Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • 19

TUgSOAY.PECgMPEB19.1B00 LINCOLN. NE. JOURNAL SPOnTStlEDRASKA CZZ319 Douglas school closer to the end Jazz escape Nets9 ambush 62-student district plans merger with Palmyra'Bennet By Betty Stevens But he believes the issue will pass be Journal State Bureau Douglas School Superintendent Robert 1 -A Norton was getting severance agreement signatures Tuesday morning from the district's classified personnel: cook, secretary, custodians, bus driver and teacher's aide. The action followed a Monday night board meeting in which a resolution was Norton, 52, can understand their feelings. "It's tough," he said.

"I'm going to go wherever I can find a job. I'd like a Class or school in Nebraska, but 111 have to go out of the state if necessary. "But they've been talking merger here for 25 years and most feel like it's time to bite the bullet and get on with life." A simple majority of the Douglas district's registered voters will make the final decision sometime during February or March, Norton said If the merger is defeated at the polls, all the signed documents are void, Norton said. "If the voters turn us down, we may have to turn to another district and pursue a different merger," Norton said. cause of the close work the Douglas board has done with the Palmyra-Ben- net board.

The Palmyra-Bennet district does not need Douglas' teachers and resolving that matter favorably advanced the merger process. The merger petition needed 65 Doug" las district signatures and received 141 The petition now goes to the Palmyra-Bennet board, and if passed there will be filed with the Otoe County superintend-' ent then to the County Reorganization Committee, the State Reorganization Committee and back to the county superintendent who calls for the election and sets the date. adopted on each of 11 teachers and Norton, stating that their contracts were non-renewable after the current school year. It is one more step in a process to merge the kindergarten-through-grade-12, 62-student Douglas school with the K-12, 408-student Palmyra-Bennet dis trict All the teachers have signed a buyout -state agreement Norton said. They "have a real good attitude in spite of this falling right before Christmas.

They are really EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ. (AP) -Utah Jazz playmaker John Stockton knows that road trips in the NBA can be arduous and that victories must be taken when and where they are found. That's exactly what Stockton and his teammates did Monday, edging New Jersey, 100-98, when the Nets Reggie Theus missed a controlled tap at the buzzer. "You have to be happy to get away from here tonight with a win," said Stockton, who scored 17 points and handed out 14 assists as the Jazz won their seventh game in the last eight "It's good to get a game like this out of our systems." Utah, which made just 37 of 81 shots from the field and committed 28 turnovers, saw New Jersey's second unit battle back from a 12-point third-period deficit Utah appeared to have a safe lead at 98-92 after Mark Eaton stuffed in a rebound with 51 seconds remaining. But Chris Morris made a 8-pointer with 40 seconds to, go and, after Eaton tipped in Jeff Malone's miss, Morris made two more free throws with 15 seconds left pulling New Jersey to 100-97.

The Nets used a full-court press and forced Jeff Malone into a backcourt violation, giving New Jersey the ball at midcourt with 2.2 seconds remaining. After a timeout the Nets attempted to set up Mookie Blaylock for a potential game-tying 3-pointer. As the ball was inbounded, Blaylock was wrapped up by John Stockton and went to the line for two free throws. He made the first and intentionally missed the second. Theus, charging in from behind the shooter, got both hands on the rebound and tipped the ball toward the basket But the ball bounced off the back rim as the buzzer sounded.

Karl Malone scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Jazz. excellent teachers and any school would be wise to hire them." Orr taps chaplain for directorship pressway on U.S. 77 from just north of Lincoln to Ceresco. The project I which was approved by the state Highway Commission in September, begins at the Interstate 80 interchange and extends north to Main Street in Ceresco. In rural areas, the lanes will be divided by a 40-foot depressed median.

In Ceresco, a 16-foot raised median is planned. Access to the highway will be limited. Final design work has yet to be -completed before right-of-way appraisal and acquisition can The $15.8 million project is scheduled to be built in three phases beginning in 1993. The first phase will be closest to Lincoln. Bill Barrett resigns seat in Legislature By Associated Press Bill Barrett R-3rd Dis-trict, has resigned his seat in the Legislature effective last Saturday.

Gov. Kay Orr will appoint a successor for the 39th District. Stuhr scenes featured on NBC Wednesday GRAND ISLAND (AP) An episode of "Unsolved Mysteries" that includes scenes filmed at Stuhr Museum will be shown at 7 p.m. Wednesday on NBC-TV affiliate stations. The plot for the film focuses on a South Sioux City woman, Geneva Fuchser, who is searching for information about her missing grandmother.

