PAGES
Wednesday’s issue
A complete guide to the Texas
Film Festival - events, films and
special guests.
ers petition for
emoval of mayor,
luncil members
r ballon to® 3
Simpson Drill?:.
BY AMANDA SMITH
The Battalion
?stions about
and who repe
1 to provide th
hing to answi
>stions directei
Generally loqu
ty whip is bins
arding a laws
1 in 1994 bya
o claimed Dei
tner weretryir
he pest contro
• We have an
t,” Delay told;
ters in a bn
inter earlier tit:
A citizens’ petition circulating
iojiege Station aims to remove
,e members of the College Sta
rt City Council, including Mayor
tn Mcllhaney.
Five College Station registered
ers presented an affidavit Friday
ZitylSecretary Connie Hooks re-
estiilg recall petitions. In accor-
icejwith the city charter, the
iup has 30 days to gather signa-
es from at least 40 percent of the
al number of registered voters
10 had cast votes for the posi-
ns ih the May 1998 elections.
Swiki Anderson, a City Council
tmber, said he advocates the re-
lofkhe mayor and members of
t cBncil because of their lack of
nsidjeration for the majority of
liege Station residents, includ-
l their endorsement of the
Jrthg.ite parking garage develop
ed fl/id their responses to the
unson Avenue controversy.
“There are some vindictive,
ntrojling and mean people in
ty Hall now,” Anderson, said,
lere, we live in a community
lichlis supposed to be enlight-
Bd. iThe voters are now begin-
ig to question some of the ac-
ns of the City Council. ”
An individual recall election for
? mayor and city council mem-
rs Ron Silvia, Larry Mariott,
ivid (Hickson and Anne Hazen
11 be held if the petition receives
ough signatures.
Mayor Lynn Mcllhaney said
ch of the council members being
nsidered for recall faced at least
fee opponents in the May 1998
tctions.
“My hope is that people will up-
Id the election results from last
aylMcIlhaney said. “There will
vays be at least one to disagree
th the decision made by the City
Hindi. Based on the feedback I
veReceived from the public, I
ji informed the city is well-man-
ed and well-run. I feel like we
have been very pro-active in get
ting feedback from the citizens.”
Mcllhaney said that in the 1998
citizen survey. College Station cit
izens gave city services a 93 per
cent approval rating. She said the
survey is conducted annually, and
536 citizens were contacted. She
said the majority of the services
addressed in the survey received a
ranking of 90 percent or higher.
Hooks said a recall election
would require 1,523 signatures for
Mcllhaney, 1,482 signatures for
Hazen, 1,463 signatures for Mari
ott, 1,444 signatures for Silvia and
435 signatures for Hickson, each
based on the number of votes re
ceived by the candidates in May.
Benito Flores-Meath, one of the
five College Station residents who
submitted the affidavit, said the
five council members he recom
mends recalling continue to act in
the interest of special groups, not
the majority.
“When the City Council contin
ues to ignore hundreds of people,
something is wrong,” Flores-
Meath said. “Now it is time to re
call and to get a fresh set of faces
on the City Council. People are
coming out of the woodwork and
giving support. We have had a lot
of people sign our petitions.”
After conversations with con
stituents over the weekend, Hazen
said she does not think the petition
will receive much citizen support.
Hazen, who was elected in May
1998, said the city council has acted
in the best interest of the majority.
“I feel that our council and the
city staff have done our best to
handle the matters brought before
us,” Hazen said. “I feel the city
council is very representative of
the people. It is very unfortunate
that it came to this.”
In a letter released Feb. 20, An
derson said he will not run for re-
election to the College Station City
Council in the upcoming May elec
tion.
see Petition on Page 2.
Daily grind
MIKE FUENTES/The Battalion
Scott Mills, a senior agricultural development major, grinds his new barbecue pit at the Parsons
Mounted Cavalry complex Monday evening.
Welfare-reform advocate voices concerns
BY NONI SRIDHARA
The Battalion
Star Parker, president and founder of the Coalition
on Urban Renewal and Education (CURE) and a for
mer welfare recipient, said the steps people should
take to leave the arena of poverty include having a
sense of moral obligation and a strong work ethic, get
ting a good education, and saving and investing mon
ey wisely.
Parker said under the objective of moral obligation
everyone must be self sufficient and personally re
sponsible.
“We have fallen victim because of our environment
and not our personal choice,” Parker said.
Parker said she was involved in drugs and was
promiscuous, and she used abortion as a form of birth
control.
Parker said the “leftist” groups are responsible for
keeping the poor in a lower status because they can
not empathize with the poor. She said liberals should
not try to legislate on behalf of the poor.
Parker emphasized the importance of receiving a
good education.
“In this country, you have to become proficient in
English and math to leave poverty,” she said.
She said many of the schools are creating programs
such as bilingual education just to receive more funds.
Parker said this does not help the poor; it just con
tributes to the problem of those dependent on welfare.
Mike Fuentes/The iihTAUON
Star Parker, founder and president of CURE, speaks
speaks Monday night.
Parker said the welfare program and the hopes for
the “great society” stole the work ethic.
“Some of the key points to a strong work ethic are
hard work, postponed gratification and diligent efforts,”
she said.
Parker said welfare sometimes encourages single-par
ent homes, and many of families receiving welfare are
headed by single mothers. She said 80 percent of peo
ple on welfare have had children out of wedlock.
