The Galveston Daily News from Galveston, Texas • Page 7

GALVESTON COUNTY, TEXAS TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 1997 A7 Galveston Tliat's music to my ears From staff GALVESTON The Galveston Symphony Orchestra will perform at 7 p.m. April 27 at The Grand a894: Opera House, 2020 Postbffice St. The concert features compositions from three composers of different efas and styles: Johannes Brahms, the renowned German composer and conductor. Sergei a masterful Russian.composer of the modern era. Peter Ilyitch Tchaikowsky, the leading exponent of the Russian romantic period of the late 1800s.

The orchestra will perform Tchaikowsky's "Mozartiana Suite No. 4," Prokofiev's "Lieutenant Kije Suite" and Brahms' "Symphony No. 4." Now in its 17th season, the Galveston Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Richard Pickar, who was principal clarinetist with the Houston Symphony Orchestra for 31 years. Tickets for Galyeston Symphony Orchestra performances are $15 for general admission and $12 for senior citizens and students. For reservations, call the Grand 1894 Opera House at 765-1894 or toll-free from'the Houston area at (800) 821,1894.

Tickets will be available at the Opera House box office on the night of the performance. 'Galveston drifter' Evans appeals foriiew trial JACKSON, Miss. The attorney for Donald Leroy Evans gave the Mississippi Supreme Court several reasons Monday why his client deserves a new trial on charges of kidnapping, raping and murder-. ing a 10-year-old girl. The Galvestoh drifter in 1993 was sentenced to die for the 1991 strangling death of Beatrice Louise Routh.

Evans, 39, had admitted that year he had kidnapped the girl from a Gulfport park. His lawyer, William Boyd III, told state Supreme Court justices Monday that Evans deserves a new trial because, among 30 other reasons, he was "duped into giving the confession." Justices were to take at least three months reviewing the case before issuing a decision. Special Assistant Attorney General Leslie Lee urged justices to uphold Evans' conviction and death sentence, saying he invented stories of mistreatment by offi- cials and that he knew what he was doing when he signed the confession. "His attorney was right there. He knew what his rights were, and he made the confession anyway." Evans is presently in a Colorado federal prison serving a life sentence for kidnapping.

He also received a life sentence in Florida for? the 1995 killing of Ira Jean Smith. Evans had led officers from several states on fruitless searches after claiming he had killed as many as 60 people. He laid claims to serial killings in 22 states. Boyd said Evans signed the confession in the Routh kidnapping partly because he had been harassed into doing so, and only because Evans had been told it would only be used for federal prosecution not in his state murder trial. He said either Evans had inefficient counsel, or Gulfport Police Chief George Payne Jr.

misled him into signing it but either way, "bargaining confessions such as what we have here are inadmissible." Boyd also said the "absolute media circus which surrounded this case" tainted the jury pool, and that a change of venue should have been ordered. He claimed, too, that Evans had been "haraatmd, deprived of dothing, deprived of basic human necessities, deprived of sleep, questioned for three days." Lee said Evans had agreed to sign the confession as long as he could be kept in a more comfortable federal prison and receive visits from bis girlfriend. "According to Evans, all he cared about was visitation rights and where he stayed," she said." He knew from the very beginning it was going to be used in state court." Lee said Evans had generated the media interest himself by declaring himself a serial killer and white supremacist, and claiming to have information on slayings around the country in order to negotiate special favors for himself. "It would be terribly unfair to reward him with a new trial for something he created himself," she said, adding that jurors in Evans' trial had testified under oath that they could set aside what they had heard in the media. I.

GISD offering enrichment program The Galveston independent School District is offering its ond annual summer enrichment program for local elementary students. Registration for the seven-week Summer 'Camp -97 program will be from 10 a.nvto 2 p.m. May 12-30 in the GISD business office, 3904 Ave. TV The camp will run from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., June 10 through July 25.

The program will be" offered Monday through Friday. Students in grades kindergarten through second will be at Oppe Elementary School, and third through fifth-grade students will be at Scott Elementary School. Tuition for the seven-week pro-, gram is $300 per student For an application and information, call GISD at 766-5100. St. Michael's School accepting registration St.

