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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 1976)
The City of College Station has a special subcommittee working on new regulations to govern the height and area of signs. The current ordinances, which several signs violate, are not being enforced because they are not strong enough. There will be a story on the problem in The Battalion next week. orgotten traffic sigrii ncreased student lots By LEE ROY LESCIIPER JR. Battalion Staff Writer 1^ forgotten parking lot sign enabled day Bents to use 49 extra University parking Jpaces from August 1975 through last Bniversity workmen did not remove the agn, between parking lots 7 and 8, when ie two rows of spaces were transferred ■om day student to staff parking in August .975. University officials have ruled that traffic nd parking signs supercede traffic regula- ions when the two conflict. Students park- mg in those lot 7 spaces could not be tic- :eted because the forgotten sign indicated hey were still for student parking. Bob Melcher, administrative assistant to the vice-president for student services, said yesterday he discovered several weeks ago that the sign hadn’t been removed. He said University officials assumed the spaces were being used for faculty-staff parking. University personnel removed the con flicting sign last week . University police issued at least 14 park ing tickets yesterday morning to students parking in the spaces, according to a Battal ion survey. The spaces were transferred to provide parking for staff members when faculty- staff lots were destroyed or obstructed by construction, Melcher said. Legislature denies deliberate delays Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Ford is Sgain accusing Congress of delaying action on energy bills, but congressional leaders hist they are not dragging their feet. In a special energy message Thursday, ford complained that the failure of Con fess to act on a series of administration- insored bills is hindering the nation’s five to become energy independent. Although many energy issues were re ived in a measure passed in December, lord said the nation cannot begin to solve jits remaining energy problems until he gets [the additional authority he requested. In urging action on pending bills. Ford submitted two new proposals: Legislation setting deadlines for fed eral processing of pipeline projects to bring itural gas from northern Alaska and let- the President select a pipeline route ibject to congressional approval. Allowing up to one trillion cubic feet liquefied natural gas to be imported an- Jually, which does not require congres- honal action. Senate backers of a bill to speed comple- bn of a gas pipeline said their approach. mandating approval of a pipeline route within 60 days after passage, would get the job done faster than Ford’s proposal. Ford especially urged Congress to pass a bill to end federal price regulation of natural gas. The Senate voted last year to gradually remove price controls on in terstate sales of natural gas. But the House earlier this month passed a conflicting ver sion continuing controls and, in some in stances, actually broadening them. Other administration bills Ford urged Congress to enact included: — Authority for temporary sale natural gas at unregulated prices. — Creation of an energy independence authority to underwrite up to $100 billion in private energy projects. — Financial guarantees of up to $6 bill ion for development of private synthetic fuel production. — Increased investment tax credits f or building new power plants. — Authorization of commercial oil pro duction from naval reserves. — Easing of clean air standards to allow increased burning of coal. €bt Battalion Vol. 68 No. 83 College Station, Texas Friday, Feb. 27, 1976 Godine, Williams declared ineligible at SWC hearing Associated Press HOUSTON — Southwest Conference faculty representatives have ended a 12- hour marathon court-ordered hearing by making the same decision they reached Feb. 15 — Texas A&M basketball players Karl Godine and Jarvis Williams are inelig ible the rest of this season and all of next. SWC President Dr. Kenneth Herrick of Texas Christian University, in a prepared statement, ended the grueling all-day ses sion by reaffirming the SWC’s ear her rul ing. “The Southwest Conference Thursday declared Karl Godine and Jarvis Williams, Texas A&M basketball players, ineligible for the remainder of this season and the entire 1976-77 season,” Herrick said. “This action was based on the findings of the SWC’s ad hoc enforcement committee that the student athletes had been offered by representatives of A&M’s athletic in terests (not members of A&M’s athletic de partment) and had accepted financial be nefits in excess of what is permitted by conference regulations,” the statement said. The conference representatives declared the two players ineligible at a meeting in Dallas Feb. 15, but Hugh M. Smith, attor ney for the players, obtained a restraining order that permitted the players to return to action until a hearing could be held. A federal court judge ruled that the SWC had not given the players due process and ordered the conference to hold a hearing within 30 days. SWC officials said Thurs day’s hearing, in which Smith presented 12 witnesses in the players’ behalf, fulfilled that court’s wishes. Following more than eight hours of hear ings in which both players and a polygraph examiner testified, faculty representatives Williams’father says the SWC ruling is