The Washington Post and New York Times report that an AIDS vaccine research center will be created at the National Institute of Health and will be staffed by 30 to 50 researchers pulled from existing NIH programs. If true, that means that research on other diseases will suffer at the expense of AIDS virus research. Making a sincere commitment includes funding it. Working on an AIDS virus is a good intention, but it should be paid for with new funding, not by robbing Peter to pay Paul. As the 51st Lubbock Symphony Orchestra season concludes, I want to thank the people of Lubbock and the West Texas-New Mexico area for making this our most successful season ever.
Plans are already under way for new and exciting programming for next year and years to follow.
The Symphony is for everyone. During the week of May 6-10, I was in Lubbock at your beautiful Garden and Arts Center where I was a piano judge for the National Guild of Piano Teachers. The attractive grounds and building were visited by hundreds of piano students, many parents and teachers from Lubbock and surrounding towns and were perfect for the occasion. The staff of Paula Simpson, Tim Trujillo and those who maintained the building were extremely pleasant and accommodating, making my stay very pleasant and the center an ''Ambassador of Goodwill'' to many. Lubbock is indeed fortunate to have such a lovely center and, as a visitor from the north, I am very grateful.