Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 8

pi il THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC Thursday, December 31, 1987 The Economy Bankers worldwide applaud, but refuse to commit themselves to, a novel plan that would cut Mexico's foreign debt through indirect U.S. government backing. B6. Obituaries B5 3 students file suit in strip search Second action filed in PUHSD incident Phoehixwgos alcohol fuels Lobbies EPA in bid to clean air 0 fy Sean BradyThe Arizona Republic after rolling it out other volunteers were busy Wednesday putting Pavilion. He and finishing touches on 20 floats for a parade.

i 1 By BETTY BEARD The Arizona Republic The Phoenix City Council is urging the federal Environmental Protection Agency to require gasoline stations to sell mostly alcohol-gasoline blends in the Phoenix area to help clean the air. Councilman Paul Johnson of north-central Phoenix said the council fears that the Legislature will cave in to oil-company lobbyists and not require cleaner-burning alcohol fuels. When state lawmakers convene Jan. 11, Johnson said, the oil industry is expected to support a bill that would encourage gasoline stations to sell a gasoline-ether blend known as MTBE. Johnson supports the use of gasohol, a blend of 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent ethanol that emits about half of the carbon-monoxide pollution as MTBE.

"We're asking EPA to endorse a program that will have the greatest reduction in terms of carbon monoxide," Johnson said. The EPA is under court order to come up with a plan by March 31 to reduce carbon monoxide in the Phoenix area. Agency officials are considering steps to make alternative fuels mandatory at gas pumps. The Legislature is expected to consider making the sale of alternative fuels mandatory and to engage in a lively debate over what type of fuels to require. Johnson called a news confer ence Wednesday to announce that a letter signed by the council members and Mayor Terry Goddard has been sent to the EPA urging the agency to endorse gasohol over MTBE.

The councilman accused oil companies of spreading misinformation about gasohol. "With the ethanol product, they (oil companies) lose a proportion of their market share, and they're very concerned about losing a portion of their market to an ethanol-based industry," Johnson said. Charles Stevens, an attorney who represents six major oil companies, denied later that oil companies are concerned about losing a share of their market. "We will buy the product and blend it with gasoline and still sell a gallon of gasoline," Stevens said when reached after Johnson's news conference. Because alcohol additives such as gasohol and MTBE reduce miles-per-gallon efficiency, he said, the oil companies expect to sell more gasoline.

Stevens said he has been telling legislators and other officials that there are problems with alcohol fuels. "Even MAG's (the Maricopa Association of Governments) own consultant points out that 5 to 15 percent of cars could incur (engine) problems," he said. Bill Snapp leaps off a float from the Fiesta Bowl Float Builders finally get to parade 20 floats poised for Fiesta show By HOLLY D. REMY The Arizona Republic Something has been missing in Samantha Kidd's life. For months now, she has lived and breathed everything about making parade floats: shaping chicken-wire forms, fastening the forms to truck chassis, covering the forms with plastic flower petals, sticking real flowers into designated places among the plastic petals, painting, polishing and applying glitter.

She has done it all. What has been missing is the parade. "Not anymore," the 21-year-old Glendale resident said Wednesday at the Fiesta Bowl Float Pavilion on East Broadway. Today, Kidd's handiwork for the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl Parade will be seen by an expected 500,000 curbside spectators and 12 million television viewers. She will be among them.

Shortly after nightfall Wednesday, motorcycle police officers Parade, B2 By JOYCE VALDEZ The Arizona Republic An attorney for three students who were strip-searched at Metro Tech vocational high school in November filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Maricopa County Superior Court against Phoenix Union High School District and the three security guards and the teacher who conducted the searches. The lawsuit" does not specify any monetary damages. Those filing the suit are Sherry Lynn Spress, 20, Catherine Scott, 20, and Evangeline Posadas, 19. In addition to the district, the defendants are listed as Linda Montanaro, the computer-accounting teacher involved in the incident, and security guards Stephen Nazeck, Bill Valdez and Peter Talili. "The Phoenix Union High School District was clearly negligent in training and supervising its employees, as is evidenced by this incredible incident," said Stephen Leshner, who is representing the women.

"What startled me most was that none of these district employees apparently even considered that this type of search is unconstitutional and illegal according to Arizona and United States law." The suit seeks special, general and punitive damages, to be determined by a jury if the case goes to trial. Another lawsuit on behalf of at least 12 other students in the class was filed Tuesday in Maricopa County Superior Court, according to Sam Saldano, one of the plaintiffs. Kenneth Arrick, who is representing Saldano and the students, was out of town Wednesday and could not be reached to comment on the damages being sought. Leshner said Spress, who is pregnant, and Scott filed the lawsuit together because they are older than the rest of the students. Posadas, he added, is Spress' friend.

They were among 16 students at Metro Tech, 1900 W. Thomas Road, who were strip-searched Nov. 18 after a girl in Montanaro's class reported her wallet missing. The wallet later turned up at another school. Nazeck and Talili, who were probationary employees, were fired Dec.

3. Valdez and Montanaro were put on paid administrative leave during the same meeting and face possible dismissal pending employee hearings. Montanaro has worked for the district since 1979. Valdez was hired in 1985 after failing to disclose on his application that he had served time in Arizona State Prison in the 1940s and '50s for armed robbery, burglary and escape. Mary Price, president of the governing board, would not comment on the lawsuits.

Superconducting super collider Sean BradyThe Arizona Republic Volunteer Dori Hurwich and her son, Andy, prepare flowers that will adorn a float. "I really feel like these are my floats," she said. PHOENIX nuclear plant jjy Mesa Gila I 1 Jj Proposed Maricopa I sito-i Gja Gila River Res. pC I I AkChinRes. Casa Gila--Vw I i Grande i 860(1 VCr) Luke Air Force Range Holiday schedule of offices, services today.

