European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 4, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page-6 a a a the stars and stripes Friday january 4,1991 sales of . Cars to plunge to 8-year Low do Torii not a sales of cars and trucks made in the United states fell by 19.1 percent in mid december As demand for vehicles Sank to the lowest level since 1982. A it takes two to three months for a collapse in real income to hit Home in the Auto sector and that is what we Are seeing a Scott Merlis an automotive analyst with Morgan Stanley amp co. In new York said wednesday. Tom Webb the chief economist for the National automobile dealers association an Industry group in Mclean va., said the sales plunge was a worse than i  be linked the drop in vehicle sales to the nations depressed real estate markets which he said have eroded personal wealth and caused Consumers to postpone purchases of new vehicles. If the slump in car sales persists into the Spring As Many analysts believe it will have a depressing effect on the Economy a because it Means  to lower inventories by keeping factories closed a Meres said. The major Domestic automobile makers have resorted to widespread Plant shutdowns to keep inventories from ballooning. The 10 manufacturers that Protrice vehicles in the United states wednesday said they sold 206,983 Lehi Healing wounds Nguyen Ngoc Hung 42, who fought against americans in Vietnam pays his respects at the Vietnam veterans memorial in Dorchester mass. Hung is touring the United states on a a Healing Mission and Hopes to visit the Homes of his former enemies to eat and drink and Trade War stories with them. Cles from dec. 11-20, compared with 255,757 in the corresponding period a year earlier. Car sales fell by 17.7 percent to 127,933 cars in mid december. Seasonally adjusted cars sold at an annual rate of 5.1 million representing the lowest level of demand since 1982, compared with an annual rate of 6.5 million during the same period in 1989. The annual rate for the last 30 Days was 5.6 million. Through the Middle of last year cars have sold at an average annual rate of about 6.9 million sales of Light trucks which account for about a third of All vehicles sold declined to79,050 pickups minivans and four wheel drive vehicles a drop of 21.2 percent. The mid december downturn in sales was Broad affecting american As Well As foreign based automakers with plants in the United states. Sales of Small models were just As depressed As those of Large ones the big three Domestic automakers reported a collective decline of 20.6 percent with Light trucks faring slightly worse than cars. The japanese car companies with american plants showed Overall sales declines of 9.9 percent for cars while those of Light trucks Rose reflecting increased production. Calif moderate named to fill . Senate seat Sacramento Calif. Up a governor elect Pete Wilson announced wednesday that Republican state sen John Seymour will succeed him in the . Senate. Seymour 53, a pro business moderate from Anaheim who lost last Springs primary race Tor lieutenant governor will take office next week. A Wilson who Defeated Democrat Dianne Feinstein in the governors race last november introduced Seymour at a news conference As a philosophically compatible and an Able vote getter. The announcement enables Seymour to Start setting up shop in the Senate even though his appointment wont be official until after Wilson resigns and is sworn in As governor. The two actions will be done simultaneously on Jan. 7. Other new senators will be sworn in thursday. Wilson s term has four years to run but the appointment covers Seymour Only until California s next general election in 1992. Whoever wins that election will hold the seat until 1994. Choosing a successor was a difficult task for Wilson a Republican lie wanted someone who shared his moderate views and was also a proven fund Raiser Quot and vote getter with a Strong Chance of keeping the scat. A state senator since .1982,  aligned himself with Wilson a pro abortion position shortly before he ran for lieutenant governor. V in his 1990 Campaign Seymour said republicans needed him As their candidate because he and Wilson Are a philosophical soul mates.�?