The Miami News from Miami, Florida • 6

Thursday, November 3, 1 988 The Miami News 5A Stall Gwes D.C Agencies 'scared' by Glades suit, he says Air Force battles environmentalists. 6C KAREN PAYNE Miami Ntwi Btportar One of the two state agencies sued bv Miami's acting U.S. Attorney Dexter Lehtinen for failing to 1 protect tne sensitive environment of the Everglades has hired a Washington, DC, law firm apparently in hopes of winning a political solution to the litigation. That revelation came on the I 1 1 Lehtinen said he regards pressure for settlement of the lawsuit as evidence that his suit is a strong one. If a negotiated settlement can be reached that protects the Everglades' water, he said, "I will not point the finger at anybody.

I would embrace such a solution." Peter Dunbar, general counsel for Martinez, said he estimated that at least 50 agencies would eventually become involved in the lawsuit, which would probably cost taxpayers at least $1 million to defend. Dunbar said Martinez wants Thornburgh to guarantee a 60- to 90-day delay in the litigation while the governor calls a meeting of "all the people it will take to solve this problem" and devises steps to solve It including new state legislation to protect the Everglades ecosystem. Tension between Thornburgh and Lehtinen over the lawsuit seems nearly inevitable, according to Jim Webb, regional director of the Wilderness Society, because Lehtinen's lawsuit goes against recent policies of the Reagan administration. "There has been a real deliberate effort to avoid asserting rights in the protection of public property against damage from private activities," Webb said. Webb said a political solution is unwelcome.

"By the time everyone agrees as to what Is to be done, the Everglades system will be long dead," he said. 7 Martinez to persuade U.S. Attor ington firm of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher Flom was retained for an initial sum of $10,000 because of potential involvement by "other federal agencies" in the case, as well as potential "need for congressional activities" related to the case. He refused to elaborate. The lawyer who will represent the district is James Rogers, a partner in the law firm who served from 1977 to as associate general counsel for water issues in the Environmental Protection Agency, Rogers refused to comment on the case yesterday, but Niego said Rogers will be paid $300 an hour for his work.

Asked whether the agency is seeking a resolution through political influence, Niego said, "I prefer not to be quoted with the word They're retained for legislative matters. And, if this situation ultimately involves some sort of legislative resolution, they would provide us with some sort of advice in that area." The other defendant in the lawsuit is the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, which Niego said Is being represented by its own, in-house lawyers. The lawsuit contends that the two agencies are violating state and federal water pollution control laws by permitting polluted water to flow from the Lake Okeechobee agricultural area Into federal lands, irreparably damaging the Everglades National Park and Loxahatchee National Wildlife Preserve. The suit demands protection for water flowing Into the park and preserve. "The Everglades are dying out here," Lehtinen said.

"And the regulatory agencies are worried about the perception the public holds of them and yet they don't have the courage to carry out the law they've been ordered to carry out. They are scared to, death of this going to court." Asked whether he fears interference from the Justice Department or other federal agencies, Lehtinen said, "I do know that inside the Beltway of Washington, where one agency talks to another and often draws conclusions unrelated to reality that there's a desire not to have these serious environmental issues faced by the community." 1 'I ney General Richard Thornburgh to settle the federal lawsuit. I phrinpn Cfllri voctorHnv flint Lehtinen political pressure is building against his lawsuit, but he intends to stick to his guns. "There are many political forces that do not want the lawsuit litigated in court, because they recognize that the evidence of regulatory neglect is clear and quite damaging," he said. Stanley Niego, litigation counsel for the South Florida Water Management District, said the Wash- far He works hard for his money Going the extra mile, Ira Harris uses a crutch as he mows a lawn at a business site in Coconut Grove yesterday.

