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The Battalion
STATE & LOCAL
Thursday, October 11,1990
Problems plague
state nuclear plant
GLEN ROSE (AP) — The
problem-plagued Comanche
Peak nuclear power plant, com
pleted years late and billions of
dollars over budget, has had nine
unplanned shutdowns in its first
six months of operation.
Despite problems with pumps,
instruments, sensors and even a
lightning strike, Comanche
Peak’s Unit 1 reactor doesn’t
stand out as a lemon among the
country’s commercial reactors,
some experts say.
The first six months’ record
for the plant reflects problems
that appear common to new
plants. Nearly all of the eight re
actors opened since January 1988
have stumbled, frequently worry
ing critics and perplexing utility
managers.
The U.S. Supreme Court
Tuesday dealt a blow to some of
those critics when the court de
clined to review an appeal by Citi
zens for Fair Utility Regulations,
the Dallas Times Herald re
ported.
The Fort Worth citizens group
was seeking to intervene in the
Nuclear Regulatory Commis
sion’s licensing deliberations
about TU Electric’s $10 billion
nuclear power plant which they
accused of numerous safety viola
tions.
Nuclear experts have come to
expect more problems and less
reliability from plants with less
than two years of operating expe
rience, with proolems arising
from operators errors, design
flaws, inadequate procedures and
equipment failure.
Comanche Peak has had more
equipment failures than human
errors, and none of the problems
has jeopardized plant safety, reg
ulators say.
The plant took a little more
than four months from its first
nuclear reaction until it became a
source of electricity ~~ putting it
in the midrange area of perfor
mance among the eight newest
reactors.
In the number of foreseen
problems forcing plant shut
downs, Comanche Peak did well
during its start-up period but not
so well after starting commercial
operations Aug. 13 with four
“trips,” or shutdowns, before
commercial operations and five
since.
A 1987 NRC study said the
plant needs big improvements.
Scholarship fundraiser
RHA, Aggie Professional Forum sponsor casino at Houston bar
By ELIZABETH TISCH
Of The Battalion Staff
Texas A&M football players are
not the only ones hoping to be dealt
a good hand in Houston this week
end.
A&M’s Residence Hall Associa
tion and the Aggie Professional Fo
rum are sponsoring a casino in
Houston where Aggies from all over
can try their luck at winning hands.
The casino will start at 7 p.m. Fri
day in Johnny B. Dalton’s Country-
Western Night Club in Houston.
Tents will be set up outside where
games like Black Jack and Roulette
will be available for those wanting to
try their luck.
Pseudo-money won during the
games can be spent later at an auc
tion scheduled for 11:15 p.m.
The Aggie Professional Forum, a
non-profit organization outside of
Houston, donated items to be auc
tioned.
“Some items that they have gotten
for the auction are a cellular phone
and a 10-point diamond for an Ag
gie Ring,” says Julie Dillman, RHA
Casino ’91 director.
In addition to the casino games,
there will be a live DJ providing mu
sic for a dance and a free food buffet
from 7 to 9 p.m.
Tickets are being sold at Rudder
Box Office, on the Corps of Cadets
Quadrangle, at the MSC and in the
Commons for $5. The cost will be $6
at the door.
Dillman stresses that those 21 and
older who want to drink alcohol
should be prepared for a $2 cover
charge after 8 p.m.
The yell leaders will have yell
practice immediately following the
casino.
Dillman encourages all Aggies
and Houstonians to attend the ca
sino.
“It is going to be a lot of fun, and
it’s for a good cause too,” she says.
Profits from the casino will be do
nated to A&M scholarships.
Johnny B. Dalton’s is on 13101
Kuykendahl, three miles south of
FM 1960 and a half-mile north of
Rankin Road.
The management welcomes any
calls for information or directions at
(713) 873-2120.
More information concerning the
casino can be obtained by calling the
RHA office at 845-0689.
October declared National Energy Awareness Month
By JULIE HEDDERMAN
Of The Battalion Staff
Bryan and College Station mayors will recog
nize October as National Energy Awareness
Month in an effort to promote energy conserva
tion.
Bryan Mayor Marvin Tate signed a proclama
tion Monday, and College Station Mayor Larry
Ringer will sign it tonight during the College Sta
tion City Council meeting.
The purpose of Energy Awareness Month is to
get people to think about energy use, how it in
fluences their lives, where energy comes from
and how it can be used more effectively.
The Texas Energy Extension Service, local
coordinator of the observance, is a program un
der the Governor’s Energy Management Center.
The service provides publications, presenta
tions and workshops on energy efficiency for
homeowners and small businesses.
Nancy Sawtelle of the Texas Energy Extension
Service encourages A&M students to use com
mon sense in their energy use.
She suggests students carpool to football
games and class and use “old-fashioned meth
ods” like walking or biking.
Sawtelle also says when the weather is cooler,
open windows and electric fans are effective for
conserving energy during the day. At night, how
ever, she says it is safer to run the air conditioner
on a high temperature and use electric fans.
The Texas EES also offers a toll-free Energy
Hotline number to provide answers to energy-re
lated questions. The number is 1-800-643-SAVE.
RHA votes
against change
to honors hall
By ELIZABETH TISCH
Of The Battalion Staff
Texas A&M’s Residence Hall As
sociation voted to support the resi
dents of McFadden Hall in their
fight to prevent the hall from chang
ing to an honors hall.
The vote took place at the RHA
general assembly meeting Wednes
day night where RHA Bill F9005
was opposed by one vote.
