European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 13, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes sunday August 13.1989 Selling too Many policies costs company $8 million Cincinnati a a Federal jury has awarded $40 million to thousands of Farmers who sued an insurance company for Selling too much drought insurance before and during last year s drought. But. At the same time the award was announced Friday the Farmers and the insurance company which joined them in their lawsuit against Good weather International corp., agreed to Settle the lawsuit for $8 million rather than face the delay of court appeals. Chubb group insurance company had accused new York based Good weather of Selling More drought insurance than the insurance company had authorized. Chubb s lawyers said the company planned to sell$40 million in drought coverage but brokers including Good weather sold More than $300 million. The company began rejecting drought policy applications in mid june. Chubb of Warren n.j., paid $53 million to Settle Farmers claims against it then joined the Farmers lawsuit against Good weather suing to demand $77 million in damages. The Farmers had sought $20 million plus punitive damages from Good weather claiming the company oversold crop insurance before and during last year s kids patrolled a woman Austin Texas a Bat woman has begun patrolling her neighbourhood in a Campaign to keep children off the streets late at night. It s kids who be become the problem and it s not really their fault said Vicki Graswich who dons Black tights Black knee High boots and a Black Cape in her bid to curb vandalism. Many families bought Homes in the Balcones Woods subdivision a dozen years ago. When they were new and Cost about $ 130,000 apiece she told the Austin american statesman in Friday s editions. Since the Bottom dropped put of the area s econ omy. Graswich said her Home is Worth about $89,500. Wives have had to go Back to work to help Hus bands and the kids especially those Between 11 and 15 who arc too old for Day care Are left to their own devices especially in the summer and even after school before the parents get Home. So they be become Latch key kids said the 36-year-old Mother of three. Vandalism has increased she said. Mailboxes have been smashed her House was festooned with toilet paper and her car was covered with lipstick Graffiti. Graswich got together with some neighbors. "1 put together this Bat woman costume for myself and one of the dads wore a Dracula Cape from his kid s halloween party and we got into our individual cars and spread out Over the neighbourhood she said. The group patrolled from 10 30 . Until 5 a.m., urging children under age 15 to Honor a 10 . Curfew that she said was set by the neighbourhood association. The City also has a curfew but it applies Only to Parks. The children were polite Graswich said and they went Home. I saw to  but one resident called the newspaper to complain about Graswich s tactics. Who docs she think she is driving around late in outlandish garb like that telling other people s kids to go Home asked the caller. Drought. The 8,800 Farmers in 10 states will get $4.93 million and Chubb $3.07 million. We re very excited. It s further proof that the farm ers had really been taken advantage of said Stanley Chesley lawyer for 8.800 Farmers in 10 states. He said Farmers should begin receiving checks in about a week. Good weather had maintained that Chubb encouraged it to continue Selling policies. But the jury which announced a verdict in its second Day of deliberations ruled that Good weather had misrepresented the drought insurance available to the Farmers. Suing were Farmers from Ohio Illinois. Iowa. Ken Tucky Indiana Tennessee Minnesota. Michigan mis Souri and Wisconsin. In closing arguments wednesday Stanley Chesley a lawyer for the Farmers accused Good weather s owner Henry Fox of Selling More policies than Chubb authorized in a sales contract. But Good weather s lawyer James Moore said Chubb was responsible for the drought policies be cause the insurer encouraged Good weather to sell More insurance than the amount authorized in the firms written contract. Loon balloon a giant Loon floating by the Edge of a Lake towers Over a tone bicyclist in luring Park in Minneapolis on Friday. The blown up fowl was part of an advertising Campaign to celebrate the opening of a new shopping mall called the Gari idae common Gavi idae is the latin name for the Loon family. Stateside Kittens on the keys not a hit with Steinway new York a slain Way tries to run an upright piano factory