European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 22, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 a the stars and stripes saturday february 22,1992 Massachusetts wins round in Battle Over House seat Boston apr Massachusetts on thursday won the right to keep its 11 congressional seats in a court ruling that could set the stage for a supreme court Battle with Washington state. Massachusetts was to lose one seat this year because of population shifts calculated in the 1990 census while Washington gained a seat. But a special panel of three Federal judges agreed with Massachusetts that it was improper to include people living overseas such As military personnel in apportioning congressional seats. State officials claimed the census under counted the number of overseas residents from Massachusetts leading to the loss of a seat. Washington officials said they would Appeal to the . Supreme court which on March 4 is hearing a congressional apportionment Case filed by Montana. That state also is challenging the apportionment of the 435 House seats. If Massachusetts wins Washington would lose a ninth seat it gained. Officials in Massachusetts and Washington expressed Confidence their states would win a supreme court showdown. Washington officials said they already have certification from the chief clerk of the House of representatives saying Washington is entitled to a ninth congressional scat. Quot we feel we re on fairly firm ground in claiming that there a no Way to alter that a said David brine a spokesman for Washington a Secretary of state. The Federal court gave Massachusetts until March 30 to come up with an 11-District plan. Failure to do so would Cost the state the seat. In its lawsuit Massachusetts argued that overseas Federal employees  be included in the population count because census figures for them were faulty. The three judges agreed in a unanimous decision saying the census Bureau relied on a precisely the same data that it had consistently found to be too unreliable in the past. All states must redraw their congressional districts after the Federal census which takes place every 10 years. The apportionment of seats is based on the census numbers As Well As a Complex formula that assures that the House remains at 435 members. The panel included . Circuit judge Hugh Bownes of new Hampshire . District judge Francis Boyle of Rhode Island and . District judge Douglas Woodcock of Massachusetts. Washington a assistant attorney general James Johnson said he did no to think the three judge panel had jurisdiction. Lawyers for Massachusetts argued that the inclusion of the overseas workers 90 percent of whom Are members of the armed forces was invalid because the department of defense has used military records instead of surveying their personnel. The Commerce department thus acted arbitrarily under administrative procedure Laws in using that data said Dwight Golann chief of the government Bureau for the Massachusetts attorney general a office. A this is not an acceptable Way of conducting a census Quot he said. Joseph Krovisky a spokesman for the Justice department which represented the Federal government had no comment on any future action. World s oldest known ape Dies the Chimpanzee Gamma dead at age 59 Alfue Atlanta apr the worlds oldest known ape is dead. Gamma a Chimpanzee was found lying in her Cage at the Yerkes regional primate research Center at Emory University on wednesday. She was 59 and beloved by the researchers who studied her. A people Are pretty upset a said Cathy Yarbrough a spokeswoman for Yerkes. A she was a favorite animal of almost everybody who works with the  Yarbrough who had identified Gamma As the oldest ape known said workers at the Center at first believed Gamma was sleeping late wednesday morning but soon became concerned and found they  Wake her. Gamma was born in Captivity in 1932, the daughter of Nana and Bill two chimps caught in the wild in French Guinea. She was one of the first apes born at Robert m. Yerkes primate Center then in Orange Park Fla. When Yerkes became affiliated with Emory Gamma moved to the Atlanta Center in 1965. Yerkes has 2,600 primates including 204 chimpanzees. Gamma was studied exhaustively by Yerkes and his associates to gather information about raising captive born chimps. A Gamma holds a place in our hearts because she provided us with much new knowledge of the. Nature of those species close to humans in the animal kingdom a Frederick King director of Yerkes said last year. A she has significantly enriched our understanding. For this we Are most  the guinness Book of world records identifies the oldest ape on record As guas an orangutan that was believed