Today Cedar Hill (Duncanville, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 10, 2000 Page: 4 of 14
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Thursday, August 10,2000
Richard Collins
Owner
Kathy Ramaey
Publisher
Kavtn Baltntina
Managing Editor
Grag Cashman
Advertising Director
Jon Whitcomb
Circulation Coordinator
Kirk Dickey
News Editor
Kim Thompeon
People Editor
Elizabeth Egaland, Matt Palrymplo
Staff Writers
Peggy Brandon
Retail ad sales
Troy People*
Distribution Coordinator
Today Cedar HiU (USPS 095640, ISSN
0704-0428) is published every Thursday by
Today Newspapers located at 716-B N.
Main St, DuncanvUe, Texas. 75138-1029.
Second class postage paid at Duncanville,
Texas, 75138-1029.
Poalmaater, Send address changes to
<tm Today Cedar Hit, P.O. Box 381029,
Duncanville. Texas 75138-1029.
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EDTTORUtL:
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All subscriptions payable in advance and
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nght to change advertising and subscription
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Today Cedar HHI is an independent news-
paper published weekly in the interest of
DeSoto. Any erroneous reflection upon toe
integrity or reputation of any individual will be
oonected if brought to toe attention ot toe
news editor. Website address: todaynews.-
net E-mail address todayOueac.net.
Digests run on a space available basis.
LETTER POLICY
Opinion Today «• an open torum for ail view-
points Letters to toe edtor and guest
columns are encouraged. Deadline is 5 p.m.
Monday in person at 1701 N. Hampton in
DeSoto. by mail to P.O. Box 381029,
Duncanville, TX 75138 or by tax to 972-290-
6389. letters must be signed, wflh a home
address and daytime telephone number for
verification purposes only. The content of afl
tetters will be preserved within guidelines of
clarity, style, taste, etc. Letters should be ot
interest to local readers and shotrid be limit-
ed to 300 words Cafl 972-290*4211 tor fur-
ther Information
What happened to
Olympic ‘sports?’
in a sports
writer’s world,
the most con-
troversial topic
this summer is
not centered
around the
election. It’s
not abortion,
if ATT *ts not 8ays in
the military
PALHTIIPtE and it’s not gas
Today Staff prices that are
higher than
Darryl Strawberry on a Friday
night.
The most controversial topic is
the hotly debated billiards - an
Olympic exhibition sport.
Why is this such a big deal?
There are close to 20 Olympic
sports, what will one more mean.
Granted, I think the Olympics
has too many sports now, but bil-
liards is a lot closer to a sport than
many other things on the Olympic
docket.
Synchronized swimming is not a
sport. Write me hate-mail if you
want to, but there is no way that I
can think swimming around in a
circle in unison with a bunch of
other women to the tune of music is
a sport.
I don’t care if it takes athleticism
to put your leg totally out of the
water or not, it’s stupid. How does
someone train for such an event?
With a strict regimen of treading
water.
Another curiosity of mine is how
did someone come up with syn-
chronized swimming? 1 think it was
a bunch of people that realized they
were too slow to be race swimmers
so they decided to make swimming
into something artistic.
It’s just a matter of time before
synchronized running catches on.
“Well Al,” the announcer said,
“During the last leg of the 100
meter synchronized run Michael
fell out of stride with the rest of his
team. That Russian judge doesn’t
fool around with that type of error,
so she gave them a five.”
I’m not a big fan of gymnastics,
but I can respect the amount of
strength it takes to compete. I don’t
have any respect for the strength it
takes to wave around a ribbon. That
is what they do in rhythmic gym-
nastics. It’s dancing, except with a
beach ball.
It irritates me when I’m trying to
watch the Dream Team and the
announcer comes on: “We now
interrupt the broadcast of the great-
est basketball team ever assembled
to bring you rhythmic gymnastics!”
Ballroom dancing was also an
exhibition sport, though it did not
make it to medal status, thank
goodness.
Air hockey was also an exhibi-
tion sport. I think it was broadcast
live from the quarter arcade down
on Atlanta’s Sixth Street.
With all the other events that are
as interesting as the comedy
stylings of Al Gore, what will one
See OLYMPICS, Page 5
MATT
Pay attention to rules
applied to 401(k)s
By DARRELL FENTON
Special to Today
A 401 (k) plan is great — but
you have to be careful when it’s
time to withdraw the money.
Of course, how much you have
available to take out depends on
how much you’ve put in over the
years. It’s generally a smart move
to contribute the maximum amoUnt
possible to your 401(k). For one
thing, your money grows on a tax-
deferred basis, which means it will
accumulate faster than if it were
placed in a similar-yielding invest-
ment on which you paid taxes
every year. And, if you’re lucky,
your employer will match a per-
centage of the money you invest.
Furthermore, most of your con-
tributions are likely made with pre-
tax dollars — and these pretax con-
tributions will lower your annual
taxable income.
Now, let’s fast-forward to the
day when you leave your current
employer. What should you do
with your 401(k)? If you’ve
accepted another job, you may be
able to roll the money over to your
new employer’s 401 (k) or to an
IRA. If you’re retiring, you also
can roll your 401(k) funds over to
an IRA.
