European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 1, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 a the stars and stripes wednesday May 1 1991j s r s Svi it Yak Connie Summers was in mourning Friday to protest the threatened closure this week of Richmonds school system. California ordered to keep bankrupt school system open Richmond Calif. It a a judge ordered the state monday to keep open Richmonds schools which won National recognition with a bold program of Educa Tion Reform but went broke and faced closure tuesday. A a deprivation of education in the District is constitutionally unequal education a said a ruling by judge Ellen s. James of Contra Costa county Superior court in Martinez. A k More than 200 anxious parents in the hearing room burst out cheering. They had filed a lawsuit to Force the state to step in. \ a i a a a l War Quot re it appeared the state would have to pay to keep the schools open but James did no to specify How. Michael Flrsher a lawyer for the superintendent of Public instruction Bill Honig said a How exactly the state is going to comply with this i done to  Honig oversees Public education in grades one through 12. A meeting was scheduled tuesday to resolve the funding problem said Fred Stewart the districts state appointed trustee. A. A a a a a Robert Bezenek a lawyer for the Richmond District said schools will abide by the order even if no Cash from the stale is immediately forthcoming. A spokesman for gov Pete Wilson denounced the court ruling As a bad precedent and said his office would decide quickly whether to Appeal. Quot the expected last six weeks of school had turned into a scramble after Schoy officials announced classes would end tuesday instead of june 14 for the year a pending lawsuit by the California teachers Asso los Angeles up a the prosecutor in the Rodney King beating Case asked the court monday to. Add a charge against three of the four police officers that would Lessen the Chance of their being sentenced to probation if convicted. Deputy District attorney Terry White filed papers asking Superior court judge Bernard Kamins to add an allegation of wilful infliction of great bodily injury to the charges against officers Laurence Powell Timothy wind and sgt. Stacey Koon. A a a a they previously were charged with assault by Force Likely to produce great bodily harm. The additional charge a is in essence a a no probation enhancement that goes strictly toward punishment after conviction a White said in his motion. A a a a a those three defendants and officer Ted Briseno 38, also Are each charged with unnecessary assault or Battery under color of authority. Koon 40, and Powell 28, also Are charged with filing false police reports and Koon is charged with being an accessory after the fact. If convicted Koon and Powell could be sentenced to a maximum of seven years and eight months in prison. Citation maintains that the state provided Richmond with less Money per student than similar districts and is seeking an injunction ordering an equalization. Separately advocates for the disabled sought a restraining order in . District court in Sacramento to keep the entire 31,000-student District open on behalf of 3,000 disabled children. No hearing was immediately scheduled. Richmonds troubles including its $24 million deficit Are widely blamed on former superintendent Walter Marks ambitious programs including the a system for choices program of Magnet schools in the working class City of 87,000 residents on san Francisco Bay. The system was designed to integrate the 47-school District about 70 percent minority by giving some schools specialities in say classical instruction or math thereby attracting students from the districts affluent Hill towns surrounding Richmond. In november 1989, Richmond was selected As a site of a . Department of education regional strategic meeting on Choice in education. But right after the conference rumbles of trouble began along with memos to Cut Back spending said Richmond highs principal a1 Acuna. School officials now admit they overspent and counted on Grants that never came. Then cutbacks in state education allotments brought them to the Brink of financial ruin. Marks now school superintendent in Kansas City mo., has directed his office to answer queries about Richmond with a Blanket a no  . Case wind 30, faces a possible seven year maximum prison term and Briseno a four year  the charges Stem from the March 3 beating of Rodney King 25. A convicted robber who allegedly led officers on a High Speed Chase and acted in what police called a bizarre manner when he was stopped. King suffered a broken leg and several broken facial Bones As Well As cuts and bruises. Also monday Kamins appointed Herb Barish As a stand in lawyer for Powell since Powell s lawyer Michael Stone has other commitments. In court documents filed with Kamins White argued against a defense motion to move the May 13 trial to another county because of publicity. White said the King Case received substantial publicity throughout the state and that los Angeles county has the largest arid most diverse Pool of potential jurors in California. He also noted that the heavily publicized Charles Manson murder trial was tried in the county. White argued in other papers against a request by Koon s lawyer to try his Case separately and against a defense motion to dismiss charges. Former surgeon general defends animal testing from wire reports Washington a former . Surgeon general c. Everett Koop defended Laboratory animal testing monday saying the safety of the Public depends on it. A i care about animals a Koop said a but j care about people  there is no substitute for animal testing if wer Are to ensure the safety of All consumer products from personal care and household cleaning products to health care and prescription drugs a he said. He expressed concern about efforts by animal rights groups to pass legislation in several states including California that would ban certain types of testing. The Bill before California legislators would outlaw the use of animals to test cosmetics and household cleaning products. A if the California legislature does not act responsibly and oppose this legislation other states might take their Cue from California and fall prey to extremist pressures a said Koop who stepped Down in 1989 after nearly eight years As an outspoken surgeon general. A any legislation that bans animal based research that ensures product safety is a quite literally a hazardous to human health a he said. Physicians have Learned lifesaving treatments for children involved in accidental poisoning through animal testing he said. And he defended animal testing for cosmetics saying cosmetics Are necessary for some to mask such things As facial abnormalities and deformities. Besides California legislation to ban animal testing for certain purposes is being considered in Connecticut Illinois Massachusetts new Jersey new York and Vermont Koop said. Arizona and Maryland recently rejected such legislation he said.. Chinese ship Anchorage Alaska a a chinese vessel seized by the coast guard for allegedly fishing in exclusive . Waters has been released after agreeing to a $300,000 settlement authorities announced monday. The coast guard said it spied the 303-foot Kai Chuang fishing More than a mile inside the . 200-mile zone in the Bering sea off the West coast of  Reform plan of d Albany . A the state Assembly gave final legislative approval monday to an elections Reform package that Quot would give people More time to Register to vote. The measure would reduce the waiting period Between when a voter can Register and the primary election dropping it from 60 Days to 25 Days. Sponsors said the 60-Day deadline is the. Longest such period in the country. ,. The legislation also changes the deadline to Register to vote in a general election from 30 to 25 Days before an election. Service shutdown ends Atlantic City . A a one Day shutdown of garbage pickup and other municipal services in this Casino resort ended when the City Council called a truce with the mayor by approving Money for a temporary budget. The Council voted 8-0, to authorize the Money at a raucous meeting monday night.�?�. Police and firefighters remained on the Job monday and tax and welfare offices remained open. But the Library was closed and there were no rides for senior citizens no municipal court and no trash collection. _ mayor James Whelan ordered the services Cut Friday after the Council failed to approve $7.4 million in temporary funding to make a May 1 Bond payment and pay City  turns Back to Newark _ Newark . A a Tokyo bound United airlines  86 passengers doubled Back to Newark International Airport on monday after developing engine trouble Over Canada. United flight 803 landed safely after reporting electrical problems and vibrations said Armando Arrastia a spokesman for the port authority of new York and new Jersey which operates the Airport. No injuries were reported. A the pilots of the four engine 747 shut Down one engine and returned to Newark