Birmingham Post-Herald from Birmingham, Alabama • 6

(Tfre Bitmlngfram 3feuH SATURDAY Birmingham Pool-Herald METROSTATE Clark should share punitive damage views exec says PAGE 6A By David White News staff writer ben of the House truly believe this is a serious issue and one that can only be addressed in a special session said He argued that the Legislature's regular session which starts Feb 6 would have too many other bills introduced to give the punitive-damages issue the attention it deserves acter or good name is involved The 105-member House isn't in session now however the reason Keller said the meetings likely were legal could argue that this group was not empowered to do anything just talking to said Keller State Rep Seth Hammett D-Andalusia said that's exactly what happened at the series of briefings was simply an informal gathering of members of the he said Keller said closing the meetings could have made people think the legislators had something to hide But Clark the top-ranking House member criticized the reporting to date an the tort issue by journalists whom he did not name spying the stories tried to create divisions and were not quarters in Montgomery think he's legally correct I think though that most folks know this is a controversial they want to hear more about Keller said At the sessions Business Council of Alabama lobbyist George Clark outlined for House members what he sees as the problem of excessive punitive damage awards given by juries to injured people The business group has said Alabama's multimillkxHioi-lar verdicts are driving corporations out of the state and causing others not to locate here Clark said he reviewed behind a package of proposed laws that a business group he chairs the Alabama Civil Justice Reform Committee is writing Alabama law says no public board can hold a secret meeting unless a person's char is a very touchy matter We feel we owe you Clark said in a telephone interview Friday don't need the press involved in all this stuff All interested in is this in-your-face type were carrying out an in-depth study among ourselves meeting and we're gong to cone with a program and going to be a good one and we're going to win the fight and stop this lawsuit abuse that's hurting the state of Alabama" Clark said He said public briefings likely would be held when proposed laws to change civil suits in Alabama are finally written Hammett said the briefings at the Association were held determine what the general mood and sentiment of the members were in regard to having this special overwhelming majority of the mem- George Clark said he hoped many parts of the business bills would be adopted by Gov Fob James and find their way into the governor's bills MONTGOMERY Alabama House Speaker Jimmy Clark missed a chance to tell the public his views on punitive damage awards when he excluded reporters from briefings he held with about 70 legislators this week a newspaper association executive said seems the more public information goes out about it the stronger support he could said Bill Keller executive director of the Alabama Press Association in Birmingham But Keller said Clark likely didn't violate open meetings law by closing the meetings held Tuesday and Wednesday at the Alabama Cattlemen's Association head spokesman Alfred Sawyer said Friday the governor plans to come up with his own package of tort bills with help from his legal adviser Bill Gray and Mobile attorney Clump Lyons who has been hired by James to work on the bills S'i Dunnavant residents vie for water posts Book fills empty spots on its board of directors By Gena Gorman News staff writer Five residents are asking to be appointed to board which consists of three members the board of directors said he wants to get on the board and try to re-ne-gotiate the authority's lease Another nominee Margie Isbell was on the original board of directors which signed the contract with the Birmingham Water Works Board to install a water system in One of Mrs Wilson's attorneys Jack Drake of Tuscaloosa said a critical point to be argued is that the state failed to turn over to the defense a psychologist's notes on his interview with James White Drake says