Fort Worth Star-Telegram from Fort Worth, Texas • 22

A -bis Wednesday March 24 1 99q I wwwstar telegrancom ARLINGTON FORT WORTH Fort Worth mayor presses for full firemen's benefits Out on the 1-20 range lange 4 i 1 4' 1-- 11-0i773''' di i 4 4 4 i i-)1- 'IF --z- i t-z 8 t'-: 's A b4l t' i'' el "4 1''''' k' 1 't I It :0 so- '''4 r''1 "Ito tor'''' op -k'' i 4 T--14'4 '4-111'4-4 5 41''' lo -411kx4 '24k7Z -4 4---i' Ln t'' )e- -0ai4k-'' ''sliit'4-- i'''V- Av 114ei! Itgik -e 3 0 Av' V1: ikg il 71t: rz06t A' ''Ii ilrr rv e4-k: ir! 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I 1 11411 0 1 i Ir '1': ''7' BVERs The General Motors employee says he spends some of his free time breaking and training horses and mules for friends and clients Overton Brooks rides a horse named Muffin through a stand of trees near interstate 20 and the Bowman Springs Road overpass yesterday morning proposal than the one outlined to the neighboring municipalities He suggested that Fort Worth pay about 50 percent of the families' line-of-duty benefits leaving River Oaks and Lake Worth to contribute $100000 or 25 percent each But after an hourlong executive session the council emerged with the proposal that puts the full financial burden on the neighboring municipalities "We discussed which was the best route to go and basically the council felt that the responsibility lies with those communities they were working for and that's exactly what we put in the letter" Barr said River Oaks City Manager Joy Williams said yesterday that if Fort Worth had submitted the $100000 request the city could have absorbed that cost The larger amount will take careful consideration she said Fort Worth council members and Fire Chief Larry McMillen also discussed amending the city's volunteer policies during their closed-door meeting although no decisions were made Wentworth had suggested that McMillen get in writing a statement from all firefighters who volunteer for other communities acknowledging that they understand that they will not receive full benefits if they are injured or killed while working as volunteers He also asked that the city begin amending its Retirement Ordinance to state specifically that "to be eligible for in-line benefits any activity by a plan member must be undertaken while that member is engaging in the activity on behalf of hisher employer the city of Fort Worth" Starr writers Kristin Sullivan and Elizabeth Campbell contributed to this report By GINGER RICHARDSON Star-Telegram Staff Writer FORT WORTH City officials firmly stated yesterday that full death benefits should go to the families of two Fort Worth firefighters killed in an arson blaze last month and they increased their pressure on neighboring communities to pay part of the bill Mayor Kenneth Barr sent River Oaks and Lake Worth a second strongly worded letter yesterday afternoon asking the cities to pay a total of $456000 in benefits to the families of firefighters Brian Collins and Phillip Dean The two men were working as volunteers when they died at the Precious Faith Temple in Lake Worth "Given the gravity of the matter 1 am both surprised and disappointed that you seem unwilling to acknowledge your city's responsibilities" Bag states in yesterday's letter "The moral obligations of the cities of River Oaks and Lake Worth in this matter are very clear" River Oaks Mayor Jack Adkison and Lake Worth Mayor Walter Bowen said yesterday that their City Councils will discuss the issue at their April 13 council meetings Barr however is asking for an official response by April 6 Officials called Bag's Monday remarks about the two cities insulting "Mayor Barr is not dumb why would a man in his capacity call his neighbors deadbeats?" Adldson said "I don't want people to be angry with Mayor Barr think we should pray for him" Collins and Dean paid Fort Worth firefighters were volunteering for River Oaks on Feb 15 when they were killed in the fire in Lake Worth Garry Sanders a volunteer for the Sansom Park Fire Department also died in the blaze On Monday the city's retirement board denied full benefits interpreting an ambiguous city ordinance to mean that benefits for death in the line of duty should be awarded only to those who are killed while working for the city of Fort Worth The decision means that Renea Dean will receive about $400 a month rather than $2000 and Mary Collins will be entitled to almost $1300 a month instead of full benefits of nearly $2900 Both families will also receive more than $260000 in federal state and workers compensation funds In addition their children will receive monthly support payments The 10-member retirement fund board has sole authority to decide benefits paid from the employees' $12 