OURIER July 1, 2004

NEWSBRIEFS

A patriot is a man working for hiscountry’s future instead of boasting of itspast.

— Quips & Quotes

See BRIEFS, Page 5

SERVING ANTHONY, VINTON, CANUTILLO, EAST MONTANA, HORIZON, SOCORRO, CLINT, FABENS, SAN ELIZARIO AND TORNILLOVOL. 31, No. 27 JULY 1, 2004

nineteenseventythree

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CANUTILLO — Canutillo IndependentSchool District’s Agricultural Sciences andResearch Center, officially named theAgronomics Center on the Rio Grande, will“provide students in El Paso County an oppor-tunity to study agricultural science, agronomics,agribusiness and participate in active research”according to its mission statement.

Charles Hart, superintendent of Canutillo ISDsaid, “This is the most futuristic project of thiskind in the country as far as I’m concerned.”

The first phase of the $4 million project willbe the construction of an arena located on the75 acres of farmland near Childress Elemen-tary School in the Village of Vinton. The com-plex will include bleachers, animal pens, of-fices, classrooms, horse stables, ticket booths,a floral design lab, restroom facilities, and aconcession stand.

The district received a $250,000 grant fromthe Wolslager Foundation to begin the project.Dr. Monica Reyes, Director of Curriculum andEvaluation for CISD, said the center would bebuilt with outside financial resources andwould not be a burden to taxpayers. “It can doonly positive things for the students and thecommunity,” stated Reyes.

In addition to the $250,000 grant, the dis-trict has received money and in-kind donationsfor the project from King Buildings,Perspectiva, Tedd and Rosa Richardson, the

EL PASO COUNTY — Chamizal NationalMemorial, El Paso’s National Park, will againbe the site for a 4th of July concert and fire-works display this year.

The on-the-grounds-concert is held in theoutdoor amphitheater and begins at 6:30 p.m.with the 62nd Army Band. The El Paso WindSymphony begins its traditional evening ofperformance at 8 p.m and is followed by fire-works at approximately 9 p.m.

Visitors to the park are reminded that parkingis severely limited and they are urged to find cre-ative and safe methods to share transportation,according to Isabel Montes, Superintendent.

“Although every effort is made to reserve

Chamizal National Memorial site of July 4 fireworksSuperintendent urges people: Leave pets and glass home

handicap parking,” she added, “the reality is thatthose 60 spaces are filled by mid-afternoon.”

Alternative parking is available at BowieHigh School. School officials have requestedthat the property be respected and that cars parkonly in designated spaces.

To further the quality of the experience foreveryone, Montes also suggests that pets be leftat home. “The noise associated with fireworksand large crowds is frightening to many ani-mals,” she explained.

Montes also asked that park visitors refrainfom bringing glass containers to the park. Shehad banned them at the end of April this year.

“Our visitors have the right to enjoy their

National Park in the safest way possible. Thissafety precaution will move us to be more con-sistent in our role to serve as a leader in envi-ronmental stewardship,” she said.

Montes said there had been a steady increasein the use of glass containers, which had re-sulted in broken glass creating a safety hazard.She said, “Glass is heavy and more difficult todispose of — glass is not recycled in El Paso.”Recycling containers for cans are availablethroughout the grounds during major events.

The memorial is located at 800 South SanMarcial between Bowie High School and theBridge of the Americas. Admission is free.

For more information, call (915) 532-7273.

EL PASO COUNTY — With the mos-quito-borne West Nile virus once again cir-culating in the state, according to the TexasDepartment of Health (TDH), one of the firstlines of defense against getting the illness,health officials say, is using repellent con-taining DEET.

“DEET is an effective repellent that lastsmuch longer than other repellents,” said JoeGarrett, a veterinarian with zoonosis controlat TDH. “It’s safe for children if used ac-cording to directions.”

According to TDH, 77 percent of the peoplewho got the more serious forms of West Nileinfection in 2003 did not use repellent.

Anyone can become infected with WestNile virus, but people over 50 are at greatestrisk.

“Older people, especially those who havemedical problems, are more likely to developthe more serious forms of the illness includ-ing encephalitis and meningitis,” Garrettsaid. “Many of the fatal cases in Texas oc-curred in the elderly population.”

While not every mosquito carries the vi-rus, avoiding any mosquito bite is key to pre-venting West Nile illness. Health officialsadvise wearing long sleeves and long pantsand using insect repellent with DEET. Avoidgoing out from dusk to dawn when mosqui-toes are most active, and drain standing wa-ter from around your home so mosquitoescannot hatch.

Symptoms of West Nile illness appearfrom three to 14 days after a person is bittenby an infected mosquito.

West Nile virus infections usually are mildwith flu-like symptoms including fever,headache, sore throat, body aches and fa-tigue. Symptoms of more severe West Nileinfections are headache, high fever, stiffneck, disorientation, tremors, convulsions,muscle weakness, coma and paralysis. If youhave these symptoms, contact your healthcare provider right away.

“In 2003, we had a lot more human casesof West Nile illness than we had in 2002,”Garrett said. “The increase was probably notdue to any change in the disease itself, butbecause the disease had finally covered the

Dust off the insectrepellent: It’smosquito time in Texas

See MOSQUITO, Page 4

University of Georgia, and the U.S Departmentof Agriculture, and still continues to seek fund-ing for completion of the entire project.

The district has formed an advisory commit-tee, named the STAR (Sustainable Texas Agri-culture Research) Advisory Group to oversee theproject. Their main function is to get the facilitycompleted along with developing a sustainableeconomic development plan for the southwestarea along the border of Texas and New Mexico.

Gayla Kessinger, the Coordinator for Careerand Technology Education at CISD, along withReyes coordinate the monthly meetings heldby the group. Co-chairpersons for the groupare Tedd Richardson, land developer, and LaureSearls, local community leader.

Other advisory committee members includeLorenzo Aguilar, Hooky Apodaca, Cera Aus-tin, Larry Baskind, Tony Castro, Dr. RigobertoDelgado, Dale Denney, Dustin Dix, OrlandoFlores, Julie Foret, Pete Grijalva, Dr. RobertGunter, Paco Jordan, Eric Ludwig, Jeremy, Jon,and Mae Nelson, Juvencia Ontiveros, EsmailPanahi, Brent and Lourdes Pearson, JanisRobertson-Paul, Ruben Saldana, Ferrell Searls,Lisa Tate, Jimmie Wolslager, along with dis-trict representatives.

“We don’t believe there’s a better, morehands-on, more visionary agriculture programanywhere,” said Kessinger.