In 1910, the grandmother boarded a train in Brookfield, as her children waved goodbye. The woman was never seen again. Fuchser gives credit to Suzanna, a South Sioux City psychic, who appears on Lincoln radio talk shows, as being critical in the finding of an unmarked grave she believes is her grandmother's. Fuchser and Suzanna were filmed together for the show. Ceresco expressway gets Orr design OK Gov.

Kay Orr has approved the design of an 11.5-mile, four-lane ex of selective service Gov. Kay Orr has recommended that a retired Air Force chaplain, Meredith Thomas of Lincoln, be the state's next selective service director. Thomas would replace Jo Kinsey, who resigned. Orr's recommendation will be forwarded to the director of the Selective Service Systems National Headquarters. Thomas, 60, retired as a chaplain colonel in January 1989 after 20 years of military service.

His last assignment was as base chaplain at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from ShurUef College in Alton, III, and a master's of divinity from the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville, I1L 1 1 lrzjl ffcnwi jihiittMWwrii-'. ASSOCIATED PRESS Mark Eaton (right) of the Utah Jazz blocks a shot by New Jersey's Derrick Coleman Monday night. fPuppy mills' alleged in Nebraska, six other states Blanket pet boycott criticized sportshorts Griffey Sr. signs with Mariners SEATTLE (AP) Ken Griffey Sr, who made baseball history by playing on the same team with his son last season, signed a one-year, 1700,000 contract with the Seattle Mariners.

Griffey Sr, 40, can make an additional $250,000 in performance bonuses. He was signed by the Mariners as a free agent on Aug. 29 after he was released by Cincinnati on Aug. 18. In 21 games with Seattle, Griffey Sr.

hit .377 with three home runs and 18 RBIs. He was the Mariners' top offensive player for the final month and was named AL player of the week for the first time in his 18-year big league career. He's a lifetime .297 hitter and ranks 10th among active players with 2,119 career base hits. Welch second behind Stewart By Associated Preea A nationwide consumer boycott of pet stores that sell dogs bred in Nebraska will harm good and bad breeders, the director of the Humane Society of Nebraska says. Ron Hemmingsen said from his Omaha office that he disagrees with a call last week from the Humane Societv of the United States for a boycott of pet stores that sell puppies bred in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas.

Missouri. Arkansas. Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Bob Welch's new contract with the Oakland Athletics is worth $13.8 million over four years, making him the second-best-paid pitcher in baseball behind teammate Dave Stewart Welch will get a $2.2 million signing bonus and yearly salaries of $2.9 mil those seven states.

Hemmingsen said Monday that if the puppy-mill problem in Nebraska is widespread, he hasn't heard about it "I haven't had a lot of complaints from people," Hemmingsen said. "That doesn't mean a problem doesn't exist I just dont think a boycott is the answer. There are some good people suffering with the bad people, and I don't think that is appropriate." Hemmingsen said pet buyers should inspect any animal carefully before purchasing, no matter where they buy it or where it comes from. "They should look that little critter over carefully and get it to a vet quickly to have it checked," Hemmingsen said. But assuming that a dog that comes from any of the seven targeted states also was bred in a puppy mill is wrong, he said.

"How can anyone in California determine that a puppy in a pet store comes from a good breeder or a bad breeder?" Hemmingsen sail The Humane Society of the United States is falling a little ll Aft II lion, sources familiar with the deal V''i i -r Tfl aaiu. i ik aveiage aimiuu vaiue ui $3.45 million is the ninth-best in base- short in trying to educate the public" Judy Conlin, director of the Animal Rescue League in Des Moines, said that her office has handled complaints about puppy mills but said she could not com-: ment about how widespread the problem is in Iowa. She said authorities in October shut down an apparent puppy mill in Des Moines. "There were 200 animals in Cages were stacked seven high with no, trays. There were some dead animals," Conlin said.

Sandy Tyson of Blair said she is concerned that a blanket boycott could damage the reputation of private breeders, such as she and her husband, Tom, who breed championship Labrador hunting dogs at their farm. "There is a big difference between: private breeders and puppy Tyson said. "Puppy mills will breed hundreds of dogs and sell them all over the United States. We sell directly to private parties. The majority of our dogs stay in our area." She said most private breeders sell dogs as a side business.

