Governor Rick Perry has declared May as Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month in Texas. DPS urges all motorcyclists, both experienced and inexperienced, to attend a professionally taught motorcycle course to improve their skills and increase safety.

More than 700,000 people in Texas are licensed to operate a motorcycle - and as the weather improves during the month of May, many of these drivers take to the roadways to enjoy the season. For both new and experienced riders, May is the perfect time to renew motorcycle operation skills and knowledge.

"The DPS Motorcycle Safety Unit offers basic and advanced motorcycle operator training in 45 permanent locations and 11 other sites that use two mobile training units," said Clifton Burdette, coordinator of the DPS Motorcycle Safety Unit. "Last year, 20,636 Texans took either the basic or advanced course - a 29 percent increase over 2001."

The basic motorcycle operator training course is for unlicensed or inexperienced riders, and the advanced course is for more experienced riders. In addition, both of the courses may qualify for ticket dismissal and insurance discounts.

While Texas does not require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, the DPS strongly encourages riders to wear helmets to increase safety and save lives. Fatalities of motorcyclists not wearing helmets drastically increased during the last decade. In 1990, 21 percent of motorcycle-related fatalities involved people not wearing helmets. By 2000, that number had increased to 63 percent.

Texas law states that in order to be exempt from wearing a helmet, a person must be at least 21 years of age. In addition, they must successfully complete a motorcycle safety course or be covered by a health insurance plan providing at least $10,000 in medical benefits for motorcycle-related injuries.

Information about the Motorcycle Safety Unit classes can be found on the DPS Web site at www.txdps.state.tx.us/msb. For additional information on motorcycle training, call 512-424-2021 or toll-free at 1-800-292-5787.

Abused children of Fannin County recently gained four new advocates when the Honorable Judge Ray Grisham of the 336^th District Court swore-in four new CASA volunteers. New volunteers include Charlene Dalton, Gib Field and Michael Keene of Bonham and Carmen Caldwell of Leonard.

Each of the volunteers completed an intensive thirty hours of training to prepare them to advocate for abused children involved in the court system. CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, is appointed by the judge to be the Guardian ad Litem for children involved in the foster care system. In that role, they speak up for a child’s best interest in court hearings after investigating the child’s circumstances through talking with family members, teachers, therapists, caseworkers and of course, the child.

The training also prepared the volunteers for working with the Child Advocacy Center. When children and their non-offending caregivers come to the center for the child’s forensic interview, volunteers often help provide family support.

"We are thrilled to have four more child advocates on our team," said Joyce McGehee, CASA Program Director. One volunteer has already accepted a case and McGehee promised the other new recruits that she will probably have cases for them soon too.

For more information about CASA or the Child Advocacy Center, call (903) 583-4339.

Air Force Airman 1st Class James E. Sims II has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

During the six weeks of training, the airman studied the Air Force mission, organization, and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches, and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises, and special training in human relations.

In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

He is the son of Esther Sims of Whitewright, Texas.

Sims is a 1999 graduate of Whitewright High School.

Army Pfc. Justin R. McKenzie has deployed to an overseas forward operating location to support the mission of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Enduring Freedom is the official name given to the biggest U.S. military mobilization since the Gulf War in 1991. Members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces have been deployed and reserve components activated to support the war against global terrorism, combating the international terrorist network or regime forces outside the United States.

McKenzie is a Patriot launching station enhanced operator/maintainer normally assigned to the Charlie Battery, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery at Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas.

He is the son of Anita Ditzler of Moyers, Okla., and David Holmes of Honey Grove, Texas.

His wife, Lisa, is the daughter of Paul D. Wallace and Lolita Braizer both of Bonham, Texas.

Marine Corps Reserve Pvt. James M. Stambaugh, son of Marilyn E. and Norman L. Pemberton of Sherman, Texas, recently reported for duty with Ordnance Maintenance Company, 4th Maintenance Battalion, 4th Force Service Support Group, Waco, Texas.

Stambaugh joined the Marine Corps Reserve in June 2002.

Bonham,Texas-Nearly 200,000 children are reported as abused or neglected every year in Texas, according to Child Protective Services, a division of the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services. April is child abuse prevention month in Texas and in the nation. "It’s a time to focus on ways not only to protect children but also to prevent abuse from ever occurring," said Susy Meehan, Supervisor for the local Child Protective Services office. "This is our opportunity to make a difference in young lives."

Neglect is the most frequent form of child abuse, according to the state agency charged with protecting children. Children die simply because they’re put in situations where they are not supervised. Parenting is never an easy job----but parent’s are not alone. If you feel overwhelmed as a parent, reach out for help. Ask a family member, neighbor, or a community social service agency for help.

The Web site www.itsuptoyou.org contains a wealth of information on how to prevent child abuse, where to go to get help with parenting skills, and what to do if you suspect a child is in danger.

The Child Abuse Awareness theme this year is ‘Don’t Walk Away’--every 11 seconds a child is abused. Statistics estimate that every day, 13,700 children in America are abused or neglected. It’s up to you to report any suspected child abuse or neglect.

May is Foster Parent Appreciation month. Hundreds of Texas children are in need of caring foster or adoptive parents. Don’t Walk Away---consider becoming a foster or adoptive parent by calling

1-800-228-8226.

All reports of Abuse and Neglect should be made to the statewide toll free number: 1-800-252-5400.

It’s up to you.

Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services.

Here are some of the latest legislative decisions reported by NAMI. The House Appropriations Committee listened to suggestions from several sources and selected "systems change" to focus existing state resources on a reduced priority population (adults with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder & severe clinical depression and children with serious emotional disturbances) using disease management strategies.

Key leadership agreed that, in a session with a huge budget shortfall, a reprioritization of resources around the most serious but highly treatable disorders made the most sense.

They instructed that

The "new treatment strategy" is contained in HB 2292 and is a significant declaration of public policy.  HB 2292 passed its first vote in the House Friday evening (4/26/03).

It also contains sections calling for consolidation of the HHSC agencies (dismemberment of TDMHMR) and establishment of a preferred drug list (PDL) requiring supplemental rebates. If HB 2292 becomes law, it will result in fewer people being served by our public mental health system. 

The community mental health centers will have the challenge of finding resources for those not in the new priority population.  But, those served will be served effectively.

Here’s the relevant portion of HB 2292.

Sec. 533.0354.   DISEASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND JAIL DIVERSION MEASURES OF LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES. 

(a) A local mental health authority shall provide assessment services, crisis

services, and intensive and comprehensive services using disease management practices for:

(1)  adults with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or clinically severe depression;

(2) children with serious emotional illnesses.

(b) The local mental health authority shall engage an individual with treatment services that are:

(1) ongoing and matched in type, duration and intensity to the needs of the individual;

(2) focused on a process of recovery designed to progress an individual through levels of service;

(3) guided by evidence-based protocols & a strength-based paradigm of service, and

(4) monitored by a system that holds local authorities accountable for specific outcomes, while allowing flexibility to maximize local resources.

(c) The department shall require each local mental health authority to incorporate jail diversion strategies into the authority’s disease management strategies for managing schizophrenia and bipolar disorder to reduce the involvement of those client populations with the criminal justice system.

There is more, but let’s let the dust settle some more and see what the conference committee works out.

Jeremy Paul Ballard will be inducted into the Beta Beta Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Texas State Technical College - Marshall on June 1, 2003.

Ballard, majoring in Computer Aided Drafting, is the son of Warren and Marilyn Ballard of Bonham, TX.

