The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana • Page 1

III -A- porlgage rates fall to 6.95 percent, a two-year low Newcomers help Southwood stay on top Opponents of uranium plant to have their say Hearings are scheduled today and Thursday for permits to operate 4 r. ffu i sir imam 0 Sunny CHANCE fv OF RAIN ISossser to requGst IJHJH TODAY: Llf TODAY: Mod 00. mm RBDgOD for scho 4 tu Tax revenue would be used to alleviate overcrowded facilities. By AFRICA GORDON The Times Some Bossier Parish school capital improvement projects that initially were recommended to be part of a $16 million bond issue did not make the -M Mate; I i i a i i final cut so that more schools in south Bossier could be included. Bossier schools Superintendent Jane Smith said the major change from the school staffs original proposal was the elimination of a $1.2 million gymnasium at Benton High School.

"When we did that we Smith The TimesTIM LOEHRKE Outgoing Gov. Edwin Edwards (left) speaks with Gov. Mike Foster after the inauguration ceremony Monday. Details: 2A Flu symptoms keep students out of school By SAMMY G. ALLEN The Times The number of absences in Caddo schools was high Monday as school officials and local medical facilities continued to get reports of flu and flulike symptoms.

Schools are required to report to the Caddo Parish schools central office when absences reach at least 10 percent of their total enrollment. On Monday, absences at Southwood High School were 225 out of 1,800 enrolled, or 12.5 percent. At Hollywood Middle School, there were 84 absent out of 506 enrolled, or 16.6 percent. And at Sunset Elementary, where the enrollment is 628, there were 74 students reported out, or 11.8 percent. "I'm hearing flu and flulike symptoms and stomach viruses, but I can't really say that's contributing to all the absences," said Bridget Causey, head nurse for the Caddo Parish School Board.

"It doesn't sound to be anything out of the ordinary since the flu has been diagnosed in Caddo Parish." Billy Goins, regional administrator of the state Office of Public Health Region 7, which includes Caddo and Bossier parishes, said recent weather conditions make getting over the illnesses difficult. "The weather going back and forth from hot to cold is not conducive to getting over it," Goins said. "With kids in schoollike settings, you have students confined to a small area and not much fresh air circulating." Many times sick students may return to school without completely getting over their illness, Goins said. Siblings of sick students also may spread illnesses. Bossier Parish schools did not report a high number of absences Monday.

National lottery picks TmiesLine 676-2211, category 52. Foster sworn in as Louisiana's 53rd governor By JOHN HILL and BRAD COOPER The Times Foster's speech, 4 A Statewide officials sworn in, 5A Baton Rouge celebrates with parties, 5A Foster speaks out on congressional district ruling, 5A ATON ROUGE Murphy J. "Mike Foster became Louisiana 53rd governor on a cold Monday, were able to add classroom space in south Bossier," Smith said Monday. Although south Bossier hasn't experienced as much growth as other parts of the parish, several schools there have more students than they were built to hold, Smith said. Under the final plan, four south Bossier Parish schools will get new classroom wings including Elm Grove, Curtis and Bellaire elementary schools.

Parkway High also will get a new wing, but it won't get the new auditorium that had been recommended. Al Herring, principal at Parkway, said an auditorium would have been nice, but the classroom space also is greatly needed. "We don't necessarily feel like we're getting shortchanged," he said. "We need the six classrooms. I'm pleased with what we got out of it" All told, the Bossier Parish School Board will ask voters to approve $21 million in taxes in the April 20 election.

The board's request will include continuation of a 14-mill property tax to finance the $16 million bond issue for school construction. The school district also will ask for a 26.5-mill property tax that would finance $4.9 million for employee pay raises. The 14 mills would cost about $35 a year for the owner of a home valued at $100,000. The proposed 26.5-mill property tax would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $66.25 annually. As part of the proposal, the Benton and Haughton areas will get new middle schools to ease overcrowding there.

