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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 29, 1993)
i Pag State & Local iThursday, Jul Page 2 The Battalion Thursday, July 29,1 Lady a ] Wril Mac and Harris faces execution after 15 years the associated press 'Good Samaritan 7 killer to die Friday HUNTSVILLE - Danny Har ris, facing execution this week for a murder 15 years ago, said Wednesday he wished he could have swapped places with his brother who was put to death ear lier this month for the same crime. Harris is scheduled for lethal injection early Friday, the day be fore his 33rd birthday, for the Dec. 11, 1978, murder of Timothy Mer- ka in what became known as the “Good Samaritan" slaying. Merka, 27, a Texas A&M Uni versity employee, was beaten with a tire tool and robbed after he stopped to help Harris and his brother, Curtis, and two others who were on the side of the road with a disabled car in rural Bra zos County near Mumford. Curtis Harris, 31, was executed July 1 for his part in the slaying. He and his brother, one of three sets of brothers on the Texas death row, met for an hour the morning before Curtis Harris was put to death. They were teenagers — Danny was 18 and Curtis was 17 — at the time of the murder. "I constantly passed my love to him," Danny Harris said Wednes day. "I did tell him several times I wished they would take me, not you. I was expressing the same things to him that he had ex pressed to me. "I was trying to give him as much strength as possible." Harris, however, whose death Friday would mark the first time Elvis lives Air Force major files lawsuit claiming Elvis faked his death THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FORT WORTH — A retired Air Force major has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth against Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc., contending that the King faked his death and ran off to live a normal life. Bill Smith, the author of "Memphis Mystery: Elvis, the Man and the Myth," charges that the corporation has violated his civil rights, among other claims. The corporation has "the world's greatest mo nopoly" on Elvis memorabilia and has interfered with the market ing of his book. Smith, who also names Graceland in his lawsuit, claims the cor poration has perpetrated the "biggest fraud in the history of the world" concerning Elvis' death. He says he knows the rock 'n' roll star is alive because he's had frequent telephone conversations with him. "Nobody believes me, but I just go on," Smith said Tuesday. Donald Fulton, Smith's attorney, said the lawsuit "involves the question of free speech and right to market literary property free from interference." Carla Peyton, director of worldwide licensing for Elvis Presley Enterprises, said Wednesday she's heard of Smith, but had no knowledge of his lawsuit. r THE HAIR STATION 15% off Cut & Blow Diy or Products ■ with this coupon expires 08-15-93 J ' V Paul Mitchell • Vavoom • Biolage 693-6067 114 Walton (next to Acme Glass) M - W, F 9-6 Sat 9-2 Th 10-7 J itti FAST FEAST BUFFET PIZZA PASTA SALAD DESSERT BAR SOFT DRINKS WITH FREE REFILLS TWO BUFFETS FOR $6.99 PLUS TAX BUFFET HOURS: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Everyday 107 S. College (across from campus) expires 8-6-93 MSC Summer Dinner Theatre, The Aggie Players, Sc The C.P. Time Players Present This award winning musical drama is a toe-tappin 1 hoe-down of a story that retells the gospels of Matthew and John- translated into present-day Southern vernacular! A hilarious and subtle, yet direct approach to the Gospel. BRAVO! -Billy Graham "Exuberant!" -New York Times Performances will be on the weekends of July 23-25 & July 30-August 1 Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Dinner at 6:30 Show at 8:00 Special Sunday Matinee: Lunch at 1:00 Show at 2:30 **dinner reservations must be made 24 hours in advance** For more intormation call the MSC Box Office 845-1234 Texas authorities have executed brothers since the state in 1982 re sumed carrying out capital pun ishment, said he did not grieve for his brother. "It's amazing to me," he said. "I wanted to cry. The Lord wouldn't let me. He wanted to assure me Curtis was all right. The Lord wouldn't let me grieve. He wouldn't let me do anything negative." Harris' attorneys were hoping the federal courts would block the execution. They