Paw Print Press. Community Helps Educate with Playing it Safe Curriculum. Corbitt Awarded UIL Scholarship Press Release

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1 Paw Print Press Proudly Serving Itasca The Big Little Town since 1997 Itasca, Texas Vol Issue #43 October 22, 2010 Community Helps Educate with Playing it Safe Curriculum Reporter Hannah Johnson Photos H. Johnson & E. Orr IISD Middle School and representatives from the Hill County Extension Agency sponsored a Playing It Safe campaign for six graders on September 14. The program was designed to teach students about the importance of safety around electricity, food, chemicals, machines and firearms. Presenting programs for the students were numerous state, county and city personnel and organizations. Hill County Extension Agent Karen Jungman taught the students about the safety of food preparation and and about eating healthy. Texas Game Warden Douglas Volcik presented a program on gun safety and hunting. HILCO employees Chris Thomson, Darrell Sulak, and Joe Marek brought their gear to teach the students about the safety equipment they used and about electricity in the home. One of the main points they made was, If the lines are down, don t hang around! Johnny Walker from Brazos Valley Equipment and Gideon Jennings from Hill County Extension brought watermelons and a big green tractor to teach about farm safety. They did a demonstration on how dangerous tractors can be by driving over the watermelons with the tractor. Continued on page 3. Corbitt Awarded UIL Scholarship Press Release Devin Nicole Corbitt, a 2010 graduate of Itasca High School, has been awarded a scholarship by the Texas Interscholastic League Foundation. Corbitt received the Hexco Incorporated Award in the amount of $1,000. In order to receive this award, the student must have placed first at the UIL Academic State Meet. This year the TILF awarded 368 new scholarships and will renew approximately 233 multi-year awards for a total of 601 scholarships being distributed during the academic year, with value of approximately $1.1 million. Recipients must attend any approved college or university in Texas. Corbitt competed in editorial writing at the 2009 and 10 UIL Academic State Meets where she placed first individually in She also participated in UIL headline writing, ready writing, informative speaking, cross examination debate and band throughout her high school career. Corbitt is attending Southwestern University where she is majoring in English. Hill Regional Hospital Welcomes Orthopaedic Surgeon Press Release As part of its mission to provide comprehensive services, Hill Regional Hospital is pleased to welcome orthopaedic surgeon, Mohammad T. Hashemi, M.D., to its medical staff. We are so excited to expand our scope of services to include orthopaedic surgery, we feel Dr. Hashemi, with his experience and knowledge is a great addition to Hill Regional Hospital and our community, said Jan McClure, CEO, Hill Regional Hospital. Continued on page 3.

2 Page 2 October 22, 2010 Paw Print Press Churches of Itasca Bethlehem Missionary Baptist W. Spurgeon Central Baptist Church 401 E. Monroe Church of Christ 200 N. Aquilla First Baptist Church 107 S. Lamar First Presbyterian Church 106 N. Lamar First United Methodist Main & King St Loveview Baptist Church FM 2959 East of I-35 Second Baptist Church 120 W. Marrion Shiloh Community Church St. John Missionary Baptist 506 S. Weaver rd Day Worship Center 107 E. Adams Itasca Nursing Home Sunday - 10:00 a.m. Everyone Welcome Monday Evening 6:00 p.m. Central Baptist Church 200 E. Monroe St. Sunday School 9:45 Worship 10:50 a.m. Youth (7 th - 12 th grade) 5:00 p.m. Sunday Evening Worship 6:00-7:00 p.m. Tuesday - Ladies Bible Study 6:30 7:30 p.m. Wednesday Adult Bible Study and Prayer 7:00 p.m. Youth (7th-12th) 7:00 p.m. website - itascacbc.org First United Methodist Church 401 E. Main St, Itasca, TX itascaumc@digitex.net APPLICATION PREACHING! Sermons for the REAL WORLD that we live in. What good is a wonderful sermon on Sunday if it cannot be applied to the concerns of your life when Monday morning rolls around? Find the fun, joy, and comfort you were promised. Bring an open heart and mind. Sunday School 9:30 a.m.-10:30 (All ages) Sunday Worship Service 10:50 a.m. Refreshments between Sunday School & Church Services 10:30 a.m. Itasca Church of Christ N. Aquilla St. Light The Night By Being Right! Obey Jesus Become A Nightlighter! Join us for worship at the Itasca Church of Christ All are welcome 303 E. Monroe Sunday 9:45 & 10:45 a.m. Itasca, TX 5:00 p.m Wednesday 7:00 p.m. Second Missionary Baptist Church 120 W. Marrion St. Itasca TX Rev. George Demmerritte Jr. (Pastor) Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Worship 11:00 a.m. Wednesday Bible Study 5:30p.m. 2BC*2 Youth Meeting 6:30-8:00pm Wednesday First Presbyterian Church 106 N. Lamar Itasca itascafpc@sbcglobal.net "In mission to and with the Presbyterian Children s Home to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ." Sundays - 9:30-10:00 Fellowship in Barton Hall 10-10:45 Sunday School 11 a.m. - Worship Service 6 pm Praise/Worship (Sanctuary) 6:30 KFC/Hour of Power Tues. & Thurs. 