The Buffalo News from Buffalo, New York • 1

Lithuania to ignore deadline JACK WEIBELBuffalo News Graphics But leaders admit the Soviet blockade threat scored in war of nerves rom News Wire Services See Lithuania Page A8 ROBERT SMITHButfalo News ace off orAn Arena irst of two parts Robert Swados See Army Page A7 Knight Ridder Tribune News the See Sabres Page A10 See Cigarettes Page All Subway shooting echoes Goetz Color Comics TV Topics Buffalo Magazine Morning drizzle then mw1 (iOUOK COLOR 1 COLOR Wi SPORTS Six pack rings I By JAMES HEANEY News Staff Reporter By HAROLD McNEIL News Tonawanda Bureau Kenmore pharmacist Martin Rein explains to a customer that he will sell her a pack of cigarettes only if she agrees to donate to cancer research threats against Lithuania to create an independent Latvia Gorbachev in a letter delivered riday night to Vilnius gave Lithuania until today to withdraw its March 1 1 declaration of indepen dence otherwise he said the Soviets would stop shipping items they could export to other countries for hard currency Such products in elude oil and natural gas for which Lithuania's 38 million residents rely completely on Mos cow 7 Gorbachev repeatedly has refused to negoti ate with the republic until it reverses its inde pendence declaration or their part Lithua nian leaders have expressed eagerness to discuss everything with the Soviet Union ex cept the declaration itself which they say can By SUSANNE SCHAER Associated Press from Vilnius the Lithuanian capital Western advisers to the government have said the re public must maintain economic ties with the Soviet Union if it is to survive as an indepen dent state So in the war of nerves Gorbachev was successful: His threat of an economic boycott raised tensions in the republic Lithuanian leaders acknowledged privately Pope John Paul II meanwhile sent an en couraging message to Lithuania and Douglas Hurd foreign secretary called on the Kremlin to open a dialogue with the rebellious republic instead of trying to force it back into the fold A further sign of support came from the neighboring Baltic republic of Latvia where breakaway Communists met in the capital of Riga and vowed even in the face of Mos Wl MOSCOW Lithuania's leaders drafted a curt and defiant response Saturday to Presi dent Mikhail threat of an eco nomic boycott refusing to recognize Kremlin set deadline for renouncing indepen dence and asking what punitive steps Moscow intends to take Soviet Union has until recently waged a psychological and political war against Lithu ania and now it is unleashing an economic war as Lithuanian President Vytautas Landsbergis the first non Communist leader of any Soviet republic said at a news confer ence still demand impossible things of us and this is a way to avoid beginning negoti But despite the tough stance emanating See Subway Page All i un: ers tonight Low 35 to 40 WASHINGTON Top Army officials pressured to meet demands for sharp reduc tions in Pentagon spending have agreed to a proposal to cut about one soldier in four from the service by 1997 senior Pentagon sources say Army Secretary Michael Stone and Gen Carl Vuono Army Chief of Staff gave their final approval last week said the sources who spoke on condition of not being identified by name Under the proposal active duty forces would plummet from 764000 at present to 580000 by the beginning of fiscal year 1997 The number of National Guard and Re serve forces would be slashed as well although not as precipitously dropping from 776000 at present to 645000 over the same period the sources said Even though the move would cuts tens of thousands of soldiers from Army roils be yond what the service projected it would do in the last Pentagon budget the proposal may not placate demands on Capitol Hill for even more severe layoffs In hot pursuit of a so called peace dividend from lessened superpower tension some law makers have called for cutbacks or even out right cancellation of high cost weapons pro grams such as the $530 million 2 stealth bomber But savings be gleaned as quick As a health care professional pharmacist Martin Rein says selling cigarettes goes against his grain A former smoker himself he wishes fewer people were hooked on the habit So what is he doing about it? or starters he has reduced the price of the product at his Kenmore pharmacy Sounds illogical But judging from the re sponse received since he started his pro motion last week Rein thinks he may be on to something Customers at his isk Pfcnnig Pharmacy on