Hawaii Tribune-Herald from Hilo, Hawaii • 1

SUNDAY TELEPHONE Vikings break up The wacky, weird BIIF South logjam world of Gary Larson 16 cartoons page 30 TRIBUNE-HERALD 61ST YEAR NO. 36 HILO, HAWAII, SUNDAY, FEB. 12, 1984 4 SECTIONS 72 PAGES 50 CENTS Politburo seeks new leader MOSCOW (UPI) Konstantin Chernenko led members of the Soviet Union's ruling Politburo yesterday past the flower-bedecked bier of his late adversary Yuri Andropov as Kremlin leaders sought to agree on a successor. There was no word on whether the Politburo had chosen a new leader of the Communist superpower despite a meeting earlier in the day of the Central Commitee, which is expected to approved the choice of a successor. There were few immediate signs of change in Soviet policy.

The official Tass news agency's list of world leaders who expressed condolences left out President Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Reagan, in a conciliatory tone, called for "a good faith effort on both sides" to allow the superpowers to "begin rising above the mistrust and ill will that cloud our relations." Andropov, 69, died Thursday after a yearlong battle with kidney disease. An official autopsy released by Tass said his kidneys, heart and lungs finally gave out. He had been out of public view since last Aug. 18.

Police and army troops sealed off central Moscow to traffic and pedestrians to enable a motorcade of Reagan to Russia: Let's mend fences WASHINGTON (UPI) President Reagan called for a fresh effort to mend strained superpower relations yesterday in a public overture suggesting he is willing to participate in an election year summit with the new Soviet leader. "There's no better time to make that good faith effort than now," Reagan said in his weekly radio address that marked his first public comment on the death of Soviet President Yuri Andropov. "What is needed now is to sit down and find ways of solving some of the problems that divide us." State Department officials and the president's spokesman couched the invitation in cautious terms, however, saying the administration remains determined to steer clear of a summit with whoever emerges as the new Soviet leader without some advance chance of significant results. Larry Speakes, Reagan's spokesman, said from California there has been "no change on the U.S. position on a summit," and reiterated such a meeting would "have to be carefully prepared and would have to have prospects for a meaningful "Our position remains that a summit, to be useful, would have to be carefully prepared and have a prospect of meaningful results," the State Department said in a statement cleared by White House officials with the vacationing Reagan in California.

Despite the official line about preparation, the administration was clearly making overtures for a summit, presumably a political advantage to Reagan in the election year. Astronauts return to red-carpet welcome CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (UPI) Challenger's astronauts sailed home from space by dawn's early light yesterday to a red carpet welcome hailing the flawless first shuttle landing in Florida. "Welcome home. Fantastic job," said mission control, after commander Vance Brand glided Challenger to a pinpoint landing on a ribbon of concrete in a marsh south of Mosquito Lagoon.

"What a terrific adventure that was!" co-pilot Robert "Hoot" Gibson told a cheering crowd of 5,000 well- black Zil limousines to carry the Communist Party leadership to the front door of the House of Unions, where Andropov's body will lie in state until burial Tuesday in Red Square. Analysts were divided over the prospect that Chernenko, 72, will avenge the political setback he suffered after the death of Leonid Brezhnev on Nov. 10, 1982, and claim the power that Andropov wrestled away. A Central Committee source said the group's 300 members met Saturday, presumably to debate the Politburo's recommendations and elect a new leader of the Communist Classified 36-40 Crossword 10 Dear Abby. 26 Entertainment 32, 33 Horoscope 28, 29 Obituaries 20 Opinion 4 Sports 16-18 TV log Orchid Isle Weather 20 Index Ethics board: Councilmen may abstain The County Council should honor its members' wishes to abstain from voting on certain issues if they feel they may have a conflict of.

interest. That's the opinion issued by the County Board of Ethics in response to a request of Councilwoman Helene Hale. Present council rules require all its members to vote unless excused by the chairman. If a member is not excused by the chairman, his or her "silence shall be recorded as an affirmative vote," the rules say. Several1 times during the past year, Chairman Stephen Yamashiro has directed Council members to vote on certain measures even i if they have declared a conflict of interest.

When they have declined to vote, Yamashiro has ordered the clerk to record them as approving of the measures. The ethics rule, approved by the board Friday night, said the current Council rules "could, if applied improperly, cause ethical dilemmas for members of the County Counci." Council member wishes to refrain from voting because of a conflict of interest, that member should be allowed to remain neutral," the board said. The board said it has no authority to change the Council rules. But it can render opinions under the County Charter provisions, the board said. As a follow-up to the board's opinion, Hale wrote letter to Yamashiro, asking "for some corrective action." KOHA may drop local newscasts The new program on the Big Island's television station, KOHA-TV, Channel 2, was temporarily canceled Friday night.

The program will not be aired this week, and a decision will be made next Friday about whether to bring the show back on the air. The newscast was temporarily cut out of local programming because of financial difficulties at the station, employees were told Friday. An official announcement about the station's future programming is expected to be made tomorrow. KOHA, broadcasting from Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, went on the air in August with a locally produced news program and some locally produced advertising along with syndicated programming. Employees were told the station will now be on the air about five hours a day.

The station will be staffed by an engineer, a programmer and a bookkeeper-switchboard operator. Apparently the station was not able to generate sufficient revenue from advertisers to continue to support the half-hour 6:30 p.m. news show. 22 vehicles seized At least 22 vehicles were seized in the South Hilo and Puna areas by the U.S. Drug Enforcement administration since Jan.

