European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 8, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 b the stars and stripes wednesday january 8, 1992 massive blackout hits . During height of Rush hour by Martin Weil the Washington Post Washington a a massive electrical failure blacked out most of downtown Washington Georgetown and parts of Southeast Washington for about two hours during monday evenings Rush hour snarling Home bound traffic trapping dozens of people in elevators and bringing an unexpected end to the workday for thousands. A Potomac electric Power co. Spokesman said the blackout possibly the largest Ever to hit the City was caused by an unexplained failure that shut Down the Alexandria va., generating Plant a main source of the District of columbian a electricity. It struck with Little warning about 5 15 . On what was for Many the first work Day after the holidays and caught thousands of people just leaving their jobs and thousands More still at their desks or counters. It shut Down computers Cash registers and Many telephones it sowed fear and confusion in some places generated merriment in others and brought work to a standstill for Many. It also caused a run on candles prompted some people to seek hotel accommodations for the night and led others to head for bars and taverns. A we re doing a lot of bar business a said Jim Petrillo manager of the peasant restaurant amp bar at eighth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue new. The office buildings lining k Street and Pennsylvania Avenue new were plunged into sudden darkness while volunteers with flashlights joined police in struggling to keep Long lines of cars moving along streets that lacked traffic signals or Street lamps. At 19th and k streets graphic designer John Whit Coski became an instant traffic cop wielding two Battery powered lights to wave motorists through the intersection without signals winning some angry honks of car horns and an occasional thank you for his pains. While Many people groped their Way Down darkened stairways to the Street . Firefighters scrambled to respond to 80 Calls to Rescue people trapped in elevators. Metro subway trains continued to operate but lights and fare card machinery went out at three stations and elevators stalled at two. The exact cause of the blackout was not immediately available. A Pep co spokesman said it involved equipment in the Potomac River Plant which is on the River at the Northern Edge of old town Alexandria. Another spokesman Steve Arabia said he knew of no one at the Utility who could recall a failure of similar magnitude in the downtown area. Because it is served by underground Power lines the downtown area generally is exempt from the effects of Snow and windstorms that can tear Down the overhead lines serving outlying areas. Precise figures on the number of houses and businesses affected were not available monday night Ara Hia said Only that they numbered in the thousands. In addition to the Alexandria generating Plant Pep co operates four others and Arabia said electricity produced in those four was to be fed monday night to the blacked out areas of the City. By 7 ., lights in Many parts of the affected area had flickered to life to applause in some instances. The Georgetown area was the last left without Power and the lights went on there by 8 ., Pep co said. The Washington Monument stands dark during a Power outage that hit much of the nations capital  jumped gun in naming Quayle paper says washing ton a Dan Quayle and George Bush never had a private talk about teaming up for the 1988 presidential Campaign until Bush had already presented Quayle to the Public As his running mate according to a newspaper biography. The Washington Post in the third instalment of a week Long profile says in tuesdays editions there was no Early private moment for talk Between the two after Bush a selection of the Junior Indiana senator stunned even his own advisers. A we walked right up on stage Quot Quayle told the newspaper. Quot Boom that a it. And the private moment was in the car on the Way Back to the  Quayle a performance at that announcement on the second Day of the Republican National convention did not enhance his reputation. In his first moment in the National political spotlight Quayle grasped then vice president Bush by the Arm and shoulders several times and cried out to the crowd a let s go get  the Post quoted Quayle a wife Marilyn As criticizing Bush aides particularly Campaign chairman James a. Baker Iii who advised Quayle during those first weeks. Quayle was beset with questions about his qualifications and his past including whether he relied on family connections to gain admission to the National guard and thus avoid possible military service in Vietnam. Mrs. Quayle said Baker now the Secretary of state called Quayle at their new Orleans hotel room shortly after Bush had invited him to join the ticket. She said Baker told the Quayle to make their Way to the Spanish Plaza where the rally was taking place but that Quayle said he could see on television that the area was jammed with thousands of people. She said Baker said a Trust me. Trust me., Well find you in the crowd. Well get you in there. But she said a they did no to Send a soul. Nothing a mrs. Quayle said relations were strained Between the Quayle and the Bush Campaign advisers on the Campaign plane. She said that Joe Canzeri told her staff that a we  have food on the charter flights because it Cost too  As a result she said she lost nearly 14 pounds in a week and a was so thin my skirt would move  Canzeri denied this the Post , prunes add a new wrinkle to Florida Retiree City St. Petersburg a. A to a City Mill trying to shake its Retiree image and the Moniker a a god a waiting room a an award for its consumption of prunes has added an unwanted Honor. A that is too funny Quot howled City Council member Leslie Curran. Quot All 1 can say is St. Pete makes the goings  the California prune Board noting that the area s annual per capita prune consumption outpaces the National average has awarded St. Petersburg a s 1, h10 Grant to develop a walking exercise program. A one suggestion was that it  be a walking program but a running program a joked Marla trill a City recreation Leader. The City was one of 10 awarded Grants to develop the a healthy strides Quot program. They were chosen Lor the Quality of their recreation programs As Well As their prune marketing potential sail prune Hoard spokeswoman Marla Waltert. While the National average for prune consumption is 0.6 pounds per person the Tampa so. Petersburg area averages about 1.13 pounds per person. Frank resigns As postal chief to return to private business Washington a postmaster general Anthony Frank announced tuesday he is resigning after four years to return to private business. Frank said he would leave on feb. 28. During his tenure As head of the postal service he pressed hard for increased automation of the mail an Effort that reduced the work Force by 40,000 jobs and helped reduce costs to the Agency. Quot it has been a great privilege for this immigrant a for this first generation american a to do some Public service a Frank said. He plans to return to san Francisco where he lived before accepting the Job of postmaster general and will become chairman of Crogen inc., a privately held biotechnology corporation. A we done to think its an exaggeration to say that Tony Frank has been one of the most effective postmasters general in history Quot said Norma Pace chairman of the postal services governing Board. She said the Board would begin a search for a  immediately but no deadline has been set. Frank 60, also Drew positive reviews from  11. Seagraves publisher of business mailers review a Washington based newsletter and John Jay Daly president of Daly associates inc., a consultant for major mailers. A we suggested he leave two years ago. It took him a Little while Quot said Moe Biller president of the american postal workers Union. Biller has dashed with Frank particularly Over the contracting out of postal jobs and Over major reductions in the Agency a work Force in recent years. But Seagraves gave Frank Good Marks citing last Summers labor contract in which major unions accepted increased automation of postal operations. Frank insisted on hiring an outside firm to Monitor the Agency a delivery performance. The results have sometimes embarrassed the Agency but also led to improvements Seagraves said. But Seagraves faulted Frank for not cleaning House when he took Over in March 1988, saying he sometimes became a captive of the postal bureaucracy. Frank has been frustrated by the Long and Complex system for raising rates however in particular the recent Case in which the Agency a proposed 30-cent rate was Cut to 29 cents by the Independent postal rate commission. And in addition to conflict with some Union leaders Frank has drawn Strong criticism from consumer advocate Ralph Nader who has called for Franks departure for some time. Nader accuses Frank of paying too much attention to Large business mailers at the expense of individuals. Frank was president of first nationwide Bank in California when he was chosen to head the postal service taking office March 3, 1988. Bom in Berlin Germany Frank came to new York with his parents in 1937. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College the tuck school of business at Dartmouth and has also studied at the University of Vienna in Austria