<< BACK TO ARCHIVES

COUNTY NEWS

Barrientos Wins Miss Floydada Title

Marisa Barrientos, a senior at FHS, and daughter of Tomas and Lisa Barrientos, was crowned Elegant Miss at the 2001 Miss Floydada Pageant, November 17. Barrientos won both divisions of Talent and Modeling.

Courtney Campbell, a sophomore at FHS, and daughter of Bob and Janette Campbell, was named Miss Congeniality. Campbell was also 2nd Runner-Up Elegant Miss.

Heather Ware was 1st Runner-Up Elegant Miss.

The Modeling winner in the Teen Miss category was Marla Reeves. Reeves is an 8th grader and the daughter of Mike and Stacy Reeves. She was the 1st Runner-up in the Talent Division.

The Talent Miss Teen was 7th grader Kimberly Garza. She is the daughter of Harvey and Martha Garza. She was the 1st Runner-up in the Modeling Division.

Britnee Brotherton was the Modeling and Talent winner of the Young Miss category. Britnee is a 7th grader and the daughter of David and Kay Brotherton.

Runners-up in Young Miss Modeling were: Tana Lloyd, 1st, and Morgan Marble, 2nd. Talent Runners-up were: Morgan Marble, 1st, and Blanca Suarez, 2nd.

The Junior Miss Modeling Queen was Alexis Holbert, daughter of Phillip and Stephanie Holbert. The Talent Junior Miss was Evan Johnson, daughter of Jeff and Roijon Johnson.

Junior Miss Modeling Runners-up were Laci Nixon, 1st, and Elizabeth Suarez, 2nd. Talent Runners-up were: Alexis Holbert, 1st, and Jessica Prisk, 2nd.

Petite Miss Modeling Queen was Kaitlynn Hendricks. She was also the 1st Runner-up in the Talent division.

The Talent Petite Miss Queen was Hannah Smith, daughter of Kyle and Shelly Smith.

Runners-up in the Petite Miss Modeling Division were: Hannah Smith, 1st, and Roxanne Espinoza, 2nd. Talent Runners-up were: Kaitlynn Hendricks, 1st, and Madolyn McCormick, 2nd.

The Tiny Miss Queen was RoxAnn Chavarria.

Julianne Cornelius was the Mistress of Ceremonies at the Pageant, and Becky Ross was the Pageant Director.

Entertainment was provided by last years Queens: Miss Floydada Trisha Coursey, Young Miss Katie Beth Crossland, Junior Miss Mary Warren, Little Miss Brityn Helms, and Tiny Miss Emily Prisk.

A new tradition was also started this year by last year's Queens. The Queens from the 2000 Pageant voted on the most enthusiastic contestant and gave the "Shining Star" award to Kaitlynn Hendricks.

LISD Worries Over High School Failure Rate

Lockney ISD approved the new redistricting plan during their regular board meeting, November 15. No citizens attended an earlier public hearing on the redistricting plan.

School board members spent a great deal of time discussing the problem of failing high school students.

The board was distressed to hear a report from Principal James Poole concerning the failure problem.

"We have at least 50 students who are failing," said Poole. "The problem is students not turning in their work or not doing work in class. We are fighting an 'I don't care' attitude."

Poole said that although he believes alcohol and drug use are the cause of many of these problems, he has no evidence to back that up.

According to Poole students have been observed arriving in the morning barely able to keep their eyes open. "They come in and throw their backpack on the floor and lay down," said Poole.

"Alcohol use zaps your strength," said Poole. "They also can't stay awake in class."

"Teachers have told me that many kids have the attitude of, 'they can't touch me'. Some of the kids have an 'I don't care' attitude. They have told teachers to just give them a zero. Marijuana makes a person not care."

"We have reverted back to where we were, or worse, before we implemented the drug testing," said Superintendent Raymond Lusk.

"It improved while we were drug testing," said Poole.

"We are trying to come up with ways to help these kids," said Lusk. "We are setting up more tutorial time, and will not be accepting zeros when our new planning is in place.

"I believe that all kids want to succeed," said Lusk, "they just need motivation. If they start to see progress in their grades I believe they will want to continue. The teachers want to help. They don't want to see anyone fail--and they are already cutting a lot of slack to some of these kids.

"If we were to implement another drug testing policy it would have to be all voluntary. These kids who have the problem won't take the test."

"We need the commitment of parents to help us with this, or we are going to lose them," said Poole.

"If a parent sees a failing grade on the report card they need to come see me or the teachers," said Poole. "Very few of them do."

