Bryan's ex-mayor
seeks district seat
Super Bowl XVIII:
preview of teams
Testimony begins
in Jones' trial
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Texas A&M m W •
The Battalion
an
Serving the Gniversity community
bepich ol 78 No.
Ocas^
79 USPS 0453110 14 pages
College Station, Texas
Friday, January 20, 1984
)eath wish
fused
y court .
** ^ United Press International
"“‘■SAN FRANCISCO — Quadriple- ,
■ Elizabeth Bouvia cannot carry out I
: ■•starvation death wish at Riverside
»eral Hospital, the California Sup-
»e Court said Thursday in the first
■rt ruling in the case.
ta |■n a one-line order, the court re-
Hpd to hear the 26-year-old cerebral
Hy victim's arguments that force
Bing violated her constitutionally
cesirctfeiranteed right to privacy.
■The court agreed with deputy
honor: inty counsel Barbara Milliken who
iseJessiBntained the constitution does not
rsther&e citizens the right to commit
Id,” saiBide.
inara®p j s self-evident that the right to
d field.
rst hear
iool, bu
|acy does not include the right to
itmion. | m j t suitide " Milliken said in pap-
s u d with the court. “To characte-
e a person’s self-destructive acts as
.. litled to that constitutional protec-
|V0 l fn would be ludicrous.”
s a cha*
se ^ »he said asking doctors and nurses
let Bouvia starve herself would he
V 0 W 831116 as as k‘ n 8 them to help her
al v tl Snimit a crime.
aesa )*lKilling of the petitioner would be
n ! uc Mher excusable nor justifiable,"
a * on 8:{illiken said.
esinit.V
e hurjHospttal officials have said she
iplineayld be discharged from the center
; praciw the acutely ill since she no longer
luires hospital care.
hat if IT
‘High alerf
issued ships
off Lebanon
Photo by DEAN SAITO
‘Don’t drop it
Physical plant workers Don Garrett (on
ladder) and Harold Gregory (below), both of
Bryan, carefully replace a burned-out light
in the Langford Architecture Building.
Both are electricians for the physical plant.
70S bills rise with cold weather
so,
ally,lb
goodoi
les in tk
By KELLEY SMITH
Senior staff writer
lipSi D^While most effects of the Decem-
e e albf r freeze were immediatly noticeable
top sitfthe form of broken pipes, flooded
|mes and dead plants, consumers
i| see another effect soon when they
^^keive their utility bills this month.
^^T“The cold weather has had a dra-
fttic effect on bills, there’s no doubt
But that,” Dan Weber, district man-
jfcr with Lone Star Gas, said
liursday.
■ Gas meter readings for December
lye shown an average usage increase
-Jf two-and-a-half to three times as
E lich over November, Weber said.
(Linda Piwonka, utility office mana-
, ; ei with College Station, said electric
—Hlls for December will be higher also,
wen though many people were gone
luring the cold weather, Piwonka
i»id, heat had to stay on to protect
er pipes from bursting. If some-
left their home and turned the
rmostat down to 50 degrees, the
it was still running because of the
temperatures, she said.
Amy Godfrey, citizen information
coordinator with Bryan utilities, also
said the December bills are higher,
but not substantially. Godfrey said
that for the two areas that have re
ceived their December bills, there
have only been a few calls from people
with unusually high bills. But it was
found in most of those cases that the
customer’s billing period was longer
than the normal 30 days, she said.
As a result of the increases in the
bills due to the weather, the Railroad
Commission has requested that all of
the state’s gas utilities give customers
extra time to pay their bill if they ask
for it.
Weber said Lone Star will comply
with the commission’s request for cus
tomers with a good payment record.
Lone Star will work individually with
those customers that have had reliable
credit to develop a payment plan, he
said.
The Public Utility Commission of
Texas has asked electric utilities to
place a moratorium on service discon
nections for customers unable to pay
their December bill.
However, A.E. Vandever, assistant
city manager and director of finance
with the city of College Station, said
no arrangements have been made for
payment plans or to stop disconnec
tions.
Vandever said the city will reserve
judgement on the request until a
situation arises that may need special
consideration. But he added that
business probably will continue as
usual.
According to Piwonka, the city has
never offered any payment plans in
the past.
