he Battalion
TATE & LOCAL
3
riday, June 15,1990
ca n, one
gardless
lag is an
'*! n g iters
alionwaj.
lag buria;,
' People
al symljoj
; °n itself.
scovered
he flag^
heir
ich hardj
to accepi
os tolerar.
hose ides
oththeioi.
America:
' r me too-.
America
sonal be;: t
l ? This isi|
rospectloi
dofa
aranteed
nildbeto
iich thell|
k myself
- hag?
r English
Oil-eating bacteria in plans
as crews battle Gulf oil spill
GALVESTON (AP) — Crews in the Gulf of Mexico
used conventional methods to battle a 30-mile oil slick
from the still-burning supertanker Mega Borg as state
officials geared up to unleash oil-eating bacteria on the
crude.
Six days after an explosion ripped through the pump
and engine room area, a small fire continued to burn
aboard the Norwegian vessel crippled some 57 miles in
the Gulf.
“It looks like the fire is being contained to a very
small area in the engine room,” Coast Guard spokes
man Gene Maestas said.
Flames could be seen on the deck’s rear section, and
four fireboats showered the Mega Borg with water can
nons. The rear section, shrouded in smoke which alter
nated from gray to brown, continued to be awash.
Oil escaping from a hole in the crippled vessel’s 5.5
million-gallon center tank apparently was spilling at a
lesser rate, although Coast Guard officials did not have
any specifics. No other leaks have been foynd.
The 886-foot Mega Borg, which is carrying 38 mil
lion gallons of light African crude oil, already has lost
about 3 million gallons of oil since the Friday night ex
plosion, but most of it has burned off or evaporated.
About 12,000 gallons remained on the water Thurs
day, Coast Guard Capt. Thomas Greene said.
An oil slick stretched about 12 miles northwest of the
ship, with scattered patches extending another 18
miles. It varied in width, but Coast Guard officials said
they did not have any specific figures Thursday.
The previous day, the Coast Guard said the width of
the slick stretched to 10 miles in spots.
Norway investigates/Page 6
A cargo plane spread up to 2,000 gallons of chemical
dispersant on sections near the ship Thursday, while at
least a dozen skimmers and several booms were used to
suck oil off the water’s surface. Five of the booms were
working in the vicinity of the ship.
Texas officials also worked Thursday on a plan to ap
ply bacteria to parts of the slick to eat the oil. The ex
perimental process, called bioremediation, would be
used as a demonstration and is not considered a major
part of the cleanup effort.
The dispersant works by breaking up the oil, creating
a light sheen and tar balls — a rather common sight on
Texas beaches.
“Tar balls are ugly, but they’re not that environmen
tally damaging,’’ said B. J. “Buck” Wynne III, chairman
of the Texas Water Commission.
Coast Guard officials said the slick was about 30 miles
from Galveston, but they declined to give any predic
tions about where the oil might reach the shore, if it
does.
Sharon Christopherson of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration said some of the tar balls
could hit the Texas shoreline as early as Friday.
Also on Thursday, a board of inquiry by the govern
ment of Norway learned that the Mega Borg passed a
Coast Guard inspection two months ago.
Two of the 41 crew members died in the blast, two
were missing and presumed dead and 17 were injured,
none seriously.
nd broke
led to re
ft lung to
ice to pm
up find-
is!! 1 am
compas- 1
le. Thei t
mg. (She I
that arel
miethine i
Record store owner promises to defy
local law officers by continuing to sell
rap album labeled obscene by police
Jeannie Huff, a senior political science major
smiles as her hairstylist begins foiling her hair.
Foiling is a relatively new process used to high
light hair. The aluminum foil intensifies the body
heat from the head causing the hair to absorb
Photo by Jeanne M. Serio
the coloring faster and creating a more even
tone. Though the foiling must be repeated about
every six to eight weeks, Huff says she loves the
natural look it gives her hair. Highlighting hair
this way usually costs between $45 and $60.
cassette,
cs or the j
“tty soon
igcs i
es. I just I
it to free [
good ol'
p to tab
and cas-
e Bill of
ain. And
the peo-
f speed
down to
constitu-
lore
the bans
n as “the
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A re
cord store owner says he’ll defy po
lice and keep selling a controversial
2 Live Crew rap album that law offi
cers claim is obscene.
