Galveston 03102013 by Michael Smith

Flyin’ high

Growing healthy habits Volunteers improve health and feed the county through community gardens » C1

Bikers take to the sky at Bayou City Bicycle Park’s grand opening » B1

Clouds and rain may have put a damper on opening weekend of Spring Break » A4

G A L V E S T O N

C O U N T Y

THE DAILY NEWS

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Texas’ Oldest Newspaper

galvnews.com

Publishing Since 1842

$1.50

Woman wants isle to know of killer’s presence By LAURA ELDER The Daily News

Brands registered in Galveston County are as simple as a ranchers’ initials or more creative like John Lockhart’s 1925 brand of a padlock next to a heart. The lock and the heart reminded people of the owner’s name.

Marked in iron

As county goes digital, it seeks to preserve records that began with Gail Borden Jr. in 1839

he oldest livestock brand records in the state are found along the Texas coast, and some of that history is in the original Galveston County Brand Book at the County Clerk’s Office. “There’s a lot of history here,” said County Clerk Dwight Sullivan as he looked through the leather-bound books. Workers at the clerk’s office are digitizing and indexing registration books, along with every other county record in the office, to ensure the information is safe for another century. The pages of the brand book are covered with stylized calligraphy that is difficult to decipher, especially as the ink continues to fade. The first entry in the first brand book is from 1839, when Gail Borden Jr., of

11 drug judgments set aside in probe By CHRIS PASCHENKO The Daily News

after finding a forensic laboratory technician committed misconduct, rendering the drug test results unreliable, Galveston County Criminal District Attorney Jack Roady said. “This was the result we recommended in each of these cases because it’s the right thing to do,” Roady said.

See tests | A3

By CHRIS PASCHENKO The Daily News

galvnews

Jovan Collier

Mom accused in boy’s second injury

See brands | A7

Vol. 170, No. 328

See Collier | A5

Ten people convicted of drug crimes, including a man serving a 32-year prison sentence, could soon be released based on an ongoing probe of a forensic technician accused of misconduct. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday set aside judgments in 11 cases

Story by WHITNEY HODGIN | The Daily News Photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS | The Daily News

»» Go to galvnews.com for information about creating, reading and registering brands.

»» GALVESTON At the very least, Kylie Zavadil wants Jovan Anton Collier to know people are watching him. If Collier knows that, Zavadil reasons, per-

County Clerk Dwight Sullivan, left, Rosalinda Agee and Robert Bullacher search through entries from the mid to late 1800s in the county’s brand book. The old, leather-bound volumes contain hand-drawn brands next to the date and the rancher’s name.

Today’s weather

69 47

Cloudy, 60 percent chance of storms » B8

»» SANTA FE A mother once convicted of fracturing her newborn’s skull has been arrested again on allegations she and her husband failed to seek medical

Index Bulletin Board........A6 Lifestyle..................... C1 Lotto...........................A2 Movies....................... C4

Obituaries................D6 Opinion......................B6 Sports.........................B1 TV Listings................B5

See arrest | A3

Shaina Coleman-Davila

in the know

galvnews.com A man accused of killing a 9-year-old boy while shooting at passing cars claims he opened fire because the cars had been waking him up

Compiled from Associated Press and Internet reports

Coming Monday

Scholes International Airport will not be affected by cuts in FAA funding.

Directory Subscriber Service Open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F 409-683-5260 Missed Paper Deliveries Daily 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. M-F; Weekends 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Holidays 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Report missed papers at 409-683-5260 or 888561-3611 Office Locations • 8522 Teichman Road, Galveston 77554 • 7800 E.F. Lowry Expressway 77592 Mailing Address P.O. Box 628, Galveston 77553 Contact Us Main 409-683-5200 or 800-561-3611 Editorial 409-683-5239 After hours and weekend 409-938-6111 Advertising 409-6835252 Classified 800-3907355 or 409-683-5301 Editorial fax 409-7403421 On the Internet www.galvnews.com

Reader Service Dedicated to the growth and progress of Galveston County. Published daily by Galveston Newspapers Inc., 8522 Teichman Road, Box 628, Galveston, Texas 77553. USPS 213400. Periodical postage paid at Galveston, Texas

Sunday, March 10, 2013 | The Daily News | A2

Older, quieter than WikiLeaks, Cryptome perseveres »» NEW YORK The FBI came calling after maps of urban rail tunnels and gas lines were posted online. Microsoft aggressively complained following the website’s publication of a confidential handbook on company policies for helping police. Other critics have gone further, warning that some of the postings could aid America’s enemies. Yet Cryptome carries on. The website, unfamiliar to the general public, is well-known in circles where intelligence tactics, government secrets and whistle-blowing are primary concerns.

Since its creation in 1996, Cryptome has amassed more than 70,000 files — including lists of secret agents, high-resolution photos of nuclear power plants, and much more. Its co-founder and webmaster, a feisty 77-year-old architect, doesn’t hesitate when asked why. “I’m a fierce opponent of government secrets of all kinds,” said John Young. “The scale is tipped so far the other way that I’m willing to stick my neck out and say there should be none.” Young describes several exchanges with federal agents over postings related to espionage and

potential security breaches, though no charges have ever been filed. And he notes that corporate complaints of alleged copyright violations and efforts to shut Cryptome down have gone nowhere. Claims that Cryptome aids terrorists or endangers intelligence agents are “hokum,” he said. “We couldn’t possibly publish information to aid terrorists that they couldn’t get on their own,” he said, depicting his postings about security gaps as civic-minded. “If you know a weakness, expose it, don’t hide it,” he said.

AP PHOTO/Seth Wenig Cryptome co-founder John Young said he is an opponent of government secrets of any kind.

Texas Former El Paso mayor dies »» EL PASO Raymond L. Telles, El Paso’s first Hispanic elected mayor and a former U.S. ambassador to Costa Rica, has died. He was 97.

Nation AP PHOTO/Korean Central News Agency via Korea News Service Kim Jong Il is one of several world leaders whose bodies have been preserved and put on perpetual display, as Venezuela’s government plans to do with Hugo Chavez.

Chavez’s preservation a difficult task No one lives forever — nor do they last forever. At least not without a lot of tuneups. As much as it may seem like the bodies of famous world leaders such as Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and Mao Zedong have been preserved for all eternity, their enduring physical presence is simply an illusion aided by science. Only the Venezuelan officials who have promised to preserve Hugo Chavez and display his body“for eternity”inside a glass tomb know exactly how they’re going to do it. But if they were to follow procedures that are used in the United States, the technique might be rather simple: repeat embalming. “The first thing to remember about embalming as we do it in the U.S. is that it is designed to delay the natural deterioration of the body; it’s not forever,”said Vernie Fountain, a licensed embalmer and owner and founder of the Fountain National Academy of Professional Embalming Skills in Springfield, Mo.. So what does that mean

AP FILE PHOTO/Sergei Karpukhin Vladimir Lenin, founder of the Soviet Union, is on display in his tomb on Moscow’s Red Square. exactly? You might want to put down your sandwich before you read on. In the U.S., most embalmers use a machine that injects fluid laced with chemicals, principally formaldehyde, into an artery of the body, while the majority of the blood is emptied from a vein. Often a chemical known as a humectant is added, which“helps to fill out the body, some of the hollow spaces and adds a degree of moisture,”Fountain said. While he stressed that he has no personal knowledge about the condition of Chavez’s body at the time of his death or when it was or

will be embalmed, Fountain said one possible method of preserving his corpse is to follow the embalming process with a periodic injection of humectant or something similar to keep moisture in the tissues. Makeup also helps to cover areas that have gone brown with dehydration. Just to be safe, Venezuelan officials could take an extra precautionary step and make a face mask, using Chavez’s real face to form a mold that could be placed over the flesh in the future“and keep it looking more like he did when he died,”Fountain said.

Newspaper draws bishop’s rebuke »» KANSAS CITY, Mo. A newspaper known for unflinching coverage of the Catholic Church scandal was rebuked by a bishop in its own backyard after calling for his ouster in a battle that illustrates tensions between U.S. bishops and groups that call themselves Catholic but aren’t sanctioned by the church. The National Catholic

World

His daughter, Cynthia Ann Telles, said he died Friday in Sherman Oaks, Calif., where he’d been living. Raymond Telles served as El Paso’s mayor from 1957 to 1961 and was later appointed ambassador to Costa Rica by President John F. Kennedy, for whom he became a close adviser. Reporter, an independent Kansas City, Mo.-based weekly, called for Bishop Robert Finn’s removal or resignation in September, after he was convicted of failing to report suspected child abuse. Finn, leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, later wrote in an editorial in his own diocesan newspaper that parishioner anger is growing over the NCR’s challenges to Catholic orthodoxy on topics ranging from the ordination of women to contraception. and complicates vows by the U.S. and others to provide assistance.

Rebels free 21 UN captives in Syria Extremists claim »» BEIRUT 7 hostages killed Rebels in southern Syria freed 21 U.N. peacekeepers on Saturday after holding them hostage for four days, driving them to the border with Jordan after accusations from Western officials that the little-known group had tarnished the image of those fighting to topple President Bashar Assad. The abduction and the tortured negotiations that ended it highlight the disorganization of the rebel movement, which has hindered its ability to fight Assad

»» KADUNA, Nigeria A breakaway Islamic extremist group said Saturday it had killed seven foreigners who its members kidnapped from northern Nigeria, according to an online message purportedly from the group. The message, identified as coming from Ansaru, could not be immediately verified, though it included photographs the group claimed showed the dead, who were kidnapped from a compound in February.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Galveston County, Texas

arrest Continued from Page A1

treatment for another injury to the boy. A jury in September convicted Shaina Leeann Coleman-Davila, 27, of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, stemming from an October 2009 incident at her Dickinson apartment. Accusations of prosecutorial misconduct at trial, however, led to a plea bargain, where Coleman-Davila pleaded no contest to a lesser felony charge. She avoided jail time in lieu of 10 years of probation. She retained supervised access to Kalon, who is now 3. Authorities said Kalon’s latest injury happened Jan. 8 in Santa Fe, the city in which Coleman-Davila and her husband, Carlos Davila, 29, reside. “The state is alleging that Carlos and Shaina both committed the offense of injury to a child by omission for failing to seek medical treatment of Kalon,” Prosecutor Adam Poole said. Poole and Gwen Carter, a spokeswoman for state Child Protective Services, declined to comment on details of Kalon’s latest injury. Kalon was still hospitalized late last month and was in the custody of the state, Carter said. Attempts to learn whether Kalon remained hospitalized were unsuccessful. Coleman-Davila tes-

tified in September that she accidentally dropped Kalon after a bath while reaching for a towel at her Dickinson apartment. A doctor, however, testified the fall didn’t explain Kalon’s skull fracture. A jury convicted Coleman-Davila of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, but Judge John Ellisor of Galveston’s 122nd District Court declared a mistrial on allegations of prosecutorial misconduct. The prosecutor was fired a week later. Coleman-Davila pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of reckless serious bodily injury. One of the stipulations of Coleman-Davila’s probation was that she must not commit another offense. On March 1, Galveston County Criminal District Attorney Jack Roady filed a motion to revoke Coleman-Davila’s probation. Davila was arrested Saturday and his bond was set at $15,000, jail and court documents state. Coleman-Davila was arrested Tuesday, and her bond was set at $50,000. Jail records do not list them as inmates. Mark Stevens, Coleman-Davila’s attorney, declined to comment on the case, and attempts to learn whether Davila had an attorney were unsuccessful. Contact reporter Chris Paschenko at 409-6835241 or chris.paschenko@ galvnews.com.

Library events

The Daily News

donate Ball High School yearbooks that they no longer need or want during normal school hours at 4115 Ave. O. The library is especially looking for the years 1969, 1972, 1974 and 1977.

»» GALVESTON Magician Tommy Blaze will present a magic

show for audiences of all ages at 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. March 11 in the children’s department of Rosenberg Library, 2310 Sealy Ave. Visit www.rosenberglibrary.org.

Court documents reveal investigative reports Continued from Page A1 by the department and Texas Rangers detailed One of the 11 is serv- various irregularities in ing time on another the laboratory testing case and won’t be re- procedures used by Salleased, Roady said. vador from March 13, In February 2012, 2006, through Feb. 2, the state Department 2012. of Public Safety susLaboratory results pended the techni- used as evidence to concian, Jonathan Salva- vict Julius June Sereal dor, who was formerly were questioned based with the department’s on those irregularities. crime laboratory in That compromised SalHouston. vador’s report, resulting The department in a violation of Sereal’s contacted prosecutors due process rights, court in 30 counties, provid- documents state. ing them with a list Roady’s office began of more than 4,900 reviewing about 1,000 drug cases that Salva- drug cases, focusing first dor analyzed, depart- on those still incarcerment spokesman Tom ated. Sereal, 37, of DickinVinger said. In May, a Harris son was among the 11 County grand jury de- who had his judgment clined to indict Salva- set aside. In May 2010, dor, who had worked a jury convicted Sereal, for the department for who was then sentenced six years, Vinger said. to 32 years in prison,

court documents state. After police searched Sereal’s home in June 2008, he was accused of possessing 160 grams of cocaine, Prosecutor Brandon Sims told The Daily News in 2010. “Some of the drug cases were reversed because the original drug tests were unreliable and the evidence had been destroyed, so it could not be retested,” Roady said. One of the court’s opinions, however, found that although there was sufficient evidence remaining that could be tested, that evidence had been in Salvador’s custody. “The custody of that evidence was compromised, so the judgments should still be set aside,” Roady said. Roady’s office is working with a panel of defense attorneys appointed to represent the defendants who might have been af-

fected by Salvador’s work. “We’ve made all of the files and reports available to those attorneys, and we will continue to work with them to make sure we obtain a just result in each case,” Roady said. The county is paying the attorneys’ fees, Roady said. County Judge Mark Henry estimated the fees could approach hundreds of thousands of dollars. “We’re asking the Legislature to take the money from DPS’s budget and credit the county,” Henry said. “It’s not something we could have foreseen or budgeted for, therefore we’re asking the Legislature to penalize the appropriate party.” The inmates will be returned to Galveston County to determine whether they had any outstanding cases before being released.

»» GALVESTON The Ball High School Library is asking the public to

tests

To donate, contact Anna Allebach, anna_alle bach@gisd.org or 409766-5727.

county

education Dickinson students learn valuable skills in TV class

» Coming Monday

Contact Michael A. Smith, michael.smith@galvnews.com

Sunday, March 10, 2013 | The Daily News | A4

Quiet start to spring break By CHRISTOPHER SMITH GONZALEZ The Daily News

COURTESY PHOTO League City firefighter cadet Donald Mize died after a training exercise Wednesday night.

