Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 1

IN ARTS Finding inspiration in Paris IN SPORTS The legacy of Packers great Vince Lombardi STARS Win hockey tickets Tears of joy How the song of a freckled angel reached and warmed a father's heart Details BC CITY FINAL I I Altl'S 7 IN SPORTS Finding )111 1 1 Tears of joy iok Led' 41------ I 1 ti ---1 I f- I I The legacy of mtic-fir- How the song of a AM inspiration tk ''t freckled angel 7-7- -1 1 2 7 1' Packers great Win hockey Paris -4 Alp- reached and warmed f' iit a father's heart LI -Irt I i t4641411- Vince Lombardi tickets Details 8C i i CITY FINAL PoHUolaih any! num L-3 A Price $150 SUNDAY JANUARY 12 1997 Tarrant County Texas "Where The West Begins" Nation fixates on darling's death Weeks after the slaying of Little Miss Colorado the media eye is trained on Boulder Lawyer says police stalled in clearing two Cowboys roe' BY JEFF THOMAS AND DANA COFFIELD Special to the Star-Telegram BOULDER Colo It began as the fascinating tale of a mansion on a hill a former beauty queen and her millionaire --husband and the mysterious death of their tiny precocious daughter on Christmas night Now 18 da3os after 1-year-old Jon Benet Ramsey was found strangled in the basement of her home twists and turns in the Ramsey's 15-room Tudor mansion continues to grow "You just can't expect America not to be absolutely riveted by this type of crime" said Tom Court less a sociology professor at George Washington University "It's a mystery and we love mysteries" America also loves beautiful people Court less said and IonBenet's fresh smiling face glittering eyes and sweet smile (More on JONBENET on Page 17) case have sparked media interest from as far away as Australia As police in this affluent college town in the foothills of the Rockies continue their tight-lipped investigation speculation about what happened in John Bennett JonBenet's fresh face and sweet smile have riveted the nation Dallas police deny delay EX AS Shootout in Austin 1 6---o-1-6--(fiti Agenda loaded with hot topics that pack potential for fireworks BY BILL HANNA AND JACK DOUGLAS JR Star-Telegram Staft Writers Police were relatively certain within 48 hours that the sexual assault allegations against Michael 14 rot Irvin and Erik Williams were false and could have cleared the Cow- 4 C-) boys players of wrongdoing much quicker Williams' attorney said 17 Nile yesterday Nina But Dallas police investigated Shahravan the allegations for 11 days before inhyear bo1990 ok announcing Friday night that they had determined conclusively that photo of the allegations were false The announcement came after the woman 23-year-old former topless dancer Nina Shahravan recanted her story -They had absolute evidence in the first 48 hours that Michael Irvin was not at Erik's house that no (More on COWBOYS on Page 26) "The storm clouds are on the horizon I think the state of Texas would be well advised to addressIhe property tax issue now Cos Georgi Bush 1 -0 04 Pio 71 4 kl pik kwit 71G Iii I 1 "The budget always is the main priority That is the whole total reason why we are House Speaker Pete Laney "The actions of the Legislature no matter what the issue must be grounded in accountability integrity and Lt Soy Bob Bullock I 1-Z :1 r' a ICf i 1 1 0: 7-r I i 5 1 iii' Itle' o-te lio 19 rev By JAY ROOT Star-Telegram Austin Burean AUSTIN With a historic Republican majority in the Senate and the explosive issue of tax reform high on the agenda lawmakers will converge on Austin this week to begin the 75th session of the Texas Legislature Over the next five months legislators will consider measures ranging from tougher laws on drunken driving to new "patient rights" protection for members of health maintenance organizations A plan to let consumers pick their own electricity provider will also set off fireworks Tarrant County is sending three new state representatives this session: Democrat Lon Burnam a consumer actiVist Republican Sue Palmer an oil company president and Republican Todd Smith a lawyer Also from the home front Arlington Republican Kim Brimer will take center stage in the charged debate over financing for stadiums with a proposal to set guidelines for cities and counties wanting to build sports facilities with taxpayer dollars But cutting school property tax-(More on