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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1982)
features Laredo streets for sale to earn money for city United Press International LAREDO—The dusty streets of Laredo have been lyricized in songs and romanticized in old Western movies. Now, they’re up for sale. City fathers in the 92,000 re sident border town, tired of Laredo’s image as a holdover from wild West days, put up “for sale” signs on many worn-out and unused roadways in hopes of raising enough money to pave other, more well-traveled streets. “Somewhere around 50 per cent of our streets are unpaved,” said City Councilman Felipe “Chilo” Sanchez, a Laredo na tive who helped devise the street sale idea last summer. “We needed to start generat ing revenues to provide the community with a paving prog ram,” Sanchez said, “but we were hesitant to have a bond issue because the interest rate is so high right now. We felt that we had to find an alternative method of paving streets other than having to float a bond and, my idea was, why don’t we start selling streets that we’re not using.” So far, two streets have been sold for $33,000 each — one to a home improvement store and one to a retail development com pany — and deals are in the works for 18 other street sales that could total as much as $600,000. In most other Texas com munities, such a sale would have been impossible since streets usually belong to abutting land owners with the cities owning easements for utility pipes or poles. But Laredo was founded on a Spanish land grant, and the streets belong to the city. “At this time, our ad valorem taxes bring in only about $3.8 million a year,” Sanchez said. “The sale of streets should be able to generate somewhere be tween $5 million and $7 million. We figure paving a block will probably run between $9,000 and $10,000 — so that’s a lot of streets.” The benefits to Laredo from the sale of its streets will not end there. “We have public streets that we are not really using and we are not getting any ad valorem taxes out of them and not really letting anybody build or expand their businesses on these streets. Now, those businesses can pur chase streets and extend their businesses, and that creates more taxable income for the city.” The Missouri-Pacific Rail road Co. is negotiating to buy 17 streets for about $500,000 and the La Quinta Motor Inn is negotiating to purchase a street for $101,000. Sanchez said the city will continue to offer certain streets for sale until the interest dwindles. PCIRYEAR HALL PLAYBOYS presents SUITCASE PARTY ’82 April 2, 1982 National Guard Armory 9 p.m. -1 a.m. Beer, Band, Door Prizes s 4 00 donation (Benefiting the Brazos Valley MHMR Tickets available at Sbisa & Puryear Hall Presale only — No tickets available at the door. Cheryl Wagnon, who has been working with Grounds Maintenance for 1 Vs* years, waters the plants at the Main Desk of the Memorial Student THE EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME. Now that you ve got it, put it to work. Share it with poor people in Peace Corps nations who need your experi ence in teaching, electronics, farming, engineering, family skills and many other areas. Volunteering your skills can help make a difference in their education, economic development or health. It's an experience no one can afford to miss. REPS ON CAMPUS TODAY AND TOMORROW ONLY SENIOR/GRADS: Sign up now for an interview information Booth — Memorial Student Center Earth’s magnetic field is potential electricity source ENGINEERING MAJORS Why did you choose THIS school? □ Challenge □ High Standards □ Diversity □ Reputation It shouldn’t be any different when cRq@sing a company! Middle South Services is one firm that covers all those bases and more. We’re the technical and service arm of the Middle South Utilities System, dedicated to developing alternative energy sources to free the Gulf Coast from the whims of the foreign oil exporters. Our sophisticated projects, which run the gamut from coal and electric to nuclear, include the "Six Pack," a group of 800 megawatt coal/lignite-fired power plants, the PWR and BWR nuclear plants and more. And they all require the talents of creative, technically-oriented engineers. Since we believe we can find those people right here on campus. MIDDLE SOUTH SERVICES WILL BE CONDUCTING ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS ON MONDAY, APRIL 5TH We are prepared to offer you all the responsibility you