But here’s the “catch”: You can
roll over only your pretax contribu-
tions to the IRA. If you’ve made
any after-tax contributions, as
many people do, this money cannot
be rolled over, and you’ll have to
take it as a cash distribution.
When you accept this distribu-
tion, you’ll have two key issues to
consider. First, there are the taxes.
You’ve already paid taxes on your
original contributions, so you don’t
have to worry about that. But these
contributions generated earnings,
which have been tax deferred —
until now. You may want to con-
sider rolling those earnings into an
IRA to avoid the taxes and possible
penalty.
The second after-tax distribution
issue is quite basic: What will you
do with the money? If you’re going
to use the funds as a source of cur-
rent income, here are two possibili-
ties: •£ *3 ' ' ' ' * "ff\
• Set up a systematic withdrawal
plan from a mutual fund — You
may want to put your after-tax dis-
tribution money into a mutual
fund, then withdraw a fixed per-
centage — such as 5 percent or 6
percent — each year. By choosing
a fund that has the potential to earn
a higher return than the withdrawal
rate, you can protect your princi-
pal. A good growth-and-income
fund may be an option. This type
of fund carries less investment risk
than a straight growth fund, but
still offers the potential for a com-
petitive return.
• Purchase an annuity and
immediately “annitize” the money
— You could use your after-tax
distribution to purchase an annuity
contract from a life insurance com-
pany. You can then annuitize the
contract, which simply means con-
verting it into an income stream for
the remainder of your life, or your
life and that of your surviving
spouse. However, if you choose
this route, you will eventually con-
sume your principal, so there won’t
be any money left for your heirs.
Make sure to weigh your
options carefully — large 401 (k)
distributions don’t pop up every
day.
Darrell Fenton is an Investment
representative with Edward Jones
in Cedar Hill.
Welcome back to school
By PENNY HUDSON
Special to Today
We at Cedar Hill Independent
School District say, “Welcome back
to school!” School bells will chime
in the new school year on Aug. 14,
and Cedar Hill is abuzz with the
“back-to-school” scoop.
It’ll soon be time to speed up
back-to-school plans—and time to
slow down for our school zones and
school buses! Our students will soon
be hitting the books— and the
road— to an unparalleled 2000-01.
And what a great school year
2000-01 is shaping up to be...
We’re so appreciative Cedar Hill
Today is adding a special “Back-to-
School” section to spread the good
word about our schools. As reported
in Today’s “Our Town,” Cedar Hill
ISD officially turns 100 years old
this year! Not only is it Cedar Hill’s
official ‘Centennial,’ but also
September’s D Magazine will anoint
Cedar Hill High School as a top high
school in North Texas. Add this lat-
est high profile ‘kudos’ to CHHS’s
springtime accolade as one of
Newsweek’s top 450 highs schools
in the nation— and look out Texas!
As icing on the CHISD
Centennial cake, if conversations
with D Magazine editors are any
indication, Cedar Hill should figure
quite positively into the “top schools
in North Texas” feature. So stay
tuned for that special update as well.
Remember 2000-01 will also be
our inaugural year for 5-A competi-
tion. Quite simply, great things are
happening all over. And, as we mark
a century of education, we’ve
shown—and continue to show—
what a cohesive community can and
will do.
To Cedar Hill Today, we thank
you for your coverage and support
and to our wonderfully supportive
community, we send regards to all
who helped set the stage for continu-
ing success. It’s going to be one fan-
tastic red-letter year for Cedar Hill
ISD—where the news just keeps get-
ting better! Stay tuned.... And, again,
welcome back to school!
Penny Hudson is Cedar Hill
ISD's Public Information Director
LETTERS
Dear Editor,
My name is Cole Boutwell. 1 am
eight years old.
1 want to thank all of the people
who stopped and helped my dad, Sid
Boutwell with his accident at Joe
WilsonandTarkervilTe', TulyTK"at 11
a.m.
Cole Boutwell,
Cedar Hill
Editors note: Sid Boutwell was an
off-duty volunteer police officer who
was involved in a wreck July 28.
Boutwell is recovering from the acci-
dent at home.
Dear Editor,
What a sight! What a feeling!
Cedar Hill Food Pantry Volunteers
are finally seeing the finishing touch-
es being made to their very own new
building in downtown Cedar Hill.
The organization has provided food
to needy citizens since November
1989 out of borrowed spaces. But
now, due to the donation of land by
local realtor Fred Garza and the com-
munity efforts of many other people
and organizations, the Pantry is about
ready to begin operating in its owrT
place.
The new building will have more
space for storage, more privacy for
consultations with new clients, public
and private bathrooms, more parking
space, and a walk-in cooler and
freezer. The Board of the Cedar Hill
Food Pantry wants to thank all of the
people who have unselfishly spent
many hours and thousands of dollars
to help in this project. There are too
many of you to list in this letter, but
here are a few.
Al Armistead has been the volun-
teer contractor for the building, and
the architect was Don McGee.
