The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 1

I I Eleven-year-old survived plane crash, 12-hour ordeal 'My dad taught me never fo give up' UPLAND, Calif. (UPI) Norman Ollestad 11, had to crawl out from under the bloody body of his dead father and trudge through waist-deep snow for 12 hours before he found help. He kept going, slipping on trecherous ice and bumping into trees, because "my dad taught me never to give up." The youngster was the only one to survive the plane crash at the level in the San Bernardino Mountains. His father, former FBI agent Norman Ollestad, 43, and the plane's pilot, Bob Arnold, 37, of Los Angeles, were killed on impact. Another passenger, Sandra Cressman, 30, of Los Angeles, crawled out of the wreckage with the boy, but died before a rescue team could reach her.

Young Norman was released from San Antonio Community Hospital Tuesday and was recuperating Wednesday at his home in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles. home, the blond-haired, blue-eyed boy his face puffy and bruised and covered with scratches, the fingers of his broken hand wrapped in bandages told reporters about his ordeal. "I never gave up," he said. "My dad taught me never to give up." The single-engine plane crashed Monday on a one-hour flight from Santa Monica Airport to Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino just saw the trees," Norman recalled, "then wham!" He said he took a rug from the plane's luggage compartment atid he and Miss Cressman huddled together under the wing for seven hours before they decided to leave the crash site "because we thought we would freeze to death." Norman said the woman lost her footing on the icy terrain and fell head-first about 300 feet down a hillside, striking a tree. He said he thought she was still alive and covered her body with leaves and branches to keep her warm before he continued down the mountain.

He eventually met Glenn Farmer, 16, about two miles east of Mount Baldy Village. A rescue team found Miss Cressman's frozen body within an hour after the boy was found Monday night. Ground rescue teams, hampered by heavy snow and ice, used safety ropes Tuesday to climb down the side of the cliffs to reach the plane wreckage and recover the bodies of Ollestad and Arnold. 15 CENTS HOME EDITION The Salina Journal 108th YEAR No. 52 SALINA, KANSAS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21,1979 118 Pages New classrooms, gym proposed Salina Middle School plan given push by school chief (Another school board story, Pg.

23) By GAYLE GIESECKE UD305 Superintendent Lloyd Schurr made a strong pitch Tuesday for housing all sixth graders at junior high schools eventually. He also suggested to the school board that it close Stimmel School this year, but hold off on closing Lowell school. In a compromise move, Schurr also recommended the following building projects two classrooms at Kennedy Elementary School, two at Coronado Elementary and a second South High gym, the latter depending upon how high bids might be. Kennedy, Coronado and Meadowlark Ridge Elementary each would get a mobile unit for supportive services under Schurr's new plan. No action was taken by the UD305 joard as members offered few opinions about Schurr's compromise after board president Jocelyn Palmer announced she's not pinpointing a date for a vote on the elementary changes and gym issue.

Schurr abandoned his original thought of transferring sixth graders at Coronado, Kennedy and Meadowlark Ridge to junior high schools next fall. Instead, he called Tuesday for a study of the Middle School concept housing sixth, seventh and eighth graders at the two junior high schools, which have ample room. The classroom addition recommendation replaces Schurr's earlier proposal that no elementary school additions be considered. He hasn't altered his thinking, however, on the closing of Stimmel which he has supported since the school board began its facilities study last fall. A Middle School setup "enhances the possibility of closing some more elementary schools in the future," Schurr said.

He also added a hint of taxpayer relief with a suggestion to reduce the district's capital outlay levy from four mills to three mills next year. Increased property valuation would offset the one-mill loss, allowing three mills to generate about the same amount of money for the "building-equipment" fund as four mills generated this year, he indicated. Board member Carol D'Albini remarked the Middle School concept "would be an excellent way to go." But Dave Hanson cautioned fellow board members to gather more financial information on Schurr's compromise such as staffing, maintenance and other operational costs before the final vote. "We need to look at how we're spending our money," said Hanson, who mentioned three areas teacher salaries, school supplies and increased sports participation due to the womens' programs. Hanson, who proposed closing Lowell School, added "on considering closing (elementary schools), the consensus is not if but when the date that's where the problem arises." Board member Pat Bolen stirred little response when he suggested the board consider hiring an outside professional to do an independent study on the use of school facilities.

