1. HOUSTON (AP) — Space-
walking astronauts bolted a
solar power tower to the
international space station
on Tuesday, completing an
ambitious three-day moving
process that ended with ela-
tion when the beam’s giant
solar panels began to unfurl.
Their joy turned to con-
cern, however, when a rip
was spotted in the second
solar panel.
NASA needs to get the tow-
er up and running to prevent
malfunctioning station
equipment from delaying the
addition of a much-anticipat-
ed European research lab.
A massive rotary joint is
supposed to make sure the
solar panel wings on the right
side of the space station are
facing the sun. But the gear,
which was installed in June,
has been experiencing elec-
trical current spikes for near-
ly two months.
The solar panels on the 17
1/2-ton girder that was
installed at its new location
Tuesday were folded up like
an accordion for the move,
and the first one slowly was
unfurled as the seven-hour
spacewalk wrapped up,
gleaming like gold in the sun.
The crew kept spacewalker
Scott Parazynski and Douglas
Wheelock apprised of the first
solar wing’s unfurling as they
floated back inside. Their
reaction:“Wow, that’s great,”
and “Awesome!”
“It’s a good day’s work right
there,” Parazynski said.
The astronauts abruptly
stopped the unfurling of the
second panel, however, as
soon as they saw the rip on
the edge of the panel. The
panel was almost completely
unfurled when the rip was
spotted.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A hunter is
recovering after he was shot in the leg at close
range by his dog, who stepped on his shotgun
and tripped the trigger, an official said Tues-
day.
James Harris, 37, of Tama, was hit in the
calf Saturday, the opening day of pheas-
ant season, said Alan Foster, a spokesman
with the Iowa Department of Natural
Resources.
“He had surgery and is doing pretty well,”
he said. “He took between 100-120 pellets in
about a 4-inch circle to his calf.”
Harris was listed in good conditionTuesday,
officials at University Hospitals in Iowa City
said.
Harris was hunting with a group about
three miles north of Grinnell.The group shot
a bird, and when Harris went to get it, he put
his gun on the ground and crossed a fence. As
he crossed the fence, his hunting dog stepped
on the gun, Foster said.
The gun was about 3 feet away from his
leg.
“The muzzle velocity is so great that the
pellets don’t have a chance to spread out,”
he said.
No one else was hurt, and the dog was not
injured.
Foster said no citations have been issued.
By Karla Held
The Herald-Zeitung
“Great time, Great Cause”
was the slogan for this year’s
MS150 Bike to the Beach
event that takes cyclists from
San Antonio to Corpus Christi,
a two-day trek that covers 95
miles the first day — Oct. 21
— and 55 the next.
TheValero MS150 BikeTour
raises funds to support
research about multiple scle-
rosis and a host of client serv-
ices and programs.
Each rider paid a $25 regis-
tration fee and raised at least
$300 in donations to help
make a difference in the lives
of the more-than-17,000 peo-
ple living with MS who are
served by the Lone Star Chap-
ter of the National Multiple
Sclerosis Society.
This year marked the 18th
Annual Bike Tour, and last
year cyclists raised over $1.5
million to benefit the Lone
Star Chapter and its services.
The local New Braunfels
participants formed“Team No
Limits” and have participat-
ed for the last few years, rais-
ing $13,000 in 2006 and striv-
ing to surpass the $15,000
plateau this year. While the
event is already complete, the
fund-raising efforts will con-
tinue until Nov. 20. Kathy Carl,
who is a co-captain along with
her husband, Mike, said the
event began as a “family
thing” for them, but has
grown as friends and family
and other relatives bacame
interested. The couple know
several people living with MS.
Other team members
include Matt Carl, a 15-year-
old at New Braunfels High
School whose charitable
cycling landed him on the
front page of the Corpus
Christi Caller Times, Melissa
Niland, Neal Lucas, Ceasar
Espritu, Christina Hinojosa,
Vicki Robertson, Shannon
Shurbet and Rhonda Budge.
Janelle Fisher of The Bike
Platz said, “People ride the
MS150 for different reasons –
some people just casually end
up on the ride because their
friends or colleagues are rid-
ing it, others do it for the chal-
lenge and for the love of bik-
ing, while others do it because
they either have MS or know
people who do and they real-
ly do believe in the cause.”
