The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 1

lllT "j' 48 PAGES A GANNETT NEWSPAPER LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY THURSDAY. 1996 50 CENTS BBBBBEBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBi METRO EDITION Atlanta's legacy may be an apology lems of transportation and technology rests with his committee. "It is my fault. It is our fault," he said, offering assurances that if all might not be fixed yet, all will be. But he also insisted that those problems should not cloud the overall success of these Games.

"You can tell that just by looking out my window," he said. "It is wrong when you take the license to extend those things to the image of the Games in general." The horror stories of transportation problems have spread since the Games began. Across the city, an overloaded transit system and neophyte bus drivers have made transportation the great unknown in the 1996 Olympics, with some people complaining of waits of 3-4 hours to get to their destinations. Baseball games have been delayed From Los Angeles Times, AP and New York Times Dispatches ATLANTA To some of its thousands of visitors, Atlanta has been the home of the Olympics that Didn't Work Right. The transportation system devised by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games has been maligned for late arrivals, breakdowns and inexperienced drivers which have combined to leave athletes, spectators and media stranded at times.

Its computer system, once lauded as state of the art, has failed to generate results and information quickly. And its security system has been maligned for allowing an armed man to enter Olympic Stadium for last Friday's Opening Ceremonies. Yesterday, in an apparent effort to cut their losses, officials acknowl- Split-second champs In the Olympics, fractions of seconds divide medal winners from also-rans all competing at their absolute physical and mental limits. That's what fascinates columnist Bob Hill. B1 I -W yxi' mm MkTltr- 11 Smith: Three golds Irish swimmer Michelle Smith won the 200-meter individual medley, her third gold medal of the Games.

Her rapid improvement continues to foster speculation about how it came about. D1 Storm gering fears, anger and grief two months after the tornado hit. The children were taking part in Operation Grief Relief, an event sponsored by local businesses and the Hospices of Louisville, Southern Indiana and Central Kentucky. Barbara Bouton, director of bereavement care for Hospice of Louisville, said having the event two months after the tornado was by design. "It takes a while before the reality sets in," she said.

At first, affected families receive plenty of attention from relief agencies, volunteers and even the media, she said. an he on 4 "When Italy organizes its next international event and we read some sarcastic report about those nice but inept Italians, the answer will be easy: 'Remember Atlanta' Italy's La Repubblica newspaper Volleyball beach party In one sport, it's always party time rowdy fans, loud music, frozen margaritas, swim suits. Beach volleyball is in the Olympics, and columnist Pat Forde says it's a welcome change. D1 Defendant in major drug case is killed Murder follows two others; no arrests made By DEBORAH YETTER The Courier-Journal A 20-year-old Louisville man charged in a major federal cocaine case was killed early yesterday at his mother's West End home, just three months after a key informant in the case was gunned down outside her home in the same area. Deron Cole Jr.

was found dead in his bedroom by a relative about 10 a.m. at his home in the 2300 block of W. Chestnut Street. He had been shot once in the back with a shotgun, Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Linda Knopf said. Cole had pleaded guilty last month to trafficking in cocaine and was on home incarceration.

His death follows the April 11 slaying of Gail Duncan, who was shot in the 800 block of S. 39th Street by a gunman who sped away. No one has been charged with murdering Duncan, who was shot in front of her young daughter as they got into a car. Cole's death also follows the June 10 slaying of his sister, Suwanda Cole, 18, who was shot in the head at a Parkland neighborhood apartment. No one has been charged in her death either.

Duncan's role as a federal informant in Deron Cole's case surfaced after she was killed. She had played a key role in the investigation of an alleged cocaine operation run out of a building at 2408 W. Broadway by Zelner Hamilton Jr. Deron Cole had served as a go-between for Duncan and others in drug deals, according to court records. See MAN Page 5, col.

3, this section some see. Maybe I'm just blind to it." Nobody interviewed this week, either white or black, could recall any overt racial incidents, with the possible exception of a fight earlier this year between some black and white teen-age boys. African Americans make up about 16 percent of Providence's population, but they have had little voice in running the community. The one black city school board member is the first ever, and the lone black city council member is the second in the town's history. In general, blacks live in the center of town and whites live in the outskirts.