The building of the arena should be com-plete before the district’s new high school iscompleted in December 2005. “The facility isplanned to be the star of the Southwest,”Kessinger added.

Fabens fireA fire in Fabens on Sunday, June 27, re-sulted in more than $27,000 in damagesas it completely engulfed the home, dam-aged two vehicles near the site, and sentsix people to the hospital. The fire, at 116Metalico in Fabens, resulted in the hospi-talization of Juanita Gallegos, Martha Bar-rios, Isela Barrios, Rafael Marin, MiguelVasquez and Cristobol Gallegos. All werelater released, with the exception ofCristobol Gallegos, who was transferredto Las Palmas, and Martha Barrios, whowas released, then re-admitted later thatevening. The family is being assisted bythe American Red Cross, according to theEl Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Officerssaid there was no indication of arson as-sociated with the fire. A preliminary re-port from the Fire Marshall was still pend-ing at presstime.

Gas increaseTexas Gas Service Company will upgradetheir rate schedule for some 178,000 resi-dential, 11,302 commercial, 68 industrial,772 public authority, 17 municipal waterpumping stations and 42 standard trans-portation customers within the incorpo-rated areas of El Paso, Anthony, Clint, Ho-rizon City, Socorro and Vinton effectiveon and after July 27. The proposed changein rates does not constitute a “major”change as defined by Section 104.101 ofthe Texas Utilities Code, according to astatement from TGS. The change will re-sult in increased revenue to the companyof .69 percent, or about $684,705, and willincrease the average monthly residentialgas bill by 21 cents; an average monthlycommercial bill by $1; a public authoritybill by about $3.32; an industrial bill by$9.60; the average monthly municipal wa-ter pumping bill by about $33.87; and theaverage standard transportation bill by about$96.01. A complete copy of the Statementof Intent is available for inspection at 4600Pollard St., El Paso, Texas 79930.

In other news� Taking a baseball bat to a mailbox,spray painting gang signs on it, hitting itwith a brick or setting off a firecracker orpipe bomb inside one is not only stupidbehavior but it’s a federal crime. Mail-boxes are considered federal property andperpetrators of this kind of behavior aresubject to fines and/or imprisonment foreach act. The interruption in mail service,as well as the cost of property which mustbe replaced, are not only damaging but canbe seriously injurious as it may interruptmonthly checks and other financial sup-port, or damage photos or letters from sonsand daughters serving in the military over-seas. Further damage is done to the com-munity in the lowering of property values

Canutillo’s AgronomicsCenter project in progress

Special to the CourierBy Kim Guzman

CONTRIBUTION HONORED — Steve Wolslager was honored recently due to his support of theCanutillo ISD Agronomics Center on the Rio Grande. Shown from left is Monica Reyes, CanutilloISD Director of Curriculum and Evaluation; Ron Gil, Agriculture teacher at CHS; Steve Wolslager,contributor and member of the STAR group; and Charles Hart, Canutillo Superintendent.

WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIERPage 2 July 1, 2004

SERVING ANTHONY, VINTON, CANUTILLO, EAST MONTANA, HORIZON, SOCORRO, CLINT, FABENS, SAN ELIZARIO AND TORNILLO

PUBLISHED:Published each Thursday byHomesteader News, Inc. Appreciationto our many contributors. Office openMonday through Thursday.

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ADDRESS:15344 Werling CourtHorizon City, TX 79928

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E-mail: [email protected]: wtccourier.com

PublisherRick Shrum

Business ManagerFrancis D. Shrum

ContributorsDon WoodyardSteve EscajedaArleen Beard

�

Member Texas CommunityNewspaper Association News, Inc.

HomesteaderEst. 1973

nineteenseventythree

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31YEARS

One perspectiveBy Francis Shrum

Do youknow whereyou are on theBMI?

I didn’t, butthen I read in the newspaper thatsome folks are very aware of this, andare suffering emotional disturbancewhen the BMI says they are carryinga few too many pounds, which couldactually shorten their lives by, say, afew minutes.

So I figured I better find out aboutthis, if it was causing enough emo-

What a masstional discomfort to rate media atten-tion. Who knows, there might besomething else out there I should beemotionally uncomfortable about.

BMI stands for Body Mass Index. Idon’t know if this thing originated inEurope or what, but the simplest wayto find where you are on this index isusing metric measurements. If you areold-fashioned and simple-minded likeme and still think in pounds and inches,you have to do a little more math, butI finally got it done.

If you’re using metrics, all you do

is divide your weight, measured inkilograms, by your height measuredin meters and square, and you haveit. If you’re using pounds and inches,divide your weight in pounds by yourheight in inches, squared. Then takethe number you get, which will bepretty small, and multiply it by 704.5.

Abra-cadabra! You now knowwhether you weigh too much, whichyou probably do — or too little, whichis highly unlikely, because accordingto this scale, a woman five feet tall whoweighs 120 pounds gets an index num-ber of 28.18. And according to thescale, that’s overweight.

If your number is below 18.5 youare considered “underweight.” If youfall between 18.5 and 24.9 you are“normal.” Woe to ye who get a num-ber between 25 and 29.9 because, in

hushed tones, you are considered“overweight.” Finally, the number 30and above designates a condition thatcannot be spoken aloud, but is spelledO-B-E-S-E.

Who lays awake nights and thinksup this stuff?

I got this information through theAmerican Obesity Association, andI kept wondering, why on earthwould they keep something like thisaround to make them miserable?

Why not just get on with life?There are mighty few people I know

who are going to hit this measurementunless they are already making moneyshowing off their silhouette.

I think we should have a wholedifferent index. Let’s call this one theQLI (Quality of Life Index). If youcan move around enough to take care

of yourself, you rate a one on the QLI.If you can take care of yourself and,say, two more people, you get a five.If you can function well enough torun a household, hold down a career,fix supper every night and counselyour next door neighbor through herdivorce without getting one yourself,you get a QLI rating of 10.

Who cares how much you weigh?What matters is how you feel, andthat involves exercise a lot more thanweight. I know some people who loseweight without exercise and all theywind up with is a weak body.

I found out the hard way a longtime ago that if I don’t keep moving,I’m in trouble. I can sit down for halfan hour and all the bones freeze to-gether like a rusty old car abandonedon the beach. If I can keep ‘er mov-ing I’m a pretty good work horse.