10 a.m. Exercise Class - Barton Hall Wed. 6:30 Vespers Service Chapel - 7:15 Choir practice ANGEL FOOD SITE Itasca Zoning Committee Meeting 2 nd Monday of Month 6:00 p.m N. Hill St. Itasca City Council Meeting Monday, November 15, :00 p.m. Itasca ISD School Board Meeting Monday, November 8, :00 p.m. Invitation to All Veterans All veterans are urged to contact Betty or Itasca ext. 115 by November 1 to RSVP for the 2010 Veterans Memorial Day Program (November 11) honoring our servicemen, past and current. RSVP is not necessary but the students wish to acknowledge all of the veteran attendees with a certificate and they need the list in order to make the certificates ahead of time. Itasca First United Methodist Church Lord s Acre & Fall Festive October 30 8 a.m. -? Barbeque Sandwich Luncheon, Auction, Crafts, Bake Sale, Rummage Sale Your support will be greatly appreciated! Halloween Trick or Treating on Saturday in Itasca The City has announced that Trick or Treating will be conducted on Saturday night since Halloween falls on Sunday night. Most festivities around the area are also scheduled for Saturday, October 30, 2010 instead of Sunday.

3 Page 3 October 22, 2010 Paw Print Press Playing It Safe Program Continued from page 1 Marty Jungman, Josh Pustejovsky, and Rodney Chronks, employees of Integrated Pest Management brought several common household items that they used to teach the children about signal words that are imprinted on labels such as Caution or Danger. They also impressed the boys and frightened the girls with the poisonous spiders (in sealed containers) as they explained how dangerous they can be. Itasca VFD volunteer firemen Victor Garcia and Chase Koch arrived in a city fire truck and dressed in their fire fighting gear. They explained each type of equipment and demonstrated what to do in case of an emergency involving fire. They also explained ventilation and stressed the need for smoke detectors. The event was headed up by IISD Counselor Grace Hennig to recognize the thousands of people that are hurt each year because they are uneducated about safety procedures. Hopefully this informative event will teach the students about how to protect themselves and families by using the safety measures emphasized by the businesses and professionals who donated their time. Hospital Welcomes Surgeon Continued from page 1 Dr. Hashemi earned his medical degree from St. George University School of Medicine in the West Indies where he was on the Dean s List and the Iota Epsilon Alpha Medical Honor Society. In 2002, he completed a residency in internal medical at the Drexel University in Philadelphia, Penn. He then went on to complete a residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas. In 2009, he earned a fellowship in total joint reconstruction from the Desert Othopaedic Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. I m excited about joining the Hill Regional team and coming to Texas which has always seemed like home to me and my family, said Dr. Hashemi. My commitment is to offer compassion and comprehensive care to our patients. Dr. Hashemi and his wife, Fariba, have two children. He also enjoys a variety of sports including horseback riding, martial arts and loves carpentry. Dr. Hashemi attributes carpentry to his love of medicine as he likes the ability to construct and make things whole again. Dr. Hashemi will be seeing patients at his practice, Hill County Orthopaedics in Hillsboro. Convenient appointments are available for patients. For more information about Dr. Hashemi practice and surgical services or to make an appointment, call Hill County Paw Pals' Appreciation Banquet Silent Auction & 2nd Annual Pet Calendar Premiere 6:30 p.m. Saturday, October 23, 2010 First United Methodist Church in Hillsboro 315 E. Elm St. Hillsboro, TX Cost $15.00/person at door Open Invitation There will be a dedication of a state historical marker at the Eureka Cemetery at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 31 at the cemetery (9 miles north of Hillsboro west of US 81 on FM 3147). In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in Fellowship Hall of First Presbyterian Church, 301 Old Brandon Road, Hillsboro, Texas. Anyone interested in our local history in Hill County is invited. Early Voting October Hill County Courthouse 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Make your voice heard Vote!

