European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 28, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes thursday july 28,1988 item in paper about lottery saves Fortune in Nick of time Harrisburg a. A a retired business Man came within hours of forfeiting a $ 15.3 million lottery prize because he did t Check the number for a year until he read in a newspaper that the Money was about to be returned to the state. John Cruz and his wife Sally of Cherry Hill,n.j., on tuesday picked up the first instalment of their winnings after telling reporters How they Al most lost the prize because he tossed the ticket in a drawer and never checked it after the drawing. The prize was set to return to the state Treasury at the end of the business Day july 15, one year after the winning numbers were drawn. On that Day Cruz read a Philadelphia daily news Story about the missing ticket and recognized the numbers. Mrs. Cruz 65, a retired portrait artist remembered her husband Yelling that s my number that s my number As he ran into the bedroom to find the ticket. Sometimes i Check them sometimes i Don to added Cruz 70, a retired food company manager. But i never throw them  he said he recognized the numbers from the super 7 drawing because they were his birthday his wife s birthday and one other number he likes. Cruz dug the ticket from the drawer but he and his wife still had several other obstacles standing Between them and the Jackpot. First lottery officials had to agree to stay beyond the office s Normal closing time so the couple could turn in the ticket. Asked if he obeyed the Speed limit on the drive to Harrisburg that Day Cruz said you re not going to get me to admit that. We got Here As fast As we  then the ticket was studied for a week by Testate attorney general the state inspector general lottery officials and an Independent Security Agen  extra scrutiny was prompted by an april episode in which two men tried to collect the Jack pot with a phony ticket. The men both were charged and Are awaiting trial. Lottery officials did t discover the ruse until after paying the first instalment. They subsequently froze his Bank account. This time the ticket checked out and beaming lottery officials presented the winners with a Check for nearly $940,000. They Are entitled to 24 additional annual payments of about $470,000 after taxes. The couple said they Don t know How they la spend the Money. Cruz bought the ticket at a tobacco shop in Thene shaming mall shortly after finding a $20 Bill on the floor while he waited for his wife to finish an Organ lesson at a music store. Stateside Reagan Industry officials oppose ban on plastic six pack holders Washington a the Reagan administration and the plastics Industry Are opposing attempts to outlaw plastic six pack holders in favor of yokes made of biodegradable materials a change that environmentalists say would protect wildlife. Administration and Industry officials told a House merchant Marine and fisheries subcommittee tuesday that More research is necessary to determine what Impact the by products of a degradable Holder would have on Marine life. But the environmentalists say legislation is needed quickly to save sea Birds and Marine mammals that Are killed by the discarded plastic rings. Albert m. Manville ii a biologist for defenders of wildlife and chairman of the entanglement network coalition said plastic six pack containers can remaining the environment for hundreds perhaps thousands of years killing wildlife that become entangled an choke to death or mistake the yokes for food and strangle or die from starvation. The six pack ring epitomizes the plastic pollution problem a highly successful product that is functional and durable and yet ugly and deadly when improperly discarded said rep. Gerry e. Studds d mass., chairman of the subcommittee on fisheries and wildlife conservation. But Sylvia Lowrance director of the environmental Protection Agency s solid waste division warned that the proposed Law has the potential for replacing one problem with  Robert Smith Deputy assistant director at the fish and wildlife service said his Agency opposes the legis lation because we do not have information that Indi Cates six pack yokes Are a major threat to fish and wildlife  environmentalists disagreed with that assertion. Enough is enough said Manville. When is there sufficient information the majority of what is seen and reported involves beverage containers in p6tttnt