EPISD Student Activity Center Football Stadium named Cozel Foster-Veterans Memorial by School Board

By: Jose G. Landa
Eagle Pass Business Journal

The Eagle Pass Independent School District (EPISD) Board of Trustees unanimously approved to name the EPISD Student Activity Center Football Stadium “The Cozel Foster-Veterans Memorial Football Stadium” at their Tuesday, January 15, 2013, regular Board meeting, reversing its previous policy not to name any of the Student Activity Center facilities after individuals.

EPISD School Board of Trustee Ramon Ramirez during discussion raised the question to his fellow Board of Trustees if naming the Student Activity Center Football Stadium to the Cozel Foster -Veterans Memorial Football Stadium meant that all the other SAC facilities are now open to being named after individuals and several Board members replied “Yes” before Board member Claudio Heredia stated that the naming of the Cozel Foster-Veterans Memorial Football Stadium was not conditional upon naming the other SAC facilities after individuals and that each facility be considered one at a time.
Board member Ramirez brought up to his fellow Board members that last year (2012) the EPISD Board of Trustees had voted to not name any of the SAC facilities after individuals. Ramirez recommended that if the EPISD was going to name the other SAC facilities after individuals, that the Board name a committee and that this committee be authorized to select the naming of the other SAC facilities.

EPISD School Board President Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Saucedo acknowledged that last year this same request had come before the Board and the Board had decided not to name any of the SAC facilities, but that he had placed the item on the agenda because he thought it was a “great time” to do this as he did not know any better way to honor Coach Cozel Foster and local Veterans than naming the SAC Football Stadium in their honor. Board member Lupita Fuentes made the motion, seconded by Board member Ramon Ramirez and unanimously approved. One Board member cautioned that now “we are going to get bombarded.”

During the Citizens Communication part of the meeting, Coach Steve Kirchner stated he had written a letter last year requesting that the SAC Football Stadium be named in honor of Coach Cozel Foster, who had been his football coach at Eagle Pass High School and was recognized as an outstanding coach in Texas. Maverick County Treasurer and Veterans of Foreign Wars local Post member, Roberto Ruiz, also spoke in favor of naming the SAC Football Stadium in honor of Coach Cozel Foster and local Veterans pointing out that Coach Foster was a veteran himself serving in the U.S.Marine Corps during World War II in the Pacific Islands. Ruiz added that Coach Foster had also been his high school football coach and was “the epitome of a coach and a statewide coach icon.” Ruiz stated the local VFW Post supported this request and he personally considered it “a dual privilege.”