Daily Sitka Sentinel from Sitka, Alaska • Page 2

Page 2, Daily Sitka Sentinel, Sitka, Alaska, Thursday, December 6,1990 -LETTERS TO THE EDITOR- Concerned Dear Editor: Many of the 61 percent of us who did not vote for Walter Hickel are concerned that the directions his administration seems likely to head may not be in the long-term best interests of our state and citizens. We plan to monitor Hickel initiatives and policies closely and to do what we can to influence them. If you are concerned about our environment, health care, women's issues, fisheries, family policy, subsistence, education, Alaska's economy and land and resource management don't just sit back and wait for the next four years to pass! Discuss your concerns with become informed and knowledgeable, share your opinions and make those opinions count! Actively involved citizens and attentive voters can make a difference. Come talk with an informal, diverse group of caring people on Thursday evening, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m.

in the meeting room at 408 Marine SL No political axes to grind, no coalition building, no protest marches just a growing group of concerned citizens who hope to become effective in helping share the policies and directions of Alaska's government over the next four years. Your opportunity to make a difference didn't end in November. Donna J. Selquist Thanks Dear Editor: The Sitka Waste Reduction and Recycling Coalition would would like to thank the following people for their participation in the Christmas bazaar held at the Centennial Building: Linda Williamson and the Natural Helpers for sponsoring the bazaar, Aurora Business Supply for donating printing on recycled paper of our educational materials and the many people who stopped by our booth with questions and comments. KelliM.

Leonard, Member U.S. Concerned About Bacteria Sales to Iraq SL Regulator Says Senators Added to Loss WEATHER Sitka Forecast Tonight, rainy and windy. Winds becoming southeast to 25 mph gusting to 40 mph. Low in the lower 40s. Friday, continued windy with rain be" intermittent during the afler- uoon.

Temperatures remaining in the lower 40s. Alaska Temps Anchorage.snow Annette.rain Bkrrow.ice fog Bethel.snow ColdBay.ptlycldy Cordova.rain Dillingham.misg Fairbank dy Kotzebue.clear Nome.clear Northway Seward.cloudy Silka.rain Talkeetna.snow High 22 46 -22 02 -17 38 36 22 01 -5 37 40 25 38 41 -5 -A 15 -20 -25 34 39 44 24 34 43 Low 18 0.10 45 1.05 -26 0.00 -1 -25 0.00 33 0.17 32 1.41 07 0.22 -11 -8 0.02 31 0.07 36 0.53 22 0.25 19 0.02 22 -17 0.00 -7 0.03 08 0.00 -25 0.00 -28 misg 21 31 0.46 42 1.40 21 0.21 26 1.43 36 1.16 Prc High-46 at Port Heiden, AnneUe, Ketchikan. Low 36 below at Circle City. Alaska Summary 1 1 A low pressure system-located over South- i bringing a mixed bag of precipitation to the southern part of the state today. Snow was falling at inland locations, while rain or mixed rain and snow fell along the coast.

Valdez had its first major snow of the season with 19 inches of snow on Wednesday. The frontal system brought rain to the Southeast Panhandle which combined with frozen ground and previous snowfall was causing urban street flooding in Juneau. Temperatures warmed significantly in south- em Alaska, with highs in the 40s in Southeast Alaska, 30s along the coast of Soulhcenlral Alaska, and 20s just inland of the coast. The Interior also warmed, with many locations recording 30 degrees or more. At 9 p.m.

Port Yukon was 12 below zero, compared to 56 below at that time a day earlier. The North Slope was still stuck in the cold, with highs in the 20s below. The strong winds of Wednesday morning had diminished, but wind chills were still in the 65 below range at many locations. There was ice fog at Umiat and Western Alaska had fair skies and seasonal temperatures. Southwestern Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula had snow and mixed rain and snow from the Arctic front moving through the area.

Deaths Edward Binns NEW YORK (AP) Edward Binns, a gravel-voiced actor who starred in the 1959-64 TV series "Brenner" as a seasoned detective helping his rookie son navigate the mean streets of New York, died Tuesday of a heart attack at 74. DAILY SITKA SENTINEL Thad Poulson Managing Editor. Published by Verstovia Corporation, wholly owned in Sitka, daily except Saturday and Sunday at 112 Barracks Street, Sitka, Alaska 99835. Mail address: Box 799. Subscription rates: Three months $20 Six months $35 One Inquire for mailed rates.

National ad Branham, Inc. Member of The Associated Press. Second class mail. Postage paid at Sitka, Alaska. USPS 146-160 Phone (907) 747-3219.