also asked the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute the sentence to life. Harris refused to say if he was optimistic the efforts would suc ceed, say’ ng only that he was tired after writing up to 10 letters a day to friends and supporters who had written him. "These people know the real me, unlike the way I have been depicted," he said. "They know I'm useful." Testimony showed Danny Harris held down Merka, who was pleading for his life, while Curtis beat the man with a tire iron. Court records also indicat ed Danny Harris devised the plan to kill Merka in order to steal the victim's pickup truck so he and his brother and two com panions could return home to Bryan. Danny Harris on Wednesday declined to talk about the crime. "It's not even an issue at this point," he said. "What purpose is it serving? There's nothing you can do." Brownsville man seriously injured in bee attack Tuesday THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BROWNSVILLE — An 87-year-old Brownsville man was hospital ized after he was stung more than 300 times by bees that swarmed him while he was watering a banana tree. Jose Jesus Luna was in stable condition Tuesday afternoon at Valley Medical Center, said hospital spokesman Pat Boscher. Monday's attack on Luna comes nearly two weeks after an 82-year- old man died after an attack by Africanized bees on his ranch in Starr County, about 340 miles northwest of Brownsville. When he died July 15, Lino Lopez became the first person in the United States to be killed by the so-called killer bees since they migrat ed into Texas in 1990. It has not yet been determined if the bees that swarmed Luna were Africanized bees. Texas Department of Health spokesman Jorge Her rera said test results to determine if they were Africanized will be available in about two weeks. Luna was swarmed while watering a banana tree outside a ham burger stand, when the bees' hive in a nearby building was apparently disturbed. "He was talking with a little girl, when all of a sudden the bees be gan to attack him," said Luna's daughter Blanco Diaz. Three women were also stung during Luna's attack, Herrera said. Diaz, 10-year-old Leticia Garza and her mother Elsa Garza were all stung three times. Diaz said she put Luna and the child in the store to keep the bees away from them, then tried to kill the bees by spraying them with wa ter and smashing them with a fly swatter. The TAG Heuer 6000 Series. 18-karat gold and fine brushed steel. Water-resistant to 200 meters (660 feet). TAGHeuer SWISS MADE SINCE 1860 LUimorkr Jeweler/ 3841 BellaireBlvd -Houston, Texas 77025 *713 668-5000 An authorized TAG Heuer dealer. rv £HScarr & white ' CLINIC, COLLEGE STATION Announcing Weekend Clinic Hours for Urgent Care 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Scott & White Clinic, College Station, is now offering weekend Clinic hours for urgent care by appointment only! The Weekend Clinic is conducted from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Clinic Annex building located across the street (Glenhaven Dr.) from the main clinic. By Appointment Only (409) 268-3663 ▲ Scott & White Annex UNIVERSITY DRIVE EAST Scott & White Clinic, College Station 1600 University Drive East Parking problems sti plague dome patronsl SOCCt assis Alamodome lacks bus service plan THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN ANTONIO — Public transit officials, still smarting from snafus that marred the U.S. Olympic Festival opening, are hurrying! to plan bus service for upcoming Alamodome events. More than two months after the dome's opening, there is no! clear policy on VTA Metropolitan Transit's park-and-rideorl downtown shuttle services to the huge stadium, or who will pay! for it. With only 3,200 parking spots on the premises — and a stadium| capacity of 65,000-plus — the bus is a must for many dome patrons: Tn the coming months, two National Football League preseason I games, two Southwest Conference football games, a big-name boo ing match, the Alamo Bowl and a George Strait concert are schedl uled at the Alamodome. VIA has yet to coordinate bus service with those event promtil ers, transit board chairman Arturo Sanchez said in an intern*] Tuesday. "We haven't heard from them," Sanchez said. "We're veryi cerned, and we're very serious about it ... We're notifying tl sponsors and those promoters that