The Harper News (Harper, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 12, Ed. 1 Friday, April 9, 2004 Page: 2 of 8
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page 2
From the Editor
April is National
Child Abuse Prevention
Month and we are print-
ing an article The Storm
Within, about abuse to
raise public awareness.
This was contributed by
Glenda Thompson, our
new reporter and I believe
you will find it thought-
provoking.
I have also started
a column on gardening as
spring is here and every-
one should take advan-
tage of our wonderful cli-
mate and grow something.
No store-bought veggie
ever tastes as wonderful
as something from your
own garden.
On April 30 and
May 1, I have agreed to
participate in the Relay
for Life sponsored by the
American Cancer Society.
I will be part of the
Harper School Team and I
need help. I need to raise
$100.00 to help fight can-
cer. This seems to be an
appropriate charity for
me as I have lost both my
father and my husband to
lung cancer. I will honor
their memories with a
luminaria for each at the
event. If you d like to
help, send your donation
to P. O. Box 577 or drop
by the office.
The deadline for
the next issue will be
Tuesday, April 20, at 5:00
p.m.
Child
Abuse Facts
--13,700 children are
abused and neglected
every day
--689 babies are born
with inadequate prenatal
care every day
--Every 11 seconds a child
is reported abused or
neglected
—Every 5 minutes a child
is arrested for a violent
crime.
—Every 2 hours a child
dies as a result of child
abuse.
100 Percent of
HarperThird
Graders Pass
Principal Jay
Harper was elated to
announce that all of the
forty-eight third graders
who took the TAKS
Reading test last month
passed.
Congratulations to
those third graders and
their parents and teachers
who made passing the test
possible.
On April 27, they
will take the math test
along with grades 4, 5, 6,
7, and 8. More TAKS tests
will continue on April 28
and 29 with make-up test-
ing on April 30.
The Harper News
The Storm Within
bv Glenda Thompson
April 9, 2004
Lightening flashes
like the devil s fire, van-
quishing the darkness of
the night. Thunder rattles
the glass in the kitchen
windows. Ominous blue-
black clouds roll across the
sky like bruises. Watching
the storm approach, she
finishes the supper dishes.
Silently, he creeps
up behind her. With no
warning he grabs her sav-
agely from behind.
Dishwater flies. Glass shat-
ters. Viciously, he bashes
her head down onto to
sparkling white tile of the
kitchen counter. Winding
his hands through her
thick, auburn hair, he
jerks her back to her feet.
With a furious fist to her
kidneys, he propels her
into the dining table.
Terrified, she stumbles
away from him wiping
blood and tears from her
face. She flees to the liv-
ing room. He follows.
Outside an angry wind
howls as inside a storm
rages.
A tiny child cowers
in the corner behind a
faded brocade sofa. Her
teddy bear forgotten, she
backs as far into the cor-
ner as she can get. A veil
of long blonde hair hides
the fading bruises on her
face. Her vivid blue eyes
widen, fill with tears.
Daddy s home. Arms
wrapped tightly around
her knees, the preschooler
rocks back and forth. A
keening wail begins deep
in the wee one s throat.
Squeezing her eyes tightly
shut, the child rocks faster
and faster.
With a brutal blow
the man backhands the
woman across the face
knocking her into the rock
fireplace. As she falls to
her knees, he leaps upon
her, slamming her head
repeatedly into the hearth.
The child, still crouching
in the corner behind the
sofa, wails louder to drown
out the sickening thuds of
flesh meeting stone.
With a roar of rage,
the man turns toward the
child. Acting on animal
instinct, the woman jumps
on his back, kicking and
clawing, to protect her
child. The man turns
back to the woman. A
final blow to the temple
and he storms from the
room. A door slams. A
car screams out of the dri-
veway. Silence.
Tentatively, the
child whispers, Daddy?
A small, blonde head
peeks out from its hiding
place. He sgone. Crawling
through the warm, sticky,
red stuff, the little girl
goes to her Mommy.
Mommy is lying on the
floor. Pudgy fingers pat
Mommy softly on the arm.