But not all neighborhoods are See TOWN Page 5, col. 4, this section frame a black boy. I hope and pray it wasn't by our At least four African-American juveniles were seen entering a Providence City Hall meeting room for interviews with FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents. The 75-year-old church was destroyed in a fire that state police have said was "Drobable arson. The con because team buses were late, and one fencer arrived just 10 minutes before his competition was to start.

Angry spectators have missed entire events. British rowing star Steve Redgrave moved out of the Olympic Village in disgust Monday and checked into a hotel close to the rowing venue, afraid that Olympic transportation would not get him to his event on time. Reports even circulated that frustrated Ukrainian, British and Polish rowers commandeered a bus to get to their event, although a spokesman for the organizers denied the incident had taken place. Irritated officials of the International Olympic Committee told Atlanta of- See ATLANTA'S Page 5, col. 1, this section Strug's decision Gymnast Kerri Strug said it was her decision to make a final vault that at the time coaches thought was needed to clinch a U.S.

team gold medal on an injured ankle Tuesday night. D1 STAFF PHOTO BY KEITH WILLIAMS "When it starts to get hard, there isn't anyone there." Bouton said the ordeal is particularly hard on children, who internalize their fears because they don't want their families to be afraid. She said children's behavior may change, and they may develop irrational fear of the weather. Josh, for example, panics when sees even one cloud pass over a sunny day. "If he sees a cloud in the sky he wants to know if it's a morning See CHILDREN Page 5, col.

1, this section black students last year. Providence High often has a black homecoming queen. And whites and blacks generally voice different opinions about the extent of racism in their community. Even so, most residents don't think racial hatred led somebody to set fire Tuesday to a vacant 75-year-old black church, the Church of God in Christ. Investigators suspect arson but have said little more on the cause.

They said Tuesday they had found no indication of a racial motive. "Is there racism? Yeah," said Orlando Broady, 33, an African-American contractor. "Personally, I think we've got a pretty nice town here," said Police Chief Archie Benton, who is white. "I just don't see the problem that teens as suspects. Kiylon Belle, 17, who was interviewed for more than an hour, said authorities asked him his whereabouts and for the names of others who were at the basketball courts on the grounds of the old Rosenwald School after midnight Tuesday.

He said the game usually broke up about 2 a.m. about the time the Church of God in Christ was seen on fire. Myra Belle, his mother, said investigators told her that "this was not a hate crime. "What I don't want is for them to OLYMPICS '96 edged that some of the stinging worldwide criticism was justified but stressed that improvements have been made. "We have no deniability," ACOG president Billy Payne said at a luncheon to which he invited representatives of selected newspapers and media organizations.

"We let you down." Payne, a former University of Georgia football player whose dream was to bring the Olympics to Atlanta and showcase the South to the world, said that all responsibility for the prob Dream Team by 22 The U.S. men's basketball Dream Team held to its slow-start, fast-finish pattern for the third consecutive game. This time the victim was Lithuania, by a 104-82 score. D1 After the "I thought I did something bad to make the tornado happen," he said. Although his family's home in Meadow Brook subdivision in Pioneer Village was only slightly damaged, Josh has expressed fear that another black cloud might come and tear his world apart like the May 28 tornado did those of his friends and their families a few houses away.

Josh is not alone in his fears. About 30 youths between ages 6 and 14 spent most of yesterday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hill-view coming to grips with their lin The personal charm and professional audacity of Moritz von Bomhard, shown here In 1985, made him one of Louisville's most beloved citizens. EDITORIAL TRIBUTE: The gifts "Mr. Opera" Moritz von Bomhard brought to Louisville are both many and enduring.

AQ Thomson Smillie, who succeeded Bomhard as Kentucky Opera's general director, said yesterday that he will ask his board of directors about dedicating performances during the coming season to Bomhard's memory. He spoke of Bomhard as "one of those great pioneers whose versatility forged an organization that is his supreme legacy." Bomhard, a native of Munich, Germany, became a U.S. citizen in the late 1930s. He first visited Louisville in the fall of 1949 to stage Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" for the University of Louisville School of Music. The production was a sellout for several performances at the old Playhouse on Belknap Campus.

