European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 15, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes _ . Monday August 15. 1994 i cuban refugees evoke fears of new Mariel lift key West Fla. A Only a week ago Jorge Felix Ramirez was at Havana s Harbor screaming at cuban authorities to let a hijacked water taxi loaded with refugees sail away from his beleaguered country. Let them go let them go Ramirez recalled shout ing from the Plaza at male con. He said authorities threw rocks and beat the thousands of protesters who had gathered at the Seaside Plaza. Just two Days later Ramirez and six others boarded a Rowboat for their own voyage to Florida and Freedom joining the record numbers of cubans who have made the journey this year. His hands were blistered fro three Days of rowing. Last week s events in Cuba and the swelling Stream of migrants such As the 28-year-old Ramirez who arrived in key West Early thursday Are resurrecting a disturbing memory for South floridians the Marielba Ratlift. In 1980, cuban president Fidel Castro allowed125,000 cubans to sail from the port of Mariel and swarm to South Florida stressing the state s social serv ices to the breaking Point. Many of those refugees were convicted criminals and mental Hospital patients. After the latest disturbances in Havana Castro threatened to release another huge wave of refugees.  the United states and its Long standing sanctions and immigration policies for his Caribbean nation s economic woes. Castro s insistence that United states policy is responsible for the rising number of cubans fleeing their Homeland is simply untrue state department spokes Man David Johnson said. The key Factor is the cuban government s failure to implement meaningful and significant political and economic  Cuba began a disastrous plunge after the collapse of its soviet bloc benefactors. For the last two years it also has been racked by poor harvests of sugar a mainstay of its Economy. The situation is desperate said Arturo Cobo head of the cuban transit Center on Stock Island just off key West. Corp was the coordinator of the key West refugee processing operation for Mariel in 1980. In 1980, it was like heaven. Compared to now Cobo said. It s not that Cuba was Good in 1980. Food was rationed but they had food. Mow it s Zero. Nonfood no Medicine no  in the stars and stripes 10 year Sago aug. 15,1984 Egypt warned against a recurrence of mine laying in the red sea and Gulf of Suez Fol lowing a reported threat by pro Ira Nian Muslim extremists that they would Plant explosives in the key Waterways again. 20 years ago aug. 15,1974 Greece pulled its military forces out of nato say ing the Alliance had failed to Stop Fel Low member Turkey from creating a warlike situation Over Cyprus. 30 years ago aug. 15,1964 . Secretary of state Dean Rusk indicated that communist China was the main threat to world peace holding out Hope that nato and the Warsaw pact nations would eventually Over come their differences. 40 years ago aug. 15,1954 the state department unveiled a prize catch in the East West espionage Battle with an extraordinary personal appear Ance by spy Yuri a. Ras Tovrov who defected in Japan and was granted Asylum in the United states. L world War ii 50 years ago today aug. 15 1.9.4.4 an Allied invasion Fleet lands three american divisions in the South of France Between Toulon and Cannes. In Normandy British and Canadian troops gain Little ground around Falaise while German forces Stream eastward toward the Gap left by the halt of american soldiers at Argenta. The main japanese Garrison on num foor Island off new. Guinea holes up in the Pokriki area. Source .2734 Days of War w. H Smith. Publishers inc. The world almanac of world War ii. Bison books corp. 1981 a robot rescued Pilot Marc Johnston inspects the Dante ii robot after it was airlifted saturday from a volcanic Crater at mount Spurr near Kenai Alaska the robot was lined out by helicopter More than a week after a misstep sent the 1,700-Pound Nasa explorer sprawling in the Boulder strewn landscape. Dante got into trouble while climbing Back out of the Crater after a week of gathering scientific data deep inside Spurr. La. Keeps lost visitor on run All night Long los Angeles a far from his Caribbean Home marathoner Michael Alexander was t sure what to do when he got lost amid the sameness of the san Fernando Valley. B e so he did what he does Best. He ran. And ran and ran Many Miles and More than 13 hours later Alexander flawed Dow police in a passing car who took him Back to the Home of the sister he was visiting. He was Only 1v$ Miles