�. Stateside at least 2 dead in pileup on foggy Utah interstate Salt Lake City up at least two people were killed wednesday in four Chain reaction collisions involving More than 40. Vehicles along a fog shrouded stretch of interstate 215 the Utah Highway patrol said. Many injuries were reported. In All four pileup were reported All at about 9 30 . And All about four Miles North of Salt Lake cite near the town of Bountiful the Highway patrol said. The accidents occurred along a half mile Section of the  twisted wreckage of at least .45 vehicles including a number of big rigs littered the Roadway. A a a a. A a a a a a visibility was near Zero at the time of the Accident said. The area has been plagued by Patchy fog for the last  s employees asked to take 11 % pay cuts Oakland Calif. Apr executives of the Tribune of Oakland have asked 600 employees to. Take 11 percent pay cuts so it can meet this months payroll Union officials said. Management officials announced at an emergency meeting wednesday that the cuts were vital to the newspapers stability said Union negotiator Carol  officials said the cuts would begin no later than Jan. 23 and would affect about 600 management Union and non Union employees. Workers who make less than $25,000 a year such As clerks and editorial assistants would be exempt. _. An 11 percent pay Cut would amount to a loss of $77.11 a week for top scale employees who make $701 weekly and $55 for those who make starting wages of $500 a week. The unions contract expired monday and negotiations on a new one Are underway. Tady said Union leaders were to meet with members Friday to determine. Whether they would accept the pay cuts or demand a Shorter work week in  Star Vrooman Dies of heart attack at 54 Liberty to. Apr former opera Star Richard c. Vrooman a Kansas City native is dead at age 54. A a a a a. A _ Vrooman died monday of a heart attack at a Friend s Home in suburban Kansas City officials said. He had retired from his singing career in 1978 to live in a Swiss chalet style Home he built near Liberty. A Vrooman had performed for More than 20 year up Murilyn. Int Europe he later headed a company that marketed a line of luxury skin care products produced at a Swiss clinic. I a graduate of Kansas City a Southwest High school he attended Fulton College and the Kansas City conservatory of music. He went to Salzburg Austria on a Fulbright scholarship in 1958. He became a Lead operatic Tenor mainly in Zurich performing As Richard  Vrooman. Funeral arrangements were pending. Is run Boston apr motorists with diabetes or epilepsy run a one third higher risk of accidents but tougher restrictions on their driving Are probably unnecessary a study released thursday concludes. Both of these common diseases can cause people to Black  Beliinda the wheel and doctors assume this is Why such motorists Are More prone to Auto crashes. All states require people with epilepsy to stay off the Road for a few months or  after their last seizure. In most states diabetic Drivers also need letters from their doctors assuring that they Are not prone to blackouts. A a there is a slight increase in risk for both epileptics and diabetics but the increase is Small enough that we did no to feel there was any great need to change cur rent driving restrictions Quot said or. Phi Roze Han Sotia of the Marshfield clinic who directed the study. A a _ or. Richard Kahn of the american diabetes association said diabetics�?~5fiould be evaluated individually to see whether they can safely drive. 1.�?othere Are people with diabetes who should not be Drivers Quot he said. A but the overwhelming majority could be Drivers and be As Safe As a people without  l Han Sotia said Wisconsin is one of five states that requires epileptics to be free of seizures for a least three months before driving. Other states have waiting periods ranging up to two years. Quot Quot at the epilepsy Institute in new York a executive director Urcina Berner said the latest research findings support Wigeon sins relatively lenient rules. A we Hope that those responsible for formulating driving regulations in other states As Well As the Federal government will review these data and seriously reconsider their policies if they differ from those in w Wisconsin a she said. However in an editorial published with the study in the new England journal of Medicine or. Julian a. Waller of the University of Vermont questioned this interpret. Lion especially for people with More Sev Ere forms of the diseases. A i he authors conclusion that there is Little to worry about May be absolutely Correct Tor so me persons with these diseases but premature for others a Waller wrote. An estimated 14 million americans have diabetes and 2.5 million have epilepsy the study was based on a review of All the car accidents and driving violations among 30,420 people who lived within 25 Miles of the Marshfield clinic in Rural Wisconsin. Among these people were 484 with diabetes and 241 with epilepsy virtually everyone in the Marshfield area is treated at the clinic so the researchers believed they could identify nearly All residents with those diseases. A they found that epileptics had a 33 percent higher Accident risk and diabetics a 32 percent higher risk than the rest of the population. Both groups also were More Likely to be stopped by the  careless driving. And the epileptic were nearly three times As Likely As other people to be cited for violations that involved alcohol or drugs. ,