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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1988)
■ ■i The Battalion Vol. 1 Mo. 192 6 Pages College Station, Texas Friday, August 12, 1988 Thornburgh confirmed as new attorney general WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate unanimously confirmed Richard L. Thornburgh as attorney general on Thursday, sending him to take command of a Justice De partment wracked by turmoil over his predecessor’s ethical conduct. The vote was 85-0. Thornburgh succeeds Edwin Meese III, who quit after pronounc ing himself exonerated by an inde pendent counsel’s report that con cluded he “probably” broke the law. The Senate also was ready to con firm other key department nomi nees who, along with Thornburgh, will form the team that will shape Justice Department policy for the re mainder of the Reagan administra tion. The three already are serving in acting capacities: Harold Chris tensen as deputy attorney general; Francis A. Keating II as associate at torney general; and Edward S.G. Dennis Jr. as chief of the criminal di vision. All four were recommended unanimously for confirmation by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which acted on Thornburgh’s nomi nation Wednesday by voice vote, without debate. The other three were cleared by the panel Aug. 3. “Clearly, we have a superior nom inee here,” Sen. Paul Simon, D-Ill., said of Thornburgh as members of both parties praised the former Pennsylvania governor. Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C. said Thornburgh has demonstrated the characteristics needed for the job: “character, integrity, good judgment, competence and inde pendence.” Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D- Mass., praised Thornburgh but also criticized Meese as one willing to “roll back decades of progress on civil rights.” Kennedy predicted Thornburgh “will do as much as he can to repair the damage of the Meese regime.” Meese has strongly disagreed with such comments, contending his con duct was ethical and that depart ment morale remained high while he was investigated. Thornburgh, 56, a former two- term Pennsylvania Republican gov ernor, promised senators last week that he would run the department with the “highest ethical standards.” He pledged not to interfere with an ongoing internal department inves tigation of Meese. The predecessors of Christensen and Dennis — former Deputy Attor ney General Arnold Burns and ex criminal division chief William Weld — announced their resignations last March to protest Meese’s continued tenure in the face of the investiga tion by independent counsel James McKay. McKay concluded in an 800-plus page report that Meese “probably” broke two tax laws and twice violated a federal conflict-of-interest statute. Senate military budget sends allies message Window seal ub Pierce seals a water leak under the windows in |the walkway by the Engineering Building on Photo by Scott D. Weaver Thursday. The repairmen use scaffolding to reach the windows. WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate voted 90-4 Thursday to pass its second Pentagon budget bill, which includes an election-year mes sage to Japan and Western Europe to pay more for allied defense and sets new restrictions on defense con sultants. President Reagan last week vetoed the Democratic-controlled Congress’ first defense bill because he objected to its cuts in his proposed Star Wars budget and restrictions on nuclear arms control policy. The $282 billion defense budget bill was the last major item keeping the Senate from starting a nearly four-week recess. When Congress returns after La bor Day, House and Senate negotia tors will meet to iron out differences between the defense bills passed sep arately by each chamber. The House version approved two months ago contains neither of the major provi sions voted Thursday. One difference will be the allied “burden-sharing” measure endorsed Thursday on a voice vote by the Sen ate as part of the defense spending estaurant owner infa will support ush nomination HOUSTON (AP) — Ninfa Lau- enzo, the Houston businessman ho parlayed a small Mexican res- urant into a multimillion dollar en- rprise, said she plans to speak •me Spanish when she seconds the omination of Vice President eorge Bush next week at the Re- ublican National Convention in ew Orleans. “I think it’s a great honor, espe- ially for a woman — a Hispanic /oman,” said Laurenzo, who has nown Bush for years. “I am absolutely excited. I feel ery honored to be able to be in such reat company and to not only rep- esent my people but all the people f this great nation of ours,” she aid. She will give a 90-second speech ednesday night after U.S. Sen. il Gramm of Texas gives his nomi- ation speech. Laurenzo said she till is working on what she will say, she plans to give a bilinqual ad dress in English and Spanish. “I’ve done so many 30-second rommercials, I am sure I can do it in )0 seconds,” she said. Observers say the selection of Laurenzo, 64, is further evidence of :he importance of Texas and its 29 Sectoral votes. Bush calls Texas borne, but Democratic presidential Phil i lut nominee Michael Dukakis raised the stakes by choosing U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas as his running mate. Laurenzo dreamed of starting a restaurant after her husband. Tommy, died in 1969. Fifteen years ago, with they help of her five chil dren, she opened her first eatery —a 10-seat restaurant. Since then, she has become a Houston household name through her chain of 11 Ninfa’s Mexican food restaurants and eight Italian eateries. Laurenzo said she has known Bush and his wife, Barbara, for many years and considers them per sonal friends. She also supports the Republican Party. “I believe in what the Republican Party represents and what they can do,” she said. “I like their philosophy and especially the things the Reagan administration has done for the His- panics, like the amnesty (for illegal aliens).” Laurenzo said she does not be lieve the Democratic Party philoso phy is as beneficial to Hispanics as that of the Republicans. “What we need is great jobs from better opportunities for small busi nesses,” she said. Reagan signs relief bill to provide $3.9 billion WASHINGTON (AP) — Com mending “the indomitable spirit” of drought-stricken farmers, President Reagan on Thursday signed America’s largest-ever di saster relief bill. “This bill isn’t as good as rain,” Reagan said. “But it’ll tide you over until normal weather and your own skills permit you to re turn to your accustomed role.” The president signed the mea sure just hours before the Agri culture Department issued a new crop forecast that said production of the nation’s No. 1 crop, corn, would be down more than a third from last year. The drought will cause