4 Page 4 October22, 2010 Paw Print Press Senior Spotlight Dillon John LoScuito Reporter Aren Barton Caricature by Martin Martinez I am my own inspiration, LoScuito said. You can t trust anyone else. I am an independent person and I don t need someone to guide me. I put my family over everything and I don t care about what people think about me. Dillon John LoScuito is the very headstrong son of Kevin and Judy LoScuito. He is a believer in free expression and being independent. He expresses himself in several different ways that let people know that he is distinctively and undeniably original. Tattoos, to me, are freedom of expression, and I love to express myself, I personally have ten tattoos, Dillon said. I also like listening to heavy rap music, especially Z/ro, because it s someone else expressing themselves in ways that I can relate to. It speaks about real stuff, not the trash that Hollywood comes up with. Wherever Dillon is, he always finds ways to express who he is and what he is about. He looks forward to going to college after high school to further learn how to express himself by going to the Art Institute in Fort Worth or the University of Texas San Antonio. When I go to college I want to study game testing and developing, Dillon said. I am really looking forward to college because there, I can focus more on classes that I need for my career. High school hasn t been very important to me, but college is. After college, Dillon has aspirations and is definite about what he wants, down to the paint on the house. I want to get married someday, Dillon said. I want three kids and a white three story house in New Zealand on a cliff overlooking the ocean. High school days have both flown and dragged by for Dillon, but he reports that he has had some good times in high school that have left him with fond memories. My favorite memories from high school were times when, in my junior year, I was in fifth period Art with my friends. We had a lot of fun in that class, Dillon said, but through my experiences I have learned to worry about what s ahead of you, not what s in your past, if you live in the past you ll never move forward. Meet the PPP Artists Reporter Hannah Johnson The caricature and general artists for the Paw Print Press are Martin Martinez and Michelle Ignacz. Martin a junior has been drawing caricatures of seniors, both students and their teacher sponsors for the past three years. I strive to get all of the characteristics of the person that I am drawing, Martin said. Sophomore Michelle Ignacz is Martin s assistant. She is learning so as to be ready to step in next year under Martin s watchful eye. Michelle also draws various assignments and adds her own unique dynamic touch to each drawing. IES Welcomes 1 st Grade Teacher Reporter Hannah Johnson Mrs. Rachel Dyer was welcomed by Itasca Elementary School and eighteen smiling faces in August. She joined the staff as the new first grade teacher. Dyer has been married to her husband Garrett, IHS science teacher for six years and they have two children, six year old son Gabriel and four year old daughter Parisia. Mrs. Dyer graduated from Houston ISD and then continued her education at Baylor University where she majored in economics and ran track for the university. She has taught school for five years, first in the Houston ISD and later in the Waco ISD. I like being able to help children find the joy of learning, Dyer said. I also like showing them the enjoyment of reading and having an education. Camera Found at Homecoming Game A camera was found at the Homecoming Game on October 8. It was turned into the superintendent s office and can be claimed by contacting Norma Merkel at ext 100 and describing the camera (brand and pictures on the camera).

