European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 29, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday april 29, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 9 several horses that were trapped by floodwaters of the Brazos River huddle no place for horsing around a near a Fence Friday afternoon at Horseshoe Bend estates in Parker county Texas. The springtime flooding was caused when up to 16 inches of rain fell throughout parts of the state wednesday night and thursday  really throws the Book at offenders Al Dorado Ark. Apr judge Erwin Alderson offers Petty offenders who Are illiterate a Choice crack the books or pay the Price. The municipal court judge will reduce or suspend fines if offenders take part in a 20-week literacy program at Oil Belt to tech. Alderson whose rulings Range from fines of $85 for violation of a local Leash Law to hundreds of dollars for driving while intoxicated got his idea last year when he attended the Kickoff of a program at a local school that uses computers to help teach illiterate adults to read. A i believe in trying innovative things a he said. And the criminal Justice system particularly municipal court is a Good place to locate people with literacy problems he added. A a there a no question that people who Are involved in lives of Petty crime a lot of the reason for that is because they done to have anything to do a Lack of alternatives Lack of self esteem hopelessness a he said. A but it has been hard a he said because of a the natural reluctance of a person to admit in front of others that they cannot read plus the fact that we re learning. We done to have Many precedents to  one defendant who declined Aldersons offer is Otis King a 60-year pulpwood Cutter from Louann in Union county who never Learned to read or write. King decided in november to pay a $90.25 Fine for Public drunkenness because he said a i done to have no transportation no Way of getting Back and Forth up  from an Early age King went to work to support his Mother and he acknowledges that poring Over books would be frightening. A a in be worked All my life around sawmills and in the Woods Ever since i was big enough a he said. A at the time it would have been Nice if i could have Learned to Readi wanted to. But a Man at my age no i just can to see  authorities in some other states also have been trying to get offenders to better themselves. In Virginia a new a no read no release learning incentive program requires state prison inmates to read above sixth Grade level to be eligible for parole and offers programs at 52 department of corrections schools. The prosecutors office in new Yorkus Bronx Bor Ough began offering jail inmates a Range of educational services about four years ago. Those who appear in Alder Sony a court Are read their rights and must sign a waiver saying they understand them. A i use that As kind of a primitive Way of screening a Alderson said. A a it a real easy when i Sec an x signature. More often than not though its someone who cannot read and struggles signing their  Alderson recommends participation in the learning program a based on  Wanda Sturdivant an assistant municipal clerk said a everyone he a sent through has needed the program at Oil Belt but none has completed the course. One Man fined for having a dog at Large wanted to attend but had no transportation she said. Another Man who attended for a while and quit May be getting help on his own she said. Still Alderson said he is certain the program eventually will succeed. A each and every one of gods creatures is terribly important and if one person can learn to read because of something we might have done Here 1 think it s a Success a lie said. Government seizes largest a amp a in mass. Washington apr Federal regulators Friday seized Massachusetts largest savings and loan Home owners savings Bank charging it with operating unsafely. The Treasury departments office of Thrift supervision took control of the savings Bank and turned it Over to the Resolution Trust corp. Home owners had $3.6 billion in assets and fell $106 million Short of required capital at the end of december. Regulators had tried to rein in the Thrift in february imposing a cease and desist order requiring it to better manage its securities portfolio which was vulnerable to interest rate swings. Home owners operates 15 branches in Massachusetts and 11 in Maine under the name Sun savings. Home owners savings Bank of Fergus Falls minn., operates under a separate charter and was not placed under Golem Menf control. According to Sheshunoff information services an Austin Texas consulting firm Home owners was the largest a amp a in Massachusetts at the end of last september and the 63rd largest in the nation. The Thrift is one of More than 400 put under government management since enactment of a amp a bailout legislation in August. The Resolution Trust corp., a new Agency created by the Law will sell Home owners to a new owner or close it. Producer spurns Grant Over anti obscenity rules new York apr producer Joseph Papp has received pledges of More than $60,000 after rejecting a $50,000 Federal arts Grant because he does no to like the Jesse Helms inspired strings attached to it. Donations to Papp director of the new York Shakespeare festival ranged from a $50,000 pledge from television producer Mark Goodson to much smaller pledges the new York times reported saturday. Papp rejected a $50,000 National endowment for the arts Grant because Nea recipients now must sign a form saying they agree to abide by Federal anti obscenity legislation. The legislation was sponsored last fall by Helms the Republican senator from North Carolina. A i cannot in All Good conscience accept any Money from the Nea As Long As the Helms inspired amendment on obscenity is part of our agreement Quot Papp wrote in a letter to the Nea. The Nea Money was supposed to be used for pappus annual festival latino a monthlong showing of theater movies and music from latin american cultures. Papp said the festival would be sponsored by private foundations. Papp said his organization has applied for $550,000 in Grants for the 1990 season. But he told the Nea a we Are prepared not to accept this Money should it be awarded while the Helms restriction remains in  the Law says Nea Grants cannot be used to fund works that depict Quot sadomasochism homoeroticism the sexual exploitation of children or individuals engaged in sex acts and which when taken As a whole do not have serious literary artistic political or scientific