The Fresno Bee from Fresno, California • 11

A Metro Young Writers' Conference B9 Editorial pages B10 B1 1 At Your Service B12 THE FRESNO BEE Thursday March 24 1983 -T- Judge in DBCP suit releases text of his 'cancer fear' ruling Skeels trial goes to jury this morning Attorneys differ about her role in drowning boy By DEBORAH BLUM Bee staff writer By DARRELL MADDOX Bee staff writer final week of a lawsuit brought by seven former workers at the Occidental Chemical Plant rfj Lathrop and three of their wives against the Dow and Shell chemical companies Weinstein informed attorneys of his precedent-setting decision iri -December but did not set forth the legal reasons behind his ruling until this week "The plaintiffs need not prove to a reasonable medical certainty that they are destined to develop cancer" Weinstein explained in the document "Instead they need to convince the jury that their fears are reasonable" The judge also gave the seven-woman five-man jury instructions Wednesday on how to consider the evidence and the final arguments made by attorneys in the case Sacramento lawyer Duane Miller' who is coordinating the plaintiffs' claims began a final statement by urging the jury to award each claimant at least $350000 and up to'' $15 million Earlier in the trial the jury was informed that the net worth of Shell's parent company Shell Oil Co is $924 billion and that now is worth $49 billion They may See DBCP Page SAN FRANCISCO In 1977 a group of San Joaquin Valley pesticide workers got letters from a physician advising them to begin annual cancer check-ups immediately The letters came from Dr Donald Wharton a state occupational medicine specialist who had just notified them that they were sterile due to exposure to the agricultural chemical DBCP "There is irrefutable evidence that you have a biological effect from DBCP" Wharton wrote He added that because DBCP was a known carcinogen they "theoretically had an increased risk of developing cancer" That letter combined with government hearings on risks associated with DBCP and news media coverage of the chemical's cancer-causing properties gave the workers legal grounds to sue the pesticide manufacturers for stress caused by "fear of cancer" a San Francisco Superior Court judge says Judge Daniel Weinstein issued the 30-page ruling Wednesday in the MADERA Jackie Skeels on trial in the drowning death of 9-year-old Steven Brown "talked about getting rid of him the way you would about an unwanted dog or cat" District Attorney David Minier said Wednesday "The killing had no more meaning to her than putting an animal to sleep" he said in his closing argument in Madera Superior Court The jury is scheduled to start deliberations today Minier accused Skeels 23 of not wanting "to do her own dirty work and enlisting the aid of two teen-agers" Michael Cooper 15 who has admitted to second-degree murder and Lupe Reina Gonzales 19 whose first-degree murder trial is to start April 23 Defense attorney Donald Marshall said it was Cooper who had the biggest motive for the Aug 23 drowning in the San Joaquin River near Highway 99 Marshall said Cooper was angry with Skeels his neighbor in Fresno because she had made him dismantle his marijuana garden The youth khew that the way to hurt Skeels was through one of her children Marshall said Minier said Skeels cried in jail when she saw Steven's funeral on television but that the tears vere not for the boy Skeels cried Minier said ljecause she thought Steven's baseball bat and glove should have been given to her two sons and not buried with the boy He admitted that Skeels has "two lovely little Children and most of her life ahead of her" but (le told the jury that sympathy cannot be allowed (o influence the verdict I "Stevie loved her He wanted a mother according to the testimony and asked if he could tall her 'mom' She owed him the duty of love Jnd affection but responded with murder" Minier said Marshall portrayed Skeels as shy self-conscious and introverted He said she has very few friends and thinks people hate her 1 Cho m-jrripH it 17 unrl A mrripH tn Rmv Castle units identified for airmen in drug probe Fresno BeeRalph Thronebery Jackie Skeels sits through closing arguments in her murder trial in Madera heard Skeels in her own words say she held Steven under the water "The defense can't have it both ways" the prosecutor said "They say Cooper was a terrible evil person who baby-sat her children and helped Skeels around the house They say she is very very sorry about the drowning but I think it's because she was caught" The prosecution has contended that Skeels wanted Steven dead because he was interfering with her relationship with Virgil Brown and her second at 21 Marshall said He challenged a taped statement that Skeels gave to law enforcment officers on the grounds the statement's meaning is unclear and that Skeels never said "I want to kill Steven Brown" Marshall told the jury she couldn't bring herself to tell police what happened at the river because she was so attached to her two friends Cooper and Gonzales Minier wondered how the statement could be considered anything but a confession "when we Skeels although she lived with Steven and his father Virgil Brown She had her first child at 20 "This isn't the end of it either The investigation will probably produce more arrests This is going on all in all the areas of the military and I support it" Vrana said the probe into drug use and sales is continuing but that no new arrests have been made since Monday at the Strategic Air Command training base Vrana said he could noi release the names of the airmen arrested because ii would harm the investigation He said the probe is being handled by the base security police and the office of special investigations Vrana said the investigation was limited to Castle and did not involve any communities near the base McClatchy News Service ATWATER The 23 airmen arrested this week in a drug crackdown at