It’s a fact that the majority of ourpopulation weighs more than weshould — the “experts” say about 60percent of Americans are overweight.And, especially in the case of women,we tend to weigh more at differenttimes in our lives. When I was a teen-ager, and later in my 20’s, I could eateverything in sight and never gain apound. Birthing two more kids in my30’s and the natural changes in mymetabolic rate has made me a lot morecautious about what I consume. Butwhen people tell me I’ve lost weight,I can’t help but grin. That’s like say-ing the weather is nice. Wait a fewminutes and it’s likely to change. I’vegot a lot more serious things to worryabout than the few pounds I may weighover some number on an artificialweight meter that exists only as a fig-ment of somebody’s imagination.

After all, we’ve only got one lifeto live and it’s way too short to spendit figuring metrics, squared. Whowants to try and make our poor, oldbodies last forever? I’d rather live ashorter, more productive life than along, miserable one.

Besides, the worry and stress weput ourselves through over whetheror not we meet our perfect bodyweight on some index is probablymore damaging to our health than theweight itself.

By James R. KelchAssistant Superintendent

EAST EL PASO COUNTY —Many of the administrators and sec-retaries of the Clint IndependentSchool District were privileged toattend The Breakthrough Coach, aprogram designed to increase effi-ciency in the workplace and reducethe crushing number of hours neededto do the job of educational adminis-tration.

The workshop, entitled “How toWork Less, Play More, and Still Getthe Job Done in a Normal SchoolWeek: Assuming Your Proper Roleas ‘Executive’ in Today’s EducationalEnvironment” was presented byMalachi Pancoast, president, and par-tially funded by Region 19 Educa-tion Service Center through FredLiner.

Pancoast has studied educationaltrends since 1982. Through his re-search, he noted that schools or dis-tricts generally improve on a scale ofapproximately five percent. This heterms “drift.” For a dramatic increasein quality, something else has tocause a “breakthrough.” Break-through is defined as a “significant

Learning efficiency techniques notalways comfortable for educators

increase in results in a relatively shortperiod of time that does not driftbackwards over time”.

In simple terms, Pancoast defineseducational personnel in two catego-ries: Technicians, whose expertiseruns narrow and are basically “do-ers”; and managers, people who getthings done through other people.Examples of the technician would besecretaries, teachers, librarians, andassistant principals. Examples ofmanagers are superintendents, assis-tant superintendents and principals.Managers get paid, he said, “to talk,not to do anything.”

The audience was instructed in theinitial meeting that during the discus-sion, one of the ground rules was tobe open-minded and “breathe” when-ever they might fight the comprehen-sion of what he was saying — andthe audience complied.

The first “Fundamental Practice”Pancoast described is “Clean the Of-fice.” The office of a manager shouldreflect more of a conference roomatmosphere than a homey one. Thesecond Fundamental Practice is“Your secretary handles all mail andpaperwork. You have a daily meet-

ing where the two of you work to-gether on the mail and paperwork forat least 20 minutes.” And everythingthat walks in with the secretary walksout with the secretary.

The aim of the workshop is to al-low administrators to spend at leasttwo days in classrooms observingand helping teachers teach. Pancoastsaid 80 percent of the discipline prob-lems in a school come from 20 per-cent of the classrooms. As some dis-tricts have utilized this procedure, henoted, they increased their standard-ized test scores tremendously withonly this change in their principal’sdaily routine.

The drawback, if there is one, isthat drop-ins do not always get im-mediate attention. However, commu-nication is not diminished, but en-hanced, through scheduling appoint-ments where clients get full attention.

Another beneficial effect, accord-ing to Pancoast, is an enhancementof the perception of the role of theadministrator. The national shortageof administrators may be stemmed ifmore people enter the administrativesector through an improved percep-tion of the “job” of the principal.

July 1, 2004 WEST TEXAS COUNTY COURIER Page 3

Political Advertising Paid for by:

Eye on D.C. By U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla

Reyes Reports By U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes

Across ElPaso and thec o u n t r y ,small busi-

nesses are the driving force of oureconomy. Small businesses represent95 percent of all employers, createhalf of our gross domestic product,and create three out of four new jobsnationwide. As our economy recov-ers, the country is relying on smallbusinesses to grow the economy.

The Small Business Administra-tion (SBA) Reauthorization bill is animportant step in helping our smallbusinesses create jobs. This biparti-san bill, which is awaiting consider-ation in the House of Representa-tives, evaluates current SBA pro-grams and proposes how to improvethem over the next four years. ThisReauthorization will be the mostcomprehensive overhaul of theSBA in almost two decades. Pas-sage of this bill will provide smallbusinesses greater access to capi-tal, improve technical assistance

Small business produces big resultsand deserves government help

programs, and help small busi-nesses gain access to the $235 bil-lion federal marketplace.

Specifically, the SBA Reauthoriza-tion will:

• Give small businesses in low-in-come communities access to federalcontracts by ensuring that the con-tracts intended for those areas are notdiverted to other sources.

• Open contracting opportunitiesfor minority businesses by modern-izing the 8(a) program, removingmany of the outdated barriers pre-venting participation, and blockingthe ability of large firms to obtainvaluable business development assis-tance.

• Spur employment opportunitiesthrough the 504 loan program, whichfocuses on business expansion andjob creation.

• Help entrepreneurs across thecountry gain the knowledge to growtheir companies through improve-ments to the Small Business Devel-opment Centers (SBDCs) program.

• Ensure that low-income and mi-nority women are able to benefit fromWomen’s Business Centers (WBCs).

• Assist start-ups by improvingthe Microloan program, providingmore technical assistance and giv-ing small business additional re-payment options.

Here in El Paso, our nearly 1,000small businesses are the engine of oureconomy and have created and de-veloped scores of quality jobs for ourcommunity. Passage of the SBA Re-authorization will modernize theSBA, opening the door to opportu-nity for more El Paso entrepreneursand helping existing El Paso smallbusinesses succeed and grow.

Entrepreneurs deserve the neces-sary resources to launch successfulcompanies and expand those compa-nies — and deserve all the assistancethe federal government can offer. TheSBA Reauthorization is an importantstep towards providing those re-sources and I will fight for its suc-cessful passage.

This July fourth we will com-memorate the birthday of our greatnation. The Fourth of July is a day ofcelebration. It is a red-white-and-blueday of barbecues and fireworks. It isalso a day of family reunions and lov-ing tributes to the men and womenwho have created and defended ourliberties.

On this July Fourth, as we stand onMain Street USA and watch the pa-rades pass by, reflect on the hardearned freedom we cherish. Celebratethe Fourth of July not only as a familyholiday but a community holiday. Thisday commemorates the American fam-ily and our bonding as a free nation.

In towns dotted all over Texaspeople know what it means to be free.

