The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 27

It May Seem Rash, hut It Could Be Worth $45 Ron sgj Wiggins If you act fast and turn your baby over to a West Palm Beach laboratory for medical experimentation, you can pocket a quick $45 in plain, unmarked bills and the kid will never know the difference. 'And when he or she gets older and realizes that you profited from indignities performed on his or her person, the money will be long spent, and you can say, "Tough Zwieback, kid." There's a couple of catches. First, the baby must have diaper rash and also be fair-skinned. Diaper rash on fair-skinned babies is more photogenic than on those with darker skin, and how else are they going to tell which diaper rash medication is best unless they photograph the results? really had a hard time coming up with the 25 babies we need for this test," said Pat Smith, account specialist for Check II, a local market research company. "So far, we've only found seven.

You'd think that in Florida this wouldn't be a problem." If your baby qualifies, she said, call 746- your stomach for consumer research. "I even took part in an indigestion study," Smith said. "In October some of us went to a restaurant and ate two bowls of chili and drank a 12-ounce glass of wine in order to get indigestion. We were testing an antacid." And did she get indigestion? "Yes, indeedy," she said. To become a guinea pig you could make a practice of strolling by the Check II offices at the Westward Shopping Center on Okeechobee Boulevard and hope you'll be tapped.

That's how I happened to see a sign on the door asking for volunteers to taste test some sugarless chewing gums. Your best bet, however, would be to call and get yourself on the computer list. "We need all kinds of people for tests," Smith said, "and as we build our list of available subjects it then just becomes a matter of pushing a button and getting the computer to spew out a list of blue-eyed blondes, if that's what we need." Here's a for instance. Recently a client wanted a sun-screen tested. The marketing firm called in a bunch of fair-skinned volunteers.

"We rented the swimming pool at Howard Park and for consecutive days we had the subjects sun themselves from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. with sun screens applied in patches. At strict intervals they went into the water and then reapplied the screen. Then we measured the reddening of the skin.

We paid $20 not bad for laying in the sun." Smith showed me the Mai Odor Lab and told me a bit about how it works. Along a wall a half-dozen partitioned stations were arranged, each with a small hole for communicating with the other side. During testing, odors are forced through the tubes while a trained sniffer records his or her impressions. "For one test we measured the effect of deodorant shoe inserts. For a mouthwash we had test subjects eat garlic pizza and onion salad and then breathe into the stations." I said I wouldn't want to be a sniffer but that the garlic and onion sounded good.

"At 8 o'clock in the morning?" Smith asked. Along with 14 other tasters, I helped evaluate sugarless chewing gums we knew only as 1, 2 and 3. We were crowded around a very large conference table and presented with a questionnaire and sealed packets of labeled gum. Each of us was given an ample supply of unsalted soda crackers and water. At seven-minute intervals we chewed gum and answered a printed survey.

Then we "cleared our palates" with crackers and water before going on to the next sample. The entire process for which we were paid $8 took just under an hour. I think that's about what you have to pay people to sit still with a dozen other people working their jaws. It was a teacher's nightmare. Worse things come to mind.

Such as the same gang wolfing down chili, garlic pizza and onion salad. With their feet up on the table. 9227 for an appointment. Procedures call for the baby to be treated three consecutive days with a product supplied by the client pharmaceutical company and photographed each day. Even if you can't lay hands on a suitably diseased infant, you could still capitalize on your morning breath or a case of death-dealing foot odor, or from the very fact that you're a consumer willing to offer up your taste buds, your skin, your dentures or even SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1985 TnC POSt SECTION --11111 1 1 Flames of Love Hold Survivors During Service By Tim O'Meilia Staff Writer LAKE WORTH Christine Seymour Marcella Rodriguez Eric John Rose Fred Groves Mary Lester They read aloud the names of nearly 200 people.

Nearly all had been murdered or killed in traffic accidents in Palm Beach County in the past two years. It took 11 minutes to read them all. Karen Slattery Johnny Hall Thomas McMurray Jose Rivera Roosevelt Johnson Seventy-five people gathered at the bandshell in Bryant Park in Lake Worth huddled together in small groups on the wooden benches. All lost a family member. They were survivors.

The stage at the bandshell was empty except for a microphone and the 30 burning candles set along its edge. At dusk the American flag flew at half-mast. "Our purpose is to remember these people; to draw together and be strong," Richard Royster said into the microphone. He lit the pages of names of victims until they became a torch in his hand. Then he put the flaming pages into a bucket.

