Sunday's Internet Edition, July 20, 2008.
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| Can you guess where this is? This location is in Culberson County. It provides an excellent spot for picnics and a fishing experience. Have you guessed where it is yet? |
- Culberson County-Allamoore Independent School District trustees called a special meeting for yesterday afternoon. In a break from most of their recent meetings, trustees had this session over in little over two hours.
In what started off to be a civil, respectful meeting between trustees and the High School Site Base Committee ended in total frustration with the Site Base Committee walking out after the board voted.
The High School Site Base Committee chairman told trustees that the committee was “concerned about the students at the high school and the very real and present need to have an everyday, every hour principal on campus.” He also stressed that “the need is not for an assistant principal or one who is overseeing tow campuses. He went on to state that we need someone in control and we need him now.”
Another committee member said, “What is needed now is constant, strong leadership.”
Another member cited, “The need for strong discipline as students now are pushing the limit because they don’t see anyone in charge.”
Yet another member stated, “We as teachers have the best interests of our students at heart, and we simply don’t have the time to manage too. We need a strong , present leader on campus.”
Armed with these concerns, trustees entered another behind-closed-doors session. This time, the session lasted a little over an hour.
Upon reentering open session, Superintendent Anne Pemberton told trustees that the High School Site Base Committee had met again on Monday for about 7 hours interviewing more potential candidates for either the principal’s position or an Assistant Principals position.
Pemberton said that the most recent series of interviews by the Site Base Committee was strictly for an assistant principal. The four candidates interviewed and the order of ranking was as follows: Becky Watley, Ben Flanagan, Yolanda Ortega and Dolores Upchurch.
Pemberton told trustees the Committee was recommending that one of five blended potential candidates be hired from the first series of interviews and the last series of interviews. Then she proceeded to name the five candidates. The candidates were, in order of recommended selection, Becky Watley, one of the former recommendations from the last meeting, Ben Flanagan, and two others of the recommendations from the last meeting.
After naming the Site Base Committee’s recommendations, Pemberton recommended that one of the five be hired.
In a move contrary to the Site Base Committee’s recommendation trustee Lisa Cottrell madw a motion to hire Yolanda Ortega and that motion was seconded by Andrea Ramirez. The vote, however, failed 3 to 2 with trustees Lupe Alvarado, Angie Gonzalez and Joe Morales voting against the motion.
Then, trustee Lupe Alvarado made the motion to hire Dolores Upchurch and the motion was seconded by trustee Angie Gonzalez. That vote carried by a 3 to 2 margin, with trustees Lupe Alvarado, Angie Gonzalez and Joe Morales for the motion with trustees Lisa Cottrell and Andrea Ramirez against the motion.
This reporter asked Superintendent what position Dolores Upchurch was just hired for and her reply was, “She was hired subject to funding and assignment.”
Superintendent Pemberton was then asked if Dolores Upchurch was certified for an administrative position to which her reply, after some hesitation, was “no she is not.”
This action elicited a rapid departure from the board room by members of the Site Base Committee and others in attendance.
The other action taken by trustees was to approve the contractual hiring of B.O. Buchhor as the district’s U.I.L. consultant for high school academic U.I.L. events. For his services, Buchhorn will be paid as an independent contractor. Superintendent Pemberton did tell the board that she had checked with U.I.L. officials and this course of action would be approved under the U.I.L. rules.
And, Superintendent Pemberton reported that she has checked with the Department of Justice officials to get the required pre-clearance for the roll back election set for November 6th. She noted that because some voters in the school district are residents of Hudspeth County, some address changes needed to be made and trustees gave their approval to these changes.
Superintendent Pemberton also told trustees that she was looking at the possibility of holding the election in conjunction with the county’s Constitutional amendments election on the same date.
District alerts parents regarding travel policy
Yesterday school district representatives called the Advocate to alert parents about changes in the district’s travel policy this year.
These changes have been made to keep the district up to date with recent Homeland Security requirements.
