Florida Today from Cocoa, Florida • Page 16

2D FLORIDA TODAY, Thursday, October 2, 1997 Train hits taxi at crossing Firefighters help couple with van to transport disabled children FLORIDA TODAY Wires TITUSVILLE A Titusville taxi driver, apparently trying to beat a train to a crossing, drove his car into the path of a freight train and was seriously injured Wednesday night. Kenneth Marshall, a driver for more than a year with Royal Cab in Titusville, was taken to Parrish Medical Center with a broken arm, cuts and bruises and other injuries, the company owner said. Bruce Whitley, who owns Royal Cab, said he went looking for Marshall when he could not reach him on the company radio at around 9 p.m. "I saw the train stopped, and there was the car," Whitley said. "I didn't even know there was an their injuries.

Also WEST MELBOURNE Architects will present a final design for a new Wal-Mart supercenter during a public meeting tonight, officials said. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the new West Melbourne Public Library at 3030 W. New Haven Ave. Craig Suman of Holeman Suman Architects Inc.

will present the plans and update the public on the project's status. Designs currently are on display at the library. Anyone who needs to register to vote for city elections across Brevard County in November must do so by Monday. For more information, call 264-6740. iu i 1 i.

i ft v- 'J Neighbors worry pit bulls will be replaced Theresa DeCapua, FLORIDA TODAY JIM TOLLEY, left, Greg Smith, T.J. Michaud and Stuart Hunt of the Melbourne Fire Department helped raise money for the Bristol's family van. years ago. They provide Christmas presents for the teens, installed smoke detectors in their Melbourne home and helped with the purchase of medical supplies when needed. "It was brought to our attention that they were doing this on their own," Melbourne Fire-Rescue Lt.

Jim Tolley said. By R. Norman Moody FLORIDA TODAY MELBOURNE Firefighters on many occasions have helped repair the old van Ed and Nancy Bristol used to drive their five disabled children around. When the van started deteriorating beyond repair, firefighters raised $6,000 to help replace the leaking, rusted vehicle. I On Wednesday at a north Melbourne Fire Station, Nancy Bristol beamed as firefighters presented them with a 1989 Chevrolet van equipped with a wheelchair-lift.

Her children will be happy to see the new van, she said. "They're all excited," Nancy 'Bristol said. "Now we can take them somewhere without fear of the van breaking down. It's over- whelming, you don't know what to say." The Melbourne Firefighters As- sociation donated the first $2,000 and in August held a barbecue fund-raiser for the rest. One donor gave $1,000 toward the van, enabling firefighters to purchase the used vehicle sooner than they had expected.

One of the Bristols' children is Deal might By Dan Klepal FLORIDA TODAY MERRITT ISLAND An end to the 21-month-old feud between Kurt Easton and the Merritt Island Redevelopment Agency is in sight. Easton was fired as the organization's executive director in January 1996 in what the board at the time called a' cost-cutting measure. Easton said his firing was political and sued for $30,000 a portion of the $58,000 annual salary he would have collected had he not been fired. MIR A voted 4-1 Wednesday to offer Easton a settlement of $26,244.81, which includes four months of his salary and more than $2,000 in court costs. Easton's attorney, Charles Roberts, said his client would accept.

Only board member Mike By Ed Garland FLORIDA TODAY PALM BAY It was a bittersweet victory Wednesday for Taunton Road residents: A pack of pit bulls they said terrorized the neighborhood would be put to death. Or was it? Even if William and Diane Boyd choose not to appeal the Brevard County Animal Control Hearing Council's decision to destroy their four pit bulls, there's nothing to prohibit them from replacing their pets, according to Dr. Steven Grigsby, who sits on the three-member council. Grigsby said the council's decision to euthanize the animals was based on the severity of the attack and the aggressive behavior of the dogs. "The biggest issue at this point Schools consider Cassini emergency plan Island feud Easton claimed Brevard County Commission Chairman Randy O'Brien, who is elected from the Merritt Island district, wanted to get rid of him and loaded the board with people who would agree to fire him.

O'Brien said he wanted to get rid of Easton for financial reasons, not personal ones. In other business, MIRA approved a contract with Coquina Creations to repair a portion of a seawall built on the southern border of Waterway Park. The construction firm will bring in larger rocks and rebuild about 465 feet of the sea wall on the southern end of the park for $11,625. Eventually, the entire sea wall will need replacement, but the organization plans on applying for grants to pay for some or all of those costs. LOCAL BRIEFS The car was destroyed, he said.