Send address changes to Daily Sitka Sentinel, Box 799, Sitka, Alaska 99835. 30 50 69 22 46 52 38 59 40 24 31 32 18 22 30 22 39 23 23 ,10 clr clr clr cdy cdy cdy cdy clr cdy Sitka Weather Temperatures ranged from 34 to 45 degrees and precipitation measured 1.13 inch during ihe 24 hours ending midnight last night, reports Sitka Flight Service Station. The barometer was 29.57 and falling. Sunup was 8:23 a.m. and sunset wijl be 3:22 p.m.

Nation's Weather Temperatures dipped into the 20s in the Deep South early today, and most of the nation had dry weather. Snow fell in Colorado early today, and flurries were forecast in Michigan. A cold front was expected to reach from the Ohio Valley south through Memphis and across Louisiana and into the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Some rain was likely along the southern tail of the front. The Northwest was expected to have a respite from recent heavy rains.

An overnight freeze warning posted for northern Florida and Georgia. It was 27 degrees early today in Macon, Ga. Strong gusts were likely today in Southern California and Arizona. Nation's Temps Temperatures indicate previous day's high and overnight low to 8 a.m. EST.

Hi Lo PrcOtlk Albuquerque Amarillo Anchorage Asheville Atlanta AtlanticCily Austin Baltimore Bglings Birmingham Bismarckr" "iJbise Boston Brownsville Buffalo Buriington.VL Casper Charleston.S.C. Charleston.W.Va. Charlotte.N.C. Cheyenne Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland Columbus.Ohio Concord.N.H. Dallas-FtWorth Dayton Denver DesMoines Detroit Duluth BPaso Evansville Fairbanks Fargo Flagstaff GrandRapids GreatFalls Hartford Helena Honolulu Houston Indianapolis Jackson Jacksonville Juneau KansasCity LasVegas LinleRock LosAngeles Louisville Lubbock Memphis MiamiBeach Midland-Odessa Milwaukee Mpls-StPaul Nashville NewOrieans NcwYorkCity Norfolk.Va.

NonhPlatte OklahomaCity Omaha Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh aine Portland.Ore. Providence Raleigh-Durham RaptdCity Reno Richmond Sacramento Stl-ouis San Antonio SanDiego SanFrancisco SaniaFe StStcMarie Seattle Shreveport SiouxFalls Spokane Syracuse Tampa-StPtrsbg Topcka Tucson Tulsa Washington Wichita Wilkes-Barre Wilmington.Del. National Temperature Extremes High Wednesday 83 at Woodland Hills, Calif. Low Thursday 01 at McCall, Id. Indicates missing information.

WASHINGTON (AP) The Commerce Department approved more than 20 shipments of bacteria and other biological agents in recent years to Iraq and Syria, a congressional lawyer says. U.S. experts said thai while the agents could be intended for medical purposes, they also could be used to develop biological weapons. Both countries are believed to be developing such lethal arsenals. As a result of Ihe shipmenis, Iraq could end up using U.S.-supplied goods against American soldiers if war breaks out in the Persian Gulf, said Ted Jacobs, chief counsel of the House subcommittee on commerce, consumer and moneiary affairs.

"We never ihought that Iraq would be so dangerous," said Peter Chalfont, secretary of Ihe Wiltron Co. of Morgan Hills, which sold 545,000 in electronic test measuring equipment to Iraq in 1987. "It's easy to say in hindsight that maybe the license shouldn't have been approved." The Bush administralion has indicated growing concern about Iraq's dangerous chemical and biological weapons since U.S. troops moved into the gulf region in August to try to force Saddam Hussein's forces out of Kuwait American troops routinely don special anti-gas suits as part of their readiness drills and carry antidotes to counter poison gas. Jacobs said he has oblained information showing that the Commerce Department has approved about half of the license applications for shipments to the Atomic Energy Commissions of Iraq and Syria over ihe last three years.