Tyson she said, breeds dop in conjunction with its hunting reserve. Doug Hughes, president of American Professional Pet Distributors of Minneapolis, called the boycott "totally ridiculous." "Most pet breeders raise puppies in humane conditions, with excellent nutrition and veterinary care," he said. "And most pet stores are reputable businesses where consumers can feel good about buying a puppy or other companion At the Humane Society's national headquarters in Madison, N.J., staff veterinarian Stephen Kritsick said that at least 600 dog breeders in those seven states operate "puppy mills," in which females are forced to bear multiple litters quickly, then are killed when they can no longer reproduce. Kritsick said puppy-mill breeding practices produce weak and diseased puppies with bad temperaments. He urged consumers not to buy a dog at any pet store that purchases puppies bred in during opening statements in the team's lawsuit to overturn new NBA rules' limiting superstations to 20 NBA broadcasts a year.

The Bulls and superstation WGN-TV in Chicago sued to overturn an April vote by the NBA Board of Governors that reduced from 25 to 20 the number of games a superstation can broadcast each season. The NBA plans to end all superstation broadcasts by 1995. Superstations send their signals to cable satellites, which can broadcast the signal across the nation. Tyson said ready to fight Ruddock LAS VEGAS (AP) Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will fight Donovan "Razor" Ruddock on March 18 at The Mirage hotel-casino, hotel sources said. The fight reportedly will be a 12-round bout and will go as scheduled whether or not the World Boxing Council strips Evander Holyfield of its title and sanctions the bout as a title fight A spokesman for Tyson's promoter, Don King, refused to confirm or deny the fight which could be announced as early as today.

DeBerg out of hospital KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Steve DeBerg was released from the hospital Tuesday, but said he did not know if he could play Sunday. "It's throbbing right now," DeBerg said of the broken finger he suffered Sunday. "Hopefully, the pain will lessen and I'll be able to handle the pain part of it "I'm not exactly sure I can play this week. I think we're going to be able to put something on it and protect it" Officially, DeBerg was listed as questionable.

Whether he or Steve Pelluer will quarterback the Chiefs Sunday may not be known until Thursday or Friday. DeBerg suffered the painful break on the tip of the left little finger in the third quarter of Sunday's 27-10 loss to Houston. In extreme discomfort he returned in the fourth period and threw his first interception in 235 passes. Kelly should play in four weeks ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) Injured Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly will "practice in three weeks and play in four," the Bills announced Tuesday.

"This is absolutely the best news we could have had," general manager Bill Polian said at a news conference. Polian said a magnetic resonance imaging scan of Kelly's left knee confirmed that Kelly suffered a partial tear in the medial collateral ligament and a small partial tear in the cartilage in back of the knee. Former OU players sentenced OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A federal judge has sent two former University of Oklahoma athletes to prison for helping former Sooner quarterback Charles Thompson sell cocaine. U.S. District Judge Ralph Thompson sentenced former football player John Green, 25, of Detroit to 16 months and former Sooner track runner Lamont Harris of Dallas to 18 months.

Board commutes sentence in 1973 Omaha slaying balL Bob Welch Welch is Oakland's fifth $3 million- a-year player. Outfielder Jose Canseco is baseball's top-paid player with a $23.5 million, five-year deal, a $47 million average. Cubs sign reliever Smith CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Cubs added to their pitching staff by signing free agent right-handed reliever Dave Smith and left-handed reliever Paul Assenmacher. Smith, a two-time All-Star in 11 seasons with Houston, signed a two-year, $4.9 million package. He has a 53-47 record with 199 saves and a 2.53 earned run average in 563 games.

Smith was last season with 23 saves and a 2.39 ERA. Assenmacher's contract terms were not disclosed. Assenmacher was 7-2 last season with a 2.81 ERA and 10 saves in 74 appearances. Orlando gets NBA All-Star game ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) The 1992 NBA All-Star game was awarded to the Orlando Magic, and Walt Disney World will add its touch by assuming a major role in the event The game will be played in the Orlando Arena on Feb.

9, NBA commissioner David Stern said. Disney will be responsible for most of the three-day pageantry, player hotels and nearly 6,000 league guests, said Richard A. Nunis, president of Walt Disney Attractions. Bulls challenge TV rule CHICAGO AP) The NBA's new rule limiting the number of basketball games broadcast on television supersta-tions is a violation of antitrust laws, a Chicago Bulls attorney said. Bulls attorney Joel Chefitz raised his allegations Monday and spent the last five free of any disciplinary action.

