European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 15, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes . Monday february 15,1993 some say Mardi gras heyday is Over sour notes linger Over clubs desegregation by Frances Frank Marcus the new York times new Orleans it s carnival time in the City that is passionate about Mardi gras. Although the big Day Falls on feb. 23, the non Stop celebrating began officially Over the weekend with streets awash in parades and neighbourhoods adrift in parties. But beneath the glittery surface Are signs of Strain. It is More than a year since a hotly debated  was adopted to desegregate the White social and Parade clubs that sponsor the carnival activities. The juror that roiled the City last year is quieter but still rumbles. For example at a recent preliminary Parade the cavorting marchers conducted a mock jazz funeral be cause three of the oldest carnival groups stopped Parad ing last year in response to the ordinance. I m mourning for the death of imagination and taste one Marcher said. Come Back Comus read a sign carried by another Marcher urging the return of one of the missing parades. Despite the missing clubs there arc still 55 parades in 11 Days in the City and its suburbs. But carnival purists say the parades put on by the Comus momus and proteus groups had infused carnival with much of its magic. They say they fear that commercial interests will step in to fill the void left by the dropouts. But the recent preliminary Parade held in the French Quarter and organized by the Krenc do Vieux was political in tone not commercial. The King float designer Henri Schindler halted the Parade Long enough to de liver a message to the City Council which passed the ordinance. Looking ahead to the 1994 municipal elections he said your Days Are  its As though classical music has been stopped and replaced by Muzak new Orleans Magazine said. The Magazine said the ordinance has opened the Way for carnival becoming a totally commercialized festival rather than an expression of native ethnic  critics of the ordinance argue that Mardi gras is a diverse Celebration that has evolved haphazardly and that government should keep its distance. Efforts to overturn the measure continue. Last month lawyer Kevin Schoenberger filed a suit intended to let the peo ple decide the Fate of the ordinance. Schwenberger says the group behind the suit is called Don t mess with Mardi gras which is raising Money to finance the suit More than 20,000 people petitioned the City Council last May to bring the Issue to a vote 10,000 signatures were validated As those of voters the number needed to Call for a referendum. But the City attorney said there was precedent for invalidating vote initiatives when the Issue would violate the 14th amendment and the City Council blocked the ballot. The 122-year-old Rex organization which Many con Sider the heart and soul of carnival announced in sep tember that it had opened its doors to a number of persons from Many walks of life and varied Back  in other words the club had desegregated. True to the club s penchant for secrecy the announcement included no names. But news accounts said three prominent Black men had been asked to join the club which traditionally chooses a civic Leader As King of Mardi gras. Failed Thrift s sex chief in fraud Case Michael Wise former chairman of Silverado savings and loan leaves court with attorney Stephanie Shafer after he was acquitted on fraud charges in Denver. Denver a the former chair Man of the failed Silverado savings and loan has been acquitted on charges that he used nearly $500,000 of a loan from the Thrift for personal expenses. The . District court jury deliberated just 4v4 hours before finding Michael Wise innocent on two counts of Bank fraud. I m thrilled. That s All i want to say right now Wise 48, said after the ver dict. He mouthed the words thank you As the jurors left the courtroom. Silverado banking savings and loan failed in december 1988 at an estimated Cost to taxpayers of $1 billion. The Thrift achieved National notoriety because one of its former directors was president Bush s son Neil. W. James Metz Silverado s former majority stockholder is serving a six month sentence for diverting about$100,000 in Silverado Money Metz pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Prosecutors said Wise used $458,879 Ofa $1.45 million business loan obtained in june 1986 to pay off a mortgage on on Home and remodel a second. He testified that he used the Money Forno business purposes but never in tended to defraud  obtained the loan to repay another loan that he had guaranteed with his Sil Verado Stock. Wise was accused of mis applying a loan from a federally insured Thrift and of Mak ing a false entry in Silverado s accounts. A third charge that he lied to Silvera do executives about what he intended to do with the loan was dismissed thursday by . District judge Jim Carrigan. If convicted Wise faced up to 10 Yearsin prison and $500,000 in fines. His trial began feb. 1.in closing arguments assistant . Attorney Thomas o Rourke said Wise saw the Silverado banking Cash Register was open. He seized the Opportunity and he took the  Packwood bids to discredit his accusers paper reports Portland Ore. A sen. Cob Packwood has contacted employees former staffers and an sex Congress Man in an attempt to discredit those accusing him of sex Ual misconduct according to a published report. Packwood also included alleged details of some of his accusers sex lives in some of his eight statements on the matter that he submitted to the Washington Post the oregonian of Portland reported. Packwood personally collected the details after Post re porters told him last fall that they were preparing a Story about his alleged advances toward the women the Ore gonian said. The Post since has reported allegations from 23 women that the senator made unwanted sexual advances toward them. Packwood s lawyer James Fizpatrick said the Materi Al that was sent to the Post covered the possible political motivation of certain of the senator s accusers professional Demeanour credibility and other  the oregonian also said a Man who once had a close relationship with one of Packwood s accusers offered to write a letter about his involvement with her. 1 he Man Timothy Lee owns a freight brokerage Busi Ness and was in charge of a Campaign fund raising event that president Bush Neld in Portland for Packwood last year. Lee said Only that he was outraged that the woman would make allegations against the Oregon Republican. Former rep. John Miller r-\vash., Lio was still in of fice at the time got a Call from Packwood asking about a woman they both knew on Capitol Hill the oregonian said. The newspaper quoted a source As saying Miller was angry about Packwood s request and refused to Cooper ate. Miller declined to comment. Portland lawyer Mark Long also refused to cooperate the paper said. Packwood asked Long if one of the accusers had Ever made advances toward him the newspaper said. Long also declined to comment on the report. The oregonian said three congressional staff members wrote statements about the accusers Josie Martin press Secretary for republicans on the Senate finance com Mittee Lindy Paull Deputy chief of staff for republicans on the same committee and Julia brim Edwards pack Wood s communications director. Brim Edwards said she voluntarily provided the statement and was prepared to testify before the Senate select committee on ethics which is investigating the allegations against Packwood. She said her statement re lated to an accuser s professionalism behaviour in the of fice and interaction with  Paull said Only that her statement did not contain an references to anyone s past sexual  Martin declined to comment. None of the statements dealt specifically with the Inci dents mentioned by Packwood s accusers the washing ton Post said. The Post has not published any of the information in the statements. Woman gives birth to premature quilts Rochester . A a 24-year-old woman gave birth saturday to premature quintuplets but Mother and children were reported in satisfactory condition. The babies were delivered by caesarean Sec Tion 10 weeks Early at Strong memorial Hospital because the Mother. Sandy Saxton began going into labor Hospital spokeswoman Ruth Myers said a team of 35 doctors and nurses helped de liver the two girls and three boys. There were no complications with the caesarean Section and the delivery went perfectly or. Stephan Sanko said in a statement initially the babies look healthy and the Mother is doing very Well said Sanko an obstetrician. Saxton and her husband Scott live in water Loo about 45 Miles East of Rochester. Their 2 year old daughter Kyla had a Chance to see the babies just after delivery Myers said. The babies who weren t immediately named weigh Between 2v and 3 pounds each. They were breathing with the help of ventilators sat urday night but were listed in satisfactory Condi Tion Myers said. Doctors said it is not unusual for premature babies to spend time on ventilators because their lungs Are not fully developed