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Mostly cloudy today with a
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night in the upper 60s. Con
tinued cloudy tomorrow with a
high around 80. Showers and
thundershowers are expected
both today and tomorrow.
Cbe Battalion
Vol. 112 College Station, Texas Friday, April 23, 1976
j Staff photo by Roger V. Messersmith
Easy does it!
Students had an opportunity yesterday to
experience firsthand the problems facing
handicapped students. Students Con
cerned for the Handicapped, sponsors of
the all day affair, loaned wheelchairs to
any student wishing to try one out. Some
students got a little carried away with
the whole idea.
Nine-month market
causes rent raises
i
By JIM CRAWLEY
Higher utility rates and taxes will ac
count for $9.32 of the $100 per month rent
increase that the Barcelona Apartments
will put into effect next fall. The disclosure
was made by Councilman Lane Stephen
son at last night’s College Station City
Council meeting.
Charles Kaufmann of the Max Kaplan
firm, which owns Barcelona, had said ear
lier that the increase was due to higher
utility and tax costs and that the apartments
had lost a total of $122,000 for the previous
year.
The $9.32 utility and tax increase was
based on 100 per cent occupancy for nine
months and was derived from information
from the municipal utility bills of the com
plex, Stephenson said.
Last year’s utility bill for the apartment
complex was $92,781, an increase of
$20,296 from 1974, said owner Max Kap
lan. Last year’s taxes for the complex total
led $41,329, according to the city, county
and school tax rolls. The increase in the
taxes amounts to $1,079 from the previous
year.
Although the city would not release the
actual amount of last year’s utility bill for
Barcelona, City Manager North Bardell
said the figures Kaplan gave The Battalion
were “slightly elevated”. Bardell said Kap
lan’s figures could include more than just
the apartments’s utility costs.
With the deficit of $122,000 from last
year, $54.22 per month would be required
from each apartment for nine months to
cover the loss.
Many of the recent apartment increases
are to recover losses of the past year, said
Dr. Roy Hann, president of the Bryan-
College Station Apartment Association.
“A lot of people that build apartments
here have no understanding of the nine
month market in College Station,” added
Hann. Kaplan agreed.
“I was pulled in there (College Station
on the intention of a year-round market,”
Kaplan said. “If I had realized that (the
nine-month market), I would never have
done it. We re actually running a dorm.
And so are the others.”
An apartment owner either has to have a
12 month lease with low rates and low tur
nover of occupants, said Hann, or a nine
month lease with a high rent and turnover
rate.
The apartment market in College Station
differs from most other Texas cities because
of the high proportion of students to per
manent residents.
The rent increase at Barcelona makes the ;
complex the most expensive in College Sta
tion. The rent rate for a two-bedroom,
two-bath apartment next fall at Barcelona
will be $380 per month. The next highest
rate for a similar apartment is a three- j
bedroom, two-bath apartment at Briar- ,
wood which will rent for $360 per month
this fall.
At last night’s council meeting, Gary I
Halter proposed the creation of an ad hoc
housing committee with two primary re
sponsibilities. The committee would
examine ordinance 628, dealing with hous
ing requirements, recommend changes in
the ordinance, and investigate enforce
ment of the building code. A secondary
function of the committee will be to look at
the apartment rent increases. The proposal
was approved by the council.
Council denies new ward vote
By JAMIE AITKEN
Battalion City Editor
In a four hour session last night, the Col-
ege Station City Council refused to take
iction on a request by Mayor Larry
fravenec to reconsider the passage of the
vard system in the city. Among other con-
iderations, requests for extended liquor
lours and ordinance changes to allow
raternity and sorority houses in certain
Bfrtment and commercial zones were ta
iled.
Bravenec suggested that a straw vote be
:aken to re-evaluate the validity of the April
3,city charter referendum, in which the
ward system was selected. He suggested
that, if 55 per cent of the straw votes oppose
the ward system, then some legal action be
taken on the actual referendum. The
mayor’s motion was not seconded and con
sequently, disposed.
