El Paso Times from El Paso, Texas • 13

i 1 Virus inquiry: Investigation into contagious animal disease in NM exp Section El Paso Times Thursday June 15, 1995 Metro Editor Ramon Bracamontes, 546-6124 yl -'V i 2B Deaths 5B Southwest ChanrizaFs BORDERLAND School named after Chacon: Ysleta Independent School District trustees Wednesday brads et faces named the newest campus after a former trustee and former county judge. The Alicia R. Chacon International Srbnnl will tielty trim Siglo de Oro in jeopardy Chac6n open this fall with grades kindergarten through third. Students at the school at 221 Prado will learn a variety of languages, including Spanish, Russian, Japanese and German. Also, trustees approved a reorganization of district administrators, but the plan did not include the names of those who will change jobs.

And the board named trustee Roberto Lerma as the new board president. Reward Increased: An additional $1,000 has been added to the reward offered for information about the vehicle that I struck and In 1963, the United States and Mexico signed the Chamizal Treaty, ending a 100-year dispute over a small piece of land between El Paso and Juarez. The treaty divided 630 acres: Mexico received 437 and the United States received 193. Both countries established parks on the land. The Chamizal National Park in El Paso was established in 1974 and operated by the National Park Service.

It contains 193 acres. It Is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except when performances require for the park to stay open later. The Chamizal Park in Juarez is south of the Bridge of the Americas and has about 630 acres, used mostly as picnic areas. killed 10-year-old Chad Tart er June 3 as he in an East El Paso By Paula Monarez-Dfaz and Carlos Hamann El Paso Times Popular programs at the 23-year-old Chamizal National Memorial Park could face the ax beginning in 1996 if a proposed GOP plan to balance the federal budget becomes law, Park officials reported Wednesday.

Republican budget-cutters have proposed a 10 percent cut for the National Park Service, said Mary Guerrero Conner, administrative officer for the park. "We'll probably cut out the Siglo de Oro (drama production taking place in the spring)." Conner said. "We'll cut back on employee hours, and the number of performances and events in the theater." To meet the cut officials would also reduce the three-day Border Folk Festival in October to one day, close the Visitor's Center Monday through Friday, down-scale the groundskeeping, and eliminate the park's portable toilets. The park has an annual budget of $1.4 million and would face a cut of $140,000, Conner said. Seventy-five percent of the current budget goes into salaries.

"We are concerned," Conner said. "It's the first time in many years the park service faces this kind of a threat." The cutbacks "would really have impact on the community," said Blanca Alvarez Stransky, chief of arts and education for Chamizal park. Tf ft 1 WW a More than 200 events at the park take place each year that include recitals, weddings and quinceaneras and dance performances, Alvarez said. The park, which opened in 1972, attracts about 300,000 visitors each year. The Juarez Chamizal park, just south of the Rio Grande, is the result of the 1963 treaty between the United States and Mexico that defined a disputed area of the border resulting from the shifting river.

Photos by Grace Saenz Dickson El Paso Times About 100 people gathered Wednesday at Memorial Circle at Fort Bliss for a dual ceremony honoring Flag Day and the Army's 220th birthday. 7 hf1 A Family memories stolen with scooter Crash victim built bike from scratch Tarter The boy's mother, Nita Tarter, said a person who wanted to remain anonymous donated the additional money, which will be added to the $1,000 reward being offered by Crimestop-pers. Police are searching for a "shiny" red or black full-size truck or similar vehicle. Police believe the truck has damage in the front. The Crimes-toppers number is 543-6000.

Truck delivery: A police officer attempting to stop a pickup from speeding in the emergency lane of Interstate 10 Tuesday instead ended up delivering a baby to a woman passenger in the truck. Officer Jesus De Avila of the Pebble Hills Regional Command noticed the truck speeding west near Paisano at about 12:45 p.m. The truck finally stopped because of traffic backed up from an accident. When I)e Avila approached the vehicle he found a husband and wife inside the 23-year-old woman already in advanced labor. De Avila attempted to escort the couple to Thomason Hospital, but the woman began giving birth.

De Avila stopped and delivered the child in the truck at the intersection of Gateway West and Raynolds. EMS soon arrived and transported mother and child to Southwest General Hospital. Bonuses approved: The El Paso school board approved $5,000 bonuses Tuesday night for 67 teachers, administrators and other certified employees hired at Guillen Middle School. The board also agreed to hire a second assistant principal and another school counselor to help new Principal Maria "Tonie" Kreye overhaul the low performing campus. The bonuses will cost Flag, Army share dual honors at Fort Bliss By Cindy Ramirez El Paso Times The patriotic tune of "Stars and Stripes Forever" echoed at Fort Bliss during a dual celebration of Flag Day and the U.S.

Army's 220th birthday Wednesday. "You don't realize how much patriotism you have inside until you attend a ceremony like this," World War II Army veteran Joaquin Velarde said. "You hear the music and see the flag and something just stirs up inside you," he said. A crowd of about 100 gathered at Memorial Circle to salute the nation's most imporv tant symbol of liberty arid freedom. Army wife Suzanne Mijton attended the ceremony with her two young children Sandy, 6, li 11 is powered by a lawn-mower engine.

The greyish black scooter has handle bars, and two small tires. The bike was stolen late Tuesday or early Wednesday from the family's Fastwood area home. The crash Sunday afternoon on Highway 62 ISO a few miles east of El Paso was one of the worst in recent memory. Nabhan was in a Chevrolet Nova that, while headed toward El Paso, collided head on with a Ford Thunderbird going the other way. Also killed in the Nova were El Pasoans Antonio Malcom, 24 and Ray Ashworth.