Godfrey said the Bryan utility
office has a special officer that hand
les deferred payments, but such
arrangements are usually for hard
ship cases. Godfrey said the office
does not like to make such arrange
ments but can in such cold weather
when the only alternative is to discon
nect service.
Some families may be eligible for
assistance in paying the unusually
high heating bills through the Horne
Energy Assistance Program spon
sored by the Texas Department of
Human Resources. The one-time
payment is available to families who
receive food stamps. Aid to Families
with Dependent Children, Sup
plemental Security Income or needs-
tested Veterans Administration be
nefits.
Eligibility is limited by gross income
along the following guidelines: a one-
person household with a gross
monthly income of less than $355.49;
$581.49 for two-persons; $798.49 for
three-persons; $985.49 for four per
sons; $1,162.49 for five; and
$1,359.49 for six.
Applications for assistance can be
obtained through the local office of
the Department of Human Re
sources.
During the unusually cold weather,
there are some steps a consumer can
take to keep the heating hills down.
Weber said consumers can save oy
wearing more clothing in the house so
the heat can be kept down. People
should resist the temptation to turn -,
the heat up when they walk into a
house, he said.
Tim Layne, energy specialist with
the city of College Station, said infor
mation on energy efficiency is avail
able free at the city hall.
United Press International
BEIRUT — U.S. warships off Leba
non were reported on “high alert”
Thursday with warplanes on patrol
against possible kamikaze attacks by
Islamic terrorists.
The report by Israel Television
came amid stepped-up security pre
cautions after vows of new attacks
against U.S. and French targets by the
Moslem extremist group that claimed
responsibility for killing American
educator Malcolm Kerr.
Kerr, the president of the Amer
ican University of Beirut, was assas
sinated outside his campus office
Wednesday by gunmen using
silencer-equipped pistols. Lebanese
universities and the Roman Catholic
school system closed to protest the
murder.
Israel Television reporter Michael
Gurdus, who monitors radio trans
missions, said U.S. warplanes were
checking all flights entering Lebanese
and Israeli airspace in search of
suicide planes that might he Hying
near civilian airliners to escape radar
detection.
The reporter said 6th Fleet ships
were on “high alert” against suicide
air attacks but did not disclose what
prompted the reported precautions.
Israel Radio said the U.S. air pat
rols were being coordinated with
Israeli civilian aviation controllers.
There was no immediate comment
from U.S. officials.
Defense Department officials in
the past have warned against possible
attempts to fly bomb-laden planes
into U.S. warships in suicide attacks
like those carried out by Japanese
pilots at the end of World War II.
U.S. Marines, wary of any repeat of
the suicide truck bombing that killed
241 Marines in October, opened fire
Thursday on a jeep that approached
their base at “an excessive rate of
speed,” about 15 mph.
Marine spokesman Maj. Dennis
Brooks said the Marines “showed
great restraint” by disabling the vehi
cle carrying two Lebanese airport
technicians instead of shooting to kill
when six warnings to halt were
ignored. The technicians were com
ing to repair a radar installation.
The U.S. Marines, victims of an
October suicide bombing by the same
group that claimed to have killed
Kerr, opened fire on a Jeep when it
approached their base at “an exces
sive rate of speed,” about 15 mph.
Marine spokesman Maj. Dennis
Brooks said the Marines “showed
great restraint” by disabling the vehi
cle carrying two Lebanese airport
technicians instead of shooting to kill
when six warnings to halt were
ignored. The technicians were com
ing to repair a radar installation.
Arms negotiations
make no progress
United Press International
OSLO, Norway — Secretary of
State George Shultz conceded Thurs
day that he failed to make progress in
his meeting with Soviet Foreign
Minister Andrei Gromyko on renew
ing nuclear arms negotiations.
But Gromyko hinted to other
Western officials that Moscow may
want to resume negotiations soon on
troop reductions in Europe.
“The situation is unchanged,” said
Shultz, concluding a six-hour visit to
the Norwegian capital, where he met
government officials and King Olav
V, before returning to Washington.
The Shullz-Gromyko meeting was
the first time they met since they held
a stormy session in Madrid last Sep
tember over the Soviet downing of a
Korean Air Lines passenger plane.
In his speech to the security confer
ence in Stockholm, Shultz called for
the Soviets to return to the bargaining
table in Geneva.
