The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 28

CENTRAL FLORIDA A-4 The Orlando Sentinel. Tuesday. Get jr 1 4. 1 997 ft 'U''" 7 v. KQr by crash in Carroll, County, Va.

He was 46. Sept 20, 1973: Jim Croce dies in an air crash near Natchitoches, at age 30. He had put together a string of rock hits, such as the poignant "Time in a Bottle" and the witty "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown." Oct 21, 1977: Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Stevie Gaines of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd are killed in. a plane crash in McComb, Miss. March 19, 1982: Randy Rhoads, 25, lead guitarist for heavy metal star Ozzy Osboume, is killed when the plane in which he was flying buzzes Osbourne's tour bus and crashes into a house in Lfeesburg.

Dec 31, 1985: Rick Nelson Is among seven people die in a New Year's Eve plane crash near DeKalb, Texas. Nelson, 4S was first a TV star, the son of Ozzte and Harriet Nelson; he achieved musical stardorr) in the late 1950s and earty '60s with "I'm Walkia' and "Trave-lin'Man." V. March 21, 1987: Entertainer Dean Martin's son Dino who as member of pop group Dino; Desi and Billy had a hit called "I'm a Fool," dies in the crash of an Air National Guard jet in California's -San Bernardino Mountains: He was 35. Aug. 27,.

1990: Blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, 35, is, killed when a helicopter crashes into a hill in East Troy, after departing from a conceit Vaughan, a Grammy winner, had a platinum album with his band Double Trouble in "Couldn't Stand the Weather," released in 1984. March 16, 1991: Seven members of singer Reba McEntire's band are among 10 people killed in a crash near San Diego. ASSOCIATED PRESS Aug. 15, 1935: Will Rogeis, cow- boy humorist and star of vaudeville and film, dies in plane crash near Point Barrow, Alaska, along with avi-, ator Wiley Post. Jan.

16, 1942: Carole Lombard, actress in such comedies as Nothing Sacred, is killed In plane crash near Las Vegas while on a tour to sell war bonds. She was 33. Dec. 15, 1944: A plane carrying Glenn Miller, trombonist and leader, of a hugely popular dance' band, known for such hits aa Moonlight Serenade and In the Mood, disappears on flight from England to Par-' is while Miller was serving in the Army entertaining troops! He was 40., Feb. 3, 1959: A plane! carrying singers Buddy Holly, J.P.-'The Big Bopper" Richardson and Ritchie Valeria crashes near Mason City, Iowa, en route to a show in Fargo, N.D.

Holly! the pioneering rocker whose hits included "Peggy Sue," was 22. Richardson, whose big hit, was "Chantilly Lace," was 29. Valens, famous for1 such songs as "La Bamba" and "Donna," was 18. March 5, 1963: Patsy Clinq, whose country hits included "Crazy" and "She's Got in a plane crash near Camden, at age 31. Also killed were Grand Ole Opry stars Co-pas and Hawkshaw Hawkins and the pilot.

Dec. 1967: Soul singer Otis Redding dies in a plane crash in Wisconsin along with members of, his band, the Bar-Kays. He was 26. His greatest hit, the somber ballad "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay," was released after his death. May 30, 1971: Audio Murphy, World War II hero who became a film actor in late '40s, mostly in Westerns and war movies, is killed along with five others In small plane W.

Mi, SENTINEL FILE Space enthusiast. John Denver visited Kennedy Space Center numerous times, including this one in 1983. Denver is identified by fingerprints Some of the memorable songs John Denver recorded: Leaving on a Jet Plane Take Me Home, Country Roads Rocky Mountain High Sunshine on My Shoulders Goodbye Again Starwood in Aspen Mother Nature's Son For Baby Grandma's Feather Bed Thank God I'm a Country Boy Annie's Song Fly Away Calypso Home on the Range (with the Muppets) Wild Montana Skies (with Em-mylou Harris) Let Us Begin (What Are We Making Weapons For?) DENVER from A-1 naivete we were thrilled to have after Vietnam, after Watergate, after the rising tide of cynicism of the 1970s," she said. "He was talking about how beautiful it was in the mountains, saying, "There is another side to it all. Denver's single-engine Y-shaped plane crashed during the afternoon in the choppy waters just offshore.

His body was badly mangled, and his identity was confirmed Monday with fingerprints. National Transportation Safety Board spokesman George Peterson said Denver had just bought the plane and had performed three practice touch-and-go landings at the Monterey Peninsula Airport He then told the tower he would be flying for about an hour. "The aircraft was about 500 feet in the air, and about 100 yards off the coast itself, when the engine quit and it went straight down into the water," Sheriff Norman Hicks said. "It just sort of dove head first, straight down into the water." January. Hicks said toxicology reports are' done routinely in accidental deaths, and results are expected in 10 to 14 days.

