European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 29, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday december 29. 1986 the stars and stripes Page 7 mock hostage exercise prompts lawsuits St. Join Bury Al. Not when Christopher m. Owens a guard Tor 14 years at he St. Johnsbury Community correctional Center signed up for a training session in officer aware  he expected a lecture slide show Coffee and doughnuts. But to his Surprise after the dough nuts the doors to the class burst open. People barged in carrying automatic weapons threatening us with violence and death recalled Owens 37, about a mock hostage taking episode during training held in november 1985 at a National guard armory near the prison. I was blindfolded. Tied up. Skidded across the floor on my face and Stom  said Owens who for Sis years had Laughl outdoor gardening to some of the 100 inmates at the minimum to medium Security prison. They made me sit with my Knees up and feel on a device i had to press or it d blow up. I was old to get on my Knees executioner style and a warm liquid was poured Down my  i tried to laugh it off but Couton a Owens said of the session designed to Leach prison guards How to Deal with being taken hostage by prisoners. This month he and Ihrck of the other 71 guards who attended the training each filed si.5 million suits against the stale in Caledonia Superior court. The suits charge false imprisonment deprivation of civil rights assault and Battery negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. A trial Date will be set next month. The stale is not laughing either. We re taking this seriously although we consider inc suits to be frivolous and deny All allegations said Andrew w. Mac can the assistant attorney general representing the state. I agree or. Owens was blindfolded lied up with cloth spoken to in a harsh manner but he absolutely was not physically in  the hostage taking simulation which the state will not use again until inc suits Are settled had been incorporated into Basic training for correction officers last year according to Vermont officials who said other Stales including new Vork and Massachusetts use the same tech Nique. But correction officials in those slates say such training is used for special offi cers training for crisis intervention at maximum Security prisons. According to James b. Plateau a spokesman for the new York depart Manj of correctional services we have training exercises in hostage taking but everyone know in Advance what will happen and what their role will  Owens would have appreciated such information. I be been instructing in mates How to Plant pumpkins and vegetables he said. Had 1 known the con Lens of the training i would have asked to be  say Dukakis has firm base for 1988 Boston not gov. Michael s. Dukakis smiles broadly when asked if he has ambitions for office beyond Massachusetts and he promises to think about the question next year. But it is no secret that he has already thought about the while House and whether he can get there on the strength of a reputation in new England that has been sweetened Vilh a blossoming local Economy and a resounding re a fiction Triumph. Dukakis won his third term on nov. 4. The Day after his 53rd birthday with the biggest Victory margin of any Massachusetts governor in this a Colury. He was helped in pan by an Economy so Strong that in has created a Lubor shortage in Eastern Massachusetts and a budget sur plus so Large shul disposing of it May have been his biggest political problem in loss. Though to is Little known to voters outside new England Dukakis name of Jav. Michael s. Dukakis recognition in this Region could give him an Early boost in the race for the 1988 democratic presidential nomination. Along with the key primary in new Hampshire aides Point out there is the non binding Vermont Beauty contest and the Early primaries in Massachusetts Maine and Rhode Island. What Benefit it is to be governor of Massachusetts in a new Hampshire Pri Mary is not completely Clear. One in 12 members of the new Hampshire labor Force work in Massachusetts and a third live within Range of Boston television. Dukakis aides cite a poll of 500 new Hampshire voters taken in september and october for the Boston Herald which showed him beating gov. Mario Cuomo of new York and approaching Gary Hart of Colorado. Earlier this month Dukakis visited an other key primary slate Florida to give the keynote address at the National association of counties meeting in tort Lauderdale. And talked with democrats from around the country. Next month he will visit Iowa whose precinct caucuses Are the first formal Chance for voters to begin picking delegates for inc 1988 democratic National convention for a meeting organized by inc National governors association aides contend that Dukakis Wouldhave the Early support of hundreds of elected officials around the country. He acquired numerous contacts while he was a lecturer and director of intergovernmental studies at the Kennedy school of govern Cal part of Harvard University from 1979 to 1982, and he is the chairman of the democratic Gover nors association the new England governors conference and the committee on economic development of the coalition of Northeast governors aides say thai Dukakis a Swarthmore and Harvard Law