Jeff Dunn, former president of student
government, and Robert Harvey, student
government city relations director, re
quested extended liquor hours on Fridays
and Saturdays until 2 a.m. After much dis
cussion, the council voted to draw up a
liiitable ordinance, but to table the request
until its next meeting. May 6, so that more
public input may be considered.
The council also tabled a request for an
amendment to a zoning ordinance concern
ing fraternity and sorority houses. A
spokesman for the sororities said the trend
is toward a lodge-type arrangement, where
members of the various organizations find
their own living accommodations but meet
at specific rented apartments.
The fraternity view was that not enough
time had been given to adequately study
the zoning amendment. The councilmen
elected to give the group two weeks to
consider the proposal before action will be
taken.
In other business, the council approved
the rezoning of an area at the corner of
MacArthur Street and University Drive
from duplex residential to general com
mercial. The request was made fry Tri-
County Teacher’s Credit Union. Further
council action is expected to rezone this
land admi nistrative-professional.
The council also amended a nonresiden-
tial utility deposit ordinance. The use of
surety bonds to cover deposits was stricken
from the original ordinance. City Manager
North Bardell said that the use of the bonds
was too much a risk, as holdings rarely are
enough to cover the city’s losses.
The Capital Improvements Committee
was to give its report on recommendations
of capital items deemed for a bond election.
Councilman Gary Halter asked for a special
meeting of the council to discuss the
lengthy report. The meeting was set for
April 27 at 4 p.m.
Various final plats were approved by the
council. Included were the Foxfire Sub
division east of the East Bypass; Quail Run
Estates south of Wellborn Road; Green
Acres Subdivision on West Luther Street
and southwest of Wellborn Road; and
Southwood Valley (Section 6-B) between
Longmire Drive and Southwood Drive.
Also approved was the preliminary plat of
Brentwood, Section II, located northeast of
Texas Avenue at the end of the existing
Brentwood Drive.
An ad hoc committee was formed under
the liaison of Councilman Gary Halter to
study housing in College Station. The
committee will examine Ordinance 628,
which deals with housing quality. Rent in
creases will also be studied.
Boston courthouse bombing
tied to ‘climate of hatred"
Associated Press
I BOSTON — Recent racial violence in
Boston could have created the climate for a
bombing at the Suffolk County Courthouse
in which 22 persons were injured. Gov.
Michael Dukakis says.
1 “At this time — and I stress at this time
: — there is no evidence linking that bomb
ing with the racial incidents which have
occurred in the city during the past
month,” the governor said in a televised
address last night.
“But there is no question that the vio
lence that has plagued this city has created
a climate of hatred and irrationality which
could give rise to senseless acts such as the
morning’s bombing. ”
The governor announced creation of a
special police unit made up of city, county,
state and federal officers to investigate
crimes of violence. He also said such cases
would be taken directly to grand juries,
bypassing the district courts.
A march in downtown Boston against
violence sponsored by Mayor Kevin H.
White was to be held today. The governor
and prominent churchmen said they would
join the procession.
(See Boston, Page 4.)
Office created by Congress
New judge race set
By DEBBIE KILLOUGH
John E. Hawtrey and Bradley Smith
have entered the race for the new office,
judge of county court at law, created by
I Congress last session. Elections will be
held May 1.
The new judge will preside over county
i court-at-law cases involving civil cases up
to $10,000, misdemeanors, guardianships,
j Hawtrey, 38, is an attorney-at-law with
Seymour, Hawtrey, hnd Ryan in Bryan. He
grew up in Iowa and has 126 credit hours of
law from the University of Iowa Law
School and John Marshall Law School in
| Chicago. He is presently taking some law
courses at Bates College of Law in Hous-
; ton.
Hawtrey taught at Texas A&M Univer
sity for two years, is married and has three
children.
Hawtrey said he feels qualified for the
position because of his eight years of ex
perience as a defense attorney.
“It is a new job and it needs an experi
enced person,” Hawtrey said.
Hawtrey said there are no issues in this
race, and the most important point is the
experience of the candidate. He said most
of the involvement that college students
have in law cases deal with consumer cases
such as minor automobile accidents and
landlord problems.
