European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 24, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday january 24, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 7 japanese contract dropped in favor of using . Firm los Angeles apr the los Angeles county transportation commission under pressure to keep jobs and funding at Home terminated a $122 million rail car contract wednesday with a japanese firm. The unanimous decision came As Sumitomo corp. Of America tried to boost . Participation in the metro Green line transit project in an Ellort to Stem growing clamor against sending work overseas. Sumitomo president Kenji Miyahara said the termination indicated Japan bashing. For the last two years All concerned parties knew the ground rules Tor awarding the contract As Well As the identities of the bidders. Nevertheless our contract was cancelled for non business related  he said. Before the vote Sumitomo revealed an Lith hour plan to make . Firm general electric a Quot substantial participants in its bid for the project. Bidding will not reopen until the commissions staff returns with a report on a six Point plan that includes designing a Standard rail vehicle requiring Assembly of the cars at a . Factory and seeking Federal legislation to improve the . Rail car Industry. Final consideration of the report will take place at a special commission meeting feb. 19. A Tutor built in recent weeks Over the commissions decision dec. Is to award the contract for 41 drive less automated rail cars to the japanese based company instead of Morrison Knudsen corp. Of Boise Idaho. I he commission awarded the contract to Sumitomo because it said the japanese company had More experience than the american firm. Morrison Knudsen a bid was $5 million under Sumitomo s bid. The american firm said it would give jobs to More . Workers than Sumitomo would. Sumitomo estimated the project would create 370 local jobs and 1,730 across the United states according to commission statistics. Morrison Knudsen estimated it would provide 449 local jobs and 4.900 across the nation. The cars will be used on the metro Green line a 23-mile line from Al Segundo to Norwalk with a Spur to los Angeles International Airport. Scheduled to open in 1995, the Green line is part of a 30-year, $150 billion plan to build a rail and bus transit system in los Angeles county. The first working segment the Blue line electric trolley system Between downtown los Angeles and Long Beach is in operation. The red line subway is under construction and other surface lines Are being proposed. Gun owner faces felony charge after grandson 4, kills himself san Jose Calif. Apr in a heartbreaking test of a new state gun safety Law a Man faces a felony charge because his 4-year-old grandson found a pistol in the Many a clothes and shot himself to death. The Law holds careless gun owners responsible for accidental shootings by children. It went into effect at Midnight new years eve a just As Nicholas Conchas fired the .22-caliber pistol outside to celebrate. Ten hours later his grandson Jesus Valencia apparently found the gun began playing with it and shot himself in the Chest. The boy had received two toy guns for Christmas. Police and prosecutors who brought charges against Conchas said he was criminally negligent for not putting the gun out of the child a reach. Conchas told police that when the gun misfired after three shots he put it in his sweater pocket and forgot about it. A a in a sorry. I feel so bad a a Conchas said wednesday after his lawyer met with prosecutors and a judge to try to resolve the Case without going to trial. Relatives have rallied behind Conchas who immigrated from Mexico 20 years ago and owns his own painting contractor business. If convicted Conchas could face three years in prison and a $10,000 Fine. Or he could get probation or Community service. Prosecutor David Davies said his office does no to plan to drop the Case but might agree to a plea bargain. Quot i never said i wanted to make an example of him but the Law should be enforced to have the greatest Impact on the Community so innocent children Are protected a Davies said. The California Law was modelled on a Florida statute that went into effect in 1988. Florida authorities say it has Cut Down on accidental gun deaths among children by As much As 60 percent. Connecticut and Iowa have similar Laws. Nicholas Conchas sits with his wife Alejandra outside a san Jose Calif., courtroom wednesday. Several people have been charged under the Florida Law with at least one conviction Florida authorities told California legislators. Quot the intent Isnit to doubly punish the family a said Gene Erwin an aide to state assemblyman Lloyd Connelly who sponsored