News-Pilot from San Pedro, California • 1

THE ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER SERVING THE HARBOR AREA EXCLUSIVELY 53rd year No 297 San Pedro California February 25 1981 Pages Murderer Lawrence Bittaker is flanked by Garber as a jury recommends he die in his attorneys Lewis Titus left and Albert the gas chamber Jury finds Bittaker must die for torture-murders of 5 teens US money sought for 2 projects By Greg Krikorian Copley News Service The Los Angeles City Council backed plans to seek federal funds to assist two huge Harbor Area projects that would face rough waters under President proposed economic program Without discussion the council agreed Tuesday to take the first step toward securing a total of $9 million in Urban Development Action Grants for a proposed railroad transfer facility with Long Beach and the expansion of Todd Pacific Shipyards While city officials Tuesday insisted the action was not hurried to forestall any possible cut-off of federal funds they admitted concern over the liklihood that those dollars are forthcoming because of sweeping economic plan Gil Archuletta who overseas the grant programs said the big question will be the starting date for the proposed action on funds for the Urban Development Action Grants program Some clarification he said is expected March 10 City officials already have expressed concern for apparent plan to consolidate funds for Urban Development Action Grants into the federal block grant program one that Los Angeles representatives already say is underfunded to accommodate their programs If funds for Urban Development Action Grants in the current federal fiscal year ending Sept 30 are slashed Archuletta said chances are that the $9 million for the two projects will be available But if current year funds are not affected he said both projects stand good of receiving requested monies Completion of the two projects according to separate reports prepared by the chief legislative analyst would add at least 1650 new jobs to the Harbor Area in the next several years While funds would be granted Dr Roy Perry general manager of the Harbor Depatment suggested that a planned container transfer facility is enough that we will have to provide funding for it in any The initial phase of that project would cost an estimated $30 million with $4 million in Urban Development Action Grants funds and the balance split between Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors under the current plan The proposed container transfer facility would provide more direct port-to-rail transport of the huge volume of containerized cargo now making its way from Southern California to the Southwest and Midwest A report to the council Tuesday says the facility which would be operated in conjunction with Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railroads would be located on Harbor Department property between Sepulveda Boulevard the San Diego Freeway and west of the proposed Terminal Island Freeway Perry said that barring any interruptions in developing the project it could begin in late 1982 to accommodate some of the cargo in a process ultimately designed to reduce the truck transport of containers from the current 25 miles to about two miles Tax for police to be on ballot By Greg Krikorian Copley News Service The Los Angeles City Council unanimously agreed to place Police Chief Daryl special tax plan for more officers before voters June 2 The Tuesday decision despite a lengthy debate was expected after year-old gained momentum partly because of Los spiraling crime rate But even with the expected approval Tuesday some council members expressed doubt that the measure would be approved by the required two-thirds vote Under the plan the current staffing would gradually be increased to 8500 officers by fiscal 1984-85 through a special tax generating some $71 million in that first year of full deployment If approved in June the special tax would begin with the start of fiscal 1981-80 on July 1 The average levy for a single-family homeowner would be $12 going up to $58 in fiscal 1984-85 and beyond when the department would be expected to have its 8500 officers The council agreed Tuesday that the tax could not be applied without the city first funding the department to its current authorized strength of 7146 officers Members also agreed that the additional revenues would first be used to staff all police functions at pre-Proposition 13 levels Through debate council members conceded that the special tax plan is not foolproof and will need a strong campaign to gain the required two-thirds support of voters no way we are going to write the perfect Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky told colleagues not a crime-solving crime-stopping said Yaroslavsky who noted that the key goals of the plan are added police visibility and quicker response to calls Councilman Hal Bernson said feeling is that we have to do something desperate Gates whose plan gained support with the increased attention on Los rising crime again suggested Tuesday that the will significantly improve the effectiveness Computer analyses of the plan he said show that the department could increase the number of field officers by 65 percent decrease response time