But Gromyko told the conference
the United States was preparing for
nuclear war against his country and
Moscow had no intention of resuming
negotiations.
“I found his characterizations of
the United States incorrect and un
acceptable, Shultz said.
^Graduation deadlines nearing
By MIKE DAVIS
Reporter
Seniors hoping to graduate this
jMay are beginnning to pack their
funks for their journey into thejung-
ps of the “real world.”
I But before any traveler flies off to
hat exotic dreamland of success, he
|iust first pass through several stages
pmake sure nothing was left undone
ind everything is secure.
I Graduating seniors at Texas A&M
legin their journey by applying for
heir passport, the coveted diploma.
I All graduating seniors must apply
|br their degree at the degree check
in Heaton Hall before Feb. 3.
I “They need to apply for gradua-
Ibn and that requires a fee,” Assistant
legistrar Don Gardner said. “They
|e not officially a degree candidate
until they do.”
I Gardner said the registrar’s office
Icluded the fee on some graduating
niors’ fee slips, but were unable to
11 them all.
“We tried to catch them during reg-
[tradon and get a card in their pack-
Gardner said. “If we did, their
card was automatically assessed. Now
all they have to do is bring their paid
fee slip by here (105 Heaton).”
Gardner says all seniors should
check their spring semester fee slip
for “Diploma Fee-$15.” Seniors with
out this should pay the fee in the Coke
Building.
After the fee is paid and our travel
er has applied for his passport, he
begins the next step toward his jour
ney, notice of change-of-address.
Spring-time travelers can order
their announcements until Feb. 8 at
the Student Finance Center, 217
Memorial Student Center.
Announcements can be ordered in
various quantities and qualities, de
pending on the senior’s tastes and
wealth.
With announcements arriving
around mid-April, the traveler can
begin his search for the proper travel
ing attire.
For this special occasion a simple
cap and gown will do. Commence
ment fashions will cost about $13 at
the MSC Bookstore.
Now for the final check.
“Around the first week in April
they (seniors) will get a letter from us
and in this letter it will tell them exact
ly what they need to graduate,” Gard
ner said.
The letter includes information
such as the number of hours the
senior is currently enrolled in, the
number of hours the senior must
pass, other hours which must be pas
sed, petitioned, or transferred in, and
grade points needed. The letters
should be signed and returned to 105
Heaton Hall.
“This is where a lot of times we pick
up transfer work that a student
thought had been transferred in that
didn’t get on his transcript,” he said.
“Maybe incompletes or grade changes
that they thought had gone through
but didn’t go through, so maybe their
grade point average is lower than they
thought, and these sorts of things.”
Seniors have about one month to
clear up any problems before com
mencement.
“If they don’t get that letter then
they need to get excited,” Gardner
said. “If they don’t get that letter two
weeks before commencement, they
need to get themselves over here.”
Gardner says it is not uncommon
for letters to be returned despite
efforts to get accurate mailing
addresses.
“We do everything in the world we
can do to try to get phone numbers
and correct addresses so that we can
reach them,” he said.
After travel confirmations are
made there is only one more step be
fore the traveler boards the plane, the
final check list.
“The clear list will be posted at 8
a.m. on Wednesday before com
mencement,” he said. “That is the last
thing they need to do.
“That list is posted after all of the
grades have come in and we’ve check
ed their final grades against what we
were hoping for, they’re cleared
academically and the police or the fis
cal office doesn’t have a block on
them, then there will be no problem.
“If they do have a problem then
there will be a red dot by their name
and out beside it telling them what
they need to do and who they need to
go see to clear the dot. Then they have
until 12 noon on the Thursday before
commencement to get everything
cleared up.”
See SENIORS page 6
In Today’s Battalion
Local
• For the second time this week, pilots landing at Easter-
wood Airport reported instrument readings that meant the
landing gear on their planes were not functioning properly.
See story page 3.
State
• A Houston apartment complex has decided to make clo
thing optional. See story page 4.
• Maj. Gen. Robert G. Ownby bound and hanged himself in
a bizarre effort to convince authorities he was executed by
terrorists, the medical examiner. See story page 5.
• Significant residues of the cancer-causing chemical EDB
remained food products, even after they were cooked. See
story page 9.
National
• Police investigators tracing the steps of confessed mass
killers Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Elwood Toole linked the
men to a pair of previously unsolved slayings. See story page
4.