Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 13

I La 1 i ryt4 I I 4 ki 11 If A '111 ej eol )IT" 12ui PI erb eL) jr nolc B50 ltli) 1 Hog 4o4 I TIli fl tit 1 to i fo 01 ni I St) 4 1 sTuesday September 101996 1 Bud Kennedy Pesticide ads WI example of budget overkill one of the more shocking moments yesterday on talk rOlo a newscaster's words almost made me drop that third cup of Monday coffee Tjust never expected to hear: "This newsbreak is brought to you the city of Fort Worth" What? What city message is so urgent that we spent public money to deliver it? Why is Fort Worth buying radio commercials alongside carpet cleaners and Man's Best Friend? Answer: "The city of Fort Worth reminds you not to use too much pesticide on your lawn because the excess will run off contaminating our rivers lakes and streams "Remember a little pesticide is OK A lot is not" Officials to reapply for housing demolition grant I BY NICHELE HOSKINS Star-Telegram Staff Writer FORT WORTH The Fort Worth Housing Authority expects to meet today's deadline to apply a second time for federal funds to demolish the nearly vacant Whispering Oaks public housing complex housing officials say The housing authority delayed razing the east Fort Worth building Star-Telegram I RALPH LAUER A visit from Barney Barney the Dinosaur above has a word of good cheer for Travis Burton 6 yesterday at Cook Children's Medical Center At left Colter Riddel is held by his father Tom Riddel during Barney's visit The Purple One kicks off a national touring show Barney's Big Surprise tonight at Will Rogers Auditorium in Fort Worth In addition to Barney the 90-minute stage show will feature Baby Bop BJ Mother Goose Professor Tinkerputt and a cadre of kids Barney the star of a PBS children's show has been a favorite of the younger set since his debut in 1988 Texas Parents worry dilapidated complex near school will attract vagrants when it was denied demolition funds last year because of a lack of money Yesterday afternoon housing officials were completing the grant application The eventual demolition of Whispering Oaks is part of a national effort by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to rid cities of dilapidated public housing HUD's plans focus on tearing down the nation's worst public housing units 30000 by the end of the year 100000 by 2000 and replacing them with town house style apartments As of yesterday all but one resident of the complex had moved out said Herbert Davis of the Fort Worth Housing Authority The housing authority deemed the complex unsafe and too costly to repair The complex at 5658 Lancaster 3a Bfil SECTION Ave is fenced in and some apar4 ments are boarded up Parents whose children attend St Rita's Catholic School across the street worry that if the complex stays empty too long it will attract vagrants Tim Bicknell has two children ages 10 and 11 at St Rita's He and other parents gathered more thah (More on GRANT on Page 4) Judge sentences) trio in Rene case Plea deal struck after 'heinous crime' BY LAURA VOZZELLA Star-Telegram Staff Writer FORT WORTH A federal judge sentenced three men yesterday to 30 25 and 15 years in prison for their roles in the brutal 1994 abduction-slaying of Arlington teenager Lisa Rene In sentencing Steven Beckley Demetrius Hall and Marvin Holloway US District Judge Terry Means said he weighed the most heinous crime that he could imag7 me against the "substantial assistance" provided to prosecutor by the three under their plea agree ments Beckley Hall and Holloway tesi tified against co-defendants Or lando Hall and Bruce Websteri who received the death penalty it! separate trials Orlando and Dem etrius Hall are brothers Beckley received the stiffest sen tence of the three and the harshel tongue-lashing from Means wh said the 24-year-old Irving man de served the death penalty