Established in 1918 by two-year college presidents, Phi Theta Kappa is the oldest and most prestigious honor society serving two-year colleges around the world. The Society serves to recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students and provide opportunities for individual growth and development through honors, leadership and service programming. Students must rank in the top 20% of the class to be invited to membership in Phi Theta Kappa and must maintain high academic standing during their enrollment in the two-year college. Phi Theta Kappa is the largest honor society in American higher education with more than 1.5 million members and 1100 chapters located in 50 United States, United States territories, Canada, Germany and Japan. In 1929, the American Association of Community Colleges recognized Phi Theta Kappa as the official honor society for two-year colleges. The Society holds membership in the prestigious Association of College Honor Societies as the general scholarship honor society representing two-year colleges.

A little more than 100 years ago, a German immigrant named Paul Kroegel began his quest to create a safe place for the wildlife that inhabited Pelican Island, Florida. His efforts spawned a century of wildlife preservation in our country. This year as we celebrate the centennial of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the 17 sites in Texas that are part of the system, the tale of a man, a boat and an island is still relevant.

Paul Kroegel was known for his keen interest in boating and his love of the birds and wildlife that called the coastal area home. He frequently played his accordion while riding through the marshes and over the years became alarmed by the diminishing number of birds, brown pelicans in particular, which roosted in the area. His concern was heightened when he discovered there were no laws protecting the pelicans or other wildlife.

Paul passionately protected the birds, teaming up with naturalists who visited the island to find a way to preserve the birds. Soon, the naturalists brought the case of the pelicans before President Theodore Roosevelt. It was not long before the conservationist president established Pelican Island as a federal bird reservation, the first in a network of fifty-five. Saying, "Wild beasts and birds are by right not the property merely of the people who are alive today, but the property of unknown generations, whose belongings we have no right to squander," President Roosevelt signed an executive order on March 14, 1903, creating America’s National Wildlife Refuge System. Paul Kroegel was hired as the first wildlife warden for a meager $1 per month.

Today, 100 years later, it is clear that one man and his boat saved not only the birds of Pelican Island, but our nation’s rich legacy of wildlife. In Texas, 17 such refuges dot our state’s landscape. From the Laguna Atascosa Refuge in south Texas to the Buffalo Lake Refuge in the panhandle, Texas carries on Kroegel’s legacy, as home to a diversity of wildlife that flourish and thrive.

The Muleshoe Refuge, our state’s oldest, is located on nearly 6,000 acres on the high plains of west Texas. It was established as a wintering area for migratory waterfowl and sandhill cranes, and the 600 acres of water on the refuge provide a welcome sanctuary for 282 species of migrating birds.

At the 34,000-acre Anahuac Refuge in the upper Texas Coast along Galveston Bay, a broad variety of plant and animal life call the region home. The coastal wetlands provide a nursery habitat for marine species such as blue crab and spotted sea trout, and the refuge also attracts migratory ducks and geese. American alligators, endangered in the 1960s, now thrive in the wetlands.

Each year, with the help of more than 30,000 volunteers, wildlife refuges in Texas and every state of the union host some 35,000,000 visitors. They are part animal sanctuary, part research facility, and part recreational area all rolled into one, but their primary focus is defined by their motto: "Where wildlife comes first."

It is important for Texans and all Americans to recognize and appreciate the efforts of our nation’s refuges in preserving the natural habitats of endangered species. In Washington, Congress is doing its part to support the noble mission of the system. In fact, this March we passed a resolution commemorating the refuge centennial and reaffirming our commitment to fund the efforts to preserve wildlife for future generations.

As we launch into a second century of conservation and the competition for land and water increases, we must strike a balance between progress and nature. The National Wildlife Refuge System is indeed the "cornerstone of conservationism" in our country and serves as the perfect vehicle to ensure peaceful cohabitation continues.

The story of a man, a boat and an island is more than an American folk tale. It’s the story of a quest to save a species that became a legacy for a nation to enjoy.

Each year the American people head to the polls and cast their vote for the local, state and federal officials they believe will best represent their views. And last November, when Texans went to the ballot box, they sent Washington a message loud and clear: we expect results. Message received. I’m pleased with our achievements during the first four months of the 108th Congress.

AMBER Alert

One of my proudest accomplishments is the recent passage of a national AMBER Alert network. Last year the Senate passed the legislation, but the clock ran out before the House could act. This year, both chambers of Congress worked to swiftly reach an agreement on this critical legislation. AMBER alerts, which originated here in Texas, save the lives of children - 60 to date. With the passage of my legislation, we will be able to take this success story nationwide and save countless others.

Budget

Congress approved last year’s appropriations bills to ensure the full funding of the initiatives and programs on which Americans rely. We passed a budget to provide a spending blueprint for the year, and paved the way for action on the president’s economic stimulus plan to put people back to work. We will pass tax relief to let families keep more of what they earn and some regulatory reform to help stabilize our economy.

Homeland Security

We started off the year by confirming former Pennsylvania Governor, Tom Ridge, as our nation’s first Homeland Security Secretary. As the head of the new 180,000-person agency, he is implementing necessary changes to help protect the American people from future terror attacks. By bringing together 22 previously disparate domestic agencies under one umbrella, the Department of Homeland Security will enable government and the American people to better prepare and respond to the new threats we face. Congress is working closely with the agency to ensure proper funding of this critical mission.

Faith-Based Initiative

The Senate also passed the Charity Aid, Recovery, and Empowerment, or "CARE" Act, to help the poor and needy among us by encouraging philanthropy. The bi-partisan bill will spur charitable giving and level the playing field for faith-based organizations that serve the needy. Among its key provisions are tax incentives for charitable giving; making it easier for low-income workers to build their assets and save for their families; and providing opportunities for faith-based organizations wishing to compete for government funding.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

When Congress convened in January, we did not know our nation would be heading to war in Iraq. But in March, we rolled into Baghdad to eliminate the threat of Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction. Congress responded by offering support - morally and fiscally - to aid our men and women in uniform in their great task, passing a nearly $80 billion wartime spending bill to fund the campaign. Though our work is not yet over, our mission thus far has been successful.

The Road Ahead

There is still much to be done. Some of my top priorities include confirmation of federal judges, needed to fill vacancies in our nation’s courts; development of a comprehensive national policy to make America energy independent and create more jobs; and reforming Medicare with a prescription drug component to bring this program into the 21st century.

While our plate is still overflowing, I’m pleased with our progress thus far. The American people should rest assured that while global issues may dominate the news, Congress is also moving ahead on important domestic fronts that affect your day-to-day lives.

In the last few years, few issues have received more attention than education funding and property tax reform. Earlier this week, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and the Texas Senate laid out a plan that would dramatically reduce property taxes and replace the current system of school finance.

Under the proposed plan, property taxes would be cut in half, going from the current $1.50 cap to a cap of 75 cents. The plan would also do away with the current "Robin Hood" school finance plan while preserving equity funding for Texas school children.

The plan would put 98 percent of school children in an equalized system in which taxpayers would spend about the same for each child’s basic educational costs. Currently, 85 percent are in an equalized system.

I believe this plan will result in much needed property tax relief for Texans, while ensuring our children have every educational opportunity. Key components of the plan are:

Repeal Local Property Tax: Repeal local school district Maintenance and Operations (M&O) tax.

Establish Texas Education Fund: Establish Texas Education Fund in the Texas Constitution dedicated to elementary and secondary schools and funded with a state tax on property capped at 75 cents, which would have the effect of cutting average M&O property taxes by half.

Create the Voter-Approved Public Education Enrichment Tax: Allow voter approval of an additional ten cents of local enrichment tax on property to fund programs in excess of the basic program funded by the state.

Maintain Local Control of Schools: Plan would maintain the current local control of schools, but provide funding from the state level.