LEGISLATURE on Page 24) II 101 --44 Two full pages of coverage on the legislative session that begins Tuesday: wise Derrick Dowses seventh-grade classmates at Central Junlor- High School in Euless wrote these lists in remembrance of the 13 year-old who died of a heroin overdose 10 things Aresieve lava aboutiove4Derribloustoauokii smile because it would --brigtrtarr a day --2liis wonderfutattitudi toward everyone i -----9H-lisgreatsense tit-humor--" 4 His neat loiiing personality I energy if and Mends ----tfr-That herwaratieW-eattr-1(4t-k-aAt w--11 144dvrn I The 10 things that make us at Derrick for leaving: For-dying 2 For not saying goodbye 3-For throwing bia site awaYlikillirTdiff For not admitting ballad a 5 For hurting me and everyone else so badly --6--For being so-smart yet so stupict---- 7 For hurling bimsell slit badly '13-For leaving us and never coming-back givnilin9 44 For the Tarrant County delegation the 75th Legislature will not be a spectator sport Most of the county's lawmakers hope to be key players on a range of issues PAGE 24 4 'P The Associated Press Electrician Weldon Hitchcock wires a light on the south grounds of the Texas Capitol in Austin The grounds are being prepared for Tuesday's start of the 75th Legislature Ito Profiles of all 13 Tarrant County legislators PAGES 24 25 )0 Maps of Tarrant County House and Senate districts PAGE 25 Star lhiegram Uvo Semi tv Fears of sexual-harassment allegations have teachers keeping students at arm's length Suburban teens become heroin's latest victims 'tY Hands-off experience 7' 3011t7 11 1 VZ 2 By ANDREW BACKOVER BILL BOWEN AND DONIUNGO RAMIREZ JR Star-Telegram Stall Writers Jennifer still turns her head and cries when a friend sticks a needle in her arm for her usual fix The 18-year-old Colleyville resident has been taking heroin for a year and a half She started by snorting it Then despite her fear of needles she started shooting it into her veins The soft-spoken and articulate teen-ager said she didn't come down often Not even for the November funeral of Todd Mathews a 17-year-old friend from Grapevine who died of a heroin overdose "1 went to his funeral high" said Jennifer the only name she wanted used for this article "1 could not handle it any other way" (More on HEROIN on Page 29) BY JENNIEER PACKER StarTelegram Staff Writer FORT WORTH Don't hug back That is the advice that fifth-grade teacher Maggie Stark now heeds for fear that her affection might be misinterpreted by students or their parents Stark used to end each day by standing in the doorway of her portable classroom hugging students as they walked out "Whether they had a good ckty or a bad day I wanted them to know I care about them" Stark said Not any more Reminders from teachers groups advisories from school district officials and media reports about teachers nationwide who have been falsely accused of inappropriately touching students have persuaded Stark and other area teachers to change their ways This year Stark gives her students at llarlean Beal Elementary School "high-fives" slapping their open palms with hers before they head home tier colleague fourth-grade teacher James Cloud is careful to give no more than a four-fingered pat on the shoulder More often he praises his young charges orally gives them a sticker or throws them a piece of candy "It breaks my heart because I see kids desperately in need of a little bit of attention and the only way they can get it is through negative behavior" he said The last time he hugged a student Cloud said was when he first became a teacher in 1985 "My initial reaction is to hug (More on HUGS on Page 28) 1 Star- l'elegratrdioYcE MARSIIALL Fifth-grade teacher Maggie Stark used to hug her students as they left class at the end of the day Now she exchanges high-fives with them instead pamplerv FWf I644AIGISuaMaMWMALNA4o44A4MAM6tiialWbesWW'104ik4 1 The next wave in television promises high-tech wonderland PAGE 1E MARKET LISTINGS 2L MOVIES OBITUARIES "IkRADE 4F TRAVEL CLASSIFIED CROSSWORDS 4F 2 EDITORIALS ENCORE 8 HOROSCOPE 4 1RDS 4F 3 SA PE 8-9E WEATHER 4" Cloudy with scattered snow flurries 6" I-Whs in the upper 20s Lows in the 1 MAGAZINE lower 20s 1 Full weather report on 8B Dial DEL-IVER 1 01 at year No 262 248 paw Copyright gi Fort Worth 8tarTelegram 1997 1' wwwstartextmet 7 UI' 88727" 00002.