The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 73, Ed. 1 Friday, October 11, 1996 Page: 4 of 28
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Boerne Star and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Patrick Heath Public Library.
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Friday, October 11, 1996
The Boerne Star
Page 4A
Opinion Page
Conntv Tall
■MmMMMMMMM^MMMWMMH
State u Capital
Where is the horse sense?
Breath of Fres
By Ken Nietenhoefer
The Bourne Star
A matter of life or death for Lauren Johnson
Judy Snouffer
Church, Leon Springs, 210-698-2880.
Letters to the Editor
Commend EMS staff
and its volunteers
Troopers, drug agents
dispatched to border
By L.M. Holman,
Precinct 2
Commissioner
HIGHLIGHTS
By Lyndell Williams a Ed Sterling
I EXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
Daniel Zenner
Connie J. Sisney
Del Martinez
Katy Guerrero
Fran Craig
Joe Lasley
Linda Lott
Rob D’Amico
Mike Galarneau
Dear Editor:
A very precious, little Boerne girl is desperately fight-
ing for her life! Lauren Johnson, who used to be a nor-
mal energetic eight year old, has been diagnosed with a
very rare aggressive type of cancer, Neurol-blastoma.
Her entire body has been infested with this disease
including her bone marrow.
Recently, Lauren had to undergo an awful surgery to
remove a tumor about the size of an orange. There are
very few survivors in this situation and Mr.-and Mrs.
Johnson felt that their only hope was to enlist their
daughter in an experimental program at UCLA.
Lauren is at level four, meaning that her case is the
most serious stage of this disease. Therefore aggressive
measures have to be taken and extremely expensive
ones.
This program at UCLA is practically wrapped up fol-
lowing a four-year study, and will be a hell for this poor
little girl who only wants to run and play as she used to.
They will put her through extreme, sickening chemical
treatment that will slowly kill her, but at the last minute
possible, they will rescue her body. When she responds
and when she comes home after having her first round
of “chemo-therapy” at Methodist Hospital in San
Antonio, Lauren will have to be confined to a totally
sterile atmosphere, having no visitors except members
of her family who will have to wear masks, for her
immune system will have been weakened by the chem-
icals. This arrangement could last up to two years.
Once the chemicals have helped eliminate enough of
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Composing
State officials say the magnitude of the problem
warrants immediate federal assistance, but the fed-
eral government has not met requests for more
agents and air surveillance.
Public Safety Commission Chairman James B.
Francis Jr. of Dallas told the Dallas Morning News
that foot-dragging by President Clinton’s drug czar,
former Gen. Barry McCaffrey and other federal offi-
cials, has slowed the interdiction effort.
“All we have gotten is one excuse after another
when we asked them for help. What you get is a
bunch of lip service and no action,” Francis said.
McCaffrey said it will be two years before enough
U. S. Border Patrol agents will be available. Texas
will be assigned 100 of the 1,000 agents who are
being trained, while California will be assigned the
other 900 agents. +
Francis criticized the apparent inequity. “We’ve
got 700 miles of border and (California has) 100
miles. It’s completely irrational rationing manpower
according to need,” he said.
Traffic death toll leaps 17 percent
Traffic deaths have increased 17 percent across
Texas and 30 percent on rural interstate highways
since the state began raising speed limits last
December.
In an analysis of accident reports from Dec. 8 to
June 30, the Austin American-Statesman reported
last week that at the present rate, about 3,600 people
will die in traffic accidents in Texas this year—the
highest total since 1985. The traffic death toll during
the period was 1,936, compared with 1,655 traffic
deaths between Dec. 8, 1994 and June 30, 1995.
“It’s worse than I even thought it would be,” said
Bob Draper of the National Traffic Safety Institute.
“But it’s not totally unexpected. You now have peo-
ple driving not just 70 but 80, 85, even 90 mph. At
those speeds, when an accident happens, people
die.”
Dev Tulsiani, an engineer for the Texas
Department of Transportation, said his agency has-
n’t yet pinned the blame for double-digit increases
in traffic deaths on the higher speed limits. The fact
that more drivers are on the road might figure into
the equation.
Gov, Bush's approval ratings high
Sixty-eight percent of those surveyed in the latest
Texas Poll said they approve of Gov. Bush’s perfor-
mance nearing the midpoint of his term in office.
