The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 1

M'g cnC'krj Okcso Ro NamQcUc City Fog, Clouds Weather, Page 10A 158th Year-No. 44 Montgomery, Alabama Wednesday, February 27, 1985 Copyright 198S The AdvartlMr Co. 25 Cents WAKA Sale May Spark Changes in Network Affiliations the potential buyer of WKAB, Whitehurst said it would not surprise him if part of the deal involves the moving of ABC from WKAB to WAKA. "They could sell it with the understanding that the new owners of WKAB would give it up," said Whitehurst. "We are anxious to find out who we'll be competing against.

I won't believe anything, though, until it actually By ALVIN BENN Advertiser Staff Writer When WAKA-TV of Selma begins operating in the Montgomery market in a few days, it could set in motion a video version of network musical chairs. Speculation making the rounds of board rooms in Montgomery and Selma includes possible shifts In network affiliation or a change to independent status for at least one station. The possibility mentioned most Tuesday has ABC moving from WKAB to WAKA in Selma, with WKAB becoming an independent television station in Montgomery. At the moment, WAKA and WCOV both are affiliated with CBS while WSFA is an NBC station. Most of the speculation has centered on WAKA and WKAB, because both are connected with a North Carolina-based communications conglomerate.

Bahakel Communications, which owns WKAB and plans to buy WAKA, operates seven television stations, five of them ABC affiliates. The other two are 'independents. "There has been speculation about network affiliation because the transaction has not yet been completed," said Cy Bahakel executive vice president of Bahakel Communications, on Tuesday. Bahakel, who said his company has maintained a good relationship with ABC through the years, added that no for Bahakel, said late last week that the final contract may be signed within a few days on the sale of WKAB. When that happens, said Kassner, it will open the way for the J21 million purchase of WAKA by Bahakel.

"I have heard every possible rumor imaginable," Charles Whitehurst, WSFA general manager, said Tuesday. "There are no real facts at the moment, but it's all very interesting to those of us in the business." Although Bahakel has not identified decision has been made about what WAKA's affiliation will be. He did not rule out the possibility that WAKA might switch from CBS to ABC. Before Bahakel can purchase WAKA, it must divest itself of WKAB because of Federal Communications Commission regulations prohibiting ownership of more than one television station in the same market. Michael Kassner, executive vice president for corporate development Qowt Me Owns I Block Company Caah Bid, Royally 8S Exxon S0 11 million, MH 62 Exxon $10.52 million, 27H S3 Exxon $19.22 million, 7H 71 Mobil $40.42 million, 26 72 Mobil $31 .63 million.

25 69 Phllllpaatal $42.71 million, 26 $0 Union at al $21 .67 million, 26 111 Exxon $63.16 million, 26 112 Exxon $137.26 million. 26 113 Shall, Amooo $34.37 million, 26 116 Exxon $12.30 million, 27 116 Exxon $16.23 million, 27 132 Shall $22.43 million. 26 10 6 Miles I I 0 8 Km I Lower Mobile I Falrhopejf Bay Area tHt II rfS Acreage A Bay A Gulf TiracSs By AMY HERRING Advertiser Staff Writer The U.S. Supreme Court said Tuesday that thousands of acres of potentially oil-and-gas rich land submerged under the Gulf of Mexico belongs to Alabama, a ruling officials say could pump millions of L-li" "2 1 15 116 -XL a i i uuii nreai i Gulf Area Northwest Gulf Area 125 126 Source Alabama Oapartmam ol COMMtvatlon i in I I Map shows disputed area in Mississippi Sound decision clears way for Alabama to lease mineral rights Senate Approves County Pay Hikes See INDEPENDENT, page 2A Rules 80-year-old, Police Halt Flimflam By BRUCE RITCHIE Advertiser Staff Writer An 80-year-old man cooperated with Montgomery police in an undercover operation last week that netted three suspects and broke up a local con operation, according to police. Sam Adams, 3553 Wilmington Road, alerted police Thursday to a flimflam attempt in south Montgomery while he stalled a woman who had asked him for $3,000, according to police spokesman Maj.

John Wilson. Adams said he told police of the attempted con, known as "The Jamaican Switch," and went along with the scheme Friday as police watched and listened by radio. Wilson said police began their surveillance at about 8 a.m. and by 10:15 a.m., had arrested a Birmingham couple and a Chicago man in connection with the alleged scheme. Charged with theft were Deborah Allen, 32, Robert Allen, 43, and 28-year-old Bartley Turner, Wilson said.

They were being held In the city Jail Tuesday on $100,000 bond. According to Wilson, the "Jamaican Switch" begins when a con artist tells someone they have found some money. The thief offers to divide the money if the other person agrees to offer a "good faith deposit." Wilson said police trailed Adams as he entered a south Montgomery bank where he was to have withdrawn money for the woman. Police arrested the woman and two men who were following her in a Cadillac with New York license plates. Adams, a former sports editor for The Alabama Journal, was approached by a woman Thursday morning in a parking lot at Capitol Plaza, police said.

