Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 11

3, o) 5)q JACKSON-AREA DEATHS 2 CLOSE-UP 2 AROUND MISSISSIPPI 4 TO SHARE TIPS, IDEAS: Contact: Deborah Skipper, Assistant Metro Editor Jackson area: 961-7101 Toll free: 1-800-222-8015 Fax: 961-7211 THE CLARION-LEDGER JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI TUESDAY, JULY 22, 1997. tuft A denies omirie Sherry deatih ft V- ERIC STRINGFELLOW Assistant metro editor The Clarion-Ledger He didn't say he was glad Vincent Sheiry was dead, Cono Caranna says prosecute her father's murder because of dislike for Sherry he expressed in a 1990 conversation. "It would be very difficult, when in the spirit of complete and total honesty he told me the only thing that would have made him happier was to watch my father die in front of him," Sposito said after the verdict was announced. Caranna said he spoke with Sposito but denied making that comment. See SHERRY, 3B By Butch John Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer tant case.

"(But) not even in war have I ever been made 'happy' by death whether or not in my presence." A Hattiesburg jury Thursday acquitted Halat of a federal charge accusing him of acts of racketeering including plotting the murders. It convicted him on charges of racketeering conspiracy, which included some of the same allegations. Sposito, 44, of Raleigh, N.C., said after the trial she didn't believe Caranna would never told murder victim Vincent Sherry's daughter that he was glad Sherry was dead. He further disputed Lynne Sherry Sposi-to's contention that he wouldn't pursue the charges because of his personal dislike for Sherry, a circuit judge who was shot to death with his wife, Maragret, in September 1987. The Sherry family has endured a long, terrible ordeal," Caranna said.

The jury, which heard six weeks of testimony, has returned a verdict which demonstrates the proper forum was selected for this impor .11 acial balance not etermining factor Harrison County's district attorney wouldn't say Monday if he will bring murder charges against former Biloxi Mayor PeteHalat. Cono Caranna did say, however, that he of school quality I I i3j 1-) feome of my best years were spent at Sallie Refolds Elementary School on Dalton Street invest Jackson. Reynolds was next door to Blackburn Junior High School, where my brother and sister were enrolled. Reynolds was around the corner from St. Philip Lutheran Church, where my two sisters attended day care and where we worshiped on Sundays.

'J'he school was three doors up from our house on Pascagoula Street. Mrs. Brinson, my third-grade teacher, could givje my parents a report on my progress, or lack thereof, simply by walking over to the window. Ms. Scott, my fourth-grade teacher, lived around the corner on Isaiah Montgomery Street.

Her address remains the same. Mrs. Peoples, one of my fifth-grade teachers, lived two blocks away on the campus of Jack-soi State University. Mr. Smith, the principal, operated a business in the neighborhood and was visible in the evenings and on weekends.

It was hard to get into trouble in this compact community, and the teachers all seemed to enjoy reaching out to the students and they were effective. The community changed drastically as we entered the sixth-grade. Reynolds was closed and we were bused to south Jackson. Busing backfires ome of us ended up at Marshall Elementary School. Others went to Key Elementary.

This 1971 experiment known as integration had its good points. For the first time, black children and white children were together in one classroom. was some semblance of racial balance. Then the white students started to leave for council schools, private schools, parochial schools. The Jackson Public Schools, 27 years after court-ordered integration, is now about 88 per Rick Guy The Clarion-Ledger Thirty bicyclists line up for a news conference at One dents are part of a cross-country trip to raise funds and The team will travel next to Meridian before heading to Jackson Place in Jackson Monday.

The college stu- public awareness on behalf of people with disabilities, their ultimate destination, Washington. Injured cross-country cyclist learns value of teamwork College students are raising awareness, funds for people with disabilities By Pamela Berry Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer been used because a couple of guys have my front tires and others have some of my other bike parts." It's that spirit of teamwork that some of the 27 cyclists say helps keep them focused when the trip gets difficult. Each member, selected for his academic achievement, leadership ability and community service, had to raise $4,000 to qualify for the team. So far, the group has raised more than $300,000, said George Mason University See CYCLISTS, 3B son Place shortly after noon from Vicks-burg. In addition to California, the PUSH America group had already pedaled through Nevada, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and Louisiana.