stupid. See story page 6. and SWC athletic directors entered a closed meeting to deliberate on their rul ing. Four hours later, Herrick emerged with the SWC’s statement. Herrick said the illegal inductments to Godine and Williams were in the form of cash and the promise of cash, the making available of automobiles and for compensa tion in excess of work performed. Among those appearing before the hear ing were George Gilliam, owner of Gilliam Furniture Co., Houston, and two of his employes, Katherine Hollwell and David Pickens. Godine and Williams held sum mer jobs at Gilliam Furniture. Herrick, reading from the statement, said “The penalties voted at the SWC’s Feb. 15 meeting, (1) that Texas A&M shall receive a public reprimand from the SWC; (2) that in the sport of basketball, the total scholarship in effect the same year, be re duced from 15 to 13 during the 1976-77 and 1977-78 academic years, stand.” Herrick said Texas A&M, which won its second straight SWC basketball title Tues day night, will not have to forfeit games in which Godine and Williams played this season. A&M Athletic Director Emory Bellard, who sat through the tense hearings, said “I don’t think they deserve to be punished. But that’s just my opinion.” Aggie faculty representative Dr. Charles H. Samson Jr., said he thought information was presented at the hearing in favor of Godine and Williams. “From my standpoint, the interrogation of the witnesses offered explanations and clarified many questions in favor of the players,” Samson said. “Personally, I thought there was useful information brought out. I am disappointed in the re sults. ” The SWC passed a resolution in the hear ing praising University of Texas basketball Coach Leon Black, who SWC executive secretary Cliff Speegle testified initiated the investigation. Samson and Bellard declined to com ment on the resolution which said “Be it resolved that Coach Leon Black of the Uni versity of Texas at Austin be commended for performing his mandatory duty in refer ring alleged violations of SWC basketball rules and regulations. Black acted in the best tradition of intercollegiate athletics.” Godine and Williams slipped out a back door of the hearing room following the hearing portion of Thursday’s session and were not present when their ineligibility was announced. Godine, contacted at the home of his mother in Houston, declined comment until he spoke with his attorney. The long procession of witnesses started shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday and ended shortly before 6:30 p.m. Godine and Williams testified in the morning session along with Jimmy Gray, the employer of Godine’s older brother Adolphus, and Adolphus Godine. Robert DeSham, a polygraph operator, started the afternoon sessions followed by Mrs. Adolphus Godine and Mrs. Mae Wil liams. After completing his lengthy presenta tion to the faculty representatives. Smith said “I feel they heard a different picture from what they had before. They seemed to be fair-minded men. ” Grant funds city improvements By JERRY NEEDHAM Battalion Staff Writer The College Station City Council last night approved city improvement projects totaling $169,000. The projects are funded under a six-year federal grant program. The money will be used to pave, curb and gutter Churchill Street, Park Place (from Texas Avenue to Anderson Street) and Southland Street (from Wellborn Road to Pecan Tree Estates). Other work under the project is drainage improvement on Park Place and the re moval of six vacant, dilapidated buildings in College Station. The funds were furnished by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban De velopment (HUD) through the Commun ity Development Program. The money must be used for improvements in low- to-moderate income areas or for urgent community development needs. Last year College Station received $70,000 under the first part of the program. The money is being used to make im provements on Sterling and Richards streets and Lassie Lane. There was some debate among council- men whether two apartment complexes lo cated at Park Place and Anderson Street should be included in the funding. An amendment to the proposed im provements program was defeated, 3-2. It would have required the owners of the two apartments to pay for a half-block portion of the street repairs under the regular street paving program. Councilmen Larry Bravenec and Gary Halter voted for the amendment while Mayor O. M. Holt and Councilmen Homer Adams and Bob Bell voted against it. “I’m in favor of using these funds to be nefit low- and middle-income people, ” said Bravenec, “but I don’t see any point in using these limited funds to benefit those who do not need to be benefited.” City Planner Al Mayo said he did not include the apartments in his definition of the neighborhood to the HUD office in Dallas. Park Place needs to be repaired to the Anderson Street intersection, Mayo said, because drainage problems would develop if the apartments’ section of the street were not finished. A decision from the H UD office in Dallas on whether the apartments can be included in the federal funding has already been asked for, Mayo said. The council voted to have the city attor ney draft an ordinance that would provide a penalty for delinquent hotel-motel tax payments. The three per cent tax is collected by the hotels and motels from its guests. The Aggieland Inn, currently reorganiz ing under federal bankruptcy laws, owes the city $17,225 in back hotel-motel taxes. The council appropriated $850 to the