Eliminate Robin Hood as it Currently Exists: The Texas Education Fund, funded with a state tax on property capped at 75 cents, would replace the current system of recapture.

The state Texas Education Fund would distribute funds equally among all Texas school children, guaranteeing virtually the same spending per pupil in all areas of the state.

Establish Texas Education Fund: Establish Texas Education Fund in the Texas Constitution dedicated to elementary and secondary schools funded with a state tax on property capped at 75 cents, which would have the effect of cutting property taxes by half.

Authorize State Funding for the Proposal: The Constitutional Amendment would authorize the imposition of taxes on sales and property to fund the Texas Education Fund.

Property tax relief would be guaranteed in the Texas Constitution and capped at 75 cents, with up to 10 cents of local enrichment.

School Funding Guarantee:

Guaranteed Spending per Pupil: School districts would initially be guaranteed $4,200 per weighted pupil.

Districts would not receive less than under current funding formulas.

Create the Public Education Enrichment Tax: Allow voter approval of an additional ten cents of local enrichment tax on property to fund programs in excess of the basic program funded by the state. All districts would be guaranteed access to at least $30 per penny of tax rate per weighted pupil.

Shifts Responsibility for Funding Public Schools to the State Level: The proposal would shift the responsibility for funding the basic program for public schools to the state.

Expand the sales tax base by including most services currently exempted, except medical services.

Increase the state sales tax to between 7.5% and 7.85%.

Increase the motor vehicle sales tax rate to the total sales tax rate (state + local).

Provide Sales Tax exemptions for Lone Star Card holders.

Revenues generated at the local level through expansion of the sales tax base could be dedicated to education, additional property tax relief, or local sales tax reductions.

Establish a Blue Ribbon Task Force to study funding formulas, the components of an excellent public education, and achievement in public schools to develop recommendations for the 79th Legislative Session in 2005.

To contact Sen. Deuell about the legislative process, contact the Capitol Office at (512) 463-0102 or mail to Sen. Bob Deuell, Texas Senate, P.O. Box 12068, Austin, TX 78711. The website for the Texas Senate is www.Senate.state.tx.us. The e-mail address for Sen. Deuell is: bob.deuell@senate.state.tx.us.

It is one of those images people may remember forever: A long smoky contrail streaking across a bright blue north Texas sky, gracefully appears to split from one source to several. But wait! Is that right? Should it be doing that?

The reality is that it should not. The horrifying spectacle of the February breakup of the space shuttle Columbia during re-entry is etched into the memory like the images of the mushrooming explosion of its early predecessor, the Challenger; or the brutal swiftness of the World Trade

Center towers collapse after terrorists crashed airliners into them.

The shuttle accident rekindles discussions about whether space program benefits justify the risks. Space exploration brought us Tang and pervasive cellular phone use. But have more valuable results emerged as well, advancements to help humanity?

Yes, say physicians and scientists working with and for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and they cite medical advances as evidence, according to the May issue of Texas Medicine magazine.

"If you ask me whether we have gotten any benefit out of space exploration, I know the answer is an unequivocal yes," Bernard Harris, MD, a former astronaut, told Texas Medicine, the official magazine of the Texas Medical Association. "Is it important that we continue to do it? Yes, it is. Is it worth the risk that we take as human beings by going into space flight to benefit us here on Earth? The answer again is yes."

Dr. Harris acknowledges the value of the re-assessment taking place in the aftermath of this shuttle disaster, but he believes medical discoveries

prove the program’s value.

Some examples:

* Physicians must monitor the health of astronauts as they venture into space, so electrodes for electrocardiograms were invented. Now physicians perform the test on "typical" Americans-- teachers, retirees, and salespeople - every day.

* NASA invented computerized and digital radiography in an attempt to discover x-ray sources in the universe. Radiologists say applying the technology to medicine has revolutionized standard radiology for thousands of patients every day, the magazine reports.

* Scientists created a device to pump fuel in gravity-free space. From that concept the left ventricular assist device (VAD) was born, a special type of heart pump. Physicians at the Baylor College of Medicine collaborated with NASA scientists to create this device, capable of either pulsating or producing a smooth, steady blood flow... yet it is smaller than an artificial heart. According to Texas Medicine, its current use is to assist the human heart of patients awaiting a transplant. The devices may eventually become a permanent fixture to assist a weakened heart, so a transplant may be avoided.

While there are critics of the NASA program and the benefits of such research compared to the costs, proponents point to a conditional element in space they say is ideal for experimentation: microgravity. With the shuttle program on hold as a result of the accident, such experiments languish.

"When we’re not flying, we’re not doing microgravity research," Neil Pellis, PhD, NASA program scientist for the International Space Station, told Texas Medicine. "For the biomedical sciences and life sciences, there are limited other venues in which to do this."

Among the types of experiments being tested in the shuttle’s microgravity environment are examining the role bone marrow plays in helping prostate cancer cells metastasize, and using rats to study at the effects of microgravity on the regulation of arterial blood pressure. Much information from those tests was lost in the Columbia mishap.

"Not only was a lot of data lost, we also lost a brand new lab. That’s a significant setback," said Jim Logan, MD, manager of medical informatics and health care systems at the Johnson Space Center.

But even with the greater setback of the tragic loss of life, scientists will answer the next mission’s call. "There’s no question about it; we take everything to its absolute extreme and beyond," Dr. Pellis told the magazine. "When you do this, the result is technological advancement that can be revolutionary."

TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing 38,000 physician and medical student members. Founded 150 years ago in Austin, it is still located there, and has 119 component county medical societies around the state. TMA has been named America’s best medical society for its effective activities related to provision of quality medical care. TMA’s key objective is to improve the health of all Texans.

Bill Could End Robin Hood School Finance System

A bill has been introduced this session that would end the current school finance system as we know it. Many of you know this system by its nickname Robin Hood, since it essentially takes money from rich school districts and gives it to poor school districts in an effort to provide equity among districts throughout the state. Only about 10% of the school districts in the state contribute money, while the remaining 90% either receive money or are not affected. School districts in Fannin and Grayson Counties receive money under the current system.

House Bill 5 by Rep. Kent Grusendorf would end the Robin Hood system in September 2005, at which time a new finance structure would have to be in place. The bill does not offer a replacement system. Opponents of the bill say that it would be unwise to do away with the current system without having a new system in place. They say that we cannot be sure that the legislature will agree on a new financing structure by the 2005 deadline.

I have worked with other representatives whose school districts benefit from Robin Hood to add a provision to HB 5 that would ensure that the current system stays in place should the legislature not enact a new school finance system by August 2004.

In addition to putting an ending date on the state’s school finance system, the bill injects $1.2 billion in new funding for education. Over the next two fiscal years, school districts throughout the state would receive an additional $300 per student. The new money will be used at the discretion of the school district and is over and above the money provided under the system’s current formula funding.

There will be several amendments offered on the bill. One such amendment would fully fund the teachers’ health insurance $1,000 supplement. Another amendment would provide $20 million in relief to small schools.

House Bill 5 would almost ensure a special session in late fall of this year or early spring of next year to come up with a new finance system to give relief to local property owners. The plan will likely reflect a decrease in local property tax. Many options will be debated, but it is safe to say that replacing the current system with an income tax is highly unlikely.

This bill was heard on the House Floor last Thursday and was knocked down due to a procedural technicality. It is expected to return to the House soon.

You can reach me by writing to P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768-2910 or by e-mailing me at larry.phillips@house.state.tx.us.

Calling Texas the "largest donor state in the history of the Federal Aid Highway Program," Texas State Senator Bob Deuell and his colleagues are calling on the Texas Congressional delegation to remedy the problem.

