European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 17, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes sunday september 17, 1978 getting the feeling of flight one of the most impressive touches for a Blind tourist during the visit to Rhein main a is the feel of an aircraft s big tires. And in the cockpit a sightless visitor puts out his hand to see the in Ruments. He is guided by capt. Russell Dennis As he gets a tactile impression of the aircraft s complicated controls. Sightless they reach to see planes Story and photos by Jim Coles Iii staff writer Rhein main a Germany is for the 50 Blind people it was a special visit according to Margit Thomas vice president of the German Blind office workers association of Germany Hessen chapter. The visit Here included a touching tour of a c-130 Hercules cargo plane a c 9 six passenger executive plane and a visit to a Parachute rigging shop. Blind persons from All Over Central Germany Are attend ing the association s Semi annual meeting in Frankfurt. We Don t normally do things such As this Thomas said. We do feel however that it is necessary to get out every once in a while. Just talking or listening to speeches at the meetings gets Boring. This was meant to be a  Thomas added i thought it would be interesting for us to come see the american planes. I d never been in a cockpit before and i m sure most of the others had t either. Normally when we go on excursions we have less than 40 people who go. This time i had to turn away requests. Some of us Are Content to be Blind and hide from the world others want to see the world around  Thomas said contacting the americans was a shot in the dark. I was t sure such a thing could be  capt. Bruce Fagaley Public affairs offi cer Here said we had no idea if this thing would Fly or not but we figured it could t Hurt to give it a try. We be had handicapped students visit before but Long fight virtually Over the top Byrd says Gas Bill out of danger Washington a majority Leader Robert c. Byrd declared saturday that the Long fight to win Senate passage of the hotly contested natural Gas pricing Bill is virtually Over the  the West Virginia Democrat said his conservative count lists 49 votes in favor of the Compromise Bill that president Carter has called a crucial part of his Energy package. Byrd said 37 senators Are lined up against the measure and 14 Sena tors Are question  the latest associated press Survey found 48 lawmakers for or leaning in favor of the Bill 39 against or leaning again stand 13 undecided. The Senate has scheduled a showdown vote on the Gas bul tuesday when opponents will seek to return the measure to a House Senate conference committee for redrafting. If that fails the final vote on the Bill is scheduled for sept. 27. At a news conference saturday Byrd was even More confident about defeating the motion to recommit the Bill than he was about winning the final vote. The Sena Tor claimed he has 55 solid and eight Possi ble votes against sending the Bill Back to committee. It would take 51 votes to re commit the measure. Re committal of the Gas Bill Means no Gas Bill Byrd said noting that Congress is aiming for an oct. 14 adjournment. He said a reworked natural Gas Bill could not be approved in that Short a time. The natural Gas Bill would lift controls on new found natural Gas in 1985 and per Mit a steady increase in prices. The Bill has been criticized by consumer groups As being too expensive and by Industry groups As unlikely to increase sup plies of natural Gas. There have also been complaints that it is Overly complicated. The House Senate conferees estimate Din their report that the Compromise Bill is expected to boost an average Homeowner s Gas Bill by $13 a year by 1985. However lib eral critics have predicted a far heavier Burden on Consumers. Supporters of the measure have argued that its defeat would raise questions about America s ability to confront its pressing Energy problems. Fri agent is indicted first time in Washington up for the first time in the Fri s 54-year history an Active agent was indicted Friday charged with committing perjury to cover up alleged acceptance of payoffs from a gambling Fig ure under investigation. Attorney general Griffin Bell said the indictment handed Down by a Federal grand jury in new York City carried two perjury counts against special agent Joseph Stabile. Stabile 50, has been with the Fri since1962. The indictment charged that on sept. 17, 1973, Stabile lied to a grand jury investigating whether he Ever received illegal payments from John Caputo a reputed gambling figure. The Justice department said the grand jury was investigating whether Stabile had told a fellow agent he and a former new York City police sergeant shared a $15,000 history never Blind  the c-130 tour guide capt. Russet Dennis an aircraft commander with tour hosts 37th tac Airlift so said there Are about 80 people in this group counting translators sighted escorts and military that s a lot of people to bring on any aircraft tour. The thing i be gotten out of this is they Aren t any different from any other tout group. Some were quiet and others aske4. Knowledgeable questions about the Ajr plane. The difference was in the amount of time it took. Everything had to be  j Thomas added touching is most inv portent to those people with this Handicap things around can be explained but that a not As Good As touching. If your world Isle Only explained you have to imagine How ill 1 is but if you can touch it you have  j one of the most fascinating things on the tour for Thomas was the aircraft tires never imagined an air plane had such he gtd tires. The whole trip is fascinating but those  lilo Gartner a Blind tourist from Butz i Bach Germany said it is really fascinate ing to touch the things in the air plane. And the things in the flight deck Are remark Able. I would never have had the Chance to be on such a plane if not for this  temperatures payment from Caputo after falsely representing that it would result in dismissal of a gambling indictment against Caputo. In truth the Case would have been Dis missed against Caputo anyway the indictment said. It charged that Stabile lied under oath in denying receipt of an illicit sum of Money in a corrupt transaction As an Fri agent. The indictment also charged Stabile lied in denying to the grand jury that he had a conversation with a fellow agent in which he said former police sgt. Eugene Statil received the $15,000 payoff. According to the indictment Fri agent George Moresco told the grand jury of Sev eral conversations with Stabile in which the agent told of accepting $10,000 from Ca Puto and said Statile got another $5,000. If convicted Stabile could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000fine on each of the two counts. L h l h 61 88 Albuquerque 63 85 65 97 Amarillo 72 80 50 60 Anchorage 2 80 61 76 Asheville 65 74 66 73 Atlanta 7 87 64 68 Atlantic City 72 is 65 82 Baltimore 72 85 69 80 Birmingham 52 70 51 77 Bismarck 7" 88 44 73 Boise 72 90 59 66 Boston 62 65 77 93 Brownsville 67 83 61 71 Buffalo 74 99 76 86 Charleston . 67 78 63 82 Charleston . ?3 91 66 84 Chicago 64 75 66 84 Cincinati 79 95 66 80 Cleveland 62 77 65 82 Columbus 54 63 76 97 Dallas it. 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