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Coyote Rudy Ortiz is unstoppable as he heads for the net.
Uvalde officers, assisted by Uvalde County deputies, responded to a report of a fight in progress on Jan. 14 in the 600 block of Brice Lane.
During the initial investigation, one of the men being questioned decided to disregard officers’ directives and began running in a northeast direction.
After a brief foot pursuit, officers successfully arrested Juan Manuel Fuentes (23) of Uvalde on the following charges: Unlawful carrying of a weapon, resisting arrest, and evading arrest or detention.
Fuentes actively resisted the lawful arrest being executed by Uvalde officers. It is unknown exactly Fuentes chose to evade officers; his flawed decision-making could possibly be due to the fact he was in possession of a pistol, which he discarded during the foot pursuit.
Officers arrested a second Uvalde man, Julio Cardenas (36) at the initial scene of the disturbance for active Uvalde County warrants.
It’s tax time again.
April 15 seems so far away but it will be here before you know it. Are you ready? Do you have questions and need help? Do you like things for free?
If so then come see a representative with the Uvalde Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Coalition.
The VITA program is an annual program that provides free income tax preparation assistance to individuals and families whose income is below $42,000. Trained tax preparers work with taxpayers to review all of the tax credits that they may be eligible for and file the tax return electronically with the IRS.
“Our sites offer individuals the opportunity to take advantage of the e-file program which files the returns electronically and helps them receive their refunds usually in half the time compared to returns filed on paper,” stated Uvalde VITA Coalition Chairman Barry Zimmerman. “If you have your refund done through direct deposit to your bank account you can usually receive the refund in about 7-10 business days. This can be a big plus for those needing their refund as soon as possible and best of all it is free.”
The VITA Program will begin the 2009 tax filing season on Tuesday, Jan. 20, to assist local citizens who qualify with free income tax filing for their Federal Income Taxes. The VITA program, in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service, trains volunteers who donate their time to prepare basic income tax returns for those who qualify.
The Uvalde VITA Coalition consists of representatives from these agencies and businesses in partnership with the IRS: Middle Rio Grande Development Council, FUTURO Communities Inc., Community Council of Southwest Texas, El Progreso Memorial Library, Uvalde Area Chamber of Commerce, Uvalde CISD and the City of Uvalde.
“We will be offering the tax assistance at three locations this year along with a few one day sessions in the area. The main sites are the Workforce Solutions Middle Rio Grande Workforce Center, El Progreso Memorial Library and Southwest Texas Junior College with a variety of hours to fit any schedule, says Zimmerman. “We are in the process of finalizing our site hours based on our volunteer’s schedules. Our program relies on volunteers who give of their time to help area citizens with their taxes.”
Volunteer opportunities are available if anyone is interested in helping with the VITA program this year. Zimmerman may be contacted at (830) 278-4491.
Persons needing tax assistance are asked to bring with them to the VITA Site:
1. Forms W-2 and/or 1099 from every place they worked or received income in 2008;
2. Social Security cards for themselves, (wife or husband) and all dependents, including adult dependents;
3. Any other information needed to complete their return (such as statements related to child care); and,
4. If available, a copy of their 2007 tax return.
“The goal of our local VITA Coalition is to provide a valuable service to area citizens by assisting in filing their tax returns and helping them get as much back on their return as possible. Many residents in our region qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit but do not file for it on their returns and lose out on money available to them” states Zimmerman. “The VITA Program helps citizens bring home more money through their tax refund and in turn helps our local economy. Our region has left a great deal of tax credit money with the IRS because people did not know they were eligible for the credits and our program hopes to boost the region’s economy by making sure the residents who qualify for these credits file their taxes properly and receive these refunds.
“We ask area businesses to let their employees know about the VITA program and the EITC as this can only help their employees and their families. If you would like information on the program or would like to distribute VITA information to employees please feel free to contact us for assistance.
“We can be reached at the Workforce Solutions Middle Rio Grande Uvalde Workforce Center at 278-4491. This is a small and easy way to boost economic development in the area by increasing the buying power of local citizens who will most likely spend the money here in Uvalde,” says Zimmerman.
He encourages any interested taxpayer to let VITA help save money and get the most of their return by coming to one of many VITA sites for this free service.
When Medina Valley High School senior Jacob Allen isn’t stressing about excessive homework, he’s flying off the top rope and working on his submissions holds.
For more than three years, Allen has been training in preparation for his professional wrestling debut. That day has finally come.
“[The training] has been really physical,” Allen said. “People think this stuff is easy. I’ve got a huge bruise on my back right now. I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices. I had to quit football this year, my senior year, to focus on wrestling. I had to choose something, and this is what I love.”
Allen, also known as “The Jakester,” made his professional debut last November at an event presented by Southern Championship Wrestling. Allen says that his alter-ego, “The Jakester” is not too far off from his regular personality.
Much of pro wrestling centers on the conflict between the heels, or bad guys, and the faces, the good guys. Allen had no doubt what role he would be playing when he took his first step into the ring; that of a face – albeit a “baby” face.
Allen has been training under the tutelage of famed trainer and SCW wrestler Rudy “Boy” Gonzalez at the Texas Wrestling Academy in San Antonio. The academy, co-founded by WWE legend Shawn Michaels, has groomed current WWE wrestlers Lance Cade, Brian Kendrick and Paul Landon.
“Hopefully I can put Castroville on the map one day if I ever get famous in the WWE,” Allen said. “That would be nice. Castroville is a good place, and it needs to be recognized.”
For Allen, pro wrestling is simply in his blood. His father, Don Holding, was himself a pro wrestler with the legendary, but now defunct, WCCW organization. However, Sandra Holding, Allen’s mother, gives herself some credit for Allen’s highflying acrobatics.
“From what I understand, he’s going to be pretty acrobatic off the ropes,” Holding said. “I think that comes from my side, I was in gymnastics.”
Reprinted by permission: Castroville News Bulletin
Hi and welcome!
I hope the year’s been good to you so far. My only complaint is this rollercoaster weather that doesn’t want to stabilize. It seems the only time the weather is consistent and won’t let up is when it’s 95°-plus during the summer, right? Crazy weather…
Before I go on, I wanted to pass on something I thought about the other day and wanted to share with you. I know a lot of us are concerned about the future with things looking so bad. Everyone’s worried because no one knows what the future will bring, but let me ask you something: Did you know what the future would bring when times were good? No.
