European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 7, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 a a a the stars and stripes wednesday March 7,1990 David Rappaport a file Rappaport in suicide try police report los Angeles apr David Rappaport a Dwarf who starred in the series a the wizard and played a wily lawyer on a Al. A. Law a was in stable condition tuesday after trying to kill himself by inhaling car exhaust fumes authorities said. Police officers said the 3-foot-11-Inch actor had stopped breathing when they found him inside a car sunday night. The engine was running and a Hose connected to the exhaust pipe ran inside the car said sgt. Albert Dravidzius. Officers used cardiopulmonary resuscitation to revive him the sergeant said. Rappaport 38, was taken to a Hospital. In cd so a the wizard a which was broadcast from 1986-87, Rappaport starred As Simon Mckay an inventor. The actor appeared on no cd a . Law As a lawyer. Lead continues to Poison kids activists say Washington apr More than 3 million preschool children suffer from Lead poisoning from paint although Lead containing paint has not been sold for More than a dozen years an environmental group said monday. The environmental defense fund said toxic Levels of paint Are found in Many youngsters under 6 years of age because an estimated 2 million apartments and houses still have Lead containing paint on the Walls. The group called on Congress to impose an excise fee on Lead and to require that the Money go into a Trust fund that would be used to rid Many of the Homes of the Lead paint. It has been estimated that the Cost of ridding Homes of Lead paint could be $2,000 to $10,000 per House according to Ellen Silbergeld a senior toxicologist for the environmental group. A Senate committee is scheduled to hold a hearing this week on children a exposure to Lead. Sen. Joseph Lieberman d-conn., a member of the environment and Public works committee which will conduct the hearing said Lead poisoning remains a a terrible epidemic harming millions of american  the report by the environmental defense fund called Lead containing paint the primary cause of Lead poisoning in children Between the Ages of 6 months and 6 years. A we have built up an accumulation of Lead from past uses that will not go away. Lead does not decay a said Silbergeld. The group cited mostly figures from the . Public health service in its analysis of Young children a exposure to Low Levels of Lead poisoning. The analysis indicated that children in scores of cities have Lead Levels in their blood of More than 15 micrograms per Decilier of blood. That is the level at which the environmental Protection Agency and Many health experts believe children suffer some nerve  Levels of Lead can cause serious brain damage. But health experts say that even Low Levels of exposure can cause decreased intelligence Short term memory loss and underachievement in school. Silbergeld said that even Low Levels of exposure in the very Young can have a Long term effect on a child a ability to learn. She said that while children a exposure to Lead from paint often was thought to come from eating paint chips it is widely believed now that paint dust normally released from paint As it Ages poses the greatest threat to children. The defense fund study said the greatest problem from Lead paint is in older cities and is particularly acute among Black children. Irs goof delays electronic refunds Washington apr a human error has delayed tax refunds for 53,000 taxpayers who look advantage of the internal Revenue services much publicized electronic filing system the irs said tuesday. Electronic filers affected by the foul up who elected to have refunds deposited directly into their Bank accounts should receive those refunds by March 12, said irs spokesman Frank Keith. Those choosing to take a paper Check should have it in hand by March 16. The irs had planned to return the refunds by feb. 26 and March 2. A obviously this is an inconvenience to taxpayers and we regret that a Keith said. However he said that before the glitch the irs had been processing returns at a record Pace and certifying refunds from paper returns in about five weeks. The foul up affected Only a portion of electronic returns filed into the irs service Center in Cincinnati from the Southeast and Central slates plus 250,000 other records including some paper returns filed from the Central states Keith said. He said the error occurred at a Martins Burg w.va., facility to which computer tapes containing tax rectum files Are shipped by the 10 regional processing centers once a week. Keith said the problem was caused by an employee who delayed running one Days work at the Cincinnati Center through the Martinsburg computer. More than 2.5 million couples and individuals have filed their returns electronically