Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 1

JEST PUBIE COPY 105th YEAR FINAL 25 CENTS 56 PAGES VOL. 140 NO. 104 TUCSON, ARIZONA, TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1981 umbia crew Col gearing up for hot touchdown TV to cover landing Tucson's three network television stations will carry live coverage of Columbia's scheduled landing this morning. Coverage will begin at 10 a.m. on Channels 9 and 13, and at 10:30 on Channel 4.

III Mth' iSA ,1 4 I n' I By HARRY F. ROSENTHAL The Associated Press CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. After two flawless days in orbit, the shuttle Columbia and its crew prepared yesterday for the searing, dangerous test of a spaceship's ability to survive winged re-entry and land like an airliner. There remained questions concerning the integrity of heat-shielding tiles on Columbia's underside, adding extra tension to the mission's end. But a flight controller said, simply, "We see no problems.

Everything is going good." The mission's beginning and middle have been just like that. "The only thing bad is we're going to have to come down," said commander John Young, making a record fifth space flight. "Don't cone down with that attitude," said Shuttle Control. "It's a pretty good attitude," said Young. During a space-to-White House conversation, Young told Vice President George Bush "the spaceship is just performing beautifully." That was the opinion of everyone connected with the trial flight of an unconven- tional spacecraft that had never been tested in orbit.

"I think your trip is just going to ignite the excitement and forward-thinking for this country," Bush said. "We'll be watching that re-entry and landing with great interest on behalf of the whole country." For astronauts Young and Robert Crip-pen, the scheduled 10:28 a.m. (11:28 Tucson time) touchdown on the Rogers Dry Lake desert runway at Edwards Air Force Base in California will mark the completion of a textbook orbital flight whose problems were minor-and triumphs big. The schedule called for the pilots to have nearly eight hours of sleep so they would be fresh for the difficult re-entry. While the astronauts were eating an early dinner, they were serenaded from the ground by "Boogie Woogie Bugle (See DESPITE CONCERN, Page 8A) Star pholo by Len Lahman No tax-cut 'deal9 Clark Hallas, center, and Bob Lowe, right, await word of the award with Executive Editor William Woestendiek Star's Lowe, Hallas win Pulitzer Prize denies talk of budget back-off screaming when she heard," he said.

But it wasn't always handshakes and pats on the back for the two newsmen. When their storiebegan appearing in January of 1980, some influential Tuc-sonans urged the newspaper to discontinue its scrutiny of the popular coach. UA-alumni accused the reporters of carrying out a vendetta against the university. "We were out there all alone on a limb, with a lot of people ready to saw us off," Woestendiek said. Even other news media in Tucson assailed the Lowe and Hallas investigation in its early stages, saying the two were "out to get" Mason.

Threats were made against the reporters, and at one point, it was hinted they were suspects in burglaries at the football (See STAR'S, Page 9A) indication that the newspaper's investigation would become a long-term project. But the digging went deeper, Lowe explained, when some answers provided by UA officials regarding possible National Collegiate Athletic Association violations and financial irregularities within the football program seemed questionable. In addition to the airline-ticket irregularities, Lowe and Hallas revealed that three athletes and the wife of one of them apparently were hired by the city for work they never did, and other athletes were sent to community colleges for courses they never attended. As word spread that Lowe and Hallas had been honored by the Pulitzer panel, their phones began ringing with congratulations from across the country. In between the calls, Lowe managed to make one of his own.

"My mother started The coaches have been accused of bilking the UA out of about $13,000. The Pulitzer jury praised Lowe and Hallas for "an attack upon a Southern Arizona institution no one had ever dared threaten the sports department of the University of Arizona." As champagne corks popped nearby, both reporters expressed surprise. "I never thought we had a shot," Hallas said. "To beat the best newspapers in the country it's a tribute to the entire staff, Lowe and Hallas particularly," Woestendiek said. "I'm damned proud of them." Inspired in part by reports of wrongdoing within the Arizona State University athletic program, the two Tucson reporters began their UA investigation in November 1979.

At first, Hallas said, there was little By PAUL TURNER The Arizona Dally Star Arizona Daily Star investigative reporters Bob Lowe and Clark Hallas have been awarded a 1981 Pulitzer Prize for their work in exposing alleged misuse of funds by a former University of Arizona head football coach and six of his assistants. Lowe and Hallas were named yesterday as.recipients of the 1981 prize for special local reporting. News of the award was met with a standing ovation in the Star newsroom. "How sweet it is," said Executive Editor William J. Woestendiek.

