European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 16, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a a the stars and stripes wednesday May 16,1990bubble Champ gets gummed up at courthouse Fresno Calif. Up a world Bubble blowing Champion Susan Montgomery Williams has got herself into a Sticky situation. Williams 29. A Mother of two was convicted monday on charges of disturbing a courtroom on feb. 7 by popping her gum too loudly in a courthouse hallway. Williams denied violating any Law and contends the court bailiffs who arrested her were simply irritated by the a a crackling of her gum. Bailiffs Richard Wilhoite and Dana Crittenden testified last Friday the noise made by Williams was comparable to a .38-caliber pistol going off a a crackling Quot sound like Static electricity or the sound of a banging on a garbage can with a Metal  the judge and court reporter in the courtroom in question testified they heard nothing untoward on the Day Williams was arrested but municipal judge Michael Feinberg fined her $150, gave her a 30-Day suspended sentence and placed her on probation for two years. A i guess 1 just must have made a new Law for the Law books a Williams said Quot no gum popping. Don t snap crackle or pop unless you want to Stop a  Williams said she will Appeal her conviction and added a i was willing to show them the court the difference Between a crackle and  when 1 a pop a it is loud but 1 know better than to do it  w Illiams is listed in the guinness Book of world records for blowing a record Bubble of 22 inches in 1985. She said she has blown a 26-Inch Bubble in practice and plans to attempt another record in Las vegas next month. Pentagon seeks fund Transfer to Aid civilian insurance plan by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a the Pentagon a faltering civilian health insurance program is in dire need of a Cash transfusion for the sixth straight year military officials told lawmakers tuesday. The Navy stopped making payments May 7 on claims filed under the civilian health and medical program of the uniformed services or champs and the army and air Force expect their coffers to run dry around mid june. All told the insurance program is running an estimated shortfall of Between $640 million and $740 million for the rest of this fiscal year which ends sept. 30. The Pentagon also expects roughly the same funding Gap for next fiscal year compared to its original budget request. Or. Enrique Mendez assistant Secretary of defense for health affairs told the Senate armed services manpower subcommittee. The health insurance program is set up to provide care for Active duty family members and retirees under age 65 and their family members through civilian hospitals and doctors. Sen. John Glenn a Ohio subcommittee chairman chastised Mendez and the surgeons general for failing to request enough funds to cover the program Quot year after year after  Cost overruns peaked in 1987 at 42 percent declined to 26 percent and 10 percent Over the next two years but Are Back up to about 28 percent this year Glenn said. A there is a very consistent pattern of underestimating costs a Glenn said. Quot this is not a Good track  Mendez admitted that the Pentagon has not done a Good Job of predicting the programs budget needs. But part of the problem is skyrocketing private sector costs that Are driving Many eligible beneficiaries particularly the retirees that make up More than half the Cham pus patient Load Back to the military a program. Cost sharing by individuals in private health insurance plans has doubled and even tripled since 1985 while health care benefits for All categories of defense department beneficiaries have remained unchanged Mendez said. In fiscal 1989 atone there was an increase of 1.2 million champs patient visits compared to the previous year despite efforts to shift More of the health care Load to military medical treatment facilities. Statistics indicate that the number of patient visits May go up another 1.5 million this year. Quot with outside health costs shooting up a lot of retirees see champs As a much better Deal than their own insurance programs a said it. Gen. Frank Ledford. Army surgeon Genera. Quot its a Damn Good Deal a agreed vice adm James Zimble the Navy surgeon general. Quot we Haven to changed the deductibles since the program was established 23 years ago. We done to require premiums. Compare that to the civilian sector costs that Are escalating at rates we  imagine a few years  the defense department is working to develop a nationwide health care enrolment system that will enable military officials to better predict champs costs from year to year Mendez said. The military a annual solution to the champs dilemma has been to request authority from Congress to shift Money from other military spending accounts to pay the Bill. Mendez said the Pentagon will submit a formal reprogramming request within a week. But it will be a Tough sell this year due to the bitter fight Between the Pentagon and Congress Over another reprogramming request to cover $780 million in military personnel funding shortfalls Glenn said. If Congress does no to approve the champs reprogramming. Payment for All Navy claims made after May 7 and All army and air Force claims made after mid june would have to be delayed until oct. 1.Barry pleads not guilty to latest drug charges w Ashington apr mayor Marion Barry pleaded not guilty tuesday to six new drug charges alleging he used cocaine Over a five year period. A i feel fantastic today. I got a great defense team a Barry said outside the courthouse after entering his plea. Barry lawyer r. Kenneth Mundy