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Today
Tomorrow
See extended forecast, Page 2.
me 103 • Issue 151 • 6 Pages
College Station, TX
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Thursday, June 19, 1997
2
csl
EWS
Briefs
si country band members
cuss Texas music and
wd participation
See Page 3.
LIFESTYLES
OPINION
ons: Citizens cry out for
ir ning labels, but should
"'are of the outcome.
See Page 5.
://bat-web,taiTm,edu
*past
Ties on
lf thgate
Nations.
warn •
pass construction
begin this week
j Kkwill begin later this month on
tsurfacingof a 6.5-mile stretch of
Bypass (Highway 6), the second
^ sofa plan to improve the surface
(section of the road that passes
gliBryan-College Station.
ie$1.5 million project will involve
(epairing, sealing and overlaying
»ay6from FM 158 in Bryan to
ks6 in College Station. Repairs
ibe made to the entrance and
mips at Harvey Road,
teprojectwill begin the third week of
m jidshould be completed by late fall.
(diology programs
accredited by APA
leAmerican Psychological Asso-
- im(APA) reaccredited Texas A&M
1 dsity’sdoctoral programs in coun-
pd school psychology for sev-
arseach.
JileAPA reaccredited the programs
J (dona self-study and a site visit.
M snyears is the longest reaccredi-
iterm possible.
^ Snce 1982, the counseling psy-
â„¢ iftprogram has been continually
sled by the APA. The school psy-
((yprogram has been continually
[“fed since 1985.
10 positions for enrollment
„..Jable in each program.
, e " ran residents can
:ree 1
la row garden tools
'lecityof Bryan and Lillian J.
tan Community Development
Won now are offering free gar-
'tools and equipment for resi-
toborrow through the Bryan
»®ityShed Program,
fetal housing the tools was do-
feltyPleasant Grove Missionary
^Church on W. Martin L. King
& The tools are available at the
A It is open on Tuesdays and
%sfrom 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and
todays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
taborrowing equipment must be
feof Bryan, present valid IDs and
^equipment check-out/in form.
idy: estrogen raises
sast cancer risk
DSTON (AP) — For older women,
Icult question of whether to take
gen for the rest of their lives has
teven more complicated,
i)Wednesday, researchers report-
Rv evidence that estrogen supple-
tsafter menopause may cut the risk
feimer’s disease in half. Today, an-
'study is coming out suggesting
bng-term use increases the risk of
ifrom breast cancer by nearly half,
hmen often take estrogen for a
Se of years to ease the hot flashes
other symptoms of menopause,
tare is little doubt about the safe-
: this limited use.
fee controversial, however, is the
hhatwomen should keep on taking
0s because of estrogen's other well-
tewefWs.
Holiday recognizes freedom, independence
Photograph: Shannon Castle
Jason Brewer sings "Wind Beneath My Wings" during the Juneteenth
celebration in the MSC Flagroom Wednesday.
By Michelle Newman
The Battalion
Black and white, young and old, stu
dents and non-students alike gathered
in the MSC Flagroom Wednesday to
observe the anniversary of the freeing of
Texas slaves nearly 132 years ago.
The crowd discussed such issues as
black awareness at Texas A&M Univer
sity and in the lives of African-Ameri
cans in the community on the eve of
Juneteenth, a now nationally-recog
nized holiday celebrating African-
American independence.
On January 1, 1863, President Abra
ham Lincoln issued the Emancipation
Proclamation, which freed slaves in Amer
ica. TWo-and-a-halfyeais later, on June 19,
1865, the news reached Galveston Bay,
and 182,921 slaves, almost 30 percent of
Texas’ population, were released.
Lasondra Carroll, chair of the MSC
Black Awareness Committee and a ju
nior journalism major, spoke to the
audience about public education of
black history.
"In school, I was told I am the de
scendant of slaves,” Carroll said. "When
I read on my own, I found out I am the
descendant of kings and queens. When
my descendants look back, I want them
to know they are the product of an en
trepreneur, a woman who did not let
anything get in her way.”
The Shiloh Baptist Area Youth
Choir performed several pieces ex
pressing hope and confidence in the
future for African-Americans.
Thomas Rucker, a member of the
choir, sang the song “I Believe I Can
Fly” by R. Kelly as the audience
swayed to the music and sang along.
Eric Durham, a sophomore speech
communication major, is a member of
the Black Awareness Committee and
Brothers of the Round Table, a new
group that mentors youths in Bryan.
He said he has concerns about the
Hopwood decision.
“I look at the members of the Shiloh
choir and I wonder how they will get
here [Texas A&M],” Durham said. “I
am here on a scholarship which will
not be available to them.”
The Hopwood decision abolished
race-based scholarships at public uni
versities in Texas.
The audience at the program con
sisted of those of African, Caucasian,
Hispanic and Asian descent.
Please see Juneteenth on Page 6.
HUD overturns
city’s settlement
with Burger Boy
By Robert Smith
The Battalion
College Station is now faced with two options for
helping Burger Boy owner George Sopasakis move
his business.
A Housing and Urban Development (HUD) ruling
on Monday overturned the city’s decision to give
Sopasakis $10,000 to help him relocate. Now College
Station must pay Sopasakis a “lump sum” up to
$20,000, based on the average annual income of his
business, or the cost of relocating and up to $10,000
for reestablishing costs.
