The Morning News from Wilmington, Delaware • Page 1

A rvj t. I 1 Jf J-, 1 I Phils win again Mike Schmidt hits two homers and Steve Carlton notches his 1 2th win as the Phils trounce the Expos 9-5 for their fifth straight win. Sports I lo end in sight In 20 years of selling sand, Edna Taylor has seen real estate prices balloon. Beach property is limited, 4 and customers are Real estate 1 Du Pont lab dedicated After a two-day symposium, the Du Pont Co. unveils its new Life Sciences Research Complex and dedicates a health sciences laboratory to Crawford H.

Green-ewalt, the firm's 1 0th DQ president. Business DO Weather: cloudy Today: Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain during the day High near 70 low around 50. Sunday: Fair and cod High tern perature the mid 60s. tow in hc 50s Details, A6 Ann Landers D4 Editorial A4 Arts D2 Obituaries A5 Business. B8 People D2 Calendar D3 Record A4 Classitied C2 Sports B1 Comics D5 Television D4 "fhe News Journa A Gannett newspaper Wilmington, Saturday, Sept.

15, 1984 JJ 35 cents Mke skits 13 GM rokmnts last six minutes to tell us." said Jeff Sherman of Wilmington, who works in the trim department. Many of the workers appeared to be in support of the walkout, saying there are a lot of issues that need clearing up. Benny Suppa of North East, who works in the maintenance department, said, "We had to go. We gave up too much stuff that we got to get back." Jesse Burleson of New Castle got off work early and was waiting outside the plant with picket signs. "I got signs here for anyone who wants to carry them." he told workers filing out of the plant.

Delaware union officials said the dispute at the Boxwood plant centered on local issues, including seniority assignments within the plant and job assignments and transfers. Many of the issues resulted from the plant's model changeover from manufacturing Chevettes. The Boxwood Road plant is now tooled to produce the Oldsmobile Delta 88 and Chevrolet Capris and Impalas. Charles F. Starkey, president of UAW Local 435, said there were still about 120 issues on the table in local negotiations.

For that reason, they got the go-ahead from the international to strike because "we were worlds apart." "The international said we have our issues, and if they can't be Vol. 11, No. 39 Journal Co. General Motors' Boxwood Road Green, Shreveport. Went- zille, and five in Michigan "It is official.

The strike is on." said Jimmy Hyde, financial secre- tary of Local 10 in Doraville George Bush A Vn -f Threats sway on Chessie vote By EDWARD MILLER Associated Press DETROIT The United Auto Workers union struck 13 General Motors Corp. plants in nine states including the Boxwood Road plant near Wilmington, Del. at midnight Friday in disputes over local issues, and said it would continue bargaining on a national contract. It was the first coast-to-coast walkout in 14 years against the world's largest manufacturer, and took 59,000 of the UAW's 350,000 GM workers off the job. UAW President Owen Bieber and chief bargainer Donald Ephlin said in a joint statement shortly before midnight that "the failure to reach agreements at the local level at some locations has made local strikes unavoidable at 13 GM facilities." The statement said the union was "still making progress in some areas.

However, we will continue the national negotiations and work without a new national agreement." Employees on the Boxwood Road plant night shift, who usually work until 1:30 a.m., did not know until shortly before midnight whether they would be authorized by national union officials to be part of the walkout. "People were waiting, tense, for the longest time. They left it to the Mayor: council By ROLF RYKKEN Staff reporter The mayor of Elsmere predicted on Friday that the town council will vote against a controversial rezon-ing request by the Chessie rail system because of intimidation by the vocal anti-Chessie movement. "The council will vote the rezon-ing down," said Mayor John L. Mitchell during an interview.

"It will be a vote out of fear." Mitchell, who has been described as pro-Chessie by the faction opposed to the $33 million expansion by Chessie, said some council members have received anonymous telephone threats. He said they, as a result, are saying "the heck with it" about the rezoning request. He said that denying the request will "shut down negotiations with Chessie over a noise barrier." In addition, he said that because of the emotional mood in Elsmere he wouldn't be surprised if Chessie officials retracted the rezoning request before the scheduled Oct. 11 council vote. William E.

Manning and David Swayze, Wilmington lawyers representing Chessie, said the application to rezone 12.7 acres of residential land to commercial is still pending. They had no further comment. To the cheers of 200 people in June, the Elsmere Planning Commission recommended that the 1994, Th News Striking employees picket resolved that's it. So we walked at midnight." Also struck were plants in Van Nuys, Doraville. Linden, N.J., Arlington.

Texas, Bowling held at the town hall at 11 Poplar Ave. Emotions in Elsmere and surrounding communities that could be affected by the expansion have become so strained that there has even been talk of removing Mitchell from office The idea was voiced by three residents at the town council Thursday night meeting, which Mitchell left early. "I knew what was going to happen," he said, "so I decided it was best I wasn't there. I wanted to stay out of trouble." The town charter does not provide for recalling a mayor. It does allow that the "conviction of the mayor of any felony or of any misdemeanor relating to conduct of his office shall result in an automatic forfeiture of his office." Mitchell, 53, said he is not hurt by such talk because he is tough-skinned.

