Tuesday, October 31,1989
The Battalion
Page 9
Mission trucker’s guard
says men tried to burn him
MISSION (AP) — A security guard for the truck
driver in the Alton school bus tragedy said three men
doused him with gasoline and tried to set him on fire
early Monday.
Alexander Murillo said the men jumped him as he
patrolled behind the home of Ruben Perez.
Perez was the driver of a soft drink truck that col
lided with a school bus in September, pushing the bus
into a water-filled pit. Twenty-one students died, most
from drowning.
Chief Deputy Cito Luna with the Hidalgo County
Sheriffs Department said Murillo reported finding
three men in Perez’s yard apparently trying to set the
house on fire.
“He said they had pistols and rifles, with masks on
their faces,” Luna said. “They gagged him with a pair of
socks and tied his hands with shoelaces. They poured
gasoline on him and tried to set him on fire.”
But the matches would not light, Murillo told dep
uties.
“They were kneeling down trying to set him on fire,”
Luna said. “He kicked one and that one knocked an
other one down and the guard ran to the house. He
woke up the family and told them to call police.”
The assailants escaped by the time a nearby sheriffs
deputy arrived, Luna said. Investigators have leads in
the case, he said, but would not elaborate.
The 24-hour Wackenhut Corp. security guard pro
tection was hired by Valley Coca-Cola, following re
ported threats of retaliation against Perez, a Coca-Cola
spokesman said.
“Shortly after the incident, upon the request of the
family, we hired security for the family,” Julie Smith,
spokesman for McAllen-based Valley Coca-Cola, said
Monday.
She said Perez, 25, remains on suspension from the
company with pay, pending the outcome of an investi
gation of the bus tragedy. Perez said his brakes failed
just before the crash at a rural intersection.
The 21 junior and senior high school students died
I hey gagged him with a pair of socks
and tied his hands with shoelaces. They
poured gasoline on him and tried to set
him on fire.”
— Cito Luna,
chief deputy
after the truck Perez was driving passed through a stop
sign the morning of Sept. 21 and hit the Mission Con
solidated Independent School District bus. The bus was
knocked over a 40-foot cliff into a water-filled pit by the
roadside.
Fifty-nine other students suffered various injuries on
the bus. The bus driver, truck driver and truck driver’s
assistant also were injured.
Parapsychologists say they fall
victims to Christian labeling
DALLAS (AP) — Purveyors of
parapsychology are complaining
that they are innocent victims of fun
damentalist Christians, who have
mounted an offensive against Sa
tanic religions that has persuaded
many school officials to drop or tone
down Halloween celebrations.
A number of psychic fairs have
been canceled nationwide recently
under pressure from Christian
groups, including one in Garland
this past weekend and an earlier one
in San Antonio.
“It bellied up because we got calls
from some Bible beaters who
thought it was cult-related and Sa
tanic,” said John Lehman, owner of
the North Dallas County Farmers
Market, where the Garland fair was
to have been held.
“I hated to buckle under to pres
sure, but every customer you lose is
one that’s lost for good,” Lehman
said. “It’s probably not worth of
fending people.”
Psychic fairs feature demonstra
tions by practitioners of parapsycho-
logical arts such as fortune telling,
tarot card reading, and “aura au
dits.”
In addition, a number of vendors
show up to hawk materials relating
to new age beliefs, such as quartz
crystals, music and books.
“There’s been quite a few psychic
fairs canceled lately,” said Len Po-
nath of Southwestern Parasycho-
logy, Inc., who had planned to at
tend the show.
“Christians are saying psychics are
Satanists, too, and we’re all getting
lumped in together,” he said. “But
it’s not the same thing.”
A1 Burt, who sells books and jew
elry oriented to new age beliefs that
promote peace and worldwide har
mony, said he thinks the oppression
being suffered by many parapsycho-
logical practitioners will not dimin
ish soon.
Smith
(Continued from page 1)
the imposition of such a tactic.”
As sponsor of House Bill 1, which
has led to the need for two special
sessions of the state legislature so
far, Smith has in-depth experience
with the issue of workman’s compen
sation reform. He said he is working
to create more jobs in Texas by try
ing to decrease the cost of work
man’s compensation (insurance for
employees to cover medical treat
ment for on-the-job injuries). Smith
said this, in turn, would attract more
industry to the state and provide
more job opportunities for young
sters once they complete their edu
cation.
