European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes thursday May 18,1989 6 lawmakers fail in Effort to reverse Osprey decision by Norman Black a military writer Washington a defense Secretary Dick Cheney met privately tuesday with six congressional supporters of the v-22 Osprey aircraft project but they failed to Sway his decision to shut Down the program Pentagon officials said. The officials speaking on condition of anonymity said Cheney met with both of Pennsylvania s senators and four of its congressmen for about 30 minutes to discuss the embattled project. Pennsylvania is the Home state for one of the two contracting partners developing the plane the Boe ing helicopter co. The other prime contractor is Bell helicopter text Ron inc. Cheney in overseeing cuts in the fiscal 1990 Penta gon budget promised by president Bush announced last month he was scuttling the v-22 program As too expensive. Despite intense pressure since including threats by the contractors to begin immediate layoffs Cheney has held firm to that position. On tuesday Cheney made Clear to the lawmakers that he understands their concerns but nothing has changed there won t be any More Money for the pro Gram one official said. The six Pennsylvania legislators were Republican Sens. John Heinz and Arlen Specter Republican reps. Curt Weldon. William f. Goodling and Don Rillor and democratic rep. Thomas Foglietta. The v-22 Osprey described by the Marine corps As its most important weapons program is a revolution Ary aircraft designed to take off like a helicopter and Fly like an air plane. To do this it utilizes special propellers at the tip of each Wing that can swivel upward and Back. The Marine corps wants to use the planes to improve its ability to conduct Surprise Long Range amphibious assaults. The first of the planes recently began flight tests in Texas. In fashioning the fiscal 1990 budget Cheney concluded that the Pentagon could t afford the plane and the Marine corps could do just As Well by ordering additional helicopters. The Pentagon had earlier planned to spend $25.9 billion on 663 ospreys including $1.3 billion in 1990. The department has already invested $2 billion in the program Over a nine year period. Of All of Cheney s budget decisions the cancellation of the Osprey has attracted the most intense opposition on Capitol Hill. The plane is built in the District of House speaker Jim Wright a Texas and also enjoys widespread support among republicans. Post offices take the cake 200 Miles bloom1ngton, Minn. A the is postal service transported a cake about 200 Miles without Messing the frosting even though the cake was packaged Only in a shallow cardboard Box with Flimsy cellophane covering. The Turquoise frosted birthday cake travelled from Dumont in Western Minnesota and arrived in this Minneapolis suburb in time for Angie Wold s 22nd birthday tuesday. My Mother sighed Wold when she received the 9-by-13-Lnch chocolate cake. Lorene Wold pos mistress at Dumont mailed the cake monday with $4.15 of first class priority postage Stamps stuck to the Flimsy cellophane. I thought if everyone could see what was in Side they d be More careful she said. I just wanted to her to have a cake on her birthday. You know How mothers  the cake survived transfers in Dumont will mar Minneapolis and Bloomington. I be delivered 6-foot Trees and coconuts with postage Stamps stuck to the Side but this is the first cake said mail Carrier Joan Oswald. . Unsure if soviets still sending arms to Nicaragua Washington a the White House says there s no proof that soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev has made Good on his Promise to halt military Aid to Nicaragua. At the moment it appears to be Only words not  said White House press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater. We Are very leery of their  despite soviet statements to the United slates that weapons shipments to Nicaragua s leftist government have stopped Fitzwater said . Officials have some evidence the shipments Are continuing. We re reluctant to be positive about this because we did t receive the kinds of Public commitments or the kinds of visual ones that we would like to  he said. The Date of the last reported shipment was not Clear but administration officials said there is evidence that Nicara Gua has thus far this year received 17 weapons shipments from soviet bloc countries valued at an estimated $80 million. Despite his scepticism. Fitzwater acknowledged the United Stales does know enough about the weapons ship ments to say conclusively if Gorbachev is keeping his Promise. Fitzwater said the material could have been in the pipeline when Gorbachev made his Promise or might be coming in from another country such As Cuba. I m willing to leave the door open on the idea that maybe that evidence of continuing military shipments is  Fitzwater said. The Bush administration has been publicly and privately prodding Gorba Chev to discontinue military Aid to Nicaragua s sandinista. Bush has approved a diplomatic rather than military approach to peace i Nicaragua and has indicated he would respond with economic or other incentives for the soviets if Moscow halts Aid to Central America. . Officials who insisted on anonymity said that not enough was known about the weapons shipments to condemn Gorbachev. In fact one official said this year s shipments appear to be going to Nicara Gua at a slower rate than last year when during the first half of the year some $130 million to $150 million Worth of weapons were recorded going into Nicaragua. Referring to Gorbachev s High profile arms Cut proposals in recent Days and the new Promise on Nicaragua Fitzwater defended the Bush administration against allegations Gorbachev is taking the Lead in peace initiatives. Fitzwater said the administration s admittedly cautious approach is con iras cd with Gorbachev s one of throwing out in a kind of a drugstore Cowboy fashion one arms control proposal after  new Navy chief pays tribute to victims of Stark washing Ion a the new Secretary of inc Navy h. Lawrence Garroll joined a tribute wednes Day to inc 37 sailors who died aboard the Slark two years ago in the persian Gulf. The men gave themselves to the greatest value of Uman existence free i Dom Garrett said. I the men of Stark i were patriots and profs  he said. They knew the possible costs of i their commit Cal. Vet i these men chose still to i serve. And the memory of their service of their Sacri i fice of their commit Cal i to the values of our nation i serve us  i the ceremony at the 11. Lawrence Garret Navy memorial on Penn Suva a Avenue was sponsored by the group no greater  the organization was founded to help the children of Vietnam War prisoners and those miss ing in action As Well As the families of hostages or victims of terrorist  37 sailors on the guided missile frigate died when the ship was hit by missiles fired by an iraqi fighter while the ship was conducting a patrol in the  subsequently apologized to the . Government. The Elvis a sculpture of the late Rock Star. Els i Resle. K Dif plated in new York Cit. The kills will be presented to Ilio Winner of the International Rock awards an a ent that will be Lelei Isid in the United states on May 31. Poll closing Bill approved by Senate panel Washington a a Senate panel approved on wednesday a uniform poll closing Lime of 10 . Est for presidential elections in an Effort to end net work projections of results before All voters have cast their ballots. I believe Early projections before the polls close threaten the right of some voters to go to the polls and feel their Voles count said sen. Brock Adams d wash., following the 9 2 Vole by the Senate rules and administration committee. The poll closing Bill was approved As part of a pack age of unrelated measures including a blueprint for having eight regional presidential primaries around the country with the Federal election commission deter mining the order of the events by lottery. Senate committee approval of the poll closing Bill sets the stage for a possible collision with the House which already has passed a sharply differing version. The House version would authorize an Extension of the Pacific time zone of Daylight saving Lime a time period Long enough to Lake in inc presidential election. It would then set poll closing times of 9 . Est 8 . Cost 7 . Most and 7 . Put. Like the Senate plan the House version sponsored by rep. Al Swift. D-wash., would not affect Alaska and Hawaii. The Senate version is co sponsored by Adams and sen. Donald w. Riegle jr., a Mich