St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 1

vo ST-DB RSTCH 41990 Vol. 112, no. 94 Copyright 1990 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4,1990 (5)" 3-STAR 25 a Environmentalists Decry 'Earth Tech' Intent Bv Bill Lambrecht down hazardous wastes, vacuuming insects from crops to avoid using pesticides and generating power from an 80-foot-hlgh wind turbine. They will deploy a satellite hook-up to bring together business and government leaders from several countries to talk about beating pollution In the future. "The underlying theme is to exhibit products, technology and strategies that may help contribute to environmentally sustainable development," said Charles Miller, spokesman for Earth Tech '90.

Despite the intent, some environmental groups say there Is more under Earth Tech's Big Top than meets the eye. They see It as a cynical effort to impress Congress and to milk public relations benefits from the national Earth Day celebration on April 22. "Companies that have been polluting America's back yard are getting all dressed up and coming to America's front yard to present an Image that has nothing to do with reality," said Peter Bahouth, executive director of Greenpeace USA. Bahouth added that some companies were "doing the right thing but hanging around with a bad element." Representatives from Greenpeace and other environmental groups planned to set up shop across the street today, just when Earth Tech conducted VIP tours of their tents. The groups planned to play tapes describing environmental sins of exhibitors.

Earth Tech would prefer that its show go on without the Interlopers. Miller, the Earth Tech spokesman, complained that Greenpeace had erred In saying that Waste Management Inc. and Browning Ferris Inc. would be exhibitors this week. The two hazardous waste companies were' See EARTH, Page 21 Poit-Dlipatch Waihlngton Buraau WASHINGTON Some of the biggest corporations are turning Earth Day '90 into Earth Tech '90 on the U.S.

Capitol mall In a show that environmental groups are looking at with skepticism. Beginning today, Du Pont, IBM, Westing-house and many others will open a five-day, $1 million "technology fair" designed to show their concerns about the environment. In white, circuslike tents near the Capitol Building, about 90 companies will trumpet such advances in pollution control as breaking Stadium Tax, School Bonds Leadin; i u- .7 5 J'. '-ft 4 rff I Ell Voter Turnout Galled Heavier Than Expected ByFredW.LIndecke Mluourl Political Correapondant A proposal to Increase the St. Louis County hotel tax to pay for the county's share of construction of a $250 million football stadium and convention center expansion captured almost a 2-to-l lead in early returns Tuesday.

In St. Louis, a request for $100 million In school construction bonds was ahead by a ratio of 59 percent to 41 percent, which gave It a chance of passing, depending on a court decision on a disputed section of election law. The proposition to Increase the county's hotel tax to 7.25 cents on the dollar from 3.75 cents was passing by a vote of 47,138 to 25,699 In a count of absentee votes and ballots picked up by 11 a.m. Tuesday. The tax was getting 65 percent of the votes.

It needed a simple majority. The St. Louis school bonds led, 16,088 to 11,139, In a similar early count that Included absentees. The bonds will pass if they get a 67 percent majority. But If the margin of approval is between 57 and 67 percent, a court decision will be needed because of a dispute over whether a four-sevenths or two-thirds majority Is need-See ELECTION, Page 14 I I CO li'- i 1 i UP 36.26 2D Cheering Him On: Coach Ken Wild acknowledging cheers at his last game at the Boys Club.

Boyo Club Wild About This Coach Retiring coach Ken Wild was the heart and soul of the Boys Club of St. Louis for 36 years. IE MSD Proposes 'Austere' Budget A hearing Is set for tonight on a proposal for an MSD budget that reflects a 4 percent cut in services. 3A Dloxin Mistrial ASl Louis Jury is hopelessly deadlocked on damage claims of former Times Beach residents. 3A Pentagon Unveils Stealth Fighter The Pentagon releases photos and details of the United States once-secret Stealth fighter, the F-117A.

15A GM Elects New Chairman Robert Stempel will succeed Roger Smith as chairman of General Motors Corp. when Smith retires this summer. IB Mi IMMMsl A Murderous Mideast Arms Race (editorial mo CARTOON) Lovirig The Ethics Bill To Death (editorial) 2C CLOSE a. 2736.71 I r-a 1 School Superintendent Jerome B. Jones talking with Timothy Coney In the 5500 block of Era Avenue in north it Louis about Larry WllllamaPost-Dlspatch supporting the district's position on Proposition 1.

Jones and other school officials were helping to get out the vote Tuesday. Lithuanian Leaders Meet Gorbachev Ally East German Parties To Attempt Coalition meeting was "informal and friendly" and that both sides presented their positions "completely calmly." Yakovlev led a parliamentary commission that laut year reviewed the secret Soviet-Nazi pact under which the three Baltic republics Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia were absorbed Into the Soviet Union. The commission's work led the Soviet Congress of People's Deputies In December to condemn the 1939 pact The Lithuanians expect to meet today with Interior Minister Vadim Ba-katln and said they would continue to seek a session with Gorbachev. Tuesday's meeting came as both chambers of the Supreme Soviet passed a tough new law on secession, though representatives from the Baltic states said they would Ignore the measure. Until now, the Soviet constitution had allowed secession In princl- -5-, sH Richard Schroeder, a spokesman for the Social Democrats, said all parties had agreed that the constitution should be changed to scrap the Council of State, the collective presidency, for a single head of state.