Brockmeyer said doctors advised him to ditch the tour and go home, but he chose to tough it out and expects to be back riding in two days. There were times I got really frustrated from being on the side, but I haven't missed out on anything at all," Brockmeyer said with a laugh. "My bike has participating in the "Journey of Hope" road trip hasn't exactly turned out as he expected. That's because he has been riding in a car since injuring his wrist when the tour began June 8. "On Day 1 of riding out of San Francisco, we were about 10 miles outside of Napa and going about four miles an hour, when I hit a series of bumps on the shoulder of the road," Brockmeyer said.

"On the second or third bump, I crashed." Brockmeyer and fellow Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity members arrived at One Jack College students, cycling across the U.S. to raise awareness for people with disabilities, marked part of the 44th day of their journey in Jackson Monday. Bloomsburg University student Chris Brockmeyer, 21, of Somerville, N.J. said cent black, demographics mirrored in scores of inner city districts nationwide. Today, that means black students across the State senator considers run for lieutenant governor Dick Hall says he's interested in state's No.

2 position; hasn't made decision to run yet and Hall's deskmate, Sen. Bill Hawks, running. Public Service Commissioner Curt Hebert is another one considering either a race for lieutenant governor 4 (it By Jack Elliott Jr. The Associated Press Only 2 show at JPS meeting By Cathy Hayden Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer Jackson School Board members postponed their July board meeting until 5 p.m. Friday after one board member failed to show up for Monday's session.

Board President Doris Bridge-man told a roomful of staff members and others the meeting would be rescheduled after waiting an hour for board member Acie Whitlock. Bridgeman said Whitlock, a University of Mississippi Medical Center dentist, was expected for Monday's meeting. Board member Lee Harper is out of town and the five-member board has one vacancy. At least three members must be present for a quorum. The school district's attorney, Jo-Anne Nelson, said she doesn't recall the cancellation of a board meeting because of too few members in her five years with the district.

IV I All are Republicans. fig fcwlJ rrn imlvnt nr Hall lie mvuiuucub, j-jk. viv Ronnie us grove, a Demo State Sen. Dick Hall tested the waters for a possible campaign for lieutenant governor this past weekend at the Mississippi Municipal Association's annual meeting on the Gulf Coast. The next campaign for state offices is 1999.

Hall, R-Madison, has been a fixture in state government for 21 years. He served two terms in the House (1976-84) and has been in the Senate since 1984. Former Lt. Gov. Eddie Briggs may be considering another run.

The rumor mill has Transportation Commissioner Wayne Burkes Woman, 36, dies after home assault Neighbors report hearing screams in city's 36th homicide By Jill Farrell King Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer A Jackson woman was stabbed repeatedly in her home early Monday morning and died at a hospital a short time later. Angela Parker, 36, of 531 Hart-field died after a 4 a.m. attack in her home, police spokesman Robert Graham said. Hinds County Deputy Coroner Bill Chancellor said Parker was stabbed multiple times in the chest and back and died from loss of blood. Precinct 4 Lt.

Sharron Kyles said neighbors reported hearing a woman screaming for help before Parker was found collapsed on a neighbor's front porch. "It appeared she struggled out the front door and there appeared to be forced entry," Kyles said. Kyles said police had not recovered a weapon used in the slaying. A large amount of blood was found in the home, she said. Police said they have no motive or suspect in the latest homicide, which brings the city's total number to 36 this year.

"We know very little right now homicide Sgt. Gwen Nicks said. "We're still plugging at it." crat, is a likely gubernatorial candidate. "I know there are other people going around (talking about it)," he said. No names appear among Democrats, who appear to have self-destructed amid their organizational and financial squabbling.

Hall said his interest in the lieutenant governor's race is only that at this point. Tm testing the waters. I've had some en-See HALL, 3B country are being bused all over creation just to attend class with other black students. And it's costing the taxpayers millions and millions of dollars. Has busing worked? That's debatable.