Yes, we do have valid concerns about losing money, losing our jobs, losing our business, losing our home…well, you get the picture. What I’m saying is things like this can and do happen during the best and worst of times.
Instead of worrying about what tomorrow will bring, I say let’s turn it around and think about the GOOD things that can happen tomorrow. Everybody knows the bad things will always be with us – that’s a given – but try to remember the good things that we still have.
The good thing about times like these is that it makes us value the small things now. We take a second look at the things we took for granted when everything was going great. If we had what we thought was a terrible job a few months ago, I’m sure that job isn’t so bad now, right?
Our homes take on a new meaning when we see how many people have lost theirs. Sure, there’s not much money to go around and times are tight, but at least you have money coming in.
I think you understand what I’m getting at now. You might be eating sandwiches instead of steaks, but at least you’re not going hungry. Everyone has to cut back on things, so it’s like you’re any different. It’s not a crime to ask for help if you really need it.
I think the only people that are going to have a rough time of it now are the people that refuse to change their ways: the ones that want to keep living the same lifestyle without changing. It’ll be the people who don’t want to share that’ll be the ones going without. When people get greedy, sure, they have things, but they want to hang on to those things so badly that even they don’t enjoy them for benefit by having things. Think about it.
If you have a few dollars squirrel away somewhere, you’ll be so worried about keeping what you got that you’ll be the one suffering when you refuse to spend it on things you need to keep you going. Yes, it’s a good thing to keep some money saved up, that’s always a good idea.
However, it’s not such a great idea when it makes things harder than they have to be.
In the end, you’ll have to be the one that decides what you can keep and what you can let go.
It’s a sad irony that in the “Land of Great Material Comfort” we have so much misery and unhappiness. People have whatever they want, and even the poorest people in town still have a few luxury items that makes things not so bad.
The other day, I was watching a show on the History Channel about the people of Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America.
To our eyes, these people have nothing, but they appear genuinely happy with what they have, in fact, they seem happier than most people.
It could be argued they can’t miss what they never had, but there’s something more going on here.
There’s a saying that goes, “Learn to wish that everything should come to pass exactly as it does.” While this may seem to be counter-intuitive, it does make sense because the first rule of being happy is to keep an untroubled spirit, with the second rule being the ability to look things dead in the eye and know them for what they are.
This isn’t just a practical mindset, it should be a way of life. Try as you might, you can’t make the world conform to your desires, but what you can do is seek happiness from within first.
Yes, it does sound trite, and I’m sure you’ve heard it before but it’s true. If you’re not happy with who and what you are, not all the money in the world will change that. However, if you’re happy, money won’t make a difference.
You know as well as I do that satisfaction from material things is always short-lived. It does sound like a defeatist attitude to have, but what’s the point of beating your head against the wall when you can’t change anything?
Your world will be exactly as you perceive it to be; nothing more, nothing less. You can complain and moan all you want for all the good it’ll do. In fact, it’ll just make things worse because you’re wasting time and effort on something you have the power to control.
Sure, the world has a lot of things you can’t change about it, but the most important thing you can change is right inside you and under your complete control.
Until, next time, be good to each other. We’re all we’ve got.
-with metta
Argumentando que el Superintendente del distrito escolar de Uvalde, Wendell Brown, ha hecho buen trabajo, y los exámenes del TAKS han mejorado, cuatro miembros de la cámara de directores del distrito de Uvalde votaron por darle a Brown un aumento de $10,000 más una anualidad de $200 por mes. Aunque el aumento no será efectivo hasta el siguiente junio, con el aumento el sueldo del superintendente llegara a $150,000. El aumento fue dado menos de un año después de su último aumento, pues su sueldo era de $140,000 desde junio de 2008. El sueldo de $150,000 no incluye otros beneficios, tal como la anualidad, también dado al superintendente.
El voto para proporcionar a Brown con el aumento de sueldo fue de cuatro a tres con Allen Mize, Carper Capt, Bob Lester y Bill Cockerill votando por el aumento, y David Gonzáles, Hector Luevano, y Carlos Fernández votando en contra. A pesar del hecho que el publico votó en contra del aumento de impuesto hace pocos meses, y que el distrito no le proporcionó a maestros y otro personal un aumento para el siguiente año, y que el distrito esta revisando duramente los programas y servicios para reducción o eliminación el año escolar próximo, al parecer los cuatro individuos ya citados estaban de acuerdo que Brown merecía un aumento.
¿Adicionalmente, si de hecho el superintendente estaba asiendo un buen trabajo, qué es lo que los maestros hacen? Maestros son los soldados rasos; son los cuales están en las trincheras, si el superintendente esta haciendo un buen trabajo, es porque los maestros son la vanguardia en la batalla educativa.
Otros distritos en la región y el estado también están sintiendo la escasez de fondos y han empezado a reducir empleados, programas y servicios. Se pone uno a pensar de los programas o servicios cuales se eliminarán para proporcionarle a Brown el aumenta.
Es importante que los padres vean las razones dadas por los cuatro miembros cuales votaron por el aumento. El argumento principal era que los exámenes TAKS del distrito habían aumentado sobre los del año previo. Como el Sistema de Indicadores de Excelencia Académicos (AEIS) ya ha proporcionado los datos del año previo, La Voz decidió revisar los datos para ver los resultados del distrito, como fue anotado por los cuatro individuos cuales votaron para proporcionarle al superintendente su aumento.
Para obtener una mejor estudio, con respecto a los exámenes TAKS, La Voz utilizo los datos de los años escolares 2006, 2007 y 2008. Se hizo esto porque los cuatro miembros utilizaron solamente los datos para los años 2007 y 2008 como comparación. Sin embargo, utilizando el tercer año (2006) se proporciona una comparación de tres años en ves de una comparación de dos años, y, de nuestra perspectiva, presenta un estudio mejor con respecto al “buen trabajo” que el superintendente hace.