“There is a loss of tens-of-thou-
sands of jobs in this state because of
the crisis we have faced in workers’
compensation insurance, in which
plants are actually leaving the state
or refusing to come to Texas and go
into business because of the costs of
workman’s compensation,” Smith
said.
He said the cheaper costs of work
man’s compensation in other states is
the reason for the loss of possible in
dustry to the state. An example he
cited was that apparel workers in
North Carolina pay 84 cents per
$100 of payroll for the insurance
while apparel workers in Texas pay
$8.11 per $100 of payroll.
“I intend to continue the fight (for
workman’s compensation reform)
through this regular session and into
the Senate, and when elected, to
make sure that our young people
have an opportunity for jobs,” he
said.
Smith called drug abuse a “serious
problem” for the state of Texas.
“(Drug abuse) is a national prob
lem and it’s particularly acute in our
district,” he said. “I caution those
who see interdiction and stopping
inflow of drugs from outside of our
state not to put all hopes on that ef
fort.
“We have got to deal in our fami
lies, in our schools and in our homes
and our churches with fundamental
problems of addiction to drugs to
stop the demand,” he said. “That has
to start with the family, which I feel
is the very fundamental value of the
society.”
Smith talked of the Brazos Valley
as one community in which the stu
dents of Texas A&M are vital to the
business interests of the area. He
said that state funding of education
is important because “if the Univer
sity is cut back in funding, there’s
not enough (students to bring)
money in the local economy to sup
port local business.”
When asked about his position on
a state lottery, he said he would per
sonally vote against it, but that he
would support getting it on the bal
lot for a referendum so that the con
stituents can decide on it themselves.
Abortion, Smith said, is one of the
most difficult political decisions that
must be dealt with.
“As a man, frankly, it’s very diffi
cult for me to feel that I have the
empathy with the problem that a
woman would,” Smith said. “My po
sition is that I oppose abortion on
demand or for sex selection; I op-
E ose public funding for abortions
ecause there are people that feel
very strongly against it and I don’t
think we in government should take
their money against their will and
use it for something they consider
immoral.
“I think that we should have regu
lation of abortion clinics, which
would have the same standards in
abortion clinics that we do in other
health care facilities.”
Smith said he supported the possi
bility of having a student on the
board of regents of state universities.
This proposal, which present 5th
District Sen. Kent Caperton, D-
Bryan, Class of ’71, sponsored dur
ing the regular session of the 71st
Texas Legislature, favors having stu
dents’ interests represented on state
schools’ governing boards through
the use of a student representative.
“I would support an active role of
student representation with the
board of regents,” Smith said.
Smith served as a Bryan city coun
cilman from 1975-1978 and then as
the Bryan mayor from 1978-1983.
He has been a state representative
since 1985. Smith served four years
of active duty in the Air Force and ;
later organized the Richard Smith :
Company, a real estate company that ■
is presently known as Coldwell Ban- ;
ker/Richard Smith Realtors. :
Smith has been married 31 years ■
to his wife, Norma, and they have :
three daughters. The Smiths are ;
members of First Baptist Church of ■
Bryan. Z
PRE-LAW SOCIETY
Wed., Nov. 1
^ 7:00 p.m. BLocker 106
Dr. Jessup will give a seminar
pre-law society on personal statements for
law schools
For Info. Fatima 693-8776
Come Play
VOLLEYBALL
Live Oak Nudist Resort
Washington, TX
(409) 878-2216
-U.^Ski
Breckenridge
1
plus $20 tax
1-800-U.B.SKHNG
$2 50
•DOLBY
TUESDAY
•SELECTIVE FEATURES-SEE LISTING
MANOR EAST
nui
3-8300
MANOR EAST MALL 823-8300
UW8EWC6 OP ARABIA'
(Tommy 7AS
AN INNOCENT MAN
# R 7:10 9:35
IfHE BEAR* T : ! • • "C-” x -.
