Florida Today from Cocoa, Florida • Page 1B

Indian River i Suspect plea bargains Section Tuesday, November 27, 1984 Murder suspect Elton Gerald Kim trough plea bargains and Is sentenced for the 19S3 burglary that resulted In the death of a Tltusvllle wMow. Story. 2B. State news. 5 6B Sf 1 hJfr Treasure Coast Grand jury probe resumes TODAY Staff Writer, VERO BEACH An Indian River County rand jury's probe into alleged wrongdoing in FDHsiran cny government resumed Monday.

with jurors hearing testimony from Sebastian police Officer Dave Pusher and former Officer r.winu Thomas, according to the state attorney's office. Testimony is scheduled to continue today. Jury members are investigating wide ranging allegations about past and present operations at Sebastian City Hall and behavior of public officials. So far the grand jury has heard testimony from Police Chief Gerald Nappi. former police Officers Gwynne Turner and Tom Butts, Vice Mayor Dorothy McKinley, former Councilwo man Betsy Adams and current Mayor Jim Gallagher.

Also testifying were police Officers Andrew Catalone, Kennth Bennett and Ted Zeuch; Edward Vick of Vick Real Estate; and Joan Pepper, editor of the Sebastian Sun. Two arrested in Vero burglary Vl.RO BEACH Vero Beach police arrested two men early Monday morning in connection with the burglary of a Steil gas station in northern Vero Beach, police said Ted E. Richmond. 32, and Charles E. Crosby, 31, addresses unknown, were charged with burglary when police found them inside M)e station at 2546 U.S.

1 after (he burglar alarm sounded, authorities said. Police were called to the station at about I2'45 a m. One of the station's windows was broken, police said. Both suspects were transferred to the Indian River County Jail in Vero Beach and held on $1,000 bonds each, police added Greek music, food lure festival crowds MELBOURNE Live music, dancing and the scent of roasted lamb and other delicacies lured hundreds of people to the festival at St. (Catherine's Greek Orthodox Church on Sunday.

Festival goers dined on authentic Greek food and drink under a blue and white striped tent and browsed among a handicrafts and jewelery exhibit in a church meeting room "We just love it We came the year before last and people seem more up for it this year we're having a great time," said Susan Drew of North Palm Beach. The event is the church's biggest fund raising event, according to festival organizer Manny Honanopoulos. Melbourne slates yearly holiday parade COCOA Space Coast residents will be putting their holiday spirit on parade in coming weeks. The 18th annual Melbourne Christmas Parade will wrap its way through the streets of that city next Saturday starting at 4.30 m. This year's theme is "the angel's Christmas." The two hour show will start at Apollo Boulevard.

Deaths GERALD GRAVENMIER VERO BEACH Services for Gerald Gravenmier, 44, of 6850 46th Court, will be held at a later date. A retired Air Force sergeant and an Indian River County resident for five years. Mr. Gravenmier died Wednesday at home. Survivors include his daughter, Melissa Gravenmier of Vero Beach; mother.

Kather ine Gravenmier of Connth. brother, Robert Gravenmier of Plant City, and a brother living outside the state. Calling hours were held Monday. Cox Gif ford Funeral Home in Vero Beach is in charge of local arrangements. ROBERT LAFFEY SEBASTIAN Services for Robert Laffey, 57, of Harnsville, Pa are scheduled for 1 m.

today at St rank Funeral Home in Vero Beach. A National Maritime Union of America employee and an Indian River County visitor, Mr. Laffey died Friday at Humana Hospital in Ibbastian. Survivors include his sister, Irene T. Sloan Greensburg.

Pa. Calling hours were held Monday. Contributions may be made to the Hu jnane Society, of Vero Beach, 1555 S. Commerce Vero Beach. Indian River Movies fe Plaza 1 "Supergiri (PG) 7 and 9 fcm.

Waza 2 'Places in the Heart" (PG) 7 and 9 p.m. Florida Theater American Dreamer" (PG) 7:30 and 9:30 pan. Attorney tries to bar Gore testimony By ELLIOTT JONES TODAY Staff Writer VERO BEACH The attorney for Frederick Waterfield says he wants Waterfield's cousin David Gore barred from testifying against him in a pending murder trial, claiming Gore cannot be relied upon to tell the truth, according to a motion filed Monday in circuit court. Gore, a convicted murderer, has contradicted his prior statements and hashsatd it was he not Water field who killed three women that Waterfield is charged with murdering in Indian River County, according to Waterfield's attorney, Robert Pegg. Today, Pegg said he will ask Circuit Judge B.