Is it time for a new approach? Absolutely. That's why I was so encouraged to read earlier this summer that the NAACP would debate whether to abandon its longtime support for school integration through busing during its annual convention last week in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, that debate never materialized. Put less emphasis on race The issue is whether we should embrace racially segregated schools. It's clear that support for public schools, by affluent blacks and whites, is in sharp decline.

That's why it's time to put less emphasis on race and more on offering the best product possible. If that means so-called neighborhood schools majority white ones or mostly black ones, so be it. The goal should simply be quality, which is hard when a chunk of the tax base is exercising other options. To some, segregated public schools may sound like a euphemism for "separate but unequal." That's a legitimate issue, but haven't the players changed? Just look at the school board and the superintendent. Or inside City Hall and on the City Council.

Shouldn't this make a difference? We can't keep pointing to the past as reasons for maintaining the status quo, especially when the status quo may not be working. Most of us would agree that educating our children and creating the environment where that may best happen should be our priority. Too bad the NAACP chose the status quo. Eric Stringfellow's column appears each Tuesday. To contact him, call 961-7236.

Ambulance's claimed response time disputed AMR claims its unit arrived in under 4 minutes, but police, others disagree By Arnold Lindsay Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer left the Alamo at 8:57 p.m., Cricenti said. Donovan blamed the time difference on the different synchronization between police department's clocks and AMR's clocks. The difference is in the clock times" he said. But Jackson businessman LeRoy Walker, who was one of four people at the Alamo to call 911 including Johnson, said the ambulance took much longer. "It was longer than three minutes, that's for sure," Walker said.

"It was 10 to 17 minutes before they got there. I'm almost positive of that." the ambulance arrived 3 minutes and 42 seconds after being called for Johnson's spokeswoman Kelli Sharpe, who was in labor. Donovan said AMR records show the first call was placed at 8:48 p.m. Six seconds later the ambulance was dispatched and arrived on the scene at 8:51 p.m. But Jackson communications manager George Cricenti said the first call to 911 was placed at 8:44 p.m.

An additional call was placed at 8:49 p.m., and a Fire Department rescue unit was requested. That unit was dispatched at 8:51 p.m. and was on scene at 8:54 p.m., after the AMR ambulance arrived. It Police records and witnesses differ with American Medical Response on how long it took an ambulance to arrive at the Alamo Theatre July 11 to assist one of Mayor Harvey Johnson's aides. AMR spokesman Joe Donovan said Monday he stands by his earlier statement that YESTERDAY'S HEADLINES MISSISSIPPI VOICES PUBLIC MEETINGS The U.S.

House breaks a mini-filibuster to vote to give citizens of seven Southern states the right to vote in national elections without paying poll taxes. The poll tax still exists in Mississippi. A topless bar that recently opened in Hattiesburg has some of that city's residents fearing property values will fall as well as community standards. Do you think topless entertainment Is bad for communities? LOUISE "I think topless bars are bad for communities because some people get the impression from them that they might want to become topless dancers. They should ban them." Rita Baker, 18, college student.

PRENTISS "Yes, I do think it is bad. I feel that it has a big influence on teenagers." Mary Smith, 77, retired homemaker. PEARL "I do think it is bad for communities because of the type of moralities it exhibits to the youth of that community. If they are going to have them, they shouldn't be in a community environment." Don Powell, 46, administrator. To participate in Mississippi Voices, call 352-2810 and follow instructions.

TODAY Jackson City Council 10 a.m., City Hall, 219 S. President St. Canton School Board 5 p.m., Central Office of school at 403 E. Lincoln St. WEDNESDAY Jackson Planning Board 2:30 p.m., Warren Hood Office Building, South President Street, Jackson.

Rankin County Board of Education 7:30 a.m., district offices, Apple Park Drive, Brandon. THURSDAY Jackson Redevelopment Authority 10 a.m., JRA Building, 2 1 8 S. President St 5 Two giant shipyards located on the east and west banks of the Pascagoula River are merged into a single operation under the direction of Litton Industries Vice President Ned J. Marandino. Prentiss In El Paso, Miss Teen Mississippi Kristi Lyn Addis of Holcomb captures the title of Miss Teen USA 1987.

Compiled from Clarion-Ledger files by staff librarian Susan Garcia.