Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 9

Monday, January 9, 1995 Deaths B4 that's Entertainment B8 Television B10 Comics Bll aidl to W. Lamrw Map of improvements scheduled for North Lamar Boulevard beginning today. B2 Lanes to be closed today eastbound and westbound on Ben White Boulevard. B2 B3 Roadworks. Two traffic lanes and the continuous center turn lane will be maintained during rush hour, but partial lane closures will begin Tuesday, including part of the northbound frontage road of North Lamar at Anderson Lane, said Debbie Pitts of the Texas Department of Transportation.

The $2.2 million state-funded project along the three-quarter-mile stretch will change some traffic patterns, add traffic lanes and add sidewalks on both sides of North Lamar Boulevard. "This project is one that has been kicked around a long time," Adding a traffic lane in each direction on North Lamar, resulting in a six-lane road with an additional continuous left-turn lane. Adding a crossover bridge over North Lamar to connect North Lamar with Anderson Lane. Constructing a raised median on North Lamar to discourage traffic from Morrow Street and direct the traffic toward Anderson. Doubling the capacity of the two left-turn lanes on North Lamar flowing onto Airport Boulevard and adding an exclusive The 18-month project will widen boulevard, add turn lanes and sidewalks By Sharon Jayson American-Statesman Staff There won't be any detours, but the 40,000 vehicles that travel along North Lamar Boulevard between Airport Boulevard and U.S.

183 each day might have to move over a bit as an 18-month roadway project begins today. right-turn lane going north on North Lamar. Adding sidewalks along both sides of North Lamar. The crossover bridge at Anderson and accompanying changes at the intersection of North Lamar with Morrow will encourage motorists to use the bridge rather than Morrow, which has been used as a shortcut to Burnet Road. Residents of Crestview have long sought relief from the additional traffic in the neighborhood brought about by the motorists traveling Morrow.

Pitts said. "There were several meetings with neighborhood groups, and city folks were involved. This is what everybody agreed upon." Improvements include: Smith to take high post in House Republican from San Antonio to direct immigration panel By Michele Kay American-Statesman Washington Staff WASHINGTON With Republicans assuming control of Congress, U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith is the only representative from Central Texas with a key leadership role in the House this year.

The Republican from San Antonio, whose 104th Congress district includes western Williamson County, was tapped Dec. 16 for the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee's immigration subcommit Staff photos by Sung Park "Water blessing Noah Mingus retrieves a cross from Town Lake, above, during a Blessing of the Waters of Town Lake ceremony Sunday sponsored by St. Elias Orthodox Church. Other swimmers who jumped in the cold water to retrieve the cross included Elizabeth Long, center, and Daniel Mingus. Noah Mingus received a special blessing from Bishop Basil Essey, left, who led the Eastern Orthodox Theophany ceremony at the lake, just east of Interstate 35.

Basil is visiting Austin from the archdiocese headquarters in Englewood, N.J. Theophany commemorates the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. Those crazy kids Just when we thought we'd heard it all, we hear this. Reagan High School officials have had to bar students from wearing of all things house slippers and hair rollers to school "That's bedroom attire," said Principal Glenn Nolly. "It's not appropriate for school It's just like the pants hanging down.

Fads and styles come and go, and as long as they go unchallenged, kids continue to do it" Austin school officials in recent years have banned everything from baggy pants, backpacks and bandanas to boxer shorts, baseball caps and the color blue. Some of the attire was prohibited because of gangs. Nolly said.the slippers and rollers have nothing to do with gangs. "We're trying to teach our students there are certain standards in life," he said, "and that if they adhere to those they have a far better chance of being successful." It's a living barely It's just getting harder and harder to make a dishonest buck. San Marcos resident Wiley Burleson Jr.

was charged with the Christmas Eve heist of a Lockhart convenience store that netted the robber "all of $7," according to police. "This guy is a hard-working, steady bandit who still doesn't make any money," said Lockhart police investigator Gerald Clough. Released on $25,000 bail Burleson, 30, threatened to blow up a San Marcos convenience store with a grenade if the clerk didn't give him all the cash as well as all the quarters, police said. The clerk complied. Police checked local businesses that accept change an adult book store and self-serve laundry and Burleson was arrested after driving up to a coin-operated laundry a few hours after the heist.

PC holiday lyrics Remember The 12 Days of This politically correct version, poking fun at everyone from environmentalists to the Los Angeles Times' stylebook, has been picked up, passed around and reprinted all over. We found the latest version, titled The 12 Days, Deconstructed, on a holiday party invitation that credits Barb Taub of Champaign, DL, as the author. Here it goes: "On the 12th day of the Eur-ocentrically imposed midwinter festival my (true love) gave to me, 'Twelve males reclaiming their inner warrior through ritual drumming. Eleven pipers piping (plus the 18-mem-ber pit orchestra made up of members in good standing of the Musicians Equity Union as called for in their union contract even though they will not be asked to play a note.) 'Ten melanin-deprived, testosterone-poisoned scions of the patriarchal ruling class system leaping. Nine persons engaged in rythmic self-expression.