See MORITZ VON BOMHARD Page 4, col. 5, this section I z. 1 1 Mi Louisville's man of steel Bryan Holden used to repair luxury cars in a body shop. Now he applies those skills to create furniture, CD holders and sculptures out of steel. Features, CI of expands academic empire The University of Louisville is growing globally, training foreigners in their countries and planning more travel and study abroad for its own students.

Metro, B1 Airport considers new runway safe The cracks that will require closing the new runway at Louisville International Airport for repairs pose no danger to takeoffs or landings, an official said. Metro, B1 NFL hands Irvin 5-game suspension Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin, who pleaded no contest to drug charges, received a five-game suspension from the National Football League. Sports, D1 Burundi's leader flees from troops Burundi's army, dominated by minority Tutsis, staged an apparent coup against the Hutu president, who fled to the U.S. ambassador's residence in Bujumbura. News, A4 A time to mourn TWA crash victim A mourner wiped away tears after a service for a victim of the TWA Flight 800 crash.

Later yesterday, divers reportedly found the jet's flight data and cockpit voice recorders. News, A3 C-J ONLINE: PGA Get a hole-by-hole tour of Valhalla, preview Vjjl stories, statistics on Jjf, competitors, and details on tickets, TV broadcasts and the local golf scene. The address: http:www.courier-journal.com FORECAST Rain possible Louisville area: Rain possible early today, then clear through tomorrow. High both days, mid-80s. Low tonight, near 60.

Details, B2 INDEX Expressive art therapist Katie Vorhees put Thomas Prultt's feelings down on paper as the 6-year-old resident of Meadow Brook subdivision in Pioneer Village told of fears he's experienced since a tornado ravaged northern Bullitt County on May 28. Program helps soothe children's fears Town doubts race a motive in fire By LAURIE OGLE WHITE The Courier-Journal Six-year-old Josh McDonald blames himself for the tornado that cut a destructive path through Bullitt County on May 28. "I thought I made the twister because I kept saying, 'Do the when we were on the trampoline," Josh said, his eyes darting around the room to avoid his listeners' eyes. What was innocent fun only hours before the tornado struck has become a symbol of guilt in Josh's mind. Opera founder Bombard dies at 88 By WILLIAM MOOTZ Special to The Courier-Journal Moritz von Bomhard, who founded the Kentucky Opera in 1952, died Tuesday in Salzburg, Austria, apparently of a heart attack.

He had made his home in Salzburg since January 1995. Bomhard was 88. Under his leadership, the Kentucky Opera became one of the most adventurous and respected regional opera companies in America. From the beginning, he ran the company as a benevolent autocrat, single-handedly overseeing rehearsals, designing and building scenery, coaching singers and conducting all performances. To a city that knew opera only through the occasional visits of listless touring theaters, he brought a mesmerizing energy that quickly established opera's popularity.

His personal charm and professional audacity made him one of Louisville's most beloved citizens. In 1984, the Kentucky Center for the Arts named its Bomhard Theater in his honor. Whites and blacks differ on relations, but say tensions few By NIKTTA STEWART The Courier-Journal PROVIDENCE, Ky. This town of a little more than 4,000 people is like many small towns, its citizens say. Integration came in the 1960s, but whites and blacks still live separate lives.

Whites worship with whites; blacks with blacks. White teens gather at a mudhole; blacks at a car wash. Webster County High School called the "white school" by African-American youngsters had nine Police question teen-agers about fire at black church Business E1 Lottery A2 Comics C8 Metro B1 Crossword C9 Movies C4 Deaths B6 People A2 Features C1 Racing D7 Forum A6 Sports D1 Horoscope C9 Television C2 By JAMES MALONE and N1KTTA STEWART The Courier-Journal PROVIDENCE, Ky. Federal agents yesterday continued questioning local African-American teen-agers who were playing basketball about 100 yards from the site of a suspicious fire that gutted a vacant African-American church Tuesday morning. Kentucky State Police Trooper Bryan Pitney said he believed that, as of midday, the questioning focused more on obtaining information than on the Classified C4, F1, E6 llll gregation had moved to a new $330,000 church Sunday morning.

Federal agents would not comment on the investigation, and police would not speculate on a motive. '40901" 10706'.