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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1991)
State and local 3 Wednesday, February 20, 1991 The Battalion Agriculture commissioner names panel Experts formulate trade ideas HOUSTON (AP) — Texas Agri culture Commissioner Rick Perry on Tuesday named a 13-member panel of agriculture business experts to come up with recommendations on how the state can best take advan tage of a planned U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement. “This group is to help formulate the opinions that the individuals in Washington, D.C., have as we go to ward this agreement, that they have some goocf solid producer input, and it’s not just some bureaucrat somewhere that maybe doesn’t have a bit in background in agriculture making a decision that’s going to im pact these men’s and women’s lives and livelihoods,” Perry said at a news conference. Tyler cattleman James B. Owen, who is president of the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Associa tion, will chair the panel. Owen said he and fellow commit tee members would be pushing to open more markets for Texas agri culture products. “We represent all facets of pro duction agriculture and seek to de velop a consensus position to bring to him (Perry) as he represents Texas agricultural interests,” he said. Vegetable and fruit growers have expressed fears they could face sig nificant competition from Mexican produce, which is harvested with far cheaper labor, if tariffs and other trade barriers are lifted under a free trade agreement. Perry said he believed longtime U.S. Sen. Uoyd Bentsen and U.S. Rep. Kika De La Garza, both with first time next week in Austin, to complete its work in about a year. “We want to have an input,” he said. “We don’t want to sit here and wait until this trade agreement is complete and have them coming in say: ‘Here’s what you’re able to do.’ We want to be in the forefront. It’s "IVe represent all facets of production agriculture and seek to develop a consensus position to bring to him (Perry) as he represents Texas agricultural interests.” — James B. Owen, Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association ties to the Rio Grande Valley, would work to block any damage to Valley growers. “They’re not going to sell out,” he said. “I think you’ll see seasonal tar iffs. “Free trade is an interesting ter minology. I think freer trade is the term we’re all more comfortable with. We’re going to be looking at protecting some of our markets, ob viously.” Formal negotiations with Mexico are planned by the Bush administra tion this spring, with talks conclud ing by year’s end. Perry said he ex pects his group, which meets for the important for us to be on the cutting edge. “We have an opportunity in Texas to truly build an incredible import- export business that all the people of this state can be benefiting from, particularly the producers of agri cultural products.” Perry noted that while the state is the nation’s second-largest agricul ture producer, it ranks only fifth in export value. And although Mexico is the state’s top trading partner, the trade agreement would enhance existing trade. “We do a great deal of back and forth with them as we import and export products out of this state,” Perry said. “We intend to do more and that’s the reason why this U.S.- Mexico trade agreement is so impor tant to Texas.” Besides Owen, others named to the panel include: • Gary Williams of College Sta tion, a Texas A&M University agri cultural economist and coordinator of the Texas Agricultural Market Research and Development Center. • Billy Bob Brown of Panhandle, g resident of the National Grain orghum Producers Association and activist in feed grain organizations. • Tommy Funk of Harlingen, chairman and chief executive officer of Sebastian Cotton & Grain Corp. • Dale Deberry of Mercedes, president of the Texas Citrus and Vegetable Association. rales of Devine, vice president of Morales Feed Lots, Inc., and a direc tor of the Texas Cattle Feeders Asso ciation. • Kit Goldsbury of San Antonio, president and chief executive officer of Pace Foods, Inc. • Bob Nunley of Sabinal, co owner of Nunley Brothers Ranches in South and West Texas and presi dent of the Independent Cattle men’s Association. Hypnotherapist offers free relaxation sessions to those troubled by war By Elizabeth Tisch The Battalion A local hypnotherapist is offering “progressive relaxation” therapy for people experiencing anxiety because of friends and family stationed in the Persian Gulf. Licensed hypnotherapist Dorthy Sens says she offers sessions to relieve her patients’ tense feelings that can generate further unhealthy emotions. “People must send