to be about 59 when he died at the Philadelphia zoo in 1977. Since he was not bom in Captivity his precise birthrate was not known. California still tops in Dod contracts Washington up a California retained its title As the nations top defense contracting stale last year Pentagon figures showed thursday. California had $24.3 billion in defense prime contracts in fiscal 1991, up More than $1.9 billion from the previous year for an increase of almost 9 percent. Californians total was More than twice that of second ranked Texas which had $10,2 billion in defense prime contracts an increase of almost $1.1 billion or 12 percent. Massachusetts was in third place with $6.9 billion in contracts a drop of $1.2 billion or 15 percent. Virginia was no. 4 with $6.8 billion a decrease of $1.1 billion or More than 14 percent. Connecticut was in fifth place with More than $4.9 billion up $737 million or More than 17 percent. Sixth was Colorado with $2.7 billion a decline of $627 million or 19 percent followed by Arizona with $2.5 billion off by almost $890 million or 26 percent. Eight nine and 10 went to Indiana with $2.2 billion up $494 million or 29 percent Tennessee with $2.1 billion up $868 million or 73 percent and Washington state with $1.8 billion off $691 million or 28 percent. The total . Defense prime contracts awarded during fiscal 1991, which began in october 1990, was $141 billion up $3.7 billion or 2.7 percent Over fiscal 1990.  Dies after being trapped underwater in tub from wire reports Sunriver Ore. A 10-year-old girl drowned in a hot tub when her hair was sucked into an intake and she was trapped underwater. Kandice l. Nyborg of Kirland wash., had been underwater for several minutes when she was found by an older sister wednesday the de schutes county sheriffs office reported thursday. The girl s parents Warren and Della Nyborg and paramedics tried to revive her. The family had been staying in a rental Home in this Central Oregon  Dies Arlington a. A former rep. Joseph l. Fisher d-va., has died at age 78. Fisher died at his Home of a brain tumor. He was surrounded by his wife Peggy his seven children and grandchildren said democratic state sen. Edward m. Holland. Fisher entered political life in 1964 and spent the next 10 years As a member of the Arlington county Board. He beat longtime Republican rep. Joel Broy Hill in the Post watergate landslide in 1974. He served Virginia a 2nd District until the 1980 election when he was Defeated by Republican Frank Wolf who continues to hold the seat. After his defeat Fisher served As Virginia a human services Secretary from 1982 to 1986. He then joined George Mason University where he was a professor of political  scout wins suit san Diego a a jury has ordered the county and National councils of the boy scouts of America to pay $78,000 to an 8-year-old cub scout who was molested by a troop Leader. The troop Leader was ordered to pay $315,000. The Superior court verdict against the councils includes $50,000 for the boys medical expenses and $28,000 in general damages. Its unclear whether the boy will be Able to collect damages from the troop Leader 21-year-old Jerry Frazier. Frazier serving a 19-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in 1990 to molesting the boy is insolvent. Attorneys for the boys parents argued that the boy scout organizations did no to properly screen scoutmaster applicants. Attorney Daniel White who represented the boy scouts of America said child molestation by a scoutmaster  have been  alcohol Law of d Loveland Colo. A under a new City Law people younger than 21 caught drinking alcohol will lose their Drivers License a even if they Arentt driving. The measure passed by the City Council on an 8-1 vote tuesday night is effective immediately a some May think its harsh but i believe the penalty does fit the crime a mayor Roger Bates said. People younger than 21 who Are caught drinking will lose their License until they Complete 24 hours of Community service. A second drinking violation would mean a six month suspension and a third would Lead to a one year suspension 92 Chrysler recalled Detroit a Chrysler corp. Is recalling about 19,000 1992-Model cars Ana minivans built in late october last year to replace a potentially defective steering Assembly Bolt. Company spokesman James Kenyon said thursday that no accidents or injuries Nave been attributed to the problem. The company said that if the Bolt Breaks steering control could be Tost. Affected vehicles include Plymouth Sundance and acclaim Dodge Daytona Shadow dynasty and spirit Chrysler Lebaron Imperial and new yorker and some minivans. Owners will be notified by mail and repairs will be performed for free