European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 10, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes . Quot tuesday August 10,1993 Post office goof meteor Shower May offer heavenly extravaganza to pensioners Philadelphia a nearly 300,000 retirees awaiting their August pension checks were waiting a bit longer after the mail was accidentally sent third class instead of first class. More than $100 million in checks from Prudential insurance co. Of America which handles pension plans for 3,200 companies nationwide were taken to the Post office in Scranton on july 23 with instructions to mail them july 26. But according to Scranton postmaster Timothy s. Primerano two mail handlers tried to Speed the process by sending the checks to Philadelphia a Day Early. From Philadelphia they mistakenly went out As third class mail. That meant the checks which usually travel first class by air went by truck train and even boat most people in the Northeast have received their checks by now Primerano said but some in the Midwest and West were still waiting Over the weekend. Quot nothing like this has Ever happened before a said Rick Matthews a spokesman for Prudential assets management co., a subsidiary. Retirees who usually receive their checks by the 28th started calling Prudential on july 29. Quot we logged Over a thousand Calls that one Day Quot Matthews said. Quot we had to put in additional people to handle the  Matthews said Prudential sent letters to its clients Friday explaining what happened and offered to reissue checks for those who do not receive them by wednesday. Florida doctor disciplined for Sloppy plastic surgery Tampa Fla. Up the Florida Board of Medicine has penalized a Tampa area plastic surgeon for leaving Gauze and a silicone splint fragment in a patient s nose. Arturo Calvo 47, agreed to pay a $3,000 Fine and take 30 hours of continuing medical education. An unidentified 39-year-pid female patient of Cal vols said she had hired him to do a forehead lift face lifting Chin tuck Eye lid corrections and deviated septum repair in november 1990. She complained that her nose bled for 18 Days and that Calvo did additional surgery a few weeks later. When she visited another doctor in june 1991, complaining of a malodorous Green discharge from her nose he referred her to two other doctors. Just before a scheduled appointment with an ear nose Throat specialist in september 1991, a piece of Gauze flew out when the woman blew her nose. The specialist discovered and removed a 1 to 2-Inch piece of splint in her nasal cavity which had caused a severe infection. By Steve Farr the associated press Start planning your wishes lots of them. The annual perseid meteor Shower might produce a rare and spectacular storm of shooting stars this week. About 60 meteors usually Streak across the sky each hour during the height of Augustus perseid Shower. But this year observers a especially in the Eastern United states Europe and Western Asia a May see thousands of meteors Flash across the sky in minutes wednesday night and Early thursday during the Shower s Peak. Quot everybody a touting the possibility there could be a storm but no one knows Quot said Stephen of Meara associate editor of sky amp Telescope Magazine. Nevertheless the possible intensity of the meteor Shower forced Nasa to delay the launch of the space shuttle discovery. Astronomer Daniel Green of the smithsonian astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge mass., agreed that this years Shower probably will be More spectacular than usual but said it will Only be an Quot enhanced display Quot of 400 to 300 meteors per hour. If the display is More spectacular it would be Only the third meteor storm seen from Earth this Century and the first since 1966, when the annual Leonid meteors exploded for about an hour Over Western North America. Meteor storms also were recorded in Europe in 1933, and North America in 1946. Astronomers said the meteor Shower should Peak at 9 . Edt give or take two or three hours. If the meteors Peak at that hour East coast sky watchers should get the Best views in North America while people in the Midwest and West Are waiting for darkness. But even West coast sky watchers May see 50 to 100 meteors each hour after the showers Peak Green said. Observers in Europe and Western Asia should have excellent views Early thursday he said in All areas look to the Northeast to see the meteors. Meteor showers happen when Earth passes through or near the Dusty orbit of a Comet. When pieces of dust or debris called meteoroids enter Earth a atmosphere they heat up and glow producing meteors. Fragments that hit Earth Are called meteorites. The perseid Are named for the Constellation Perseus because they appear to radiate from that