The people who employ the 75-year-old worker says he has been with them for 10 years and has never missed a day's work. His hat reads: 'I Fight Poverty, I TIM Miami Newt A.C. MONTANARI a. i 3i jiji v- i 5 -y. '7'-- V-i'iv ift i itit limiiiiiiiii iiwi ii a i i mm ji.

il.J Teen gets 12 years in student slaying Fund-raisers going to bat for Miami transplant teen JON O'NEILL Miami Ntwt Rvporttr ADRIAN WALKER Miami Nm (tH A South Dade 16-year-old has been sentenced to 12 years In When softball teams from the Miami Beach Police Department and a local Suspect in Miami holdup critical after shooting self A Hallandale man, wanted for questioning about seven bank holdups from Miami to Los Angeles, shot himself in the mouth when police cornered him in Oklahoma, where he fled after running out of a bank in Dallas, authorities said. Michael Cadwell, 45, was in critical but stable condition today at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. Officials intend to ask Cadwell about bank robberies in Miami; Dallas; Houston; Los Angeles; New Orleans; Washington, D.C.; and Tulsa, said Dick Newth of the FBI office in Dallas. The amount of money taken was not revealed, and no charges in those bank robberies have been filed. prison for shooting Southridge High School senior Pedro Soler to death last June.

Cori Simmons, who was 15 at the time nf the radio station take the field Saturday for a fund-raiser game, one fan will be cheering both teams with all her heart. Hillary McCabe, the Miami Lakes High School sopho- mnro ii'hn roroivorf "I'm very happy with it. (But) It's weird having someone else's organ inside of you." Her first order of business when she gets back is like any other teen's getting through high school. Hillary, who attends Hialeah-Miami Lakes High, plans to begin studying with a tutor immediately to make up ground after missing the first two months of school. Although she says she feels well, Hillary hasn't cleared her last medical hurdle.

She is to spend the day today at the National Cancer Institute in Bethes-da, undergoing a checkup. Although her cancer has been in remission since August, the leg where the tumor developed has lately been causing problems. Meanwhile, fund-raising efforts, which have raised more than $20,000 so far, continue. Besides the softball game 11 a.m. Saturday at Flamingo Park, a charity golf tournament is scheduled at Fontainebleau Park next Thursday.

Other activities also are flanned, according to John Shields, a ocal attorney directing the fund-raising effort. More information may be obtained by calling 547-7335. tion and a day after he was shot as he and his girlfriend drove away from the school near the Southridge II housing project. Metro homicide detective Ra-mesh Nyberg, who investigated the slaying, said his interviews revealed that a group of black youths had gathered at the housing project near the school and had discussed shooting at any white person who drove by the project that day. "The talk In the neighborhood was just like: 'It's almost the last day of school, let's go mess with the Nyberg said.

"It was a senseless killing, the most tragic case I've ever had." A few minutes before Soler was shot, Nyberg said, Simmons used the same gun, a pistol, to fire a shot into the Southridge student parking lot. "There was no premeditated design to kill Pedro," he said. "They just wanted to shoot into the cars, for whatever reason." As Soler drove his 1979 Volkswagen near the project along Southwest 190th Street, Simmons fired the pistol into the car window, Nyberg said. a heart transplant McCabe last month one year to the day after being diagnosed as having a rare form of cancer comes home tomorrow, in time for the weekend game intended to help pay her expenses. Since doctors discovered she needed a new heart in early September, home has been Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, which she leaves with the heart of an 18-year-old boy In her 15-year-old body.

Cancer treatments damaged her own heart so severely that the transplant was needed to save her life. "My heart is doing fine," she said by telephone from Pittsburgh yesterday. shooting but Soler was prosecuted as an adult, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Sept. 12 and was sentenced by Dade Circuit Court Judge Ursula Ungaro. Metro police detailed for the first time this week a motive for the shooting.

An investigator in the case said Simmons had decided to shoot at the car of the next white person to drive by. It happened to be Soler, who was using a shortcut popular with students. Soler, 18, died June 16, 1987, Just three days before his gradua Joyce Cohen again denied bond A Chesapeake, judge again has refused bond for widow Joyce Cohen, charged with first-degree murder for allegedly paying to have her 52-year-old husband, Stanley, shot to death in Miami in March 1986. General District Court Judge Robert Carter denied bond to Cohen last month, saying Virginia law precludes bail for first-degree murder suspects slated for extradition. Cohen remains in the Chesapeake City Jail without bond.

