El Paso Times from El Paso, Texas • 1

i i it i i magazine tvtfvi likes Clothes for guests f- i 1 rcangers 1 we IHilk A A. am WeDN cbDAYMS MI JUNE 15, 2005 iff 40 CENTS 50 CENTS IT'S AN EL PASO THING 0 fed Some parents don't like decision 1 survey are on the district's Web duct the survey. if II" rr in i I MMiriidrrfc Tff HifmH By Erica Molina El Paso Times Some students in the El Paso Independent School District will be waking up earlier for classes this fall, while others will have a few more minutes of sleep before the morning bell. The district's Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday night to put in effect a staggered-bell schedule, which will have middle-school students heading into the classroom at 7:50 a.m., elementary students at 8:15 a.m., and high-schoolers at 8:45 a.m. Classes at most campuses in the district now start around 8:15 a.m.

"They wanted this all along and sort of made a pretense of consulting parents, but they really don't want to hear it," said Sam Brunk, the parent of third-grader Madeleine Brunk at Mitzi Bond Elementary School. "It doesn't really affect me at the grade-school level, but I've just been appalled by the process." Brunk was referring to a survey 'conducted by the district to get parents' input on the matter. The preliminary results of the "I'm disappointed because all the surveys have not been tallied," she said. "It seemed the school district was pretty bent on doing this." Art Jordan, the district's executive director of research, evaluation, planning and accountability, said at the meeting that the sample that has been tallied is adequate and representative of families in the district. Jordan Please see Bells 2A page, www.episd.org.

One question on the survey states, "Implementing the proposed staggered bell schedule will create a considerable hardship for my family." In preliminary results, 28.8 percent of respondents agreed with that statement and 48.4 percent disagreed. The rest either didn't know or had no opinion. Martha Tovar, a parent of a child at Mitzi Bond Elementary, pushed for the district to con OiJuMHilili) Flag Day at Fort Bliss A huge American flag, state flags and historical flags flutter in the wind as Fort Bliss marks Flag Day and the Army's birthday. IB Shooting kills one A shooting involving two elderly men in Northeast El Paso brings out the SWAT team and leaves one dead and the other hospitalized. IB Stabbing trial The husband of a woman accused of stabbing her son in the neck because voices told her to testifies at her trial.

IB Blockbuster move Blockbuster stores in El Paso say not following the rest of the chain in eliminating late fees has increased their business. IF Mesa revitalization New businesses are popping along Mesa Street near UTEP, delighting nearby residents as well as students. 3B Pill III If' II LClake yields car, skeleton By Heath Haussamen Las Cruces Sun-News LAS CRUCES Police have found skeletal remains at the bottom of Burn Lake in Las Cruces, and they believe the remains may be those of a New Mexico Details on re-: State University stu- mains found, dent who vanished in map of area 2A 1981. The remains, which were in a corroded vehicle, were found after a resident spotted something in the lake about 3:15 p.m. Monday, Las Cruces police Lt.

Randy Lara said. The vehicle was visible because a lack of rain and unusually high temperatures have dropped the lake's water level. Investigators spent Monday night and most of Tuesday digging up the vehicle and searching for bones. The remains were taken to the Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque for identification, Lara said. Police could identify the angled, twisted piece of rusted metal only as a Ford.

Police don't know how the vehicle got into the lake and, because of the corrosion, can't say whether the vehicle was in an accident or a victim of foul play. Interstate 10 borders the west side of Burn Lake, and a few vehicles have rolled into the lake over the years. Burn Lake has been around since the late 1960s, when Burn Construction Co. dug a pit while taking dirt to level the ground where 1-10 was being built. Workers cut into the water table, filling the pit with water.

The city bought the lake in 1974. Heath Haussamen may be reached at Council draws terms, picks mayor pro tern By David Crowder El Paso Times South-West city Rep. Beto O'Rourke got the mayor pro tem job by a unanimous vote Tuesday at the first meeting of the new City Council, and city representatives drew from a picnic basket for terms of two or four years. Securing four-year terms were West-Central city Rep. Susie Byrd, East-Central city Rep.

Jose Alexandro Lozano, Northeast city Rep. Melina Castro and EastridgeMid-Vallcy city Rep. Steve Ortega. The two-year terms that will, starting in 2007, put the council on staggered four-year terms went to West Side city Rep, Ann Morgan Lilly, East Side city Rep. Pre-si Ortega, East-Valley city Rep.

Eddie Hoi-guin and South-West city Rep. Beto O'Rourke. If one person could be seen as having lost, it was Presi Ortega, who is starting his Lanes' last days Longtime bowling favorite Freeway Lanes will close its doors for the final time Sunday night. 1C 99 72 20 CHANCE OF STORMS Weather page 6B www.elpasotimes.com Copyright 2005 A GANNETT NEWSPAPER INSIDE Classified IE Comics 4-5D Crossword 5D, 7E Deaths 2B, 5E Lottery 2B Movies 2D Opinion 5B Television 6D Things to do 3D Victor Calzada El Paso Times Frank Garcia of Distributing says business at his because of the street and median construction outside shop in the 2900 block of Alameda has all but dried up his store. Garcia calls the renovation project worthless.

Project drove away shoppers, businesses say Suffering businesses 1 J' Montana Air quality OK $-jfr Alameda ni ii OK to water ODD cal tourist attraction, with lots of Pedestrians and specialty shops. The 7.1 million improvement included money for landscaped medians, bubble-shaped curbs that create 20-foot sidewalk islands and 50-foot bus-stop parking spaces. The project also added sewer lines, flood control, drainage and better lighting. "It looks pretty, but it isn't functional," Ramirez said. "People don't want to park around the corner or across the street to shop.

They want easy access." Ramirez said Alameda Produce used to sell from $400 to $500 of produce a day to walk-in customers. Now it sells $50. Several other busi- Please see Alameda 2A By Ramon Bracamontes El Paso Times Four years ago, the 2900 block of Alameda had no medians, no flood control, very little lighting and no shade. It looked old and ugly. "I wish it was still that way," said Mercedes Ramirez, the owner of Alameda Produce.

"At least then we had business." Today, the street has red-brick sidewalks, sparkling green bus benches, designer curbs and landscaped medians. "Worthless," Frank Garcia said of the improvement. He has had a shop in the area for 20 years. "Why do I need a bench and tree in front of my shop?" Low Pollution Pollen (Vr.fi 1 ii Printed on recycled newsprint using a soybean-based Ink A 14 mllR Detail area CONTAINS El Paso Times ISOYOILl The street was given an aesthetic overhaul because this section of Alameda is supposed to be a histori "4ogoi 02401 Please see Council 2A KW4 gl IPT HI' Ml jJ.