this year in response to an irs Campaign promising refunds within As Little As two weeks. Nationwide electronic filing is available this year for the first time although it still can be used Only by taxpayers who Are due a refund. Under this process a taxpayer completes his or her own return or hires a professional to do it and it then is transmitted via Telephone directly into an irs computer. The error involving 53,000 electronic returns a Points up once again the fact that our computer system is antiquated a Keith said. Woman charged in death of son Everman Texas apr a woman was charged in the death of her 5-year-old son who allegedly was Given 10 ounces of Bourbon and told to a drink it like a Many by a Friend of his mothers. Patricia Griffin 31, was jailed on $10,000 bail on charges of causing injury to a child by Gross negligence in the death wednesday of Raymond Thomas Griffin ii. Anthony Jimerson 21, was previously jailed on. $ 100,000 bail on a charge of injury to a child. Witnesses have told police that Jimerson wanted the boy to go to sleep at a neighbourhood gathering March 2 so he could be alone with Griffin said police chief Roger Larm. Larm said monday that Griffin was negligent because the boy did not receive immediate medical attention. The offence carries 10 years in prison and a Fine of up to $10,000. A an ambulance Wasny to called until 16 hours after the original consumption of alcohol and 12 hours after he started being seriously ill a Larm said. Doctors said the boy suffered irreversible brain Dalaei after drinking the Bourbon and some Beer and had e blood alcohol level of .55 percent five times the Lega definition of intoxication in Texas. He died at a Hospital. A hearing was to be held tuesday to decide whether to keep the boys 2-year-old brother in a Foster Home. Stateside. 3 Mississippi Coal barges sink after hitting Bridge new Orleans apr Twenty nine Coal barges broke Loose and three of them Sank monday after hitting the older of the two greater new Orleans Bridge twin spans Over the Mississippi River. A Twenty six Are floating free and being rounded up by five or More tugs. So far some have drifted Down As far As the Industrial canal three or four Miles a said coast guard it. Bob Carson. He said the Bridge and River remained open. Damage to the Bridge apparently was confined to the system designed to keep boats away from the Bridge he said. A i doubt that the actual Bridge abutments were touched a said Carson. The barges were being towed by a tugboat when the Accident occurred about 7 p.m., Carson said. A fkr a murder Hasni to made daughter favor executions Northampton mass. Apr Kerry Kennedy daughter of the late Robert f. Kennedy said she has never wavered in her opposition to the death penalty despite the assassination of her father in 1968. A i Felt that Way even when i was 8 and trying to make sense of my fathers death a she said in a speech to the local chapter of amnesty International the human rights organization. Even As a Young girl her thoughts turned to the family of Sirhan Sirhan who was later convicted of shooting her father to death. Quot i was thinking about his Mother his father. She said. A i did no to want to be part of his execution and i did no to want my country to be part of it  literary crowd protests action by random House new York apr about 350 authors editors literary agents and sympathizers staged a noisy sidewalk protest monday to accuse random House of destroying one of its key subsidiaries for financial reasons. A the Bottom line is not the last word a read one sign displayed outside the publishing giants Midtown Headquarters where a lunchtime crowd had to thread its Way past police barricades. The protesters charged that random Pusc owner Samuel i. Newhouse had effectively killed the subsidiary pantheon books by forcing the resignation of its longtime editorial director Andre Schiffrin. Schiffrin reportedly had refused to Cut his staff and the number of books he planned to publish. Five of pantheons six senior editors subsequently quit saying pantheons established role As a publishing House for unconventional and otherwise Little known writers was being ruined in the name of profit Whitney museum fires its director of 15 years new York apr the Board of trustees of the Whitney museum of american Art on monday fired its director of 15 years. The Board voted to ask for the resignation of Thomas n. Armstrong Iii said the museums president William Woodside. A museum spokesman said after the meeting that Armstrong a had been dismissed by the Board. He has been fired a the dismissal followed months of speculation that the Board was dissatisfied with him. His critics said the museum lacked direction under Armstrong and cited trendy exhibitions his failure to hire a Strong chief curator and his alienation of some donors