On Monday, Sen. Deuell circulated a letter addressed to Texas’ two U.S. Senators and 32 Members of Congress asking for support of a more equitable funding formula for highway dollars. The letter was signed by all 31 members of the Texas Senate.

According to the letter, Texas has not gotten it’s fair share of the federal gasoline tax.

"Since 1956, we have sent five billion more to Washington than we have received," Deuell said. "We currently only get about 87 cents back for every dollar of gasoline tax we send to the federal government."

Deuell said current circumstances warrant more money coming back to Texas.

"Texas is a fast-growing border state with significant infrastructure and transportation needs," Deuell said. "My colleagues and I in the Texas Senate invite our friends in Washington to help us with these challenges."

The letter calls on the Congressional delegation to support bipartisan legislation that will provide at least a 95% rate of return for all states. The letter goes on to state this money would be used to support construction of transportation infrastructure to reduce congestion and pollution, improve safety and support economic growth.

CRP protects millions of acres of American topsoil from erosion and is designed to improve the nation’s natural resources base. Participants voluntarily remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production by entering into long-term contracts for 10 to 15 years. In exchange, participants receive annual rental payments and a payment of up to 50 percent of the cost of establishing conservation practices.

By reducing water runoff and sedimentation, CRP also protects groundwater and helps improve the condition of lakes, rivers, ponds and streams. Acreage enrolled in the CRP is placated to resource-conserving vegetative covers, making the program a major contributor to increases in wildlife populations in many parts of the country.

The CRP general sign-up will be held from May 5 through May 30. Producers can sign up at local USDA service centers across the nation. The 2002 Farm Bill authorized USDA to maintain CRP enrollment up to 39.2 million acres.

Aside from the general sign-up, CRP’s continuous sign-up program will be ongoing. USDA has reserved two million acres for the continuous sign-up program, which represents the most environmentally desirable and sensitive land. USDA is making a special effort to help enhance wildlife habitats and air quality by setting aside 500,000 acres for bottomland hardwood tree planting. Continuous sign-up for hardwood planting will start after the general sign-up.

Current participants with contracts expiring September 30, 2003 or September 30, 2004 can make new contract offers. Contracts awarded under this sign-up will become effective either at the beginning of the next fiscal year, Oct. 1, 2003, or the following year, Oct. 1, 2004, whichever the producer chooses. One other general sign-up will be offered through 2007.

The Farm Service Agency will evaluate and rank eligible CRP offers using the Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) for environmental benefits to be gained from enrolling the land in CRP. Decisions on the EBI cutoff will be made after the sign-up ends and after analyzing the EBI numbers of all the offers. Those who would have met previous sign-up EBI thresholds are not guaranteed a contract under this sign-up. For more information, contact the Fannin County FSA Office at 903-583-9513 or visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd for the Conservation Reserve Program Sign-Up 26 Fact Sheet.

Texas Cooperative Extension, Fannin County and the USDA-Natural Resources and Conservation Service will hold the fourth annual Farm Pond Management Seminar on Friday, May 9th at Hodge Catfish Farm on FM 1753 north of Bonham. The seminar this year will focus on fish species and stocking rates, fishing techniques, fishing tackle and baits, and fish diseases. There will also be information available on pond weed identification and methods of control, pond fertilization, and methods of clearing muddy ponds as usual This year, pond water testing for pH and alkalinity will also be available. If you would like your pond water tested, please bring a small sample to the seminar.

Several speakers will be presenting information on the topics listed including Billy Higgenbotham, Extension Wildlife Specialist from the Overton Research Facility, Fannin County angler, Jim Bush, and Craig Hodge of Hodge Catfish Farm.

We encourage all to attend this seminar. Cost for adults will be $5 and $1 for students. The seminar will begin at 8:30 a.m. with registration and programs will follow at 9.00 a.m. A catfish lunch will be provided by the Fannin County Soil and Water Conservation District and will immediately follow the seminar.

If you plan on attending the seminar, please call the Extension Office at 903-583­-7453 on or before Wednesday, May 7"’ so an accurate count can be made on how many to expect for lunch.

Texas Cooperative Extension - Fannin County and the Fannin County Master Gardeners will be sponsoring a Pecan Grafting Demonstration on Saturday, May 17^th at 9.00 a.m. at the farm of area pecan producer, Danny Newton. Mr. Newton’s farm is located north of Ector on FM 2645. There is no cost for attending the demonstration and all interested in grafting are invited to attend.

For more information and specific directions to Mr. Newton’s farm, please call the Fannin County Extension Office at 903-583-7453.

Fannin County Equine Field Day sponsored by the Fannin County Extension Horse Committee Texas Cooperative Extension May 3rd - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fannin County Armory Grounds (corner of Hwy 121 and Hwy 56)

Bring your horses - services and lectures on numerous topics.

Dr, Norris – Sulphur Springs – services: Coggins, vaccinations (these services available 9 to 12 only),

Gail Gregg – equine chiropractor – services: adjustments/alignments $25.00,

Lee Conway – freeze brander - services: freeze branding $30.00 (remember to register brand with the county clerks office),

Brian Bench – certified farrier – trimming and shoeing services

Glenn Spradling – certified journeyman farrier – topic, hoof care

Dr. David Kee – Extension Agronomist from Texas A & M Commerce – ­horse pastures & hay and how to establish them

Leslie Wightman – equine dental health

Steve Davis "The Reinman" – custom braided tack - www.sdavisbraidingco.com.

HAT Horsemen’s Association of Texoma (HAT) is an all breed group of horse enthusiasts in the Lake Texoma area of N. Texas and S. Oklahoma, interested in a wide variety of breeds, disciplines, and horse activities.

CAT The Crabbet Alliance of Texas - Breeders of "foundation type" Arabian Horses - the traditional and versatile Arabian Horse as bred in the late 1800s and early to mid-1900s; focusing primarily on the lines of the Crabbet Stud of England, along with the Maynesboro (and related) and Kellogg Ranch programs here in the United States.

If you are interested in displaying your products and/or need more information on the services to be available, please call Patti Goerte 903­-664-4914 or Barbara Spindle 903-623-9951 as soon as possible. This event is a fund-raiser for our committee, please come and show your support.

Come out to Skydive Dallas and watch the fun and jump for children. If you want to join the fun call 1-800-skydive or contact us on the web www.skydivedallas.com.

The Bonham Public Library is proud to announce the gift of a collection of fifty Erwin E. Smith prints from the Amon Carter Museum of Ft. Worth. Originally organized in the 1990s by the Museum, the collection was entitled Imagining the Open Range: Erwin E. Smith, Cowboy Photographer, and toured throughout the state of Texas.

From a young age, Smith was enchanted with the cowboy way of life, both the romance of the open range and the beauty of the land. He worked on various Texas and New Mexico ranches as a teenager and developed the skills required of a working cowboy. He realized the Old West was vanishing with the advent of modern life. Therefore, his photographs cover not only the life of working cattle, but also the times spent sitting around the campfire, eating, playing games, and telling stories.

His eventual goal was to preserve the cowboy life in bronze. To that end he studied with sculptors in both Chicago and Boston, learning the basics of good composition. He turned to photography as a way of capturing an accurate record for his later life’s work. Eventually, he concerned himself with just the photographs, realizing they were also works of art.