Celebrate freedomWe celebrate the fact that we live instrong and united communities. Werecognize how blessed we are to en-joy unparalleled freedom — freedomthat has been earned and protected ata high price.

Let us not forget to give thanks onthis day. On July 4, 1776, our found-ing fathers set up the greatest nationon the face of the planet. They knewthat a truly free nation would not bedefined in terms of its borders, but inits philosophy. For 223 years coura-geous Americans have risked theirlives to adopt and maintain the truemeaning of the Declaration of Inde-pendence: “… that all men are cre-ated equal, that they are endowed bytheir creator with certain unalienable

rights, thatamong theseare Life, Lib-erty and thepursuit ofhappiness…”

As you cel-ebrate thisday, drawclose to your neighbors and like onegrateful family remember the sacri-fices of the men and women through-out history who gave their lives forthe freedom we enjoy and celebrate.

Pass the brisket, slice a watermelonand draw your hand close to yourheart when you see the banner of red,white and blue. I hope you and yourfamily truly enjoy the birthday of ournation. Have a safe weekend and toall of my fellow Americans, HappyFourth of July!

By Albert M. Balesh, M.D.These days young women are quite

caught up in their careers. And whynot? Advances in fertility treatmenthave given them a great deal of hope.They can now balance both job andfamily-planning in a calmer manner.There is no rush.

But is this false hope? After all,women’s biology has not changedone bit. Statistics show that the rateof first births for women in their 30sand 40s has surged in this country —quadrupling since 1970. At the sametime, rates for women in their early20s have dropped by a third.

So, the tendency to have “cake”now and children later has becomepervasive in a capitalistic and tech-nologically advanced society like ourown. One thing couples fail to real-ize, however, is the bottom line: ad-vancing age still decreases awoman’s ability to have children.“Mine is bigger than yours” has novalidity or substance whatsoever,when the tick-tock of the biologicalclock is tossed into the mix.

That is not to say that enormousadvances have not been made in

Tick, tock, you can’t ignore the fertility clocktreating both male and female infer-tility. Egg and sperm can be mixedin a petri dish, embryos can be ge-netically tested for certain abnormali-ties, and then weeded out before im-plantation. Sluggish sperm can be“pepped up,” by injecting them di-rectly into an egg. Surrogates cancarry babies for those who can’t.Even 63-year-old grandmothers canlend a womb, a prayer, and some luckto this game we call “motherhood,”with a reasonable chance of success.

Our “brave new world” has becomeeven braver, as scientists now searchfor new ways to attack the most frus-trating problem in infertility today: theolder woman’s eggs. Freezing slicesof ovarian tissue, which contain thou-sands of eggs in an immature state, and“nuclear transfer,” in which thenucleus is sucked out of an olderwoman’s egg, and then transferred intothe cytoplasm of a younger egg, aretwo new experimental ways in whichthe hands of the biological clock arebeing turned back.

Does everything, so far, sound toogood to be true? Are you consider-ing a postponement of the “pitter-

patter of little feet?” Well, before youmake a decision, be forewarned thatthere is a downside, too.

Science can’t always beat the bio-logical clock. Studies have shownthat while women have an excellentunderstanding of birth control, theytend to overestimate the age at whichfertility declines. And doctors, fortheir part, afraid to offend or intrude,usually don’t raise the question offertility unless asked.

And why should they? The fertil-ity business continues to boom, re-gardless. Perhaps down the road, de-termination of individual reproduc-tive age and an understanding of themolecular processes contributing tothe aging of eggs will raise the cur-tain on uncertainty and slow the in-trepid march of time. Until then,however, “mine is bigger than yours”will remain the battle cry of thosewho continue to disregard the lawsof nature and the timetable of a hu-man body, which hasn’t changed inthousands of years.___________________________________________________________(2004, Albert M. Balesh, M.D. All

rights reserved.)

Write stuffDear Editor:

On May 27, our CongressmanSilvestre Reyes reported aboutownership. He stated, “Not only ishome ownership a source ofpride… (an) affordable home is akey of evolution of our commu-nity.” However, building houses onour community can be a burden forthe entire community. Further-more, I also have my own way ofthinking:

Anger and dust swirl around meas I scrutinize my small town.

How dare developers and build-ers intrude in San Eli.

They are like a bunch of “whiteworms” sucking our roots and de-priving our historical town.

Who gave permission to thesemoney-makers to built a bunch ofhouses in here.

And who can stop them fromstealing the meager farming land.

The most unpleasant thing.They are building tooth-pick

houses and plastering them withchicken wire.

They are so inconsideratecrowding them like a beehive.

How absurd to corral them with“stone-wall.”

The annoying thing is that theyare going to build more houses inGlorietta Rd.

The so-called “camino real.”After-time we will have to toler-

ate the noise, the traffic and thepoliticians humiliating us for be-ing a stinky town.

The dust got worst and angerturns into helpless tears.

Beatrice CantuSan Elizario

Visit Jimmy Chambers today at 520 W. Catherine in Marfa or call Jimmy at 915-729-4351 or 1-800-663-2846.

OfficesDevine-Edinburg-Hondo-Laredo-Marfa

Pleasanton-San Antonio-Sonora-Uvalde

800-663-2846 - www.swtaca.com

Loans Available

Farms - Ranches - Rural Homes

Livestock and Equipment

Jimmy Chambers 520 W. Catherine, Marfa

432-729-4351 or 1-800-663-2846



Paid for and authorized by Texans for Henry Bonilla, Jill DeYoung, Treasurer

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULYfrom Congressman Henry Bonilla

The Fourth of July is a day of celebration. It is also a day of familyreunions and loving tributes to the men and women who have createdand defended our liberties.

On this July Fourth, as we stand on Main Street USA and watch theparades pass by, reflect on the hard-earned freedom we cherish.Celebrate the Fourth of July not only as a family holiday but acommunity holiday. This day commemorates our freedom and ourbonding as a nation.

Pass the brisket, slice a watermelon and draw your hand close to yourheart when you see the banner of red, white and blue. I hope you andyour family truly enjoy the birthday of our nation.

Have a safe weekend and a Happy Fourth of July!

Congressman Henry Bonilla

entire state. There were more peopleexposed to the virus and therefore,more people infected with it.”

So far this year, West Nile virus hasbeen detected in three horses in FortBend, La Salle and Montgomerycounties and in five birds in HarrisCounty.

In 2003 TDH recorded 434 humancases of West Nile in 86 Texas coun-ties, including 36 deaths. In compari-son in 2002, the state listed less than

half that many cases, 202, in 37 coun-ties with 13 deaths.

Three of the 36 deaths last yearwere in El Paso county.