the California Law. A they could drop this Case because its so tragic but what about the next family a a a we re not saying he should go to prison. But maybe he should have to do Community service in a Hospital swabbing up the blood of gunshot  Chicago Man sues Gas company in blasts. Chicago up a a building owner in the neighbourhood rocked by natural Gas explosions that sparked a series of fires last week filed suit wednesday seeking unspecified damages from Peoples Gas Light and Coke co. John Camden had resided in a third floor apartment in the neighbourhood since september 1988, and attorney Burton Weinstein said a file literally has to put his life Back together piece by  the lawsuit charged Peoples Gas with negligence in the maintenance inspection monitoring and control of the regulator valve that failed allowing a High pressure surge that triggered the disaster. It also has been Learned that a Peoples Gas Crew was working on one of two regulators near the neighbourhood and had opened a bypass to allow Gas to circumvent a regulator valve sending natural Gas directly to customers. At one Point water in monitoring devices known As manometers exploded upward indicating a huge Gas surge m the line. Moments later a series of explosions began erupting in the neighbourhood triggering fires and destroying 10 residences. I free people were killed and five injured.  . Lawmaker gets 1 5 months in prison from wire reports. Iivari i n 1 on. S.c�?T. A a former lawmaker who turned m dormant and helped prosecutors bring Down several state i Louse colleagues after he was Ideo taped pocketing a $2,500 payoff was sentenced to 15 months in prison. . Attorney Bart Daniel said wednesday that former rep. Robert Kolm helped make cases against 10 of 27 people who pleaded guilty or were contacted in the scandal. Kohn 47, agreed to Wear a according device Lor the government alter he was caught in a sting in which lawmakers were off cd bribes to support a Bill to Legal i a horse and dog racing. I he 15-year Republican legislator from Harleston pleaded guilty to conspiracy Ami resigned from his seat in 1990.medicine warning issued Washington a parents should be especially careful during the flu season not to give their children too much non proscription liquid medicines the food and drug administration says. Fra commissioner David a. Kessler said wednesday that even Small doses of common painkiller acetaminophen can be dangerous if the doses Are Over the recommended amount and Are Given Over several Days. "11 the Label says to give two Teaspoons every four hours that s the amount the child should get at the stated intervals Quot Kessler said. He also urged parents to read ingredient labels carefully so they do not provide the same ingredients in two  held liable , Fla. A a jury ordered a tavern owner to pay $6.8 million to a Man whose legs were amputated after he was struck by a Motorist who was drunk when he left the tavern. John Bellicini owner of the defunct Harbour inn tavern is liable for the Accident because he allowed Robert Allen t Heroux to keep on drinking although it was Clear he had already had too much to drink the jury ruled. Attorneys for Ronald rold 34, and his 9-year-old Stepson who also was severely injured said they Don t expect to recover damages from Bella Cini. They Wall use the judgment in a bid to collect from Utica Mutual insurance co., which provided coverage for the bar. I Heroux 57, is serving a l year prison sentence for charges related to the  s double tragedy Anaheim Calif. A a family was struck twice by tragedy when a Grandfather suffered a latal heart attack and his 2-year-old grandson died in a traffic crash As his family rushed to the Hospital. T he crash on sunday occurred As members of 63-year-old Billy m. Smiths family were heading to a Hospital in Fullerton where Smith was taken police investigator Robert Depaola said. Smith died later that Day. Daniel Smith sitting unrestrained on his mothers Lap was thrown into die dashboard when the car apparently ran a Stop sign and collided with a Van Depaola said. The child died  shootings Biloxi miss. The Wile of a former police officer who was recently convicted of cocaine trafficking was found shot to death at their Home and their 10-year-old son was seriously wounded. The boy whose name was not disclosed by police was m stable condition at a Hospital wednesday said Kevin , chief of Biloxi police investigations. I he boy was found tuesday lying beside the body of his Mother Carla Cook 33. Nearby an infant boy was found unharmed in a crib Ooka a husband former police officer Glen ook 60, is awaiting sentencing on Federal drug i arcs. He was convicted last november for conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute