The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 9

WEDNESDAY £THE SAUNA JOURNAL Great Plains VIEWPOINTS B2 ALMANAC B3 FUN B4 SALINA PARKS Newp Parks advisory board vyill consider names at this afternoon By CRISTINA JANNEY ftie Salina Journal The name of the first Salina police officer to be killed in the line qf duty is among the names that trave been nominated for a new Salina neighborhood park. Through the Neighborhood Improvement Program, which began in 1995, sites were acquired for two new parks in "neighborhood service areas" that are designated special funding for pro- jicts like the parks or improvements to streets or lighting. The two park sites are at 13th and Pacific streets and Fourth and Woodland streets. The park at Fourth and Woodland streets is hearing completion and the other park will be started soon. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board members will consider park names at its meeting at 4 p.m.

today in Room 107 of the City- BRIEFLY Wichitan charged in weekend shooting A Wichita man accused of shooting a Salina man outside a Salina nightclub Saturday was charged Tuesday in Saline County District Court Tuesday with attempted second-degree murder and making a criminal threat. Elbert Costello, 21, made his first appearance by video hookup from the Saline County Jail before District Judge Daniel Hebert. Bond was set at $750,000. Costello is to appear before the judge at 10:30 a.m. Monday morning for the scheduling of a preliminary hearing.

Costello is accused of shooting Ivan Bretado, 24, 2055 Corsaut, about 3:15 a.m. Saturday in the parking lot of Fastbreak, 1056 E. Pacific. Costello was arrested immediately by a Salina police officer who was approaching as the shooting occurred. Bretado remained in critical- but-stable condition in the intensive-care unit at Salina Regional Health Center Tuesday.

Kansas student is Miss Teenage America NEW YORK A 16-year-old student from Kansas was named 'Teen magazine's Miss Teenage America 1997 during a luncheon- ceremony Tuesday at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center. Brooke Allen, Wichita, was one of 20,000 applicants for the program that was first launched by the magazine in 1961. She won a $10,000 scholarship, and will tour the country for the magazine. Felicia Kuo, 16, a senior at Lexington High School, of Lexington, was first runner-up. Allen, a student at Andover High School outside Wichita, is scheduled to graduate this spring.

She has a perfect 4.0 average and is a champion debating team member. She's also a member of the National Honor Society, her school's newspaper and choir. "I hope to touch a lot of teens' lives," Allen said. "I want to speak about getting involved it's the key to implementing change." The ceremony was hosted by Donna Hanover, a reporter for Fox Television's "Good Day New York." could be for slain officer ALLEN ETC. Students at the Westwood Elementary School in Junction City are asking for Salinans to send ttiem information on vegetable gardens for a project, "Our Ecological Earth." They want pamphlets, gardening books, magazines or any other information.

Send information to Mrs. Allen- Atkinson's class, Westwood Elementary School, 1600 N. Eisenhower, Junction City, 66441. From Staff and Wire Reports Tomorrow's Headlines 825-6OOO Category6006 (Call alter 7:30 p.m.) County Building. The city sent cards to residents in the service areas surrounding the parks, asking them to suggest park names.

One name suggested was that of Salina police officer John R. Stonebraker, who was killed in a Shootout with gunmen Feb. 11,1917. A Salina Evening Journal headline at the tune reported: "Fifty Shots Fired Veteran Policeman Killed When Starting To Search Mexican Gangster." Stonebraker, 69, a veteran police officer, and the chief of police Howard Burke were called at 10:30 p.m. to a boarding house at North and Santa Fe streets, according to the Evening Journal.

Stonebraker and the chief were searching the house for a man reportedly armed with a gun when two men wearing striped Mackinaw overcoats came in the back door. An eyewitness told the Journal the chief ordered Stonebraker to search the two men, and as Stonebraker moved toward the men, the larger of the two pulled a revolver and shot Stonebraker. Neighborhood parks 1 PACIFIC 5 Xrxl X. This new park will WOODLANDS have a shelter house, a basketball court with two goals, a playground, horseshoe pits and a sand volleyball court. UHAND PACIFIC WO John R.