billion retirement fund Four of the members are appointed by the City Council and six are elected from employee groups The council cannot overturn the board's decision but the firefighters' families may contest the board's vote in court The board may also reconsider its vote if new facts come to light or if the city amends the ordinance governing the fund Assistant City Attorney Peter Vaky said In his letter Barr suggested that River Oaks and Lake Worth supplement the benefits already awarded by putting up $456000 that would generate more than $2 million in additional benefits for the families during their lifetimes Barr said River Oaks and Lake Worth could finance their portion by issuing long-term debt The plan is reasonable Barr said "I just don't buy that a small community can say 'Hey we can't afford this' Any community can afford it they can afford it" he said During the morning work session City Councilman Jeff Wentworth made a slightly different Mother flees with 3 neglected youngsters who escaped fire children removed by this agency on two occasions the second after a near drowning of a child in a hotel swimming pool" the affidavit says Two of Candy Pettis' children are in foster care and two have been placed with relatives the affidavit says Tonya Pettis also has a CPS history regarding her children one of whom Jacinto Sanchez 3 lives with his father The father of Sabrina and Ashley is in the Texas Youth Commission for parole violation court records show Ashley was taken from her mother after the fire because the affidavit states "Tonya Penis left her children with inappropriate caretakers whose failure to properly supervise the children resulted in the death of Sabrina and placed Ashley in grave danger" When caseworkers went to get Samuels' children Heather Smith 6 Angel Samuels 3 and Eric Briseno 2 they were told the mother had fled with them possibly to Florida records show The affidavit also says that Samuels has a past history with CPS regarding her care of the children and blamed Samuels for placing her children in danger by leaving them with Candy Pettis the affidavit said A hearing date in both custody cases is set for April 1 Kathy Sanders (817) 390-7705 Judge issues writ for BY KATHY SANDERS Star-Telegram Stall Writer FORT WORTH The mother of three children who survived a fatal fire last week has apparently taken them and fled Fort Worth to avoid a court order temporarily stripping her of their custody records show A juvenile court judge who signed the order also issued a nationwide writ of attachment for the children who are living in a neglectful environment with their mother Tina Samuels according to Child Protective Services "We have a history of neglectful supervision with this family" CPS spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner said "We removed one child last Wednesday and we did a petition to have those other threel children removed It was granted We have not located the children at this time" The March 16 fire which investigators said was started when Samuels' 6-year-old daughter put paper into a space heater killed Samuels' 21-month-old niece Sabrina Castillo Sabrina's older sister Ashley Castillo 5 also survived the fire and was reunited with her mother Tonya Pettis 21 outside the house in the 3200 block of Avenue The five children were in the to -r GENTLEMEN START YOUR ENTREES! Speedway Club is puttin' on the ritz for opening EOFF TILIINIECUPINOFF house with two teen-age aunts and two young men when the fire broke out about 9:30 am The aunts Candy Pettis 19 and Crystal Pettis 18 were responsible for taking care of the children that morning although it remains unknown where Tonya Pettis and her mother Vergie Jones were at the time according an affidavit filed to obtain the court order Samuels 22 had been in jail in connection with traffic violations and failure to identify herself to police She was released the morning of the fire the document states "Crystal was allegedly in bed with two unknown adult males Candy Pettis had been up with the children that morning but had gone to sleep on a couch in the same room where the fire was started" the affidavit states "The children in the home were in a room called the 'toy room' One exit to the room was blocked by a couch and it is possible that the other door had been locked" The affidavit says that Candy Pettis the mother of four children has an extensive history with CPS that includes "neglectful supervision physical abuse physical and medical neglect and abandonment" "Her children have been Coupon Expires 41599 TSOIF1- David A Kleiman MD Association (817) 784-0222 I 9 1 BEANIE BABIES1999 NEwEST RELEASES it" MODEL JF-1004 Easy-to-use dependable and