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Colorado County Crime Stoppers

TAKE A BITE OUT OF

H;M. I

Sometime Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning (Dec. 24 or 25,2003), un- known individual(s) broke into two busi- nesses in the 100 block of East Main in Wei- mar. Entry was made through the rear (from the alley). Undisclosed amounts of monies were taken from each of the buildings.

If you have any information about this

crime, or any other felony crime, call Colo- rado County Crime Stoppers, toll free, 1-866- 522-TIPS (1-866-522-8477). You never have to give your name and, if your information leads to an arrest and charges being filed on the criminal, you could earn a reward of up to $1,000.

(See Crime, Page 2)

Jan. 1,2004 USPS 163-760

Volume 100, No. 42 8 Pages Plus 1 Insert Eagle Publishing, Inc.

P.O. Box 67 (220 E. Main) Eagle Lake, Texas 77434-0067

979-234-5521

50« PER COPY

NEWSBRIEFS 2003-04 Waterfowl drawing underway

The 2003-04 waterfowl gun raffle is underway. The second annual event sponsored by Friends of Main Street gives you a chance to win one of 25 guns. Tickets are $20 and available from any Main Street member, at Johnny's Sport Shop, Sportsman's Restaurant and other Eagle Lake merchants. Tickets will be on sale at Austin's BBQ Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. You may also e-mail your request for tickets to mainstleltx@yahoo.com. Proceeds are used to en- hance the appearance of our city.

Closing for holidays The Colorado County Courthouse will be closed Thursday and Friday, Jan.

1 and 2, in observance of New Year's Day. The First National Bank, Eagle Lake Headlight and Eagle Lake City offices will be closed New Year's Day. There will be no City trash collection. Collection will resume Friday with Friday's route. Wintermann Library will be open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 31; closed Jan. 1.

Applications for Habitat House due today Persons currently living in substandard housing who would like to be con-

sidered for home ownership for the next new Weimar Habitat House should call 979-732-5677 or 732-3549 for an application. Applications must be com- pleted and returned by Jan. 1, 2004.

Senior Citizen's Dance is Friday The public is invited to a Senior Citizen's Dance, a place to meet old and

new friends, Friday, Jan. 2, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Eagle Lake Community Center. Rudy & His Czech Mates will provide the music. Admission is $5 per person. For more information, call 979-234-3795.

Benefit dinner to be held Saturday The Iglesia de Dios of Columbus will be selling carne guisada plates (with

rice and beans) for $6 each Saturday, Jan. 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Birdie's, 104 Boothe Dr. in Eagle Lake. Call 234-2900 to place your order or for more information. The sale will benefit the church building fund.

Fireworks this Sunday for Epiphany The Catholic Parish of the Nativity Epiphany Celebration will be held Sun-

day, January 4. Caroling and Evening Prayer will be held in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 308 N. Stevenson, at 6 p.m. followed by refresh- ments and fireworks at the Parish Office on South Austin Rd.

Fuegos Artificiales este Domingo por la Epifania, la Parroquia Catolica de la Natividad Celebracion Epifania, este domingo, 4 de Enero. Cantos de Navidad y la Oracion de la Tarde en el Templo de Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 308 N. Stevenson Street a las 6 p.m. se seguira con bocadillos, bebidas, y fuegos artificiales en la Oficina Parroquial en South Austin Rd.

Childbirth classes begin Jan. 5,2004 Will your baby arrive between Feb. 15 and April 15,2004? Come join other

moms and coaches for Childbirth Classes at Gulf Coast Medical Center (GCMC) in Wharton! Classes are Mondays, Jan. 5 to Feb. 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the GCMC classrooms. Registration fee is $60. For more information or to regis- ter, call 979-282-6280.

Garwood Lions Club stew supper is Jan. 7 The Garwood Lions Club will hold a stew supper Wednesday, Jan. 7, from

5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Garwood Volunteer Fire Department. Eat in for $5.50 (includes crackers and tea); or take it to go ($8 a quart). For information, call Ken Danklefs at 758-3914.

Y&FS workshop is Jan. 12-Feb. 16 Youth & Family Services Inc. (Y&FS) is offering a Family Strengthening

Workshop 6-7:30 p.m. Jan. 12 through Feb. 16 at the Y&FS office, 1336 Fannin in Columbus. The workshop will focus on building communication and offer- ing support/guidance to your children. Please register by Jan. 10. The work- shop is free. A snack will be provided but no daycare or childcare will be of- fered. For more information or to register, call 1-800-256-7321.

Spontaneous revival is Jan. 14-16 Greater Union Baptist Church will host a spontaneous revival Jan. 14-16 at

7 p.m. nightly. Evangelist will be Rev. Ira Cotton. Rev. Lawrence Robinson, pastor of Greater Union Baptist Church

Free pesticide certification class is Jan. 14 The Colorado County Farm Bureau (CCFB) and the County Agriculture

Extension are offering a free CEU course 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the Ag. Building, 316 Spring St., Columbus. The class is to review laws and regu- latory procedures. Please call 979-732-2383 to register before Jan. 12.

