The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 1

SATURDAY OKLAHOMAN TIMES OKLAHOMA CITY, OK SATURDAY, AUGUST 6. 1988 70 PAGES 25p OETA Foundation Seeks Funds for KGMC-TV By Paul English Staff Writer Oklahoma's public television foundation is trying to raise $1 million to buy KGMC-TV, Channel 34, to expand its programming and set the stage for developing a second educational TV network in the state, it was learned Friday. Bob Allen, executive director of the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, said he would "try to make this station totally self-supporting." He estimated operating costs the first year would be at least $200,000. "We must raise the $1 million figure before Aug. 17 or this opportunity will be lost," he said.

"It appears that this opportunity can only be financed with new private funds. "No state funds or future state funding obligations have been indicated to any of the parties." Allen said he had planned to announce the fund-raising drive Monday nine days before the deadline. He said the money likely would come from foundations and possibly corporations. None of the $2.4 million the OETA Foundation now has on hand to buy programming will be used to purchase Channel 34 because the trustees "have been very strict," he said. Allen said OETA has a number of programs, such as college tele-courses and instructional programs, available but "because of time limitations at (KETA-TV) Channel 13, we can not air them all." "Also, a second channel would al low us to repeat certain prime-time programs in alternative time slots to improve our programming service to our audience," he said.

This opportunity, if taken, could establish a base for a second statewide educational television network in Oklahoma," he said. Asked whether legislators would ever receive a request for the state to finance the operating costs, Allen said, "Right now, I think the only thing we would be looking at is buying the station. "If the state would want to do more, we would be willing to look at it." Because of the state's financial crisis in recent years, OETA has had budget problems and used OETA Foundation funds to cover some operating costs. The Legislature decided last month that the state should pick up the cost of OETA workers who previously had been paid by the foundation. In a "confidential" letter to OETA directors and trustees of the OETA Foundation on Aug.

1, Allen said he had been approached in late July by representatives of the Harry Pap-pas Broadcasting Co. of Visalia, Calif. Allen said Pappas is proposing a $30 million deal involving all three independent TV stations in the Oklahoma City area KOKH-TV, Channel 25; KGMC-TV, Channel 34, and KAUT-TV, Channel 43. "It appears that the three UHF commercial television stations continue to lose money and that the market cannot support all three sta-See OETA, Page 2 watch QrCUR $PEp WE ARE State Welfare Programs Cut $9.8 Million "I don't think Oklahomans are ready to let people die in the streets because we don't have the money." Commissioner John E. Orr Dust Buster Creating his own dust storm, State Department of Transportation employee Larry Ray brushes off the shoulder northbound on the Broadway Extension Wednesday.

Ray's clean-up work will allow repair crews to see areas which need to be patched. No. 8 Figures High For Edmond Girl, 8 Watermelon Festivities Next Week 'Until Death Do Us Part Slayer Says By Ellen Knlckmeyer Staff Writer McALESTER Convicted mass murderer Roger Dale Stafford has married for the third time, to a woman with whom he has been corresponding from death row, authorities said Friday. Stafford, 36, and Mickey Holland, 41, wed Thursday in an Oklahoma State Pen-itentiary conference room, corrections spokesman Jerry Massie said. Stafford wore chains andwas escorted by guards earlier Thursday When he came to the Pittsburg County courthouse for the second marriage license he has obtained while awaiting execution.

"She was sitting there waiting for him," deputy court clerk Betty Low said. "They just kind of sat there and made small talk. "She was kind of patting him on the arm, and they were saying they loved each other. Just like a typical newlywed. "I went, blehhh." Stafford is on death row while appeals continue on nine death penalties in the 1978 slayings of six Oklahoma City steakhouse workers and a Texas mother, father and son.

He divorced his first wife, Verna, who testified against him in the murder trials. Verna Monks is now serving time at Mabel Bassett Correctional Center on second-degree murder charges in the slayings. A woman who married the inmate in June 1986 filed for annulment less than a year later. The annulment was granted in October 1987. As with his second wife, Holland exchanged letters with Stafford for some time before their marriage, Massie said.