Ongoing Coverage
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AaJmMMAJI IiVI«t* j
Mary Madden, a HUD special assistant in Fort
Worth, said HUD ruled that Sopasakis was entitled to
more money from College Station.
“When a business is relocated by the government
or by federal funds,” Madden said, "they are required
to provide relocation assistance.”
HUD’s ruling negated the $10,000 package for
Sopasakis, which was approved by the city last
Thursday, and put construction on a Northgate
parking lot on hold.
Sopasakis said he filed an appeal with HUD be
cause the city would not assist him fairly.
“When you have your own business and you are
depending on the income,” Sopasakis said, “it’s very
wrong for the city to come and tell you you are out
of business. I’m just glad that HUD stood behind us
100 percent.”
Sopasakis also filed for a temporary restraining or
der in Houston that nullified a notice from the city
that required him to leave the building.
Before beginning work in Northgate, the city re
quested guidance from HUD to stay in compliance with
Uniform Relocation Assistance (URA) regulations.
URA requires all federal projects to provide reloca
tion assistance to businesses or homeowners who are
forced to move.
After reviewing the regulations, the city deter
mined that URA did not apply to the Patricia Street re
development project.
College Station Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney said the city
believed they were complying with HUD regulations
because no federal money is being used for Patricia
Street construction.
“We have kept in contact with HUD in Fort Worth
and they have been monitoring the project,” Mcll
haney said. “We’ve contended all along that no feder
al funds have been used on the project.”
At issue is whether individual capital projects in the
Northgate area are, by definition, a single federal pro
ject. The city’s stance is that because no federal funds
have been used in either acquisition of property or
construction of the Patricia Street project, it is a sep
arate and independent project.
In 1992, the city began a utility project at College
Main to improve water and sewer lines. HUD ruled
the project did not fall under URA regulations because
it was a utility project and did not require relocation
of businesses.
Please see HUD on Page 6.
Cmdr. John
lasquez, a Bryan residehf^l
and commander of Veterans;
of Foreign Wars Post 4692, said
he feels Korean War veterans
have been forgotten.
The Bryan-College Static]
area lacks memorials and monu
ments honoring veterans of anyV
wars, he said.
But a bill passed by the Texas Legis- .
lature may help change that. L-A
“The renaming of Highway 6 as the \
Korean War Veteran Memorial Highway'^ ^
long overdue,” Velasquez said.
A bill to rename part of State Highway 6^
the Texas Korean War Veterans Memorial / v ^
Highway in honor of the 287,000 who served
and the 1,719 Texans who died in the war was
approved by the Texas Legislature and signed
by Gov. George W. Bush.
The renamed highway, which stretches
from the Red River in Hardeman County to
its intersection with Interstate Highway 45 in
Galveston County, bypasses Bryan-College
Station to the east. Fifty-eight Aggies died
while serving in the Korean War.
Sen. J.E. “Buster” Brown, a member of the
Subcommittee ofVeteran Affairs, proposed the
bill in the 75th Texas legislative session.
The purpose of the renaming, Brown said,
is to commemorate the state’s veterans who
served and fought in the Korean War.
“Many call the Korean War the ‘Forgotten
War,”’ Brown said, “but now Texas has shown
these brave men and women that they are in
deed heroes of our state and of our nation. This
highway will serve as a reminder to us all of the
supreme sacrifices these veterans offered in
the true spirit of patriotism.”
Wendy Taylor, Sen. Brown’s press secretary,
said Brown is interested in the highway be
cause it runs through his county.
“Senator Brown is from Brazoria County,
and Highway 6 is a part of that,” Taylor said.
“Buster thought it was important that these
veterans are recognized.”
The
Korean
War (1950-
1953) was a re- ^
suit of North
Korea’s crossing
of the 38th parallel
into South Korea.
When North Korea at
tacked South Korea,
United States troops were
brought in to fight as mem
bers of the United Nations. More
than 33,640American soldiers were
officially declared dead by hostile
means in the war.
Velasquez, who serves on the state
legislative VFW committee, said he feels the
Legislature’s passing of the bill is an accom
plishment.
Please see Highway on Page 6.
Mexico residents converge in border city to protest execution
MATAMOROS, Mexico (AP) — Hundreds
of Mexicans blocked an international bridge
on the U.S. border in protest of their coun
tryman’s Texas execution Wednesday and
sobbed and screamed upon hearing their
“compatriot” was gone.
Several demonstrators threw plastic water
jugs and glass bottles, yelling to U.S. journal
ists, “Gringos, get the hell out of here.” Others
threatened Texas Gov. George W. Bush and
called him “an assassin.”
The situation turned tense when several
loud booms sounded, causing some protest
ers to hit the ground. At least two protesters
fainted, but no one was hurt.
The demonstration, which swelled to
about 300 people, dispersed about an hour af
ter Irineo Tristan Montoya was pronounced
dead at 6:16 p.m. CDT in Huntsville.
Despite the reaction of some protesters, group
spokesman German Torres said Mexican citizens
would not take retribution on the United States.
“The people are going to say harsh things
today, but there will be no vengeance from
Mexico,” said Torres. “We are peaceful people.
This is a country that is full of love.”
Montoya, a 30-year-old native of Tampico,
Tamaulipas, had been on Texas’ death row for
the 1985 robbery and stabbing death of a mo
torist just across the border in Brownsville.
Please see Protest on Page 2.