Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 9

METRO fe STATE Tuesday, August 3, 2004 Austin American-Statesman statesman.com Section svste new boar John Kelso Health Hospital district's tax money might not be enough to expand services, ease ER overload be maintained as a reserve. "There's going to be a lot of discussion about reserves," Hei-dricksaid. "Ithinkthisisallvery preliminary." The hospital district will oversee health care for the indigent in Travis County and collect taxes to pay for those services at public hospitals and clinics. See DISTRICT, B3 "There was an anticipation of increased services, but there doesn't appear to be money for that." Austin lawyer Clarke Heid-rick, whom the board elected chairman, said that although money seems tight, it's too early to say how much will or won't be available. He said that based on budget data the city- and county presented Monday, the district might be able to tap about $3.9 million in reserves to spend on new services, such as expanding clinic hours or setting up urgent care centers to take pressure off clogged emergency rooms.

Spataro said the county commissioners, who must approve the hospital district's budget and tax rate, said that the county might require the $3.9 million to Terror alert or just bulky trash day? ByMaryAnnRoser AMKIiK AN-ST ATCiMAN STAFF The new Travis County Hospital District board on Monday got an overview of a county public health system so overwhelmed that some question how much relief new taxes might provide. "There are just so many budget constraints," Travis County Auditor Susan Spataro said as the nine-member board of managers went into a closed session near the end of its first meeting. Now, this is summer A fete fit for a cycling king Parade, music and Capitol party set for next week for Lance By Jeremy Schwartz AMKIiK 'AN-STATKSMAN STAFF We've had to share him with the entire world all summer, but next week, Lance Armstrong will finally come home. Fresh off his record sixth consecutive Tour de France victory, Armstrong will make his first scheduled stateside public appearance on the steps of the state Capitol on Aug. 13 as part of a national celebration.

Organizers expect more than 60,000 fans to descend on the Capitol for the event, which will feature musical performances, a parade and a slate of speakers. "Lance is an American hero," said Michelle Milford, a spokeswoman for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. "His admirers live far and wide, but in particular, here in Austin." Armstrong has held similar events here in 1999 after his first Tour win and in 2001, but Ralph Barrera photos AMERICAN-STATESMAN spew cold comfort. He, his siblings and their friends were there Monday, when the temperature in Austin reached 97. When the mercury rises, 13-year-old Bernardo Nava can find relief at the Metz Recreation Center, where the water fountains That or Texas sizzle, is settling in See FETE, B5 1 "7 Do you ever get confused like I do about what exactly you're supposed to do to cover your butt on a terror alert day? I have a hard time keeping these terror alert days straight from all the other stuff that's going on.

While Monday was a high-risk orange alert day in parts of the Northeast, it was an Ozone Action Day here in Austin. So I called up Tom Ridge and turned in one of my neighbors for mowing his lawn. I have become so inured to terror alert bulletins on the cable news channels that I really can't tell much difference between terror alerts and, say, bulky trash day. If you see somebody setting a Mujahedeen out by the curb, it's probably me. It's not that I think this nation doesn't need the occasional elevated terrorist alert to keep us ready to roll some punks and to help out George W.

Bush's poll ratings. Why, right this minute, many people would like to see me dead, and they aren't all members of the Bouldin Creek Neighborhood Association, who are still ticked off about that column I wrote last week making fun of them. No, some of the people who would like to see me dead are Middle Eastern terrorists. Adding to the terror is that Saddam Hussein is now writing poetry from his jail cell. Swell.

"There once was a Kurd from Nantucket If that's not a reason to raise the terror alert to red, I'll eat my collected works of Walt Whitman. Maybe I'd be more enthusiastic about elevated terror alert days if the federal government dressed them up and made them festive, like Christmas. Wouldn't we all be more likely to participate in terror alert days if each of us brought a covered dish and exchanged terror alert gifts? I know what. Let's get a tree and trim it with duct tape. I'll cook a ham.

Do you like the spiral kind? Terror alert days would be more meaningful if we all went to the mall and bought each other a little something appropriately wrapped at Dillard's tear gas, pepper spray or crowbars. I'd like to be more helpful on terror alert days. I really would. But I never do anything special on these days because the government never tells me what to do. They never tell me, for example, that I should go buy a Louisville Slugger and break somebody's knees.