In acquiring the collection of 12x16-inch framed prints, the Library knew it could not display all of them. Therefore, it sought out additional sites from among the business and educational community of Bonham. By visiting the following seventeen places, a viewer can better understand Smith’s view of the vanishing Old West. Bonham Area Chamber of Commerce, Bonham High School Library, Bonham State Bank, Bradford-Watson Insurance Company, Cole Title Company, Creative Arts Center, Family Life Center, Fannin Bank, Fannin County Court House, The Fannin County Special, Frontier Properties, L. H. Rather Junior High School, Northeast Medical Center, Sam Rayburn Library, Sam Rayburn Veterans’ Center, Sate Farm Insurance (Doris Shockley), and the Texas State Veterans’ Home. Other Erwin Smith prints are displayed in the American Bank of Texas and the Fannin County Museum of History.

Stroke is one of the most preventable illnesses overall, yet most people can’t even name a warning sign or a symptom for this potentially life-threatening disease. In order to educate the public about the potentially deadly effects of stroke, May has been designated as "Stroke Awareness Month", and will direct attention towards the general knowledge and understanding people have of stroke.

Known also as a "Brain Attack", it can lead to debilitating brain damage depending on the severity of the stroke, and where it happens in the brain. The most common type of stroke occurs due to a build-up of a plaque-like substance in the carotid arteries. When plaque is discovered, it significantly increases a person’s risk for stroke.

Through prevention, the presence of plaque can be detected and treated prior to the stroke occurring. Most stroke victims never show a symptom or warning sign, therefore increasing the importance of prevention.

Life Line Screening is the leading mobile health screening company in the nation, and focuses on the education and prevention of treatable diseases such as stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysms, peripheral arterial disease and osteoporosis.

Free educational workshops are offered throughout the communities in which we screen, and are designed to help people better understand and recognize the risk factors, symptoms and warning signs that can occur with these treatable diseases.

Screenings are fast, painless and offered at low cost. They involve the use of ultrasound technology, and scan for potential health problems related to: blocked arteries which can lead to a stroke, aortic aneurysms which can lead to a rupture, and plaque buildup in the arteries in the legs, which is a strong predictor of heart disease. Also offered for men and women is a bone density screening to assess their risk for osteoporosis.

For more information on our screenings, to schedule an appointment or to locate a site in your area, please call 1-800-449-2249.

The best 4-H and FFA woodland teams from the State of Texas went head to head recently in the State Woodland Clinic held at the Stephen F. Austin Experimental Forest near Nacogdoches.

The State contest is developed each year by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Texas Forest Service and Stephen F. Austin School of Forestry.

When the final scores were tallied Aleha Michaud, Luke Ramer, Erin Michaud, and C.J. Brinlee with alternates Katja Brinlee and Tate Mills along with advisors Randy Moore and Melody Michaud had earned 1st Place honors in the toughest competition in the State. There were approximately 225 youths participated in this contest.

To qualify for this level of competition, teams had to place 1st or 2nd in local Woodland Clinics held throughout East Texas, sponsored by local Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

FFA advisors and 4-H leaders spent many hours training students in basic forestry skills in preparation for the contests ahead. Students were tested on hardwood tree identification, wildlife browse plants, pine identification, rate of growth, selective thinning, tree volume, wood products, wood identification from blocks of wood, site index, cull tree removal, site management concerns, and a compass and pacing course.

State Woodland Clinic first and second place teams in 4-H and FFA divisions will now advance to the Southern Regional Woodland Clinic - the Super Bowl of Woodland Clinics. In this year’s Regional competition, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana will each send their 6 best teams to compete.

The Fannin County Forestry Team is a two- time (2001 and 2002) top three placing forestry team at the Texas 4-H Woodland State Contest. In 2001, they placed 3rd overall, and in 2002, 2nd place. Their victories allowed them to advance to the Southern Regional Woodland Contest, which encompasses four states (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas). In 2001, the team placed 3rd, and in 2002, 4th.

We would like to thank the Fannin Soil and Water Conservation District and the Fannin County 4-H, ­which is funded with grants by the Lennox Foundation, for sponsoring our trip to the State Woodland Competition. The Lennox Foundation has been a big supporter of youth and conservation activities in Fannin County.

Child Protective Services, in most cases, wants to keep children as close to their family surroundings as possible. Families that are interested in hearing more about our foster care program are encouraged to attend this orientation.

For more information, call 903-455-7636 and speak with Emma or call 1-800-228-8226.

6th ANNUAL ARMED FORCES DAY FISH FRY & FORUM is scheduled for MAY 17, 2003 at the VFW HALL on Lake Bonham starting at 6:00 PM. Your Fannin County Republican Party will host this event to honor the veterans and those men and women who serve our country.

An impressive program includes special guest speakers and patriotic music. Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is our keynote speaker and Senator Bob Deuell and Representative Larry Phillips will be present as well as candidates for the 336th District Court that serves Fannin County.

Special music will be performed by Kim Jones-"The National Anthem", Cassie Shaw, a six year old doing a rendition of "My Country ‘Tis of Thee" and the FPC Singers.

All veterans will be recognized and will be impressed with the message of L. B. Kirby, a 7 time Bronze Star recipient.

Come join us for a special time of great food (fish fry provided by Loyd Gilmore), special guest and super entertainment.

Tickets available at the door and are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children. Reserve a table early. Contact Joe or Sandra Ward for more information at 903 664-3022.

Naval Station Annapolis has announced its top Sailors for first quarter 2003, RP2 Treva Stapleton of the Chaplain Center and SN Ryan Mogensen of Yard Patrol Operations.

Stapleton has been here a little over a year. Before that, she spent five years in locations such as Keflavik, Iceland and Diego Garcia. She was named Junior Sailor of the Quarter while at Diego Garcia, so she’s no stranger to the process.

"I was completely surprised when I found out I was selected," she said. "I knew a lot more than I thought I would on the board."

Stapleton enjoyed her time overseas, particularly in Diego Garcia.

"I wanted to stay, but they wouldn’t let me," she said.

As the leading petty officer in the Chaplain center, Stapleton serves as the supply petty officer, the alternate religious offering fund custodian, the Friends of the Naval Academy representative for the chapel, department training and security representative, and the departmental career counselor.

Cited as "energetic and motivated" on a recent evaluation, Stapleton said," I want to be the first female MCPON (master chief petty officer of the Navy)."

Outside the office, she directs a children’s choir and sings in the adult choir at Weems Creek Baptist Church. She has Volunteered at local homeless shelters and worked with a high school drill team in Iceland.

"I tried to make it fun for them (the kids)," Stapleton said. "I wanted to make sure they kept up with their studies. If they had trouble in school, we’d set aside study time during practice."

As Junior Sailor of the Quarter, she escorted Adm. Thomas Fargo, commander, U.S. Pacific Command, around Diego Garcia.

"I really want to go sea and earn my enlisted surface warfare specialist pin so I can make chief in 10 years," she said, "and I’m also interested in Fleet Marine Force."

Another option she’s pursuing is cross-rating to legalman or yeoman to try and become a chief warrant officer in the administrative field. She also plans to start taking college courses.

Treva Stapleton of Bonham is the daughter of Leroy and Shirley Stapleton and the granddaughter of Gladys Melson, all of Bonham.

Mike McDonald of CON-e-MACk Facilities Inc. is shown presenting the keys to the new bathrooms at the Trade Day grounds to John Burnett of the Bonham Kiwanis.

The new bathrooms will be open and fully operational for the May Trade Days.

The Bonham Kiwanis were pleased to have Dr. Patrick Cox, Executive Director of the Sam Rayburn Library, as guest speaker on Tuesday, April 29, 2003. Dr. Cox informed the group on the upcoming plans for the Sam Rayburn Library and the ways it will continue to support the community.

Please join us on Tuesday, 12 noon at the First Christian Church.

Amateur radio operators have in the past provided very critical emergency communications during serious catastrophes, such as floods, earth quakes, tornadoes, September 11, Challenger disaster, etc., and will continue to do so in the future.

