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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 1974)
By STEVE GRAY Staff Writer The 85th District Court Grand ury Commission Wednesday ■elected a panel of 20 to serve as lotential grand jurors for a term that jegan Oct. 7. Names on the panel were drawn irom voter registration lists. Twelve mil be selected from the panel Oct. Commission names panel of 20 for Grand Jury 30 in district court to serve on the new grand jury. Its term will expire April 7. A grand jury commission, consist ing of three to five members, is ap pointed twice a year by District Court Judge W. C. Davis to select two grand juries. A grand jury term normally lasts six months unless the jurors request an extension. The commission, selected Oct. 18 by Judge Davis consists of Mrs. John V. Bishop, Marlow Ervin Harmon Bell, Pete L. Rodriguez and W. W. Humphries, who was out of town Wednesday when the panel was selected. “The members of the commission are friends of mine and people who I am acquainted with,” Davis said. A new grand jury commission will be selected in March. The present grand jury’s term was extended for a month, begin ning Oct. 1, in order to continue its investigation into county bail bond practices. The extension was ap proved by Judge Davis Sept. 30. The recommendations of the grand jury will be heard in district court today. The names of grand jurors selected by the commission are: The Rev. L. W. Campbell, 504 East 19th, Bryan; Gregory Rod riguez, 405 Tatum, Bryan; Leon Trenchman, 4109 Nagle, Bryan; Mrs. Gerry Chandler, Rt. 3, Box 131B, Bryan; Mrs. Beatrice Toliver, 1518 Lincoln, Bryan; Paul A. Garza, 1606 Cedar, Bryan. Also, W. Lewis David, 2706 Pinehurst, Bryan; Mrs. Mel Pruitt, 804 Waco, Bryan; Joe C. Patranella, 206 S. Haswell, Bryan; Mrs. WesE. Donaldson, 1215 Ridgefield Circle S., College Station. Also, Thomas R. Richmond, 505 Crescent Dr., Bryan; Mrs. Mack Cooner, Wellborn; The Rev. Milton Jones, 2910 W. 28, Bryan; Claude A. Davis, 1608 Oakview, Bryan; W. L. Penberthy, 603 Hensel Dr., Bryan; Mrs. Gerald Bratton, 1203 Village Dr., College Station. Also, D. A. Anderson, 1202 Fos ter E., College Station; Henry Cortez, Jr., 204 S. Sterling, Bryan; Hershel Burgess, 112 Lee, College Station; and Mrs. Vince Court, Rt. 1, Bryan. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Learn to dwell at the center of your being For the more you leave it, the less you learn Lao-Tzu Cbe Battalion Vol. 68 No. 31 College Station, Texas Thursday, October 24, 1974 Prosecutors set to try Jacobsen DALLAS (AP)—U.S. District Court Judge Robert Hill appointed three special prosecutors Wednes day to try milk lobbyist Jake Jacobsen—a case the Justice De partment refused to pursue. Jacobsen, a figure in the Water gate investigation, was indicted on AS MORE CAMPUS BECOMES blanketed in concrete, land lovers are forced into crowded conditions on the remaining grassy spots in the inner campus. This scene is between the Academic Building and the Library. (Photo by Glen Johnson) charges of misapplication of $825,000 from the San Angelo, First Savings and Loan Association. Justice Department lawyers have refused to present evidence in the case. They say Jacobsen has immun ity from prosecution in all current cases because of his promise to tes tify against John Connally, formerly secretary of the Treasury and Navy and former Texas governor. Con nally for a time was mentioned prominently as a possible GOP nominee for president. McNeilis said from Washington Jacobsen probably would testify ac cording to his agreement with fed eral prosecutors, and he added, “I feel sooner or later the executive end of this agreement will be fully accomplished. ” McNeilis said he questions Hill’s authority to appoint the special pro secutors, but said he would have no definite comment until he had seen Hill’s order. The Justice Department moved last Sept, 6 to dismiss the misappli cation charges against Jacobsen, an Austin resident. Judge Hill refused. This presumably would have re quired the Justice Department to prosecute the case, but on Sept. 12, federal lawyers said they would pre sent no evidence. Judge Hill said Wednesday in a brief order: “‘This court is of the opinion special prosecutors should be appointed in order to fulfill and protect the public’s interest in vig orous prosecution of such an in dictment.” Named by Judge Hill as pro secutors were Wayne O. Woodruff, Patrick E. Higginbotham and An drew Barr. Woodruff and Higginbotham