Michael's Episcopal School is accepting registration for this fall for grades pre-K through fifth gradeV Call 935-3998 or come' by; 1601 Lake.Rbad ihla Santa Fe High will have orientation for 1997-98 Santa Fe High School will have an orientation for 1997-98, school year on at 7 p.m. today for incoming freshmen and their parents. The orientation will be held at the high school cafeteria. Scholarship deadline is slated for Friday Deadline for the Mark Kilroy Foundation Scholarship is The $2,000 scholarship will be awarded to a 1997 Santa Fe High School graduating senior who will attend a Texas college or university who plans to majoring in a human services field. The scholarship was started in 1989 after Mark Kilroy, a Santa Fe graduate was killed in Mexico during spring break.

For information, call 9253819. Ball High's Spanish Club to have festival Ball High School's Spanish Club is sponsoring its inaugural Spring Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 pm Saturday in the teachers' parking lot between 41st and 42nd streets and Avenue 0. Space will available on a first- come, first-served basis. Anyone selling food is responsible for his or her own permit.

Prices are $75 with electricity or $50 without electricity. Anyone interested should send a check, name, address, phone number and a person to contact today to Ball High School's Spanish Club, 4115 Ave. 0, Galveston, 77550. Carnival sponsored by Bolivar pep squad The Bolivar Flying Seagull Pep Squad and Drill Team Spring Fling Carnival is set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday at the school. There will be fun, food, games and a moonwalk. A inch color television will be raf- Galveston College to sponsor Indian art The Galyeston.Coltege Asian Student O'rganization and Student Activity Council is sponsoring an Indian art exhibit by Rajan Koshy, Curator of the Rice Straw Museum. The Indian Art exhibit will be on display until May 30 in the Galveston College Library. "The Faces of China" exhibit by Armin Cantini will also be on display at the Gaiveston College Library.

An Asian Day Celebration also will be held April 17. For information, call 763-6551, Ext. 302. Ball High graduation committee to meet The Ball High Project Graduation committee will meet at 7 p.m. April 17 in the Ball High-Media Centen Gifts and donations are beirig soughtto help out'for the alcohol- tickets for $100 are being sold by seniors and volunteers.

To donate gifts of buy raffle tickets, call Alice Martinez at 766-5741. eighth annual Honors Summer Math Camp to be held June 9 through July 20. Deadline for the camp is April 30. Foninforrnation, call (800) 782-7653 Ext. 484 or (512) 245-3439.

UHCL is sponsoring contest to honor elders The University of Houstorv Clear Lake is sponsoring the "Celebrating Our Elders" contest to honor African-American and Hispanic elders, in exchange for a two-page essay about a "supportive elder who best exemplifies the intergenerationa! strengths of the African- American or Hispanic commun'h ty," students are offered the chance to win one of 14 scholarships ($250 to $1,000) to attend any community college or other accredited institution for work past the associate degree. The deadline for entering this' year's contest is April 30. For information or an entry form, call On Craig M. Oettinger or Linda at UHCL at (281) CoJtege scholarship applications available Thirty-five college students who have a average in the 1996-97 school year will be chosen for 35, $1,000 scholarships from the Educational Communications Scholarship Foundation. To apply write to Educational Communications Scholarship Foundation at 721N.

McKinley Road, PO Box 5012, Lake Forest, IL 60045-5012 or fax application requests to (847) 295-3972 or e-mail requests to Application deadline is April 22. Host families needed for European students The American International Youth Exchange Program is looking for American host families for 25 students from high schools in Europe. Students, 15 to 19 will stay in the United States from August 1997 to June 1998. Families hosting a student for a year can deduct $50 a month for income tax purposes. For information, call (800) 347-7575.

Galveston College to host Physics Fair Galveston College will host the Galveston County K-6 Physics Fair from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 19 at the Hermes Fitness Center. For information, call 9456826 or 766-5880, Ext. 5650.