As the flap continued over the al
bum “As Nasty As They Wanna Be,”
and record stores in nearby cities
pulled it from their shelves, a San
Antonio City Council member ex
pressed “serious First Amendment
concerns” about the police deciding
the album is obscene.
San Antonio police started calling
on 84 local record stores Tuesday to
tell them the album lyrics were ruled
obscene by a federal judge in Florida
and may violate Texas obscenity
laWs. Officers reportedly asked that
stores voluntarily remove the album.
Lt. Jerry Pittman, commander of
the police department’s vice squad, ,
said if his office receives complaints
in the next few days about the al
bum, officers will go out, buy the al
bum and press charges.
“Then we will get a judge to make
a determination about whether it is
obscene,” he said.
Police and prosecutors in Dallas
say they intend to follow suit.
“I have not heard the record,” Da
vid Pickett, chief prosecutor of the
Dallas County district attorney’s or
ganized crime division, said. “But if
it’s as bad as indicated, we’ll act
forcefully to remove the albums.
Dallas Police Lt. R. A. Sanders,
who has listened to portions of the
album purchased by the depart
ment, said he thinks it is obscene.
“It contains explicit language of a
sexual nature and what I consider to
be obscene language,” Sanders said.
Police said store owners have hot yet
been warned to remove the album,
but officers may be sent out by Fri
day.
Dallas attorney Bruce Lollar on
Thursday offered free legal assis
tance to anyone arrested in Dallas
for selling the controversial album.
“We think it’s a serious infringe
ment on First Amendment rights,”
Lollar said.
Dave Risher, owner of Hogwild
Records and Tapes in San Antonio,
said he’s not complying with the po
lice request either.
“I’m willing to sell the album to
adults who wish to purchase it, just
as I am willing to sell any of the re
cords in my store to adults who wish
to purchase them,” Risher said
Wednesday.
Risher said vice officers called on
his shop with a transcript of the ly
rics of three songs on the album.
riceless stolen art rumors siege town
WHITEWRIGHT (AP) — Word that a local
ardware and farm tool vendor may have pulled
off one of the biggest art thefts of the century as
a U.S. soldier in Germany during World War II
was the talk of this town of 1,760 Thursday.
I There were more reporters than residents on
the town’s main drag, about 60 miles north of
Dallas.
I “Not much happens here,” said Carolyn
llaughter, “You see cameramen walking up and
Bown the street. You just don’t see that every
day.”
A New York Times report said Joe T. Meador
transported the priceless pieces to Texas from
uedlinburg, an ancient castle town in what is
how East Germany.
The Army investigated the theft but dropped
he matter in 1949 when Quedlinburg became
part of East Germany. An unidentified source
|old the newspaper that the treasures are in the
' of the First National Bank of Whitewright,
i edit kttM
antee Mat
iddressani
mpus M®
reportedly as collateral for a loan. '
Bank officials on Thursday declined comment
on the reports. Harrell Stowers, bank executive
vice president, told the Associated Press he
“could not confirm” if the treasures are or ever
have been in his bank’s vault.
A similar no-comment came from Meador’s
brother, Jack, and his sister-in-law, Jean.
The Times based its report on interviews with
art experts, lawyers and neighbors of Meador’s.
The treasures include a small silver reliquary,
inlaid with enamels and precious stones, with
side panels of carved ivory; a liturgical ivory
comb; a manuscript dated 1513; several rock
crystal flasks and gold and silver crucifixes.
Some of the treasures were gifts from kings
and emperors who ruled German states in the
ninth and 10th centuries.
Meador was an officer with the 87th Armored
Field Artillery, the unit that occupied Quedlin
burg and guarded the mine shaft where the trea
sures reportedly were kept. They disappeared a
few days after American troops took over the
area in 1945, the newspaper said.
How they got to Texas is a secret that may
have died with Meador in 1980.
Three years after Meador died, his brother-in-
law, Dr. Don H. Cook, of Mesquite, Texas,
sought to have two medieval manuscripts eval
uated, John Carroll Collins, a Dallas estate ap
praiser, told the newspaper.
A former employee of Meador’s, who spoke
oh condition of anonymity, said Meador report
edly showed his employees richly bound gold
and silver manuscripts.
