Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Sept. 4, 1990, edition 1 / Page 2
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11 mm m mmmm A .4 B. B. J 1 ne uany i ar Heel 1 uesaay, septemDer 4, iyyu T o e fuel prices put throttlehold on transit system's budget By PETER WALLSTEN Staff Writer ! Rising gasoline prices resulting from the tense situation in the Middle East could make bus operations a problem, a Chapel Hill Transit official said Aug. 30. "If the cost per gallon goes up sig nificantly and remains up, it couldcreate some problems," said Chapel Hill Transit administrative assistant Scott McClellan. McClellan said it would be premature to consider raising fares or cutting the regular schedules for the transit system. -: "We're committed to our published level of service," he said. "The situation has not gotten to the point that the government has had to ration fuel or anything yet. It's all going to depend on how lu'gh prices go and how long they're going to stay that way." The town uses about 40,000 gallons of diesel fuel per month to run its buses, McClellan said, adding that the price of gas is currently about 20 cents higher than what Chapel Hill Transit budgeted and "if it stays this way, it will be interesting." The bus service, however, could benefit from the Middle East situation if students and residents take full advan tage of public transportation, McClellan said. "I'd like to believe the higher prices would have a positive impact on our ridership," he said. "I would hope people would use our services more, or even share a ride or carpool." Students who normally commute to campus by car are beginning to switch to the bus system as fuel prices continue to rise. "I know people who have cars but permanently park them in lots," said Lisa Cunningham, a sophomore from Chapel Hill. "It's a lot cheaper to find a parking space than pay for gas." Transit officials will not know until later this week whether ridership has increased significantly since Iraq's in vasion of Kuwait, but McClellan said an increase in numbers would not nec essarily be the result of the Middle East situation. "We've been seeing an increase in use for about the past four or five years," he said, noting that more than 2.5 mil lion people took the bus last year. 'To cite just one example, July's ridership was up significantly from last July. We had just had a fare increase, so we were pleasantly surprised." Meanwhile, the price of a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline continues to hover above the norm for Chapel Hill. Local prices range from $ 1 .22 to $ 1 .34. Local cab companies are in the pro cess of assessing their situations and may soon announce increased fares to make up for the rising gas prices. "We're evaluating our costs and what the gas crunch is going to do," said Henry Richardson, owner of Tar Heel Taxi. "We don't want to price ourselves out of business ...This gas thing has just got us in a bind." The increase of approximately 15 to 20 cents per gallon of unleaded gas could cost Tar Heel Taxi at least an extra $700 per month, and the company is trying to save money creatively before raising fares, Richardson said. "We're going to combine trips," he said. "We're going to try to design our trrp dispatches to help minimize the effect." The rising prices also are causing more students to stay in Chapel Hill instead of going back to their hometowns on weekends. "I live in Garner, and when I was a freshman I used to go home every weekend," said junior Jade Peele. "But now, it's definitely stopped me from going home on the weekend." Investigation begun as ;as prices leap 18.2 cents in 1 month By GLENN O'NEAL Staff Writer The price of self-service regular unleaded gasoline has risen by an av erage of 18.2 cents a gallon since Aug. 1 in the Carolinas, according to a spokesman for the American Automo bile Association Carolina Motor Club. Meanwhile, state and federal au thorities have launched investigations into gasoline price increases since the Aug. 2 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. "I'm afraid until this (Middle East) situation is resolved, we can expect a very volatile situation with gas prices," said Quentin Anderson, public relations director of the Carolina Motor Club. "We will probably see more increases before it reaches its peak." As of Aug. 30, the average cost of all grades of unleaded gasoline in North Carolina was $ 1 .37 a gallon, he said. In South Carolina, the comparable average was $ 1 .30. The motor club's research was con ducted by Computer Petroleum Cor poration of St. Paul, Minn. The research firm contacted 150 service stations in seven cities in the Carolinas. John Simmons, spokesman for N.C. ME ATTG- OE YiMEJI I, WW 111 fc, fx :. W & f J T 1 s. I (Lj i NO LONG LINES! GREAT HOURS! ON BUS LINE! CONVENIENT TO CAMPUS! 