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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 7, 1981)
Local THE BATTALION THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1981 Page 5 •national - Federal; ind no ei Hinckley ]i tingtoassij eagan, p* igan or , it was if. Railroad derailments, collisions intensified by hazardous cargo Post quo ie official 30 shoofe; lesslycoaslt By DENISE RICHTER _ Battalion Staff When the A&M College of Texas was founded in i 1876, the railroad west of the campus was its lifeline. 0 6 ^ If a student wanted to attend the College, he had to iparen ys come tQ c 0 jj e g e Station via the Houston and Texas "Y 1 ^- Central Railroad. Today, the name of the College has changed and o has the status of the railroad. No longer able to Provide transportation for students, the railroad is e y. ™ f now used primarily for the transportation of both es betorel Armless an( j hazardous materials. And, with the ever-present dangers of a train-auto nr train-pedestrian collision or the derailment of a train carrying hazardous chemicals, the railroad has become a time bomb waiting to explode. These trains carry rock, sand, gravel, grain, che- micals and general freight, G. Sadler Bridges, divi sion head of the Texas Transportation Institute’s ffice in ® Economics and Planning Division said. ;cret Sera Although no hazardous materials are shipped mbia point g- om or received in the Bryan-College Station area, toger'' t, but e visits vrat indingsffii age sun he invest the through trains carry materials classified as hazardous racterizeeu by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Some of ilk about it these chemicals are chlorine, vinyl chloride, anhyd- ous ammonia and liquid petroleum gas. At least 12 derailments have occurred in the dareportf. Jryan-College Station area since 1975. None of the been seu't derailments caused any injuries or deaths. However, tors. me derailment forced the evacuation of residents that ones *>ho lived near the area because of potential vinyl i confirm a tort if Hinckki'i .rent infati lie Foster, ersity. ;ve Hindia npressionte ■ess, araofe er his arrest f Evergrea barged *ii and assair! lington hole vo others. Post Hine ttle hur Bremet ked Riohuj labama &• ore shooliq ceina r npaign 11 ring rnational g T. Kerrk i a motion!* join inasii istitutional? •ofits tax, been seth orneysasle a Kerr reset* 9. led by ehloride leakage from one of the derailed cars. The threat of collision or derailment and the problems of air and noise pollution associated with trains will intensify during the next 10 to 20 years, Bridges said. To address these problems, the Bryan-College jStation Metropolitan Planning Organization com- addressedt missioned a study for the development of a compre- nd in His hensive rail planning program. From this study, it was determined that complete Relocation of the railroad line which crosses the Bryan-College Station area and divides the Texas A&M campus would be the best solution. The study listed some of the benefits associated agentinlh with the complete relocation of the railroad. For Example: — Decreasing the train-auto and train-pedestrian accident potential. — Decreasing the risk associated with derail ment, especially a derailment involving hazardous materials. — Providing the potential for increased industrial development along the FM 2818 transportation cor ridor. — Eliminating the visual and noise disruption through densely populated areas. However, because of the cost involved, relocation in the near future is not likely. The anticipated cost for the track relocation would be $30 million to $40 million, Bridges said. “Federal funds would be required to pay for the relocation, said Dr. Charles E. McCandless, associ ate vice president for academic affairs and director of the office of planning. “And with (President) Reagan’s proposed budget cuts, this just isn’t the moment to get that much money.” Since it looks as if the railroad track that runs along Wellborn Road is here to stay, at least for the next few years, the University has designed an evacuation plan to be used in the event of an emergency. This plan established the procedure to be fol lowed if an accident occurs which results in the threat of multiple fatalities or extensive property damage. Upon receiving word of a derailment or chemical spill, the University Police will dispatch information to the College Station Fire Department, the College Station Police Department and the University Emergency Operator. The decision to evacuate a threatened area will normally be made by the College Station fire chief. However, evacuation may take place on orders of any executive officer of the University or the University police chief. If evacuation is ordered, bull