La información contenida en las tablas proporcionadas es la siguiente: la primera columna se refiere al nivela escolar de la prueba, la segunda columna se contiene los últimos tres años escolares de resultados de TAKS, la tercera columna se refiere a los resultado de TAKS obtenidos por todo el estado, la cuarta columna se refiere a los resultados de TAKS de la Región 20 (la región en la cual Uvalde es localizado), la quinta columna se refiere a los resultados de TAKS del distrito entero, la sexta columna se refiere a los resultados de TAKS de estudiantes hispanos y la última columna contiene los resultados de estudiantes blancos.
Tabla 1 (pg. 6) proporciona los datos del AEIS de los grados primarios. Padres deben repasar la tabla detalladamente, pues hay varias preocupaciones reflejadas en la información. Una comparación de resultados obtenidos por estudiantes por todo el estado y la región, comparados a los obtenidos por estudiantes blancos, es lo primero que sobresalta. En casi cada caso los resultados de estudiantes blancos superan los del estado y la región. La excepción es en lectura en el grado tres de 2006, grado cuarto en matemáticas en 2006, y quinto grado en matemáticas en 2007.
Al contrario, estudiantes hispanos obtienen resultados más bajos que los del estado y región en casi todas materias. Hay unas cuantas excepciones tal como en matemáticas en el tercer grado en 2006, en matemáticas en el cuarto grado en 2006, en lectura en sexto grado en 2006 y 2008, y matemáticas en sexto grado en 2006 y 2008. Adicionalmente, la diferencia en resultados de las pruebas entre estudiantes blancos y hispanos persiste, y en los grados primarios en actualidad incrementan.
Por ejemplo en lectura del tercer grado la diferencia en 2006 era de 3%, esto aumenta a 15% en 2007 y 2008. Lo mismo se puede decir en matemáticas del tercer grado. En 2006 la diferencia entre los resultados era 12%, esto aumenta a 15% en 2007 y a 28% en 2008. En el cuarto grado, sobre los mismos tres años, la diferencia en lectura aumenta de 3% a 22%, en matemáticas aumenta de 14% a 22%, (esto ocurre porque los resultados de estudiantes hispanos disminuyan mientras los resultados de estudiantes blancos aumentan), y en escrituras la diferencia aumenta de 2% a 15%.
Quinto grado es un poco diferente. En lectura sobre los tres años, la diferencia disminuye de 25% a 17%, en matemáticas la diferencia aumenta de 19% a 22% y en ciencia se queda a 27%. Sólo en sexto grado hay una disminución global. En lectura la diferencia disminuye de 4% a 2%, y en matemáticas la diferencia disminuye de 11% a 6% aunque hay una disminución por ambos estudiantes blancos y hispanos.
Tabla 2 (pg. 7) contiene la información de TAKS por estudiantes al nivel secundario. Como es el caso con estudiantes blancos en los grados primarios, estudiantes blancos al nivel secundario superan a los estudiantes por todo el estado y la región. Hay varios casos en que estudiantes blancos del distrito obtienen resultados más bajos que los estudiantes del estado y la región. Por ejemplo, se anotan resultados más bajos en lectura en séptimo grado en 2008, en matemáticas en séptimo grado en 2008, en lectura en grado once en 2006 y 2008, y en matemáticas en grado once en 2008.
Con respecto a estudiantes hispanos, sólo en escrituras en séptimo grado se anotan más altos resultados que los de estudiantes al nivel estatal o regional. En todas otras materias, estudiantes hispanos anotan resultados más bajos que estudiantes al nivel estatal y regional.
Con respecto a la diferencia en pruebas entre estudiantes blancos y hispanos, el distrito ha tenido éxito en reducir las diferencias al nivel secundario. La diferencia, sin embargo, continua, y hay casos en que aumenta. La diferencia entre los resultado en la Tabla 2 son las siguientes: en lectura en séptimo grado, sobres los últimos tres años, la diferencia ha disminuido de 27% a 14%, en matemáticas ha disminuido de 49% a 30%, (esto es debido a una disminución en los resultados de estudiantes blancos de un 16%), en escrituras la diferencia aumentó 1% de 13% a 14%.
En el octavo grado en lectura, la diferencia disminuyó de 16% a 11%, en matemáticas la diferencia aumentó de 20% a 25%, en ciencia la diferencia disminuyó de 40% a 29%, y en estudios sociales la diferencia disminuyó de 31% a 20%.
En noveno grado la diferencia en lectura disminuyó de 17% a 15%, pero hubo un aumento tremendo en matemáticas de 33% a 54%.
En décimo grado la diferencia en Artes del Idioma Ingles disminuye de 21% a 9%, en matemáticas disminuye de 37% a 31%, en ciencia la diferencia disminuye de 49% a 28%, y en estudios sociales la diferencia disminuyó de 32% a 16%.
En grado once la diferencia en Artes del Idioma Ingles disminuye de 6% a 2%, en matemáticas disminuye de 27% a 20%, en ciencia la diferencia disminuye de 38% a 29%, y en estudios sociales la diferencia disminuyó de 18% a 9%.
Aunque la diferencia entre las pruebas al nivel secundario ha disminuido en la mayoría de materias, diferencias aun existen. Los datos en la Tabla 2 reflejan un total de 17 pruebas (tres en séptimo grado, cuatro en octavo grado, dos en noveno grado, cuatro en décimo grado, y cuatro en grado once). En tres de las áreas de pruebas la diferencia es menos de 10 puntos de porcentaje, en cinco áreas de pruebas la diferencia es menos de 20 puntos, y en nueve áreas la diferencia es 20 puntos o más.
Las diferencias más grandes son en matemáticas en noveno grado a 54%, matemáticas en décimo grado de 31%, matemáticas en séptimo grado a 30%, en ciencia en grados octavo y once a 29%, en ciencia en grado diez a 28%, y matemáticas en octavo grado a 25%.
En los grados primarios hay dos áreas de materia en que la diferencia es menos de 10 puntos de porcentaje. Hay tres áreas de materias en que la diferencia es menos de 20 puntos, y cinco áreas en donde la diferencia es más de 20 puntos.
Otro factor cual también se observa es la inconsistencia de los resultados. Unos ejemplos bastarán para explicar esto. Si revisa Tabla 2 y las pruebas de estudiantes hispanos en el séptimo grado, las pruebas aumentan de 2006 a 2007, pero disminuyan en 2008. Lo mismo se puede notar en el grado décimo en Artes del Idioma Ingles y matemáticas. Las pruebas aumentan entre 2006 y 2007, pero bajan en 2008.
