European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 4, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday february 4, 1988 the stars and stripes Page e Reagan approves chemical bomb Dod gets go ahead to spend $90 i Ion by Norman Black Ami flair writer Washington president Reagan on tuesday informed Congress he had formally certified the Bigeye chemical bomb at essential id the National Security authorizing the Pentagon to spend $90 million to build production facilities. The defense department which announced the president s move said it is now negotiating two different contracts for the construction of plants that would be needed to fabricate parts for the new bomb. A separate facility also must be built at Pine Bluff Arsenal Ark to produce the Active chemical agent needed for the bomb the Pentagon said. Since new plants must be built full scale production of the weapon is not planned until 1990," the Pentagon said in a statement. The big Cyc bomb is one of three so called binary Cli comical weapons that the defense department plans to build to modernize the . Annal. Ii is also by far the most Cintrov ursial. The general accounting office in a report issued in 1986, criticized the Pentagon for trying to move the bomb to Ward production before it was ready. Among other complaints the Gap said it did not appear a mixing device inside he bomb needed to Combine chemicals into a deadly agent was working prop Erly. The Pentagon immediately disputed those findings but the Gao report prompted Congress to write a special certification requirement into Law. As finally enacted the Pentagon was told it could not begin spending Money on production facilities until the presi Dent certified All design planning and environmental requirements for such facilities a pc a i satisfied. The president also had to stale in writ ing that Afler reviewing the program he had concluded production of the weapon was in the National Security interests of the United  the certification responds to a con Gressional requirement contained in the fiscal 1987 Dod authorization act and allows up to $90 million. To be obligated for Bigeye production facilities the Pentagon said. Production of the Bigeye binary chemical bomb has been certified to be in the National Security interests of the United slates. The design planning and environmental requirements for Bigeye production facilities have also been sat  it said. The Pentagon added that the Bigeye was clearly essential to the National in Terest because it is the Only binary munition that could be employed far behind enemy lines in response to a chemical attack against . Or Allied troops. The other two binary weapons arc warheads for i Stem artillery rounds and Short Range surface to surface mis Siles neither of which could be carried on an aircraft like the Bigeye. Binary weapons Lake their name from the fad they Are composed of two Chemi cals kept separate until the bomb is dropped or artillery Shell fired. The two chemicals Are harmless until mixed at which Point they form a deadly Gas. The two chemicals needed for the big Eye Are Sulphur and an agent known in chemical shorthand As Al which when combined produce the agent vex. Until december when the array began producing chemical for the Artil Lery Shell the United states had not manufactured any chemical weapons since 1969 when then president Richard Nixon ordered a halt to the program. Immediately upon assuming Vilice in i9b1, however president Reagan decided the . Program should be resumed in order to offset a growing soviet chem ical Arsenal. The Reagan administration also argued the nation s existing stockpile of chemical weapons was gelling so old that in was becoming dangerous to handle. Alter several years of fighting losing Bat lies with Congress the administration finally won the authority two years ago to destroy the existing stockpile and begin building the new binary weapons. 12-year-old Star of poltergeist films Dies los Angeles a leather o Rourke. The child actress who warned they re acc care and they re Baa Oart in tie poltergeist movies died in children s Hospital in san Diego in monday after suffering an incs linux infection her agent David Wardlow said tuesday. She was 12. The child actress had suffered cardiac arrest and was resuscitated Al another local Hospital before she  transferred to children s Hospital for surgery said Terry Merryman a Hospital spokeswoman. She died during an operation that was complicated when she Suft Rcd septic Shock Merryman said. The cause of death was determined to be from a congenital malady known As intestinal stenosis an obstruction of the Bowel she said. Septie Shock is not uncommon in infections Mer Ryman said noting that such Shock involves bacteria getting into the bloodstream. Max Murphy san Diego county