European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 30, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes thursday april 30,1987 Ray Charles test Etta before a House  subcommittee about hearing research. Ray Charles lobbies Congress to hike hearing research funds Washington a Singer Ray Charles head of a foundation dedicated to hearing research called on Congress tuesday to increase funding u help Salve the problems of neurological and communicative Dis orders. We can upgrade funding research so that we can achieve what is certainly at our fingertips Charles told the House appropriations subcommittee for the departments of labor health and human services and education. Charles whose full name is Ray Charles Robinson recently joined forces with ear International in setting up the Robinson foundation for hearing disorders. Or. Jack l. Pupiec president of ear International told the subcommittee thai More than 20 million americans Are affected by a hearing disorder. However 90 percent of the problems could be solved in the neat 10 years with proper funding. Charles who is Blind said solving ear related Dis orders was important because we feel it a hearing problem does t have to be. Ninety percent alleviated is a High  the Singer recalled a Brief frightening incident when he was unable to hear and now the scare re minded him of the youngsters who never heard at  it does t strike us with the Force some illnesses might. It s so Subtle he said. Charles also said hearing problems Are accept old As commonplace As one grows old. Getting old one is supposed to be hard of hearing he said. It s not the Way it s supposed to  doctors Heads of various health agencies and those suffering from a number of disorders testified before the subcommittee about the importance of increased funding for research. Over 60 percent of the Grants approved for funding. Go unfunded said or. Bobby Aiford chairman of the National committee for research and Dean of Medicine at Baylor College. That is tantamount to saying to the research people in this country Don t  Aiford describing president Reagan s proposed Budge As totally lacking even in maintaining current funding called for 1648 million in research funding. Bul it was Charles who captured the attention of the crowded hearing room. Rep. Carl d. Pursell d-mich., who described him self As a former saxophone player told Charles your words were wonderful like your  afterwards Charles said he was totally out of place but sincere in what he s doing. Hearing is my life blood along with my  Deave says he s trying to shake drinking prob pm paper reports Washington up former White House aide Michael Deaver says he is struggling to overcome a persistent drinking problem hat May figure in his defense against charges of lying to Congress the Washington Post reported wednesday. The Poi will Denver privately has acknowledged to friends he is trying to overcome his problems with drinking and prescription drugs and has attended meetings of alcoholics Anonymous. The friends souls told the Post have been concerned for at least Ihrcke years about occasional unexplained disappearances by a Caver one of president Reagan s closest friends for iwo decades who resigned As Deputy White House chief of staff in 1985 to form a private lobbying firm. The lobbyist filed papers in Federal court last week alerting a judge he May introduce expert witnesses at his june trial. Such testimony about his menial state could affect his defense against a five count indictment charging he lied about his lobbying activities to con Gress and a Federal grand jury. The papers however were filed under Seal prevent ing the disclosure of further details. Last november news reports said Denver was hospitalized outside Washington for unexplained physical  one source told the Post a Caver has acknowledged being treated for alcohol abuse. The new York times citing sources knowledgeable about the Case tuesday reported Deaver is consid ering arguing his psychological stale Al the Lime he was accused of lying to Congress was impaired by the use of an unspecified drug or drugs. Deaver is charged with lying about his lobbying contacts with senior Reagan administration officials on behalf of Canada. South Korea puerto Rico trans world airlines and other . Companies. Under the proposed drug defense Caver could contend his psychological state was impaired by prescription drugs when he appeared before Congress May 16 and before a Federal grand jury june 20. Nebraska Man burned up Over elusive Snake Omaha neb. Up Merman Ferguson said he intended to smoke out the Snake hiding under his House when he started the fire. The Snake at last report was still at Large bul for Giken s attempt to farce the Snake from a Hole beneath the Back of his House ended up causing $$.500 in damage to the Structure and about Jisoo damage to the contents. Ferguson used burning newspaper in the at tempt to Nab the Snake but plywood near the newspaper caught fire and spread up the Bock of the House 10 the roof he said. I Don t recall anything similar to this said assistant fire chief Robert Warsocki Ferguson told investigators he tried fire be cause be was unable to rid his property of the Snake by other Means and had become frustrated. Warsocki said he could understand Ferguson s frustration but he said he advised him to Call an exterminator next time. Of Academy cadets sued by Day chapter Over Hall Colorado Springs Colo. Apr air Force Academy cadets who rented a Hall from the disabled american veterans for a parly will have to Settle the Bill in Small claims court the Day says. The Knob Hill Dav chapter filed a claim last week seeking $1,000 for an allegedly unpaid $374 Beer lab and a mess that Dav commander Charles Roggy says took Days to clean up. The Dav had rented its Hall to the cadets dec 6 Tor a party to follow the air Force Acac my Brigham Young University football game. The cadets and their guests trashed the in Side and outside of the Hall and damaged some restroom fixtures Roggy said. The cadets paid $386. According to letters sent to the Dav by an air Force Legal officer the cadets said hey were charged s95 n Keg when they expected to pay Only about $40. Bank closed by losses is bought reopened Osceola Iowa up the Osceola state Bank and Trust co. Has reopened As the Ameri can state Bank after it was closed by regulators because of High loan losses. Stale banking superintendent William Bernau closed the Osceola Bank because of losses attributed to insider Loans to Bank officials arranged by its principal owners Donald Wubbena of of Ceola and Clarence Deboom of Wett pcs Moines. It was the fourth Iowa Bank to fail this year. A newly formed holding company Osceola ban corporation was formed and bought the Bank. The holding company formed by a group of prominent Southern Iowa business Leaden was Given permission to open the Bank. Official seeks to revive nutty Mardi gras custom Baton Rouge u. A for two years High insurance rates have squelched he Mardi gras tradition of tossing decorated coconuts from floats in the Zulu Parade. But a stale senator has filed a Bill to try to revive the custom. Coconuts tossed by Zulu an All Black organization that started decades ago As a satire of White High society Mardi gras clubs Are among the most treasured of the items thrown from floats each year. Bul Zulu slopped tossing coconuts because the organization can t afford liability insurance covering injuries to anyone attending its annual Parade. Sen. William Jefferson s Bill provides that any person attending or participating in an organized Parade of floats or persons assumes the risk of being struck by any missile whatsoever which is traditionally thrown tossed or hurled in such a Parade. The items shall include but Are not limited to beads cups coconuts and Dou