The Battalion
ESTATE & LOCAL
3
Friday, August 3,1990
)n e of | k
/hat a
ewhod
“dally j[
P'vithi)
verheaij
mony.l
Statistics indicate that oil barges
have more accidents than tankers
DALLAS (AP) — Tank barges frequently are
[involved in accidents like the one now threaten-
[ing Galveston Bay and have spilled more oil than
[tankers in recent years, Coast Guard statistics
[show.
Oil-carrying tank barges last year collided with
[other vessels or docks, ran aground, had structu-
iral failures or were involved in accidents that
[caused an oil spill in U.S. waters about every 14
| hours, according to Coast Guard records.
Statistics also show in six of the last nine years
[tank barges spilled more oil than tankers in acci
dents in U.S. waters, the Dallas Morning News
reported in Thursday’s editions.
In 1988, for instance, 3.1 million gallons of oil
spilled from barges, while approximately
852,300 gallons spilled from tankers. In 1984,
2.48 million gallons of oil spilled from barges,
while 1.9 million gallons spilled from tankers.
In 1989, however, 2.2 million gallons spilled
“A
tanker is inspected periodically.
You don’t know what condition the
tugs are in.”
—Sean Connaughton,
maritime transportation specialist
See Captain blames pilot/Page 6
from barges and 10.95 million gallons from tank
ers.
Industry experts say problems such as limited
federal regulations and inadequate training for
crews contribute to the frequent number of barge
accidents.
Sean Connaughton, a maritime transportation '
DEA seizes goods worth around $1 million
from alleged leader of Mexican drug ring
ietytel)
eaadt
is mow
ik!
I!en:; BROWNSVILLE (AP) — Gold
lortiftf; and other property worth at least!
million has been seized from the al
leged leader of a drug ring that is be-
©dI ' lieved to have transported up to a
” °™ton of cocaine per month into the
U.S., officials said Thursday.
The Cameron County District At
torney’s office seized the property
Wednesday from Jose Leon Gonza
lez, alleging it was obtained through
drug trafficking.
Gonzalez, 27, has been jailed in
Matamoros, Mexico, since last Sep
tember on Mexican drug and weap
ons charges.
Armando Ramirez, Brownsville
resident agent in charge of the U.S.
Drug Enforcement Administration,
said U.S. authorities believe Gonza
lez has continued to operate a drug
trafficking business with a cellular
telephone from his Matamoros jail
our
es us
narria^
'Stiontli:
■arera:
imit
othe
a pietf
days. Is
then
big step
Yet.
voritelsj
)ses"ht
ncemni
gas
so)
thealr:
cell.
Matamoros is just across the Rio
Grande from Brownsville.
Also included among Wednes
day’s seizures were two Brownsville
homes and seven vehicles belonging
to Gonzalez, officials said. Authori
ties found the gold coins and jewelry
and an estimated $600,000 in cash in
safes at the houses.
Authorities still had not counted
the money Thursday morning, nor
had a jeweler appraised the jewelry.
The jewelry, however, probably is
worth a few hundred thousand dol
lars, Ramirez said.
“That’s what they’re in the busi
ness for — the cars, the luxury, the
houses, the money,” Ramirez said.
“If you take that away, they’re really
hurting.”
Ramirez said the seizure of assets
would make it difficult to operate
the alleged drug ring.
He said the Gonzalez organization
for at least two years was suspected
of shipping up to a ton of cocaine
and hundreds of pounds of mari
juana per month, primarily to Hous
ton. The ring has been linked to the
Medellin cocaine cartel, Ramirez
said.
Gonzalez, however, faces no
charges in the United States.
Three pistols, a shotgun and seve
ral cellular telephones also were
seized Wednesday at Gonzalez’
houses.
Although the houses had an esti
mated total value of less than
$200,000, District Attorney Luis
Saenz said both houses were lien-
free and one of them was purchased
recently with cash.
“Obviously by what you see here,
this was not a plain Joe,” Saenz said
Thursday, pointing to a table at the
Brownsville DEA office, where piles
of Gonzalez’s cash, gold and other
property were put on display for re
porters.
“You’re talking about a high-rol
ler, a guy that’s been able to move
substantial amounts of cocaine and
marijuana,” he said. “You don’t get
this amount of money by working
and earning $3.40 an hour.”
