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Show Wednesday, October National News 5, 1988 THE HERALD, Provo, Utah. The latest in news from aeross the United States Drovided by Associated Press. - Page 17 KTi&i? ill Canadian businessman buys out PTL for $115 million CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) " PTL announced Tuesday it had negotiated a sale of its assets :for $115 million to a Canadian businessman, a month after PTL founder Jim Bakker failed in his efforts to return to the helm of his television ministry. Stephen R. Mernick, 34, 01 Toronto, will pay $50 million at closing under terms of the deal ;and pay the balance over five I ! ; years, according to a statement handed out prior to a news conference by a Mernick spokesman. Mernick has interests in real estate, clothing, garbage collection and landfills, the statement said. PTL has been under the supervision of U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Rufus Reynolds, who told PTL trustee M.L. "Red" Benton that a buyer $130 opens Testimony - divorce-fixin- g The trial of former Miss America Bess Myerson, her lover and a judge is "about money and greed and the abuse of power," a federal prosecutor said. But defense lawyers countered in opening statements Tuesday that the case was unjustified, "contrived" and "ridiculous." Testimony was expected to begin today at federal court. Miss Myerson, 64, the city's former cultural affairs commissioner, is on trial with Carl "Andy" Capasso, 43, and former state Supreme Court Justice Hortense Gabel, 75, who presided over part of Capasso's bitter divorce. The three face five counts each of conspiracy, mail fraud and bribe-relate- d charges for an alleged scheme to slash Capasso's weekly child support and alimony payments. Miss Myerson is accused of city giving a $19,000-a-yejob to Mrs. Gabel's daughter, Sukhreet, who was then 34, to get the judge to reduce Caar passo's temporary support payments to his wife. Miss Myerson was named a in the Capasso divorce. She is also charged with obstructing justice for allegedly trying to keep Sukhreet Gabel from testifying truthfully before a federal grand jury. "This is a case about money and greed and the abuse of power," Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lawrence told the jury Tuesday. "It is about the use of secrets, deceptions and lies to keep the truth from the public." Miss Myerson, who was Miss America .1945, was ; forced by the scandal known locally as the "Bess to resign her city Mess" post last year. Describing her as "one of the celebrities of New York," Lawrence said, "This case is about whether such privileged people are above the law." But Capasso's attorney insisted it was the result of a seph Kluttz conference. million. said at a news PTL's property, mostly in Fort Mill, S.C., includes a tele- Mernick was not at Tuesday's news conference. An Orthodox Jew, he was in Toronto and didn't travel to Charlotte because Tuesday was the Jewish holiday of Simhat Torah. "His primary interest as a businessman is to get the max 'Bess Mess' NEW YORK (AP) return on his investment," Charlotte attorney Joimum must be found by Oct. 14 or he would order the assets sold to pay creditors. The ministry is estimated to owe more than vision studio, a hotel and shopping center, a campground, amusement park and a church. Private housing also has been developed on the property. Bakker, who resigned as (AP) former mayoral candidate who was the city's chief administrator for 10 years has been indicted with 13 others for having sex with teen-ag- e girls at a biotic underage prostitutes as the regular client they knew as car "George." The dealer and politician later was been characterized by a new story and a new treatment every year for the last 50 years," he said. He made the comment following an announcement Tuesday that the antibiotic could ease symptoms in women who had an unrecognized underlying infection. The report by Dr. Atilla Toth, a gynecologist at the New York Medical CenHospital-Corne- ll ter in New York, was pub doxy-cycli- Ca- picked out of a photo lineup in front of a grand jury. Arson charges leveled at man RANCHO CUCAMONGA, A man has Calif. (AP) been charged with setting a 12,000-acr- e wildfire that continues to burn in the San Bernardino Mountains and is under investigation in 23 other arson blazes, officials announced Tuesday. James Lonczak, 41, of Covina was charged Monday in Los Angeles federal court with setting the Sept. 28 fire : a . I Jr , "2 - 7,"j .. r" . Bess Myerson heads for court. in the San Bernardino Mountains that has consumed 12,000 acres and cost $2 million to fight, prosecu- tors said. sor, ran for mayor last year, coming in a close third. In a three-minuappearance before reporters Tuesday, Boas did not deny involvement with prostitutes and refused to answer questions on the subject. He