The Town Talk from Alexandria, Louisiana • Page 1

Sports Chris Jackson to change name. B-1 Living Workshop features former Russian dancer. C-1 Index Ann Landers C-2 Bridge 'C-2 Business B-5 Classified D-3 Comics C-6 Obituaries B-8 Opinions A-8 Scoreboard B-2 TV, Movies C-4 Alexandria-Pineville, La. Volume 108-No. 146 35 Cents Cloudy skies.

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C-1 Friday August 9, 1991 Metro Harriet Trudell: recruits women to run for Legi- A slature. D-2 Candidate forum. D-1 mummm: British faosta ge freed in Lebanon rU U'Vr a.v W'i "when it seemed it would never end." The 34-year-old newsman, brought to Dam-; ascus from Beirut, said he carried with him a letter from Islamic Jihad for Perez de Cuellar, seeking the U.N. chiefs intervention to gain-freedom for "all prisoners and hostages being, held in Lebanon and in Israel." In Jerusalem, Israeli officials sounded encour- aging. But they said they would free none of: their prisoners unless the deal includes seven Israeli servicemen missing in Lebanon since! 1982.

Iran's U.N. ambassador said Tehran was influence" on the varied pro-Iranian extremist groups in Lebanon to free the hostages, and reiterated that Israel should release Arab prisoners for the procedure to continue. Sees connection The Iranian official, Kamal Kharazi, told CNN that he saw a connection between the release of McCarthy and the assassination, hours later, of DAMASCUS, Syria1 (AP) Lebanese kidnappers freed British TV producer John McCarthy on Thursday after five years as a hostage, a move designed to pressure Israel into freeing hundreds of Arab prisoners as part of a full-scale prisoner swap. Within hours, however, in yet another chilling replay of Lebanon's cycle of terror, a separate underground group claimed it had kidnapped a Frenchman and would kill him if any more hostages are released. U.N.

Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar had said another of the remaining dozen Western hostages apparently an American might be freed by today. But he acknowledged that the new report of a kidnapping could complicate those plans. Britain's Foreign Office minister, Douglas Hogg, said late Thursday that McCarthy had brought no word about the prospects of another hostage being released. "We were hoping that there would be another release, there may still be another release, but I have no hard information I'm afraid," said Hogg. 'Time is right' But the newly freed McCarthy, exultant, looking fit and full of thanks for those who worked for his release, earlier told a Syrian interviewer his Islamic Jihad kidnappers "believe the time is right" to finally end the Lebanon hostage drama.

r'There were times," McCarthy confided, tiar outside Paris. "I believe it's a suspicious issue that these two phenomenon are coinciding, and I don't know who has done that (the assassination) and what is behind it," Kharazi told CNN without elab-. orating. McCarthy said he was held with three other hostages Americans Terry Anderson and Please see HOSTAGE, A-2 Associated Press Embassy in Damascus for the airport. McCarthy was released after more than five years in captivity in Lebanon.

Released British hostage John McCarthy is flanked by his father Pat (left) and brother Andrew on Thursday as they leave the British Reaction to pay cut varies tf' i mm. -'i, Teacher unions claim cuts were approved hastily Please see SUIT, a related story, D-1 Wis "some minor rumbling" from support personnel, but said reaction overall was that the cuts were fair in that every school employee from the superintendent to custodians is required to share in the impact. School Board members are also included in the cuts. Considering that the state is giving pay raises to support personnel, Fain said, "they'll barely feel the reduction." This was disputed by Gary Nugent, president of the Rapides Federation of Teachers and School Employees. His home telephone began ringing at 6 a.m.

Thursday and more messages from irate school employees awaited him at his office. "They're angry, I mean extremely angry. We're not talking about polite phone calls. They're outraged because most school personnel are aware of the extravagance of the board in the last two years," Nugent said. Similar feelings were heard from the Rapides Association of Educators which By Renee Craft Staff reporter No one among school personnel appears to be indifferent to the budget cuts approved Wednesday by the Rapides Parish School Board.

Reaction in the wake of the reductions ranged from anger to understanding. A 1 percent across-the-board pay cut for all school employees is included in General Fund reductions totaling about $1.7 million over the next two academic years. However, money for the Pupil Instructional Fund, extracurricular activities and salaries for substitute personnel were rescued. Most board members called the package a compromise between various extremes. Teacher unions claim the cuts were approved hastily and that school personnel should not have to bail the board out of its financial bind.

One teacher union is threatening to go to court to try to stop the pay cuts. The new cuts will affect all parts of the budget: programs, services and supplies: employee benefits; annual salaries; and personnel. Associated Press The budget cuts were made on top of the $3.5 million in cuts previously approved. Another $746,000 was needed to balance that budget. In planning for the future and the probable loss of revenue when England Air Force Base closes, the board opted to cut an additional $1 million to ensure a balanced budget in 1992-93 and subsequent years.