También se puede ver en las pruebas de estudiantes blancos este efecto del yoyo. De nuevo, revise Tabla 2 y note el aumento entre 2006 a 2007, pero disminución en 2008 en matemáticas en séptimo grado, matemáticas en octavo grado, ciencia en octavo grado, y Artes del Idioma Ingles y matemáticas en grado once. Este efecto del yoyo es también notado en los grados primarios en Tabla 1. Este efecto se ha notado antes en otros artículos escritos en La Voz, y como se declaró entonces se declara de nuevo, es una indicación de la inconsistencia en la alineación del currículo.
¿Han mejorado las pruebas TAKS del distrito? En unos caso sí, en unos casos no. El problema fundamental es que el mismo problema que ha sido señala anteriormente por La Voz todavía persiste. Adicionalmente, bajo la último orden de la corte asociado con la demanda de Genoveva Morales, una de las muchas áreas por las cuales el distrito escolar de Uvalde es responsable es la diferencia en los resultados entre estudiantes hispanos y estudiantes blancos.
De la perspectiva de La Voz, el argumento por parte de los miembros de la cámara escolar cuales proporcionaron a Brown con aumento de sueldo debido al “buen trabajo” cual ha hecho, tal vez ha sido prematuro, sobre todo si la diferencia entre las pruebas persisten.
Además, es dudable que el aumento de sueldo proporcionado al superintendente no será agradable para personal del distrito escolar de Uvalde cual no recibieron aumento, o personal cual se elimina debido al presupuesto reducido anticipado para el siguiente año. Hay todavía demasiadas áreas en el distrito cuales requieren mejoramiento; basando el aumento de sueldo en el área de resultados solamente, en luz de diferencias cuales claramente existen, es dudoso por lo menos.
Arguing that Uvalde CISD Superintendent Wendell Brown has been doing a good job, and that TAKS scores have improved, four Uvalde CISCD school board members voted to give Brown a $10,000 raise plus a $200 per month annuity during their last school board meeting.
Although the salary increase will not go into effect until next June, the salary increase provided to the superintendent raises his salary to $150,000. The increase came less than a year since his last increase as his salary had been $140,000 since June of 2008. The $150,000 does not include other benefits, such as the annuity, also provided to the superintendent.
The vote to provide Brown with the salary increase was 4-to-3 with Allen Mize, Carper Capt, Bob Lester and Bill Cockerill voting for, and David Gonzales, Hector Luevano, and Carlos Fernandez voting against. Despite the fact that, a.) The tax rollback was voted down a few month ago, b.) The district did not provide teachers and other personnel a pay increase for the upcoming year, and c.) The district is taking a hard look at programs and services to reduce or eliminate in the coming school year, apparently the board felt that Brown deserved an increase.
Additionally, if indeed the superintendent is doing a good job, what are the teachers doing? Teachers are the foot soldiers; they are the ones in the trenches, if the superintendent is doing a good job it is because the teachers are the ones at the forefront of the educational battle.
Other districts throughout the region and state are also feeling the funding pinch and have begun reducing staff, programs and services. One wonders just what programs or services will be eliminated in order to provide Brown his pay increase.
It is important to look at the reasons given by the four board members who voted for the pay increase. The principal argument was that district TAKS scores had increased over the previous year. As the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) data for the previously ended year has already been released, La Voz decided to review the data to see just how well the district is doing, as noted by the four individuals who voted to provide the superintendent his raise.
In order to obtain a better picture regarding TAKS scores, La Voz used the data for the 2006, 2007 and 2008 academic years. This was done because the four board members used only the 2007 and 2008 academic years as comparison. However, using the third year (2006) provides a three-year comparison versus only a two-year comparison, and, from LaVoz’s perspective, a better picture regarding the “good job” the superintendent is doing.
The information contained in the tables is as follows:
• The first column refers to the grade level test,
• The second column refers to the last three academic years of TAKS results,
• The third column refers to the TAKS scores statewide,
• The fourth column refers to the scores within Region 20 (the region in which the UCISD is located),
• The fifth column refers to the TAKS scores for the entire district,
• The sixth column refers to the TAKS scores for Hispanic students, and the last column to the scores of white students.
Table 1 provides the AEIS data for the elementary grades. Parents should review the table closely as there are a number of concerns reflected in the information. A comparison of scores between those obtained for the state and region, compared to those obtained by Anglo students is the first salient item. In nearly every instance the scores for white students surpasses those of the state and region. The exception is third grade reading in 2006, fourth grade math in 2006, and fifth grade math in 2007.
Conversely, Hispanic students score lower than the state and region in nearly all areas. There are a few of exceptions such as in third grade math in 2006, fourth grade math in 2006, in sixth grade reading in 2006 and 2008, and sixth grade math in 2006 and 2008. Additionally, the gap in test scores between Anglo and Hispanic students persistently remains, and at the elementary level, the differences increase.
For instances, in grade three reading the gap in 2006 was at 3%, this increases to 15% in 2007 and 2008. The same can be said for third grade math.
In 2006, the testing gap was 12%, this increases to 15% in 2007 and to 28% in 2008. In fourth grade, over the same three year period, the testing gap increases in reading from 3% to 22%, in math it increases from 14% to 22%, (this occurs because the scores for Hispanic students decrease while the scores for white students increase), and in writing it increases from 2% to 15%.
Fifth grade is a bit different. In reading, over the three-year period, the gap decreases from 25% to 17%, in math, the gap increases from 19% to 22% and in science, it remains the same at 27%. Only in sixth grade is there an overall decrease. In reading the gap decreases from 4% to 2%, and in math the gap decreases from 11% to 6% even though there is decrease for both white and Hispanic students.
Table two contains the TAKS information for secondary level students. As is the case for Anglo elementary level students, they outperform students at the state and regional levels at the secondary level.
There are a few instances in which Anglo students in the district score lower than students across the state and region. For instance, they scored lower in seventh grade reading in 2008, in seventh grade math in 2008, in eleventh grade English Language Arts in 2006 and 2008, and in eleventh grade math in 2008.