Services set for LC cadet By CHRISTOPHER SMITH GONZALEZ The Daily News »» LEAGUE CITY The visitation for Donald Mize, the 62-year-old League City firefighter cadet who died after a training exercise last week, will be Monday with the funeral Tuesday, the League City Volunteer Fire Department announced. Mize had been a cadet in League City’s firefighter program only a month before he died. He was cooling down after a 30-minute workout session at the volunteer fire department’s training facility about 8 p.m. Wednesday on Kansas Street when he collapsed. The visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Forest Park East Funeral Home, 21620 Gulf Freeway, in Webster, and rosary will be from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary Catholic Church, 1612 E. Walker St., in League City, and graveside service will follow at Forest Park East Cemetery. Mize was in good physical condition and an active member of the community. He spent 30 years as a teacher at both the Galveston and Clear Creek school districts and was involved with the Knights of Columbus, the League City Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association and Texas State Guard. Contact reporter Christopher Smith Gonzalez at 409-683-5314 or chris. gonzalez@galvnews.com.

KEVIN M. COX/ The Daily News League City Fire District 1 Chief Daniel Gibbs wears a black mourning band on his badge to honor Donald Mize.

Photos by KEVIN M. COX/The Daily News ABOVE: Claudia Saucier, 11, of Johnson City, Tenn., feeds seagulls on the beach near 61st Street in Galveston on Saturday, the first day of spring break. BELOW LEFT: Galveston Island Beach Patrol lifeguard Patrick Darby keeps watch from Tower 59. BELOW RIGHT: Fishermen brave the weather to fish from the South Jetty in Galveston.

»» GALVESTON The Saturday morning clouds and drizzle may have dampened the opening weekend of spring break on the island. Small groups of people — parents with their children, people fishing or flying kites and students on spring break lounging and listening to music — were spread out along the island’s beaches Saturday afternoon. But it wasn’t quite the large crowd the beach patrol has seen the past few years, said Peter Davis, chief of the Galveston Island Beach Patrol. But the beach patrol was ready for a larger crowd, and Davis said he was sure it would come. “All it takes is 10 minutes of sunshine,” he said. Despite the clouds, spring break was off to a good start, said Jerri Hamachek, spokeswoman for Moody Gardens. The hotel was sold out, the premiere of “Flight of the Butterflies in 3D” was

well received, and the Power Dance World Bid Championship was keeping the convention center busy, she said. On Saturday afternoon, Galveston police Chief Henry Porretto said it had been quiet so far for the police department. “Hopefully, it will stay the way it’s supposed to,” he said. For Jesse Hampton, his fiancee, Kari Groff, and their 9-month-old Havanese puppy, Cricket, the weather was just fine Saturday and wasn’t keeping them from enjoying their day at the beach. They live in Cypress after recently moving from Denver, Hampton said. The National Weather Service forecast snow and a low of 16 degrees in Denver on Saturday. By comparison, Galveston reached 70 degrees and was partly cloudy. “I don’t mind the clouds,” Hampton said. Contact reporter Christopher Smith Gonzalez at 409-683-5314 or chris. gonzalez@galvnews. com.

Lady Chargers make League City proud F irst off, I must say congrats to the historymaking Clear Springs girls basketball team. Ladies, you did a fine job representing our city by making it to the state semifinals. Speaking of Clear Springs students, at the high school, the students are building an airplane as part of the Eagle’s Nest Project. This project gives them the ability to understand everything about building an aircraft from the ground up, eventually allowing the students to fly the airplane later this year. When I was young, in shop you made a bowl out of wood. Now, I did have a few of those rockets. That was fun. Congratulations to Jarred Cosart, a Clear Creek High School

Around League City

Chris John Mallios, a longtime resident of League City, is writing a column about the history of his hometown. He can be reached at mallios@comcast. net. graduate, who made his first spring start as a Houston Astro against the AL Champion Detroit Tigers! The League City native is said to be one of the Astros’ top prospects this year. We are looking forward to seeing him on the mound in Houston. You would think that a natural event like bees making honey would not shut down a nature

galvnews

» Go to galvnews.com for video footage of Clear Springs’ project and of Jarred Cosart’s interview at the League City Sportsplex.

center, but it did. The bees shut down the Dr. Ned and Fay Dudney Clear Creek Nature Center for a day. It is up and running again with no complications. Applause should go to our city park personnel who recognized the situation and took action that was proactive to avoid causing any danger to visitors. There is something always happening in our city. We discussed the boat show at the South Shore Harbour Marina, March 21-24; League City Uncorked, March 23-24 at Walter Hall Park; and The City

Egg Hunt at 1 p.m. March 24 at the Chester L. Davis Sportsplex. The egghunt is free and open to children up to 12-years-old. Let us not forget “Murder by Chocolate” on April 14 at the Butler Longhorn Museum, too. This weekend started spring break in our school district, so please watch out for the children playing in the streets. Oh yeah, did you remember to spring forward? We lost an hour Saturday night. Spring forward, fall back. Historically, this time of the year we have

been in the midst of a city election. This year, we are not. The date has been moved to November, and the normal politicking is nonexistent. The last voter turnout was fantastic, and I am sure the voters will continue to exercise their rights. One last thought — our city council will meet in workshop at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. This meeting is open to the public. Now, if you have an opinion on anything going on in our city that you would like the council to hear, you can sign up before 6 p.m. at the podium before the Tuesday meeting. Please remember to be respectful and address the whole council. You have 3 minutes to discuss your topic.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Galveston County, Texas

Collier Continued from Page A1

haps he’ll be less inclined to act on any impulses like those that led him at age 14 — when his name was Peter Zimmer — to murder his adoptive parents and 10-year-old brother in their Wisconsin farmhouse. And like those that landed him in a Florida prison for stalking his ex-fiancé and sending her sex toys and a dead pig in the mail. From prison to island Like some others seeking new starts and to escape troubled pasts, Collier made his way to Galveston after being released in October from Blackwater River Correctional Facility in Milton, Fla., where he served two years and four months of a three-year, six-month sentence, according to state records. Collier, who apparently was released rather than paroled, told Florida corrections officials he planned to reside in San Diego, Calif., according to state records. But as of Friday, he’d been living with Sara Collier Zavadil, Kylie’s mother, in upscale The Park at Cedar Lawn apartment complex, 4400 Ave. N. Jovan Anton Collier might have hoped to live quietly here. But Kylie Zavadil is worried about her mother and wanted islanders to know she and Collier were living among them. “Maybe if she realizes other people are concerned, she’ll listen to me and she’ll get away,” she said.

‘My mother warned me’ Kylie Zavadil’s relationship with Jovan Anton Collier is complicated. Her mother had been married to him briefly, and they divorced in 1993. On Kylie Zavadil’s birth certificate, Jovan Collier is listed as her father. Kylie Zavadil, 23, said she isn’t sure he’s her father. There’s never been a DNA test. She never knew him. But she had heard stories about him, she said. “My mother warned me my whole life,” Zavadil said. “She said he was a very dangerous man.” Kylie Zavadil knew about the 1983 murders. And she would learn of his stint in prison for stalking. So in the fall, when she learned that her mother had recently reunited with Collier, she was dismayed, she said. “I almost fell to the floor,” she said. Kylie Zavadil said she knows her mother is angry about her talking to a reporter about Collier. But she isn’t trying to hurt her mother; she wants to protect her, she said. She said her mother stands to inherit a sizable fortune. She wonders why Collier after so many years reconnected with her mother. And she thinks about patterns and history. ‘Bad dreams’ Hans and Sally Zimmer adopted a newborn they named Peter in 1968, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Four years later, they adopted another son, Perry. In 1983, the family had moved from Illinois

to the small Wisconsin town of Mineral Point. Peter Zimmer, according to the Journal Sentinel, was a popular new kid on the track team. But he wasn’t happy in Mineral Point. In May 1983, a counselor at Mineral Point High School received a call from someone at Zimmer’s former school in Illinois, saying a boy there had said Zimmer planned to kill his entire family. Sheriff ’s deputies were dispatched to the farmhouse but not in time, according to reports. They found Hans, 48, dead on the porch with five gunshot wounds; his wife, Sally, 44, had been stabbed at least 15 times — the knife completely penetrating the thickest part of her skull — and dragged to the shed. Perry, 10, was found dead in the upstairs room, stabbed more than 20 times, according to the Journal Sentinel. Former Deputy Sheriff Bob Hille in 2010 told ABC’s “20/20” it was “the only case I ever have bad dreams about.” Ticket and a trust fund Zimmer fled in his father’s car, according to reports. He was picked up in Kansas City and arrested. If Mineral Point residents were stunned by the murders, they were horrified and outraged by what they perceived as weak punishment. Under Wisconsin law at the time, Zimmer served only four years in Ethan Allen House, a state-run detention center for youth. He could not be charged as an adult. At age 18, he was

released from the detention center with a new name — Jovan Anton Collier — “a plane ticket to Florida and a sixfigure trust fund pried from his dead parents’ estate,” according to the Journal Sentinel. No psychiatric counseling Zimmer’s case was the impetus behind major changes in how juvenile cases are handled and the closing of loopholes in state laws that allowed him to inherit the estate of a family he massacred. He refused psychiatric counseling while at Ethan Allen House, according to reports. He later would say his adoptive father appeared nice in public but in private beat him, according to the Journal Sentinel. He said his mother didn’t protect him. But why kill his younger brother? He was jealous of his brother, who his parents believed was perfect, he told friends, according to the Journal Sentinel. The family always reminded him he was adopted, and they bad-mouthed his birth mother, he told reporters. Severed ties With a new name and juvenile files closed, Collier began anew. He married several times, including to Kylie Zafadil’s mother. He told some people his parents had been killed by drunken drivers. Collier told “20/20” about his adoption: “I honestly had abandonment issues my entire life. I never felt like I was part of anything. I was reminded that I was adopted a lot. I was told

The Daily News

that my mother was a whore. You know, she’s a horrible person, trailer trash and blah blah blah.” He met his birth mother in about 2005. A successful real estate agent married to a plastic surgeon and living in Atlanta, she invited Collier to live with her while he worked with a development firm there according to reports. The reunion was happy until the birth mother, who was suspicious about Collier, hired a private detective to research his past. She severed ties when she learned of the grisly triple murder. Secret was out Robin Martinelli was the private eye who had uncovered the Wisconsin murders. “My client was devastated,” Martinelli told The Daily News on Friday. “It was the most horrific, shocking case I have ever handled, and I’ve handled thousands and thousands.” Not long after, Collier’s relationship with a Florida teacher, Candy Williams, began to sour. She kicked him out for posting his profile on two dating sites, she told reporters. But Collier didn’t take the breakup well, she said. He vandalized her house on several occasions, sent her a dead pig and sex toys and, without her knowledge, created a profile of her on online sex sites, according to reports. She learned of the sex sites after a strange man came to her door. Williams eventually learned about the murders from Collier’s birth

mother, according to reports. The secret Collier had been able to keep closed off in juvenile files for decades appeared in the June 2009 St. Petersburg Times article about the stalking case.

‘You? Ms. Elder?’ On Friday, managers of The Park at Cedar Lawn apartments, after being contacted by The Daily News, said they were seeking a trespass warning against Collier, who was not an authorized occupant of the apartment nor could be because of his prison stint for stalking. Although Sara Zavadil passed a criminal-background check when filling out a lease application, managers said they were also planning to evict her for violating the lease by allowing Collier to stay at the apartment. The Daily News also contacted Collier via Facebook. When asked if he would like to tell his story to The Daily News, Collier said: “You? Ms. Elder, since it is widely known that I have turned down dozens of big time reporters and talk shows, many offering enticing incentives, what makes you think I would talk to you? Meet and tell my story before others do? Really?” Sara Collier Zavadil did not respond to a request for an interview via Facebook. “I believe he’s a threat to her and those around him,” Kylie Zavadil said. Reach reporter Laura Elder at 409-683-5248 or laura. elder@galvnews.com.

bulletin board Contact Angela Taylor, angela.taylor@galvnews.com

submit news Email announcements to bulletinboard@ galvnews.com

Sunday, March 10, 2013 | The Daily News | A6

Featured listing Paid advertisement

Fish dinner sale, casino trip The Front Door Charity & Social Club will have its annual J.C. Shannon fish dinner sale from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. March 23 at the Front Door

Volunteers KEVIN M. COX/The Daily News 5,000 rubber ducks are dumped into Sting Creek during the sixth annual Youthfest and Duck Derby March 2 in Texas City. Proceeds from the event benefit the Texas City Independent School District Foundation for the Future.

TODAY

»» American Legion Riders of Post No. 554 will meet at 12:30 p.m. today at 1650 state Highway 3 S. in League City. All events are open to the public. Call 281332-8733.

»» The Galveston LULAC Council No. 151 will have an old-fashioned card party at 2 p.m. today at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, 1014 24th St., in Galveston. Cards are four for $10. There also will be raffles and door prizes. Call Zoila Contreras, 409457-9306.

UPCOMING

»» Texas City Recreation & Tourism will offer its Nessler Day Camp for children ages 6-12 from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 2010 Fifth Ave. N. in Texas City. The cost is $65 per child. Attendees must take a sack lunch and two drinks daily. There also will be a tennis camp for ages 5-18 at various times. The cost is $25 per child (must take own racket). For information, call 409-643-5990 (camp) or 409-643-5984 (tennis).

»» The Butler Longhorn Museum will have an Evening with Ernie Deats from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at 1220 Coryell St. in League City. Deats will review his new book “The Legend of Marcus Benson.” Attendees must RSVP by Tuesday. For information, call 281-332-1393.

»» The public is invited to view the Art Wall Quilt Exhibit from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays March 28 at

the Texas City Museum, 409 Sixth St. N., in Texas City. The exhibit will be open late March 21 to 8 p.m. For information, call 409-229-1660. »» The Rotary Club of Galveston will have a blood drive from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday in the parking lot of Bank of America, 2200 Market St., in Galveston. For information, call Ruth Finkelstein, 409747-1247. »» The Galveston County Gardeners will offer the free class “Grafting Your Own Fruit Trees” from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday at the AgriLife Extension Office in Carbide Park, 4102 Main St., in La Marque. To RSVP, call 281-534-3413, Ext. 12, or email galv3@ wt.net. »» The West Galveston Island Property Owners Association will meet at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Galveston Country Club, 14228 Stewart Road, in Galveston. Cheryl Johnson, Galveston County Tax Assessor Collector, will be the guest speaker. Breakfast burritos will be serve at 8:30 a.m. For information, contact Jerry Mohn, mohn@msn.com or 409737-5768. »» Amity Lodge No. 4 and the Ramona Chapter No. 25 of Galveston will have a free meet and greet breakfast at 11 a.m. Saturday at 1524 31st St. in Galveston. Attendees are invited to learn more about Prince Hall Affiliated Masonry, Eastern Stars and Heroines of Jericho. Attendees must RSVP by calling Jeremiah Taylor, 409-9398906, or Krischele De La Cerda, 409-256-5677.