Of his approval of the Chessie proposal, he said, "Everything we've done has been honest and aboveboard." The anti-Chessie group "can intimidate me. I have a right to my opinion. I'm trying to get the best from Chessie," Mitchell said. "The town isn't being run by elected officials, but by mob rule. It's a nasty group out there." Mitchell's term concludes in April, and he says he will not seek re-election.

interest rates drift downward. A decline in interest rates could only help President Reagan in this election year. Interest rates have stayed unusually high, one of the few negative marks on the administration's economic report card. The department reported that last month's decline in its Producer Price Index for finished goods was spurred by a 0 1 percent drop in food prices, the fourth decline in five months. Gasoline costs were down a sharp 4 2 percent, the steepest plunge since March 1983 I 'r I if' VC km ir-H Co.

expired at the same time, but both sides agreed to extend it The UAW represents 350 000 workers at more than 130 GM plants in 27 states Of the plants, only 29 are assembly plants, where finished cars are turned out. Much earlier, negotiators had resumed talks just after 9 a having worked through supper and past midnight the day before The union's No 1 issue has been job security, demanding sharp curbs on the importing of foreign cars and parts and the subcontracting of work to non-union suppliers The union also demanded the first raise in three years of its $9 63 an hour basic wage. Cost of living payments total $3 04 for an average wage of $12 67. The idea of a selective strike is not new. In 1979.

the UAW informed GM before the strike deadline that it would put 95.000 workers on strike and tell the rest to report to their plants. A contract was reached, however, and the strategy-was not put into effect GM is so big and it makes components for so many other companies, that a systemwide shutdown could cause layoffs of UAW members at the other auto companies, at truck-makers and at farm machinery manufacturers Stuff reporter Christopher I'am liter contributed to this story Doctor: Air Force is lacking By EDWARD III MF.S Cannett News Service TUCSON, Ariz The US Air Force's failure to adequately screen and test critical personnel left a mentally disturbed officer in command of a Titan nuclear missile crew here, according to a former Davis-Monthan Air Force Base psychiatrist the Air Force was so fouled by the officer. Capt Dennis Reimer. that he was slated for promotion to Minuteman nuclear missile duty until March, said the psychiatrist, Dr David Gurland That's when Reimer was arrested for allegedly leading a Tucson burglary ring police believe was involved in more than 80 burglaries, and for committing military offenses that included giving his fellow burglars access to top-secret missile sites and war plans Reimer, 30, was court-martialed last month and sentenced to 18 years in military prison Gurland examined him and testified for the defense at the military trial He believes the case demonstrates the inadequacies of the Air Force mental health program Unknown to his superiors, Reimer had become so depressed about his duties that he harbored doubts about his ability to push the button" if the order ever tame. Gurland said The Titans were manned by four-man crews at all times, with two men on duty and two oil Reimer subordinate on his "watch." Michael Roa, was one of his three alleged accomplices in the burglary ring The Air Force says the men couldn't have fired a missile without orders because of safeguards built into the system.

Spokesman for the Air Force defend their methods of ensuring the mental stability of nuclear missile crewmen, although they concede there is no psychological screening or testing But Gurland. Davis Monthan base psychiatrist in the early 1970s, said the Air Force has a "totally insane" approach to mental health Stall photo by Ron Cones plant shortly after midnight. Job security and wages nave been the main issues in bargaining over a now pact to replace the one that expired at midnight EDT. The union's contract with Ford Motor (ieraldinc Kerraro "We still feel good progress has been made." she said. Several sources familiar with the negotiations insisted most of the points of the agreement had hern worked out.

One source said the snag Friday seemed to be over the exact timing and location of the vice presidential debate tentatively set fur Oct 1 1 in Philadelphia The sources said the debates to be sponsored by the League of Women Voters and certain to be nationally televised are tentatively scheduled to start with a Reagan-Mondale debate on Oct. 7 in Louisville, Ky. Then would come the vice presidential debate, followed by the second presidential debate Oct. 21 in Kansas City. Mo.

a little more than two weeks before the Nov. 6 election. Earlier Friday at the White House, spokesman Larry Speakes said: "The debate dates, location, format and sponsorship are matters still under discussion Until there is overall agreement, there is no agreement." Sir -M i 1 nlT. iitmmminnn. I 2 debates reported set for next month Mayor John L.

Mitchell town council deny the Chessie request. The town council needs a three-quarters vote to overrule a recommendation of denial by the commission, according to town manager Joseph Mangini. He said this amounts to five votes. There are six council members in addition to the mayor, who votes only in case oi a tie. "Chessie needs five votes and they're not there," Mangini said.

Mangini said the Oct. 11 vote will come during a regular meeting of the council, which probably will be "the fall season with a stabilizing economy poised for long-term growth with low inflation." But some analysts said the figures, including a 0.8 percent drop in retail sales and a slight 0.2 percent increase in industrial production, raised the question of whether the recovery is starting to run out of steam. Even so. all the economists agreed the fresh figures should only give the Federal Reserve Board reason to ease, if slightly, its tight grip on the money supply and let Wholesale-price dip may hint slowdown More political news. A6 By EVANS WITT Associated Press WASHINGTON President Reagan and Democratic challenger Walter F.

Mondale will debate each other before the American people twice next month, sources said Friday. Top campaign officials will meet Monday to hammer out a final agreement on the confrontations. A debate between Vice President George Bush and his challenger, Geraldine Ferraro, will also be scheduled for next month, said the sources, who talked only on condition that their names not be used. A final agreement and a formal announcement on the debates had been expected Friday, but "the process began to drag." said one source. White House Chief of Staff James Baker III and Mondale campaign, chairman James Johnson talked Friday.

The two will meet Monday at an undisclosed time and place to work on the debates, said Mondale spokeswoman Gayle Perkins By SALLY JACOBSEN Associated Pren WASHINGTON Wholesale prices slipped 0.1 percent in August for the first decline in nine months, the government said Friday, in a series of economic reports analysts said signaled the economy was still sliding maybe just a bit too much from its frenzied pace early in the year. The White House could find nothing wrong in the three reports. Spokesman Larry Speakes said they meant the nation is entering.