The Burlington Free Press du lieu suivant : Burlington, Vermont • Page 15

tCheiBurd'ngtonjfreeflress Police continue investigation into 10-year-old murder Page4B stays 'Decisions on death penalty cases must be made more rapidly than in a misdemeanor marijuana Ronald Kuby Bobby Drew's attorney that decisions on death penalty cases must be made more rapidly than in a misdemeanor marijuana case," he said. Mays, an Alabama teen-ager, was driving through Louisiana when he picked up Drew and Ernest Puralewski, who were hitchhiking separately. Bea Land-rum, a friend of Mays who also was in the car, told jurors at the trial that Drew became angry with Mays during the drive to Texas, beat him, robbed him and, with Puralewski's help, stabbed him to death. Puralewski, who received a 60-year sentence for a lesser degree of murder, later made a sworn statement that he alone killed Mays. According to Kuby, Landrum recently said his eyes were closed and he did not see who did the actual killing, as he stated he had at the trial.

Terrorist links called nrniinHlpss By James E. Bressor Free Press Staff Writer MONTPELIER A federal judge in Texas stayed the execution of Robert Drew Tuesday, meaning the Vermont native will not die Thursday as scheduled. A Texas jury in December 1983 convicted Drew of killing Jeffrey Mays and sentenced him to death by lethal injection. Drew, who grew up in Wells, now has months, possibly years, of hearings and appeals before him. "Now we're going into another long period of wrangling and arguing and hopefully well never be 36 hours away from Bobby Drew's death until he's a very old man," said Ronald Kuby, one of Drew's attorneys.

Drew's lawyers lost their final round of appeals within the Texas judicial sys- Democrats lose key position By Enrique Corredera Free Press Staff Writer Democratic aldermen were left out in the cold when a crucial appointment to a city commission was decided without their approval Tuesday morning, the alderman who negotiated with the other parties said. "There's no question that they (Republicans and Progressives) struck a deal without an agreement with us," said Alderman Arthur Anderson, D-Ward 5. "We wanted to get an agreement that all three parties were comfortable with, but as it turned out, a deal was struck that only two parties were comfortable with." Anderson said his party wanted to appoint Democrat Richard Frothingham to the Electric Commission, which oversees the municipally owned Burlington Electric Department "The Republicans and Progressives reached a deal that didn't include that," Anderson said. Instead, Republicans and Progressives agreeed to appoint Democrat Dean Cor-ren. "The Democrats were not asking for much, and they didn't get anything," said Aldermanic President Nancy Chioffi, D-Ward 5.

Alderman Allen Gear, R-Ward 4, attributed Corren's appointment to a misunderstanding. Gear said he thought it did not matter to Anderson who was appointed to the Electric Commission as long as it was a Democrat. The Progressives agreed to appoint a Democrat to the BED post as part of the deal. Gear said Anderson indicated at the last minute that it had to be Frothingham, but the Progressives would not support him. Gene Bergman, Ward 2 alderman and Progressive Coalition chairman, said Progressives favored Corren over Frothingham because of his background.

Corren researched energy science at New York University for eight years. Anderson acknowledged Corren had a solid background, but he said the party did not back Corren because "nobody really knew him." Corren said he moved to the city a month ago. Anderson said the incident shows that "the process of getting people on the commissions is ridiculous." Pay on the tern Tuesday morning when the state's seven-member Court of Criminal Appeals declined to postpone the execution. A few hours later, however, U.S. District Court Judge James DeAnda of Houston stayed the execution.

He gave Drew's attorneys 30 days to file additional papers and raise new issues. Prosecutors then will have 40 days to respond before a pre-conference hearing is scheduled. Another federal judge, Gabrielle McDonald, whom Kuby described as one of Flag Day Roy Viens hangs an American Avenue home Tuesday as part The City Council, made up of the 13 aldermen plus the mayor, filled most of the 25 openings in 23 commissions early Tuesday morning, following more than three hours of last-minute negotiations. rt vk vv hi i 1 the more progressive judges in Texas, will hear the arguments. "We got pretty lucky for a change," Kuby said of McDonald being assigned the case.

