European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 17, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page the stars and stripes thursday May 17,1990 Kent gear and Denise Daniels inspect the remains of a House hit by a Tornado in Stillwater  Dies 14 other people Hurt As twisters slam Oklahoma areas Stillwater okla. Apr tornadoes killed a child injured at least 14 other people and damaged scores of buildings in Northern and Western Oklahoma authorities said. One twister bearing winds of 100 Mph Cut a mile Long Swath in Stillwater hitting residential areas and the Oklahoma state University Campus. At least three other tornadoes touched Down in Oklahoma tuesday night. A 4-year-old was killed in Stillwater As his Mother drove to a relative s Home to take shelter authorities said. Authorities said the Mother who was Cut was unable to explain exactly what happened when the storm overtook them. Damage was reported to six apartment complexes and other Homes businesses and schools in this town of 40,000. About 40 units at a housing area on the University Campus were reported damaged and the storm Tore part of the roof off the physical education Center. At least seven other people in Stillwater were treated for injuries. The worst injury was that of a 75-year-old Man who broke a hip. A twister hit the ground around Midnight in Foyil injuring at least six people As it slowed across four Miles of Farmland. A Tornado ripped off a roof near Kellyville in Oklahoma and a twister in Western Oklahoma terrorized patrons and workers inside an Al Reno truck Stop when it touched Down near interstate 40. With Power lines Down residents of Stillwater and Foyil waited for Daylight wednesday to reveal the extent of the damage. A i m going to go Back tomorrow and see what happened Quot said Stillwater resident Jean Annesley who spent the night in a red Cross shelter after her Home was hit. Quot its going to kill me. But ill survive  Mike Field stood in his Yard and looked at the wreckage from a school Root that littered the inside and outside of his heavily damaged House. He and his family had made it to shelter. A when we were driving Back i saw a lot of Trees Down and thought that maybe the Trees Here in my front Yard would be damaged a Field said. A we turned the Comer and the first thing i saw was the roof gone. My wife started crying. What Are you going to do Quot . Housing starts sink to lowest rate in 8 years Washington apr housing starts plummeted 5.8 percent in april to their lowest level in nearly eight years the government said wednesday. It was the rates third consecutive Sharp decline. The Commerce department said starts of new Homes and apartments totalled a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.25 million units the smallest number since 1.17 million units got under Way in october 1982 during the last recession. Starts plunged a revised 11.2 percent in March and 5.1 percent in february. They originally were reported to have been Down 9.3 percent in March and 7.1 percent in february. Housing starts had climbed 23.2 percent to an annual rate of 1.57 million units in january the warmest in history. But analysts had said the weather related Pace would not be  theme Parks May Hurt Florida interests Tampa Fla. Up a overseas theme Parks planned by the Walt Disney co. And Anheuser Busch could attract european tourists who would otherwise spend their vacation dollars in Florida Industry observers say. Disney wants to open a Park in France in 1992. While Busch plans to open one in Spain in 1993. Disney officials said euro Disneyland outside Paris will be a near duplicate of Disneyland in Anaheim calif., with a magic kingdom Castle and 5,000 hotel rooms. He said businessmen Are also concerned about the timing of the Parks opening. The worlds fair in Barcelona Spain opens in 1992, the same year Trade barriers in the 12-nation european common Market Are eliminated. The combination of events could generate interest for europeans to remain in Europe Smith said. A a there a serious concern whether Florida will hold its own in �?T92,�?� he  cannot Block Observatory court rules san Francisco apr a Federal appeals court has opened the Way for construction of a $200 million Observatory on an Arizona Mountaintop where a Colony of endangered squirrels lives. Environmentalists tuesday attacked the order by the 9th . Circuit court of appeals and said they would argue against the mount Graham Telescope at congressional hearings june 26. The University of Arizona which claims its Observatory in Southeastern Arizona will not harm the 180 mount Graham red squirrels said it Hopes construction will begin in four to six weeks. The two member appeals court lifted a four month freeze on the Telescope imposed March 26 by . District judge Alfredo Marquez in Tucson. Marquez was responding to fears the project would Lead to extinction of the Squirrel. Big drop in Forest pollution credited to unleaded Gas c new Haven Conn. Apr fifteen ears of unleaded Gas in the Lank is coping clean up More than smoggy City air. Dramatic Lead decreases also have been reported in Forest soil far from Urban areas. Scientists had feared that toxic Lead emissions wafting from vehicle tailpipes threatened Trees and other Forest life but a recent study credits the clean air act with bringing relatively speedy Relief. Quot its Beautiful the curve showing the decline of Lead a said Thomas g. Siccama a Forest ecologist at the Yale University school of forestry and environmental studies. Quot it has left the Forest floor faster than the general Community of ecologists thought a he said. In 1980, Siccama and two other scientists William h. Smith of Yale and Donald l. Madr of the University of Massachusetts documented that Lead Levels in Massachusetts Forest soil had jumped significantly Between 1962 and 1978. The amount of Lead per Square meter had increased from 682 milligrams to 1,160. Siccama Smith and others including Andrew j. Friedland of Dartmouth College and Arthur h. Johnson of the University of Pennsylvania began looking More closely at Forest surface soil typically a mat of organic matter 2 inches to 4 inches deep. They took samples in forests extending from Pennsylvania through new Hampshire. Over the past year they and other researchers reviewed the data. Their work has not yet been published but Siccama said Clear trends were apparent. At a Cathedral Pines Forest test site near Cornwall Conn., Yale graduate student Julie Tritschler found Lead had fallen 26 percent since 1980, Down from 1,275 milligrams per Square meter to 940. At Hubbard Brook in West Thornton n.h., Lead Levels in 1975 were approaching 1,100 milligrams per Square meter. By 1988, they had fallen to under 800 milligrams per Square meter Siccama said. First lady gives support to families of homosexuals Washington apr a letter Barbara Bush sent to a support group will help parents of homosexual men and lesbians accept their children the groups Leader said tuesday. Paulette Goodman president of the federation of parents and friends of lesbians and Gays asked mrs. Bush for an expression of support during a White House visit last month. Goodman asked the first lady to a speak kind words to some 24 million Gay americans and their families to help heal the wounds and to keep these families in Loving  last week mrs. Bush sent a letter to Goodman praising the federation and reaffirming her belief that discrimination cannot be tolerated. A i appreciated so much. Your encouraging me to help change attitudes Quot mrs. Bush wrote. A such treatment always brings with it pain and perpetuates hate and intolerance a mrs. Bush wrote according to the letter released by Goodman. Mrs. Bush frequently has made Clear her distaste for discrimination based on sexual preference. A i was filled to tears when i got this letter Quot said Goodman who received it monday. A it will help families better accept and Deal with the situation Quot Tim Mcfeeley executive director of human rights Campaign fund a supporter of causes favored by homosexual men and women said a i think its a Beautiful letter and i think its a powerful letter because its sincere and reinforces values that american mothers and american families Are All  the federation has about 200 chapters of volunteers nationwide and has a part time staff in a Washington d.c., suburb Goodman said