Human cases of West Nile illnesshave now been reported in all statesexcept Oregon and Washington.Crows, jays, sparrows and cardinalsare among the birds most likely tocarry the West Nile virus. The diseaseis transmitted when a mosquito bites abird that is carrying the virus and laterbites a human, horse or other animal.

For more information on West Nilevirus, visit the TDH Web site atwww.tdh.state.tx.us .

MosquitoFrom Page 1______________________

www.wtccourier.com



“As we celebrateour cherishedIndependence

Day, let’sprayerfully and

gratefullyremember our

troops who upholdand defend our

freedom.”

—CongressmanSilvestre Reyes

Paid for by Reyes Congressional Campaign, Ron Pate, Treasurer, 1011 Montana, El Paso, TX 79901

and the sense of insecurity createdby such vandalism. If you haveinformation on mailbox vandal-ism or mail theft in your area, con-tact the local Post Office or PostalInspection Service at 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777).

� At the board of directors’meeting for the Horizon RegionalMunicipal Utility District (for-merly El Paso County Water Au-thority) held on June 22, 2004,Director Bruce Truesdale, Sr. sub-mitted his resignation. The boardis asking any citizen interested inserving the community as a direc-tor for the Horizon area water dis-trict to submit a resume to theHRMUD office, 1539 PawlingDrive, Horizon City, Texas. Theboard will review and consider allapplicants and the position will befilled by appointment.

• $256,000 for the Army Corps ofEngineers to continue the SparksArroyo Flood Control Project.“Droughts and flooding are twobig problems in the El Paso re-gion,” said Reyes. “This fundingwill lessen damage caused byfloods and reduce our dependenceon scarce groundwater. El Paso istaking many different steps to ad-dress the water concerns in ourcommunity and this funding is es-sential to their success,” saidReyes.

� The Small Business Adminis-tration El Paso District DirectorPhillip C. Silva said the number ofloans to small businesses is beinglimited because many people whoare seeking loans but are not ob-taining them have credit issues.Therefore, the SBA will hold aseminar on July 14, 2004 forcredit-challenged applicants. It isrequesting that all participantsbring a current copy of their creditreport for review and advice on

how to improve their credit rat-ing. A credit report can be pur-chased for under $10. Those cli-ents who have a good credit rat-ing can begin the process of thebusiness loan application at theSBA Business Loan seminar.Those individuals whose creditrating may not meet the expecta-tions of the lenders will be pro-vided help and advice on how toimprove their credit rating. A rep-resentative from the Experian willprovide training on how to ana-lyze a credit report and improveits rating. Participants will haveopportunity to meet one-on-onewith the SBA, SBA technical as-sistant providers and local lend-ers at the seminar which is sched-uled for 8 a.m. to noon at the Cen-ter for Workforce Preparednessbuilding at 1359 Lomaland. Thecost of the conference is $5 andincludes continental breakfast andmaterials. For more informationand reservations call Anna Riveraat (915) 633-7001.

� Socorro ISD CommunityServices is offering free ESL andGED daytime classes for adults.Registration is July 21-23 from8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Com-munity Learning Center, 313 S.Rio Vista Rd. For more informa-tion, call 937-1700. ESL classeswill be from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.Spanish and English GEDClasses will be from 12:45 p.m.to 2:45 p.m. Classes will beginJuly 26. Limited space is avail-able. Students should bring iden-tification, preferably social secu-rity or Texas driver’s license. Nochildcare is available.

� The VFW Post #10354 willhave a full slate of events at theVeteran’s Center in Horizon City,including the sale of bratwurst andfireworks. The community is in-vited to attend. Information: 852-6038 or 591-3517.

� The Clint First Baptist Churchwill host Vacation Bible Schoolon July 19-23, for children ageskindergarten through sixth grade.Theme for the event is “Let’sRace to the Son — Konichiwa! Classes are scheduled for 9a.m. to noon and more infor-mation is available at 851-1599 or 592-9081.

� El Paso’s flood control andwater reclamation needs wereincluded in the fiscal year 2005Energy and Water Appropria-tions bill, which recently passedthe House of Representatives.Congressman Reyes said the fol-lowing are included in the bill:• $1,232,000 for the Army Corpsof Engineers for construction ofthe El Paso Flood ControlProject;• $380,000 to expand the HaskellStreet Wastewater TreatmentPlant water recycle program toprovide reclaimed water to FortBliss;• $305,000 for the Army Corpsof Engineers for the NorthwestEl Paso Flood Control Project —a flood damage preventionstudy; and

BriefsFrom Page 1______________________

www.big8.com

Remember safety when celebrating the Fourth!


King Super Crossword

By Steve EscajedaSpecial to the Courier


FOR THE BIRDSACROSS

1 Sagan orSandburg 5 Swarm sound 9 Montana city 14 Monterrey Mrs. 17 ’58 Pulitzer winner 18 Piece of fencing? 19 He was “TheThing” 21 Pipe part 22 WREN 25 Brobdingnagian 26 For _ (cheaply) 27 Comic Costello 28 _ Na Na 29 Mascagni opera 30 Poet Wilcox 33 Lohengrin’s bird 37 African antelopes 39 LARK 44 “The Optimist’sDaughter” author 45 Bonanza material 46 Coveleski orMusial 47 Vichyssoiseveggie 49 Tip one’s topper 51 Long-tailed parrot 54 Sanford of “TheJeffersons” 56 Scandinavian city 59 Griffon greeting 61 Fool 63 Missouri airportabbr.

64 Valuableinstrument 66 Stowe sight 67 Screenwriter Nora 70 Elf 72 Dash 73 Sarah _ Jewett 74 Inland sea 75 QUAIL 78 Depravity 79 Easy stride 80 Bit of gossip 81 Parenthesis shape 82 Physicist Fermi 84 Corset part 85 Alfredo ingredient 87 British big shot 89 Monsarrat’s “TheCruel _” 90 Tulsa commodity 91 Cheat at hide-and-seek 92 Preposterous 95 Sweetheart 99 Turn over101 Darjeeling dress103 Invasion105 Frankfurter’s field106 Rent109 CRANE113 Church official114 Oriental staple115 Big rig116 Channel117 Actress Hagen119 Plutarch character122 Tole material126 Be important

127 PARTRIDGE133 Actor Novello134 Kindle135 Heart burn?136 Time for asandwich137 According to138 German port139 Racing legend140 Guy Fri.