consumer food prices to go up an average 3 percent to 5 per cent from 1987. Reagan, standing before seve ral farmers invited to the Rose Garden signing ceremony, said the $3.9 billion aid package “ex presses a distinctly American tra dition ... of lending a helping hand when misfortune strikes.” Reagan praised Democratic and Republican congressional leaders for putting aside partisan differences to speed act on the bill, and the heads of the House and Senate agriculture commit tees returned the compliment. One of the farmers, Herman Drought shrivels harvests WASHINGTON (AP) — Drought and high temperatures have shriveled this year’s corn harvest to an estimated 4.48 bil lion bushels, down 37 percent from 7.06 billion bushels har vested in 1987, the Agriculture Department said Thursday. The new figures were based on field surveys as of Aug. 1. In May and June, before drought had made its biggest impact, USD A projected the corn harvest — based on trends and an assump tion of normal weather — at 7.3 billion bushels. But those projections were re vised downward a month ago to 5.2 billion bushels, assuming farmers got normal weather the remainder of the season. Corn is the largest and most important crop grown by Ameri can farmers and, as a feed ingre dient, is essential to the produc tion of meat, poultry and dairy products. The soybean harvest was esti mated at 1.47 billion bushels, down 23 percent from 1.9 billion bushels produced last year. Pros pects last spring called for about 1.88 billion bushels, and the July projection was 1.65 billion bush els. Krone, who gave Reagan a tour of his ravaged corn and soybean crops last month near Du Quoin, Ill., said: “I think that Washing ton has done one of their better jobs right here.” “It’s a good buffer, and it’s probably enough to get most peo ple over the hump this year,” said Keith Salter, who is struggling with his drought-baked wheat, barley and oat farm near Meno- ken, N.D. “It won’t be like a crop, but it’s better than nothing,” he said. Reagan said the legislation, which also provides assistance to dairy cattlemen and ethanol pro ducers, “represents the largest di saster relief measure in history.” ubbock church prepares for gathering Thousands of worshippers to share messages from Virgin Mary LUBBOCK (AP) — Volunteers at St. John Neumann Catholic Church busily answered telephones and finished banners Thursday as church officials planned how to handle as many as 20,000 participants in a weekend feast day celebration. Parishioners claiming to have received messages from the Virgin Mary during weekly rosary recitations predict miracles of physical and spiritual healing will occur at the celebration. Worshipers from across the country have chartered buses and booked hotel rooms for Monday’s Feast of the Assumption, the day Roman Catholics celebrate Mary’s assump tion into Heaven. Electric saws buzzed as volunteer carpent ers hurried to finish an altar and pulpit being constructed on the roof of the underground church. Although the church’s sanctuary seats 850, Monday evening’s Mass and rosary will be outside to accommodate the throngs of pil grims, said the church’s pastoral assistant, Cynthia Wynn. “We feel like people will be all over that field and spread across the parking lot,” she said, surveying a large grassy area beneath the rooftop altar. As word has spread in the past month about the “messages” from Mary, the church office was forced to install four new phone lines to handle the flood of inquiries. However, church officials remain unsure how many people will attend the four days of worship highlighted by the Monday evening service. Confessions will be heard all day Saturday, and three rosary services and two Masses will be held Sunday. On Monday five rosary services are planned, capped by the main evening Mass and rosary. Parishioner and Lubbock attorney David Garza said trying to plan the event without knowing how many will come hasn’t been easy. “We are one of the smallest parishes in town. We don’t have a lot of money, but peo ple have been very generous,” he said. Ideas for how to accomodate the crowd were based on his trip last September to see Pope John Paul II in San Antonio, Garza said. “I started writing in my notebook all the things that I remembered from the pope’s visit — medical tents, water, ambulances,” he said. St. John Neumann will have 20 portable toilets, two medical tents, two first-aid sta tions, and drinking water will be available, he said. bill. No similar measure was part of the companion bill approved by the House two months ago. The Senate provision orders a major review of U.S. overseas com mitments, a limit on American troop deployments to Japan and Soutn Korea, and a ceiling on spending for U.S. military personnel stationed overseas. The last provision requires the allies to pay the difference if de ployment costs of U.S. troops rise above 1988 levels. The Senate rejected, 59-36, an other provision calling for a 10 per cent cut in the total of American de pendents living overseas with servicemen. Later, the Senate gave voice vote approval to an amendment by Sen. David Pryor, D-Ark., providing strict new reporting requirements for private consultants to the Penta gon and defense contractors. ‘Satellite’ parking lots option in fall By Alan Sembera Staff Writer This fall Texas A&M students, faculty and staff will have the op tion of parking their cars at off- campus “satellite” parking lots and catching the shuttle bus to campus. The two lots, at K-Mart and Post Oak Mall, are part of a plan by the new Parking and Transit Department to help alleviate the campus parking shortage. Thomas G. Williams, head of the department, said the lots will be served by existing bus routes. The parking lot at K-Mart will be in the northern part of the lot next to Valley View Thrive, and will be part of the EM 2818 bus route. The buses on this route stop at the South Stop on campus, which is near Joe Routt Boulevard and Throckmorton Street. The Post Oak Mall lot will be west of the J.C. Penney Co. store and will be part of the Dartmouth route. The Dartmouth route buses stop at the East Stop on campus, near the intersection of Lubbock and Bizzell streets. Williams said plans also are un derway to create a Bryan satellite lot in the 29th Street area. Parking permits are not re quired to park at the satellite lots, but riders must buy a $46 bus pass each semester. The buses run about 15 min utes apart from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and run every 30 minutes from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Williams said no plans have been made to expand the bus fleet because of the new lots. “If it’s sucessful and we get more riders than we’ve got buses, we might do something,” he said. “But we’ll do with what we’ve got right now.”