News-Press from Fort Myers, Florida • Page 1

Yummy pizza with a healthy pizazz That fattening treat doesn't have to be fattening. Lifestyles 3D Zk 8 4 Rockets topple Magic I) Houston seizes 3-0 edge. Sports 1C SOUTH LEE BONITA EDITION COLLIER MONDAY, JUNE 12, 1995 FORT MYERS, FLORIDA 25 CENTS To)To)Ti(( MEW- "A win for both men." "We'll think about it." INSIDE TONY BLANKLEY Gingrich's spokesman MIKE McCURRY Clinton's spokesman, on whether they'll do it again Statistics regarding veterans 4A I Schedule of events 4A I Local vets disheartened 4A Cape falls from in the black to bleak More services needed; less money coming in By CATHERINE DODGE News-Press staff writer Cape Coral residents aren't likely to see any new recreation centers or other amenities soon, they may have to pay more on their monthly sewer bills or city parks may not be lighted as late at night in the next few years. After being in the black for four years, with surpluses climbing to $4.5 million, the city may face a different situation for the late '90s. As city leaders begin taking a detailed look this week at how to spend the taxpayers' money, they are vowing not to raise taxes or cut services for next year.

But they say VA clinic sttilD has a chance Veterans chief won't relent A A 4Sr i i By LARRY WHEELER Gannett News Service When Jesse Brown accepted an invitation to speak at a Florida veterans convention in Fort Myers he thought he was going to have some great news for the locals about their VA clinic. He still might. The Veterans Affairs Department Secretary had "locked up" $1.7 million to expand the veterans outpatient clinic in Fort Myers. The project it time to cut back on expenses and perhaps raise some fees if they want to I afterthat. Without finding more money, Cape Coral faces average annual shortfalls of $1.2 million during the next five years, city Finance Director Howard Kunik said.

was approved and the money was in President Clinton's budget. Then the Republican-controlled Congress passed budget resolutions that would freeze veteran spending and cancel new construction projects. The Fort Myers expansion was dead, along with plans for a hospital in Brevard County and other projects across the country. Brown, wounded while serving in Vietnam, is scheduled to address the Florida Veterans KUNIK: Major shortfall. BROWN: Coming here Wednesday.

The Associated Press Conference on Wednesday. The HEAD TO HEAD: President Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich shake hands during a town hall meeting Sunday In Claremont, N.H. In an unprecedented Joint appearance, Clinton and Gingrich sparred politely over Medicare and a host of other issues Sunday. WHAT DO YOU THO? Clinton, Gingrich trade ideas The Associated Press Why the change? In the booming 1980s, the city brought in enough tax money to pay for what thousands of new residents wanted. Since then, property values and the pace of new construction have leveled off.

But after a tax increase of 10 percent this year, another for next year is out of the question because citizens can't pay any more, council members say. More than 40,000 property owners are strapped with bills from $2,000 to beyond $8,000, in some cases, for building the new sewer and water system. "We're not going to have any tax increases this year," Councilman Chuck Fletcher said. "We've got to tighten some belts." They're apparently hearing the sentiments of residents like Kim See BLEAK 10A 51-year-old Clinton administration appointee still may have some good news to deliver. "I have not given up on this," Brown said during an interview last week in his wood-paneled office overlooking Lafayette Square and the White House.

"I am going to do everything I can to bring this to a reality." Brown said his staff is researching the possibility of pulling money from other VA programs in his budget to fund the Fort Myers' expansion. "I'm going out on a little limb here," Brown said. "Even if I can't get congressional approval, I'm going to see if there is any money anywhere that I can move forward on this. This is a very important project. We want to do it." See CLINIC 4A lesson to Washington.

Given the elderly audience, Clinton wasted no time bringing up Medicare. He took issue with GOP plans to find roughly $300 billion in savings. Ceding no ground, Gingrich said Medicare's financial situation was nearing a crisis point and action was needed fast. As they debated that and other issues from the minimum wage to American involvement in Bosnia the president and speaker yielded little. But the tone was far more civil than has been the case in Washington of late.

"A win for both men," pronounced Gingrich's press secretary, Tony Blankley. Mike McCurry, Clinton's spokesman, agreed, though when asked if Clinton would accept more such matchups, McCurry smiled and would say only, "we'll think about it" Gingrich on tour 9A What did you learn from Sunday's question-and-answer session with President Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and would you like to see similar events? BY MAIL: New Hampshire meeting, Metro News, News-Press, P.O. Box 10, Fort Myers, FL 33902 BY PHONE: 332-5600, touchtone code 5242; or fax: 334-0708 BY COMPUTER: E-mail NPLifeaol.com.; or access our free bulletin board service news.press by dialing 332-8822 through a modem on a Macintosh or PC. CLAREMONT, N.H. Sharing a stage in the first presidential primary state, President Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich politely debated Medicare, foreign policy and budget priorities Sunday and promised to launch a bipartisan search for lobbying and political reforms.