»» The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 6378 Ladies Auxiliary will honor cancer survivors and caregivers with a luncheon at 11 a.m. Saturday at 5204 state Highway 3 in Dickinson. The event is open to men, women and children of all ages. To RSVP, call 281-339-1359 or 832-863-8805. »» Authors Pamela Hutchins, “Saving Grace,” Roger Paulding, “Bought Off,” and William Sobol, “Shortcut,” will all be signing copies of their books from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Galveston Bookshop, 317 23rd St., in Galveston. For information, call 409750-8200. »» The Bay Area Singles Club will have its monthly dance from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Lodge, 5204 state Highway 3, in Dickinson. Tickets are $6 for members and $8 for all others. Take party snacks to share. For information, call 409-9481156 or 281-484-4762. »» The Queen of Hearts Heart Transplant Benefit Coushatta Bus Trip fundraiser for Sheryle Jackson will depart at 9 a.m. and return by 9:30 p.m. April 6 from the parking lot of Sam’s Club, 9300 Emmett F. Lowry Expressway, in Texas City. The cost is $20 per person. Attendees must have a valid ID in order to go on the trip. For information, contact Lagaya Boyd, gayathediva@gmail.com or 713-480-5962, or Tony Boyd, 281-650-6979.

»» The Artist Boat is seeking volunteers to help with the new beach beautification initiative from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday along Seawall Boulevard between 23rd and 27th streets and 57th and 61st streets in Galveston. To sign up, call 409770-0722, or email khoward@artistboat.org. »» The Ronald McDonald House is seeking volunteers to assist in various projects at the center, 301 14th St, in Galveston. Groups can sponsor an activity or provide a meal. For information, contact Janie Puentes, janie@rmhg.org or 409762-8770, Ext. 102. »» Ball High School is looking for people willing to spend up to an hour a week mentoring a student at risk of not passing or graduating from high school at 4115 Ave. O in Galveston. The mentor program is an interactive academic tutoring and community service. Mentors are needed to mentor for at least 30 minutes to an hour a week for a full semester. If you would like to help, contact Vivian Hernandez, vivian_her nandez@gisd.org or 409-692-6232 or 409766-5896. »» Galveston Island Meals on Wheels Inc., which serves the island’s elderly and homebound with a hot meal five days a week, is in need of volunteers.

Submit news Nonprofits can email items to bulletin board@ galvnews.com. Organi-

Club, 6106 FM 1765, in Texas City. Dinners are $8. The club also will sponsor a charter bus trip to Coushatta Casino March 24. Seats are $15 per person. For information, call 409-739-4361 or 409939-4557. In most cases, a volunteer is often the only personal contact the recipient might have all day. If you would like to help for one hour a week, call 409-744-2668 or 409599-1267. »» The 2013 American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Galveston is seeking event planning committee volunteers for its annual event that will be May 3-4 at Spoor Field, 41st Street and Avenue P, in Galveston. If you would like to help, contact Lisa Velasquez, RelayLisa@ gmail.com or 409-9961754, or Jessica Peterson, jessica.s.peterson@ cancer.org. »» The community Helpers Accelerate Many Promising Students group of Dickinson Independent School District is seeking volunteers to help district elementary students needing extra assistance with reading at any of the district’s six campuses. Those interested in volunteering should contact Kathy Rossacci, 281-229-7423 or krossacci@dickinsonisd.org. »» Volunteers are needed to help with donations at The Sunshine Shop, 6915 Second St., in Hitchcock. The shop is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Call Jan Meucci, 409986-5632.

Nonprofits can send volunteer information to community news editor Angela Taylor, angela. taylor@galvnews.com. zations seeking more frequent listings can do so as a paid featured listing. They can select the dates of their choosing. The cost of that service is $20 per date.

Passing Parade HAPPY BIRTHDAY Kaleb Matthew Melvyn, Gladys Arps, Connie Rojas, Dennis Wayne Young III, Malik Gamble Ward, Kelli Mistretta, Anthony Gunn, Madison Morin, Almeda Bradford, Patricia and Jacqueline Grant, Vincent Smith, Cora Price, Paula Franklin, Nevaeh Henry and Kim Howard. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Willie and Ruby Ransom, celebrating 41 years; Mike and Melanie Padilla, celebrating 34 years; and Brandon and Leigh Ann Kiamar, celebration one year of marriage.

Send birthdays or anniversary names to Passing Parade, The Daily News, P.O. Box 628, Galveston, TX 77553. Or leave a voice mail at 409-683-5275 or 800-561-3611, Ext. 5275. No nicknames will be printed. The deadline for Saturday, Sunday and Monday editions is noon Friday.

City meetings Monday »» 6 p.m.: City of Jamaica Beach City Council, city hall, 16628 San Luis Pass Road, 409737-1142. »» 6 p.m.: La Marque City Council, council chambers, 1109-B Bayou Road, 409-9389202.

Tuesday

»» 2 p.m.: City of La Marque Board of Adjustments, 1109-B Bayou Road, 409-9389202. »» 4 p.m.: City of La Marque Planning & Zoning Commission, 1109-B Bayou Road, 409-938-9202. »» 5 p.m.: Texas City Park Commission, Nessler Center, 2010 Fifth Ave. N., 409-6435990. »» 5:15 p.m.: Texas City Board of Adjustments, city hall annex, 928 Fifth Ave. N., 409-643-5925. »» 6 p.m.: League City Council, council chambers, 200 W. Walker St., 281-554-1031. »» 7 p.m.: Dickinson City Council, city hall, council chambers, 1621 FM 517 E., 281-3376217.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Galveston County, Texas

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The Daily News

It was a brand I had for many years that I got from my daddy, and I gave it to my son. John L. Sullivan | Owner, Sullivan Land and Cattle Company

A copy of one of the first Galveston County Brand Books sits on a shelf in the County Clerk’s office. The clerk’s office is in the process of digitizing and indexing registration books to preserve the information they contain.

Photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News John L. Sullivan, left, passed down his Diamond S brand to his son John R. “Rocky” Sullivan. The brand has been in the family for decades.

brands Continued from Page A1

Borden milk fame, registered a brand that looked like a capital D jammed against a capital B. There are 287 registered brands in the county. Ranchers must register their brands at the clerk’s office every 10 years to remain the legal owners of their stock, Sullivan said. “When you buy a car, you have a title,” Sullivan said. “When you buy a horse, you don’t get one of those.” The registration process requires owners to submit a hand-drawn brand, along with the species of livestock — cattle, horse, goat, swine or sheep — and where the brand can be found on the livestock. “Some of them are pretty artistic,” Sullivan said. In 1925, for example, island resident John W. Lockhart registered a hand-drawn brand featuring a padlock with a keyhole in the shape of a heart. The lock and the heart reminded people of the owner’s name. The registration process hasn’t changed, but branding methods have. “It’s common now to use frozen nitrogen to mark the cattle instead of a hot branding iron because they say it’s more humane,” Sullivan said. Other methods of identifying one’s livestock include electric heat, acid and hoof brands, as well as earmarks, tattoos and electronic devices, according to the Texas Agricultural Code. Many of the brands have been used for generations. “Prominent families in Galveston have cattle history dating back to 1830s and ‘40s,” Sullivan said. “Families hand them down probably until they stop ranching or a hurricane comes around.” There was a decline in registries after Hurricane Ike hit the island in 2008. “A lot of cattle were drowned on the Bolivar Peninsula,” Sullivan said. “And those that survived no longer had access to the food they normally ate.” The Diamond S brand has been in the Sullivan family for generations, said John L. Sullivan, owner of Sullivan Land and Cattle Company. His family is not related

SOURCE: Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

KATIE ROWALD/The Daily News

» Go to galvnews.com for more symbols and their meanings. Robert Bullacher flips to the first entry in the county’s Brand Book, which belonged to Gail Borden Jr., who founded Borden Milk. Bullacher’s grandfather has a brand registered in one of the old books.

Hand-drawn brands from the mid to late 1800s are registered in the Galveston County Brand Book.

to the county clerk’s. “I’m one of the last original ranchers who runs cattle on the island,” said John L. Sullivan. When it came time, he passed the brand onto his son, John “Rocky” Sullivan. “It was a brand I had for many years that I got from my daddy, and I gave it to my son,” he said. John L. Sullivan said he created a new brand, featuring two bars and a running S, after giving up the Diamond S. In addition to ranching and running the cattle company from the Newport Marine terminal, John L. Sullivan sits on the board of the Texas

and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, which was established in 1877 to inspect cattle at the time of sale and to enforce law on the range, as well as white-collar agricultural crimes. “We have our own special rangers with the same authority as Texas Rangers,” he said. “There’s still a lot of rustling going on in Oklahoma.” That’s not as much of a problem in Galveston as it once was, he said. “Galveston County is becoming more of an urban community,” he said. “Everyone’s doing a better job at raising healthier, better cattle these days.”

The Daily News

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Galveston County, Texas

sports

Tennis See what All The Racket is about with Manuel Moreno

» Coming Monday

Contact John DeLapp, john.delapp@galvnews.com

Houston Astros’ Rick Ankiel walks from the batters box after striking in the top of the second inning against the New York Mets on Saturday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The Mets beat the Astros, 9-6. AP PHOTO/ Jeff Roberson

Suns burn up Rockets Harden goes for 38 points in tight loss

Sunday, March 10, 2013 | The Daily News | Section B

Astros can’t catch Mets By JON SANTUCCI Associated Press

»» PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. Lucas Duda and John Buck drove in two runs each, and Ike Davis scored three times Saturday as the New York Mets beat the

New York Mets Houston Astros

9 3

Houston Astros, 9-6, in a spring training game. Duda went 3 for 3 with a double, while Buck had

two hits and increased his spring training RBIs total to seven. Davis was 2 for 2 with a walk, stolen base and an RBI. Houston’s Carlos Pena hit a two-run homer in the fourth. Mets starter Jeremy HeSee Astros | B3

On the right track

By JOSE M. ROMERO The Associated Press »» PHOENIX Goran Dragic scored 13 of his 18 points and delivered a key hustle play in the fourth quarter to help the Phoenix Suns beat the Houston Rockets 107-105 on Saturday night. The Suns overcame 38 points from Rockets star James Harden. Phoenix, far out of playoff contention, has three straight wins over the postseason-hopeful Rockets and is 10-3 in the last 13 meetings. See Rockets | B2

AP PHOTO/Alan Diaz Tiger Woods hits from the 12th tee during the third round of the Cadillac Championship on Saturday in Doral, Fla.

Woods builds on lead Tiger up by 4 heading into final round

By DOUG FERGUSON The Associated Press »» DORAL, Fla. With one last birdie putt that never looked like it was going anywhere but in the hole, Tiger Woods walked off the Blue Monster in a familiar position. He had a four-shot lead over Graeme McDowell in the Cadillac Championship, the 17th time on the PGA Tour that he has led by at least four shots going into the See Woods | B3

Photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News ABOVE: Manuel Lopez, who rides for the Bayou City BMX team in the novice division, takes a practice lap Saturday at the Bayou City Bicycle Park in La Marque. BELOW: Ryan Nyquist, right, professional BMX rider, signs a bike for Walter Pounds and his son, Cole, at the park’s grand opening.

Nyquist, BMXers open Bayou City Bicycle Park By JOHN DeLAPP The Daily News »» LA MARQUE One moment, kids were zooming around a BMX track and the next, the bikes had been ditched and the racers were lined up and craning their necks expectantly. It had been announced that Ryan Nyquist was signing autographs in a tent off to the side of the track at the grand opening of Bayou City Bicycle Park on Saturday and when a BMXer gets a chance to meet one

At a glance Racing Saturdays and Sundays GATES OPEN: 10 a.m. REGISTRATION: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. RACING: 1 p.m.

of the sport’s all-time greats, well, riding can wait. Manuel Lopez of Texas City had a simple reason for jumping in line. “He’s a famous freestyle biker, and I like what he does,” the See BMX | B8

The Daily News

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Galveston County, Texas

Sports Top 25 ROUNDUP No. 3 DUKE 69, NORTH CAROLINA 53 »» CHAPEL HILL, N.C. Seth Curry hit his first seven shots during No. 3 Duke’s torrid start, helping the Blue Devils jump to a big lead and beat rival North Carolina on Saturday night. Curry finished with 20 points, while Mason Plumlee turned in his best performance in a month with 23 points and 13 rebounds. That duo provided Duke (27-4, 14-4 ACC) all the punch it needed to earn a season sweep of the Tar Heels (22-9, 12-6). BAYLOR 81, No. 4 KANSAS 58 »» WACO Pierre Jackson had 28 points and 10 assists as Baylor finished the regular season with a victory that kept Kansas from winning the outright Big 12 title. Cory Jefferson added 25 points for Baylor (18-13, 9-9 Big 12). Ben McLemore had 23 points for Kansas (26-5, 14-4). No. 5 GEORGETOWN 61, No. 17 SYRACUSE 39 »» WASHINGTON Georgetown emphatically ended its Big East rivalry against Syracuse, wrapping up the regular-season title by holding the Orange (23-8, 11-7) to the lowest scoring output of their time

NBA Roundup KNICKS 113, JAZZ 84 »» NEW YORK J.R. Smith scored 24 points, and the New York Knicks shook off the absence of Carmelo Anthony and the shock of Amare Stoudemire needing more knee surgery to rout the slumping Utah Jazz on Saturday night. The Knicks learned earlier Saturday that Stoudemire will have right knee surgery that will sideline him about six weeks. Alec Burks scored 14 points, and Gordon Hayward had 13 for the Jazz, who completed a 0-4 road trip that dropped them into a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. NETS 93, HAWKS 80 »» ATLANTA Brook Lopez and Andray Blatche each scored

layup dropped through as the overtime buzzer sounded, giving Marquette (23-7, 14-4) a victory over St. John’s (16-14, 8-10) and a share of the Big East regular-season championship, its first title since joining the conference in 2005-06.

AP PHOTO/Gerry Broome Duke’s Seth Curry drives past North Carolina’s Leslie McDonald during the second half Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C. Duke won, 69-53. in the conference. Markel Starks scored 19, and freshman D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera had 15 points for the Hoyas (24-5, 14-4).

isville (26-5, 14-4) earn a share of the Big East Conference title with a victory over Notre Dame. Garrick Sherman led Notre Dame (23-8, 11-7) with 14 points.

No. 6 MIAMI 62, CLEMSON 49 »» CORAL GABLES, Fla. Kenny Kadji scored a season-high 23 points to help the Hurricanes (24-6, 15-3) win the Atlantic Coast Conference championship outright. Clemson (13-17, 5-13) has lost six consecutive games and nine of its past 10.

