European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 11, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 a the stars and stripes monday March 11. 1991now it s official 29-cent stamp is dumb Clarksburg .w.va. Apr . Postmaster general Anthony Frank says the new 29-cent Price for a first class stamp is just Plain  Frank speaking at a mail Plant dedication ceremony Friday said the . Postal service had asked that the Price be boosted from 25 cents to 30 cents. A the postal rate commission apparently never met an even number that it liked a Frank said. A a that a the  thing i can  a jokingly referring to the increased use of pennies brought on by the 29-cent Price he said the Only people benefiting from it Are Copper miners in while. Frank said new postal plants such As the 132,000 Square foot Clarksburg general mail facility he dedicated will make what he called the worlds Best postal service faster and More efficient a we Are now in an Era of automation a he said. A we expect to have the postal service fully automated by 1995, we arc Bing through a Perio it of change Here in the first half of this decade that is greater than All the changes in the preceding 21 it   Champ Butcher takes id Tarod Lead Idit Rod competitor jct King relaxes with a candlelit dinner at Anvik Alaska. Grayling Alaska a defending Champion Susan Butcher took the Lead saturday in the id Tarod Trail sled dog race As Lead mushers arrived at the Frozen Yuk Oft River. Butcher was the first Musher out of Grayling at 3 20 . She was followed at 4 11 by Veteran mushers do Dee Jon Rowe and Joe Garnie. More than a dozen other mushers arrived in the Yukon River Village by late afternoon. Butcher took the Lead earlier in the Day at Anvik where she spent just 22 minutes before heading upriver at 6 37 . She was followed one minute later by Jon Rowe and Lavon Barve two top five finishers the past two years. The mushers racing through Anvik passed Jeff King who had arrived there first at 2 23 ., to claim a $3,500 Cash prize and a seven course feast Courtesy of a race sponsor. After dining on shrimp Lamb medallions Black Raspberry sorbet fruit and other delicacies at a table set with White Linen and China King shoved off from Anvik in 10th place at 9 29 . He said that after two Days of windblown trails and deep Snow the Yukon River stretch might Widen the Gap Between the leaders and the slower teams Quot the dogs i have up Here Are healthy and they re fast  said King win-1 Ner of the 1,000-mile Yukon quest sled dog race in,1989.�?othey�?Tre not As fast All the time As some of the other teams hut i cart keep up for a while More. A once we get on the River Here on a Good hard Flat Trail ill be interested to see if they Are slower or not a he said. Joe Runyan who arrived in Grayling at 10 41 . In fourth place said butchers team was the one to watch because she still has 18 dogs. Runyan the 1989 Champion who finished second to Butcher last year said he is Down to 14 dogs. A a in a Good on Speed but hurting a Little on the Power a he said. Mushers Are allowed to Start with 20 dogs and typically leave sick or injured dogs at  this year a lot of teams arc really Good and from night to night you never know which is going to be the Best team a Runyan said. Others in the top 10 out of Anvik were Garnie Tim Osmar Rick Swenson Martin Buser and Matt Desalernos. Temperatures Early saturday were 15 below Zero in Anvik the Day was Clear and sunny with Little wind. Butcher a four time id Tarod Winner has said she Hopes to break her race re Cord of 11 Days 1 hour and 53 minutes set last year. Southern Baptist moderates to form new group Atlanta a moderate Southern baptists agreed saturday to form a new Southern Baptist organization. A a. A a a. A a a a. A a a. A a a a a a a it a a Fellowship of  who have been disenfranchised a said the Rev Kenneth Chaffin pastor of Walnut Street Baptis Church in Louisville by. The Baptist Fellowship will operate within the established Southern Baptist convention but leaders said the question of creating a new denomination remained open a  Quot a a a a that could happen but that a not what we re about a said the Rev. Daniel Vestal pastor of Dunwoody Baptist Church in suburban Atlanta and chairman of the group s steering  committee was formed in August during an Atlanta meeting of More than 2,000 baptists dissatisfied with leadership of the Southern Baptist convention which has 14.9 million members. It adopted a Constitution and bylaws and agreed to incorporate. Its actions must be approved at the groups May convocation in Atlanta. Committee officials expect about 10,000 baptists to attend. Some moderates first indicated a desire to split with the Southern Baptist convention last year after another in a string of moderate candidates lost a bid for the conventions presidency. In october the group established an alternative missions fund to which about 125 churches have contributed about $1 million. Moderates said losing the presidency was Only part of the reason they decided to set up the new organization.  a a a a a.  a a a a a a a a fundamentalists or conservatives insist the scriptures be interpreted literally. Moderates believe portions of the Bible arc written figuratively. Conservatives who believe the Bible is infallible and say those who disagree Are not True christians have gamed increasing control of the Southern Baptist convention Over the last 12 years. / moderates who advocate local Chirch autonomy and a greater role for women and minorities say the conservatives have run the convention with an Iron  in against middies Annapolis a rape charges against two naval Academy midshipmen were dropped after the 23-year-old woman who accused them of assaulting her refused to testify in court. A the woman comes front a Navy family and she a feeling a lot of pressure not to testify said assistant stale a attorney Ronald m. Nadia Civ Naditch on Friday dropped the first degree rape charges against midshipmen 1st class Melvyn Malcolm Davis and Gordon Scott  a member of the Academy basketball team and Wilson both 21, were arrested and charged sept. 28 by City police after the woman identified them As her attackers. The woman told police she accepted a ride from the two men alter she left a restaurant on sept. 27. She said they drove her to a House where they raped her and forced her to perform various sex acts. A War Spokane Wash. A an air Force doctor has been denied conscientious objector status after contending that taking part in War is immoral. Capt. Michael Knitter 34, an Anaesthesiologist knew what he was doing when he agreed to serve in the air Force in Exchange for a medical school scholarship . District judge Robert Mcnichols said. Knitter who claimed that his opposition to War crystallized in 1988, 10 months after going on Active duty a lacks sufficient credibility and sincerity a the judge said. He denied knitters request for a order that would prevent him from being assigned to any duties that might conflict with his beliefs against War. The judge also refused to Block any future order that might Send Knitter away from a Fairchild fab Knitter who could not be reached for comment has until March 20 to Appeal. Knitter applied for an air Force scholarship in 1979 that paid for his last two years of medical school. Scholarship terms required him to serve four years on Active duty a until August this year a after he became fully trained in 1987. Knitter said his moral objection to War a a crystallized while attending a course in 1988 on treating combat casualties. He. First asked for a discharge that year but was refused by air Force Secretary Donald Rice alter several reviews. Before the outbreak of the persian Gulf War Knitter was told he might be sent to Europe and asked the Federal court to intervene. The government the request saving the decision rested with Rice. A the Secretary s conclusion that it strains credulity to believe that a Man of or. Knitters age and education could enter military duty without realizing what it May involve is clearly justified by the evidence a Mcnichols said in his ruling. A the military needs physicians. It is not in the business of paying for Edrica. Tion without obtaining the appropriate military service in  _ during a hearing Knitter said he would a no longer Wear his uniform accept military pay or live in miliary housing. He said he would act As a civilian physician Volunteer. Ing to treat patients at the base Hospital. A i do not aspire to become a Martyr but this is the Only Way i can live with myself in Light of the recent carnage on both sides in the War he said. Knitter has offered to repay his scholarship and serve out his tour of duty As a doctor for a Public health Agency