European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 25, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday april 25, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 5panel approves handgun measure from wire reports Washington a the House judiciary committee tuesday approved a seven Day waiting period for hand gun purchases Clearing the Way for a House floor showdown on the Issue in two weeks. The 23-to-11 vote came amid further signs that the waiting period measure known As the a Brady Bill after former White House press Secretary James s. Brady who was crippled in a 1981 assassination attempt on president Reagan was gaining momentum in the House. A just like every american i pick up the papers every morning and see the mayhem a said rep. Butler Derrick d-s.c., who became the first member of the South Carolina delegation to announce support. Quot i Don t know How you can argue with a Check to find out if somebody has a criminal record or is mentally unstable before you sell them a  backers of the Bill acknowledged tuesday that despite the recent switches and the endorsement last month by Reagan the House vote will be close. A i  be surprised if the Bill wins or loses by no More than 10 votes a said rep. Charles e. Schumer d-n.y., a key. Brady Bill Backer who announced he will take the Bill to the floor the week of May 7. Earlier the committee approved by voice vote an amendment offered by Schumer that would mandate that purchasers receive their guns after seven Days unless the local police chief informs the gun store that the purchaser is a Felon or otherwise ineligible to own a firearm. Schumer said there had been concerns from some members of Congress that the waiting period would drag on indefinitely if a background Cheek had not been completed. The amendment would pick up a a few1" extra votes for the Bill he said. In Tallahassee Fla meanwhile a three Day Cooling off period Between the Purchase and delivery of handguns w As signed into Law tuesday by gov. Lawton Chiles. The Law which takes effect oct. 1, was necessary to implement a constitutional amendment approved by voters in november that requires a three Dav waiting period Between retail Sale and delivery of  strike scrambles parents schedules Seattle a about 300,000 students taken out of classrooms by a teachers strike Are filling Community centers and video arcades or staying Home alone. Meanwhile some nervous parents Are trying to chaperone by phone. About 21,000 teachers in 34 districts across Western Washington walked off their jobs last thursday closing classrooms to 300,000 of the states 800,000 Public school students. A Seattle judge on monday ordered 100 striking teachers from highline Community College Back to class. Teachers however voted to remain on strike through tuesday. Susan Bess a single Parent left her 12-year-old son Morgan at Home when teachers walked out. But supervising by Telephone was too difficult so she took four Days vacation from her Job at a Seattle manufacturing Plant a i think the education system is sadly lacking. I would Ike to see that improve Bess said. A but the strike is hard i done to make enough to pay for child  the 50,000-member Washington education association called the strike to demand a $100 million increase in school spending. Teachers also want a 10 per in the stars and stripes cent wage increase Over the next two years the state legislature has offered 7.5 percent. Working solutions inc., a child care referral and counselling service has reported receiving about 150 inquiries since the strike began. About a third of the callers want advice on leaving children at Home alone said Ginger Hackett a Spok Swo Man for the service based in Portland Ore. A people did no to plan for this expense a Hackett said. A tips falling right after tax time and it is weighing More heavily than it might have  in the puget sound area full time child care costs $12 to $20 a Day she said. In Seattle 3,200 children ranging in age from 5 to 13 checked in at neighbourhood Community centers on Friday. The number increased this week As parents ran out of friends and relatives to serve As baby  i think the strike is necessary. But i miss learning and i miss my friends a said fifth grader Stephanie  older children the. Seattle fun Lex has been the place to be. For $15, youths can play All Day at the Center that features a miniature Golf course Remote control Racetrack video games batting Cage Ping Pong and Pool tables. Striking teacher Karan Gararden reads to from left Daniel Travis and Jason at a Seattle Community Center. Caradan teaches at Leatherwood Middle school in Tkv Critt and has volunteered to help at the Center during the strike. ,10 year Sago april 25,1981 a president Reagan announced that he was lifting the embargo on . Grain sales to the soviet Union but cautioned that it did not signal a softening of . Opposition to the soviet occupation of Afghanistan. 