Sanger Courier (Sanger, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 39, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 20, 2000 Page: 1 of 14
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VICKIE-SANGER
July 20, 2000
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Serving Sanger, Krum and the Lake Ray Roberts Area
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Bandstand debate continues
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11 -12 All-Stars
4
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Joshua Flanagan
qualify for state
foumameat
••po BOXES
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ley View, and three other individuals
had ventured outside the designated
swimming area which is marked by
buoys. As they began swimming back
toward the buoys, the 14-year-old be-
gan to falter and yelled for help before
going under.
“He got in too deep of water and
got tired is what apparently hap-
pened,” Fishbeck said. “They were in
A worker for Tandem Lawn
Service mows a yard in Sanger
Tuesday afternoon, in 100
degree weather. The lack of
rain and hot temperatures has
made the conditions in Sanger,
dry and dusty.
As part of the Sanger Public Library's Storytime, the
theme of which is "Invent the Future," Caleb Daughtery
Sanger Courier.
“Some people are in favor of a
bandstand, but they don’t like this
particular bandstand,” he said.
Sanger resident Woodrow
Barton admitted being one of the
about 10 feet of water. There was no
debris or brush reported in the area.”
The boy’s body was recovered
the same day, about an hour-and-a-half
after he was reported missing.
“We hadn’t had a drowning in
over a year at the lake,” Fishbeck said.
Since the lake opened, there has
been an average of one drowning a
year at the lake.
Sanger had four baseball All-
Star teams represent the city last
week in their District Tourna-
ments. Two, 7-8 year old teams,
one 8-9 year old team and the 11-
12 all-stars.
Most Sanger teams played
well in their respective age-
group tournaments with the 11-
12 All-Stars doing the best and
advancing to state. They de-
feated Aubrey 13-6, Lake Cities
11-3 and Pilot Point 9-3 to win the
District Championship.
Their next stop is to the six-
day state tournament which
starts July 22 in Paris, Texas.
not. It’s either going to be going
down or it’s goiug to be coming
back up. And we see a problem
downtown,” Ballard said.
“We don’t want it to become
like Valley View’s. We don’t want
that to happen. So one of the things
we looked at was having a band-
stand at the park.”
Having a bandstand at the
park, Ballard said, would allow the
chamber of host events through-
out the year that would draw
people downtown, which would
increase traffic and increase the
success of downtown merchants.
“So, the chamber is behind
this 100 percent,” he stressed.
Speaking as an individual,
Ballard said that he thinks revi-
sions need to be made to the draw-
do the right thing.
The district, she pointed out, already has a
no tolerance policy in regards to drugs and alco-
hol. She said that she is not sure she wants Sanger
ISD to “pave the road” for mandatory random
drug testing for other school districts in Denton
County.
Echoing the concerns of the other parents,
Mike Keller, a former law enforcement officer, said
that he doesn’t feel the school district has the right
to test his children.
“Just because a child is in school, they do not
give up their constitutional rights. Just iJecause
my child goes to school does not mean that 1 give
up my rights as a parent,” Keller said.
Although he acknowledged that the district
was waging a war against drugs, he said that the
district was targeting the wrong side.
However, Becky Wright told those present at
the meeting that she thinks everyone is naive to
think there are not drug problems in the district.
She said she was not against the mandatory drug
testing policy if the procedures are handled cor-
rectly. “I think it will be a deterrent," she said.
Sanger ISD Superintendent Jack Biggerstaff
announced some changes he would like to be
made to the proposed policy. These changes in-
clude the dropping of the initial mass testing of
students involved in extracurricular or UIL-related
activities and the testing of between 25 to 50 stu-
dents per month.
After much discussion regarding the pro-
posed policy, board members Lynn Stucky and
Debra Rucker questioned whether a voluntary
drug testing program would not be a more appro-
priate place to start. But, this was met with a mixed
reaction from those present at the meeting.