Jerry Weintraub, the singer's friend and longtime manager, said Denver had a passion for flying. Denver's father was an Air Force test pilot and taught his son to fly a Lear jet, Weintraub said. Denver has attended at least a half-dozen launches at Kennedy Space Center, and in the late 1980s he even asked NASA to let him fly aboard a space shuttle mission. When that effort failed, he asked the Soviet Union to let him catch a shuttle ride to the space station Mir. The Soviet's price tag, however, was $10 million.

Denver performed a number of benefits for NASA, including a July 1994 concert at Johnson Space Center in Houston to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Apollo moon mission. "He was a huge force in the music industry in the 1970s," Weintraub said. "I think the music and all his passion for environmental causes will be remembered most" President Clinton saluted Denver as a "dedicated champion of the environment." Denver was born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. in Roswell, N.M, where his father was stationed. He took his stage name from the Colorado capital where he eventually made his home.

In the mid-1960s, he was chosen from among 250 other hopefuls as lead singer for the Chad Mitchell Trio as a replacement for the departing MitchelL But the trio's best years were behind it by then, and Denver left in 1969 for a solo career. Soon, Denver's melodic, light folk-pop with touches of country began climbing the charts. He scored with songs such as 1971's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," which has become West Virginia's unofficial state anthem; in 1974 with "Sunshine on My Shoulders" and "Annie's Song," which was written for his first wife and a wedding standard; and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" in 1977. Fourteen of his albums went gold, and eight were ranked as platinum with more than a million copies sold. John Denver's Greatest Hits in 1973 is still one of the biggest-selling albums in the history of RCA Records.

In 1975, he received the Country Music Association's top award. Stockton 7 5anTf I e8Q His wire-rimmed glasses, good-natured sincerity and sunny smile made him a winner on countless TV specials. Denver even tried his hand at movies as an ordinary man who is visited by a cigar-chomping deity in the 1977 George Burns comedy Oh, God. "Music does bring people together," Denver said. "People everywhere are the same in heart and spirit.

No matter what language we speak, what color we are, the form of our politics or the expression of our love and our faith, music proves: We are the same." i He is survived by a son, Zach-ary, and daughter, AnnaKate, from his first marriage; his second wife, Cassandra Delaney; their daughter, Jesse Belle; a brother; and his mother. John Denver killed in plane crash Miirs 0 2o "if mm I first nonstop, unrefueled flight around the world in an experimental plane named Voyager. Denver had two drunken-driving arrests in Colorado and was awaiting trial on one of those charges in The two-seater Diane was built bv Rutan Aircraft. In 1986, owner Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager made the DANA A. FASANOYTHE ORLANDO.

SENTINEL Crossley's attorney, prosecution were ready to continue the trial Assistant State Attorney Michele Ma-haffey said her office did not own a playback unit and was using one owned by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. She argued she could not require the federal agency to drag its equipment over to Suarez's office for three business days to meet Benson's order. She turned to the 5th District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach, where the matter awaits a ruling. That could come next month. It's not clear, though, whether the trial would resume then.

Benson set no new trial date. It is possible the proceeding could be put off until January or later. During Monday's session, which ended before jury selection began, Suarez won a small victory the right to present two statements by Crossley's wife, Agnes, that suggest Crossley may have tried to call off the slaying after arranging it. In a deposition, Agnes Crossley said she heard her husband say, "I can't do this," and "I got to stop this," while dial torney, who was willing to proceed, as was the prosecution. Defense attorneys already have a copy of the tape in cassette form as well as a transcript, so they know what's on it.

Crossley is in jail, so his decision will only prolong his time behind bars. In July, Benson ordered prosecutors to deliver the equipment, a digital audiotape playback unit, to the office of Anthony Suarez, Crossley's lead attorney. That was so the defense could listen to the digital tape. ing the phone either the night he arranged the hit or the next day. Mahaffey argued that the statement was hearsay and should not be admitted.

Benson disagreed. Even so, it does not jibe with the transcript of a phone conversation Crossley made at noon, July 3, 1996. During that call, Crossley told a friend he was so impressed with the "hit man" that he wanted to offer him a bonus. Crossley, 56, of Deltona, has argued for, months that he was entrapped. CROSSLEY from A-1 After Waldo discovered the affair, he began a systematic campaign to drum Crossley out of broadcasting by pressuring his employers and the advertisers who bought time on the radio station where he worked, 1520 AM (WTLN) and 95.3FM(WTLN).