graduate from the bos ton suburb of Brookline would be helped in fund raising by his status As the firs major greek american candidate for president. . Briefs Hunters killed by train Madison a. Up two youths on a Hunting trip were killed saturday when a train ran Over them As they slept on railway tracks Morgan county sheriffs Deputy Bob Gilbert said Brian Banks 18, of Covington and Ronnie Lamar Cason 19, of Monticello were killed about 9a.m. He said their bodies have been sent to the crime lab to see if they were under the. Influence of any  workers reject pact Latrobe a. A workers at Latrobe steel co. Overwhelmingly rejected a 44-month contract touted by the company As one of the Best offers made to any United steelworkers local this year. After the 491-77 vote the company agreed to a fifth Extension of the old contract which expired aug. 1, to allow negotiations to continue said Wil Liam Ehman president of us w local 1537. Ehman had earlier recommended that the 650 Union members reject the pact which would have Frozen wages and benefits because in offered no profit sharing and no Cost of living in creases beyond the current year. The offer might look Good to other members but we re in a different situation he said. The company has admitted this Plant has made a prom in the past several years and it s about time inc employees get a share of  publisher Scripps Dies Delmar Calif up1 James g. Scripps head of two newspaper groups and grandson of Edward w. Scripps who founded United press and Scripps Howard newspapers died of an apparent heart attack at his Home his Secretary Carolyn Vaughn Chaldon said. He was 75. Scripps1 newspaper career spanned six dec Ades. He was Board chairman president and director of Pioneer and Scripps newspapers 99 cats die in animal shelter fire Denver Dpi animal control officials re moved the carcasses of 99 cats that perished in a fire at a shelter operated by a prominent Colorado politician s wife dubbed the Mother Teresa of  Luann Strickland wife of slate Senate president Ted Strickland a Westminster Cpl saturday in a car outside the shelter while her husband and her assist ant Betty Schafor helped animal control officials re move the cats that died in he Friday night fire. I Call her the Mother Teresa of cats said  d just take any cat. I think they were her  fire officials earlier had estimated More than 130 cats were killed in the Blaze. Schafer said 107 cats were in the shelter. Eight were saved. A neighbor who tried to Rescue some of the cats was treated by paramedics for smoke inhalation but did not require Hostila Bizalion. There were no other injuries to  said an overheated Furnace in the Cen Ter of the Home May have caused the fire. Cape. Jim Sestrich a spokesman for the fire depart ment said inc Blaze was reported at 11 17 . In a two Story Home in Northeast Denver thai had been converted to a cat shelter. Anonymous gift keeps Home open Garland Texas a a woman known As grandma to the runaways and abandoned Icen agers she takes into her suburban Dallas Home says she s received a $3,700 donation that will enable her to Avert foreclosure. She has 11 teens living with her. Edie Lewis 60, said she received a Call from a Man who requested anonymity Friday promising to make the Back payments on her mortgage. When 1 got off the phone i broke Down and started crying Lewis said. I was so relieved for these  she said she has had trouble paying Bills since her husband Charles died 16 months ago. He s not a Rich Man. He s just a Middle class Man who is retired. He wanted to buy us some time she said. I Don t want to quit she said. I have such a Good Success Rale with these kids. I just Don t have enough Money now so if 1 want to keep doing it. I guess i la have to learn How to  device allows paraplegic to walk to altar St. Marys Ohio a a paraplegic who re gained use of her legs with the help of an experimental computer system walked Down the aisle at her wed Ding. Nan Etc Davis 26, wore a traditional Ivory coloured gown Over a sophisticated iwo logged Brace fitted Wilh cables that allowed her to Transfer upper body motion to her legs. She used a Walker for balance. It meant a lot for me to do thai she said and i doing it in a Brace. So Hal i can took him in the  Davis paralysed in a 1978 Aulo Accident attracted National attention in 1982 when she took some Steps with the Aid of a computerized system of braces and sensors developed by Wright stale University re searcher Jerrold pc Trotsky. By 1983, Pitrofsky had developed a gallery pow ered system that enabled her to walk to the podium at her College graduation a breakthrough chronicled in the 19s4 to movie first  the Brace worn Al her wedding to restaurant manager Greg Ferrall 30, of Huber Sci gals used no Power source or compel or. Pitrofsky who helped design the device said it has enabled patients to walk up to seven Miles. I be been very grateful for the past years because in has Given me the Chance to walk Down the aisle i a Scad of Roll Down the aisle in a wheelchair Davis said. The Rev. Theodore Stellhorn who performed the ceremony in Davis Hometown 60 Miles North of Day Ion said in was very much a regular  she. Navigated Lite aisle which is about 50 feel easily each Way. She walked Down it with her father and walked Back up to Wilh her husband Ste Horn said