Tuesday, September 17, 1985/The Battalion/Page 3
State and Local
IDC officials say
lockdown halted
potential clashes
Associated Press
ROSHARON — One week of
tight security and severe restrictions
on Texas prison inmates probably
halted brewing gang warfare and
; saved dozens of inmates on gang
(“death lists,”officials say.
“We had inmate gang members
(coming up to us and saying, ‘Thank
you, if you hadn’t done something
we would have been pulled into it,’”
[said Capt. Steve Holloman of the
flexas Department of Corrections’
|Ramsey 1 Unit in Brazoria County.
I On Sunday, James Parsons, TDC
Iboard secretary, conducted the first
Ipublic tour of three of the 13 prisons
Iwhere many inmates have been
blocked in their cells around the
clock.
Wardens, TDC investigators and
guards said that the wholesale con
fining of one-half of the TDC’s
38,000 inmates has short-circuited a
bloody gang turf battle that has left
eight prisoners dead this month.
However, prison employee in
volvement in drug trafficking and
inmate rackets is a growing problem
|hat may eclipse the gang fighting,
officials said.
Ramsey I Assistant Warden Bruce
Thaler said, “Right now, the inmate
delations are not all that bad. Our
biggest problem is with employees
Running these narcotics to the in-
nates. It’s scary.”
Parsons inspected the Ramsey I
knd Ramsey Ill units and the maxi
mum-security Darrington Unit near
Rosharon. T hree homicides took
ilaceat Darrington last week.
A&M student still receiving praise for rescue
By TAMMY KIRK
Staff Writer
If chivalrous acts for damsels
in distress seem to have disap
peared with the Middle Ages,
then Texas A&M Cadet Joe Mer-
curio would seem to be a coura
geous knight misplaced in time.
“Oh my God! Someone help
me! Oh God! Please help me!”
were the screams that urged Mer-
curio, 19, to aid a woman whose
life was being threatened in Lin
denhurst, N.Y. June 11.
Mercurio described the events
leading up to the rescue as a day
of shopping with his mother and
his grandmother in a local shop
ping center.
After shopping, Mercurio went
to get the car.
On his way back to the shop
ping center, he stopped at a 4-
way stop within the mall area and
that’s when he heard the screams
coming from his left and saw a
woman running from a car.
Long Island Newsday later re-
Joe Mercurip
f iorted that the woman was running
rom a man who had thrust a
screwdriver into her face and forced
his way into the driver’s seat of her
car, saying, “Move over! I’m not
gonna hurt you. I’m only gonna rob
you.”
Police said the man had ordered
the woman to fasten her seatbelt,
presumably to discourage escape.
Mercurio said the woman was in
her car when he first heard the
screams, but that he later figured
out her escape came when the man
tried to drive the car away.
“He couldn’t drive holding onto
the steering wheel and the stick
(shift) while also holding a
screwdriver in the lady’s face,” Mer
curio said.
But without knowing at the time
the reason for the woman’s screams
and without hesitation, Mercurio
E ut his foot to the gas and made a
eeline for the other car, managing
to cut it off.
The 185-pound man left the
woman’s car and started running
down an alleyway. Mercurio, 140
pounds and a former track star for
St. John the Baptist High School,
took off after him.
“I know it sounds surprising to
you,” Mercurio said, “but I didn’t
even think about what kind of dan
ger I might be in and I wasn’t even
scared.”
Mercurio said that the man
turned and punched him square in
the nose, but he said he was not se
riously hurt.
Mercurio said he pushed the man
against a wall and then threw him
off balance.
“I held him in an old wrestling
move called a half-nelson when he
hit the ground and I kept his face
pushed against the ground so the
guy couldn’t move,” Mercurio said.
Two men helped Mercurio hold
the man down until the police got
there about three or four minutes
later.
Police charged the man with first-
degree robbery, second-degree as
sault (for punching Mercurio) and
unlawful imprisonment. He was also
charged with burglary in an unre
lated investigation, and previously
had been convicted for assault, bur
glary and robbery.
A letter sent to inform the Univer
sity of Mercurio’s deed was written
by a neighbor, Rosanne Bonanno,
and said: “What the article (written
in the Long Island Newsday) didn’t
state was that this man had an arse
nal of weapons in his possession. Jo
seph could have been seriously hurt
and we, his neighbors and
friends, are very proud of him.”