loaded with features that make sewing enjoyable! Now just OtYklVt3IVILIE I NEW HOME'l OLD IttcrigEno '13891 Tag Protectors Acrylic Cases Bamm Beanos Beanie Buddies Beanie Baby Calendars Beanie Magazines Gummy Name Stickers Beanie Baby T-Shirts McDonald's Teanie Beanies Beanie Baby Trading Cards Ginger Richardson (817) 390-7616 grichardsonstar-telegramcom -1 away the Houston Club Under van Mourik's direction it was "rated one of the top 15 clubs in the country" "You won't find another resort in this area that uses only fine china crystal and sterling silver" The silver they note is by Sambonet flatware maker to the Kremlin and England's Royal family All the frills may seem out of place for a sports facility particularly one built for an Everyman sport like racing Speedway officials point with some exasperation to demographics that show motorsports fans are ritzier than their six-pack-and-Confederateflag image "We are the most suitable venue in the world of sports for serving the more affluent fans" said Gossage making note of the luxury condos and sky boxes already on the speedway grounds "Nobody has as much of the high end as this speedway does" Even so racing still struggles to shake the redneck rap When speedway officials invited a world-famous concert pianist to play at the inaugural Winston Cup race in April 1997 Fort Worth Councilman Jim Lane spoiled the effect by declaring "Van Clibum is going to play for Bubba" Perhaps the fancy new club can help bury the Bubba thing for good But a little bit of Bubba has its benefits At the preview luncheon not far from where Rutherford dined sat Tom Far low owner of a Denton auto-salvage yard and his son Mike who serves as his father's general manager Many in the crowd of about 200 wore dark suits or dresses The Far lows seated at a table topped with tulips were comfortable in their denim work clothes "This is what I wear to work didn't see any reason to change" said Tom Far low 62 a North Carolina native who recalled the dirt tracks of NASCAR's "infancy" Laura Vozzella (817) 390-7688 EVILINGTOtt 308ffirtIVIAlilltARDNdrdif4604992M By LAURA VOZZELLA Star-Telegram Staff Writer FORT WORTH Over an elegant midday meal served on fine china the guests reminisced about the early days of NASCAR Dirt tracks Sack lunches And absolutely none of the refined swank of their surroundings: the Speedway Club a fancy-schmancy members-only preserve parked at Turn 1 of Texas Motor Speedway "Motor racing has come a long 1-1141112 0 IFINDs '44N We Carry The Largest Selection Of Audlobooks For Rent For Sale' IFREE 1 9001 $1 1 1 I Audio 13' Days mall I Unlimited OM Thu Coupon No Due Dates Bo 0 lAudiobooks Rental I 4407 Little Road (Green Oaks Little Rd Exit at 1-20) 81 75168084 M-F9-9Sat10-6Suni-6 long way" former Indy 500 star Johnny Rutherford said at a recent preview luncheon featuring shrimp smoked salmon and decadent chocolate desserts "Used to be we didn't even have tents and now they have these beautiful Taj Mahals" The north Fort Worth speedway already home to luxury suites and plush condos now has a new 9-story bauble The Speedway Club holds its grand opening tomorrow with a gala featuring entertainment by Wayne Newton The $35 million glass tower is more or less a high-rise country club complete with private fitness center spa restaurant and ballroom But instead of a rolling green golf course dotted with duffers in pastel pants this club offers views of a I5-mile oval where daredevil drivers will approach 200 mph in Saturday's Coca-Cola 300 and Sunday's Primestar 500 Club members who pay $1800 to join plus monthly fees of $65 will be able to watch the action while dining on the likes of redfish with crawfish ragout They'll be able to hear the action too though speedway officials say there will be no need for the plugs that spare outdoor spectators' ears "Part of the charm is the sound" said Eddie Gossage speedway executive vice president and general manager There are plenty of other charms to win over those who are not motorsports enthusiasts: imported crystal chandeliers a fitness center with cherry-wood lockers and leather vanity seats dining room chairs made like those in the state Capitol and an Italian marble dance floor flecked with 24-karat gold Press releases put out by the speedway do some true Texas braggin' about the club's finer points: The 26000-square-foot ballroom is "the largest west of IDFW International Airport" Bernard van Mourik the club's general manager was lured away from President Bush's get i 4 3 000G0 GO go i Where The Mexican rood Rev' Stcirred Wh(te The k(volunthz Starred COOPER'STREETt FARMERS MARKETi 1600 CI Cooper Still 2741158 OPEN'? 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