The woman told Adams she found a bank deposit bag near his car and asked him if he had dropped it, Wilson said. Wilson said she then asked Adams if he would drive her to a nearby bank where she said she worked. "I knew what was in the making," Adams said. "I Just played with her to keep the thing going." When the woman emerged from the bank, she told Adams the bank branch See MAN, page tA Northeast school systems. The transferred funds would be used to offset unanticipated reductions in state revenue earmarked for local and county school systems.

Under present law, three of the state's 6ft mills of property taxes are earmarked for local and county school systems. Because the law doesn't allow officials to transfer funds from one part of the education budget to another, local systems are now forced to reduce services if property tax collections fall below anticipated levels. For instance, during fiscal 1984-85 revenue collections in the Minimum Program fund were about $7 million less than anticipated and officials were forbidden by law to use a multi-million surplus in the education budget to fund local school programs. "This bill will prevent what happened last year when schools had to cut back even though there was millions of unallocated dollars In the Education Budget," said Hand. The bill Is supported by all segments in the education community, a field where representatives of teachers, administrators, secondary and higher See SENATE, page tA Teague OKs Deal on Pay Plan By BETTY CORK Advertiser Staff Writer State School Superintendent Wayne Teague said Tuesday that he has agreed to a compromise with members of the governor's staff and other supporters of a proposed incentive-pay plan for teachers.

The compromise does not include quotas for master teachers or the local control provision that Teague asked for several weeks ago. But before the full plan goes into effect in 1987, it must have the approval of both the governor and the Legislature. That means lawmakers would have a second chance to shape the incentive-pay plan. "The concerns that I had have been adequately addressed," the superintendent said Tuesday afternoon. "As soon as we've read the final document, I'll have some announce-' ments to make." Teague, who headed the Education Reform Commission committee that drafted the bill, voted for it three times before reversing his position several weeks ago.

At that time he said he would oppose the bill unless there were significant amendments, Elvin Stanton, executive assistant to Gov. George C. Wallace, said Tuesday that both Teague and some local school superintendents who had opposed the measure would support it when it goes before the House Ways and Means Committee Wednesday morning. Rep. Glen Browder, D-Jacksonville, who is vice-chairman of the Reform Commission and sponsor of the bill, said he, administration officials, Teague and other commission members had reached a compromise after meeting last week and for long hours on Tuesday.

"I don't think we ever seriously See PAY, page 2A Dole Postpones Vote on Farm Emergency Aid WASHINGTON (AP) With hundreds of farm-state lawmakers and governors pressing for action, Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole abruptly postponed a showdown vote on whether to make more emergency loan money available to farmers unable to plant this spring. Dole announced the postponement, saying he had to leave to make a speech to a civic group in Peoria, 111., as Democrats pushing for dramatic changes in a federal credit-aid program said they believed they may have the votes to pass their amendments. Dole said the vote likely would occur Wednesday. Asked whether he had the votes to prevail against the Democrats, Dole said: "I don't know. I haven't really counted." Earlier in the day, he had been more optimistic.

"It would appear we're within two votes either way," said Sen. Edward Zorinsky, sponsor of one of the amendments. "This is a litmus-test vote on support or non-support of the farmers in America." The far-reaching amendments under debate were designed to alter a Reagan administration credit-aid program already in effect. The program, however, has been criticized as little more than a "Band-Aid" by Democrats and farm-state Republicans. One amendment, pushed primarily by Zorinsky, would vastly liberalize the administration plan by offering $100 million to buy down Interest rates to financially ailing farmers.

It also would offer BO percent government backing for farm banks' troubled loans without any requirement that the banks absorb losses. A modified version would require the banks to take some loss, equivalent to at least 10 percent of loan principal. A second amendment, to be offered by Sen. Alan Dixon, would give farmers immediate SO percent ad- dollars into state coffers. The Supreme Court's 8-0 ruling settles a five-year-old dispute between Alabama and the federal government over ownership of between 6,500 and 8,000 acres of land located near Dauphin Island.

The court's decision also clears the way for the state to lease the waterway's mineral rights to companies that market gasoline and oil. "Simply, it means Alabama just made a whole bunch of money," said Ken Wallis, Gov. George C. Wallace's legal adviser. "It gives the state, rather than the federal government, the right to lease thousands of acres of land in areas thought to contain oil and gas deposits." Attorney General Charles Graddick, whose office participated in the case, said the high court's ruling could give Alabama more than $70 million.

"This decision is worth millions of dollars," Graddick said. "Based on 1981 lease sale prices, the rights to 8,000 acres could be worth $72 million." The Supreme Court ruling, which determined the water boundaries for Alabama and Mississippi, said Mississippi Sound is a "historical bay," and its inland waters belong to the states It borders, not the federal government. Attorneys for the federal government argued that its established three-mile ownership boundary should be measured from Alabama's coastline, not Mississippi Sound's boundaries. But the high court disagreed, saying the federal goverment has no control over the bay area created by Mississippi Sound. Under the ruling, the federal government will maintain control of all submerged land more than three miles outside Mississippi Sound.