Stonebraker Memorial Park has been suggested as a name for this park. Slain in 191 7, Stonebraker was the first Salina police officer killed In the line of duty. ODLAN6 lift, i 3RAND Stonebraker stood still for a moment and then said, "I'm shot, boys," and sank to the floor, according to a witness report in the Evening Journal. The bullet was believed to have pierced Stonebraker's heart, the Evening Journal said. The chief was shot twice.

One bullet grazed his head and caused severe powder burns to his face. The wounded Burke emptied his gun at the assailants as they leapt through the door of the house and fled. Two suspects in the shooting were arrested later that week, according to information provided by the Smoky Hill Museum. Stonebraker, a 12-year veteran officer, had planned to retire in a few months. Stonebraker, who was a Civil War veteran and served as a firefighter, was reported to have done his duty to the end, the Evening Journal said.

The last six arrests on the police record were credited to Stonebraker, one a "streetwalker" and the other five the result of he and the jailer breaking up a crap game at a dry cleaning establishment. The Evening Journal described the officer as "one of the bravest and most efficient members of the police force." 'Salinan Diana Caswell, whose great-great grandfather, Silas, was Stonebraker's brother, suggested the name for the park. "I think it would be an honor. John is a fallen police officer. I don't see any reason why not," she said.

Caswell, a genealogist with the Smoky Valley Genealogical Society, said direct descendants of John Stonebraker live in Salina. One of those descendants, George Ringle, Stonebraker's great Knee deep TOM DORSEY The Salina Journal Anna Nelson, 4 (left), and her brother John, 6, wade Tuesday through the skating pond at Oakdale Park, Salina. The children's mother, Marta Nelson, Smolan, said she brought them to the park because It was "too nice to stay at home. The kids were getting antsy at home, so we came to Salina to come to the park." EMPLOYMENT Salina employment strong despite losses BY ALF ABUHAJLEH The Salina Journal Despite recent layoffs in Salina's service and manufacturing industries, the unemployment rate fell in February, according to figures released Tuesday by the Kansas Department of Human Resources. Salina's jobless rate dropped to 4.5 percent last month from 4.6 percent in January but remained unchanged from a year ago.

Some 1,143 people were actively looking for a job in Salina last month, a small drop from 1,182 people the previous month. LEGISLATURE English-only bill put on hold; support wanes The unemployment rate for Saline County was 4.4 percent, down from 4.5 percent the month before and unchanged from a year ago. The closing of Plastics manufacturing plant in late December followed by the recent shutdown of Food of America's distribution center resulted in 128 workers losing their jobs. That, coupled with seasonal layoffs in the retail industry after the holidays, didn't make a dent in the labor market, said Chris Hoffman, chairman of Salina Area Chamber of Commerce and president of UMB Bank's Salina center, 100 S. Santa Fe.

"A lot of the local businesses, and especially the manufacturing companies, say that they still need workers," Hoffman said. "This is an indication that our economy is in good shape." William Layes, chief of labor information at the human resource department, said the unemployment rate is expected to decrease further in the coming months. "As the weather warms up, there will be more outdoor activities," Layes said. "The sectors that will begin to hire people are construction, local government and retail." The Kansas jobless rate was 4.2 percent last month, down from 4.7 percent in January and 4.7 percent a year ago. grandson, said his great grandfather gave his life in the protection of Salina and he deserved to have a park named for him.

Three other Salina police officers have died in the line of duty, Police Chief Jim Hill said. Another park is named for one of those officers, Jerry Ivey, who was shot in 1975. "I would imagine it would be a honor," he said. "He lost his life in serving Salina citizens." Steve Snyder, director of Parks and Recreation, said he did not know if the advisory board would accept the name because it was nominated by someone outside the neighborhood. Caswell lives at 211 N.

