European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 11, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday april 11, 1987 the stars and stripes Pago 7 Simon enters presidential race Washington up Illinois sen Paul Simon who putted Back once Thil year announced a Long thai Mirum Lurt tar the democratic presidential nomination thursday on Liberal platform or jobs civil right and Arm control. The first lorm senator said he will formally announce i candidacy May 18 in Carbondale til. In the meantime Simon known for his trademark Bow Tiei it telling up i presidential committee tji ii great country can be a better country. That is the tradition of the democratic party and i am proud or that tradition he said while invoking the names and goals or presidents Roosevelt Truman Kennedy Johnson and Carter. Simon 58. Who served 10 Yean in the House before defeating three term Republican sen. Charles Percy in i9s4, did not answer questions at  in a jammed room a few feet from the Senate chamber an interpreter translated his speech into sign language for the deaf. "1 would not be entering Iii contest unless i believed i could win Simon said. In his announcement Simon embraced democratic ideals of a decent Job for All workers health care for the elderly Quality education Strong civil rights Laws "sensible1 agricultural policies arms control and an adequate  a Phot new England Venice Angel Herrera left and Luis cull la tour flooded afre ets of Beti Lawrence muss neighbourhood in it nil after heavy Rains brought the Ana s worst floods in 50 Yean. It can happen if we have leadership that cares that a willing to bring out the Best in us leadership thai has vision leadership rooted in the traditional values of our  he said. I am not a Neo anything. I am n Democrat his major legislative drive this year is a jobs and welfare Reform Bill which would create a modern Day version of the depression Era works Progress Admonis Simon ration. He Laid out the Case for the Bill in his 11th Book let s put America Back to work published last year. Former Arizona gov. Bruce Babbitt and rep. Rich Ard Gephardt of Missouri already Are announced candidates for the democratic nomination. Former Colo Rado sen. Gary Hart is scheduled to announce his bid monday. Massachusetts nov Michael Dukakis sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware and civil rights Leader Jesse Jackson Are considered certain to run. Freshman sen. Albert lore. A Tenn. Aid thursday i have not made my do Union yet a group of wealthy democrats has promised major  if he runs. Two political activists from Iowa whose neighbor Hood caucuses Are the first lest of support for Candi Date said the held is wide Tjien and Simon has As Good a Chance As anyone. Former congressmen Berkley Bedell said Simon would be Well regarded and it is no Handicap to be a Liberal. We need a candidate who says they Don t agree with what s happening in our government today. If that s Liberal then Bedell said. On feb. 25, Simon bowed out in favor of Arkansas sen. Dale bumpers. But bumpers later decided against rom Nincard there were Calls for Simon to reconsider Simon was a Leader last year in challenging the qualifications of president Reagan s judicial appointees but he also supported a constitutional amendment to balance the Federal budget he spoke against the new lax Reform Law and voted against the Senate plan but missed the final vote on a saturday because he was speaking in new Hampshire. Virtually from the Day he entered the Senate Simon has been touted As a presidential possibility. Fifteen congressmen signed a letter last summer saying he would be a candidate of compassion common sense and  new Orleans a Hospital Blaze forces scores of patients to flee new Orleans a a Smoky four alarm fire erupted at the Veteran s administration Hospital Here thursday forcing the evacuation of scores of elderly men. There were no reports of injuries. About 400 patients were in the Hospital said spokeswoman Laura Bishop there was no immediate word on How Many patients were evacuated. All patients were out of danger from the fire which was was under control said fire superintendent Wil Liam Mccrossen. You had an extremely dangerous and serious situation on hand he said. As Many As 60 firefighters were called to the scene. The units were dispatched at 8 49 . And the tire reached four alarms about 45 minutes later i Don t know exactly what was burning but it got into the Walls Mccrossen said. "1 understand they were doing renovations and apparently the fire started in a Wall in the fifth floor smoke filled both the fifth and sixth floors he said wisps of