away. R he to a Little embarrassed but of Alexander 25, said Friday. Alexander got turned around after a 7 30 . Run thursday winding up on the Busy Ventura freeway. Noav wed i thought it was just like a Normal Street he said. Yes i did fearsome cars honking but i did t pay much attention " As darkness set in Alexander realized he was lost and flae eed Down a police car but they did t seem to  then a fore Jerk gave him bad directions. On he jogged. Clerk ave penniless and without his sister s phone number Alexir for Annii called Home collect to his sister in Tobago a Etc i an Island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. She called his is emn Mangeles. But no on including Alexander himself Lew where h Ponce car Alexander Call his democrats express doubts about Altman activities from wire reports Washington democratic legislators have notified the White House that they have ongoing concerns about Deputy Treasury Secretary Roger Altman because of his handling of the Whitewater affair administration officials said saturday. The legislators Lack of Confidence in the Wake of Altman s testimony at Whitewater hearings on Capitol Hill appeared to further Cloud his Prospect for retaining Nis Job. White House chief of staff Leon Panetta during a photo session with reporters ignored questions about whether Altman could function effectively without the backing of key legislators. Altman s future has been in doubt since his initial accounts to Congress of administration activities related to the Whitewater probe turned out to be incomplete. In More recent congressional hearings he offered testimony that was at Odds with a number of other administration officials but insisted he never meant to mislead Congress. Firefighting plane crashes Palmdale Calif. At least two people did when a firefighting plane carrying flame retardant chemicals crashed in mountainous terrain saturday setting two Small fires. The c-130 Hercules crashed on pallet Mountain in the Angeles National Forest a . Fores service spokesman said. Two people were killed and officials were searching for a third person who might have been on the plane. The c-130 was on its Way to drop fire retardant on a 30-acre fire in Kern county when it crashed. The cause of the crash was not known police group backs North Fredericksburg a. Is. Senate candidate Oliver North won the endorsement of Virginia s largest Law enforcement organization saturday a Victory he said shows he would be tougher than his opponents on crime. Forty nine representatives of the Virginia state Lodge of the fraternal order of police which claims a membership of almost 8,000 Active arid retired Law enforcement officers voted by secret ballot to Back North. Garth l. Wheeler the Fop s president called North someone who would make change and not do the usual  boy Dies in car trunk Moreno Valley Calif. A 4-year-old bodied and his 3-year-old playmate was in fair condition after they became trapped in a car s trunk and waited in 160-degree heat to be discovered. Jared Victor Tootell and Anthony r. Pullam were playing near their Homes Friday when they climbed inside the trunk of a car and accidentally Locke themselves in authorities said. The Grandfather of one of the boys realized they were missing and searched the neighbourhood before looking inside the trunk where he found Jared dead and Anthony unconscious. Temperatures soared into the triple digits across Southern California on Friday. Trained cattle Stampede Napa Calif. Showing off highly trained longhorn cattle was supposed to Rustle up interest in a local fair. But by the time the dust settled the longhorns Stampede had knocked Over Street signs a smashed into police  told us they were highly trained that they could be controlled. Obviously they could t. I think wait n 2 one of Hurt it Michael Berg said.  of 25 longhorns was released in the Center of town to help sell tickets for the napa1 own and country fair. The cattle immediately began to devour the City Hall Lawn and shrubs. I Nen the Rodeo organizers urged them along the one mile Stampede route to the Fairgrounds. The longhorns took off like the bulls at Pamplona  he cattle bumped into parked cars and knocked into Street signs. One butted against the doors of a Bank while three employees held it  police could Only stand by. At one Point the Wurns smashed into the Side of a sheriff s  the cattle finally reached the Fairgrounds cowboys herded them Back onto their truck. Fair organizers say they did t know whether the run through town in the rolling wine country 36 Miles North of san Francisco boosted ticket sales