9 month student membership '150 (offer good through Oct. 1 5, 1 990) Nautilus & Universal Weights Gym Olympic Size Pool Singles Volleyball and more! Sauna, steamroom, whirlpool, aerobics & racquetball courts also available for a small additional fee. Chapel Hill-Carrboro YIVSCA 980 Airport Eld. 942-5156 Attorney General Lacy Thornburg, said Friday that the U.S. Department of Justice Anti-Trust Division began a preliminary investigation of oil com panies' pricing last week following a meeting with 35 states concerning the issue. The state is investigating Exxon Corporation for possible unfair and deceptive trade practices, S immons said. Exxon allegedly quoted one price to the wholesaler, only to raise the price after delivery of the product, he said. There is an injunction against Exxon that requires the company to honor posted prices, he added. Al Dorsett, executive director of the N.C. Service Station Association, said the major oil companies are responsible for the gas increases. "The major oil companies are raping the motor public," he said. It takes about 30 to 60 days for the refined product to get to the retailer, he said. A gasoline price increase should not have occurred until at least 30 days after the Middle East situation devel oped. Bill Weatherspoon, executive direc tor of the N.C. Petroleum Council, said the primary reason for the gasoline price increases is the embargo on Iraqi and Kuwaiti oil by the United States, denying the world four million barrels of crude oil per day. Brokers, traders and purchasers of crude oil bid up prices of refined oil when it became evident that the em bargo would occur, Weatherspoon said. "Even the perception of a shortage, even if there is no actual shortage, will 5 0 1 a JUJUt if i II I: JORDAN LAKE'CROSSWINDS MARINA UQcnttTTrrttgznm -W..v,;f windsurfers & sailboats call -for reservations & info, now! 91S-362-0040 M ovelO years ahead of the class. 3f to 1 u II si Si so i C or. If t sf r l f if I I il i fmm&&h - i $m$wm$r 4 IL a-B32i-)'"'T mil n i I "tri ' f ;r k " "" Lg Siiiumi ' Vnw mm ' 'mmimmJ mmmmJ c m$$ cm 1 TOiv TO A I S2 P?IS? a3 &m O fi iJ O I 1 ft f lj M eI' v O 1 ? JS) 9 ' '1 ? If mM$5gi IP 2lB a- 1 n " D f v..:- HewtXTT PACKARD B3211A hp solve BQUAvm ummr The new HP 48SX and a free 'library card' can get you there. With over 2100 built-in functions, our new HP 48SX Scientific Expandable calculator takes a quantum leap into the 21st century. Buy an HP 48SX between August 15 and October 15, 1990, and HP will send you a free HP Solve Equation Library card (a $99.95 retail value). The plug-in application card alone contains more than 300 science and engineering equations, as well as the periodic tablea constants' library, and a multi-equation solver. It's like having a stack of reference books right at your fingertips. The HP 48SX calculator is so advanced, it will change the way you solve prob lems forever. It integrates graphics with calculus, lets you enter equations the way you write them, and does automatic unit management. Check your campus bookstore or HP retailer for HP's range of calculators and special back-to-school offers. Then check out the calculators that are years ahead of their class. There is a better way. HEWLETT PACKARD drive the price up among the people who have to buy it." Simmons said the world's oil supply has been at its highest level in nine years, despite the loss of Iraqi and Ku waiti oil. "They're (major oil companies) raising the price because they can," he said. Weatherspoon added that crude oil prices go up when war is mentioned. People in the oil industry are concerned that a war could affect the oil production of Saudi Arabia, which would have a large effect on the world's oil market, he said. From mid-June to Aug. 30, crude oil prices rose on the average of $10 per barrel, he said. On Aug. 29, the closing price for crude oil was $26.77 per bar rel. Before the invasion, the price for crude oil was about $15.50 per barrel, he said. When asked if oil companies were trying to profit from the Middle East situation, Weatherspoon said,T haven't seen any indication of anybody trying to raise their profit margin. There is absolutely no indication that anything is happening here except the healthy, appropriate workings of the marketplace." TUESDAY 3:30 p.m.: Career Planning and Placement Services will hold Job Hunt 101: Basic information on how to use the UCPPS Office for seniors and graduate students in 210 Hanes. The Study Abroad Program invites you to come to the Study Abroad Office in 12 Caldwell Hall until 430 p.m. if you are interested in spending a year in Bristol, England, and getting UNC major, elective and perspective credit. 