The Pardons Board set his sentence at 27 to 65 years, making him eligible for parole in August 1992. Bartee said a lengthy adjustment period would benefit Brown, who has spent his entire prison term in the state penitentiary. Under educational or work release programs Brown could be transferred to a rninimum-security or other community-based program. Brown's mother, a sister and two prison volunteers also spoke in favor of the commutation. There was no 0 $89 11 1 If you dont smoke, From the NBA Recruit 2SE, but stiil crave 1005, join a Harris study.

By Associated Press The state Board of Pardons commuted the life sentence of an Omaha man convicted of the 1973 death of an 83-year-old woman. James Arthur Brown, 44, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1974 for the first-degree murder of Eula Jacobs. Her body was found in Carter Lake and Brown was arrested when witnesses told authorities that Brown had picked her up in his car while she was waiting at a bus stop. The state Parole Board voted unanimously in July to recommend the commutation to a specific number of years to make Brown eligible for parole. Brown told the Pardons Board his life was ruled by the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time of the Jacob's death.

"I was taking all of my frustrations out on other people and in the end result I committed the crime of murder," Brown said. "I have since learned to deal with my deficiencies instead of everybody else's," he added. Parole Board Chairman Ron Bartee and four others spoke in behalf of the reduction in sentence Monday. Bartee noted that Brown has served 17 years Stolen meat is poisonous NORTH PLATTE (AP) Lincoln County authorities had a life-and-death message for whoever took meat from a vacant building in North Platte: Dont eat it The deer and antelope meat injected with a strychnine solution for use in rodent control, was taken during the weekend from a deep freezer in the locked building, said sheriffs Dep. Lemoyne Dailey.

The meat was wrapped in white freezer paper, some of it in sealed plastic bags. Dailey said Monday that hand and power Jpols also were taken in the burglary, By Associated Press 1 Todoy'i headliner San Antonio at Houston (7:30 p.m. CST). The second meetlns of premier centers David Robinson and Akeem Olaiuwon. The Spurs won the first meeting 111-110 on Nov.

10. Robinson had 32 points, seven rebounds and four blocks; Olaiuwon had 27 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. If you've broken away from the pack, Harris has specific, non-smoker studies just for was the third-leading scorer in the state as a high school senior. Beler is the first recruiting prospect to sign with Nebraska this year. Junior college players with Associate of Arts degrees, or who have qualified academically otherwise, may sign with colleges.

Six other prospects have announced their intention to sign letters-of -intent on Feb. 6. Those players are: Clester Johnson of Bellevue West Phil Ellis of Grand Island, Steve Ott of Henderson, Billy Jones of Monroe, Ia, Brook Berringer of Goodland, Kan, and Trumane Bell of Highland Community College in Kansas. huskers lose three of their top five defensive backs to graduation this year. NU defensive backs coach George Darlington said Nebraska might recruit as many as four junior college defensive backs this year.

Beler, who stands 6-foot and weighs 220, has 4.5-second speed in the 40-yard dash. He was named defensive back of the year in New Jersey in the fall of 1987 and was heavily recruited by Penn State and Kansas. Bayonne Coach Don Ahern called Beler, "the Mike Tyson of high school football" Beler returned kicks, was a top blocker and top tackier on the team and you. You can earn extra money ys mm Litke From P917 simply by participating in studies that test consumer products and medications. less-exotic, but infinitely safer destina tions on the CBA schedule.

Yet he has this strange feeling: the If you're 19 or older and need journey is still a long way from finished. the cash, give Harris a call. It's a good habit to get into. Babcock "About 15 minutes after I took this job, I got a call from an agent about coaching a team in Greece, and 15 minutes after that my assistant with the Kuwaiti team called me and said most of the team is back together in Qatar and would I be interested in doing that hold of maktne travel olans to for a while?" Calvin said. Perry's case.

The baseball writers recently received their ballots, containing 45 names including Perry and Jenkins. The results of the voting will be announced in mid-January, with induction ceremonies in August sPerry and Jenkinwould do well to Cooperstown, N.Y., this summer. And that's not right whether or not you were a fan of Perry or Jenkins. But this column was written a year ago, and it probably can be written again nefl December. ISLd LABORATORIES, 474-0627 See study listing ad in the Sunday Journal-Star.

Permanent address and telephone required. "I told him not right away," Calvin said, "that I'm going to take plenty of 4 time to JMnk about it".