Mommy? The fingers
move gently to her cheek.
M)mmy? Mommy! The
little girl knows—Mommy s
gone too.
The above story is
fiction. Unfortunately, for
many people, this is a way
of life. Each year an esti-
mated three million cases
of suspected child abuse
and neglect are reported
to the Child Protective
Services. More than three
children die each day in
America as a result of
child abuse and neglect.
While reported cases are
staggering, research indi-
cates that actual rates of
abuse are much higher.
Studies indicate
that between 25-50% of
children will experience
some form of abuse during
childhood. The number of
physical abuse victims is
estimated to be 16 times
higher than the officially
reported number.
Thousands of fatal cases of
child abuse show danger
signs but often go unre-
ported.
There is no disease,
natural disaster or trauma
that is killing more chil-
dren under the age of four
than abuse and neglect.
The consequences of ade-
quately identifying abuse
victims and failing to
address abuse are substan-
tial.
A twelve-year
study reported in the
Archives of Pediatrics and
Adolescent Medicine (Aug.,
2002) found that abused
children had higher rates
of aggression, anxiety,
depression, dissociation,
and post-traumatic stress
disorder as well as social
and cognitive problems.
Child abuse increases risks
for criminal violence, sub-
stance abuse, and suicide
as well. Other research
shows that abuse/neglect
can affect a child s brain
development, resulting in
lasting deficits in impulse
control, cognition, emo-
tional development and
learning potential.
The indirect costs
of child abuse are estimat-
ed at $658 million to $1.3
billion per year while the
direct costs are in the tril-
lions. The cost of suffering
for a child, however, is
immeasurable.
For every dollar
spent on child abuse pre-
vention, at least two dol-
lars are saved that might
otherwise have been spent
on child welfare services,
special education services,
medical care, foster care,
counseling, and to house
juvenile offenders. Eighty-
three percent of Americans
believe it is possible to
prevent abuse and neglect
before they start. Why
then for every dollar spent
on the treatment of child
abuse, does the U. S. only
spend one penny on pre-
vention? What can we do
to help?
Learn to recognize
and report suspected child
abuse. The behavior of
children may signal abuse
or neglect long before any
change in physical appear-
ance. Some of the signs
may include nervousness
around adults; aggression
toward adults or other
children: inability to stay
awake or concentrate for
extended periods of time;
sudden, dramatic changes
in personality or activities;
unnatural interest in sex;
frequent or unexplained
bruises or injuries; low
self-esteem; or poor
hygiene.
Reach out to the
child. Your first responsi-
bility when you recognize
abuse is to report your
suspicions, but keep in
mind, your words and
actions at the time of dis-
covery greatly affect the
child s eventual healing.
Ask a child s permission
before looking at a bruise
or other mark, especially if
he or she attemps to hide
it.
It is a good idea to
look at injuries in the pres-
ence of another responsi-
ble adult. Never attempt
to examine a child s pri-
vate body parts. Reserve
judgement: a number of
innocent circumstances
can produce marks that
appear to be the results of
abuse but are not.
A person who
becomes aware of child
abuse or neglect should
not attempt to investigate
the child s situation.
Reasonable suspicions
should be reported for
possible investigation by
appropriate authorities.
The law does not require
the person reporting to be
certain a child is being
abused before reporting it.
They must only have rea-
son for believing it.
Reasonable suspi-
cions of abuse must be
reported to the authori-
ties. Any time a child dis-
closes abuse to an adult,
the adult has reason to
make a report. This is true
even if the adult feels
skeptical about what the
child said. Report it and
let the appropriate author-
ities judge the need for
investigation.
Anyone wishing to
report suspected child
abuse or neglect should
call any state or local law
enforcement agency or
Child Protective Services.
CPS has a toll-free, 24-
hour Abuse Hotline: 1-
800-252-5400. When a
child appears to be in
immediate danger or seri-
ous harm, call 911 or the
nearest police or sheriff's
department, to ensure the
fastest response time to
protect the child.
