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Easterwood buzzes on game weekends
By WILEY GILMORE
Battalion Reporter
A normal day at Texas A&M University’s
Easterwood Airport is a somewhat hum-
Irum, pastoral affair.
A few student pilots practice landings.
4n occasional transient plane arrives, re
bels and then departs. The commuter
drline planes come and go.
Most of the time, there are more buz-
lards than flying machines in the air around
Easterwood.
fi The routine changes, however, when the
\ggie football team is playing at Kyle Field.
Like the first small gust of an
^(approaching storm, the planes begin to ar-
"ive on Friday afternoon and the pace in
tensifies into the evening.
0; The influx resumes the next morning and
yeafehes a peak about two hours before
Idckoff.
u On a recent Friday afternoon Harry
/jlaisor, the airport’s manager, was patroll-
kingfhe field in a white pickup, doing what
The could to make the operation run smooth
ly. A portable radio, plugged into the
-agarette lighter outlet, rested on the seat
Vbeside him.
\ "The Tech game is always large,” Raisor
said. “We get about 200 planes for Arkan
sas,; and I expect right around 175 for this
^anu ’’ The Penn State game had drawn
125 [planes.
^ "Tech and Arkansas are just right for
(flying — too far to drive and just right to
Jy.”
Raisor, 50, has been the manager of Eas
terwood since May 1980.
“To me, the football weekends are the
greatest thing going,” he said, driving the
truck down a long line of private planes.
“My wife claims it’s the main thing that
keeps me going. And it gives the (flight)
linemen something to do besides pump
gas.”
On this weekend, gas and service and
happy pilots were among Raisor’s primary
concerns.
“One thing most people don’t know ab
out this airport is that it is self-sufficient. ”
Raisor explained that Easterwood Airport
covers all of its operating cost through
charges for gas, oil, building and hangar
rentals and other fees.
These costs do not include the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) control tow
er and flight service station.
Because of the large number of airplanes
arriving for the game, one of the airport’s
three 5,000-foot runways was closed to traf
fic and used as a temporary aircraft parking
area. A new parking ramp, when com
pleted, will provide 33 to 50 additional
spaces, depending on the size of the planes.
Back in his pickup, Raisor called the con
trol tower on the radio for permission to
drive across the runway to the growing line
of planes. While the University owns Eas-
terwood’s real estate, the FAA controls all
movement on and above it.
“We’ll be all the way down to the end of
this runway tomorrow,” he said, pointing
Photo by Wiley Gilmore
Harry Raisor, Easterwood Airport manager, assists a private pilot who
has no radio in his craft. Easterwood Airport does a booming business
during weekends of Texas A&M home football games, with private pilots
arriving and departing before and after the game.
down the asphalt strip that extended for
nearly a mile.
Raisor crisscrossed the airport several
times, keeping the flow of planes into the
parking area running smoothly. He deli
vered drinking water to his linemen and
gave several pilots a lift to the other side of
the field.
Near sundown, he took a break for some
thing to eat before the evening’s final surge
of arriving planes.
By 10 a.m. Saturday, the improvised
parking lot was nearly full, and the pace at
Easterwood quickened, now faster than the
day before.
“They’re all over the place,” Raisor said,
waving toward the planes. At least a half
dozen circling airplanes were visible from
where he stood.
The radio in the truck carried a con
tinuous flow of messages between planes
and controllers.
A car drove onto the parking apron in
front of the airline terminal and stopped
beside a large jet airplane. Raisor drove to
the plane and said goodbye to Bob Hope.
A hundred feet above the ground. Dale
Peterson, the FAA control tower super
visor, stood in one comer of the big tinted-
glass room, wearing a headset and a mic
rophone. Peterson was not talking to the
airplanes directly, but was monitoring a
team of air and ground controllers who
were talking non-stop.
Several men were directing airplanes on
the ground. Others were talking to planes
several miles away. Holcomb and Glen
Milton talked to the pilots who were about
to take off or land.
They stood in the center of the tower so
they could see in all directions. As they
talked to the planes, they unconsciously
gestured with their arms, as if the pilots in
the air could see where they were ponting.