Colvin Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Kenmore can buy brand name cigarettes at a reduced price of $139 a pack about 44 cents cheaper than at most area outlets How ever Rein will only sell cigarettes to those customers who agree to make a donation for cancer research Donations are put into a green and white striped gift wrapped box at the check out counter marked "Cancer Cigarette buying customers are obliged to donate what ever sum they want Rein matches every dona tion with an equal donation of his own sell them cigarettes unless they agree to donate" said Rein they object they can buy them somewhere feel that the good that doing is no four youths he said threatened him with weapons including sharpened screwdrivers and asked him for $5 The case attracted international attention as an example of vigilantism in the face of growing urban crime But police say this case has significant differences particularly the beating and robbery of the middle age man at knifepoint before he drew his gun is not the Bernie Goetz case This is a man who clearly was being robbed and being attacked by a young man acting in a clearly irrational manner" said Brooklyn Chief of Detectives Joseph DeMarti no Goetz turned himself in nine days after the inci dent and eventually stood trial He was acquitted in 1987 of attempted murder and assault charges but was convicted of possession of an unlicensed gun and and Swados with control over operations not at death's door but we know things will be tougher financially and we have to be prepared for it by acquiring additional income sources" said Swados also the legal counsel have to get it from the building and the present building have the configuration to make that Two city officials ex pected to play a key role in deciding arena is built whether a new said disclosure of the fi nancial problems strengthens the argument for a new building But Common Council Members James Pitts and David Rutecki said the var ied reasons for losses also point out that a new arena alone the answer save hockey in Buffalo we have to think very seriously about financing and manage ment not only in relation to a new arena but the team said Pitts chairman of the Stadium and Audito rium Task orce we go ahead and spend $90 million on a new arena we need to be assured of two said Rutecki also a member of the task force that the Sabres will par ticipate in the financing of the new arena and second that their management would be able to run a successful fran The Sabres now playing the Montreal Can adiens in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs have been in business for 20 years The team enjoyed its greatest success both on the ice and financially during middle 1970s That's when spurred on by the famed Con they routinely finished near the top of league standings and played before sellout crowds But even at their zenith the Sabres were only Swados said The corporate hold ings initially were limited to the hockey team and Aud Club Inc a restaurant concern it owns jointly with Delaware North Companies Inc In addi tion to the Aud Club inside Sabres have kept prices below other teams AWE COLOR into the financial arena Low ticket prices troubles at TV station cause owners to ask for new building save hockey in Buffalo we have to think very seriously about financing and management not only in relation to a new arena but the team itself" Council Member James Pitts Chairman Stadium and Auditorium Task orce Earth acts In honor of Earth Day April 22 The News is presenting some facts to mneitpr nhnut the environment mi 52000 1800 416 00 414 00 1200 10 00 800 600 Ioo The Buffalo Sabres hockey and television operations have left team owners more than 1 8 million in the red and owing a local bank another $9 million The team has lost up to $1 million a season in recent years due largely to the lowest ticket prices in major league hockey and the third worst record in the finan cially lucrative playoffs But the losses extend beyond the rink The Sabres have been losing more than $2 million a year operating WBNY Channel 49 although team officials say they expect to recoup losses of more than $85 million through the pending sale of the indepen dent UH station While Sabres officials main tain that the team's financial difficulties pose no immediate danger to the franchise disclo sure of the plight helps explain the team execu demand for a new arena which they say will boost reve nues Operating in Memorial Au ditorium the Sabres have posted financial losses for eight consecutive seasons Three times since the