No. 13 OKLA. ST. 76, No. 9 KANSAS STATE 70 »» STILLWATER, Okla. Le’Bryan Nash scored 24 points and Marcus Smart added 21 for Oklahoma State (23-7, 13-5). Rodney McGruder led the Wildcats (25-6, 14-4) with 22 points, making six of his 15 shots.

No. 8 LOUISVILLE 73, No. 24 NOTRE DAME 57 »» LOUISVILLE, Ky. Gorgui Dieng had 20 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks to help Lou-

KENTUCKY 61, No. 11 FLORIDA 57 »» LEXINGTON, Ky. Julius Mays’ two free throws with 9.4 seconds remaining capped

18 points, Deron Williams added 17, and Brooklyn won its third straight game by beating Atlanta. Al Horford finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Hawks, who seemed lethargic after losing in overtime at Boston on Friday. Atlanta has lost two straight and five of six. Lopez, who finished with nine rebounds, scored 14 points in the third, including a runner that gave Brooklyn its first 20-point lead.

GRIZZLIES 96, HORNETS 85 »» MEMPHIS, Tenn. Mike Conley scored 22 points, seven Memphis players finished in double figures, and the Grizzlies won their fourth straight. Tony Allen had 14 points, while Tayshaun Prince and Quincy Pondexter scored 13 points apiece. Ed Davis had 12 points, nine rebounds

and matched his career best with five blocks as Memphis won its 12th game in the last 13. Anthony Davis led the Hornets with 20 points and 18 rebounds, while Ryan Anderson scored 17 points. Greivis Vasquez added 12 points and eight assists, and Eric Gordon had 11 points.

WIZARDS 104, BOBCATS 87 »» WASHINGTON Trevor Ariza scored a season-high 26 points as Washington never trailed, shot 50 percent and handed league-worst Charlotte its 10th straight loss. Martell Webster finished with 20 points, and Nene had 19. Kemba Walker scored 29 points for the Bobcats, who were done in by their 5-for-17 shooting from the field in the second quarter. The Associated Press

Kentucky’s (21-10, 12-6) comeback from a sevenpoint deficit for a victory over Florida (24-6, 14-4) that boosted its NCAA tournament prospects.

AIR FORCE 89, No. 12 NEW MEXICO 88 »» AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. Todd Fletcher hit a 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds remaining to lift Air Force (17-12, 8-8) over New Mexico (26-5, 13-3). The game was a backand-forth sprint, with the teams combining for a conference-record 30 3-pointers. No. 15 MARQUETTE 69, ST. JOHN’S 67, OT »» NEW YORK Vander Blue’s driving

No. 16 SAINT LOUIS 78, La SALLE 54 »» ST. LOUIS Dwayne Evans had 16 points and 17 rebounds, and Saint Louis (24-6, 13-3) hit 17 of its 20 shots in the second half to clinch a share of the Atlantic 10 title with a victory over La Salle. Tyrone Garland had 15 points off the bench for La Salle (21-8, 11-5). No. 18 ARIZONA 73, ARIZONA STATE 58 »» TUCSON, Ariz. Nick Johnson scored 17 points, Solomon Hill added 12 in his final home game, and Arizona (24-6, 12-6) earned a first-round bye in next week’s Pac-12 tournament with a rout of rival Arizona State. Carrick Felix scored 22 points for Arizona State (20-11, 9-9). UTAH 72, No. 19 OREGON 62 »» SALT LAKE CITY Jason Washburn had 20 points and 13 rebounds, and Jarred DuBois added 15 points and several key baskets down the stretch to propel Utah (13-17, 5-13) past Oregon. E.J. Singler had 21 points

and seven rebounds to lead Oregon (23-8, 12-6), which finished in a second-place tie behind UCLA for the Pac-12 regularseason championship.

No. 20 PITTSBURGH 81, DePAUL 66 »» ROSEMONT, Ill. J.J. Moore scored 21 points off the bench and Pittsburgh (24-7, 12-6) shot a school-record 72 percent to beat DePaul (11-20, 2-16) in the Panthers’ last Big East regularseason game. No. 23 UCLA 61, WASHINGTON 54 »» SEATTLE Shabazz Muhammad scored 21 points, Larry Drew II came up with another huge shot against Washington, and UCLA (23-8, 13-5 Pac12) clinched the Pac-12 Conference regular-season title with a win over the Huskies (17-14, 9-9). Scott Suggs had 14 points for Washington. No. 25 MEMPHIS 86, UAB 71 »» MEMPHIS, Tenn. Joe Jackson had 17 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds to help Memphis (27-4, 16-0) complete an undefeated season in Conference USA with a victory over UAB. Chris Crawford led Memphis with 20 points. Jordan Swing led the Blazers (15-16, 7-9) with 19 points. The Associated Press

TCHS national Cheer Champions

COURTESY PHOTO The Texas City High School Competition Cheer Team recently competed at the United Cheer National Competition at Moody Gardens in Galveston. The team won its division and were named 2013 National Champions. Pictured, from left, seated, are Ashleigh Spivey and Macy Surovik; middle row, Taylor Iles, Andrea Castro, Meaghann Appling, Katelyn Catching, Brooke Cotter, Brooke Beanland and Brianna Appling, captain; Victoria Garcia, Brian Goswick; back row, Francois Bonilla, Bobby O'Neal, Michael Petty, Craig Beanland, Mauricio Mireles, Connor Clark, co-captain; and Megan Hartnett.

Academic all-state volleyball

Rockets Continued from Page B1

Jared Dudley led the Suns with 22 points. The Rockets got 21 points off the bench from Carlos Delfino. The turning point for the Suns came with 5:57 left in the fourth quarter when Dragic dived for a loose ball and got it to teammate Kendall Marshall, who banked in a long jumper as the shot clock buzzer sounded for a 93-86 lead. Harden brought the Rockets back with a 3-pointer with 5:25 to play, followed by a basket and free throw to make it 93-92. But Dragic made back-toback layups for 97-92 lead. Harden scored 25 points in the second half. The Suns used a 16-0 second-quarter run that spanned 5 min-

AP PHOTO/Paul Connors Phoenix Suns forward Luis Scola, left, grabs control of a rebound against Houston Rockets center Omer Asik during the first half Saturday in Phoenix.

utes, 40 seconds to take a 50-46 halftime lead. During the run, Dudley

gave the Suns their first lead, 37-35, with a short jumper.

COURTESY PHOTO The Clear Creek school district board of trustees recently recognized several students named academic all-state volleyball players by the Texas Girls Coaches Association. Pictured from left are CCISD Superintendent Greg Smith, Clear Brook volleyball coach Meredith Thompson, Clear Creek High School Principal Scott Bockart, Clear Brook player Erica Renfrew, Clear Creek coach Molly Ullman and players Courtney Childers and Ashley Smith, Clear Falls Principal Karen Engle, coach Lindsey Hodges and player Rebecca Watson, CCISD board president Ken Baliker, Clear Lake players Samantha Volk and Alanna Winfield, coach Chanda Eager and Principal Debra Dixon, board members Dee Scott and Ann Hammond, Clear Brook Principal Michelle Staley and board member Win Weber.

Submit your high fives photos The Daily News publishes photos of sports-related awards, honors and events. Submit photos to sports@galvnews.com. Photos must be submitted in .JPG format at a resolution of at least 200 dots per inch. For information, call 409-683-5242.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Galveston County, Texas

Woods Continued from Page B1

Hornish holds off Busch in win By GREG BEACHAM The Associated Press

“You dream about having cars like this,” Hornish said. “I think I used more energy celebrating than I did actually driving the car today.” With his third top-10 finish in three races this season, Hornish moved atop the points race and

gave owner Roger Penske his first victory at Las Vegas in any NASCAR series — and Penske’s first win since moving from Dodge to Ford in the offseason. Hornish also snapped a 36-race winless streak in his Ford in his 69th Nationwide race overall.

Astros Continued from Page B1

fner allowed one hit in three scoreless innings. Astros starter Alex White gave up four runs and five hits in 22/3 innings. “I threw a lot of strikes, made some really good pitches, gave up some hits that were not hit really well, and that’s going to happen,” White said. “I threw a lot of strikes, that’s a big key for me. “I feel good about the outing. Obviously, the numbers aren’t what I want them to be, but, once again, it’s a little early.” It appears more and more likely that Johan Santana will be headed to the disabled list after the New York Mets again pushed back the schedule for their ace to make his spring training debut. Santana didn’t pitch in the major leagues in 2011 following shoulder surgery, then went 6-9 with a 4.85 ERA in 21 starts last year, when he pitched the first nohitter in Mets history on June 1 against St. Louis. The 33-year-old left-hander didn’t pitch after Aug. 17 because of lower back inflammation and did not throw much during the offseason. The Mets said he doesn’t have enough arm strength for exhibition games. “Right now, it’s day to day with Johan,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “We certainly

Sports

AP PHOTOS/Julie Jacobson ABOVE: Sam Hornish Jr. comes out of Turn 4 during the NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday in Las Vegas. Hornish won the race. BOTTOM: Hornish waves the checkered flag at the finish line after his victory.

»» LAS VEGAS Sam Hornish Jr. didn’t know the name of Saturday’s race until he went to the drivers’ meeting for the Sam’s Town 300. “That’s a pretty good one for me to win,” he thought to himself. “Already got my name on the trophy.” Hornish survived two restarts in the final 15 laps and held off Kyle Busch to win the Nationwide Series race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Hornish led 114 laps in his second career Nationwide victory, but needed a strong finish to outrun Busch, the hometown driver who won the Nationwide race last week in Phoenix. Hornish credited the win to his dominant car, all the more impressive since the drivers got almost no practice on the 1.5-mile tri-oval due to Friday’s rain.

The Daily News

AP PHOTO/Jeff Roberson Houston Astros’ Carlos Pena, right, is congratulated by teammate Fernando Martinez after hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning against the New York Mets on Saturday in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

would hope something next week, but if it’s not, it’s not. Again, part of our conversation is, he’s ready when he’s ready.” Santana did not work out with the team Saturday, instead opting to do more arm and shoulder stretches inside the training complex. Hefner could be a beneficiary of Santana’s health issues and take over a starting slot early in the season.

Notes: Astros RHP Lucas Harrell will not make his scheduled start against the Phillies today because of discomfort in his right groin. Houston manager Bo Porter said Harrell likely would have pitched during the regular season. ... Astros LHP Eric Bedard (right glute) threw off a mound. He has not pitched since his spring training debut on Feb. 26.

final round. Woods has never lost when leading by that much on tour. Saturday at Doral was a reminder, however, how quickly it all can change. Woods knocked in a short birdie putt on the 15th hole to put six shots between him and McDowell. Two holes later, after McDowell chipped in for eagle and Woods found himself staring some 20 feet in the air at his golf ball lodged in a palm tree to the right of the 17th fairway, the lead was cut in half. Woods saved his best for the final hole. He drilled a tee shot into the fairway, hit 9-iron to 15 feet and made his 24th birdie of the tournament for a 5-under 67, putting him on the cusp of another World Golf Championship and a big step toward returning to No. 1 in the world. “After I made birdie on 15, I was looking pretty good with a sixshot lead, and with a drivable par 4,” Woods said. “Two holes later, it’s now cut down to three. I piped a tee shot down there, hit a little 9-iron there and was able to pour that putt in there.” The ball never came down from the tree, which was about the only thing that didn’t fall his way. The 24 birdies and 74 putts are personal records for Woods. More importantly, it put him in great position to win his 17th WGC title, and

AP PHOTO/Alan Diaz Tiger Woods pumps his fist after making a birdie putt on the 18th hole during the third round of the Cadillac Championship on Saturday in Doral, Fla.

his first since 2009. Woods has a 39-2 record when he has the outright lead going into the final round on the PGA Tour. The only time he has ever lost a lead of more than two shots in any tournament around the world was in 2010 against an 18-man field at the Chevron World Challenge, when McDowell beat him in a playoff. Phil Mickelson, who badly wanted to get into the final group, overcame a three-putt from 4 feet for double bogey on the third hole by making four birdies the rest of the way. He had a 69, along with Steve Stricker, and both were five shots behind. “I threw away five or six shots on the greens and around the greens, and I feel like I don’t have to play too much different,” Mickelson

said. “I just can’t afford to give away those shots. I’m going to have to play a round like I played at Pebble last year, something in the low 60s.” Rory McIlroy, the world’s No. 1 player, had a rough start until rallying on the back nine with five birdies in a six-hole stretch that carried him to a 71. He was 15 shots behind. Woods used to own these WGC events, winning 16 of the first 30 that he played. He has gone 0-for-10 since Firestone in August 2009, though the odds were stacked in his favor at the Cadillac Championship. He already is a threetime winner at Doral, and he has been putting well ever since Stricker gave him a tip on the eve of the tournament.

The Daily News

Scoreboard Auto Racing NASCAR-Sprint Cup-Kobalt Tools 400 Lineup

After Friday qualifying; race today At Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nev. Lap length: 1.5 miles (Car number in parentheses) 1. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford, Owner Points. 2. (15) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, Owner Points. 3. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 4. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 5. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, Owner Points. 6. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Owner Points. 7. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, Owner Points. 8. (29) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 9. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 10. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 11. (56) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, Owner Points. 12. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, Owner Points. 13. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, Owner Points. 14. (39) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 15. (55) Mark Martin, Toyota, Owner Points. 16. (99) Carl Edwards, Ford, Owner Points. 17. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 18. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, Owner Points. 19. (9) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, Owner Points. 20. (31) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 21. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, Owner Points. 22. (43) Aric Almirola, Ford, Owner Points. 23. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 24. (78) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 25. (42) JPMontoya, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 26. (47) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, Owner Points. 27. (51) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 28. (93) Travis Kvapil, Toyota, Owner Points. 29. (34) David Ragan, Ford, Owner Points. 30. (13) Casey Mears, Ford, Owner Points. 31. (38) David Gilliland, Ford, Owner Points. 32. (83) David Reutimann, Toyota, Owner Points. 33. (7) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 34. (32) Ken Schrader, Ford, Owner Points. 35. (36) J.J. Yeley, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 36. (21) Trevor Bayne, Ford, Owner Points. 37. (10) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, Owner Points. 38. (30) David Stremme, Toyota, Owner Points. 39. (98) Michael McDowell, Ford, Owner Points. 40. (95) Scott Speed, Ford, Attempts. 41. (33) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, Attempts. 42. (87) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, Attempts. 43. (35) Josh Wise, Ford, Attempts.

