European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes monday january 11,1993 by the associated press the Case of two Young Illinois girls left Home alone while their parents went to Mexico on a nine Day Christmas vacation has drawn howls of outrage from parents everywhere. Children s advocates say its just one More Case a albeit an extreme one a a in an epidemic of child neglect in America. State child welfare agencies received 1.2 million reports of neglect nationwide in 1991, and investigators substantiated neglect in about 40 percent of them according to the National committee for prevention of child abuse. Reported cases arc a just the tip of the iceberg a added Peter Berliner spokesman for the children a Alliance an advocacy group in  or drug addicted parents regularly neglect their children he said. Poor working parents especially single parents often leave their children alone because they can to afford or find Day care. A while the Illinois Case May be dramatic its Only in degree a Berliner said. A kids get left alone More than wed like to admit. A Large number Are essentially raising  Joy Byers a spokeswoman for the National committee for prevention of child abuse said child neglect a crosses All the lines a social economic  David and Sharon schoo lived in a comfortable Tudor style Home in St. Charles a suburb of Chicago. The Home has a Pool swings and a playhouse in the Back Yard. The schoos were arrested . 29 on their return from Acapulco. Their children 9-year-old Nicole and 4-year-old Diana were discovered at Home  21 after they called 911 because a smoke alarm went off  for bicycle Orlando Fla. A the City a police can no longer arrest and jail per be for not having a Bell or Light on their Icycle or Riding on a sidewalk the Florida supreme court has ruled. Several defense attorneys had complained that police were using Misdemeanour Laws As a pretext to Stop people they suspected of carrying drugs weapons or other contraband. Too often the bicyclists were Young Black males the attorneys said. A this is going to Cut Down on them stopping every Black male on a bicycle so they can stick their hands into their pockets Quot said attorney Steve Mason who argued the Case before the supreme court. Violators were subject to arrest and up to 60 Days in  High court said that jailing illegally exceeded a state provision allowing cities Only to ticket and Fine cycling violators on leaving kids by the associated press there is no magic age when All children  ready to be left alone but experts offer some guidelines. A fall children Are different a said Joy Byers spokeswoman for the National committee for prevention of child abuse. Quot some children at 12 Are very mature very responsible and could be left to look after other children. Other 12-year-Olds probably Arentt ready to be left Home  Many children Are Able to Start being alone Between Ages 10 and 12, says a pamphlet prepared by the Illi Jois department of children and family services. Children should demonstrate a a desire to stay alone. A the ability to get ready for school on time solve problems independently and finish Homework Ana household chores with Little supervision. A Good Telephone skills such As knowing Whon to Call and what to say in an emergency. The Agency says parents should prepare their children to stay alone by teaching them How to handle getting locked out having arguments with siblings and being scared or lonely. Children should be Able to follow rules about leaving the House having friends Over and using Kitchen equipment. They should know How to answer the door when alone How to react if approached by a stranger on the Way Home what to do if they think someone is in the House when they get Home and what to do if someone tries to molest them. Even if a child seems ready to stay alone parents should continue super vision if the neighbourhood is dangerous or if there Are no trustworthy adults living nearby. A the parents were charged with child abandonment and cruelty to children both felonies and freed on $5,000 Cash bail each. The children were put in a Foster Home. The Schooss lawyer Gerard Kepple said that when the facts were known the Case would a turn out quite differently Quot from Peoples impressions. It Wasny to the Only Holiday tale of alleged abandonment or neglect a in Austin Texas an 8-year-old boy who authorities said was abandoned by his father spent two Days alone in a Motel room before police discovered him on e Quot by making it a crime to operate a bicycle without a Bell the City has made a Folly innocent conduct the subject of criminal prosecution a chief Justice Rosemary Barkett wrote. Quot it has provided the police with unfettered Power to arrest Ana search citizens engaging in Ordinary and customary behaviour with no unlawful  publicly police officials deny using the Laws to Stop and search suspected criminals a few officers privately admitted doing so however but denied that race was a Factor. The ruling was issued in the Case of Carl Thomas a Black Man arrested on june 16, 1989, for Riding a bicycle without a Bell. The arresting officer searched him found a pistol in his pocket and charged him with carrying a concealed firearm. But the supreme court allowed Thomas arrest to stand. Abbie won t Hack it As millionaire new York a cabbie Michael Lipp has survived 20 years behind the wheel so now an $18 million winning lottery ticket is his ticket to ride. Lipp 49, packed in his Hack License and packed up for Florida after learning he was a millionaire. A a in a retiring. My wife a retiring. We plan to spend All the Money on everything you can think of a buy a Home a bout for starters a Lipp said. Lipp said he bought 10 $1 tickets for the new York lotto s . 16 drawing because he a was feeling  he Learned he had won after a night driving his cab. When the numbers 7, 19, Christmas Day. The father was later arrested in Bellingham Wash. A in Rochester n.h., a Mother was charged  with endangering her three children Ages 3 and under. Police  left the sleeping children around 9 pm. Saturday Ana was arrested when she returned five hours later. A in Reno nev., a Casino Security guard heard a 15-month-old baby crying atone in a hotel room. The father was arrested when he showed up 30 minutes later. The Mother was arrested at a Slot machine. Just what constitutes neglect some states set a minimum age for leaving a child unattended usually Between 10 and 12, while others do not. In Washington state for example a a it a a judgment Call based on whatever might cause physical harm or risk to the child a said Gordon Schultz spokesman for the state department of social and health services. And what constitutes risk consider the Case of Brian Irish and Stephanie Hamilton of Puyallup Wash. Their two children were asleep and the parents figured it was Safe to go out to by some Beer. A when they returned less than an hour later their Mobile Home was ablaze and their children 11-month-old Alisha and 5->year-old Nathan were dead. A jury convicted them in March of manslaughter. There Are risks for school age children too said Joyce Johnson spokeswoman for the child welfare league in Washington . Lack of child care has forced Many parents to turn their children into a Latch by kids who spend two or three hours alone at Home each Day while waiting for their parents to return from work. In a study of 447 children Ages 5 to 9, Johnson a group found that 42 percent were left alone occasionally or regularly. But most of the children did not know Basic precautions such As not opening the door to strangers. A when you leave children alone you place them at risk a Johnson said. A we think children should never be left alone.  a even if nothing bad happens immediately leaving children alone can violate their sense of Security Byers said. 25, 33, 38 and 42 matched his ticket a Al checked it and rechecked it for about half an hour Quot Lipp said. His wife Estelle a medical assistant moved to Florida with the youngest of their three children in july. Lipp had been scheduled to join them this month but Wasny to sure How he was going to earn a living. Now that a not a problem. He received an initial payment of $857,100 and will receive 20 More annual payments of $857,145, said state lottery spokesman Bill know Lon. Lottery officials did no to identify Lipp As the Winner until late last week. Shot Down Quavc Siddon director of wildlife images a wildlife rehabilitation Center shows off a Duck that was skewered by a child a target Arrow. The Duck found saturday on the rogue River in Grants pass ore., was doing Fine  Arrow was removed