving, Bayer
Corp., Baytown Chamber of Commerce, Casa
Pontiac, Chevron Phillips Chemical Co.,
Community Resource Credit Union, Eagle
Auto Outfitters and Detail, Eagle X-Ray,
Enterprise Products, Exxon Mobil BOP, Exxon
Mobil BTEC, Exxon Mobil Refinery, Exxon
Mobil Chemical, Exxon Mobil Research and
Engineering, GDS Engineers, Bob and Jane
Griffin, Highlands Sports Association,
Highlands Volunteer Fire Dept., Kiwanis Club
of Baytown, The Linebaugh Law Firm, San
Government officials
Federal ■
George W. Bush,
President
202-456-1111
Fax: 202-456-2326
president®
whitehouse.gov
Dick Cheney,
Vice President
202-456-2324
Fax: 202-456-2461
vice-president®
whitehouse.gov
Kay Bailey
Hutchison,
Senator
202-224-5922
713-653-3456
Fax: 202-224-0776
Fax: 713-209-3459
hutchison.senate.
gov/e-mail.htm
John Cornyn,
Senator
TO REPEAL THE WAR
RESOLUTION I VOTED TOR.
District schoolteacher with 28 years
of classroom experience, and I recog- i
nize a good school board member '
when I see one!
I see one in Carl Burg who has faith-'
fully served our district for the past 23
years — more recently as the President
of the Goose Creek Board of Trustees.
I know that Carl, who is a retired
chemical engineer with Exxon Mobil, '
is a dedicated researcher who studies I
every issue thoroughly. He is a listener
to citizens’ concerns as well as his con-
stituents’ ideas, and thus becomes an
informed decision maker. Carl desires
quality education for the 20,000 plus •
students and staff in our district, includ- ’
ing his own grandchildren.
Please consider Carl Burg for
Position 4 when you vote on May 12.
Suzi Powers
Bay town
backing a candidate or proposition
on Election Day. Before every elec-
tion, we get letters from the sup-
porters of candidates making all
kinds of wild allegations against
their opponents. It’s not fair to the
candidates — or the voters — to
raise those kinds of issues on the
last day. We’d love to publish your
views on the election. But please
send them by noon Thursday.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Who’s in the empty seat?
It is interesting to note the large
amount of dead space at the Council
table seat for District 1 since Council
member Renteria’s last election.
Perhaps for Council member
Renteria’s photo at City Hall, we
should just show an empty seat. An
attendance record of 66 percent at
council meetings and work sessions
from Council member Renteria is
hardly adequate representation for
District 1. That’s only his attendance
record for absentees. If you add in his
late arrivals and early exits, Council
member Renteria is only there for
around 45 percent of the time. No
wonder District 1 is on the low end of
the totem pole. It’s amusing to listen to
Council member Renteria blast his
opponent’s attendance at council meet-
ings given the large amount of time
that he himself is absent. I guess that
he forgot about the cable broadcasts. I
suppose that he is at home watching
the meetings on cable TV I wonder
how he votes.
It is also amusing to listen to
Council member Renteria pat himself
on the back for his management and
budget expertise. Too bad that he
missed or was late for around half of
the budget work sessions last year, he
could have put some of that valuable
expertise to work for the district.
1 am sure that his communication
skills are great, too bad that he doesn’t
have a phone number listed in the tele-
phone book so his constituents can call
him. If he did, he might actually be in
touch with his district.
I am sure that the other two Council
members without college degrees must
feel wholly inadequate in conversa-
tions with Council member Renteria
and his three degrees. I guess it must
have taken a long time for him to fig-
ure out what he wanted to be when he
grew up.
I for one will take a council repre-
sentative who attends meetings regu-
larly, has a listed phone number to take i
phone calls, attends budget sessions,
has the ability to have a reasonable and
sane conversation with other council
members any day over someone whose
only claim to glory is their number of
degrees and their lack of attendance at ;
council sessions.
My goodness, if Council member j
Renteria was still in school with that
record, he would be spending most of
his time in the principal’s office.
It is time that District 1 residents
get serious about their representation. '
We need to move forward and not '
backward.
I am going to support Lena Yepez
for Council member for District 1.1
hope that the rest of you do the same.
Michael Beard
Baytown
WRITE TO US
The Sun welcomes letters of columns are subject to editing, to ensure redelivery.
someone else's life.
Even freedom of speech has limits: it is not
lawful to yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater
when there is no fire because to do so endan-
gers the lives of others.
We do not allow teenagers to drink alcohol
in public or even in their own homes, because
alcohol consumption has proven to be harm-
ful to teenagers and to others with whom they
come in contact.
My wife and I bought and paid for our
home in a residential neighborhood. But 1 am
not allowed to burn my own trash in my own
yard. In addition to the stench and smoke,
burning trash is a fire hazard to my neighbor
if it blows onto Iris roof.
As communities mature, they have “a right”
~ . to set standards of behavior for the communi-
. . . c ,, ty whether that behavior be speech or smok-
As a volunteer for the past 25 years with the • . r
' - J ing or burning trash. If the purpose of limita-
tions on rights is to improve the health and
safety of the community; then the limitations
are warranted.
The current smoking ordinance protects the
lives of employees and children if no one else.
They have a right to breathe unpolluted air.
I urge all Baytown citizens to vote for free-
dom and liberty and the rights of those who
don't always have a choice.
Vote against Proposition 1.
Bob Jennings
Baytown
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Clements, Clifford E. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 86, No. 163, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 9, 2007, newspaper, May 9, 2007; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1192217/m1/4/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.