A few Lowell patrons, who sat in the audience, did not speak Tuesday but requested an audience with the board at its March 6 meeting. In other action, the board unanimously approved spending an estimated $50,000 from its capital outlay fund to reroof a large area of South Junior High School to curb water leakage. Other capital outlay projects approved were $18,000 to replace stage curtains at four schools; $5,000 to replace light fixtures at Central High; $10,000 to replace the master control on the South High intercom; $18,000 to replace an old fence around Kenwood Park field near the Bicentennial Center, and $8,000 for exterior painting at three schools. Board members agreed to use $60,000 from the general operating budget to seal parking lots at Central High, improve the football practice field at South High and resurface the stadium track. The practice field improvements may cost $25,000.

Janelle Mulvenon of the State Department of Education, Early Childhood Education division, described an interagency approach to services for preschool handicapped children. The board hired Kennedy and Coe as auditors at a cost of $11,475 and learned Salina Area Vocational-Technical School commercial art graduates earn a minimum $4 an hour at entry level jobs in Salina and $6 an hour in Kansas City. Art instructor Charles Potter said the program is placing more graduates with Salina printing companies and some with three years experience are making $18,000 to $20,000 annually in Kansas City. Soviet warships seen steaming toward Vietnam Children hired fo kill father CLEVELAND (UPI) A teenage brother and sister paid another youth $60 to kill their father, police say, then went on a 10-day spending spree with his paycheck and credit cards while his body lay in their home. Police said Tuesday the children a 14-year-old girl and 17-year- old youth wanted their father killed "because he wouldn't let us do anything we wanted to do, like smoke pot." Neither child was identified because they are juveniles under Ohio law.

A warrant was issued for Jerome Watkins, 19, who allegedly hired out to kill the children's father, John T. White, for $60. The 41-year-old man was fatally shot in the head with a handgun in his home Feb. 9. Police said the children were at home at the time and afterwards went through his pockets for spending money.

From his wallet, they took his paycheck from the Ford Motor Co. and his credit cards, plus $60 to $80 in cash. The next day, they went to a West Side bank branch and cashed the $230 paycheck. With the money and credit cards, they acquired a television set and various games, among other things, police said. Police said the children traded the television set to Watkins in exchange for a rifle, which was in the 17-year-old youth's possession when he and his sister were arrested Monday.

Relatives of the White family notified police after they went to the house, noticed a bullet hole in a window and were unable to get anyone to answer the door. Police discovered White's body Sunday. fn Kansas case Justices affirm jail term for newsman WASHINGTON (UPI) The Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to review school desegregation in Dallas and consider whether New York City can be denied federal education aid due to alleged racial discrimination in teacher assignments. The two cases were among hundreds the justices handled on their return from a one-month recess that was extended an extra day due to a near-record snowstorm. The justices also: Agreed to step into a controversy over the government's health standard for worker exposure to benzene a highly toxic chemical linked with cancer.

Government and business alike will be watching the outcome of this case, since most of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration's standards have been tied up in court challenges. Let stand a 60-day jail sentence imposed on a television reporter named Joe Pennington for refusing to identify a source who gave him second-hand information about a Kansas murder case. The desegregation plan approved in 1976 by U.S. District Judge W.M. Taylor Jr.

permits some one-race schools to remain in Dallas because of long distances students would have to be bused, "white flight," and other factors. But a U.S. appeals court has ordered Taylor to hold further hearings and to draw up a new Dallas student assignment plan including specific justification for any one-race schools it contains. Dallas school officials Wednesday won a Supreme Court hearing on their appeal claiming the plan ordered by Taylor meets constitutional standards. In agreeing to review the matter, the justices added a southern desegregation dispute to their calendar, which already includes cases involving northern schools, in Columbus and Dayton, Ohio.

At issue in the New York City case is what standard the Department of Health, Education and Welfare may use in determining discriminatory conduct which makes a school system ineligible for aid. In still other actions, the court: Turned down the appeal of a black man who was forced to grow a beard for medical reasons, and said he suffered racial discrimination when Safeway stores fired him for refusing to shave. Declined to step into a dispute between two distributors over the right to market a poster depicting the late Elvis Presley playing his guitar. BANGKOK, Thailand (UPI) Soviet warships Wednesday were reported steaming toward Vietnam, where Chinese and Vietnamese troops were massed near the Vietnamese town of Lang Son for what may be one of the conclusive battles of the border war. Intelligence sources in Bangkok said China moved another infantry division of about 8,000 men across the border towards the provincial capital of Lang Son, 12 miles from the border.