“I’m honored that people like my job, but I take
nothing for granted,” Bush said, adding however,
that he bases his decisions on philosophy rather than
the polls.
According to the poll, 72 percent of whites, 63
percent of Hispanics and 51 percent of African-
Americans approve of Bush’s job performance.
Also, 54 percent of those surveyed—64 percent of
Republicans, 52 percent of Independents and 47
percent of Democrats—say Gov. Bush should run
for president some day.
The survey of 1,001 Texans was conducted Sept.
3-13 for Harte-Hanks Communications by the
Office of Survey Research of the University of
Texas.
the cancer cells, in about two months, Lauren will be
eligible to receive radiation treatment at UCLA medical
center.
This will involve her being in California for about
three months. While there, some of her bone marrow
will be taken out and cleaned of any remaining cancer
cells. She will then undergo radiation treatments to kill
all the bone marrow in her body. After receiving blood
for a few days, her treated marrow will be put back, and
left to try and reestablish itself.
This process will take much time and will be repeat-
ed as many times as it takes to eradicate the disease.
This alone is a burden that no one should have to bear,
but on top of this the loving parents of this victim, who
are beside themselves with worry about her pain, also
have to deal with the financial problems.
No one could cover all of these expenses by them-
selves and that’s where we come in! You could help
save Lauren’s life with a donation, getting donations, or
helping out with fund-raisers. We are open to any sug-
gestions for fund-raisers.
This is a matter of life and death. You can make a dif-
ference. If Lauren gets the care that she needs that is
provided through our funds then who knows what God
has in store. A factor of her living may be through your
giving. Lauren’s condition is worse, please help.
A trust fund has been established at First Baptist
Lori Warden
Boerne
Bomer drops 'unnecessary' rules
Texas’ insurance rule book will be 42,000 words
lighter and the regulatory burden on the state’s $40
billion insurance industry will be reduce without
harming consumers, as a result of an order signed
last week by Texas Insurance Commissioner Elton
Bomer. Bomer ordered the repeal of 116 insurance
regulations identified as unnecessary in a review
that began last spring by the Texas Department of
Insurance.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Mary Alice Yelverton, Vera D’Spain, Regina Alexander,
Carmen Langbein, Ken Nietenhoefer, Henry Garcia
/ HE ONLY RESPECTS C
[ PROPERTY LINES WHEN 1
A ITS TIME FOR HIM TO
MOW HIS LAWN/
Member of
National Newspaper Association,
Texas Press Association,
South Texas Press Association,
Texas Gulf Coast Press Association
THE BOERNE STAR (UPS 059-740) is pub-
fished twice weekly for $28 per year in Kendall
land adjoining counties, $35 elsewhere in Texas
“and $50 per year outside of Texas by the
Boerne Star, 282 N. Main, Boerne, Kendall
County, TX. 78006. Periodical postage paid at
♦’Boerne, TX.POSTMASTER: Send changes of
address to THE BOERNE STAR, P.O. Box 820.
Boerne, Texas 78006-0820
The Boerne Star
282 N. MAIN • (UPS 059-740)
P.O. Box 820
210-249-2441 • FAX 210-249-4607
A Lorse sense is what keeps
a horse from betting on a man.”
Americans are bursting with frus-
tration at government. Thick rule
books dictate results that almost
never make sense. Government can
barely fix potholes or fire an
employee who doesn’t show up for
work, much less accomplish impor-
tant goals.
With the best of intentions, gov-
ernment hands out new legal rights
like land grants, usually to victims
of history or circumstance, but fails
to notice that it then loses its ability
to balance everyone’s welfare. The
land of freedom has become a legal
maze of obligation, ritual, and sub-
mission.
The foregoing is an emphatic
indictment from Arthur M.
249-2441
P.O. Box 820, Boerne, Texas 78006
Fax 210-249-460 • e-mail: Boerne Star@aol.com
EDITOR and PUBLISHER
Leon Aldridge
Gov. George W.
Bush ordered the
Department of Public
Safety to dispatch
100 more troopers
and narcotics agents
to an 80-mile-long
sector of the border
with Mexico.
In August, the DPS
beefed up its numbers
around Eagle Pass, to
stop the flow of ille-
in America occur an average of six
years after they’ve been approved
by other Western countries.
Additionally, the average research
cost of every new drug, two thirds
of which goes to meeting FDA
requirements, is $230 million each.