The subcommittee has issued a 20 43 21 39 29 67 49 33 27 34 19 41 15 57 44 41 31 54 30 48 19 42 32 41 32 33 30 56 26 36 32 34 14 58 39 38 32 55 22 41 30 35 31 34 15 60 29 49 34 01 -11 47 14 57 17 37 31 39 23 46 28 33 29 38 28 85 68 61 43 43 33 56 29 59 32 40 36 54 37 63 35 55 35 76 52 46 34 65 39 52 32 74 70 66 40 38 31 40 20 48 31 55 3236 32 45 29 56 25 60 35 45 25 66 49 37 29 72 45 30 27 39 20 50 33 36 23 47 29 59 16 55 24 45 26 66 38 58 38 46 22 59 38 73 49 66 45 83 68 47 32 29 48 37 59 33 50 19 40 27 30 25 66 50 57 39 73 35 58 36 41 29 58 39 32 26 38 27 'cdy cdy cdy clr .05 cdy cdy clr cdy cdy cdy clr clr clr cdy cdy clr 'clr clr clr .05 clr cdy cdy cdy clr clr cdy cdy clr cdy clr cdy cdy clr clr clr clr .53 cdy clr clr clr cdy clr cdy clr cdy cdy cdy cdy cdy clr clr cdy cdy clr cdy clr cdy cdy cdy clr clr cdy clr cdy cdy clr clr clr cdy .14 clr cdy cdy cdy cdy .08 cdy cdy c'ir cdy cdy cdy cdy subpoena to Undersecretary of Commerce Dennis Kloske to testify about the sales to Iraq and Syria, after the Commerce Department refused repeated requests for additional information and stalled on others, said Jacobs. The department approved licenses worth $700 million to Iraq over a three-year period ending Oct. 1, Jacobs said. Licenses were required because all these goods were "dual use items," meaning they could be used either for peaceful or lethal purposes. Syria is under greater export restrictions than Iraq because it is one of seven nations listed by the administration as supporters of terrorism.

Still, the Commerce Department approved 120 out of 251 applications between Oct. 1987, and OcL 1, 1990, according to information obtained by Jacobs. The approval rate, as well as information about the types of items sold to Syria, was first disclosed by the Washington Jewish Week newspaper. Jacobs said he had received limited information from the Commerce Department that showed more than 20 shipments of bacteria, protozoa and fungi from one U.S. company to a post office box in Baghdad used by that nation's Atomic Energy Commission.

The agency is a government purchasing arm for weapons and technology. The Commerce Department declined to release the names of any companies granied export licenses, citing a law that defends firms' proprietary interests. A spokeswoman at the department's Bureau of Export Administration declined to discuss Jacobs' allegations on the same grounds. Crews Delay Transfer of Oil From Cracked Ship ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) Crews on Wednesday postponed the transfer of 835,000 barrels of Alaska crude oil from a tanker with a cracked ballast tank to another tanker while at sea, the Coast Guard said.

The ship-to-ship transfer was set to begin by sunset but was put off because of 15-foot ocean swells, said Coast Guard 'Commander Scot Tiernan, chief of port operations at the Marine Safety Office; San fhcy thclrarisfcr tb'hight," he said. "So they'll keep going south and try again in the morning when they're about 160 miles off San Francisco." il! Tieman called the transfer, which will lake about 30 hours, a "reasonably rare" occurrence. He said the Keystone Canyon had been wailing 120 miles west of Point Arena, with the empty tanker Kenai and two oil spill tenders standing by to begin lightering. "In general, you don't offload 120 miles offshore," Tiernan said. "It shouldn't be a big deal but they're taking all the precaulions they can." No oil had spilled from the 815- foot tanker, officials said.

Winds offshore were blowing at about 12 mph and the weather was favorable, Tiernan said. The Kenai is about 15,500 barrels smaller than the Keystone Canyon, liernan said, adding thai all but that amount would be transferred. "They'll transfer off as much oil as they can before they take the Keystone Canyon to an as-yet undetermined port for repair," he said. "Then they'll transfer the rest." The Keystone Canyon, owned by the Connecticut National Bank of Hartford, and operated by the Philadelphia-based Keystone Ship- Len Bias' Brother Killed HYATTSVELLE, Md. (AP) A 24-year-old Maryland man has been arrested in connection with the shool- ing death of the younger brother ol Len Bias, a University of Maryland basketball star who died of a cocaine overdose.

Prince George's County police have charged Jerry Samuel Tyler ol Temple Hills with first-degree murdei in the death of James Stanley Bias III 20, also known as Jay. Tyler turned himself in Tuesda night, said LL Alphpnso Hawkins. A second suspect remained at large. Bias was shot about 1:10 p.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of the Prince George's Plaza Shopping Center in the Washington suburb of Hy- aitsville, police said.

cocaine overdose death of Len Bias shocked the sports world through its illustration of the extent of drug use among athletes. Len Bias died just two days after his first-round selection by the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association draft Tuesday's shooting apparently resulted from an argument that began in a jewelry store, Cpl. Mark Polk said. Jay Bias and two friends were shopping when they were confronted by a man who accused Bias of flirting with his girlfriend, the store's clerk, police said. ping developed a 20-foot crack in a starboard ballast tank two days ago, Tiernan said.