Baseball MLB Spring Training

Saturday’s Games Washington 8, Miami (ss) 7 Minnesota 5, Pittsburgh 4 Atlanta 2, N.Y. Yankees 1 Toronto 4, Detroit 2 Tampa Bay 15, Philadelphia 7 St. Louis 2, Miami (ss) 0 N.Y. Mets 9, Houston 6 Texas (ss) 5, San Diego 2 Cleveland 9, Chicago Cubs 2 Cincinnati 6, Milwaukee 5 L.A. Dodgers 3, Seattle 2 Kansas City 13, San Francisco 2 Texas (ss) 4, Oakland 3 Colorado 8, L.A. Angels 6 Arizona 11, Chicago White Sox 9 Baltimore 5, Boston 2

Today’s Games N.Y. Mets vs. St. Louis at Jupiter, Fla., 12:05 p.m. Philadelphia vs. Houston at Kissimmee, Fla., 12:05 p.m. Miami vs. Atlanta at Kissimmee, Fla., 12:05 p.m. Pittsburgh (ss) vs. Baltimore at Sarasota, Fla., 12:05 p.m. Washington vs. Detroit at Lakeland, Fla., 12:05 p.m. Pittsburgh (ss) vs. Minnesota at Fort Myers, Fla., 12:05 p.m. Boston vs. Tampa Bay at Port Charlotte, Fla., 12:05 p.m. N.Y. Yankees vs. Toronto at Dunedin, Fla., 12:05 p.m. San Francisco vs. Milwaukee at Phoenix, 3:05 p.m. Arizona vs. Oakland at Phoenix, 3:05 p.m. Cincinnati vs. Chicago White Sox (ss) at Glendale, Ariz., 3:05 p.m. Chicago White Sox (ss) vs. Seattle at Peoria, Ariz., 3:05 p.m. L.A. Angels vs. Kansas City at Surprise, Ariz., 3:05 p.m. Texas vs. Cleveland at Goodyear, Ariz., 3:05 p.m. San Diego vs. Chicago Cubs at Mesa, Ariz., 3:05 p.m. L.A. Dodgers vs. Colorado at Scottsdale, Ariz., 3:10 p.m.

Basketball

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Sports on TV AUTO RACING 1:30 p.m. FOX — NASCAR, Sprint Cup, KOBALT Tools 400, at Las Vegas BASEBALL 5 a.m. MLB — World Baseball Classic, second round, Japan vs. Netherlands, at Tokyo 11:30 a.m. MLB — World Baseball Classic, first round, Spain vs. Venezuela, at San Juan, Puerto Rico 3 p.m. MLB — World Baseball Classic, first round, United States vs. Canada, at Phoenix 6:30 p.m. ESPN — World Baseball Classic, first round, Dominican Republic vs. Puerto Rico, at San Juan, Puerto Rico MLB — World Baseball Classic, first round, Dominican Republic vs. Puerto Rico, at San Juan, Puerto Rico CYCLING 9:30 p.m. NBCSN — Paris-Nice, final stage, Nice to Col d’Eze, France (sameday tape) GOLF noon Southeast Division W L Pct GB x-Miami 46 14 .767 — Atlanta 34 28 .548 13 Washington 20 41 .328 261⁄2 Orlando 17 46 .270 301⁄2 Charlotte 13 50 .206 341⁄2 Central Division W L Pct GB Indiana 39 23 .629 — Chicago 35 27 .565 4 Milwaukee 30 29 .508 71⁄2 Detroit 23 41 .359 17 Cleveland 21 41 .339 18 WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division W L Pct GB San Antonio 48 15 .762 — Memphis 42 19 .689 5 Houston 34 29 .540 14 Dallas 28 33 .459 19 New Orleans 21 42 .333 27 Northwest Division W L Pct GB Oklahoma City 46 16 .742 — Denver 41 22 .651 51⁄2 Utah 32 31 .508 141⁄2 Portland 29 32 .475 161⁄2 Minnesota 21 37 .362 23 Pacific Division W L Pct GB L.A. Clippers 44 20 .688 — Golden State 35 28 .556 81⁄2 L.A. Lakers 32 31 .508 111⁄2 Sacramento 22 42 .344 22 Phoenix 21 41 .339 22 x-clinched playoff spot Saturday’s Games Brooklyn 93, Atlanta 80 New York 113, Utah 84 Memphis 96, New Orleans 85 Washington 104, Charlotte 87 Minnesota at Denver, (n) Houston at Phoenix, (n) Milwaukee at Golden State, (n) Today’s Games Boston at Oklahoma City, noon Chicago at L.A. Lakers, 2:30 p.m. Indiana at Miami, 5 p.m. Cleveland at Toronto, 5 p.m. Philadelphia at Orlando, 5 p.m. Dallas at Minnesota, 6 p.m. Portland at New Orleans, 6 p.m. Milwaukee at Sacramento, 8 p.m. Detroit at L.A. Clippers, 8:30 p.m.

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W New York 38 Brooklyn 37 Boston 34 Toronto 24 Philadelphia 23

L Pct GB 22 .633 — 26 .587 21⁄2 27 .557 41⁄2 39 .381 151⁄2 38 .377 151⁄2

Today

NBA

LINE 10 61⁄2 6 6 31⁄2 61⁄2 2

at Sacramento at L.A. Clippers FAVORITE N.Y. Rangers at Detroit Montreal at Pittsburgh at Chicago at New Jersey at Philadelphia at Anaheim Vancouver at Colorado

Pk 121⁄2

Milwaukee Detroit

NHL

LINE UNDERDOG LINE -125 at Washington +105 -200 Columbus +170 -145 at Florida +125 -220 N.Y. Islanders +180 -250 Edmonton +210 -135 Winnipeg +115 -145 Buffalo +125 -150 St. Louis +130 -140 at Minnesota +120 -130 San Jose +110

Cadillac Championship Par Scores Saturday At Trump Doral Golf Club and Resort Doral, Fla. Purse: $8.75 million Yardage: 7,334; Par: 72 Third Round Tiger Woods 66-65-67—198 Graeme McDowell 66-67-69—202 Phil Mickelson 67-67-69—203 Steve Stricker 67-67-69—203 Sergio Garcia 66-72-67—205 Michael Thompson 69-69-67—205 Charl Schwartzel 71-65-69—205 Keegan Bradley 68-68-69—205 Bubba Watson 66-69-71—206 Freddie Jacobson 66-69-71—206 Jason Dufner 69-69-69—207 Dustin Johnson 68-69-70—207 Charles Howell III 68-71-69—208 John Senden 69-69-70—208 Peter Hanson 67-71-70—208

UNDERDOG Boston Chicago Cleveland Indiana at Orlando at Minnesota Portland

Saturday’s Games Pittsburgh 5, Toronto 4, SO Minnesota 2, Nashville 1, SO Boston 3, Philadelphia 0 N.Y. Islanders 5, Washington 2 Columbus 3, Detroit 0 St. Louis 4, San Jose 3, OT Carolina 6, New Jersey 3 Montreal 4, Tampa Bay 3 Phoenix 2, Dallas 1 Calgary at Los Angeles, (n) Today’s Games N.Y. Rangers at Washington, 11:30 a.m. Columbus at Detroit, 4 p.m. Montreal at Florida, 5 p.m. Winnipeg at New Jersey, 6 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at Pittsburgh, 6 p.m. Edmonton at Chicago, 6 p.m. Buffalo at Philadelphia, 6:30 p.m. Vancouver at Minnesota, 7 p.m. San Jose at Colorado, 7 p.m.

2:30 p.m. ABC — Chicago at L.A. Lakers NHL 11:30 a.m. NBC — N.Y. Rangers at Washington 6:30 p.m. NBCSN — Buffalo at Philadelphia SOCCER 9 p.m. ESPN2 — MLS, New York at San Jose WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 1 p.m. ESPN2 — Atlantic Coast Conference, championship, teams TBD, at Greensboro, N.C. FSN — Big 12 Conference, semifinal, teams TBD, at Dallas 3 p.m. ESPN2 — Big Ten Conference, championship, teams TBD, at Hoffman Estates, Ill. 3:30 p.m. FSN — Big 12 Conference, semifinal, teams TBD, at Dallas 5 p.m. ESPN2 — Southeastern Conference, championship, teams TBD, at Duluth, Ga. 7 p.m. ESPN2 — Pac-12 Conference, championship, teams TBD, at Seattle St. Louis at Anaheim, 7 p.m.

Soccer Major League Soccer Saturday’s Games Toronto FC 2, Sporting Kansas City 1 D.C. United 1, Real Salt Lake 0 Vancouver 2, Columbus 1 New England 1, Chicago 0 Philadelphia at Colorado, 6 p.m., Postponed Montreal at Portland, (n) Today’s Games Philadelphia at Colorado, 2 p.m. FC Dallas at Chivas USA, 4 p.m. New York at San Jose, 9 p.m.

Golf

National Hockey League

Glantz-Culver Line

FAVORITE at Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers at Toronto at Miami Philadelphia Dallas at New Orleans

TGC — PGA Tour-WGC, Cadillac Championship, final round, at Miami 2 p.m. NBC — PGA Tour-WGC, Cadillac Championship, final round, at Miami 6:30 p.m. TGC — PGA Tour, Puerto Rico Open, final round, at Rio Grande, Puerto Rico (same-day tape) MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 11 a.m. CBS — VCU at Temple ESPN2 — Big South Conference, championship, teams TBD, at Myrtle Beach, S.C. 11:30 a.m. ESPN — Teams TBA 1 p.m. CBS — Missouri Valley Conference, championship, teams TBD, at St. Louis NBCSN — Colonial Athletic Association, semifinal, teams TBD, at Richmond, Va. 3 p.m. CBS — Indiana at Michigan 3:30 p.m. NBCSN — Colonial Athletic Association, semifinal, teams TBD, at Richmond, Va. NBA noon ABC — Boston at Oklahoma City

Hockey

Betting Line

National Basketball Association

Galveston County, Texas

Transactions Saturday’s Sports Transactions

-18 -14 -13 -13 -11 -11 -11 -11 -10 -10 -9 -9 -8 -8 -8

BASEBALL American League KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Assigned C Manuel Pina and OF Luis Durango to their minor league camp. NEW YORK YANKEES — Announced the retirement of RHP Mariano Rivera, effective at the end of the season. Reassigned RHP Tom Kahnle and LHP Kelvin Perez to the minor league camp. OAKLAND ATHLETICS — Reassigned RHP Bruce Billings, RHP Sonny Gray and LHP Justin Thomas to their minor league camp. National League SAN DIEGO PADRES — Agreed to terms with RHP Anthony Bass, RHP Brad Boxberger, RHP Brad Brach, RHP Andrew Cashner, RHP Fautino De Los Santos, RHP Casey Kelly, RHP Miles Mikolas, RHP Adys Portillo, RHP Tyson Ross, RHP Dale Thayer, RHP Nick Vincent, RHP Joe Wieland, LHP Jose De Paula, LHP Tommy Layne, LHP Eric Stults, INF Yonder Alonso, INF Alexi Amarista, INF James Darnell, INF Logan Forsythe, INF Jesus Guzman, INF Edinson Rincon, OF Yeison Asencio, OF Jaff Decker and OF Rymer Liriano on one-year contracts. BASKETBALL National Basketball Association DALLAS MAVERICKS—Waived G Dominique Jones. FOOTBALL National Football League ARIZONA CARDINALS—Waived WR Early Doucet. Tendered a offer to QB Brian Hoyer. BUFFALO BILLS — Agreed to terms with CB Leodis McKelvin. NEW YORK JETS—Re-signed LB Josh Mauga to a one-year contract. HOCKEY National Hockey League CALGARY FLAMES — Activated C Mikael Backlund from injured reserve. Assigned LW Sven Baertschi to Abbotsford (AHL). SAN JOSE SHARKS — Recalled G Alex Stalock and F Matt Pelech from Worcester (AHL). Reassigned G Thomas Heemskerk to Worcester. Activated F Tommy Wingles from injured reserve. Placed F Marty Havlat on injured reserve.

High School Roundup Baseball Texas City 6, Clear Lake 0 »» TEXAS CITY Brett Hinson flirted with a perfect game for five innings, but settled for a one-hitter in a 6-0 blanking of Clear Lake on Friday night. Hinson also struck out seven and issued one walk. The victory in the 59th annual Texas City Tournament improves the Stings’ record to 7-6. Texas City collected six hits in the game, with Julian Broussard rapping two.

Report scores To get your scores listed in High School Roundup, call 409-6835244 or email sports@ galvnews.com.

Girls soccer Clear Falls 2, Brazoswood 0 »» CLUTE The Lady Knights earned a win thanks to a two-goal performance by Kira Zapalac on Friday night. Maddie Huerta also collected an assist in the victory. From Staff Reports

opinion

editorial Kudos to Friendswood police for keeping motorists safe from drunk drivers

» Coming Monday

Contact Heber Taylor, heber.taylor@galvnews.com

Sunday, March 10, 2013 | The Daily News | B6

Our View

City of Galveston caught lying to attorney general O

n behalf of the unbelievers who doubt that the new regime at city hall in Galveston isn’t committed to a culture of secrecy, as opposed to a culture of openness, we undertook a little experiment. As you know, the Texas attorney general recently ruled in favor of the city and against The Daily News in a dispute over outstanding municipal warrants. The Daily News contends the public has a right to see the records of people named in those warrants and has a right to see how much they owe. The city, which is owed more than $20 million, disagrees. Most cities routinely release the information on outstanding warrants. Some post the names and amounts on the Internet, hoping to shame the deadbeats into paying their fines. In Galveston, previous councils and administrations have released the information, and The Daily News has published it. But the new bunch at city hall has fought the release of the records. The city argued, as the attorney general’s office put it, that the requested “information is contained in a database solely maintained by the city’s municipal court.” Note the word “solely.” The city argued that these records — which other cities put on the Internet — are not public records in Galveston but are in fact court documents, working papers maintained solely by the court. The Daily News contended that the records are not maintained solely

TJ AULDS/The Daily News State Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, addresses the crowd outside the Texas Capitol on Tuesday during a rally calling for reform of the TWIA. More than 100 people from 14 coastal communities attended the rally.

Fight over TWIA rates has just begun by the court and are, in fact, shared with the police department and a private contractor hired as a bill collector. The attorney general told the city attorney that the city could keep the records from the public “based on your representation that the information at issue is maintained by the court …” You might recall the news that cities across Texas announced they were participating in a statewide warrant sweep. The city of Galveston announced it was going to participate. To join in the roundup, the city had to fill out paperwork showing who maintained its records on outstanding warrants so officers with other agencies could clear them when they made arrests. So, The Daily News filed a request under the Texas Public Information Act with the Austin Municipal Court, which was coordinating the statewide roundup, to see who was listed as the custodian of the warrants. The city of Austin still believes in open government and produced the records.

