January 28, 2016

Page 1

UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Newspaper of Lamar University

Vol. 92, No. 12 January 28, 2016

Refinery flare ignites crisis review Kara Timberlake UP managing editor Lamar University officials evacuated campus, Jan. 21, after a power outage at the ExxonMobil refinery led to activated flames to exceed well above normal flare stacks. Cardinal Village residents were instructed to shelter in place. “The events kind of unfurled all of a sudden,” Cruse Melvin, vice president for finance and operations, said. “We got a number of calls from various concerned campus constituents about the flares

going off over at the refinery. I talked with several individuals and made the decision that the best thing to do would be to evacuate the campus just for a precaution, even though we were told there was no danger.” Melvin said that Lamar was using the event as an opportunity to review their emergency response strategies. “We can always do better, and we are always trying to do better,” he said. “We will do what you call a postmortem on the event to see what we could have done better.

We’ve had a number of suggestions about things we could improve on. “In particular, there were some exits where the traffic backed up quite a bit, and we will try to do a better job in the future about giving directions on how to exit, and also in trying to station individuals at critical intersections so the traffic can move more rapidly.” Melvin said that future executive meetings will discuss ways to rapidly disseminate information

See FLARES page 2

UP Kara Timberlake

ExxonMobil released safety flares following a power outage, Jan. 21. LU officials ordered a precautionary evacuation of the school.

Wonder of Waste

TWDB raises issue of water shortage Grant Crawford UP editor

Hollis Hammonds’ site-specific installation, “Up in Smoke,” a tornado built from found objects, is the centerpiece of her show, “wasteland/wonderland” at the Dishman Art Museum through March 4. UP Brandianne Hinton

Hammonds explores memory, possessions, loss at Dishman Brandianne Hinton UP contributor A tornado blew into the Dishman Art Museum during the semester break in the form of an installation exhibit by Austin artist Hollis Hammonds. The exhibit, “wasteland/wonderland,” consists of a giant junk tornado, and includes

many of the artist’s two-dimensional drawings, as well as a surprising video display and haunting mural, all of which took a week to set up. Hammonds said the title refers to a place between real destruction and fantasy or embellished reality. Her centerpiece, “Up in Smoke,” the giant junk tornado, is a physical illustration of ob-

jects being lifted out of the open roof of a house, derived from her own drawings of a tornado-like cloud form. Inspired by real events, including a small tornado that took off the porch of her family home and a house fire when she was 15, Hammonds said her work

While the citizens of Flint, Mich., have good reason to be concerned with their water supply after the discovery of high levels of lead in their municipal water, the people of Southeast Texas need not worry — for now. The Texas Water Development Board and the state water plan has projected that by 2060, statewide water demand will increase by 22 percent and Texas’ population will grow by 82 percent. “As the TWDB, we’re trying to go across the state and talk with communities about getting water projects started and going — so that business can be successful and we can make Texas drought proof,” Kathleen Jackson, TWDB director and board member, said. “Then we can accommodate all the people that are moving here, which could be, depending on who you’re talking to, as many as a thousand people a day. (They) are coming to Texas and no one is bringing any water with them.” The TWDB has several roles in developing the resources to provide affordable water and wastewater services. For instance, it’s the data repository for all water data for Texas. “If you’re an individual and you’re looking to drill a water well, or you’re interested in what the levels in the reservoirs across the state are — we assimilate and have all that information,” Jackson said. “Many of your businesses that are looking for future water supply — their engineers and their consultants will come to the board to get that information.” The TWDB also provides financial assistance through loan and grant programs that provide for the planning, acquisition design and construction of water related infrastructure. One loan program is the State Water Implementation Fund of Texas (SWIFT). To meet the state’s future water demands, a large amount of funding is needed to start water projects, Jackson said. In 2011, the Texas Water Development Bonds Amendment, Proposition 2,

See WATER page 8

See HAMMONDS page 4

KUUV TO HOLD FUNDRAISER AT LOGON, JAN. 30 Tim Collins UP staff writer When the FCC opened the door for new community-driven radio stations in Southeast Texas, three women, Karen Corwin, Karen Saar, and Beth Gallaspy, decided they wanted to hit the airwaves. They formed KUUV-LP 95.5 FM, a low-power station, meaning it will broadcast within a five-mile radius in Beaumont, which will feature music, interviews, talk radio and radio the-

www.facebook.com/UPLamar

ater. The station is currently fundraising in anticipation of going on the air. “We look forward to providing a place to approach small and big concerns with individual voices and collective voices,” Karen Saar, co-founder of KUUV and a speech pathologist at Lamar University, said. “The reality is that this station will be what the community makes it. As long as it is respectful and aligns with our mission statement we are thrilled with what is to come.” KUUV, “The Progressive

www.lamaruniversitypress.com

Voice of Southeast Texas,” will host a fundraiser at the LogOn Cafe, Saturday, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Entertainment will include a puppet show by Ad Hoc Beaumont and performances by Heather and the Hell Cats, the Ron Jeremies, Delicious Fuzz and Ariel Bush. There will also be a silent auction. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward the purchase of studio and tower equipment for the station. Attendance is free, but a dona-

See KUUV page 6

‘The reality is that this station will be what the community makes it.’ — Karen Saar

www.twitter.com/UPLamar


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.