European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 14, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday March 14, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 5 outlawing of forced retirement sought Washington a rep. Claude Pepper a Vig Orous 85-year-old who declares that ageism is As odious As sexism and racism sought to enlist Public support wednesday for his proposal to outlaw mandatory retire ment of american workers at any age. Presiding at a televised House hearing the Florida Democrat said the Bill he has introduced with 50 House co sponsors is intended to extend to every american with a few exceptions the right enjoyed by Federal employees to be As old As Methuselah and continue to work if you can do the  Pepper said he probably would be dead today if. He had been forced to retire at age 65, three years after he was first elected to the House in 1962 following a Senate career that began nearly a half Century ago. Despite two hearing aids triple focus glasses a Pace maker in his Chest and two plastic valves in his heart Pepper said he enjoys the daily challenges he encounters As chairman of the House rules committee and subcommittee chairman on the House select committee on aging. I can t run 10 Miles in the afternoon like i did in College but i have a Good car to take me there he told a joint hearing of his House subcommittee on health and Long term care and the House education and labor sub committee on employment opportunities. Pepper s Bill would eliminate the mandatory retirement age of 70 which is allowed for employees in private Busi Ness. That same requirement was lifted for Federal workers under the age discrimination in employment  of 1978. Thirteen states forbid mandatory retirement for private employees at any age. Pepper s measure would retain exemptions under other existing Laws. These exemptions from a ban on mandatory retirement would continue to apply to foreign service officers Cia employees Law enforcement officers and fire fighters air traffic controllers certain High ranking executives in private Industry and tenured College faculty members. Pepper declared that abandoning mandatory retire ment does not stigmatize older workers demoralize younger employees traumatize supervisors clot the promotional channels with doddering incompetents reduce productivity or jeopardize the financial Security of  Pepper s Bill was endorsed at the hearing by Arthur Flemming 81, former Secretary of the department of health education and welfare and . Commissioner on aging and t. Franklin Williams director of the National Institute on aging. Williams testified that recent medical and scientific research shows that in the absence of chronic disease the heart brain and kidney functions of people in their 70s and 80s can be maintained at High  Joseph f. Quinn economics professor at Boston col lege said eliminating mandatory retirement will have Little effect on people s decisions to retire at age 65 because of Subtle but effective pay cuts imposed by the social Security system and private pension plans that discourage working until 70 or beyond. Quinn said a typical 65-year-old worker receiving a $20,000 salary must take a net 25 percent pay Cut because of reduced social Security benefits. Pepper said he would ask president Reagan for a commitment to end the social Security penalty for working beyond age 65. Up photo rep. Claude Pepper 85-year-old Florida Democrat. Downtown fort Worth shaken by Gas explosion a photo fort Worth Rescue workers Rush a child to an ambulance after wednesday s explosion. Fort Worth Texas a a Large explosion near a natural Gas line rocked a downtown building wednesday injuring 17 people and shattering windows at a nearby hotel officials said. The blast at the site of a former car Dealership was Felt at the fort Worth fire department about 12 blocks away and blew out windows and a Glass door at City Hall seven blocks away authorities said. Fire capt. Bill Pierce said people at the fort Worth Hilton hotel across interstate 30 were injured by flying Glass from the 10 11 . Blast at the closed Frank Kent Cadillac Dealership. The building was empty and Street re pair work was under Way in the immediate area of the explosion. The building was being demolished police officer . Herrera said. Ronald Butts a Lone Star Gas co. Employee said he was in a manhole attempt ing to shut off a Gas line when the explosion occurred a few feet from him. There was just an awesome tremendous. Outlandish Type of Power that was forced away from the explosion Butts said. It was so powerful. It nearly threw me out of the Hole. I thought at the time the explosion was underneath my feet it was so  Ted Mosley vice president of operations at the Hilton said 45 windows were dam aged and ceiling tiles were knocked Loose. A fire department Check found no structural damage he said. Herrera said Many windows were broken in downtown buildings. The Force of the blast forced his police car to swerve officer . Middleton said. I saw All that Timber and debris going up in the air he said. Then i heard the blast and saw the mushroom Cloud and 1 said what in the world " a number of cars in area parking lot were damaged he said. Eight people were taken to John Peter Smith Hospital six were admitted to Harris Hospital and three people were hospitalized at St. Joseph Hospital. Actress and Model Sellers daughter indicted in Coke ring  Newark . A the 23-year old daughter of the late actor Peter Sellers was indicted wednesday with five other California residents and charged with being part of an International cocaine ring. Victoria Sellers is an actress and Model who appears nude in this month s Playboy Magazine. She shares the same Hollywood address with the alleged Leader of the co Caine ring Reed Wallace said . Attorney Judy Russell. Victoria Sellers Mother is actress Britt Ekland. Her father Peter Sellers died in 1980. The indictment says she was involved with Wallace in a drug related assault and other offences. Wallace 30, is a Talent pro Moter. Among charges the Federal grand jury handed up against Wallace is engaging in a continuing criminal Enterprise which car ties a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison before parole eligibility. Sellers and the others face charges including conspiracy to distribute and to pos sess with intent to distribute cocaine in Large quantities. Those offences carry a maximum prison term of 20 years in  ring distributed More than 6.6 pounds of cocaine of colombian origin in new Jersey on at least two occasions this year and last Russell said and claimed to be Able to move quantities on a larger scale. One of the major suppliers 35-year old Pulido Zorrilla of Sellers Beverly Hills calif., was indicted by a fed eral grand jury in Newark last week on the continuing criminal Enterprise charge rus sell said. She said Zorrilla is an illegal alien from Colombia. The indictment says that Between Jan uary 1985 and Early March Wallace sell ers defendants Curtis Hunt Stephen Nave Candice Raggio and Philip Sena and others conspired to distribute cocaine in new Jer sey and elsewhere. It also contends the defendants and others agreed to and did use violence and threats of violence to obtain cocaine and to obtain payment for  Wallace said searches of the defendants los Angeles area Homes and vehicles uncovered numerous weapons including an Uzi sub machine gun at the Home of Zor Rilla a machine pistol at one of the Resi Dences used by Sena. And there was a shot gun found at Reed Wallace s  the investigation was initiated by under cover new Jersey state police investigators whose negotiations with an unnamed ring member led to the seizure of three kilograms of cocaine in Hasbrouck Heights i january Russell said. Sellers for whom an arrest warrant was issued wednesday was still at Large the prosecutor said. The others Are All in custody Russel said. In the stars and stripes 40 years ago foe a. March 14, 1946 soviet troops moving across Northern Iran and in the direction of the turkish and Iraq Borders caused the United states to Send a note to Moscow asking the .s.r. S intentions. 30 years ago today. March 14, 1956 the United states has urged Britain to resume negotiations As Early As possible with representatives of Cyprus state department officials said. 20 years ago today. March 14, 1966 vice president Hubert Humphrey said the United states desires to contain communist China s aggression but does not wish to isolate  of years ago today. March 14, 1976 the judge at the Patricia Hearst trial in san Francisco said he would instruct the jury to give her testimony the same weight and credence they give to that of other witnesses in the Bank robbery Case