Friday, March 7, 1986/The Battalion Page 3 State and Local _ x Eliglbilftynot pays utilities ~ ■ > • - : ' [ , v ;„ •• i • By JEANNE ISENBERG H St* fT Writer i • • College Station residents who find thertiselves unable to pay their utility bills don't necessarily' have to worry about their electric ity being shut-ofTor their garbage being left in front of the house. Project Beacon, sponsored by . the City of College Station Utili-r ties Department and the Brazos! County chapter of the American Red Cross, could be a way out. Project Beacon has been an op tion for Cotlrge Station residents with delinquent bills since Sep tember +985, says Charlotte Cook, utilities collection supervi sor and the overseer of the pro- ^ ject. . “If something prevents any -resident from paying his bill,” Copk says, "he can apply for this energy assistance program. “Tnere is no wage or income guideline. It’s not now much a person makes or where he lives in the city. If it's determined that something unusual prevented the payment of the bill, he is eligible tor the program.” The Red Cross processes the applications and interviews pro spective participants. If the appli- “'There is no wage or in- come guideline. It's not how much a person makes or where he lives in the city. ” — Charlotte Cook, Project Beacon overseer. aid given at one time is $400. she says. Participants arc not required to pay back the Beacon aid money, Look says, but many do anyway. Since the program’s beginning in September 1985, 53 of the 70 people that applied have been nelped. Cook says, accounting for about $8,400 in f unding. Beacon began with .a $10,000 donation from the City of College Station. Cook says, but pledges and donations from residents < College Station are increasing of cant is approved, the Red Cross notifies the utilities department. College Station utility bills in clude charges for electricity, sewer, garbage and water. Once a person is accepted to the project, Cook savs, he mav not participate again for one year. The maximum amount of “In straight donations we’ve re ceived about $740 since our start, and approximately $130 has been committed in monthly pledges through the end of February,” she says. A resident can fill out a pledge card and the city will automat- icallv add the pledge onto the res ident’s monthly utility bill. Cook savs. Any pledges or donations are tax deductible, she savs. Houston firm to cost Texos goddess Associated Press AUSTIN — A Houston art foundry has been selected to cast the aluminum replica of the Goddess of Liberty for the Capitol dome, Capi tol Architect Roy Graham said. Graham said Dellray Bronze Inc. was selected by the Aluminum Co. of America, a major contributor to the project, because of the foundry’s fine-arts orientation and its capacity to handle large-scale casting in alu minum. Graham estimated it would take about eight weeks to complete the new Goddess. “May 31 is being considered as the tentative date for airlifting the new lioddess to her permanent perch atop the Capitol dome.” Graham saio. The weathered and time-wmn original Goddess was removed last fall after 97 years on the dome. Experts said the original I '/Vton zinc statue had deteriorated and could not be repaired IRS official: Austin center keeping up with returns Associated Press AUSTIN — Local Internal Reve nue Service officials say a Cieneral Accounting Office finding that the IRS regional center here is lagging be hind most others in processing tax returns this year is outdated. Larry Westfall, director of the Austin center said, "I don’t think we have a slowdown in processing. I think we're doing exceptionally well.” Rep. Jake Pickle, D-Texas, heads an IRS watchdog subcommittee which received the GAO report Tuesday in Washington. Pickle said the report showed the Austin center with 1.586 unpro cessed refunds as of Feb. 21. But Pickle said Westfall had assured him the number was down to 350 as of Wednesday. I he report by the GAO, the audi ting arm of Congress, said that as of Feb. 21, the Austin tenter had proc essed only 29 percent of the more than 3 million returns filed there bv taxpayers in Texas and the four other states served by the center. The report said Austin had the second-worst processing record among the IRS's M) regional centers and was well behind the 34.8 percent national processing rate But Westfall said as of Wednes day, the center had received 4 2 mil lion returns and processed 1.8 mil lion. or 43 percent. ‘‘W T e're taking four to five weeks to refund, and that is very, very fast," Westfall said. It s a gtx>d tax season for us so far. he said White: Texas teachers will do well on test Associated Press AUSTIN — The 210,000 Texas teachers who must take the manda tory competency test on Monday are understandably worried but will do well. Gov. Mark White predicted Thursday. White, who taught a history class at Austin High Scnool as part of a state officials' teach-in program, said the test is obviously v>mething that has raised teachers' concerns. “I was in class today," he said. “I saw a number of teachers. They’re worried about it. But I know they Will do well.” The reading and writing test, which w’ill be taken by current teach ers and school administrators, Was a key element of the school reform law passetj in 1984. A teachers' organization unsuc cessfully challenged the exam in court, saving a one-shot test isn’t a fair way to judge people who have been working in a profession Tor years. White continued to defend the test, but also said he understands how teachers fed. White said. “There’s an enormous amount of pressure brought to bear upon them because of the test. But they’re going to do well.” I erri Anderson, spokeswoman for the I exas Education Agency, said the test also will lx* taken by about half the TEA staff — some 4() » YMCA CAMP GRADY SPRUCE 601 N. Akard Dallas, TX 75201 EXPERIENCE A FEELING THAT WILL LAST FOREVER ON CAMPUS MONDAY MARCH 10 MEMORIAL STUDENT CENTER CONTACT LENSES $79°° $9900 $99 00 pr.* - daily wear soft lenses pr.* - extended wear soft lenses pr.* - tinted soft lenses CALL 696-3754 FOR APPOINTMENT ‘ EYE EXAM AND C/RE KIT NOT INCLUDED OPEN MONDAY THRU SATURDAY CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D..P.C. DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY 707 SOUTH TEXAS AVE-SUITE lOID COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS 77840 1 block South of Toxas 4k Bnivorsity Dr. WM V* The Bridal Boutique and Coiogero's Formal Wear Rental cordially invite you to attend their first annual Up, Up and Away Formal Style Show Sundav, March ninth, nineteen hundred eiyhtv-si \. at two o'clock in the afternoon Modeling the latest in prom Jormal.s. tuxedos, and formal wear accessories. at Park Place Pla/.a Texas Avenue South at Southwest Parkway College Station. Texas. Refreshments w ill he served afterwards Register to win in drawings for 100" gift certificate from Bridal Boutique Free tuxedo rental from Cologero’s 25% discount on any rental from Party Time £ •: ! • M , I M M M \ M' J •ts: re sale at proceeds to benefit United Cerebal Palsy of Texas FRIDAY NIGHT, GATES OPEN AT 7:30 *■ • Dancing • Fajita Sale • Free Beer and Soft Drinks • Featuring Ultimate Force ]iifr Blocker & ® fcirtle K $8 at the door : 5 t Brmxo* County Pavllllon, East Bypass Exit Tabor Road For every case of Lite beer Brazos Beverages Inc. sells during the month of March. 1986. a donation will be made ip the United Cerebral Palsy Organization. c* k