European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 3, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday March 3, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 9. A a a a. A a a / a a a a a a a flooded out Ronald Gibala left and Jerome Garcia both of desert hot Springs Calif., Survey a washed out Section of Road near interstate 10 on Friday. Three Days of storms have caused Flash flooding and mudslides across the parched state where water is being rationed. See additional weather information on Page ii Navy probes lax oversight of Stanford san Jose Calif. Apr the Navy has opened an investigation into who was responsible for failing to oversee Stanford University now under fire for allegedly overfilling the government $200 million for research. Rear adm. William a. Miller chief of the. Office of naval research has set up a panel to learn Why his Agency did not audit Stanford a books during the 1980s. Results of a recent Navy inquiry released feb. 7, found that potential for overcharges existed because the Navy did no to audit Stanford a indirect costs for research. Lack of an audit paper Trail made it difficult to uncover any exact overfilling on the $240 million in annual Federal research at Stanford. An audit is being conducted now As part of an investigation. Indirect costs also known As overhead include expenses not directly connected to specific research such As utilities building depreciation administration libraries and some student services and Upkeep. Because of a Lack of oversight at Stanford taxpayers have helped pay for such charges As depreciation of a yacht antique furniture Flowers and a wedding reception said Paul Biddle the Navy contract negotiator who uncovered the alleged overfilling and laxity by his predecessors. Stanford president Donald Kennedy said the yacht charge was a simple accounting mistake. He has defended the other Bills saying they were appropriate because they were for his Stanford residence where he holds official functions. Nonetheless Stanford has withdrawn about $700,000. In Bills for those challenged charges. _ Biddle who started the Navy Job in 1988, claims Stanford overfilled the Federal government As much As $200 million during the 1980s, an allegation that four Federal agencies Are investigating. A congressional subcommittee plans a hearing on the subject March 15. Miller said the Navy panel will try to determine whether a a acts or failures to act by employees at the naval research office let Stanford charge too much. A a a a. Mark Wetstone a spokesman for the naval office said the panels report is due april 25. It will be up to the Admiral to decide if someone should be punished for a a failing in his duty a a Wetstone said. �?o1 done to know if anybody is going to be fired or lose their stripes but it will be rather embarrassing if someone is publicly called a bad manager a he said. At least 16 past and present Navy employees will be under investigation he said. Pm s Lansing Plant will build electric cars Detroit up a general motors corp. Confirmed Friday it will. Build its Impact electric car at its Reatta Craft Centre in Lansing mich., As reported by a weekly Industry publication. A a company spokesman said the giant automaker is expected to make a formal announcement monday or tuesday. A. Wards automotive reports said in was in the final stages of approving selection of the Small Plant which now builds the Buick Reatta Coupe and convertible cars. The Reatta Plant built Only 5,587 regattas in 1990, and pm has said previously that Assembly of other models could be added there. The facility As presently configured is capable of making some 25,000 units a year on two shifts wards said. Gmys Van Guys Calif-., Plant had Beer considered As one of the More Likely plants to build the Impact a Small two seat commuter car powered by Lead acid batteries and shown by pm just Over a year ago. Pm said Van Guys would be dedicated to building specially vehicles after Camaro and firebird car production is phased out in the Early 1990s. Earlier this year pm president Lloyd Reuss said the Impact would most Likely be sold in California first because it will be the first state to phase in pollution free cars starting in 1998, last april pm said it was committed to mass production of the Impact but gave no details. A children suffer most from family breakups Washington a children who remain with their mothers after families break up tend to fall headlong into poverty the census Bureau said Friday. The census Bureau released results of a study suggesting employment problems tend to make breakups More Likely. And in such cases the earning capacity of mothers is often far below that of departed fathers the study said. The study showed a Swift and deep decline in income once fathers left Home. Family income available to children dropped by 37 percent on average As soon As fathers departed. Nineteen percent of youngsters lived in poverty when the parents separated. Four months later it was 36 percent. In Many cases child support paid by the father did not make up for lost income. And Only 44 percent of fathers studied paid child support. And the average such family was Hurt ing economically even before the father left with children having income Only 83 percent of those in two Parent families. Fathers were often out of work just before leaving the study said the census bureaus Suzanne Bianchi who wrote the report with Edith Mcarthur of the National Center for education statistics said the numbers suggest that problems in earning a living contrib Quot Ute to family splits. Forty three percent of the mothers were not working before the family split. Their children were air under 15 and that May have kept Many out of the work Force. After their husbands left Many quickly found jobs but 35 percent still were out of work four months later. Those mothers who were working earned an average of $860 a month about half the $1,720 a month earned on average by their husbands