The Sacramento Bee from Sacramento, California • 4

rile Sacramento Bee guspeollor Callifornia Metro Tueocl'ayIlsth 13 079 SECTION' Li') 4 The 4 it sec 1 161 -2 url! -0 B10 I Mother's 11(v 1 By 'rED BELL ist) was in the area and the alarms went off but boredom throws out any kind of logic You're there for eight hours and you gotta be cool (con form to peer pressure) or your life can be made miserable" According to the sources the "par tying" begins at sundown and contin ues until a new shift arrives The guards' supervisors within the con fined security areas usually rank no higher than staff sergeant "Because of the turnover in the Air Force the area sups are usually pretty young and cool" said one source "Anytime anyone who isn't assigned to the area for the full shift comes in he has to be announced over the radio so everybody just perks up stashes a joint and plays soldier It's not isolated It goes on every night" Mather officials last week confirmed that the Air Force's Office of Special Investigations was investigating members of the 320th for drug use and possible sale of drugs Six members of the squadron have been re and munitions area especially at night leads to smoking of marijuana next to the bombers loaded with more than 275000 pounds of jet fuel (the tankers contain more than 185000 pounds) and presumably live ammunition Air Force policy Is to "neither con- firm or deny" the presence of nuclear weapons at any Air Force installation but the bombers also carry thousands of rounds of 20 millimeter ammunition for their tail guns Also the sources claim sentries are inclined to sleep play cards and even tamper with their M-16 rifles to the point of emptying the gunpowder from the rifle ammunition and fiddling with the rifles' sighting mechanisms that can throw the actual line of fire of a bullet off by hundreds of yards "It's just plain boredom" one of the sources said recently "Sure it sounds like suicide the fuel in the planes being a little stoned can throw off your reflexes if a zapper (a terror lieved of duty but so far no charges have been filed Two of the six including a first lieutenant were in the process of being discharged from the Air Force for disciplinary reasons when the investigation was revealed Col Donald I Sprague deputy commander of the 320th Bomb Wing said recently that the drug investigation did not deal with any improper conduct by his wing's security policemen while on sentry or duty within the security areas "I know of no pot smoking in a restricted area here at Mather" said Sprague The 320th Security Police Squadron has been rated as one of the best in the Strategic Air Command But sources claim there is no way for the squadron's officers let alone Air Force inspectors to really know what goes on among the enlisted men The same sources contend the ability to react to an emergency situation after having smoked a few joints of marijuana during the night depends straight months last year The sources suggested that a commissioned officer be in the security areas for the full shift that the aircraft sentries be rotated from guard duty to the ready-response team duty every few hours to break up the boredom and that a coffee truck be allowed to visit the sentry stations Searching the airmen for marijuana with a drug-sniffing dog before the airmen were taken to the restricted areas was also suggested Some 55 million was appropriated for physical improvements for SAC security at Mather last year In December 1977 a Washington DC reporter posing as a contractor talked his way past guards and security systems at Mather and was given a full tour of all the weak points in the weapons storage facilities' Last week Sprague said work was under way to improve security at the base including building a 50-foot tower and installing a new type of barbed wire on the individual "You've got to understand that if something gets in (the area) the (electronic) sensors go on horns blow and the ball park lights go on It's mass confusion no matter what condition you're in Somebody sprinting towards the planes with a satchel charge is a tough target you can only point your gun and spray Like you've only got less than a hundred yards before he gets to a plane" said one source These same sources none of whom are known to be under investigation say there are other security problems They said the squadron is supposed to have up to nine guard dogs but until recently there were fewer than four and that most of the dogs were so old they were no longer effective The sources said the sentries although qualified in the use of their weapons actually fire the weapons less than once a year The rifle range at Mather was closed for eight ilritir 4-II: security guards keeping i watoch over loaded nuclear bombers 4 andaht munitions area at Mather Air Fotiflo Base relieve their nighttime bofedOm by smoking marijuana pidting cards and tampering with their M-16 rifles sources say Although base officials recently ackribwiedged they were investigat: inirthe use of marijuana by members of tfce 320th Security Police Squadron 7 wiliWguards the nuclear bombers and tlinkers they said there was no I 4 inlAtigation of alleged pot smoking in the security areas 4 31 320th is assigned to provide se dfity with sentries guard dogs and soolliqicated electronic surveillance eqtAtiment for the bomber-alert pad thd'itilunitions-storage depot and the boAliber-tanker flight lines Bt sources close to the squadron andliS security operations allege that the Oredom of guarding the aircraft 1 I 510 I Bee Staff Writer ome Births ii L' Refuses To Discuss Midwife 4000 '4- A I licensing boards are "used as a tool to protect the medical monopoly" While the nursing board's investiga tor attempted to