With respect to Hispanic students, only in seventh grade writing do they score higher than students at the state or regional level do. In every area other than this, Hispanic students score below students at the state and regional level.
With respect to the gap in test scores between Anglo and Hispanic students, the district has been successful in narrowing the differences at the secondary level.
The gap, however, remains, and there are instances in which it increases. The test score gaps in Table 2 are as follows:
• in seventh grade reading, over the last three years, the gap has decreased from 27% to 14%,
• in math it has decreased from 49% to 30%, (this is due to a decrease in the passing rate for white students of 16%),
• in writing the gap increased by 1% from 13% to 14%.
At the eighth grade level the test score gap decreased in reading from 16% to 11%, in math the gap actually increased from 20% to 25%, in science the gap decreased from 40% to 29%, and in social studies the gap decreased from 31% to 20%.
In ninth grade the test score gap in reading decreased from 17% to 15%, but there was a large increase in math from 33% to 54%.
In tenth grade the test score gap in English Language Arts decreases from 21% to 9%, in math it decreases from 37% to 31%, in science the gap decreases from 49% to 28%, and in social studies the gap decreased from 32% to16%.
In eleventh grade the test score gap in English Language Arts decreases from 6% to 2%, in math it decreases from 27% to 20%, in science the gap decreases from 38% to 29%, and in social studies the gap decreased from 18% to9%.
Although the test score gap at the secondary level has decreased in most areas, gaps still exist.
The data in Table 2 is reflective of a total of 17 tests (three in seventh grade, four in eighth grade, two in ninth grade, four in tenth grade, and four in eleventh grade). In three of the test areas the test score gap is less than 10 percentage points, in five test areas the gap is less than 20 points, and in nine areas the gap is 20 points or more.
The biggest gaps are in ninth grade math at 54%, tenth grade math at 31%, seventh grade math at 30%, eighth and eleventh grade science at 29%, tenth grade science at 28%, and eighth grade math at 25%.
At the elementary level there are two test areas in which the test score gap is less than 10 percentage points. The gap is less than 20 points, and five areas in which the gap is over 20 points in three test areas.
Another factor that comes into play is the inconsistency of the results. A few examples will suffice to explain this. If you look at Table 2 and the test results for Hispanic students at the seventh grade level, the scores increase from 2006 to 2007, but decrease in 2008. The same can be said for tenth grade English Language Arts and math. The scores increase between 2006 and 2007, but decline in 2008.
This yo-yo effect can also be seen in the scores of Anglo students. Again, look at Table 2 and note the increase from 2006 to 2007, but decrease in 2008 for seventh grade math, eighth grade science, eleventh grade English Language Arts, and math.
This yo-yo effect is also discernable at the elementary level in Table 1. This outcome has been noted before in other articles written in La Voz; as stated then and stated now, it is an indication of inconsistency in the alignment of the curriculum.
Have the district testing scores improved? In some instance, yes, in some instances, no. The fundamental issue is that the same problem that has been consistently point out by La Voz still persists. Additionally, under the last court order associated with the Genoveva Morales lawsuit, one of the many areas under which the UCISD will be held accountable is the testing gap.
From the perspective of La Voz, the argument on the part of the board members to provide Brown with a salary increase because of the “good job” he has done may prove to be a bit premature, especially if the testing gap persists, and especially if the yoyo effect resurfaces at the end of this year.
Further, it is doubtful that the salary increase provided to the superintendent will play well with UCISD personnel that did not get a pay increase, or personnel that may be eliminated due to the tight budget anticipated next year.
The district still requires improvement in far too many areas. To base the salary increase on the area of testing alone, in light of some of the glaring differences, is dubious at best.
In our last edition, we ran an excerpt of Ray Scott’s new book. Almost immediately, there was an intense amount of interest in the book and many LaVoz readers asked how they could obtain a copy. The best way to obtain a copy is to call Mr. Scott. His number is (830) 278-6738.
Due to the large amount of attention to the book, the author was amenable to allowing La Voz to publish a second excerpt.
The following is the second excerpt from Ray Scott’s “The Greedy Gringos of Uvalde County.”
Enjoy!
(Editor’s note: The following excerpt contains harsh language and semi-censored expletives)
During the 1980’s and l990’s, the thieves from Houston and Dallas started paying big stolen bucks for ranches in Uvalde and surrounding counties. These thieving bastards are mostly big-mouthed lawyers from the big cities with a pocket full of booty. Then you have the wormy-headed pricks that stole their fortune in the fuel business. These sorry sons-o-bitches added more fuel to the fire. The big shots in Uvalde County welcomed them to the greedy gringo clan. Of course, the first thing on the agenda was to keep us peon gringos off of their river.
One of the greedy weenies was a thief named “Con Man.” They say he stole his fortune being a tobacco lawyer for the people with lung cancer. In other words, a buzzard on a branch waiting to glutton down on that last dollar. Most of the old greedy gringos died off, leaving their greedy little turds to keep up the legacy. Most of them failed at following in the footsteps of their prick daddy because daddy was gone. So, they sold out to the thieves. The ass kissers of Uvalde County were sucking up to the thieves knowing that they had more stolen money than they had. Con Man is just another son of a bitch of the SS along with his hoard of thieving gringos.
The other maggot that looks like someone picked him up and shook all the sh*t out of him is the ‘Big Culero” of the thieves. His Gar-mouthed name is “Blow-his-Stack Blockhead.” What the bigmouth bastard needs is a good country thrashing! He had his own swimming hole dredged out below his place in the middle of the state riverbed! This little worm with his stolen money likes to show how weak he is by opening his gar mouth with threats like “the people of Uvalde County don’t have enough money to keep me from getting these peons off my river!” The worm has shot into the water around swimmers and fishermen. He must have some of the deputy sheriff’s officers paid off because they have been successful at running some young kids off and a few grown-ups. He paid a fine for trying to run some true friends of mine off the county road that he wants to steal.
