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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublicity Vol. 34 (April 1985 - June 1985)Student's campaign irritates Mayor Halter By MICHAEL CRAWFORD Staff Writer All is not well in electionland. With less than a week remain- ing before the April 6 city council and school board elections, Mike Hachtman 's campaign for a coun- cil seat has irritated College Sta- tion Mayor Gary Halter. "I do know that he is trying to portray me as anti - student," Hal- ter said last week. "I have told him that I do not appreciate him impugning my reputation in or- der to gain some sort of advanta- ge „ Although Halter would not give examples of how Hachtman was portraying him as anti -stu- dent, Hachtman said the problem surrounds a quote reported in the Houston Chronicle. In a March 3 article of the Chronicle, Halter is quoted as saying: "They're (students) like the to - tained the use of the quote was fair and was not meant to be de- rogatory. As of Friday, however, Halter said, "I just really resent the approacll he's taken. I don't think it's a fair characterization of the council and especially me. "Why is he student liaison if the council is so anti - student? If we're so anti - student where did he come from? Where did his po- sition come from? Why have we tried to do this ?" Several years ago the council created the position of student liaison which Hachtman occupied for two years. Although his posi- tion is a non - voting one, Hacht- man said his tenure on the coun- cil gives him insight into how the council operates. custs that disappear for four years and reappear to vote in na- tional elections." In the article, Halter went on to say that stu- dents don't get involved in local politics. Halter's student/locust compa- rison has been used by Hachtman in his campaign for the unoccu- pied Place 3 seat. Hachtman said he is not trying to portray the mayor as anti -stu- dent. Hachtman said, "We want to show the community we're not locusts and that we do care about what's going on here, so we will get out and vote." Hachtman is counting on a large student turnout to bring him victory, but traditionally stu- dents have largely ignored local elections. On Wednesday, Hachtman apologized to Halter, but main - Halter said his reputation in the community and among the students hasn't been harmed by Hachtman's campaign because, "I don't think the students know I exist." He maintains that he is very supportive of Texas A &M stu- dents. "I've been teaching students at A &M for 17 years," Halter said. "I've received the former stu- dent's award for faculty distin- guished relations in city affairs; I've been an adviser for numer- ous clubs; I've been an under- graduate adviser with the depart- ment (political science) for years." Hachtman, an industrial distri- bution major from Dallas, faces Roy Hann Jr. and Terri Tongco in the election. THE BATTALION/MONDAY, APRIL 1, 1985 0 ■_ i■. 0 H U) U N N 4) a v c a v .v c O v U By MICHAEL CRAWFORD Staff Writer The quality of life, the devel- opment of the industrial park and continued area growth were the cho- ruses most frequently sung at Fri- day's College Station city council candidate forum. Two candidates are running for Place 1 which is currently occupied by Alvin Prause. Roy Kelly, the owner of A -1 Auto Parts, and Fred Brown, the owner of Fred Brown Mazda -BMW, both want tougher scrutiny of the city's budget. Kelly says his top three priorities for the city are evaluating the city's financial position, bringing in more industry and keeping citizens in- volved in the community. Brown says keeping the duality of life, solic- iting new industries to come to the area and running the city like a busi- ness are his top goals. Kelly says the Industrial Devel- opment Foundation should work more closely with the council while Brown says the industrial park should be turned over to the Indus- trial Foundation and that Texas A &M should be used as a carrot to attract new businesses. Both men agreed, the city should not use money refunded from elec- trical overcharges to finance a city li- brary. Kelly says the money should be channeled back into the utilities department for future use, but Brown says the money should be re- turned to consumers. A non - binding questionaire con- cerning the library is on the April 6 ballot. City officials are using the bal- lot to determine if taxpayers would accept a two cent increase per $100 evaluation in their property taxes. Place 3 has three candidates com- peting for the position. Roy Hann Jr., head of the environmental engi- neering divison of A &M's Civil Engi- neering Experiment Station; Mike Hachtman, an industrial distribution major from Dallas; and Terri Tongco, a one -year member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, are battling for the position vacated earlier this year by Vicky Reinke. Re- inke moved to Maryland. Hann says his top priorities are at- tacking problem areas that exist and improving the quality of life. Hacht- man says maintaining the quality of life, finishing the industrial park and improving communication between the city and the University are his goals. Financial accountability for all departments, improving business growth to help expand the tax base and maintaining neighborhood qual- THE BATTALZON/MONDAY, APRIL 1, 1985 ity are Tongco's top priorities. Hann says the construction of a li- brary is. part of the cultural devel- opment of the city, but he would not pull funds from one area to finance the new building. Hachtman says the new library, if constructed, should specialize in one particular field so as not to duplicate services provided by A &M's library. Hachtman also says the money from the overcharges should be given back to consumers. Tongco says the money from the overcharges wouldn't be enough to start the library and any proposal for it should co- operate with Bryan's public library system. James Bond, an attorney, and Jim Gardner, a councilman from 1974- 78, are running for Place 5, cur- rently occupied by Gary Anderson. Bond says he wants to improve intra- governmental cooperation to acheive common purposes and make sure government officials ask the right questions about issues. Gard- ner sa s he wants to optimize bene- fits f the area's growth, strengthen the planning function in the city and have a thorough review done on the city's industrial park. Bond says he had not studied the library issue and Gardner says he is glad the voters are participating in the decision - making process. CS parks director toes the bottom line EM CITY HALL By Diane Blake Bowen The impending budget crunch because of federal budget cuts and a struggling local economy is affecting the College Station parks director's language. You expect to hear the words "ball fields," "recreational facilities," "summer fun," and "pool prog- rams" coming from the mouth of Parks Director Steve Beachy. But recently Beachy's been us- i phrases like "the bottom line," "selling our product," "service effectiveness" and "running the parks department like a business." The concepts weren't unknown to him before, but they're on the tip of his tongue now. Beachy is working with his staff to improve attitudes toward park users, he said. Recently 27 parks workers were given a program on dealing. with the public and mis- haps and on taking the initiative when problems come up. Soon all parks workers will go through the program. The parks director said he wants his people to treat the department as they would a business — echoing the refrain heard from government officials across the land. "We're trying to get away from our employees looking at the park users as John Q. Public," Beachy said. He said he wants the staffers to view them as customers, much like employees at Six Flags do. In doing so, he hopes College Station residents will come to ex- pect the same friendly workers and clean facilities that they do from very good amusement parks — which depend on happy customers for their existence. City concessions workers, grounds keepers and lifeguards should not be rude or unconcerned when it comes to the public, he said. Beachy said his grounds crews are gearing up now for the busy season. Several programs this summer are being planned, in- cluding a Jazz Festival April 13, concerts every other Sunday after- noon, and movies at Central Park. Beachy says, however, that this year the department is not going to add a bunch of new programs; rather, it will concentrate on im- proving the ones it has already. "We want to make more use of the facilities we've got," he said. The facilities are utilized at only about 50 percent capacity, and he'd like to improve usage. Some of his ideas include offer- ing luaus for private parties after the pools are closed. City life- guards could dress up in grass skirts and torches could be lighted for swim parties with a Hawaiian twist, he said. He's also toying with the idea of "guaranteeing our product." If a citizen — er, customer — is dis- satisfied with, say, a hot dog, the city might refund his money or give him another. If someone's eyes are burned because of too much chlorine in the pool, perhaps the city could give out a pass for another day, or refund the price of admission. This desire to get more use of the parks from citizens and impro- ving service is not entirely altruis- tic, Beachy admits. When the budget crunch comes, he doesn't want the parks depart- ment to be regarded as. expend - able. d THE EAIQLE/MONPAY, APRIL 1, 1985 BACKGROUND Ln With wife, Terese, and son J and daughter, John and CL Paula, resident of College —.J Station for 19 years. F Degrees in architecture and city planning (USC & M.I.T.). Z) Elected to 4 years on O College Station Council and appointed to 4 on Planning & U Zoning Commission. GOALS Open government and I citizen participation. Planned, rational industrial Q expansion. --� M Neighborhood protection D and livability. • More timely completion of voter - approved capital r— tA Former city planning improvements. 011 consultant to many Texas U cities; Teacher of city Adequate, long -term supply planning and urban affairs of affordable energy and for 20 years. water. Political Advertisement Paid for by: James R. Gardner, 1216 N. Ridgefield, College Station, Texas 77840 EXPERIENCE - INTEGRITY - CONCERN THE EAC7�LE/TUESI)AY, APRIL 2, 1985 JIM GARDNER C � A TKIAD OF LEADERSHIP Only Roy Hann can offer the City of College Sta- tion proven leadership in three vital areas ... 1. Roy Hann is a professional engineer, • Head of Texas A & M's Environmental Engineering program. • Consultant to the United Nations, governmental agencies, and industry. 2. Roy 'Hann is a renown environmentalist. • 1983 recipient of the Audubon Society's Palla- dium Medal for environmental conservation. • Featured on "Good Morning America, e Today Show," and in People magazine. 3. Roy Hann is a successful businessman. THE EAQLE /TUESDAY , APRIL 2, 1985 IM • 11 years experience running a business • Owner, Fred Brown Mazda -BMW and Budget Rent -a -Car of College Station • Proven ability to work with the public • Charter Member, Leadership Brazos • Director, B -CS Chamber of Commerce • Director, Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center • Director, March of Dimes • 1984 Jaycees Outstanding Young Men of America • Member, Rotary Club • Member, First Baptist Church: serves on Finance Committee and teaches Sunday School • Married: wife (Jane) and two children (Kelly. 6 and Hayley. 3) "As your City Councilman I'll protect our neighborhoods and make sure our children grow up in a healthy environment. .�07_i_l• k OLLEGE STATION CITY COUNCIL, PLACE 1 Paid for by the Committe to Elect Fred Brown P hil Adams. Treasurer THE EAQLE /TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 1985 0 Absentee voting ends today Today is the last day to vote absentee in Bryan and College Station municipal and school district elections. Residents of the cities can vote in person until 5 p.m. at either College Station City Hall or the Bryan city secretary's office in the police station building. Residents of the school districts can vote at the admi- nistration office of their respective district. The elections will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. THE EAGLE /TUESDA1�, , APRIL 2, 1985 0 College Station The race for City Council Place 3 in College Station has a Texas A &M Uni- versity student vying for the post. Mike Hachtman, 20, the student govern- ment's liaison with College Station City Council for two years, is against A &M civil engineering pro- fessor Roy Hann Jr., 51, and nurse Terri Tongco, 46. In the Place 1 race, Fred Brown, 31, a car dealer, will face Roy Kelly Sr., 62, owner of an auto parts store. In Place 5, Jim Gardner, 64. a retired urban planning professor, is running against James Bond, 48, an attorney. THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE /WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1985 . %..I . ,, u 4 I% L Absentee voting good in both cities A total of 305 people have voted absentee in College Station city and school elections, and 228 in Bryan city and school elections. Both city secretaries said the turn- out was good in comparison to other years. The deadline for voting absentee was Tuesday. Bryan City Secretary Dorothy Mallett noted, however, that the numbers may not indicate a good turnout for Saturday's local elec- tions in each city. She explained that, since the election is on Easter weekend, more people than usual may be planning to be out of town during the election. THE EAgLE/WETINESIJt1Y, APRITL 3, 1985 C CS candidates want to bring in new industry By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer College Station City Council candidates are unanimous in wanting to spend the city's money wisely, meet the needs of the citizens and bring in new industry to broaden the area's tax base. But they have suggested varying means to accomplish these goals. Here are the College Station council candidates in ballot order and their views on some of the issues facing the city: Place 1 Roy W. Kelly said his knowledge of the community and his experience in civic affairs makes him the best candidate. A College Station resident for 25 years, Kelly has been involved in many community organizations and served on the council for one year and the planning and zoning commission for three years. He worked with other city leaders to get more water for the city, expand its wastewater system and, as chair- man of plan P for the committee, ture, hesaid. forma p Kelly's work in the community over the years, he said, has shown him which citizens will get involved to get things done. A council member ' needs to know who to .touch" in galvanizing citizens for action, he said. "1 he owner of A- I Auto Parts, Kel- ly said his business acumen also will help him be a good council member. "A good businessman hires good people to run the business," he said. His top priority is to evaluate the city's financial state in light of re- venue cuts and Texas A &M cut- backs, he said. Kelly said the council should be more interested in attracting small businesses to the area, rather than large ones that might devastate the community if they failed during eco- nomic busts, he said. New businesses also will offer jobs to the city's young people, who now must move to big cities for employ- P rom page I A ment, he said. Fred Brown, the Mazda/BMW dealership own- er, said he chose to move to Col- lege Station 2 1 /2 years ago be- cause of the city's excellent quality of life — a low crime rate, an exten- sive parks system and quiet neighbor- hoods right in the middle of the Bible Belt. ; "I just feel -like that I have a lot of business talent that I can give to the city," he said of his decision to seek a council term. "I feel like I owe it to the city." He said a good businessperson can get the most services from the tax dollar. "In my business, customers are our lifeline," Brown said. "In the city of College Station, all the tax- payers are the customers." He also said he supports the city's buying goods — tires, for instance — from local merchants rather than from out -of -town businesses. Another of Brown's main goals is to attract new.. industry to the area to broaden the tax base, he said. Place 3 Roy W. Hann Jr., an environ- mental engineering professor at Texas A &M, said his three main areas of expertise — engineering, en- vironmental engineering and busi- ness management — can be assets to the city of College Station. Hann can offer an expert's view in these areas, he said. For example, although many people say they want high -tech industry to locate here, most do not know the problems such industry has caused for areas in Cali- fornia, he said. Some of those industries have pol- luted the groundwater by storing sol- vents in the ground, and some of those areas now have high incidences of birth defects, Hann said. "You need to know the problems that go with these industries," he said. Hann said he also can tell whether a budget for a solid waste program is reasonable or unreasonable. Another of his strong points is his experience in dealing with large budgets, he said. Hann heads a de- partment that has a $3 to $4 million budget yearly. THE EA(5LE 1IVEPNE51)Af, APRIL 3, 1985 v Hann said the impending budget crunch will require new businesses to come to College Station, and he has several ideas on how to get them. The council should be involved in "community development" as well as industrial development to attract more companies, he said. The city should encourage engineering firms to locate here by spending its en- gineering consulting money locally, he said. He also suggested that former stu- dents of Texas A &M be shown how locating their businesses here can help the city and the university as well. Mike Hachtman, a junior indust- rial distribution major, said he wants most for people to know that "I'm not this crazy student who's running and who's going to leave town." Hachtman said he is committed to this community, and will stay after he graduates in two years if he can find a job here. "My roots are set here," he said "I have a vested interest — I want to see that it's an enjoyable place for my family (one day). I don't see myself as packing my bags and leaving." One of his primary goals is to get construction on the industrial park completed "within the year" so new businesses will have a good place to locate, he said. Hachtman said that although he is running to represent all citizens of College Station, it will be an addi- tional plus for the students to have a fellow student on the council. "It's a heck of a lot harder for a student to contact a regular person (on the council) than a student," he said. Hachtman said his work on the council as a liaison for two years has given him insight into the city's prob- lems, but not the opportunity to vote on issues that affect students. He said that attracting business to keep the tax base lo will help stu- dents, who pay taxes either directly or through rents and other purchases in College Station. Hachtman also proposes the use of a students to help defray city spending s — for instance, engineeri ng, students could do studies for the city as part of their coursework. Terri Tongco, a nurse for Texas Instruments, said her involvement in communities in other states gives her new perspectives on College Station problems. She said she has dealt with the eco- nomic boom -and -bust cycles in Wyoming, California and now Texas, and communities should real- ize such cycles exist and plan for them. During boom times, city councils should not ` `go bananas" in spending but rather plan ahead for the eventual drop -off in economic activity, Tong - co said. Now that the city is facing cut- backs from the state and federal gov- ernments; "We need to learn to take care of ourselves," she said. To meet community needs during this recessionary time, Tongcd said the council should require groups asking for city money to provide some of the funding for their projects. "They shouldn't come with their hands empty ... and then expect the government to provide the money," she said. An example is the proposed library, whose proponents should come up with ideas on how to staff and fund it, she said. Tongco also said she would like to see progress on the industrial park stepped up. Place 5 Jim Gardner said he has several goals that he would pursue if elected. They are: ■ Improving emergency medical services. ■ Strengthening the city's plan- ning functions to prevent further "scatter -shot sprawl" and the waste of dollars to service it. ■ Making utility bills more equit- able by "flattening" the difference in rates between high and low- volume users. The current system is not fair THE EAC7LE/WEDNESDAlJ. , APRIL 3, 1985 Gardner Bond nd encourages overconsumption, he aid. ■ Looking into the industrial park proposal. Gardner said he is not opposed to the concept o f an indust- rial park, but he is concerned that feasibility studies were not done for College Station's. "My main concern is not that there will be one, but that there will not be one," he said. Without such studies, the city cannot know whether its ex- pectations for a high -tech industrial park are unrealistic, he said. Among Gardner's accomplish- ments while a council member and planning board member in past years are contributions toward previous sign ordinances, more sidewalks and better zoning and planning, he said. James B. Bond, an attorney, said he wants to bring "fresh, new repre- sentation" and a positive outlook to the council. He stresses the need for inter- governmental cooperation among the two cities and the university, and cites his background as counsel to A &M, commissioner to the Texas In- dustrial Commission and a native of the College Station area as evidence of his "unique insight into local municipal and governmental affairs. " "A new cooperative union needs to evolve that draws upon the strengths of all our local governing bodies to the mutual benefit of the whole community," Bond said. He said he wants the city and uni- versity to have a "happy rela- tionship" and make sure ' `neither is wagging the other." He also said the council should be "extremely open" and have "no no- tion that it's their city alone." "I'm a very open person," he said. "I have no secrets." Bond also said the city should "be postured with an attitude toward openness in providing and extending utilities" to new businesses in order to attract them. Hachtman Tongco College Station City Council Place 1 1. State your qualificatins and reason(s) for seeking office. (75 words) KELLY: College Station City Council, 1980 -1981; Col- lege Station Planning & zoning Commission, 3 years; Col- lege Station Industrial Development Foundaton, 4 years; Chairman, CSISD Vocational Education Advisry Board; Board Member, Private Industrial Council (PIC); Chairman, "College Station Year 2000 Plan," Board Member, Wel- born Water District, 1961 -1973; Board Member, "Crime Stoppers." rbelieve that I can draw on my governmental, College Station City Council Place 1 (Cont.) work to see that it is implemented, providing, of course, finances allow us to do so. BROWN: College Station gives 35 -40 thousand dollars a year to MHMR. If there is an additional need other than this, I am not aware of it. 4. Do you favor funding a library in the 1985 -86 budget? If so, what revenue sources would you recom- mend using? (50 words) KELLY: Because a committee has worked hard to see if a library is needed in our community and because the citizens will vote on the issue, I believe the next council should carefully consider the issue. However, before a new library is established, or for any other new program to be established, educational and community experiences to serve our com- munity well. I have the time and the will to do so. BROWN: As a leadership Brazos graduate I have had a great interest in city government. A city is a business and should be run like a business. I have eleven years experience running a business and I want to contribute that experience to the public. I am personally and professionally commted to the growth of our community. 2. What are your goals for the City of College Station? (a)immediate (b)long -term (100 words) KELLY: Immediate: To carefully evaluate the financial situation of our city. With proposed cutbacks at TAMU, loss of federal revenue sharing funds and a general slowing of the economy, the prudent course of the council to take is to carefully evaluate the financial situation of our city. To see, if at all possible, whether or not utilities' costs can be held down. Long -term: To continue citizen involvement in planning for economic development along with maintaining and im- provement of our environment. BROWN: A. I will work for an agressive industrial park growth so that College Station can attract new industry and business while closely monitoring that growth to assure the integrity of our neighborhoods. B. With an economic environment as volatile as ours, long range planning for the future is imperative. Many of the things that contribute to our quality of life are paid for with tax dollars. We need growth in our local economy so that the homeowners tax base 1vill remain low. 3. Is there a need for additinal health care services for the indigent in Bryan/College Station, especially prenatal and well -baby cinics and MHMR? If so, what is the city's responsibility for funding these services? (75 words) KELLY: We should always be concerned with the medic- al care of the indignt. I will raise the issue, if elected, on the next council and if we can establish a helping role, I shall the city must be certain that such a program can be financed without undue tax burden on our citizens. BROWN: Its on the ballot and I'll wait and see what the taxpayers decide. 5. Are the current speed limits within the College Sta- tion city limits appropriate for the increasing develop- ment along the main thoroughfares? If not, what do you recommend? (75 words) KELLY: We have had some unfortunate accidents and injuries on our streets. I believe that some of these could have been avoided if the speed limits were lower. I will, for certain, ask the council to review the speed limits on our streets with a view to lowering them, especially on Texas Avenue. BROWN: The Texas Highway Department and City of College Station lowered speed limits along Texas Avenue. In accordance with this recommendation, the City Councl voted to lower the speed limit on Texas Avenue. THE EAQLE/WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1985 Roy Kelly Fred Brown 1407 Post Oak Circle 2104 Fawn Court College Station College Station Occupation: Owner of A -1 Occupation: Budget Rent-AM-Car Auto Parts Age: 62 Licensee, Easterwood Airport Age: 31 s� 0 College Station City Council Place 5 1. State your qualifications and reason(s) for seeking office.(75 words) GARDNER: City Planning degree (MIT). 31 years gov- ernmental, business and teaching experience. Former plan- ning director (California); College Station city councilman and planning commissioner. Close observer and citizen - participant in municpal affairs. As a city planner and a College Station citizen for 20 years, have a continuing strong interest in my community's future. Being semi - retired, would like to devote more time to city problems and poten- tials. Feel I can be most efffective doing this as coun- cilmember. BOND: I seek this office out of a pure interest in making a contribution to the city I grew up in and enjoy benefitting from. I feel that I can offer independent, objective judgment College Station City Council Place 5 (Cont.) the mentally ill. There appears to be no reason for College Station to plan a direct role in providing these services. However, it could and should cooperate with Bryan and others to establish a public transportation system. One im- portant aspect of indigent health care in our area is lack of access to existing services. BOND: Without being indifferent, I must admit that I do not know nor have any first hand information about the need for indigent health care. Across the country and most likely right here, the problem of health care for the indigent, as well as for persons who have lost health care insurance, is trauma- tic. I would view the responsbility for this need to be better placed with state and county governments and perhaps a cooperative function. 4. Do you favor funding a library in the 1985 -86 budget? If so, what revenue sources wold you recom- mend using? (50 words) GARDNER: I favor a branch library in College Station, on a trial basis at least, and as early as feasible. April 6 straw vote will help determine when and what funding. A perma- with no bias nor preconceived agenda. My qualifications incude: legal training and practicing attorney; 8 years as General Counsel, TAMU; 3 years as a City Attorney; former Commissioner, Texas Industrial Com- mission; familiar with all local governing bodies and agen- cies. 2. What are your goals for the City of College Station? (a)immediate (b) long -term (100 words) GARDNER: (a) More equitable utility rates by "flatte- ning"; not rewarding large volume users. Improved EMS. More timely implementatin of voter- approved capital im- provements. Increased salaries, especially police and fire personnel, to improve recruitment and reduce turnover. Thorough public review and discussion of high -tech indust- rial park. Develop and implement drainage ordinances. (b) Long -term and continuous goals of 1) mitigating prob- lems and optimizing gains resultin.2 from past rapid growth experience and 2) more cooperation and participation with Bryan in resolving common problems. More specificially: Railroad relocation. B- CS/TAMU public transit. Reliable and affordable water and electric supply. BOND: (a) Short term goals incude finding and support- ing an appropriate course for developing our high tech com- mercial park and build a framework for economic develop- ment for the long term tax base and employment opportuni- ties. While addressing this need, my goal will be to assure enhanced communications and openness to develop com- munity pride. (b) For the long term, I am especially interested in inter- governmental cooperation. I hope it can be said of me that I helped bring common goals of College Station, Bryan and TAMU to a point of understanding and cooperative resolu- tion. Projects of common interest deserve the strength that comes from 3. Is there a need for additional health care services for the indigent in Bryan /College Station, especially prenatal and well -baby clinics and MHMR? If so, what is the city's responsibility for funding these services? (75 words) GARDNER: My gut feeling is that there is a need for additional health care services for the indigent, especially for nent library function will likely require tax revenue for opera- tion and maintenance and bond fnancing for capital costs. BOND: I favor good things for College Station and a library is certainly in that category. Whether it will fit into the priority for funding in the next budget is not known. I am not a person who passes judgment without having the facts and studing the options. One can hope! 5. Are the current speed limits within the College Sta- tion city limits appropriate for the increasing develop- ment along the main thoroughfares? If not, what do you recommend? (75 words) GARDNER: They are not. On nearly all sections of Texas Avenue speeds should be reduced by 5 to 10 mph. Same is case for some of University and much of Harvey Road. Monitoring should continue. Recommend more stringent policies and controls regading "strip development" on thor- oughfares that can still be "saved ". BOND: My past experience with speed limits; prosecuting tickets as a City Attorney, defending speeders as a practicing attorney and paying tickets I have received, has taught me a few things about speed limits. Traffic studies are conducted by trained engineers of the city, stae, and by consultants. Accident records are kept and statistics Analyzed. Limits are established based on factors best known to the experts. I have not been greatly bothered by the speed limits. THE EAQLE/WEDNESDA APRIL 3, 1985 Jim Gardner James B. Bond 1216 N. Ridgefield Circle 1813 Leona Occupation: Semi - retired Pro- College Station, Texas 77840 fessor, City Planning, TAMU Occupation: Lawyer Age: 64 Age: 49 • • LEGAL NOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1581 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON MARCH 28, 1985, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting I re ular session in the Col- lege Station Community Cen- ter, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art. 6252 -17. The above - referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of College Station, has the following heading: AN OR- DINANCE AMENDING CHAP- TER 10, SECTION 3, SUB- SECTION E OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS RELATING TO SPEED ZONES AND SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATING ADDITIONAL AREAS IN THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION IN WHICH RA (30) S MILES SPEED ILES PER HOUR OR MORE ARE AUTH- ORIZED; RESCINDING ALL PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; AND DECLARING THAT ATTEN- DANT FACTS NECESSITATE IMMEDIATE ACTION. Ordinance No. 1581 desig- nates certain areas, described in said ordinance, in which the speed limits shall be forty (40) miles per hour, forty -five miles per hour, or fifty miles per hour, on LP507 for traffic moving between the North Cityy Limit and the Intersection of 6. This ordinance shall be effec- tive from and after the date of its passage as provided by the Charter of the City of College Station. Violation of any provision of this ordinance shall be sub- ject to a fine of up to $200.00 (two hundred dollars). The complete text of Ordin- ance No. 1581 is on file at the Office of the City Secretary and may be obtained at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. 04-03- 85,04 -04-85 LEGAL NOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1580 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON MARCH 28, 1985, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Col- lege Station Community Cen- ter, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art. 6252 -17. The above - referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of College Station, has the following heading: AN ORDI- NANCE AMENDING CHAP- TER 2, SECTIONS 2.A AND 2.13 OF THE CODE OF ORDINAN- CES OF THE CITY OF COL- LEGE STATION, TEXAS, RE- LATING TO ANIMAL LICEN- SING PROCEDURES AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Ordinance No. 1580 defines terms pertinent to the content thereof, provides regulations for the licensing of dogs and cats, stipulates who may re- gister cats and dogs and col- lect the registration fee, es- tablishes procedures for the keeping of more than four dogs or cats, and prescribes a permit revocation and appeal procedure. A violation of any of the pro- visions of this ordinance is punishable by a fine of not less than $30.00 or more than $200.00. This ordinance shall become effective and be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval by the City Council and duly attested by the Mayor and City Secre- tary, and in accordance with the Charter of the City of College Station. The complete text of Ordin- ance No. 1580 is on file at the Office of the City Secretary and may be obtained at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. 04-03- 85,04 -04-85 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: You are hereby notified that on Thursday, April 25, 1985, the City Council of the City of College Station intends to have a hearing to determine the necessity for street im- provements on Krenek Tap Road. Said Public Hearing will be held during the regular meet- ing of the City Council at 7:00 P.M. in the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. For additional information, call the Legal Office, City of College Sta- tion, (409) 764 -3515. 04-03- 85,04-10- 85,04 -17-85 THE EAQLE/1VEDNESDAJ, APRIL 3, 1985 Aggie votes at stake in sheriff's election H x t� tr] G7 t to y x d �c b H r By DAVID NUNNELEE Staff Writer A second election between Brazos County Sheriff Ronnie Miller and challenger Howard Hill doesn't in- terest some Texas A &M University students who voted in last Novem- ber's general election. And that could hurt Miller, a Re- publican who attracted a large num- ber of student votes in his narrow victory over Hill. A state district judge Tuesday ordered a new election for sheriff be- cause of voting errors found in the Nov. 6 election. Hill, a Democrat, lost that election by 162 votes. County Judge Dick Holmgreen said the commissioners court will meet Monday and set the second elec- tion for Aug. 10, the earliest date possible under the state election code. Miller will remain in office un- til that date or longer, if an appeals court orders the election halted until it can hear the case. On Aug. 10, more than half of A &M students still will be on sum- mer vacation. That means those who are registered to vote but reside out- side the county would have to vote in the shehff% race by absentee ballot. Kevin W. Davidson, a freshman from Arlington, says he won't bother. "I just want to stay away from that whole mess," Davidson said. Davidson was one of about 250 persons subpoenaed to testify in Hill's court challenge of the election. The trial started the first day of spring break and kept those students sub- poenaed from planned vacations. "I don't intend to vote (in an Au- gust vacation) because of the mess it caused," said Felicia Farr, a fresh- man from Tarrant County who had planned a trip to Padre Island with friends during the break. Davidson said he voted in the general election but doesn't really care who holds the office of sheriff in Brazos County. "To tell you the truth, by the time I got past six or seven (offices), it was just pick one." Margaret Booth of Irving said she would vote in another sheriff's race here if she didn't have to vote absen- tee. She wouldn't take the trouble to come here to vote in August, she said. Asked if she cared who served as sheriff, she said: "Not before (the November) election." Garry Young, president of Young Democrats at A &M, said Hill's elec- tion challenge, going to trial when it did, probably didn't win him many supporters on campus. But he doubts that students would vote against him in a second election just because they were inconvenienced. "It hurt him, but I don't think it's going to mobilize 35,000 students against him," Young said. Young said about 250 persons voted in his precinct in the November election, compared to about 80 in the March special election for state repre- sentative between Richard Smith and Neeley Lewis. He predicted that only about 10 percent of the students who voted in the November general elec- tion would vote in a special election for sheriff. "Saturday will be a good indica- tion," Young said referring to the city and school board elections in College Station. "There's a student running for city council whose well - known on campus. If students are not going to vote in that race, then they're sure not going to vote in the sheriff's race. " Miller was extremely popular with Aggies last November, outpolling Hill at the Memorial Service Center box by more than 1,000 votes. "Well, that still leaves more than 21,000 other people who voted for me, doesn't it ?" Miller said about the possibility that some students may not bother to vote in August. Miller said he's confident of win- ning but thinks the special election should be set at a date when all A &M students are back in town. "it was fair last November, why shouldn't it be fair this November ?" he said. Hill could not be reached for com- ment. Grant Swartzwelder, president of the Aggie GOP, said Hill has alien- ated and angered many students by challenging their votes. "It doesn't seem that Howard Hill is really trying to work with the stu- dents," he said. Voting absentee will be a hardship for out -of -town students, Swartzwel- der said, but he added that his group would encourage them to vote in an August election. Asked if students were really in- terested in the sheriff's race, he said: "We will make them so." • C.S. city council race non - partisan • L EDITOR: Last time, I heard the city council races in College Station were non-parti- san. Evidently I was misinformed judging from Aggie GOP's actions of the last week. Their table at Political Awareness Day looked like a site for a Mike Hachtman pep rally, in addition to the candidate's own table. Also, and even more disgra- ceful, when Hachtman spoke to their organization Tuesday night, one of his ( )ppouents, 'Ferri "l was also pre - ,e111, anti was refused the opportunity to speak. Conversely, Aggie Democrats on March 28 invited all three candidates, Tongco, Hachtman and Roy Hann, to speak and answer questions from the group. The Democratic group declined to make an endorsement in the non -. partisan race and allowed each .candi- date to speak equally. Ask Mike, I'm sure he'd agree. The meeting was even rescheduled to accomodate Hachtman's schedule. I hope that the students at A &M will vote for the most qualified, and not most partisan, candidate in this important, yet non - partisan race. Derek Blakeley THE BATTALION /THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1985 • Candidates disclose finances By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer College Station Place 3 candidate Mike Hachtman has spent the most money and Bryan Place 4 hopeful C.P. "Peck" Vass has received the most contributions in city council races this year. Hachtman has spent $2,382.14, according to his financial disclosure statement filed Monday. He has re- ceived $535 in contributions and has borrowed $2,000. Among his contributors of $50 or more are Phil Adams, $100; Robert Smith of Bryan, $50; John Robison, $100; and Hank Paine, $100. Vass has received $1,700 in con- tributions, $500 of which came from the First Bank & Trust Political Ac- tion Committee. Vass is a public rela- tions officer at First Bank & Trust. He also received $300 from the Butler Industries Political Action Committee, which gave the same amount to his opponent, Bill Brown. Those who gave Vass $100 each are Jill Dunlap of College Station and Wallace E. Durham of Ruston. Giving him $50 each were W.E. Durham, Holland Porter, William T. Moore, Kent Potts, M.J. Scarmardo, C.A. Fields and Paul Emola. Vass has spent $1,706.83. His opponent Brown has received a total of $1,357.50 and has spent $1,181.67. His contributors besides Butler Industries are C.T. Brown, $300, Otha Byrd, $100; and a loan of $157.50 to Bill Brown. Of the other College Station candi- dates for Place 3, Roy W. Hann has contributed $2,000 to the Citizens for Roy W. Hann Jr., which has spent $2,066.15. Terri Tongco has received a total of $859 and spent $668.98. Her con- tributors are Dr. R.C. Tongco, $100; Dr. and Mrs. William M. Cocke, $80, Terri Tongco loan, $104; and Terri Tongco contribution, $500. In the College Station Place 1 race, Roy Kelly reported receiving $798.50, all from contributors of $50 or less. He has spent $396.46. Also vying for Place 1 is Fred Brown, who has spent no money and has received $1,150, according to his disclosure statement. Contributing to Brown were First Bank & Trust, $250; Robert L. Brown Jr. of Mineral Wells, $200; Jeff E. Parker Investment, $200; Robert Butler Investments, $100; Phil Adams, $100; Jim Scamardo. $100; Paul B. Wilmer, $100; and Joe DiBacco and M.P. Morehead, $50 each. Jim Gardner, who is seeking Place 1, reported contributions of $165, all in amounts of $50 or. less. He has spent $811.83. His opponent, James B. Bond, has received $774.53 and spent $475.53. Bond's contributions came from a loan of $475.53; $100 from Phillip Adams and $199 in contributions of $50 or -less. In the Bryan unopposed races, Place 1 candidate Hank McQuaide has received $750, of which John Ben Carrabba gave $200; George Koenig gave $200; Stewart Kling gave $150; and Clark Properties gave $100. McQuaide reported no expendi- tures. f& THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1985 Vote `Yes' on CS library • We urge the voters of College Sta- tion to vote YES on the library re- ferendum in the April 6 election. A branch library of the Bryan Public Library would not only be a prideful benefit to this community but the fulfillment of a much - needed ser- vice. Our children often have need of yisiting the Bryan Library to get in- formation for major school projects. We seem to make these trips only when the project is urgent and major because we do not have the time needed to make the m`P Were and from there a the Bryan Library. branch library in College Station, our children and the rest of the fami- ly would be able to get so much more use from the library for their own learning and pleasure. Small school projects that can be completed with- out extra library work, but that would be enhanced by a quick trip to Tongco the best choice 4 There are three candidates for Place 3 in the College Station City Council election. Only one has the dedication, knowledge of how Col- works lege Station city government and interest of all community seg- ments in mind to guide needed deci- sions.. Terri Tongco is the one. Of Terri's two opponents, one is a junior at Texas A &M and the other a member of the faculty. How long would the student remain in our community after the two year office expires? The university professor is a department head, a busy well- ing on the Small Business Council. She currently works at the local Texas Instruments plant that is in- volved in the type of clean industry we are trying to attract to the City research park. She is also active in the College Station Homeowners Association where she lives. Terri Tongco is aware of business and homeowners concerns. Terri Tongco is also an "old hand" at community service. She has been actively involved in com- munity service here and elsewhere for the last 20 years. Last year she narrowly lost a city council seat to the library — a library nearer home and school — always seem to be neglected. There are many more services a library provides — Saturday morn- ing story hour for pre - readers and younger readers, special programs — just to name a few. Residents in the south part of the community de- serve easy access to such bonuses. A library can be a source of pride for the community. A community the size of College Station cettainly needs this branch library to guaran- tee this community a place of pride and respect for newcomers and old - timers alike. Please, please vote YES on Satur- day. A College Station branch lib- rary will be well -use4, and those who use it will be enriched. Mike and Judy Buchholz College Station known consultant, and an owner of well over 150 local housing units rented primarily by A &M students. With his professional travels around the country and other administrative duties does he have the time to spend on matters dear to us? Should four of the seven council seats be university related? Terri Tongco is the one for Place 3. She has lived in College Station for four years and has been actively involved in community service. She is a member of the Bryan - College Station Chamber of Commerce serv- Pat Boughton, a three term incum- bent. Terri became involved instead by being appointed to the City Plan- ning and Zoning Commission. Terri Tongco has a balanced background and will use a balanced no nonsense approach to decision - making. She has received endorse- ments from the Eagle and people such as College Station council members Vicki Reinke and Alvin Prause. Vote this Saturday, and please vote for Terri Tongco. Michael, Abelson College Station THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1985 • ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed proposals addressed to the City of College Station, Texas will be re- ceived at the office of Mr. David Pullen, City Engineer, City Hall, College Station, Texas, until 2:00 o'clock PM, on April 11, 1985 for furnishing all necessary material, equipment and labor required forthe construction of: Greens Prairie Road Phases I, II, & III, approximately 9200 LF from Texas Hwy. 6 to Rock Prairie Road. Bidders must submit with their bids a Cashier's Check or a Certified Check in the amount of five (5) percent of the maximum amount of bid payable without recourse to: City of College Station, Texas, or a proposal bond in the same amount from a Surety Company holding permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety, and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of 1, authority from the Secretary of Treasury Department Circular 570, as a guarantee that Bidder will enter into a contract and execute bond and guarantee forms provided within five (5) days after notice of award of contract to him. Bids without checks or proposal bond will not be considered. In accordance with Article 5160, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925, as amended, the successful Bidder wil I be required to furnish not only a performance bond in the amount of the contract, but also a payment bond for the protection of all claimants supplying labor and materials as defined in said law. The bonds must be executed by an approved Surety Company holding a permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of authority frcm the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, or the Surety, acceptable to the owner. The owners reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities. In case of ambiguity or lack of clearness in stating the price in the bids, the Owner reserves the right to consider the most advantageous construction thereof or to reject the bid. Unreasonable or unbalanced unit prices will be considered suffi- cient cause for rejection. Bidders are expected to inspect the site of the work and to inform themselves regarding local conditions under which the work is to be done. Attention is called i to the provisions of the Texas Minimum Wage Act of 1970 and Article 5159a. Revised Civil Statutes of Texas concerning the prevailing wage rate applicable in municipal contruction. Contract Documents, Proposal Forms, Specifications and Plans may be ex- amined without charge in the office of Mr. Elrey Ash, Director of Capital Improve- ments. Contract Documents, Proposal Forms, Specifications and Plans may be obtained from the Walton & Associates /Consulting Engineers, Inc., 1722 Broad- moor, Suite 110, Bryan, Texas 77802, 409/779 -3144, with deposit of Twenty-Five ($25.00) Dollars, which sum as deposited will be refunded provided the Contractor, submits a bid and returns all documents to the Engineer within 5 days after bid opening. If the Contractor does not submit a bid but returns all documents to Walton & Associates, he will be refunded his deposit if all documents are returned' within 48 hours after bid opening. Suppliers returning plans within 48 hours after bid opening also will be refunded their deposit. 03-12- 85,03 -17- 85,03 -28 85, 04-04 -85 THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1985 0 H x l� CS and Bryan set for weekend election By MICHAEL CRAWFORD Staff Writer Most Texas A &M students won't go to the polls this Saturday to cast ballots for a host of positions on Col- lege Station's and Bryan's city coun- cils and school boards. In 1984, only 27 people in three predominantly student jirecincts voted and most city officials don't expect this year's student turnout to be any better. This year, the elec- tions fall on an Easter weekend lengthened by Friday's state holiday. But those who do trek to the polls in College Station will elect three city councilmen and answer a non -bind- ing survey on the establishment of.a library. Bryan has five positions up for grabs, one of them is the mayor s . lob. Seven candidates in College Sta- tion are vying for the 'city council. Althou &h each is concerned about expanding the region's tax base, maintaining the quality of life and improving the city's industrial park, they don't always agree on how to reach the goals. Below is a summa- tion of some of their views. Place 1 Fred Brown, owner of Fred Brown Mazda -BMW, has lived in College Station for 2' /s years and says he sold profitable car dealerships in other cities to move here. He says he liked College Station's low crime rate, its quality of life and its park system. But the city needs to be run like a business, he says, and his experience in private industry would help him tighten control on the city's budget. More industry could be attracted to the area, he says, if the city's in- dustrial park was turned over to the Industrial Foundation and if Texas A &M was used as a carrot. More important than that, he says, is encouraging improvements in Easterwood Airport. "In the past we've had major industries come to town and like everything about our city except the airport." He'i says the city should scrutinize each de- pp artirim's budget and buy as much or a dollar as possible., Roy W. Kelly. says he's semire- tired but that he wants the job of councilman. Keliv has lived in Col- lege Station for 25 years and served one year on the council - as well as three years on the planning and zon- ing commission. His top goals are making the city adopt a "no frills" budget, bringing in more industry and keeping citi- zens involved in the community. He says re- evaluating the city's fi- nancial position now that funds for federal revenue sharing and Texas A &M are in danger of being cut is very important. The city's budget should be trimmed where necessary, he says. The council should attract many small businesses to the area, he says, rather than a few large ones so the impact of one or more failing wouldn't damage the economy. Place 3 Roy Hann Jr:, an environmental en- gineering professor, says his to priorities are attacking problei areas which exist and improving th quality of life for residents. Han says his experience in engineerin and business management gives hii the qualifications he needs to be councilman. The city's industrial park, now re atively undeveloped, should be in proved and the city must examine a possible alternatives to help it, E says. Hann says he prefers to thin in terms of community developmet rather than industrial developmen For example, he says, the possible e tablishment of a city library is part t the cultural development of Colleg Station. See ELECTION, page 15 Election • (continued from page 1) He says he would also like to see toe continued improvement of the area's health care facilities. Mike Hachtman, a junior indus- trial distribution major from Dallas, says that although most students will leave College Station after graduat- ing, he wants to stay. Hachtman has served as the Student Government's student liaison, a non- voting posi- tion, to the city council for two years. That tenure, he says, gives him in- sight into how the council operates. :Although he is a student, he says, he.: to represent the entire community and actively involve citi- zeits in the decision- making process. The communication between the Unilversity and the city must im- prc3ve, he says. If the city does estab- lish a public library, he says, it shwtld specialize in one particular art so as not to duplicate services ofkred by A &M's library. '1 Terri Tongco, a nurse at Texas Ins1ruments, says her priorities in- cl4de financial accountability for all departments, expanding the tax ba c through more industrial devel- oMent and maintaining neighbor - h(16d quality. She says that the goal oPionunued growth is a long -range o and that it will take a concen- trated effdrt by the community to achi it. 1 ongco has lived in many com- mtt'hities in Wyoming and Colorado and says her involvement in . those areas has given her broad experi- ence in tackling problems. She says that when a new project is proposed, a t>Rethod of funding should also be proposed. Place 5 Jim Gardner, a former councilman and member of the planning board, says he wants to optimize the bene- fits from this area's rapid growth, strengthen the planning function in the city and do a thorough review of the industrial park. Gardner says the city should not concentrate on attracting new busi- ness, but instead should work to give He says College Station is a bicy- cle- oriented city and that, ideally, the city should provide off - street bi- cycle lanes, particularly near the University. Also, if the city does de- cide to establish a library, he says, it should be unique and not duplicate services offered by A &M. James Bond, an attorney, says the city needs to posture itself to provid- ing ammenities that businesses ex- amining the area would want. A new degree of cooperation between Col- lege Station, Bryan and the Univer- sity must be reached, he says, if com- mon goals are to be reached. Bond says his background as a lawyer makes him want to know the facts, and therefore he would ask the right questions when important council decisions are Made. The council should always remember that the city does not belong to the councilmen, but to the people, Bond says. On the subject of bicycle lanes, Bonds says that major thorough- fares should carry vehicular traffic and not have special lanes for bi- cycles. Also on the ballot in College Sta- tion is a questionnaire which asks voters whether they would support a 2 cent increase per $100 valuation of their property to finance the con- struction of a city library. College Station doesn't have a library and has relied on A &M's library to pro- vide services. Of Bryan's five positions open, Places 1,3 and 5, only Place 4 has more than one contender. This elec- tion, Marvin Tate is unopposed for mayor; Hank McQuaide is unop- posed for Place 1; Ben Hardeman is unopposed for Place 3 and Helen Chavarria is unopposed ,for Place 5. Place 4, vacated by Marvin "fate when he decided to make a bid for the mayor of Bryan, has two con- tenders: . C.P. Vass is a public relations offi- cer with First Bank & Trust says he is making his bid on personal integrity rather than a specific set of goals. Vass, who has lived in Bryan for 40 years, has been a coach and a high school principal. Bill Brown, personnel director for Texas Instruments, says his man- agerial skills would help him manage the city. His main concerns are im- proving the city's streets, involving citizens in the city government and speeding up projects undertaken by Bryan. Both cities also have several posi- tions open on their school boards. Place 7 on the Bryan School Board - has two candidates: Jack Koenig and Jerry Gaston. Three candidates are running for Place 3: Switzer L. Dea- son, Pete Palasota, Howard Cargill and Connie Weedon. Place 6 on the school board has two candidates: E. N. Rutherford and James Stegall. In College Station, Place 1 on the school board has three contenders: Rob Schleider, Donald Smith and Jim Raatz. Place 2 is wanted by two candidates: Ronnie Fox and Ken- neth Matthews. Place 4 has Walter Wendler and Larry Lindley as candi- dates and Place 6 has Bobby Wil- liams, Jane Hughey and Chester Darcey as candidates. THE BATTALION /THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1985 Avenue, College Station, Texas. 0 03-8 5,04- 04-85_ THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1985 LEGAL NOTICE LEGALNOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1580 WAS ORDINANCE NO. 1581 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON PASSED AND APPROVED ON MARCH 28, 1985, BY THE CITY MARCH 28, 1985, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Col- in regular session in the Col- lege Station Community Cen- lege Station Community Can ter, said meeting having been ter, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art. posted in accordance with Art. 6252 -17, 6252 -17. The above- referenced Ordi- The above - referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of ficial records of the City of College Station, has the College Station, has the following heading: AN ORDI- following heading: AN OR- NANCE AMENDING CHAP - DINANCE AMENDING CHAP- TER 2, SECTIONS 2.A AND 2.B TER to, SECTION 3, SUB- OF THE CODE OF ORDINAN- SECTION E OF THE CODE OF CES OF THE CITY OF COL - ORDINANCES OF THE CITY ILEGE STATION, TEXAS, RE- OF COLLEGE STATION, I ATING TO ANIMAL LICEN- TEXAS RELATING TO SPEED SING PROCEDURES AND ZONES AND SPECIFICALLY PROVIDING FOR AN DESIGNATING ADDITIONAL EFFECTIVE DATE. AREAS IN THE CITY OF Ordinance No. 1580 defines COLLEGE STATION IN terms pertinent to the content WHICH RATES OF SPEED OF thereof, provides regulations THIRTY (30) MILES PER for the licensing of dogs and HOUR OR MORE ARE AUTH- cats, stipulates who may re- ORIZED; RESCINDING ALL gister cats and dogs and col - PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN lect the registration fee, es- CONFLICT HEREWITH; AND tablishes procedures for the DECLARING THAT ATTEN- keeping of more then four DANT FACTS NECESSITATE IMMEDIATE ACTION. dogs or cats, and prescribes a Ordinance No. 1581 desig- permit revocation and appeal nates certain areas, described procedure. insaid ordinance, inwhichthe A violation of any of the pro - speed limits shall be forty (40) visions of this ordinance is miles per hour, forty -five punishable by a fine of not miles per hour, or fifty miles less than $30.00 or more than per hour, on LP507 for traffic $200.00. moving between the North This ordinance shall become City Limit and the Intersection effective and be in full force ofSH6. and effect from and after its This ordinance shall be effec- passage and approval by the tive from and after the date of City Council and duly attested its passage as provided by the by the Mayor and City Secre- Charter of the City of College tary, and in accordance with Station. the Charter of the City of Violation of any provision of College Station. this ordinance shall be sub- The complete text of Ordin- ject to a fine of up to $200.00 ance No. 1580 is on file at the (two hundred dollars). Office of the City Secretary The complete text of Ordin- and may be obtained at the ance No. 1581 is on file at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Office of the City Secretary Avenue, College Station, and may be obtained at the Texas. City Hall, 1101 South Texas 04-03-85,04-04-85 Avenue, College Station, Texas. 0 03-8 5,04- 04-85_ THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1985 EAGLE EDITORIAL BOARD Summarizing our endorsements The speeches have been made, the yard signs displayed — tomorrow it's time for the vote. Voters in Bryan and College Station will decide Saturday who will represent them on their respective city councils and school boards. Residents of both cities are fortunate to enjoy such quality candidates in virtually every race this year. Here, briefly, are the candidates in contested races the Eagle Editorial Board has endorsed: Bryan City Council Place 4 — Bill Brown. Bryan school board Position 3 — Switzer Deason. Position 6 — James Stegall. Position 7 — Jerry Gaston. College Station City Council Place I — Fred Brown. Place 3 — Terri Tongco. Place 5 — James B. Bond. College Station school board Place 1 — Rob Schleider. Place 2 — Ken Matthews. Place 4 — Walter Wendler. Place 6 — Jane Hughey. Those are our choices. Tomorrow, those who take the time to vote will make the choices that count. Gardner the better choice On the whole, The Eagle's en- dorsements for College Station school and council candidates sound reasonable. However, your rationale for selection of one in the Place 5 race is difficult to fathom. Your support is partly based on his "considerable legal skills." This is fine except that the city's problems are, for the most part, not legal in nature. They are concerned primarily with guiding growth, providing physical facilities and managing financial resources, areas in which Jim Gardner, who did not receive your nod, has in -depth experience. You also laud Jim Gard - ner's opponent as a potential "inde- pendent voice on the council. " Any- one who has observed city govern- ment for the past decade is aware that my candidate more than fills that bill. Jim Gardner deserves our vote April 6, 1985. Duane K. Cote College Station THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1985 Vote for Jim Gardner • Jim Gardner has served the city !veil and has actively demonstrated his concern for efficient growth, and responsible planning and decision making. He has worked hard to minimize the cost of municipal in- -frastructure such as roads, potable .water and sewerage systems. He has ;asked pertinent questions concern- ing tax implications of the new high - tech industrial park south of town. We need a person like Jim Gard- ner on our City Council. A vote for Jim Gardner is a vote for responsible growth. John L. Motloch College Station ,Election deja vu As a formerresident of Madison, Wisconsin, I can't help but feel deja vu when I think about the Place 3 City Council race in College Sta- tion. After organizing on behalf of the McCarthy presidential cam- paign, students at the University of Wisconsin realized what a potent political force they weilded. The next year a student was elected to the Madison City Council and by 1973 University students held a majority on the city council; the student elected to the Council in 1968 was elected mayor. The similarities between Madison then and College Station now are disturbing. Last fall, the students at A &M organized and made the dif- ference in several races. Now one of the leaders in the student effort, Mike Hachtmann, is running for city council. Hachtmann claims that he is not running as a student but as a citizen of College Station; however, this rings hollow when one walks across campus and is deluged with Hachtmann campaign parapher- nalia. If even only a small fraction, say 10 percent, of the TAMU student body turns out to vote they will dominate the election. The citizens of College Station should take heed and not allow their voice to be di- luted. John Wierzinski College Station Gardner the most qualified Jim Gia'dner possesses qualifica- tions for College Station City Coun- cil, Place 5, which far outweigh those of any other person because: 1. Jirp has_ served the City most respon Orly In the past in the ap- plicat n of his highly :professional knowledge and expertise as a Coun- cil member. 2. Jim has the unique ability to understrO and evaluate financial matters from the viewpoint of an un- encumbered arbitrator for the full benefit of the community in the long -term. A vote for Jim Gardner for Place 5 on the College Station City Council is a vote for yourself, because he knows and cares. J.H. White College Station ( THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1985 �r Vote for Terri Tongco The Place 3 race for the College Station City Council offers some in- teresting insights into local politics. Although the three candidates do not seem radically dissimilar, at least to judge by their published statements, there are clear differences. In many years it would be a plea- sure to see a student running for the council. In the six years 1 have lived here the students have displayed dis- tressingly little interest in city poli- tics, even though they are clearly capable of generating more than enough votes to elect a representa- tive. Now, suddenly, we have an interested student, Mike Hachtman. So far, however, all Mr. Hachtman seems to be bringing to the election is an amazing amount of money (at least to judge by the full page ad in Sunday's Eagle). One searches Mr. Hachtman's ads in vain for any plat- form, and his published comments for anything beyond the usual plati- tudes about College Station's sacred cow, the industrial park. Roy Hann seems at first sight a decent candidate. Once again, however, one notices a great deal of money being spent, a distressing trend in current politics as the candi- dates who spend the most are usually doing so to tell us how frugal they intend to be with our tax monies. Dr. Hann is the owner of record of some 150 rental units, apartments and du- plexes (making him) more of a real estate operator than a university faculty member. Terri Tongco, on the other hand, seems exactly what she says she is: the wife of a local physician with an honest interest in good local govern- ment. no aspirations to a political career, and no unstated financial in- terests. She has run for city council before, on the same sort of shoes- tring budget with which she seems to be conducting this campaign. She has two years of solid service to the city under her belt as a member of the Planning and Zoning Commis- sion. She deserves our support at the polls on April 6. Peter J. Hugill College Station Gardner has proven record Endorsing candidates is a news- paper's perogative. I have no quarrel with that. I do question your conclu- sions in respect to one race. You say that the candidate you endorse for Place 5 on the College Station City Council would provide an "independent voice" on the council. Perhaps. But one wonders, in light of his petitions for candidacy having been signed by the mayor and three council members and which were circulated and filed by a part-owner of a large property near the City's proposed industrial park and who, until recently, was a mem- ber of the College Station Industrial Development Foundation. The Editorial Board also points out Mr. Bond has a "common -sense approach to complex problems." I guess that's a virtue. My Place 5 vote is for Jim Gard- ner, who has a proven record of not only independent thought and action but also a comprehensive approach to our cities' complex problems of development and finance. Joseph J. McGraw College Station THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1985 Questions arise about candidates in city races By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer Questions about financial disclo- sures and candidate residency sur- faced late during the campaigns of both the Browns running in municip- al races. College Station City Council candidate Fred Brown's most recent financial disclosure report said that he has not spent any o1' his $1,150 in campaign contributions, despite an obvious distribution of yard signs and other election materials with the past week. And Bryan City Council hopeful Bill Brown's commuting to Houston on most weekends raised questions about his residency. Both candidates offered ready answers to the questions. Fred Brown said he did not report spending money on his signs and other advertising because his adver- tising agency has not yet billed him for them. Bill Brown said his wife still works in Houston so both he and she com- mute between the cities in order to be together on weekends. Ad agencies routinely pay for advertisements and then bill their clients for them later, usually adding 15 percent to the cost. Charles Evans, a staff attorney for the Secretary of State, said the issue of late payment for campaign ex- penditures is a "gray area" in the election law, that it is not clear how candidates should disclose expendi- tures made by ad agencies. The election code says any "readi- ly determinable" expenditure made within the reporting period must be disclosed. Exempt are items or ser- vices which would not be billed until later. For example, the cost of phone calls can't be determined until the phone company sends its bill. Evans said his office does not have a definite answer on whether the cost of a newspaper ad, for instance, taken out by an ad agency is "readily deter- minable. " Conceivably, the agency could tell the candidate what such items cost in time for the reporting deadline, he said. Evans said neither the courts nor his office have ruled on the practice of waiting to report such spending until an agency bill is sent. Evans said his office would issue an opinion on the matter if any citizen wrote the office, explained the cir- cumstances, and asked for an opinion. Bill Brown said his and his wife's commuting arrangements are the re- sult of a two - career couple. His wife has worked for nearly 20 years at Southwestern Bell, and he for 15 at Texas Instruments. However, Brown said his wife is thinking about moving here as soon as she completes 20 years at the phone company. Brown has lived in Bryan for five years. He said his being part of a commuter family has not diminished his ability to serve on the various boards and commissions that he has joined. He also said that the council meets on the second and fourth Mon- days, when he is always here. Brown said he is regularly in Bryan from Sunday night to Friday night. THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1985 B -CS voters t settle I I races today By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN and BRAD OWENS Staff Writers Today is an election day for city councils and school boards in College Station and Bryan. Bryan voters will choose candi- dates in three school board and five municipal races; in College Station, four school and three city posts are up for grabs. Also on the city of College Station ballot is a non - binding referendum asking residents if they want to estab- lish a public library, at a possible cost of 2 cents per $100 valuation increase in the tax rate. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. In Bryan, prospects for a quiet school election - with two incum- bents asking to be re- elected - were altered when Tom Borski abruptly resigned from the board in February. Six candidates jumped in to seek the one -year unexpired term left open by Borski. The district does not require the winner to receive 50 percent of the votes, so no runoff elections will be held except in the event of a tie. These are the Bryan school board candidates: Position 3 Howard Cargill, 58, a veterina- rian. Don Wiggins, 53, a day -care cen- ter owner. Pete Palasota, 35, a teacher. Switzer Deason, 43, a businessman. Connie Weedon, 40, a home- maker. .!