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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1982)
national Battalion/Page II | December 10, Monument hostage couple suffered previous tragedy United Press International WASHINGTON — One of the hostages who spent five hours trapped in the Washing ton Monument while a man threatened to blow it up said Wednesday she and her hus band came to Washington “to get away from it all” after their house burned a week ago. John and Sherrye Simmons of Nashville, Tenn., told about their ordeal on CBS’ “Good Morning America” program. Simmons said the first word he received that something was wrong was when their tour guide “hollared to us, ‘Run.’ And we suddenly found ourselves out of energy to run down the steps.” The elevator inside the 555- foot monument was not operat ing and Mrs. Simmons said they had to walk downstairs. When Norman Mayer, 66, agreed to release the people trapped in the monument, Sim mons said the news was greeted with apprehension. “We had become a very close group by that time,” he said. Monument ‘kidnapper’ sho in order to protect others MONDAY EVENING TUESDAY EVENING WEDNESDAY SPECIAL SPECIAL EVENING SPECIAL Salisoury Steak Mexican Fiesta Chicken Fried Steak with Dinner w cream Gravy Mushroom Gravy Two Cheese and Onion Enchiladas Whipped Potatoes and Choice of one other Whipped Potatoes w chili Vegetable Your Choice of Mexican Rice Roll or Corn Bread and Butter ! One Vegetable Roll or Com Bread and Butter j! Coffee or Tea Patio Style Pinto Beans Tostadas Coffee or Tea One Corn Bread and Butter Coffee or Tea Now Better Than Ever. You Will Be Pleased With These Carefully Prepared and Taste Tempting Foods. Each Daily Special Only $2.39 Plus Tax. “Open Daily” Dining: 11 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. — 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M 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 PROTtCTION OUR PERSONNEL HAVE HEALTH CARDS. United Press International WASHINGTON — Police said Thursday they had to open fire on an aging anti-nuclear activist to keep a potential mobile time bomb from the city’s population centers although bis stated intention to blow up the Washington Monument proved an empty threat. Authorities again said today they would have handled the situation the same way in order to contain the van that he said was packed with a half ton of explosives. Norman D. Mayer, 66, who wanted a national dialogue to prevent nuclear annihilation, was shot in the head as he sud denly and without warning tried to drive the van down the knoll at the base of the monunient, ending a 10-hour siege about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. There was no dynamite and no accomplice as police had ear lier believed. James Lindsay, operations commander of the National Park Service Police, said Thurs day the decision to force Mayer to keep the truck at the monu ment was made earlier because investigators were convinced his threat was real. “The decision had been made much earlier in the day, based on information we had. There was no way we could allow a potential mobile time bomb to enter into the populated arpas of the city,” Lindsay said. Firing at the van by police sharpshooters, said District of Columbia Police Inspector J.P. Shugart, was the only thing to do under the circumstances. “If there had to be a detona- ... Norman Mayer, a part-time handyman with an arrest record dating back to 1949, drove his van to the base of the monument about 9:20 a.m. EST. He was killed trying to drive away about 7:30 p.m., but for hours after wards police searched the monument for an accomplice. None was found. SWAT team officers fired tear gas into the building’s door just before rushing in to start a hour long check of the monument’s in terior. tion, we’d much prefer to have it in a controlled area that we had established, rather than in the downtown portion of the city,” Lindsay said. U.S. Park Police Chief Lynn Herring said authorities were prepared to go on negotiating with Mayer. “Once he moved that vehicle, we knew we had actually a mobile time bomb,” Herring said. “He supposedly had the ex plosives. He had the detonator, the electronic device in his hands. He never released it at any time.” Lindsay said both he and his officers had recently seen Mayer demonstrating on the sidewalk outside the White House. Although Mayer, who had handcuffed himself to the steer ing wheel, drove down a monu ment approach that leads in the general direction of the White House, Lindsay said police will never know if Mayer intended to head toward the executive man sion which is about 3,000 feet away. Sniffing police dogs entered the van and gave a positive indi cation of explosives but none were found. Shugart said officers consi dered Mayer a very intelligent individual acting under a plan ned situation. He knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish. The police gunfire ended the most bizzare protest at the monument, a long-time site of demonstrations. The drama disrupted Washington. Several