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Page 4/The Battalion/Thursday, May 5, 1983
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Local oilmen see improvement
despite decline in oil production
by David Marchand
Battalion Reporter
The local oil industry is in a
slump following one of the
greatest booms in Texas history,
but it should begin to see better
times by 1984, local oil execu
tives say.
Despite a drastic decline in oil
production here, some oil wells
have been erected recently —
one on the Briarcrest Country
Club golf course and one in
Hensel Park.
Clyde Freeman, executive
vice chancellor for administra
tion at Texas A&M, said Texas
A&M officials are continuing to
evaluate the opportunities of
leasing land for new rigs, but no
decision has been reached. He
said they will give a briefing on
their evaluation to the Board of
Regents at its next meeting.
Randall Rychlik, a field en
gineer for Nowsco Services, ex
pressed optimism for 1984.
“(Business) is going to start
turning around in 1984,” he
said.
Tony Arias of Atco Drilling
Inc. said although it’s hard to
determine exactly when, oil
activity should start picking up
by late 1984 or early 1985.
In 1978 and 1979, several oil
well service and drilling com
panies — anticipating foreign oil
prices to increase and seeing a
market with good potential —
moved into the Bryan-College
Station area. Local oil produc
tion increased as investors con
tinued to speculate on the
market.
Then in 1980, as Arias said,
“all hell broke loose.” New drill
ing companies came to the area
almost every week, he said.
Business was so good in 1981,
Arias said, that Atco didn’t have
enough oil drilling rigs to meet
the demand and had to bring in
four from Canada.
Les Clifton, supervisor for the
Western Company of North
America, said the company’s
Bryan-College Station facility,
which serves a district of about
six counties, did three $100,000
jobs each day throughout 1981.
The local branch set many com
pany records including a one-
month revenue record of $6.7
million.
But, Arias said, the market
became saturated as business
peaked in December of 1981. At
that time, he said, there were ab
out 4,000 rigs throughout the
country. Now there are only ab
out 1,500.
The saturation forced exten
sive layoffs in the area. A local
branch of Atlas Bradford, a pipe
supplier, laid off virtually all of
its 145 employees. The number
of employees at Babcock and
Wilcox’s Bryan plant dropped
from about 300 to 63 employees.
The downturn affected drill
ing costs considerably. When
business was booming, drillers
often would pay for fuel costs
that commonly run $2,000 per
day. Arias said. Now it’s up to
the investor to pick up the ex
penses. He said a well that cost
about $15 per foot during the
boom now can cost as little as $9
per foot.
Arias said his com-
jany is down to a four-man crew
icre.
Clifton said there is now good
potential in the local industry
bi
around unti
Local groups pledge
to back entire village
by Angel Stokes
Battalion Staff
Texas A&M could become a
national model for the Christ
ian Children’s Fund, if the
planned sponsorship of an en
tire village by local organiza
tions is successful.
The Interfraternity Coun
cil and the Catholic Students
Association at Texas A&M
have pledged to raise $25,000
to sponsor a village of chil
dren in South America.
Dr. Robert Scott Kellner, a
Texas A&M English profes
sor and local CCF sponsor, is
working with student presi
dents of the Interfraternity
Council, the Catholic Stu
dents Association and other
Texas A&M organizations on
the plans to raise the money.
“In the fall, I plan to have a
report from each president on
ways to raise the money,” Kell
ner said.
He said he is happy that
dormitories and fraternities
will be working together.
cessful, will feed starving chil
dren in the village, improve
economic conditions and help
the village become self-
sufficient, Kellner said.
TPS — Total Project Spon
sorship — is the sponsorship
of an entire village, an idea
generated at Texas A&M.
Kellner said he hopes the
International Program at
Texas A&M also will become
involved with the sponsorship
of the village, although it
hasn’t been approved yet.
The sponsorship, if suc-
Don Murray, publicity
agent for Sally Struthers and
CCF, said the sponsorship
seems like a good idea.
“This is a field we will ex
plore and if it seems like a
feasible way to raise funds,
then we will try to use it else
where,” he said.
New law limits
young licenses
Math clinic to be here
by Karen Schrimsher
Battalion Staff
Texas A&M will offer a sum
mer clinic for elementary and
junior high school students who
have trouble with mathematics.
The clinic, which will begin in
June, is sponsored by the De
partment of Educational Curri
culum and Instruction and will
be taught by graduate students.