Peterson said he had added an extra man
to the day’s shift. The need was apparent.
The men’s face muscles were taut, eyes
squinted, voices a half octave higher than
normal.
Back in the truck, Harry Raisor finished
supervising the parking and took a few
hours’ break before the postgame exodus.
“I’ve been to half a ballgame since I’ve
been here,” said Raisor, whose three chil
dren are all Aggies.
“I have an invitation to one game this
year and intend to go if I can get enough
people (to work here), ’’ he said.
On Sunday, Raisor’s records showed that
136 airplanes had used his parking facilities
during the weekend. He estimated that
between 150 and 160 game-related planes
had used the airport, with many simply
dropping passengers off and returning later
to pick them up. Seventy planes stayed
over Saturday night.
By Sunday afternoon, only a few planes
were still parked on the closed runway.
A young coyote bounded through the tall
grass nearby, looking for quick snack. And
the buzzards once again owned the sky.
Vol. 74 No. 35
12 Pages
Battalion
Serving the Texas A&M University community
Friday, October 17, 1980 DSPS 045 360
College Station, Texas Phone 845-2611
The Weather
Yesterday
Today
High
84
High
88
Low
71
Low
77
Rain
. 0.02 inches
Humidity
Chance of rain . .
. . muggy
. . . . good
@
s
Clayton: ‘sick’ of Brilab spectacle
United Press International
HOUSTON — House Speaker Bill Clayton took the stand in his
federal trial to state he felt it proper to return $5,000 to a labor
eader only when he could explain to him “eyeball to eyeball” why
hemoney was unacceptable, even if he had to wait months to do
t.
Clayton in fact never had a chance to return the money, given to
lim in his office on Nov. 8, 1979, because three months later the
revealed its activities in the Brilab investigation.
The government charges that the circumstances of the three-
erm speaker’s acceptance of the cash, the fact it was still locked in
desk drawer three months later and his failure to report it as the
ampaign contribution he claims it was all add up to a bribery
"onspiracy.
An angry Clayton Thursday described his intent during the
neetings with south Texas labor leader L.G. Moore and FBI
nformant Joseph Hauser and also lashed out at the 33 day-old trial
ifthe “whole legislative system,” a spectacle he said made him
sick to my stomach.”
The west Texas Democrat said Moore and Hauser, posing as an
agent for Prudential Insurance Co., got his attention by offering a
plan they said would save $1 million on the $76 million state
employees insurance contract.
“What I understand in this conversation was they were going to
give me some proposal or some plan that would save the state $1
million if I could get them some information that would show
them how to open the bids,” Clayton testified.
On that basis alone, he testified, he vowed he would “go to bat”
for Prudential.
On tapes secretely made by Hauser, the convicted swindler
was heard counting out $5,000 which he handed to Moore to give
to Clayton. The speaker testified he did not hear the money
counted, never counted it himself, ordered an aide to lock it in a
drawer until it could be returned and did not know the amount
until the case was publicized in February.
“I made up my mind to tell L.G. we appreciate it and end it
right there knowing I had no intention of accepting it,” Clayton
said.
Asked by defense lawyer Roy Minton if he ever considered
keeping the money as a political contribution, Clayton replied:
“Absolutely not.”
“... I was going to give it back to L.G. at the most convenient
time that I could when he came back by the office,” Clayton
testified. “It was an occasion where you couldn’t send a guy the
money back because of the situation or the circumstances that
happened there in that office.
“I only thought it incumbent upon me to look the man eyeball
to eyeball and explain to him why I couldn’t take the money and
that’s exactly what I was going to do.
“... It had been three months but I don’t think it would have
made any difference if it had been four months or five months. I
would have waited until that opportunity came up.”
Clayton testified if Moore’s “peers” in organized labor found
out he had contributed to a well-known conservative, anti-union
politician, “they wouldn’t stand for it. ” Likewise, Clayton’s tradi
tional supporters would be upset if he accepted a labor-based
contribution.
Clayton said he was glad to testify because it meant his trial was
nearing conclusion, but he said the Brilab case left him very
disturbed.
