European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 28, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday february 28, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 5 \ l h-1 i gambling conf Nues As hotel is evacuated Las vegas nov. A a series of arson fires Al the 18-Story dunes hotel forced the evacuation of 1,600 guests with the exception of gamblers who refused to leave the Casino. Five people were treated for smoke inhalation. The guests evacuated from the re sort s \ ,200 rooms just before Midnight tuesday were allowed to return about three hours later. Damage from the five blazes was estimated at $55,000, fire officials said. Gamblers tugged at Slot machines in the resort s sprawling Casino throughout the emergency. When some refused to heed the evacuation order fire officials indicated the Casino was Safe and the players were allowed to remain. Dunes spokesman Al Guzman said. The hotel s evacuation made As a precautionary measure was orderly he said. Metro police released drawings of two men seen by hotel employees near the dunes fire scene but reported no arrests How someone can endanger lives and property like this is beyond my understanding said Jim Barrett Clark county fire department assistant chief. The arsonists lit towels linens and other combustible material with matches Barrett said. No flammable liquids were used he said. No motive has been established bar rett said. Firemen were called about 10 30 to put out a fire in a Pool equipment room at the dunes fire dispatcher Jack Bailee said. While they were fighting that Blaze four other Small fires were reported in various parts of the High Rise re sort prompting the evacuation. Barrett said there was heavy damage to the Pool equipment room in a two Story Section of the hotel. The fires in the High Rise sections including one in an employee lounge and three in Linen closets were quickly extinguished by sprinkler systems and caused Little damage Barrett said. One official who asked not to be identified said the dunes fires had to be set by someone who had knowledge of the  last week two minor fires were set at the Flamingo Hilton across the strip from the dunes. There were no injuries. Barnett said the dunes fires did not follow the same pattern As those at the Flamingo Hilton which were believed to have been set to cover room burglaries. A fire at the mom grand hotel on nov. 21, 1980, killed 87 people and a Blaze three months later at the Las vegas Hilton killed eight. The Mem fire was ruled accidental while the Las vegas Hilton was determined to have been set. Coast guard chief asks House panel not to Cut deeply Washington a the coast guard would be devastated next year if automatic Gramm Rudman budget cuts take effect but president Reagan s recommended budget would be adequate . James s. Gracey said wednesday. However rep. Martin Sabo d-minn., warned Gracey at a House transportation appropriations subcommittee hearing not to count on the Lull $2.6 billion Reagan recommended earlier this month. Rep. Silvio Conte r-mass., said he would revive his push for an administration supported plan to make boaters contribute to the Cost of the coast guard. Gracey also told the committee that the coast guard is finding it Tough to make ends meet this year because of lower than expected appropriations and first round Gramm Rudman reductions that left the coast guard is 44 million Short. Gracey said he expected transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole to ask Congress to allow her to reallocate funds within her department to the coast guard to ease the  of the budget crunch Gracey said he has continued a suspension begun in october of spending for much routine training and purchases. We have never come Back up to our Normal Tempo of operation Gracey said. Gracey said Reagan s budget for 1987 would restore the coast guard to a Normal operating level but would allow Little expansion of its activities. Please please take these numbers for what they arc a return to our base not an increase he told the subcommittee. But Sabo said that unless president Reagan drops his opposition to a tax increase con Gress May have to reduce spending below the presidents budget to meet the Gramm Rud Man deficit target of $ 144 billion. There Are no free lunches even with such essential services As the coast guard said rep. William Lehman d-fla., the subcommittee  said if automatic budget cuts under Gramm Rudman take effect next year they could amount to about 20 per cent of this year s coast guard budget and would Force layoffs and massive cutback in.  recommended in his budget that Congress Institute user fees for boaters that would bring in $238 million next year and $476 million in following years. The fees would amount to $20 to s25 a year for the average recreational Boater. Congress rejected the move in previous years bowing to opposition from boaters. Northern California storm victims line up for help Guerneville . A victims of the storms that ravaged Northern California lined up wednesday amid Sodden furniture and mud caked appliances for government help in rebuilding Homes and property ruined by wind and water. Guerneville was one of nine locations one in each of nine seriously affected counties where emergency Relief centers Opet sed to help those who suffered property dam age from nine Days of storms that marched across the state beginning feb. 12.8we lost everything said Harry Litman of Gurne Ville who got to St. Hubert s Hall about 6 . To meet with authorities. We Don t have anything except the suit Case we got away with. 1 went Back to the House and 1 wanted to cry. It s just been completely demolished the Center which normally holds evening Church Bingo games opened at 9 . And had filled its reservation list for the Day an hour later. Charles Raudebaugh of the Federal emergency management Agency said the Center would stay open indefinitely evidence of the storm s Wrath is everywhere in the Small resort Community of 1,000 people about 70 Miles North of san Francisco. On main Street stores Are fronted by piles of Sodden garbage coated in mud. The russian River which swelled to a record 49.5 feel and forced hundreds to flee is Back in its Banks but the Muddy water still runs High and  toilets Are scattered around and moving vans collected belongings wrecked by torrents of water. Also lined up for help outside St. Hubert s were Donald and Michelle Kostick whose Home was shattered when a huge Redwood toppled on  were pinned to the ground by falling debris Don Ald Kostick said. We grabbed the kids jumped in my truck and barely made it Over the  the House had been moved 35 feet from its foundation and was saved from falling into the River when it ran into another tree Michelle Kostick said. People think i m crazy but i still want to live Here said Donald Kostick. I was born and raised Here. I love this  the Veteran s Hall nearby 200 people gathered to pick up emergency supplies from the red Cross and other Relief agencies. A Beer truck drove from Corner to Corner distributing six packs of water in White aluminium cans. At the town s grocery store food and other Staples were sold from tents. The inside of the store is being repaired. I be been scrubbing and scooping mud out of my Home All week said Jerry Russo who has lived in the area for about two years. I hosed Down the outside of my House and it still has that murky stuff on it. It s like a blood stain. You just can t get it  elsewhere in Northern California about 5,000 people were still unable to return to their Homes wednesday in Western Linda in Yuba county North of Sacramento officials  swollen by a series of Pacific storms that began feb. 11 chased about 50,000 residents of several Northern California cities from their Homes destroyed at least 1,463 Homes and 185 businesses and damaged at least 10,872 Homes and 742 businesses state officials say. Damage to Public and private property was estimated at $319 million. At least 20 storm related deaths were reported from Southern California into British Columbia and four peo ple were reported missing. Sands or time Mph and Joann bums married for one week return to their flooded Home in Linda . In the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. Feb. 28, 1946 Jawaharlal Nehru demanded that India s millions move peacefully toward Independence and declared that leaders will give the signal if revolution be comes necessary. He sharply criticized revolutionaries who led the people of Bombay into bloody noting. 30 years ago today. Feb. 28, 1956 the government is gearing for a substantial Rise in wage hour Law enforcement problems when the Federal minimum wage goes up to $1 an hour. 20 years ago today. Feb. 28, 1966 in Hollywood movie Star Cary Grant 62, became a father for the first time when he fourth wife 28-year-old actress Dyan Cannon gave birth to a girl 70 years ago today. Feb. 28,1976 Enrico Berlinguer Leader of the ital Ian communist firmly defended before the soviet communist Congress in Moscow his party s right to forge a path Independent of Moscow and to cooperate with other italian political parties