European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 26, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes . Friday August,26,1994 fired Chavis weighs lot of options Washington a ousted a act Leader Benjamin Chavis says hell continue working As a Freedom fighter but has t decided what role hell end up playing with an Assembly of grass roots civil rights activists. Chavis has pledged to open a washing ton office of the National african Ameri can leadership Summit but declined to say whether he was forming a new organization. I have a Jot of options. I have not made any decisions yet he said wednesday after a judge rejected his re quest to be reinstated to his a act Job while his lawsuit against the group makes its Way through the courts. The Board of directors of the National association for the advancement of col ored people voted 53-5 saturday to fir him. The next Day Chavis met with Blac activists who had travelled to Baltimore for an a act convened Unity meeting. That gathering included nation of islam Leader Louis Farrakhan whose Chavis brokered Alliance with the a act helped bring about Chavis ouster. On wednesday judge Herbert Dixon of the District of Columbia Superior court declined Chavis request for a temporary restraining order against his fir ing. He said he could no More order the a act to take Chavis Back than he could Force him to continue to work against his wishes. Minutes after the ruling was issued Chavis and a act leaders agreed to discuss an amicable settlement of their bitter dispute. The two sides also dropped the contentious rhetoric they had used since Chavis firing. The past is prologue. We re moving Forward said the a act s interim administrator Earl Shinhoster. Controversy is not new in any pluralistic  the Post Chavis a act is looking to boost its membership raise $3 million by the end of the year and return to mainstream Integrationist Agenda Shin Hoster said he expects to continue Many 18,000 firefighters trying to subdue 31 blazes in West by the associated press mild weather Lent a hand wednesday As firefighters from the Rocky mountains to the West coast kept up what is turning into a summer Long Battle against Doz ens of wildfires. In Idaho where some of the worst blazes Are Burn ing so Many Young people Are working on fire line that state colleges Are allowing preregistered students to return to classes As much As three weeks late. More than 18,000 firefighters were battling 31 major fires in seven Western states that had burned across More than a half million acres the National inter Gen by fire Center reported wednesday. The fires in Idaho California Montana Nevada Oklahoma Oregon and Washington have consumed 524,057 acres. But mild weather helped firefighters in the Rockies and temperatures in the 80s farther we stat least did t hinder them. In Idaho residents were allowed to return to Moun Tain Homes near Boise on wednesday As the threat of the Star Gulch fire in the Boise National Forest began to diminish. People living in a Valley closer to ,.however, were Only allowed Home for a few hours. The Star Gulch fire which consumed 27,000 acres and destroyed one Home is believed to have been deliberately set. A $10,000 Reward has been offered for information about it. The Idaho City Complex of fires also in the Boise Forest reached 54,700 acres wednesday and the Thunderbolt Mountain fire has burned More than 8,800 acres of the Forest. About 100 Miles North in Idaho s Payette National Forest several big fires still burning have blackened More than 120,000 acres. About 2,000 firefighters were attacking them. In California s Sierra Nevada exhausted dishevelled firefighters declared Victory wednesday Over the46,800-acre Cottonwood fire that has burned for eight Days but is now 95 percent contained. Farther South in the Sierra National Forest fire fighter battled a 1,000-acre Blaze that was discovered wednesday morning 50 Miles East of Fresno. In Southern Oregon a Blaze that broke out 15 Miles Northwest of Medford late tuesday quickly flashed across 1,800 acres of Brush and Timber threatening 87 scattered Back country Homes. County officials blasted by Man fined for Pasco Wash. A it was a heavy Box sealed shut with a strange rattle coming from in Side. No wonder the people who collect traffic fines were nervous. Workers at the Franklin county District court clerk s office called the bomb squad when the 30 Pound parcel showed up wednesday. Police cautiously opened the Box outside. The explosives turned out to be entirely verbal. I m hot going to spend another Nickel on Franklin county Hans Selvog wrote on a note inside the Box which was filled with 2,280 Nickels to pay a $114 traffic Fine. Selvog of Albany ore., was caught aug. 6 driving 72 Mph in a 55-Mph zone. Wrong turn towing company employee Johi Volpi swims to a car in an apart ment Complex swimming Pool on Chicago s North Side wednesday. Bennie Shure 84, the Driver and his wife Molly 76, were rescued after their car accidentally slowed through a Fence and plunged into the Pool. They were taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston where Bennie Shure was reportedly in serious condition and Molly in fair condition. Vav. ,.-_ v  v v of Chavis programs particularly the out reach to african and Caribbean nations. Shinhoster also said the a act would work with Schavis in his new Endeavor. To the extent we can we will he said. There should be african-americansummits.". In firing Chavis Board members cited his failure to disclose that he had used a act Money to Settle a $332,400 sex discrimination claim by former employee mar Stansel. According to an affidavit by Board vice1 president Larry Carter other aspects of Chavis leadership also were a Factor in his firing. Espy s Story on tickets for super bowl challenged Washington a an Atlanta museum that invited agriculture Secre tary Mike Espy to the 1994-super bowl said it paid $900 for four tickets More than double what he reported on a government disclosure form. Neither Espy s office nor his attorney could immediately explain Why Espy reported that he received four tickets Worth $350. That amount was the face value of two tickets. Mary Stimmel spokeswoman for at Lanta s Fernbank museum of natural history originally told the associated press that Espy received four tickets for less than $400. But Stimmel corrected the figure to $900 wednesday. Stimmel said wednesday that Espy used All four tickets so his Girlfriend and children could attend the Jan. 30 game. Espy charged the government $849 for travel lodging and meals on the two Day trip documents show. Espy made the trip because Smokey Bear s 50th birthday Wasto be honoured at the game. Smokey is the Mascot of the . For est service which is under Espy s Juris diction. The museum had invited esp because it had assembled a travelling exhibition marking Smokey s birthday. The exhibition opened feb. 4, the Friday after the game. Although the event was Given As the main reason for the trip Espy had at least one other business meeting. On the Day before the game. Espy had lunch near Atlanta with officials of the Oglethorpe Power corp. The company is trying to refinance $3 billion Worth of debt guaranteed by the Rural electrification administration an Agency of the agriculture department. Company spokesman Greg Jones said company officials requested the 90-min Ute working lunch after learning that Espy would be in town. Stimmel the Fernbank spokeswoman said the super bowl tickets were bought at the last minute once officials Learned that Espy wanted to attend the game. Judge clears Man who whacked rat to death Hillside . A a judge has dropped Ani Mal cruelty charges against a Gardener who killed a rat. About 100 supporters clapped and cheered wednes Day when the judge cleared Frank Balun after a Brief hearing. Prosecutor Christopher Howard asked the judge to drop the charges. Municipal court judge Albert Parsonnet concurred adding that he was dismissing the charge based on a state statute that allows people to destroy vermin dam aging their crops or livestock. Balun 69, did t speak at the hearing. Afterwards he said he just wanted things to get Back to Normal. This got kind of old after a while he said. Balun caught the rat in a Squirrel trap after realizing that it was eating his Tomato plants. He whacked it with a Broom handle when it poked out its nose. Balun got in trouble when he called an officer from the associated humane societies to get the carcass. The officer took the rat s picture and left with it in the trap. Executive director Lee Bernstein issued Balun two summonses when he came to the Agency to get the trap Back. Each summons carried a penalty of up to six months in jail and $1,250 in fines