entered the plea before . District court judge Thomas Penfield Jackson to a 14-count indictment handed up last thursday against the mayor. Related Story Page 7. The new charges accuse Barry of five Misdemeanour counts of cocaine Possession and one Misdemeanour count of conspiracy. The mayor look drugs As far Back As 1984, the indictment alleges. Barry previously pleaded not guilty to eight charges brought feb. 15 alleging that he lied to a Federal grand jury and possessed cocaine on five occasions. The new indictment includes All 14 charges. "1 am anxious to get this trial on by june 4 if it can possibly be done is id Jackson. Mundy said Quot the Iasi thing we want is a continuance pushing Back the starting Date of the trial. The judge brought up the possibility that Mundy might ask to sever the new charges into a separate Case. Mundy did not indicate if he would take that approach. Barry is lawyers complained that prosecutors on monday refused to identify the mayor s alleged co conspirators and were turning Over to the defense Only photographs and Telephone records. Outside the courtroom . Attorney Jay Stephens refused to say whether the photos were from additional surveillance of Barry or snapshots provided by grand jury witnesses. Stephens said last week the investigation of Barry was continuing. One of the drug Possession counts Barry stems from barrys arrest Jan. 18 in an Fri undercover sting operation that allegedly videotaped the mayor smoking crack cocaine in a downtown hotel. The government is not required to disclose the names of witnesses who will testify against a defendant. Assistant . Attorney Richard Roberts said in the courtroom. Roberts said. Hotel records had been produced for the defense. He did not elaborate. Jackson said the defense Quot is entitled to know who alleged co conspirators Are a the judge cautioned Roberts that becoming immersed in disputes about turning Over information to the defense would Quot increase the likelihood Quot of a postponement of the trial. The judge said the defense a pretrial motions on the new charges will be due monday and the governments responses next thursday. A hearing will be held May 25. Barry told reporters Quot let me urge All you wonderful friends of mine in the Media not to if possible follow me around today. In a not going to have anything to say. In a going to leave Here and go Back to the District government. I urge you not to try to find me. I know you re going to try but you re not going to get anything out of  Stephens said the government was prepared to go to trial on june 4 As scheduled. Quot it is important for the Case to be resolved expeditiously and fairly a he said at a Short news conference. If convicted on All 14 charges Barry could face a maximum of 26 years in prison and $1.85 million in  meetings with Bush Gorbachev will be tourist Washington apr soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev will become a tourist after Summit talks with president Bush hopscotch ing to Minnesota and California from Washington Early next month. Gorbachev a destinations Are Minneapolis and san Francisco . Officials said tuesday. An official announcement was expected shortly. Also on tuesday it was announced in Moscow that Gorbachev will visit Canada May 29 and May 30 before beginning his superpower Summit with Bush in Washington. Quot its almost too Good to be True yet a said Minnesota gov. Rudy per Pich who said the White House notified him monday that Gorbachev wanted to visit Minnesota and California. Quot i did t believe it at first. The russians Are  the soviet president is interested in speaking with businessmen in both states and will deliver a speech in California at Stanford University near Palo Alto said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Stanford is Home to the Hoover institution on War revolution and peace which has the worlds largest collection of material on the 1917 russian revolution. A can you imagine a said Perpich who added he was told a decision is expected within a week. Quot i think its bigger than the super bowl a which comes to Minnesota in 1992. Perpich said he had no word on what Gorbachev wanted to see in Minnesota. In California Stanford spokeswoman Mary Ann Seawell said she checked with the University presidents office monday about a possible Gorbachev visit and a a there a no truth to it As far As we can  officials in Washington said the University apparently had not been notified when she made the comment. Gorbachev is to arrive in Washington on May 30 for his second Summit with Bush. They met on the Island of Malta last december. The talks Are to conclude Early on june 3, a sunday and Gorbachev will leave Washington for Minnesota. From there he will travel to the san Francisco area an official said. Gorbachev will leave the United states on june 4. White House officials had expected to announce the Summit schedule monday but delayed word As they tried to pin Down Gorbachev a plans. The soviet embassy in Washington said it would not release the itinerary until it was final. A they expressed a desire to trave beyond Washington a a . Official said. A nothing has been finalized so this is just a tentative indication of his  a soviet Advance team returned to Moscow late last week after working with White House planners on Summit details. Gorbachev and his wife Raisa have a Long standing invitation to see former president Reagan and his wife Nancy in los Angeles. However Reagan spokesman Mark Weinberg said he was unaware of any plans for a get together. White House officials believe Gorbachev will arrive at Andrews fab outside Washington on wednesday evening. May 30