European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 11, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday january 11, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 7 vets say no agent Orange claims paid san Francisco up the vet Erans administration has not granted a single one of the 31,000 service injury claims based on exposure to agent Orange the chemical Jungle defoliant used in the Vietnam War in violation of the wishes of Congress lawyers told  judge monday. The Vietnam veterans of America and13 veterans or their heirs asked . District judge Thelton Henderson to Over turn the a s own regulations for award ing benefits on agent Orange claims. During the Vietnam War american forces sprayed an estimated 10 million to12 million Gallons of the herbicide defoliant agent Orange containing dioxin in Southeast Asia to destroy Plant life according to the lawsuit. Hundreds of scientific studies have been conducted to address potential health risks and veterans maintain that some forms of cancer skin rashes intes tinal diseases liver disease and hear problems Are linked to exposure to the herbicide. Only a skin disorder known As clo race has been approved As a disease directly attributable to dioxin exposure among Vietnam veterans thus making them eligible for disability claims. But the disease must have developed within three months of exposure in order for the Veteran to claim a disability. Mark Venuti attorney for the Veter ans said of the 31,000 claims made since the Law took effect in 1984, not one has been granted on dioxin exposure alone. If veterans could relate the illness twosome other service linked cause they could win some disability claims he said. The lawsuit claims that the 15-Mem-ber scientific advisory committee failed to properly evaluate medical and re search studies on the effects of agent Orange and the regulations set standards higher than Normal for approval of serv ice connected injury. The veterans claim the a failed to provide enough Money to allow the committee to do the Job ordered by Congress. Veterans attorney Linda Peterson said the a acted in a Cavalier Man Ner. The advisory committee meeting were a Sham she told Henderson. The government had a pre ordained re sult and the committee was used As a rubber  Mona Butler Justice department at Torney for the a said the veterans Are asking the court to invalidate the regulations because of the Way an advisory committee conducted itself. She said the Challenge had no factual basis and no Merit under the  Henderson did not Rule in court but indicated he will Issue a written decision. . Will Mark 1 St inauguration of Washington new York a fireworks a 50-Gunsalute and a flotilla of ships will Mark the 200th anniversary of the inauguration of George Washington As the first president of the United states mayor Edward i. Koch said monday. The Bicentennial Celebration will include a re enactment of Washington s horse and Carriage trip from mount Vernon va., to lower Manhattan where he took the oath of office on april 30,1789. This is the most appropriate place to Cele brate this historic anniversary because new York City was the first capital of the unite states under the Constitution Koch said. The Federal government moved to philadelphian 1790 and to Washington 10 years later. Koch speaking at a news conference in Feder Al Hall where Washington was sworn in invited president elect George Bush As Well As Well Aspall former living presidents to attend the inaugural Observance on april 29 and 30. The events on april 29 will include Daylight fire works and a Parade of 13 Navy and coast guard ships representing the original colonies followed by nighttime fireworks Over the East River. There will be an ecumenical service the next Day in St. Paul s Chapel on lower Broadway where Washington attended religious services after his inauguration followed by the commemorative ceremony at Federal Hall at noon. There also will be a Parade up Broadway that afternoon and an inaugural gala dinner in the evening. Nigerian student gets dream hitting $26 million lotto payoff new York a a nigerian graduate student who received financial Aid was identified monday As the Holder of last week s $26 million winning lotto ticket. My american dream came True Augustin , the second largest Winner of the lotto told a news conference. A political science student at Fordham University combo 37, received a financial Aid Check of ,$7,500 Friday two Days after winning the new York stat lottery. I m going to Call them and say i Don t need it he said laughing telling reporters if you Call Fordham they la Tell you i owe  he had wanted to be a professor and do research i International relations but said i Don t