Royster is a bereavement counselor with Victim-Witness Services, part of Palm Beach County government. Last night's candlelight memorial was the final event of Victim Rights Week. this really shows that there are others in the same circumstance to help you carry the burden," said the Rev. William Ivory, pastor of Faith Holy Temple Evangelist Church in Riviera Beach. His brother was murdered last year in West Palm Beach.

Among those at the vigil were members of several support groups for survivors. The groups help victims' families live with their grief, anger, guilt and frustration. "It means a lot to have people remember and it's good to have the public recognize our needs," said Dea Abrams, one of the founders of the county chapter of Parents of Murdered Children. Her brother was stabbed to death in Fort Worth, Texas, two years ago. His murderer received a 10-year suspended sentence.

"There is a lot of anger and frustration with the criminal justice system," she said. Another group, Justice for Surviving Victims, convinced the Florida Legislature to let the opinions of the victim's family be heard before sentencing. "We are angry at the way our nation has failed to deal with the rights of victims. People don't get what they deserve said Bob Preston of Boynton Beach, president of the state group. His daughter was murdered in her Lighthouse Point home by a robber eight years ago.

Because of insanity Jaws, her murderer nearly escaped punishment. I "What we find with the homicide survivor is that they 'have to get active to maintain their sanity," Preston said. As drops of rain began to fall last night, the survivors stood and held hands. They said the Lord's Prayer. Margaret Lennox Yvette Delgado Maria Ramirez Wendy Preston Terry Glover Doctor Links Conditions, AIDS Rate All Belle Glade Cases In Southwest Section By Steve Rothman Staff Writer Chronic malnutrition coupled with poor living conditions might help explain why Belle Glade has one of the highest rates in the world of AIDS cases per 1,000 population, a doctor investigating the disease said this week.

Thirty-seven cases of AIDS have been confirmed in Belle Glade, which has about 20,000 people a rate of 1.8 per 1,000. After investigating the disease in that area, Dr. Carolyn MacLeod who is associated with the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Miami said to contract the disease, conditions in addition to contact with the virus seem to be required. "We believe there may be an environmental trigger involved," she said at an international AIDS conference week in Atlanta. Seven of the cases in Belle Glade did not involve people in groups usually described as being the most vulnerable to the disease those who take drugs intravenously, homosexuals, or those who received regular blood transfusions because they suffer from hemophilia.

All of Belle Glades' cases are concentrated in the poorer southwest section of the city, said Dr. MacLeod, who is associated with Dr. Mark Whiteside, a tropical medicine specialist who runs an AIDS investigatory clinic for the Palm Beach County Health Department. Scientists believe some environmental factor might be involved with AIDS transmission because the disease pattern in the U.S. is not found in many parts of Africa, Dr.

MacLeod said. Researchers also are concerned that some of the 10,000 Caribbean sugarcane workers who come to Belle Glade each year to harvest crops, are being infected and taking AIDS home with them, she said. "I think Dr. MacLeod's conclusions are interesting, but we have not found any evidence to substantiate that an environmental factor like the mosquito may be involved," said Dave Withum, who is in charge of Florida's AIDS program. What is more likely is that AIDS now is being spread heterosexually based on evidence presented at the Atlanta meeting, he said.

However, Withum said a state and U.S. Centers for Disease Control investigation revealed none of the seven Belle Glade cases which fell outside the normal AIDS categories could be sexually linked. In terms of number of cases, Withum said New York, San Francisco and Dade County are the leading three areas in the nation. However, in cases per 1,000 population, New York City's rate is 0.35 and Miami's rate is 0.2. Belle Glade's state-leading rate is 1.8 while Key West, which is second, has a rate of 1.

Withum said the statistics reported on Belle Glade could be misleading. "If New York conducted a study of its homosexual community alone, no doubt the city's rate would be higher than that of Belle Glade," he said. "I think it's important to keep statistics in perspective." As of April 1, Palm Beach County had reported 77 cases of AIDS, a disease which destroys the body's ability to fight off infection. Forty-eight of Palm Beach County's victims have died, including 29 of those living in Belle Glade, Withum said. No confirmed cases of AIDS had been reported in Martin, Okeechobee, Indian River or St.