"People might be wondering why this is all being done at the last minute. The problem is Texas procedure itself," Kuby said. Texas law prohibits lawyers from beginning the appeals process until the execution date has been set, he said. "Another perversity of the process is ROB SWANSON, Free Preu flag on the porch of his Central of a celebration of Flag Day. Commissioners are community volun- teers in charge of setting policy for the 1L vanous Cltv departments.

They have the Turn to DEMOCRATS, 6B Bllrftv i IV-1 InhfflUi By Ian Polumbaum Free Press Staff Writer Government allegations of terrorist links to three convicted Lebanese-Canadian bomb smugglers were called ground-less and racist by a defense lawyer in a memorandum filed Tuesday. Richard Shadyac, attorney for Walid Mourad of Montreal accused federal prosecutors of "attempting to turn this case into a political circus." Shadyac wrote that the government branded the men "more culpable because of their Arabic heritage and alleged political affiliations. This position, which is entirely unsupportable by objective facts, is meant to inflame passions (and) make headlines." The memorandum was sent to U.S. District Court Judge Albert Coffrin, who is scheduled June 22 to sentence Mourad, Walid Kabbani and Georges Younan for smuggling a homemade bomb into Vermont from Quebec last year. U.S.

Attorney George Terwilliger HI said Tuesday he stood by his view that the three deserved maximum sentences because, according to the FBI, they were acting on behalf of the Syrian Social -Nationalist Party, which the government blames for car bombings and assassina-. tions in the Middle East. Terwilliger referred to Shadyac's charges as "hyperbole" and added, "I'm not going to get into a battle of words in the press." The FBI has not named the sources of its information, and it remains unknown where the defendants were headed with the bomb when they were stopped in Richford Oct. 23. A jury Feb.

2 convicted Kabbani and Younan of violating explosives and immigration laws, leaving them open to up to 30 Vt and 35 years In prison, respectively. Mourad pleaded guilty to reduced charges and faces up to 10 years. Shadyac requested leniency for the 39-year-old Mourad, describing him as a "loving, supportive family man, a successful businessman, and an individual dedicated to serving his community and those less fortunate." Mourad has been a Canadian citizen for 25 years, owns a garment factory with 70 employees, is a devout churchgoer and has done charitable work for children in war-torn Lebanon, the memo said. SECTION Wednesday, June 15, 1988 City Editor, Sam Hemingway Phone: 863-3471, ext. 2017 State notes Accident victim was class president The Associated Press PITTSFORD A youth who died after a truck accident in Pittsford was a class president at Proctor High School, state police said Tuesday.

Police said Jason Pentek, 17, died at Rutland Regional Medical Center Monday afternoon from injuries he suffered in the 2:30 a.m. accident. Police said Pentek lost control of his truck on Elm Street in Pittsford. The truck crossed the road, hit a mailbox and continued across a lawn and onto a field. Alcohol, driver fatigue and speed contributed to the accident, police said.

Proctor High School staff and faculty members remembered Pentek, who recently had been elected president of the class of 1989, as popular and talented. "In the past two years he really came into his own," said Madeline Sherman, a teacher and librarian. "He was elected president of his class that spoke to the way the kids felt about him. The faculty nominated and selected him for Boy's State. That indicates his kind of promise.

"111 miss him. I tell you that." Psychologist's license suspended by state The Associated Press MONTPELIER The state Board of Psychological Examiners has suspended the license of a Bellows Falls psychologist who allegedly began a sexual relationship with a former client. Donald Sanborn III will lose his license to practice for six months, and when he returns to practice, he must be supervised for two years, the board said. Sanborn's lawyer, William McCarty of Brattleboro, said Sanborn had not decided whether to appeal the suspension. "The record is replete with a lot of errors," McCarty said.

"I'm quite confident that if we did appeal, it would get reversed." Runaway teen-agers discovered in Florida Two Missisquoi Valley Union High School teen-agers who have been missing since June 7 have been located near Vero Beach, and are expected to return home late this week, state police said. "They're OK," Lt. John R. Edwards said of Paul A. Airoldi, 18, of Highgate and Jennifer J.

Boyer, 17, of Highgate Falls. "It's just a question of kids feeling frustrated with the conditions as they were at home and deciding to leave. I think they have some family issues to iron out. Edwards said he spoke at length with the two students, who also had spoken extensively with their respective families. "The parents are very relieved," he said.