The paperwork asked for the court or agency responsible for the records. Was Galveston’s municipal court listed, as the city claims? No, the police department was. Were Galveston court officials listed as the contacts for records on municipal warrants? No, the contact person is a police sergeant. All the telephone numbers and email addresses go to one place in Galveston. It’s not the municipal court. The story that the city told The Daily News about how the records were maintained is hogwash — and anyone who bothers to look at what city officials say in other public records about its system for maintaining outstanding warrants can see that for themselves. It’s just a case of city officials playing the folks at the newspaper for fools and getting caught. The really interesting thing about all this is that the city told the same story to the attorney general.

• Heber Taylor

have visited Austin a number of times, but last week was the first time I have been to the State Capitol to lobby on behalf of an issue under consideration by members of the Texas Legislature. I think I picked a good one. On Tuesday, I joined the contingent put together by the Galveston and Texas City/ La Marque chambers of commerce to rally for fair legislation regarding the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. To date, several of the bills filed by state lawmakers would devastate the coast by raising TWIA rates by astronomical percentages — in some cases as much as 300 percent — effectively killing the ability to live and work on the coast. Which seems an odd approach for members of the legislature to take considering the kind of impact that would have on the tourism and petrochemical industries, for example, that are so vitally important to the state’s overall economy. “If they skyrocket our rates the way they want to, it is going to kill business on the Texas Coast, and we cannot let that happen,” state Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, told the more than 100 people from throughout the 14 coastal communities who gathered for Tuesday’s rally. Amen to that. Tuesday’s rally and subsequent visits with individual members of the legislature seemed to accomplish their stated goal, which was to give coastal communities the opportunity to raise the profile of the TWIA issue with state lawmakers, to build better relationships with members of the legislature who don’t represent coastal areas and to generate bipartisan support for the coastal cause. “We talked about the need for providing affordable windstorm insurance for coastal residents and businesses and it was the universal opinion of our delegation that the message was well received by all,” said Mark Ciavaglia, Texas

Patrick Graham Patrick Graham is president and publisher of The Daily News.

City/La Marque chamber board member. “We also visited with Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, who urged us to stress that coastal residents are merely seeking the same protections from natural disaster which all other Texans have. That message really seemed to resonate.” Eiland and Bonnen are both members of the House Insurance Committee, which is going to be an important player in the TWIA issue. Eiland is the committee’s vice chair. There were four more bills filed the day of the rally considered more favorable to the coastal position on TWIA but realistically, those bills are not going to move forward in their current form and without some compromises made along the legislative way. This is another way of saying the fight on this incredibly important issue has really just begun, and it was good to see not only business leaders but city leaders like Galveston Mayor Lewis Rosen and City Manager Michael Kovacs in the fray. “Our voices were heard and our presence felt,” Galveston chamber President Gina Spagnola said. “It’s the very essence of this chamber’s mission: To promote and advocate for business. “If our businesses can’t afford to live and build a business here, we will lose them. Showing up is half the battle, and we did that, and I’m proud of our work. It’s so easy just to sit back and hope that the right thing happens, but we don’t operate like that. We are leaders and fighters, and we are making a difference.”

word on the street Contact Heber Taylor, heber.taylor@galvnews.com

Sunday, March 10, 2013 | The Daily News | B7

Needed: A better plan for Medicaid Guest column Dr. Greg Bonnen, a Friendswood physician, is state representative for District 24.

he expansion of Medicaid as proposed under the Affordable Care Act is unwise policy for Texas. Texas should not put even more of our residents into an out-ofcontrol program that our country and state cannot afford. First, it is important to understand why a simple expansion of Medicaid as prescribed by the ACA is wrong for Texas. The debate over Medicaid expansion in Texas focuses on approximately 1.1 million people who are adults under the age of 65 — about 4 percent of the population. The cost of the expansion is dramatic, approximately $100 billion in federal spending and $15 billion in state spending over 10 years. Keep in mind this effort is to provide coverage to currently uninsured low-income adults, not provide additional resources to those already receiving Medicaid benefits.

Letters policy The Daily News welcomes letters of up to 200 words and guest columns of up to 500 words on any issue. Guest columns must include a photograph of the writer. Send letters to: Letters to the editor, P.O. Box 628, Galveston, 77553. Fax: 409-740-3421. Email: letters@galvnews.com.

This is important because the current Medicaid program often fails to deliver access to needed services due to lack of resources, inefficiency and fraud. Most physicians decline to participate due to reimbursement that is well below cost. Some have argued this is a great opportunity for Texas to pull down federal dollars. However, the purpose of the Medicaid program is not to serve as a perpetual federal economic stimulus program but rather to provide medical care to those who otherwise do not have the means to access care. Would the expansion accomplish the intended goal? Very doubtful. Many individuals covered by Medicaid will still have difficulty accessing care and will continue to find their way into our emergency departments, where they receive more costly treatment, further adding to the burden on our hospitals. The concept that Medicaid expansion is a “busi-

ness opportunity” that we should not decline is concerning. Our would-be partner in this effort, the federal government, has more than $16 trillion in debt and is running more than $1 trillion in annual deficit spending. This is not sustainable, and it’s unlikely that the federal government will continue to carry over 90 percent of the burden for the expansion. Texas would have the option of eliminating the expanded Medicaid eligibility. Unfortunately, large entitlement programs historically are not eliminated and more typically grow. While expansion of Medicaid as prescribed by the ACA is not the correct approach, it is important that we seek solutions that work for Texas taxpayers. After all, transforming the current Medicaid program into a more efficient and cost-effective system and addressing the alarming continued increase in the price of health care in the private sector are critical to a healthier future.

In 2011, the state and federal governments worked together so that Texas would have a greater opportunity to manage our current Medicaid dollars. This opportunity was given through the 1,115 transformation waiver. This is an extensive, comprehensive program that includes incentives for both Medicaid patients and providers to encourage healthier behaviors and practices. The federal government should give Texas similar discretion in the management of federal money allocated as part of any Medicaid reform and expansion. My colleagues and I are ready and willing to work with the federal government to find a solution that works for Texas taxpayers. True price transparency in the private health care market, combined with incentives for healthier behavior and wise utilization, would reduce the cost of health care while improving quality and access. In fact, implementing free market principles into our currently opaque and dysfunctional health care economy would decrease the percent of uninsured Texans by more than the 4 percent of the population achieved through the expansion of Medicaid.

Legislative Day time well spent The Galveston Chamber Legislative Day in Austin was time well spent. The windstorm rally with 14 coastal counties was inspiring, and we spent productive time talking with legislators and staff members about Galveston’s position on windstorm legislation. I also enjoyed getting to know my fellow chamber members and staff who attended. Thanks to the chamber staff for putting it all together and for ensuring that Galveston businesses are represented in Austin. Kathy Thomas Galveston •••

E-book collection available Ball High School’s library is pleased to announce it has added access to more than 3 million e-books to its collection at 4115 Ave. O in Galveston. These books can be permanently added to all students’ and faculty’s digital devices through their gaggle accounts. We look forward to assisting our school community in accessing these resources. Contact Anna Allebach, 409766-5727 or anna_al

lebach@gisd.org. Anna Allebach Librarian Ball High School Galveston •••

Some enforcement help is needed

I moved to the 53rd Street and Avenue P area last February. The first night in the new house, my car was totaled by a hit-and-run driver. Several months after that, the car I rented for a trip was hit. Early February this year, my wife’s car was hit and possibly totaled. Mind you, all three vehicles were parked and unoccupied, thank God. In the year I’ve lived here, I’ve noticed at least four other accidents. The streets between avenues O½ and Q, on 53rd Street, have no speed enforcement. Everybody speeds through this area to catch the next traffic light blocks away. It’s worse during the night. I’ve noticed law enforcement using it as a launchpad to the seawall without any flashing lights. I’m just asking everyone to please slow down and watch where you are headed — and can Galveston Police Department please monitor this public racetrack? Charlie Washington Galveston

The Daily News

Galveston County, Texas

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Weather changing for breakers

he first wave of spring break visitors began arriving Saturday, and it appears this group will experience the common adage regarding spring break conditions — the weather upon your arrival likely will be completely different when you depart. While today presents the most significant chance of rain all week, the wind might be a factor in your plans through midweek. Tonight, another cold front is forecast to cross the Upper Texas Coast and it will produce lingering winds through the middle of this week. Hopefully, the forecast is on track, and warm days with light winds will prevail then through the end of this week. Fishing should be much better following the cold front, and anglers pursuing large black drum should have a field day. Several inquiries were received from visitors coming to Galveston this week asking about crabbing. Unfortunately,

Reel Report Capt. Joe Kent is a columnist for The Daily News. To get your catch in the Reel Report, call 409-6835273 or email reel.report@ galvnews.com. this is not one of the better times of the year for recreational crabbing. Crabbing is best when the water is warm, especially 75 degrees and higher. The current water temperature has been hovering around 60 degrees, and post 70-degree water temperatures are probably a month or so away. Anglers interested in catching flounder may be in for a pleasant surprise. It appears that larger numbers of the flatfish than usual are around this season. Probably the most common question presented by families visiting the island during spring break, and for

that matter all year, is, “Where can we take the kids fishing that does not require a boat?” Unfortunately, the Galveston area is in dire need of more public fishing areas; however, there are a few that offer an opportunity to drop a baited line in the water. There are three commercial fishing piers on the island, two along the beach front and one at Seawolf Park. The Galveston Fishing Pier near 91st Street and the 61st Street Fishing Pier both extend into the surf. The Seawolf Park facility is on Pelican Island. All offer potentially good fishing. Several rock groin jetties are located along the beach front where fishing is free. Several on-the-water bait camps allow fishing from their docks, especially if bait is purchased at the site. Also, the Texas City Dike offers a large number of spots for fishing. Check in with the Reel Report each day for the latest on where the action is taking place.

Photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News ABOVE: Russell Summerville, who rides with the King BMX Stunt Team, takes flight off a ramp Saturday during the grand opening of the Bayou City Bicycle Park in La Marque. BELOW: Greg Bosley coaches his 4-year-old daughter, Aubrey, on a practice start. Aubrey said she tries to keep up with her older brother, who races BMX. BOTTOM: King BMX Stunt Team rider Scott Wirch takes off for a trick on the ramp.

BMX Continued from Page B1

13-year-old said. “He’s what inspires me to do this.” Lopez has been a regular at the track of late, riding at least once per week. He wears the colors of the Bayou City BMX team. Nyquist, who has won four gold medals in freestyle BMX at the X Games, was excited that youngsters like Lopez were getting the chance to ride on a track at a young age. “I got started riding curbs,” he said. “We didn’t have a lot of skate parks around me, you had to make do with what you had. For me, it was just the love of riding to school and finding the biggest curbs to jump.” It’s a bit different at Bayou City, where the 1,200-foot track has jumps, rolling humps and steeply banked turns. “It’s cool seeing this,” Nyquist said. “It’s the first track in this area, and this will help the scene and make it grow. This is a nice steppingstone, and they have a lot of room to expand here. It’s cool being on the ground floor when something like this pops up and seeing how it’s received. You’ve got a lot of kids out here pumping the track, and that’s awesome.” Nyquist was itching to get out on the track, but a sprained ankle hobbled him. “On Tuesday, I was riding on a mega ramp, which is a really big ramp and you hit speeds of 35 and 40 miles per hour,” he said. “I went to do a 360 and overshot and twisted my foot up pretty

good. I’m happy because I didn’t break anything, but it’s a sprain and keeps me off my bike here, which is unfortunate because they had some good dirt jumps going and I was excited to get on the track because it’s not something I usually get to do.” The area around the track looked like a tailgate party. Trucks were parked a few feet from the track, and spectators sat on lawn chairs under portable canopies. Nyquist smiled at the festivities “This is bringing back some nice memories of premieres,” he said. “Everybody is setting up their pits and their bikes and seeing the kids get excited for their races is great. This is where it all starts for a lot of the pros. You never know who is going to come out of this, an Olympic athlete or an X Gamer. It’s truly a great place to jump from.” Aside from the racing, there were also several

freestyle performances by King BMX Stunt Show. Noah Finkel had a prime viewing spot next to a ramp where the riders were performing 360s, back flips and tail whips. The 14-year-old from San Antonio-area Pleasanton came to Bayou City to race. “I’m trying to get state points,” he said. “It’s a pretty decent track, and you can get in some jumps.” Finkel was enjoying the stunt team’s acrobatics, but he didn’t have any plans to go freestyle. “If I tried to do something like that, I’d probably crash,” he said. Then, one of the riders didn’t go over the jump. Instead, he brought his bike to a stop and then performed a twowheeled version of Michael Jackson’s moonwalk. “Now that would be pretty cool if I could do that,” Finkel said.

lifestyle

Contact Michael A. Smith, michael.smith@galvnews.com

Irresistible salami Making sausage doesn’t have to be a messy undertaking

» Coming Wednesday Sunday, March 10, 2013 | The Daily News | Section C

Photos by KEVIN M. COX/The Daily News Volunteers feed local residents with community gardens. ABOVE: Ally Hardick works with children during a Mother’s Day Out field trip to the community garden at St. Christopher Episcopal Church in League City. BELOW RIGHT: William Campbell plants a seed. BOTTOM RIGHT: Lilah Konkle pulls a carrot from the ground.

By WHITNEY HODGIN The Daily News

Volunteers improve health and feed county through community gardens A 1-monthold kid peeks over the fence of its enclosure at Deborah’s Garden in Galveston. Gardeners with the community garden volunteer caring for a goat and her twins, as well as chickens. JENNIFER REYNOLDS/ The Daily News

If the best things in life are free, people who volunteer in community gardens on a regular basis get the most value from their efforts, local experts say. That was incentive enough for David Darrow, a master’s student in public health at the University of Texas Medical Branch, to help start Deborah’s Garden at the corner of 25th and Postoffice streets on the island in 2010. The garden was named after late founder Deborah Conrad. Darrow said he regretted not being able to spend more time with his patients who lived in underprivileged areas and suffered from a See garden | C6

The Daily News

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Galveston County, Texas

Lifestyle

Family, friends roast and toast Pete Pagonas on his 80th

Roast and Toast of the adorable Pete Pagonas, formerly of Fattig Office Supply, was held in January at the Moody Gardens Aquarium to celebrate Pete’s 80th birthday. The black-tie event featured music by Sparkey Koerner’s Jazz Band from COM where Pete taught in the PE department for 18 years. Dan Hennington and Kent Bruno, Pete’s sonsin-law, acted as MCs of the roast. Among the more than 100 celebrants were speakers Miss Skyler Pope of Friendswood, Dr. Bruce Purdy of Muleshoe, Chris Diem of Harker Heights, who was spokesman for Pete’s five grandchildren, Dr. John Costanzi of Austin, former head of UTMB Oncology and Col. Deborah Tompkins of Gatesville. Also speaking were Bill Knight of Fort Worth, Clare KendallSebree of Menden, N.J., Chuck Doyle, TeeCee former mayor, Dr. Romeo Bachand of Grandberry and Eva Neinas. Lynn Pagonas-Diem of Harker Heights, Pete’s daughter, spoke for Pete’s five children and Audry Kendall, who winged it from London, to attend the party and Divafave Robert Mihovil.

