#7-december 12, 2011

Special Report:

Texas Lawsuits

districts sue state for

unfair treatment

STATE PROPOSITIONS December 12, 2011

PLUS PLUS

RENAISSANCE FAIRE REVISITED

Contents

In This Issue

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

By Kelley Connor Managing Editor

In some respects, 2011 has been a challenging year for East Texans.

Last winter’s $15 billion in proposed state budget cuts, which became a reality in spring, should have been seen as an omen of how the rest of the year would pan out.

Record-breaking

temperatures,

drought conditions and cattle selloffs soon became major issues as summer days and then months ticked by without rain.

Burn bans only started being lifted last month.

Now another challenge fills the news: the Texas school lawsuit.

Hundreds of school districts are suing the state over school financing

OPINION

4

T-BONE

6

NEWS

8

EMPHASIS

12

FEATURES

23

ART + LIFE

33

methods thought to be unfair, unconstitutional and inadequate.

This issue of The Pine Curtain focuses on education in our state.

How will it be affected by the lawsuit?

What are some East Texas school districts planning for the future and how will those plans be funded?

What decisions are government officials making at the state and federal level and how will those decisions impact East Texas children?

Don’t forget to check the accuracy of recent statements made by our politicians with a glance at the T-Bone, our fact-checking page.

In light of the upcoming election, we decided to devote each T-Bone to rating the truthfulness of quotes from presidential candidates.

As East Texans slam the door on 2011, hoping for a better year to come, many issues are competing for our attention. Staying involved and informed will help us make a difference in Austin, as well as in Washington. So keep in touch.

Enjoy your families this holiday season, as we will ours.

Merry Christmas.

2 • The Pine Curtain

T-BONE

6

Take your average Tbone steak. Carve away the fat and the bone and the little that remains is meat. Take your average politician. Carve away the bluster and rhetoric and you just may find the truth…or not. In our TBone, we’ll look at political quotes that make us wonder where the meat is, closely examine their value and grade them just as a meat inspector might grade cuts of beef: Prime, Choice, Standard or Canner. Then we’ll serve it up to you for your consumption.

Last month, Texas voters approved seven of 10 propositions for amendments to the Texas Constitution. Since the Texas Constitution was adopted in 1876, it has been amended 474 times, including the seven amendments made at the most recent election.

EMPHASIS

The Texas Taxpayer and Student Fairness Coalition claims the state’s public school finance system is unconstitutional and unfair in the treatment of taxpayers and students. The organizations have filed a lawsuit in which over 300 school districts, out of the 1,024 in the state of Texas, have joined.

23

FEATURES

Paintings of horses line the walls of her home, a knight statue is placed in the center of her coffee table and a display of renaissance miniature figurines rest in the corner of her living room.

STAFF Editor-In-Chief

CHANTEL MARTIN Contributing Writers BECK ALLMAN IRVING MARMOLEJO RACHEL PRATAS JASMINE SMITH

12

JESSICA SWINK WHITNEY TEAGUE WHITNEY WHATLEY JEFF WRIGHT

Managing Editor

KELLEY CONNOR Photographers DARREN FEAGIN RACHEL PRATAS HAYLEE STORY DAVE WEINSTOCK: ADVISOR

Comments or questions can be directed to the.pine.curtain.mag@gmail.com The Pine Curtain Magazine is an online publication created by Communication students at the University of Texas at Tyler. Content may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from The Pine Curtain Magazine. ©The Pine Curtain Magazine 2011

Dec. 12, 2011 • 3

In This Issue

8

NEWS

Solution to obesity: classify pizza as vegetable

Opinion

By Kelley Connor Managing Editor Congress has, once again, sold itself out to big business with a Nov. 22 vote to strike down the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new school lunch guidelines.

Data released recently by the American Medical Association noted one-third of America’s children are overweight. Based on this new information, the Obama administration asked the USDA to revise the school lunch guidelines The USDA’s proposed measures for the National School Lunch Program would effectively cut pizza and French fries from school lunch menus across the country.

The frozen food industry, in panicked response, has spent more than $5.6 million lobbying against healthier lunches, a Nov. 1 New York Times article reported.

Some of the agriculture department’s proposed changes, which Congress voted out, include using more whole grains, using less potato products and limiting starchy vegetables to twice a week.

Our U.S. representatives and senators also voted to keep the classification of two tablespoons of tomato paste as a serving of vegetables.

Two tablespoons—when the department’s new guidelines would have raised it to at least one half cup, which would have cut pizza out because it contains less.

Some congressional supporters say keeping pizza and other poor nutritional choices in cafeterias is the only option, because children won’t eat much else.

The National School Lunch Program is being controlled by bad nutritional habits learned during TV cartoon commercials and trips to McDonald’s? We won’t try to improve because we underestimate our children’s ability to adapt? Or is it just plain corruption that convinced Congress to 4 • The Pine Curtain

not try new school menu options?

Conservatives argue government shouldn’t be allowed to tell schools what children can and cannot eat. They’ve got that wrong: Congress shouldn’t be allowed to regulate what schools can serve to children for lunch.

Think about it—who would you rather take nutritional advice from: a nutritionist or a politician?

Congress should have no power to negate USDA food guidelines, especially when accepting $5.6 million payoff.

Others said the new guidelines would mean higher costs for lunches, many of which are subsidized or free for low-income families. USDA officials have stated, however, the new rules would only add about 14 cents to the cost of each lunch.

Compare that to the money we’ll spend caring for millions of children the American Academy of Pediatrics expects will develop diabetes and heart disease in the near future.

And what of American children?

This example will teach them convenience and cost outweigh the need for good nutrition; the lazy way out is always best; and who needs health when you can make a buck or two?

Stock Photo

School funds create education gap in students

By Chantel Martin Editor in Chief

Opinion

Students are not academically equivalent upon entering college.

About 60 percent of students entering a community college and about 63 percent of students entering a university are placed in developmental course.

When a student enrolls, they may be asked to take several placement tests.

These measure specific academic skills that are essential to a student’s success in college and cover reading, math, writing and sometimes other Photo by Rachel Pratas subjects.

Students attend classes at Robert E. Lee. Some schools in the When a placement test indicates de- district do not have sufficient funds to accommodate students. ficiencies (denotation: shortage, inadtwice the amount in order to provide for their equacy, paucity, scarcity) in particular subjects, a household. Parents do not have time to help stustudent is required to take all necessary courses, dents with homework, attend PTA meetings or in consecutive semesters, without the option of donate extra money for equipment and supplies. dropping or withdrawal.

The students are then left to suffer.

So before an actual degree plan is considered, The negative outlook on the economy can have students are already behind. a negative impact on school and life in general.

But is it the student’s fault?

They may find themselves wondering “what’s the Starting with the state, the issue of budget cuts point?” and lawsuits emphasis that treatment and findA report by the National Association of Manuing are not distributed evenly among students. facturers indicated that six percent of American In larger and more prosperous districts, a student companies expressed dissatisfaction with their may receive more tools while students in smaller workers’ mathematics skills, and 55 percent were and slum areas are given what’s affordable for the dissatisfied with their workers’ written communidistrict. cation skills.

When states cut budgets, the teachers are usuSome of the districts are hoping the lawsuits will ally the first to go. This can lead to a lack of generdecrease the gap in education. If the judge rules al and basic curriculum. The remaining teachers in the favor of the districts, money will be distribmust now pick up the slack, perhaps cut interest uted evenly and more students will be exposed programs and extracurricular that they can no to similar forms of education, accredited teachers longer afford and no longer have the time to proand improved academic programs. vide for students.

