West Plano People (Newspaper) - November 4, 2005, Dallas, Texas H NEIGHBORS Jean talk with Mike Zack Ox SPORTS Wolves slip past The Colony 000 00344 MAILED FROM ZIP CODE S ADC 752 SOUTHWEST 2627 E YANDELL DR EL PASO TX 79903 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 4 VOL 2 ISSUE 44 Woman Jumps to Death fought depression throws herself from van By Sarah P Henry Staff Writer According to the Piano Police Department on Oct 18 at about pm a 21 yearold Hispanic female jumped to her death from a moving Ford mini van traveling northbound on Ohio Drive in West Piano The victim Mayra Yaneth was in the vehicle with her sister Yolanda Farias and the two were traveling from a house they had just cleaned and were on their way to the last house for the day Piano police said Ms Farias told police in a recorded statement with a Spanishspeaking officer that she and her sister had been talking and even laughing while riding in the car She told police Ms Farias Andrade was seated on the bench seat in the rear of the van because there were cleaning supplies in the front seat The two were talking when Ms Farias turned around at the sound of the side door sliding open the report said When Ms Farias turned she saw her sister jump from the vehicle then traveling at about 30 mph and hit the pavement headfirst Police reported that Ms Farias was in a state of shock when they arrived on the scene repeating over and over in Spanish Why did she jump from the van I cant believe she jumped from the van Ms body was immediately transported to Presbyterian Piano where doctors operated on her for some time before pronounc ing her dead at pm with a cause of death being blunt trauma to the head According to the recorded statement Ms Farias said her sister had been depressed lately having recently moved from Mexico to escape a physically abusive relation ship The victim left Mexico and shortly thereafter found out she was pregnant with her boyfriends baby Adding to the depression Ms Farias told police was the fact that another one of their sisters was diagnosed with an unreleased medical condition and had surgery the day before Because of the statement of the one witness the vic tims sister and the tion of evidence the case was ruled a suicide Email STAFF PHOTO JEREMY Cl HUFFMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL teacher and grant winner Andra Harris reacts with joy as the prize patrol entered her classroom last Thursday Foundation Prize Patrol Surprises Teachers Distribution of in grant money brings cheers jumps happy tears By Sarah P Henry Staff Writer There is a special bond between teachers and their students So much so that many times teachers will go out of their way to find money to buy extra supplies for proj ects to help enrich the edu cation of their students even if that money comes out of their own pockets Last week 47 teachers in Piano were surprised by a secret prize patrol announcing cash grants for special projects the teachers had applied for before school began Their reactions ranged from a smiles to elated jumps to tears The benefactor Piano ISD Education Foundation pre sented of incentive grants to educa tors around the district Lynda Jennings who works with gifted and tal students at Hightower Elementary could not con tain her excitement or her tears when she found out she received the she requested for a project called A Quilt of Promise The funds will provide for the purchase of sewing machines fabric and fabric cutting tools so students can make a quilt implementing skills in literature history and math as they learn about the Underground Railroad See GRANTS Page Parker and Preston Slated for New Development City Council ordinance change despite residents opposition By Sarah P Henry Staff Writer Council members voted 61 at a Piano City Council meeting last week to approve rezoning of a strip of land on the southeast corner of Parker and Preston roads despite opposition from the zoning commission and residents The change will allow the corner designated for resi use specifically detached homes for use as offices town homes and patio homes after holding a public hearing on the issue Only Councilman Harry LaRosiliere voted against the decision citing a con cern about whether the number of town homes planned for the develop ment would make the area too congested But Councilman Shep Stahel clarified that any build ings residential detached homes attached town homes or commercial buildings all fall under a 35 foot height restriction imply ing there wouldnt be much difference in any possible buildings at least from a height perspective The intersection of Parker and Preston roads has long stood with just three devel corners On the northwest and southwest corners are build ings belonging to an church Grace Outreach Center Behind each church building on those cor ners are neighborhoods with See Page Trick Art Treat PHOTO ERICKSON PAINTING Karen Dodson pauses to answer a question while working on a piece called To the Moon Alice at the EastSide Gallery during Pianos Second Annual Trick Art Treat art walk Ms Dodson is working with acrylics and stucco Will Texas Support Passenger Rail Traffic Prop 1 on the November ballot can decide the future of Texas transportation By Glenn Arbery Senior Editor This is Part II in a series on intercity passenger rail traffic in Texas It might not happen until gaso line reaches a gallon said the Boston Globes editorial on Oct F but at some point the United States is going to realize it needs a intercity rail Whether Texas has such a system depends on what voters decide in the election on Nov 8 and its going to be hard to wake people up to the feet The social issue in the election will be Proposition 2 which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman By contrast Proposition 1 looks technical and specialized Ifs even hard to read through it without an act of deliberate con But the consequences of the amendments passage or defeat will be major for the Texas transportation The Trans Texas massive plan that one proponent compared to the Interstate cannot be realized without it See the rail system plan on TX DOTs website at Most of the arguments for the amendment focus on the imme diate benefits of getting freight traffic out of downtown areas where they add to pollution and sometimes expose citizens to dangerous hazardous materials Improving the rail ture will allow increased freight traffic and get trucks high ways 135 with half as many trucks might be a particularly appealing prospect Whats hot evident in the lan guage or even in the analysis of the amendment by the Texas Legislative Council is that the immediate hope of intercity pas senger rail traffic in Texas depends on passage of the amendment See RAIL Page COURTESY PHOTO SUCCESS STORY Trinity Railway Express which connects Dallas and Fort Worth is run by Herzog a company that won the contract for the service and has made it a success Proponents of privatizing rail service point to TRE as an example of what could happen with intercity rail passenger traffic READER POLL Last weeks question Will the new stronger mayor proposal pass This weeks question Avian flu virus the coming plague Vote online WEATHER 03 u Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy HI 83 F