4:15 p.m.: UCPPS will hold Job Hunt 102: Resume-writing workshop for seniors and graduate students in 210 Hanes. 5 p.m.: UCPPS will hold Job Hunt 101: Basic information on how to use the UCPPS office for seniors and graduate students in 210 Hanes. 5:45 p.m.: UCPPS will hold Job Hunt 102: Re sume writing workshop for seniors and graduate students in 210 Hanes. 6 p.m.: Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity will have its fall informal rush in rooms 205-206 of the Union. We welcome all interested people. We are socially serious and seriously social. 7 p.m.: UNC Cheerleading announce Carolina Cheerleading Tryouts to be held in Fetzer Gymna sium Room until 9 p.m. Come put your athletic skills to good use. The Student Environmental Action Coalition will be having a fun-filled first meeting in Gerrard. Come party and save the planet with the biggest student environmental group in the world. Benefit concert at Cat's Cradle to follow. 11 p.nu: WXYC FM 893 will play the new al- Donation bum from Trisomie 21 : Plays the Pictures, in its en tirety with no interruptions. ITEMS OF INTEREST Carolina Tar Heel Voices is now holding audi tions for the upcoming year. We are a mixed a cape I la choral group who love to sing and have fun. Sign-up sheet available at the Union desk. Auditions are today through Thursday. Umstead Committee of the Campus Y will be in the Pit from 1 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. until Wed.. Sept. 5 to answer students questions about volunteering. Student Health Service announces that a Dia betes Educational Group is now forming. Call 966 6562 for informationregistration. The Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies, UNC's oldest student organizations, will hold a re ception for persons interested in joining on Sunday, Sept. 16. from 2 until 4 in the Phi Chamber, top floor of NewEast HalL Play Makers Repertory Company will open its 15th season with "You Never Can Tell." Sept. 12 -Oct. 7 at the Paul Green Theatre. For information call 962-PLAY. UCPPS announces that the Foreign Service Writ ten Exam will be held on October 27. Deadline for receipt of application is September 21. Applications are available in 21 1 Hanes. Attention business students! Delta Sigma Pi, the professional business fraternity, is holding regis tration for fall rush today through Friday outside Carroll Hall. All sophomore, junior and senior busi ness students welcome! from page 1 sistance, but by no means did we have to make this kind of effort. It seems re grettable that the only place that we've had this kind of resistance is a facility of higher learning." Linda Shaw, director of the N.C. Low Income Housing Coalition, said the donations would be divided among the N.C. Low Income Housing Coalition in Raleigh, the Durham Men's Shelter, the InterFaith Council Homeless Shel ter in Chapel Hill and the Home Street Home in Raleigh. DTH desperately seeking a few good journalists . . . QUITE a few So, you're not too happy with your classes? Does Lenoir food have you down? Need excitement in your life? No, it's not 962-DATE, it's the DTH! We are looking for some talented, hard working people who want to expand their horizons and meet new people. All of the news desks are looking for new writers, copy editors and photographers. Anyone interested should come to the new writers' meeting today at 6:30 p.m. in rooms 208 and 209 of the Stu dent Union. People applying for staff writer positions will be required to write a news story. Those interested in copy editing should plan to spend an hour after the meeting to take a copy editing test, and should also come armed with dictionaries andor AP Stylebooks if they have them. Photogs-to-be should talk with the photography editors. We' 11 see you there! IflDHJMMM 1 The S(mthkargest Inve Diamond Back Mongoose in ntory it Cannondale GT Ross Overnight Service 0 Schwimi certified mechanics Mountain Bike waUpy wheels Cx. Mo. Frame, ISSpeed regularly $299- SDD)S DonVhaifflxbike from out-of-town; buy it from us and take advantage of 6 months free adjustment! the Since 1971 Financing 90 days same as cash OPEN: MON-SAT 9-7 SUN 1-5 IN SEASON iniftT)l 967-5104 104 W. Main Street, Carrboro (across horn Wendy's) Guaranteed Lowest Prices
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Sept. 4, 1990, edition 1
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