MONDAY
NOVEMBER 2, 2015 VOLUME 105 ISSUE 26
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ELECTION
Fluoride controversy makes local election ballot By Exsar Arguello ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @Exsar_Misael
With city council elections around the corner, the controversy surrounding the use of fluoride in public water systems is picking up steam as local activists push their views on the issue. Proposition 1, a city charter amendment for the upcoming Nov. 3 election, received a lot of support this week as activists for and against the controversy engulfed the LBJ mall at Texas State to engage students to vote on the issue. “I want people to know that what they are putting in our water is not dental fluoride, but industrial waste,” said Dan Lyon, citizen and activist against fluoride. “It also contains cadmium lead and all kinds of metals we don’t need in our bodies.” According to an American Dental Association, fluoridation in public water has improved the dental health of tens of millions of Americans in the past 60 years. Fluoridated water prevents tooth decay, and officials with the Center of Disease Control and Prevention have proclaimed that this is one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. The U.S. Public Health Service said the recommended optimal fluoride concentration in community water systems is .7 milligrams per liter. “When this controversy first hit the city, a lot of people didn’t really know how to react or think about the issue,” said Shane Scott, Place 6 city council incumbent. “When the issue was brought up, I suggested we stop the use of fluoride in the water until we can figure out what is best for the city.” Scott said citizens and students should educate themselves on both sides of the fluoride argument and vote according to their findings. Frank Arredondo, Place 5 candidate for city council, said he is in favor of fluoride in the water system because it brings benefits to tooth development and prevents decay. “Fluoride, I believe, is essential in most communities because it addresses the need, especially in young children, who don’t have access to health care,” Arredondo said. “This debate has been going on for years.” The opponents of fluoride say it is poisonous to the body, Arredondo said. Yet, he said, the facts state otherwise. According to fluoridealert. com, studies have shown that fluoride damages bones, thyroid, kidneys and brain tissue. The website defends its claim by stating cavity rates in nonfluoridated countries are on par with rates in fluoridated countries. Arredondo said there was a referendum in the city to abolish fluoride, but it was put down. He expects it to fail once again in this election. “The better dental health for all people, especially our children, is what is important,” Arredondo said. “Some people don’t have the luxury of owning a tooth brush and
See FLUORIDE, Page 2
HALLOWEEN WEEKEND FLOOD
San Marcos fights flood, creates safe havens for citizens By Exsar Arguello ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @Exsar_Misael
When Talitha Wall saw water rising in her driveway, she realized she wouldn’t be able to leave her neighborhood. “I couldn’t get out,” Wall, a resident of Blanco Gardens, said.
Hays County was hit with the second major f lood this year Oct. 30, only six months after the Memorial Day weekend flooding. The flood sent many residents out of their homes to seek shelter on higher ground. Many, like Wall, sought refuge at Doris Miller Middle School. The school opened
as an evacuation center after the San Marcos Activity Center experienced flooding forcing everyone out. Before arriving at the middle school, Wall was able to make it to her neighbor’s house and called 911. “The fire department got there soon after and were on a raft, fighting the water’s
current,” Wall said. “Once the fire department reached my location, I got in with them and my two dogs.” She said the firefighters were trying to row toward a dump truck, which was big enough to fight the current and would allow Wall and her dogs to be pulled to safety.
However, the firemen’s plan did not pan out. The roaring floodwaters were too much for them to combat. Wall said the firemen were eventually able to pull the raft to safety on a drier street. “I waited for the dump
See FLOOD, Page 2
HAYS COUNTY HEALTH FIRST LUTHERAN DEPARTMENT CHURCH
5 1 20
voter’s guide
401 A BROADWAY ST SAN MARCOS, TX 78666
130 W HOLLAND ST SAN MARCOS, TX 78666
DUNBAR CENTER
TRAVIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
801 MARTIN LUTHER KING DR SAN MARCOS, TX 78666
1437 POST RD SAN MARCOS, TX 78666
SAN MARCOS HOUSING, ALLENWOOD HOMES RESIDENTS OFFICE
AUDITORIUM
820 STURGEON ST SAN MARCOS, TX 78666
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 325 W McCARTY LANE SAN MARCOS, TX 78666
1201 THORPE LN SAN MARCOS, TX 78666
PROMISELAND CHURCH 1650 LIME KILN RD SAN MARCOS, TX 78666
Election night one day away By Anna Herod NEWS EDITOR @annaleemurphy
Although the time for early voting is over, those who haven’t had a chance to make it to the ballot still have an opportunity to make their voices heard tomorrow in the San Marcos city council election. San Martians can cast their votes at locations in the county including the Hays County Health Depart-
ment, the Dunbar Center, San Marcos Housing, Residents Office, Travis Elementary School, First Baptist Church, First Lutheran Church, Allenwood Homes Auditorium and PromiseLand church. Google map?
son or Frank T. Arredondo for the Place 5 seat on city council and for one of the Place 6 candidates, Shane Scott or Melissa Derrick.