Math camp seeking applications Southwest Texas State Universityinvites applications from high school students for its American Legfon is offering scholarship William A. Hernandez American Legion Post No. 47 is offering O'Connell High School and Ball High School graduates a $250 scholarship. One graduate from each school will be awarded a scholarship. Graduates who already have been accepted to Galveston College, College of the Mainland or Texas at Galveston, are required to have a minimum of a.

average, submit an application, acceptance letter, write a 500-word essay on the U.S. Constitution and be available for a personal interview. Anyone interested in applying for the scholarship or donating to the scholarship fund can call 7446882. Application deadline is May 1. COM Law Enforcement offers handgun course College of the Mainland Law Enforcement Program will offer a 15-hour concealed handgun permit course through May.

All necessary training materials and equipment provided. Day, evening and one-day classes are offered. For days and times, call 938-1211, Ext. 285. COM offers day and night classes College of the Mainland Law Enforcement Program offers day and night classes through May for commissioned security officers, security firearms re-qualification, level one training, security professional development and security firearms skills practice.

For days and times, 9381211, Ext. 285. Have any school news? CaH Steve Mayo at 744-3611 or 986-7711, Ext 324, or fax your news to 966-9464. Pink flamingos are more than yard ornaments San Antonio artist Barbara Levtne poses with some of her art pink plastic flamingos that she turns into works of art by dressing thern up and writing pociiK. about tMMiu Levine teaches art and says tne flamingos go down vory woU with her students.

(AP) Cutting property taxes won't aid renters The Associated Press AUSTIN Trying to answer concerns that a plan to cut local school property taxes won't help renters, the Texas Apartment Association on Monday recommended a mandatory, one-time rent credit or rebate next January. "We want to offer something that gives renters the feeling that there is something in here for them," George Allen, executive vice president of the assor ciation, said of the tax plan. "We feel renters ultimately will benefit from lower rates." The offer came during public hearings on a plan to lower local school property taxes by more than $3 billion a year. The House Select Committee on Revenue and Public Education Funding is considering several tax changes to replace the lost property tax money. The changes include expanding the current business tax to all companies except sole proprietorships and increasing the number of goods and services subject to the state sales tax.

Only corporations pay the business tax now. Some lawmakers have said the tax changes will trickle down to consumers. That's OK for property owners who will balance the additional taxes with property tax savings and will likely end up with an overall tax cut, they say. But advocates for the poor and middle class say those people are more likely to rent and won't have any property tax savings to balance the additional tax load. "All, we can do is shame them into it," Rep.

Kim Brimer, R-Arlington, had said of getting landowners to share their savings. But Allen said his group believes the rental market will force rates down as landowners begin to see the benefits of the property tax plan, which the association supports. He said the group wants to help build support for the plan by ensuring renters that they will get something up front and in the future. "We're recommending our members hold off on their savings to share with residents," he said. The association represents about 9,500 property owners who control more than 80 percent of the state's apartments and about 20 percent of other residential rental property.

There are about 2.7 million rental residential properties in Texas, according to the group. The proposal would cover all residential rental property. It would require owners to determine their total rent income from January, divide that by each unit's rent and multiply that factor by its property tax savings. For example, a renter paying $500 a month in a complex that makes $95,000 in rent in January would get a $211 credit or rebate if the complex saved $40,500 in property taxes. The tax cut plan also includes the use of $1 billion in additional state funds.

Dianne Stewart, head of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, said that money could be better used. "Without that $1 billion, many crucial services won't be funded," she said of dedicating the money to tax cuts instead of state spending. "The solution is to give a little less (property tax) relief." The bill, and an accompanying constitutional amendment, were expected to be voted out of the committee as early as this week. PILBERT stburfa! 409-744-1411 Island Yoga! Deborah Coraad 2413 Ships Mechanic Row Gaiveston Island, Texas 77350 CalJ 409-761-8300 for information ONGOING CLASSES Family Rates Very Clean Rooms Complete Packages on Rnnions other occasions call 762-7107 28th Seawall TARMINT INSURANCE AGENCY. INC.

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