were named special prosecutors while Barr was named first assistant to them. The prosecutors’ jurisdiction. Judge Hill said, is limited to the prosecution of Jacobsen in the $825,000 misapplication case. Ray Cowan, a former Jacobsen partner, pleaded guilty in the sav ings and loan case. Judge Hill said Friday that sentencing was awaiting the usual pre-sentencing report. The Justice Department plea for dismissal of charges was fought by Texas Atty. Gen. John Hill acting for the commissioner of the Texas Savings and Loan Department and by Royal Hart, state district attor ney at San Angelo. Jacobsen pleaded guilty to brib ing Connally with $10,000 to use his influence as Treasury Secretary to get President Nixon to increase milk price supports. Connally denied the charge and said the $10,000 was placed in a safety deposit vault and was not touched. Investigators claim some of the bills were issued after the date on which Connally is charged with accepting the money. Jacobsen refused to testily in the bribery case until later when he was granted immunity in other cases. Judge Hill said in refusing to dis miss the San Angelo indictment that he could not perceive “how the best interests of justice could be served by dismissing serious charges with the potential penalty of 35 years im prisonment and a $70,000 fine in exchange for a guilty plea in an unre lated case carrying a maximum pen alty of two years and a $10,000 fine. ” Jacobsen at the time of the al leged bribe was lobbyist for the As sociated Milk Producers, Inc., a huge milk cooperative with San An tonio, Tex., headquarters. It has been under investigation about political donations. Details of the $825,000 misappli cation indictment have not been re vealed by the government. The staff of Leon Jaworski, Watergate prosecutor who recently resigned, agreed to drop the Texas indictment against Jacobsen. The three special prosecutors are from Dallas. Hill’s order granted the trio full powers in pursuing the Jacobsen TSA workshops open to students Students can attend workshops free-of-charge during the Texas Student Association Convention when it meets here Friday, Satur day and Sunday. The students can register Friday on the second level of the Rudder Tower. TSA is a “vehicle for student gov ernments to get together and ex change ideas,” said John Nash, stu dent government external affairs chainuan. Workshops and assemblies are part of the agenda. In the workshops schools knowledgeable in an area will give a presentation and then hold a question and answer period. The workshops at 10 a.m. are: 1. Student Fees-University of Houston (U. of H.) 2. Health Insurance-University of Texas (UT) 3. Community Relations-Texas Tech 4. Title IX Regulations-TexasA&M The workshops at 2 p. m. are: 1. Legal Panel-Tom Henderson, former TSA president 2. Discount bookstore-U. of H. 3. Financial Aid-TAMU The workshops at 3:30 p.m. are: 1. Legal rights of dorm residents- Pan American University 2. Incorporation of student government-U. ofH. 3. Liquor on campus-UT 4. Private school interests in TSA Oscar Mauzy, a state senator from Dallas, will speak at the convention banquet Saturday night. He will discuss the future of education in Texas. petition may stop Dominik zone change By GERALD OLIVIER Staff Writer The College Station City Council v oted four to three to grant a zone pSnge request to Harry Seaback on anc * behind Dominik Drive, how- ever > a petition submitted at the ■fleeting by Dominik street resi- ents may nullify the decision. The petition, signed by 280 citi zens including a number of ominik residents, was given to the enuncil by Scott Manning, spokes- n'an for the group. The petition calls j° r denial of Seaback’s request 0r Apartment zoning and a buffer ^ne °f duplex and single family re- 1 jnces between the apartments dominik Street homes. ,i e zoning ordinance requires a when a petition against a zoning Proposal containing the names of 20 P er cent of the property owners in 200 feet of the property in- 0 v ed is presented to the council, a three-fourths vote of the council is necessary to change the zoning. Mayor O.M. Holt said the city attorney would look into the legality of the petition submitted and would inform the council if the vote would stand. Manning said the petition calls the proposed apartments a detri ment to the Dominik residents. The petition cites audial and visual har- rassment as causes of their com plaints. “I don’t think the city should re zone to suit developers, said Man ning. “If property is made residen tial why do I have to fight to keep it?” he asked, adding, “If zoning is not kept, why have it?” Manning said the people are be coming subserviant to big business in the city. “There’s more property in town, why does it (apartments) have to be in this area? Seaback, who owns the Planta- Today Today in the Batt§ Economic reply . .p. 2 Student Senate . .p. 4 School bus tragedy p. 5 Student unioners .p. 6 Weather Mostly cloudy today and tomorrow. 