Bubba Chisum and his wife and their kids had canoed down river fishing, picnicking and swimming. When they got to the assholes “county road water crossing”, my friend’s son loaded his canoe on top of his pickup and loaded up his family. When he pulled out of the riverbed onto the county road, “Blow His Stack” pulled out from his entrance to his property onto the county road and started trying to run them off the road! He then passed them on the narrow gravel road at a high rate of speed with his spinning tires throwing rocks and gravel onto the sides of my friends pickup! Then the Red Wiggler with the sh*t slung out of him slid his pickup sideways blocking them from getting onto the state highway! When Bubba got out of his pickup, Blockhead was standing outside his pickup. Bubba was hotter than a fresh-fired cannon. He walked up to the worm and got him by the neck and slammed him across the hood of his pickup. He was fixing to receive something he apparently had never had before! When you are the first cousin to a jungle rat like this Houston pile of sh*t, he did what all cowardly bastards do. He had called the sheriff’s department before he tried to run those kids down. He is one lucky prick!
A sheriff’s deputy drove up and kept this worthless son of a bitch from spending a week in the hospital sucking blended sauerkraut and weenies through a straw with help from a nurse because his bruised swollen eyes haven’t opened for a week! This bad-mouthed thief was whimpering like King Rat. Saying to my friend’s wife, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” That’s the only truth this no good bastard has ever told! He is worse than sorry. He forgot to say that he was a sorry, no-good, thieving son of a bitch from Houston! His bloated mouth will get him in a heap of deep sh*t someday. If my Dad was alive, he would say, “Don’t you know that his flapping mouth would look good wearing a fist?”
Con Man and Blockhead were so concerned about the preservation of the rivers and environment that they drummed up a plan along with a hand full of their Uvalde County greedy gringos to keep the public off the state rivers, because the vehicles traveling up and down the river were messing up the environment each time a tire touched the water when crossing from one side to the other. These two sons a bitches made it look like the locals were invading their property. These two thieves along with some of the local greedy gringo landowners staged a photo shoot on the Nueces River north of Uvalde. I have a witness who saw the guttersnipes doing what they do best. The witness said he was camped out on his property above the Nineteen Mile Crossing Bridge. He said that about an hour or so before daylight, he heard five or more vehicles driving in the riverbed. They did donuts and tore the gravel up spinning their tires for a while. Then, they parked all around the mess they made and cut their lights off and killed engines. He said they never moved or got out of their vehicles. When morning came, he heard a helicopter flying towards where the vehicles were parked. It circled around the vehicles for a minute or two, then left. The vehicles started their engines and left the riverbed.
The following week, there was a big colored picture in the Austin, Texas newspaper showing the destruction of the riverbed and the 4×4 vehicles that did the damage. And, it was blamed on the peon gringos! It’s really amazing that it didn’t appear in the Uvalde by-weekly wipe or the San Antonio Express News. San Antonio is eighty miles from Uvalde. Uvalde doesn’t get the Austin paper. But the witness’s best buddy who lives in Lockhart does. You can tell that the picture was a set up! A person would be stupid not realize that these two ringleader bastards live just a few miles from where the pictures were taken. And one of the thieving bastards owns a helicopter! These thieves wanted to show all the crooked politicians in Austin and Governor Pretty Boy Prick how concerned the greedy gringo landowners of Uvalde County were about saving the 250 plus miles of rivers in Uvalde County from the wrath of the pillaging peons! These greedy gringos throw most of the trash that their trigger-happy hunters leave behind around the water crossings and under the bridges adding more trash to the trash that some dumbass picnicker left behind
This clan of thieves hired two lobbyist and paid out over $60,000 to the sorry bastards The He Coon was behind all this crooked sh*t Here he is, up to his waist in his grave with one hand on the jug and the other hand snatching grabbing up all the land he can get. After all, he is one of Texas’ largest single landowners.
I don’t give a sh*t how much money or property someone has., the rivers and streams of this state will be off limits to the peon gringo. In Uvalde County, this puffed faced old bastard is the “He Coon” with his sneaky tactics and glomming experience paid a visit to our state representative, who is a thieving bitch from the valley of Texas. This old bastard shook that green back poultice in her Javalina chomping mouth that immediately turned her into an environmentalist. The He Coon persuaded her to run a Bill through the Texas Legislature to ban the use of motorized vehicles in the river bottoms statewide that was sure to pass as long as the stolen money kept pouring in. The bill passed through the House and Senate and Governor Prick kicked the peon gringo in the nuts with the stroke of his greedy pen along with his chickensh*t grin. Now, all the greedy gringos from Uvalde County are happy, especially Con Man, the Red Wriggler and the rest of the sorry bastards and the bull dyke bitches who are supposed to listen to their constituents and do the job according to the constitution (that no longer exists). The Uvalde bi-weekly wipe supported all of the thieves by putting editorials in the paper sucking up to the greedy bastards. A turd that was backing and glomming on the stolen money was a state representative from Kerrville, Texas. He was raised in Uvalde County and it keeps the pressure off the local assholes that he does the dirty work for. Can’t anyone read between the lines!
Two of the county commissioners of Uvalde County were on us peon’s side and wanted to form a river access committee. Blockhead was the first asshole to be chosen to be representing the thieves along with a limping wimp rancher neighbor of his. The limping wimp is a Uvalde County native. Blockhead showed off his greedy thieving ass at the first meeting during the discussions by threatening one of the opposing committee members. The by-weekly wipe had it on the front page. Blockhead told the member, “That’s private property and the first time you go up there, you are going to get cuffed and I hope it is on my place, because I will press charges!” He should have finished his wormy performance by saying, “I’ve got enough stolen money to buy what my greedy gut wants!” Take a bow for all your greedy gringo compadres, you little wormy son of a bitch!
The river ban for vehicular traffic had some stipulations. They were: The only people allowed to drive a motorized vehicle through the riverbeds were law enforcement, emergency vehicles and public workers. Of course, the greedy gringo and “others”, too. I understand all of this except for the last part. Who in the hell are “the others”? And why do the greedy gringos get to drive their vehicles wherever they want? Could the others be the Houston hunters that will pay the thieves a cheaper fee to kill a deer, buck or doe? The fee is around three hundred dollars a day for these poor dumb bastards.
