Court Comeback
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Wednesday, November 11, 2010
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Volume 96 | Issue 45
Sunny 71° / 60°
ntdaily.com
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Texas
Vet calls Denton PD K-9 dog ‘just too skinny’ BY SARA JONES Intern
With his ribs protruding, Gino did every trick his handler, Officer Russell Weier, asked of him in a demonstration on Saturday at Lake Forest Park. Upon seeing the canine, the audience members began to whisper. Their faces showed surprise and disgust. Then, when Weier said he was ready for questions, he first put Gino back in the van. A picture taken by the Denton Record Chronicle in July 2009 showed Gino as a healthy 17-month-old Belgian Malinois dog who had recently begun working with Weier. A little more than a year later, the dog shown at the treeplanting event did not appear to be in good condition. The word “healthy” is not one veterinarian Granville C. Wright of the Animal Hospital on Teasley Lane used when he saw the dog’s present condition in several photos. “If the next dog in the door is this dog, we’re going to figure out why he’s so skinny,” Wright said. “That’s just too skinny.” Wright said it was impera-
PHOTO BY SARA JONES/INTERN
Gino stands with his handler, Officer Russell Weier, after his K-9 demonstration at the Super Grow event Saturday. He is two years and nine months old. tive that Gino be seen immediately. “He should be seen today,” he said. “ASAP. Should’ve been seen yesterday.”
Wright has worked as a veterinarian in Denton for about 10 years and been in practice for 42. He has worked with a few Denton police dogs and
“ T h e more l i kely t hey a re to complete classes, t he more l i kely t hey a re to complete d e g r e e s , ” JEAN Kesling said. BUSH The board released an appropriations report that estimated the amount of funding for each of the four-year institutions for the 2012-2013 school year. UNT is projected to gain more than $1.9 million in state grants for fiscal year 2013 under the new plan, according to the report. That is in addition to the $208 million UNT received for fiscal year 2011. “But that estimate is based on assumptions,” Bush said. The estimates for the 20122013 funding increases a re based on 2009 semester credit hours.
a l l cred it hou rs st udent s attempt, according to a board summary. Poi nt s a re awa rded for every credit hour a student takes. The points are weighted if certain criteria are met, according to the summary. W hat a n institution ea rns for enrollment is then multiplied by a dollar amount set by the state. T he f i na l a mou nt is awarded to the institution, Bush said. For f isca l yea r 2011, t he amount of money awarded for each point is more than $60, Bush said. But that dollar amount may be different for 2013. “The only thing that gives us heartburn at this point is the timing,” Bush said. Changing the formula for institutional funding could create problems, she said. “We’re in turbulent budget
Legislature to decide on higher ed funding plan UNT did not have say in proposed change BY A DAM BLAYLOCK Senior Staff Writer
The way funding for institutions is determined may change based on a recommendation from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. It was submitted to the governor in October and suggests basing 10 percent of state funding for institutions on student success rates in classes. The state Legislature will decide whether to accept the changes in its 2011 session. The board is looking for ways to improve efficiency in state spending in higher education, said Andy Kesling, the assistant director of communications for the board. “It’s not just a cost cut for the sake of a cost cut,” he said. “It’s focused on the continuous improvement of higher education.” The changes would not take effect until the 2012-2013 school year. “In the end, the Legislature has to adopt the recommendation by the coordinating board [if the changes are going to happen],” said Jean Bush, UNT senior associate vice president of finance. Under the current model, 100 percent of t he money awarded to institutions is based on the number of hours st udents attempt, Kesling said. Ni net y perc ent of t he funding would follow the same model. The final 10 percent, however, would be based on the number of students who finish courses. F u nd i n g f or g r a d u a t e student enrollment will not cha nge, accord i ng to t he proposal. Potential For UNT The idea is to get students to complete the classes they enroll in, Kesling said.
“The more likely they are to complete classes, the more likely they are to complete degrees.”