hinted he was being targeted unfairly by District Attorney Arlo Smith. "During my entire life, I have always done my utmost to be constructive, honest and productive," he said. "For my family's sake ... I am truly saddened that someone in the criminal justice system tried to convict me in the media using leaks, rumors and innuendo in advance of the legal process." His attorney, John Keker, said he expected Boas to be acquitted of all charges. Boas, his attorney and Smith would not disclose specifics of the indictment. The San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner reported on the indictments extensively, quoting unidentified sources. City Hall Boas reportedly faces 18 counts of unlawful sex with minors during the last three years. Those indicted faced possible felony charges that could carry up to three years in prison. The girls told police they had been coached to act as young as possible with their clients, who they were told paid a premium for sex with minors. A police officer, Patrick Miyagishima, reportedly faces two counts of having unlawful sex with a minor. Store removes tobacco items for absence of cancer warning - LOS ANGELES (AP) Cal- pipe tobacco and chewing tobacco from shelves because the products are not labeled as g in compliance with a state law. Cigarettes are not involved in the action announced Tuesday by Vons Cos. Inc. because they already carry a federally mandated warning label. Several brands of chewing tobacco that carry such labels also are exempt. cancer-causin- "It's the first time we are aware of that a supermarket ne - te ifornia's largest supermarket chain began removing cigars, signed with Benton on Monday after about three weeks of negotiations. Benton also did not attend the news conference. But Kluttz distributed a statement from Benton saying he would recommend approval of the bid to Reynolds later this week. lished in The Journal of International Medical Research. Rubinow said he was not familiar with Toth's study, but he had some general comments about premenstrual syndrome, which is one of his research interests. "While I can't reject the results of this study out of hand without having an opportunity to review the work, I would simply urge considerable caution in the interpretation of this data, lest people run out and demand the latest of a long series of treatments that may not be effective, at best, and may be associated with complications, at worst." At a press conference, Toth said that 15 women who were given the antibiotic and asked to rate their symptoms showed a "highly significant improvement in the symptom score at the end of the month." Fifteen others given a placebo showed little change in symptoms. Toth said an estimated 90 percent of women suffer from premenstrual syndrome during their reproductive years. AIDS infected kids judge. If convicted of all charges, Miss Myerson would face up to 30 years in prison and $513,000 in fines. Capasso and Mrs. Gabel each could get up to 25 years and fined $263,000. Roger Boas Boas, who also served from 1962 to 1973 as a city supervi that outcome." Kluttz said the contract was Day care center opens in Newark for Noting Mrs. Gabel's 40 years of public service, her lawyer, Michael Feldberg, asked if it made sense for her to "risk everything she had worked for" for a job for her daughter. He said there were no witnesses to or documents on the alleged bribery of the ffl ease "I think the whole area of needed his money. The attorney said that at the time, she was worth about $10 million. Capasso, once a millionaire sewer and water contractor, is serving a three-yea- r prison term for an unrelated tax conviction. brothel. The indictments Monday foinvestigation llowed a into an operation ponce say earned $20,000 a week by pro-viding prostitutes as young as 14 to customers in the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, Idaho and Washington. Roger Boas, chief executive under former Mayors George Moscone and Dianne Feinstein, was allegedly identified by five help premenstrual syndrome has passo's divorce because she n may symptoms in some, says a National Institute of Mental Health researcher. Dr. David Rubinow, a psychiatrist and clinical director at the institute, said many treatments have been proposed for premenstrual syndrome but none have been proven to work. circumstantial. "It's contrived and ultimately one that is ridiculous," said Myerson attorney Frederick Hafetz. Hafetz disputed the government's contention that Miss ff Women suffering from premenstrual syndrome should react cautiously to a new report suggesting that a common anti- mean-spirite- A - NEW YORK (AP) Former 'Frisco city chief indicted - SAN FRANCISCO "Tammy and I remain committed to "the restoration of the ministry of PTL," Bakker said in a statement through his attorney. "If the present offer is agreeable