positive thoughts and beliefs to loved ones over there (Persian Gulf) because positive reinforcement will give the soldiers strength,” she says. She also says tense feelings can hinder concentration and cause people to think unrealistically. “So many people immediately think the worst when they hear news about the progress of the war in the Gulf,” she says. “It’s OK to worry, but the sessions will teach you to start using your mind to see your loved one in a protective state.” Sens says, however, people often misunderstand hypnotherapy and become frightened by it. “It’s very safe,” she says. “I am not making any suggestions at all. I teach people how to relax themselves if they begin to feel panicky about their loved ones in the war.” Sens says hypnotherapy sessions are not meant to underestimate the horrors of war but are meant to lessen the fears that accompany it, like those that accompany everyday life. “When we drive home from school, we could be hit by a car,” she says. “We just can’t go around always thinking negative thoughts through life.” Sens, who received her license from the School of Hypnotherapy in Al buquerque, N.M., offers 40-minute sessions free of charge and at the time most convenient for her patients. At a group’s first session. Sens talks about her clients’ feelings and then puts the group members in a relaxed state. In following sessions, Sens tea ches group members how to relax themselves in case they feel anxiety at tacks at home or work. To obtain more information about the hypnotherapy sessions, call Sens at 846-3694. EPA head respects choice Richards made to create moratorium on permits Air Force reservists preparefor wounded Medical squadron trains others in evacuation, loading techniques SAN ANTONIO (AP) — With the threat of a Persian Gulf ground war looming, Air Force reservists trained Tuesday for the possibility of evacuating soldiers wounded in battle. Shouts of “Bring ’em in!” and “Lift!” echoed through the bellies of C-130 aircraft as the 34th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron instructed other reservists and Air National Guard members in loading patients and stretchers onto planes^i i. Maj. Meade Warthen, spokesman for the 433rd Mili tary Airlift Wing, which oversees the 34th, declined to say whether the trainees would be sent to the Persian Gulf or whether the training was in preparation for a ground war. “We don’t have any idea what people are going to do after the training,” Warthen said. “We just don’t know — bottom line.” The majority of military aeromedical technicians are reservists, military officials say. The 32nd Aeromedical Evacuation Group, another component of the 433rd, also has been called to active duty. Some members of the 32nd already have gone to the Middle East. Fifty-two flight nurses and 72 medical technicians Tuesday were undergoing the five-day training course at Kelly Air Force Base. Trainees maneuvered straps and pullout shelves in side C-130s, then practiced loading litters containing fellow trainees posing as patients. The short, rugged C-130s are designed to fly to hard-to-reach mobile hospitals near battlegrounds to pick up soldiers that have been transported there by he licopters. The aircraft can take off and land on dirt strips and require little landing or take-off space. Lewis voices doubts about lottery AUSTIN (AP) — The House likely will wait until next week to vote on a lottery proposal, Speaker Gib Lewis said Tuesday, while also voicing doubts that the numbers game could raise as much money for the state as quickly as its supporters contend. Lawmakers must complete action on the proposed constitutional amendment by March 1 if the lottery question is to be put before voters on the May 4 election ballot. Gov. Ann Richards repeatedly has urged lawmakers to put lottery on that ballot so the state could begin making money off the games by Jan uary 1992 if voters approve. “Lottery will probably be on the calendar sometime next week,” Le wis said Tuesday, adding that lottery backers still haven’t assured him they have lined up the needed 100 votes to approve the proposal. “I think it’s picking up maybe a little bit,” he said. “You’ve still got, maybe, 10 or 15 people that don’t know for sure how they are going to vote at this time.” Lottery opponents have said they believe more than 51 House mem bers will vote against the proposal, thus killing it. AUSTIN (AP) — The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday he respects Gov. Ann Richards’ motives in cabl ing for a moratorium on permits for new hazardous waste dumps in Texas. “There is, all across the country, much greater sensitivity to the envi ronmental and health impacts of hazardous waste management