but a pack of Lowdown cats with the run of the place arc sounding a sour note at night. The stray cats appear to View the handcrafted $50.000 pianos inside As nothing More than Fine out houses and scratching posts. So officials of the Queens Plant arc singing the blues and setting cat traps. Factory workers report they re catching about eight cats each week inside the building. That sounds about right. I Don t think that s High said Leo Spillman a Steinway spokesman. The Kitty Capers arc a first at the Plant which opened in 1870. And the problem gets worse for Stein Way because it sets Back the slow painstaking Effort which goes into making their pianos. A Steinway grand piano the Model favored by Vladimir Horowitz Van Cliburn and other maestros takes dozens of workers a full year to create. But their efforts can be undone in a single night of feline revelry said factory superintendent Ron Penatzer. Maine voting policy allows registration of homeless Augusta Maine a the state has adopted policy allowing people to Register to vote even if they have no residence other than a Park Bench a decision praised by an organization for the homeless. To the Best of our knowledge Maine is the Only state to handle it in this manner without prodding from the courts said Richard Pinner at the new Yor office of the National coalition for the homeless. As a matter of symbolism 1 think it s Good pin Ner said. Maine s Secretary of state g. William Diamond said that even if people claim a Park Bench As their residence and a food Bank As their mailing address they must be permitted to Register to vote. He said All reasonable action must be taken to ensure the voting rights of the homeless. Mafioso s son spends thousands on wedding Oakland Calif. A the son of a reputed mafia Boss threw a $72,000 wedding party worthy of Royalty for his daughter just three months after tax payers picked up the Tab for his attorney s fee prosecutors have said. Salvatore Bill Bonanno had claimed he was to poor to pay his attorney $19,250 for appealing Bis convictions in a Home improvement scam. The october 1988 wedding party came Complete with filet mignon ice sculptures and a 14-Piccc orches tra state Deputy attorney general Dyrald Granberg said in papers filed in Superior court. Granberg who successfully prosecuted Bonanno for bilking four elderly Alameda county residents of More than $40,000 in the late 1970s, is objecting to Bonan no s latest attempt to avoid serving a four year term. This defendant belongs in state prison it is As Sim ple As that Granberg said. Bonanno 57, is the son of reputed mob Boss Josep Bonanno or. Mailman who killed 3 in shooting spree Dies Escondido Calif. A the mailman who killed his wife and two co workers before ending the shooting spree with a Bullet to his head has died. John Merlin Taylor 52, died Friday night at Palomar medical Center soon after relatives gave permission for Dis continuation of life support Hospital spokesman Alain Gourdier  remain baffled by Taylor s ram Page thursday and investigators seeking motive said the answers May have died with  Model employee with a Domestic life police described As typically Ameri can Taylor first shot his wife to death in the couple s Home and then drove Low Ork at the Orange Glenn Post office where he killed two colleagues an wounded another. Taylor then turned the gun on  May be that Taylor just snapped said sgt. Dan Star the police detective i charge of the Case. We re looking for the reason but if we Don t find one soon Well close the  investigators spent Friday interview ing dozens of witnesses and family Mem Bers. Taylor s Home located about seven blocks from the Post office and car also were searched but officers found no notes or letters to explain his actions. Star said Taylor shot his wife in he sleep at least three times with a .22-Cali Ber semiautomatic pistol and then went to the Post office where he opened fire on two friends Ronald Williams 56,and Richard Borni 38, Williams and Borni were shot As the drank Coffee and talked. Taylor typically joined them in the routine Star  then went into the Post office and fired at least five rounds wounding postal clerk Paul Dicrisi in the Arm. At the postal station the Flag flew at half staff Friday and a bouquet of flow ers left by an unknown person rested atthe base of the flagpole. Flags at All san Diego county pos offices will Fly at half staff until the funerals of the two postal  for Williams were scheduled saturday. A service will be held monday for Borni while funeral arrangement were incomplete Friday for Taylor an mrs. Taylor