Page 10
THE BATTALION
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1979
Denver sued for spending
taxpayer money on nativity
United Press International
DENVER — The American Civil
Liberties Union doesn’t mind the
brightly colored lights, the Christ
mas trees or the figure of Santa Claus
which decorate the Denver City and
County Building each yuletide, but
it says the nativity scene has to go.
ACLU attorneys filed suit in U.S.
District Court Wednesday deman
ding that the scene be removed from
the city’s annual holiday display. The
suit said the city was violating both
the state and federal constitutions by
using taxpayer dollars to erect, main
tain, disassemble and store a nativity
scene on public property.
James H. Joy, director of the
ACLU’s Colorado chapter, said the
suit was filed after the city council
and Mayor William McNichols con
tinued to ignore repeated requests
about eliminating the nativity scene
from the decorations.
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“We recognize that many Denver
citizens and visitors enjoy viewing
the creche scene each year,” Joy
said. “Surely an equivalent or better
display could be established by pri
vate individuals, corporate bodies or
religious institutions. However, the
city of Denver must stop participat
ing in sectarian observances.”
The suit said the holiday decora
tions — which attract thousands of
viewers each year—violate the First
and 14th Amendments of the U.S.
Constitution, which prohibit gov
ernment bodies from supporting the
establishment of religion.
The lawsuit, filed in the name of
“Citizens Concerned for Separation
of Church and State,” said city offi
cials appropriated $23,600 for the
display for the coming holiday
Conserving energy, cities alter lamps
Lights obscure sky for astronomen
United Press International
RATTLESNAKE MOUNTAIN, Wash. — The starry night sky isn’t
what it used to be in fast-growing southeast Washington — and that’s
bad news for astronomers at the Rattlesnake Mountain Observatory.
Booming towns in the area are glowing brighter than ever at nigbt,
interfering with the observatory’s studies of the aurora borealis, or
northern lights.
The towns and the observatory used to have a pretty good relation
ship, so good that several years ago many communities passed “light
pollution” ordinances designed to keep night glow at a minimum.
But the energy crisis has those towns thinking about replacing their
current street lamps with more efficient lamps that use less electricity
but produce light over a wider spectrum.
“That would be a very bad light for us,” said Robert Stokes, manager
of space sciences at Battelle Northwest Laboratories, which operates
the observatory. “At least a part of our operation here would be less
effective.”
The old ordinances restricted the towns’ lighting to mercury vapor
lamps, which throw off a relatively narrow band of light that doesn’t
interfere much with the telescopes.
But Stokes said the General Electric Co. has embarked on a major
marketing campaign to persuade cities and utilities to switch to high-
pressure sodium vapor lamps for conservation purposes.
Low-pressure sodium vapor lamps would be even moreefficienta
wouldn’t interfere with the astronomers, Stokes said, but Gene
Electric doesn’t make them.
The nearby cities of Kennewick and Richland already haverq
their ordinances and Sunnyside and Grandview are getting read)
follow suit, said Bill Holmes, spokesman for Pacific Power &
Holmes said conversion could begin as early as next Thursdayifij
city councils approve. The observatory plans to send scientists toti
meetings to present their side of the issue.
“It’s mostly G.E. that we’re up against,” said StokesV
The Rattlesnake Mountain Observatory is the key facility in a
work of nine telescopes across the nation watching the northern li(
in a study of how solar storms affect the earth’s upper atmosphere,
said.
Star-gazing near any population center is increasingly threatened 1
man-made light and Stokes said the trend was disturbing for reasoni
beauty as well as science.
“There tends to be a lack of appreciation of the aesthetic appeal
being able to see the starry sky at night,” Stokes said. “Many
dwellers have never even seen the Milky Way.”
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MSC
Political
Forum
presents:
Texas Legislator
John Sharp
discussing
“Permanent Uni
versity Fund —
What it Means to
T.A.M.U. and to
YOU.”
December 3,1979
Noon, 226 MSC
Free
Interest rates make
home owning luxun
United Press International
WASHINGTON — The chairman
of the Joint Economic Committee of
Congress says if prices and interest
rates keep soaring, “home own
ership for young couples will be
come a luxury for the privileged
few.”