This can be something that will help everyone in Schools may now rely on Booster clubs. But with the long run. the economy as-is, most parents have to work Dec. 12, 2011 • 5

“How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains,

T-Bone

Take your average T-bone steak. Carve away the fat and the bone and the little that remains is meat. Take your average politician. Carve away the bluster and rhetoric and you just may find the truth…or not. In our T-Bone, we’ll look at political quotes that make us wonder where the meat is, closely examine their value and grade them just as a meat inspector might grade cuts of beef: Prime, Choice, Standard or Canner. Then we’ll serve it up to you for your consumption.

‘Prime’ Truth: Top shelf—Grade A goodness.

‘Choice’ Truth: Mostly true, depending on the bull it came from.

‘Standard’ Truth: Run of the mill bull—more gristle than fat, less meaty than most.

‘Canner’ Truth: I wouldn’t eat that.

At the Republican presidential debate, Dec. 10 --

“Let’s not forget, only one president has ever cut Medicare for seniors in this country, and it’s Barack Obama.”

--Mitt Romney

We should note that by making this statement, Romney expects us to forget the times he has called for cuts to the program. So assuming what he said is true, if elected he would be the second president to make Medicare cuts?

We think not.

Our research pulled up numerous occasions where presidents cut Medicare to varying degrees.

Former presidents Carter, Reagan and most notably Clinton, among others, made changes to the program to control spending.

Clinton’s Balanced Budget bill cut $112 million in Medicare benefits in 1997.

This quote is Canner grade.

6 • The Pine Curtain

however improbable, must be the truth?”

—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) The Sign of Four.

During a speech in Kansas, Dec. 6 --

“Some billionares have a tax rate as low as 1 percent.”

--President Barack Obama

In a CNBC interview, Dec. 6 --

“We are going to have the candidate of food stamps, the finest food stamp president in the American in history, in Barack Obama.”

--Newt Gingrich Although the number of people on food stamps is the highest it’s ever been, the increase began under the Bush Administration.

Obama took over a failing economy that was in a recession. The recession forced many to seek assistance who hadn’t before.

Granted, many of the president’s measures--like increased elegibility for food stamps--have brought even more recipients into the welfare fold.

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, 26 million people received food stamps in 2007. That number has now risen to 40 million.

That is where we allow Gingrich a point.

Still, to pin responsibility for this on one man is to stretch credibility, given current economic conditions. This quote is Standard grade.

Dec. 12, 2011 • 7

T-Bone

Although this vague “winging-it” statement sounds like something you’d hear at a presidential debate, it was delivered as part of a speech.

We have to wonder if anyone in the Obama Administration researched this claim before throwing it in, because we certainly found very little supporting evidence.

First of all, it was difficult to find a definitive list of billionares; secondly, there are privacy laws protecting people’s tax records.

Each year, the IRS releases statistical data on the top 400 tax filers. The problem is, the list includes those who make at least an adjusted gross income of $110 million. Also, the tax rates are presented in groups of percentages, so although we know that 30 filers on the list had a tax rate of between 0 and 10 percent, we don’t know if it was 1 percent specifically.

Obama should have waited for a debate to use this one, when blind shots are expected--not a speech. This quote is Standard grade.

Texas voters approve seven of ten propositions

News

By Haylee Story and Clay Ihlo Staff Writers Last month, Texas voters approved seven of 10 propositions for amendments to the Texas Constitution.

Since the Texas Constitution was adopted in 1876, it has been amended 474 times, including the seven amendments made at the most recent election.

Voting participation ranged from 5.08-5.35 percent of the nearly 13 million registered voters in the state.

Smith County voter turnout was below the state average, with only 3.5 percent of registered voters participating.

Photos by Haylee Story

Top: Kristi Roberts, League of Women Voters Tyler Chapter president. Bottom: League of Women Voters Tyler chapter holds their monthly board meeting.

8 • The Pine Curtain

Proposition 1: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the Legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran.”

Until this amendment was proposed, property tax exemptions were only granted to disabled veterans themselves, not their spouses.

This amendment allows for the surviving spouse to receive the exemption with the following restrictions: the spouse doesn’t remarry and the property was the home of the spouse when the veteran died.

State Representative Charles “Doc” Anderson, from Waco (District 56) proposed this amendment.

Arguments supporting this amendment claim widowed spouses of disabled veterans endure enough following the death of their loved one and should not have to pay unexpected property taxes upon their death.

Many veterans nearing death also fear for the fate of their families, this exemption would help give them peace of mind.

“Should I die, my wife would be left with a pretty big burden,” said Kenneth Bragg, Vietnam veteran and commander of the Athens chapter of Disabled American Veterans.

Opposition said these tax exemptions would decrease local government revenue generated from property taxes at a time when other areas such as education and health care are under-funded.

Of the 1.7 million Texas veterans, less than 275,000 draw monthly disability compensation.

“The tax exemption doesn’t apply to that many people in the Texas population, so it won’t make a big dent in tax revenue,” said Kristi Roberts, president of League of Women Voters Tyler.

This proposition passed with an 83 percent approval and will take effect January 1, 2012.

Proposition 2: “The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $6 billion at any time outstanding.”

Cities take out low interest loans from the TWDB to fund growing water infrastructure needs as well as other water-related projects.

At its previous capacity, the TWDB had a bonding allowance of only $2 billion, which is argued to no longer be sufficient to support local water needs.

“The current bonding authority will be exhausted in two years,” said Merry Klonower from TWDB. After the harsh drought from summer, “there isn’t a bigger issue in Texas,” Roberts said.

”

With the TWDB’s AAA credit rating, and good history of record management, many voters feel confident in increasing the allowed amount of loans.

“I personally voted for this amendment because the TWDB has never had a default on one of its loans and because there is so much need for updating our infrastructure,” said Mina Johnson, League of Women Voters state water study chair.

This amendment, proposed by State Representative Allan Ritter, from Nederland (District 21), increases the bonding capacity of the TWDB to $6 billion.

On the other side, voters feel that the $4 billion raise is excessive and should be raised and monitored in increments with future votes.

With a small majority, Proposition 2 passed and took effect immediately, 52 percent of voters in favor.

Dec. 12, 2011 • 9

News

“

With a small majority, Prop.

2 passed and took effect immediately, 52 percet of voters in favor.

Proposition 3: “The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of general obligation bonds of the State of Texas to finance educational loans to students.”

The Hinson-Hazlewood College Student Loan Program is a need-based private loan for students requiring more funding than state and federal agencies offer.

Since 1965, voters have approved seven amendments allowing for increases in bonds to fund the HH loan program.

“College students in the East Texas area will, for the most part, not be impacted,” said Annette Morgan, financial aid director at Kilgore College.

Most schools in this area, with the exception of the University of Texas at Tyler, are community colleges and inexpensive.

“A student living in-district [at Kilgore College] can take 12 hours for $636 and an out-of-district student pays only $1,368 for full-time credit,” said Morgan.

With tuition rates in the area being so low, most students don’t need funding from HH, and instead rely on loans from the state and federal offices.

This amendment would allow for additional bonds to be issued to the program for student loans without having to continually hold votes to amend the constitution.

Those in favor of the amendment argue that since the HH loan program has a history of being self-supported by loan repayments and does not rely on tax dollars, it will not count against the state debt cap.

The opposition claims that the bonds are ultimately an obligation of the state, and could possibly increase state debt, should they default due to poor economy.

State Representative Dan Branch, from Dallas (District 108), proposed the amendment.

It passed, with 55 percent voter approval and took effect immediately.

News

Proposition 4: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the Legislature to permit a county to issue bonds or notes to finance the development or redevelopment of an unproductive, underdeveloped or blighted area and to pledge for repayment of the bonds or notes increases in ad valorem taxes imposed by the county on property in the area. The amendment does not provide authority for increasing ad valorem tax rates.”