Brevard County Fire-Rescue spokesman Orlando Dominguez said Florida East Coast Railroad officials called to report the accident at Harrison Street, just off U.S. 1. The crossing is the same at which a woman was killed April 9 when her car was hit by a freight train, pushing it into three young sisters walking home. That crash killed 78-year-old Thelma Roach of Titusville. Sisters LeRonda Waters, 10, Le-Keonte Waters, 9, and Colisha Williams, 3, have since recovered from is whether the owners are taking care of them," Grigsby said.

"We'd like people to make an effort to socialize their animals." Grigsby's words held little solace for David Fitzgerald, whose wife, Jill, was mauled by the Boyd's four dogs on Sept. 18 while she was out for a morning run. "We're concerned they'll get more dogs," David Fitzgerald said. "He could get five more pit bulls all over again. That's a concern." During Wednesday's hearing, the Boyds were repentant for the dogs' attack, but apparently not enough to submit to the ruling without a fight.

"I'm sorry it happened. It was a terrible thing," William Boyd said. "But we are willing to meet any requirements to confine and contain them." Boyd's promises failed to sway reasonably sure that (NASA) has taken all the precautions they can." Cooper said his daughter, Alison, a senior, and Ryan, a sophomore, will drive to school Oct. 13, as they always do. "It's going to be nothing out of the ordinary," he said.

Schools Superintendent David Sawyer signed of on the plan Wednesday. It will be sent out to to help you play handball with a video opponent. Find out if you'd suffer space sickness. An authentic eye and ear test shows how your sensory organs adapt to weightlessness. Ask the astronauts.

Sit at computers in a mission control panel and pull up pre-recorded CASSINLFromlB The launch is scheduled between 4:55 a.m. and 7:15 a.m. If the Titan takes off at the end of the launch window, students at 15 schools would be at a bus stop, on a bus, or at school. "There is always a chance of an explosion," said Jim Cooper, who has two children who attend Merritt Island High School. "But I am U.S.

Astronaut Hall of Fame launches additions Ceremony to honor astronauts about a half-dozen of his neighbors, who shared tales of how the 4-year-old pit bull mother and her three 9-month-old puppies led a reign of terror over the neighborhood. "They're vicious, killer dogs," said Harvey Randolph, who was bitten as he dragged bloody Jill Fitzgerald to shelter on the morning of the attack. "If they came back and got loose, I've got no qualms about shooting them." The Boyds have the right to appeal the council's decision in Brevard County Circuit Court, but they wouldn't say whether they would take that step. Jill Fitzgerald and her neighbors said they hope animal control laws will be revamped as a result of her attack. "(Jill) almost died," Cindy Hamil said.

"You have to die before any laws get changed." the principals at the county's 76 school on Monday. Brevard County Director of Emergency Management Bob Lay said the district's advice would be prudent for all county residents. But he said the activists' concern over a radioactive disaster is misguided. The potential human exposure, he said, "is minute and less than flying in a plane from Washington to L.A. and back to L.A." messages from astronauts.

Prepare for launch. Climb into a mock-up of a Mercury capsule and follow the prelaunch instructions to test your reflexes and ability to concentrate. Dock the shuttle with the Mir space station. Use levers to align the altitude of a shuttle circling Earth to align with the space station. Test G-force.

Spin a mini-centrifuge and watch an overhead monitor to see position of marbles inside the centrifuge. Work with tools in space. Sit on a rolling stool and reach for grab bars and tools to feel what lack of friction does to movement in space. Dogfight in a jet Sit in a 3D, 360-degree motion-based simulator to feel the effects of a jet aircraft dogfight, complete with three barrel rolls. Admission price to the U.S.

Astronaut Hall of Fame has been reduced for a limited time to $13.95 for adults and $9.95 for children 6 through 12. Children 5 and under are admitted free. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., is at 6225 Vector-space which is off the northbound lane of U.S.

1 south of the State Road 405 turnoff to Kennedy Space Center. adopted; the other four are wards of the court. All of the children who range from 15 to 18 years old suffer from cerebral palsy and other medical problems, the Bristols said. Two are bedridden, and three use wheelchairs. Firefighters said they began helping the Bristols about seven end Merritt Erdman voted against the settlement offer.

"I think it's the right thing to do, because it will bring finality to an issue," MIRA Chairman Richard Amari said. "We all agree the suit should not go any further." Earlier in the day, Easton, who owns and operates an urban planning firm, said: "My initial reaction is 'Thank I'm really thrilled to see they've decided this (a settlement) is the proper course of action." There are two conditions to the settlement: Neither party can make any further comment about the case. Both sides will sign releases, which will insure there are no additional lawsuits filed relating to the issue. Gordon, Gordon Cooper, Jim McDivitt, John Young and Scott Carpenter. The U.S.