The greedy gringos call hunting the river bottoms “a free roaming deer hunt” no feed, no blinds. This bullsh*t was picked up on the internet advertising all over the state to hunt free roaming Whitetail deer on the Frio River in Uvalde County. The greedy gringo doesn’t tell the dumb bastards from the big city that they can’t use their high-powered rifles. The firearm allowed to hunt with on the rivers is a shotgun. Buckshot or birdshot is all the peons are allowed to use. No slugs. He turns them loose to roam around in the river bottom looking for the free roaming deer with their high-powered rifle. The deer behind his twenty-foot high fence are his deer! The deer in the river bottoms are not corn fed pets like the deer that the greedy ones have penned up to be slaughtered just for the antlers and cape.
The big city shooters hang their big bucks in the locker places and pay for a few weeks and never come and pick up the deer because they killed a bigger antlered deer with a wider spread on a canned hunt later in the season. The deer left behind by these assholes could feed a lot of starving people that would appreciate the flavor of deer meat. Instead, the deer are hauled to the dump ground. The employees of the storage lockers get to keep the racks.
Crooked lawyers, politicians and lobbyist should all be shipped to Siberia. They spend their stolen money getting elected promising us poor dumb peons everything but the truth. The only truth I have ever heard was from an old man who wasn’t a politician. He said that the crooked bastards will get on their soap box and tell all of us dumb listeners what they would do for your vote. He will even kiss your ass for your vote and when he is elected, you can kiss his!
With a less than three weeks remaining to register for spring classes, Rio Grande College Admissions Director Claudia Wright stresses the importance of holding a college degree in times when economic circumstances are fast changing.
“Our doors are like open pathways to new career horizons for students on their way up the ladder toward their first degree, or for students who already have degrees and seek to update their professional knowledge and diversify their skills,” she says.
“The key to career security is marketability,” adds Wright, who offices at RGC’s Eagle Pass campus. “The more training and experience an individual gets, the more in-demand the individual becomes.”
Classes in junior, senior and graduate-level programs start January 20 at Sul Ross State University’s Rio Grande College. Online registration continues through Friday, January 30. For a listing of courses and to register online, visit the College web site, rgc.sulross.edu, or drop by the admissions offices at RGC’s campuses in Del Rio, Eagle Pass and Uvalde.
Although nearly all RGC students now register on the web, students who have been officially accepted for enrollment can get one-on-one help with signing up for classes at the College’s admissions offices. Counselors may be reached at 830/703-4812 (Del Rio), 830/758-5037 (Eagle Pass) and 830/279/3037 (Uvalde).
“At Rio Grande College we say ‘Think Opportunity’ and we really mean it,” says
Wright. “We’re not only home-based for Southwest Texans, RGC offers a wide range of high-quality degree programs at the very lowest tuition rate in Texas.”
“When the economy dives, a college graduate most often survives,” Wright adds.
Just recently, La Voz was informed of the attempt once again to bring up the issue of a water pipeline to pump water out of the county.
The renewed attempt is through slick marketing by a private company known as Southwest Texas Water Resources (STWR) that states it is working through the legislature to build a water pipeline..
La Voz accessed the company’s web page : uvaldewaterproject.com/
and downloaded a series of questions and answers placed on the site by the company. These have been included below. La Voz urges all citizens to access the site or call your locally elected officials to let them know your feelings on the matter.
Despite what STWR may say regarding jobs or income for Uvalde County, the fact of the matter is that the pipeline will benefit less than 5% of the county’s population. The real winners will be the company owning the pipeline, and the actual losers will be the citizens of Uvalde County.
To access the website simply use the following web address: uvaldewaterproject.com/.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are Texas landowners allowed to lease their water to the Uvalde Water Project
?
A: The Texas Legislature passed the Edwards Aquifer Authority Act in 1993 that established groundwater permits for the Edwards Aquifer. The act expressly recognizes a right of water permit owners to sell or lease their permits. Water permit owners are exercising their private property rights by leasing their permits to the Uvalde Water Project. Without the Uvalde Water Project, the permits could still be leased or sold for use in the San Antonio area under existing law without any of the economic benefits of the Uvalde Water Project for the Uvalde economy or the improved resource management for the Edwards Aquifer.
Q: Will the Uvalde Water Project increase the total amount of water permits that can be transferred from the Uvalde Pool to the San Antonio Pool?
A: No. The Uvalde Water Project does not increase the total amount of water permits that can be transferred from the Uvalde Water Pool to the San Antonio Pool under the Edwards Aquifer Authority Act. With a proposed size of 40,000 acre feet per year, the Uvalde Water Project would use two-thirds of the total unrestricted permits for irrigation in the Uvalde Pool that could be transferred for use in the San Antonio Pool under existing law.
Q: Will the Uvalde Water Project mean a reduction in irrigated agriculture in Uvalde County?
A: No. Groundwater pumping in Uvalde County peaked in the mid-1980s at approximately 150,000 acre feet year. The trend pumping of Edwards groundwater in Uvalde County has declined to 60,000 acre feet as of 2007, or less than 40 percent of the peak level of pumping reached in the 1980s. The declining trend in groundwater pumping mostly reflects the adoption of sprinkler irrigation in Uvalde County, with reductions in irrigated acreage representing a secondary factor. The declining trend in groundwater pumping means that there are enough permits for irrigated agriculture to meet current agricultural water demands in addition to make 40,000 acre feet of unrestricted permits available for the Uvalde Water Project.
Q: How does the Uvalde Water Project benefit the local economy of Uvalde County?
A: The Uvalde Water Project will provide a significant economic stimulus for Uvalde County from
1. the creation and operation of a new water company that will develop, finance, and operate the Uvalde Water Project,
2. a new, long-term income source for participants in STWR’s Edwards permit leasing program that will supplement their agricultural incomes,
3. and construction of the water company’s well field and regional pipeline.
The operation of the new water company and creation of a new supplemental income source for water right owners will generate a long-term economic stimulus to the local economy:
1. 74 to 121 new local jobs per year (depending on the extent to which water permit owners reinvest in their agricultural operations), or 1,480 jobs over the first 20 years of project operations
2. $15 million to $16 million increase the output of the Uvalde County economy, or $300 million to $320 million over the first 20 years of project operations
The construction of the water company’s well field and regional pipeline will also create an additional stimulus during the construction period:
1. 173 new local jobs
2. $43.7 million increase the output of the Uvalde County economy
Q: How does the Uvalde Water Project improve resource management in the Edwards Aquifer?