Cities use a policy called “tax increment financing” to fund development or redevelopment of areas within the city.

The development costs are repaid when the property value of the updated areas increase, thus creating more tax revenue.

State Representative Joe C. Pickett, from El Paso (District 79), proposed the amendment under which counties would gain the ability to use this policy on unincorporated areas outside city limits.

Supporters hoped cities and counties could begin working together to reinvest in underdeveloped areas that would increase property value.

Opposition feared the increase in revenue generated from higher property value might create incentive to over-value property during appraisal, and the proposition failed.

While some voters prefer to have more local control, ultimately the decision for redeveloping areas outside city limits was left up to the state.

“Sometimes local control can be more impeding to our rights than at the state level,” said Roberts.

60 percent of voters opposed the amendment.

10 • The Pine Curtain

Proposition 5: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to allow cities or counties to enter into interlocal contracts with other cities or counties without the imposition of a tax or the provision of a sinking fund.”

Because interlocal contracts lasting over a year were seen as debt, the previous legislation required a tax to support any interest acquired as well as a sinking fund of at least two percent.

State Representative Sylvester Turner, from Houston (District 139), proposed an amendment allowing contracts to be made with other cities on longer terms without automatically being considered debt.

Since the contracts could be held for longer than

“

Sometimes local control can be more impeding to our rights than at the state level.

”

one year, a new tax would not be necessary to allow for interest payments, thus saving taxpayers money.

Some voters felt that this amendment would create too much room for local government to acquire debt.

“It allows neighboring communities to accomplish things together, which can save taxpayers money and cut down on project work time,” said Roberts.

Ultimately, voters decided the reduction of costs to taxpayers outweighed the risk for creating debt.

The amendment passed with 58 percent approval, taking effect immediately.

Proposition 7: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities.”

Proposition seven is among one of the three which did not pass. The amendment looked to add El Paso County to a list of 10 counties allowed to issue a bond or levy taxes for the purpose of creating and developing parks.

The possible taxes and bonds associated the proposition only affected citizens of El Paso County.

State Senator Jose Rodriguez, El Paso County, wrote the proposition.

It received all 31 votes in the Senate and all but 13 votes in the House of Representatives.

Voters in El Paso, the two percent which voted, passed the proposition with 53.5 percent approving.

Ross Peavey, a legislative aide for Rodriguez, said he believes a low voter turnout and a misunderstanding of the proposition caused it to fail.

“Most people just saw the word ‘tax’ and voted against it,” Peavey said. “I don’t believe they realized any tax levied would only affect taxpayers in El Paso County.”

Peavey also said some of the 10 counties on the list voted the proposition down, but believes those voters may be unaware their county is already on the approved list.

Those apposed to the proposition believed El Paso leaders did not have enough information on all the dynamics required to create and run a parks district. They also believed sustaining the local economy is a more imperative issue than a regional park district.

Dec. 12, 2011 • 11

News

Proposition 6: “The constitutional amendment clarifying references to the permanent school fund, allowing the General Land Office to distribute revenue from permanent school fund land or other properties to the available school fund to provide additional funding for public education, and providing for an increase in the market value of the permanent school fund for the purpose of allowing increased distributions from the available school fund.”

Texas voters approved proposition six. The amendment will increase money available from the permanent school fund each year and clarifies its references in the state’s constitution.

Under this new amendment, the General Land Office will be allowed to transfer up to $300 million each year to the “Permanent School Fund.” Only revenue or interests drawn from the fund’s investments are allowed to be used, with the principle amount staying intact.

Leah Filzow-Perez, with Texas Parent Teacher Association, said the proposition allows some districts to receive more funding. The additional money will hopefully make up for the $4 billion budget cut made by the Texas Legislature, she said.

However, Filzow-Perez said the proposition could mean some districts lose vital funding in the future.

“Although it would bring additional funding for school districts now, it would authorize the state not to provide vital funding towards education in the future,” she said. “Since this was an amendment to the state’s constitution, it is an issue that is interpreted differently depending on the political perspectives and one that also divides our members depending on their own perspectives.”

Proposition 8: “The constitutional amendment providing for the appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes of open-space land devoted to water-stewardship purposes on the basis of its productive capacity.”

Texas voters also did not approve proposition eight on the ballot this past November. The amendment would tax open-spaced land for water-stewardship based on its production. It only applied to land already appraised for open-land use.

News

“

We are beginning to question our view on water and now asking ourselves if it is a commodity or a resource.

”

The proposition also would have created an association with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to control brush areas to increase stream flow and groundwater storage. The land management also would begin projects to reuse water in wetland areas and control areas of erosion.

Roberts said there were many questions about both water propositions on the ballot, and she believes it did not pass because of the questions people still have on the state’s water issue.

“The water issues were a big discussion,” Roberts said. “We are beginning to question our view on water and now asking ourselves if it is a commodity or a resource.”

Roberts said because of the recent drought people throughout the state are viewing water as a commodity for the first time and looking for any alternative to manage our water resources Opposition, before the election, to the proposition took the drought into affect and believed it would not change the current actions farmers and ranchers.

12 • The Pine Curtain

Proposition 9: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the governor to grant a pardon to a person who successfully completes a term of deferred adjudication community supervision.”

Roberts said there was not much debate within Tyler’s League of Women Voters on proposition nine, and called the amendment “very cut and dry.”

Someone who is charged with a non-violent can ask a judge to allow for a deferred adjudication, to prevent a prison sentence. Before this proposition, the judge was the sole person allowed to pardon someone after they have completed the deferred sentence.

This amendment will give the governor the ability to pardon that same person, in the same he he/she may pardon a convicted felon. Just like all pardons, the governor must first receive a recommendation from the Parole Board.

If someone is given a gubernatorial pardon, however, their criminal history records stay, which could later prohibit them from receiving employment, housing or school admission.

Proposition 10: “The constitutional amendment to change the length of the unexpired term that causes the automatic resignation of certain elected county or district officeholders if they become candidates for another office.”

In 1958 certain county and district offices were changed from two to four years. With that change, an official was allowed to file for a different office election without resigning immediately, but given a year before begin forced to do so. This meant an official may file for office by the deadline, January 1, of the same calendar year and have income while campaigning.

However, Senate Bill 100 changed the filing date from Jan. 1 to the second Monday in December.

Proposition 10 compensates for that and allows an official an extra 30 days before resignation.

“It’s a catch-22,” Roberts said. “You want people running for another office to remain focused on the position they currently hold, but people need to remember it takes money to run a campaign.”

News

project and $tate propositions

Dec. 12, 2011 • 13

what is the fate of yo story by: jasmine smith-cobb, chantel martin, jeff wright

Opinion

art by: chantel martin

14 • The Pine Curtain

our child’s education?

News Dec. 12, 2011 • 15

School districts sue state for unconstituti The Texas Taxpayer and Student Fairness Coalition claims the state’s public school finance system is unconstitutional and unfair in the treatment of taxpayers and students.

The organizations have filed a lawsuit in which over 300 school districts, out of the 1,024 in the state of Texas, have joined.

Within 20 years, this will be the eighth time the state has been involved in a school finance system lawsuit.

“We are reacting now because the legis-

Special Report

“

make it more fair,” Equity Center Director of Communication Lauren Cook said.

Currently, the state average in total revenue per student is about $5,700, and any funding received below that amount is defined as a below average school district.

“Some districts in the state are receiving less than $5,000 per student, while others are receiving more than $10,000 per student and every amount in between,” she said.

The legislature has had several opportunities to make changes to the school finance system to make it more fair.