To alleviate crowded classrooms further in south Bossier, the school district will begin something called "grade pairing" in elementary and middle schools where certain grades are assigned to certain schools. Sun City Elementary, which has grades K-3, will take students in kindergarten and first grades only. Bellaire Elementary will Please see PARENTS, Page 6 A Set-aside programs high on list of those Foster "plans to end From Staff Reports Don't look for affirmative action and set-aside programs to be long for Louisiana once Mike Foster dives into his new job today. The new governor issued no executive orders Monday, but said high on his list is a move to end such programs in state agencies: "We're going to do everything we talked about doing as soon as we can." The move is dreaded by some contractors who say that even with the laws in place, minority-owned companies aren't getting their fair share of business from the state. "If you look at the number of businesses doing significant business with the state that are minority-owned, it's so small it's ridiculous," said William Lott, owner of Triple Management Corp.

in Shreveport, Resentment due to uncertain economic times and misinformation have made ending set-asides a popular political theme, he said. "Right now there are a lot of folks who are having a hard time, and anytime they perceive someone's getting something they don't deserve, that is something they resent offering warm promises of a "new freedom" from political corruption. "It must be an honest government, a government that serves, and a government that stays off your backs and out of your pockets," Foster told a crowd of 2,000 shivering in 40-degree temperatures outside the old Capitol. "I come here today wanting nothing more for my family because, while I love them deeply, I believe they should work for what they get just like every citizen of our state," said the wealthy construction contractor and farmer. Outgoing Gov.

Edwin Edwards sat nearby and joined politely in the applause. His four administrations have been plagued with charges of corruption and insider deals for his friends. The inauguration signaled a new beginning, but with an eye toward history as Foster acknowledged similarities between himself and his grandfather, Gov. Murphy J. Foster, who served from 1892-1900.

He said his grandfather had run gambling out of the state and had been an advocate of education. His eight-minute talk was interrupted by applause eight times, most when he pledged to reinvent state government. He said his administration marks "the beginning of a new freedom" for Louisiana, something that must be "well understood by every politician, every lobbyist, every power broker, every bureaucrat and every insider." He pledged to give voters the right to initiate laws by petitioning for a constitutional vote "so the people can bypass the politicians, the special interests, the insiders, the greedy and the social engineers." Another promise: "Freedom for people who want government to only offer a Please see FOSTER, Page 4 A Lottery numbers Compromise gives commission presidency io Duma; Jan. 8,1996 from the old coalition. He was the voice of reason." However, Epperson had fired year terms.

Brown, one of six new commissioners who campaigned to PICK TORSE 2) 0) 0" 1 'Advocate of turmoil' elected after new members sworn in. By TOM SAUL The Times Danny Dumas, who last week was called an "advocate of turmoil" by outgoing president Ken- PICK TKRfJE rem in con-frontation and conflict in parish government, said he wanted the post to signal change in the way the commission does off a blistering letter in support of Aytch. In it he blamed the commission's troubles on both negative news coverage and a vocal minority Du- 1996 The Times Classified 5C Landers 5D Brown i Aytch Comics 4D Money 8B Deaths 2B Sports 1C come to an agreement Incumbents participating were Wyndon, Dumas, Epperson and Hersey Wilson. Newcomers present were Brown, John Es-cude, Gif Gillen, Jim Morris and Ron Webb. The meeting was organized by Wilson, who said it didn't violate Louisiana's open meeting law because five of the participants had not taken office.

State law requires commission meetings to be open to the pub- lie when a majority is present J. "At that point, they were elected but they weren't public officials yet that's my understanding of it" Wilson said. Parish Attorney Dannye Mal-one gave the same opinion. In another matter, a measure by Webb to rescind a 71 percent pay raise for commissioners died for lack of a second. The 1993 vote by commissioners raised their pay from $700 to $1,200 a month.

It went into effect Jan. 1. 4. Editorials 4B Scoreboard 2C Graham 5D Television 6D Epperson, was chosen as the new president of the Caddo Parish Com-mission Monday. Dumas was the compromise candidate af- A'4 mas and former commissioners Lloyd Lenard and Vince Marsala.

He said Dumas brought "discord and divisiveness" to the board. As president Dumas will preside at meetings and be able to control debate. In a meeting last Wednesday, nine commissioners gathered at the bail bond office of Commissioner David Wyndon, where they were unable to AytcK a holdover from the previous commission, said he wanted to continue the achievements of the past majority. That group has been criticized for its spending practices and giving too much power to Administrator Judy Durham. "When (new commissioners) originally met we asked (Dumas) to take the presidency, but he declined," Brown said.

"He was put in as a change Dumas ARK-LA-TEX 0 JloQoioi 001 9 The TimesDARHEL ELLIS ter commissioners split evenly in votes for Bob Brown and Donald Aytch. The decision came after commissioners were sworn in for their four- I Gif Gillen gets a hug from his 5-year-old daughter Wesley after he was sworn In Monday as a new Caddo Parish commissioner. I.