question Mrs Givich inside a Howe Avenue office building Monday afternoon a large crowd of alternative birth advocates and their children picketed outside Organized by Californians for Alternative Health Care the demonstrators carried placards praising home birth The crowd was joined by Michael See BIRTHS Page Et3 LII0 By SIGRID BATHEN 6''t Bee Staff Writer uth Lake Tahoe mother whose baby was born 17 months ago with the help of a Placerville midwife Monday reltaed to testify in Sacramento be-font State Board of Registered Nursestxrepresentative investigating the midwife t4 mother Loretta Givich refus4 to answer questions on the her attorney who said the jnvektigation is an invasion of the faftvily's privacy and because the infoitnation could be used against Mrs Givich and others in criminal proPlkerville attorney Michael Stamloalfgh said a board investigator adtvistil him that if Mrs Givich refused to answer questions about midwife Jo Ann Ruiz contempt proceedings could be brought against Mrs Givich in court and she could be sent to jail Board representatives have refused to comment on the investigation and no formal charges have been brought against Mrs Ruiz a registered nurse "This is not a quality issue" Stambaugh said "The mom is healthy and the kid is healthy The issue is economics and the government bureaucracy being used to protect the medical establishment The Givichs studied home versus hospital birth they looked at the pros and cons and they selected home birth It Was an intelligent decision and now they are faced with investigation and criminal prosecution" He said the nursing and medical 0 Head Injury Apparently Killed Girl 1 Slides Threaten State Redwoods AIROMEINNem I Woodland 4 543actmento Metro 1 Korport A t) 01 '1 i 7 4 -1' 3 tW-'': 1' Ar'" 1 It7 1 4 1 0 'n' 1w4 14 10 1 00- S11047 1 4 l'P' I 7 7 "2 I -1 4--- el i N- 1' ir 4 Ati 4 i AI I Wilo r0 I i'l I -C -)'4 4 1 4' i tr 1 1-N 1 4 1) i 45 '''t '''4 i li 4 4" 1 1 i pi 4 riA 4 AP 4 4: -4--4-' fi li sr ts ry 1 I 4e- p- I--1 1 1 of 1--k to: f- 1 1 '1 i i oodW land mscrafnef' tc' 1 sl: etr 4 I i 1 i Airport I a 21 5 4 i Irci AA Last year Congress approved a bill expanding the park by 48000 acres The bill also included funds for jobs and retraining of loggers who may be out of work because of the park expansion Conservationists blame extensive logging on private lands in the area of the park for the increased muddying of Redwood Creek But government geologist Deborah Harden said she and other scientists were unable to determine "how much of the increase in landslides and stream sediment loads is natural and how much man-made" The survey said erosion in the area has many causes and the problem will not be solved easily WASHINGTON (UPI) The US Geological Survey Monday reported a dragiatic increase in the number of landslides which may harm the word's tallest tree and other redwoods in Redwood National Park The survey said landslides have increased more than fourfold during the past 30 years in northern California's Redwood Creek basin "High sediment loads in Redwood Creek are considered a particular problem because they have an adverse effect upon aquatic habitat and riparian vegetation including the redWoods" the survey said Rttlwood National Park contains thelall Trees Grove including what is believed to be the first third and sixth tallest trees in the world TentatiVe autopsy findings revealed that 9-year-old Katherine Dee Harlan whose body was found Sunday afternoon in a drainage canal died of a blow to the head Sacramento County sheriff's officials said Monday Katherine disappeared last Wednesday while on her way to a North Highlands bus stop near her home Her body was found by two fishermen in Sutter County about 15 miles from where deputies believe she was abducted Sheriffs spokesman Bill Miller said laboratory tests were continuing However' early findings have led pathologists to believe the youngster was not molested or strangled On Monday deputies continued their investigation of the area where Katherine's body was found A deputy in the Sheriffs Department helicopter took video tape pictures that officials hope will reveal evidence that might have been missed during the ground search Meanwhile two other deputies took photographs of tire tracks along the canal and gathered soil samples from where the girl's body was dumped Frederick Robinson 33 was arrested Friday and accused of the girl's slaying Deputies said Robinson admitted kidnapping the girl Wednesday strangling her to death and placing the body in a trash bin near a North Area shopping center Although Robinson's reported confession appears inconsistent with the facts discovered so far Miller said Robinson would remain under arrest because of other evidence which was not disclosed Soo Map a huo 151 21 0 a Regional Park Site Newton Didn't Shoot P(ostitute Guard Says VBroderick BrYtei 4i 1 4 4 LI 11111-11i1 West Sacramento i Davjs) The dirt road at left center leads to a Sacramento River lagoon which would become a marina in the proposed Elkhorn Regional Park in Yo lo County eight miles upstream from Sacramento Yo to Park Plans OAKLAND (AP) A bodyguard to Black Panther leader Huey Newton testified Monday he saw a key prosecution witness shoot and kill a 17- yeathold prostitute the crime Newton is ottrial for Larry Henson who said he had guarded Newton since 1973 said he saw Charles Buie 25 "talk a few minutes with her swing his arm aroppd as if to strike her and he fired a gilit at her" 1-kenson said he and fellow Newton bodifguard Robert Heard immediately lv ft the shooting scene in Oakland quie told the jury last week he saw Newton shoot Kathleen Smith on Aug 60 In his opening remarks defense attorney Michael Kennedy said the