I Ji) local THE BATTALION TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1980 Page 5 No mirage— an oasis of parking By JERRY MAZE Campus Reporter An Aggie dream has material ized at Texas A&M University — more parking spaces. This oasis in a desert of over crowded parking lots shimmers for half a mile along the west side of Wellborn Road, between Jersey Street and West Main Street. The approximately 50-foot wide strip between the pavement and the railroad tracks was leased from Missouri Pacific Railroad by Texas A&M at a minimal cost to handle overflow parking at foot ball games, Assistant Police Chief Morris Maddox said Wednesday. Because of student parking taken over by work on Kyle Field, Maddox said, railroad officials have agreed to let students con tinue to park on the leased area. ng rs e 1» phasis He if and: ure lii The only restriction to park ing on the railroad property is to stay at least 10 feet from the track, Maddox said. “Any vehicles parked too close, that interfere with the work of railroad vehicles, will be towed A temporary solution to the student parking squeeze — Texas A&M University is leasing the 50 ft. strip off Wellborn Road from Mis souri Pacific Railroad. Photo by Cindy Colvin away,” he said. An added delight to anyone who has ever circled the campus looking for a space in their desig nated parking lot, Maddox said, a parking permit is not required to park in the area and parking tick ets will not be issued by Universi ty Police. Summer may have melted ‘snow’ on University ’s artificial ski slope “Tka By USCHI MICHEL-HOWELL Campus Reporter The boiling heat over Aggieland may have been so strong last semes ter that it even “melted” the black Durasnow on the “Mount Aggie” ski slope. But nobody knows if it was the sun, faulty material or misuse that caused the artificial snow to deterio rate after only two months of use. The $17,(XX) surface was put on the small hill next to G. Rollie White Coliseum last September, said Dr. George T. Jessup, associate profes sor of health and physical education, who also helped select it. The Ski Club and the health and physical education department supplied the labor and any additional material needed to install the surface, said Robert L. Seibert, a member of the Ski Club at Texas A&M University. After two months instructions on the two-inch thick, bristle-like sur face, the pointed bristles broke off the black carpet, Seibert said. “The sun in the summer is tough on that material,” said Dr. Leonard D. Ponder, head of the health and physical education department. “The thing simply disintegrated,” he said. He said that as soon as the molded 12-inch squares showed signs of de terioration the department called the company in California which manufactured the material. The company then sent replacements. “We tried to patch up the surface, but it did not help,” Ponder said. Durasnow is the second surface on “Mount Aggie,” which was built by the department and Ski Club mem bers in 1977. “Durasnow had not previously been used in the South, Ponder said. At the end of the last fall semester Durasnow had deteriorated so much that the department purchased material called Snowmat to test it on the slope, Ponder said. “Right now we are testing the new’ surface,” Ponder said. “If this new’ material does not work we don’t have another alternative,” he said. He said that the expenses have been high for “Mount Aggie” and that the skiing lessons might have to be cancelled if Snowmat does not work. “I believe it (skiing) is liked by youngsters and it provides a service to the University,” Ponder said. Ponder said that he did not know if the material was faulty or if a group of peole that walked on Durasnow with regular shoes caused the deteriora tion. Snowmat is more abrasive than Durasnow and requires skiers to wear gloves and padding. It cost the department $2,736, Ponder said. 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Houston Chronicle M y w A*** ^ roW C ‘Beeferendum’ vote Feb. 19-22 By PETE HALE Campus Reporter All cattlemen are urged to reg ister and vote on a proposed Beef Research and Information prog ram Feb. 19-22, said Dr. Ed Uvacek, economist and market ing specialist with the Texas Agri cultural Extension Service. people register, five voters can carry the proposal. The rules also allow only one vote per production entity, be it an individual, family or corpora tion. 'Deliver Limited to Service Area .( m alimu)