“We’ve sat here 33 days and the whole legislative system’s been
on trial and it’s made me sick to my stomach,” he testified. “I have
met some of the finest human beings I’ve every met in that
Legislature and they have served this state and they have served
with sacrifice. I had to say that... that (bribery) ain’t the way you
do business in Texas.”
Clayton testified he had “absolutely no earthly idea” what
Moore and Hauser were talking about in subsequent references to
what the contribution could mean to the labor leader or in terms of
future contributions to Clayton.
Moore, he believed, was trying to force the money upon him
because he was trying to “impress” Hauser, a man previous tapes
showed promised Moore quick riches for helping Hauser sign
lucrative group contracts.
Hostage report denied
Iranian prime minister to address U. N.
^ United Press International
UNITED NATIONS — Iranian Prime
B Minister Mohammad Ali Rajai flew to New
^ fork today to address the U.N. Security
Council on the Persian Gulf War, touching
speculation about a breakthrough in the
148-day hostage impasse.
President Carter and Secretary of State
Edmund Muskie said Thursday they were
wiling to meet with Rajai, an Islamic hard
liner, to discuss the fate of the 52 American
hostages, held nearly a year.
Tehran and Washington denied reports a
ieal had already been negotiated, but di
plomats saw Rajai’s visit as an opportunity
seek a resolution of the hostage crisis,
now in its 12th month.
Iranian sources told UPI Rajai may stay
for “several days” although his schedule
2 ^ had not yet been fixed.
3) ■ Although Carter announced he would be
2 JpT (willing to meet with Rajai about the Amer-
q ^ lean hostages, he added, “I see no real
C2‘i.
possibility of a meeting taking place.”
Muskie said, “We indicated early on our
willingness to discuss with representatives
of the government of Iran this hostage
question.”
The secretary of state flatly denied re
ports a deal was in the works involving the
sending of spare parts to Iran in exchange
for release of the American hostages as re
ported by Chicago’s WLS-TV.
“There is no such proposal,” Muskie
said. “There is no such deal. I will put it
very definitively. No.”
Diplomats generally agreed that —
under the pressure of the war — Rajai’s
journey to New York signaled Iran’s deci
sion to step out of its past isolation.
Rajai, who flew in from London and will
be joined at the United Nations by a 10-
man delegation, was to present Iran’s side
in the Persian Gulf war to the Security
Council today.
The 15-member council has launched
two unanimous appeals to Iran and Iraq, to
stop the fighting and settle their conflict
peacefully. Iraq accepted. Iran said it
will fight on until the last Iraqi soldier has
left.
On the hostages, diplomatic sources at
the United Nations said Rajai’s delegation
may at least sound out through Third
World nations any options that might lead
to negotiations with the United States. If it
does, the sources said, Iran could be ex
pected to drive a hard bargain.
Before he left Tehran, Rajai said he was
only going to explain “our innocence and
the oppression by America and Iraq,”
Tehran Radio reported.
“We shall accept a resolution in which
Iraq’s aggression is clearly condemned and
(Iraqi President Saddam) Hussein’s trial is
also included,” Rajai was quoted as saying.
“We shall not accept any conditions.”
*GNP will be released today;
economy inching its way up
United Press International
»j» 3*2 li WASHINGTON — A batch of government reports indicate the
■ ^g»;:economy is inching its way out of the recession, a journey that
'a |c,probably began late this summer.
!. 3 o Today, the government releases its definitive statement on the
1 3 ^ sjUjS. economy — the report on the gross national product in the
*3 third quarter.
p jt-Tj! Today’s GNP report will measure the value of goods and ser-
a v * ces produced in the country during July. August and Septem-
. 3.2,® (iher, with adjustments for inflation.
]'?. v 'T Most economists expected the gross national product in the
(0 |^ - period to register either no movement or a slight increase.
(0 Either result would be a marked improvement from the 9.6
7 "* percent decline registered in the second quarter — the steepest
decline in American corporate history — and mark an end to the
recent recession.