to the creditors, the partners and the court, and God's will is satisfied with the respect to the ministry of PTL, we will be happy with Doctor cautions new in Myerson trial report may not be final word on PMS scorned wife's accusations. "There was no fury as ind tense and as that of Nancy Capasso," defense lawyer Jay Goldberg said in a loud voice. Lawyers for Miss Myerson and Mrs. Gabel attacked the government's case as purely Myerson schemed to fix head of PTL last year after admitting to adultery, made a $172 million offer last month for the ministry but couldn't raise the money. has taken product off the shelves in response to Proposition 65," said Deputy Attorney General Craig C. Thompson, the state enforcement coordinator for the law created by the November 1986 ballot ini- tiative. The law requires the state to identify products and substances than can cause cancer, birth defects and sterility. Businesses must warn the public of "significant" amounts of the substances. Vons has 336 stores in the central and southern parts of California. It recently acquired 172 Safeway supermarkets in Southern California. The removal of 17 tobacco products produced by five companies was designed to comply with Proposition 65, said Vons spokeswoman Vickie Sanders. On Friday, state Attorney General John K. Van de Kamp filed a civil lawsuit against 25 tobacco manufacturers and eight food store chains, including Vons. The suit claimed the companies failed to warn consumers of the cancer risk of certain products. On NEWARK, N.J. (AP) a rubble-strew- n lot in a poor neighborhood, officials dedicated a day care center for children with AIDS that will serve as the model for similar centers elsewhere. "We think this will be an exemplary project for other cities and counties," said Sydney J. Olson, the assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who attended the dedication Tuesday. The center is the first in the United States to operate with federal Head Start and state money. Similar centers will open soon in Los Angeles, Bos- ton, Baltimore and Alaska, Ms. Olson said. "Poor children with a terrible disease are a very easy constituency to forget," said Gov. Thomas H. Kean. "This center, with its Head Start background, will help children turn trouble into opportunity." Ms. Olson said New Jersey was chosen for the first center in part because of the state's high number of AIDS cases. "We desperately need this program," said state Human Services Altman. Commissioner Drew According to the federal for Disease Control, New Jersey has the second-highenumber of reported cases of children under age 13 with AIDS, 163. New York has Centers st the most, 364. New Jersey ranks fifth in the nation with 5,130 reported cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome, behind New York, California, Florida and Texas, according to the CDC. There are a total of 74,447 cases nationwide, with 1,185 of them among children under 13. AIDS is transmitted through the exchange of bodily fluids, most commonly during intimate sexual contact or the sharing of hypodermic needles. Most children who have the disease contract it in the womb and are born to women who are intravenous drug users. The Head Start center, in a brick building in Newark, is the result of efforts by community groups, businesses and local, state and federal governments. north-centr- al Researchers may use AZT in AIDS infected women By CAROLYN SKORNECK Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -Pregnant women infected with the deadly AIDS virus would be treated with the drug AZT in an attempt to protect their unborn children if an experiment being planned by researchers gets the from review boards. go-ahe- ad "The reason we think (prevention of infection of the fetus) might be possible is that AZT prevents the replication of the virus," said Dr. Daniel Hoth, director of the AIDS program at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. . . "It's theoretically possible that the AZT, if it reaches the fetus, might prevent it from establishing an infection," he said, referring to the drug formally known as azidothymi- - dine. Hoth said in a telephone interview Tuesday night that the studies are still at least several months away, as a formal proposal has not yet been completed, and the proposal would have to pass numerous hurdles in the form of review boards concerned with the safety of such tests. Patricia Randall, the institute's spokeswoman, went even further, saying the likelihood of an early start to such a study is "still pretty tenuous." "There's a lot of steps between now and the beginning of a study with pregnant women," she said. As of Sept. 26, AIDS had been diagnosed in 74,447 Americans, of whom 1,185 were children under age 13, and 924 of those children were infected at birth, according to the federal Center for Disease Control. |