Community Appearance Committee for the printing costs of a street tree planting study. The study, to be made by members of the Texas A&M Landscape Architecture Department free-of-charge, will include specific recommendations for planting trees on city streets. A 2.5-acre tract in Southwood Valley was rezoned from agricultural open to commercial-industrial by the council. The request was in the name of the Area Prog ress Corporation. Index After a lengthy battle, the stu dents of Prairie View A&M may be allowed to vote in Harris County. Page 7. The Ross Volunteers return to New Orleans for their 25th time to lead the Mardi Gras King Rex parade. Page 5. Traditions were broken in the MSC committee chairmen selec tions. Page 4. V. THE FORECAST for Friday and Saturday is mostly cloudy mornings and partly cloudy aft ernoons. Continued warm both days at 78; low tonight 59. Epidemic expected to die out Thirty-six per cent of all students at Texas A&M have come down with the flu since the spring semester began. Dr. Claude Goswick, director of the A. P. Beutal Health Center said that since January 19th, 8,964 cases of the flu have been treated and the number is continuing to rise. However, he said, “We’ve plateaued out, and I expect that after the spring break the epidemic will be over. “Last year’s figures are only one-half or one-third of this year’s total. The reason for the rapid spread of the disease is the close contact in dormitories, various activities and, especially, the classroom. A lot of stu dents are going to class with the ailment, giving it to others,” Goswick said. Goswick believes this flu virus is the “Victorian A” strain, the same one that hit Houston and Waco. But Goswick said, “The viruses keep changing every year so the vaccination for the upcoming flu season is always for last year’s flu. It has relatively little effect in preventing the new strain. According to Goswick some professors lack enough understanding during this epidemic. “One girl came in last week with a temperature of 103 degrees. She waited from 10:30 in the morning until 2:30 in the afternoon to see a doctor. She had to leave to take an exam, then she returned to the hospital. I ordered her to bed, but she said she couldn’t because she had to study for another exam so she wouldn’t have to take a make-up that the professor said would be harder than the first one. The students are really caught in the middle.” Goswick said that there is no fool-prool way to avoid catching the flu. He said just to stay in good health by resting and eating well. But when students do get the flu, Gos wick says, “We usually give then Darvon and aspirin for pain and fever and some sort of decongestant, but the disease still has to run out its two or three day period. After the antibodies are built up a person is rela tively immune to that type flu.” — Owen Rachal Laundry service tries to stay above water By cutting down on the number of employes and increasing the effi ciency of the remaining workers, the A&M laundry is trying to keep its head above water. Last fall 5,525 students used the laundry. The number of students has steadily declined since the laundry was optional for students in Fall 1974, said Clinton Williams, A&M laundry manager. Most of the de cline has been from women students not using the service, he said. With the decrease in its workload, the laundry has stopped hiring as many people as in past years. Addi tionally, when a worker has finished his job for the day, he checks out for the day, thus he is paid only for the work he does, Williams said. “You’ll never replace the cost of personnel,” said Williams, saying that costs of the equipment can be paid off, but that labor is continual. He added that most expenses can’t be reduced. During early February the laun dry ran a series of six ads during a two week period to get more off-campus and staff members to use the laun dry. The ads inaugurated a new “blue ticket” system in which anyone can turn in a load of laundry at the station. The person is then charged a set amount for each piece of dirty laundry. Various university departments also use the laundry to wash un iforms and other items. The larger users are the Building and Utility department and food services, which regularly have the laundry wash their uniforms. Some months as many as 40 to 50 departments may use the service during the month, but the number varies, Williams said. Automation has also been utilized in an effort to save money, Williams said. Most of the automation is in the form of equipment to increase the efficiency of the operation. Machines are being used in tandem so there is a minimum amount of lag time, he said. Different detergents are now being used by the laundry in an effort to save a little on that essential item, he said. Although the laundry is now using the second and third grades of the excellent class of soap, Mike Goeken, assistant director of man agement services, said that there is still the same quality. Both Williams and Goeken said that the students who don’t take the laundry because of the cost are really cheating themselves. They explained that the laundry provides more services than a coin-operated laundry. The A&M laundry presses shirts and pants and also sews on lost button, Williams said. — Jim Crawley The A&M laundry, famous for its nicely starched blue jeans, is losing business. Manager Clinton Williams says students not using the service are cheating themselves since the laundry even replaces lost buttons. Just like Mom used to do.