smoke came from windows and water streamed Down elevator shafts As the patients were brought out. Most of the patients probably were taken to another a building next door. Bishop said. Although the Fin reportedly was confined to the sixth door patients who crowded the lobby said there was thick smoke on the upper floors and some elsewhere Preston Trahan 66, of Kaplan la., said smoke was coming into his fifth floor room. It was pretty thick and they had to shut the fifth double doors because he smoke was moving in just like a fog Trahan said. Some patients in Beds and wheelchairs were receiving medication intravenously in a crowded corridor of the new addition grass fire threatens Minnesota town Willow River Minn. A a wind whipped grass file swept to the Edge of this town of 330 people thursday threatening to engulf gasoline tanks and forcing officials to evacuate 20 Homes and ask All other residents to leave. No injuries were reported and residents were Al Lowed to return to their Homes about vhf hours later it was extremely fast extremely dangerous said Brian Garvey department of natural resources area supervisor from Moose Lake. It was the worst Possi ble you can have because it crowned meaning that flames reached above tree tops. The tire burned about 500 acres he estimated. One Mobile Home was destroyed but other damage was not immediately known. The state department of natural resources warned on wednesday that the slate faced a real critical Situa Tion for grass flies because of High temperatures Low humidity and Lack of ground moisture. A fire watch was issued for the lower two thirds of the state All burning permits in that area have been suspended. The Der s three air tankers and two teased helicopters poured water and fire regard ans on the Blaze in Willow River about 60 Miles South of Duluth in northeastern Minnesota. Misconduct9 forces Myerson to give up . Of new York a Bess Myerson a former miss America and a close Friend of mayor Edward 1. Koch resigned thursday As the City s cultural affairs commissioner following a report that she had engaged in serious misconduct Koch announced. According to the mayor an investigator said the misconduct involved myer son s hiring of sukh rect Gabol the daughter of state supreme court Justice Hortense Gabol who handled the 1983 divorce of Carl Capusso Myerson s com Panion and a major City contractor. The supreme court is new York s trial level court Myerson has been romantically linked with Capasso for several years Capasso s wife says Myerson is responsible for the breakup of the marriage. Although in retrospect and with Hindsight is. Myerson believes that it was a mistake of judgment to have hired judge Gabel s daughter is. Myerson did not intend to and indeed did not do any wrongful acts said Fred Hafiz her attorney. Koch said at a City Hall news Confer ence that the report also found improprieties in Myers ones use of City employees for personal purposes and in her failure to report gifts received from Capasso who did millions of dollars Worth of business with the City. Receiving the gifts was not improper but they should have been reported he said. Capasso pleaded guilty in january to tax evasion. He was sentenced to four years in prison and fined $500,000. Koch said the investigator former Federal judge Harold r. Tyler jr., found no substantial evidence that Myerson had influenced the awarding of contracts to Capasso. He said Myerson chose not to speak with judge Tyler on a Volun tary non immunized basis a fact which judge Tyler stated he did not hold against her in As Sessing the  Myerson was miss America in 1945. Koch first met her 20 years ago when he was a cily councilman and she was com missioner of consumer affairs under mayor John a Lindsay. She campaigned at Koch s Side for his 1977 election. I have deep sympathy for her Posi Tion he said. Acceptance of her Resig nation is personally painful but As mayor i know it is the Only appropriate thing to  Koch would not say whether the judge had recommended that Myerson be fired. He said she had brought spirit and insight and intelligence to her office and opened the doors to Small cultural organizations that had not been funded before. Of 14 other High ranking officials who Kcf his administration since City scandals broke in january 1985, Koch said Only Myerson and Victor Bol Niclot were per Sonal friends. Botnick resigned As health and hospitals commissioner when it was discovered that he lied about having a College degree. Myerson 62, took a 90-Day leave from her $s3,000-a-Ycar Job on Jan. 12 after invoking the fifth amendment in a grand jury investigating Capasso