To ensure proficiency at quickly setting up and efficiently providing such critical radio communications, whenever and wherever the need arises, "Ham" operators throughout North and South America join in an annual event called NATIONAL FIELD DAY, sponsored by the AMERICAN RADIO RELAY LEAGUE, the national body representing amateur radio operators throughout the U S A.

This year Field Day will be held from 1pm on Saturday, June 28^th, through 1pm on Sunday, June 29. This event is a major contest, designed as an exercise and demonstration, by amateur radio clubs throughout North and South America, to set up and operate effective radio communications in an emergency.

Fannin County Amateur Radio Club, with a very active membership, will set up and operate such a communications center for Field Day, in the park at the Bonham VA Hospital, and has extended invitations to several guest operators from Grayson, Collin, and Dallas counties.

The club team will commence raising antennas at 10am sharp on Saturday and should have the first transmitter on the air by 1pm. Three more stations will be set up on the site and will operate day and night through 1pm on Sunday, contacting as many participating stations as possible. They will be using several modes of transmission, including Single Side Band, Morse Code, and a variety of digital modes. Radio equipment will be powered by batteries to prove readiness to operate in real life emergencies.

The public is cordially invited to visit the event, on the East side of the hospital, and learn more about amateur radio and how dedicated volunteers from your own community can help when a disaster strikes. Entry and parking is free – just follow the signs from Highway 56, about one mile East of the Court House.

Further information may be obtained by contacting DAVID REEDER, Publicity Director and President of the Fannin County Amateur Radio Club at: 903-640-5857 or e-mail: wa0urj@arrl.net

Cutting costs through the use of smoke and mirrors is becoming a way of life in Texas. In the name of "consumer choice," the citizens of Texas often get far less value at a higher cost.

Homeowners insurance is a good example. Texans today get less coverage than they did a year ago due to eliminating previously mandated coverage for new water damage. But premiums have continued to escalate. Now the Texas Legislature threatens to do something similar to your employer-sponsored health insurance plan.

The latest insurance scheme embraced at the capitol is so-called "consumer driven" health plans. Employers love them because they can bring down their costs and health insurers love them because they hold their costs down and boost their profits. But how about the consumers who "drive" these plans? Consumer driven simply means consumers pay more. It’s all about cost shifting, from the employer and insurer to the consumer. In most cases, consumers will pay more for less coverage.

Consumer driven plans were developed out of the belief that if consumers pay for more of their health care costs, they will use fewer health services. Consumers choose which services they want covered. The fallacy of this arrangement is that health insurance is designed to protect us from unexpected occurrences – events that are not predictable. In most cases, employers will choose which services the plan will cover, without regard to their employees’ needs.

These plans typically cover catastrophic health care needs and include high deductibles and co-payments at the point of service as a disincentive for using services. People who cannot afford the out-of-pocket costs probably will seek less health care. People with health care problems will pay the most.

A Senate proposal creates a new "consumer choice" product by allowing insurers to sell plans without many of the coverage requirements the legislature has added over the past 20 to 30 years. These "mandates" include benefits that insurers historically denied, such as complications of pregnancy; immunizations; screening for osteoporosis and breast and prostate cancer, oral contraceptives; and surgery for craniofacial abnormalities.

According to the business and insurance lobby, state laws that require certain benefits are the culprits in rising health insurance premiums. But the Senate proposal does not guarantee that health plans without mandates will lower insurance premiums. And, there is no regulation of rates to protect against insurers overcharging for bare-bones coverage.

Supporters argue that allowing insurers to bypass current laws will reduce the numbers of the uninsured by providing more affordable health insurance coverage. That’s a laudable goal considering that more than 4 million Texans are uninsured. But these new "choices" are tailored for the healthy and wealthy, and are not likely to help typical uninsured Texans with modest incomes or pre-existing conditions.

Mandates are not the major insurance cost-drivers. Numerous studies over the past decade have estimated that collectively, mandated benefits account for less than 8 percent of the cost of premiums. And, the Texas Department of Insurance is now in the middle of assessing the actual cost of mandated benefits, using premium and claim data from Texas insurers. We should wait for those results before throwing mandates out.

The real cost drivers are hospital care and prescription drugs. Even though these items are not typically on the hit list of the anti-mandates crowd, they could be subject to severe limitations under these "design your own" plans. When a catastrophic illness occurs, consumers will incur huge out-of-pocket costs. Health care providers will have uncertainty about what

is covered and may begin demanding payment up front from their patients.

These benefits required by law help consumers. They guarantee that coverage is comprehensive and can positively impact the long-term costs in our health care system. Insurance coverage used to be linked to a stay in the hospital, the most expensive setting for health care. Gradually, new laws were added to catch disease and treat conditions early and to cover services delivered by an array of less costly professionals.

If the Senate proposal passes, more Texans will be underinsured-covered, but not for the care they need. Anyone at risk of spending more than 10 percent of their income on health care bills is underinsured. Under these so-called consumer driven plans, many people will put off needed care because they cannot afford the deductibles or the services that are not covered, leading to more expensive health care needs later.

Texans need to support the concept of spreading the risk of health care coverage among the healthy and sick, young and old. The Senate’s consumer driven plans will fragment our risk pool and pull us further away from achieving the goal of access to high quality and affordable health care for all.

Notice is hereby given that on the 6^th day of May, 2003, the Board of Trustees of the Bonham School District will hold a special meeting at 6:30 p.m., at the Administration Building, 1717 North Center Street, Bonham, Texas 75418. The subjects to be discussed are listed on the agenda which is attached to and made a part of this Notice.

If during the course of the meeting covered by this Notice, the Board of trustees should determine that a closed or executive meeting or session of the Board of Trustees is required, then such closed or executive meeting or session as authorized by the Texas Open Meeting Act. Texas Government Code Section 551.001 et seq., will be held by the School Board at the date, hour, and place given in this Notice as the School Board may conveniently meet in such closed or executive meeting or session concerning any and all purposes permitted by the Act, including, but not limited to the following sections and purposes:

551.071 Private consultation with the board’s secretary.

551.072 Discussing purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property.

551.073 Discussing negotiated contracts for prospective gifts or donations

551.074 Discussing personnel or to hear complaints against personnel.

551.075 To confer with employees of the school district to receive information or to ask questions.

551.076 Considering the deployment, specific occasions for, or implementation of security personnel or devices.

551.082 Considering discipline of a public school child, or complaint or charge against personnel.

551.083 Considering the standards, guidelines, terms, or conditions the board will follow, or will instruct its representatives to follow, in consultation with representatives of employee groups.

551.084 Excluding witnesses from a hearing.

Should any final action, final decision, or final vote be required in the opinion of the School Board with regard to any matter considered in such closed or executive meeting or session, then the final action, final decision, or final vote shall be either:

(a) in the open meeting covered by the Notice upon the reconvening of the public meeting; or at a subsequent public meeting of the School Board upon notice there as the School Board shall determine.

On this 30th of April, 2003, this Notice was mailed to news media who had previously requested such Notice and an original copy was posted at the Bonham ISD Administration Building at 1:00 p.m. on said date.

(A) Announcement by the President whether a quorum is present, that the meeting has

been duly called, and the notice of the meeting has been posted for the time and

manner requested by law.

(A) Consider approval of the Bonham ISD Budget for 2003-2004.

(B) Consider approval of Independent Auditor’s Agreed-Upon Procedures Report on

Annual Dropout Record.

(C) Consider approval of independent auditor’s proposal for finance, compensatory

education, and leavers audits for 2002-2003.

Closed Session will be held for the purpose permitted by Article 551-074 Revised Civil Statues of Texas.