The vertical crack is located in the tanker's midsection and never has oil in it The transfer will help "release stresses" on the tanker, Tieman said, adding that then crews "won't have lo worry about it." Crews will bring the tankers together with rope or rubber fenders bc- (wecR-them -to begin the 1: 'lightering targe-' hoses will drape across the top of the tankers "just like at a terminal," he said, adding that the ships' pumps will be used lo iransfer the crude. Additional crews, as well as oil spill workers and equipment, were also brought in to monitor ihe transfer, Tiernan said. The crude oil load is owned by BP Oil, Coast Guard officials said. The load was en route to refineries at El Scgundo. In Anchorage, a Regional Citizens Advisory Council said the cracked tanker was "of great concern" and it prompted members to vote unanimously for a review of the eniire fleet involved in transporting North Slope crude oil.

WASHINGTON (AP) William K. Black, a blunt-spoken savings and loan regulator, once promplcd financier Charles H. Kealing Jr. to write, "Kill him dead." Lawyers for ihe so-called Keating Five senators didn't go that far, but they clearly were unhappy with Black's testimony Wednesday before the Senate Ethics Committee. Black offered the most dramatic and damaging testimony so far in the panel's hearings info allegations that the senators improperly intervened with SL regulators on behalf of Keating, a financial contributor.

"It is the most fundamental smear," declared William Taylor, attorney for Sen. Alan Cranston, D- Calif. Black, a red-bearded senior attorney with the federal government's thrift regulatory agency, was returning to the witness stand today for more cross-examination by Ihe defense lawyers. After hearing Black on Wednesday, the Ethics Committee disclosed it had voted to grant limited use immunity to compel the testimony of James Grogan, the former lop aide and lobbyist for Keating. Chairman Howell Hefiin, said the panel's lawyers would seek the order in U.S.

District Court in Washington today and, after questioning Grogan in private, would question him publicly next Wednesday or later. Black, in his first day on the witness stand, supported earlier testimony that the senators pressured regulators to help Keating's Lincoln Savings and Loan. And he raised new allegations, saying that pressure by the senators prompted the Federal Home Loan Bank Board to delay and relax regulatory controls on Irvine, Lincoln, which subsequently was taken over by the government The result, Black said, was greater losses which taxpayers eventually must bear than otherwise would have occurred. is probably the worst institution in America, and instead of people trying to help bring it under control, five U.S. senators were pushing us in the opposite direclion," he testified.

None of the five senators was present for Black's testimony. Besides Cranston, they are Republican John McCain of Arizona and Democrats Dennis DeConcini of Arizona, John Glenn of Ohio and Donald Rieglc of Michigan. Keating had targeted Black as a problem to be eliminated long before. The Ethics Committee released copies of a memo Keating wrote to Grogan, his lobbyist, on July 15, 1987, making clear he wanted Black removed. In it, Keating referred lo the then-House Speaker Jim WrighX D- Texas, as an ally.

The memo began: "Highest Priority Get Black," with the last two words underlined. "Good Grief," Keating wrote. "If you can't get Wright and Congress to get Black kill him dead you ought to retire." Throughout Black's testimony, defense lawyers objected, paced, stammered and complained. "Innuendo," said James Hamilton, attorney for DeConcini. Reckless and irresponsible." "What this witness testified to arc not facts," said Taylor, Cranston's attorney.

The lawyers tangled with the corn- miitee's special counsel, Robert S. Bennelt, who called Black as a witness. Committee Chairman Hcflin settled the dispute in his unruffled drawl, saying: "Now, he's got wide laliludc to address the Black said Lincoln operated like a "Ponzi scheme," or financial pyramid dependent on an ever-increasing churning of asseis. Ils parent, Keating's American Continental was no more than a "shell" lhat siphoned dividends from Lincoln and distributed them through inflated salaries lo Keating, his family members and associates, Black said. "We call it a scam," Black said.

"I think most people do." Kealing, ihe Arizona high-flier who contributed $1.3 million to the senators' campaigns and favored under indictment in Astronauts Hit Another Glitch in Repair Work SPACE' Columbia's astronauts today lost the only working computer terminal for operating their $150 million observatory, once again shutting down their star-gazing efforts. In the latest glitch on a problem- prone scientific mission, the flight deck computer overheated and shul down automatically ihis morning. The same ihing haooened Sunday with the only other similar terminal. It has remained off since then. Although the crew smelled something burning each lime, no smoke was reported in the cabin.

