European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 07, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday August 7, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 3crew takes time for space Center. Houston apr Atlantis astronauts enjoyed the sights from their shuttle monday gazing out at the Mediterranean Seti what was once Mesopotamia part of modern Iraq and Black smoke rising from Kuwait a burning Oil Fields 184 Miles below. A a it a a very  picture this one a commander John Blaha said of the dark Clouds Over Kuwait. A i guess you see Good things and some bad things in  Blaha was awestruck by the Good. A this planet is an absolutely Beautiful place. When you re up Here looking Down on it you really realize that a Blaha said. A we sure need to take care of  the Crew members conducted a real Eye opening Experiment on their fourth Day in orbit monday a inserting Eye drops in Zero Gravity to help understand the effects of weightlessness. The task proved easier than they expected. The astronauts also tested a system that could be used to Cool the proposed space station and tried out a portable computer that might also travel aboard that Craft. They transmitted signals through a window Between the Cabin and cargo Bay with fiber optic cables in a test that was to be repeated wednesday. Payloads normally Are linked to the flight deck via radio signals. A fiber optic system could be used As an additional communications link with spacecraft and other devices in the payload Bay said flight director Phil Engelauf. During the astronauts monday sightseeing excursion cameras beamed Back dramatic to images of Earth. Atlantis shuttle commander John Blaha floats weight Lessly while tying his running shoes before a go at the Treadmill monday.50th Tow holds Early ceremony for deactivation Hahn a Germany a a symbolic ceremony was held monday for the 50th tac fighter Wing which will officially deactivate sept. 30. Maj. Gen. James e. Chambers 17th air Force commander presided at the event that was held Early so base personnel and their families could attend. Chambers then symbolically activated a new air base group with col. Joseph a. Emma As commander. A numerical designation has yet to be assigned to the new group. The 50th tac fighter Wing was originally the 50th Pursuit group interceptor activated in 1941. The Wing has flown eight different aircraft since then including the current f-16 fighting Falcon. The 50th was deactivated once before in 1945, and reactivated for a Short time in 1949. A full reactivation occurred in 1953 with re designation As the 50th fighter bomber group. The present designation As the 50th tac fighter Wing came in 1958. Bush s aide for handicapped barred from commuter Minneapolis apr the head of a presidential committee on discrimination against the handicapped not allowed to Board a commuter plane because of his wheelchair says the incident shows How much work remains to be done. Justin darts 50-state tour to educate businesses and state officials about discrimination was interrupted saturday when mesabi aviation refused to let him and an aide a who was also in a wheelchair a Board the 19-passenger plane. Mesabi and an Industry group said the airline acted legally. However Dart said they were a taking advantage of a loophole in the Law to  a this is a dramatic example of Why we need civil rights Laws a said the chairman of the presidents committee on employment of people with disabilities. Dart said he and civil rights lawyer John Lancaster were barred saturday from the flight from Minneapolis to Pierre . The airline flew them to Aberdeen ., on a larger plane then drove them to Pierre in a Van a trip that took three hours. Dart and Lancaster said they had flown Many limes with other airlines on the same Type of 19-passenger plane and had encountered no problems. When reserving tickets for the flight they said they were in wheel chairs and were told they could Board Dart said. He said the airline was a clearly violating the spirit of our civil  mesabi spokesman Jeff Jones said that under a . Transportation department regulation the airline Isnit required to carry handicapped people onto Small planes claiming narrow stairways and Low ceilings make it unsafe. A if someone is non ambulatory we done to have the ability to get them on the plane a Jones said. A a it a dangerous for All individuals  Jones said mesabi reservation agents erred by telling Lancaster and Dart they could Board. The regulation was adopted in 1990, said Diana la 11-die of the regional airline association in Washington. A the Carrier was within its Legal rights under this Law a Lundie said. A a it a there in Black and White a mesabi agreed to Send a larger aircraft so Dart could return to Minneapolis on tuesday to make a connection and continue the tour on to Alaska Dart said. Bill Podhradsky South Dakota a human services Secretary met with Dart in Pierre. He said he was disappointed by the airlines action. A if it happens to someone like Justin Dart a Podhradsky said a you have to wonder what that Means in terms of a disabled individual in everyday  planned for 4 sailors held in Melee Motta Santa an Astasia Sicily a amps a a hearing was scheduled on tuesday for four . Navy Petty officers held in connection with a Brawl Early sunday. No details of the hearing were available tuesday afternoon. The sailors All assigned to Nas Sigo Nella Sicily were held monday in the nearby City of Catania. It. Mark Mccaffrey the spokesman for Nas Simonella said the incident began shortly before Midnight saturday. Mccaffrey said italian Motorist Vicenzo Virgillito 21, began blowing his car Horn at an automobile supposedly Block ing a Street in Motta Santa Anastasia a town near Simonella. Petty officer 2nd class Daniel o. Ramsel 27, assigned to is Gonella a Public works department allegedly smashed Virgillito a Windshield with his fist and punched the Driver in the face Mccaffrey said. At that Point Virgillito and his passenger his 18-year-old brother Giuseppe drove away he said. But the two soon returned with friends Mccaffrey said. The italians then allegedly assaulted Petty officer 2nd class Jeffrey w. Cd ape Hart 20. Cap Hurt. Assigned to naval communication station Simonella had been attending a party in the neighbourhood. A number of sailors then left the party and confronted the italians who left the scene Mccaffrey said. The italians summoned italian police who said they found knives and a police club in the sailors Possession Mccaffrey said. Capehart was treated for a broken thumb at the air stations medical facility and was released Mccaffrey said. An italian news report said the Virgillito Brothers were treated at a local Hospital for minor cuts. Mcc Alfrey said he knew nothing about their injuries. Others being held in the Case Are a Petty Olicer 3rd cd lass James h. Me Millen 24, assigned to is Gonella a Public works department. A and his wife. Petty officer 2nd Clas it Karen l. Mcmillen 23, assigned to in air stations command and control Center. A no formal charges have been brought against any of the four and american and italian authorities Are investigating the incident a Mccaffrey said. Quot the wives of the first two suspects Kellie d. Capehart 21, and Danielle Ramsel 24, were briefly detained. Mccaffrey added