Kroger recently came to our rescue
when we had many hold ups on
building supplies and services which
put the construction at a stand still.
Kroger facility engineer Darrell K.
Burg brought in about 30 Kroger
employee volunteer^ to paint, put in
~fhe ceil frig, Tiang alT the inside doors,
install the cooler, freezer and con-
denser units that run them, put up
food storage shelving and deliver
about 100 cases of nonperishable
food.
On Aug. 5, there were about 18
Kroger vans outside the building site
plus other personal vehicles. As of
that day, Burg and his volunteers had
spent about three weeks (in hours) on
the project.
What a constructive, compassion-
ate display of concern for our hungry
neighbors!
Judy Kramer,
Cedar Hill
LETTER & PHOTO POLICY
The Opinion Page of Today Newspapers is an
open forum for all viewpoints.
Letters to the editor and guest columns are
encouraged.
Deadline is noon Monday in person at 1701 N.
Hampton in DeSoto, or by mail to P.O. Box
381029, Duncanville, TX 75138.
Letters must have an original signature, with a
home address and daytime telephone number for
verification purposes only.
The content of all letters will be preserved with-
in guidelines of clarity, style, taste, etc.
Letters should be of interest to local readers and
should be limited to 300 words.
A complete list of editorial policies, including
the submission of guest columns, is available at the
above location.
Call 972-298-4211 for further information.
Publication in one newspaper does not guaran-
tee a letter will be published in any other town.
Today Newspapers is not responsible for pho-
tographs submitted to the newspaper for publica-
tion.
Photos may be returned to the owner in person or
by mail if a self-addressed stamped envelope ac-
companies the photo.
However, despite our best efforts at tracking
photos from their entry into the building until the
photos are returned in person or by mail, occasion-
ally a photo is misplaced or literally lost in the
mail. We regret these incidents, but cannot be held
financially responsible.
Ask the AG:
By JOHN CORNYN
Special to Today
Q: Can I lose my driver’s
license or my hunting license if I
don’t pay child support?
A: Yes. Non-custodial parents
who hold a State of Texas license
and owe more than 90 days of past
due child support, and are not in
compliance with an existing court-
ordered or voluntary repayment
schedule, may face license suspen-
sion.
Most adults have a driver’s
license. Many have professional
licenses such as medical, dental and
commercial vehicle. Others have
recreational permits such as hunting
and fishing licenses.
The Office of the Attorney
General’s Child Support Division
matches its caseload with computer
tapes from 58 different licensing
agencies.
Can I lose my license for not paying child support?
The system checks for non-cus-
todial parents who hold eligible
licenses and meet the criteria for
license suspension. When a match
occurs, the Office of the Attorney
General will provide the license
holder with a warning and an
opportunity to resolve the outstand-
ing delinquency. ,
If the non-custodial parent fails
to respond, the Child Support
Division will confirm the parent’s
location and other information nec-
essary to suspend the license.
The case will be referred for
administrative or judicial prosecu-
tion.
Q: Can any other state agency or
private company handle child sup-
port enforcement cases, and if so,
will I receive money sooner?
A: In Texas, county-operated
domestic relations or child support
offices, private attorneys, and pri-
vate collection agencies also pro-
vide some child support enforce-
ment services. Private agencies do
charge for their services.
If you use the services of a pri-
vate child support collection
agency, be sure that you fully
understand any contract that you
sign. Some agencies may have you
sign a contract that allows the com-
pany to receive a portion of any
child support collected, even if the
agency did NOT actually collect the
payment for you.
The majority of the Attorney
General’s incoming cases do not
have established paternity or child
support orders. These cases take
longer to process than cases with
established paternity and child sup-
port orders.
Private child support collection
agencies and county domestic rela-
tions offices generally handle only
rag/»Q with net^hijehf^i paternity and
existing court child support orders.
The Office of the Attorney
General is required to provide child
support services to all families who
apply for our services and to all
families receiving Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families
(TANF). Moreover, the Office of
the Attorney General provides the
full range of child support services
free of charge. As a result, the
Attorney General’s caseload is
much larger than that of any private
collection agency.
However, a private agency may
be able to process some cases more
quickly. This factor should be bal-
anced against the cost of hiring a
private agency.
Q: I would like to have the
amount of child support my family
receives increased. Is it possible to
request this?
A: Only the Court can modify
child support payments. It can not
be done by agreement of the par-
ties. Grounds for a modification
include a material and substantial
change in the circumstances of a
child or another person affected by
the order or the passage of three
years since the last child support
order. In addition, the monthly pay-
ment must differ by either 20 per-
cent or $100 from the child support
guidelines.
A parent subject to a child sup-
port order can request a review of
the ordered child support amounts
every three years by contacting the
Office of the Attorney General.
To request a modification, or for
further information on Child
Support Services offered by the
Office of the Attorney General, call
800-252-8014. Information is also
available on our Web site at
www.oag.state.tx.us.
• General of Texas.
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Balentine, Kevin. Today Cedar Hill (Duncanville, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 10, 2000, newspaper, August 10, 2000; Duncanville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth623658/m1/4/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Zula B. Wylie Memorial Library.