Crossley's decision Monday was unusual for several reasons: It went against the advice of his at Officials in Osceola say numbers can be deceiving Waving hello. Venezuelan children cheer Monday as President Clinton arrives to make a speech in Caracas. ASSOCIATED PRESS A5S P.lintnn nrsuQPQ pnP7iiplfl Vlll IIWI fl WUWWW VS I IWkUWIM for role in 'quiet revolution Juvenile crime by county Crime Orange Seminole Osceola Lake Volusia Brevard Murdermanslaughter 4 2 0 1 0 5 Attempted murder 15 3 0 "2 2 7 Sexual battery 67 27 16 14 27 30 Other felony sex off. 55 12 1 17 25 38 32 Armed robbery 74 17 7 15 31 11 Other robbery 113 34 18 10 30 54 Arson 29 15 2 4 26 10 Burglary 971 393 248 216 431 635 Autotheft 299 75 34 45 96 125 Grand larceny 242 99 61 78 157 101 Rec. stolen property 10 13 13 2 35 10 Concealed firearm 47 8 0 5 15 6 Agg.

assaultbattery 458 159 89 119 254 215 Forgery 22 11 6 4 26 20 Felony non-marijuana 439 151 48 44 154 141 Felony marijuana 57 24 19 15 43 19 Escape 62 16 6 16 73 34 Resisting arrest 44 10 4 9 23 Shooting missile 66 12 12 16 30 20 Other felony 469 158 111 90 314 188 Total 3,543 1,239 711 730 1,793 1,686 dent Rafael Caldera at the elegant Mira- CRIME from A-1 Statewide, the largest single decrease came in arrests of teenagers with guns, a 24 percent drop. Florida's juveniles committed 5 percent fewer murders, 12 percent fewer attempted murders and 9 percent fewer robberies. But the numbers of some violent crimes increased: armed robberies crnrnitted by teens jumped 16 percent, while sexual assaults increased by 5 percent In Central Florida, only Osceola saw an increase, with the number of crimes jumping 11 percent from 645 offenses to 711. The numbers in less-populated counties such as Osceola can be deceiving because a slight change in. the actual number of crimes can cause a large percentage shift, officials said.

"First of all, our numbers are so low that you can look great today and awful tomorrow," said Maj. Iarry Taggett of the Osceola County Sheriffs Office. "Also, our population is increasing a lot, and a percentage of our juvenile crimes are committed by kids outside the county." Broward and Duval counties are the only urban areas that saw their rates increase. Orange was down 3 percent, Seminole down 15 percent, Volusia down 6 percent and Lake down 5 percent The rate in Brevard stayed the same. "We're glad to see that" said Lt Chris Daniels, spokesman for Lake County Sheriffs Office.

"We hope it's a continuing trend." Orlando's Juvenile Justice manager Bob Pickerill said he was not sure of the significance of the fluctuations in some of the crime categories. For instance, over the two-year period, attempted murders in Orange County dropped j5 percent from 20 to 15 while CLINTON from A-1 of this and other South American countries from Spanish colonial rule, Clinton praised Venezuela for playing a key role in the "quiet revolution" that has left Cuba the only dictatorship in the hemisphere. Earlier, he had placed a wreath at Bolivar's grave. But while he flattered Venezuelans for their political and economic progress austere measures have held down inflation and increased production he said that a "great challenge remains to make these forces work to the benefit of all our people." One overriding menace, he said, is drugs. Clinton joined forces with the Venezuelan government against what he deemed a shared enemy that threatens the security of both countries.

Throughout the Americas, Clinton said, "drugs threaten the very fabric of civil society. They destroy lives. They spread violence to our streets and playgrounds. They corrupt and kill law enforcement officials. create instability that can sweep across borders." During a signing cerpmony with Presi flores Palace, Clinton said, "Drugs are our common problem, and we must fight back together." Under the new Alliance Against Drugs, the two countries agreed to swap intelligence, target criminal organizations and step up educational programs designed to quell demand for narcotics.

They also will share customs information to prevent money laundering and smuggling. And the United States will provide about $11.5 million to Venezuela in anti-drug training and equipment, including airplanes, boats and communications gear. Though drugs aren't produced in great quantities in Venezuela, the problem remains palpable, said Gen. Barry McCaffrey, director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy.

More than 100 metric tons of cocaine passed through Venezuela last year, and about half of it ended up in the United States, he said. Official corruption is rampant in Venezuela, the judicial system needs overhauling, and the country is a major center for laundering drug money, according to the White House. If rapes increased 18 percent from 57 to 67, the study showed. "I have the feeling that one day we say juvenile crime is down, and the next day we say it's up," he said. Cmdr.

Steve Jones of the Orange County Sheriffs Office voiced similar questions over the new numbers. "We don't celebrate when the numbers are down," he said Rehabilitating teenagers requires placing them with experienced staff capable of being caring while holding delinquents responsible for their actions, Pickerill said. "We have to realize we have to do a better JASON K. JONESmE ORLANDO SENTINEL job of investing on the front end for prevention," he said. Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger hadn't seen the figures yet but was pleased that his county's rate was down.

"That's encouraging," he said. Td like to think it's a collaborative effort of the entire community." Lenny Savino, Kathryn Quigley, Leslie Postal and Henry Pierson Curtis of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report Linda KLeindienst of the Sun-Sentinel, South Flop ida. also contributed. A ft.