Chamber of Commerce luncheon is Jan. 19 The Farris will host the next Eagle Lake Chamber of Commerce Luncheon

Monday, Jan. 19, at noon. Guest speaker will be Bunge and Tara Halla of Eagle Lake General Store. Lunch will be provided by The Farris and consist of salad, soup, sandwiches, tea and dessert for $7.95 a person. Call Erica at the Farris, 234-6500 (try to give her a week's notice) to let her know you will be attending.

GUBC Love Banquet set for Feb. 14 The Greater Union Baptist Church (GUBC) Youth Department will sponsor

a Love Banquet at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Eagle Lake Community Center. Guest speaker will be Rev. Ronnie Ray of Houston. For information, call Roslyn Edwards at 234-5033. Rev. Lawrence Robertson, pastor of GUBC.

Raiders named to All-State Team Three Rice Raider football team

members were among the 15 area play- ers named to the All-State Team by the Associated Press recently.

Earning a slot were seniors Kevin Shimek and Michael Spears. Junior lineman Donovan King was awarded an Honorable Mention.

Shimek, who made All-State last year, was among the offensive linemen,j while Spears, also a senior, won a slot as a defensive back. Spears also earned an Honorable Mention as a running back.

Even though all the Rice fans know how good these player are, it's nice to see them recognized by someone out- side their fan base.

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WEEKLY BIRD REPORT

The following migratory bird hunt- ing report, prepared for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department by Bink Grimes, was last updated Dec. 31.

Coastal Prairies: Decoying action for geese is fair at best along the rice prairies near Katy, El Campo, Gar- wood, Eagle Lake and Brookshire. An unlimited ceiling coupled with wind- less mornings has not proved prosper- ous for goose hunters.

Snow geese are beginning to break i»tO smaller pods and are working

green fields. A few good hunts were posted in Wharton County, south of U.S. 59. A101 -bird hunt, Saturday, and 84-bird shoot, Sunday, came from the same rice field.

Duck hunting continues to be a dis- appointment on most ponds. Many out- fitters are reporting a laek §( pintails.

Sandhill crane hunting has been good over prime fields With heavy cover. Zone C season runs tough Jan. 18 with a 2-bird daily bag,

Prospects are fair to good.-

rr Kevin Shimek, #75, and

Michael Spears, #18, doing their jobs during the pre-season

game against East Bernard. Photo by Chris Ferguson

^

Looking back..

2003 In Review JAN.

Jacob Little, a member of the Rice FFA Chapter, received the American FFA degree.

Mr. and Mrs. Troy Webb announced the birth of their son, Zayne Ryan Webb.

Zina Carter at WCJC was named chair of public information.

Doris Laughlin was elected to be the leader of the Tom Waddell Outdoor Nature Club.

Rice junior offensive lineman Kevin Shimek was named to the 3A All State First Team.

The City of Eagle Lake installed a new night payment box.

Delana Renee Smith and William Richard Joines announced their plans to wed March 8, 2003.

Brian and Karen Center of Nada announced the birth of their first child, McKinley Brooke Center.

The first baby of 2003 was born to Erlinda Navarro Llanos of Eagle Lake. Shacita Jimena weighed seven pounds, six ounces.

Michael Cooper son of Michael J. Cooper Sr. and grandson of Mayor Rene Cooper-Scott, was selected to represent Texas on the state basketball team at the 7th Annual Down Under Hoops Classic in Australia.

Aaron John Mahac and Robin Ruc- ka of Eagle Lake announced their plans for a March 1 wedding in Hallettsville.

The Museum honored Thrift Shop volunteers Mae Ashby, Eunice Frnka, Louise Brunner, Edna Ruth Clark, Kathryn Mehner, Patty Holloway and Lucy Contreras.

David and Maria Cardenas of Eagle

Lake announced the arrival of a son, Zachary Thomas Cardenas.

Tom Kelley is the new president of the Eagle Lake Chamber of Com- merce.

Rachel Suzanne Mahan and Ragen Ralph Stienke announced plans to wed April 15 in Austin.

Ronnie and Brooke Kutach of Rock Island announced the birth of a baby boy, Cody Steve Kutach.

Matias and Lorrie Reyes of Eagle Lake were the pleased parents of a daughter, Aylin Daniela Reyes.

FEB. Stephanie Thompson and Joe

Strack IV announced their engage- ment.

Named as Mr. and Miss RHS were Nick Sharp and Amanda Burrow.

Jodi and Steve Carson of Shiner welcomed Jayden Land Carson into their family.

Jesus and Maria Hernandez of Sealy welcomed their second child, Britny Irene Hernandez.