Committee Chairman Sen. Lloyd
Bentsen, D-Texas, said soaring
prices and high interest rates are
“turning the American dream of
home ownership into a nightmare. ”
Jay Janis, chairman of the Federal
Home Loan Bank Board, told the
committee what most people already
suspected — soaring interest rates
will result in sharply lower housing
starts in 1980.
Janis said he neverthelesl
ports Federal Reserve Boardi
that have pushed mortgage!
rates to 14 percent in some^
Janis said the fed’s strategy!
“not necessarily” hurt housin!|
long run.
“The fed’s actions might wl
to a sharper decline in interest!
over the longer run than wo
occurred without these adi
said.
Dr. Saul Klaman, president!
National Association ofNiutitl
ings Banks, testified manys
houses would take them offtk|
ket rather than cut prices.
Unil
10UST
4 people gunned do\
going to birthday pa\
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its nex
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United Press International
PHILADELPHIA — A gunman,
for no apparent reason, fired on a
group of elderly guests at a birthday
party for a 104-year-old woman.
Three of the partygoers were killed,
including the woman’s 106-year-old
brother, and a fourth was critically
wounded.
The dead were identified as Moses
Beckett, 106, Shade Sherman, 63,
and Althea Denmark, 60, all of Phi
ladelphia.
Edward Durrah, 75, also of Phi
ladelphia, was hospitalized in critical
condition with multiple gunshot
wounds. hjm surge
The incident occurredoutsicLod conc ]
Haven Memorial United M^Beball w;
Church in North Philadelphiir“it was
Inside the fellowship hall joefors tha
ing the church about 40 gue^Sev/hat
ready to celebrate the KMtk
day of Beckett’s sister, Ellaft
Police Inspector Donald f ore,” sai
son described the incident
“A car going south on 23rd stoj
The driver of the car got outani
multiple gunshots, reloaded
fired again many more times.l
back into his car and continued
on 23rd Street.”
■ the fin;
ild nev<
at a
Pizza Inn
of
Bryan
Introduces
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6-8:30
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ALL YOU CAN EAT FOR
A
r „
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CL
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o o
Next time you're in Mexico, stop by and visit the Cuervo fabrica in Tequila.
Since T795we’ve welcomed
our guests with our best.
A traditional taste of
Cuervo Gold.
TEXAS AVE.
PI
Ex-workersr
found guilt;
of cat beatii
United Press International
BOSSIER CITY, La. —At j fj,
_• i ■ _i_ i ,_ijr I', p
about t
wi
'V
was mis
ife, H
|y the d
uired ac
cipal judge has convicted fourfc
city animal pound employee ,j to n0 |
cruelty to animals, including
worker who was shown on teled
beating a cat to death withal*
C.I. Blanton, Robert Jacks*
Jones and Alejandro VasqueP yfoe (fj tl
convicted Wednesday by Judgfl j wa;
Ross Robinson. He scheduled
tencing for Dec. 11.
All four were charged with®
lead pipe to beat cats to death
animal shelter.
Uniti
FAN AN
captain
fined $
e tear
nst the
ted Thu
ild have
★★★★★★★
Visitors to Cuervo have always been
greeted in a special way.
They're met at the gates and invited inside to experi
ence the unique taste of Cuervo Gold.
This is the way we've said rr welcome" for more than 180
years. And it is as traditional as Cuervo Gold itself.
For this dedication to tradition is what makes Cuervo
Gold truly special. Neat, on the rocks, with a splash of soda,
in a perfect Sunrise or Margarita, Cuervo Gold will bring
you back to a time when quality ruled the world.
Cuervo. The Gold standard since 1795.
CUERVO ESPECIAL® TEQUILA. 80 PROOF IMPORTEO.AND BOTTLED BY © 1978 HEUBLEIN. INC.. HARTFORD, CONN
IZACHARIASI
GREENHOUSE
dub & 0*uc parlor
never a. cover charge
OPEN 4 pm DAILY 1pm WEEKENDS
HAPPY HOUR EVERY DAY TILL 7
4-
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*
*
*
*
4-
root
tournaments
every Monday night
hsGfcjsinmGH
tournaments
every Tuesday night
1201 HWY. 30 (IN THE BRIARWOOD APTS.)
4- ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★**★★★★★★★★★★★★★★