Party leaders said after the session that they had agreed on a framework for the talks that they expected would result In a governing coalition by Easter Sunday, April 19. They also agreed to form smaller groups to discuss the Issues that divide them, particularly the pace of reunification. The talks are aimed at forging a "grand coalition" that Includes both conservatives and liberals. East Germany's disparate political factions suddenly united this week to demand that West Germany give Mo-1 value to East German marks when See GERMANS, Page 18 Peach Case Gets Special Prosecutor Miaaourl Political Correapondant A Judge has appointed the office of Attorney General William L. Webster to be a special prosecutor to investigate allegations of voter fraud against Circuit Attorney George Peach.

"Fine," Peach responded when informed of the appointment Tuesday. Webster Is a Republican, and Peach Is a Democrat. "I want someone to be appointed. I Intend to cooperate, and hopefully we can resolve this In a week or a few days," Peach said. "I want something done, and then I will have something to say about this whole thing." Peach added that the Investigation of his voting from one address while living at another would not affect his prosecution of five others on the same kind of charge.

"These people are going to be fully prosecuted, just like they were before this came up," Peach said. Circuit Judge James Gallagher named the special prosecutor as a result of an application filed Monday by two state representatives, Paula I Carter and Charles Q. Troupe, both Democrats from St. Louis. Both are friends of Pamela Bosley-Byes, one of the five people Peach charged In December with voting In the 3rd Ward when they were living elsewhere.

Bosley-Byes Is the daughter of Alderman Freeman Bosley D-3rd Ward, and the sister of Circuit Clerk Freeman Bosley Jr. In their application, Carter and Troupe said Peach had committed voter fraud by voting four times in See PEACH, Page IS i i i in niTh Tale: Son's Death, Her Imprisonment ALtO IN THIt STOWV a Soviet Union's Supreme Soviet Esses law permitting republics to ive the nation. Soviets shut Lithuania's border with Poland. Lithuania's neighboring republic, Estonia, announces Its support for Lithuania. SOVIET ARRIVES In U.S., favors "honest 1IA pie but contained no mechanisms for a republic to leave the union.

The new law says that for a republic to secede, it must pass a popular referendum by a two-thirds vote and then undergo a five-year transition during which the political, military and economic terms of secession would be negotiated. If fewer than two-thirds of the voters opt for secession, then the republic Is not allowed to try another such vote for 10 years. And If after the transition See LITHUANIA, Page It has baan rtj laaaad from jail taats In the i ,1 i. i in. i it's 1:1 If Pi IP lilii CompSed From Nawa tervleea BERLIN East Germany's main political groups agreed Tuesday to try to form the nation's first non-communist government before April 15 and resolve lingering differences over unification with West Germany.

The conservative Alliance for Germany, winner of the most Parliament seats in the elections of March 18 and closely allied with West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, met for formal talks with the Social Democrats, who finished second. Leaders from the Christian Democratic Union, from the Social Democrats and from some smaller parties agreed that they would call on the 400-seat Parliament to set up an Independent presidency at its first session Thursday. A president would be elected to the post later. Larry WllllamaPoat-Dlapatch Complied From Nawstetvleae MOSCOW A delegation of Lithuanian legislators met Tuesday with Politburo member Alexander Yakovlev In the first high-level talks since Lithuania declared Its Independence from the Soviet Union last month. Egldljus Blckauskas, a member of the Lithuanian Parliament, said the meeting with Yakovlev did not amount to formal negotiations on Lithuanian Independence, calling it preliminary "consultations and talks." Still, the Lithuanians, led by Deputy Prime Minister Romualdas Ozolas, were pleased with the 90-mlnute meeting, even though no promises of official negotiations were made.

Yakovlev is Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev's closest ally both In the Communist Party leadership and In the new presidential Cabinet. One source said that the atmosphere of the Mother's By Tom Uhlenbrock Of thePoat-Dlapatch Staff A single carbon atom the difference In the chemical makeup of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol stands between Patricia Stall-lngs and a possible death sentence for poisoning her 9-month-old son. Stalllngs was charged with murder in the death of her son, Ryan, because a laboratory test done for Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital found ethylene glycol, a substance found In antifreeze, in his body. But prosecutors now say those tests will be re-evaluated because Stalllngs's second son, born while she was on leave from jail, was found to have a rare genetic disorder that produces propylene glycol.

If tests on urine samples taken from the dead child find propylene glycol Instead of ethylene glycol, charges against Stalllngs will be dropped, said John S. Appelbaum, the assistant Jefferson County prosecutor who Is handling the case. "If the urine is tested, and It's found to be propylene glycol, I don't see how we could proceed," Appelbaum said Tuesday. However, Appelbaum added: "I have no reason to believe the tests were not done accurately." Stalllngs, who was freed from jail Monday pending the new tests, and her husband, Dave, were Interviewed Tuesday at their modest two-bedroom home overlooking Lake Wauwanoka near Hlllsboro, in Jefferson County. "They couldn't put a price tag on what they've taken from me," said See STALLINGS, Page IS i Automotive 1F Bualnaaa 1-8B piaaaifled 231 pommantary IS Editoriali 25 Evorvdav MOB MoyltUitlnfli HaMonWorld 1SA Qbltuarloa 4C Ravlawa 4B 8t Louie 3A 8 porta Televlalon 7B A' yy it 1 Upper 60s FORECAST; Today: Mostly sunny with southwttt winds 10 to 20 mph.Hlgh69.

Partly cloudy and braazy tonight. Low 35. Thursday: Partly cloudy sndoooltr, High 62, Other Weather, 2A i mm Patricia Stilllngt and har husband, Dava, at whlla medical experts con-duet death of har child. their noma in Hlllsboro. Sha.