Coroner s Deputy said death was due to natural causes and the Coroner s office has no further role in the Case Heather s manager. Mike Meyer said her parcels. Jim and Kathy o Rourke at first thought that she had the no. The Golden haired girl was discovered by producer Steven Spielberg at age 5 As she Sal in an mum commissary Wilh her Sisler Tammy. Spielberg asked if he could talk to her and thai talk led to her role in the original  she went on to Star in All three "1 Lotc racist films and was a familiar character on television s Happy Days a Biler and still the  Between the Way she looked and How articulate she was and her ability to absorb tremendous amounts of material she was realty special said Meyer who Lias represented other child stars including Drew Barry More Shannon Dougherty Danielle Brisbois and  Huiyuan. Member o Rourke Heather recently co starred with Robert Mandan in a television Pilot called Here to  As a regular on Happy Days she played Linda Purl s daughter. She was a recurring character on we Baler and still the Beaver and one of the Stan in an Abc minist Ries on to can age suicide called surviving. She portrayed a Blind girl in a recent episode of our House and played a russian girl in an episode of Rocky  m deeply saddened and shocked by the news said actress Jobe h Williams through her publicist Barry Krosl. Having played Heather s Mother twice. I grew to love her and 10 respect her Talent. My heart goes out to her Mother and her  funeral services Are planned for Friday in los an Geles but the Lime and location have not been set. She is the second actress from the poltergeist movies to die unexpectedly Dominique Dunne who played a teen age daughter in the original movie was strangled in october 1982 at the age of 22 Afler she tried to break off her relationship with her Boyfriend los Angeles chef John Sweeney he was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced in november 1983 10 the maximum 6vi Yean in prison by a judge who chided the jury for not returning a murder ver  the original poltergeist Heather was the one who uttered the key line when the evil spirits arrived declaring in a i Hunting childlike Lone they re Heck or in the sequel she confirmed they re Baalack she finished filming poltergeist Iii last june Star ring As Carol Ann for the third Lime. The film is scheduled for release in june. Only the original poltergeist was a Spielberg production. He was out of town and could not be reached for comment a spokesman said. As a fifth grader in 19bs and 1986, Heather was president of the student Council at big Bear Elemon a she was Reaf Bright Meyer said. She was a lot More aware than you think of a kid at being. You could be having a conversation about anything and she knew what you were talking about and How it fit into people s  Innis teacher with aids Sands of time in the stars and stripes ii. I i i nth oui Gnu pm i Jecan work but not in class 40ye0rsagotoday. Carol Stream 111. A a teacher stricken with aids will be Al Lowed to return to work but nol in the classroom. The unidentified teacher who has taught in District 87 for 17 Ycre has been on sick leave from Glen Bard North High school for several months said superintendent Robert c. Stevens. His condition was made Public this week although in chars students and Parent were informed Currier. We Chase not to hide inc fact that a Slaff member has aids and we decided 10 use this As an educational experience and let everyone know what they need to  principal Bert Weber said. School officials Are following Federal court rulings in allowing an employee with aids to return to work said the District s Al Lorincy j. Todd Faulkner. We arc putting him in anon leaching position so we can Monitor How this individual is coping with the aids affliction Stevens said. Weber said 10 parents called him Afler receiving the letter mailed to All parents but week four were supportive three were concerned and three were upset. Aids destroys the body s defences against disease leaving a person prey to life threatening infections and certain cancers. Feb. 4. 1948 Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands proclaimed the end of colonialism in her Empire. 30 years ago today feb. 4, 1958 the Netherlands Belgium and Luxembourg signed a treaty for economic Union after 14 years of negotiations. 20 years ago today. Fee 4, 1968 an american official reported thai 36,000 Viet Cong troops took part in the massive of Tensive in South Vietnam which included attacks on 35 Popula Tion centers but which failed to topple the Saigon government. To years ago today feb 4 1978 soviet cosmonaut Georgy Srechko a civilian Engineer on his second space night broke the record fur total Lime in space passing the Mark of 84 Days 1 Liou Randl 6 minutes set by three american skylab astronauts