Friday, March 1, 1985AThe Battalion/Page 3
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White pushes
court user fees,
lower TDC costs
By JERRY OSLIN
Staff Writer
People who use the court sys
tem should shoulder more of the
burden in paying for it, Gov.
Mark White told a state confer
ence of county judges and com
missioners Thursday at the Col
lege Station Ramada Inn.
White said he will ask the
Texas Legislature to create spe
cial user Fees for those who use
the state court system.
“The court system is a $100
million dollar item in the biennial
budget of Texas," he said. ‘‘We
need to make sure that those peo
ple who use the courts help pay
tor the courts. Too often we have
shoved that responsibility and
burden on those people who have
never been in court."
White also said the state should
do more to reduce the cost of
housing convicted criminals.
“Right now it costs the state
$7,800 a year to keep and house
an inmate,” he said. “The T exas
Department of Corrections
needed $600 million the last two
years to house its prisoners and
they are asking for $ 1 billion for
the next two years."
White said the best way to cut
TDC costs is to help inmates stay
out of jail.
“We need to bring the Texas
Employment Commission in and
help match an inmate with a job,”
he said. “We need to give them
some hope and give them some
opportunity. That’s the best way
to cut costs.”
White also said he would con
tinue to fight against the estab
lishment of high-level nuclear
waste dumps in T exas.
"Department of Energy offi
cials said they were going to dig
up 20 million tons of salt near
Hereford to make room for a nu
clear waste dump and they, were
going to put it out on the open
plains," he said. “They were
going to build precipitation
ponds to make sure the salt didn’t
get into the ground water. West
Texas’ biggest problem isn’t pre
cipitation. The problem might be
the wind blowing the salt all over
west Texas.”
White said that the proposal
convinced him the Department of
Energy did not do the “scientific
homework” that was needed to
create a high-level nuclear waste
dump.
Signs
CS council approves
restrictive ordinance
By MICHAEL CRAWFORD
Staff Writer
In an effort to promote an attrac
tive community, the College Station
City Council adopted an ordinance
.Thursday which regulates height, lo
cation and size of future signs within
city limits.
The ordinance prohibits portable,
trailer and painted rooftop signs as
well as banners in residential areas
and signs with flashing, blinking or
traveling lights. However, time and
temperature signs are permitted if
they meet height and setback re
quirements.
Free-standing signs along the
Highway 6 bypass may be 50 feet in
"height if the property on which they
are located has 100 feet in highway
frontage. All other signs within city
limits may not excecie 35 feet in
height. No sign may be closer than
10 feet to the curb. Political signs
may not display a commercial mes
sage and must be removed within 10
days after the election.
Permits are now required for
apartment, attached, development,
freestanding, roof and subdivision
signs.
T he new ordinance does not re-
, -• 7
brought into compliance, but any
new sign not in compliance may be
removed by a city zoning official.
Mayor Cary Halter said it was un
fortunate the ordinance does not re
quire signs in violation to be brought
into compliance, but he said he was
in the minority.
A similar ordinance was tabled by
the council a month ago pending
changes recommended by the coun
cil and a special committee.
In other business, the council ap
proved the rezoning of 14 lots on
Spring Loop, behind the Woodbine
Financial Center, from low-density
apartments to general commercial
use. The rezoning was approved
over the objections of Townhouse
developer Phyllis Hobson who owns
four townhomes at the corner of
Spring Loop and Tarrow Street.
Hobson said the rezoning would
leave her with “a piece of property
that has become a misfit.”
Woodbine wants to construct ad
ditional parking places on the re
zoned land. According to the city,
the Woodbine building lacks 33
spaces reejuired by city ordinance.
The building is still under construc
tion.
Photo by ANTHONYS. CASPER
Gov. Mark White arrives at Easterwood Airport Thursday.
Climber shows slides of Everest ascent
By MEG CADIGAN
Reporter
“When you’re doing a big thing,
don’t worry about the big thing;
worry about the first step,” said Dr.
Bill March, leader of the 1982 Ca
nadian Mount Everest climb.
This is the philosophy that guided
the expedition to the top of Mount
Everest in Octol)er 1982. March nar
rated a slide presentation of the
dimb during the Fourth Annual
Outdoor Horizons Conference
Thursday.
Mount Everest, die highest point
on Earth, is about the size of 207
Rudder Towers stacked on top of
each other.
March said the group climbed
Mount Everest in a series of steps.
He said the first major step was
climbing the Khumbu Icefafl, the
most dangerous part of the moun
tain.
“What you’re really doing is mak
ing a little highway up the glacier,”
March said.
He said the icef all is the most dan
gerous place because avalanches oc
cur there, and it moves about one
meter a day. It was in this icef all that
four members of the team were
killed. T hree died in an avalanche,
and another was crushed between
two iceblocks.
“I told the group that anyone who
wanted to leave, should leave,” he
said.
At that level of risk it was not a de
cision I could make for them, March
said. He said he decided to continue
even though the team had been un
lucky.
“The only reason to leave was an
emotional one, and I didn't see this
as a valid reason, ” he said.
W’ith a group reduced to eight
climbers and 12 Sherpas, a group of
native mountain climbers, March
continued up the mountain.
mt
d i
were extremely. committed to fin
ishing the climb.
Why climb Mount Everest?
March said the climb was worth
the danger and discomfort because
of its lasting effects.
“After surviving in a really dan
gerous environment, the legacy that
lasts is friendship,” March said.
Pari-mutuel betting
bill off and running
Associated Press
AUSTIN — A House committee Wednesday night voted 1 I -1 to send to
the House floor a proposed horse racing bill that includes referendum pro
visions favored by Gov. Mark White.
The Urban Affairs Committee approved a substitute to House Bill 440,
sponsored by Rep. Hugo Berlanga, D-Corpus Christi, that also includes
provisions on minority track ownership, the issuing of minority building
contracts, charity days and a statewide referendum.
“I’m real pleased with the outcome,” said Berlanga, who sported a
monogramed “HB 440” on his shirt pocket. “It shows we’re moving right
along. We hope to get to the House within a couple of weeks.”
White has said he would veto any horse racing bill that doesn’t have a
statewide referendum, local option election and a provision controlling or
ganized crime. The bill endorsed by the committee has all three provisions.
The bill would establish an eight-member horse racing commission. Six
would be appointed by the governor and two would be ex-officio members,
the state comptroller and a Texas Department of Public Safety official.
The bill also calls for 15 percent of the track's construction or renova
tions be allocated to minority contractors. A 15 percent minority ownership
provision is also included.
AGGIE
CINEMA
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Sunday, march 3j
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$2.50