Show Standard-Examin- Saturday Feb 3 1S90 er 3A National Heims sought information on artists exhibits Kmght his letter cites several exhibits claimed to feature sexual or erotic themes However one of the exhibits Helms asked about was a showing of entries in a housing design competition sponsored by the DurhamChapel Hill NC chapter of the American Institute of Architects The letters were made public after a Freedom of Information request from the Los Angeles Times and later the Charlotte Observer In most cases the endowment reported no support for the artists or exhibits Helms listed But some artists believe that just by asking Helms was using his position to stifle artistic expression RJdef Newspapers WASHINGTON — Congress may ha e thought it settled the issue of federal financing of the arts last September C wanted but Sen Jesse Helms more answers Two rnomns after Congress watered down a Helms bill that would have forbidden the National Endowment for the Arts to help pay for any obscene pornographic or offensive art Helms wrote the agency to find out if it was supporting such work He asked for a report on its support of 20 artists exhibits or museums around the nation since 1982 Though Helms did not state the reason for his request His letters were a sort of “blacklist' protested Susan Wyatt executive director of Artists Space in New York exhibitor of one of the exhibits Helms questioned “He seems to set himseif as kind of a judge or policeman of various art projects" Wyatt said “It’s an intimidation tactic I think it does generate fear" Helms did not return calls on the matter The conservative Republican stirred up the arts community last May when he objected to endowment support for the works of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe some of which are sexual or homoerotic He also complained about an award to artist Andres Serrano whose “Piss Christ" picture showed a crucifix in a bottie of urine Last Nov 7 Helms wrote NEA chairman John Frchnmayer saying “I am curious whether any of the institutions or artists listed below have received endowment support since 1982" Among the exhibits or groups Helms asked about were: Project Artaud a San Francisco arts agency Helms inquired about a “Modern Primitives" exhibit there Center on Contemporary Art in Seat-tl- e “Witnesses: Against Our Vanishing" an exhibit of art about AIDS put on by Leeway given in Hazelwood jury ANCHORAGE Alaska (AP) — The judge in the trial of former Exxon Valdez captain Joseph Hazelwood today gave attorneys from both sides a bit more leeway in choosing jurors saying it would help ensure a nad Art Matter Inc a New tional foundation “Trouble in Paradise" an examination of censorship abortion and other issues at the List Visual Arts Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Individuals cited by Helms include a “master tatooist" a comedian who performs “an emotional presentation of his autoerotic scaffold" and a video artist whose work features “genital of tatooing piercing sacrification " In a Nov 30 letter Helms also asked about a book “Going Out" by John Strausbaugh and a photographic exhibit at the Tampa Fla Museum of Art York-base- hy selection Noriega status outlined Panamanian leader is prisoner of war fair trial Today is the fourth day of jury selection in the trial of Hazelwood skipper of the MIAMI (AP) — The government agreed Friday that Manuel Noriega is a prisoner of war but said that even under the Geneva Convention the former Panamanian leader can be prosecuted on drug charges in a civilian court supertanker when it wrecked and spilled nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil inta Prince William Sound in March The trial is expected to last up to six weeks Anchorage Superior Court Judge Karl Johnstone today gave two additional peremptory challenges to Hazelwood’s attorneys and one more to state prosecutors The defense already had exhausted its original allotment of 10 challenges The state originally was given six Peremptory challenges allow attorneys to remove a prospective juror without having to give a reason Otherwise they only can ask that a juror be removed for some cause such as expressed bias Johnstone said he granted the extra challenges in the interest US Joseph Hazelwood (left) prepares notes for his trial while Judge Karl Johnston listens to motions of a fair trial for Hazelwood He added that he finds it hard to believe statements by so many of the prospective jurors that they have little or no opinion about the case but he said he must accept such statements at face value because they were made under oath On Thursday Johnstone rejected defense efforts to exclude as evidence the results of two sobriety tests The defense had results argued that should be banned as evidence because they were obtained more than four hours after the accident He also denied an effort to have the test results blocked on grounds