The Bradenton Herald from Bradenton, Florida • 1

vW'- w40 'L 1 J- 1 -yA Business Key Florida Banktl president quits under fire' IlDetalliA-9 Pirates beat Expos 2-0 for ninth straight victory: Details Page D-1 emicl ne VOL 70 NO 222 THURSDAY APRIL 23 1992 BRADENTON FLORIDA 25 CENTS $225WEEK MICHELLE LEDER isufta Wfllfl BUWrWtl WnWr The long-expected ax finally fell at Tropicana Products Inc as 105 middle- ana upper-level managers at the east Bradenton plant were told their jobs had been eliminated Rumors about the layoffs had been circulating Workers quiet on company's cute SeeA-2 were affected by the cuts "They were not focused on any one Pietersen said adding that no departments had been eliminated although some were Some departments were hit more severely than others engineering department for example was trimmed by 20 percent sources said -i -Another 40 positions were eliminated at Tropica-na's plants iq California and New Jersey and an additional 88 positions are being eliminated company-wide through attrition The company-wide reduction in jobs totals 233 The laid-off employees were given severance packages based on the number of years they worked at Tropicana according to Bob Cberundolo vice president for human resources Extended health insurance Earth lessons Environmental lessons were the focus for Manatee County students on Earth Day Detals PageB-1 months so for many announcement came as a relief Those laid off were allowed to collect their personal belongings and were then escorted from the plant by Tropicana security guards The layoffs equated to a 10 percent reduction in salaried workforce and were effective immediately although employees will continue to be paid through May 1 Tropicana President William Pietersen said the cuts were "spread throughout the Clerical workers middle managers and senior executives QRANT JEFFERIES Bradenton Herald ToA-2 Workers on a shift change had Uttie to say about the layoffs CUTS it looks as if we have been Burnside sentenced in assault Local authorities now want to bring ex-fugitive Burnside to Manatee County to face charges in the murder of his estranged wife' St Pete i may stay teamless 2000 i i i A Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent is doubtful about the city Jphances of landing a baseball club soon CARLOS GALARZA i-i sum wnwr Ex-Klansman drops bid for White House David Duke halted his Republican presidential campaign Wednesday after a senes of poor primary showings and said he would not wage an independent White House bid this fall "I have not been success- Duke ful in this race for said the former Ku Klux 1 Klan leader and one-time Nasi sympathiser "My role in this presidential election is households no longer shrinking The' American household has stopped shrinking a 140-year trend to- ward less togetherness A Census Bureau report Wednesday showed that the dwellings were inhabited by an average of 263 people last year exactly the same number as the previous year and virtually identical to figure of 262 The recent numbers reflect at least a stall in the slow but steady decline in household sizes since 1850 when the average was 555 people leaning tower In danger of falling The tilt of famed 1 leaning tower of Pisa is in- creasing so fast that the 14th century structure could collapse without prior notice experts said Wednesday 1 The tower the main tourist attraction at this Tuscan city currently leans 55 degrees off perpendicular The 13 experts said in a communique: "There is a danger of a structural collapse with no notice similar to what happened to bell 250-foot 900-year-old cathedral tower collapsed in March 1989 killing three HaraM staff a4 wife reports ASSOCIATED PRESS Volunteers search for victims amid the ruins of a Guadalajara Mexico home James Burnside was sentenced Wednesday to almost eight years in prison by a federal judge in Birmingham Ala opening the way for his extradition to Manatee County to face murder and attempted murder I charges But local au- Jumalde thorities must wait until Burnside is processed into a federal prison before he can be brought to trial here Assistant State Attorney Baron Given said Burnside was convicted by a jury on Feb 7 cm charges of assaulting a federal officer and use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence He previously pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and fugitive UJ3 District Judge William Acker on Wednesday sentenced Burnside to seven years and nine months in federal prison Given said he did not foresee any problem in getting Burnside to Manatee County "Before we can direct a motion to have Burnside returned we have to know where going to be sent to Given said decision' of (which federal prison) he will be Hockey team to play at Expo Hall See D-1 GREGORY SPEARS Herald WaOVnoton Correspondent WASHINGTON St $135 million domed stadium looked more like a white elephant than ever Wednesday when top executive said no ball dub-will move there soon and a new hockey team chose Tampa for its home Baseball Commissioner Vincent Fay Vincent sounded doubtful Wednesday about St chances of landing a big league baseball club any time soon and perhaps not even in this century In remarks to the National Press Club here Vincent said he does not expect baseball owners to create any more new franchise teams in this decade and said the sport does not like moving existing ball dubs because of outraged reactions from fans "I think (St Petersburg) would be the number one dty if a team Mexico blasts kill at least 184 Associated Piece buildings was under control A statement by Femex state oil mo- nopoly said the explosions were caused by volatile liquid hexane that had leaked into the sewers The hexane was leaked by a private cooking oil company La Central which used it to extract edible oils from seeds Pemex said But Jose Morales manager of La Central said its drainage system Is not connected to that of the city He welcomed an investigation but said his iwm air in second largest city Wednesday Witnesses said 184 bodies had been recovered and 600 people were reported injured The federal government sent the army to keep order in the city of 3 million where telephones electricity and water services hwl been cut -Isidents said they had complained about a ps smdl foT more than a day but were told everything ToA-2 LAST TEAM URNSIDI ToA-2 ToA-2 Supreme Court tackles pivotal abortion case Day care owner guilty of 99 counts of abuse AARON EPSTEIN Herald Washington Bureau against nature innocent IH go to prison and fight it from there Kelly said The charges carry a maximum penalty of 40 life terms plus 590 1 years Judge Marsh McLelland scheduled sentencing for today Six other people also face trials Expenses for the trial have topped $12 million The defense contended that parents in Edenton a town of about 5800 had become hysterical over rumors of abuse and had asked their children leading questions Twelve children testified Juror Dennis Ray said that was an important reason for the conviction "The children were convincing" hesaid FARMVILLE NC The owner of a day care center was convicted Wednesday on 99 of 100 charges of sexually abusing children under his care The verdict culminated the longest and costliest criminal trial in state history Robert Kelly Jr who owned the now-closed Little Rascals Day Care Center in Edenton was acquitted only of a single charge of taking indecent liberties with one girL After 14 days of deliberating the jury convicted Kelly 44 of abusing 12 children He was found guilty of 1 four counts of rape 46 of taking in-' decent liberties 36 of first-degree sexual offense and 13 crimes Anti-abortlonlsts arrested -In dliilo protest SeeA-8 The case a challenge to Pennsyl- abortion law is a potentially pivotal crossroad in the tempestuous legal history of abortion the explosive issue that has split the nation for more than a generation A ruling expected by July could undercut Roe vs Wade the Supreme 1973 abortion rights landmark case that gave women a constitutional right to choose abortion Such a decision combined with a drive in Congress to pass a strong abortion rights bill may make abortion a major political issue in fall election campaigns WASHINGTON In a case expected to reduce or possibly erase abortion rights the supreme Court grappled Wednesday with the perplexing question of how much protection the Constitution provides to a woman seeking to terminate her pregnancy Kathryn Kolbert arguing for Planned Parenthood resolutely insisted on the highest possible protection because she said "the right to choose abortion Is But UJS Solicitor General Kenneth Starr and Pennsylvania Attorney General Ernest Preate Jr emphasizing rights of the unborn urged the court to adopt a less protective standard Kelly: abused 12 chldren A.