European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 21, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes . Sunday. February St 1993jackson reportedly weighs a act top Job by Lynne Duck the Washington Post Washington a the Rev. Jcsse l. Jackson is seriously considering a move to the soon to be vacant leadership of the nations oldest and largest civil rights group the a act informed sources say. The National association for the advancement of coloured people began its secretive selection process Friday yielding a Short list of executive director candidates that a search committee was to submit to the 64-Mcmbcr a act Board saturday in new York. The names were winnowed from an original Pool of More than 75 peo Jackson Pic interested in succeed ing Benjamin l. Hooks who retires March 31 after 15 years As executive director. A potential Jackson move from the National Rainbow coalition which he founded in 1984, has been the subject of rampant speculation within civil rights circles. Some a act members a most prominently Percy Sutton a Jackson ally a arc pressing the two time democratic presidential candidate to seek the a act Job. A a he a torn a said a source close to Jackson. A i know for a fact that Many people on the a act Board arc pushing him to do it and nonmembers arc saying you Are  Sutton a new York City businessman and member of the a act search committee said a the a act needs him Jackson and he needs the a act. A 1jackson the District of Columbia s nonvoting senator has refused to discuss the Issue As have Ernest Green head of the search committee and William f. Gibson a act Board chairman. Hooks the organizations fifth executive director said earlier last week that his $135,000 Job has been the subject of such interest that a i can to go 24 hours without getting four or five phone Calls about who a it going to be have i heard or is it  Hooks said he is not part of the selection process. As a Central Force in the civil rights movement the a act carries historical clout. Thurgood Marshall the late supreme court Justice was among its Many lawyers. As civil rights issues have changed however the group has been criticized for being put of step with the times. But Hooks said the level of interest in his Job and the Caliper of the people whose names have been touted As candidates suggests that rumours of the a acpt a irrelevance Are  Harvey Gantt the former mayor of Charlotte  has been mentioned for the Post but said he is a a absolute by not seeking it. Randall Robinson director of trans Africa said a Board member placed his name in Contention but he does not consider himself a candidate Delano Lewis president of Cap Telephone co., said he is interested but would not discuss whether he has had discussions with the a act Board. One official applicant is the Rev. Benjamin Chavis executive director of the United Church of Christ a commission for racial Justice. He said he welcomed the competitive atmosphere surrounding the position but added �?o1 Hope that the decision is not a popularity  if Jackson were to be selected by the a acpt a full Board it is not Clear whether he would accept the Job or How his departure would affect the Rainbow coalition. While running for the democratic presidential not nation in 1984, Jackson formed the group to speak to concerns of economically socially and facially disaffected americans ranging from inner City Blacks to White  artists add to Hurricane victims7 trauma Fly John Pacenti the associated press Richmond Heights Fla. Dorothy Franklin thought she was on the road4o-Rccovery from Hurricane Andrew. Instead she said she was do toured by an unscrupulous contractor who Lefther Home in shambles. Her immediate concern six months after Andrew rumbled through South Florida was keeping the mosquitoes and rain from coming in through her unfinished ceiling. Now Franklin is worried about the $20,000 she estimates the contractor took her for. �?o1 Felt like he took total advantage of me a Franklin said. A the was mannerly and everything that he said seemed professional. Instead his workers told me he took the Money and went out to the  while volunteers rushed to the Aid of the 250,000 suddenly homeless floridians Many whose Homes were barely left standing found themselves victimized by people looking to turn a fast Buck. Many residents who thought they would be getting on with their lives still have plastic tarps for roofs after falling prey to unlicensed subcontractors and scam artists. Franklin a 45-year-old bus Driver said the contractor received Money but did not finish her Fence. He put up her ceiling molding wet it had to torn Down and has yet to be replaced. And he left her closet doors out in the rain she said. About half of the Money lost will be covered by insurance but others arc not so Lucky. A i have never Felt so humiliated and so dejected in All my life a said Alex Allens a 34-year-old brokerage company employee. A there i am living through this crisis and i have someone rip me off. Its a Nightmare. I just want my life  a roofer using a stolen invoice took $7,300 that Allens had received from the Federal emergency management administration Ana disappeared she said. A a it a just horror Story after horror Story a Allens said of her neighbourhood of Richmond Heights an area South of Miami consisting of Middle class families most of them Black. A you just get used to hearing this Type of thing. Before it would