The Aggie Wranglers entertained at the Eagle Lake Chamber of Commerce

"Hoe Down". Our hearts, thoughts and prayers

went out to the families of the mem- bers of Columbia's crew.

Robert and Ann Lowther of Colum- bus announced the arrival of a new member to their family, Allie Nicole Lowther.

Micaela Garza, granddaughter of Jessie and Janie Vasquez of Eagle Lake, was scheduled to appear on Sabado Gigante.

Residents named Kings and Queens (See 2003, Page 3)

U.S. meat supply safe; disease surveillance system works

The presumptive diagnosis of Bo- vine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in one cow in the state of Wash- ington has proven the disease surveil- lance system of the U.S. is working, resulting in a meat supply that is safe, reports Dr. Bob Hillman, Texas' state veterinarian and head of the Texas Ani- mal Health Commission (TAHC), the state's livestock and poultry health reg- ulatory agency.

BSE is commonly nicknamed "mad cow disease" because infected cattle stumble, become unable to walk, de- velop head jerking and sensitivity to light as the fatal disease progresses. Dr. Hillman stressed that BSE is in no Way related to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), a fast-moving virus that causes cloven-hooved animals, such as cows, pigs or sheep, to develop blisters

around their mouth, teats or hooves. Dr. Hillman said the 4-1/2-year-old

dairy cow in Washington was slaugh- tered Dec. 9 at a small processing plant near Yakima. Brain and nervous tissue samples were collected from the ani- mal and tested for BSE, because the cow was unable to stand, a problem apparently resulting from recent calv- ing. Positive presumptive test results on the cow were announced Dec. 23, and tissue samples were forwarded to the world's BSE reference laboratory in England for confirmatory testing, a process that should take about a week.

"At least 23 countries, including Canada, have had at least one con- firmed case of BSE in domestic cattle since the disease was initially seen in the United Kingdom in 1986," said Dr. Hillman. "From all evidence, it appears the disease is transmitted through feed supplements comprised of rendered by-products from an infected animal. As knowledge about this emerging dis- ease has been gained, the U.S. Depart-

ment of Agriculture (USDA), in con- cert with other food-related agencies, states and industry associations, have implemented regulations and safe- guards to protect our livestock and meat supply."

Dr. Hillman pointed out preventa- tive and surveillance efforts:

Since 1989, the U.S. has prohibited the importation of live animals and products from countries that have had confirmed cases of the disease.

Banning the feeding of rendered by- products from ruminants (such as cattle and sheep) back to ruminants since Aug. 1997.

Testing ofbrain tissue of more than 57,000 cattle in the U.S. since 1990. More than 20,000 of these tests were conducted in federal fiscal year 2003.

Until Dec. 23,2003, when positive presumptive test results were com- pleted on the Washington state cow, all tests had been negative.

Part of the national BSE plan in- (See Meat, Page 5)

More fireworks this Sunday for Epiphany

Tree dedicated to patients Oct. 18, 2(103 over 125 people participated in the 5K walk/run co-spon- sored by the ('lly <•! Kajilc Lake and Rice Medical Center for Breast Can- cer Awareness. This Christmas tree, which was located in the RMC lobby and decorated with M mimes of cancer patients, was dedicated in the walk.

Photo Courtesy of RMC

Come join the Catholic Parish of the Nativity us as we celebrate the true spirit of Christmas in the unity of Christians with our Epiphany Celebra- tion this Sunday, Jan. 4.

We will begin at 6 p.m. with Carol- ing and Evening Prayer in the Sanctu- ary of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. 308 N. Stevenson Street. Evening Prayer will be followed by the Procession of the Magi to the Parish Office on S. Aus- tin Rd. This is the property across from Rice Medical Center that is the site of the future worship space.

On this night, all are considered "Magi", but those who are not able to w;ilk are encouraged to drive over for the rest of the festivities. At the Parish Office, there will be refreshments and fireworks, all to celebrate the light of the Epiphany Star! (Matthew 2:1-12)

Vengan a la Parroquia Catolica de

la Natividad que celebremos el verda- dero espi'ritu de Navidad en la unidad de Cristianos con nuestra Celebracion Epifania, este domingo, 4 de Enero. Empezaremos a las 6 p.m. con Cantos de Navidad y la Oracion de la Tarde en el Templo de Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 308 N. Stevenson Street. La Oraci6n de la Tarde se seguira con la Procesi6n de los Magos hacia la Oficina Parroquial en S. Austin Rd. Esta es nuestra propiedad frente a Rice Medical Center que es el sitio de nuestro futuro lugar de culto. En esta noche, todos estan considerados "Magos", pero quienes no est6n dis- ponibles a caminar los invitamos a manejar para el resto de las festivida- des. Ahi tendremos bocadillos, bebi- das, y fuegos artificiales, todos a cele- brar la luz de la Estrella de Epifania! (San Mateo 2:1-12)