Airoldi was scheduled to graduate last week, while Boyer would be a senior next year. They missed their final examinations, but Edwards, who also is a member of the Swanton School Board, said they may be able to catch up on necessary school work. Removal of vending machines sparks protest The removal of vending machines at the Burlington International Airport Tuesday has sparked concern among employees working late at the airport. Five vending machines and a bill changer were removed in accordance with a decision the airport commission made last month, said Director of Aviation Kenneth Potts. "A lot of people are complaining," said Lee Lindberg of the Avis Rent A Car operation at the airport.

She said there is no alternative for those who work at and use the airport after the restaurant, snack bar and gift shop are closed. The commissioners felt the machines should go because of stains in the carpeting near the drink area. "We've been keeping an eye on our carpets and we're spending more money to clean them than we make on the machines," Potts said. State suspends license of ambulance service The Associated Press BELLOWS FALLS The Vermont Health Department has suspended the license of Lefevre Ambulance Service Inc. for six months for violating state regulations.

The decision will take effect June 20. However, if the company makes the required changes, it could apply for a conditional license before the end of the suspension. Inside Chitt. roundup 5B New England 4B way for county court officers every 10 to 13 days after the new fiscal year starts July 1. But Greene and Suskin said the only real solution would be for the Legislature, which reconvenes in January, to make court officers regular state employees.

A proposal was drafted in the House last session but never made it past the committee stage, they said. "It's not a very good situation when I have people who expect their paycheck on Thursday and it doesn't come, and Friday it doesn't come," Greene said. "It's very hard to keep people." Said Suskin: "The situation for the coming year won't be great, but at least we can make sure they get paid" on time. Little, who has a $55-a-day contract, said most of Vermont's roughly 80 court officers receive paychecks from county sheriff's departments, making Chittenden i County "a unique situation." tor's office. But checks due late last month never arrived, prompting Tuesday's meeting with Lee Suskin, director of trial court administration.

"They told us a week ago they were sent out," said Sam Little, managing court officer in Burlington, who estimated he was owed $900. "You never get the same answer from two different people." He said similar lapses had happened before. Suskin said the delay occurred because the account to pay the officers ran dry as the end of fiscal 1988 drew near. "Money has been transferred into the account, and they all will be paid for their days' work," he said. "The Wheel trial, the Zaccaro trial, the Wright trial, they all drained the reserve account," Suskin said, referring to recent lengthy criminal cases.

He and Anne Greene, Burlington district court clerk, both deemed the situation "unacceptable," and said the officers were promised Tuesday they would be paid By Ian Polumbaum Free Press Staff Writer Chittenden County court officers, who have gone without paychecks for three weeks due to a money shortfall, were assured Tuesday by a state administrator that they would be paid today. But participants in a meeting Tuesday afternoon at Vermont District Court agreed that court officers' difficulties could be solved only if they were put on the state payroll like other court employees. The civilian officers are paid $48.50 a day to act as support staff, coordinating the flow of people and paperwork within courthouses. Frequent long hours and lack of benefits or overtime lead to high job turnover. The four full-time and two part-time employees at the Burlington courthouse, Vermont's busiest, are paid from a separate account by the state court administra lIYi I I I I I mm mm.

mm jgon mm mm I Lt I 1 I School Board votes to maintain tax rate By Amy Killinger Free Press Staff Writer The Burlington School Board voted 10-2 at its Tuesday meeting to maintain the current tax rate of 1.26 per $100 of assessed property value for the coming fiscal year. The tax rate will maintain the $16.84 million 1988-89 budget for the schools as well as possibly provide a surplus, Superintendent Paul Danyow said. At the approved rate, the school system is taxing at the maximum allowed by the city charter. Commissioner Betty Van Buren, D-Ward 6, said she voted to maintain the tax rate because the schools need extra funds for capital improvements. Commissioners Ann "Phi" Doane, D-Ward 4, and Francis Palm, D-Ward 3, voted against the tax rate.

Doane made a motion that was defeated 9-3 to decrease the tax rate by 2 cents, Turn to SCHOOL, 2B IS I In hiii iiT PICKETING: Mang Rice of Burlington her North Street home. tyfiJ mm A '4 i- Hl ROB found a cool seat while waiting for a SWANSON, FrM Pri bus in front of Deaths 2B Politics 3B.