5 Page 5 October 22, 2010 Paw Print Press Cats 0-2 in District Game Bosqueville - 48 Itasca - 24 Sports Reporter David Corbitt The latest team to come and go on the Wampus Cats schedule was the Bosqueville Bulldogs. The Cats came into this game against the cross-district rival Bulldogs with an 0-1 start in district play. The Cats also started this matchup with some fresh faces due to injury, or other special circumstances. Bosqueville started the game strong, ending the first half with 34 points up on the board, against the Cat s 10. However, the Cats came out of the locker-room after halftime ready to play, and started a rally. They played with all the intensity they could muster, and left nothing out on the field. Unfortunately, this spark was too little too late, and the buzzer sounded with the Bulldogs up over the Wampus Cats. The big plus of this game was Jaciel Gutierrez s kicking. He kicked a field goal and two extra points for the Cats. Itasca has not seen this expertise with the foot since we lost our South American wonder two years ago. Despite this loss, the Cats are in a good situation, and optimistic. If they execute like they are capable of and win their next two district games, starting this week with Valley Mills, they will be heading off to the playoffs Varsity Football Overall W 3 L 4 District W 0 L - 2 October 22 *Valley Mills (Sr. Night) Home 7:30 p.m. 29 *Santo Away 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5 Bye *Depicts district games JV Football W 2 L - 5 October 21 Valley Mills Away 5:00 p.m. 28 Santo Home 5:00 p.m Cross Country Schedule October 25 District Santo HS November 6 Regional Vandergriff Park (Arlington) 13 State Round Rock Picture Dates November 15 Marching Band - Group th Retakes - Individual (Pre-K-12 & Staff) January 11 Basketball - Junior High & High School Cheerleaders - Junior High & High School th May 5 Class Groups - (Pre-K-12 ) Buddy or Individual Seniors, Special Booster Honored at Homecoming Game During the Homecoming halftime festivities the IISD Booster Club honored the senior members of the band, football team and cheerleader squad. They also honored a very special IISD Booster Club member. Lupe Carranza has been a booster club member for many years and in September, 2008 he was featured as a Wampus Cat of the Week for his dedication to the Club and the students of IISD. Lupe who has two children who attend school in the district, Hali (senior) and Casey (freshman) has been diagnosed with cancer and the booster club, students, parents and the school district wanted to publicly express their gratitude for all of the time and work he has given to the school and community. (Lupe is pictured with his daughter Hali and her mother Christie and step-dad Mark Fehnel). See page 8 for pictures of seniors. Benefit Dance for Lupe Carranza Friday, October 22 Curry Building-Itasca 7:00 p.m. - midnight DJ Larry D & DJ Joe C & El Conjunto Baraja De Oro (Featuring Itasca s own Chris Rivera) $5.00 per person

6 Page 6 October 22, 2010 Paw Print Press IISD Accepting CATS Nominations Press Release Campuses in the Itasca ISD will be accepting nominations for placement into the CATS Program, the district s gifted and talented program. Nominations will be accepted from students, parents, teachers and other interested persons. To nominate a student in grades one through twelve for the CATS program, please pick up a nomination packet from any of the campus offices from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm. All packets must be completed and returned to the campus office by Friday, November 12. Nomination of a student does not insure placement into the program. Nomination just insures that the student will have the opportunity to be screened for placement into the program. To be placed into the CATS program, the G/T screening committee on each campus will review at least three criteria collected on each nominated students and determine if placement into the G/T program will benefit that student. Parents will be notified of all placement decisions during the late spring. Nomination for kindergarten students are not accepted as all kindergarten students are automatically screened. Anyone with specific questions about the CATS program may contact Amy Reyna (254) ext 150 for further questions. IHOP Sponsors Dine for the Paws Press Release Recently IHOP Restaurant in Hillsboro hosted Dine for the Paws where a portion of diners meal cost was donated to Hill County Paw Pals. Pictured are Jon Dyess, IHOP manager, presenting $ to Denny Dutton, Paw Pals volunteer. Dine for the Paws was a community oriented project hosted by IHOP to helped raise funds while bringing attention to Paw Pals