European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 19, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 a a a the stars and stripes Friday october 19,1990woolly Worms forecast frigid Winter Pikeville by. Apr Start rummaging for your Long underwear flannel sheets and electric socks. The ninth annual Lee county woolly worm Survey issued thursday says there a a cold Winter ahead. The Folksy forecast of Kentucky a Winter weather is based on the colouring of caterpillars known locally As woolly Worms. The number of foggy mornings in August inner designs of Persimmon seeds and the height of hornets nests also Are factored into the forecast. A the Lee county woolly Worms Are never in error a said Rosemary Porter Kilduff of Beattyville in Rural Eastern Kentucky. Kilduff compiles woolly worm sightings in and about Lee county and releases the Winter forecast in time for Lee county a annual woolly worm festival which begins Friday. Organizers expect Lee county a population of 7,000 to double when visitors show up for the woolly worm races crafts show and a �?T50s Street dance. A Parade will feature Tasha Harris of Beattyville miss woolly worm festival Queen for 1990. Lee county residents Hope the caterpillars predictions someday will gain the same status in forecasting As Punxsutawney Phil. Movements of the Pennsylvania groundhog foretell the coming of Spring on groundhog Day. This fall 88 of the 188 woolly Worms sighted were Black. A with Black in the Lead it pains me to say that we can predict a very very cold Winter from beginning to quit a Kilduff said. The 25 foggy mornings in August mean there will be 25 Days of Snow. A sighting of a hornets nest Low to the ground Means the Snow wont stay around Long she added. The communities of Vermilion Ohio and Banner Elk n.c., also forecast Winters severity with the caterpillars. Vermilion forecaster Willis a Good news Gerheart predicted Chilly weather for Ohio after examining the bugs called woolly bears up North. A the thick overcoats on the Ohio woolly bears Are As dark As a tax collectors heart a the sign of an unusually snowy and cold Winter a he wrote in a Beattyville weekly paper. Kilduff turns the woolly Torai Survey Over to the National weather service station in nearby Jackson to Aid in their forecasting. Gil Russell official in charge of the station promised to take Kilduff s forecast into consideration. Last year the woolly worm forecast accurately predicted an Early cold Winter in Kentucky followed by a warming trend. But the Worms prediction of a harsh ending to Winter did no to occur. A there Are some things i hear in folklore that i can make some kind of scientific reason for but woolly Worms Are not one of them a Russell said. Social Security benefits boosted 5.4% in largest Rise since 82 Washington a the nations 40 million social Security recipients will see their Benefit checks increase by 5.4 percent starting in january the biggest Advance in 8 it years the government said thursday. That increase will translate into an extra $31 per month for the average retired worker whose monthly Check will increase from $571 to $602. The maximum monthly Benefit for a worker retiring in 1991 at age 65 will Rise by $47, to $1,022. Since 1975, benefits have risen automatically each year to keep Pace with the annual inflation rate with the exception of six months in 1983 that were skipped to help bail the social Security system out of a crisis. The  size of the 1991 increase became official thursday when the labor department announced the september change in the consumer Price Index the inflation measure used to determine Cost of living increases for the social Security program. The increase which will show up in the Jan. 3 Benefit checks followed a 4.7 percent increase that took effect last january and a 4 percent increase in 1989. It was the largest increase since a 7.4 percent jump in july 1982, when High inflation rates translated into bigger Cost of living increases. The 5.4 percent increase in 1991 also applies to the nations 4.5 million recipients of supplemental Security income which provides a minimum income floor for poor people who Are aged Blind or disabled. The maximum Federal ssi payment will Rise by $21, to Washington apr soaring Energy prices after iraqis invasion of Kuwait pushed americans Cost of living up 0.8 percent in september the second consecutive monthly dose of bad inflation the government Saiu thursday. The september Rise matched the August increase in the labor departments consumer Price Index. If prices continued rising at that Pace for a year it would produce an annual inflation rate of 9.5 percent. Energy prices in september jumped 5.6 percent the worst Rise on record since the department began tracking the sector in 1957. Gasoline soared 9.5 percent the worst in 17 months and fuel Oil Rose 15.9 percent. For August and september together gasoline Rose 17.9 percent and fuel Oil was up 33.7 percent. Electricity and natural Gas charges also Rose but less steeply. For the first nine months of the year consumer prices advanced at an annual rate of 6.6 percent Well above the 4.6 percent increase for All of 1989. Analysts expect the bad news to continue through november or december even if Oil prices stabilize near $40 a barrel double the july Price. The Oil Shock will begin feeding through to chemicals airline tickets and other Energy related products and services. The big bite out of Consumers wallets is expected to slow an already sluggish Economy. A a we re