But three longtime Meador employees said
Thursday they’d never known their boss to show
off any art works when they were around. The
three declined to give their names.
Most of the people interviewed Thursday said
they didn’t know Meador had even been in the
Army or in World War II.
Company attempts to enter stock market
HOUSTON (AP) — They looked
Jike trash or just another marketing
feimmick to some.
But they turned out to be more
than that. They were free stock cer-
■ificates, sent out by an electronics
I company to more t han 1,500 grad
uate students and faculty members
in the company’s attempt to gain a
*eat on the New York Stock Ex-
thange.
It worked, too.
I Kent Electronics Corp. mailed the
Bhares recently to 1,518 unsuspect
ing graduate students and faculty
jFree certificates sent to 1,500
faculty members, grad students
members at the University of Hous
ton’s College of Business Adminis
tration.
The shares, each valued at $11.63
on the American Stock Exchange
Wednesday, were given away to sat
isfy the shareholder requirement for
a listing on the Big Board, Morrie
Abramson, chairman of the electro
nics products distributing company
in Houston, said.
Kent, a 17-year-old company with
annual revenues of about $40 mil
lion, met all but one of the standards
for listing on the exchange — the
one requiring at least 2,200 share
holders. Kent had only 1,200.
So the company bought 1,518
shares of its stock on the open mar
ket for more than $17,000. Using a
mailing list supplied by the univer
sity, Kent sent a certificate for one
share to each graduate student and
faculty member in the business
school.
Abramson figures it was an ap
propriate way to show his apprecia
tion to the school he graduated
from.
He graduated from the University
of Houston in 1965, with a bache
lor’s degree in business administra
tion and now serves on the Dean’s
Executive Advisory Board, a group
of about 50 Houston business lead
ers.
Friday
STUDENTS OVER TRADITIONAL AGE: will have a supper club at Mama’s
Pizza at 6 p.m. Call Donielle at 845-1741 for more information.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: will have a general discussion at noon. Call the
C.D.P.E. at 845-0280 for more information.
Saturday
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ASSOCIATION: will have international radio
hour at 9 p.m. at KAMU-FM. The music will be Latin Jazz. There also
will be a party from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Sneakers. No cover.
AIDS FOUNDATION OF THE BRAZOS VALLEY: will have a training session
for the Brazos Valley’s AIDS/Crisis Helpline from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For
more information, call the Helpline at 690-AIDS and leave a message.
Monday
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: will have a general discussion at noon. Call the
C.D.P.E. at 845-0280 for more information.
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS: will have the Humana Hospital-Brazos Valley
Texas Music Festival at 7:30 p.m. at Rudder. Call Rebecca at 845-3355
for more information.
Tuesday
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: vyill have a general discussion at 8:30 p.m. Call
the C.D.P.E. at 845-0280 for more information.
FRIENDS OF THE CORPS: will have an informational meeting at 5 p.m. in 203
Harrington. Call 690-9480 for more information.
/ferns for What's Up should be submitted to The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald,
no later than three business days before the desired run date. We only publish
the name and phone number of the contact if you ask us to do so. What's Up is
a Battalion service that lists non-profit events and activities. Submissions are run
on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no guarantee an entry will run. If you
have questions, call the newsroom at 845-3315.
t
4501 Wellborn
WEEKEND KEG SPECIAL
16-gal. Milwaukee’s Best Keg
29.95 with cups
846-1816
►While Supplies Last
AM/PM Clinics
• Minor Emergencies
clinics • General Medicai Care
• Weight Reduction Program
10% Student Discount with I.D. Card
(Ipxcept for Weight Program)
846-4756 693-0202 779-4756
3820 Texas 2305 Texas Ave S. 401 S. Texas
(next to Randy Sims) (next to U Rent M) College Station (29th & Texas)
Come by Toda^i
V
Ri
ates
Offering Summer
• 2 Bedroom - One Bath
• 24 Emergency Maintenance
• Water & Sewer Paid
• On Shuttle
• Fireplaces
• Washer-Dryer Connections
• 1034 sq. feet
779-3637
F I00S A VorrJ. Dr. aiyw
)EEST CREEXT
C APARTMENTS 0
OUR PRICES ARE
RIGHT ON TARGET!
EAST GATE
APARTMENTS
693-7380