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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 1990)
^,>x e Battalion TATE & LOCAL Tuesday, January 23,1990 y System cuts train-crossing hazards 9 By JILL BUTLER Of The Battalion Staff ■ The number of traffic accidents at railroad Bossings in Texas has declined by about 25 per- i Bnt during the past seven years. Dyedf Texas’ unique railroad notification program HHight have contributed to this decline, according T to a study of the program conducted by the p 0 W exas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M. fm Jack Lamkin, a research economist at TTI, was e i Da in charge of studying the 7-year-old program for (Oni lie Federal Railroad Administration and the p a( j, f .S. Department of Public Safety. «“The program is basically an early warning , , si stem to alert railroads of problems with signals ^ 1 ai rail-highway crossings,” Lamkin said. ifl As part of the program, a toll-free telephone number is located on signs at 2,002 of the 13,747 fadoj railroad crossings in Texas. Motorists who notice , crossing signal problems can call the toll-free number 24 hours a day and report malfunctions. Members of the communication section of the Department of Public Safety in Austin answer the calls. The railroad company responsible for the problematic crossing is notified, but is not re quired to take any action. Texas is the only state with a large number of railroad crossings and a railroad notification pro gram. Delaware has a similar program with one railroad and about 12 crossings. “There is a strong possibility that other states may adopt railroad notification programs similar to Texas’,” Lamkin said. Although the program is not highly publi cized, TTI’s study indicates a high response rate. Almost 20,000 calls have been received since the program began in September 1983. “Both the public and railroad companies have accepted the low-cost program,” Lamkin said. The program, mandated by the Texas Rail road Crossings Safety Information Act, was cre ated because some railroad crossing systems mal functioned and motorists thought a train was coming when one wasn’t. “Anytime you give drivers wrong information, you’ve created an unsafe situation,” Lamkin said. However, Lamkin does not blame signal prob lems for all 13,875 crossing accidents in Texas from 1980 to 1988. “I believe most vehicle-train accidents are caused by automobile drivers not paying atten tion and not being aware.” ick children ay be losers n budget battle AUSTIN (AP) — A budget struggle between state leaders md the Texas Department of j t. EjJftealth erupted Monday over a Tgl program for severely ill children. ^*laught in the crossfire are par- nts and doctors who say a lack of funding will result in deaths. “They’re aware,” Health Com missioner Robert Bernstein said when asked if he had discussed he funding problem with state judget leaders. “At this point, here is no promise of financial issistance.” But lawmakers said they want tealth officials to answer ques- ions about the Chronically Ill md Disabled Children’s Services Togram, which was criticized in a ecent state audit for poor plan- ling and general disagreement aver the program’s objectives. The Texas Board of Health on Iginat iaturday will consider cutting the program, which funds last-resort medical needs, by $9.1 million in )rder to keep the service going hrough the end of the fiscal year. The cuts would reduce hospital )n... fthis wtcar hat's that's mW k: : dybi strut: ISCt! .shar,: win liboa; oohr; eligible children and would bar Some 4,100 childrenwho receive burgi Medicaid from the program. Sweet revenge Students strand professor By JILL BUTLER Of The Battalion Staff Many students would jump at the chance to get back at professors for impossible tests and boring classes, but never get the opportunity for revenge. In January, 38 students on a Texas A&M animal pro duction class field trip had no premeditated plans, but accomplished a feat that would make revenge-seeking students jealous. The students accidentally forgot Dr. Howard Hesby, an animal science professor, at a convenience store in New Mexico. “I’ve been taking my classes on field trips since 1973 and I’ve forgotten a few students at various places, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard of a professor being forgotten,” Hesby said. The group traveled in three vans through North Texas, West Texas and into Colorado from Jan. 4 to Jan. 14. “I was the only sponsor on the trip,” Hesby said. “I would switch and ride in a different van every now and then.” Near the end of the trip, on the way to Amarillo for the night, the group stopped at a convenience store in Clayton, N.M., at 1:30 a.m. When he was ready to leave, Hesby walked outside but the vans were gone. “I thought they were playing tricks on me so I walked around the building, but I didn’t see the vans any where.” A man and woman told Hesby they saw the vans heading back toward Texas. “The students checked to see if all the studerits were there, but nobody checked to see if I was there,” Hesby said. “I would’ve gotten a ride with a trucker, but nobody was headed toward Texas at one in the morning,” he said. Hesby called the Clayton Police Department, but the officers were breaking up a barroom brawl and couldn’t leave to catch the vans. Hesby called the New Mexico State Patrol and the Texas State Patrol. “It was really ironic, but there w'ere no available pa trol cars in either state,” Hesby said. Then Hesby called the police in Delhart, Texas, and asked them to stop the three vans headed for Amarillo. The officers stopped the vans and told one of the stu dent drivers they had forgotten someone in New Mex ico. “The funny thing was that the students kept denying they had left someone until the officers told them it was their professor,” Hesby said. “They never thought about me.” One van was sent to pick up Hesby 70 miles away, while the other two vans waited in Delhart. “If the police hadn’t stopped the vans in Delhart, the students probably wouldn’t have noticed I was gone un til it came time to pay for gas,” Hesby said. “They didn’t have any money.” Hesby was good-natured about the incident, but warned other students about accidentally or purposely forgetting one of their professors somewhere. Hesby made his students pay for the extra gas it took to pick him up. Airborne l : yvy - '■■.y v . * - ^ ^ 'IS Photo by Frederick D. Joe Sixteen-year-old Bryan High School sophomore Heath Smith and classmates enjoy a school inservice day Monday by riding their skateboards behind the Reed McDonald Building. Humana needs volunteers Texas A&M students who are interested in volunteer work at Humana Hospital-Brazos Valley can attend a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the hospital class room. Volunteer job openings are available in each department. Students can work days or eve nings because Humana has an around-the-clock volunteer pro gram. Volunteers will work a maxi mum of eight hours each week. All A&M students are welcorpe, especially those interested in a ca reer in the health care field. \agg\ inema/ r Giant Movie Poster Sale! January 22 throfigh 26, 1990 J11NMSC Main Hallway ^!i| 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily through Friday An amazing selection of movie, rock, and laser art posters! Thousands to choose from! DAYTONA BEACH mm $ 129 THE REEF AND CAROUSEL HOTELS & KITCHENETTES • 7 NIGHTS SOUTH PADRE ISLAND „on, $ 129 SHERATON CONDO & HOTEL, GULF VIEW, LANDFALL TOWER, SAIDA CONDOS, HOLIDAY INN • 5 OR 7 NIGHTS •A*. ;* • s. • • -■ , , V . , ralSriSl * • Steamboat $ 101 SHADOW RUN CONDOS OR OVERLOOK HOTEL • 2, 5 OR 7 NIGHTS WITH ALL LIFTS - PICNIC - RACE v ,-:Vv-ty. FORT LAUDERDALE ».*. $ 132 LAUDERDALE BEACH HOTEL • 7 NIGHTS i HILTON HEAD ISLAND <,on, $ 127 SCOTT&WHITE CLINIC, COLLEGE STATION MEET OUR PEDIATRIC DEPARTMENT Providing Care For Young People From Birth Through Adolescence . . HILTON HEAD ISLAND BEACH & TENNIS RESORT CONDOS • 7 NIGHTS CORPUS CHRISTI/MUSTANG ISLAND f ,,. $ 99 PORT ROYAL OCEAN RESORT CONDOS • 5 OR 7 NIGHTS DON'T DELAY! CENTRAL SPRING BREAK ?<& INF0RMA TI0N & RESERVA TI0NS 1-800-321-5911 7AM-7PM M-Th, 7AM-5PM Fri, 9AM-5PM Sat, Mountain Standard Time Reservations may be made by credit card 24 HOUR FAX RESERVATIONS (303) 225-151A * Depending on break dates and length ot stay ^ mSSm ■jsrJ Mark Sicilio, M.D. Dayne M. Foster, M.D. Daniel G. Ransom, M.D. Certified, American Board of Pediatrics Fellows, American Board of Pediatrics Faculty, Texas A&M University College of Medicine Appointments 268-3322 1600 University Drive East College Station