30% chance of rain both days. High Thursday 82°; low tonite 63°; high Friday 84°. 1... tion Oaks and Scandia apartments, did not attend the meeting nor send a representative to argue for the zone change. Thomas Kozik, another Dominik resident, said the people who signed the petition are objecting to arbitrary zoning in the city. “It is possible to develop apartment con cept without destroying residential areas,” he said. Councilman Jim Gardner said he thought the buffer zone planned by Seaback was fairly adequate. Gard ner said this was more buffer than has been required in other areas of the city. Councilman Fred Brison said the proposed zoning would result in the aggravation of an already congested traffic situation at the intersection of Dominik and Kyle Streets. Brison questioned the need for such a con centration of apartments. Councilman Don Dale said the city was following a plan of transi tion from single family residences to apartment buildings. He said the people in an area should not be able to control what is built there. What must be considered is the sense of fair play and what is good for de velopment in the community, said Dale. The problem is balancing the rights of the developer against the vested rights of the property owners to protect their property values, said Councilman Larry Bravenec. Bravenec said the proposed change would adversely affect the property values in the area, will be visually unpleasant and would cause noise and traffic problems. “What we’re fighting for here is our rights,” said Kozik. When the vote came after over an hour of discussion Bravenec, Jim Dozier and Brison sided with the Dominik Street residents. Mayor O.M. Holt, Homer Adams, Dale and Gardner voted to allow the change. In other action, council voted to zone 6.5 acres on University Drive as general commercial. The land, located across from Fedmart, is owned by E.L. Putz. Councilman Jim Gardner said the zoning would result in the creation of a strip of commercial property along University from Texas Av enue to the Highway 6 by-pass. Gardner presented a map show ing all the land zoned commercial in the city. The map indicated that only a small percentage of the land now zoned for commercial is actu ally being used. Councilman Larry Bravenec sug gested two possible plans for alleviating the problem. He advo cated implementing a heavy tax on land zoned commercial but not in use. Secondly, he recommended that land not developed in two years should remit to the original zoning. A request for the rezoning of two lots behind the Aggieland Inn from single family to apartment was ta bled at the request of the owner. The lot was to be converted into parking for the Inn. The Planning and Zoning Com mission recommended denial of the request due to traffic problems on Milliff and Redmond Streets, and the unsightly nature of the lot when placed across the street from single family homes. The tabling motion will allow the owner to work out possible solutions with the city staff, avoiding the six month wait when zoning requests are denied. Zoning requests necessary to create a small shopping center bet ween Live Oak and East Gate Square were approved by the coun cil. The council delayed appointment of a task force to study developmen tal controls in the city. The delay was caused by the need to reactivate or reappoint some of the commit tees which will send representatives to the task force. Some standing committees of the city have not met in over a year and the chairman of one committee was deceased, the council learned. The council accepted bids from Beal Ford for the purchase of three police cars. One of the cars will be the standard police special. The other car will be a Torino. The council also accepted bids for the paving of Thomas Street and the installation of a sewer line on South Texas Avenue. A DOMINIK STREET resident, Thomas Kozik, argues against a proposed zoning change before the College Station City Council and a large crowd at City Hall last night. (Photo by Steve Krauss)