Although this happened while
Mercurio was home for the sum
mer, he is still receiving letters of
commendation for his actions
since his return as a sophomore
to the University. Mercurio is an
aerospace engineering major in
Squadron 11 of the Corps of Ca
dets.
Some excerpts from the letters
of commendation are:
• “All of us at Texas A&M are
proud of you, for you risked your
life for a stranger while others
merely stood by.” Written by
Frank E. Vandiver, president of
Texas A&M, on July 16.
• “Your efforts are an out
standing example of your devo
tion to duty and reflect very fa
vorably on you, Squadron 11, the
Corps of Cadets, and Texas A&M
University.” Written by Col. Don
ald L. Burton, commandant of
the Corps, on Sept. 3.
Members of the Texas Syndicate
and the Mexican Mafia are pressur
ing inmate recruits to attack other
convicts as an initiation rite, officials
said.
TDC Capt. Jim Anderson said
new inmate search procedures used
at Darrington probably would have
preventeo the killings.
TDC has ordered a temporary
ban on mail among inmates and is
starting to restrict the movement of
convicts involved in the gangs.
British bagpipers to play Aggie War Hymn at Sesquicentennial
Associated Press
AUSTIN — To mark the Texas
Sesquicentennial, Joe Lane is ar
ranging to lly 80 British infantry
bagpipers to Texas in February and
is asking them to learn a couple of
songs — “The Yellow Rose of
Texas” and “The Aggie War
Hymn.”
“We thought if we got two or
three spirited songs that Texans,
even Longhorns, like, then we might
be able to raise some money,” said
Lane, 58, an investment banker.
He said Randy Matson, executive
director of the Texas A&M Associa
tion of Former Students, sent him a
tape, which he sent to the bagpipers,
so they could practice.
Scotland to the Alamo Inc., a ses
quicentennial committee, plans to
have three bands travel through
Central Texas for two weeks, play
ing the tunes to fundraise. Lane
said.
If all goes well, the bands would
arrive Feb. 28. Lane said about 10
percent of the estimated $40,000
needed has been raised.
The celebration also will be a per
sonal way to commemorate his
great-great-uncle, Richard Ballan-
tine, who died at the Alamo. Lane
lutomata
ificationofJ
enemy m
to one i
/, technoli
p to 85 mtj||
the first bT
nger, had til
ce of 20,1
PUBLIC NOTICE
BRIEF EXPLANATORY STATEMENTS
OF PROPOSED
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
GENERAL ELECTION
NOVEMBER 5. 1985
PROPOSITION NO. 1
oriv ON THE BALLOT
an ’ l ' I Sections 1 and 2 of House Joint
iemy S ho® Resolution 6 propose a constitution-
al amendment that would authorize
__ thp atiilf I 16 Texas Water Development
c 1 Board to issue an additional $980
tuclear attaifjiDiiiiQjj 0 f Texas Water Develop-
y eliminatit| ment bonds.
ate. f The additional bonds to be issued
. , [will be dedicated for deposit in the
Lty ate yy a t er Development Fund,
md still re® ^rjth $190 million of those bond pro
of inflictiii leeds to be used for water supply
loans and facilities acquisition and
e enemy.
With $400 million of those bond pro-
» to 16
political t
ference
Board
tor
a- Editor
je Editor
'itor
ews Editors
Editor
f
z, Jerry Oslin
□n,Jan Pern
ndependeni ceeds to be used for state participa
te. Currei tion in the acquisition and develop-
llistic missK 1,16111 °T facilities for storage,
|transmission, transportation, and
; treatment of water and wastewater.
Of the remaining bonds authorized,
$190 million will be dedicated for
use in water quality enhancement
and a AfJ projects, and $200 million will be
ledicated exclusively for flood con
trol projects.
The amendment would also allow
the legislature to provide for the
creation, administration, and imple
mentation of a bond insurance pro
gram to which the state pledges up
to $250 million of its general credit
to insure payment of the principal
of and interest on bonds or other
obligations issued by political sub-
livisions of the state for water con
servation, water development, water
quality enhancement, flood control,
rainage, recharge, chloride control
or desalinization. Unless authorized
to continue by a two-thirds vote of
the members of each house of the
legislature, the bond insurance pro-
Tam will expire on the sixth anni
versary of the date on which this
section becomes a part of the con
stitution. Bond insurance issued be
fore expiration of the program will
not be affected by such expiration,
i The amendment would authorize
the legislature to create and appro
priate money to special funds in the
state treasury to make grants, loans,
and other financial assistance avail
able to governmental entities for
certain enumerated water planning
ittrposes. Also, the legislature would
_* permitted to extend the benefits
of constitutionally approved water
projects to nonprofit water supply
corporations.