Many times reports
do not include enough
information for law
enforcement officers to
locate the child. Be pre-
pared to provide whenever
possible, the child s name,
description, age, address,
license plates, make of car
or other information that
might help authorities
locate the child quickly. It
is critical that the report
be made as soon as possi-
ble. The more time that
elapses between the inci-
dent and the report, the
more difficult it is to inves-
tigate.
For more informa-
tion locally, contact the
Hill Country Crisis Council
at (830) 257-7088 or
(830) 257-2400.
Area Rains Make Driving Hazardous
The Harper and
surrounding Hill Country
area was inundated with
rain Monday, April 5,
2004. Amounts between
one and a half to five inch-
es of rain fell in the area
and was accompanied by
high winds, lightening and
hail in some areas.
Area drivers are
reminded never to drive
off in swift running water.
Each year, Texas
records fatalities of people
who thought they could
make it across the high
water. Creeks around here
run down quickly and it s
much safer just to wait.
Never cross through a bar-
ricaded road; it s danger-
ous and against the law.
Be careful driving
and enjoy the much need-
ed rain.
Dear Harper Community
My name is Baley
Felts. I would like to
thank you for buying my
goat. It means a lot to me
that you bought my goat.
My goat s name is Jack.
The money I got will go
towards the purchase of
another animal and my
college education.
Thanks again!
Baley Felts
Dear Mr. Lumpkins and
Harper Community,
I really appreciate
you buying my show ani-
mal at Fredericksburg. I
spent a lot of time working
with him and it paid off
with the money. I will use
part of it toward a college
education and the rest for
next year sshow prospects
and goat camp. I am
proud to be showing for
the Harper Community.
Thanks,
Mackenzie Haag
Why a Blue Ribbon?
by Glenda Thompson
In 1982, by
Presidential Proclamation,
April was declared Child
Abuse Prevention Month.
Since that time, child
abuse and neglect aware-
ness activities have been
promoted across the coun-
try during this month.
Bonnie Finney of
Portsmouth, VA, started a
personal battle to combat
child abuse after the death
of her grandson. She tied
a blue ribbon around her
van s antenna to remind
people of her grandson,
Michael, Bubba,
Dickinson, whose bruised
and battered body had
been found at the bottom
of a canal~a victim of child
abuse. Her hope is, E\en
if we just change one
child s life, it would be
worth it. I don t want
other parents or grandpar-
ents to go through what we
are going through.
That single blue
ribbon memory of a grand-
son has led to a flurry of
others in the national
effort to stop child abuse.
As an awareness strategy
for Child Abuse Prevention
Month, the Blue Ribbon
Campaign idea has picked
up momentum..
Harper Kitchen Keepsakes, and Brush
Hrber Days, beth cookbooks; Here’s
Harper. Here’s Harper Two &
HLUMfl hunting caps on sale at
the Harper Nems office.
Harper
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such advertisement.
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to change subscription rates with-
out notice.
The (Harper (News
is Owned and Tub fished by the pfarper
Chamfer of Commerce.
23586 West 'll. S. (Highway 290
(P. O. (Box 577, pfarper, TX 78631-0577
(Martha Stevens - (Editor/Manager
emaif - hnews@htc.com
Michaef McMahon - advertising (Editor
emaif - hnewsads@htc.com
(Phone 830 864-5655
Subscription rates:
$15.00 focaffu (Cjiffespie Cty. and/or a
pfarper address), $16.00 out of county
and $17.00 out of state
(Puh fished twice a month
(A minimum of 1000 copies of this paper are
printed hy the (Kerrviffe (Daify ‘Times. We
have 325 paid subscriptions and distribute
another 100 to focaf merchants.
TIS(PS (Bufh rate Permit #104
(Postmaster: Send address changes to:
The pfarper (News, P. O. Pox 577,
pfarper, Tixas 78631-0577)
bend subscriptions to: The Harper News,
P. O. Box 577, Harper, TX 78631-0577
1 year -$15.00 locally, $16.00 out of county,
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Stevens, Martha. The Harper News (Harper, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 12, Ed. 1 Friday, April 9, 2004, newspaper, April 9, 2004; Harper, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth844764/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Harper Library.