Free shopping guide with map, check out Salado Village Guide this issue Salado VVillageillage VVoiceoice Vol. XXIX, Number 39 Thursday, February 8, 2007 254/947-5321 fax 254/947-9479 www.saladovillagevoice.com 50¢ Chief says, Salado PD does not racially profile BY TIM FLEISCHER ees’ supervisor, or filling its building code to its ETJ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF out a complaint/commen- and repeal current law dation form which can be prohibiting a city from en- “Salado Police Depart- obtained from the City forcing building codes or ment does not practice Secretary. Further, com- issuing building permits racial profiling,” Police plaints shall be investigat- in its ETJ. After being read Chief Alan Rogers told ed by the Chief of Police for the first time, HB 609 aldermen at their Feb. 1 or an independent inves- was referred to the com- meeting, “and continues tigation by the Mayor or mittee on State Affairs. to strive towards the goal designee if the complaint Alderman Strong briefed of maintaining strong rela- is against the Chief of Po- fellow board members tions with the community lice. about HB 617 that would it serves.” In all cases, video require a county to adopt Chief Rogers presented and audio recordings are a building code governing his annual report to al- maintained by the Police single-family dwellings in dermen, stating that the Department for a period the unincorporated area police department had a of not less than 180 days. of the county and provide total of 89 contacts during In other business, alder- that a city ordinance pre- 2006. Of those contacts, men approved conducting vails within the city’s ju- 71 were with Caucasian, a joint election on May 12 risdiction. one was with an African- with the Salado Indepen- The bill was referred to American, 16 were with dent School District and the State Affairs commit- Hispanics and one with an the Salado Public Library tee on Feb. 6 after its first Other race. District. The three enti- reading on that date. Of the 89 contacts, ties will share the costs, Aldermen also dis- 17 resulted in searches. as necessary, for the elec- cussed but took no ac- Of those 17 searches, 13 tions if they are necessary. tion on the relocation of were of Caucasians (76 If no more candidates file two pole signs within the percent) and four were of for election than open po- ETJ and the application Hispanics (23 percent). Of sitions are available and of the sign ordinance to (PHOTO BY STEPHANIE HOOD) the 17 searches conducted if no write-in candidates those signs. The signs, Salado I.S.D. Superintendent Robin Battershell points out some of the renovations in 2006, 47 percent were file before the deadline which are located south completed as part of the bond approved last year by voters during a tour of all Salado consensual searches: sev- for write-ins, then a gov- of Salado, must be moved school campuses on Feb. 6. Currently, plans for the new Salado High School are be- en of Caucasians and one erning body can cancel an because Texas Depart- ing drawn and refined by architects Fields and Associates and construction managers Hispanic. Another nine election and declare the ment of Transportation is Baird-Williams before being sent out for bid this month. Construction is expected to searches, or 53 percent filing candidates as being acquiring right-of-way for begin April 1 following ground breaking. of the total searches were elected into office. the expansion of I-35. The conducted for probable Last year, the Vil- owners of the signs have cause: six of Caucasians lage of Salado canceled contacted the Village to and three of Hispanics. its election when Mayor inquire about the applica- Filing period to begin Feb. 10 Additionally 13 cus- Rick Ashe and aldermen tion of the sign ordinance tody arrests were made: Michael Cooper and Suzi and the process for having for aldermen, school, library boards nine of Caucasians and Epps ran unopposed. the signs relocated. Residents interested Building on Stagecoach Rd. on the Salado Public Li- four of Hispanics. Three two-year posi- After further research, in running for the Salado Applications for the Library brary District Board will The Salado Police De- tions on the board of al- the Village will make a de- I.S.D. Board of Trustees, District Board will be avail- be decided this year. They partment maintains a pol- dermen will be elected termination on the signs. the Village of Salado Board able at the Salado Public Li- are currently filled by Pat- icy against racial profiling in May. Those seats are The key question is of Aldermen or the Salado brary on N. Main St. tie Campbell and Susan and provides for a com- currently filled by Jackie the size of the signs. Cur- Public Library District Two three-year terms Kralls. plaint process. According Mills, Merle Stalcup and rently both signs are larger Board may begin filing on on the Salado school board The elections for all to the stated policy, “Any Curt Strong. than the total square foot- Feb. 10. will come open. Those seats three boards will be con- person who believes that In other discussions, al- age allowed for a pole sign The last day to file as are currently filled by Lynn ducted 7 a.m.