Saenz said he planned to seek fi
nal forfeiture of the cash and prop
erty through court proceedings.
Authorities also arrested two asso
ciates of Gonzalez’ on illegal invest
ment charges related to Wednes
day’s seizure, Saenz said.
Also involved in the operation was
the sherifFs department, U.S. Cus
toms, Immigration and Naturaliza
tion Service and the Internal Reve
nue Service.
would
NATIONAL
National Night Out ertcourages crime prevention in communities
Texas A&M students, faculty and staff are invited
to celebrate National Night Out at 7 p.m. Tuesday at
the University Owned Apartments office at the in
tersection of College Main and University Drive.
The University Police Department, the University
Apartment Council of Texas Aggies, The Battalion,
Pizza Hut and Pepsi are hosting the party Tuesday.
The goal of National Night Out, a national com
munity crime prevention event, is to get residents to
lock their doors, turn on their porch lights, get to
know their neighbors and send a message to crimi
nals that residents are uniting against them.
Lt. Bert Kretzschmar, with UPD, is encouraging
everyone to turn on their porch lights. The lights on
Kyle Field will be turned on for this event.
A U.S. Air Force satellite will pass over the Brazos
County at approximately 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to mea
sure light intensity.
E3i rtf
,j“i>
fact, |i
jt re- ?
: -pro- :
n. Its I
know
i?Lt:
: pro-
The restaurants listed below were inspected
by the Brazos County Health Department be
tween July 9 and July 13. Information is from
a food service establishment inspection re
port.
SCORED BETWEEN 95 AND 100:
Ferreri’s Italian Cuisine at 1808 Valley
View Score — 98. Points were deducted for
inadequate food protection during storage. It
was a regularly scheduled inspection.
SCORED BETWEEN 90 AND 94:
Jack In the Box at 1504 S. Texas Ave.
Score — 92 Points were deducted for improp
erly stored single-service articles, not provid
ing hand cleanser or hand drying devices, un
protected outer openings and unclean floors.
It was a follow-up inspection.
SCORED BETWEEN 85 AND 90:
Cafe Eccel at 101 Church St. Score — 86
Points were deducted for inadequate food
protection during storage, unclean non-food
contact surfaces, inaccessibility of toilet and
handwashing facilities, not providing hand
cleanser or hand drying devices, presence of
vermin, unprotected outer openings and un
clean floors. It was inspected because of a
complaint.
SCORED BETWEEN 75 AND 80:
College Station Hilton at 801 University
Dr. E. Score — 78 Points were deducted for
inadequate food protection, improper storage
of in-use utensils, poor hygienic practices of
personnel (major violation) inaccurate dish
washer thermometers, unclean food-contact
surfaces, improper storage and dispensing of
single-service articles, inadequate plumbing
maintenance, inadequate toilet and hand
washing facilities, improper storage of toxic
items (major violation) and unclean walls and
ceilings.
David Jefferson, a registered sanitarian at
the department, said restaurants with scores
of 95 or above generally have excellent opera
tions and facilities. He said restaurants with
scores in the 70s or low 80s usually have se
rious violations in the health report.
Utten
e
ssami
; Mail
fn
MERIDIAN
You deserve the best... And we’ve got it!
Apartment Features include:
New carpeting
Ceiling Fans
Miniblinds
All new appliances
Frost-free refrigerators
1 and 2 bdrm. floorplans
• Completely fenced complex
with controlled access
• Swimming pool
• On-site laundry facilities
• Exercise facilities
• 1 block from campus
ATM
George Bush Dr.
fri
Redmond Dr.
Prices Start at $295
CALL 409/696-3177
309 Redmond, College Stadon, TX 77840
Professionally Managed by The Elliot System
Skateboards scorned
Campus stunts draw complaints
specialist for the American Petroleum Institute,
says tank barges pose a unique safety threat not
found in oil tankers because the tugs that guide
barges through intercoastal waters are not in
spected by the Coast Guard.
“A tanker is inspected periodically,” Con
naughton said. “You don’t know what condition
the tugs are in.”
Some experts say tank barge safety problems
deserve special attention in Houston and else
where along the Texas and Louisiana coasts,
where more oil spills occur than in any other part
of the country.
The Coast Guard says the port of Houston has
more tank barge traffic than any other U.S. port.