”

lature has had several opportunities over Bullard Independent school district the past two to three sessions to make is funded below the average level receivchanges to the structures and the fund- ing about $5,000 per student. ing level to the school finance system to “Our board voted to join based on the fact that the legislature has continued to fund property poor school districts such as ours in an inequitable manner,” Bullard Independent School District Superintendent Keith Bryant said.

Though they are a considered to be below average, Tyler Independent School District is still being taxed at a higher rate because of the value of the school’s property.

“Because of the city’s property wealth, we are provided with fewer dollars,” TISD Superintendent Randy Reid said. “There TISD School Finance Report are a lot of districts that receive fewer dollars per child than in other districts in the 16 • The Pine Curtain

ionality, unfair treatment

Texas public school districts receive state funding to help with maintenance, programs, construction, transportation, salaries, etc.

However, the state uses a complex formula to determine how much money a district is going to receive (depending if a district chooses a Tier I entitlement, Tier II Entitlement or Revenue at the Compressed Tax Rate). The state also uses another formula to determine how much each district must raise on its own. These two numbers equal the amount of funding a district receives. And since a majority chooses a Tier I Entitlement, that formula will be further explained along with how districts equalize wealth.

Tier I Entitlement

$

Local Fund Assignment Equalizing Wealth

$

Dec. 12, 2011 • 17

Special Report

state. We want to try to fix the system.”

Jacksonville ISD currently receives about $8,000 per student. JISD Superintendent Dr. Joe Wardell said it’s all about everyone receiving the same amount, regardless of what they receive now.

“It’s not that we feel that it’s unfair for other districts to receive the amount they receive,” Wardell said. “It’s just that we should receive the same.”

Suzanne Marchman, from the Texas Education Agency, said the Legislature taxes school districts based on the tax values, property values of local districts and weighted funding.

Weighted funding is based on average daily attendance.

Students with added weight, students that are at an economic disadvantage, generate more money for the district.

“There is a law in the books that has been referred as Robin Hood,” Machman said. “Property-rich school districts are required to either share money with poorer districts or send a portion of their money back to the state to be distributed to districts that are property-poor.”

In the TT and FSC original petition, the coalition wrote that the taxpayers in low wealth districts, who are willing to tax themselves at the highest rates allowed, are unable to access the same dollars for education as taxpayers in high wealth districts who tax themselves at a lower rate.

“Carthage ISD can tax at a lower rate and provide buildings and we can’t,” said Wardell. “It’s unfair to taxpayers.”

Nacogdoches ISD acquired the maximum $1.17 tax rate and received $5,487 per WADA while Eanes ISD adopted $1.04 tax rate and received $6,881. Because of the 13 cent difference, Nacogdoches ISD was rewarded with $10 million fewer dollars than Eanes ISD.

Austin ISD adopted the $1.00 tax rate in 2010-

School Funding Breakdown $$

Special Report

11 and was funded $6,100. Fort Worth ISD adopted the same tax rate and received $5,100. With a $1,000 difference in budget, Austin ISD as provided with $100 million more per year than Fort Worth.

Taxpayer Chip Langston, who owns property in Kaufman ISD is taxed $1.17 and raised $6,192. A taxpayer in Lovejoy ISD, the next county, is taxed $1.06 and raised $7,969. Although Langston is paying higher taxes, the Lovejoy taxpayer is receiving 30 percent more revenue.

This difference has caused the coalition to sue the Texas Commissioner of Education, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the State Board of Education and the Texas Education Agency on the topics of state property tax, adequacy and/or sustainability, target revenue is irrational, student equity, taxpayer equity and equal protection.

Target revenue is the plan legislators passed in 2006. It was planned as a temporary fix for the old financial formulas schools used to determine budget.

“Six years later, the measures still in place,” Wardell said.

Over the years, inflation and rise in costs have seen school districts cutting money back designated for things like playground equipment and in-school facilities.

Schools are using a 2006 formula for a 2011 budget.

And without sufficient funding, below average school districts are not equipped to meet the standards that schools are expected to meet with inequi-

18 • The Pine Curtain

table funding.

“We are required to educate students at a very high level by a new accountability system that, but yet studies show districts aren’t being funded to that level,” said Bryant.

Cook said the recent budget cuts have also added to the defense of the plaintiff’s in the lawsuit.

“Low-funded districts have had a more difficult time with the extra cuts,” she said. “These limit resources for some districts and cause an education gap.”

Haynes and Boone, LLP is taking the case for the wealthiest school districts in the state. Mark Trachtenberg is a partner at the firm, and says even the wealthy districts believe in fairness.

“There’s absolutely no logic as to how school funding is set up,” Trachtenberg said. “There’s no question that the legislative actions had a serious, harmful effect on public education.”

Since students are expected to meet the standard requirements when attending a state college, the limited funds, resources and lack of programs will put students in poorer districts at a disadvantage in school and in the workplace.

“Students are unprepared and teachers are resigning because of this,” she said. “It’s about fairness, money and the students.”

“Instead of cutting from the richer school districts, which would’ve gotten us closer to everyone else, everyone got cut together,” Wardell said.

The TEA is currently preparing for

TIER I ENTITLTLEMENT

DCR = districts 2005M&O tax rate * 0.6667 (state compression percentage) For example: $1.00 (DCR) = $1.50 (2005 M&O tax rate) * 0.6667 ADA is a calculation of the number of students and their attendance: A simple calculation can be found by adding the number of students who are in attendance each day of the school year for the entire school year and then dividing that number by the number of instructional days in the school year.

After adjustments are made, this becomes the districts Adjusted Allotment (AA).

To see how much each district receives for regular education allotment(basic education), the district’s AAis multiplied by the district’s number of students in ADA who are not receiving special education services or career and technical education.

AA x regular education ADA = regular education allotment

Dec. 12, 2011 • 19

Special Report

the case even though the primary responsibility of the agency is to distribute funds.

“I understand the districts feel as if there is a disparity in the amount each receives, which is why we have to defend ourselves in court,” Marchman said. “Some of the schools are the same size and have similar demographics but the way the formulas work out, and funding laws, they see it as unfair.”

The Legislators are required to pass the laws that determine how funds are distributed.

Marchman said the TEA is caught in the middle and the suing of the TEA is a way to get the Legislature’s attention.

“Our agency implements what’s passed in law so it’s not our decision to make, nor is it our place to do anything about it,” she said. “Once it’s been passed it’s our obligation to enforce that law.

But if the court rules in their favor the Legislature will pass a new law and we will enforce it. Until then we will continue to distribute funds as required.”

The Legislature Branch Appropriations Articles 3 Committee for Education has been contacted for an interview but has yet to respond. Marchman said the branch most likely will not intervene until the judge has ruled.

The lawsuit was filed October 10. A court date has not been set.

Locally, 23 districts have joined the coalition including Bullard, Chapel Hill and Winona.

Litigation talking points for the case will include why a lawsuit is necessary, why must equity be a key component of school finance litigation and what outcome will a lawsuit seek: to achieve a funding system that treats all Texas children and taxpayers fairly and the Texas Legislature has failed to fund public schools in an efficient, equitable and adequate manner, as required by the Texas Constitution.

A majority of Texas school districts receive a Tier I Entitlement:(several allowances for regular basic education, special education, career and technical education, bilingual education, transportation, instructional facilities, etc.)

Basic Allotment (allowance) and ADA (average daily attendance) are used to calculate a district’s Tier I Entitlement.

The basic allotment for a district is determined by a tax relief/compressed tax rate (DCR) established in 2006:

TISD plans to expand, renovate schools

Special Report

By Irving Marmolejo & Rachel Pratas Staff Writers An upcoming influx of about 2,500 students at Tyler Independent School District prompted a nine-year, $450 million school expansion project, which the board approved last month.

