European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 4, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday thursday july 4/5,1990 the stars and stripes Pago 5washington apr enjoy shooting off those fourth of july fireworks in the Back Yard while you can John conk Ling a specialist in fireworks says this hallowed family tradition is on the endangered list. A we could have a video game fourth of july in the not too Distant future sitting in our living rooms and watching animated fireworks displays on our Tele vision screens a he said. Conkling executive director of the american pyrotechnics association blames a a totally irrational campaigns by lobbyists who want to ban All fireworks except for Public displays by licensed professionals. The Way things Are going he said a the prospects Are frighteningly real that families wont be Able to celebrate Independence Day by lighting old fashioned goodies like firecrackers sky rockets roman candles fountains pinwheels and says sparklers. A if that happens ill feel sad that a prohibition was adopted that Isnit warranted that the forces of exaggeration had won that a 215-year-old american tradition had died and one More i divid v Ual Freedom had perished a he said. Conkling 46, is a chemistry professor at Washington College at Chestertown md., with a scholarly passion for fireworks. He published a textbook on the subject a the chemistry of pyrotechnics a in 1985, and a Conkling article on fireworks appears in the july Issue of scientific american Magazine. He can Tell you that charcoal or Iron will bum with a Brilliant Orange that strontium salts produce striking reds that barium nitrate gives off a Bright Green and that Copper Chloride is Best for making Blue the most difficult and elusive color in the fireworks spectrum. A my hobbies Are fishing and the Sci ence of pyrotechnics a Conkling said. A a in la grow up one of these  he was in Washington last week to give Holiday safety tips on a Media hot line sponsored by the National Council on fireworks safety. The Council is a Public service Arm of the $200-milion fireworks Industry a Trade association which Conkling runs from an office in his Hometown. Conk Firigy a message is that Back Yard fireworks Are Safe if used with a Little common sense. The Industry Council said fireworks injuries have declined in recent years from 12,600 in 1986 to 9,700 last year according to estimates by the consumer product safety commission. The government has taken the bang out of the fourth of july in recent years. The food and drug administration outlawed High powered firecrackers in 1966,Ive Issue to rites and the product safety Agency issued strict Industry backed regulations 10 years later that  the kinds of fireworks that Choc sold legally in the United states. Thirteen slates have gone further and banned fireworks of any kind. Conkling singled out the National fire Protection association based in Quincy mass for its Campaign to outlaw All fireworks for individuals. A they hate fireworks a he said. Spokeswoman Julie Reynolds confirmed that the non profit Nipa whose members include fire marshals insurance companies and sprinkler manufacturers believe that a fireworks should be left in the hands of licensed professions and kept out of the hands of amateurs. A fireworks Are explosives and they arc dangerous a Reynolds said. A even sparklers can and do cause serious  by the Washington Post Washington a the defense for mayor Marion Barry tried repeatedly on monday to get Hazel Diane a a Rasheedah Moore to acknowledge that Barry declined to take drugs seven different times during a meeting with her in a Washington hotel room that was videotaped by the Fri. A. The attorney r. Kenneth Mundy also tried without Success to get Moore to concede that Barry gave her Money to buy drugs for herself and not for Barry. Mundy in his second full Day of questioning Moore spent the morning walking Moore through a transcript of the Fri videotape noting seven places where Barry declined a direct offer of drugs or showed no interest when the subject came up. Mundy also Drew attention to a sequence where Barry asked Moore How to use a crack pipe Moore countered that barrys apparent naivete about the pipe was bogus. She insisted that Barry had Given her Money to buy crack cocaine for himself and that the indifference to drugs that he Shofed on the tape stemmed from his wariness about using drugs in a strange place. Somewhere obviously or barrys intuition was Reading something to him but he Wasny to Clear As to what was happening in his mind a Moore said. She also said she Light that Barry had become leery about using drugs in thought that Barry had become leery about using drugs ii a strange