Castle Air Force Base are members of the 93rd Bomb Wing and 93rd Combat Support squadrons and two maintenance squadrons spokesman Major Leo Vrana said Wednesday Rep Tony Coelho D-Merced said he was "very concerned" about drug abuse on the base and that he had been informed of the arrests He said: "I'm complimentary of the Air Force and think it is doing a good job to deal with its narcotics problems They are trying to clean up the drug traffic on their bases and that is a good thing Trejo Sanger city manager disagree about their discussions before firing Cocaine trade is bedeviling local authorities South Valley bureau By JOE ROSATO Bee staff writer Castle museum audit brings new plan for running display While he objected "strenuously" to the extension Trejo said townspeople knew before he did that he would be placed on probation for an extended time He admitted telling a news reporter in part that he would have "no problem" and that he would "go along with the extension" Miller disagreed with Trejo's recollection of the June meeting and said "I don't recall any opposition on his part at all to the extension If he had objected to his extension I would have remembered that" Although he did not know Trejo Miller said he was surprised that the chief did not react adversely to the news of the extension He described Trejo as "very cooperative and understanding of the situation and willing to work with me" The probation issue was discussed by the men continually Miller said and each time Trejo's "status was reaffirmed as was his cooperation" As a department head Miller said Trejo served at the pleasure of the council and the city manager The city code he added provides for the reappointment of department heads whenever a new city manager takes office Trejo's attorney Ralph Saltsman of Marina Del Rey said the city broke the law in its actions The chief was treated as if he were a classified employee Saltsman said If so the rules governing those employees do not provide for the extension of probation As an unclassified employee Trejo should never have been placed on probation the attorney said If that's the case continued Saltsman Trejo should be reinstated so that he can take his case through the appeal process Because Trejo serves at the pleasure of the council See Trejo Page B4 The big-city "party drug" cocaine has invaded the small cities in Tulare and Kings counties Alcohol and marijuana may be more popular but the use of "coke" is increasing and is available throughout both counties say law enforcement officers Allen an admitted former drug addict had no trouble buying cocaine behind a -nightclub on Mooney Boulevard in Visalia "You can't buy it like a hot dog in Tulare" said Police Sgt Troy Otto "but with a contact you can get it in a bar or if you're young in arcades or a park" In Kings County "Everybody and anybody who wants it and can afford it" can obtain cocaine said Bill Miller head of that county's narcotics task force Six months ago Porterville See Cocaine Page B2 Former Sanger Police Chief Joe Trejo and City Manager Kerry Miller differed substantially in court Wednesday over Trejo's reaction to being told his probationary period was being extended Trejo deputy chief of the Fresno Police Department before taking over as chief of the Sanger force in June 1981 was fired Oct 28 by the Sanger City Council on Miller's recommendation He is seeking reinstatement through the courts contending that he was fired without cause without due process and in violation of city regulations Superior Court Judge Blaine Pettitt took the case under submission after hearing several hours of testimony His decision is not expected for several weeks Trejo contends that he was a probationary employee when he was fired even though his one-year probation should have ended five months before his termination Trejo testified he was told by Miller that the City Council wanted to extend his probation another four months to give him time to complete projects he was working on "I told him my year was up and I was no longer on probation" Trejo said Trejo objected but Miller saic "the council wanted that and that it had to be extended" he continued Trejo's one-year anniversary with the city fell on Miller's first day as city manager He was the fourth city manager to hold the job since Trejo was hired incorporated in the operations plan "Management of the Castle Air Museum was not adequate efficient or always in compliance with Air Force policy or directives" the' auditors said "Proper authorization and accountability was not always in effect for museum resources noncompliance with the museum's established theme was noted and' security for the museum could be improved" Auditors reported that more than half the aircraft on display aren't related to the theme originally approved by Air Force authorities The Air Force secretary's Office of Public Affairs approved establishing the museum three years ago to display See Audit Page B4 By CHARLES MCCARTHY Bee staff writer ATWATER An audit of the Castle Air Force Base museum criticizing management techniques use of funds and unauthorized use of military personnel for museum work has sparked a new operations plan for the joint civilian-military display The audit report dated Dec 27 was prepared by the Air Force Audit Agency headquarters at Norton Air Force Base near San Bernardino It suggests no penalties only steps to correct deficiencies some of which Castle officials say were implemented before the audit was made public Tuesday Other auditors' suggestions have been Hoofing it along Main Street Mexican Corriente longhorn steers fill Chowchilla Main Street to signal the start of the town five-day Western Stampede Cowboys herded about 350 of the animals through town Wednesday The Stampede will continue through Sunday at the Chowchilla Fairground Admission is free for the first three days There will be a $2 day charge for activities on Saturday and Sunday Fresno Be".