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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 17, 1996)
The Battalion 1. 102, No. 166 (6 pages) Serving Texas A&M University Since 1893 THE BATT ON-LINE: http://bat-web.tamu.edu Wednesday • July 17, 1996 despite a smi, md music newfound fun!, more represer. and less gh the band e mt overpower ir Turtle. wt one of Con linton agrees to nti-Cuba sanctions is — the mn l I simple, ano uglily repeti l t totally irre II cannot help k’s swinging ir how basic, i more alive d the back- d hand-clap- mt of his bip ncorporates rock, jazz or- lectric guitar ien to any of sic. In “Hear organ helps ; and gives it ozehound.' electric gu:- md is quick ; sound mu- screech and nto new mu- > be fruitless . But for a mnick, a re- npossible. It table. ■ WASHINGTON (AP) — Anxious to avoid a fight with allies, President Clinton pro duced a surprise compromise on anti-Cuba Sanctions that delayed a final decision be yond the November elections, yet won praise l-om Cuban-Americans. I The question was ■whether Americans B/ould have the right lo sue foreign compa nies doing businesses In Cuba on property leized by the Castro legime after the 1959 Jevolution. On Tues day, Clinton granted he right to sue but hen imposed a six- nonth moratorium on ny legal action. The president could xtend the moratorium in six-month ntervals indefinitely. America’s allies, who were outraged it the threat of penalties, breathed a igh of relief. And Cuban-Americans, CLINTON eager to increase pressure on Fidel Cas tro, hailed Clinton’s decision as a step in the right direction. The net result was to delay a final de cision on politically sensitive sanctions until after the U.S. elections. Clinton’s decision also defused an issue that could have been a liability for him in Florida and New Jersey, two states with large Cuban-American populations. Clinton said his action — with the threat of lawsuits — should spur Ameri ca’s allies to join the United States in pressuring Castro to embrace democratic and economic reforms. “By working with our allies — not against them — we will avoid a split that the Cuban regime will be sure to exploit,” the president said. Republicans cried foul. Presidential ri val Bob Dole said Clinton was “trying to have it both ways” with Cuba. “The bot tom line is that President Clinton will not allow American citizens any legal re course in American courts for the proper ty stolen by the Castro regime,” he said. Bus route changes because of road work By jody Holley The Battalion Navigating the maze known as Texas A&M has never been easy. This summer, driving around cam pus has become even tougher. In June, one lane of Ross Street between Ireland and Spence streets was closed off so the Physi cal Plant could check the under ground utility lines for damage. Charles Sippial, assistant vice presi dent for the Physical Plant, said repair plans will have to wait a little longer. “We plan to get a camera that will run through the drain lines to check and make sure there are no broken lines, but right now we’re still waiting on the camera to get here,” Sippial said. “We are planning to do an excavation to see what it would take to repair the lines if they are damaged.” Tom Williams, director of Parking, Transit and Traffic Services, said the surface damage to Ross Street stems from a flood in the late ’80s that caused the pavement under the sewer line to give way. He said the Old Army bus route has been changed to accommodate the street’s partial closing. One of the bus stops has been moved, but only across the street to compensate for the one way traffic. “This has added time to the bus route, but routes have been changed before to accommodate construction,” Williams said. Melissa Fuss, a junior communi ty health major, rides the Old Army bus to work. “Because I don’t use it that often, the change really hasn’t affected me at all,” she said. Sippial also said other than repair work, no street resurfacing projects are taking place right now, but he added tentative plans to resurface New Main Street are on hold. “We’d like to tear it up and make it a grand entrance to the University to coin cide with the Texas Avenue construc tion,” Sippial said, “but right now it does n’t look like the funding is available.” Williams also said Lubbock Street will eventually close and become a controlled access area as part of the library garage project. “Next spring or summer, as we con tinue to formalize and limit access, Lubbock Street will be closed to allow access to the library garage,” Williams said. “This will make it more pedestri an-friendly.” “There was a plan to make Lubbock a pedestrian mall, but the funds are not available, so it isn’t an active project right now,” Williams said. Irvin apologizes to family, fans IRVING (AP) — Brash, sometimes arrogant Michael Irvin had to endure the most humbling and embarrassing day of his life. Irvin apologized Tuesday to