Sunrise Soiree Breakfast, market The Junior League of Galveston County, Inc. will host its annual Sunrise Soiree Breakfast and Spring Market shopping event at The San Luis Resort beginning March 22 with the Evening at the Oasis Preview Party. Tix are $30 each.

Scenes

fered at fabulous savings to our guests. Tables of 10 are $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000. Individual tickets are $100. For deets and seats, contact Jan Porter at The Salvation Army, 409-763-1691, Ext. 75313.

Frances Powell is a columnist for The Daily News. Send deets ’n’ pix of your parteez ’n’ proceedings to divascenes@aol.com or call 409-744-6540. The Sunrise Soiree Breakfast and fashion show begins Saturday at 10 a.m. and will showcase designs from local boutiques and include a performance by the Galveston Ballet. Come and be tempted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with an array of vendors offering everything from jewelry to skin care products, clothing, accessories and more. As a special treat, the Easter Bunny will be hopping by the market for pictures. Tix to the Sunrise Soiree are $50 and admission to the shopping market is free. Shoppers will have the chance to purchase a Bargain Bracelet, available at the door for just $10. The Bargain Bracelet will entitle shoppers to receive special deals at participating booths. Bux go to help support their mission and community through their many programs. For sponsorship and ticket information, visit jlgalveston.org. For upto-date information, like ’em on Facebook. Tune in soon for the Sustainers’ Tea at Carolyn Gaido’s snazzienda. A Threadtread Extravaganza The Salvation Army

COURTESY PHOTOS Pictured, from left, are Layne Sharp, Lori Hennington, Leigh Bruno, Pete Pagonas, Lynn Pagonas-Diem and Keith Pagonas, Pete’s children.

Elizabeth Lanier, left, and Bev Frannea of Galveston hold Courage Capes for Kids they are sponsoring as gifts that will be put in Easter baskets for boys; girls will receive twirligirli gowns in their baskets. They capes are given to boy patients at Shriners Hospitals for Children-Galveston for playing and for wearing when extra super bravery is needed for treatments. Girl patients at Shriners are given twirligirli gowns for spinning and dancing and looking pretty. For info about sponsorship capes and gowns, go to twirligirli.com.

of Galveston County presents its third annual Style Show, Luncheon, Silent Auction and Chic Boutique benefiting The Center of Hope on April 10 at The GICC at The San Luis Resort. “Runway to Hope” is always SRO and the momentum for this year’s event is phenomenal. Given the larger venue, there’s room for 400 to 500. Some of this year’s shops are Divafave

Tina’s on The Strand, Head to Footsies, Gracie’s and Jammin’ Sportswear. New shops are Dick-

Judy Smith and Pete Pagonas at the Moody Gardens Aquarium celebrating Pete’s 80th birthday.

inson’s Four Seasons, League City’s Jill’s Fashions & Bridal and The Clothes Horse. The Chic Boutique will feature gently used clothing and accessories provided by our fashionable neighbors throughout Galveston County. All items will be of-

Holy Family Parish Festival Holy Family Parish Festival will take place March 17 — St. Patrick’s Day — at St. Patrick’s Church. The Cake Booth, cakes provided by the Altar Society, is being manned by the KC’s and their spouses. Join volunteers like Jerry & Mary Gray, Tommy Youngblood, Art Wilcox, Greg Hayes and Joe Cappadona. This year, HFP is raffling a Silverado Chevy pickup, Ford Focus or Chevy Cruze Eco, all 2013s. Getcha’ tix by calling any HF parishioner or the church itself. Birthday shoutouts In the Birthday Room we find Tania Riveaux Dagg, V.J. Tramonte, the Wizzard’s Glynda Oglesby, Angelo Urbani, Kathleen Tiernan, Kathy Modzelewski and Divafave Michael Gaido.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Galveston County, Texas

The Daily News

Lifestyle St. Patrick’s Day, Easter Events

»» TEXAS CITY The city of Texas City will have its annual St. Patrick’s Day and Texas City Little League Parade at 10 a.m. Saturday beginning at Texas City High School, 1431 Ninth Ave. N. The parade will travel west on Palmer Highway, turn right on 21st St., and then travel north to end at Godard Park Baseball Field. Call 409-643-5990.

»» GALVESTON Holy Family Parish will have its annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 17 at 34th and Broadway streets. Admission is free. Activities will include a children’s area, multicultural foods, games, and more. A brand new 2013 vehicle also will be given away. Call 409-762-9646.

»» SANTA FE The Santa Fe-Hitchcock Rotary Club will have a Pancake Breakfast with the Easter Bunny from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. March 23 at Red Cap Restaurant, 13419 state Highway 6. The cost is $5 per person. The club also will have its Easter egg hunt at 10:30 a.m. March 23 at Joe A. Tambrella Park, 13306 Sixth St. (next to Mae S. Bruce Library). The hunt, sponsored by the Santa Fe Parks and Recreation Board, is for ages 1-10. Call Terri Westmoreland, 409-925-6412 or 409-3161988.

COURTESY FILE PHOTO/Moody Gardens Moody Gardens will have its annual free Easter in Gardens Egg Hunt at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. March 31 in the Oleander Bowl, 7 Hope Blvd., in Galveston. »» FRIENDSWOOD Easter in the Park will be at 1 p.m. March 24 at Stevenson Park, 1000 S. Friendswood Drive. The event is for children ages 1-10. Call 281-482-3329. »» CLEAR LAKE Congregation Shaar Hashalom will have its Second-night Passover Seder dinner at 6 p.m. March 26 at 16020 El Camino Real. Tickets are $22 for adults and $11 for ages 6-12. Children 6 and younger accompanied by an adult are admitted free. Attendees must RSVP by

March 15. Call 281-488-5861.

or Monica Cantrell, 409986-9224.

»» HITCHCOCK The Hitchcock Chamber of Commerce will have an Easter Bake Sale fundraiser from 9 a.m. until sold out March 29 in the lobby of Texas First Bank, 8028 state Highway 6. If you would like to donate baked goods, take to the bank by 9 a.m. March 29. Proceeds will benefit the Hitchcock High School Scholarship Fund. Call Bobbie Sander, 409-986-6101, JoAnn Robinson, 409-986-5036,

»» TEXAS CITY Temple Baptist Church will have its Resurrection Musical at 7 p.m. March 29 at 1200 22nd St. N. “The Night Before Easter,” is the theme. Call 409-945-5915. »» KEMAH The city of Kemah will have its Easter “EggStravaganza!” at 10 a.m. March 30 at the Jimmy Walker Community Center,

800 Harris Ave. Parents can take their cameras to take photos with the Easter Bunny. Free goody bags will be given away to children 8 and younger. There also will be a petting zoo, games, prizes, candy, and more. Visit visitkemahtx.com. »» LA MARQUE The American Legion Post No. 554 will have its Children’s Easter Egg Hunt at 1 p.m. March 30 at 1650 state Highway 3 S. The event is for children

ages 12 and younger. Call 281-332-8733. »» GALVESTON Moody Gardens will have its annual Easter in Gardens Egg Hunt at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. March 31 in the Oleander Bowl, 7 Hope Blvd. The free event is for ages 12 and younger. The festivities also will include games for prizes, face painting and a petting zoo. The Easter Bunny also will be there to take pictures. Call 800-582-4673.

The Daily News

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Lifestyle

Norfolk Island Pine survived many fights

t was just a tree, they said. I’d had it for a long time. It was my first Christmas tree when I came back to Galveston in 1979. My little tree was just 2 feet tall. I put it on a table and decorated it with tiny ornaments and garlands of silver. Over the next 29 years, I watched it become a giant. In January 1980, after Christmas, the little tree was put outside on the porch. It was wintertime so I did not expect too much life to show. When spring came and most trees budded out, my little tree just sat there looking forlorn. In fact, it sat there for another year, lonely and dejected. I thought it might die, so I planted it in the yard. To find out what species of pine we had, I went to the Internet and found it was a Norfolk Island Pine. The species originally came from the Isle of Norfolk, a small island between New Zealand and Australia. Many of those trees are brought to the states for Christmas. They like warm humid conditions, exactly like those in Galveston. They can grow in sand as long as the roots reach water. The tree flourished. In about 2005, it grew coconut sized green pods clustered near the top of the tree The encyclopedia said when mature, they would drop to the ground, break and seeds would be dispersed. Every so often, I would mentally notch the tree’s growth against the fence, then the house next door and finally the light pole 10 feet away. The beautiful tree marked the entrance to our property. It could be seen blocks away. That is, until September 2008. Hurricane Ike barreled down the bayou, sending boats sailing over what once was dry land. Boats may have hit it; I know the

Galveston County, Texas

Guest column Grace J. Clifford lives in Galveston.

wind and surf challenged the tall sturdy conifer. After the storm, the poor thing looked like it had been in a fight. And it had. It had been in a fight for its life. Although still alive, the tree looked grotesque. It was decided that the horrible-looking thing would never be the same and it was cut down. Five years later a fifth spring returns to Galveston. As I look at other pines in Galveston, they are beginning to grow leaves again. It could take another 10 years before they are restored to their original beauty, but barring another catastrophe, the pines will win. As I look back on the atrocities committed against my Norfolk Island Pine and so many of the other trees in Galveston by nature and man, I mourn the loss of my tree. I wonder how often we dispose of things we do not appreciate. Next time we have the thought of getting rid of natural things that do not meet our expectations, let us give it another thought. Animals, birds and trees were all made by God. Do not destroy them.

Crime prevention is a great race

still laugh until tears come to my eyes when I watch “The Great Race,” with Tony Curtis as The Great Leslie and Jack Lemmon as Professor Fate. Whether it be the epic cake fight, saloon fight, iceberg and polar bear or the incredible machines they were driving, their misadventures were never ending and very funny. Crime prevention is a lot like the movies in that we are in a constant battle against the bad guys and constantly have to modify what we have and dredge up new resources to thwart their evil schemes. We have bumpproof locks, electronic surveillance, shatterproof film for windows and remote 24-hour monitoring of burglar and fire alarms. You would think that would be enough. But no, even with all that, it may not be sufficient. Lighting, limiting access and landscaping continue to be the big three for the exte-

The Crime Corner:

Prevention Tips & Tidbits Walt Candelari is a police officer with Dickinson Police Department. He is writing a series of columns on creating an environment of safety from burglars. rior with locks and loud alarms for the interior. We surprised a person standing at the front door of a house that was on vacation watch. We approached, and he waved and thanked us for checking on him. He continued to try to shove a key into the lock and after several minutes without success, he bolted. He was cuffed and stuffed. Another unit responded to a dog barking call and found a suspect in a tree. The owner of the dog gave him a special treat. A detective in an unmarked unit was sitting in a grocery store parking lot waiting for his partner to return with some snacks when he was approached by a

galvnews »» Go to galvnews. com for links to Texas Crime Prevention Association and Texas Gulf Coast Crime Prevention Association.

person who said he was leaving town and needed to sell some of his stuff to buy gas and food. Unfortunately, for him, the stuff had someone else’s name on it and he didn’t quite make it out of town — not for a while, anyway. We have found burglars hiding in closets, behind drapes, under beds, in attics, bathrooms, garages and in ceilings. We have found them passed out having sampled the bar products and one in a bed pretending to be asleep. One caught inside

a residence tried to claim he thought it was his friend’s house and he had permission to be there. He couldn’t explain why he had to break into his friend’s house, why he had a pry bar and screwdrivers in his pocket and why nothing in the house had his friend’s name on it. His explanation, “he must have gotten the wrong house.” One officer who was dispatched to a burglary call and found evidence that forced entry had been used to gain entry to the residence. To his surprise, when he checked for someone inside, he found a fully functioning meth lab. No suspect was located, but the lab was a bonus. As always, remember, think, plan and execute crime prevention designs. Don’t become a victim.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Galveston County, Texas

The Daily News

Lifestyle

Children don’t always follow parent’s religious beliefs

MG. We get almost everything from our parents — financial support, of course, until we are able to take care of ourselves, education (they send us to school and they indoctrinate us at home), attitudes about life and other people, appreciation for money and other things. Most of what we get from them is in imitation of what they do, what they think, how they dress and act and what religion they practice. Very few of us do not share our parents’ religion. My mother always told me not to discuss politics or religion in public, and I can mostly hold my tongue. But

Guest column Melvyn Schreiber is a physician at the University of Texas Medical Branch. those are really important subjects. If we don’t confront them head-on, we trivialize our lives by paying attention only to less important things. Kids rarely turn out the way we want them to or the way we predict, but most of them, by far, turn out to share our politics and religion. Everyone can think of examples to the contrary, and that’s what’s

on my mind today. Some of my nonreligious friends live thoroughly secular lives, and they are not disturbed by the scorn they sometimes receive from others as a consequence. What strikes me as remarkable is the fact that they came from religious families, observant Christians, Jews or Muslims, but they have, little by little, abandoned the faith. First they forget holidays, then they start not attending church on Sunday and finally they admit to themselves what is obvious to others, namely that they have become non- or only pseudo-believers. Truth be told, the largest number of people I

know live secular lives at all times except when they attend church on Sunday or celebrate some religious holiday. The secularization of America seems to be well under way, even in this country where more than 80 percent of the people claim to be religious. I am no longer surprised to find the children of religious people giving up their religious practices, slipping into a life without God, without prayers, without church attendance. These people are not without goodness, and I challenge anyone to distinguish their usual behavior from that of the churchgoing faithful.

Assimilation into American life means being less religiously involved, for most people. The surprising thing is this: Some children of ordinarily religious families or nonobservant families become super religious themselves. I know a family of heathens whose daughter married a Southern Baptist fellow, and they and their two children have become devout practitioners of their religion, the Southern Baptist even converting to his wife’s religion. He knows more about the holidays and the services and their religious practice than any of the other members of the family.

A close friend, a nonbeliever, has a son who has become a strict religious practitioner, even chastising his father for not observing the religious forms correctly. Here’s the message. Don’t be surprised if your kids turn out to be less devoted to your religion than you are, and don’t even be surprised if they become passionate believers and find your own devotion lacking. And when you think, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child?” just remember that emancipating themselves from you is an important undertaking, the success of which you should celebrate.

