Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 50

E2 Austin American-Statesman INSIGHT Sunday, February 9, 2003 Austin American-Statesman Ben Sargent Austin American-statesman MiCIIAI'lLAOSA, Publistier RlOIIAimA. Ol'I'HL Editor AUNOIJ) GARCIA Ml, Editorial Page Editor Executive Wee President and General Manager JAMHS E. RllUiY, Vice President and Cliief Financial Officer FKI'IDZII'I! Managing Editor David I). Lowkky, Aj.bi;kta Piiiluivs, Biiuch lhcm. Editorial Writers Editorials A good-sense plan for addressing foster care in Texas State Sen.

Steve Ogden believes, and we agree, that churches and other houses of worship are untapped sources for potential foster parents. Letters SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA TRAGEDY While you're singing that hymn or listening to the sermon today, look left. Then look right. If your neighbor is snoring, wake him up. Church pews are filled with folks who would make ideal moms and dads for thousands of Texas children who need foster care.

That's what state Sen. Steve Ogden sees when he goes to church. And the Republican from Bryan, whose district includes a piece of Williamson County, is bringing his vision to the Legislature. Ogden calls it a i laith-baseaiostercare initiative: We call it good sense. It's the kind of thinking required in tough bud Steve Ogden LK il i- Msmsmm E.

Joseph Deering Houston ci HiONKXE A makeshift memorial has sprung up at the entrance to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. On Thursday, Sandra Arredondo of Pasadena paid her respects to the fallen astronauts. get times. (The state is projecting a $10 billion budget shortfall.) JJnder his plan, the state would work with churches to recruit foster parents. Every day, children are removed from dangerous or unhealthy environments.

There aren't enough quality homes for them, particularly in Central Texas. Ogden believes, and we agree, that churches and other houses of worship are untapped sources for potential foster parents. But Ogden's plan goes further, addressing the obstacles that stand in the way of foster parenting, including busy work schedules, limited finances and a lack of state training sites for would-be foster parents. "I think we've got a shot at making big improvements in the delivery of foster care in Texas by using thousands of churches in this state," Ogden said in an interview with the American-Statesman. Here's how it would work: A church would sponsor members who agree to open their homes to foster children.

Church sponsorship would guarantee foster parents support bey ond the state aid they would receive for caring for those children. That support could be baby-sitting services one night a week to give foster parents a break. It could be clothing and shoes that members donate to families, or additional money collected in the plate that would go to families with foster kids. Those churches that have day-care centers would offer free tuition to their foster families. No shock needed I appreciate the American-Statesman's detailed coverage of the Space Shuttle Columbia.

But in the Feb. 2 edition, was really necessary to let readers know about the "charred torso" or other body parts found? If I want to read stuff like that, I'll look in the tabloids. Let's try to keep some standards please. This isn't the Jerry Springer show no shock is needed to add to the already horrific tragedy. DAVID SMITH Austin Rest in peace From where I live in Austin, we can see the shuttles as they streak across Texas upon re-entry with an astonishing grandeur.

When you witness this spectacular event, it renders your body with tingles, and you become mesmerize by the colors, indescribably vivid, streaking back to Mother Earth. With mission control in Houston, most of Texas is able to see these "routine missions overhead, and we have a place for those people as they splash our night sky. Bless those who died. May they rest in Texas peace. CRAIG C.

BUDREAU Austin Ccbudreauaol.com Clouds of grief My heart holds in prayer the families of the seven astronaut heroes who died in the Columbia explosion. My heart also holds a question: Where is the outpouring of grief for the other American heroes who have died serving their country? Over the past few weeks, we have heard news reports of U.S. servicemen killed while in service to their country. They knew the risks and were doing their jobs just like the Columbia astronauts. Their deaths are no less tragic or heroic.

Yet no flags fly at half-staff. I heard no national presidential address. Perhaps we this to protect ourselves. If we fully allowed ourselves to experience the grief of the death of every American hero, the clouds of war looming on the horizon would be much less tolerable. CASSIUS DRAKE Austin Spiritlivesinyouaustin.rr.com Mourn all losses The tragic loss of the space shut- tie and crew should serve to remind us all how dangerous space exploration is and how brave the people who fly into space are.

We all share a feeling of sadness over this terrible accident, but it makes me also consider that the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia should not be any more significant than the.loss of any military aircraft. Recently, with hardly a mention, welost four pilots in a mid-air collision in the Rio Grande Valley. People who fly helicopters are just as significant as people who fly the shuttle. Perhaps this terrible event might make us take a moment and reflect whenever we suffer the loss of anyone serving this nation. CARL T.

SWANSON Austin cswansonaustin.rr.com Smiles and tears The superb writing of Brad Buchholz, which brought smiles, wonder and tears, is a wonderful memorial to the space shuttle and its crew (Feb. 3 essay, "The delicate Along with the poign- Currently, foster receive from $521 a month for a child with basic needs or $1,237 for a child with severe emotional problems. Ogden, a father and grandfather, has his hand on the pulse of the problem. Many folks who have enough love and patience to care for abused and neglected children don't have the time or money to take on more responsibilities. Those people might be persuaded to act if they knew their church members were willing to share parenting duties and expenses.

Church-sponsored foster parents would be held to the same standards as others, undergoing state training and certification. That, too, has been a barrier in the past because the state conducts large training sessions in centralized locations. That is another goodfeature in Ogden's plan: Churches would host state training sessions, bringing them to local communities across the state. No longer would people have to travel far distances to get training. The training would come to them.