20yearsago april 25,1971 a an estimated 250,000 protesters swarmed up Pennsylvania Avenue to the . Capitol to demand a peace now in Indochina. An estimated 70,000 marchers including servicemen and veterans wearing Black Arm bands gathered for a rally in san Francisco. \ 30yearsago april 25,1961 Usa eur personnel were denied passes and leaves to the Paris area following Frances response to the coup attempt in Algeria. A 40yearsago april 25,1951 a chinese reds re crossed koreans 38th parallel after breaching . Lines. Nevertheless it. Gen. Matthew b. Ridgway was reported pleased with the tremendous losses inflicted upon the enemy and predicted that the coming Battle May Well prove decisive. Judge awards Marine $2.7 million in aids tainted transfusion Case Boston apr a judge tuesday awarded More than $2.7 million in damages to a Marine whose wife and son died after she was Given an aids tainted blood transfusion at a Navy Hospital. The judgment ended the second phase of a non jury trial in a lawsuit filed by chief warrant officer Martin Gaffney who tested positive for the aids virus. A they just awarded More Money than i Ever would have seen in my lifetime a said Gaffney 42, a computer specialist at the South Weymouth naval air station. Last year . District judge Rya Zobel found that doctors at the Long Beach Calif naval Hospital were negligent awarding Gaffney $750,000 in emotional damages. She ruled that if a caesarean Section on Gaffney a wife Mutsuko had been performed in time a transfusion would not Nave been necessary. Testimony in the second phase of the trial in Boston Federal court focused on economic damages. Gaffney a 7-year-old daughter Maureene has tested negative for the aids virus Gaffney has said he filed his $55 million lawsuit against the Navy to provide for her. Attorneys for the government had proposed a $1.5 million settlement during the trial assistant . Attorney Mary Elizabeth Carmody noted that it was hard to determine when Gaffney would no longer be Able to work because of his disease. A a a. Even if he gets aids its not reasonably certain he a going to be disabled at that Date a Carmody said. In calculating the damage award the judge said she agreed with arguments that Gaffney would have continued an upward career path had he not contracted the aids virus mrs. Gaffney underwent a caesarean in 1981 when she was two weeks late in delivering. The baby a boy was stillborn. She was Given a transfusion tainted with the aids virus. The couple later had another son who died of aids 13 months later. Mrs. Gaffney died of aids in 1987. Gaffney a lawyer Jaclyn Mckenney portrayed Gaffney As a promising Marine who quickly achieved the rank of warrant officer and would have continued his career Rise had he and his family not Coil tract cd aids. Carmody argued that promotions were competitive and there was no guarantee Gaffney would have achieved his goal of eventually becoming a Captain or a major. After the trial Gaffney said he May Appeal for a larger award. Carmody could not immediately be reached for comment on whether the government would Appeal. Los Angeles apr a teen Ager charged with Spray painting the name Chaka on buildings poles signs rail cars and Walls from los Angeles to san Francisco pleaded no contest tuesday to 10 counts of vandalism. Daniel Ramos 18, entered the plea to the misdemeanours before municipal commissioner Robert Sandoval. The teen has been jailed in lieu of $10,000 bail. A the extent of the property damage made this the worst Case of Graffiti vandalism we have seen in los Angeles or heard of anywhere else in the nation a said City attorney James Hahn. A May 1 sentencing hearing was scheduled. Ramos originally was charged with 48 Misdemeanour counts. Authorities claim $500,000 in damage was wrought on Railroad cars traffic and Light poles buildings and freeway Walls throughout los Angeles county Montclair and Fresno. Graffiti ranged from a signature of thick looping letters on Utility poles to colourful murals spread on Walls. A Ramos was 17 when he was first arrested for allegedly vandalizing about 5,000 items. The activity was not gang motivated but designed to draw attention authorities Sai l