One of the main arguments of the
Bill was that it said the conversion of
McFadden to an honors hall would
bean act of “segregation of students
and unequal, preferential treatment
of supposedly equal students.”
The Bill also recognized Lechner
Hall, the only honors hall on cam
pus, as a very valuable and integral
part of RHA and that it should re
main. It stated, however, that “any
justification for expansion of honors
housing based on supposed benefits
of an honors community is an insult
to residents of other halls that have
equally enriching hall communities.”
The RHA general assembly ques
tioned the honors housing success.
Bill F9005 stated that the University
Honors Program has only measured
the honors housing success rate by
the improved recruitment. The Mc
Fadden Hall residents argue that
this should not be the only convinc
ing reason for the takeover of an
other hall.
Although the RHA assembly has
voted in McFadden’s favor, the writ
ten proposal will be sent to Tom
Murray, associate director of student
affairs and residence life, to be
looked over for any further drafting
or revising. The University Honors
Program also will write a proposal
stating their position. The two pro
posals then will reach President
Mobley’s office for the final decision
ofthe fate of McFadden Hall.
Killeen schools
receive money
from Senate
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Sen
ate panel awarded $ 1 million to the
Killeen Independent School District,
where an influx of students from
military families has strained re
sources.
The district’s aid was one of seve
ral Texas projects that cleared hur
dles on the congressional budget
track Wednesday.
The so-called Emergency Impact
Aid will help Killeen schools
through a desperate time, said dis
trict Superintendent Charles Patter
son. More than $4.5 million was
trimmed from the district’s $69.2
million budget last year and 175 of
its 2,500 jobs were eliminated.
The district, like many others, is
reimbursed by the federal govern
ment for educating children of ac
tive military personnel, who don’t
pay local property taxes. The gov
ernment’s assistance has been steady
while Killeen’s schools have bur
geoned with the growth of Fort
Hood, Patterson said.
“Our military children are getting
cheated ... they’re not getting the
same quality education,” he said.
A clever cover
Photo by Mike C. Mu Ivey
A&M sophomore Kimberly Haynes and freshman Teresa Silva cover up Haynes’ car and windshield man to protect them both from the burning sun.
RE-ELECT
W T. (TOM) MCDONALD, JR.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
• District Judge, 85th Judicial District 1978-present.
• District Attorney of Brazos County, 1973-1977.
• County Attorney of Brazos County, 1968-1972.
EDUCATION
• Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History, Randolph-
Macon Men’s College, 1962.
• Doctor of Jurisprudence, University of Texas Law School,
1966.
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND RECOGNITION
• Judicial Advisory Council, Texas Department of Criminal
Justice, appointed by Chief Justice Thomas R. Phillips, 1990.
• Chairman, Criminal Justice Section, State Bar of Texas, 1990.
• Chairman, Crime Victims and Witness Committee, State Bar of
Texas, 1990.
• Faculty, Texas College for New Judges.
• Silver Good Citizenship Award, Sons of the American
Revolution, 1989.
• National Organization for Victim Assistance.
• Advisory/Editoriat Committee, Texans’ War on Drugs Judge’s
Benchbook: A Resource for Drug Abuse Prevention, published
by Governor’s Criminal Justice Division and the Texas
Commission on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, 1988.
• Outstanding Jurist of the Year, Criminal Justice Section, State
Bar of Texas, 1987.
• State Judicial Budget Board, appointed by Chief Justice Jack
Pope, 1985-1987.
• Chairman, Legislative Committee, Judicial Section, State Bar
of Texas, 1984-1985.
• Special Interim Committee on the Criminal Justice System of
Texas, appointed by Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby, 1981.
• President, Brazos County Bar Association, 1975.
Tom and his wife, Caroline, were married in 1965; they have
two sons, Scott, age 15, and Don, age 13. The McDonalds
are members of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. The
McDonald family has resided in Brazos County for over 70
years. Tom’s father (TAMU ’33) was a lawyer, legislator and
judge. The Reed McDonald Building on the TAMU campus is
named in memory of Tom's uncle.
Paid for by Committee to Re-Elect Judge W.T. (Tom) McDonald, Jr.
Caroline McDonald, Treasurer, Box 1085, Bryan, TX 77806
A DOZEN GOOD REASONS TO RE-ELECT
JUDGE W. T. (TOM) MCDONALD, JR.
i
McDonald
Oooonent
1.
Cases resolved as District Judge
(Civil, Criminal and Family Law)
Over 9,000
None
2.
Jury trials as District Judge
(Civil, Criminal and Family Law)
Over 400 (252) 1
None
3.
Death penalty cases tried
7
None
4.
Disposition rate of
District Court cases
97% (46%) a
None
5.
District Court jury trial
conviction rate
93% 3
None
6.
Defendants sentenced to
penitentiary
Over 800
None
7.
Years defendants sentenced
to the penitentiary
Over 10,500
None
8.
Of the over 9,000 cases resolved,
only 102 appealed
a. Affirmed 83
b. Reversed 19
None
9.
Publications
14
Not Known
10.
Judicial experience
Over 12 years
Over 4 years
11.
Prosecutorial experience
Over 11 years
Less than 2
years
12.
Licensed to practice law
25 years
8 years
EXPERIENCE IS THE DIFFERENCE.
’Statewide average for same time period. Source: Texas Judicial Council, Austin.
2 Ibid.
’Highest of Brazos County District Courts tor 1988 and 89. Source: Figures compiled by the Brazos County District Attorney’s Office,
1990.