The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 8

"WW I THE COURIER-JOURNAL TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1996 EDITOR: HUNT HELM PHONE: 582-4691 FAX: 582-4200 MET RO BRIEFLY Staff didn't know boy who drowned couldn't swim If it had, YMCA wouldn't have let him in pool -Jit- Mm By MICHAEL QUINLAN Staff Writer The staff at the Southeast Family YMCA's pool and pizza party Saturday night didn't know that 6-year-old Christopher Jordan Branch could not swim. If they had, they would never have let him in the pool, said Southeast YMCA director Theresa McCauley. Christopher, who had been left in the YMCA's care, drowned in four feet of water, less than an hour before his parents were scheduled to pick him up. After his death, YMCA officials found a permission slip Christopher's was floating on his stomach. "Sometimes kids will just float like that," McCauley said.

When there was no response, the lifeguard jumped in and pulled the boy out. Two staff members began CPR, but Christopher did not respond. He was pronounced dead at Columbia Audubon Hospital at 10:04 p.m. Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Sue Wurst said yesterday that Christopher had a bruise on his scalp, but that it was unrelated to his death. "We have deep regrets and sympa- See YMCA Back page, col.

1, this section them to the pool. Very few parents would bring a child that can't swim to a pizza pool party." The five employees and five volunteers were in charge of 60 children. McCauley said there were two lifeguards on duty while about 45 children were in the pool. State safety regulations require only one lifeguard per 200 people, said Marilyn Blaske-Hull, aquatics manager for Metro Parks. "But we recommend a ratio of about one lifeguard for every 30 swimmers." McCauley would not give the exact ages or level of experience of the two lifeguards on duty when Christopher drowned.

But she said both were under 18 and that they had a combined three years' experience as lifeguards. The pool parties, which run from 6:30 to 10 p.m., are held about every two weeks. They include gymnastics, food, movies and swimming. McCauley said that one of the lifeguards noticed Christopher floating face-down in four feet of water around 9:20 p.m. Before jumping in the pool, the guard tapped Christopher with a life preserver, thinking he Cell-phone towers dot area CELLULAR PHONE SITES Map shows cellular telephone tower locations in Jefferson County.

Some sites may be atop buildings and are not new towers. Legendary players to mark opening of Slugger museum OX BellSouth Mobility A Cellular One Sprint ILL efe outer I A Mfita Yfc loop Kr- I GREENWOOD A I ROAD nQ I By SHELDON S. SHAFER Staff Writer How about this infield around the horn: George Brett or Harmon Kille-brew at third base, Pee Wee Reese or Ernie Banks at shortstop, Bobby Doerr at second and Stan Musial at first? How about an outfield of speedy Lou Brock and sluggers Ted Williams and Ralph Kiner, with Enos Slaughter and Bobby Thomson, who hit the "shot heard 'round the world," coming off the bench? The cream of major league baseball's all-time all-stars will be on hand tonight and tomorrow morning for festivities marking the opening of the Louisville Slugger Museum. Public access to the stars will be limited. But local officials say their appearance during the dedication of the long-planned Hillerich Bradsby museum at Eighth and Main streets affirms the significance of the museum to Louisville and to baseball.

Mayor Jerry Abramson estimated the museum will attract more than 250,000 people a year. He said the museum will provide millions of dollars a year in spinoff economic benefits for nearby stores and hotels. "The opening of the Louisville Slugger Museum is better than a home run with the bases loaded for this community," County Judge-Executive Dave Armstrong said. Dan Burgess, a public-relations consultant for Hillerich Bradsby, said tonight's fete is an invitation-only affair. Most of the stars were invited by company president Jack Hillerich.

About 15 baseball stars, most of them Hall of Famers, are expected to attend. Pete Rose canceled yesterday parents had signed for a separate daycare program, asking whether he could swim. They answered, "No, not very well." But that question was not asked on the permission slip for Saturday's party. And the five YMCA employees and five volunteers who were present didn't know that Christopher was a poor swimmer, McCauley said. "It's an assumption" that if a parent brings a child to the pool party that the child can swim, McCauley said.

"If the staff knew a child was a non-swimmer, they wouldn't take can't we locate these things in commercially zoned areas instead of right in the middle of some woods or next to residential?" Oldham County Planning and Zoning administrator Joe Schoen-baechler said he didn't know what "magic word" makes the PSC turn down a site that residents believe is inappropriate, like the rustic one in Goshen. "There are hundreds of them out there in practically any type of location or environment imaginable. I don't know what we can say that will make them think this site is not worthy." The PSC was criticized during the General Assembly session for being lax in its oversight. Matt Rhody, public information officer for the PSC, said the agency's review is based on safety rather than aesthetic issues, and six applications have been denied since 1991. Nancy and David O'Neil are just down the road from Sprint's proposed site at Aiken Road in the Floyds Fork conservation district.