Eight economically disadvantaged female persons stealing milk products from enslaved bovine-Americans. "Seven endangered swans swimming on federally protected wetlands. Six enslaved fowl-Americans producing stolen nonhuman animal products. Five golden symbols of culturally sanctioned enforced domestic incarceration. "Four hours of recorded whale songs.

Three decon-structionist poets. Two Sierra Club calendars printed on recycled processed tree carcasses. And a spotted owl activist chained to an old-growth pear tree." Scott W. Wright compiled and contributed to this column. Pamela Ward and Zeke MacCormack also If 2 tee, a prestigious assignment giv- en the national concern over immigration.

Smith also plans to use his seat on the Judiciary Committee toi fight for private property owners entangled in a debate he charac-, terizes as "the civil rights crusade of the '90s." Elected to Congress in 1988 after spending nearly two decades climbing Republican ranks in Bexar County, Smith, 47, is known on Capitol Hill as low-key and articulate. He does not have the aggressive edge of many of his Republican colleagues, but he was chosen in 1994 to be chair-See San Antonio's, B3 1 1 Cancer mortality rate New TV station focuses on 'family entertainment' Comparison of the mortality rates for the eight major types of cancers for 1986-1990 for all races, both sexes and selected sites with those of the nation and the states having the highest and lowest rates. Weekday schedule begins with cartoons, newscast. B4 i Rate per Rank Rate per Rank 100,000 In U.S. 100,000 In U.S.

Kentucky 163.6 1 D.C. O10.9 1 u.s. rrrm 48.7 us. 0 84 Texas r-l 48.2 30 Texas 0 8 37 Utah CZ3 21.5 51 Utah 06.3 51 wag i Ms 1 -i D.C. 34.5 1 N.

Dakota 7.2 1 U.S. f-n 27.4 Texas 6.4 20 Texas EZ323.2 49 U.S. 6.3 Hawaii 18.3 51 Hawaii 4.8 51 i' i as 1 "i Study finds no relation of cancer to refining By Dick Stanley American-Statesman Staff Public concern that the petrochemical industry is a major contributing factor in cancer deaths in Texas long has been spurred by accusatory studies by, among others, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But a new industry-sponsored analysis of all published and unpublished cancer and population data for the state concludes that the chemical and petroleum refining industries have made "no appreciable contribution to the cancer burden of Texas." The study was funded by the Texas Institute for Advancement of Chemical Technology at Texas University.

The institute is a nonprofit group made up of chemical industry and private and public sector members. Sharon Cooper, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston who conducted the study with eight co-workers, also con- 45.2 By Diane Holloway American-Statesman Staff Ron Oliveira, television anchor turned station ownermanager, says his new Austin station, KNVA, Channel 54 Cable 12, will offer entertainment programming that is "what Central Tex-ans want to see." People have apparently taken him at his word. One man wrote an eight-page letter suggesting programming for the station 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Oliveira said KNVA has been swamped with letters and phone calls from people suggesting programs to fill the schedule that begins today. "A lot of people who did write, we responded to their wishes," Oliveira said.

"Do you know what the No. 1 program requested was? Andy Griffith, and we're putting that on." In fact, for the most part, Oli-veira's banking on old shows such as Hawaii Five Happy Days, Hogan's Heroes and The Beverly Hillbillies. "We're hoping to be your local family entertainment channel," Oliveira said from his office, which is at KXAN, Channel 36 Ca- D.C. U.S. Texas Hawaii 1 48 51 New Jersey 8.9 U.S.

7.8 Texas 6.5 Hawaii 5.5 EZ3 25 EH 22.5 315.4 46 51 ble 4, thanks to a license-management arrangement with that station. "Classics everybody keeps going back to yesteryear for shows with morals and family values things that are just fun to watch." The new shows on KNVA will come from the fledgling Warner Bros. Television Network. But that programming constitutes only two hours a week on Wednesday nights with four sitcoms The Wayans The Parent 'Hood, Unhappily Ever After and Muscle. Oliveira said KNVA will run weather reports from 2 a.m.

until cartoons begin at 6 a.m, with updates at the top of every hour dur ing the rest of the broadcast day. "We really created a monster with this local weather Oliveira said with a chuckle. "People call up and thank us for having it, and when we don't See Station, B4 D.C. IZ3 25.9 1 Vermont 0 7.1 1 U.S. G319.4 U.S.

6 Texas 016 46 Texas 5.3 45 Utah D13.6 51 Mississippi I 4.8 51 Source: National Cancer Institute Staff graphics eluded that there were insufficient data to evaluate the cancer risk of industry workers other than white men and that more study of the situation is needed. For instance, the study found that in comparison with other states, Texas has one of the lowest mortality rates for each of the major types of cancer and for the period 1986-90 ranked 37th for all See Health, B2.