­04 A list of polling sites, 2A Ben Crawford, 32, a construction worker and taxi driver. Position 6 James Stegall, 56, a banker. E.N. Rutherford, 52, a piano teacher. Position 7 Travis Bryan Jr., 62, a banker. Jerry Gaston, 44, a sociology pro- fessor at Texas A &M University. Jack Koenig, 33, personnel de- velopment manager at Texas Instru- ments. Although the school board races are hot, the Bryan municipal election looks to be ho-hum, except for the contest for the unexpired term of Place 4 - the only opposed race. City of Bryan candidates are: Mayor Marvin Tate, 52, owner of Marvin Tate Realty (unopposed). Place 1 Hank McQuaide, 39, real estate broker and developer (unopposed). Place 3 Ben Hardeman, 39, owner of OMC Industries (unopposed). Place 4, unexpired term C.P. (Peck) Vass, 65, public rela- tions officer for First Bank & Trust. Bill Brown, 47, personnel director for Texas Instruments. Place 5 Helen Chavarria, 47, homemaker (unopposed). In College Station, a majority of the school board will be made up of new board members by the end of the Turn to B -CS, page 6A month. New members will be sworn in Monday and will immediately be- gin reviewing applications for the su- perintendent's job. The district su- perintendent has resigned and will leave his job after the school year is over. The district requires board mem- bers to be elected by a majority, so a runoff election may be necessary in two races. The runoff, if necessary, will be April 27. These are the candidates for the College Station board: Place 1 Rob Schleider, 33, a businessman. Don Smith, 43, an industrial en- gineering professor at A &M. James Raatz, 45, art director at the Texas Engineering Experiment Sta- tion. Place 2 Ronnie Fox, 41, a service station owner. Ken Matthews, 42, a pediatrician. Place 4 Walter Wendler, 35, an architect and environmental design professor at A &M. Larry Linder, 36, a banker. Place 6 Bobby Williams, 52, an electrical inspector with the city of CollegeSta- tion. Jane Hughey, 49, an education consultant. Chester Darcey, 40, an agricultu- ral engineering professor at A &M. The city race has been dominated by discussions of College Station's economic outlook, in view of the ail- ing local economy, prospects for the demise of revenue sharing funds and cutbacks at Texas A &M. However, the candidates also espoused their commitment to main- taining the city's quality of life as well. Here is a list of the College Station council candidates: Place 1 Roy W. Kelly, 64, owner of A -I Auto Parts. Fred Brown, 31, owner of Fred Brown Mazda/BMW. Place 3 Roy W . Hann Jr., 51, professor of civil engineering, A &M. Mike Hachtman, 21, junior indust- rial distribution major, A &M. Terri Tongco, 44, nurse for Texas Instruments. Place 5 Jim Gardner, 64, semi - retired pro- fessor of city planning, A &M. James B. Bond, 49, lawyer. THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1985 f- Roby diving PAUL McKAY/ The Brazo Observer '` The sea world is deep blue and timeless and beautiful. Kevin Roby loves it. Roby scuba dives. He can't find enough superlatives to describe the fish and shells and endless surprises that lie under water. The beauty fortifies Roby for some of the ugliness that comes with his police job. Roby is a College Station juvenile detective. Last week he was dealing with one of the ugliest cases he's ever had — a 3 -year -old child, a victim of child abuse, was hanging on for dear life in the hospital. "The child is stable, but not good so far," Roby said. "It's hard not to get emotionally involved in this job. You've got to be real careful that you don't get emotionally involved. But we're human, and it's a normal reac- tion for us to get upset. "Some people shouldn't have kids. Very often (in abuse by assault) there's a young couple, where a pa- rent is young and immature and not ready to have kids." Roby was at his desk, shuffling papers and juggling numbers — pin- ning down some grim statistics. He said the stats will show that he's in- vestigated 12 to 14 cases of indecen- cy with a child so far this year. "That will blow out the statistics from this time last year," he said. The number of cases of crimes against children — abuse through sexual contact, sexual exposure or outright assault — doubled in 1984 over '83. But crimes against children are no new phenomena. "The problem has always been there — the kids are just starting to come forward," . Roby said. "They're getting educated in schools and from parents and from TV. They're starting to come forward and say, 'I'm tired of this — this is wrong. "For some kids it's still difficult. • We've had them come out three or four years later. They'll keep' it bot- tled up until they're about ready to pop like a cork. You can see in their faces what a relief it is to finally get it off their chest." Roby cited a fact that appears often in the educational campaign against child abuse — most people who abuse children were abused as chil- dren themselves. "For some, this is the way thty can try and get help," he said. "But they have to admit they have a problem before any kind of rehabilitation will work. " Roby said a child can be victimized by a relative or some other adult he or she knows, or by a stranger — the cases vary. At any rate, child abuse is a sensi- tive 'subject, and Roby said he's glad to see society facing up to the problem. Roby has moved up College Sta- tion police ranks. He started five years ago as a jailer /dispatcher, with no intention of becoming a police- man. But in working with police officers, he decided to apply for advancement and he made the grade. Roby is single and has never had children, but he's always been a fast friend with kids. He once was an assistant Boy Scout Master in Hous- ton, his hometown, and his work with Scouts helped him land the juvenile police position. Much of Roby's off -duty time now is related to his diversion — scuba diving. A certified instructor, he gives lessons in a diving certification course offered through Tri -State Sports Center. Roby on a recent night convened a new class in the board room of a Col- lege Station bank. He passed out di- ving manuals, presented a film and cited the basic dos and don'ts of di- ving. (Rule 1, 2 and 3, according to Roby — don't ever hold your breath.) Two hours later, Roby's students were floating in the Thomas Park swimming pool, adapting to the new sensation of breathing under water. "God didn't make you to breathe under water," Roby was saying. "It's different down there — it sure is different. " THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 1985 Meetings moved to city hall College Station city council, commission, committee and board meetings will move back to city hall begin- ning this month. Because of construction at City Hall, those meetings had been moved to the Community Center during Febru- ary and March. They now will be held in the Council Room of City Voting Hall, 1101 S. Texas Ave. at a glance Here are the results of contested races in Saturday's municipal and school board elections: y w $O�cai3ocrd o,c =� Bryan ISD O & c i° t. c .0 c Position 3 No. % F o E o c ° 'c; Q Howard Cargill 1126 30 461 12 !' ^'� c�i ' .r �� v a 0 Don Wigggins ` c c o E • —° `" Pete Palasota 420 11 O e g o= 0 3 c p e K v Switzer Deason 1039 28 cCa S. w U L s .S o v C j Connie Weedon 599 16 M = o w o Ben 4 Crawf 20 0 Position 6 r- James Stegall 3071 87 = aMi M u > o 11 5 r o i.= E.N. Rutherford 447 12 I ro o a s U . v v a s �r I ! �0 �7 a� Pos Bryan Jr. 2287 61 o y e `o 3 C E o M g •`� s Jerry Gaston 937 25 r, - 5 O 2 S -+ oo o�$ c C E O Jack Koenig 472 12 I �+ C E 0 b C u b= v1 E" E Bryan council g o f "v - q M c v p , Place 4 o ao s c .y r a� ` 0 c C.P. (Peck) Vass 1758 53 h o Bill Brown 1497 48 a"cA E� �b Place 1 College Station ISD F11111 � Z '� 6 � ^ Rob Schleider 1695 58 ` • ' c E O a c oo Don Smith 567 19 t7 c O O o c O •— '� r James Raatz 843 22 n ,°q = "' c -" o aj Place 2 c n v o E :E _� , Ronnie Fox 640 22 .0 3 ao� ` � 3 Ken Matthews 2172 77 o v o .5 O O 2 >, op ceS �, C v Z O Z Place 0V 1� Welter Wandler 1077 37 cV = 00 4. o c E ?� : ^ o a Larry Linder 1815 62 O a, , .�C c W a = Place �N. c��oba�e'��y� ^ Bobby Williams 637 21 --� 3.6 E a a � . Jane Hughey 1715 57 Chester DarCey 614 20 M y C 4p 3 c M M c 0 0 Oc College Station council 3 2 b 'v Place 1 ` cx o C7 a, E 3 Roy W. Kelly 1157 42 (� ` o Fred Brown 1592 57 ^ 3 6 — a� O M Place 3 p.Li W U 6. a E Roy W. Hann Jr. 1140 38 o o�+ Mike Hachtman 472 16 E • g at� E o `" Terri Tongco 1326 45 p3 O w E o 11 U0=1 Place 5 W :d E F' c� C p^ C> o U Jim Gardner 1128 39 z - e O b C 0 James B. Bond 1696 60 3 o is t 00 � � u For Library 1945 70 02 U > im , a b ,r Against 834 30 U la, M a. X w m Afk THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 1985 • Place 5 College Station City Council Voting by Precinct 0.,...+ 1 f:arrinPr 1 HAnn City Council Place 3 .1�� Place 1 Y- 't rn Herhlmr.n I Rr—n 2, 29Wellborn Water Supply by Precinct YES NO 8 — South Knoll Elementary 188 8 -South Knoll Elementary / 4 /.29 1 13 / 3 7 33 /I.Z. //9 9— CS Community Center 0 ?t11 / 9/ /'/'6 �0�, .51 7,2 0 /99 10, 28 — CS Police Station o23/ 1 417 1 '(13 a2 /V 391 250 AA $ 20, 21,35CS Municipal Bldg. �9 33 /7 / 7 6 310 029 24College Hills Elementary /. /.29 /Y? 39 175 1G/ 28 — Peach Creek Center 31 A &M Consolidated High 434 1 3 0 13/p 1 /79 33 190 /57 32 — CS Fire Station No. 2 2 11P 1 , 75 _p o5 / 9tfv 79 3 P 9 /5/ 33 — CS Lincoln Center 29 y0 3c2 al /7 35 3 0 34- CS Central Fire Station 10.3 17 A 30 $ S*7 Absentee ballots 1 75 to / 0 t TA I LZ 139 94 Totals 1 /4 f& I / / aT // ) 1 13.2 4 1 yz2 16�9d2 // CS tabs Brown, Tongco, Bond From page ]A ting up a system of bike lanes in the city. Hann said, "I think the people have spoken. I ran against a very fine candidate. I wish her the best." He said he would wait to hear from his 1,200 supporters on whether he will seek office again. Hachtman, the student who ran for council, said the unexpected Easter holiday Friday cut into his support. "I think we did very well, con- Library Voting by Precinct YES NO 8 — South Knoll Elementary 188 78 9 — CS Community Center 269 121 10, 28 — CS Police Station 266 107 20, 21, 35 — CS Municipal Bldg. 62 32 24 — College Hills Elementary 234 107 31 — A &M Consolidated High 244 99 32 — CS Fire Station No. 2 345 123 33 — CS Lincoln Center 39 23 34 — CS Central Fire Station 109 65 Absentee ballots 189 79 Totals 1,945 834 sidering how many students voted," he said. "We got votes in every pre- "Obviously I was very pleased and tint. gratified at the number of people that "We realized going in that it placed that much trust in me," Bond would be a long shot. I congratulate said. He said he has no "hot agenda" Mrs. Tongco." for his term in office, but promises to Bond beat Gardner decisively, be "independent, unbiased and to garnering 60 percent of the vote to hear the facts as they are presented. " Gardner's 39 percent. Bond got a tot- Gardner said he was disappointed al of 1,696 votes to Gardner's 1,128. in the outcome and the margin of loss. "It was a pretty conclusive de- feat," he said. "It was a lot of work to come up empty - handed." However, he said his candidacy was not a total loss. "I think a few more people know what's going on, because of my can- didacy. " THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 1985 3 -day weekend hurts student's candidacy CITY HALL By Diane Blake Bowen Mark White's announcement that Friday would be a state holi- day, giving Aggies a three -day weekend, thrilled most A &M stu- dents. But it must have stuck a dagger through the heart of Col- lege Station Place 3 candidate Mike Hachtman. Hachtman, a junior industrial distribution ma- jor, was counting , on a large student turno t to shore up support for his candidacy in other segments of College Station. His campaign, unlike that of any other candidates, had a two - pronged thrust: partly aimed at students, and partly at other Col- lege Station residents. But students who had not plan- ned to go out of town for a two -day weekend may have changed their minds when a third day was offered. And to make matters worse, the announcement -came the day after absentee voting ended, leaving Hachtman supporters (as well as other candidates' supporters who got the unexpected day off) with the choice of a three -day holiday elsewhere or staying in College Station to vote in a municipal elec- tion. Although this column is being written before the election, it allready' seems unlikely -that Hachtman will get the student turnout he had hoped for. _ Unluckily for Hachtman, the election wasn't held along with a presidential election, which is typically the only time students snap out of their political languor. That is, assuming the Aggies would have supported a fellow student. No matter what the outcome of the election, Hachtman says he's not going to disappear from Col- lege Station municipal affairs. He said last week'that even if he didn't win Place 3, he'd be back with the council Wednesday to take his seat as student liaison. Editor's note: Hachtman came in third in a three - candidate race, garnering only 472 votes, 16 per- cent of those cast. THE EAGLE /MONDAY, APRIL 8, 1985 Hatchman loses race in municipal election By MICHAEL CRAWFORD Staff Writer Mike Hachtman's bid for the College Station City Council ended in defeat Saturday night in an election where 13 percent of the city's registered voters and 3 percent of the registered on- campus students voted. Fred Brown, Terri Tongco and James B. Bond all defeated their opponents by wide margins. The newly elected members of the College Station City Council will occupy Places 1, 3 and 5 respectively. They will as- sume their new duties at Wednesday's city council workshop meeting. Voters also sent four new faces to the College Station school board. Rob Schleider, with 58 percent of the votes, easily won Place 1 on the board; Kenneth Mat- thews received 77 percent of the votes to capture Place 2; Larry Linder, who attracted 62 percent of the votes will occupy Place 4; and Dane Hushey captured Place 6 with 57 percent. They will assume their new duties Monday. In other ballot decisions, almost 70 percent of the voters indicated they would support the construction of a city library and 67 percent approved the city's plan to sell a one -half acre undeveloped park. The Place 1 council race was not close. Fred Brown, owner of Fred Brown Mazda -BMW, easily defeated Roy Kelly. Early in the counting, Kelly pulled to within 7 percent of catching Brown, but in the end Brown re- ceived 57 percent of the votes to Kelly's 42 percent. Although Brown says he doesn't have any specific plans for the council, he does want to run the city more like a business and promises "a fresh, new approach" to attacking problems. Place 3 on the council, with three candidates, was the most contested and closest race on the ballot. Terri Tongco and Roy Hann Jr. often were tied during the counting until results from the last precinct was avail- able. Tongco received 45 percent of the votes; Hann, 39 percent; and Hachtman 15 percent. After the election, Tongco said her first priorities ih- clude the establishing a city library and finding a way to provide more bicycle paths. "Everyone ran a good race," she said. "We had a lot of good candidates to choose from." One of those candidates, Mike Hachtman, was con- sidered a long -shot by most city officials and needed a large student turnout to win. That turnout was much lower than the city's non - student turnout. "Three percent (of registered students) isn't an over- whelming amount of students turning out to vote," Hachtman said, "But it's an increase over last' year...I still have my liaison position and I should hope the in- coming administration on campus (Student Govern- ment) lets me keep that position. It looks like they're going to right now. They've (the council) got me now, win or lose. Last year's city elections were ignored almost entirely by students —only 27 people voted in three predomi- nately student precincts. James B. Bond easily defeated Jim Gardner for Place 5 by getting 60 percent of the votes. Gardner trailed by at least 19 percent during the counting. Bryan's elections, held at the same time as College Station's, revealed no surprises. Only one city race was contested. Marvin Tate, who gave up his unexpired seat on the council to run for mayor, ran unopposed for the posi- tion and received 2,620 votes. Hank McQuaide, Ben Hardeman and Helen Cha- varria were elected unopposed to fill Places 1, 3 and 5 respectively. Tate's unexpired Place 4 seat will be filled by C.P. Vass after he defeated Bill Brown with 1,758 to Brown's 1,497. In Bryan's school board elections, voters sent two in- cumbents and one new member to the board. Six candi- dates crowded the ballot for Position 3, but Howard Cargill captured the job by receiving 30 percent of the votes. James Stegall, with 87 percent of the votes, will fill position 6, and Travis Bryan Jr., with 67 percent of the votes, will fill position 7. THE BATTALION /MONDAY, APRIL 8, 1985 War CS council to swear in members The newly- elected members of the College Station City Council will be sworn in at the council's workshop meeting at 4 p.m. to- day in city hall. The council will then grapple with an ordinance which would set the rice of natu- - ral gas to residential and com- mercial customers. Thursday night's council meet - in g has been returned to the city hall after completion of renova- tion to the council chambers. The council will consider an ordi- nance which wo ld establish an emergency mada�ement plan for city officials should an emergency ; arise. THE BATTALION /WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1985 TO WH64 TMAYCOMCERN: The Zoning Board of Adjust- ment for the City of College Station will consider a request fora variance i n the name of: Philip D. Springer/ • McDonald's Restaurant 801 University Drive COl lege Station, 7X77840 Said case will be heard by the Board at the regular meeting in the Council Room, College Station City Hall, 1101 Texas Avenue at 7:00 P.M. on Tues- M Apri 116,1985. nature of the case is as follows: Request variance to parking requirements at restaurant at 801 University Drive to allow expansion of facilities and increased seating. Further information is availa- ble at the office of the Zoning Official of the City of College Station, (409) 764 -3570. Jane R. Kee Zoning Official 04 -10-85 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The College Station City Council will hold a public hearing on the question of re- zoning the following property: Lot 1 Block 18 W.C. Boyett Subdivision (502 Boyett St.) from Duplex District R -2 to Apartments Medium Density District R -5. Application is in the name of A.P. Boyett, Jr. The said hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meeting of the City Council on Thursday, April 25, 1985. For additional information, please contact me. James M. Callaway Assistant Director of Planning 04 -10-85 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The College Station City Council will hold a public hearing on the question of re- zoning the following property: 41.574 acres of land at the southwest corner of the in- tersectidn of Graham Road and S.H.N6 from Agricul- ture -Open District A -O to Commercial Industrial Dis- trict C-2 (10.689 acres) and Apartments High Density Dis- trict R-6 (25.165 acres). Ap- plication is in the name of William Terrell Aycock 111. The said hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Heil, 1101 South Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meeting of the City Council on Thursday, April 25, 1985. For additional information, please contact me. James M. Callaway Assistant Director of Planning 04 -10-85 THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1985 • L Playground equipment OK'd Children living in married stu- dent housing in College Station will have a playground to frolic in this summer. The College Station parks de- partment has worked out an agree- ment with Texas A &M University to buy and install playground equipment at Hensel Park. The plan was discussed Tues- day at the College Station Parks and Recreation Board meeting. It will be the only playground in Col- lege Station's Zone 1, which is the Northgate area. The city will spend about $12,000 to $14,000 on the equip- ment, and install and maintain it. The parks department is awaiting a letter from Dr. John J. Koldus, A &M vice president for student services, to begin work on the park. In other action, the department swore in Judy Adams as a new member of the Lincoln Center Advisory Committee. Other members of the commit- tee are chairman Robert Smith, Blossie Payton, Robbie Clark, Ju- lian McMurray, Norman Gibbs and Andrew Merchant. Enforce the 20 mph limit Is the City of College Station simply not interested in a concept of generating revenue while protecting the welfare of both public school a university students alike? And what about generating revenue while pre- serving some of the decent streets we have remaining in this area? I would like to see the designated 20 mph speed limit enforced on Kyle Street. I only wish the salaried City Hall employees I've chatted with shared in my view of restricting some of the noisy, speeding, tree- ripping, street destroying commercial vehicles to more major thoroughfares. Lou Clark College Station TO WHOM ITMAYCONCERN: The Zoning Board of Adjust- ment for the City of College Station will consider a request for a variance in the name of: James Alphonse Divin 610 Holleman College Station, TX 77640 Said case will be heard by the Board at the regular meeting in the -Council College Station City Hall, 11o1 Texas Avenue at 7:00 P.M. on Tues- day, April 16,1965. The nature of the case is as follows: Request variance to Sign Re- gulations to allow off- premise sign to be located on the pro - pertyat 1105 Welsh. Further information is availa- ble at the office of the Zoning Official of the City of College Station, (409) 764-3570. Jane R. Kee Zoning Official OM10 -85 THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1985 F_ L� Local hero CS police officer rescues man from burning auto By VIRGINIA KIRK Staff Writer It's been said that there's never a policeman around when you need one — but David Luedke was in the right place Monday night. The College Station patrol officer's quick action saved the life of a man trapped in a burning car. Another 30 seconds and Kenneth Cook might not have made it. Luedke, 32, was patrolling at the comer of Dominik and Munson streets at 6:42 p.m. Monday when he saw flames around a curve on Munson Ave- nue. When he pulled up, he saw people bleeding and two cars on fine. Luedke said he radioed for help and then asked if anyone was still in the car. "One guy said `my buddy's still in the car, "' Luedke said. In the front passenger seat, Luedke saw Cook pushed up.against the dashboard with his leg hanging on the gear shift. The car was in flames from the front of the dashboard to the hood, but Luedke did not hesitate to stick his head inside the burning auto. "I told him I needed to get him out. He was semi- conscious and said some- thing I couldn't make out. I tried to push back the seat to get him out. He was bloody from head to toe. I put my arm behind him and tried to pull him above the gear shift lever." But then Luedke noticed that the gear shift had no plastic knob, and the wires sticking out had caught Cook's blue jeans. So Luedke unhooked the jeans and pulled Cook out of the car onto the ground. Thirty seconds later, something in the car blew up and spread the flames a little more, Luedke said. "It was awfurhot in that car. I could feel the heat and smoke and fumes, but my main concern was to get him out," Luedke said. Luedke said he had never rescued anyone before, but he had always fi- gured his adrenalin would be flowing enough in an emergency situation that he would know what to do. "I had no time to really be scared. If I had stopped and though about it, it might have made the difference in whether the guy lived or died." Luedke received no injuries in the rescue and Cook was released from St. Joseph Hospital after receiving several stitches in his head, wrist and elbow. The other four people involved in the two -car, head -on collision also were treated and released at the hospital Monday. Cook, 19, of 1401 Holleman Drive, said he did not remember what hap- pened from right before the cars crashed until he woke up in the ambu- lance. He said he plans to call Luedke to thank him for getting him out of the car. "I don't know what would have hap - pened, but I imagine I could have been burned pretty bad," Cook said. "The police were good. They were already there by the time my friend and I got out of the car," said driver Andrew Humphries. He suffered a broken ankle, an injured knee and re- ceived stitches around his eye. Luedke's actions also were noticed in the police department. "I'm glad to know I have people like that working for me," Sgt. Bruce Sims said. - -- - - - -- Luedke has worked for the College Station police 3 1 /2 years. He previously had worked as an assistant store mana- ger in Temple, where he got involved with the reserve police force. "I figured I wasn't getting any youn- ger and I'd better make a move," Luedke said. It was a natural transition, since his uncle, Melvin Luedke, was the former College Station police chief and his father worked for the Bryan police and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Com- mission. His younger brother Darrell has now joined the College Station Police Department, too. THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1985 David Luedke . Council slates public hearing The College Station City Council will meet at 7 p.m. . today in the council chambers of City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. A public hearing will be held on the rezoning of a lot in the D.A. Smith Subdivision near Banks Street. CS OKs new gas rates New gas rates were approved Wednesday for Col- lege Station residents. The City Council voted for a 3.3 percent revenue increase for Lone Star Gas Co. The company had requested a 4.72 percent increase. Although there may be some variation between cus- tomers, a resident with a gas bill of $50 a month can expect it to rise to about $51.65 a month. In other action, Fred Brown, Terri Tongco and James B. Bond were sworn in as council members for places 1, 3 and 5, respectively. — DIANE BLAKE BOWEN 1• Chamber to borrow $55,000 The Bryan - College Station Cham- ber of Commerce will borrow $55,000 to complete the remodeling of the Convention and Visitors Bureau in College Station. The remodeling cost almost $137,000, of which $42,000 has been paid by pledges and $40,000 from contingency funds. Unpaid pledges will pay an additional $16,000 of the cost, Executive Vice President Ed Brady said. Brady has suggested part of the balance of the remodeling cost be paid by renting space for an automa- tic teller machine at the College Sta- tion branch office. The chamber executive said the presence of the Hilton Hotel and Con- ference Center across East Tarrow Street from the chamber branch office should create a demand for an automated banking facility in the area. THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1985 0 Bardell resigns after I I years as CS city manager By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer North Bardell, city manager for College Station for 11 years, resigned Thursday night. Bardell told the City Council on Thursday that health problems stem- ming from stress prompted his res- ignation, which will be effective Dec. 3l. "While I look back with pride and satisfaction at the accomplishments of the last 1 I years, I recognize that health problems created by the stress of the position held have begun to limit my effectiveness and I must place my own health and life and the well -being of my family first in my concerns," Bardell said in his letter of resignation to the council. Mayor Gary Halter said the council will meet Wednesday to begin work on finding a new city manager. He said he would like a search committee of council members and College Sta- tion citizens to be formed to solicit and review applicants. Council members praised Bar- dell's work and expressed regret at his resignation. "I think North's irreplaceable," Halter said. "They sort of broke the mold. I really hate to see it." Bardell, 54, has worked for the city since 1962. Before that, he taught engineering design graphics for 20 years at Texas A &M. He has been a resident of the area since 1948. He said he will not retire, but will relax a bit and look for other work that is less stressful. He also said his doc- tor had advised him to resign. Bardell said that the last few years have not been a great deal more stressful than previous ones. "It just builds up," he said. "It's kind of a barnacle effect. You feel yourself slowing down." He said his effectiveness as a city manager had been diminishing be- Turn to BARDELL, page 7A From page lA cause he has tended to avoid stressful situations a good city manager would handle. Of his accomplishments while city manager, Bardell said he is particu- larly proud of the city's water system. "I guess of all the physical things, it would be the water system that we've managed to get for the city," he said. "It's been a great 1 I years." Bardell is giving notice of his res- ignation eight months in advance to give the city council enough time to find a new city manager and have a smooth transition between managers, he said. "It's better this way to make this transition on an orderly basis," he said. Halter said Bardell has taken Col- lege Station through a tremendous growth period and has enabled it to weather storms that would have crip- pled other cities. He also said he hopes Bardell will continue some of his work with the city after December. "I think there's still a role for North," Halter said, adding that he could stay on at the Lone Star Muni- cipal Power Agency. In his letter of resignation, Bardell said, "The City of College Station is a financially sound, well - structured and efficiently operated governmen- tal unit because of the work and sup- port of the City Council, Staff and Citizens. It has been my pleasure to be a part of this developing City and I thank the present and past City Coun- cils for the opportunity to serve as City Manager.' THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1985 Southwood 0 • pool may not open this year The Southwood Park pool prob- ably will not open this year because of major structural problems, city officials said Thursday. The pool, which has been under construction since March 1984, suf- fers from water leaking in from the outside, Mayor Gary Halter said. The tennis courts there also have problems, but they probably could be repaired this year, city officials said. The pool and courts had been sche- duled to open in May. The council rejected bids — the lowest of which was more than $ 1 15,000 — to repair and paint the pool's surface and resurface the ten- nis court. The city will advertise for more bids later. In other action, council members voted to buy an electrical monitoring system they hope will lower electric- ity costs for College Station resi- dents. The Supervisory Control Data Ac- quisition equipment will monitor the city's electrical substations, allowing the city to restore outages quicker and to reduce system line losses. Before this system, the city has had to check those substations manually three or four times daily during peak use times, City Manager North Bar - dell said. Bardell told the council that the system will enable the city to reduce its peak load, thereby lowering elec- tricity costs. The bid of $266,256 for the equip- ment was awarded to QEI Inc. Elec- trical cost savings afforded by the system will allow it to pay for itself within several years, city officials said. The council also amended the wa- ter and sewer ordinance to give prior- ity to College Station residents. The new section of the ordinance gives residents preference over water customers outside the city if it ever cannot meet the water demands of both. THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1985 � New system will monitor electricity By MICHAEL CRAWFORD Staff Writer College Station should be able to better regulate and monitor its elec- tric distribution system once a new $266,256 computer is installed. The City Council Thursday night unani- mously approved the purchase of the new equipment from QEI, Inc. Charles Freeman, president of Electric Power Engineers, Inc. of College Station, said that although the price does not include the cost of installation, the system could pay for itself in savings to the city within two years. The new system would auto- mate procedures and save time - - • The computer would give the city more control over its power usage, conserve energy and smooth out en- ergy fluctuations which occur with consumption changes. If necessary, Freeman said, the city could selectively return power to certain areas to prevent blackouts from increasing the electric load too fast. Freeman said large cities have used similar systems for many years with tremendous success, but recent improvements in computer technol- ogy make them affordable for smaller users like College Station. City Manager North Bardell said he estimates the city's 1985 electric bill from Gulf States Electric Co. will be $24 million. THE BATTALION /FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1985 0 • u PUBLIC NOTICE The City of College Station has recently completed its ex- penditures of General Reve- nue Sharing Funds Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1984. This report is available for inspection at the College Station City Hall, Office of the Finance Director, during the hours of 8:00 A.M. through 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. A.E. VanDever, Jr. Director of Finance 04 -14-85 THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 1985 Hello, � good -bye, I do CITY HALL By Diane Blake Bowen The Bryan council swearing -in and saying - farewell ceremonies last week were like an all -day family reunion. At 2 p.m., members of both the old and new councils attended a workshop meet- ing, followed at 3 by an apprecia- tion celebration for outgoing Mayor Ron Blatchley and Council Member Bill Scasta. That night, everyone gathered again at the regular meeting to swear in the new mayor and coun- cil. More than 100 people came to the 3 p.m. festivity, and at least half as many attended the evening ceremony. At the 6:30 p.m. session, the Marvin Tate clan must have num- bered in the 20s. Some of his chil- dren, his wife and several em- ployees from his real estate office attended the new mayor's swearing -in. Tate insisted that his wife, Cin- dy, be allowed to stand with him when he repeated the oath of office. He said his wife will have to make plenty of sacrifices in terms of family life while he's in the mayor's office, and he wanted her to share a bit of the spotlight as well. Tate's employees really joined in the merrymaking. After the mayor had sworn to preserve, pro- tect and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States and Texas, and the ordinances of Bryan, they brandished hand- made posters which read: "Tate — On to Austin!" "10" and "When you think of real estate, think of Tate." In College Station, goings -on were not as crowded but no less festive. Mayor Gary Halter gave new council members Fred Brown, Terri Tongco and James B. Bond their "official badges" after they repeated their oaths. "This and 25 cents will get you a cup of coffee," Halter told them. Bond said he could have used that badge earlier, referring to a speeding ticket he received during his campaign. The matter had come up during one of the candi- date forums, when he was asked about police morale. Bond replied that his most re- cent experience with the officers showed the city was doing some- thing right. "I think we must be doing a good job" he said, adding that the police officers he's dealt with were very courteous and profes- sional, "including the one who gave me a ticket Sunday." THE EAGLE /MONDAY, APRIL 15, 19 °5 Bicycle lanes of little value I would like to respond favorably to your article on the proposed de- mise of the bicycle lanes on South- west Parkway. The city has come to the correct conclusion, but for all the wrong reasons. I commute to school everyday on a bicycle, so I am on a bike in the city about 50 miles a week. From this experience, and from commuting to work and school for the last 15 years on a bicycle, I have come to the conclusion that bike lanes are of little substantive value. First, bike lanes offer a false sense of security to those who ride in them, the effect being that these rid- ers do not pay as much attention to traffic as they would normally. Second, bike lanes are where all the trash and debris from the street accumulates, causing more risk of a flat tire than if a rider were to travel in the traffic lane. Third, potholes and cracks tend to remain unpatched much longer in bike lanes than in the parallel traffic lanes. Fourth, bike lanes offer a convenient place for motorists to leave their vehicles tem- porarily, especially vehicles from U.P.S. and the U.S. Postal Service. Fifth, Motorists are not at all accus- tomed to checking the bike lane be- fore backing or pulling out of drive- ways; they seem only to check the traffic lane. Finally, there is a question of right of way at intersections. The bike lane creates in effect a second lane of vehicular traffic, albeit limited to bicycles only. When a bicycle approaches an intersection with the intention of continuing through the intersection in this lane, and there is a car in the traffic lane wishing to turn right, there is an obvious con- flict of interest. The car is making a right turn out of what is in effect the left -hand lane. I have been struck three times by vehicles under these same conditions, once here in Col- lege Station. Not all of my arguments may app - Iy to College Station in particular, but they do apply to bike lanes in general. So I concur with the deci- sion to do away with the bike lane on Southwest Parkway, and would like to see traffic engineers across the country abolish bike lanes. To those residents of the South- west Parkway area who feel they will be inconvenienced by this ac- tion, think again. If you are worried about your children riding to school, perhaps you could find an alternate route besides busy Southwest Park- way. If they must ride on Southwest Parkway and you feel they cannot handle traffic without a bike lane, then they have no business being on that street to begin with. Ed Matthews College Station THE EAGLE /TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1985 a, 4W LS sees sales tax rebate grow 20% By HUGH NATIONS Business Writer College Station's quarterly sales tax receipts have surpassed Bryan's for the first time, city officials say. For the first three months of 1985, Bryan collected $1,086,093 from its 1 percent sales levy. College Station collected $1,091,821. Nor does the situation appear like- ly to reverse itself. College Station's sales tax receipts are growing at a pace more than double that of its sis- ter city. In the first quarter of 1985, College Station sales tax receipts were 20.4 percent higher than for the same period last year. Bryan's was grow- ing at a healthy 9.2 percent. Both College Station City Mana- ger North Bardell and Bryan Director of Finance Scott McGough said it was the first time College Station had outpaced Bryan in total sales tax re- bates. Although most Brazos Valley cities also posted healthy gains, some were far off last year's collection rate. Centerville was off 17.4 per- cent, Jewett 30.3 percent, Snook 38.9 percent, and Marquez a whop- ping 42.1 percent. Todd Mission, on the other hand, posted a gain of 160 percent, Burton 98.5 percent, and Madisonville 24 aercent. THE EAGLE /TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1985 El. TO PROPERTY OWNERS IN COLLEGE STATION On Feb. 28, 1985 the City Council of the City of College Station adopted Ordinance 1576 (effective March 15, 1985) regulating signs in College Station. There is an amortization clause in this ordinance whereby the following types of signs shall be removed'or brought into compliance with- in six (6) months - no later than September 15,1985: (1) Portable & Trailer Signs �� Co (2) Off - Premise Signs meets tod (3) Signs painted on roof tops The College Station City (4) Banners or flags, exclud- ing U.S. and Texas flags, lo- Council will meet at 4 p.m today in Conference cated in residential zones. Room A of City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave, Signs and displays with fla shing, blinking flashing, Council members or ?ravel- ing lights. or erratic or other moving will discuss the plans for the city's industrial Progress of and park. parts. (6) Signs resembling traffic signs erected for purposes other than traffic control. (7) Any sign which emits sound, odor or visible matter. If any of the above types of NOTICEOF signs are found after Septem- PUBLIC NEARING ber 15, 1985 the City will file TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: complaints in Municipal Court You are hereby notified that against the property owner. Convicted violations are sub- on Thursday, April 25, 1985. the City Council of the City of ject to fines of twenty -five ($25.00) to one thousand College Station intends to have a hearing to determine ($1,000) dollars per day, as the necessity for street im- provements on Krenek Tap authorized by statute. Road. For further information a copy Said Public Hearing will be of Ordinance 1576 may be held during the regular meet - purchased for $2.50 from the Building Dept. at City Hall, ing of the City Council at 7:00 P.M. in the City Hall, 1101 1101 S. Texas Avenue, College South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. For additional Station, Texas 77840 or you information, call the Legal may call the City's Planning Office, City of College Sta- Departmentat 764 -3570. tion, (409) 764 -3515. 0 -03- 85,04 -17-85 04 -03- 85 ,04 -10- 85,04 -17 -85 THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1985 J 10 EAGLE EDITORIAL BOARD Bardell resignation a loss for the city . While understandable, City Manager North Bardell's resignation is a major loss for College Station. Citing stress - related health problems, Bardell told the city council last week that he will leave his post at the end of the year. He has been College Station's city manager for the past 11 years, and has worked for the city since 1962. Bardell has accomplished much during that tenure — development of the city's water system, negotiation of utility contracts favorable to city residents, and development of a top -notch staff are but three of the more obvious. But Bardell's greatest achievement may have been in guiding College Station smoothly through a decade of phenomenal growth. The potential catastrophes averted because of his skills at anticipating and addressing problems before they reached the crisis stage will never be fully known. Few cities have ever experienced such rapid growth for so long a period of time as did College Station during the 1970s and early 1980s — and fewer yet have done so as efficiently and as smoothly as has this city. Given the formidable task of finding and hiring a suitable successor, city council members are fortunate to have the nearly nine -month notice Bardell has given them. THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1985 C Council briefed ' on Ind From page lA u s trl al ark to the foundation acreage for the in- dustrial park, perhaps at less than market value. City Manager North Bardell said the city paid only $1,250 an acre for the property where the industrial park U has been structured in the manner Proposed by Halter for the College Station foundation. Halter suggested that the city sell is proposed, a good price even when it was bought in 1981. Halter said requiring the foundation to pay cur- rent market value might eliminate the Possibility of selling sites to prospec- tive industries at reasonable cost. The council also should continue to fund the foundation, which is,run- ning out of operating funds, Halter said. Last Year, the council appropriated $65,000 for the foundation, but made release of the funds contingent upo the execution of a contract between the city and the foundation, which has operated without a contract since 1981. A contract still has signed. not been The concept of an industrial park, Halter noted, grew out of a tax - limitation movement and defeated school bond issues, along with a move by Bryan to block annexation of the Texas Instruments plant site. It gained further impetus when a 1980 referendum indicated residents wanted such a park. The park may be developed on the 1,265 acres that the city owns on the far south side of the city , at Green's Prairie and Rock Prairie Roads. An alternative is for the city to exchi}nge land with Fitch, who owns an adja- cent tract. That would put the park closer to Texas 6. THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1985 a • v Applause for city councils Just a round of applause for the city councils. They have done a fan- tastic job of repairing our streets, a job that has been needed for a long time. This area has become a nicer place to visit; as well as live, now that the roads are in good shape. Driving has been made much easier and less time - consuming. I think ev- erybody is willing to put up with the inconveniences of construction knowing what the repaired roads will do for the cities. Keep up the good work. Gary Zemanek College Station Council briefed on p ark Halter suggests council name foundation board By HUGH NATIONS Business Writer College Station Mayor Gary Halter has suggested that the board of the city's industrial development founda- tion be appointed by the City Council. Halter also told the council in a special meeting Wednesday that the city should consider selling the foundation the land for an industrial park at a bargain price. Halter, with the help of city plan- ner Al Mayo and President Dennis Goehring of the College Station In- dustrial Development Foundation, briefed councilmen on the history and current status of the park's develop- ment. The foundation was formed by loc- al businessmen, Halter said. It has a self - perpetuating board, which is appointed by the members them- selves, but is financed by the city. Halter recommended that the board, now composed of about 18 members, be reduced in size and that it contain at least one representative from the council. Council appointment of founda- tion board members might eliminate one sticky issue. Recently, one board member resigned after news disclo- sures about the interests three direc- tors hold in property in the area of the proposed park. Goehring also submitted his res- ignation, along with W.D. "Bill" Fitch, but the board refused to accept the resignations and both remain on the board. The Bryan Development Founda- tion, which is well along in develop- ing the Bryan Industrial Park, always Turn to COUNCIL, page 6A THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1985 CS to tackle tick problem for resident By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer College Station officials say they will-have to tackle by hand a tick and poison ivy problem in an easement off Amherst Lane. Pam Gordon, a resident of Amherst Street, complained in February to the health department that -ticks were crawling up into her' home from a drainage ditch behind her yard. The ditch has thick high weeds and poison ivy which, according to a health department letter to the city, "mikes for ready harborage of pests such as rodents and the ectoparasites (such as ticks and fleas) that they canny.... ' The letter said the situation is a violation of city and state health codes. Gordon said she has found six ticks and:a scorpion in her house, but it is useless to exterminate the building unless the source of the problem is eliminated. She also said her dog was poisoned by'something — possibly a snake in the back yard. Allergies to poison ivy growing up from the ditch prevent her or her boyfriend from clearing the area, or even mowing the back part of her yard, she said. City employees at first told Gordon that the city could do nothing to help alleviate the problem, since the coun- cil did not approve funding last year for special equipment to clear out drainage ditches. Also, since the weeds are on an easement, not a city right -of -way, it is the property owner's responsibility to keep the area maintained, College Station officials said. "The problem belongs to the prop- erty owner," City Manager Nort h Bardell said Thursday. "But under the circumstances, we have a moral responsibility to go out and try to ease the situation." Gordon agreed. "1 think whether or not the city owns the land, the city should clean it up because it's a city drainage sys- tem," she said. Bardell said he has instructed city employees to go in there and see what can be done. Because the area is fenced, the city probably will have to cut the weeds by hand and then apply some sort of herbicide, he said. Bardell said he hopes the problem will be solved next week. ; o , Ln 00 rn rn a H a Q H a w W a W W x E-+ Pam Gordon stands with her dog' near a weedy other harmful pests. The city of College Station has drainage ditch which she says harbors ticks and agreed to try clear up the problem. J E CS council member keeps promise early College Station City Council Member James B. Bond already has begun keeping some of his campaigh'promises. Bond told citizens before the election that he favored openness in govern mental affairs. "The council should be extremely open," he said during one of the forums. "I'm a very open person," he said. "I don't have any secrets." During the last council meeting — Bond's first regular meeting as City Councilman — the agenda called for a closed session for city leaders to discuss real estate and personnel matters. Before the council went into the executive session, Bond questioned the need for it. He asked other city officials if the council could discuss in open session whatever matters were at hand. They assured him that the clo- CITY HALL By Diane Blake Bowen sure was needed. State law allows governing boards to discuss legal, real estate and personnel matters in executive session. And indeed, after the session was over, a per- sonnel matter was announced: City Manager North Bardell would ,be leaving his post. In many cases, new council members are timid about question- ing right at first the policies and actions of their councils. They prefer instead to keep quiet and learn about what's going on before asserting their opinions. But Bond has jumped right in, letting it be known publicly that he believes only what legally can be discussed in closed session should be discussed there. Bryan - Mayor Marvin Tate a46o' has begun keeping one of his cam- paign promises: making council meetings shorter. THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 1985 His first regular meeting lasted less than an hour, despite all the post- election fanfare of swear - ings-in and biddings- farewell. The meeting lasted from 6:34 p.m. to 7:24 p.m. We'll see how well he fares with a public hearing and several knotty issues on the agenda. Also.durirrg.the many swearing - in ceremonies was one for the Col- lege Station municipal court clerk and her assistant. Kay Choate and Sandra Wade were sworn in minutes after the new city council members. City Judge Claude Davis said they should have been sworn in years Igo. "All those tickets have been de- clared unconstitutional," he said. But Mayor Gary Halter dashed quite a few hopes when he ex- plained that the tickets are not in- valid —the city was just obeying a new state statute in administering the oaths. An aside: Bryan Council Mem- ber Pies Turner said he's had his mustache since he was 19 years old. Turner's 62 now, making his mustache 43'. -' L LEGAL NOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1586 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON APRIL 11, 1985, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Col- lege Station City Hall, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art. 6252- 17. The above- referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of College Station, has the following heading: AN ORDI- NANCE AMENDING CHAP- TER 11, SECTION 2, SUBSEC- TION A(1) OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEX- AS, RELATING TO WATER AND SEWER SERVICES. Ordinance No. 1586 es- tablishes a schedule of monthly rates to be charged consumers for public utility services, namely water and /or sewerage connections, in- cluding a unit charge and a monthly service charge for consumers within the corpor- ate limits of the city, providing for sale of water outside the City by contract subject to available capacity and to ap- proval by City Council, pre- scribing a minimum charge for certain other consumers, and setting priorities. Ordinance No. 1586 shall be- come effective and be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval by the City Council of the City of College Station and in accord- ance with the City Charter. The complete text of the above -named Ordinance is on file at the Office of the City Secretary and may be ob- tained at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. 04- 19- 85,04 -20 -85 NOTICE TO BIDDERS The City of College Station proposes to lease 4,000.75 square feet of real property, said property being a part of a 7.07 acre tract located in the Thomas Webb Survey, Abs- tract 240, Brazos County, Tex- as. Said 7.07 acre tract was conveyed to the City of Col- lege Station, Texas, by Marga- ret Higgs Stevens in deed re- corded in Volume 417, Page 712 of the Deed Records of Brazos County, Texas. Said property is located on Sandy Point Road adjacent to the City of College Station Sandy Point Road Pump Station. The City will accept sealed bids which offer the following: 1. A lease period of at least 25 years; 2. A signed City lease agreement; 3. The payment of survey fees; and 4. The payment of annual rental; all as further described in said bid packets and according to the procedures set forth therein. Such bid packets, including the provisions of the pro- posed lease, and all applica- ble terms and provisions ac- ceptable to the City, are available and may be obtained from the City Attorney's Of- fice. Sealed bids will be ac- cepted from any member of the public wishing to bid upon such lease through 3:00 p.m., May 7,1985, in the Office of the City Attorney, 1101 Texas Ave- nue, College Station, Texas. LEGAL NOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1585 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON APRIL 11, 1985, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Col- lege Station City Hall, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art. 6252- 17. The above- referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of College Station, has the fol- lowing heading: AN ORDIN- ANCE IMPLEMENTING THE EMERGENCY MANAGE- MENT PLAN FOR THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION IN COMPLIANCE WITH RESO- LUTION NO. 11- 21 -84 -14 PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE 21ST DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1984 AND AMENDING CHAPTER 8, SECTIONS 4 -8 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION. Ordinance No. 1585 defines terms pertinent to the content thereof, establishes the intent of the ordinance, enumerates the duties of the Mayor as deemed necessary in the event of certain situations, establishes criteria for a police reserve force, relieves the City of liability and re- sponsibility, prescribes advi- sory functions to the city manager and city attorney, and provides a penalty for violation of sections 4 -7. A violation of any of the pro- visions of Section 4 -7 of this ordinance shall be punishable by fine not to exceed $1,000 or confinement in jail for a term not to exceed 180 days, or both, upon conviction thereof, and each offense shall be de- emed to be a separate viola- tion and punishable as a separate offense. Ordinance No. 1585 shall be- come effective and be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval by the City Council of the City of College Station and in accor- dance with the City Charter. The complete text of the above -named Ordinance is on file at the Office of the City Secretary and may be ob- tained at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. D4 -19- 85,04 -20 -85 THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, LEGAL NOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1583 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON APRIL 10, 1985, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Col- lege Station City Hall, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art. 6252- 17. The above- referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of College Station, has the following heading: AN ORDI- NANCE FIXING AND DE- TERMINING THE GENERAL SERVICE RATE TO BE CHARGED FOR SALES OF NATURAL GAS TO RESI- DENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSUMERS IN THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, BRAZOS COUNTY, TEXAS; PROVIDING FOR THE MAN- NER IN WHICH SUCH RATE MAY BE CHANGED, Ap_ DUSTED, AND AMENDED: AND PROVIDING FOR THE RECOVERY OF ANY CUR- RENT AND UNRECOVERED PRIOR RATE CASE EXPENSE, PROVIDING FOR A SCHED- ULE OF SERVICE CHARGES, AND PROVIDING FOR A MAIN LINE EXTENSION RATE. Ordinance No. 1583 es- tablishes a maximum general service rate for sales of natural gas with the city limits of College Station by Lone Star Gas Company, allows for adjustment upward or down- ward of the rates as author- ized by certain regulatory bodies, permits the collection of certain reasonable charges as are necessary to conduct business and to carry out rules and regulations, provides a method through which rate case expense may be re- coverd by a surcharge, and sets forth manner of changing or amending rates. The rates established by Or- dinance No. 1583 shall be ef- fective with gas bills rendered on and after thirty (30) days from the final date of passage ofthis ordinance. The complete text of this or- dinance including all at- tachments thereto, is on file at the iffice of the City Secre- tary and may be obtained at the C, o rlall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. 04 -19- 85,04 -20 -85 NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS (AD VERTISEMENT) Sealed proposals addressed to the City of College Station, Texas will be received for the construction of: 5.0 MILLION GALLON GROUND STORAGE RESERVOIR until 2:00 P.M., Tuesday, May 7, 1985. APRIL 19, 1985 Proposals will be received at the office of Mr. Elrey Ash, Director of Capital Im- provements, City Hall, Col- lege Station, Texas 77840. Bidders must submit with their bids a Cashier's Check or a Certified Check in the amount of five (5 %) percent of the maximum amount of bid payable without recourse to the City of College Station, Texas, or a proposal bond in the same amount form a Sur- ety Company holding permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety, and acceptable ac- cording to the latest list of companies holding certif- icates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, as listed in fates', Revision of Treasury Department Circular 570, as a guarantee that Bidder will en- ter into a contract and ex- ecute bond and guarantee forms provided within five (5) days after notice of award of contract to him. Bids without checks, as stated above, or proposal bond will not be considered. In accordance with Article 5160, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925, as amended, the successful Bidder will be re- quired to furnish not only a performance bond in the amount of the contract, but also a payment bond for the protection of all claimants supplying labor and materials as defined in said law. The bonds must be executed by an approved Sutery Company holding a permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of author- ity from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, or other Surety acceptable to the Owner. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities. In case of ambiguity or lack of clearness in stating the price in the bids, the Owner reserves the right to consider the most advanta- gious construction thereof or to reject the bid. Unreasona- ble or unbalanced unit prices will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of any bid. Bidders are required to in- spect the site of the work and to inform themselves regard- ing local conditions under which the work is to be done. Attention is called to the pro- visions of the Texas Minimum Wage Act of 1970 and Article 5159a, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, concerning the prevailing wage rate applica- ble in municipal construction. Contract Documents, Pro- posal Forms, Specifications and Plans are on file and may be examined without charge n the office of Mr. Elrey Ash, rector of Capital Im- provements, and may be ob- tained from Riewe & Wisch- meyer, Inc., Consulting En- gineers, 1701 Southwest Par- kway, Suite 100, College Sta- tion, Texas 77840, upon pay- ment of Fifty ($50.00) Dollars. Mrs. Dian Jones, City Secretary Gary M. Halter, Mayor 04 -22- 85.04 -28 -85 E Young leaders try picking news stories Emerging Brazos County leaders tried their hands at judging what stor- ies should be used in a daily newspap- er this week in a lively session of Leadership Brazos. In the role - playing exercise, the participants were asked to choose stories when faced with deadlines and constantly changing priorities. The session was part of a day -long program chaired by Eagle Editor Glenn Dromgoole. Eagle Publisher John Williams and Managing Editor Dave Mayes, along with KBTX -TV News Director Jeff Braun and '�KTAM -KORA News Dirctor Mike Kennedy, also made presentations. College Station Mayor Gary Halter offered a critical and often biting look at the press through the eyes of a public official. Halter quoted H.L. Mencken: "Never pick a fight with a man who buys ink by the barrel." Leadership Brazos, sponsored by the Bryan - College Station Chamber of Commerce, is designed to identify and inform potential community leaders. LEGALNOTICE ORDINANCE NO, 1583 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON APRIL 10, 1985, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Col- lege Station City Hall, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art. 6252- 17. The above - referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of College Station, has the following heading: AN ORDI- NANCE FIXING AND DE- TERMINING THE GENERAL SERVICE RATE TO BE CHARGED FOR SALES OF NATURAL GAS TO RESI- DENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSUMERS IN THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, BRAZOS COUNTY, TEXAS; PROVIDING FOR THE MAN- NER IN WHICH SUCH RATE MAY BE CHANGED, AD- JUSTED, AND AMENDED; AND PROVIDING FOR THE RECOVERY OF ANY CUR- RENT AND UNRECOVERED PRIOR RATE CASE EXPENSE, PROVIDING FOR A SCHED- ULE OF SERVICE CHARGES, AND PROVIDING FOR A MAIN LINE EXTENSION RATE. Ordinance No. 1583 es- tablishes a maximum general service rate for sales of natural gas with the city limits of College Station by Lone Star Gas Company, allows for adjustment upward or down- ward of the rates as author- ized by certain regulatory bodies, permits the collection of certain reasonable charges as are necessary to conduct business and to carry out rules and regulations, provides a method through which rate case expense may be re- coverd by a surcharge, and sets forth manner of changing oramending rates. The rates established by Or- dinance No. 1583 shall be ef- fective with gas bills rendered on and after thirty (30) days from the final date of passage of this ordinance. The complete text of this or- dinance including all at- tachments thereto, is on file at the Office of the City Secre- tary and may be obtained at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. 04 -1 9- 85,0420 -85 LEGALNOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1585 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON APRIL 11, 1985, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Col- lege Station City Hall, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art. 6252- 17. The above- referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records -of the City of College Station, has the fol- lowing heading. AN ORDIN- ANCE IMPLEMENTING THE EMERGENCY MANAGE- MENT PLAN FOR THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION IN COMPLIANCE WITH RESO- LUTION NO. 11- 21 -84 -14 PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE 21ST DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1984 AND AMENDING CHAPTER 8, SECTIONS 4-8 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION. THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1985 Ordinance No. 1585 defines terms pertinent to the content thereof, establishes the intent of the ordinance, enumerates the duties of the Mayor as deemed necessary in the event of certain situations, establishes criteria for a Police reserve force, relieves the City of liability and re- sponsibility, prescribes advi- sory functions to the city manager and city attorney, and provides a penalty for violation of sections 4 -7. A violation of any of the pro- visions of Section 4 -7 of this ordinance shall be punishable by fine not to exceed $1,000 or confinement in jail for a term not to exceed 180 days, or both, upon conviction thereof, and each offense shall be de- emed to be a separate viola- tion and punishable as a separate offense. Ordinance No. 1585 shall be- come effective and be in full force and effectfrom and after its passage and approval by the City Council of the City of College Station and in accor- dance with the City Charter. The complete text of the above -named Ordinance is on file at the Office of the City Secretary and may be ob- tained at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. 04 -19- 85,04 -20-85 LEGALNOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1586 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON APRIL 11, 1985, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Col- lege Station City Hall, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art. 6252- 17 The above- referenced Ordi- i nance. signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of College Station, has the following heading: AN ORDI- NANCE AMENDING CHAP- TER 11, SECTION 2, SUBSEC- TION A(1) OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEX- AS, RELATING TO WATER AND SEWER SERVICES. Ordinance No. 1586 es- tablishes a schedule of monthly rates to be charged consumers for public utility services, namely water and /or sewerage connections, in- cluding a unit charge and a monthly service charge for consumers within the corpor- ate limits of the city, providing for sale of water outside the City by contract subject to available capacity and to ap- proval by City Council, pre- scribing aminimum charge for certain other consumers, and setting priorities. Ordinance No. 1586 shall be- come effective and be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval by the City Council of the City of College Station and in accord- ance with the City Charter. The complete text of the above -named Ordinance is on file at the Office of the City Secretary and may be ob- tained at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. 04 -19- 85,04 -20 -85 Got a complaint? Tak Here's a list of people to call if your com�pplaint is about a problem: It With operations of the city of Bryan: 779-6255. Call the department responsi- ble, or Amy Godfrey. All phone numbers are the same. 0 With operations of the city of College Station: Cali the department, or Shane Dillard, the citizen service representa- tive, at 764 -3510. 'a In animal control: 7 64 -3600 in College Station; 779 -5622 (days), 775 -3756 (nights and weekends) in Bryan. 823 -8148, the Better I pp usness Bureau Brazos Valley Inc. 'About a health hazard: 7 79 -7500, ask for the Health Department. Call here after calling the city in which you live if the Problem is on city easements or rights of way. Cali here first if it's on private prop- erty. e it to the right person a With your boss or company: After going through the chain of command at work, call the Texas Employment Commission at 7 79 -3743. The people there will tel,' you which federal or state agency to contact. ft About a doctor: 77 5 -0105, the Brazos - Robertson Counties Medical Society. Talk to the doctor first, though. 2 About a report in the news media: call the reporter who wrote or broadcast the story, then follow the chain of command at the newspaper, radio or television sta- tion which reported the story. For a news - paper, you also can write a letter to the editor. For a service complaint, call the newspaper, radio of television station and ask for the appropriate department. aacceptts as a of l the g rievance committee of the Brazos Coun- #y BarAssociation, Again, talk to the attor- ney in question and submit a written com- plaint to him or her first. Get action on your complaint By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff' Writer ndy Rooney complains a lot, but does he ever get any action on his problems'? Chances are, no, because just sitting around whining about a problem isn't a good way to get it solved. In recognition of National Consumer Week this week, local experts and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have given a few tips on how to complain and get results. First of all, complain to the people who can fix your problem. Most business leaders say they want to know what's irritating and dissatisfying their customers. But consum- ers generally just get mad and take their business else- where. In fact, nationwide, 96 percent of all consumers do not take the time to complain to the right people when thev don't eet the product or service they want. TODAY'S FOCUS Usually, they just complain to their friends, which is a business owner's nightmare. Consumers should inform businesses of shoddy pro- ducts or poor service, even if they don't plan to go back. That at least gives the company a chance to correct the problem, and perhaps prevents other people from having similar bad experiences. Practically everyone from the superintendent of schools to a restaurant owner to the Better Business Bureau director says that when you have a problem, first go to its source. After that, follow the chain of command Turn to GOT, page SA THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 1985 0 • Mike Hachtman's defeat at the polls apparently didn't dampen his political enthusiasm. Hachtman, a junior majoring in industrial disjribution, was defe- ated on April 6,for Place 3 on the College ,Station City Council, re- ceiving 16 percAt of the vote. But he has bounced back. Grant Swartzwelder, this year's president of the Aggie GOP, said Hachtman last week was elected 1985 -86 president of the student Republican group. THE EAGLE /MONDAY, APRIL 22, 1985 Airport seeks $100,000 pledge from city y x t�7 tai r tr] y C t�7 d b H r N W F_ M By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer Easterwood Airport officials have asked the Bryan City Council to pledge $100,000 a year "for an inde- finite period" to fund capital im- provements. Texas A &M Vice President Charles R. "Chuck" Cargill, chair - man of the Intergovernmental Liaison Committee, said Easterwood will need $100,000 a year from the cities of Bryan and College Station and Brazos County to help pay for major construction programs at the Cargill says taxi flap no problem, 2A airport. " Easterwood is a valuable com- munity asset," Cargill told the coun- cil members during a workshop ses- sion Monday. "The airports of today and tomorrow are the railroads ... of yesteryear. "A first -class facility is critical to the future of this community." Cargill said the money would be placed in Easterwood's reserve account for airport expansion, along with Texas A &M's airport profits, which total about $200,000 a year. All profits are plowed back into the airport, he said. Easterwood officials detailed progress made at the airport over the past five years, and described some of the construction planned from now until the year 2005. Work on the runway extension project will begin May 8, Cargill said. The $6.4 million project, which will lengthen the runway to 7,000 feet, will be completed in a year, he said. Lasterwood seeks pledge from Bryan From page 1A the committee hopes to get 90 percent funding from the FAA. He said the liaison committee needs a commitment from the three governmental entities by September. The committee has not formally approached the College Station City Council nor the Brazos County Com- missioners Court for a pledge, but College Station officials informally have given "almost positive" assur- ance that the city would pitch in, Car- gill said. But County Judge Dick Holm - green was not as optimistic that the county would agree to give the airport $100,000 a year, Cargill told the council. Bryan officials said the committee should make a formal request to the city so the council can put it on the agenda and act on it. "I feel like it's an investment," rather than a contribution, Mayo. - Marvin Tate said. But Council Member John Mobley asked if the name of the airport could be changed to include Bryan- College Station or College Station -Bryan. Cargill said that although the issue had been studied before, he will "look back into it and do all we can to see that both cities are publicized." The Federal Aviation Administra- tion will contribute only about $1.5 million to the project, he said. Air- port officials had hoped the FAA would fund 90 percept of the exten- sion. But the A &M board of regents has said it will commit the money needed, Cargill said. Another project, building the in- frastructure — streets, utility systems and so on — for the north terminal area should begin in September, Car- gill said. It will cost $3 million, but Turn to EASTERWOOD, 14A • Mall rips up driveway between two centers By HUGH NATIONS Business Writer After a brief and involuntary un- ion, Post Oak Mall divorced Post Oak Square on Tuesday. The marriage lasted 10 stormy days. A spokesman for the mall indi- cated the chance of a reconciliation is slight. "I'm irritated," Executive Vice President James L. Wolford of CBL & Associates Inc. said. "I really am." CBL owns the sprawling Col- lege Station mall. Wolford was irritated because of the surreptitious construction of a driveway between the two shopping centers on a Saturday two weekends ago. Tuesday morning, the 10 feet of driveway on the mall side was torn out, effectively ending the short- lived direct traffic between the two centers. Ray Lister of Houston, owner of Post Oak Square, had installed the 20 -foot -long driveway without per- mission after what he said Monday were two years of fruitless negotia- tions for a connection between the. centers. CBL was much more prompt in tearing it out. And Wolford said he will continue to turn a deaf ear to Lister's pleas. "I'm am not going to let him do it," Wolford declared. Wolford said an alternative has been available to Lister for more than two years, and was available before that to the previous owner of the property where Post Oak Square is located. "He said, 'It's too much money. I'm not going to do it, "' Wolford said. Wolford said that even before the mall went up, CBL had suggested that a street be built on the west side of Post Oak Square, away from the mall, perpendicular to Harvey Road. That street would have tied in with Holleman Road in the rear of the strip shopping center, and Post Oak Square patrons would have been able to get to the mall that way. "He chose not to do it," Wolford said. "That's been over a year ago. Then a week ago he goes out and starts building that access point. It's like someone hitting you in the back of the head." THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1985 CJ A front -end loader rips up the driveway between Post Oak Mall and Post Oak Square as one last customer squeezes through. Wolford said Post Oak Mall finally donated $58,000 to the city to buy a utility easement on the west side of Post Oak Square, after the previous owner refused to donate either right of way for a street or an easement for utilities. Lister said no such offer had ever been made. "Tonight, during this conversa- tion, is the first thing that I've ever heard anything about a road," he said. Nonetheless, he said, the sug- eestion may have come merit , i , — willing to do anything that's reason- able or makes sense," he said. Wolford said he had not heard from Lister in more than a year when the shopping center owner installed the driveway. "They just stopped returning my phone calls," Lister explained. "Endless phone calls that weren't re- turned were a waste of everyone's time." Wolford also contended that ac- Ttirn to 44A ! noov QA Mall rips up drivewa From page ]A cess between the two centers would not benefit Post Oak Mall. And the driveway cut by Lister onto the loop road around the mall simply would increase congestion for traffic trying to enter Harvey Road where the loop intersects it, he said. John Koldewey, owner of Just Video in the mall, sympathized with the mall's position. "It doesn't have anything to do with public safety," he said of Lis- ter's contention that direct access be- tween the centers would be safer than cross - traffic via busy Harvey Road. "It's a matter of dollars." Assistant diamond manager Cher- ry Travelstead of Wilson's took a different view. "We were so elated that they had finally wised up and put an entrance to Post Oak Square," she said. "Why make it inconvenient? I think it's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of." THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1985 Eagle photo by Kathy Young CS City Council sets meeting • CS council asked to help fund LSMPA By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer The College Station City Council will be asked to appropriate about $90,000 a year to fund the Lone Star Municipal Power Agency. If the appropriation is approved, Col- lege Station electricity customers will pay about 20 cents more on their month- ly bills, City Manager North Bardell said. The city, along with Kirbyville, Cald- well and Newton, formed the LSMPA two years ago to negotiate for lower power costs. The LSMPA board agreed Tuesday to ask each city to begin fund- ing the agency. Each city will be asked to add three - tenths of a mill per kilowatt hour to the cost of power it buys each year. A mill is a tenth of a penny. College Station currently pays about 6.6 cents per kilowatt hour, Bardell said. The increase probably would go into effect within two or three months, LSMPA officials said. Bardell said College Station's in- crease would garner from $85,000 to $90,000 a year. The agency will get from all the cities about $100,000 a year, he said. The money will be used for planning, engineering and legal expenses, Bardell said. The College Station City Council will hold a workshop meeting at 4 p.m. today in City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. Council members will hear a pre- sentation on the airport by Texas A &M University officials, discuss Twin City Mission's .Clash disposal problems, and consider dates for operating budget and revenue sharing public hearings. Also, auditors will address the council. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The College Station City Council will hold a public hearing on the question of amending Section 1 -0, De- finitions and the District Use Schedule - Table A or Ordin- ance 850, the Zoning Ordin- ance for the City of College Station, revising definitions of and setbacks for accessory uses, structures or buildings. The hearing will be held in the City Hall Council Room, 11o1 Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meeting of the Council on Thursday, May 9, 1985. For additional information, please contact me. Jane R. Kee Zoning Official 04 -24 -85 At 7 p.m. Thursday, the regular coun- cil meeting will be held. At that meeting, the council is scheduled to discuss and consider the College Station Industrial Foundation and the industrial park. Public hearings are slated on proposed street improvements on Krenek Tap Road and on the rezoning of a lot in Boyett Subdivision from duplex R -2 to apartments medium density R -5. PUBLIC NOTICE BUDGETHEARING The City Council will hold a public hearing on May 8, 1985 at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. All citizens are in- vited to attend and provide the Council with written and oral comments and ask questions concerning the City's entire proposed budget and the re- lationship of Revenue Sharing funds to that budget. The en- tire proposed budget, a state- ment on the proposed use of Revenue Sharing Funds can be inspected by the public from 9:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Office of the Finance Director at City Hall. A.E. Van Dever, Jr. Assistant City Manager Director of Finance 04 -24 -85 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The College Station City Council will hold a public hearing on the question of re- zoning the following property: 41.574 acres of land at the southwest corner of the inter- section of Graham Road and S.H. No. 6 from Argiculture- Open District A -O to Commer- cial Industrial District C -2 (10.689 acres) and Apartments High Density District R-6 (25.165 acres). Application is in the name of William Terrell Aycock 111. The hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meeting of the City Council on Thursday, May 9,1985. For additional information, please contact me. James M. Callaway Asst. Director of Planning 04 -24 -85 THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1985 0 Ploeger receives TMCA award At its 1985 Mosquito Control Workshop held earlier this month in Uvalde, the Texas Mosquito Control Association awarded its first F.W. Schmidt Award to Eric Ploeger of Bryan. He received a plaque and an all- expenses -paid trip to the workshop. The TMCA honored Ploeger, the College Station Parks and Recreation Department's forester, for his efforts to improve the city's mosquito control services. Special awards committee member Matt Yates of Anahuac says that Ploeger has taken the time to study the biology and habits of more than 20 species of mosquitoes found in the local area and adds that he has used this knowledge to either eliminate or better treat the College Station sites where they breed. , "Ploeger's efforts to upgrade mosquito control record - keeping and inspection procedures, which also saved the city money, are other reasons for his being the recipient of this year's TMCA award," Yates says. The new award will be given each year at the spring workshop to a person who has done something significant to improve mosquito control in a Texas municipality. U THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 1985 Eric Ploeger CS. releases draft of next year's budget By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer College Station's proposed $52.1 million budget for next year contains no property tax increase — yet. The working draft does not call for an increase to the 36 -cent per $100 valuation property tax rate, but it also does not include funding for the prop- osed library, nor for Easterwood Air- port. And the new budget, presented by Assistant City Manager A.E. "Van" VanDever Jr. to council members Wednesday, does include a new drainage assessment and increases in ambulance service fees and water rates. If approved by the council, ambu- lance fees will jump 462 percent, from $40 to $185. The proposal also includes a 6 percent increase in water rates, from $1.25 to $1.33 per thousand gallons. The addition of 50 cents to $1 to each customer's monthly utility bill has been proposed to fund the drain- age division, which is a new program to keep drainage ditches clear. Funds for the division's capital expenditures were included in a bond issue, and the 1985 -86 operating expenses will be provided by interest on the bond money, according to the proposal. Overall, the budget calls for a 15.3 percent increase in spending, most of it due to a 20 percent hike in electric- ity costs. Excluding the power cost increase, the city's budget would rise 3.8 per- cent over last year's, which totaled $45.2 million. VanDever said the city took a "reasonably conservative" approach to spending for the next fiscal year. "The major underlying theme of this financial plan is conservatism," he said in a letter to the council intro- ducing the budget. VanDever said the state and local economy, Texas A &M cutbacks and federal revenue sharing cuts promp- ted city officials to "put ourselves on financial hold. " The proposed budget does not yet include the the cost of establishing a library, which was approved April 6 by voters, at an estimated cost of $194,000. Easterwood Airport offi- cials also asked the council Wednes- day for $100,000 a year for capital improvements there. City officials estimate that for ev- ery i cent in ad valorem tax, the city receives about $100,000. VanDever said the ambulance hike is needed because of increased press- ure for higher level services, which has pushed the service's cost to almost $500,000 a year. The fee change will produce about $100,000, or 20 percent of the cost of operating the ambulance service, he said. The staff also proposed that no property tax money go into the gener- al fund. As in the previous two years, all property taxes are earmarked to go into the debt service fund. The council will meet Wednesday to ask the staff questions on the budget proposal. A public hearing on the operating budget and on the re- venue sharing budget has been set for May 9. Final budget approval is set for June 27. U) 00 M N F4 H P4 F< Q U) a D x E-A W a W W x Ei CS parks department offers a guarantee By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer The College Station Parks Depart- ment guarantees satisfaction or your money back. In a new program begun last week by Parks Director Steve Beachy, the city will refund money or offer a re- placement to dissatisfied park users. To inform the public of the prog- ram, fliers have been posted proc- laiming "Our Pledge" and promis- ing "the highest quality goods and services possible." "If you are not satisfied with the service that you receive at this facility we will cheerfully refund your money or exchange the product for another one," the pledge reads. "Our cus- tomers are the most important part of our job. We thank you for your pat- ronage and your support of our prog- rams." The guarantee covers everything from soggy nachos to dirty pavilions, Beachy said. If too much chlorine in the swimming pool burns your eyes, you can get your money back or a free pass for another day, he said. The department already has given out refunds and replacements in the program. When a B- league softball team was inadvertently placed in the A league, the department offered either to refund the entry fee and let the players continue to play in that league, or to automatically place them in the right league this summer for free. At the city's recent jazz festival, Paul Davis of Bryan paid $2.25 for soggy nachos, cold cheese and a poor hotdog. Davis, even though he did not know about the program, called Beachy the following Monday to complain. A check for $2.25 has been mailed to him, Beachy said. Turn to CS, page SA CS parks department offers guarantee From page lA The program was designed to im- prove the parks department's service and image, he said, adding that the $2.25 was a small price to pay to get a positive feeling from what was a dis- satisfied customer. "Shoot, that's probably the cheapest form of advertising I could have," Beachy said. To get your refund or replacement, go immediately to the source of the problem if it's at a pool or concession stand. If the kitchen floods or the lights don't work at a pavilion, call the department on the next working day, Beachy said. He said, howevr, there will be some exceptions to the money -back guarantee. If you don't like the umpire's call, don't go crying to him. Them's just the breaks of the game. THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1985 & CS foundation gets new bylaws By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer The College Station City Council tentatively has approved new Indust- rial Foundation bylaws creating a seven to nine - member board of direc- tors appointed by the council. The city will send its bylaws to the foundation board for its approval and any revisions, but Mayor Gary Halter said council members should be able to appoint the board within the next two or three weeks. Although the foundation board as a whole has not seen the new bylaws, a board subcommittee is studying them and will come back with a recom- mendation, Halter said. Halter said the proposed bylaws are a variation of the Bryan Industrial Foundation's bylaws, and represent a Young Brothers Inc. for the low bid "pretty radical change" from Col - of $1,040,624.60. lege Station's current ones. The bid came under the engineer's Halter recommended the changes to the council last week. The Indust- rial Foundation currently is financed by the city, but its 18- member board is appointed by the members them- selves. The council also said it plans to include a council member on the new board, and added a provision calling for quarterly directors meetings in addition to the annual meeting. In a related action, the council awarded a contract to build Greens Prairie Road, which runs along one side of the College Station Industrial Park. The contract was awarded to estimate for the project, which was about $1.157 million. In other matters, John Hogg of 2724 Normand Circle presented the council a petition asking it or the Planning and Zoning Commission to consider regulating home satellite re- ceiving dishes. The 86- signature petition includes people living on 30 streets in the city, Hogg said. He said the dishes are eyesores and seriously affect property values. Hogg said that while he would like them "outlawed altogether," other petitioners wanted them regulated. NOTICE TO BIDDERS all as further described in said The City of College Station bid packets and according to proposes to lease 4,000.75 the procedures set forth square feet of real property, therein. said property being a part of a Such bid packets, including 7.07 acre tract located in the the provisions of the pro - Thomas Webb Survey, Abs- posed lease, and all applica- tract 240, Brazos County, Tex- ble terms and provisions ac as. Said 7.07 acre tract was ceptable to the City, are conveyed to the City of Col- available and may be obtained lege Station, Texas, by Marga- from the City Attorney's Of- ret Higgs Stevens in deed re- fice, Sealed bids will be ac- corded in Volume 417, Page cepted from any member of 712 of the Deed Records of the public wishing to bid upon Brazos County, Texas. Said such lease through 3:00 p.m., property is located on Sandy May 7,1985, in the Office of the Point Road adjacent to the City Attorney, 1101 Texas Ave - City of College Station Sandy nue, College Station, Texas. Point Road Pump Station. The bid opening shall be at The City will accept sealed 4:00 p.m. on May 7, 1985, in the bids which offer the following: same office. Bid acceptance 1. A lease period of at least 25 and award shall be at the regu- years: lar City Council meeting on 2. A signed City lease May 9, 1985. City Council agreement; meetings are held at 1101 3. The payment of survey fees; Texas Avenue, College and Station, Texas. 4. The payment of annual Bid acceptance and award is rental; within the sole discretion of the City Council, considering all proposed terms and con- ditions of the bids received, and the City may reject any and all bids or offers made for the leasing of such lands. 04 -19- 85,04 -26- 85,05 -03 -85 THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1985 Posts now separate mall, Post Oak Square By HUGH NATIONS Business Writer A newly erected barricade of six - inch, waist -high posts spans the non - driveway between Post Oak Mall and its commercial next -door neighbor, Post Oak Square. The 20 -foot driveway was instal- led almost two weeks ago by Ray Lister, who owns the struggling Post Oak Square strip center. Lister built the driveway without permission from Post Oak Mall offi- cials, to provide direct access be- tween the two shopping centers. Tuesday, he stood by and watched as the mall ripped out the 10 feet of driveway on mall property. Unsatisfied with just removing the driveway, the mall has now installed I 1 posts across it. The unauthorized construction of the driveway, Lister said, cost him $8,950. One reason the price was so high was that it was built on Satur- day, when the workmen drew over- time pay - and when none of the mall officials was around to halt it. Post Oak Mall Manager Don Sewell estimated the cost of tearing out the driveway at $3;000. Sewell was unimpressed with Lis - ter's publicly expressed concern for public safety. "I don't think that Ray Lister is really interested in public safety," Sewell said. "There's not a stop sign, a yield sign, or a lighted entrance on that whole project." Both Lister and public officials have said they would like to see a driveway between the two centers so that traffic between the two centers would not have to use busy Harvey Road. The owners of Post Oak Mall have said they would not object to a public street on the west side of Post Oak Square that would tie into the mall, but they expect Lister to build it. u1 00 rn N a H a P4 Q H �i F-4 W a C7 W W x H Posts block the short -lived access between two shopping centers. � City council rejects frat zoning request By MICHAEL CRAWFORD Staff Writer The College Station City Council Thursday night rejected a request for a zone change which would have permitted the construction of a fra- ternity house in the Northgate area. The request by A.P. Boyett, Jr. would have rezoned the property at 502 Boyett St. from duplex zoning to medium density apartments. That request was denied by the planning and zoning commission 4 -0 earlier this month. Before rejecting the change, the council listened to area resident Brian Johnson who said the location of the property in a residential neighborhood made it unacceptable for a fraternity house. Johnson said the lot was too small to provide ad- equate parking and the additional traffic would worsen an already se- vere parking problem in the area. After saying that Northgate was "a unique Part of College Station," Johnson said that the building of a fraternity house would lower prop- erty values and set a trend for rezon- ing other parcels of land in North - gate. Those charges were disputed by the brother of the applicant, George Boyett, who said the area was largely apartments and the fraternity inter- ested in using the property had al- ready purchased another tract of land. Boyett argued that parking regulations in the area were not en- forced and that some on -site parking would be available on the property. But Mayor Gary Halter said the zoning in the area was already poorly planned, highly congested and granting the request would com- pound the problems. The council voted 5 -1 to reject the request. Coun- cilman James B. Bond cast the only dissenting vote. In other council business, the mayor received a petition signed by Southwood Valley residents asking the city to consider regulating satel- lite dishes in neighborhoods. John Hogg presented the council with the petition. "If I were looking for a residence and I went down a street and saw a satellite dish in a front yard," Hogg said, "I'd turn around and head the other way." THE BATTALION /FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1985 1� C Krenek Tap improvements OK'd A College Station resident told the City Council he opposes improve- ments to Krenek Tap Road because the street already is a racetrack and because he does not want to lose 20 feet of his front yard. Henry Kapchinski was the only person who spoke in opposition to the roadwork at the public hearing held Thursday. After the hearing, council members passed an ordinance declar- ing the need for the improvements. About $600,000 was budgeted for work on the road, which connects the East Bypass to Texas Avenue along- side Central Park. However, no assessment has been made on the pro- ject's cost. "It's a race track out there now," Kapchinski said, adding that wide- ning the 20 -foot -wide pavement to 39 feet would bring more racing. He told council members that resi- dents on the street do not have city water or sewer services. City officials said a sewer line does exist under the street now, and water services will come with the new work. Kapchinski also said he opposed a proposal to take all 20 feet of right -of- way needed from his side of the street. The right -of -way should be evenly divided on both sides, he said. "I hate to lose my front yard be- cause I'm proud of it," he said. "I love a large front yard." He said it is 65 feet from his house to the existing pavement. Utility lines on the other side of the road prompted the proposal to get all the right -of -way from one side, city officials said. Mayor Gary Halter said the cost of the right -of -way will be deducted from the amount resident. will have to pay for the improvements. City officials said they expect work to begin on it late this year and to be completed in 1986. THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 1985 0 • CS council makes board appointments The College Station City Council made the following appointments to city boards and commissions this week: ■ Planning and Zoning Commis- sion — Mark Paulson (one -year term to replace newly elected Council Member Terri Tongco), George Dresser, Walter Wendler and Ronald Kaiser, who was re- appointed chairman. ■ Parks and Recreation Commit- tee — John Crompton, David Reusink (to complete term of Donita Hayden, who has moved), Shannon Bray and Penny Ditton. ■ Ambulance Advisory Commit- tee — Charles Page, Billy Pickard and Donald Sweeney. ■ Community Center Advisory Committee — Stephen Searcy (alter- I nate), Joan Lamkin and Rita Keneipp. ■ Easterwood Airport Zoning Board — John Donovan and James Noel. ■ Electrical Examining Board — R.D. Chenoweth, Bob Harville and Jesse Watson. ■ Plumbing Appeals — Michael Wagner and Bill Lewis. ■ Zoning Board of Adjustments — James Fry, Jim McGuirk and Allen Swoboda (alternate). The law and bicycle safety That was a very good letter from Ed Matthews on bicycle lanes. I agree with him that lines painted on the roadway offer no real protection to cyclists, who would generally be better off without them. Cycling organizations have been saying this for years, but no one out there seems to be listening. Another fact that seems not to be generally known is that according to Texas law (Section 182, Article 6701d, of Vernon's Civil Statutes), a cyclist is not obliged to ride next to the right curb if conditions on the roadway make it unsafe to do so. These con ditions include the hazards men- tioned by Mr. Matthews. They also include a substandard width of traf- fic lane, substandard being defined as "too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to travel in the same lane safely side by side ". If and when Southwest Parkway is re- painted with five lanes, the right lane undoubtedly would meet this definition, and a bicyclist would be legally entitled to claim the whole lane on the grounds of safety. This already is accepted practice for motorcyclists. I wouldn't recom- mend it for schoolchildren, but ex- perienced cyclists should certainly try it. Of course, the flip side of the coin is that if they wish to invoke the law and act like vehicle operators, bicyc- lists should also observe such com- mon responsibilities as stopping at stop signs, driving on the right, and never driving on the sidewalk. Keith McCree College Station THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 1985 � Laurels To the more than 850 local residents expected to take to the streets .today in an effort to raise money for the March of Dimes. The 1985 WalkAmerica fund - raiser is set to begin at 9 a.m. at First City National Bank on Briarcrest Drive at the East Bypass. The area goal this year is $35,000. Also to the Southland Corp. and McDonald's Restaurants, _ iuhich are major sponsors of this year's event. To Virgil Marko of Bryan, who has been named the 1985 Houston District Small Businessperson of the Year by the Small Business Admi- nistration. To Dr. Leonard Berry, professor of marketing in the Texas A &M College of Business Administration, who has been named the first Foley's /Federated Professor in Retailing and Marketing Studies. To Fred J. Benson, retired dean of the A &M College of Engineering, who has been presented the Texas Section American Society of Civil Engineers Award of Honor. To Tom Salamon, plant manager for The Norton Co., who has been elected president of the Bryan Development Foundation. To the winners in all divisions of the Brazos Valley Art League's Juried Art Show. To Jesse Brown Jr. of the City of Bryan, Lillian Robinson of the City of College Station, and Ruth McLeod of Brazos County, who were pre - sented public service awards by the Bryan - College Station Chamber of .Commerce last week. To the'cities of Bryan and College Station, Brazos Beautiful, Inc., and Texas Commercial Waste Co., for co- sponsoring free roll -off waste - containers in two local local parks last week as a part of the annual Spring Spruce Up effort. To Lone Star Gas Co. in Bryan, which is joining a nationwide effort to help find missing children both by distributing informational flyers on missing kids and by developing community education programs designed to help prevent kidnappings. To Eric Ploeger of Bryan, who has been awarded the first F.W. Schmidt Award by the Texas Mosquito Control Association. THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 1985 1� • NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS (ADVERTISEMENT) Sealed proposals addressed to the City of College Station, Texas will be received for the construction of'. 5.0 MILLION GALLON GROUND STORAGE RESERVOIR until 2:00 P.M., Tuesday, May 7. 1985. Proposals will be received at the office of Mr. Elrey Ash, Director of Capital Improv- er tints, City Hall, College Station, Texas 77840. 1dders must submit with leir bids a Cashier's Check or a Certified Check in the amount of five (5%) percent of the maximum amount of bid payable without recourse to the City of College Station. Texas, or a proposal bond in the same amount form a Sur- ety Company holding permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety, and acceptable ac- cording to the latest list of companies holding certif- icates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, as listed in latest Revision of Treasury Department Circular 570, as a guarantee that Bidder will enter into a contract and ex- ecute bond and guarantee forms provided within five (5) days after notice of award of contract to him. Bids without checks, as stated above, or proposal bond will not be considered. In accordance with Article 5160, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925, as amended, the successful Bidder will be re- quired to furnish not only a performance bond in the amount of the contract, but also a payment bond for the protection of all claimants supplying labor and materials as defined in said law. The bonds must be executed by an approved Sutery Company holding a permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, or other Surety ac- ceptable to the Owner. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities. In case of ambiguity or lack of clearness in stating the price in the bids, the Owner reserves the right to consider the most advan- 0 tagious construction thereof or to reject the nbalanced reasonable or unit prices will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of any bid. Bidders are required to in spect the site of the work and to Inform themselves regard- ing local conditions under which the work is to be done. Attention is called to the pro- visions of the Texas Minimum Wage Act of 1970 and Article 5159a, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, concerning the prevailing wage rate applica ble In municipal construction, Contract Doc ' Pro- posal Forms, Specifications and Plans are on file and may be examined without charge in the office of Mr. Elroy Ash, Director of Capital be obtained ements, and may from Riewe & Wischmeyer Inc.. Consulting Engineers, 1701 Southwest Parkway. Suite 1001 College Texas 77840, upon Payment of Fifty ($5000) Dollars. City Mrs. Dian Jones, Secretary Gary M. Halter, Mayor 04 -22- 85, 04-28 -85 THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 1985 Unethical tactics A good reporter investigates each side of an issue, maintaining an un- biased opinion throughout. Mem- bers of the College Station press, by not investigating the whole story around "Tini -Wini- Street," have chosen to support unethical, illegal, business tactics. (Post Oak Square owner) Ray Lis- ter began to incorporate his idea to join his shopping center to Post Oak Mall by going through the right channels. He asked permission from the property owners, and was quoted a price — does this sound as though he was shut out? Instead of negotiat- ing a deal in an ethical way, he chose to refuse CBL, and on the weekend while their offices were closed had a crew install his road to recovery any- way. I ask you, would you like to return to your home after work to discover your neighbor had done this to you? You would tolerate his installing such a drive across your property without permission? Mr. Lister, you knew when you dealt this card that it was a danger- ous risk with your money. Perhaps professional, ethical, and legal business procedures are time - consuming, but they have been established for a reason. Future business developers would shy from an area which allowed such blatant disregard for property owners rights. If Mr. Lister had been a gent- leman in business, his "Tini -Wini- Street" would probably be there, properly installed, without cost waste to either property owner. C.J. Gibson College Station Fending off obvious threat As a frequent traveler of Highway 30, 1 would like to congratulate the merchants at Post Oak Mall and CBL & Associates. They performed a true community service by manag- ing to fend off the obvious economic threat posed by its neighbor Post Oak Square. As a well- tanned grocery store patron who uses a towel once in a while and can't live without an occa- sional fix of pizza or chinese food, I can see the rationale behind the mall not allowing a road to join the two centers. Post Oak Mali obviously hopes that people like myself, who lean toward such a lifestyle, will be forced to use a busy Highway 30 and possibly never make it to their mall. They're right. Bill Rafferty College Station 0 THE EAGLE /TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 1985 0 11 CS City Council forms energy advisory board A new committee has been formed by the College Station City Council to advise it on energy programs. The council established the Energy Management Committee and appointed its members Thursday. The committee will help the council on energy conservation programs and the energy assistance program, and will promote citizen involvement in those programs. The city has approved several con- servation programs and an energy assistance program to be funded with a $977,252 Gulf States Utilities re- bate. GSU refunded the money to the city after a court ruled the firm had overcharged College Station for pow - erin 1981 -83. The assistance program will help people who can't pay their electricity bills. Up to $100 will be given to customers who have hit hard times. Administered through the Red Cross, the assistance will be given to each customer no more than twice a year. The conservation programs in- clude changing the mercury vapor street lights to high - pressure sodium lights, and buying remote metering equipment to monitor high power users. Appointed to the committee were Chairman Valerie Bauer, two -year term members Chris Lang and Bob McBride (who is the vice chairman), one -year term members Mike Owens, Stephanie Palubicki, Robert Middleton and Paul Ruscher, and alternate Dale Marsico. THE EAGLE /TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 1985 • • NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS (ADVERTISEMENT) Sealed proposals addressed to the City of College Station, Texas will be received for the construction of: COMMUNITY DEVELOP MENT PROJECT NO. CD- 1984 -1 STREET, DRAINAGE AND UTILITY IMPROVEMENTSFOR RICHARDSSTREET until 2:00 o'clock P.M., May 16, 1985. Proposals will be received at the office of Mr. David J. Pullen, City Engineer, City Hall, College Station, Texas 77840. Bidders must submit with their bids a Cashier's Check or a Certified Check in the amount of five (5q) percent of the maximum amount of bid payable without recourse to the City of College Station, Texas, or a proposal bond in the same amount from a Sur- ety Company holding permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety, and acceptable ac- cording to the latest list of companies holding certifi- cat es of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, as listed in the latest Revision of Treasury Department Circular 570, as a guarantee that Bidder will en- ter into a contract and exe- cute bond and guarantee forms within five (5) days after notice of award of contract to him. Bids without checks, as stated above, or proposal bond w i l l not be considered. In accordance with Article 5160, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925, as amended, the successful Bidder will be re- quired to furnish not only a performance bond in the amount of the contract, but also a payment bond for the protection of all claimants supplying labor and materials as defined in said law. The bonds must be executed by an approved Surety Company holding a permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of author- ity from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, or other Surety acceptable to the Owner. The owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities. In case of ambiguity or lack of clearness in stating the price in the bids, the Owner reserves the right to consider the most advanta- geous construction thereof or to reject the bid. Unreasona- ble or unbalanced unit prices will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of any bid. Bidders are required to in- spect the site of the work and to inform themselves regard- ing local conditions under which the work is to be done. Bidders are expressly advised that this project will be funded with Federal Community Dev- elopment revenues and will be subject to wage, labor, and equal opportunity provisions as established by the Depart- ment of Housing and Urban Development. Contract Documents, Pro- posal Forms, Specifications and Plans may be obtained from the City Engineer's of- fice, 1101 S. Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. A fully refundable deposit of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) is required for each set. 05 -01- 85,05 -04-85 05 -05- 85,05 -11-85 05 -12- 85,05.15 -85 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The College Station Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the question of rezoning the fol- lowing property: Approxima- tely 1.988 acres of land located on the north side of Brazos - wood Drive, approximately 257 feet west of the intersec- tion of Brazoswood Drive and S.H.6 (East Bypass), from Townhouse - Rowhouse Dis- trict R -3 to Administrative - Professional District A -P. Ap- plicant is Hank McQuaide. The said hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meeting of the Plan- ning and Zoning Commission on Thursday, May 16,1985. For additional information, please contact me. James M. Callaway Ass't. Director of Planning 05 -01 -85 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The College Station Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the question of rezoning the fol- lowing property: Lots 1, 2, 3 & 4 Block D University Park Sec- tion I subdivison, located at the intersection of Spring Loop and Tarrow Street, from Apartments Low Density Dis- trict R -4 to General Commer- cial District C -1. Application is in the name of Bricks & Sticks, Inc. The said hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meeting of the Plan- ning and Zoning Commission on May 16,1985. For additional information, please contact me. James M. Callaway Ass't. Director of Planning 05-01 -85 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The City Of College Station Planning and Zoning Com- mission will hold a public hearing to consider a resub- division final plat of Reserve Tract 3, Quail Run Estates - Phase One, a subdivision in the ETJ which is located ap- proximately 750 feet south- east of the intersection of Dowling Road and Quail Run Drive. The hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, at 1101 Texas Avenue at 7 00 P.M. on Thurs- day, May 16, 1985. For additional information contact the City Planning of- fice(409)764 -3570 Alberto . Mayo, Jr. Director of Planning 05 -01 -85 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The College Station Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the question of rezoning the fol- lowing property: Lot 1B, 2 & 3 Block 1 Kirkpatrick Subdivi- sion, from Apartments Medi- um Density District R -5 to General Commercial District C -1. Applicant is Lewis J. Kirkpatrick. The said hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meeting of the Commission on May 16,1985. For additional information, please contact me. James M. Callaway Assistant Director of Planning 05 -01 -85 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The College Station Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the question of rezoning the fol- lowing property: Lot 19 Block 5 University Oaks •2 Subdivi- sion from Duplex District R -2 to Apartments Medium Densi- ty District R -5. Applicant is Martha Cox for Homer Cox. The said hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meeting of the Commission on Thursday, May 16,1985. For additional information, please contact me. James M. Callaway Assistant Director of Planning 05 -01 -85 THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1985 The rest of the Mall story 4 D • • It is unusual to have to defend yourself when you are the victim. However, in light of the publicity given to the illegal drive connecting Post Oak Square to Post Oak Mall, we feel it necessary to express our feelings and facts on this issue. If the owner of Post Oak Square, Ray Lister; is so concerned about public safety, why are there no stop or yield signs in his parking lot? Why are there no lights to mark his entrances on Harvey Road? sprinkler system. There are several points that we feel need to be brought to the pub- lic's attention: 1. It is not a simple matter of CBL & Associates saying "OK" to Mr. Lister. CBL & Associates cannot authorize a drive to gain access onto the Post Oak Mall property without approval from the other landholders. The major department stores own their own property, and approval has not been given. 2. An alternative plan that would allow customers to get to both shop- ping centers, as well as Post Oak Village, without entering Harvey Road has been on file with the city for four years. This plan has also been proposed to the original de- veloper of Post Oak Square and the current owner, Ray Lister, both turned it down. Lister said it would cost too much. Mr. Lister's crusade for "public safety" makes one think he would stop at nothing to make his center safer. After all, he would even commit criminal trespassing in the name of public safety. Mr. Lis- ter, why not spend the money on a plan that has already been approved by the city and Post Oak Mall? 3. There are reasons why the drive Mr. Lister built is not the best alternative to keeping traffic off of Harvey Road. With J.C. Penney, Wyatt's Cafeteria and many more stores to be located on that side of the mall, the perimeter road, which Lister's drive would cross, will be very busy. That entrance is already the primary entrance used to enter the mall, at an average of 6,500 days per day, and with the addition, 1,500 new parking spaces will be accessible from that road. 4. Post Oak Mall has spent thousands of dollars hiring off -duty officers to direct traffic when we thought entering Harvey Road would be particularly dangerous or We can see the motive behind Mr. Lister's actions. It's no secret that his center would lease much faster if his tenants could feed directly off of Post Oak Mall. Perhaps this drove him to take such drastic, illegal mea- sures, not considering the alterna- tives or long range effects. It is re- grettable that Mr. Lister's center cannot lease on its own merits, but that does not give him the right to cut through Post Oak Mall's property, destroying the landscaping and busy. Do you think someone who was not concerned with public safe- ty would go to all that expense? 5. CBL & Associates donated 7.5 acres of our property to the city so an electrical substation could be instal- led. The previous landowner, before Ray Lister, would not donate any land for the easement connecting the substation to Harvey Road. There- fore, CBL & Associates purchased one acre of land for $58,000 and deeded the acre to the city for an easement. The only reason we point this out is to show that CBL & Associates does cooperate, to a great extent, when business is done in a professional and legal manner. Lastly, for those of you who might not understand why Post Oak Mall was upset about Lister's drive, think of this as a property owner. How would you feel if your next door neighbor decided it would be more convenient if he had a drive- way through your front yard, so one Saturday while you were out of town, he had the drive built with no regard to your landscaping, sprink- ler system or rights as a property owner? Would it make you feel bet- ter if he said, "I tried to call you." The only difference in this case is that Mr. Lister knows how to work the media to generate public senti- ment. Please consider all sides to this problem, and for those of you who are genuinely concerned about public safety, take heart in this solu- tion. The city of College Station plans to have the Holleman Drive exten- sion to Texas Avenue completed in 18 months. A drive connecting Holleman to Highway 30 with entr- ances into all three shopping centers is by far the best solution to this problem. Don E. Sewell, manager Cindy Brannen, marketing director Post Oak Mall THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1985 Two wrongs, no right The posts erected by the Post Oak Mall management to stop passage to Post Oak Square reminds one of an immature little boy who took his marbles and went home mad. The Square manager doesn't appear to have taken the proper approach either. The Mall owners and manager appear more interested in profit than community spirit and cooperation. A drive between the two shopping areas would be helpful in public safety. The drive might even add business for the Mall and certainly would put it in a better light as a concerned community member. One can't help but wonder what we lose in out -of -town ownership of a big mall with an overpowering emphasis on profit. We are re- minded that smaller locally -owned independent business people must cooperate and be more aware of the needs of others in the community. Community pride and spirit are important. The Mall seems to have missed that fact in this issue. George R. McArthur College Station 3 hearings slated U Three public hearings will be held Thursday at the College Station Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. The meeting will be in the council held at 7 p.m. chambers of City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. Hearings will be held on: ■ Rezoning Lots 1 and 2 and part of Lot 3 of Block C of the College Heights subdivision at 304 University Drive from Duplex District R -2 to Administrative- Professional District A -P. ■ A conditional use permit for John W. Haney for a filling station in a C -3 Planned Commercial zoning dis- trict. ■ The definitions of rear setbacks for accessory uses, structures or buildings should be amended. The commission also will reconsider whether 41.574 acres of land at the southwest corner of Graham Road and Texas 6 should be changed from Agriculture-Open District A -O to Commercial Industrial District C -2 (10.689 acres) and Apartments High Density District R -6 (25.165 acres). In other action, the commissioners will consider final plats for Haney Highway 6 and Lot 4 Block 4 of the Southeast College Park Addition; a preliminary plat for Glenhaven Estates Phase VII; a master lnd use preliminary plat for Family Tree; and the East Bypass mendations. THE EAGLE /MAY 1, 1985 • cS council says ambulance fee hike too high By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer The College Station City Council has lowered the city's proposed jump in ambulance fees from $185 to $100. The council instructed the city staff Wednesday to change revenue projec- tions in the 1985 -86 budget to reflect the lower rate hike. The staff had proposed in next year's budget that the current $40 led to help fee be more than q P offset the cost of providing the service. The council did not finish going over the entire $52.1 million Proposed budget and postponed talking about criteria for a new city manager to re- place North Bardell, who is retiring. The council also went into closed session to discuss litigation. Council members will meet again Wednesday. Aside from the ambulance charges, council members' questions centered on maintenance contract costs and the number of outside contracts the city has. City Manager North Bardell said an ambulance run costs about $200. With a $185 fee, about $100,000 would be collected from users. But the council said the proposed increase was just too high. "I'm not opposed to increasing it, but I don't know about that degree, Council member Terri Tongco said. She said this is a basic service that the city should provide without passing on the cost directly to users. "You don't charge for swimming pools" according to their cost, Tongco said. Council member Fred Brown said the city spends a good deal of money on rental of equipment and on mainte- nance agreements for other equipment. He suggested that the city check into buying more of the equipment that is now rented, and into getting the equip- ment repaired as needed rather than using service contracts. Finance Director A.E. "Van" VanDever said that much of the rental costs are for copier machines and that the city does call for estimates on ser- vice contracts when possible. In response to another Brown re- quest, VanDever also said a list of the audits, contracts a nd studies the city has will be compiled. A public hearing on the operating budget will be held May 9. Final budget approval is set for June 27. LEGAL NOTICE ORDINANCE NO, 1587 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON APRIL COUNCIL 1 OF 5 THE T C CITY CITY COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, said meeting having been posted in accord- ance with Art. 6252 -17. The ae by n the Mayor nonce, , signed and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City Of College Station, has the following heading: AN ORDINANCE DECLARING THE NECESSITY FOR STREET IMPROVEMENTS ON KRENEK TAP ROAD IN THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, PROVIDING THAT THE ABUT- TING PROPERTY OWNERS SONSAM IMPROVED TBEROAS- SESSED A SHARE OF THE EX- PENSE, PROVIDING FOR A PUBLIC HEARING, AND PRO- VIDING A SAVING CLAUSE INTHE EFFECTIVE DATE. Prior to consideration and ap- proval of this ordinance, the City Council of the City Of public loge Station held a hearing, notice of which first having been duly given to the general public. Col ege on City Council I p t rpvements to Krentek the T p Road Property rs t of the abutting property on sold street shhall be assessed o pro- portlonste cost of said Im- provements, The ordlnanoe prescribes a basis for the Cost of Improvements, determines by whom and In what propor• and provides for notice to be Alvan In accordencewlth law. Ordinance No. 1587 shall be- come effective and be In full force and effectfrom end after Its pabeaaa and approval by the Clry Council of the City of ante College iith th Ciry and in Chartor. the The complete text of the file ' l e et the Oi ice the City Secretary and may be ob- tained at the City hfall, 110 South as Avenue, College Station, Texas. 05 -02- 85,05 -03 -85 THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1985 Thanks for nothing • • This is a letter of "thanks" to James L. Wolford of CBL and Associates. "Thanks" for being hard- headed and greedy enough to stop a driveway between Post Oak Mall and Post Oak Square at the expense of the safety and conveni- ence of the Bryan - College Station NOTICETO BIDDERS The City of College Station proposes to lease 4,000.75 square feet of real property, said property being a part of a 7.07 acre tract located in the Thomas Webb Survey, Abs- tract 240, Brazos County, Tex- as. Said 7.07 acre tract was conveyed to the City of Col- lege Station, Texas, by Marga- ret Higgs Stevens in deed re- corded in Volume 417, Page 712 of the Deed Records of Brazos County, Texas. Said property is located on Sandy Point Road adjacent to the City of College Station Sandy Point Road Pump Station. The City will accept sealed bids which offer the following: 1. A lease period of at least 25 years: 2. A signed City lease agreement; 3. The payment of survey fees. and 4. The payment of annual rental; all as further described in said bid packets and according to the procedures set forth therein. Such bid packets, including the provisions of the pro- posed lease, and all applica- ble terms and provisions ac- ceptable to the City, are available and may be obtained from the City Attorney's Of- fice. Sealed bids will be ac- cepted from any member of the public wishing to bid upon such lease through 3:00 p.m., May 7,1985, in the Office of the City Attorney, 1101 Texas Ave- nue, College Station, Texas. The bid opening shall be at 4:00 p.m. on May 7, 1985, in the same office. Bid acceptance and award shall be at the regu- lar City Council meeting on May 9, 1985, City Council meetings are held at 1101 Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. Bid acceptance and award is within the sole discretion of the City Council, considering all proposed terms and con- ditions of the bids received, and the City may reject any and all bids or offers made for the leasing of such lands. 04 -19- 85,04 -26- 85,05 -03 -85 shoppers! If you need another ex- cuse, Mr. Wolford, you can always revert to the one children use... "just because!" Work to start next week on Rock Prairie Road Work will begin next week on repaving and extending Rock Prairie Road in College Station. The two - mile -long road will be torn up and sealcoated from Texas 6 to its end, and will be extended ab- out three - fourths of a mile to in- tersect with Greens Prairie Road, said Director of Public Services Alfred Miller. Rock Prairie also will be widened about 4 feet from its present 20 feet, but curbs and gutters will not be added, Miller said. It should take about a month to fix the road, he said. THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1985 Bonnie Springer Dorothy Holland College Station LEGAL NOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1587 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON APRIL 25, 1985, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, said meeting having been posted in accord- ance with Art. 6252 -17. The above- referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of College Station, has the following heading AN ORDINANCE DECLARING THE NECESSITY FOR STREET IMPROVEMENTS ON KRENEK TAP ROAD IN THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION. PROVIDING THAT THE ABUT- TING PROPERTY OWNERS ON SAID KRENEK TAP ROAD SO IMPROVED BE AS- SESSED A SHARE OF THE EX- PENSE, PROVIDING FOR A PUBLIC HEARING, AND PRO- VIDING A SAVING CLAUSE IN THE EFFECTIVE DATE. Prior to consideration and ap- proval of this ordinance, the City Council of the City of Col- lege Station held a public hearing, notice of which first having been duly given to the general public. By Ordinance No. 1587 of the College Station City Council, it was determined that the im- provements to Krenek Tap Road are necessary and that the property owners of the abutting property on said street shall be assessed a pro - portionate cost of said im- provements. The ordinance prescribes a basis for the cost of improvements, determines by whom and in what propor- tion the costs shall be borne, and provides for notice to be given in accordance with law. Ordinance No. 158.7 shall be- come effective and be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval by the City Council of the City of College Station and in accord- ance with the City Charter. The complete text of the above -named Ordinance is on file at the Office of the City Secretary and may be ob- tained at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. 05 -02- 85.05 -01 -RS Noon Optimists present awards to 3 law officers By VIRGINIA KIRK Staff Writer Three local police officers received Officer of the Year awards from the Bryan- College Station Noon Optimists Club Thursday afternoon. Bryan Sgt. Dale Cuthbertson, Col- lege Station Lt. Bernie Kapella and Brazos County Sheriffs Deputy Chris Kirk were this year's recipients. "Many times law officers in the area are overlooked. They do a tremendous job for the community and make us feel safer," Optimists President Samuel Ponzio said. Cuthbertson was praised for his work on CrimeByte, the nation's fast crime prevention bulletin board for home computer users. Cuthbertson used much of his own time and his own, computer to get the bulletin board off the ground. He is a member of the Crime Prevention/Community Rela- tions division and has been with the department for eight years. When accepting his award, Cuth- bertson said that police officers often have doubts about their career but words of praise or the embrace of a child can make it worthwhile. Kapella, with 19 years experience, is College Station's crime prevention officer. He works several extra hours each week on Neighborhood Watch programs, puppet shows for children and crime prevention talks. He is a member of the Brazos County Rape Crisis Center's board. Kapella said the award was only possible with the cooperation of the rest of his department and the community. Kirk is a criminal investigation de- puty active in training and firearms in- struction. He worked overtime on the Sandra Black murder case, Sheriff Ronnie Miller's recommendation said. Kirk is vice president of the Brazos County Peace Officers Association and is also on the board of the Rape Crisis Center. He is currently working on a doctorate at Texas A &M in recreation and resource development. "I don't feel like I'm that deserving of the award because the whole depart- ment works hard for Ronnie Miller," Kirk said. The officers each received a plaque and a "vote of confidence" from the Optimists Club. Dale C'uthbertsotl Bernie Kapella Panel OKs relaxing zoning ordinance By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN 'Staff Writer The College Station Planning and Zoning has approved an ordinance amendment allowing more flexibility in locating stNc- tures such as tool sheds and green- houses on lots. The commission approved. the amendment Thursday to allow accessory structures to be placed 15 feet from the rear setback line. The city council will consider ; the amendment next week at its regular council meeting. Current ordinances allow the structures to be located that close only on lots with rear access; the amendment will allow all lots that leeway. The new amendment also prop- oses a size limit on structures in the reduced setbacks. Garages and car- ports are not limited in size, but must be located 20 feet from the rear setback: In other action, a two -year battle over what will be located at a site on Texas 6 and the East Bypass was ended with a final plat approval. Residents of Mile Drive, the de- velopers of the tract and city offi- cials came to an agreement on the location of a filling station at the site. Gail Griffin, of 108 Mile Drive, said the residents have fought un- wanted usages there eight times since 1976, but, "at this time we do agree and encourage you to approve this." Also, , new commissioners George Dresser, Mark Paulson and Walter Wendler and new Chairman Ron Kaiser were sworn in. THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1985 Chris Kirk Economics in the Flat and Loamy Realm y x tai t� G7 C t� m �-3 C d 7 I-� Q0 co UI NEWS ITEM: Easterwood Air- port establishes a flat fee of $350 for taxicab companies serving the air- port, then waives it for one operator if he agrees to pick up the trash around the terminal. Texas A &M University Vice President Charles Cargill says it's a bargain, even if $350 is far more than other airports charge and the fee and accompany- ing waiver prohibit all but one oper- ator from providing service there. 'Tis said, 'mongst the know- ledgeable of the Flat and Loamy Realm, that when Sir Charles Car- fare pinches a Farthing, the clutch is so tight it has been known to make the Sovereign embossed thereon cry for Mercy. But the next day he was back, leading the same Steed. "I have returned, Scion of All That Is Fair and Good, to beg your forgiveness for my avarice of yester- day. I know of your concern that in serving the Alchemists and Magi- cians, you purchase only Bargains. "To earn your pardon, I have raised the price of yon Steed to 500 shekels. But for you, Kind and Perceptive Patron, the purchase may still be had for only 29 small shekels. " "Done!" cried Sir Charles. "And in your future ventures, Abdul of the Dunes, let this be a lesson to you. A Man of Acumen can always find a greater Bargain than that first offered if he seeks it with sufficient Vigor." Chastened, Abdul departed in haste, to seek more bargains for the learned Literati of the Collegium of Alchemy and Magic. MORAL: The guy who said a pen- ny saved is a penny earned had nev- er encountered Aggie economics. a oov o m m mnm C 7 DoCDD J o D 0 CD J m (D a �J. � Q m JOO n�D� (n 30ZNCDm m o JOD m3 3 0 D c n- `o, v mKc£O r) n m N m n m y o� = p D m 3 0 0 Z �nm ` o� 7C ` O w C m o E O > <p�O - uzJ � Ste m10 gaoo_0yo7CoocyNny (nM o- OUm N �0 < °mn am -.3 o o7a E ( o3m v�ZrDamp — m0m mo E; (o m( oJ 7X - ,Z�0< <m°dm00 = .y o N N(o 3 v Cn0 'J" O xN 3 J O W m mT�D zm n� d Z� a`,<30v moOCna� m °� J7 mla0 °<�7J m 0 0 ° »N Q (of x 0 n oN 3° m ° .c. 3 7 3? o a° m x ° m °� m? n mmom Nm�£ o - m£ - - 4 =r 0W 7m Qy 0awmm .0 o- teap »700c�co O� oo00 0 C��.�03 £�m£ao d o cD03�o7o m` ° ate . oaoo = .oxg' JN3 .3�_wv tTi V U Dt O O w O O ,- J O (D (D 0 0 » a 710 n C = 0 O A O . N . O' <' n n a n'O O C O (D O D, d o (D O N 7 d N N 6 6 _ c_ m 3 n <» m N p n �- J_ » a N o m c o 0 m - m 0 0 N o �- o, m o a o N (D » m Q. a, `� M 0 £ n CO o aW J(D J m n�(n - m ,N c3T�m7 mmQ mJ ZD £(pC �o, 3 mom" ° o £ao 3w 8­6 m N N 410 O O O D) Q O (D N O o 7 (1i, p O C» O N j J C J » j J ,� 310 O N 3 J J 0O d p (O < - d N O y O O (fi Cn :U1 O � O 3 N d '� N T» Q fD » n N 7 0 3 (D 0 J O a 10 (D O N (D 1 n C (D b in o ( l0 J O J C _ N N Q J Q Ot 7 J tD J Zl N V, p O (n ( ti N W O- N O J fD O K O d N :' O 7 (D ^'O (D O N O O J n n N n- -" O (n ££ N 1D N = (P o D J D, Q 7� C J O .- r = E x W 3 (D C Ql n J < D) r O» n `- ° o c'�n r3n» (D c m m £ 0 7 m tD m m e m w m >•(n�' 0 C M o o m 0m m ` a < -0 n om mo m m -m m m N cmJ 3a F J 3 0 . a J C » (D N N- N .� (D O n (D (D Q m a O ° (D J T O o '< o o' J D, J _. o. m m . m n a_ m _.c m m C �; o 0 3» x D m m Q 0 7 m d <. o o �. °.... n n C J O m - O 10 �< - (o c 3£ (D N r_: (D a 0 ( D O 0 3 < O F O -< O J (D °i N l: '< O J - O O J 3- £_ J V1 .. n w O 0 -1 x J U V C `G O = N < C J n n J O ry 0 0 N (D O _. N N O» O n n J » n J (D (N _. N 0 0 "' i0 N N N (D d �. (D O N 7 N 3 - N p 0 0 (D O C C N. M . Q N (p (D W O O O C n n O - 7 7 7 0 .-r % N 3 n 3 U - C p J N (D (n J J 7 (1 - O. O D1 "' (..) 3 = n D) (D a M n.oNDmv�N np�oo (D Cr ".vNm<'D(b wp Qcnoc0aC33�f m3°� � my �. m >(D C to a O 7 < O j o Q O �. ° O j �. CJ N Q N Q ....� (/, n O. y ." C x (D N C C J O n (A n N _. a O O J 1p a y 10 N O O S J y 7 » (D 7 0 d y p (D (D ? y O O 2 D7 J o d J J £. (D O (D N O n n J » N N O d» N N O 0» O N O O< (D < J (D 4, (D ID tU O O .< .< n N J" v1 n- n n IWO- Hugh Nations pieces of silver." "Get thee hence, grasping Son of a Desert Scorpion," retorted the er- stwhile Knight. "Know you not that my sacred Trust to the Alchemists and Magicians binds me to hoard the shekels entrusted to me' ?" Though unschooled in the arts of either Alchemy or Magic, Abdul was a wily trader, and had expected such a response. With an obsequious curtsy, he departed. Thus it was that Abdul the Horse Trader approached Sir Charles with caution, and with the respect due a member of the Inner Sanctum of the Collegium of Alchemy and Magic. "Most Learned and Exalted Knight," declaimed Abdul, bowing low, "I offer you this exemplary Steed, fleet of foot and long of wind, for a pittance. It's value is 100 shekels; for you, the price is only 29 Laurels .the 18 Texas A &M faculty and staff members honored with Di guished Achievement Awards: Rodney C. Hill, Dr. William L. Jerkins, Dr. Gerald D. Keim, Dr. Kerry K. Litzenberg, Dr. Sallie V. Sheppard, Dr. Michael E. Tatum, Dr. Raymond C. Battalio, Dr. Abraham Clearfield, Dr. Page W. Morgan, Dr. Thomas L. Payne, Dr. Robert J. Stanton Jr., Robert H. Strawser, Dr. Jose M. Amador, Patricia R. Turner, James R. Reynolds, Dr. Fred Sicilio, George D. Parker III, Dr. John M. Prescott. To the Brian Chapter of the American G. I. Forum, organizers of Cinco de Mayo activities in Bryan- College Station this weekend. To the city of Navasota, celebrating its heritage with Nostalgia Days this weekend. To Ernst Haertig of Bryan, selected to the Rotary Roll of Fame. To, Edwin McAdams and Betty Jo Turner, named outstanding c40iZs at the Jewett Area Chamber of Commerce banquet. To Sir Derek Barton, the third Nobel Prize winner to join the Teaias,A &M faculty. He comes here fulltime next year but will be visipng occasionally before then. Dale Cuthbertson of the Bryan Police Department, Bernie Ka fa of the College Station Police Department, and Chris Kirk of t5; Brazos County Sheriff's Office, recognized as Officers of the' `ear. 'To the 21 retiring A &M faculty members honored at a ceremony this week: William E. Black, Clare A. Gunn, Clive R. Harston, Citroll Gene Hix Sr., Wendell A. Landmann, Wesley F. Page, Robert D. Powell, John L. Sandstedt, Norman A. Stewart, Herbert G; Thompson, William L. Beasley, Richard A. Morse, Robert M. Olson, Major C. Quinn, G. Valter Brindley, James W. Poppell, Carl F. Tessmer, John Q. Thompson, Fred Sicilio, Stewart McConnell, James H. Denton. To the Hunger Busters, fourth- graders at Henderson Elementary in Bryan who have raised more than' $800 in three weeks for hunger relief in Ethiopia. To Dr. Robert K. James of Texas A &M, chosen president -elect of the Association for the Education of Teachers of Science. To Hazel Holland, named special assistant to the president at BrazosBanc, its top local officer. T- Texas A &M football star Ray Childress, selected in the first rok..,.nf the pro football draft by the Houston Oilers. To the members of a new energy advisory committee for the city qj College Station: Valerie Bauer, chairman; Chris Lang, Bob 06Bn'Oe, Mike Owens, Stephanie Palubicki, Robert Middleton, Aaj Ruscher. "_To Nancy Tiner of College Station, elected vice president gener- of the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution. :rZ Russell E. Puckett of Texas A &M, honored as Outstanding d an'ch Counselor /Adviser by the Institute of Electrical and Elec- 45f c Engineers. To Texas A &M seniors Michael A. Riley, Randy C. Schrecengost, L.A. Williams and Thomas G. Reilley, recipients of outstanding student awards in mechanical engineering. Tq Texas A &M's Dr. Mario Colaluca, honored for excellence in�teaching.by Pi Tau Sigma. To Tom Davison of the Texas Agriculture Extension Service, Witmer of the National Rifle Association Public Service Award. To TexA A &M tennis ace Grand. Connell, named Southwest t®nference player of the year. He and Kimmo Alkio made the 2I -SWC tennis team. 1 To A &M President Frank E. Vandiver, recipient of the merit ward from the Houston Civil War Round Table. A &M intramural director Dennis A. Corrington, chosen for National :Intramural - Recreational Sports Association Honor ;hard. THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1985 • NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS (ADVERTISEMENT) Sealed proposals addressed to the City of College Station, Texas will be received for the construction of: COMMUNITY DEVELOP MENTPROJECTNO. CD- 1984 -1 STREET, DRAINAGE AND UTILITY IMPROVEMENTSFOR RICHARDSSTREET until 2:00 o'clock P.M., May 16. 1985. Proposals will be received at the office of Mr. David J. Pullen, City Engineer. City Hall, College Station, Texas 77840. Bidders must submit' with their bids a Cashiers Check or a Certified Check in the amount of five (5%) percent of the maximum amount of bid payable without recourse to the City of College Station, Texas, or a proposal bond in the same amount from a Sur- ety Company holding permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety, and acceptable ac- cording to the latest list of companies holding certifi- cates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, as listed in the latest Revision of Treasury Department Circular 570 as a guarantee that Bidder will en- ter into a contract and exe- cute bond and guarantee forms within five (5) days after notice of award of contract to him. Bids without checks, as stated above. or proposal bond w i l l not be considered. In accordance with Article 5160, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas. 1925, as amended, the successful Bidder will be re- quired to furnish not only a performance bond in the amount of the contract, but also a payment bond for the protection of all claimants supplying labor and materials as defined in said law. The bonds must be executed by an approved Surety Company holding a permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of author- ity from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, or other Surety acceptable to the Owner. The owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities. In case of ambiguity or lack of clearness in stating the price in the bids. the Owner reserves the right to consider the most advanta- geous construction thereof or to reject the bid. Unreasona- ble or unbalanced unit prices will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of any bid. Bidders are required to in- spect the site of the work and to inform themselves regard- ing local conditions under which the work is to be done. Bidders are expressly advised that this project will be funded with Federal Community Dev- elopment revenues and will be subject to wage, labor. and equal opportunity provisions as established by the Depart- ment of Housing and Urban Development, Contract Documents, Pro- posal Forms, Specifications and Plans may be obtained from the City Engineer's of- fice, 1101 S. Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. A fully refundable deposit of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) is required for each set. 05 -01- 85.05 -04 -85 05 -05- 85,05 -11 -85 05 -12- 85.05 -15 -85 New Zealander to visit area Two years ago. the parks and recreation departments of the City of Collei Station and Wellington, New Zealand, established a "sister" relationship. David Whatley, a former memberof the staff of the College Station department- paid a visit to the Wellington department, and now Ray Vermey, Wellin,ton's sportsfields foreman, is coming to town to have a look at local facilities. Vermev, who is on vacation in the United States, arrives today. He will spend three days as guest of College Station Parks and Recreation Department director Steve Beachy and his staff. He has expressed an interest seeing artificial playing surfaces and golf courses here. Beachy says that on Wednesday, he will take Vermey to Austin to catch -a plane to Tampa. Their itinerary includes a stopover in New Braunfels for a visit with Whatley, who is now employed as that city's park5.and recreation director. THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, MAY 5, 1985 L J CS workers to replace mercury vapor lights In February, the City Council said: Let there be yellow light in College Station. Today, there will be yellow light. City employees are starting work on a project to change out the city's mercury vapor lights, which emit a bluish glow, to high - pressure sodium lights, which give off a yellowish light. The project is part of an energy - saving program using funds from Gulf States Utilities. GSU refunded $978,000 to the city for overcharges it made in 1981 -83. The first new lights will go up on Rock Prairie Road, Texas 6 and Pon- derosa Drive, said Charles Shear, the city's energy specialist. Next week, Southwood Valley will begin seeing the lights. The sodium vapor lights will save the city more than $5 1,000 a year, Shear said. And their cost came in lower than projected — $89,160, as opposed to the previous estimate of $117,000 — so it will take less time for the lights to pay for themselves. Including labor costs, the payback will be in 2.1 years, Shear said. It will take about a year to replace all the city lights. In addition to the economic be- nefits, the sodium vapor lights are "more soothing — like sunlight," Shear said. THE EAGLE /MONDAY, MAY 6, 1985 Ln 00 rn w� UX, w w� xQ H 2 O X CS residents may feel pinch of large'85-'86 city budget By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer College Station residents can ex- pect to dig into their pockets next year to pay for a new library, improved ambulance services and a new drain- age program. The city is currently preparing its budget for the 1985 -86 fiscal year. The proposed $52.1 million budget does not call for a property tax in- crease, but also does not yet include funding for the library or for Easter - wood Airport: A public hearing on the basic budget, which includes money only for the services provided last year, will be held Thursday. After the hearing, the council will vote on the basic budget; then follow up the vote with further, and sepa- rate, deliberations on any new equip- ment, personnel, programs and ser- vices for the coming year. College Station voters approved a referendum on a new library in the municipal elections April 6. The lib- rary, proposed as a branch of the Bryan Public Library, is estimated to cost about $194,000. City officials have said that for each 1 cent in the property tax about $100,000 is raised. The referendum stated that funding the library could cost residents 2 cents per $100 valua- tion. Currently, the 36 -cent property tax goes only to pay off debts, not for operating expenses, but that could change if the council approves a tax increase to fund the library. Next year's budget will hit ambu- lance users especially hard, though not as much as was proposed .origi- nally. The city staff had proposed that ambulance fees be more than quadru- pled — from $40 to $185. However, council members instructed the staff last week to lower that hike to $100 per run. Finance Director A.E. "Van" VanDever said the increase is needed because of increased pressure for bet- ter- trained personnel and higher level services. Even with the increase to $185, the fees would have provided only 20 percent of the cost of offering the service, he said. College Station residents also may see an addition of 50 cents to $1 to their monthly utility bills. The money would be accumulated to cover the city's new drainage divi- sion's operating expenses for 1986- 87. The division is to be established this year at a cost of $376,832, using bond funds earmarked for drainage for start -up and interest from the bonds for operating costs. The fee increase will finance the operation next fiscal year. The division, intended to be staf- fed by three workers, will clear, clean and maintain city creeks and drainage ditches, starting in the areas with the worst problems, VanDever said. Another item not included in the budget is a request for $100,000 from Easterwood Airport officials for im- provements there. If approved, that expenditure could add another I cent per $100 valuation to the tax rate. But citizens already are feeling the pinch of Gulf States Utilities' elec- tricity cost increase, which represents the biggest change in College Sta- tion's 1985 -86 budget. A $5 million increase in electricity costs skews the budget's percentage change over last year. 35 T College Station 30 Sources of Funds Comparison of FY 85 to FY 86 1985 7.0 1986 6.5 6.0 c N C — m U E 5.0 ° N, ° c c «S 4 4.5 69 4.0 c c c 3.5 m Y 3.0 C E 0) Q) W E m 2.5 E ° M c E a> r a) 2.0 cn ° c > U a) o v > N Z L > ° 1.5 1.0 0.5 !q C ; U _c ° Z to w EdWl� by KA "andlin Including the power costs, the basic budget jumps 20.04 percent. Without those power costs, the in- crease is only 4.15 percent over last year's basic budget. The rest of the budget proposal re- Turn to CS, page 3A • CS budget may pinch residents From page ]A flects a conservative, "wait and see" posture, VanDever said. The cau- tion, he said, is due to state and local economic conditions, signals from Washington that federal funds will be trimmed, and cutbacks in employ- ment and enrollment at Texas A &M University. Few large revenue projection in- creases have been made. Of those changes, one of the biggest in terms of percentages was in inter- governmental grants, which was budgeted to rise from $587,713 last year to $805,297 for FY 85 -86. Contributions from municipal en- tities to the General Fund were pro- jected to increase from $5.93 million to $6.758 million. Those "contribu- tions" are actually payment transfers from other city funds, such as the Sanitation Fund, for engineering, fi- nance, personnel and other adminis- trative services performed in con- ducting sanitation operations. Water service revenues are ex- pected to total $3.275 million, up from $3.039 million in FY 84 -85. VanDever also projected an in- crease in revenues from mixed drink taxes, from $110,000 in 1984 -85 to $121,000 in 85 -86, despite an ex- pected jump in the legal drinking age. Council members have questioned whether the estimate should be lo- wered, but VanDever said the projec- tion was conservative. He also said that the drinkers affected by the new law probably buy more beer than mixed drinks, and that the law, if passed, may not go into effect until late in the budget year. The flat economy has prompted projections of practically no growth in revenues from sales taxes (other than state sales taxes), hotel /motel taxes and grant funds, he said. NNW Last year's sales taxes were pro- jected to be $2.75 million; city offi- cials expect them to total $2.9 million this budget year. They estimate sales taxes for 85 -86 to be $3.05 million, a slight increase over-this year's actual sales tax revenues. VanDever said he expects Re- venue Sharing funds to continue another year, but not after that. His budget includes revenues of $650,000 from the federal Revenue Sharing program. The budget will go into effect July 1, whether or not the council acts on it. According to the city charter, if no action on the budget is taken by coun- cil by June 27, the one prepared by the city manager automatically goes into effect. The budget schedule calls for ac- tion on the budget and the tax rate to be taken June 27. THE EAGLE /MONDAY, MAY 6, 1985 H x t� tTJ r to F t� d F< 00 Ul New Zealander visits CS parks depart ment By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN ry S Staff Writer Ray Vermey has traveled halfway I around the world to find that parks' main problems are weeds and people. Of course, he knew that before he J left New Zealand, where he works as the city of Wellington's playing fields foreman. Vermey, 28, stopped at College Station this week as part of his month -long holiday in the United States. He is visiting seven states on his vacation, and along the way he is looking over the parks departments to compare them with his. He's in Brazos County because the Wellington and College Station parks departments are sister parks depart- ments, having corresponded and traded small gifts, annual reports, brochures and other information for the past two years. The relationship between the parks departments also explains why a Wellington, New Zealand, flag is posted at College Station's Parks and Recreation office in Central Park. Vermey spent Monday morning touring College Station parks, and was scheduled to check out some of the Bryan parks that afternoon. He said has found some similar- ities and some differences in parks here and there. Size is one difference. Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, is very hilly, he said, so its 40 parks consist mostly of single playing fields scattered throughout the city. The department has to build the fields by filling in soil, and some- times uses old landfill sites for parks, Vermey said. He also said the grass is perennial e grass, not Bermuda, and is cut brightly colored uniforms give preci- horter (about 1 inch tall) in Wel- sion military-style marching drills in ington. the city parks. The sports also are different. Ver- Vermey said Wellington also has ney said they don't have baseball, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, ust softball. The dominant sport a municipal golf , course and now there is rugby, but soccer is fast be- under construction is an Olympic - coming more popular, he said. sized pool. He also said New Zealanders pre- College Station Parks Director fer participating in sports rather than Steve Beachy said he's found. "a lot merely watching. But rugby and, in- of similarities" between the two sys- creasingly, soccer, have a large tele- tems, among them the way athletic vision following, Verney said. fields are managed and the problems Leisure time there generally is in trying to serve a variety of needs spent by "maintaining their house" with limited space. on Saturdays, and going for a drive to Competition for the fields among the beach on Sundays, he said the various teams gives parks direc- Wellington funds its parks system tors headaches in Wellington as it by "rates" — or property taxes, he does in College Station, Beachy said. said, just as College Station does. Vermey is leaving for Austin this Vermey said his parks department week, and then he'll go to Tampa, budget is about 3 million New Zea- Fla., Kansas, Denver, San Francisco land dollars, or $1.35 million in U.S. and Honolulu. "It's been great so far," Verney said of his trip. "The hospitality's great. " When he gets back home, he hopes to land a job as a parks planner in Wellington. money. College Station's proposed budget for next year is $1.6 million. Park usage is seasonal there, Ver- mey said. In the summer, which is about mid - October to the end of March, the fields are used for cricket and softball. In the winter, from mid -March to the end of August, New Zeala play soccer, field hockey, rugby and rugby league (which is a more open game than rugby, and has different rules, he said). Marching is another popular sport, he said. Girls from about ages 5 or 6 to women of 20 to 25 dressed in Ray Vermey 0 . NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST A RELEASE OF FUNDS TO ALL INTERESTED AGEN- CIES, GROUPS AND PERSONS: On or about May 16. 1985, the City of College Station will re- quest the Department of Housing & Urban Dev. to re- lease Federal Funds under the Section 810 Urban Home- steading Demonstration Pro- gram for the following Program Urban Homesteading Oemonstration Program Cityof College Station B 83- MC- 48-0007 $80,000 An Environmental Review Re- cord respecting the within Project has been made by the City of College Station; which documents the environmental review status of the project. The Environmental Review Record is on file at the City of College Station and is availa- ble for public examination and copying upon request. tokee ttheSprtojectwdescribed above with Community Devel- OPment Grant trom the Department of Ho s- ing and Urban Dev, under the Section 810 Demonstration Program, Gary M. Halter in his official capacity as Mayor con- sents to accept the jurisdic- tion of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to environmental reviews, deci- sion making, and action; and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. The legal effect of the certification is that upon its approval, the City may use the Community De- velopment Program funds, and the City will have satisfied its responsibilities under the National Environmental Poli- cy Act of 1969 and related pro- visions of law cited at 24 CFR § 58.5. HUD will accept an objec- tion to its approval of the re- lease of funds and acceptance of the certification only if it is one of the following basis: (a) That the certification was not in fact executed by the chief executive officer or other of- ficer of Contractor appproved by HUD, or (b) that Contrac- tor's environmental review re- cord for the project indicated ommission of a required deci- sion, finding, or step applica- ble to the project in the en- vironmental review process. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedure C (24 CFR Part 58), and may be q addressedto: o f Department of Housing and le Urban Development Ti P.O. Box 2905 C Ft. Worth, TX 76113 C Objections to release of funds to of on basis other than those stated above will not be con- sidered by HUD. No objection P received after May 31,1985 will C be considered by HUD. Gary M. Halter /Mayor City of College Station P.O. Box 9960 College Station, Texas 77840 05-08-85 PUBLC HEARING The City of College Static, City Council will hold a publi hearing to consider a re subdivision preliminary plat o the Schick Addition Subdivi Sion, a subdivision of the Cit1 Of College Station which it located at the northeast cor• ner of the intersection 01 Southwest Parkway and Wellborn Road. The hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall at 1101 Texas Avenue at 7:00 P.M, on Thurs- day, May23,1985, For additional information contact the City Planning of fice(408)764 -3570. Albert O. Mayo, Jr. Director of Planning 05-08 -8,5 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The City of College Station Ci- wi, hearing t ( consider a re vision final plat of Reserve Tract 3, Quail Run Estates - Phase One, a subdivision in the ET' which is located ap- proximately 750 feet south- east of the intersection of Dowling Road and Quail Run Drive. The hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 Texas Avenue at 7:00 P.M. on Thurs- day, May 23, 1985. For additional information contact the City Planning of- fice (409)764 -3570. Albert O. Mayo, Jr. Director of Planning 05 -08-65 NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST A TO ALL INTERESTED AGEN- CIES, GROUPS AND PERSONS: On or about May 16, 1%5, the ity of College Station will re- uest t he Texas Department Community Affairs to re- ase Federal Funds under tle One of the Housing and ommunity Development Act 1974, as Amended for the Ilowing program: Rental Rehabilitation rogram ityofCollegeStation t 00091804585 1 1 00,000.00 1 Co An Environmental Review Re- rd respecting the within project has been made by the City of College Station; which documents the environmental review status of the project. The Of Review Record is on file at the City of College Station and is availa- ble for public examination and copying upon request. College Station will under- take the project described above with Community De- velopment Grant Program funds from the Texas Depart- ment of Community Affairs under Title One of the 1974 Housing and Community De- velopment Act as Amended. Gary M. Halter in his official capacity as Mayor consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsi- bilities in relation to envi- ronmental reviews, decision making, and action; and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. The legal ef- fect of the certification is that upon its approval, the City may use the Community Develop- ment Program funds, and TDCA will have satisfied its re- sponsibilities under the Na- tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and related pro- visions of law cited at 24 CFR § 58.5. TDCA will accept an ob- jection to its approval of the release of funds and accep- tance of the certification only if it is one of the following basis: (a) That the certifica- tion was not in fact executed by the chief executive officer it other officer of Contractor approved by TDCA. or (b) that ,ontractor's environmental eview record for the project ndicated ommission of a re- uired decision, finding, or tep applicable to the project i the environmental review rocess. Objections must be repared and submitted in ac- trdance with the required ocedure (24 CFR Part 58), id may be addressed to: mas Department of ) mmunitygffairs D. Box 13166 Capitol Station isti n, TX 78711 )Iections to release of funds basis other than those ,led above will not be con - lered by TDCA. No objec- n received after May 31, IS will be considered by CA. ry M. Halter/Mayor THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1985 City of College Station P.O Box 99W College Station, Texas 77840 0 5 -08 -85 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The College Station City Council will hold a public hearing on the question of re- zoning the following property: Lot 1, 2 & part of Lot 3 Block C College Heights Subdivision (304 University Drive) from R -2 Duplex to A -P Administrative - Professional. Applicant is Myrna Hughes. The said hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meeting of the City Council on Thursday, May 23, 1985. For additional information, please contact me. James M. Callaway Assistant Director of Planning 05-08 -85 PUBLIC NOTICE The C ity of College Station Community Development Of- fice invites proposals from in- terested property owners who wish to sell vacant, single family properties to the City of College Station Community Development Office for use in conjunction with local hous- ing and neighborhood re- vitalization programs. The maximum cost of these properties should generally not exceed $25,000 per pro- perty. Purchases will be fun- ded through special de- signated federal revenues, and will not represent an ob- 1-9auon or potential obliga- tion of local tax revenues. Any such sales will be on a voluntary basis, and in the event a mutually satisfactory agreement cannot be re- ached, the City will not acquire the property, For additional information, please contact Michael M. Stevens at the Community De- velopmentOffice, 764 -3778. Michael M. Stevens Community Development Director 05-08 -85 CS to appoint search committee By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer The College Station City Council is expected to name a search commit- tee tonight to find a new city man- ager. The committee will search for a replacement for City Manager North Bardell, who has announced that he will retire from the city job in Decem- ber because of health - related prob- lems. Council members have agreed that the committee should consist of three council members and three or four other citizens. It will screen the appli- cants and narrow the field to three to five candidates, who will be inter- viewed by the entire council. Mayor Gary Halter wrote the coun- cil a memo outlining his ideas for the hiring process, which was discussed Wednesday at a workshop council meeting. In the memo, a timetable suggested that the council decide on qualifications and appoint a commit- tee in May; that the committee nar- row the field in early July; and that the council make the final decision in July or early August. Halter also suggested a three - month transition period, with the new city manager working with Bardell beginning Oct. I and then taking over Jan. 1. Halter said he believed the new manager should have a college de- gree, preferably a master's degree in" either business or public administra- tion. However, the master's degree is not imperative, he said, if the candi- date has "lots of good experience." At least five years experience iri city management also is necessary, he said. Halter said the candidate should be good at dealing with an elected council, with the public and with the media. A third qualification was that the manager be a good "people person. ". "If they are not, they are not a manager — but a technician and will not stay with the city for any length of time," he said in the letter. CORREC ■ Roy W. Hann Jr. spent $12,244.84 in his unsuccessful bid for Place 3 this year, more than any other candidate for the College Station council. A story Wednesday erroneously said he outspent all other College Station candidates combined. ■ Leigh Ann Robertson's name was left off the Bryan High School "All A's" honor roll that ran in Monday's Eagle. THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1985 • 0 0 CS Cit y Council OKs new budget By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Stag' Writer The College Station City Council approved the basic budget for 1985 -86 Thursday, but cut the proposed salary increase to 3.5 percent. The city staff had proposed that the city spend 4.9 percent more than this year in total salaries for its employees. However, the council voted 5 -2 to cut the increase to 3.5 percent. Council member Bob Runnels, who first raised questions about the increase, told the council that a study by the Bra- zos Valley Personnel Service reported the city's average salary to be $23,000, compared to an average of $16,000 overall in this area. And, he said, cost of living increases over the past 42 months have been 4.5 percent, and inflation is "not a thing to worry about" for the near future. Runnels also said city salaries were increased by 7 percent last year, and by a similar amount in previous years, to make them comparable to other salaries in the market. "I think our salaries are quite adequ- ate, he said. Runnels also said the money not used for salaries could fund the proposed lib- rary and Easterwood Airport improve- ments, and possibly prevent a tax in- crease. However, Finance Director A.E. "Van" VanDever said the savings would not cover the estimated $300,000 needed for those two programs. Council members Terri Tongco and Fred Brown also said the proposed in- crease was too high. The city should "show fiscal restraint in light of slow growth" in the area, Brown said. Also voting for the lower increase were Lynn McIlhaney and James Bond. Mayor Gary Halter and council mem- ber Pat Boughton opposed the cut. "I cannot support this," Halter said, calling Runnels' reasons for the cut "vague" and questioning whetber Tongco understood the city's merit pay program. "It's obvious to me that you don't understand the system," he told her. Boughton also said it was apparent Tongco did not understand it. Tongco said she did. Halter said the study quoted by Run- nels assumed that all businesses have employees with the same level of educa- tion as the city's. And, he said, while city salaries are competitive now, the cut in raises would make them not competitive. The dollar difference between what was proposed and what was passed was not readily apparent. College Station is spending $11.86 million on salaries and benefits this year, city officials said, but no estimate of salaries alone was avail- able Thursday night. Because of the city's complex merit Pay Proms, VanDever said there was no way to tell immediately how the change would affect individual salaries, other than to say the raises would be smaller. VanDever said after the meeting that this is the first time in his seven years with the city that a requested pay in- crease was not approved by the council. The city has proposed a $52.1 million budget for the next fiscal year, which will begin July 1. No tax increase has been proposed, but funding for a new library and for improvements to Easter - wood Airport has not been included. The basic budget is that which main- tains current services, with no new or expanded services and no capital ex- penditures. The council will vote on those items later in the budget process. In other action, the council: ■ Agreed to give $7,500 to Brazos County's Stepping Stone, a proposed community guidance center to provide counseling and residential care for truants and runaways. The city approved the funds contingent on the agency get- ting a state grant, and it pledged to give another $7,500 next year. ■ Amended the zoning ordinance in- creasing the flexibility in the location of accessory structures on lots. The amend- ment allows accessory structures that art not living quarters to be placed as close as 15 feet from the property line, and to allow garages, carports an d living - quarter accessory structures to have a 20 -foot setback line. THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, 14AY 10, 1985 b0 ' 11>1 O T C O p � O WO s 0 O (u 72 �+� O Q3 s� O w � 'b O U cg;3y3 O C «S 3 o o� b� o u ai a o 4� ro E- w o b }�n a pu c w Oa, Vo5�s V° cC U0 E 'C -M y U ate+ E :6 �1 0 t MU . � t o iR ?� b Ea >>,cj 53 3 � c C y ' \ " v `Eca`'i�ca E�•a � - w • ca F• .� y w C R 9 y i ° >°v °o.� ° 0 Y CS council picks new directors By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer The College Station City Council has appointed a new board of direc- tors for its industrial development foundation, which has new bylaws that prohibit board members from voting on issues in which they have a conflict of interest. Thursday, the council named as board members Eddie Schultz of E.W. Schultz Realty; Dick Haddox of Anco Insurance; Bill Sensibaugh of Westinghouse Electric Corp.; Britt Rice of Britt Rice Electric Co.; Bra- zos County Commissioner Bill Cooley; Steve Hansen, who is in real estate; Phil Springer, owner of the area McDonald's restaurants; Eddie Joe Davis, vice president for fiscal affairs at Texas A &M; and Council- man Fred Brown, owner of Fred Brown Mazda/BMW, who will serve as liaison to the City Council. Brown said the new board will meet during the first week of June. He said he is elated to be the council liaison, and has "a lot of hope for the future" of the industrial park. "It's been a long three years and it's time we moved on it," Brown said. "There's a lot of people out there competing for the same indus- tries. The quicker that we get started, the quicker we'll get them." The new directors replace the pre- vious 18- member board. Only two previous foundation directors, Cooley and Sensibaugh, were named to the new board, Mayor Gary Halter said. Halter said the new board's first task will be to negotiate a contract with the city for the foundation to buy the industrial park site. The board of directors also must elect its officers. According to the bylaws, its presi- dent cannot be a member of the board. The previous foundation board adopted the new bylaws, which dis- solved the old board and restructured the foundation. The bylaws were adopted at that board's final meeting May 2, said College Station City Attorney Cathy Locke, who also serves as the foundation's legal adviser. Those bylaws include a clause that prohibits a director from voting on a matter involving a business in which he or she has a substantial interest. Locke said the clause was patterned after state statutes on conflicts of in- terest. On the previous foundation, one director resigned and the resignations of two others were not accepted after it was disclosed that they owned property near the city's industrial park. The new bylaws say a person has a "substantial interest" if he or she: ■ Has interest or ownership of 10 percent or more of the voting stock or share of the business entity, or $2,500 or more of its fair market value, or ■ Gets more than 10 percent of his Turn to NEW, page IIA THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, AIAY 11, 1985 New directors are picked t. for CS industrial foundation u or her gross income for the previous year from that entity. Also, a person has a substantial interest in real property if the interest is an equitable or legal ownership with a fair market value of $2,500 or more, according to the new bylaw. The clause also prohibits directors from acting as a surety for a business entity that has a contract, does work or other business with the foundation. Locke said the rules do not prohibit a person with a conflict of interest from being on the board; they only prohibit directors from voting on those matters in which they have a conflict. Brown said he did not own any property other than his home and his car dealership. He said he will not vote on the board, but only will advise it on how the council feels about the park's development. Rice said he was encouraged and excited by how well- rounded the board is. The new board will get things moving quickly, he said. "The main thing is that we're going to do what's economical and also try to get the cities of College Station and Bryan in a forward mo- tion. "The problem with the board be- fore is that it used it as a political tool," he said, declining to elaborate. Rice also said he supports bylaws that prevent directors from voting "if there's any (business interests) that could sway a person's vote." Davis, who also is on the advisory board of Texas A &M's research park, said he plans to first get a thor- ough briefing on the foundation and to find out the city's goals for it. Davis will serve as a link between the university and the city, he said. He said he supports conflict -of- interest bylaws. "I think clearly there would need to be protective bylaws to ensure that there would be no conflict of interest between the board of directors and the development of the foundation," he said. Davis' closest property to the park is his home in Emerald Forest, he said. Sensibaugh said he believes the thrust of the industrial development foundation "is really beyond just that park. " "I'd like to see the park get roll- ing," he said, but added that the foundation should try to cooperate with the other area industrial founda- tions to "improve the community." Sensibaugh joined the board six months ago. He said he favors having bylaws which prohibit voting on mat- ters in which a director has a conflict of interest. He would not comment on the pre vious directors' ownership of land near the industrial park, saying it is a "dead issue." Sensibaugh owns two acres in Nantucket, on which he wants to build a house some day, he said. Schultz, Haddox, Cooley and Springer could not be reached for comment on their appointment to the board. Hansen said that he did not own property near the park, but as for con - flict-of- interest bylaws, "I don't know what a conflict of interest is. "I'd probably want to review that before I'd comment," he said. Hansen said it's good that the foundation is "separated from the city somewhat." "I think it's a good step. The board can put all its efforts toward trying to develop the foundation," he said. "I think it's an all -new ball game now. " PUBLICN rICE TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: You are hereby notified that the City Council of the City of College Station, Texas, will meet on Wednesday, May 22, 1985, at 4:00 P.M., and in addi- tion to other business will consider a request for a per- mit to keep poultry at 1013 Walton Drive (Applicant Mr. & Mrs. Ed McDow). Said meet- ing will be held in the Council Room, College Station City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas, and the public is in- vited to attend. For additional information, contact the of- fice of the City Secretary (764- 3541 or 764- 3512). 05-11- 85,05 -12-85 THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1985 E • NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS (ADVERTISEMENT) Sealed proposals addressed to the City of College Station, Texas will be received for the construction of: COMMUNITY DEVELOP MENTPROJECTNO. CD- 1984 -1 STREET, DRAINAGE AND UTI LITY IMPROVEMENTSFOR RICHARDSSTREET until 2:00 o'clock P.M., May 16, 19x5. Proposals will be received at the office of Mr. David J. Pullen, City Engineer, City Hall, College Station, Texas 77840. Bidders must submit with their bids a Cashier's Check or a Certified Check in the amount of five (5 %) percent of the maximum amount of bid payable without rocourse to the City of College Station, Texas, or a proposal bond in the same amount from a Sur- ety Company holding permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety, and acceptable ac- cording to the latest list of companies holding certifi- cates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, as listed in the latest Revision of Treasury Department Circular 570, as a guarantee that Bidder will en- ter into a contract and exe- cute bond and guarantee forms within five (5) days after notice of award of contract to him. Bids without checks, as stated above, or proposal bond will not be considered. In accordance with Article 5160, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925, as amended, the successful Bidder will be re- quired to furnish not only a performance bond in the amount of the contract, but also a payment bond for the protection of all claimants supplying labor and materials as defined in said law. The bonds must be executed by an approved Surety Company holding a permit from the State of Texas to abt as Surety and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of author- ity from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, or other Surety acceptable to the Owner. The owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities. In case of ambiguity or lack of clearness in stating the price in the bids, the Owner reserves the right to consider the most advanta- geous construction thereof or to reject the bid. Unreasona- ble or unbalanced unit prices will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of any bid. Bidders are required to in- spect the site of the work and to inform themselves regard- ing local conditions under which the work is to be done. Bidders are expressly advised that this project will be funded with Federal Community Dev- elopment revenues and will be subject to wage, labor, and equal opportunity provisions as established by the Depart- ment of Housing and Urban Development. Contract Documents, Pro- posal Forms, Specifications and Plans may be obtained from the City Engineer's of- fice, 1101 S. Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. A fully refundable deposit of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) is required for each set. 06--01 -85,05-04-85 05-05- 85,05 -11-85 05-12- 85,05 -15-85 PUBLIC NOTICE TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: You are hereby notified that the City Council of the City of College Station, Texas, will meet on Wednesday, May 22, 1985, at 4:00 P.M., and in addi- tion to other business will consider a request for a per- mit to keep poultry at 1013 Walton Drive (Applicant Mr. 8 Mrs. Ed McDow). Said meet- ing will be held in the Council Room, College Station City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas, and the public is in- vited to attend. For additional information, contact the of- fice of the City Secretary (764- 3541 or 764- 3512). 05-11- 85,05 -12-85 THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, MAY 12, 1985 � Budget time in'CS THE EAGLE /MONDAY, MAY 13, 1985 Of course, some of those entities CITY HALL had proposed large budget in- By bane Blake Bowen creases. And some of the citizens who voted for the rollback later " regretted it, because of the prob- This•is budget time in College lems it caused for county roads and Station, and that means council bridges. The Magnolia school agendas_ will include room for a board voted to abolish the high stream of people asking for fund- school football team because of ing from the city for various prog- lack of funds. rams. So it seems strange to me, after I'm told that having covered very heated budget very few people hearings, to move to an area where come to public people seem satisfied with their hearings on the local government's spending. budget. Thurs- Why don't they complain about day, only one per- the budgets? son, Will Worthy, spoke at Mayor Gary Halter says it's be- the hearing on the ' basic and re- cause people here are satisfied with city budgets. Halter said the nega- venue sharing budgets for next year, and he came to say that he tive comments he gets are not ab- appreciates the council's support out money or tax rates or budgets, but about services that aren't avail - for parks and recreation, the Teen Center, and the .Bryan - College able when someone wants it, or Station Athletic Federation. He problems such as ants in the park. also asked for their continued sup- The . city's demographics, or port of those programs. population make -up, also might Finance Director A.E "Van" have something to do with the lack VanDever said that in his seven of protests over taxes, he said. Col - years of working for the city, only lege Station is a relatively affluent two citizens — other than those area, and few people are on retire - wanting funding, or members of ment or fixed incomes. the media — have come by the city o before the hearings to look over r thhe proposed budgets. That surprises me. In Montgom- ery County, where I came from, public hearings of the past few years have been packed with peo- ple complaining about spending. A few years ago, five rollback elections passed there, keeping taxes down to an 8 percent increase aver the previous year at the Wil- lis, Splendora and Magnolia school districts, Montgomery Count_ and at the Montgomery County Hospital District. THE EAGLE /MONDAY, MAY 13, 1985 • • Foundation changes will improve board The reorganization of the Col- lege Station Industrial Develop- ment Foundation, announced by city officials last week, should help with both the functioning and the perception of that board's efforts. New bylaws adopted by the old board nearly two weeks ago affirm the public's right to attend founda- tiop board meetings and review foundation board documents, as outlined by the state's Open Meet- ings and Open Records Act. The new bylaws also prohibit board members from voting on issues in which they have a signifi- �ant personal interest that might Conflict with the interests of the foundation. The board's size was cut in half, its members will henceforth be appointed by the city council, and a council member will now be in- cluded on the panel as a liaison between the Foundation and the council The nine foundation directors named by the council last week represent a diverse and relevant range of expertise. The move toward a less unwiel- dy, more open board promises to better serve the public interest; the inclusion of a liaison member promises to keep the city council more directly and actively in- formed of foundation activities. Since city tax dollars are being used to finance this foundation, it is particularly important that our elected officials maintain some voice in foundation activities and that the taxpayers be kept in- formed of foundation activities. Simply informing the public in advance of board meetings would be a welcome starting point. Realizing the long -held dream of a high -tech industrial park on College Station's south side is in the best interests of the entire com- munity. As it has been restruc- tured, College Station's industrial foundation is now far better equip- ped to make that dream a reality at last. Eagle Editorial Board THE EAGLE /TUESDAY, MAY 14, 1985 E Chamber urged to lobby for airport improvements 0 f� By HUGH NATIONS. Business Writer Chamber of Commerce directors were urged Tuesday to lobby city and county officials to convince them to help finance improvements to Easter - wood Airport. Noting the current drive to im- prove the area's industrial base, oil- man Emil Ogden said "an airport is a major implement in that." He urged directors to express their support for the funding to Mayor Marvin Tate of College Station, Mayor Gary Halter of College Sta- tion, and Brazos County Judge Dick Holmgreen. Texas A &M University, which owns and operates the airport, has asked Bryan and College Station to contribute $100,000 annually each for airport capital improvements. A similar request is expected to be made to the Brazos County Commissioners Court. The university is in the process of extending the main runway at Easter - wood to 7,000 feet, from the present 5,150 feet. That project is estimated to cost $6.4 million. The Federal Aviation Administra- tion has tentatively committed itself to a $722,000 grant for this fiscal year to help finance the extension, Associ- ate Vice President for Operations Jim Ferguson said Tuesday. Ferguson said the university antici- pates a similar grant in Fiscal Year 1986, but no commitment has been made. The next project in the airport's $25 million development plan is to be the construction of a new terminal, which would be built at FM 2818 and FM 60. The infrastructure for the terminal — taxiways, utilities, parking, etc. — is in the preliminary design phase. The board of regents is to be asked at its June meeting to approve com- mencement of the final, detailed de- signs, Ferguson said. Actual construction of the new ter- minal will begin when funding is available. "I'm not aware of where the fund- ing would come from at this point," Ferguson said. The FAA will not help fund con- struction of the terminal itself, Fergu- son said, but some federal financing may be available for portions of the infrastructure. Both Bryan and College Station, beginning in 1978, agreed to contri- bute $30,000 a year for Easterwood improvements. College Station just made its last payment a week ago, Ferguson said. THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1985 City manager committee named The committee to help select a replacement for College Station City Mana- ger North Bardell has been chosen. The comnrittee members are Mayor Gary Halter; council members Bob Runnels and Lynn McIlhaney, with James Bond as an alternate; and citizens Lang Bumsides of the Public Works Resource Center, Malcolm Richards, chairman of the finance department in Texas A &M University's college of business; Doris Watson, past president of the League of Women Voters; and Charles Wiggins, a political science professor at A &M. The committee will hold its first meeting next week. It will interview applicants for the job and narrow the fist of choices for the City Council. Bardell has resigned effective in December. — DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Zoning meeting scheduled Thursday Land -use recommendations for the East Bypass will be considered Thursday by the College Statio Planning and Zoning Commission. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. Also slated are six public hearings, to be held on: ■ Rezoning four lots at Spring Loop and Tarnow Street from Apartments Low Density District R-4 to General Commercial District C -1. The applicant is Bricks & Sticks. ■ Rezoning about two acres of land on Brazoswood drive near the East Bypass from Townhouse - Rowhouse District R -3 to Administrative - Professional District A -P. Hank McQuaide applied for the rezoning. ■ Rezoning three lots in the Kirkpatrick Subdivision from Apartrnents Medium Density R -5 to General Commercial C -1. The applicant is Lewis J. Kirkpatrick. • ■ Rezoning a lot in the University Oaks No. 2 subdivision from Duplex District R -2 to Apartments Medium Density District R -5. ■ A resubdivision final plat of Reserve Tract 3 in Quail Run Estates Phase One, located southeast of Dowling Road and Quail Run Drive. ■ A resubdivision preliminary plat of the Schick Addition Subdivision, at Southwest Parkway and Wellborn Road. The comunission also will consider a final plat of Southwood Valley Section 24A. — DIANE BLAKE BOWEN THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1985 • 0 • NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS (ADVERTISEMENT) Sealed proposals addressed to the City of College Station, Texas will be received for the construction of: COMMUNITY DEVELOP MENTPROJECTNO. CD- 1984 -1 STREET,DRAINAGE AND UTI LITY IMPROVEMENTS FOR RICHARDS STREET until 2:00 o'clock P.M., May 16, 1985. Proposals will be received at the office of Mr. David J. Pullen, City Engineer, City Hall, College Station, Texas 77840. Bidders must submit with their bids a Cashier's Check or a Certified Check in the amount of five (5 %) percent of the maximum amount of bid payable without recourse to the City of College Station, Texas, or a proposal bond in the same amount from a Sur- ety Company holding permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety, and acceptable ac- cording to the latest list of companies holding certifi- cates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, as listed in the latest Revision of Treasury Department Circular 570, as a guarantee that Bidder will en- ter into a contract and exe- cute bond and guarantee forms within five (5) days after notice of award of contract to him. Bids without checks, as stated above, or proposal bond will not be considered. In accordance with Article 5160, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925, as amended, the successful Bidder will be re- quired to furnish not only a Performance bond in the amount of the contract, but also a payment bond for the protection of all claimants supplying labor and materials as defined in said law. The bonds must be executed by an approved Surety Company holding a permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of author- ity from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, or other Surety acceptable to the Owner. The owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities. In case of ambiguity or lack of clearness in stating the price in the bids, the Owner reserves the right to consider the most advanta- geous construction thereof or to reject the bid. Unreasona- ble or unbalanced unit prices will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of any bid. Bidders are required to in- spect the site of the work and to inform themselves regard- ing local conditions under which the work is to be done. Bidders are expressly advised that this project will be funded with Federal Community Dev- elopment revenues and will be subject to wage, labor, and equal opportunity provisions as established by the Depart- ment of Housing and Urban Development. Contract Documents, Pro- posal Forms, Specifications and Plans may be obtained from the City Engineer's of- fice, 1101 S. Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. A fully refundable deposit of Fifty Dollars (S50.00) is required for each set. 05-01 - 85,05-0445 05-05- 85,05 -11-85 05- 12- 85,05 -15-85 THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1985 • 0 L NOTICE ORDINANCE NO 1590 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON MAY 9, 1985, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting gular session in the Col- lege Station City Hall, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art. 6252- 17. The above - referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of College Station, has the fol- lowing heading: AN ORDIN- ANCE AMENDING ORDINAN- ANCE NO, 850, THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION RE- VISING DEFINITIONS OF AND REAR SETBACKS FOR ACCESSORY BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES AND USES. Prior to consideration and ap- proval of this ordinance, the City Council of the City of col- lege Station held a public hearing, notice of which first having been duly given to the general public. Ordinance No. 1590 defines "Accessory Building, Struc- ture or Use," describes crite- ria for identifying same, and gives examples: the ordin- ance amends the "District Use Schedule -Table A note I," prescribes the application of minimum rear setback re- quirements, and determines how the setbacks shall be measured. This Ordinance shall become effective ten (10) days after the date of approval and publication. Violation of any provision of this ordinance shall be sub- ject to a fine of not less than $20 nor more than $200 (two hundred dollars). The complete text of Ordin- ance No. 1590 is on file at the Office of the City Secretary and may be obtained at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. 05 -16- 85,05 -17-85 THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1985 H t=] M G) L-1 tTJ H d �c 00 U TMPA board authorizes bond sale By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer The sale of $206 million in bonds has been authorized by the Texas Municipal Power Agency board of directors. The board authorized the sale Thursday to re -fund previous bonds at a lower interest rate, to cover part of the cost of Comanche Peak nuclear power plant delays and to pay for the new generator at Gibbons Creek. The city of Bryan owns 20.32 per- cent of the TMPA; the rest is owned by Denton, Garland and Greenville. The $206 million in bonds autho- rized included: ■ $39.1 million for the construc- tion fund. Most of this will be used to fund delays at Comanche Peak and for the purchase of an $8 million generator at Gibbons Creek. ■ $80 million to $85 million to be used to re -fund bonds sold in 1982. The re- funding gives the TMPA a 9.5 percent interest rate on those bonds; in 1982 they were sold at 10.75 per- cent. The refunding will save the agency $2.6 million, said Bill Freeman, TMPA administrative assistant to the general manager, and former director of financial services. ■ $64 million for a deposit into the bond fund for interest on the bonds. ■ $13.3 million to deposit in the reserve fund. ■ $3.6 million to allow for the cost of issuing the bond and the bond discount. The TMPA has a 6.2 percent share of Comanche Peak. In January, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission out- lined a list of 110 concerns about quality control at Comanche Peak, and plant officials have estimated it will take until January 1977 to satisfy those concerns and to get the plant's first phase on line. The bonds will only pay for the cost of delaying the project; any ma- jor capital costs would have to be funded later. The delay in Comanche Peak's opening is expensive because the TMPA is borrowing the money to build its part of the nuclear plant, rather than having present customers pay for future electricity. The money will be paid back by the customers who will use the electricity. The delay is like when you let your MasterCard charges ride for a couple of months: You pay more if you wait. The four member cities of the TMPA will pay 5.6 percent more for electricity than was previously esti- mated because of the newest delays in finishing the nuclear power plant, Freeman said. However, that increase will not go into effect until the 1990s, he said. The bond also included money to replace the $8 million generator that failed in December. The new one was paid for with money that had been earmarked to go to Comanche Peak, if it had gone on line, Freeman said. The bond money will replace the money used for the generator. In other action, the board approved buying a $1.394 million step -up transformer, which will be kept as a spare in case the present one fails. TMPA officials said that if the pre- sent one failed without a spare handy, it could take from 108 days to nine months to be replaced, costing the agency from $14 million to $21 mil- lion. With the spare on site, the outage time could be reduced to 21 days or less, costing only $11 million to $17 million. n 171 CS police have plans to expand By VIRGINIA KIRK Staff Writer Several years of dreaming and a year of meetings and suggestions are starting to pay off — College Station police have a blueprint for their ex- panded station. "New and Improved!" isn't just a catch -all phrase in this case. If the plans are approved, tl.,e new depart- me will me_n ehan, for the pab- lic in its daily dealing !ith police as well as many changes .:> the depart- ment's inner structure. Police Maj. Edgar Feldman said plans for the new addition to the pre- sent building will double the depart- ment's space, provide elaborate security and make future expansions easier. The site plans — the bluep- rints were done by Emmett Trant and Associates — should go before the Planning and Zoning Commission in the next month. The expansion will be a two -story building of 16,000 square feet, con- necting to the present structure off Texas Avenue. The new building's main entrance will face Texas Ave- nue, Feldman said. w.� r Eagle photo by Bill Meeks Police Maj. Edgar Feldman: `What we're in now will not let us change some things.' The station can be expanded to five stories if needed, Feldman said. Vo- ters approved $2.2 million for the building in a bond election in January 1984. Estimates will be taken on the cost of the expansion after the plans are approved by the City Council, Feld- man said. He expects construction to begin before the end of the year. The new station will be surrounded by a fence and officers entering non- public areas will have cards with magnetic strips that will be read by a computer. Other changes that will come with the new building: ■ A police officer on duty in the front lobby 24 hours a day. The offic- er will take reports over the tele- phone, take down information from the public and answer questions ab- Turn to CS POLICE, page 8A THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1985 • B -CS chamber dedicates new building H x lz7 G7 r r� H d �C 00 LP By JANN SNELL Staff Writer For those who joke that a lot of funny things happened to the local chamber of commerce on the way to University Drive — well, they've got a twisted sense of humor. That's what past chamber presi- dent Louis Newman III told a group of about 35 people Thursday at the dedication of the new Bryan - College Station Chamber of Commerce Con- vention and Visitors Bureau, 715 University Drive East. Newman, reminiscing with the crowd about the bitter battle over the location of the chamber offices, said there were times last year when he felt the project was in "dire jeopardy." Banker Travis Bryan Jr., New - man's major adversary in last year's dispute, was absent from Thursday's ceremony. But both he and Newman ended up winning and losing a bit — Bryan kept open the main chamber office in downtown Bryan and College Sta- tion, at a location only a few blocks from the city's border with Bryan, gained a centrally located visitor's bureau. Bryan Mayor Marvin Tate and College Station Mayor Gary Halter joined with bureau director Anne Bell in the ribbon - cutting ceremony. Bell noted that she was intentional- ly not going to cut the ribbon — Eagle photo by David Einsel Banker Jim Scamardo and Lee Cargill watch Louis Newman help dedicate new center. which spelled out the name of the center — between the "Bryan" and "College Station." Current Chamber President Lee Cargill continued that theme of unity in her remarks. She said the bureau will be a boon to the area next year as the county works to attract outsiders to Ses- quicentennial events, and she added that the center has already seen in -• creases in the numbers of visitors and telephone calls. Newman thanked the city of Col- lege Station in particular for its help and patience in the effort to relocate the center in its newly remodeled facility. "Gary Halter doesn't get thanked much for patience," Newman said, "so I'd like to throw that in." f� LEGAL NOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1590 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON MAY 9, 1965, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Col- lege Station City Hall, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art, 6252- 17. The above - referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of College Station, has the fol- lowing heading: AN ORDIN- ANCE AMENDING ORDINAN- ANCE NO. 650, THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION RE- VISING DEFINITIONS OF AND REAR SETBACKS FOR ACCESSORY BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES AND USES. Prior to consideration and ap- proval of this ordinance, the City Council of the City of Col- lege Station held a public hearing, notice of which first having been duly given to the g eneral public. rdinance No. 1590 defines "Accessory Building, Struc- ture or Use," describes crite- ria for identifying same, and gives examples; the ordin- ance amends the "District Use Schedule -Table A note I," prescribes the application of minimum rear setback re- quirements, and determines how the setbacks shall be measured. This Ordinance shall become effective ten (10) days after the date of approval and Publication. Violation of any provision of this ordinance shall be sub- ject to a fine of not less than $20 nor more than $200 (two hundred dollars). The complete text of Ordin- ance No. 1590 is on file at the Office of the City Secretary and may be obtained at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. 05- 1 8.85,05.17 -85 THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1985 • IE CS police reveal plans for expansion From page ]A out the department and its policies. ■ An expanded jail facility. The jail currently holds 12 people and the new jail will hold an additional 14 to 18 people. It has one single cell for sick inmates and one padded cell. Prisoners are taken into the jail through a closed -in garage. Officers holding onto unruly prisoners will have only to rub their rear pockets against a door and a computer will read their identification number on a card in their wallet and let them in, Feldman said. ■ A room for the intoxilyzer and for videotaping driving- while- intoxicated arrests. ■ An expanded communications center. Dispatchers will work in an area not accessible to the public. The center will be able to handle calls for a population up to 150,000. The center will have its own lounge and bath- rooms and be entered only with a coded card. ■ Administrative offices and the detective division housed on a second floor. The detectives will have one large room divided into work stations to promote the exchange of informa- tion, Feldman said. ■ A juvenile division in a separate area for the first time. There will be a room set up like a living room or den for videotaped interviews with chil- dren involved in abuse cases. ■ There will be two public entr- ances. The existing entrance will for people who are paying traffic cita tions or going to municipal court . Th e new entrance will be for anyon e needing a police documnent or meet- ing with a detective or police admi- nistrator. ■ A large exercise room for offic- ers. An emergency operations center room will also serve as a meeting and training room. Large rooms are planned to store property and evidence. The depart- ment is requesting to have the posi- tion of evidence technician added to the department. It would be filled by someone on the level of patrol offic- er, Feldman said. Robert Fowler, a Los Angeles con- sultant, came in two weeks ago to go over the plans with local officials. An expert in design, communications and security in police stations, he re- commended some additional security measures, but said the plans were fine otherwise, Feldman said. The plans also were put up on bul- letin boards in the report writing area so patrol officers could comment. Feldman said the new plans are being incorporated with some inter- nal changes in the department. "What we're in now will not let us change some things," Feldman said. "This building is being built for changes we needed to do a long time ago to better serve the public." City Manager North Bardell said the new station is trying to eliminate shortcomings that were unknowingly built into the station in 1978. It is very possible that new federal and state standards for police depart- be ments may crop up in the next five to seven years — the law to videotape DWI suspects was passed in January 1984, Bardell said. THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1985 A testament to vision 'Y The new Convention and Visi- tors Bureau building, dedicated last week, is a lovely facility that is a credit to the community. But more than that, it is a testa- ment to the vision of a number of local leaders who made it become a reality. It would have been easy to give up after the acrimonious vote over moving the entire Chamber of Commerce function to that site. That vote, as you probably recall, resulted in the Chamber keeping its office in downtown Bryan. But Bryan - College Station needed a new tourism facility if we hoped to capitalize on the lucrative convention and tourism opportuni- ties. We had outgrown the tempor- ary facility which originally housed that function. The new facility had to be in a prime location, highly visible and accessible, near Texas A &M and the hotels. Thanks to creative local lead- ership, particularly that of. former Chamber President Louis New- man III and College Station Mayor Gary Halter, the site at 715 Uni- versity Drive was purchased and renovated and leased to the chamber. The center already is proving its worth, as more people are visiting and calling for information. And, in the years ahead, it will be of even greater significance. Thanks to Newman, Halter and many others who played important roles in making this dream a real- ity, Bryan - College Station has a facility that is worthy of a first - class tourism effort. Without such a place, our efforts to attract more tourism dollars to our community would be exceedingly more diffi- cult. With it, we are on our way to making tourism a vital industry here. • Eagle Editorial Board Laurels To the slate of new directors named by the College Station City Council to the city's industrial foundation board: Eddie Schultz; Dick Haddox; Bill Sensibaugh; Britt Rice; Bill Cooley; Steve Hansen; Phil Springer; Eddie Joe Davis; and Fred Brown. To Wayne Stark, who has received the first D.A. Anderson Award from the Arts Coocil of Brazos Valley. The award is to be presented annually to an individual who has supported the arts in the Brazos Valley for at least 10 years and significantly enhanced the cultural stature of the community. Also, to Gilbert Plass, who was presented the 1985 Outstanding Contribution to the Arts Award and to General Telephone Co. of the Southwest, which was presented the Business /Arts Alliance Award. Both presentations were by the Arts Council of Brazos Valley. To Ruth and Rick Hernandez, co- owners and managers of Red Apple Farm on Sand Creek Road, and to Elaine and Monk Vance of Jones Road. Those homes have been presented with Brazos Beautiful Inc.'s rural beautification awards for 1985. To Dr. Stephen Safe, a Texas A &M authority on dioxins and other toxic chemicals, who has won the 1984 Royal Society of Chemistry Award for Health, Safety or Environmental Chemistry. To Bob Godfrey, who will retire later this month after 30 years as an educator with the Bryan school district. THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1985 1 4 s `1 a Eagle photo by Bill Reeks Ira E. Scott's daughter -in -law and granddaughters watch as Scott, right, is I onored by Chief Byrd. Hall of Fame honors trainer of CS police By PAUL McKAY Staff Writer Texas' policemen used to get guns and badges and precious little training. Police are better trained and edu- cated today, largely because of the influence of a College Station man — Ira E. Scott. As instructor with the Texas A &M Engineering Extension Service, Scott trained and influenced thousands of policemen until his retirement from law enforcement in 1982. His com- mitment to upgrading the quality of police personnel has earned him a place in the American Police Hall of Fame. In a surprise ceremony at College Station City Hall Friday, Mayor Gary Halter and Police Chief Marvin Byrd presented Scott the police hall of fame's national "Honor Award" and a congratulatory letter from Gov. Mark White. BRAZOS OBSERVER Scott also received a letter, addres- sed to him and "the community," from a longtime friend and former College Station resident, Alston A. Morgan. Now an associate professor of communication arts at Oral Roberts University, Dr. Morgan is a former Texas Highway Patrolman and an earlier recipient of the hall of fame's national award. 1-Ie nominated Scott for the same honor. In his letter, Morgan recalled the early 1950s, when so many Texas policemen were poorly trained and under - educated. "Many of them were given a gun and badge and told to take care of Turn to POLICE, page 3A THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1985 Police Hall of Fam gives honor L.] to trainer of College Station police From page IA things," Morgan wrote. "The Texas Department of Public Safety was training its personnel, and a few lar- ger cities had trained police, but for the most part, police were un- trained.... "Changing times demanded trained police, and Ira Scott both rec- ognized the need and did something about it. This is why we honor him today. " Scott decided on a law - enforcement career after serving as an investigator during the war crimes investigations in Europe. In 1947, he walked a beat as a rookie with Lub- bock's police department. "We We used a `call box' back then — a two -way radio was the only com- munication we had," Scott said. "We had a light on top of the Lub- bock County Courthouse. If that light was on, you were supposed to call police headquarters. Officers today have communications and computers that are unbelievable. " In 1953, while still with Lubbock police, Scott attended Texas A &M's four -week Municipal Police School, which was in its second year. Wal- lace Beasley, the instructor, told Scott at the time that he would need an associate to help with the training someday. Beasley hired Scott for the job a year later. Scott remained an instructor for six years, then accepted the chief -of- police job in Kingsville. He returned to A &M in 1964 to instruct and to supervise the polygraph school, and then became Beasley's successor as chief of police and security training in 1967. College Station's Chief Byrd said he received police training from Scott in the late fifties, when the state fast made training and certification man- datory. "Mr. Scott made some changes in the law - enforcement system, and not just in Texas," Byrd said. "He pioneered training programs all over the nation." In the early days of polygraph test- ing, Scott was conducting one of only two polygraph training programs in the nation. The other was in Chicago. Scott was never one to send down instructions from an ivory tower. He traveled the state, conducting schools through local and regional police de- partments. "I'd go into a town, and we'd have two hours of class in the morning and two hours in the evening," Scott re- called. "In the time in between I'd ride with the officers in whatever town we were in, so I was always out in the field. "When I started out, it wasn't un- usual for men to come up to me at the start of a school and say, `Mr. Scott, I don't know how to tell you this, but I can't read or write.' We'd never get away with the kind of law enforce- ment now that we had then, but that's just the way it was then. You've got a very sophisticated criminal today." Scott was clearly surprised — and overwhelmed with emotion by the award and the ceremony at City Hall. Byrd had asked him to come look at plans for the new police station that College Station will build. "I had no idea it was going to be for this," Scott said. "I get a little bit misty -eyed when I think about all the good people I've known in law en- forcement. It takes me a long time to get across the state when my wife and I are traveling — I have to stop in at every police station and say hello." THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1985 • IA NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed DVER TISEMENT) to the C p roposals addressed Texas y o f College Station c will be received for th• onstruction of EAS7�,iDE INTERCEPT d CIPNO.R81 -81 12F 'iR until 2:00 P.M,. Tuesday 11, 1985. the Office will be.rec, June Qdiv Director off Mr. El;, ements, Capital tr„prov- Station, Texas 77840; College Bidders must submit with their bids a Cashier's Check amou t of five ( c in the the maximum ) percent of Payable withoutnrecou sebto Texas, o r a C ity College Station, the sa me a pro posal bond in e amount from a Sur - fromlhepanY holding permit as Surety, of Texas to act ty, and acceptable ac- City traffic signal stolen A traffic signal was stolen from near a College Station Independent School District building at 109 Timber St. in College Station sometime between 7 p.m. Monday and 8 a.m. Wednesday. Cost to the city for the light is $320. Police have no suspects in the case. corilffig t6 —th atest list of companies holding certifi. cates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, as listed in latest Revision of Treasury Department Circular 570, as a guarantee that Bidder will en- ter into a contract and ex- ecute bond and guarantee forms provided within five (5) days after notice of award of contract to him. Bids without checks, as stated above, or proposal bond will not be considered. In accordance with Article 5160, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925, as amended, the successful Bidder will be re- quired to furnish not only a performance bond in the amount of the contract, but also a payment bond for the protection of all claimants supplying labor and materials as defined in said law. The bonds must be executed by an approved Surety Company holding a permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of author- ity from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, or other Surety acceptable to the Owner. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities. In case of ambiguity or lack of clearness in stating the price in the bids, the Owner reserves the right to consider the most advanta- geous construction thereof or to reject the bid. Unreasona- ble or unbalanced unit prices will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of any bid. Bidders are required to in- spect the site of the work and to inform themselves regard- ing local conditions under which the work is to be done. Attention is called to the pro- visions of the Texas Minimum Wage Act of 1970 and Article 5159a, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, concerning the prevailing wage rate applica- ble in municipal construction. Contract Documents, Pro- posal Forms, Specifications and Plans are on file and may be examined without charge in the office of Mr. Elrey Ash, Director of Capital Improv- ements, and may be obtained from Riewe $ Wischmeyer, Inc., Consulting Engineers, 1701 Southwest Parkway, Suite 100, College Station, Texas 77840, upon payment of Fifty ($50.00) Dollars. Mrs. Dian Jones, City Secretary Gary M. H alter, Mavor THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, MAY -19, 1985-7 Locking out car theives POLICE By Virginia Kirk Police in College Station are concerned about the high number of car thefts in the city and are ready to help citizens prevent them. Crime Preven- tion Lt. Bernie Kapella said there is a sand- blasting and sten ciling machine to Houston that can be rented locally if enough indi- viduals are interested in having their cars marked. Unlike most marking equipment, this machine can stencil the vehicle identifica- tion number into windows, T -top panels, bumpers and chrome wheels. Kapella said it would cost about $75 to completely mark a car with the sandblasting machine. More insurance companies are begin- ning to require such identification, especially on some makes of cars that attract thieves. In College Sta- tion, Camaros and Cutlasses are the most likely cars to be stolen. More than 73,000 cars were stolen in Texas in 1984. In College Station 113 cars were stolen in 1983, 148 in 1984 and 58 so far this year, Kapella said. Anyone interested in getting a car marked should contact Kapella at the police department to set up a day to have the machine in the area. College Station dispatchers have been taking field trips in the past few weeks. Each dispatcher has been spending a day working at the Bra- zos County Sheriff's Office to learn how arrest reports and bond- ing procedures are handled there, Sgt. Art Wiltsie said. The exchange was suggested by Jailer Terri Gilden because of the large amount of communication jailers have with the sheriff's office when filling out county paperwork for prisoners, Wiltsie said. The College Station Jail can hold Class B and C misdemeanor cases, as well as persons arrested for city charges who are able to post bond the next day. BID NOTICE THE CITY OF COLLEGE STA- TION IS CURENTLY ACCEPT- ING SEALED BIDS FOR THE FOLLOWING SURPLUS PROPERTY: PITNEY BOWES POSTAGE MAIL MACHINE Model: 5830 Age. 10 -plus years Condition: Operating Location: City Hall 1101 Texas Avenue College Station, Texas Sealed bids for purchase of this equipment will be accep- ted at the Purchasing Depart- ment, 1101 Texas Avenue or by mail at P.O. Box 9960, College Station, Texas 77840, until 2:00 P.M. on May 28. 1985. Bids re- ceived after that time will be returned unopened. Terms of Sale for Highest Bidder Cash or Cashiers Check Additional information maybe obtained by contacting James Polasek, Buyer, Purchasing Department at 409 /764 -3558. 5- 13- 85.5-20 -85 NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS (ADVERTISEMENT) Sealed proposals addressed to the City of College Station, Texas will be received fXR e construction of RCE � EASTSIDE INTE CIPNO. R81 -81 -12 until 2 00 P.M., Tuesday, June 11.1985. Proposals will be received at the office of Mr. Elrey Ash. Director of Capital Improv- ements, City Hall, College Station, Texas 77840. Bidders must submit with their bids a Cashier's Check or a Certified Check in the amount of five (5%) percent of the maximum amount of bid payable without recourse to the City of College Station, Texas, or a proposal bond in the same amount from a Sur- ety Company holding permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety, and acceptable ac- cording to the latest list of companies holding certifi- cates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, as listed in latest Revision of Treasury Department Circular 570, as a guarantee that Bidder will en- ter into a contract and ex- ecute bond and guarantee forms provided within five (5) THE EAGLE /MONDAY, MAY 20, 1985 days after notice of award of contracl him Bids without checks.-as stated above, or proposal bond will not be considergd. In accordance with Article 5160, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925, as amended, the successful Bidder will be re- quired to furnish not only a performance bond in the amount of the contract, but also a payment bond for the protection of all claimants supplying labor and materials as defined in said law. The bonds must be executed by an approved Surety Company holding a permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of author- ity from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States. or other Surety acceptable to the Owner. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities. In case of ambiguity or lack of clearness in stating the price in the bids, the Owner reserves the right to consider the most advanta- geous construction thereof or to reject the bid. Unreasona- ble or unbalanced unit prices will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of any bid. Bidders are required to in- spect the site of the work and to inform themselves regard- ing local conditions under which the work is to be done. Attention is called to the pro- visions of the Texas Minimum Wage Act of 1970 and Article 5159a, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, concerning the prevailing wage rate applica- ble in municipal construction. Contract Documents, Pro- posal Forms, Specifications and Plans are on file and may be examined without charge in the office of Mr. Elrey Ash. Director of Capital Improv- ements, and may be obtained Wrom Riewe 8 Wischmeyer, Inc., Consulting Engineers, 1701 Southwest Parkway, Suite 100, College Station, Texas 77840, upon payment of Fifty ($50.00) Dollars. Mrs. Dian Jones. City Secretary Gary M. Halter, Mayor #Zd 05- 19- 85,05 -20 -85 0 0 No quotas locally, officials say By VIRGINIA KIRK Staff' Writer Ticket writing quotas never have existed for police officers in the Bryan - College Station area, local officials say. "I think they're ridiculous," Col- lege Station Police Maj. Edgar Feld- man said. He said that if there are violators out there, officers write them tickets, but officers are not ev- aluated on how many tickets they write. In Bryan, fewer citations have been issued this year because offic- ers are spending so much time answering a record number of ser- vice calls and less time on patrol, Maj. Lee Freeman said. So far this year, ticket writing is down 14 per- cent. In April, Bryan police wrote 1,570 traffic citations, Freeman said. He said ticket writing varies de- pending on what shift officers work on. Officers on the afternoon shift write more tickets than officers working past l a.m. "We're not looking for bad tick- ets," Freeman said. "If we can't prove a citation in court, we don't write it." Bryan Patrol Officer Hugh Wal- lace said: "I've written as many as 175 or as few as five. They said nothing to me on either one." Wal- lace is president of the Bryan Police Offiers Association and said he knows of six departments in the San Antonio area that set ticket quotas of 50 or 75 tickets a month. Department of Public Safety spokesman David Wells said Texas has no law prohibiting police depart- ments from setting quotas, but quotas would not work for DPS troopers. Troopers are evaluated by how many activities they do while work- ing. The jobs may include assisting motorists, looking for escaped con- victs, investigating accidents or stopping traffic violators. THE EAGLE /TUESDAY, MAY 21, 1985 • J NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: The City of College Station Planning and Zoning Commis sion will hold a public hearing to consider a resubdivision fianl plat of Lot 1 Block 1 Chim- ney Hill Retail Plaza subdivi- sion which is bounded by Un- iversity Drive, Tarrow Street and East Tarrow Street. The hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall at 1101 Texas Avenue at 7:00 P.M- on Thurs- day, June 6,1985. For additional information contact the City Planning of- fice (409)764 -3570. Alberto. Mayo, Jr. Director of Planning 05 -22 -85 NOTICEOF PUBLIC HEARING: The College Station Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the question of granting a Con- ditional Use Permit for es- tablishing a church to be located on Krenek Tap Road approx. 