a 1 ly NI 6 bodyguards were witnesses to the shooting Earlier in the day a writer Donald Freed said he was with Newton at the Black Panther's home the night of the shooting Freed a founder of a group called Friends of the Black Panthers and the author of several books including one on prison conditions said he and Newton were together until 3 am the night of the shooting Miss Smith was shot shortly after midnight Freed said he told Charles Garry then Newton's attorney that he was with Newton that night but quoted Garry as telling him "not to tell anyone else" Dispute Pits Boats Vs Birds San Francisco Armored Car Guard Shot i I 1 1 By PENNY SPAR Bee Correspondent Along the western bank of the Sacramento River just south of the Elkhorn Bridge is a 55-acre dense riparian wooded area which has become the focal point of a controversy between the Audubon Society and Yolo County County officials with financial assistance from state and federal agencies want to develop 10 acres of that land into a park featuring a boat ramp nature trails and picnic grounds As envisioned the Elkhorn Regional Park along State Route 16 just eight miles upstream from Sacramento would attract hundreds of weekend visitors whose parking fees would cover the cost of maintenance But the Audubon Society believes those hundreds of people would seriously disrupt the lifestyle of the ground's inhabitants beetles snakes animals and 70 species of birds John Aderson president of the Sacramento chapter of the Audubon Society says it's not that the society is against the idea of a park it's just that the planned development is the wrong type says "But the area is unique close to urban centers and if it has to be developed it should be done as an educational facility not a boating one" Ms Sands says the Reclamation Board should begin master planning for the entire 300-mile stretch of banks along the Sacramento River and stop its piecemeal approach to development But if the Audubon Society manages to convince the board to delay the project for further study then Yolo County Parks Director Earl Balch has vowed to recommend total cancellation of all planned development Balch says he would suggest the Yolo County Board of Supervisors "dispose" of the 55 acres it purchased in 1972 to a private developer Yolo Parks Commission Chairman Wayne Ginsberg adds there is at least one developer who is "very very interested" in building a marina on the site If the county can convince the board to give its approval then the Audobon Society might turn to the courts for an injunction Anderson says "That is certainly one option our counsel is considering" he said See PARK Pap E3 The Audubon Society would prefer an educational facility for students and nature lovers instead of a place for weekend boaters Sitting in judgment of the proposed park is the state Reclamation Board which must approve a joint powers agreement with the county during its meeting Friday if construction is to begin this spring The Reclamation Board has three times declined to take action on the project and last month asked Yo lo County to return March 16 with some alternative design plans for the placement of the boat launch However the county will be back with the same blueprint claiming it is the best of the alternatives already considered by the Parks and Recreation Commission Adding another wrinkle to the controversy is the fact that this month Gov Brown appointed Anne Sands to the Reclamation Board Ms Sands an outspoken critic of the proposed project has represented the Davis Audubon Society and the River lands Council in previous board hearings She has advised however that she will not vote on the issue vihen action is taken "I'm not against the park" she SAN FRANCISCO (AP) An armored car guard was shot during an abortive robbery attempt at the Stonestown shopping center in western San Francisco Monday police reported Armored Transport Co guard Tom Taylor 54 told police he had just made a pickup at the Bullocks Department Store at 10:30 am and was walking through an open courtyard when he heard someone shout: "Freeze!" Taylor said he looked up to the second floor area and saw a man pointing a shotgun at him He said he couldn't remember exactly what he did then but the weapon fired and he was hit on the left side by shotgun pellets Police said Taylor pulled his revolver and fired three shots at the gunman and then limped with the money back to the armored car and took refuge inside Patrolman Mike Millane said it appeared Taylor's left leg bad suffered the worst wound Millane said a wig left behind was believed worn by the gunman Woman 81 'I'm Innocent' 114 wiusrs (AP) An 81-year-old woman described as a powerhouse find in great condition for her age pleaded innocent Monday to beating "her 85-year-old husband to death in their room at a rest home Spencer was charged with manslaughter Friday three weeks after her husband of 40 years Edgar was found dead at the Redwood Manor rest home in Willits A preliminary hearing was set for Apri118 The couple had recently moved from Hemet 1 Deputy District Attorney Norm Vroman who termed Mrs Spencer 4 powerhouse in great condition for her age" said she exercises and drinks carrot juice He said the investigation revealed a long history of "quarreling and 1I4ckering" between the Spencers Spencer was not a husky man and was semi-ambulatory at the time 0p1 his death the attorney said Justice Court Judge Galen Hathaway after setting a preliminary looked at Mrs Spencer and said "She's so tiny she can't neigh more than 105 pounds" -1 Mrs Spencer remains at the rest home on her own recognizance If toni 9cpnvicted of manslaughter she could be sentenced to a prison term of 4wo to four years 1 aem mlAm ammEnImmm.