European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 26, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday november 26, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 7theories abound on Church burnings Gainesville Fla apr the Sanctuary of holy Trinity episcopal Church resembles the bombed out ruins of a world War ii Cathedral its stained Glass windows shattered its furniture charred its roof gone. The Stone Walls stand As a reminder of the suspicious Jan. 21 fire that destroyed the historic downtown building. Like parishioners and pastors across the state Rector David Pittman and his congregation Are struggling to Deal with so suspicious fires that have been set at Florida churches Over 19 months. About $8 million in damage has been done by 36 fires this year alone. A we went through the Steps of Shock grief and a period of mourning a Pittman said. A we Are past that  now the congregation plans to rebuild. A task Force has been formed of agents from the Federal Bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms the state fire marshals office the Gainesville police and fire departments and officials from other affected communities. The task Force is using a computer system developed for the investigation of five student murders in Gainesville last year. It has received More than 850 leads and is trying to determine if the fires Are linked. A i done to believe there was one person setting these fires. Maybe there Are one or two people doing the fires and we ended up with a lot of copycats a said Tom Gallagher Florida s ranking fire official. No arrests have been made but Quot we have several viable suspects Quot said Bruce Snyder an at agent and task Force spokesman. Some Church officials believe Devil worshippers May be responsible and investigators have not discounted that theory. Arson experts have theorized the arsonist is organized intelligent and calculating a probably a White Man with a paranoid personality. Dian Williams president of the Center for arson research in Philadelphia theorized that the person is deeply offended by a perceived injustice. Most of the burned churches Are near major highways. Newspaper reports citing Anonymous sources have said that whoever sets the fires uses material found at the churches rather than bringing supplies such As gasoline. Quot i would guess in would turn out to be someone who has some kind of grudge against religion in general Quot said the Rev. John Gillespie a priest at the St. Augustine Catholic Church which sustained minor fire damage this month. From mid october to mid november several fires a week were reported despite increased police patrols and parishioners camping inside churches overnight. Denominations affected include Baptist roman Catholic episcopal african methodist episcopal United act nudist and the Church of Christ scientist. A this person must have a Pilot Light blown out Quot said the Rev. Bob Renfrow president of the Gainesville area ministers association. Church members Are tied to their houses of worship by baptisms weddings and funerals so the destruction a even though the congregation survives a is hard to Deal with he said. Quot it really affects the Community Quot Renfrow said. A you can rebuild the building but its not going to be the same As it  just dummies but fans Don t care re Paul  Wigt have on lir Parton a a the by Paul Geitner the associated press new York a Madonna was there. Retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf was there. Bette Midler was there. And nobody said a word. They were All dummies a nothing personal a in the windows of Barneys new York an upscale clothing store that prides itself on non traditional Holiday displays. A when i saw the Christmas lights 1 went out of my Way to see the windows a said Rob Gomes a neighbourhood resident. A i think they re  another neighbor Frances White said she preferred Barneys windows to traditional Tableaux of the season a because in a cynical and  a a it a the most exciting and creative part of what i do Quot said Simon Doonan who spent All year planning and gathering items for the 16 display windows. Doonan s windows arc dioramas built around celebrities social commentaries with Holiday touches. There Are Christmas lights though. He debuted the concept last year to such rave reviews that he designed a new version this year. So we have Dolly Parton a the worlds most endowed woman Quot in a skintight Silver sequined Bodysuit by Thierry Mugler surrounded by jars of Jam from her a Dolly Wood theme Park. A Iron lady Quot Margaret Thatcher is wearing Black leather and listening to heavy Metal music while ironing her husband s Boxer shorts. George Hamilton s Christmas tree resembles a giant bottle of suntan lotion. The Sun has Imelda Marcos face. Mayor David Dinkins dressed in Black tie is described As Quot the Man with the worlds most difficult  a copy of Charles Dickens great expectations sits on the desk. The common thread is that each celebrity appeared in tic Magazine vanity fair in the past year. It took 15 full time workers and eight free lancers to put the windows together. Sculptor Martha King created the exaggerated mannequins. Not everyone Doonan approached was receptive to being satirized. Jack Nicholson Arnold  and Mike Tyson said no last year. Barbra Streisand nixed the idea this year he said. A the real mayor David Dinkins stands in front of a Model of himself at Barneys. Company to introduce teen condoms but critics say they push sex not safety Sarasota Fla. Apr the nation s first youth Brand condom is due to hit stores next year targeting buyers As Young As 14 years old. Critics say the Safe play condoms for Young lovers could encourage teens to have sex. A a it a almost like putting a loaded gun in a child s hand a said Wendy Flint of the american parents association. A it s says to them i might As Well do it it s something i should be doing by this age  a but Barry Miller vice president of marketing for Schmid laboratories which makes the condoms said they Only target sexually Active teens. Quot we re not promoting promiscuity among Young people but we recognize it takes place. We can to just stick our Heads in the Sand Quot Miller said. The condoms billed As the nations first to specifically target youths Are not different from the Ramses and Sheik brands the company also makes. What a different about Safe play is a planned marketing mix aimed at teens a a $3 Price tag a compact six condom package with Neon graphics free condom key chains or rub off Tattoo kits inside and advertising on mtg. Miller said a main focus is Protection against aids. A everything we do is geared toward the sexually Active teen a not the teen who is not having sex a Miller said. A your message is if you do choose to have sex Wear a condom. Its about saving  critics say youth oriented condoms Are not the answer to pregnancies and the spread of aids among teens. Quot despite All the talk about abstaining those who do choose to abstain Are made to feel like fools because they Arentt practising Safe sex a said Gary Bauer president of the family research Council a conservative Washington d.c., think tank. Schmid introduced Safe play condoms for Young lovers in England last year and already has a 3 percent Market share there. The company unveiled plans for the product in the United states just three Days before pro basketball Star magic Johnson announced he has the aids virus. Although company marketeers Hope to capitalize on that Good timing they contend the statistics have Long cried out for a condom aimed at teen agers. A recent study by the Federal centers for disease control reported that 57 percent of All High school students in the nation said they have had sexual Intercourse. There Are about 670 cases of adolescent aids with the number rising annually from 36 in 1985 to 160 in 1990. There Are an estimated i million pregnancies and 2.5 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases occurring among teen agers every  on parole probation increase washing ton apr the number of convicted criminals on parole increased 16,3 percent last year and those placed on probation went up 5.9 percent to record totals the Justice department said sunday. There were 2.6 million adults on probation at the end of 1990 and 531,407 on parole said the Survey by the Bureau of Justice statistics. The Overall total of 3.2 million represented a 7.5 percent increase from the previous year the department said. The growth in the number of convicted criminals paroled from prison and those placed on probation parallels the growth in the nation s prison population in the last decade the department said. A since 1980, prison and jail populations have grown by 128 percent while probation and parole counts have increased by 139 percent Quot said Steven d. Dillingham the Bureau s director. The Survey did not explain the 16.3 percent increase in parolees but University of Chicago criminologist Norvall Morris said in reflects efforts by states to reduce prison overcrowding. The increase in people being supervised by parole or probation officers has put a Strain on the systems ability to keep track of offenders who Are not incarcerated Morris said