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2 STATE & LOCAL
Friday^ April 7,1989
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Corps dorm key policy
revised after attack
By Stephen Masters
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Corps of Cadets housing offi
cials said security measures were
increased in and around two resi
dence halls less than one week af
ter an attack on two female ca-
Keys were issued to students in
Dorm 5 for outer doors and lock-
able doors were added at the top
of the stairwells of Dorm 2 on
March 28, six days after a civilian
entered the fourth floor room of
two female cadets in Dorm 2, Jim
Lane, assistant director of Corps
Housing, said.
The assailant, whom police
identified as Harry Louis Horak,
entered the room of his ex-girl
friend with two rifles and a hunt
ing knife. Horak is being held in
Brazos County Jail on six felony
counts. Bail has been set at
$100,000.
George Thomas, director of
Corps housing, said other new se
curity measures include allowing
female members of the Aggie
Band to lock their doors 24 hours
a day.
Cadets normally are required
to have their doors open or un
locked during preparation for
formation in the morning and
during call to quarters, a manda
tory study time for cadets, from
7:30-10:30 p.m. Sunday through*'
Thursday.
I homas said the number and
frequency of foot patrols through
the Corps Quadrangle have been
increased.
The doors added in Dorm 2
are at the top of each stairwell,
Thomas said. The doors are
locked from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. and
are equipped with a one-way mir
ror for residents to see out. Dorm
5 is also locked from 11 p.m. to 6
a.m.
Outer doors of civilian resi
dence halls are locked from 7
p.m. to 10 a.m. Residence hall of
ficials Wednesday approved a
policy of locking outer doors of
all air-conditioned civilian halls
24 hours a day next fall.
Thomas said officials are
“looking into” having all Corps
dorms locked beginning in the
fall semester, but said it wasn’t
likely.
“We’re already starting to or
der keys so that that system can
be implemented in the fall,” he
said. “Hopefully all of (the dorms
can be locked), but that’s not that
feasible because the ones being
renovated at the moment don’t
have the panic-bar setup and
that’s what we’re having to look
into.”
1 homas said the “panic-bar
system” is a release for the door
lock similar to that used in civilian
Corps-style dorms.
House speaker blames news reports
for charges against TP&W director
AUSTIN (AP) — House Speaker
Gib Lewis on Thursday blamed news
reports for criminal charges being
brought in New Mexico against
Charles Allen, who has been fired as
wildlife director of the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department.
Lewis, an avid outdoorsman and
big game hunter, voiced sadness
over the firing and said the contro
versy surrounding the department
in recent weeks was unwarranted.
“It says we’ve got a pretty sorry
system,” Lewis said.
“I do have some friends around
the country, and I called them to
find out.” Lewis said. The only rea
son that there was any cases brought
(is) because of the press play that this
has received back in Austin.”
Allen, charged in New Mexico last
week over an antelope-trapping mis
sion, was fired Wednesday night by
Charles D. Travis, the department’s
executive director. Travis was un
available for comment Thursday, his
secretary said, and he didn’t imme
diately to return a call from the As
sociated Press.
In a brief written statement, Tra
vis gave no reason for firing Allen,
wildlife director for the past two
years.
“Employees serve at the will of the
executive director,” Travis said. He
also said that after reviewing a
continuing internal investigation of
the New Mexico incident, “It is my
opinion that Mr. Allen did not kno
wingly violate any criminal statute.”
Allen said earlier he was innocent
of three felony and six misdemeanor
charges brought against him last
week in Alamagordo, N.M. Allen
had been net gunner in a helicopter
mission Jan. 30, which authorities al
lege strayed over New Mexico.
In a related development, the
Senate on Thursday confirmed four
appointees to the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Commission. But Sen. Chet
Edwards said the department has a
“serious public perception problem
— at the least it has a public percep
tion problem, at the most it needs to
deal with clarifying, to deal with its
policies.
“I think it’s critical that the citizens
of this state recognize and believe
that anyone is going to be treated
equally by any state agency,” Ed
wards of Duncanville said.
The controversy over that heli
copter flight is only one of several
questions raised about the depart
ment since February.
News stories have disclosed that
Parks and Wildlife employees
stocked various animals — including
antelope, elk, deer, wild turkeys and
game fish — on private lands be
longing to a number of politically
powerful Texans.
Lewis was among those who had
animals stocked on their land, as
were a University of Texas regent
and the father-in-law of a state legis
lator.
Lewis has been highly critical of
the news reports about those stock
ings, saying the animals remain pub
lic property and that any citizen
could take part in the programs.
The speaker said the firing of Al
len, 40, threatens destruction of
“one of the best parks and wildlife
departments in the country.”
“I’ve been very disappointed in
By Andrea Warrenburg
REPORTER
Texas A&M’s Corps of Cadets
raised more than $47,000 for the
Brazos Valley March of Dimes April
1 with its 13th annual “March to the
Brazos.”