(A) Grievance of Brian Baccus

(B) Discuss personnel matters pertaining to evaluations, duties, terminations,

replacements, reassign-ments, and addition to staff.

IV. ACTION ITEMS (Cont.)

(D) Consider approval of the item listed in Closed Session.

The Barbara Bush Foundation on Family Literary Awareness promotes organizations and businesses to adopt programs that will stimulate and promote literary awareness in their community. The Republican Women of Fannin County have a tri-purpose program that will benefit literacy awareness in the county schools, start a small library for The Children’s Center of Fannin County of CASA and encourage everyone to visit The Historical Museum of Fannin County.

Create an original Bookmark is the first of this tri-purpose literacy awareness program. Deadline for all entries is Wednesday, May 14, 2003.

1. Must be a 7^th or 8^th grade student or between the age of 12-14 and residing in Fannin

County, Texas. Only one entry per student.

2. Use your imagination to create a bookmark that to you most illustrates the theme

"Readers Become Leaders."

3. Entries must be original. Do not use copyrighted cartoon figures. (For example,

Garfield) They cannot be accepted. Computer generated art is not considered original

artwork. No tracing or copying.

4. Use only red and blue pens or pencils for color. Use the provided bookmark space on

the entry form. Entry forms are at the Bonham Public Library, The Creative Art Center,

Your Home Consignment Store on Bonham Square, and in all the Fannin County

Schools.

Winning bookmark designs will be displayed at the Bonham Public Library, publicized in the Fannin County Special, in the Bonham Journal, The Leonard Graphic and the Northtexas E-News. Over 3,000 bookmarks will be printed of the first place design. The First Place Winner will have his or her bookmark framed and given 25 bookmarks for family and friends. "Readers Become Leaders" bookmarks will be distributed at numerous activities and facilities throughout the year.

Sandra Ward, President of the Fannin County Republican Women, says she hopes The "Readers Become Leaders" create an original bookmark design will be so popular that the contest can be repeated in 2004.

She washed the nickels then gave each of us one to take to Sunday School.

Bonham’s swim team is preparing for their upcoming season with great anticipation and excitement. The Bonham Barracudas Swim Team will start their season this year with a kick off party scheduled for Thursday, May 27, 2003 from 4:00 - 7:00 at The Bonham Golf Club. Swim team members are asked to bring chips, cookies and drinks to share. Hot dogs will be provided.

Swim team practice will begin May 28^th at 4:00 pm and continue through Friday, May 30^th. During these practices, swimmers will be preparing for their first meet, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 31^st in Denison. Beginning June 2^nd, practices will be held from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

Swimmers interested in signing up for The Bonham Barracudas are asked to pick up an application at Bonham State Bank or The Bonham Golf Club. Completed applications should be turned in to Jennifer Kirkpatrick at Bonham State Bank no later than Thursday, May 15, 2003 at 4:30 pm. No late applications will be excepted. The swim team will have a limit of 50 swimmers, which will be based on a first come, first served basis. All swimmers must be able to swim 25 meters without assistance in order to be on the swim team. Please call Jennifer Kirkpatrick at 903-583-2163 or Lee Ann Hartwell at 903-583-2625 with any questions or concerns.

If you have been quilting for years, or just beginning, this quilting club is for you. The Senior Circle meets at The Creative Arts Center at 11:00 am on the first and third Thursday of every month. Bring the quilt you are currently working on, or just bring your scrap material. There is always a new technique to learn at our club meetings.

Do you want to enjoy the theater, but don’t want to go alone? The Senior Circle will see the Red River Theater’s production of Down to Earth. The show begins at 7:00 pm in the VA Auditorium in Bonham. Tickets will be discounted from $5.00 to $4.00 if 25 Senior Circle Members attend. Please call the Senior Circle offices at 903­-640-7341 to reserve your discounted ticket.

The monthly meeting will be held in the Northeast Medical Center cafeteria, starting at 11:00 am. Please bring your favorite dish to share. Senior Circle will provide plates, napkins, utensils and drinks. Please use this opportunity to sign up for upcoming events. This is also a great time to make suggestions as to what services you would like the Senior Circle to provide, and to make suggestions on upcoming trips and activities.

Meet us at the Kitchen Ladle, located at 318 N. Main in Bonham, at 11:00 for good food and fellowship. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends. Please call the Senior Circle offices at 903-640-7341 to RSVP.

We will take a day trip to Commerce to visit Quilts on the Square. This store is a great quilt shop with lots of patterns and materials. After we shop, we will eat Mexican food and maybe even stop in for coffee and dessert at Cowhill Express. Please call the Senior Circle offices at 903-640-7341 to RSVP. We need to make sure we have plenty of transportation for everyone.

Join us in the hospital cafeteria for Blue Bingo at 10:00 am. Bring a blue gift to share as a Bingo prize. Everyone gets at least one prize. We also play for the "grand prize". This is awarded to the person with the most "Bingos".

Our most popular program at Senior Circle is sure to fill up fast, so call to RSVP soon. Fannin County District Attorney, Myles Porter, will come to speak with us about crimes against senior citizens and how to protect yourself. A catered meal is included. The Lunch and Learn is a free program for all Senior Circle Members. If you are not a Senior Circle member, the cost is $6.00 per person. Please call the Senior Circle offices at 903-640-7341 to RSVP.

Senior Circle is sponsored by Northeast Medical Center and is part of a national non­profit organization devoted exclusively to offering enjoyable, healthful and meaningful activities to those who are 50 or older. With over 18,000 members nationwide, the Senior Circle is pleased to be able to offer numerous activities such as exercise classes, games, social events, nation wide discounts at Choice Hotels and Wal-Mart mail order pharmacy and even local merchant discounts.

If you are 50 or better, you are welcome to join us at any upcoming Senior Circle events, including our Lunch and Learn program.

For more information about The Senior Circle, please feel free to call the Senior Circle office at (903) 640-7341.

Chcken fried steak/gravy whipped potatoes, green beans, bread, plum cobbler, milk

Tex-mex casserole, spanish rice, tossed salad/dressing, bread, spiced pears, milk

Chili dogs, tater tots, copper carrots, buns, pineapple upside down cake, milk

Bbq chicken, pinto beans, coleslaw, cornbread, scalloped apples, milk

Baked ham, broccoli & rice casserole, carrot, raisin, and pineapple salad, bread, pudding/whipped topping, milk

When child abuse was suspected in Fannin County, it used to mean that the child would be subjected to multiple interviews with different people at several different places. Professionals trying to protect children from abuse, particularly sexual abuse, routinely had a difficult time building a case against offenders. Communication and coordination among agencies was often difficult and training opportunities were not readily available. In Fannin County, if a sexual offender received any punishment, it was usually probation.

But in 1999, things began to change for victims of child abuse and the people who commit these types of offenses in Fannin County. It was in that year that CASA of Fannin County added the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in order to improve the community response to child abuse.

The mission of the CAC is to provide a neutral, child-friendly agency that facilitates a multidisciplinary approach in the prevention, detection, investigation and treatment of child abuse.

Now when child abuse is suspected in Fannin County, the child can be brought to a neutral, child-friendly location for one interview. Investigators from Child Protective Services (CPS) and law enforcement observe the interviews to make sure all of their questions are asked at one time. The interviews are videotaped to preserve the child’s statement and are conducted by specially trained professionals.

Michelle Griffith and Bethany Ball are employees of the center who have attended many hours of specialized training in how to conduct forensic interviews with children. Forensic interviews are one investigative tool and are "fact-finding" interviews to determine what, if any, abuse has occurred.