"Teachers want parents to come in with the right frame of mind--to want to work with the teacher--not accuse the teacher," said Poole.

"We are hoping that by making parents aware of the problems going on they will be able to help. Parents need to pay attention--to set curfews and make sure kids come home and get their work done. After a certain time at night nothing good can come from being out roaming the streets."

"We need to have courageous parents," said Lusk. "Kids aren't always going to like your decision--but you have to decide who is running the household."

Poole said the failing students are dispersed among all the high school grades and are both boys and girls.

The school board discussed ways to motivate and give special attention to struggling students.

One option considered favorably was letting passing students out of school early on Fridays in order to give special tutorial attention to failing students.

Superintendent Raymond Lusk updated the board on teacher preparation for the TAKS testing.

The TAKS test (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) has replaced the TAAS tests. "The level of testing will be much more difficult," said Lusk. "The expectation of all academic skills are higher."

The TAKS test will go into effect next year. "Next year the 11th grade will take the exit test instead of 10th grade," said Lusk. "It will be more in depth in all areas--especially math.

"In elementary school next year anyone not passing the TAKS test in third grade will be held back. They will have 3 tries at taking the test before they are held back," said Lusk.

OBITUARIES

SHACORY DEVIAN ACY

Funeral services for Shacory Devian Acy, infant son of Christy Dora Nicole Acy and Enoch Christopher Wickware of Floydada, were held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, November 17, 2001 at the Moore-Rose-White Memorial Chapel. Reverend Ralph Jackson, pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, officated.

Burial was in the Forest Lawn Cemetery under the direction of Moore-Rose-White Funeral Home of Floydada.

He died on Wednesday, November 15, 2001 in Floydada.

He was born on September 6, 2001 in Lockney.

Survivors include his parents; his grandparents, Vella Acy, Jack and Dorothy Wickware and Floyd Hall, all of Floydada; his great-grandparents, Ella Davis and Willie Acy, both of Floydada; his great-great-grandmother, Dora Davis of Floydada; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

The family suggests memorials to North Texas SIDS Alliance, 1401 Airport Freeway, Suite 118, Bedford, Texas 76021.

WINIFRED MARY EVERS

Funeral Mass for Winifred Mary Evers, 86, of Lubbock was held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 17, 2001 at St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church in Lubbock. Reverend James O'Connor officated.

Burial was in the Resthaven Memorial Park under the direction of Resthaven Funeral Home.

She died on Wednesday, November 14, 2001 in Lubbock.

She was born on April 25, 1915 in London, England. She graduated from Austin High School in El Paso. She married Olin G. Evers in August 16, 1941. He preceded her in death on October 22, 2000.

Mrs. Evers was a violinist with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra for several years and taught piano and violin for many years. She was a resident of Lubbock and a member of St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church.

She was preceded in death by a son, Ernie Joe Evers on April 22, 1950.

Survivors include two brothers, R.W. McPhillips, Jr. and Tommy McPhillips; three sisters, Pauline Watson, Marjorie Storseth and Ann Collins; and numerous nephews and nieces.

The family suggests memorials to St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church or to a favorite charity.

A VIEW FROM THE LAMPLIGHTER

Many of us were taught, as children, that "you can't have your cake and eat it too."

The art of successful politics, it sometimes seems, consists of trying to do just that. It can‚t be done, but that never kept a good politician from trying.

It seems to us that the Bush Administration's latest pronouncement in the field of immigration is just that. Attorney General Ashcroft's statement last week reminds us of someone trying to eat his cake and have it too.

The Attorney General says vast changes are in store for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The (INS) is going to be overhauled. The wheels for reorganization are supposed to start rolling sometime within the next 30 days. The INS will be divided into two separate units, one (we'll call it "unit A") concerned with protecting our borders, the other (we'll call it "unit B") concerned with "service" to those already here, and (presumably) those who evade the officers charged with enforcing the rules set down by "unit A".

In the meantime, the Attorney General wants us all to know that the concept of "open borders" will remain in effect, that we are a "nation of immigrants" and that won't change. It was just a coincidence, but the same day the Attorney General made his announcement, we had a Hesperian column urging the government to get involved in the immigration mess.

We had hoped, however, for a little more.

