The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, July 19, 1999, Image 2

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    State
Page 2 • Monday, July 19, 1999
Up to par
Bryan resident Steve Conroy, Class of ’99, shoots for par Sunday during a game of disc golf at the
Frisbee golf course at Research Park.
Fountain repairs
spark opposition
DENTON, Texas (AP) — A fledgling effort to repair two
side-by-side drinking fountains on a Civil War monument
in Denton’s courthouse square has drawn some protest
from local black community leaders.
The proposal to reactivate the once-segregated 80-
year-old stone fountains recalls memories of racism and
an enslaved South, some black leaders in this North Texas
city say.
“Why don’t we have a replica of someone being hung
and showing the facial expressions of a black man being
hung and put next to him why he’s being hung because
he looked at a white woman,” Willie Hudspeth, a black
community activist in Denton, said.
The restoration efforts, which are in their earliest
stages, certainly will spark protests and generate feelings
of ill will among blacks, Hudspeth told the Denton
Record-Chronicle.
The fountains were built and were last in working or
der when “coloreds” and “whites” were supposed to use
different public facilities, he said.
They are mounted at the base of a monument that de
picts a Confederate soldier and honors the Confederate
army, he says.
The soldier stands atop an archway that leads to the
county’s historic courthouse on the square.
Cards
Continued from Page 1
“We are all more sensitive to this issue with
the rise of electronic commerce,” he said. “It’s a
timely thing to look at, and the technology is
available to make the change.”
Floyd said the first step is to find out how the
Social Security Number is used in various areas
across campus and determine which of those
places it is not necessary.
For this purpose, the committee has been split
into two task forces. One task force will focus on
what occasions the Social Security Number is
used to identify faculty, staff and employees of
the University. The other will focus on how the
Social Security Number is used to identify stu
dents.
He said the committee will determine if these
areas can be changed quickly and with few prob
lems.
“We will identify how it’s being used and em
bedded in administrative systems,” Floyd said.
“It’s really a question of systems and software.”
He said there are still many technical ques
tions that must be addressed and, therefore, a
predetermined date as to when the numbers will
be changed has not been set, but the committee
hopes to move quickly.
“The principle reason for this change is to in
sure that individuals’ information will remain se
cure,” Floyd said.
; $ 3.95
pager airtime
Discount Paging
System
*Free Activation
‘Accessories
‘Calling Cards
PrimeCo phones sold here
RELOCATING TO DALLAS?
NEED TO FIND A PLACE TO LIVE?
• Apartments
• Condos
• Townhouses
• Duplexes
• Houses
FREE SERVICE!
We find them for you!
1-800-537-5014
214-502-5341
Ask for Katie
Part-Time Marketing Asst.
Rentsys Inc., rents personal computers, workstations and peripheral products
to Fortune 2000 nationwide. Hardware installation and software loads on
desktops and laptops from Dell, Compaq and IBM are the focus of the
business. Once completed, the equipment is delivered, set-up and supported
in a variety of corporate settings, from trade shows and user conferences
nationwide, to local installs. Opportunities exist for an individual with
experience in Quark, Publisher or Photoshop to work with the marketing
team to design and produce graphics for all promotional materials. Duties
also include marketing research, data entry, copy writing and project
management. Hours available, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. You
must be able to work 25 hours per week or more. UCS promotes a healthy
lifestyle by sponsoring a variety of sports events and hiring only non-tobac
co users. Come start your career with a winning team! EOE. To apply,
please call Mon. - Thurs., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. or visit our website.
Rental Systems, Inc.
409-595-2609
Fax (713) 718-1401
www.universalcomputersys.com
Party host convicte
in alcohol-death cap
MIDLAND (AP) — Prosecutors
say they have secured an unusual
conviction in the case of a woman
who provided minors with alcohol,
thereby contributing to the deaths
of two 18-year-olds leaving a party
at her house.
Tena Henkel, 44, was charged
with two counts each of intoxica
tion manslaughter and intoxica
tion assault stemming from the
1997 accident.
Henkel pleaded no contest Fri
day to all four charges in exchange
for a three-year prison term, Assis
tant District Attorney Teresa Cling-
man told the Midland Reporter-
Telegram. She had faced up to 20
years in prison on each of the in
toxication manslaughter counts.
However, Henkel will not go to
prison until her appeals are ex
hausted.
State District Judge John Hyde
said he will place Henkel on shock
probation, requiring her to spend at
least 180 days in prison. Then she
will face a second hearing before
Hyde, who will decide if Henkel will
be put on probation or serve the re
mainder of her sentence.
Henkel and her husband, Billy
Joe Henkel, 44, were charged with
serving alcohol to a group of mi
nors attending a party celebrating
their daughter’s graduation from
Greenwood High School.
One of the partygoers, Jose De-
LaO, drank at the party and then
wrecked his pickup truck on his
way home. The crash killed Craig
Noland and Esteban Lara and seri
ously injured two others.
Prosecutors with the Midland
County District Attorney’s Office
said they could not find a case in
the Texas Court of Appeals in
which a party other than a motorist
was tried and convicted for intoxi
cation manslaughter.
Though Henkel pleaded no con
test, she signed an affidavit agreeing
she committed the basiceM
the indictment. That doerj
her pleas provided
grounds for a conviction,!
Nonetheless, the caseiij
peal.
Court officials said Henij
tends that the affidavitshtj
does not state she wasthfl
of the vehicle, and there!
not guilty of the intoxica j
fenses.
Billy Joe Henkel was sen
in February to a three-yeij
pended prison term and pk
probation for eight years
In October, DeLaO, iw
made a plea with proseem;
120 days in the countyjailar
years probation.
