The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 13

THE DAILY OKLAHOMAN July 6, 1972 13 Adjustment Board Delays Action in 3 Crucial Cases By Dav Dryilcii The Oklahoma City Board of Adjustment, delayed action Wednesday on three crucial cases until the board's next meeting in September. Two of the cases wore continued after the board was unable to' muster the required three votes for approval of the applications. The other was delayed at the applicant's request. Only three members were present. On two votes, James E.

Burke differed with Chairman Harley Sherman and Don Hampton, resulting in 2-1 votes for approval. However, Burke joined them to vole for continuances. Otherwise, the cases would have been denied. Unless Mayor Latting nominates a new member who Is confirmed by the City Council before 4, the decisive votes in two of the cases apparently will be cast by Couch. Whether a new member Is appointed by Sept.

4 or not, the two cases will be decided by members who did not hear testimony given Wednesday. After the meeting, Chairman Sherman said, "We need a new member real bad. It's hard enough to gel a quorum present when there are five members." He said the two attorneys on the board Couch and Burke sometimes arc required to be in court during the board's meetings, and other members sometimes are forced to be absent because of their business interests. The board meets monthly except in August. Although the planning department staff Is not required to advise the Board of Adjustment, a staff member was present at Wednesday's meeting to urge denial of the three cases, which the staff believes are crucial to future zoning patterns on Meridian and Pennsylvania.

Applicant Jerry J. Dunlap requested that his application for a permit to convert a house and operate a steak house in it. be continued. The house, located at 1201 Meridian, is on property zoned for a single-family house. The case was continued without discussion.

The board also voted to continue a case in which Tiffany Joy Sherwood, a young widow, had requested a permit to allow use of a single-family house at 1140 Meridian. In an earlier vote, only Sherman and Hampton voted to grant the permit. Mrs. Sherwood broke into tears as she explained that she had planned to operate the flower shop with her mother, but her mother died Tuesday. She sniri that, before she bought the house, she was assured by a real estate agent and an attorney she would have no trouble getting approval of the local commercial zoning required for a flower shop.

After buying the house, she called Planning Director Pat Painter, who said he would recommend against zoning of the property. Planning officials fear that approval of either application involving Meridian would lead to further zoning and increased traffic. Albert "Skip" Norris, Delegation Makeup in Doubt Power Loss Doesn't Stop Phone Office city zoning and subdivision coordinator, told the board, "Meridian is one of the best traffic carrying arterials in our city." He said this is because of the absence of continuous commercial zoning. Norris said the east side of Meridian is entirely zoned for single-family houses between NW 11 and NW 22, and a transitional zoning and land use pattern (adequate buffer zones between residential and other uses) is "firmly established" on the west side. Oklahoma will have a delegation to the Democratic National Convention, beginning July 10, but state party chairman J.

C. Kennedy was not sure Wednesday what its composition will be. "We'll be in i a i Beach with a delegation," Kennedy said as he left the court room of J. S. Dist.

Judge Stephen S. Chandler Wednesday. He simply shook his head when asked what he expected to the organization of the delegation to be. He had already been warned that attorney Henry W. Floyd and those ho represents intend to continue their fight against the rules governing the or ganization of Oklahoma Democrats.

Both men had been present shortly before, when Judge Chandler ruled that he had no jurisdiction over Floyd's demand that the Democrats governing body was be reapportioned and that they be forced to apply their rules uniformly throughout the state. At the beginning of the hearing, Floyd announced that he was dropping his demand that the election of delegates to the upcoming national convention be declared void and another election be held before the convention. Floyd said there simply was not: sufficient time to conduct another election before the convention. Grand Jury Calls Winters' Friends; Mum's the Word der Bank and Trust Co. and formerly an official of Republic National Bank, of Tulsa.

Edith Hill, Winters' secretary, and several more Tulsa bankers were expected to testify before the grand jury during Thursday's session. U.S. Atty. William R. Burkett said the panel was "a very hard working grand jury and they have been very diligent and have not wasted any time." Burkett said he expected some "routine" indictments to be returned when the jury reports Thursday.