The proposed amendment will ap
pear on the ballot as follows:
"The constitutional amendment to
authorize the issuance of an addi
tional $980 million of Texas Wa
ter Development Bonds, to create
special water funds for water
conservation, water development,
water quality enhancement, flood
control, drainage, subsidence con
trol, recharge, chloride control,
agricultural soil and water con
servation, and desalinization, to
authorize a bond insurance pro
gram, and to clarify the purposes
for which Texas Water Develop
ment Bonds may be issued.”
•can Williams
Walter Smilli
syne Grabeir
roecca Adair,
. Sarah Oates
.Ed Cassavov
Tamara Bell,
Ed Cassavov,
Doug Hall,
ndyjonnson
[ens Koepke,
McWhorter,
Yicia Parker,
n Rae Povec,
Gigi Shamsy,
Lenneth Sury
..Mike Lane,
twin Thomas
mille Brown,
irl Pallmeyer
Greg Bailey,
Frank Hada,
had Sanchez
rting newspaper
>xas A&M and
are chose of lk
c necessarily rep-
listrators, facuitp
-y newspaper m
tography classes
is.
through Frida)
crept torholidar
■Jons are (16.15
nd $35 per full
-st.
ieed McDonald
ege Station, TX
JJ 845-3316. Ad-
tion, TX17643.
s to The Banal-
»n, Texas 71643
PROPOSITION NO. 2
ON THE BALLOT
Section 3 of House Joint Resolu
tion 6 proposes a constitutional
unendment that would allow the
Texas Water Development Board to
i and sell Texas agricultural
*ater conservation bonds in an
amount not to exceed $200 million,
if authorized to do so by a two-
thirds vote of the members of each
house of the legislature. The Texas
agricultural water conservation
bonds would be general obligations
of the State of Texas, and would be
paid from the first money coming
into the state treasury in each fiscal
year. The amendment would allow
Texas agricultural water conserva
tion bonds to be issued and sold only
for four years after the date on
which this Act becomes a part of
the constitution.
The proposed amendment will ap
pear on the ballot as follows:
“The constitutional amendment
authorizing the issuance and sale
of $200 million of Texas agricul
tural water conservation bonds.”
PROPOSITION NO. 3
ON THE BALLOT
House Joint Resolution 54 pro
poses a constitutional amendment
that would permit the legislature
to authorize a city or town to spend
public funds and levy assessments,
for the relocation or replacement of
water laterals on private property
if such relocation or replacement is
done in conjunction with or immedi
ately following the relocation or re
placement of water mains serving
the property. Any legislative enact
ment permitting the expenditure of
funds for such purposes would au
thorize the city or town to fix a lien
on the property, with the owners’
consent, for the cost of relocating or
replacing the water laterals, and
would provide that such cost shall
be assessed against the property,
with repayment by the property
owner to be amortized over a period
not to exceed five years at the rate
of interest set by law. Such liens
could not be enforced until after
five years from the date the liens
were affixed.
The proposed amendment will ap
pear on the ballot as follows:
“The constitutional amendment to
authorize the legislature to enact
laws permitting a city or town to
spend public funds and levy as
sessments for the relocation or
replacement of water laterals on
private property.”
PROPOSITION NO. 4
ON THE BALLOT
Senate Joint Resolution 21 pro
poses a constitutional amendment
that would authorize the use of the
proceeds from the sale of perma
nent school fund land to acquire
other land for the permanent school
fund. Currently, the constitution re
quires that proceeds from the sale
of such land be invested in certain
bonds and other securities.
The proposed amendment will ap
pear on the ballot as follows:
“The constitutional amendment
authorizing proceeds from the
sale of land dedicated to the per
manent school fund to be used to
acquire other land for that fund.”
PROPOSITION NO. 5
ON THE BALLOT
House Joint Resolution 89 pro
poses a constitutional amendment
that would enable the legislature to
regulate the provision of health care
by hospital districts by determining
the services the district must pro
vide, by setting requirements a
resident must meet in order to quali
fy for sezvices, and by determining
any other relevant provisions nec
essary for providing health care to
residents.