Astronaut Hall of Fame and U.S. Space Camp exist on a single campus and are the cooperative effort of two nonprofit foundations: the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, established in 1984 by the Mercury astronauts, and the U.S. Space Camp Foundation. The astronauts will be staying at the Disney complex in Lake Buena Vista and will be bused here for the ceremony, said Brian Wright, marketing director for the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and U.S.

Space Camp. Disney has several astronaut events planned at Epcot Center. At 5:30 p.m. Friday, nine astronauts from the Gemini, Apollo and Skylab missions are scheduled to appear at America Gardens Theater: Cernan, Conrad, Cooper, Haise, Kerwin, McDivitt, Mitchell, Pogue and Schweickart. Saturday through Tuesday, shuttle astronaut Story Musgrave is scheduled to appear along with Schirra, Cooper and Carpenter in "Conversations with the Astronauts" throughout the day at the Electronic Forum area of Innovations West.

The Disney events require an Epcot ticket. The current Disney ticket price for one day is $42.14 for adults and children 10 and older, and $33.92 for children 3 through 9. Fine Handcrafted Gold Precious ra rit ru 8 ASTRONAUTS, From IB Astronauts who first flew in space on Apollo missions: Fred W. Haise Thomas K. Mattingly II, William A.

Anders, Edgar D. Mitchell, Alfred M. Worden, Russell L. Schweickart, Harrison H. Schmitt, Charles M.

Duke Alan L. Bean and Walter Cunningham. Astronauts who first flew on the Apollo-Soyuz project or on Skylab: Vance D. Brand, Gerald P. Carr, Owen K.

Garriott, Edward G. Gibson, William R. Pogue, Dr. Joseph P. Kerwin, Jack R.

Lousma and PaulJ.Weitz. The following Apollo astronauts are being inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously: Roger B. Chaffee, Stuart A. Roosa, Donn F. Eisele, Ronald E.

Evans, James B. Irwin and John L. Swigert Jr. Chaffee is the only inductee who died in the line of duty. He and crew mates Gus Grissom and Edward H.

White II died in a fire during a launch pad test of Apollo 1 on Jan. 27, 1967. Grissom was earlier inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Mercury astronaut, and White was inducted as a Gemini astronaut. In addition to the inductees, 12 astronauts who already are in the Hall of Fame as inductees under the Mercury and Gemini projects are expected to attend: Alan Shepherd, John Glenn, Wally Schirra, Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell, Pete Conrad, Gene Cernan, Dick ---aV 2, By Marilyn Meyer FLORIDA TODAY TITUSVILLE The $4 million expansion of the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame includes an interactive area intended to bring the fun of a science center to a once-static museum.

"It was a lot of fun," said Edith Nelson of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, of her experience simulating a moon walk. She had been strapped into a harness that reduced her weight to one-sixth normal what she would weigh on the moon. "It was trickier than it looked," Nelson said. "My kids were doing it, and it looked like you jump. But the trick is not to lean forward." The device, she said, works well to explain the effects of the moon's gravity.

The moon walker is among more than a dozen new pieces of equipment that have been added to the Astronaut Hall of Fame during its expansion from 8,000 to 20,000 square feet. Other additions include: Excursion to Mars. Sit in a sleek capsule to feel what it's like to travel over canyons and rocks on Mars. G-force trainer. Feel the pull of up to three Gs in a simulated flight of an F-16 fighter over desert terrain.

Jewelry Delinda Karnehm, FLORIDA TODAY GERRY CONDRON of Scotland is at a computer simulator learning what it is like to land the shuttle while visiting the Astronaut Hall of Fame. Land the shuttle. Sit at a mission control panel and use simulators to bring in a video shuttle. Become part of a videogame. Learn about the effects of no gravity as your image is projected onto an overhead monitor, where your bends and reaches become exaggerated movements MdC inManahm0nt TA, Anderson, Goldsmith Master of BQSi ministration ififormailjcfti fileeting: Colored Gemstones Thursday, October 9th Karat You Know Diamonds Jewelry vAt BCC-PafnBay Campus AdditionaTrpmmvailable At Restoration Repairs Our MerritUJanctCarripus i Islapd, FL 32953 of FLORIDA TODAY rf ru Sg The Name A Name You Can Trust! Webster Universifr 631-0270 Rediscover CocoaVittaqe 250 N.

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