European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a a the stars and stripes monday october 15,1990gas prices fueling school bus crisis services for schoolchildren could be Cut Washington a the persian Gulf crisis is expected to Cost the nations school districts nearly $250 million in additional fuel charges this year and some officials say that could mean a Cut in services. The National school transportation association said it found in a september Survey that fuel prices for the 370,000 buses used by . Schools had increased an average of 25.3 cents a gallon since the aug. 2 iraqi invasion of Kuwait. A the nations yellow school buses drive a total of some 3.5 billion Miles a year transporting about half of All . Students a said Karen Finkel executive director of the association. A no one wants to Cut service to schoolchildren a she said but added that school officials have begun looking at ways to Cut fuel costs. Short term solutions include teaching Drivers methods to improve fuel Economy such As reducing time spent idling and parking buses at the schools to eliminating the drive Back to the bus lot. More drastic Long term solutions include reducing the number of routes by making children walk longer distances or serving More than one school with the same bus. According to the associations Survey the Southeast and West have suffered the most with average increases of 36.9 cents and 34.2 cents per gallon respectively. In the Northeast the average Price was up 28.1 cents while fuel prices were up an average of 26.9 and 23.1 cents in the Midwest and Southwest respectively. But Carl Janssens executive vice president of National school bus service inc., says the increased Price a is obviously one that a built on  a a we be not had any problem with Supply. There a no shortage a said Janssens whose Barrington  company operates 3,000 buses in new York Massachusetts Maine new Hampshire new Jersey Pennsylvania Michigan Illinois Wisconsin and Minnesota. The los Angeles unified school District has had experience dealing with such a crisis. About 20,000 school students were put off school buses 10 years ago because of budget cuts said Bud Dunevant director of transportation. And the persian Gulf crisis is Only increasing the problem Dunevant said. The District uses about 9 million Gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel a year and Dunevant said last years Bill was $4.2 million. However he estimated that by the end of this sri year the Cost will reach $6.2 million. A a we re dealing with it because we have to a said Dunevant noting the busing done now is required by the court to eliminate discrimination or by Law 10 trans port special education students or relieve overcrowding William Westcoat supervisor of automotive maintenance for Maryland a Montgomery county Public schools said it was a a Remote possibility that More schoolchildren would be forced to walk longer Distant to school because of the fuel crisis. The District is not required to provide bus service to elementary schoolchildren who live within a mile of school Middle school youngsters who Uve within Lvi Miles and High school students who live within a Miles. Westcoat said increasing those distances to Cut Down on service and save Money could put children at risk because they would have to walk farther to school. Although the problem Hasni to been considered formally Westcoat said school officials could cancel Field trips and athletic trips rather than Cut daily bus service. Other options for Urban areas Westcoat said Are a enticing High school students to use mass transit As opposed to providing the yellow school  it feels like autumn Audra Wilde 6, a special needs student and Helper Elaine Glenn. Salt Lake City at Jordan Valley school in Salt Lake prison inmates grew and donated 186 City explores a pumpkin with Friend pumpkins to the school. U of Fla. Awarded Grant to study Impact of slayings Washington up the National Institute of Justice said sunday it has approved a $15,000 Grant for the University of Florida to study the psychological Impact of a string of killings in Gainesville where the school is located. A the brutal murders of five College students in Gainesville have created an atmosphere of fear for the students the parents the Community and the residents of the state of Florida a said Charles Dewitt director designate of the Institute. A we need to help Law enforcement agencies respond to such calamities a Dewitt said. A we also want to learn How people Are coping so that others can be shown How to Deal with such psychological  the Money will pay for an inter Agency agreement that among other things win prepare a National technical assistance guide for police departments across the country that May face similar crimes in the future. The guide will include a discussion of multiple slayings the most effective immediate response and the Best ways of assisting the victims family and friends. Attorney general Dick Thornburgh announced last month that a $941,639 Grant had been awarded to Florida for emergency Law enforcement assistance in the investigation. The bodies of five victims All College students who lived within two Miles of each other and within two Miles of the University of Florida Campus were discovered aug. 26-28. The victims four women and one Man were All stabbed to death and some of the bodies had been mutilated. Four of the victims attended the University of Florida and one attended Santa be Community College in Gainesville. A task Force was formed immediately after the killings and is still investigating. No one has been charged. Police publicly identified two suspects. Both of them Are in custody on other charges but police will no longer comment on whether they Are still suspects. Published reports quoted investigators As saying genetic tests on hair and body fluids at the death scenes did not implicate either  explodes in Italy Padua Italy a a homemade bomb exploded Early saturday outside a company involved with the Sale of israeli cosmetics causing damage but no injuries police said. A group protesting the shooting of palestinian demonstrators by israeli police in Jerusalem last week claimed responsibility for the bombing police said. Mosquito scare changing Fla. Lifestyles Boca Raton Fla. Apr High school students dressed in their finest evening Wear went to their Homecoming dance on a muggy saturday afternoon. Boy scouts in Kissimmee camped out All weekend in a luxury hotel. And if the Pat in Palm Beach county has its Way children will go trick or treating at midday four Days before halloween. The reason an outbreak of St. Louis encephalitis. The sometimes fatal disease a transmitted by mosquitoes who prefer to bite at night a has forced floridians to drastically change habits and could affect the crucial tourist Industry. Indeed Florida a worst outbreak of Mosquito borne encephalitis in More than 13 years is causing More headaches than statistics show. With More than 20 million visitors expected to flood the state from october to March the disease comes at a bad time for Florida a multimillion Dol Lar tourist Industry. A a woman called recently from Britain and asked a is it True Disney world is closed and All flights to Orlando have been cancelled a a said John Rutherford spokesman for the Orlando Orange county convention amp visitors Bureau. A a it a a live Cannon out  Disney world responded to the threat by upgrading its already rigorous Mosquito control spraying said Disney spokesman John Dreyer. He added that the nations top tourist attraction has a never had a Mosquito  but Dreyer conceded the threat forced cancellation of the evening water pageant closed the water Parks an hour Early and sent the thrice nightly Lakeside Luau indoors. Travel Industry officials say few vacations have been cancelled but visitors bureaus reported receiving dozens of phone Calls from worried vacationers travel agents and meeting planners. County health officials counselled Calm. A there is no reason to feel panicked a said Larry Rhodes executive director of Manatee county Mosquito control District on Florida a West coast. A the chances of contracting the virus Are a Little better thar winning the  Florida health officials said Friday that 36 people have gotten the disease and 16 other people Are presumed to have it. About 15 people have been hospitalized and two were in comas As of Friday. Symptoms include headaches and fever similar to fit symptoms. But the disease also can Lead to coma Anc death resulting from brain inflammation. Eight Peop died during the last severe Florida outbreak of encephalitis in 1977. The present outbreak has forced intensive neighbor Hood spraying and provoked angry debates in area plagued with Mosquito problems. Public schools in several counties banned All activities after 5 45 . And Parks were closing before dusk