In a telephone interview one week after the
school board meeting, Davis, who has done addi-
tional research on drug testing of students, said
he has come to the conclusion that if drug testing
is the answer to the district’s drug problems, then
he thinks the district would be better served with
a voluntary program.
“First off, I’ve talked with Jack Biggerstaff
quite a bit about this, and I really think everyone
A
Al
experiences life from behind the lens of a camera
as he lakes pictures of other Storytime participants
during a session on photography.
itt
needs to be commended. 1 think they are really seek-
ing the input of the parents and the people in the dis-
trict. Mr. (Rick) Clements has some experience with
a voluntary program from the prior district he was in,
which was successful," Davis said.
A voluntary drug testing program, he suggested,
would enjoy more community support, be more suc-
cessful and place the district in a better legal situa-
tion.
When asked how he would react if the district
decided to approve the mandatory random drug test
ing policy, Davis said he was not sure.
“It’s going to place me in a very difficult position.
1 don’t know what I’m going to do. My child is going
to want to participate |in extracurricular activities!.
They haven’t developed a belief system where they
are concerned about their constitutional rights. This
situation, it’s going to make me make a decision about
my son’s rights. I think we would be much better
served not to put people in that situation.
“I don’t think I’m going to be the only person who
ends up in that situation," he continued. “I’m hoping
that I’m not going to be faced with that.”
In addition to the Fourth Amendment rights of
the students, Davis expressed concern about the word-
ing of the proposed policy and consent form. As they
are currently worded, they both are very broad and
all encompassing, giving the district more latitude at
the expense of the students.
For instance, he pointed out that the consent form
allows for other forms of invasive testing, such as blood
testing, and provides for the retention of a sample for
further testing.
However, Davis said he did not believe this was
intentional. He said he has spoken with the superin-
tendent and was assured that the documents would
be re-worded.
“But, 1 think they both carefully need to be re-
vised prior to being implemented, ” he said.
“I really have a lot of faith in this board,” Davis
continued. “1 am really impressed by Mr. Biggerstaff
and Mr. Clements and his staff. 1 don’t see it as an
adversarial position against the parents. They are seek-
ing input from the parents and are open to their sug-
gestions. The board could have said, ‘OK. Cool. Done’
(Continued on pg. 2)
SHS student receives special invitation
A Sanger High School student has been offered “the chance of a lifetime.
Joshua Flanagan, a junior at SHS and the son of Caprisca and Clint
Flanagan, has been invited to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on
Law next spring in Washington, D.C. Only 352 students throughout the United
States are invited to participate.
The National Youth Leadership Forum on Law is a six-day program intro-
ducing high school students to top individuals and organizations in the legal
profession. During the forum students will visit law schools, law firms and will
have the opportunity to visit the U.S.
Capitol, where Congress legislates na-
tional policies.
Other activities include the chance
to particpate in a mock Supreme Court
trial as lawyers and justices, participate
in heated debates with some of the most
respected and top minds in law and re-
ceive a behind-the-scenes look at the
legal profession as the students visit
various practices.
In addition to his interest in the
justice system, the high school student
plays trombone in the band, is consis-
tently on the “A" honor roll and attends
First Baptist Church of Sanger. Further-
more, he is a member of Boy Scout
Troop 199 and has achieved the high-
est rank in Scouting, that of Eagle
Scout.
In order to participate in the fo-
rum, Flanagan must raise $2,250 which
must be received by the National Youth
Leadership Forum by Aug. 23. Instead
of asking the public simply to donate
the money necessary to take the trip to Washington, he said he is willing to
work for “donations” to raise the money for the trip. He can be reached by
calling (940) 458-5205.
“Attending the forum on law will be an invaluable experience,” Flanagan
stated. “I truly believe I will gain knowledge and develop skills that will help
me as I pursue my education and long-term career goals."
