European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and Stripe wednesday August 21, t991 tourists who remain in . Swell ranks of cuban exiles by Sandra Walewski the associated press Miami a when Juana left for Miami to visit relatives she Hadnot seen in More than 25 years she thought seriously of not returning to Cuba a Al was like living in a prison. I  stand the repression anymore a said the retired professor of literature. But leaving her husband of 35 years 11 grown children and eight grandchildren was another matter. On the Day Juana was to return to Havana after a 40-Day . Visit the 59-year-old woman went to Church and prayed. And like thousands of other cubans who arrive in the United states with hard to get tourist visas Juana decided to stay. A i thought if 1 go what could 1 bring Back to my children clothes a gift not for All of them. If i stayed i would at least represent a Hope for them a Chance for a Way out a said Juana who asked that her last name be withheld to protect her family still in Cuba. Many cubans arc looking for a Way out these Cesys. In the first half of this year More than 1,400 cubans made the risky 90-mile crossing Between Cuba and Florida on inner tubes makeshift rafts and rickety vessels. That s nearly three times As Many As those who came in All of 1990. Hut a substantially larger migration has been quietly under Way since last year As chartered flights bring hundreds of cuban tourists to Miami daily. . Immigration and naturalization service officials estimate 30 percent to 40 percent of All those who come mainly to visit relatives remain in the United states. The number of a Over stays could reach 30,000 to 40,000 this year compared with about 14,000 in 1990, Dade county officials said. The number of tourist visa applications taken by . Consular officials in Havana is also up sharply to 70,000 since oct. 1, More than twice the rate of the previous year. To work on the backlog . Officials have stopped taking any new applications for travel to the United states. And concerned Florida officials have gone to Washington to press their Case for More Federal assistance to handle the latest influx. A these overstay Are accessing our social service system. Whether ins chooses to minimize the problem that is their business a said Andres Menendez a metro Dade official. A but from a local government perspective we have to Deal with the realities that the people Are  ins officials in Washington have said however that the surge in cubans settling in Miami poses no crisis and that there is no indication of a mass exodus. A a we re not talking about an Impact on schools or services for minor children a said ins spokesman Duke Austin in Washington. A most of the people Are visiting existing relatives so when they come Here there a some sort of support mechanism. If they  the escalating number of cuban emigres can be traced in part to cubans worst economic crisis since Fidel Castro took Power in 1959. Perhaps to Lessen the internal pressure that has resulted Castro decided to lower the minimum age for travel. Since last year the age has been gradually lowered from 65 for men and 60 for women. By Early August the cuban government was to set the minimum age at 20. In an interview at her two bedroom apartment in suburban Kendall Juana spoke of the despair that drove her to leave her Homeland. A the problem is not just economic a Juana said recalling like Many recent cuban immigrants the empty store shelves and Lack of clothing shoes and basics such As toothpaste and toilet paper. A if it weren to for the repression you could work hard and live. A people saw Fidel As a romantic figure. A legendary figure. He said All the right things. But now everyone1 knows it was All  Juana a family in Miami paid the cuban government $730 for her round trip air fare. Before leaving Havana she told her husband she could not guarantee she would be Back. Her husband a staunch communist and retired doctor cuban exodus overstay those who remain after visas expire 30,000 40,000 1990 fiscal years 1991 rafters 1,440 Havana. 391 461-1 59 1988 1989 1990 1991  �?�0% Cuba source . Coast guard a Reid Brown did not believe she would stay. Less than five months later three of her sons fled Havana on a makeshift raft with five others. About two weeks later a fourth 26-year-old Ruben survived the perilous journey across shark infested Waters with three friends. He left behind a wife and two Young daughters. Unlike other foreign tourists who overstay their visas cubans cannot be deported. Under the 1966 cuban adjustment act cubans can automatically apply for permanent residency after one year in this country. Teens had positive trip by the Washington Post Washington a the teen agers whose bus was stolen last month barely an hour after they arrived in town for a religious convention Are Back in Pigeon mich., along with about $10,000 in contributions most of which came from an apologetic Washington arca Community. A the lord took something pretty negative and turned it into something pretty positive Quot said Ken Smeader executive director of