At the same time, French and Japanese newsmen reported seeing thousands of Vietnamese troops, accompanied by 105mm howitzers, heading for Lang San. A Japanese report from Peking, quoting sources close to Chinese authorities, said, "China will try to conclude its military action inside Vietnam within the next few days." Soviet ships sighted The Japanese Defense Agency, meantime, reported sighting two Soviet warships and a number of Soviet reconnaissance planes moving toward the Vietnam-China border area. The agency said Soviet reconnaissance capability." planes flew near the area for the second time since the Chinese invasion began Saturday, the Japanese Defense Agency reported, underlining intense Soviet interest in the conflict. The intelligence sources said the troop movements by both sides indicated a major battle for control of Lang Son was shaping up. Lang Son, a provincial capital, is a key northeast border junction of rail, river and road communications.

Radio Hanoi claimed Wednesday its armed forces put another 2,000 Chinese troops out of action Tuesday, bringing the four-day total to more than 7,000. It said 12 more Chinese tanks were set ablaze and destroyed in the fighting, raising the claimed toll of Chinese armor to nearly 100 since the invasion began Saturday morning. But intelligence analysts in Bangkok said the Vietnamese battle reports have consistently exaggerated the extent of the causualties. The latest reports from the battle area indicated the Chinese forces were overpowering, one source said. "There are lots and lots of Chinese on the border," he said.

"They have plenty of Remember fhaf famous storm? (Detailed forecasts, Pg. 15) Salinans may be bemoaning the hard winter they've experienced so far in 1979, but they can be thankful that a storm anniversary passed Wednesday without a repeat performance. Eight years ago on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 1971, a storm tabbed by weathermen at that time as the worst of the century in Kansas struck Salina. With winds gusting from 30 to nearly 40 miles an hour, the storm dumped nine inches of wet snow on the city, and, before the storm was over on Feb.

22, a total of 12 inches was on the ground. Snow drifts of five and six feet were common in the city, and traffic was paralyzed. Recycling plant revamping bill set at $600,000 Improvements to "legalize" the operation of the Fourth Street water softening plant will cost 1600,000, the Salina City Commission was told Wednesday morning. The commission, in a special session, gave the go-ahead to the improvement project which will bring the plant's lime recycling operation into compliance with state air pollution standards. The plant currently discharges 19 pounds of particulate matter an hour into the air, according to the engineering report by Wilson Company Engi- neers and Architects.

State standards patterned after federal Environmental Protection Agency regulations allow a maximum of only 4.3 pounds per hour, according to Bob Selm, Wilson Company spokesman. After the plant has been remodeled and the defective equipment replaced, the operation's discharge will be only about two pounds per hour, Selm said. The plant, in operation since 1955, reclaims most of the lime which is used to soften the city's water supply. Since 1967, the plant has saved the city $474,000 by reclaiming lime from the sludge byproduct of the water softening operation, according to the Wilson Company report. Although the $600,000 price tag hardly could be described as good news, commissioners were relieved to learn from City Clerk Don Harrison that the water department could afford the improvements without need for another bond issue.

The city had a major bond issue in 1977 which required a 40 percent increase in water rates, and another bond issue to take care of the lime recylcing plant likely would have an adverse effect on the city's bond rating. A lower bond rating would mean higher interest costs for any future water bonds the city might have to issue. Harrison told the commission he could come up with the $600,000 by tapping various various water department reserve accounts without violating bond ordinance requirements The $600,000 proposal to renovate the recycling operation was one of three alternatives posed by the engineering firm, and was recommended by Wilson Company as the most cost-effective in the long run. 1 The other two alternatives were either to cease operation of the recycling plant and purchase the necessary lime for the water softening operation in bulk quantities or to make $350,000 worth of less extensive repairs to the existing equipment. The $600,000 improvement project will not require another water rate increase this year, but Harrison advised the commission that a projected rate increase of four percent in 1980 may have to be upped to six percent to restore the financial reserves used for the recycling plant project..