by 72 percent and more than double the frequency of patrols in given areas as well as the number of patrol units available at any particular time he told the council convinced that while this is not a solution to the crime problem it will reduce crime then perhaps most important of all it will reduce the fear level that has gripped this Gates said he found great pleasure to suggest we increase taxes but we find it is the only way we can control While voting for the placement on the June ballot Councilman Joel Wachs was admittedly less than enthusiastic about its design The San Fernando Valley councilman suggested that the city regardless of future financial conditions would be locked in to the plan A severe cutback in revenues Wachs claimed would require the council to emasculate the rest of the budget if we want to rely on any of these tax to maintain police services want a safe city and I am willing to pay for the cost but I believe it has to be at the expense of the Fire Department our streets and our public Wachs said in criticizing the wording city has to be more than just an Wachs said adding got to be safe but it has also got to be While agreeing that Wachs raised some valid concerns several other council members challenged his assertion that the plan needs further improvements When Wachs suggested that maintaining police services with the tax funds would lead to fire park and rubbish taxes to offset other budget cuts colleagues insisted that the first responsibility is to protect the public On the inside With top speed about 30 mph a young man and woman plan to take from six months to a year to make a 10000-mile trip from San Pedro to Rio de Janeiro by moped beginning next week See page A3 taken awhile but legislators are finally finding out what the public has already known for a long time the crime problem has gotten out of hand See page A6 Definitions of legal sanity have been strange enough to drive a person insane See page A10 It was that tape of the screaming begging 16-year-old victim the last of five victims that most affected the jurors All of the jurors who talked with reporters said they had nightmares after hearing the tape had a dream I was coming down an elevator at the courthouse and when it opened Bittaker was standing there and he threw cinders in my face I said Sherrall Neal of Hermosa Beach Juror Susan Arnold of Torrance said the tape and pictures of battered body in the morgue after it was found in an ivy bed in Tujunga had the most effect on her The jurors said they did not believe testimony that his accomplice Roy Lewis Norris committed the murders All said they believed Norris 'her than Bittaker we coupled testimony with the rest of the evidence it was credible was Pardue said A2 col 2 death For the murder of Jackie Gilliam death For the murder of Leah Lamp death And for the murder of Shirley Lynette Ledford death It was not until defense attorney Albert Garber requested the jury be polled individually that Bittaker came out of his seeming trance He turned and looked at each juror as they said yes death was their verdict Judge Thomas Fredricks ordered Bit-taker back in court March 24 for sentencing All death sentences are automatically appealed to the state Supreme Court After Bittaker was returned to a holding cell in the courthouse for the 20-mile ride back to Los Angeles County Jail Garber met with reporters and said his client had expected the death sentence feels there is sufficient reason for it (the verdict) to be said Garber adding the case was a lost cause from the beginning when Judge Fredricks allowed a tape of Ledford being tortured to be played for the jury By Dennis McCarthy Staff writer It took a Torrance jury less than V2 hours Tuesday to return the death penalty against convicted murderer Lawrence Sig-mond Bittaker Thus ends the most highly publicized gruesome murder trial in local history After the jury retired to deliberate a secret ballot was taken Five pieces of white paper were passed out to each of the seven women and five men on the jury who marked each and returned them to jury foreman Jack Pardue Shortly after 3 pm the jury filed back into the courtroom each taking a glimpse at the defendant before sitting down Bit-taker sat at the defense table staring straight ahead as if in a trance He did not look up or show any outward emotion as court clerk Arlene Miller read the verdicts For the murder of Cindy Schaefer death For the murder of Andrea Hall Sub search for 'copter bodies fails immediate grounding of all Catalina A11 lines aircraft mean they received a $200000 Felando said deal How much are the lives of that little boy and that man on his honeymoon worth? going to contact the attorney office if I have to Enough is The fine to which Felando referred was a $200000 civil penalty the FAA levied against Catalina Airlines in December 1979 for 22 safety violations in 1978 and 1979 Dana in calling for county and federal probes of crash said public deserves to know its safety is being given every consideration by governmental agencies investigating this tragedy" Acting on a motion by Dana the Board of Supervisors ordered Chief Administrative Officer Harry Hufford and county Engineer Stephen Koonce to report as soon as possible on the