European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 7, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Death penalty opponents try to change tide Cambridge. Mass. A with about 2.200 people on death Row and polls showing support for the death penalty at an All time High several Hundred opponents arc meeting Here this weekend to try to turn the political tide. One reason for the change in Public altitudes is irresponsible leadership by our politicians said Max Stern a leading Boston defense attorney and organizer of the meeting of inc National coalition to abolish the death penalty. The regional conference was to begin Friday night at Harvard Law school. On saturday the coalition planned o Honor gov. Michael Dukakis for his refusal to abandon his Long time opposition to the death penalty for political gain. Stern said. Dukakis presidential Campaign last year was deeply wounded by charges that he was soft on crime. A Gallup poll in december one month after the election found that 79 percent of the american Public favored the death penalty for murderers. Thai was 9 percent More than in 1986 and the highest percentage since pollsters began asking inc question in 1936, a Gallup spokeswoman said. The poll also showed a dramatic shift since 1966, when 47 percent of those polled opposed inc death penalty and Only 42 percent supported it. Stern and other abolitionists said the 1988 presiden tial Campaign which made convicted murderer Willie Morton a household name has left politicians across America afraid to Buck Public opinion. Morton fled while on furlough from Massachusetts prison in 1987 and later brutally attacked a couple in Maryland where lie is now serving a lengthy prison sentence. The Case was the subject of Bush Campaign ads attacking Dukakis and supporting the death penal  will receive the Herbert and Sara Ehrmann award named after one of the lawyers who defended Sacco and Vanzulli and the lawyer s wife who fought against their execution. Sunday May 1989 the stars and stripes pages up in flames wearing protective gear a Chesterfield va., county firefighter kneels in direct a Spray of water onto a blazing automobile on the Chippenham Parkway near Richmond. The Midal croon Accident hailed traffic for several hours on the southbound Lane of the Busy Parkway but there were no injuries collapse of 51-year-old Coolidge dam feared Washington not Interior Secretary Manuel Lujanjr. Says the cop Lidge dam in Southeastern Arizona is in imminent danger of collapsing and has ordered his department to Speed Emer gency repairs. Lujan told the House appropriations subcommittee on Energy and water development thursday that he had authorized the immediate spending of $500.000 for repairs As Well As a 24-hour watch on the dam for seepage. Coolidge dam was built in 1928 on the Gila River and provides water for 40.000 people. It is now listed As the first of 384 dams the Interior department says Are hazardous and in need of repair. A recent Survey of the dam conducted by the Interior department disclose that it could fail under Normal operating conditions a spokesman said. The consequences of a failure could mean flooding three cities downstream from the dam and hundreds of deaths. Teen stud end 35-year-o/d Date May dance yes Alburnett Iowa a a High school student and his married Date have been getting invitations to dance at proms across the country since they were denied permission to attend his Home town prom. Jayme was sols 17, wanted to take do lords Washburn 35, to the albumen High school prom last saturday but the school Board denied permission saying it was inappropriate for a student to bring a married Date to a school event. A judge upheld the school saying the school Board s decision was t out of Bounds and the couple stayed Home. But word of their Case spread around the country and invitations to attend other proms arc streaming in. I think they be had a dozen invitations from High school proms across the country said Washburn s husband of 19 years Don. Jayc has said he and Washbum have been friends about two years and that he often joins her family including her Hus band and four children on social outings. She treats me As a Friend and 1 treat her As a Mother he said. Wussels parents Are divorced. He lives with his a Sands of time in the stars and stripes her while his Mother lives in san Diego. Wussels said a Jacksonville fla., radio station is trying to line up a prom for them and one Chicago station has arranged for the couple to attend a prom May 12. Both have agreed to pay for the couple s flight. Hospitalized . Jogger 40yeaogotoday. Shows slight improvement new York a the Central Park Jogger brutalized by a pack of roving teen agers overcame a lever Friday and continued to mend slowly doctors said. Although the cause of her 106-Degrcc fever on thursday was not determined we re gratified As of today that none of the potential sources of this fever has turned out to be exceedingly dangerous said or. Robert Kurtz director of the surgical intensive care unit. The patient s temperature dropped from 100.1 1099.8.the 28-year-old woman was resting comfortably and showed some neurological Progress although she tired easily had a Short attention Span and was disoriented. Kurtz said in a statement. The Wall Street investment banker who was in a coma for two weeks after she was beaten and raped on april 19, regained consciousness tuesday speak ing in a hoarse whisper to relatives and staff members. Her condition has remained critical despite her Progress. Six teen agers have been indicted on charges of attempted murder rape sodomy and assault in her Case. On Friday those six youths and two others were indicted on charges of assaulting a male Jogger. May 7, 1949 the Wesl German constitute it Assembly decided on the immedi ate selection of a provisional government for Germany s three Western zones until unelected government could be chosen in june 30 years ago today. May 7, 1959 in an official government statement communist China warned India to stay out of tibetan affairs and ruled out any possibility of making Tibet a Semi Independent Region. 20 years ago today. May 7. 1969 Navy Secretary John h. Chafee announced thai Crew members of he intelligence ship Pueblo would not be punished for being captured by inc North koreans because they had suffered enough while prisoners. 10 years ago today. May 7, 1979 speaking at a up convention in Ohio sen. Howad m. Metzen Baum a Ohio accused major Oil companies of holding Back their product until the government allows prices to Rise in june