The plan is currently set to be finished by 2020 and includes: building a new high school for Robert E. Lee while re-purposing the current location as a middle school, upgrading the facilities at John Tyler, upgrading middle school facilities, creating four to six intermediate schools, replacing Rice and Dixie Elementary Schools and building an Advanced Technology & Career Center.

Total cost is estimated between $450 million and $475 million.

“Currently we could do about $150 million without raising taxes at all,” said TISD Superintendent Randy Reid, who’s hoping for final approval of the plan by late January.

Once Tyler approves, bids will be taken from architectural and construction firms to pick the ones best suited for the heavy undertaking.

“We are trying to make sure we have a lot of community input as we go through the process. We have done community meetings, and the meetings are open discussion,” Reid said.

Most of the elementary schools would not require a major expansion or repair because in the last couple of years elementary schools have been remodeled or constructed.

Only Dixie and Rice Elementary Schools would be replaced by new buildings.

Tim Loper, director of facility services for TISD, said the Dixie Elementary site, with 29 acres, has enough space to build a new school behind the old one. The new building would 20 • The Pine Curtain

be for pre-kindergarten through fourth-grade students.

He said the extra space could then be used to build an intermediate school which would house fifth and sixth graders.

Since there isn’t enough space to build a new school at the current Rice Elementary location, additional property would need to be purchased, Loper said. The new building would either be pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, or a fifth and sixth grade center.

TISD is hoping to implement four to six intermediate schools that will house fifth and sixth graders.

“Instructionally, it gives us an opportunity because we start testing at the state level in science in the fifth grade,” Reid said. “It would allow us to get more science facilities and laboratories.”

Putting fifth and sixth graders together will also allow for a stronger focus on this pre-teen group of students.

“It enables us to really focus on their needs,” Reid said. “There are a lot of things going on with the kids from an adolescent standpoint that makes this a nice grouping.”

Placing fifth and sixth graders into a separate facility will ultimately provide room for growth in the elementary schools and more programming opportunities for the middle schools.

The long range plan suggests that building five intermediate schools on current sites will cost approximately $100 million.

TISD is also proposing to improve the middle school facilities, to provide space for more science labs, computer labs, libraries and specialized departments.

School officials hope these improvements will help increase test scores. “(We are) trying to encourage a higher per-

LOCAL FUND ASSIGNEMNT However, a district is also responsible for coming up with a portion of the Tier I entitlement. This is called the Local Fund Assignment (LFA).

The LFA is the amount of tax collections generated by assessing the DCR or a tax rate of $1.00, whichever is lower, for each $100 of property valuation, using the previous school year’s property values.

The total Tier I entitlement- LFA=the state’s share of the Tier I entitlement.

Alice Taylor’s 1st Grade Class-Dixie

Option 3 requires a district to reduce its wealth by sending money to the state.

These funds are used to help finance the FSP payments that are made to propertypoor school districts.

Robin Litz enberger ’s 2nd Gr ade Class- Ric e

Option 4 requires a district to reduce its wealth by agreeing to send money directly to one or more property-poor districts.

photos by Rachel Pratas

Dec. 12, 2011 • 21

Special Report

’s Math Nathan Nordin Class-REL

EQULAIZE WEALTH How does a district equalize wealth?

A district has five options available to reduce its property wealth per WADA (weighted average daily attendance).

The district may choose to — Option 1: Consolidate with another district Option 2: Detach property Option 3: Purchase attendance credits from the state Option 4: Contract to educate nonresident students from a partner district Option 5: Consolidate tax bases with another district

Special Report

centage of our kids to go through more academically rigorous courses, to go to more preadvance placement level courses and college preparatory work at the seventh and eighth level,” Reid said.

One of the many objectives for the long range plan at the middle school level is to balance the enrollment.

Two of the six middle schools have more students than their current capacity.

Another goal is to get rid of portables on school campuses.

TISD is currently using 117 portable buildings. Loper said if the plan is fully implemented they’ll be gone by the year 2020.

Among the several academic initiatives the high school expansion is the most ambitious.

“The plan includes a new high school for Robert E. Lee at a new site, as well as a new high school at John Tyler’s current site,” Loper said.

Robert E. Lee leads the major projects in the education system in Tyler.

The traffic in the area where Robert E. Lee High School is situated has led the education authorities to consider a new location.

“What we are proposing for Robert E. Lee is to purchase a new piece of property and build it somewhere else because that corner where it sits is very congested,” Reid said.

The district could use money left over from a 2009 bond to purchase land for the new high school, he added. “This money gives us the opportunity to make some pre-designs, because it will take six or eight months to design a high school.”

The current Robert E. Lee site will serve as a seventh and eighth grade center.

Some buildings will be preserved, such as the auditorium, the fine arts buildings and part of the gymnasium.

“We don’t necessarily have to connect the auditorium, but use it as a location for special 22 • The Pine Curtain

events because frankly it is a large auditorium for seventh and eighth graders. If we can utilize it there is no sense in tearing it down. It just saves dollars,” Loper said.

John Tyler’s location, unlike that of Robert E. Lee, gives the chance to construct and maneuver without disturbing academic education.

“We would save some of the pieces like the gym and some of the athletic facilities areas that are in pretty good shape, but tear down the oldest portion of the building to create a new school,” Reid said.

The new facilities on both high schools would be better structured and divided to implement new programs for high school students. These new facilities will include freshmen centers.

The centers will help ninth graders adjust socially and educationally to high school and provide instructors with the ability to keep a close eye on the freshmen as a group.

“

What we are proposing for Robert E. Lee is to build it somewhere else because that corner where it sits is very congested

”

“What we intend for our construction process is to identify specific portions of the new facilities that will house predominately the ninth grade courses and students, so we will be creating a freshmen center within the two high schools,” Loper said.

Also new to TISD will be an Advanced Technology & Career Center (ATCC) aimed at high school juniors and seniors.

Career centers have been implemented across the state in larger school districts such as Frisco, Grand Prairie and Denton.

By opening a career center, TISD administra-

KEY TERMS: • The Foundation School Program (FSP) establishes the amount of funding Texas public school districts receive. In other words, the FSP does all the calculations for a Tier I Entitlement, a Tier II Entitlement and Revenues at Compressed tax rates. They also determine how much is sent to property-poor districts.

• The Texas Education Agency (TEA) enforces and distributes that money. By law, they are required to disperse funds determined by the FSP. • Summary of Finances (SOF) is a district’s aid and funding report. It includes information such as the number of students in ADA and WADA, the number of students making up special student populations, property values, tax rates, and tax collection amounts. The SOF also describes the Tier I entitlement, the Tier II allotment, and a variety of other FSP allotments, including facilities allotments, if any).See a particular district’s SOF. • What Is Tier II? Tier II provides a "guaranteed yield," or guaranteed level of funding, to school districts tosupplement the basic funding provided for by Tier I. The guaranteed yield ensures thatschool districts will generate a specified amount of state and local funds per student in weighted average daily attendance (WADA) for each cent of tax effort above the tax effort required to meet the LFA, up to an amount set by statute.

To get a more detailed breakdown of school funding or to get more information on other aid plans visit the Texas Education Agency Office of School Finan

Dec. 12, 2011 • 23

Special Report

tors hope to lower the drop-out rate.

The ATCC is designed to offer college preparatory courses in a number of programs including health science and technology, legal and protective services, engineering and many others.

Classrooms will be built to specifically cater to the needs of the students in each particular program.

“There will be a classroom set up like a hospital room where the kids will be able to go and actually learn patient care and microbiology, high level course work,” Reid said.

The high schools have been making the best of their space but are in need of a new facility that can house and properly train students in their expected careers.

“We have a big culinary arts program at both of the high schools right now but their facilities are not very good,” Reid said. “In this new facility, there will be a working restaurant to teach them the concepts of not only the cooking, but the running and owning of a restaurant.”