think i want to teach  he chuckled As he recalled How nigerian Friend told him before he came to the United states in 1980 you Are going to have some experiences that Are  combo who has applied for citizenship said he bought $12 Worth of tickets at a grocery store moments before the 8 . Deadline last wednesday. Combo has not seen his wife Grace and 16-year-Olddaughter, Milia since 1980 and has never seen their 7 year old daughter Tina. He said he had not called them in Lagos Nigeria to Tell them of his Good for tune. I m going to Call them today he said. The should come immediately. They should be with me now. I Hope to buy them the Good things in  he will receive 20 annual payments of More than 1.2 million minus the 30 percent Federal withholding tax required of non resident aliens or about $866,666.the first Check is due in two weeks. Fordham student Augustin combo can now repay school. Airlines improved safety record excluding bombing of pan am flight Washington a the bomb ing of pan american flight 103 accounted for All but 15 of the 285 Fatali ties in . Major airline crashes. Government safety officials also said1988 was the safest year Ever for Small private aircraft. The National transportation and safety Board said 1,145 people died in All kinds of . Air plane accidents during the  were 1,187 deaths in 1987. Accident rates for . Scheduled air lines and commuter air carriers declined and both the number of accidents an the number of people killed in Small planes reached record lows the boar said. Air taxis also declined in the num ber of accidents for the third year. Major Airliner accidents dropped to29, from the 13-year High of 33 in 1987, the Board said. But the number of people killed increased from 231 in 1987 to 285 last year the highest since 1979 when airline crashes killed 351 people. No one died in 15 accidents in 1980 and one person was killed in 1984 when there was a decade Low of 13 accidents. In addition to the dec. 21 pan am Boe ing 747 explosion Over Lockerbie Scot land which killed All 259 aboard and 11people on the ground two other airline crashes caused deaths among passengers or Crew. A Delta airlines Boeing 727 crashed during Takeoff aug. 31 near Dallas killing14 people and a flight attendant was killed when an Aloha airlines Boeing 737 lost the top of its fuselage before Landing near Maui Hawaii on april 28. The Board said the Accident rate for scheduled airline flights was 0.389 per 100,000 departures which Means that roughly one out of every 257,000 flights resulted in an Accident. The Lockerbie crash was not included a figuring the rate because investigators believe it Wasa bombing rather than an Accident. Twenty one people were killed in 20commuter airline crashes Down from 34 accidents and 61 fatalities in 1987. In general aviation which includes Al non military Small plane flights the number of accidents dropped to 2,332, from 2,471 in 1987. The Board said twas a record Low since it began collecting statistics and the sixth consecutive an Nual decrease in the Accident rate. The number of people killed in Small plane accidents was 782, also a record annual Low. The total of 438 fatal Acci dents in 1988 was however three More than in 1987. The Accident rate for Small planes which in terms of accidents per 100,000 flight hours decreased from 8.46 to 7.95.the Board estimates that Small planes flew 29.35 million hours in 1988. Charter airline flights had Only on Accident an incident in which no one was killed for their Best record since1981 when there was also one Accident. The Accident rate of 0.346 per 100,000departures last year was More than five times better than in 1987. Small aircraft operating non scheduled services known As air taxis had 97 accidents two fewer than in 1987. Fifty seven people died Down from seven the year earlier. Board upholds teacher s firing Over dress code Charleston . A Testate employee grievance Board has upheld the firing of a math teacher who lost his Job following charges of insubordination because he would t Wear Necktie and dress pants to class. Gary Pagels a West Virginia federation of teachers spokesman said the decision was made Friday and Bill Webb a teacher at Point pleasant High school has been notified by mail. Pagels said Webb s grievance was de Nied and the Board said his firing was justified. Webb of Gallipolis Ohio was Dis missed dec. 19 for refusing to Wear a tie and dress pants while teaching. The federation of teachers contended the Mason county Board of education Vio lated state Law by imposing a dress code after the Legal Date for making changes i Webb s employment contract. Bob Brown executive director of the federation of teachers said the Case will be appealed to circuit court