Applicants are evaluated on
the basis of IQ, learning achieve
ment and teacher recommenda
tions. Parents and teachers of
the applicants are consulted ab
out the child’s skills and difficul
ties. A release form also must be
signed by the parents so a child’s
school records may be ex
amined.
Applicants are accepted on
the basis of their potential for
learning, says Dr. Clarence
Dockweiler, clinic director.
The program is structured in
two parts. Beginning June 20,
students will undergo extensive
diagnostic testing to evaluate
math achievement and locate
problem areas. After the testing
period, the students will spend
three weeks working with a
teacher on a one-to-one basis.
Dockweiler says 15 children
enrolled in the clinic last year.
“We have been able to show
dramatic achievement within a
short time,” Dockweiler says,
“and the parents have been pret
ty pleased with that.”
United Press International
AUSTIN — Gov. Mark White
has signed into law legislation
that lawmakers hope will cut
down on the number of hard
ship driver’s licenses issued to
15-year-olds in Texas.
The governor also signed
bills Tuesday that will protect
for the first time the view of the
state Capitol, and make an
emergency supplemental
appropriation of $1.8 million to
the attorney general’s office.
Under the new hardship
driver’s license law, teenagers
who apply for a license must
take driver education courses,
except in cases where the license
is issued on a temporary basis
due to a family illness or
emergency.
With the old law, 15-year-
olds could cite a need for the
license under the “general wel
fare of the family,” and the state
Department of Safety was virtal-
ly powerless to deny the request.
Of the 72,000 applications
filed last year, DPS said only ab
out 100 successfully were de
nied.
The new Capitol view law will
protect the view of the historic
statehouse by restricting the
Anniversary Sale
%
our 5th year in business!
20 % off
in many Departments
(new spring merchandise)
5 0 % off
on many accessories
VISA, MC, AMX
C THIS WEEK ONLY 1
Culpepper Plaza
LAY-A-WAY
construction of high-rise state
office buildings near the
Capitol.
Two specific views — from
the steps of the University of
Texas Main Building and the
LBJ Library — will be secured.
“For a number of years, the
city and the state of Texas have
waited for the other govern
ment to act to protect the re
maining views of the Capitol
building,” said the bill’s sponsor,
Sen. Lloyd Doggett, D—Austin.
The law will not prevent
buildings on privately owned
land from blocking the view, but
most of the land in the view cor
ridors protected by the new law
is owned by the state or the uni
versity.
A bill pending in the Texas
Senate would regulate the
height of private office build
ings near the Capitol.
Attorney General Jim Mattox
said he will use the additional
appropriation to hire 48 new
people to upgrade the attorney
general’s office.
He said the money will allow
the state to take over work pre
viously performed by private
lawyers at a cost to the state of $3
million last year.
Girl tells
about lead
poisoning
United Press International
AUSTIN — Attorney Gener
al Jim Mattox and a state repre
sentative were joined by an 11-
year-old school girl who told re
porters about health problems
allegedly caused by harmful
emissions from a west Dallas
lead smelter.
Mattox and Rep. Steve
Wolens, D-Dallas, were joined
Tuesday by Francine “Cookie”
Wells, one of 14 west Dallas chil
dren who was treated for lead
contamination apparently
caused by emissions from
Murph Metals Inc.
With no prodding from the
politicians, the girl told repor
ters how she was hospitalized
twice last year after a doctor
diagnosed her stomach cramps,
blackouts and other maladies as
being caused by excessive lead in
her blood and body tissues.
Wells, who lived a short dis
tance from the lead smelting
plant, said her ailments forced
her to move away from the
neighborhood and also to drop
out of a private school she
attended on scholarship.
“If it (the plant) wasn’t there, I
never would have had these
problems,” the girl said.
Mattox and the City of Dallas
filed suit last week against RSR
Corp., the owner of Murph Met
als. The suit asks that RSR take
steps to bring emissions within
accepted standards or shut
down.
Monitoring by the Texas Air
Control Board showed that the
RSR plant exceeded emissions
standards for six months in
1982. Mattox’s suit seeks a
$l,000-a-day civil penalty for
the months when the emissions
exceeded federal standards.
Wolens said local authorities
knew of the excessive emissions
and subsequent contamination
of surrounding land and homes
as much as 15 years ago and took
no action.
IN THE
Clifton said that when the de
cline in business started in Janu
ary 1982, 123 rigs were operat
ing in this district. Now there are
30.
ut business probably won’t turn
if 1984.
