Monday, January 18,1988AThe Battalion/Page 7
low Houston economy
meowners’ groups to suffer
)USTON (AP) — Abandoned
Is, frequent foreclosures and
Ish new home sales have placed
icial squeeze on some of Hous-
4,000 homeowners’ associa-
I groups with the power to levy
icnts on residents and ban the
' bedsheets as curtains.
)r economic conditions have
some of the associations to
khe levies, upsetting some resi-
icse days, people in condos
Subdivisions are all bitchin’,”
ittorney Richard C. Lievens,
[r president of the Houston
|er of the Community Associa-
istitute.
associations, which maintain
ling pools and green belts in
/isions and perform basic re
land maintenance in condomi-
and townhouses, also have
suffering because in hard
homeowners frequently can-
bay their association “assess-
|an Hill of Houston Proud said,
ise of the abandonments and
“Because of the abandonments and foreclosures,
homeowners’ associations are facing problems they
never faced before. ”
Susan Hill, Houston Proud
foreclosures, homeowners’ associa
tions are facing problems they never
faced before,” And the lack of an ac
tive association can hurt home va
lues, she said.
In the early 1980s, the Forest
Wood subdivision was left with an
inoperative swimming pool Filled
with algae, unkempt esplanades and
darkened street lights after the de
mise of its homeowners’ association.
The developer of the 130-house
subdivision went out of business and
40 percent of the houses were va
cant.
But in 1986, subdivision resident
LaFranda Sanders, with the help of
a volunteer lawyer and other profes
sionals, organized a new homeown
ers’ association.
Supported by regular payments
from residents, the association has
the street lights back on and swim
ming pool reopened. Now, only 20
percent of the houses are vacant.
“It’s really almost incalculable
what a homeowners association or a
civic club can do to maintain a subdi
vision’s integrity,” Hill said.
A 1986 study by the University of
Houston’s Center for Public Policy
found that an active, strong associa
tion improved home values as much
as 15 percent in neighborhoods
plagued with foreclosures.
Houston Proud, an economic de
velopment group, has subsequently
helped 10 subdivision associations
through its Adopt-A-Subdivision
program, which enlists the aid of
volunteer lawyers, accountants, ar
chitects and property managers.
Homeowners’ associations,
through deed restrictions, can dic
tate the color of house paint and the
installation of burglar bars and bas
ketball goals and ban the use of
bedsheets as curtains.
Deed restrictions also can stip
ulate that association employees can
enter someone’s house uninvited if a
safety problem is suspected.
Attorney Lievens said there is no
direct legislation regarding town-
home or subdivision associations,
but Texas laws do specify some of
the powers of condominium associa-
dons.
Last July, the Texas Supreme
Court gave homeowner associations
more power by ruling the associa-
dons can foreclose on people who
refuse to pay their dues.
itional study
lows shortages
nursing field
LLAS (AP) — Temporary
loyment agencies specializing
oviding nurses to hospitals,
es for the elderly and resi-
es flourished in a nationwide
ing shortage, a study
ed.
e Dallas-Fort Worth Hospi-
ouncil estimated a 12.7 per-
:nt vacancy rate existed for
lining jobs in the area and
xiut 50 companies were trying
ifill that gap.
The council said the nursing
lortage has spurred growth of
imporary agencies and raised
incerns about the quality and
K of short-term hospital em-
loyees.
‘There are many good nurses
ho work through agencies and
se it as a way to work in different
ospital systems,” John Gavras,
resident of the hospital council
dd. “But more often than not
3U don’t get the level of commit-
lent and quality that you get
om your own employees.”
Concerns over quality and cost
ave led the council to sign con-
acts with a consortium of tem-
orary providers setting mini-
lum quality standards and a
tiling on hourly billing rates.
Registered nurses generally
art at $10 an hour and receive
ay raises based on experience,
jmcials said. But nursing agen-
ies generally pay their nurses
rom $15 to $20 an hour.
Most people feel that higher
ay and professional treatment is
Hpfied for today’s nurses.
Texas child abuse services
receive criticism in legislature
AUSTIN (AP) — Chris Johnson is
gentle as she meets three children
who have recently been taken from a
home plagued with physical, sexual
and emotional abuse.
The child abuse caseworker tells
the oldest child, a third-grade girl
who has reported sexual abuse by
her father and her mother’s com
mon-law husband, she is working to
find a loving foster home.
“We want a place where you will
feel safe,” Johnson says to the wide-
eyed girl, who smiles shyly and nods.
Her younger brother and sister stick
close to her.
Because of the severity of the chil
dren’s abuse, they were removed
from their home quickly and
brought to an emergency shelter
near Austin. But if the abuse had
been less severe, an investigation
could have been delayed for days.
It is those delays — in some cases
ones so lengthy that children have
died before action was taken — that
have sparked criticism of how Texas
handles child-abuse reports.
The issue has undergone several
studies, including Legislative scru
tiny that continues Tuesday when
the Senate Health and Human Serv
ices Committee holds a public hear
ing in Houston to identify weak
nesses in the program.
Sen. Chet Brooks, D-Pasadena
and chairman of the Senate commit
tee, said his panel’s investigation will
be conducted in tandem with the De
partment of Human Service’s initia
tives.
As with the children Johnson was
helping, only the immediate threat
of serious physical harm or death re
quires investigation within 24 hours.