DOWN 1 _ Grande, AZ 2 FBI workers 3 “_ Man” (’84 film) 4 Not as fatty 5 Neighbor of Ger. 6 Prosperous times 7 Non-noncha-lance? 8 Nil 9 Crank’s comment 10 Swiss canton 11 Explosive initials 12 Golfer’s gadgets 13 Avoid 14 DUCK 15 Toomey or Philbin 16 Iowa city 20 Musty 21 Japanese religion 23 Hard on the eyes 24 Astrology term 31 Brown or Baxter 32 Vino center 34 Corduroy ridge 35 Writer Rogers St.Johns

36 Formerly knownas 38 Moro of Italy 39 One who no’sbest? 40 Distinctive period 41 _ room 42 Singer Elliot 43 Bete noire 48 AdorableAustralian 50 Tenor Corelli 52 One of the Judds 53 Tolstoy title start 55 Coalition 57 Play ground? 58 Bedding 60 At large 62 Word with dog orstate 65 “Never onSunday” star 66 Good-humored 67 Amatory 68 CARDINAL 69 _ Dame 71 Anaconda, for one 74 As well 76 Pursues 77 Coffee pots 83 Ring counter 86 Andretti or Cuomo 88 Fiber source 91 Swamp stuff 93 “Death of aSalesman” son 94 Pad 96 Ryan’s “Love

Story” co-star 97 Bud 98 Fluffy female100 Crime writer Colin102 PC key104 SHAEFcommander107 “The March King”108 Whole110 Stamping ground111 TV award112 Strauss city113 Debonair116 _ coffee118 Energy source120 One of a pair121 South Seas novel123 New Mexico resort124 John of “Roots”125 Expected back128 Bossy’s chew129 Sugary suffix130 Guys131 College growth132 Empower

Answer Page 7

Aren’t you loving the Major League Base-ball season so far? Most of the big teams are atthe top of their divisions and that’s how itshould be.

The big boys are tearing up the league. Youknow, teams like the New York Yankees, theBoston Red Sox, the San Francisco Giants, theFlorida Marlins, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays,the Oakland… wait a sec, back up a bit… theTampa Bay Devil Rays?

Let me double check my numbers, that can’tbe right. Yeah, that’s correct. Tampa Bay, whichfinished with the second-worst record in base-ball last year at 63-99, is the hottest team inthe league right now.

Amazingly, Tampa went on a 12-game win-ning streak in June and has won 15 of their last16 games.

And that’s not all. The D-Rays have won arecord 13-straight inter-league games whichties a record.

The most unbelievable fact is that the D-Raysare now above .500 after a miserable begin-

Tampa Bay Devil Rays heat up after cold startning of the season. Tampa went 3-19 at onepoint this year on the way to a 10-28 start. Sea-son over — right? Hardly.

Tampa Bay is still in third place, nine gamesbehind the Yankees, but they’re just four gamesbehind the Red Sox and their beginning to talkplayoffs.

And what’s the reason for the sudden suc-cess? All I can think of is they have the bestmanager in baseball — Lou Piniella. Piniellaguided the Cincinnati Reds to a World Seriestitle in 1990 and coached the 2001 SeattleMariners to one of the best regular seasons inbaseball history with a 116-46 record.

I thought Piniella was crazy when he left theMariners two years ago for perennial loserTampa Bay. But that shows you why I’m heresitting at a computer and he is getting paidmillions for going to baseball games.

Last year people were talking about anotherFlorida team that turned things around in midseason, the Florida Marlins, and you remem-ber what they did. If you don’t remember, justask any New York not-the-world-champion-Yankees fan.

My Astros are doing their annual fade thinga little early this season so I’m going to start

routing for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. I lovea great underdog story.

Hey, maybe they’ll give Florida fans anotherteam to cheer toward a title. I hear Floridiansare better at picking baseball teams that pick-ing presidents.

To catch a thiefI seem to remember the Florida State Semi-

noles winning two national football champi-onships in the 1990s. If I recall correctly theywon it in 1993 and again in 1999, but I’m notpositively sure. I mean, I couldn’t prove it oranything.

Because, now, even they have no proof.Seems some idiot — masquerading as a hu-

man — broke into the athletic offices at FloridaState and stole both of the school’s nationalchampionship trophies.

The two Waterford crystal pieces were takenfrom a locked case located right in front ofcoach Bobby Bowden’s office. Bowden wasout of town when the incident occurred.

But I do like the fact that FSU assistant ath-letic director, Rob Wilson, could show com-passion toward the thief. “Woe be unto that guyif the wrong people get hold of him.”

The college is offering $2,500 to anyone whoturns in the culprit. And that’s a bargain com-pared to how much Florida State usually paysits college athletes to play football.

Somebody’s lyingLet’s take a close look at this. Here are three

stories.One story comes from San Francisco Giants

slugger Barry Bonds who says he’s never takensteroids.

Another story comes from world-classsprinter Tim Montgomery, who says BALCOfounder Victor Conte told him he had suppliedBonds with steroids. And yet a third storycomes from Conte himself, who says he’s nevereven spoken to Bonds about steroids.

It’s hard to know who to believe, after all,all three of these guys are so trustworthy, ha-ha. All three guys can’t be telling the truth intheir conflicting accounts so somebody is lying.

The steroid scandal has exploded through-out the sports world and seeing how Bonds’head is about as big as his whole body used tobe, I’d say it has hit Major League Baseballpretty hard.

So who is lying? We’ll find out soon — honest.

UPPER VALLEY — CanutilloHigh School seniors Miguel Rivera,Mario Chavez, and Lorenzo Garciawere among the 24 players named tothe Region 1-4A Boys Soccer All Re-gion Team by the Texas Associationof Soccer Coaches (TASC) recently.

The three seniors led Canutillo HighSchool’s boys’ soccer team to 20 wins-2 losses and 6 ties during the seasonand the 2-4A bi-district championship.The Eagles finished the regular districtplay in third place behind Del Valleand Riverside high schools.

District coaches named Riverawith the title of Most Valuable Playerin 1-4A District this season. He wasalso selected to the El Paso Times’All-City Team. He scored 34 goalsand had 19 assists.

“Miguel scored in every game we

Canutillo High soccer players named to All-Region TeamBy Alfredo VasquezSpecial to the Courier

WHAT A KICK — Canutillo High School soccer play-ers were recognized, from left, Coach Juan Ulloa,Lorenzo Garcia, Miguel Rivera, and Mario Chavez.

played this year. Hewas our team leader,and he led by ex-ample,” said JuanUlloa, CHS BoysSoccer coach.