Far from the rancorous discord of Washington, the Democratic president and Republican speaker held court outdoors for an hour with an audience of elderly voters, using their five questions as a springboard for a calm but candid outline of their myriad differences. Never before, Gingrich said, had a president and speaker appeared together at a town hall never mind the elected leaders of different parties. When it was over, Clinton and Gingrich shared a hearty handshake. Both camps said the bantering and civil tone should serve as a INSIDE I Your tax dollar 10A I Businesses needed 10A I Future of the Cape 10A Agreed: IBM snares Lotus for $3.52 billion The Associated Press during five months of private talks on a variety of business relationships. IBM's initial cash offer of $60 per share was twice Lotus' market value at the time.

Lotus stock rose $28.94 to $61.44 on June 5 when IBM announced its offer. It closed at $62.87 '2 Friday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The key attraction for IBM at Lotus is a product called Lotus Notes, a conferencing, database and e-mail "environment" that customers can customize. challenge Microsoft which has come to lead the industry through its dominance in operating system programs that run the basic functions of a PC. "Lotus will be a very critical and important part of IBM and IBM's growth strategy," IBM chief executive Louis GerstnerJr.said.

The buyout began as a hostile offer, announced publicly last Monday Just moments after Lotus was informed. Lotus executives had rejected offers from IBM billion. The companies announced the definitive agreement Sunday afternoon, turning IBM's first hostile takeover bid into a friendly one. "Our intention is to move as quickly as we possibly can to start bringing the value of this combination to the marketplace," Lotus chief executive Jim Manzi said. The deal has the potential to reorder the personal computer software industry by putting IBM in a strong position to NEW YORK Lotus Development Corp.

agreed to be bought out by IBM on Sunday for $3.52 billion, about $220 million more than IBM offered when it began a hostile takeover attempt less than a week ago. The deal is the software industry's largest merger. The two companies agreed on a $64 per share purchase price $4 per share higher than IBM's initial offer, which had an overall value of $3.3 JASON FISCHERNews-Press CLINIC PATIENT: Bob Boyd, who works as a nurse at the VA Clinic in Fort Myers, does an electrocardiogram on patient Larry Brew of Fort Myers. Brew visits the clinic once a month for a check-up and heart medication. Toddler's 911 conversation saves mom INSIDE The Associated Press Ann Landers 9B UP NORTH: Tugboats Bridge 2D freed a 600-foot luxury liner classified Business Monday Sunday that ran aground off Classified 6-14B, 6C Massachusetts.

Comics 12B, 5D News from the North 5A Crossword 11B, 5D Horoscopes Y0UR MONEY: Congress Lottery numbers 2A BStory11A Movies 4D Obituaries 3B Opinion 12-13A GROWTH: Businesses Sports Section along San Carlos Boulevard XV 6D endure road construction but say Copyright 1995, the News-Press It's worth it. A Gannett Newspaper Story Business Monday Graves said. "But when she started, I was screaming, 'Honk it baby, you just keep I don't think I could have lasted much longer. It was just so hot." Graves was driving home after visiting some Pinellas County friends when she stopped at a gas station to buy a cold drink for her daughter and cigarettes for herself While they were in the store, a man entered the unlocked car. As they pulled away, he emerged from the back seat with gun in hand.

"He didn't talk much," Graves said. "He just told me to go to the airport." After he got her money, he told her he was going to lock her in the trunk of the Chevrolet Cavalier. Graves said she is proud of her daughter. Sometimes when she misbehaves, Graves reminds the youngster that she is her mother, and that she gave her life. "Well, I gave her her life and she gave me mine," Graves said.

"All day long we've been telling each other how we outsmarted that man. She's a very bright little girl." TRANSCRIPT EXCERPTS Male dispatcher: Are you there? Girl: Yes. I want my mommy. Female dispatcher: Where are you at? Girl: I'm lost. I'm at the airport.

dispatcher: Do you know what color red is? Do you see any red around you? Girl: I want my daddy. I'm scared. Male dispatcher: Can you climb into thelrontseat? Can you stand up so your mommy can see you? She's looking for you. We're looking for you, too. Girl: Mommy in the trunk.

dispatcher: Can you honk your horn? Sit on the horn, make it loud? Girl: Mommy! (sounds of crying) Female dispatcher: Talk to me a little while. We 're trying to get Mommy. Can you do something Can you try to honk your horn HONK HONK HONK HONK. Female dispatcher: Keep honking, keepgoing. Okay sweetheart, keep doing that so the officers can hear.

Officer's voice: Okay. I got (her). TAMPA Right before an armed robber locked Mary Graves in the trunk of her car, she dialed 91 1 on her cellular phone and slipped it to her 3-year-old daughter. The last-second decision might have saved her life. The girl, who isn't being identified at the family's request, told emergency operators Friday afternoon that her mother was in the trunk of the car.

When she mentioned that she could see airplanes, emergency operators called in Tampa International Airport police. When she said she could see sky, officers concentrated the search to the top floor of the airport parking garage. She also supplied dispatchers with her home telephone number and followed instructions to keep honking the car's horn so searchers could find her and her mother. Minutes later, they did. The girl's "not allowed to honk the horn," HIGH: NEAR rr WEATHER: Partly sunny.

60 chance of rain. Weather Watch 14A LOW: 9 MID- 70s.