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Crime-ridden
community
fights back
ALICE (AP) — Residents fed
up with the spiraling crime rate in
this South Texas community
about 35 miles west of Corpus
Christi are considering patrolling
their own streets to fight back.
In this community of 22,624,
one in eight households was bur
glarized last year, according to
state figures. Overall, the crime
rate in Alice is almost double the
statewide average for a city its
size, according to Texas Depart
ment of Public Safety statistics.
I “Burglaries in Alice are run-
jjning at a rampant rate,” Gary
Lynd, a local businessman, told
the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
"Burglars don’t hit one house.
When they hit, they hit whole
streets. . . . They hit a lot of
houses on the same street.”
Lynd’s drilling company has
been burglarized repeatedly dur
ing recent months. His pickup
truck has been broken into nine
times while parked outside his
home in an affluent neighbor
hood, he said.
“We’ve had pretty well enough
of it,” Lynd said.
According to FBI and DPS sta
tistics, 723 burglaries and 1,361
larceny-theft cases were reported
by the Alice Police Department in
1987.
Fed up with the repeated
crimes, hundreds of residents
[ formed the anti-crime group Citi
zens in Action.
Members of the group, afraid
they may be victims of reprisal,
^ I try to keep their identities secret.
Lynd says his neighbors are so
upset about their homes being re
peatedly burglarized that they are
considering patrolling their own
streets to help stop break-ins.
Some of the patrols could be
armed, he said.
“Yes, , we would defend our
selves,” Lynd said. “You have the
right to bear arms. And I will do
whatever it takes to protect my
property and my family. And I
mean whatever it takes.
“I don’t want to kill anybody. . .
. But I’ll do whatever it takes to
defend my family and property.”
Police Chief Pete Hinojosa says
the department won’t allow
armed vigilantes to patrol the
streets.
City officials acknowledge that
the crime rate in the city has been
rising and say they welcome the
formation of the citizens group.
City Manager Roel Valdez attrib
utes the burglary rate to a poor
economy, early release of repeat
offenders from overcrowded
state prisons and the judicial sys
tem.
State Rep. Ernestine Glos-
sbrenner, D-Alice, calls the ram
pant crime a tragedy.
“Why is it all of sudden that Al
ice is no longer Alice?” he said.
“And how do we get it back?”
Housing program
matches elderly,
college students
By Kimberly Motley
Reporter
When students choose room
mates, they often look for character
istics similar to their own, but this
was not the case for Daniel Summer
lin, a freshman biomedical science
major, and Lurline Bolmanskie, a
76-year-old widow.
Summerlin and Bolmanskie
found each other through the Aggie
Elder Share program, which in
volves students living with senior cit
izens. The program was founded
and is directed by Peggy Owens,
project supervisor for consumer sci
ences and a housing specialist with
the Texas Agricultural Extension
Service. Elder Share began last sum
mer after 18 months of research and
planning.
“It stemmed from an elderly
housing program in the medical
school, but when that committee dis-
olved, it was sbmething I wanted to
continue,” Owens said.
The program is unique because it
involves students living with senior
citizens, she said. “The programs
deal with the multitudes of people
needing housing,” she said. “They
could be yuppies or single women
with children who live with senior
citizens, but this is the only one
where students live with them.”
She said the senior citizens do it
for the companionship, not as a
means to gain extra income.
“They are alone,” Owens said. “U-
sually they are widows with strong
ties to the University.”
Their husbands may have been
professors at A&M or they may have
worked for the system at one time,
she said.
Living with Summerlin gives
Bolmanskie something to look for
ward to, especially in the evenings.
Before she found out about the pro
gram she lived alone with only the
companionship of her cat, Muffin.
She said she also had been con
cerned about her safety because of
recent break-ins near her house.
She read about the program in a
weekly paper in her neighborhood
and decided immediately to fill out
an application.
Summerlin came to A&M from
Tennessee. He said when he arrived
in College Station he had a difficult
time finding a roommate and a place
to live because he did not know any
body.
“I found out about the program
in the Off-Campus Housing Cen
ter,” he said. “I filled out an infor
mation card and went to Houston.”
Summerlin’s mother lives in
Houston and he said he thought he
would have to commute until he
found a place to live. But the center
called him and told him about
Bolmanskie.
“I gave her a call and she told me I
could come on down,” he said, “but
she also told me there was someone
else comming, too.”
Bolmanskie says it was not hard to
make a decision.
“Danny boy beat him here,” she
said. “I liked him as soon as I laid
eyes on him.”
The affection and warmth are ob
vious between Summerlin and
Bolmanskie.
“Mom (Bolmanskie) and I take
turns doing the household chores
like vacuuming, washing dishes and
cooking,” Summerlin said. “Some
times we just do them together.”
When Summerlin moved in they
fixed up the spare bedroom to
gether. Bolmanskie says he has been
a big help to her.
Summerlin said there was never a
problem adjusting and there have
not been any other problems so far.
But Owens says this is not nec
essarily true for all participants in
the program.
“Like any roommate situation,”
she said, “personalities may clash.”
She also said there may be prob
lems when the student moves out.
“There is a real sense of loss on
both parts when the student leaves,”
she said.
Summerlin agrees with Owens.
“The only drawback I can see is
when I leave,” he said. “The bond
we have is so strong it will be hard.
But right now makes it all worth it.”
He said they won’t lose touch when
he graduates.
“She’ll be bouncing my children
and grandchildren on her knee,” he
said. “As long as I’m at A&M I’ll stay
here.”
Bolmanskie agrees.
“You better not leave me,” she
said.
Although Summerlin would rec
ommend the program to almost any
one, Owens said it takes two special
people to make a match.
“I don’t think it’s for everyone,”
she said. “It takes a student with
some understanding of senior citi
zens. Students must be very flexible
because the older people are usually
set in their ways. They’ve been
around a long time.”
She said that, at the same time, the
senior citizens must have a certain
amount of flexibility.
“It’s two people meeting each oth
er’s needs because it won’t work if
there are a bunch of prejudices,” she
said. “The elderly can’t think that ev
ery college student wants to drink
and party all the time, but it does re
quire more flexibility on the stu
dent’s part.”
Owens s4ys there have been only
four matches out of an original
twelve inquiries.
“Because the job is so time con
suming, making sure I’m not match
ing anyone up with Jack the Ripper,
I’ll feel the program has been a suc
cess with 10 to 15 matches a year,”
she said.
MEXICAN AMERICAN IMPACT
ON POLITICS
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MARCH 28-29
adapted bv Barbara field
O THE GITHRIE THEATER
March 30, 1988
Rudder Auditorium
Tickets available at:
MSC Box Office • 845-1234 • Dillards Ticketron
MSC Opera and Performing Arts Society
Go With Battalion Classified
845-2611