Arlington Morning News (Newspaper) - June 24, 1999, Arlington, Texas BLUE JAYS PROMOTE FORMER BOWIE STANDOUT PAGE IB un i i Own Newspaper Arlington Texas Thursday June 24 1999 GP school bond vote will proceed Proposal to remain a single package By Will Potter Staff Writer of the Arlington Morning News GRAND PRAIRIE The school board will have a Sept 25 bond elec tion despite concerns that the pro posal may mislead voters Superintendent David Barbosa said Wednesday The million bond election approved by trustees Tuesday night includes million for four new elementary schools two middle schools and a new cen ter The bond also includes mil lion in additions and renovations to existing schools million in tech improvements mil lion for property acquisition about million in facilities mainte nance and million for projected inflation Some trustees recommended dividing the bond proposal but Dr Barbosa said that would allow vot ers to choose improvements for some schools but not others That may lead to passing only the parts for new Dr Barbosa said This would hurt other schools that need The bond is a single package Dr Barbosa said because the districts Bond Committee considered all the improvements necessary He said the school district is expected to grow by 400 new students annually over the next several years and the bond proposal compensates for that But board member Michael Grace questions whether the bond pack age includes unnecessary improve ments and said it does not distin guish between the districts needs and wants Ive had a few concerns about the he said I think its gotten out of hand a little bit I think were Please see GP on Page SA 11 yearold boys death caused by drowning Mom believes incident wasnt accident By Nancy Calaway and Valerie Fields Staff Writers of the Arlington Morning News FORT WORTH A missing Arlington boy found dead in a Fort Worth lake this month drowned the Tarrant County medical exam iner said Wednesday However the ruling in the case of Childers does not indicate whether the boy was slain or died accidentally said Dr Nizam chief of the med ical examiners office We left the manner of death as Dr said The question now is how the child ended up in the body of water and the answer to that depends on the police father reported his son missing from their West Arlington home about 6 June 1 A bike he was riding was found near his home soon after he was reported missing After searching for more than 12 hours police said they believed the boy had run away Family members have criticized police for not activating the Amber Childers was reported missing June 1 and found dead two days later in an East Fort Worth lake Plan abduction alert Police have said the boys disappearance did not meet the plans criteria because there was no indication that he was in immediate danger and no one saw whether he was abducted Please see on Page CUP OF CHEER Rangers fans applaud Stars finals victory By Kelly D Patterson Staff Writer of the Arlington Morning News The Stanley Cup has been plunged to the bottom of a swimming pool Business executives have sipped Dom Perignon from it Babies have been baptized in it And on Wednesday it brought down the house at The Ballpark in Arlington Fans enthusiastically applauded as players from the National Hockey League Champion Dallas Stars hauled the coveted trophy onto the infield prior to the Texas Rangers game against the Oakland Athletics Game coverage 1B They gave Stars players Derian Hatcher Mike Joe and Craig Ludwig and of course Lord Stanleys Cup a standing ovation Mr Hatcher Stars team captain strode onto the field clutching the cup over his head He handed it off to Mr and the crowd went wild After its appearance at The Ballpark the cup was taken to Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie Several Stars players had a private party at the racetrack Wednesday night Team owner Tom Hicks who also owns the Rangers said winning the Stanley Cup has been one of the highlights of his life Mr Hicks bought the Stars in 1995 from Norm Green The champi has made his investment worthwhile he said According to tradition each play er gets possession of the Stanley Cup for 24 to 48 hours They can do whatever they want but must pass it on Mr Hicks was part of that loop Please see Stars on Page Arlington Morning News J Mark Kegans Dallas Stars team captain Derian Hatcher holds the Stanley Cup above his head before the Rangers game with the Oakland Athletics at The Ballpark in Arlington on Wednesday After its appearance at The Ballpark the cup was taken to Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie where several Stars players had a private party at the racetrack Officer kills man at mall Shoplifting suspect was unarmed but made threats By Jeff Meddaugh Staff Writer of the Arlington Morning News An Arlington police officer fatally shot an unarmed suspected shoplifter Wednesday sending shoppers screaming and running for cover at Six Flags Mall police said Roy Don Bearden 41 was pronounced dead from gun shot wounds to the chest at at Worth Medical Center in Grand Prairie He was shot about 4 in the Dillards department store near the intersection of Division Street and State Highway 360 Officer Keith Humphries a fiveyear veteran of the force was placed on paid administrative leave while an internal investigation is conducted which is routine in police shootings A grand jury will also review the case A woman who was with the man was taken into cus tody after employees at Sears believed she and the man shoplifted a razor The woman an Irving resident was later released with charges pending police said As shots were fired about 4 shoppers screamed and ran for cover a mall employee said I heard four shots and then three and then three said Perry Gorman an employee at the Wall Art Gallery who was walking into Dillards when the shooting occurred It sounded like something fell but when it goes I knew it was something Mr Gorman said It didnt dawn on me what was happen ing until I could hear people screaming in Sears employees told police they saw the couple take a mens razor and leave the store They pursued the sus who fled separately The woman left the store and returned where she was apprehended by store employ ees police said Police said a Sears loss prevention officer contacted Officer Humphries about Mr Bearden who was seen heading toward Dillards The officer located Mr Bearden on the stores second floor and tried to subdue him with pepper spray Police said Officer Humphries also used his nightstick during the confrontation Mr Bearden was going down the escalator where he threatened to shoot the officer Please see on Page Mansfield may restart halfday kindergarten By Jennifer Gaines Staff Writer of the Arlington Morning News MANSFIELD Trustees said Wednesday they will try to lish a halfday kindergarten pro gram if there is enough interest Several have urged the school board not to end the pro gram which was cut because only 12 parents signed up students according to Elementary Education Director Sarah Jandrucko There was not enough parental interest to have the she said Well look and see if we can find more parents Were not opposed to the program but we did nt think we had the To increase awareness of the program trustees will send a letter explaining it to parents whose children are registered for kindergarten Chris Edwards whose child will enter kindergarten in the fall said insufficient publicity contributed to the poor response He said he finds it hard to believe that only 12 out of 650 students were interested in halfday kindergarten His wife Darlah said that after observing both fulland halfday kindergarten programs the three hour day would best benefit their son The parents should always have a choice between halfday programs Please see Survival oa Page INSIDE BUSINESS Area traffic 2A Classifieds Business 1C Lottery Movies Obituaries 2A JC 2A Opinions Sports Stocks TV listings Weather IB jac 2A 83197 00025 Crashing in Six Flags Hurricane Harbor officially unveils two new attractions ExUTA student aided in murder prosecutors say He was forced to participate defense argues By Ben Tinsley Staff Writer of the Arlington Morning News FORT WORTH Prosecutors on Wednesday described a former University of Texas at Arlington student being tried for capital murder as a lating accomplice in the of a hospital administrator Jamal D Brown 23 aided his friend Aaron Christopher Foust in attacking David Ward a senior vice president at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth prosecutors said in opening statements Mr Foust who told police he strangled Mr Ward was convicted and executed Brown he is convicted Prosecutors have penalty Please see Brown on Page for the May 18 1997 slaying Although Mr Brown did not actu ally strangle David Ward he participat ed in the robbery and said Tarrant County As District Attor ney Sean Colston Mr Brown could face life in prison if of capital murder waived the death