and prob ably would have received it had lid gone to trial gone to trial 1 Means could have sentence4 Beckley to a maximum term of lift in prison without parole for th crime of kidnapping resulting i death Beckley Webster and the Ha brothers donned camouflage clot ing and abducted the Lamar Hig School honor-roll student from he sister's apartment on Sept 24 1994 i to avenge a theft of $5000 (More on SENTENCE on Page 4) I Te ao 1 1 'il sTuesday September 101996 ia SECTION I Armolowin 1AKug-1 I ral 1 1 i 1 1 Officials to reapply for housing demolition grant i 4 BY MICHELE HOSKINS Ave is fenced in and some apartr Parents wony dilapidated complex near school will attract vagrants t-'j OA Star-Telegram Staff Writer ments are boarded up i i FORT WORTH The Fort Parents whose children attend St 1:1 14 Worth Housing Authority expects when it was denied demolition Housing and Urban Development style apartments Rita's Catholic School across the to meet today's deadline to apply a funds last year because of a lack of to rid cities of dilapidated public As of yesterday all but one resi- street worry that if the complex Bud Kennedy second time for federal funds to de- money Yesterday afternoon hous- housing dent of the complex had moved stays empty too long it will attract a mash the nearly vacant Whisper- ing officials were completing the HUD's plans focus on tearing out said Herbert Davis of the Fort vagrants 't''4 MESIMEZZRZIENIEE ing Oaks public housing complex grant application down the nation's worst public Worth Housing Authority The Tim Bicknell has two children ati4A housing officials say The eventual demolition of housing units 30000 by the end housing authority deemed the coin- ages 10 and 11 at St Rita's He and: i Pesticide ads The housing authority delayed Whispering Oaks is part of a na- of the year 100000 by 2000 and plex unsafe and too costly to repair other parents gathered more than 11 an example of city razing the east Fort Worth building tional effort by the Department of replacing them with town house- The complex at 5658 Lancaster (More on GRANT on Page 4) 13ra budget overkill Id 1 Judge i one of the more shocking I Id i 1- I 1 moments yesterday on talk li A a newscaster's words almost 4 sentences 2k )14 made me drop that third cup of 1 1 (A 'fIft Monday coffee 1 I trio in eolt 1just never expected to hear: I 44 4 1 ei "This newsbreak is brought to you Nt 1 i )1T" the city of Fort Worth" 44 r- '(111at? What city message is so Rene case' 7 A I PI urgent that we spent public money i en to deliver it? Why is Fort Worth 1 Plea deal struck eL)v1 buying radio commercials 1l' alongside carpet cleaners and ---------1--- T' heinous crime after ni)li Man's Best Friend? -t 't (40 BY LAURA VOZZELLA A tP itiv Answer "The city of Fort Worth -77-------- A reminds you not to use too much 11 1 1 Star Telegram Staff Writer peiticide on your lawn because the I 4 t-t is 4 1 FORT WORTH A federal 115 excess will run off contaminating sr( judge sentenced three men yester i r--- PI it day to 30 25 and 15 years in prison ry our rivers lakes and streams m1 --P tl for their roles in the brutal 1994 ab- rut) "Remember a little pesticide is oe I duction-slaying of Arlington teen- 4 I A-5 ager Lisa Rene I OK A lot is not oi() i I i -7 "----4 In sentencing Steven Beckley --4--j 4r---' I If i i--) Demetrius Hall and Marvin Hol- 0 I 1 4 4) ') i 4 As i I 1 loway US District Judge Terry ii Means said he weighed the most 1 1 I i 41 1-t 04 i 4 heinous crime that he could imag7 444il! 1' '4 I) provided to prosecutor Ill 4 1 5 me against the "substantial as Alb WO hi-- --'4-4- "1 I 4--it r-- 4 NN 1 sistance" by the three under their plea agree iio 4 ments Li i 1' Beckley Hall and Holloway tesi io I tified against co-defendants Or 2 i lit lando Hall and Bruce Websteri I 1' 0 who received the death penalty hi I 0 separate