they were not presented to a grand jury as evidence of blood-alcoh- recklessness Hazelwood faces a felony charge of criminal mischief and misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment operating a vessel while intoxicated and negligent discharge of oil The maximum penalty for conviction on all counts is seven years three months in prison and $61000 in fines ol Johnstone said he would study defense attorneys’ requests for information they say the Coast Guard is unwilling to turn over The defense requested blood and urine tests administered to Hazelwood and members of the Exxon Valdez crew after the tanker struck a reef Bennett: Drug war being won Avianca pilot spoke WASHINGTON (AP) — National drug policy director William J Bennett said Friday that “the scourge is beginning to pass" and the war against drugs is being won “If you want to take World War II people say the battle of Midway was a turning point" Bennett told the Senate Judiciary Committee “I think we’re at Midway maybe a little beyond" Bennett said that when he became head of the war on drugs a year ago “it was by no means certain that we would win it" “My view has changed" Bennett said “The war is by no means over but it is clearly win-nable and the momentum is shifting our way Indeed there is still too much bad there are scattered but clear that we are beginning to I think while news signs win the scourge is beginning to pass" “If we keep up our efforts in- deed intensify our efforts we are going to win" Bennett said His testimony contained little if anything beyond what the Bush administration presented last week when it unxeiled the second strateinstallment of its drug-wa- r calling for a $106 billion budget in the fiscal year that begins next October gy For the most part senators of both parties were not interested in any clash of swords with Bennett over details of the plan The committee chairman Sen did ask Joseph Biden Bennett to comment on an alternative strategy Biden wrote It calls for putting more stress on e users education treate ment and a program to D-D- el hard-cor- one-tim- forgive international debt owed by Andean nations if farmers there plant other crops in place of the coca they normally produce Bennett said that he agreed with the bulk of w hat Biden proposed and that any differences were mostly a matter of emphasis He did say that if forced to choose between education and enforcement he would pick the latter fuel-starv- er’s drugs “Oh we see it all the time" said Darry l Mickle who practices in a clinic in southeastern Atlan- ta He told of a dachshund — Muffin — who was brought in disoriented and salivating “Is it possible that Muffin got of some type of plant or uh medication?" Mickle asked diplomatically The owner said no But Mickle traced the problem to an overhold dose “You know I thought it was my roommate who had stolen my marijuana but it was Muffin" the man later admitted Mickle estimated his clinic sees two pets a month that have eaten illegal drugs plus another two a month that swallowed a prescrip- tion drug alcohol or an remedy The Illinois Animal Poison Information Center which has the er ed co-pil- ot co-pil- ot The former secretary of education said that education remains his “first love" but that in fighting drugs it represents “a helpful auxiliary" “I know children" Bennett said “ That may not be a very rosy view of children but I do know children" Accidental overdoses of drugs increasing — among nation’s pets ATLANTA (AP) — If the nation needs another sign that the drug problem is getting worse veterinarians have one Animal doctors in the Atlanta area say they are treating an increasing number of patients who are disoriented having seizures in a coma or undergoing cardiac arrest because they ate their own- MINEOLA NY (AP) — Minutes after a missed approach to Kennedy Airport the pilot of Avianca Flight 52 if he had told asked the air traffic controllers they had an “emergency" a source close to the crash investigation said Friday didn’t directly anThe swer the question saying “I told them we’re low on fuel" the source who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press Investigators looking into the Jan 25 crash — which killed 73 of the 159 people aboard the Boeing 707 — have focused on the crew's use of the word “priority" instead of “emergency" in conversations with controllers When a pilot declares a fuel “emergency" to controllers the plane is cleared to land immediately That doesn't happen when the word “priority" is used Many signs suggest the Colombian airliner crashed because it ran out of fueL The cockpit tapes of conversation among the crew and between hot line for only national in 1988 for 85 calls handled pets animals that had consumed marijuana said operations director Harold Trammel Cocaine and alcohol ingestion were second with 35 calls each and other calls came in for prescription drug