21. Killed in the hird: Blanca Martinez, 28, Gloria Martinez, 30. Six people survived. Anyone with information about the stolen scooter may call the Pebble Hills police station, 599 5500. By Gordon Dickson El Paso Times The family of a teen-age boy killed in a weekend crash is begging for the return of the boy's homemade motor scooter, which was stolen from their backyard.

The family of Robert Nabhan, 17, one of five people killed Sun day in a head on collision in Fast Montana, says the scooter was one of the few mementos they had of his shortened life. "He built it himself from the ground up. Me used to tool around in it," Nabhan's sister, Michelle, said Wednesday. "Somebody came into our backyard last night and stole it. To come into our back yard when we're grieving is just sick.

"When somebody dies, everything becomes more precious." The scooter probably isn't worth much on the street. It was built from scratch, and Ma. Gen. James J. Cravens Fort Bliss commander, places one of 172 streamers representing the nation's historical battles on the Army flag.

flag, and they learn by example," Milton said. Flag day is celebrated June 14 to recognize the day in 1777 when the Continental Congress adopted the official U.S. flag known as "Old Glory." Beside the Stars and Stripes Please see Fort Bliss 3B and Michael, 4. "I want them to see that the flag is not just something that hangs in our home two or three times a year," Milton said as she handed her children small flags of their own. 1 "We set an example as adults about the respect and admiration we should have toward the A quick, easy solution to problems in public education qualified, we should pav 'em board member failed the new problem with what happened at $335,000.

Superintendent Stan Paz said the district also plans to pump an extra $400,000 of federal impact aid into programs at Guillen. Disabilities suit: Olivia Schonberger says that because she's blind, she doesn't get her due as a taxpayer in Texas. She has a lengthy list of things to which she believes she is denied access, but there's one she said she desires above all else: "I want to have the right to vote in secret like everybody else." Tuesday, she joined five other disabled El Pasoans in filing a class-action suit under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act that seeks accessibility to all polling $100,000 a year, just like a CEO or a bank president or some other executive," he said. "It's one of the most important jobs in the city, and we ought to pay 'em like it's that important. "I also think in order to run for school hoard you should have to prove you're not behind on paying property taxes, but I admit that's a bizarre idea." Bubba grabbed his wrench, crawled under the fender and resumed his oil change.

On a stump nearby, Little Buford had been eavesdropping while rotating the wheels on his roller blades. As I walked away from the back fence I heard him ask Bubha, "Pa, why do we call 'em trustees if we can't trust "em?" lohn Laird Bubha told me over the back fence he has a simple solution for every education problem in all nine school districts throughout El Paso County. "Make school board members take the TAAS test," he said. As usual, Bubba needed some straightening out, so I explained, "Neighbor, the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills test is for children, not adults." Bubba put down his oil filter wrench, sighed impatiently and replied, "Not that TAAS test. I'm talking about a new one.

I call it the 'Trustees' Administrative Ability If we subject kids to all this TAAS pressure, it's only fair that school trustees dance to the same music." Isn't that a little harsh for the elected officials, I asked? Shouldn't an endorsement by voters be enough? "What endorsement?" Bubba replied. "You call six percent of registered voters showing up for a runoff an endorsement?" Everybody's getting tested TAAS test, he or she could not go to graduation. Any graduation. But there's nothing to worrv about. If a trustee fails the TAAS test, remedial TAAS training will be provided.

Of course, this might become so prevalent that trustees would worry about 'just teaching the TAAS' instead of running the school district." Bubba said his plan for a new TAAS test would provide new opportunities for warm, fuzzy public relations. "A press conference could be called and trustees could boast: 'We are proud to announce 30 percent of our school board members have passed the (new) TAAS test this year, and that's up from 20 percent the year before. We believe no other school district in Texas has shown such rapid improvement in TAAS scores among school board members." Apparently, Bubba has spent a lot of time thinking about public education. "After we get our school board members TAAS that meeting, Inibba said. In fact, we have the El Paso school board exactly where we want it." "Where's that?" I asked.

"Totally devoid of leadership," he answered, leaning on a fender. "Based on past performance, having no leadership whatsoever might be an improvement. 1 hope they vote 11 times at every meeting without electing anyone. I just wish I could vote 1 1 times." But, I asked, who could Eossibly benefit from a school oard with no leadership? "Well, you know that old story about not knowing where we're going but we're making good time? It's like that. The El Paso school board members have no idea where they're going go, hut at least they're going there along racial and gender lines." Back to Bubba's new TAAS test: What would happen if, heaven forbid, a trustee could not pass the Trustees' Administrative Ability Survey? Bubba explained: "If a school Correction these days, Bubba said.

"We've got drug tests, driving tests, pregnancy tests, breath tests, blood tests and TAAS tests, but what are we doing to make sure school board members are capable? Running our schools is an important job, you know." I asked Bubba if his "solution" to education problems had been inspired by Tuesday night's deadlock at the El Paso school board meeting, when trustees voted 11 times but still were unable to elect a board president. "Actually, no. I have no A cross at the 13000 block of Montana was erected in memory of the victims in a collision Sunday that left five dead. In an article in the El Paso Times Wednesday mis-identified the intent of the cross, Timet staff report Column tips? Call John Laird: (915) 546 6160. Or write to him: El Paso Times, Box 20, El Paso, Tenas 79999.

Toll free from outside El Paso: (800) 351 6007. Laird's columns run Tuesdays and Thursdays in Borderland and Sundays on the Issues page..