can handle, a well defined career path for your professional advancement, and an excellent compensation package. Not to mention ail the advan tages we talked about before. Plus, the unparalleled lifestyle of New Orleans, where fine food, a temperate climate and a vast range of recreational and cultural diversions reign supreme. We’re looking forward to meeting you, so sign up today at the Career, Planning and Placement Center, but if you’re unable to attend an interview, send your resume in confidence to: Personnel Department Middle South Services P.O. Box 61000 New Orleans, LA 70161 Equal Opportunity Employer M/F MIDDLE SOUTH SERVICES PO Box 61000 New Orleans, Louisiana 70161 An C qua! Opportunity E mployer M F Arkansas Power & Light Company Louisiana Power & Light Company Mississippi Power & Light Company , New Orleans Public Service Inc m United Press International HOUSTON — Scientists be lieve space is full of potential electricity that future space sta tions could tap simply by trailing a miles-long wire outside, sort of like Ben Franklin flying his kite on Earth. The idea, taking advantage of the fact that Earth’s magnetic field extends far into space, would mean space stations would not have to carry fuel cells, solar panels or other pow er-generating capacity into orbit with them. They simply could pull power from space, which is not nearly as empty as it seems. “The electricity is there just as it’s in this wire,” said Dr. Peter Banks of Stanford University, holding a piece of wire. “A sys tem like this can provide power of 10 to 20 kilowatts for an orbi- ter and be stored in batteries. “The calculations I get indi cate that if you had a space oper ations center you could hang a tether above it 20 kilometers away and have a continual supp ly of energy.” Banks was one of the scientists with experiments aboard space shuttle Columbia’s third flight. He said the effect is the same thing that happens in an electric generator. A wire brush is moved through a magnetic field to generate electricity, which essentially is moving electrons. In the case of the spaceship revolving around Earth, the planet provides the magnetic field naturally and the spaceship becomes the wire brush as it moves through. The result is moving electrons. Banks said the system could be very energy efficient. “What you need is jis source of electrons (from ship) and that can be die: Banks said. “Take an ordii vacuum tube and break offs cover and that gives youasw of electrons.” The electrons would I from the ship via the “broker, vacuum tube,” be picked iif the end of the tether, down the miles-long tediei large numbers by the Eat magnetic effect and, if desi stored in a battery. He said this passive el® magnetic power systemcoi self-propellng once in pnf and the result would be cons erable usable electrical po« Banks said he doubts s| ceships will go into orbitanys: soon without fuel cells at to a backup: “You couldn’trisl Suppose a micrometeorite your tether short.” Banks also said there ‘ some drawbacks. The generation ol power way would put an electjomajf tic drag on the space staift eventually forcing it out oto into the Earth’s atmospM Banks said. - , “But that works both«' and it could provide energ) raise t he orbit,” he said. * ¥ an electromotive effect to you in orbit.” Banks was seeing farther' , a future that might include' cles like cartoon chafiM Fearless Fosdick’s machines. Such theoretical mac' would use the reverse o power-generating process a- electric motor, taking ath^ of the Earth’s magnetic ’ stay in orbit. Lee Billing College St; wife, J oai Mu: in s United Pres Ludwig van tied his music: demand for p an extreme tf looked down 1 positions. An interes Beethoven’s se his genius occt when he recallt for a repair jo Beethoven 1 quartet in F m; fine violinist, K was also his fr late in June 17' been satisfied v that time beca Amenda. But sever Beethoven beg thoughts about and decided it ment. After rc he asked Amer original, whicl Opus 18, No. Amenda obi odd request am almost forgot death of Beeth MSC Hospitality Fashion Models present Sorina Fashions at Post Oak Mall Friday, Apr. 2 7:00 p.m. FILING FOR \1l ©TOPUKTir CABINET POSITIONS Open now through Tuesday April 6 Applications available in room MSC. Ken’s Ai 421 S. Mai 822- "A Complet ■ Service • Tune-Ups • • Clutches • F • Front End Pat • Standard Trar Repairs All Amer WV-Dats T °1 (Master Card & Ri Presbt Chi fioo Carter Cree 823- Df- Robert Les Barbara Ridler