Bob Macrory, director of the State See SUPREME, page 2A services. The company would: Increase touch-tone rates by $.25 a month. Charge for directory assistance on WATS. Raise the WATS cap for state agencies from $1,135 to $1,300 a month. Remove the WATS cap for private businesses.

Charge for directory assistance See NEITHER, page tA Central Quit of Mexico Gulf Area and Natural Raaouroaa county commission salary bill by 15-5, after adding an amendment offered by Sen. Chip Bailey, D-Dothan, that re: quires county commissioners to pass a resolution before they can give themselves a raise. The Senate defeated another amendment, sponsored by Sen. Ryan deGraf-fenried, D-Tuscaloosa, that would have prevented present commissioners from profiting from the minimum salary bill. The minimum compensation bill now goes to the House.

A similar measure died there during the 1984 regular session. Voting against the bill were Sens. Bill Cabaniss, R-Birmingham, Larry Dixon, R-Montgomery, Crum Foshee, D-Andalusia, Donald Holmes, D-Ox-ford, and Ted Little, D-Auburn. In other action, the Senate Education Committee approved a bill Tuesday that would prevent the state's 126 school systems from cutting or reducing services because of a shortfall in their state appropriations. Sponsored by Sen.

Perry Hand, R-Gulf Shores, the bill would allow state education officials to transfer unallocated funds in the Special Education Trust Fund into the Minimum Program fund, which supports local Euell Screws, left, ol Public Staff, However, attorneys on the Governor's Public Staff for Consumer Utility Protection said they will vigorously oppose the settlement before the court. "From a due process standpoint we are excluded," said LaVeeda Morgan Battle, a public staff attorney. "We no longer have an opportunity to participate and we spent over a year on this case." The agreement would give Bell $34 million of a $49.1 million annual Increase granted under bond by the court In October. The company would refund I I By AMY HERRING Advertiser Staff Writer The Alabama Senate worked within the constraints of budget isolation Tuesday and approved a bill that would raise the minimum pay of county commissioners by at least 25 percent. The Senate debated for about three hours, passing several bills including Sen.

Charles Bishop's measure to raise the salaries by up to 40 percent. The minimum salaries of part-time county commissioners would rise from $9,600 to $14,600 and the minimum salaries of commission chairmen would increase from $13,600 to $18,600. A full-time county commissioner's minimum' salary would rise from $20,000 to $25,000 and a full-time county commission chairman's pay would increase from $25,000 to $35,000 annually. The present minimum salaries were adopted by the Legislature In 1982. Budget isolation, a constitutional amendment that was approved by voters in November, requires all non-spending bills to be accompanied by a resolution, which must be approved by a three-fifths vote.

The rules established by the amendment have kept the Senate tied in knots since the session began Feb. 5. The upper chamber approved the divided PSC Agrees to Bell Rate Settlement By FRANK PRICE Advertiser Staff Writer South Central Bell and a divided Public Service Commission agreed to settle a drawn-out rate case Tuesday, but attorneys on the governor's public staff said they will try to block the agreement before the state Supreme Court. The agreement would reduce current residential bills by an average of $2.05 and provide an average refund of $6.02 to residential customers and $12.04 to businesses. Business customers' bills would not be reduced, and under a rate-shifting plan, businesses would pay more for some services.

The proposed settlement turned on an agreement between Bell and the commissioners to develop a rate stabilization formula similar to the one used to determine rates for Alabama Power Co. Bell and the commissioners will nr ask the court to remand the case to tl. commission, according to Bell spokesman Tom Somerville. Bell appealed the case to the court last year. The company, the commission and the public staff have been trying to negotiate an agreement to take before the court.

If the court agrees to Tuesday's settlement, the commission will Issue a final order in the case, Somerville said. I 1 PaaH) ay Jaa Swftr Carlton Baker, Bell executive in Alabama adversaries in telephone rate negotiations Ana Landers 6D Buiiness Finance 4-8B Classifieds 4-10C Comics 4D Editorial 8-9A Horoscope SD Movies ID Obituaries 4C TV Log 4D $8.33 million dollars. Increases granted under bond are temporary. If such increases are not approved permanently, they must be refunded. The public staff is holding out for a refund of $12 million, and an average reduction for residential customers of $2 and businesses of $3.

That would give Bell about $25 million of the October Increase. Tuesday's agreement would allow Bell to recoup part of Its residential rate reduction by raising rates on other Emergency Hospital: BAPTIST From 1 a.m. Wednesday To 7 a.m. Thursday Circulation Service 269-0010 Toll-free Statewide 1400-JW-57H See FARM, page tA.