Holland and Stafford were wed by a man from outside the walls, who signed the marriage license as the Rev. J.D. Layman from Glories Church Inc. of Oklahoma City. After the brief ceremony, warden James Saffle permitted a special three-hour, non-contact visit for the newlyweds, Massie said.

By John Greiner Staff Writer Despite concern that some hospitals could be forced to close, state Human Services Commission members cut $9.8 million in programs Friday to avoid a financial crisis later. While some programs are eliminated, others are only reduced. Affected programs include emergency help for the needy, prescription drug programs and Medicaid reimbursement for physician visits and hospital stays. Commissioners, in an emergency meeting on the budget problem, also voted to ask Gov. Henry Bellmon to seek additional funding for the agency in the special legislative session he is convening later this month.

"I don't think Oklaho-mans are ready to let people die in the streets because we don't have the money," commissioner John E. Orr said. "I don't think the Legislature understands we're going to destroy the medical system in a lot of communities." Orr said the cuts in the state DHS budget approved Friday will result in the loss of federal matching funds. Loss of federal funds will bring the department's total budget cut to more than $40 million, he said. Orr, of Oklahoma City, said he feared cuts could seriously harm hospitals in some communities, particularly small hospitals.

Phil Watson, human services director, agreed. The agency projected that the money it will receive from state appropriations and other sources will fall $15.5 million short of anticipated expenditures. Total expenditures will be $1.2 billion. The commission's budget committee met with staff and came up with $9.8 million in programs which could be cut or reduced to overcome a budget crisis. The remaining $5.7 million of the $15.5 million will be saved by delaying purchases of equipment.

Items cut by the commission Friday are: $1.5 million in an AFDC (Aid For Families with Dependent Children) emergency program. It provides a one-time payment to families with an emergency need. The payment averages about $400 and is the only cash program available to two-parent families. In May, 2,210 families including 3,616 children received this assistance. The program affects some of Oklahoma's most needy, officials said.

$3.3 million by eliminating the Medicaid Medically Needy Program, which affects 14,000 low income Oklahomans with emergency or chronic medical needs. $400,000 cut by changing the reimbursement method of prescription drugs provided through the Medicaid Prescription Drug program. $400,000 by reducing the number of prescriptions allowed monthly to Medicaid recipients from five to four for nursing home clients and from three to two for outpatients. $500,000 by cutting certain high-cost drugs from the Medicaid Prescription Drug program. $2 million reduction by placing a 60-day cap on the number of acute care hospital days allowed for Medicaid reimbursement for children.

This would affect 420 children annually and the hospitals which provide this care. $350,000 by reducing from 30 to 20 the cap on acute care hospital days allowed for Medicaid reimbursement for adults. This would affect 735 clients annually as well as hospitals. $1,350,00 by reducing from four to two the number of monthly physician visits that will be paid by Medicaid. This would affect 54,000 Medicaid recipients.

By Ellie Sutter Staff Writer Eight is probably Jor-don Lynn Ramirez's lucky number. If it isn't, it should be. She was born in the eighth month, August, on the eighth day of the month, in 1980. When her birthday rolls around Monday, Aug. 8, 1988, she will be eight.

Her name has seventeen letters. Add the one and the seven together. Guess what, it's eight. But, wait, the girl has more eights. According to numero-logist Tricia Allspaw each letter of the alphabet has a corresponding number.

As an example a has a numerical value of eight. Allspaw said when you add the numerical value of Jordan's name, excluding the last letter, which is an eight, the total is 88. Eight is a powerful number, Allspaw said. It denotes authority, power, finances and money. "She may grow up to be a rich woman," Allspaw said.

