European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 21, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday january 21, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 5countdown starts for 1 St shuttle of year Cape canaveral Fla. A Nasa began the countdown sunday for the first shuttle flight of the year. The Laboratory research Mission by discovery will examine the effects of weightlessness on people plants and bugs. A this should be a great Mission for science a shuttle commander Ronald Grabe said after arriving at Kennedy space Center with the six other astronauts. A we re looking Forward to quite a bit of significant scientific return from this flight and obviously the Prospect of just going up and flying ourselves that a really exciting to us personally a Grabe said. The countdown clock began ticking at 1 . For the National aeronautics and space administrations 45th shuttle flight. Liftoff was scheduled for 8 53 . Wednesday. Nasa test director Eric Redding said discovery was in a excellent  technicians replaced a faulty thermostat on an auxiliary Power unit in the shuttle engine compartment Over the weekend he said. The weather was expected to cooperate despite an anticipated temperature of 46 degrees at launch time. Forecasters put the Odds of Good weather at 70 percent the main concern was thick Low Clouds. Discovery commander Ronald Grabe foreground introduces his Crew sunday at the Kennedy space Center in Florida. From led Are Pilot Stephen Oswald Mission specialists William Readdy and Norman Thagard payload specialist Ulf me bold Mission specialist David Hilmers and payload specialist Roberta Bondar. Wilson produces people he cited in speech Sacramento Calif. Apr gov. Pete Wilson showed off a businessman an unemployed Carpenter and a farm worker sunday to prove that comments in his state of the state speech were based on real people. He blamed a staff misunderstanding for initial reports that he used allegorical a a composites in the Jan. 8 speech. The reports embarrassed the first term governor with criticism that he was out of touch with real californians suffering in recessionary times. In a rare sunday news conference the Republican governor introduced the three men and took partial blame for reports they did not actually exist. A they Are not allegorical they Are quite real a Wilson said after introducing Carpenter Shad Murphy farm worker Concepcion Meza and businessman Wesley Seastrom. A they Are not composites. They Are representative. There Are thousands like them a he said. Wilson said a misunderstanding Between him and spokesmen in responding to questions from the san Jose Mercury news caused the error. The governor said that after he told staff members that the three men were representative of others who were having problems they wrongly told reporters the examples he used in the speech were composites rather than real people. A it was our own fault. There was a massive failure of communication internally a Wilson said. He declined to say what if any action he would take against staff members. In his speech Wilson described a farm worker Hurt by last Winters freeze a businessman lamenting the need to Lay off valued workers and a the kindly face of a Carpenter who could find no work framing houses and now makes children a toys for  two of the men introduced sunday criticized the Media. A a it a something Over nothing Quot Murphy said. A i done to understand Why the Media is making such a big Deal out of such a Small thing Quot Seastrom said. Quot you people should be spending More time on the essence of the  in the stars and stripes 10 years ago Jan. 21,1982 a for the second time in less than a week the Oklahoma Senate rejected the equal rights amendment in an unsuccessful bid to make Oklahoma the 36th of 38 states needed to make the amendment part of the . Constitution. 20 years ago Jan. 21,1972 a during a live telecast of his state of the Union address president Nixon called on Congress to reject Quot the intense pressure of a political year Quot saying he would request a defense budget larger than the current fiscal years $78.8 billion. 30 years ago Jan. 21,1962 a a throng of about 6,000 party faithful a including former president Harry s. Truman a turned out for a $100-a-plate fund raising dinner to Mark president Kennedy a first year in office. 40 years ago Jan. 21,1952 a an american nun was killed in a Convent near the Suez canal zone during fighting Between egyptian guerrillas and British troops. Doggie brigade gives kids a dose of love Akron Ohio up Many a Best Friend has Long been Welcome on visits to nursing Homes. But now some hospitals Are opening their doors to dogs. Children a Hospital medical Center of Akron said it is one of a few children a hospitals in the country to offer a pet visitation program aimed at likening a child a stay. Hospital spokeswoman Patricia Bauch says the Hospital s a Doggie brigade involves specially trained canines who visit youngsters in the patient units. Some of the dogs Are pets of Hospital employees while others belong to volunteers who regularly work the floors. World War ii 50 years ago today 21 Jan. 1 a 9 .4 .2 Rommel launches his offensive from Al Asheila in Libya catching the British by Surprise. On the Southern soviet front soviet troops break the front of Germany s 17th army near the donets Basin. Japanese planes continue Daylight raids on Singapore and planes begin attacks on new Guinea. In the Philippines the japanese mass for a big offensive on the Bataan Peninsula the Doggie brigade is patterned after a similar program at Denver children a Hospital. It has the Blessing of the hospitals medical staff and the support of the local society of veterinary Medicine. Each four legged Volunteer sports a Doggie brigade to shirt which also helps to control Dander and a children a Hospital kerchief. The visits take place in the hospitals activity rooms As Well As at the bedside of those children who Are unable to leave their rooms. The dogs visit Only patients whose physicians have Given their approval. The dogs must pass a medical exam and a behavioural screening. A veterinarian and dog Trainer donate assistance to the program which is coordinated by children a Volunteer department and child life staff. The Hospital said research has demonstrated therapeutic benefits of pet visitation programs. The love and affection of an animal has been shown to reduce the stress and anxiety caused by illness and injury. And studies have also shown that animals can lower blood pressure and help reach autistic children abused adolescents and head injury patients Bauch said. Source 2194 Days of War w. H Smith a publishers inc. World almanac both of world War ii. Bison books corp. 1961 Vij Holmi a year ago Day 5 Jan.21 iraqi television shows captured american pilots making statements criticizing the Allied War Effort. . Patriot missiles thwart an Early morning iraqi missile attack on saudi Arabia. Iraq says it scattered prisoners of War at targeted areas. An air Force spokesman says 8,100 Allied sorties have been flown since the wars Start. 7f