Chavez wasnamed to the 1-4AAll District firstteam as amidfielder. Healso earned CHSEagles’ MVPaward for twoconsecutive years.“Mario played ev-ery position in-cluding goalie forus this season. He was probably ourbest all-around athlete, and he wasalways assigned to mark the oppo-nent teams’ best players,” said Ulloa.

Garcia was also named to the 1-4A All District first team as asweeper. He led the district in steals

with 124 this season. “Lorenzo wasa big reason we posted 13 shutoutsthis season. He helped the goalie outtremendously,” said the coach.

The three soccer standouts played

See SOCCER, Page 7www.wtccourier.com


ComixOUT ON A LIMB By Gary Kopervas

AMBER WAVES By Dave T. Phipps

THE SPATS By Jeff Pickering

R.F.D. By Mike Marland

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Paso, Town of An-thony, Town of Clint,Town of HorizonCity, City of Socorroand Village ofVinton, Texas, onMay 14, 2004. Theproposed effectivedate is for metersread on and afterJuly 27, 2004.

It is anticipated thatthe effect of thechange in rates willbe to increase therevenues of theCompany within theEl Paso ServiceArea by approxi-mately $ 684,705 or0.69 percent. Theproposed changedoes not constitutea “major” change asthat term is definedby Section 104.101of the Texas UtilitiesCode.

The proposed tar-iffs include in-creases in gas

sales and transpor-tation rates for allresidential, com-mercial, industrial,public authority,and municipal wa-ter pumping cus-tomers. The Com-pany has also pro-posed changes inthe cost of gas tar-iff, changes to thetransportation tar-iffs to include bal-ancing provisionsand filed initial tar-iffs for an EconomicDevelopment Rateand Interim CostRecovery and RateAdjustment Clausein the incorporatedareas of the ElPaso Service Area.The effect of thechange in rates,when allowed, willbe to increase therevenues of theCompany by ap-proximately 0.69percent. Based onthe proposed rate

design, the averagemonthly residentialbill of 45 Ccf will in-crease by approxi-mately $0.21, or 0.7percent, the aver-age monthly com-mercial bill of 279Ccf will increasea p p r o x i m a t e l y$1.00, or 0.6 per-cent, the averagemonthly public au-thority bill of 975Ccf will increasea p p r o x i m a t e l y$3.32 or 0.6 per-cent, the averagemonthly industrialbill of 2,926 Ccf willincrease approxi-mately $9.60, or 0.6percent, the aver-age monthly mu-nicipal water pump-ing bill of 11,698 Ccfwill increase ap-proximately $33.87or 0.5 percent, andthe average stan-dard transportationbill of 34,406 Ccfwill increase ap-

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By Don FloodA recent story told of an Ameri-

can businessman who, speakingbefore a Japanese audience, pref-aced his speech with a joke, as isthe American custom.

Well, he absolutely slayed ‘em.They were practically rolling in theaisles.

Buoyed by the success of hisjoke, he asked his interpreter af-terward why it had gone over sowell.

The joke, the interpreter politelyreplied, was inappropriate, so in-stead of translating he had simplyturned to the audience and said,“The gentleman has told a joke.Please laugh.”

Not only do I greatly admire theJapanese approach, I think it’s timewe brought that humor know-howto this country.

One of the major crises facingour nation today is After DinnerSpeaker Laugh Deficit (ADSLD).

Every evening in this country,some 25,000 after-dinner speakersbegin their talk with an awful joke.According to humor scientists, nomore than 30 to 40 jokes actuallyelicit genuine laughter; the rest re-ceive polite titters, embarrassedchuckles, or, worst, dead silences.

Wouldn’t it be more efficient andless painless for all involved if thespeakers were to start out saying,“Please insert your favorite jokehere and laugh”?

People would understand theywere supposed to break into hys-terical sit-com laughter for 15 sec-onds and then we could all go onwith our lives — secure in theknowledge that the critical momenthad passed.

ADSLD did not begin in mod-ern America.

A series of cave paintings dat-ing back to 22,000 B.C. graphi-cally depicts what happened towhat is believed be the world’s first

Leave ’em laughingafter-dinner speaker.

The first panel shows a middle-aged man in a poorly fitting bearhide speaking before the localMastodons Lodge (later the ElksLodge after Mastodons becameextinct).

Following what paleontologistshave theorized was a particularlylame opening joke, the audience isshown: 1) attacking the speakerand 2) roasting him over an openfire, thus beginning the tradition ofthe spectacularly unfunny “celeb-rity roasts,” which are still inflictedon television audiences.

Fortunately, today’s after-dinnerspeakers needn’t worry about be-ing cooked on a spit; instead theyare able to enjoy the slow, agoniz-ing death of one who tells a jokefor which there is no response.

And it can happen to you.For some bizarre and mysterious

reason — perhaps the group hasexhausted the phone book for the19th time — you may be asked tobe an after-dinner speaker.

Suffering under the delusion thatpeople are interested in hearingyou speak — and not merely re-quiring an excuse to get out of thehouse and down a few drinks withpals — you agree.

And then it hits you. Not onlymust you prepare a talk designedto ease digestion and not causeundue wakefulness, you mustSTART OFF WITH A JOKE.

Only you don’t know any jokes,and you certainly can’t tell one.ADSLD is staring you in the face.

Luckily, I don’t have that prob-lem, because I happen to have theperfect after-dinner joke.

Alas, I can’t tell it because it’sinappropriate, so I would appreci-ate it if everyone could do me afavor.

Please laugh.______________________________________________________(c) 2004 King Features Synd., Inc.

children ages birthto five years meetsevery Tuesday inHorizon City at St.Brendan’s Episco-pal Church for anhour of playtime be-ginning at 10 a.m.At 14999Darrington Rd., in-formation at 433-7727 or 637-1982.

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at the varsity level all four years oftheir high school careers at CHS, andthey plan to continue playing nowthat they have graduated. Rivera saidthat he wants to attend school in SanAntonio, where St. Mary’s and TexasLutheran universities have expressedinterest in him. Chavez and Garciaplan to tryout for UTEP’s soccer clubwith hopes of developing their skillsand attracting a major collegeprogram’s attention.

SoccerFrom Page 6______________________


Social Security Q&A By Ray Vigil

THURSDAY

Partly sunny withan afternoon thunderstorm.

95°� �

THUR. NIGHT

Chance for a thunderstorm early;

partly cloudy.

FRIDAY

Sunny to partlycloudy; breezy in

the afternoon.

96°� 71°�

SATURDAY

Clouds and sun,chance for a p.m.

thunderstorm.

95°� 72°�

SUNDAY

Partly sunny,chance for a p.m.

thunderstorm.

97°� 73°�

MONDAY

Partly sunny.

