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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
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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
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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\
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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