Vocelle either to prevent Gore from testifying or to have him undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Officials say Gore is the only person who can link Waterfield to the crimes. Gore has maintained that Waterfield was present during the murder of 17 year old Ying Hua Ling But a state crime lab expert has said there is no physical evidence linking Waterfield to the murder, according to Pegg Gore earlier this year "totally fabricated'' swom testimony describing in vivid detail how Waterfield had murdered several women, Pegg's motion states. Pegg previously had said he would ask Vocelle to dismiss all the murder charges against Waterfield Assistant State Attorney Jim Midelis has said Gore's statement about Waterfield being present dur ing the Ling murder is backed by two polygraph tests administered in June. Such tests are not admissible in trials, according to state law.

Also, Gore's public defender in October said Gore is a more credible witness now that he has changed his story. Pegg contends Gore does not know the meaning of an oath to tell the truth "While the penalty of perjury may act as a motivator for a competent person to testify" truthfully, in this case the legal threat would "have no effect whatsoever," Pegg wrote in his motion. Gore has been sentenced to die in Florida's electric chair Storm leaves erosion hazards Officials warn of winter tides By ELLIOTT JONES TODAY Staff Writer VERO BEACH Friday's destructive storm has left Indian River County's developed oceanfront poised for further disaster, local officials said Monday. The "freak" storm stripped away 10 to 30 feet of sand dunes and beach that protected a half dozen oceanfront buildings leaving them at or near the Water's edge. Some' portions plunged into the ocean.

Total damage in the county has been estimated at $3 6 million, officials said Unless something is done, a combination of winter's traditional northeast storms and the usual high tides of December and January could continue to undermine buildings near the ocean, according to a spokesman for a local private coastal engineering group and Vero Beach City Manager John Little "We could lose the rest of Sexton Plaza, the Ocean Grill" a portion of Ocean Drive and other structures in the city. Little said Monday Most of the storm's damage oc curred in the older, developed areas of Vero Beach City officials say it could take about $1 million to make beach parks and parking lots storm proof Indian River County's public beach facilities suffered an estimated $300,000 in damage. Officials in the town of Indian River Shores reported relatively minor storm related damage The Vero Beach City Council has called a special meeting for today to discuss ways of dealing with storm damage. High on the list is expected to be the much debated proposed federal beach renounshment project, which would pump sand up onto the beaches to protect against erosion Little said the city will pay close attention to how pnvately owned structures are rebuilt. "If a seawall failed, we don't want it built back the same way," he said.

A state disaster assessment team is expected to arrive today, according to county officials. The team's findings could lead to federal disaster aid, officials said 'XSfWSW TaaTaaaaQBBaaaaaaaaaaaaaffaaj.il MM 4 II rT 'Umltjkml9Br'tYMMt AtKBs bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbMI i.f 'Inmr I i 'r IASaaaaaaifaaaaaaaaaKriBaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai 'fllilaaaaailaaaaaaaaB a I I1 qrTaBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBal'aBBBBBBBBBBay "bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbi JfaA ftAtfSftsjBBBSaaaaaaaaaa (ILbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbI aaCaahaf VVM jBBBBBBBBBBBljBBBBBa1BBBBBBBBBr Bat Ml TODAY Ptmtet fMl JM Workers use heavy equipment to fill storm damaged parking lot at Sexton Plaza Private representatives of the feder al flood insurance program said "calls are just starting to come in" from area residents about compensation On Monday, city dump trucks filled in a deep gash left at Sexton Plaza's parking lot City beach parks were closed because of storm damage, litter and an influx of jellyfish Private contractors, building owners and local government officials spent Monday combing the shore to assess and photograph the damage and to find ways to safeguard their structures Lrosion brought seawater 'within feet of a portion of the Driftwood Inn, but "didn't do any structural damage," said Peter Clarke, assistant manager of the four story motel "I have a contrac tor looking into what to do." he added Several rooms of the Aquarius Motel already have crumbled into the ocean Farther north on the beach, resident Bill Boye unsucessfully searched for his personal belongings near the remains of a guest house that toppled into the ocean Next to it, the main house appeared unharmed, except for a portion of its thick concrete foundation hanging over a cliff of sand that days before had been a lawn Immediately south of the shopping plaza, a line of about 200 trucks wheeled in around the clock Fnday night to keep up with fast paced erosion that edged ilose to part of the Holiday Inn Ocean side foundation, a hotel spokesman said Rough waters broke though an end of the hotel's seawall, eating at a portion of the building's foundation On Monday, after the sea calmed, the patch appeared to be holding Other "patches" of sand or walls of concrete bags were placed at the edge of concete seawalls in front of the Village Spires condominium and 15 units at the Reef Ocean Resort Portions of the beach near the sea walls were more severely eroded According to Sample and local insurance agent Gene Waddell, seawalls ac celerate erosion in adjoining, unprotected oceanfront areas. According to Sample, Indian River County received more damage than neighboring counties because of its vertical seawalls. He said the walls cause incoming ocean waves to swirl and wash away sand. Little said beach renounshment is the answer to the erosion problem because it would be cheaper to pump sand onto the beach than to pay for storm damage.