“As a judge it is important that you have
an understanding in these areas of con
sumer affairs, and I do,” Hawtrey said.
Smith, 30, has been an assistant district
attorney for nearly three years. He grew up
in College Station and received his B.A.
from Texas A&M University, and his doc
torate of law at the University of Texas Law
School.
Smith also said there were no issues and
Bradley Smith
experience is the main factor of the race.
He quoted the code of judicial conduct
which says: “. . . a candidate for judicial
law should not make pledges or promises of
conduct in office other than the faithful and
impartial performance of the duties of the
office. ” The code also prohibits a candidate
to announce his views on disputed legal or
political issues.
Smith said he feels he is qualified for the
John E. Hawtrey
office because of his experience as an assis
tant district attorney. He has handled over
25 jury trials, over 50 nonjury trials, and
over 200 juvenile hearings.
The winner of the race will serve for two
years, and the winner of subsequent races
will serve for four years. The first judgeship
will only be for two years so that each con
secutive election will fall on nonpresiden-
tial election years.
Specialists differ
on significance
of housing decision
time . . .
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The regular
schedule for Daylight Saving Time
will take effect again this year, with
long days beginning a half-year run
on April 25, when most Americans
will turn the clock forward one hour.
Congress considered new legisla
tion this year, but the efforts were
blocked and the 1966 Uniform Time
Act took effect again, providing for
DST from the last Sunday in April
through the last Sunday in October.
In January 1974, at the height of
the Arab oil embargo, provisions of
the 1966 law were suspended after
Congress concluded that energy
could be saved through year-around
observance of DST.
But before long, lawmakers heard
the protests of farmers and rural pa
rents who sought the early-morning
daylight hour, and standard time was
returned in October 1974.
In 1975, the nation had eight
months of DST and the Senate
Commerce Committee approved a
bill decreeing eight months of DST
every year, beginning in February,
but the legislation failed.
Backers of extended DST have
cited Department of Transportation
studies that found fast time can save
a slight amount of energy, hold down
street crime and probably reduce
. the number of car accidents.
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Civil rights and
housing specialists differ about the signifi
cance of this week’s Supreme Court deci
sion on dispersing public housing into the
suburbs, but they generally agree that
another case scheduled for argument in the
fall should clear up any doubts.
Both cases involve Chicago and its sub
urbs and raise the issue of what powers the
federal government and the courts have in
opening up suburbs to low-income housing
now concentrated in poorer central cities.
The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that
federal courts have the power to require
Chicago and the U.S. Department of Hous
ing and Urban Development to draft a plan
to disperse new public housing units
throughout the metropolitan area rather
than only within the city limits. The case
hinged on an earlier finding of past dis
crimination in the selection of sites and
tenants in Chicago.
Those who give a broad interpretation to
the Supreme Court ruling say the public
housing discrimination found in Chicago is
typical of most big cities. This view holds
that HUD’s response to the ruling is crucial
to determining the case’s significance.
The narrow interpretation is that HUD’s
powers are limited and Chicago cir
cumstances are unique and thus the na
tional impact of the decision would be li
mited.
But advocates of both views say any
doubts should be cleared up by a case set
for argument before the Supreme Court
this fall. A developer has challenged the
right of Arlington Heights, Ill., a Chicago
suburb, to use zoning laws to exclude a
low-income federally subsidized housing
project if the effect is to maintain the virtu
ally all-white character of the suburb.
Here, in question and answer form, is
how analysts view the Tuesday decision.
Q. What did the Supreme Court case
involve?
A. In response to a 1966 suit by Dorothy
Gautreaux and five other black public
housing tenants or applicants, the federal
courts had already found the Chicago
Aggie lobbies legislature
By VIR ANDERSON
One of A&M’s three assistants to the
president, Robert G. Cherry, is also sec
retary to the Board of Regents and serves to
present the views and positions of the
A&M system before legislative bodies in
Austin.
When the Texas legislature is in session.