A: The Uvalde Water Project avoids the further concentration of pumping in the San Antonio Pool that would occur if unrestricted Uvalde water permits are transferred for pumping in San Antonio. Increased pumping in San Antonio will stress flows at Comal Springs and San Marcos Springs.
Q: Will pumping by the Uvalde Water Project interfere with the recharge zone or conduits of the Edwards Aquifer?
A: No. Three potential locations for the project’s well field have been identified west of the Knippa Gap in Uvalde County that are:
1. located a sufficient distance from the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone in Uvalde County to assure that project operations do not interact with the recharge zone;
2. located a sufficient distance from known conduits in the Edwards Aquifer in Uvalde County to assure that project operations are separated from conduits that pass water faster through the Edwards Aquifer than surrounding areas.
Q: Will pumping by the Uvalde Water Project interfere with the water supplies of other pumpers in the Uvalde Pool?
A: No. Hydrogeologic information indicates that any drawdown in close proximity to the Uvalde Water Project’s well field will not be significant and will have a minor impact on well elevation. Analysis based on the EAA groundwater model indicates that, while pumping by the Uvalde Water Project will create a 2% risk that Stage II Critical Management Periods will occur, the 5% reductions in allowed pumping still leaves a more than adequate supply to meet demands for Edwards water in Uvalde County.
Q: Will the Uvalde Water Project unleash an uncontrolled market in the Uvalde Pool that will jeopardize future municipal water supplies in Uvalde County?
A: No. The size of the Uvalde Water Project will be defined and limited. As explained above, a project sized at 40,000 base acre feet per year leaves more than sufficient water to meet the water needs in Uvalde County. Southwest Texas Water Resources is willing to discuss reasonable legislative protections and provisions (see below).
Q: Where would the regional pipeline be located?
A: A final pipeline route has yet to be determined but STWR will insist that any route will avoid habitat of listed endangered species, known and potential cultural resource sites, and population centers along the route. Two general potential right-of-ways have been identified that satisfy a variety of technical criteria, including:
1. avoid habitat of listed endangered species
2. avoid known and potential cultural resource sites
3. avoid center pivot locations
4. avoid population centers along the route
5. incorporate other technical factors to assure a well designed project
Q: Why does the San Antonio area need the Uvalde Water Project?
A: With an increasing population, San Antonio needs a reliable water supply to meet the long term needs of its citizens and the local economic base. Water delivered by the Uvalde Water Project avoids further concentration of pumping in the San Antonio Pool and would help better manage the entire Edwards Aquifer. The Uvalde Water Project is a critical tool for meeting existing and future demands for municipal water supplies for two reasons:
1. water delivered by the Uvalde Water Project has the superior reliability of the Uvalde Pool
2. water delivered by the Uvalde Water Project avoids further concentration of pumping in the San Antonio Pool that would increase the frequency that all water users in the San Antonio Pool face Critical Management Periods.
The regional approach set forth in SB 1 encourages meeting water supply needs through utilizing conservation efforts, pipelines, underground supplies, and other methods. The Uvalde Water Project fits well within the strategies set forth in the regional plan.
Q: Would San Antonio be the only user of water from the Uvalde Water Project?
A: No. Being a regional project, the Uvalde Water Project can be designed to meet municipal water needs of communities along the entire pipeline route.
Q: Doesn’t existing law prohibit the construction of a pipeline from Uvalde County to San Antonio?
A: Yes. The implementation of the Uvalde Water Project would require an amendment to the Edwards Aquifer Authority Act.
Q: Haven’t there been prior attempts to repeal the pipeline prohibition?
A: Yes. Prior attempts proposed a blanket repeal of the pipeline prohibition, an abolishment of the base acre foot of water that current law requires to stay with the land, and allow Edwards water to be exported for use outside the Edwards Aquifer.
Q: Is Southwest Texas Water Resources’ legislative effort different from prior attempts? How?
A: Yes. The Uvalde Water Project will support legislation that provides for a limited exemption from the pipeline prohibition, with protections and provisions to address concerns regarding the water resources and the local economy of Uvalde County, and that maintains the base acre foot supply and keeps Edwards water within the Edwards Aquifer.
Q: Who will pay for the pipeline?
A: The Uvalde Water Project is privately financed and does not require any state or federal taxpayer funding.
Legislative Updates
SOUTHWEST TEXAS WATER RESOURCES, LP (STWR)
The primary purpose of the STWR program is to secure a long-term water supply for a water pipeline from Uvalde County to the San Antonio metropolitan area. The pipeline is the key component of STWR’s strategy to provide a water resource management tool for the Edwards Aquifer. By pumping water in Uvalde County and conveying water by pipeline to the San Antonio metropolitan area, STWR believes that its program achieves the following objectives:
1. allows municipal water users in the San Antonio metropolitan area to enjoy the superior reliability of groundwater supplies in the Uvalde Pool in comparison to the San Antonio Pool in the Edwards Aquifer,
2. allows for an expanded municipal use of Edwards water in the San Antonio metropolitan area without reducing further the inferior reliability of groundwater supplies in the San Antonio Pool, and
3. protect springflows at San Marcos Springs and Comal Springs by avoiding any further concentrating of pumping of Edwards groundwater rights in the San Antonio Pool
Proposed Legislation
Due to the prohibition in the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) Act of 1993, the STWR program requires legislative action. The program will require an exemption from language stating “… The authority may not allow for any person to construct, acquire, or own facilities for transporting ground water out of Uvalde or Medina County.”
New Authority
– The Company is presently reviewing legal and legislative options that would best address a water transfer, only within the EAA Region, and
only
for the amount of Uvalde groundwater that can be transferred under the current provisions of the EAA Act.
Protection Concept
–
The Company supports the development of policy options that provide protection to the community of origin. STWR representatives will meet with local officials and work to address their concerns. The Company will dedicate the time and resources to facilitate policy options that address local concerns.
The Company will also work directly with representatives of the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) before requesting Senate or House sponsorships of the necessary legislation.
Pipeline Route
Company representatives are working with engineering and hydrology specialists to determine route options and economic impacts.
Dates of Interest
STWR intends to continue working through the 81st Legislative Session that adjourns on June 1, 2009.