When talking to their neighbors about the tower, they learned that some had received notice from BellSouth last month about another tower proposed just down the road. "We're just sick about it," Nancy O'Neil said. "It's so pretty out here, and we put a lot of money into fixing our house up, and now this." She fears the towers will be unsightly and lower property values. Lt. Gov.

Steve Henry, who worked to preserve the Floyds Fork district when he was a Jeffer- See SPRINT Page 3, col. 1, this section Sprint is entering the market with plans for 88 new towers OLYMPIC T0RCH3EARERS Clwsen by Metro United Way, which provided the information Samuel West, a freshman at Ballard High School who is visually impaired, is a Boy Scout who, for his Eagle Scout project, land scaped an area outside the Adapted Leisure Building of Metro Parks to benefit people with disabilities. Samuel promotes the use of technology for people with disabilities, using a screen magnification program on his computer. He's helped other visually impaired students and their teachers learn to use it. Falls Fountain turned on at last The Louisville Falls Fountain was turned on for the summer yesterday, nearly two months later than usual.

The fountain, located in the Ohio River just below the Clark Memorial Bridge, usually is turned on Memorial Day weekend. But it was delayed this year because the river's rapid current and a large amount of floating debris posed a threat to divers who must hook up the fountain's cables. The fountain will operate from 8 a.m. to midnight daily. It will be shut down on the fourth Wednesday of each month for maintenance.

The fountain usually operates until around Thanksgiving. Work to block Seatonville Road A portion of Seatonville Road near Billtown Road will be closed for a week, starting tomorrow, for emergency repairs after the collapse of a box culvert. The road will be closed just east of its intersection with Billtown Road. Motorists will be detoured via westbound Seatonville Road, then Broad Run Road, Back Run Road, Dawson Hill Road and Brush Run Road. Mass will honor people with AIDS A Mass to honor people with AIDS will be held at 7 p.m.

tomorrow at the Cathedral of the Assumption in downtown Louisville. People with HIV and the families and friends of people who are infected with the virus or have died of AIDS will gather for the fifth annual AIDS Liturgy of Remembrance. The Rev. Don Hill, associate pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, will preside.

A reception will follow in the undercroft of the cathedral, at 443 S. Fifth St. ON VACATION Bob Hill's column will resume on July 23. INSIDE Civilian review of police debated Should there be civilian review boards to monitor the city and county police departments? There was disagreement on that issue at the final Bridge Builders forum on race relations. B2 CORRECTIONS Because of a columnist's and editor's error, the sire of thoroughbred Cigar was misidentified in Sports yesterday.

Cigar's sire was Palace Music. Because of a reporting error, the Street Talk column in Business Sunday misstated the second-quarter return of the Trans Adviser Kentucky Tax Free Fund. It was down 0.37 percent. Because of errors by Nasdaq, closing prices for 20 New York Stock Exchange-listed stocks were incorrectly reported Saturday. The corrected closes appear on E5 INDEX Crime Deaths B4 Region B4 Weather B5 B2 i I Arson-murder suspect who was erroneously freed is apprehended because of a late schedule conflict, Burgess said.

Other former players scheduled to appear include Steve Garvey and Robin Yount, and, from an earlier generation, pitcher Ralph Terry. Before tonight's gala, the former players will tour the new Slugger Museum around 5 p.m. They will then head to to the Kentucky Center for the Arts to hear brief speeches by Hillerich, Armstrong, Abramson and Lt. Gov. Steve Henry.

At 6:30 p.m., Jack Buck, the longtime St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster, will moderate a panel discussion in which the former players will participate. About 7:15 p.m., the entire crowd will walk down Main to the museum. Fifteen minutes later, the dignitaries will cut a ribbon, after which the museum will be open for private browsing. Another ribbon will be cut at 9 a.m.

tomorrow, when the doors will open to the public. The first 1,000 visitors will get a free, commemorative Louisville Slugger poster, Burgess said. The public may be able to get a glimpse of the stars tonight by waiting along Main or on the steps of the arts center. Most of the former players are expected to attend the public ceremony. Although people may get a chance to see the stars, there is no planned opportunity for the public to get autographs tomorrow, Burgess said.

Because of the museum ceremonies tonight. Main between Fifth and Ninth streets will be closed to vehicles from 7:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Also, TARC will begin offering free trolley service tomorrow on Main and Market streets between Brook and 10th streets. The trolleys will run from 7 a.m.

to 6 p.m. on weekdays only. "He knew we had him." Hayes was returned last night to Jefferson County Jail; he won't be charged with escape because he was erroneously freed Thursday under a federal court order that eases crowding by releasing inmates being held on minor offenses and small bonds. Officials blame a paperwork delay for the foul-up. Hayes was already in jail on a cocaine-possession charge when he was indicted Thursday in the fire that killed Louisville firefighter Strawn Nutter two years ago.