hotel room after the so called ramada inn Inci Dent of dec. 22,1988. In that incident police responded to a report of drug activity in a ramada inn hotel room registered to Charles Lewis a longtime Friend of barrys Only to be turned away when the hotel manager leaned Barry was with Lewis. A Barry is a very intelligent Man and he has thought about How to handle himself in a hotel situation based on the Charles Lewis situation a Moore told Mundy. A a May am if that is True if that is an explanation Why did or. Barry go on a few moments later and hit the pipe a Mundy asked. Barry leaves us. Courthouse in Washington on monday. A because he had a desire to a Moore replied. Moore denied Mundyk a assertion that Barry gave her Cash because he thought she was buying cocaine for herself. She testified that the Money he gave her was for drugs for him a not for  Mundy continued to press Moore to explain her actions in the videotape a for instance Why she twice moved a chair in the foreground of the videotape. Moore testified earlier that she knew the room contained hidden cameras and microphones but did no to know where they were. Mundy replayed two parts of the videotape that showed Moore moving the chair once to sit in it and once to move it out of the picture. The second movement came just As Barry was leaning Over the crack pipe in the background. A miss Moore you knew where the camera was right Quot Mundy asked. A no i did no to know where the camera was a she said. Quot Why did you keep moving the chair Quot Mundy asked. A to be honest with you because of the anxiety i was feeling from the operation a Moore said. Speaking to reporters outside after the trial had recessed for the Day Mundy said Quot he thought he had damaged Moore s credibility and that she knew where the hidden camera was. A i called it a lie and i still Call it a lie and i think she was caught on numerous times Quot Mundy said. Meanwhile the husband of a prospective witness in the trial criticized a Washington Post report that his wife Marcia Griffin had provided cocaine to the mayor during a period in which his company was awarded More than $4 million in City contracts to House homeless families. The Post reported that Marcia Griffin who has admitted to a romantic relationship with Barry told investigators that she gave cocaine to the mayor on several occasions. James m. Griffin president of comprehensive marketing systems and temporary living communities corp., called the Story Quot absolutely  Cereal maker recalls toy cars in Giveaway Washington apr a major food company on Friday recalled 21 million toy race cars offered As premiums with several cereals because the vehicles can separate during use causing some parts to present a choking or other Hazard to Small children. The cars were distributed during 1988 and 1989 in boxes of cereals made by Ralston Purina co. Cereals involved in the Giveaway include fruit islands freakiest cookie Crisp ghost busters Dine Saurs dunking donuts Honey Graham chef Almond Delight and Rice chef. A the wheels and axles May separate from the cars and pose a potential choking and Sharp poem Hazard to Small Chil Dren a the consumer product safety commission said in waking the recall. The miniature vehicles include Jaguar porsche Lotus Ferrari Maserati Lamborghini Corvette and an unnamed Black sports car which has the words a Chi Nav or a made in China painted on the Bottom. Both the St. Jouis based company and the commission said there had been no reports of injuries but that a child had swallowed the wheel from one of the toy cars. Consumers should immediately discard the toys or return them to the company for a $1 discount Coupon on any Ralston Purina Cereal a company spokesman said. Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. July 4, 1950 a surface and air units of the . Marines were ordered to Japan the defense department announced. The air Force also ordered additional. B-29 super fortress bombers to the far east.30 years ago today. July 4, i960 a Safe search planes were directed to an area West of norwegian owned Bear Island after a finnish freighter reported the discovery of a yellow balloon in the sea As the search continued for a missing . Rb-47 Sirat Jet. .20 years ago today. July 4, 1970 a a passenger riverboat struck a floating mine just South of the vietnamese demilitarized zone and blew up killing 46 of the 50 civilians aboard a government spokesman announced.10 years ago today. July 4, 1980 a military draft registration for family members in Europe could Start before the month is Over a state department spokesman said. Revival of registration would mean that 19 and 20-year old male dependents would have to sign up the spokesman added