The ATCC will operate as a separate campus, with enough space for students from both high schools as well as a predicted third and fourth high school as Tyler continues to grow.

“The building itself will be able to house about 1,000 students, but they won’t all be there at the same time,” Reid said. “We anticipate that at one time we could have 400 to 500 students.”

The primary objective for the career center is to prepare graduates for higher education and for current and future jobs.

The estimated cost of the Advanced Technology & Career Center is $64 million.

According to TISD the new plan will not increase transportation and operating costs any more than expected with normal population growth.

“We don’t anticipate that at the end of the day we are going to have a large amount of additional transportation because we are transporting our kids right now to six different middle schools and two different highs schools,” Reid said.

According to administrators, the district is also not expecting to hire many more teachers or personnel, planning instead to pull them into the new facilitis.

TEA ranks schools’ academics, Tyler academically unaaceptable

By Kelley Connor Managing Editor

Special Report

If your teenager’s report card grades were “academically unacceptable,” you’d probably think twice before buying him that car he’s been asking for.

Tyler Independent School District, which will be asking for $450 million in tax and bond money to fund a major school expansion project, has four schools with unacceptable grades.

The Texas Education Agency released its Public Education Grant List Dec. 9. The list ranks Texas schools academically, providing a three-year look at each school’s performance.

TISD schools on the list are John Tyler and Robert E. Lee High Schools and Dogan and Hogg Middle Schools.

District officials say they are aware of the challenges facing them and are making changes accordingly. Thus, the added space and upgraded technology aren’t the only improvements coming to TISD schools.

Changes include extended learning days and double blocks of math.

Officials indeed seem to be on the right track. Maybe they should stick to academic changes first until learning improves.

Although a new Technology and Career Center would benefit students by preparing them for jobs or higher education, how will it help raise test scores?

New computer labs may enhance students’ technological savvy, but will they add to their knowledge of math and science (where Tyler schools are weakest)?

Parents of students at these schools will get a chance to transfer their children out to other schools or districts next year.

So what officials are saying is TISD hasn’t provided the education it has been paid to provide—and they’re asking for more?

Before that $450 million bill ends up on our tab, we need to ask officials what they plan to do to improve test scores, not just cosmetics.

24 • The Pine Curtain

The many lives of Sir Dustin D’Grey the faire is the most important knight Sir Dustin D’Grey, a knight and a jouster character played by Dustin Stephens.

Sir Dustin D’Grey is only one of the multiple occupations in Dustin Stephens’ life.

Stephens is also a husband, father, grandfather as well as a vendor, coordinator, owner and founder of the Four Winds Faire.

Founding the Four Winds Renaissance Faire Four Winds faire takes every visitor back in time and brings the Renaissance era to East Texas.

Whitehouse faire is home of one of the biggest jousting competitions in the region during the Renaissance festival.

“

We have many women in belly dancing that are from different ethnic groups and religions.

”

In a festival weekend the Four Winds Faire would have 750 to 2,000 visitors.

The faire is almost 20 years old and it keeps expanding every year.

Everything started as a fascination and love for history by a young Dustin Stephens.

As a teenager Stephens was fascinated with the renaissance history and especially with knights.

“When I was seventeen years old I went to the first Renaissance faire in Texas and just fell in love and became interested in medieval history”, said Stephens.

Its passion grew as years passed by.

After getting out of the Navy, Stephens went to the University of Texas at Tyler to study history. He learned more about medieval times and renaissance faires.

Dec. 12, 2011 • 25

Features

By Irving Marmolejo Staff Writer His blue eyes look through the shiny helmet.

The sweat running over his face is covered by the helmet he wears, completely covering his head, but for a tiny hole where he can look at his opponent.

The fifteen pound lance is firmly held by his right hand and lightly laying on his left arm, the same hand holding the shield.

The green shield with a golden dragon on the middle represents Sir Dustin D’Grey.

He looks ready and confident, confidence earned by the screams and cheers of his admirers.

It appears the horse shares his rider’s emotions, breathing heavily, looking forward andgetting ready to spring in the moment he receives the signal from his rider.

The sound from the whistle fills the air the signal for both jousters to charge against each other.

Sir Dustin gives the characteristic signal to his horse.

The dark brown horse springs with agility and stamina. Like a war horse it increases his velocity at the last moment to provide a devastating force.

Both warriors try to keep stability on their shield while aiming to give a precise strike to unhorse his opponent.

A unanimous silence occupies the arena while the audience pay, close attention to the jousters.

The collision leaves broken airborne fragments of the lances and a rider still on his horse celebrating with his audience.

The other rider lays on the ground shocked by the full contact from the lance on his shield.

Throughout eight consecutive weeks jousters’ competitions are the main attraction at the Four Winds Renaissance Faire (www.fourwindsfaire. com).

Among the warriors who fight for the honor of

Features

phens.

Because of this Stephens decided to start a renaissance faire in a property owned by his family.

Stephens’ family has owned acres of property for many years, and after years dedicated to the entertainment business, Stephens finally decided to create in it a renaissance faire.

Some of the property owned by his family is now the Four Winds Renaissance Faire.

For the last 17 years vendors, knights, belly dancers, and art lovers have made the Four Winds Faire their home.

This unusual, cultural and historical event comes to reality every April because of one man’s fascination.

Life as a Family Man Dustin Stephens lives his passion every time he puts on his armor, grabs his shield and sword, and goes out to the field ready to fight.

When he goes home he takes that love for the faire with him and shares it with his family.

Stephens has dedicated most of his life to his passion about medieval times. Part of his family also share the same excitement about knights, one of them is his daughter.

Leah Thompson is Stephens’s choreographer, and along with his father, fights and trains at the faire.

“My daughter and I both have permits Photos by Haylee Story to teach and instruct professional fightSir Dustin D’Grey performs his jousting routine in his backyard ing. Her stage name is Lady Bronwyn on his horse Samson. Dustin is the founder of the Four Winds and she is my choreographer for every Reinassance Faire. show,” said Stephens “We don’t have many activities around where According to Stephens’s wife, Kristin families can enjoy and at the same time learn Stephens, the involvement in the fair is part of about history in an interactive way,” said Ste- what brings the family together.

26 • The Pine Curtain

structure.

Years later they came back during New Years Eve bust down the recently renovated gate. They got into a shed and stole tools, paint thinner and all the gas they could find. They pour all the walls of the tower with gas and set it on fire.

The fire fighters arrive and because of the material use to construct the structure they could not completely put out the fire until it consumed by itself after three days.

“The sad thing is that this incident affected part of our show for five or six years. The tower was a jumping platform for sword fighters. We had a good 12 foot down fall,” said Stephens.

One of the many problems that the renaissance faire faced was with religion groups and churches.

“There are many people who try to relate us to paganism, devil worshiping and those type of things,” said Stephens.

According to Stephens churches have join them is several activities and some have change their opinion about the faire. The Four Winds Faire has organized shows specially dedicated to churches as a medium to build a better relationship with religious groups.

“Activities with churches are really important to us to build tolerance, acceptance and respect among young generations in the community,” said Stephens Sir Dustin D’Grey Scars, open wounds, broken bones, injuries or bruises are shown by Sir Dustin as a medal or a probe of the many years Stephens have perform the character that change his life.

During his twenties Stephens started to practice jousting in a more professional matter and after years performing at fairs he created the character Sir Dustin D’Grey.

“My dad was a rodeo clown and I playground the circus when it first came to Tyler. It was not a matter of likening or wanting to be a performer it Dec. 12, 2011 • 27

Features

The faire has being of such importance in their marriage and lives that they decide to renew their vows on the fair’s ground.

