European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 09, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes tuesday May 9,1989 plan for school bus seat belts rejected Washington api a Federal committee Mon Day rejected the idea of requiring scat belts on the nation s More than 300.000 larger school buses concluding that it would Cost s40 million and save an average of just one life a year. The Overall potential benefits of requiring scat belts in school buses is insufficient to justify a in Cral Standard mandating  said a committee of the National research Council after an 18-month study. The Council was Sci up by the National facade my of sciences. The committee said however that some Steps should be taken to improve what transportation officials say already is one of the safest Public convey ances including raised scat backs and programs to prevent accidents while children Are getting on and off the buses. The group estimated that if All school buses were equipped with scat Bells for each passenger and half the students used them it might save one life and prevent several do in serious injuries a year. It would Cost $40 million a year to equip and maintain All Large school buses with passenger scat belts the study said. Raising scat Back Heights from a minimum of 20 inches to 24 inches could save two to three lives pre vent up to 95 serious injuries and Cost about $6 Mil lion a year the report said. Stateside Apple computer opens boys Only contest to girls los Angeles a a boys Only contest sponsored by Apple computer which offered a week at a basketball Camp run by los Angeles Laker magic John son was opened to girls when officials called it discriminatory. Apple announced Laic last week that girls could join the magic of Apple contest and attend the Camp if they win. Drawings were being held in computer stores in several Southern California counties. Feminist attorney Gloria Allred called the boys Only Conlest unlawful and Marian Johnston civil rights supervisor at the state Justice department also said the contest was discriminator. I m glad someone brought it up to them said Lon Rosen co owner of the magic Johnson Camp. Girls have attended the Camp in the past he said. Sharon Stevenson an Apple staff member who coordinated advertising for the contest said she had not known thai the basketball Camp admitted girls. 1 80 people arrested during raid on cockfight Danielsville a a authorities raided a cockfighting Arena Complete with bleachers and con cession stands and arrested about 180 people from four states. John Bankhead a spokesman for the Georgia Bureau of investigation said authorities raided the 300 Square fool tin roof shed around noon. Me said More than 200 people were attending fights in three rings. Ten people including the organizers of the event and the property owner were charged with Commer Cial gambling and cruelty to animals. About 170 others mostly spectators were charged Only with cruelty to animals. The National Highway traffic safety administration docs not require Seal belts in buses rated at More than 10,000 pounds Gross weight that typically carry More than 16 passengers. Smaller Van like buses must have belts however. The study ordered by Congress and funded by the department of transportation recommended that All states prohibit children from standing on school buses when they arc in motion. Some Stales allow school buses to carry More children than there Are scats. The committee which included a wide Range of safety and transportation experts also recommended that states local school districts and private contractors Stop operating school buses made before 1977 because they do not comply with current safety Stan Dards. Buses built after 1977 have extra padding in scats protected fuel tanks and other modifications to make them less deadly in crashes. The recommendation on older buses followed a Sim Ilar conclusion from the National transportation safety Board five weeks ago after an investigation into the head on collision Between a pickup truck and an older school bus used by a Church group in Kentucky in May 1988 thai killed 24 children and three adults. Although that crash was blamed on the allegedly Drunken Driver of the pickup truck who is to face trial in november on 27 murder charges the safety Board said design of the bus contributed to the severity of the Accident. The bus unprotected fuel tank burst into flames that spread fire and smoke through the bus. The report said a minority of committee members believed scat Belt use should be encouraged for All motor vehicles. In reaching its conclusion that a school bus seat beat Law is unwarranted the committee studied the experience of new York and several school districts in Illi Nois new Jersey. Virginia and Arizona that have required safety belts. The committee said that an average of 10 children a Vear arc killed while Riding school buses but 40 arc killed while trying to Board or leave a bus two thirds of them hit by their own or another bus. The report proposed More careful Driver selection and training mandatory Stop signal arms on All new buses and possible use of loudspeakers barriers and sensors to prevent pedestrian accidents. Although the death or injury of any child trans ported by school bus is cause for concern the safety record of school buses is Good considering the amount of travel involved the report said. . School buses log 4 billion Miles a year. The report said it s four times safer to ride in a school bus than an automobile. Backtracking through history Southern Pacific locomotive no. 4449 und Union Pacific eni Jino no. 8444 an Hack on renter Strauc As they puff into Union station in of Angeles in help celebrate the railway station s 50th anniversary. The Veteran engines have been in retirement fur Many years but they re still full of zip when they net steamed up. Democrats crowd race for Pittsburgh mayor Pittsburgh a a self de scribed jewish grandmother and a no nonsense italian american attorney top a crowded dam Coralic primary Field fighting for the legacy of the late mayor Richard s. Caliguiri. Sophie Masloff a City councilwoman who succeeded Caliguiri after his death last May has been reported in recent polls to be running neck and neck with the Allegheny county controller Frank Lucchino. Four other candidates Trail. The Winner of the May 16 primary should be the favorite in the november election. Democrats make up 82 percent of the City s 220,000 voters compared to just 13 percent who arc republicans. The gop has t held the mayor s of fice since 1933, and there Are no Republican candidates for mayor yet. The dam Coralic contenders Are battling for the right to continue the work of Caliguiri who was credited with trans forming Pittsburgh from a sickly steel making own to a proud and progressive service oriented City of 365.000. The popular Caliguiri held the office for 11 years and twice won re election by landslides before dying at 56 of a rare protein buildup in his heart. Masloff 71, a democratic loyalist for More than 50 years was City Council president before succeeding Caliguiri. She often invokes her predecessor s Mem Ory proudly proclaiming their shoulder to shoulder work in City Hall particularly in a 1985 drive to keep the Pittsburgh pirates baseball team in town. Caliguiri s widow. Jeanne has endorsed her. In her year at the Helm Masloff has Cul the City s wage lax to 3,5 percent from 4 percent paved selected streets and put More police officers into the fight against drugs. In addition to stressing her experience. Massolt seeks to exploit her grand Motherly image and neighbourhood folks Ness. I m Sophie to everybody she says. Nobody says mayor and nobody says  Lucchino 50, is a third lorm control Ler and former City councilman who also pm phase is his Blue Collar and neighbor Hood roots. Bui he counters Masloff s grand Motherly image with thai of a no nonsense administrator. My number one priority is economic development and jobs Lucchino said. Using a Large Campaign Chest that 9? polenis charge was garnered from Rich Republican supporters Lucchino has aired television spots showing him in rolled up shirtsleeves fighting for Secl workers and other Industrial jobs. Lucchino has won the endorsement of the City s iwo daily newspapers. City controller Tom Flaherty 38, has Lite local party s endorsement bul his Campaign has t caught fire. Polls have shown him drawing the support of 15 percent or less of Likely democratic Vot ers behind Massolt and Lucchino at be tween 20 percent and 30 percent each. The  include Byrd r. Brown 59, an attorney and self de scribed Liberal who led the local Branch of the National association for the advancement of coloured people in the 1950s and 60s, and Thomas j. Murphyjr., 44, a state representative who talks about neighbourhood service and a High technology future for the cily. Gary Henderson 45, a Little know committeeman stopped campaigning for Lack of funds but he remains on the ballot