Her mother, Joanie Ramirez, laughed and said, "her father is always telling her that she will take over his empire." The girl's father is Ma- Jordon Lynn Ramirez rio Ramirez of Edmond and his empire is Tulios Mexican Restaurant, 3325 Robinson in Oklahoma City. Her parents are planning a big party for her on her birthday at the restaurant. "Well, not too big," Joanie Ramirez said. "The Oklahoma City Fire Department lists the seating capacity of the restaurant Family's Horse Loses Fight To Break Free From Mire Good Morning By Chris Kinyon Lawton Bureau RUSH SPRINGS If you're packing the kids into the car today to come here for the annual Watermelon Festival, STOP! The traditional day for gorging on watermelon, watching the crowning of the watermelon queen and buying watermelon memorabilia at Jeff Davis Park, is not until a week from today, Aug. 13.

Rush Springs' city hall was deluged with telephone calls, about 50 of them, after it was erroneously reported in Friday's editions of The Oklahoma! that the festival was scheduled for today. Calls came in from Oklahoma City, Madill, Cor-dell and even Wichita Falls, Texas, according to city hall officials. "If they're on their way down to get that (free) watermelon and it's not here, it's going to be bad," said City Clerk Charlotte Bratcher. Promoters are afraid that "if they do show up (Saturday), they won't come back next week," she said. The Aug.

13 event begins at 10 a.m. with the judging of the prize watermelons. The free watermelon feed starts at 7 p.m., although slices of melon are for sale throughout the day. The crowning of the queen is at 9 p.m. If anyone does show up on the wrong day, they need not go home empty handed melon peddlers by the side of the road will be only too glad to sell them one.

Weatherline Call 524-3377 for local reports, forecasts. Partly cloudy in the metropolitan area today with a high of 97. Mostly clear tonight with a low of 73. Page 27 By Kathl Thacker Staff Writer JONES It was a heartbreaking way to lose the horse that had been a member of the Scoggins family for 27 years. But after hours of trying to free Missy from the mud where she was mired up to her stomach, Jeanne Scoggins asked the veterinarian to put the regis tered three-quarter Arabian horse to sleep.

"It made me feel so good that so many people tried so hard. It was too bad it ended so sad," Scoggins said. A neighbor boy told Scoggins about 1 p.m. Thursday her horse was caught in the mud of a nearby pond shrunken by the drought. "She just sank down.

It just acted like a vacuum. A neighbor and I tried to dig her out, but then we got to the water table, and it was almost like quicksand," she said. Rescue efforts were difficult because about 200 feet of mud surrounded Missy, and heavy vehicles could not get close to the See HORSE, Page 2 A bitter custody battle in Tulsa is attracting international attention. Page 19 Inside j' Ann Landers 9 jj Billy Graham 30 Bridge 35 Business 12-17 I Classified 33-50 I Comics 32 I Crossword 35 DearAbby 9 Editorial 18 Entertainment I Garden 31 I Horoscope 9 I Markets 12-16 Melba 8 Obituaries 27 Public Records 29 Religion 30 Sports 21-26 TV Log 26 I Women 8-9 Delivery Service 239-7171 Want Ads 235-6722 I Other Calls 232-3311 Entire contents copv- right 1988, The Oklaho- ma Publishing Box 25125, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73125, Vol. 97, No.

214. Controllers to Be 'Top Gun' The trial of Oliver North is postponed until after the presidential election. Page 5 Palestinian leaders may soon issue a "declaration of independence." Page 3 Prayer for Today By James Johnson Staff Writer Oklahoma City will become the Federal Aviation Administration's Top Gun-style training center for technicians and professional employees under a curriculum shake-up revealed Friday by Federal Aviation Administrator Allan McArtor. He said the change will mean expanded work and additional development at the FAA Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center. The University of Oklahoma, with three decades of experience as a contractor in FAA programs, also will benefit from the change, McArtor said.

At an Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce meeting also attended by U.S. Reps. Mickey Edwards, R-Oklahoma City, Glenn English, D-Cordell, and Dave McCurdy, D-Norman, McArtor said, "We are going to revolutionize the way we train air traffic controllers. It means Oklahoma City is going to be the world leader in aviation training." McArtor said realistic vocational training for FAA technicians and profes- See FAA, Page 2 THANK you, Lord, for this moment of prayer. Each in our own way, we pray, for deeper appreciation of our multitudes of blessings, and for strength to ease our many cares.

Amen. Allan McArtor.