El Paso Times from El Paso, Texas • 16

4D El Paso Times Saturday, Sept 9, 2000 TEXAS Officer dies from pipeline blast near Abilene dozen people to conduct an investigation and assist local, state and federal authorities, spokeswoman Lauren Kerr said from the company's office in Fairfax, Va. Kerr said the pipeline companies have a "one-call" program. It requires anyone excavating in an -area with pipelines to call to make sure that the excavating won't; lene police officer driving home from work. It was the second deadly pipeline explosion in less than a month. Twelve New Mexico campers died in one of the nation's deadliest pipeline explosions on Aug.

19 near Carlsbad. Thursday's explosion near the Abilene Regional Airport claimed the life of a 21-year police veteran, Jay Hatcher, who authorities think drove into a haze of the seeping propane gas and caused it to ignite. Hatcher, 42, died at Lubbock's University Medical Center on Friday morning, less than 12 hours after the blast. He was burned over 90 percent of his body. Franssen was released from Abilene Regional Medical Center late ByPam Easton Associated Press LUBBOCK Abilene resident Rita Franssen was standing in her back yard when she spotted a wall of fire coming toward her the deadly product of a nearby pipeline rupture on Thursday.

Franssen quickly jumped into her pool, just beating the flames that passed over her head and leveled her home, officials said. "She saw it coming, and she had the presence of mind to leap into her swimming pool That's what saved her life," Abilene police Sgt. Kim Vickers said Friday as officials waited for the gas to burn off before beginning an investigation into what caused the pipeline ex-plosioa The blast killed an Abi jntt mm .14 pose a threat to the lines ana tnat the area is safe to work in. "From the information we have, that failed to happen," Kerr said. "If that is the case, it really would be an inexcusable deviation from a very common practice." Carter says the bulldozer's operator was able to jump from his equipment and run to safety before the explosioa 2000 Election Galveston remembers the Great Host forces Houston to boost water fines Record-setting heat and drought, which have already cut into the state's water supply, will soon start cutting into residents' wallets in Texas' largest and fourth-largest cities, Houston and San Antonio.

During an emergency meeting Thursday, the Houston city council voted 10-1 to begin mandatory conservation measures, which carry fines of as much as $500 for excessive and nonessential water use. San Antonio is scheduled next Thursday to adopt a regional ban on outdoor water sprinklers for areas that receive water from the eastern portion of the Edwards Aquifer. Since July 28 San Antonio has been under mandatory conservation measures, which limit residents to once-a-week sprinkling. Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas' second- and third-largest cities are under voluntary water conservation, and Austin is in the first stage of mandatory conser- vation. Gore gasning on Bush in Texas, poll shows AUSTIN A Scripps Howard Texas Poll released Friday shows Vice President Al Gore has slightly eroded Texas Gov.

George W. Bush's huge lead in his home state. Bush leads Gore 53 percent to 30 percent, down from 57-24 in the poll's June survey. The random statewide teleohone survey of 1,000 adults was conducted Aug. 7-30 for Texas media organizations.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent-, age points for the entire sample, and larger for some subgroups. Eighty-four percent said they were registered to vote, and of those, 95 percent said they were likely to vote in November. According to the poll, Gore's gains in Texas were largely among young voters, female voters and black voters. He improved 8 points among women and 19 points among blacks. Despite Gore's gains, Republican consultant Bryan Eppstein said the race is almost unchanged statistically and predicted that Bush will have long coattails.

Houston fears ozone may deter businesses HOUSTON Houston's rank 'II I -t 'd 1- i.iV I rirv Liebemian: Bush failing uninsured By Mary Lee Grant Associated Press HOUSTON Vice-presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman criticized George W. Bush's record on children's health care during a visit to the hometown of the governor's parents, George and Barbara Bush. The Democratic senator from Connecticut listened to the stories of parents who can't afford health care for their children, and said Gov. Bush, the Republican presidential candidate, is largely to blame for a system in which he said 1.4 million Texas children have no health insurance. On a stage at a community center in an East Houston barrio, Lieberman, dressed casually in khakis and polo shirt, seemed at ease talking with parents as their-2-year-olds screamed and tried to climb on his lap.

When 14-month-oId Austin Bridges plowed headlong into Lieberman's legs, the candidate laughed and said, "This could be a Hatcher approached. "He had no way of knowing what he was driving into at all," Vickers said. Authorities expected the blaze to burn throughout the day Friday. Investigators from the Railroad Commission and the state fire marshal's office planned to begin their investigations as soon as the blaze burns out. Taylor County Sheriffs Department Maj.