—Andy Kesling Assistant director of communications for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
The actual numbers may change, Bush said. Steven Ryan, an international business and economics junior, questioned the impact the new model would have on other universities. “It could be detrimenta l to low-performing colleges,” Ryan said. But w it h t he $25 billion state deficit, he agreed with an effort to find ways of saving money at the state level. “There’s a lot of changes taking place everywhere,” he said. “It’s definitely a time to be saving money.” The Formula Under c u r rent f u nd i ng formu las, a point va lue is allocated to institutions for
times,” she said. “Formula funding is our life blood. We depend on it.” But t he changes may be good, Bush said. “Outcomes-based funding is not necessarily a bad thing,” she said. “The point that we’re making is that the [current] formula has worked for a long time.” It would have been better if institutions had been given the opportunity to provide suggestions and collaborate with the board in preparing the proposal, Bush said. “[UNT] didn’t really have any input on this,” she said. The coordinat ing boa rd did talk to people from other higher education institutions, Kesling said.
displays a picture of one in his office. “I have treated a fair number of dogs that are law enforcement, and I’ve never seen one
that looks like that,” Wright said. “In fact, I’m surprised they take him out in public.” Animal Services supervisor Woodie Wilson was speech-
less when presented with the photos. “Obviously this ain’t good,” he said after examining them. “You know, a picture’s worth a thousand words, literally.” Wilson requested the pictures be e-mailed to him so he could pass them on to his captain. “This is not acceptable by any standards, especially for a police dog,” he said with a concerned look on his face. “Belgians are supposed to be thin, but not this thin. I can’t really comment on it other than it’s not good.” When pre-music freshman Danielle Longueville viewed the before and after pictures, she was stunned. “If he was involved with the police force and they let the dog end up like that, that’s … completely inhumane,” she said. It is still not clear what will be done to improve Gino’s health. The Daily called Weier’s supervisor, Captain Roger White of the Operations Bureau, and Public Information Officer Ryan Grelle multiple times for a comment about the police department’s stance on the matter. Neither responded by press time.
PHOTO BY MIKE MEZEUL II/SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Numerous condos and apartment studios have been built throughout Denton to help house the growing population. Victoria Heights, located near the Square, is one option.
Denton handles city growth BY LORYN THOMPSON Intern
A walk through Denton’s Square paints the picture of a small college town. A drive down the road to Loop 288 or Rayzor Ranch tells the story of growth. The 144-year-old city’s population has exploded over the past decade, bringing with it new restaurants, retail shops, apartment complexes and the A-train, which will begin service in 2011. Denton is the 13th fastestgrowing city in the nation, according to a recent MSN Real Estate article. “We happen to be in one of the fastest-growing regions in the country,” Mayor Mark Burroughs said. “It’s a long haul, and we’ve had a lot of changes.” Denton has undergone a 48.5 percent increase in population over the past 10 years to host a total of 122,830 residents as of 2009, according to the article. Burroughs believes that although growth is important to the city, it must be handled carefully. “It’s not hard to look south and see how many other cities have had their population explosion,” Burroughs said. “Now you can’t tell where one of them ends and the other one
begins. We’re working really hard to find ways to prevent that from happening here.” In 1999, the Denton Plan was created to outline what the community wanted it to look like in 20 years, Burroughs said. Next year the City Council will begin a halfway-mark review of the plan that will engage
“The integrity of what has been there, the way that the city grew over that long period of time, can’t be undone.” Sam Matteson of the physics faculty has lived in Denton for 24 years and said he recognizes the significance of the work the city is doing. “I’m pleased with the efforts
“We happen to be in one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. It’s a long haul, and we’ve had a lot of changes.”
—Mark Burroughs Mayor of Denton
residents through surveys and small meetings. “It gives a mechanism for everyone in the city to participate,” Burroughs said. “I think that’s really necessary in times of growth.”
of the city fathers to maintain the integrity in the historical parts of Denton,” Matteson said. “I don’t think any of my students know why the city is called Denton, and that’s important.”
Preserving the Culture The pla n to ma inta in Denton’s individuality includes designated historical districts, like the Denton Square and Oak Street areas, Burroughs said. “There are areas in the city where it’s hands-off to major changes,” Burroughs said.
Promoting the Economy Linda Ratliff, the city’s director of economic development, said the inf lux in population has changed the types of businesses coming to Denton.
See CITY on Page 2