European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 6, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes wednesday november 6,1991cuomo remains undecided about White House bid Albany . Apr gov. Mario Cuomo on tuesday sought to Dampen speculation that an announcement of his presidential plans was imminent saying he wont be a a stampeded into a decision Abdul whether to join the race. Democratic party officials have been pressuring Cuomo to announce his intentions this week and some observers hoped to get an indication of his plans during his scheduled appearance on a statewide television show tonight. But the governor said a anybody who a going to stay up to watch Public television because they believe that some Cuomo spectacular dramatic announcement will be made is mistaken. A a in a not spectacular. In a not dramatic. In a about As Plain As a piece of italian bread a Cuomo said tuesday on a local morning news show. Nonetheless Cuomo said that once he sits Down to make his decision it will come quickly. A when i get All the facts in front of me ill make the decision and it wont take me three hours i guarantee it a the governor said. Cuomo also said he needs More information about the states budget problems before he decides. New York City mayor David Dinkins is expected to unveil a four year financial plan for the City while state budget officials Are hoping to produce a plan this week to Deal with a projected state deficit of $689 million. Cold in Appalachia slows fires As Well As fire Crews Charleston . A temperatures in the teens tuesday helped slow some of the arson fires that have charred More than 250,000 acres in nine appalachian states. But the cold also hampered firefighters. A a it a hard to stay warm and its so Smoky you can to get your breath a said hot Fontalbert a firefighter for the Marmet Volunteer fire department. A you can to keep your men going. They get tired and they re cold. A if you Stop you freeze to death and if you keep going you bum  More than 1,000 fires have burned 250,000-plus acres in nine appalachian states since oct. 26. At least 590 fires have burned More than 200,000 acres in West Virginia including 43 fires tuesday the state division of forestry said. In Kentucky the emphasis was being placed on mop up activities and protecting damaged areas from erosion. Fires were generally out or under control in Georgia Maryland North Carolina Ohio South Carolina Tennessee and Virginia. Authorities believe most of the fires have been arson. At least six people have been arrested on arson charges. Noriega godfather offer claimed in trial testimony Miami map a Manuel Noriega offered to serve As a godfather to colombian drug Bosses top Man in Panama then paid off a partner who threatened to expose him a witness testified at the ousted dictators trial. On Cross examination monday the witness Enrique a ski kit pretext said he was testifying to free himself from his own 40-month prison sentence in a marijuana smuggling Case. Pretext a Pilot businessman and Noriega a Friend and partner in the Early 1980s, is the closest Noriega associate to testify in seven weeks of trial. The defense has sought to shake his testimony. During continued Cross examination tuesday pretext testified he offered Noriega $1 million on behalf of colombians Medellin cocaine Cartel to release a shipment of Ether destined for a drug Laboratory but the general flatly rejected it. Noriega called the shipment a too hot and said he wanted nothing to do with it pretext said. The government maintains Noriega received a $5 million bribe to protect Ether shipments and the cartels panamanian drug lab. Pretext in july 1984 accompanied Noriega to Cuba where Fidel Castro allegedly mediated a dispute that arose when panamanian troops raided the drug lab. When they returned pretext Noriega and their partner Cesar Rodriguez met with american drug trafficker Steven Kalish pretext said. Kalish told Noriega that Cash equipment and the colombians arrested at the lab were All returned to the Cartel the witness said. Kalish also said he would now be the cartels main Panama Contact for trafficking and Money laundering pretext said. A Noriega said he would show Kalish he was his Friend and he would protect him a that he was his godfather a said the witness. Rodriguez later had a falling out with Noriega Over $700,000 he claimed was owed to his aircraft business and wrote a letter threatening to expose Noriega pretext said. The $700,000 was paid within 24 hours he  Irish emigres win $3.5 million in lottery Boston a an illegal immigrant Irish couple hoping for legitimate residency through special state department visas won $3.5 million in the Massachusetts lottery. A i was so broke last week a winning ticket Holder Elizabeth Murphy said. A i can to get Over it. In a not used to this kind of Money. Its like a death. It Hasni to set in  she and her husband Conor Are both unemployed. The Quincy couple won the Money saturday said David Ellis spokesman for the Massachusetts state lottery commission. After deductions for taxes the Murphys will receive annual checks of $134,199 for 20 years Ellis said. The Murphys immigrated to the United states in 1986 and rein the country illegally. They Are among thousands of people to apply for special visas being Given by the state department Ellis said. The Murphys will get to keep their winnings if they Are deported Ellis said. Conor Murphy 36, said his family including two children has fallen in love with their adopted country. A if i never won the lottery its still the Best country a he said. A when its Good its very  applications for the visas began pouring in before opening Day oct. 14. The first 40,000 eligible applicants out of Mil Lions of applications received will be awarded the visas in december. The Law requires that 16,000 of the visas go to Irish applicants. Murphy said he Hopes to use the lottery Money to Start his own business perhaps furniture upholstering which he did in Ireland. But he worries about How his family will fare in the citizenship sweepstakes. A we probably have a better Chance of winning megabucks again a he  to Rule on sane maybe dangerous Man Washington apr the supreme court began wrestling with the Case of a Louisiana Man who is confined to a state mental Hospital because he May be a danger to society but who is no longer insane. Some justices appeared troubled monday when a lawyer for Louisiana argued in favor of indefinite Hospital confinement for Terry Foucha. A the has to be kept someplace so people Are not endangered a said Pamela Moran assistant District attorney of Orleans Parish. A this is the states  a when in doubt he stays there forever. That a the Rule a said a sceptical Justice John Paul Stevens. The court is expected to decide by july whether people acquitted of crimes because they were insane May after regaining their sanity be denied release from mental hospitals if unable to prove they no longer Are dangerous. The Louisiana confinement Case pits the Power of states to protect their citizens against the rights of those who could face a lifetime in a mental institution even if they Are sane. # a How do you define future dangerousness a jus Tice Harry a. Blackmun asked Moran. A a it a inexact a she replied. But she said state authorities should be allowed to keep Foucha in the Feliciana forensic facility in Jackson la., even though he no longer is insane. James Manasseh a Baton Rouge lawyer representing Foucha said holding a sane Man in a mental Hospital indefinitely violates his rights. Foucha was found innocent by reason of insanity after he was charged with breaking the window of a couples Home in Orleans Parish and holding a gun on them. He was ordered committed to the state Hospital in 1984. Four years later a panel of officials at the Hospital found he no longer was insane and recommended that he be Given supervised probation. But one evaluating physician said he could not assure that Foucha no longer posed a danger to himself or others. The Louisiana supreme court by a 4-3 vote said the state May keep Foucha institutionalized because of the doctors testimony. State offi Cic s said Foucha had been involved in several fights with fellow patients and guards at the Hospital and had been a uncooperative on several  Manasseh Drew nods from several of the justices monday when he said Foucha a conduct might be the Normal reaction of a sane Man surrounded by a lots of insane  a a Little paranoia is probably justified a Manasseh said. Manasseh questioned by Justice Sandra Day of Connor said states May be Able to continue confining formerly insane people if they impose some Type of time limit. But Louisiana Law he said a involves an indefinite confinement perhaps a lifetime  if the Louisiana court ruling is not reversed Manasseh said a Terry Foucha will remain a patient at the state Hospital for the rest of his life because no doctor Ever is going to risk certifying that he is not dangerous. Monday marked the first time that Justice Clarence Thomas participated in the courts Oral arguments. Thomas asked no questions of opposing lawyers during four hours of arguments in four cases