Board Vice President Israel Curtis, a candidate in Louisiana House District 26 in the October primary, walked out of Wednesday's meeting in protest of the reduction package. He believes the board rushed its decision and, on Thursday, said he'd heard similar remarks from school personnel. "I've heard a lot of mad teachers," he said. Finance Chairman John Fain has heard Louisiana Attorney General William Guste talks with redbrters Thursday in New Orleans after formally beginning the appeal process that he hopes will take the state's abortion law to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Guste appealing decision Please see REACTION, A-5 against anti-abortion law Reagan and Bush would over License suspension dropped Police, not prosecutor, now to send state records NEW ORLEANS (AP) -Louisiana's attorney general Thursday appealed a federal judge's decision striking down the nation's toughest anti-abortion law, and said he'll try to put the appeal on a fast track to the Supreme Court. U.S. District Judge Adrian Duplantier ruled the law unconstitutional on Wednesday, saying he had no authority to go against the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, which established abortion rights. Louisiana legislators passed the law earlier this summer with the hope that Supreme Court appointees of presidents turn Roe vs.

Wade. Attorney General William Guste filed formal notice of appeal with the federal district court late Thursday morning. He said the notice will lead to the formal transfer of the case to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. Guste said that once the 5th Circuit has the case, probably no later than today, he'll try to persuade the Supreme Court to immediately take jurisdiction and hear arguments on the case when its term opens in October.

Please see LAW, A-5 paper work mistake, have sent Elsing, an Alexandria businessman, a "clearance letter" that explains the mistake and allows him to get a new driver's license, administrative services assistant Cathy Francis said. Although the mistake clears Elsing's driving record of the license suspension, it does not affect the status of the DWI case which is pending in the Alexandria city court system. He has been scheduled for arraignment later this month. Elsing, 50, of 3350 Parkway Drive was arrested on the DWI charge on Oct. 19, 1990.

Records show he refused to take an alcohol breath test, which means six months suspension of driving privileges. The original paper work on Elsing's arrest Please see LICENSE, A-2 By Kathy Calongne Staff reporter A paper work technicality clears Fred Elsing Jr. of the six-month driver's license suspension he was supposed to have served for refusing to take an alcohol breath test last October. Authorities with the state Office of Motor Vehicles on Thursday said they "backed off on the suspension" because the Alexandria Police Department failed to notarize the paper work on Elsing's driving while intoxicated arrest form. Meanwhile, the Police Department has instituted a policy that requires the department, not the city prosecutor's office, to mail DWI paper work to the Office of Motor Vehicles, police said Thursday.

The new policy could prevent some forms from getting lost or misplaced, such as happened in the Elsing case. Motor Vehicles officials, after discovering the Good morning: Fred Elsing cleared of license suspension but still faces DWI charge. DA says grand jury acted properly on LateNite Tn a renort nn drug Droblems within teNite. Penny protest DARIEN, Conn. (AP) Raymond Goshea says he's fed up with high taxes, so to make sure town officials get the point, he paid his dues in about 40 pounds worth of pennies.

"I'm tired of paying taxes up the wazoo," said the 32-year-old bus driver who brought $61.78 in pennies to Tax Collector Carolyn The nose knows TACOMA, Wash. (AP) The county is looking for a few good schnozzles to find out who's really responsible for Tacoma's foul odors. Tacoma has long been known for the pungency of its air. A pulp mill and other factories contribute to the mix known as the "aroma of Tacoma." Now, Pierce County air-quality officials are recruiting a corps of volunteer sniffers to help determine how bad it smells. "They'll be sort of like nose detectives," said Chris Parent, member of the county Air Quality Committee.

By Steve Bannister Staff reporter A Rapides Parish grand jury that called the LateNite club a public nuisance and recommended its hours be regulated by the Police Jury did not act improperly, District Attorney Charles Wagner said Thurs- 3Wagner said the grand jury was within legal bounds in reporting a problem and recommending action against it. Wagner also once again said a copy of the grand jury's report was provided to the Police Jury. Although the report was issued Jan. 2, it was not discussed by the Police Jury until Tuesday. Police Jury President John Chnstophe said the Police Jury never received the report and that he learned of it from this week's Town Talk series on drug use at La On Tuesday, attorney Michael Small, representing LateNite owner Charles Lib-erto called the grand jury's proceedings "illegal" and urged that its recommendation against LateNite not be considered by the Police Jury.

At the recommendation of two assistant DAs, the Police Jury decided to seek a legal opinion on whether it has the authority to regulate the club's hours. Wagner said his office is researching the issue and should have an opinion by the next Police Jury meeting. Alcoholic beverages can be brought into LateNite but are not sold there so the club does not have to abide by the ordinance requiring bars to close at 2 a.m. The club closes at 5 a.m.. doing much of its business afer the bars close.

Rapides Parish, the grand jury called LateNite the easiest place in the parish to obtain drugs. The grand jury recommended the Police Jury adopt an ordinance that would bring dance halls and bottle clubs under the 2 a.m. closing for bars. But Small said by law a grand jury function is to decide whether indictments are warranted in criminal cases. He said the law states "the grand jury is an accusatory body and not a censor of public morals.

It shall make no report or recommendation, other than to report its action" in the three instances listed above. One exception is that grand juries can inspect jails and prisons and report on their conditions. Please see DA, A-2 4 5 Sections, 40 Pages Mail Edition 4 Sections In Accordance with U.S. Postal Regulations.