The proposed amendment will ap
pear on the ballot as follows:
“The constitutional amendment to
authorize the legislature to regu
late the provision of health care
by hospital districts.”
PROPOSITION NO. 6
ON THE BALLOT
Senate Joint Resolution 6 pro
poses a constitutional amendment
that,would enable the State of Tex
as to enter into an agreement with
another state to confine inmates
from the state of Texas in penal or
correctional facilities of the other
state.
The proposed amendment will ap
pear on the ballot as follows:
“The constitutional amendment to
permit state prisoners to be placed
in penal facilities of another state
pursuant to an interstate agree
ment.”
PROPOSITION NO. 7
ON THE BALLOT
House Joint Resolution 27 pro
poses a constitutional , amendment
that would authorize the commis
sioners court of Chambers County
to divide Chambers County into not
less than two and not more than six
justice precincts. Under current con
stitutional law, Chambers County
may be divided into not less than
two and not more than five justice
precincts.
The proposed amendment will ap
pear on the ballot as follows:
“The constitutional amendment
authorizing Chambers County to
be divided into two to six pre
cincts.”
PROPOSITION NO. 8
ON THE BALLOT
Senate Joint Resolution 9 pro
poses a constitutional amendment
that would grant an additional $500
million in bonding authority to the
Veterans’ Land Board for the vet
erans’ housing assistance program.
Under the current constitution, the
Veterans’ Land Board is authorized
by Article III, Section 49-b-l to
issue and sell not more than $800
million in bonds, $500 million of
which may be used for the Veterans’
Housing Assistance Fund. This
amendment would increase that au
thorization to permit the issuance
and sale of up to $1.3 billion in
bonds, $1 billion of which would be
used for the Veterans’ Housing
Assistance Fund. In addition, the
amendment would remove the cur
rent definition of “veteran” from
the constitution and permit the leg
islature to redefine “veteran” as the
changing times and circumstances
require.
The proposed amendment will ap
pear on the ballot as follows:
“The constitutional amendment
providing $500 million in addi
tional bonding authority for the
veterans’ housing assistance pro
gram and changing the definition
of those veterans eligible to par
ticipate in the veterans’ land pro
gram and the veterans’ housing
program by authorizing the legis
lature by law to define an eligible
veteran for the purposes of those
programs.”
PROPOSITION NO. 9
ON THE BALLOT
House Joint Resolution 72 pro
poses a constitutional amendment
that would permit the legislature
either to enact a statute or to at
tach a rider to the General Ap
propriations Act to require prior
approval of the expenditure or
emergency transfer of any funds
appropriated by the legislature to
state governmental agencies.
The proposed amendment will ap
pear on the ballot as follows:
“The constitutional amendment to
protect public funds by author
izing prior approval of expendi
ture or emergency transfer of
state appropriations.”
PROPOSITION NO. 10
ON THE BALLOT
House Joint Resolution 19 pro
poses a constitutional amendment
that would authorize the legislature
to provide for the issuance of gen
eral obligation bonds, the proceeds
of which would be deposited in a
fund to be known as the farm and
ranch finance program fund. The
fund would be administered by the
Veterans’ Land Board and would be
used to make loans and provide oth
er financial assistance for the pur
chase of farm and ranch land. The
amount of bonds outstanding at any
one time would be limited to $500
million. The principal and interest
that becomes due on such bonds in
each fiscal year would be paid from
amounts remaining in the interest
and sinking fund at the close of the
prior fiscal year, with the balance
due to be appropriated from trea
sury revenues in the fiscal year
when such amounts become due.
The proposed amendment will ap
pear on the ballot as follows:
“The constitutional amendment
authorizing the issuance of gen
eral obligation bonds to provide
financing assistance for the pur
chase of farm and ranch land.”
PROPOSITION NO. 11
ON THE BALLOT
Senate Joint Resolution 16 pro
poses a constitutional amendment
that would define indictments and
informations as instruments charg
ing a person with the commission
of an offense, and would delete cer
tain technical requirements as to
the form of writs and processes.
The proposed amendment will ap
pear on the ballot as follows:
“The constitutional amendment
relating to the manner in which a
person is charged with a criminal
offense and to certain require
ments applicable to state writs
and processes.”
