Waxahachie Daily Light (Newspaper) - January 19, 2007, Waxahachie, Texas 06 TUNDRA DOUBLE CAB TOYOTA FOE 120 97278011 PAGE 18 SPORTS Football players honored at banquet Fit in AY JL Jan 192007 18 Pages 2 Sections Waxahachie s Passport access 6 0010 6 District clerks office helping county residents with new travel regulations By JOANN LIVINGSTON r v v WISD bonds receive high rating By JOANN LIVINGSTON Daily Light Managing More and more people are taking advantage of this best kept secret the ability to apply for a passport in Waxahachie The service is offered by the Ellis County District Clerks Office which is housed in the old WalMart building on North US Highway 77 That service becomes even more important when new requirements adopted by Congress in 2004 as part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative go into effect next week As of Jan 23 Americans traveling by air to Canada Mexico Bermuda South Amer ica Central America and the Caribbean will need a passport for entry and reentry The district clerks office processes passports five days a week with applications accept ed from am and from pm The cutoff time in the afternoon allows all of that days applications to be processed and submitted that day The office has seen as many as 54 people in one day come in to file for a passport We just did that a couple of weeks ago and for a small place like us thats a lot said deputy clerk Donna Brooks whose pri mary duty is to process the applications Another four clerks to assist Brooks as needed The office typically sees from 20 to 30 applications in a day with Brooks noting theres sel dom a long line People should allow at least six weeks to obtain a passport through regular processing They will need to take a certi fied copy of their birth certificate two passport See PASSPORTS Page By SHERRY LEHMAN Special to the Daily Fitch Ratings has assigned an AAA rating to Waxahachie million tax school building bonds series 2007 This rating is based on a provided by the Texas Permanent School Fund whose insurer financial strength is rated AAA by Fitch Fitch also assigned an A underlying rating to the series 2007 bonds and affirmed the Averitt to chair AUSTIN Lt David Dewhurst has released his list ing of committee assignments for the state Senate during the 80th Legislature State Sen Kip Averitt R McGregor whose district includes Ellis County will continue to serve as chairman of the Natural Resources Committee Averitt aiso will continue to serve on the Business and Commerce Averitt Education and Finance committees as well as the Subcommittee on Higher Education With the Senate having only 30 members each senator is relied on to tackle a wide spec See AVERITT Page Growing hospitality Sixtythree room Sleep Inn and Suites set to open by June Kv TAKT J By ANTHONY TROJAN Daily Light staff writer In northern Waxahachie evidence of the citys explosive growth can be seen on nearly of US Highway 77 North Where the Willow Wood Center once stood only piles of rubble remain as the site is cleared for the construction of a new restaurant Where an empty lot was once found preparations for the construc tion of a 90000 square foot plus are under way Further north on Highway 77 additional new buildings are being erected whether it be the Southwest Securities Bank just south of Tyler Drive or the new Sleep Inn and Suites between the YMCA and The new hotel whose three stories were recently closed in with the installation of its win dows is the second hotel in Waxahachie for RC and Steve Harris who also the Holiday Inn Express Sleep Inn and Suites Steve Harris explains is part of the Choice Hotels network which also includes Comfort Inn Quality Inn and Cambria Suites A i Photo by A new hotel is under construction in Waxahachie Sleep Inn and Suites will feature 63 rooms including 16 suites at its location on North US Highway 77 The new hotel will feature 63 rooms 16 of which are suites Harris said adding that each room will have a fuH complement of modern ameni ties including free Internet access through both wireless and landline connec tions Its going to be very nice and probably nicer than most Sleep Inns youll find Harris said saying he and his father have decided to include several upgrades in theirs to set it apart These upgrades include 32 inch flat panel televisions microwaves refrigerators and digital thermostats that will be found in every room Harris says adding that tenants will get pretty much anything youd find in a little bit nicer hotel See HOTEL Page underlying A rating on the dis approximately million in outstanding tax bonds The series 2007 bonds were set for a negotiated sale Jan 17 via a syndicate led by First Southwest Company The rating outlook is sta ble The bonds are direct gations of the district payable from and secured by an unlimited ad valorem tax See RATING Page Navarro book drive begins By DENSE Daily staff writer The Navarro College Student Government Association at the Ellis Campus continues to sup port a good cause for school aged children with its annual Take a Brake and Read book drive The drive was developed three years ago to inspire chil dren to add reading to their plans while out for spring break Our goal is to give each stu dent a chance to read over the spring break said Steen SGA advisor During this book drive well give out one book per student With great results from Wedgeworth Elementary School last year Steen said the book drive aims to provide a book for each student enrolled at Northside Elementary School this year with the most recent count totaling more than 500 students We collected over 600 books See BOOKS Page Cingular is now What to do this weekend JONATHAN BLUNDELL TECH TALK Cingular Wireless customers will begin to see a small change on their voice mail greetings as well as their cell phone bills over the next few months Wireless giant Cingular transition to rename the company began Jan 15 to reflect its sole ownership by tions giant Inc The wireless company formally a partnership between San SBC Communications and BellSouth has begun the Cingular brand to in advertising and customer communications through out Web sites and nationwide retail stores and on company buildings and vehicles The name change may seem con fusing to some after Cingular pur chased Wireless in Oct 26 2004 Why return to the name back At the time of the purchase Wireless was a standalone company no longer related to See TECH TALK Page Teen Night Teen Night for children ages at the Waxahachie YMCA will be from 710 pm Friday Jan 19 at 100 YMCA Drive in Waxahachie The cost is and there will be danc ing games food and prizes To RSVP call 972 9379622 or email Waxahachie Symphony Association The Waxahachie Symphony Association pres ents the Pummill Family in concert Jan 20 at Park Meadows Baptist Church 3350 US Highway 77 North Waxahachie Described as four pianists four singers three sisters and their moms the Pummill Family will take you from a rousing four piano arrangement of Tico Tico to exquisite a capella harmonies of old time camp songs The concert is at pm Tickets are for adults and for students For more information about the Waxahachie Symphony Association contact Edwin and Carol Farrar at 972 9380404 or Teen Movie Saturday Teen Movie Saturday at Nicholas P Sims Library is from pm Jan 20 This months feature movie has the magic See WEEKEND Page THORNHILL BUY THE ALL NEW 2007 GMG Providing Insurance and Financial Services Ted Echard Agent Hwy 77 Suite 6 Waxahachie TX 751655146 9729383232 Se