Ed Carter said about 30 people have been evacuated from their homes because of the danger of the burning pipeline touching off another pipeline in the area. "This entire country is crisscrossed with pipelines," Carter said. Exxon Mobil which owns the ruptured pipeline, sent about a Storm spite modern weather technology, no coastal city can ever consider itself safe from hurricanes. "The fact is this could happen again. We must remember that," Baker said.

The event's keynote speaker was Dan Rather, the "CBS Evening News" anchor whose early claim to fame was his daring coverage of 1961's Hurricane Car-la, which also hit Galveston. In 1900, Galveston was the state's fourth-largest city, an important gulf port whose per-capi-ta wealth was among the highest in the nation. Though about one-sixth of the town's 38,000 residents perished, the city refused to die. To hold future tidal waves at bay, the community built the sea wall, and the man-made defenses have held firm in the hurricanes that have swept the area since. Today, those who died will be commemorated by a 10-foot bronze statue built at the sea wall.

It shows a man, a woman and a child looking toward the islands. For more Information: www.1900storm.com; www.galveston.com islebeaVgchm.html it l.n. IM IU Friday with second-degree burns mostly limited to her face, hospital spokeswoman Chris Proctor-Cleveland said. "She was a very smart woman from what I'm told," the spokeswoman said of Franssen's actions. "She apparently used to work in the oil patch and recognized the smell.

She called 911 and went outside and then saw the fireball coming at her." Hatcher and Franssen were the only victims of the blast, which leveled two homes, including Franssen's, and burned acres of grasslands. Authorities believe a bulldozer ruptured the line Thursday afternoon, causing the propane to seep into the area. As the gas formed a haze along State Highway 36, praise for those who did. D. James Baker, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, used the event to pay tribute to Isaac and Joseph Kline, whose descendants were in the audience.

The Kline brothers were government weather forecasters who tried to warn Galveston residents to seek higher ground on the morning of Sept. 8, the day of the storm. Baker told the crowd that de Largest jackpots $75 million: March 16, 1994. $65 million: Aug. 27, 1994.

$65 million: Oct. 21,1998. $60 million: Aug. 19, 1995. $60 million: Sept.

8, 2000. changes in May. Because the grand prize is harder to win, jackpots roll over more often, creating large prizes like the one in this week's game. "What we're seeing confirms what we said all along and that was we knew we had to do something to return the excitement," said Keith Elkins, a lottery spokesman. For more Information: www.txlottery.org 'tit Photos by Pat Sullivan Associated Press Colin Messinger, 7, was held by his mother, as he looked out swept away in the Great Storm.

More than 6,000 'people were over the surf Friday in Galveston at the site where 100 years ago killed when a surprise hurricane raged across the island on Sept. 90 children and 10 nuns died when St. Mary's Orphanage was 8, 1900. Hurricane's victims honored throughout city ''fltj it i Jim' future Houston Texan," referring to Houston's new NFL franchise. Lieberman said Bush has fought efforts to expand health-care cov-'L erage to 220,000 children and didn't change complex adminis- trative procedures that have kept about 600,000 eligible from enrolling in Medicaid.

He said that Texas ranks second to last in the number of children na- tionwide with health insurance, and that Texas is one of eight I states where the percentage of children with insurance has fallen. Spokesman Dan Bartlett defend- ed Bush's record. "Instead of attacking the progress Governor Bush has made and pro- viding health care to children Texas, Senator Lieberman should v' explain why there are 2.4 million i more uninsured children under the Clinton-Gore administration" than when Democrats won the White House, Bartlett said. He said Bush has signed legisla- tion that will provide health insur-ance to 423,000 more children in IA the next two years under a feder- tz al program promoted by ViceHm President Al Gore, the Democrat- ii ic presidential candidate. Bartlett 2 said Texas would sign up an addi-" tional 125,000 children for cover-age under Medicaid.

Lieberman said he and Gore have pledged to guarantee access to health-care coverage to all chil-drenby2005. By Mark Bablneck Associated Press GALVESTON The Sisters of Charity orphanage sat in an idyllic location 93 boys and girls lived just a few strides from Galveston Island's dunes and the Gulf of Mexico. A century ago Friday, the gulf ambushed the orphanage and the city beyond. Ninety children and 10 nuns were among the 6,000 to 10,000 people who died when a surprise hurricane barreled ashore the nation's deadliest disaster. A day filled with solemn remembrances of the Great Storm began Friday with a wreath-laying ceremony at the site of St.