The pair's look at financial practices within the UA football program, which initially reaped more criticism than praise, resulted in the indictment of Tony Mason, his assistants and an airline employee on 88 charges involving false travel vouchers. WASHINGTON (AP) Despite the claim of a key Democrat, a convalescing President Reagan relayed word yesterday that he is no mood for compromise on his program of tax-and-spending cuts. White House spokesman Larry Speakes said Reagan made clear to his three closest aides at a morning meeting that "he had authorized no one to offer legislative compromise on his program for economic recovery." Speakes quoted Reagan as telling the aides that "the American people strongly support my program and do not want it watered down." The president's statements came one day after Rep. James Jones, chairman of the House Budget Committee, said administration officials have indicated unofficially they would accept a one-year cut in income taxes instead of the three-year package the president has proposed. Without naming anyone, Jones said those officials have hinted "they are willing to compromise on both the spending-cut side and the tax-cut side." He said part of the compromise on taxes would be a pledge by Congress to follow up with tax cuts in the next two years if federal spending is controlled.

Vice President George Bush told a group of trade executives at the White (See REAGAN SAYS, Page 8A) 55 burglary rise in '81 'concerns' Tucson police 5 days in slammer Mom pays for not giving girl to kidnapper-father By JONATHAN HICKS The Arizona Daily Star lenski of Dublin, Texas, said her father kidnapped her, along with her brother and sister, while he was awaiting a divorce from their mother. Smolenski said Stephens abandoned them 14 months later in an orphanage in Alaska, and their mother had to hire a private investigator to find them. Mrs. Stephens has filed complaints in the past charging that Stephens assaulted her. Members of United Parents Against Child Stealing (UPACS) who were in the courtroom said they were "shocked and outraged" by the judge's actions.

They will meet with their lawyer at 9 a.m. today and try to free Mrs. Stephens. In the meantime, the girl is not staying with her father. received legal custody when the couple's divorce was granted in January 1979.

Arizona authorities began extradition proceedings, but Stephens returned here voluntarily. Pima County Court Commissioner William Sherrill granted him restricted visitation rights in June 1979, and Stephens was allowed to see his daughter a few hours a week in the presence of another person. Last December, Hannah amended the rights to allow Stephens to take the child alone for a few hours each week. Hannah refused to allow Mrs. Stephens to introduce affidavits defending her position, including one from Stephens' 26-year-old daughter from a prior marriage.

In her affidavit, Angela Diane Smo- but Hannah ruled that the child's remarks, told through her mother, were hearsay. Hannah found Mrs. Stephens in contempt of court for violating his visitation order and declined to let her present witnesses in the case. She was taken directly from the courtroom to the jail. Hannah did not set bail.

Stephens, 50, called several witnesses, including Mrs. Stephens, who is one of his seven ex-wives. One witness, a mental-health specialist, said Stephens was likely to kidnap the child again. Stephens kidnapped the child in September 1978 while the couple was separated and awaiting a divorce. He was arrested in Texas nine months later.

The child was returned to Mrs. Stephens, who By D. WEYERMANN The Arizona Daily Star Superior Court Judge J. Richard Hannah sent the mother of a 7-year-old girl to the Pima County Jail for five days yesterday because she would not force the girl to be alone with the father who once kidnapped her. Marianne Stephens, 34, told the court her daughter, Vicki Jean, refused to go with her father, Claude Stephens, when he came to pick her up for visits granted him last December by Hannah.

Mrs. Stephens said Vicki Jean told her father she did not want to be alone with him because she was afraid he would not return her to her mother. The father did not rebut that testimony, A rise in burglaries continues to be "the No. 1 concern" of Tucson Police Department officials after a report released yesterday showed a 55 percent increase in that crime for the first quarter of 1981. Burglars hit almost 1,000 more Tucson homes in the first three months of this year than in the same period of 1980, a police-department monthly crime report stated.

Overall, crime in Tucson increased in the first three months of 1981 by 17 percent over the same period last year, the report said. Last month, department officials said statistics for the first two months of this year could not accurately reflect any trends in Tucson's crime rate. But with yesterday's report, officials say there is "cause for concern." "Now we're looking at statistics for a quarter of the year," said department spokesman Mike Walsh. "Now we have a fairly decent indicator of where the trends are. And we are seeing a trend with burglaries," he said.