his family, teammates and Dallas Cow boy fans for a sordid scandal that in cluded drugs and topless dancers. Agonizingly, he faced almost as many cameras and reporters as team owner Jerry Jones did the night he fired Tom Landry. More than 30 mini-cams and 100 media members watched as Irvin talked without notes about his mis takes. There were no questions. “I hurt to the bone,” Irvin said while members of his family including his mother. Pearl, and wife, Sandi, and his two daughters looked on. Baby Chelsea, still being bottle fed, provided the only light moment for her moist-eyed father, who was interrupt ed several times by her jabbering. It gave the grim Irvin his only chance to smile. Irvin even apolo gized to his late fa ther, who died while he was a se nior in high school. “I’m not the man my father was,” Irvin said in a bare- IRVIN ly audible whisper. “There’s no getting around it,” he said. “I was wrong. I was wrong.” The star receiver was 40 minutes late for his own press conference at the Cowboys’ Valley Ranch headquar ters hours after a judge sentenced him to four years’ probation and 800 hours of community service for his no-contest plea to a felony cocaine possession charge. “I’d like to apologize to my family,” Irvin said. “I shall work on being a better father. I shall work on being a better husband.” The center of a scandal involving topless dancers, allegations of drug and sex parties and a murder-for-hire plot, Irvin said he will not report to Cowboys training camp when it opens Wednesday in Austin. Instead, he said, he was going to Miami to be with his wife and children. “I’m going home to talk with my wife, and we’re going to decide what well do from there,” Irvin said. Family Medicine Center provides residencies for med school graduates By Ann Marie Hauser The Battalion Slew Milne, The Baitalion GOING FOR A SPIN Scott Meadows, a senior environmental design major, circles Albritton Tower Tues day morning after returning from a ride to Caldwell. Texas A&M University’s College of Medicine realized a 15-year-old dream on Monday with the opening of the Family Medicine Center of the Brazos Valley in Bryan. Operated by the Family Practice Residency Foundation, the clinic offers a family medicine residency program for medical school graduates. Dr. Nancy Dickey, director of the Family Practice Residency Program, said patients will ultimately benefit from this program. “In a lot of ways, the patients get the best of both worlds,” Dickey said. “Be cause they’ve just graduated from med ical school, the residents have the latest science right at their fingertips, and the supervising physicians have years and years of experience to draw on.” Residencies are three-year pro grams where future physicians re ceive additional training in special ized medical areas. Residents in the program assume a dual role of caring for patients and at tending formal classes and seminars. Dr. H. David Pope, director of the Family Medicine Center, in corporated his own practice into the Family Medicine Center and works along with Dickey in super vising the residents. “Our job is to try and take care of people,” Pope said. “This is an ideal place to develop a Family Practice Residency Program.” To serve patients as efficiently as possible, a laboratory, pharmacy and X-ray equipment are available on the premises. Dr. Christopher Cole, a summa cum laude graduate of the Ohio State University College of Medicine, is the first resident to the program and be gan seeing patients on Monday. Cole came to Bryan from Houston where he had already completed a resi dency in radiology and oncology. Unhappy as a specialist, he recog nized the need for doctors in family medicine and decided to switch. “It (family practice) is a better uti lization of resources,” Cole said. “The distribution of doctors is terrible. The big city is too concentrated.” The next resident will join Cole in November, and eventually 16 or more will fill the allotted 18 positions by July 1997. Dickey said many potential residents have inquired about the program. “People were interested in the pro gram before it was even accredited,” Dickey said. “We’ve been fascinated.” Dickey estimates the clinic will eventually have a patient population of 10,000 to 15,000. Medical students find residency programs through various means such as computer matching systems, booths at medical fairs and brochures. Dr. Lamar McNew, a clinical pro fessor of the Family Practice Residen cy Program, said this is an exciting and challenging time. “It’s a blast,” McNew said. “They’re (residents) excited about learning. Our eagerness to teach is like sharks in a feeding frenzy.” Gore: Yeltsin looks ‘in good health’ Colonias project helps border residents MOSCOW (AP) — Somewhat stiff and slow-moving but quick with a smile, Boris Yeltsin met with A1 Gore on Tuesday and eased some of the concerns about his frag ile health. “He looked good to me,” said Gore, the first