25 for alleged violations of federal narcotics laws. Head of the Honolulu DEA office, Leslie Thompson, said the vehicles were seized because federal law views the vehicles as violators when used to transport drugs. She said the person suspected of using the vehicle to transport the drugs may be the owner or may be someone who was merely using the vehicle. Legal notices placed in newspapers said vehicles not claimed are "disposed of according to law." wishing to contest a vehicle's Anyone seizure must file a claim and a $250 bond with the DEA. Party, the nation's most powerful post.

The meeting suggested an announcement might come as early as last night, but eastern European diplomatic sources said leaders of their countries were not expected in Moscow until tomorrow, a sign the decision may come later. Chernenko's age could work either for or against him. Although the average age of the surviving 12 full members of the ruling Politburo is 67, the oldest members are thought to be most comfortable with one of their own. Around Red Square, thousands of Soviet citizens stood in line for hours in 12-degree weather to get a rare close-up look at the man who led the USSR: for the past 15 months. The procession at Andropov's flower -bedecked funeral bier disclosed a surprise.

that Andropov's wife survived him. He was believed to be a widower and his official obituary did not mention his family. 4 Chernenko and the other men of the powerful Politburo observed three minutes of silence at the foot of the bier, then expressed condolences to his relatives beginning with an unidentified woman of Andropov's age. UPI Photo OUT OF BEIRUT The U.S. Marines yesterday flew by the airport runway in full gear while another jogs by out the last American civilians fleeing West Beirut.

him wearing a flack vest and helmet. Above, i in an earlier photo from Beirut, a Marine walks U.S. civilians out of Beirut wishers, among them the astronauts' wives. Brand, Gibson, Ronald McNair, Bruce McCandless and Robert Stewart had flown 3.2 million miles, 127 times around the Earth, on their eight -day flight that carried America to the brink of a new era in space. They brought back with them the two jetpacks that McCandless and Stewart used for the first free flights in space to demonstrate the shuttle program is ready for a daring satellite rescue and repair mission in April.

BEIRUT, Lebanon (UPI) U.S. Marines flew out the last American civilians fleeing West Beirut yesterday but the evacaution was interrupted when a shell exploded over a crowd of people waiting to leave the seafront. None of the evacuees was injured but later a 15-year-old girl was wounded by gunfire near U.S. Ambassador Reginald Bartholomew as she waited for a helicopter. In Washington, the State Department said 379 people left yesterday and the operation to evacuate Americans "has been completed" despite the disruptions caused by continued factional fighting in the besieged Lebanese capital.

Some 580 people, including 505 Americans, evacuated from Beirut reached refuge on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus yesterday, most by an overnight boat crossing but some by direct helicopter flight. More were expected to arrive today. Syrian television said American F- 14 warplanes flew, over Syrian positions in the Dahr elBaidar and Metn mountains east of Beirut at midafternoon, but were turned back by antiaircraft fire from Syrian gunners. anti-aircraft defense units confronted the planes and forced them to flee westwards," a military Church offers services for the deaf and it simply isn't good news if people denominations, but people of different By Leigh Critchlow can't hear it or understand it. This is faiths.

We want everyone to feel Tribune- Herald opportunity for us to make sure welcome to come and be a part of an the good news of God's love is heard this," he said. Denise Bowen's fingers flashed, her and understood by everyone, inhands and arms moving gracefully to cluding those who are hearing im- Vaught said by the use of signing form the symbols of words as the Rev. paired," said Vaught. for the hearing impaired, the church Peter Vaught spoke nearby. is trying to be as communicative as At the close of the -week possible.

It was a dry run just for the project, the church will evaluate the Bowen is member of St. Tribune-Herald, but the exercise will program to see if such an effort is a Joseph's Catholic Church in Hilo and a freshbegin in earnest today when Bowen worthwhile, to find out who man at the UH-Hilo. She has voluninterprets the sermon, liturgy and benefitted, and, if a need has been teered her time and expertise for the words of the hymns for the hearing established, to see how best the project. impaired during the regular morning church can meet that need. worship at the Hilo United Methodist When she was in high school some Church at 374 Waianuenue Ave.

Vaught said another reason for the of her fellow schoolmates were deaf will be front during the project is to raise the awareness and in her junior year she took the Bowen up service interpreting in sign within the community of the im- course offered in sign language. and portance of this kind of service. language Feb. and March 4. "There are a lot more hearing at 10:30 a.m.

today, on 19, 26, In her senior year she helped inimpaired people in the community terpret course work in the classroom The one-month trial period is than people for her fellow students who were realize," said Bowen. geared toward finding out whether hearing impaired. Tribune-Herald photo by Larry Kadooka such a service is needed and wanted Vaught encourages all interested led by by Hilo residents. persons to participate. Bowen plans to major in deaf FOR THE -Denise Bowen Hilo United Methodist Church "The responsibility of the church is "The church is open to all people, education in college and to become a to preach the 'good news' to people not only people of different Christian teacher for the deaf.

begins signing for the hearing im- the Rev. Peter Vaught. paired at this morning's service at the spokesman told Syrian television. The State Department and the Pentagon said the reports could not be confirmed. There was no word on the fate of Frank Regier, 50, an American professor at the American University of Beirut kidnapped Friday.

Regier, who was born in Montgomery, W.Va., lived in west Beirut with his Lebanese wife for 25 years. The harassment of the evacuation was in marked contrast to Friday when almost 1,000 Americans, Britons and other westerners left without incident. The last of 32 helicopter loads lifted off from the seafront corniche at early evening..