air traffic safety A2 col 2 Ortega's bride of two days and four members of family were injured in the crash as was the pilot Walter Pinkerton 32 of Manhattan Beach Assemblyman Gerald Felando R-San Pedro meanwhile began to take measures Tuesday to shut Catalina Airlines down and Los Angeles County Supervisor Deane Dana whose 4th District includes the Harbor Area called for county and federal investigations into the crash Felando cited Catalina four fatal crashes and several Federal Aviation Administration fines for safety violations in the past four years understand why the FAA shut them down Felando said do we put a stop to them? When do we quit allowing them to put our lives in danger with complete disregard for the rules of the Felando called Secretary of Transportation Andrew Lewis and an official for Caltrans in Sacramento requesting the By David Hall and Thom Mead Staff writers A day-long submarine search Tuesday failed to locate the two missing persons and the wreckage from crash of a Catalina Airlines helicopter into the water near Catalina Island The two-man minisub operated out of a Redondo Beach diving shop was expected to continue its search this morning at the crash site about 300 yards off Pebbly Beach The sub skippered by Don Sieverts and based at Dive Surf was called to the search Monday by Catalina insurance company Air Claims Service of Irvine after Department efforts to find the missing persons and wreckage failed The missing whose bodies are presumed trapped within the wreckage are Miguel Ortega 24 of Maywood and Lior Levy 5 of Encino A2 col 2 money for SP library City wants more federal already has received $3 4 million in Block By Tom Coulter Thursday with Councilman John Gibson Jr and representatives of the city attorney and engineering offices to review the status of the project The Friends of the San Pedro Library-have been working on the idea of building a new facility for about 17 years The present library now has no room for all of its books Many are stored rather than placed on the shelves The library will have a Spanish architectural theme and L-shape design Once ground is broken said it would take about one year for construction Buck said Also recommended for Block Grant funds for the 15th District are $375000 for the Harbor Community Development Corp youth center $50000 for the Wilmington community sports complex and funds to continue the Handyman Program in Wilmington San Pedro and Harbor City Firmin Masonic Lodge and the residence of Louis Sogliuvzo The city has been negotiating with the two parties for the purchase of their land The entire library site which nearly will triple the present size of the library and add necessary parking space will encompass about 72500 square feet and take up 10 lots plus the current library property The building would take up 20000 square feet Although Buck said he did not know whether to be optimistic or not he anticipates construction on the librsry could start by September The library would be built around the existing library Upon its completion the old library built in 1947 would be demolished to provide parking space The project is bounded by Ninth and Tenth streets and runs west from South Gaffey Street Buck said his department will meet Staff writer With inflated land acquisition costs eating into construction funds a final $1 million in federal money is being sought for the proposed San Pedro Neighborhood Library The federal Block Grant Program is the last remaining source of money for the library outside of private sources Los Angeles is receiving $54846000 in the seventh year Block Grant Program a reduction of $2 million from this year The city will conduct public hearings in the council chamber March 4 to review the Housing and Community Development program proposed for 1981-82 funding under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act Charles Drescher director of the Community Development Department said he has recommended approval of the $1 million for the library project The library Grant funds is being given for those projects needing additional funds to either complete or continue he said He said the Library Department is aware this would be the final time the Block Grant funds can be used After the public review period final council approval should be completed by mid-March Drescher said with approval by the Housing and Urban Development Department expected by July 1 additional $1 million should fully fund the project assuming there are no other unusual Donald Buck business manager for the Library Department said Buck hopes the city can acquire the final two parcels of land by April 1 and open bids for construction in June or July The city office is working on condemnation procedures for the Point Index Weather Ann Landers B7 Area deaths A5 Births B4 Mostly cloudy with Classified D4-8 showers increasing to- Comics CIO night Showers ending Consumers C7-9 Thursday morning with Editorial A4 partial clearing in the Entertainment Cll afternoon Gusty winds Harbor Living B6-8 at times Highs 57 to 62 Medical B3-5 Lows tonight 45 to 50 Military Cl-4 Chance of rain 80 per- Senior living C5 cent tonight and 40 per- Sports Dl-3 cent Thursday morning Sydney Omarr B8 Television CIO Youth education Bl-2 1 N-.