European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 3, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 4 the stars and stripes sunday september 3, 1978 news about fhe car just blew his mind St. Louis to. A a search that started when police mistakenly placed two Sticks of dynamite in a car during a bomb training exercise ended when a 77-year-old Man saw his parking ticket number hashed on television. Richard l. Mccartney of Maple Wood a retired Telephone company worker said he was watching a television newscast when he Learned he was the owner of the dynamite Laden car mistakenly released from a St. Louis Airport parking lot. The dynamite was recovered Friday night without incident. It scared the hell out of me. I still feel Shook up about it Mccartney said. He added that it would be a Cou ple of Days i guess before he recovered from the Shock. Police attached the dynamite to Mccartney s parked car during a training session with dogs which sniff out explosives. Officers had not expected a Park ing lot attendant to return the car to its owner with the explosives still attached the Airport director Leonard l. Griggsjr.,said. John Clouse and de Philippe the air port police canine officers said they notified toll Gate personnel that a Valet parking lot would be used in the dog training exercise. Passengers leave their cars with attendants in Valet lots which Are closed to the Public. However while the officers led their dogs away from the car an attendant drove away with Mccartney s Auto. Authorities said it was unlikely that the dynamite would have exploded because there were no detonating devices attached. But they said it would have be come dangerous if the explosives were allowed to deteriorate. Confidence Gap widens Between schools and Public by Patricia Mccormack up education editor a growing Confidence Gap is developing across the nation Between schools and parents and taxpayers the 10th annual Gallup poll of the Public s attitudes toward Public schools showed saturday. The report funded by the Kettering foundation in Dayton Ohio came As no Surprise to observers of the education scene. It is fed by declining Scholastic aptitude test sat scores and concern Over the Many High school graduates who cannot read and write at a level needed to survive in today s world. In Urban areas up to 42 percent of High famed flier Blair killed in air crash from press dispatches St. Thomas Virgin islands Charles Blair husband of actress Maureen o Hara was killed saturday when a twin engine amphibious charter Airliner he was piloting crashed two Miles South of Here authorities of the other 10 persons on Board were also killed authorities said. The survivors and other victims were not immediately was owner of Antilles airboat a Virgin Island based charter line to which the plane a Grumman Goose belonged. Jack Barker a spokesman for the fed eral aviation administration in Atlanta said the plane lost an engine hit the water and flipped Over. The Virgin islands Are a . Territory East of puerto 69-year-old Blair was awarded the Harman trophy by president Harry Truman in 1951 for the first Solo crossing of the North pole in a single engine air plane. Blair flew a p-51 Mustang from Bardu Foss Norway to Fairbanks Alaska in 10 hours and 27 minutes. Exxon reports Oil discovery off new Jersey coast Atlantic City . A Exxon corp. Said Friday it has found signs of Oiler natural Gas in its first exploratory Well off the mid Atlantic states but the find i inconclusive. Exxon is the second Oil company to Issue a positive statement about exploratory drilling in the Baltimore Canyon announced last month that it struck natural Gas about five Miles from Exxon s Well. Paul h. Dudley jr., manager of Exxon explorations in the Gulf of Mexico and at lactic Ocean said the 17,286-foot Well had encountered zones below 12,000 feet which exhibited inconclusive shows of hydrocarbons. He said the zones would require further evaluation and testing to determine their said the testing for hydrocarbons which could take a month to com plete would begin after the Well reaches its final total depth. Who needs the sign that sign seems like rubbing it in for Cheryl Logston 12, of Cerritos calif., who is carrying out a dirty chore As signed by her parents. This pile of dirt and sign was left in the backyard of a neighbor after construction of a swimming Pool. Her parents told Cheryl to haul some of the stuff to their own backyard. As if Cheryl had to be re minded what it was up photo school graduates fit this illiteracy Stan Dard. In other areas up to 17 percent. A majority of More than 2-1 in the poll favor promoting children Only if they can pass exams showing they have mastered a level of learning. Remedial work was recommended for those who fail such tests. Then the first time Failers should be Given another test providing a second Chance. Students who flunk again after the catch up work should be held Over in the same Grade the next year half the Survey respondents said. This practice would Cut into the social promotion pushing kids ahead just be cause they spent a year in a Grade. Critics of education maintain social promotion has been pulling education downhill. Other top school problems according to the nationwide Sample of adults Lack of discipline drug abuse inadequate financial support integration Segre gation and busing poor curriculum standards difficulty in getting Good teach ers pupils Lack of interest crime and vandalism and Lack of parental interest. The findings pointed to some important opportunities and challenges for Educa tors according to Samuel g. Sava vice president of the Kettering foundation. Respondents had specific ideas about re medial action the schools might apply to improve themselves. They called for More strict discipline. Teachers who take personal interest in students who encourage them to make the most of their ability who arouse inter est in subject matter who inspire students to set High goals. Greater emphasis on fundamentals. More parental involvement. Higher Scholastic standards. Education on the hazards of alcohol drugs marijuana and cigarettes. More guidance for students about available careers. Other major findings of the poll use of marijuana and alcohol by High school and Junior High school students continues to be a serious problem nationwide. Work is recommended As a part of the Success formula for adolescents but nearly two thirds of parents polled believe chances of part time jobs for Young people in their sections of the country Are Only fair or eighty seven percent of respondents would like to have juniors and seniors earn course credit for giving service to the Community. Tighten contracting methods Gas allegedly snubbed warning Baltimore a the general services administration was warned by Federal investigators almost two years ago to tighten contracting procedures and internal controls the Baltimore Sun reported saturday. The Gas which runs and supplies most of the buildings in which the Federal government operates is under investigation by grand juries Here and in Washington. The probes have reportedly a covered widespread corruption. In addition the Gas has opened an internal investigation. Earlier last week Joel w. Solomon Gas administrator said he was preparing to fire at least 15 employees for negligence and the Sun in a Story from its Washington Bureau said the general accounting of fice issued a report on dec. 27, 1976, re Garding Gas accounting procedures for repairs to government equipment. The accounting office a congressional watchdog Agency said it found that Gas officials had failed to follow up on results of their own internal t dits showing improper Billing. It also sad that contractors had billed the Gas for labor that was not performed and materials that were not used. The investigation which apparently went unheeded was limited to four heavy equipment repair companies in Alabama California and Texas the Sun said. The accounting office concluded that Over Tho two year period covered by the investigation the government paid out More than $464,000 in improper charges for equipment repairs the paper added. The Sun also said that Elmer b. Staats comptroller general and head of the accounting office operations had alerted then Gas head Jack Eckerd months be fore the report was released about the contracting procedures. On aug 5,1976, the Sun said Eckerd told Staats that heavy equipment repair con tracts should be More tightly monitored. The final accounting office report noted however that Gas should review All of its time and material contracts instead of limiting its review to