\ N -
Investigation^ of other abuse and
neglect must be initiated within. 10
days. i :
Even a few days’ delay cpuld W di
sastrous, but staffijq^'Shortages do
not allow immediate investigation in
all cases, James Marquart, assistant
commissioner for protective services
for families and children at the De
partment of Human Services said.
Johnson is responsible for 18 chil
dren who have been harmed by their
parents or other guardians, and
Travis County Program Director
Tim Gebel, who has a staff of about
73, said his office investigates 130 re
ports each month.
Although she said her caseload is
manageable, Johnson says she could
do much more for each child if there
were fewer cases to handle.
“I could work full time with two
cases,” she said. “It’s how much
more can you do?”
Johnson is one of 1,500 casework
ers statewide in the child protective
services program, Marquart said. Ca
seworkers in rural areas often must
be on call 24 hours a day, Gebel said.
The Legislature increased the
program’s budget for 1988-89, but
staffing has not kept pace with the
increase in the numoer of child
abuse reports that require investiga
tion.
The department probed 32,417
reports of child abuse and neglect
with 2,798 child protective services
staff members in fiscal 1976, accord
ing to a recent staff report. In fiscal
1987, the department had 2,979
staff members, including casework
ers, and investigated 67,731 such
cases.
The lack of staff contributed to
the recent death oTat least one child,
who died in Harris County after his
case was not given immediate prior
ity, Marquart said.
“I think the day, or two days, be
fore we were scheduled to see the
child, the child turned up dead,”
Marquart said. “That is a function of
not having enough staff. Clearly, if
we got on every case within 24
hours, that one could have been pre
vented.”
The program has come under
scrutiny because of several recent
cases of children who died after so
cial services workers were notified
that the children were being abused.
Another death occurred when a
caseworker mishandled an abuse re
port and it was not investigated,
Marquart said. That caseworker has
since been dismissed.
Death also has occurred after a
child has returned home with court
approval, when caseworkers be
lieved a family was rehabilitated,
Marquart said.
“Some of those are indeed diffi
cult decisions to make,” he said. “We
balance the right of a kid to be pro
tected against his right to be with his
family.”
The number of child deaths inves
tigated by the department has aver
aged about 115 per year since 1980,
according to a staff report.
The way caseworkers make
judgments, the priority system for
investigating abuse reports, pro
gram policies and procedures will be
examined in separate probes at the
Department of Human Services,
Marquart said.
Hall of IFMKERS MARKET
Fame
18, 19, & 20 Y ear olds
admitted every night
pVtonday: Back to School Dance
sponsored by
The Class of’88
Cover $3.00 Can Beer $1.00
Every Tuesday: Free For All
Any Single Shot Drink $1.00
Every Friday: Free For All
7-10 p.m.
Admission $4°°
* Admission $2°° with A&M ID
Free Single Shot Drinks
Free Draft Beer
8-11 p.m.
Admission $4°°
Free Draft Beer
Free Single
Shot Drinks
Every Thursday: The Debonaires
Every Saturday: $ l 00 night
Admission $4°
Can Beer $ l 00
Any Single
Shot Drink $1 00
Admission $4°°
Admission $2°° with A&M ID
Can Beer $ l 00
Any Single
Shot Drink SI 00
822-2222
Located on FM 2818 North of Villa Maria, Bryan
Auto Service
“Auto Repair At Its Best”
Complete Auto Service, Domestic & Imports
111 Royal 846-5344 Bryan
across S. College from Tom’s BBQ
Now Open Saturday till 3 p.m.
LUBE ®
mm
10 Minute
Drive-Thru
Lube, Oil,
& Filter
Change
All Aggies
$2°° off
All The Time
no coupon necessary
205 Holleman
Oil, Lube
&
Filter Change
(ybuf choice or oil)
764-7992
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION FOR
SIHOENTS WHO NEED
FRFF
MONEY FOR COLLEGE
Every Student is Eligible for Some Type of
Financial Aid Regardless of Grades or Parental Income.
• We have a data bank of over 200,000 listings of scholarships,
fellowships, grants, and loans, representing over $10 billion in private
sector funding.
• Many scholarships are given to students based on their academic
interests, career plans, family heritage and place of residence.
• There’s money available for students who have been newspaper car
riers, grocery clerks, cheerleaders, non-smokers . . . etc.
• Results GUARANTEED.
!
CALL
ANYTIME
For A Free Brochure
1 •800*782*8303
•*
SIGMA CHI
Texas A&M University
2X
SPRING RUSH 1988
Wed., Jan. 20
Sat., Jan. 23
Sun., Jan. 24
Wed., Jan. 27
Fri., Jan. 29
Sun. r Jan. 31
Mon., Feb. 1
5:30 pm
9:30 pm
*
8:30 pm
1:00 pm
8:00 pm
Ground Breaking
Return to Reality
Invite Only
Six Flags Over
College Station
Invite Only
Beat the Hell Outta
t.u.
Gearing up for
’88 Olympics
Fraternity Row
Sig House
Sig House
G. Rollie White
Parthenon
Rush Chairman, Jon Stone, 693-9807
Assistant, Paul Cox, 693-2299
Sigma Chi House 693-9254
FREE DELIVERY
• $4.00 minimum order
• Delivery hours
Daily llam-llpm
• 50^ OFF any sub deliv
ered if you present this
ad
• Campus and Northgate
delivery only
• Expires 1-24-88
Not valid with any other offer
329 University Drive at Northgate
846-6428
The Advantage is yours
with a Battalion Classified
Call 845-2611