European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 16, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a the stars and stripes sunday february 16, 1992 water to be halted to California farms Sacramento Calif. Apr despite torrents in Southern California the states largest water supplier said Friday that it will halt deliveries to one of the nations richest farmlands because the states drought is moving into a sixth year. The announcement affecting parts of the Sacramento and san Joaquin valleys Marks the first time in its five decade history that the Federal Central Valley project has had to eliminate supplies to customers said Don Paff operations director. A there is just no water available a said Roger Patterson regional director of the . Bureau of reclamation which runs the project. The Federal project and a state project capture Runoff from melting Snow in reservoirs and then release it West and South in measured flows via Rivers the Sacramento san Joaquin Delta and canals. Rob Leake a spokesman for West lands water District in Western Kings and Fresno counties said people Are a basically stunned by the decision. A there Are a lot of them that done to know what to do a Leake said. Quot they re coming off a bad year and looking at Zero this year. This is really Rock Bottom. It does no to get any  the areas affected Are in the states Central and Northern parts. The storms that dumped More than in foot of rain on Southern California last week were too far South to replenish reservoirs in the Fertile farm Region. More storms were expected but the Sierra Nevada Snow pack in Northern California which supplies much of the states water remained about 60 percent below Normal. The cutoff will affect about 7,000 farms covering about 1 million acres about one ninth of californians agricultural land Bureau spokeswoman Lynnette Wirth said. Farm groups said hundreds of thousands of acres will lie fallow in areas that normally produce tomatoes melons lettuce and other crops. Economic losses could Range into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Government and private officials stopped Short of predicting Consumers would pay More for produce. Farmers in less affected areas May be Able to fill consumer demands for popular vegetables they said. Some Farmers in the Western Central Valley will be Able to arrange water transfers from other areas. They also might pump irrigation water from already overtaxed underground sources or switch to less thirsty crops. Small farms will be Hurt most by the cuts because their owners often can to afford to build Wells which can Cost up to $500,000. A the cutoff is significant on a National basis. But on a regional basis its devastating. Its breakpoints said Jason Peltier manager of the Central Valley project water association which represents 23,000 Farmers who get water Don Paff head of operations for the Central Valley project announces cutoff in water supplies to Farmers. From the projects system of reservoirs and canals. A Farmers knew that anything was possible with a sixth drought year looming in 1992, said Mike Henry a California farm Bureau federation spokesman. Overall the project will deliver less than one third of its Normal Supply it delivered a Little More than half of its Normal shipments last year. Reservoir releases into Rivers this year will be adequate to keep threatened Salmon populations alive Federal officials said. The releases Are required by Federal Laws. Federal officials said the environmental protections do not come at Farmers expense. Even if there were no releases for fish this year farms still would get Only 10 percent of their Normal deliveries the officials said. Last year Farmers supplied by the project got at least 25 percent of their Normal supplies. The drought Cost the states $18 billion a year agriculture Industry More than $500 million in 1991. The state water project the other major government supplier of water to farms and cities continued its forecast of 20 percent supplies to agriculture and Urban customers. The states reservoirs Are holding Only about one third of the water they normally do at this time of year said Dick Wagner the spokesman for the state department of water resources. Democrats Buchanan pummel president Salem . Apr democratic presidential hopefuls stepped up their Battles on the airwaves while All sides ganged up on president Bush As the new Hampshire primary race entered its final weekend. Bush tramped through a Maryland construction site Friday in hard hat and Cowboy boots saying he is taking a shots from All sides and his critics Are a having a  he planned to return to new Hampshire on saturday to make a final pitch for support before tuesdays primary the campaigns first. Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Republican challenger Patrick Buchanan each criticized Bush on Friday for omitting a promised $500 increase in the personal exemption for children from the tax Bill he sent to Congress last week. A in Bush Samerica his Rich friends get the Gold mine and you get the Shaft a Clinton told a democratic fund raising dinner in Manchester ., promising to end an a insane Public  Buchanan also took shots at Bush telling supporters that the state of the Union address was a a giant political scam to hoodwink new Hampshire voters into believing George Bush favors tax cuts for working  Buchanan also aired a new television and accusing Bush of misleading America. On the democratic Side Nebraska sen. Bob Kerrey took a swipe at Bush and his democratic rivals saying they were guilty of an a unpardonable sin for not offering detailed plans to overhaul the nations system of Long term health care. Democrats battled Over the airwaves As Well. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa has been running television ads in new Hampshire accusing Kerrey Clinton and former Massachusetts sen. Paul Tsongas of siding with the wealthy on tax issues. Kerrey fired Back Friday with a new to and that accused Harkin of distorting the record. It summed up Harkin As a old style Democrat old style negative  a a in a not bashing anyone a Harkin said even As he launched fresh radio ads that criticized Tsongas for supporting nuclear Power and a Gas tax increase and questioned whether Clinton could be trusted. Tsongas aired a new and too showing the Man who overcame cancer swimming briskly while a narrator lists Tsongas economic ideas. Valentine s Day orders Are nipped in the Bud by the los Angeles times West Hollywood Calif. Violeta Del Cid a heart was broken on Valentines Day. That a because thieves stole 120 Valentine Flower arrangements and 88 dozen roses before the West Hollywood Florist could deliver them to customers Friday. Quot i just cried Quot Del Cid said. A i just stood there and  the Flowers a some including arrangements decorated with Candy and heart shaped balloons a were stored in the Back of a locked refrigerated truck parked behind her shop in the 6200 Block of Sunset Boulevard. Each was labelled with a hand addressed personalized love note that included the name of the sender. The insulated truck was being used for storage because refrigerators inside her Flower shop were full of blossoms stockpiled for Valentines Day the years busiest Floral Day. A there was almost five Days work in there a Del Cid said. A the truck was totally empty. They had pried it  after discovering the $8,000 theft thursday Del Cid and her husband Paul Michaels hurriedly ordered replacement Flowers. As word of their predicament spread friends rushed to help trim Tulip stems and arrange sprays of baby a breath for new Floral arrangements. Two doctors and a lawyer were among about 10 volunteers some of whom worked through the night thursday to fill Valentines Day orders. 2nd reporter refuses to reveal his sources by the Baltimore Sun Washington a a second reporter in As Many Days refused to disclose his sources Friday to a Senate investigator searching for the source of leaks about an ethics investigation and about Anita Hills sexual harassment charges against supreme court nominee Clarence Thomas. Washington times reporter Paul m Rodriguez spent two and a half hours before special counsel Peter e. Fleming jr., who pressed him to disclose the sources of his stories about the ethics investigation of five senators and their relationship with savings and loan executive Charles h. Keatingjr. A i did not answer any question that came close to abridging the first amendment Protection of the press Rodriguez said after the closed door deposition recalling that he was asked Quot about 100 times to disclose his sources. Rodriguez who appeared with two attorneys from the newspaper said Fleming a questions concerned six stories he wrote about the a Keating five Quot Between july 1990 and february 1991. Rodriguez said he would Only verify that he wrote the stories. On thursday new Day reporter Timothy Phelps also refused to Tell Fleming the sources for his articles about Hill s allegations of sexual Harra sment against Thomas. The charges by the University of Oklahoma Law professor vehemently denied by Thomas led the Senate to reopen its hearings on the supreme court nominee who was later confirmed