In San Antonio, Texas, the Sierra
Club has filed suit against Edwards
Aquifer water users to cause them
to use less water. San Antonio
“Express News” columnist Maury
Maverick recently sided with Judge
Lucius Bunton. He capitulated by
saying, “Of course the Sierra Club
was right to file the Edwards
Aquifer lawsuit. Cheers for
Bunton.” This kind of rationaliza-
tion flies directly in the face of the
sanctity of the rights of land owner-
ship.
Practically everyone has lost
respect for the regulatory process.
How could it be otherwise, with the
delays, the costs, the manipulations,
and the hypocrisy that permeates the
process?
The founders of modern bureau-
cracy sought to make government
effective by liberating it from the
tangled world of procedural delay
and lawyers’ tricks. Unfortunately,
however, we have circled back to
the world where people argue, not
about right and wrong, but about
whether something was done the
right way.
Ken Nietenhoefer is a business
and motivational speaker who pre-
sents keynotes and seminars
throughout the country. KCN
Communications, Copyright 1996.
You may write to Mr. Nietenhoefer
in c/o The Boerne Star, P.O. Box
820, Boerne, Texas 78006.
gal drugs. Ranchers
in that region have
complained that
armed drug smug-
glers are invading their property. The smugglers are
bringing in at will huge cashes of heroin, marijuana
and other drugs from Colombia and Mexico.
ou get up every morning and begin the day
expecting the best. Most days are pretty
uneventful. But there are days the unex-
:-pected happens. A child is hurt or a loved one suf-
2.fers a heart attack. It is during those times we all
turn to an organization that is taken for granted by
most of us. I am speaking of the Kendall County
EMS.
■ Our EMS unit was established in 1974 after leg-
“islative changes in the law all but eliminated pri-
“vate ambulance services.
- Operations began with two donated ambu-
lances. EMS now has five modulances, two in
"Comfort and three in Boerne. Jeff Finke directs
"the four full-time employees, two part-time
’employees, and 90 volunteers. They handle calls
•in Fair Oaks and parts of Bexar, Comal, Bandera,
!Kerr, Gillespie, and Blanco counties. In 1974, 236
“calls were recorded. This year 1,200 calls have
“been made.
• Not one of those calls could have been com-
pleted without the dedication of the volunteers.
"Volunteer hours total around 30,000.
: These people not only donate their time, they
spay for the required training. They work with the
local non-profit EMS Associations in Comfort
land Boerne to raise funds to supplement county
"budget (‘97) of $274,734.
• During emergencies, they leave jobs to donate
time to help. These folks are to be admired for
their selflessness and expertise in handling critical
situations. The employers of these folks are to be
commended as well. Time spent away from jobs is
donated by the employers.
2 Listed below are the names of employers of the
Kendall County EMS Volunteers. I personally
want to thank them for their service to the com-
Cmunity.
: Your thoughts and suggestions are important to
-me. Call me at my office (249-8404) or at home
S(755-4492) or leave a message on the machine. I
"will get back to you.
’ Boerne Department—Jim Abshire, USAF; Don
Bacon, Anderson Ambulance;' James Beech,
Wilford Hall Medical Center; Darren Billings,
Floyds Billings; Vivian Bullock, self; Melinda
Carpenter, Kendall County; Linda Cass, San
. Antonio Community Hospital; James Childers,
“self; Jim Coleman, Rieneer; Joe Colunga, USAF,
Wilford Hall; Rob Cook; Clay Cowley; Roxanne
De Luna; Milburn Dearling, Texas Parks and
Wildlife; Greg Driess; Jason Edwards; Daniel
Esper, Austin EMS; Angie Ezell, Billie Gillie;
Mark Finch, Castle Hills Fire Dept.; Kolin Jonas,
self. Image Lands; Melody Juarez, Kendall
County EMS; Rey G. Juarez, City of San Antonio
“Fire Dept.; Timothy S. Kloss, City of San
Antonio; Billy Knupp, Kerrville/EMS; Buddy
“Kuhn, City of Terrell Hill Fire Dept.; Sissy
Ludlow, self; Adrian Madden, Kendall County; J.