Last year 639 oil pollution incidents involving
barges were investigated, compared with 315 in
volving tankers. In 1988, 690 barge oil spill acci
dents were investigated, compared with 265
tanker spill accidents.
By MIKE LUMAN
Of The Battalion Staff
Texas A&M’s Student Services
scheduled a meeting with the Uni
versity Police Department after com
plaints increased about skateboard
users on campus.
Dr. Malon Southerland, associate
vice president of Student Services,
said next week’s meeting was called
as an inquiry.
Children and A&M students per
forming acrobatics on skateboards
are a proven cause of property dam
age in some areas, Grounds Mainte
nance Department Director Eugene
Ray said.
Questions about the safety of
those near such activity also are
raised.
“If a kid is doing these acrobatics,
and the skateboard and skate
boarder part company, the board
becomes a missile,” Ray said.
Elmer Schneider, associate direc
tor of the University Police Depart
ment, said there have been com
plaints about skateboard users.
“We sometimes get calls from con
cerned people who are dodging
skateboards,” he said.
Bob Wiatt, director of the UPD,
said skateboarding on campus was
not a criminal violation.
“Young children not affiliated
with the University we ask to leave
the campus,” he said. “That has been
the extent of our involvement.”
Wiatt suggested skateboarders
choose another place — one that is
not a busy thoroughfare on the
A&M campus.
Ray said the area near the Engi
neering and Physics Building and
the Blocker Building was a site of
skateboard damage.
Benches, low walls and stairs seem
to be favorite targets. Apparently
metal trucks on skateboards leav*:
marks and gouge chunks of con
crete, he said.
“I think there should be some sot
of control,” Ray said. “We don’t hav<
the money to repair and maintah
the damage they cause.”
Ray wished to distinguish between
students who use skateboards for
transportation and the children
causing the damage.
He said he hates to deprive any
one of fun, but there is a point
where it ceases to be fun and be
comes a problem.
Skateboard damage is nothing
new, he said.
About two years ago, an alumi
num handrail on some stairs in the
Engineering Physics Building area
became sharp because of repeated
strikes from skateboards, Ray said.
He said it was sharp enough to cut
hands and Grounds Maintenance
had to file it down.
Before MSG construction began,
the area was also a site of damage, he
said.
Friday
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: will have a general meeting at noon. Call the
C.D.P.E. at 845-0280 for more information.
PAGINATION STATION: will have troupe auditions for an adult troupe of ac
tors performing plays for children at 7 p.m. at College Station Community
Center. Call 822-1733 for more information.
COMMUNITY OF SINGLE ADULTS: will have Happy Hour at 5:30 p.m. at K-
Bob’s. Call 774-4355 for more information.
Saturday
REPUBLICAN WOMEN OF THE BRAZOS VALLEY: will “meet the candidates”
from 5:30 p.m. til 11 p.m. at the Roy Barnes Pavilion. Call 776-7374 for
reservations. Tickets are $15 per person.
COMMUNITY OF SINGLE ADULTS: will have Happy Hour at 8 p.m. at the Ra-
mada Bistro.
Sunday
COMMODORE AMIGA CLUB: will have its monthly meeting at 2 p.m. at 300AB
Langford Architecture Center. Call James at 847-0043 for more informa
tion.
Monday
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: will have a general meeting at noon. Call the
C.D.P.E. at 845-0280 for more information.
BRAZOS COUNTY A&M CLUB: will have an Annual Coach’s Night with R.C.
Slocum at 6:30 p.m. at the College Station Hilton. For tickets call 693-
7374.
Tuesday
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: will have a general meeting at noon. Call the
C.D.P.E. at 845-0280 for more information.
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: will have a general meeting at 8:30 p.m. Call the
C.D.P.E. at 845-0280 for more information.
UNIVERSITY APARTMENT COUNCIL OF TEXAS AGGIES: will have a Na
tional Night Out event against crime at 7 p.m. at the University Owned
Apartments. Call Sandra at 846-5798 for more information.
COMMUNITY OF SINGLE ADULTS: will go dancing at Hall of Fame at 8 p.m.
Items tor What’s Up should be submitted to The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald,
no later than three business days before the desired run date. We publish the
name and phone number of the contact only 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.
Celebrate NATIONAL NIGHT OUT
at 7 p.m. next to the University Owned
Apartments Office at the intersection of
University Drive and College Main.
Sponsored by UPD, UACTA and
NATIONAL