European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 2, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday May 2, 1994 . The stars and stripes Page 5 by the new York times Colorado Springs Colo. Over the last year As the Navy has reeled under the Tail Hook scandal the air Force Academy has been facing up to its own sexual harassment crisis. But the reaction and the results could hardly be More different. Since february 1993, when a female freshman at the air Force Academy told Campus authorities that several Young men had sexually assaulted her outside the Cadet gymnasium a dozen other women have stepped Forward to Lodge complaints ranging from Date rape to fondling. A o As a result of investigations into the complaints an instructor and a Cadet have been court Martiale and jailed for sexual misconduct. Three other cadets have resigned and three More disciplined. Sensitivity training has been sharply increased. And a 24-hour confidential hot line on sexual assault is up and running. A All branches of the military Are struggling to eliminate sexual harassment in their ranks with varying degrees of sue Cess. But the air Force Academy scope Rienche shows what a difference decisions from the top can make. Nine Days after the assault the Academy a superintendent it. Gen. Bradley c. Hosmer gathered most of the Academy a 518 female cadets in the auditorium at the Campus near Colorado Springs. He ordered his male aides to leave and even  men in the projection Booth. Then he removed his insignia of rank and promised the women confidentiality in Exchange for the a ground truth about sexual harassment on the Campus. For nearly four emotionally charged hours the women poured out their fears and grievances in response to Hosmer s questions on How Many had experienced sexual assault or other forms of harassment or knew someone who had. Quot women were angry that the Academy Hadnot done something before this a said Cadet Rebecca Sonkiss a 21-Ycar-Oid senior from White Lake mich., who will enter flight school this Summ i. Hosmer said he was determined to avoid the Navy a stumbling response after scores of women were assaulted by naval aviators at the 1991 convention of the Tail Hook association in Las a vegas Aswell As the response to a sexual harassment episode at the . Naval Academy in 1990, where a female student was chained to a urinal by several male classmates. A few Days after meeting with the women Hosmer met with All the mate cadets. More than 50 percent of All the pc male cadets had said they knew of sexual harassment incidents but Only 9 percent of the men did. The air Force Academy quickly took action. First officials offered counselling to the harassment victims. Hosmer also summoned 10 additional air Force invest. To gators to assist the four permanently As signed agents to examine the complaints. A male senior was court Martiale for assaulting a female civilian. A male instructor who was a major was court Martiale for having consensual sex with a female freshman. ,. The 4,000-member Cadet Wing was divided into focus groups of eight to 12 men and women to discuss sexual harassment and leadership ethics. A i Learned More about human relations in the past semester than 1 did in the previous four years a said James Davis a senior from Millen a. Alaskans seek to net billions for Exxon spill Anchorage Alaska apr More than five years after crude Oil from the Exxon Valdez blackened alaskan Waters 10,000 fishermen property owners and Alaska natives Are taking giant Exxon corp. To court hoping to prove the pollution damaged their culture and livelihood. It a at stake in the civil trial opening today in Anchorage Federal court is an estimated $1.5 billion in compensatory damages and plaintiffs attorneys assert More than 10 times that in punitive damages. Houston based Exxon the worlds largest corporation refused comment As the Case was readied for trial. Brian of Neill the plaintiffs Lead attorney said the proceedings will captivate even people with no monetary interest because the Case is a cautionary tale of environmental disaster. This is the first civil trial resulting from the Accident March 24,1989, when the Tanker strayed from shipping lanes ran aground on a charted reef and gushed almost 11 million Gallons of North slope crude into Prince William sound. Exxon has already paid substantial fines and cleanup fees. In 1990, faced with a Federal criminal indictment alleging environmental crimes the company agreed to pay $100 million in restitution and $150 million in fines. The next year it paid $900 million to Settle state and Federal civil claims Over environmental damage. The company also has spent an estimated $2 billion to clean beaches and inlets in Prince William sound and the Gulf of Alaska and to restore wildlife habitat. The Oil killed half a million Birds outright and tainted an estimated 1,500 Miles of coastline. Today scientists still worry that Oil trapped under hard Shell Mussel Beds will slowly leak and cause Long term chronic pollution. Los Angeles apr a Santa Barbara county grand jury that spent three months investigating child molestation allegations against Michael Jackson has disbanded without announcing any action Jackson a lawyer said saturday the pop Star remains under investigation by a los Angeles county grand jury. Jackson 35, has residences in both counties Jackson a lawyer Howard Weitzman said the Santa Barbara panel disbanded Friday. He said the county District attorney can Call a new grand july. Authorities in Santa Barbara and los Angeles have been investigating the allegations against Jackson since last summer when a 13-year-old boy accused the Star of seducing him during a five month relationship. The youth filed a lawsuit against Jackson that was settled out of court reportedly for $15 million. Eight of the original munchkins from the wizard of of show off an imitation pair of Ruby slippers in boy St. Louis miss., to promote their video Ives a off to see the munchkins the actors arc Back Row from left Meinhardt Raabe Lewis Croft and Clarence Swan san second Row Jerry March Betty Tanner and Nils Nelson and front Row Karl Slover and Margaret Pellegrini. Ding Dong my Rich Kins on video Tanner said. Each was promised $100 a week when they made the of film 55 years ago. But Man received Only half that or less. Toto Dorothy a dog got $125 a week but the munchkins did t even get residuals from the movie. Still they have other memories a Many of them Good a of making the movie. Quot Judy Garland was very Sweet to be around a said Clarence Swensen of Texas. He was a Soldier in the Munchkin  she was a typical teen Ager a said Jerry Maren the a Lollipop Guild kid with the giant sucker. Bay St. Louis miss. Apr it Wasny to easy being a Munchkin. The pay was worse than Toto a. Now the surviving Little people from the the wizard of of Are getting even with their own Home video movie we re off to see the munchkins. Eight of the actors now in their 70s, gathered saturday to watch highlights of the documentary by John j. Anderson a local filmmaker. The a movie wifi be released May 27. A there Arentt too Many of us left and Many of those that Are Are sick Quot said Betty Tanner of Massachusetts. Of 124 munchkins Only 19 Are alive 75-cent tax going up in in Detroit up Michigan smokers bought their cigarettes by the Cartons saturday As  prepared to impose the highest cigarette tax in the nation a 75 cents per  cigarette tax increase along with a 50 percent increase in the state sales tax was to take effect at Midnight sunday. Voters approved the increases As part of a $10 billion package to Reform school financing. The package also drastically Cut property taxes. The cigarette tax increase is expected to bring the state $100 million More than the $245 million collected last year. The new Money will go toward Public education. The Michigan tax tops the 65 cents per pack collected by the District of Columbia the 60-cent tax in Hawaii and the 56 cents tacked on to every pack of smokes in new York. State police warned Michigan residents that they could be arrested for smuggling if they started crossing the Border to bring Home less expensive cigarettes from Ohio Indiana or Wisconsin