WHO’S ON THE BALLOT?
Those who cast their votes on election day will not only have the chance to influence the city council election, but they will have the chance to vote on seven amendments
Residents who are registered in Hays County can vote for either Scott Greg-
CAMPUS CARRY
Campus carry supporters voice their opinions By Darcy Sprague SENIOR NEWS REPORTER @darcy_days
Concerns vocalized by people who do not support the campus carry bill have recently drawn media attention. However, not everyone opposes the new law allowing those with a concealed handgun license to carry on university campuses across the state come next fall. Senate Bill 11 was passed in the most recent legislative year. The bill made it legal for concealed handgun license holders to carry their weapon onto any public university. The law goes into effect in August 2016 and, in the meantime, public universities around the state are drafting policies to deal with implementing the new legislation. Many of those who support campus carry are CHL holders themselves. Supporters argue that allowing handguns on campus will make the university safer. “There have bee too many tragedies around the country committed by people who are not permit holders at universities,” said Robert Habingreither, interim dean of the college of science and engineering. “It’s only a matter of time till it happens here…I’m a big believer of being able to protect oneself.” A lot of the concerns vocalized by faculty are coming from those who do not have any experience with fire-
arms, Habingreither said. “It is a God-given right to bear arms,” said Naomi Narvaiz, president of the San Marcos Area Republican Texans Group. “I believe in enforcing the Second Amendment because once a right is taken away from us, it is hard to restore.” Andy Batey, department chair of engineering technology, said people who are afraid of campus carry are afraid of the wrong people. “A concealed handgun license holder is not a source of carnage, but a source of safety,” Batey said. Habingreither said he supports campus carry because he believes in always rendering aid, even during an extreme situation like a school shooting. “I don’t believe in letting people take advantage of other people,” Habingreither said. “I wouldn’t stand there and let someone shoot someone else.” A concealed handgun holder would provide resistance against a shooter if a police officer was not in the room, Batey said. Even if a concealed handgun holder could not kill the criminal assailant, they would at least slow them down, potentially saving lives. “Police are not paid to protect, they are paid to enforce the law,” Habingreither said. “When you think about that, that sheds a whole new light on campus carry.”
See SB11, Page 2
THE TEXAS CON STITUTION
to the Texas Constitution and two propositions to amend the city charter. The seven proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution cover issues from tax exemptions, road work in small cities and hunting rules for protected wildlife to whether or not state legislators should be required to live in Austin. Proposition 1 would prohibit the city from adding fluoride to the municipal water supply and on Proposition
2 which would change the processing of petitions can also be voted on. The second proposition would require the verification of signatures on any petition paper in order for the document to be considered valid. According to the Hays County website, all residents who wish to participate in the election must be registered to vote in the county and must provide valid photo identification.
CITY
Animals find families through Home 4 the Holidays event By Clayton Kelley NEWS REPORTER @Claytonkelley
Stray animals will find new homes this season as the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter takes part in their annual Home 4 the
for nine years, and it’s cool to see people are still interested in giving these precious animals a new home.” The adoption drive runs from Oct. 1 to Jan. 4 with a new discount each month for those interested in participating, McCann said.
“There is such a high percentage of homeless pets all across the nation and adopting one decreases those numbers.” —ERIN MCCANN, REGIONAL ANIMAL SHELTER SUPERVISOR
Holidays event. The shelter joins thousands of other animal organizations around the globe to bring families the perfect pet by partnering with Blue Buffalo, Home 4 the Holidays founder, said Erin McCann, Regional Animal Shelter supervisor. “Adopting a pet is extremely important, and it is just so awesome to see all of the encouragement we have got from citizens here,” McCann said. “We’ve done this
According to Blue Buffalo’s website, the event is the highest pet adoption campaign on record and has saved over 9 million pets’ lives since its creation 16 years ago. The animal shelter receives an average of 520535 adoptions per year, McCann said. Every dog at the animal shelter for the month of October will cost $20, rather than the average $90 rate, McCann said. The animals
available for adoption are healthy, sterilized and upto-date on vaccinations and shots. “The holiday season is normally our slowest time of the year, and that is why we really try to push this holiday sale,” McCann said. The San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter experiences the highest pet intake during spring and early summer, McCann said. “Many people in the fall seem to think that we won’t have as many puppies and kittens here, but we usually have plenty,” McCann said. “We actually have a bunch of (animals) that are under six months old right now.” Samantha Sutter, interdisciplinary studies sophomore, went to the shelter a few days ago hoping to adopt a pet but was not allowed to because huskies are not available for apartment residents. “It makes sense that I wasn’t approved for this because huskies do need that space to roam free,” Sutter said. “I’m not upset or anything—I am glad the shelter looks at those kinds of things.” McCann recommends giving a pet to someone as a gift during the holiday season only if it was previously discussed and planned. “Many people don’t understand that having a pet is a huge responsibility,” McCann said. “Giving a pet as a gift to someone randomly is like basically adopting a child for them.”
See SHELTER, Page 2