European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 2, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes tuesday August 2,1988 shuttle launching team May face new delay _ to a Al �4l rim a Cape canaveral a. A the space shuttle launching team completed a practice countdown monday de spite a fuel leak that raised the possibility of another postponement of a critical test firing of the discovery s engines. The leak halted fueling of the shuttle s Hydrogen tank after it had been loaded with 254,000 Gallons 67 percent of capacity. After assessing the situation launch ing director Bob Sieck ordered the count Down to proceed to obtain data on other aspects of the count. The liquid oxygen tank received a full Load of 143,000 Gal k is and other procedures were prac tired. The countdown was stopped As planned by a simulated problem at 11 seconds before a mock liftoff and the launching team began practising Steps it would take to recover from a postpone ment making the shuttle Safe Drain ing the propellants and turning the vehicle around for another countdown and launching attempt. A second countdown is to end with test firing of discovery s three main engines with the shuttle bolted firmly to the pad. The firing had been scheduled for thursday but space Agency officials said it May have to be delayed another Day or so because of the leak. The firing already had been postponed four times in 10  latest was a three Day delay announced Friday be cause of a Hydrogen leak and a Balky oxygen pump. The newest leak was in the same launching pad service Mast As the earlier one but officials would not know if it was in the same line until technicians traced it. They will not have Access to the pad until after the launching team completes draining the Hydrogen and oxygen tues Day. Nasa said that despite sunday s leak it was satisfied that most require ments of the first part of the countdown had been met. Objectives missed were to be picked up during a second fueling and countdown for the test firing. Officials believe the practice count Down delays combined with an unresolved leak in the discovery s steering engine system will slip the launching Date from mid september into october. The purpose of the dual countdown test is to Check modifications made to the engines and launching pad and to provide countdown practice for the launching team. The 20-second engine ignition is considered critical to certifying the discovery for the first shuttle flight since the challenger exploded shortly after liftoff Jan. 28,1986, killing the Crew of seven. When the test is completed Nasa officials still must Cope with the Small Gas leak in a steering engine system separate from discovery s main engines. Engineers have come up with a plan to reach and repair the leak by entering the shuttle s cargo Bay and cutting a Hole through the rear Bulkhead into the steer ing engine compartment. Another option with a decision to be made after the test firing is to take the discovery off the pad and Back to a Han Gar for repair a move that could Post Pone the launching until november. Aids enzyme of be space bound Washington up Nasa has Given permission to it Harmac Euticia company to Send Ito space aboard the next space shuttle a key enzyme in the aids Sims a health newsletter disclose sunday. Health daily a Washington based medical news publication said in its aug. 1 Issue that the Burroughs wellcome company of research Triangle Park n.c., i planning to Fly a key enzyme from the virus believed to cause acquire immune deficiency syndrome aboard the shuttle discovery. The company plans to Send up the enzyme reverse transcript ase a primary enzyme involved in the re production of the aids virus the newsletter said. Bola Bola Jim Walsh of Matchbox toys looks through several Bola balls a plastic hoop and Ball with a one size fits All Waistband. The object is to gyrate the inflatable Ball through the hoop with hip action. Crime Boss warned by Fri of death plot new York up rival mobsters chose a re tired new Jersey police lieutenant to kill reputed Gam Bino crime family Boss John Gotti but the plot was aborted after the Fri warned Gotti according to a report sunday in the daily news. Citing Fri documents the new York based newspaper also identified Anthony Rotolo 46, of Calabria Italy As the hit Man in the murder last August of reputed swindler Irwin Schiff 50, at a restaurant on Manhattan s East Side. Frank dips Danielle 67, the retired Hoboken n.j., police lieutenant and Rotonto were named in secret Fri tapes and affidavits obtained by the newspaper. The tapes were among 800 hours of recordings made in two new Jersey eateries it said. Among allegations contained in the affidavits was the charge that reputed Genovese mob Boss Vincent Gigante controls All the gambling operations below 14th Street in Manhattan and receives 35 percent of the profits the newspaper said. The daily news said the Gotti hit was to have taken place oct. 1, but was aborted after the Fri warned Gotti the Day before of the plot to kill him. The Gotti hit and the Schiff slaying allegedly were orchestrated by the new Jersey Branch of the Geno vese crime family reputedly headed by Louis Anthony Bobby manna of Jersey City the newspaper said. Manna 59, Hoboken restaurateur Martin motts Casella 71, and reputed mob enforcer Richard Bocci Desciscio 42, Are being held without bail on charges of murdering Schiff and plotting to kill Gotti and his younger brother Gene the newspaper said. Danielle who is free on bail has been charged in the Gotti plot but not the Schiff hit it said. Eighty eight looking Forward to 8-8-88 my a a. J a. �71 i to m1 no Aih o o eighty eight by. A it s 88 in eighty eight and people Are getting ready to celebrate the Odd convergence of a Point in time and a pinpoint on the map. The last time eighty eight entered the spotlight was when voters Here cast 88 votes for president Truman and 88 votes for Thomas Dewey. That earned the town a feature in Ripley s believe it or  four decades later this is the year for eighty eight to Call attention to itself again. The townspeople have really gotten excited about it said Rosemary Mcpherson owner of the 88 Market and the driving Force behind the eighty eight Celebration set for sunday. The Celebration includes a reunion for All who attended the now defunct eighty eight school and a special invitation is going out to anyone 88 years  s doubtful there s Ever been anything like it in eighty eight a picture postcard Village with the Market a tire company neat Little houses lining a two Lane Road and a red Brick Church anchoring the town at each end. The first hint that eighty eight s time had come was Back in january when col lectors sent their new year s cards to receive the town s postmark. One collector enclosed a note this is your  until then i had t even thought about it said pos mistress Donnie sue Bacon. Soon v manner of mail including about 2. Graduation announcements from stud flu at the University of South Ern California began arriving for Cancella Tion at Bacon s cubbyhole Post office inside Mcpherson s store. I m Happy that they re recognizing us said Bacon 57, who had to make a conces Sion to the town s sudden Vogue. After 31 years of hand cancelling mail she was Trad ing her Ink pad and rubber stamp for a self inking  town has also attracted other Atten Tion. Daniel t. Gray and Karen Ann Davis of Bowling Green decided to get married Here and the Rev. Michael Thomason who performed the ceremony recalled that the couple was quite specific about the time 4 28 . On 4-28-88 in eighty eight. It was just sentimental said the new mrs. Gray. When the marriage License was filed she added the clerk s office thought the minister put the Date where you put the  eighty eight s 200 or so residents were at first unwilling to make a fuss but they finally yielded to the times. Serious planning for a commemoration got under Way in a town meeting in june at the 88 Market which is something of an unofficial Community Center. And Mcpherson whose store already has sold everything from baby food to country hams has added a special line of merchandise for the occasion eighty eight Caps and  first to shirt was presented to local resident Elsie Billingsley age 88. How did the town get its numerical name the explanation Given by some is that it lies 8.8 Miles East of Glasgow the Barren county seat. That s not it says Bobby Richardson an eighty eight native and Glasgow attorney who says he has the authoritative account. It begins with Dannie l. Nunnally who opened a general store and Stagecoach Stop Here around 1850 and became the first postmaster sometime in the late 1860s. Needing a name for the place Nunnally opted for a number because his figures were More legible than his handwriting said Richardson who is Nunnally s great great grandson. To pick the number Nunnally counted the Money in his pocket88 cents. That s the Correct version according to All the older people in the family who told me said Richardson