European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 7, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes sunday August 7,1988 scrabbling for an advantage Ethel Sherard from Pasadena calif., spells out a word at the National scrabble championship in Reno Nev. Sherard 92, was the oldest competitor at the five Day event which attracted 320 participants. Or. Robert Watson of Minneapolis oot spelled and outfoxed the other 319 word wizards to win the $5,000 first prize. Stateside racially based Premium rates maintained by 22 insurance firms Kansas City to. A at least 22 insurance companies still have life insurance policies in effect that charge Blacks higher premiums than Whites utmost companies responding to a Survey stopped the practice years ago. The National association of insurance commissioners questioned 2,806 life insurance companies after the american civil liberties Union asked about racially based Premium rates said David Simmons the association s lawyer. The Kansas City based group adopted a Resolution in june criticizing race based premiums As inherently unfair and unacceptable As a matter of Public  it asked state regulatory offices to direct companies to neutralize the race based differentials for policies in effect. Of the 2,719 companies responding to the Survey by aug. 1, 52 said they had used race As a basis for differences in life insurance premiums. Fifty one of those said they had discontinued issuing such policies and one did not answer that question. Asked if they were currently collecting Premium that differentiate based on race 22 said they were 27 said they were not and three did not answer. Four of the 22 companies were from Louisiana three were from Texas two each were from Alabama North Carolina and South Carolina and the states of Nebraska Ohio Indiana Kentucky Kansas Missouri Georgia Arizona and Arkansas had one each. Most companies that said they had used racially differentiated premiums said they had discontinued them years ago some As far Back As 1912, most inthe 1950s and 1960s and the last in 1987. New York life insurance co., for example said Thad stopped using the policies by the end of 1938 in new York new Jersey Connecticut Ohio Michigan and Minnesota. It said its records did not show when the practice was discontinued in other states but bythe end of 1948 it was no longer using it anywhere. Home beneficial life insurance co. Of Virginia said its Premium differences reflect differences in published and recognized mortality statistics and it cite population statistics from the . Department of health and human services showing a life expectancy of 70.6 years for Whites Bora in 1960 and 63.6 years for Blacks. Oceanographer takes journey in sub to Bottom of Crater Lake Crater Lake National Park Ore. Up Oregon state University oceanographer Jack Dymond travelled Friday to a place where no one has beep before exploring the Bottom of Crater Lake in a one Loami nisus. Chief Park Ranger Jack Thompson said Dymon reported no problems in the dive of about seven hours piloting the $1 million submersible deep rorer to depth of 1,450feet the first deep dive took place a Day ahead of schedule As Dymond visited an underwater Canyon in the Southeast part of the Lake. The Lake floor reaches depth of m32 feet making to North Amer Ica deepest Lake. " " nothing spectacular has been sighted Thomp son said tote Friday such As the evidence of hot exploration by a California farm near the Park Boundary. On his first test dive thursday about 200 fee below the surface Dymond said the View left him speechless. It s exciting. I think it might be kind Offan actually he  20 deep dives ire planned in coming Day by Dymond and his fellow researchers i a $225,000 project sponsored by the National Park service. It Spart of a 10-year study of the Southwest Oregon Lake begun five years ago Over concerns that the water has been losing some of its clarity. Last summer an unmanned Remote controlled was sent to the Bottom of the Lake created 7,000 years ago by t volcanic eruption. Avideo camera sent Back tantalizing images of Possi ble hydrothermal vents but the unmanned Craft cow not take temperature readings or other measurements at the deep Rover can. Eskimo Mermaid Given cold shoulder at school Fairbanks Alaska a Sedna the Eskimo Mermaid did t dress for her trip North and her recep Tion at an alaskan elementary school has t been All that  is a human size Bronze sculpture installed wednesday at Tica Suk Brown elementary school where she is making Waves because she does t have any  figure As anatomically telling As a Barbie doll has generated a Call to school principal John Pyle froma resident annoyed that Only the strategic placement of hair protects the Mermaid s  said he is certain he will hear More complaints about the sculpture which includes a Walrus a Salmon and other sea creatures that arc part of a Mermaid s  Don t know what i m going to do about it but Well do something he said. It s just a shame you know the Walrus is nude  artwork created by an artist in Washington state might be covered pending a decision from the committee that ordered it As the Centrepiece of the school s new sculpture Garden school administrators said. Everyone understands message of the musical Wilkinsburg a. A a theater company Inthis financially strapped Pittsburgh suburb is producing a musical the town s constituents will have Little trouble  Wilkinsburg arts theater has held weekend auditions for anyone can whistle a 1964 Broad Way play about a town that went broke. Wilkinsburg ended its 1987 fiscal year with a deficit of nearly $622,000 and could t meet its year end pay Roll finance director Susan Werksman said  investigation by the Pennsylvania auditor Gener Al s office found evidence of fiscal mismanagement and corruption in the town of 23,000 residents. The musical at least has a Happy ending says Wil Kinsburg councilman Mike Freeman also chairman of the Wilkinsburg arts  s about a town that needs a Miracle to survive so town fathers fake a religious Miracle he said. But behave no plans to do  Bridge Section collapses 6 injured in 30-foot fall Wichita Falls Texas a part of a Bridgton which workers were pouring Cement gave Way Fri Day plunging them 30 feet to a Creek bed and injuring six people police  were on top and Rode her Down said officer Cindy Tracey. It looked like a pretty rough  speculation about the cause entered on one or More Large bolts that were found sliced in  had a failure of one Bolt that dominoes the rest said spokesman Jack Burnett of Zack Burket construction co. There was no warning said Everett Harper project superintendent for Zack Burkett. I had just stepped off it and he snapped his  inspector from the Federal occupational health and safety administration was dispatched from Dallas to investigate. Two of the injured had to be carried by Stretcher but the remaining four walked out of the Creek bed. The Bridge across Holliday Creek was to open sept. Governor finds toll taking takes its toll at my. Bridge Skidmore my. A the Job of governor is taxing one according to conventional Wisdom but gov. William Donald Schaefer decided to turn the tables. Schaefer collected tolls from 420 cars at the Chesa Peake Bay Bridge from 6 . To 7 . Friday when Beac going traffic is the heaviest. Maryland s chief executive said it is a hassle to in Roll Bills to Deposit the $1.25 toll in the Cash Register. And he said the High winds coming off the Bay make the Job tougher than it has to be. He did t drop any Money and at the end of it they said he was off five cars the governor s spokes Man Bob Douglas said. Schaefer had forgotten to push the Button near the Cash Register for five of the 420 cars that went through his Booth Douglas  Don t really know a Job until you try it your self said Schaefer who wanted to see How toll take scope with the Busy summer season