going into a recession very clearly a said economist David Wyss of Dri Mcgraw Hill. Prices excluding Energy Rose a More moderate 0.4 $407 per month for an individual and by $31, to $610, for a couple. The government also said thursday that the maximum amount of wages subject to the payroll tax that finances social Security benefits will climb from $51,300 to $53,400 next year. That change will boost taxes for about 10 million higher income workers who earn above the current wage Cap. The tax rate of 7.65 percent which finances both the social Security and medicare programs would remain unchanged next year. But higher income workers May still see a bigger bite taken out of their paychecks depending on what Type of deficit reduction Bill finally emerges from Congress. Both the House and Senate Are considering proposals to boost the amount of wages subject to the medicare portion of the payroll tax. The House measure would increase the wage Cap to $100,000. The social Security administration gave these examples of How the 5.4 percent increase will affect average monthly benefits a aged couple both getting benefits up $52, to $1,022. A widowed Mother and two children up $62, to $1,203. A disabled worker spouse and children up $52, to $1,022. A All disabled workers up $30, to $587. Percent in september the same As the previous month. But the department noted several sectors of above average inflation. Medical care was up 0.7 percent bringing prices 9.3 percent higher than a year earlier. Clothing costs were also up 0.7 percent in september. Menus Ana boys clothing prices fell but women a girls and infants clothing costs Rose As did the Price of shoes. On a positive note for Consumers food prices Rose 0.3 percent the same As last year. New car prices edged up Only 0.1 percent after remaining unchanged in August. Car dealers beset with lagging sales have been unable to wean the Public from rebate programs and discounted financing. Housing costs were up 0.4 percent held Back by a decline in hotel and Motel costs which had been rising steeply earlier in the year. The various changes put the Index for All consumer goods at 132.7 in september. That Means that a hypothetical selection of goods and services costing $100 in the 1982-84 base period Cost $132.70 last month. As bad As the Short term inflation Outlook seems analysts expect inflation to return to Normal next year unless a shooting War Breaks out in the persian Gulf and sends Oil prices up further. A a it a important to draw a distinction Between a onetime Rise in Price level. And whether or not that works itself permanently into a higher rate of inflation a said Michael Boskin president Bush a chief economic adviser. Stateside Senate oks $35 million in Back rent to indians Washington apr the Seneca indians would receive millions of dollars in Back rents on leased lands under a Bill approved by the Senate. The Bill directs the Federal government to pay $35 million to the senecas admitting that Congress wrongly forced the tribe to lease its land for 115 years to the City of Salamanca . A we took advantage of the Seneca nation and now we ought to Correct this injustice a said sen. Daniel p. Moynihan d-., one of the Senate sponsors. The Bill was adopted on a voice vote late tuesday. It passed the House on oct. 10. The Bush administration has said the government is not financially liable for the Low rents paid to the senecas and opposes the measure because of its Cost. The Bill would ratify an agreement reached by Salamanca three nearby villages and the Seneca nation to replace a 99-year lease Accord expiring feb. 19,1991.eatery s preferred patrons Fork Over twice the Price new York a the prices for takeout food at . On Manhattan supper East Side Are Steep -$12 a pint for potato salad $20 a Pound for grilled Chicken. But for those preferred customers with a House account the Cost is. Double a a there a a perfectly Good reason for this. Our customers Are very demanding people a said Devon Fredericks Zabar wife of . Owner Eli Zabar. A a it a a segment of the population that wants what they want when they want  other items for which House accounts paid double were Cucumber and Dill salad $24 per pint Cream cheese and scallion $24 per pint and Elias bread a sourdough stick at $5, the daily news reported wednesday. Linda Sachs of the City department of consumer affairs said the higher prices May be illegal because . Allegedly does not Tell customers with House accounts that they Are paying a service charge.3 groups urge Boycott of cars without air bags Washington apr three consumer groups want american car buyers to refuse to buy automobiles not equipped with air bags. Motor voters the Center for Auto safety and the . Public interest research group staged news conferences and demonstrations in 12 cities to propose the Boycott focusing their ire on japanese Economy models. Rosemary Dunlap president of motor voters noted that Many automakers equip Only luxury vehicles with air bags claiming the $320 devices would drive away bargain Hunters. She noted that Chrysler has several Economy models with Driver air bags As Standard equipment. A if Chrysler can put air bags in a car for under $8,000, what a Honda a excuse for leaving them out of the civic Cra which costs Over $11,000?�?� she asked. It but the groups faulted even Chrysler for not equipping its popular minivans with air bags and for not moving More quickly to make them Standard equipment Tor front seat passengers in cars. Cost of living Rose in sept