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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 1991)
i Page 4 The Battalion El Paso water woes cause unrest VALENTINE, Texas (AP) - Relaxing beneath a midnight sky, a group of visitors sway in rocking chairs on the porch of a historic West Texas hotel, their boot-clad feet propped on a rail while they enjoy longnecks and the idyllic night. “Listen," says a visitor from Austin. “Do you hear that? It's so quiet here." But in recent months, the tran quility of this vast West Texas land has been shaken by what lo cals call an urban intruder: water- hungry El Paso. Two months ago, the city of El Paso's water utilities board an nounced it planned to purchase for $2 million the 25,000-acre An telope Valley Farm, which sits on the tip of the Ryan Aquifer. But West Texas residents have said the plans are tantamount to an invasion to rob their riches. They plan as their first counter-as- Plan to purchase farm land over aquifer stirs antagonism sault to pack a Friday meeting of the Rio Grande Council of Gov ernments, hoping the voluntary body of officials from El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Brewster and Presidio counties will pres sure El Paso to drop the plans. "It's our livelihood. Not only is the little town of Valentine de pendent on that water supply but the ranchers in the area are depen dent on that water supply," said Jody Miller at a recent Jeff Davis County town meeting. She and her husband. Clay, own a 36,000- acre ranch adjacent to the Ante lope Valley Farm. “That's why it's important to us. And when that aquifer's drained, they'll drain an other one." In fact, area land owners are so serious about protecting their wa ter supply some have proposed al liances with traditional foes, the government and wilderness groups, with hope of discovering an endangered species on the farm. But Ed Archuleta, El Paso Wa ter Utilities Public Service Board general manager, said El Paso does not intend to suck the aquifer dry. He said the ground water would be a supplemental water supply and is at the bottom of a list of options for the city. “Part of our water planning is we're looking at all the combina tions of options that would start with conservation, second would be surface water, third would be reuse of wastewater and then the ground water in the area. The oth er two options are importing and desalinization," he said. He said El Paso was ap proached about buying the farm by its owner, Connecticut General Life Insurance Co., and has been offered other land in the area by West Texas ranchers. "It's beautiful ranch country out there," he said. "There's no doubt about it, any use of minerals and water should be properly managed." This is not the first time El Paso has enraged a neighbor as it has sought to ensure an adequate water supply for its growing pop ulation, expected to reach 1 mil lion by the year 2040. In March, the city settled a multimillion-dol- lar lawsuit with New Mexico that began when El Paso tried to tap an aquifer in southern New Mexico. Couple admits to seven girls, officials say Friday, October 18, MATAMOROS, Mexico (AP) — A Matarnoros couple hast: fessed to killing seven girls they lured to their home with theprot?, of work, authorities said, and police Thursday were searching more possible victims. The couple, identified as Rodolfo Infante, 28, and Ana MariaE; Villeda, 19, formerly of Brownsville, were arrested Wednesdays by Judicial State Police, said police agent Sergio Gonzalez. The couple confessed to the killing of seven girls over the lash months, “but perhaps they have killed many more, so we have tot*' tinue the investigations," Gonzalez said. A young girl working as a maid prompted an investigationfe: : to the arrests, Gonzalez told The Brownsville Herald. Gonzalez said the couple is accused of luring the victims wl; promise of hiring them to work as maids. The victims were taken by taxis to the El Ebanito communalfe where they were robbed of their possessions then drowned or tf; geoned, Gonzalez said. “This couple would pick up the girls and would take them to: (communal farni) and this way they went about killing them one. one," said another police spokesman. Four of the bodies of the slain young women were foundim past week in the Rio Grande and irrigation ditches. Bentsen to proposi health car solution WASHINGTON (AP)-S Lloyd Bentsen, chairman ol: Senate Finance Committee,:: Thursday he'll propose ash term solution to the nafio: health care crisis that relies making insurance more for small employers. Bentsen, D-Texas, porters his proposals are"tk that I think we can do now- things that will block fundam change later." Though Bentsen favorsco: prehensive reform, "majorotii haul is going to take sometim and in the meantime, lots of[e pie are going to suffer." Hisfl® would improve some of thep:: lems now, he said. Bentsen said he would k duce his bill in the next few dr and Rep. Dan Rostenkowski Ill., plans to introduce a simi: bill in the House next week, cording to an aide. Bentsen^ proposal would the federal government about billion over five years, mostc: from increasing the tax deduct for health care premiumsfro:| • percent to 100 percent for the employed. The rest, about$2itj lion, would result from expand:: Medicare benefits to include a' cer screening, influenza ir: nizations and other prevent care services. Bentsen said he hadnotsei on a way to finance the mease and he declined to discuss thee tions he's considering. His legislation wouldsetmi’ mum standards for healthinsr: ance sold to employers with up 50 workers. Insurance compare would be barred from exclude, individuals in a group fromco': age and could not cancel] because of claims experience health problems. RHA casino will providf free buffet for Aggies Continued from page 2 This year the club a free food buffet to Aggies as» as reducing the prices on nit other items, such as drinks. Although the Houston Cat-' cannot compare to the RHAOl no Night held in the Sprf they've had to double the nui^ of gambling tables and dealt from last year in order to accK modate everyone, Terry said. ■ casino will include approxintf 50 tables this year. "It's nice to have sometlij like this when a game is out towm," said Ham. "People"’ aren't from Houston will W somewhere to go the night beftf the game to have a good timed help raise funds for Aggie schod ships." The organizers will dial gamblers a $5 fee. Part of thef'f ceeds will support Aggie scho- ships. The free buffet will openatl] p.m. and continue servingunti 1 : p.m. Some of the prizes offered auction include: week-end trip* Las Vegas and New Orleans/ night in the Memorial Studs Center Hotel, OPAS tickets tot Nutcracker, and free dinner 1 both College Station and HousW STUD p.m. 3 PUER Puertc Planta inform the; a.m. t< T-CAf Pavilic MUSI prayei locate 846-21 ALCC COPE HILLE guest Call J OFF ( Resta METh night Stude RANI Hart 1 ISA - cook and c Collei TEX/ parkir THE AND MUSI Kans “Tchc to all Cook INTE Frida BeuU Even Coup INTE 7:30 inforr ‘MAC This bring play on S; abou Pam< CAM HEC ALP I stude Ama infon TAM ride ! 847- KAN spon the F OCA more KAN bene after awa> Calf TAIV l-Shi the II (6th INTE Spor VIP F an a this DRA.