“Many a times, it is the fathers who teach their sons
the importance of working, but in single-parent fami
lies, they do not have an example to follow,” she said.
She said 70 percent of the males who come from sin
gle-parent families get into serious trouble during their
see Parker on Page 2.
Health clubs
to present
symposium
for students,
graduates
BY LISA K. HILL
The Battalion
Representatives from health-re
lated professional schools will offer
students information on the criteria
necessary to be admitted to medical
school at the ninth annual Health
Professions Symposium.
The symposium, today from
10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the MSC
Flagroom, is sponsored by the Ex
ecutive Council of Health Organiza
tions (ECHO), an organization of
1,500 students from nine pre-health
clubs on campus.
Dr. Anne Blum, director of Pro
fessional School Advising and an
ECHO adviser, said the symposium
will provide information for stu
dents and graduates.
“Students are able to meet and
talk with deans of admissions on
their acceptance standards,” she
said. “Former Aggies who are now
attending these schools will also be
there to give advice.”
The Baylor College of Medicine
and four University of Texas medical
schools and physical-therapy, physi
cian-assistant and other health-re
lated professional schools will be
represented at the event.
“We suspect around 1,000 stu
dents will attend to talk with the
reps,” she said. “In the past, stu
dents have had a positive reaction,
and we hope to continue that
trend.”
Kris Heinzman, president of
ECHO and a senior biomedical sci
ences major, said a great effort has
been made to ensure the event is a
success.
“ECHO sells T-shirts during the
freshman conferences which raises
the bulk of the money,” he said. “We
also collect $1 dues from each mem
ber of the nine clubs. ”
The symposium is free to atten
dees. Parking in the John J. Koldus
Parking Garage and lunch will be
provided at no cost.
Jivision of
J Urgency
Management
■epares, educates
Jans about
ingerous
mther.
BY APRIL YOUNG
I The Battalion
In fen attempt to increase
tow]edge of potential haz-
is [severe weather can
j.use, the week of Feb. 22
b been declared Severe
eather Awareness Week
199 for Texas and surround-
; states that are affected by
tilai weather patterns.
For three decades, the
jtverinors of each state have
^Ked a Severe Weather
rareness Week.
Don Rogers, assistant pub
lic information officer for the
Division of Emergency Man
agement (DEM), said be
cause of Texas’ geographical
diversity, different types of
weather occur throughout
the state.
“Texas’ geographical di
versity means that we have
flash floods, tornadoes and
hurricanes throughout the
state,” Rogers said. “It is im
portant that people are made
aware of the necessary pre
cautions to take during these
types of weather.”
Rogers said the leading
cause of death in severe
weather is flooding.
“The number one weath
er-related cause of death in
Texas is flooding because
people tend to think that they
can go into a flood without
paying attention,” he said.
According to the National
Weather Service, the south
ern flooding in January 1998,
which included Texas,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Al
abama, Florida, Oklahoma,
Arizona, Tennessee and Ken
tucky, resulted in 10 deaths.
Rogers said there is a his
tory of severe weather in
Texas, but no particular area
harbors it more than another.
“East Texas tends to have
drought and fires; coastal ar
eas have hurricanes and tor
nadoes, while the central
area has flooding and torna
does,” Rogers said. “So Texas
in general is not particularly
affected by one type of severe
weather. ”
According to the National
Weather Service, during the
Dallas-Ft. Worth flash flood
ing and hail in May 1995,
$900 million in hail damage
was reported as well as 21
deaths and 510 injuries.
For this reason, DEM has
designed an informational
packet which contains media
advisories, press releases and
feature articles about prepar
ing for tornadoes, flash
floods, thunderstorms and
lightning.
see Weather on Page 2.
Significant Weather Events - 1998
30
6 Deaths
SIB million damage
Wyoming
South Dakotar*
Nebiaska. \
Cobiado
New Meftctr
Heat Ware/Drought
june/July
TX; OK, LA
300+ cfeatha
$6 billion cfamage
Tropical Storm Charley
August 31-36
IX, 10 cfeatha
Severe flooding
$300 million
Texaa Floodng
October 17-39
39 deaths
$750 million
Southern Flooding
January 4-8
TX,LA,M£AL,FL,
OK,AR,TN,KT
10 deaths
Hurricane Earl
Aug 31-Sept 3
FL, 3 deal ha
$70 million
damage
Hurrica
, Severe Thunderstorm
Vermont ! SejAember 7-B
y NT, NJ, PA
4 cfeatha
,000 without power
Massachusetts
Winter StcrmKrtood
January 6-9
ME.NHTT * MT.WK Pt,
m; SC. 7 deaths
$500 nil lion damage
la tot*; —
Hurricane Bonnie
August 19-38
N£, I cfeath
$1 billion damage
V__
March 30 I ocnadoes
"ri GJC nc; T*
.—I 14 cfeaths
$16 rraliion GAU.
Florida Fireat
Miy 35-July 15
t cfeath, $390+
million damage
CentrM Fiorirfei
T ornadoes
Feb 22 -23
42 death;
$IOO+ million
damage
Georggg
Sept 18-39
AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, PR
3 U.S. deaths
$3-$4 billion damage /
Graphic Courtesy of the National Weather Service