Page 8
cAggieland Auto Repair
• Oil Change starting at $ 1 7 95 • A/C Repair
Tune Ups starting at $ 39 95 • Engine Diagnostics & Repair
Coolant Systems Service $ 24 95
Electrical/Alternators/Batteries
NO JOB TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL!
Shawn Rhodes '99
ASE Certified Master Auto Technician
Mechanic on duty M-Sat. 7am-7pm Sunday by Appointment
Aggie owned and operated
STATE
Monday, August 28,i londay, August 2
THE BATTALION
Firestone CEO to testify Look ma no hands
695-2770
695-2331
901 TEXAS AVE. SOUTH
COLLEGE STATION, TX 77840
Monday Nite: Beat the Clock
Time You Call is the Price You Pay!
(from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.)
On a Large 1 Topping Pizza
Tips are appreciated
College Station
764-7272
1100 Harvey Rd.
Northgate
846-3600
601 University
Bryan
268-7272
3414 East 29th St.
BVOCKBVISIW
ATTENTION ALL BUSINESS
MAJORS:
BLOCKBUSTER will be on campus SEPTEMBER
5TH for an information session regarding our
new Corporate Finance/Accounting Job
Rotation Program
The BLOCKBUSTER® Leadership and Skills Training
program (BLAST) is a premiere entry-level training
program for energetic individuals seeking a career in
Corporate Finance. The BLAST program offers a variety
of comprehensive job rotations within the Finance and
Accounting Departments.
Come Check us out in 701 RUDDER , from 7:00pm to
8:15pm on September 5 lh .
Or e-mail Blastfa)blockbiister.com for more information
WASHINGTON (AP) — A
Texas judge has ordered the CEO
of Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. and
three other executives to appear
in the case of a couple who died
when the tread allegedly came off
of their Firestone tires, said a
lawyer involved in the case.
A lawyer for relatives of Patri
cio and Nidia Leal, who died in
the accident last May, said he
wants chief executive officer
Masatoshi Ono to explain in a de
position when the Tokyo-based
company knew that there were
problems with the Firestone tires
that are being recalled.
Ono told The Wall Street Jour
nal in an Aug. 18 story that the
company knew there were prob
lems with Wilderness tires when
used under “severe conditions”
and moved to improve the model
before the recall.
“The question that jumps up
is, ‘What did you know and when
did you know it?” ’ said attorney
Bob Patterson, who requested the
deposition. “And what changes
were they making to try and stop
the problem?”
Patterson said Texas State Dis
trict Judge John Pope issued the
order on Friday for Ono and Fire
stone executives Gary Crigger,
Christine Karbowiak, and Robert
Wyant to be deposed Sept. 15 in
Nashville, Tenn..
Patterson said attorneys may
also use the executives’ deposi
tions in other cases of accidents
involving the tires. More than
100 lawsuits were filed nation
wide against the tire makers be
fore the recall.
Congressional staff are sched
uled to meet on Monday with
Firestone executives in
Nashville. A spokesman for the
House Commerce Committee
said they will be asking when the
company knew there was a prob
lem with the Wilderness AT, ATX
and ATX II tires.
Bridgestone/Firestone re
called about 6.5 million
P235/75R15 size Firestone ATX,
ATX II and Wilderness AT tires,
often found on Ford Explorers,
on Aug. 9.
The Leals were killed in May
1999 near Brownsville, Texas,
while traveling in a Ford Ex
plorer equipped with now-re
called Firestone ATX tires, Pat
terson said.
The Leal trial is scheduled to
begin Oct. 16, the first case to go
to trial since the recall, said Sean
Kane, president of Strategic Safe
ty, a group researching the tire
problem for attorneys who are su
ing the company.
Firestone officials were not
immediately available for
comment.
STUART VILLANUEVA^The Battaui'
Sung Hoon Jung, a chemical engineering graduate student,
prepares to practice the ancient Korean martial art Kum-Doat
the Student Recreation Center Wednesday.
Stephenville school district error loses $4 million
STEPHENVILLE (AP) — Fac
ing a property tax hike and possi
ble job cuts, this town is about to
pay for the school district’s $4 mil
lion accounting error.
Stephenville Independent
School District officials say no
money is missing; the building pro
ject funds were mistakenly credit
ed to the general operating fund.
Neither the school board nor au
ditors caught the error, and the sys
tem kept spending hundreds of
thousands of dollars it did not have.
“It makes me mad because
there’s a chance kids are going to
suffer,” said Superintendent Dar
rell G. Floyd, who was hired in
March. “We have a financial situ
ation that's going to affect every
person in this community, and
that’s not right.”
For nearly two years, money for
building projects was credited to
the general fund rather than a sep
arate fund that by law must be used
only for construction. Consequent
ly, the 1998-99 budget showed a
$3.84 million balance, but it actu
ally was $ 127,000 in the red.
The deficit worsened in 1999-
2000 because the district overesti
mated revenues and kept spend
ing. When the new assistant su
perintendent for business, Debbe
Roesler, reviewed the books last
month, she discovered the error
and realized the 2000-01 budget
falls short by nearly $ 1 million.
'It makes me
mad because
there’s a
chance kids are
going to suffer”
— Darrell G. Floyd
Superintendent of S.I.S.D.