Last year, the HenkelsseMjtchei
lawsuit filed by the victim;■
lies. The suit was settlrT
$354,000 to be split roughly!
ly among the four crash I
and their families.
New laws reduce prison suit
HOUSTON (AP) — Laws aimed
at curbing frivolous lawsuits filed by
prison inmates appear to be having
some impact.
According to a survey of federal
courts in Texas, the number of law
suits filed by county and state in
mates in federal court dropped near
ly 25 percent between 1995 to 1998,
from 3,903 to 2,949, the Houston
Chronicle reported yesterday.
Though few expect the state to
start collecting significant amounts
of money from prisoners who waste
tax dollars in court, the sudden drop
indicates that state and federal laws
aimed at curbing frivolous lawsuits
may be working.
“The point is to provide some
thought process in these suits,’’
said Carl Reynolds, general coun
sel for the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice. “It’s to deter the
getting-your-free-day-in-court sort
of attitude.”
“The point is to
provide some thought
process in these suits.
Its to deter the
getting-your-free-day-in-
court sort of attitude."
— Carl Reynolds
General counsel
Department of Criminal Justice
Prisoner complaints most often
deal with questions of constitution
al rights, so as many as three-quar
ters of inmates’ lawsuitsenil!
federal rather than in state c l 1
To end lawsuits over;
plaints such as no dessem:
tary confinement (asuitl
an inmate sentenced to sis I;
in a 1992 manslaughter cal |
1996 act of Congress reel
prisoners to pay a $150feei
ing a federal lawsuit,ortol
portion of that cost depecl
upon the amount of morel
their inmate accounts.
Those who have threecasl
missed as frivolous mustpoy;:|
$ 150 for every new lawsuit. I
Texas lawmakers, mear*
crafted a similar measure a ye#
Her that wipes out good-time#|
toward early release ifaoDtinSj
a prisoner has filed morethanill
frivolous suits in a year.
News in Brief
Alumni group looks
for past graduates
Graduates of Texas A&M’s For
est Science Department have
formed an alumni association and
are searching for all 675 gradu
ates of the department, which
was started in 1969.
The association is also looking
for those who graduated from the
two-year forest science program
that existed prior to the depart
ment.
Tat Smith, head of the forest
science department, said the de
partment is working on its rela
tionship with the former students.
“We want them to help us with
feedback about the department,”
Smith said.
At a recent meeting, the Texas
A&M Forestry Alumni Association
chose Nes Blair Tesno as presi
dent and Colin Townsend as vice
president of the alumni associa
tion.
Four reserved lots
closed for repairs
Starting today, four of the re
served parking lots on campus
will be closed until Wednesday.
Parking Areas 10, 15, 16 and 28
will be closed for seal coating and
repainting, if weather permits. ,
Faculty and staff members who
normally park in PA 10 may park
in the Northside Parking Garage
or the Central Campus Garage at
no charge. Also, those individuals
who currently park in PA 28 may
park in the Central Campus*I
versity Center parking garage I
no charge.
Faculty and staff whowisl
park in these garages will (i« I
enter through the visitor lanes I
pull a ticket.
When exiting the garage I
the ticket must be presente
the parking garage cashiere
with a faculty or staff pH
hangtag to have the ticket
dated before attempting to
the garage.
If the garage’s “full” lights
lit, faculty and staff are em
aged to enter the contract
and speak to an attendantvit
intercom for entry to the gas
People who park in PA 15
PA 16 may park in PA 54at
55.
NUTZ
BY R. DELUK
ALU/)YS
There's /) A
Curious... Dd/?r
(of OF RusJAJiaHj? ...)
tMcTLy bo VoU
OH, Auk CUnZ,\A)C,J
SOAJET/MES bJE
Just 5/7" /3a)D -
7KY To LJATcH 77/£>a
Crass ORo^f
> Tt's A
un jB<i A
105 YEARS AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
Kasie Byers, Editor in Chief
Sallie Turner, Managing Editor
Veronica Serrano, Executive Editor
Sallie Turner, Photo Editor
Guy Rogers, Photo Editor
Mark McPherson, Graphics Editor
Riley LaGrone, Aggielife Editor
Matt Weber, Night News Editor
Veronica Serrano, City Editor
Kyle Whitacre, Radio Producer
Ryan Williams, Web Master
Noni Sridhara, Campus Editor
Doug Shilling, Sports Edtor
Caleb McDaniel, Opinion Editor
News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of Student Publications, a unit of the Department
of Journalism. News offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Newsroom phone: 845-3313; Fax: 845-2647; E-mail: batt@tamvml.tamu.edu; Web
site: http://battalion.tamu.edu
Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display ad
vertising, call 845-2696. For classified advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald, and office hours are 8 a.m. to
5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 845-2678.
Subscriptions: A part of the Student Services Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, addi
tional copies 254. Mail subscriptions are $60 per school year, $30 for the fall or spring semester and $17.50 for the summer.To charge by Visa,
MasterCard, Discover, or American Express, call 845-2611.
The Battalion (ISSN #1055-4726) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Monday through Thursday dur
ing the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods) atTexas A&M University. Periodicals Postage Paid at College Station,IX 77840.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 015 Reed McDonald Building,Texas A&M University, College Station,TX 77843-1 111.
Battalion
Advertising
let it work foi
your business
Call
845-0569
Today
j
l
\
the
Ma
san
the
dra
Ma
less
son
leaf
1
loo’
dra
ma:
a lo
i
bro
fan:
Leo
up
alsc
teai
son
C
29tl
the
Smi
ous
and
yea
1
ton;
witl