Sanger 11-12 Year Old Baseball All-Start 2000
Front row, left to right - Coach Scott Brown, Dusty Garland, Casey Patton, Sam Buker and Coach Eddie
Garland. Second row * Jason Brown, Cody Wallace, Nic Morrow, Brian Richards and Malt Ange. Third row
- Dusty Patterson, Chris Enlow, Zac Serna, Josh Clements and Josh Cole. Back center - Manager and Head
Coach Bob Richards.
Lake claims first victim of year
A 14-year-old boy, identified as
William Troy Burrus, apparently
drowned last week at the Johnson
Branch Unit of Ray Roberts Lake State
Park. It was the lake’s first drowning
of the year.
According to Russell Fishbeck,
park manager, the incident occurred
between 3 and 4 p.m. Wednesday, July
12. The teen-ager, who was from Vai-
Parents voice opposition to drug testing policy
By Lisa Hardy
Of the six individuals who expressed opin-
ions about the proposed mandatory random drug
testing policy at the July 11 meeting of the Sanger
Independent School District Board of Trustees,
only one was in favor of it.
Although other supporters of the policy were
present, they either chose not to speak or the time
allotted for public comments ran out.
As the parent of two students in the Sanger
ISD, Gary Davis told the school board that he was
not sure how he felt about the proposed policy
but he was leaning against it.
Davis told the board the proposed drug policy
required students to waive their Fourth Amend-
ment rights to meet the special needs of the school
district in addressing a perceived drug problem.
As a parent, he added, if the drug testing policy
was passed, it would put him in the position of
having to choose between his children’s extracur-
ricular activities and their Fourth Amendment
rights.
Another parent who expressed concern about
the proposed drug testing policy was Mike
Danner, who has taught school for 24 years, 11 of
which he spent in the Sanger ISD. Danner, who
also has experience as a counselor, said that while
some sort of drug testing policy may be neces-
sary, the one being proposed was not it.
Danner told the board he felt the policy was
unconstitutional and discriminatory, and he said
one false positive could do harm to a student’s
reputation, even if a second test comes out nega-
tive. He felt the district was “jumping the gun.”
“1 don’t believe it's the job of the school dis-
trict to police students. Too many students already
think of school as a prison," he said.
“I really urge you not to do this. The real
people who can make a change in drug and alco-
hol abuse are parents. The school district can do
what they can to help them, but not through the
implementation of this policy,” Danner stressed.
As director of the Sanger Middle School band,
Mary Thornburg said that her immediate concern
was that the policy targeted kids involved in Uni-
versity Interscholastic League and extracurricu-
lar activities, who she said already are trying to
By Lisa Hardy
Two petitions are circulating “We want you all to know that
throughout the city — one in favor the chamber, the board of direc-
of a proposed bandstand in the tors of the chamber, is behind the
downtown city park and one against bandstand. We look at the down-
the proposed bandstand. town and realized that downtown
At Monday night’s Sanger City Sanger is having problems. As
Council meeting, Mike James, vice much as some people would like
president of the Sanger Chamber things to stay the same, they are
of Commerce, again brought the is-
sue of the bandstand before the
council.
James, who is support of the
bandstand, said he has been talk-
ing with various people throughout
the community, both for and
against the bandstand. Some of
these people have valid reasons,
and some have invalid reasons, he
said.
One thing he would like to do
in order to help citizens better un-
derstand the dimensions of the pro-
posed bandstand, is to place tiny
flags in the park to mark the dimen-
sions of the 20 foot by 40 foot band-
stand.
The flags are necessary, he
said, because nobody has a visual
idea of what the structure will look
like in the proximity of the park ing which appeared in last week’s
where it will be.
Speaking as the president of
the Sanger Area Chamber of Com-
merce, Frank Ballard told the coun-
cil that he would like to clear up
some misconceptions that people
may have heard concerning the individuals who signed the petition
ba"dS,a"d (ContinMd on pg. 2)
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Hardy, Lisa. Sanger Courier (Sanger, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 39, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 20, 2000, newspaper, July 20, 2000; Sanger, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1337803/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sanger Public Library.