horns, telephones, mobile public address systems, door-to-door notifi cation and fire alarms will be used to alert people in the area. Upon receiving the order to evacuate, the Divi sion of Student Services will notify the Department of Student Affairs. This department will then notify the Corps commandant and area coordinators of the emergency. Corps unit commanders and head residents will then be notified. Buildings and dormitories will be evacuated according to the fire evacuation plan post ed in each building. What’s Up THURSDAY UNITED CAMPUS MINISTRY; Will meet for dinner at 6:15 p. m. at the A&M Presbyterian Church. MANAGEMENT SOCIETY: Will have a 3 Munson. CATHOUC STUDENT ASSOCIATION: Will have a night prayer service at 10 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church. MSC AMATEUR RADIO COMMITTEE: Will meet at 7 30 p m. in 308 Rudder. UNITED CAMPUS MINISTRY: Will meet at 6:30 p.m. in MSC. INTER BOOT DANCE: Will begin at 9 p.m. on the MSC. Tickets are available in F door. 1 Faulk to conduct auction Hearne an economical alternative to Bryan-C.S. By MARILYN FAULKENBERRY Battalion Reporter One-day cable tv service and tility hook-ups, and even low housing costs do exist — all within lommuting distance of campus. Where can students and faculty find such simple, forgotten plea- Hearne is that the city’s slow population increase, 10 percent, compared to 31 percent in Bryan, and 111 percent in College Station in the last decade which is the first Analysis yo. — OA sures? In Hearne. It’s about 25 miles north of Col- ege Station on Highway 6. Life in he community of 5,000 offers many advantages, including im portant economical ones. Electricity and gas are hooked up the same day you request it. The phone company representa tive apologizes profusely for a iree-day delay. The cable man dark Wb| comes the next day, although he ;onstitutio:i| charges a little more — $8 a month e oil flo«i for full service and $20 a month for pt, whichk: Home Box Office, provisionsff; Service is faster in Hearne be- tion. fccause the offices aren’t as busy, tax also I*; But those in the habit of paying e oil revensi their bills late will find a collector on efforts ti n from strtf roducingles ude a day. last Octohfl t Petrole® ica on behaii it oil prod* ropertyoW’ at the door the day the bill becom es overdue. The most attractive aspect of living in Hearne may be its affor dability. There is not a lot of rental property, but what there is is less expensive than in Bryan-College Station. Many homes in town and on action royal acreages are now rented for $100 to $200 a month. One couple “re nted” a four-bedroom home last October in exchange for feeding rane the owner’s cows. But the real savings belong to the homeowner. Property sales have been slow in Robertson S6ll County so average values for homes are hard to find, but local real estate broker Mary Ruth White said an approximate figure for a used home would be $21 to $22 per square foot. That com pares to $38 to $44 per square foot in Bryan-College Station. Heame’s weekly paper lists several homes under $15,000. One reason prices are so low in irror Workers i nave given 1 mirror so fe ntity crisis* irector oftk thenewbo* ily the tik es to be s«i; i the U#, h in capW time since 1900 that Robertson County has had a population in crease. New industry and energy re source development coming to the county could cause a housing shortage and higher-priced real estate, according to a study made by the Brazos Valley Develop ment Council. But White said she doesn’t think property values will catch up with Bryan-College Sta tion. One student, Mary Ann Swick, said she simply couldn’t afford to go to school if she had to pay Col lege Station rent. She said the lowest she could find near campus was $160 for her share of an apart ment. She lives with her mother, pays $100 to $120 a month to com mute, and comes out at least $40 ahead. Hearne offers another plus to the homeowner — lower property taxes. The figures for 1980 show the average homeowner pays $829 in city and school taxes in Bryan, $710 in College Station and $416 in Hearne. Heame’s economic cloud dar kens slightly with utility and groc ery prices. A gas company spokes man said natural gas bills run high er than in Bryan-College Station, and the kilowatt per hour rates are higher as well. These increased costs are partly set off by lower costs for water, sewer and garbage service. Shopping is varied in Heame, but groceries are often higher than in Bryan. A local meat market sells at competitive prices, but many residents do the majority of their grocery shopping in Bryan or Col lege Station. And what is there to do in Heame? Swick admits the social life is pretty slow — she has a hard time coming up with excuses not to study. Even