mid 1970s team owners have had to plow additional money into a busi ness that has yet to pay its first dividend been Sabres Vice Chairman said not a business you'd want to invest your mother i money inancial documents and public re cords obtained by The Buffa lo News and interviews with hockey executives both inside and outside the Sabres or panization de bunk two common perceptions about the Sabres: that they make money and that they are owned primarily by the Knox brothers Not only have the holdings been losing money for a long period of time but Sey mour and Northrup Knox and their relatives own only about a quarter of the franchise The remainder is owned by some 20 investors most of them Buf falo based businessmen who have entrusted Seymour Knox 79 80 80 81 81 82 82 83 83 84 84 85 85 86 ci 87 87 88 88 89 89 90 extend Changeable sMorning drizzle then i sunny today High to 55 Chance ot show to cut Army 25 by 1997 Pressure to reduce spending yields assent Cut rate deal on cigarettes smokes out cancer donations bittersweet farewell for transit chief Alf Savage is leaving as chief of the Niagara rontier Transportation Authority with fond memories of his time in Buffalo and some strong thoughts on why public transit here often labors under storm clouds Local Bl Sabres on the brink keep concentrating The Buffalo Sabres have been there before one game away from disaster in the Stanley Cup playoffs But the team still is concentrating on winning one game at a time and Coach Rick Dudley secs no need to motivate them Sports CI A new approach to role in nature Earth Day is next Sunday but is one day of undivided attention to ecology enough to solve the problems man inflicts on nature? Many or ganizations believe the human race needs to re shape its view of how man fits in Viewpoints G7 Lawyers urge gunman not to surrender to police By ANDREA PR1V1TERE Reu ters NEW YORK CITY The case of a subway robbery victim who shot and killed one of his attack ers has echoes of the 1984 subway shootings by Bernhard Goetz Police are appealing to the gunman a middle age white man to turn himself in but lawyers are urging him not to do so According to witnesses the man fired three shots at a gang of black youths who attacked him Thursday night killing their leader with one bullet in the chest Then he calmly walked off the train when it pulled into the next stop The dead man Rickey Pickett 25 of Brooklyn had a criminal record dating back to 1981 that included four robbery convictions police said The incident recalls the Goetz case in which the 37 year old electrical engineer shot and wounded Plastic six pack holders are invisible under water and a hazard to marine life: Gulls and terns loop rings around their necks and drown Pelicans get rings stuck on bills when fishing and starve Baby seals get rings around their necks and suffocate 1 5600 rings were collected in three hours along Texas shore So If you buy six pack rings snip each circle with scissors before you toss rings in the garbage Source: The Earth Works Group ticed by the masses and I believe that I will not be penalized for my said Rein who has been in business at the Colvin Boulevatjfji location for 22 years The money he said will go to institutions3 such as Roswell Park Cancer Institute and thefl American Cancer Society and be specifically earmarked to fund research in the area ofij nicotine addiction doing this for two reasons: for the many adults who have been smoking for a long time and are addicted and stop and for the teen agers who start said Rein hoping the money will help to devise a means to help people stop smoking" Rein 56 quit smoking 20 years ago after a 20 year addiction 4 "It was difficult I had to rely on sheerjfi willpower Also as a health professional I real3 ize some people are addicted to it and why I want to help" he said So far Rein said most of his customers have been very amenable to his rather unusual requirement for purchasing cigarettes at his pharmacy Dorothy Isome of Buffalo seemed a bit per plexed Saturday as Rein politely described his conditions for selling her a pack of cigarettes but she agreed to donate a quarter Afterward Ms Isome acknowledged "You A 'p HeImS Brass agrees "3 jw aw LT W45 COLOR A 1 1 HJKSf I I 75 IS the buffalo news nrrmygvi pi tmmw i Business B1 1 News Power B4 Classified D2 Sunday PauseG6 Crossword G6 People A1 4 Deaths B8 Picture Page A1 2 EntertainmentH1 Sports C1 Lifestyles E1 Travel News G1 Local News B1 Viewpoints G7 Jingo winners on B6 new game in TV Topics 0 LU MW Six nack rings A.