There were 2,830 burglaries in the first three months of this year, compared with 1,820 during the same period of 1980. Also, the report showed a 22 percent increase in homicides and a 16 percent increase in aggravated assaults. But the report also showed a 40 percent (See BURGLARY, Page 4A) Entertainment Broadcasters meet. Optimism prevails as 16,000 members of the National Association of Broadcasters convene for their 59th annual convention, Star television critic Sherry Stern reports from Las Vegas. Page 5C.

Brixton inquiry. After two nights of rioting in London's Brixton area, British Home Secretary William Whitelaw announces a major government inquiry into the racial violence, the nation's worst ever. Page 6A. Voluntary Polish reforms. Independent-union leader Lech Walesa urges the Polish government to initiate its own social changes without being forced by union "extortion." Page 6A.

Sports TorOS beat CatS. The Tucson Toros beat the University of Arizona 6-5 at Hi Corbett Field. Page ID. News Override vote looks sure. The City Council tells police to go ahead with a team-policing plan that will require hiring 53 more officers, leaving little doubt voters will be asked next fall to OK overspending budget limits.

Page IB. Air war On coyotes. In an Arizona Game and Fish Department program to protect about 200 antelope east of Flagstaff, marksmen in helicopters will begin killing off up to 300 coyotes beginning today to the dismay of animal-protection groups. Page IB. Strike-force bill killed, with strong backing from local law-enforcement officials, the House Judiciary Committee buries legislation aimed at stripping the Arizona Drug Control District of its investigative powers.

Page IB. Not funny to punter. Ex-Sun Devil punter Kevin Rutledge says the last straw was when former coach Frank Kush -gave the thumbs-down sign to "Happy Birthday" for Rutledge. Page 5D. Weather Rain? Maybe later.

Partly cloudy skies and possible afternoon showers are forecast today. A high in the mid-80s is expected, and a low in the mid-50s. Yesterday's high and low were 85 and 55. Thundershowers were spread from West Texas to the Missouri and Ohio River Valleys yesterday. Hail the size of walnuts was reported in Missouri and Illinois.

Tornadoes touched down in Iowa, where a roof was ripped off a bam and a truck was overturned near Burlington. In Georgia, Alabama and Texas, temperatures in the 80s and 90s set records for the date. Rain will be scattered from the Caro- Unas through the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic Coast today. There is also a chance of rain from the Great Lakes to New England, and across the Southern Rockies. Yesterday's national temperature extremes were 11 at Cut Bank, and 95 at Laredo and Lajitas, Texas, and at Yuma.

Details on Page 4A. Ex-hOStages honored. Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig presents the State Department's Award for Valor to 54 returnees from 444 days of captivity in Iran, vowing to stamp out international terrorism. Page 2A.

Defense plants infiltrated? The FBI says it is checking allegations of criminal activity in Chrysler Corp. defense plants by members of Way International, a religious group engaged in weapons training. Page 12A. $10 million bail. Former skyjacking hostage Craig Clymore is ordered held on federal charges he headed an international drug-smuggling ring.

Page 7A. Medical risks. Researchers report that the popular antibiotic tetracycline appears to interfere with a natural defense against disease in laboratory animals, and that women whose grandmothers or aunts had breast cancer appear to run a slightly higher risk of the disease if they take the pill. Page 2A. Money Index Bridge 7C Classified S-11D Comics Comment It-HA DearAbby Entertainment $-8C Horoscope 2C Lifestyle 1-4C Money WE Movies 7C Nation JA Obituaries SD Pubtk records SD Solomon, M.D.

2C Sports WD Traublesbooter 1C Tucson, Arizona 2B Tucson today 7C TV-radio gc World (A Catching bankers' interest. The banking industry will be watching very closely the results of Western Bancor-poration's name change in early June to First Interstate Bancorporation a change that will make 21 banks in 11 Western states, including First National Bank of Arizona, units of the First Interstate Bank. Page IE. The Winner Premier Rene Levesque speaks to supporters at a tavern near Montreal after his party wins a majority in Quebec provincial elections. Story on Page 7 A.

(AP).