trials Orlando and Demt 1 A MI6 tit etrius Hail are brothers Beckley received the stiffest seri! vi i tence of the three and the harshel tongue-lashing from Means wh A visit from Barney said the 24-year-old Irving man de 1 i I 'te) Barney the Dinosaur above has a word of good cheer for served the death penalty and prob 4A1 Travis Burton 6 yesterday at Cook Children's Medical ably would have received it had lid Ith 414 vt IR gone to trial 414 Means could have sentence4 4 ir wl iCenter dd i during BCaort nt eery i visit liTs hheld Purple sof an tehk ie rc sT oomff a to Beckley to a maximum term of lilift fr national touring show Barney's Big Surprise tonight at br 4' 1 Will Rogers Auditorium in Fort Worth In addition to in prison without parole for th II I 1 tt crime of kidnapping resulting i i Barney the 90-minute stage show will feature Baby Bop 1 51) 1111 01 death 1 1 i -4 4' 4 ''''e i ILL Mother Goose Professor Tinkerputt and a cadre of fr''' 00 brothers donned camouflage clot kids Barney the star of a PBS children Beckley Webster and the Ha 's show has been a or 1 04c 1- 'w 4A- A ing and abducted the Lamar Hig -) favorite of the younger set since his debut in 1988 I I School honor-roll student from he nl sister's apartment on Sept 241994 Star-Telegram I RALPH LAUER WI to avenge a theft of $5000 I ti (More on SENTENCE on Page 4) s- 1 4 tt i 4- I) 21 Ay 1" I (4 it- qh iv -e- 1 a 047p Ai I 1 0 1-1 4 IP dig 14 1 I It ot! I 14 Al 1 I Cv: 14) A A 0 fir '1 1 4- r1 46 0 1 umb dumb dumb Down at IP City Hall they're still juggling police budgets to get us a tax cut But they're spending $150000 of our money hardly pocket change On a cutesy Dallas-produced ad climpaign and media blitz The $150000 message: Hey l'iost of Tarrant County the Vinity is filthy Lay off the pesticide 1 The fact is there's way too much killer and flea-and-tick poison seeping into the Trinity River and 23 area cities are under gun of a Dec 15 federal dline to straighten up or pay Fort Worth is the biggest Violator but it isn't alone with this problem Particularly in Hurst NIkth Richland Hills Haltom City and White Settlement somebody is using way too much pesticide The problem involves almost everybody inyvestern Tarrant County plus I ibout half of Arlington The Trinity is a mess City Hall is 7in a panic One survey showed that 'I in 10 county residents uses a Cliemical poison every week and 1 an 3 residents hammers ants and leas once a month Dumb dumb dumb ut as usual the government is trying to communicate with us Ind failing miserably Smoke signals might be as effective as this vague campaign which includes a flippant one-minute commercial on 8arden shows and "A lot is not" commercials all week on Metro Traffic reports over 29 area radio stations The RichardsGravelle agency in ballas was the lucky winner of this tat chunk of Port Worth money City spokeswoman Can Hyden defended the campaign: "We're having the worst problem in the 1 lima and so we're trying to get the tvord out" she said "People don't trust the rtree-huggers' anymore This isn't :1 or the 'tree-huggers' This is '1 or the creeks and the river Some i people are using five or six times op much pesticide" But spending that much money 1 for some outside consultant and a 1 I flashy ad campaign is still as dumb well as dumb as using too I Inuch pesticide E' Bud Kennedy works in the Fort i Worth newsroom Call hint at (817) 90-7538 (fax 390-7789) E-mail: IludKStarTextnet or visit http: wwwStarTexthetinteractibudhtm b- La TN umb dumb dumb Down at City Hall they're st police budgets to get us a tax cut 1J illjuggling But they re spending $150 000 of money hardly pocket change On a cutesy Dallas-produced ad climpaign and media blitz rlost of Tarrant County the 4 The $150000 message: Hey Vinity is filthy off the 4 The fact is there's way too much pesticide 'f! -re-ant