The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, May 31, 1993, Image 1

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Vol. 92 No.148 (6 pages)
1893 - A Century of Service to Texas A&M - 1993
Monday, May 31,1993
System employees lose jobs to budget cuts
Reductions in University funding lead to cutbacks, reorganization
By STEPHANIE PATTILLO
The Battalion
Fifty-three jobs within the Texas A&M
System Administrative and General Of
fices (SAGO) were cut Friday after an an
nouncement by Texas A&M System
Chancellor Herbert Richardson to the
A&M System Board of Regents.
Ross Margraves, chairman of the
Board said he "sincerely regrets the re
ductions."
The University will offer assistance to
all laid off employees in finding new jobs
and will give them first priority on any
new jobs available at A&M, he said.
Richardson said in a press release
those who lost their jobs will be paid
through Aug. 31, unless they find a new
position before then.
TTie cuts came as a result of a reduction
in the Available University Fund (AUF),
which is the income the University re
ceives from the Permanent University
Fund (PUF). The AUF provides about $6
million of SAGO's $19.8 million budget.
University President William H. Mob
ley explained several of A&M's strategies
to cope with the declining AUF to the re
gents. Through cutbacks and reorganiza
tion, the University should save $7.6 mil
lion in the next two years, he said. The
University has had a hiring freeze in
place since January.
"We don't intend to go back to busi
ness as usual," Richardson said. "Our
goal is to continue to improve our organi
zation and re-focus and re-energize our
employees to tackle new opportunities."
With the 53 positions being cut from
the SAGO budget, 31 regular employees
out of 241 existing positions will be affect
ed by the elimination of a job, a transfer,
reduced hours or voluntary termination.
The reduction amounts to nearly 22 per
cent of the total SAGO workforce.
Another item presented to the Board
Friday was the controversial decision to
begin formal negotiations with Tenneco
Cogeneration Development Co. for the
construction of a new campus power
plant. Tenneco was chosen first out of
three finalists to build the power plant. A
joint venture between the cities of Bryan
and College Station was third on the list
of finalists.
Tenneco and the University now have
45 days to agree on a contract to build the
plant.
Mobley said that the process used to
evaluate the finalists was fair.
"Because of our special responsibility
to Texas A&M University, the state of
Texas and our local community, it was es
sential that it be comprehensive and de
liberate," he said.
Consultants to the University antici
pate 500 new jobs will be created during
the 18-month construction period, adding
an estimated $150 million to the local
economy. The plant is expected to em
ploy as many as 21 people and benefit the
local economy with $12 million a year
through operation and maintenance of
the facility. According to the Office of
University Relations, the plant could be
operational as early as fall 1995.
Other agenda items presented and ap
proved by the regents include an increase
in student fees effective fall 1993. There
will be an increase in the maximum stu
dent services fee from $94 per semester to
$98 per semester. A $43 science laborato
ry equipment access fee will also be en
acted for students taking equipment-in
tensive courses.
Aggies bound
for Omaha
Victory over N. Carolina sends A&M
to College World Series in Nebraska
By KYLE BURNETT
The Battalion
The Texas Aggie baseball team
will be competing in the College
World Series for the first time in
29 years.
The Aggies earned a trip to
Omaha, Neb. by clinching the
Central I division title Sunday af
ternoon with a 14-2 blowout over
the University of North Carolina.
"I thought this would be the
year (to go to the finals)," senior
second baseman Eric Gonzalez
said. "We had the talent to make
it."
The Aggies will be among the
eight regional winners to take
part in the double elimination
tournament next weekend.
A sell out crowd of 5,387 at
Olsen Field stood witness as the
top-seeded Aggies finished the
tournament undefeated, improv
ing their record to 52-9. The Tar
Heels ended their run at a title
with a 43-20 overall record.
"We played very well, very
loose, very aggressive baseball,"
Aggie Head Coach Mark Johnson
said.
The Aggies stepped out ahead
of the Tar Heels with a three-run
first inning.
A&M pitcher Jeff Granger (14-
3) attributes some of his success
on the day to the early lead.
"It made things a lot easier,"
Granger said. "(The game) was
very tough and I needed to get
that early mental edge."
Aggies shortstop Robert Harris
began the rally with single to
shallow left field. UNC pitcher
Michael Jerzembeck (9-3) walked
the next two Aggie batters who
then reached home on a throwing
error to first base. A&M outfield
er Scott Smith continued the at
tack when he knocked in the third
mn of the inning with a sacrifice
fly to center.
Those three runs went unan
swered through the first inning
and the Tar Heels could only
muster one run through the first
five innings.
The two-run deficit only grew
from that point in the game as the
Aggies had a series of big innings
that would increase A&M's lead
to an even dozen runs.
"It was nice to have a game
where we didn't have to sweat it
out to the end," Johnson said.
The run-scoring series started
off in the top of the third inning
with a solo home run to right field
by Aggie senior center fielder Bri
an Thomas. A&M finished
See Omaha/Page 4
BILLYMORAN/The Battalion
The Texas A&M Baseball team celebrates their victory over North
Carolina in the NCAA Central Region I final Sunday afternoon.
Pitcher Jeff Granger was named to the tournament all-star team and
also was named the most valuable player of the tournament.
Bryan election runoff on Saturday
Opponents vie for city council post
By JASON COX
The Battalion
Tuesday will be the last day to
participate in early voting for the
June 5 Bryan City Council Place 5
runoff election between Lonnie
Stabler and Dan Galvin.
Stabler, the incumbent, is a
longtime resident of Bryan, who
has worked with the Chamber of
Commerce and the Better Busi
ness Bureau. He currently serves
on the Brazos County Health
Board.
Stabler said a member of the
city council should be involved in
the community, not only working
to eliminate crime, but also to uni
fy neighborhoods.
"We're going to continue to
clean up Bryan,"said Stabler.
"More crack houses have been
torn down in the last. 18 months
than in the history of Bryan.
Everyone has pitched in to clean
up."
Stabler said he also wants to
work on a long range plan in
terms of police and fire protection
and continue efforts with the Bra
zos Valley Citizen's Crime Com
mission.
Galvin, Stabler's opponent,
said he wants to help create "a
city council that can work togeth
er and look toward the future."
"We need to provide a good
environment for the city manager
and city staff," he said.
Galvin, the assistant director
for operational services at Texas
A&M's Computer Service Center,
said Bryan has a lot of special
events coming up in the next year
that could improve the city's im
age.
"With the coming of the Bush
Library and the city's 125th an
niversary, we have some time to
really improve our city," he said.
Galvin said he intends to work
to upgrade the training of the job
force to provide residents with
more challenging and higher pay
ing jobs.
"We'd like to have more indus
tries and businesses in Bryan," he
said.
Jim Brown, Bryan's public in
formation officer, said it's usually
the mayoral race that draws high
See Election/Page 2
Committee begins search to replace Koldus
as V.P. of student services retires Aug. 31
By MICHELE BRINKMANN
The Battalion
The search is on.
A committee to replace Dr. John J. Koldus III,
vice president of student services begins its search
this week.
Texas A&M President William H. Mobley formed
the University-wide committee in April when
Koldus announced his Aug. 31 retirement.
Ron Sasse, vice president of student services and
search committee leader said the committee is still in
the first part of the selection process.
"We are now trying to build a pool of applicants
from all over the country," he said.
The committee will start reviewing applications
June 15.
"It will be a totally open process, anyone is being
considered for the position," he said.
An open forum will be held on June 10 for the
University community to give the search committee
their input.
Nominees and their qualifications will be dis
cussed by the committee.
Steven Ruth, committee member and former stu
dent body president said students are encouraged.to
attend the forum to nominate faculty members for
the position.
"The most important quality I will consider in an
applicant is his/her devotion to optimizing student
growth and potential," he said.
Jan Winniford, vice president of student services
and committee member said, "One of the main qual
ities we are looking for is someone with a genuine
interest in working with students. This is a very im
portant qualification for a chief position such as
this."
Mobley has set a Sept. 1 deadline for the commit
tee to replace Koldus. However, the position will re
main open until a qualified candidate is found.
BILLY MORAN/The Battalion
Spectators brave the mud and rain on Friday to attend the opening
orthe Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater.
Wolf Pen Creek open for business
Future developments include nature trail, picnic shelters
By JENNIFER SMITH
The Battalion
After six years of planning, the
first phase of the Wolf Pen Creek
Corridor and Amphitheater
opened Friday.
The Wolf Pen Creek Corridor,
which is located in the area east of
Post Oak Mall, runs from Texas
Avenue to the East Bypass.
Phase I of this comprehensive
project was dedicated Friday with
performances from country west
ern artists Joe Diffie, Tim McGraw
and Special F/X.
Karan Chavis, a former A&M
student, performed at a mayor's
reception prior to the perfor
mances. This was followed by a
dedication ceremony.
Future events at the Wolf Pen
Creek Amphitheater include con
certs, children's movies and an In
dependence Day celebration.
The seating capacity for the am
phitheater is 5,000, and there is
also a small dance floor in front of
the stage.
Future developments in the
Wolf Pen Creek area include a na
ture trail, a historical museum, li
brary, community center, floral
and botanical gardens, picnic shel
ters and additional lakes and side
walks.
Larry Ringer, mayor of College
Station, said the future of Wolf Pen
Creek amphitheater depends on
the public.
"To make this a success, it's go
ing to take the support of all of the
citizens of College Station," Ringer
said.
Dick Haddox, a former member
of the College Station city council,
presented the idea for the Wolf
Pen Creek Corridor to the city
council in 1987.
Haddox said he came up with
the idea for the Wolf Pen Creek
Corridor after visiting the river
walk in San Antonio.
Although Ringer credited
See Amphitheater/Page 2
Insi
Sports
•Baseball: Aggies dominate
regional tournament
•Rush: Barkley earned his MVP
award
Page 3
Opinion
•Editorial: State bill requiring
tougher crime laws, longer
prison stays should be signed
•Column: Dickerson questions
local poverty statistics
Page 5