Novel is complicated, mysterious, hilarious

“Missing Sisters,” by Gregory Maguire, Macmillian Publishing Co., 152 pages, $14.95.

ister Vincent de Paul clumps around the Sacred Heart Home for Girls on her bum foot. She is Alice’s best friend because she is patient enough to listen to Alice’s speech handicap. The surgery to fix her impediment is too expensive. One morning while

Book review JoAn Watson Martin is an educator.

Alice is helping Sister make breakfast for the girls in the home, Sister is burned in a terrible kitchen fire. Although Alice has been offered a chance to be adopted, she refuses

to leave the home until Sister Saint Vincent de Paul comes home from the hospital. Alice thinks she can bring her home by doing good works but trouble seemed to find her. She tried to tiptoe around occasions of sin, but found out how hard it is to be good. Alice was picked to play a part in “My Fair Lady,” her speech is mocked, but her singing voice is surprisingly beautiful. Ruth, 4, is Al-

ice’s only defender from the other girls’ torment. One day, Alice was told to take sheet music and cash to the priest from the boys’ home. He left before she could get it to him. Feisty Alice caught the bus over to his school, totally against the rules. Sent to Camp Saint Theresa for a two-week “vacation,” Alice liked it that all the girls in her cabin chattered so much that Alice was able to keep secret her deafness

Author to sign copies of her book on island

From Staff Reports Special to The Daily News

»» GALVESTON Award-winning author Pamela Fagan Hutchins will sign copies of her romantic thriller, “Saving Grace,” a fast-paced adventure tale of a Texas attorney who attempts to escape her corporate life on the tropical island of San Marcos, Saturday at the Galveston Bookshop. “Saving Grace” was the Romance category winner in the 2010

Reunions, Gatherings

»» The Ball High School Class of 1963 will have a planning meeting at 5 p.m. March 20 at 1508 39th St. in Galveston. The reunion will be Oct. 10-13. Call Albert “Sonny” Vaiani III, 409-771-0723.

»» College of the Mainland will have its reunion and homecoming from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 13 outside the gym area on campus, 1200 Amburn Road, in Texas City. All alumni, retirees,

Pamela Fagan Hutchins, will sign copies of her book Saturday in Galveston.

Writers’ League of Texas Manuscript Competition and was voted Top Ghost Story in 2012 by the Houston Writers Guild. A legal thriller packed with mystery, romance, and a touch of magical realism, “Saving Grace” current students, community, faculty and staff are invited. The free event will feature lunch, a meet and greet, and live entertainment. Call 409-933-8190. »» The Ball High School Class of 1973 will have their 40-year reunion, which will be June 21-22 at Moody Gardens Hotel, 1 Hope Blvd., in Galveston. »» There also will be a church service at 11 a.m. June 23 at Greater St. Matthews Baptist Church in Hitchcock. The cost is $110 per person and $60 for

At a glance WHAT: Book signing WHO: Pamela Fagan Hutchins, author of “Saving Grace” WHEN: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Galveston Bookshop, 317 23rd St., in Galveston

provides readers with an experience that is zany, tropical, intense and eerie all at once. spouse or date. Classmates should send information to Phyllis (Taylor) Moore, phamoore7357@yahoo.com, or Steven Marsh, smarsh55@ aol.com. Call Moore, 409-9393052, or Marsh, 409-6921173.

Online »» pamelahutchins. com »» amazon.com »» Ball High School will have its Track and Field Reunion June 21 at Kermit Courville Stadium and June 22 at Moody Gardens and Fuddruckers in Galveston. All former track athletes are invited. Call 409-276-5801, or email gbtfreunion@gmail.com.

and inability to speak well. When the other campers began calling her “Miami” and insisting she was at the camp last year, she figures out that another girl last year was exactly like Alice. Both seemed to have the same characteristics. Determined to discover the secrets of her past, Alice got the address of Miami Shaw and manipulated the nuns so she could take a

taxi to the Shaw home. Alice felt like she had entered the twilight zone. Was it possible that Alice and Miami were twins? What would life be like for both girls if they could live together as sisters? Life becomes complicated, mysterious, but hilarious. The author spent his young years in a Catholic home for children and based the novel on his experiences.

The Daily News

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Galveston County, Texas

Lifestyle

garden

Continued from Page C1

whole culture of unhealthy influences. “When you have 15 minutes with someone you can’t make much of a difference,” he said. “Gardens help bring people together long enough to benefit each other. The act of gardening combats chronic diseases caused by a sedentary lifestyle and an overabundance of resources. Most jobs these days don’t require physical labor, and food that’s cheap isn’t healthy.” Anyone can rent one of the 4-foot-by-8-foot beds, of which there are 45, for $50 a year. People also can volunteer to care for the garden’s flock of chickens or trio of goats in exchange for fresh eggs and goat’s milk. Darrow also started a community garden at the Wright Cuney Recreation Center, at 41st and Ball streets, which donates its produce to the food pantry at St. Vincent’s Episcopal House, 2817 Postoffice St. It’s harder to get volunteers from that area even though they are the very people he had hoped would benefit most from horticultural therapy, he said. “Other things dominate your life in impoverished neighborhoods, like crisis,” Darrow said. “You pick your battles, and healthy choices usually come last.” Those who do follow through on their commitment reap the rewards, garden manager John Sessions said. “The experience goes way beyond your 4-by-8

KEVIN M. COX/The Daily News Valari Lee holds up a carrot she picked during a Mother’s Day Out field trip to the community garden at St. Christopher Episcopal Church in League City.

bed,” he said. “Gardens cross all political lines. We have staunch Republicans working alongside raving liberals. There’s nothing like a baby goat to bring people together.” Most of the volunteers at Deborah’s Garden are lifelong gardeners like Mary Joe Singleton, who first rented a bed when she moved out of her house to a loft in downtown Galveston. “I needed a place to do a little digging, so I talked to John (Sessions) and rented one of the little spaces so I’d have a place to go,” she said. Like most beds in the garden, Singleton’s features vegetables, including kale, spinach and Swiss chard. “It’s a very relaxing activity,” she said. “It’s like a creation. You put this stuff in, it grows and produces and gives you a sense of accomplishment. There’s nothing that beats a cold beer

At a glance To volunteer at Deborah’s Garden, 25th and Postoffice streets, in Galveston, contact John Sessions at 409-765-7502 or stop by the garden sometime in the morning. To volunteer at the Plant a Seed — Feed the Need Community Garden, St. Christopher Episcopal Church, 2508

and looking at the beautiful earth with all the flowers and greenery that’s coming out of it.” Singleton compared growing a garden to raising a child. “It’s kind of like raising children,” she said. “Sometimes your roses get black spots and you have to treat them; other years, they come out looking great.” Darrow agreed with the analogy. “A garden is like a baby,” he said. “It needs constant care, constant attention and constant

St. Christopher Ave., in League City, contact Ally Hardick at lmc@ stchrischurch.org or call 281-332-5553. St. Vincent’s Food Pantry, 2817 Postoffice St., in Galveston, is open five days a week between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. It is available without appointment on a first-come, first-served basis. Call 409-763-8521.

patience.” The Plant a Seed — Feed the Need Community Garden at St. Christopher Episcopal Church in League City requires more care, attention and patience than director Ally Hardick said she can provide by herself. What started as an herb garden expanded to 12 beds and a fruit tree orchard. In total, the garden produces

Photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News ABOVE: Mary Joe Singleton waters her spinach, Swiss chard, tomatoes and other vegetables she is growing in her bed at Deborah’s Garden, a community garden at 25th and Postoffice streets in Galveston. BELOW: Besides garden beds, Deborah’s Garden has chickens and a goat, which recently had twins.

more than 100 pounds of food annually, which is donated to the food panty at Interfaith Caring Ministries, she said. “We need volunteers,” Hardick said. “This is truly a community outreach project that has surpassed its original scope.” The garden does more than feed people,

she said. “It has become an opportunity for education and serves as an example for good stewardship of our limited resources on this planet,” Hardick said. Contact reporter Whitney Hodgin at 409-683-5236 or whitney.hodgin@galvnews. com.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Galveston County, Texas

We d d i n g s a n d A n n o u n c e m e n t s

The Daily News

Lifestyle

You can switch the cards Editor’s note: Cephus Scott, an athleticstar at Ball High School who now works for the Clear Creek school district, has started a program called Switch the Cards.

city within a city is what my mother called the projects of Galveston. “The jungle” is a place full of victims, suspects, dealers, users, predators and their unwitting prey. I am from that place, and because of it, I was able to reap the benefits of that world, being raised by a village. It really does take a village to raise a child. So I am giving back what was instilled in me — and is still being instilled in me today — Switch the Cards, which is a new nonprofit that I, along with others in the community, have started. Far too often in our community, our youth are dealt a bad hand. Even more troubling is that many of us as adults have also been dealt that same hand or worse. Well, I am here to tell you that you don’t have to play that hand. You can switch the cards. I did, I threw them in, and requested another set. When that didn’t work, I requested a new deck. I just decided that the hand I was being dealt just wasn’t good enough for the future I had

Guest column Cephus Scott lives in Galveston.

planned. Something had to give — and it wasn’t going to be my life. As an ex Ball High School athlete, I’ve considered over and over again coming back home and coaching the children that grew up like me, talk like me, bleed the same blood I bleed and chant the same fight songs I chant. For some reason or another, it just didn’t feel like that was my calling. I’ve been steered toward helping the community rebuild itself through its children and young adults. The community is in need of young men and women who will lead by example, walk the walk and talk the talk. Switch the Cards staff members will do just that. The staff will consist of men and women who have been through the struggle and have come out victorious. Teachers, ex- NFL athletes, businessmen, city of Galveston employees, pastors, doctors, nurses, probation officers, coaches, policemen, etc.

Switch the Cards will be geared toward working with the youth and young adults who are in need of guidance, a second chance, tutoring, mentoring, job skills, finding a trade, teenage parenting, interviewing skills, test-taking skills, scripture healing, and tough love — all based on traditional family values. We will be targeting young men and women 21 and younger, but no one will be turned away. The program is in great need of sponsors and mentors who are committed to making sure that we take our community back, one child at a time. The program will begin in early April. School principals and counselors are encouraged to contact me so that we can also reach these students identified with any of these problems in the Galveston Independent School District. The program will be at Mount Olive Baptist Church, 3602 Sealy St., in Galveston. If you would like to help, call me at 409-457-9030. Special thanks to my upbringing goes to God, my mother, aunts, sisters, Tottenham family, teachers, coaches, Palm Terrace, and last but not least, Tamisha Scott, who has endured it all. Thanks!

Know your options for breast reconstruction after cancer

omen in the United States with health insurance have had the right to choose breast reconstruction after surgery for breast cancer since 1998, when federal legislation mandated that insurance cover reconstruction of the breast. The law even requires insurers to provide coverage of surgery for the other breast in order to achieve symmetry. Despite this legislation, and even though since 1998 there have been many advances in plastic surgery techniques for breast restoration, 70 percent of women eligible for breast reconstruction are still not being informed of their options, according to a 2008 article in Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society. While breast reconstruction is considered elective surgery, undergoing breast reconstruction can have profound emotional and practical benefits. “Despite advances in the ability of plastic surgeons to restore the breast, many women are not informed that breast reconstruction is their right and many more are not informed of their choices,” said American Society of Plastic Surgeons President Malcolm Z. Roth. “Every day, countless women around the world wake up with the

metrocreativeconnection.com Even though legislation was passed in 1998 that gave women in the United States with health insurance the right to choose breast reconstruction after surgery for breast cancer, 70 percent of women eligible for breast re-

Guest column Dr. Karen Powers is an assistant professor of plastic surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She specializes in breast reconstruction. fear of what life is or will be like without one or both breasts. “They have a choice to have reconstruction, and we hope our message will be heard throughout the year.” The University of Texas Medical Branch Breast Health and Imaging Center at Victory Lakes offers state-ofthe-art breast screening, multidisciplinary evaluation and a complete range of services and treatments related to breast health and breast cancer, including breast reconstruction. Reconstruction can be either immediate — at the same time as the complete or partial

removal of the breast — or delayed. Breast reconstruction does not interfere with surveillance for breast cancer recurrence and most breast cancer survivors are candidates for immediate or delayed breast reconstruction. Procedures for partial breast reconstruction after lumpectomy include fat grafting and transfer of local tissue into the defect. Complete breast reconstruction techniques available include implants, transfer of tissue from another part of the body such as Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator flaps or a combination of implants and the patient’s own tissue. While some women may choose not to reconstruct their breasts, all women should be informed of their options and have the opportunity to work with their physicians to develop a treatment plan that is right for them.

The Daily News

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Galveston County, Texas

Lifestyle

Galveston Island Humane Society Pets of the Week

Galveston County Animal Resource Center Pets of the Week

Johnny Cat, below, and Baby Girl are this week’s Galveston Island Humane Society Pets of the Week. Johnny Cat is one sleek and smooth cool cat. He is very playful, loves toys, feathers and being held. Johnny Cat would be a wonderful playmate and companion for kiddos. He has a gorgeous, smooth coat that looks black but is actually a dark chocolate with glowing yellow eyes. Come meet this black beauty today. Baby Girl needs a warm lap and someone to give lots of kisses to. She doesn’t have much hair so she gets cold easily. Baby Girl would be the perfect pocket pet to carry around with you everywhere and dress up in sweaters. Come meet this big-eyed beauty now. Johnny Cat and Baby Girl are available for adoption this week for half the humane society’s usual fee. All adoptions include current vaccinations, including rabies, spay or neuter, heartworm test and preventive, flea preventive, microchip, registration and one month’s health insurance. Fees are $75 for cats and

Mags, right, and Jackson are this week’s Galveston County Animal Resource Center Pets of the Week. Mags is a beautiful, bright and big Calico with silky medium-long fur. A friendly girl, she likes playing with other nice cats. In addition to being friendly, Mags is very outgoing, loves attention and enjoys it when people pet her. Come meet this sweet kitty and consider making her part of your family. Jackson is a very energetic male Boxer mix that is just bursting with personality. He has crystal blue eyes that are absolutely hypnotic and a face you just have to adore. Jackson loves going on long walks and would be a wonderful jogging partner. Come visit Jackson. He is sure to captivate

dogs older than 6 months of age and $90 for kittens and puppies. Check out all of the adoptable pets at petango.com.

Call the society at 409-740-1919 or visit the shelter at 6814 Broadway.

Galveston Island Humane Society

your heart. Mags and Jackson are available for adoption this week. All adoptions include rabies vaccination, spay or neuter and microchip. Fees are $85 for cats and dogs and $20 for senior citizens adopting senior pets. Call 409-948-2485 or visit gchd.org/arc. These and other pets are available at the Galveston County Animal Resource Center, 3412 Loop 197 N.,

in Texas City.

Galveston County Animal Resource Center