The CAC’s multidisciplinary team includes Fannin County District Attorney, Child Protective Services, Bonham Police Department, Ector Police Department, Fannin County Sheriff Office, Honey Grove Police Department, Leonard Police Department, Savoy Police Department, Trenton Police Department, Texoma Medical Center’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program, Fannin County Family Crisis Center, Juvenile Probation, CASA Program, Northeast Medical Center and therapists John Kasper, LPC, LMFT, Linda LeClair, LMSW-ACP, Jan Snow, LPC, CSC and Faye Wedell, LPC, LMFT, RPT-S.

The team meets on a monthly basis to review cases and coordinate efforts. The Center also provides many training opportunities for team members to improve their skills in working child abuse cases. Last year, for example, the center paid most of the costs for four investigators to attend specialized training about interrogating sexual offenders. Each year several team members attend the nationally recognized Crimes Against Children Conference in Dallas, with much of the cost being covered by the CAC.

Recently, the center began a quarterly in-service training program. Griffith, Ball and Fannin County Attorney Myles Porter led the training session entitled "The Forensic Interview: An Investigative Tool." The First Presbyterian Church of Bonham contributed by providing the space and home cooked lunch for the team members.

In addition to forensic interviews, the Center offers counseling and other victim services. Staff and/or volunteers are available to provide family support during the interview process and any court hearings. Families can also get assistance with filing for Crime Victims Compensation, information and referrals and updates on the progress of the case from center staff.

In the most recent fiscal year, the CAC received 79 new referrals and provided 67 forensic interviews. In the first 15 months the center has offered counseling on-site, 229 sessions have been provided at no-cost to victims and their non-offending family members. Community volunteers contributed nearly 300 hours of time last year.

To learn more about child advocacy centers, www.cactx.org and www.nca-online.org are two websites to check out. For more information about the local program, call (903) 583-4339. To report a suspicion of child abuse, call toll free, 24 hours a day to 1-800-252-5400.

(OKLAHOMA CITY) – Birthday celebrations are a cakewalk at Sonic Drive-In as the nation’s largest drive-in restaurant chain celebrates its 50th Birthday with a Birthday Cake Shake. Sonic invites customers to share in the celebration with a 50th Birthday Cake Shake: a tasty blend of real white sheet cake, icing, soft serve and colorful sprinkles all in one cup.

Sonic created the Birthday Cake Shake as a tribute to two favorite birthday party essentials: cake and ice cream. As children of all ages like to do, Sonic plays with its food to create unique desserts that are sure to surprise and delight customers.

"Customers enjoy Sonic’s variety of one-of-a-kind tastes and the 50th Birthday Cake Shake is a delicious addition to our signature menu during the month of May. It’s definitely one of my personal favorites, and my two kids give it their seal of approval because it does taste just like birthday cake and ice cream," said Pattye Moore, president-Sonic Corp. "Whether it’s your birthday, or you want to help celebrate ours, Sonic invites you to come play with your food and have a Birthday Cake Shake."

In the spirit of the birthday celebration, Sonic’s 2,600 drive-ins across 30 states will be decorated with streamers, bows and balloons throughout the month of May. "We wanted to extend this celebration to everyone because our customers are the main reason we’ve had 50 incredible years," said Moore.

Sonic (Nasdaq/NM: SONC), which specializes in made-after-you-order fast food, is known for its specialty menu items and personal Carhop service. Popular menu items include Toaster Sandwiches (Chicken Club and Bacon Cheddar Burger on thick Texas Toast), Extra-Long Cheese Coneys (hot dogs with chili and cheese), hamburgers, fresh-made Onion Rings, Tater Tots and a variety of Frozen and Fountain FavoritesTM such as Cream Pie Shakes and Cherry Limeades.

Sonic started as a hamburger and root beer stand in 1953 in Shawnee, Okla., and has grown to more than 2,600 drive-ins in 30 states. Sonic is the nation’s largest chain of drive-in restaurants, and more than a million people eat at Sonic Drive-Ins every day. For more information about Sonic Corp. and its subsidiaries, visit Sonic on the Internet at www.sonicdrivein.com.

Monday, April 28, the Fannin County Commissioners approved for the Fannin County Sherrif’s office to contract with Grayson County to house inmates for $30.00 a day. This contract will ease the overcrowding for Grayson, and in turn, will help the FCSO and the general fund. Research indicates that the cost per day for each prisoner will be $16.50. The county will make a $13.50 profit per day on each inmate.

Sheriff Talmage Moore, Chief Deputy, Donnie Foster, and Jail Administrator, Lisa Kelly, told the commissioners that the housing of prisoners would not only provide revenue to offset the strain on the County’s general fund, but would help to meet the needs at the Sheriff’s office. The main concern expressed by Moore and Foster was the patrol vehicles. At this time, there are 15 patrol cars, including the one that Foster and the Sheriff drive. Out of the 15 cars, five have less than 100,000 miles, and the other vehicles have anywhere from 100,000 to 400,000 miles. With the need to replace these vehicles and purchase equipment, Moore said that the money generated from the prisoners would need to meet these needs first and any surplus would go into the general fund.

This will not be just for Grayson County. "It’s open to anyone who wants to house with us as long as we have the room," said Moore. "This is a project the Sheriff’s office is doing and we’re going to try to house as many people as we can. If we can house 25 a day, then we’re going to house them."

Kelly told the Commissioners that there are enough employees to house up to 75 inmates, but if the count goes to 76, they would have to hire three more people.

Judge Hall said that eighty percent of the cost of jail operation is employee cost, and the out-of-county inmate contract came from an idea that FCSO could generate some revenue to help do those things.

"We’re going to try this," Moore said. "If it doesn’t work out we’ll just have to send some inmates back to Grayson County."

A fenced area for inmates to be relocated for emergency situations and TB testing are the only two things holding the project up. With approval on this project, the board specified that money earned at the quarterly review would be used to purchase necessities needed for the Sheriff’s office and any surplus will be transferred to the general fund.

The budget workshop topic was zero-base budgeting and cost analysis. Clayton Mills has been working with the County and according to Sheriff Moore, has been a great asset in helping with the budget

In other business, the court approved:

Minutes of the previous meetings, March 24, 31 and April 14.

Interlocal emergency mutual aid agreement with Smith County:

Nominated Dewayne Strickland for Fannin County Appraisal District Board, an unexpired term.

Shane Wallace as a new member of the County Water Board.

Interlocal cooperation agreements between Fannin County Precinct 3 and the following local government entities: Sam Rayburn ISD, Fannindel ISD, Honey Grove ISD, City of Ladonia, City of Honey Grove.

$5,000 pile driver for precinct 2 from Collin County:

bids for rock, gravel and hauling: and the auditor’s monthly report and to pay bills.

The Bonham City Commissioners approved an amendment to the airport project plan to use FAA entitled funding to pay for widening the runway to 75 feet as part of the runway extension. The runway widening is expected to cost $330,000. The entitled funds total $450,000 and the money left over will be available for future use.

Mayor Carl McEachern was appointed by the Commissioners to nominate someone to fill the vacancy for the Fannin County Appraisal District Board of Directors.

The Commissioners approved a resolution establishing a moratorium on issuing permits for mobile homes that are not located within a mobile home park until October 31, 2003.

Last Wednesday the Bonham Rotary Club celebrated their 82nd Birthday with birthday decorations and cake. The local service club was organized in April, 1921, and was chartered May 1, 1921, largely through the efforts of Ralph A. Risser, who was also elected to serve as the first president of the Bonham Rotary Club.

Past presidents were invited to attend and a large number was there to help celebrate this special occasion. Twenty one past presidents from the Bonham Club attended, and there were three current members who are past presidents of other Rotary Clubs.