1209 feet west of the intersection of Krenek Tap Road and the S.H. 6 Bypass Frontage Road (across the street from Central Park). The request for Use Permit is in the name of Beautiful Sav- ior Lutheran Church. The hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission on Thurs- d ay, J u ne 6,1985. For additional information, contact the City Planner's Of- fice,(409)764 - James M. Callaway Assistant Director of Planning 05 -22 -85 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: The College Station Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the question of granting a Con- ditional Use Permit for expan- sion of an existing daycare center; from 72 children 2 days a week (not to extend past 1 P.M.) to 87 children 2 days a week and 36 children 1 day a week (not to extend past 1 P. M.). The request for Use Permit is in the name of Aldersgate Un- itecOMethodist Church. Thelhearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission on Thurs- day, June 6, 1985. For additional information, contact the City Planner's Of- fice,009)764 -3570. James M. Callaway Assistant Director of Planning 05 -22 85 THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1985 ♦%� NOTICE ` or CALCULATION OF EFFECTIVE TAX RATE AND PUBLICATION OF ESTIMATED UNENCUMBERED FUND BALANCES I, Glenn Schroeder, Tax Assessor Collector for the City of College Station, in accordance with the provisions of Section 26.04, Property Tax Code, have calculated the tax rate which may not be exceeded by more than three percent by the governing body of the City of College Station without holding a public hearing as required by the code. That rate is as follows: $ .3577 per $100 of value. The estimated unencumbered fund balance for Maintenance & Operation Fund: $ 1,686,955 The estimated unencumbered fund balance for Interest & Sinking Fund: $ 1,495,101 lenn Schroeder, Ta ssessor /Col ector May 17, 1985 CALCULATIONS USED TO DETEMINE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE- 1. DATA • I. 1984 Total tax levy from the 1984 tax roll .....................$ 3,448,452. 2. 1984 Tax rate (S M &O and $ .36 1 &S) ........................$ . 36/$100 3. 1984 Debt service (I&S) levy ..... ..............................$ 3,448,452. 4. 1984 Maintenance & Operation ( M& 0 ) ............... -0- 5. 1984 M &O taxes on property in territory that has ceased to be a part of unit in 1985 ............. ..............................$ -0- 6. 1984 M &O taxes on property becoming exempt in 1985 .............$ -0- 7. 1984 M &O taxes on taxable value lost because property is appraised at less than market value in 1985 ....................E -0- 8. 1985 Total taxable value of all property .......................$ 1,049,631,186. 9. 1985 Taxable value of new improvements added since Jan.1,1984.1 44,916,416. 10. 1985 Taxable value of property annexed since Jan.1,1984 ........ $_ -0- 11. 1985 Tax levy needed to satisfy debt service (I&S) .............$ 3,754,598. 12. Rate to raise 1984 tax due levy to appraisal roll errors(lost dollars divided by 1985 taxable value) ($ divided by $ times 100) ............... ...E .00/$10 13. Rate to regain taxes lost in 1984 due to appraisal roll errors (lost dollars divided by 1985 taxable values) ($ divided by $ times 100) .........................$ .00 /$100 14. 1984 M &O Taxes used to regain lost 1983 levy ............ ....... $ .00 11. CAI-CULATI91 MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION (h1&0) TAX RATE (A) 1984 Total tax levy (Data 1) . ..............................$ (B) 3,448,452. (8) Subtract 1984 Debt service levy (Data 3) ................ .$ 3,448,452. (C) Subtract 1984 Taxes on property no longer in unit(Data 5)..$ -0- (D) Subtract 1984 Taxes for exemptions (Data 6) ............. .$ -0- (E) Subtract 1984 Taxes for productivity valuation (Data 7). .S -0- (F) Subtract 1984 Taxes used to regain lost 1983 levy(Data 14).$ -0- (G) Adjusted 1984 M &O lev - 2. (A) 1985 Total taxable value of all property (Data 8)..........$ 1,049,631 18 6_. (B) Subtract 1985 Value of new improvements (Data 9)........ .$ 44,916 41 . 6. (C) Subtract 1985 Value of annexed property (Data 10)....... .$ -0- (D) Adjusted 1985 Taxable value for M &0 ........................$ 1 3. (A) Divide the Adjusted 1984 M &O levy (1 -G above) by the Adjusted 1985 taxable value for M&O (2 -0 above) ($ 0 divided $ 1,004,714,770. )..........$ -0- (B) Multiply by 5100 valuation ...................... ........ ... x 100 (C) Effective M &O rate for 1985 .. ..............................$ .00 /100 INTEREST AND SINKING (I8S) TAX RATE 4. (A) 1985 I&S levy needed to satisfy debt (Data 11) .............$ 3,754 598. (B) 1985 Total taxable value of all property (Data 8)..........$ 1,049,631,186. (C) Divide the 1985 I&S levy (4 -A above) by the 1985 Total taxable value (4 -B above) .($ 3,754,598. divided by $ 1,049,631,186. ) ........ ..............................$ .003577 (D) Mulitiply by $100 valuation .. ..............................x 100 (E) Effective I&S rate for 1985 .. ..............................$ .3577/5100 APPRAISAL ROLL ERROR RATE 5. (A) Rate to raise 1984 levy due to appraisal errors(Data 12)...$ OO /SlOO (B) Add rate to regain taxes lost due to errors(Data 13).......$ .001S100 (C) Total Rate to adjust for appraisal roll errors .............$ .00 /5100 TOTAL EFFECTIVE TAX RATE FOR 195 6. (A) Effective M&0 rate (3 -C above ) .............................$ .00/$100 (B) Add Effective I&S rate (4 -E above) ........................$ .357715100 J appraisal )•`•$ .00 1$100 (C) Add Rate to adjust for raisal roll errors (5 -C above (D) 1985 Effective Tax Rate ...... ..............................$ .3577/S1 1985 Effective Tax Rate is the tax rate published as required by Sec.26.04, Property Tax Code CS council OKs funds for new library By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer The College Station City Council allocated $194,000 to establish a new library Wednesday. The library was approved over- whelmingly by voters in the city elec- tions April 6. It will be a branch of the Bryan Public Library, but will be lo- cated in and funded by College Sta- tion. Council members said they hope to get some private funding as well as other contributions for the library. The city also allocated $30,000 to the Bryan library for new books there, as it has done in years past. At the workshop meeting, the council discussed the city staff's 1985 -86 budget requests for addition- al equipment and personnel above that which was approved in the basic budgets of the revenue sharing and general funds. City Manager North Bardell had ranked the requests in order of need by the city, but the money available would fund less than 20 of the more than 60 requests by the staff. About $219,637 is available to be used for the new equipment or staff, according to the proposed budget. Bardell recommended that the money be used for three new para- medics, a replacement vehicle for the Emergency Medical Services super- visor, two additional police officers, three more dispatch/jail personnel, another street maintenance truck driver and a word processor, among other things. No final decision was made, but council members asked that the city add to Bardell's recommendations about $5,000 in maintenance facility equipment, $1,378 in filing cabinets for the city courts and $9,000 for 27 replacement mobile radio units. The current radios had been re- paired 55 times in the last six months, said city staff members. Council Member Lynn McIlhaney suggested that $1,560 for lawnmow- ers be taken from the cemetery fund rather than the operating fund. The cemetery fund was set aside to provide for perpetual care, but the city has not used any of it for graveyard maintenance. Rather, it has maintained the cemetery with operating funds. The council also heard requests for money from the Mental Health - Mental Retardation agency, the Sum- mer Library Program, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and the Texas State Guard. y� Ln 00 M N Q a; H W a C7 W W x N CS council reconsiders • pay increase By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer The College Station City Council is reconsidering giving the staff members the pay raise they asked for. City Manager North Bardell and Finance Director A.E. "Van" Van Dever asked the council to look again at next year's salary increase. At the last meeting, council mem- bers voted to give city staff an aver- age 4.5 percent raise, down from the requested 6.8 percent increase. The action cut $127,500 from the total budget for salaries. The council said it wanted to hold spending down as much as possible in light of a poor local economy, the city's current competitive salaries and a slowing of cost of living in- creases. But Bardell said the city's charac- ter is changing from being basically a bedroom community for Texas A &M University to becoming a retail trade center. This change is resulting in an increased demand for the city's ser- vices, such as garbage services, he said. The higher demand is forcing the city to hire more people to deliver the same services, he said. Bardell also said the new, complex pay system replaces an old program similar to Civil Service, in which ev- ery employee got a 5 percent salary hike and a cost -of- living increase, re- gardless of job performance. The new system gives higher raises to employees who perform better. "We had felt that the proposal we brought to you was fiscally sound, what with the income projections and what with the system we have set up," Bardell said. In a memo to the council, Van De- ver said the new system was "met with reluctance" by city employees. "They thought that the new system is just a device to make the city money (as expressed by the em- ployees in our annual survey)," Van Dever said in the memo. That opinion "will obviously be reinforced by .Alp% your decision" to cut the increase, he said. "In my opinion, a grievous blow will be dealt our merit system, one from which we may never recover." Van Dever also disputed previous reports that the city's average salary is $23,000. The actual average is $18,571, as compared with the over- all county average of $16,271 in 1980, he said. The council took no action on the matter. Council Member Lynn McIlhaney said she felt "uncomfort- able" coming back to the issue after having already voting on it. McIlhaney also said that with util- ity rates going up, taxes increasing and other expenses rising, businesses are unable to keep open their doors, people are having to use their life savings just to keep their businesses afloat, and others are facing unem- ployment. "I personally would like to give everybody the raises they think they deserve," she said. But 4.5 percent is enough when others are getting no increase or decreases, she said. Council Member Fred Brown said the council in lowering the increase had "no intention to affect morale or productivity of our staff. The major thing was to save some money." Council Member Terri Tongco said the city should consider the rest of the budget first, and then see if any money is left over for the higher raises. Council Member lames Bond said he felt "disenfranchised" by the cur- rent complicated salary structure that discourages the council from chang- ing the staff's recommendations. By lowering the increase, "we are skewing the merit plan that still (needs) time to prove itself," he said. "If I'm going to be told from year to year that this is the magic number and I can't change it, then I don't ever want to see it," he said. THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1985 CS council to consider vote on taxes The College Station City Council will consider casting a record vote today on whether to raise taxes. The council will meet at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. Council members must hold the re- cord vote if they are to raise tax revenues more than 3 percent. City Manager North Bardell said any tax rate increase over 1 cent per $100 valuation would require such a vote. Thursday, the council approNed spending $194,000 for a new library and $30,000 for books at the Bryan Public �,ibrary. Unless cuts of that amount are made from the proposed budget, it will lake a 2-cent tax increase to fund those items. The council also will consider. ■ Adding a charge to citizens' elec- tricity bills to fund the Lone Star Muni- cipal Power Agency. The agency mem- bers, College Station, Kirbyville, New- ton and Caldwell, forted the LSMPA to try to get cheaper power rates. ■ Allowing the Texas Department of Highways and Public Transportation to lower speed limits on the East Bypass frontage roads; ■ Decreasing the electric rates for security lights; ■ Funding extra equipment or per- sonnel for the utility and sanitation funds' 1985 -86 budgets; ■ An amendment providing city per- sonnel access to utility meters; and ■ A design concept for Richard Car- ter Park and the final plan for W indwood Park. Public hearings will be held on: ■ Rezoning of Lots 1, 2 and part of Lot 3 in the College Heights subdivision, 304 University Drive, from Duplex Dis- trict R -2 to Administrative- Professional District A -P. ■ A resubdivision final plat of Re- serve Tract 3 of Quail Run Estates Phase One, which is southeast of the intersec- tion of Dowling Road and Quail Run Drive. ■ A resubdivision preliminary plat of the Schick Addition Subdivision, lo- cated at Southwest Parkway and Well- bom Road. THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1985 NOTICE OF INTENT TO REOUESTA RELEASEOFFUNDS TO ALL INTERESTED AGEN- CIES, GROUPS AND PERSONS On or about June 10, 1985, the City of College Station will re- quest the Department of Housing and Urban Develop- ment to release Federal Funds under Title One of the Housing and Community De- velopment Act of 1974, (Sup- plemental Appropriation Act Jobs Bill): Richards Street Im- provements (Street & Waterline) City of College Station B- 83 -MJ -48 -0007 $180,000.00 An Environmental Review Re- cord respecting the within project has been made by the City of College Station: which documents the environmental review status of the project. The Environmental Review Record is on file at the City of College Station and is availa- ble for public examination and copying upon request. College Station will under- take the project described above with Community Devel- opment Grant Program funds from the Department of Hous- ing and Urban Development under Title One of the 1974 Housing and Community De- velopment Act as Amended and Gary M. Halter in his of- ficial capacity as Mayor con- sents to accept the jurisdic- tion of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to environmental reviews, deci- sion making, and action; and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. The legal effect of the certification is that upon its approval, the City may use the Community De- velopment Program funds, and HUD will have satisfied its responsibilities under the Na- tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and related pro- visions of law cited at 24 CFR § 58.5. HUD will accept an objec- tion to its approval of the re- lease of funds and acceptance of the certification only if it is one of the following basis: (a) That the certification was not in fact executed by the chief executive officer or other of- ficer or Contractor approved by HUD, or (b) that Contrac- tor's environmental review re- cord for the project indicated ommission of a required deci- sion, finding, or step applica- ble to the project in the en- vironmental review process. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedure i24 CFR Part 58), and may be addressedto. Department of Housing and Urban Development P.O. Box 2905 Fort Worth, Texas 76113 Objections to release of funds on basis other than those stated will not be considered by HUD. No objection re- ceived after June 26, 1985 will be considered by HUD. Gary M. Halter /Mayor City of College Station P.O.Box 9960 College Station, Texas 77840 05 -23 -85 THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1985 • L01 CS Council says taxes may rise By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer The College Station City Council agreed Thursday that it may raise taxes as much as 3 cents per $100 valuation this year. Council members James Bond, Bob Runnels, Pat Boughton and Mayor Gary Halter voted for the possible 3 -cent increase; council members Terri Tongco and Lynn McIlhaney voted against it. Council Member Fred Brown was in Hawaii. The council still can lower its in- crease, but cannot raise taxes more than it has said it intended. Bond's motion stipulated that the council may raise taxes by 3 cents, but will make every effort to keep the rate hike to 2. The council was required to hold a voice vote if it intended to raise taxes by more than 3 percent, so legal notices could be published and a pub- lic hearing be held. At the city's cur- rent 35.77 cents per $100 valuation tax rate, the council could raise the rate only to 36.84 cents — a little more than 1 cent — without a voice vote. An increase to 38.77 cents would raise property taxes by 8.39 percent. That would mean, for property valued at $50,000, the owner would have to pay $15 more a year in city property taxes. The council said it hopes to fund with the tax increase a new municipal library at an estimated $194,000, Easterwood Airport improvements at $100,000, and $30,000 for books for the Bryan Public Library. Voters in the April election approved funding the new library, even if it would cost them a 2 -cent property tax increase. Tongco said she would go for a 2 -cent hike, but not 3. "I'm not for raising taxes," she said, adding that she did not vote for the library. "As far as I'm con- cerned, the only increase (should be) what was mandated by that vote." McIlhaney said she had a problem with raising taxes that much when the city already is expecting revenues $1 million higher than last year. Bond said he would rather hold the Turn to CS, page 7A CS Council says it may pass tax increase From page IA tax rate- increase to 2 cents, but "if we ever ht ed that other penny" the coun- cil will be unable to levy it this year because of the legal notice require- ments. In College Station, each 1 cent in the property tax rate yields the city about $100,000. A 3 -cent rate in- crease would be enough to fund the libi*a[ry, books and airport, the city staff has said. To try to cut expenses, the council earlier this month voted to cut the staff's requested pay raise to an aver- age of 4'.'5 percent. The staff asked Wednesday that council members re- consider their decision. Halter questioned comments that the city's local economic picture was" grim, in light of increasing property values and sales tax revenues. He said other cities have "played the poor -boy game and neglected the problems and paid a higher price later on. I'm afraid we're getting into that sort of mind - set," Halter said. He 'also said College Station has the lowest tax rate of any city in the state, and perhaps the nation, for its size. Runnels also said that in light of the city's better street maintenance, a new drainage program and needs for the airport, 3 cents "may not be un- reasonable. " A final vote must be taken before July, or the city manager's budget proposal automatically goes into effect. In other action, the council voted to lower the electricity rates for secur- ity lights from $8.25 to $7.50 a month for 100 -watt lights and from $11.55 to $10.50 a month for 200 - watt lights. The decrease will go into effect as the mercury-vapor lights are replaced by high - pressure sodium lights. The sodium lights use less energy. THE BRYAN /COLLEGE STATION EAGLE Friday, May 24, 1985 • Laurels To Felice Klein, honored at a luncheon this week: as the Outstanding Woman of Brazos County for 1985. Klein was recognized for her pioneering work with mental health programs here as well as her involve- ment in numerous civic activities. To Gussie (Peterson) Wilbom, recognized with a �;pecial humanitarian award at the Outstanding Woman luncheon. She has worked as a nurse and volunteer and has opened her home through the years to numerous homeless children, families, sick people and elderly residents. To Dr. Jack Y.K. Lou, named a fellow of the J�merican Society of Mechanical Engineers for significant contributions to the field. He is head of Texas A &M's ocean engineering program. To Texas A &M trainer Billy Pickard, selected for induction into the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame. © To Dr. Leland Blank, interim head of Texas A &M's industrial en- gineering department, installed as regional vice president and a trustee of the Institute of Industrial Engineers. To Texas A &M professor Dr. Leon Russell, elected to the executive board of the American Veterinary Medical Association. To the Texas A &M Association of Former Students, who broke ground Friday for the association's new headquarters on campus. To Ira E. Scott, longtime law enforcement instructor with the Texas A &M Engineering Extension Service, named to the American Police Hall of Fame. He was honored at a ceremony at College Station City Hall last week for his contributions to law enforcement training. T�o�texas A &M run the Barrios Southwest Conferen e m 5 and lo,llCx1 meter race To Josie Carter and Judy Trussell of the A &M women's softball team, selected to the All America first team. And to Shawn Andaya, Gay McNutt and Cindy Cooper, named to the second team. THE BRYAN /COLLEGE STATION EAGLE Saturday, May 25, 1985 E Cable offers `a rollback,' drops WGN By JIM BUTLER Television Editor Bryan - College Station cable cus- tomers will have the option of paying $4 for a five- channel package begin- ning July 1, but the local cable com- pany is also dropping one channel, WGN which broadcasts from Chi- cago. "When cable was introduced to the community back in 1955, the offering was five channels for $4," said Joe DiBacco, McCaw regional vice president. "This new basic package is in re- sponse to a request from a number of people and groups who asked that we provide a lower price package," DiBacco said. He characterized the company's move as "a rollback to the 1950s." The low -cost tier was one of four major changes announced Friday. An additional tier of service, called the Broadcast Pac, will be offered for $2 to anyone subscribing to basic. The total monthly charge will be $6 to receive 13 channels. The monthly fee for The Disney Channel was also reduced from $10 to $7 effective June 1. And WGN, an independent station that broadcasts Chicago Cubs baseball games and a slateful of rerun situation comedies and movies, will be replaced by Cable News Headline Service. The basic lineup will consist of Bryan's KBTX -TV (Ch. 3), College Station's KAMU -TV (Ch. 15), Waco - Temple's KCEN -TV (Ch. 6), Dallas's KTVT (Ch. 11) and the Electronic Program Guide. The ne A' low -cost service will re- quire a repositioning of channels, however, so KAMU will move from 12 to 4, trading places with CBN, and KTVT wil' switch places with Hous- ton's KTXH (Ch. 20), which will move to 25. McCaw will charge a $25 activa- tion fee for basic, but current,custom- ers who choose to downgrade from the $12.50 Family Pac within 30 days will not have to pay the fee. The 29- channel Family Pac will continue. The second -tier Broadcast Pac will add eight channels to the basic pack- age and require installation of soph- isticated filtering equipment. The eight channels are Houston's KTXH (Ch. 20), KHTV (Ch. 39), KTRK (Ch. 13), KHOU (Ch. 11), KPRC (Ch. 2), and KUHT (Ch. 8), Austin's KTVV (Ch. 36) and Atlan- ta's WTBS (Ch. 17). An activation fee of $250 will be charged for this service to cover the cost of the custom -made filtering equipment that must be installed out-' side each home that gets the service. "The Broadcast Pac is being offered in response to customers who have expressed a desire to receive only the Broadcast channels," DiBacco said. The replacement of WGN by Cable News Headline Service was prompted by financial considera- tions, DiBacco said. "Offering the new basic package is going to result in a loss of revenues, and we had to look at ways to cover those. One alternative was to raise the price of the Family Pac, and we didn't want to do that. "We have three stations for which we have to pay very high copyright royalties, Houston's Ch. 20, Atlan- ta's WTBS and Chicago's WGN. Looking at those three, we felt that WGN was the best to drop. WGN duplicates much of the programming available on the other independent channels, and it is of less interest to area viewers than the Texas -based in- dependent channels such as 20 and 39 from Houston and 11 from Dallas." THE BRYAN /COLLEGE STATION EAGLE Saturday, May 25, 1985 • ma len Jol me THE BRYAN /COLLEGE STATION EAGLE Sunday, May 26, 1985 • It's hard 0 to find G movies CITY HALL By Diane, Blake Bowen The College Station Parks De- partment says it's having a hard time finding G -rated movies that will attract the teen -aged audi- ence. At the last parks board meeting, Council Member Pat Boughton said a College Station citizen had com- plained about R- rated movies planned to be shown in the parks. Of the four movies scheduled, two, An Officer and A•Gentleman and Friday the 13th, are rated R. The department is showing movies this summer because the city has had trouble with teen- agers congregating in the parks. Rather than chase them away, Parks Director Steve Beachy said, the city decided to show them movies. Parks officials to council members Wednesday.that they've found a replacement for Friday the 13th: Watcher in the Woods. Beachy suggested they have their own version of Texas Chain - saw Mas,jarw and invite the city's forestry dep. tment. In another parks - related matter, Council Member James B. Bond sail ;he'd visited Central Park twice on holidays, only to find the restrooms locked. Parks officials said they're locked because the park's present restrooms weren't builu o be van- dal- resistant, and at one point there was a person living in a parks restroom. But Bond said he had trouble with the idea of having a public facility, but locking it exactly on a day when many people would be likely to use it. "Why build the suckers ?" he said. - Dealing with such problems "goes with the territory," and the city �shquld either monitor the parks on holidays, or be willing to sustain the loss. College Station engineering and planning department employees have landscaped a small alleyway at City Hall. The area now resem- bles a tiny garden, with small trees, rocks, shrubs and flowers. Those who came in on their own time. to build the garden were Al Mayo, Jim Callaway, Chris Long - ley, Jane Kee, Charlie Volk, Kim Johnson (who repd6ly instigated the affair), Elrey ?ash, David Pul- len Bill eott, Mike Hester, John Black -Mark Smith. THE BRYAN /COLLEGE STATION EAGLE Monday, May 27, 1985 Once upon a time, when the rosy cast in my cheeks was put there by innocence instead of overindulg- ence, I could sleep as well as — if not better than — almost anything else I did. Sleep came easily then, I would place my head on a pillow, close my eyes and ZAP! I would be asleep in an instant, my head filled with im- ages of pleasant things. Naps of 10, 11 or 12 -hour duration were not un- usual, and I would awaken refreshed and restored, my physic batteries having been recharged by Mor- pheus' jumper cables. But those times have passed. With age came responsibilities and with responsibilities came worries and with worries came sleepless- ness. Now, well into my second half- century and beset with con- cerns, I sleep fitfully, waking sever- al times during any given night to ponder such cosmic puzzles as: 1. Why is it that, no matter in which direction I'm traveling, the Stuckey's restaurants are always on the other side of the highway? 2. If golf is "a humbling game," as its practitioners claim, why is it that you never meet a humble golfer? And... 3. Is that elusive concept known. as "the quality of life" really affected by the number of bowling lanes in a city? If you believe it is, or should be, then a recently published report enti- tled "The Quality of Life in Texas Cities: A Ranking and Assessment of Living Conditions in Texas' Largest Communities" is your kind of reading. The report is the end result of re- search conducted by the institute of Urban Studies at the University of Bill Youngblood Texas at Arlington, and its findings are the most, uh, fascinating since Rand McNally & Co. published a similar type assessment of the finest places to live in the United States. To refresh your memory about that one, the research--rs at Rand McNally selected Pittsburgh as the most desirable address in the nation and Dallas (OK, wipe that smile off your face; those guys were serious) as Texas' premier city, based on a formula far too complicated to be adequately explained here. Suffice it to say that chicken entrails buried by the dark of the moon and assorted voodoo incantations played an in- tegral role. The UTA group's rankings are, as one would infer from the tome's im- posing title, restricted to populous municipalities in Texas and were de- termined, according to the resear- chers, strictly by "things that can be measured." That explains, I sup- pose, why the condition of plumbing in homes and the number of bowling lanes available to citizens took pre- cedence over such abstractions as beautiful sunsets (Brownsville), moral purity (Waco) and pothole su- periority (Fort Worth) when it came to cracking the Top 10. Austin wound up being ranked No. 1 among the 52 places rated, which says a lot about tha city's plumbers and bowling establish- ments. It was followed in the upper eche- Ion by San Antonio, Dallas, Mid- land, Houston, Denton, Temple, Corpus Christi, Amarillo and Abilene. Abilene? Fort Worth was listed as No. 11, slightly ahead of El Paso, which wasn't allowed to include Juarez. Other rankings of possible in- terest to readers of this space include College Station 14th, Waco 22nd, Bryan 36th and Killeen 51st (and next to last). As a person who has visited the Bryan- College Station minimetro- plex recently, I am puzzled at the disparity between the two cities. I don't have access to the number of bowling lanes in each municipality, but I challenge the UTA researchers to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that commodes in College Station flush any more efficiently or econo- mically than those in Bryan. Perhaps we could settle this mono a mana by conducting a Brazos County Flush - off, with the Ty -d -bol Man as re- feree. For of those of you who want to delve more deeply into the UTA study, it is to be published in book form later this year. My initial re- sponse upon learning that was to wait until the movie comes out, but J had second thoughts. If my insomnia can be cured, something called "The Quality of Life in Texas Cities: A Ranking and Assessment of Living Conditions in Texas' Largest Communities" should certainly do the trick. Bill Youngblood is a columnist for the Fort Worth Star - Telegram Why is CS ranked 14th and Bryan 36th? dium Density District R -5. Ap- plicant is Martha Cox for Homer Cox. The hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meet- ing of the Council on Thurs- day, June 13,1985. For additional information, Please call me. James M. Callaway Assistant Director of Planning 05-29-65 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The College Station City Council will hold a public hearing on the question of re- zoning the following property: Lots 1, 2,3 & q Block D Univers- ity Park Section I subdivision, located at the intersection of Spring Loop and Tarrow Street, from Apartments Low Density District R-{ to General Commercial District C -1. Application is in the name of Bricks & Sticks, Inc. The said hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue at the Cou ct r l on Thursday, June 13 1 For additional information, Please contact me. James M. Callaway Assistant Director of Planning 05 -29-85 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The College Station City Council will hold a public hearing on the question of re- zoning the following property: Approximately 1.988 acres of land located on the north side of Brazoswood Drive, ap- proximately 257' feet west of the intersection of Brazoswood Drive and S.H. 6 (East ' Bypass), from Townhouse- Rowhouse Dis- trict R -3 to Administrative - Professional District A -P. Ap- plicant is Hank McQuaide. The said hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M, meeting of the City Council on Thursday, June 13, 1985, For additional information, Please contact me. James M. Callaway Assistant Director of Planning 05 -29-85 Bills won't contain LSMPA charges The College Station City Council has decided not to add a charge on its customers.' utility bills to fund the Lone Star Municipal Power Agency. Instead, the LSMPA will be funded with money from College Station's successful rate case against Gulf States Utilities. The LSMPA is made up of the cities of College Station, Kirbyville, Caldwell and Newton. The group hopes to lower power costs by working together. The LSMPA board of directors previously approved placing a 3/ 1000ths of a cent per kilowatt hour charge on customers' utility bills. But College Station council members last week approved using some of the money from GSU for its share of the agency's expenses. College Station's part of the funding comes to $81,600 a year. The money will be used for legal and engineering services until the agency is able to raise its own funds. — DIANE BLAKE BOWEN East Bypass speed limits OK'd The College Station City Council has approved new, lower speed limits for the East Bypass frontage roads. The council approved last week lowering the speed limit from 55 mph to 40 or 45 mph near major intersections. Studies made by the Texas Department of Highways and Public Transportation showed that the speed limit should be lowered. The Bryan City Council has also approved similar lower speed limits along East Bypass frontage roads. — DIANE BLAKE BOWEN NOTICE OF The City CColl geN Station City Council will hold a public hearing to consider a resub- division final plat of Lot 1 Block 1 Chimney Hill Retail Plaza subdivision which is bounded by University Drive, Tarrow Street and East Tarrow Street. The hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall at 1101 Texas Avenue at 7:00 P.M. on Thurs- day, June 13,1985. For additional information contact the City Planning of- fice(409)764 -3570, A I bert O. M ayo, J r. Director of Planning 05 -29-85 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The College Station City Council will hold a public hearing on the question of re- zoning the following property: Lots 1B, 2 8 3 Block 1 Kirkpatrick Subdivision from Apartments Medium Density District R -5 to General Com- mercial District C -1. Applicant is Lewis J. Kirkpatrick. The hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M, meet- ing of the Council on June 13, 1985, For additional information, Please call me. James M. Callaway Assistant Directorof Planning 05 -29-85 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The College Station City Council will hold a public hearing on the question of re- zoning the following property: Lot 19 Block 5 University Oaks 12 subdivision from Duplex District R -2 to Apartments Me- THE BRYAN /COLLEGE STATION EAGLE Wednesday, May 29, 1985 TV satelli dl Prices for them are dropping. Their numbers are increasing. Will they soon become a fixture in every gadget- loving American household? Maybe. By Jim Butler ormer ABC World News Tonight anchor Max Robinson had an un- seen audience when he chatted on the phone with his girlfriend, told dirty jokes, and cursed his crew. So did the TV commentators at last year's national political conventions, when, during commercials, they discussed in graphic detail the nightlife of conven- tion cities. When President Reagan was preparing to send his congratulations — via satellite — to the winners of the Super Bowl, a sizeable group saw all the preparations. What does Johnny Carson say to the studio audience during breaks? A surpris- ing number of people know. Owners of the estimated one million satellite dishes (officially known as Tele- vision Receive Only Earth Stations) have access to such "off camera" antics, along with a bewildering variety of intentional programming. And the number of dish owners is growing by leaps and bounds. In the Brazos Valley alone, dealers estimate, at least 3,000 dishes have been installed in the last five years. "Industry estimates say five million dishes will be installed by 1990," says Jerry Stuart, owner of Brazos Valley Satellite TV. "In 20 years, I expect most houses to have a satellite dish," says Jim Lassiter, owner of Hylotech in Bryan. In the science fiction novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, Arthur C. Clarke outlined the principle of the communications satel- lite. That was in 1945. In 1957, the first satellite, Sputnik I, went into orbit, countered quickly by America's Explorer I. But these were not Jim Butler is the television writer for the Eagle. 8 Bryan- College Station Eagle Saturday, Jui 1, 1985 Three types of dishes: opposite page, a mesh; above left, aluminum; above right, fiberglass. Which is best depends on which dealer you talk to. communications satellites, and only reached a height of 1,000 miles. They could only be tracked by constantly mov- ing antennas. The breakthrough, as far as the average television viewer was concerned, came in 1962, with the launch of Telstar I by AT &T. The first geosynchronous satellite enabled live broadcast of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Geosynchronous means that the satellite occupies an orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth and orbits at the same speed as the Earth, thereby maintaining the same rela- tive position. Today there are 20 communications satellites stationed in the Clarke Belt (named in honor of the science fiction wri- ter) beaming signals to the United States and Canada. Another 19 birds are operat- ing for foreign countries, and at least 20 more satellites (several American) have orbital addresses already reserved for them for the future. The first satellites were owned and con- trolled by the government. By 1970, the Federal Communication Commission in- augurated an "open skies" policy. Any- body with a few hundred million dollars could send up a satellite. The FCC's deregulation policy con- tinued by dropping the requirement that earth stations must have a federal permit and must be of a standard size. Before that, you could have a dish, if you had $80,000. Once the government got out of the way, smaller dishes could be sold for con- siderably less money. Prices started to tumble. "In 1980, a typical system cost $13,000," Stuart said. "Today, our best system is $3,100, and the equipment is better. " As decreasing prices brought dishes within range of the average homeowner, the skyward- pointing saucers started pop- ping up all over the countryside. An equally important impetus to the TVRO explosion was the array of prog- ramming available. After all, why invest a few thousand dollars in dish is there's no- thing to receive? Home Box Office was the pioneer in this field when in 1975 it began bouncing its movies off a satellite to cable systems. Thus did a small New York outfit, which previously had delivered its products on videotape, become a multi - million dollar corporation. Soon after, Ted Turner, no stranger to daring escapades, sent the signal of his Atlanta independent station WTBS sky- ward, thereby creating the first super sta- tion. Today there are more channels than any 100 persons could watch at one time. There is no accurate way to say how many channels there are, since several are in operation sporadically. For instance, the NASA Mission channel is on the air only during space shuttle missions. As dish prices drop and cable rates rise, the TVRO is becoming an alternative to cable, rather than just a way for people in rural areas to have better reception and selection. The satellite dish industry would appear to have a rosy future were it not for two impending developments — scrambling and zoning. The very success of the industry may put a crimp in its growth. As dishes blos- som across the country, satellite program- mers are taking note of possible revenues. Home Box Office and Cinemax are within months of sending scrambled signals to their satellite transponders. Other ser- vices, particularly movie channels, are ex- pected to follow. The motivation for HBO and Cinemax, both owned by Time Inc., is two -fold. They see the potential to sell their product to a new market. And they want to protect their main customers — cable systems — from losing subscribers to home dishes. In November, Congress passed The Communications Act of 1984. One of the provisions legalized the reception, for per- Bryan- College Station Eagle Saturday, June 1, 1985 9 sonal use, of satellite signals on home dis- hes. The legislation also recognized the right of satellite programmers to sell their service to home dish owners. In order to sell that service, HBO must scramble its signal, sell decoders to in- terested buyers and charge a monthly fee for use. No reasonable folks in the home dish industry are against the principle of the plan. They recognize that home dish owners have been receiving for free what many other citizens are paying for, and they recognize HBO's fight to make a pro- fit on its product. The disagreement comes in the imple- mentation of the plan. The owners of HBO and Cinemax plan to charge dish owners $12.95 for either service and $19.95 for a combination of the two. The hitch is that dish owners also must acquire a $395 descrambler manufactured by MA -Com — the developers of HBO's piracy - thwarting system. The monthly rate is slightly more than a cable customer pays and considerably more than the cable com- pany pays to HBO (in the neighborhood of $5). There is now legislation pending in Congress that would give the FCC power to regulate prices paid by dish owners for program services and decoders. Another bill would put a two -year delay on all satel- lite scrambling until the program suppliers have a marketing plan in place. In its May issue, STV magazine's cover story is on scrambling, and includes a sur- vey of 28 program suppliers. Of those 28, seven said they planned to use some form of signal encryption in the future. Those seven were Showtime and The Movie Channel (subsidiaries of the same com- pany), Armed Forces Radio & Television, ESPN, NBC, CBS, the Disney Channel and Black Entertainment Television. Major programmers who said they had no plans to scramble included Turner Broadcasting (WTBS, Cable News Net- work and Cable News Headline Service), Financial News Network, CBN, Home Theater Network, USA Network, SelectTV, PBS, SIN, the Playboy Chan- nel, Warner Amex (Nickelodeon and MTV) and The Weather Channel. Dealers say that even with scrambling there's still a wealth of programming available on satellite, including some movie channels. STV took their survey re- lions. ow that you have it, IN UN At any time of the da- M. Radio t there's no telling what Gam When Gary Gla&deyes of the services on just 12 satd College Station sat down in r -h liter. front of his television set at 7 Here is a cross swion of p.m. Thursday, ,he had a programming you won't find choice of 42 regularly sche- on your local cable system:' duled programs, dozens of un. 8 The Silent Network - -- scheduled transmissions and Entertainment and informa- 45 radio stations_ All courtesy tion programming in sign lan- of his backyard satellite dish, gunge and open captioning, Most of the listings from his ■ Madison Square Garden satellite television magazine Cable Network —Live sport- would be familiar to cable ing events from Madison subscribers in Bryan - College Square Garden. Station. There were the net- 14 The Meadows Racing work - feeds (without ,local Network — Nightly harness commercials), PBS, a handful racing. of independent stations and ■ Penn National Racing--- - the full complement of cable- Horse racing in season from originated programming, in- Pennsylvania. eluding 10 movie channels. '- ■ Hospital Satellite Net- But of the course of the work — Informational prog- year, Gary has a mindbog- ramming for the health care gling selection of video and community. audio services from which to r NASA Contract Channel choose. A magazine available — Live NASA mission and ,at local satellite dish dealers mission - related events, oper- takes 10 pages to describe all ational only during ongoing TAA,,; Jewish viewers. 0 `Ilse Canadian casting Company --- to U.S. networks. wing in English and F It XEW -TV - M leading network statio H Home Sports En ment —' Regional n featuring sporting even Texas, Louisiana, A Oklahoma and New M N SelectTV - -- Unc interrupted movies. ® The Playboy Chan Adult programming. In addition, there number of satellite ders used for occasional such as Robert Wold munication, used to Entertainment Tonight, syndicated programs suits and applied them to three days' sche; dule. They found that between 6 a.m. an midnight on a particular day, there woul still be 399 general programs, 53 sports 36 movies, 80 religious shows and I I narrowcasting (such things as CNN, C SPAN, Arts & Entertainment) availabl unscrambled to dish owners. Zoning is another industry concern, anc one that's pertinent locally. The College Station city council hay already been presented with a petitior asking that home dishes be regulated. The Bryan city council is also expected to address the subject. Does regulation mean dishes will be banned, or just restricted to backyards? The FCC is considering a rule ex- empting dishes from city regulation. Will it be accepted? Again, no one knows the answer. As Hylotech's Jim Lassiter says, "This is a new industry and it takes time to work things out. I believe that in 20 years, most houses will have dishes, not just receive dishes, but uplinks for phones, banking, who knows what all." Program- Television, Bravo and Satel tench- lite Program Network, all of exico's which broadcast in full stereo.' n. And if sound is all Gary is tertain- interested in, there are audio etwork services that cover every con- is from ceivable interest, including° rkansas, news, jazz, country, big exico. bands, Broadway and movie ut, un- music, comedy, sports, rock, rhythm and blues and reli- nel - - -' gious music. There's even the In Touch are a Network, a newspaper' and transpon- magazine reading service for feeds, the blind. Com - STV magazine lists 103' transmit video services and 45 audio other services currently available and via satellite. sports events to participating stations. -- Jim Btttler 10 Bryan - College Station Eagle Saturday. June 1 IQRS At any time of the da- M. Radio t there's no telling what Gam ice — m might find on a satellite ctJatt'. wrident n nel, from business to , ietwork f ferencing to sermons = j Gary has his satellite - Televi- s system connected to his stereo � ttt d s so he can enjoy watching the st'to` D Disney Channel, Nashville Network, Arts & Entertain Broad - m ment, The ` Movie Channel, Stihilar E ESPN, MTV, Country Music sports events to participating stations. -- Jim Btttler 10 Bryan - College Station Eagle Saturday. June 1 IQRS �-3 x r� r tai H x C Z d U.) 0 CS wins honor for creative use of the arts The city of College Station's in- creasing support for the arts has brought national recognition to Mayor Gary Halter and the City Council. The city was honored in the nationwide City Livability Awards program, which is cosponsored by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Phillip Morris Inc. The awards honor mayors whose creative use of the arts improves the economic vitality and quality of life in their cities. College Station's award now will be placed in the National Clearing- house on the Arts because of its in- novative ideas and new programs, according to a release by the U.S. Conference on Mayors. College Station was lauded for special events such as its bluegrass festival, jazz festival and summer concerts sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department. The council's approval of fund- ing for an artist in residence prog- ram, which is part of the develop- ment of the Richard Carter historic- al park, also was cited. Noting that the population of College Station has grown from ab- out 17,000 in 1970 to more than 53,000 today, the contest's judges said they were pleased that funding for art, culture and parks has grown accordingly. Municipal support of the Brazos Valley Arts Council has increased from $15,000 to more than $60,000 in the past five years, and has bene- fited, among others, the StageCen- ter Drama Group, Artrain, Com- munity Singers and the Brazos Val- ley Symphony Society. Other finalists in the City Liva- bility Awards are: Albuquerque, N.M.; Baton Rouge, La.; Charles- ton, S.C.; Charlotte, N.C.; Col- umbus, Ohio; Pittsburgh; St. Paul, Minn., and Salt Lake City, Utah. 00 U-1 CS sewage treatment plant praised By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer The city of College Station's sew- age treatment plant discharge acutal- ly is cleaner than the water it flows into, a Texas A &M student resear- cher told the City Council recently. Patrick Wood, who graduated from A &M in May, received an award for his work in trying to find a quicker way to measure water pollu- tion. Wood did his field studies at the College Station sewage treatment plant this spring. He told council members that the city's plant is one of a minority of plants in the United States that meets federal effluent standards. Of all sew- age plants, 63 percent discharge wa- ter that is dirtier than the law allows. College Station is among the 37 percent that cleans its sewage to legal standards before releasing it, he said. "They're putting out nice, clean water," Wood said. "Their BOD's (biological oxygen demand readings) are great." In fact, the sewage effluent is cleaner than the water in the streams it enters, he said, though "not by much." Wood also praised the city's chem- ist, Betty Kirkpatrick, and the plant employees. "They're running a good plant," he said. Wood's research was part of the A &M Undergraduate Fellows Prog- ram. If his findings are accepted by the Environmental Protection Agen- cy, they could improve significantly the ability of cities to clean up sewage discharge, he .said. Cities and other entities now use the biological oxygen demand test to find out how dirty their sewage is. That test measures how much oxygen microscopic water bugs use over a five -day period. Knowing the amount of oxygen used, scientists can figure out just how many bugs are in the water, and then adjust their plant to kill them. But a major problem with the test is the length of time it takes: By the time you find out how many bugs are in a sample, the water it came from is already in the Gulf of Mexico, Wood said. Because of the time lapse, sewage plant operators find themselves ad- justing their plant's treatment method for water that is long gone. They usually either overcompensate, spending more money than is neces- sary to clean the water, or undercom- pensate, discharging water that isn't clean enough. "You're treating water coming through and you don't know how dir- ty it is," Wood said. "You're not really saving mankind." Wood developed a test which takes only 30 minutes. Using his method, two 10- minute tests are taken on a sample, and the results are plugged into a computer program which gives the same information as the five -day BOD test, he said. By using the new test, sewage plant operators could "readjust the plant every two hours," Wood said. "That could really make your plant more efficient. " Wood took most of his field sam- ples during spring break, then work- ed feverishly to develop the formula in time for the fellows program dead- line. He, his adviser, Dr. Charles Giam- mona, and a student statistician tried filtering the water and sending high- ; pitched sounds through it — "That made all the little bugs die," Wood said — before cracking the best com- puter formula. Now Wood is working to have the test accepted as an alternative to the BOD test, which has been used since., before the turn of the century, he said. But even if the EPA does not even- tually approve the test, cities that want to improve their plants' per- formance can use it in addition to the BOD, Wood said. The instruments needed for the two 10- minute tests cost $19,000, he said. Ln co rn C M Q a D x E� W a W W x E� Ln 00 rn r, 5C q o � M l� H w a w W M W CS puts bite in meter - reading ordinance By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer Dog attacks upon meter readers have prompted College Station to put more of a bite in its meter - access ordinance. The City Council has approved a new ordinance that for the first time requires residents to provide access to utility meters — without fear of dan- ger to meter readers. The city has had trouble with vi- cious dogs, electric fences, locked gates or no gates, all of which prevent employees from reading the meters, said Utilities Office Manager Linda Piwonka. The new ordinance requires own- ers to restrain their dogs during a three -day period each month so their meters can be read without visual aids (i.e., binoculars), the presence of another person or the threat of bodily harm. The meter - reading period will be designated on the customer's bill, Piwonka said. Residents who've locked their gates have the option of getting a combination lock and giving the combination to the city. The previous ordinance required residents to let the city read their meters, but it had no penalty clause if access was denied. Now, if a meter reader can't get in, he or she will notify the resident by tagging the house's door. The house will be tagged a max- imum of three months, and usage will be estimated during that time. In the fourth billing period, Piwonka will send a certified letter giving the cus- tomer 10 days to comply. After that, the city will cut off the service, and charge for disconnection and recon- nection if the customer wants the ser- vice restored. Currently, meters at 383 addresses are inaccessible, she said. Piwonka told council members that employees have suffered many dog bites and attacks while trying to get a reading. She showed a video that demons- trated what the employees are up against: big Dobermans, barking German shepherds, fences with no entry, locked gates and a fence wired mouth, or his injuries could have with 110 volts. been worse, Piwonka said. One employee will not have full use of her arm for at least a year because a dog rushed out at her when she was trying to read a meter March 22, Piwonka said. Cindy Mixon jumped over a fence to escape, but her arm got caught, tearing shoulder ligaments. Mixon still has several more weeks of therapy ahead before she can work more than light duty, Piwonka said. Another employee, Clarence Cooks, suffered a ripped hand when a dog leaped out from under a deck and went for his throat, she said. Cooks jammed his hand into the dog's A third worker, Leonard Kirkpat- rick, twisted a knee when he jumped over a fence to escape a dog, she said. Kirkpatrick had to wear a knee brace for several weeks as a result. The city has spent $5,694 in work- er compensation and lost 32'/2 work- ing days on those three injuries, Piwonka said. She said the city can't trust its citizens to read the meters themselves because some people call in inaccu- rate readings. Besides, she said, city employees also must check for dam- age or tampering, which often cannot be detected from across a fence. Man finally `bites' dog An ordinance giving utility meter readers some protection against yapping, snapping dogs is long overdue. The ordinance approved by the College Station City Council this week does that and more. Only half the ordinance is actually new — for years now, residents have been required to allow the city to read household utility meters. Unfortunately, that ordinance made no provision for penalizing residents who refused or otherwise failed to do so. Locked gates, elec- tric fences and even fenced yards without any gates are serious hindrances to meter readers, and such obstructions also are covered by the new ordinance. But typical- ly, the biggest ongoing threat has been man's best friend — which usually turns out to be the meter reader's worst enemy. LEGAL NOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1593 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON MAY 23, 1985, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Col- lege Station City Hall, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art. 6252- 17. The above - referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of College Station, has the following heading: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 11, SECTION 2.D OF THE CODE OF ORDINAN- CES OF THE CITY OF COL- LEGE STATION, TEXAS, RE- l LATING TO ACCESS TO METERS. Ordinance No. 1593 defines "adequate access" and es- tablishes the need for re- gulations relating thereto, provides a policy, sets a noti- fication procedure, pre- scribes a penalty for non -com- pliance, and allows for appeal. I This ordinance shall be effec- tive from and after the date of its passage as provided by the Charter of the City of College Station. The complete text of Ordin- ance No. 1593 is on file at the i Office of the City Secretary l and may be obtained at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. 05-31- 85,06 -01 -85 College Station's new ordi- nance would require residents to assure the city safe access to read utility meters during a designated three -day period each month. Re- peated failure to do so will lead to that individual's utilities being dis- connected. In the great scheme of things, maybe this doesn't sound like cos- mic progress — but, then, most of us aren't confronted on a daily basis with vicous, snarling dogs intent on retaining a hunk or two of our lower calves, either. Like beauty, relative significance is often in the eye of the beholder. Certainly, the city ordinance is "news" in the classic sense of that word — after all, how often does a "man bites dog" story, even as figurative a one as this, come along? Richard Cole LEGAL NOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1594 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON MAY 23, 1985, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Col- lege Station City Hall, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art. 6252- 17. The above- referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of College Station, has the following heading: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 11, SECTION 4, OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, RELATING TO ELECTRIC RATES. Ordinance No. 1594 es- tablishes a schedule of monthly rates to be charged consumers for public utility services, namely electricity used for 100 watt and for 200 watt high pressure sodium security lights; and, prescribes a formula for calculation of a Power Cost Adjustment Factor to be ap- plied to the billing for electric- ity used by consumers within the city limits of College Sta- tion. Ordinance No. 1594 es- tablishes an effective date of June 1, 1985, for said electric- ity rate schedules. The complete text of the above -named Ordinance is on file at the Office of the City Secretary and may be ob- tained at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station,Texas. 05 -31- 85,06-01 -85 LEGAL NOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1592 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON MAY 23, 1965, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Col- lege Station Community Cen- ter, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art. 6252 -17. The above - referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of College Station, has the following heading: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 10, SECTION 3, SUBSECTION E OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STA- TION, TEXAS, RELATING TO SPEED ZONES AND SPECIFI- CALLY DESIGNATING ADDI- TIONAL AREAS IN THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION IN WHICH RATES OF SPEED OF THIRTY (30) MILES PER HOUR OR MORE ARE AU- THORIZED; RESCINDING ALL PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; AND DECLARING THAT AT- TENDANT FACTS NESESSI- TATE IMMEDIATE ACTION. Ordinance No. 1592 desig- nates certain areas, described in said ordinance, in which the speed limits shall be fifty (50) miles per hour, forty -five (45) miles per hour, or forty (40) miles per hour, on SH 6 West Frontage Road for traffic mov- ing between the North City Limitand Loop507. This ordinance shall be effec- tive from and after the date of its passage as provided by the Charter of the City of College Station. Violation of any provi- sion of this ordinance shall be subject to a fine of up to $200.00 (two hundred dollars). The complete text of Ordin- ance No. 1592 is on file at the Office of the City Secretary and may be, obtained at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. 05-31- 65,06-01 -85 THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1985 Laurels To the graduating seniors of 1985. To members of the Heroes of '76, who as a free public service spent Memorial Day at Tanglewood Park in Bryan disposing of unserviceable U.S. flags. To Stephen Pearce, who has retired after 33 years as an educator and administrator in the Bryan school system. Pearce was most recently principal at Crockett Elementary School. To Thomas J. Kozik of College Station, who has been elected chairman of the ninth annual Energy - Sources Technology Conference and Exhibition, set for early next year in New Orleans. To members of the Bryan- College Station Jaycees, who have received statewide recognition as one of Texas' outstanding chapters. The local chapter received a Blue Chip Award, while President Ron Riggs was pesented one of only 12 Presidential Awards granted to outstanding chapter presidents in Texas. To the four Bryan residents who have been named 1984 -85 Outstanding Senior Citizens of Brazos County by the county Extension Service's commit- tee on aging. They are: Olivia Banks, Joseph Castillo, Lila M. Lane and William S. McCulley. To Mayor Gary Halter and the College Station City Council, for bringing national recognition to the city's increasing support for the arts. The city has been honored in the nationwide City Livability Awards program, sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Phillip Morris Inc. Meter reader gets the bite At least one dog in College Station was not impressed Thursday by that city's new ordinance to protect utility meter readers from biting dogs: He took a bite out of a meter reader anyway. College Station police report that a city meter reader was bitten by a small black and white dog at about 10:15 a.m. Thursday as he tried to read the meter at 1014 Hereford St. The dog's owner said her pet had not been vaccinated since August of 1983, so the dog is being held at the Brazos Animal Shelter 10 days for observation. THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1985 4 ORDINANCE NO. 1593 WAS] Pliance, and allows for appeal. following heading: miles per hour, on SH 6 West PASSED AND APPROVED ON This ordinance shall be effec- I AN ORDINANCE AMENDING Frontage Road for traffic mov- MAY 23, 1985, BY THE CITY tive from and after the date of ! CHAPTER 11, SECTION 4, OF ing between the North City COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF its passage as provided by the THE CODE OF ORDINANCES Limit and Loop 507. COLLEGE STATION meeting ' Charter of the City of College OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE This ordinance shall be effec- in regular session in the Col- Station. STATION, TEXAS, RELATING tive from and after the date of lege Station City Hall, said The complete text of Ordin- I TO ELECTRIC RATES. its passage as provided by the meeting having been posted ance No. 1593 is on file at the Ordinance No. 1594 es- Charter of the City of College in accordance with Art. 6252- Office of the City Secretary tablishes a schedule of Station. Violation of any provi- 17, and may be obtained at the monthly rates to be charged sion of this ordinance shall be The above- referenced Ordi- City Hall, 1101 South Texas I consumers for public utility i subject to a fine of up to nance, signed by the Mayor Avenue, College Station, services, namely electricity ': $200.00 (two hundred dollars). and duly recorded in the of Texas. used for 100 watt and for 200 The complete text of Ordin- ficial records of the City of 05- 31- 85,06-01 -85 j watt high pressure sodium i ance No. 1592 is on file at the College Station, has the LEGALNOTICE security lights; and, Office of the City Secretary following heading: ORDINANCE NO. 1594 WAS Prescribes a formula for and may be obtained at the AN ORDINANCE AMENDING PASSED AND APPROVED ON ! calculation of a Power Cost City Hall, 1101 South Texas CHAPTER 11, SECTION 2.D MAY 23, 1965, BY THE CITY OF THE CODE OFORDINAN- COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF i Adjustment Factor to be ap- i Avenue, College Station, ' Plied to the billing for electric- Texas. CES OF THE CITY OF COL- COLLEGE STATION meeting Ity used by consumers within 05 -31- 85,06 -01 -85 LEGE STATION, TEXAS, RE- I in regular session in the Col- ) the city limits of College Sta- LATING TO ACCESS TO lege Station City Hall, said tion. Ordinance No. 1594 es- Ordinance No. 1593 defines i meeting having been Posted in accordance with Art. 6252 - j Jun 1, 1985, effective date electric- adequate access" and es- 17, ity rate schedules. tablishes the need for re- i The above- referenced Ordi- The complete text of the gulations relating thereto, nance, signed by the Mayor above -named Ordinance is on provides a policy, sets a noti- I and duly recorded in the of- i file at the Office of the City fication procedure, pre- ficial records of the City of I Secretary and may be ob- scribes a penalty for non-com- College Station, has the tained at the City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. 