Lucie counties as Turn to AIDS, B2 i if if j'7 I I I I' "i JIT Mien EyestoneTHE POST Tami Hemsher (left), Sue Willis embrace while mourning murdered father Man Settles Malpractice Laivsuit for $3 Million Babbitt said. However, the brain infection was not discovered until 18 days after the accident, when a CAT scan was performed. Cohen inserted a needle into Neu-meyer's head to deliver antibiotics to the site of the infection. Beach County Circuit Court. Cohen was treating Neumeyer for injuries he suffered in an April 9, 1982, car accident, according to Babbitt.

Neumeyer, a marine carpenter and boat mechanic who has sailed around the world, suffered head injuries in the crash and the injuries led to the brain infection, A Stuart man whose doctor mistakenly injected antibiotics into his brain settled a medical malpractice lawsuit against the doctor for $3 million yesterday, the man's lawyer said. Kenneth W. Neumeyer, 30, suffered paralysis in his right side after the treatment and sued Palm Beach Gardens Hospital and Dr. Fred L. Cohen because the antibiotics should have been injected into a fluid-filled cavity next to infected brain tissue and not into the brain tissue itself, attorney Theodore Babbitt said yesterday.

The hospital was dismissed from the lawsuit, Babbitt said, and the judgment was against Cohen, who was sued in Palm rm Compromises Reached for WPB, Delray Centers Okeechobee Blvd. AS Zf 1 "V-Betvedere Rd. PROPOSED SITE CENTREPARK The two developers must wait for certain road improvements before building each phase of their respective projects. For Centrepark, the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council said Belvedere Road should be widened to six lanes and its 1-95 interchange improved before the project proceeds too far. Delint Center's developer in Delray Beach must wait for improvements to Linton Boulevard and surrounding roads and for assurances ramps at 1-95 and Linton Boulevard will operate efficiently.

Li By Cathy Sims Staff Writer STUART The Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council yesterday reached compromises with Palm Beach County officials and the dejelopers of two multimillion-dollar officehotel complexes, despite concerns either project could overburden roads in its area. The council approved development plans for the Delint Center, a Delray Beach project officials fear could generate so much traffic at 1-95 and Linton Boulevard the intersection will not handle any other traffic. I it also approved plans for Centrepark, a 40-ajjrje officehotel complex at 1-95 and Belve-dej-e Road in West Palm Beach that could have a similar impact on Palm Beach International Airport traffic. The council said it could not ask the developers to pay for more than the traffic problems they generate, or force the developers to build the roads for the county. "All we can do is say there's a need for certain road improvements to be in place.

We dorj address who nakes them," said Sam Shannon, executive director of the regional planning cSuncil. A long list of other road improvements should ensure Centrepark does not overburden the roads needed for airport traffic, Shannon said. "You still need to address the roads around the airport, and I hope we will work with you on that," he said. Delint's developer must wait for improvements to Linton Boulevard and surrounding roads and assurance from the Florida Department of Transportation that ramps at 1-95 and Linton Boulevard will operate efficiently. Delray Beach has approved the Delint project but must adopt the regional conditions before development can proceed.

Centrepark still must be approved by the West Palm Beach Zoning Board and City Commission. The planning council broke new ground several times with the Centrepark application. For instance, Centrepark's developers must build each phase by given deadlines or face losing the right to build the rest of the project. At least 187,000 square feet of commercial space must be done by 1989 or the developer may not be able to 250-room hotel and the remaining 1 million square feet of office space. The project must be complete by 1995.

DELINT CENTER will pay is extra, but developer Joseph Blu-baugh of Wolfe Enterprises said it is more than $400,000. Both developers must wait for certain road improvements before they can begin building each phase of their projects. The council eased its policy of requiring all roads to be completed before any building can start. In Centrepark's case, the regional council agreed Belvedere Road should be widened to six lanes and the 1-95 interchange r.t Belvedere should be improved before the project proceeds too far. The developers of both projects agreed to pay more than their share of impact fees to help the county improve other roadr around their projects.

Delint offered to pay an extra $400,000 to improve surrounding roads, based on paying an extra 50 cents for each square foot of commercial or industrial space they open to occupancy. "We hope other developers in the area will follow our lead," attorney Alan Ciklin said. "We don't feel it's our problem, but we want to help th county." Centrepark officials would not say how much of the more than $2 million in impact fees they Atlantir Atlantic Union iSWd ll Ocean.