Cherry and representatives from other
schools within the system—Moody Col
lege, Tarleton State and Prairie View
A&M— spend a great deal of time follow
ing the legislation.
“We get a copy of every bill that’s intro
duced and if it could be amended to affect
the system, then we track the bill and
watch the amendments,” said Cherry. He
said that quite frequently a proposed bill
will affect A&M even though the author
had no intention of changing some manner
of the school’s operation.
“It’s a vast, big and important process,
legislature is. So we use all the sources at
our command in assisting the legislature in
understanding bills as they affect us,” said
Cherry.
Cherry said he and other representatives
of the system go to Austin from time to time
to try and talk to individual members of the
legislature about a bill.
Texas A&M has representation in the
Texas legislature through Sen. Bill Moore
and State Rep. Bill Presnal, both former
students. Both are highly respected and
influential members of the legislature.
Cherry said.
“When we have a position on a bill, we
keep Sen. Moore and Rep. Presnal in
formed. One thing I want to stress is how
much we rely on them,” said Cherry.
Sen. Moore is chairman of the State Af
fairs Committee which handles many bills
concerning institutions of higher education
and is also a member of the Senate Finance
Committee. Rep. Presnal is chairman of
the House Appropriations Committee.
The appropriations bill is quite impor
tant to A&M, being a state-supported
school. “You understand that we live or
die, prosper or perish by the legislature.
Good legislative relations are essential be
cause all our funds are appropriated by the
legislature,” said Cherry.
In his duties as secretary to the Board of
Regents, Cherry prepares the agenda for
board meetings, writes the minutes and
serves as their keeper of records.
(See Aggie, Page 4.)
Housing Authority and HUD guilty of dis
crimination in selection of sites and tenants
to keep public housing out of white
neighborhoods of the city.
(See Specialists, Page 4.)
Option play
on grid tickets
By HOLLY HUTCHINSON
Football fans may request football season
coupon books during preregistration and ,
pay for them with foil semester fees. Any
remaining coupon books may be purchased 1
at the Kyle Field Ticket Booth from Aug.
23 through Sept. 10, 1976.
Beginning Aug. 23, a student may pick
up his coupon book by presenting his 1976
fall semester activity card and his paid fee
receipt. Students must have proof of their
classification when the coupon book is ob
tained, as there will be no exchanging of
books for classification changes.
If any books are left, these will be sold as
student spouse coupon books for $42.00,
and will go on sale Wednesday, Sept. 1,
1976. These may also be purchased at the
Kyle Field Ticket Booth. Any remaining
books will be sold as date coupons books for
$42.00, and will go on sale Sept. 3. Both
spouse and date coupon books will be sold
until Sept. 10, or as long as the supply lasts.
The random method of distributing foot
ball tickets will be used this year as the
result of the referendum taken during the
general school election. The random
method was selected over the first-come,
first-serve method by a vote of 2,488 to >
2,294.
Details concerning the random method
have not been decided. Tickets will be dis
tributed to student season coupon book
holders by classification on the week prior
to the game.
If there are any tickets available, stu
dents may purchase individual game tic
kets for $3.50 on Friday with their fall
semester activity card. A schedule will be
posted with dates concerning purchases of
away game tickets.
Each student will be eligible to get a
maximum of ten tickets and at least half of
the coupon books must be of the higher
classification.
Students desiring refunds for their sea
son coupon books must apply in the Athle
tic Business Office, G. Rollie White Col
iseum 113, between Sept. 1 and Sept. 10.
No refunds will be given after Sept. 10.
All season coupon book purchasers are
guaranteed a student ticket to home
games, if picked up by closing time (4:00
p.m.) on the Thursday perceeding the
game.
The minimum student allocation for all
home games is 22,809 seats.
r
Index
A
This week’s movies. Page 3.
An astronomer says comet patterns
indicate they originated when a
giant planet between Mars and
Jupiter exploded. Page 4.
The Better Business Bureau says
local businesses that lost money
on the ill-foted first version of a
University directory might get
their money back. Page 4.
Quarterback David Walker has
decided not to play with the Ag-
gies next year. Page 5.