the statement is in conflict with testimony on crucial time quences on the day of the murder From Page 5A racism (one of her former lovers was a black man) sort of backfired in Montgomery because it was a mostly black jury that acquitted Mrs Wilson The book's release is timely: The Alabama Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on the Wilson appeal Dec 11 For 10 years residents of Dunnavant have been paying water rates that many people in the community think are too high system in Dunnavant The new lines and station to regulate water pressure replaced individual wells The board members asked for the higher rate to pay the cost of running 25 miles of line to 300 customers said Gene Hanson an assistant general manager with the Water Works At the time members of board said the system would pay for itself more people moved to north Shelby County was a mutual agreement" Hanson said Two separate groups of three residents are an the agenda for Monday's meeting but one of the nominees Kirby Parker said Friday teat he plans to withdraw his name from consideration On Monday some residents will go the Shelby County Commis The lease which runs through 2035 requires Dunnavant customers to pay three times as much for their water as other Birmingham water customers WDBB sion to try to do something about it The Birmingham Water Works owns a water system in Dunnavant that it leases to the Dunnavant Valley Water Authority Some residents 'Want to renegotiate the lease but nothing can be done until Dunnavant think there will be a lot of legalities to consider and I think the people who are most qualified to judge those things probably ought to be the ones handling Parker said Bill Dunn one of the nominees for From Page 5A anything can happen In September IMS the Birmingham Water Works Board voted to spend $12 million to place a water He uid the board's lawyers are studying the contract to see if changes can be made With NBC staying put at Channel 13 and CBS staying put at Channel 42 there are fewer options available for ABC The Channel 17 Hie comes during a volatile two years in the Birmingham television market which has seen a number of ownership changes and affiliate renewals Vendor Channel 13 president and general manager Chuck Wing Hid that with Friday's ule Sinclair has positioned itself to take the ABC affiliateship for one of the stations it either owns or manages way we can to solve the problem but we foresee this ness to return to normal when the priaandoes Here's what is firm: From Page SA a available WBRCChannel 6 now owned by Fox will take the Fox affiliateship in September of '96 gram at the EH Gentry Technical Facility the training site for the blind vendor program on the campus of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind in Talladega He has worked as a vendor in Enterprise Ozark Anniston and at the Industries for the Blind in Talladega before getting the federal prison contract in 1991 think probably going to uk Tuscaloou (Channel 17) as the ABC he Hid "The program is designed so that the visually-impaired can work and not depend on a government Zane said blind vendors earn an average of $24431 a year according to Helm Helm said he expects Zane's busi- Zane who wears thick glasses was declared legally blind as a toddler He attended a school for the blind in Pennsylvania and eventually graduated from a public school He came to Alabama in 1984 and graduated from the Business Enterprise Pro very unfortunate that he was displaced from his work in this said Joe Helm assistant commissioner of rehabilitation services L'We don't have other locations available immediately We are very interested and will work with hm iim any WVTMChannel 13 now owned by New World Communications has signed a long-term affiliation agreement with NBC LMA it with WABM or possibly a station in he Hid WBMGChannel 42 still owned by Park Communications (which it-self was bought his rammer by two investors) has signed an affiliation agreement with CBS that extends to 2004 Ifcian smoker dies in fire after oxygen tank explodes If the LMA in Anniston takes place Wing explained an Anniston station would carry the Mine programming as Channel 17 in