and disposal,” EPA Administrator Wil liam Reilly said. Richards earlier this month de manded — and the Texas Water Commission approved — a tempo rary suspension in permit activity that blocked 23 pending applications for hazardous waste disposal facili ties. The suspension was effective until Sept. 1 to give the Legislature time to act on a two-year moratorium proposed by Richards in her State of the State address. In Texas for meetings and to ad dress the Legislature, Reilly said he understood Richards’ action. “I think one has to respect the im pulse behind that call for a mora torium,” he said. Gov. Ann Richards “There’s a sense, I think, on the part of a number of states that they are being victimized by states that do not themselves have adequate capac ity and generate wastes, enjoy the in dustrial benefits of that, and then ship the stuff to states that do have disposal capacity,” the EPA chief said. “Ultimately, I suspect we’re going to have to have some kind of na tional statutory resolution to the problem of hazardous waste exclu sions by some states,” he said. The governor said she wants to ban the placement of hazardous waste facilities near schools, resi dential areas and drinking water supplies. Richards also wants to make cer tain that residents near a proposed disposal site get a hearing on such decisions, said her press secretary, Bill Cryer. Cryer said Richards isn’t tied to the two-year time period. But she does want “breathing space” so new permit rules can be implemented, he said. The Texas Chemical Council blasted the moratorium, with vice president Monte Janssen saying, “Action was taken without a clear presentation of the facts ... This makes no environmental sense.” Environmental groups hailed Richards. “This is sending shock waves through the environmental community because it’s so sweeping and it happened so quickly,” Brigid Shea of Clean Water Action said. Trinity officials investigate weekend death of fraternity pledge SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Trinity University officials are investigating whether a fraternity violated school policies in connection with the week end death of a freshman pledge. According to a published report Tuesday, the 18-year-old student told a friend and former employer he rented an off-campus apartment to escape hazing and improve his grades. Rolland Christopher “Rollie” Pe derson of San Angelo died early Sat urday after he was struck by a car on an access road of Interstate 10 near Boerne. A Bexar County sheriffs report said Pederson was drinking with three active members of the Trin- iteers fraternity before he was killed. Michael Berra, president of the or ganization, said the three fraternity members took Pederson on a pledge “retreat.” Trinity spokeswoman Sharon Jones said Pete Neville, director of student activities, is investigating Pe derson’s death. A key question is whether Pederson was drinking as part of a fraternity function, Jones said. If that was the case, she said, the fraternity could face disciplinary ac tion. The Triniteers just completed a 2- year suspension for forcing a Jewish free MSC VISUAL ARTS Free art lessons every Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Learn to draw, understand, and appreciate art. Meet in front of the MSC Forsyth Center Galleries (across from the post office in the MSC) and remember, it f s free so come on out! ! ! For more information call Joe Fenton, Visual Arts Advisor 845*9252 pledge to wear a Nazi uniform at a . party. According to the university’s stu dent handbook, penalties for hazing include expulsion for individuals and disbanding of organizations. Pederson told 43-year-old Dan Cypert, a friend and former em ployer, that senior fraternity mem bers often entered campus dormito ries and pressured pledges to participate in rush activities. In Advance Seminar features legal advising procedures The Texas A&M Department of Student Services and the Univer sity Advisers and Counselors are sponsoring a seminar Thursday about the legal aspects of advising students. The seminar, scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon in 301 Rudder, fea tures a keynote address at 9 a.m. by Dr. Wes Habley from the American College Testing organization. For more information, call 845-5916. REAL WORLD 1991: Life After Aggieland (A Special Seminar for Soon-To-Be Graduates) Saturday, February 23, 1991 9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - Check-in 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Program at The Association of Former Students Clayton Williams Jr. Alumni Center .Pre-Registration is Necessary For More Information, Contact: Daniel Orozco, 845-5139 Career Planning & Placement Center