The district representative reminded all parents of students on activity buses that if you want your student to ride home with you, a signed form must be completed and in the district’s hands before the buses leave Van Horn. Without that consent form, students will not be allowed to ride home with the parent or a designated representative.
Parents please take note. Also, the forms are available at the various campuses, the transportation office and from the Athletic Director.
Coaches looking to keep athletes out of tempting situations
Sheriff Oscar Carrillo reported this week that he has met with the district coaching staff in an attempt to help keep students, especially athletes, out of tempting situations in town. In fact, according to Carrillo, some of these athletes have been staying out past curfew and have been in compromising situations.
Sheriff Carrillo, in cooperation with the district coaching staff, is instituting a policy where coaches may ride with sheriff’s deputies in an attempt to police the curfew violations.
Carrillo also noted that “coaches will be making public service calls to the athletes homes at various hours to verify compliance with the curfew policy.”
The curfew policy as outlined are 10 p.m. nightly Sunday through Thursday; 9 p.m. on the day prior to a game day; and 11:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Carrillo also reported that Athletic Director Joe Salinas has met with athlete parents and they have all been appraised of the curfew and the need to abide by it.
Cattle Raisers to meet in Marfa
FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 22, 2007— Beef producers will delve into the details of several current issues during Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association’s fall meeting Sept. 12-14 in Marfa, Texas.
Primary among them will be considering policy relative to recommendations of the Beef Checkoff Study Group. Bill Brandenberg, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association member from El Centro, Calif., who chaired the study group, will discuss the findings during the general session on Friday morning, Sept. 14.
The study group was formed to examine a 2006 proposal by the Industrywide Checkoff Task Force to increase the $1-per-head beef checkoff. Group members have considered the potential benefits of a checkoff increase, looked at additional ways the checkoff can benefit producers and identified critical success factors that need to be addressed to achieve a checkoff increase.
Several TSCRA committees will meet on Thursday, Sept. 13. Beginning at 8:10 a.m., the Natural Resources and Environment Committee will learn about converting waste into natural gas from Norm Sendler of Microgy Inc.
At 9:15 a.m. the Association Promotion Committee will review the membership marketing plan. At 10:30 a.m. Colin Woodall, staff director of NCBA’s Public Policy Group, will provide a legislative update to a joint meeting of the Brand and Inspection and Legislative and Tax Committees.
At 12:45 p.m., the Marketing Committee will get the latest information on export markets from Paul Clayton, senior vice president of export services for the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
At 2 p.m. the Wildlife Committee will hear about the falcon conservation program from J. Peter Jenny and Angel Montoya, president and field operations manager, respectively, of The Peregrine Fund.
At 3:15 p.m. Barry S. Jackson from the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives has been invited to update the Labor Committee on immigration reform.
“Committee sessions are open to everyone registered for the meeting,” says TSCRA President Jon Means. “And you don’t have to be a TSCRA member to register. We encourage non-members to come and find out what TSCRA is all about.”
There will be opportunities for meeting participants to visit with each other and enjoy the Marfa area. These include a welcome dinner and The Marfa Roundup Western Art Show at the Hotel Paisano from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, a special star party and dinner at McDonald Observatory on Thursday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and chuckwagon breakfasts on Thursday and Friday mornings.
Spouses may enjoy a Thursday morning tour of four sites at the Chinati Museum and a catered lunch at Hotel Paisano.
Sponsors for the fall meeting include Fort Davis State Bank, Bayer Health Care—Animal Health, Hargove Crop Insurance, Dow AgroSciences; Fort Dodge Animal Health, Texas Range Minerals, Capital Farm Credit, Cauthorn and Griffin, First Ag Credit, Greely Hat Works, Matlock & Associates, The Plexus Groupe, Texoma Nutritional Ag and Gordon Richardson—Estate Planning.
More information is available on TSCRA’s Web site at www.texascattleraisers.org or call 1 (800) 242-7820.