part of the sky. The enhanced display is caused by debris from the Comet Swift Tuttle which reappeared in the solar system last year for the first time in 130 years. Night of the shooting stars observers in the Eastern United \ a states Europe and Western Asia May \ see an unusually impressive perseid a meteor Shower this year. The Star Chart above shows the View from the new York area at about 10 . Local time wednesday. If you Are watching from farther West the sky will look like this later in the evening. O what Are meteors they Are fast moving streaks of Light visible for a few seconds. They Are caused by fragments of Rock or Metal burning up As they Flash through Earth s atmosphere. Annual meteor showers happen because  / debris from Comet Swift Little enhances the perseid Shower or but o Earth Earth crosses the fragments orbit at the same time each year. Sources a 4 to a copy Magazine a Karl ate As the 6-mile-wide Ball of dust and ice neared the Sun in december it heated up and spewed debris in its Wake. Earth will be closest to the comets orbit wednesday and thursday. The annual Shower will be classified As a meteor storm if the planet passes through dense clumps of dust from the Comet. Nasa postponed discovery a launch because of a slim Chance that the Craft might be damaged by dust travelling up to 160,000 Mph. The Agency also said it would aim the optics on its Hubble space Telescope away from the meteors for about three hours during the perseid  whale of a tourist season has officials worried Provincetown mass. A whale lovers crowding onto sightseeing boats in record numbers to catch a glimpse of the playful Humpback might be disappointed. The Graceful giants Are hard to find this summer. A armed with cameras Sun Block and High expectations More than 1.5 million people Are expected to take whale watching cruises from Points in the Northeast during warm months this year Many looking for the popular Humpback. But so far Only three humpbacks have been seen in the prime viewing area a Stellwagen Bank off Cape cod a although other species Are still around according to the National Marine fisheries service. Last year there were about 100 humpbacks. Experts say most humpbacks probably went off in search of food. Now Federal officials worry that too Many vessels May be ganging up on the few lingering humpbacks violating Marine mammal Protection guidelines. Quot to see one Humpback whale surrounded by 20 recreational and whale watch boats is extremely unnerving a said Nancy Haley a fisheries service biologist. Quot the potential for harassing the whale is very  the fisheries service is sending warnings to whale watch operators reminding them that Only one boat at a time can approach within 300 feet of a whale. But regulators say recreational boaters Are among the worst offenders. A natural increase this year in Mackerel and herring which compete with humpbacks for Small eel like fish called Sand Lance has forced the whales out to sea or farther South to feed. A similar situation in 1986 forced Many whale watch companies out of business said Brian Macdonald chairman of the Northeast whale watching association. Other species of whales have been seen off Cape cod this season including Sinback right Minke and rare Sei whales. But its the humpbacks generally pictured on whale watch brochures that Are the most popular with visitors. Humpbacks which Range from 30 feet to 60 feet in length Are acrobatic often bringing their Heads and Long White flippers out of the water before diving Back under. Quot certainly humpbacks Are Well known because of their antics a Macdonald said. Quot they seem More playful to the Public. But if people coming in understand that humpbacks Are Only one species i think  still enjoy the  Many people apparently agree. Some operators say their business is up As much As 10 percent this summer Over last years record of about 1.5 million passengers. The Northeast boasts 25 whale watch companies with 50 vessels. They account for More than one third of the total International whale watching business and bring an estimated $317 million a year into the areas Economy. Macdonald said boat operators Tell customers there Are no guarantees of seeing their favorite whale. Quot they re wild animals Quot Macdonald said. Quot they go where they  at least one whale watch tour helped save a whales life Over the weekend. The cruise spotted a 35-foot North Atlantic right whale tangled in a fishing net about 20 Miles Northeast of Cape cod. It was rescued by experts saturday. A the animal was in very bad shape a said Charles Mayo director of the Center for coastal studies in Provincetown. Quot it was terribly scarred. In Many places the gear had Cut 10 inches deep into the  v the animal swam away after it was freed