European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 19, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 b the stars and stripes thursday september 19,1991snafu halts traffic at . Airports new York apr communications failures brought new Yorkus three big airports to a virtual halt for several hours tuesday forcing some flights to be diverted. At amp to blamed an internal Power failure at a Manhattan switching Center that interrupted Long distance Telephone Calls in and out of the City and some european Calls. Initially the Federal aviation administration reported that a fiber optic Cable had been Cut. That report proved to be false. The failure about 5 . Cut off a major communications link Between air traffic control centers for Kennedy and Laguardia airports in new York and Newark International Airport in new Jersey said Diane Spita litre an Faa spokeswoman. Some radar reception was affected. Local air traffic centers could not communicate properly among themselves or with other . Airports. And since some Faa facilities have limited radio frequencies controllers relying on land line relays might not have been Able to reach All aircraft Spitaliere said. At amp to said communications were being restored around mid evening. Flights resumed at All three airports by 9 ., said d. Joy Faber a spokeswoman for the port authority of new York and new Jersey which operates the three airports. At amp to said most service was restored by 10 . And it expected Long distance service in the area to be fully a Continental airlines employee at Newark International Airport informs passengers that flights there and at two other airports serving new York have been halted. Restored by wednesday morning. Stranded travellers battled frustration Over delayed and cancelled flights. Christine Alcock 24, of new York was heading from Laguardia to san Francisco to visit the object of a budding Romance. A a in a afraid hell think 1 stood him up a she said after attempts to Telephone him from the Airport failed to get through. A this could be the end of the shortest Romance in  a few flights were diverted to other airports in the Northeast. A British airways supersonic concorde had to land at Bradley Airport outside Hartford Conn., said Kirk Kinsella an Airport operations specialist. Other flights destined for new York were held up at their Points of origin Spitaliere said. When the problem surfaced 35 air planes loaded with passengers were left standing on the Tarmac at Kennedy the same number at Laguardia and 30 were backed up at Newark said port authority spokesman Mark Marchese. Air traffic control centers communicate with planes through a network of radio towers linked to them by phone said at amp to spokeswoman Claire Diamond. The regional air traffic control Center in new York had radar difficulty said Tim Jones a senior operations agent at Newark International Airport. Bill Malone a spokesman for Philadelphia International Airport said air traffic was backed up there but he was unsure How Many flights were affected. In Boston Logan International Airport experienced delays As did travellers at san Francisco International Airport. Treating cocaine babies costly new study shows Chicago a More than s500 million is spent each year to treat cocaine babies according to a study published wednesday. Researchers said much of that could be saved by providing drug treatment for expectant mothers. Compared with non cocaine newborns babies exposed to the drug in the womb required hospitalizations that were four Days longer on average and Cost $2,610 More according to the new study involving hundreds of new York infants. Altogether the nation s cocaine exposed infants ran up an estimated $504 million in Hospital costs said the study in the journal of the american medical association. That figure was based on the National Institute on drug abuses estimate that 158,400 cocaine babies were born last year. The $504 million figure does not include doctors fees later medical Bills or special therapy or schooling said or. Ira j. Chasnoff president of the National association for perinatal addiction research and education. No one knows How much such costs would total said Chasnoff and Ciaran s. Phibus a health economist who directed the research while at Columbia University school of Public health in new York and at the University of California at san Francisco. Cocaine exposure in the womb can cause premature birth retarded physical growth learning disabilities and very Low birth weight Chasnoff said. Very Low birth weight a less than 3.28 pounds a makes newborns much More prone to breathing difficulties bleeding in the brain heart trouble liver problems blindness and sudden death. Forty percent of cocaine using expectant mothers can get off the drug with outpatient treatment that averages $5,000 to $7,000 a person said Chasnoff who was not involved in the study. A three Days in the neonatal intensive care unit is going to make up for that Cost right there a he said. Researchers concluded that cocaine exposed infants were 50 percent More Likely than unexposed babies to require intensive care and More than twice As Likely to have very Low birth weight. Only a Small number of babies exposed to cocaine in the womb develop medical problems said Phibbs who now works at the veterans administration medical Center in Palo Alto Calif. But the ones who do have devastating conditions with astronomical costs he said. Bicycle built for eight Eric Staller takes the Lead on a to cos a his new Quad Icycle for eight tuesday in new Yorkus Central Park. Staller with his wife Deborah and Friend Tom Mills spent four months building the Bike which is powered by a Lead peddle and seven who face one another. The Bike was built with a child seat occupied by Staller a son Julian. Sex aide testifies against Noriega Miami apr a top military aide to Manuel Antonio Noriega testified tuesday that he passed drug Money to his Boss and an informant said he saw the deposed panamanian leaders name in the financial logs of the Medellin Cartel. Luis Del Cid who has pleaded guilty As a co defendant in the drug and racketeering Case against Noriega told jurors he took Cash a up to $100,000 on one occasion a from drug Pilot Floyd Carlton Caceres and delivered it to Noriega. Quot it was drug Money Quot said Del Cid who faces no More than 10 years under his plea Deal. Earlier Max Mermelstein who was arrested in 1985 after importing 55 tons of cocaine into the United states testified that he visited Medellin Colombia in 1984 and was shown a Ledger Book showing distribution of drug payments. �?o1 was thumbing through it and there was one Page that had Noriega a name at the top Quot Mermelstein said. Also Mermelstein testified he paid bribes to bahamian tourism official Cordell Thompson who then passed the Money to prime minister Lynden Pindling. A spokesman for Pindling Randy Daniels said tuesday that the allegation is Quot absolutely ridiculous. It has no substance  Mermelstein a 47-year-old new York native and Del Cid were the first in what is expected to be a Long line of traffickers turned informants to testify for the prosecution in Noriega a trial. The trial started monday. It convicted on All charges Noriega 53, faces up to 140 years in prison. He was toppled in the . Invasion of Panama in december 1989. Noriega listened to the testimony with arms folded across his Chest. During the trial expected to last three to six months he is being held in an underground courthouse jail cell. The defense ripped into Mermelstein a credibility saying that in return for his cooperation he was Given immunity from prosecution on murder conspiracy drug trafficking and arms smuggling charges. He allegedly also got $670, xxx in direct payments and  s widow 47, hospitalized after jump Westport Conn. Up the widow of longtime lbs journalist Harry Reasoner was hospitalized wednesday after apparently jumping from a third Story window at her Home in a suicide attempt authorities said. Lois Reasoner 47, was listed in satisfactory condition at Norwalk Hospital two Days after police found her lying in the Yard at the Westport Home she had shared with her husband until his death aug. 6 of heart failure a Hospital spokeswoman said. A Westport police inspector Royce Bartlett said police received an emergency Call at 12 14 . Monday. They then dispatched an ambulance to Rea Sonery a Home