"We should have had beach renounshment long ago," said Little, adding that the city should take whatever measures it can to get the multimillion dollardollar renounshment project going. 95BikfcS5aw RANGERS EYE INLET DEBRIS Perry Smith, left, Bob Wamser Lashing winds and waves made sneak attack By ELLIOTT JONES TODAY Staff writer VERO BEACH Friday's storm seemed to have crept up on people before they knew what was happening When Bill Boye left the guest house in which he was living at 6 a m. Fnday the gusty winds and high waves did not appear threatening. He grew up by the ocean and thought he knew it well. So he left town to work in another part of the state.

But by Saturday the guest house plunged into the ocean and part of the foundation of an adjoining house was hanging over a cliff of sand with waves lashing underneath. On Fnday the assistant manager of the Driftwood Inn in Vero Beach was awakened at 6 a m. when he heard a telephone ringing. The connection was bad but finally he made out something about a "gas tank is exploding," said assistant manager Peter Clarke He rushed to his oceanside motel to find the waves washing away an outdoor gas tank. "I last saw it bobbing in the water 1'2 miles away," he said.

Clarke evacuated people from one of the hotel's two buildings because the waves were so close. Up and down the coast here the storm relentlessly washed away the sand, erasing much of the natural buffer be tween the ocean and buildings and exposing several buildings to direct assault by the lashing waves Clarke and Boye. like others, found themselves facing the type of damage associated with more violent storms like hurncanes. Even the county's disaster preparedness coordinator said he initially thought the weather might be nothing more than another Northeaster that lashes the coast in the winter But Steve Well's initial reaction was incorrect He ended up calling for the evacuation of beachfront homes, and other officials barred motonsts from dnving over the county's long coastal island Officials say Indian River County and much of Florida's east coast was subjected to a rare combination of high tides and two offshore storm systems that whipped the high tides into 8 foot waves for hours on end High tech hints Elke Ford, seated, explains the many uses of computers to students who visited the Brevard Community College curriculum fair. The recent fair was held at the college's Melbourne campus, and attracted many members of the public as well as local students.

HLaaaaaaaar BaaFatam BaaiaaatiaaaV bbbbbbW aaaaL Jr aaaaaaaai zHbbbbbbI' bbUbbbbV. bbbI VaBBBBafr laBBalBBBBBBBm "laL r' BBB Suspect arrested in Gifford murder GIFFORD Indian River County shenffs detectives arrested a Gifford man Monday and charged him with first degree mdrder in connection with the death of his 69 year old neighbor, officials said Anthony A. Thomas, 33, of 4131 30th Apt. confessed to detectives Monday that he lulled Riley Snow Sr. of 4131 30th Apt.

B. a shenffs spokesman said Snow died after being repeatedly hit on the head with a hammer, according to county Shenff Tim Dobeck. "There was an argument over some funds that the young man owed the older gentleman." Dobeck said. At 4 p.m. Sunday, a neighbor found Snow, a retiree, lying on his living room floor surrounded by blood, authorities said.

Two TV sets, a pistol and a rifle were reported trussing from the home. Thomas was taken Monday to the Indian River County Jail in Vero Beach and held without bond. The investigation confiurt USABACKMAN.