Around to
'uesd;
Ping
Santa Teresa Church holds festihhe leg
Rep
arie
Santa Teresa Church of Bryan is having its 42ndi^ on t a j I
Parish Festival-Jamaica on Sunday, May 15 from9jj{ tem ^
10 p.m. A variety of Mexican and American foods even n
available. Games and events will include an auction.
bingo, a jalapeno-eating contest and a talent show. MusHjjmi
be providecl throughout the day by local groups. Tk|j e f,
King and Queen of the Church will be named inacon Smith’!
ceremony beginning at 8 p.m. Everyone is welcojg).i
attend. r Qj
fe uec
Jaom
If you have an announcement or item to submit fc: teni ai
column, come by The Battalion office in 216 Reediljj||ji e !
nald or contact Cheryl Burke at 845-2611.
jn c
Tue
or P
Police beat
The following incidents were
reported to the University Police
Department on May 3.
THEFT:
•A thermodynamics tex
tbook from an office at the
Zachry Engineering Center. A
key was used to enter the office.
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF:
ited
, rr y
ike a
T(
•A sharp object ml
scratch an obscene
the paint on the doorofl J 1
pick-up in parking I
tween May 2 and 3.
•A vehicle with:
license plates was fouiicl
the Commons DiningM
t
Rummage sale
to help youth
Ui
AUS
ek ai
ite h
nto ho
fe the b
pany.
by Christine Mallon
Battalion Reporter
Brazos County’s Stepping
Stone, a charitable organization
for runaway and “throw-away”
youths, will have a rummage sale
May 5-7 to raise funds to build
needed facilities.
The sale will be at the corner
of Texas Avenue and Meadow
Lane — one block south of Villa
Maria Road.
John Hopkin, chairman of
the board, said the Stepping
Stone rummage sale needs sup
port from Texas A&M students,
particularly graduating seniors
looking for something to do
while awaiting commencement.
Hopkin said students can
help by donating furniture, ap
pliances, utensils, tools, clo
thing, storable food or any other
items of value.
Stepping Stone provides re
sidential care for boys and girls,
ages 10 to 17, in family crisis
situations. It also cares for delin
quents in need of supervision
and children with mild learning
disorders.
The children liveinif 011 ^
type environment in r|C‘ lan
eight. The main dutiesp te g
group are choosing
the week, preparing w ns t
and learning housekeejMg e |
money management siiB| s | a[
The children at r
Stone receive individual
seling designed to ent
education. They atteni
schools, learn vocation
and some go on to attf I
lege.
All donations can I
vered anytime beforeoi
the sale at 3219A Tefl
Students can call ^
they need the items pid l n ^
The sale also needs f
teers to help assemble,p
display items. Hopkins!
dents are encouragedttj
the sale, which began tin
ing, to look for bargains
ba
; Ui
HOI
He said anyone ur |ical ,
donate goods or voluntt a|
time but who would life •
Stepping Stone’s youtl
contact
Bryan.
Stepping
Volunteers to aid
Foreign students
by Michelle Powe
Battalion Reporter
The International Coordina
tion office and International
Student Activities office are
looking for volunteers to be “big
brothers” and “big sisters” to in
coming international students
this fall.
Nathena Watkins, interna
tional student services adviser,
says American students can help
international students learn ab
out American lifestyles and cam
pus life at Texas A&M.
It’s difficult, she says, to come
to a foreign country and try to
adapt to a strange society. Amer
icans can help international stu
dents, she says, by help
to adapt.
Violetta Burke Cooj
national coordinator
American volunteers
adjustment easier for 1
tional students by help®
with procedures sucM
ci n r\ TA/ifVi thpif ^
tration and with their
She encourages form'
school exchange sturk
volunteer for the
cause, she says they wo®
an opportunity to share 1
ences.
Anyone interested iB 1 , ^
big brother or big sist f ji
international student sl' (> |^|
Cook in 252 Bizzel " '
Van possibly usa
in killing found
United Press International
DALLAS — A van that may
have been used by the killers of a
Dallas policeman was found
abandoned near Palestine,
homicide investigators said early
Wednesday.
Patrolman Ronald Baker, 24,
was killed by rifle fire as he got
out of his car Monday in an
apartment complex parking lot.
Police said a number of syringes
on the ground at the scene indi
cated Baker had broken up a
drug deal.
The suspects left the scene in
the van, running over 1
body twice as they fk"
said.
Capt. Grant Lapp®
Dallas police departfl®
the van was found ^
evening on a rural $
Palestine.
He said here were®
pants in the van, butai®
had identified the w
whom the vehicle W®
tered. Lappin said there'
enough evidence to
charges against her.
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