No state money would go to churches, so the plan stays within constitutional limits. It doesn't create another bureaucracy or require legislation to start up. This all could happen by cooperation, but the plan does require some state funding about $500,000 to hire additional trainers and to pay for recruitment and training materials. That's a small price to pay for good homes to place traumatized and neglected children. The length of time a child will stay in a foster home varies, from about six months to two years.

So before you say "Amen" today, think about Ogden's initiative. Think of it as a ministry for children, a chance to practice what you preach. Contact Ogden's office at 463-0105 for more information. The event will mark the second round of awards given every other year. The first.crop of medal recipients included Willie Nelson and Tommy Lee Jones.

We hope that this event continues to grow and spotlight those who contribute to the Texas story by telling it through the arts. Only seven years old, the Texas Cultural Trust Council was established to raise money and the profile of the Texas Cultural Trust. The Legislature created the trust as a fund-raising vehicle for the arts in Texas. The goal of the council is to raise $100 million for an endowment fund that would feed grants to be distributed by the the Texas Commission on the Arts. Other individuals to receive the 2003 medal are actress and theater teacher Enid Holm of Mexia, arts educator Marca Lee Bircher of Dallas and philanthropist Nancy Hamon of Dallas.

In addition, ExxonMobil will receive a medal for corporate arts support, and Houston Endowment Inc. will be honored for foundation giving. Congratulations to the the honorees. We celebrate them for celebrating Texas. Thanks for telling the story of Texas through the arts of life and money called.NASA.

Smashing $150 million probes into the surface of Mars and comets in the name of esoteric research has become routine. Does anyone realize what the billions of dollars that we have blown in space could have done to improve the quality of our lives if left in the private sector? I defy anyone to exemplify a single benefit of nonmilitary space exploration that could begin to justify the senseless waste that NASA has become. TOM GLEINSER Dripping Springs gleinserbuildanddesign.com Pay more attention Shame on the press. Shame on us all. TV journalist Brokaw said it best during the broadcast of the memorial service for the seven astronauts who died in the space shuttle disaster.

He said the press let us all down. Media didn't keep us informed. How many of us didn't know that the space shuttle had lifted off Jan. 16? How many of us khew ahead of time that the shuttle was returning to Earth on Feb. We have become too complacent about space travel, its risks and rewards.

There is good news all around us, but perhaps we would rather read about all the bad things that are happehing around us and around the world. Those seven astronauts were our heroes before we knew who they were. Let us all vow to pay more attention to those who make the world a better place. AUDREY JAHN Round Rock MITE TO US The Austin American-Statesman encourages e-mail and faxes from readers. Please include a full name, address and daytime and phone numbers.

We continue to accept letters, but because of security considerations, e-mail and faxes are processed faster. We edit letters for brevity, grammar and clarity. Edited letters typically address a single idea and do not exceed 150 words. Anonymous letters will not be published. Send faxes to (512) 912-5927 and e-mail to lettersstatesman.com.

Mall to: Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 670, Austin, TX 78767. ant photos, it at once helps us to reflect, give thanks and strive. JANEBASEY Austin Focus on funding If there is anything positivejhat can come out of the loss of thelCo-lumbia, it will be that attention will be focused on these extraordinary people and others in NASA who deserve better funding to ensure their safety. In a CSpan broadcast of an interview with the astronauts from the shuttle, I saw a reflection of the very best of what it is to be a human being, a mix of nationalities, colors and beliefs, men and women, all living and working together in harmony.

As each spoke, I saw in every one of them a gentle soul, someone wanting to make this world a better place. These people were peace in motion, all that is positive and good in our future." They deserve not only the safest ride possible, but the ability to do a whole lot more in a scientific endeavor that already has brought wondrous discoveries into our everyday lives. ROBERT N. ADAMS Austin They'll never be forgotten The NASA trip was a tragic event. Seven people were just trying to fulfill their dreams from their childhood until God's path for them hit a dead end, and unfortunately ended their lives.

Even worse, chunks of what was once a dream came raining down as proof that the mission was unsuccessful. People's lives were lost, and they will never be forgotten. ALEXTABER Age 12 Austin Senseless waste I timed it. It took less, than three hours following the shuttle tragedy for a high-level NASA bureaucrat to blame the disaster on a lack of funding. That was a crass use of the loss of astronauts' lives.

If NASA didn't have enough funds to safely launch the shuttle mission, then it shouldn't have started the countdown. Was it so important to see how fires burn in space to risk the lives of seven heroes? It is past' time to stop this waste There is an actor whose portrayal of David Crockett forged the most popular image of the Alamo defender. There is the country singer who broke the color line and reminded us of the joys of kissing an angel good morning. There is the choreographer whose very name is musical. Fess Parker's portrayal of "Davy Crockett" sold coon skin caps by the thousands in the 1950s.

Balladeer Charlie Pride turned the country music industry on its ear. Tommy Tune showed Broadway that Texans can do more than square dance. They are three of 13 Texas artists who will be honored next month with the Texas Medal of the Arts. Other honorees include authors John Graves and Sandra Cisneros, sculptor Glenna Goodacre and singer Lydia Mendoza. Dealey Herndon of Austin will receive a medal for her work on the architectural restoration of the state Capitol.

The honorees are living testimony that the state can grow a bumper crop of artists of all disciplines. The recognition ceremonies are scheduled March 25 at the Paramount Theatre. The medals are presented by the Texas Cultural Trust Council..