LT. Madden, Kendall County; Leslie Madden,
Kendall County; Karen Marchiori, Ameristat;
Gary Martin, Valero Energy; William McBee,
Groff Oil; Jereme McClure, Ranch Hand
Equipment; Pat McClure, Ranch Hand
^Equipment; Robert Moya, Robin School
• Construction; Joe Ortiz, Terrell Hills Fire Dept.;
“Esmeralda Pena; Ike Peneda, Camp Stanley;
Darlene Posey, Methodist Hospital; Karan Rahn,
"Ameristat; Bobbit Rupp, Ameristat; Ken
Swhwake, Ranch Hand Equipment; Richard
Schwarz, Leon Valley Fire Dept.; Darren P. Smith,
"Alamo Heights Fire Dept.; Peter Snell; Shannon
Stockton, self; David Swartz, Ameristat & Fiesta
“Texas; Sandra Swope, NEISD, Roosevelt High
School; Nathan Taylor, Ranch Hand; Linda
“Tillerson, self; Lea Twidwell, City of San Antonio
Fire Dept.; Blake Wade, Alamo Heights; Brian
"Webb, Kendall County; Michael Wright, self;
Adam Zenner, Consignment Sales.
, Comfort Department—Bart Baccus, Lifesource
’-Ambulance Service; Butch Baccus, Ameristat;
Amber Boerner, self; Donner Boerner, MDS Land
Surveying; Hannah Bohnert; Catherine
Breneman, Lasner Industries; David Decker,
“Millie Decker, Dr. Wm. Heczko, DDS; Jean
Delaney; Petty Donell, self; Michael Fontana,
“Texas Medical Clinic; Mike Fontana, USAF;
“Rolando Garcia, UTHSC; George Geisen,
“Kerrville Fire Dept.; Jana Geisen, Peterson Home
. Health; Veronica George, self; Sara Gunnick, Carl
Trim; Brenda Gunnick; Gary Jaimes, Bandera
“Electric Co-op; Randy Kiehl, Ancira GMC Motor
'"Homes; Eric Maloney, NAtureScape, Inc.; Daniel
Morales, KC Water Imp. Dist. #1; Carolyn Offer,
“J. P. Pct. 4; Will Pannell, Kerr County Sheriff’s
Dept.; Frieda Pressler, Kendall County EMS;
Joanne Scalzitti; Ralph Treiber, self; Monte
Young, Ameristat.
Schlesinger, Jr. I believe that it is
most appropriate to have this dis- industry to comply with OSHA’s
cussion, particularly in light of the rules. Unfortunately, it hasn’t done
fact that we are about to engage in a any good. Safety in the American
most important election. workplace is about the same as it
It is time that we, not politicians, was in 1970.
determine America’s future. In order In 1972, Congress required the
to tune our thought process, let me newly created EPA to review all
point out some examples of how pesticides and decide which should
good old common “horse sense” has be removed from the market. So far,
been forgotten, only to be replaced the EPA has only gotten around to
by political correctness and mental judging the safety of about 30 of
abdication. them. At this rate according to a pes-
In 1970, for instance, a new ticide expert, the review of existing
department, the Occupational pesticides will be completed in the
Safety and Health Administration year 15,000 A.D.
(OSHA) was formed. For 25 years it The FDA is another example of
has been hard at work, ostensibly to what happens when big government
make work places safer. The depart- runs amok. It’s supposed to monitor
ment now has over 4,000 detailed new drugs and medical devices to
regulations, has 2,000 safety inspec- ensure their safety. Fine. But it
tors in the field, and has spent sev- approaches its function with such
eral hundred billion dollars to force caution that approvals for new drugs
Republicans can have rules, but so can write-ins
Dear editor: must resign because they want to try and elect another
(In reference to Sept. 27 article, Club boots Williams’ person other than your group’s choice.
allies). It appears to me that the Republican women’s But I also wish to remind you that Karen Lundquist,
club has so much power, it might as well go to the general counsel of the Texas Ethics Commission, stated
polling places and instruct all voters who to vote for. (Of that Ray Williams has not violated any ethical rules,
course, we all know this is illegal and shouldn’t be consequently he is legally qualified to run for sheriff.
done.) However, since your club writes its own rules, Glen Crow
you can therefore demand that two members of your Boerne
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Aldridge, Leon & D'Amico, Rob. The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 92, No. 73, Ed. 1 Friday, October 11, 1996, newspaper, October 11, 1996; Boerne, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1620125/m1/4/?q=%22Texas+Press+Association%22: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Patrick Heath Public Library.