We have absolutely no objection to shaking up the INS. That should have been done years ago. The agency has been a neglected stepchild, misused by politicians of all stripes for the past many years. Loyal, competent officers in the field have seen their handiwork rendered useless by judges, priests, politicians, professional racists, you name it, to hide a multitude of sins. In my own personal experience I have seen a former "head" of the INS (under the pious President Jimmy Carter) turn the agency into nothing but a cash cow for political payoffs. In that particular instance a former head of the INS collaborated with a Catholic Bishop in Houston to milk (not bilk, but milk) the INS of thousands of dollars in photo costs for immigrant visas. The then Administration, even under President Ronald Reagan, did not want to question, or tackle, the all powerful Bishops in their scheme. After all, it was only a few hundred thousand dollars, maybe millions, which, in the scheme of things, was peanuts.

Even despite the charade proposed last week by Attorney General Ashcroft, we remain hopeful. Congress itself is considering changes in our stupid immigration laws. Perhaps between the Congress and the Administration we can expect changes over and beyond those announced by Ashcroft. The Attorney General's announcement struck us as someone thrashing around to deflect the heat, while trying to take credit for whatever immigration improvement might be enacted in the long run. In other words, he was trying to eat his cake and have it too. The result may help him, and them, but it won't help America, or Americans.

There are ways the mess that now passes for our immigration policy can be vastly improved without even half trying. A simple directive from the Administration ordering complete and total cooperation between all agencies involved in law enforcement would work wonders. I don't know what the rules are now, but for many years local law enforcement officers could not involve themselves in immigration matters. If they ran into a wetback, whether he was from India, or Nigeria, or Guatemala, they had to notify an immigration officer. He, in turn, could, if he had time, try to find the illegal. Or at least check with someone who had seen the illegal and ask where he went. As a rule, the immigration officer, if he had any sense at all, would be in no great hurry, since he knew a host of civil rights lawyers and sympathetic judges would be in the wings. Too, even if he did apprehend the illegal, he could expect to see him again in a matter of weeks, after he had had an expense paid trip back to his homeland.

A world of good, in our opinion, could be accomplished simply be getting all those charged with enforcing the law to sing from the same book. But in the bigger picture, there ought to be a realization by this Administration that borders mean something. One can understand the Democratic leadership heading out to Mexico, where they are, as we write, making all sorts of promises about waiving already lenient immigration laws in the hope that votes will be forthcoming. But it is extremely disconcerting to see the Bush Administration follow almost, not quite, but almost, the same pandering procedure.

BY THE WAY

This will be my "Thanksgiving" column. Obviously it should be about giving thanks--or Pilgrims--or Indians--or something generic and not offensive.

I could list all the things I'm thankful for--my husband, son, parents, friends, home, health, etc. Lots of people do that--they even do it on prime time T.V. It is O.K. to be thankful on T.V.--you just have to leave out the part about who you are thankful to.

So I want to say something politically incorrect. I am thankful to my Savior Jesus Christ for giving me life itself. I am thankful to my Savior Jesus Christ for being the ultimate and final sacrifice ever offered for the forgiveness of sins--my sins--and your sins.

God says there can be no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood. Some religions are still sacrificing and shedding blood. My Savior said we don't have to do that anymore. He did it already.

Then after He died He came back to life to prove to me that I was going to come back to life too. I'm thankful for that.

No other religion has a Savior that came back to life. No other religion has a Savior who died just for each individual who believes in Him.

Other religions have graves they can visit to see the burial spot of their prophet. I don't. There isn't a burial spot for my Savior. I am thankful for that.

I am thankful for the very breath given me by my Savior.

Sherman Aten and his wonderful family were giving a concert at Calvary Cornerstone Church this past Sunday.

He recalled watching the big "prayer" gathering at Yankee Stadium after September 11th.

I didn't get to see the gathering, but Sherman had a different outlook on it than was offered in most commentary.

Oprah Winfrey was the "leader" of the prayer. People packed the stadium for emotional healing and support. Prayer was lifted up to every god.

Different speakers from different religions (besides Christianity) offered up prayers to their god. A Christian was also asked to offer up prayers, which was greeted with the same applause as all the other prayers.

A "Christian" nation applauding prayers to other gods.

Sherman wanted to know if this would have happened after World War II. He didn't think so. He used this as an example to remind us that at one time Christians were in the majority in this country, and praying to other gods was not encouraged or accomodated.

Call me a fundamentalist. Call me a (gasp)--"born-again" Christian extremist. But I know what I know.

I have the peace about my future that only my faith in Jesus Christ can bring. There is no peace or joy like it-and only those who know Him know or understand that peace and joy. I'm thankful for that.

I pray the peace that "surpasseth all understanding" is present at your Thanksgiving feast this week.

God Bless.

© 2002, Floyd County Hesperian Beacon

Questions? Comments? E-mail The Editor | Webmaster