Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 1

FIRST EDITION THURSDAY CHJTAVAItTU.1 New Year's Eve gum Still win Classic for the 14th straight time Sports, ID Celebrate unarmed IB Foothills Mall sold Perot's son heads investors 4B Big oil merger BP' Amoco 'deal is approved. 4B ffijft Sim '9 Calendar swells with local activities OutdoorsFitness Serving Tucson and Southern Arizona Vol.157 No. 365 1998 First EOitlon, Tucson, Thursday, December 31 U.S.$1.00 in Mexico 54 Pages Remorseful Biancuzzo gets year in jail Accepts responsibility in death of newborn By Jon Burstein The Arizona Daily Star Marianne Biancuzzo and her parents held a private burial two weeks ago for her newborn daughter who drowned in a toilet. But the public chapter didn't come to a close until yesterday, when a judge sentenced her to a year in jail for negligent homicide. A somber Biancuzzo, 20, admitted yesterday that her irresponsibility and ignorance led to the Nov.

8, 1997, drowning death of her full-term daughter. She has maintained she thought the her negligent-homicide conviction last month by a Pima County jury. Negligent homicide is when someone is responsible for a death but did not intentionally cause it. Jurors chose to pnvict her of the charge rather than of first- or second-degree murder or manslaughter. In addition to jail time, Biancuzzo received four years' probation and a $1,200 fine.

She is eligible for work furlough while she serves her time. After the sentencing, Biancuzzo's mother and a couple of her friends cried as Biancuzzo, pale and slouched, was led out of the courtroom by a sheriff's deputy. Deputy Pima County Attorney Kathleen Mayer said Biancuzzo's apology and "a remorseful See BIANCUZZO, Page 5A Biancuzzo, on the Internet, called her impending trial "a farce." Page 5A. baby was stillborn when she gave birth in her parents' bathroom. Judge Leslie Miller of Pima County Superior Court said Biancuzzo clearly accepts responsibility for her actions and never has suggested her behavior be excused.

"There is no question had you sought help we would not be here today and a young child would have had an opportunity at life," Miller said. "The tragedy of these events is enormous and will follow you all the days of your life." Biancuzzo faced up to 33A years in prison for Ben Kirkby, The Arizona Daily Star Biancuzzo also got four years' probation and a $1,200 fine. She Is eligible for work furlough while serving time. XT ioff course- 1 royiei water Cats bain sought if Builders call proposal a move to stop growth 23-20 V. Brad Brennan celebrates an apparent touchdown early in the Holiday Bowl against the Nebraska Cornhuskers In San Diego.

A penalty negated the play, but it turned out to be Arizona's night anyhow. Stories, Page ID. Hp. By Enric Volante The Arizona Daily Star Pima County planning commissioners yesterday called for a ban on using ground water to irrigate new golf courses. The commission voted 8-0 to recommend that the Board of Supervisors adopt the ban for golf courses that come up for rezoning despite doubts that they have the legal authority.

Builders criticized the proposed ban as a move to stop growth, not save water, and a state water official predicted it would face legal challenges because of a conflict with ground water rights. But some commissioners said they are frustrated with the complex system of recharge credits and requirements that allows new golf courses to suck up dwindling groundwater. "We thought the isue should be brought out and faced squarely and that was the best way of doing it," said Chairman William Clark. "We live in a desert, for God's sake," said Commissioner Bruce Gungle, who made the motion calling for the ban. Yet "nobody will confront this very small minority of developers and owners who own the links and think that they should be able to put ground water on golf courses." See WATER, Page 5A Jeffry Scott, The Arizona Daily Star Federal owl-protection proposal northwest side affects booming ByTTony Davis and Maureen O'Connell Jha Arizona Daily Star Tucson's fastest-growing northwest-side areas are iriHuded in a new federal proposal to establish prime Bafiitat for the endangered pygmy owl.

Yesterday's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal would classify more than 730,000 acres in four Arizona counties as critical owl habitat. This designation would add an extra layer of protection to Sonoran Desert land even if owls don't live on it. The' proposal 'also protects the asparaguslike Huachuca water umbel, a semiaquatic plant that grows, in desert marshes, springs, streams and rivers in southeastern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. i Map of the proposed Page 13A.

Critical habitat status would cover 52 miles along the San Pedro River land controlled by the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau" of Reclamation, the Bureau of Land Management and the Army's Fort Huachuca. But even if the feds set aside the privately owned northwest-side land, that doesn't automatically put the brakes on bulldozers. Only certain kinds of projects are affected by critical habitat designations, and developers can get exemptions from the protection under certain circumstances. More than 260,000 acres of the proposed habitat See OWL, Page 13A Mom hangs on after 272 tons fall on her 4 By Inger Sandal The Arizona Daily Star Christina Repasch worked construction because it paid well.

A divorced mother of three young children, she also worked part time at a child care center, was earning a teaching degree and was active in her church. "She had a full plate. Now shl may be a paraplegic," her mother, Pat Sullivan, said yesterday after her daughter was nearly killed on the site of the massive federal courthouse being built downtown. A counterweight to a construction elevator landed on Repasch shortly before 9 a.m. while she was bending over doing routine maintenance on the machinery.

ft "I'm just hoping she's going to pull through this and be alive. That's what matters' most to me, and we'll deal with whateverelse comes," Sullivan said, Her daughter remained in extremely See MOM, Page 4A WEATHER Growing Cloudy. Today will become increasingly cloudy and breezy with a slight chance of nighttime showers. Expect a high of 75 and a low of 40. Yesterday's high was 76.

The low was 43. Details on Page 13A. Quirky sidekick Jane Krakowski, who plays Elaine on. "Ally McBeal," is an original, both on and off the air. BenJIe Sanders, The Arizona Daily Star A counterweight for a construction elevator descended on worker Christina Repasch.

Fond '98 memories Starlight critics tell what they liked in the past INDEX WB affiliate Channel 58 goes on the air today year, including restaurants; movies, plays and concerts. Accent Horoscope Bridge 3C Money 4-8B Classified Movie times Comics 4C Noon to Noon Comment Obituaries Crosswords .2 Sports 1-8D DearAbby TV listings By Raina Wagner The Arizona Daily Star Ready, set, BLAST OFF! That's the launch sentiment over at the studios of KWBA-58, Tucson's newest over-the-air TV channel. KWBA officially hits the airwaves today at 5 p.m. on channel 58. The new station is affiliated with the WB Network.

Along with UPN, WB is one of television's two "emerging" networks, those trying to take a share out of the over-air channels in fucson to eight, including the aforementioned six and the two Spanish-language channels, Univision and Telemundo. Will receiving KWBA mean an adjustment for your "rabbit ears," the V-shaped antennas atop your TV? Not according to the new station's managers. "We have a 5 million-watt signal," said Ron Bergamo the exec-See KWBA, Page 4A What the station plans to offer. Accent, Page 1C. broadcast pie dominated by NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox.

Of the" six, WB is the only channel iW snowed a growth in viewershlpin 1998. The network is partj'cularly successful at attracting the younger viewers advertisers covet. Pf: of a WB affiliate brings the total of commercial 1 Everyday Tucson Every day in Tucson, you can spot up to 118 species of bird. Find out what else happens here every day in a special 16-page section of color photos and timely facts. 7 is illJllclil 5 i T'-V flu tiiLiaMi ,1 At.