There was no danger lo Ihe crew, but iheir observing was halted by Ihe second computer shuldown. "This is certainly going to hurt us i for a said NASA tor Bob Castle. The telescope lenses were covered for protection as ground controllers tried to get either of the problem computer terminals working. At the same time, they quickly developed a plan to operate the instruments from the ground. At least one of the computer terminals is needed for the astronauts to operate the Astro observatory's three ultraviolet telescopes.

Columbia's commander, Vance Brand, said olher computer screens, unrelated to the malfunctioning ones thai guide the ultraviolet telescopes, were working well. The astro-' still Doctor: High Impact Aerobics May Hurt Ears, Cause Vertigo BOSTON (AP) High-impact aerobics enlhusiasts bouncing their way to trim lummies and lighl tushes may.also be jolting their inner ears into episodes of vertigo and inviting hearing loss from loud workout music, a doctor says. Dizziness, ringing in the ears and loss of balance were found among aerobics teachers and others who do the popular form of exercise frequently, Dr. Michael I. Weiniraub of New York Medical College wrote in today's issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

Five recent cases prompted him to question 37 high-impact aerobics instructors at iwo filness clubs, Weintraub said. Results suggesled a link belween the exercising and shock to the ears that could be causing damage to the inner ear, he said. Aerobics exercising, popularized by actress Jane Fonda in the 1980s, features repealed movemenls in place. High-imipact aerobics exercising is an advanced, more intense form of aerobics workouts with jumping and running. Among the five cases lhat alerted Weintraub was a 29-year-old woman aerobics teacher who suffered vertigo, skewed balance that caused her to inadvertently veer to the right and hearing loss.

In another case, a 20-year-old aerobics enthusiast suffered vertigo and general dizziness after exercising. A 42-year-old instructor suffered reduced hearing in one ear. A 35-year-old instructor reported a muffled sound in one ear and sense of imbalance that worsened after exercising, and a 26-year-old enthusiast had a 7-month history of dizziness and hearing problems during and after exercises. "The hearing loss was thought to be related to exposure to the loud music played during ihe exercise routine," Weintraub wrote. Of the 37 instructors questioned, Weintraub said five reported episodes of vertigo and some hearing loss, and eight reported tinnitus ringing or buzzing in the ear.

The injuries came despiie ihe use of specially cushioned shoes, he said. nauts' manual star-tracking system also appeared to be fine, and the crew planned to use it with commands senl from the ground while efforts continued to restore a computer. It was the latest setback in a flight that has already been plagued by technical problems. As a result, the crew's astronomers have missed roughly half the celestial targets they had hoped lo observe by now. i Fred Meyer Shows Gains PORTLAND, Ore.

(AP) Fred Meyer Inc. reports third quarter sales and income are improved from lasl year. Net sales were up 7.5 percent and profits up 7.4 percent, the company said Wednesday. Net sales for the quarter ended Nov. 10 were S541.9 million, compared to S503.9 million in ihe third quarter of last year.

Net income increased to $3.2 million, or 13 cents per share, compared to S3 million, or 12 cents a share, reported in the third quarter of 1989. Meanwhile, Fred Meyer reported net sales for the first 40 weeks of 1990 up 12.1 percent, to $1.81 billion. Sales were $1.61 billion in the same period last year. Net income increased 11.2 percent to $18 million during the first 40 weeks of 1990, up from $16.2 million in the comparable period last year. "The gross margin improvement over last year's third quarter was partially due to lower markdowns associated with bctier conlrol of non-food inventories," said Frederick M.

Steven, chairman and chief executive of the 122-slore retail chain. DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) -President Hussain Muhammad Ershad resigned today and turned over power to an opposition-nominated political independent who will lead the country until elections promised for within three months. Ershad, a former army general who held power for eight years, agreed to step down Tuesday after seven-week campaign of massive street protests that only grew fiercer when he imposed a state of emergency last week. Fulfilling a vow he made to opposition leaders, Ershad administered the oath of office to Shahabuddin 1 Ahmed, chief justice of the Supreme Court Ershad then resigned as president of this impoverished nation of 107 million people. "Allah bless you," Ershad told Shahabuddin.

"You have our blessings. I want peace to return to the society." Deaths Benjamin Reid SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (AP) -Benjamin L. Reid, who won the 1969, Pulitzer Prize for biography, died Friday at age 72. Reid taught English at Mount Holyoke College for 26 years, retiring 1983.

He was the author of two biographies, including "The Man from New York: John Quinn and His Friends," about a leading figure in modem art and literary criticism. It won the 1969 Pulitzer..