Mary's Orphanage, now marked by a 17-foot sea wall that has protected Galveston from the gulfs fury ever since. On Friday night a candlelight memorial at the local Ball High School in honor of the storm dead was moved inside under the threat of rain. The school's auditorium, which seats 1,200, was packed with an overflow crowd. Two stuffed teddy bears sat against a pole Friday in Galveston, where a plaque marks the site of St. Mary's Orphanage, which was swept away during the Great Storm 100 years ago.

ing as the smoggiest city in America is more than an embarrassment: Local business leaders fear it could scare off companies considering a move to the area. When the news broke recently that Houston had more high-ozone days last year than Los Angeles, it was a first-place ranking that leaders in the Bayou City would rather lose. The worst-first rating has been used by Democrats to sully Republican presidential candidate Gov. George W. Bush, and now the issue is percolating from political to business circles.

Site consultants the people who find new homes for businesses say Houston's pollution problem is already making it hard on companies that would need to get air-quality permits. That is causing the city to lose out on industrial expansions, said Brian Murray, director of corporate expansion and recruitment for the Texas Department of Economic Development. Bush will stay in lawsuit from ralliers, judge says AUSTIN Gov. George W. Bush will remain in a lawsuit that accuses him of violating free-speech rights of environmental protesters at the Governor's Mansion last year, a judge ruled Friday.

State District Judge John Dietz had issued the same order Aug. 30, but then told the government lawyers they could file a motion to reconsider. The lawsuit, filed in August 1999 against Bush and the Texas Department of Public Safety, alleged that he gave state troopers "unbridled discretion" to target protesters in front of the mansion on a public sidewalk. Bush spokeswoman Linda Edwards said Friday that the security policies regarding protesters at the mansion were made by the Department of Public Safety, with no participation by Bush or his office. No trial date has been set.

The lawsuit was filed by people arrested and jailed on four different occasions. Times wire reports IU i. Bonfire crew allegedly broke law Lotto changes help build 2nd $60 million jackpot Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Galveston native, praised the city for its tenacity to build the wall and survive. "Galveston didn't have to come back," Hutchison told the crowd, who filled the hall with applause.

"Who would have blamed Galveston for saying, 'We tried, but it wasn't meant to be'?" The memorial service was filled with hymns and prayers honoring those who didn't survive, and banker from Austin, as he waited in line to spend $5 on what he hopes will be his lucky numbers. "If I win, what I'll do is take an around-the-world cruise so no one would be able to get to me," he said. "I picked number nine because it's Ted Williams' number," said J.R. Ryan as he filled in a lottery play form at Nau's Pharmacy in Austia "I only play when the jackpot gets above $20 million." Long lottery lines and the constant ringing of cash registers was music to the ears of lottery commissioners, who approved Lotto By Christopher Lee Dallas Morning News ALISTIN Builders of the Texas bonfire broke state engineering laws and could be ordered by a judge not to construct a similar log stack off-campus this fall, a state agency ruled Friday. While the Texas Board of Professional Engineers will not seek sanctions against the students, officials vowed to issue a cease-and-desist order or seek a court injunction if a student group called Keep the Fire Burning proceeds with plans to build an off-campus bonfire this fall against the university's wishes.

The board is also looking into whether, university officials broke state law as well. By Connie Mabin Associated Press AUSTIN Texans caught lotto fever Friday as the $60 million and growing jackpot became the state's third-highest lottery prize ever. The jackpot for tonight's drawing was the largest since the state added four numbers to the game, making the twice-weekly Lotto Texas harder to win in an effort to jump-start slumping sales. "Anything that will net me $10 million or more, I'll play," said John Wallace, an investment "I I I I "Our objective is to send a clear message to the rest of the state that we will not tolerate this," said Kathleen C. Walker, chairwoman of the enforcement committee for the nine-member board, which licenses engineers and enforces engineering standards.

spokesman Lane Stephenson said the university would continue to cooperate fully with the inquiry and said that university officials, too, are trying to squelch any attempts at having a bonfire this year. "We're doing everything possible to encourage the students to act i prudently and not construct a bon fire of anv sort" Steohenson said. Leaders of Keep the Fire Burning could not be reached for comment. UCKkUUNMI I 0DE3ECBCT Home off The I SUE DRUNK DRIVERS Law Offices of Richard M. Zamora 1011 N.Mesa, El Paso, Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Law Texas Board of Legal Specialization If you have been hit by one, call for a free consultation 1 y7 i ml TRANSLATIONS WNGUAGE PLUS 544-8600 languageplus.com Ml lv 1) OJ C) bl2) Cleaner 544-5237 Your Ornck Dnalflr".