Burkett continued his refusal to either confirm or deny reports that the grand jury is investigating Winters, pointing out that the federal grand jury proceedings and the subjects under investigation are secret. point in the probe. In previous grand jury sessions, reportedly investigating Winters' financial dealings, most of the witnesses have been Oklahoma City and Tulsa bankers. During the jury's first session Wednesday morning, five more bankers appeared to testify. E.

L. Gosselin. chairman of the board of Founders National Bank, was apparently the first witness of the morning session. He remained in the jury room only 10 minutes after a court reporter was summoned. Following Gosselin into the room were J.

Norman Foster and Lee Harris, both directors of the Guaranty Bank of Oklahoma City, as well as Bill Richardson, Grant Square Bank. John Cleary. vice president of Tulsa's Boul Floyd refused, however, to back down on his contentions that the central committee was malappor-tioned in favor of rural areas and that its rule allowing young persons who will be 18 years old before the November election and will be Democrats to participate in the selection of delegates had not been adheared to in all of the party proceedings. The attorney said partial relief had been granted to his clients by actions of the Democratic credentials committee, sitting in Washington, Tuesday when it ordered two more delegates both full-blood Indians added to the fourth district delegation. Judge Chandler questioned Floyd, William J.

Robinson, representing Kennedy, and Assistant Attys. Gen. Robert Mitchell and Larry Pain, representing the state election board, about what the constitutionality of the state law allowing the political parties and the election board to select the members of county election boards which then draw precinct boundaries. After deciding that a state officials could act in a constitutional manner under the law, the judge said he could find no "substantial constitutional question," and dismissed' the case. Floyd said he would have to discuss the action with his clients before deciding whether to appeal the decision to the Denver based 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

However, he said, two similar cases concerning the composition of the Oklahoma delegation and the rules for its selection are currently being prepared in Washington and Miami Beach. He said he did not know By Bryee Patterson Two of State Treasurer Leo Winters' associates appeared Wednesday before an Oklahoma City federal grand jury in a continuation of the panel's apparent probe of Winters' financial dealings. Entering the secret jury session early in the afternoon, Oklahoma City attorney R.obert G. Grove, said he had "no idea" what, the jury wanted to ask him. he would say as he left the room approximately an hour later was, "I'd rather have been fishing." He refused to discuss what members or the jury asked him or what he told them.

Apparently following Grove on the witness stand was Oklahoma City advertising man Ross Cummings, who has reportedly worked in some of Winters' political campaigns. Cummings entered the room with four boxes apparently containing court ordered records under his arm. He refused to disclose the contents of the boxes. When he left the room nearly three hours later he carried only two of the boxes. Assistant U.

S. A1ty. Q. B. Johnston III look the other boxes to the U.

S. attorney's office. Terming 1ho session "long and i Cummings too refused to discuss what was said. The Wednesday appearances by Grove and Cummings may mark a turning By Janeice Zeanian Power was restored shortly after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to (He Southwestern Bell Telephone Co.

administrative offices, 707 Robinson, much to the relief of several hundred "huffing and puffing" employees. The building's electrical power was cut off Wednesday after a water line broke on the third floor, knocking out all services in the 10-story building. The power outage occurred about 12:40 a.m. after water ran down elevator shafts, stairwells, and heating ducts into the basement where it shorted out power equipment. Elevators Out Although the power was returned Thursday afternoon, only one of the building's four elevators was in service.

Phone company spokesman said the others would probably be back in operation by Thursday morning, after intensive tests were made to determine their safety. G. Ed Terrell, general public relations manager, said no reports had been turned in of ill effects suffered by employees as they climbed the stairs to reach their offices some as high as the 10th floor. Terrell said employees stopped every few flights to "blow a little bit," but added they wouldn't want to do it every day. Sign Posted As employees came to work Wednesday morning they were laced with a large sign posted on the door of the Robinson entrance warning: "Elevator.

Lights. Air Conditioning, Power off in this building. If you can't: work under these conditions, contact your supervisor at noon." Although some interior offices were completely darkened, the building does have windows. Many of those were opened in offices on the upper floors to let in light and cool air. An emergency power unit, stationed outside the building, provided electricity to operate floor vacuums and scrubbers being used to get rid of the water.