PROPOSITION NO. 12
ON THE BALLOT
Senate Joint Resolution 10 pro
poses a constitutional amendment
that would grant the Texas Su
preme Court and the Texas Court of
Criminal Appeals jurisdiction to
answer questions of state law cer
tified from federal appellate courts.
In addition, the two courts would
promulgate rules of procedure re
lating to the review of those ques
tions.
, The proposed amendment will ap
pear on the ballot as follows:
“The constitutional amendment
granting the Supreme Court of
Texas and the Court of Criminal
Appeals of Texas jurisdiction to
answer questions of state law
certified from a federal appellate
court.”
PROPOSITION NO. 13
ON THE BALLOT
Senate Joint Resolution 14 pro
poses a constitutional amendment
that would create a board with
responsibility for the reapportion
ment of judicial districts, subject to
legislative approval. The amendment
would provide for the continued
power of the legislature to provide
for judicial reapportionment, and
would provide that reapportionment
said his name was misspelled on
brass plaques on die walls of the
Akimo and on a monument on the
grounds of the Texas Capitol.
Lane has offered organizations in
several area communities a perfor
mance in exchange for contributions
to pay the costs.
The bands have requested a
$20,850 fee for the performances.
will be the responsibility of the Leg
islative Redistricting Board if the
Judicial Districts Board fails to
make a timely reapportionment.
The amendment would provide for
the creation of judicial districts
smaller than a county in counties
where the creation of such districts
has been approved by the voters at
a general election. The amendment
would provide for more than one
judge for a judicial district. The
amendment would rename supreme
judicial districts as courts of ap
peals districts. The amendment
would provide that the jurisdiction
and terms of court of district and
county courts may be as provided by
law. The amendment would provide
for the jurisdiction of justice courts,
which may have additional jurisdic
tion as provided by law. The amend
ment would provide for rules of
judicial administration and civil
procedure to be promulgated by the
Supreme Court, and would provide
that the legislature may delegate
additional rule making power to the
Supreme Court or to the Court of
Criminal Appeals. The amendment
would provide that courts and judges
in existence at the time of its adop
tion remain in existence until other
wise provided by law.
The proposed amendment will ap
pear on the ballot as follows:
“The constitutional amendment
providing for the reapportionment
of the judicial districts of thr
state by the Judicial Districts
Board or by the Legislative Re
districting Board, and providing
for the administration and juris
diction of constitutional courts.”
PROPOSTION NO. 14
ON THE BALLOT
Senate Joint Resolution 27 pro
poses a constitutional amendment
that would abolish the office of
County Treasurer in Andrews
County and transfer the powers and
duties of that office to the County
Auditor. The amendment would also
abolish the office of County Trea
surer in El Paso County if, at the
statewide election at which this
amendment is submitted to the vot
ers, a majority of the voters who
vote in El Paso County favor the
amendment. The functions of the
office of El Paso County Treasurer
will be performed by a person em
ployed or designated by the El Paso
County Commissioners Court. The
amendment alsq provides for the
abolition of the office of County
Surveyor in Denton, Randall, Col
lin, Dallas, El Paso, and Henderson
Counties upon approval of such
abolition by a majority of the voters
who vote on the question at an elec
tion called by the commissioners
court of the county. If the office of
County Surveyor is abolished in any
county, the commissioners court may
employ or contract with any quali
fied person to perform the duties of
the office.
The proposed amendment will ap
pear on the ballot as follows:
“The constitutional amendment to
provide for:
(1) the abolition of the office
of county treasurer in Andrews
County and El Paso County;
(2) the abolition of the office
of county surveyor in Collin, Dal
las, Denton, El Paso, Henderson,
and Randall Counties.”
Estoa son los informes explcma-
torios sobre las enmiendas propu-
estas a la constitucion que apara-
cerdn en la boleta el dia 5 de
noviembre de 1985. Si us ted no ha
recibido una copia de los in formes
en espanol, podrd obtener una gratis
por llamar al 1 /800/3152/9602 o por
escribir al Secretario de Estado,
P.O. Box 12887, Austin, Texas
78711.
Sarah Watts
Pianist, Teacher
Degree, Piano, 2 Years’ Piano
Faculty, Baylor University
“Serious Students
of all Ages”
822-6856
TENSION
HEADACHES?
If eligible, get $20 for taking
one easy dose of safe OTC
medication and keeping di
ary. Reputable investigators.
G & S Studies, Inc.
846-5933
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