mission. Paw Pals was able to display an informational poster and brochures for the entire month of May where thousands of people had a chance to view. Paw Pals represents a group of citizens who organized 8 years ago with goals that include facilitating the installation of a much needed proactive County Animal Control Program to become an essential part in correcting Hill County s horrific pet overpopulation issue. Within Paw Pals goals is building a supporting animal shelter where construction started last month at 1500 South Abbott Avenue in Hillsboro by David Russell Construction Company. For more information about Paw Pals, please visit or call (254) While at our website, please link to our Facebook page and view progressive construction pictures along with other fun-filled informational activities and upcoming events. 5 th & 6 th Grade Poems Recently Ms. Carissa Helke s 5 th & 6 th grade English classes studied a unit on poetry and they wrote their own using alliteration. Over the next several weeks we will print these poems with permission. A turquoise turtle tasted two tiny tamales while telling three tigers about when he took a tiny terrible toddler to Terrell, Texas after he tasted a terrific tortilla Autum Throckmorton - 6th Grade The happy horse hopped over the hamster under the hollow house where the hawk hid while the horrible hose hit the heart and thought it was hilarious Gracie Rugh - 6th Grade Silly, stinky, and simple snails stretch a scary and spooky snake while soaring in a smelly steak pit and scratching and scraping a sweet and sunny seashore. Elizabeth Wood - 6th Grade 2nd Annual Golf Tournament Benefiting Itasca Rotary Saturday October 30, 2010 Teeing Up to Assist in Community Activities 4-player scramble Whitney Country Club 9:00 a.m. Shotgun start. 12:00 noon Brown Paper bag lunch included with the entry fee $200 entry team/$50 player - includes green fee, ½ cart & fun competition. $100 a hole sponsorship, includes name on sign by tee box deadline October 25, 2010 Prizes for 1 st & 2 nd place teams, longest drive and closest to the hole Registration deadline October 27, 2010 Debbie Cole or Bob Wilson M - F 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

7 Page 7 October 22, 2010 Paw Print Press August IISD Board of Trustees Meetings The Board of Trustees of the Itasca Independent School District met in regular session on Monday, August 9, 2010, in the Itasca ISD Library at 7:00 p.m. Members present were President Susan Bason, Vice President Oscar Castillo, Jr., Secretary Angelis Orr and Brian Bassett. Members absent were Nancy Bowman. Marquita Lloyd, and Kevin Cordell. Administration present were Superintendent Glenn Pittman, Principals Rickie Harris, Keith Hannah and Karon Farquhar, Special Programs Director Amy Reyna, Student Services Coordinator Kristi Sargent, Business Manager Kim Eaddy and Norma Merkel, Secretary. Visitors present were Barbara Petrash, Bob Coleman and Brian Payne. The meeting was called to order at 7:01 p.m. by the President Susan Bason. Motions were passed to approve the board meeting minutes from July 1, 2010 Board Workshop, July 1, 2010 Special Called Meeting, July 12, 2010 Regular Meeting and July 15, 2010 Called Meeting and to approve the financial report. Motions were made and passed to set the date of August 30, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. for a public meeting on the operating budget and proposed tax rate, to approve the Hillsboro ISD DAEP Interlocal Agreement for , to approve participating in the Hill County Special Education SSA and to approve the resolution on committing the following portions of its August 31, 2010 General Fund unassigned fund balance: $1, for future capital expenditures and $50, 000 for future contributions to the District s Worker s Compensation Self-Insured Plan. Motions were made and passed to approve expedited and general state waivers, to appoint Glenn Pittman as the IISD juvenile board liaison officer, to approve student transfers for as presented, to approve the student code of conduct and to approve the campus improvement plans. President Bason announced the board of trustees training hours as of August 09, All members except for Kevin Cordell are complete. He is deficient in OMA. A motion was passed to call the School Board election for November 2, The election will be for three full three-year terms (Marquita Lloyd, Angelia Orr and Oscar Castillo, Jr.). Pittman reported on the facility improvement progress. Demolition is expected to be complete this week, as well as the cafeteria expansion. Every Thursday he meets with PBK to discuss the project. He informed the board the district had received a letter from TEA regarding