Tusca-loou and ABCs coverage would penetrate Birmingham from "the west (through Tuscaloosa) and the east (through Anniston) always said The third time Is going to kill Debbie Maynard Hid MONTGOMERY (AP) A woman with emphysema died when a cigarette she was smoking set her bouse on fire Sinclair Broadcast Group now owns WTTOChannel 21 and has a "Local Market or LMA to manage WABMChannel 68 which is owned by Glencairn Ltd The fire ruptured an oxygen tank That tank did not rupture but a larger one in the dining room did explode The explosion had little to do with accelerating the fire said William Davis chief investigator for the city Fire Department that boom happened the fire got all the oxygen it he Hid A neighbor uw flames and called firefighters Despite her emphysema Mrs Maynard was never able to quit smoking according to her daughter Debbie Maynard tried everything to quit hypnotism the patch classes" she said Mrs Maynard had previously suffered a near-fatal heart attack and ust last week was uved from chok-on a candy bar by a passerby just tag 7 and shattered windows in an explo- sion heard around Eula Maynard's neighborhood on Wednesday Investigators found Mrs Maynard 84 and two family pets dead in the oden next to her portable oxygen God's Prescription No one else was home when the fire broke out for a Marriage PART II Lasting marriages don't just happen there are reasons! i 1 i November 1 2 9:00 am 1 0:30 am Shades Mountain Independent Church 2281 Old Tyler Road Hoover (Bluff Psrk) Phone 978-6000 Pastor Harry Walls Ill From 1-65 taka tha Hoovar-Vastavia Exit 252 Turn soutti onto Montgomery Huy and go to IK traffic ight by Via Hobday Inn Alight turn right onto Southland Dme Go to traffic light all at intersection and turn left onto lyta Road Qo Iftmfet up tha mountain Church ia on your left Sirmi Jwn eArtfitgue Gmen Sfcw QkSrnnmghamNettH BRYANT-JORDAN VULCAN RUN IPO op now! ovember 9-12 1995 November 10-12 1995 Register at the CMc Center before the race Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Main North Exhibition Hall lad tha inlif laagia al BlralaShan la baaalll thalr lly praal I 5KflOK-SaLNov11-SaH Simultaneous start certified md RRCA sanctioned Individual team (individuii and corporate) and wheelchair competition ENTRY FEE: $18 FmwmI Ganletu ittifnti ky Rjm Gainey Weekend Schedule of Events I mm0 3 3 a 'i aw pah Hwawwiay muhbwiv saatr -Stock BaaHua UaaiAduaum" Saturday November 11 MM am MM faL Jtum Hum MMarn-MiMiai Stuwiag Cqjw IMaa CuaHamuuf Uadgau Mm 6 AaUfau 1MHur HM to AffUm" MMaaL-ltMfaL QWntIMalHiUy MMaja-tiMaaL CaUHHar OaHk MMu IMfaL-JMraL OaUtfOartf CM Mflfar fua -SM faL AfommUa J-Jffj CuapSauaUry lactam DmU I toljclir Famltam Wlm to Kama Baf" 4 a i FUN RUNWAU (1 mile) Sat Nov 11 930 am Fun Run: First male and female finisher in toflowing age groups: 14 and under 15-39 40 and over ENTRY FEE: $10 -individual $15 -couple $7 family rate (per person) MARATHORMARATHON RELAY TEAMS-Sun Nov 12-7 aiL USAT6F certified and RRCA sanctioned Individual team (individual and corporate) and wheelchair competition Elm FEE: $30 RELAY TEAMS: two- or five-person (4xS miles with 1 0K anchor) ENTRY FEL $20 per person II-Mm CuaaMauamr latum rkaO MtMu ju CJuUm" Jbr MlUm) Sunday November 12 ttM-JMpja Stum Hum ttM-iMfaL HUUtf Fukim Slum mi Lamdum JMraL-JMfaL HaUjjWUai Skua Ha ltMaaL CuafHmuaurf luam SUtj Ptia -CdUf atok UMaja-tMraL 7fc Cadn Caft jourmtt hack ItMaaL CiaafHauatmf Imam latiatl Haft "CHuCaattaMuafaS Call 170-JOGG for Bora Information id bri fflttftraringiuuRKtti -frcARRAWAY Bfinma I Bitoiaghaa ftu ftnU hoipitali foundation luumm- Spomomd by Tin Krminghim Sews Soudmmt AMnei HeilthSoudi MSwih Power Powered Lite Beer Sdum of Water JAMM EntertainmeiiL WABM Channel 68 GommereU Printing Co WMX Family of Companies Wade Management AUbama Sports Hal ot Fame RRCA Birmingham Hack Chib Entrants raesha Hhtot raca packet aMrataa Is Friday slgM carta dHam at Spun (Writ esaw (list isnad) sad prat-race party Milk Itea Miiakl aaHallHaalaM AmA uJ a wIm UTS MM MMpiMMMWf MM NM EMu Packets aril aat ha naNad Packs! pickup baghw I bjb Saturday 8psclal20lfcBHleBnaiy jackals aeaiakla fat $18 rcaacTvi fmr mmrm I ml ill 205871-0840 lick tie.