05 -31- 85,06 -01 -85 LEGALNOTICE ORDINANCE NO. 1592 WAS PASSED AND APPROVED ON MAY 23, 1985, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION meeting in regular session in the Col- lege Station Community Cen- ter, said meeting having been posted in accordance with Art. 6252 -17. The above - referenced Ordi- nance, signed by the Mayor and duly recorded in the of- ficial records of the City of College Station, has the following heading: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 10, SECTION 3, SUBSECTION E OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STA- TION, TEXAS, RELATING TO SPEED ZONES AND SPECIFI- CALLY DESIGNATING ADDI- TIONAL AREAS IN THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION IN WHICH RATES OF SPEED OF THIRTY (30) MILES PER HOUR OR MORE ARE AU- THORIZED; RESCINDING ALL PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; AND DECLARING THAT AT- TENDANT FACTS NESESSI- TATE IMMEDIATE ACTION. Ordinance No. 1592 desig- nates certain areas, described in said ordinance, in which the speed limits shall be fifty (50) miles per hour, forty -five (45) miles per hour. or forty (40) THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1985 A fundamental contradiction When McCaw Cablevision first began its operations in this commun- ity, its management made many promises. They claimed that they would become one of the finest cable systems in the country. They stated that the elimination of com- petition caused by the merger would not adversely affect the quality of cable service; in fact, they said that residents would benefit from the merger. Well, many changes have occurred since the commencement of McCaw's activities, some of which I commented on in an earlier letter. I take this opportunity to re- view one additional aspect of McCaw's survice. Recently McCaw announced that is was eliminating WGN — one of the nation's most popular television stations — from its lineup. WGN programming includes exclusive coverage of the Chicago Cubs base- ball team, high quality syndicated shows (next year the station will be- gin telecasting Hill Street Blues), and an excellent selection of movies (from Casablanca to the Deer Hun- ter). To add insult to injury, McCaw cowardly made this announcement just prior to closing its doors for a three day vacation. McCaw's motive is clear — they are unwilling to pay the (approx- imately) 50 measely cents per sub- scriber to provide quality service. Instead, they will add a second all - news station, in addition to keeping two affiliates of each of the three major networks (talk about duplicate programming)! This refusal to main- tain reasonable cable standards occurs after an enormous increase in rates, as high as 100 percent ($6 to $12.50) for some customers. Quite simply, this outrageous' action would have never happened if two competing cable companies were still in existence. What we have here is a contradic- tion. On the one hand McCaw has promised excellent service. On the other hand, they are cancelling one of the nation's most outstanding sta- tions. Either McCaw must feel the populace of this community are not concerned about their cable service, or McCaw is not concerned about the populace. Thus, I make the fol- lowing challenge. A poll should be conducted that asks the following question: 1) Would subscribers rather eliminate WGN or 2) Would they rather either not add a second all -news channel or drop one of the duplicate network affiliate stations. The poll could be administered by an impartial organization, such as The Eagle. My feeling is the majority of subscribers would rather keep WGN. If that is the case, McCaw will have a decision to make. They could either respect public opinion and their own past promises, or they could stay with their decision. If they choose the latter, they should never again claim that the objective is to provide quality service, or else be liable to legal action accusing them of false advertising. Scott Lummer College Station Cable changes are disgusting We are disgusted by McCaw Cab - levision's recent offer to bridge the gap between their new basic service and the minimum service we are cur- rently receiving. The new basic would only offer two channels in addition to what we can receive without cable, and conveniently omits the top -rated NBC network. For this we would only have to pay $5 per month. It is very generous of McCaw Cablevisiou to offer us an 8 channel intermediate package with NBC for only $6 per month. However, with an installation fee of $250, we would be paying the equivalent of the $12.50 rate for over three years before seeing any savings, and would be receiving only 8 channels instead of the present 30. At the same time, they would be earning interest on our money. Who do they think they are kidding? f When McCaw Cablevision bought out the two existing com- panies, setting up their present monopoly, they promised an im- proved basic package. They also im- proved our basic bill from $6 to $12.50. Admittedly, we are receiv- ing a wide variety of channels now, but it is much more than a "basic service ". The truth is that the new basic package is adequate and the intermediate package, for an aver- age household, will cost just as much as the current basic service. Thank you McCaw Cablevision for your, "improved, basic" rip -off. Pam and Ethan Grossman College Station THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 1985 WGN can be saved, group says CIA also claims Basic violates code By JIM BUTLER Television Editor The Cable Improvement Associa- tion said Sunday it has identified a "trigger mechanism" that could keep Chicago independent station WGN from being dropped by McCaw Cablevision. The group also suggested that the proposed five- channel package Basic is in violation of the franchise ordi- nance. In a meeting Sunday, CIA spokes- man Steve Parker said, "With re- spect to WGN, the trigger mechan- ism would be the complaint log re- quired to be maintained by McCaw. " According to Parker, College Sta- tion city council examination of the complaint log could justify a public hearing. "Under Section 6 of the franchise ordinance, the city council could de- termine that McCaw has failed to pro- vide acceptable programming and could require McCaw to pay for an independent survey of community needs," Parker said. Larry Ringer, member of the CIA steering committee, urged citizens to "make sure McCaw is aware of your complaints by calling or writing a letter. " The ultimate goal of the CIA, Par- ker said, is to have the city councils of Bryan and College Station appoint a Cable Advisory Commission. Parker also said that, according to his reading of the franchise ordi- nance, the new five - channel Basic is illegal. "The ordinance clearly states that 'The Company currently furnishes and shall continue to furnish to users a minimum of twelve signals or chan- nels. The minimum or basic selection will include at least one station from each of the major networks (subject to availability) and all full power loc- al stations, including the Public Broadcasting System station at Texas A &M University. "' The new Basic, scheduled to take effect July 1, would consist of Bryan's KBTX -TV, College Sta- tion's KAMU -TV, Temple KCEN- TV, Dallas independent KTVT and the Electronic Program Guide. There is no NBC affiliate in the package. In addition to the new Basic, McCaw announced that WGN would be replaced by Cable Headline News on July 1. Joe DiBacco, regional vice presi- dent for McCaw, is attending the National Cable Television Associa- tion convention in Las Vegas and could not be reached for comment. THE EAGLE /MONDAY, JUNE 3, 1985 People don't trust each other any more People don't trust each other any more. Or should that be: People can't trust each other any more. Seems that, lately, instances of distrust between our government and our citizens, and between citizens and each other, keep crop- ping up. I don't like it a bit. Several Col- lege Station residents took offense Thursday at the last paragraph of my story on the city's new meter - reading ordinance. In it, I para- phrased a quote by Utilities Office Manager Linda Piwonka: The city can't trust its citizens to read the meters themselves be- cause some people call in inaccu- rate readings. Piwonka said several people called or came by City Hall Thurs- day to express their indignance at the city saying its residents are not trustworthy. "Why, it's the people who can't trust the government, not the other way around," some said. "How dare you say we're all liars." But what Piwonka meant was that dishonest people exist throughout the world — and Col- lege Station city employees have to take that into consideration. A certain percentage of dishon- est people live in College Station. And they make it impossible for the city to allow everyone to just call in their utility readings. Piwonka also had said that hon- est people will sometimes just forget to call in their readings. And, with College Station's transient population, sometimes the person responsible for calling the city will move, failing to tell roommates they need to do it. Perhaps I should have written: Because some people call in in- accurate readings, and others forget to call them in at all, the city cannot depend on its citizens to read the meters themselves. r - 1 CITY HALL By Diane Blake Bowen That wouldn't have been an accurate paraphrase, but it perhaps would have appeased all those in- dignant readers. It would also have let all the dishonest ones off, the hook. Ironically, Piwonka also said the city has had a hard time getting its citizens to trust the meter de- partment. She said she has offered to take combinations from people who want to padlock their fences. Then meter readers would be able to get . in, and citizens could keep their gates locked. But some residents don't want to give the city the combinations. "What happens if something gets stolen ?" they ask. "Do we have to change the lock every time a meter reader quits ?" Funny thing: There are dishon- est government workers in this _ world, too. Some residents feel they can't trust any of them if you can't trust them all. I feel a sense of deja vu here. In Bryan, it's the same song, second verse. There, the utility department sometimes deals with people who try to rip the city off, so it can't just take a citizen's word for it when there's a dispute. Wayne Matthews went without electricity for a while because the ;1 city wouldn't/couldn't give him , the benefit of the doubt when he told them that he'd called in a dis -.," connect notice but the utility de- partment didn't have a record of it. City Manager Ernie Clark said that since publicizing Matthew's predicament in the newspaper, people have been coming out of the woodwork saying they called to disconnect, but there's no re- cord. 4 Are they honest citizens — or ripoff artists? Is there a monumental billing problem at the city, or are people taking advan- tage of this opportunity to be free of their obligations? Alma and Sam White went to the Bryan City Council meeting last week to tell council members about a $2,447.63 utility bill their grandson left. They had cosigned for him, and to get their electricity turned back on they had to sign an agreement to pay $163.14 a month, along with their regular light bill, until July 19$6. The Whites are retired, and live on a fixed income of $514 a month. Mrs. White said there's no way the couple can pay the bill — unless they have to sell their house, where they've lived since 1953. Clark said the White's grandson is now saying that he called in a disconnect notice. The Whites also claim there may have been a problem with the meter. On one hand, I can sympathize with the Whites' plight. On one notice they got, the city says they owe $2,447.23; on another it says they owe $2,480.19. The city does make mistakes. (Just like newspapers. Notice in our photo of Matthews that ran with the story, we said he was eating, when it was obvious he wasn't? We make 'em too.) I don't like the city of Bryan, nor the city of College Station, not trusting its citizens. I also don't want tax dollars handed out to ev- ery con artist in town. The answer is to either trust everyone and expect to lose some money, or learn to live in a society where we don't trust each other. The best bet, of course, may just be the product of my wishful thinking of late: Everyone be honest. THE EAGLE /MONDAY, JUNE 3, 1985 e There they go again... • Well, it looks like McCaw Cable is at it again. WGN is about to dis- appear. According to McCaw it is disappearing so that they can save money to offer a new sevice which does not pay its own way. I don't know about you, but I would rather not help pay for someone else's cable. I don't know how many of you subscribers really care bout WGN, but I'd like to suggest that even if you don't watch the station you should be concerned. If McCaw can drop any station they wish whenever they feel like it without asking for our opinion, what is there to stop them from dropping a station you do care about at a later date? McCaw claims that when you sign up for cable, all you can be sure of is that you will receive an agreed upon number of stations. In other words, they could offer us ten all -news sta- tions if they pleased as long as the total number of channels remained the same. I think there's only one thing left for us to do. Since all McCaw seems to care about is the financial end of their business, why don't we try to make an impression on them by cut- ting back on our cable services? We could choose to subscribe to a less costly package or drop the cable en- tirely. Do you think we could get their attention if enough of us pledged to cut back so that they would lose money by dropping WGN instead of making more money? Robert Bednarz College Station McCaw - what next? I've sat here long enough listen- ing and reading about the yeah's and nay's about our new cable company. They promise better service; they raised the price of our monthly bill. They promised to listen to its cus- tomers — BULL! I've got the ex- tended cable package with no pre- mium channels. WGN is one of my favorite channels along with many other viewers in the Bryan - College Station area. How can you just drop a station viewers enjoy without asking us. Forget economics, we want quality. What next? Channel 20 ?, 39? High Rates! Well I won't stand for it. If WGN goes I go! Let's here it for the old fashion antenna. Buddy Belle Bryan THE EAGLE /TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1985 C � McCaw should keep WGN a little longer • McCaw Cablevision is nee- dlessly antagonizing a great many of its customers by prematurely making a decision which may or may not be needed at all. The local cable operator should delay for at least three months its decision to drop Chicago's WGN - TV from the local cable system. According to company offi- cials, WGN is to be dropped from the system July 1 to offset an anti- cipated loss in revenue when the system begins offering two lower - priced basic cable packages on that same date. Currently, all cable subscribers must purchase the $12.50 -per -month Family Pac. First, the idea that those sub- scribing to the full cable package ought to be subsidizing those who subscribe to the cheaper options is in itself offensive. If the figures McCaw has cited prove correct, there's no legitimate reason why the 93 percent of McCaw custom- ers who continue with the Family Pac should be required to under- write monthly cable bills for the 7 percent who opt for one of the cheaper packages. But apart from that, the key phrase in all this is "anticipated loss" — in truth, the best that cable company officials can offer is an educated guess about the im- pact the two new levels of service will have on company revenues. Certainly, there is little beyond price to tempt cable subscribers to step down from the Family Pac to one of the new lower levels of ser- vice. The new $4, five- channel package, for example, includes three channels available over the air for free, a useless electronic program guide, and an indepen- dent station out of Fort Worth. The conspicuous absence from the low -cost package of an NBC affili- ate makes its value dubious at best. Further, since this proposed package seemingly violates Sec- tion 7 of the College Station cable television franchise ordinance — which requires a basic package to carry a miminum of 12 signals, including all three major networks — there is at least a legitimate question as to the legality of the proposed package. The second new option, known as Broadcast Pac, is a joke. For $6 a month, a subscriber would re- ceive 12 broadcast channels over cable. The catch is, the subscriber must first pay a $250 "activation fee" to get this service. While the size of that fee can be justified by the cost of constructing the special filters needed to make Broadcast Pac possible, the effect of so large a non - refundable fee undoubtedly will be to discourage anyone from signing up for the service. In short, it's far from certain right now that McCaw stands to lose any significant revenue by offering these two new cable op- tions. A three -month delay in the WGN cancellation decision at least would allow McCaw to gauge public acceptance and assess the actual financial impact of the new, no- frills cable options. Eagle Editorial Board 0 THE EAGLE /TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1985 Cable problems on CS agenda y Television Editor It appears that the first battle in the latest cable controversy will be fought in the College Station City Council chambers. Mayor Gary Halter said Monday that he has put the cable topic on the agenda for the June 13 meeting at 7 p.m. "We're at that point where the council will take some action," Hal- ter said. The controversy was provoked May 24 when Joe DiBacco, regional vice president for McCaw Cablevi- sion, announced four changes in the current service. One would be a five - channel Basic package consisting of Bryan's KBTX (CBS), College Sta- tion's KAMU, Temple's KCEN (NBC), Dallas independent KTVT and the Electronic Program Guide. The installation fee of $25 would be waived for those who choose to downgrade from the current $12.50 Family Pac during July. The Basic package will be $4 a month. A Broadcast Pac, consisting of eight channels, would be offered to Basic customers for an additional $2 — for a $6 monthly charge — plus a $250 installation fee for a custom - built filter. The Disney Channel would be re- duced in price from $10 to $7 per month. To cover anticipated loss of re- venues from customers who down- grade service, Chicago independent WGN would be replaced by Cable Headline News. McCaw pays a royalty fee of 46 cents and an acquisi- tion fee of 10 cents per subscriber for WGN. Critics say the new Basic package appears to violate Sect. 7 of the Col- lege Station franchise ordinance, which states: "The Company currently fur- nishes and shall continue to furnish to users a minimum of 12 signals or channels. The minimum or basic selection will include at least one sta- tion from each of the major networks (subject to availability) and all full power local stations, including the Public Broadcasting System station at Texas A &M University." None of the five basic stations offered are NBC affiliates. Halter said the ordinance appeared to require all three networks. "I've asked the city staff to look at it and report to the council," the mayor said. Halter said he had visited with Joe DiBacco, regional vice president for McCaw, before the new package was announced. "I told him I can't imagine why anybody would pay $4 for one chan- nel (KTVT) and a program listing of what channels you can't get," Halter said, referring to the EPG. Marvin Norwood, deputy city manager of Bryan, said a group had contacted him about placing the cable topic on the agenda for the next Bryan meeting. Rod Anderson, Bryan's acting city attorney, said his interpretation of Sect. 7 does not reflect a violation on McCaw's part. "If McCaw offers at least one package of at least 12 channels, they are in compliance with the franchise requirement of Sect. 7," Anderson said. "That does not mean they can't offer a smaller package. I think that is the intent of the whole thing." Sect. 7 of the Bryan ordinance does not contain the "one station of each of the major networks" clause, although the Bryan ordinance was passed with the condition that amend- ments to the College Station ordi- nance would be incorporated. Bryan Mayor Marvin Tate said that he would reserve comment until the matter came before council. In a Sunday meeting, the Cable Improvement Association announced plans to use the complaint log man- dated by the franchise ordinance to trigger a public hearing and require McCaw to conduct an independent community needs survey at its own expense. But the monthly complaint log - -- filed with each city contains recordg'' of only technical problems, say . Anderson and Cindy Magoon, Col- lege Station administrative assistant`:' The city does not have records of programming or billing complaints,. But Magoon said the number of "trouble calls," as the ordinance de- fines them, have increased from 486 in January to 912 in April. In announcing the changes; DiBacco cited the experience of the McCaw system in Victoria where 7 percent of the subscribers down- graded from a more expensive package. "If the same number downgrades' here, we'll just about break even (financially)," DiBacco said. According to Victoria City Mana- ger Jim Miller, the McCaw changes-" there were taken to circumvent a city council rejection of a rate increase. "McCaw said that under (federal) ' deregulation, they were defining' basic as seven channels and charged the same rate, $7.50, as subscriberg had been paying for 18 or 20 chan= ' nets. Then they set a rate of $5 for the additional channels- McCaw personnel referred all• questions to DiBacco, who is in Las Vegas attending the National Cable' Television Association Convention and could not be reached for com ment. Ln co rn i W D h Q W H W a C7 W W x E� Riewe and Wischmeyer, Inc., Consulting Engineers, 1701 Southwest Prkwy., Suite 100, Col- lege Station 77840 (409/696- 8630), is requesting bids for the construc- tion of Eastside Interceptor CIP Number R81 -81 -12 for the City of College Station, owner. The bids will be received by Mr. Elrey Ash, Director of Capital Im- provements, City Hall, College Station, until 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 11. All work will be included in the prime contract. A five per- cent bid bond, cashier's or cer- tified check is required with each bid. Job Number 81-5200. One set of plans and specifications is on file in The AGC Plan Rooms. THE AGC NEWS SERVICE /TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1985 A 4W E Adoption policy tightened By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer The Brazos Animal Shelter has strengthened its animal adoption pro- cedures to prevent "impulse buving." The changes will also give the shelter's staff and prospective pet owners more time to consider each adoption, staff members say. The changes were made last month to improve the chances of getting a good animal/human relationship, said Dr. William McCulloch, an advisory board member for the shel- ter. The board hopes the revisions will minimize the chances that the pet is returned or the owner dissatisfied, he said. The new procedure includes: ■ A form letter outlining some of the shelter's restrictions on adop- tions, which will be given to appli- cants before they are allowed to pick out a pet. This prevents people from "falling in love" with an animal be- fore they find out they do not meet shelter policy to adopt it, McCulloch said. ■ A five - person committee, which will evaluate each person's ap- plication before he is allowed to take home an animal. At least three of the committee members will rule on each decision. ■ A 24 -hour waiting period be- tween the time the application is made and the time the applicant can take home his new pet. ■ A set of guidelines on the reasons why a person might be re- fused a pet. The guidelines will tell applicants exactly why they were turned down, so they can appeal the decision or remedy the problems. ■ A mechanism for appeal. Peo- ple who do not believe the reasons for being turned down were valid can appeal to the entire animal shelter committee. McCulloch said the changes allow a committee rather than just one staff member to review the application and give the applicants time to sleep on their decision o get a pet. Under the old procedure, an appli- cant would pi: , k out a pet, be inter- viewed by a staff member and perhaps be able to take the pet home that day. The new policy is more fair and flexible, he said, and possibly will prevent residents who are turned down from feeling as if the refusal was arbitrary. "(The policy will) make sure that no one's trying to play God," McCulloch said. "We give exact reasons. No games played." It will also help to ensure that ap- plicants are sincere in wanting to care for an animal, he said. "(Animals) need to be petted. Y(�u need to spend some time with them, ' he said. The last cable straw Well, McCaw Cablevision has struck again! We no longer get to watch some good movies and Chica- go Cub Baseball with the elimina- tion of WGN from this viewing area. I find it strange that McCaw didn't get some subscriber input be- fore dropping WGN. I'm tired of all the duplicated programming that is now being offered and I for one will no longer put up with it. As of the date WGN is dropped, I will disconnect all cable services of McCaw. I do hope that the manager of McCaw's, allowed in his calcula- tions to break even that others like myself would just eliminate cable service completely. M.W. Lynch Bryan 0 THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1985 B -CS population rises by 25 percent Census Bureau release Odessa, 144,500, up 25 percent and Austin, 645,400, up 20 percent. The bureau also reported that Houston continued its phenomenal expansion to lead mayor urban growth in the United States. Close behind Houston was Dallas - Fort Worth, with 14.2 percent Associated Press WASHINGTON — The popula- tion of Bryan - College Station has risen by 25 percent to 117,400 since the 1970s, making this community one of the fastest - growing metropol- itan areas in the nation, according to the Census Bureau. The bureau reported Tuesday that some smaller metropolitan areas s•ach as B -CS, with less of a population base to start with, showed even greater percentages of growth than large areas. Florida and Texas accounted for 10 of the 11 fastest - growing metro areas, the bureau said. On a percent- age basis, the bureau also listed these Texas metropolitan areas as three of the fastest growing in the nation: Midland, 113,600, up 38 percent; S statistics growth to bring its population to 3,348,000. It ranked tenth in both 1980 and 1984. But San Antonio was not to be outdone. One of the 37 largest me- tropolises in the nation, it was one of eight that grew by 10 percent or more between 1980 and 1984. Metropolitan statistical areas are generally defined as regions of com- mon economic interest with a city of at least 50.000 people at the center. Ln 00 IF W 2 D h Q U) W Q W 3 W a w w x H Inadequate park maintenance It seems to me that those in charge of maintainance at the Southwood Athletic Park are shirking their re- sponsibilities. I refer specifically to the conditions in and around the res- trooms adjacent to the concession stand. The ladies' restroom is al- ways messy, with running and standing water on the floor. There is never a supply of handsoap or paper towels, and rarely, if ever, is there any toilet tissue. This situation is not a random occurrence but is constant. I am at the park twice a week for Little League games and there has never been an improvement. Is this any way to run a public facility? I hardly think so. If the City of College Station can- not or does not wish to take better care of its facilities then it had better find someone who will before the conditions at Southwood Athletic Park deteriorate beyond redemp- tion. Lynn McCarl College Station Typographical error EDITOR'S NOTE: A sentence in the last paragraph of a letter to the editor published Sunday con- tained a typographical error which reversed the point the writer had in- tended to make. The sentence in question should have read as fol- lows: "The truth is that the new basic package is inadequate and the in- termediate package, for an average household, will cost just as much as the current basic service." Pam and Ethan Grossman College Station NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: The College Station Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the question of granting a Con- ditional Use Permit for an of- fice and meeting room for St. Francis Episcopal Church in a subordinate structure located at 201 Walton. The request for Use Permit is in the name of Gordon Beall. The hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission on Thurs- day, J u n e 20, 1985. For additional information, contact the City Planner's Of- fice, (409)764 -3570. James M. Callaway Assistant Director of Planning 06 -05 -85 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: The College Station Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the question of granting a Con- ditional Use Permit for an ad- dition to the existing St. Mary's Student Center located at 103 Nagle. The request for Use Permit is in the name of St. Mary's Church. The hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meeting of the Planningg and Zoning Commission on Thurs- day, J u ne 20, 1985. For additional information, contact the City Planner's Of- fice,(409)764 -3570. James M. Callaway Assistant Director of Planning 06-05 -85 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: The College Station Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the question of granting a Con- ditional Use Permit for es- tablishing a church in an exist- ing retail space (Suite 102) in the College Station Business Center at 1501 F.M. 2818. Ap- plicant is Thomas M. Brown for South Park Evangelism Center. The hearing will be held in the Council Room of the College Station City Hall, 1101 South Texas Avenue at the 7:00 P.M. meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission on June 20,1 985. For additional information, contact the City Planner's Of- fice,(409)764 -3570. James M. Callaway Assistant Director of Planning 06 -05 -85 THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1985 No basis for cable change • The whole McCaw Basic Plan is a crock. The idea, being advanced by McCaw, is that many people will drop their Family -Pak for Channels 3, 12, 6 (Waco), and 11 (Dallas), not to mention the very useful Prog- ram Guide. Therefore, because of the expected loss of revenue, some- thing must be cut, namely WGN, a very popular TV station nationwide. Supposedly, McCaw is doing this TO us FOR us (similar to "des- troying the village to save it" don't you think ?). However, why would anyone pay $4 for 4 "must carry" channels, three of which you can get without any cable at all? With my little black and white portable TV I receive, without any cable connection, Channels 3 and 15, of course, and also Channel 6 as Channel 76 on the UHF dial. That leaves only Channel I 1 of Dallas out of my range — BIG DEAL. If I were a person interested in saving money by getting rid of the Family -Pak and acquiring the Basic package, I would save $4 more and disconnect the cable altogether. The people who are unhappy with the Family -Pak probably have already disconnected their cable or have decided to sacrifice the $12.50 a month and keep all 29 channels. I doubt very seriously that large groups of people are going to drop the Family -Pak to go to what is BASICally a lousy package. There- fore, McCaw has no real basis for dropping WGN. Unless, however, it is to cut services, while increasing profit, and in turn, alienating many viewers. They seem to have done the latter very well since coming to town. Carl M. Richard Bryan CS zoning panel to meet The College Station Planning and Zoning Commis- sion will meet at 7 p.m. today in City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. Public hearings will be held on: ■ Whether a conditional use permit should be granted to Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church to estab- lish a church on Krenek Tap Road, across the street from Central Park. ■ Whether a conditional use permit should be granted to the Aldersgate United Methodist Church for expansion of its daycare center. The church is asking for permission to expand from 72 children two morn- ings a week to 87 children two mornings a week and 35 children one morning a week. ■ A final re- subdivision of Lot 1, Block I of the Chimney Hill retail plaza subdivision. Commissioners also will consider final plats on lots in Oak Lake Estates, Woodway Village section two, Southwood Valley section 25 -A, Schick Addition sub- division and the Petterak subdivision. A master preliminary plat will be considered for the Fraternity Row subdivision. THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 1985 • McCaw setting off tremors • PAUL McKAY/ The Brazo Observer One has to understand a few basics about earthquakes to know how McCaw Cablevision causes such massive ones: According to a scientific theory, the surface of the earth has about 20 rigid plates that move by each other very slowly. This subtle motion stretches rocks. When the force becomes intense, rocks rupture, the ground warps and foul words fall from people's lips as they shake, rattle and roll. When McCaw recently announced more changes in current service, the ensuing quake registered 8.9 on the , local Richter scale — a new record. The old record, 8.8, was held by McCaw. Any earthquake above 8.0 is consi- dered rare but extremely dangerous. Scientists classify it as "a doozy." But McCaw frequently sets off terrible "tremors" that go unnoticed by the public. For example, my wife called McCaw Tuesday to order the Disney channel for our kids. The McCaw rep said fine — we'll need a $25 deposit. Whereupon my wife said, "What ?!? We've had cable in this town for eight years — what do you need a deposit for ?" This came in the wake of much frustration over a bill that's been de- linquent for months because McCaw's computer, or whatever is in charge of bank drafts, refuses or forgets to draft payment. This matter already had triggered a couple of doozies in my mate, who happens to be a tightfisted banker. You might have heard the rumbling and foul words. Apparently she didn't get a satis- factory answer over the deposit, be- cause her Richter count almost hit doozy once more. Of course, McCaw isn't the only outfit that causes earthquakes — Bryan Utilities has been setting them off for years. One can pass by the Bryan Utilities building on just about any given day and find some frus- trated soul on the front lawn, quaking. General Telephone creates mild tremors, too. In me. Sometimes I'll get a phone call through, after repe- ated attempts, only to have my ear overwhelmed by noise that sounds like Beethoven's Scratch in G. Of course, the Eagle itself sets off seismic waves that could bring down tall buildings. Consider the recent series on homosexuals. After the articles appeared, I was standing in line at the supermarket, scanning a copy of People as I waited in the express line, thinking, "This is express ?" and trying desperately to ignore the M &M display. A lady in line recognized me, either from the mu_ g that appears above this column or one at the Post Office. Lady says, "I DON'T KNOW WHY YAW THINK YAW HAVE TO GIVE QUEER PEOPLE SO MUCH PUBLICITY WHEN THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE DOING GOOD THINGS IN THIS COMMUNITY!" Whole cans of chicken tuna rup- tured. The floor on aisle five warped. It was all I could do to hold on to my six -pack of one - calorie, no -salt, Nut - ra- sweetened, non- Saccharined, du- bious-tasting Diet Cokes. Mother Earth is cracking all around. Free fishing in College Station The fish will be jumpin' Saturday in Brothers Pond in College Station. The pond will be stocked with catfish suitable for eating, courtesy of the College Station Parks and Recreation Department. Fishing will be held all day at the pond, which is located at 3100 Rio Grande St. The fishing is free, but it's B.Y.O.W. — bring your own worms. THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 1985 Plenty of differences Bill Youngblood's somewhat sca- talogical column on May 28 shows that his visit to Bryan- College Sta- tion was singularly unobservant. Anyone who lives in Bryan - College Station recognizes marked differ- ences in the character of the two cities, and I suspect most of us like it that way. Place rating is a sensible approach to a complex problem. On many in- dices Bryan is not as well off as College Station. Even a quick glance at census material, police sta- tistics, and sales tax receipts would have shown Youngblood why. In- comes are lower and many more people are below the poverty line in Bryan. Murder rates are higher in Bryan. Bryan has more substandard and older homes. Plumbing helps measure whether those homes have been upgraded to more modern stan- dards. Many businesses have recent- ly moved out of Bryan in College Station. None of this means Bryan is parti- cularly inferior to College Station, only that it cannot be ranked as high- ly on these relatively easily mea- sured variables. Some people pre- sumably value lower taxes and lack of zoning more highly. If they did not, economic conditions being equal, they probably would not live in Bryan. For others tower living costs in Bryan are crucial to their economic well - being. Perhaps next time Bill Young- blood deigns to set foot in the twin cities he will look at Downtown Bryan and Bryan's northern residen- tial areas. Then perhaps he will understand that there are more than enough differences between the two cities to account for a substantial variation in their ranking. Peter J. Hugill College Station A little concern would help McCaw Cablevision still seems to be having trouble on the Customer Relations front. A starting point for improving the company's image and soothing the feathers of it's consti- tuency would be to simply make per- sonnel available during normal busi- ness hours to answer the telephone. When one has a question or com- plaint, it doesn't help matters to be frustrated by a constant busy signal. 1. More phone lines and/or more per - it be such a "big deal" to simply reach someone to discuss one's account with; which was, after all, sonnel would indicate a concern for the "concerns" of the "captive cus- tomers" of this monopoly. Few people have the time to make multiple attempts over and over again, throughout the day, only to be again frustrated! Any business whose prime product is service should be aware of what the word service means. The reason that little concern is demonstrated is simple; there is no competition! Why should the original problem? H.A. Taylor Bryan Panel approves expansion of day -care center The College Station Planning and Zoning Commission has approved expanding the Aldersgate United Methodist Church day -care center. Commissioners approved Thurs- day the expansion from 72 children two mornings a week to 90 children two mornings a week and 40 children one morning a week. The commission also approved: ■ A conditional use permit for the Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church to establish a church on Krenek Tap Road across the street from Central Park. ■ A final plat for Oak Lake Estates. ■ A final resubdivision plat for lots 3 through 7 of block 2 in Wood - way Village section two. ■ A final resubdivision plat of lot 1, block 1 of the Schick addition sub- division. ■ A final plat for the Petterak sub- division. ■ A master preliminary plat for Fraternity Row off of Luther Street. Milking benefit for Rehab Milkmaids they are not, but close to 30 local celebri- ties will try their hands at the task to raise money for the Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center Saturday. The crew and six cows from the Texas A &M Dairy Farm will gather in the Post Oak Mall near Dillard's at 2 p.m. to see how much they can milk. Milkers include several members from Bryan and College Station city councils, College Station Mayor Gary Halter, Fred Brown, Bryan Sgt. Choya Walling and College Station Lt. Bernie Kapella, Mary Mike Hatcher from KTAM, Skip Bishop from KKYS -FM, Jeff Braun from KBTX— TV, Roy Gene Munse of KORA —FM, Beverly Malaz- zo of First Bank and Trust, Virginia Kirk of the Eagle and Steve Aldridge of A.G. Edwards and Sons. Ben Downs of KORA will serve as master of ceremonies. Pledges can be made based on the group milking 250 ounces. Ic THE EAGLE/FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 1985 CS fire station expansion under way C1 • By VIRGINIA KIRK Staff Writer The building shook a bit last week as the air hammer did its job, but the small discomforts should pay off when College Station firefighters get a chance to spread out in a few months. Work began last month to add an additional 4,000 square feet of office space to the Central Fire Station at 1101 Texas Avenue. The construc- tion should be completed in De- cember. The addition and some remodeling of space was approved in a bond elec- tion in January 1984. Fire Chief Douglas Landua said the expansion should cost $565,000, including fur- nishings. Like the planned police de- partment expansion, the fire depart- ment expansion will be able to go up to four stories if there is ever a need. The department was built in 1968 1 and housed the police and fire depart- ment until 1978. It was renovated in 1979 but the firefighters are starting to outgrow it. "We want to allow a little more room for shift personnel and a train- ing room of sufficient size. We're going to move the offices now in Central into the addition," Landua said. The old space will be used to give the captains and lieutenants of each 24 -hour shift their own offices. All three fire inspectors will have their own offices and evidence rooms. The dispatch area — now run with computers — will be enclosed in- stead of having the public walk by it. The kitchen will be expanded be- cause it is only equipped for four fire- fighters instead of the 15 now on a shift. A microfilm room has also been planned and Fire Marshal Harry Davis said he would like to see all records and blueprints of local build- ings stored on microfilm. The addition was designed by Holster and Associates of College Station and wih blend in with the main building. It's not too notice- able, Landua said, but the fire build -. ing's color is not an exact match with City Hall next door and the complex will be repainted when everything is finished. The space should serve for the next five to 10 years at the very least, Davis said. Living space is not being expanded for the officers. When more firefighters are needed, they will be put at future substations, Landua said. The department is also waiting for plans to be designed for its third sta- tion on Sebesta Road on the east side of the East Bypass, • THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 1985 Eagle photo by Dave MCLXTf= l These construction workers can't get too fired up, but they're working hard on the expansion of the College Station Fire Depart- ment. Fire Chief Douglas Landua and Fire Marshal Harry Davis look over the plans for the addition that should be finished by December. McCaw ready criticism despit with chang But "subject t to availability" means off -air or that a signal can be received without being on cable in Bryan- College Station, DiBacco said. "I put that phrase in there, so I ought to know what it means. There is no NBC station available off -air in this community," he said. Following announcement of the new Basic, DiBacco maintained that Federal Communications Commis- sion rules precluded the addition of any signal other than stations trams - mitting locally in the basic package. But FCC attorney Richard Kalb disagreed with DiBacco's opinion. The current cable communications act defines "basic" as "any service tier which includes the retransmis- sion of local television broadcast sig- nals. " This does not exclude any other signals from being offered in such a package, Kalb said. DiBacco said adding additional signals in the basic package. would affect FCC rulings in other areas of cable regulation, but declined to pro- By JIM BUTLER Television Editor McCaw Cablevision is prepared to proceed July 1 with recently announced changes, its regional vice president said Friday, despite citizen criticism of the proposal. Regional Vice President Joe DiBacco maintained in a Friday inter- view that there is a "legitimate need for more affordable package." "Our main objective was to satisfy the demand for a more affordable package," DiBacco said, referring to the 5- channel, $4 Basic package announced May 24. "Though there has not been a pub- lic outcry for such a service in the last couple of months, as there were in the months after we announced the Fami- ly Pac (29 channels for $12.50), peo- ple have. consistently asked why we don't offer a low -cost package," he said. According to DiBacco, the low - priced package will result in a loss of revenues. "My options were to raise the price of the Family Pac, which the majority of subscribers would find objectionable at this time, or reduce expenses," he said, explaining why he chose to exchange Chicago's WGN for Cable Headline News. Because of a 1983 ruling by the Copyright Royalty Tribunal, cable systems are forced to pay 3.75 per- cent of gross revenues for the use of certain "distant signals." In the Bryan - College Station market, those stations are Houston's Ch. 20, Atlan- ta's WTBS and WGN. "WGN was the obvious choice to drop," DiBacco said, referring to a 1983 -84 Nielsen ratings survey which showed WGN with a 1 percent share of the market. DiBacco said the company could not wait to see the community's re- sponse to the new Basic before drop- ping WGN because a new accounting period for the copyright tribunal be- gins July 1. "If we carry that station just one day beyond that, we have to pay for a full six months," he said. "We announced the changes more than 30 days in advance so that sub- scribers would not have it happen overnight, as it did under the previous operators in 1983," DiBacco said. He was referring to Midwest Video's and Community Cablevision's earlier decision to drop WTBS, WGN, New York's WOR and Houston's Ch. 26 to avoid copyright increases. DiBacco said his position on Sect. 7 of each city's franchise ordinance agrees with the interpretation of acting Bryan city: attorney Rod Anderson. E Sect. 7 says, "The Company ... shall furnish to users a minimum of twelve signals or channels." "That doesn't limit me to offering less if the people want an option for less," DiBacco said. The College Station ordinance contains a further clause which states in part, "The minimum or basic selection will include at least one sta- tion from each of the major networks (subject to availability)." Since the new Basic does not con- tain an NBC affiliate, the package would not appear to comply with that clause. vide an example. The Cable Improvement Associa- tion, which plans to make a presenta- tion at the College Station City Coun- cil meeting Thursday, has said it will ask the council to require McCaw to make a community needs survey to determine whether WGN should be exchanged for Cable Headline News. "They (the CIA) will have to prove a community need for WGN, whose program type (old movies, syndicated reruns and baseball) is duplicated throughout the system," DiBacco said. "That will be very dif- ficult." Ln 00 rn ra 00 W DW H 2 1< �:) t4 h t7a FC W W x H Cable company survey bodes ill for subscribers Lq. When attendees at the National Cable Television Association Con- vention left Las Vegas Thursday, they must have had smiles as big as Fort Knox on their faces. And it wasn't because they hit the jackpot on the dollar slots. According to a news release from the convention, cable households will grow by 40 percent while re- venues will double and profits after taxes will triple in the next five years. The analysis by Arthur D. Little Inc., concluded that a new federal law deregulating cable will "contri- bute to the industry's strong financial performance. " "For the first time, the cable in- dustry will be producing significant amounts of cash that can be used to pay dividends, acquire other cable companies, or diversify into other in- dustries," the report said. Sorry, no mention of improved consumer services here. The report, commissioned by the NCTA, includes these conclusions: — Additional rate flexibility pro- vided by the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 will enable the cable industry to generate approx- imately $800 million more in re- venues during 1985 -90 than would have occurred if rate regulation were continued. (Subscriber translation. higher rates.) — Deregulation will also increase operating cash flow by $800 million as a result of higher margins in basic services and the reduced cost of franchise compliance. (Subscriber translation: higher rates.) — Due to the renewal provisions of the Cable Communications Policy Act, capital requirements are ex- pected to be $600 million lower from 1985 to 1990 than they would have been had the Act not been passed. (Subscriber translation: fewer service upgrades.) — Net income is expected to be $500 million higher over the next five years than it would have been had the Act not been passed. — Of cable's total revenues of $16.5 billion in 1990, nearly 81 per- cent or $13.3 billion will be gener- ated by basic, expanded basic and • pay channel fees. (Subscriber transla- tion: higher rates.) We can all send a big "thank you" to our representatives in Washington for opening this treasure chest to cable companies. Nowhere in the NCTA release is there any mention of how all this will benefit consumers. That should give you a pretty good idea where the cable industry's priorities lie. Satellite dish owners will be in- terested in another communique from the convention. The firm of Malarkey- Taylor Associates Inc. released research showing that "cable operators and programmers can increase their bot- tom line by about $400 million over the next five years, if necessary sys- tems for scrambling 20 or more satel- lite signals is in effect by early 1986." The report said that "efficient de- livery of scrambled signals to homes with satellite dishes must go hand in hand with scrambling. The study noted that the technical ability is now available to deliver scrambled signals from any number of programmers to homes with dishes, using one central host computer." The firm proposes that dish owner, could buy a single in -home decoder for approximately $400 and buy a package of scrambled programming services for a monthly fee. I have no problem with that scenar- io, provided that cable companies aren't given a monopoly to market the service. Cable operators would be motivated to discourage dish sales in franchise areas by charging prices in excess of what cable subscribers pay. Rural dish owners would be penal- ized in the process. For example, McCaw's program- ming costs for 17 satellite signals (not counting pay channels) is approx- imately $3.30. They charge $12.50 for those and broadcast signals to cover operating costs and capital ex- penses (with a deserved profit thrown in). Since a dish owner has already paid for the hardware, his cost for programming should be considerably less. Scrambling is also tied in with the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 which gave dish owners the right to receive satellite signals that were not encrypted and marketed by the signal providers. In addition, the Federal Com- munications Commission has deter- mined that any three broadcast sig- nals are enough to provide sufficient competition for a cable system, as provided for in the Act, so that the cities of Bryan and College Station will lose any rate regulation powers as of Dec. 31, 1986. Do you think that three channels is fair competition for 29? As the smoke clears from this act and the ramifications are being felt around the country, it appears that our elected representatives have sold: the farm to the cable industry. Unless, there is a great groundswell of public outrage, there's not a darn thing we can do about it. Enough said about McCaw I am sick and tired of reading ev- ery day about McCaw Cablevision. If that many people are unhappy then why don't they do something about it instead of complaining? Cancel their subscription. This would make McCaw take notice if enough cancelled and who knows, people might see that there are other things to do besides sitting in front of a TV every. -day. Vicky Burnett Bryan THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 1985 C Big losers in cable change Holy Cow! It might be ... It could be ... It is! Corporate profits have finally overcome any pretense of community service. McCaw Cab - levision is dropping WGN. While this may seem like a trivial program- ming decision with little or no larger consequences, there are many clear losers and only one apparent winner with this decision. The winner is obvious — McCaw Cablevision's profit margin. Charge the same price for one fewer station in a market where you have a monopoly on a highly desired pro- duct and presto, higher returns on investor money. But who are the los- ers? As I see it there are four. First, McCaw Cablevision itself is a clear loser. McCaw loses what- ever was left of its good name and credibility with the B -CS com- munity. Second, Chicago Cubs fans like myself are clear losers. We lose ac- cess to an important form of daily entertainment; we lose contact with interesting and educational persona- lities such as Harry Caray and Steve Stone; and more personally, we lose a source of social contact throughout the local community. Third, my friends and neighbors are clearly losers. Everyone enjoys WGN for their own reasons. For some of us, baseball is the primary attraction. But for many of my friends, WGN's largest service is the powerful lineup of prime time movies they present — always orga- nized in an interesting thematic way each week. For still others, WGN supplies a ready access to classic television programs, available only sporadically on many other TV sta- tions. Fourth, the Bryan - College Sta- tion community is clearly a loser. Bryan - College Station is a relatively insular community which has for the past decade or more been taking steps to transcend the geographical limitations imposed by its central Texas isolation. The whole point be- hind cable service in the first place is to enhance our ties to other regions of the country, not to reinforce the isolation created by being a hundred miles from anywhere. Satellite en- hanced cable service puts McLu- han's vision of a "Global Village" within our reach. But, with the loss of WGN, the B -CS community will have no readily available sustained contact with the interests and values of any region of the country outside of the mid - central South. Rather than cutting us off from the Midwest region by dropping WGN, McCaw should have been serving the B -CS community by looking for ways to add East Coast and West Coast sta- tions to its lineup. Hopefully, McCaw will soon rethink its social role in bringing cable service to our community. At the present, McCaw may be a win- ner in the profit margin race, but all the rest of us are a little poorer for their small victory. John H. Powers College Station THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, JUNE 9, 1985 An inalienable right to TV? We're granted Life, Liberty and the pursuit of all the TV channels in the galaxy, right? Then, to establish justice and in- sure domestic tranquility, me and my dogs are now trained to attack every man, woman and child named "McCaw." Harriet Martin College Station • NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING fe ON TAX INCREASE The City of College Station will hold a public hearing on a proposal to increase total tax re- venues from properties on the tax roll in 1985 by 9.03 percent. Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depend- ing on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property. • Thep g public hearing will be held on Monday, ` June 17, 1985 at 7:00 p.m. at the College Station City Hall. FOR the proposal: Mayor Gary Halter Councilman James Bond Councilwoman Patricia Boughton Councilman Robert Runnels AGAINST the proposal: Councilwoman Terri Tongco Councilwoman Lynn McIlhaney ABSENT and not voting: Councilman Fred Brown is THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, JUNE 9, 1985 THE EAGLE /TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 1985 CS parks board to meet Schultz elected to post The College Station Parks and Recreation Board will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the City Council chambers of Developer E.W. "Eddie" Schultz has been elected City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. chairman of the board of the College Station Development Public hearings will be held on the Richard Carter Park Foundation. final plan, the Lincoln Center landscape plan and Hensel The board met last week, Schultz said, for its organizes- Park design concepts. tional meeting. Dick Haddox was elected vice chairman The board also will discuss Lincoln Center's hours of and Bill Sensibaugh was elected secretary- treasurer. operation. College Station City Councilman Fred Brown said the board also drew lots to detemnine the length of terms for the members. Those who drew three -year terms were Eddie Joe Davis, Move the Steve Hansen and Sensibaugh. Two-year terms went to Shultz, Britt Rice, and Phil Springer. One -year terms were utility meters drawn by Bill Cooley and Haddox. Brown is the council liaison to the board and serves as its ninth member. The board also reappointed Dennis Goehring president This "Man bites dog" ordinance bothers me, and the whole thing is of the foundation. As president, Goehring is the founda- so needless. Why must these utility lion's only staff member. Brown said the board did not meters be placed inside back yards? establish Gcehring's salary. If they were routinely installed the The previous board of the foundation recently approved side of houses, outside any fencing, new bylaws, under which the College Station City Council they would be out of sight yet more appoints board members. The foundation plans to develop a high -tech industrial easily accessible than they are now. Where is it engraved in stone that park in south College Station. —HUGH NATIONS only the back yard will do'? My dog's residence is his back yard, and he takes his responsibility for that residence seriously. A very friendly dog when the occasion is normal, he does not take kindly to Give viewers strangers invading his residence un- invited. This is one of the many reasons we have a dog. For people fir what they want who work to have to keep their dog chained (wrong!) or in the house (could be a messy solution) all day Come on, McCaw. Quit trying to for three days is an imposition. If the take us for a ride. You are offering a problem houses are as accurately worthless 5 channel "Basic Pack- identifiable as the ordinance report age" for $4, then you are making would indicate, those few should be the remaining 93 percent of your scheduled specifically for one day, cable subscribers pay for the pro- and the meter - readers should adhere jected revenue loss by dropping to that schedule. WGN. The Chicago station is surely I fully appreciate the meter - one of your more popular channels readers' plight; they should not have and getting another 24 hour news to work in fear of attack by dogs. We channel in it's place is no consola- home - owners and renters must have tion. our rights respected, too, however. Here is another laugher you gave If I were not so dependent on their us: a -ttew 8 channel "Broadcast products and they were not so much Pac" for a mere $250 (installation bigger than I, in the corporate sense, fee)' plus $6 a month. You must I'd tell those companies to move think we are all idiots. their meters if where they put them Pull your head out and give your now proves to he their dumb mis- paying subscribers what they would take. This is cost - prohibitive, I like to see. And if you don't know know ... but whatcha wanna bet what that is, why don't you just ask they're still putting 'em in the back us? yard in each new installation? Scott Raisor College Station Elizabeth Stewart College Station THE EAGLE /TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 1985 A C WGN to stay on local cable By JIM BUTLER Television Editor Chicago independent television station WGN will remain on McCaw Cablevision, Joe DiBacco, McCaw regional vice president, announced at a press conference Tuesday. On May 25, DiBacco announced that WGN would be replaced by Cable Headline News to compensate for expected losses resulting from a new $4 Basic Service. "After reviewing the comments received and in consultation with members of the Bryan and College Station city council(s), it was decided to leave WGN on cable channel 33," DiBacco said. "This demonstrates that McCaw does listen to its subscribers," he said. "We made the announcement of our changes 35 days in advance to allow for comment on that action, and we have responded to those com- ments. " McCaw will go forward with its new Basic and an eight - channel Broadcast Pac, DiBacco said. In addition, Cable Headline News will be added to the Family Pac on Ch. 15. DiBacco said there would be no rate increase connected with the retention of WGN. Asked whether an NBC station would be added to the new Basic, DiBacco said: "It will not contain an NBC affili- ate for two reasons. One is that the franchise ordinance requires NBC only if available over the air to con- sumers, and it is not. The other is that technical problems with (cable) Ch. 3 prevent using it for a broadcast signal at this time." College Station Mayor Gary Hal- ter, who was present at the news con- ference, said he did not agree with DiBacco's interpretation of the franchise, but that he was happy with the WGN decision. "I'm very pleased they decided to do this. It should be a very popular decision," Halter said. "The in- teresting question is how much they are going to lose (by offering the $4 Basic). In six or eight months, we'll have an answer to that question." "A lot of baseball fans are going to be happy," said Bryan City Council- man Peck Vass of the WGN decision. Vass also likes the basic package offering. "I've gotten a lot of petitions in the last few months from people who say the $12.50 is eating into their budget. The cheaper package should help them out." DiBacco was asked if he antici- pated the community reaction to the dropping of WGN. "Given the large number of people we serve, we expected some negative comments. I think the press coverage was far disproportionate to the num- Turn to WGN, page 6A Q� ° c°U U -- ^'� 5 C ¢ H T ao 0 0 C U lu�� O gY �Z �.Cd �--� U 3 Y E a4 U 3 v v v V o r4 00 t � > C 0 U > C.� �= v -2 m > c . o C, a U U THE EAGLE/WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1985 Joe DiBacco C CS council meets today The College Station City Council will discuss the indust- rial foundation budget today in its workshop meeting. The meeting will be held at 4 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. Council members also will consider handicapped facili- ties along Nagle Street, nominations to the Teen Center Board, administrative and citizen committee appointments and pending litigation. In its regular meeting Thursday, to begin at 7 p.m. at City Hall, the council will reopen the discussion of provid- ing bike paths on Southwest Parkway. A discussion of cable television also is on the agenda, and interested citizens will be able to voice their opinions on cable service in the area. Four public rezoning hearings will be held, including: ■ Lots 1-4 of block D in the University Park Section 1 subdivision, located at Spring Loop and Tarrow Street, frvm apartments low density district R-4 to general com- mercial C-1. ■ About 2 acres of land on Brazoswood Drive west of the East Bypass from townhouse - rowhouse R -3 to adminis- trative- professional A -P. ■ Lots 1 -B, 2 and 3 of block 1 of the Kirkpatrick subdivision, from apartments medium density R -5 to gener- al commercial C-1. ■ Lot 19, block 5 of University Oaks 2 subdivision from duplex R -2 to apartments medium density R -5. — DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Zoning panel resets meeting The College Station Planning and Zoning Commission's first regular meeting for July has been changed from July 4 to July 2. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall, 1101 Texas Avenue. The change will move the early July deadline from Friday to today for submitting rezoning requests, prelimin- ary plats or anything requiring legal notice to meet require- ments for advertising. For more information, call the planning department at 764 -3570. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The Zoning Board of Adjust ment I for the City f College Station will considera regust j for a variance in the name of: Richard B.Konzen 2728 Normand Circle College Station, TX 77840 Said case will be heard by the he Board at the regular in the council R College Texs Station City Avenue at 7'.00 P.M. on Tues- day, June 18,198 The nature of the case is as follows Variance r setback for an acceso located ry at2728 Normand Circle. Further information is availa- ble at the office of the Zoning Official of 76 i of College Station,( 1 Jane R. Kee Zoning Official oR-12-8 TO WHOM ITMAYCo CONCERN: The Zoning Board ment for the City of College Station will consider a request for avariance in the name of: David F. Dean 524 University Drive E College Station, TX 77840 Said case will be heard by t h Board at the regular in the Council Room, College exas Station City Hall, Avenue at 7:00 P.M. on Tues- day, June 18, 1985. The nature of the case is as follows: regulations Variance to sign xisting in order to add to � eocated non - conforming 9 at 524 University Drive E. Further information is availa- ble at the office of the f College Official o 76 -3570. o Station, ( ) Jane R. Kee Zoning Official 0606- 12� - - - -- o w THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1985 00 rn Ni W H Oh H a - E E-� Q F1, to P� W W Q xw E-I �3: By DARYN DEZENGOTITA Reporter Bryan- College Station residents need no longer be outraged. McCaw Cablevision will not drop Chicago independent channel WGN from its programming, a company official said Tuesday. "We depended heavily on an A.C. Nielsen survev which indicated viewership of WGN in Brazos County was approximately one per- cent," Joseph DiBacco, McCaw regional vice president told reporters at a press conference. "This report, together with our own infor- mal survey, indicated dropping WGN would be an acceptable alternative to an increase in the price of the Family Pac." The decision to delete WGN and replace it with Cable Headline News was it move to lower expenses in order to offset the losses re- sulting from the introduction of' a $4 Basic ca- ble service, one of four planned changes in the current service, DiBacco said. The Basic package would consist of five sta- tions: Brvan's KBTX (CBS), College Station's KAML:, Dallas independent KT\'T, Temple's KCEN and the Electronic Program Guide. People who choose to downgrade their service from the current Family Pac to the Ba- sic package in July would not Piave to pay the S25 installation fee. The Family Pac costs $12.50. For an additional $2 a month, Basic viewers could purchase the eight - channel Broadcast Pac. Gustomers who purchase this package also would have to pay a $250 installation fee for custom -built filter. "McCaw is attempting to meet community needs by offering an economically priced Ba- sic cable service," DiBacco said. However, he said, after the on nal May 26 announcement, McCaw received about 150 calls while Bryan and College Station officials received around 30 calls and 10 letters. After reviewing these comments and hear- ing the concerns of the two city councils, the companv decided to leave WGN on cable channel 33, the same position it has occupied since the establishment of the Family Pac. Critics charge the new Basic package vio- lates Section 7 of the College Station franchise ordinance because none of the five stations offered are NBC; affiliates. Section 7 states: "The Company currently furnishes and shall continue to Furnish to users a minimum off 2 signals or channels. The minimum or basic selection 'will in- clude at least one station from each of the ma- jor networks (subject to availability) and all full power local stations, including the PBS station at Texas A &M." In response, DiD acco , said the city council only requires three networks if they are avail -, able. Due to unavoidable technical interference from local broadcast station KBTX, McCaw cannot add an NBC affiliate and remain in accordance with Federal Communications Commission regulations. McCaw will add CNN Headline Service which provides continuous news, updated and repeated every 30 minutes, 24 hours da- ily. It will occupy the previously unused chan- nel 15. DiBacco said that the first decision to drop WGN was made without consultation. "We did an informal survey," he said. "And the Nielsen ratings are a nationally accredited service. With the number of subscribers we have, some complaints were probable, but the amount of' press coverage was disproportio- nate. "The press overplayed it for their own ben- efit. We listened to the viewers and respond- ed." Although McCaw already has received calls about the $12.50 Family Pac, the company will not start accepting orders for the service until June 17. McCaw will not drop WGN fromservice CS development foundation budget OK'd By HUGH NATIONS Business Writer The College Station City Council Wednesday allocated $120,000 to fi- nance the city's development founda- tion for its next fiscal year. Both Councilwoman Lynn McIlhaney and Councilwoman Terri Tongco voted against portions of the proposed funding. The funding will he close to double the $65,000 the council had approved for the College Station Development Foundation this year. However, the foundation never re- ceived that allocation. The city re- fused to release the 1984 -85 funds to the foundation in the absence of a written agreement on the services it was to provide in exchange for the funds. Board Chairman E.W. "Eddie" Schultz presented a 1985 -86 founda- tion budget of $108,000. But, Schultz said that figure does not in- clude approximately $12,000 that the city advanced to the foundation to tide it over this year. Tongco moved the approval of the main budget, but both she and McIlhaney voted against an amend- ment authorizing the $108,000 plus an additional $12,000 to repay the city. When that amendment passed 5 -2, McIlhaney then opposed the motion to approve the proposed budget. But Mayor Gary Halter said the city should allocate the $120,J00 to give the new industrial foundation board a vote of confidence. Schultz told the council, in his first appearance before it as foundation board chairman, that he expects the foundation to seek even greater finan- cial contributions from the city in fu- ture years. Additional funding will be neces- sary, he said, until such time as the foundation's economic development program begins to bear fruit. Schultz also said the new board of directors wants to become complete- ly independent of the city. Already, DiBacco target of threats, vandalism By CARMELITA BEVILL Staff Writer Some angry subscribers apparently took drastic and illegal steps to show their annoyance with a local cable television company last week. McCaw Cablevision's regional manager, recently the center of a he- ated controversy involving proposed cable service cuts, was the target of several incidents of vandalism and threats beginning last Thursday. Joe DiBacco reported to College Station police that he received a thre- atening letter Saturday morning. Earlier last week, DiBacco said, he received several threatening phone calls. The phone calls and the letter contained obscene language and sug- gestions which he "would not care to repeat," he said. The letter and phone calls were all related to McCaw's announced inten- tion to remove station WGN from local cable service. McCaw had announced on May 25 that WGN would be removed from cable chan- nel 33, to be replaced by Cable Head- line News. DiBacco also reported that his Col- lege Station home had been vandal- ized. Chemicals were sprayed or poured on the grass in his front yard, causing a pattern of obscene words to become visible when the grass died. Several boards were also broken off the fence in his yard, DiBacco said. Despite the threats and vandalism, DiBacco said, he still considers Col- lege Station " a great place to live." he said, the board has selected an outside accountant and plans to select an outside attorney. Within the past two months, the old board of the development founda- tion approved new bylaws, under which the City Council appoints the Ln foundation directors. Previously, the 00 board had been self- perpetuating; the board itself filled vacancies. generally so friendly and hospitable. We're not soured on the area by these incidents, not by any means, but it was a pretty distressing experience. " On Tuesday, Di Bacco announced at a press conference that WGN would not be removed from McCaw's service. He indicated that public reaction to the proposed service change was a factor in the decision, and he said "It was really a shock," he said, there would be no rate increase con- more so because it was totally unex- nected with keeping WGN as part of pected. We've found this area to be McCaw's primary service package. M W 2 D h K4 Q c4 D x E-1 w a w w M W E-+ Teen Center Board appointed • The College Station City Council appointed 16 members to its Teen Center Board Wednesday. Sixth - graders appointed to the board are Bridget Cooper, Shellie Gilmore, Suzanna Henderson, Laurin Marchbanks, Jessica Marcot- te, Elissa Rayford, Melane CS council OKs handicap facilities The College Station City Council approved $15,000 in handicap facili- ties Wednesday to be built along Nagle Street in Northgate. A four - foot -wide sidewalk will be built along Nagle from Cross to Church Street, and ramps and tire stops will be installed on Nagle also. Work should begin in six to eight weeks and take about a month to complete, city officials said. Reynolds, Ashley Stallings, Jennifer Weitman and Deborah Yates. Members in the seventh grade are Ryan Martell, John Pollock, Tami Smith, Ann Striegler and Melissa Wheeldon. Kelley Ann Ney was the only eighth - grader appointed to the board. Get the numbers right If a county grows 25 percent in five years, and 25 percent more from the new base in the next five, it's growth over the decade will be 56.25 percent, not 50 percent. Your writer made the mistake of just adding percentage increments all through the article on Bryan- College Station growth (Eagle, June 5). In the 70's, B -CS grew 61.4 per- cent. Well, if the Dun & Bradstreet 28.1 percent estimate of our growth in the first five years is right, and if it keeps up, we'll have a growth over the decade of over 64 percent. That's more than in the 70's. The Texas highway department's 30 per- cent estimate projects to 69 percent over the decade. By two of the three estimates of B -CS growth, we are growing faster than ever. Doug Hensley College Station THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1985 ;a WGN —the station that can't get away In Bryan - College Station, WGN is proving more difficult to dispatch than The Terminator. In case you didn't see the movie, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays this cyborg from the future who keeps coming at you despite shotgun blasts, a gasoline tank truck explosion and a bomb right in the middle of his metal skeleton. The Chicago independent televi- sion station is best known for its car- riage of the once -lowly Chicago Cubs but also is purveyor of movie classics and old sitcoms (not to mention Bozo the Clown — not to be confused with Harry Caray). In 1983, Community Cablevision and Midwest Video tried to avoid forking over generous amounts of money to the Copyright Royalty Tri- bunal by dropping WGN and other independents. Citizen outrage re- sulted in WGN and WTBS being re- turned to the cable lineup. In 1985, McCaw Cablevision, again to cushion a negative impact on the bottom line, said that WGN would be sent to the showers, and Cable Headline News would be cal- JIM BUTLER Television led in from the bullpen. At least McCaw was nice enough to give 30 days notice. McCaw had to decide between fac- ing the wrath of some very upset female senior citizens or sticking with WGN. Having talked to some of these ladies on the phone, I have no doubt they could present convincing testimony to city council members. Sure, there were other people up- set, but these particular Cubs fans are ones I wouldn't want campaigning against me. I don't know what made the differ- ence in McCaw deciding to leave WGN alone. Maybe it was the com- plaints of Polly Parks, outspoken Cubs fan from Bryan. Maybe it was a sincere desire not to alienate some percent of its subscribers. Whatever the reason, WGN will be with us for awhile, and McCaw de- serves commendation for having the courage to change its mind. It will be interesting to see what effect McCaw's most recent announcement will have at the Col- lege Station City Council meeting tonight. There is. no doubt that the WGN situation caused the most up- roar. Ironically, that is one change McCaw could make with complete legal impunity. Cable's First Amendment rights preclude anybody, including city council, from telling them which spe- cific stations to offer, just as no one can tell the Eagle or the television stations or the radio stations what stories to cover. However, city councils do have enforcement authority on a franchise ordinance. Will College Station councilmem- bers decide that Sect. 7 requires McCaw "to furnish to users a mini- mum of twelve signals or channels" and "at least one station from each of the major networks (subject to availa- bility)?" Or will they decide that these pro- visions do not prohibit a 5- channel basic package that does not contain an NBC affiliate? The sad thing is that there is a legitimate need, as McCaw has rec- ognized, for a low -cost package to serve low- income households. But is it fair to deprive these households of the opportunity to view such fine family fare as The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Highway to Heaven and Gimme A Break, or such quality pro- ductions as Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere? A full complement of network sta- tions, including Public Broadcasting Service affiliate KAMU, should be a part of any basic package. Federal Communications Com- mission attorney Richard Kalb says that College Station's franchise is within its rights in requiring that. And if there's a technical problem with channel space, as McCaw main- tains, the FCC provides a mechanism for getting Dallas independent KTVT waived from the "must carry" com- plement for Bryan- College Station. A 5- channel basic of ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS (plus the Electronic Program Guide) would be one I could support. U 00 rn W z D h Q U) D x N W a C7 W W x H NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS (ADVERTISEMENT) The City of College Station invites proposals for: THE CONSTRUCTION OF STREET AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS TO DARTMOUTH STREET AND HOLLEMAN DRIVE. C.I.P. No. G81 -81 -17111 until 2:00 o'clock P.M., July 2, 1985. Proposals will be received at the office of Mr. David J. Pullen, City Engineer, City Hall, College Station, Texas 77840. The project includes: clearing and grubbing, excavation and embankment, subgrade stabilization, roadway base, curb and gutter and paving for intersecting roadways of approximately 6500 linear feet; 24 storm sewer structures including a 4BBL 10'x10' box culvert approximately 230 feet long, installing 2723 linear feet of storm sewer pipe - 18 to 48 inches in diameter including excavation and backfill, and approximately 10,000 cubic yards of channel excavation. Excavated material will be used in the embankments or stockpiled adjancent to the project site. The project also includes replacing approximately 80 linear feet of active 15" sanitay sewer pipe, 180 linear feet of 18" sanitary sewer pipe and installing 70 linear feet of 8" water pipe. A corrugated steel structure alternate will be considered for the 4BBL box culvert. Steel structures must be pre- qualified by June 13th as described under Special Provisions in order to be considered. Bidders must submit with their bids a Cashier's Check or a Certified Check in the amount of five (5%) percent of the maximum amount of bid payable without recourse to the City of College Station, Texas, or a proposal bond in the same amount from a Surety Company holding permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety, and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, as listed in the latest Revision of Treasury Department Circular 570, as a guarantee that Bidder will enter into a contract and execute bond and guarantee forms within five (5) days after notice of award of contract to him. Bids without checks, as stated above, or proposal bond will not be considered. In accordance with Article 5160, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925, as amended, the successful Bidder will be required to furnish not only a performance bond in the amount of the contract, but also a payment bond for the protection of all claimants supplying labor and materials as defined in said law. The bonds must be executed by an approved Surety Company holding a permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, or other Surety acceptable to the Owner. The owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive informalities. In case of ambiguity or lack of clearness in stating the price in the bids, the Owner reserves the right to consider the mostadvantageous construction thereof or to reject the bid. Unreasonable or unbalanced unit prices will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of any bid. Bidders are required to inspect the site of the work and to inform themselves regarding local conditions under which the work is to be done. Contract Documents, Proposal Forms, Specifications and Plans may be reviewed at the City Engineer's office, 1101 S. Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. Documents may be picked up at the office of Jerry Bishop and Associates, 1812 Welsh Street, College Station, Texas. A fully refundable deposit of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) is required for each set. 5- 30- 85,6 -5- 85,6 -9- 85,6 -13- 85 -19- 85,6 -2 85,6 -30- 85,7 - 2 -85 PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the City of College Station is ac- cepting bids from all state or national banking corporations located within corporate lim- its of the City of College Sta- tion for the right of actingg as depository for the City of COI - lege Station, Texas. Bids will be accepted until 10:00 a.m. on June 2J, iwso, at wnlcn Llnle they will be opened in the of- fice of the Director of Finance. The City of College Station re- serves the right to waive or reject any and all bids or any and all irregularities in said bid and to accept the offer considered most advanta- geoustothe City. For more information and /or bid forms please contact Glenn Schroeder, Deputy Directarof Finance. 06 -13 -85 BID NOTICE The City of College Station is accepting bid(s) for Electric System Remote Metering Equipment until 2:00 P. M., June 25,1985, at which time the bids will be opened in the City Council Chambers of the City Hall in College Station, Texas. All bids received after 2:00 P.M., June 25, 1985 will be returned unopened. Each proposal must be in a sealed envelope bearing on the outside the name of the bidder and the RED label addressed to the City of College Station pro- vided with this bid package. One copy of the bidding forms and specifications are ob- tainable free of charge from McCord Engineering, Inc., 900 Southwest Parkway East. Suite 100, College Station, Texas, 409/764 -8356. Addi- tional copies may be pur- chased from the Engineer for a fee of $10.00. The City of Col- lege Station reserves the right to waive or reject any and all bids or any and all irregu- larities in said bid and to ac- cept the offer considered most advantageous to the City. These items may be pur- chased with Revenue Sharing Funds. 6-6-85,6- 13-85, BID #85 -56 THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1985 to U C•� J U C O CIO U U N U N N .Q U n O v �:d of v•� o'. C C = ' L boo y � y a, J-5 ' o vc W -Jo Z 3v� b c u,n ��:� --• ce 3 a�i ' s� C v C y O Q•� O -y L v v u C a a b O� TE bloO'T+ y 6. � ro v a� C M Z M v c ctv Ly�'M p a'J �� C G c:: C O. 3 c ' u Z Nvir � L 3 c � � C =C 0 C W W C C v�tw�v VV N G S , , L�.� yL�vc3v�3xx�vo v v� biD O 0 0"0 U �+ > u it O •> C 4u � V v �c hcads`�oq� 0 0 CS resident seeking money for tour By LISA JANNEY Reporter A College Station resident has been selected to tour with Up With People next fall, but she still needs to raise $2800 by Friday to pay her $5800 tuition to the non- profit group. Debbie Robertson is a new addi- tion to the 550 -member group, which is an Arizona - based organiza- tion that has members representing more than 22 countries including Sweden, Germany and Mexico. Each member performs and travels with the group for two semesters, she said. Robertson has a lot of work with Up With People ahead of her and she is elated. "I feel wonderful and am looking forward to this experien- ce," she said Robertson said the group per- forms for high schools and nursing homes as well as for the general pub- lic. She said she heard about the group coming to perform in Bryan - College Station and decided to try out. "After a concert, the group inter- views people who are interested in joining," Robertson said. Robertson said her first interview was with a young woman fromNScan- dinavia and a young man from Mon- tana. "We laughed and talked; they made me feel wonderful," she said. She said she was granted a second interview that evening. "We finished the second interview around 11:45 p.m. and by that time we were both tired," Robertson said. After slide presentations, applica -. tions and interviews, Robertson said all she could do was wait. Ten thou- sand people around the world try out for the 550 -member group each year. On June 1 the phone call from Arizona came and Robertson sud- denly found herself in the public eye. It's been so exciting," she said. "This is definitely for me." Robertson said she leaves July 18 for five weeks of training before touring with the group. "It's possible by the second semes- ter that I'll go overseas and per- form," she said. The group also plans to perform at the 1986 Su- perbowl. "When we travel, families who take said. Eigjo one volunteer to house the members, she said. Robertson described Up With People as a completely professional organization, whose purpose is to generate a positive attitude among people. "The &roue performs at prisons and nursing homes to bring a little joy to the people," she said. Up With People is a non - profit or- ganization and members receive no money for their time with the group, she said. Businesses or individuals can help Robertson pay her tuition fee. She says they can call her at 696- 2602. the idea of having sponsors it gets the community in- nd after all, that's what it's " she said. Ln 00 (T ,--I M � W H Q Fi 2 O H a E4 E•� W x Ei "I like we stay with host because care of us," she volved, a iundred families ail about, CS council says no to 0 P rk 0 Southwest ai w y bike lanej By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer The College Station City Council teiterated Thursday its March deci- sion not-to provide bike lanes along Southwest Parkway. The council voted 5 -1, with Coun- cil Member James Bond abstaining, to stripe the street with four traffic lanes and a left -turn lane, rather than having two traffic lanes, a left -turn lane and bike lanes. Council Member Lynn Mcllhaney voted against taking out the bike ;Janes, and suggested that the street be `striped with four traffic lanes near commercial areas, with only two traf- fic lanes and bike lanes on other parts ,of the street. But Council Member Pat Bought - on's proposal included an instruction to city staff to build sidewalks along part of the street. The council said no one will be ticketed for biking on the sidewalks. The city this year completed the widening of Southwest Parkway to 56 feet, which erased the old bike - lane stripes. Local citizens asked the council in March to re -stripe the street leaving in the bike lanes. They said children going to school or to city parks need the lanes to keep them safe from traffic. Elrey Ash, director of capital im- provements, said Thursday that the city did a traffic study in February in which only 30 bikes used the Lang- ford- Southwest Parkway intersection in the morning rush hour, and only 39 that afternoon. He said that intersec- tion has the heaviest bike traffic. Of the morning bicyclists, 77 per- cent were on the sidewalk already, and in the evening, about 38 percent rode on the sidewalk, Ash said. In that same area, 10,000 vehicles pass daily, and from 11,000 to 15,000 automobiles drive on South- west Parkway every day, Ash said. He also said that if only one lane were striped in, the speed limit should be increased to 40 mph to move traffic quicker. But College Station resident Richard Griffin asked the council to change its mind -set from cars to bikes on the street. "So what if it takes longer ?" Grif- fin said, adding that driving the 2 miles from Texas Avenue to Well- born Road at 40 mph takes 3 minutes. If a car travels at 20 miles per hour, it takes 6 minutes. "You're only saving a couple mi- nutes," he said. In presenting his argument for the bike lanes, Griffin said he logs about 120 miles a month on his bicycle. He also told the council that February is a very poor time to do a bike study. He cited a California study which he said showed that bike lanes significantly reduce auto /bike accidents. Both Ash and Council Member Fred Brown said they would not allow their children to ride their bikes on Southwest Parkway with or with- - out the lanes. Ash also said that in the past dozen years, 13 car/bike acci- dents have occurred and only one was during school hours. THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1985 • Crossing resolution passed The College Station City Council passed a resolu- tion Thursday to help speed the construction of a rail- road crossing at Holleman Drive. The council authorized City Attorney Cathy Locke to acquire right of way for the crossing, either by voluntary purchase or by condemnation. Locke said the Southern Pacific Transportation Company has been dragging its feet on signing a con- tract to install the crossing. The resolution was in- tended to get the company moving. The city sent Southern Pacific a contract Jan. 17, and has inquired about it numerous times, Locke said. The railroad has yet to return a signed contract, she said. The crossing is part of an agreement made between the city and the railroad after two students were killed at the Luther Street crossing. According to the agree- ment, the Luther intersection would be closed and another built at Holleman at city expense, Locke said. The crossing will cost about $131,000 to build, she said. —DIANE BLAKE BOWEN CS council donates $500 The College Station City Council allocated $500 to a local woman who has been selected to join Up With People, and challenged the community to come up with the rest of the money she needs. Debbie Robertson, 24, said she was one of only 500 oeonle in the world asked to join Up With People, and requested $1,800 from the council. Robertson, a College Station resident, promised to be an ambassador for the city, and pass out brochures promoting the area to people "everywhere from Tuc- son to Zimbabwe." The allocation was taken from this year's hotel - motel fund contingency money. Council Member Terri Tongco moved that the city give her $500, "with the stipulation that she be diligent about passing out those pamphlets. " In other action, the city awarded a contract for the reconstruction of Richards Street. The city accepted the low bid of $144,572 by Young Brothers Inc. to rebuild the street and replace a water line along it. _ DIANE BLAKE BOWEN CS assigns cable issues to a standing committee By JIM BUTLER Television Editor The College Station City Council Thursday gave a committee the task of studying citizen cable complaints. Requesting that a Cable Advisory Board be created by the city, three members of the Cable Improvement Association voiced concerns about several recent actions by McCaw Cablevision. Scott Lummer told council mem- bers that McCaw had violated prom- ises that the community would be consulted about any changes in ser- vice. He also took issue with McCaw's claim that the reaction to dropping Chicago independent sta- tion WGN was blown out of propor- tion by the news media and submitted petitions signed by 2,300 persons re- questing the retention of WGN. McCaw announced Tuesday that WGN would not be dropped from its lineup. Larry Ringer urged the council to enforce the cable franchise ordinance section that requires a minimum of 12 channels and a minimum of one sta- tion from each major network. McCaw recently proposed a new basic package of five channels, none of which is an NBC affiliate. Ringer also asked the council to institute a public needs survey so that a basic package could be offered that would fulfill community needs. Steve Parker suggested the city use its franchise right to consult with a Cable Advisory Board. The board, he said, could help the council carry out its responsibilities, as well as keep the council abreast of Federal Com- munications Commission regulations and federal laws, such as the recently passed Cable Communications Poli- cy Act of 1984. Following the CIA presentation, Mayor Gary Halter said. "Some of these suggestions are worthwhile. I suggest we turn this over to a standing committee to consider these matters and report back to the council in 30 days. " • THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1985 CS citizens suggest cable advisory group • By Amy Netterville Reporter College Station residents voiced their opinions last night about the McCaw Cablevision issue at the city council meeting. The citizens sug- gested implementing a permanent cable advisory committee that would work with McCaw on the needs of the community. McCaw decided not to drop Chi- cago independent channel WGN from its basic cable service because of citizen disapproval. Now McCaw . critics charge that the new bWc package currently being offered vio- lates section 7 of the College Station ordinance because none of the five stations offered are NBC affiliates. "If McCaw was truly concerned about public opinion they would have lived up to the promises made in section 7 of the ordinance," said Scott Lummer, a College Station res- ident on the Cable Improvement As- sociation. "A lot of the city council's attention has been on this issue and I would like to see the city council take some permanent action to ensure these arbitrary changes in cable pol- icy do not happen again." College Station mayor Gary Hal- ter suggested the city affairs commit- tee review the recommendations submitted by the citizens. Also the council approved strip- ing Southwest Parkway, which will do away with bike lanes, making the street four lanes with a center turn lane. Although there will be no bike lanes, bikers will be allowed on the street. "Southwest Parkway carries around 11,000 to 15,000 vehicles per day," said El Ray Ash, director of capital improvements. "The road- way needs to be striped to handle the vehicle load it carries." The council will look at alternative bike routes and sidewalk plans for the area. Other considerations approved by the council were: 0 Two proclamations designating the week of June 16 through June 22, 1985 as "Safety in the Workplace Week" and "Selective Service Regis- tration Week" in College Station. • Write -off of uncollectable taxes. • THE BATTALION /FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1985 Laurels To members of the local Bahais Spiritual Assembly, who worked for more than three months renovating and restoring the grave sites of some 100 former Bryan -area residents buried in the slave section of the Bryan Cf ty Cemetery. To Dr. Perry Adkisson, deputy chancellor of the Texas A &M Uni- vbrsity System, who has been appointed by President Reagan to a six - y�ar term on the National Science Board. To the Revs. Larry Covington, Jim Deaconson and Adan Martinez, w'ho have been ordained as Roman Catholic priests. 4 To Debbie Robertson of College Station, who has been accepted as a member of Up With People, a group of young adults who perform in communities around the world. 4 To Celeste Bennett of Bryan, who won a gold medal in architectural drafting at the Texas Vocational Industrial Club of America's 37th annual Leadership Conference and Skill Olympics. • To Janet Yeates of Bryan, who has been named the outstanding 4 -H specialist by the Volunteer Leaders Association of Texas. To E.W. "Eddie" Schultz, who has been elected chairman of the board of the College Station Development Foundation. To Obert O. Haugen of College Station, who has been named a >nember emeritus of the Environmental Management Association, a pational organization for custodial management personnel. Haugen re- dred earlier this year after 20 years with Texas A &M's physical plant. To Dr. Robert H. Page, Forsyth Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A &M, who has been elected a fellow of the American Associa- tion for the Advancement of Science. To the 28 local celebrities and their sponsors who raised more than $5,000 for the Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center during the 1985 Post Oak Mall Cow Milking Contest. To State Rep. Mike McKinney, a Centerville physician, who was named outstanding freshman lawmaker by his peers in the 1985 Texas - Legislature. LJ THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 1985 • Lone Star board to meet Monday The Lone Star Municipal Power Agency board of directors will meet Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the Huntsvil- le City Hall council chambers, 1212 Avenue M. otia- The board will discuss neg tions with Gulf States Utilities, efforts of buy substations, the Trinity River hydroelectric power project and proposed power sales contracts. The LSMPA was formed by the cities of College Station, Kirbyville, Caldwell and Newton to get cheaper power. • < •+ VI lv G c n n fD f9 �0 � rr n r G p QQ x C A Q N �O n� n5'a� w^ y 0 :r o o '° 0.0 CD ° W C c C, � O� C- "W i � 6A CD tD (D (!i CD FD N v' o-• D W N ° iv v 'r"if CD JN Oy E ^►: CD b4 9 CD 0 5 g �• a ° o ?: + E. O� EO N O r �G.� o G O ,��• � E ..� (D G y m c �cr� a �cD �•O� w ��CIQ � .�-. N� o 0 00 o$wg - + o V � o n. n C4 O I � M l J O rn � r l I M O M� >��po Q Q o !D o O iA a � m a d FD l w D n d0 N p, 0 6$ ° O W CD cr of M ^ i THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 1985 E J n Beyond law and reason organizations formed to influence cable - related decisions, and the city council meetings in both Bryan and College Station, to name but a few. And, indeed, a great many concerned citizens made their views known through such forums. But those few who chose more radical forms of expression — such as obscene telephone calls, threatening mail and the vandal- ism of McCaw official Joe DiBac- co's lawn — went beyond both law and reason in venting their anger. Such immaturity not only reflects badly on the community as a whole, it suggests a potentially dangerous absence of any sense of proportion. By comparison, McCaw's ini- tial decision to replace WGN with another station seems altogether trivial — and its subsequent rever- sal of that decision seems positive- ly forgiving. Eagle Editorial Board There was plenty of room for legitimate disagreement with McCaw Cablevision's decision to remove WGN -TV from the local cable TV package — but there was no excuse whatsoever for the threats and outright vandalism directed against McCaw em- ployees as a result of that decision, I fully understand and defend everyone's right to freedom of speech," a concerned McCaw em- ployee wrote last week in an un- signed letter to the Eagle, "but what law gives this town the right to threaten, slander and demoral- ize a person just because of his place of employment!" The answer, of course, is ob- vious — no such right exists. Those who opposed McCaw's decision to eliminate WGN from the cable package had available several legitimate forums in which to express their disagreement — the "Letters" column on this page, radio talk shows, citizer THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 1985 y tai 47 ti t�] H tr] m d FC C z t� 00 00 Uri Attendance By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer Only two College Station residents told the City Council Monday night that they oppose the proposed property tax increase. At the public hearing held on the proposed 9.03 percent increase, Bruce Treybig and James f ssors Chandler, they we Texas A &M p re professors concerned that taxes would be raised in a poor economy. Bryan resident Bahman Yazdani also spoke at the hearing, saying he did not necessarily oppose the increase, but that it "boggled my mind" to hear of another library being built in the area. All three opposed building a new lib- rary in College Station. prop erty at C S tax he arin g l raising ' ncrease in my College Station hearing • ber Terri Tongco said The council hasproposed taxes by as much as 3 cents per $100 valuation, but said it will try P the increase to 2 cents. voters in the April election approved establishing a muni- cipal library, even if it meant a 2-cent tax hike. The tax rate now is 36 cents per $100 valuation. The council will vote on whether to raise the rate up to 39 cents per $100 valuation at its June 27 meeting. "I'd like to say that the general direction of the economy seems to be down," said Treybig, a mathematics professor. He said that with the Brazos County Appraisal District's reappraisal of his house, he will see "a nifty 22 percent t Council Mem taxes." d n ple have called her He also said he thought that new businesses in the area would be bring- ing the tax rate down. "This does not seem to be the case," Treybig said. professor of Chandler, an associate p soil and crop sciences, said his house, too, was reappraised at a higher value, even though eight houses around him are up for sale and aren't selling. In view of rising taxes and valua- tions, Chandler said, ' `I talk to the peo- pie I work with, and we just kind of wonder where it's going to stop." After the meeting, Chandler said he was surprised and disappointed that so Jew residents came to the public at least a ow P— in opposition to the tax increase, an one person wrote a letter favoring the library . She said the few in attendance did not necessarily mean fete oppose o fortable appe e tax increase. Some in public, others have conflicting schedules and d others prefer to call or write, But Mayor Gary Halter said that when 70 percent of the voters approved the library in April even if a 2-cent tax increase would be needed to fund it, "that indicates to me that People are willing to pay it." B.CS programs fill voi o f summertime Women's Open (TWAF) and the By ED CASSAVOY Women's Class A. Both softball tour - Sports Writer naments will be played at Central Trying to figure out how to fill the Park. time between testse Have you missed l 26 28 —The Junior Girls Texas A &M's intramural sports reg • July ti o ntma' have you are Bryan-College thetSoulthwo d AthleticlComplex. at d y for, says a city recreation official. • August 9 -11 — The Men's B Tony Scazzero, with the College ASA) will bat - Station Parks and Recreation De- State Championship parunent, says there i still time to Staion t at Central Park in College get involved in a number sports ts being offered and sporting evend by People wishing more information the city. should call the Central Park office at Scazzero says summer softball al 764 -3773 for more information . ready has ended its registration. Their season begins Tuesday and ends in August. Adult closed for Pa Bryan grecreational programs, registration on Friday, but Scazzero says two sports have not held regis- may be tough, on Bryan's 's city ibleams tration. d Co -rec (a combination of men an women's open and - women) volleyball and 3 -on -3 bas- "Men's Open, • ketbalune 17 21. Entry s are $70 over and the seaslon'beg nssiMonday Wing June As a matter -of -fact, I'm per volleyball team and $90 per bas ( w o orking on the schedules right now ketball squad. _ Scazzero emphasized that th for will be no late registration or waiting players. just il call my office and looking an lists. He says College Station has added give interested peo le a list oft the a brand new list of events called the coaches range for a try out or whatever. to Gold Cup Series. „ "This is a brand new program, y Bryan Scazzero says, "and is aimed at being waiting list forteams or have a players. a sort of family fitness program. g "But this is not exclusively for H says there are no other activ- families, everyone should enter." Scazzero says the Gold Cup Series ities s h new uled for this budgetary equests mm for , will offer a different event each next s month. - . July 13 — A 250 -yard swim, The TAAS tennis tournament one -mile run, 250 -Y on ard swim and inall scheduled for May 17 19, two -mile bike race will be held at Bee g y for June 28- Creek Pool. Entrants pay $5 to com- 30, Rieger says. it will be open to all Pete. ill individuals, and they are eligible to • August 24 — A 1 -mile swim enter three separate events fora w beheld at Bee Creek Pool at a cost of fee per event entered. (See accompa- a- $2. n in list of divisions.) Scazzero says College Station also y g will host four softball tournaments Individuals wishing to get more during the summer. • July 20 -21 — Two tournarn he office att779 -5622 d contact Rieger s will be held the same weekend, THE BATTALION /TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1985 McCaVs service not worth price Bryan - College Station has been plagued by poor cable serv- ice for years. These troubles were only made worse when McCaw Cablevision took over the system left by the two previous companies. McCaw recently announced it would drop Chicago's WGN from its programming. After much community protest, McCaw announced that it would keep WGN. They could have saved themselves a lot of hassle if they consulted the records of the old companies, who also suggested dropping WGN and met with similar community opposition. The cable company's second blunder is the introduction of the new cable packages. Basic cable service will consist of five sta- tions for $4.00 per month. This basic package, which will be the minimum service deal offered by the company, conflicts with the College Station cable franchise ordinance which states: "The Company currently furnishes and shall continue to furnish users a minimum of 12 signals or channels. . ." The basic package's five channels fall short of the minimum. Only by purchasing the eight - channel Broadcast Pac can viewers receive the minimum number of signals specified in the city or- dinance. But the basic deal alone, not a basic- Broadcast Pac com- bination, is the minimum service furnished. Of course, the Broadcast Pac is only an additional $2.00 a month, assuming you don't want it installed. Installation costs $250.00. Why so much? Because the cable company is a monopoly. Why is it a monopoly? Because the cities of Bryan and College Station give it special permission to be one. But along with that permission goes the right of the cities to regulate the cable rates. The rate increase put anything but local channels beyond the grasp of most students and many other members of the com- munity. These random price increases and service changes must stop. It's time for the city halls to exercise their authority and put some restraint on McCaw's ever - increasing prices. It's time for McCaw to listen to the voice of the community. People are tired of being expected to pay more and more money for cable "service." The Battalion Editorial Board THE BATTALION /TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1985 Bonham students win award Bonham School's Beautify Bonham committee has received the Award of Excellence, the highest award given to a Texas youth group by Keep Texas Beautiful Inc. To be eligible for competition for the top honor, the committee first won Keep Texas Beautiful's Best Elementary School Award for its all - school litter abatement program. Then, on June 6, seven committee members, accompanied by their sponsor Vicki Courtney, presented their melodrama Supercan to the Rescue at the association's Youth Day in San Antonio. Taking part in the performance were Kelli Adams, Amy Carlton, Christie Cole, Heather Ely, Robyn Ermis, John Hernandez and Roger Pillow. Brazos Beautiful president Barbara Vance and executive coordinator Diane Mills were in San Antonio for the presentation of the award by Jack Hillman of Houston, president of Keep Texas Beautiful, and Ruthe Jackson of Grand Prairie, who donated the cash prize. Courtney says that the Beautify Bonham committee has been planning and implementing environmental projects for the past three years. During the first year, it concentrated on the school environment. In 1983 -84, it enlarged its scope to include the neighborhood around the school. During academic year 1984 -85, the committee produced the melodra- ma and conducted anti - litter contests at Bonham. The students also sponsored a Recycle Fair, held litter Olympic events and carried out a publicity campaign on the school loudspeaker. Bryan High School's student council placed second in the state in Keep Texas Beautiful's high school division. The council combined the efforts of the school's Brazos Beautiful, Sesquicentennial and landscape com- mittees to clean up the campus and plant native trees to celebrate Texas' 150th anniversary. The campaign was conducted during the third week in April In a campuswide fund drive, the student council raised $255.52 to underwrite the planning. The Bryan Independent School District matched these funds, and the council enlisted the aid of 80 additional student clubs and organizations to carry out the project. On the day of the clean-up, participants worked for eight hours. Besides a tree donated by a local garden club, all the plants purchased for the project were sold to the students at cost by Charles King's Horticulture Services, which also furnished heavy equipment to dig the holes for the larger trees. Keep Texas Beautiful is the state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. The local unit, Brazos Beautiful, provides educational material and program ideas to encourage the reduction of litter in Brazos County. For information, call Mills, 696 -5391. THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1985 NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS (ADVERTISEMENT) The City of College Station invites proposals for: THE CONSTRUCTION OF STREET AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS TO DARTMOUTH STREET AND HOLLEMAN DRIVE. C.I.P. No. G81 -81 -17/11 until 2:00 o'clock P.M., July 2, 1985. Proposals will be received at the office of Mr. David J. Pullen, City Engineer, City Hall, College Station, Texas 77840. The project includes: clearing and grubbing, excavation and embankment, subgrade stabilization, roadway base, curb and gutter and paving for intersecting roadways of approximately 6500 linear feet; 24 storm sewer structures including a 4BBL 10'xl0' box culvert approximately 230 feet long, installing 2723 linear feet of storm sewer pipe - 18 to 48 inches in diameter including excavation and backfill, and approximately 10,000 cubic yards of channel excavation. Excavated material will be used in the embankments or stockpiled adjancent to the project site. The project also includes replacing approximately 80 linear feet of active 15" sanitay sewer pipe, 180 linear feet of 18" sanitary sewer pipe and installing 70 linear feet of 8" water pipe. A corrugated steel structure alternate will be considered for the 4BBL box culvert. Steel structures must be pre - qualified by June 13th as described under Special Provisions in order to be considered. Bidders must submit with their bids a Cashier's Check or a Certified Check in the amount of five (5 %) percent of the maximum amount of bid payable without recourse to the City of College Station, Texas, or a proposal bond in the same amount from a Surety Company holding permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety, and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, as listed in the latest Revision of Treasury Department Circular 570, as a guarantee that Bidder will enter into a contract and execute bond and guarantee forms within five (5) days after notice of award of contract to him. Bids without checks, as stated above, or proposal• bond will not be considered. In accordance with Article 5160, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925, as amended, the successful Bidder will be required to furnish not only a performance bond in the amount of the contract, but also a payment bond for the protection of all claimants supplying labor and materials as defined in said law. The bonds must be executed by an approved Surety Company holding a permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, or other Surety acceptable to the Owner. The owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive informalities. In case of ambiguity or lack of clearness in stating the price in the bids, the Owner reserves the right to consider the most advantageous construction thereof or to reject the bid. Unreasonable or unbalanced unit prices will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of any bid. Bidders are required to inspect the site of the work and to inform themselves regarding local conditions under which the work is to be done. Contract Documents, Proposal Forms, Specifications and Plans may be reviewed at the City Engineer's office, 1101 S. Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. Documents may be picked up at the office of Jerry Bishop and Associates, 1812 Welsh Street, College Station, Texas. A fully refundable deposit of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) is required for each set. 5 -30- 85,6 -5- 85,6 -9- 85,6 -13- 85,6 -19- 85,6 -25- 85,6 -30- 85,7 -2 -8 5 THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1985 Sesquicentennial projects set The Brazos County Sesquicentennial Commission has sanctioned eight additional projects for Texas' 150th anniversary celebration, which will be held in 1986. Some of the special events are scheduled for this year. "Texas Cultures" exhibits from the German Heritage Institute and the Institute of Texan Cultures will be displayed Oct. 1 -31 in Post Oak Mall . William Joel Bryan Founders Day will be held Nov. 19 under the auspices of the City of Bryan and the Sons of the Republic of Texas. With costumes, contests and music, this event will commemorate the 125th anniversary of the city. The Brazos County Sesquicentennial Commission will sponsor three exhibits during the yearlong celebration. "Crossroads of the Empire," an exhibition of antique maps of the Southwest, is set for Jan. 27 -Feb. 16, 1986. "Literary East Texas," featuring 25 East Texas authors, will be on view April 14 -May 4, 1986, and "The Way Things Were," a display of photographs, is booked for May 5 -26, 1986. The Girl Scouts of America will hold a Sesquicentennial box supper on March 7, 1986, and the Texas A &M University Sesquicentennial Com- mittee will sponsor a "Texas Trends" symposium, set for Oct. 23 -25, 1986. Some of the projects are regular annual events which will be dedicated to the Sesquicentennial observance. The 1985 -86 Opera and Performing Arts Society season, the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra's Pops Concert and the Bryan Breakfast Lions Club's 1985 and 1986 rodeos fall into this category. The OPAS season runs from September 1985 through April 1986. The symphony's Pops Concert is set for May 3, 1986, and the Lions' rodeos are scheduled for July 19 -20, 1985, and July 18 -19, 1986. If you have an item of interest for this column, send it to Margaret Ann Zipp, The Eagle, P.O. Box 3000, Bryan, Texas 77805. CS planners to meet The College Station Planning and Zoning Commis- sion will meet today at 7 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. Three public hearings will be held, on whether con- ditional use permits should be granted for: ■ An office and meeting room for the St. Francis Episcopal Church in a subordinate structure located at 201 Walton Drive. ■ An addition to the existing St. Mary's student cen- ter at 103 Nagle St. ■ A church to be established in an existing retail space in Suite 102 of the College Station Business Cen- ter at 1501 FM 2818. The applicant is Thomas M. Brown for the South Park Evangelism Center. The commission also will consider a final plat for Southwood Valley Section 25A and master preliminary plats for Belmont Place and Nantucket Phase 3. And, commissioners will consider establishing a poli- cy on signs for conditional uses in agricultural and re- sidential zoning districts. V) 00 rn 0 N c c T cC r E- a� au W a+ 0 a� c T 2 F Plenty of differences Bill Youngblood's somewhat sca- talogical column on May 28 shows that his visit to Bryan- College Sta- tion was singularly unobservant. Anyone who lives in Bryan - College Station recognizes marked differ- ences in the character of the two cities, and I suspect most of us like it that way. Place rating is a sensible approach to a complex problem. On many in- dices Bryan is not as well off as College Station. Even a quick glance at census material, police sta- tistics, and sales tax receipts would have shown Youngblood why. In- comes are lower and many more people are below the poverty line in Bryan. Murder rates are higher in Bryan. Bryan has more substandard and older homes. Plumbing helps measure whether those homes have been upgraded to more modern stan- dards. Many businesses have recent- ly moved out of Bryan in College Station. None of this means Bryan is parti- cularly inferior to College Station, only that it cannot be ranked as high- ly on these relatively easily mea- sured variables. Some people pre- sumably value lower taxes and lack of zoning more highly. If they did not, economic conditions being equal, they probably would not live in Bryan. For others tower living costs in Bryan are crucial to their economic well - being. Perhaps next time Bill Young- blood deigns to set foot in the twin cities he will look at Downtown Bryan and Bryan's northern residen- tial areas. Then perhaps he will understand that there are more than enough differences between the two cities to account for a substantial variation in their ranking. Peter J. Hugill College Station A little concern would help McCaw Cablevision still seems to be having trouble on the Customer Relations front. A starting point for improving the company's image and soothing the feathers of it's consti- tuency would be to simply make per- sonnel available during normal busi- ness hours to answer the telephone. When one has a question or com- plaint, it doesn't help matters to be frustrated by a constant busy signal. 1. More phone lines and/or more per - it be such a "big deal" to simply reach someone to discuss one's account with; which was, after all, sonnel would indicate a concern for the "concerns" of the "captive cus- tomers" of this monopoly. Few people have the time to make multiple attempts over and over again, throughout the day, only to be again frustrated! Any business whose prime product is service should be aware of what the word service means. The reason that little concern is demonstrated is simple; there is no competition! Why should the original problem? H.A. Taylor Bryan Panel approves expansion of day -care center The College Station Planning and Zoning Commission has approved expanding the Aldersgate United Methodist Church day -care center. Commissioners approved Thurs- day the expansion from 72 children two mornings a week to 90 children two mornings a week and 40 children one morning a week. The commission also approved: ■ A conditional use permit for the Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church to establish a church on Krenek Tap Road across the street from Central Park. ■ A final plat for Oak Lake Estates. ■ A final resubdivision plat for lots 3 through 7 of block 2 in Wood - way Village section two. ■ A final resubdivision plat of lot 1, block 1 of the Schick addition sub- division. ■ A final plat for the Petterak sub- division. ■ A master preliminary plat for Fraternity Row off of Luther Street. Milking benefit for Rehab Milkmaids they are not, but close to 30 local celebri- ties will try their hands at the task to raise money for the Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center Saturday. The crew and six cows from the Texas A &M Dairy Farm will gather in the Post Oak Mall near Dillard's at 2 p.m. to see how much they can milk. Milkers include several members from Bryan and College Station city councils, College Station Mayor Gary Halter, Fred Brown, Bryan Sgt. Choya Walling and College Station Lt. Bernie Kapella, Mary Mike Hatcher from KTAM, Skip Bishop from KKYS -FM, Jeff Braun from KBTX— TV, Roy Gene Munse of KORA —FM, Beverly Malaz- zo of First Bank and Trust, Virginia Kirk of the Eagle and Steve Aldridge of A.G. Edwards and Sons. Ben Downs of KORA will serve as master of ceremonies. Pledges can be made based on the group milking 250 ounces. Ic THE EAGLE/FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 1985 CS fire station expansion under way C1 • By VIRGINIA KIRK Staff Writer The building shook a bit last week as the air hammer did its job, but the small discomforts should pay off when College Station firefighters get a chance to spread out in a few months. Work began last month to add an additional 4,000 square feet of office space to the Central Fire Station at 1101 Texas Avenue. The construc- tion should be completed in De- cember. The addition and some remodeling of space was approved in a bond elec- tion in January 1984. Fire Chief Douglas Landua said the expansion should cost $565,000, including fur- nishings. Like the planned police de- partment expansion, the fire depart- ment expansion will be able to go up to four stories if there is ever a need. The department was built in 1968 1 and housed the police and fire depart- ment until 1978. It was renovated in 1979 but the firefighters are starting to outgrow it. "We want to allow a little more room for shift personnel and a train- ing room of sufficient size. We're going to move the offices now in Central into the addition," Landua said. The old space will be used to give the captains and lieutenants of each 24 -hour shift their own offices. All three fire inspectors will have their own offices and evidence rooms. The dispatch area — now run with computers — will be enclosed in- stead of having the public walk by it. The kitchen will be expanded be- cause it is only equipped for four fire- fighters instead of the 15 now on a shift. A microfilm room has also been planned and Fire Marshal Harry Davis said he would like to see all records and blueprints of local build- ings stored on microfilm. The addition was designed by Holster and Associates of College Station and wih blend in with the main building. It's not too notice- able, Landua said, but the fire build -. ing's color is not an exact match with City Hall next door and the complex will be repainted when everything is finished. The space should serve for the next five to 10 years at the very least, Davis said. Living space is not being expanded for the officers. When more firefighters are needed, they will be put at future substations, Landua said. The department is also waiting for plans to be designed for its third sta- tion on Sebesta Road on the east side of the East Bypass, • THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 1985 Eagle photo by Dave MCLXTf= l These construction workers can't get too fired up, but they're working hard on the expansion of the College Station Fire Depart- ment. Fire Chief Douglas Landua and Fire Marshal Harry Davis look over the plans for the addition that should be finished by December. McCaw ready criticism despit with chang But "subject t to availability" means off -air or that a signal can be received without being on cable in Bryan- College Station, DiBacco said. "I put that phrase in there, so I ought to know what it means. There is no NBC station available off -air in this community," he said. Following announcement of the new Basic, DiBacco maintained that Federal Communications Commis- sion rules precluded the addition of any signal other than stations trams - mitting locally in the basic package. But FCC attorney Richard Kalb disagreed with DiBacco's opinion. The current cable communications act defines "basic" as "any service tier which includes the retransmis- sion of local television broadcast sig- nals. " This does not exclude any other signals from being offered in such a package, Kalb said. DiBacco said adding additional signals in the basic package. would affect FCC rulings in other areas of cable regulation, but declined to pro- By JIM BUTLER Television Editor McCaw Cablevision is prepared to proceed July 1 with recently announced changes, its regional vice president said Friday, despite citizen criticism of the proposal. Regional Vice President Joe DiBacco maintained in a Friday inter- view that there is a "legitimate need for more affordable package." "Our main objective was to satisfy the demand for a more affordable package," DiBacco said, referring to the 5- channel, $4 Basic package announced May 24. "Though there has not been a pub- lic outcry for such a service in the last couple of months, as there were in the months after we announced the Fami- ly Pac (29 channels for $12.50), peo- ple have. consistently asked why we don't offer a low -cost package," he said. According to DiBacco, the low - priced package will result in a loss of revenues. "My options were to raise the price of the Family Pac, which the majority of subscribers would find objectionable at this time, or reduce expenses," he said, explaining why he chose to exchange Chicago's WGN for Cable Headline News. Because of a 1983 ruling by the Copyright Royalty Tribunal, cable systems are forced to pay 3.75 per- cent of gross revenues for the use of certain "distant signals." In the Bryan - College Station market, those stations are Houston's Ch. 20, Atlan- ta's WTBS and WGN. "WGN was the obvious choice to drop," DiBacco said, referring to a 1983 -84 Nielsen ratings survey which showed WGN with a 1 percent share of the market. DiBacco said the company could not wait to see the community's re- sponse to the new Basic before drop- ping WGN because a new accounting period for the copyright tribunal be- gins July 1. "If we carry that station just one day beyond that, we have to pay for a full six months," he said. "We announced the changes more than 30 days in advance so that sub- scribers would not have it happen overnight, as it did under the previous operators in 1983," DiBacco said. He was referring to Midwest Video's and Community Cablevision's earlier decision to drop WTBS, WGN, New York's WOR and Houston's Ch. 26 to avoid copyright increases. DiBacco said his position on Sect. 7 of each city's franchise ordinance agrees with the interpretation of acting Bryan city: attorney Rod Anderson. E Sect. 7 says, "The Company ... shall furnish to users a minimum of twelve signals or channels." "That doesn't limit me to offering less if the people want an option for less," DiBacco said. The College Station ordinance contains a further clause which states in part, "The minimum or basic selection will include at least one sta- tion from each of the major networks (subject to availability)." Since the new Basic does not con- tain an NBC affiliate, the package would not appear to comply with that clause. vide an example. The Cable Improvement Associa- tion, which plans to make a presenta- tion at the College Station City Coun- cil meeting Thursday, has said it will ask the council to require McCaw to make a community needs survey to determine whether WGN should be exchanged for Cable Headline News. "They (the CIA) will have to prove a community need for WGN, whose program type (old movies, syndicated reruns and baseball) is duplicated throughout the system," DiBacco said. "That will be very dif- ficult." Ln 00 rn ra 00 W DW H 2 1< �:) t4 h t7a FC W W x H Cable company survey bodes ill for subscribers Lq. When attendees at the National Cable Television Association Con- vention left Las Vegas Thursday, they must have had smiles as big as Fort Knox on their faces. And it wasn't because they hit the jackpot on the dollar slots. According to a news release from the convention, cable households will grow by 40 percent while re- venues will double and profits after taxes will triple in the next five years. The analysis by Arthur D. Little Inc., concluded that a new federal law deregulating cable will "contri- bute to the industry's strong financial performance. " "For the first time, the cable in- dustry will be producing significant amounts of cash that can be used to pay dividends, acquire other cable companies, or diversify into other in- dustries," the report said. Sorry, no mention of improved consumer services here. The report, commissioned by the NCTA, includes these conclusions: — Additional rate flexibility pro- vided by the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 will enable the cable industry to generate approx- imately $800 million more in re- venues during 1985 -90 than would have occurred if rate regulation were continued. (Subscriber translation. higher rates.) — Deregulation will also increase operating cash flow by $800 million as a result of higher margins in basic services and the reduced cost of franchise compliance. (Subscriber translation: higher rates.) — Due to the renewal provisions of the Cable Communications Policy Act, capital requirements are ex- pected to be $600 million lower from 1985 to 1990 than they would have been had the Act not been passed. (Subscriber translation: fewer service upgrades.) — Net income is expected to be $500 million higher over the next five years than it would have been had the Act not been passed. — Of cable's total revenues of $16.5 billion in 1990, nearly 81 per- cent or $13.3 billion will be gener- ated by basic, expanded basic and • pay channel fees. (Subscriber transla- tion: higher rates.) We can all send a big "thank you" to our representatives in Washington for opening this treasure chest to cable companies. Nowhere in the NCTA release is there any mention of how all this will benefit consumers. That should give you a pretty good idea where the cable industry's priorities lie. Satellite dish owners will be in- terested in another communique from the convention. The firm of Malarkey- Taylor Associates Inc. released research showing that "cable operators and programmers can increase their bot- tom line by about $400 million over the next five years, if necessary sys- tems for scrambling 20 or more satel- lite signals is in effect by early 1986." The report said that "efficient de- livery of scrambled signals to homes with satellite dishes must go hand in hand with scrambling. The study noted that the technical ability is now available to deliver scrambled signals from any number of programmers to homes with dishes, using one central host computer." The firm proposes that dish owner, could buy a single in -home decoder for approximately $400 and buy a package of scrambled programming services for a monthly fee. I have no problem with that scenar- io, provided that cable companies aren't given a monopoly to market the service. Cable operators would be motivated to discourage dish sales in franchise areas by charging prices in excess of what cable subscribers pay. Rural dish owners would be penal- ized in the process. For example, McCaw's program- ming costs for 17 satellite signals (not counting pay channels) is approx- imately $3.30. They charge $12.50 for those and broadcast signals to cover operating costs and capital ex- penses (with a deserved profit thrown in). Since a dish owner has already paid for the hardware, his cost for programming should be considerably less. Scrambling is also tied in with the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 which gave dish owners the right to receive satellite signals that were not encrypted and marketed by the signal providers. In addition, the Federal Com- munications Commission has deter- mined that any three broadcast sig- nals are enough to provide sufficient competition for a cable system, as provided for in the Act, so that the cities of Bryan and College Station will lose any rate regulation powers as of Dec. 31, 1986. Do you think that three channels is fair competition for 29? As the smoke clears from this act and the ramifications are being felt around the country, it appears that our elected representatives have sold: the farm to the cable industry. Unless, there is a great groundswell of public outrage, there's not a darn thing we can do about it. Enough said about McCaw I am sick and tired of reading ev- ery day about McCaw Cablevision. If that many people are unhappy then why don't they do something about it instead of complaining? Cancel their subscription. This would make McCaw take notice if enough cancelled and who knows, people might see that there are other things to do besides sitting in front of a TV every. -day. Vicky Burnett Bryan THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 1985 C Big losers in cable change Holy Cow! It might be ... It could be ... It is! Corporate profits have finally overcome any pretense of community service. McCaw Cab - levision is dropping WGN. While this may seem like a trivial program- ming decision with little or no larger consequences, there are many clear losers and only one apparent winner with this decision. The winner is obvious — McCaw Cablevision's profit margin. Charge the same price for one fewer station in a market where you have a monopoly on a highly desired pro- duct and presto, higher returns on investor money. But who are the los- ers? As I see it there are four. First, McCaw Cablevision itself is a clear loser. McCaw loses what- ever was left of its good name and credibility with the B -CS com- munity. Second, Chicago Cubs fans like myself are clear losers. We lose ac- cess to an important form of daily entertainment; we lose contact with interesting and educational persona- lities such as Harry Caray and Steve Stone; and more personally, we lose a source of social contact throughout the local community. Third, my friends and neighbors are clearly losers. Everyone enjoys WGN for their own reasons. For some of us, baseball is the primary attraction. But for many of my friends, WGN's largest service is the powerful lineup of prime time movies they present — always orga- nized in an interesting thematic way each week. For still others, WGN supplies a ready access to classic television programs, available only sporadically on many other TV sta- tions. Fourth, the Bryan - College Sta- tion community is clearly a loser. Bryan - College Station is a relatively insular community which has for the past decade or more been taking steps to transcend the geographical limitations imposed by its central Texas isolation. The whole point be- hind cable service in the first place is to enhance our ties to other regions of the country, not to reinforce the isolation created by being a hundred miles from anywhere. Satellite en- hanced cable service puts McLu- han's vision of a "Global Village" within our reach. But, with the loss of WGN, the B -CS community will have no readily available sustained contact with the interests and values of any region of the country outside of the mid - central South. Rather than cutting us off from the Midwest region by dropping WGN, McCaw should have been serving the B -CS community by looking for ways to add East Coast and West Coast sta- tions to its lineup. Hopefully, McCaw will soon rethink its social role in bringing cable service to our community. At the present, McCaw may be a win- ner in the profit margin race, but all the rest of us are a little poorer for their small victory. John H. Powers College Station THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, JUNE 9, 1985 An inalienable right to TV? We're granted Life, Liberty and the pursuit of all the TV channels in the galaxy, right? Then, to establish justice and in- sure domestic tranquility, me and my dogs are now trained to attack every man, woman and child named "McCaw." Harriet Martin College Station • NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING fe ON TAX INCREASE The City of College Station will hold a public hearing on a proposal to increase total tax re- venues from properties on the tax roll in 1985 by 9.03 percent. Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depend- ing on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property. • Thep g public hearing will be held on Monday, ` June 17, 1985 at 7:00 p.m. at the College Station City Hall. FOR the proposal: Mayor Gary Halter Councilman James Bond Councilwoman Patricia Boughton Councilman Robert Runnels AGAINST the proposal: Councilwoman Terri Tongco Councilwoman Lynn McIlhaney ABSENT and not voting: Councilman Fred Brown is THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, JUNE 9, 1985 THE EAGLE /TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 1985 CS parks board to meet Schultz elected to post The College Station Parks and Recreation Board will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the City Council chambers of Developer E.W. "Eddie" Schultz has been elected City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. chairman of the board of the College Station Development Public hearings will be held on the Richard Carter Park Foundation. final plan, the Lincoln Center landscape plan and Hensel The board met last week, Schultz said, for its organizes- Park design concepts. tional meeting. Dick Haddox was elected vice chairman The board also will discuss Lincoln Center's hours of and Bill Sensibaugh was elected secretary- treasurer. operation. College Station City Councilman Fred Brown said the board also drew lots to detemnine the length of terms for the members. Those who drew three -year terms were Eddie Joe Davis, Move the Steve Hansen and Sensibaugh. Two-year terms went to Shultz, Britt Rice, and Phil Springer. One -year terms were utility meters drawn by Bill Cooley and Haddox. Brown is the council liaison to the board and serves as its ninth member. The board also reappointed Dennis Goehring president This "Man bites dog" ordinance bothers me, and the whole thing is of the foundation. As president, Goehring is the founda- so needless. Why must these utility lion's only staff member. Brown said the board did not meters be placed inside back yards? establish Gcehring's salary. If they were routinely installed the The previous board of the foundation recently approved side of houses, outside any fencing, new bylaws, under which the College Station City Council they would be out of sight yet more appoints board members. The foundation plans to develop a high -tech industrial easily accessible than they are now. Where is it engraved in stone that park in south College Station. —HUGH NATIONS only the back yard will do'? My dog's residence is his back yard, and he takes his responsibility for that residence seriously. A very friendly dog when the occasion is normal, he does not take kindly to Give viewers strangers invading his residence un- invited. This is one of the many reasons we have a dog. For people fir what they want who work to have to keep their dog chained (wrong!) or in the house (could be a messy solution) all day Come on, McCaw. Quit trying to for three days is an imposition. If the take us for a ride. You are offering a problem houses are as accurately worthless 5 channel "Basic Pack- identifiable as the ordinance report age" for $4, then you are making would indicate, those few should be the remaining 93 percent of your scheduled specifically for one day, cable subscribers pay for the pro- and the meter - readers should adhere jected revenue loss by dropping to that schedule. WGN. The Chicago station is surely I fully appreciate the meter - one of your more popular channels readers' plight; they should not have and getting another 24 hour news to work in fear of attack by dogs. We channel in it's place is no consola- home - owners and renters must have tion. our rights respected, too, however. Here is another laugher you gave If I were not so dependent on their us: a -ttew 8 channel "Broadcast products and they were not so much Pac" for a mere $250 (installation bigger than I, in the corporate sense, fee)' plus $6 a month. You must I'd tell those companies to move think we are all idiots. their meters if where they put them Pull your head out and give your now proves to he their dumb mis- paying subscribers what they would take. This is cost - prohibitive, I like to see. And if you don't know know ... but whatcha wanna bet what that is, why don't you just ask they're still putting 'em in the back us? yard in each new installation? Scott Raisor College Station Elizabeth Stewart College Station THE EAGLE /TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 1985 A C WGN to stay on local cable By JIM BUTLER Television Editor Chicago independent television station WGN will remain on McCaw Cablevision, Joe DiBacco, McCaw regional vice president, announced at a press conference Tuesday. On May 25, DiBacco announced that WGN would be replaced by Cable Headline News to compensate for expected losses resulting from a new $4 Basic Service. "After reviewing the comments received and in consultation with members of the Bryan and College Station city council(s), it was decided to leave WGN on cable channel 33," DiBacco said. "This demonstrates that McCaw does listen to its subscribers," he said. "We made the announcement of our changes 35 days in advance to allow for comment on that action, and we have responded to those com- ments. " McCaw will go forward with its new Basic and an eight - channel Broadcast Pac, DiBacco said. In addition, Cable Headline News will be added to the Family Pac on Ch. 15. DiBacco said there would be no rate increase connected with the retention of WGN. Asked whether an NBC station would be added to the new Basic, DiBacco said: "It will not contain an NBC affili- ate for two reasons. One is that the franchise ordinance requires NBC only if available over the air to con- sumers, and it is not. The other is that technical problems with (cable) Ch. 3 prevent using it for a broadcast signal at this time." College Station Mayor Gary Hal- ter, who was present at the news con- ference, said he did not agree with DiBacco's interpretation of the franchise, but that he was happy with the WGN decision. "I'm very pleased they decided to do this. It should be a very popular decision," Halter said. "The in- teresting question is how much they are going to lose (by offering the $4 Basic). In six or eight months, we'll have an answer to that question." "A lot of baseball fans are going to be happy," said Bryan City Council- man Peck Vass of the WGN decision. Vass also likes the basic package offering. "I've gotten a lot of petitions in the last few months from people who say the $12.50 is eating into their budget. The cheaper package should help them out." DiBacco was asked if he antici- pated the community reaction to the dropping of WGN. "Given the large number of people we serve, we expected some negative comments. I think the press coverage was far disproportionate to the num- Turn to WGN, page 6A Q� ° c°U U -- ^'� 5 C ¢ H T ao 0 0 C U lu�� O gY �Z �.Cd �--� U 3 Y E a4 U 3 v v v V o r4 00 t � > C 0 U > C.� �= v -2 m > c . o C, a U U THE EAGLE/WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1985 Joe DiBacco C CS council meets today The College Station City Council will discuss the indust- rial foundation budget today in its workshop meeting. The meeting will be held at 4 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. Council members also will consider handicapped facili- ties along Nagle Street, nominations to the Teen Center Board, administrative and citizen committee appointments and pending litigation. In its regular meeting Thursday, to begin at 7 p.m. at City Hall, the council will reopen the discussion of provid- ing bike paths on Southwest Parkway. A discussion of cable television also is on the agenda, and interested citizens will be able to voice their opinions on cable service in the area. Four public rezoning hearings will be held, including: ■ Lots 1-4 of block D in the University Park Section 1 subdivision, located at Spring Loop and Tarrow Street, frvm apartments low density district R-4 to general com- mercial C-1. ■ About 2 acres of land on Brazoswood Drive west of the East Bypass from townhouse - rowhouse R -3 to adminis- trative- professional A -P. ■ Lots 1 -B, 2 and 3 of block 1 of the Kirkpatrick subdivision, from apartments medium density R -5 to gener- al commercial C-1. ■ Lot 19, block 5 of University Oaks 2 subdivision from duplex R -2 to apartments medium density R -5. — DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Zoning panel resets meeting The College Station Planning and Zoning Commission's first regular meeting for July has been changed from July 4 to July 2. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall, 1101 Texas Avenue. The change will move the early July deadline from Friday to today for submitting rezoning requests, prelimin- ary plats or anything requiring legal notice to meet require- ments for advertising. For more information, call the planning department at 764 -3570. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: The Zoning Board of Adjust ment I for the City f College Station will considera regust j for a variance in the name of: Richard B.Konzen 2728 Normand Circle College Station, TX 77840 Said case will be heard by the he Board at the regular in the council R College Texs Station City Avenue at 7'.00 P.M. on Tues- day, June 18,198 The nature of the case is as follows Variance r setback for an acceso located ry at2728 Normand Circle. Further information is availa- ble at the office of the Zoning Official of 76 i of College Station,( 1 Jane R. Kee Zoning Official oR-12-8 TO WHOM ITMAYCo CONCERN: The Zoning Board ment for the City of College Station will consider a request for avariance in the name of: David F. Dean 524 University Drive E College Station, TX 77840 Said case will be heard by t h Board at the regular in the Council Room, College exas Station City Hall, Avenue at 7:00 P.M. on Tues- day, June 18, 1985. The nature of the case is as follows: regulations Variance to sign xisting in order to add to � eocated non - conforming 9 at 524 University Drive E. Further information is availa- ble at the office of the f College Official o 76 -3570. o Station, ( ) Jane R. Kee Zoning Official 0606- 12� - - - -- o w THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1985 00 rn Ni W H Oh H a - E E-� Q F1, to P� W W Q xw E-I �3: By DARYN DEZENGOTITA Reporter Bryan- College Station residents need no longer be outraged. McCaw Cablevision will not drop Chicago independent channel WGN from its programming, a company official said Tuesday. "We depended heavily on an A.C. Nielsen survev which indicated viewership of WGN in Brazos County was approximately one per- cent," Joseph DiBacco, McCaw regional vice president told reporters at a press conference. "This report, together with our own infor- mal survey, indicated dropping WGN would be an acceptable alternative to an increase in the price of the Family Pac." The decision to delete WGN and replace it with Cable Headline News was it move to lower expenses in order to offset the losses re- sulting from the introduction of' a $4 Basic ca- ble service, one of four planned changes in the current service, DiBacco said. The Basic package would consist of five sta- tions: Brvan's KBTX (CBS), College Station's KAML:, Dallas independent KT\'T, Temple's KCEN and the Electronic Program Guide. People who choose to downgrade their service from the current Family Pac to the Ba- sic package in July would not Piave to pay the S25 installation fee. The Family Pac costs $12.50. For an additional $2 a month, Basic viewers could purchase the eight - channel Broadcast Pac. Gustomers who purchase this package also would have to pay a $250 installation fee for custom -built filter. "McCaw is attempting to meet community needs by offering an economically priced Ba- sic cable service," DiBacco said. However, he said, after the on nal May 26 announcement, McCaw received about 150 calls while Bryan and College Station officials received around 30 calls and 10 letters. After reviewing these comments and hear- ing the concerns of the two city councils, the companv decided to leave WGN on cable channel 33, the same position it has occupied since the establishment of the Family Pac. Critics charge the new Basic package vio- lates Section 7 of the College Station franchise ordinance because none of the five stations offered are NBC; affiliates. Section 7 states: "The Company currently furnishes and shall continue to Furnish to users a minimum off 2 signals or channels. The minimum or basic selection 'will in- clude at least one station from each of the ma- jor networks (subject to availability) and all full power local stations, including the PBS station at Texas A &M." In response, DiD acco , said the city council only requires three networks if they are avail -, able. Due to unavoidable technical interference from local broadcast station KBTX, McCaw cannot add an NBC affiliate and remain in accordance with Federal Communications Commission regulations. McCaw will add CNN Headline Service which provides continuous news, updated and repeated every 30 minutes, 24 hours da- ily. It will occupy the previously unused chan- nel 15. DiBacco said that the first decision to drop WGN was made without consultation. "We did an informal survey," he said. "And the Nielsen ratings are a nationally accredited service. With the number of subscribers we have, some complaints were probable, but the amount of' press coverage was disproportio- nate. "The press overplayed it for their own ben- efit. We listened to the viewers and respond- ed." Although McCaw already has received calls about the $12.50 Family Pac, the company will not start accepting orders for the service until June 17. McCaw will not drop WGN fromservice CS development foundation budget OK'd By HUGH NATIONS Business Writer The College Station City Council Wednesday allocated $120,000 to fi- nance the city's development founda- tion for its next fiscal year. Both Councilwoman Lynn McIlhaney and Councilwoman Terri Tongco voted against portions of the proposed funding. The funding will he close to double the $65,000 the council had approved for the College Station Development Foundation this year. However, the foundation never re- ceived that allocation. The city re- fused to release the 1984 -85 funds to the foundation in the absence of a written agreement on the services it was to provide in exchange for the funds. Board Chairman E.W. "Eddie" Schultz presented a 1985 -86 founda- tion budget of $108,000. But, Schultz said that figure does not in- clude approximately $12,000 that the city advanced to the foundation to tide it over this year. Tongco moved the approval of the main budget, but both she and McIlhaney voted against an amend- ment authorizing the $108,000 plus an additional $12,000 to repay the city. When that amendment passed 5 -2, McIlhaney then opposed the motion to approve the proposed budget. But Mayor Gary Halter said the city should allocate the $120,J00 to give the new industrial foundation board a vote of confidence. Schultz told the council, in his first appearance before it as foundation board chairman, that he expects the foundation to seek even greater finan- cial contributions from the city in fu- ture years. Additional funding will be neces- sary, he said, until such time as the foundation's economic development program begins to bear fruit. Schultz also said the new board of directors wants to become complete- ly independent of the city. Already, DiBacco target of threats, vandalism By CARMELITA BEVILL Staff Writer Some angry subscribers apparently took drastic and illegal steps to show their annoyance with a local cable television company last week. McCaw Cablevision's regional manager, recently the center of a he- ated controversy involving proposed cable service cuts, was the target of several incidents of vandalism and threats beginning last Thursday. Joe DiBacco reported to College Station police that he received a thre- atening letter Saturday morning. Earlier last week, DiBacco said, he received several threatening phone calls. The phone calls and the letter contained obscene language and sug- gestions which he "would not care to repeat," he said. The letter and phone calls were all related to McCaw's announced inten- tion to remove station WGN from local cable service. McCaw had announced on May 25 that WGN would be removed from cable chan- nel 33, to be replaced by Cable Head- line News. DiBacco also reported that his Col- lege Station home had been vandal- ized. Chemicals were sprayed or poured on the grass in his front yard, causing a pattern of obscene words to become visible when the grass died. Several boards were also broken off the fence in his yard, DiBacco said. Despite the threats and vandalism, DiBacco said, he still considers Col- lege Station " a great place to live." he said, the board has selected an outside accountant and plans to select an outside attorney. Within the past two months, the old board of the development founda- tion approved new bylaws, under which the City Council appoints the Ln foundation directors. Previously, the 00 board had been self- perpetuating; the board itself filled vacancies. generally so friendly and hospitable. We're not soured on the area by these incidents, not by any means, but it was a pretty distressing experience. " On Tuesday, Di Bacco announced at a press conference that WGN would not be removed from McCaw's service. He indicated that public reaction to the proposed service change was a factor in the decision, and he said "It was really a shock," he said, there would be no rate increase con- more so because it was totally unex- nected with keeping WGN as part of pected. We've found this area to be McCaw's primary service package. M W 2 D h K4 Q c4 D x E-1 w a w w M W E-+ Teen Center Board appointed • The College Station City Council appointed 16 members to its Teen Center Board Wednesday. Sixth - graders appointed to the board are Bridget Cooper, Shellie Gilmore, Suzanna Henderson, Laurin Marchbanks, Jessica Marcot- te, Elissa Rayford, Melane CS council OKs handicap facilities The College Station City Council approved $15,000 in handicap facili- ties Wednesday to be built along Nagle Street in Northgate. A four - foot -wide sidewalk will be built along Nagle from Cross to Church Street, and ramps and tire stops will be installed on Nagle also. Work should begin in six to eight weeks and take about a month to complete, city officials said. Reynolds, Ashley Stallings, Jennifer Weitman and Deborah Yates. Members in the seventh grade are Ryan Martell, John Pollock, Tami Smith, Ann Striegler and Melissa Wheeldon. Kelley Ann Ney was the only eighth - grader appointed to the board. Get the numbers right If a county grows 25 percent in five years, and 25 percent more from the new base in the next five, it's growth over the decade will be 56.25 percent, not 50 percent. Your writer made the mistake of just adding percentage increments all through the article on Bryan- College Station growth (Eagle, June 5). In the 70's, B -CS grew 61.4 per- cent. Well, if the Dun & Bradstreet 28.1 percent estimate of our growth in the first five years is right, and if it keeps up, we'll have a growth over the decade of over 64 percent. That's more than in the 70's. The Texas highway department's 30 per- cent estimate projects to 69 percent over the decade. By two of the three estimates of B -CS growth, we are growing faster than ever. Doug Hensley College Station THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1985 ;a WGN —the station that can't get away In Bryan - College Station, WGN is proving more difficult to dispatch than The Terminator. In case you didn't see the movie, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays this cyborg from the future who keeps coming at you despite shotgun blasts, a gasoline tank truck explosion and a bomb right in the middle of his metal skeleton. The Chicago independent televi- sion station is best known for its car- riage of the once -lowly Chicago Cubs but also is purveyor of movie classics and old sitcoms (not to mention Bozo the Clown — not to be confused with Harry Caray). In 1983, Community Cablevision and Midwest Video tried to avoid forking over generous amounts of money to the Copyright Royalty Tri- bunal by dropping WGN and other independents. Citizen outrage re- sulted in WGN and WTBS being re- turned to the cable lineup. In 1985, McCaw Cablevision, again to cushion a negative impact on the bottom line, said that WGN would be sent to the showers, and Cable Headline News would be cal- JIM BUTLER Television led in from the bullpen. At least McCaw was nice enough to give 30 days notice. McCaw had to decide between fac- ing the wrath of some very upset female senior citizens or sticking with WGN. Having talked to some of these ladies on the phone, I have no doubt they could present convincing testimony to city council members. Sure, there were other people up- set, but these particular Cubs fans are ones I wouldn't want campaigning against me. I don't know what made the differ- ence in McCaw deciding to leave WGN alone. Maybe it was the com- plaints of Polly Parks, outspoken Cubs fan from Bryan. Maybe it was a sincere desire not to alienate some percent of its subscribers. Whatever the reason, WGN will be with us for awhile, and McCaw de- serves commendation for having the courage to change its mind. It will be interesting to see what effect McCaw's most recent announcement will have at the Col- lege Station City Council meeting tonight. There is. no doubt that the WGN situation caused the most up- roar. Ironically, that is one change McCaw could make with complete legal impunity. Cable's First Amendment rights preclude anybody, including city council, from telling them which spe- cific stations to offer, just as no one can tell the Eagle or the television stations or the radio stations what stories to cover. However, city councils do have enforcement authority on a franchise ordinance. Will College Station councilmem- bers decide that Sect. 7 requires McCaw "to furnish to users a mini- mum of twelve signals or channels" and "at least one station from each of the major networks (subject to availa- bility)?" Or will they decide that these pro- visions do not prohibit a 5- channel basic package that does not contain an NBC affiliate? The sad thing is that there is a legitimate need, as McCaw has rec- ognized, for a low -cost package to serve low- income households. But is it fair to deprive these households of the opportunity to view such fine family fare as The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Highway to Heaven and Gimme A Break, or such quality pro- ductions as Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere? A full complement of network sta- tions, including Public Broadcasting Service affiliate KAMU, should be a part of any basic package. Federal Communications Com- mission attorney Richard Kalb says that College Station's franchise is within its rights in requiring that. And if there's a technical problem with channel space, as McCaw main- tains, the FCC provides a mechanism for getting Dallas independent KTVT waived from the "must carry" com- plement for Bryan- College Station. A 5- channel basic of ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS (plus the Electronic Program Guide) would be one I could support. U 00 rn W z D h Q U) D x N W a C7 W W x H NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS (ADVERTISEMENT) The City of College Station invites proposals for: THE CONSTRUCTION OF STREET AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS TO DARTMOUTH STREET AND HOLLEMAN DRIVE. C.I.P. No. G81 -81 -17111 until 2:00 o'clock P.M., July 2, 1985. Proposals will be received at the office of Mr. David J. Pullen, City Engineer, City Hall, College Station, Texas 77840. The project includes: clearing and grubbing, excavation and embankment, subgrade stabilization, roadway base, curb and gutter and paving for intersecting roadways of approximately 6500 linear feet; 24 storm sewer structures including a 4BBL 10'x10' box culvert approximately 230 feet long, installing 2723 linear feet of storm sewer pipe - 18 to 48 inches in diameter including excavation and backfill, and approximately 10,000 cubic yards of channel excavation. Excavated material will be used in the embankments or stockpiled adjancent to the project site. The project also includes replacing approximately 80 linear feet of active 15" sanitay sewer pipe, 180 linear feet of 18" sanitary sewer pipe and installing 70 linear feet of 8" water pipe. A corrugated steel structure alternate will be considered for the 4BBL box culvert. Steel structures must be pre- qualified by June 13th as described under Special Provisions in order to be considered. Bidders must submit with their bids a Cashier's Check or a Certified Check in the amount of five (5%) percent of the maximum amount of bid payable without recourse to the City of College Station, Texas, or a proposal bond in the same amount from a Surety Company holding permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety, and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, as listed in the latest Revision of Treasury Department Circular 570, as a guarantee that Bidder will enter into a contract and execute bond and guarantee forms within five (5) days after notice of award of contract to him. Bids without checks, as stated above, or proposal bond will not be considered. In accordance with Article 5160, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925, as amended, the successful Bidder will be required to furnish not only a performance bond in the amount of the contract, but also a payment bond for the protection of all claimants supplying labor and materials as defined in said law. The bonds must be executed by an approved Surety Company holding a permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, or other Surety acceptable to the Owner. The owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive informalities. In case of ambiguity or lack of clearness in stating the price in the bids, the Owner reserves the right to consider the mostadvantageous construction thereof or to reject the bid. Unreasonable or unbalanced unit prices will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of any bid. Bidders are required to inspect the site of the work and to inform themselves regarding local conditions under which the work is to be done. Contract Documents, Proposal Forms, Specifications and Plans may be reviewed at the City Engineer's office, 1101 S. Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. Documents may be picked up at the office of Jerry Bishop and Associates, 1812 Welsh Street, College Station, Texas. A fully refundable deposit of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) is required for each set. 5- 30- 85,6 -5- 85,6 -9- 85,6 -13- 85 -19- 85,6 -2 85,6 -30- 85,7 - 2 -85 PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the City of College Station is ac- cepting bids from all state or national banking corporations located within corporate lim- its of the City of College Sta- tion for the right of actingg as depository for the City of COI - lege Station, Texas. Bids will be accepted until 10:00 a.m. on June 2J, iwso, at wnlcn Llnle they will be opened in the of- fice of the Director of Finance. The City of College Station re- serves the right to waive or reject any and all bids or any and all irregularities in said bid and to accept the offer considered most advanta- geoustothe City. For more information and /or bid forms please contact Glenn Schroeder, Deputy Directarof Finance. 06 -13 -85 BID NOTICE The City of College Station is accepting bid(s) for Electric System Remote Metering Equipment until 2:00 P. M., June 25,1985, at which time the bids will be opened in the City Council Chambers of the City Hall in College Station, Texas. All bids received after 2:00 P.M., June 25, 1985 will be returned unopened. Each proposal must be in a sealed envelope bearing on the outside the name of the bidder and the RED label addressed to the City of College Station pro- vided with this bid package. One copy of the bidding forms and specifications are ob- tainable free of charge from McCord Engineering, Inc., 900 Southwest Parkway East. Suite 100, College Station, Texas, 409/764 -8356. Addi- tional copies may be pur- chased from the Engineer for a fee of $10.00. The City of Col- lege Station reserves the right to waive or reject any and all bids or any and all irregu- larities in said bid and to ac- cept the offer considered most advantageous to the City. These items may be pur- chased with Revenue Sharing Funds. 6-6-85,6- 13-85, BID #85 -56 THE EAGLE /THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1985 to U C•� J U C O CIO U U N U N N .Q U n O v �:d of v•� o'. C C = ' L boo y � y a, J-5 ' o vc W -Jo Z 3v� b c u,n ��:� --• ce 3 a�i ' s� C v C y O Q•� O -y L v v u C a a b O� TE bloO'T+ y 6. � ro v a� C M Z M v c ctv Ly�'M p a'J �� C G c:: C O. 3 c ' u Z Nvir � L 3 c � � C =C 0 C W W C C v�tw�v VV N G S , , L�.� yL�vc3v�3xx�vo v v� biD O 0 0"0 U �+ > u it O •> C 4u � V v �c hcads`�oq� 0 0 CS resident seeking money for tour By LISA JANNEY Reporter A College Station resident has been selected to tour with Up With People next fall, but she still needs to raise $2800 by Friday to pay her $5800 tuition to the non- profit group. Debbie Robertson is a new addi- tion to the 550 -member group, which is an Arizona - based organiza- tion that has members representing more than 22 countries including Sweden, Germany and Mexico. Each member performs and travels with the group for two semesters, she said. Robertson has a lot of work with Up With People ahead of her and she is elated. "I feel wonderful and am looking forward to this experien- ce," she said Robertson said the group per- forms for high schools and nursing homes as well as for the general pub- lic. She said she heard about the group coming to perform in Bryan - College Station and decided to try out. "After a concert, the group inter- views people who are interested in joining," Robertson said. Robertson said her first interview was with a young woman fromNScan- dinavia and a young man from Mon- tana. "We laughed and talked; they made me feel wonderful," she said. She said she was granted a second interview that evening. "We finished the second interview around 11:45 p.m. and by that time we were both tired," Robertson said. After slide presentations, applica -. tions and interviews, Robertson said all she could do was wait. Ten thou- sand people around the world try out for the 550 -member group each year. On June 1 the phone call from Arizona came and Robertson sud- denly found herself in the public eye. It's been so exciting," she said. "This is definitely for me." Robertson said she leaves July 18 for five weeks of training before touring with the group. "It's possible by the second semes- ter that I'll go overseas and per- form," she said. The group also plans to perform at the 1986 Su- perbowl. "When we travel, families who take said. Eigjo one volunteer to house the members, she said. Robertson described Up With People as a completely professional organization, whose purpose is to generate a positive attitude among people. "The &roue performs at prisons and nursing homes to bring a little joy to the people," she said. Up With People is a non - profit or- ganization and members receive no money for their time with the group, she said. Businesses or individuals can help Robertson pay her tuition fee. She says they can call her at 696- 2602. the idea of having sponsors it gets the community in- nd after all, that's what it's " she said. Ln 00 (T ,--I M � W H Q Fi 2 O H a E4 E•� W x Ei "I like we stay with host because care of us," she volved, a iundred families ail about, CS council says no to 0 P rk 0 Southwest ai w y bike lanej By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer The College Station City Council teiterated Thursday its March deci- sion not-to provide bike lanes along Southwest Parkway. The council voted 5 -1, with Coun- cil Member James Bond abstaining, to stripe the street with four traffic lanes and a left -turn lane, rather than having two traffic lanes, a left -turn lane and bike lanes. Council Member Lynn Mcllhaney voted against taking out the bike ;Janes, and suggested that the street be `striped with four traffic lanes near commercial areas, with only two traf- fic lanes and bike lanes on other parts ,of the street. But Council Member Pat Bought - on's proposal included an instruction to city staff to build sidewalks along part of the street. The council said no one will be ticketed for biking on the sidewalks. The city this year completed the widening of Southwest Parkway to 56 feet, which erased the old bike - lane stripes. Local citizens asked the council in March to re -stripe the street leaving in the bike lanes. They said children going to school or to city parks need the lanes to keep them safe from traffic. Elrey Ash, director of capital im- provements, said Thursday that the city did a traffic study in February in which only 30 bikes used the Lang- ford- Southwest Parkway intersection in the morning rush hour, and only 39 that afternoon. He said that intersec- tion has the heaviest bike traffic. Of the morning bicyclists, 77 per- cent were on the sidewalk already, and in the evening, about 38 percent rode on the sidewalk, Ash said. In that same area, 10,000 vehicles pass daily, and from 11,000 to 15,000 automobiles drive on South- west Parkway every day, Ash said. He also said that if only one lane were striped in, the speed limit should be increased to 40 mph to move traffic quicker. But College Station resident Richard Griffin asked the council to change its mind -set from cars to bikes on the street. "So what if it takes longer ?" Grif- fin said, adding that driving the 2 miles from Texas Avenue to Well- born Road at 40 mph takes 3 minutes. If a car travels at 20 miles per hour, it takes 6 minutes. "You're only saving a couple mi- nutes," he said. In presenting his argument for the bike lanes, Griffin said he logs about 120 miles a month on his bicycle. He also told the council that February is a very poor time to do a bike study. He cited a California study which he said showed that bike lanes significantly reduce auto /bike accidents. Both Ash and Council Member Fred Brown said they would not allow their children to ride their bikes on Southwest Parkway with or with- - out the lanes. Ash also said that in the past dozen years, 13 car/bike acci- dents have occurred and only one was during school hours. THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1985 • Crossing resolution passed The College Station City Council passed a resolu- tion Thursday to help speed the construction of a rail- road crossing at Holleman Drive. The council authorized City Attorney Cathy Locke to acquire right of way for the crossing, either by voluntary purchase or by condemnation. Locke said the Southern Pacific Transportation Company has been dragging its feet on signing a con- tract to install the crossing. The resolution was in- tended to get the company moving. The city sent Southern Pacific a contract Jan. 17, and has inquired about it numerous times, Locke said. The railroad has yet to return a signed contract, she said. The crossing is part of an agreement made between the city and the railroad after two students were killed at the Luther Street crossing. According to the agree- ment, the Luther intersection would be closed and another built at Holleman at city expense, Locke said. The crossing will cost about $131,000 to build, she said. —DIANE BLAKE BOWEN CS council donates $500 The College Station City Council allocated $500 to a local woman who has been selected to join Up With People, and challenged the community to come up with the rest of the money she needs. Debbie Robertson, 24, said she was one of only 500 oeonle in the world asked to join Up With People, and requested $1,800 from the council. Robertson, a College Station resident, promised to be an ambassador for the city, and pass out brochures promoting the area to people "everywhere from Tuc- son to Zimbabwe." The allocation was taken from this year's hotel - motel fund contingency money. Council Member Terri Tongco moved that the city give her $500, "with the stipulation that she be diligent about passing out those pamphlets. " In other action, the city awarded a contract for the reconstruction of Richards Street. The city accepted the low bid of $144,572 by Young Brothers Inc. to rebuild the street and replace a water line along it. _ DIANE BLAKE BOWEN CS assigns cable issues to a standing committee By JIM BUTLER Television Editor The College Station City Council Thursday gave a committee the task of studying citizen cable complaints. Requesting that a Cable Advisory Board be created by the city, three members of the Cable Improvement Association voiced concerns about several recent actions by McCaw Cablevision. Scott Lummer told council mem- bers that McCaw had violated prom- ises that the community would be consulted about any changes in ser- vice. He also took issue with McCaw's claim that the reaction to dropping Chicago independent sta- tion WGN was blown out of propor- tion by the news media and submitted petitions signed by 2,300 persons re- questing the retention of WGN. McCaw announced Tuesday that WGN would not be dropped from its lineup. Larry Ringer urged the council to enforce the cable franchise ordinance section that requires a minimum of 12 channels and a minimum of one sta- tion from each major network. McCaw recently proposed a new basic package of five channels, none of which is an NBC affiliate. Ringer also asked the council to institute a public needs survey so that a basic package could be offered that would fulfill community needs. Steve Parker suggested the city use its franchise right to consult with a Cable Advisory Board. The board, he said, could help the council carry out its responsibilities, as well as keep the council abreast of Federal Com- munications Commission regulations and federal laws, such as the recently passed Cable Communications Poli- cy Act of 1984. Following the CIA presentation, Mayor Gary Halter said. "Some of these suggestions are worthwhile. I suggest we turn this over to a standing committee to consider these matters and report back to the council in 30 days. " • THE EAGLE /FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1985 CS citizens suggest cable advisory group • By Amy Netterville Reporter College Station residents voiced their opinions last night about the McCaw Cablevision issue at the city council meeting. The citizens sug- gested implementing a permanent cable advisory committee that would work with McCaw on the needs of the community. McCaw decided not to drop Chi- cago independent channel WGN from its basic cable service because of citizen disapproval. Now McCaw . critics charge that the new bWc package currently being offered vio- lates section 7 of the College Station ordinance because none of the five stations offered are NBC affiliates. "If McCaw was truly concerned about public opinion they would have lived up to the promises made in section 7 of the ordinance," said Scott Lummer, a College Station res- ident on the Cable Improvement As- sociation. "A lot of the city council's attention has been on this issue and I would like to see the city council take some permanent action to ensure these arbitrary changes in cable pol- icy do not happen again." College Station mayor Gary Hal- ter suggested the city affairs commit- tee review the recommendations submitted by the citizens. Also the council approved strip- ing Southwest Parkway, which will do away with bike lanes, making the street four lanes with a center turn lane. Although there will be no bike lanes, bikers will be allowed on the street. "Southwest Parkway carries around 11,000 to 15,000 vehicles per day," said El Ray Ash, director of capital improvements. "The road- way needs to be striped to handle the vehicle load it carries." The council will look at alternative bike routes and sidewalk plans for the area. Other considerations approved by the council were: 0 Two proclamations designating the week of June 16 through June 22, 1985 as "Safety in the Workplace Week" and "Selective Service Regis- tration Week" in College Station. • Write -off of uncollectable taxes. • THE BATTALION /FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1985 Laurels To members of the local Bahais Spiritual Assembly, who worked for more than three months renovating and restoring the grave sites of some 100 former Bryan -area residents buried in the slave section of the Bryan Cf ty Cemetery. To Dr. Perry Adkisson, deputy chancellor of the Texas A &M Uni- vbrsity System, who has been appointed by President Reagan to a six - y�ar term on the National Science Board. To the Revs. Larry Covington, Jim Deaconson and Adan Martinez, w'ho have been ordained as Roman Catholic priests. 4 To Debbie Robertson of College Station, who has been accepted as a member of Up With People, a group of young adults who perform in communities around the world. 4 To Celeste Bennett of Bryan, who won a gold medal in architectural drafting at the Texas Vocational Industrial Club of America's 37th annual Leadership Conference and Skill Olympics. • To Janet Yeates of Bryan, who has been named the outstanding 4 -H specialist by the Volunteer Leaders Association of Texas. To E.W. "Eddie" Schultz, who has been elected chairman of the board of the College Station Development Foundation. To Obert O. Haugen of College Station, who has been named a >nember emeritus of the Environmental Management Association, a pational organization for custodial management personnel. Haugen re- dred earlier this year after 20 years with Texas A &M's physical plant. To Dr. Robert H. Page, Forsyth Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A &M, who has been elected a fellow of the American Associa- tion for the Advancement of Science. To the 28 local celebrities and their sponsors who raised more than $5,000 for the Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center during the 1985 Post Oak Mall Cow Milking Contest. To State Rep. Mike McKinney, a Centerville physician, who was named outstanding freshman lawmaker by his peers in the 1985 Texas - Legislature. LJ THE EAGLE /SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 1985 • Lone Star board to meet Monday The Lone Star Municipal Power Agency board of directors will meet Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the Huntsvil- le City Hall council chambers, 1212 Avenue M. otia- The board will discuss neg tions with Gulf States Utilities, efforts of buy substations, the Trinity River hydroelectric power project and proposed power sales contracts. The LSMPA was formed by the cities of College Station, Kirbyville, Caldwell and Newton to get cheaper power. • < •+ VI lv G c n n fD f9 �0 � rr n r G p QQ x C A Q N �O n� n5'a� w^ y 0 :r o o '° 0.0 CD ° W C c C, � O� C- "W i � 6A CD tD (D (!i CD FD N v' o-• D W N ° iv v 'r"if CD JN Oy E ^►: CD b4 9 CD 0 5 g �• a ° o ?: + E. O� EO N O r �G.� o G O ,��• � E ..� (D G y m c �cr� a �cD �•O� w ��CIQ � .�-. N� o 0 00 o$wg - + o V � o n. n C4 O I � M l J O rn � r l I M O M� >��po Q Q o !D o O iA a � m a d FD l w D n d0 N p, 0 6$ ° O W CD cr of M ^ i THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 1985 E J n Beyond law and reason organizations formed to influence cable - related decisions, and the city council meetings in both Bryan and College Station, to name but a few. And, indeed, a great many concerned citizens made their views known through such forums. But those few who chose more radical forms of expression — such as obscene telephone calls, threatening mail and the vandal- ism of McCaw official Joe DiBac- co's lawn — went beyond both law and reason in venting their anger. Such immaturity not only reflects badly on the community as a whole, it suggests a potentially dangerous absence of any sense of proportion. By comparison, McCaw's ini- tial decision to replace WGN with another station seems altogether trivial — and its subsequent rever- sal of that decision seems positive- ly forgiving. Eagle Editorial Board There was plenty of room for legitimate disagreement with McCaw Cablevision's decision to remove WGN -TV from the local cable TV package — but there was no excuse whatsoever for the threats and outright vandalism directed against McCaw em- ployees as a result of that decision, I fully understand and defend everyone's right to freedom of speech," a concerned McCaw em- ployee wrote last week in an un- signed letter to the Eagle, "but what law gives this town the right to threaten, slander and demoral- ize a person just because of his place of employment!" The answer, of course, is ob- vious — no such right exists. Those who opposed McCaw's decision to eliminate WGN from the cable package had available several legitimate forums in which to express their disagreement — the "Letters" column on this page, radio talk shows, citizer THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 1985 y tai 47 ti t�] H tr] m d FC C z t� 00 00 Uri Attendance By DIANE BLAKE BOWEN Staff Writer Only two College Station residents told the City Council Monday night that they oppose the proposed property tax increase. At the public hearing held on the proposed 9.03 percent increase, Bruce Treybig and James f ssors Chandler, they we Texas A &M p re professors concerned that taxes would be raised in a poor economy. Bryan resident Bahman Yazdani also spoke at the hearing, saying he did not necessarily oppose the increase, but that it "boggled my mind" to hear of another library being built in the area. All three opposed building a new lib- rary in College Station. prop erty at C S tax he arin g l raising ' ncrease in my College Station hearing • ber Terri Tongco said The council hasproposed taxes by as much as 3 cents per $100 valuation, but said it will try P the increase to 2 cents. voters in the April election approved establishing a muni- cipal library, even if it meant a 2-cent tax hike. The tax rate now is 36 cents per $100 valuation. The council will vote on whether to raise the rate up to 39 cents per $100 valuation at its June 27 meeting. "I'd like to say that the general direction of the economy seems to be down," said Treybig, a mathematics professor. He said that with the Brazos County Appraisal District's reappraisal of his house, he will see "a nifty 22 percent t Council Mem taxes." d n ple have called her He also said he thought that new businesses in the area would be bring- ing the tax rate down. "This does not seem to be the case," Treybig said. professor of Chandler, an associate p soil and crop sciences, said his house, too, was reappraised at a higher value, even though eight houses around him are up for sale and aren't selling. In view of rising taxes and valua- tions, Chandler said, ' `I talk to the peo- pie I work with, and we just kind of wonder where it's going to stop." After the meeting, Chandler said he was surprised and disappointed that so Jew residents came to the public at least a ow P— in opposition to the tax increase, an one person wrote a letter favoring the library . She said the few in attendance did not necessarily mean fete oppose o fortable appe e tax increase. Some in public, others have conflicting schedules and d others prefer to call or write, But Mayor Gary Halter said that when 70 percent of the voters approved the library in April even if a 2-cent tax increase would be needed to fund it, "that indicates to me that People are willing to pay it." B.CS programs fill voi o f summertime Women's Open (TWAF) and the By ED CASSAVOY Women's Class A. Both softball tour - Sports Writer naments will be played at Central Trying to figure out how to fill the Park. time between testse Have you missed l 26 28 —The Junior Girls Texas A &M's intramural sports reg • July ti o ntma' have you are Bryan-College thetSoulthwo d AthleticlComplex. at d y for, says a city recreation official. • August 9 -11 — The Men's B Tony Scazzero, with the College ASA) will bat - Station Parks and Recreation De- State Championship parunent, says there i still time to Staion t at Central Park in College get involved in a number sports ts being offered and sporting evend by People wishing more information the city. should call the Central Park office at Scazzero says summer softball al 764 -3773 for more information . ready has ended its registration. Their season begins Tuesday and ends in August. Adult closed for Pa Bryan grecreational programs, registration on Friday, but Scazzero says two sports have not held regis- may be tough, on Bryan's 's city ibleams tration. d Co -rec (a combination of men an women's open and - women) volleyball and 3 -on -3 bas- "Men's Open, • ketbalune 17 21. Entry s are $70 over and the seaslon'beg nssiMonday Wing June As a matter -of -fact, I'm per volleyball team and $90 per bas ( w o orking on the schedules right now ketball squad. _ Scazzero emphasized that th for will be no late registration or waiting players. just il call my office and looking an lists. He says College Station has added give interested peo le a list oft the a brand new list of events called the coaches range for a try out or whatever. to Gold Cup Series. „ "This is a brand new program, y Bryan Scazzero says, "and is aimed at being waiting list forteams or have a players. a sort of family fitness program. g "But this is not exclusively for H says there are no other activ- families, everyone should enter." Scazzero says the Gold Cup Series ities s h new uled for this budgetary equests mm for , will offer a different event each next s month. - . July 13 — A 250 -yard swim, The TAAS tennis tournament one -mile run, 250 -Y on ard swim and inall scheduled for May 17 19, two -mile bike race will be held at Bee g y for June 28- Creek Pool. Entrants pay $5 to com- 30, Rieger says. it will be open to all Pete. ill individuals, and they are eligible to • August 24 — A 1 -mile swim enter three separate events fora w beheld at Bee Creek Pool at a cost of fee per event entered. (See accompa- a- $2. n in list of divisions.) Scazzero says College Station also y g will host four softball tournaments Individuals wishing to get more during the summer. • July 20 -21 — Two tournarn he office att779 -5622 d contact Rieger s will be held the same weekend, THE BATTALION /TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1985 McCaVs service not worth price Bryan - College Station has been plagued by poor cable serv- ice for years. These troubles were only made worse when McCaw Cablevision took over the system left by the two previous companies. McCaw recently announced it would drop Chicago's WGN from its programming. After much community protest, McCaw announced that it would keep WGN. They could have saved themselves a lot of hassle if they consulted the records of the old companies, who also suggested dropping WGN and met with similar community opposition. The cable company's second blunder is the introduction of the new cable packages. Basic cable service will consist of five sta- tions for $4.00 per month. This basic package, which will be the minimum service deal offered by the company, conflicts with the College Station cable franchise ordinance which states: "The Company currently furnishes and shall continue to furnish users a minimum of 12 signals or channels. . ." The basic package's five channels fall short of the minimum. Only by purchasing the eight - channel Broadcast Pac can viewers receive the minimum number of signals specified in the city or- dinance. But the basic deal alone, not a basic- Broadcast Pac com- bination, is the minimum service furnished. Of course, the Broadcast Pac is only an additional $2.00 a month, assuming you don't want it installed. Installation costs $250.00. Why so much? Because the cable company is a monopoly. Why is it a monopoly? Because the cities of Bryan and College Station give it special permission to be one. But along with that permission goes the right of the cities to regulate the cable rates. The rate increase put anything but local channels beyond the grasp of most students and many other members of the com- munity. These random price increases and service changes must stop. It's time for the city halls to exercise their authority and put some restraint on McCaw's ever - increasing prices. It's time for McCaw to listen to the voice of the community. People are tired of being expected to pay more and more money for cable "service." The Battalion Editorial Board THE BATTALION /TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1985 Bonham students win award Bonham School's Beautify Bonham committee has received the Award of Excellence, the highest award given to a Texas youth group by Keep Texas Beautiful Inc. To be eligible for competition for the top honor, the committee first won Keep Texas Beautiful's Best Elementary School Award for its all - school litter abatement program. Then, on June 6, seven committee members, accompanied by their sponsor Vicki Courtney, presented their melodrama Supercan to the Rescue at the association's Youth Day in San Antonio. Taking part in the performance were Kelli Adams, Amy Carlton, Christie Cole, Heather Ely, Robyn Ermis, John Hernandez and Roger Pillow. Brazos Beautiful president Barbara Vance and executive coordinator Diane Mills were in San Antonio for the presentation of the award by Jack Hillman of Houston, president of Keep Texas Beautiful, and Ruthe Jackson of Grand Prairie, who donated the cash prize. Courtney says that the Beautify Bonham committee has been planning and implementing environmental projects for the past three years. During the first year, it concentrated on the school environment. In 1983 -84, it enlarged its scope to include the neighborhood around the school. During academic year 1984 -85, the committee produced the melodra- ma and conducted anti - litter contests at Bonham. The students also sponsored a Recycle Fair, held litter Olympic events and carried out a publicity campaign on the school loudspeaker. Bryan High School's student council placed second in the state in Keep Texas Beautiful's high school division. The council combined the efforts of the school's Brazos Beautiful, Sesquicentennial and landscape com- mittees to clean up the campus and plant native trees to celebrate Texas' 150th anniversary. The campaign was conducted during the third week in April In a campuswide fund drive, the student council raised $255.52 to underwrite the planning. The Bryan Independent School District matched these funds, and the council enlisted the aid of 80 additional student clubs and organizations to carry out the project. On the day of the clean-up, participants worked for eight hours. Besides a tree donated by a local garden club, all the plants purchased for the project were sold to the students at cost by Charles King's Horticulture Services, which also furnished heavy equipment to dig the holes for the larger trees. Keep Texas Beautiful is the state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. The local unit, Brazos Beautiful, provides educational material and program ideas to encourage the reduction of litter in Brazos County. For information, call Mills, 696 -5391. THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1985 NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS (ADVERTISEMENT) The City of College Station invites proposals for: THE CONSTRUCTION OF STREET AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS TO DARTMOUTH STREET AND HOLLEMAN DRIVE. C.I.P. No. G81 -81 -17/11 until 2:00 o'clock P.M., July 2, 1985. Proposals will be received at the office of Mr. David J. Pullen, City Engineer, City Hall, College Station, Texas 77840. The project includes: clearing and grubbing, excavation and embankment, subgrade stabilization, roadway base, curb and gutter and paving for intersecting roadways of approximately 6500 linear feet; 24 storm sewer structures including a 4BBL 10'xl0' box culvert approximately 230 feet long, installing 2723 linear feet of storm sewer pipe - 18 to 48 inches in diameter including excavation and backfill, and approximately 10,000 cubic yards of channel excavation. Excavated material will be used in the embankments or stockpiled adjancent to the project site. The project also includes replacing approximately 80 linear feet of active 15" sanitay sewer pipe, 180 linear feet of 18" sanitary sewer pipe and installing 70 linear feet of 8" water pipe. A corrugated steel structure alternate will be considered for the 4BBL box culvert. Steel structures must be pre - qualified by June 13th as described under Special Provisions in order to be considered. Bidders must submit with their bids a Cashier's Check or a Certified Check in the amount of five (5 %) percent of the maximum amount of bid payable without recourse to the City of College Station, Texas, or a proposal bond in the same amount from a Surety Company holding permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety, and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, as listed in the latest Revision of Treasury Department Circular 570, as a guarantee that Bidder will enter into a contract and execute bond and guarantee forms within five (5) days after notice of award of contract to him. Bids without checks, as stated above, or proposal• bond will not be considered. In accordance with Article 5160, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925, as amended, the successful Bidder will be required to furnish not only a performance bond in the amount of the contract, but also a payment bond for the protection of all claimants supplying labor and materials as defined in said law. The bonds must be executed by an approved Surety Company holding a permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, or other Surety acceptable to the Owner. The owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive informalities. In case of ambiguity or lack of clearness in stating the price in the bids, the Owner reserves the right to consider the most advantageous construction thereof or to reject the bid. Unreasonable or unbalanced unit prices will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of any bid. Bidders are required to inspect the site of the work and to inform themselves regarding local conditions under which the work is to be done. Contract Documents, Proposal Forms, Specifications and Plans may be reviewed at the City Engineer's office, 1101 S. Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. Documents may be picked up at the office of Jerry Bishop and Associates, 1812 Welsh Street, College Station, Texas. A fully refundable deposit of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) is required for each set. 5 -30- 85,6 -5- 85,6 -9- 85,6 -13- 85,6 -19- 85,6 -25- 85,6 -30- 85,7 -2 -8 5 THE EAGLE /WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1985 Sesquicentennial projects set The Brazos County Sesquicentennial Commission has sanctioned eight additional projects for Texas' 150th anniversary celebration, which will be held in 1986. Some of the special events are scheduled for this year. "Texas Cultures" exhibits from the German Heritage Institute and the Institute of Texan Cultures will be displayed Oct. 1 -31 in Post Oak Mall . William Joel Bryan Founders Day will be held Nov. 19 under the auspices of the City of Bryan and the Sons of the Republic of Texas. With costumes, contests and music, this event will commemorate the 125th anniversary of the city. The Brazos County Sesquicentennial Commission will sponsor three exhibits during the yearlong celebration. "Crossroads of the Empire," an exhibition of antique maps of the Southwest, is set for Jan. 27 -Feb. 16, 1986. "Literary East Texas," featuring 25 East Texas authors, will be on view April 14 -May 4, 1986, and "The Way Things Were," a display of photographs, is booked for May 5 -26, 1986. The Girl Scouts of America will hold a Sesquicentennial box supper on March 7, 1986, and the Texas A &M University Sesquicentennial Com- mittee will sponsor a "Texas Trends" symposium, set for Oct. 23 -25, 1986. Some of the projects are regular annual events which will be dedicated to the Sesquicentennial observance. The 1985 -86 Opera and Performing Arts Society season, the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra's Pops Concert and the Bryan Breakfast Lions Club's 1985 and 1986 rodeos fall into this category. The OPAS season runs from September 1985 through April 1986. The symphony's Pops Concert is set for May 3, 1986, and the Lions' rodeos are scheduled for July 19 -20, 1985, and July 18 -19, 1986. If you have an item of interest for this column, send it to Margaret Ann Zipp, The Eagle, P.O. Box 3000, Bryan, Texas 77805. CS planners to meet The College Station Planning and Zoning Commis- sion will meet today at 7 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall, 1101 Texas Ave. Three public hearings will be held, on whether con- ditional use permits should be granted for: ■ An office and meeting room for the St. Francis Episcopal Church in a subordinate structure located at 201 Walton Drive. ■ An addition to the existing St. Mary's student cen- ter at 103 Nagle St. ■ A church to be established in an existing retail space in Suite 102 of the College Station Business Cen- ter at 1501 FM 2818. The applicant is Thomas M. Brown for the South Park Evangelism Center. The commission also will consider a final plat for Southwood Valley Section 25A and master preliminary plats for Belmont Place and Nantucket Phase 3. And, commissioners will consider establishing a poli- cy on signs for conditional uses in agricultural and re- sidential zoning districts. V) 00 rn 0 N c c T cC r E- a� au W a+ 0 a� c T 2 F Residents can sell industries on 8 -CS By BRIAN PEARSON Staf'('Writer Ed Brady, executive vice presi- dent of the Bryan- College Station Chamber of Commerce, said the people of Bryan - College Station will have to be good salesmen if they want to attract industry and experi- ence growth. The community should strive to "make this a good place to live and make a living," Brady said. He spoke Wednesday at it com- munity workshop on the economic development of B -CS. The day -long workshop at the Brazos Center was sponsored by the Chamber of Com- merce. "We're going to let people know about Bryan - College Station," Brady told an audience of about 100 peo- ple. Workshop presentations focused It takes perseverence to help a community grow. Its. leaders must be enthusiastic and have a positive attitude about the area to be successful. Community members also must strive to make the area a good place to work and live. ferry Heare of Commercial Industrial Properties in Austin on bringing industry to the commu- nity. Jerry Heare of Commercial In- dustrial Properties in Austin said corporate representatives like to see people in the community who "take the time off from another job they ought to be doing to come, sit down with them and talk about their com- munity." He said it is crucial for community leaders to be excited about what their city has to offer. Community leaders without an enthusiastic attitude can ruin the chances for an industry to come to that community, he said. "You have to have a community with a good attitude," Heare said. With perseverance, he said, any community can experience growth and success. "It's a very slow business," Heare said. "Success is very slow in coming. We're not talking about a matter of days, weeks or months. We're talk- ing about a matter of years." One business that has found a home in College Station is the West- inghouse Electric Corp. Bill Sensibaugh, manager of the Westinghouse Human Resources Department, discussed reasons why Westinghouse decided to open a plant in College Station. The B -CS area ranked fourth in a survey of 13 proposed sites around the nation, Sensibaugh szid. The area was chosen, he said, be- cause of the hi &h number of degrees offered in engineering, political sci- ence and business at Texas A &M: He said other attractive character- istics included the availability of higher education, housing, public ed and a labor force. "We wanted people who would go to work and have a good work attitu- de," Sensibaugh said. O N h ,.0 H z 0 H N N • • :� n old practice.'... Well, the citizens of Bryan - College Station have been taken — again! McCaw Cablevision just snoo- kered 0 good with one of the oldest business practices in history: When you want something from the public, cover it up by telling them you are going to deny them something they want. Then, when they get mad about that, give it back to them and they are so happy they forget about the other things you are doing to them. Sure, it was wrong to attempt to delete Chicago's WGN from the cable lineup in the first place. But, even worse, McCaw has yet to prove that they will suffer significant "losses" by instituting a new basic package. Hopefully, the city councils in Bryan and College Station wilWgit depending solely on their lawyers to interpret the franchise agreement with McCaw and make a few common sense decisions to enforce the provisions in the agreement. Mainly that the franchise requires a,minimum of 12 channels in a basic package — not in the bottom two packages combined— and all three major networks if available (which they are). The matter really is as simple as McCaw officials would have you believe, but just the opposite of their position. They keep crying "foul" and moaning about their decreasing profits. ]Dut; what about the fact that they upped the price when they took over (eliminating any basic package concept)? Just how much are thg, profits? Does anyone know? While McCaw has accused the press of overplaying the complaints about cablevision service, the press hasn't yet asked any hard questions, much less gotten any answers regarding the proposed packages. Maybe, if we hold our breath long enough... .Terry C. Cooper College Station The EAgLE Sunday, June 23, 1985 More Sesquicentennial projects Brazos County Sesquicentennial Commission director Jody Bates reports that seven more projects have been sanctioned for inclusion on the county's Sesquicentennial calendar. Chi Omega Fraternity will sponsor a Tribute to Texas Song Fest in November of this year. St. Thomas Early Learning Center has scheduled a two -week Pioneer Festival for Feb. 24 -March 7, 1986. Texas A &M University's College of Architecture and Environmental Design and the Brazos Valley Museum will jointly sponsor a Southern Quilt Exhibit, scheduled for March 2 -April 13, 1986. Stephen F. Austin High School's Texas Centennial class of 1936 has adopted a Ses- quicentennial theme for its golden reunion, set for April 25 -26, 1986. The 1986 Texas Independence Express, a steam train, will be in town Aug. 10 -11, 1986, under the auspices of the Brazos County Ses- quicentennial Commission. At Bryan's historic Temple Freda, the Bryan - College Station Jewish Women's Club will sponsor a marker dedication and tour on Dec. 6 -7, 1986. ,The Texas A &M University Press will publish two commemorative warks during the Sesquicentennial year. It will release number seven in the Joe and Betty Moore Art Series, a book devoted to the work of Frank.: Reaugh of Dallas, a painter of Texas landscapes and longhorn cgttle Scheduled for publication in its Southweg andmarhs series are reprints, of 13 Dati•s to Glom by Lon Tinkle and Horseman Pass_ BY, by Larry McMurtry. Shenanigans has new governing board Shenanigans, the College Station teen center, has a new governing board made up of 16 students in sixth, seveigh and eighth grades. The students on the board are Ashley Stallings, chairman; Bridget Coo ,r,_co- chairman; Suzanna Hen - secretary; Melane Reynolds, t aas' r; Shellie Gilmore, Laurin Marchbanks, Jessica Marcotte, Elis- sa Rayford, Jennifer Weitman, De- borah Yates, Ryan Martell, John Pol- lock, Tami Smith, Ann Striegler, Melissa Wheeldon and Kelly Ney, m_ embers. The center will be open to sixth, seventh and eighth grade students from 3 -5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with special programs to be announced. On Friday and day nights, there will be dances and/ or movies from 7 -10 p.m. Members will be allowed in with membership cards, and others may pay $3 at the door. Adult supervisors are at the center during all open hours. For further in- formation, call Pey,,Calliham at 764 -3768. 4. The EAQLE Monday, June 24, 1985 • CJ U CS police find good use for drug bust Almost three years ago, College Station police officers seized some money in an unusual drug bust, and now they are making their first purchase with those funds. Lt. Bernie Kapella is going ;. to buy three sets of anatomically correct dolls for use on child abuse cases. The dolls are being ordered custom made from a child advocacy group in Washington, D.C., and will cost the department $700, Kapella said. The three sets will be black, white and brown. The drug bust three years ago net- ted $7,300 when police arrested William Boran in his home in Octo- ber 1982% Boran lost an appeal in March 1984 to get his money back. Poliep had first gone to Boran's home in response to a report of fire- works being set off. Boran let police enter his house and they fol- lowed him to his bedroom and noticed marijuana plants growing in beer cups. He was arrested for mis- demeanor possession of marijuana. In a search of his apartment, police found the money and a wide variety of drug paraphernalia. more practice. io Congtatulations to Mike a *an assistant police chief at Texas money A &M. He just graduated from an 11 -week management - oriented POLICE By Virginia Kirk Police also an $Wered the phone while at Boran's 119me and a man on the line unsuspectingly arranged a drug deal with officers. That led police to 4' /z pounds of marijuana and 1,762 quaalude tablets. training course at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va. Now he's back to battle crime among the Aggies. Last year A &M Chief Elmer Schneider and College Station Police Captain John Kennedy attended the course. There is still time for senior citizens to sign up for the Brazos Valley De- velopment Cquncil's letter - carrier alert program. Inter- ted seniors living along Brazosourity rural mail routes can sign up by contacting their mail car- rier for a form, pick one up at the post office or call the BVDC to have a form mailed to them. The mail carriers watch the boxes of the participants for an unusual accumulation of mail at a residence. If they notice something, they call the BVDC, which tries to contact the citizen. if the agency gets no response, it calls emergency num- bers the senior citizen has listed on a form. The program is free, and as soon as participation increases in Brazos County, the BVDC will expand it to six neighboring cquntias in the Valley. Several Bryan police officers participated in the Texas Police Olympics June 5 -8, and three of them came home with medals. Lt. Mike Orozco placed second in the 10- kilometer run in the Gol- den Masters division. Detective Raymond Montoya won third place in the karate competition and Traf- fic Officer Dennis Book took third place in the 165 -pound power lift - ing event. Those three will get a chance to compete in the "International Police Olympics in Columbus, Ohio, in 19'86. Detective Oscar Chavarria and patrol officers Gary Heitman and Bill Jarrott did not place in the golf tournament. Chavarria once told me he would have liked to have been a .professional golfer if he could do anythinf -- I guess he needs a little The EAC7LE Monday, June 24, 1985 NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS (ADVERTISEMENT) The City of College Station invites proposfds for: _ THE CONSTRUCTION OF STREET AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS TO DARTMOUTH STREET AND HOLLEMAN DRIVE. C.I.P. No. G81 -81 -17/11 until 2:00 o'clock P.M., July 2, 1985. Proposals will be received at the office of Mr. David J. Pullen, City Engineer, City Hall, College Station, Texas 77840. The project includes: clearing and grubbing, excavation and embankment, subgrade stabilization, roadway base, curb and gutter and paving for intersecting roadways of approximately 6500 linear feet; 24 storm sewer structures including a 4BBL 10'x10' box culvert approximately 230 feet long, installing 2723 linear feet of storm sewer pipe - 18 to 48 inches in diameter including excavation and backfrll, and approximately 10,000 cubic yards of channel excavation. Excavated material will be used in the embankments or stockpiled adjancent to the project site. The project also includes replacing approximately 80 linear feet of active 15" sanitay sewer pipe, 180 linear feet of I8" sanitary sewer pipe and installing 70 linear feet of 8" water pipe. A corrugated steel structure alternate will be considered for the 4BBL box culvert. Steel structures must be pre- qualified by June 13th as described under Special Provisions in order to be considered. Bidders must submit with their bids a Cashier's Check or a Certified Check in the amount of five (5%) percent of the maximum amount of bid payable without recourse to the City of College Station, Texas, or a proposal bond in the same amount from a Surety Company holding permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety, and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, as listed in the latest Revision of Treasury Department Circular 570, as a guarantee that Bidder will enter into a contract and execute bond and guarantee forms within five (5) days after notice of award of contract to him. Bids without checks, as stated above, or proposal bond will not be considered. In accordance with Article 5160, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925, as amended, the successful Bidder will be required to furnish not only a performance bond in the amount of the contract, but also a payment bond for the protection of all claimants supplying labor and waterials as defined in said law. The bonds must be executed by an approved Surety Company holding a permit from the State of Texas to act as Surety and acceptable according to the latest list of companies holding certificates of authority from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, or other Surety acceptable to the Owner. The owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive informalities. In case of ambiguity or lack of clearness in stating the price in the bids, the Owner reserves the right to consider the most advantageous construction thereof or to reject the bid. Unreasonable or unbalanced unit prices will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of any bid. Bidders are required to inspect the site of the work and to inform themselves regarding local conditions under which the work is to be done. Contract Documents, Proposal Forms, Specifications and Plans may be reviewed at the City Engineer's office, 1101 S. Texas Avenue, College Station, Texas. Documents may be picked up at the office of Jerry Bishop and Associates, 1812 Welsh Street, College Station, Texas. A fully refundable deposit of Oise Hundred Dollars ($100.00) is required for each set. 5 -30- 85,6 -5- 85,6 -9- 85,6 -13- 85,6 -19- 85,6 -25 85,6 -30- 85,7 -2 -85 The EAC7LE Tuesday, June 25, 1985 0 CS council plans to adopt budget The College Station City Council will adopt the city budget and set the Property tax rate Thursday for the 1985 -86 fiscal year. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall, 1101 S. Texas Ave. The council has indicated it will raise property taxes by at least 2 cents per $100 valuation, and perhaps by 3 cents. The current tax rate is 36 cents per $100 valuation. The council also will consider in- creasing the hotel/motel tax rate. In other action, the council is sche- duled to consider final plans for Richard Carter Park, the Lincoln Cen- ter landscape and Hensel Park. A workshop council session will be held today at 4 p.m. On the agenda is a discussion in closed session on admi- nistrative appointments. The workshop also will be held at City Hall. Swim lessons sign -up begins Registration for the next session of College Station swim lessons will be held today, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to noon at Adamson Pool in Bee Creek Park. The lessons will begin Monday. Morning classes will have all levels of lessons available. Evening classes will include water babies (6 -18 months), water sprites (18 months to 3 years), tots (3 -5 years), beginners (6 years and older), adult learn to swim, water exercise, diving and water ballet. The cost is $10 a person. Registation for later sessions is available also. Instruction in master competition and fitness swim- ming is available now at the pool from noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cost is-$I for admittance to the pool. For more information, call 764 -3735 between 8 a.m. and noon. The EAGLE Wednesday, June 26, 1985 0 e CS Hilton Hotel holds grand opening By ROBERT SCHWAS City Editor The College Station Hilton Hotel and Conference Center hosted a grand - opening luncheon for 400 business- men, media representatives, political leaders and Texas A &M administrators Tuesday. After champagne cocktails and a menu of gazpacho, salad with crab claw, bacon - wrapped filet mignon and redfish pontchartrain, two wines, strawberries Romanov and a final champagne toast, it was difficult to leave the hotel unhappy. But the hotel officials had something to toast themselves about. Ron E. Jackson, president of Sun- belt Hotels Inc. which is the operator of the Hilton franchise, announced the completion of a private offering of li- mited partnerships in the hotel which raised $4.05 million in capital for the enterprise. Jackson said the offering was com- pleted within the last 30 days. After opening quietly for registered guests June 19 and hosting a March of Dimes fund- raiser over the weekend, the hotel held the Tuesday luncheon as the primary grand opening ceremony. It was scheduled by Mark C. Arnold, general manager of the hotel and con- ference center complex. Irene Weaver, wife of one of the co- chairmen of Sunbelt, cut a wide red ribbon at the main entrance of the hotel and officially declared it open. Lunch followed, during which Jack- son and Arnold told about the new facility's brief history as well as its operators' plans for the future. Arnold said Hilton and Sunbelt came to the Bryan- College Station area be- cause they predict it will be the next major boom area of the state. He said the investment here was not intended to simply provide a new "game -day" hotel, but to provide the area with a convention center that would draw away business conventions and meetings from the Houston and Austin areas. Arnold said the hotel eventually will provide the area with 200 jobs and an annual $800,000 payroll. He said the facility already has $2 million in adv- ance bookings. Workmen still prowled the lobby hallways doing various last - minute chores Tuesday afternoon, but mo-t of the ground -floor work was complcto, The floor is decorated with a Sdudt- western motif. The EftrLE iVednesdaly, June 26, 1985 PUBLIC NOTICE CORRECTION Notice is hereby giventhat the City of College Station is ac- cepting bids from all state or NOTICE OF national banking corporations PUBLICHEARING located within corporate lim- The City of College Station its of the City of College Sta- City Council will hold a public tion for the right of acting as hearing to consider a re- subdivision final plat of Lot 1 depository for the City c, Col - Block 1 Chimney Hill Retail lege Station, Texas. Bids will Plaza subdivision which is be accepted until 10:00 a.m. on bounded by University Drive, July 8, 1985, at which time they Tarrow Street and EastTerrow will be opened in the office of Street. the Director of Finance. The hearing will be held in the The City of College Station re- Council Room of the College Station City Hall at 1101 Texas serves the right to waive or Avenue at 7:00 P.M. on Thurs- reject any and all bids or any day, July 11,1985. and all irregularities in said For additional information bid and to accept the offer contact the City Planning of- considered most adventa- fice (409)764 -3570. Albert0.Mayo,Jr. geous to the City. Director of Planning For more information and /or 06 -26-85 bid forms please contact -_ Glenn Schroeder, Deputy Directorof Finance. 06 -26-85 The EftrLE iVednesdaly, June 26, 1985 MDA to hold Labor Day garage sale • By JIM BUTLER Staff Writer A giant garage sale is the first of six local Muscular Dystrophy Associa- tion events to be held in addition to the annual Labor Day Telethon. The sale will be held at Southwood Athletic Park in Southwood Valley from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. There will be games for children, a pony ride, space walk and dunking booth. All proceeds will go to MDA. A Diamond Dig is scheduled for July 13 at Zale's in Post Oak Mall. Ten quarter -carat diamonds and 200 zirconiums will be frozen in ice cubes and mixed with 5,000 plain ice cubes. Participants will be charged $2 a cube to try to find the diamonds. The Diamond Dig will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Consolation prizes will be furnished by 7 -Up and 7 -11 stores. The Cowboy Club on Finfeather Road will be the site of a mud wrest- ling tournament July 18 and July 20 from 8 -12 p.m. The competition is open to males and females, and the entry fee is $10. Spectators will be charged $4 admission for the Thursday prelimi- naries and $5 for the Saturday finals. A softball tournament is scheduled for Aug. 3 -4 at Central Park in Col- lege Station. The entry fee is $100 per team, and spectators will be charged $1 per person. Winning teams will get prizes and trophies. Chuck Broach (775 -0424) is coor- dinating the tournament. A benefit dance will be held at Gra- ham Central Station Aug. 27. Admis- sion is $4. The dance, which starts at 10 p.m., will be preceded by a kis- sing contest and &wet T -shirt contest. The final event is the second annual WTAW Roof- A -Thon begin- ning Aug. 28 at midnight and running until noon Sept. 1. WTAW will broadcast from the roof of the 7 -11 store at Briarcrest Dr. and 29th St. Red buckets will be located at all 7- 11's to collect donations for MDA. Betty Conner, Jocal coordinator of MDA activities, -said the proceeds from all events will go to MDA. "We've tried to design a variety of activities that would appeal to all sec- tions of the community," Conner said. "The community has been so supportive of MDA in the.:past, and we're looking forward these events." The EAQLE, Thursday, June 27, 1985 CS Council raises taxes, approves budget From page !A tem, he said. The system will begin to make money when it gets more users, VanDever said. He said the sewer rates were not being raised because they are already high. Tongco asked why the council could not use some of the $1 million in the rebate from overcharges by Gulf State Utilities instead of raising the water rates. "I have a problem that we just pas- sed a water rate increase when we have a million dollars of taxpayer money sitting in the bank," Tongco said. "The question is, do we want the electrical division to continue sub- sidizing water ?" Mayor Gary Halter said. He told the council they could vote again on the water rate increase but no one made a motion. Hotel -motel visitors in College Station will pay an additional one percent increase in..taxes, from five cents on the dollar to six cents. The city anticipates making $82,000 from the tax increase to be used for arts program and the Chamber of Com- merce, a city. official said. The hotel -motel tax will go into effect July 10 for one year and must be reapproved next year if the council wishes it to continue. The council opponents of the prop- erty tax increase all said they did not believe the taxpayers wanted a 2-cent increase in taxes to build the library after receiving high property apprais- als this year. "I'm not sure the vote on the lib- rary would have been the same if peo- ple had gotten their new property appraisals prior to the vote. I had a few calls about it," Tongco said. Mcllhaney said she believed the library could have been funded with- out a property tax increase. The city is forecasting a $1 million increase in revenues over last year, she said. "There was a 3 percent increase in all departments in the budget. I felt if we had held that to a minimum we could have made it with what have," McIlhaney said. Brown said he believed the city's $1 million return in utility over- charges could have been used for the library funding. VanDever said that those funds could be used only for items in the utility department. "I wanted to see a year with no tax increase — at least until our economy gets back on its feet," Brown said. "I was disappointed with the lib- rary thing. I know the voters voted for it but it would have been nice if we could have funded it out of the $1 million returned to the city," Brown added. Halter said he was pleased with the budget but felt the council should not have cut $127,000 proposed for merit pay increases for the city staff. The EAGLE Friday, June 28, 1985 cs Council raises btaxes, OKs Brown, voted against the property tax increase. Water rates will be raised by 6 per- cent, from $1.25 to $1.33 per 1,000 gallons of water. City officials said that if a resident now pays $15 a month for water, the new rate will increase his monthly bill by about 90 cents. The increase should bring the city an additional $200,000. The water rates were increased to bring residents closer to paying for the actual cost of the service. The city's water and sewage divisions each are losing approximately $2 mil- lion a year, said A.E. VanDever, assistant city manager. The water costs are so high be- cause the city is paying the debt ser- vice on the four - year -old water sys- By VIRGINIA KIRK Staff Writer The College Station City Council increased property tax rates, hotel - motel taxes and water rates Thursday night and approved a $52 million budget for the 1985 -86 fiscal year. A 2 -cent increase in the property tax rate was approved, bringing prop- erty owners' taxes to 38 cents per $100 valuation. Under the new rate, the owner of a $75,000 house can expect to pay $285 a year, $15 more than the current tax. The city expects to raise $200,000 more in revenues with the increase to help pay for a new municipal library, Easterwood Airport improvements and books for the Bryan Public Lib- rary . Three council members, Terri Tongco, Lynn Mcllhaney and Fred Turn to CS, page 8A CS police disband `drunk driver' squad By VIRGINIA KIRK Staff Writer College Station's drunk driving task force has been put aside in favor of increased police patrol during the hours that drunk drivers are usually on the roads. The task force was disbanded at the end of May after 175 arrests were made in 5' /z months by the two offic- ers assigned to the task force, Lt. Mason Newton said. "We're changing to a type of team policing concept, along with adding a fourth shift," Maj. Edgar Feldman said. Feldman and the three patrol lieutenants have designed a new sys- tem to go into effect Aug. l . A team of four officers, a training officer and a sergeant will be working from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. each day, bringing the number of available officers up to 19 during those peak hours of activity. Feldman said the new team will keep more officers on the street from 9:30 p.m. to 10 p. m., when the officers finishing a shift are coming in to write their reports. This will cut down on the overtime pay officers receive when they can't get in to finish their reports, Feldman said. Feldman admitted that driving - while- intoxicated arrests have prob- ably decreased some in the past month, but he said that should not last. "I think we will maintain a steady number of DWI arrests," Feldman said. "We're not taking anything away from DWI enforcement. I think it will become pretty obvious we're trying to do more about it." The new plan of team policing may run into some glitches because the department still has five or six vacan- cies in the patrol division. Feldman said two new officers were just hired to start at the police academy in July. Promotions in the department opened up five of the vacancies in the last three months, Feldman said. The number of , vacancies is un- changed since last year, but Feldman hopes that all the positions will be filled before the year is over. The department's new computer also will be used for crime analysis, to show where and when crimes are occurring and what the patterns are. Feldman hopes that the computer will show where the largest percen- tage of drinkers are before they are arrested so that the department, can concentrate its coverage in those areas. "We want to get the people before they get in their cars and out on the streets for a mile or two," Feldman said. The task force also ran into prob- lems because the officers were work- ing during parts of two different shifts and had no line of authority or com- munications, Feldman said. The officers on the task force also were burning out on a steady diet of DWIs and traffic violations. Officials in Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which had put press- ure on the department to start a task force, are not upset about the task force's end. "I don't know that I would call it so much an ending as a shift in the way they're implementing it," Presi- dent Kirk Brown said. "It may be a good shift." "The College Station attitude in the police department continues to be much better about DWIs than that of Bryan. I hope Bryan would get the signal," Brown said. Bryan police had made 109 DWI arrests by the end of May. Feldman said he is excited about the changes. "We're improving what we already have. When you have two people out there and put six out there, you're definitely enhancing the program. " The EAQLE Frt'day, June 28, 1985 0 • NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The College Station City Council will hold a Public Hearing on the 1985 Proposed Statement of Community Ob- jectives and Projected Use of Funds. Said hearing will be held at the regular City Coun- cil meeting on July 12, 1985, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Cham- bers, College Station City Hall, 1101 Texas Avenue South, College Station, Texas. Copies of the Propose" ate - ment may be obtained by con- tacting Ms. Terri Oliphant at the College Station Commun- ity Development Office, (409) 7843778 08 30 85 PU LI NOTICE The City of College Station Community Development Of- fice is considering participa- tion in the 1985 -1986 Texas De- partment of Community Af- fairs Rental Rehabilitation Program. Public comment is invited and may be forwarded to Mr. Micheal M. Stevens, Com- munity Development Direc- tor, City of College Station, P.O. Box 9980, College Sta- tion, Texas, 77840, (409) 764- 3778. 06 -30-85 THE EAGLE /SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 1985 I* T1► /'11 /'r _d I a c c N 0 G Business Writer Bryan-'College Station was ranked fourth among potential sites for the Westinghouse plant that eventually located here, a company executive said Wednesday. Bill Sensibaugh, Westing- house's human resources mana- ger, was one of the speakers for an economic development workshop sponsored by the Bryan - College Station Chamber of Commerce. About 90 people attended. Sensibaugh said Westinghouse used a weighted ranking of site selection factors to evaluate the 10 potential sites. Two Florida cities, TallAassee and'Melbourne, and College Station in the final tally. San Antonio ranked sixth. But Bryan - College Station was ultimately chosen, Sensibaugh said, because Texas A &M Uni- versity ranked high on a separate ranking that Westinghouse uses in recruiting potential employees on college campuses. A &M, he said, was rated B + . The universities in the other cities were rated lower, he said. Sensibaugh said this area rated high on the availability of technic- al training, right to work statutes, and the work ethic. It was average on labor availability. The Westinghouse executive said stories by the Eagle about o i ecttons to the location of the Westinghouse plant almost re- sulted in the selection of another site. When the "very negative" stories appeared, he said, corpo- rate executives began looking at a site in Alabama. Only after Westinghouse in- vestigated the matter and decided that the newspaper had overstated the opposition, he said, was the final decision made to locate the plant here. He noted that at a meeting Wes- tinghouse called to determine the depth of opposition, about 100 people showed up. Only three were opposed to the plant, he said; the remainder were looking for jobs. Sensibaugh said most of the opposition was generated by one person who ultimately was elected to the City Council. Although he did not name her, he obviously was referring to College Station Councilwoman Lynn Mcilhaney. In afternoon workshop ses- sions, those attending suggested several areas on which the cham- ber should focus attention. Among them were: ■ Texas A &M's overriding *position of economic dominance. At the same time, A &M's import- ance as a magnet for attracting new industry was recognized. ■ Improving the Texas 21 approach to the city on the west side. ■ Expansion of vocational and community education. ■ Additional entertainment attractions, including an annual festival. ■ Formation of a "roadrunner club," in which members who travel extensively report to the chamber any rumors of industries planning to expand. ■ Creation of a risk capital pool, to assist local entrepreneurs who cannot find traditional financing. ■ Exploration of the potential of horse breeding as a local in- dustry. ■ Adoption of a unified long - range plan for recruiting new in- dustry. ranked 4th on Westinghouse r By HUGH NATIONS Lubbock scored report card better B an- rY b.