they need to talk to us al their transportation needs." Gary Becker, president of Pace Productions, sponsor of tel Houston Oilers preseason games and the Strait concert, said hissvl derstanding is VIA will pay for bus service to the events. Thefe:| preseason football game is next week, when the Oilers face theffafl Orleans Saints on Aug. 7. "Our opinion is the promoter of the events should not bear! responsibility — the financial responsibility — of the bus service,' Becker said Wednesday. VIA offers park-and-ride service to established San Antoni] events that traditionally attract thousands of people, like the down town Folklife Festival and the Fiesta Oyster Bake. If an event is expected to attract at least 40,000 people, "it sho kick in as a park-and-ride situation," Sanchez said. Park-and-ride service allows motorists to park at large, outlyiiy shopping center lots then ride buses into downtown for a fee. Aside from the established events, VIA generally does not vide park-and-ride service unless the event sponsor agrees to< any financial loss incurred, Sanchez said. VTA maintains that is the policy for the Alamodome, which’ technically owns and where it operates a large bus terminal. "The general assumption is VIA will run a park-and-ride service) if there's an event at the dome. That 7 s an incorrect assi tion," Sanchez said. To make sure dome events started off strong, VIA offered bus: vice to the stadium's opening ceremony, a Paul McCartney and the Olympic festival opening Friday. VI A also operates shut! from downtown parking lots to the dome, based on demand. VIA, a taxing entity, lost about $13,000 on the McCartney cor service, Sanchez said. Lecture Friday July 30,1993 7:00 pm at the J. Wayne Stark University Center Galleries cpameta CJ^^ssin^ gViedman to give [ecture on fier collection oj currently on dasptay through y\ugust 29tfi Q^eception to follow The exhibit was organized by the Asian Art Coordinating Council For more information call 845-8501 The Battalion JASON LOUGHMAN, Editor in chief MARK EVANS, Managing editor DAVE THOMAS, Night News editor MACK HARRISON, Opinion editor BILLY MORAN, Photo editor STEPHANIE PATTILLO, City editor ANAS BEN-MUSA, Aggielife editor KYLE BURNETT, Sports editor SUSAN OWEN, Sports editor FROM ST A Kathi Co dinator for champion I soccer team sistant at Te Coach G nouncemen "Kathi's young pro "She comes S ing in ip gam had a Str< ground." Conner, one year a She played fore movinj In her two won a natic and was the She wen seasons at coach G. Gi newly form Conner Hardin-Sim scholarship "We hac cants," Gu great role Having pi a knows wha and my stai Conner gree in phy in 1992. S coaching i States Socct On to Author losing ‘ NEl [Young Losing [ning t( 11992, ; [like ht [after t I of the [run fc [bled i | vev (1 I mate Staff Members City desk — Jennifer Smith, James Bernsen, Reagon Clamon, Michele Brinkmann, Jason Cox, Lisa Elliott, J. ^1 Hernandez, Janet Holder, Carrie Miura, and Geneen Pipher News desk - Lisa Borrego, Joe Holan, Lance Holmes and Denise Wick Photographers — Mary Macmanus, Nicole Rohrman, and Stacy Ryan Aggielife - Jacqueline Ayotte, John Bayless, Margaret Claughton and Jennifer Sake Sports writers - Roy Clay, Matt Rush and Mark Smith Opinion desk - Matt Dickerson, Tracey Jones, Frank Stanford and Robert Vasquez Cartoonists — Boomer Cardinale, George Nasr, Joe Reyes, Sergio Rosas and Paul Stroud Graphic Artist - Angel Kan Clerks Grant Austgen, Alishia Holtam and Lisa White The Battalion (USPS 045-360) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters 1 Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods), atW A&M University. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77840. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M Univer'l College Station, TX 77843. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. Editorial offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Buil» ir i| Newsroom phone number is 845-331 3. Fax: 845-2647. Advertising: For campus, local and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For classified advertising 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald and office hours are 8 a m. to 5 p.m. Monday tfiro Friday. Fax: 845-5408. Subscriptions: Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 par school year and $50 per full year. To charg*‘B VISA or MasterCard, call 845-2611.