v::..:':;:;-:';.- ' # PC 7:20 uaa
PLAZA THREE
| 220 SOUTHWEST PKWY 693-2457 |
BLACK RAIN* '
f. > '
Parenthood (PG-13)
7:00
9:20
POST OAK THREE
1 500 Harvey Road
693-2796
Fat Man & Little Boy (PG-13)
7:00
9:20
Sea of Love (R)
7:05
9:15
*Shocker (R)
No passes, no coupons
7:15
9:30
$ 700 9:3a
GROSS ANATOMY* #
PG 720 9 AO
NEXTOP KtN ¥ " N; •: T' : : :: ,•
SCHULMAN SIX
1 2000 E. 29TH STREET 775-2463 |
KILL ME AGAIN* # R 725 9:50
ococirjnoo "n v rr : raw
$1 DOLLAR MOVIES $1
UNCLEBUCK :
FIELD OF
.PREAW3...
WEEKEND AT.
| BERNE'S
BATMAN*
PG 7520 9A9
. PG...7.;W. 9A0
*|:ipd -Vris 920
PG 7:15 925
COMING SOON
HARLEM KNIGHTS
STARRING: EDDIE MURPHEY,
RICHARD PRYOR
How Necessary is Animal Testing?
A two-part lecture presenting
both sides
Featuring
Dr. John Howe
-Pres., UT Health Science
Center at San Antonio;
Pres., Tx. Society for
Biomedical Research
Nov. 2, 1989
201 MSC
2PM
Free Admission
Dr. Neal Bernard
-Chairman, Physicians
Committee for Responsible
Medicine
CLASS Of '91
Coed
(Continued from page 3)
tion is that the winner brings recog
nition to her university, said Wendy
Veczko, Miss Coed America Pro
gram spokesman. Miss Coed Amer
ica represents her university while
visiting other universities and partic
ipating in parades.
The competition is based on the
overall impression the coed makes
rather than a point system. Areas of
judgment are beauty, communica
tion skills, poise, talent, personality,
charisma and college spirit.
State winners will meet in Los An
geles in February for the national
pageant, Veczko said. The national
winner goes on to represent the
United States in the Miss World
Coed competition in the Spring of
Safety
(Continued from page 3)
lookout for potentially harmful
jokes, such as egg throwing,
Kretzschmar said. Students can be
arrested for that, he said.
“Halloween’s a time for tricks and
treats, but they’re going to have to
watch their tricks,” he said. “The
main thing is to look out for some
body else.
“You’ve got to watch out for kids
in the neighborhood — you’ve got
to,” he said.
Kretzschmar said that although
DWI arrests do not increase signifi
cantly during Halloween, alcohol
does influence some tricks because it
increases boldness.
“Be responsible — that’s the key
word,” Kretzschmar said. He sug
gested these safety measures for col
lege students:
• Watch out for children and
their parents.
• Be careful tricks do not hurt
people or property.
• Do not drink and drive. Stu
dents should know their alcohol
limit.
If students are not careful,
Kretzschmar said, someone will get
hurt.
“If I were them, I would go to a
pre-planned adult party,” he said.
“You can have a good time without
going out and getting drunk and
hurting somebody.”
1991.
Applicants for statewide competi
tion should call the program head
quarters for an application, Veczko
said. Applications are reviewed and
coeds are interviewed over the
phone.
“We pick a state winner from the
applications and the interview,”
Veczko said.
The Miss Coed America Program
is aimed at providing students inter
ested in careers in communications,
music, entertainment, dance, model
ing, show business and television
and movie production with valuable
career experience and preparation,
she said.
“The program really opens the
right doors and allows them to meet
people in their field,” Veczko said.
The competition is open to all sin
gle undergraduates ages 18 to 24
who are enrolled in a college or uni
versity.
Program organizers are also
searching for female bands, instru
mental groups, singers, dance teams
and cheering squads interested in
performing at the national program.
Women interested in being
crowned Miss Coed America or in
performing in the program should
call 904-448-6927 or write to Miss
Coed Program, 8833 Coventry
Court, Jacksonville, Fla. 32257.
AGGIELAND PICTURES 1
ARE BEING TAKEN NOW |
through November 3 j|§
Grads, Vets, & Meds Senior pictures S
November 6-10 begin Nov. 13 =
AR PHOTOGRAPHY
707 TEXAS, SUITE 120B
Hours: 9am-5pm
Monday-Friday