96°� 75°�

TUESDAY

Partly sunny andhot.

100°� 76°�

WEDNESDAY

Sunshine withpatchy clouds.

101°� 74°�

WEATHER AccuWeather.com

SEVEN-DAY FORECAST FOR EL PASO

TEXAS WEATHER TRAVELERS CITIESUV INDEX

REAL FEEL TEMP™

AGRICULTURE

Statistics for noon.

Thursday .......... 10 ..........Very HighFriday ................ 10 ..........Very HighSaturday ............ 8 ....................HighSunday .............. 10 ..........Very HighMonday .............. 10 ..........Very HighTuesday ............ 10 ..........Very HighWednesday ...... 10 ..........Very High

The higher the UV Index, the greaterthe need for eye and skin protection.

Albuquerque 91/63/t 90/64/pc 91/65/pc 91/66/pc 94/70/sAtlanta 82/70/t 82/70/t 82/70/t 84/70/t 86/70/tAtlantic City 82/66/pc 83/67/pc 84/67/t 83/67/t 85/65/pcAustin/San Antonio 92/71/t 93/72/pc 94/71/pc 94/70/pc 94/72/pcBaltimore 88/68/pc 88/70/pc 86/70/t 86/68/t 85/66/pcBoston 82/65/pc 80/62/t 80/65/t 78/62/t 80/64/pcChicago 84/62/t 82/64/t 80/60/t 84/64/pc 78/63/pcDallas/Ft. Worth 92/73/t 93/74/t 93/74/pc 94/73/pc 95/73/pcDenver 83/58/s 88/58/s 84/58/t 86/58/t 87/61/cFlagstaff 80/44/s 82/44/s 83/44/s 84/48/s 81/49/sHouston 90/74/t 92/74/t 92/74/t 92/74/t 92/73/tKansas City 82/66/t 84/65/t 86/65/t 84/65/t 86/65/tLas Vegas 99/72/s 100/76/s 101/76/s 101/78/s 103/78/sMiami 89/77/t 89/79/t 89/79/t 89/79/t 89/77/shMinneapolis 82/65/t 82/65/t 82/59/t 79/61/c 81/62/pcNew Orleans 91/76/t 91/77/t 92/76/t 90/76/t 90/74/tNew York City 84/70/pc 86/70/t 84/70/t 83/70/t 84/69/pcPhiladelphia 88/70/pc 88/70/t 86/70/t 86/70/t 85/68/pcPhoenix 105/79/s 105/81/s 107/83/s 106/82/s 106/81/sPortland 83/59/pc 81/59/pc 82/59/pc 79/58/s 78/53/cSan Francisco 70/56/pc 70/56/pc 70/56/pc 70/55/pc 70/57/sSeattle 78/56/pc 76/56/pc 76/56/pc 72/55/s 71/49/rTucson 100/70/s 100/70/s 102/70/s 103/72/s 102/72/sWashington, DC 88/70/pc 88/72/t 88/72/t 86/70/t 85/69/pc

City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/WThur. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon.

A moist air mass will gradually dry out over the weekend across the area. A shower or thunderstorm will occur in parts of the areaThursday. As the air mass dries out beginning on Friday, sunshine will become more abundant. This, combined with higher tempera-tures, will result in excellent drying conditions Friday through Monday. Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms,

r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

Thursday .................................... 98°Friday .......................................... 89°Saturday ...................................... 88°Sunday ........................................ 90°Monday ........................................ 92°Tuesday ...................................... 94°Wednesday ................................ 94°

The exclusive AccuWeather composite of theeffects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine,precipitation, and elevation on the human body.

Shown is Thursday’sweather.Temperatures areThursday’s highs andThursday night’s lows.

All forecasts and maps provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2004

Anthony 94 71

Canutillo 94 71

Fabens 94 71

Clint 94 71

E. Montana 94 70

Socorro 93 70

Horizon 94 73

San Elizario 90 70

Tornillo 94 71

Vinton 94 71El Paso95/69

Santa Fe86/54

Albuquerque91/63

Alamogordo94/62

Las Cruces93/67

Deming97/63 Carlsbad

99/69

Amarillo91/66

Lubbock92/68

Alpine91/62

Odessa96/72

Lajitas94/66

Ruidoso81/58

Cloudcroft78/51

CiudadJuárez93/72

69°

Mexico

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Q: I am 55 years old and my wife is62. She has only 36 Social Securitycredits. Can she get Social Securityretirement benefits on my earningsrecord? If she cannot, how can sheget her own Social Security?

A: She can get Social Security retire-ment benefits as a spouse on yourearnings record, but not until you arereceiving benefits. The earliest thatcould happen would be when youturn age 62 — or seven years fromnow. However, she can qualify for

her own Social Security benefits ifshe has 40 Social Security credits. In2004, a worker receives one credit foreach $900 in earnings, so if shemakes $3,600 sometime this year, shewill have the four credits she needsto qualify for her own Social Secu-rity retirement benefits. Your wifeshould also know that if she contin-ues to work and earns the 40 creditsto be eligible to receive a Social Se-curity benefit on her own record, thatbenefit would be lower if she startsto receive it before reaching her full

retirement age. In your wife’s case herfull retirement age would be age 65and 10 months. If she takes early re-tirement, her benefits will be perma-nently reduced based on the numberof months she will receive paymentsbefore reaching her full retirement age.

Q: I get both Social Security andSupplemental Security Income (SSI)payments. When I die, will SSI paymy burial expenses?

A: There is no death or burial benefitassociated with the SSI program.There is a special one-time paymentof $255 payable under the Social

Security program. But we can onlypay that benefit to a spouse who isliving with you when you die, or toany minor or disabled children youmight have.

Q: My wife plans to apply for her ownSocial Security retirement benefits atage 62. I expect to work until my fullretirement age before I apply for So-cial Security, and my benefits will behigher than my wife’s. If I die, willher widow’s benefits be reduced be-cause she took early retirement?

A: The amount of widow’s benefits wecan pay your wife will depend on how

old she is when she begins receiving awidow’s benefit. If she is over “fullretirement age” when that happens, shewill be due a widow’s benefit equal to100 percent of your Social Securityrate, even though she took reducedSocial Security retirement benefitsbased on her own earnings record.______________________________________________________For more information visit your lo-cal Security office, see www.ssa.govor call us at 1-800-772-1213. If youhave any questions that you wouldlike to have answered, please mailthem to the Social Security Office,11111 Gateway West, Attn: Ray Vigil,El Paso, Texas 79935.

Documents

OURIER July 1, 2004