i government office anJi buildings were evacuaief; hour traffic was rerouteds the White House aprei luncheon was moved i north side of the buiftj fear a blast may havetr windows. Police officials said pie were trapped in thekt for five hours. However, inside said there wereti; bookstore employee, i Ranger and six visitors. Mayer, a part-timet man with an arrest ream ing back to 1949, drovek to the base of the montii* out 9:20 a.m. EST. Hew trying to drive away p.m., but for hours ab police searched the mot; for an accomplice, found. SWAT team c fired tear gas into the hi: door just before rushin, start a hour-long ched monument’s interior. Mayer, said to beck with the nuclear warissut, friend earlier this year hi plan to take out an Washington to dramair: disarmament views." Among the unam questions about Maya where he got his money dams at the Washington where he stayed onando: i n g t he past eight months! spent some $6,000forhisn always paying with | 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 SUNDAY SPECIAL NOON and EVENING NOON and EVENING SPECIAL ROAST TURKEY DINNER Yankee Pot Roast Served with (Texas Salad) Cranberry Sauce Cornbread Dressing Mashed Roll or Com Bread - Butter - Potato w Coffee or Tea J gravy Giblet Gravy 1 Roll or Corn Bread & Butter And your choice of any Tea or Coffee One vegetable Promises better economy Reagan pushes grain deal United Press International WASHINGTON - President Reagan, promising a market-led recovery of the depressed farm economy, Thursday proposed An Invitation To OPEN HOUSE Villa Oaks West What a Better way to start off ’83 December 11 & 12 Sunday 1-5 *340/ mo. C 2 Bedroom 1-1/3 Bath Approx. 810 sq. ft. Fireplace O 2 Bedrooms 2 Baths Approx. 929 sq. ft. Fireplace S 395/mo. paying farmers with grain from bulging government stocks in exchange for agreements to produce less grain next year. Reagan endorsed the propos- Now you know United Press International At the same time that infants are learning to walk and speak, they may be developing another unexpected talent. Recent stu dies indicate that in babies under the age of 3, the ability to comprehend math may regular ly bloom without the benefit of adult teaching. University of Rochester psychologist Herbert Ginsburg has found that preschoolers dis play a remarkable “mathematic al intuition” that allows them to distinguish the concepts of more and less and perhaps even grasp the rudiments of addition and subtraction. al, developed over the last few weeks by Agriculture Secretary John Block, following what he termed extensive discussion of the challenges facing farmers with his Cabinet Council on Food and Agriculture. Appearing at short notice with Block in the White House briefing room, Reagan said the grain swap would help correct an imbalance between supply and demand that threatens to keep farm prices low. Although the government earlier announced a plan to make cash payments to farmers agreeing to take land out of pro duction, Reagan said recent de velopments indicate there may be a larger imbalance in the coming year. Reagan called Block’s plan, which will be presented to Con gress, a highly innovative approach that will enhance long-term prospects for recov ery in the farm economy. By paying farmers with grain instead of cash, he said, the gov ernment can discourage price depressing overproduction next year and reduce its own huge grain stocks to enhance the pros pects for a market-led recovery. “In other words, thev he paid in bushels of the |j& surplus commodity they wise might have grown,'! said. “These farmerswoul have full discretion tofeaijf etc., the commodity receh kind.” “Government outla* farm programs should J and sound conservation tices would be applied,"Hi said. “In short, Secretan and his team havecometi) a good, imaginative prof Block said the prog» save outlays for the ft treasury and strengthen[< The proposal is an outjt of long deliberations ii administration on howto 1 with a recession-wracked economy and mounting^ ment stocks of grain whtlt' ing costly new program! 1 would add to an at burgeoning federal defiot Block said the swap** reduce burdensome < hanging over this counts thundercloud,” but waste to say how much moneyi* ^ save. He finally estitna* ! would eliminateabout$l in payments by 1984. LEASING OFFICE WEEKDAYS 10-5 779-6296 779-1136 P K3cs63636 ***3WW3OW3S3S363K3esS36S0R TO ALL OUR JEWISH FRIENDS Happy (Cijatmkafy Chanukah begins at sundown Dec. 10 with thefi^ candle being lit in the menorah. Join the celebration this weekend at Hillel DEC. 10, FRIDAY 6 p.m. —Jewish women’s club sponsoring a Chanukali ■I luck dinner”. Open to students and non-students. Reservations are neei f Call office 696-7313. Friday Evening Services will begin at 7:30 p.m. A* services, there will be dreidel playing and dancing. DEC. I I, SATURDAY 7:30 p.m. — A treat for Hillel members. Sigma^ Mu sponsoring a Chanukah Party, Candle lighting, music, Latkes- Hillel. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BOTH EVENTS CALL 696-7313. Hillel Jewish Student Center 800 Jersey College^