the September 15, 2009 visit. The district is working on correcting issues cited. He expects a follow up visit sometime in November or December to verify compliance. Kristi Sargent reported on the district TAKS scores. The high school and elementary campuses received an exemplary rating. The middle school campus is rated academically acceptable. The district rating is academically acceptable. The district missed adequate yearly progress for Superintendent Pittman reported the district s projected funds will have a slight deficit. The bonds sold today for the expansion project. A motion was passed to approve employing Rose Donaldson and Casie Davidson for The meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m. ***The Board of Trustees of the Itasca Independent School District met in called session on Monday, August 30, 2010, in the Itasca ISD Library at 7:00 p.m. All board members were present except Oscar Castillo, Jr. and Angelia Orr. Administration present were Superintendent Glenn Pittman, Business Manager Kim Eaddy and Secretary Norma Merkel. Visitors present were Dr. Steve Johnson and Melinda Routh. The meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m. by the President and she invited any discussion on the IISD budget and the IISD proposed tax rate of The board addressed questions from the public. Motions were made and passed to adopt the operating budget for as presented and to set the tax rate for maintenance and operations at $ Motions were passed to set the tax rate for interest and sinking at $.265 and to adopt the final amended budget for The list of transfer students were approved as presented and Superintendent Pittman reported that the first phase of the construction project is complete. He briefed the board on phase II and III. He also informed the board the district enrollment is down by 10 students and district football passes are available for the board members. The meeting adjourned at 7:29 p.m.

8 Page 8 October 22, 2010 Paw Print Press

9 Page 9 October 22, 2010 Paw Print Press Elect Karon Farquhar for Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 Your vote will be appreciated. Political ad submitted by Karon Farquhar for Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 4 th Annual Health Fair, Expo October 21, :00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. Outlets at Hillsboro Mall Suite 102 Everyone Welcome Many Vendors! Public Hearing A public hearing will ne held by the Planning & Zoning Committee on November 8, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. in the Municipal Court room to consider rezoning the property at 309 W. Monroe St. also known as Itasca OT Blk 31 Lot 7 & 8. Beautiful Home for Sale 3927 Fm 67 Itasca, TX Austin Stone Home 2.90 acres 4 bedrooms, 3 and 1/2 baths, office, 2 car garage, nice size living room with Austin Stone wood burning fireplace, built-in entertainment center, separate dining room, kitchen with beautiful counter tops, lots of cabinets, refrigerator, large laundry room w/ plenty of storage cabinets, master bath w/ 2 sinks, walk-in closet, large shower, garden tub, 2 central air and heat units, 2 hot water heaters, ceramic tile floors & carpet The lot is fenced and crossed fenced. You can have 2 head of horses, goats, etc per acre. Front and backyard has a sprinkler system. Property is located north of Itasca on a paved road (FM 67) with easy access to I-35. Available Built in 2005 Contact Jamie Siddons or Julie Siddons Realtors Big B s Truck Stop Now taking bill payments & selling money orders. Cindy Lou s Homecookin Café Monday - Saturday 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Friday 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Closed Sunday Serving Lunch Specials $6.99 Friday Night All U Can Eat Catfish - $9.99 Come Join us this Friday, October 22 5:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. for catfish & live music w/dan Reynolds Call for to-go orders

10 Page 10 October 22, 2010 Paw Print Press Paw Print Press 123 N. College Itasca, Texas Wampus Cats of the Week Wampus Cat Saxophone Section Reporter Ashley Spain Featuring Lloyd Ford s Wampus Cat Special of the Week 2007 Focus S A/C, CD, 5-speed (1 st row (l to r) Reyna Ramirez, Nancy Reyes, Brandy Fontanez and Dashanique Anderson. 2 nd row(i to r) Jonathan Reyes, Sam Orr, Joaquin Reyes and Brandon Duby. The saxophone section is the smallest group of the Wampus Cat Band, but not necessary the quietest. In fact, they are the second loudest woodwind instrument. The saxophones are know for being loud and proud so much so that at times Mr. Middleton has to tell them to tone it down. Gas Sipper!!! $6,985 Lloyd Ford Proud Supporter of the Wampus Cats