as it is, Hearne could be a haven for those who want to own a home but can’t afford one near campus, or for those who would just like to get away from the throng — and save money. John Henry Faulk, folklorist, humorist and writer, will be the auctioneer for the annual Brazos Civil Liberties Union Art Auction Faculty to receive awards Winners of the 1981 Facul ty Distinguished Achievement Awards will be announced at 3:30 p.m. today at a faculty meeting in Rudder Auditorium. These awards have been pre sented since 1955 and are de signed to recognize outstanding achievements by members of the faculty and staff. Awards will be presented for achievement in teaching, re search, individual student i lationships, continuing education or extension and achievement as a member of the staff or administra tion. The Association of Former Stu dents, through its Annual Fund, sponsors these awards each year. and Book and Craft Sale, at the Unitarian Fellowship Hall, 305 Wellborn Road today. The book and craft sale will begin at 7 p.m., with the art auc tion starting at 8 p. m. Admission is free. The auction, which will be held in conjunction with the Texas A&M University student chapter of the Civil Liberties Union, will raise funds for the Brazos chapter. Funds raised by BCLU go mainly toward court costs and other ex penses incurred in filing civil liberties suits. </> b 5« S N ON O Q. 846-8861 4407 Texas Ave. 693-2335 1504 Holleman Free Extra Thick Crust! On any large 16" pizza. One coupon per pizza. Fast, Free Delivery a $.50 $ .50 off any size pizza. One coupon per pizza. Fast, Free Delivery i$2.00 $2.00 off any 16” 2-item or more pizza. One coupon per pizza. Fast, Free Delivery m ^ • o S< m i j Just Ask! 4 free cups of Pepsi with a 16” pizza. 2 free cups of Pepsi with a 12” pizza. No coupon necessary. Fast, Free Delivery Now Better Than Ever. You Will Be Pleased With These Carefully Prepared and Taste Tempting Foods. Each Daily Special Only $2.13 Plus Tax. “Open Daily” Dining: 11 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. — 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. MONDAY EVENING SPECIAL Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy Whipped Potatoes You: Choice of One Vegetable Roll or Corn Bread and Butter Coffee or Tea MAKE IT WITH JUAREZ TEQUILA GOLD OR SILVER IMPORTED & BOTTLED BY TEQUILA JALISCO S A ST. LOUIS. MO.. 80 PROOF TUESDAY EVENING SPECIAL Mexican Fiesta Dinner Two Cheese and Onion Enchiladas w chili Mexican Rice Patio Style Pinto Beans Tostadas Coffee or Tea One Corn Bread and Butter WEDNESDAY EVENING SPECIAL Chicken Fried Steak w cream Gravy Whipped Potatoes and Choice of one other Vegetable Roll or Corn Bread and Butter Coffee or Tea THURSDAY EVENING SPECIAL Italian Candle Light Spaghetti Dinner SERVED WITH SPICED MEAT BALLS AND SAUCE Parmesan Cheese - Tossed Green Salad Choice of Salad Dressing - Hot Garlic Bread Tea or Coffee FOR YOUR PROTECTION OUR PERSONNEL HAVE HEALTH CARDS FRIDAY EVENING SPECIAL BREADED FISH FILET w/TARTAR SAUCE Cole Slaw Hush Puppies Choice of one vegetable Roll or Corn Bread & Butter Tea or Coffee SATURDAY NOON and EVENING SPECIAL Yankee Pot Roast (Texas Salad) Mashed Potato w/ gravy Roll or Corn Bread & Butter Tea or Coffee l“Quality Firsf’i SUNDAY SPECIAL NOON and EVENING ROASTTURKEY DINNER Served with Cranberry Sauce Cornbread Dressing Roll or Corn Bread - Butter - Coffe or Tea Giblel Gravy And your choice of any One vegetable .♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦■♦•♦•♦••••♦♦♦♦♦♦•♦♦♦♦■♦-♦♦-♦•♦♦♦a SPECIAL NOTICE Optional Board Plan . Summer Students may dine on the board plan during the First session of life, to ; $ of summer school at Texas A&M University. Each board student may ♦ i crane. * J use ofa pkj ^ ‘imprinting : | bornanimF j lima! bafe 1 $ animal to ♦ that birtH ♦ 3 jngs whOT ! /hich it ^ ♦ ♦ J RANCt ♦ IIES: Webb ice Group . 82*W dine three meals each day except Sunday evening if the seven day plan is selected, and three meals each day, Monday through Friday, if the five day plan is preferred. Each meal is sewed in the Commons. Fees for each session are payable to the Controller of Accounts, Fiscal Office, Coke building. Board fees for each plan are as follows: Plans First Session Seven Day - $171.43 Jun 2 through Jul 2 Five Day - $154.29 , , c * nd u , , „ pi U8 Tax Jul 6 through Jul 8 pay students, including graduate students may purchase either of the board plans. In honor of graduation, we 11 be open this Friday at 4 pan. Celebrate this special occasion with us. Choose from an exciting cargo list of entrees. Delicacies like Hawaiian Chicken, Alaskan King Crab, Teriyaki Beef Kabobs, Mahi Mahi, Australian Lobster, & Prime Rib. All including a visit to our generous salad bar. »lic<tnV whcirf 2500 Texas Ave. 693-5113.