Hayes' bond, which had been set at $1,500, was raised to $100,000. But the paperwork on the indictment didn't arrive at the jail until 10 p.m., by which time he'd been released. Corrections officials didn't discover that Hayes had been erroneously released until a television reporter called and asked to interview him. Marcy Heilman, a spokeswoman for the jail, confirmed last night that Hayes was behind bars. "He's here and we're going to hold on to him." one arm and holding the hand of another.

The "Fireman's Prayer" will be printed on one side of the base; fallen firefighters' names will be listed on another. The committee has identified at least 75 Louisville and Jefferson County firefighters who died in the line of duty since 1874, when Louisville firefighter Jack Hunt was killed in action. About $20,000 must still be raised for the memorial, which will cost about $100,000, Michals said. Relatives of fallen firefighters are asked to call Pleasure Ridge Park Fire Chief Eric Evans at 935-3878 by STAFF MAP BY WES KENDALL STAFF PHOTO BY BILL LUSTER Homes on Burnett Avenue were dwarfed by the cellular phone tower located on Shelby Street. 'fmi 'm.

'n. -t .7 -jbr liwiMi miniumi niiimn Mlliiiiii ili '( By MICHAEL QUINLAN Staff Writer The defendant who was freed from the Jefferson County Jail by a paperwork snafu last week just a few hours after he was indicted on arson and murder charges in the death of a Louisville firefighter was apprehended yesterday. Bobby J. Hayes crawled under the covers of a bed at a friend's apartment when the FBI and police from Clarksville, and New Albany, knocked on the door, police said. But New Albany police Detective Sgt.

Rick Sowders said, "It's kind of hard for a guy that's 6 foot 7 and 215 pounds to hide under the covers." Sowders said that Clarksville Detective Capt. Ed McCutheon got a tip about Hayes' whereabouts yesterday. After going to several other addresses in Clarksville and New Albany, police finally found him at 905 E. Elm St. around 5:15 p.m.

"He didn't struggle," Sowders said. By NINA WALFOORT Staff Writer Unloved by nearby residents and uncontrolled by local government, mobile-phone towers are about to be unleashed in even greater numbers around metropolitan Louisville. Already, there are about 60 towers in Jefferson County. Now Sprint Spectrum is entering the Louisville market, which consists of Jefferson and six surrounding counties, with plans for 88 new towers some of which are already stirring up controversy. Many of the applications for the towers were sent to the state Public Service Commission just days before the effective date of a new state law giving Jefferson County some authority over site approval.

Sprint says the company is making a big push into Jefferson County right now and is not trying to avoid the new law. The company says its towers will be as unobtrusive as possible. More than half will be located on existing structures such as water tanks or tall buildings, said Bob Kaiser, property manager for Sprint. "We understand the public's concern," he said. "We want to put them any place and anywhere that will not cause a controversy." But state Rep.

Steve Riggs of Louisville, an advocate of local oversight of tower locations, said companies historically have tried to find the cheapest and most convenient site rather than the sites that are best for residents. That could change somewhat because of public outcry and the recent legislative efforts to increase regulation, he said. "At least in Jefferson County 1 think we've gotten their attention and caused them to be a little more considerate of the residents." But at least two of the proposed Sprint sites are already causing a stir. One is in a scenic area in southern Oldham County, and the other is in the Floyds Fork conservation district in eastern Jefferson County. Kent Kalmey and other residents have been working with Sprint to find an alternative to the site the company has chosen on Covered Bridge Road in Goshen.

"The site they're wanting to put it on is a very environmentally sensitive area," Kalmey said. It's wooded and near one of Oldham County's few waterfalls, he said. Kalmey said about 30 people have written to the Public Service Commission in opposition, and they may hire an engineer to help propose an alternative. "Our stance is not that progress isn't going to come," he said. "But Memorial sponsors seek kin of fallen firefighters The sponsors of a planned memorial to firefighters are looking for relatives of Louisville or Jefferson County firefighters who died in the line of duty.

The relatives are being sought to participate in dedication of the memorial, probably in late September or early October, said Debbie Linnig Mi-chals, co-chairwoman of the Firefighters' Memorial Committee. The memorial will go on the west side of Jefferson Square at Sixth and Jefferson streets, near a similar memorial to fallen local police officers. It will be about 10 feet high and feature a sculpture designed by local artist Barney Bright of a firefighter emerging from a blaze carrying a child in PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLEVENGER Stakes marked the proposed site for a cellular tower behind a church on Westport Road. Later, an agreement was reached with to use the utility's transmission tower..