Accounting Slowed The accounting offices on the second and third floors were almost entirely closed for the day. Equipment: in those offices is electrically operated and water was standing a half inch deep on the tile floor. Many of the employees working on (he lower three floors, shed their shoes as they waded through the GROUP OF POLICE OFFICERS file out of an Oklahoma City motel Wednesday following a maeting where they reportedly discussed the continuation of the unofficial "ticket strike." Story on Page I. (Sfaff Photo by J. Pat Carter City Runaways At All-Time High U.S.

Engineers Estimate Cost To Save Ship DETROIT (AP) The U. S. Corps of Engineers said Wednesday it will cost more than SI million to salvage the sunken freighter Sydney E. Smith from the St. dalr River.

A spokesman said the -ship, which collided with ihe freighter Parker Evans June 5, is continuing to sink. The stern is some .15 feci under water and the bow about 80 feet under. UMW Leader Resigns Post; Cites III Health WASHINGTON (AP) George J. Titler, a well known union coal field organizer, has resigned his post as international vice president of the United Mine Workers, it was learned Wednesday. Titler.

77, cited ill health as his reason for stepping down from the union of which he was a member since starting work in the coal fields in 190S at the age of 13. He said plat restrictions prohibit use of all but four lots in the addition for any form of commercial use, and Mrs. Sherwood's lot is not one of those excepted. Some board members have taken the position that matters involving plat restrictions should not be considered by the board, but should be decided in court. "Legally, this case should be heard first by the planning commission before going to the board of adjustment," Norris said.

Mrs. Sherwood said she received the impression from Painter that the planning commission would not approve her application if the staff did not recommend approval. The board also continued action of the application of Buster Clary, who requested a permit to use part of his home at 2121 SW 71 as an antique shop. Hampton moved to approve the application, and Chairman Sherman seconded the motion. But Sherman withdrew his second when Asst.

Municipal Counselor Ron Collier told him it would be "a substantial change" in procedure if the chairman seconded a motion. Burke declined to second the motion, but moved instead to continue the case. State Rep. Ken Nance, the attorney representing Clary and his wife, said the owners had rented out the house, but the renters would not maintain it. Nance said the house is at the corner of SW 71 and Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania is "a commercial street.

It's not a residential street in any sense." He said a Trade Mart department store, a bank and several offices are nearby on Pennsylvania. Norris disagreed, saying that Pennsylvania is "the longest and last resi-dentially oriented (section line) street in Oklahoma City. "This is a very home-static and well-maintained neighborhood of single-family houses," he said. Norris said the department store is at least 300 feet from Ihe house in question. He said the street is commercial between SW 74 and SW 72, "but from SW GO to SW 72, you will see a very large residential area." If the application were approved, ho said, "there would be a precedent for future requests of this same nature." Robert G.

Dabbs, 2205 SW 71, said a plat restriction forbids use of the lot for commercial purposes, "and I would think that would be all you would have to consider." Dabbs presented a petition signed by neighbors protesting commercial use of the lot. At one point, Hampton noted that some of the cases likely will be appealed to court, regardless of the board's decision. He asked whether the fact that Couch will hav to cast his vote without hearing testimony might weaken the impact in court of the board's IMPORTANT PAPERS By LrniaBombeck We had an insurance claim to make the other day and my husband asked, "Where is the policy?" "It's obviouslv in mv folder marked. 'IMPORTANT PAPERS'." "Which is?" "Which is lost." I said. "I haven't seen it since we moved." "You mean it has been lost since last June?" "No, it's been lost since wo moved More children are running away from home in Oklahoma City than have ever done so in the past, Lt.

Don Taylor, head of the Oklahoma City Police Department's youth bureau, said Wednesday. "They go for a lot of reasons, but most of them are usually just gone three days," he said. Lt. Taylor's comments came after the bodies of two teen-agers who were Related News Page I stabbed to death in Fort Worth were positively identified as area youths. One of them, Mary Jane Handy, 16, had been handled by Taylor's bureau as a runaway "about six times," he said.

The other victim, Robert Gholson, 16. was not known by the police officer. "It is very unusual for a runaway to end like this," he said, referring to Miss Handy's death. "Almost all of them come back home, maybe in three days, maybe in a year." Lt. Taylor said there are 75 to 125 runaways "gone all the time from Oklahoma City.