Front. Other names suggested for the Fourth and Woodland streets park included Woodlawn, Woodland, North Sunrise, Sunrise North, Sunrise, Woodland Tracks and Peace and Harmony. The names suggested for the 13th and Pacific streets park were Phoenix, Pacific, Pacific West, 13th and Pacific, South 13th, Sunrise and Twister. COURTS Player drops his lawsuit for now By DAVID CLOUSTON Salina Journal CUBA A Cuba teen-ager has dropped at least temporarily his lawsuit against his former coach over a head, injury he claimed resulted from an improperly fitted football helmet. The player, meanwhile, faces trial in June for a crime his attorney suggests he might have committed because of his brain injury.

Gary Paredes, 19, suffered three concussions in a football game for Hillcrest High School in Cuba three years ago. He collapsed after he walked off the field and was in a coma for two weeks. Paredes suffered a permanent brain injury and had extensive surgery, including the removal of part of his skull cap to relieve swelling. His medical expenses were more than $100,000. Paredes, a running back and defensive safety, sued his former coach, Steve Crist, seeking up to $1.5 million in damages.

The suit, scheduled for trial in July, alleged that Crist improperly fitted Paredes' helmet and that the helmet was unsafe and unsuitable. About six weeks ago, Paredes' attorney, Pat Neustrom, Salina, moved to dismiss the lawsuit with the option of refiling. The step was taken so criminal charges against Paredes could first be resolved. Brian Grace, Republic County attorney, said Paredes is charged with one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child stemming from an allegation that Paredes improperly touched a young girl. The case, filed last year, was dismissed by a judge following a preliminary hearing but was re- filed.

At a second preliminary hearing, Paredes was bound over for trial. That trial is set for June. At a hearing March 12, Paredes' defense attorney, Richard M. Blackwell of Salina, presented an evaluation of Paredes by a neu- ropsychologist that indicated Paredes' behavior was affected by his brain injury. CRIME Shooting inside home reported By The Associated Press TOPEKA The Senate has avoided a potentially emotional and contentious debate by passing over a bill that would make English the official language of Kansas.

"It just doesn't have the votes," Senate Majority Leader Tim Emert, R-Independence, said Tuesday. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Janice Hardenburger, R-Haddam, had 21 other Senate Republican cosponsors and was endorsed last week by the Federal and State Affairs Committee. Twenty-one votes are required to pass a bill in the 40-member Senate. Some co-sponsors apparently had withdrawn their support.

Hardenburger said she asked for the bill to be withdrawn but had not counted votes. "It's just being steeped in a great deal of emotion that's negative," she said. "I don't think we should be debating the bill in that atmosphere." The bill would require, with some exceptions, that English be used for public records and public meetings. It would not legislate the use of English outside of government. During committee hearings, the bill was strongly opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union and Hispanic groups, some of whom called it racist and discriminatory.

One committee member, Sen. Sherman Jones, D-Kansas City, called it "a slap in the face" to cultural and ethnic diversity and a "racial, elitist effort to do something that a lot of people don't want done." Journal photo A Salina police officer leaves the home at 307 Oakdale Drive, where the Tuesday-afternoon shooting was reported. No one was injured in afternoon shooting on Oakdale Drive By The Journal Staff Salina police were investigating Tuesday a report of a shooting in a central Salina home. Details were sketchy, but police said there were at least three people, in the house at 307 Oakdale Drive two females and a male and one of the females fired a shot at the male about 3 p.m. The slug embedded in the wall of the small, wood- frame house.

No one was injured. The two females and another person who might have been waiting in a red four-door Toyota drove off, presumably with the caliber handgun. No one was jailed as of Tuesday night. SUGGESTIONS? CALL BEN WEARING, DEPUTY EDITOR, AT (913) 823-6363 OR 1-800-827-6363 OR E-MAIL AT.