the Pigeon based flu water youth for Christ Smeader a group rolled into the nations capital july 17, parked the bus near the Washington convention Center and went off to have breakfast and Register for the Congress on youth evangelism Leav ing suitcases and other items in the locked vehicle. By the time the 32 teen agers and their five adult chaperone emerged from a downtown Mcdonald a their weathered Blue bus was gone. Police tipped by outraged Washington residents located the bus the next Day in the parking lot of a Southeast Washington housing project recovered Many of the missing belongings and made two arrests by then embarrassed area merchants politicians and residents had come Forward with emergency assistance. Smeader said the group returned to Pigeon on july 22 with Quot a Little Over $10,000�?� in contributions including $4,500 for hotel rooms reimbursed by the grand Hyatt  bus the Money Smeader said is being used to pay Back a $3,000 emergency loan the group took out after the bus theft and to reimburse parents and staff members for the Cost of replacing stolen items. When All accounts Are settled the group expects to break even. Smeader said he has heard nothing from District of Columbia police since the group returned Home. Police had indicated that some in the group might have to return to Washington to testify in the trial of two suspects who were charged with receiving stolen property. Police also said additional arrests or charges might be in the offing. A police spokesman said last week that the investigation into the bus theft is a still  sinkers arrested native alaskans can Hunt otters outside Hospital Canonsburg up up police arrested More than two dozen striking service workers monday at a sit Down demonstration at Canonsburg general Hospital where a mediators attempts to Settle a bitter 4-month-old strike have failed. About 75 members of service employees International Union 1199p converged on Hospital grounds As employees were coming to work. They blocked cars and delayed about 30 of 55 replacement workers from reporting to duty on time officials said. Among 28 strikers arrested on charges of disorderly conduct was John Engel Hardt the unions vice president who had spent the weekend in Harrisburg with Federal mediator Edward Mcmahon and Hospital president Gary Perecko in an attempt to resolve the dispute. Hospital spokeswoman Kim Manko said the two sides will meet later this week to decide whether two employees fired for picket line misconduct will Appeal their Case to an arbitrator or the National labor relations Board As the Hospital has requested. From wire reports Anchorage Alaska a reaching Back 200 years into history a Federal judge has ruled that native alaskans have a right to Hunt sea otters and use their pelts to make clothing and artefacts saying the traditions of ancient cultures cannot be wiped out by outside influences beyond their control. The 26-Page decision by . District court judge h. Russel Holland rejects a . Fish and wildlife service ban on Hunting otters for their pelts based on government rationale that Quot alaskan natives have apparently not commonly sold handicrafts or clothing from sea otters within living memory a the Case was triggered in 1985 when Federal agents seized sea Otter clothes and handicrafts from aleuts and indians who then sued the government. Although alaskan natives Are exempt from provisions of the Marine mammal Protection act allowing them to Hunt seals Polar bears and other protected animals to carry on a traditional subsistence lifestyle the fish and wildlife service said aleuts had not been traditionally producing authentic handicrafts from Otter pelts. The judge disagreed and reached far Back into alaskan history from before the russian Sale of Alaska to the United states in 1867, to justify his siding with the aleuts. A the cultures of alaskan natives had been thriving for centuries prior to the first arrival of Western europeans and russians in the Middle 18th Century a Holland wrote a was is True with any ancient culture alaskan native traditions have been handed Down from generation to generation throughout the  Long Cousin of commercials coming to to new York apr you be already encountered 24-hour to news 24-hour to weather and 24-hour to movies. Say hello to info net the 24-hour network devoted exclusively to infomercials. Home shopping network inc. Announced monday that the network will Start beaming program length commercials nationwide sept. 1 to Between 4 Mil lion and 5 million . Households. A we Are taking this Art form to a new level a said Earl d. Greenburg president of Hon info net inc and Hon entertainment inc., in announcing info net and its slogan a a. Where the infomercial comes of age a Home shopping network inc. Already produces 96 hours of live programming every Day for its three Home shopping club electronic sales networks. Info net based at Home shopping a St. Petersburg fla., Headquarters will License existing infomercials and produce its own for an Industry that has generated about $1 billion in advertising Revenue in the past two years