A special ceremony was held to share their joy with the rest of the family and every person who is part of the Four Winds Faire.

The royalty, knights, belly dancers, princesses, pirates, servants and vendors in their costumes were among the guests. Their weeding was the first at the faire.

Now they offer wedding service to everyone who wants to have a special, singular and unique wedding.

“Before I got married I had never been at a renaissance fair but when I meet my husband it was a package deal. That is how I got involve in the faire as a business and as my husband passion, now is a family time,” said Kristin Stephens.

Stephens and his family have share good moments that the faire has bring to their lives as well they had to face as a family the disputes and dangers of owning the fair.

Criticism and financial problems were not the only obstacles that Stephens and his family had to face to keep the faire running year after year.

Even with growing numbers of visitors every year local neighbors complain and criticize the faire. Most of the neighbors that don’t like to have a renaissance faire close to their home don’t complain and show tolerance.

Some others criticize the faire their statements are excessive noise, drug abuse and traffic alteration during festivals.

“Too much noise alcohol and disorder, I can stand it,” said a neighbor.

Few others have try to take their own complains into their own hands.

According to Stephens a group of vandals and local neighbors who did not liked the faire came in the middle of the night to the faire grounds.

Attaching a telephone pole to a four wheeler they try to tear it down, but could not destroy the

Features

Champion.

Sir Dustin still competes in championships on states like New Mexico, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Ohio.

Its professionalism has taken Sir Dustin beyond frontiers. Couple of years ago Stephens and others jousters were invited to one of the fist jousting competitions in Mexico.

Dustin Stephens and Thom Barnet went to Santa Maria Regla to represent the Four Wind Renaissance Faire. Barnet is a knight and a jouster, who plays Captain Thom Bedlam at Four Winds.

“We when to Santa Maria Regla up in the mountains three hours north Mexico City to make the first medieval fair and jousting competition in Mexico,” said Stephens.

Captain Thom Bedlam is one of the characters along Sir Dustin that bring life to the faire every year.

Barnet was also one of the first fighters and jousters at Medieval Times before he decide to join Stephens at the faire.

“This May will be my fifth season which I have

28 • The Pine Curtain

enjoyed. We use lances, swords, spears it depends on which game we are doing at the time we could be slicing apples, using a lance to nail each other or a spear to stab targets,” said Barnet.

Sir Dustin was pick among the best jousters in the country to participate in November’s new reality shows at National Geographic (nationalgeographic.com). The show is called the Knights of Mayhem (www.knightsofmayhem.com)and it follows professional jousters who train and compete for the jouster championship.

“The competition let me with two broken ribs and injured my elbow. I come up in the second episode,” said Stephens.

Stephens have in every area of his life a space for his faire and beyond difficulties, age and modern life he will always keep being Sir Dustin D’Grey.

“At fist at was doing it for the money to get enough capital to start my own company to install solar systems to get alternative ways to get electricity, but I start working at the faire and I just fall in love with it and also I like making a place where local families come and have fun,” Stephens.

Pirate brings magic to Renaissance Faire CEO and faire director, and was asked to join.

“We selected Thom as our magician because he was not just a tuxedo performer. He had character and blended well with the type of free form, grass roots show that we were developing,” Stephens said. “He blends in well and can get along with anyone. As with all of the Four Winds cast, he is a candidate for the most interesting and capable men in the world.”

There are major differences between Captain Thom Bedlam and Thom Barnett.

“Thom Barnett is reserved and almost reclusive.

Captain Thom Bedlam is a swaggering life of the party braggart who never met a person who wouldn’t buy him a drink-- or maybe four,” Stephens said.

Ashley Vera has been a fan of renaissance faires since she was a small child. She’s visited Four Winds many times and agrees there is something special about Barnett’s act as Captain Bedlam.

“The pirate magician is one of the best individual acts at the faire,” Vera said.”He is very funny, a good magician and includes the audience. One thing that is really cool and interesting about him is his use of fire in his act.”

Along with being a pirate magician, Barnett has many other talents.

He prefers to sail and lives on his own boat for much of the year, traveling extensively from South America to his native Canada.

“It’s been some of the most serene, but also some of the most scariest moments of my life out there.

Some laundry is not gonna get clean,” Barnett joked.

Barnett also takes part in jousting at Four Winds and other faires.

“I am a jouster. I do light jousting and games and I’ve competed against the best in the world,” he said.

Dec. 12, 2011 • 29

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By Jessica Swink Staff Writer Meet Captain Thom Bedlam.

His hair and beard unkempt, he staggers forward, looking dangerously close to tumbling to the ground. He introduces himself, but his words have a considerable slur to them.

“Even while knighting on horseback, I’ll be the drunken knight, the one that was more likely to fall off the horse than stay on. Think Jack Sparrow, but I can’t be him, that’d be piracy.”

He pauses for effect.

“Captain Thom Bedlam, at your service,” he finishes with a bow.

Bedlam is the resident inebriated pirate magician at the Four Winds Renaissance Faire just south of Tyler.

Behind the character of Thom Bedlam is 47-yearold Thom Barnett.

As quickly as he delved into the character of Thom Bedlam, Barnett returned to normal to explain his pirate magician character in more depth.

“Knighting is all about honor, spirit, heart and courage. It’s about performing when you’re in harm’s way,” he said. “But when I’m in my pirate character, I’m the absolute juxtaposition of that.

I’m just, well, annoying.”

Originally from Canada, Barnett grew up with a sense of adventure and creativity. “I grew up wanting to be a mix of Indiana Jones and Spiderman, and kept on that way,” Barnett said with a laugh.

His sense of exploration and adventure never left him, and Barnett made a living entertaining people across the globe. He’s performed for years in different faires, tours, circuses and festivals, which take him to places like the North Pole, Buenos Aires and Singapore.

He even wrestled alligators for a living for a short time.

Ultimately, he was noticed by Dustin Stephens,

Photos by Chantel Martin

Jousting, new sport for East Texas horses and humans Features

By Chantel Martin Editor in Chief Paintings of horses line the walls of her home, a knight statue is placed in the center of her coffee table and a display of renaissance

miniature figurines rest in the corner of her living room.

To some she is Lady Isabella, a knight at the Four Winds Renais-

30 • The Pine Curtain

sance Faire competing with her trusted horse Apollo. To others she is Bobbie Patterson, owner of Diamond P. Equestrian Center in Longview.

Patterson has been

riding horses since she could walk and training horses for nearly 30 years. Her “pasture puppies” have brought her much joy and they compete together in the IJL (International Jousting

likely four times out of the year. The ladies hope to have it up and running by the end of January or beginning of February.

“We want the event to be interactive,” Dina said.

“One of the things I noticed is that when some performers are done with their shows, they leave.

When we’re done we’re walking in the middle of these people and answering questions and letting them pet the horses because they love the attention.”

There will be period music and displays describing the suits of armor. The ladies have recruited their friends such as Lyn Jenkins who operates the Queen’s carriage at the Four Winds. Jenkins will be available to teach those who can’t ride, how to drive a carriage.

Other guests include Linda Young, a mounted police officer in Houston, Steve Hemphill who is a history buff in regards of the period and Matt Daniels who is now an official Knight of Templar.

What everyone has decided is that they do not want to turn this event into another Renaissance festival.

“We want this to be something different,” Dina said. “Renaissance festivals are fun and enjoyable but they can be expensive and focus on more on the fantasy aspect. This can be something for the people who want to do something different with their horses instead of roping and barrel racing, learn about the different breeds and educate them about the period.”

Dec. 12, 2011 • 31

Features

League) and perform in many festivals.

Throughout her career, Patterson has learned the importance of discipline and chivalry in the sport of jousting; experiences she hopes to instill in others by opening up a clinic for the people and the horses in the East Texas community.