Regardless of the skill level
of a particular ride, the MS150
had an outstanding support
system. Cyclists received
lunch along the way as well
as occasional rehydration
stops that offered water, pow-
er drinks, and even pickle
juice, which is rife with vita-
mins.
John Pelicano, the principal
of Sts. Peter and Paul’s
Catholic School, accepted the
challenge of the event for the
ninth time, and he appreci-
ates the opportunity to merge
his affection for cycling with
the opportunity to offer assis-
tance to others.
“My love for the sport of
cycling doesn't mean much if
I can't use it to help others,”
said Pelicano.“It doesn't mat-
ter where life takes me, I can
always do the ride. My wife
and my children are always
excited about supporting me,
and I can't wait until my kids
are old enough to participate.
... It's a lot of fun riding with
thousands of others who, for
different reasons, have come
out to support the effort to
find a cure for MS.”
Page 10A — HERALD-ZEITUNG — Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Small-business people and the self-employed are the backbone of
our economy. But right now, small-business owners and independent
business people who use their personal vehicles for work could be
forced to pay $600 or more in additional property taxes on those
vehicles every year.
Prop 6 will help these hard-working people succeed and will help
keep taxes fair for all Texans!
This responsible measure passed the Texas Legislature unanimously,
but now needs voter approval. Your vote FOR Prop 6 will guarantee
these individuals will be safe from overzealous tax collectors and can
retain that money for their own families.
The official ballot reads:
“Proposition 6. The constitutional amendment authorizing the
legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation one motor vehicle
owned by an individual and used in the course of the owner’s
occupation or profession and also for personal activities of the
owner.”
Don’t let the “legislative speak” confuse you. Your vote FOR Prop 6
means hard-working independent business people will be protected
from having their personal vehicle taxed. Even if this unfair tax doesn’t
directly affect you now, you could be next. Learn more about this
issue at VoteForProp6.org. See you at the polls!
Who will Prop 6 help?
If passed, Prop 6 will help all independent business people in Texas who use their personal vehicle for business, preventing them from being
subjected to this unfair tax. That includes:
Contract nurses who
drive their car to patients’
homes
Independent
cosmetics
salespeopleFarmers and
ranchers
Independent landscapers who
transport equipment in their
personal truck
Independent
insurance
agents
Independent real
estate agents
Independent providers
of on-site technical
assistance
Independent
plumbers,
electricians,
carpenters,
handymen and
others in home
repair
Small-business owners who
use their personal car in the
course of their business
Pizza-delivery people
and couriers who
work as independent
contractors
Music teachers who
drive their car to
students’homes
Paid for by Texans for Tax Relief, P.O. Box 2246, Austin, TX 78768
Stop an unfair tax!
Vote for Prop 6 on Nov. 6
Protect small-business owners and independent salespeople – Vote FOR Prop 6!
Visit VoteForProp6.org for more information.
Kids, coloring andKids, coloring andKids, coloring andKids, coloring andKids, coloring and
conservation . . . what aconservation . . . what aconservation . . . what aconservation . . . what aconservation . . . what a
winning combination!winning combination!winning combination!winning combination!winning combination!
Hurry! All entries must be in our downtown office at 263
E. Main Plaza by Friday, November 9th at 5:00 p.m.Friday, November 9th at 5:00 p.m.Friday, November 9th at 5:00 p.m.Friday, November 9th at 5:00 p.m.Friday, November 9th at 5:00 p.m.
Know a student artist in the 2nd
through 5th
grade? If so, have them enter the annual NBU
Conservation Calendar Contest! The theme for this
year’s calendar is “Water Colors Our World.” Maybe
your student has a unique water saving idea or way to
protect our water resources – creativity is what counts!
We will choose 13 entries to be used in the creation of
our annual calendar. Each winner will receive a $50
savingsbondand10calendars!Detailsareavailable
by visiting www.nbutexas.com or by calling
(830) 629-8486.
Local cyclists raise
money to fight MS
Photos by KARLA HELD/Herald-Zeitung
A member of the Third Street Grackles crosses the bridge to Corpus Christi during
the last leg of the MS150 Bike to the Beach.
Team Caraban and Shaw (from left, Pat Cole, Mark
Schmidt, Robert Grammer and David Gerecke) were
partially sponsored by Bike Platz.The law firm of
Caraban and Shaw has an office in New Braunfels.
Man recovering after
being shot by own dog
Solar panel tear raises concerns at NASA