Shock  among the stories Allens has heard in the neighbourhood is the tale of an elderly woman who gave $40,000 to a work Crew to fix her Home a Only to have them disappear. Officials have made Quot some Effort to get a handle on the fraud but they Haven to been Able to control it a said William j. Davis a consultant for the insurance Industry s Hurricane insurance information Center. A there is just a shortage of licensed  Dade county building officials have received thousands of complaints about bad construction work since Andrew. In december the building department logged 879 complaints up from 69 a year ago. In response the metro Dade Pooce recently hired five enforcement officers and plans Call for 29 More officers inspectors and clerks who will be brought on Board to patrol neighbourhoods conduct sting operations and investigate complaints. Debased Homestead strikes out with Spring training Fly William Booth the Washington Post Homestead Fla. A of All the misdeeds done by Hurricane Andrew none was less sporting than this. The storm stole baseball. Friday was to be the first Day of Spring training for the Cleveland indians at their new Home. After. 46 years in Arizona they were moving to the just completed Salmon coloured Teal toned Homestead sports Complex. Alas instead of being Down Here the indians were up there 229 Miles to the North at Chain of lakes Park in Winter Haven contemplating their jumping jacks and wind sprints. The indians fanned on Homestead not because they do not like this Small town of Farmers retirees and fighter pilots but because this was ground Zero for Andrewes 120 Mph winds last August and is missing amenities such As roofs windows and Walls. A we needed not Only the baseball Diamond and stadium but places to live to cat and to get medical attention Quot indians spokesman Bob Dibiasio said. A we would have been a Burden to a City where peo pie Are still standing in line to get water and mail. True All True. Homestead is still shovelling out from under Hurricane Andrew one of the nations most damaging storms. Nevertheless loss of Spring baseball a even being deprived of a team such As the indians who have not been in the world series for 39 years a is not a Happy occasion. The Diamond at the stadium is in perfect shape t he grass is gorgeous like an immense putting Green the base paths Are packed raked and clean. Was not always so Andrew did bad things to the $20 million 6,500-seat Park. Al l?.?amp,e�?T ?tadi4m manager Brandon Koehnke said the scoreboard sorta  ditto the indoor batting Tunnel and the building around it. Not going going but just gone. The stadium roof also blew away destroying the press Box and sky suites. About 2,000 of the 6,500 Teal toned seats All with backs and armrests had to be replaced. Estimated damage close to $7 million a Ballpark figure Koehnke conceded. By Friday however almost everything was repaired. The Field is ready for major league baseball and the stadium is almost so. Koehnle said it is among the finest Fields in Spring baseball. The indians have another year to think about coming to Homestead. If the town s battered infrastructure to rebuilt Dibiasio said they Likely will come but nothing is certain. Many Florida communities share that dream. The state now plays Host to 20 of the 28 major league teams two More than last year when Spring training brought $305 million to local economies. The other teams train in Arizona. A 4 More excused from King jury Over fears of bios me Akinori cd ,. I Ltd a a. Los Angeles up eleven pro spec tic jurors were dismissed Frida from the Rodney g. King beating trial four of them because the judge believed they might be biased. The jury selection process was in its fourth Day when the panellists were excused and replaced by 11 new candidates. Three police officers and a former officer All White face trial Over the 1991 videotaped beating of the Black Motorist. Twelve prospective jurors were dismissed thursday six because they might have been biased. Federal judge John g. Davies dismissed four potential Friday jurors on in grounds they would be unable to Render a if fair verdict in the racially charged civil rights Case. One White Man in his 60s said he thought the White officers a overdid it when they repeatedly clubbed and kicked King before his arrest. A hispanic Man was dismissed based on a response in his questionnaire which along with Tho jurors identities remain secret. A Middle aged White Man asked to be excused because he was concerned about Bis safety if he were on the panel. A White woman said she could not be a  Tahr a Quot five other panellists a three Mihl  3 hispanic we Man and a Black Man a were rejected by attorneys under peremptory challenges which not require explanation. S do a ii suisse a Woma Quot Quot Hose z. M 1�?"1 Quot Hile a using the drug i up. When she went to Nirla him up he was fighting off six officers the policemen have contended the Hought King was on pc which makes the user powerful and belligerent. Kings drug tests were negative. Prosecutors also excused a Man who said he always had favourable experiences with police officers. Defense attorneys dismissed a Man described outside court by lawyer Ira s3tf Man As a a kind of a �?T60s  sgt. Stacey c. Koon officers Theodore j. Briseno and Laurence m. Powell Ana fired officer Timothy e. Wind charged with deliberately violating King civil rights. If convicted they face up to 10 years a prison