Western leader to see Yeltsin since the latest speculation about his health flared up iiefore the July 3 presidential election. The worries surged again Monday when Yeltsin suddenly canceled a planned meeting with Gore and went off to a government health resort outside Moscow. Aides described him as “very tired” and in need of rest. With slow, cautious movements, Yeltsin Paced back and forth in the moments be fore Gore came in to greet him at the re sort. He was alert, grinning as he and the U.S . vice president joked. Monday’s postponement was the latest ® a string of no-shows that began near the ond of Yeltsin’s vigorous campaign for a second term. Since then, Yeltsin had been seen only in official TV footage and careful ly scripted Kremlin events. “He seemed to be in good health, relaxed, smiling and seemed very actively engaged in fee subjects we discussed during our conver sation,” Gore said after the meeting in fiarvikha, seven miles from Moscow. Gore left later to return to Washington. Yeltsin’s meeting with Gore was his first appearance before the foreign media since falling ill last month with what offi cials said was a bad cold. Concerns about Yeltsin’s health are sure to persist. He has had two bouts of serious heart trouble in the last year, suf fers from a bad back, and is prone — by his own description — to bouts of drink ing and depression. Aides say Yeltsin is exhausted from the grueling campaign schedule, but not sick. The Clinton administration was a strong supporter of Yeltsin’s re-election bid against a Communist challenger. Gore congratulated Yeltsin on his victory, and praised his dancing at a campaign rock concert. “You learn all kinds of things when you’re running for office,” Yeltsin replied with a laugh. Gore said the two had a “good conversa tion characterized by a great deal of warmth and personality.” He called the talk “enjoyable.” Gore also met Tuesday with Yeltsin’s new national security chief, Alexander Lebed. They discussed the political situa tion in Russia and nuclear security issues, the Interfax news agency said. By Tauma Wiggins The Battalion The Texas A&M Center for Housing and Urban De velopment has received national attention for assisting low-income communities along the Texas-Mexico border. The department was selected as the Most Significant Sustainable Community Development Program in Texas by President Clinton’s Council on Sustainable Development. Colonias are small communities made up of to three to 5,000 people along the Texas-Mexico border. Resi dents developed these communities because of a lack of low-income housing, according to a press release from the College of Architecture. David Ellis, assistant director for planning and eco nomic development, said Colonias residents are hard working and do not let their financial circumstances stop them from providing a home for their families. “I think one of the most rewarding things I’ve seen is the people who live in the Colonias,” Ellis said. “They are entrepreneurs at heart. They’re pursuing the American dream — building their own town home on their own lot. They’re not sitting around waiting for someone to help them.” Ellis said the ideology behind the Colonias program is to provide these communities with services from which they are isolated, such as community centers. “The concept is simple,” he said. “What we do is work in the Colonias. They are socially and economically isolated and we try to reduce that. We build community centers, but what’s unique is what goes on inside the building.” Many programs have been implemented in the Colo nias, ranging from health education and baby clinics to boy and girl scouts and job training. Martin Sanchez, economic development coordinator for the Texas A&M Center for Housing and Urban De velopment, said the Colonias Project is also responsible for helping residents find job training and employment. “With job training we’re not creating a dependency, so when we start walking away from a community they can work on their own,” Sanchez said. Sanchez said in a study of a Colonias project in Lare do by Kermit Black from the Center for Housing and Ur ban Development, Colonias communities showed a high er average income than the inner-city citizens of Laredo. He said in the inner-city community, low-income housing is relatively inexpensive but not a better living arrangement than the Colonias. “Low income-housing can be $500 to $600 a month,” Sanchez said. “Do I want to live in a slum for that rate or buy a piece of land that I will own? They (Colonias residents) aren’t trying to be squatters, they are making a rational choice.” One problem many Colonias residents experience is buying land at a cheap price, only to realize there are no facilities such as running water, sewer systems or even roads, Sanchez said. Texas A&M has implemented 17 Colonias programs along the Texas-Mexico border and is nearing comple tion with its current project in Laredo.