-7 p.m. May 12 he or she has been stopped, dermen discussed pending under the sign ordinance. a candidate in those three Renfro and Chris Seaton at the Salado Civic Center. arrested, searched or oth- legislature that would al- The board also heard races will be March 12. Three two-year terms on Early voting in the spring erwise detained by an of- low cities to extend build- a presentation by Hamer Applications for school the Village of Salado Board elections will be weekdays ficer based solely on his ing ordinances to their Ex- Enterprises for the Village board are available at the of Aldermen will come up April 30-May 8 7:30 a.m.- or her race, ethnic back- tra Territorial Jurisdiction to begin accepting credit Superintendent’s Office for election this year. Those 4:30 p.m.at the Salado Civic ground, gender, sexual (ETJ). card payments of fines, in the Salado Civic Cen- seats are currently filled by Center. Extended early vot- orientation or religion may HB 609, sponsored by fees and other payments. ter. Applications for the Jackie Mills, Merle Stalcup ing hours will be 7 a.m.-7 file a compliant against Todd Smith would allow No decision was made board of aldermen will be and Curt Strong. p.m. May 1 and May 8 at that officer by making a a city to extend, by ordi- by aldermen concerning available at the Municipal Two two-year terms the Salado Civic Center. complaint to the employ- nance, the application of credit cards. INSIDE Bulk Rate SIS teams U.S. Postage Paid ALENDAR OF VENTS C E 2B Permit No. 50 CHURCH 14A fare well Salado, TX 76571 CLASSIFIEDS 1C FORUM 2A at district Subscribe SHOPPING MAP 6B Pages 8A and 9A Today Rooted in Salado SPORTS 8A Since 1979 254/947-5321 Page 2A, SALADO Village Voice, February 8, 2007 Comptroller tells Sprint to drop “fee” charge; State Demos want to FORUMFORUM restore 200,000 children to CHIP An Open Exchange of Ideas Were you surprised to learn that the “new” Sprint-Nextel wireless phone c­ompany is “c­urrently” billing c­ustom- Off the ers a one perc­ent “add-on” c­alled the “Texas margin fee reimbursement?” Record It’ll be listed along with the plethora by Ken Clapp of other fees, taxes, surc­harges, ser- vic­e funds, and was slipped in plac­e As for our former phone c­ompany (January) to offset the revitalized State Sprint, that’s soc­king it to c­ustomers with business tax, whic­h replac­ed the fran- future “tax fees,” we suggest a different c­hise tax that c­orporate Texas mostly sort of hand salute. We’ll let readers c­reate ignored. the form that gesture should take! The new tax was c­reated to help HB 729 TO RESTORE CHIP fund the State sc­hool property tax Warm-hearted Saladoans should be reduc­tion, given to landowners (like proud of Wac­oan Jim Dunnam. He’s a Sprint-Nextel) during last year’s spe- member of the Legislature who, along c­ial legislative session. with other House Demos, have introduc­ed Now, here’s the “real” kic­ker in this HB 729 that, if passed, restores funding deal (and guess who’s the “kic­ker” and for the Children’s Health Insuranc­e Pro- who’s the “kic­kee”). First, we note gram (CHIP), that Sprint-Nextel rec­eived (last year) In 2003 the Republic­an c­ontrolled a sizeable drop in their sc­hool prop- legislature, under the direc­tion of Gover- The big drug scam erty taxes. Caution: c­ustomers are nor Perry and Speaker Craddic­k, c­ut and advised to not “hold their breath” until slashed state CHIP funding. As a result Democ­rats hate that Republic­ans are the wireless c­ompany passes along some two hundred thousand kids lost their willing, on the issue of embryonic­ stem- any part of that windfall, as a “c­redit” health c­overage. c­ell researc­h, to let their straitened moral Rich on their monthly bills. Today, we have the surplus money to views supposedly stand in the way of Then, after adding the “saved” return these c­hildren to the CHIP pro- medic­al progress.