Escapee held in Louisiana slaying A former Miami man held in Slidell, In connection with the slaying of a college teacher is an admitted killer who fled from a Florida work-release program, officials said. Slidell Police Chief Max Rodriguez said earlier this week that a check of fingerprints showed James O'Laughlin pleaded guilty in 1978 to murder and armed robbery in Miami and was sentenced to life in prison plus 25 years. O'Laughlin escaped from prison, but was recaptured In 1982, then escaped again Oct. 13 while assigned to Florida's Cross City Correctional Institution, authorities said. O'Laughlin is being held for questioning in the death of William Beebe, 29, whose nude body was found in a Slidell motel room Oct.

14. Talks not at bidding stage. Cox newspaper chief says Offer to sell Miami News attracts 30 inquiries MIKE WARD Miami Ntwi Rtpartar marketing campaign by a Michigan-based newspaper broker hired by Cox. The broker, Lee Dirks, was unavailable for comment yesterday. Easterly said that during the past two weeks an information package containing data on Miami News finances, the Miami market and other background Information about The News has been provided to the prospective buyers.

News facilities being offered for sale include the name, the subscription list, the library and some newsroom equipment. The News' production, advertising, circulation and promotion departments are owned by The Miami Herald Publishing Co. Since 1966, The News has published under a Joint operating agreement (JOA) with The Herald, owned by Knlght-Kidder Inc. In announcing the decision to sell or close The News, Cox officials said a continued JOA is not a part of the deal. Because of that, Cox officials earlier said they hold slim hope that a buyer for The News can be found although Herald officials have agreed to negotiate to print The News for a year should anyone buy it.

Since 1966, when the JOA with The Herald went Into effect, The News' circulation has declined from 1 1 2,000 to 48,000 this summer, Ccjx officials said. Within the next two weeks, he said, Cox officials hope to determine which prospective bidders are serious and attempt to get them to make a formal offer. Cox officials want to determine by mid-November whether anyone is seriously interested In buying the paper before proceeding with arrangements to fold it. "These Initial meetings, which we are scheduling this week and next, are just to answer questions from the interested parties' he said. "These are not negotiations.

Some of the parties Just want to sit down with the people who are familiar with the newspaper's operation." The asking price for the three-edition, afternoon paper has not been announced. Cox officials earlier said the identities of all prospective buyers are being kept confidential. Easterly said the Inquiries from prospective buyers have come In steadily since the paper was first put up for sale. Six or seven Inquiries had been logged within a week after the sale was announced. Easterly said some inquiries were from people who had read about the sale; others responded to an advertisement last week In The Wall Street Journal, and otheM were drawn through a nationwide Cox Enterprises has fielded more than 30 inquiries from prospective buyers of The Miami News, and meetings with several of them are scheduled within the next few days for fact-gathering by both.sides.

"None of these people and groups are at the stage of bidding," David Easterly, president of the Cox Newspapers division, said in a phone interview from his Atlanta office. "But this is good news. If only two people had called and inquired about the paper, things would be looking pretty grim. But If we have 30 or so people interested, maybe we can eventually work something out maybe the percentages are better." It was announced Oct. 14 that The News would close Dec.

31 if no buyer is found. In their announcement, company officials cited declining circulation and continuing financial losses at the 92-year-old daily, which has won five Pulitzer prizes. Easterly said Tuesday that the pending inquiries include approximately 20 individuals and about 10 groups some of which are in the newspaper business and others who are not. He would not elaborate. Pair sought in bogus-check spree Two men are being sought by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for' cashing at least $16,000 in counterfeit Florida worker's compensation checks.

The two have been cashing the bogus checks in grocery stores and check-cashing stores between Hialeah and Southwest Dade, said FDLE spokesman John Coffey. One man, using the alias Mark Carlos Toddi, Is described as a white male, about 35 years old, 5-foot-8, with a mustache and dark hair. The other, using the alias Medardo Linares, Is a 33-year-old white male, about 5-foot-10, with a mustache and salt and pepper hair. From MUrnl Ntwi wlrt wrvlcti and olhtr wurctt Amanda StuKz.