They go and they come. The runaway problem is really a headache. It's worse than it's ever been, far worse than in past years." He said that despite the fact most runaways eventually return home or contact their families, 'the parents always think the kids are lying dead somewhere." There is no single reason why children run away from home, he said. "Some kids just don't have anything to do. People call us every day and say their kids won't stay home.

Maybe it's thp kids' fault; maybe it's the parents' fault. "Sometimes, when the kid runs away over and over, the parents just give up. They figure they've done all they can do." Many youths who run away are seeking "excitement," he said, while others "are losers and they're looking for whatever it is they think they missed. "Some of them just can't get along at home." Lt. Taylor said runaways often join a "society that's really severed from the rest of society.

"These kids get out and run with a circle of kids who are on dope and all pilled up. When they do that, anything can happen. Crazy things happen. "There are bleeding hearts and all kinds of persons that will take advantage of these kids." By the time a child is 16 or 17 and has a history nf running away, "he may just slay gone." he said. Before that point is reached, most runaways go home because they are hungry and tired, he said.

Suit Filed By Trooper A highway patrolman who was struck by a car while directing traffic on 1-40 in Custer County filed a $173,000 lawsuit in Oklahoma County district court Wednesday against the driver of the car. Dick Lee Goodman claimed the driver, Nona Z. Denton, was drivinc at excessive speed while the trooper directed traffic on the interstate In a thick foe. Goodman claimed ho suffered severe fractures ind other injuries to his spine and a blow to his skull. in 1968." from the plat to the farm if either or both of them would be filed.

Dewey Tries New Method In Campaign Former Gov. Dewey Bartlett said Wednesday at Oscar Rose Junior College he will take a new approach in campaigning for the U.S. Senate from the approach used when he was seeking re-election as governor in 1970. "Closeness only counts in horseshoes, handgren-ades and ballroom dancing," he said of his defeat. In his senate campaign, Bartlett said he is not taking the race for granted and will be spending a lot of time visiting "grassroots" Oklahomans as well as outlining the issues of the campaign.

Speaking out against South Dakota Sen. George McGovern, Bartlett said he disagrees with the senator in proposals to cut the defense budget and to grant amnesty to Vietnam draft evaders. Bartlett also said he questions hf Court's ruling acninst capital punishment He also spoke out against giving welfare food stamps to strikers and busing to achieve quality education. in your shirt drawer and the deed to the house was in the attic in a box marked 'Maternity The will turned up in the suit jacket you wore the day we made it. And I found our folder marked 'IMPORTANT PAPERS' In the sewing machine drawer." "Now we're getting somewhere." he said, excitedly opening the box.

He picked up a decayed blossom and said, "What is this?" "It's a dried gardenia you got me for the military ball. And here are 400 Top Valu stamps, a batch of spelling papers from a 7th grade you once taught, a dental appointment card for our son from 1962, your dog tags from the Army, a Korean flag, a renewal card from Reader's Digest, someone's baby tooth and an expired library card." "There arc important papers?" he asked, his eyes widening. "I'm not finished. There are three tokens for Fantasy City, a typing certificate for 40 words a minute in my name, the dog's inoculation record, the laundry instructions for something Celanese, two tags that read, 'DO NOT REMOVE THESE TAGS' and, voila, our house insurance policy. Aren't you pleased?" He ant silently for a moment looking at the contents of the IMPORTANT PAPERS file.

"What's the bad news?" he asked tiredly. "I found our marriage license," I said quietly. "That's incredible," he said, "That means we can't put our finger on our Insurance policies, our i deeds, our car I istrations, our will, or our marriage license for that matter." 'I'll look for It. this after water, a phone spokesman said. He said 1hat personnel in the payroll department on the second floor continued to work although their electrical machines were inoperable they just brought out the old manuel adding machines, he said.

Damage Slight A company spokesman said damage appeared to be slight. A figure on the amount or damage was not available a v. Inspection of floor tiles showed no damage, but some painting probably will be required he said. The water did not affect telephone service to the Oklahoma City area as all switchboard equipment is housed In the Southwestern Belt Building at NW 3 and Broadway. Erma Bombeelc noon," said.

By that evening. I was all smiles. "I have some good news and some bad news," I said. "Let's have the good news first." he said. "Well.

I found our car registrations being used as bookmarks in "Tho Man in the Gray Flannel Suit," our life insurance policies turned up r-.