consumption amphetamines hallucinogens such as LSD and even one for heroin Last month Rob Lafferty of the Veterinary Medical Center in Alpharetta treated a sheepdog that had eaten its owner’s marijuana He said he gave the animal a drug that induces vomiting and “about the equivalent of a nickel bag came up" 24-ho- ur Department said The government’s position was outlined in a document filed in response to defense arguments that civilian courts lack jurisdiction over Noriega and Luis del Cid who are charged with drug trafficking and money laundering The men surrendered to US troops following the invasion of Panama Assistant US Attorney Michael Sullivan said in the document that the government agrees the Geneva Convention covers the hostilities in Panama “The government intends to 39-pa- of ‘emergency’ before airplane ran out of fuel The scourge is beginning to pass drug policy director says Justice spokesman David Runkel said prisoner-of-wa- r status means Noriega can direct any complaints about prison conditions to a US military liaison officer already designated by the Defense Department But he won’t be moved to a military jail Runkel the crew and controllers show there was a sense of urgency in the voices of the pilot and the source said Friday’s disclosure was the first indication that a crew member used the word “emergency" in describing their situation But the source said that word was never relayed to the ground The internal cockpit conversation wouldn’t have been audible to air traffic controllers the source said Fred Farrar a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said he was unfamiliar with the internal cockpit conversation and therefore couldn’t comment on whether the pilot used the word “emergency” The investigation has focused on the conversations among controllers and crew in the final leg of its flight from Bogota After nearly I Vi hours of weather-cause- d delays the crew told regional controllers the plane was low on fuel and needed priority handling The plane was then put in the hands of local controllers co-pil- ot provide prisoner-of-wa- r treatment to Noriega and del Cid" said the document But the Geneva Convention allows prosecution of prisoners for offenses committed before the time they came into US custody Sullivan said “Even if Noriega and del Cid are considered to be ’prisoners of war’ within the meaning of the Geneva Convention they are not entitled to dismissal of the charges against them" read the response filed with US District Judge William Hoeveler The judge has scheduled a hearing for Feb 8 on the issue of his jurisdiction and Noriega’s POW status The government could have to pay Noriega and del Cid up to 75 Swiss francs — about $50 in US currency — a month according to the Geneva Convention which requires such pay for officers Runkel said But he added the two have been discharged from the military by the new Panamanian government so the provision may not apply Noriega’s attorneys who have asked that their client be taken to a third country didn't answer calls to their homes and offices Study links breast cancer woman’s shape PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A new study indicates that weight distribution plays a role in the risk of breast cancer with “ap- fied an enzyme that may help papredict which breast-canctients are most likely to suffer a greater risk Breast cancer is expected to strike an estimated 150000 women and cause 44000 deaths this ple" shapes having than women with a “pear"-shapc- d bodies Women can gauge their risk of breast cancer by dividing their waist measurements by their hip measurements researchers from the University of South Florida said in a study published Thursday in the Philadelphia-base- d Annals of Internal Medicine In a separate studs Texas researchers said they have identi er relapse year The Florida study led by David Schapira of the H Lee Moffat Cancer Center & Research Institute at the University of South Florida found that women who carry their weight around the middle are more at risk for developing breast cancer than those who bulge at the hips and thighs “When we looked at women obesity was not a factor It's where you have the fat" Schapira said "An overweight pear is still at lower nsk than someone leaner and apple shaped" “This refines our information" said oncologist Dr Paul F of the Fox Chase Cancer Center “Not all obesity is the Engs-tro- Xtociid m same" Previous studies had established a link between obesity and breast cancer but Schapira said this may be because women tend to gain weight in their abdomen A 7-- tractor trailer hangs over the edge of a bridge on Interstate 40 with its front axle on Interstate 17 below in an accident near Flagstaff Ariz Truck driv HMWn R'etk er Shane Alan Burris of Flagstaff escaped injury when he crawled out of the cab and onto the highway after the vehicle lost control on the icy road MMW! |