, Only a few months ago, most analysts predicted the GNP would
§ ^ U drop between 4 and 5 percent in the third quarter, but confusion
£? over erratic interest rates and the lifting of the Federal Reserve’s
a® Si credit controls in July caused most to revise their forecasts.
&S>®5! Kathryn Eickhoff, executive vice president of Townsend
a Greenspan, a New York forecasting firm, said Thursday the third-
® 3^}!quarter GNP definitely would show an improvement over the
2 fff ^.previous quarter because of the removal of credit controls, but the
*5}^ question is whether the recovery is sustainable.
'“There are no strong signs of persistent recovery,” Eickhoff
yr-
Michael Evans of Evans Economics in Washington was more
optimistic than most analysts, forecasting a 1.5 percent to 2 per
cent increase in the third quarter GNP.
“I expect a substantial, positive increase,” Evans said Thurs
day, noting American consumers are “returning to normalcy” in
their spending habits following the lifting of the credit controls.
American individuals and business got some good news Thurs
day with reports showing personal income and industrial produc
tion both turned upward in September.
Personal income rose 0.9 percent. And, for the first time since
spring, Americans last month spent money at a slower rate than
they earned it, the Commerce Department reported.
The Federal Reserve Board issued a new report showing a 1
percent improvement in industrial production last month — the
second consecutive increase after six months of declines.
The Commerce department said Americans increased their
consumer spending by only $10.9 billion or 0.7 percent in Sep
tember— compared with $18.7 billion, or 1.1 percent, in August.
The September figures also indicate people may be spending
more cautiously and saving more, since there also was a 6.3
percent increase in the personal savings rate, to $84.1 bilhon.
Production of big consumer items such as cars and major ap
pliances led the surge in industrial output, rising 3.2 percent in
September — the largest monthly increase since May 1979.
Production of construction supplies rose a full 2 percent in
September, following a 1.8 percent rise in August. But it still was
almost 16 percent below last year’s level.
This Aston Hall dorm sign was covered by dirt excavated water lines for the women’s dorm being built east of the
from the other side of the wall. Trenches were dug for Quad.
Prairie View called unequal
Rep. wants funds for blacks
United Press International
AUSTIN — Rep. Wilhelmina Delco, D-Austin, threatened
Thursday to file suit in federal court if necessary to stop what she
called the “hand-me-down” treatment of the state’s historically
black colleges and universities.
In particular, she said, she wants Prairie View A&M to share in
the Permanent University Fund, the state’s wealthy endowment
shared now only by the University of Texas and Texas A&M
University
Delco said she has tried repeatedly to get Attorney General
Mark White to issue opinions on a series of questions involving the
exclusion of Prairie View from the fund and the treatment of other
predominantly black institutions.
“The truth of the matter is that he has chosen not to answer at
all,” she said. “Mark White is in a very difficult political position.
The Texas A&M regents are adamantly opposed to making Prairie
View a full and equal partner in the fund for purposes of mainte
nance and support.”
The fund is now shared by the University of Texas, which
receives a two-thirds share, and Texas A&M, which receives
one-third.
Delco said A&M will no doubt expect to be defended by the
attorney general in any conflict between the interests of A&M and
Prairie View.
White said after Delco’s news conference that he had tried to
reach her recently and she had been out of town.
“We will continue to keep her advised as we have in the past,”
White said.
Delco, chairman of the House Committee on Higher Educa
tion, said she will introduce a bill in the next session of the
Legislature to guarantee Prairie View a share of the Permanent
University Fund.
“We are talking about a whole lot of money, ” she said. “The oil
leases that were sold the other day, just the oil leases, brought $44
million.
“Prairie View gets the hand-me-downs. When the Prairie View
stadium was falling down around them, and A&M needed a new
stadium, they dismantled the old stadium at A&M and reassem
bled it at Prairie View.”
She said she has had every hope that the problems could be
resolved within the state but, “I am not going to procrastinate any
longer. ”
Delco said she has talked to the U.S. Department of Educa
tion’s Office of Civil Rights, which is about to issue a report on
desegregation of institutions of higher education in Texas.