See, the government leaves me guessing about what precautions I'm supposed to take. All they ever tell me is to be aware of my surroundings. Thanks for the hot tip, you bozos at the U.S. government. I was going to pay attention to my surroundings anyway.

This is why I don't have my underwear on backward. Oh, well. I guess I'm just not very good at homeland security. A few months ago my wife, Sally, and I managed to set off the car alarm while we were out riding around at night in South Austin. Somehow we hit the wrong buttons, and bedlam ensued.

Then we couldn't figure out how to turn.off the car alarm. So we drove for a couple of miles with the alarm blasting and the lights flashing. You would have thought we had Osama bin Laden in the trunk. John Kelso's column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Contact him at 445-3606 or jkelsostatcsman.com.

For Makia Tucker, 11, left, and Keara Stiles, 10, the neighborhood pool was the perfect place to beat the heat. They might spend a lot of time at the pool this week as temperatures soar to 100. ByTony Plohetski AMKIiK 'AN-STATKSMAN STAFF That sweat dripping from your brow, that car that feels more like an oven, that short walk that leaves you gulping water if you aren't already used to it, consider this: Austin is about to have its hottest week so far this summer. Forecasters expect highs of about 100 degrees for the next several days, with heat indexes of up to 108. Grab the water bottle and sunscreen, they recommend.

"It's going to be hot," said Bob Rose, a meteorologist for the Lower Colorado River Authority. Despite this week's oven-like conditions, Austin hasn't yet been hit by heat waves similar to those of past summers. The city has endured only one 100-degree day so far: Memorial Day, by Camp Mabry's reading. Rose said that late July and early August typically are the hottest and that temperatures near 100 aren't unusual. The relief this year from soaring A has shifted east over Texas and is responsible for this week's heat.

Monday's highs were 97 at Camp Mabry and 96 at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. There's only a slight chance of rain until the weekend, when a cool front could increase the possibility and cause temperatures to dip 5 degrees or so. temperatures has kept water and energy consumption lower than usual, and officials said they aren't worried about systems getting taxed this week. "We expect to see usage go up, but we really aren't even watching with much concern," said Laurie Lentz of Austin's water and wastewater department. Rose said a large ridge of high pressure Summer's frightful, but ice is delightful k4 Luxy Banner, 6, practices her figure skating Monday on the ice rink at Northcross Mall.

The rink, which had been closed for nearly three years, reopened Sunday. A grand opening celebration will be Saturday. Larry Kolvoord AMKU 'AN-STATKSMAN Homeland office gets new chief Former FBI official tapped to lead state's anti-terrorism efforts By Mike Ward AMKIiK 'AN-STATKSMAN STAFF A top FBI counterterrorism official who began his law enforcement career as a Lone Star highway patrol trooper more than two decades ago was named Texas' director of homeland security Monday. Gov. Rick Perry said Steven McCraw, the just-retired assistant director of the FBI's inspection division, will be responsible for coordinating day-to-day homeland security efforts among local, state and federal agencies.

McCraw replaces Kim-brough, who has served as director of homeland security since the position was created shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Officials said Parents, children celebrate reopening of indoor rink at Northcross Mall By Claire Osborn AMKIiK STAFF Now that the dreaded heat of August has arrived to torture Central Texans, a cool blast from the past may bring relief. The ice rink at Northcross Mall has been reborn. The rink, closed since September 2001, reopened Sunday.

And the ice is nice. "I feel like I'm flying," said 9-year-old Jeremy Harrienger, skating backward Monday. About 10 kids swirled around the ice with him, falling, spinning and laughing, while the song "Sweet Emotion" poured out over a sound system. Wilson Bauer, a 12-year-old with a liberal sprinkling of freckles across his nose, offered his frank opinion of what life had been like at the mall without the ice. "It wasn't very fun because there were too many rules," he said, referring to the kids' inflatable games that had been placed in the ice rink space after it closed.

5 Traffic at the mall dropped 40 percent to 50 percent after the ice disappeared, said Robert Townsend, a retail consultant for United Commercial Realty Management. Development 2000, the mall's previous management firm, was recently replaced by United Commercial Realty See ICE, B3 A grand opening with free skate rental, figure skating exhibitions and drawings will be Saturday. The mall is at 2525 W. Anderson Lane. The rink first opened in January 1975 and for years was the only one in the city.

It closed after developers decided to reconfigure the mall to include more office space. See SECURITY, B5 Mem.