The money, representing about
$16,000 more than last year’s total,
will go to help the March of Dimes
battle muscular dystrophy and other
birth defects.
The Corps raised the money by
asking area businesses, parents and
former students for donations for
the seven-mile march to the banks of
the Brazos River. The total averages
to more than $22 per cadet.
“We really tried to stress the fund-
raising this year,” Robert McGee,
subchairman of the “March to the
this whole episode? he said. “I’m very
saddened by what has developed in
the last 30 days — or however long
this has taken place — because, you
know, it’s really disturbing to see
what has happened with so little is
sue there. I’m very saddened by the
entire process.”
Brazos” committee, said. “There was
a better understanding of where the
money was going.”
Originating in 1908, the march
was a spring exercise. It has been a
charity event for the past 12 years.
During that time, the Corps has
raised more than $347,000 benefit
ing the March of Dimes.
Last year, cadets raised $31,000.
“The money-raising was definitely
a wonderful success,” McGee said.
The march began Saturday at 8
a.m. on the Corps Quadrangle and
took about two and a half hours.
On the banks of the Brazos, cadets
competed in athletic events such as
tug-of-war and stretcher relays.
The new company leaders for
1989-90 had an opportunity to lead
their units on the return home while
the seniors rode in the back of
trucks.
Cadets raise $47,000
with ‘March to Brazos’
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Senate
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SENIOR STAFF WRITER
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A bill that recently passed the
late Senate would allow govern-
nent entities to avoid releasing can
es’ names for some public of-
ices.
If approved by the House and
Tov. Bill Clements in its present
form, the bill, with an amendment
lySen. Bob McFarland of Arlington
rould allow public officials to with-
lold the names of candidates for city
nanager, school superintendent and
iniversity chief executive officer un-
a list of finalists is compiled. The
requires the release of lists of fi
at least seven days before any
iction is taken on the candidates.
By Stephen Masters
A short list usually is only released
if requested under the Texas Open
Records Act.
McFarland said he wrote the
amendment because he thinks the
Open Records law is too lenient in
allowing names of candidates to be
released.
“Many applicants are not going to
want their current employer to know
of their interest in another position,”
he said, “especially if there is no as
surance that they’re going to be con
sidered and/or extended opportuni
ties and be on a short list.”
The original version of the bill,
sponsored by Sen. Don Henderson
of Houston, exempts the college
grades of public school officials.
Henderson has been quoted as say
ing releasing the college records of
public school officials could consti
tute “unwarranted intrusion” into
the privacy of officials.
Both the amendment and the bill
passed the Senate. A similar bill has
been proposed in the House and is
currently in committee, McFarland
said.
Spokesmen from the Freedom of
Information Foundation in Dallas
did not return calls Thursday.
McFarland said he thinks the
three examples mentioned in the
amendment warrant special consid
eration for exceptions under the
Open Records law.
McFarland said, “(Suppose) sud
denly a college president, a school
superintendent or a city manager
that would make a qualified candi
date for Austin, Bryan, (Texas)
A&M, (Texas) Tech, Southwestern
(University) or the Arlington Inde-
E endent School District wants to at
:ast apply but says, T can’t do that
because I don’t want my board of re
gents, my trustees, my city council to
know I’m looking.’ It discourages job
applications.
“To me, those situations are such
that the job applicants most often do
not want their identities disclosed
until they reach a short list and as a
result the public is getting short
changed.”
A&M President William Mobley,
named in July 1988 after a six-
month presidential search, agreed
with McFarland that the law as writ
ten can have a negative effect on ap
plications.
“I can see how it could have a chil
ling effect,” Mobley said. “In many
cases these candidates don’t even
know they’ve been nominated. To
bring their name out in connection
with a job somewhere can be of great
detriment to them.”
Mobley cited a case two or three
years ago where then-President
Frank Vandiver’s name was brought
out in a short list for the chancellor’s
position at the University of Hous
ton.
The incident made headlines both
locally and in Houston, he said.
“I think in (the case of the bill),
you have to weigh the public’s right
to know with the public’s need to
know this early,” Mobley said. “I feel
the same way about the Open Re
cords Law or any Sunshine Law.”
Mobley joked that he didn’t mind
having his name released in the
search because he “was already
here.” Mobley has worked at A&M
since 1980.
Correction
A story in yesterday’s Baunfion
incorrectly reported that the Gen*
tury Singers would perform to
night at 8 as a part of Parents'
Weekend activities. The Women’s
Chorus will perform tonight. The
story also reported that Parsons
Mounted Cavalry would perform
on the Polo Field. The cavalry will
I triform on Simpson Drill Field-
fee Battalion regrets the errors-
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to advertise
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