Closed on New Year's Day. Emergency numbers: 236-8811; Fountain Hills, Apache Junction and Higley, 968-8811. Irrigation emergencies, 236-3333. Arizona Public Service Open today. Closed New Year's Day.

Emergency number: 371-7171 Southwest Gas Corp. Open today. Closed New Year's Day. Emergency number: 271-GASS (271-4277) The Arizona Republic switchboard will be open until 6 p.m. today and will remain closed New Year's Day.

The building will be open today and closed New Year's Day. following two years after the expiration of his contract. "We are overjoyed," Johns added, "that Mr. Alcantara has accepted." A search committee will be formed immediately to find a successor for Alcantara, a process that may take two to three years. An interim music director may have to be engaged to bridge the gap, Johns said.

Alcantara, who followed Eduardo Mata as the symphony's music director in 1978, said that he wants to concentrate more on making music and less on administrative matters. "My decision was a difficult one, to say the least, because I love this orchestra," he said, "and I love this community. "But when you consider the time, energy and total commitment that go into the fulfillment of the responsibilities of music director all things little-known to most people my decision is the right one." Alcantara added that he has completed plans for the symphony's 1988-89 season and that he will assume full responsibility, including the engagement of soloists, for Alcantara, B2 New Year's Day is a holiday. Here is a list of services and offices that will be affected: PHOENIX Buses Regular weekday service today. No bus service on New Year's Day, but dial-a-ride service from 7 a.m.

to 7 p.m. Libraries Open until 5 p.m. today. Closed on New Year's Day. Sanitation Regular gar bage, pickup and landfills open today.

No garbage pickup and landfills closed New Year's Day. Parking meters Must be paid today. Free on New Year's Day, except those at Sky Harbor International Airport. OTHER SERVICES Postal Service Regular Collider's backers rate competitors relinquish Phoenix Symphony baton service today. Special-delivery and express mail only on New Year's Day.

Banks Open today, although some will close early. Closed on New Year's Day. Vehicle-emissions-inspection stations Regular hours today. Closed on New Year's Day. GOVERNMENT OFFICES Federal, state, county, and Phoenix, Glendale, Mesa, Tempe and Chandler Regular hours today.

Closed on New Year's Day. Scottsdale Open until noon today. Closed on New Year's Day. UTILITIES Salt River Project Open season, and that Alcantara will continue his relationship with the symphony as a guest conductor in six concerts during the first two years and in two concerts for the lohonoOodhamRes. Tne Arizona Republic patch of desert in and around the South Maricopa Mountains, east of Gila Bend.

Most observers mention Illinois as a strong contender for the collider, partly because that state offers existing facilities around which it could be constructed. But Carruthers and Jacob said in an interview that because of differences in geology, the tunnel for the collider at the Illinois site would have to be 400 to 600 feet deep, compared with a depth of about 100 feet in Arizona. And 6,000 parcels of land would have to be acquired in Illinois, against only 237 parcels in Arizona, they said. They said that deep tunneling also would be required in Texas and that Colorado's site, east of Denver, contains "structurally weak" soil. The two said they know too little about North Carolina's site to comment on it.

The Arizonans dismissed as true underdogs the other states the academies listed: 1 Michigan, New York and Tennes- see. The remarks of Jacob and Car- ruthers were made in interviews I after they appeared at a news I conference at the state Senate to urge unanimity among Arizonans in the drive for the collider, and particularly to beseech businesses to contribute cash for the cam- paign. Arizona's collider coordinator, By CARLE HODGE Arizona Republic Science Writer The physicists propelling Arizona's proposal for the superconducting super collider consider Colorado, Texas and Illinois their most formidable foes. Both scientists, Peter Carruthers and Richard Jacob, refused Wednesday to quote odds for the eight states still vying for the $4.7 billion proton smasher. As Carruthers, the University of Arizona physics-department chairman, explained, "We don't want to bad-mouth anyone." But they were willing to discuss what they view as weaknesses in some of their competitors' sites.

They agreed strongly on one thing. "We really do believe that on merit, the Arizona site will be at the top," Jacob said. Jacob is Carruthers' counterpart at Arizona State University. The two were the principal architects of the state's bid to become the home of the federal collider. The National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineers announced Tuesday that a site suggested by Arizona about 40 miles southwest of Phoenix would be one of eight finalists.

That "best-qualified list" still must he approved by federal Energy Secretary John Herrington, who will pick the final location this summer. Arizona's hope is a Alcantara to Conductor is lauded for building players into major orchestra By DIMITRI DROBATSCHEWSKY The Arizona Republic Theo Alcantara, music director and principal conductor of the Phoenix Symphony for nearly 10 years, has decided not to renew his contract with the orchestra at the end of the 1988-89 season, when his current contract expires. In an emotional announcement during which the maestro repeatedly fought back tears, Alcantara thanked the Phoenix Symphony. Association for having given him the opportunity to serve the orchestra and community. He also thanked the orchestra's musicians for their "commitment and the many moments of glorious music-making." David Johns, president of the association board, accepted Alcantara's decision "with regret," saying that in the 40 years of the orchestra's existence, Alcantara will be remembered as the man who built the group from a part-time, semiprofessional ensem- Charles KrejcsiThe Arizona Republic Theo Alcantara (left) addresses the Phoenix Symphony Association while David Johns, president of the association board, looks on.

ble into the major orchestra it is today. Johns also said that Alcantara has accepted the title of conductor laureate, effective with the 1989-90.