Since then Roesler and Floyd
have been scrambling to keep the
district afloat. The school system is
keeping nine teacher positions va
cant, cutting some pay raises and
implementing a 30-cent property
tax increase.
The former superintendent and
former assistant superintendent for
business retired several months
ago and could not be reached for
comment.
Floyd plans to keep cutting back
— not buying new computer
equipment for the district office,
not buying buses and eliminating
as many as 35 jobs in the next few
years — so the district can break
even in 2002-03.
Texas Education Agency offi
cials plan to visit Stephenville in
two weeks to review the cost-cut-
ting plans. The agency is not like
ly to penalize the district, even
though it does not allow school dis
tricts to maintain a negative fund
balance.
“It’s going to be a lot of hard
work, but I have the belief now that
they’ll be able to pull this off, al
though it won’t happen overnight,”
said Ed Flathouse, TEA associate
commissioner for finance and sup
port systems.
The school system also hopes to
get a boost from the football team,
which won four state titles in the
1990s. The 2000-01 budget in-
»fi
■hoi!
eludes $275,000 in revenuesta
athletics, based on figures
last year.
Generating that much
realistic in this 15,600-resi(fa
town where the 10,000-seathij
school stadium is full for
games, and it does not
much pressure on the coach*
players, Floyd said.
The Yellow Jackets arerar
No. I in this year’s preseason
for Class 4A.
“I know it will be helpful fort!
school system for us to win,”cos
Mike Copeland said. “Butthey
just kids out there. We’ll do I
very best we can. but our seas
won’t affect whether the kids
educated.”
Even with budget problems,
district is not likely to trim itshei
coaching salary. Former coach/1
Briles earned $85.000,one
highest salaries for a high sell#
coach in the state, before he Is
earlier this year to coadhatTes
Tech University. Copelandef
$75,()()() as football coach
athletic director and has atwof
contract.
Student Activities
At Texas A&M University
Use our resources to link you to
leadership skills and new friendships
that will last a lifetime.
We offer the following resources:
All-University Calendar
Fall and Spring Semester Calendars
Student Organization Guide
Searchable Student Organization Database
Programming Resources Guide
Risk Management Information
mi
l.ntmntnfTl:
For more information about our services and programs, call
(979) 845-1133 or stop by 125 John J. Koldus.
Please visit our web page at http://stuact.tamu.edu
MORE ENERGY?
IT’S AT
DreamSport
Supplements • Gear • Apparel
2551 S. Texas (across from Ft. Shiloh) 696-2949
www.dream-sport.com
pilot
settl
CH1CAG
Airlines and
tentative agrt
contract disf
world’s large
delay thousai
The two s
clock over th<
ed by the !
Board. The k
in the talks w
A spokes
Herb Hunter
any details of
he said is retr
United’s
gan this sprii
with its 10,0(
renewal.
Pilots be;
overtime, wh
do, and that
United’s aln
The pilots sa
failed to hire
ry out its pac
In a state
win, United’
ficer, said h
the agreeme
“Both sit
complex neg
industry-lead
while pro'
the com pc
success,” 1
United
sands of f
had an ab
United ap
ads and \
mercial ii
the airlim
mitment t
Shii
PORTLAr
union represe
shipmaker B,
Sunday to s
production a
shipbuilders :
The shipy
largest private
employees, pr
ers that cost al
fully equippei
shipyards that
Navy, deliver!
Members (
national Assc
and Aerospac
over the comp
proposed chai
About 85
voted to go o
tract expiree
workers then
company’s h
and set them
‘You’ve g<
up military c<
Jtofie P*ieG*unuut GeateM
* * * OF BRAZOS VALLEY
STILL HURTING FROM A
PAST ABORTION?
We are exp
Managemei
Project Man
We offer a
focus on ou
Medical lose
$100 bonu:
schedules, s
grades, and
Please
(www.freefc
♦ Peer Grief Counseling
♦ Flelp for Symptoms of Abortion Trauma
♦ 10-week Recovery Program
♦ Emotional & Spiritual Support
A?
€A
♦ Free & Confidential
Call and ask for the PACE (Post Abortion
Counseling & Education) Director.
846-1097
3620 E. 29TH ST • BRYAN
www.rtis.com/hope
■Anyi
st
Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian & Transgendered Aggies: You Have
an
Each member of ALLIES has attended a voluntary
training seminar, has resource information available,
and has pledged to provide a “safe haven”, a listening
ear, and support for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered
members of the Texas
For other support options in the BryanXTollege Station area call . . , . , „
—^ A&M community. If
you need someone to
talk to, contact an ALLY, or look for the ALLY placard, posted near each
ALLY
If you are willing to become an ALLY, training sessions
are scheduled for Wed., Sep.13, 5:30-9pm; Sun., Oct. L
4pm; Fri., Oct. 13, 2-5pm; Sun., Oct. 29, l-4pm; and
Wed., Dec. 13, 5:30-9pm.
Choose one, then RSVP to allies@tamu.edu to secure a
space and learn the Advance location.
Se<
Cor
Farcftts,FafBau and Friends otLesMaM^Giys _ .» . „
The pflag Helpline: HQ9) 694-2617' ALLY’s office or residence hall room.
http://allies.tamu.ed
Second
3808 Ok
Bry
260-1