killer and flea-and-tick poison seeping into the Trinity 1l iver and 23 area cities are under gir gun of a Dec15 federal dline to straighten up or pay fines 1 Fort Worth is the biggest Violator but it isn't alone with this problem Particularly in Hurst North Richland Hills Haltom City and White Settlement somebody is usmg way too much pesticide The problem involves almost everybody inyvestern Tarrant County plus ibout half of Arlington 7 The Trinity is a mess City Hall is 7in a panic One survey showed that I in 10 county residents uses a hemical poison every week and 1 an 3 residents hammers ants and once a month Dumb dumb dumb 1 i ut as usual the government is trying to communicate with us Ind failing miserably Smoke lignals might be as effective as this ftree-huggel or the 'tree or the creel i i ople are op much pc 5 i But spelt( for some ou 1 flashy ad ca 1 Its well I uch pestic i It Bud Kent i Worth new 90-7538 v- podKStar wwwStarTi I b4 Fort Worth City Council schedules action on budget Port Worth City Council Rehedilles nctinn nn linficref 511 qic 14 01 3-11 Tc -trY 511 Plans call for lowering the tax rate and increasing pay for the lowest-paid municipal employees BY JACK SMITH Star-Telegram Staff Writer FORT WORTH The City Council is scheduled today to consider approval of a 1996-97 budget that would lower the property tax rate for the second consecutive year and provide sizable pay raises for more than 1000 lower-paid employees At the 8:30 am work session council members are expected to tackle lingering budget issues including whether to give at least 8 percent pay increases to city employees making $25000 or less Under the proposal the very (More on COUNCIL on Page 12) p'' --1' tf 1 N4 Ift Ak -4 0 0 0 0 -I -F' I 4 01 i 1 I 4 a 1 5 1 I a' 4 0 I i 1 A i aa'--z--- 1 i Ale a td 11 A fr gmlii I i ''''''V10464 I i I '44'1114040 5 000 11''''' 1 I I 4 4600 Jo 't 1 5 1 lil tk 4 le 5 t' 5 1r -I ti -1 1 4 i I 1 11( i i 1 1 4 18 1 1 1 1 NW i I'll i 1 1 Speedway developers file countersuit against dirt track with same name 31 I)( 1( 41 Ulf star-Telegram i JILL JOHNSON 4' I Texas complex and a small dirt track outside of Alvin near the Gulf Coast Last month owners of the Alvin track sued developers of the $110 million track in southern Denton County saying the name belongs to them In yesterday's countersuit Texas Motor Speedway Inc filed against Gulf Coast Motor Speed-(More on TRACK on Page 4) BY JACK DOUGLAS JR Star-Telegram Staff Writer FORT WORTH The developers of the big NASCAR raceway north of Fort Worth sued the owners of a much smaller track south of Houston yesterday about who gets to be called "Texas Motor Speedway" There are two speedways of the same name the 950-acre North Exhibit opens UTA gallery i search in Contemporary Art gallery yesterday at the university The opening exhibit also features works of art by Karla Lauden van O'Dell an English major at UTA looks at a painting titled Dance Group 10 by Stacy Co Hingham at the opening of the Center for Re 3 )C Lh IT t701 LtVA141' School district schedules Canadian doctor cancels Fort The op state and regional Codes College Night on Yom Kippur Worth girl's appointment found in today's Texas section PAGE 2B PAGE 2B Dog attacks candidate on doorstep PAGE 413 Officer in Irvin case not being separated from other convicts PAGE 2A INDEX Births 68 OBITUARIES 6-9B OPINIONS 10-118 School district schedules I i TA 111er or 40 110- Canadian doctor cancels Fort Dog attacks candidate Officer in Inin case not being Births INDEX The op state and regional (cones College 68 College Night on Yom Kippur Worth girl's appointment on doorstep separated from other convicts OBITUARIES PAGE 2B i jr 1 found in today's Texas section PAGE 2B PAGE 48 PAGE 2A oPiteoN--- s---10-lis AAAIL'ALAILAtiellialliAlit Ai 4 4 All Alli Ali AS AI i tilitmt 111 ALA Andt1 1 A a.