“We’re trying to educate and entertain people by opening up a clinic that is available to the public,” she said. “There is a man who is educating the children in schools in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio about chivalry and kindness and he has been for 15 years. We want to do that, but in the community.”

The idea came to be when a church, New Frontier Cowboy Church, asked Heather Peril and Dina, Patterson’s team members, to raise money for the church’s private school. The two ladies, with help from fellow faire participants, put on a show featuring jousting and their horses that raised $3,000.

The event was a huge success. Over 300 guests attended, making it the largest crowd to ever show up for a church event. People continue to Facebook and ask if there were going to be others.

“I was thinking we could do this more often,” Dina said. “The children loved it and the horses performed beautifully.”

The clinic (a name has yet to be determined) will be a kid and family-friendly event that is open for people of all ages. It will consist of a full day of activities that teach jousting and history, most

Peril has also stated that they do not want the event to feature modern-day jousting; which has a reputation of being a more aggressive form of entertainment and a “beat ‘em up” sport.

She said some even go as to far as to call shows, such as Knights of Mayhem, the UFC of jousting.

“In the past, jousting wasn’t about rankings, it was about getting the scribes to write your name down in the books so you could be remembered for the good deeds that you did,” she said. “It’s great that they’re doing that. But there are different styles of joust. It’s entertaining what you see on TV but it’s not what happens at these games.

The goal is not kill each other. The goal is to score points.”

Peril also said the goal of the clinic, as well as the actual sport of jousting, is to learn chivalry.

“We prefer to maintain a more historically accurate and sportsmanship version,” she said. “When people get knocked off their horses, the games stop and we make sure the knight is OK and his horse is being taken care of. We want people to know that there is a family aspect to this.”

Dina said she wants the audience members to

take what they learned and bring it into their homes and into their everyday lives.

“Please and thank you and overall manners is what we want them to get out of this and we want to instill it back into the schools,” she said.

“They’re taking this home and they’re taking this back to work with them. We want people to know, that in the sport, to care for other people around you and keep everyone in your thoughts because we can’t just go out there and think for ourselves.

We have to think of our horses, the other knight and the other knight’s horse.”

The “chivalry clinic” will offer something for everyone. Mini versions of the sport and games will be offered for children and lessons from Patterson herself will be offered for those who advance through a ranking system and want to compete in the IJL.

“We understand that not everyone has a horse to compete in the games with, but they can come help groom, help a knight or be a squire,” she said. “If you love horses and don’t have the means to one, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it.

There will be something for everyone.”

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Photos by Chantel Martin

Bobbie Patterson is starting a new clinic that teaches anyone how to joust. The clinic will provide a new sport for farmers and their horses and educate the community about the history of the period, armor and weapons used and most importantly, chivalry. She hopes the first clinic will be available early next year.

32 • The Pine Curtain

Dance Your Dreams

Faire brings Middle Eastern flare

By Beck Alleman Staff Writer

Dec. 12, 2011 • 33

Features

Before each performance, Melyone Grant, aka Desdemona, prepares physically and, more importantly, mentally, for the exhausting and intensive show she is about to perform. Is she a singer? Nope. Dancer? Getting warmer. Belly dancer? You got it. Desdemona is the owner of the Dance Your Dreams belly dance studio, responsible for training a number of the bellydancers in the Four Winds Renaissance Faire.

“My job is taxing not just physically, but mentally and actually emotionally as well,” Desdemona said. “Doing something like this is more work than anyone can possibly know.”

Desdemona first acquired a taste for dancing when, at the age of six, she found an album in her parents’ basement titled “Little Egypt presents: How to Belly Dance for your Husband.”

The music on the album was the start of learning the art of Middle Eastern Dance and, eventually, the belly dancing she knows so well today.

“I still have that album framed Photos by Chantel Martin on my studio wall.” Desdemona said.

The belly dancers perform at the Four Winds Renascence Festival. The group even Aside from dancing for the Faire, she is also requested for goes on tour during the off season.

private shows. In particular, many Middle Eastern businessmen request her because they do not want to deal with the politics of hiring a Middle Eastern dancer. She also dances in a group called RAKSZ Middle Eastern Dance, which operates in the Dallas area.

Because of the style of dress and dance, many people associate it with sex.

“A lot of people can’t see past the sexual part of it,” Desdemona said. “But its so much more than that. I don’t even consider it sexual in any way at all.”

Dustin Stephens, director of the Faire, also does not see her dances as sexual at all.

“She is a very accomplished artist though many don’t see the art only the potential erotic angle which is hinted at but never offered” Stephens said.

Desdemona’s dances incorporate many different elements, from tricks, such as flipping a penny off of her stomach, to varying styles of music, such as Middle Eastern dance, and a few elements found in Celtic dance.

This is not to say that Desdemona is a one trick pony, however. She does much more than just dance.

“Desdemona is a comedic actress as well performing her var-

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ious alter ego’s such as She’HairyandOdd Mistress of a Thousand Camels, and Ms. Desy De Moana of the Shite Creek Saloon. Desdemona mixes a wide variety of entertainment in her shows, from comedy to art.” Stephens said.

Watching her in action, it’s easy to see what all the hype is about. Desdemona moves with a kind of speed and grace not usually seen even among belly dancers. Even as a group, they move with cohesiveness and grace.

With all of these kinds of tricks and moves, it takes more than just willpower to succeed, it requires training as well.

“It takes lots of training, mostly aerobic practice before each show, but even on off days I have to stay in shape by doing a series of aerobics and acrobatic training.”

The floundering economy has forced a few cutbacks in Desdemona’s various contacts at the Faire, but it shouldn’t inhibit her dancing at the Faire.

“Desdemona is planning to cut back some this year to save money for the show. We are always striving for a balance between local talent participation and high quality performance.” Stephens said.

Desdemona does not dance alone, however, in any given dance, there are always at least five additional dancers, with differing styles of dance.

“We have many women involved in belly dancing that are from different backgrounds, ethnic groups, and religions,” Desdemona said.

The dancers also drastically differ physically as well. Contrary to what is seen on TV, most of the dancers have plenty of fat which jiggles while they dance, which is used to shake the various jewelry that adorns their bodies. Also unusual is the ages of the dancers. Desdemona herself actually has grandchildren, while one of the dancers is a mere twelve years old.

“As long as you can do the exercises, you can be a dancer,” Desdemona said. “Just because you’re not physically attractive is no barrier.”

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Each dance, Desdemona tries to do something new. Even Stephens, who usually watches her shows each time she appears at the Faire, always sees something new.

“I can’t begin to catalog all the things that Desdemona can do. Every show has something new and unique and she adds new dancers from other troops every weekend.” Stephens said.

Those who train under her get to experience this versatility firsthand.

“She keeps you on your toes,” said Beata Cifuentes, who trained under Desdemona. “Each dance I learn something new.”

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We have many women in belly dancing that are from different ethnic groups and religions.

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Cifuentes believes you can learn about people by the way they dance.

“Just looking at the way people move can tell you everything you need to know about a person,” Cifuentes said. “In [Desdemona’s] case, her moves show how experienced she is. Just the way she moves, despite her age, should tell you all you need to know.”

Desdemona believes each dance should be a learning experience for the dancer, even one as experienced as she.

“Each time I dance, I try to incorporate a unique emotion into it,” she said. “I just think about it while I’m dancing, and my body takes care of the rest. It kind of gives each dance a unique flavor so even if you’ve seen them all, you haven’t really seen them all.”

Desdemona just plays it day by day, and never strays from the Dance Your Dream’s Studio Motto”If we dance true to our spirit, if we dance what is in our hearts, we dance our dreams.”

Art & Life Photos and Graphic Arts

by Chantel Martin

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